Afro Baltimore 5-5-2017

Volume Volume 125 123 No. No.40 20–22

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Inside Commentary

100 Days of Discrimination, 100 Days of Defiance

“Not Enough Evidence”

Baltimore • The AFRO Kicks

Off 2017 Edition of Clean/Green Block Environmental Program

By Sherrilyn Ifill

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Washington W. Kamau Bell’s Book ‘Awkwardly’ Explains Present-day America

How Blacks Fared After 100 Days of Trump

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By Charles D. Ellison Special to the AFRO

AP Photo/Gerald Herbert

Kimberly Pierson, mother of Alton Sterling’s son Na’Quincy Pierson, cries as she speaks to reporters following a meeting with the U.S. Justice Department at federal court in Baton Rouge, La. on May 3. An investigation into the police shooting death of Sterling in Baton Rouge found that there was not enough evidence to prove that the White officers acted unreasonably and willfully, a federal prosecutor said. (See story on A6)

When Donald Trump was inaugurated as 45th President of the United States, the Congressional Black Caucus didn’t have much of an official strategic response plan. Nor, for that matter, did any umbrella organization of Black elected officials on the local, state and federal level. Beyond being collectively stunned and some consensus that most of its members would boycott the official POTUS induction ceremony, the CBC had yet to issue a step-by-step map on what, specifically, the Black

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NAACP Summit Lobbies Against Voter Suppression Policies

By Hamil R. Harris Special to the AFRO

AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais

President Donald Trump’s first 100 days in office have been marked by fumbled photoops such as this one with HBCU presidents during Black History month.

League released its annual report on the “State of Black America.” The report found that the 2017 equality index, a measurement that tracks Black progress in economics,

By Lenore T. Adkins Special to the AFRO

Listen to Afro’s “First Edition”

Efforts to Repeal Obamacare Angers District

Civil Rights

Exploring the Urban League’s ‘State of Black America’ Issues that are crucial to Black America, including criminal justice reform, economic empowerment, affordable housing and education, found a forum on May 2 at a televised “The State of Black America” town hall meeting airing later this month on TV One. The show, moderated by Roland S. Martin, managing editor of TV One’s News One Now, was taped at the historic Howard Theater in Northwest D.C. The taping came hours after the National Urban

• Republican

education, health, social justice and civil engagement, was 72.3 percent. The figure was one percentage point higher than the 2016 index.

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The NAACP recently held a meeting with Civil Rights leaders and policy experts.

They worked to develop a strategy to challenge what they see as an emerging crisis in this country.

“The Niagara Summit on the Potomac” was held at May 1-2 at Georgetown University in Northwest Washington D.C. The summit was inspired by a historic meeting of African American leaders held in 1905, said Cornell William Brooks, president of the NAACP. “How do Continued on A3

In a recent interview with the Washington Examiner, President Donald Trump seemed unclear on why the Civil War began. At a ceremony in 1912 marking 50 years after the end of slavery, one of the key reasons for the War, then President William Howard Taft praised the progress Blacks had made since the Emancipation Proclamation.

AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin

National Urban League President and CEO Marc Morial holds up a copy of the 2017 State of Black America report, May 2, at the National Urban League in Washington.

HBCU Advocates Lobby Congress for More Financial Support

By James Wright Special to the AFRO jwright@afro.com Alumni, leaders, and students of HBCUs recently descended on Washington, D.C. to lobby members of Congress for increased support. On April 27, the HBCU Collective, an advocacy group of mainly graduates of Black higher education institutions, convened at the U.S. Capitol for a National Day

AFRO Archived History

PRESIDENT TAFT’S EMANCIPATION SPEECH Says Signing of Emancipation Proclamation Was Lincoln’s Greatest Act

REFERS TO PRESENT POLITICAL MIX-UP Other Prominent Washingtonians Take Part in Emancipation Celebration

Sept. 28, 1912 (Special to the Afro-American Ledger.)

Washington, Sept. 27--The great story of the issuance of Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, resultant events and the progress that the race has made since the Civil War were told here this week at a

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NATION & WORLD

Mother of 3 Killed in Mass Shooting at San Diego Pool Party Childhood Friend of Entertainer Nick Cannon

By The Associated Press

A 35-year-old mother of three children was the lone person killed by a despondent gunman who police said shot seven people at a poolside birthday bash in San Diego after a breakup with his girlfriend.

A childhood friend said he will miss the infectious smile of victim Monique Clark, who was devoted to her (Courtesy photo) daughters, ages 2 to 13.

Monique Clark “She had such a great personality,” said Vincent Howard, who met Clark in high school. “She was always smiling. She was always with her kids and everyone else’s kids. She was like a mother to them all.”

Howard said Clark also helped homeless people, volunteering often at food drives.

“I have nothing but wonderful memories of this Angel,” entertainer Nick Cannon, a childhood friend of Clark, wrote on his Instagram account. “Tears can’t express the pain and shock.

A mother of 3, a sister, a daughter, a cousin, a friend and a Queen… Rest in Paradise.”

Authorities say Clark was shot and killed Sunday by 49-year-old Peter Selis, who was angry over the recent breakup and called his ex-girlfriend during the attack so she could hear him shooting strangers.

Officers killed Selis in a shootout at the upscale apartment complex that owners describe as a Mediterranean village with playgrounds, pools, deli and other facilities. The six other victims were expected to survive Clark’s family could not be reached for comment. Her mother, Michelle Fuget, wrote on the GoFundMe website that her daughter was beautiful, funny and feisty.

The pool party to celebrate the host’s birthday was in full swing when Selis, reclining in a lounge chair with a blank expression, pulled a gun from his waistband and began shooting. Bodies fell on the pool deck and people ran for their lives.

Selis was White and all but one of the victims were Black or Latino. Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman said there was “zero indication” race was a motive for the shooting.

Instead, it seemed to be driven by the split-up with the woman who Selis called after he shot his first two victims.

“It is apparent that Selis wanted his ex-girlfriend to listen in as he carried out his rampage,” Zimmerman said. “These victims were just in his vicinity when he committed this terrible tragedy.”

The shooting began after the party’s host approached Selis, who stood out from the crowd of about 35 people as he sat alone by the pool gate wearing a heavy black jacket on a hot day, said Demetrius Griffin, a guest at the party.

Griffin assumed the party’s host, who was always welcoming, invited the man to join the fun. Instead, Selis shot the host twice in the torso and then opened fire on the party, Griffin said.

“It was very eerie, to say the least,” Griffin said. “He didn’t stand up. He didn’t say anything. He just opened fire.”

Selis, a father who worked as a mechanic at a Ford dealership, left no hint that he was planning an attack, police said.

He filed for federal bankruptcy protection in October 2015, listing $14,000 in assets and $108,000 in liabilities, according to court records.

Efforts to reach his family and ex-girlfriend were unsuccessful.

Joshua, with Heavyweight Title, May Make Boxing Must-See TV

By The Associated Press

Anthony Joshua remained in the ring long after 90,000 of his supporters had filed out of Wembley Stadium, posing happily for pictures with his team and hugging just about everyone he knew.

No reason to leave early when being the heavyweight champion is so much fun.

“I just want to fight everyone, (Nick Potts/PA via AP) man,” Joshua said. “I’m really loving this right now.”

British boxer Anthony There was a lot to love Joshua, centre, celebrates Saturday night in front of a with with Mayor of London Sadiq Khan after winning against Ukrainian boxer Wladimir Klitschko following their fight for Joshua’s IBF and the vacant WBA Super World and IBO heavyweight titles, at Wembley Stadium, in London on April 29. packed crowd at England’s national stadium, where Joshua got off the canvas to stop longtime champion Wladimir Klitschko in a coming out party of sorts that electrified the boxing world.

The biggest heavyweight fight in British history was also the best. There was an epic fifth round where Joshua knocked Klitschko down and then held on himself to survive, along with a knockdown a round later by

Klitschko.

And when Joshua had finished almost taking Klitschko’s head off in the 11th round, a heavyweight division moribund for years was suddenly very much alive once again.

Just five years removed from winning an Olympic gold medal in London, Joshua stopped a fighter who dominated the heavyweight division for nearly a decade. Though the win came with some anxious moments for the hometown fans, it also established Joshua as a superstar in the making who just might be the fighter who can make boxing must-see TV once again.

“Anthony was better today than I,” Klitschko said. “It’s really sad that I didn’t make it tonight. I was planning to do it.

It didn’t work. But all the respect to Anthony, congratulations.”

A heavyweight title fight unlike any seen in the country that invented boxing didn’t just end with the hometown favorite’s hand aloft in victory. It ended in such spectacular fashion that Joshua can now write his own ticket in a heavyweight division long starved for star power.

That will at some point likely include a megafight with American Deontay Wilder, who owns a piece of the title and is a huge puncher himself. It could include a rematch with Klitschko, who had it written into his contract that he would have that right should he lose.

And then there’s Tyson Fury, the British nomad who upset Klitschko in 2015 before being waylaid by mental and other issues.

“Tyson Fury, where you’re at, baby? Is that what you want to see?” Joshua asked. “Come on, we’re here, man. I enjoy fighting. I love fighting. I want to give 90,000 people another chance to witness a lovely night of boxing.”

The possibilities are tantalizing indeed, and so are the prospects for stardom for Joshua. Largely unknown outside Britain except by ardent boxing fans, he announced himself as the future of the division with a spectacular right hand that made Klitschko look like a very large bobblehead in the 11th round of a fight that until then was either man’s to win.

His knockout power is unquestioned, and after Saturday night so is his heart. In only his 19th fight, he gained invaluable experience and even more confidence in his ability to dominate any heavyweight in the ring.

The crowd at Wembley was drawn by all of that, and more.

Joshua has the kind of charisma that fight promoters swoon over, and is so popular at home that the Sunday Times devoted the first full three pages of its sports section to his big win.

“You can hear I’m a little bit emotional because I know I’ve got doubters that think I can’t do this and that, but I dig deep,” Joshua said. “As I said, if you don’t take part, you’re going to fail. Just give it a go and you never know the outcome.”

Wilder was at ringside to watch his new rival, as were former champions Evander Holyfield and Lennox Lewis.

Wilder is also undefeated and a big puncher with a piece of the heavyweight title himself, and the two would do huge boxoffice business if they got together in a megafight.

First, though, Joshua must come to the U.S. and expose himself to American boxing fans in at least one fight, possibly two. The Fury fight would likely be in England, though a rematch with Klitschko could take place in the U.S. “I’m only going to improve,” said Joshua, whose quick path to success had been questioned by some outside his camp. “As I said, I’m not perfect, but I’m trying.”

That was good enough on a chilly night at Wembley, where Klitschko won over fans who ignored him over the years, and Joshua won the respect of the 41-year-old he knocked out.

“The best man won tonight,” Klitschko said, “and it was an amazing night for boxing.”

On that, all at Wembley would agree.

Concert Fans Angry as Hyped Bahamas Festival is Canceled

By The Associated Press

Organizers of a much-hyped music festival in the Bahamas canceled the weekend event at the last minute Friday after many people had already arrived and spent thousands of dollars on tickets and travel.

Fyre Festival organizers announced the cancellation of (Photo by Christopher Smith/Invision/ AP) what they previously billed as a “once-in-a-lifetime” concert Organizers of the Fyre along the lines of the Coachella Festival in the Bahamas, Valley Music and Arts Festival produced by a partnership in Southern California. People that includes rapper Ja Rule (pictured), canceled had already begun arriving the weekend event at the in the Exuma islands for the first of two weekends that was last minute after many people had already arrived to include performances by and spent thousands of Blink-182 and others. dollars on tickets and A statement cited travel. “circumstances out of our control,” for their inability to prepare the “physical infrastructure” for the event in the largely undeveloped Exumas. Photos published on social media showed tents, wooden stalls and portable lavatories had been brought in for the festival, which was produced by a partnership that includes rapper Ja Rule.

