By D. Kevin McNeir
Special to the AFRO

With safety concerns and pay raises on the bargaining table, the Washington Teachers’ Union (WTU) and the District of Columbia Public Schools reached a tentative five-year contract agreement on Sept. 30.

When preliminary contract negotiations began last September, some teachers criticized Dr. Lewis Ferebee, chancellor of D.C. Public Schools, for not attending the initial meetings with WTU officials. However, Ferebee did make his presence known in subsequent meetings. 

During a televised statement, Ferebee pointed out that the previous contract, which was reached during the pandemic, was different from the new contract in that it is forward facing rather than retroactive. He added that his team simply did not have adequate outcomes in the last contract negotiation.

While it took just over a year for both sides to reach an agreement, the Union’s last contract took over three years, and the one preceding that required close to five years in negotiations. 

In a press release from WTU, President Jacqueline Pogue Lyons said that she’s pleased with the contract, and that further details will be made public within the next few weeks after union members have reviewed the tentative agreement. 

“The highlights of the contract include fair and good pay raises but maybe more importantly, educators will be able to work under better conditions that should go a long way to improving recruitment and retention problems that have plagued the District,” she said, adding that her team pushed hard and obtained “decent and fair raises over the course of the five-year contract, despite the District’s contention that it was working in a tight financial environment.” 

American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten agreed, describing the tentative agreement as a “real accomplishment.” 

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By AFRO Staff

On Oct. 4, Morgan State University held its 40th annual fundraising gala at Martin’s West, located in Baltimore. The gala is an annual celebration of the historically Black university and supports scholarship funds for current and prospective students. In attendance were Baltimore City Mayor M. Brandon Scott and his new wife, Hana, with baby bump number two; WBAL TV Co-Anchor Jenyne Donaldson and Con. Kwesi Mfume (D-Md.-07), his wife, Tiffany Mfume and a host of community leaders, residents and alumni.

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By Georgia Jensen

From attending summer science demonstrations as a kid to volunteering as a high school student, the library has always been an important presence for me. When I was seven and my dad lost his job, my parents leaned on our community to help raise my sister and me. We got hand-me-downs from friends and food vouchers from our church — and the library became an even more central part of my life.

At least once a week, my dad would take us to the library, where my sister could get help on her homework, I could explore the children’s books and my dad could look for jobs. As it’s done for so many others, our local library stepped up to take care of us. Unfortunately, libraries are under political attack across much of the country.

Obsessed with “culture wars,” conservative politicians have been taking drastic measures to stop the distribution of what they call “age-inappropriate books” — which are often children’s books by and about LGBTQ+ individuals or people of color. 

Last year Missouri enacted a rule defunding libraries that carry such content. And in order to comply with a restrictive new library law in Idaho, some libraries have actually banned children and forced patrons under 30 to present an ID to enter.

All told, 17 GOP-led states are considering bills that would threaten librarians with prison time for lending books that lawmakers deem “obscene” or “harmful” to minors. And even in New York City, it took a massive public outcry to reverse Democratic Mayor Eric Adams’ devastating cuts to the library system.

When politicians target libraries, communities lose. Public libraries promote equality by championing free and open access to information. They not only allow individuals to access books but also movies, music and the internet.

A 2019 Gallup poll found that adults in low-income households visit their local libraries more than any other income group, which can help boost reading and literacy. By age 17, low-income students tend to lag behind their peers in reading by as much as four years, a disparity fueled by having less access to reading material — especially during the summer, when schools close. That’s why nearly all public libraries offer summer reading programs.

Libraries recognize and meet the needs of their patrons. In San Francisco, where homelessness is an ongoing crisis, the local library became one of the first in the country to hire an in-house social worker to provide expert help for its unhoused library users.

While legislation and programs aimed at fighting poverty remain stuck in Congress, libraries across the country already offer a variety of services to help society’s most vulnerable.

As of 2019, 75 percent of public libraries offered career services ranging from assistance with writing resumes and cover letters to technology training. Many also offer English as a Second Language (ESL), General Education Development (GED) and citizenship classes.

Hundreds of libraries partner with the USDA every summer to serve free meals to kids in low-income communities. They serve as refuges during heatwaves, partnering with local governments to welcome those who need a reprieve from the scorching temperatures.

Libraries ensure that both children and adults get the help they need to succeed in life. To continue, they need our help. We need to support our local libraries by donating or volunteering where we can.

We can also pressure our lawmakers not to cut funding. Congress is currently working on the budget for the federal budget for 2025. The American Library Association has an advocacy email list that makes it easy to let your members of Congress know that funding libraries should be a national priority. You can do the same thing at the state and local levels.

Public libraries make up a foundational part of our communities. It’s up to us to help keep them that way.

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By Tierra Stone
AFRO Intern
tierrastone@afro.com

Protests across the country are increasing after the death of Sonya Massey, a 36-year-old Black woman from Sangamon, Ill. The mother of two was fatally shot by Sheriff Deputy Sean Grayson inside of her home on July 6. 

The disturbing footage sparked national outrage after its release on July 22. During a press conference on July 21 members of Massey’s family, attorney Ben Crump and president of the Illinois Chapter of the NAACP, Teresa Haley, shed light on the case.   

“This is a tragic event for us here in Springfield, we’ve had a lot of tragedies lately, but we’re used to it in the Black community—but we’re here to say enough is enough,” said Haley, during the conference that was broadcast by local news stations. 

Ben Crump pointed out that Massey also struggled with mental health issues.

“She was dealing with some issues and she needed a helping hand, she didn’t need a bullet to the face,’’ said Crump. 

Massey’s family and friends spoke about her life and how they hope legislation will come into effect to prevent these actions from happening.

According to the Center for Policing Equity, a research center, law enforcement officers often interact with people who are dealing with mental illness.

“It is estimated that 7 to 10 percent of all police encounters involve a person who has a mental illness. Most of these encounters do not involve any violence, and some don’t involve a crime at all,” according to information released by the organization. “People with mental illness are no more likely than anyone else to act violently. Despite this, police arrest, injure and kill people with mental illness at higher rates than people without mental illness.”  

Grayson has entered a plea of not guilty after being indicted on multiple charges, including first degree murder and aggravated battery with a firearm. 

Following his arrest, the Sangamon County Police Department released a statement via Facebook on behalf of Sheriff Jack Campbell.

“The body worn camera footage has now been released, and the public can see what we saw: Sonya Massey lost her life due to an unjustifiable and reckless decision by former Deputy Sean Grayson. Grayson had other options available that he should have used. His actions were inexcusable and do not reflect the values or actions of our training office. He will now face judgment by the criminal justice system and will never again work in law enforcement.” 

The body cam footage released on July 22 shows two Sangamon County Police Department deputies responding to a call for help at the residence of Sonya Massey in the early morning hours of July 6. 

Upon arriving, the deputies check the property for trespassers and, finding no one, proceed to make contact with the 911 caller. The two knock for several minutes with no answer, becoming increasingly frustrated at the lack of response. The officers wonder out loud if she is dead or hiding drugs, before Massey finally opens the door praying to God that the officers don’t hurt her. 

She is obviously disoriented– and scared. 

While one officer continues to check out the property, Grayson enters the home. Massey calmly sits on the couch and tries to answer questions being lodged at her. Ultimately, while inside the home, a pot of water begins to boil, prompting officers to ask Massey to tend to the stove. 

“We don’t need a fire while we’re here,” says one of the deputies. 

A faucet can be heard and it appears that Massey is pouring the water down the sink. As she handles the pot, one officer backs up, prompting Massey to ask where he is going. 

The deputy responds from the living room area, telling Massey he’s moving “away from your hot, steaming water.”

To this, Massey says “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus.” 

What happens next in the video has shocked a nation. 

Grayson questions Massey’s phrase. “Huh?” he says. 

“I rebuke you in the name of Jesus,” Massey repeats, unmoved from her spot in the kitchen. 

“You better f****** not or I swear to God I’ll f****** shoot you in the f****** face,” Grayson aggressively yells, drawing his gun to combat the soft rebuke.

Massey apologizes and immediately crouches by the sink in fear. As she tries to stand back up with the pot Grayson follows through with his threat and shoots Massey in the face, exactly as he said he would just seconds before. 

Grayson then proceeds to tell his partner not to render aid, leaving Massey to gurgle her own blood on her kitchen floor. Eventually, the second officer disregards Grayson’s suggestion and begins to apply pressure to the gunshot wound. 

He can also be heard telling other officers that he was in fear of  “taking boiling water to the face,” and admits there was no threat of a gun. As Massey bleeds to death, Grayson stands feet away and says he doesn’t want to “waste” his medical kit on her. 

He steps outside and can be heard describing her as a “crazy b****” to other officers.

Majority of the encounter was caught on the second officer’s body camera, as Grayson did not turn his body camera on until after Massey had been shot.

After the death of Geroge Floyd in 2022, many cities and states began to ramp up efforts to have officers wear body cameras. Subsequently, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act that same year, but it has since been halted by members of the U.S. Senate. 

Massey’s father, James Wilburn, shared his frustrations with the police and the U.S. Senate regarding their failure to address police brutality and weed out bad cops.

“In 2020 I had quadruple heart bypass surgery. I’ve wondered why God left me here in this world—and maybe it was so that I could tell this whole country that in order to honor my daughter we need to pass the George Floyd Policing Act,’’ said Wilburn. 

Wilburn said that he didn’t care if there weren’t enough votes to pass it, he wanted to make sure no one else has to experience what the Massey family is going through. 

President Joe Biden released a statement on White House website, sharing his condolences, but also urging Congress to pass the George Floyd Policing Act. 

“Sonya’s family deserves justice. I am heartbroken for her children and her entire family as they face this unthinkable and senseless loss. Jill and I mourn with the rest of the country and our prayers are with Sonya’s family, loved ones and community during this devastating time. I commend the swift actions that were taken by the Springfield’s State’s Attorney’s office,” said Biden. “While we wait for the case to be prosecuted, let us pray to comfort the grieving. Congress must pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act now. Our fundamental commitment to justice is at stake.” 

The AFRO reached out to the offices of Illinois State’s Attorney John Milhiser and Springfield Defense Attorney Daniel Fultz, but they did not immediately respond to AFRO requests for comment.

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By Maurice Carroll

Depending on your age and experience, your perception of a good driver may vary. So, how do we judge what a good driver is and isn’t? 

Factors influencing this perception could include the driver’s adherence to traffic laws, attentiveness to road conditions and courtesy towards other road users. As a passenger, you might value a smooth and comfortable ride, where abrupt stops and aggressive maneuvers are minimized. We all have experienced the sometimes frustrating or humorous communication styles of some drivers.

One of the things we can all agree on is that–good or bad–what defines a driver is someone who is operating a moving vehicle. I don’t actively operate vehicles anymore despite having a valid license to do so. As a passenger, this has given me a different perspective on a statement that hurried passengers used to give me when I was driving, “Drive!…just use the GPS and follow the directions.” 

I’ve had moments to ponder this statement. Depending on your perspective, it could seem a bit harsh, or rushed and maybe a little aggressive– but what if we applied this statement to our lives? 

If you take a moment to think about it, most people drift through life. You don’t see the average person processing life with what we describe as “drive.” When we do see someone who fits that description– it seems that they have found a way out of the matrix. On the contrary, for most of us, it seems as if there are directions and paths that have been predetermined for us that we just sort of unconsciously follow without much contemplation. 

Which type of person are you? Which type of person would you like to be? 

Here’s a helpful thought: If you allow your mind to consider which type of person you’d like to be, you’ve already started the process of understanding direction. 

If you are brave enough to continue with that thought pattern and then decide to take action on those thoughts, you are then “following direction.” I want to offer a few steps needed to be able to drive your life by following directions. You may hear a few trending phrases like “live with purpose” or “…give intention…” All of these phrases point to the same outcome of becoming the operator of a moving vehicle. The vehicle is your life. If you want to be the driver of your life and need directions to follow, here are five steps. 

1-Sign up

Driving your life requires a strong mindset. Signing up for this shift means caring for your mental health. Seek out practices that are comfortable for you such as time to engage in mindfulness or journaling.

2-Get a permit

Give yourself permission to learn something new about the process. Permit yourself to explore beyond what you don’t already know. Be teachable. 

3-Practice

Apply what you’ve learned. Be it a belief– a method or an idea– the point is to apply it. Allow yourself room and grace to grow knowing that you may not get it perfect every time. 

4-Take the exam

This is when you formally test the knowledge or ability that you’ve acquired to obtain qualification. Examine the outcomes. 

5-Fulfill requirements

As you progress through these steps, they begin to become a part of who you are. This step is when you embrace what you do or who you have become and to be necessary, to be expected and to accomplish.      

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By The Office of People’s Counsel

The Maryland Supreme Court has agreed to hear the Office of People’s Counsel’s appeal of a 2021 Public Service Commission decision related to an $8 million rate increase for Washington Gas customers. OPC’s appeal argues that the Commission’s rate order failed to enforce a requirement for “merger savings” that were promised to Washington Gas customers as part of a 2018 ruling that approved Canadian-based AltaGas’s acquisition of Washington Gas.

“We are glad that the Supreme Court has agreed to evaluate the Commission’s decision denying Washington Gas’s promise of merger-related customer savings,” said People’s Counsel David S. Lapp. “This is an important decision to get correct for the benefit of Washington Gas customers and to send a signal that merger conditions must be enforced based on the terms of the order approving the merger.”

Under Maryland law, the Commission cannot approve the acquisition of a public utility unless it finds that customers will benefit from the acquisition. Since 2011, Maryland’s five largest public utilities have been acquired by large out-of-state utility holding companies, such as AltaGas, Exelon, and FirstEnergy. The Commission has imposed hundreds of conditions on utility mergers to make sure they benefit customers and are in the public interest.

OPC’s request for Supreme Court review pointed out that the Commission approved AltaGas’s acquisition of Washington Gas subject to a commitment to realize at least $4 million in customer savings as a result of sharing corporate functions with other AltaGas subsidiaries, creating economies of scale, and lowering corporate costs. Instead of reduced costs and customer savings, however, three years later the Commission approved a substantial increase in corporate costs of $7.8 million, or 30 percent over pre-merger costs. The Court will decide whether the Commission erred when it approved the utility’s requested increase.

“Utilities are captive customers of public utilities, and these acquisitions are not disciplined by a competitive market,” Lapp said. “It is critical that those conditions are vigorously enforced.”

When asked for comment, Washington Gas Director of Strategic Communications, Andre Francis, responded by saying that “Washington Gas  does not comment on pending litigation.”

The Maryland Office of People’s Counsel is an independent state agency that represents Maryland’s residential consumers of electric, natural gas, telecommunications, private water and certain transportation matters before the Public Service Commission, federal regulatory agencies and the courts.

This press release was issued by the Office of People’s Counsel. 

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By David Bauder,
AP Entertainment Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — What do Paul McCartney, Queen Latifah, Lady Gaga and Stevie Wonder have in common?

Oh, and Aretha Franklin, k.d. lang, Bono and Billy Joel. Not to mention Carrie Underwood, Judy Garland, John Legend and Placido Domingo. And let’s not forget…

Stop. Listing all of the musicians who performed duets with Tony Bennett would take up our remaining space. His place in music history is already secure.

Bennett, who died at 96 on July 21, was indeed “the last of the great saloon singers of the mid-20th century,” as Charles J. Gans wrote for The Associated Press. Yet that summation befits a man frozen in time, consigned to a specific era, and Tony Bennett was anything but that.

Instead, Bennett transcended generations in a way few musicians have.

He was rightly beloved by older listeners for the way he interpreted the works of songwriters Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, Jerome Kern and George Gershwin in a strong and stalwart voice that remained true into his 90s. He was influenced by and helped popularize jazz, and marched with the Rev. Martin Luther King to fight for civil rights.

He was also admired by those who, if they left their hearts in San Francisco, it was at the corner of Haight-Ashbury, or a trendy dance club.

“I have to think it comes down to the man itself,” said singer Ben Folds, who at age 56 is four decades younger than Bennett was at the end.

“You hear his voice, it’s super kind, casual and in the moment,” Folds said. “His phrasing is that way, too. There’s nothing that sounds uptight. It’s very generous. A lot of people in his generation didn’t have that appeal because at the end of the day, you didn’t feel that they cared about you.”

Many of Bennett’s successful late-career duets were a tribute to the savvy marketing of his son and manager, Danny, who kept his dad’s career going long past most peers hit their expiration date.

But famous duet partners could have said no. Few did.

Don’t think they didn’t notice the sweet and tender manner he brought to the studio working with people like Lady Gaga and Amy Winehouse, Folds said. Bennett’s duet with Winehouse on “Body and Soul” was the last studio recording she made before she died.

Gaga, the New Yorker born Stefani Germanotta who could appreciate the New Yorker born Anthony Benedetto, became like family and ushered him through musical triumphs with love even as he suffered from Alzheimer’s Disease. Bennett drew and signed an image of Miles Davis’ trumpet that Gaga wears as a tattoo on her arm.

k.d. lang’s formidable voice bowed to no one when she brought it to a series of memorable performances with Bennett in the 1990s.

“He was a place of refuge for the American songbook,” lang told the Associated Press. “He made sure that he loved a song. He would not sing any song that he didn’t love.”

Make no mistake: Bennett brought the goods. Watch a video of him coming on to a Shea Stadium stage to sing “New York State of Mind” with Billy Joel. His guest steals the song, and Joel beams as he watches.

His handiwork has just been blessed by Tony Bennett.

At a San Francisco fundraiser a few years ago, with Alzheimer’s insidious impact already apparent, Folds watched stunned as Bennett switched from remarks to a few bars of “I Left My Heart in San Francisco,” in perfect pitch.

Bennett exuded an older generation’s class, always performing in a tuxedo or tailored suit. In a Los Angeles hotel room in 1994 when an earthquake hit before dawn, Bennett took the time to change into a suit before joining bathrobe-wearing evacuees, the Los Angeles Times noted.

In all of the work he did with contemporary artists, he never sounded age inappropriate, said music critic Jim Farber. Bennett always bent them to his musical will, never the other way around, he said.

“There’s this multitude of singers, from Gaga to Diana Krall to John Mayer,” lang said. “Now they can carry a certain understanding that they received firsthand from him.”

Something more important was usually happening in the audience.

Two years ago, writer Christine Passarella recalled sitting in lawn chairs in a Brooklyn park in the 1980s with her mother and baby daughter, listening to Bennett sing.

“Seeing him live felt like watching an uncle embracing me and my mom, as his music helped us remember my father, my mom’s one and only love,” she wrote.

Countless numbers of people remember similar moments with family over the years, hearing Bennett’s voice wash warmly over them while sitting with a mother or father, a son or daughter. I’m among them.

That is, ultimately, a legacy to be treasured above all.

___

This story corrects Bennett’s age at death to 96, not 95.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Kweisi Mfume (MD-07) announced the introduction of a pair of bills to commemorate the life and legacy of African American Mess Attendant Doris ‘Dorie’ Miller. During the attack on Pearl Harbor, Mess Attendant Miller manned an anti-aircraft gun and downed enemy planes, despite the fact that the racially segregated steward’s branch of the Navy was not trained to use anti-aircraft guns. Congressman Mfume’s bills seek to award the Medal of Honor and a Congressional Gold Medal to Mess Attendant Miller.

“Today is ‘Dorie Miller Day’ on Capitol Hill. Dorie Miller protected America, and we are all the beneficiaries of his bravery. His valiance is even more admirable because he courageously worked to save a democracy that he could not fully enjoy at that time, as the United States military did not become fully integrated until almost seven years after his heroism in World War II,” said Congressman Mfume. “I am honored to continue the work of my friend, former Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson, who had fought to give Mess Attendant Miller’s legacy the celebration of the Medal of Honor since 2001. And with my dual-tracked legislative effort to award both the Medal of Honor and a Congressional Gold Medal, Dorie Miller will finally be recognized with an American salute that is long overdue,” he concluded.

The Life of Doris ‘Dorie’ Miller

Background

Born in Waco, Texas on October 12, 1919.

Son of Connery and Henrietta Miller.

Dropped out of school to support the family farm, worked part-time as a cook in a small restaurant in Waco.

Military Career

Enlisted in the United States Navy in September of 1939.

After bootcamp training, was assigned to the USS West Virginia as a messman.

Quickly moved up in the ranks from messman to ship’s cook, third class, and was stationed at Pearl Harbor.

Black sailors serving in the racially segregated steward’s branch of the Navy were not trained to use anti-aircraft guns.

On December 7, 1941, Doris Miller was doing laundry at around 8:00 a.m. when a Japanese torpedo hit his ship, anchored in Pearl Harbor.

He rushed to the main deck to help move his mortally wounded captain out of harm’s way and attend to other wounded sailors.

He then manned a 0.50-calibre anti-aircraft gun and fired at the attacking planes.

According to news stories and other sailors’ accounts, Doris Miller downed 2 to 5 enemy planes before he was forced to abandon ship.

National Awards and the Medal of Honor

Doris Miller was awarded a commendation from the Secretary of the Navy as well as the Navy Cross on May 27, 1942, in a ceremony at Pearl Harbor.

The Navy recently commissioned an aircraft carrier to be named after Doris Miller, and the town of Waco, Texas recently unveiled a riverside memorial.

Doris Miller has yet to receive the Navy’s highest award, the Medal of Honor.

Mr. Miller’s family and friends have fought for decades to convince the Navy to award Doris Miller with the Medal of Honor posthumously.

More than 15 cities have expressed support, and the U.S. Conference of Mayors adopted a resolution endorsing the effort in 2001.

Congress has introduced a resolution in support of the Navy awarding Doris Miller the Medal of Honor every year since 2015.

Decisions on military honors are typically reserved for the military, and the Navy has not yet decided to change course on Doris Miller’s status.

Medal of Honor Bill – Doris Miller

This bill authorizes the President to award the Medal of Honor, the highest military decoration in the United States Armed Forces, to Mess Attendant Doris ‘Dorie’ Miller.

Former Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson had fought to give Mess Attendant Miller’s legacy this recognition since 2001.

This legislation is endorsed by the National Association for Black Veterans (NABVETs) and the Dorie Miller Medal of Honor Committee.

Congressional Gold Medal Bill – Doris Miller

The second bill of this dual-tracked legislative effort to federally recognize Doris Miller awards him posthumously the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian award in the United States.

If approved by Congress, Doris Miller’s family would receive the medal and it would be displayed at the Smithsonian Museum.

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By Reginald Williams,
Special to the AFRO,
and Alexis Taylor,
Managing Editor

“I take care of my own affairs,” proclaims Ruth F. McIlwaine.

As she prepares to celebrate her 100th birthday, the former Wings Over Jordan Choir (WOJC) member has a voice that is still rich, powerful, and buoyant. The future centenarian makes it known that she still handles her day-to-day business. She chooses what she wants to do– even if it’s just “sitting around and watching television.”

On Feb. 1, her age will officially require three digits. 

McIlwaine shared that she will spend time with her family to celebrate turning 100 years old, but a big public gathering is out of the picture.

“My son and daughter will be over,” she said. “But I just don’t be going out during these times.”

U.S. News & World Report states data collected in 2020 reports America has more than 97,000  centenarians– an increase of 58 percent over the past 20 years.  

McIlwaine rises between 10:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. each morning, but only because she is a night owl. Before the pandemic, McIlwaine shopped, attended social functions, and sang at Galbraith AME Zion Church, located on 6th Street, in Northwest Washington.

Born in Columbus, Ohio, McIlwaine moved to Washington, D.C., in 1951 when she married John A. McIlwaine. They remained married for 69 years before death did them part. She has two children, John Louis, who lives with her in the District, and her daughter Sharon R. Mason resides in Prince George’s County.

McIlwaine had four sisters and three brothers. Her parents were Mr. Lewis Fomby and Ms. Mary Fomby. Her mother was born in Alabama and her father was born in Georgia. Still to this day, she has one niece in Alabama and three nieces in Atlanta. 

“During the Great Depression, my father took ill and we moved back to Alabama,” McIlwaine told the AFRO. “I was around seven years old at that time, so I really grew up in Alabama. I was 20 years old when I left and joined WOJC.”

When asked what life was like during her childhood in Alabama during the 1920s and 30s, McIlwaine replied “just what you read about it.”

“In the South at that time – the entire country,  really- there was segregation. Blacks had theirs and White had theirs. You couldn’t go into stores, or you could go– but you were waited on last. If a White and Black person were standing at a counter to purchase something, they would wait on the White person first and the person of color last,” she said.

Still, McIlwaine says the African Americans of this time pressed forward. Free from the bonds of slavery, Black men and women of the South created a life for themselves– even in the face of Jim Crow. 

“Back in that day, people of color had their own social life. They had their own entertainment and everything. That was back during the days of Count Basie and Duke Ellington. There was a huge recreational park in Anniston, Ala. for colored people only. All of the entertainers came and they had everything–all kinds of entertainment. They had pools, picnics and gazebos,” said McIlwaine. “The church was the backbone of everything for Black people at that time– for worship as well as social. I grew up at New Hope Baptist Church.”

As an entertainer herself, McIlwaine was afforded the opportunity to see how Black people lived all over the country.

McIlwaine, an alto, joined WOJC in 1947 and traveled extensively with the Cleveland-based spiritual choir for three years. The choir, credited with improving race relations, is endorsed as the first independently produced national and international radio programs created by African Americans. She even sang at the opening of the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

“When I was with WOJC I traveled all over the United States more than once. I experienced everything as far as opportunities and things that people of color could do,” she told the AFRO. “People all over the country, back in that day, had their own areas– theaters, restaurants, whatever– they had their own.” 

McIlwaine was careful to highlight that even though segregation kept them out of big hotels that wouldn’t accommodate them– even “up North,” there were Black entrepreneurs who stepped in the gap.

“One of the big Black hotels in New York City was the Theresa Hotel,” said McIlwaine. “It was a grand hotel. That’s where people of color would get lodging.”

According to the National Park Service, Hotel Theresa “was known as the ‘Waldorf of Harlem,’ playing host to many of America’s most prominent black social, political, entertainment, and sports figures, as well as to many foreign dignitaries.” 

NPS reports that “in 1940, long after Harlem had become a predominantly African-American community, the Hotel Theresa dropped its discrimination policies, went under new management, installed an African-American manager and catered almost exclusively to a Black clientele. As a result, the Theresa went on to become the most famous African-American hotel in the nation.”

When it came to entertainment, the Black community certainly wasn’t lacking in any regard.

“The people of color had their own outlets and entertainment. They had their own theaters and nightclubs,” said McIlwaine. “The Howard Theatre was a great showcase for entertainment down through the years and that was for people of color.”

McIlwaine told the AFRO that she remembers the shift that came for Black entrepreneurs, once desegregation became law and Black people were no longer forced to patronize Black businesses.

“When things integrated, the great change came. Black people started going to the White places where they couldn’t have gone when segregation was prevalent and everywhere.”

For someone coming up on a century of life, McIlwaine’s memory is still pretty sharp. She credits her longevity to the “golden rule.”

“I’m a deep person of faith and I believe in fairness and doing the right things,” replied McIlwaine when asked how she has lived so long. “‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.’ That’s all I can say.”

Reginald Williams, the author of “A Marginalized Voice: Devalued, Dismissed, Disenfranchised & Demonized” writes on Black men and Holistic Health concerns. Please email bookreggie@reginaldwilliams.org or visit amvonlinestore.com for more information.

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Today, Gregory McMichael, Travis McMichael, and William Bryan were convicted of the murder of Ahmaud Arbery on varying counts. In response, DNC Chair Jaime Harrison and DNC Black Caucus Chair Virgie Rollins released the following statement:

“While this verdict does not make Ahmaud Arbery’s loved ones whole again, his killers have been held accountable and healing can begin. No American should be afraid to go for a jog or for a walk in the United States because of the color of their skin.

“The grief that courses through the Black community each time another senseless act of violence is committed is far too familiar. Each victim is a son, a daughter, a brother, a sister, a guardian, a friend, a colleague — their lives and contributions hold tremendous value and meaning. They should be here.

“While today we applaud the justice system working for Ahmaud Arbery, we know it has too often failed so many, and so we must continue to act to dismantle systemic racism and ensure equity and accountability for all under the law.”

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Lt. Governor Rutherford, Mayor Scott and others join Waterfront Partnership to kick off opening weekend celebration

WHAT:
A weekend-long celebration will mark the official opening of Rash Field Park at Baltimore’s Inner Harbor with an invite-only ribbon cutting on November 5 followed by activities for the general public November 6-7.

On Friday, Waterfront Partnership will be joined by Maryland Lieutenant Governor Boyd Rutherford, Baltimore City Mayor Brandon Scott, the Baltimore City Department of Recreation and Parks (BCRP), city officials, community and project partners, and area youth for an invite-only ribbon cutting to officially open the park and celebrate the completion of phase one while recognizing the vital funding and partnerships from the State of Maryland, City of Baltimore and private donors that made the project possible. Since 2015, Waterfront Partnership has worked with the surrounding communities, partners and city agencies to create a park for the families of Baltimore.

On Saturday and Sunday, Waterfront Partnership, BCRP and local pro-skaters will welcome residents and families to the park with special activities for all ages. Visitors can experience everything that phase one has to offer including two playgrounds – an adventure park and nature park, Jake’s Skate Park, a shade lawn and a pavilion with green roof overlook. The Park serves as a space for families from across Baltimore and visitors to explore, relax and experience fun, education and wonder.

Mahan Rykiel Associates serves as the Park’s designer, Whiting-Turner as general contractor and construction manager, and global design and architecture firm Gensler designed the BGE Pavilion.

WHEN:
Ribbon Cutting (invite-only): Friday, November 5, 2021
Opening remarks begin at approx. 10:00 a.m.

Public Events: Saturday, November 6, 2021
10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.: Skate Party with Local Pros by Skatepark of Baltimore
12:00 p.m.: BCRP presents Zumba!
1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.: Invertebrate Meet-n-Greet in the Garden by Waterfront Partnership

Public Events: Sunday, November 7, 2021:
9:00 a.m.: Sunrise Yoga with BCRP
10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.: Bike the Harbor with BCRP Outdoor Recreation Division
11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.: Garden Discovery with BCRP’s Carrie Murray Nature Center
2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.: Demo and Meet-n-Greet with pro-skater Joey Jett

*For a full list of activities with descriptions, visit waterfrontpartnership.org/rash-field.

WHERE:
Rash Field Park
300 Key Highway
Baltimore, MD 21230

PHOTO OPPORTUNITIES:

• Remarks made by Lt. Governor Rutherford, Mayor Scott and others
• Official ribbon cutting
• Families and attendees exploring and enjoying the new park for the first time
• Interviews with youth, attendees, elected officials and representatives from Waterfront Partnership
• Photos and video of the park activated on Saturday and Sunday with pro-skaters in Jake’s Skate Park, exercising on the shade lawn, kids in the nature park and adventure park, etc.

ON-SITE MEDIA CONTACTS:
Alex Silverman, PROFILES, (410) 790-4149
Amy Burke Friedman, PROFILES, (410) 382-5496

MORE INFO: https://www.waterfrontpartnership.org/rash-field/

Waterfront Partnership, in collaboration with our government, business, and community partners, creates a clean, green, safe, sustainable and thriving urban waterfront for all to enjoy. We’re lean, nimble and effective; the only organization that wakes up every day, rolls its sleeves up and gets to work on new ways we can make Baltimore’s Waterfront even more active, attractive and appealing. We’re the hosts who greet visitors, the creators of programs and promotions and managers of our beautiful parks. We encourage investment in Baltimore’s most celebrated asset so it can continue to grow, to serve as a place of pride and the place where Baltimoreans come together to recreate and to celebrate. For more information, visit waterfrontpartnership.org.

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Broccoli City will be back at RFK Stadium on Oct. 2. (Courtesy Photo)

By Micha Green
AFRO D.C. and Digital Editor
mgreen@afro.com

After a year of missing live concerts and festivals, Broccoli City, in partnership with Live Nation Urban, is coming to the newly redeveloped RFK Stadium with the organization’s flagship festival on Oct. 2.  Having survived a tough year socially, politically and due to the pandemic, Broccoli City is coming back with their ninth-annual festival featuring a star-studded lineup and a goal of uplifting all African Americans have overcome and achieved, while celebrating Black culture. 

Last year’s festival was canceled due to the rising numbers from the COVID-19 pandemic.  In a press release, Broccoli City wrote:

“As one of the few Black owned festivals, we understand the important role we play in our community, especially when it comes to providing safe spaces for that community to celebrate each other.

“Given the present circumstances and based on the guidance provided by D.C. health officials, we have made the decision to cancel Broccoli City Festival 2020 to safeguard the health of attendees, artists and staff. We will instead put our energy toward assisting Black families, Black students, Black professionals and other Black businesses during this time, while also doing our part as an organization to dismantle systematic oppression.”

This year’s festival is back on with Black justice and culture in mind.

“2020 was tough on everyone. From the disproportionate number of Black lives lost as a result of COVID-19 to the tragic murders of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and countless others, it goes without saying that the Black community was hit the hardest,” said Brandon McEachern and Marcus Allen, founders of Broccoli City Festival.

 “Coming off of such a pivotal year where everyone is trying to capitalize on Black culture, it’s more important now than ever before for us to protect these sacred spaces created by Black people to authentically celebrate Black culture. We’re happy to be back and look forward to Broccoli City Festival 2021 being the most authentic celebration of Black culture, arts and music the industry has seen,” the founders added.

This year’s lineup features Lil Baby, Snoh Aalegra, Moneybagg Yo, Lucky Daye, Justine Skye, Rubi Rose and Soulection’s ESTA, Andre Power and Sasha Marie.  

Local talent includes 3ohBlack, Moechella, DJ Domo, Malcolm Xavier, Everything Nice and AdoboDMV.

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Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was sentenced today to 22.5 years in prison for second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter for killing George Floyd in May 2020. In response, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) President and Director-Counsel Sherrilyn Ifill issued the following statement:

“While the sentencing of Derek Chauvin brings a measure of accountability for the murder of George Floyd, our hearts go out to the Floyd family and the friends of Mr. Floyd who will continue to grieve his loss long after today, and for whom justice would mean George Floyd would still be alive today.

“The circumstances in this case are extremely rare. For a measure of accountability, it took a courageous teenager putting herself at risk to record the slow torture of an unarmed Black man; harrowing and traumatic eyewitness testimony; the rare instance of a police chief and officers willing to testify against Chauvin; and so much more.

“Even now, we await the three upcoming trials for former police officers J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane, and Tou Thao – all of whom have been charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter for their role in failing to intervene as Chauvin murdered Mr. Floyd. Across the country, police brutality and the violent deaths of Black and Brown people at the hands of law enforcement have persisted in spite of last summer’s unified call from protestors and communities across the country for true accountability and an overhaul of our public safety system.

“Much more must be done to bring about the transformational change required to end police violence against communities of color and establish accountability and justice in public safety. To that end, the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act must be passed with the provisions that would end qualified immunity for law enforcement officers, which has too often been used by officers to evade accountability for egregious misconduct. True justice for George Floyd – and the many more killed at the hands of law enforcement – calls for a public safety system that invests in its communities and holds those who do them harm truly accountable in every instance.”

###

Founded in 1940, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) is the nation’s first civil and human rights law organization. LDF has been completely separate from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) since 1957—although LDF was originally founded by the NAACP and shares its commitment to equal rights. LDF’s Thurgood Marshall Institute is a multi-disciplinary and collaborative hub within LDF that launches targeted campaigns and undertakes innovative research to shape the civil rights narrative. In media attributions, please refer to us as the NAACP Legal Defense Fund or LDF.

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Sha’Carri Richardson has been trending all week since her winning 100-meter run at the June 19 Olympic trials. The 21-year-old out of Louisiana State University (LSU) left
competitors in the dust and blew spectators away with a performance that secured the first spot in the U.S. Olympic team. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

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Former Florida Supreme Court Judge Joseph W. Hatchett (Wikipedia/Public Domain)

By The Associated Press

The first Black man to serve on the Florida Supreme court has died. Joseph W. Hatchett was 88.

The court announced May 1 that Hatchett died in Tallahassee. No cause of death was given.

Hatchett was the first African American on the state high court when he was appointed by then Gov. Reubin Askew in 1975, according to the court.

In 1979, then-President Jimmy Carter named Hatchett to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Hatchett graduated from Florida A&M University in 1954, then earned his law degree in 1959 from the Howard University School of Law.

Hatchett also worked as a federal prosecutor and in private practice.

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Michael Sneed, executive vice president of Global Corporate Affairs and chief communication officer of Johnson & Johnson (Photo courtesy Johnson & Johnson)

By J. K. Schmid
Special to the AFRO

As uncertainties over the future of America in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to swirl, a premier American pharmaceutical and medical multinational is making pledges and commitments to ensure no one finds themselves in this same position again.

Johnson & Johnson, is on the cusp of emergency authorization for its COVID-19 vaccine. At the moment, Johnson & Johnson, long-famous for products like Band-Aid and Tylenol, is gearing up to manufacture one billion doses, 100 million of which will be slated for American distribution.

Unlike Moderna and Pfizer’s vaccine, the Johnson & Johnson product is not designed for a follow-up second shot booster. Questions about timing the second dose and whether the Biden administration can commit to 100 million vaccinations remain all while COVID-deaths reach a new peak early on in the new year.

Prior to this new development for Johnson & Johnson, the No. 37 Fortune 500 company announced in November its efforts to close the healthcare gap in America’s Black and Brown communities.

Johnson & Johnson, a 300-plus billion dollar company, has pledged 100 million dollars over the next five years towards closing the gap in health outcomes in the country’s minority and most-vulnerable communities.

While $100 million might buy a small hospital, Johnson & Johnson says they’re working on building up people over infrastructure.

“We’re not necessarily focusing on bricks and mortar, I think we’re focusing more on programs that really have a direct impact on communities of color,” Michael Sneed, executive vice president of Global Corporate Affairs and chief communication officer for Johnson & Johnson, told the AFRO. “The 100 million really starts with things such as scholarships to improve Black representation in healthcare professions.”

Like politics and business, “representation matters” appears to be the mantra in science and medicine.

“We know Black and brown people are more likely to access healthcare if they see people who look like them in healthcare,” Mr. Sneed said. “The data’s very clear about that. Sometimes it’s about not having access, but a lot of times it’s about reticence in accessing healthcare systems. We want to make sure people see people who look like them.”

Portions of the allocated funds are going and will continue to go to frontline healthcare workers in communities of color, but the longest term project may be Johnson & Johnson’s push for more Black and brown people participating in clinical trials. Like the trials continuing as Johnson & Johnson seek emergency approval for their new vaccine.

“The amount of money we spend in research and development on things that disproportionately impact communities color is astounding,” Mr. Sneed said. “So, when you think of things like high blood pressure and diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, these are all areas that have a material impact on communities of color, and so being able to get people, who are in those communities, into clinical trials, so we can develop the best treatments for them, we think it is paramount.”

Johnson & Johnson was incorporated in 1886, and the racial healthcare gap may be more visible now, but has been acute for centuries. Why is Johnson & Johnson taking these steps now?

“If you’re inside Johnson & Johnson, you’re well aware of this history. Even at our inception, we were a company that employed more women than men, which is almost unheard of back then,” Mr. Sneed said. “We’re headquartered in New Brunswick, New Jersey. New Brunswick, New Jersey, like a lot of communities, in the late 60s and late 70s, there was a lot of social unrest Johnson & Johnson made the decision to stay in New Brunswick and help rebuild New Brunswick. And now, we’re 50 years later, and New Brunswick is a thriving multiracial, and innovation hub of Johnson & Johnson and New Jersey.”

“When it comes to diversity and inclusion, when it comes to supporting communities of color, this is in our DNA.”

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In this photo taken on Friday, Dec. 25, 2020, Virologist Sunday Omilabu speaks, during an interview with The Associated Press, in Lagos, Nigeria. A Nigerian scientist has spent the holiday season in his laboratory doing genetic sequencing to learn more about the country’s COVID-19 variant, as cases increase in the country. Virologist Sunday Omilabu says the information he gathers about the variant will help battle the spread of the disease in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country with 196 million people. (AP Photo/Lekan Oyekanmi)

By LEKAN OYEKANMI, Associated Press

LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) — A Nigerian scientist has spent the holiday season in his laboratory doing genetic sequencing to learn more about the country’s COVID-19 variant, as cases increase in the country.

Virologist Sunday Omilabu says the information he gathers about the variant will help battle the spread of the disease in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country with 196 million people.

Nigeria has confirmed 89,163 COVID-19 cases, including 1,302 deaths, according to the figures Sunday from the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“The variants discovered in the U.K. and South Africa, they are distantly different from the variants discovered in Nigeria,” said Omilabu, who said it is not unusual for viruses to mutate and cause variants.

Nigeria is seeing more infections of COVID-19 but it is not yet certain if that is from the variant, said Omilambu, the director of the Center for Human and Zoonotic Virology at the Lagos University College of Medicine and Teaching Hospital.

“What we could say clinically is that we have more people coming down with severe signs and symptoms,” he said, describing how one person can spread the disease to four or five family members, which is a higher rate of transmission than had been recorded earlier.

“That shows us that something is happening. There’s a surge so we are recording that but we are yet to sequence any of those isolates,” to determine if the increased transmissions are caused by the variant, said Omilabu.

“I think we need to calm our mind down, there are going to be more variants to come,” he said.

“We need to be monitoring the virus, we need to sequence. If we sequence then we would have more information about what is in circulation and then, of course, we need to continue with surveillance, we need to monitor how active the virus is in the environment … so the public health experts, they have work to do and then government must support all these.”

In this photo taken on Friday Dec. 25, 2020, Virologist Sunday Omilabu in a lab, during an interview with The Associated Press in Lagos, Nigeria. A Nigerian scientist has spent the holiday season in his laboratory doing genetic sequencing to learn more about the country’s COVID-19 variant, as cases increase in the country. Virologist Sunday Omilabu says the information he gathers about the variant will help battle the spread of the disease in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country with 196 million people. (AP Photo/Lekan Oyekanmi)

As lab work is being done to learn more about the variant, Nigerians should remain vigilant to avoid spreading the virus, he said.

“People still go and party. They still go to the club and without putting on face masks,” he said. “ We talk of social distancing, people are not respecting that. We talk of using face masks. People are not doing that. You see them in the market places, they are not doing that. So how do you now control it?”

With COVID-19 variants emerging in Nigeria and South Africa, the World Health Organization said Africa needs to do more genetic sequencing, such as what Omilabu is doing.

“The emergence of new COVID-19 variants is common. However, those with a higher speed of transmission or potentially increased pathogenicity are very concerning. Crucial investigations are underway to comprehensively understand the behavior of the new mutant virus and steer response accordingly,” said Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa.

The new variants have emerged as COVID-19 infections are on the rise in the 47 African countries, nearly reaching the peak the continent saw in July, she said. In the past 28 days, 10 countries — Algeria, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa and Uganda — have reported the highest number of new cases, accounting for 90% of all the infections in Africa, she said.

The new virus variant in South Africa is now the dominant one there and appears to be more contagious, according to John Nkengasong, director of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Earlier this week South Africa exceeded 1 million confirmed cases and is leading the continent’s new surge of COVID-19, which is coming “back with a vengeance,” Nkengasong said Thursday.

“Variants are a hallmark of this type of RNA virus,” said Nkengasong to a briefing of journalists. “The more we do sequencing of this virus, the more variants we will see … We remain optimistic that the different vaccines will remain effective against these variants.”

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Brittany Young, founder of B-360 STEM program, left, Darren Rogers, founder of I Am Mentality, center, Tonee Lawson, founder of TheBe.Org. These three organizations have partnered to form “The Collective,” that is focused on youth and young adult empowerment. (Courtesy photos)

By Reginald Allen II
Special to the AFRO

Recently, the Baltimore Legacy Builders Collective was launched. The goal of this organization is, “to provide 100 hours of training, transferable skills and empowerment to 1,300 youth and young adults in the Baltimore metro area over the next year.” “The Collective” is a partnership between three Black-led youth empowering, non-profit organizations: B-360, I am MENtality, and The Be.org.

According to a press release, the Collective wants to fundraise $30,000 to support their initiative. In 2019, The Collective was awarded a grant from the T. Rowe Price Foundation for hiring and programming needs. However, it will be competitive to raise money while COVID-19 relief funds are active. “As three Black-led organizations with limited resources it’s been traditionally harder to reach major funders on our own,” said Brittany Young,
co-founder of the Collective and founder B-360. “We’ve seen funding priorities shift to COVID relief this year and that’s put an added strain on not just on our programming, but funding as well.”

