By Reginald Williams
Special to the AFRO

Slow-moving showers hovered over Asheville, N.C., on Sept. 25. At the time, Hurricane Helene was a Category 1 hurricane, swelling on Cancun’s eastern Gulf of Mexico. By the evening of Sept. 26, that Category 1 hurricane dumped more than nine inches of rain on Asheville, and by noon Sept. 27, the city, perched 2,134 feet above sea level and 392 miles to the nearest coastal waters, began to feel the unimaginable devastation of being submerged by floodwaters. By the afternoon of Sept. 27, the Category 1 storm grew to a Category 4, causing residents in North Carolina to flee in search of safety.

The breath of Helene’s raging rivers stretched for more than 600 miles through ten states, with the most intense destruction in North Carolina. Meteorologists estimated that between four and five months of rain descended on Asheville in three days. 

“You have entire communities that are gone. They have just washed away,” Janice Royall Garland, who lives approximately 10 minutes outside the city limits of Asheville in Weaverville, told the AFRO. “It is phenomenal. This is scary.”

Janice Royall Garland, her husband Mike, and her mother were without power from Sept 26. to Sept 28. The power outage severed access to water. The Garlands use well water, which has a pump that requires a power source. They, too, had intermittent cell tower access, making it challenging to contact their families. 

“At first, it was disheartening because we didn’t see anything in the way of help coming for days,” Janice Royall Garland said. “Now we see the convoys of power companies from other states coming to help.” 

Mudslides and buried roadways left residents with sparse access to rescue crews. Several ambulances attempting to render aid instead ended up floating in the raging waters, along with the cars and houses of residents. 

The torrential rain floods robbed people of their homes and the memories stored in them. Lives were also lost. Fatalities in Asheville rose above 40 on Oct. 2. Nationwide, more than 160 people are reported dead, according to The Associated Press. Dead bodies were reported to be trapped in trees and floating in rivers of stormwater, resembling the sights and sounds of Hurricane Katrina, the 2005 tropical cyclone that landed in New Orleans. That storm was responsible for 1,392 deaths and an estimated $125 billion in damages.  

In Tallahassee, Fla. residents like Perry Kalip and his mother, Martha Kale, sought shelter at a school in the area. In fear of falling victim to the storm’s rapidly changing conditions, the pair traveled to Fairview Middle School in search of a safe place to wait out the hurricane. 

Before Helene landed in Asheville, it traveled unexpectedly through Augusta, Ga., providing a destructive punch to the Georgians. 

“That storm sat on top of this area for three hours,” declared Mohra Hill-Smith. “We had those 80 mile per hour  high winds and two tornadoes in those three hours. The community has taken a hit.”

Hill-Smith feels blessed while needing a new roof and siding, stating that fallen trees have split a few of her neighbor’s homes in half. Like Asheville, Augusta experienced no power, irregular cellular service, and the inability to find gas. 

“When I left on Saturday, there was no food in the stores. The drug stores were closed. I couldn’t get my medication. Gas stations three hours, and longer waits,” explained Hill-Smith. “It was very dire straits.” 

In an attempt to reach safety, Hill, a cancer patient on oral medication, traveled on Sept. 28 with a friend to Conyers, Ga. While there, a new emergency confronted them. 

“On Sunday, we woke up to an emergency alert in Conyers stating there was a chemical fire in the area. We were put under a mandatory shelter-in-place for two days. So, we left one disaster and went to another disaster,” explained Hill.

Because of Asheville’s climate and its projected safety from severe weather, realtors tabbed the city as a prime living destination. However, the confluence of the Swannanoa River and the French Broad River, which sandwich the city of Asheville, is why the town and neighboring communities fell victim to flood waters. Subsequently, Asheville’s physical infrastructure will take years to rebuild, they’ll also have to repair its social infrastructure. 

There is never a good time to be devastated by a violent rainstorm, but this may be the worst time. Asheville, which rests in the foothills of North Carolina, is a tourist community primarily because of the region’s climate and environment set on the backdrop of the ethereal Blue Ridge Mountains. September through early November is the time of year when the city experiences its most significant economic impact. 

Janice Royall Garland said she found some deliverance despite the storm’s devastation. She says the storm washed away—at least momentarily—the political descent that fractured North Carolina residents before Helene.

“On our little road, we’re seeing a sense of community,” shares Janice Royall Garland. “You can Google people in the area and see how they will vote, but with things like this, those differences are set aside. You see people hauling water, and they ask, ‘Do you need drinking water, flushing water, or both? What do you need? Frankly, I’m over the whole election thing. Since last Thursday, nobody is talking about it. Instead, it’s do you have water? What do you need? Gas? What do you need?’ That’s the shift in thinking when these kinds of things happen.”

According to information released by the White House, “In total, FEMA has shipped over 8.5 million meals, more than 7 million liters of water, 150 generators and over 220,000 tarps to aid response efforts for this historic storm.” 

The Biden Administration also said that “FEMA assistance in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia can include a one-time $750 payment to help with essential items like food, water, baby formula and other emergency supplies.” 

“After registering for disaster assistance, individuals may also qualify to receive disaster-related financial assistance to repair storm-related damage to homes and replace personal property, as well as assistance to find a temporary place to stay,” reported information released by White House officials. “Homeowners and renters with damage to their home or personal property from previous disasters, whether they received FEMA funds or not, are still eligible to apply for and receive assistance for Hurricane Helene.” 

The post Residents attempt recovery efforts in devastation of Hurricane Helene appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

By Reginald Williams
Special to the AFRO

Barbering was one of the first professions that provided a means for Black men to purchase their freedom from slavery. Historically, the Black barber shop has served as the pillar of the community. It was one of two spaces—the church being the other—where Black men gathered to socialize and strategize for community events, including hosting voter registration drives. 

On the opening night of the Democratic National Convention, Stan Dorsey, owner of Ultimate DeZigns Barber & Beauty Salon in southeast Raleigh, N.C.., hosted “Black Men, Black Voices, Black Votes, & Black Victors.” In the way Black men gathered at the barber shop in the 1940s, ‘50s, and ‘60s, men from neighboring communities gathered to discuss the importance of having their voices and votes counted. 

“My vote makes me accountable, not just to myself, but to my family, to my community. It also allows me to hold elected officials accountable because I have that voice,” said Richard Redding, higher education coordinator of the Minority Male Program at Wake Technical Community College. 

As in days of the past, Black barber shops like Ultimate DeZigns are resurging as places that offer more than haircuts. Vibrant political conversations on topics like Project 25 often accompany the haircuts. 

“Last Saturday, I had a young lady here who has three kids. She knew nothing about Project 25,” explained Dorsey. “We (men in the shop) got to talking to her about it. I told her to read just the first paragraph. When she did, she broke out crying.”

Project 2025 is the Republican Presidential Transition Project proposed to uproot the tenets and fabric of democracy.

The ominous political chatter regarding Black men either choosing against voting in the forthcoming presidential election or deciding to vote for the Republican nominee aroused David Baker’s curiosity. Baker, a district judge for Juvenile Court in Raleigh, called his longtime friend Tim Grubbs and engaged in what he thought was a personal conversation between friends. Grubbs listened and allowed his buddy the space to air his thoughts. About two weeks later, Grubbs called Baker and inquired what he planned to do regarding his concerns. With the Republican presidential candidate campaigning on the promise to give “police immunity so that they can do their jobs,” and promising Christians, “If they vote this one last time, they’ll never have to worry about voting again,” Baker wanted to coordinate a bipartisan, multi-generational group of men to discuss today’s political landscape, and what it means for democracy.

Before starting the discussion, the men grabbed their folding chairs and connected them to four barber chairs to make a circle. “What is a vote? What is it supposed to do? What is it that we think it’s supposed to do,” was the question placed on the debate floor by the moderator to unlock the evening’s conversation. 

Antoine Marshall, a former candidate for the N.C. House of Representatives’s District 33, eloquently provided the historical content and context for the vote. 

“The government is run by a democracy. We choose our leaders to represent us on our issue. This country is a big place. It has a very complicated system. It’s a large system—$4 trillion every year. We can’t vote on all of the issues that we all individually have; we would get nothing done. So, we elect people to speak for our interests. When you go to the ballot box, you vote on the various offices and what they represent. You’re saying this is the person I want to serve in that position to represent my values,” explained Marshall.

On the heels of Marshall’s definition, the men began intimately describing what the vote meant specifically to them. 

“From my perspective, a vote is my capital. It’s my way of first acknowledging that someone did something for me to even have the right to participate in the process,” said Brandon Alexander, a real estate developer and community advocate. “If I don’t use my vote, then in my mind, I’m doing something to disgrace those people who sacrificed whatever those things were. It’s more of my way of first, acknowledging, but secondly, thanking them for the sacrifice they gave for me. So, for me, there’s no way that I’m never not going to vote.” 

Frankie McInnis, a member of Men of Southeast Raleigh, an organization that supports families and community agencies in achieving their missions, echoed Alexander’s sentiment that he would never stop voting even if his candidate fails to win.  

“There’s something that keeps you wanting to vote,” said McInnis, who believes people should not have their voices marginalized. “We tell ourselves that we have a voice. I think one of the worst things you can do to anybody is to ignore them. That’s one of the worst insults. My vote is saying to the whole world, ‘I’m not being ignored.’ Voting keeps me going to the ballot box because of the way it makes me feel. I may never get the candidate that I want, but I’m going to keep pulling the lever because of how it makes me feel.” 

Redding said his vote kept him accountable. However, he had another reason for voting, which brought laughter to the circle. 

“Another part of me is I never wanted to be that person who didn’t vote, and the candidate lost by one. In the back of my mind, I’m always thinking, ‘What if that candidate lost by one and I didn’t vote?’” said Redding. 

As Grubbs and Baker intended, the age diversity (from 18 to 70-plus) represented a bridging of generations. 

“I loved the diversity of age in the room,” said Redding, 57. “I believe everyone felt heard and affirmed. I felt connected and safe and excited that this place was created. It is needed.”

Javon Bell, 24, who arrived in tow with his dad, Jamie Bell, and cousin DeCota Butler, 22, agreed with Redding. 

Various individuals from different generations “provided critical pieces of knowledge that can help everyone grow,” Javon Bell said. “The voice of the room was very strong and powerful. It impacted me because of the variety of opinions.” 

The energy and spirit in the room were so palpable that the men decided to have a second discussion on Sept. 16. That made Dorsey happy, since he earlier expressed his hope that they could make the conversations a “big thing.”

“The evening affirmed my belief that when we come together with the intention to listen to one another, along with a willingness to share from our lived experiences, together we can solve any problem and transform our communities,” Baker said.

The post Black men, Black voices, Black votes: A barber shop conversation appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

By Reginald Williams
Special to the AFRO

On Sept. 7, the Pauli Murray Center for History and Social Justice opened to the public in Durham, North Carolina’s West End. The center has been under renovation for some time, according to local news reports. Billed as “A Celebration of Homecoming,” the event drew diverse visitors, all looking to honor and remember the civil rights leader’s work. 

“It has been a decade-long journey,” said Angela Thorpe Mason, the center’s executive director, to The Living Church, a religious publication. “The house was slated for demolition in the early 2000s, and was in extremely bad shape. A group of local advocates rallied to save it. The Pauli Murray Center was established in 2012, but the rehabilitation wasn’t complete until this April.

Anna Pauline “Pauli” Murray was a pioneer and a person of many firsts. Born in 1910, the trailblazing civil rights attorney, a 1944 graduate of Howard University Law School, was the only woman in her law class, where she ranked first. She was also the first African American to earn a Doctor of Jurisprudential Science from Yale Law School in 1965. 

Murray was also a changemaker in the religious realm. The Episcopal Church at the Washington National Cathedral ordained Murray into the priesthood on January 8, 1977. The Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina specifies that she was “the first Black person perceived as a woman ordained.” Murray is noted as an Episcopal saint.

Her activism was bold.

Four years before Irene Morgan refused to unseat herself in 1944 while riding on a segregated bus in Virginia, and 11 years before a 15-year-old Claudette Colvin set the stage for Rosa Parks’ civil disobedience by refusing to move from her seat on a Montgomery, Ala. bus— “Pauli,” as she preferred to be called, was arrested for disorderly conduct.

The year was 1940 when Murray, while traveling from New York to North Carolina, refused to move from the designated White-only section. Law officials arrested her for violating Virginia’s state segregation laws. 

The mission of the Pauli Murray Center is to continue addressing the injustices and inequalities for all people that Murray fought for. Their vision is “To realize a world in which wholeness is a human right for all and not the privilege of a few.”

The preservation of the center, which is the activist’s childhood home, is “supported in part by an African American Civil Rights Grant from the Historic Preservation Fund administered by the National Park Service (NPS), Department of the Interior.” The NPS designated Murray’s home as a National Historic Landmark in 2016.

Born in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1910, Murray was said to be ahead of her time. 

“She championed the cause of human rights through her work as an author, educator, lawyer, feminist, poet and priest,” states information released by the Pauli Murray Center. 

Murray’s work with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Philip Randolph was rooted in her discontentment with inequalities related to Black women and their lack of decision-making power when in grassroot struggles of Black people. Murray is credited with partnering with Bayard Rustin and James Farmer to establish CORE (Congress of Racial Equality) while attending law school. She also co-founded the organization, NOW (National Origination of Women), fighting for the presence of Black women. 

“Her legal work laid the foundation for major civil rights advances. Her 1950 book, “States’ Laws on Race and Color,” was hailed by Thurgood Marshall as the “bible” of the civil rights movement,” says Carl Kenney, assistant professor at the Hussman School of Journalism and Media at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. “Her legal arguments, particularly on the unconstitutionality of segregation, were influential in the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision that ended legal racial segregation in U.S. schools.”

According to information available at the Pauli Murray Center, the ardent activist “fought to lift up women in the civil rights movement, and women of color in the women’s rights movement. She believed that leaving anyone behind on the road to full equality would neglect a part of herself.”

A few years after being appointed by Eleanor Roosevelt to serve as the President’s Commission on the Status of Women, Murray wrote “Jane Crow and the Law: Sex Discrimination and Title VII,” an article that exposed the gender discriminatory practices and laws that outright oppressed women. The impact of that article inspired Atty. Ruth Bader Ginsberg to include Murray’s name on the brief cover written for Reed v. Reed 404 US 71. The 1971 landmark Supreme Court case struck down laws that discriminated against women by using the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment, which says no state can deny equal protection of the laws to anyone within its jurisdiction.

“Murray was a key figure in the second wave of feminism…advocating for gender equality and helping to shape the feminist movement’s focus on equal rights and dismantling systemic sexism,” says Kenney.

During an era when the use of nonbinary, non-gender pronouns was non-existent, Murray pushed the boundaries of gender and sexual identity. At 18, Murray shortened Pauline to Paulie to embrace a more androgynous identity. Many published reports maintain that Murray believed she was born a man in a woman’s body. 

Rosalind Rosenberg, author of  “Jane Crow: The Life of Pauli Murray,” notes that Murray identified “as a female who believed she was a male, before the term transgender existed. 

Kenney, a passionate promoter of women’s rights and the LBGTQ movement, says Murray was private about more sensitive topics. Still, many today recognize Renee Barlow as a long-time romantic partner of Murray. 

“Although she never publicly acknowledged her sexual orientation, in private writings, Murray expressed feeling like a man trapped in a woman’s body, making her an early figure in the conversation around gender identity,” says Kenney.

 She died on July 1, 1985, at the age of 74. 

Murray’s impact can still be felt in Durham, where she was raised by her aunt Pauline Fitzgerald Dame, after her parent’s death. The Durham Public School Board of Education recently voted unanimously to name their newest elementary school, Murray-Massenburg Elementary School, after Murray and Betty Doretha Massenburg, the first Black women principal in Durham. 

Today, five Murray murals exist throughout Bull City: 1101 West Chapel Hill Street, 2520 Vesson Avenue, 313 Foster Street, 117 S. Buchanan Boulevard, and 2009 Chapel Hill Road, keeping the activist’s memory alive. 

The Pauli Murray Center is just one more jewel added to the area, in honor of Murray’s work. According to information released by the center, Murray’s childhood home “was built by her grandparents in 1898 at 906 Carroll Street in Durham, North Carolina.” Today and every day moving forward, the center will keep the name of Pauli Murray alive “by connecting history to contemporary human rights issues” and encouraging people “of all ages to stand up for peace, equity and justice.”

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By Reginald Williams
Special to the AFRO

The pitch arrived just about waist-high. It caught the corner of the plate and had a little heat on it based on the pop of Washington Nationals pitcher Joe La Sorsa’s glove.

Nick Arrington, a Woodbridge, Va. native and prominent cast member on Bravo network’s “Summer House: Martha’s Vineyard,” threw out the ceremonial first pitch for the Nationals versus Chicago Cubs game on Aug. 30, the evening the Nationals honored the legacy of historically Black colleges and universities and the National Pan-Hellenic Council, an umbrella organization for Black sororities and fraternities, which are colloquially known as the Divine Nine.

“I’m throwing out the first pitch to celebrate my fraternity and my HBCU,” explained Arrington, a 2008 graduate of Tuskegee University in Alabama.

As part of HBCU/Divine Nine Night, the Nationals also welcomed Howard University’s Army Bison Battalion & Air Force Detachment 130 to serve as Color Guard for the game. Additionally, hundreds of fans who attended the special event received a commemorative majorette bobblehead. Proceeds from the special ticket sales will be donated to the D.C. Metro HBCU Alumni Alliance, which works to raise awareness, provide resources and offer programs aimed at supporting at-risk individuals and the communities where they live.

Arrington, a standout player at Gar-Field High School and a four-year player at Tuskegee, stood atop the mound and demonstrated a pitching form that suggested he hadn’t lost any skills from his past playing days as a catcher and relief pitcher. 

“Nick threw an awesome pitch. It was awesome to be a part of it,” said Ryan Stowers, a fan from Utah. “I told him I heard some serious snap on his pitch. I loved being a part of it, and I love the mission of HBCUs. I love what he was doing here. We need more of it.”

Surrounded by his mother, Linda Arrington, and his brother, Norman, a North Carolina A&T University graduate, Arrington lived out a childhood dream of one day throwing a baseball on a Major League Baseball diamond. Norman Arrington had the honor of helping his brother warm up before the first pitch and handing him the ceremonial ball.

A rising star in the entertainment space, Arrington was humbled by the opportunity to participate in the Nationals’ annual HBCU/Divine Nine Day.

“I’m here for a number of reasons,” explained Arrington. “We are celebrating historically Black colleges—so if you know, you know. It’s HBCU Night here at National Park and I’m super excited about that. I’m a proud graduate of Tuskegee University. We’re also celebrating tonight the Divine Nine—Black fraternities and sororities.” 

In the spring of 2007, Arrington pledged with the Gamma Epsilon Chapter of the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity at Tuskegee.

Throughout the game, which the Nationals lost 7-6, the scoreboard showed scores of HBCU alumni (Howard, Bowie State, Jackson State, Virginia State) throughout the park, rocking their school’s merch, and the sororities Alpha Kappa Alphas and the Delta Sigma Theta represented well.  

Fred Watson, a 1997 A&T graduate and Cubs fan, arrived at the game wearing a Cubs fitted cap and N.C.A&T shirt but had no idea that the Nationals was celebrating HBCU/Divine Nine Day.

“I came out because I’m a Cubs fan,” explained Watson, who is not part of a fraternity. “My guy who went to FAMU got the tickets. Hey, this is perfect, I get to celebrate HBCUs, and my team is winning.”  

In the top of the second inning, the Cubs scored seven runs and never relinquished their lead. 

Evolving from a kid growing up in Woodbridge playing baseball to a growing television personality on the Bravo network and a brand ambassador for Fortune 500 organizations occurred because of what Arrington describes as “one random phone call.” 

“Now we’re (his team) juggling entertainment. We pivoted from corporate America to TV and entertainment,” Arrington said. “It was one of those once-in-a-lifetime things when you get a random phone call for casting, and it’s like, hey, let’s do this. And the thing is, I’m blessed enough to have a strong support system behind me, so why not take a risk? It’s been fruitful. Now I’m here throwing out the first pitch. I go from a corporate office and a suit to lacing them up and being on the mound.”

In addition to being a reality star, Arrington models and styles A-list celebrities. He fancies himself “as a style savant who opine on menswear, lifestyle, travel, and culture to elevate everyday life.”

Arrington’s journey from Woodbridge to Tuskegee to New York and Martha’s Vineyard has been life-changing for the marathon runner, but it was his journey from the sideline to the pitcher’s mound at Nationals Park that fulfilled a lifelong dream.

“It was exhilarating. Can you imagine a Major League stadium? You dreamed of it as a kid, and I have the jersey on. It’s incredible,” Arrington said. “Once in a lifetime.”

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.

The post Nick Arrington, hometown reality star, throws out the first pitch at Nationals stadium appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

Reginald Williams
Special to the AFRO

This time of year is full of back to school events, including free back-to-school haircuts from neighborhood barbers and school supplies from churches, government agencies and community organizations. 

The return to school is intended to be a time for reacquaintance, where students arrive prepared to learn, and educators are ready to teach. However, in too many cases, students often return to school after summer break academically unprepared. 

Several studies suggest that summer separation from scholastic instruction contributes significantly to the academic disparity K-12 students face upon their return from vacation. 

Harvard research maintains that academic decay is more progressive depending on “ethnicity and socioeconomic status.”  The obstacles that negatively impact White students often have a more severe impact on Black students, says the research. The study also noted that “summer reading and math losses are sensitive to income status.” 

Poor and disadvantaged students experience more considerable summer reading losses than their middle-class counterparts, and all students experience similar losses in math. To explain this finding, scholars have relied on surveys of summer activities, which show that children in poverty have fewer opportunities to practice reading than middle-class children. As a result, socioeconomic gaps in reading are heightened during vacation, suggesting that differences in family background—not differences in school quality—create achievement inequalities. 

A time for change

The Center for American Progress, a public policy organization dedicated “to improving the lives of all Americans through bold, progressive ideas,” maintains that systemic racism colors education. The organization has said that wide-reaching changes to America’s education indoctrination must start with a change in the curriculum.

Coach Alfred Powell agrees that the public school curriculum is “adverse” and ineffective for Black children. Experts today use a behavior risk factor survey for adverse childhood experiences (ACE) to score the potentially traumatic impact of events before age 18. The survey asks about everything from instances of divorce to housing instability to gauge the trauma a person has experienced. Powell, a Western Ohio community educator and clinical professor,  instead looks at a different type of “ACE,” which he calls “adverse curriculum experiences.” 

“The word ‘curriculum’ connotes a course of study. Therefore, a Eurocentric curriculum is designed to take a person on a course of study that primarily highlights the accomplishments of Europeans, often excluding the achievements of other cultures,” Powell explained. “This narrow focus is detrimental to the imagination, self-esteem, and self-worth of BIPOC students, especially young Black boys. When the curriculum fails to reflect their history, culture, and contributions, it implicitly tells them that their experiences and identities are less valuable or irrelevant.”

Powell maintains that children who have to navigate the storms of an adverse curriculum are also grappling with the invisible messaging, intentionally advanced by public education leaders. Powell contends that the current public education curriculum:

• Omits the accomplishments and contributions of Black people, especially before slavery
• Celebrates Whiteness
• Purposely manipulates cultural consciousness
• Minimizes slavery and racism 
• Profiles BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) as savages and career criminals

“By connecting the curriculum to their students’ lived experiences and cultural backgrounds, educators can motivate them to pursue excellence, exceptionalism, and determination,” said Powell. “This approach helps students overcome the many distractions and challenges surrounding them and fosters a sense of belonging and self-worth. When students see themselves reflected in their education, they are more likely to engage with the material and strive for success.”

J. Dwayne Garnett, a valued-based educator, also believes the curriculum has a more nuanced problem that fails to speak to the humanity of Black boys. 

“When you talk about education, there’s no curriculum set aside for them. Their minds can’t even think about a Black male being a human,” said Garnett, founder of Love Is A Parable, a nonprofit organization transforming lives through valued-based education.

El-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz, the minister formerly known as Malcolm X, said more than five decades ago, “Only a fool would allow his enemies to educate his children.”

As suggested by the late activist, there exist all kinds of red flags that suggest Black children have no valued place in America’s educational system. 

The U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights says Black students comprise 14.9 percent of public school students. However, they make up almost 40 percent of the students suspended annually. 

The American Institutes for Research found that missing significant time from school had counterproductive impacts on academic outcomes and future behaviors. One study revealed that Black adolescent males represented more than one-half of the 17,000 preschool students expelled or suspended. Many educators have proven that they honor policy above practicum.

The Yale Child Study Center conducted research entitled, “Do Early Educators’ Implicit Bias Regarding Sex and Race Relate to Behavior Expectations and Recommendations of Preschool Expulsions and Suspension,” revealing that the suspension of Black boys was too often due to teacher bias. The study validates Garnett’s hypothesis regarding the dehumanization of Black boys, which is evident in how the world treats Black men. 

“We do live in a society where we are not prepared– nor have we even ventured to discuss– the intersectionality of Black men,” said Garnett. “Black boys aren’t thought of because Black men are not thought of. Black men are prepared for masculinity, every other demographic is prepared for humanity.”

Baruti Kafele, credited with elevating Newark Tech High School in Newark, NJ from the worst school in the state to the best, challenges educators and curriculum. He believes Black students must be seen and welcomed within the curriculum. 

“As long as we fail to properly educate Black children as to who that is in the mirror—historically, culturally, socially, economically, politically– we will continue to ask the same questions that we have been asking for decades: ‘How do we close the achievement gap of Black children?’ and ‘How do we inspire Black children to excel in the classroom?’”

The post A look at summer learning loss, curriculum challenges and the Black boys left behind appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

By Reginald Williams
Special to the AFRO
rwilliams@afro.com

Forty Black adolescent males from Baltimore City recently traveled to Birmingham, Tuskegee and Montgomery, Ala., for a cultural excursion of historic landmarks.

The boys visited Tuskegee University, Dexter Ave Baptist Church, Dexter Parsonage Museum, the Legacy Museum, The National Memorial for Peace and Justice and the Civil Rights Memorial Center. 

This is the 28th year that Cameron Miles, founder and director of Mentoring Male Teens In the Hood, a Baltimore-based mentoring program, has exposed Black boys to cultural adventures through travel that introduces them to the historical significance of who they are. Morehouse College, Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Duke and North Carolina A&T University represent some of the other educational institutions visited by past cohorts.

“We’re giving our young boys exposure and helping them to want to succeed,” explained Miles.

Seven adult chaperones joined Miles on the four-day trip, which commenced on June 13 and concluded June 16. The trip began with a flight to Birmingham. For many of the boys, this was their first experience with air travel. The tour started at Tuskegee University, a Historical Black College and University. Dr. Booker T. Washington served as the first teacher and founding principal, and Lewis Adams, a former enslaved tinsmith and community leader, was instrumental in establishing the educational institution. Subsequent visits to the Legacy Museum, the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, Dexter Ave Baptist Church, where a 26-year-old Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. served in his first pastorship, and Dexter Parsonage Museum (Dr. King’s residence while serving as Dexter’s pastor) gave the boys surreal vulnerability to what their ancestors were required to endure.

A part of the activities included taking time to be intentional about experiencing a spiritual connection.  

“On the morning of the 15th, we [did] what is called a morning grounding at the river,” Miles said. “We [met] at a river. It [was] a spiritual time to balance a sort of rite of passage experience. I want to make sure that we continue to be on one accord.” 

Naturalists maintain that morning grounding, also known as earthing, slows down the heart rate, reduces illnesses and chronic pain and disrupts depression. Engaging and learning a therapeutic exercise can prove valuable for boys growing up in Baltimore.

Mentoring Male Teens In the Hood began when Miles, a worker for the Department of Social Services, witnessed a group of adolescents behaving disruptively in the building. 

“The young people were coming into the building completely out of control,” said Miles. “They were cursing and fighting. I said, ‘I grew up in Baltimore. I can work with these young people.'”

Miles drafted a one-page proposal. His vision was embraced, and 28 years later, the program has served more than 3,000 Black adolescent males. They are currently tracking 65 former mentees. According to Miles, most are doing well, while some have died by violence. 

A shining example of what is possible through the program is Imhotep Simba, a former mentee. Raised by a single mother on Dolphin Street and experiencing behavioral issues, Simba, a Coppin University graduate and current Georgetown grad student, completed the program at 18. Desiring to experience the cultural diversity of a different country, Simba, with the help of Miles, spent two years in Ecuador on a Peace Corps mission. Coming full circle, Simba now brings his son and helps Miles with the program. 

Miles’ intent for the boys is to have them achieve their greatness. 

“My goal is to expose our young men to positive things and role models – male, female, Black or White – from different ethnicities, different occupations so that they can start thinking early and often about what they want to do,” explained Miles. “I want to get engineers in front of them. I want to get pilots in front of them—the judge, the lawyer, the college professor, the business owner and the military general. Whatever the case, they need to see these different pieces and figure out what they want to do.”

The extent to which Black adolescent males do not partake in dangerous and violent encounters can be measured primarily by the extent to which those males are engaged in experiential, life-altering learning opportunities like those provided by organizations such as Mentoring Male Teens In the Hood. Some of the program’s donations are re-invested directly to the mentees. Miles uses a portion of the funding to pay peers. Those are mentees who have proven themselves as leaders. Miles also rewards mentees who earn A’s in major subjects.

“We incentivize for report cards,” explained Miles. “If your son brings me three A’s in major subjects—like math or English—they get $20 for each A. I think that’s the right thing to do with donations. This does give them an incentive,” Miles said. “Some might say they’re supposed to go to school and do good. But there are so many distractions. Everybody isn’t focused on learning. So, we want to give a reward for doing good.” 

Mentoring Male Teens In the Hood also provides the first $10,000 in scholarship funding for any mentee who desires to attend college.

The program will host its sixth Annual STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) camp from July 8 to August 9.

“I’m not working this hard for everybody to flip burgers and clean toilets,” said Miles. “I’m not knocking that work– but I want them to do and be the very best that they can.”

Now that  they have returned, the boys must submit a one-page report detailing how the trip impacted them. Miles calls the tours “learning trips.” 

“We want them to be prepared and learn about great things to help prepare them for greatness,” said Miles.

Contributions to Mentoring Male Teens In the Hood can be made by contacting Cameron Miles at (410) 852-8013 or by email at cmilesmmth@gmail.com.

The post Mentoring Black Male Teens in the Hood: Investing in the lives of young Black men appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

By Reginald Williams
Special to the AFRO

Charles Mason III is one of approximately 101,000 American citizens – and among roughly 27,000 African-Americans – awaiting a kidney transplant.