“I’m heartbroken at this moment,” Ja Rule, whose real name is Jeffrey Atkins, said on Twitter. “I wanted this to be an amazing event. It was not a scam as everyone is reporting.”

The organizers said they were working to arrange charter flights to Miami for people who had already arrived in Exuma and said inbound flights had been canceled. “I don’t know how everything went so left but I’m working to make it right,” the rapper said.

The Fyre Festival had promised “culinary delights and luxury” over this weekend and the second one in May. Organizers had relied on models and other minor celebrities to heavily promote the festival as a glitzy destination event.

The Bahamas tourism ministry had expected it to be one of the largest such events ever held in the island chain east of Florida. But attendees complained bitterly in social media posts about disorganization, a lack of accommodations and inadequate food.

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100 Days Continued from A1 community could do next.

But at the mark of Trump’s first 100 days in office, a skeptical CBC managed to produce what is, to date, the most authoritative combined list of what’s bad about the new president as far as Black America is concerned.

The CBC rolled out, and branded as #StayWoke, a list of 100 actions by the administration on everything from cabinetlevel and judicial appointments to education, environmental justice, health care, workers rights and economic development. The idea, say caucus members, is to present as complete – and alarming – public portrait of an administration acting in complete opposition to issues of crucial significance to Black America.

“During the presidential campaign, President Trump promised to ‘make America great again,’” noted Congressional Black Caucus Chairman Cedric Richmond (D-La.) in the 20-page “What Did Trump Do?” – a list of various policy actions the administration has engaged in that are viewed as harming African Americans. “However, all of the actions on this list will not, in our view, make America great.”

For much of Black America, the first 100 days have felt like 100 months: a constant and strangling stream of voting or civil rights rollbacks after another. Indeed, the new Trump administration has not only fulfilled many of its campaign promises, it’s taken the extra step of ensuring that policies put in place by the county’s First Black president are reversed.

No longer can advocacy organizations

enjoy an almost open-door relationship with the new Justice Department’s civil rights division. Traditional civil rights organizations, according to observers, can’t even turn to the White House for assistance should a federal agency violate a regulation put in place to address Black concerns or protect Black needs.

All that, in addition to teaming up with Congressional Republicans in an attempt to repeal and replace the Affordable Care

move was widely lambasted with acrimony given Carson’s complete lack of knowledge of housing issues and a very tense relationship with an African-American community that once adored him. During the first 100 days of the administration, Carson slipped hard when, during a forum with HUD employees, he called African slaves “immigrants.”

President Trump’s own personal outreach to HBCU presidents also tanked, morphing

“At this rate, even without any legislative activity, Black people will be staring at a federal government that is as hostile as any we’ve seen in nearly 30 years.”

– Peter Groff

Act, landmark legislation that sought to fill in massive healthcare disparity gaps. While the ACA remains in place its future remains uncertain, as does the fate of several key civil rights milestones.

Cabinet-level appointments such as Dr. Ben Carson made matters worse in terms of an already deteriorating relationship between Trump and the Black community.

While President Trump viewed Carson’s nomination as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development as a step towards placating Black voters (without bothering to check in with the Black political community), the

into one of many irreparable slip-ups attributed to racial tone-deafness and a stubborn unwillingness to consult with Black political and community leaders. A fumbled photo-op of Trump grinning at the Oval Office desk in the middle of suited Black HBCU presidents during their collective lobby turned into an iconic meme capturing blondehaired campaign manager and senior advisor Kellyanne Conway on her knees across a couch with no shoes on.

In the end, HBCU presidents walked away with little more than niceties from the president and vague promises of resources.

When the administration unveiled its FY 2018 budget proposal, funding for HBCUs remained flat along with recommendations to dramatically scale back Pell Grants, a critical funding source for Black students.

The confirmation of conservative jurist Neil Gorsuch, now positioned in the Supreme Court for a lifetime, didn’t help either. Advocacy groups are bracing for an onslaught of reversals of long held civil rights protections.

“President Trump has done little to allay the concerns which prompted 93 percent of Blacks to vote for someone else,” said Emory University professor Andra Gillespie. “While he has made some symbolic gestures towards

Blacks during those first 100 days, those have been awkward and [display] his unfamiliarity with Black communities. It is clear that the Trump administration is different from the Obama administration and that Blacks will feel the difference in a substantive way.”

Meanwhile, the administration has yet to pass any major legislation, is dangerously behind in staffing government, is watching – with indifference – a slowly mushrooming scandal around ties to Russia, and there is, critics say, very little discernible foreign policy beyond occasional bluster and bombing runs.

On the surface, the new administration seems eager to antagonize an embattled Black political and grassroots community that seems completely powerless in the wake of 2016 electoral outcomes. Each day is met with either fresh news about the latest Obamaera regulation dismantled by the Trump administration or new rounds of accusations from the White House pointing fingers at the former president for either authorizing surveillance on Trump the candidate or approving former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn’s top security clearance.

That’s more symbolic, say some observers, compared to the systematic unraveling of an extensive array of regulatory, policy, and legal protections that have offered African Americans some semblance of progress over the past 50 years. Compounding that is an aggressive administration effort to radically downscale the federal government with an across-the-board 10 percent cut across federal agencies, with most domestic and social safety net programs on the chopping block and federal workers (a quarter of them Black) targeted.

“From the Attorney General’s failure to continue pursuing voting infringement cases and attempting to halt Obama police decrees, the overturning of Obama regulations on student loans, climate change, and environmental justice, just to name a few, the first 100 days have had a very negative impact on African Americans,” said former Obama White House appointee Peter Groff.

“At this rate, even without any legislative activity, Black people will be staring at a federal government that is as hostile as any we’ve seen in nearly 30 years,” he said.

Courtesy photo

Cornell William Brooks, president of the NAACP, getting arrested while protesting the nomination of Jefferson Sessions to be Attorney General.

NAACP Summit Continued from A1 we inspire? How do we fire up?” Brooks told the AFRO on May 2. “We have [to] message inclusively, we have to make sure that Motown generation connects with the millennial generation and both are at the table together.”

The groups also addressed current attacks on immigrant communities, unchecked voter suppression, and the disturbing increase in hate crimes towards both Muslims and Jewish communities.

The Niagara Summit was held one day after a MayDay March in the District by CASA in Action, a nonprofit organization that engages in educational activities and legislative and political advocacy in support of Latinos and immigrants in

Maryland and Virginia.

The early Niagara Movement was founded by W.E.B. DuBois to address the issues of racism and segregation at the turn of the 20th Century. It would be that movement that led to the NAACP adopting a “declaration of principles” that was designed to challenge Jim Crow laws during Reconstruction.

Reminiscent of the original Niagara Movement, the summit, according to a press release, will in the coming days announce a set of core principles and strategies designed to broaden and deepen coalitions and strengthen policy priorities among disparate organizations and communities.

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“In 1880 5,000 Blacks were lynched and today, we have gone from being denied our basic humanity to a scheme to dominate the vote. The solution is we need the automatic right to vote as Americans,” Brooks said.

One the objectives of the Niagara Summit is to mobilize voters for the midterm elections to support candidates that support inclusive policies and diverse communities on the local, state, and federal levels.

“In the face of a looming civil rights crisis threatening to relegate all Americans to a second-tier democracy, the NAACP is completely aware of the need to build strategic alliances with our partners to lighten our collective struggle,” said Brooks in a statement.

According to Brooks, the Niagara Summit on the Potomac will bring together leadership from various communities to build strategies that protect Americans against current attempts to rollback “progress toward true democracy.”

“This is just the beginning,” Regina Thomas, former New Jersey Secretary of State, said.

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Urban League Continued from A1 National Urban League President and CEO Marc Morial said the narrowing of healthcare disparities, coupled with educational improvements contributed to the slight hike in 2017.

Going forward, Morial said the league will push their plan that demands a national investment of $4 trillion over the next 10 years. Half of that money would go towards building infrastructure that benefits people living in “inner cities,” including a jobs component that would guarantee minority business participation and jobs for workers living in highunemployment neighborhoods.

The remaining $2 trillion would cover job training, health insurance and education. Blacks could continue to demand that the Trump administration advance policies that enforce civil rights, and improve health, education and economic opportunities for Blacks, he said.

“I hope that this is the beginning of elevating the data the information and commentary about the state of Black America,” Morial told the {AFRO}.

Meanwhile, Republican communications strategist Paris Dennard, a CNN commentator, told reporters that putting money into HBCUs is something “President Trump must do.”

He also said Black leaders wary of Trump shouldn’t shy away from working with him and his team.

“There’s a train of thought that says that we should not engage with the Trump administration,” Dennard said before the show. “There’s a train of thought that says he may not be in line with what Black America needs or understands. But I believe that you have to have a seat at the table. You have to engage actively and early so that our issues are on the table.

Because if they’re not, we stand to lose.”

Meanwhile, the show, hosted by Martin, and two panels dove into the report’s findings and offered some solutions for

the issues it raised.

Congressional Black Caucus Chairman Cedric Richmond of Louisiana, Rep. Karen Bass of California, and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York were originally scheduled to serve as panelists for the show. However, none of the Democrats attended, due to scheduled votes they opted to take at Capitol Hill.

Cultural critic Touré called for a national movement that urges employers to stop asking job candidates to check a box about their criminal records. It’s a question he said unfairly

“I hope that this is the beginning of elevating the data the information and commentary about the state of Black America.”

– Marc Morial

punishes Black ex-offenders by locking them out of jobs.

“If you paid your debt to society, you should be able to return to society,” he said.

Companies might stop asking that question if the government can offer tax breaks or incentives for hiring exoffenders, Dennard said.

When it comes to redeveloping Black America, Martin called on the National Urban League to spend this year gathering a group of Blacks to create an investment fund in hopes of combatting gentrification in Black communities.

“If we know the home prices are low and the land is

cheap, well hell, let’s stop complaining about it and we buy ourselves,” Martin said.

Angela Rye, a political analyst for CNN and NPR and CEO of Impact Strategies, said supporting Black-owned institutions is key to controlling Black destiny. That starts, she said, with banking Black.

“If our banks had our resources in them, if we were banking Black, then they would not have been slaughtered in the 2008 recession,” Rye said. “If we were banking Black, we would have access to capital because they lend to us.”

In a particularly heated exchange, Martin asked Dennard if he’s seen a housing plan from the Trump administration.

“We’re talking about how do you redevelop Black America, how do you change cities,” Martin said. “You have to have a real housing plan and not just help out young … White folks that want to buy high-priced condos and Black folks that go to the suburbs where there’s no public transportation and no jobs.”

When Dennard responded that he’s hopeful HUD Secretary Dr. Ben Carson will write a housing plan after completing a nationwide listening tour, the audience laughed. Carson, who originally declined a position in Trump’s cabinet to serve as Secretary of Health and Human Services because he never ran an agency, has been criticized for referring to slaves as some of America’s first immigrants. The taping’s audience was mostly comprised of people affiliated with the urban league and its local offices.

“It may not pass your laugh test but at the end of the day, elections have consequences and one of the consequences is that the president of the United States gets to select a cabinet he wants,” Dennard said. “And Dr. Carson is our secretary of HUD.” The program is scheduled to air at 8 p.m. on May 31 on TV One as a two-hour special.

HBCU Advocates Continued from A1 of Action. Participants visited representatives’ offices to talk about the importance of increased federal support for the colleges and universities they represent.