Besides the Collective’s mission and fundraising goal, announcing a chief development officer is another goal they want to fulfill by early 2021. Also, among the three founders are three advisors with backgrounds in community engagement as well. Robbin Lee, the executive of Baltimore Homecoming; Chelsea Brown, a graduate public policy student at the University of Maryland; and Matthew Reeds, founder of the Reeds Fund. These three
volunteers are focused on networking for the Collective.

More about the Baltimore Legacy Builders Collective partners: B-360 is a motorbike advocacy program that delivers STEM education and workforce training. The organization hosts traffic safety and bike expos and advocates for safer, more available options for Baltimore’s motorbike riders. More information at https://www.b360baltimore.org/.

I Am MENtality — an empowerment project focused on young men ages 5 to 18. The organization provides mentoring and counseling, school based programming, and workshops. More information at https://iammentality.com/.

The Be. Org — an out-of-school program focused on youth development. They currently provide a girl empowerment program for middle school age students; a college admissions and financial aid program; and a virtual social emotional learning program for children of all ages. More information at https://www.thebeorg.com/.

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By Baltimore Artist Will Brown (to be Auctioned for the American Cancer Society)

WHEN: Auction opens Wednesday, November 3, 12noon and closes Saturday, November 7, 2020, 9 p.m.  Go to: https://tasteforlife.org/auction

WHAT:  A silent auction, which is part of the virtual 21^st Annual Taste For Life of the American Cancer Society, will feature original paintings by Baltimore artist Will Brown of Chadwick Boseman and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, paying tribute to these two iconic figures who lost their lives to cancer recently. Brown was inspired to donate these paintings, titled Chadwick Boseman Black Panther Tribute and Ruth Bader Ginsberg Superhero Tribute, to support the American Cancer Society’s fight against cancer.

WHO:   Will Brown, Instagram @Artist_Wil_Brown, https://www.facebook.com/willhazeybrown

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg had four bouts with cancer: In 1999, she was diagnosed with colon cancer; in late 2018, cancerous nodules were removed from her left lung, and in 2009, she was diagnosed with early stage pancreatic cancer which recurred in 2019.  She passed away with stage 4 pancreatic cancer in September 18, 2020 at age 87.  Pancreatic cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the U.S.

Chadwick Boseman, who portrayed iconic Black Americans James Brown and Jackie Robinson in movies, as well as the playing the lead in the movie Black Panther, died of colorectal cancer at age 43 in August 28, 2020.  He was diagnosed four years earlier.

Chadwick Boseman’s passing from young-onset colorectal cancer was at the intersection of two risk groups:  colorectal cancer rates are about 20% higher in Blacks than non-Hispanic whites, but death rates are almost 40% higher in Blacks.  The rate at which younger age groups are being diagnosed with colorectal cancer in the US is rising, according to the American Cancer Society. In 2020, 12% of colorectal cancer cases will be diagnosed in people under 50 – about 18,000 cases. Rates have been increasing since the mid-1980s in adults ages 20-39 years and since the mid-1990s in adults ages 40-54 years, with younger age groups experiencing the steepest increase. In 2018, the American Cancer Society lowered its recommended starting age for regular colorectal cancer screening from 50 to age 45. People with a family history of the disease or other risk factors should talk with their doctor about starting screening at a younger age.

About the American Cancer Society

The American Cancer Society is a global grassroots force of nearly 1.5 million volunteers dedicated to saving lives, celebrating lives, and leading the fight for a world without cancer. From breakthrough research, to free lodging near treatment, a 24/7/365 live helpline, free rides to treatment, and convening powerful activists to create awareness and impact, the Society is the only organization attacking cancer from every angle. For more information go to www.cancer.org.

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NMAC CELEBRATES THE LIFE OF CONGRESSMAN JOHN LEWIS

Director of Communications

1000 Vermont NW

Suite 200

Washington, DC 20005

NMAC  USCHA  Summit

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EBONY hosts a Two-Day Juneteenth summit to ensure future Black generations live in a different America.

Corporations, activists, celebrities, and politicians mobilize a galvanized community into moving forward.

Atlanta (June 19, 2020) – Community leaders, celebrities, and athletes will use the 154th anniversary of Juneteenth to spearhead action around how to make real changes and open the doors to the American dreams to a people that has long been locked out.

From Covid-19, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery, Anthropolgie’s policy on identifying Black customers as “Nicks”, Colin Kaepernick to the fight to be able to cast a vote – the friction between our actions as a nation and the beliefs upon which we built our country require prompt immediate change. The unconscionable treatment of African American’s by the criminal justice system, Corporate American, and the sports industries, for the most part, have been largely unchallenged of late. JUNETEENTH will change that.

Panels will include:

EQUAL JUSTICE NOW
w/ Ben Crump; Willie Gary; Jorge Sanchez; Walter Mosley Jr.

SAY HER NAME: BREONNA TAYLOR
w/ Lonita Baker, Taylor Family Attorney; Miss DC USA 2019; Miss Kentucky USA USA 2018; Miss Teen USA 2018;

RESPONSIBILITY IN FASHION
w/ Andre Leon Talley; Angela Davis
CHANGING THE NARRATIVE: Millennial Women of the movement
w/ J. Mulan; Milan Zoe, Miss Diddy; Sidnee Michelle

CORPORATE RESPONSE TO SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EQUITY
w/ McDonalds; Google; TCF Bank; Omerge Alliances; Carla Hill

EBONY CANNABIS Day
w/ Rico Lamitte; Mieko Hester-Perez; Tommy Johnson

To join on Friday with https://zoom.us/JUNETEENTH2020

Saturday’s Cannabis Track can be accessed by https://hopin.to/events/ebonysjuneteenthopportunitysummit

We will also stream live on EBONY’s Facebook page and the EBONY CHANNEL on Roku and Amazon.

ABOUT EQUAL JUSTICE NOW

A not for profit social welfare organization that advocates against false arrest, unreasonable detention, wrongful conviction, and incarceration of our citizens. Our mission is to preserve their constitutional right to defend themselves on the local, state, and federal levels.

ABOUT EBONY

EBONY is the iconic innovator of Black culture. Since 1945, EBONY has offered an authoritative perspective on the multidimensional African-American community. EBONY Media reflects the cross-section of Black America as delivered by the best thinkers, trendsetters, activists, celebrities, and next-generation leaders. EBONY ignites conversation, promotes empowerment, and celebrates aspiration. EBONY magazine is the heart, soul, and pulse of Black America and a catalyst for reflection and progression. Follow and engage: @EBONYMag on Twitter, @EBONYMagazine on Instagram, EBONYMag on Facebook, and EBONY.com.

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HUGS Providing Free Vitual Healing with Telehealth Sessions

There have been challenging days in the past three months, and Americans expect some difficult days ahead. All over the globe everyone has been impacted by the coronavirus -Covid-19 health crisis, and there are mountains of people suffering with anxiety, depression, post traumatic disorder, and a great deal of uncertainly. Many are living in isolation, and facing a new normal which results in mental health challenges. There are extra demands on our medical profession, and Dr. Eugenia Agard DBH, LMHC, owner and operator of a comprehensive clinical mental health private practice entitled HUGS (Healing Understanding Guiding and Supportive Services) has made a commitment to help frontline providers with Free Vitual Healing HUGS telehealth sessions.

Dr. Eugenia Agard DBH, LMHC, owner and operator of a comprehensive clinical mental health private practice entitled HUGS (Healing Understanding Guiding and Supportive Services).

Dr. Agard’s areas of specialty are treating patients suffering from anxiety, depression, and physical health issues co-occurring with depression. In addition, she also enjoys facilitating group therapy, health forums, with an emphasis on youths at risk, and disadvantaged populations. At this time in the age of Covid-19, communities, our nation, and the world are navigating a difficult reality in things we were once comfortable, and familiar with.

With the innovation of tele-health medicine, and professional focused psychotherapy services, convenient transmission of appointments and medical information improves a patients’ health status with telecommunication technology. Telemedicine enables healthcare professionals to remotely evaluate, diagnose, and treat patients. The location is no longer a barrier with a smartphone, tablet, or computer, anyone can participate.

Due to the uncertainty of covid-19 and the duration, it is not only a physical health crisis, but a mental health crisis, that must be addressed. Frontline workers, doctors, nurses, police, housekeepers and all essentials workers are under tremendous stress, and depression can creep in at anytime. Dr. Agard is servicing those, who have unselfishly served us with Free Telehealth Counseling Sessions.

Mental health has impacted all Americans, and if you find yourself unable to cope or sad for prolonged length of time, Dr. Eugenia Agard can help and assist. Dr. Agard is a woman invested in her community, and she has been on the frontline to provide crisis counseling and save lives. For more information and to contact Dr. Agard and HUGS services please call 407-791-1900, or eugeniaagard4hugs@gmail.com.

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Ava Duvernay’s Array Summit Grant Awarded to BFSFilmFest

Black Femme Supremacy Film Festival founder, Nia Hampton has been announced as one of the recipients of the inaugral Array Summit Grant. The $10,000 grant was awarded to many attendees of Ava Duvernay’s inaugural Array Summit that brought together the best and brightest community organizers and arts advocates working in independent film with the resources and relationships needed to thrive.

“Establishing ARRAY Grants furthers ARRAY’s mission to support arts advocates around the country that are cultural necessities in their communities. With more content from creators of color and women being made, it’s crucial to support the organizations that nurture and nourish these voices,” ARRAY Alliance executive director Regina Miller said in a statement.

Black Femme Supremancy Film Festival enthusiastically accepted the grant and continues to prepare for the 2020 festival by sharing their call for narrative shorts and features, documentary shorts and features, experimental films, music videos, and web series submissions from femme and female identified women of color.

The submission deadline is June 29, 2020.
Films should be entered through FilmFreeway:
https://filmfreeway.com/BlackFemmeSupremacyFilmFest

This year’s theme of the 2020 festival is “LEGACY”, and the BFSFF organizers want to attract stories that show the Black Femme as a universal archetype. With plans being uncertain in regards to COVID-19, BFSFF will take place on September 4-6th either in Baltimore, Maryland or virtually.

About BFSFilmFest:

The Black Femme Supremacy Film Fest was created in 2018 to center Black femme filmmakers and their works. We bring the spectrum of Black femininity together and work to empower others working alongside these leaders, artists and activists. We proudy celebrate our black queer, gender non-conforming, and trans community of filmmakers of all ethnicities and nationalities. We see the importance in working across institutionalized imposed borders, meaning literal geographic borders and barriers drawn by the film industry. We use our voices, resources, and the internet to connect with each other wherever we are. We see filmmaking as a way to preserve culture and create the framework for new worlds, and understand, respect, and embody the power of storytelling through the medium.

____________________

In the News:

Variety – Film News Roundup: Ava DuVernay Launches $250,000 Grant Program

The Hollywood Reporter – Ava DuVernay’s ARRAY Launches $250,000 Arts Fund for Organizations Focused on Women, Minorities

Madame Noire – Ava DuVernay Creates $250,000 Array Grant To Support Minority Creatives Affected By COVID-19

Deadline – Ava DuVernay Launches Array Grants To Support Arts Organizations Focused On People Of Color And Women, Film Festivals Impacted By COVID-19

“In response to the blatant inequity black women creatives face, filmmaker and writer Nia Hampton founded The Black Femme Supremacy Film Festival. The festival aims to promote dynamic cinematic efforts from Black female/femme identified filmmakers as well as ‘shake up the notoriously elitist culture of film festivals.’” – Baltimore Magazine

“At the festival, I felt encouraged by how Black femmes are committed to changing the narratives about us, by taking control.” – BmoreArt

For more information and interview inquiries contact Jordannah Elizabeth at bfsfilmfest@gmail.com.

The post Ava Duvernay’s Array Summit Grant Awarded to Black Femme Supremacy Film Fest appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

Participating in this week’s Monthy BPD Oversight Hearing — virtually.
See a schedule of upcoming City Council Hearings here.

Dear Baltimore,

How are you holding up? I have been keeping busy this week with Council business. I am excited to say that this City Council has once again made history by holding Baltimore’s first ever virtual Council hearings. We had an abundance of hearings, including our monthly Baltimore Police Department oversight hearing. Read more about what we learned in the Baltimore Sun .

Next Tuesday, April 28 at 6:30 PM, the Health Committee will hold a second informational hearing on Baltimore’s Strategic Response to Coronavirus. In early February, I called for a hearing on our city’s preparedness for a possible COVID-19 pandemic. Watch our first hearing, which included testimony from the Baltimore City Health Commissioner, from March 17.

Everywhere I go in Baltimore, the high cost of water and water billing issues top the list of concerns among residents. On Thursday, April 30 at 11 AM, the Taxation, Finance, and Economic Development Committee will hold and informational hearing on Implementing the Water Accountability and Equity Act. Building a more accountable and equitable water system is of the utmost importance, and the City Council will use its oversight powers to ensure this law is fully implemented for our residents.

The City Council will hold its third Virtual City Council Meeting on Monday, April 27 at 5 PM. View the draft agenda here to see what is slated for introduction and advancement through the legislative process. You can watch Monday’s meeting live on CharmTV from your computer or device.

You can always find the latest schedule of Baltimore City Council meetings and hearings, as well as information about how to connect and participate, at this link.

Please remember that my office is here to help and answer your questions: 410-396-4804 and councilpresident@baltimorecity.gov. I will continue to share updated information about food distribution, senior services, City Schools, and more on my social media @CouncilPresBMS.

As always, continue looking out for your neighbors and supporting one another.

In service,

signed

Brandon Scott
Baltimore City Council President

See information and updates on the Baltimore City Council’s website: bit.ly/cpbms-covid

_________________________________________________________________

Confirmed Coronavirus Cases in Maryland:

As of Saturday afternoon, there are 17,766 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Maryland, with a total of 486 deaths statewide.

Baltimore City has a total of 1,791 confirmed cases and 72 out of the 797 COVID-related deaths. Again, these numbers will continue to grow as more people in the city and state are tested. The current breakdown of COVID-19 cases in by county in Maryland is as follows:

County Cases Deaths
Allegany 105 (3)
Anne Arundel 1,430 (62)
Baltimore City 1,791 (72)
Baltimore County 2,387 (69)
Calvert 130 (7)
Caroline 61
Carroll 384 (36)
Cecil 146 (5)
Charles 483 (34)
Dorchester 38 (2)
Frederick 814 (39)
Garrett 4
Harford 302 (4)
Howard 686 (15)
Kent 67 (3)
Montgomery 3,483 (152)
Prince George’s 4,795 (162)
Queen Anne’s 52 (3)
St. Mary’s 124 (6)
Somerset 14
Talbot 28 (1)
Washington 154 (3)
Wicomico 242 (4)
Worcester 46
Data Not Available (115)

Baltimore COVID-19 Asset Map
Information is coming out fast from multiple sources and ever-changing. I’ve compiled essential Baltimore COVID-19 resources into a user-friendly asset map. The map has been updated to include youth food sites from today through April 26.

Use the map to find youth & senior food sites, health care clinics, and shopping options for seniors and people with compromised immune systems.

City Council Virtual Hearing
This week, the City Council will continue to hold hearings virtually, via the WebEx platform. Members of the public will be able to participate virtually during the public comment period as they would in person. You may find the latest Baltimore City Council Virtual Hearing Schedule (updated this week), as well as access information for each hearing at this link. There are upcoming hearings on topics including:

Tuesday, 4/28 @ 6:30PM — Informational Hearing – Baltimore’s Strategic Response to the Wuhan Coronavirus, Health Committee

Thursday, 4/30 @ 11AM — Informational Hearing – Implementing the Water Accountability and Equity Act, Taxation, Finance and Economic Development Committee

Wednesday, 5/6 @ 1:00PM— Inclusionary Housing Requirements, Land Use Comittee

Tuesday, 5/12 @ 3:30PM— Legislative Oversight Hearing – Homeless Shelters in Baltimore City, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee

Wednesday, 5/20 @ 1PM— Baltimore City Critical Area Management Program, Land Use Committee

Please note, the “Du” Burns Council Chambers will be closed to the public for all hearings.

My Policy Plan to Support Baltimore During and After COVID-19
If you have not read it already, I would love to hear your perspective on my plan for Baltimore’s recovery now and after this pandemic ends. It lays the groundwork for a successful and equitable recovery for Baltimore.

You can read my paper, “Supporting Baltimore During and After COVID-19: Legislative Proposals and Opportunities for State and Federal Partnership for Baltimore” at bit.ly/supportingbaltimore.

My document outlines seven policy proposals to assist in a financial bailout for city residents and businesses post COVID-19:

Expand Unemployment Insurance: No one is immune to the economic fallout associated with COVID-19. Immediate support is needed for people whose source of income has been impacted.

Use Rainy Day Fund to Stabilize Baltimore: Our city is projected to lose nearly $170 million in revenue due to the pandemic. The Rainy Day Fund is meant for emergencies like this one and should be used to ease the financial hardships facing our most vulnerable residents.

Better Leverage Local Public Health Assets: Public health experts must be driving the City’s response to COVID-19 to protect our residents. Baltimore is home to world-renowned medical institutions, who must be part of any strategy or solution.

Address Homelessness and Housing Insecurity: People experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity will find it nearly impossible to comply with the CDC’s public health guidance to stay safe during this pandemic. We must work comprehensively to quickly meet the needs of this community.

Coordinate with Community-Based Efforts: Now more than ever, Baltimore needs effective coordination between city government, grassroots organizations, non-profits and philanthropic institutions to ensure the effective and efficient delivery of resources for people in need.

Support Businesses: Our businesses are economic engines for our city. We must ensure that they can access the resources they need.

Develop Regional and Federal Strategy: When COVID-19 is spreading exponentially across jurisdictions, Baltimore cannot act alone. More cooperation is needed at the local, state, and federal levels to save lives.

I believe that taking these necessary steps and starting now will put Baltimore on the road to recovery from this pandemic.

Senior Centers Closed – Will Provide Boxed Lunches
All City-operated senior centers are closed. The Health Department will provide boxed lunches at the senior centers. If there are factors that prevent participants from picking up a meal, meals can be delivered as an option by calling the Maryland Access Point at 410-396-CARE (2273), for eligibility into the home-delivered meal program. Click here for more information.

Grocery Shopping for Seniors & People with Compromised Immune Systems
Giant Food of Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia and Delaware will offer dedicated shopping hours for senior citizens 60-and-older and individuals with compromised immune systems. Every store in their operating areas will reserve 6-7AM, every day of the week for this vulnerable population to shop and practice social distancing. The stores will operate on regular hours of operation during all other times.

Klein Family ShopRite stores have waived the ShopRite From Home fee and delivery fees for seniors 65 and older, and healthcare workers. If you fall into one of these categories, please make a note in the provided notes section when you place your order.

SafeWay will have special hours for Seniors to shop on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7-9AM.

Aldi will have special hours for Seniors to shop on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7-9AM.

WholeFoods will allow shoppers over 60 to come to the store at 7AM, which is one hour before opening to the general public.

Walmart will have special hours for Seniors to shop on Tuesdays from 6AM-7AM.

Redner’s Market will be open daily to Seniors from 6AM-7:30AM.

BJ’s Wholesale Club will be open daily to Seniors from 8AM-9AM.

Meal Distribution Sites
Starting Monday, March 30 through Friday, April 24, City Schools is providing grab-n-go meals to all Baltimore children and youth (18 and under) at 18 meal sites. The meals will be available from 10am-2pm and children and adults can each receive 4 meals/person.

Visit www.bmorechildren.com for more information on daily meal sites and times.

Unemployment Insurance
The Maryland Department of Labor has launched a new unemployment insurance application called the Beacon One-Stop. Starting today, all newly eligible Marylanders can file unemployment insurance claims entirely online — including those who are self-employed, gig workers, and those who previously filed by phone.

Small Business Support
Our small businesses are important to us and I know how tough a time this is for them. The Baltimore Development Corporation is coordinating with city and state agencies & the federal government to identify resources available for businesses. Let them know how you are being affected by taking their business impact survey: bit.ly/2wc7hXG

BDC launched baltimoretogether.com to serve as a repository of information and a resource for residents and businesses. The website will be continuously updated, so if you would like to suggest a resource, please email info@BaltimoreDevelopment.com.

Small businesses can now apply for SBA emergency loans with 30-year terms, for up to $2 million (depending on your circumstance/collateral). If you prepaid sales and use taxes for March you can also qualify for a refund. For more information, email taxpayerrelief@marylandtaxes.gov or call 410-260-4020.

Intimate Partner Violence

Baltimore Artist Emergency Relief Fund

Baltimore’s artistic community keeps our city vibrant and creative with art and performances that can inspire, uplift and spark community change. Like many others at this time, our artistic community is experiencing a devastating economic impact due to the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) crisis. As Baltimore’s Arts Council, the Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts is committed to providing necessary economic support and guidance to artists, especially in times like these. As we look toward recovery, we will need our artists’ creativity and commitment to keep us moving forward.

The Baltimore Artist Emergency Relief Fund is a coalition-led initiative designed to provide direct assistance to Baltimore-based artists and creative entrepreneurs who have lost income due to the COVID-19 crisis.

The application and detailed criteria are available HERE

Upcoming Elections:
The Special Primary Election for the 7th Congressional District will take place on April 28, 2020 by mail. Ballots have been mailed and should be arriving to residents of the 7th Congressional District soon.

The Primary Election for citywide offices and the Presidency, originally scheduled for April 28, will now take place on June 2, 2020. On Friday, Governor Hogan announced that the primary election would primarily take place by mail with at least one in-person voting site per county. More details can be found at boe.baltimorecity.gov/

To request an absentee ballot, visit this website.

Personal Protective Equipment Guidelines
My office made a guide for the proper use and disposal of personal protective equipment (PPE) like gloves and masks. They should always be placed in the nearest trash can. Proper use and disposal helps us reduce cross contamination and the spread of COVID-19.

Handwashing Guidelines
Washing your hands is easy, and it’s one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of germs. Clean hands can stop germs from spreading from one person to another and throughout an entire community—from your home and workplace to childcare facilities and hospitals.

Follow these five steps every time.

Wet your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold), turn off the tap, and apply soap.

Lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap. Lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.

Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds. Need a timer? Hum the “Happy Birthday” song from beginning to end twice.

Rinse your hands well under clean, running water.

Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry them.

Latest Updates on the Coronavirus
Baltimore City Health Department Updates
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Updates
Baltimore City Schools Health Updates

Get Insured
Information about the Special Healthcare Enrollment Period
Find a Primary Health Clinic (For Uninsured Residents)

The post Saturday Baltimore COVID-19 Updates & Resources appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

By Micha Green
AFRO D.C. Editor
mgreen@afro.com

Howard University (HU) Athletics announced the passing of former football player Sean Boynes, who passed away on April 2, from complications of the novel coronavirus.

Before becoming a Bison, Boynes fostered his football career in the D.M.V., including about two miles northeast of the University at Gonzaga College High School. 

The D.M.V. was not only his home, but also Boynes’ pride and joy and he spread that delight of his hometown with others.

“Sean was a great person to be around at all times and represented all things D.C.,” said Maryland Delegate Jay Walker (D-26), who was quarterback of the Bison football team during Boynes’ time on the squad.  “He loved the D.M.V. area and all those who represented D.C.– HU, Gonzaga for sure. He was one of the first people to introduce me to GoGo music. He always had a smile on his face and was the person you liked being around.”

Boynes played with the Bison football team from 1991-1993, where he served as both a defensive back and wide receiver and was renowned for his “man coverage skills,” thus garnering the nickname ‘Bump-N-Run,’ according to Howard University Athletics.

He was a member of the legendary 1993 Bison Football team, which went undefeated in the regular season and earned the squad a National Black College Championship. 

Boynes was more than an athlete. He was an academic with a passion for science.

Earning all his degrees from Howard University, Boynes graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology in 1995, Master of Science Degree in Exercise Physiology in 1997 and a received his PharmD in Pharmaceutical Sciences and Administration in 2002.

Boynes served in the medical profession for more than 15 years, beginning his career as a staff pharmacist at Scott Air Force Base.  For eight years, he worked at the John Hopkins Bayview Medical center as an outpatient pharmacy manager. Most recently, Boynes served as the pharmacist in charge (PIC) at AbsoluteCARE Mexican Center and Pharmacy in Greenbelt, Maryland.

With his work as a leading pharmacist, Boynes served on the frontlines during the COVID-19 pandemic.  He posted a photo on his Facebook page on March 18 with the words, “I can’t stay home, I’m a pharmacist- Frontliner.”

“He was on the frontline and I’m sure he made it easy to come to work during trying times. Although he lost his fight I know he made an impact on those in need,” Walker said.

Boynes is survived by his wife Nicole and two daughters.

“Losing Sean hits close to home,” Walker told the AFRO. “It’s a reality check that all of us are at risk. He was a husband and father first and foremost and a friend to many. Rest In Peace Sean.”

The post HBCU Sports Report: HU Mourns Fallen Bison appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

Maryland Legal Aid Continues to Provide Critical Legal Assistance to State’s Most Vulnerable During Coronavirus Pandemic

BALTIMORE, Md., (March 30, 2020) – Despite a number of statewide closures and suspensions of services reported throughout Maryland, due to the coronavirus (COVID-19), Maryland Legal Aid (MLA) is still operating and assisting clients. Under Governor Hogan’s order for nonessential businesses to close on March 23, MLA and its subsidiary, Maryland Center for Legal Assistance (MCLA), as non-profit organizations providing essential services to low-income persons, and as a law firm supporting the judicial system, are allowed to remain open.

“These are unusual and uncertain times, and it is unclear when the immediate threat of the coronavirus will end,” said Wilhelm H. Joseph, Jr., MLA’s Executive Director. “As unfortunate and disruptive as this situation has been for clients, MLA and MCLA staff, and their families, MLA is committed to continuing its advocacy on behalf of clients in a meaningful and substantive way.”

While all MLA and MCLA facilities are closed to the public, and staff, where possible, are working remotely, individuals in need of civil legal services can access those services online and by telephone. MLA staff are available to accept new cases and are able to respond to current client needs via telephone, email, text, and fax. In certain cases, MLA staff may meet with clients face-to-face, if necessary and appropriate. “In many ways, it feels as if the world has stopped,” Executive Director Joseph added. “However, we want our clients and those who may need civil legal assistance to know that MLA and MCLA are here to help.”

Even though the vast majority of court proceedings have been postponed until after May 1st, there are still legal issues that can be addressed during this challenging time. Sabrina Wear, Supervising Attorney in MLA’s Metropolitan Maryland office in Landover, said, “We continue to receive calls about debt collection. There is no moratorium on debt collection, so we can still review and send debt dispute letters or cease-and-desist notices for those who are exempt from collection. Although courts are physically closed, filings by creditors may still occur and consumers can continue to face wage garnishments, or have their bank accounts frozen in existing cases.”

In addition to debt collection, MLA continues to assist clients with a variety of civil legal issues like bankruptcy, unemployment and public benefits, including denials or termination of benefits. Although Department of Social Services and Social Security Administration offices are physically closed, the agencies are still operational. MLA can also assist individuals with issues that may become even more pressing during this difficult time, such as filing emergency protective orders and emergency custody hearings. “Having to quarantine or stay at home for an extended period of time can be a nightmare scenario for victims of domestic violence and abuse,” said Bobbie Steyer, MLA’s Director of Advocacy for Family Law. “If you’re in an abusive situation, you can contact MLA online or by telephone for legal assistance.”

As MLA continues to provide direct legal assistance during the coronavirus pandemic, the organization is also preparing a series of Know Your Rights communications for the general public with information about statewide moratoriums, such as the one on evictions. It is critical that people understand their rights during this period and obtain information about how to prepare for the pandemic’s aftermath, such as budgeting for increased utility bills that may occur due to increased time spent at home.

“Legal problems do not go away during a time of crisis. In fact they may even worsen or increase,” said Attorney Wear. “Despite staff working remotely, MLA’s commitment to advance its mission remains stronger than ever.”

Income-eligible individuals seeking legal assistance can apply for civil legal assistance online at https://mdlaboi.legalserver.org/modules/matter/extern_intake.php?pid=129&h=daa817&, or contact the MLA office that provides services in the county in which they live. A full list of MLA offices and phone numbers is available at https://www.mdlab.org/contact-us/.

Individuals seeking self-help legal assistance can visit www.mdcla.org, or call 410-260-1392.

About Maryland Legal Aid

Maryland Legal Aid (MLA) is a private, non-profit law firm that provides free, civil legal services to people who are in Baltimore City and Maryland’s 23 counties from 12 offices. The firm handles cases involving a wide range of issues, including family, housing, government benefits, healthcare, education, employment, and consumer law. MLA also represents children in CINA (Child in Need of Assistance) proceedings in 14 jurisdictions. Other vulnerable populations, such as homeowners facing foreclosure, migrant and seasonal farm workers, people with developmental and mental health disabilities, nursing home and assisted living residents, and veterans seeking benefits and assistance with related legal issues also receive representation through special projects. MLA’s Community Lawyering Initiative, which includes its Lawyer in the Library program, assists with expunging criminal records to remove barriers to obtaining housing, employment, and child custody through clinics held in libraries, community centers, non-profit organizations, places of worship, schools, medical facilities, and other gathering places.

Visit www.mdlab.org and follow Maryland Legal Aid on Facebook and Twitter.

The post Maryland Legal Aid Continues to Provide Critical Legal Assistance to State’s Most Vulnerable During Coronavirus Pandemic appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

Good evening,

Baltimore City Recreation and Parks continues to collaborate with, and seek the guidance of, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Maryland Department of Health (MDH) and the Baltimore City Health Department (BCHD) regarding COVID-19. It is in the best interest of our residents and staff to suspend all recreation programs, rentals, permitted events and recreation facility services effective Monday, March 16 through March 27, 2020. Baltimore City recreation centers, with the exception of Frederick, Dorothy I. Height, Cahill at Edgewood Elementary, Walter P. Carter at Guilford Elementary and Ft. Worthington, will serve food from 2-7pm. 

During this period of social distancing, we encourage residents to take advantage of our many outdoor recreation amenities. Our parks, trails, athletic courts and playgrounds remain open and available to the public. We ask residents to use outdoor spaces thoughtfully and in accordance with public health guidelines.

Please direct all media inquiries to Whitney Clemmons Brown, Public Relations Officer, Baltimore City Recreation and Parks, via this email or by call or text at 443-842-3238.

Please Note:

SERVICES SUSPENDED:

• Facilities: All recreation centers, sports facilities, nature centers and pools

o   Recreation programming at all 45 recreation centers

o   BCRP Public Aquatic Centers

o   H.P. Rawlings Conservatory

o   Cylburn Mansion & Vollmer Center

o   Carrie Murray Nature Center

o   Mimi Dipietro Ice Skating Center

o   Mt. Pleasant Ice Arena

o   William J. Myers Pavilion

o   Shake & Bake Family Fun Center

o   Upton Boxing Center

o   Baltimore Rowing & Water Resource Center

• Programs: All recreation and athletic programs and games, swim lessons, lap swim, exercise classes, teen, senior and therapeutic programs, and nature programming are canceled.
• Rentals: All BCRP facility rentals are canceled.
• Permitted events: All permitted events are canceled.
• BCRP Special Events: All special events are canceled

STILL OPEN:

• Food Pick Up Locations at 40 Recreation Center locations. We have partnered with the Family League of Baltimore to provide meals to youth under the age of 18. No identification or proof of residence necessary.
• Green Spaces: All BCRP parks, trails, playgrounds and outdoor athletic courts are open. Community members are encouraged to use our parks, but not to congregate in groups of 250+ people or more and to follow public health guidance.

Stay connected: 

We will continue to evaluate our approach daily, please stay tuned to #BCRPAlerts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for updates.

The post Baltimore City Recreation and Parks’ COVID-19 Statement and Service Updates appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

By AFRO Staff

Kanye West recently flipped the script on wife Kim Kardashian, expressing disapproval of her sexy style.

On the Oct. 13 episode of “Keeping Up With the Kardashians,” the couple argued about the dress Kardashian intended to wear to the Met Gala the next day.

The corset and Thierry Muggler dress, which took eight months to create, was a showstopper. Made from in a skin-toned color, the fitted dress was covered in crystals to give the impression Kardashian was naked and dripping wet.

In this Aug. 28, 2016 file photo, Kim Kardashian West, left, and Kanye West arrive at the MTV Video Music Awards in New York. Kardashian West announced on her app Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2018. the birth of their daughter via surrogate The baby, their third, was born early Monday and weighed in at 7 pounds, 6 ounces. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)

“I went through this transition where being a rapper, looking at all these girls and looking at my wife, like, ‘Oh my girl needs to be just like the other girls showing their body off,’” West, 42, told his wife. He added, “I didn’t realize that that was affecting my soul and my spirit as someone who is married and the father of now … about to be four kids. A corset is a form of underwear, it’s hot, for who though?” 

Kardashian, however, questioned the timing of West’s critique.

“So the night before the Met you’re going to come in here and say that you’re not into a corset vibe?” she responded. “You’re giving me really bad anxiety. You knew last night I had really bad anxiety and I don’t need any more negative energy and for you say you’re now not into me wearing a tight dress.

“You are my wife and it affects me when pictures are too sexy,” West volleyed. 

The stance is an about face for the rapper, who is well-known for his out-sized and candid adulation for his wife, and for his influence on her smoldering fashion. 

In a 2016 interview with Harper’s Bazaar <https://www.harpersbazaar.com/fashion/photography/a16784/kanye-west-kim-kardashian-interview/>, for example, West said of his wife’s social media offerings:  “I love her nude selfies. Like, I love the ones from the side, the back ones, and the front. I just love seeing her naked; I love nudity. And I love beautiful shapes. I feel like it’s almost a Renaissance thing, a painting, a modern version of a painting. I think it’s important for Kim to have her figure. To not show it would be like Adele not singing.”

More recently, though, the rapper has become known for his Sunday Service events, during which his band performs Christian-themed music and where sermons are presented.

During West and Kardashian’s pre-Met ball argument, the reality star pointed out the inconsistency in her husband’s opinion.

“You built me up to be this sexy person and confidence and all this, and just because you’re on a journey and transformation doesn’t mean I’m in the same spot with you,” she told him.

The post Kanye West says Kim Kardashian’s Sexy Attire Affects His ‘Soul’  appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

When we approached Rep. Elijah Cummings to write the foreword of the AFRO’s book, “The Thing I Love About Baltimore,” there was no hesitation. In spite of his schedule and the many things he could have chosen to fill whatever spare moments he found, he wanted to sign onto a project to venerate the city he loved and for which he fought. We’re happy to share his words with you as we all tearfully rejoice in the life of OUR Congressman, who served us all so well.

The Thing I Love About Baltimore

Foreword

By Congressman Elijah Cummings

As you read and enjoy the personal reflections about our love for Baltimore that follow, you will appreciate, as do I, the AFRO American’s decision to celebrate the anniversary of its first 1892 publication in a way that is unusual for a news medium.

All too often, the press reports events and decisions in our lives that are difficult, dangerous and shocking.  In contrast, the AFRO decided to reach out to the people of Baltimore and ask us to tell our neighbors and the world what we love most about our home town.

Congressman Elijah Cummings

As a result, The Thing I Love About Baltimore celebrates, not the paper itself, but the community that it has served so well for nearly 127 years.

In this foreword, before I am done, I will add some balance to that decision.  I will do so because the AFRO American has been an important part of my life – and one of the things that I love most about our community.

Nevertheless, I applaud the AFRO’s decision to celebrate its own anniversary by encouraging the people of our City to express their pride of community.

True to its tradition of lifting up our people, the AFRO saw the importance of our sharing with each other – and the world – all that is noble and good about Baltimore: why we love our home town with such passion.

“The Thing I Love About Baltimore”

Here, for your consideration, is why I believe that this expression of love for our community by those of us who are proud to call Baltimore home is so important.

Baltimore is a complex city and community that exemplifies all that is both good and troubling about our country.  As such, we are a living, breathing window into the heart and soul of America as we live through an historic time.

It is no accident, therefore, that Baltimore has always been, and remains, at the center of our nation’s continuing struggle for civil and human rights.

We are the place where our nation’s Star-Spangled Banner proclaimed our freedom – and also the place from which Frederick Douglass escaped his slavery.

We are the birthplace of Justice Thurgood Marshall & Clarence Mitchell, Jr. – and also the original expression of de jure residential segregation.

We are the home of some of the finest medical institutions in the world – and also the city in which the life expectancy in largely Black Sandtown-Winchester is 20 years less than in largely white Roland Park a short distance away.

We were the home of the 19th Century “No-Nothings” and the place where the vision of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., took root in the minds of young Black children more than half-a-century ago.

In the midst of all this complexity, commentators and national leaders from elsewhere can find it all too easy to paint our community with a negative brush  

Closer to home, we are a community that is almost compulsively honest and candid, a people who do not hesitate to critique and protest what we see as lacking and wrong in our City.  

These criticisms are necessary for they are the birthing ground of constructive change.  At the same time, however, unbalanced criticism can be self-reinforcing, causing us to doubt our ability to improve.

The Thing I Love About Baltimore is an antidote to this failing, reminding all of us that there is a bright, strong, creative and humane side to our City that offers almost unlimited potential for constructive change.

We have the capability to both challenge our limitations and realize that there is a true, insightful, and positive reality about Baltimore and the people who live here that is worthy of our admiration and even love..

It is this more inspiring human essence of our city that The Thing I Love About Baltimore reveals.

As one might expect, there are reflections about our close-knit neighborhoods and breathtaking parks, our great restaurants and centers of music and art, our world-class universities and engines of 21st Century technology, our community celebrations, ethnic festivals and wonderful Inner Harbor. 

Most heartening to me, however, are the personal expressions of admiration for the people of our home town.

The Thing I Love About Baltimore shares the personal visions of all that is good about our city from (among others) a former Senator and the leader of our public schools, from a minister and an artist, from a national journalist, a comedienne and a social justice advocate, from the 2019 Baltimore Teacher of the Year and some promising third graders at Robert Coleman Elementary School.

So, when the Rev. Dorothy Boulware, the AFRO’s editor emerita, asked me to contribute a foreword to this celebration of our community, I had to agree.  

I could not refuse because The Thing I Love About Baltimore reveals the courage, hopes, determination and compassion of a people who take the hard things in life in stride, who keep getting up when we get knocked down, and who, more often than not, lift up others as we climb.

Because of these positive expressions of character by everyday people like you and me, my own life and the lives of my family were transformed.

Only in a compassionate, dynamic place like Baltimore – a place filled with giving people like Ms. Juanita Jackson Mitchell, Mr. Walter Black, “Captain” Jim Smith, my best teacher, Mr. Hollis Posey, and all of the librarians at the South Baltimore Pratt Library – could a poor Black child who began in special education be transformed into a Member of the Congress of the United States.

Since you are reading this book, the chances are that you, too, share the vision and giving nature of those wonderful people who helped to lift me up in life – and that you truly understand why The Thing I Love About Baltimore is such an important and timely contribution to the ongoing renewal of our city

This is why, before I bring this foreword to a close, I will recall that this gift from the AFRO to the people and future of Baltimore is but the latest in a long series of contributions from the paper to our community.

Throughout my entire life, the AFRO American has exemplified all that is important and good in our community –  as I learned personally at an early age.

It was the paper’s long-time editor, Mr. John Oliver Sr., who gave me my first job delivering the paper – and who encouraged me to attend college.

From the paper’s writers, I learned how the AFRO and other Black newspapers across the country chronicled our migration from the sharecropping fields of the South into the factories of the North, including those of Baltimore.

I came to understand how, during World War II, the Black press documented the heroism of our soldiers, sailors and airmen, and how, during the Red Scares of the 1950s, newspapers like the AFRO were forced to struggle against both financial pressure and attacks by the agents of the McCarthy era.

Under John Oliver Sr., the editor who lifted me up, the newspaper survived, exposing the brutal face of Jim Crow and the fundamental unfairness of segregation, thereby providing the social and intellectual foundations for the movement toward civil rights.

In the words of “Soldiers without Swords,” Stanley Nelson’s controversial 1998 documentary for PBS, the AFRO and the other institutions of the Black press “gave a voice to the voiceless.”

Today, in the complicated world of 2019, and thanks in no small part to the AFRO American, you, I and all of Baltimore are voiceless no more.

We can stand together in the face of hateful words and actions from anyone, however prominent our attackers may be.

In the words of the renowned poet, Langston Hughes, once a correspondent for the AFRO, an engaged and hopeful Baltimore can proudly declare: “I have known rivers: Ancient, dusky rivers.  My soul has grown deep like the rivers.”

This is the hopeful, self-confident, and empowering message of The Thing I Love About Baltimore, a message that we can pass on to the children in our lives.

And this is the insight about our courage, strength, talent and humanity that will allow us to prevail, whatever challenges our future may bring.

Congressman Elijah Cummings represents Maryland’s 7th Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives.

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By TheBurtonWire.com

The North African Country of Sudan is in crisis. After the forced and successful removal of president Omar al-Bashir, who had ruled with an iron fist for three decades, the country broke out in celebration. In December of 2018, protesters, many of them women, had taken to the streets to rail against fuel shortages and the rising cost of food. Those protests morphed into pro-democracy protests against then-president al-Bashir. The pro-democracy protests that had been happening for months seemed to take hold when al-Bashir was ousted and hope for a brighter future seemed imminent. The celebratory spirit has gone awry since that fateful day on April 11 when al-Bashir was arrested and The Military Council took over led by Sudanese Defense Minister Awad Mohamed Ahmed Ibn Auf. The celebration came to a screeching halt with calls for Ibn Auf to step down. Thus a three-month state of emergency was declared and a 10 p.m. curfew put into place in Khartoum, the nation’s capital. Pro-democracy protesters have continued battling the military takeover with many lives being lost.

THE BURTON WIRE — The North African Country of Sudan is in crisis. After the forced and successful removal of president Omar al-Bashir, who had ruled with an iron fist for three decades, the country broke out in celebration. In December of 2018, protesters, many of them women, had taken to the streets to rail against fuel shortages and the rising cost of food. Those protests morphed into pro-democracy protests against then president al-Bashir. The pro-democracy protests that had been happening for months seemed to take hold when al-Bashir was ousted and hope for a brighter future seemed imminent.

On June 3, 2019, more than 100 people were killed in Khartoum and doctors say 40 of those who died were dumped into the Nile River. The governing Transitional Military Council puts the figure at 61. Subsequently, pro-democracy protesters have organized a strike but an internet shutdown has made communication difficult. The council has also overtaken the state television system initially allowing for voices from the pro-democracy protesters and those in power to be heard, but firing the heads of radio and television in the process. According to BBC, the state broadcast system. now plays patriotic songs and shows soldiers removing protest barricades in Khartoum. Criticism of The Military Council has not been televised since the June 3rd clash. It is also being reported by The Military Council that 61 people have been killed during the clashes, although the Central Committee of Sudan Doctors is reporting 120 (BBC).

In the form of a nationwide mass civil disobedience campaign, pro-democracy protesters and activists say they will not relent until the current government is placed in civilian hands. The Military Council shows no signs of stepping down although they appear to be open to talks with the activists. Will Ross of  BBC reports, “Lieutenant-General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan urged the Forces for Freedom and Change and all political powers to hold talks with the military council.”

FACTS ABOUT SUDAN

Sudan is a north African country bordering the Red Sea, Egypt, Libya, Chad, Central African Republic, South Sudan, Ethiopia and Eritrea.

Sudan was the largest country in Africa prior to the secession of South Sudan in 2011. It is now the third largest, after Algeria and Democratic Republic of the Congo. Sudan has 43 million people.

Sudan is made up of Sunni Muslims and a small Christian minority. Ethnically, 70 percent of the population is Sudanese Arab.

On June 30, 1989, Lieutenant General Omar al-Bashir seized power of the country as part of a military coup.

In February 2003, the conflict in Darfur begins when Black African rebel groups attack government property, accusing the government of neglecting Darfur in favor of the Arab population in Sudan.

During the Sudan/Dafur conflict, between 2003 and 2008, at least 300,000 people were killed. Three million people were displaced during the conflict which involved fighting between rebel groups and the government.