On average, 17,000 recipients receive kidney transplants annually. Blacks, however, proportionately  receive even fewer kidneys.

 All the usual social determinants suspects play a critical role in African-Americans reduced opportunity to find kidney donors:

-Lack of access to care,

-Poor care coordination,

-Lack of suitable donors,

-Lack of funding, and

-Persistent medical mistrust

While African-Americans develop kidney disease at almost four times the rate of White people and are

diagnosed with end-stage kidney failure at 2.5 times the rate of White people, they have a decreased chance of getting a lifesaving organ. According to the National Kidney Foundation, Black people wait an average of 64 months to get a transplant, while White people secure a new kidney in 37 months.

One reason for the extended wait is due to an inaccurate estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR)

test used to assess a person’s kidney function. The test evaluates how efficiently a person’s kidneys remove creatinine, a waste product filtered out of blood. The eGFR equation reports a score based on measured creatinine levels while also considering a patient’s age, gender, and race. The race-based methodology used to calculate test results for Black and non-Black patients played a significant factor in who is placed on the donor list.

A 2019 paper published in the Journal of the American Medical Association by nephrologist Dr. Nwamaka Eneanya, an assistant professor in epidemiology and in renal-electrolyte and hypertension at the Perelman School of Medicine, shined a spotlight on the issue.

“The researchers who developed these equations discovered that Black study participants had higher creatinine levels compared to white study participants — despite having similar kidney function,” Dr. Eneanya explained.  “The researchers proposed that the reasons for their findings were due to Black people having more muscle mass than white people. Since people with more muscle mass make more creatinine, they concluded that Black patients’ eGFR scores should be adjusted with a multiplication factor. Clinicians have been performing this ‘race correction’ for more than 20 years, so Black patients are routinely assigned higher kidney function than those of other races.”

Because the eGFR overestimated Black patients’ kidney functions, it resulted in their delay in being placed on a donor’s list.

Dr. Eneanya championed a change in the use of the eGFR test, and the National Kidney Foundation and American Society of Nephrology have also advocated for a switch to race-free equations in calculating kidney function.

To mitigate the damage of the biased testing, more than 14,000 African American candidates were moved up on the priority waitlist between January 2023 and mid-March 2024. Candidates had their wait time reduced by almost two years. According to the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network, approximately 3,000 patients received kidneys.

“When I found out they were messing with the numbers [kidney level function from the eGFR test], I no longer wanted to hear how in medicine everything is on the up and up. No. You’re lying,” said a passionate Mason. “Everything is not on the up and up, and y’all [medical professions] need to be scrutinized more. We need better checks and balances for a lot of systems in this country.”

The 33-year-old Baltimore artist was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease when he was 10 years old. Sitting in a doctor’s office on Sept. 11, 2001, watching two commercial airliners crash into the World Trade Centers, Mason – not understanding the dynamics of what he witnessed – learned that he, too, would suffer a crushing tragedy. 

On the unforgettable day that shook America, Mason felt his world collapse. He visited the doctor, believing he had two broken ankles because of excessive swelling. Instead, he learned his swollen feet were the result of edema from poor kidney function, and Mason was diagnosed with primary focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), a chronic kidney disease that affects about 40,000 people annually. Primary FSGS has no known cause.

“They tested me for everything, like glaucoma, diabetes and other auto-immune diseases and conditions because my illness came out of nowhere,” explained the abstract painter. “Till this day, to my knowledge they don’t know where it comes from.”

Despite being eligible, Mason isn’t on a donor list. He is young, consumes a regime of medicine that keeps his kidneys filtered and maintains a healthy lifestyle. However, the University of Maryland of Baltimore County fine arts graduate is cognizant that he needs a donated kidney sooner than later.

“I’m thankful for not having to be on a list,” Mason said. “I’ve been able to find a regime of medicine that has really helped me. I’m thankful for being in half-decent shape health-wise. I’ve taken care of my body. All of that has a lot to do with me being stable. For a long period of time, even for years, my kidney function levels stayed stagnant. But as you continue to live, those levels will decrease.”

The Baltimore native hopes to find a living kidney donor.

“Right now, I’m aiming for, praying for, hoping for a living donor. With a living donor versus being on a list and waiting for someone’s kidney, chances are higher that it will be a healthier kidney. I’ll be able to have it longer, and it is less likely to have certain diseases,” Mason said.

According to Mason, living donors provide a better prospect for a successful transplant. Living donors must undergo a more rigorous screening process. Medical experts say that recipients of living donors generally experience better outcomes. A kidney with metabolic issues like high blood pressure or diabetes is not a good candidate for transplants.

“They scrutinize it [a transition kidney] to a degree but it’s different,” explained Mason. “With a living donor, they want the person to be as healthy as possible. They scrutinize them really well because you’re getting a foreign organ into your system. They don’t want someone who is pre-diabetic to donate an organ.”

During National Kidney Month, Mason authored an open letter to the community to increase his odds of finding a suitable donor, sharing his journey, and asking for help. In addition to the kidney, he will need to fund the portion of the transplant not covered by his health insurance.

“This might be one of the biggest asks I’ve ever had to do, that is, to ask you and anyone you may know that might be interested if they’d be willing to donate a kidney to me,” Mason said. “Spread the word ‘cause if it’s one thing for sure, I can’t do this alone and I know we’re not meant to do any of this life alone.”

The post Baltimore’s abstract painter Charles Mason III needs a kidney appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

Reginald Williams
Special to the AFRO

A civil war is playing out on social media platforms on a daily basis, undoubtedly spilling into real, everyday life. The bitter combatants are Black men and Black women. With Black men persistently asking what Black women bring to the table, and Black women either believing Black men are no good or are unneeded– the disparaging attacks on Black love are proving detrimental to Black relationships and marriage. Many believe the distasteful disharmony is also harming Black families.

Overwhelming data may suggest there may be some significant discontent in Black love.

The prevalence of children born to single-family homes, approximately four million according to research, and the paltry percentage of African Americans getting married demonstrate the depth of relationship issues often argued. The U.S. Census Bureau reports that 31.2 percent of Black people were married compared to approximately 54 percent of Whites. Black women represent the least married population at 28.6 percent. Black men married at 34.4 percent. According to the Journal of Blacks in Higher Education, approximately 48 percent of Black women and 51 percent of Black men never married.

With this data in mind,  husband-and-wife duo Ayize and Aiyana Ma’at, created BLAM, or Black Love and Marriage. 

BLAM is an organization working to offset the negative narratives surrounding Black love. The relationship transformation community focuses on personal and relationship growth and healing. The couple’s ministry began in 2011 on their YouTube platform, “Ask the Ma’ats,” allowing followers to write and ask relationship questions.  

“Even though we didn’t call it BLAM when we began this work, the idea, concept [and] heartbeat of it was birthed about 13 years ago when we started doing work inside the community. Ayize Ma’at says the goal was “to help people improve the quality of their lives, mainly focusing on the quality of their relationships.”

Married for 21 years, through BLAM, the trained therapists have built a nationwide community dedicated to collaboratively growing Black love. California, Colorado, Texas, and North and South Carolina represent a few of the BLAM communities with robust members, working collaboratively to show that Black love exists.

Members remain active even when their relationship fails to end with happily-ever-after narratives.  

Amid his divorce, Spencer Washington continues to participate in BLAM activities. He attends the meetups in the District of Columbia and also takes advantage of a variety of online activities offered by the group. Relationship Thursday, Expert Office Hours and The Love Experience: A Virtual Journey to Elevate Your Intimacy represent some of the online events available. The Men’s Lounge and Sister Circle are bi-monthly group sessions that play out like collaborative therapy sessions. They also host an annual marriage conference held at the National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Md.

“BLAM was something I really wanted to be a part of,” explained Washington. “After my wife filed for divorce, I was really at a loss. I didn’t know where to turn. I told myself–wait a minute–I have my BLAM brothers and my BLAM family (BLAMily) to turn to.” 

“During the Men’s Lounge, I found that there were brothers that I shared with, and they shared with me,” he continued. “We had a lot of similarities. I felt like BLAM and the Men’s Lounge were right for me. I felt like God had led me to the place I needed to be.”

Washington added that he continues participating in the BLAMily activities to prepare for his next partner.

The soul of BLAM’s delivery is providing a safe space for its members to be vulnerable. The provision of its compassionate, listening ear coupled with the mission of holding members accountable. Its tagline is “Relationship work is personal work.”  

“In our work, we were really hitting in on people’s pain points. We got really clear about the pain people were experiencing around their relationships,” explained Aiyana Ma’at. “The nature of the work we do is connecting. We’re asking people to share things that are vulnerable—they’re exposing themselves. We put a lot of energy into creating a safe space. There is no judgment. Love and safety are the number one virtue in our space.”

One of the ways that BLAM has become so respected is by providing relationship education using entertaining online tools. JR and Reina McKinney joined BLAM after participating in BLAM’s Communication Challenge. Two years after their nuptials, the McKinneys found themselves in space where their differences were magnified and almost unbearable. Reina McKinney saw a Facebook advertisement for the challenge and signed the couple up. By the fourth night, both knew BLAM was where they needed to be.  

“This is the third and final marriage for both of us,” explained Reina McKinney, BLAMbassadors in the Carolinas. “We entered our covenant in 2018 with a no-out clause. If we were going to make it, we either needed coaching or counseling otherwise we would be stuck and miserable forever, which neither of us wanted.”

Through BLAM, the McKinneys say they are collaborating with a community of support and accountability partners with similar goals. They have gained valuable tools for communication, connection, and personal work.

The community is what makes BLAM more than just content curators.

“We’ve created solutions to people’s problems,” shared Ayize Ma’at. “We were consistent in our delivery of those solutions. When I say we created solutions, I mean we created solutions around communication, conflict management, sex and intimacy. We created those solutions while remaining consistent in delivering them.”

“This community gives you the vocabulary to engage in reaching the next level,” explained Graham Dixon, a member from the D.C., Maryland and Virginia area that has been married for nine years. “A lot of times, I find myself in situations where I don’t know how to say what I’m saying. In listening to some of the classes, sitting back thinking and reflecting [on what] Ayize said provides a deeper insight.”

The Ma’ats have come full circle. The native Washingtonians met almost 30 years ago at Tots and Teen, a D.C.-based family organization whose mission was to improve the quality of the Black family. Now based in Los Angeles, Calif., they have built a platform impacting Black families. 

The Ma’ats are parents to five children. Their eldest, Asante Duah Ma’at, is the primetime Emmy Award nominee known as “Asante Blackk.” He starred as Kevin Richardson in the Ava Duvernay film  “When They See Us.” While their son’s star is on the rise, the couple has been featured in  “You Saved Me,” a documentary showcasing Black Love. 

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

The post Meet the Ma’ats: Advocating for Black love appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

Reginald Williams
Special to the AFRO

Rep. Glenn Ivey (D-Md) led a three-venue healthcare tour on March 23 to bring attention to the Day of Action and the anniversary of the passage of the Affordable Care Act, enacted in 2010. 

Along with First Lady Shawna Watley of Kingdom Fellowship AME Church, and healthcare advocates, Ivey’s first stop at DaVita’s Friendly Farm Home Dialysis in Fort Washington, Md., provided what were described as “eye-opening” revelations.  

“I had no idea that poor blood pressure could lead to kidney disease,” shared Watley.

High blood pressure, according to medical experts, is a prime reason for chronic kidney disease. 

Hypertension can lead to kidney disease, which can subsequently lead to more severe hypertension. According to the World Health Organization, kidney disease is one of the top 10 causes of death. Experts maintain that foods high in animal protein, dairy and sugar can cause kidney damage.

Many DaVita patients residing in southern Fort Washington revealed that they live in a food desert and often must purchase food from convenience stores. Watley suggested ways to support the community in combating declining health issues.  

“Why can’t we do a pop-up in southern Prince George’s where they have the Dollar Store?” Watley asked, rhetorically. “We can see about using that parking lot and providing fresh vegetables for the people. We need to figure out how we can meet their needs.”

A diet that consistently consumes fresh vegetables is one of the recommended habits to embrace when fighting chronic diseases like high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes. NuVegan Café, whose tagline is Nutritious Meals For Everyone, provides healthy food options to the citizens of Prince George’s County and the neighboring communities.

Dining on vegetables and plant-based lasagna, Ivey, a Rocky Mount, N.C. native, was excited about his meatless meal.

“We came here, and I’ve been pleasantly surprised,” said Ivey. “I’m an African-American male who grew up in the South–and still eat like it. But I can see myself making the transition after this today. The food is fantastic.”

Ivey understands the impact that food has on overall health.

“What you eat has an impact on how you live and how long you live. We started out at a dialysis clinic and one of the points made by the staff was that their patients have diabetes, high blood pressure and it’s starting to occur earlier and earlier. They have more younger people coming in than they did before. Changing what you eat makes a critical difference.”

Vegan and plant-based diets, according to several studies, produce sustainable health benefits. Vernon Woodland, the NuVegan owner, has been credited by many customers for assisting in their lifestyle transformations.

“I feel like my food impacts people in a good way,” explained Woodland. “We get a lot of testimonials from customers that come in because doctors told them they had to make lifestyle changes,” said Woodland, who owns eight NuVegan locations. “Like Mayor Adams , they come in and within two months or three months you can see the health changes. It starts with good food. It starts with education– and then having access to the food.”

Watley explained that, for her, “healthier eating is a ministry.” 

“It’s about teaching our community how to eat healthier,” she said. 

Woodland is thrilled to learn that NuVegan is helping customers who once suffered from health issues to change their lifestyles.

“When a customer pulls me to the side and says, ‘Hey Vernon, I just want to let you know that I don’t have diabetes anymore, or I don’t have high cholesterol’ – those things make me feel good,” said Woodland. “Hearing those testimonies makes me feel like what I do here at NuVegan is valuable.”

Ivey presented Woodland with a Congressional award for his health-conscious approach.

“I bestowed the Congressional Citation of Recognition to encourage the good work of keeping Marylanders healthy. Vernon Woodland is the type of entrepreneur we want our folks inside the Beltway to support,” said Ivey. “Fresh whole foods and alternatives to highly processed fast foods will help our communities avoid chronic diseases like diabetes, hypertension and kidney failure.”

Ivey’s final tour stop was at the Riderwood Senior Community Living in Silver Spring, Md. where he spoke with an auditorium of seniors. 

According to Ivey’s office, the tour was an interconnected effort. The congressional office collaborated with entrepreneurs, health care facilities—dialysis and elder care—and health advocates for an integrated approach to holistic healing, starting with education.

Recognizing the 14th anniversary of The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, also known as “Obamacare,” Ivey reflected on former First Lady Michelle and President Barack Obama’s holistic mission.

“It’s funny because when you think about Barack and Michelle, Barack’s main goal and largest accomplishment was Obamacare– which provided coverage– but Michelle’s big push for eating right makes a difference,” explained Ivey. “They put the two together, which is what we are trying to do today because it makes a difference.”

Ivey’s tour followed President Joe Biden’s executive order requesting that several federal agencies expand and improve research on women’s health. In his 2024 State of the Union, Biden called for Congress to invest $12 billion in new funding for women’s health research.

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

The post Congressman Glenn Ivey promotes healthier food choices, celebrates anniversary of Affordable Care Act appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

By Reginald Williams,
Special to the AFRO

Principal Baruti Kafele recently stood before the sold-out crowd in Lima, Ohio, speaking with students, educators, parents, business owners and community advocates on the importance of sowing seeds of promise– not doubt– into today’s youth. 

The 35-year education veteran, credited with being a master teacher and transformational school leader, keynoted the “I’m At Promise –Not at Risk” signature event that focused on helping students go from the cradle to prosperous careers– not from the cradle to prison. 

The weekend of Feb. 24 was filled with educational activities and presenters, like Chike Akua, Ph.D., who also spoke to attendees. 

“Our objective was to be intentional about addressing barriers youth and families face in school–in the space that could lead them to feeling left out and left alone,” explained Emmanuel Curtis, the host and brain trust behind the events.  “The information and efforts given by every one of our presenters, authors and edu-tainers, Chike Akua and Principal Baruti Kafele, were beyond anything that I could’ve imagined. Their workshops were career altering.” 

Sponsored by Jenga Lima, of My Brothers Keeper (MBK), Kafele and Akua were also tasked with facilitating professional development workshops with educators and school counselors. The mission for the weekend, which concluded with the “Music is Medicine” concert, aspired to bring awareness, information and advocacy for a population– specifically Black and Brown people, who are systematically underserved. 

Black children, especially adolescent males, are commonly branded at risk. But what– Kafele asked–are they at risk of? He addressed the conference’s theme, while also encouraging change. 

“The theme of the conference is ‘I’m at promise —not at risk,” explained Kafele. “If there’s anybody in this room who uses at-risk language, I’m going to strongly encourage you this afternoon to stop using that language. It stigmatizes the young people to whom it is being applied. When you say ‘at risk,’ then there’s another question you must ask. At risk of what? The implication is ‘at risk of going to jail; At risk of committing a crime; At risk of underachieving; At risk of failing; At risk of an early death–what are we talking about?” 

Rather speaking negativity over the lives of Black children, Kafele promotes language that breathes promise.

“I would rather not look at a young person—Black children–with a mindset that I see them ‘at risk’ of something if it isn’t ‘at risk of greatness.’ Instead, I’ll use ‘at promise,’ ‘at possibility,’ ‘at probable’– ‘at most likely,’” explained Kafele.

While the language stigmatizes, the actions of school leaders nationwide too often criminalize Black students, especially Black adolescent males, subsequently placing them “at risk,” if for nothing other than being separated from educational opportunities. 

One academic study reports that Black boys represent more than 50 percent of the 17,000 preschool students, ages three to five, expelled or suspended. Research conducted by Yale Child Study Center provides insight into some dynamics that drive the preschool-to-prison pipeline. 

The Yale study revealed the results of eye-tracking software worn by teachers that gauged their eye movement whenever responding to classroom disturbances. Teachers were prone to first turn their attention toward Black boys whenever classroom disruptions occurred. Research reveals the cradle-to-prison pipeline is impacted by teachers swayed by their implicit biases.

“One of the reasons that preschool-to-prison pipelines even exist is because our children have not been taught the truth about their history,” explained Akua, an award-winning educator, “Many of our children have been gangsterized, criminalized, and hypersexualized. Unaddressed trauma in a people over time can look like culture. ” 

Akua provided data, presented images society frequently uses to paint Black boys as less than, and offered impact statements that evoked several Asé moments.   

“Some people see academic underachievement in our community and say, ‘It’s just a part of the culture.’ No, it’s not! It’s unaddressed trauma in our people over time looking like culture,” Akua explained. However, the professor of Educational Leadership at Clark Atlanta University, maintains that culture is the key to educational engagement and achievement. 

“When you show them the greatness of their culture, their achievement skyrockets. But in the absence of that, they will continue to struggle,” said Akua.

Kafele, recognized as an “urban educator” and “turnaround school leader,” has grown a reputation for transforming failing schools and cultivating students’ excellence rooted in impoverished conditions. Noted for transforming Newark Tech from one of the lowest-performing schools to one of the nation’s best, Kafele said:

“As long as we fail to properly educate Black children as to who that is in their mirror historically, culturally, socially, economically, but particularly culturally and historically—we will be coming to these kinds of gatherings forever, asking the same questions. How do you close the achievement gap for Black children? How do you inspire our children to excel in the classroom,” explained Kafele. 

In his commanding voice, Kafele questioned if Lima was committed to properly educating Black youth.  

“When I say properly educated: are they being exposed to a curriculum, an instruction that tells them who they are?” quipped the coveted Milken Educator Award winner. “When they are in mathematics—is there something culturally relevant about this instruction that they can take the math and apply it to their Black lives? Is there something about the science that they are exposed to, that they can apply it to their Black life? Is there something about language arts, reading and writing that they can apply to their Black life?” 

“In other words,” asked Kafele, “Is this curriculum and this instruction relevant to who they are, or is it something distant from them that when the bell rings at three o’clock for them to go home, they don’t see how those lessons are applicable to their lives?”  

Public school curriculums often attempt to “White-out” the genius of Black thought. Curriculum teaches that Pythagoras, an ancient Greek mathematician, is credited as the founder of the Pythagorean theorem, considered a cornerstone of math, but fails to teach that Pythagoras was educated in ancient Egypt by Egyptian scholars who were Black.

“Education and literacy has always been sacred to African people,” explained Akua. “Going back thousands and thousands of years, there’s never been a time when education was not sacred to African people. We were the ones that gave the world reading and writing—language and literature. We gave them architecture, engineering, agricultural and astronomy, mathematics, science and technology,” Akua asked. 

“How do you take a group of people that gave the world all that and then convince them that they are nothing but a race of pimps and players—criminals, thugs, ‘n-word,’ and ‘b-word?’ I call that cultural identity theft,” said Akua. “ [It] happens every day in schools with curriculums that continue to miseducate our children– with school districts that literally spend millions of dollars every year on materials that continue to miseducate our children and miseducate all children.”

The post Principal Baruti Kafele: Encouraging Black youth, one promise at a time appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

Reginald Williams
Special to the AFRO

Aging is often a maligned occurrence. As men age, many begin to experience a host of physical ailments that can interrupt day to day life. Aching knees, shoulders, back and hips or a slower metabolism are just a few of the common complaints. It isn’t unusual to hear men claim they hurt in places they never knew existed; moving gingerly becomes a way of life. 

According to the National Institute of Health, muscle mass begins to deteriorate by as much as three to eight percent per decade after age 30 and even more aggressively after 60. A lack of exercise heightens a body’s physical decay. It affirms the adage: “If you don’t use it, you will lose it.”

Health experts maintain that muscle and strength loss plays a significant factor in why older adults live with chronic disabilities. The problems that more senior men experience is not due to their aging, but their abandonment of physical activity. It isn’t unusual for former well-fit athletes to embrace—in their later years— a sedentary lifestyle complemented by a poor diet. The axiom, “You are what you eat,” has been proven truthful. Black men, who have the lowest life expectancy, live with and die from preventable chronic illnesses largely due to poor diet and minimal physical activities.

Chronic illnesses and death have little to do with aging, and more about abstaining from healthy actions. Eating nutrient-dense diets, complemented with daily movement, is instrumental in living with less pain and fewer compromising chronic illnesses.

“We’re not getting any younger and we only have one body,” explained Frank Sheffield, a 60-year-old roller-skating enthusiast. “You have to treat your body right so that it can treat you right.” 

Upon waking each morning, Sheffield performs his pushups before carrying out any other task.

Lon Walls, 13 years Sheffield’s senior, remains fit from his youth. At 73, the former Ohio University football player and bando instructor continues to excel in his fitness with the practice of the Burmese martial arts.

“I got into bando when I was playing spring football. It was 1970. Me and this other brother named Terry decided we were going to take a class. Spring football was over, and we were still geeked up and wanting to hit something. We went to a class, and it was the most impressive thing I’ve ever seen,” explained the seven-time national kickboxing and free-fighting champion. Because Walls instructs students a third of his age, the Toledo, Ohio native wants to be active and available to demonstrate what he’s training his students to achieve.

“You see a lot of people who are coaches and trainers sometimes don’t look the part. They have the knowledge, but when you look at them, you wonder—can they execute or demonstrate? I guess after a certain age, you can’t, but for me—part of what’s been my mission is to not only have the knowledge, but still be able to execute to some degree,” explained Walls. “That’s why I train. That’s why I keep myself in good shape.”

Walls said younger generations keep him sharp.

“I’m teaching guys who are 24, 25 years old who are geeked up and have all kinds of testosterone. I want to be able to show them and physically demonstrate what I want them to do. They see me in the gym training, even when I’m not teaching. They know that I’m for real—I’m a serious martial artist. I’m about keeping myself in shape and perfecting my craft. That’s been my driving force in terms of my whole physical being.”

At 74, Dwight Williams begins his health regimen before getting out of bed, spending no less than five minutes practicing deep sleep meditation, a discipline learned when he visited Africa almost 50 years ago. In 1959, at 10 years of age, Williams was told he needed to have his left kidney removed. His health issue would eventually lead him to travel the world to find a solution.

Today, he practices an exercise routine that is performed at various times of the day. The West Baltimore resident plans to live to be at least 100 years of age, healthy and fit. 

“I work hard. My job right now is staying alive and healthy for as long as I can,” shared Williams.

Remaining physically fit in those senior years does not eliminate all aches and pains. Dedicating time daily to massage his joints is a part of Williams’ daily health regimen. Aging means body parts will experience some deterioration that produces throbbing body irritations.

“It’s inevitable. Even with exercising, I still get stiffness, aches and pains,” explained Sheffield, the entertainment manager for national recording husband and wife duo—Kindred. “Those things come with age…but at the same time they’ll get much worse if you don’t exercise.”

Williams, Walls and Sheffield, who began his current regimen in the grips of the pandemic, always partook in some form of physical exertion. Sheffield loves to roller skate three or four times per week. However, the fitness plan for each became more intentional because of health concerns. After their doctor’s visit, Walls discovered that several arteries were blocked and required the insertion of a coronary stent. Sheffield was warned by his primary care provider that he needed to lose up to 10 pounds in three months if he was going to successfully manage his continuously rising blood pressure. The native Washingtonian lost 35 pounds, and his blood pressure lowered below 120/20. 

Walls participates in exercise classes twice per week. Sheffield’s calisthenics routine consists of daily pushups—between 150 and 200, pullups, dips, and abdominal work, and his healthy diet keeps his weight at about 200 pounds. He’s no longer required to take blood pressure medication. Williams begins his day exercising and continues throughout the day. He performs approximately 150 pushups, 60 pullups, and two sets of 30 squats—30 in the morning and an additional 30 in the evening.

Many older men are disinterested in exercising on a daily basis, believing that the intersection between the demand for their time to exercise and its benefit isn’t beneficial enough to commit. However, in speaking with committed men, many say they work out to stay fit, not necessarily live longer, but instead to experience a quality life in their final years free of debilitating diseases. 

David Wellington, a 77-year-old health enthusiast, does not work out because he wants to live a quality of life as much as he wants to die in peace. It isn’t unusual for men suffering from noncommunicable diseases to grow weary from fighting daily with their health battles.

According to the National Library of Medicine, Black men experience the presence of one or more chronic illness challenges, resulting in a steeper decline in health, which continues to grow wider.

Wall’s primary incentive for remaining physically fit is watching the health decline of his friends.

“I see people around me that are deteriorating, and that sorta motivates me,” explained Walls, the sixth-level black belt. “I’ve seen brothers, a lot of my contemporaries who didn’t stop bad habits or stopped too late, and basically they’re not here or in pretty bad shape health-wise. That’s my number one motivation. I don’t want to be like that.”

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.

The post Fit after 50: Aging gracefully with exercise and a healthy diet appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

By Reginald Williams
Special to the AFRO

More than 200 Prince George’s County citizens filled the Bowie State University’s Student Center Ballroom on Nov. 28 to partake in the community forum on rising youth crime. Also in attendance were Prince George’s County law enforcement and local and state representatives.

Sponsored by Councilmember Ingrid Watson (D-District 4), the forum’s goals, according to the councilwoman, were:

• To hear from the panel experts on crime and learn its impact on communities;
• Share thoughts about solutions;
• Review proposed legislation to address those crimes;
• Connect with members of the community.

“This is an opportunity to create an action plan of how to move forward beyond the forum,” said Watson, who believes the forum is a start to creating solutions.

As in many communities nationwide, there is a rising concern amongst the residents regarding the escalation of violence. According to Circuit Court documents, from Jan. 1, 2019-Oct. 31, 2023, there were 450 carjackings in Prince George’s County. Violent crimes over the past 12 months increased 9 percent to 4,163 attacks (murder, sex offenses, robbery, assault and domestic violence) from 3,815 in 2022. 

Sen. Ronald L. Watson (D-Prince George’s County) and panelists introduced some aggressive legislation to address the problem.

Sen. Watson introduced five bills to the audience: The Violent Firearm Offender Act, Illegal and Stolen Firearms, Organized Retail Theft, Protection at the Pump, and Maryland Firearm Detection Platform Act.

Each bill, divided into five sections, is intended to address a different aspect of the crime problem.

“When Councilmember Watson asked what could I do, I said, ‘Let me bring Annapolis to Bowie. Let me show you how we get bills done. That’s what we’re going to do tonight. We’re going to get as many done as we can with the time that we have,'” explained Sen. Watson.

Before introducing the bills, Sen. Watson began his PowerPoint presentation by showing media clips and disturbing images of crime victims. 

“Are we there yet?” Sen. Watson repeatedly asked while sharing his year-end review of the county’s crime. “Have we reached the point where we are ready to demand action? Have we reached the point where we are ready to go to Annapolis by the busloads and keep the politicians in their seats until we are heard because the squeaky wheel still gets the grease?”

The panel of experts also included District Attorney Aisha Braveboy, Police Chief Malik Aziz and Prince George’s County School Superintendent Millard House II.

Tiffanie Colvin, a Bowie, Md., resident, attended the forum with a contingent of parents from Pointer Ridge Elementary, looking for some answers about the Excellence in Gifted and Talented Education program, found value in the councilwoman’s efforts but had issues with House II’s offering.

“I thought the forum was very informative. The ideas presented I did like, but I would like to have more information before I fully say yes, we should move forth,” explained Colvin. “I kind of like the direction, but the superintendent did not say much about school safety.”

Former police officer and Cheltenham Youth Detention Center mentor Richard Beckwith also held mixed feelings about the community discussion.

“I thought the turnout and the response was very good, but I still feel that the projects he’s proposing are programs the government has previously shut down—like Job Corp,” said the 77-year-old county resident. “The programs we had, the government decided weren’t good anymore. And they instituted restraints that make it difficult to discipline our children.”

Braveboy, a former Maryland House of Delegates member representing the 25th district, shared several initiatives her office is implementing to combat crime.

She also voiced her understanding of the mental health component that exacerbates the problem and that that violence was more encompassing, and could not be blamed entirely on youth.

“We must hold everyone accountable,” said Braveboy. “The children are getting the guns from somewhere. Who’s putting these guns in children’s hands? This is not all on the children.”

Beckwith believes the problems of violence are greater than just the children.

“We can’t compromise and discount all of the underlying circumstances that created this atmosphere amongst our juveniles,” Beckwith said. “If we want to reverse these problems, we can’t ignore the trauma that created it.”

In Sen. Watson’s opening, he said the plan to reduce crime wasn’t rooted in mass incarceration. However, much of what was offered revolved around policy and policing. 

But Aziz echoed in his presentation the need for more services to address the psychosocial needs of the youth. He ended his presentation by saying: “You throw away behaviors. We don’t throw away the people.”

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.