“Alumni and students play an integral role in preserving and growing our HBCUs,” Robert Stephens, co-leader of the collective, said to a gathering that included Mike Sorrell, president of Paul Quinn College in Dallas, and David Wilson, president of Morgan State University in Baltimore.

“We’re here to make sure our elected officials see and feel the importance of HBCUs and we’re here to hold them accountable for their support.”

Shambulia Gasden Sams is a coleader in the HBCU Collective. She noted that the United Negro College Fund and the Thurgood Marshall College Fund help to raise money and advocate on behalf of private and public Black institutions.

The D.C. HBCU Alliance, an organization of alumni of Black institutions in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, share that mission as well.

“We believe in the importance of HBCUs,” Sams said. “They continue to prepare children to compete in the global network.”

There are 107 HBCUs – both public and private institutions – and most of these institutions are in the South and border jurisdictions such as Maryland, Kentucky, and the District of Columbia, according to data compiled by the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities. HBCU students consist of nine percent of all college students, according to

Courtesy photo

Morgan State University President David Wilson, who spoke at a recent HBCU lobbying day on Capitol Hill, said that turning away students who have worked hard to succeed is the toughest thing he has to do.

2015 study conducted by the Pew Research Center.

HBCU advocates want Congress to pass a budget that increases financial support for students, increases access and funding for federal research grants, and increases funding and assistance for facility upgrades. “We care about the existence of our institutions and we are going to make sure elected officials do exactly what they promised and that is to support our HBCUs and their students financially,” Dominique Warren, a Morehouse College graduate and co-leader of the HBCU Collective,

Taft Continued from A1 celebration of the golden jubilee of the lifting of the shackles of slavery from the race.

The principal sessions were held in Metropolitan A.M.E. Church, with Prof. Jesse Lawson presiding. The women conducted special exercises at the Nineteenth Street Baptist Church, Wednesday.

President Taft delivered an address Monday night in which he praised Lincoln for issuing the proclamation.

“It is a pleasure to be here,” said the President, “at the celebration of the greatest act in the life of Lincoln, whose life was filled with great acts. The extinction of slavery meant the extinction of a living lie, because the Declaration of Independence said that all men were free and equal.”

Mr. Taft went on to say that while Lincoln abhorred

said.

Warren said Black students at HBCUs take out student loans at a higher percentage than students

productive citizens.

Tiffany Brockington will graduate from Howard University on May 13 but it was a journey

“We can’t just agitate. We have to organize to save Black colleges.”

– Rep. Alma Adams at other schools. He said loan forgiveness and lowering the student interest rate on loans would go a long way to helping HBCU graduates become financially

with a lot of pitfalls. “I was at Howard when my family’s house burned down,” Brockington said.

“As a result, I faced a number of financial challenges that affected my

slavery, that he realized it was recognized by the United States Constitution. He told of the bitter criticism made by Garrison and other abolitionists who held that a higher law would justify Mr. Lincoln in wiping out slavery, even though the Constitution recognized it as an institution. Speaking of the bitter criticism that had been insisted upon Mr. Lincoln for his disinclination to abolish slavery without the legal authority, he made a veiled reference to the Roosevelt-Taft political feud by saying that he did not believe that the criticism of Mr. Lincoln was any less bitter than in this day of “exchange of compliments.” The big audience and the president both laughed at this reference to the present national campaign.

Mr. Taft praised the race for making the great progress that it has within the last 50 years, and expressed the hope that the progress made during the next fifty years would still more justify Mr. Lincoln for issuing the Emancipation Proclamation.

Following the address, Mr. Taft shook hands with Prof.

Kelly Miller, former Congressman George H. White, Rev.

academic performance.”

Brockington said that at one point, she had to leave school because of academic issues as a result of working multiple jobs to survive. Nevertheless she persisted, citing her strong desire to get a degree.

Brockington said her story is not one of struggle “but of hope.”

She says she would like to attend graduate school someday.

Wilson said that one of the toughest days of the semester is “when I have to tell 300-400 students who have worked hard that they have to go home because they don’t have the money to finish school.”

“We need to see the Pell Grant increase to be year-round,” he said.

“It is past time for HBCUs to get crumbs from the table but get a full loaf of bread.”

U.S. Rep. Alma Adams (D-N.C.), is the co-chair of the 52-member Bipartisan Congressional HBCU Caucus with Rep. Bradley Burn (R-Ala.). The vice chairs of the caucus are Reps. Terri Sewell (D-Ala.) and French Hill (R-Ark.) and includes Mia Love (R-Utah), the only Black Republican woman in Congress, U.S. Sens. Richard Burr (R-N.C.), and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio).

Adams said that 20 of the 49 members of the Congressional Black Caucus attended HBCUs. “If we can bail out Wall Street, we can bail students out,” Adams, who holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from North Carolina A&T University, said. “We can’t just agitate. We have to organize to save Black colleges.”

I. N. Ross, Judge Robert H. Terrell, Cyrus Field Adams and Professor Lawson, who delivered an admirable address in introducing the head of the nation.

During the jubilee, Prof. W. S. Scarborough, Judge Robert H. Terrell, Prof. James B. Dudley, Prof. J. R. Hawkins, Prof.

Mason A. Hawkins, Mrs. Mary Church Terrell, F. H. M. Murray, Prof. Kelly Miller, Mrs. Julia W. Hamilton, Rev. Walter H. Brooks, Rev. I. N. Ross, Dr. P. P. Claxton, Rev. S. Mewman, president of Howard University, and Robert E. L. Washington were among the many to deliver addresses.

A big parade was held Thursday in which floats representing the progress that the race has made along various lines were displayed. A permanent organization [with Professor Lawson as president] was effected. A big reception was held at the closing session of the night.

Revs. J. W. McDonald, A. L. Gaines, M. F. Sydes and Mrs. A. L. Gaines were among the Baltimoreans observed at the Jubilee.

May 6, 2017 - May 12, 2017, The Afro-American

A5

‘LA 92’ Documentary Connects Watts to Compton to Here and Now Korean shop-owners and off-screen assailants. The film deliberately places the time after the cessations of hostilities It’s been 25 years since the 1992 Los Angeles in Iraq; but in another desert town shaded riots, and at least six films chronicling those by burning palm trees it’s hard to feel events will be released this year. One film, “LA the viewer ever left. This, combined 92,” screened at the University of Baltimore on with bleeding colors, double images, April 22. and loss of tracking in the footage itself Co-directors and co-editors Dan Lindsay creates another feeling of being trapped. and T.J. Martin appeared at the screening to It begins to feel like motorist beatings, promote the film as part of a panel and answered burning storefronts and wailing faces are questions from a moderator and the audience. on every channel.

Lindsay and Martin both won an Academy “I think it’s a very fine line and I think Award for Best Documentary Feature in 2012 we’re walking a tightrope,” Lindsay said. for “The Undefeated.” Martin is the first director “We feel that we have created something of African-American descent to win this Oscar. that falls on the side of creating “LA 92” is assembled from approximately empathy for an audience and not being 1500 hours of archival footage sourced from exploitative. That said, we take a massive professional and citizen journalists, the city risk not having the talking heads provide government, and even the LAPD’s internal very specific context.” media unit. The footage takes the viewer from Jason Moore, 39, would have the Watts riots of 1965 to the murder of Latasha appreciated that guidance while watching (George Holliday/KTLA Los Angeles via AP) Harlins and then seemingly hour by hour the film.

Police officers beating Rodney King in 1991. After the video was shown on a local TV through the 1992 riots.

“You’re 19 years old and you didn’t station, it quickly spread and created an international outrage.

In a deliberate choice by the filmmakers, “LA learn about this in school,” Moore said.

92” offers no criticism or analysis of the actors, “What am I supposed to take from this? conditions or structures at play in the lead-up to the riots.

And then how do I parallel it to what’s going on now and how am I supposed to feel? Because it “We wanted to remove that filter of an expert per se of holding your hand through the piece,” keeps happening and happening and happening.”

Martin told the AFRO. “Get closer to the raw emotion and the raw experience and give the audience the benefit of the doubt to wrestle with those ideas on their own.”

“LA 92” is currently showing on the National Geographic channel.

The lack of experts, creates a sometimes bewildering experience as there are no real heroes or real villains in the piece. There are character moments, such as Sergeant Stacey Koon’s, one of the officers accused and acquitted of beating Rodney King in 1992, distinctly affected voice and his flapping arms on his march into the Simi Valley courthouse. Another accused and acquitted police officer, Timothy E. Wind, spends an agonizing few seconds that drag on like minutes before a locked courthouse entrance. Motionless and staring straight ahead under a barrage of reporters questions, he like Koon, both come off as all-too-human, neither seems like the master of their destiny.

“As much as I am appalled by the actions of the four officers: Wind, Powell, Koon, and Briseno, you still don’t want to make caricatures of them,” Martin said. “You don’t want to other them. Those are real people and you should be appalled by those actions and you don’t want to create a figure out of them. Because those sentiments and that same type of mentality exists today. You want to humanize them, if anything, that’s more scary.”

Without characters, or analysis, the film becomes an artifact of its time. When a Latino man testifies at a community meeting about his violent encounter with the LAPD, he describes the force used as putting him a position where “I cannot breathe”, foreshadowing what Eric Garner in New York would say while he died during an arrest.

As order in the city breaks down further, the film portrays a running gun battle between

By J. K. Schmid Special to the AFRO

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A6

The Afro-American, May 6, 2017 - May 12, 2017

Attorney: Officer Threatened Black Man Before Fatal Shooting

(AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Cameron Sterling, son of Alton Sterling, is comforted as he listens to family and attorneys speak following a meeting with the U.S. Justice Department at federal court in Baton Rouge, La. on May 3. An investigation into the police shooting death of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge found that there was not enough evidence to prove that the White officers acted unreasonably and willfully, a federal prosecutor said.

By The Associated Press The White police officer who shot a Black man to death outside of a convenience store pointed a gun at the man’s head and threatened to shoot him before they wrestled on the ground, lawyers for the slain man’s family said May 3.

The new details about the alleged threat were revealed after federal prosecutors announced that they would not file charges against that officer and a second white Baton Rouge officer involved in the deadly encounter with Alton Sterling last summer.

Attorneys for Sterling’s family met with federal prosecutors before their announcement and later described the threat to the media. Chris Stewart, an attorney for two of Sterling’s sons, said the lawyers learned from U.S. Justice Department officials that Officer Blane Salamoni walked up to Sterling before their fatal confrontation and said: “I’m going to shoot you, bitch.�

The deadly confrontation was captured on witnesses’ cellphones and shared widely on social media, leading to protests in Baton Rouge. The officers’ body cameras and store surveillance also recorded the encounter but those videos have not been publicly released.

U.S. Attorney Corey Amundson mentioned that Salamoni drew his gun and pointed it at Sterling’s head, but he didn’t say anything about a verbal threat during his news conference. He went on to explain that there was not enough evidence to prove that Salamoni and Howie Lake II acted unreasonably and willfully.

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Amundson didn’t immediately return messages asking him about the alleged verbal threat.

The investigation found that Salamoni shot Sterling three times after saying that Sterling was reaching for a gun in his pocket, and fired three more shots into Sterling’s back when he began to sit up and move, the prosecutor said.

The officers recovered a loaded revolver from Sterling’s pocket. Two independent use-offorce experts reviewed the case and criticized the way the officers handled the situation but did not find that they acted excessively, Amundson said.

The Justice Department’s decision may not be the final legal chapter, however, because state authorities will conduct their own investigation. The family called on state Attorney General Jeff Landry to bring charges. “Jeff Landry, please open up your heart, your eyes and give us the justice that we deserve,� said Quinyetta McMillon, the mother of Sterling’s oldest son.