Despite being issued arrest warrants for genocide by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in 2008, 2009 and 2010, al-Bashir was never brought to justice by the ICC.

For more facts about Sudan, visit CNN.

This article was written by Nsenga K. Burton, Ph.D., founder & editor-in-chief of The Burton Wire. Follow her on Twitter @Ntellectual.

Follow The Burton Wire on Instagram or Twitter @TheBurtonWire.

This article originally appeared in The Burton Wire.

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By DENISE LAVOIE Associated Press

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — As a veteran teacher at a troubled high school in Richmond, Virginia, Rodney Robinson wanted to better understand why so many students go directly from school to prison. So he took a job teaching students at a juvenile detention center.

Four years later, Robinson has been chosen as the 2019 National Teacher of the Year for his dedication to helping disadvantaged students move beyond their mistakes.

In this Thursday, April 18, 2019 photo Rodney Robinson, of Richmond, Va., gestures during an interview at the Virgie Binford Educational Center, a school inside the Richmond Juvenile Detention Center in Richmond, Va. Robinson was named Wednesday, April 24 as the 2019 National Teacher of the Year. He will spend the next year traveling around the country as an ambassador for education and an advocate for teachers and students. (AP Photo/Denise Levoie)

“I give my kids empathy, not sympathy, and that’s the key,” Robinson told The Associated Press.

“It’s all about empathizing — understanding their situation, but teaching them how to overcome.”

Robinson’s selection from among 57 award-winning teachers around the country was announced Wednesday by the Council of Chief State School Officers.

As Teacher of the Year, Robinson will spend the next year traveling the country to advocate for students and teachers. He said he plans to focus on ensuring equity for all students and recruiting more Black and Hispanic men as teachers. Robinson is among just about 2% of teachers in U.S. public schools who are Black men. Another 2% are Hispanic men.

“The education system needs to look more like America,” he said.

Robinson, 40, became a teacher to honor his mother, who struggled to get her high school diploma amid poverty and segregation in rural Virginia. When Robinson was in high school, his mother went back to school to get her GED, an experience that made Robinson understand the joy of learning.

“I saw a different side of my mother in those classes, and I really enjoyed that side. I was like, is this what learning does? It inspires this type of feeling?” he said.

“That really inspired me to become a teacher.”

Robinson has spent most of his 19-year career teaching social studies at Armstrong High School, a struggling school in a section of Richmond plagued by crime and violence. But where most people saw obstacles, Robinson saw “love and the commitment to do better in life.”

After 12 years there, Robinson started to feel burned out and disillusioned. But when his principal asked him if he knew any teachers who would be willing to take on teaching students at the juvenile detention center, he said he would take the job himself.

At the time, in 2015, the Center for Public Integrity had just issued a report analyzing U.S. Department of Education data that showed Virginia led the nation in referrals of students to law enforcement. Robinson wanted to know why.

“What better way to learn about the school-to-prison pipeline than to go into an actual jail or prison and teach the children,” he said.

Robinson went to work at the Virgie Binford Education Center, immediately changing the look of the school inside the detention center, filling its blank, white walls with color: a historical timeline and images of President Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey and other heroes to the students. The crimes the youths are charged with range from robbery and breaking and entering all the way up to murder.

“We hung college banners on all the walls, just to let the kids know that this is just a temporary spot. You can still achieve your goals in life,” he said.

Robinson said he tries to provide stability, boost self-esteem and to create an environment where the students — ages 12 through 19 — feel appreciated.

“You have to make sure they’re comfortable and meet their needs. Once you do that, then the sky is the limit,” he said.

Doron Battle, a former student at Armstrong High, said Robinson drew in students with his infectious smile and big personality. He held their attention in class by using interactive notebooks, movies and storytelling to make history come alive.

“He kind of made it real. It was vivid,” said Battle, who went on to become a teacher himself.

“His class was one that you actually looked forward to,” he said.

During his four years at the detention center, he’s seen some heartbreaking things that might have sent other teachers looking for another job. He tells the story of two students he assigned to work on a project together. Six months later, one of the students was dead and the other was charged with his murder.

“Having to compartmentalize that and still give that kid a quality education, that’s hard,” he said.

As Teacher of the Year, Robinson is looking forward to telling the story of his students. One former student now works for a group that advocates for alternatives to youth incarceration.

Some students have arrived at the detention center two or three years behind in their school work, but have caught up and managed to graduate on time. Others have been able to improve their reading levels by multiple grades in a couple of months.

“My kids have overcome some tremendous odds and been through some traumatic, horrific circumstances, yet they still triumph, they still have dreams, they will want to be doctors and lawyers and everything you can of,” he said.

“Helping kids channel all that energy and dreams into something positive to where they can see an outcome and a result, that is what I love most about teaching.”

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By George Kevin Jordan, AFRO Staff Writer

Raymond O. Caldwell, the new Producing Artistic Director at Theater Alliance, stepped into the company’s top position on the heels of a recent robbery and ahead of a promising season with award winning playwrights.

“I am humbled. I am excited,” Caldwell told the AFRO. “It’s a hectic time. It’s almost like herding cats.”

Caldwell joked but his to-do list would put even the most successful Type A personalities to shame. In between directing, reading scripts and talking to playwrights, he is also in charge of planning the season with his staff, tracking financial growth and development and, of course, selling tickets.

Raymond O. Caldwell is the new artistic director at Theater Alliance in Southeast, D.C. (Courtesy Photo).

“It’s a multiplicity of things,” Caldwell admitted. “But it’s an exciting job and if you love the arts and if you love Theater Alliance as much as I do it’s a blessing.”

In a city with more than 700,000 residents, 52% of which are women, 47% are African American and 12% are over 65 years of age, according to the numbers from Census.gov,  words like inclusivity and diversity are bound to pop up in a board or staff meeting. But Caldwell is ready for the long haul discussion and execution of various stories.

“The Washington theater scene is a very large collective of companies,” Caldwell said. “They’re very supportive. The D.C. theater scene shows up for one another. It is a community.”

“It doesn’t lack problems and issues. I think when you talk representation there are still things in the D.C. theater area that we are working on and towards. The fact that I am an artistic director and one of very few artistic directors here in Washington, D.C. of color… this is something we are working on.”

And those conversations about telling multiple stories for multiple people within a community takes work and patience, Caldwell explained.

“I think right now we are constantly wanting to address equity, diversity and inclusion,” Caldwell told the AFRO. “It doesn’t only need to happen on our stage, but in the upper echelons of leaderships.”

“And once we move past that, we get to have conversations about who gets to to tell what stories. And also what stories. I would love to see more Asian-American plays, or stories about the Latino-American experience.”

An instance of community coming together was the now almost infamous break-in at Anacostia Playhouse during the Christmas season. Caldwell points to that instance when the community rallied around the theater.

“When we had a break in over the Christmas break the Washington theater scene showed up for us,” Caldwell said. “And our community in Anacostia show up for us.”

Theater Alliance is the resident company of the Anacostia Playhouse. A GOFUNDME campaign  was initiated and about $22,000 was raised to replenish stolen equipment.

The event was a life lesson for the Theater Alliance and Anacostia Playhouse teams about security but also about connections with community.

“We produce some of the most beautiful shows, but when you think of a “run” there aren’t a lot of audience that shows up,” Caldwell said. “And I always have to antagonize and question that because the work is very strong.”

“I think the lesson we’re learning is about how we can rally around, not only trauma, but how do we rally around the work and the good things as well. And we’re having conversations with the community about that.”

For Caldwell, building a connection with theater and community is not just about a season, but a continuing dialogue with the people he is dedicated to serve.

“I’m thinking of Anacostia and Ward 8 and the community I want to serve,” Caldwell said. “And the stories the people in my community need to hear.”

“The first thing I did when I found out I was going to be the producing artistic director I decided I needed to move to this community because I can’t service a community outside of it.”

Caldwell is also helping to build roots and connection with the future theater community by teaching drama at Howard University.

Up next for Caldwell and Theater Alliance is their production of “Blood at the Root,” written by Dominique Morisseau, a 2018 MacArthur Genius Grant recipient. The show runs from Feb. 22 to March 24, 2019.

“I am so excited,” Caldwell said. “Her work is everywhere.”

“I think it’s done so much because she’d doing something brilliant. She’s having complex conversations about race and identity but she’s doing it the way the Greeks did it. She’s forcing the audience to grapple very deeply with a question. And the play doesn’t answer it.”

For more information about the theater and upcoming shows please visit the Theater Alliance website.

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By George Kevin Jordan, AFRO Staff Writer

D.C. Public Libraries have a week full of events and resources for every ages in celebration of the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Martin Luther King Jr. Week is January 13-20, and libraries all across the District have events slated.

D.C. Public Libraries will have a week long celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (Courtesy Photo)

King was arguably one of the most famous civil rights leader in America and the world. Born in Atlanta, GA, he used his intellect, wit and oratory skill to push for equality for Blacks in the 50s and 60s.

Just a few of his noteworthy moments include his famous “I Have a Dream” speech, his “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” and winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. President Ronald Reagan signed a bill to make MLK Jr. Day a federal holiday in 1983. As a result the United States now commemorates the day annually every third Monday in January.

Here are some of the highlighted D.C. Public Library events:

Tuesday, Jan. 15

Martin Luther King Birthday Story Time

11:15 a.m. at the Takoma Park Library, 416 Cedar St. N.W., Washington,  D.C.  20012

This story time event is designed for children 3-5, and runs about 30-40 minutes. Kids and adults will participate in reading and learning activities to help develop a love for learning.

Later that evening it’s a night of films as the Georgetown Library, 3260 R St. N.W.

Washington,  D.C.  20007, presents “Citizen King” a PBS documentary about the last five years of Dr. King’s beginning at 6 p.m.

Over at Tenley-Friendship Library, 4450 Wisconsin Ave. N.W., Washington,  D.C.  20016, there will be a screening of Ava DuVernay’s biopic film about King “Selma.” This film also begins at 6 p.m.

Wednesday, Jan. 16

The Cleveland Park Library will host “The March on Washington: A discussion with Jamie Stiehm and Clarence Page” at 7 p.m. 3310 Connecticut Ave. N.W. Washington,  D.C.  20008. Page is a Pulitzer Prize winning columnist for the Chicago Tribune, and Stiehm is a writer for the Creator’s Syndicate. Both will discuss the day when Dr. King Jr. gave his most famous speech.

Saturday, Jan. 19

Author Paula Young Shelton, daughter of civil rights leader Andrew Young, will read from her children’s book “Child of the Civil Rights Movement” at 12 p.m. Saturday at the Northeast Library, 330 7th St. NE, Washington,  D.C.  20002. Shelton will talk about her time growing up around civil rights leaders. She is currently the writer in residence at Georgetown Day School.

Along with a host of events, D.C. Public Library has a slew of books to recommend on Dr. King’s life and the Civil Rights Movement including: “The Autobiography of Martin Luther King,” by King himself, “The Fire Next Time” by James Baldwin, and “The King Years: Historic Moments in the Civil Rights Movement” by Taylor Branch. All are available for checkout at on the library branches.

D.C. Libraries also has a Black Studies Center, The African American Studies Center, and access to four African American newspaper databases including the Baltimore Afro-American.

For a full calendar of events please go to www.DCLibrary.org. All events are free and open to the public.

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By MESFIN FEKADU, AP Music Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — After being nearly muted at this year’s ceremony, the 2019 Grammys are shaping up to be the year of the woman, with powerful female voices representing the majority in two of the top categories.

Kacey Musgraves, H.E.R. and Janelle Monae, performers who play instruments, write or co-write all of their songs and are also listed as producers on their projects, earned nominations for the coveted album of the year.

This 2018 combination of file photo shows, Janelle Monae, from left, Kacey Musgraves, and H.E.R. in New York. Female musicians who not only write their own lyrics – but produce their songs and albums too – are taking center stage at the 2019 Grammy Awards, a year after female voices were shut of the show’s major categories. Kacey Musgraves, H.E.R. and Janelle Monae, performers who play instruments, write or co-write all of their songs and are also listed as producers on their projects, earned nominations for the coveted album of the year. (Photos by Taylor Jewell, Drew Gurian, Victoria Will/Invision/AP, File)

They are joined by singer-songwriter-instrumentalist Brandi Carlile, whose recent album is critically acclaimed and scored nominations in the big three categories, and Cardi B — a former stripper, social media darling and reality star who has become a pop culture sensation now competing for both album and record of the year.

Nominees for album of the year at the 2018 Grammys only included one woman — Lorde — and she was not given a performing slot on the show. The only woman to win a solo award during the televised broadcast was best new artist winner Alessia Cara. But this year nominees in the top four categories expanded from five to eight, and in album of the year, five are powerful female acts.

“I love being in the company of genius women and I think that every woman that is nominated has contributed so much excellent work and heartfelt work and truthful work this year, and it’s just deserving,” Monae said in an interview with The Associated Press after Friday’s nominations were announced.

Six of the eight best new artist nominees are women, including H.E.R.

Monae gave a powerful speech at the 2018 Grammys ahead of Kesha’s emotional and striking performance celebrating sisterhood and women’s rights. Monae said back then she was hoping to see the upcoming Grammys make a change.

“This is what I envisioned. This is what I imagined. I imagined us having a stronger presence this year,” she said. “I’m so proud of them and I can’t wait to see them at the Grammys and celebrate them and let them know that they have my support, win or lose, we are stronger together and it’s incredible to see women who are so in control of their narrative.”

“Dirty Computer,” Monae’s third full-length album, features the singer and guitarist working behind-the-scenes to craft the right songs and style: “I did produce and engineer a lot of this record. I had a perspective and a vision that only I could sit down and execute.”

Other women nominated this year have multiple roles on their own albums. Musgraves, also a guitarist, co-produced her entire album, “Golden Hour,” which earned four nominations, including best country album, best country solo performance (“Butterflies”) and best country song (“Space Cowboy”).

“I knew I wanted to do something different than what I had been doing. I was craving the time to explore and just find that creative center again. Like when I first moved to Nashville and I just wrote every day for years and stumbled across songs that really meant something to me,” Musgraves, who worked on the album for a year and a half, told the AP on Friday. “I feel like I learned a lot about myself in making this record and I feel like I got to the heart of my own matter more so than I ever have.”

This year’s nominees mark a departure from the Grammys held earlier this year, where Recording Academy CEO Neil Portnow was criticized when he said women need to “step up” when asked about the lack of women in the top categories. He later acknowledged that it was a “poor choice of words,” and it forced the academy to launch a new task force focused on inclusion and diversity.

Kendrick Lamar and Drake are the top Grammy contenders for the 2019 show, earning eight and seven nominations apiece, respectively. They both are nominated in the album, record and song of the year categories.

But they are in competition with some top-notch female acts, including Lady Gaga, SZA, Maren Morris, Ella Mai and Carlile, nominees in either song or record of the year, or in both.

The singer H.E.R., who earned five nominations, is the only best new artist contender to receive an album of the year nomination. In best new artist, she’s one of six women nominated for the prize, along with Bebe Rexha, Dua Lipa, Margo Price, Chloe x Halle and Jorja Smith.

H.E.R. not only co-wrote and co-produced each song on her self-titled album, she also plays guitar and piano.

“That’s inspirational for other young women. Like, ‘You can do it. You can be a producer. You can play an instrument,’” she said on Friday. “I had to work twice as hard. I had to earn my respect as a musician growing up as a little girl because you don’t expect a little black girl to pick up the electric guitar. So, to be in that position where I can tell other little girls, ‘You can do this too’ — it’s special.”

Monae, who scored a best music video nomination for “PYNK” — which she shares with director Emma Westenberg and producer Whitney Jackson — recalls filming the video for the song celebrating womanhood.

“There were so many women on set that day and it was magical. We were uplifting each other and telling each other how much we loved each other and just celebrating all that we are,” she said. “I’ll never forget that.”

_____

Online:

http://www.grammy.com

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By DEB RIECHMANN, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The traditional White House gingerbread house isn’t exactly a house this year. It’s a massive, sugary replica of the entire National Mall.

The pastry creation — featured at Monday’s unveiling of the White House holiday decorations — required 225 pounds of dough, 25 pounds of chocolate and 20 pounds of white icing. It includes replicas of the Capitol, the Lincoln and Jefferson memorials, the Washington Monument and the White House, complete with tiny green wreaths with red ribbons on each window.

The gingerbread house, showcasing the full expanse of the National Mall: the Capitol, the Lincoln Memorial, the Jefferson Memorial, the Washington Monument, and, the White House is seen in the State Dining Room during the 2018 Christmas Press Preview at the White House in Washington, Monday, Nov. 26, 2018. Christmas has arrived at the White House for 2018 as first lady Melania Trump unveiled the holiday decor. She designed the decor, which features a theme of “American Treasures.” (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

White House pastry chefs have created gingerbread houses during the holidays since the early 1970s. The first one depicted a Christmas village. Another was a replica of President Bill Clinton’s boyhood home in Arkansas.

“American Treasures” is the theme of this year’s White House holiday decor, designed by first lady Melania Trump, who tweeted a video showing her walking amid the display. Decorations in the ornate East Room are meant to highlight the diversity and ingenuity of American architecture.

The Official 2018 White House Christmas Ornament is seen during the 2018 Christmas Press Preview at the White House in Washington, Monday, Nov. 26, 2018. Christmas has arrived at the White House. First lady Melania Trump unveiled the 2018 White House holiday decor on Monday. She designed the decor, which features a theme of “American Treasures.” (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Four custom-made mantelpieces feature the skylines of New York, St. Louis, Chicago and San Francisco. Seventy-two handmade paper ornaments representing six regions across the nation adorn four 14-foot fir trees. In the library, trees are decorated with ornaments from all states and territories.

In the China Room there are three tables recreated from previous state dinners during the Theodore Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy and Trump administrations using, china and glassware from the White House permanent collection. A place card for President Donald Trump is next to one for “Mrs. Macron,” French President Emmanuel Macron’s wife, Brigitte.

Upstairs in the Green Room, there are decorations representing an American cornucopia with fruits, vegetables and grains adorning a tree.

The official White House Christmas tree is seen in the Blue Room during the Christmas press preview at the White House in Washington, Monday, Nov. 26, 2018. The tree measures 18 feet tall and is dressed in over 500 feet of blue velvet ribbon embroidered in gold with each State and territory. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

The 18-foot official White House Christmas tree stands tall in the center of the Blue Room. The Fraser fir from North Carolina is decorated with more than 500 feet of blue velvet ribbon embroidered in gold with each state and territory.

The Red Room features ornaments and two wreaths made of pencils stamped with “Be Best,” Mrs. Trump’s youth initiative.

Patriotism is on display in the Grand Foyer and Cross Hall. More than 14,000 red ornaments hang on the branches of 29 trees. Hidden projectors cast silhouettes of pine and other holiday greenery on the ceilings.

The Cross Hall is seen during the 2018 Christmas Press Preview at the White House in Washington, Monday, Nov. 26, 2018. Christmas has arrived at the White House. First lady Melania Trump unveiled the 2018 White House holiday decor on Monday. She designed the decor, which features a theme of “American Treasures.” (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

From their portraits on the walls of the corridor, Presidents John F. Kennedy, Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush and Ronald Reagan gaze down on the holiday spectacle.

The post White House Pastry Chefs Make National Mall in Gingerbread appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

By Hamzat Sani, Special to the AFRO

Tax Day was not a good day for the Trump government to collect taxes. While the IRS.gov site crashed due to record numbers of late filers, activists and politicians across the country gathered for the 2nd Annual Tax Day March.

About 200 protesters gathered on the East Front of the U.S. Capitol Building to call for a roll back of the Trump Tax Plan controversially voted in by Congress late last year. Speakers and protesters chanted “Vote them out” referring to the mostly Republican backers on the Trump Tax plan.

Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) was one of the speakers at the 2nd Annual Tax Day March in Washington, D.C. April 17. (Photo by Hamzat Sani)

The first Tax March was held in 2017 to demand President Donald Trump release his tax returns and create a fairer tax system for all. Following the passage of what organizers call, “the Trump Tax scam,” the coalition of progressive and working class organizations mobilized to fight for a fair economy and repeal of the plan.

Attendees  included seasoned politicians like Minnesota Representative Keith Ellison and healthcare activists like Elena Hung whose child owes her life to the safety net created by programs on the Trump chopping block like Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act.

Partner organizations for the Tax March covered a wide range of issues. Collaborators included Americans for Tax Fairness, Indivisible Guide, Center For American Progress Action Fund, Working Families Party, Public Citizen, CREDO Mobile, AFSCME, MoveOn.org, National Women’s Law Center, Economic Policy Institute, Patriotic Millionaires, UnidosUS, Take on Wall Street, Communications Workers of America, Stand Up America, Planned Parenthood Action.

Organizer’s for the event including Executive Director Nicole Gill argue that Trump and Republicans have turned their backs on hard-working Americans in order to help the wealthy and rich business leaders. They cite figures like those below that point to pattern of preferred treatment to the rich:

– More than $1.5 trillion in tax cuts for millionaires and big corporations

– 92 million middle-class families see tax hikes

– 83% of the tax benefits from the TrumpTax going to the top 1%

– 53% of all Americans will get a tax increase

– 13 million Americans losing health care

Judith Howell a civil rights veteran, who started her organizing career at the age of 13 with CORE, reminded the crowd the importance of workers that “clean your floors, pick up your trash and protect the buildings you work in” while ending her remarks with a statement directed to the sitting President. “What is your plan for us? You need to hear our plan for you”

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By KRISTA MAHR, Associated Press

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Tens of thousands of people sang, cheered and cried as the flag-draped casket of anti-apartheid activist Winnie Madikizela-Mandela was escorted from her official funeral on Saturday, after supporters defended her complex legacy with poetry and anger.

Thunder rumbled and it began to rain as the casket left the 40,000-seat stadium — a blessing, witnesses said.

Heads of state joined the five-hour celebration of the powerful figure who will be buried as a national hero following lively debate over how she should be remembered after her death on April 2 at age 81.

British model Naomi Campbell pays tribute at the funeral of struggle icon Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, at the Orlando Stadium in Soweto, South Africa, Saturday, April 14, 2018. Madikizela-Mandela died on April 2 at the age of 81. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

Often called the “Mother of the Nation” and “Mama Winnie,” Madikizela-Mandela fought to keep South Africa’s anti-apartheid struggle in the international spotlight while her husband, Nelson Mandela, was imprisoned.

“Long before it was fashionable to call for Nelson Mandela’s release from Robben Island, it was my mother who kept his memory alive,” elder daughter Zenani Mandela-Dlamini said as the crowd erupted in cheers.

Many South Africans have stood up for Madikizela-Mandela’s memory against critics who characterized her as a problematic figure who was implicated in political violence after she returned from years of banishment in a rural town.

“Proud, defiant, articulate, she exposed the lie of apartheid,” President Cyril Ramaphosa said during his tribute. “Loudly and without apology, she spoke truth to power.”

He recited Maya Angelou’s poem “Still I Rise.”

And as the casket left the stadium, another speaker read out Alice Walker’s poem , “Winnie Mandela We Love You.”

Since her death, supporters have visited Madikizela-Mandela’s family home in Soweto, the Johannesburg township where she lived, and condolences have poured in from around the world in remembrance of one of the 20th century’s most prominent political activists.

Civil rights leader Jesse Jackson, who attended the funeral, said Friday that Madikizela-Mandela was responsible for making the anti-apartheid movement “a global struggle.”

Many memorializing Madikizela-Mandela recognized her as a political force in her own right.

“In apartheid South Africa, the combination of patriarchy and racism together meant that Black women confronted enormous obstacles from the cradle to the grave, making her own achievements all the more exceptional,” U.N.

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Friday at a memorial in New York, not mentioning Nelson Mandela at all.

The young Madikizela-Mandela grew up in what is now Eastern Cape province and came to Johannesburg as the city’s first Black female social worker. Not long after, she met African National Congress activist Mandela and the couple married in 1958, forming one of the most storied unions of the century.

After Mandela was imprisoned, Madikizela-Mandela embraced her own leadership in the freedom struggle with steely determination and at great personal sacrifice.

For years, she was routinely harassed by apartheid-state security forces, imprisoned and tortured. In 1977, she was banished to a remote town.

It took a toll. When Madikizela-Mandela returned from exile she became involved with a group of young men known as the Mandela United Football Club.

The men were accused of the disappearances and killings of at least 18 boys and young men and the leader was convicted of killing a 14-year-old, nicknamed “Stompie,” accused of being a police informer.

In 1991, a court found Madikizela-Mandela guilty of the boy’s kidnapping and assault and sentenced her to six years in jail. She appealed and was found guilty of being an accessory in the assault, and the sentence was reduced to a fine and suspended prison term. Madikizela-Mandela denied knowledge of any killings.

Mandela divorced her in 1996, claiming infidelity and saying that after his release from prison, his wife made him “the loneliest man.”

Though she fought fiercely for democracy, Madikizela-Mandela floundered in a political career after the first free elections in 1994. Mandela, South Africa’s first Black president, fired her as one of his deputy ministers. Her stints as a lawmaker, a post she held until her death, were lackluster.

Mandela-Dlamini, her elder daughter, accused the media of being complicit in a long “smear campaign” against her mother.

“Praising her now that she’s gone shows what hypocrites you are,” she said during her speech. “It’s become clear that South Africa, and indeed the world, holds men and women to different standards of morality.”

Ramaphosa said the traumas that Madikizela-Mandela endured as a target of the powerful apartheid state inflicted “deep wounds” that never healed — and went largely ignored by many peers.

“She bore witness to our suffering . We did not do the same for her,” he said.

“Today is a moment to heal those wounds. Today is a time for healing as we put Mama Winnie to rest.”

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FEBRUARY 9, 2018

CONTACTS: SUE WALITSKY 202-224-4524/TIM ZINK 410-962-4436

 

Cardin Outlines Support for the Bipartisan Budget Agreement

“I am pleased that the Senate will turn to immigration reform after this budget is passed and urge Congress to roll up its sleeves and finally get the job done, with or without help from the president.”

“There is no such thing as a ‘good shutdown,’ which is why it was imperative that we found a reasonable, bipartisan path forward that should keep the federal government working on behalf of the American people. Senators have come together on this budget and are moving in the right direction, including a renewed commitment to our Dreamers and immigration reform. I supported this bill because – more than four months into the fiscal year – it was urgent that we fund key national and regional priorities. We needed to provide certainty and resources for our dedicated federal workers. I’ve spoken with many federal workers recently and can see how much they just want to be able to do their jobs and carry out their agencies’ missions. This bill is far from perfect, but many of the pieces of this agreement cover issues on which I have been working with colleagues across the aisle for years, including Medicare’s therapy caps, water infrastructure, and support for the National Institutes of Health, the Social Security Administration, IRS and others.  

 

“In a return to fiscal parity, this important, two-year budget agreement increases both national security and domestic spending at comparable levels, and funds important priorities that were in desperate need for stability and steady resources. The investment levels in non-defense discretionary funding will be $117 billion higher than those that President Trump proposed for fiscal year 2018. Important to Maryland and our entire country, the agreement fully eliminates the non-defense discretionary and defense discretionary sequestration cuts for the next two fiscal years.

 

“Because of good-faith negotiations, we will be investing $6 billion to fight back against the scourge of opioid addiction and bolster mental health programs; adding $2 billion for research at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda and major investments in Community Health Centers; and finally achieving a full repeal of the existing, arbitrary caps on physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech-language pathology services through Medicare – a 20-year fight. We also add $4 billion to make college more affordable to more students. We are investing in our surface transportation, rural broadband and energy infrastructure, expanding energy efficiency initiatives and improving wastewater and drinking water infrastructure. We provide more affordable child care for working families; boost telemedicine and home health programs; and rebuild our VA hospitals and clinics. We’ve set aside funds to help communities recover from extreme weather disasters, including hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria, and made sure that Americans citizens in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands are not being treated as second-class citizens.

“As the budget negotiations have continued, so have bipartisan talks on immigration reform. The president may have created this mess and placed an expiration date on the lives of Dreamers and those who hold Temporary Protected Status (TPS), but Congress must find a pathway forward that allows these individuals to continue their lives here in America, which they have made their home. We cannot let these families be ripped apart and we must continue to support family reunification.  I am pleased that the Senate will turn to immigration reform after this budget is passed and urge Congress to roll up its sleeves and finally get the job done, with or without help from the president.”

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FEBRUARY 9, 2018

CONTACTS: SUE WALITSKY 202-224-4524/TIM ZINK 410-962-4436

Cardin Returns to Leadership Position on Senate Small Business & Entrepreneurship Committee

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.) this week resumed his role as Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. Senator Cardin previously held the position in 2015. He released the following statement on the importance of this committee and its capacity to help the millions of small businesses that drive our economy.

“I am proud to rejoin the leadership of the Senate Small Business & Entrepreneurship Committee. Small businesses are the backbone of the American economy. They create jobs. I asked to be a member of this committee when I first arrived in the Senate in 2007. Since that time, I have worked to find opportunities for the federal government to be a reliable customer and partner with small businesses and remove obstacles to growth. My priorities continue to be finding better ways to expand access to the tools small businesses need to start and succeed: capital, contracts, and opportunities for growth.

“I look forward to working with Chairman Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and the full Small Business & Entrepreneurship Committee to provide better assistance to small businesses by increasing agency awards to small businesses; preventing bundling and improper sole source contracts that make it impossible for small businesses to compete; increasing loan guarantee backstops; improving the access to capital pipelines; enhancing agency technology transfer programs and phases; and particularly boosting training and contract opportunities for women-owned, disadvantaged, veteran-owned and minority businesses. My thanks and deep appreciation go to Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) for her tremendous stewardship of the committee during such a volatile time for our economy.”

Senator Cardin’s legislative work on behalf of small businesses, especially in Maryland, has continued unabated. Among his legislative accomplishments, in September, he secured a provision in the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to extend federal HUBZone eligibility to small businesses in Garrett County and in other HUBZone areas around Maryland. The provision, Senate Amendment 510, mirrors the HUBZone Investment Protection Act (S. 690), which was authored by Cardin and cosponsored by Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.).

In July, he and Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) introduced legislation, The Promotion and Expansion of Private Employee Ownership Act, to encourage retirement savings by fostering the growth of S corporations that are owned by Employee Stock Ownership Plans (“S-ESOPs”). The bill would provide an important protection for small businesses by ensuring that they continue to qualify for Small Business Administration (SBA) loans, contracting assistance, or business development programs after they are converted to ESOPs.

Senator Cardin also regularly meets with Maryland economic development boards and local chambers of commerce to talk about programs that help small businesses and the challenges they face regionally. For years, he has traveled the state on his “Made in Maryland Jobs Tour,” celebrating the diversity of Maryland-made products and the Marylanders who create them, many of which have been small businesses.

Senator Ben Cardin meets with the leadership of the Charles County Department of Economic Development and small business leaders from across Southern Maryland.

 

 

Senator Ben Cardin after touring Michele’s Granola in Timonium, Md.

Senator Cardin visits with the Evergrain Bread Company in Chestertown, Md.

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Thomas Lawrence Saunders, a historian and CEO of Renaissance Productions and Tours, died of cancer at the Howard County General Hospital on Jan. 11. He was 60.

Saunders was a lifelong resident of Baltimore City and his work and passion to create living history here was well documented in local media.

Thomas L. Saunders died Jan. 11, after a battle with cancer. (Courtesy Photo)

For more than 30 years, Saunders accrued and enjoyed partnerships with the National Blacks in Wax Museum, Frederick Douglass-Isaac Myers Maritime Park, Reginald F. Lewis Museum, Maryland Women’s Heritage Museum, Enoch Pratt Free Library, B&O Railroad Museum, to celebrate the contributions of Black Americans.

Saunders was a longtime member of several organizations, including the Baltimore Tourism Association, and he served on several Boards and Commissions, such as The Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance. Primary schools and universities, family reunions, government delegations and others, locally and nationally, routinely booked Saunders’ tours and events, which were specifically tailored to their interests..

Saunders was a community activist as well. Politicians dating back to the days when William Donald Schaefer was Mayor of Baltimore, to today, sought Saunders’ advice and his influence in some Baltimore communities.

His mission was to protect the historical legacy of people of color from obscurity and neglect, and to empower the disenfranchised.  “With a graveled, inquisitive voice was a walking, talking encyclopedia of African American history,” wrote Lionel Foster in a 2009 March issue of Urbanite Magazine.

Saunders was a 1975 graduate of Baltimore Polytechnic Institute, and a member of its Black History Club. In 1980, Saunders graduated from the University of Maryland at Baltimore County (UMBC), earning a B.A. in Health Administration and African-American Studies.

Early on, a longtime mentor and former chair of the Education Department at Morgan State University, Dr. Eugenia Collier, nurtured Saunders’ love for history. She also ignited his love for the arts: literary, performing arts, music and visual. In 1994, he merged them all when Renaissance Productions and Tours was born.

The entrepreneur worked to generate awareness for people and places like The Lexington Market, local independent bookstores, authors and artists.

He enjoyed special partnerships with the legendary Arch Social Club on Pennsylvania Avenue, founded in 1905. Saunders was a pivotal player in the creation of Baltimore’s Martin Luther King, Jr. parade. He played a key role in creating a commemorative  plaque, honoring Mother Mary Lange, the founder of the Oblate Sisters of Providence in 1829, and a statue of Baltimore’s legendary songbird, Billie Holiday.

On his bus tours, Saunders transformed slices of the city using authentic period props, costumes and re-enactors; sightseers learned about the little-known historic contributions of Baltimore’s African-American trailblazers, while they ate what he dubbed a Shoebox Lunch. It symbolized a time before-and-during the civil rights era when persons of color could not travel interstate highways without fear of the possibility of racially motivated attacks.

Saunders explained those perils, while his passengers ate fried chicken, rolls, fruit and a slice of homemade pound cake. The meal, packed in a shoebox, served as a vivid reenactment of how his own grandmother wrapped up love, protection and nourishment whenever his parents and older brother took to the highways, especially heading South. Over the years, Saunders fed many.

Saunders leaves to mourn: his parents, Robert R. Saunders and Julia E. (Tomlin) Saunders, and his older brother, Stacey A. Saunders. He is survived by his nephew, Kenya H. Saunders, his children, Kayla and Dillon Saunders; a niece, Sakena Saunders, her children, NiYonna Saunders, Sanaa Perry, Aylah Perry and Ja’Lae Perry, a host of cousins, dear friends and associates.

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ATLANTA (AP) — The first Martin Luther King Jr. holiday of Donald Trump’s presidency is taking place amid a racial firestorm of Trump’s own making.

In the same week that he honored King by making a national park out of the ground where King was born and preached until his death, Trump denigrated practically the entire African diaspora, and left many Americans headed into the civil rights icon’s birthday convinced that the leader of their country is a racist.

FILE- In this April 4, 2011 file photo, Martin Luther King III, right, the son of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., lays a wreath at the crypt of his father along with from right, Rev. King’s daughter, Rev. Bernice King, granddaughter Yolanda, 2, her mother Arndrea King, and Christine King Farris, sister of Dr. King Jr., on the 43rd anniversary of his assassination in Atlanta. The first Martin Luther King Jr. holiday of Donald Trump’s presidency is taking place amid a racial firestorm of Trump’s own making. (AP Photo/David Goldman, File)

For African-Americans particularly, this latest insult from Trump felt like whiplash. Barely a year ago, America’s first Black president, Barack Obama, marked his final King Day in office with his usual community service; now, his successor is presiding over a racial backlash the country has hardly seen in more than a generation.

Trump has denied being racist, labeling himself the “least racist person there is” during his 2016 campaign. Some of his actions leading up to this year’s federal holiday honoring King’s birth seemed to be an attempt to live up to that.

He began last week by designating the historic site around King’s Atlanta birth home as a national park. By week’s end, Trump was signing a King holiday proclamation with the martyred activist’s nephew at his side.

But in between, the president sat in a White House meeting on immigration policy and denigrated much of the African diaspora as “shithole countries” while expressing a preference for immigrants from Norway, a majority white nation.

This is the type of thing, activists, religious leaders and scholars say, that puts Trump’s presidency in direct conflict with the legacy of King, who was assassinated April 4, 1968 while trying to make America a more inclusive society.

King’s daughter, the Rev. Bernice King, will be the keynote speaker at the commemorative service honoring her father at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta. As is the custom for most presidents, Trump is not expected to participate, but she does hope he will observe the holiday.

“This is what I would like President Trump to do: Don’t let the King Holiday find you using your Twitter account in an inappropriate way,” Bernice King told The Associated Press in an interview. “If he can dare to do that, I would be proud on that day that our president honored Dr. King by not doing things that are offensive.”

Much of Trump’s first year as president has been marked by racial controversy. Last February, Trump kicked off Black History Month by praising long-dead abolitionist Frederick Douglass in the present tense, as if Douglass were still alive. He referred to NFL players protesting systemic racism as “sons of bitches” and suggested they should be benched or fired for their refusal to stand during the national anthem.

During a speech to African leaders last fall, he referred to the non-existent country of “Nambia” when attempting to discuss Namibia. In June, he said Nigerian immigrants would “never go back to their huts” after coming to the U.S.

King’s son, Martin Luther King III, met with Trump on the last King holiday, four days before Trump took office. He spoke to the then-president-elect about the importance of voting rights — only to see Trump establish a now-defunct commission to investigate voter fraud, which some saw as a move to intimidate minority voters.

“I would like to believe that the president’s intentions are not to be divisive, but much of what he says seems or feels to be divisive,” King III told AP in an interview. “It would be wonderful to have a president who talked about bringing America together and exhibited that, who was involved in doing a social project … that would show humility.”

Civil rights leaders said Friday the president’s comments are not new, but are the most recent and glaring proof of Trump’s racist views, and shocking to the point that congressional leaders and Americans can no longer ignore his bigotry.

“The Trump era … is a direct assault on the legacy of Dr. King,” said the Rev. Raphael Warnock, pastor of Ebenezer, where King preached for the last eight years of his life. “The conversation about who we are as Americans has shifted and given in to a kind of xenophobia that makes it difficult to discuss issues that affect all Americans.”

During the civil rights movement, King directly confronted and exposed the ills of racism, and led a movement that pressured the American government to end legalized segregation. He spent the last year of his life condemning what he called the “triple evils” of racism, poverty and war.

Bernice King, who serves as chief executive officer of The King Center for Nonviolent Social Change, said the lesson of nonviolence is to focus on defeating injustice, not individuals. She said her father’s life and work should be applied to the current moment, where racism has again come out into the open.

“Trump’s election could be a blessing in disguise,” Bernice King said. “This is the opportunity for America to correct itself.”

___

Errin Haines Whack is The Associated Press’ National Writer for Race and Ethnicity. Follow her work on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/emarvelous

___

The King Center: http://www.thekingcenter.org/

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Love AME Church, located at Tall Oaks High School, 2112 Church Rd., is scheduled to hold a Back to School Summerfest on Aug. 26 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. The event will include free food, live music, games and other fun activities. Free haircuts and hair braiding will also be provided. Pastor Krishnan Natesan will perform baptisms during the event. For more information, visit loveamechurch.org.

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Two members of a Burundi robotics team who went missing July 20 after an international competition in Washington, D.C. have been found safe in Canada, D.C. police told The Washington Post.

The two teenagers, Audrey Mwamikazi, 17, and Don Ingabire, 16, went to Canada on their own and there was no evidence of foul play, police said. Authorities did not release any other information about them, including their method of border crossing or how they were located, Reuters reported.

Canada’s Border Services Agency could not confirm or deny that the two crossed into Canada, according to Reuters.

This combination of photos provided by the Washington Metropolitan Police Department shows six Burundi teenagers who were reported missing on July 19, 2017, after participating in an international robotics competition in Washington. The two girls and four boys ranging in age from 16 to 18 are, from top left, Richard Irakoze, Kevin Sabumukiza, Nice Munezero, and from bottom left, Aristide Irambona, Don Ingabire, and Audrey Mwamikazi. (Washington Metropolitan Police Department via AP)

Meanwhile, the pair’s four teammates, including two 17-year-old girls and two boys aged 17 and 18, are also thought to be safe, with police declining to release further information, according to the Post.

The teenagers originally arrived in the United States on one-year visas to compete in the FIRST Global Challenge, which encourages youth involvement in math and science careers. The international competition featured more than 150 nations.

The competition drew international attention this week after President Donald J. Trump interceded to help a team of six girls from Afghanistan who had been denied visas to participate.

The Burundi team was last seen a half hour before the competition ended on July 18. FIRST Global President Joe Sestak phoned police after an adult mentor assigned to the teenagers couldn’t find them in their dormitories at Trinity Washington University, Reuters reported.

Police issued photographs of the missing teenagers the following day. Not only were their clothes missing, but their dorm keys were also discovered in their mentor’s bag.

Burundi has faced civil unrest and violence since 2015 when President Pierre Nkurunziza was elected to a third term there. That reelection ignited large protests and an attempted coup last year, PBS reported. The ongoing fighting killed at least 700 people and forced hundreds of thousands to flee their homes, Reuters reported.

It also prompted the State Department to issue a travel warning in June, alerting U.S. citizens to “sporadic violence,” including gunfire and attacks from armed groups.

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As a Texas native, I have witnessed many dark days in the fight to ensure voting rights for all people. The 2013 Supreme Court decision, Shelby County v. Holder, overturned portions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 in historically discriminatory states and allowed those states to implement changes to election laws without any checks and balances. Four years later, President Trump and his administration have decided to create a commission to investigate the unsubstantiated claims of widespread voter fraud.

Most recently the Supreme Court agreed to take up a case known as Husted v. A. Philip Randolph Institute, which will challenge an Ohio policy of removing inactive voters from registration rolls.  The court will review the case in its next term and this has the potential to set a precedent on other states’ voter purge policies.

Bernice Johnson

The minute the Supreme Court handed down its decision, states that previously needed preclearance—like Texas—saw their controversial voter ID laws go into effect with no federal oversight. States like Texas insisted on the necessity of voter ID laws to “protect the integrity of elections,” passing laws that disproportionately affect African-Americans, Latinos and poor people. It is well documented that voter fraud is not a major issue in elections, yet state legislatures have used this farce to justify heavy-handed and restrictive laws.  It is clear what their intent is, and it is shameful that our democracy has allowed the right to vote to be reduced to a mere pawn.

The right to vote is fundamental to our democratic system of government, and it is strengthened when every citizen participates.  Making false accusations of voter fraud when thus far state official across the country have disputed such claims does not provide stability or trust in our democratic system of government. The newest creation of the Presidential Commission on Election Integrity by the current administration is playing into a false reality of a problem that does not exist. Unfortunately, taxpayers’ money will be invested in this commission’s investigation of voter fraud. Meanwhile, I question if it will address the true concerns that have existed for more than 50 years in our country – voter suppression.

This commission was birthed from the widespread claim by then President-elect Trump that voter fraud took place during the 2016 election because of the 3 – 5 million popular votes he lost to presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. Interestingly enough, reports from the Brennan Center for Justice found incident rates between 0.0003 percent and 0.0025 percent of voter fraud. And the ACLU, voting rights advocacy groups, and Secretaries of State both Republican and Democrat have agreed voter fraud is not an issue, however what should be addressed is voter suppression.

At the heart of any democracy is the free and unalienable right to participate in the electoral process. But this was not always the case in America. This nation spent decades grappling with who would have the right to vote, and how that right would be preserved.  As suffrage slowly expanded its club of exclusive membership during the 20th Century, more and more Americans were given the opportunity to participate in elections. But across the South, African-Americans were largely excluded.

What remains questionable is the integrity of our nation and how we choose to allow individuals to participate in our democracy. The decision to employ such a commission to investigate voter fraud provides ample concern on the actions that are a result from their findings. I am positive that if the members of the commission are operating with due diligence to protect the integrity of our nation’s democracy and freedoms they will note the widespread discriminatory practices shown in our voting system. Although there is much irony behind certain members involved, such as Kris Kobach, Kansas Secretary of State, who has been a staunch advocate for employing discriminatory tactics to infringe upon the rights of voters. Meanwhile, Attorney General Jeff Sessions has chosen to overturn the previous administration’s policy of challenging voter identification laws.

It has become a tireless rant by Republicans crying out voter fraud when our focus should be on protecting the right to vote and not placing further restrictions on a particular group of people–students, seniors, and African-Americans and Latinos. This commission is a scare tactic being used against a vulnerable group of people and the timing of the report to be unveiled during the 2018 election cycle is not a coincidence. We must continue to push the current Administration to understand how imperative it is to actually provide solutions to the true issue of voter suppression and not voter fraud.

Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Texas) represents the 30^th District.

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Gary L. Brown Jr., an aide to Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh, pleaded guilty May 31 to two counts of violating election law during last year’s mayoral campaign.

Gary L. Brown Jr. (Courtesy Photo)

Brown, a member of the mayor’s communications office, deposited a total of $18,000 into the bank accounts of his mother, brother and stepfather between January and April for the purposes of donating to Pugh’s campaign. Under state law, the most an individual can donate in an election cycle is $6,000. The source of the $18,000 remains unclear.

State Prosecutor Emmet C. Davitt told the AFRO that the investigation is continuing into where the money came from.

Brown, 35, was placed on one year supervised probation before judgement by Circuit Judge Charles Peters.

Mayoral spokesman Anthony McCarthy said Brown’s employment status remains unchanged.

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Enjoy a fun family weekend from June 3-4 from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. at The Phillips Collection, 1600 21st St., NW. The event will include live jazz music featuring the finest talent in the region including vibrant galleries, art-making activities, an instrument petting zoo, interactive storytelling, and a free film screening among other attractions. The event is scheduled to feature Janell Gill, David Schulman + Quiet Life Motel, Donato Soviero Trio, Donvonte McCoy Quartet, and John Lee Trio. The event is free and open to the public.

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A precocious 6-year-old switching places with her mother for the day to discover the true meaning of working twice as hard for half as much is exactly what student filmmaker Emily Eaglin portrayed in her short film “Sweeter.”

The 13-minute film was submitted in the Baltimore Student Film Showcase at the Maryland Film Festival.

Still from Sweeter (Courtesy photo)

Eaglin, who is a film major and art history minor at the University of Maryland-Baltimore County, wrote in an e-mail to the AFRO: “I challenged myself to write a story about a daughter of a young mother as a thesis on Black womanhood and set it in the city of Baltimore. For young Black mothers, it’s hard to find any representations that aren’t tragedies, but life is much more multidimensional than that.”

Eaglin played the lead role of 23-year-old Samira who is a video game designer and mother of a 6-year-old girl. The film starts with the daughter, Willy (Je’Syre Beckwith) saying she wants to be an adult because she cannot think about a subject for her report. On awaking the next morning Willy tells her mother that she heard women of color work twice as hard to get half as much as some other people. Willy, being only a first-grader, does not fully understand what that means. So, during the moments when Samira and Willy have bonding time, the mother teaches her daughter these lessons, leading her to the realization that her report should be about the “Wage Gap.” It is a real life issue which Eaglin taught to the young actress and her real-life mother.

Eaglin told the AFRO that Samira was not a single mother and that her exclusion of the father figure and sole focus on the mother-daughter moments was intentional.

“I feel like it reveals a lot of biases many people have about young Black mothers/absent fathers,” the filmmaker said.

Eaglin also worked with the mother of the late Korryn Gaines, a Randallstown woman and mother of two who was shot and killed by Baltimore County police officers in August 2016. The film was dedicated to Gaines.

The film has been submitted to several other film festivals including the “Short to the POINT” film festival in Romania and the Africana Studies Film Festival at Community College of Baltimore County.

Eaglin is a native of Silver Spring, Md., and is a graduating senior at University of Maryland-Baltimore County.

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GLUCKSTADT, Miss. (AP) — Three young Mississippi men were arrested hours after a 6-year-old boy was found shot dead Thursday in his mother’s stolen car and the suspects will be charged with capital murder, authorities said.

6-year-old Kingston Frazier. (Photo/Mississippi Bureau of Investigation (MBI))

Madison County District Attorney Michael Guest announced at a news conference that authorities plan to charge Byron McBride, D’Allen Washington and Dwan Wakefield in the death of the child.

Byron McBride, DAllen Washington, and Dwan Wakefield. (AP Photo/Madison County Sheriff’s Office)

Authorities found Kingston Frazier shot at least once in the back seat of his mother’s stolen car, which Jackson Police Cmdr. Tyree Jones said was abandoned in a muddy ditch about 15 miles (20 kilometers) north of the capital.

Frazier had gone missing after 1 a.m. Thursday when a man was seen on video taking the car from the parking lot of a supermarket in Jackson, the state capital, according to authorities. About nine hours later, following a child-abduction alert and widespread publicity, a man reported the missing Toyota Camry was beside a dead-end road in the northern suburb of Gluckstadt.

Family members carry a grief stricken Ebony Archie, mother of Kingston Frazier, after learning the young boy was found dead after being kidnapped during the theft of his mother’s vehicle from a Kroger parking lot, Thursday, May 18, 2017, in Jackson, Miss. (Elijah Baylis/The Clarion-Ledger via AP)

Authorities publicly disclosed the boy’s death Thursday morning while surrounded by grieving family members.

“A 6-year-old is gone,” said Kingston’s cousin, Kolby Irby. “His mother has to deal with this. That’s her baby.”

Walter Williams reacts to the news that his grandson Kingston Frazier was found dead after being kidnapped during the theft of his mother’s vehicle from a Kroger parking lot Thursday, May 18, 2017, in Jackson, Miss. (Elijah Baylis/The Clarion-Ledger via AP)

The three suspects were arrested within hours of the child’s body being found, authorities said, adding video and a witness helped identify them.

Authorities said Washington and Wakefield are both 17. McBride’s age was not immediately released.

In Mississippi, 17-year-olds accused of capital murder are tried as adults. The capital murder charge means prosecutors could seek the death penalty if the three are convicted, Guest said.

Family members react after finding out the news that Kingston Frazier was found dead after being kidnapped during the theft of his mother’s vehicle from a Kroger parking lot Thursday, May 18, 2017, in Jackson, Miss. (Elijah Baylis/The Clarion-Ledger via AP)

The district attorney also said it was possible the charges might change, adding the three are expected to make initial court appearances on Monday.

One lawyer said he is not yet officially representing one of them and declined requests for comment. Guest said the other two do not yet have lawyers.

Authorities did not answer questions at the news conference with reporters, and it’s unclear what role each of the three suspects is alleged to have played.

Wakefield was a quarterback last year at a high school in Madison County, north of Jackson, county Superintendent Ronnie McGehee told The Clarion-Ledger. McGehee also said Wakefield had been dismissed from the team but didn’t elaborate.

The mother, Ebony Archie, left the boy in the car, its engine running, while she went inside the supermarket early Thursday, sheriff’s deputies have said. The store’s parking lot is patrolled by sheriff’s deputies, including one in a golf cart.

Security video shows that after Archie left, another car drove up and a man got out and then drove off in the Camry.

A child abduction alert was played repeatedly Thursday on local newscasts and police and family members issued public appeals for help.

“We’ve been looking for him for nine hours in every neighborhood in Jackson,” said Deanna Moore, the boy’s aunt. Addressing those who took the car, she added, “You could have just dropped him off.”

The child’s body was taken for an autopsy at the state crime lab and the car was towed away by police as they continue to investigate.

The post Official: 6-Year-Old Mississippi Boy Found Shot Dead in Car Stolen from Parking Lot, 3 arrests appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

For many immigrant students in Baltimore the Trump administration’s focus on deporting illegal immigrants has lead to constant praying that they or their family will not get picked up and deported by police.

Franca Mueller Paz (right) outside with activist Yesenia (left) protesting recent deportations with their dance group
Naciones Unidos (United Nations). (Photo credit: Casey McKeel)

This fear has infiltrated the school system, from students and parents alike, leading to a spike in absences among immigrant students. This fear has also caused more distractions in the classroom, such as more texting in class so students can keep abreast of their family’s whereabouts. A delayed response has caused panic for more than one student this year, according to Franca Muller Paz, the adviser for Latinx Rising, a Latino/an organization at Digital Harbor High School in Baltimore.

According to a memo distributed by Baltimore City Public Schools, school police and personnel are not allowed to ask a student’s status. The memo also states that Baltimore City Police are not supposed to ask for anyone’s legal status while patrolling the streets.

However, due to an increased focus by the Trump administration on any immigrant in America illegally, almost any trip out of this house is a cause for alarm.

Muller Paz said that an immigrant parent confided in her that she was uncertain where to purchase her child’s poster board for a class project. Undocumented immigrants, she said, are afraid that ICE raids may occur at stores such Walmart and Walgreens. In addition, absence rates among children of immigrants are rising.

During a recent parent-teacher conference, one of the undocumented parents confided in her, teary-eyed, that she did not know how much longer she could continue to live in such conditions.

Muller Paz said in an email to the AFRO, “The fear cannot be alleviated as long as systematic deportations of innocent people continues.”

According to CNN, ICE removed 54,564 individuals, including 30,667 convicted criminals and 23,897 non-criminals, during the first three months of the Trump presidency. This is slightly lower than the number removed during the Obama administration during the same time period in 2016.

While the number of deportations are currently lower under Trump, the president has vowed to increase them substantially. In an effort to fight back, the Latino students within the Baltimore City Public School system have formed Organized Youth in Education (OYE) to rally for students’ rights and to promote policies that supports immigrant families and students.

The post Trump’s Immigration Policies Stress Baltimore Students appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

BOSTON (AP) — Orioles outfielder Adam Jones said Tuesday that racial taunts that prompted immediate condemnation around baseball and Boston have no place in today’s game but speak to larger racial issues in the United States.

Fans react as Baltimore Orioles’ Adam Jones walks to the dug out before a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox, Tuesday, May 2, 2017, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

“I thought we’d moved past this a long time ago,” said Jones, who said he heard fans call him the N-word on Monday night and had a bag of peanuts thrown in his direction.

“With what’s going on in the real world, things like this, people are outraged and are speaking up at an alarming rate,” he said.

Jones received a personal apology from Red Sox team president Sam Kennedy on behalf of the club. When he stepped up for his first at-bat during Tuesday night’s game, he was also given an extended applause from the Fenway crowd, with Red Sox pitcher Chris Sale stepping off the mound to allow the applause to continue.

Boston Red Sox President Sam Kennedy, right, talks with Baltimore Orioles’ Adam Jones before a baseball game, Tuesday, May 2, 2017, in Boston. Kennedy is apologizing to Jones after fans at Fenway Park taunted him with racial slurs. Kennedy apologized Tuesday after Jones said someone also threw peanuts at him during Monday night’s game. Kennedy said the organization is “sickened by the conduct of an ignorant few.” (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

The All-Star said he felt “it was just the right time” to speak out.

Kennedy said 34 people were ejected for various reasons Monday night and reiterated the team’s “zero tolerance” policy for such incidents. He also said there would be extra security around the outfield Tuesday night.

“I’m a grown man with a family to raise. So I’m not just gonna let nobody sit there and berate me,” Jones said. “Where I come from if you say things like that, you put on the gloves and you go after it. Obviously in the real world you can’t do that, especially in my field.”

Kennedy said that 10-15 people are usually ejected from Fenway any given night, calling the 34 ejected Monday usually high. Along with the fan ejected for throwing the peanuts, a second fan was ejected for using foul language toward a player, though the team didn’t know whether the fan used the bad language toward Jones.

Kennedy and manager John Farrell separately met with Red Sox players on Tuesday and said the players said they’d experienced similar incidents in both Fenway and around the league.

“I think one person hears an inappropriate remark or slur, that’s one person too many,” Kennedy said.

Boston’s professional teams — like the city’s neighborhoods — had different reactions to the civil rights movement and the integration of professional sports.

While the Celtics and Bruins broke barriers in pro basketball and hockey, the Red Sox were the last Major League Baseball team to field a Black player.

In the 1980s, the Red Sox also dealt with an incident during spring training in Florida in which an Elks Lodge was giving passes to only White players.

It also wasn’t until last season that the New England Patriots started a Black quarterback for the first time in its history. Rookie Jacoby Brissett started two games with Tom Brady suspended as part of his “Deflategate” punishment and backup Jimmy Garoppolo injured.

“It’s changed a lot over many years, but it sure takes a long time to change everything,” said Steve McHugh, who is White and said he’s been a Red Sox fan since he moved to the Boston area in 1977.

Michael Towns, 39, has been a casual fan of the Red Sox since attending the University of Rhode Island.

“It’s sad that even today such attitudes exist,” said Towns, who is Black. “We shouldn’t dwell on it, but it’s important to acknowledge it.”

Outrage and condemnation flowed from around Major League Baseball on Tuesday.

“It’s nothing new to any of us,” Atlanta Braves outfielder Matt Kemp said. “He let it be known that’s what we go through. I mean, it’s pretty much normal, especially in some of these different cities. I’m not going to name all the cities, but there’s some pretty tough cities where people say some pretty ruthless things. There’s no filters or nobody holding anybody accountable for some of the things these fans do.”

“You get called names, N-word, all kinds of stuff when you go to Boston,” Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia said.

Monday’s incident also touched off widespread social media use of the hashtag #BostonWrong — a dark twist on the post-marathon bombing #BostonStrong.

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker called the incident “outrageous and disgraceful.”

“I’m glad they kicked the guy out and I hope they never let him back in ever again,” the Republican told reporters.

Police Lt. Mike McCarthy said a fan threw a bag of peanuts at the Orioles’ dugout and hit a police officer posted nearby, not the center fielder. He told The Associated Press that security officials had the man thrown out before police could identify him.

Jones, a five-time All-Star, said he has been the subject of racist heckling in Boston’s ballpark before.

“Hopefully the awareness comes,” he said. “People around in the stands will hold other fans accountable.”

The Red Sox said any spectator behaving poorly forfeits the right to be in the ballpark and could be subject to further action.

“The racist words and actions directed at Adam Jones at Fenway Park last night are completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated at any of our ballparks,” Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement.

Hall of Famer and Yankees senior adviser Reggie Jackson said the incident with Jones proves the United States has a long way to go with race relations.

“While there was a residue of racism in the game, certainly it wasn’t out in the open when I played,” he said. “I guess this thing with Adam Jones, it makes you well up and get teary-eyed. … You really feel that way?”

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AP Sports Writers Mike Fitzpatrick in New York and Charles Odum in Atlanta, Associated Press writers Steve LeBlanc and Bill Kole, and videographer Rodrique Ngowi contributed to this report.

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More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

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Follow Kyle Hightower on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/khightower

The post Jones Says Racial Taunts Speak to Wider Racial Issues appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

One of the most important tasks for parents to tackle while raising kids is ensuring that they have a proper understanding of how money works—how to earn it, save it, spend it, borrow it, and invest it. Teaching kids about money sets them on the right path to be responsible with it when they grow into adults.

Where should you start when it comes to teaching your kids about money? T. Rowe Price believes it’s best to begin with the basics and, in this case, that means vocabulary.

By age 5, T. Rowe Price recommends teaching your child the following terms:

• Savings Goal—a savings goal has three elements: (1) what you want to buy, (2) when you want to buy it, and (3) how much it will cost at that time
• Bank—a place that helps us safely store and manage our money
• Check—a way to pay for items where we write a note asking our bank to send our money to someone to pay for our purchases
• Bills—notes letting us know how much we owe for our purchases
• Trade Off—A decision we have to make when we are considering whether to save for something or spend our money

These concepts are usually easy enough for 5-year-olds to understand and are important to create a strong foundation for future and ongoing money discussions.

By age 10, your children should be able to understand the terms:

• Interest—money you are paid for lending your money or an amount of money that is added to money you borrowed
• Loan—money that’s borrowed and is expected to be repaid, usually with added interest
• Time Horizon—the amount of time that you will save for a big purchase
• Inflation—a general increase in the price of goods and services over time
• Taxes—money that we pay to the government to help pay for public programs and necessities, like roads, schools, and libraries

These are all terms that build upon what your children may already know about money. A basic understanding of these terms will help your children to better interpret the money discussions you are having with them.

By age 15, you should teach your children the definitions of:

• Investing—putting money into assets (like stocks, bonds, mutual funds, etc.) to help you reach your financial goals
• Asset Allocation—how your money is divided among asset classes such as stocks, bonds, and short-term investments
• Diversification—spreading your money amongst various types of investments (different kinds of stocks and bonds)
• Stock—a share of a company that is sold to the public
• Bonds—an IOU issued by the federal government, state governments, or corporations in which you earn interest, and receive your investment back at a later date

But what if you run into roadblocks and need a little help with understanding these terms or with teaching your kids about money?

T. Rowe Price has created many tools to help parents with these important tasks, including a resource site for parents at Money Confident Kids and the Star Banks Adventure^® online game and app, which offers lessons on goal setting, spending versus saving, inflation, and diversification.

These tools are designed to help parents make the topic of money fun and interesting to their children, while imparting critical money skills to help their children gain a strong understanding of finance for their future.

The post What Your Kids Need to Know About Money at Ages 5, 10, and 15 appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles erupted into the most destructive civil disturbance in US history on April 29, 1992, and the 25th anniversary is being marked by six documentaries exploring the roots and lingering impact of the LA riots. All include the 1991 videotaped footage of a group of White police officers relentlessly beating unarmed Black motorist Rodney King, and coverage of their acquittal the following year that touched off three days of unchecked violence, arson and looting. Despite similar imagery, each of the films approaches the events through a slightly different lens.

FILE – In this April 29, 1992 file photo, demonstrators protest the verdict in the Rodney King beating case in front of the Los Angeles Police Department headquarters in Los Angeles. Six documentaries about the 1992 Los Angeles riots are being released to mark the 25th anniversary of the most destructive civil disturbance in US history. Most are coming to TV this month. (AP Photo/Nick Ut, File)

— “Burn Motherf——, Burn ” (Showtime): Sacha Jenkins incorporates animation and the music of the early ’90s in his film exploring the history of the Los Angeles Police Department and its relationship with LA’s Black residents. It charts the rise of former police

FILE – In this Jan. 24, 2015 file photo, director Sacha Jenkins poses for a portrait to promote the film, “Fresh Dressed” during the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. Jenkins is one of six filmmakers who have documentaries about the 1992 Los Angeles riots. The films are being released to mark the 25th anniversary of the most destructive civil disturbance in US history. (Photo by Victoria Will/Invision/AP, File)

chief William Parker — who was celebrated for his post-World War II modernization of the LAPD and criticized for his separatist attitudes toward communities of color — through the 1965 Watts riots and up to present day with interviews with current chief Charlie Beck and cellphone footage of police shooting an unarmed Black man in downtown LA in 2015. Premieres Friday.

— “LA 92 ” (National Geographic): Oscar-winning documentarians Dan Lindsay and T.J. Martin find the roots of 1992’s civil unrest in the Watts riots and the 1991 killing of 15-year-old Latasha Harlins by shopkeeper Soon Ja Du, who was convicted of manslaughter but received no jail time. It tracks the long history of police brutality in black communities and the growing tensions between Blacks and Koreans after Harlins’ death, and explores the role the riots may have played in the 1992 presidential election. Opens theatrically on April 28 and comes to National Geographic Channel on April 30.

— “L.A. Burning: The Riots 25 Years Later ” (A&E): Produced by and featuring Oscar-nominated writer-director John Singleton, this film opens with video footage of the 2016 fatal police shootings of Philando Castile in Minnesota and Alton Sterling in Louisiana, along with the protests that followed the high-profile deaths of other young Black men at the hands of

FILE – In this Feb. 4, 2017 file photo, director John Singleton appears at the 69th Annual Directors Guild of America Awards in Beverly Hills, Calif. Singleton is one of six filmmakers who have documentaries about the 1992 Los Angeles riots. The films are being released to mark the 25th anniversary of the most destructive civil disturbance in US history. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP, File)

police. Directors One9 and Erik Parker provide a mix of LAPD history, interviews with the men who attacked truck driver Reginald Denny and the perspective of a former lieutenant tasked with responding to the riot epicenter at the intersection of Florence and Normandie avenues. Premiered Tuesday.

— “L.A. Riots: 25 Years Later ” (History Channel): Filmmakers Jenna Rosher and Mark Ford explore the past and present in this film, from the Watts riots to Black Lives Matter. It looks at the history of police relations in LA’s black community, exacerbated by drugs and gangs in the ’80s and the LAPD’s aggressive response, which included destructive home invasions. It explores the political implications of the tenuous relationship between police chief Gates and mayor Tom Bradley, who both left office shortly after the riots. Premieres April 23.

— “Let it Fall: Los Angeles 1982-1992 ” (ABC): Oscar winner John Ridley focuses on racial tensions in the decade leading up to what he calls the 1992 uprising. Interview subjects include neighborhood residents, police officers, jurors who served on the King

FILE – In this April 13, 2017 file photo, John Ridley, executive producer of “Guerrilla,” poses at a “For Your Consideration” event for the Showtime series at the Writers Guild of America in Beverly Hills, Calif. Ridley is one of six filmmakers who have documentaries about the 1992 Los Angeles riots. The films are being released to mark the 25th anniversary of the most destructive civil disturbance in US history. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP, File)

beating trial, as well as victims, witnesses and perpetrators of the ensuing violence. Ridley also explores LAPD policies, including its use of the battering ram during the crack epidemic of the ’80s and banning of the chokehold in 1982. Opens theatrically Friday; airing on ABC on April 28.

— “The Lost Tapes: LA Riots ” (Smithsonian Channel): Former newspaper reporter Tom Jennings’ film skips interviews and narration in favor of voices and images directly from 1992. The film relies on footage taken by neighborhood residents and Los Angeles Police Department cameras, along with audio from local radio station KJLH, which abandoned its traditional music format during the unrest to take calls from the community about their fears and concerns as the city was torn apart. Premieres Sunday.

FILE – In this April 30, 1992 file photo, smoke rises from a shopping center burned by rioters in Los Angeles after four police officers had been acquitted of the 1991 beating of motorist Rodney King. Six documentaries about the 1992 Los Angeles riots are being released to mark the 25th anniversary of the most destructive civil disturbance in US history. Most are coming to TV this month. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, File)

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Follow AP Entertainment Writer Sandy Cohen at www.twitter.com/APSandy .

The post A Look at the 6 films Exploring the LA Riots, 25 Years Later appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

We as Black people need to think, see and listen for ourselves as the U.S. asserts its right to take preemptive military action against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) to knock out its nuclear capabilities. Former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush had these alternatives on the table.  Barack Obama’s policies had them on the table, but proceeded with strategic patience.

Ken Morgan

The U.S. was the first country to devise nuclear weapons and use them against civilian populations in Nagasaki and Hiroshima Japan.  According to the Plowshares Fund, the U.S. has 6,800 nuclear weapons not counting those that its allies possess.

The DPRK has less than 15.  At least some of the 30 submarines in the Pacific are packing nuclear weapons. The U.S. maintains the capability to destroy any nuclear missiles aimed at it or its allies. Dare we talk about U.S. non-nuclear capability? Washington just recently dropped the “the mother of all bombs” below nuclear capability in Afghanistan.

The most recent U.S. – South Korean military exercise reportedly involves over 300,000 military personnel that are supported by a sophisticated array of U.S. sea and air weaponry along with structures to assassinate Pyongyang’s leadership and is no joke to North Korea.  The U.S. still boasts the largest military budget in the world.

U.S. involvement with Korea and China reveals much. The U.S. partnered with the Soviet Union to divide Korea. It ruthlessly governed South Korea for over two years. It snuffed out any attempts to unify Korea. It denied the Korean people the right to determine their own form of government. It tried to bomb North Korea into kingdom come.  Four million people were killed in the Korean War. Two million were civilians. It backed two ruthless dictators Sigmund Rhee (Korea) and Chiang Kai-shek (China).

Besides, the North Korean issue provides a smokescreen for the U.S. problems with China whose economic growth is sucking away the U.S. economic largess from its WWII victory, and who itself has built a large trade deficit with China. Washington no longer dominates Far East trade and military might because of China’s military build up and challenges to the U.S.

What then should Black people’s policy demands be given the past and Trump’s march? Tell Washington to keep their hands off of North Korea. Take U.S. troops, planes, ships, and anti-ballistic systems out of Korea. End all economic sanctions. Call for a nuclear free Korea. Spend the money saved for jobs, housing, and other social benefits.

Dr. Ken Morgan is a human rights activist and faculty member at Coppin State University.

The post A Black People’s North Korea Policy appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

Undefeated light welterweight boxer Mike Reed secured his 22nd victory after going against Reyes Sanchez at MGM National Harbor on April 8. Reed’s “Yes Indeed” moniker seems to be fitting after he defeated Sanchez by a unanimous decision and is making waves in the local boxing scene.

D.C. native Mike Reed defeated Reyes Sanchez on April 8 at the MGM Casino in Oxon Hill, Md. (Photo by Daniel Kucin)

“This was a cool training camp,” Reed told the AFRO after taking down Sanchez. “We worked on a lot of new things, but I have to be better if I want a world championship. It’s a learning process. This was my first 10-round fight.”

A raucous crowd of 2,828 people witnessed Reed fight close to home, and he did not disappoint the fans who came out to support him. The boxer currently resides in Waldorf, Md., but was born in Washington D.C.

“He was so excited to fight in his home area and was very instrumental in the event selling out,” said Top Rank Boxing Chief Operating Officer Bob Arum.

Boxing didn’t come easy for Reed. He lost his first four amateur bouts and faced some adversity before making a name for himself in the industry.  Despite having a rocky start to his newfound profession, Reed perfected his craft with his father, trainer, and manager Michael “Buck” Pinson at Dream Team Boxing Gym in Clinton, Md.

The area native finished his amateur boxing career 90-13 proving that hard work and dedication would take him to the top. Reed has scored six technical knockouts in his last 10 bouts. He signed with Top Rank after his first 10 wins as a pro.

“We wanted to join a company that does a great job of moving their fighters, and Top Rank is known for getting their fighters world championship opportunities,” Pinson told the AFRO. “Many of their current fighters are world champions. They treated us well and were very professional.”

Pinson added, “Before my son’s pro career even began, our team set a goal that within our first 10 fights, we wanted to make a statement. During those 10 fights, Michael fought some tough competition, and proved that he is a fan-friendly fighter, with extremely fast hands and power. Team Reed is very goal-oriented, and we are focused. We will be staying busy in the years to come, so make sure to look out for Team Reed.”

Boasting a Top 100 world ranking, and knocking out 55 percent of his opponents, Reed said he looks ahead for his next potential challenger. Although he does not have any fights scheduled yet, he is training. “Mike is a very good talent,” Arum told the AFRO. “My guys think he is ready to make a move. We are going to put him in some main events and move him toward the inevitable title shot.”

The post Mike Reed Boxes His Way to the Top appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

The lines and anxiety within the Starbucks at Howard University’s bookstore showed little signs of lightening on April 17. An April 5 widely circulated anonymous critique of Wayne A.I. Frederick, Howard’s president, and Provost Anthony Wutoh, made by select members of the university’s faculty was causing concern over Frederick’s future with the university.

Howard University President Wayne A.I. Frederick. (Twitter Photo)

“What does it mean for students that those closest to the president and provost don’t believe the school is being managed properly? What is the appropriate response for students?” mused Faison Baylor, a political science student. “I guess my concern is the lack of patience and dialogue among leaders that would allow things to come to a head so publicly. Frederick is still relatively new and no one is going to agree with every, single thing he does or even his methodology. Fronting him though, looks bad.”

At issue, according to Taft Broome, chair of the faculty senate, are a fledgling hospital, in addition to Frederick’s “unfulfilled promises of a new revenue stream from an online learning program, a new faculty development program, a new faculty ombudsman; deceptive transparency, ineffective fund raising, and the lack of a plan for an expansive path forward for Howard University; and a loss of trust from faculty.”

The no confidence vote was answered by Frederick in a memo, saying in part, “Howard’s mission requires that we remain focused on advancing the institution forward. I will continue to work diligently with faculty to make progress on the challenges we face. These challenges aren’t dissimilar to the challenges that all of higher education is facing.”

Ashley Broadnax, a junior chemical engineering student from Bakersfield, Calif., told the AFRO that while she faced several challenges with housing when she initially arrived, (including issues of mold and rodents), her concerns were addressed immediately. Calling the no confidence vote a slap in the face of the president, Broadnax intends to support Frederick’s efforts.

“Our president inherited a lot of problems that were not of his making and to suggest that he is Superman and can fix the problems caused by others – and obviously without the support of some who are closest to him – is unfair,” Broadnax said. “You have to be loyal to your leadership and help where you can. Anything else harms the institution.”

Other students, like Memphis-native Charles Caston, told the AFRO he was more concerned about the school airing its dirty laundry in public than about potential malfeasance. “Whether it’s the crabs in a barrel syndrome or a real concern, it should have been hashed out behind closed doors and with as many attempts at resolution before a no confidence vote was taken,” Caston said. “When White institutions across the nation have differences among their leaders, it’s an internal issue that remains internal until solved.”

Stacey Mobley, chairman of the Board of Trustees, responded with a letter to the faculty senate discounting many of the charges. “A vote of no confidence is deeply troubling, wholly unjustified, and counterproductive to Howard’s goals. In fact, it contradicts the very positive assessment this Board has of the president’s performance to date, his track record of success, and the integrity and good judgment he exhibits,” Mobley said. “The current administration is leading with honesty, transparency, and accountability; these are core values we should all embrace in our leadership.”

The post Students Stand by Frederick Despite Faculty’s Debate appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

Three alumni chapters of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and the District’s graduate chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity teamed up to present “Mental Health Awareness Day.”

The Xi Omega, Xi Theta Omega and Rho Mu Omega of AKA in conjunction with the Alpha Omega chapter of Omega and the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) co-sponsored the event April 8 at the Kingsbury Center in the District of Columbia. Theresa McDonaldson-DePasse, a member of the Xi Omega chapter and a leader at the event, said it is important for Blacks to come to grips with the reality of mental illness.

“One in five Americans suffers from a mental health disease,”McDonaldson-DePasse told the AFRO. “All of us are under pressure at some point and deal with things such as professional disappointments, a breakup of a marriage, or something traumatic then we go through a period of sadness and that is normal. However, when this sadness is prolonged, something is wrong and mental illness sets in. There is a lot of mental illness in the Black community.”

The Office of Minority Health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reported in 2016 that Blacks are 20 percent more likely to report serious psychological distress than adult Whites; Blacks living below the poverty line are three times more likely to report serious psychological distress than those living above poverty; Blacks are more likely to have feelings of sadness, hopelessness and worthlessness than are adult Whites; and Black teenagers are more likely to attempt suicide than White teenagers.

Janiene Ausbrooks is the office manager for the District office of NAMI. In her address to the audience, Ausbrooks told the story of her struggle with mental illness. She talked about being in a competitive high school situation where she had trouble keeping up with her White counterparts and began to blame herself.

As Ausbrooks moved forward in her life, she said she began to unwind psychologically and one day, after she traveled to New York, she said. “I thought that somebody was after me.” I called my uncle and he persuaded me to go to counseling.”

Ausbrooks said that mental illness “is a reality for a lot of people, particularly African Americans.” She added that 1 in 17 Americans have a serious mental illness and half of all Americans will have suffered a mental episode by the age of 14.

Ausbrooks said there are several signs of possible mental illness. “The symptoms can be excessive worry or fear,” she said. “There can also be extreme mood changes and difficulty in eating and socializing as well as difficulty in perceiving reality. Drugs and alcohol can also trigger mental illnesses, too.”

Omega’s national program “Brother, You’re on My Mind” focuses on Black males in the college and early adulthood years, where depression can set in due to changes in lifestyle and life circumstances. In a paper published by Omega and the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, statistics show that suicide is the third-leading cause of death for Black men ages 15-24; Black men ages 20-24 have the highest suicide rate among Blacks of all ages, male and female and young Blacks are much likely than White youth not to have used a mental health service during the year.

Donnie Lucas, the Basileus (president) of Alpha Omega chapter of Omega Psi Phi, said young Black males need not suffer in silence. “There are resources available to help young African-American males and adult African American males deal with depression in that demographic,” he said. “We are interested in uplifting males in all age groups.”

The post Black Greeks Address Youth Mental Health appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

NEW YORK (AP) — A Fox News contributor came forward to level more sexual-harassment allegations against deposed chief executive Roger Ailes on Monday, two days after it was revealed the network’s most popular on-air personality, Bill O’Reilly, has settled multiple complaints about his own behavior with women.

In this combination photo, former Fox News contributor Wendy Walsh, left, appears at a news conference in the Woodland Hills section of Los Angeles on Monday, April 3, 2017, and Fox News personality Bill O’Reilly appears on the set of his show, “The O’Reilly Factor” on Oct. 1, 2015 in New York. Walsh says she lost a segment on “The O’Reilly Factor” after she refused to go to O’Reilly’s bedroom following a 2013 dinner in Los Angeles. She’s seeking an investigation by New York City’s Commission on Human Rights. (AP Photo/Anthony McCartney, left, and Richard Drew)

O’Reilly returned to the air on Monday following a weekend report in The New York Times that he and his employer had paid five women $13 million to settle allegations of sexual harassment or other inappropriate conduct by Fox’s ratings king. He made no mention of the case on his show.

Meanwhile, the lawyer for another woman who says she was punished for rebuffing O’Reilly’s advances called on New York City’s Human Rights Commission to investigate O’Reilly’s behavior.

The new lawsuit against Ailes was brought by Fox’s Julie Roginsky and is notable because it accuses Fox’s current management of trying to cover up for Ailes.

In this combination photo, Fox contributor Julie Roginsky, left, appears on “The Five” television program, on the Fox News Channel on March 30, 2015, in New York and then Fox News head Roger Ailes attends a special screening of “Kingsman: The Secret Service” on Feb. 9, 2015 in New York. Roginsky said that a promised position on the Fox show “The Five” never happened after she rejected Ailes’ sexual advances. In a complaint filed in New York state Supreme Court on Monday, April 3, 2017, Roginsky said she was pressured to defend Ailes when Gretchen Carlson filed the initial harassment complaint against him but that she refused. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, left, and Charles Sykes, File)

Roginsky said Ailes, who lost his job last summer following sexual-harassment complaints he has denied, suggested she have sex with “older, married, conservative men.” She said Ailes would insist upon a kiss hello at their meetings, requiring her to bend over so he could look down her dress.

She was seeking a permanent role on Fox’s show “The Five.” But after an April 2015 meeting at which she turned down Ailes’ advances, he wouldn’t meet with her again, and she never got the regular role, she said.

Later, she said, she was pressured to join Team Roger, a group of people who publicly defended Ailes when the first harassment complaint made public against the Fox boss was brought by Gretchen Carlson last summer. Roginsky refused.

She said that even though Fox executives knew she had her own harassment allegations against Ailes, she was never encouraged to speak to the law firm hired by Fox News parent 21st Century Fox to investigate claims against him. And she said Fox never looked into her charges. Her lawyer would not say Monday why Roginsky never contacted the firm on her own.

Roginsky said that during a meeting in December, new Fox top executive Bill Shine told her he didn’t believe the allegations against Ailes until recently. But the lawsuit alleges Shine and other top Fox executives should have known about Ailes’ behavior much earlier.

“Shine and other senior executives kept Ailes’ conduct secret and enabled it,” said the lawsuit, filed in state court.

Fox News representatives did not immediately return messages for comment. But Fox’s new human resources chief sent a memo to staff late Monday, saying that “in light of some of the accounts published over the last few days,” he wanted to make clear the various avenues network employees could take if they had concerns about behavior in the workplace.

Roginsky said she believes Shine hasn’t given her an opportunity for advancement in retaliation for her harassment complaint and her refusal to speak out against Carlson.

At a Los Angeles news conference Monday, lawyer Lisa Bloom detailed allegations against O’Reilly by Wendy Walsh, a regular guest on the prime-time show “The O’Reilly Factor.”

Bloom said O’Reilly had told Walsh he would recommend her for a paid contributor role on the network. Walsh and O’Reilly had dinner in Los Angeles in 2013, but when Walsh refused his invitation to go to his hotel room, his attitude changed and she was soon dropped from the show, according to Walsh.

Bloom was seeking an investigation by the city Human Rights Commission. A spokesman for the commission said no claim had been filed. Claims have to address activity that happened within the city’s five boroughs and must be filed within one year of an alleged infraction.

Walsh said she came forward because she was told by a Times reporter that many of the women who have accused O’Reilly of harassment are bound by gag orders. She said she is not bound by any such agreement, and the statute of limitations for suing has run out.

“Nobody can silence me because my voice is not for sale,” Walsh said. “Nobody can buy my voice.”

O’Reilly said over the weekend he is vulnerable to lawsuits from people who threaten to cause him bad publicity unless they get paid. He said he had “put to rest any controversies” to spare his children.

O’Reilly’s ratings have gone up over the past year with the intense interest in politics. Independent studies show he generates more than $100 million in advertising revenue per year for TV’s top-rated cable news network. But at least one advertiser, car company Mercedes-Benz, said it was pulling its ads from the show because of the “disturbing” allegations.

___

Anthony McCartney in Los Angeles and Deepti Hajela and Tali Arbel in New York contributed to this report.

The post Bill O’Reilly, Ex-Fox Chief Hit with More Sexual Allegations appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

MALIBU, Calif. (AP) — Shirley MacLaine is putting something together about her life for the first time.

Tucked away in the corner of a shaded patio at a sea view restaurant in Malibu, MacLaine, now 82, is thinking about the onetime expectations of women of her generation.

FILE – This Jan. 23, 2017 file photo shows actress Shirley MacLaine posing for a portrait to promote the film, “The Last Word”, during the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Taylor Jewell/Invision/AP, File)

“I asked my own mother once, ‘What are we supposed to be?’” MacLaine says. “She said, ‘You’re supposed to have nice hair and nice clothes and look pretty.’ She really said that to me.”

MacLaine defied those modest prospects at every turn. The gamine, natural beauty became a movie star when the popular look was lacquered glamour. She sued a studio when she knew she’d been wronged professionally. She demanded the best of everyone she worked with, sometimes leading to less-than-effusive assessments from co-stars.

And she has continued to remain relevant in the youth-obsessed industry at every stage of her career. As she matured, so did her characters.

She doesn’t attribute it to ambition, however, but to dance.

Her mother famously enrolled her in dance classes at age 3 to strengthen her weak ankles. It was there that MacLaine fell in love, she says, with “discipline, music, teamwork, pain, balance and strength.”

“If you can get through a ballet class every day of your life when you start at 3 … I’m just putting this together as a matter of fact … If you can do that starting at 3, then you are confident,” she says. “I wasn’t like the other girls who were out there trying to be pleasing. I was in class trying to be strong and survive.”

This image released by Bleecker Street shows Amanda Seyfried, from left, Shirley MacLaine and Ann’Jewel Lee in a scene from “The Last Word.” (Beth Dubber/Bleecker Street via AP)

Not unlike MacLaine and her journey, the character she plays in her new movie “The Last Word,” now in theaters, is a woman (Harriet) who also rose above societal gender constraints to become successful in business.  Now in her 80s, and lonely, Harriet is thinking about her legacy and impact on the world and hires a local obituary writer (Amanda Seyfried) to write hers.

“I love playing bitches,” MacLaine says with a smirk. “I love the whole idea of being so impossible that it’s funny.”

MacLaine doesn’t like to reflect on the scope of her career, because, she says, “I think I’m going to live a long time.” Yet she’ll tell stories for days about her films in the studio system and the icons she’s worked with.

She smiles proudly recalling how she taught Audrey Hepburn how to swear and how Hepburn, in turn, taught her how to dress (“sort of”). She remembers getting a call from Paramount production head Don Hartman scolding her for gaining weight during the production of “The Trouble With Harry” because of all the meals she was eating with Alfred Hitchcock.

“Look, I wasn’t tall, thin, blonde, ethereal, and all that stuff that was essential for men to jump on. Hitch wasn’t interested in me, but, he was interested in me as a food partner. So, he insisted I have every meal with him. I think I gained 20 pounds,” MacLaine says. “I was just out of the chorus; I hadn’t had a full meal in years!”

The only director she’s ever had a problem with was Billy Wilder because, “he had a problem with women.” And she was horrified that he wrote her character in “The Apartment,” Fran, after observing her learning how to play gin with “Dean and Frank” and the Rat Pack crew.

“God, is that what he really thought of me?” she wonders.

“He terrified Marilyn. That’s why she was always late,” MacLaine says. “He was Austrian and he wanted everything exactly his way.”

The actress much prefers the hands-off style of independent films like the “The Last Word.” She has also found that the indie world is the only place where she can find character-driven films.

MacLaine will read any script that comes her way but studio tent-pole franchises hold no interest for her. She also wants to make films that service the senior community.

“I love getting older, I truly do,” she says. “I like the wisdom of it, the complications of it. I do not like the invisibility. I notice with other people, who are not particularly famous, when they are old and no one notices they’re there. That’s awful. I want to do a movie about that. I’ve got one I’m thinking of.”

MacLaine is grateful for her health — she eats whatever she wants, she says, and gave up smoking last year but thinks a lot of it has to do with her never having been a big drinker or doing drugs.

She remembers hanging out at Carrie Fisher’s house once and putting what she thought was sweetener into her coffee when it was actually cocaine. But someone stopped her before she drank it.

“I didn’t even know what it was. I think of those times when my buddies would go in the bathroom and I’m left alone in the living room. ‘What are they doing? Why am I alone?’ They were doing drugs. The word went around that I wasn’t interested,” she says. “I’ve smoked two joints. I’m a dumb-dumb when it comes to how you can enjoy yourself.”

All in all, MacLaine is content with life. She lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She has her “doggies” (three rat terriers), her friends, her writing, her publisher and her “An Evening With…” shows. She sees films (her favorites of last year were “Moonlight” and “The Edge of Seventeen”). She travels to New York for a few weeks a year to see shows, and tries to do about two films a year on location.

She also sees her younger brother, Warren Beatty, and his family sometimes, too. She says stories about them having been estranged are just not true.

“I have a very full life and at the same time a life where nothing much happens,” MacLaine says. “It’s the best I’ve ever been.”

___

Follow AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ldbahr

The post Shirley MacLaine Sets the Record Straight appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

Tom Brady passed for two touchdowns to help lead the New England Patriots to a 34-28 victory in Super Bowl LI on Feb. 5 in Houston, Texas. 

New England Patriots’ James White scores the winning touchdown during overtime of the NFL Super Bowl 51 football game against the Atlanta Falcons, Sunday, Feb. 5, 2017, in Houston. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

The win secured Brady’s fifth Super Bowl championship in seven tries, and capped off the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history. Brady is now the only quarterback in NFL history with five Super Bowl championships. Patriots head coach Bill Belicheck also became the winningest NFL championship head coach with five Super Bowl victories. 

The Patriots trailed 28-3 in the third quarter. Brady even tossed an 86-yard interception in the second quarter that had made the score 21-0 at the time. But Brady and the Patriots scored 31 unanswered points, including a game-winning touchdown in overtime to steal the victory from Atlanta. 

Atlanta controlled the game for all but half a quarter; at one point, the Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan was 13-for-16 passing with a perfect 158.6 passer rating. But the Patriots turned the momentum in the fourth quarter and held the Falcons scoreless the rest of the way. 

Brady finished 43-of-62 passes for 466 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. New England running back James White had two touchdowns. 

Ryan completed 17-of-23 passes for 284, two touchdowns and no interceptions. Falcons running back Devonta Freeman had 75 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries. 

The post Patriots Pull off Greatest Super Bowl Comeback in History appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

NBC News is being accused of “whitewashing” following the departure of “Today” cohost Tamron Hall earlier this week and the expected addition of former FOX News host Megyn Kelly to its morning lineup.

This Sept. 26, 2016 photo released by NBC shows “Today” anchor Tamron Hall on the set in New York. Hall is leaving the network after finding out that the hosts on the 9 a.m. hour of the morning show was being replaced by Megyn Kelly. NBC said her last appearance on NBC and MSNBC was on Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2017. (Peter Kramer/NBC via AP)

Hall reportedly walked away from a multi-million-dollar deal with NBC Universal after it was announced that the “Today” show’s 9 a.m. slot—a highly popular segment which Hall co-hosted with weatherman Al Roker—was being axed to make way for a program hosted by Kelly.

“Tamron is an exceptional journalist, we valued and enjoyed her work at ‘Today’ and MSNBC and hoped that she would decide to stay,” NBC said in a statement cited by CNN. “We are disappointed that she has chosen to leave, but we wish her all the best.”

The news of Hall’s departure prompted swift backlash from online supporters and critics who already question the level of diversity in mainstream media.  Hall broke ground when she became the “Today” show’s first Black female co-host.