The post Councilmember Ingrid Watson holds community forum on crime  appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

Reginald Williams
Special to the AFRO

More than 200 Prince George’s County citizens filled the Bowie State University’s Student Center Ballroom on Nov. 28 to partake in the community forum on rising youth crime. Also in attendance were Prince George’s County law enforcement and local and state representatives.

Sponsored by Councilmember Ingrid Watson (D-Greenbelt-District 4), the forum’s goals, according to the councilwoman, were to hear from the panel experts on crime and learn its impact on communities, share thoughts about solutions, review proposed legislation to address those crimes and connect with members of the community. 

“This is an opportunity to create an action plan of how to move forward beyond the forum,” explained Councilmember Watson, who believes the forum is a start to creating solutions.

As in many communities nationwide, there is a rising concern amongst the residents regarding the escalation of violence. According to Circuit Court documents, from Jan 1, 2019-Oct 31, 2023, there were 450 carjackings in Prince George’s County. Violent crimes over the past 12 months increased nine percent to 4163 attacks (murder, sex offenses, robbery, assault and domestic violence) in 2023 from 3,815 in 2022. Sen. Ronald L. Watson (D-PrinceGeorge’s County-23) and panelists introduced some aggressive legislation to address the problem.

Sen. Watson introduced five bills to the audience: The Violent Firearm Offender Act, Illegal and Stolen Firearms, Organized Retail Theft, Protection at the Pump and Maryland Firearm Detection Platform Act. Each bill, divided into five sections, is proposed to address a different aspect of the crime problem. 

“When Councilmember Watson asked what could I do, I said, ‘Let me bring Annapolis to Bowie. Let me show you how we get bills done. That’s what we’re going to do tonight. We’re going to get as many done as we can with the time that we have,'” explained Sen. Watson. 

Before introducing the bills, Sen. Watson began his PowerPoint presentation by showing media clips and disturbing images of crime victims. “Are we there yet,” Sen. Watson repeatedly asked while sharing his year-in-review of the county’s crime. “Have we reached the point where we are ready to demand action? Have we reached the point where we are ready to go to Annapolis by the busloads and keep the politicians in their seats until we are heard because the squeaky wheel still gets the grease?” 

The panel of experts also included District Attorney Aisha Braveboy, Police Chief Malik Aziz, and Prince George’s County School Superintendent Millard House II.

Tiffanie Colvin, a Bowie, Md. resident, attending the forum with a contention of parents from Pointer Ridge Elementary looking for some answers about the scheduled 2024 closure for the Excellence in Gifted and Talented School, found value in the councilwoman’s efforts but had issues with House II’s offering.

“I thought the forum was very informative. The ideas presented I did like, but I would like to have more information before I fully say yes, we should move forth,” explained Colvin. “I kind of like the direction, but the superintendent did not say much about school safety.”

Former police officer and Cheltenham Youth Detention Center mentor Richard Beckwith also held mixed feelings about the community discussion. 

“I thought the turnout and the response was very good, but I still feel that the projects he’s proposing are programs the government has previously shut down—like Job Corp,” explained the 77-year-old county resident. “The programs we had the government decided wasn’t good anymore. And they instituted restraints that make it difficult to discipline our children.”

Braveboy, a former Maryland House of Delegates member representing the 25th district, shared several initiatives her office is implementing to combat crime. She also demonstrated an empathic understanding that there’s a mental health component that exacerbates the problem and that the violence was more encompassing than just the youth. 

“We must hold everyone accountable,” said Braveboy. “The children are getting the guns from somewhere. Who’s putting these guns in children’s hands? This is not all on the children.” 

Beckwith believes the problems of violence are greater than just the children. 

“We can’t compromise and discount all of the underlying circumstances that created this atmosphere amongst our juveniles,” explained Beckwith. “If we want to reverse these problems, we can’t ignore the trauma that created it.”

In Sen. Watson’s opening, he stated the plan to reduce crime wasn’t rooted in mass incarceration. However, much of what was offered revolved around policy and policing. But Aziz echoed in his presentation the need for more services to address the psychosocial needs of the youth. He ended his presentation by sharing, “You throw away behaviors. We don’t throw away the people.”

The post Prince George’s County Legislators collaborate to reduce youth crime appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

By Reginald Williams,
Special to the AFRO

Employed by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Verlean K. Brown longed to purchase a home, but her annual salary did not afford her the opportunity to become a homeowner.

At the time, Brown was working in the farm fields and restaurants, had earned her associate degree from Hinds Junior College, and worked for the Mississippi Department of Health. Seeking a solution to her financial shortcomings, the Mississippi native was encouraged by the Army recruiter boyfriend of an acquaintance. One day, with two friends by her side, Brown walked to the second floor of the HUD building and the trio joined the Army Reserves.

“I don’t regret joining the Army,” explained the former master sergeant. “Joining provided me with so much. It provided me with my education, my travel, and my son was able to use the GI Bill to go to school. I was able to build my home in Orlando, Fla.”

Hailing from Terry, MS., located approximately 30 miles south of Jackson, MS., Brown, 71, is from a large family. She is the third eldest of ten children, eight girls and two boys. She admits to feeling privileged growing up with her family because of the work ethics of her parents. 

“Me being from a large family, and my father having a farm, I was raised a little bit more privileged. I had anything I could want and more. My mother and father were good providers,” Brown explained.

Brown’s time in the Army eventually provided her with the opportunity to purchase the one thing she didn’t have — her home.  

A 35-year military veteran, Brown is disabled. She is grateful because in her retirement and with her disability, she continues to reap the benefits provided by the military.

“I am presently a disabled veteran,” explained Brown. “They paid for all of my medicines and surgeries and diagnosed my cancer. They did everything to make sure that I was well.”

While stationed in Iraq, Brown was exposed to burn pits. The pits are open-air waste disposals consisting of the collection of burned trash. The trash’s expelled toxins are credited with subjecting soldiers to potential health risks. Brown said the military confirmed that her cancer was the result of her exposure to the pits.

During Brown’s three-decade-plus career, the former Master Sergeant’s stellar service impacted numerous military occupations. However, her most significant influence occurred as a Sexual Assault Response Coordinator (SACR).

“My most impactful MOS (military occupational skills) was serving as the first Sexual Assault Response Coordinator. I was a SARC,” said Brown. “I believe I really helped a lot of people. I stepped up and organized the program for the soldiers deployed to Iraq. Anytime a new unit would deploy to Iraq, it was mandatory for them to have sexual assault awareness training.”

Brown was recognized by the United States Department of Defense and received the 2009 Exceptional SARC Award.

“I was recognized with a crystal plague. I also visited the Capital to visit with Congressmen and Senators from Mississippi and Arkansas. I met with Eric Holder, the attorney general under President Obama, and he presented me with an award and video presentation,” shared Brown.

Brown enlisted with the Reserves in 1976 and deployed to Iraq as the Deployed Sexual Assault Coordinator and Equal Opportunity Advisor of the 3d Sustainment Command in April 2008. There she served in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Like most soldiers, being deployed in a war zone has its challenges.

“The first time I was deployed, I was a little afraid, not knowing what to expect, but I talked to a friend, and he reminded me that whatever situation I faced, I would do so with God on my side. I thought ‘God is my guide.’ He’ll be leading me and taking care of me. I went out on faith. I trusted God in that situation. I looked at it like I was supposed to be in Iraq at that time and in that position as the Sexual Assault Response Coordinator to take care of people.”

Now retired for the past 11 years, Brown, who still resides in Orlando, believes joining the military was one of the wisest decisions. 

“It was one of the most important and rewarding decisions I made. I don’t regret any part,” Brown said. “Some of it was bad—I don’t even want to talk about that but joining the military and making it a career and retiring from the military and being set up financially, medically and mentally was through the military.”

The same military benefits that benefitted Brown, she believes, can aid youth experiencing financial struggles.  

“I think that the military is a great career for young people, especially for those that come from ‘the country’ and they don’t have scholarships or finances to go to school,” shared the Arkansas State University graduate, of the military benefits. “They take care of the medical. They take care of the education. They take care of other training. They take care of the psychological needs. They provide grants, finances for housing and businesses if you want to start a small business. It’s just so many opportunities that the military provides.”

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.

The post Retired Master Sergeant Verlean Brown reflects on 35 years of dedicated service appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

By Reginald Williams,
Special to the AFRO

“To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…” spoken in November 1919 by President Woodrow Wilson, the passage marks the first commemoration of Armistice Day, to later be renamed Veterans Day.

In 1926, the United States Congress called for the sacrifice of military soldiers to be observed annually. In 1938, the annual observation became a federal holiday, and in 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower changed the name to Veterans Day. 

The AFRO spoke with three military veterans: Jerri N. Jones, an Air Force veteran who served six years in active-duty and an additional six years as a reservist; Leroy Frink, a 30-year Air Force veteran, and Lamont English, a 22-year Lt. Colonel in the Army.

Who were the veterans / mentors that influenced your choice to join the military?

Jerri N. Jones: I was always drawn to uniforms. I liked the neatness of it—the simplicity. I liked the organization of it. I can’t say that I had any veterans or mentors that influenced my choice to join. However, there was my cousin’s best friend who attended North Carolina A&T University on an ROTC scholarship. After she graduated, she joined the Air Force. I talked to her from time to time, and she made it sound glamorous; maybe subconsciously, she was an influence on my choice. 

Leroy Frink: I knew of a few older men who served in Vietnam, but their careers had little influence on my choice. However, I enjoyed war movies as a youth; The Green Berets was my favorite. I was determined to join the Army. I knew I wasn’t academically prepared for college and did not want to stay in rural North Carolina working the farm or in a manufacturing plant. My oldest brother Ronald was in the AFROTC at North Carolina State University, so I thought it would be cool to join the Air Force instead and eventually have the chance to salute him. 

Lamont English: My mentors were my grandfather, a World War I Army enlisted man and retired Air Force government employee; my father, an enlisted World War II instructor, public school principal, and college president at Langston University; and my college ROTC instructor, also a decorated Army hero who fought in the Korean Conflict and was an esteemed Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity leader. He saw leadership qualities in me that I did not see in myself. That resulted in me becoming a distinguished military graduate.

What was military life like for you?

 Jones: When I entered the military in 1989, military life was quiet [no military conflict]. Folks were enjoying their benefits and, for the most part, just chilling. Life in the military, for me, especially in the early years, was like college, but instead of attending classes every day, I went to work.

Things quickly changed for most military members in 1990 when the eruption of the Gulf War. The United States led an armed conflict against Iraq that operated in two phases: Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm. America deployed more than one-half million soldiers. 

Many Reservists’ only experienced active-duty either during their one weekend per month or two weeks out of the year. Talk about experiencing culture shock. It was unbelievable, and for the first time, I wondered—what have I gotten myself into? I was okay with serving but did not want to see a war zone. It was tragic seeing soldiers leave one way and come back another, whether it was a loss of limb or the loss of a certain innocence they owned before traveling the world to protect and serve. 

Being in the military felt weird. All decisions are made for you as if you are not a real person. That’s what bothered me about serving; I didn’t have much of a voice. I served well and was promoted fast. But in the end, I decided that the military just wasn’t for me. It wasn’t an environment where I wanted to raise children, and I didn’t like feeling like I had no voice. However, I am glad that I served. I learned much about myself and was exposed to many different people and cultures. Additionally, there was a level of discipline I obtained, and at 18, that was something I needed. 

Frink: It was a blast, a wild ride, and one of the best decisions I have ever made. The military provided me with a structure with benefits and consequences. It provided me with the opportunity to grow up and become a man. Leaving rural North Carolina for my first assignment in the high desert of Victorville, CA., was a wake-up call. It was kinda like the “you’re not in Kansas anymore” moment. I quickly realized I was on my own and had to make big-boy decisions.

I was able to travel to over 40 countries during my career. I played different sports, including football, basketball, and track, which allowed me to travel throughout Europe during my assignment in Spain. That exposure gave me a unique perspective of the world, its people, and the various cultures. And I have lots of opinions because of my travels and the people I have met through those travels. The military, an equal opportunity employer, provided me with an opportunity for promotion regardless of my skin color. There are biases and overt discriminatory practices by some members, but I quickly figured out the system and understood what it took to get promoted. 

Some of my most memorable highlights were meeting the men of the 332nd Fighter Group, The Tuskegee Airmen, who supported and flew the famous P-51 Redtails and other fighters and bomber aircraft. I met Lt. Col. Herbert Carter in 1998 while attending training in Montgomery, AL. I was honored to meet Col. Charles McGee. He flew 409 combat missions spanning World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War and was one of the most decorated servicemen in U.S. history.

English: During my 22 years of service, in the early sixties’ racism was a daily occurrence in a military composed largely of Southerners. Growing up in a segregated South strengthened me for the experience. But I did see improvement. When I entered the service in 1964, Major was the highest rank any Black officer attained in the Medical Service Corps. I retired as a Lt. Colonel in 1986, and at that time, the Chief was a Black Brigadier General.

How did you preserve your mental health while also serving? 

Jones: Good question. I don’t know that I preserved my mental health while serving. I came home deeply depressed. I don’t think it was as severe as PTSD, but it was a culture shock. I’ve never been incarcerated, but I tend to understand that feeling of being away, and things have been happening while you were in this little bubble. It took me a minute to adjust. If there were resources to support me during that time, I didn’t know how to access them. Now that I think about it, I probably drank too much, which in and of itself was a form of coping mechanism.

Frink: I never personally thought about mental health much during the first half of my career. Life was good. I was having a great time working, partying, and seeing the world. In 2005, after serving as a First Sergeant for 10 years, I realized I was getting burned out. My outlet was confiding in my peers, the chaplain and staying connected with my spiritual walk with God.

English: Having been involved in the de-segregation of my high school in 1955, the year after Brown versus the Board of Education, the military was a piece of cake for me, considering all the racism I had experienced as a young 15-year-old student-athlete. I experienced seeing the face of Emmett Till, my age, in an open casket displayed in Jet magazine. Having attended an HBCU, I healed and grew into a strong, knowledgeable warrior entering the military.

How has the service changed over time?

Jones: The military changed after 9/11. Undoubtedly, the wars and terrorist acts have taken a toll. Beyond that, I remember a proud moment routed in Black excellence. I served in the Air Reserve Personnel Center with a Black Commander—Colonel Ramsey, a Black Squadron Commander—Major Velma Turner, and a Black Chief Master Sergeant (Hale). My boss was Black, and I was Black. We ran that center. That really made me proud to be a part of something like that. The military will give you opportunities to lead, and I appreciate that.

Frink: The fatigue of war and continual deployments are a heavy strain on our Airmen and their families. Air Force manning dropped from a high of around 535,000 in 1990 to about 330,000 currently. Airmen are required to do more with less and with older equipment in some cases. The stress of affordable housing and childcare can be unbearable. Complicating the problem is the lack of recruits due to low public confidence, fear of dying, and the competition of other careers.

English: The upside is that we have had representatives [Blacks] from our village occupy the highest offices in the military. The downside is with the elimination of the draft; privileged people no longer have to serve and defend America. Just look at our divided Congress, where only a handful of those representatives in the People’s House have served or truly understand the price of serving.

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.

The post Three voices sing in harmony about being a U.S. veteran appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

By Reginald Williams
Special to the AFRO

For Kenard Johnson, his appointment as incoming director for alumni engagement for Goucher College’s Prison Education Partnership (GPEP) was a full-circle moment.

The 2019 Goucher alumnus took the long route to graduation. Still, in five years, the native Washingtonian elevated from an ex-offender to a college graduate to a director at the tertiary education level. 

The GPEP partnership, established in 2012, is a division of the Towson, Md. college operating in the Maryland Correctional Institution for Women and the Maryland Correctional Institution – Jessup.

“It is my goal to set up a holistic approach to re-entry, given the fact that there is a myriad of services needed for those men and women,” said GPEP’s newly named director.

Johnson has first-hand knowledge of what those services should be. By his admission, he spent most of his adult life locked behind federal penitentiary walls from New York to Mississippi, including Lorton Reformatory and Jessup Correctional Institution in Maryland. Collectively, Johnson spent 27 years behind bars. 

“I’ve done a lot of time in prison–not like the guys who do 25-year stretches or big bits. I’ve done an installment plan of prison time. My life on installment was five here, seven here, 12 here and nine there, and before you know it, I’m 58 years old,” said Johnson, the author and publisher of “Below D.C. Black Poverty Line,” a poetry book highlighting the intersectionality of poverty, race, and history in the Shaw and Columbia Heights section of Washington, D.C.  

Despite his persistent imprisonment, Johnson has risen from incarceration and homelessness, living in transitional housing to now living in his own home and working as a paralegal for the District’s Office of the Attorney General. 

Johnson’s incarcerated life began in 1983 when he was arrested and charged with stealing $57 while on a high school field trip. The Cardozo High School senior was sentenced to serve six years at the now-defunct Lorton, also known as Lorton Correctional Complex.

“In the beginning of 1984, the judge sentenced me to six years under the Federal Youth Corrections Act (FYCA),” said Johnson, who earned his paralegal certification from Georgetown University. “He felt that I would benefit from the Youth Corrections Act because on the pre-sentencing report, it stated that I was mildly mentally retarded and had cognitive issues.”

Being confronted by the pre-sentencing report was disheartening for Johnson.

“I took it personal,” Johnson said. “It hurt my feelings.” 

The FYCA, established in 1950, was designed to allow youth to be charged as juveniles rather than adults. It emphasized rehabilitative treatment rather than retributive punishment. 

A District of Columbia Board of Parole representative reported that Johnson, raised in the District’s Shaw community, did not appear mentally challenged, however, being classified was significant in his being sentenced under FYCA. While at Lorton, rehabilitative services presented more like retributive punishment. Johnson never received any therapeutic services, nor did he ever see a psychologist or social worker for his supposed intellectual and cognitive impairment. And prison officials either failed to realize or ignored that he had a substance abuse disorder.

“I had a severe PCP habit that they never considered,” said Johnson, who grew up in what he described as a drug haven. “They never considered the environment and the circumstances of my PCP use and how it played a huge role in my low-test scores.”

In addition to not having access to psychological care, Lorton did not sponsor a sustainable drug treatment program. “Back then, they didn’t have drug programs in prison,” he said. “They had a two-day seminar. I attended a workshop in the auditorium, where I was given a certificate.”

Despite the institution’s shortcomings, Lorton was where Johnson began his education journey, spurred on by his dismay at being diagnosed with an intellectual disability.  When Johnson entered Lorton, he read on a third-grade level. But the high school senior dedicated himself to learning—spending days and evenings raising his reading and math proficiencies so he could sit the GED examination. He would eventually earn his bachelor’s degree in American studies. However,  that achievement came after many instances of recidivism, rooted in either new charges or violations of old ones.  

Released in 1987 on the Youth Act Parole, 22-year-old Johnson returned to his grandmother’s home on 10th and W streets northwest. But, in less than a year, he violated his parole and returned to Lorton.

“I didn’t take my stint in Lorton seriously,” Johnson said. “I didn’t do anything to reform myself other than make some improvement with learning how to read. But upon release, I went right back to the same environment and ended right back down at Lorton Youth Center 1 for a violation.”

After Johnson’s second release from Lorton, he was again charged with burglary. Sentenced to five to 15 years,  Judge Ricardo  Urbina suspended the sentence and mandated that he successfully complete Stout Street Foundation, a long-term drug treatment facility based in Commerce City, Colo. 

About a year into his stint, Johnson abandoned the program and refused to return to the District, where he could be remanded to prison to complete his sentence. Eventually, he was arrested and charged with burglary and sentenced to 12 years at Colorado State Penitentiary (CSP); he served eight.  

Despite his repeated criminal offenses, Johnson had an enduring passion for learning. While at CSP, Johnson took college courses offered by Regents University Denver. After completing two semesters, a stroke of the pen erased his opportunity to continue his education. President Bill Clinton, attempting to prove that he was tough on crime, signed into law the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act. Clinton’s decision discontinued inmates’ ability to use the Pell Grant to finance their education.

Paroled in 1997,  Johnson returned to the DMV (District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia) and reverted to his criminal behavior soon after. Eventually, Jessup’s Correctional became his home for 10 years, and that’s where he matriculated at Goucher College. 

The former Goucher student now sees his appointment at his alma mater as one beyond his wildest dream.   

“It is surreal that I am the first director of alumni engagement for the Goucher College prison partnership,” he said. “I am excited to head up the effort to provide traditional services to students attending classes at the men and women’s facilities in Jessup, Md., once they are released.”

For Johnson, life truly has come full-circle.  

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

The post Former Jessup inmate, Goucher grad named director of school’s prison education program  appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

Reginald Williams
Special to the AFRO

According to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study, Black fathers are more engaged in the lives of their children than any other population of fathers– even when a father lives apart from their child.

One might ask why the propensity to color Black fathers with hues of negligent behaviors  is so prevalent.

Despite empirical data revealing the dedication of Black fathers, their supposed absence is the prevailing narrative being lifted and promoted.

Black fathers, at large, are present and active in their children’s lives, not missing in action. However, there exists a population of fatherless children whose lives are broken because of their non-existent relationship with their dads. This is where Calvin Mann enters the picture.

Mann is founder and CEO of Good Fathers Only (GFO), a Detroit-based non-profit dedicated to building a fatherhood union of like-minded men. He agrees that the image and importance of Black fathers are misrepresented and undervalued. In many situations where fathers are absent, they don’t leave but are ousted from their child’s lives.

Mann defines fatherhood in much broader, more in-depth terms.

“Fatherhood is a solution,” Mann shared. He believes fathers must be valued, acknowledged and celebrated because the lives of their families and future generations depend on good fathers. 

Mann’s views on the value of fatherhood run much deeper than just a father’s presence around the home. As valued as mothers are, Mann preaches a father brings an unmatched value to the family. The truth is that a father is needed by more than just his children, explained Mann.

“I need my daddy. I needed my daddy,” Mann said, embodying the inner voice of a child. “The community needs my daddy. The block needs my daddy. The school needs my daddy. The job needs my daddy. The woman needs my daddy and education needs my daddy. Because without him, look at all the dysfunction that takes place.”

Studies by the University of Delaware and Duke University affirm Mann’s stance. The studies revealed that approximately 70 percent of school dropouts, runaways, delinquents and child murderers are products of fatherless homes. Additional effects of fatherlessness are:

• 63 percent of all children who commit suicide
• 70 percent of all teen pregnancies
• 71 percent of all adolescent substance abuse victims
• 70 percent of all prison inmates
• 90 percent of homeless youth

Rhetorically, Mann asked what happens when a father is not in a boy’s life. 

“He doesn’t read,” Mann offered. “His cognitive ability is damaged. His diet is poor. What happens when he becomes a man? He lives by learned behavior.”

Incomprehensible smog in the social atmosphere blankets an adversarial disposition between Black fathers and mothers, corrosive to the healthy development of Black children.

“Kids need both parents, and we must get out of a mentality of this pervasive her versus him mindset destroying the family,” says Mann.

Mann adds that children are being birthed irresponsibly.

“An irresponsible breed is hurting the child because the child is born out of an irresponsible process. They’re not necessarily made of love,” explained Mann. “They might be made of lust. The child might be a side-piece baby. It might be an alcohol baby. It could be a pill baby. It could be a syrup baby. It could be a crack baby. It could be a heroin baby. It could be a weed, cigarette or cigar baby. We must interrupt these processes by taking ourselves out of this foolishness and putting ourselves into the plow of the child—giving them the opportunity to be better.”

Mann’s impact on fatherhood is complemented by his work mentoring youth. In addition to serving as the president of GFO, Mann serves as founder and president of Encourage Me I’m Young (EMIY), a non-profit whose mission is the “restoration of families through seeding in the lives of boys with prevention and intervention.”

Launched in 2008, EMIY planned to mentor 25,000 males. Mann said he wanted to save some lives, save some boys from dying or going to jail.

“A lot of these boys don’t need you to be full-time . Some boys need the right conversation from loving fathers,” said Mann. “It takes 12 mentors to equal one father. I’ll take a deadbeat dad, train him and get that fathering on those kids that don’t know their fathers and watch both of them fly.”

Heading into year 16, the organization has impacted more than 22,000 Black boys, invested 1.2 million volunteer hours, and achieved this with no funded budget or facility to call their own.

The marriage of GFO and EMIY is a relationship rooted in elevating the family to be positioned to create a legacy. Mann is a product of legacy. On both sides of his family are Baptist pioneers.

“My daddy was a gospel pioneer signed by Motown. My grandfather was the first pastor on television. My grandfather’s-my mother’s father-and my father’s father built a church on 7 Mile and Greenfield,” said Mann.

He subscribes to the belief that legacy begins with strong families, rooted in two parents intentionally creating and nurturing their children in love.

“Having two parents is the model to change what plagues the culture. Kids need both parents, and it is on us to make sure that they have them,” said Mann.

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.

The post Good Fathers Only founder explains the impact of male parents appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

By Reginald Williams,
Special to the AFRO

The Florida State Academic Standard—2023, a social studies curriculum developed by the Republican administration of Gov. Ron DeSantis and approved by the Florida Board of Education (FBOE), has ignited a firestorm amongst Black people. The 216-page syllabus includes the history of African-Americans in America– with an interesting take on slavery

Critics of the new standards, designed for K-12 students, are focusing on the middle school social studies curriculum, which asserts that chattel slavery served as a “personal benefit” to those enslaved because it taught them valuable tools and character traits. 

“Florida’s recently implemented history curriculum sets a stage of divisiveness and cultural war,” explained Floyd Bronson, a 25-year educational veteran.

In response to the curriculum’s naysayers, DeSantis’ office claimed the statement was taken out of context.

Vice President Kamala Harris appeared at the Ritz Theatre and Museum in Jacksonville, Fla. on July 21, on a mission to challenge DeSantis and Florida’s alleged lack of responsibility in teaching accurate history. 

“They want to replace history with lies,” Harris told the audience. The vice president believes that DeSantis, a 2024 presidential candidate, is attempting to uplift Black history, but from a revisionist standpoint. 

Responding to Harris, Dr. William B. Allen, a Black man, and member of Florida’s African American History Standards Workshop, maintains that the narrative that Florida will teach that slavery was a “personal benefit” to enslaved Africans is “categorically false.”  

“It was never said that slavery was beneficial to Africans,” explained Dr. Allen, professor emeritus at Michigan State University. “What was said– and anyone who reads this will see this with clarity– is [that] that Africans proved resourceful, resilient and adaptive and were able to develop skills and aptitudes which served to their benefit, both while enslaved and after enslavement.”

Martina Van Norden, M. Ed, an educational consultant, maintains that Dr. Allen’s perspective is intellectual manipulation. 

“Dr. William Allen’s statement is to be expected by a person of color, chosen to execute DeSantis’ agenda. As a member of the State’s Standards Workgroup, it is expected that his conservative perspective would be one where the academic standard set for the next generation of learners is based on intellectual manipulation,” explained Van Norden, an education policy and leadership doctoral candidate. 

Van Norden, fighting educational whitewashing in Texas, added:

“To credit our people with resilience etc., at the hand of violence and cruelty is to condition our young people to accept White supremacy and continue doing good by agreeing to its inequity and injustice. It makes sense to further indoctrinate young minds into a passive, vulnerable mindset that allows the system’s oppression to continue by making the oppressor less suspect.”

The curriculum’s controversy, ignited by the belief that it teaches an untruth, has swelled because some believe Harris illuminated the use of “personal benefit” to stoke the fire of division. 

Written in the curriculum in Section SS.68.AA.2, is a section meant to teach how to “Analyze events that involved or affected Africans from the founding of the nation through Reconstruction.” Subsection SS.68.AA.2.3 asks students to “examine the various duties and trades performed by slaves (e.g., agricultural work, painting, carpentry, tailoring, domestic service, blacksmithing, transportation).” Benchmark Clarification One states that instruction on this topic now “includes how slaves developed skills which, in some instances, could be applied for their ‘personal benefit.’”

Teisha Dupree-Wilson, Ph.D. is a professor for Baltimore’s Coppin State University. Her expertise is in African-American, Afro-Latin American and Black British history, among other topics.  

“If we’ve studied history, we know that most Africans already came to this country with skills. They didn’t need to become slaves to learn how to do metalwork, become blacksmiths, do carpentry, or cultivate rice. Europeans didn’t know how to cultivate rice,” said Dupree-Wilson. “Many of the skills that people claim that African-Americans obtained during slavery and that they benefited from are skills that they came to the United States and the Caribbeans with- we didn’t need to be enslaved to learn skills that would benefit us. Africans had fully developed lives before they were kidnapped.”

Durpee-Wilson said it may be hard, but Floridians and Americans across the country need to face the truth. 

“We need to be very intentional about not allowing people to gaslight us about what the truth is about slavery. Slavery was not this palatable, comfortable thing. There is no way to make it palatable. That is often what they try to do because they don’t want to make people feel uncomfortable,” she said. “Well, a little discomfort isn’t always necessarily a bad thing. History is not always going to be comfortable. History is not designed to make you feel good or feel bad; it’s to tell you what happened.” 

According to Margie Holmes-Wilder, a community outreach activist based in Fayetteville, N.C., Florida is progressively “becoming the state of shame.” 

Dr. Roderick I. Wellington, a master mental health clinician, also weighed in on the issue.

“Florida’s educational standards as it relates to slavery and benefiting Black children in a good way is backward thinking and racist at its core,” he said. “The psychological trauma continues to resonate within the Black community, and it will take another 100 years to eradicate such backward ideology.”

The post Vice President Kamala Harris denounces new social studies curriculum in Florida appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

By Reginald Williams,
Special to the AFRO

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, water makes up 92 percent of a watermelon’s content. One of the most nourishing foods available, watermelon hydrates on a cellular level—meaning the trillions of cells contained in the body are effectively nourished. Experts maintain that you can “eat your water” and meet your required water intake goal by eating fruit like watermelon.

“Watermelon is an excellent source of hydration which is essential for our body,” explains Jamilah Rouse, an Atlanta-based vegan advocate noted for her watermelon mock-tails and popsicles. “Watermelon is low in calories and high in fiber making it a great food for weight loss and digestive health.”

Packed with vitamins and antioxidants, the low-calorie fruit has proven beneficial in weight management, reduces inflammation and oxidative stress, and nutritionists suggest it may improve heart health. Experts suggest that the lycopene in watermelons assists in lowering cholesterol and blood pressure.

With heart disease being the leading cause of death in America, regular consumption of watermelon potentially provides a wealth of healing benefits.  

Research by the National Library of Medicines (NLM) reports that “watermelon has been used to treat various ailments, such as cardiovascular diseases, aging-related ailments, obesity, diabetes, ulcers,and various types of cancers. The medicinal properties of watermelon are attributed by the presence of important phytochemicals with pharmaceutical values such as lycopene, citrulline, and other polyphenolic compounds.”