Amundson said every agent and prosecutor involved in the probe believed federal charges were not warranted for Salamoni and Lake.

Sterling, 37, was selling homemade CDs outside the Triple S Food Mart when police were called to the store to investigate a report of a man with a gun.

Amundson said the officers’ encounter with the 6-foot-3, more than 300-pound Sterling happened in the span of about 90 seconds. “Life and death decisions were being made in split seconds,� he said.

Salamoni’s lawyer said the officer was relieved he won’t face federal charges. John McLindon said the “stress of the unknown� has been hard on Salamoni and his family. He wouldn’t comment on the alleged threat made before the shooting and said he can’t discuss the evidence due to the pending state investigation.

McLindon expressed confidence that Landry’s office will conduct a “thorough� review of the case. “But I think the end result will be the same: There was no criminal conduct,� he said.

Police arrested nearly 200 protesters in Baton Rouge in July following Sterling’s death, which occurred a day before another Black man was killed by police in Minnesota.

Racial tensions in Baton Rouge were simmering when a Black military veteran from Missouri ambushed and killed three Baton Rouge law enforcement officers and wounded three others before being shot dead on July 17.

A disagreement appeared to be developing about who’s in charge of investigating whether state criminal charges should be filed. Landry, a Republican, said he’s directed the Justice Department to forward its investigative materials to the Louisiana State Police. However, Gov. John Bel Edwards, a Democrat who oversees the state police, said the investigation is in Landry’s hands. And the head of the state police sent a letter to Landry saying the state police will help Landry’s office if the attorney general decides further evidence collection is necessary.

Edwards said it was disrespectful that Sterling’s family learned the outcome of the Justice Department investigation from the media on Tuesday.

Edwards said the leaked information also jeopardized carefully-devised public safety plans prepared for the announcement.

The decision in the Sterling case was the highest profile decision not to bring charges against police officers in a deadly shooting since Jeff Sessions became attorney general.

But the federal investigation into possible civil rights violations by the officers was seen as problematic. Authorities in such cases must meet a difficult standard of proof, a challenge that has complicated prosecutions in past police shootings.

Both officers remain on administrative leave, a standard procedure.

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May 6, 2017 - May 12, 2017, The Afro-American

A7

City of Baltimore Department of Public Works Annual Water Quality Report Reporting Period: January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2016

BALTIMORE CITY WATER QUALITY REPORT FOR 2016 In the year 2016, the City performed approximately 150,000 water quality analyses as part of a continuous effort to assure the water you drink meets or exceeds regulatory standards. The water is analyzed for more than 90 different drinking water contaminants. A summary of the finished water quality results is provided below.

The data represents the most recent testing done in accordance with the requirements of EPA’s Water Testing Regulations and were the only regulated substances found in your drinking water. Baltimore City’s excellent drinking water meets or exceeds all these standards.

TERMS AND ABBREVIATIONS — What They Mean in Plain English Term / Abbreviation

Definition

What it Means

PPM

Parts per million

1 ppm is the same as one drop in 10 gallons of water.

PPB

Parts per billion

1 ppb is the same as one drop in 10,000 gallons of water.

HLD

Highest Level Detected

Same as defined.

MCL

Maximum Contaminant Level

The highest level of a contaminant allowed by health regulations established by the Environmental Protection Agency.

MCLG

Maximum Contaminant Level Goal

Health related goals. The MCL is set as close to this “goal” as possible but with consideration to achievability and cost.

NTU

Nephelometric Turbidity Units

Units of measurement used to report the level of turbidity or “cloudiness” in the water.

AL

Action Level

TT

Treatment Technique

If the “Action Level” for a particular contaminant is exceeded, a response that may include additional treatment steps and/or public education may have to be initiated by the water system.

A “Treatment Technique” is a required process that is intended to reduce the amount of a specific contaminant in drinking water.

pCi/L

picoCuries per Liter

A measure of the level of radioactivity in the water.

TURBIDITY

Relates to a condition where suspended Turbidity measurements are a way to describe the level of “cloudiness” of the water. particles are present in the water.

TOTAL/FECAL COLIFORMS

Indicator Bacteria

Type of bacteriological tests routinely used to determine if contamination has occurred in a drinking water system.

MRDL

Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level

Disinfectant level beyond which some people may experience irritating effects. Based on running annual average of monthly averages of distribution system samples computed quarterly.

MICROBIOLOGICAL CONTAMINANTS SUBSTANCE

MCLG

MCL

ASHBURTON PLANT

MONTEBELLO PLANTS

MAJOR SOURCES

TOTAL COLIFORMS

0

The presence of coliform bacteria in more than 5% of monthly samples will exceed the MCL.

Highest monthly percentage of positive samples: 3.35%* *Not a violation.

All repeat samples were negative

Highest monthly percentage of positive samples: 3.35%* *Not a violation All repeat samples were negative

Naturally present in the environment.

FECAL COLIFORMS and E. COLI

0

A routine sample and a repeat sample are total coliform positive, and one is also fecal coliform or E. Coli positive.

Highest monthly percentage of positive samples: 0%

Highest monthly percentage of positive samples: 0%

Human and animal fecal waste.

TURBIDITY SUBSTANCE

MCLG

MCL

TURBIDITY

None

Treatment Technique (TT)

HLD

LOWEST %

HLD

LOWEST %

Filtration

0.11 NTU

100

0.36 NTU

100

1

ASHBURTON PLANT

MONTEBELLO PLANTS

MAJOR SOURCES

Soil run-off.

1. Turbidity cannot exceed 1 NTU and must be less than or equal to 0.3 NTU in at least 95% of measurements taken each month. Lowest % is the lowest percentage of monthly filtered water turbidity samples less than 0.3 NTU.

ARSENIC RESULTS SUBSTANCE

MCL

ASHBURTON PLANT

MONTEBELLO PLANTS

MAJOR SOURCES

ARSENIC

0.010 ppm

<0.003 ppm

<0.003ppm

Erosion of natural deposits.

LEAD AND COPPER TESTING Lead and copper testing was last required by regulatory standards in 2015. During that year, the testing involved 52 “tier 1” or high risks homes. To determine compliance, the 52 test results were arranged from the lowest value to the highest. The 90th percentile value is identified by: 52 x 0.9 = 46.8. Therefore, the 47th value, arranged from lowest to highest, must be below the “action level” for lead and copper. Our system met this compliance standard. Testing will be required again in 2018.

LEAD AND COPPER TESTING RESULTS (2015) SUBSTANCE

ACTION LEVEL

90TH PERCENTILE

SAMPLE RESULTS GREATER THAN ACTION LEVEL

15 ppb

5 ppb

2

1,300 ppb

343 ppb

0

LEAD COPPER

If present, elevated levels of lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and young children. Lead in drinking water is primarily from materials and components associated with service lines and home plumbing. The City of Baltimore is responsible for providing high quality drinking water, but cannot control the variety of materials used in plumbing components. When your water has been sitting for several hours, you can minimize the potential for lead exposure by flushing your tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before using water for drinking or cooking. If you are concerned about lead in your drinking water, you may wish to have your water tested. Information on lead in drinking water, testing methods, and steps you can take to minimize exposure is available from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-4264791 or at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.

INORGANIC CONTAMINANTS SUBSTANCE

MCLG

MCL

ASHBURTON PLANT

MONTEBELLO PLANTS

MAJOR SOURCES

HLD

RANGE

HLD

RANGE

BARIUM

2 ppm

2 ppm

0.02ppm

0.02 ppm

0.036 ppm

0.03-0.06 ppm

NITRATE (AS NITROGEN)

10 ppm

10 ppm

1.91 ppm

1.10 - 1.91 ppm

1.94 ppm

0.85 - 1.94 ppm

Discharge of drilling wastes & metal refineries; erosion of natural deposits.

Run-off from fertilizer use; leaching from septic tanks; erosion of natural deposits.

FLUORIDE SUBSTANCE FLUORIDE

MCLG 4 ppm

MCL

ASHBURTON PLANT

4 ppm

MONTEBELLO PLANTS

MAJOR SOURCES

HLD

RANGE

AVERAGE

HLD

RANGE

AVERAGE

0.91 ppm

0.31 - 0.91 ppm

0.72 ppm

1.08 ppm

0.26 - 1.08 ppm

0.71 ppm

Water additive that promotes strong teeth.

CHLORINE SUBSTANCE CHLORINE

MRDLG

MRDL

RUNNING ANNUAL AVG. OF MONTHLY SAMPLES COMPUTED QUARTERLY

4 ppm

4 ppm

0.59 ppm (Based on 5,023 distribution system samples collected in 2016)

MAJOR SOURCE Water treatment additive to disinfect supply.

RADIOACTIVE CONTAMINANTS SUBSTANCE

MCLG

MCL

ASHBURTON PLANT

MONTEBELLO PLANTS

BETA PHOTON EMITTERS

0 mrem/yr

50 pCi/L*

<1.5 pCi/L

<4 pCi/L

Erosion of natural deposits.

0 pCi/L

15 pCi/L

<1 pCi/L

<2 pCi/L

Erosion of natural deposits.

ALPHA EMITTERS

MAJOR SOURCES

*The MCL for Beta Photon Emitters is 4 millirems per year (a measure of radiation absorbed by the body). The EPA considers 50 pCi/l to be a level of concern for this contaminant.

VOLATILE ORGANIC CHEMICALS SUBSTANCE

MCLG

MCL

ASHBURTON PLANT HLD (LRAA)

RANGE (LRAA)

MONTEBELLO PLANTS *AVERAGE (LRAA)

HLD (LRAA)

RANGE (LRAA)

MAJOR SOURCES *AVERAGE (LRAA)

TOTAL THMs

N/A

80 ppb

69 ppb

29 - 69 ppb

41 ppb

67 ppb

29-67 ppb

44 ppb

By-product of drinking water chlorination.

HAA(5)

N/A

60 ppb

56 ppb

8 - 56 ppb

35 ppb

**63 ppb

2-63 ppb

32 ppb

By-product of drinking water chlorination.

**The Wise and Bear sample site exceeded the HAA (5) MCL in January. The locational running annual average (LRAA) was 63 ppb.

Violation Testing results from calendar year 2016 indicate that our system exceeded the (MCL) maximum contamination level for Haloacetic acids (HAA5) at one sampling location. The HAA(5) MCL is 60 ppb. The Wise and Bear site LRAA for the period from February 2015 - Jan 2016 was 63 ppb. HAAs are a type of disinfection by-product that is formed when chlorine reacts with natural organic matter in the water. We are working to minimize the formation of HAA(5) while ensuring an adequate level of disinfection to protect consumers from exposure to bacteria. We have since taken samples at this location and throughout the system. They currently show that we meet required standards.

Cryptosporidium (crip-toe-spor-ID-ee-um) is a protozoan, a single-celled parasite that can invade and reside in the intestines of animals and people. This organism is found in some surface water (lakes, reservoirs, rivers, etc.), and also groundwater under the influence of surface water. Infection of healthy individuals by this organism can cause a gastrointestinal illness referred to as cryptosporidiosis (crip-toe-spor-id-ee-o-sis), which may produce symptoms including diarrhea, headache, abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting and low-grade fever. The symptoms usually last one to two weeks.

For immunocompromised people, however, the infection can continue and last for several months. Because there are no effective medical treatments, prolonged infection can be fatal for severely immunocompromised individuals. Human transmission routes include ingestion of contaminated food or drinking water or through direct contact with fecal matter.