“This news is more than disappointing, since the two most prominent Black faces on the show are losing out to accommodate a White conservative with a history of questionable rhetoric with regard to race relations in America,” Paula Rogo wrote on Essence.com. “Moreover, this sudden shift also comes as we are already seeing less brown faces at sister network MSNBC.”

The National Association of Black Journalists also decried the decision that led to Hall’s exit and is demanding a meeting with the network to discuss the matter.

“NBC has been a leader for diversity in broadcasting, but recent reports that Hall and Roker will be replaced by former Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly are being seen by industry professionals as whitewashing,” the advocacy group said in a statement.

Hall and Roker should have been rewarded, not punished, for their segment’s high ratings, added NABJ, which also questioned NBC’s choice in Megyn Kelly.

“Kelly has a well-documented history of offensive remarks regarding people of color,” NABJ stated, citing Kelly’s assessment of then-First Lady Michelle Obama’s commencement address at Tuskegee University as pandering to a “culture of victimization.”

“NABJ requests a meeting with NBC leadership on the top-rated show’s dismantling,” the group concluded. “We look forward to dialogue and resolve regarding Black journalists and their continuing roles at NBC both in front and behind the camera.”

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The post Van Hollen: Trump Backtracks on Promise to Reduce Drug Prices for Seniors and Families appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

BALTIMORE (AP) — The city of Baltimore and the U.S. Justice Department have reached agreement on a consent decree that will require the city to reform its police department.

Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh and U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch will announce the details of the consent decree at City Hall on Thursday morning. Before the formal announcement, a city spending board is expected to adopt the agreement. The projected cost has not been announced, but the previous mayor said it could be $30 million.

Baltimore Police Officer (AP Image)

The Justice Department opened a formal investigation of the department’s patterns and practices after the death in police custody of a 25-year-old Black man, Freddie Gray. Six police officers were charged but none were convicted in the arrest and death of Gray, whose neck was severed inside a police van.

The agreement, finalized in the waning days of the Obama administration, is intended to remain in effect under a new attorney general. Civil rights advocates have expressed concern that Sen. Jeff Sessions, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee, may not pursue allegations of police misconduct with the same vigor.

The Justice Department opened similar investigations into about two dozen local law enforcement agencies under President Barack Obama, including Ferguson, Missouri; Albuquerque, New Mexico; and Cleveland.

In Chicago, where a White officer was videotaped fatally shooting Black teenager Laquan McDonald 16 times, a Justice Department report to be released Friday will conclude that police officers have a pattern and practice of violating people’s rights, using excessive force and displaying racial bias, according to an official familiar with the findings. That official spoke with The Associated Press on condition of anonymity, lacking authorization to speak publicly about it.

In Baltimore, one of the largest departments to come under such scrutiny, the Justice Department concluded in August that officers routinely used excessive force, discriminated against African-Americans and made unlawful arrests. It found that officers stop large numbers of people — mostly in poor, Black neighborhoods — with dubious justification, and unlawfully arrest citizens merely for speaking in ways police deem disrespectful.

The report also said that physical force was often used unnecessarily, against juveniles, the mentally disabled and civilians who aren’t dangerous or pose an immediate threat. Force is often used as a retaliatory tactic in instances where officers “did not like what those individuals said,” the report concluded.

It also identified serious training deficiencies, accusing the department of “systemic failures” that violated the Constitution and the rights of citizens.

The federal investigation found that Blacks accounted for 95 percent of the people stopped at least 10 times by Baltimore police, and roughly 84 percent of all pedestrian stops, between 2010 and 2015. Some individual Black residents were stopped 30 times or more.

The details have not been made public, but the agreement will likely mandate reforms to the way officers handle sexual assault complaints and respond to juveniles and individuals suffering from mental illness. The agreement also will likely outline new requirements for training officers and ensuring oversight.

The police department has already equipped officers in the field with body cameras to improve transparency and accountability, which Police Commissioner Kevin Davis said should help improve a fractured relationship with the citizens of Baltimore.

Davis also said officers are now required to undergo 80 hours of in-service training — twice the time required by the state — and that new technology will ensure that officers receive, review and understand rules and policies.

—

Eric Tucker contributed reporting from Washington and Michael Tarm from Chicago.

The post Baltimore, U.S. Reach Consent Decree over Policing appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

Contact:
Hannah Marr hannah.marr@maryland.gov
Shareese Churchill shareese.churchill@maryland.gov
410-974-2316

Public Schedule for Lt. Governor Boyd Rutherford for Tuesday, January 10, 2017

ANNAPOLIS, MD – The public schedule for Lt. Governor Boyd Rutherford for Tuesday, January 10, 2017 includes the following:

Tuesday, January 10, 2017

4:00 PM: Lt. Governor Rutherford to attend Howard County Food Bank grand opening
9385 Gerwig Lane, Suite J, Columbia, MD 21046

The post Public Schedule for Lt. Governor Boyd Rutherford for Tuesday, January 10, 2017 appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — A 3-year-old boy being taken on a shopping trip by his grandmother was killed in a road rage shooting when a driver opened fire on the grandmother’s car because he thought she “wasn’t moving fast enough at a stop sign,” police said.

The boy and his grandmother were at the stop sign in southwest Little Rock on Saturday evening when a driver apparently angry about the delay stepped out of his car and opened fire, police said. The boy was struck by gunfire at least once, they said.

The grandmother, who wasn’t struck, drove away and called police from a shopping center.

Police arrived at the shopping center and found the boy in the car outside a JCPenney department store. The boy was taken to a hospital, where he died shortly after, becoming the second young child shot dead in a road rage incident in the city in the last few weeks.

Police Lt. Steve McClanahan said investigators believe the boy and his grandmother “were completely innocent” and have no relationship with Saturday’s shooter, who was being sought. He said the grandmother simply was “driving the car and was taking her grandson shopping when the incident occurred.”

Police said they were looking for an older black Chevrolet Impala. Police did not release a detailed description of the man who was driving it.

Last month, a 2-year-old girl was killed when a car drove by and someone fired into her vehicle; the shooter in that case hasn’t been captured.

Police Chief Kenton Buckner said the road rage killings were frustrating for the police department and the community, especially because the young victims were “very innocent” and “can do very little to protect themselves.”

“We cannot have a community to where the least protected among us, being infants, who are dying (in) these senseless crimes in our city,” Buckner said.

He said he didn’t know if the children’s shootings were related.

The post Boy, 3, Out Shopping with Grandma Dies in Road Rage Shooting appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

This list is no simple collection of online stores. This one is focused on makers — African Americans entrepreneurs who have embraced the idea of creating change and community wealth by creating things with their own hands.

Sisters Darle and Lizzy Okpo of William Okpo. (Courtesy photo)

We scoured the web to find those businesses whose products reflect some combination of originality, innovation, ingenuity and a commitment from the owners to investing in their own communities.

When you shop at these places this holiday season, it’s more than a purchase, it’s support for a bright future filled with talent, great ideas and progress.

FOOD & WINE

Bazaar Spices
bazaarspices.com
The DC-based spice store offers a stunning global blend of seasonings and botanicals for recipes and healing, from rare African bird peppers to Moroccan preserved lemons.

Destiny Moscato
destinymoscato.com
Winemaker Mark Thierry and celebrity business partner, Nicole Murphy, are taking on the hugely popular trend for sparkling wines on the sweet side. In two styles, Diamond (white) and Ruby (pink).

Mouton Noir Wines
moutonnoirwines.com
In short order, Mouton Noir (Black Sheep) has grown from 3000 cases a year to now more than 300,000, which makes it the most successful Black-owned winery in America. It’s all the vision of Andre Hueston Mack, the former sommelier at world renowned restaurant, French Laundry, who not only blends the wines, but designs the labels (and the t-shirts).

UncleBrutha’s Hot Sauce Emporium
unclebrotha.com
The many awards given to Unclebrutha’s “ALLSAUCE” shows a dedication to craft that has brought chef/owner Brennan Proctor national attention. Good enough to carry in your purse.
APPAREL

Asiya Sport
asiyasport.com
Launched and fully funded as a Kickstarter project just months ago, Asiya Sport takes the model set by Muslim-American Olympian fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad and goes a step beyond, with a line of performance hijab and modest wear for athletes whose religion or beliefs call for an alternative to the usual skin-baring workout gear.

William Okpo
williamokpo.com

Sisters Darlene and Lizzie Okpo infuse their Nigerian heritage subtly into a women’s wear collection that manages to be global and completely American at once.

Free Negro University
etsy.com/shop/freenegrouniversity
A basic line of fashionable tees and hats that carry a simple but powerful message — one that’s maybe more necessary now than ever.

Osrick Ingredients Cricket
osingredientscricket.com
Anyone paying attention knows that the world’s most fashionable sport, on the field, is —cricket. OK, you may not know the rules, but you have to admit the players are killing it. Osrick is the world’s first cricket menswear brand, and like their inspiration, Ralph Lauren, did for Polo, they’ve captured the spirit and lifestyle of the sport brilliantly.

Want LesEssentiels
wantlesessentiels.com

From Canadian twin brothers Byron and Dexter Peart, LesEssentiels is an extraordinary collection of high-end men’s and women’s leather goods -luggage, bags, shoes and fine accessories. For those thick with style, but not thin of wallet.

Spring Break Watches
springbreakwatches.com
A unique limited edition of sport and dress watches made from unique craft materials including wood, mineral glass and stainless steel mesh. Thorough modern and fun for a weekend of every day wear.

Ikere Jones Menswear
ikerejones.com
A deft mix of vintage meets international clothing for men with a bold style that references bout couture and the continent.

BOHTEN Eyeglasses
bothen.com
Another group of designers using wood and unconventional materials in unexpected places, with hot and stylish frames made from walnut, rosewood, ebony and more.
SPORTS

Rad Black Kids
theradBlackkids.com
For the daredevil in the family, Rad Black Kids offers a fun collection of handmade longboards, trick boards, tees, gear and all things skate.
Studio Maxe
etsy.com/shop/StudioMaxe
Wall art for the serious (and woman) cave. Ticket-inspired posters for your favorite sport and the team of your choice.
SUBSCRIPTION BOXES

OnyxBox
shop.weareonyx.com
OnyxBox is for those women of color who joined subscriptions like BirchBox, only to find that 90% of the products required them to get their hair wet. These products are all designed with you and your needs in mind.
HOME , KITCHEN & BATH

AphroChic
aphrochic.com
For the tastefully fancy home, AphroChic delivers high-style pillows, poufs and accessories.

Middleton Knives
middletonmadeknives.com
A sharp knife is the single most important kitchen essential. Might as well have an artisan-crafted knife to cut those fancy hand-crafted pickles and farm-to-table veggies.

Melaku Aromatherapy
etsy.com/shop/MelakuAromatherapy
One of the largest and most successful Black-owned stores on the popular craft site, Etsy, Melaku sells a comprehensive range of natural and vegan body, bath and health products for your body and spirit.

The post How to Shop Black on Black Friday appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

A new coach, new players and a new attitude wasn’t enough to save the Washington Wizards from another dismal start. Washington (1-3) has limped out the gate of the 2016-2017 season despite a relatively healthy roster and shiny new coach in Scott Brooks. Brooks is still settling in on rotations and lineups while star guard John Wall is still working the rust off from offseason knee surgery. Bradley Beal hasn’t played like the $128-million player he now is and no one else has emerged on the roster to provide consistent scoring. It’s all added up to give Washington the second worst record in the NBA Eastern Conference. The AFRO recaps the week that wasn’t for the Washington Wizards.

Oct. 30: Grizzlies Whip Wizards in  Overtime, 112-103

Still wounded from an opening night loss to Atlanta, Washington began the week on the road against the Memphis Grizzlies on Oct. 30. Washington held a lead for much of the game but lost in overtime 112-103. The Wizards led 100-97 with less than 24 seconds left in the game before Memphis center Marc Gasol made an improbable three-pointer

Washington Wizards center Marcin Gortat (13) is fouled by Memphis Grizzlies forward JaMychal Green (0) as Wizards forward Markieff Morris (5) looks on in the first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Oct. 30, 2016, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Brandon Dill)

to even the game before Washington faltered in overtime. Memphis outscored the Wizards 12-3 in the extra session as Wall, Beal and the rest of the Wizards simply couldn’t muster any extra offense in the period. Wall paced the team with 22 points and 13 assists. Beal and Marcin Gortat scored 13 points, apiece.

Nov. 2: Wizards Fall in Embarrassing Loss to Raptors, 113-103

With a chance to impress fans in their home opener, the Wizards couldn’t find a defense to stop DeMar DeRozan and the Toronto Raptors in a 113-103 home loss on Nov. 2. DeRozan scored 40 points, and the Raptors connected on 10 three-pointers to offset Wall’s 33-point, 11-assist night. Third-year forward Otto Porter had a memorable game as well, recording 23 points and 13 assists. It was an embarrassing night for Washington who committed 21 turnovers and failed to impress after Gortat labeled their home opener a “must-win” game after starting the season 0-2.

Nov. 4: Washington Ekes Out 95-92 Win over Atlanta

Washington returned to the Verizon Center on Nov. 4 with a chance of earning their first win and avenging an opening night loss to the Atlanta Hawks. The Wizards took advantage of their opportunity and managed to hold on despite giving up a comfortable lead in a 95-92 win. Beal played like his contract amount, scoring 28 points while connecting on 13 of 14 free throws. Washington held a 16-point lead but saw Atlanta cut it to just two points with close to five minutes left in the final quarter. Beal scored seven points after that and Washington recovered enough to hold on. Wall added 21 points, six rebounds and 10 assists, continuing his early season stretch of impressive numbers.

Nov. 5: Wizards Defeated in Close Call by Orlando Magic, 88-86

The Wizards traveled to Orlando the following night in the second half of a back-to-back. The Wizards again held a sizable lead going into the final quarter but couldn’t hold on to it in an 88-86 loss. Markieff Morris missed the game-winning three-pointer with seconds left in

Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal (3) drives toward Orlando Magic forward Jeff Green (34) as Orlando Magic forward Aaron Gordon (00) gives chase during the second quarter of a basketball game in Orlando, Fla., on Saturday, Nov. 5, 2016. (AP Photo/Reinhold Matay)

regulation. Washington played without Wall — who won’t play on the second half of back-to-back games as he recovers from surgery — and the Wizards offense scored its lowest point total of the early season. Morris scored a team-high 18 points while Beal added 15 points on just 6-of-17 shooting. Washington recorded just 11 assists as a team without Wall, who’s averaging 10 assists a game.   

Wall has been Washington’s best player so far, averaging 22 points per game to go along with five rebounds and 10 assists per night. A 1-3 start wasn’t in the cards coming into the season but the Wizards will have some work to do if they want to right the ship. Washington returns to action on Nov. 7 when they host James Harden and the Houston Rockets.

The post New-Look Wizards Look Like Old Wizards appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

WHO:             Comptroller Peter Franchot

WHAT:          Comptroller Franchot will present a proclamation to and tour Parts & Labor Restaurant and Butchery on Tuesday. Located in the Remington neighborhood of Baltimore, the restaurant serves locally sourced meat and spirits and has helped to transform a once blighted block into a vibrant area.  Parts & Labor is a full-service butcher shop and restaurant that has been serving beer and providing good times since 2014.

WHEN:          Tuesday, November 1, 2016

                        3:15 p.m.

WHERE:        Park & Labor

                        2600 N Howard St.

Baltimore, MD 21218

CONTACT:   Eli Modlin 410-260-7913 (office), 443-926-3004 (cell)

The post Media Advisory: Comptroller Franchot to Present Proclamation to Baltimore Restaurant and Take Tour appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

Please consider the attached announcement from BGE in upcoming news.  Thank you.

BGE Announces Nine New Annual Scholarships to Mark Company’s 200^th Anniversary

Through a partnership with the nonprofit Central Scholarship, the BGE Scholars Program will help students further their education

 BALTIMORE (Oct. 31, 2016) –  At the start of the year, BGE announced the company would mark its 200^th anniversary as the first gas utility in the country with three legacy gifts to the central Maryland community it serves. Today, the company announced plans for its third and final legacy gift – the BGE Scholars Award, to provide annual scholarships to nine students from BGE’s service area. The merit-based scholarships will provide eligible students with awards of up to $5,000 each year. Central Scholarship, a Baltimore-based nonprofit, will administer the scholarship program on BGE’s behalf.

“BGE wants our legacy gifts to our customers to make a powerful and lasting impact. With our third gift, the BGE Scholars Award, we are excited to help promising students from our region achieve their full educational potential,” said Valencia McClure, BGE’s vice president of Governmental and External Affairs. “We also view this scholarship program as another way for BGE to support the development of our local workforce, by providing customers with the means to successfully compete for opportunities.”

“Affordability of postsecondary education and training is a huge problem. BGE’s extraordinary gift could mean the difference between going or not going and, perhaps more importantly, completing or not completing a degree or certificate,” said Central Scholarship President Jan Moylan Wagner. “We are honored to partner with BGE on the occasion of their 200^th anniversary to offer great students a future with brighter options.”

The company continues to partner with the nonprofit Art with a Heart to complete legacy gift that was announced at the beginning of the year – the design and installation of 100 mosaics in communities throughout central Maryland.  In June, BGE announced the second legacy gift, a collaboration with the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation to develop a ballpark in West Baltimore to be named the Eddie Murray Field at BGE Park in honor of the Baseball Hall of Famer and Baltimore Orioles legend.  The park will be home to James Mosher Baseball, the oldest continuously operating African-American youth baseball league in the country.

To be eligible for a BGE Scholars Award, students must be BGE customers or dependents of BGE customers who have been accepted into an accredited undergraduate or post-secondary program, including vocational programs (BGE employees and relatives are not eligible a BGE Scholars Award).

Applicants may also be currently enrolled in an eligible program.  In addition to academic achievement, BGE and Central Scholarship are looking for applicants to demonstrate service and commitment to community, civic or related organizations.

Interested students should apply online by visiting the BGE website, bge.com. Applications will be available beginning on Jan. 1, 2017 for the 2017-2018 academic year.  Details about the program will be available on bge.com

BGE and its employees are committed to enhancing the quality of life for its customers and their families in communities the company serves throughout central Maryland. One of the focus areas for BGE’s corporate citizenship is its commitment to building strong communities in central Maryland.  In 2015, the company contributed $4.5 million to more than 300 nonprofit organizations that focus on the environment, arts and culture, neighborhood development, education and emergency services. BGE employees also logged more than 22,000 hours volunteering with nonprofit organizations across the service area. To learn more about BGE’s ongoing charitable activities, visit bge.com

About BGE

Founded in 1816 as the nation’s first gas utility, BGE marks its 200^th anniversary this year. BGE is Maryland’s largest natural gas and electric utility. Headquartered in Baltimore, BGE delivers power to more than 1.25 million electric customers and more than 650,000 natural gas customers in central Maryland. The company’s approximately 3,200 employees are committed to the safe and reliable delivery of natural gas and electricity, as well as enhanced energy management, conservation, environmental stewardship and community assistance. BGE is a subsidiary of Exelon Corporation (NYSE: EXC), the nation’s leading competitive energy provider. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter, YouTube  and Flickr.

About Central Scholarship

Central Scholarship, founded in 1924, awards over $1 million annually in scholarships and interest free loans for career training and undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees. Central Scholarship also offers College Cash® education sessions to help students and their families become more informed consumers of higher education and reduce their loan burden. For more information, visit www.central-scholarship.org.

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Community leaders will join in official ribbon-cutting ceremony

WHO:             Comptroller Peter Franchot

WHAT:          Comptroller Franchot will join George Mitchell and members of Neighborhoods United this  afternoon in the Park Heights neighborhood to construct a new playground and later taking part in a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Neighborhoods United, a community association in the lower Park Heights/Pimlico area of northwest Baltimore, partnered with Sinai Hospital and KaBOOM! — a national nonprofit organization dedicated to giving all kids the childhood they deserve — to obtain the land, design and building of the playground for children in the Park Heights and Garrison Avenue community.

WHEN:          Today, October 30, 2016

                        2:30 p.m.

WHERE:        Park Heights Playground

                        4921 Park Heights Ave.

(Corner of Park Heights and Garrison Avenues)

Baltimore, MD 21215

CONTACT:   Barbara Sauers 410-260-7438 (office), 410-212-9414 (cell)

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Public Schedule for Governor Larry Hogan for Sunday, October 30, 2016

ANNAPOLIS, MD – The public schedule for Governor Larry Hogan for Sunday, October 30, 2016 includes the following:

Sunday, October 30, 2016

11:00 AM: Governor Hogan to deliver remarks at United States National Guard 29th Infantry Division deployment ceremony
Fort Belvoir – Pullen Track
14th Street & Middleton Road, Fort Belvoir, VA 22060

NOTE: Media MUST provide photo ID to access Fort Belvoir

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For Planning Purposes October 28, 2016 CONTACT: Bridgett Frey press@vanhollen.org 301-942-3768 WEEKEND: Van Hollen to Speak with Voters Across the State Kensington, MD — This weekend, Chris Van Hollen will speak with voters across the state about his commitment to boost local economies, strengthen schools, expand workforce training, and support our veterans and seniors. . FRIDAY — OCTOBER 28, 2016 6 pm: Speak at MD NAACP State Conference Freedom Fund Dinner Friendship Ballroom at Embassy Suites Hotel 1300 Concourse Drive Linthicum, MD 21090 SATURDAY — OCTOBER 29, 2016 3:30 pm: Speak at East Baltimore County GOTV Event 4515 Bowley’s Lane Baltimore, MD 21206 5 pm: Speak at Festival of Lights Cockeysville Middle School 10401 Greenside Drive Cockeysville, MD 21030 SUNDAY — OCTOBER 30, 2016 8 am: Visit Baltimore Farmer’s Market with Senator Benjamin Cardin Under Jones Falls Expressway E Saratoga Street & Holliday Street Baltimore, MD 21202 5 pm: Speak at Friendship Heights Forum 4433 S Park Ave Chevy Chase, MD 20815

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Public Schedule for First Lady Yumi Hogan for Monday, October 31, 2016

ANNAPOLIS, MD – First Lady Yumi Hogan’s public schedule for Monday, October 31, 2016 includes the following:

Monday, October 31, 2016

10:30 AM: First Lady Yumi Hogan to deliver remarks and accept donation of 40,000 pounds of food at the Maryland Food Bank
2200 Halethorpe Farms Road, Baltimore, MD 21227

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Washington, D.C., needs all the virtual eyes and ears it can get to monitor crime and, as a result, the city government is launching a voucher program for people who can’t afford to make the initial deposit for a security camera system.

The existing Private Security Camera Incentive Program provides rebates for the purchase, installation and registration of security camera systems after they are placed outside of a building owned or leased by a resident, business, nonprofit, or religious institution. 

The city pays up to $200 of the purchase price for every camera installed outside of a residential building, with a maximum rebate of up to $500 per residential address. The reimbursement is the same for cameras installed outside businesses and commercial nonprofit or religious institutions. The maximum rebate for that category is $750 per address.

Reimbursements are typically made within nine weeks, said Christopher Dyer, the program’s administrator.

Now, the city wants people on public assistance to join the program as well and hopes to launch the voucher portion of the program by next year, Dyer said.

“We’re trying to find a vendor who will do the installation and instead of putting the money out, we’ll do it,” Dyer said.

In 2015, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser introduced legislation to create the program as part of her Safer, Stronger D.C. public safety initiative. Since the program started in February, the city has approved more than 1,000 applications for rebates, funding over 2,500 cameras across all eight wards.

“I am thrilled that so many people have taken advantage of the program,” Bowser said in a statement.

The security cameras must be registered with the Metropolitan Police Department, which gives officers the ability to request the footage during criminal investigations. 

City officials know of two cases in which video footage led to arrests for theft, Dyer said. Police also used footage as evidence in three other cases: assault with intent to kill, a homicide and auto theft, Dyer added.

Yet, there’s no evidence to suggest that the cameras have led to reduced crime rates in the city.

“The program is still relatively new,” Dyer said.

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Facility will enable quicker responses to taxpayers’ questions, add up to 25 jobs

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (October 19, 2016) – At today’s Board of Public Works meeting, Comptroller Peter Franchot announced plans to open his agency’s first remote customer call center to assist taxpayers during the 2017 tax season. The new center, which will open in early January adjacent to the existing Salisbury Branch Office at Sea Gull Square, will enhance the agency’s ability to assist taxpayers in a timely manner and add up to 25 jobs to the local economy.

“This new center will substantially increase our capacity to respond more quickly to taxpayers’ calls – especially during the busy tax season — and boost Salisbury’s local economy with some new jobs,” Comptroller Franchot said.

The new center’s staff will assist Marylanders with tax questions and tax payment options. During the busy tax season from January through April, the agency’s current Taxpayer Services unit in Annapolis typically swells from 35 to 75 employees to handle the volume of taxpayer inquiries. Some of the new Salisbury jobs will be permanent and others will be temporary during the tax season.

Salisbury University President Janet Dudley-Eshbach praised Comptroller Franchot for his broad vision and his ability to work with multiple constituencies to benefit Maryland taxpayers.

“We are pleased that the Maryland Comptroller’s Office is creating its first remote customer call center in the state at Sea Gull Square on the campus of Salisbury University,” President Dudley-Eshbach said. “The Lower Eastern Shore will benefit from the 25 professional jobs to be offered at the center. SU students, we hope, also will have opportunities to learn there with internships in communications, public service and other fields.”

Salisbury Mayor Jake Day said the city is proud to welcome an expansion of the Comptroller’s Office.

“Maryland taxpayers from the Eastern Shore are grateful for the services provided from this office without requiring trips over the Bay Bridge,” Mayor Day said. “We thank the talented team in the Comptroller’s Office and Comptroller Franchot for his continued, focused and dedicated service to Maryland, the Eastern Shore and Salisbury.”

Training for the new hires will begin at the Salisbury office and continue in Annapolis later this fall. The call center will not be open to the public, but anyone with a tax question or in need of free tax help can stop by the neighboring Salisbury Branch Office at Unit 182, 1306 S. Salisbury Blvd., weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Anyone interested in one of the positions may go to https://www.jobaps.com/MD/

for more information and to apply.

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WHO:             Comptroller Peter Franchot

WHAT:          Comptroller Franchot will speak at the Monument Street Business Community Roundtable Friday afternoon in Baltimore. Mr. Franchot will provide an update on Maryland’s economy and the state’s fiscal outlook.

In the evening, the Comptroller will lead the procession of dignitaries and local Teachers of the Year and later speak at the 26^th annual Maryland Teacher of the Year Gala. Comptroller Franchot will commend the work of teachers from each school system in the state before presenting each with a Comptroller’s Medallion for making a difference in students’ lives. The Comptroller will be joined by State Superintendent Dr. Karen Salmon and other school and elected officials.

WHEN:          Friday, October 7, 2016

WHERE:        1 p.m.                                                                          6 p.m.

                        Monument Street Business Roundtable                       26th annual Teacher of the Year Gala

                        Northeast Market                                                         Martin’s West

2101 E. Monument St.                                                 6817 Dogwood Road

Baltimore, MD 21206                                                Baltimore, MD 21244

CONTACT:   Barbara Sauers 410-260-7438 (office), 410-212-9414 (cell)

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Highlandtown Elementary and Middle Schools’ staff to be recognized

WHO:             Comptroller Peter Franchot

WHAT:          Comptroller Franchot will present the 2016 Silver Hammer Award for Baltimore City to Highlandtown Elementary and Middle Schools this morning. The schools, located on the same campus, were nominated in recognition of their high-achieving facility maintenance program. Built in 1975, the schools earned the highest score of all City schools rated in the FY 2013 and FY 2014 maintenance reports published this year.

The Silver Hammer Award was established in 2010 in recognition of schools that demonstrate sound fiscal management and commitment to well-maintained buildings. Comptroller Franchot visits schools throughout the state as part of his role as a member of the Board of Public Works, which approves public school construction funding.

WHEN:          Today, October 3, 2016

                        10 a.m.

WHERE:       Highlandtown Elementary and Middle School

3223 East Pratt Street

Baltimore, MD 21224

CONTACT:  Vicki Fisher 410-260-7816 (office), 443-534-6259 (cell)

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Public Schedule for Lt. Governor Boyd Rutherford for Monday, October 3, 2016

ANNAPOLIS, MD – The public schedule for Lt. Governor Boyd Rutherford for Monday, October 3, 2016 includes the following:

Monday, October 3, 2016

12:15 PM: Lt. Governor Rutherford to deliver remarks at the 15th Annual Maryland Hispanic Business Conference
Bethesda North Marriot Hotel & Conference Center
5701 Marinelli Road, North Bethesda, MD 20852

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PARIS (AP) — New designer debuts from powerhouses Lanvin and Saint Laurent — and popstar Rihanna’s first Paris catwalk show for Fenty Puma — marked the start of Spring-Summer 2017 shows in the City of Light.

Rihanna (Instagram Photo)

Here are the highlights of ready-to-wear collections.

SAINT LAURENT DEBUT

A huge crane in the colors of the French flag hoisted a giant neon YSL logo above a construction site in the French capital, literally setting expectations high for this year’s YSL show at Paris Fashion Week.

The decor announced that the grand debut from Saint Laurent’s new designer, Anthony Vaccarello, on Tuesday night aimed to dramatically reconstruct the YSL aesthetic following the departure of Hedi Slimane.

French singer Jane Birkin and her two actress daughters, Charlotte Gainsbourg and Lou Doillon, stared up expectantly alongside myriad iPhone-snapping fashionistas to marvel at the radiant 50-meter (164-foot) crane — a machine being used to rebuild the house’s Left Bank headquarters in Paris.

“The derelict aspect sets a nice metaphor,” said Gainsbourg, speaking from the show’s front row.

A model wears a creation by Yves Saint Laurent during their Spring-Summer 2017 Ready-to-Wear fashion show, in Paris, Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2016. All eyes are on Anthony Vaccarello who launches his debut as designer for storied French house Saint Laurent as creative upheavals continue to impact Paris Fashion Week. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

As the designer’s revealing looks filed by, the metaphor of reconstruction and renewal of the Saint Laurent image was heard loud and clear, but the high expectations set by the decor were dashed.

This “new” image was largely a rehash of the Glamazon, uber-sexy, ultra-mini styles that have come to be synonymous with the 34-year-old Italian-Belgian designer’s own brand and his work at Donatella Versace’s flesh-baring Versus house.

To his credit, Vaccarello’s debut featured a check-list of YSL archive references, with iconic YSL pieces fused alongside the sex aesthetic.

A sultry leather variation on the voluminous sleeves of the Flamenco Dress shimmered with a cool ’80s micro-mini. Yves Saint Laurent’s 1968 transparent looks, which once shocked the fashion establishment, made a comeback and Vaccarello gave a nod to the textured materials of the famed 1976 Ballets Russes collection.

There was also, at times, a marked return to elegance, which had eluded his predecessor Slimane. Those touches turned up in revamped archive YSL tuxedos and lashings of black.

It was certainly not a groundbreaking collection, but many of the styles could prove highly appealing to the younger clients the house has courted in recent years.

RIHANNA CHANNELS DIVERSITY

The most striking thing about Rihanna’s catwalk collection for Fenty Puma was the models.

There has been increasing criticism in recent years that fashion shows in the major capitals have a dearth of models from different ethnic backgrounds.

(Instagram Photo)

So the popstar’s latest outing for the sports brand garnered praise for its use of male and female models from diverse backgrounds.

The catwalk collection itself — Rihanna’s first in Paris — got a more lukewarm reception.

Pearl necklaces, lace headdresses, sheer shawls, fabric fans and glimmering corsets took inspiration from 18th century France. But against the backdrop of the venue, the grand 18th century Hotel Salomon de Rothschild, they came across as somewhat saccharine.

Loose pastel-colored silhouettes that floated seemed at times overly embellished, and there was a cluttered feel to some of the layering and gathered detailing that moved in convergent directions.

Still, there were some nice styles — such a coat or a silken jumpsuit that unraveled at the shoulder that captured the feeling of hurried undress.

“I am really excited about this collection as it’s very fun and light,” Rihanna said.

“Showing in Paris was the perfect backdrop, as I pulled a lot of inspiration from France, Marie Antoinette and the Palace of Versailles specifically,” she added.

FEMALE DESIGNERS ON THE UP

Women’s fashion is very much a male-dominated world.

But things are slowly changing in Paris.

First it was Hermes that appointed a woman, Nadege Vanhee-Cybulski, to be its new creative director. And now it’s Lanvin’s turn.

Bouchra Jarrar unveiled her first collection for the storied house that was originally founded by a woman — Jeanne Lanvin — in the early 20th century.

Hermes’ menswear designer, Veronique Nichanian — one of the few women who designs for men — sat proudly on the Lanvin front row Wednesday.

“It’s ironic that most designers who design for women are men,” Nichanian told The AP.

“It’s wonderful that there are now women at Lanvin and Hermes, but they have come because of their talent, and not because of their sex,” she added.

LANVIN DEBUT

Jarrar treated guests to a rich, sumptuous and accomplished debut at Lanvin’s Spring-Summer show, which was held inside Paris’ gilded, but rather stuffy Hotel de Ville.

A model wears a creation for Lanvin’s Spring-Summer 2017 Ready to Wear fashion collection presented Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2016 in Paris. (AP Photo/Francois Mori)

Overheated fashion insiders fanned themselves with floral Oriental paper fans provided by the house.

As it happened, the elegance and delicacy were translated into the clothes.

They fused Jarrar’s signature intricate couture with silk Lanvin archive gowns that were draped and gathered, evoking the house’s heyday of the 1920s.

Silhouettes were loose and long, featuring complex plays on lines and asymmetry as well as dazzlingly contrasting materials.

Lacquered velvet mixed with silk chiffon and powdered satin pants, lace sequins, gold petal embroideries and diaphanous organza.

Sheer, colored gowns — such as a series in vivid bluebonnet — gave this strong debut a memorable vibrancy.

But the collection wasn’t all softly feminine.

A welcome dark, brooding edge provided by large black feathers embroidered on menswear jackets nicely balanced the diverse, 49-piece display.

DRIES VAN NOTEN GOES ORIENTAL, VICTORIAN

Master of contradictions Dries Van Noten went to the Orient for inspiration for his vivid Spring-Summer collection.

A silken Japanese kimono coat with large lapels in midnight blue, worn by an Asian model, appeared alongside a modernized version of the raised Japanese “Geta” sandal.

A model wears a creation for Belgian fashion designer Dries van Noten’s Spring-Summer 2017 ready-to-wear fashion collection presented Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2016 in Paris. (AP Photo/Zacharie Scheurer)

Vivid floral prints — with standout acid yellow — also peppered the color-rich show and reminded the audience of the Belgian designer’s unrelenting passion for blooms, which he tenderly cultivates in his garden at home.

But to pin the ever-creative 58-year-old down would be an impossible exercise as Wednesday’s diverse show proved.

He mixed up his Oriental musings — of course — with flashes of the vestimentary styles of Victorian England.

Voluminous 19th century leg of mutton sleeves were fused with matronly high neck details in Victorian lace, as well as beading and needlework from that period.

Successfully combining the two diverse references is a feat that few designers could pull off.

But here, it worked.

___

Thomas Adamson can be followed at Twitter.com/ThomasAdamsonAP

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NEW YORK (AP) — Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s next book will be a fond look back at his long friendship with John Wooden, the celebrated basketball coach at UCLA.

In this July 13, 2016, file photo, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar presents a tribute to Muhammad Ali at the ESPY Awards at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. Abdul-Jabbar’s next book will be a fond look back at his long friendship with John Wooden, the celebrated basketball coach at UCLA. “Coach Wooden and Me” will be published next June and will combine personal memories and lessons learned from his friend and mentor, Grand Central Publishing told The Associated Press on Wednesday, Sept. 28. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP, File)

“Coach Wooden and Me” will be published next June and will combine personal memories and lessons learned from his friend and mentor, Grand Central Publishing told The Associated Press on Wednesday. Wooden, who died in 2010, coached 10 NCAA championship teams at UCLA. Three titles were won while Abdul-Jabbar, then called Lew Alcindor, was the Bruins’ star center.

Abdul-Jabbar, who went on to become the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, remained close to Wooden. In a statement released through Grand Central, he called Wooden a great coach and “an even better teacher and friend.” Abdul-Jabbar’s other books include the memoir “Giant Steps” and the novel “Mycroft Holmes.”

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CONTACT: Ellen Kobler
410-887-3835 (o), 410-365-2834 (c)
ekobler@baltimorecountymd.gov

County to Make Major Improvements at Intersection of Towsontown Boulevard and Osler Drive – Upgrades to ease congestion near hospitals and Towson University

Towson, MD – Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz announced that the County is moving forward with improvements to the intersection of Towsontown Boulevard and Osler Drive just north of Towson University. Following discussions with the university and three nearby medical institutions, the County has initiated a project to improve traffic flow and enhance pedestrian and driving safety with an upgraded signal, additional sidewalks and a 16-foot road widening, which will permit a double left-turn lane on to Osler Drive.

“We appreciate the collaboration of these thriving Towson institutions as we all work together to bring a new vibrancy to downtown Towson,” said Kamenetz. “This roadway improvement helps provide for the significant growth that continues in downtown Towson.”

The first phase of construction was completed today, including widening Towsontown Boulevard and installing sidewalks west of Osler Drive. In early 2017, the Department of Public Works will install a new sanitary sewer line in Towsontown Boulevard in the vicinity of Osler Drive. This construction is expected to take approximately three months to complete.

At the end of the school year, the next phase of the roadway widening project will start in May and run through August, with the installation of retaining walls on the north side of Towsontown Boulevard east and west of Osler Drive, followed by the 16-foot roadway widening.

The roadway improvements are a partnership between Baltimore County and Towson University, along with its neighboring medical institutions – Greater Baltimore Medical Center, Sheppard Pratt Health System and University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center. The County will contribute $1.7 million, which is 75% of the $2.3 million estimated cost, with the remaining cost to be shared between the university and the three hospitals.

# # #

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Kevin Kamenetz

Office of Communications
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Historic Courthouse Building
Towson, Maryland 21204

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Latest on protests in Charlotte, North Carolina, over the fatal police shooting of a black man (all times local):

8:40 p.m.

Hundreds of protesters are marching through the heart of Charlotte’s business district.

Protesters shout as they march downtown on the third night of protests in Charlotte, N.C. Thursday, Sept. 22, 2016, following Tuesday’s fatal police shooting of Keith Lamont Scott in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

The protesters stopped for about 15 minutes to chant and block an intersection near Bank of America’s headquarters. They then moved on as police and members of the National Guard monitored them.

The demonstration that began about 7:30 p.m. at a park has so far been peaceful.

The crowd includes curious onlookers who emerged from hotels and office buildings to take pictures.

The business district, known locally as uptown, has been on edge Thursday after two nights of chaotic protests that included vandalism and injuries.

The protests stem from the fatal shooting this week of a black many police.

___

8:20 p.m.

A North Carolina congressman says that people are protesting in Charlotte because they “hate White people.”

U.S. Rep. Robert Pittenger, a Republican whose district includes parts of Charlotte, was asked by an interviewer for Britain’s BBC TV what grievance the protesters have.

In this Monday Jan. 18, 2016 file photo, U.S. Rep. Robert Pittenger, speaks to the media at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Landstuhl, Germany. Pittenger, a Republican congressman who represents the Charlotte area said Thursday that people are protesting in the city because they “hate white people.” (AP Photo/Michael Probst, File)

In the video posted online Thursday, Pittenger responded: “The grievance in their mind is — the animus, the anger — they hate White people because White people are successful and they’re not.”

He later released a statement apologizing and saying that his anguish over the situation led him to give a response he regretted.

Chaotic protests broke out Tuesday and Wednesday in Charlotte after a Black man was shot to death by a police officer.

The North Carolina Democratic Party released a statement saying Pittenger’s remarks were inexcusable and racist.

___

8 p.m.

Charlotte police say the man shot in the head during Wednesday night’s protests near a downtown hotel has died.

Police spokesman Keith Trietley says in a news release that 26-year-old Justin Carr died Thursday at the hospital.

Demonstrators moves near a police line as they protest Tuesday’s fatal police shooting of Keith Lamont Scott in Charlotte, N.C. Thursday, Sept. 22, 2016. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

Carr was shot as protesters clashed with police in riot gear lined arm-in-arm protecting the Omni Hotel about 8:30 p.m. Wednesday. City officials say Carr was not shot by an officer.

Police Chief Kerr Putney says the detectives are determined to find who fired the fatal shots. No arrests have been made.

___

7:50 p.m.

The lawyer for relatives of a Black man killed by Charlotte police says he couldn’t tell after watching police video if the man had anything in his hands when he was shot.

Keith Scott’s family was shown the dashboard and body camera footage by police Thursday.

Attorney Eduardo Curry, left, representing the family of Keith Lamont Scott, speaks with family members prior to a news conference following Tuesday’s police shooting of Scott in Charlotte, N.C., Thursday, Sept. 22, 2016. The family declined to address the media. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

After viewing it, attorney Justin Bamberg said in a statement they want the video released to the public immediately. Charlotte Police Chief Kerr Putney has said he won’t release the video while a criminal investigation continues.

Bamberg says Scott is seen in the video calmly exiting his vehicle Tuesday and while police give him several commands, he does not approach officers. Bamberg says Scott’s hands were by his side and he was slowly walking backward when he was shot

___

7:35 p.m.

About 100 protesters have gathered at a park in uptown Charlotte, launching a third night of demonstrations over the fatal shooting of a black man by a Black police officer.

Demonstrators stand on the street in downtown protesting Tuesday’s fatal police shooting of Keith Lamont Scott in Charlotte, N.C. on Thursday, Sept. 22, 2016. Charlotte police refused under mounting pressure Thursday to release video that could resolve wildly different accounts of the shooting of a black man, as the National Guard arrived to try to head off a third night of violence in this city on edge. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

With dwindling daylight, the protesters formed a circle and chanted several slogans, including “We believe that we will win.” Some of them wrapped bandanas around their faces to protect themselves from tear gas.

About 50 feet away, about a dozen Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officers sat on bicycles observing the protesters.

National Guardsman stand on the street in downtown Charlotte, N.C. on Thursday, Sept. 22, 2016. Charlotte police refused under mounting pressure Thursday to release video that could resolve wildly different accounts of the shooting of a black man, as the National Guard arrived to try to head off a third night of violence in this city on edge. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

Camouflage Humvees carrying National Guard members are patrolling downtown interspersed with civilian vehicles. Guard members with fatigues and rifles walked through a plaza near the headquarters of Bank of America.

___

6:45 p.m.

The attorney for relatives of a black man shot to death by Charlotte police says the family has seen police videos of his killing.

Lawyer Justin Bamberg tells television crews he would not detail what they saw. Bamberg says: “There are some things to digest.”

Members of Keith Scott’s family didn’t talk to reporters as they quickly left Charlotte’s police headquarters Thursday afternoon.

Charlotte Police Chief Kerr Putney said earlier Thursday he won’t release the body and dashboard camera video while the criminal investigation into Tuesday’s shooting continues.

___

`

An attorney for relatives of a Black man shot and killed by an officer in Charlotte says the victim’s wife “saw him get shot and killed.”

Attorney Justin Bamberg spoke Thursday on behalf of the family of 43-year-old Keith Lamont Scott during a news conference. He says the family was not present because they were still grieving.

Bamberg said: “My understanding is that his wife saw him get shot and killed. That’s something she will never, ever forget.”

He did not give other details about what the wife saw.

Bamberg says the family will view police video of the shooting later Thursday.

It is not clear when, or if, dash and body camera video of the shooting might be publicly released.

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The Mothership is the space vehicle of George Clinton aka Mr. Funkenstein and his wingmen of Supergroovalisticprosifunkstication. As part of the Parliament-Funkadelic theory, it existed as a fictional vehicle of funk arrival to engage fans who were down with the P-Funk movement. After the success of his hit “Chocolate City,” Clinton said, the Mothership was later developed into a physical prop and a driving force behind his extravagant concerts. The Mothership appeared all across the world at Clinton’s performances in the seventies

The Mothership of Parliament Funkadelic is now in the National Museum of African-American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Rob Roberts)

But whatever happened to the Mothership?