While dining on the vibrant red watermelon, most who regularly eat the fruit normally discard the rind and seeds. However, studies show that watermelon rind and the seeds are loaded with a buffet of health-healing benefits. Chlorophyll, citrulline, flavonoids (cancer fighter agents), and amino acids are found in the rind, which also contains high levels of vitamin A (supporting the immune system, heart, lungs and all other vital organs), vitamin B6 (promotes brain development), vitamin C (promotes blood flow), zinc and potassium. High in electrolytes, because of the sugar from the melon combined with the potassium, watermelon is an excellent dietary option.   

The citrulline in the watermelon is an amino acid that supports the body’s ability to produce a gas called nitric oxide, which, in turn, helps the blood vessels to relax, potentially increasing blood flow and lowering blood pressure. A 2011 research study by the NLM revealed that flavonoids possess antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties.

Watermelon seeds are super-rich with micronutrients, including potassium, magnesium, and zinc.

Historically, the wealth of healing housed in watermelons also served as economic wellness for African-Americans. After emancipation, when the gateway to business funding and the halls of academia were non-existent for Blacks, watermelons were a profitable investment used by Black agriculturists to financially support their families.

The relationship between Black people and watermelons was usurped by malicious imagining.  

The watermelon’s ability to push forward the freedom for Black people displeased White Americans. Intentional about emancipating the wealth of watermelons from the wealth and health of Black Americans, White Americans created negative narratives and racist tropes to shame Black people who loved eating the cash crop.

“White people had a monopoly on growing cotton. It staggered for a while [after the Civil War] because they didn’t have enslaved people to pick the cotton. But Black folks turned to what they thought was much healthier [watermelon], and it was a cash crop for Black folks,” explained Raymond A. Winbush, Ph. D. “For Black folks, it was a crop of liberation. For White folks, it symbolized the growing financial independence of Black folks– and they resented it.” 

Minstrel shows (yesteryear’s version of social media) were imaging vehicles used to paint America’s collective consciousness that Black folks eating watermelon were lazy. Using White actors painted in blackface, minstrel shows served as platforms to normalize negative messaging.

“In the late 19th century, early 20th century, the watermelon trope by that time had sunken in,” explained Winbush, a research professor and director of the Institute for Urban Research at Morgan State University. “You began to see these Black caricatures of Black people grinning as well as holding a watermelon. Those images just festered.” 

From post-Civil War through and beyond the fight for Civil Rights, America persistently tried to humiliate Black people and their kinship with watermelons. In 1916, vaudeville actor Harry C. Browne wrote “N***** Love A Watermelon Ha! Ha! Ha!,” using a popular tune that had previously made the cultural rounds. It became a minstrel show hit. Today, the tune is regularly heard in neighborhoods around the country, as it regularly blasted ice cream trucks throughout America. Children from Harlem to South Central, L.A. feverishly chase down the ice cream trucks, anxious to purchase their favorite summertime treat. 

“White people are very good at taking our symbols of liberation, symbols of independence, symbols of consciousness, and turning them against us,” explained Winbush.

Noted for being a warm-season crop best purchased between May and September, it is highly common to have watermelons year-round. Regions with frost free clients and farmers with greenhouses grow  melons throughout the year. Subsequently, local groceries stock them year-round. Many nutritionists suggest seeded eating watermelon (in its due season) because seeded watermelons are healthier. 

The versatility of the watermelon allows for its consumption well past its due season. A melon, sliced into chunks, frozen and stored in an airtight container conveniently allows the fruit to be eaten for an additional six months.

Despite the negative consciousness that many Black people continue to hold about eating watermelon publicly, the native African delicacy continues to provide a wealth of nutritional benefits.

This summer, experts like Rouse say “the next time you want a healthy snack, reach for a watermelon.”

The post The truth about watermelon: a look at the most controversial fruit in the Black community appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

By Reginald Williams,
Special to the AFRO

On June 27 the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a North Carolina Supreme Court ruling against North Carolina’s Republican lawmakers with a 6-3 decision. The dispute pertained to an attempt to redraw a congressional state map. 

The Democratic Party raised concerns that the new map would have likely given Republicans 10 out of 14 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. However, the North Carolina Supreme Court ruled the actions by the GOP were biased against Democratic voters.

The Republican Party responded to the state’s Supreme Court decision by attempting to use the independent  state  legislative  theory  presented  in   Moore  v.  Harper. The idea proposes that the state legislature should be given broad power to practice partisan politics. If upheld, would have given unencumbered power to state legislatures nationwide when dealing with federal elections.

“Adopting the theory would have granted unchecked authority over voting laws and elections, creating a worrisome landscape where state politicians could dictate election results and ignore the state constitution,” National Coalition on Black Civic Participation (NCBCP) released in a statement.

While elections for congress and the presidency are held at the federal level, the state legislatures design the nuances for cases on constitutional rights on a state level. It isn’t uncommon for delegates to attempt to steer policies that keep them in power by participating in polarizing practices like gerrymandering or voter suppression.

“Today, our nation’s highest court affirmed our democratic system’s checks and balances and rejected this dangerous effort to sow chaos and doubt in our federal elections,” explained Melanie L. Campbell, president, and CEO of the NCBCP. “This decision prevents state legislatures from granting themselves exclusive power to establish the rules for voting and elections, without having to deal with state constitutional limits and state court intervention.”

State legislatures are officially subject to congressional override through a system of checks and balances. The decision by the SCOTUS on June 27 upheld the constitutional stronghold that, “one branch of government would not garner excessive power.”

The post Supreme Court rules independent state legislative theory is unconstitutional appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

By Reginald Williams,
Special to the AFRO

For most men unable to obtain or sustain an erection, it can be embarrassing to even utter words—erectile dysfunction. Also known as “impotence,” erectile dysfunction (ED) is defined by the Mayo Clinic as “the inability to get and keep an erection firm enough for sex.”

First, the facts: erectile dysfunction is very prevalent in America. 

One study concluded that about 52 percent of men in America experience some degree of impotence. Another study reported that approximately 30 million men are impacted by ED. And while it may not be the case for everyone experiencing some form of impotence, ED could indicate that there is a larger health concern.

There is a psychological effect on men who no longer possess the sexual vitality of yesteryear. Shame, the divorce from their youthful statute, and the stress that the condition can create in a relationship can be disheartening. Numerous studies cite that ED is prevalent globally and can increase in frequency with age.

Often cited as a sexual abnormality, impotence can represent a more serious concern. That’s because sexual dysfunction is like a flashing yellow warning light, informing its victim that some health concerns need addressing. According to the Mayo Clinic, the same process that creates heart disease may also cause ED–except ED serves as an early warning.

Anthony Sharpe suffers from ED. He immediately knew he was suffering from a health issue, although he didn’t know what. He was conflicted about the issue because of his lack of desire for sex. Sharpe assumed ED was a natural process of aging.  

“I thought my ED was related to me just not wanting sex anymore,” Sharpe shared. “This was new territory for me. I didn’t know any other men who didn’t want sex anymore other than older men. At the outset of my impotence, I thought this was a part of getting old. But then I found out that this isn’t true.”

Doctors maintain that ED is not a normal part of aging. 

Diagnosed with diabetes, Sharpe learned his metabolic condition, including his diet, was causing his impotence.

“My diabetes, fueled by my diet, being out of shape, having slower blood circulation and being overweight were the culprits,” Sharpe said. He then committed himself to address his health concerns.

The process of an erection

An erection occurs when a signal from the brain sends a message to the penis

through the nerves, causing blood to stream into the erectile tissue. Impotence occurs when blood fails to fully flow to the tissue. The absence of a persistent erection raises questions about the overall health of the person experiencing the issue.

According to medical experts, ED, in many situations, is a sign of atherosclerosis, a narrowing of the arteries, a sure sign that the patient is likely on the path to a heart attack. Atherosclerosis develops from endothelial dysfunction, which causes inadequate blood supply to the heart and impairs blood flow to the penis.

“ED is a sign of microvascular disease or disease of the smallest vessels, like in the penis. It is undoubtedly a sign of a disease that affects blood vessels, like diabetes, hypertension or high cholesterol,” explained Dr. Gregory Hall, founder and board chairman for the National Institute for African American Health. “My patients frequently get the impression that the treatment of these diseases causes erectile dysfunction, but it is the opposite: the diseases that start the problem, and the advancement of the diseases makes it worse.”

When considering that heart disease, stroke, diabetes and hypertension are four of the ten leading causes of death for Black men– (all matters of the heart), it becomes easier to see the connection between ED and the heart. Rather than view and treat impotence from the spear of sexual dysfunction, doctors see it as an issue of the heart and adopt the same practices suggested for treating a heart condition.

Despite the embarrassment, there are feasible ways to alter the course of ED.

“Don’t be embarrassed by this,” Sharpe said. “Many men are going through this. No matter the reason, someone has or had erectile dysfunction. Find out the cause and fix it. I am still working on my cause and resolution.”

Making lifestyle changes is the start of reversing ED.

Partake in a diet of unprocessed, nutrition-dense foods. Get your heart rate up by exercising at least 30 minutes per day. Avoid smoking and alcohol consumption. Reduce stress through breathing exercises, meditating and regularly getting a good night’s sleep, at least seven hours. 

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.

The post Erectile dysfunction: a signal that heart trouble could be ahead appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

By Reginald Williams,
Special to the AFRO

Brown boy, Brown boy what do you see? 

I see a zoologist looking at me. 

I see all the careers I can be. 

For many youth, the seeds of success are often planted through literature. From children’s books to comics– imagining the possibilities of life is a habit often formed by connecting with characters in a story. 

Nolan Crawford and his mother Felicia Harkley know this all too well.

Nolan, 6, and his sister Nyla Crawford, 13, are co-authors with their mom on two children’s books: “Brown Girl, Brown Girl, What Do You See? Careers to A to Z,” and “Brown Boy, Brown Boy, What Do You See? Careers to A to Z.”

Harkley, founder of Prestige Educational Services, said her children are her inspiration.

“They are my reason. They are my why,” Harkley said. “Staring in the mirror; they’re seeing themselves—we’re talking about them loving the skin that they’re in.”

The books, written for children aged one to seven, are easy-to-read, motivational, alphabet and picture books that teach young minds about the different career options they can experience. Vibrant illustrations of Brown and Black boys and girls allow children to see themselves as architects, doctors, engineers or zoologists. 

“It’s an inspiration for them to learn about different careers available from a to z,” Harkley said. “My book is a mirror for them to see a reflection of who they can be.”

When most authors write children’s books, they’ll typically target a specific gender, but Harkely intentionally wrote for both Black boys and girls.

“I chose to write a book for both genders based on my children. I have both a boy and girl,” the former educator said. “It started out with me always doing affirmations with them, giving them motivational speeches in the morning—always talking to them about what they could be. I wanted them to know that there are no limits for them.”

While the prose is gender-neutral, Harkley decided to show little girls that they too can ascend to the presidency in “Brown Girl, Brown Girl.”

“For president, we would normally think of a man. But in my book, I flipped it,” said Harkley. “My ‘P for president’ is in the girl’s book to let them know the president is not just for boys or men. You can aspire to be that as well. putting those careers out there for them both, just so that they can see all the things they could be.”

Harkley said books promote conversation with the entire family and are to be educational tools. 

As an educator of 15 years, primarily in turnaround schools, Harkley said she recognized students in those schools need more resources to reach an elevated level. 

“I’m looking at the resources–and what do we really have?” Harkley quipped. “What do our children have in the inner city– whether it’s a Title 1 school or a turnaround school? No matter what it is, they were missing a lot, especially when it came to reading, language arts and literacy. There were many materials and resources that represented us, and I thought it would be nice for them to see that resources are out there.”

The Brown Girl and Brown Boy books are in the Howard County, Md., Head Start programs. 

“Getting them into the classroom was major. I’m so proud of that. I’m looking to get the book in schools nationwide—even out of the country. This is a read that can be shared with everyone. Honestly, you don’t have to be a Brown girl or Brown boy to purchase these books. If we’re talking about equity and inclusion in the schools and classrooms—this is something that can be shared amongst everyone,” added the educational consultant.

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.

The post Author Felicia Harkley encourages Black girls and boys to aspire without limits with ‘Brown Boy,’ ‘Brown Girl’ books appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

By Reginald Williams,
Special to the AFRO

Jeffrey “J-Raz” Roscoe hosted his annual Father’s Day cookout on June 18 which started out 25 years ago as a way to celebrate the Black fathers who are investing in their children and communities. 

Over the years, the event has evolved into a major event in Clinton. Md, complete with free food, fun, music and health screenings at Cosca Park.

Roscoe launched the initiative in 1998 because he recognized the energy extended to fathers on Father’s Day could use more affection. 

“As a single father, I wanted to celebrate fathers,” Roscoe said. “I wanted to give fathers like myself something to look forward to on Father’s Day.”

The cookout celebrates all fathers, biological dads, non-biological fathers and surrogate fathers. Many statistics project Black fatherlessness as an issue due to children being born out of wedlock, however numerous studies contradict this. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 58 percent of Black fathers live with one or more of their children and an even larger majority, a total of 72.7 percent of Black fathers, talk with their children about things that happened during the day several times a week or more— whether they live with their children or not.

“I recognize all fathers because they stepped up and accepted the challenge to be the primary male figure in the life of a child or children,” said Roscoe. “It’s not always the biological dad who is present, so the man that steps up should be acknowledged and celebrated.”

The Landover, Md. native who was a county council candidate in 2018, became the custodial parent to his six-month-old son after the mother died in a car accident. 

Roscoe wants his fatherhood experience to motivate others. 

“As a father, I stand with all fathers. Therefore, we must always be conscious to celebrate with one another.”

 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.

The post Father’s Day cookout in Prince George’s County celebrates 25 years of tradition appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

By Reginald Williams,
Special to the AFRO

Knowing your metabolic profile is critical to truly understanding your overall health.

Health is often viewed through the lens of external appearance. A person who is larger in physical size is often deemed “unhealthy,” while a lean person is generally thought to be healthy. While weight is a factor in determining optimal health, a more accurate wellness assessment is based on your metabolic data.

“People should be concerned with their metabolic profile because it can determine certain diseases that a person may have,” explained Ingra Lewis, RN, MSA, and immunization program manager. Metabolic is the chemical changes that take place in a cell or an organism.

A University of North Carolina study found that 88 percent of U.S. citizens are metabolically unhealthy. Metabolic health occurs when blood glucose and pressure, cholesterol (triglycerides and high- density lipoprotein levels) and waist circumference are positioned at ideal levels without the benefit of medication. Health experts maintain a healthy waist circumference for men less than 37 inches. Waistlines measuring 40 inches and above place a man’s health at risk. For women, 31.5 inches marks a healthy waistline, while above 34 increases health risk.

Although America collectively suffers from poor health, Black people are disproportionately affected. According to health experts, cultural ideologies are a huge driving force for poor metabolic health in Black people.

“Due to a lack of resources, education, and cultural beliefs, poor metabolic health leads to awful diseases that plague the Black community at alarming numbers,” explained Lewis.

Shernika Cobbs, a certified family nurse practitioner, said that diet often drives poor health. “Metabolic diseases are prominent in African American communities. We as Black people, especially Southern, eat that good ol’ soul food—fried foods, salty and sugary foods.”

While doctors typically peer into their patients’ genetic makeup, many health experts are more concerned about a patient’s genetic mindset rather than their gene pool. “Metabolic health can be controlled with better dietary and lifestyle choices,” Cobbs said.

Lewis added, “We keep on top of our metabolic health by making sure we get a yearly health assessment. If possible, make your way to a doctor when your body gives strange signals.”

One of the most important ways to stay abreast of your metabolic health is by regularly scheduled doctor visits and being intentional in discussing with your physician the results of your blood test. A comprehensive metabolic panel consisting of 14 blood tests, measures a host of chemical functions like albumin (a liver protein), calcium, carbon dioxide, potassium and sodium. Your panel profile will also provide the following health data.

Cholesterol

According to the American Heart Association, cholesterol is an organic molecule called lipids that the body requires. It is the overabundance of the waxy substance that’s unhealthy. High cholesterol levels can narrow and harden the arteries, impeding blood flow. Subsequently, that causes the heart to work harder, causing an elevation in your blood pressure.

The lipid panel is represented by total cholesterol in conjunction with triglycerides and is interpreted as high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL).

Here are the preferred levels: total cholesterol 100-199 milligrams per deciliters of blood; triglycerides 0-149; HDL level should be greater than 39, with the ideal level above 60; LDL 0-99 but the lower your LDL, the better; and VLDL level should be in the 5-40 range.

Potassium

Potassium fuels your cells with fluid. It provides electrolytes to the body. Low levels of potassium can cause blood pressure to rise. Optimal levels range between 3.5-5.2.

Glucose

Glucose is an energy source and a component of carbohydrates. Optimal levels range between 65-99.

Vitamin D

According to Dr. Milliard J. Collier, a family practitioner, vitamin D deficiency is the primary cause of many problems, including cancer. He maintains that 90 percent of people nationwide have low levels of vitamin D. The optimal range is between 30-100, but the preferred level is above 50.

Hemoglobin A1c

The A1C test indicates the percentage of your red blood cells that have sugar-coated hemoglobin. The optimal level is less than 5.7 percent, 5.7 – 6.4 percent indicates a state of prediabetes and 6.5 percent or higher signals diabetes.

Blood Pressure

Your blood pressure, not a part of the metabolic testing, is a critical reading that is beneficial to know on a weekly, if not daily, basis. Knowing your blood pressure serves as an indicator of health.

According to Lisa Wilson, a registered nurse, blood pressure paints a portrait of overall health.

“Having high blood pressure could indicate a lack of physical activity, increased BMI, or an unhealthy diet; however, that’s not always the case,” Wilson said. “On the other hand, having low blood pressure, below 90/60, can also be dangerous.”

According to The American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association, blood pressure is measured by the systolic and diastolic levels.

Normal is a systolic reading below 120 and a diastolic below 80; elevated is a systolic reading below 120-129 and diastolic below 80; stage one hypertension is a systolic level of 130-139 and diastolic 80-89; stage two hypertension is a systolic of 140 or higher and a diastolic 90 or higher; and a hypertensive crisis requiring immediate medical attention is marked by blood pressure readings of 180 over 120.

Not knowing your numbers puts you at increased health risk. Knowing them allows you to avert significant health concerns.

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.

The post What does your metabolic profile reveal about your health? appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

By Reginald Williams,
Special to the AFRO

Alon Arrington, owner of Alon’s Gaming Kitchen, is a 17-year-old culinary prodigy noted for creating some stunning cuisines. Signature dishes most desired by his diners are braised and pan-seared lamb chops and chicken alfredo.

“When it comes to the food, I don’t see Chef Alon as a teenager– I see him as a professional,” explained Josh Cribbs, executive producer and host of “Cribbs in the CLE: Josh and Maria LIVE.”

“I had the pleasure of him catering food at the television studio and on multiple occasions at my home for my family,” said Cribbs, a ten-year National Football League veteran. I’m not shy about giving criticism. However, to see how eager Chef Alon [is] to go above and beyond and to continue to sharpen his skills gives me goosebumps.” 

Alon has cooked for Mayor Edward Kraus of Solon, Ohio, and WOIO 19 Action News.

Owning a large restaurant and becoming a known chef are the goals that fuel Alon’s passion.

“I just want to become a known chef across the globe– like Gordon Ramsey and Bobby Flay,” explained Alon. “I just want to be known, but bigger.”  

Knowing that owning a restaurant is some years away, Alon’s short-term plan is to own a food truck.

“A food truck allows you to travel. Being young and in high school right now, I can travel for big events. It’s just more convenient for me right now,” explained Alon.

In his spare time, the Cleveland native loves gaming. Inspired by his love for video games and cooking, Alon married the two concepts to create Alon’s Gaming Kitchen.    

“I [am] so busy I really don’t have as much time to sit down to do stuff. But in my free time, I chill, relax, play video games or go out with my friends,” Alon explained.

Before marinating in his love for gaming and cooking, Alon had gridiron aspirations. He played middle linebacker for a youth football team, but inspired by his grandmother Sheila and aunt Robin, his love for cooking intercepted his path on the field.

“I always wanted to be a chef since I was little, but what got me into it was just seeing my grandma and my auntie cook,” Alon said. “During the pandemic, there was really nothing to do, so just [started] cooking.”

According to his mom, April Burt, Alon’s culinary skills have grown substantially since the onset of the pandemic.

Alon’s mom is his most ardent supporter.

It is common to hear the cries of new entrepreneurs as they express frustration about the lack of support from family and supposed friends, but for Alon, this isn’t the case. 

“My friends are super supportive. Anything that I do, they will post (to social media), but honestly, I gotta thank my mom. If it wasn’t for her, I don’t know what I would be doing. She’s helped me with this journey,” Alon told the AFRO. “She keeps promoting me–even on days when I’m getting on her nerves– she’s constantly posting and promoting my business. I have a great mom and I appreciate her for all that she does.

Alon’s mom is equally appreciative of all that he does. She loves to dine on his lamb chops and chicken alfredo, but mom is ecstatic about how her eldest child conducts himself.

“He’s a very respectful, hard-working, God-fearing young man,” Burt said. “I’m so proud that his teachers always say that he never gives them any problems. He’s always respectful and willing to help others.”

Next school year, Alon will elevate his skill as a student in the culinary arts program. In February 2023, Excel TECC Career and Technical Programs accepted Alon into their program. He’ll begin to study in the upcoming school year.

“I don’t know how many Black kids have gone to this program, but after high school, I want to attend Le Cordon Blue in Paris,” said Alon. “That’s one of the top-tier, best culinary programs. I’ve never seen no Black kids mention or say that they want to attend Le Cordon Blue, so I want to be the first Black kid to go there.”

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.

The post AFRO spotlight on Black excellence: meet Alon Arrington, the 17-year-old culinary prodigy appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

By Reginald Williams,
Special to the AFRO

By day, professor Floyd N. Bronson is a restorative justice program coordinator. But by nightfall, the 25-year education veteran transforms into “The Professor of Fresh,” serving as CEO of FatBoi Fresh.

Established in 2023, FatBoi Fresh is a lifestyle brand offering a selection of quality clothing for fashion-forward men with wide or tall body frames. 

“Our collection features a unique combination of streetwear and modern elements for all seasons, making us a perfect destination for men’s sizes extra-large and beyond,” explained Bronson. “At FatBoi, we believe big men like to be fresh too! As a big man, all too often, there are limitations with clothing brands that fit our body type and budget. That is why we design our products with comfort, style, and price points in mind.”

Living in a society that often appears uber-sensitive with identity labels, it is interesting that Bronson named his company FatBoi, a play on the derogatory term of “fat boy,” used to make fun of men who are heavier and larger than the average male body type. The Paterson, New Jersey native explains the name is birthed from childhood experiences and his sense of fashion as an adult. He refashioned those insulting experiences into an emerging enterprise.

“As a child, my peers would call me ‘FatBoy Floyd.’ Despite not liking the name, I was in fact, a little fat boy,” Bronson said. “Thinking about that experience, using my initials “FB” and my desire to maintain a fashion-forward wardrobe as a ‘big man,’ I created FatBoi Fresh. I rebranded “FatBoy” to “FatBoi,” a modern spelling of the word. The “B” in the logo is a silhouette of a big man adorning a crown.”

FatBoi Fresh represents one of the new emerging Black businesses. Research reveals that nationwide African-American businesses grew by approximately 100,000 between February 2020 and February 2022. From 2014 to 2018, African-Americans launched businesses at a rate of 20 percent, roughly eight and nine percent higher than White and Latino populations, respectively. The more than two million Black-owned small businesses represent about three percent of all small businesses, earning roughly one percent of all gross revenue.

Beyond creating a clothing line that fills a fashion void, Bronson’s larger mission is ownership. 

Invest in yourself

“As you move about, you don’t even own your time,” explained Bronson about being employed. “As a result of not owning your time, you’re always exchanging time for money. My current situation [as an educational coordinator] forces me to be in a situation where a lot of man hours are being dedicated, but I’m only perfecting other people’s crafts. With FatBoi, this is me taking ownership of my next move. This isn’t about FatBoi but, what comes as a result of the success of FatBoi. This is establishing a legacy for my children.” 

Although entrepreneurship in Black communities continues to rise, rudimentary nine to five  job offerings continue to offer economic stability for Black families. Regarding the 40-hour work week, Bronson believes the talents of Black folk often serve a greater advantage to their employers. 

Despite a spending power of $1.6 trillion, economists suggest that Black people own one-sixth the wealth of White Americans on average. Black spending power is as much as the gross national income for Russia and Brazil, and greater than Australia and Spain. The intersection between Black earning power and deficit in the wealth gap serves as a source of inspiration for Bronson.

Recognizing the prominence of African-American entrepreneurs like Madam C.J. Walker, Jeremiah Hamilton, and Mary Ellen Pleasants, who understood the value of business ownership and its effects on the Black family and community. Bronson knows that building an enterprise and following the ancestral footsteps will not occur trying to accumulate wealth through employment or academia. 

“I don’t [put] down education. I don’t knock education—I’ve earned four degrees,” explained Bronson. “As an educator, I’m always an advocate for education, but when I think about those four degrees, they’re only receipts of completion. They didn’t come with guarantees. I’ve already invested $247,000 into the American education system. Imagine if I had invested $247,000 into FatBoi Fresh. Imagine if I had invested $247,000 into Floyd Bronson. Imagine if I had invested  $247,000 into [my children] Jadyn Bronson and Jordyn Bronson. Now I’m going to bet on myself. If I had invested that money, I would see more than the six figures I earn a year as an educator, even with making business mistakes.”

The painstaking obstacles of entrepreneurship

The joy of commerce is often met by barriers like insufficient time, funding, and unexpected setbacks that spur emotional pain. Many aspiring entrepreneurs view challenges and setbacks as the enemy of building an enterprise. But Bronson sees those obstacles as a part of the process.

In his efforts to secure the launching of his summer line, Bronson suffered several unfortunate setbacks. The relationship with his original vendor soured and delayed production, but he shared that the lessons learned were invaluable. Bronson invested thousands of dollars in securing a new vendor only to procure products that failed to meet his satisfaction. Even after finding the right vendor, he experienced problems receiving his product because of holiday delays, religious observation delays, shipping, and customs delays. Each impediment caused the FatBoi Fresh CEO to miss delivery dates promised to customers and challenged his confidence.

“As a small business, there are setbacks and things have to be adjusted,” explained Bronson. “But that’s no excuse not to see it through. We see all the high points and wins, but folks are unwilling to share the downside.”

FatBoi Fresh’s summer line had a soft launch in late May. They are preparing for the release of their entire summer line and fall lineup. 

Bronson, with his fashion-forward mission is cultivating a legacy for his children, Jadyn and Jordyn.

“With FatBoi, I’m positioning myself so that my children won’t feel the impact of what I felt [perfecting someone else’s craft],” said Bronson. “FatBoi is freedom: not just for me, but [for]  my children.”

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.

The post FatBoi Fresh clothes: fashion-forward clothing for ‘big and tall’ men appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

By Reginald Williams,
Special to the AFRO

Lamar Jackson has silenced the chatter of naysayers who suggested that he was out of his league as a negotiator with the signing of a $260 million, five-year extension of his contract with the Baltimore Ravens. 

Jackson’s historic new contract makes the Pompano Beach, Fla. native the highest-paid player in the history of the National Football League (NFL). The agreement dispels all the condescending detractors who spoke unfavorably about Jackson negotiating without an agent. 

“They talked about that man like a dog,”  Marcus Jackson, Ed.D.,  an educator, author and avid Ravens fan, said. “Lamar did it his way and is pocketing an agent’s fee.”

Jackson was pick number 32 in the first round of the 2018 NFL draft and was heavily criticized by journalists and sports analysts because he decided to serve as his agent. 

For decades the conventional wisdom in the NFL said a Black person lacked the intellectual capacity to play quarterback, much less orchestrate a quarter-billion-dollar business deal. Jackson pushed back against the tendency in America to cause Black men to question their greatness.

The White male’s disdain of Jackson for choosing to “do it his way” is symptomatic of the way Black athletes are viewed behind closed doors. The belief that a dynamic Black athlete who wears his hair in plaits and speaks with the tone of a Florida rapper can’t advocate for himself isn’t much different from mindsets that insisted that Blacks could not play quarterback. 

Despite the doubters, Jackson stood in the pocket and remained resolved.

In March, the Ravens placed a non-exclusive franchise tag on the University of Louisville product. Under a non-exclusive tag, Jackson was free to barter with other teams but the Ravens had the right to match any offer.

His new contract is a $260 million deal, including $185 million in overall guarantees, with $135 million fully guaranteed, including a $72.5 million signing bonus, according to NFL sources. 

Not willing to sign any of the Raven offers, the former Heisman Trophy winner and NFL Most Valuable Player in the 2019 season requested a trade. 

“LJ is statistically one of the best quarterbacks ever. He’s won almost 75 percent of the games he’s played. It was disrespectful to place a non-exclusive franchise tag on potentially the league’s most exciting QB,” Darius Williams, a diehard Ravens fan, said. 

The efforts of Jackson’s mom, Felicia Jones, whom Jackson has said is his manager, were instrumental in helping him save almost $8 million in agent’s fees. 

“Lamar Jackson is bucking the trend. He has not had an agent since he entered the league,” explains Hekima Wallace Qualls, former sports reporter for DC’s The Sports Groove with Mark Gray. “The situation with the Ravens not signing Lamar right away gives the perception that teams don’t like the idea of his mom negotiating the deal versus an agent from the boys’ club. If you have the ability to keep the money in the family, why not take it?”

The mainstream media analysts denounced Jones, claiming she did not possess the proficiency to broker such a complex deal. 

“I’ve read some of the articles stating that she is in over her head or not qualified to handle this level of talent,” explained Qualls. 

Jones was instrumental in orchestrating Jackson’s rookie contract.

The current contract stalemate between Jackson and the Ravens lasted more than a year. But ten days before Jackson secured his money, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, who led his team to the 2023 Super  Bowl–and who is represented by agent Nicole Lynn, who is Black– signed a $255 million, five-year deal that provided the blueprint for Jackson and Jones.

Lynn and Jones set a precedent for Black women in a society that pays Black women 64 cents on every dollar paid to non-Hispanic White men. 

“I’m ecstatic over the accomplishments of both Nicole Lynn, and Felicia Jones. In this current social and political climate where there is a focus on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, detractors of these policies are quick to insinuate that people from underrepresented communities are somehow in positions or receiving work that they are not otherwise qualified to have,” explained Qualls. “As a Black woman, I know the old adage that you have to work twice as hard and be twice as good still stands true to form, and I’m sure both these women know and understand it as well.”