The City monitors its raw water sources for the presence of Cryptosporidium using the services of environmental laboratories employing the latest available and approved analytical methods.

CRYPTOSPORIDIUM RESULTS RANGE Liberty: 0.0 Oocyst/Liter Loch Raven: 0.0 Oocyst/Liter Susquehanna River: 0.0 Oocyst/Liter

Microscopic view of Cryptosporidium oocysts

SECONDARY CONTAMINANTS Sodium levels in the water supply are often of concern to consumers who contact our facilities. Sodium naturally occurs in raw waters but the concentration can be increased due to the influence of run-off from road surfaces treated with rock salt during snow and ice removal efforts. During the year 2016, the average sodium concentrations measured in the finished water from the Ashburton and Montebello Water Treatment Plants were 19.1 ppm and 20.9 ppm respectively and are considered low.

A8

The Afro-American, May 6, 2017 - May 12, 2017

COMMENTARY

100 Days of Discrimination, 100 Days of Defiance Donald Trump has only been in office for 100 days, but in that brief time, his administration has shown an alarming hostility to civil rights and the rule of law. Although the Trump Administration is still young, it is not too early to declare it a real danger to the wellbeing of Black Americans.

That threat begins in Trump’s Department of Justice (DOJ), which is led by Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Under President Obama, the DOJ adopted numerous sensible, evidence-based policies designed to address the severe racial disparities that plague our criminal justice system. But since January 20, the DOJ has moved to dismantle those policies in complete disregard of the potentially disastrous consequences.

For example, Sessions wants to repeal Attorney General Eric Holder’s “Smart On Crime” policy, which directed federal prosecutors to use discretion in handling low-level nonviolent drug crimes, even though doing so will require federal prisons to expend millions of dollars to unnecessarily house low-risk offenders; he approves of mandatory minimum sentences that have sent too many Black men to jail for too long; and he opposes federal efforts to reform local police, despite the repeated incidents of police officers killing African-Americans without cause. Sessions has defended these actions by arguing that America is engulfed in a wave of violent crime, even though national crime levels are in fact at historic lows.

Rather than seeking to make our criminal justice system truly fair, Trump and Sessions have embraced policies that will deepen racial divides, harm struggling communities, and do little to make our troubled neighborhoods safer.

The Trump Administration is also working to make it harder for minorities to vote. After the Supreme Court’s decision in Shelby County v. Holder, a number of states and jurisdictions passed laws requiring voters to have certain forms of photo ID. Although there is no doubt that this requirement disproportionately burdens communities of color, states have claimed that these laws are necessary to combat widespread in-person voter fraud – claims that have been debunked time and time again. The Obama DOJ vigorously challenged these laws, but under President Trump, the department has reversed itself, dropping its objection to Texas’s restrictive voter ID law even though the federal courts have concluded that it disenfranchises more than 600,000 Black and Latino voters.

Sherrilyn Ifill

And President Trump created a task force to investigate wholly unsubstantiated claims of fraud in the 2016 election, a disturbing echo of the kind of state-sponsored voter suppression efforts that civil rights activists risked their lives to overturn in the 20th century.

At the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF), we are fighting back. We took part in a successful challenge of the Texas voter ID law, we are suing Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana for violations of the Voting Rights Act, and we are challenging another voter ID law in Sessions’s home state of Alabama. We sued to intervene in the Baltimore consent decree to ensure it moved forward even without DOJ’s support, and we have forcefully championed police reform in a number of American cities.

The good news is that the courts have responded by holding the line and requiring the Trump Administration to adhere to the constitution and the rule of law: federal judges denied the administration’s request to delay the Baltimore consent decree; they have repeatedly found restrictive voter ID laws to be unconstitutional; they struck down both of the administration’s discriminatory travel bans; and they have rejected attempts to withhold funding from “Sanctuary Cities” that limit their cooperation with federal immigration laws. And its not just the courts who are standing strong. The first 100 days of the Trump Administration have seen a groundswell of democratic protest and activism that shows no sign of abating. In a nation ruled by “We, the people,” this offers real reason for hope.

Our system of checks and balances is working. But Trump’s presidency has only just begun. In the hundreds of

days to come, we can be certain that this administration will continue trying to roll back hard-won civil rights protections.

We can be certain that it will continue using false claims about violent crime and voter fraud to chip away at the progress we have made towards a just society. We know that the president will seek to appoint federal judges who, like Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch, cloak an opposition to civil rights in the language of “constitutional originalism” or “judicial restraint.”

We know that this struggle is only going to become more difficult.

But we also know that LDF will not stop fighting for the rights and dignity of all people, no matter how many days it takes to win.

Sherrilyn Ifill is the president and director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund naacpldf.org

Bowser’s Budget Shortchanges Kids

In April, Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser released her proposed FY 2018 budget. Her overall budget increased Jovanda Warren city spending by 3.4%. However, when it comes to the most direct way city funding reaches our students in their classrooms -- the “per student spending” -- she only included a 1.5% increase. At less than inflation, this would mean cuts in our classrooms for our city’s 90,000 district and public charter school students.

As a teacher in D.C. for the past four years, I have compiled a long list of ways our students need more resources, not fewer. At the top of my list this year: culturally responsive teaching, restorative justice and increasing slots for after school programs. Many of our scholars struggle to connect with the curriculum because teachers haven’t been adequately trained on the cultural issues, and there is a lack of curriculum that addresses the diverse backgrounds of our students.

Bright, energetic children are too often steered toward the criminal justice system rather than given time with trained counselors to adjust their behavior. Students who excel in class during the school day don’t have somewhere to go after school. Many of our kids lack a safe and engaging place to go after school and end up falling behind or getting into troubling situations with all of that idle time.

Jason is one of these students - and his story still haunts me. I watched Jason grow from a happy, rambunctious sixth grader into an angry, disenfranchised 15-year-old behind bars in the Alexandria Detention Center. I did not have the words to explain to him why teachers with a lack of culturally responsive and restorative justice training chose to discipline him out of school and into jail because they hadn’t been trained on any other approach. I did not have the words to explain to him that our city has not prioritized the supports that could make the

difference in his life. My failure to save one student has become my motivation to ensure that his story does not become the norm for thousands of other students.

This February, I joined dozens of other teachers, parents, and students who are leaders with me in the DC Education Coalition for Change (DECC) in sharing stories like Jason’s at all three of Mayor Bowser’s community budget forums. At these events, we were encouraged to hear overwhelming public support for increasing the city’s investment in our students. The purpose of these events was to inform Mayor Bowser’s budget proposal, so we were all shocked to see that Mayor Bowser in fact proposed a functional cut to schools.

Just 3 months ago, the Office of the State Superintendent for Education issued a report recommending a 3.5% increase in the per-student spending to meet D.C. students’ basic needs.

That’s about $30 million more than Mayor Bowser has proposed -- just a drop in the bucket of the District’s $13.8 billion budget. Fortunately, there is still time for the City Council to ensure that kids get their fare share of our dcity’s 3.4% budget increase. The Council is holding budget hearings this week.

Frederick Douglass famously wrote, “Power concedes nothing without demand.” The loudest voices tend to get funded in the D.C. budget process, and too often the loudest voices aren’t speaking about the needs of our kids. I will be at the Council budget hearings with my DECC colleagues testifying for the full recommended 3.5% increase, as well as expanded afterschool programs, culturally responsive teaching, and restorative justice programs. I hope that all D.C. residents who care about educational equity will join me.

Jovanda Warren is a teacher at City Arts and Prep Charter School in Washington, D.C., and a member of the leadership team of DC Education Coalition for Change.

Cannabis in the NFL is Medicine I was only 16 when I was told no more contact sports. When I was 19, I was informed I had osteoarthritis in my left knee. At that point, I was told no more sports period. This made sense because that was the leg most weakened by my polio. Did I listen? Heck no, I was 19.

Eugene Monroe began speaking out against the NFL’s rules against the use of cannabis even before he retired in protest of them. Eugene became an offensive tackle for the Baltimore Ravens in 2013 and was plagued by injuries before retiring in 2016. I can well understand the pain Eugene is experiencing.

Eugene Monroe was right to walk away from football, not so he could become a national spokesperson for cannabis reform but to end the damage football was inflicting on his body. I’m tempted to say I can identify but I was never a NFL offensive tackle colliding with equally as large defensive linemen.

Cannabis use costing the men who have played since Pop Warner football millions. Last year a video of 2016’s top prospect, Laremy Tunsil smoking cannabis cost him an estimated $17.5 million dollars in his first NFL contract. I’m told by fans of the Dolphins he had a decent rookie season.

Our own home team the Baltimore Ravens has been without certain players for cannabis use. Darren Waller and Matt Elam have both been suspended for marijuana use. They

Barry Considine

may not be one of the best at their positions but Le’Veon Bell certainly is and he served a three game suspension.

Martavis Bryant lost all of last season due to a marijuana use suspension.

Each game Bell missed cost him $74,834. The median American household income is just over $50K/yr. Smoking cannabis cost Le’Veon Bell more per game than a median family earns in a year.

Seantrel Henderson finished last season under suspension and will begin this season still under it. I don’t know if Le’Veon just likes cannabis but Seantrel has Crohn’s Disease.

Like Tunsil, his cannabis use cost him millions in signing incentives. Crohn’s Disease was one of the earliest condition’s that was identified as cannabis helping far better than what Big Pharma and the NFL would prefer he take. As an activist, I hope Henderson does decide to file a civil rights suit against the NFL. Following last November’s election, five more teams face players legally being able to use cannabis recreationally but the NFL does not care. In total, ten NFL teams play in states where cannabis is legal for either medicinal purposes or pleasure. How can the NFL refuse the players in states where cannabis use is legal the same rights’ as their fans?

Congress, in its infinite lack of intelligence, has still refused to acknowledge one simple fact. Budweiser may not want cannabis legal but the majority of their consumers do. It is

going to take players who, unlike Monroe, are still active filing a civil rights violation suits in each of the federal court of the states that have legalized the medicinal use of cannabis.

My personal muscular/skeletal problems nearly cost me my marriage, it caused me to go bankrupt and it cost me the career I loved the most. The last time I was chef on the line I hit the deck. They carried me out in an ambulance still unable to move my legs.

I had hopes of Oscars & Tony’s in college. In the restaurant business, the chef is the lead. Exit Chef Barry stage right, and eventually re-enter stage left as a cannabis activist/ writer. Eugene Monroe, Seantrel Henderson, Ricky Williams, Le’Veon Bell and all the NFL players’ current as well as future players should not have to worry about cannabis use any longer.

Cannabis use dates back to 2900 BC and Chinese Emperor Fu Hsi. It is time for the billionaire NFL owners to wake up to the reality of 2017 America. DeMaurice Fitzgerald Smith, executive director for the NFL Player’s Association and Roger Goodell, commissioner of the NFL, are inching their way towards sanity. It is time for them to run to daylight.

Barry Considine is a cannabis reform activist from Halethorpe, Md. and polio survivor. In 2007 he became to first Maryland patient to testify in favor of medicinal cannabis use.

May 6, 2017 - May 12, 2017, The Afro-American

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The Afro-American, May 6, 2017 - May 12, 2017

ARTS & CULTURE

Pulitzer Prize Winner W. Kamau Bell’s Book ‘Awkwardly’ Lynn Nottage on Black Women Explains Present-day America Fighting Erasure Book Review

By Vance Brinkley Special to the AFRO

While there has been a turbulent shift in America’s societal climate with the election of Donald Trump to the presidency, W. Kamau Bell’s is doing his best to understand what the cause of that shift was. None of this is new to him, because everything that the comedian and host of CNN’s “United Shades of America” has been through in his life helped him prepare for a time like now, a journey that along with his personal struggles searching for his identity and voice as a comedian and African American, had him experience the many problems that snowball from centuries of conflict between racism and sexism in America.