Mr. P-Funk himself shared his feelings about the Mothership’s induction into the new National Museum of African-American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. Clinton cleared the air on whether the Mothership at the Smithsonian is the original one or a duplicate, during a concert stop in Washington, D.C. He also vowed to fight for the funk in the halls of Congress and elsewhere, as he emphasized the importance of the Mothership to African-American history and culture.

The following is a lightly edited transcript of the interview with Clinton.

Burton: The Mothership, I have to ask… How did you guys come up with that concept? What was going on at that time?

Clinton: Wow… Back in that time, it was the beginning of looking at this time, or, looking at the future, with things like “Star Trek,” “Star Wars,” and all of that. We were thinking of the future, and we did a record for Chocolate City, first, which was about Blacks being places you wouldn’t imagine them being at – like the White House and such.

So, once that worked, we were like, “Damm… that worked? What about outer space?” You don’t see no niggas in outer space. There was a girl named Uhura in “Star Trek.” And most people, you know, couldn’t picture us out there, hanging out. So not only was we hanging out, we was kickin’ back on the spaceship and whatever the current car was, that’s what we was lookin’ at. And what we called P Funk, uncut funk, the bomb… we became, “Man, that’s dope.” That’s what we was tryin’ to portray. With all the futuristic thoughts in your mind, you need a spaceship to reavel back and forth. And I’m still doing it.

Burton: So how do you feel about The Mothership being part of the new Smithsonian opening up in DC?

Clinton: I’m blessed. I feel so blessed. Because that music is a lot of people… a lot of good times. You know, you notice I’ve been in congress and in court fighting for the copyrights and all of that because it’s been respected so much. But being in the Smithsonian, it made me feel I have to fight for this. You know? It’s not something we just did, you know. We just did and worked hard – a lot of people worked hard on it. And it was a historical thing… we were trying to do a funk opera, and we did it. You know? And so we’re gonna keep fighting for it and the mothership being in the Smithsonian gave us good credibility that we can stand behind that.

Burton: Do you think that the Mothership in the museum is the actual one?

Clinton: No, that was the- that was the second one we had. The first one did- did tear apart. It was… still in hub caps, you know? So- so there’s still pieces… You know there’s still stories around D.C. of who got which part. Like someone got the hydraulic, and, you know, other parts are living in somebody else’s garage. But, you know, we had the same group rate – the same number of people, the same people doing the same thing again.

Burton: What do you want to be remembered as?

Clinton: He didn’t give a funk. You know, other than getting these copyright issues on the right side of what they’re supposed to be on the right side of history, where they’re supposed to be – that’s really trying to change history, who did what, you know, and we can’t let this happen again. It happened with rock and roll, you know, Chuck Berry and… Little Richard and a lot of them, people don’t realize that was the beginning of that rock and roll. If it wasn’t for Jimmy Hendrix, we wouldn’t have had no claiming of it at all. We’ll never let that happen with funk. We gon’ fight for it, and keep it- history correct. And make it be accountable. And then the Smithsonian was a great place for it to stand for it, and now we just have to get the paperwork to reflect that. Cause’ people are busy trying to change, you know, the copyrights and stuff.

The post George Clinton on the Mothership, the Smithsonian — and Funk appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Zimbabwe’s economy is falling apart, and police are cracking down on growing anti-government protests. But the country’s comedy scene is booming. No subject seems taboo.

Even 92-year-old President Robert Mugabe, widely accused of muzzling free speech, is a target.

Zimbabwean actors are seen during a comedy scene from a show called State of The Nation, Thursday, Sept,15, 2016. Zimbabwe’s comedy scene is booming as the country’s economy is tanking, and police are cracking down on growing anti government protests. At the recent State of the Nation show, even 92 year President Robert Mugabe widely accused of muzzling free speech was targeted, Insulting the president attracts a year jail term in this Southern African nation. Nonetheless, the comedians carry on. (AP Photo/Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi)

Insulting the president can bring a one-year jail term in this southern African country. Nonetheless, the comedians carry on, becoming bolder as fears of speaking out begin to erode.

In one skit at a show on Thursday called “State of the Nation,” an actor playing the first lady, 51-year-old Grace Mugabe, lays her stake to the presidency on hearing the news of the “death” of her husband, the world’s oldest head of state.

“I deserve it. Were any of you cleaning his nappy and wiping the spit off his chin?” she says. She also talks up her own chances of winning elections.

“We have always won, even when I was pushing the old man in a wheelbarrow,” she says, a reference to the real first lady’s comment at a political rally last year: “I will push President Mugabe in the wheelbarrow to bring him to work.”

Near the end, a fake Mugabe emerges, struggling to walk while scoffing at rumors of his demise. Some in the audience laugh. Others gasp. The real president has joked at the persistent rumors, telling reporters earlier this month: “It is true that I was dead. And I resurrected. As I always do.”

The comedy show played to a packed audience in the capital, Harare. “State of the Nation” will be a twice-monthly show streaming live on internet, said organizer Davis Guzha, director of Rooftop Promotions.

“Comedy allows us to laugh but also to think about our problems at the same time,” said Sam Monro, or Comrade Fatso, a stand-up comedian who runs Zambezi News, a satirical social media show on current affairs.

In everyday life, the state of this once-prosperous country’s economy and politics is hardly a laughing matter. Government has failed to pay its close to 300,000 workers, including the military, on time since June.

Industries are closing down, worsening unemployment where more than two-thirds of the population of 13 million survive on informal work, according to the African Development Bank. People line up for hours at banks to access their money as currency woes deepen.

The speculation over the health of Mugabe, this country’s only leader since independence from white minority rule in 1980, has only heightened the uncertainty.

Near daily anti-government protests are often met with brute force by police. Some from Zimbabwe have vowed to protest this week outside the United Nations as Mugabe addresses an annual gathering of world leaders.

Yet amid their troubles, Zimbabweans are still laughing at life and at themselves.

While comedy shows attract an upper-class crowd, ordinary people flood social media with jokes, images and video selfies poking fun at the growing problems.

“It has allowed Zimbabweans to deal with a lot of taboo issues,” Comrade Fatso told The Associated Press at his offices at Moto Republic, a structure of former shipping containers that houses dozens of artists.

But the politically charged material comes with risk.

A local actor, Silvanos Mudzvova, was arrested in April for trying to stage a play scripted on Mugabe’s statement that at least $15 billion had been looted from a diamond-rich region by joint-venture companies mining there. He was released but then was abducted again last week.

On Thursday, Mudzvova spoke to the AP from a hospital bed in Harare where burns and bruises on his legs and back were visible.

“Six men took me from my home on Tuesday night. They threatened to shoot my family before taking me away,” he said. The actor, who is also an activist, said he was given electric shocks by men who demanded information on his activities.

Others have been brought to court on insult charges for making and circulating jokes about the president.

Still, comedy shows have become a staple in the capital. The Shoko Festival for comedy and music is set for later this month.

“We are using comedy as a tool not just to inform but as information for action, using comedy to encourage young people to be active and to be part of movements that are changing our country for the better,” Comrade Fatso said.

One of the growing number of young stand-up comedians is Nqobizitha Dube, or Q the Boss, who last month took aim at Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko’s 19-month stay in a $400-a-night hotel suite amid Zimbabwe’s widespread poverty.

Opening his act in one of the hotel’s auditoriums, the comedian elicited gales of laughter when he said: “Everybody please clap your hands . We want to thank the VP for allowing us to use his living room for the night.”

The post In Zimbabwe, Comedy Thrives as Country Slowly Falls Apart appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

Three African American women quit their jobs to start a business about something they were more passionate about, an all-natural skin and hair care company. In 2012, Baltimore’s own Tehma Smith Wilson, Michelle Davenport Johnson and Ronae Brock created Earth’s Enrichments, a line that uses wholesome ingredients to make both lavish and affordable.

“We didn’t feel comfortable producing a product that could harm someone further down the road, so we definitely knew we wanted to have the best ingredients that were also pure,” said Johnson in an interview with the AFRO. “We wanted to do things with a clear conscious and wanted to ensure a quality product.”

Co-owners Ronae Brock, Tehma Smith Wilson and Michellle Davenport Johnson created Earth’s Enrichments, an all natural USDA Organic Certified skin and hair care line in Baltimore.

After struggling to find products that suited the various needs of their diverse family members, the trio decided to create their own line that could benefit all ages, backgrounds, and ages. The best way to do this was to choose all natural and USDA Organic Certified ingredients. “Our whole entire process speaks to the integrity of our products, our company, and us as individuals,” said Wilson. What makes Earth’s Enrichments unique is that their company uses fresh and safe ingredients, rather than cutting corners by using cheaper chemicals and preservatives like their competitors. Their products are free of sulfates, artificial coloring, parabens, phthalates, petroleum and GMOs. They are also cruelty free and almost all of their products are both vegan and gluten free.

“Having customers come back saying that they really love your product, that’s another sign that we’re doing the right thing. We’re providing the right products for our customers who love and appreciate it and need it,” said Brock.

The three friends started off solely doing skin care, creating one of the few USDA certified soap bars. However as natural hairstyles increased in popularity, so did their demand for quality hair care. “Currently our most popular products are our hair care products,” said Wilson. “We started working on our haircare line due to the demands of our customers. They were loving our all natural skin care and kept asking for haircare.”

As women of color and business owners, they each have seen the value of Black owned business and how it can help the community. “It’s important for us as African Americans to initially realize the buying power that we have in general. And then it’s important to be responsible to use that buying power within our own community to support our community, to uplift our community and to give back to our community. If you support Black businesses then in return Black business have the responsibility and will be able to support the Black community as a whole,” said Wilson.

“It’s important to invest and promote within the African American community because we certainly do that beyond the community,” said Brock. “Although we want support from everywhere and our products are designed for all skin types, body types, genders, and racial context.”

Earth’s Enrichments can be purchased at Whole Foods, Dawson’s Market, David’s Market and online at their website www.earthsenrichments.com. From September 14-21, readers can receive 25% off any order using the promo code AFRO.

The company strives to combine their morals, personas, and love for skin care to create something positive that gives back to the community. “We try to be role models, not just for our children and the people in our family, but for women in the community,” said Wilson.

The post Three Local Women Create ‘Earth’s Enrichments’—Skin Products with Integrity appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Making clear that she thought the sentence was a light one, a Louisiana judge Thursday formally imposed a 20-year prison sentence on former NFL star Darren Sharper, who last week was sentenced by a federal judge to 18 years and four months in a drug and rape case with victims in four states.

FILE – In this Feb. 20, 2014, file photo, Darren Sharper looks toward his attorney, Blair Berk, during an appearance in Los Angeles Superior Court in Los Angeles. Former NFL star Darren Sharper has been sentenced to 18 years in prison in a case where he was accused of drugging and raping as many as 16 women in four states. Judge Jane Triche Milazzo sentenced Sharper on Thursday, Aug. 18, 2016, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Mario Anzuoni, Pool, File)

Defense attorney Billy Gibbens said that the two sentences are essentially the same, when credit for time served and other factors are considered. The sentence follows Sharper’s guilty pleas in state and federal courts in New Orleans, and pleas of guilty or no contest to similar charges in Arizona, California and Nevada — all the result of a multi-jurisdiction plea deal that once called for a sentence of about nine years.

Early this year, U.S. District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo rejected that sentence as too light. She imposed the 18-year, four-month sentence last week.

In state court on Thursday, Judge Karen Herman made clear she thought two decades was a relatively light punishment for the fallen NFL star, calling his behavior “such an epic disappointment.”

Thursday’s second sentencing hearing was again punctuated by tearful testimony from victims. One who said she was determined from the time she realized she had been raped in 2013 to see him prosecuted and see him branded as “a serial rapist and a sex offender.” She added that, for months, she woke up screaming in the middle of the night because of the ordeal.

Another said she forgave Sharper, despite suffering through depression and fears that have caused her to miss work and withdraw emotionally from people who care about her. “I’m afraid no one understands,” she said.

Herman pointedly told Sharper that had he been tried by a jury and convicted on his original charges, including aggravated rape, the sentence would have been much harsher. She accepted the 20-year sentence only after consulting with attorneys and victims. She said the deal would help bring closure to the victims.

Sharper again apologized to his victims and their families and continued to ask for forgiveness, at one point telling the judge, “I am not a monster.”

Sentenced to nine years already in Arizona, Sharper still faces formal sentencing in California and Nevada. He is expected to serve his sentence in federal custody.

Sharper had two co-defendants in the Louisiana cases. Former restaurant worker Erik Nunez and former St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Deputy Branden Licciardi are set for sentencing in October on related charges.

Sharper was named All-Pro six times and chosen for the Pro Bowl five times during a career that included stints with the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings. He played in two Super Bowls, one with the Packers as a rookie and one with New Orleans Saints when they won in 2010.

He ended a 14-year career in 2011. He was working as an NFL network analyst when women began telling police in several cities similar stories of blacking out while drinking with him and waking up groggy to find they had been sexually abused.

The post Ex-NFL-Star Sharper Gets Another 20 Years in Louisiana Rape Case appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

A Noodles & Company restaurant in Alexandria, Va. has fired two employees who reportedly refused to serve a police officer in uniform.

On July 25, one of the restaurant’s cooks reportedly refused to prepare food for the officer after seeing her standing in line in her uniform, and joked about the act with another employee.

Alexandria police spokeswoman Crystal Nosal told The Washington Post that the cook laughed with another employee about the cop in line. Nosal said that the cook said, “You better pull me off the line, because I’m not cooking for…,” and then gestured towards the officer. According to Nosal, the unnamed officer then said “I guess you don’t want my money,” and then stormed out of the restaurant.

The next day, Alexandria Police Chief Earl Cook visited the restaurant on the officer’s behalf to talk to the manager. According to a statement from the restaurant chain, this resulted in both an apology from the manger and the firing of the two workers.

Alexandria police union member Pete Feltham told Washington, D.C. Fox affiliate WTTG that the restaurant also agreed to place a sign in its window stating “Blue Lives Matter.”

“I’m extremely disappointed; you don’t want your officers treated in this manner,” Cook told the Post. “We have a very supportive business community—that’s the last thing I would have expected to happen.”

The company also released a statement apologizing to the police.

“We have concluded the two team members in question acted inappropriately and we immediately terminated their employment,” the statement said. “We have the utmost respect for law enforcement officials and value the relationship we have built with the local Alexandria Police Department over the years.”

Alexandria Mayor Allison Silberberg agreed with the actions that Noodles & Company took against their employees. In a statement, she said she “appreciate Noodles & Company’s swift and thorough response to, and full-throated apology for, this unfortunate situation.”

“Noodles & Company expects the highest ethical and personal behavior from its team members,” the restaurant chain said. “We value each of our guests and are committed to treating every one with dignity and respect. We do not tolerate any form of discrimination.”

The post Va. Noodles & Company Fires Employees Who Refused to Serve Police Officers appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

NEW YORK (AP) — Bill O’Reilly says the slaves who helped build the White House “were well-fed and had decent lodgings provided by the government.”

In this Oct. 1, 2015 file photo, Bill O’Reilly of the Fox News Channel program “The O’Reilly Factor,” poses for photos in New York. O’Reilly responded on his show Tuesday, July 26, 2016, to first lady Michelle Obama’s remarks during her speech at the Democratic National Convention Monday that she wakes up “every morning in a house that was built by slaves.” O’Reilly said the slaves who helped build the White House “were well-fed and had decent lodgings provided by the government.” (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)

The Fox News commentator was responding to first lady Michelle Obama’s remarks in her speech at the Democratic National Convention on Monday, when she praised social progress in the United States.

“I wake up every morning in a house that was built by slaves,” Mrs. Obama said. “And I watch my daughters, two beautiful, intelligent, Black young women playing with their dogs on the White House lawn.”

O’Reilly said on his show Tuesday that “Michelle Obama is essentially correct in citing slaves as builders of the White House, but there were others working as well.”

O’Reilly’s comments have drawn criticism on social media.

The post Bill O’Reilly: Slaves that Built White House were ‘Well-Fed’ appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

DALLAS (AP) — The Latest on the shooting of police officers in Dallas (all times local):

8:55

Police Chief David Brown says a suspect in the overnight attack that killed five police officers, wounded seven others and wounded two civilians said he was upset over the recent police shootings of black men and wanted to kill white people.

Dallas police chief David Brown, front, and Dallas mayor Mike Rawlings, rear, talk with the media during a news conference, Friday, July 8, 2016, in Dallas. Snipers opened fire on police officers in the heart of Dallas Thursday night, during protests over two recent fatal police shootings of black men. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Brown said at a news conference Friday that the suspect made the comments before he was killed by an explosive used by police.

He says his department and their families are grieving and that the divisiveness between police and the public must stop.

Authorities say snipers opened fire on police officers during a peaceful protest in downtown Dallas Thursday night over the recent fatal shootings of black men in Louisiana and Minnesota.

Authorities say three other suspects were arrested.

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7:25 a.m.

A man wrongly identified by Dallas police as a suspect in a sniper attack on police says he turned himself in and was quickly released.

The Dallas Police Department put out a photo on its Twitter account late Thursday of a man wearing a camouflage shirt and holding a rifle with the message: “This is one of our suspects. Please help us find him!” The tweet remained on the account early Friday morning.

The man in the photo, Mark Hughes, tells Dallas TV station KTVT that he “flagged down a police officer” immediately after finding out he was a suspect. He says police lied during a 30-minute interrogation, telling him they had video of him shooting.

Videos posted online show Hughes walking around peacefully during the shooting and later turning over his gun to a police officer.

Emergency responders administer CPR to an unknown patient on a stretcher as law enforcement officials stand nearby at the emergency receiving area of Baylor University Medical Center, early Friday, July 8, 2016, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

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7:15 a.m.

Dallas Area Rapid Transit officials say three DART police officers wounded by snipers during a protest are expected to recover.

Thursday night’s shootings left four Dallas police officers and one DART officer dead, plus seven other officers wounded. The demonstration was to protest two fatal police shootings of black men in Louisiana and Minnesota earlier this week.

A DART statement Friday identified the agency’s three wounded personnel as 44-year-old Officer Omar Cannon, 32-year-old Officer Misty McBride and 39-year-old Officer Jesus Retana. DART spokesman Morgan Lyons did not release details of the injuries, but said all three should recover.

Officer Brent Thompson was the first DART officer killed in the line of duty since the transit agency formed a police department in 1989. Thompson was 43 and had worked as a DART officer since 2009.

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Online:

http://www.dart.org/

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A Dallas police officer covers his face as he stands with others outside the emergency room at Baylor University Medical Center, Friday, July 8, 2016, in Dallas. Snipers opened fire on police officers in the heart of Dallas on Thursday night, killing some of the officers. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

7:05 a.m.

Mayor Mike Rawlings says a total of 12 police officers and two civilians were shot during a protest march in downtown Dallas.

Rawlings said Friday that he does not believe that any of the wounded victims have life-threatening injuries.

He says five officers were killed and seven more were injured when snipers opened fire during protests over two recent fatal police shootings of black men.

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Dallas police move to detain a driver after several police officers were shot in downtown Dallas, Thursday, July 7, 2016. At least two snipers opened fire on police officers during protests in Dallas on Thursday night; some of the officers were killed, police said. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

6:40 a.m.

Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings says the suspect involved in an overnight standoff with police died after officers used explosives to “blast him out.”

Rawlings said Friday that he was not sure how the suspect died or what weapons were found on him.

He says police have swept the area where the standoff took place and found no explosives.

Snipers opened fire on police officers in the heart of Dallas Thursday evening, killing five officers and injuring six others during protests over two recent fatal police shootings of black men.

Areas of downtown Dallas remain closed Friday, July 8, 2016, as police and officials investigate Thursday nights police shootings. Snipers opened fire on police officers in the heart of Dallas during protests over two recent fatal police shootings of black men. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

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6 a.m.

People gathered in small groups on Dallas’ tense, police-filled streets before dawn early Friday struggled to fathom the still-unsettled situation.

Resident Jalisa Jackson says: “I think the biggest thing that we’ve had something like this is when JFK died,” evoking the November 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy on the city’s streets. She calls it “surreal.”

A mother tries to calm her daughter as Dallas police respond to shots being fired during a protest over recent fatal shootings by police in Louisiana and Minnesota,Thursday, July 7, 2016, in Dallas. Snipers opened fire on police officers during protests; several officers were killed, police said. (Maria R. Olivas/The Dallas Morning News via AP)

Police said at least four suspects were involved in the killings of five police officers just hours before. The suspects were not immediately identified.

Downtown, officers crouched beside vehicles, SWAT team armored vehicles arrived and a helicopter hovered overhead.

Eleven Dallas officers were shot Thursday night during a peaceful protest over this week’s fatal police shootings of black men in Louisiana and Minnesota in what the city’s police chief characterized as a sniper attack.

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5:45 a.m.

Dallas police say no explosives have been found in extensive sweeps of downtown areas following the fatal shooting of five police officers and the wounding of six others by snipers.

Security was tight Friday morning with numerous streets closed to vehicle traffic in the main downtown Dallas business district hours after Thursday night’s attacks.

The gunfire happened during protests over this week’s fatal police shootings in Louisiana and Minnesota of two black men. Police have detained at least three people in the investigation of the Dallas shootings.

Police said a fourth suspect was engaged in a standoff with authorities and had made threats about bombs.

Maj. Max Geron (GAYR’-uhn) tweeted before dawn Friday that primary and secondary sweeps for explosives were complete and no explosives were found.

The gunfire claimed the lives of four Dallas police officers and one Dallas Area Rapid Transit officer. DART serves Dallas and a dozen other North Texas cities. The transit agency operates buses and the state’s largest municipal rail system.

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5:20 a.m.

A memorial group says the slaying of five police officers in Dallas in an attack blamed on snipers was the deadliest day in U.S. law enforcement history since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Four Dallas police officers and one Dallas Area Rapid Transit officer were fatally shot Thursday night. The gunfire happened during protests over this week’s fatal police shootings of two black men, in Louisiana and Minnesota.

Six other officers were wounded in the Dallas attacks.

The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, which monitors the deaths of officers, reports 72 officers were killed as a result of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the U.S. The group labels that attack as the deadliest day in U.S. law enforcement history.

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Online:

http://www.nleomf.org/facts/enforcement/deadliest.html

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4:30 a.m.

President Barack Obama pauses as he makes a statement on the fatal police shootings of two black men in Louisiana and Minnesota after arriving in Warsaw, Poland, Friday, July 8, 2016. Obama traveled to Poland to attend the NATO summit and then will travel on to Spain. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

President Barack Obama says America is “horrified” over the shootings of police officers in Dallas and there’s no possible justification for the attacks.

Obama is speaking from Warsaw, Poland, where he’s meeting with leaders of the European Union and attending a NATO summit.

Obama says justice will be done and he’s asking all Americans to pray for the fallen officers and their families. He also says the nation should express its gratitude to those serving in law enforcement.

Snipers opened fire on police officers in the heart of Dallas Thursday evening, killing five officers and injuring six others during protests over two recent fatal police shootings of black men.

Obama said earlier there was no contradiction between supporting law enforcement and making certain biases in the justice system are rooted out.

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2:30 a.m.

Dallas Area Rapid Transit has identified its officer who was fatally shot when snipers opened fire during a downtown Dallas protest.

DART said early Friday morning that 43-year-old officer Brent Thompson was killed in the Thursday night shootings. He’d joined the DART Police Department in 2009.

DART says he’s the first officer killed in the line of duty since the agency formed a police department in 1989. The statement says “our hearts are broken.”

DART says the other three DART police officers shot during the protest are expected to recover from their injuries.

Also killed during the shootings were four Dallas police officers.

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2:10 a.m.

Police say a fifth officer has died after snipers opened fire on police at a rally in Dallas. Six other officers were injured.

The gunfire broke out Thursday night while hundreds of people were gathered to protest fatal police shootings this week in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and suburban St. Paul, Minnesota.

Dallas Police Chief David Brown said Three people are in custody and a fourth suspect was exchanging gunfire with authorities in a parking garage downtown early Friday.

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2 a.m.

A family member says a protester who was shot when snipers opened fire on police at a rally in Dallas was shielding her sons when she was injured.

A sister of 37-year-old Shetamia Taylor says Taylor was at the protests Thursday night with her four sons, ages 12 to 17. Theresa Williams says that when the shooting began, Taylor threw herself over her sons. She was undergoing surgery early Friday after being shot in the right calf.

Police say four police officers were killed and seven injured in the shootings. The shootings happened at a protest over recent fatal police shootings of black men.

Williams says two of Taylor’s sons became separated from their mother in the chaotic aftermath. She says they’re now stuck behind a police barricade at a hotel near a parking garage where police exchanged gunfire with a suspect.

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1:40 a.m.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott says he’s cutting short an out-of-state trip to go to Dallas after four police officers were killed and seven others injured when snipers opened fire during protests.

Abbott said in a release early Friday morning that he would be heading directly to Dallas. The shootings happened Thursday night in downtown Dallas.

Abbott also says he’s spoken with Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings to express his condolences and offer any assistance the city needs.

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas said in a statement that “our thoughts and prayers go out to these officers and their families, and to those who have been injured.” He said his office is in close contact with local authorities and will be offering to provide whatever support they can to help victims and bring the “perpetrators to justice.”

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1:15 a.m.

Dallas police say a person of interest whose picture had been circulated has turned himself in.

Police earlier had circulated a picture of a man in a camouflage T-shirt who carrying a long gun.

Police had no update on whether that person was indeed a suspect. However, Police Chief David Brown said authorities had three people in custody. One is a woman and two are people who were in a car stopped on a road.

A man who identified himself as the brother of the man whose photo was circulated says his brother was not one of the shooters. He told television station KTVT that once the shootings had started, his brother had turned the gun over to a police officer.

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12:50 a.m.

Dallas Police Chief David Brown says three people are in custody after snipers opened fire on police officers during protests and says a fourth person is exchanging gunfire with officers.

Brown said at an early Friday morning news conference that authorities are negotiating with a suspect in a downtown parking garage who has been exchanging gunfire with officials.

The chief says the suspect is not cooperating and has told negotiators he intends to hurt more law enforcement officials.

The shooting attack killed four officers and injured seven others. It came amid protests over two recent fatal police shootings of black men.

Brown says authorities are not certain all suspects have been located.

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12:30 a.m.

Dallas police say they are questioning two occupants of a vehicle after an officer saw a person throw a bag into the back of the vehicle and speed off.

Police said late Thursday night that an officer spotted someone carrying a camouflage bag and quickly walking down the street. The person then threw the bag into the back of a black Mercedes and sped off at a high rate of speed.

Police say officers followed the vehicle southbound on Interstate 35 to a point south of Dallas where they performed a traffic stop. Police then began questioning both occupants of the vehicle.

Television footage showed many police cars surrounding a vehicle stopped on Interstate 35.

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11:35 p.m.

Dallas police say a suspect in shooting of officers at Dallas protests is in custody and a person of interest has surrendered.

Dallas police say four officers have died after at least two snipers opened fire during protests downtown Thursday night. Seven other officers were wounded.

Police Chief David O. Brown said snipers shot from “elevated positions” during a protest over two recent fatal police shootings.

The gunfire broke out around 8:45 p.m. Thursday. Live TV video showed protesters marching along a street in downtown when the shots erupted and the crowd scattered, seeking cover.

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10:45 p.m.

The Dallas police chief says it appears two snipers shot 10 police officers during protests, and three of the officers are dead.

Police Chief David O. Brown said in a statement that three of the officers who were injured are in critical condition Thursday night. He says the snipers shot from “elevated positions” during a protest over two recent fatal police shootings.

The gunfire broke out around 8:45 p.m. Thursday. Live TV video showed protesters marching along a street in downtown when the shots erupted and the crowd scattered, seeking cover.

The post Latest: Dallas Suspect Said He Wanted to Kill Whites appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

D.C. Public Schools (DCPS) Chancellor Kaya Henderson

D.C. Public Schools (DCPS) Chancellor Kaya Henderson is leaving the system’s top job after five years at the helm. That means Sept. 30 will be her last day running the system of 111 schools.

“Simply put, I am ready to take on new challenges, and I have complete confidence that the team we have built at DCPS is prepared to drive our work forward under new leadership,” Henderson wrote in letters to teachers, principals and parents.

Henderson, the second longest-serving leader in the school system’s history, was unavailable for an interview Thursday.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced Henderson’s departure Wednesday in a letter to residents. The mayor touted Henderson’s administration for overseeing enrollment gains following years of decline. Enrollment went from 45,000 students in 2010 to almost 49,000 students this year, Bowser’s letter said. The city confirmed Henderson’s annual salary is $292,520, making her one of the city’s highest-paid employees.

Henderson was preceded by Michelle Rhee and previously worked as Rhee’s deputy in 2007 before replacing her in 2011. The Washington Post reported that their combined school reform efforts became a “national bellwether for urban schools.”

“I am incredibly grateful to Kaya for her nine years of service to our students, our schools, and our city,” Bowser wrote. “Without a doubt, DCPS is a very different place today than it was when Kaya joined our school system in 2007.”

While the school system’s national standardized test scores have been among the fastest rising in the country under Henderson, critics have questioned whether the city’s methods of fixing schools truly help the poorest children, the Post reported. Achievement gaps continue to persist between White and Black students and between the wealthy and the poor, the Post reported.

Bowser pledged continued education reform and to spend $220 million to modernize schools. She also promised a smooth change in power. DCPS Chief of Schools John Davis will serve as interim chancellor starting Oct. 1 while the city embarks on a national search in the fall to replace Henderson.

Henderson’s replacement won’t begin until after the following school year.

The post Washington D.C. Public Schools System Chancellor Stepping Down appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

Congressman Elijah E. Cummings will be one of the speakers on June 20 discussing the next phase of Innovation Village. (Photo Courtesy City of Baltimore)

(Updated 6/18/2016)  On Jan. 18, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a group of politicians, public figures, university officials and community activists came together at the epicenter of the uprising in West Baltimore to announce the creation of Innovation Village, a program designed to bring economic and structural growth to West Central Baltimore.

On June 20, the Innovation Village will announce the next group of organizations with which it will be working.

They are announcing an alliance of Black leadership and announcing new partnerships and how we’re all coming together to work together.

Among the speakers will be Congressman Elijah Cummings, D-Md.; Richard May, chair, Innovation Village; Jeff Cherry, Conscious Venture Labs; Michael Cryor, One Baltimore; J. Howard Henderson, Greater Baltimore Urban League; Joseph T. Jones, Center for Urban Families and others.

West Central Baltimore is known for its impoverished neighborhoods and lack of jobs opportunities.

For more information go to innovatebaltimore.org.

The post West Baltimore’s Innovation Village Sets Sight on Economic & Structural Growth appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

Officer Caesar Goodson (right), one of six Baltimore city police officers charged in connection to the death of Freddie Gray, leaves the courthouse with his lawyer Matthew Fraling (left). (AP Photo/Brayan Woolston, Pool)

BALTIMORE (AP) — The defense rested Friday in the trial of a Baltimore police officer charged with murder in the death of a Black prisoner whose neck was broken in a transport van — a case in which prosecutors charged six officers but have yet to win a conviction.

As testimony concluded on the trial’s seventh day, Officer Caesar Goodson declined to testify in his own defense. Goodson, who drove the van, is one of six officers charged in Freddie Gray’s arrest, facing the most serious charge of second-degree “depraved heart” murder. He was the only officer who didn’t make a statement to investigators. Goodson is Black.

Judge Barry Williams, who is presiding over the bench trial, set closing arguments for Monday morning.

The defense called Officer Edward Nero to testify Friday. He was one of the six officers charged, and Williams acquitted him last month of all charges during the second trial in the case. Officer William Porter’s trial ended in a mistrial in December when the jury deadlocked, and prosecutors plan to retry him in September.

Nero testified that Gray was not cooperating with arresting officers on April 12, 2015.

“He was being very passive aggressive with them,” Nero said, adding that Gray did not want to go into the police van.

Nero also testified that once Gray was in the van, he started to bang, yell and shake the vehicle. Gray’s demeanor when arrested has been cited as a reason why officers may have decided not to seat belt him into the van, and instead placed him on the floor in handcuffs and shackles.

Prosecutors contend Goodson gave Gray a “rough ride,” causing the injuries he died from a week later. Prosecutors also are alleging negligence for officers not using a seat belt on Gray.

Michael Schatzow, the city’s chief deputy state’s attorney, asked Nero during cross examination if Gray went limp like dead weight when he was being put in the van. Nero responded, “yes.”

On Thursday, tensions between police and prosecutors surfaced when a prosecutor said he tried to have the lead detective removed from the case last year because he believed she was “sabotaging the investigation” by holding back information.

Goodson, 46, faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted of the murder charge. He also is charged with manslaughter, assault, misconduct in office and reckless endangerment charges.

Gray’s death sparked days of civil unrest in Baltimore last year.

The post Defense Rests in Freddie Gray Trial of Baltimore Police Officer appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

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From 5-7 P.M.

A review of some of the top news stories of the week, directly from the pages of the AFRO with managing editor, Kamau High. Plus, a report from the trial of Caesar Goodson, one of six officers charged in the death of Freddie Gray. We’ll talk to University of Maryland law professor Doug Colbert.
These stories and much more on AFRO’s First Edition with Sean Yoes.

The post Tonight: AFRO’s First Edition with Sean Yoes, Friday, June 17. appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

Former Volusia County beach officer Todd Snipes (left), the late Trayvon Martin (right).

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — A judge has upheld a decision to fire a central Florida beach officer that posted racist comments on Facebook about Trayvon Martin.

The Daytona Beach News-Journal (http://bit.ly/1YxhhPE) reported Thursday that Volusia County beach officer Todd Snipes filed a lawsuit two years ago.

He was fired for posting messages celebrating the shooting of unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin. Court records said he posted the messages while on duty.

One of the messages said another “thug” was gone and people should know to pull their pants up and be respectful.

He also initiated a 9-person group text message that contained a caption with a racial slur.

Snipes’ attorney plans to appeal the judgment and has called it a paramount issue of freedom of speech.

The post Judge Upholds Firing of Beach Officer over Racist Posts Celebrating Shooting of Trayvon Martin appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

A statue of Vice President John C. Calhoun, whose ideas on state rights were a spark of the Civil War, looks over an art festival in a public park on Tuesday, May 31, 2016, in Charleston, S.C. Calhoun is one of many statues of Confederates, secessionists and racists that stand in South Carolina. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Collins)

CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — The names of Confederate generals still adorn street signs in Charleston’s public housing projects, and a heroic waterfront statue dedicated to the Confederate Defenders of Charleston still faces Fort Sumter, where the first shots of the Civil War were fired.

Just down from the Emanuel AME church — where nine Black parishioners studying their Bibles were gunned down one year ago — a statue of Vice President John C. Calhoun, a staunch defender of slavery, towers above a park.

After the June 17, 2015, massacre, South Carolina lawmakers did what many people thought was impossible to achieve and removed the Confederate flag from the Statehouse grounds in Columbia. Across the country, as far away as Alaska, officials moved to strip streets, college dormitories and even lakes of the names of Confederates, secessionists and public figures who championed segregation.

But a year later, little has changed in Charleston, the city where tens of thousands of enslaved Africans first set foot in North America. It was here that the work of plantation slaves made the city one of the wealthiest in the nation before the Civil War. It was here where the bombardment of Fort Sumter threw the nation into that war in 1861.

Nine ribbons in honor of the victims are shown in front of Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, S.C., Friday, June 17, 2016 on the anniversary of the killing of nine black parishioners during bible study. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

A section of a street in front of the white stucco Emanuel AME church may have been renamed “Mother Emanuel Way Memorial District,” but all of Charleston’s Confederate commemorations remain intact — and longstanding racial issues endure.

“I think a lot of things happened out of the immediate emotions of how horrific the killings were. That’s the human side of folks and the politeness, particularly of Charleston, that we just had to do something. But then when reality checks us — the question is what is that going to cost us in terms of changing the way we think and do things?” said Dot Scott, president of the Charleston branch of the NAACP.

A White man who police said hated Blacks and posted photos of himself with the Confederate flag has been charged with killing the nine parishioners.

“It was truly an attack on a race of people,” Malcolm Graham, the brother of victim Cynthia Hurd, said of the shootings. “After 400 years, the African-American community still is suffering and dealing with these types of issues relating to race.”

So why was there not a push to remove Confederate symbols in Charleston following the church attack?

Bernard Powers, a Black College of Charleston history professor, noted that it took a 15-year struggle to get the flag removed from the Statehouse grounds and that it happened only after the slayings.

“People see what it took, and ultimately that flag was removed because nine people were murdered,” said Powers, who co-authored a book about the massacre called “We are Charleston.” ”I think people appreciate how deeply entrenched the reverence is for the Confederacy. For a lot of folks, it is a civil religion.”

As soon as South Carolina lawmakers voted to pull down the flag, they shut the door on any other changes.

Gov. Nikki Haley had pushed for the flag to come down but feared that going further would incite fights across the state, so she asked lawmakers to protect all the other flags and monuments while removing the Statehouse flag.

A hat with photos of the nine victims is placed in front of the Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, S.C., Friday, June 17, 2016, on the anniversary of the shooting deaths of nine black parishioners during a Bible study at the church. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

“Our goal was to hold everything together. Let’s do what we can, let’s be kind and accepting and understand history is just that — it’s history,” she said.

So a statue of former Gov. and U.S. Sen. “Pitchfork” Ben Tillman still stands on the Statehouse grounds. Tillman once famously praised a lynch mob that killed seven Black Republicans in 1876 to intimidate others from voting. The statue calls him a “friend and leader of the common people” but makes no mention of the violence he bragged about for decades, something Black lawmakers would like to see added.

Changing a monument requires a two-thirds vote, and South Carolina and House Speaker Jay Lucas has vowed to block changes of any kind.

That means the Citadel, South Carolina’s Charleston-based military college, has to keep the Confederate flag up in the campus chapel among the flags of the 50 states and other territories, even though the school’s board of visitors voted to take it down.

It’s not just South Carolina. North Carolina passed a bill protecting its Confederate monuments, and other Southern states also made it harder to alter monuments or change the names of buildings honoring prominent Confederates.

Like many southern states, just about every North Carolina county has a monument extolling the bravery and honor of its Confederate soldiers.

University of North Carolina history professor W. Fitzhugh Brundage, who is white, said he understands blacks who feel alienated seeing statues in public places honoring those who fought a war in large part to keep them enslaved.

“That is a reminder that this state’s history includes an organized effort to keep people like you, African-Americans, enslaved at the cost of hundreds of thousands of lives and hundreds of millions of dollars of destruction,” he said.

Though the monuments remain, the Confederate fervor may be fading decade by decade in Charleston. The area commemorated the 150th anniversary of the Civil War earlier this decade with subdued events at Fort Sumter and elsewhere, compared to the celebratory mood surrounding the 100th anniversary. And there was a new emphasis on slavery as a cause of the war and the roles that blacks played in the conflict.

Daniel Turner, a 57-year-old wastewater treatment plant operator from Charlotte, North Carolina, visiting Charleston’s Confederate Museum, said he realizes why the Confederate flag is offensive to many.

“I understand the flag,” Turner said. “There are bad people who used it. But the monuments are different. They are a part of history. We can’t change that.”

Brundage said he expects skirmishes over Confederate monuments to continue to pop up across the South, but that a full-scale removal of Confederate symbols still seems a long way off, even generations removed from the Civil War.

“The flag may be down in front of the Statehouse of South Carolina, but the landscape of South Carolina is still full — bursting — with symbols honoring the Confederacy,” the professor said. “And they’re going to be there.”

___

Drew reported from Raleigh, North Carolina. Alex Sanz contributed to this report from Charlotte, North Carolina, and Bruce Smith contributed from Charleston.

The post 1 Year after Church Shooting, Much is the Same in Charleston appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

People walk past photos of some of the victims of last year’s shooting at Mother Emanuel AME Church before a memorial service honoring those killed in Charleston, S.C., Friday, June 17, 2016. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — Amid singing and prayer, a community wide memorial service remembering the victims of the Charleston church shootings got underway Friday in a sports arena a few blocks from Emanuel AME Church.

The service marked the one-year anniversary of the shootings that claimed the lives of nine parishioners during a Bible study at the historic black church. A white man, Dylann Roof, faces death penalty trials in both state and federal courts.

As the service got underway, church leaders walked down the aisle to the stage as a choir sang. Later, the congregation sang “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” The stage was lined with pictures of the nine Emanuel AME victims, the words “Still Speaking from Eternity” above each picture.

A woman reads the program for a memorial service honoring those killed in last year’s shooting at the Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, S.C., Friday, June 17, 2016. Friday marks one year since nine people were shot and killed while studying their Bibles in a basement room at the historic church. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

The College of Charleston’s TD Arena sits about 5,100 people, and it appeared to be about half full as the service got underway. It’s the same venue where President Barack Obama last year led the congregation in “Amazing Grace” during a funeral for the church’s pastor, state Sen. Clementa Pinckney.

Gov. Nikki Haley and U.S. Sen. Tim Scott were scheduled to give remarks at the service. The congregation was also expected to hear a message from President Obama.

Smaller services later Friday at Emanuel AME are among about two dozen events marking the anniversary of the shootings during the coming days. Wesley Theological Seminary on Friday announced the establishment of a degree program to honor Pinckney, who was working on a thesis dealing with his dual role as public servant and minister when he was killed.

Pinckney Scholarships have also been established to help students in need.

___

Meg Kinnard contributed to this report from Columbia.

The post Charleston Remembers Victims on Church Shooting Anniversary appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

Black students were more likely to receive out-of-school suspensions and less likely to enroll in top-scoring elementary or middle schools than were white students in a recently released report. (AP Photo Jaime Henry-White)

New data from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) reveals persistent inequalities in the nation’s public schools in areas such as discipline, college preparation courses, retention, access to early learning and teacher quality.

The 2016 Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC), a survey of more than 95,000 public schools in the 2013-2014 school year, showed that while there was overall improvement in areas such as out-of-school suspension, which decreased by nearly 20 percent since 2011-12, gaps in equal opportunity persisted.

“The CRDC data shines a spotlight on the educational opportunities proffered, and denied, to our nation’s sons and daughters in schools every day,” said Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Catherine E. Lhamon in a statement. “We urge educators, researchers and the public to join us in using this data to its full potential to support students in realizing theirs.”

Among the more alarming areas of concern is the statistics on school discipline, which shows that Black children—especially Black boys—are overwhelmingly more likely to be suspended or expelled at the preschool and K-12 levels. African-American student are 3.6 times as likely to receive one or more out-of-school suspensions as White students at the preschool level, and 3.8 times as likely at the K-12 level. Black students also are almost twice as likely to be expelled from school without educational services as their White peers.

Other findings show that Black and Latino students have less access to high-rigor math and science courses; are underrepresented in gifted and talented programs and in Advanced Placement courses and are enrolled in schools with higher concentrations of inexperienced teachers.

This year’s CRDC included, for the first time, data on chronic absenteeism. Thirteen percent of all public school students—6.5 million—missed 15 or more days of the school year in 2013-14, according to the survey. And among Black students, specifically, 22 percent were chronically absent.

Lawmakers and activists say the OCR’s new data mirrors findings in a recently released report by the Government Accountability Office which showed increasing segregation among U.S. public schools and concentrated educational disparities.

“The report released today from the Department of Education is a disturbing reminder of what too many families already know, and what was confirmed in the report from the General Accountability Office (GAO) we unveiled last month,” said U.S. Reps. Bobby Scott, D-Va., ranking member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, and John Conyers Jr., D-Mich., ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, in a statement.

“Our nation’s increasingly diverse student population is too often hyper-segregated in K-12 public schools and, sadly, educational opportunity is not available to all students of color on equal terms,” they continued. “This new data, and GAO’s study, are a call to action.”

The post New Civil Rights Data Shows Persistent Inequalities in U.S. Schools appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

Eleanor Holmes Norton represents the District in the U.S. Congress. (AFRO File Photo)

Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, D-D.C., has been appointed by presumptive presidential nominee Hillary Clinton to the Democratic Platform Committee for the Democratic Party’s 2016 National Convention that will be held in Philadelphia July 25-28 at the Wells Fargo Arena. 

Norton was notified of the appointment on June 15 by the Clinton campaign and said she will use her appointment to push strong support for D.C. statehood.

“I am grateful to Secretary Clinton for moving so quickly after our Democratic primary to appoint me to the Democratic Platform Committee,” the delegate said in a statement. “The strong op-ed supporting statehood she published before our primary should facilitate writing the statehood language we want.”