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.

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.

The post Lamar Jackson quarterbacks a historic, five-year extension deal with Baltimore Ravens appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

By Reginald Williams,
Special to the AFRO

If Congress acts quickly enough, Kevin Jackson just may survive the disease that is trying to suffocate him. 

Each month he has to come up with $3,000, his co-pay for a 90-day supply of  nintedanib. The cost without insurance lands somewhere near $20,000.

Sold under the name Ofev, the oral medication treats people with pulmonary fibrosis, a lung disease affected by severe scarring.

Jackson, a licensed clinical professional counselor, was diagnosed with interstitial pulmonary fibrosis in 2012. His lungs are filled with small nodules that create scarring. The fibrosis’ side effects include bouts of losing air, which causes intense coughing spells, and the former athletic standout’s mean arterial pressure levels regularly dip in the low 60 millimeters of mercury, barely enough to send oxygen to the brain. 

Ofev, approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2014, according to medical experts, can slow the progression of lung scarring.

In Jackson’s attempt to improve the quality of his life, the cost to improve his health is excessive and frustrating for the U.S. Marine Corps veteran of 33 years.

“It’s frustrating. It makes me angry. There is a sense of betrayal. Ultimately, it’s the state of humanity. In our state of humanity, we are greedy—and we do not work for the good of the whole. We work for the good of the one,” said Jackson with regards to the government’s duplicity in his diagnosis.

While the 27 European Union countries regulate drug prices by negotiating directly with pharmaceutical companies or Big Pharma as they are known, set their prices without interference from the government. 

Many Americans, including Jackson, believe the medicine monopoly is rooted in greed and their intimate government relationships. Research reveals that pharmaceutical and healthcare products spent more than $300 million in 2022 lobbying Congress. The Pharmaceutical Research & Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), the No. 1 individual pharmaceutical lobbyist, spent $29.2 million.

“Humanity has a problem with greed. It will always look after its self-interest, and that’s how I look at Big Pharma,” explained Jackson. “Big Pharma is unfortunately imprisoned by their own arrogance, believing themselves to be making money for the benefit of all, supposedly so that they can altruistically give—yet not recognizing that there’s a little old dude in Bowie, Maryland, who needs some pills, and they want to charge him $3,000 for 90 days of pills.”

Ofev does not have a generic equivalent. The patent, held by Boehringer Ingelheim International, for the drug specifically needed by Jackson expires on Dec. 20, 2025. There is no incentive for a pharmaceutical company to reduce the cost of a drug while they own the patent. The goal for a company is to earn as much revenue as possible before the drug loses its exclusive rights. The expiration of the drug’s patent makes way for generic offerings at a reduced cost.   

Jackson’s frustration with the high  fee for his medicine begins with his vexation with the federal  government. In 1991, after a six-month military tour in Saudi Arabia, Jackson believes the onset of his lung issues began with exposure to toxic fumes from ground pits while deployed during the war with Iraq. 

“I’m confident that it started when I was in Saudi Arabia in those ground pits, breathing in that dust,” said Jackson. “I remember when I arrived home from Saudi Arabia; I felt tired all the time. My joints started hurting, and I felt weighed down. My legs were heavy. The things I used to be able to easily do became much harder to do.”

After fighting on foreign soil for the liberation of Kuwait, Jackson now fights on a domestic minefield to get the United States to recognize that his illness is most likely the product of his service time in Kuwait. Engaged in a two-decade battle, Jackson maintains the government has laid the responsibility upon him to prove to the military that his illness is service-connected.

“The VA (Veterans Administration) says we’re here for you. But that’s the political response,”said Jackson. “They will say to anybody, ‘We will help you. We will support you. We’ll be there for you when you can prove that which you are going through happened as a result of being connected to the service.”

The government’s unwillingness to provide the quality of service that Jackson served his country with, compounded by the government’s complicity in allowing healthcare companies to charge extortionist drug fees metaphorically, is taking Jackson’s breath away.

“The government is good for pulling the rug from under you—failing to deliver on what they promise. But then they will try to create this story as a rationale regarding how their bait-and-switch policies are best for you. I struggle with this,” said Jackson.

The government is indifferent and Big Pharma is the “big issue.” 

“To get something out of the ground and formulate it so that it can have some benefit for humanity, but by the way, you need to pay more than $12,910 for a 60-day supply—c’mon man. For real, man! It’s not whether I can afford it. Is it fair? Is it just? But that goes to the heart of man,” he continued.

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.

The post A Marine Corps vet’s battle to breathe is part of a fight against ‘Big Pharma’ appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

By Reginald Williams,
Special to the AFRO

The failure to properly manage stress serves as a critical underlying factor in the poor health outcomes for Black men. Black men have the lowest life expectancy. The National Institute of Health (NIH) maintains the health of Black men is a public health issue. 

Heart disease, homicide, and hypertension represent three of the 10 leading causes of death for Black men. With each causation, stress is often a primary driving force. 

Unmanaged stress contributes to high blood pressure, which can distress the heart leading to strokes and heart attacks. Living in poverty in highly violent environments while experiencing the physiologic responses of those social stressors too often serves as the impetus for the high homicide rate experienced by Black men. 

Addressing the critical need for people to learn how to effectively manage their stress, the NIH earmarked April as National Stress Awareness Month. Their mission is to bring attention to and give citizens strategies to combat and reduce the negative impact of stress. 

“Managing stress is an essential component of a healthy lifestyle. Knowing how to manage stress can improve mental and physical well-being as well as minimize exacerbation of health-related issues,” according to the National Institutes of Health. 

Empirical data suggests that Black men experience a cumulative degree of pervasive psychological pressures, often resulting in one life stressor serving as a barrier to managing an equally challenging annoyance. Some of those stressors give rise to the following:

• Homicide– one of the leading causes of death for Black men.

• Suicide– Black men died by suicide four times the rate of Black women.
• Depression– seeking therapy has an attached stigma. 

According to research, Black men seek out mental health services less than half the amount of non-Hispanic White men. 

Work coercions and financial obligations are the more frequent tension-filled influences weighing on the emotional and psychological spirits of Black men. 

“We are constantly under pressure from the world to be employed and yet denied access to providing for our families,” explained Calvin Mann, a Detroit-based national advocate for Black boys and fathers.  

Stressors run the gamut for Black men but shift in priority depending upon age. Marriage, the infrequency of sex and having to initiate it, kids, not feeling heard or understood, and trying to live up to everyone’s expectations to include self-expectation were shared by a group of BLAM (Black Love And Marriage) husbands as their predominant stressors. For more senior Black men, health concerns for self, family, and friends occupy those constant concerning thoughts. 

“The realization that I have spent more time in this life than I have left and facing mortality is always a concern for me,” explained Darryl Towns, a former representative of the 54th Assembly District in the New York State Legislature.

The persistent pain of marginalization and disrespect, united with centuries of emasculation leaves many Black men feeling the strains of unhealthy and destructive stress daily.  

“This country strives to keep the Black family subjugated through its attempts to emasculate the thoughts, ideas, pocketbook, and very being of the Black man,” explained Dr. Michelle Edwards, consultant, adjunct professor, and executive coach.

Jason Wilson, author of “Cry Like a Man,” and “Battle Cry,” maintains Black men carry their trauma and stress like badges of honor. Dr. Jean R. Moise, deputy director of the D.C. Department of Behavioral Health, agrees.

“Due to the collective, historical, oppressive, traumatic experience we all share, we tend to believe we have to persevere, go at it alone and not trust anyone enough to show our pain and vulnerability. It is part of our historical DNA. That posture results in undue, continuous pain, anxiety, and stress. On top of that, there’s a negative stigma in our community against expressing psychological stress and emotional problems,” said Moise.  

Education, noted to be the great equalizer, represents additional pockets of stress for Black boys and men. Racial fatigue shadow Black males throughout their educational realities. 

“We are emphatically aware of the poor treatment we receive. It starts in the boy’s removal from early education,” adds Mann.

From preschool to Ph.D. studies, Black boys and men must navigate stress clothed in everyday microaggressions at the hands of educational institutions. Black men are introduced to stress as young as four years of age. Research maintains that Black boys represented more than half of the 17,000 preschool students suspended or expelled nationwide in 2021. 

Ricco Hall, graduating May 2023 from a Private White Institution (PWI) with an education doctorate in Human and Organizational Learning, encountered his share of stress pursuing his PH.D. 

“Stress has shown up in my pursuit of my doctorate,” explained Hall. “The nuanced or subconscious subtleties and microaggressions that are constantly experienced and not acknowledged by either party, me or the offender. The issue is that by being a Black man with less social capital and leverage, it is the unspoken yet expected role that the onus is on me to yield my feelings to appease, safeguard, and regard the feelings of institutional agents over mine.”

The tentacle of stress possesses a far-reaching impact on the physical, emotional, and psychological health of Black men.  

“Stressful situations can also cause or exacerbate mental health conditions, most commonly, anxiety and depression, which require access to health care,” according to NIH.

Adrian Quarles has learned how to manage his stress, and maintains he’s used stress as an agent for success. However, his achievements did not occur without emotional distress serving its allotment of devastation in his life. 

“Stress has negatively affected my health at times. It’s caused me chest pains, sleeplessness, depression and exhaustion. I’ve encountered stress in the classroom, on stage and while writing,” said Quarles, educator, poet, actor and playwright. “But when I handle it correctly, it provides a feeling of achievement.”

Having to manage daily anxieties, Black men frequently find themselves in the eye of some emotional storm, unable to find suitable cover. In those moments, Dr. Greg Hall, medical director of University Hospitals of Cleveland, Cutler Center for Men, advises men to take time and breath when trapped in the moment.  

“Slow and deep breathing is a great way to calm your system down. Methodical deep breathing slows your pulse, increases blood oxygenation, and allows for better psychological acceptance of whatever situation you may encounter,” said Hall.

Effectively managing stress begins with being mindful and understanding that it only requires small, conscious shifts in everyday activities. 

• Exercise ignites endorphins, those neurotransmitters known for making people feel good.
• Diets with  nutritionally-dense food reduces stress hormones attacking the brain. 
• Meditation, or the process of stopping and breathing with intentionality, helps declutter the mind of its negative thoughts. 
• Sleep lowers high levels of cortisol—the primary stress hormone that encourages the fight or flight behavior
• Laughter stimulates relaxation.

Hall advises taking baths, not showers because it is a way to reduce stress. 

“After a long and stressful day, people discount the relaxation value of a hot bath. Few Black men admit to taking baths because showers are so fast and efficient, but they do not allow for mental decompression that a bath provides,” explains Hall. 

Additional methodologies for managing stress includes doing what brings you joy. 

“Good coping strategies are finding support in pursuing passions, interests, and ambitions with other men with similar, shared experiences. Those channels can be through sports, fraternities, social clubs, Community organizing, and church,” said Moise. “It’s a documented fact that Black men who use these strategies are healthier mentally and physically and have less stress and anxiety.”

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

The post National Stress Awareness Month highlights Black men and mental health appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

By Reginald Williams,
Special to the AFRO

The I AM campaign over sanitation workers’ conditions in Memphis, Tenn. –the spark that led to Dr. Martin Luther King’s assassination in 1968–is dramatically spelled out in a podcast released this month by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees commemorating King’s final social justice campaign.

Created to spell out the historic struggle linked to the King assassination April 4, 1968, the podcast provides the grisly details of daily life for a  Memphis sanitation worker, the struggle King responded to that spring. 

“It’s so important to know what the sanitation workers did in 1968,” explained Lee Saunders, national president of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 1733. “They were fighting for dignity and respect on the job. They were fighting to have a seat at the table of a city not recognizing their union nor their humanity. The city of Memphis did not recognize them as being men.”

The podcast salutes the workers and explores the 64-day strike that was triggered by the deaths of two sanitation workers. Jerry Wurf, then-president of AFSCME implored King to help.  The voices on the podcast include Bill Lucy, now-emeritus secretary of treasurer for AFSCME 1733, Rev. James Lawson, an activist and leading tactician on nonviolent resistance and Martin Luther King III, the eldest child of King.

“The podcast provides a snapshot of what was going on in 1968, but it gives us the framework where we can use it over and over and over again to refer to it,” said Saunders. “We believe that by doing this podcast, we will deliver the message to a much broader population. It has a shelf life.”

Few would argue that the photographs portraying Black men marching on Main Street, downtown Memphis, Tenn., hoisting signs that read, “I Am A Man,” represents some of the most iconic images articulating that watershed moment for the Civil Rights movement.

Echol Coles and Robert Walker, two Memphis sanitation workers, were crushed to death while sitting in the truck’s tailgate, seeking refuge from a torrential downpour. The truck’s compaction plate (packer) malfunctioned, causing their deaths. The city provided no shelter for Black workers. They were not allowed to enter the building to eat lunch, let alone take shelter from the pouring rain, and their wages were as low as 65 cents per hour. The wages were so low that full-time employees were eligible for government assistance. In lending his voice to the movement King said, “It is a crime for people to live in this rich nation and receive starvation wages.”

Henry Loeb, a White segregationist who served as public works commissioner over the sanitation department, did not recognize Union 1733. The oppressive and grueling work conditions he set worsened when he was elected Memphis mayor for a second term in November 1967. 

The deaths of Coles and Walker triggered a sanitation strike Feb. 12  with more than 1,300 Black workers toting signs bearing the phrase “I AM a Man,” which became the rallying cry for their campaign for dignity and respect.

Wurf, a White Jewish immigrant of Austro-Hungarian descent, spearheaded the strike in conjunction with T.O. Thomas, a worker terminated in 1963 for his efforts to organize a union. Together, they diligently fought for those marginalized men, advocating for safer working conditions, better wages and recognition of the union by local government. 

Cleophus Smith, a 26-year-old sanitation worker in 1968, was devastated when he learned of his co-workers’ death.

“It was shocking when we got the news that they had gotten crushed up in the truck,” said Smith in the podcast’s first edition. “We had to keep on working—as a matter of fact we didn’t even have an opportunity to go to the funeral.”

City officials continued to devalue Walker and Coles–even in their death. Each family received $500 from the city for their death. The cost of their burial was $900. 

The strike garnered national prominence when King agreed to lend his voice to the groundswell. His presence gave the strikers added hope that the city of Memphis would recognize their union. Smith, 80, who still works for the sanitation department as a crew chief, said they were determined to organize a union. 

“We didn’t really know. We just felt that we were going to come out of this thing with a union,” said Smith. 

Historians said that King was initially reluctant to engage in the labor fight. King’s focus was racial equality. He was planning the more inclusive Poor People’s Campaign, also known as the Poor People’s March—scheduled to feature demonstrations in Washington, D.C., beginning on May 14 and concluding on June 24. King’s advisors didn’t want a local labor strike in Memphis to usurp his attention from his national focus, which possessed the potential to impact the world. However, Lawson’s ability to demonstrate how those local concerns perfectly aligned with the national mission persuaded King, who understood the link between “civil rights, economic rights, and labor rights” and how that equated to racial justice, said Saunders.

King arrived in Memphis and led a march on March 28. With the outbreak of violence—approximately 300 citizens, mostly Black, were arrested, and about 60 people were injured, including the shooting death  during the demonstrations by a Memphis police officer of  16-year-old Larry Payne.

Placed under the protective covering of his constituents, King was rushed to safety before returning home to Atlanta. He returned to Memphis on April 3. Later that evening, King told the sanitation workers, “We got to give ourselves to this struggle until the end.” Less than 24 hours later, King met his end.

Several reports maintain that King began to internalize the proximity of his death—believing that it was near. 

On the morning of his return to Memphis, King boarded Eastern Airlines flight 381 and was met with a bomb threat. Historians say that he was accustomed to death threats, but the sweltering heat from repeated intimidations began to wear on him. 

Many of King’s closest allies believe that the phenomenal orator’s feelings about his death inspired his “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” sermon preached at the Bishop Charles Mason Temple before many of those striking sanitation workers on the eve of April 3. On April 4 while standing on a second-floor balcony at the Lorraine Motel,  King was fatally struck with an assassin’s bullet at 6:01 p.m. Despite being 39 at the time of his death, King’s autopsy report revealed he had the heart of a 60-year-old. 

Communities of color erupted nationwide in civil disturbances in scores of  U.S. cities including Detroit, Mich., Chicago, Ill., Wilmington, N.C, Baltimore, Md. and D.C. where 13 deaths were recorded along with more than 1,200 injuries and an estimated $27 million in property damage occurred in Washington.

Fifty-five years removed from 1968, Black men and Memphis sanitation workers are still trying to find refuge from the inhumane weight of a crushing system that appears to malfunction by design.  

“There is an attack on our democracy, on our freedoms,” said Saunders. “People are trying to take collective bargaining away from workers. People don’t want workers to have a seat at the table. Voting rights are under attack. Our educational system is under attack by folks who don’t want us to talk about what happened in 1968.”

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.

The post New podcast highlights legacy of 1968 Memphis Sanitation Strike and sacrifice of Martin Luther King Jr. appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

By Reginald Williams,
Special to the AFRO

Michelle Miller recently discussed her journey to a stronger idea of self and the motivation behind her memoir, “Belonging: A Daughter’s Search for Identity Through Love and Loss.” 

Among friends, fans, Howard professors and classmates, Miller bore her soul at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in Northwest Washington, D.C.

The South Central native was born to a Black father and a Latina mother whose family opposed her dating a Black man. To complicate the love affair, her father was the late Dr. Ross Miller, chief of surgery at Dominguez Valley Hospital in Compton, Calif. He was married when he became involved in an extramarital affair with Miller’s mother, a hospital worker. 

“I’m my mother’s secret, born to an extramarital affair,” Miller shared.

Her maternal grandparents were first-generation Mexican-Americans chasing the American dream, which Miller maintains, reflected Whiteness.

“Racism has impacted me all my life,” she said. “Born into the trauma of the unrest of 1967. I came out of the union of a father who adored me and a mother who, to this day, has not acknowledged my existence.”

In their one meeting that lasted less than an hour, Miller learned that her father was the love of her mother’s life, but her grandparents disagreed. Ultimately, Miller’s mom was presented with the “it’s either him or us” ultimatum by her family. Her mother chose her family, which meant abandoning Miller.

The fulfillment of a happy marriage and children– even being a national correspondent for CBS News– did not remove the emotional turmoil fueled by feelings of being unwanted and abandoned.

“There are still things and places that I don’t feel like I belong, and yet I feel accomplished. I still feel loved. I don’t know what that says about me. But like I said—it is a journey, and I’m still on it. I’m a kid who didn’t feel as though she belonged in a space or place at a given time, and I was seeking to belong,” said Miller. “I was seeking to fill a void and to find my place—and that’s what belonging means to me.”

Although a gifted storyteller, Miller never felt moved to gift her story of “longing and her struggle to belong” with the world. She believed her story was no different than any other person trying to come to terms with a parent’s abandonment.

“I never felt compelled to tell my story. There were a lot of people out there like me. Why would anyone want to hear my story,” Miller said. “More importantly– I didn’t know how to tell it.”

But in a serendipitous turn of events, Miller, in 2020, while recording a segment on the social injustice impacting Black and Brown people nationwide, turned the camera on herself and shared with a nation of television viewers the narrative of her childhood wounds. Thirty-seven minutes after the episode aired, she received an email from HarperCollins that read, “Wow. That’s a book. Can we publish it?” 

Choosing against looking a “gift horse in the mouth,” Miller agreed.  

Unbeknownst to Miller, authoring Belonging was cathartic.

The Emmy and Edward R. Murrow award-winning journalist has always been conscious of the scars she carried because of her mother’s denial. However, she was unconscious of how deep the wounds cut. 

Marc Morial, Miller’s husband of 23 years, shared that when they began dating, she told him the one thing he could not do was “abandon” her. Hearing that was eye-opening for Miller. Morial was happy that writing the book gave his wife an opportunity to soothe some of the emotional trauma. 

Miller said the book tour “is the most amazing experience.”

“When your friends come out and throw you events. It is so incredible. I feel it (the love). I really feel it. If I didn’t know it before, I better know it now,” said Miller.  

As the discussion ended, Miller shared that she remains a little angry because her mom, married with a family, still will not acknowledge her. Still, she maintains that she is “nothing to be ashamed of.”

“I just think it’s so significant to one: let people know that they matter; they are recognized, and that they are a part of your space, place and family.”

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.

The post Michelle Miller releases new book, ‘Belonging: A Daughter’s Search for Identity Through Love and Loss’ appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

By Reginald Williams,
Special to the AFRO

Black Men Unifying Black Men (BMUBM) is an independent, non-political Baltimore-based group of Black men who meet monthly to engage in discussion. Their charge is to effect life-altering changes in the lives of Black men and boys throughout Baltimore.

“We are a hub for bringing Black men together for the purpose of knowing each other, working together, and creating relationships that allow great things to happen,” said Bill Goodin, one of the six founding members. 

The group meets on the first Saturday of each month over breakfast at a Black-owned establishment. Most meetings revolve around how to elevate the lives of Baltimoreans, but some Saturdays feature keynote speakers like local politicians. 

“We don’t give political endorsements as a group,” Goodin shared, “but we do bring in politicians to speak to us so that members of the group can learn what’s being proposed, and we can help to educate our members.” 

The prevailing narrative nationwide embraces the belief that Black men are largely absent and do not commune for the benefit of the community. But BMUBM has, for the last eight years, served as the root organization for other grassroots organizations. Their impact is evident in the businesses they’ve helped build. We Are Us Movement, established by Andrey Bundley, a BMUBM founder, assists Charm City residents, especially men, and boys, with securing resources. 

“Dr. Bundley and are in the streets. They go into different neighborhoods bringing resources and connecting people to those different resources like drug counseling and helping people get jobs,” explained Goodin.

Kioba Business Ventures, a Black-owned real estate development company launched by Reedy Bass, another founder, represents another community-based organization inspired by BMUBM. The venture is a collection of Black men pooling their money to purchase and refurbish decaying homes. And the reach of the organization has extended to Philadelphia. So enamored by what BMUBM was achieving in Baltimore, brothers from the City of Brotherly Love established their own chapter. 

One of BMUBM’s most prominent initiatives is publicly recognizing Black men for the work they produce on behalf of the citizens of Baltimore. In 2021, BMUBM decided to dedicate one Saturday each year to acknowledge Black men who have impacted the citizens of Baltimore. Realizing that good Black men make invaluable but ignored contributions to Black families, Michael Johnson, a BMUBM founding member, was inspired to give Black men their flowers while they could smell them.  

“This is an annual event where we honor Black men. We should recognize and honor Black men out here doing the work. You often have people out there doing the work who may not have name recognition. Brothers work 20 or 30 years working on the streets and are not recognized for their contributions,” said Goodin. “We just want to recognize Black men working towards our interest in terms of trying to lift us up, trying to make us a better people, and trying to make the city better.”

In November 2022 during the 2nd Annual Honoree Ceremony, BMUBM honored 24 Black men. A few of the honorees included David Miller, the renowned international author of children’s books, Rep. Kweisi Mfume (D-MD 7th), Iman Earl El-Amin, resident iman of Muslim Community Cultural Center of Baltimore and vice president of National Centers on Institution and Alternatives, Bowie Mayor Tim Adams and Richard Rowe, a mental health consultant. 

“I am truly honored and profoundly grateful to have been selected by this life-affirming and intergenerational organization,” explained Rowe, a project consultant for The Black Mental Health Alliance for Education and Consultation. “[Black Men Unifying Black Men] is made up of respected and esteemed Black men who exemplify community service, Brotherhood, the utmost respect for Black women, the elevation of Black family life, and the upliftment and unification of Black men throughout the city.”  

Goodin believes Black men have the capacity to come together nationwide but promotes that they must work collaboratively.  

“If we have any hope in saving ourselves, Black men will have to play an important role,” said Goodin. “We have to recognize the fact that we need to unify. We need to know each other so that we can work together.”

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.

The post Black Men Unifying Black Men: how one organization is working to positively impact Baltimore appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

By Reginald Williams,
Special to the AFRO

On March 2, Keith Person visited his doctor for his annual physical. He weighed in at 253. His blood pressure read 110/75, and his A1C was 5.9. 

Two months earlier, on January 1, the Pathway to Housing D.C. Peer Support Specialist tipped the scales at 275 pounds. His A1C at that time was 7.3. He attributes his weightloss to a change in diet.

“I eat less meat now, and the meat I do eat is chicken, fish, and turkey,” said Person. “I love salads now. I eat healthy salads– without meat– three times per week.” 

Person began his health journey in May 2022 after a disappointing doctor’s visit. 

The native Washingtonian learned that his lab work revealed he was metabolically unhealthy. Determined to reverse his poor health, Person dedicated himself to living healthier. He became motivated to reduce his weight to 240 and his waistline to 38 by March 2023. He began walking to exercise and eating healthier. 

During his October 2022 doctor’s visit, Person received the news from his doctor that his metabolic numbers were trending in the right direction. That news ignited his relapse. 

“She told me what I needed to hear. That [my] A1C was down, and I had lost a little weight,” Person said. “I was eating healthier. I was eating to live as opposed to living to eat, but then I fell back into my old ways. I looked up, and I ballooned back up to 275 by the end of last year. I relapsed [and] just determined that I couldn’t live like that.”

Person believes his ideal weight is 225 pounds and seeks to drop the additional 28 pounds of unnecessary weight.   

Health experts maintain that carrying excessive weight negatively affects almost every aspect of health. 

Belly fat places undue stress on the body’s organs and heightens the chances of heart failure. Heart disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is the number one killer among Black men, followed by strokes and hypertension. Person’s maternal grandfather, a diabetic, died of a massive heart attack at 62, Person’s present age. Losing weight and belly fat is critical to Black men living healthier and longer.

The CDC says obesity does not discriminate in health determinants but affects all African-Americans more aggressively.

• African American women have the highest rates of obesity or being overweight compared to other groups in the United States. About 4 out of 5 African American women are overweight or obese.
• In 2018, non-Hispanic Blacks were 1.3 times more likely to be obese as compared to non-Hispanic whites.
• People who are overweight are more likely to suffer from high blood pressure, high levels of blood fats, diabetes, and LDL cholesterol—all risk factors for heart disease and stroke.
• In 2018, African Americans were 20 percent less likely to engage in active physical activity as compared to non-Hispanic whites.

The Journal of National Medical Association collected data from 661 African-Americans, 418 women, and 243 men residents of Washington D.C.’s living in Wards 7 and 8. The results revealed that 38.3 percent of the women and 20.1 percent of the men were determined to be obese. That study also revealed that African American men 55 or older were the most likely population to be overweight.  

Weighing in a few sweet snacks shy of 300 and being the heir of a diabetic legacy of sufferers—his mother had the debilitating disease before her death, and his sister is currently affected by it—Person tackles his health issues in the same fashion that he gripped his 26-year active addiction. Living in sobriety for the last 10 years, Person said he didn’t stop smoking crack and cigarettes to let food kill him. 

“Being a man of color at 62, I knew I couldn’t continue to take my health for granted,” Person said. “I recognized that my health was deteriorating. I would easily get out of breath. When I walked, I wheezed. I knew if I didn’t do something, that 275 could very well be 285 or 290. I made a conscious decision to eat healthier by cutting out certain foods [mainly sugary snacks] and exercising, which is walking for me.”

With the prevalence of premature deaths of Black men nationwide, particularly men as in their early 40s,  Person implores Black men to be more mindful of their health. “Take care of your body before it’s too late before you do damage that can’t be reversed.”

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.

The post Change your diet, change your life: how one Black man is taking control of his health appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

By Reginald Williams,
Special to the AFRO

A two-and-one-half-hour panel discussion recently took place at Sankofa Video Books and Cafe on Georgia Avenue in Northwest D.C., delving into a discussion on the nuances of what it means to be a Black boy and man. The panel explored what was required of boys to survive, and what it takes for Black men to thrive in today’s society.

In 2023, as the push to be fully conscious of gender identity and the differences in biological determinants of sex, one must be culturally responsible when defining a “boy.” At least Raymond A. Winbush, Ph. D., understands that caution must be exercised when distinguishing gender definitions. 

“Increasingly, it is becoming hard to decide what a boy is,” explained Winbush, a research professor and director of the Institute for Urban Research at Morgan State University.

When Kamau Grimes, symposium host of Thrive Black Boy: Nurturing the Mental Health of Black Male Adolescents, asked Winbush to provide a foundational definition for a boy, Winbush, the author of “The Warrior Method: A Parents’ Guide to Rearing Healthy Black Boys,” said, “a boy is a male child.”

The world for Black boys is increasingly one where their lives are played out almost always on defense— doing all they can to survive, making it difficult for them to thrive.

Responding to Grimes’ question about what it means to see Black boys thriving, Winbush said, “Thriving for Black boys is where he can do anything he wants. He’s not restrained by the racism and White supremacy imposed upon Black boys. He can walk down the street at night. He can walk down the street in the daytime. He can go to whatever college he wants to – if he wants to do that , and get a job wherever he wants.” 

Joining Winbush in the discussion was Jeff Menzise, associate professor at the Institute of Urban Research School of Graduate Studies at Morgan State University. Brennan Allan Steele, a seventh grade math teacher in Memphis, Tenn., and founder of the Breathe Brotha movement, also joined the discussion  via video.

In any holistic discussion about Black boys, the perspective that must be lifted are the challenges Black boys face in their quest to become men and what is required of them to mature into fully functional Black men. Too many men are incarcerated by the unaddressed wounds that surfaced while just boys. 

Surviving is the essential requirement for Black boys to become men, offered Menzise. “A Black boy has to survive to become a Black man.” 

Beyond survival, Menzise posed a question that should be asked to Black boys: “What kind of man do they want to be? That puts in their head that there are different types of Black men. Even though they have seen and experienced different types of Black men, they may have never thought like that. ‘You mean I can control my own destiny of what type of man I can become?'”

Menzise’s understanding of the various types of Black men derives from an experiential space. The Cincinnati, Ohio native, by his admission, arrived at Fisk University with a hood mentality, pants sagging, smoking weed and living somewhat irresponsibly. At Fisk, he met Winbush, who represented the type of man that he would desire to become.

“Any and everybody I’ve encountered as I’ve been growing into a Black man has helped me to become the Black man that I am– like Dr. Winbush. When I came to Fisk, he was one of my teachers. I took my first psychology classes under Dr. Winbush.” 

“Dr. Winbush would toss me the keys to his green Benz and trust and charge me to pick up some of the VIP guests coming to campus like John Conyers, Dorothy Height, Chuck D [and] Bishop Desmond Tutu,” said Menzise. “He instilled that trust that gave me a deep sense of responsibility. Dr. Winbush helped me to understand that I was living for more than myself. I knew that I couldn’t let him down.”