He’s interviewed a Ku Klux Klan member and he’s seen White nationalist Richard Spencer cringe about the possibility of James Bond being Black on his show. Approaching these potentially tense scenarios with comedy helped him transition his success on stage into the worlds of television, podcasting, and now book publishing. Bell’s new book, “The Awkward Thoughts of W. Kamau Bell,” not only documents his life, but it also tackles the issues that both him and the nation are facing.

The 338-page book offers his thoughts on topics like racism, sexism, homophobia and police brutality all through the perspective of a guy that loves listening to Pearl Jam and watching Kung Fu movies. Recently, Bell talked to the AFRO about the creation of “The Awkward Thoughts…” and how he hopes to tackle the social climate with his humorous insight.

While Bell’s new book jabs at social issues, it’s not the only focus. “The Awkward Thoughts…” is actually a gift to those who were patient with his journey, from childhood friends to fellow podcast co-hosts, leading up to his life now. However, the twist is that as just as wild and hectic Bell’s life has been for him, the country has been the exact same way.

Bell pulls you in with his conversational

style of writing.

Each chapter starts out very simple, sometimes joking about the Black Raggedy Andy doll his mother found for him as a child. A couple of pages later, he’s digging deep to explain how society views racial progression (physically and politically) in sports or how Denzel Washington is not only the best actor of all time but also an actor that needed to be included in the conversation with the most recognized actors in Hollywood.

From first dropping out of the University of Pennsylvania and finding his voice as a comedian to the short run of his now defunct late night show “Totally Biased,” Bell has had a plethora of nerve-wracking moments that are unraveled in his book. This includes getting kicked out of a coffee shop when all he wanted to do is meet up with his wife and her friends, watching Dave Chappelle dress up as a KKK member and touring across the country and seeing an America that many African American’s aren’t used to.

Then, there’s the not good feeling he had when Donald Trump was elected.

The comedian hopes that he can continue the conversation his book starts with his work on the next season of CNN’s “United Shades of America” and co-hosting the podcast “Politically Re-Active” with Hari Kondabolu.

“The presidential election sort of really turned a lot of groups of people into targets for political gain, and President Trump sort of capitalized on those targets and won the highest slot in the land. I hope that people learn not to stereotype things, get out there and meet new people before you start forming ideas. If more people reached out before the election and learned about each other, we wouldn’t be where we are now,” said Bell.

W. Kamau Bell will be performing at Baltimore’s Soundstage on June 8.

on Broadway is a big enough accomplishment. Nottage is also African-American, so If anyone in the world was there is an added component of destined for greatness, Lynn achievement and importance.

Nottage would certainly fall It’s an unfortunate fact that into that category. Born in content written by men Brooklyn, New York to a child sometimes tends to erase Black psychologist and schoolteacher, women. “I think that the more Nottage attended the prestigious we make strides the less we’ll St. Anns School before come up against it. I think that moving on to world renowned the more our voices are heard, LaGuardia High School of the less they can ignore us. You Music and Art then Brown think of the phenomenal women University for undergraduate who are creating art like Shonda followed by Yale School of Rhimes and Ava DuVernay and Drama.

Oprah Winfrey. These women It is almost not are really carving out surprising then, that she spaces for Black women is the recipient of not one and the more of us that but two Pulitzer Prizes. you see the less we can Her latest Pulitzer is for be ignored so I think that her new drama “Sweat,” it’s really important for currently playing on us to be present. And Broadway. Seemingly our presence in numbers almost written expressly in really prevents them from response to current events, stopping us,” she said. it explores the lives of a Talent alone though, group of coworkers and has never been enough. friends who lose their jobs Asked to what she at the factory that employs attributed her own success, pretty much everyone she responded with in the town. The loss of laughter. “It’s being in stability and apparent loss this business for a very Courtesy photo long time. This is a battle of their way of life, brings out the worst in all of them Lynn Nottage’s ‘Sweat’ is currently of attrition. You have to with frightening and tragic playing on Broadway. have the fortitude to sort consequences. of cope with rejection At the play’s center are what I was gonna write about,” because one of the things about three women who all work at she said. this business is that you hear no the factory together. Nottage, She went to Reading a lot of the time. It’s about how a professor at Columbia Pennsylvania to meet the people you respond to no and you stand University and Yale University, who would breathe life into her back up.” describes the dynamic. “One characters. Describing Reading It is also about her ability woman her husband died, one she called it “an interesting city to write material that is woman is divorced and one because for so many years it had meaningful to a large swath woman is separated so they’re a robust textile industry, steel of the theater going public. “A in three different phases of industry, and on the outskirts, lot of it is having written plays their relationships. I was just agricultural industry and a lot that connect with an audience. interested in examining women of immigrants from a variety Regardless of whether they are who really have to forge lives of places; Latino countries, critically acclaimed I think that on their own, and carve out their Dominican Republic, Columbia, plays that I have written that are spaces by themselves and not in and so I thought it was a really successful what they have in relationship to men,” Nottage interesting story because it common is that audiences lean told the AFRO. An intense told- I feel it tells the story of into them and respond to them drama dotted with comedic America.” and ultimately I think that that’s moments, the friendship A woman getting a play our goal.”

By Nadine Matthews Special to the AFRO

between Cynthia and Tracy’s grown sons, who also work at the factory, is also a crucial element.

Intrigued by the ways in which the American economy was slowly metamorphosing and the way that transformation was affecting American life, Nottage set out to write a play that would capture this phenomenon. “It was an interesting journey writing this play because I began writing it in 2011. I spent two years sort of listening to people and talking to people and not quite knowing

SPORTS

Brittney Young Wants to Make Baltimore’s Dirt Bike Culture Respectable

By Deborah Bailey Special to the AFRO Brittney Young embraces the contradictions that make Baltimore unique. A chemical engineer by training, and graduate of the city’s Polytechnic Institute, Young is also a proud product of Baltimore’s dirt bike culture. She is challenging the city of Baltimore to own rather than criminalize a sport that is part of the charm and grit that defines the city.

“One of the mottos of dirt bike riders that a lot of people don’t know about is “put a bike up – put a gun down” Young, Director of B-360 a social entrepreneurial organization founded to provide a platform for dirt bike riders to advocate for their sport and connect their innate training with STEM skills and careers, told the AFRO. Dirt bike riding is currently illegal in Baltimore. At a 2016 press conference announcing the initiation of the Baltimore City Police Department’s Dirt Bike Task Force, Baltimore Police Commissioner Kevin Davis referred to dirt bikers as “guntoting criminals” and said the riders have ties to guns and crime, traveling city streets “lawlessly and with

Baltimore native Brittney Young is working with kids to show them the connection between dirt bike maintenance and STEM careers.

Courtesy photo

impunity.”

Young is out to change that impression. Young grew up in West Baltimore seeing boys and girls, men and women embrace dirt bikes as an alternative to guns and crime. She was one of many persons who gathered at Park Circle on Sunday afternoons during her childhood to watch dirt bike riders perform tricks and stunts and show mastery over their machines.

But now all that has changed. “You can’t ride on the streets. You can’t ride on private property. You can get a criminal conviction for riding and possessing a bike. There are no places in the city for you to legally ride,” Young said.

The Baltimore City Police Department’s Dirt Bike Task Force web site features a link to an eight page document outlining the Department’s

policies and codes regarding dirt bikes.

Dirt bikes include two, three and four wheeled motorized vehicles and are illegal to buy, possess, fuel or transport in Baltimore City. The vehicles are legal in Baltimore County and other surrounding jurisdictions with the proper permit.

“We’re criminalizing something that many young people turn to as an alternative to stay away from negative lifestyles and behaviors,” Young said. She is fighting back with B-360, teaching the relationship between dirt bikes and STEM skills. At Ashburton Elementary/ Middle School, Young has 30 students and a long waiting list.

She teachers students like Daron and Damon how to repair their machines, vehicle safety and how these skills translate can lead them into a technical, scientific or engineering career.

“I started riding dirt bikes when I was six. I saw my cousins, my uncles and I just loved watching them and riding them ever since,” he said. “Ms. Young gives us a positive way to express our love for dirt bikes,” said Damon.

This fall, Young finally found support for her passion to create safe spaces for Baltimore’s dirt bike riders.

She was admitted to Johns Hopkins

Social Innovation Lab. Darius Graham, Director of the Lab, said Young was the perfect candidate.

“We invited about 20 people to come in for an interview. When it came to Brittney once we heard her tell us her story, it was so clear that she had the right mix of passion, personal experience and professional expertise to make B360 happen in a meaningful way.”

“We were able to provide Brittney with pro-bono attorneys to help structure her organization. We’ve been able to help her connect to political officials, because dirt bikes have a lot of sensitivity around them,” Graham said.

Six dirt bike tracks and registered off road trails are currently operating in Maryland. Young hopes to continue connecting with Baltimore Police Department and other city officials to provide a place for riders to safely sport their vehicles in the city limits.

“I know people have different feelings about dirt bikes – some love them, some don’t,” Young said. “But this is a part of Baltimore’s culture.

Let’s find a way to work through this and decriminalize dirt bikes for the sake of the kids who look up to and embrace the culture.”

Send your news tips to tips@afro.com.

May 6, 2017 - May 12, 2017, The Afro-American

BALTIMORE-AREA

Race and Politics

Improving on the Perilous Plight of Black Boys I’ve known David Miller, the founder and CEO of the Dare to Be King project for a long time.

Sean Yoes His Senior AFRO brother Contributor Peter and I graduated from Walbrook High School in 1983 and David graduated from The Brook, one year later. And he’s been working with and mentoring Black boys and young men pretty much ever since.

“This is all I’ve ever done...I was a school teacher in Baltimore, I taught over at Baltimore City Jail for a number of years teaching life skills and then myself and LaMarr Shields, we both decided to leave the classroom and really join forces to create a movement and a set of initiatives mainly in Baltimore and then across the country, to really position young Black males for success [Miller and Shields founded the Urban Leadership Institute, an educational think tank],” Miller said.

For decades, Miller has positively impacted the lives of countless young people and over those years one of the overarching narratives that has evolved from his work is, `Nobody is coming to save us.’

“I think folks are really waking up and beginning to realize….there are some things that are working that we don’t necessarily always highlight...and while there are some successful models and movements and things that are working, there is just some incredible heavy lifting that we have to do as parents and as caregivers,” Miller said.

“And I think folks are starting to realize...that people are just not relying on government and elected officials, because I think that we’ve seen that strategy just is not working,” he added.

Beyond the scope of his Continued on B2

Trump’s Immigration Policies Stress Baltimore Students

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AFRO Kicks Off 2017 Edition of Clean/ Green Block Environmental Program

By AFRO Staff The Afro-American Newspapers kicked off a new year of its Clean/Green Block Campaign during an event at its Baltimore headquarters on the morning of April 27.

Joined by community organizations, church leaders and elected officials, the newspaper announced the 2017 edition of the nation’s oldest environmental program.