The platform committee sets the party’s official position on a variety of issues. The members of the committee were selected by Clinton’s camp and that of her chief primary rival U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, D-Vt.

Both Clinton and Sanders are supporters of District statehood with full political rights for the residents.

Clinton won the District of Columbia Democratic presidential primary on June 14, beating Sanders, 77 percent to 20 percent. The former U.S. secretary of state will get the overwhelming majority of the District’s delegates to the convention, however, District Democratic Party leaders say Sanders will get at least four delegates based on him winning more than 15 percent of the overall vote.

Norton was an early supporter of Clinton’s and has a long-standing political and professional relationship with the former first lady that goes back to Clinton’s stint in the White House while her husband, Bill, served as president from 1993-2001.

Norton will serve on the 15-member committee with statehood supporters such as U.S. Reps. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) and Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) as well as noted African-American scholar Dr. Cornel West.

The post Clinton Taps Norton for Democratic Platform Committee appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

Originating out of Washington, D.C., Koils by Nature, an all-natural hair and skincare company that caters to all hair types, has collaborated with several other Black-owned companies to create a special gift box for dads this Father’s Day.

“I am delighted about this collaboration with five other Black owned businesses to come up with a beautiful box full of wonderful products for the men in our lives,” Pamela Jenkins Booker, founder of  Koils by Nature, said in a press release.

Koil by Nature’s partners include Savoy Scents, a handmade candle and home fragrance company, Slather Butters, a handmade bath and body boutique, Riada by Adair, creator of unique handcrafted jewelry, Harrison Blake Apparel, creator of lapel pins, neckties and accessories for gentlemen, and Benson Watches.

The special Father’s Day gift box comes equipped with a Koils by Nature beard and face cleanser, beard and face moisturizer, beard butter and a men’s hair pomade; one 4-ounce Savoy Scents candle; a Slather Butter tobacco soap; one Riada cuff link and tie bar; one Harrison Blake Apparel tie, custom lapel pin and custom comb mirror for $97 and an optional combo box that includes a Benson Watch for $247.

“All of the ingredients in Koils by Nature products I know are hand selected by Pamela Booker. When Pamela puts out a product, you better believe it will be of high quality,” Brian A.M. Williams, founder of Purchaseblack.com, a Black website that sells Koils by Nature, told the AFRO. “When I lay my head down at night I sleep rest assured that her products are going to do just fine.”

A native of Beaufort, S.C., Booker developed Koils by Nature in the District in 2009. She said she prides her company’s use of pure organic essential oils, natural ingredients and its lack of such items as parabens, mineral oils, paraffins, synthetic color and animal products.

Koils by Nature is now located in Atlanta, Ga., but still returns to D.C. for periodic “Koils by Nature, Natural is Not a Fad” events.

The post Wash. D.C. Body Care Co. Creates Father’s Day Variety Gift for Dads appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

Lenora Barbour

Born and raised in Baltimore City, Lenora Barbour began her creative enterprise following a traumatic event.

After she learned her mother would have to undergo major surgery followed by long-term therapy, Barbour decided it was time for a change. She founded Lenora Nails after spending years in a boring 9-to-5 job.

Barbour saw there was no nail polish line being created in Baltimore and knew that this was one way she could exercise her creative muscles.

“I always liked nail polish,” said Barbour in an interview with the AFRO. “I always polished my nails.”

Lenora Nails boasts quirky names like “Sweet Peaches” and “Maryland Collection.” Her mother came up with “Sweet Peaches” since she has a peach tree in her yard. The “Maryland Collection” consists of three colors that all reference her home state: “Inner Harbor Nights,” “Purple Pride” and “Ocean City.”

The most important part of Barbour’s nail line is its advertised non-toxic and healthy qualities. Lenora Nail Colors are “5-free,” which means they are free of five dangerous toxins like formaldehyde that have been found in other nail polish brands, according to the website. The vegan products are also animal cruelty-free.

The collection is already sold in several locations in Maryland, as well as online.

Barbour is currently completing a program at Maryland Beauty Academy to become a certified nail technician. Once certified Barbour wants to give pampering treatments to senior citizens with chronic conditions and those who aren’t able to beautify themselves.

“When I was in nail tech school we had a lot of elderly clients, so I really connected with them,” said Barbour, adding that she already offers those services to her mother. “I do my mom’s nails since she’s almost 70.”

For more information on Lenora Nail Colors, visit: www.lenoranailcolors.com.

The post Baltimore’s ‘Lenora Nail Colors’ Promotes Vegan Products appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — A man who posted threatening messages against Black people on an anonymous social media app during racial protests at the University of Missouri last year has been sentenced to probation.

Hunter Park was a Missouri University of Science and Technology student on Nov. 10 when he posted the messages on Yik Yak. The 20-year-old Lake St. Louis man’s posts included statements that he was going to shoot every Black person he sees. They came the day after weeks of protests led to the ouster of then-University of Missouri president Tim Wolfe and Chancellor R. Bowen Loftin.

Park pleaded guilty in April making a terroristic threat.

The Columbia Daily Tribune (http://bit.ly/1PwGKBQ) reports that on Thursday, he received a three-year suspended sentence and was placed on five years of probation.

The post Missouri Man Gets Probation for Online Threats to Blacks appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

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From 5-7 P.M.

National politics including, the battle for gun control legislation and Trump versus the GOP, with Eugene Craig, third vice chair of the Maryland GOP and radio host and political commentator Anthony Nolen.

These stories and much more coming up on AFRO’s First Edition with Sean Yoes.

The post Tonight: AFRO’s First Edition with Sean Yoes, Thursday, June 16. appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

Black Writers Toni Morrison, Ta-Nehisi Coates, and Sonia Sanchez. (AP Photos/Seth Wenig, Antoine Doyen, Matt Rourke)

NEW YORK (AP) — Speaking on stage at Broadway’s Ambassador Theatre, Ta-Nehisi Coates remembered studying at Howard University and being mesmerized by a few lines from the poem “Personal Letter No. 3.”

“We are what we are what we never think we are.”

The poet, 81-year-old Sonia Sanchez, was seated on one side of Coates on Wednesday night. On the other side sat a Nobel laureate and one of Howard’s most celebrated graduates, 85-year-old Toni Morrison.

“I’m a little overwhelmed,” confided the 40-year-old author of the award-winning best-seller about race and police violence “Between the World and Me,” who joined his revered elders and a capacity audience for an event titled “Art and Social Justice.”

The Ambassador Theatre is usually the venue for the musical “Chicago,” but on Wednesday the theater was handed over to some of the country’s most celebrated writers. Presented by the Stella Adler Studio of Acting and hosted with characteristic passion by Sanchez, the studio’s poet laureate, “Art and Social Justice” was a 90-minute exploration of everything from segregation to Muhammad Ali to the massacre in Orlando. Sanchez recited tributes to her fellow writers, told jokes, chanted and exhorted. Morrison shared stories of being an editor at Random House in the 1960s and 1970s and of her daily writing routine. She called the act of writing a “dangerous pursuit.”

“Somebody’s out to get you,” she said.

Coates, praised by Sanchez as “a witness man,” emphasized the need to learn from history. Referring to Orlando and to the 2014 police shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, he observed that people too often were caught up in current issues. The killing in Orlando was about far more than gun control, he said, the death of Brown was about more than whether or not he had grabbed the policeman’s gun.

“When something catastrophic happens, we like to analyze at the point of what’s causing it,” he said. “And none of the analysis goes to the broader questions. What is the relationship, historically, between this community and the cops? Why are the cops there in the first place? Why are folks so hostile to the police in the first place?”

All three offered thoughts on Ali, who died June 3. Coates, the only one on stage who didn’t have a personal relationship with Ali, said that he was inspired by how the boxer let no one else define him.

“We are always, as African Americans, under some sort of pressure to conform ourselves, in ways that won’t either bring bodily harm to ourselves or to our children,” he said. “There’s a whole sort of performance that we do to put on our best face.

“And to see somebody so profoundly reject that, it’s the most powerful thing.”

Sanchez not only met Ali, she appeared on a stage with him in New Orleans and can still hear the crowd calling out “Ali! Ali! Ali!” She became friendly enough with him that he invited her and her children to his training camp in Deer Lake, Pennsylvania. First, he clowned around with the kids and pretended they had knocked him out.

“And then they put me up there,” Sanchez said. “Well he picked me up and threw me up in the air. His timing was so perfect and I was so scared.”

“That was my one and only time in the ring.”

Morrison knew Ali through her time at Random House: She edited his first book, called, of course, “The Greatest,” which was published in 1975. Their relationship began awkwardly. Morrison recalled a meeting with Ali, his entourage and some Random House sales officials. Whenever Morrison asked a question, Ali would turn and give his answer to one of the men in the room.

“I’m female, of no consequence. And he knows where the power lies,” she explained.

Morrison soon figured out how to get his attention. She had read a newspaper article about Ali’s sending money to an elderly woman facing eviction. Nearly 11 years older than Ali, Morrison realized that he might ignore a woman close to his age, but that he would respond differently to an older woman, an authority figure — a mother.

“So I go in there (the room) and I cross my arms and I look at him and I said, ‘Ali, get up from there!’”

“He stood up,” Morrison said to much laughter. “I never had another problem with him.”

The post Black Writers: Morrison, Coates and Sanchez Talk Art, Orlando, Ali appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

In this Monday, Feb. 10, 2014 file photo, Kenyan gays and lesbians and others supporting their cause wear masks to preserve their anonymity and one holds out a wrapped condom, as they stage a rare protest, against Uganda’s increasingly tough stance against homosexuality and in solidarity with their counterparts there, outside the Uganda High Commission in Nairobi, Kenya. A Kenyan judge on Thursday, June 16, 2016 has upheld the use of enforced anal examinations to determine a suspect’s sexual orientation, saying he found no violation of rights or the law and dismissed the petition by two men who were subjected to the procedures. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis, File)

MOMBASA, Kenya (AP) — A Kenyan court on Thursday upheld the use of anal examinations to determine a suspect’s sexual orientation, dismissing the argument that the procedure amounts to torture and degrading treatment.

There was no violation of rights or the law, Mombasa High Court Judge Mathew Emukule said.

“I find no violation of human dignity, right to privacy and right to freedom of the petitioners,” he said.

Two men had sought a court ruling to stop enforced anal examinations and HIV tests of men accused of being gay after they were subjected to the procedures.

The two were arrested in a bar near Ukunda along Kenya’s Indian Ocean coast in February 2015 on suspicion of engaging in gay sex, which is a criminal offense in Kenya. They still face the charges and, if convicted, could face 14 years in jail.

In their petition, the men said the anal examinations and HIV and hepatitis B tests they were forced to have amounted to being subjected to torture and degrading treatment.

The judge said the petitioners should have used their lawyers to seek injunction orders to avoid undergoing the tests.

“I sat in court holding my chin in disbelief,” said Eric Gitari, the executive director of the Kenyan National Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, which has supported the petition. He said the men will appeal.

“It’s so painful when we are trying to encourage the gay community to go to court to affirm their rights; the courts are instead affirming violation of their rights,” Gitari said.

The court judgment means that someone can be arrested on a rumor that they are gay and subjected to these tests, he said. “Do we want to use the nation’s scarce resources on this?”

The post Kenya: Judge Upholds Use of Anal Probes to Define Sexuality appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

Officer Caesar Goodson, one of six Baltimore city police officers charged in connection to the death of Freddie Gray, leaves the courthouse after the second day of his trial, Friday, June 10, 2016, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

BALTIMORE (AP) — A trial will move ahead on all charges against a Baltimore police officer charged in the death of a Black prisoner whose neck was broken in a police transport van, but the judge said Thursday he has questions about the most serious charge at the center of the state’s case.

Judge Barry Williams said the charge of second-degree “depraved heart” murder was “a closer call” than the others. Yet after Officer Caesar Goodson’s attorneys moved to dismiss all charges, he declined.

Goodson’s attorneys made the request after prosecutors rested their case Wednesday.

Defense attorney Andrew Graham contended Thursday that prosecutors had failed to prove Goodson, the van driver, gave 25-year-old Freddie Gray a “rough ride” as Gray was handcuffed and shackled on the floor. Graham noted that one of the state’s key witnesses, an expert on police policy, couldn’t say for sure whether he saw evidence of a rough ride — police lingo for putting a prisoner in a police wagon without a seatbelt and driving so erratically that he or she is thrown around.

The state “hasn’t introduced any proof at all,” Graham told the judge.

But prosecutors cited Goodson’s failure to get Gray medical attention and to seatbelt him in the van, despite multiple opportunities at several stops.

“It’s at least five times, your honor,” Michael Schatzow, chief deputy state’s attorney said, referring to the number of times Gray could have been seat-belted.

Goodson, 46, also faces manslaughter, assault, misconduct in office and reckless engenderment charges.

His attorneys will now move forward with his defense on the sixth day of the trial.

On Wednesday, Williams ruled prosecutors violated discovery rules when they failed to give the defense a detective’s notes that indicate an assistant medical examiner at one point considered Gray’s death might have been an accident. That could contradict earlier testimony from Dr. Carol Allen, who determined Gray’s death was a homicide and not an accident.

The discovery violation comes after Williams asked prosecutors to review their files for evidence they hadn’t disclosed to the defense. The judge had found prosecutors violated discovery rules about information concerning a witness in an earlier case.

“It’s never a good thing when a judge finds the state has committed a discovery violation,” said Warren Alperstein, a Baltimore attorney who is uninvolved in the case but has observed nearly all the legal proceedings. “It’s certainly not good when there are repeated discovery violations, and what’s so significant is that these are discovery violations that are so egregious because there’s an absolute affirmative obligation for the prosecution to turn over any evidence that is favorable to a defendant.”

Prosecutors are still looking for their first conviction, after their first case against another officer ended in a hung jury and their second resulted in the judge’s acquittal of another.

Gray’s death in April 2015 touched off the worst riots in Baltimore in decades.

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Paul Comfort

Beginning June 20, Baltimore-area residents will have a new way to get around town with bus routes that will greatly improve suburb-to-suburb connectivity – and link Baltimore residents to jobs and life’s other opportunities.

As part of BaltimoreLink – the plan to transform transit in the region – the MTA is introducing three new Express BusLink routes – 102, 106 and 107 – that will provide significantly faster connections from BWI to Old Court Metro Subway Station; from Owings Mills to Towson; and from Towson to White Marsh without the need to travel through downtown Baltimore.

Additionally, the existing Express Bus Route 150 that connects Columbia to downtown Baltimore City will be extended to connect to the growing job center of Harbor East. The service changes also will add peak period trips to Local Bus No. 77 line, which also runs between Old Court Metro Subway Station and BWI.

Here’s what transit riders can expect:

Express BusLink Route 102 from Towson to White Marsh will operate from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturdays with stops including Towson University, Baltimore County Circuit Court, Towson Town Center, North Plaza Shopping Center, Fox Hall Apartments, White Marsh Mall and the White Marsh Park & Ride.

Express BusLink Route 106 from Owings Mills Metro Subway Station to Towson will operate from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday with stops including Owings Mills Metro Station, Reisterstown Road, Pikesville, Towson Town Center, Baltimore County Circuit Court and Towson University.

Express BusLink Route 107 from BWI Airport Rail Station to Old Court Metro Subway Station will operate during morning and evening peak hours with stops including BWI Airport, University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC), Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC-Catonsville), Security Mall, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Reisterstown Road and Old Court Metro Station.

Express BusLink Route 150 from Columbia Town Center to Harbor East will operate during morning and evening peak hours with stops in Columbia, at the Giant Food and Walmart stores on Rolling Road in Catonsville, in downtown Baltimore and Harbor East and then terminate at Caroline Street. Service no longer will run to the Long Gate Park and Ride or along Edmondson Avenue between Ingleside Avenue and Rolling Road.

Express BusLink service is just one aspect of BaltimoreLink. Most of our existing bus routes have not changed in over 50 years – dating back to the days of streetcars. Of course, an awful lot has changed since then. With BaltimoreLink, we’re looking at ways to link our customers to jobs, better services and new opportunities.

In October 2015, Governor Larry Hogan announced this $135 million investment plan to create BaltimoreLink as an interconnected transit system that improves connections to jobs and other transit modes. The redesign component includes the addition of CityLink, our 12 new high-frequency, color-coded bus routes that will roll out in June 2017, and our rebranded LocalLink and new Express BusLink routes. The rebranding of our various transit modes includes Light RailLink, Metro SubwayLink, LocalLink, CityLink, Express BusLink and MobilityLink.

We stress “Link” in our branding and new service name, BaltimoreLink, to emphasize our goal to provide more connections to job centers and MTA’s different transit modes of bus and rail.

Our service and infrastructure improvements include adding dedicated bus lanes, transit signal priority and new and improved transfer facilities that will better assist our riders and operators.

For additional information, visit mta.maryland.gov/baltimorelink.

Paul Comfort is the MTA administrator and CEO.

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Cathy Allen

Did you know that the House Delegates and Senate elected officials are graded on their stance of environmental issues in Maryland?

The Maryland League of Conservation Voters (LCV) is a state-wide, nonpartisan organization that uses political action and education to protect our air, land and water. LCV holds elected officials accountable through a grading system called the LCV Environmental Scorecard.

Let’s take a look at how a few of our elected officials fared on the 2015 scorecard.

State Senator Shirley Nathan-Pulliam (D) represents Baltimore City.  She received 100% (A) in 2015 and is on target to receive another A for 2016 LCV Scorecard.  Senator Nathan-Pulliam lead the Senate in 2016, when she introduced the Pollinator Protection Act of 2016 (HB 211/SB 198) banning the private sale of neonicotinoid pesticides or “neonics”.  Neonics are directly linked to wide-spread colony collapse of Maryland pollinating bee population as well as other wildlife such as songbirds.  The bill passed with broad bi-partisan support, placing Maryland at the forefront of a national movement to restrict this dangerous and environmentally harmful pesticide from private use.   Cheers to Senator Nathan-Pulliam for job well done

Baltimore next Mayor will be Senator Catherine E. Pugh (D).  She received 83% (B-) in 2015.  Pugh did receive a thumbs up from LCV in 2015 as ‘pro-environment’ for a signed into law bill, Stormwater Remediation (SB 863).  The bill ensures strict accountability of local governments to establish watershed protection and restoration programs to reduce pollution and meet Federal Clean Water Act permits.  This law ensures that our watersheds are cleaned and restored and protected from polluters.

Finally, Maryland’s worst of the worst on the environment. These elected officials received thumbs down from LCV in 2015 as ‘anti-environment’ and failing miserably at 25% (F):

Senator Michael J. Hough (R) District 4, portions of Frederick and Carroll Counties

Delegate Mike W. McKay, (R) District C1, portions of Washington and Allegany Counties

Delegate Warren E. Miller, (R) District 9A, portions of Carroll and Howard Counties

Delegate David E. Vogt III, (R) District 4, portions of Fredrick and Carroll Counties

If you think their stance on the environment does not affect you and your family, think again. Maryland’s largest industry is agriculture. Allegany, Carroll, Washington, Frederick and Howard counties are counties that produce most of all Maryland’s agriculture products, including wine from our vineyards.

“The 2016 Maryland General Assembly session saw several landmark conservation successes.  We expanded Maryland’s commitment to renewable energy and reducing greenhouse gases, protected the bees and secured a universal commitment to protection of open spaces. We saw bi-partisan support for most of these efforts as the majority of Marylanders know protecting the environment goes hand-in-hand with a thriving economy and a good quality of life”, said Karla Raettig, executive director of LCV.

Other Winning Maryland Environmental Legislation for 2016:

Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Act-Reauthorization (HB 610/SB 323) Legislation passed with a goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions from Maryland 25% by 2020, placing Maryland in the top tier of states addressing climate change.

Program Open Space-Transfer Tax Repayment-Use of Funds (HB 462/SB 383): Legislation passed in 2016 promises full cash funding for Program Open Space by 2019, with all repayment completes by 2029.  This bill received unanimous support; and was one of the first signed by Governor Hogan this year.

The 2016 LCV Environmental Scorecard will be release on July 24, 2016.  Be sure to visit thegreenamabssador.org as I review and share the 2016 environmental grades of Maryland’s elected officials.

Cathy Allen is an award-winning Urban Environmentalist, the co-creator of G.R.A.S.S. (Growing Resources After Sowing Seed) as well as Chair of the “Grow-It Eat It” campaign. G.R.A.S.S. is an environmental entrepreneurial nonprofit program based on the fundamentals of gardening, agriculture and ecology. In conjunction with Baltimore City Public Schools, Allen’s campaign has planted over a half-million trees on the lawns of Baltimore City public schools.

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“I done wrestled with an alligator, I done tussled with a whale; handcuffed lightning, thrown thunder in jail; only last week, I murdered a rock, injured a stone, hospitalized a brick; I’m so mean I make medicine sick.”-Muhammad Ali

The greatest, Muhammad Ali, lost his final fight to Parkinson and the world mourned. His death gave us the opportunity to reflect on his life from his humble beginnings as Cassius Clay to the defining moment when millions all over the world held their breath and prayed when he lit the flame for the 1996 Olympics as we witnessed the effects of Parkinson on his body. When he lit the flame, the world cried tears of joy as he proved once again why he was the greatest.

“I’m so fast that last night I turned off the light switch in my hotel room and was in bed before the room was dark.”-Muhammad Ali

The moans and groans from the people at the Baltimore Civic Center years ago who missed the fight while standing in line buying refreshments.

The respect he gained when he stood up to the United States government and when he changed his name and refused to answer to Cassius Clay. He was the greatest!

Rest peacefully in Paradise, Champ. You are the greatest and you made America great. You put style, grace and class in boxing, we listened to every word and you taught us to be on time or the party is over. You were so fast people stopped blinking because they were afraid they would miss the knockout punch. When people doubted how great you were you proved it by calling the round you were going to win and then you gave us the most quoted line, “I float like a butterfly and I sting like a bee.”

“Happiness is not something readymade. It comes from your own actions.”-Dalai Lama

The Friday Night Bunch, along with family and friends, gathered at Ruth’s Chris Water Street to celebrate the birthday of two of their favorite people: Dr. Marie Washington, a political icon in Maryland politics, and Leander Douglass, everyone’s favorite mixologist. Dr. Washington arrived with her daughters Jackie, Zoey and son-in-law Jeff to attend a dinner meeting not realizing the girls had cancelled the meeting. Imagine the look on her face when she walked in amidst shouts of surprise and happy birthday greetings.

Leander’s look was priceless when he realized we were also celebrating his birthday. Leander’s birthday was a great opportunity to show him our appreciation for making our Friday Nights special. After dinner, guests enjoyed a delicious strawberry cake from the French bakery Patisserie Poupon and champagne. Special thanks to Jackie Washington, Zoey and John Sheff for rearranging Marie’s schedule  and to Senator Nathaniel McFadden and City Council President Bernard Young for altering their busy schedules to join other guests in the celebration of two special friends.

Kudos to Suited to Succeed, Cereta Spence and the committee for the successful annual Suit-a-Palooza, an evening of elegance saluting and honoring women Veterans and suited angels at the Baltimore Harbor Hotel. The honorary chairs were Maryland’s First Lady Yumi Hogan, East Baltimore Community Corporation chair and retired veteran former Councilwoman Paula Johnson Branch and Baltimore City NAACP President Tessa Hill-Aston. The luxurious ballroom hosted more than 500 guests enjoying an array of food stations prepared by renowned chefs and restaurants including Black Tie Caterers, Island Cuisine, Chef Phi’s homemade rolls, and top chefs from Strafford University.

The evening included a fashion show designed for the working woman, and vendors. Special thanks to TV personalities Kelly Swope, Linh Bui and Tom Rodgers for an outstanding job as emcees. As a side note, it was an honor for me to be a part of this outstanding committee in support of such an awesome charity.

“I found love on a lonely highway.”-Jeff Floyd

Congratulations to Kevin and Novella Carter on celebrating their 30^th wedding anniversary and the renewing of their vows at the Personality Club. The guests dressed in black and white, as requested by the host, to witness the Carter’s love and commitment to each other. The Carter’s “love story” began on the #11 bus when Novella was 14 and Kevin was 17. Now you know “the rest of the story.”

The Good Company pop-up dinner party series hosted by the George Ray Agency and Chef Irvin Darnell, the first in the series that will occur at various venues in Atlanta, D.C. and Martha’s Vineyard debuted at the Palisades in Towson, Md. with more than 100 people in attendance. Among the guest at the inaugural event dining on boneless short ribs, turkey burger balls on a stick, mashed cauliflower, mixed  greens and more while sipping assorted cocktails and champagne were Kenneth Patterson, Stephanie Farmer, Muriel Cole- Webber, Sonja DeCaries and Darnell Moses.

Happy birthday to Pastor Harrison Johnson, Gladys Bragg, Joseph Hillery, Dr. J Laws Nickens and Ellsworth Jackson.

 “We are all visitors to this time, this place. We are just passing through. Our purpose here is to observe, to learn, to grow, to love… and then we return home.”–Australian Aboriginal Proverb

We are sending prayers of condolences to Debbie and Errol Taylor on the death of her cousin Barbara Rose Winston; to Dr. Anne Emery and family on the death of her son Travis Emery and to General William “Kip” and Joyce Ward on the death of his mother Phyllis Ward and to the family of Shad Brown. 

Our thoughts and prayer to the Pulse Club in Orlando and the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community for the senseless deaths as they celebrated Gay Pride month.

Remembering my dad Benjamin Scott Johnson and missing him. Happy Father’s Day.

The post LIVING FOR THE WEEKEND appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

22-year-old Deonte Carraway, a volunteer and former employee of Judge Sylvania W. Woods Elementary School in Glenarden, Maryland.

In the aftermath of the child sex abuse case in Prince George’s County Public Schools earlier this year, a School Safety Task Force presented five recommendations to school district CEO Kevin Maxwell. Maxwell accepted and has begun to implement the recommendations.

In February, Prince George’s County Police identified 17 children who were sexual victims of 22-year-old Deonte Carraway, a volunteer and former employee of Judge Sylvania W. Woods Elementary School in Glenarden, Maryland. Carraway filmed approximately 40 videos of children between the ages of 9 and 13 performing sexual acts. Several of the videos were taken during the day inside of the school building. He has since been charged with 10 counts of felony child pornography.

Prince George’s County Public Schools CEO Kevin Maxwell. (Twitter Photo)

“Student safety is paramount to us,” Maxwell said during a Tele-Town Hall Meeting on June 6 to discuss the Student Safety Task Force report that was released on May 31. “I was appalled by the events at our school, at Judge Sylvania Woods, and want to make sure we do everything possible to implement the right strategies to make sure that our children remain safe. Our children deserve that and I take that responsibility seriously.”

Maxwell asked Prince George’s Community College President Charlene Dukes to chair the Student Safety Task Force, made up of doctors, lawyers, and nonprofit leaders. It took over a month for the team to survey the PGCPS community, conduct interviews, and analyze current school safety practices in four areas, including culture and climate; reporting and training; screening of employees, volunteers, visitors, vendors and contractors; and curriculum and counseling.

Five recommendations came out of the task force.

• The CEO of the Prince George’s County Public Schools should report publically each year on system-wide efforts related to student safety.
• The CEO should ensure that each principal conducts safety assessments and uses the results to develop and implement comprehensive strategies to include screening and training of employees, volunteers, vendors, and contactors; evaluation of physical facilities; and curriculum/lesson content reviews.
• The CEO should establish an Office of Monitoring, Accountability, and Compliance with direct reporting to the CEO.
• Employees, volunteers, vendors, and contractors should undergo background checks and other screening methods.
• The School System should update the curricular content focused on preventing child sexual abuse that is taught in K – 12.

“Our task was to thoughtfully review all school policies, procedures, and practices with regard to student safety,” Dukes told the AFRO.

According to the task force, training will be a heavy focus for all adults who interact with children ranging from administrators and teachers to school bus drivers and volunteers. It is also under consideration to have adults obtain background checks yearly as opposed to the initial check during the work clearance process.

Maxwell said the additional training should not come at increased costs for the school district. “Keeping our children safe, it’s hard to put a price tag on that,” he said during the teleconference. “We train our people anyway. It’s a matter of shifting the focus of our training and the models that we use.”

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William H. Hargrave

Son of the late Richard Polard and Mrs. Roberta Beatrice-Bouldin, William Henry Hargrave was born on April 27, 1956 in Baltimore City, Md. He departed this life on June 9, 2016, after a lengthy illness.

He graduated from Lake Clifton High School in Baltimore at the age of 19. He joined the United States Marine Corps from 1979 to 1989. He was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal for Heroism after his honorable service with the military.

He was a long-time employee of the AFRO. He was married to Melissa (divorced) and shared a wonderful relationship with Ms. Sharon Wann (deceased), Ms. Deborah Tallie for 37 years and Ms. Marquise Goodwin. William made numerous friends wherever he went and will be sincerely missed by everyone who knew him. He was always a true friend, a big brother and the head of his family.

He leaves to mourn: his God-daughter Ameenah Vann Wilkins, four brothers – Rayvon Baxter, Thomas, Richard Hargrave (deceased), James Hargrave and nine sisters – Dolly Baxter (deceased, Jacksonville, N.C.), Louise Hall, Clara Lee, Eva Miller, Deborah Ulincy (Shenandoah, Pa.), Barbara Hall (Jacksonville, N.C.), Darlene Shaw, Denise Hargrave and Natasha Williams.

He also leaves Aunt Dorothy of Albany, Ga., and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and the AFRO family.

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The Lillie Carroll Jackson Civil Rights Museum reopened in Baltimore on June 11, after being closed for twenty years. Among the participants in the ceremony were Dr. David Wilson, Lisa Mitchell Sannaar, Sen. (retired) Michael Mitchell, Anthony Carey and Gabriel Tenabe, director of the Office of Museums.

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Theodore Roosevelt High School 2016 valedictorian Adrian Fielder, who is autistic, is first in line for his graduation ceremony that was held on the school’s campus on June 11. (Courtesy Photo-DCPS)

The District of Columbia school system honored its top student-scholars, many that overcame physical and economic barriers to achieve at a high academic level. Valedictorians, salutatorians, and other top students from the District’s high schools were treated to a catered lunch and received words of encouragement on June 10 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. Among the academic high-achievers were two students from Theodore Roosevelt Senior High School who are autistic but managed to finish as number one and two in their 2016 graduating class.

Autism is a life-affecting disorder characterized by a profound withdrawal from human contact, repetitive behavior, and fear of change in the environment. The disease affects the brain’s ability to receive and process information. Many people who are autistic find it difficult to talk and look at other people and seem to be inwardly focused. A report from the CDC and the National Center for Health Statistics shows that 2.24 percent or 1 in 45 children are autistic.

Adrian Fiedler is Roosevelt’s valedictorian and Reco Robinson is the salutatorian. Fielder told the AFRO that going to school wasn’t an easy experience but it was worth it. “At Roosevelt, I did my work as best as I could and I got a lot of encouragement from the teachers and the principal,” he said.

Fielder wanted to stay close to home in the District and has opted to attend Catholic University. Robinson won’t be attending college but is looking at a trade school.

Robinson echoes Fielder in the support he got from Roosevelt. “The teachers at Roosevelt will work with you if there is something that you don’t understand,” Robinson said to the AFRO. “I worked hard to make academic progress.”

Robinson said that he is interested in studying photography, “especially sports photography.”

Sah Brown, interim principal at Roosevelt, is proud of the achievements of Fielder and Robinson. Brown said, “We are a school community and we embrace everyone. They have been excelling academically for four years and they have had the support of their teachers. The principal made the teachers aware of their disabilities and have performed their duties well at Roosevelt.”

Brown says Fielder and Robinson “have proven that any child can excel.”

While physical disability can be a hurdle to academic excellence, economic and environmental factors can also be deterrents. Jordy Portillo will graduate fourth in his class at Bell Multicultural High School and he told the AFRO that his parents are low-income. However, his economic status didn’t prevent him from winning a prestigious national scholarship to one of the country’s best universities.

“I decided to attend Stanford University on a Gates Millennium Scholarship,” Portillo said, speaking of the scholarship program funded by billionaire Bill Gates and his wife, Melinda. “I want to go to Stanford to explore a new environment. The Millennium scholarship will provide me the resources to be independent while I am in school and I can focus on my education and not on how to pay for it.”

D.C. Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson held a luncheon for top graduates of District high schools recently. (Photo Courtesy of DCPS)

Sierra Steele is the valedictorian at Anacostia High, an institution located in one of the District’s poorest neighborhoods. Steele was upbeat about the instruction she received there despite its location. “I had a great education at Anacostia,” Steele told the AFRO. “The school offers a wide variety of courses and that includes Advanced Placement classes.”

Steele plans on attending Marshall University in West Virginia and will be majoring in psychology. She said Anacostia prepared her for the rigors of college-level courses.

D.C. Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson spoke to the gathering and beamed as she talked about her high achieving students. “The whole entire city believes in the D.C. public schools,” Henderson said. Speaking specifically to the students she said “you now have the foundation for success.”

One of the District’s public schools shining alumni is Johnathan Hill, a rising senior at Morehouse College. A political science major, Hill was elected president of Morehouse’s student government association for the 2016-2017 school year. He delivered the keynote address, urging students to stay focused on their goals. “Be prepared for the future,” Hill said. “Study now and when the light comes on, you will be ready to make contributions to society.”

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State Senator Joan Carter Conway held a hearing to investigate the problems of Baltimore’s April election. (Maryland General Assembly)

On June 14 Maryland State Senator Joan Carter Conway held an oversight hearing in Annapolis to discuss the problem plagued Baltimore primary election back on April 26.

She said she spoke with the Director of the Baltimore City Election Board, Armstead Jones, and the Administrator of Elections for the State of Maryland, Linda Lamone, and discovered that Baltimore City had 1000+ voters who were not on the e-poll books.

Jones said many of Baltimore’s election day problems stemmed from the use of paper ballots instead of electronic voting machines. “This was the first time Baltimore City had used paper ballots in over one hundred years,” he said. In addition, he said that 400 judges who were supposed to be at polling places did not show up. Other problems included: a shortage of technicians, insufficient training of judges, insufficient amount of actual voting booths, large numbers of provisional ballots being scanned improperly, polls opening excessively late, poor warehouse conditions and inadequate staffing at the administrative office.

“As the director for Baltimore City Board of Elections things that I control I will make sure that corrections are made, things that are beyond me as far as these judges trying to hire judges putting them in precincts and they don’t show up. We have decided to basically hire 800 additional judges instead of the 400 and see what happens from there,” Jones said.

When pressed by Senators Conway and McFadden as to the effectiveness or adequacy of the training Jones said, “The problem Senator is simply this, and I say this all the time, if we have a precinct that has 7 judges in a precinct I guarantee you there are only two or three people that know what they’re doing.”

Perry Hopkins from Ex-Felons Voting Leaders came to express his outrage with the leadership in Baltimore City and detail the circumstances many of his members faced when they tried to vote last month. Hopkins said, “It’s leadership’s job to manage the polls, there was mismanagement. It’s leadership’s job to make sure that trained personal are there and available, he failed. It’s leadership’s job to collect and accurately report the results of an election, he failed there. It’s not the first time in the tenure. Citizens of Baltimore and the ex-felon voting community are asking for your resignation. We want a definite change in leadership prior to November when we have two to three times more people coming into the process.”

Lamone presented to the committee last and basically addressed the state’s role in the decertification process and their overall takeaways from the April primary. Lamone said Baltimore warehouses here election material is stored needed a massive overhaul. She said, “I think one of the biggest problems in Baltimore City is the fact that the main office is in a separate location from the warehouse. What happens election night is that a lot of the materials are delivered from the precincts to the main office but all the canvassing takes place and the reconciliation takes place out at the warehouse. Which means all of this logistics has to be followed to a tee to get everything separated correctly in the main office, transported out to the warehouse and then correctly associated with each precinct.”

To assist Jones, Lamone said at the end of June she will have 5 experts in the management, organization and logistics of warehouses come do an assessment of the Baltimore property.

Lamone said she wanted to make absolutely clear that the primary election results submitted after the reconciliation are accurate and that the correct people won. “I want to stress that we also examined whether or not these errors in Baltimore City would have affected the outcome of any of the races and we were able to conclude that they did not, which was fortunate. So even if you assume that all of the 1,188 provisional ballots should have been rejected, which would not have been the case, the winners would still be the winners and we know this because we know where the provisional ballots were scanned and which contests they could have impacted.”

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Keith Barney is facing multiple charges after allegedly exchanging gunfire with a school police officer. (Baltimore Police Department)

Keith Lanard Barney, 22, of the 1000 block of Braddish Avenue has been charged with multiple handgun charges after an exchange of gunfire with a school police officer on June 8. At about 9:20 a.m police responded to a shooting in the 200 block of Collins Avenue.  A school police officer was in his vehicle when he saw a shooting in the Irvington neighborhood of Southwest Baltimore, the police said in a statement.

“We know about 9:20 this morning a school police officer was in the area and observed what they believe to be a non-fatal shooting occurring,” said Baltimore Police Lt. Jarron Jackson. According to police, the officer then got out of his car and chased after the suspect. The school officer has not been identified.

During the chase, the school officer was forced to open fire when Barney started shooting. Witnesses told police, they heard loud bangs and took cover in the Irvington neighborhood-a sound they say is becoming all too familiar. “It’s starting to become pretty routine now, I don’t know what is going on, but it seems it’s happening too often now,” said one neighbor to police. The victim, a 34 year old male, suffered a non-life threatening gunshot to the leg, not related to the shooting involving Barney and the school officer. Police do not identify victims of non-fatal shootings. Neither the officer nor the suspect were struck by gunfire.

Witnesses say the suspect tried to get away in a car, where police found the gun, but couldn’t due to an accident involving two other cars.

Barney is facing charges of attempted first degree murder, first degree assault, second degree assault, attempted murder, handgun violation, possession of a firearm/felony-violent crime and deadly/dangerous weapon conceal-carry. No attorney was listed for Barney in court records. He is being held without bail at Central Booking Intake Facility.

“This is a very complicated scene, we need as much information as we can to piece together all the pieces of this puzzle,” police say.

When asked for comment or a statement for AFRO, city schools spokesperson Karen Parks said Baltimore city schools would not be releasing a statement due to the “investigation now being taken on by Baltimore City Police.”

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First lady Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey have a discussion on Trailblazing the Path for the Next Generation of Women during the White House Summit on the United State of Women in Washington, Tuesday, June 14, 2016. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

The first-ever United State of Women Summit, not only brought together the Obama administration, private-sector companies, foundations and organizations to announce $50 million in commitments and new policies to expand opportunities for the nation’s women and girls, it also offered a rare opportunity for women leaders across the world to encourage and partner with each other.

Entering the Walter E. Washington Convention Center to Chaka Khan’s I’m Every Woman, U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey broadened the day-long discussion of gender pay, student, and media equity, to also include tools, particularly for Black women, to develop improved self-value. According to Winfrey, not only is those issues exacerbated by the media, but also hindered by thoughts women and girls have about who they are and what expectations are beyond their reach.

“The root of every dysfunction I have encountered or the root of every problem is some sense of lacking self-value or self-worth,” Winfrey told the thousands of women gathered for the talk.  “We live in a world where we are constantly being bombarded by images that encourage you to be light, literally, and it is a lot to live up to. The pressure of other people’s expectations is great.”

Winfrey said that retooling those inner voices becomes the capstone to many of the initiatives affirmed during the conference, including more than $3 million from the Department of Justice, through its Office on Violence on Women (OVW), to prevent domestic violence homicides.

It is the commitment each woman and girl makes to herself, Obama said, that helps that fight against social and economic insecurity.

“Our first job in life, as women, is to get to know ourselves.   A lot of times we don’t do that and we spend a lot of time pleasing and satisfying others and looking out into the world to define who we are.  We are listening to the very limited messages, seeing limited images, and utilizing limited definitions of who we are,” Obama said.  “This is true for women of color and there is a limited box we are put in, but it takes taking the time to know who you are, to deal with the onslaught.”

Obama said that she came into the public-political arena with a clear sense of who she was, having grown up with a caring father and a strong and focused mother.  Prodded by Oprah and audience members to explain her ability to sidestep the many racist, sexist, and xenophobic comments made publicly about her as a sitting First Lady, Obama insisted that her endurance came from remaining true to herself and family no matter the situation.

“I tried not to limit myself by expectations and as First Lady, I wanted to define the role for myself very uniquely and differently.  Remember Malia and Sasha were very little girls when we got here.  I knew my first job was to make sure my girls were going to be whole, and normal and cared for in the midst of all the craziness, Obama said.  “If I was going to protect them, I had to protect myself and my time.  I didn’t want to waste any time.  If you do not take control of your life and your time, others will gobble it up.  You fall lower and lower on your list of priorities.”

The United State of Women brought together thousands of women and girls from across the globe to hear sessions hosted by women leaders in business, education, entertainment, policymaking, and advocacy to encourage diversity, equity, and access.  In addition to Winfrey and the First Lady, the day-long conference saw active participation from President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, Nancy Pelosi, Gloria Steinem, Shonda Rhimes, and Connie Britton.

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The N-word was written on one of the doors of the Fairmont Senior High School in Fairmont, W. Va., according to a parent at the school. (Photo by Romelia Hodeges)

A West Virginia high school student’s mother said that her son is the victim of racial slurs and cyberbullying at the hands of his lacrosse team. The teen, who the AFRO is not naming because he is a minor, is a student at Fairmont Senior High School.

Romelia Hodges told the AFRO her son was allegedly taunted in an Instagram group message titled “Damned Niggers.” According to Hodges, pictures of her son were accompanied by captions like “Shut up you ape” and “I’ll send you back to the cotton field.” Hodges said there were 14-15 students involved in the group.

“He thought this was his team, his band of brother,” Hodges told the AFRO. “To see that they have done something like this to this day he can’t wrap his head around it.”

The school, for its part, said they were looking into the alleged incident. “It’s still an ongoing investigation,” Assistant Superintendent Andy Neptune told the AFRO. He said the administration is withholding comment until the results of the investigation are completed.  Superintendent Gary Price said, in an email to the AFRO, “The alleged incidents are still under review.”

According to Hodges, her son has faced a series of racially insensitive incidents since April. In addition to the Instagram group, she said racial slurs were yelled at her son in a class as well as written next to his name on the band’s attendance roster. Hodges claims that these incidents have caused her son to pass out and miss class. Her son suffers from a rare blood disorder and travels with a nurse. He occasionally needs to use an oxygen tank, especially during times of stress.

In an interview with the Dominion Post, Tony Stingo, the lacrosse coach for the school, downplayed the alleged incident. “From what I understand, there was some inappropriate discussion and inappropriate language, but nothing directed at her son, just inappropriate and unfortunate behavior,” he said. “I just know that our program doesn’t nor has it ever condoned nor do I or have I ever condoned any kind or racism or hatred-based behavior.” Stingo declined to respond to requests for comment from the AFRO.

“Clearly the offenders do not feel that they will be held accountable for their actions, and so they feel comfortable with their mistreatment of this student because they don’t think anything will happen with them,” said Stephen Tillet, president of the Anne Arundel, Md. branch of the NAACP, told the AFRO “That’s why schools need to have prevention in place.”

Tillet also said that schools need to provide a more accepting environment for minority children. “Some of our kids feel that they are in fairly hostile and or unwelcoming environments…almost like you don’t exist to the extent that we are tolerated. You don’t tolerate, you welcome, you embrace, you interact respectfully,” said Tillet.

Hodges’ son is doing well academically and aspires to be an engineer, Hodges said. He works with robotics after school, plays several instruments and has a 4.0 GPA.

In addition to the cyberbullying and yelling of racial slurs, Hodges’ said that on June 8, someone wrote the word “nigger” on one of the school’s doors. Although Hodges said that the school cleaned off the derogatory language, she said that she has not received a statement from the school or an apology from any students, parents or staff who may have been aware of the incident.

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Bernard C. “Jack” Young, city council president and members of the city council are engaged in a war of words with Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake. (Courtesy photo)

Baltimore City Council President Bernard C. “Jack” Young and Council Budget Chair Helen Holton threatened to shut down the government if funding for youth programs was not restored to Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake’s 2017 budget. What they did not expect was for the Mayor to restore that money by cutting city services.

Rawlings-Blake returned $4.2 million in programming for youth to the City’s proposed Fiscal Year 2017 $2.6 billion city budget this week.  The administration restored funding for youth after-school and supplemental programs in response to pressure from Young, Holton and youth advocates who protested the Mayor’s decision to defund youth programming.