White supremacy and racism—societal constructs that behave like tailored nooses, occupied most of the evening’s discussion; however, Steele breathed a unique perspective into the conversation.

The constant everyday microaggressions that Black boys must navigate to just survive seldom leave them with an opportunity to simply breathe—intentionally. Steele, author of “Breathe. A guided Healing Journal for Black Men,” shared how important it is for Black boys and men to take the time to breathe.

“We’ve seen and heard it many times: the last phrase of unarmed Black boys and men before being murdered is often ‘I can’t breathe.’ The absence of breath indicates the absence of life. Thus, a Black boy’s breathing indicates he is living, surviving and thriving despite the systems, experiences and messages around that tell him that his existence is dispensable,” said Steele. “Every breath a Black boy takes matters because it means he has the ability to dream, to experience joy, to be courageous, and to live fully.” 

Breathing is an autonomic process that most take for granted. But breathing with intent is healing. 

“Breathing in the physical sense does wonders for your mental and emotional state,” said Steele. “It helps us pause, recenter, and step back in the midst of stress, overwhelm, and the pressures of everyday life. Not only should Black boys practice breathing– literally– but they should also take space to breathe figuratively as well. This could look like being introspective, identifying their emotions daily, starting a journaling practice, or creating intentional spaces to be connected with other Black boys and men where they can just be.” 

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.

The post A time to heal: Black men gather in D.C. to discuss Black manhood and mentorship appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

By Reginald Williams,
Special to the AFRO

The most effective way to live healthier is by persistently eating nutrient-dense foods—not exercising more.  

The new year arrived with millions of fleeting New Year’s resolutions. Nationwide, people made vows to live healthier, and exercise topped the list of the best way to achieve that goal.  

“Regular physical activity is one of the most important things you can do for optimal health,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s research.

Exercise is a pillar in holistic wellness because of the movement, which is the core of exercising. Exercise builds muscle which improves stability and balance, makes your bones more durable, reduces the risk of heart disease, improves cardiorespiratory endurance, and stimulates endorphins, those hormones that relieve pain and boost mental health by feeling better.

According to statista.com, exercising or doing it more often has served as the No. 1 resolution for the past three years. That healthier frame of mind is evident in new gym memberships, which surge in January and begin to decline at some point in February before experiencing a precipitous drop in April.

While exercise is an excellent option for optimal health, you cannot exercise your way out of a poor diet. Diet trumps exercise. As important as exercising is, eating clean, healthy foods must be the engine that drives living a healthier lifestyle.  

“Although exercising has many health benefits, it does not cancel the harmful effects of a poor diet. A poor diet does not provide the nutrients your body needs to be supported in your exercise performance,” said Dr. Tierra Hardin, founder of the College Park, Md., based Noble Integrative Health.

Reducing debilitating diseases begins with diet.   

“If you want to reduce your risk of disease in the body, reduce your intake of processed foods. It is important to keep your diet as close to natural as possible,” explained Dr. Sharon E. Hawks, registered dietitian nutritionist and owner of The Nutrition and Diabetes Education Center in Glen Dale, MD. “Research suggests that by doing so, you can reduce your risk of diabetes and heart disease by 30 percent.”

Doctors say that food can serve as a form of medicine when a diet is packed with nutrients that behave like fuel to the body.

“It is very important to integrate clean eating habits for our health and well-being. It helps to prevent chronic illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension, and cancer. Clean eating improves our immune system, brain and heart health, our gut microbiome, and more. It improves our overall health, mind, body, and spirit,” explains Hardin. 

Experts say food can either replenish the body on a cellular level or kick off a chain of destructive events within the body, depending on the choices made. African Americans are encouraged to begin consuming unprocessed and unrefined foods, which provide a metabolic structure for better health. 

“One of the biggest reasons for this increased risk of disease is that processed foods can increase inflammation in the body. Almost every disease can be linked back to high levels of inflammation,” said Hawks. 

Health officials agree that Ideal health begins with internal fitness. It is common for people eating healthy to lose sizable portions of weight having done minimal exercise. In contrast, those eating highly processed and refined foods struggle to lose weight despite consistently exercising. 

It takes approximately three hours to burn the 1,300 calories consumed by eating a supersized hamburger, fries and a soda.  

Adrian Quarles, is now a witness to the power of focusing on a diet change, rather than becoming a gym addict. He lost 70 pounds in seven months. Though he was walking roughly five miles per day, he says it was his diet that fueled his weight loss. 

“I figured exercise was the major reason I lost weight, but I realized my diet had a lot to do with it,” Quarles said. “I normally eat oatmeal at five in the morning. If I eat lunch, it’s normally homemade vegetarian chili made with black and navy beans. I eat dinner no later than 5 p.m. and I fast until the next day. I also drink a lot of water.”

Though eating healthier may seem like a simple change, many find that a palatable diet is half the battle of eating healthy. People often need clarification about what they should eat. What diet to utilize, how many meals to eat daily, how many calories to consume or what’s the best time to eat baffles the masses. There is much to consider, and one must always be prepared to adjust the plan.

Fruits, vegetables, beans and nuts should comprise at least 80 percent of daily foods. These healthy choices will satiate your hunger.

Grapes (antioxidant and great for cleansing red blood cells) and melons—strawberries, blackberries, watermelons, cantaloupes, and papayas—are excellent for digestion and cleansing the gastrointestinal tract. Most melons also act as diuretics, making them excellent food choices for people with water retention issues. 

Fruits are rich in antioxidants that protect against cancer. Fruits are also a good source of hydration. Water from fruit is more hydrating than drinking water. Eating fruit for breakfast instead of sugary-filled cereals, processed oats, enriched bagels or toast provides minerals that produce sustainable energy. 

A healthy meal plan is incomplete without vegetables—kale, spinach, broccoli and asparagus, which doubles as an excellent diuretic, along with green beans, bell peppers and onions—especially red onions, are all excellent choices. Vegetables are also rich in antioxidants and provide a constellation of natural vitamins. While the thought of dining on leafy greens may not have the appeal of a sirloin steak, vegetables, when prepared at home, can create amazing meals. 

Unfortunately, the discipline to eat healthy too often revolves around the thought of restriction—what you shouldn’t eat. However, eating healthy is more about expansion, the willingness to expand one’s palette. While exercise is an excellent choice for living healthier, exercising good eating habits will supersize your health benefits. 

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.

The post Experts say cutting processed foods, eating healthier more important than exercise appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

By Reginald Williams,
Special to the AFRO

The Guilford Room at the Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace Hotel was packed on Feb. 4 with enthusiastic book lovers reconvening in person for dining and discussion after a two-year absence to celebrate Enoch Pratt Library’s 35th annual Black History Month Booklovers’ Breakfast.

More than 600 people, made up of book club members and aspiring authors, gathered to hear from the featured speaker, Walter Mosely, the critically acclaimed writer, who authored over sixty books, wrote, and produced several plays and television series. From the instant the Los Angeles, Calif., native graced the stage, he had the audience glued to his every word. 

While Mosely fans were pleased with his presence, Mosely was equally pleased with theirs.

“This was a wonderful event,” explained Mosely. “It’s always great whenever you have readers who share a common history—it’s really wonderful. We had great conversation. There were a lot of interesting ideas and the sharing of ideas.” 

In every question asked and answered, Mosely provided a story, nuanced and rich with nuggets of information. The patrons dined on a buffet of interests presented by Mosely. He revisited the history of his books, providing backstories to characters and plots. At times Mosely strolled back in time, retelling the history of America and its relationship with Black people and how that impacted his writings. And he shared concepts of what the future holds in the sci-fiction space. 

“Science fiction writers are some of the smartest people,” Mosely said. 

Mosely’s sci-fi proclamation was a breath of encouragement to Kymone Freeman, author of Nineveh: A Conflict of Water, a novel scheduled for release on March 22 recognized as World Water Day. 

“I’m a big fan of Walter Mosely. He is a writer’s writer, probably one of the most prolific writers we have alive today,” explained Freeman. “He’s inspired me. He autographed a book [John Woman] to me, and it says ‘do.’ That happened when I was trying to finish a novel, and I’m here now because I have done that, and I wanted to be able to tell him that I did ‘do’ what I set out to do.”

Book clubs throughout Maryland attended the breakfast. One club recognized was SWIRL (She Who Reads Leads). Established in 2021, the Baltimore-based club comprised four members, Cecilia Stephens, LaTonya Anderson, Tonya Brown, and Tracy Green (not in attendance) were excited about their inaugural Booklovers’ Breakfast experience.

In unison, each member said the breakfast was “amazing.” “This is our first book club breakfast, and it’s really wonderful enjoying Walter Mosley,” shared Anderson.

Enoch Pratt in conjunction with Mahogany Books and the AFRO serves as sponsors for the event.  

“Having a distinguished author like Walter Mosley at this year’s breakfast who started writing at 37 is a testament that it’s never too late to fulfill your dreams,” explained Will Johnson, manager for outreach and mobile services for Enoch Pratt Free Library, who provides free programs and resources to help the community fulfill their dreams.   

The breakfast concluded with Mosely autographing copies of his books and taking pictures with his excited fans. “Signing autographs is the least of my work, but it’s the best,” concluded Mosely.

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.

The post Enoch Pratt Library’s 35th annual Black History Month Booklovers’ Breakfast draws crowd appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

By Reginald Williams,
Special to the AFRO

The Carolina Panthers filled its head coach vacancy with former Indianapolis Colts Frank Reich Jan.26 in a move viewed as the latest example of Black coaching talent being overlooked in the National Football League. 

The decision to jettison interim head coach Steve Wilks comes in the wake of the failure of the Panthers to reach the playoffs. 

Despite finishing the season with a 6-6 record, elevating Carolina in contention to earn a playoff spot, David Tepper, the Panthers owner, hired Reich, who the Indianapolis Colts fired midseason after winning three of eight games.

The move stirred dismay from Panther supporters. 

“I’ve been a Carolina Panthers fan from the team’s inception in 1995. I’ve watched the team go through many ups, downs and two Super Bowl losses. However, I never felt more disappointed in my franchise than hearing the news that my team did not hire Steve Wilks as the head coach,” explained Malcolm Aaron, a longtime Panthers fan. “The Panthers decided to hire Reich, a capable and qualified candidate; however, Wilks earned the job on merit. Wilks was given lemons and made lemonade.”

He is among the growing legion of fans who feel Blacks are often passed over for top coaching positions. 

“Wilks proved he can win without much talent. Reich has shown that he can’t win with talent, which is why the Colts fired him after going three and five. So, let’s call it what it is. It’s not about winning. It’s about Tepper not wanting to give a Black coach the keys to his franchise. Tepper feels more comfortable with someone who looks like him in leadership. And until Black folk can get some ownership, this will be the issue,” explained Howard Lemuel Craft, a North Carolina playwright, poet, essayist, and arts educator.

Several Black football coaches are in litigation with the NFL.

Wilks, fired in 2018 after serving one season as the head coach for the Arizona Cardinals, joined in the class-action lawsuit filed by Brian Flores and Ray Horton against the NFL in 2022 for what they deemed racial discrimination and racist hiring practices. Fraudulent interview practices with no real intentions of hiring Black coaches are the foundational issues driving the lawsuit.

The critics reflect that stubborn belief and persistent speculation that the NFL’s Rooney Rule, which requires that team owners consider Blacks when filling a head coaching vacancy, results in just a cursory look for Black coaching candidates. 

Established in 2002, the rule, crafted by the late Johnnie Cochran, is designed to foster diversity in pro football’s coaching ranks by requiring NFL owners with coaching vacancies to interview at least one minority candidate. The rule, of which Cochran was an architect,  emerged from a Cochran commissioned a study that revealed that Black coaches were less likely to be rehired and more likely to be fired despite having a better winning percentage than White coaches.

Historically, White head coaches have been allowed to hold their jobs for roughly three to five poor seasons before being replaced, usually by another white coach. In contrast, NFL owners customarily swiftly fire Black head coaches if they fail to achieve immediate success. The Houston Texans fired Lovie Smith hours after the team finished the season with a 3-13 record in 2022. Smith replaced David Culley, an African-American coach who was also fired after just one unsuccessful season with the Texans.

Wilks maintains that the Cardinals hired him as a “bridge coach.” He released a statement through his lawyers that read: “This lawsuit has shed further important light on a problem that we all know exists, but that too few are willing to confront. Black coaches and candidates should have exactly the same ability to become employed, and remain employed, as white coaches and candidates. That is not currently the case, and I look forward to working with Coach Flores and Coach Horton to ensure that the aspiration of racial equality in the NFL becomes a reality.”

Although Eric Bieniemy, offensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs, led the Chiefs to their third Super Bowl appearance in four years, billionaire NFL owners continue to dismiss Bieniemy’s impressive resume.

Offensive coordinators leading high-powered offensives like Bieniemy are prime candidates to be hired. Four of the five head coaches hired in 2022 were offensive coordinators. Bieniemy’s winning percentage far exceeded each of those coaches, validating Cochran’s discovery that Black coaches with higher winning percentages were less likely to be hired than their white counterparts.

Bryon Leftwich, the former offensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and 1997 Howard D. Woodson High School football standout, was recently fired two seasons after leading the Bucs to a Super Bowl victory in 2021. During his success, he received no head coaching interviews.

DeMeco Ryans, the defensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers, is believed to be the lead applicant for the Texans’ vacancy. 

Derrick Jones Homesley, a former world-class sprinter and 2018 inductee in N.C. A&T Sports Hall of Fame succinctly summed up his feelings about Reich’s hire and the lack of Black coaches provided with similar opportunities.

“They keep showing us they don’t want us,” Jones Homesley said.  

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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By Reginald Williams,
Special to the AFRO

The front of food packaging is for entertainment—pure hype. The back of the package holds the life-altering information.

Food manufacturers employ deceptive marketing strategies to capitalize on consumers’ movement

toward eating healthier. Packaging designed with messages like “100% Organic,” “All Natural,” and “Made with REAL Fruit” boldly printed on the front—subliminally suggesting that the product is a

healthier option is customary practice.

But what is the truth?

The information printed on the back of the packaging—the small print—reveals truths antithetical to the promotion posted on the front.  

“Marketing on the front of the product is always going to be flashy and gorgeous, and you’re going to want to buy it. But when you turn the label around, it’s usually a different story,” explained Jana Wolff, registered dietitian, licensed dietitian/nutritionist, and director of nutrition at Greater Baltimore Medical Center’s Comprehensive Obesity Management Program. “You need to know what to look for because food companies are trying to get you to buy their product.”

Consumers must read the ingredients to know the facts. The failure or refusal to investigate the ingredients keeps most Americans diseased. Statistically, most Americans feasting on the Standard American Diet is prime to live with metabolic diseases.

A 2018 study by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Gillings School of Global Public Health found that 88 percent of Americans are metabolically unhealthy.

“Poor metabolic health leaves people more vulnerable to developing Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and other serious health issues,” said Joana Araujo, a postdoctoral research associate in nutrition and the study’s first author.

With the onset of COVID, optimal metabolic health can be the difference between life or death if you are diagnosed with the virus. Several studies reveal that most COVID-related deaths or severe illnesses occur when a patient has at least two pre-existing conditions.

Optimal metabolic health is achieved when blood glucose and pressure, cholesterol (triglycerides and high-density lipoprotein), and waist circumference exist at ideal levels without the benefits of medications. 

Unstable metabolic health is primarily the result of a poor dietary discipline rooted in mostly eating processed foods filled with synthetic additivities. A person’s risk of being diagnosed with cardiovascular health issues, Type 2 diabetes, or lymphatic health issues is more about their dietary decisions than their hereditary predisposition.

When reading food labels, there are various ingredients to avoid if better health is your mission. Here follows are three.

Enriched Products 

Americans love bread and pasta. The flour most often used to make those products is enriched. Striping the natural ingredients from grain to restore or compensate for the lost nutrients enriches those products. Promotional propaganda promotes that the enriched ingredients provide the micronutrient deficiencies missing in diets. However, the purpose of extracting the natural nutrients gives pathway to a longer shelf life and improves the taste and appearance that synthetic nutrients provide. Subsequently enhancing a manufactures revenue. Longer shelf life equates to less spoilage, creating increased revenue opportunities. 

Enriched derivates are usually simple starches that break down into sugar (glucose, maltose, etc.) in your blood.

Replace enriched products with alternatives like spelt, chickpea, or almond flour. Instead of white rice, choose farro, millet, or couscous (all are complex carbohydrates).

Sugars

High fructose corn syrup. Sucrose. Maltose. Maltodextrin. Dextrin. There are somewhere between 60 and 100 different names for sugar. Caramel. Cane sugar and syrup represent additional sugars.  

Sugar is arguably the most popular ingredient added to food. Salad dressings, ketchup, and orange juice are some daily products consumed that manufacturers sprinkle sugar on. Sugar is added to food for enhanced taste and appearance.

Almost 60 percent of African-Americans are diagnosed with diabetes, while approximately 36 percent are diagnosed with pre-diabetes. Americans consume approximately 80 grams of sugar per day, that equals between 60 and 100 pounds of sugar annually. Because sugar is included in most all packaged foods, it is imperative to read labels and avoid eating foods with excess sugar. 

If you must sweeten your food, agave and date syrup are healthier options.

Oils

Whatever nutritional value oil has is eliminated when cooked in high heat. Oils heated beyond their smoke point creates harmful free radicals that can lead to inflammation, increase cholesterol levels and be carcinogenic. Dieting on foods fried in oils, especially reused oils, expedites poor metabolic health.

Vegetable, palm, sunflower, safflower, soybean, and canola are the oils most frequently used in all kinds of foods, including sweets like cookies, pies, and cakes will jeopardize your health. 

Avocado and extra-virgin olive oils are the best alternatives.

You can improve your metabolic health by removing enriched foods, excess sugars, and foods fried in oils from your diet. 

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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By Reginald Williams,
Special to the AFRO

A cadre of social justice organizations recently joined forces to present the inaugural “Our Struggle for Justice: A Day of Action” at the National Portrait Gallery.

According to the National Portrait Gallery, “Our Struggle for Justice is a digital collaboration between the National Portrait Gallery and Capital One that explores activism and social justice through biography.”

The three-hour event included a “Dress for Success” session, a women’s empowerment round table, and a criminal justice reform letter-writing workshop facilitated by Jason D. Fabrikant, interim director of American University’s School of Public Affairs (SPA) Leadership Program and senior professional lecturer with SPA Leadership students. The day also included tours of the Struggle for Justice Gallery and activities meant to encourage youth activism.

Our Struggle for Justice began as a social media campaign initiative in February 2021, using Instagram and Twitter to encourage activism. Members of the collective used the social media platforms to amplify their voices by telling their stories.

“We wanted to encourage activism and tell the story of activism through portraiture,” explained Irina Rubenstein, education specialist at the Portrait Gallery. “We have an exhibition called The Struggle for Justice, and it features leaders of the civil rights movement—different leaders of justice and social justice causes. We wanted to spark activism among young people, but really amongst everyone.”

Sponsored by Capital One, the Day of Action partnered with nine organizations, including Teaching for Change, a pre-kindergarten through 12th-grade educational non-profit organization based in the District. One of their programs, D.C. Area Educators for Social Justice, supports and provides resources for those educators teaching outside the traditional textbook.

“Here in the D.C. area, we facilitate working groups in early childhood, elementary, and middle and high school groups, bringing educators from D.C., Maryland, and Virginia together to connect on curriculum,” explained NaKeesha Ceran, associate director for Teaching for Change. “We need people to support educators who won’t back down from teaching [the] truth.”

Art played a substantial role in the overall event. 

“Art is activism. Portraiture is powerful. And knowledge is empowerment,” Rubenstein explained. The event, emceed by The HEALACIST HipHopMomma Princess Best, included art pop-ups with local artists and music provided by DJ Adrian Loving.

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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By Reginald Williams,
Special to the AFRO

The Enoch Pratt Free Library’s 35th annual Black History Month Book Lovers’ Breakfast will return to in-person format this year. The event will take place on Feb. 4 at the Renaissance Baltimore Harbor Hotel from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. 

The annual breakfast, hosted in person for the first time in two years, features Walter Mosely, the acclaimed best-selling author credited with being one of America’s greatest crime-fiction writers.

The Los Angeles, Calif., native is a television writer that has also has authored more than “sixty critically acclaimed books that cover a wide range of ideas, genres,” including “Devil in a Blue Dress,” which was adapted into a movie featuring Denzel Washington. He’s written 20 episodes for the popular FX series “Snowfall.” 

During the breakfast, the audience will have an opportunity to engage with Mosely during the question-and-answer section.  

“The Book Lovers’ Breakfast is the kickoff of Black History Month programming at the Pratt Library. For 35 years, the program has featured prominent African-American authors, including April D. Ryan, Terry McMillan, Congressman John Lewis, and more,” explained Meghan McCorkell, chief of marketing, communications, and strategy at EPFL. “Hundreds of people gather for the annual breakfast, including dozens of book clubs from across Maryland.”  

This year’s breakfast kicks off robust Black History month programming, including an event hosted on Feb. 8 at the Central Library, featuring former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder.

Admission is $50 per person or $450 for a table of ten. Advance registration is required. Visit www.prattlibrary.org. The deadline to register for the breakfast is Jan. 30 at noon. Seats are reserved based on receipt of registration and payment. All sales are final: no refunds. Mahogany Books will provide sales of Mosley’s book.

For more information, call 410-396-5494.

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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By Reginald Williams,
Special to the AFRO

“Bethune Cookman University has announced that Ed Reed has withdrawn his name from consideration to become the next head football coach at the university,” read the email submitted to Reed on the morning of Jan. 21. 

Responding before a room filled with parents, players and volunteers, an emotional Reed made it clear that he had not withdrawn his name.

“I’m not withdrawing my name as they’re saying. They don’t want me here because I’m telling the truth,” Reed said.  

Last week, the former Baltimore Ravens Hall of Famer furnished a series of live profane-laced social media rants, spotlighting some alleged apathy by the university’s leadership. In one of his less controversial posts, Reed, riding on campus in a golf cart, shows the deplorable conditions of the track field.

“Prime [Colorado coach Deion Sanders] was not wrong about what he was saying,” said Reed. 

“All y’all out there with your little opinions, you’re full [of] crap, you don’t know s—,” he added.

“I see it all too clearly. All our HBCUs need help. And they need help because of the people who’s running it,” he added. “There are broken mentalities out here. I’ve been here for a week-and-a-half and have done more than people who have been here in freakin’ years. And I’m not even hired yet—a damn shame.”   

Reed issued an apology to BCU days later. 

“I would like to sincerely apologize to all BCU staff, students, and alumni for my lack of professionalism. My language and tone were unacceptable as a father, coach, and leader,” he said. “My passion for our culture, betterment, and bringing our foundation up got the best of me, and I fell victim while engaging with antagonists on social media as well.”

Reed’s vitriolic rant struck a chord with the alumni of historically Black colleges and universities nationwide. 

Dr. Jason Johnson, a Morgan State University professor, was visibly disturbed.  “I am sick and tired of these drive-by, fly-by-night political analysts, journalists, and now apparent former NFL playing coaches who want to march into HBCUs—have not been there all of five minutes—and then attempt to lecture, not only the school and students but the entire country on the almost 200-year history of historically Black colleges and universities as if they know something because they walked through the quad,” he said. “It’s not just insulting what Ed Reed said because it shows not only a lack of professionalism, but it shows a deeper level of disrespect that all too many African-American professional athletes have for HBCUs.”

John Mitchell, former Washington Wizards beat writer and Howard University graduate, felt it was “inexcusable to have Reed walk into such a mess.” But, Darryl Towns, president of NC A&T Alumni, New York City Chapter, said there was no excuse for his tirade. 

“Ed Reed comes from the Brickyard, an impoverished community in St. Rose, St. Charles Parish, Louisiana. He goes to Miami to play football, one of the most powerful and well-funded programs nationwide. He becomes a Hall of Fame football player. Return to his alma mater as an administrator. Now he comes to Bethune, apparently clueless that they suffer the same kind of poverty he experienced growing up. Seems like he forgot what the Brickyard was. Maybe Mr. Reed should have done a better job of investigating the offer before accepting it,” said Towns. 

In addressing the parents and players in his unofficial farewell speech, Reed made his way to the podium and spoke like a Baptist preacher on Sunday morning. 

“Temporary. Temporary,” intoned Reed. “We never know the day nor the hour. None of us know when that time will come…. This hurts. This hurts because these people don’t care about these kids like I do, and they should be the ones leaving and not me.” 

Explosive emotions—tears by Reed and some players, and laughter—followed Reed’s passionate words.

“You know I don’t wanna leave. And like I told you, I want all you recruits. But they have some corrupt people in this world, some evil people that don’t care about kids like I do. So, I want y’all to hear the truth from me. I ain’t withdrawing my name,” shouted Reed. “I got the receipts. They got all kinds of stuff going on round here—hoarding these buildings with nothing but trash…. You understand me? And Deion was right. And I know I’m right. And I’m working amongst Judas as Jesus walked with him. I didn’t have a problem with it. Cause even Jesus prevailed. And what God got for you no man can take.”

Then, with a figurative mic drop, Reed proceeded to his office and wrote “Gone” on a notepad, ending his extremely brief stint as the Florida HBCU’s head football coach. 

After Reed’s departure, Bethune-Cookman released a statement saying it had decided not to proceed with contract negotiations with Reed.

“While we appreciate the initial interest in our football program displayed by Mr. Reed during the course of recent weeks, we are also mindful of the qualities and attributes that must be exhibited by our institutional personnel during what have been uniquely challenging times for our campus as we recover from the impact of two hurricanes during this past fall semester,” the statement read. 

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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By Reginald Williams,
Special to the AFRO

On 54th St. and Dix Street in the Northeast region of Washington, D.C., Muhsin Boeluther Umar has repurposed a parcel of densely populated land solely for the purpose of transforming lives. Embedded with a passion for investing in his community, Umar mentors a community of youth and senior citizens using urban farming technologies.  

Umar, the founder of Hustlaz 2 Harvesters, cultivates urban agricultural gardens. The agrarian activist has dedicated the past 20 years in sowing seeds of hope within the District’s Ward 7. Employing an applied research approach model to address the absence of nutritionally dense food, Umar’s mission is to revitalize the lives of his community by revitalizing its land.

“We’re growing out of poverty,” explained Umar, the 58-year-old Washingtonian. “We’re showing these youngins how to transform their land and their lives.”

Hustlaz 2 Harvesters is a social impact enterprise providing experiential, vocational, and educational opportunities for youth, underserved residents, and the ex-incarcerated. 

Located along the Watts Branch corridor of Washington, D.C., Umar educates the residents and visitors in the art of growing fruits and vegetables on a soil-less farming system using aquaponics, hydroponics, and aeroponics.

In a spirit that mirrors that of civil and human rights leader, Martin Luther King Jr., Umar impacts community poverty by implementing initiatives that seed the economic equality that King fought for. Umar combats poverty by growing sustainable food and nourishing the spirits of a community too often traumatized. Tomatoes, cucumbers, and vegetables such as sorrel represent some of the products grown on Dix Street.

Umar, who spent 13 years in prison on a 48-to-life sentence, is also the founder of Senior Keepers Foundation, a veteran and returning citizen-led community-based 501(c)(3). He is well-versed in how the people of his community, too often misunderstood, are devalued, dismissed, and disenfranchised.  The foundation’s mission is to deliver programming that addresses the needs of an intergenerational community feeling the wrath of being socially disadvantaged.

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.

The opinions on this page are those of the writers and not necessarily those of the AFRO. Send letters to The Afro-American • 233 E. Redwood Street Suite 600G 
Baltimore, MD 21202 or fax to 1-877-570-9297 or e-mail to editor@afro.com 

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By Reginald Williams,
Special to the AFRO

The Homeless Memorial Blanket Project, in conjunction with the Lutheran Church of the Reformation, recently laid approximately 1,200 handmade blankets and quilts on the west lawn of the U.S. Capitol, underscoring the nation’s deepening homeless crisis.

The work of hundreds of volunteers across the nation –bed coverings quilted, knitted, sewn, and crocheted– were placed on the lawn near the Capitol Reflecting Pool and facing the west side of the Capitol, which is undergoing a  $890 million restoration.

Each blanket and quilt represented a family needing safe and secure housing. The goal was to collect 500 blankets. 

“Today was absolutely magnificent,” expressed Pat LaMarche, longtime homeless advocate and project organizer. “I think the final count was just shy of 1,200 blankets, of which our goal was to collect 500.”

Concerned citizens volunteered thousands of hours to support the initiative. LaMarche said, “every little stitch, every square that could be put together” could be seen.

The work, LaMarche said, “reminds me of the speech that Jesse Jackson gave back in the 80s when he said they were so poor when he was a kid that there wasn’t a single piece of fabric that would have kept him warm in his grandmother’s house, but when she sewed them all together, they were fine.”

Conservative estimates report homelessness to be around half a million persons. Homeless advocates believe that appraisal is severely undercounted. Between 10 and 12 million people are without a safe home is believed to be a more accurate account.  

African-Americans experience homelessness at a rate higher than Whites. Black Americans represent 13 percent of America’s population and 39 percent of the homeless population. According to Everyone Home D.C. (a grassroots organization based in Capitol Hill that addresses community concerns), Black comprises 86.4 percent of the homeless occupants while representing just 46.6 percent of the city’s residents. The National Alliance to End Homelessness believes there is no improvement in the situation.

On Dec. 19, the Biden-Harris Administration released its approach to the dilemma in a document titled, “All In: The Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness.”

“My plan offers a roadmap for not only getting people into housing but also ensuring that they have access to the support, services, and income that allow them to thrive,” said President Biden. “It is a plan that is grounded in the best evidence and aims to improve equity and strengthen collaboration at all levels.”

Despite Biden’s bold plan, Betsy Garrold has little faith that much will be done to address the housing crisis contributing to homelessness. 

“There are more empty houses in this country than unhoused people,” explained Garrold, who drove from Knox, Maine, to participate in the blanket project. “Housing is a commodity, and under capitalism, if you don’t get the doe, ray, me—you don’t live in a house. If we really wanted to house people, we could do it. But it’s the lack of political will and its capitalism.”

Several studies show that leaving a person chronically homeless costs taxpayers between $30,000 and $50,000 annually in connected services (incarceration, detox, inpatient beds, etc.). It would cost less to house them.

Hosted by the Charles Bruce Foundation, the Homeless Memorial Blanket Project was held on Dec. 21 because the 21st is the winter solstice, the shortest day in conjunction with the longest night. 