Communities are invited to participate by selecting at least four blocks to represent their neighborhood

Photo credit: Casey McKeel

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

her that she was uncertain where to purchase her child’s poster board for a class project. Undocumented immigrants, she said, are afraid that ICE raids may occur at stores such For many immigrant students in Baltimore the Trump Walmart and Walgreens. In addition, absence rates among administration’s focus on deporting illegal immigrants has children of immigrants are rising. lead to constant praying that they or their family will not get During a recent parent-teacher conference, one of the picked up and deported by police. undocumented parents confided in her, teary-eyed, that she This fear has infiltrated the school system, from did not know how much longer she could continue to live in students and parents alike, leading to a spike in absences such conditions. among immigrant students. This fear has also caused more Muller Paz said in an email to the AFRO, “The fear distractions in the classroom, such cannot be alleviated as long as as more texting in class so students systematic deportations of innocent can keep abreast of their family’s people continues.” whereabouts. A delayed response According to CNN, ICE has caused panic for more than removed 54,564 individuals, one student this year, according including 30,667 convicted to Franca Muller Paz, the adviser criminals and 23,897 non-criminals, for Latinx Rising, a Latino/an during the first three months of the organization at Digital Harbor High Trump presidency. This is slightly School in Baltimore. lower than the number removed According to a memo distributed during the Obama administration

by Baltimore City Public Schools, – Franca Muller Paz during the same time period in school police and personnel are not 2016. allowed to ask a student’s status.

While the number of The memo also states that Baltimore deportations are currently lower City Police are not supposed to ask for anyone’s legal status under Trump, the president has vowed to increase them while patrolling the streets. substantially. In an effort to fight back, the Latino students However, due to an increased focus by the Trump within the Baltimore City Public School system have administration on any immigrant in America illegally, formed Organized Youth in Education (OYE) to rally almost any trip out of this house is a cause for alarm. for students’ rights and to promote policies that supports Muller Paz said that an immigrant parent confided in immigrant families and students.

By Jennifer Wright Special to the AFRO

“The fear cannot be alleviated as long as systematic deportations of innocent people continues.”

City Hall

Mayor Pugh Aide Still On the Job Despite Facing Campaign Finance Charges

By P. Kenneth Burns Special to the AFRO

Photo by Anderson Ward

Beatrice P. Yoes Celebrates A Century

Beatrice P. Yoes on April 23 celebrated her 100th birthday at the Benjamin Banneker Euebie Blake Academy for Arts and Sciences surrounded by family, friends and political dignitaries.

Yoes, who is the grandmother of AFRO columnist Sean Yoes (pictured), retired from Baltimore City Public Schools System where she mentored countless young people throughout her career. In attendance were Marylin Mosby, states attorney, Nick Mosby, delegate from the 40th district and former Baltimore City Councilman Carl Stokes.

Despite facing charges of violating campaign finance laws, Gary L. Brown Jr. is still working for Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh. And the Pugh Administration is keeping him on the job for the time being.

“We certainly believe that Gary should have his day in court and that a decision will be made at that time by the court,” said Mayoral Spokesman Anthony McCarthy.

Brown has been indicted by a grand jury in January for exceeding campaign contribution limits. State Prosecutor Emmet C. Davitt is accusing Brown of depositing a total of $18,000 into

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“…you will see over the decades the expansive reach of this particular program and how it has evolved and helped Baltimore City’s inner city neighborhoods evolve.”

– Diane Hocker with cleanup efforts to commence on May 4. All neighborhoods, businesses, city and state agencies are eligible to participate. Final judging will take place later this summer, with prizes for the cleanest, greenest blocks to be announced.

The theme for this year has remained the same, “AFRO Clean/Green Block Campaign – Our Community – Our Responsibility.”

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Within 45 Minutes; Two Dead And Two Injured In Baltimore

By Michelle Richardson Special to the AFRO Within a 45 minute span, two people were killed and two more people were injured in separate shootings over the weekend.

On April 29 at around 10 p.m., in the 1800 block of Prestbury Street in the Sandtown-Winchester area of Baltimore, a 26-year old man was shot in the back while sitting in a car. He was driven to a nearby hospital where he is expected to recover.

At 10:15 p.m., fifteen minutes later, officers arrived on the scene of another shooting at Baltimore and Carey Street where two men had been shot. Steven Jackson, 18, of the unit block of Poppleton Street, was shot in the head. The other man, 29-year

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Courtesy photo

Gary L. Brown Jr. is accused of exceeding campaign contribution limits. He has pleaded not guilty and currently holds the title of deputy coordinator of special events in the Pugh administration.

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Past Seven Days

111 2017 Total

Data as of May 3

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The Afro-American, May 6, 2017 - May 12, 2017

‘Singing Pastors’ Celebrate the Legacy of Baltimore Talented Teen Electrocuted in Druid Hill Park

By Kristen A. Anderson Special to the AFRO On May 5, 2006 14-year-old Deanna Camille Green died from electrocution when a ball field fence she was stretching on in Baltimore’s Druid Hill Park during a Christian softball league, came in contact with an underground power line.

Almost 11 years to the day of that tragedy, her family intends to provide a ray of hope for worthy students who aspire to attend college to study performing arts. Former

Baltimore Colt Defensive lineman Anthony “Bubba” Green and Nancy ArringtonGreen, founders of Deanna’s Lyric, Foundation for the Arts, are presenting a gospel concert entitled: “Sing Pastor, Sing!

The event will take place May 6th from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Milford Mill United Methodist Church 915 Milford Mill Rd, Pikesville, Md. 21208 and will be hosted

by Fox 45 news anchor Kia Jackson and Ernestine Jones of WEAA radio.

Deanna’s Lyric, a 501 C (3)

organization, was founded to commemorate Deanna’s life.

Prior to her untimely death the talented lyric soprano was looking forward to attending the Carver Center for Arts and Technology, a Baltimore County magnate school, in the fall of 2006.

The event will feature several local church pastors and other guest performers in a gospel concert. Among the pastors scheduled to participate are Dr. Robert J. Anderson, Jr., of Colonial Baptist Church, Rev. Dr. Alvin Gwynn, Sr.,

Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance of Baltimore, Bishop R. Alonzo Jones and Rev. Terry D. Streeter, Mount Pleasant Baptist Church, Washington D.C. There will also be performances by Tamba Giles and the Williams Brothers in addition to a performance by the Milford Mill Academy Choir.

According to Anthony Green, “Each academic year, our goal is to award four $2,500 scholarships to four college bound students majoring in the Performance

Arts.” Nancy Green said of Deanna, “It was her passion and desire to share her God given talent. The mission of the foundation is to ensure that Deanna’s angelic, lyrical voice will continue to be heard through the lives, voices and talents of other young performing artists.”

State regulations passed by the Maryland Legislature in her name deemed the “Deanna Camille Green law,” require utility businesses to conduct scans each year in Maryland’s major cities to mitigate the

Courtesy photo

Deanna Camille Green kind of stray contact voltage that caused Deanna’s death.

Kristen A. Anderson is a graduate of Salisbury University and a former intern in the Baltimore office of the AFRO-American Newspaper.

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the bank accounts of his mother, stepfather and brother which in turn was donated to Pugh’s mayoral campaign between January and April 2016.

It remains unknown where Brown got the money from. Davitt declined to discuss specifics of the case.

Brown, who pleaded not guilty at his arraignment in February, has a court date scheduled for May 31, according to online judicial records. Brown’s attorney, Jason Downs, declined to comment.

Meantime, Brown, 35, continues his $46,000 a year job as deputy coordinator of special events in the mayor’s office.

McCarthy said he is “intimately involved” in planning events like those for the upcoming African-American Heritage Month and Jazz Appreciation Month.

He is also a member of the City Democratic Central Committee. The committee’s website lists Brown as treasurer.

But according to Committee Chairman Scherod Barnes, Brown stepped down from that position in January. Barnes declined to comment on the charges.

Brown being able to stay in his job as criminal proceedings play out is unusual in politics. Todd Eberly, a political science professor with St. Mary’s College of Maryland, says the norm is typically someone close to an official who is charged or accused of wrong doing is either suspended or steps away temporarily but is not necessarily fired.

“In order to create the impression among the public that you’re not ignoring the severity of the charges, you respond,” Eberly said. “And that response is usually some abdication of their responsibility.”

For example, Carl O. Snowden took a temporary, unpaid leave of absence as director of the Maryland Attorney General’s Civil Rights Office when he was charged with marijuana possession in 2012. Snowden said his step back was in preparation of suing Anne Arundel County for an alleged dossier created by thenCounty Executive John Leopold.

An aide to the Mayor Teresa Tomlinson of Columbus, Ga. was suspended in 2014 after she asked for a campaign sign of an opponent on city time. According to the Columbus LedgerEnquirer, the aide said it was to pull a prank on her boss.

McCarthy himself was placed on leave in 2007 because of a Baltimore County Police investigation while he was spokesman for then-Mayor Sheila Dixon. He was accused of having

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inappropriate sexual contact with a teenage boy. According to the Baltimore Sun, McCarthy left the Dixon Administration at the time. The investigation was dropped months later; McCarthy was

“In order to create the impression among the public that you’re not ignoring the severity of the charges, you respond…”

– Todd Eberly not charged with any crime.

Eberly points to the divisive mayoral campaign last year, where Pugh won, in part, because of Dixon’s conviction over stolen gift cards

Race and Politics Continued from B1

own work, Miller highlighted two scenarios, one in Oakland and another in Chicago, which have garnered encouraging results.

In Oakland, through the African-American Male Achievement initiative, the Oakland Unified School District has been able to decrease suspension rates, increase attendance rates and increase graduation rates and literacy rates of Black male students across the board.

“I think we’ve brought into this gloom and doom scenario that nothing is working as it relates to moving the needle as it relates to young Black males, both academically and socially,” Miller said.

“And what the Oakland Unified School District has done, it started under a White superintendent, they decided that in order for us to adequately address the issues that young Black males are having in the district, that we have to create a set of deliberate and intentional interventions to address young Black males, if we want them to graduate, and if we want them to graduate ready for college and a career,” he added.

In Chicago, at the Urban Prep Academies located throughout the city, for the eighth year in a row, 100 percent of the school’s seniors have been admitted to college, have received about $14 million in scholarships and one student was admitted to 39 colleges.

Why can’t Baltimore replicate the success of a city like Chicago, which is facing so many profound challenges with violence and poverty?

“In the city of Baltimore, how do we identify models that are working, whether they are local or national? How do we replicate those models and how do we fund those models,” Miller asked.

Honorary Co-Chairs: Ron Peterson, Shina Parker, Tom Geddes, Mike Hankin, Michael Cryor and Sandy Hillman

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES ARE AVAILABLE Contact Valencia King at 410.659.0000 or vking@abc-md.org

Miller and another veteran education advocate, Richard Rowe are working on a report that will be released soon. “We’re looking at who is working with young Black males in Baltimore, what are some of the successes that these organizations have been able to document and what are some of the challenges,” Miller said.

“There are some amazing organizations in Baltimore doing amazing work, like Changa Bell with the Black Male Yoga Initiative [Full disclosure: Bell is host of “The Relation Shift Experience on WEAA]. He also has the capacity to scale up...and reach more young Black males, but he isn’t getting any funding,” Miller added.

“We have to ask ourselves...where is the money going? But, the other part of the equation is, I think, we’ve got to come to the table with 51 percent. We’ve got to start funding our own freedom.”

Sean Yoes is a senior contributor for the AFRO and host and executive producer of AFRO First Edition, which airs Monday through Friday 5 p.m.-7 p.m. on WEAA, 88.9.

Under the leadership of Diane Hocker, the newspaper’s director of community and public relations, the Clean/Green Block Campaign hopes to expand to more neighborhoods across the city and create a more beautiful Baltimore.

“We are excited to be able to continue the longest environmental program in the country and indeed that is what AFRO Clean Block is,” she said. “When you go back into the archives, and I invite everyone to do that, you will see over the decades the expansive reach of this particular program and how it has evolved and helped Baltimore City’s inner city neighborhoods evolve.”