In meetings last week, Rawlings-Blake and her staff, identified $4.2 million in cuts to city services including public health, tree maintenance, graffiti removal, library services and code enforcement inspections, that would be redirected to youth programming.  She expressed exasperation in having to cut additional city services. “We have stretched this budget to its limits. I continue to ask city agencies to do more with less, but at some point city services will be impacted,” Rawlings-Blake said at a news conference.

Young said he is mindful of the Mayor’s need to protect the city’s financial well-being but drew the line at cuts to youth programs. “While the Mayor’s focus has been on protecting the City’s fiscal health, members of the City Council have worked tirelessly to advance the opportunities available to our most vulnerable citizens: The children of Baltimore,” he said in a statement.

Baltimoreans United in Leadership Development (BUILD) leader, Andrew Fosters Connors offered support to the City Council in the ongoing war of words with the mayor.   “We thank City Council President Jack Young and Councilman Helen Holton for uniting the City Council in opposing this senseless cut to young people.  Especially in the year following the uprising, we cannot go back to business as usual,” Connors warned.

Rawlings-Blake defended her commitment to the city’s youth and accused Young and others on the City Council of grandstanding. “Let me be clear, I care deeply and am passionate about the City’s children and to imply otherwise is not based on the facts.   Despite historic budget deficits, since taking office, I have increased funding to the Family League by 30% since Fiscal Year 2012,” Rawlings-Blake countered.

“I have welcomed the opportunity to have constructive dialogue about the decisions we had to make, but clearly there is little willingness on the part of the City Council leadership to enter into good faith negotiations to get things done, Rawlings-Blake said. “Instead they have relied on pointless rhetoric verses meeting their fiscal obligations to the City.”

Rawlings-Blake said she is concerned that the FY 2017 budget leaves no margin for risks that may negatively impact Baltimore in the coming year. “The Department of Justice’s review will have a significant impact, labor negotiations are ongoing with the City’s unions, and litigation over the 2010 Fire and Police pension reforms continues. These are uncertainties we must be prepared for,” Rawlings-Blake warned.

The Baltimore Police Department is under comprehensive investigation by the US Department of Justice (US-DOJ).  The City is responsible for funding reforms mandated by The Justice Department at the conclusion of the review next year. Other much smaller cities, including the St. Louis suburb of Ferguson, Missouri, have estimated the first year of DOJ recommended police department reforms will cost $4 million.  Rawlings-Blake cautioned Baltimore is at risk for a similar scenario.

Young and other city council leaders are determined to leave no child behind in Baltimore and appealed to the Mayor to restore funding to three final youth programs still slated for cuts.  “We would like to offer a reminder that three additional programs remain on the chopping block: Experience Corps., Cooperative Extension and the Waverly and Northwood Before and Aftercare Centers,” said Young.

“We ask the mayor and her administration to continue working with the Council to identify budget savings that would allow our young people to continue to benefit from these essential services,” Young said.  The combined cost of full funding for the Waverly and Northwood, Cooperative Extension and Experience Corps youth programs is approximately $513,000, according to program staff.

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New Orleans restaurateur and Liberty Bank client Leah Chase. (Courtesy photo)

Leah Chase recalls a time when she couldn’t get a loan from a White-owned bank to expand her now-legendary New Orleans restaurant.

“I remember my husband going to a bank we used for years,” said Chase, 93. “When we went to get a loan, we couldn’t … This was in 1957, and we wanted to make the restaurant bigger.

“Then Liberty Bank came along,” said Chase, referring to the Black-owned Liberty Bank and Trust, headquartered in New Orleans. The Chases got a $150,000 loan from Liberty to remodel their Creole eatery, Dooky Chase’s Restaurant. Chase has 15 employees today, “sometimes more,” and has fed “the Jackson Five, Duke Ellington, the Freedom Riders … President George W. Bush and President Barack Obama.”

“We were able to visit the president of the bank,” Chase said of her first experience with Liberty. “We could never do that before. It was unbelievable.”

Ironically, while the number of Black-owned banks dwindles, studies show that Black consumers could benefit greatly from the personalized services that these banks still offer. There were more than 130 banks owned by African-Americans between 1888 and 1934, according to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. There were 48 in 2001. Today, there are 22.

But while Chase remains faithful to Liberty, which operates in eight states, generations of younger black entrepreneurs and potential bank customers do not share her loyalty to Black-owned banks, or any bank.

An FDIC report last month found that half of all African-American and  Latino households are disconnected from the formal financial system, compared to one in five White households. This means Blacks often pay more to cash checks, buy money orders and conduct other transactions. Studies and legal victories demonstrate that major financial institutions regularly discriminate against Blacks.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Justice Department found that Fifth Third Bank discriminated against Black and Hispanic borrowers receiving auto loans. “Fifth Third charged borrowers higher interest rates because of their race or national origin and not because of the borrowers’ creditworthiness or other objective criteria related to borrower risk,” according to a Justice Department press release.

An American Civil Liberties Union report last year found that between 2007 and 2011, Black households had higher foreclosure rates, but these consumers also had more costly, riskier loans.

In spite of a long record of discrimination by many major financial institutions, Blacks still hesitate to support Black-run banks, said Michael A. Grant, president of National Bankers Association, the trade organization for minority and women-owned financial institutions.

“We found out a lot of African-Americans with good credit will go to majority banks and, if turned down by all, they come to us. They should come to us first. History shows if your credit is decent, you have a better chance to get a loan from an African-American bank. They will counsel, take more time with their customers.”

Personalized service always has been a staple at Liberty. “You are not part of a procedure,” said Alden McDonald, Liberty’s CEO and president. “Our procedures are flexible enough to make things work. When someone is coming to buy a house, we sit down with them to make sure they know what they are doing. Most customers we loan money to have credit ratings under 700.”

A credit score above 700 “suggests good management,” according to Experian credit reporting agency. Some lenders raise interest rates dramatically for customers with scores of 699 or lower.

Leah Chase recently sent her granddaughter to Liberty Bank.

“She is remodeling a house,” said Chase. “The president showed her what to do, how to get the loan. You feel there is somebody who has your interest.”

The post Black Banks Struggle to Survive appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

Prince George’s County police are investigating a double homicide in Hyattsville, Maryland.

Police said patrol officers received a call for a welfare check at about 8:30 p.m. on June 10. They found the victims outside a Guilford Road address, where they were pronounced dead at the scene.

Police identified the victims as 27-year-old Jesus Pacheco-Santos, of no fixed address, and 22-year-old Roberto Jimenez-Gonzalez.

Police say detectives are working to identify a motive and suspect.

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Demonstrators protest outside of the courthouse during the trial of Officer Caesar Goodson Jr., one of six Baltimore city police officers charged in connection to the death of Freddie Gray. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Prosecutors have rested their case against a Baltimore police officer charged with murder in the in-custody death of a man whose neck was broken in the back of a police van.

The prosecution rested on June 15 in the case against Officer Caesar Goodson after calling Stanford O’Neill Franklin to testify as an expert on police training and practices. Franklin is a former commander of education and training for the Baltimore Police Department.

Franklin says Goodson missed opportunities to put Freddie Gray in a seat belt in the back of the van during several stops, instead of leaving him shackled on the floor. But under defense cross-examination, Franklin said officers have discretion “in extreme circumstances” and that regulations didn’t allow Goodson to enter the back of the van when he was the only officer there.

The trial is scheduled to continue June 16.

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The Harlem Wizards entertained hundreds of children at Coppin State University when they faced the ‘B-More AllStars. (Photo by Chanet Wallace)

On June 11, the celebrated Harlem Wizards came to Coppin State University to amuse hundreds from around the Baltimore community with their wizardry, consisting of an elaborate display of ball-handling, high-flying alley-oops, extraordinary dunks and thrilling interaction with the crowd.

The Wizards, whose style of play and entertainment antics are reminiscent of the world-famous Harlem Globetrotters, are in their 54th year of providing world-class entertainment to diverse crowds internationally.

This time around the Wizards faced the “B-more All-Stars,” a team made up of faculty and staff area elementary and middle schools.

In addition, there were 18 sponsors for the event including the AFRO. At halftime a free-throw shooting contest for the children in attendance was held. The contestants had to knock down three free throws to win a Harlem Wizards branded basketball.

The proceeds from ticket sales went to various STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) programs from participating schools.

Arthur Lewis – known as “King Arthur” – is one of the premier Wizards and a Baltimore native. He excelled in basketball at Milford Mill Academy, Catonsville Community College and Bowie State University, where he was named an Academic All-American.

“It’s priceless,” Lewis said of being back home.

Lewis – who specializes in “dribbling, tricks and energy” – is in his seventh season with the Wizards.

David Paul, known as “DP,” is the captain of the Wizards and is in his 13th year with the team.

“We come right here to put on smiles and make a difference out here, and If everybody could just take the time and enjoy the product we put out there, they’ll have a better chance of just letting go of the small things and understanding that ‘life is short’,” Paul, a Brooklyn, N.Y. native, said.

Roger Lyons, one of the B-more All-Stars, teaches sixth grade language arts and social studies at Harlem Park Elementary and Middle School.

“It was fun. It was really fun to see the children smile see the children really get into it. Really it’s about them having fun, so I just enjoyed every minute of it,” Lyons said.

Mel Butler, the director of institutional advancement for the nonprofit ACE (Alliance for Career and Education), was the coordinator of the event. According to Butler, the Wizards coming to Baltimore is more than entertainment and raising money for disadvantaged children.

“What’s going to come out of it (Wizards versus B-more All-Stars game and festivities) is a more disciplined youngster with a better attitude, a positive attitude and some self-esteem,” Butler said of the second annual event.

“So what we expect is to have better students, better citizens, more leaders, more jobs,” he said.

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HBCU students arrive in China with Dr. David Wilson (center), president of Morgan State University, to begin study abroad cultural experience. (Courtesy Photo)

This summer, 168 students and 22 chaperones from Congressional Black Caucus districts will travel to China, as part of an Black education initiative sponsored by the China – United States Exchange Foundation and China’s Ministry of Education in collaboration with its partners. The program is an extension of the HBCU scholarship initiative announced by Chinese Vice Premier Madam Liu Yandong on Capitol Hill in November 2013.

“This exciting initiative is a cross-cultural relationship-building effort designed to enhance U.S.-China relations – and to give students from predominantly Black American universities and colleges a special opportunity to interact with Chinese students and educators in a progressive and collaborative environment,” said Julia Wilson, CEO and founder of Wilson Global Communications, which is managing the program in the U.S., in a statement.

“It is an amazing opportunity for African-American students to learn about other cultures, languages and history,” she added in an AFRO interview. “And, because China is the second-largest economy in the world behind the United States, it behooves African Americans to pay attention to trends in that country.”

In total, 400 two-week scholarships were awarded to the CBC along with 1,000 longer-term scholarships, ranging from six-weeks to two years awarded to HBCUs, as part of a three-year program.

David Wilson, chairman of the HBCU Network—the schools involved in the program—and president of Morgan State University in Baltimore, said students have shared that traveling beyond their borders and seeing the rising dominance of China in real time have been life-altering.

“For some of the students who have gone on this program this is the first time they have been on a plane, much less visited a different country,” Wilson told the AFRO in an interview one day before traveling to China for the seventh U.S. China Consultation on People-to-People Exchange where he was expected to give an update on the program.

“The students have called their experiences transformational, and they were appreciative of how embracing students in China have been, how much they have learned about Chinese history and culture and what they were able to share with the Chinese students about African-American culture,” he added. “This program is a way to break down barriers that might have existed because of lack of understanding and enable students at HBCUs, who rarely get opportunities to study abroad, to get that opportunity and make themselves more attractive to employers and also open their world view. As a result, when they graduate from our institutions they are no longer hesitant to go to another country to embrace an opportunity.”

For the HBCUs, themselves, the China exchange program has been beneficial not only in enhancing their ability to better mold global leaders but also in their ability to attract other similar partnerships and market themselves to prospective students, Wilson said. Morgan State, for example, now has similar arrangements with Saudi Arabia and Brazil.

Besides their academic activities, the HBCU students will get to tour major Chinese cultural and historic sites, including the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace and the Bird’s Nest stadium, the iconic site of the 2008 Olympics.

Brea Ellis, a sophomore at the University of the District of Columbia, participated in the program last summer. She said she was in such shock over the rare opportunity that she didn’t believe it until she landed in China after a 16-hour flight.

“It was a culture shock after coming from D.C. where I was born and raised,” she told the AFRO.

In addition to the language barrier, the sights, smells and sounds were different as was the food—which in no way resembled the American takeout version of Chinese food. And the Chinese people were just as fascinated with her and the other Black visitors, she said.

“Everywhere we went we would get a lot of stares because they didn’t see many African Americans in China or their only way of seeing us was on television. We were sort of a spectacle but it wasn’t a negative thing, they were just curious,” Ellis said.

The experience, she added, “opened me up to traveling abroad and finding more opportunities to study abroad. It made me more confident.”

Shinzira Shomade, 40, a senior psychology major at Bowie State University is looking forward to making her own discoveries when she travels to China July 16-30.

“I’m already there in my mind,” she said of her excitement.

The aspiring counselor said she looks forward to learning about Chinese society—the nuances of gender relations, seeing how they problem-solve and how seniors are treated, etc.—and applying what she learns to her future practice.

The mother of three girls, who has experienced more of the world than most urban Blacks through the postcards her Navy dad sent from different countries and her time living in Nigeria, said she wants to model to her daughters the importance of being open-minded, learning about different cultures and grasping untapped opportunities.

“You become more confident and you’re able to dream bigger that before,” she said.

Student groups slated to study in China this summer include delegations from:  Arkansas, California, Georgia, Kentucky, New York, North Carolina, Maryland, Texas and the District of Columbia.  HBCUs involved are:  Bowie State University, Clark Atlanta University, Fayetteville State University, Kentucky State University, Morehouse College, Morgan State University, Philander Smith College, Savannah State University, Spelman College and the University of the District of Columbia.  Each delegation is comprised of at least 20 students and two chaperones.

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Authorities say two brothers have been arrested in connection with the slaying of their friend, who was found June 9 outside a home in Upper Marlboro, Maryland.

Prince George’s County police say officers found 39-year-old Jabari Jones suffering from trauma to his body. He was pronounced dead on the scene.

Police spokesman Tyler Hunter says 39-year-old Dicarlo Dickerson, of Waldorf, Maryland and 47-year-old Shawn Dickerson, of Upper Marlboro, had been talking with Jones just before he was found dead.

Police say the brothers were believed to be friends with Jones and fought with the victim.

Dicarlo Dickerson is charged with first- and second-degree murder, while Shawn Dickerson is charged with second-degree murder. It is unclear whether either has an attorney.

The post Brothers Charged with Murder in Upper Marlboro Man’s Death appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

Sean Yoes

A recent newspaper report indicates that on any given day dozens of mentally ill men and women in Maryland who should be treated in psychiatric facilities for evaluation and treatment, wind up in jails instead. There they languish for days, weeks or even months with little or no treatment, sometimes at great peril to themselves and others, because the state simply doesn’t have enough beds to accommodate all the people who are being ordered by the courts for evaluation or treatment.

“In Baltimore City, there are two outpatient centers under the University of Maryland System…we have to make sure the services are expanded and the resources are there, because when you don’t have places like that you have situation like what happened in Orlando,” said Delegate Jill Carter, who represents the 41st District of Baltimore City, during First Edition earlier this week. “When you don’t have an ability to get people the treatment they need that’s exactly what you get,” she added.

According to the report, 80 percent of people admitted to mental health facilities are arriving through the criminal justice system. Meanwhile, Maryland’s psychiatric inpatient capacity has plummeted from about 3,000 beds in the 1980’s to about 960 in 2016.

In Baltimore City, the vast majority of people matriculating through various components of the criminal justice system are people of color and poor people. Therefore, the vast majority of people suffering because of the state’s catastrophic lack of psychiatric resources are most likely Black, Brown and poor.

“When you think about the historical context for people of African descent, in the United States and throughout the Diaspora, the idea of dehumanization and systematically oppressing people and them being in a consistent…subjegated experience it helps to put this, understanding what’s happening in Maryland in a specific context,” said Dr. Adanna Johnson-Evans, a licensed psychologist and associate professor of Psychology and director of African and African American Studies at Loyola University. Johnson-Evans was also speaking about the issue on First Edition earlier this week.

“This is not surprising, the trends we’ve seen throughout the United States…people of color have been dehumanized and criminalized in the criminal justice system because of mental health diagnosis,” Johnson-Evans said. “We know that half of people who are currently incarcerated carry a diagnosis. So, when we look at the overwhelming numbers of people of color who are incarcerated, we understand…these are person who more likely than not have not had access to mental health services, who are carrying a diagnosis that may have influenced their behavior. The idea that people are living in dehumanizing conditions on a daily basis, when we talk about poverty and crime and violence and lack of educational and economic and employment resources. The results of that psychologically is dire, is grave,” Johnson-Evans added.

A woman who identified herself as, “Selma,” called into First Edition during the segment on the state’s psychiatric backlog to speak on what she described as her experiences in the mental health and criminal justice systems.

“I can say that I’ve suffered with many of those mental health issues you guys mentioned…bipolar, PTSD, depression,” Selma said. She later invoked the name of an infamous, now shuttered facility for adolescents in identifying the stigma of mental illness in many Black families.  “I’ve been in and out of the jail system, I suffered even worse when I was in there. And I’m 59 years old and I’ve experienced all of this from the age of about 12, when I went to a place called Montrose School for Girls. My mental health issues were known then, I never received treatment for them…a lot of these things that went on with me started in my household,” Selma added. “And as a person of color I believe…a lot of trauma that happens in the household, we were told to sweep stuff under the rug, don’t talk about it. That’s where a lot of that trauma comes from.”

Tragically, there is little doubt Selma’s plight is not uncommon in Baltimore and beyond.

Sean Yoes is a senior contributor for the AFRO and host and executive producer of First Edition, which airs Monday through Friday, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on WEAA 88.9.

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D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser addresses participants at a table while D.C. Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services (standing right) looks on. (Courtesy Photo-OSSE)

On June 9, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser gathered 36 people – leaders of early childhood and pre-Kindergarten (pre-K) centers, members of her administration, educators and scholars – to participate in the “Mayor’s Convening on Early Childhood” that took place at the Shannon Place Center in Ward 8. “Every person in Washington, D.C. deserves a fair shot of making it in the town,” Bowser said. “That is why we are here today, to lay out a pathway forward to help young children and this is not just a one-time meeting.”

Pre-K students can participate in programs at public or charter schools, or federally or locally funded programs. Bowser said that pre-K programs will become more important as the city continues to prosper. “The population of Washington, D.C. is about 700,000,” the mayor said. “In 20 years, if present trends continue, it will be 1,000,000.”

Bowser said that newer residents want quality public schools and that starts with pre-K. She noted that pre-K concerns “cut across economic status and income.”

“Whether you are rich or poor, you are struggling with child care,” she said.

There was a panel discussion on accessing and providing quality early care and education that was moderated by Elizabeth Groginsky, the assistant superintendent of the Division of Early Learning for the Office of the State Superintendent of Education. The panelists consisted of parent Danielle Creek, with children attend Big Mammas Child Development Center; Lynita Law-Reid, the director of Kids Are Us Learning Centers; and Hyesook Chung, executive director, DC Action for Children.

One of the topics acknowledged the frustration parents, who received government support for their children to attend the child care facilities, faced. Creek said she has problems processing her subsidy to send her child to Big Mammas, a child care center in D.C. “The processing of the subsidy is monotonous and robotic,” Creek said. “The paperwork is stringent and many times I am treated like someone who is trying to take advantage of the system and not like a person.”

Creek, just two classes short of finishing at the University of the District of Columbia’s law school, said using the subsidy is “temporary” and she is looking forward to putting her child into a different educational environment as soon as she can afford it. “The parents don’t need to just drop their kids off but they should know what is going on in the school and participate in field trips if they can,” she said. “If the parents are involved it makes a big difference in the behavior of the kids.”

Law-Reid agreed with Creek on the point of whether paid pre-K education is better than publicly-funded instruction. “When it comes to quality, do I pay or not pay?” she asked rhetorically. “Quality also comes from having great teachers and staff and that is an ongoing challenge to retain high-quality individuals.”

Chung said that the District’s school system should provide more professional education opportunities for pre-K teachers and “try to get more professionals in this space.”

The participants broke up into tables where they discussed moving the pre-K process forward. One of the livelier tables had Lauren Stillwater Patterson, director of programs at the Washington Area Women’s Foundation, Ward 7 early education activist Carrie Thornhill, Ward 7 D.C. State Board of Education member Karen Williams, and Angela Trice, who works with Matthews Memorial Baptist Church’s youth programs.

The table participants agreed that keeping great teachers is a priority, but there was a discussion on what to do with the subsidy, which, according to an 2014 post from D.C. Action for Children, a nonprofit organization that provides data-based analysis and policy leadership on issues facing D.C. youth, depends on family size, income and the number of children in care.

“I think we need to increase the rate of the subsidy,” Patterson said.

Thornhill agreed to a point, diverging on the thrust of the increase. “We should increase the subsidy on a geographic nature,” Thornhill said. “The larger subsidies should be available to people who live in communities of need.”

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Akosua Ali is the president of the DC NAACP branch. (AFRO File Photo)

One of the NAACP’s most active and storied branches is being led by a new generation who respect the work of their predecessors but are addressing the new challenges facing Blacks. On June 9, 25 members of the D.C. NAACP met for their monthly meeting with D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson (D) as the primary speaker.

“Economic empowerment is one of the most important issues facing the city,” said Mendelson, invited to speak by D.C. NAACP chapter President Akosua Ali.

Mendelson talked about the incremental rise in the city’s minimum wage with the culmination of $15 an hour in 2020, and addressed issues such as affordable housing, the expansion of pre-Kindergarten education, the evolution of the University of the District of Columbia, and fighting truancy.

Branch members asked the chairman about helping the homeless, for specifics regarding the District’s housing policy, and proposed council legislation to legalize personal leave on a job up to 16 weeks.

The District’s NAACP branch has had prominent Black figures such as historian Carter G. Woodson, Black women’s rights activist Mary Church Terrell, and Lorraine Miller, the first Black to serve as clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives, as members. The chapter played a role in fighting segregation, participating in the “Don’t Buy Where You Can’t Work” campaigns in the 1930s and in the 1950s the U.S. Supreme Court cases of Bolling vs. Sharpe and the District of Columbia vs. Thompson, cases that respectively outlawed racial bias in school and public accommodations.

After the height of the Civil Rights Movement the branch focused less on fighting legalized segregation and more on improving schools in predominantly Black neighborhoods, equality in health care, and fair minority contracting. In recent years, the branch has continued its advocacy for Black equality but in different arenas.

For example, the D.C. NAACP joined with the national organization to force Catholic University to accept a student branch in 2008 after rejecting it in 2004. Leaders of the D.C. NAACP supported the 20th anniversary of the Million Man March in 2015, and earlier that year joined a number of progressive organizations to stop health care giant Corizon, a healthcare system allegedly responsible for numerous inmate and jail employee injuries and deaths, from getting a District government contract to treat incarcerated residents at the D.C. Jail.

“We are dealing with issues in a relevant and innovative way,” Ali told the AFRO. “While I am honored to lead an organization that played a role in the civil rights movement in this city, the challenges we face are different. The racism and inequality isn’t as blatant but is just as real.”

The chapter, through its health committee, launched its 2016 Health Program focusing on Black women’s lifestyle improvement through gardening, cooking, healthy eating, and physical activity.

“We have partnered with personal trainers, nutritionists, health coaches, and various health care professionals to offer exercise classes and health coaching to achieve health and wellness,” Tambra Raye Stevenson, the chair of the Health Committee, said. “The D.C. branch will address health disparities facing residents in all eight wards of the District of Columbia. The D.C. branch will host our program activities in churches, parks, schools, libraries, colleges, and community centers throughout all eight wards in Washington, D.C.”

There is an active effort to get young people involved in the branch and that was intentional, Douglass Sloan, a former first vice president of the group told the AFRO. “The president is young and when she came in she brought a lot of young people with her,” he said.

Krystal Leaphart, chair of the Youth Works Committee, told the AFRO, “That is a misconception that millennials aren’t interested in our activities. The issues are there and the NAACP is addressing them.”

Ali said the Legal Redress Committee, which helps people with their problems on the job or dealing with various government entities, is still going on strong. “We have received over 500 complaints since 2010 and we review each one that comes through our door on merit,” Ali said. “Whether it is dealing with consumer products, police harassment or employment we do our best to produce the best result for the complainant.”

Ali said the D.C. NAACP will have 10 delegates representing it at the Democratic national convention in Cincinnati, Ohio from July 16-20.

The post D.C. NAACP Tackles New Issues by Bringing in Youths appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

Pastor Ronnie Floyd, center, president of the Southern Baptist Convention, conducts a discussion on race with fellow religious leaders during a meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention Tuesday, June 14, 2016, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Southern Baptist Convention has been closely associated with conservative politics for years, but at its annual meeting this week the nation’s largest Protestant denomination showed that its concerns are becoming more diverse along with its membership.

Where 20 years ago the convention voted to boycott Disney for promoting homosexuality, on Tuesday, delegates passed a resolution extending love and compassion to the victims of the recent shooting at an Orlando gay night club. The resolution also asked Southern Baptists to donate blood and offer other forms of support.

Southern Baptists haven’t changed their belief that sexual relations between same-sex couples are sinful, but it is no longer acceptable to denounce gay people. And many Southern Baptist pastors say they have gay couples in their congregations.

Although abortion is still a huge concern, this week racism was condemned with equal fervor. On Tuesday, delegates voted to repudiate the display of the Confederate battle flag. And they actually voted to strengthen the language of the resolution presented to them by a committee, deleting a sentence that said the flag is seen by some as a memorial to their ancestors.

That stance earned them a barrage of angry, racist comments on Twitter.

Later African-American Rev. K. Marshall Williams said during a panel on the church and politics that Christians need to pray not only for issues like abortion and marriage, but for an end to the school-to-prison pipeline that affects many young Black men.

People pray during the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention Tuesday, June 14, 2016, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

More than 7,000 delegates attended the two-day meeting in St. Louis of the Nashville-based denomination.

They included people like Jamal Bishara, pastor of the First Arabic Baptist Church in Arizona. He stood to oppose a resolution in support of Israel that criticized the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement. His speech was applauded, although the resolution passed.

During the eight years that George W. Bush was president, he addressed the annual meeting at least four times. Today, Southern Baptist ethics leader Russell Moore regularly denounces presumed Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump as lacking Christian values.

While Trump has advocated a ban on Muslims being admitted to the United States, Southern Baptists on Wednesday passed a resolution encouraging Southern Baptist churches and families to welcome and adopt refugees into their churches and homes.

Moore, who recently added the SBC’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission to a list of groups supporting the construction of a New Jersey mosque, was challenged by a pastor who asked how he could support the rights of Muslims who he said are threatening the existence of Christians and Americans. To applause, Moore said that support for religious liberty is at the heart of what it means to be a Baptist.

The Southern Baptist Convention was formed in a split with northern Baptists over slavery and is still about 80 to 90 percent white. But with 15.3 million members, that means it has at least 1.5 million members the denomination terms “non-Anglo.”

On Wednesday, delegates also voted to oppose efforts to require women to register for the draft, to encourage voting as an expression of Christian citizenship and to affirm “In God We Trust” as the national motto.

The post Southern Baptists Shifting Traditional Conservative Politics at Meeting appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

D.C. At-Large council member Anita Bonds (D) also attended the ribbon cutting ceremony in Ward 5 on June 8.

The H Street Community Development Corporation (HSCDC) and the Edmondson and Gallagher Property Services (E&G Group) held its official ribbon-cutting ceremony June 8 for the Barrow Milestone Residential, an affordable housing unit. Located in Ward 5, Barrow Milestone represents a success story in reconstituting formerly abandoned or vacant sites into mixed-use and affordable housing structures.

Named for former HSCDC Executive Director William ‘Bill’ Barrow III, the property costs an estimated $32 million to construct and features state-of-the-art amenities including LED energy efficient lighting.

For Barrow, who joined other guests including D.C. Council members Anita Bonds (D-At-large); Kenyan McDuffie (D-Ward 5); and Todd Lee, acting executive director, D.C. Housing Finance Agency, the naming was surreal.

D.C. Council member Kenyon McDuffie (D) attended a ribbon cutting ceremony of the Barrow Milestone Residential development in his ward on June 8.

“A lot of people have to wait until they are no longer here to have such an honor bestowed upon them, so this is really special,” Barrow told about 150 ceremony attendees. “There is a lot of thanks to go around especially when you go around and look at the beauty of this property. It stands as a shining example of the great partnerships dedicated to a singular goal of affordable housing.”

Kenneth J. Brewer, executive director of H Street Community Development Corporation (HSCDC), told the AFRO that the Barrow Milestone development offers Washingtonians an opportunity to not only live in quality, affordable housing, but to also maintain their current neighborhood diversity for generations to come. “We want to ensure that as the children in Ward 5 grow into adults, they have an option of remaining in the District instead of moving into the suburbs surrounding D.C. because they have been priced out of affordable living,” he said. “Barrow Milestone represents what can be achieved when the city makes a commitment to improve the living conditions of all residents regardless of their income.”

Principles of the H Street Community Development Corporation (HSCDC) and the Edmondson and Gallagher Property Services (E&G Group) cut the ribbon June 8 on Barrow Milestone Residential, a newly created affordable housing development. (Photo by Shantella Sherman)

McDuffie said the complex, located on the east side of 4th Street, between Rhode Island Avenue and Bryant Street, Northeast, should help reinvigorate the neighborhood.”I am overwhelmed at the delivery of these 116 affordable units because they are all affordable, and based on their quality, will encourage more development in the immediate area,” McDuffie said. “Better retailers are attracted to the population density of the area and with new restaurants and the Metro just blocks away, the community has all the necessary elements for growth.”

Milton Norman, a College Park, Maryland resident who works as a janitor near the new development, told the AFRO that the city’s investment in bringing both new businesses and affordable housing to the Rhode Island Avenue area made him hopeful of moving back into the city. “Before now, I could only afford to live in comfort outside of the city and this area was real sketchy and unsafe for a while, but that is changing,” Norman said. “Based on what I’ve seen just from the Metro down to 4^th Street is enough to make me consider moving back across the D.C.-Maryland line.”

At the ceremony Bonds called Barrow Milestone a “model for affordable housing success and perseverance,” that could not have been achieved without proper financial incentives. “With dedicated finances and incentives to developers, it was possible to create these wonderful units at a lease rate to tenants of $1,100 or less without supplemental capital. Let’s do more of this,” she said.

Barrow Milestone is within a five-minute walk of the Rhode Island Metro Station and in close proximity to the Washington Hospital Center, Catholic University, and downtown.

The post Abandoned Sites Turned into Affordable Housing in D.C. appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

District of Columbia officials have proposed additional training requirements for licensed security guards in the city, to both enhance their “real time” experience and to safeguard the public from improperly trained officers.

Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser, left, and Police Chief Cathy Lanier, arrives for a news conference in Washington, Thursday, May 21, 2015, to discuss the mysterious slayings of a wealthy Washington family and their housekeeper. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

Mayor Muriel Bowser announced June 9 that new regulations were coordinated following two cases in which men died in the custody of security guards. In the first incident, two former guards at MedStar Washington Hospital Center, were indicted on charges of involuntary manslaughter in the death of a 74-year-old patient in 2015. In the other, a special education teacher died after being taken into custody by security guards at an apartment building. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined both deaths were homicides.

“Our special police officers are often the first line of defense in an emergency. With our growing and changing community, it is critical that they have the knowledge and training to handle real-world scenarios,” Bowser said in a statement. “These proposed changes to the regulations will equip them with the skill sets they need to not only protect us, but also protect themselves from danger.”

Bowser and Police Chief Cathy Lanier say the city’s 17,000 security guards play a crucial role in public safety and the new training will allow them to do their jobs better. Michael Quander, a Ward 8 resident, told the AFRO he worries the uptick in special officer altercations between residents and security would escalate quickly and result in more physical confrontations.

“There are a lot of old heads who spent time in lock up and could only get jobs when they got out as security officers. When these guys come in contact with teenagers, especially, they have a lot to prove,” Quander said. “These officers will not be disrespected as ‘flash light cops,’ so there should be rules they have to follow to keep a situation from becoming a physical confrontation.”

If approved by the D.C. Council, required training hours for special officers would double, from 40 to 80 hours and include more training for active shooter situations, emergency response, and negotiating hostile situations with those challenged by mental health.

According to Lanier, the 8,860 licensed security guards and 7,720 special police officers with active licenses in the District, have the arrest powers of city police and roughly 4,500 are authorized to carry firearms. Private guards protect local and federal government buildings, schools, libraries and apartment complexes. They are trained through private companies but must meet the certification requirements of the D.C. police and the D.C. Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs. According to the proposal, security agencies would have to pay for the costs of the training and maintain records of all training provided.

“They are saving lives and preventing crimes and doing really good security work; they are very, very necessary in supplementing the police force,” Lanier said at the press conference. “The value of our security officers should not go unnoticed.”

The post Bowser Calls for Tougher Security Guard Training Standards appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

On June 7, the Metropolitan Police Department and federal agents announced the seizure of 80 pounds of heroin in Southeast D.C. The drug bust led to the arrest of 10 people according to a police statement.

The police said the drugs cost about $4 million on the street. All 10 suspects will be charged federally, WJLA reported.

Heroin, however, is not D.C.’s primary illicit drug problem as it was in 2012 along with crack cocaine and marijuana, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Instead, Police Chief Cathy Lanier told the U.S. Senate Judiciary committee during a “Deadly Synthetic Drugs” hearing June 7, new psychoactive substances (NPS), more commonly known as synthetic drugs, are most prominent in District’s illegal drug trade. She said synthetic drugs have a broader, more dangerous impact than the use of other drugs.

“Because some of the NPS drugs have been selling at very low prices, they have become a drug of choice for many of the poorest individuals with substance abuse in the District, such as the homeless,” said Lanier in her testimony for a U.S. Senate Judiciary hearing on deadly synthetic drugs June 7. “In 2015, the District of Columbia’s Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services (FEMS) responded to more than 3,800 calls for service and provided at least 3,500 transports related to suspected synthetic cannabinoid use.” In September the Department reported a high of 20 NPS related synthetic drug emergencies a day.

According to the Addiction Center, between 2012 and 2013, there were approximately 20 hospitalizations from synthetic marijuana overdoses per month. According to Lanier, the police department and their federal partners have seized more than 450 kilograms of synthetic drugs since 2013.

“Unfortunately, the demand still exists, and the dealers have moved more to street operations. Combating street dealing remains challenging, and makes the District’s other efforts all the more important,” Lanier said. To fight against the selling and distribution of synthetic drugs D.C. has instituted a regulatory ban that prohibits businesses from selling synthetic narcotics by threatening to close and fine any business caught selling the substances.

“The number of emergency transports rose from just over 100 in April 2015 to a high around 600 per month last August, September, and October,” Lanier said, emphasizing that transports decreased from November through February to less than five per day, but are continuing to rise since then. “Unfortunately, it is likely that criminal enterprises have only just begun to explore the possibilities of manufacturing and distributing new psychoactive substances.”

The post D.C.’s Drug Face Continues to Change appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

Former D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray won the Democratic primary to reclaim Ward 7 council seat. (AFRO File Photo)

Voters in the District of Columbia Democratic Party primary rejected three D.C. Council incumbents and returned a former mayor to the D.C. Council.

D.C. Council members Vincent Orange (D-At Large), Yvette Alexander (D-Ward 7) and LaRuby May (D-Ward 8) lost their bids for re-nomination on June 14. Former D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray trounced Alexander, a former political ally, with 59 percent of the vote to her 33 percent.

Gray greeted reporters outside of his campaign victory party that was held at the Antioch Baptist Church. He said that Ward 7 voters wanted a change.

“I am so excited that the people of Ward 7 supported us so strongly,” he said. “I will be proud to represent them. There is so much to do in Ward 7.”

One of Gray’s supporters was Matilda Robinson, who voted at the Hughes Memorial United Methodist Church in Ward 7. Robinson voted for Gray “because he can make a change.”

“I think he can bring this community together,” Robinson said. “”We have problems in this ward such as one grocery store and we don’t have a hospital. We have all of these killings and shootings here and nothing is being done about it.”

Robinson said that she would see Gray in Ward 7 more when he was the mayor than Alexander. However, Alexander did have her supporters.

“I think she has done a great job for us,” Greene said. “She has grown into the job and she isn’t trying to enrich herself with the developers.”

Greene, who voted at the Dorothy I. Height Branch of the D.C. Public Library in Ward 7, said that Alexander has been working to bring the north and south sections of the ward together.

“She treats us equally,” she said.

Robert White Wins At-Large council seat over Vincent Orange.

In what many political observers saw as an upset, Orange fell to Robert White, 39 percent to 37 percent. Orange had aligned himself with D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and had the support of labor unions and business groups.

However, in the majority and plurality White Wards 1,2,3 and 6, Robert White led substantially while Orange managed to win the predominantly Black Wards 5,7, and 8 while barely defeating Robert White in majority Black Ward 4.

Trayon White snags Ward 8 council seat from LuRuby May.

In the race for Ward 8, May could not overcome the personal popularity of former Ward 8 D.C. State Board of Education member Trayon White and lost to him, 50 percent to 42 percent. In April 2015, May was elected to the Ward 8 council seat by defeating Trayon White by 78 votes.

D.C. Council member Brandon Todd won the majority of the vote over contender  Leon T. Andrews, 49 percent to 41 percent, in what many political experts consider a surprise given that Todd has the support of D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) and her political organization. Todd won the Ward 4 seat replacing Bowser in April 2015 by a wide margin, leading his closet rival in that contest by 20 points.

Former Secretary of State Hillary R. Clinton easily defeated U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders in the Democratic presidential primary, 77 percent to 19 percent. D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D) and D.C. Council member Jack Evans (D-Ward 2) faced no opposition in the primary.

D.C. Council member Mary Cheh (D-Ward 3) visited the Gray victory party and was excited about Gray serving on the council again.

“When I came on to the council in 2007, Vince was the chairman and he was an excellent chairman,” Cheh said. “All I have to say to him is welcome back.”

The post Gray Wins; Incumbents Fall in D.C. Primary appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

Images of Benson Watches new limited Phoenix collection. (Courtesy photo)

Benson Watches, a D.C. Black-owned luxury watch company, released its limited edition watch collection, just in time for Father’s Day. “The Phoenix” watch collection is available exclusively on PurchaseBlack.com, a domain for high caliber Black owned products. It was released June 8, featuring a limited 100 watch stock of each watch style: sapphire blue crystal and pearl white glass.

“On PurchaseBlack.com, we only feature high quality, luxury items and that’s what Benson Watches are,” Brian Williams, founder of PurchaseBlack.com told the AFRO. “These watches are so popular and sell out all the time; I have no doubt that these exclusive watches will do the same.”

The luxury watches are a sequel to the company’s very popular “Cardinal I” watches, which retail for $299. The watches are fully equipped with three interchangeable leather straps to wear during any occasion and includes the Benson Watches signature engraving “Time should be spent doing what you love.”

A June 10 Instagram post from Monica Mauro, designer of Druzy Jewlery, a collection of jewelry made from Agate stones, said the watch collection is “majestic.”

Benson Watches was founded in 2014, by Marcel Benson, who said he noticed a decline in Black-owned products on his website, bensonwatch.com. According to the website, Benson attended Morehouse College where he collected more than 100 different style of watches and asked himself, “Why can’t I make my own watches?” before launching his own company.

Since 2015, PurchaseBlack.com, has been working with “Benson Watches” to sell and create watches. “Black people have over a trillion dollars in buying power, but often Black people don’t experience the benefit, so here at PurchaseBlack.com, we make sure consumers know how to buy Black the right way and experience high quality items, community support, and excellent customer service which is what Benson Watches also offers,” Williams said.

The post D.C. Watch Company Releases Limited Edition appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

Listen at WEAA Live Stream:

http://amber.streamguys.com.4020/live.m3u

We’ll get a report on the trial of Caesar Goodson, one of six Baltimore police officers charged in the death of Freddie Gray, from legal expert Sheryl Wood of the Wood Law Firm. Plus, The Mod Squad, Taya Graham and Stephen Janis of The Real News Network report on politics and law enforcement.

These stories and much more coming up on AFRO’s First Edition with Sean Yoes.

The post Tonight: AFRO’s First Edition with Sean Yoes, Wednesday, June 15. appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

Ebony and Jet magazine are sold

Johnson Publishing Company, a family owned publisher of African American titles based in Chicago, reportedly sold Ebony and Jet magazines to Clear View Group in Austin, Texas a private- equity firm.

The surprise announcement follows Kierna Mayo, Editor- in-Chief of Ebony, announcing her departure from the magazine the day before. Mayo wrote on Twitter “I’m leaving Ebony…. It wasn’t an easy decision.”

Mayo, also tweeted “I am the new Senior Vice President of Content and Brands for Interactive One.” Interactive One is an online publisher focused on urban audience.

Johnson Publishing Company, originally founded in 1942 by John H. Johnson, is one of the longest running African-American magazine publishing companies in the United States.

Jet, founded in 1951, was one of the first magazines to hone in on the civil rights movement. The rapid growth of social media and digital outlets, however, has been a constant struggle for Johnson Publishing Company, as it has for many publishers. In 2014 Jet stopped printing issues and became an online only publication.

Linda Johnson Rice, daughter of John H. Johnson, and Chairman of Johnson Publishing Company emailed to reporters, “This is the next chapter in retaining the legacy that my father, John H. Johnson, built to ensure the celebration of African Americans.”

Johnson Publishing Company will retain Fashion Fair Cosmetics, a make-up company aimed at people of color.

Desiree Rogers, CEO of Johnson Publishing, will reportedly retain her position and focus on the cosmetics business.

“We made this purchase because this is an iconic brand—it’s the most-recognized brand in the African-American community,” Michael Gibson, Chairman of Clear View Group, told the Chicago Tribune.

Cheryl McKissack, who has served as chief operating officer for Johnson Publishing Company since 2013, has reportedly been promoted to CEO of Ebony Media Operations.

The post Johnson Publishing Sells Ebony and Jet Magazines appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

Lil Wayne (AKA Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr.) is in stable condition in Omaha, Neb. after suffering what his publicist described Tuesday, June 14, 2016, as two minor seizures. TMZ has reported that the Grammy-winning rapper’s private jet was forced to make two emergency landings at an Omaha airport Monday afternoon, June 13, and that he was taken to a hospital. (Photo by Paul A. Hebert/Invision/AP, File)

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A publicist says rapper Lil Wayne has left an Omaha hospital and intends to perform Saturday night as scheduled.

The 33-year-old New Orleans native was hospitalized after his private jet was forced by a medical emergency to land Monday at Omaha’s Eppley Airfield. He was later described in stable condition after suffering what his publicist says were two minor seizures.

Publicity director Derek Sherron of The Chamber Group said Wednesday that Lil Wayne, whose real name is Wayne Carter, was “all good.” The Grammy winner is booked into the Sprint Center for a Saturday night show with 2 Chainz.

In March 2013 Lil Wayne was hospitalized in Los Angeles for seizures. He told a Los Angeles radio station that he has epilepsy.

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The Howard County Center of African American Culture and the Columbia Town Center Community Association are celebrating Juneteenth on June 17 from noon to 8:00 p.m.  There will be live music, refreshments, lectures, museum tours and more. All ages welcome and admission is free. The Howard County Center of African American Culture is located at 5434 Vantage Point Road, Columbia, Md. 21044. For more information call 410-715-1921.

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The National Kidney Foundation of Maryland (NKF-MD) will bring its Kidney Health Risk Assessment (KHRA) to the Men and Families Center ConnectFest, taking place on June 23 from 1:00 p.m to 5:00 p.m., at 2222 Jefferson St.-Baltimore 21205. As part of NKF-MD’s mission of early detection and early intervention, this free assessment helps identify adults at risk for chronic kidney disease and increases awareness of kidney disease risk factors in the community. For details about this KHRA event or NKF-MD’s other KHRA events and kidney screenings, call 410-494-8545 or visit kidneymd.org. 

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