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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By Reginald Williams,
Special to the AFRO

When Congressman-elect Maxwell Alejandro Frost is sworn into the 118th Congress on Jan. 3, the newest member of the Congressional Black Caucus might still be homeless.

Frost, the first-Generation Z member elected to Congress, is no different than approximately 6,300 other Washingtonians with no secure housing in place.

Homelessness, defined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Development (HUD), is an individual or family who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence. Frost has proven even a member of the United States House of Representatives can be without a “fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence. “

The National Alliance to End Homelessness estimates there are about a half million homeless citizens. Pat LaMarche, a homeless advocate, believes as many as 12 million persons experience homelessness. Roughly 13,000 homeless people die daily, and their life expectancy is about 50 years.

In preparation for his move to the District, the freshman U.S. congressman, representing Florida’s 10th Congressional district applied for housing and was denied. 

“Just applied to an apartment in D.C. where I told the guy that my credit was really bad. He said I’d be fine. Got denied, lost the apartment, and the application fee,” Frost said via his official Twitter account. “This ain’t meant for people who don’t already have money.”

Despite his history-making victory at the  midterm election in spite of a monthly salary that will be north of $14,000 once he takes office, will have to campaign for somewhere to lay his head while in Washington fighting for a more inclusive nation.

The exorbitant cost of living complements the credit dilemma many residents face living in the District of Columbia. Washington is one of the nation’s most expensive cities to live in. As of July 2022, the average rent for a one-bedroom apartment, according to a Bloomberg report, was $2,410. The overall cost of living is 51.2 percent higher than the national average.

Like many Americans with grandeur dreams, Frost used his credit card to finance a portion of his political campaign. He is one of approximately 48 million people with a FICO score between 300 and 579. Low credit scores have a far-reaching influence. In addition to fewer rental options, consumers are often required to pay deposits to turn on their utilities. Borrowing money and purchasing car insurance is more expensive. Securing employment, especially if the job demands managing money, is more difficult to achieve.

Frost quit his full-time job believing he had to invest full-time energy as a candidate. Working as many as 12 hours daily driving for Uber.

According to rentcafe.com, an online information platform that delivers information based on housing-related data, the average credit score a renter needed to rent an apartment in 2020 was 638. Darline Bridges, a Maryland-based real-estate agent, said landlords are less likely to approve applicants with low credit scores because creditworthiness potentially indicates how an applicant might care for the property.

“I’ve seen applicants with vouchers guaranteeing monthly payment to landlords who still denied those applicants,” explained Bridges. “A person’s credit maintenance gives landlords some indication about how the applicant will care for their property.”

Utilized as a metric to determine an applicant’s financial trustworthiness, credit checks historically reveal that scores are biased and perpetuate racial disparities.

The Orlando, Fla. native represents a population of American citizens struggling to manage their day-to-day financial responsibilities. After relocating from North Carolina, to Florida, Dena Rhodes, an aspiring author, believed her transition would be seamless. Instead, she struggled.

“I did DoorDash to hold me over until I could find permanent employment. I didn’t want to do it, but there was no other option,” said Rhodes. 

Maxwell’s campaign’s promises stated he would win Medicare for all, transform the “racist criminal justice system, and work to end the climate crisis. Like many first-time U.S. Representatives, Frost will need to be creative in hurdling the housing crisis as well. 

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the youngest woman, at 27, elected to Congress in 2018, could not afford a Washington apartment before being sworn in. Several reports state that Cortez slept in her office for three months before securing an apartment. Days after her historic election, Cortez tweeted. “There are many little ways in which our electoral system isn’t even designed (nor prepared) for working-class people to lead.”

Casey Burgat, the legislative affairs program director at George Washington University, maintains that housing affordability is a universal problem. The lack of affordability “makes Congress exactly what it’s been for so long: a disproportionately wealthy, disproportionately White institution,” he said. “This is a main contributor to why people can’t afford to run for office. It’s not seen as a viable path. And though we’re getting a little better at our diversity, we still have a long way to go, and the cost of it is not getting cheaper.”

Frost realizes before he turns 30, his credit dilemma will be addressed, while many American citizens may continue to be handcuffed by an oppressive economic ideology that will grow more demanding. “We have to do better for the whole country,” demands Frost.

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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By Reginald Williams,
Special to the AFRO

Dapperly dressed in their tuxedos and black ties, 100 Black Men of Prince George’s County gathered at Martin’s Crosswinds in Greenbelt, Md., to celebrate ten years in service and host the annual fundraising gala.

Representing Black excellence, doctors, lawyers, entrepreneurs, community leaders, and more than 200 supporters attended and made over $75,000 in donations. The 10th annual gala presented an opportunity for social champions to unite behind a common goal of empowering the youth of Prince George’s County. 

The donations will be used to positively impact the lives of more than 300 boys and girls ages 8 to 18.

Lamont T. Bunyon, chapter president and chairman, explained that the donations would go to tutoring, scholarships and program implementation. 

“We have about a half-dozen great programs: 100 Way Golf, 100 Way Tennis, Saturday Leadership Academy, Pathway to Success, and Real Talk,” said Bunyon. “We use group mentoring to change these kids’ lives.”

As is with youth nationwide, Prince George’s County has a robust population of underserved youth living in impoverished conditions. Approximately 13.7 percent of Prince George’s County children live below the poverty line, according to a 2018 Maryland Poverty Profile published by Maryland Alliance for the Poor.

“Growing up in poverty is a threat to healthy child development, and increases the likelihood of poor academic, cognitive and health outcomes,” according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s KIDS COUNT Data Center.

Understanding the social dysfunction, the 100 Black Men are proud to be “real men, giving real-time.” They are giving back, modeling for their youth what they can be despite their circumstances. 

One of 107 chapters nationally and internationally, the Prince George’s chapter of 100 Black Men of America received its charter in December 2012.

The men were originally denied permission to start a chapter, but after their initial rejection they chose to resubmit a revised plan to the national leadership 11 months later. Prince George’s County’s convening members presented their “Four for the Future Pillars” plan, which remains in effect a decade later.

“Through our four pillars, 100 Black Men exposes [men] to better health and wellness, better economic empowerment, better education, and better leadership. Sometimes their families don’t have the equipment or the knowledge to empower our young people,” said Bunyon. “Mentoring—that’s what we’re about. We want to set the best example for young people. We train our members so that they can be examples. We want to expose the kids: what they see, they will be.”

One of the evening’s highlights was leadership reclaiming Anthony B. Hill, a member who stepped away from the organization for several years. “Life got in the way. I had to step down for a couple of years,” explained Hill. “But now I’m back full throttle, ready to work with the youth.”

Reginald Williams, the author of “A Marginalized Voice: Devalued, Dismissed, Disenfranchised and 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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By Reginald Williams,
Special to the AFRO

According to the Healthcare System Performance Ranking, America ranks last in access to care, healthcare outcomes, and administrative efficiency. Simultaneously, the great United States is the most expensive healthcare system in the industrial world. Despite being one of the wealthiest nations worldwide, America’s citizens and healthcare systems are unhealthy.

Patients, especially those navigating the traumatic acceleration in anxiety, depression, and other illnesses due to the pandemic, are expanding how they address their health concerns. An integrative healthcare option growing in population is acupuncture. The ancient Chinese practice dates back centuries to 100 BCE (before common era) is the technique of balancing energy flow through the meridian, an energetic pathway in the body.

“There are 12 main meridians, which are connected to specific organs and glands. The meridian’s pathways provide Qi (pronounced chee), nourishment to every cell, muscle, gland, organ, and tissue in the body,” said Tierra Hardin, an acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine practitioner. “It helps with stress management and emotional challenges.”

Hardin is founder of Noble Integrative Health Experts and contends that acupuncture is great for overall health and wellness. She is not alone in her thinking.

Sonya McMillian, a licensed clinical professional counselor, swears by the calming practice. 

“I have noticed a lot less back pain and infrequent headaches. I am also more relaxed and calmer.”

“The effectiveness of acupuncture in the treatment of anxiety and stress has been studied and confirmed,” said McMillian. 

Researchers say stress-related hormones create an inflammatory effect that can worsen chronic conditions and awaken dormant symptoms. Scientists have also studied the release of endorphins produced by acupuncture needles.

By itself, acupuncture creates a positive change in brain activity. The combination of acupuncture and Chinese herbs has been clinically proven to improve sleep and defeat insomnia, while acupuncture in combination with antidepressants provides greater relief greater than that experienced with the medication alone, according to an article written by Sharon Sherman, a licensed practitioner of Chinese Medicine.

Many experts in the field are speaking from first hand experience. 

Hardin is more than a practitioner– she’s also a patient. One year after returning home from a tour of duty in armed conflict in Afghanistan, she suffered severely from anxiety, depression, and physical pain.

“I have personally seen and experienced the benefits of acupuncture accompanied with herbs in my own health journey,” said Hardin. After enduring three brain surgeries, Hardin’s neurosurgeon was impressed that she wasn’t using pain medication. Instead, she chose to use acupuncture and essential oils to manage her pain.

People too often attempt to minimize their health when they don’t feel well. But self-care is a message beginning to resonate with the public. Hardin believes that being committed to your health journey is self-care and self-love. 

“Our bodies give us warning signs when it’s not balanced,” explained  Hardin. “Some signs are subtle. However, if ignored over a long period of time, illnesses can become chronic.”

Acupuncture differs from western medicine. It seeks to get to the root cause of the issue rather than medicate it. Although western medical care isn’t faring well worldwide, Hardin believes it is essential to include it in one’s holistic health prevention. 

“I am a firm believer in the east [Chinese] meets west [America] approach to healing,” explained the Campbellsville, Ky. native. “I don’t discourage anyone from seeking help from western medicine. Using technology, with images and diagnosis, is beneficial.”

As beneficial as acupuncture proves to be, many people will forgo the treatment for fear of needles. Grandma’s pinch is much more painful than the pinch produced from an acupuncture prick.

“Some people openly express their fear of needles,” explained Hardin. “I explain to people that the acupuncture needles are very small, smaller than the hypodermic needles they see in the doctor’s office. But some people have a genuine phobia of needles.”

Located in College Park, Md., on Baltimore Avenue, Hardin treats autoimmune disorders, women’s health, respiratory issues, neurological disorders, digestive issues, emotional trauma, pain and stress management, and addiction.

One of McMillian’s clients used acupuncture in their addiction treatment plan. “I had a client use acupuncture while in residential treatment,” said McMillian. “He reported that the treatment helped with his craving for both drugs and nicotine.”

Hardin also provides therapy (cupping, nutrition, and moxibustion) and prescribes Chinese herbal medicines.

Prospective clients can book an appointment with Hardin by visiting www.nobleinteghealth.com.

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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By Reginald Williams,
Special to the AFRO

The Baltimore Choral Arts Society presents Christmas with Choral Arts, a 29-year-old tradition, featuring holiday music and dramatic readings on Dec. 24. The event, which includes an audience sing-along, will be presented by Artworks and aired on Maryland Public Television (MPT) at 8 p.m. 

The concert will feature the world renowned Morgan State University Choir, one of the nation’s most esteemed choral assemblies.

“Morgan State Choir is arguably one of the best choirs in the country, certainly one of the HBCU (Historical Black Colleges & Universities) choirs,” said Troy Mosley, MPT’s managing director of content.

After airing several years on WMAR-TV, the Christmas celebration will air on MPT for the first time, Mosley noted. The event is a collaboration between the Baltimore Choral Arts Society and Morgan State choir at the historic Baltimore Basilica.  

“What we want to do here at MPT is continue to be a part of the community, supporting community events—particularly when events have the kind of history of the Choral Arts Society and Christmas with Choral Arts,”said Mosley. “The show has historical value in the community, and the incorporation of Morgan State’s Choir gives it another level of appeal.”

The program, led by director and conductor Anthony Blake Clark, will feature a full ensemble performance from the Baltimore Choral Arts Society, considered one of Maryland’s premiere cultural institutions.

“The Basilica is a beautiful, beautiful facility, and we’ve worked with Anthony Black Clark before. He has been a part of some amazing work with us,” said Mosley.

An encore broadcast airs on Dec. 24 at 10 p.m. on MPT2 and Christmas day at 7 p.m. on MPT-HD.

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By Reginald Williams,
Special to the AFRO

When Travis Hunter, the top high school recruit in the class of 2022, committed to the Jackson State Tigers last year, Deion Sanders knew the decision would shock the college football world. The decision would undoubtedly enhance  the fortunes for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU)  football.

Sanders, the third-year head coach at Jackson State University (JSU), told the Jackson (Miss.) Clarion Ledger that it’s “normal” for recruits like Hunter to choose a Power 5 school, “but when a big-time recruit chooses to go to Jackson State, they change the trajectory for so many other kids.”

Less than a year later,  348 days to be exact, when presented with the opportunity to make the same decision that Hunter made, Sanders chose the big-time school. He’s taking his talents to the University of Colorado (Buffaloes). According to CBS News Colorado, the Buffaloes offered the “It Must Be The Money” former rapper, a deal worth greater than $5 million per year. 

The Denver Post details a five- year $29.5 million offer sheet that includes $5 million for the head coach’s staff. 

Sitting in a victorious locker room after defeating Southern University 43-24 in the SWAC (Southwestern Athletic Conference) Championship game, Sanders announced to his team that he accepted Colorado’s offer. 

“I like for y’all to hear it from me and not anyone else. It is what it is,” Sanders explained. “Either in coaching, you get elevated, or you get terminated. Ain’t no other way. It ain’t no graveyard for coaches where they die at the place. It don’t work like that. They’re either gonna run you off, or you’re gonna walk off under your own recognizance. I’ve chosen to accept the job elsewhere next year.”

Sanders arrived at JSU in September 2020. Coach Prime, as he is infectiously called, replaced John Hendrick, who finished the 2019 campaign with a 4-8 record. The Tigers’ last winning season was 2013. Sanders won 84.3 percent of his games. He compiled a 27-5 record, winning back-to-back SWAC championships. This year’s undefeated season is the first in the school’s history. 

On Dec. 17 his Tigers will play against North Carolina Central University in the Cricket  Celebration Bowl. The eighth annual game pits the SWAC champion against the MEAC (Mid-Eastern Atlantic Conference) champion.

With one game remaining, Coach Prime told his players that he would be with them until the end.  

“I’m going to finish what we started,” Sanders said. “We’re going to dominate. I’m going to be here until that end, and with that conclusion, we will move on.” Jackson State enters this year’s bowl prepared to keep their unblemished record spotless. Additionally, they are seeking retribution for last year’s 31-10 defeat at the hands of South Carolina State.

As the rumors persisted and eventually confirmed about Coach Sanders’ move to a Power 5 school, defenders and antagonists shared their unyielding positions. Opinions that Sanders “pimped” Jackson State or he was a “money chaser” were prevalent. Sanders addressed those views.  

“It ain’t about a bag. I’ve been making money a long time—you know I ain’t nowhere near broke. But it is about an opportunity,” Sanders said. “I’ve always felt if you dominate your opportunity and treat people right—the bag will always come. I never chase the bag. The bag always chases me.”

Sanders donated half his salary—reported to be $1.2 million over four years—to fund facility improvements. 

Jackson State University National Alumni Association, released an official statement detailing their appreciation of Sanders’ time at JSU. 

“The JSUNAA thanks Deion ‘Coach Prime’ Sanders for all he has done for JSU, the city of Jackson, the state of Mississippi and all HBCUs! Your investment, love, and hard work created a movement that has propelled our alma mater into new heights and has cemented you as another JSU legend. We wish you well in all that you do.”

A university spokesperson estimated that Sanders’ presence generated the equivalent of $185 million in advertisement and exposure.

In addition to his detractors, were a fair share of supporters. Comedian and former WKYS-93.9 radio personality Lamont King (Lazee Lamont) believes Sanders personified Black excellence during his tenure in Jackson, Miss.

“He built a winning program, expanded his brand, shook up the industry, made some people mad, changed some people’s lives, led by example, proved it could be done, and—did it all in a relatively short amount of time,” explained the Bowie State graduate. “Now he can continue to expose the differences in programs. And he will probably scale up his earning potential by 10 x. Ain’t that what they teach you in business school? Sounds like the blueprint to me. Kudos. He opened the door. Now it’s somebody else’s turn to step up.”

Several JSU coaches, currently earning approximately $30,000, will join Sanders and see an income boost.

No matter Sanders’ reasons for elevating, many believe a Power 5 offer to  Sanders is an opportunity more nuanced than just football. 

“Deion leaving the SWAC restores order in the FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision). That’s what integration does, ” Charles L. Oglesby, investor and entrepreneur, said. “It removes your leaders from your community and gives them a token spot in theirs. In turn, they end a movement and retain control. “

When Sanders met with his new players for the first time, he made it clear that he was coming to Colorado to shake up things and return them to their prominence. Sanders repeatedly told the players, “I’m Coming.” Colorado’s record for the past two seasons is 5-19.

“This is my job, and my occupation, and my business, and my dream is to bring you back to where you know you belong,” said Sanders.  

In his introductory press conference, Sanders voiced excitement. “This is unbelievable. It’s funny how God always takes me to the unthinkable and provokes me to do the things people wouldn’t fathom doing. I never would have thought at this time last year, when I was laying up in the hospital dealing with these blood clots, getting two toes amputated, and the side of my leg cut out, that I would be in Colorado. “

Before the start of Saturday’s game, Coach Prime was spotted in an intense conversation with Hunter. As he attempted to leave, Hunter grabbed Sanders and tightly embraced him. There is speculation that Hunter will join Sanders in Colorado. Shedeur Sanders, Sanders’ son,  said he will follow his dad to Boulder, Colo. 

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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By Reginald Williams.
Special to the AFRO.
Megan Sayles and Tashi McQueen,
Report for America Corps Members

Hundreds gathered in Chesapeake City Park on Nov. 28 to honor the six innocent lives taken in the mass shooting at a Virginia Walmart last week. 

The crowd was solemn as they remembered the victims, who were killed by a night supervisor shortly before the store was set to close on Nov. 22.

“We honor and pray for all those who were injured that night and for those throughout our community who suffered emotional wounds,” said City Council Member Don J. Carey III. “We see you, we love you, we are here for you. We pray that the grace of God be with you in the sweet immune of his spirit.”

Before turning the gun upon himself, Andre Bing, a night manager for one of the largest businesses in the country, shot his six colleagues with a 9mm handgun purchased earlier that same day.

Four additional employees were wounded and hospitalized. The six fatalities were Tyneka Johnson, 22, of Portsmouth; Lorenzo Gamble, 43; Randy Blevins, 70; Brian Pendleton, 38; Kellie Pyle, 52; and Fernando Chavez-Barron, from Chesapeake. 

Jalon Jones, 24, one of the victims hospitalized, was grazed behind his ear, shot in the back, and is recovering in the hospital.

Carey fought back tears as he spoke about each victim killed in the shooting just before the holiday.

“Randall was a kind and gentle man, a loving son, brother, husband and father, he was a wonderful family man,” said Carey. “His favorite holiday was Thanksgiving because he would have the day off from work and could spend time with his family.”

Coworkers, family members and residents stood in complete silence as the councilman spoke about the youngest employee shot dead as he tried to help his family make a living.

“Fernando was only 16 years old, he was a good student and he loved to read. He loved taking care of his family and adored his parents. He started working so that he could be responsible and lessen the burden for his family,” said Carey. “He was so responsible, supportive and always helped his dad.”

Walmart was Fernando’s first job.

“We feel tragedies like this personally and deeply, but this one is harrowing as we have learned the gunman was a Walmart associate,” said John Furner, president and CEO of Walmart U.S., in a statement. “The entire Walmart family is heartbroken. Our hearts and prayers are with those impacted, and we are grateful for the actions of first responders.” 

Overnight stocker and trainer Donya Prioleau sued Walmart on Nov. 29 for $50 million, alleging that she filed a formal complaint with the store against Bing in September after he harassed her on multiple occasions, according to the complaint. 

Current employees, including Jess Wilczewski, have taken to social media to express their feelings surrounding the tragedy. Wilczewski had only been working at the Walmart for five days, and she divulged that Bing told her to go home after shooting several of her coworkers. 

In several Facebook posts, Wilczewski further detailed how traumatic the event was, saying in one: “I’m hurt, and I’m scared, I’m lost, my mind has been altered by horrific and traumatic scenes that should never be displayed by any other human ever. And even in my sleep, I can’t run from it, so now I’m gonna have to face it head on.” 

Bing, who worked for Walmart for 12 years, left behind a death note that detailed several emotional challenges he was trying to navigate. He opened the manifesto by apologizing to God. 

“Sorry God, I’ve failed you, this was not your fault but my own. I failed to listen to the groans of the holy spirit which made me a poor representation of You,” read Bing’s note. “I was harassed by idiots with low intelligence and a lack of wisdom. I remained strong through most of the torment but my dignity was completely taken beyond repair by my phone getting hacked.”

The suicide note also stated that he was one of the most loving people in the world and that he never meant to murder anyone.

Many Virginians were still trying to process the death of three University of Virginia football players, fatally shot nine days earlier. 

“We still haven’t gotten over the University of Virginia,” said Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va-3). “The Commonwealth has had many horrific incidents starting with Virginia Tech and Virginia Beach.” 

More than 3,000 people have been shot in 604 mass shootings in 2022; 637 people have died. Scott said that America has a gun problem, and we need to do something about gun violence.

President Biden addressed the Chesapeake community as they grappled with the brutal attack.

“There are now more families who know the worst kind of loss and pain imaginable,” he said in a statement. “Jill and I grieve for those families, for the Chesapeake community, and for the Commonwealth of Virginia, which just suffered a terrible shooting at the University of Virginia this month. We also mourn for all those across America who have lost loved ones to these tragic shootings that we must come together as a nation to stand against.”

Virginia’s gun laws currently say that no state permit is required to “purchase or possess a rifle, shotgun or handgun,” according to the NRA-ILA institute for legislative action. 

The state also allows gun owners to open carry, meaning they do not have to conceal the weapon in public.

Early Wednesday morning, the Walmart store remained closed to the public, but workers could be seen unloading shipments and using machinery to move pallets. Mourners said prayers and left flowers at a memorial a short distance away.

The company has detailed how they are helping the families affected, their employees and all those affected in the Chesapeake area. 

“Nothing can replace these beautiful lives, or heal the scars their loved ones have now suffered,” said a statement released by Walmart. “As we grieve, we’re supporting these families with funeral, travel and other expenses. And we have a physical site set up where associates can meet, connect and speak to counselors.” 

Walmart will offer “associates and their families have access to confidential and mental health support resources at no cost – including phone, chat-based or video support.”

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By Reginald Williams,
Special to the AFRO

On the 15th anniversary of the tragic death of Sean Taylor the Commanders attempted to honor their twice-named Pro Bowl free safety with the unveiling of what they called a “statue.” 

Fans and Taylor supporters nationwide were immediately dismayed by Taylor’s rendering in the lobby of FedEx Field. Many felt the Commanders’ Memorial to the late athlete was disrespectful.

“Sean Taylor deserved a statue,” former athlete and ESPN commentator, Robert Griffin III said to the 937,000 followers on his Facebook account. 

He wasn’t alone in his sentiments.

“Not a jersey and pants. Come on man, do better,” said Vic Taylor, a lifelong Washington fan whose office, located on Brightseat Rd., intersects Sean Taylor Rd. “There should be a bronze like Rocky [the statue erected in Philadelphia honoring Sylvester Stallone’s fictional character] or the Tom Landry type in Dallas.

Fans took the Commanders to task, consistently describing the Commanders’ decision as “unbelievable,” “disappointing” and “disrespectful.”

“Dan Snyder has done it again. The Sean Taylor statue is a wire mannequin from T.J. Maxx. What an owner,” tweeted Kevin McNamee.

“This is so disappointing. I feel for the Taylor family. If someone told me they were creating a statue of my late father, and it turned out it was a mannequin with his work badge and favorite clothes, I’d be heartbroken. They [the family] deserve better, and so does Sean Taylor,” tweeted Jake Suesserman.

“Washington always finds a way to embarrass itself,” another sports fan, Safid Deen, tweeted. “Not a statue, but a mannequin for Sean Taylor. This is literally like a display in a store. Unbelievable.”

In 2021, the team felt the fan’s wrath when they re-dedicated Sean Taylor Rd. in front of porta-potties.

Now, Taylor is being honored with what seems to be a jersey and football pants stretched over a human form made of wires, similar to the material used for coat hangers. The arms and legs do not resemble the likeness of the athlete at all- other than being the general shape of a human body. Only a helmet sits atop the form, with no head or face inside.

Rather than dress the supposed statue in an authentic uniform, the mannequin wore a generic one. Taylor’s pants were designed with the Reebok logo, while his jersey adorned the Nike logo. Taylor, fatally shot by home intruders in 2007, never wore a uniform sponsored by Nike, which became the NFL’s official uniform provider in 2012. Taylor’s face mask was without the customary tape display he was noted for.

Debra Brown, a season ticket holder who lives within a mile of FedEx Field, said the statue was disappointing. “I just want them to get rid of him [Snyder].”

Complimenting the numerous Twitter memes showcasing coat hangers to mock the Commanders was a recently unveiled wax figure of slain Hip Hop artist and entrepreneur Nipsey Hussle. The work of art could be mistaken for a real-life clone. Disgruntled fans presented the Nipsey Hussle wax figure, created by Mr. Officials, to highlight the artist’s attention to the details.

Despite the disposition of most fans, Jamal Johnson, Taylor’s brother, appreciated the honor and believes there is more to come.

“Everybody is entitled to an opinion,” said Johnson. “With them [Commanders] building a new stadium, this may just be a step. I don’t feel like the statue is the finished product. As time goes on, they’ll have a statue more appealing to the public. “

Many Washingtonians questioned the value of Jason Wright, the president of the Commanders. Wright is the first Black team president in the history of the NFL.

Taylor, the fifth pick in the 2004 draft, was known for an all-pedal,no-brake approach, which often resulted in bone-crushing hits on opponents. The NFL voted him the hardest-hitting player in the league.   

In the heart of many Washingtonians, the University of Miami standout represented the essence of the three-time Super Bowl Champs. 

Twice named to the Pro Bowl, Taylor, while home in Florida nursing a knee injury, died on Nov. 27, 2007, when he was shot in his upper thigh, severing his femoral artery. Taylor’s injury led to massive blood loss. He was 24 years old.

Reginald Williams is the author of “A Marginalized Voice: Devalued, Dismissed, Disenfranchised & Demonized.” Please email bookreggie@reginaldwilliams.org or visit amvonlinestore.com for more information.

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By Reginald Williams,
Special to the AFRO

Melvin C. High, Prince George’s County Sheriff, died unexpectedly on Nov. 17. Sheriff High was 78 years old and he was due to retire. Feeling ill, the Union County, Miss. native died shortly after driving himself to the Washington Hospital Center.

“We are extremely saddened to hear of the passing of Sheriff Melvin High. Sheriff High has been a dedicated public servant to the residents of Prince George’s County for nearly 20 years and will be remembered for his service to our community and commitment to the safety of Prince Georgians,” said County Executive Angela Alsobrooks.

Sworn in as Sheriff on Dec. 7, 2010, Sheriff High was responsible for leading a law enforcement staff of more than 300 deputies and citizens in providing safety and protection for the citizens of Prince George’s County. Beyond his duties as a law enforcement officer, Sheriff High was visible throughout the county, making his presence felt amongst youth and community organizations.

“We couldn’t have a more humble, unassuming, and compassionate servant leader of our law enforcement community than Sheriff High,” explained Jerrod Mustaf, retired NBA player and executive director of the Take Charge Juvenile Diversion Program. “He epitomized community policing—always out in the County meeting and greeting the citizens. I last saw him last year at the University of Maryland versus Howard football game. He asked how my program was, and said he was checking in on me. He was so humble.”

Tasked 19 years ago to confirm Sheriff High as the then Chief of Police for Prince George’s County, State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy was familiar with Sheriff High’s exemplary law enforcement career.

“For me, Sheriff High was a supporter, an adviser, and a mentor,” explained Braveboy. “I will miss him as a colleague in law enforcement, but I know that his body of work and good deeds will live on.”

Sheriff High embarked upon his illustrious career in 1969 as a patrol officer for the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Although a sheriff, he was infectiously referred to as “Chief High” because he retired from the MPD in 1993 as the Associate Chief. He served as Police Chief for Prince George’s County Police Department (PGPD) for five years and was elected as the first African-American chief for the city of Norfolk, Va.

During his tenure of over 50 years, Sheriff High’s servant leadership was encompassing. He launched numerous community and crime prevention strategies, served as an executive committee member on several community involvement initiatives, and received many awards, including the Martin Luther King, Jr. Family Life Institute’s “Real Dream” award.  He implemented former President Bill Clinton’s security details for his first presidential inauguration.

Sheriff High was a member of NOBLE (National Association of Black Law Enforcement Executives), IACP (International Association of Chiefs of Police), the Association of FBI National Academy Graduates, the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police, the Hampton Roads Chiefs of Police Association, the Maryland Chiefs of Police Association and the Maryland and National Sheriffs’ Associations.

Sheriff High is survived by his wife, Brenda, and his daughter Tracy. 

Reginald Williams is the author of “A Marginalized Voice: Devalued, Dismissed, Disenfranchised & Demonized.” Please email bookreggie@reginaldwilliams.org or visit amarginalizedvoice.com for more information.

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By Reginald Williams,
Special to the AFRO

The youthful energy inside of Baltimore’s famed Senator Theatre was infectious. 

Applause, “ooohs,” “ahhhs” and occasional laughter rang out inside the the building.

More than 300 students and staff from Baltimore City Public Schools and historically Black college institutions filled the historic theater for a private screening of “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” 

Directed by Ryan Coogler, the “Black Panther” sequel stars Angela Bassett, Letita Wright, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira and Dominique Thorne. The film finds Wakanda’s leaders trying to protect their nation, in the wake of King T’Challa’s (Chadwick Boseman) death. A new enemy has emerged in the form of Namor, the god of Talokan.

Viewers waited to see how the film would also handle the very real death of Chadwick Boseman, who played the role of Black Panther in 2018.

“The film was powerful. It demonstrated grief and how you deal with grief within the Black community,” explained Kayla Clark, a sociology student attending Morgan. “I also thought it was powerful in that you had two people of color—indigenous—fighting but were able to come to a resolution.”

Sonja Brookins Santelises, Ed.D, CEO of Baltimore City Public Schools, addressed the audience about the importance of “Black Panther:Wakanda Forever.”

“This is a testament to the power of story. This film was written by people who understand the power of language. “Wakanda Forever” is the story of our community. The story of our community is a human story that is worthy of being heard around the world, a story worthy of the world’s attention,” said Santelises

United Way of Central Maryland and the Propel Center hosting the screening. They are collaborating to spark big dreams and imaginations in Baltimore youth.”

Angelo Duke, 16, a junior enrolled at Edmondson Westside High School, is a young man with big dreams and an imagination.

“I want to be an accountant. I love numbers. I love complex things,” explained the future accountant. “It’s important for me to be determined, focused, and gritful.”

Baltimore’s mayor, Brandon Scott, seamlessly blended in with the students. Wearing a tee shirt that read, “To My Black People I Love You,” Scott stood in the aisle, snacking on popcorn, talking privately amongst some youth. 

Emmanuel Owolabi was intimidated to be in the mayor’s presence, but Rodney Oglesby felt like Scott was no different than he. Scott loved Oglesby’s sentiment.

“To hear him say that I am no different than him is why I wanted to become mayor,” Scott said. “I want them to see in me that they, too, can serve in an office and affect Baltimore. I serve in an office where the power is in we—us, the people. This is why we are here. And me watching “Black Panther Wakanda” with them makes this more special.”

Students representing the Academy of College and Career Exploration from Patterson High, Baltimore School for the Arts, Ben Franklin, Edmondson Westside, Morgan and Coppin State Univerisities also attended the exclusive screening.

Reginald Williams is the author of “A Marginalized Voice: Devalued, Dismissed, Disenfranchised & Demonized.” Please email bookreggie@reginaldwilliams.org or visit amarginalizedvoice.com for more information.

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By Reginald Williams,
Special to the AFRO

Tyree Colion Moorehead, known for his anti-gun violence activism, died in a hail of violent gunfire on Nov. 6 around 3:40 p.m. Moorehead was fatally shot, by some accounts, roughly 13 times by law enforcement officers. 

Responding to a 911 call, multiple members of the Baltimore Police Department (BPD) arrived at the intersection of North Fulton and Lafayette Avenues in the Sandtown, Winchester neighborhood of West Baltimore. They spotted Moorehead assaulting a woman at knifepoint, according to BPD Police Commissioner, Michael Harrison.

Police say the altercation began when Moorehead approached a female and wrestled her to the ground. 

“He then placed himself on top of the female armed with a very large knife,” Harrison said. “The officer began to discharge his firearm at the suspect, who rolled over and disengaged from the female.” 

The woman was neither stabbed nor injured by Moorehead. 

Affectionately known for creating the “No Shoot Zone” initiative across the city, Moorehead, 46, memorialized victims of gun violence by spray painting the phrase wherever a shooting occurred. 

Sadly, police fatally shot Moorehead close to the area where he installed his first “No Shoot Zone” spray painting. Despite his advocacy, the family explained that Moorehead suffered from mental disorders.  

“As the years passed, he displayed mental illness behaviors,” said Patricia Cole, Moorehead’s older sister. “The last couple of years, it appears to have gotten worse. Despite his battle with mental issues, he had a good heart, good intentions [and] a great legacy.” 

Numerous studies reveal that Covid-19 has amplified the social injustices faced by Black men and boys–subsequently exacerbated the mental health challenges faced by them. The Shifting the Dial project in Birmingham, evaluated by the Centre for Mental Health, found that:

• Covid-19 enforcement and policing disproportionately affected young Black men, who were much more likely to be stopped and searched …
• As a result of some of these challenges, young Black men are at risk for higher levels of mental distress during the pandemic compared to other groups.

Historically, the culture of being a Black man promotes that they deny engaging in any mental wellness activities. Black men die by suicide at a rate more than twice their White peers and are half as likely to seek support from a mental health professional.  

Published reports suggest that BPD knew Moorehead, and that the activist had an antagonizing relationship with them. Loved ones shared that Moorehead had been more volatile in recent months, while continuing to be a staunch advocate for non-violence.

“Regardless of our ups and downs, we were a team; we were a movement, and we were family!! You never gave up on us; no matter what path we took. You were always our biggest cheerleader. Thank you for believing in me,” shared Akrie Lane in a Facebook post. “Thank you for the opportunities. Thank you for the memories. Thank you for everything you did for me. Most importantly, thank you for being a friend.”

“This hurts my heart, hearing this. Rest In Peace, Tyree Colion Moorehead. You were definitely a pillar in this city that we needed,” shared Efia Bey on Moorehead’s Facebook page. “Ty was a prophetic teacher, a strong leader, a man of morality and character! Praying for your kids and your family.”

Moorehead, who was also a recording artist, created more than 200 “No Shoot Zone” memorials. In a recent social media post, Moorehead sponsored a community event where he was grilling, providing food and support for stopping the shootings in Charm City.

The community is deeply affected by Moorehead’s death. 

“I am hurt. I am angry and definitely disappointed,” Cole said. “My heart is weakened. I have so many emotions and so many unanswered questions, but God knows I am going to pray my way through. My brother believed in Allah. He read the word. He could quote the word. In the midst of his battles, he still was repenting.”  

Baltimore’s residents appear to understand why Moorehead was shot but are concerned about why the peace officer shot at him so many times. While Harrison contends the officer shot Moorehead, who then “rolled over and disengaged from the woman,” Buck Jones, a Baltimore citizen, maintains that Moorehead released the woman before being shot several times.

“Mr. Moorehead released the woman before lying face down on the ground, hands in the air. No more than maybe two or three seconds– shots totaling 13 to 14 were fired,” Jones shared. 

Moorehead’s father, Carlton Moorehead, believed to have witnessed his son’s shooting, said that the “police didn’t have to shoot him so many times.” 

According to a statement released by Attorney General Brian E. Frosh, “the officer’s body-worn camera was active at the time of the incident. The video will be released in accordance with Baltimore Police Department and Independent Investigations Division policies.

Frosh also noted that “the Independent Investigations Division of the Office of the Attorney General (OAG), the Baltimore Police Department (BPD), and the Maryland State Police continue to investigate this incident.”

Reginald Williams is the author of “A Marginalized Voice: Devalued, Dismissed, Disenfranchised & Demonized.” Please email bookreggie@reginaldwilliams.org or visit amarginalizedvoice.com for more information.

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By Reginald Williams,
Special to the AFRO

The National Alliance to End Homelessness estimates that more than a half million persons who persistently experience homelessness in America. According to the Washington, D.C.-based organization, about 70 percent are single individuals. The remaining 100,000 are dominated by families with children. But in 2019, the U.S. Department of Education estimated that there were 1.6 million students unstably housed. 

Pat LaMarche, a longtime advocate for people experiencing homelessness, estimates the number of people without adequate housing to be more substantial. 

“I think there are 10 to 12 million people experiencing homelessness in the United States—the official numbers are one-half million,” explained LaMarche. “There is this enormous number of people flipping burgers, waiting on you, taking your order, driving an Uber. They’re not just driving Uber—they’re living in it.” 

Homelessness, defined as being without an adequate residence, comes with a myriad of social problems, including limited access to food, finding a safe place to sleep, and being confronted by atmospheric conditions like frigid weather. 

LaMarche is amplifying the awareness of the devastation of homelessness and addressing it with the Homeless Memorial Blanket Project. LaMarche, the project’s organizer, estimates that between 500 and 1,000 blankets—handmade quilted blankets stitched by strangers for strangers –will be donated. 

“I’ve always tried to take another bite at the apple in finding ways to make people give a damn or helping them understand that there is something they can do,” said LaMarche. 

On Dec. 21 (the longest night of the year), the Homeless Memorial Blanket Project, in conjunction with Operations at the Lutheran Church of the Reformation, will place those blankets, each representing families, on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol, arguably the most influential building in the world. 

“Our congregation is excited to partner with the #MemorialBlanket Project,” said Jarrod Jabre, director of operations at the Lutheran Church of the Reformation. “By faith in Christ, we are bold to proclaim that ‘All are Welcome.’ Providing space and availability for the artisans who are creating blankets to those without homes is a perfect fit for us.” 

The day after the event is staged, Jabre said, the organizers will begin distributing blankets to individuals and families in need. 

Organizers invite blanket makers to drop off their creations at the Lutheran Church of the Reformation, 212 East Capitol Street, NE in Washington, D.C. They can do so Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., now through Dec. 20. The church will store the blankets until the event.

The blanket’s dimensions, 45″ x 80″ and 60″ x 80,” vary in fabrics, fibers, and colors. 

“Most of the blankets are family-sized, representing the fact that there are families who are homeless,” explained LaMarche. 

The project has participants in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia. Volunteers in each state are being asked to make at least 100 blankets, providing ten for the Capitol lawn display and donating another 90 or more to outreach programs in their area. 

The birth of the blanket project occurred in 2021 after LaMarche spoke at graduation for people in poverty. A woman with some intellectually-different abilities approached LaMarche, author of Left Out in America: The State of Homeless in the United States, sharing her desire to help with homelessness. “I would really like to crochet all day, but no one would pay me to do that.” LaMarche responded, “We can’t pay you to do it, but we can surely give you a purpose to do it.” 

Responding to the woman’s call, LaMarche reached out to her network and said, “I want to put blankets down on the Town Square. I want them to represent people living in homelessness. And I want to do it on the longest night of the year [Dec. 21, the Winter Solstice], for Homeless Memorial Night. For that inaugural year, 219 strangers donated blankets.”Reginald Williams is the author of “A Marginalized Voice: Devalued, Dismissed, Disenfranchised & Demonized.” Please email bookreggie@reginaldwilliams.org or visit amarginalizedvoice.com for more information.

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By Reginald Williams,
Special to the AFRO

“Who else’s son has to die before we see the urgency in the Black and Brown male agenda?” 

That was the question posed by Martina Van Norden, a mother of two Black sons and passionate educator to a generation of Black and Brown boys. 

Van Norden is a social entrepreneur whose aim is to close the opportunity gap by bringing resources to underprivileged and under-resourced communities of color. 

A staunch advocate for boys of color, Van Norden’s vision is clear. 

“I want Black and Brown boys to have a safe space to be free. I want these marginalized boys to have a space where they can speak, be affirmed, and have their purpose revealed,” she said.

David Miller, M.Ed. and author of Dare to Be King: What If the Prince Lives? and A Survival Workbook for African-American Males, confused by the collective apathy towards Black boys, was reduced to tears by Van Norden’s passionate cry. 

“It is perplexing the lack of sensitivity, urgency, and collective movement around the violent deaths of Black men in America,” expressed Miller, a Baltimore native. “If White men were dying at similar rates, the National Guard would mobilize, and responses from state and local governments would be swift and calculated. When Black men die, we have press conferences and vigils!” 

Based on empirical evidence, Van Norden’s question, spurred by the recent deaths of two cousins killed by Black boys, is a question that demands the community and civic leaders’ attention. 

Research reveals that before experiencing premature death, many boys of color die emotionally. Systemic structures that marginalize everything about who they are and the endless microaggressions that behave no different than chronic diseases serve as the culprit for their social dysfunction.

Social and mental health crises incarcerate Black and Brown boys and men. 

Black children are arrested, charged, convicted, and sentenced harsher than their white counterparts. White boys are four times less likely than Black boys to be detained or committed to juvenile facilities. Homicide is the leading cause of death for boys of color. And from a mental health perspective, boys of color typically do not seek help. 

Although Black girls have more frequent suicide ideations, Black boys commit suicide at a rate of almost four times of girls. According to the American Psychological Association, 26.4 percent of Black and Hispanic men ages 18 to 44 who experienced daily feelings of anxiety or depression were likely to have used mental health services, compared with 45.4 percent of non-Hispanic White men with the same feelings. And when boys and men of color seek services too often, they don’t feel heard.

Jason Jones, who initially pushed back against therapy, never felt heard in his sessions. Before finding a therapist with a therapeutic approach, McIntosh had three therapists. Two of the mental health professionals he came into contact with were white, and one was Black. 

“I felt like they didn’t understand me talking from a Black man’s view. I often felt worse after talking to them,” said Jones.

He felt no different when seen by the Black therapist.

Support is difficult for Black boys to get in many venues, including school.

The main purpose of American schools, according to the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD), “is to provide for the fullest possible development of each learner for living morally, creatively and productively in a democratic society.” Unfortunately, ASCD’s belief does not align with the data regarding the development of Black boys. Per Education Week, nationally recognized as a source of news, information, and analysis on K-12 education, Black boys are:

1. More likely to be relegated to special education
2. Black boys are more likely to attend schools that do not possess the proper resources to teach them
3. Punishment for Black boys is harsher than for any other population
4. Black boys do not read at an adequate reading level

Those dynamics, which too often serve as the precursor to death and incarceration for boys of color, circle back to Van Norden’s question. 

Van Norden said the search for sustainable support systems for boys of color is often greeted by persistent pushback and community and civic apathy. This negligence, in conjunction with the death of her cousins, pulls on her heart.

“This morning, I cried out a mother’s cry—the one that makes the Lord move. To be passionate about advancing the Black male agenda is to be saddened so deep that you have to retreat into the recesses of your heart to revisit the undeniable joy of loving what God created that boy to be,” said Van Norden. 

The report, “Black Males, Trauma, and Mental Health Service Use: A Systematic Review,” reveals that “56 to 74 percent of Black males exposed to traumatic events may have an unmet need for mental health services. Future research examining the relationship between trauma and mental health service use for Black men and factors that moderate and/or mediate this relationship is warranted.”  

Reginald Williams is  the author of “A Marginalized Voice: Devalued, Dismissed, Disenfranchised & Demonized.” Please email  bookreggie@reginaldwilliams.org or visit amarginalizedvoice.com for more information.

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By Reginald Williams,
Special to the AFRO
rwilliams@afro.com

Kelly Edwards stands about six-foot-one. He weighs north of 300 pounds and for many, Edward’s physical presence comes off as a little intimidating. Though in a workshop filled with behavioral health specialists, his voice didn’t align with his girth, or so, the facilitator thought. 

The facilitator said, “You have such a soft voice for such a big man!” She then asked why. Edwards responded “being large, I’m careful with the tone of my voice, so that I don’t make people uncomfortable. 

Edwards’ belief that it’s his responsibility to make others comfortable is where many men, particularly Black men, find themselves—either saying nothing or softening the tone of their message to cuddle someone else’s feelings.  

Johnathon and Leon Davis, Jr., understand the muted challenge faced by Edwards and Black men like him nationwide. The father and son dynamic duo launched, “Black Men Vent Too,” a podcast where the purpose was to inspire and help Black men understand who they are so that they can fulfill their true God-ordained potential. It’s a platform that allows Black men to tell their stories unapologetically and it’s truly a place where they can vent. 

How interesting, that the podcast is titled  “Black Men Vent Too” and not just Black Men Vent. The “too” in the title boldly implies that it’s acceptable for Black men to vent like everyone else. Being cultured in a western ideology that does not allow boys, Black or White, to cry because it is perceived to be a demonstration of weakness, Black men often suppress their emotions. Depression and chronic issues are the long-term consequences of that emotional repression.

Davis believes that men vent, but unfortunately, no one listens. “LeBron [James] was told to ‘shut up and dribble,'” explained Davis. “When venting, we are perceived as weak. When that attitude is persistently pushed in the presence of Black men’s spirits, suppression becomes a typical response.” 

Davis’ dad added that often, men don’t vent because of their efforts to maintain the macho image of being strong.

Like so many podcasts, the show was spurred into existence due to COVID-19. Pre-pandemic, Davis Jr. opened his home to have conversations with young men. Once a month, he would host an evening meeting with seven or eight young men, while food and a listening ear served as the provisions.  

“I wanted them to talk about their issues and about their life.” Davis Jr., a minister of 17 years, continued. “I just wanted to share with them from my perspective just a little bit to help them along the way.”  

When COVID-19 reared its infectious head, the gatherings stopped. The gestation period during quarantine had the duo independently thinking of avenues to continue driving those enriching conversations. Gathering in their driveway, Davis and Davis Jr., in conjunction with Mrs. Davis and Joshua, the youngest Davis, developed the vision. Following a four-month procrastination period, the podcast debuted.

”Black Men Vent Too” has recorded more than 50 episodes and airs every Monday at 11 am CST. Each month represents a new season, a new topic, and far-ranging conversations that include fatherhood, depression, grief, marriage and relationships, and the absence of happiness.

The subject of discussion for August is “Raw Venting.” On a recent episode – “BMI: Raw Venting in a Black Man,” with guest, Marcus Johnson shared his frustration about happiness and how Black men too often don’t experience it. 

According to Davis, the “Raw Venting” episode is venting on steroids.  

“With venting, you may say some stuff; stuff slips out. Venting should never come with restrictions or boundaries,” explained Davis. “With our platform, we’re not under stepping or overstepping. If we’re bringing brothers on to vent, we know Black folk use colorful words. We’re not advocating that, but if you have some things stirring up your emotions, you might use some colorful words.” 

Based in Nashville, Tenn., ”Black Men Vent Too” brings that unique southern flavor. 

Davis, 26, a member of Kappa Alpha Psi with a degree in Exercise Science, brings that millennial flare, while his dad, pursuing his Masters in Pastoral Studies, adds the “OG swag.”

“I like how God gave us this vision because we never perceived it to be a father-son duo. We just wanted to be two dudes trying to give back to our community, and we wanted to do it from a younger and older perspective,” explained Davis Jr. 

Davis added: How often do you see a father and son in the same room doing something like this? 

“With our guest, Davis puts his spin on the issue, and I add mine. I try to give a little wisdom, and then he ends up giving me some wisdom too. We’re all learning from each other, but in the midst of it all, it’s just like we’re sitting at the barbershop. We talk, it’s organic, and nothing is scripted, we just go at it.” 

Both gentlemen desire to have their voices heard worldwide. However, if they’re not able to partner with some major media platform, experiencing the joy of a Black man telling them that ”Black Men Vent Too” changed the trajectory of their life, would be so rewarding. 

Followers can hear “Black Men Vent Too” on the following platforms: Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Anchor, Spotify, Amazon Music, and YouTube. 
Reginald Williams is  the author of “A Marginalized Voice: Devalued, Dismissed, Disenfranchised & Demonized.” Please email bookreggie@reginaldwilliams.org or visit amarginalizedvoice.com for more information.

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By Reginald Williams,
Special to the AFRO

A.Z. Matthews learned that he had stage 3 cancer. Then he committed suicide. He was 29. 

Shawn Byers was enjoying an evening at his girlfriend’s house. Following dinner, Shawn fell ill. He asked his girlfriend to call 9-1-1. Shortly after EMS arrived, Byers died. He was 54. 

Ricky Platt died on the operating table. His heart failed. He was 65.   

Matthews, Byers, and Platt are three Black men whose life spans bear out the data that reporting Black men die prematurely. Black men have the lowest life expectancy of all demographic groups, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. On average, Black men die four years earlier than White men and seven years earlier than Black women. 

Self-reported suicide attempts by Black adolescent boys rose greater than 50 percent between 1991 and 2017. In 2014, 80 percent of suicide deaths in the Black community were men. The premature death of Black men is a public health issue. 

Austin Frakt, an associate professor at Boston University’s School of Public Health, notes, “Black men experience the worst health outcomes of any other demographic group, and at age 45, Black men have a life expectancy that is three years less than non-Hispanic White men.” 

A Black man’s health inequities are worsened by persistent microaggressions Black men experience, which pushes them to often resort to violence.  

Violence erupting in communities of color often pushes angry and volatile young Black men to carry out acts of retribution, a contributing factor in the unfortunate deaths of Black men.  

“Violence-Related Disparities Experienced by Black Youth and Young Adults,”  a 2018 research article, reports that Black adolescents are at “higher risk of violence,” including homicide. According to the CDC, Black men and boys ages 15 to 34 make up two percent of the population but account for 37 percent of the nation’s homicides. 

Beyond the devastation suffered by violence, specifically gun violence, men’s immovable resolve to live by an “I’m a’ight” paradigm presents an equally contributing component to loss of life. 

According to Roland Thorpe, Jr., Ph.D., MS, Health Behavior and Society professor, and founding director of the Program for Research on Men’s Health, Black men distrust the medical system. 

“The first time we go to the doctor, we’re in the ER because we didn’t go get the annual check-ups,” Thorpe said. 

Black men’s mistrust of the medical system is deeply rooted. The Tuskegee Experiment continues to drive their distrust. Conducted in 1932, the United States Public Health Service enlisted approximately 600 African American men to partake in the Tuskegee syphilis experiment.  

During this experiment, which began in 1932 according to CDC records, medical professionals used Black men to see how untreated syphilis would attack the body. Despite having a cure for the venereal disease, doctors, backed by the government, watched as Black suffered and died. 

Ninety years later, research shows that Black men continue to receive substandard medical care. The National Academy of Medicine reports that “Racial and ethnic [men] receive lower-quality health care than White [men]—even when insurance status, income, age, and severity of conditions are comparable.” The pandemic continued to reveal the health of Black men as Black men died from COVID at a rate that exceeded all other groups.  

If Black men are to reverse these diminishing health trends, they must employ several tactics. First, Black men must take control of their health. Change the corrosive narrative of what it means to be a man and what is required to be healthy. That mindset that readily embraces, big boys don’t cry, or I’m strong, or I’m a’ight are ideologies that keep Black men sick.  

“Black men must break the fear of going to the doctor and all the stigmas and taboos associated with their health care,” said Dr. Roderick E. Wellington, Ed.D, NCC, LCPC.  

“It is a must that we become engaged and educated about our health.” 

Black men must become conscious and intentional about what they place in their bodies. “Simply put, we must give our bodies more respect,” said Carlos Adams, BSN (male doula) and chef.  

“We eat because it tastes good. We eat because we are hungry or because we are at social events that cater food, but we were never taught that eating to empower ourselves on a cellular level is actually the purpose of eating at all.” 

So much of health, good or bad, is what is contained in what we eat. Most foods stored at home are spiked with preservatives that preserve the food while slowly creating an internal demise. Enriched flour, high fructose corn syrup, gums, starches, acids, and sodium benzoate are just some of the ingredients in food leading to diabetes, hypertension, and spiking mental disorders. “We have to really start making the health of our cells a priority,” maintains Adams.  

David, Dr. Wellington’s 76-year-old brother, walks daily, eats healthy, and has lived past a Black man’s average age by six years. David is mindful of his health not for his quality of life but his quality of death. “When I die, I want it to be peaceful,” said David.  

For more improved health outcomes, Black men should also seek the services of Black physicians. 

“Black men seen by Black doctors agreed to more and more invasive, preventive services than those seen by non-Black doctors. And this effect seemed to be driven by better communication and more trust,” writes Nicole Torres, Author of Having a Black Doctor Led Black Men to Receive More-Effective Care, 

Black men must also be dogmatic in conducting their own health research and working collaboratively with their doctors. Their doctor is a source of information, not the sole source of information.  

Reginald Williams is author of “A Marginalized Voice: Devalued, Dismissed, Disenfranchised & Demonized.” Please email bookreggie@reginaldwilliams.org or visit amarginalizedvoice.com for more information. 

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By Reginald Williams,
Special to the AFRO

The joy that many mothers feel serving as a vessel for life is unexplainable. 

Many mothers conclude that motherhood is a central experience in their lives. However, with all its joys, maternity is saturated with its fair share of challenges, often leaving moms to feel depleted.  

“Being a mom is hard. It’s the toughest job in the world,” says Nicole Kreamer, a mother of three. 

Droves of moms echo Kreamer’s sentiment. That sentiment also includes mothers anchored to guilt. 

“I used to have a heavy sense of guilt when I would do things that allowed me to practice self-care,” explained DeAngela Johnson. “Honestly, I often felt like [in order] to be a good mom, I needed to put the kids first. I thought I needed to put them ahead of my marriage and myself. To do otherwise meant I was being selfish- borderline neglectful.”

It’s common practice for mothers to feel unbalanced in the parental role. So, how do they balance the demands of raising children?

With Mother’s Day approaching, many mothers will use the weekend to engage in activities they seldom afford themselves: They will partake in some self-care.

Pampering and rejuvenating is how Melissa Quick plans to spend her Mother’s Day weekend. 

“We can neglect ourselves then normalize that neglect,” said Quick, a mother of two. “I’m going to find the best soothing bath product on the market. I’m going to say ‘yes’ to me all day by making sure all my favorite indulgences are available.”

Teeshalavone Jenkins, a mother of three, maintains that self-care is a priority in her life every day. “Self-care is never selfish,” Jenkins said. 

Daily walks, yoga, and some form of physical activity are an integral part of her life- so important that she’s intentional in imparting that self-care mindset in the rearing of her children.

“I make it a point to teach our children that taking care of yourself is a priority so that other areas of your life will flourish. Being conscious about how I nourish my body, mind, and spirit has helped me be present [as a] mother.”

Aiyana Ma’at, a mommy of five and a licensed clinical therapist, advocates that mothers must remain connected to themselves.

“As a mom, it’s easy to lose yourself in the day-to-day routine of family life,” said Ma’at, MSW, LICSW, and LCSW-C. “Before you know it, years have gone by, and you’re a shell of your former self. The best way to avoid this is to remember to pursue yourself as much as you pursue all the other responsibilities and obligations in your life.”

For many mothers, their inability to embrace mental wholeness during Mother’s Day is much more complex than the disregard they might receive from their children. 

Mother’s Day for many mothers is a sobering reminder of the loss of their mother. The grief of trying to navigate their mother’s death causes them to shut down and withdraw on a day they are to be celebrated. 

LD Swett-McKinney, a mother, grandmother, and a bonus mom to a 15-year-old whose mother is deceased, tries to balance her grief, which she described as “running high” around Mother’s Day.

“I try to balance my personal grief and help her honor and grieve for her mother while accepting my husband’s loving Mother’s Day expressions of appreciation for my role in my bonus baby’s life.”

Reliving the death of one’s mother on Mother’s Day is often about “identity and attachment,” explains Dr. Kevin Jackson, LCPC-S. “At times, experiencing a mother’s death is a daughter’s feeling of guilt, feeling that they’ve let their mother down. Their grief will often come from a place of guilt. But their grief can also be them missing their mommy; missing their mother’s friendship.”

Dr. Jackson, who serves as the director of clinical therapeutic services and supervision for the GraceCares Community Wellness Collaborative, suggests that grieving mothers do not run from the pain but rather run towards it. “Be yourself even in the paint,” said Dr. Jackson. “Your healing and self-care is in the pain. There is strength in your vulnerability.”

On a day where mothers are honored, Swett-McKinney’s perspective on how she navigates Mother’s Day is interesting when one considers that Anna Jarvis, credited with being the founder of the Mother’s Day holiday, conceived the celebration following the death of her mother. Jarvis’ mission was to use the day, ironically, “as a way of honoring the sacrifices mothers made for the children.” 

As mommies nationwide settle into Mother’s Day, their mission is for their children to look for a way of honoring them for the sacrifices mothers have made for their children. Reginald Williams is  author of “A Marginalized Voice: Devalued, Dismissed, Disenfranchised & Demonized.” Please email bookreggie@reginaldwilliams.org for more information.

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For “better or worse,” “in sickness and in health,” and “for richer or poorer” have served as the bedrock for wedding vows for centuries. However during the past 30 years “for worse,” “in sickness” and “for poorer” are the vows all too often forsaken by many couples struggling in their marriage. Divorce serves as the solution for those stuck in a marriage rut; and has been particularly destructive in the African-American community.

Reports by the U.S. Census Bureau suggest that divorce has been on the decline since 1996; however civil registries and court records nationwide report the nation’s divorce rate to be hovering just north of 45 percent. Many family and relationship therapist suggest that most married couple flirting with divorce do so because they neither know how to navigate the trials of marriage dilemmas nor believe that they should, and it appears (at least on the surface) that there are few examples of couples who have.

More than 1,000 recently attended the premiere of Still Standing, a documentary that challenges the mindset that divorce is the answer and proves that there are ordinary couples who have faced and defeated the evils of hell that attacked their marriage. The March event at the Publick Playhouse in Cheverly, Md. gave attendees a chance to hear the testimonies of six African-American couples whose marriages stand firm despite their marital valleys.

Infidelity, poor communication, naysayers, blended family issues, sickness and troublesome finances are most often credited for the reasons for marital challenges. However the film served as a testament that those very challenges are manageable when ‘til death do us part’ remains the ultimate goal.

“The only way that you can know that you have unconditional love is if conditions come to test you,” explained the Rev. Rose Marie Greene. With 31 years invested, the Greene marriage was severely tested when an aggressive cancer – that doubled in size every two weeks – “invaded” her body.

Nisa Muhammad, credited with being one of the nation’s most ardent advocates for marriage in the African-American community, maintains that problems do not destroy marriages; it’s the way people deal with the issues that serve as the stimulus for those divorces. Muhammad, founder of Black Marriage Day adds, that infidelity can destroy one marriage while strengthening another.

After experiencing the distress of infidelity and separation, Jon and Carmencita Dildy, married for 7 ½ years, found the film to be cathartic. “The part of the movie that really hit home for us was the infidelity”, explained Carmencita Dildy. “We’ve been through the trials and tribulations of it and God brought us back together and wiped all of that anger I had away.”

There were a few occasions when a rain of applause revealed just how much the capacity audience enjoyed the lessons being shared – especially when the Rev. Wesley Greene told about the sacrifices he graciously made to help in his wife’s healing.

Still Standing, the fourth film (Happily Ever After – 2009; You Saved Me – 2010 and Men Ain’t Boys – 2011) in a series of documentaries created by the husband and wife duo of Lamar and Ronnie Tyler, counters the negative images often portrayed about marriage and parenting in the African-American communities. The Tylers are the founders of the Award-winning website blackandmarriedwithkids.com, and are listed by Essence and Ebony as being one of America’s most influential power couples.

“We need to address how marriage is portrayed in current day culture. Contrary to what reality TV shows us, the last time I dined at Cheesecake Factory I didn’t see any women throwing drinks in each other’s faces,” said Lamar Tyler.

According to Lamar Tyler the purpose of Still Standing was threefold:
“We hope to encourage couples there are people who have gone through what they (viewers) are facing; second to show them specifically how these couples overcame those issues, and the third thing we hope to do is to offer singles a real and transparent look at what marriage is.”
The film included the testimonies of Fatin and Aja Dantzler of Kindred and the Family Soul; Speech (of the Grammy Award winning rap group Arrested Development) and Yolanda Thomas and Dr. Sherry L. Blake – the author of The Single Married Woman and a clinical psychologist who regularly appears on Braxton Family Values.

Still Standing’s debut coincided with the celebration of the 10th Anniversary of Black Marriage Day, and proves “when the going gets rough, the tough remain together “still standing.”

For more information or to arrange a private screening contact Lamar Tyler at blackandmarriedwithkids.com.

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