To sign-up your community, business, agency or organization, contact Diane W. Hocker at 410-554-8200 or by email at dhocker@afro.com.

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GALA Chairs: Mimi Roeder Vaughan and Chineta Kennedy

– David Miller

Continued from B1

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in 2010. And supporters of Dixon, who was mounting a political comeback, are still questioning the legitimacy of her defeat.

“Now you have someone who is an aide to the winner who stands accused of being directly involved with violating donation limits by using family members,” Eberly said adding the importance of optics in politics where innocent until proven guilty doesn’t necessarily hold true.

“This creates an impression of improper or inappropriate behavior among someone who was very close to the mayor that you would think the response would be [to] ask this person to step aside until we clear this matter.”

Brown has been a long-time aide to Pugh going back to when she was a state senator. He became the main point of contact for the media during her mayoral campaign after she won the primary, taking over for Anthony McCarthy who was hired as main spokesman for the waning days of Mayor Stephanie RawlingsBlake’s term.

The Pugh Administration continues to stand by Brown.

“We’ll let [the legal] process play itself out,” McCarthy said.

Photo by Anderson Ward

(From L-R) Annette Fisher, deputy chief of marketing & air service development, BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport, Diane Hocker, community and public relations, The AFRO, Mary Pat Clarke, Baltimore City Council, Norman Watkins, AFRO Clean/Green Block volunteer.

The AFRO Clean Block program began in 1934 as a way to beautify Baltimore and ran continuously for several decades.

Writing in 1968 about the kickoff of the 34th season of Clean Block, the paper noted that “The AFRO sponsors the campaign in the hopes that Clean Blockers will learn the value of respect for property, for one another and for the community.” Frances L. Murphy I, daughter of AFRO founder John H. Murphy Sr., created and ran the project.

45 Minutes Continued from B1

old Larry Lawson of the 4100 block of East Lombard Street, was shot in the lower abdomen.

Both men were taken to Shock Trauma where they were pronounced dead. Baltimore Police have not established a motive or identified any suspects.

Responding to a third call for a shooting Saturday night, police arrived at an area hospital at about 10:40 p.m. where they came upon a 29 year-old man with a wound from a gunshot to the head. The man told Baltimore Detectives he was shot in the Pigtown area of the 1300 block of Sargeant Street.

When officers went to that location, they saw no evidence of a crime scene.

May 6, 2017 - May 12, 2017, The Afro-American

“Spring is the Birthday of the World.’Tis like the birthday of the world, when earth was born in bloom; the light is made of many dyes, the air is all perfume: There’s crimson buds, and white and blue. The very rainbow showers have turned to blossoms where they fell, and sown the earth with flowers.” –Thomas Hood

so impressed with this Shepherd of God, no uppity ways just plain church folks enjoying the company of the guests in their home. Like a great host, Rev. Vaughn and his family were there when the tea started and stayed until the last guest had departed. Now that’s old school

“good old southern hospitality.”

“Do you know what today is, it’s our anniversary.” –Tony! Toni! Tone!

The women adorned in stunning outfits with spring bonnets, the tables set with crystal, china and gorgeous floral arrangements at the AFRO’s tea celebrating the Afro’s 125th anniversary at Sharon Baptist Church under the leadership of our friend Rev. A.C.D Vaughn. The scrumptious lunch prepared by Jimmy Britton’s Class Act featured assorted sandwiches, macaroons and more was a hit with the guests. Guests out enjoying the lovely Sunday afternoon were Catalina Byrd, Pat Tunstall, Toni Robinson, Marsha Jews, Diane Bell-McKoy, Jackie Brown, Lillian Smith, Sarah Holley, Yvonne Lansey, Betty Williams, LaVerne Naesea, Doretha Baglin, Saundra NottinghamJackson, Denise DeLeaver, Comptroller Joan Pratt, Mary Demory, Cimmon Burris, Lillian Vaughn, the AFRO’s Takiea Hinton and Wanda Pearson, Dorothy Williams, Frank Hocker, Corrogan Vaughn, Barbara BlountArmstrong, Leslie Hammond-King and former AFRO editor Rev. Dorothy Boulware.

Wishing Adrienne and Jerry Pittman and Odyssey and Myra White-Gray a happy anniversary.

Gian Marco Men’s Clothier is celebrating their 20th anniversary. Little Havana on Key Highway celebrated their 20th anniversary last week with a huge party with hundreds of people dining on roasted pig, sipping mojito as the Domino Sugar sign lit up the harbor.

April also kicked off a month long celebration as 108 Black Pearls celebrated our 20th anniversary as members of the illustrious sisterhood of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority with a brunch at Inka, a trip to Punta Cana and on April 25 we “set it off” at Colin’s Seafood Grill. Members of the Divine 9 stopped past Colin’s to congratulate us. Thanks Omega Gregory Adams for documenting this momentous night with photos.

“Hail hail the gang’s all here!” to celebrate the 90th birthday of golfer Karl Knight. The home was beautifully decorated with balloons and photos of Karl, Laura, Karaleigh and Shauna’s life over the years with their husband, father and grandfather.

Niece Candance, granddaughter Shauna and friends prepared custom made cocktails to the delight of the guest. Café 1137 catered the delicious food. The candy and dessert bar prepared by baker KiAnna DeVille was irresistible.

Guests celebrating were Rita and Elvard

“There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea.”

–Henry James The AFRO, founded in the basement of Sharon Baptist Church 125 years ago, was the ideal place to kick off the 125th celebration.

Rev. Vaughn and First Lady Lillian graciously opened their church for the celebration. I’m

AFRO BALTIMORE AREA

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS Send your events to tips@afro.com. For more community events go to afro.com/baltimore-events.

Bra And Panty Drive for Homeless Women Veterans

Now through May 30, donate new panties and bras to help homeless Women Veterans. The donations will be distribution to your local homeless Veterans women shelter. For more information please contact Ericka Fisher at 817-723-5672.

Douglass-Myers Maritime Museum, 1417 Thames Street Fells Point, Md. 21231 7th Annual Brothers Who Can Cook

The 7th Annual Brothers Who Can Cook: Tastes, Talks and Talent festivities take place at the Frederick Douglass-Isaac Myers Maritime Museum on May 6 at 1417 Thames St. The annual Pre­Mother’s day taster opens its doors on at 7:00 p.m. sharp and will feature over a dozen Culinary All-Stars. For added fare, those in attendance will be treated to an evening of great performances with Ama Chandra and the Fruition Band and the St. Martin’s Gospel Choir, along with some specially invited guests. For more information about Brothers Who Can Cook call 443-413-3448 or 410-419-4297 or visit brotherswhocancook.com.

Cooper, Roslyn Smith, Jackie Richardson, Beverly Boston, Laverne Gaither, neighbor Richard Anderson, Dr. Charlene CooperBoston, Toba and Tom King, Dr. Billy Davis, Phyllis Nelson, Juanita Addison, Mary Demory, Jean Powell, Dr. Marian Davis-Foster, Veronica Tubman and Norman Scott. Photographer Jewel Guy captured the awesome celebration.

Happy birthday Cathy Taylor-Dudley, Mariana Thoms, Dr. Jackie Williams, John Massey, Yvonne West, Shirley Richmond, Ernie Kromah, and 1st Lady Lillian Vaughn.

Stan Johnson celebrated his 80th birthday in New Orleans on historic Saint Charles Avenue at the Hubbard Mansion Bed and Breakfast owned by his brother, Don Hubbard. Check out this grand mansion at hubbardmansion.com on your next visit to the “Big Easy.”

“Where do I begin to tell the story of how great a love can be? The sweet love story that is older than the sea. The simple truth about the love she brings to me. Where do I start...? How long does it last, can love be measured by the hours in a day? I have no answers now but this much I can say I know I’ll need her ‘till the stars all burn away and she’ll be there” –Andy Williams Jack and Carolyn Allen’s “love story” began in the 5th grade and continued until his death. The love and devotion they shared was so bountiful that it extended to family and friends. The holidays were a big celebration with Jack dressing for the occasion as Santa Claus or the Easter bunny thrilling children

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and adults. Jack’s celebration for holidays was evident on Easter Sunday. While planning for his memorial service Carolyn continued his tradition with Easter baskets and candy displayed throughout the house; Carolyn stated, “Jack wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.” An avid sailor, Jack sailed away “beyond the sea” on April 7, 2017.

What’s Happening!

An art exhibition titled Call and Response: Art between Artists featuring the work of Alma Roberts and Sallah Jenkins will be on exhibit May 7 at the Eubie Blake National Jazz and Cultural Center in Baltimore.

Cinco de Maya at Little Havana MULBA is hosting its annual Maryland Beverage Expo May 13 from 3 to 9 p.m. at the 5th Regiment Armory. Contact Dr. Louise Johnson 410-925-4056 or Roz Tyner 410804-9334.

The Baltimore County Police Department is accepting applications for Police Officer and Police Cadet. Applications are online at joinbaltimorecountypd.com or contact the recruitment team at 410-887-5542 with questions.

Sending get-well wishes to our dear friend Lenny Clay and violets to Shirley Swafford and Bernice McDaniels.

“God could not be everywhere, and therefore he made mothers.” –Rudyard Kipling Happy mother’s day to all who have loved and cared for children. A special mother’s day to my Mother Rev. Pauline Wilkins.

Run or Walk

to Support Homeless Veterans

MCVET 22nd Annual 5K/10K Sunday, May 28, 2017 War Memorial Plaza | Downtown Baltimore 5K start time: 7:30 AM 10K start time: 8:30 AM • Refreshments • Door prize drawings • Entertainment • Vendor tables • Presentation of cash awards & age group awards • Medals and trophies

Pre-Registration available at:

https://goo.gl/coVD18

BENEFITS The Maryland Center for Veterans Education and Training, Inc. (MCVET) – the nation’s premier program for helping homeless veterans heal and achieve independence, self-sufficiency and permanent housing SPONSORS: MARYLAND VETERAN SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS – THE AMERICAN LEGION, THE VFW,

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The Afro-American, May 6, 2017 - May 12, 2017

The Greater Baltimore Urban League hosted its 60th annual Whitney M. Young Gala on April 28 at the Baltimore Hilton. Marcus Washington, news anchor with WJZ TV, was the MC. The Growing Griots gave a spoken word and drumming performance. Valisha Andrus was the “Rising Star” honoree. Lisa Phillips was the “Raymond V. Haysbert Sr.” honoree, Brett Kelly and Ben Zandi of Airmall accepted the corporate award.

Whitney M. Young Jr. Awardees were Elder C. W. Harris, Kirby Fowler, Keion

Marcus Washington, J. Howard Henderson, Honoree Lisa Phillips, Nikita Haysbert and William Honablew

Carpenter and April Ryan. Valerie Jarrett, former senior advisor to President Barack Obama, was the keynote speaker.

J. Howard Henderson is the CEO for GBUL.

Accepting the award for Keion Carpenter, his mother and aunt

Honoree Brett Kelly, vice president, Airmall

Photos by Anderson R. Ward

Dr. Charlene Cooper Boston, Honoree Valerie Jarrett and Afro Columnist Valerie Fraling

Keynote Speaker Valerie Jarrett and J. Howard Henderson, CEO GBUL

Beautillion Scholars: Tajr Coleman, Nassir Holden, Tyrone Figg Jr., Anthony Evans, Travis Jones, Taon Price and Jelani Hipps

The President’s Roundtable, in conjunction with PRT Reach Foundation, sponsored a briefing

on TRUMPONOMICS at the Hotel at Arundel Preserve in Hanover, Md. on April 18.

Doni Glover, Bmore News, Honoree April Ryan, Andrea McDaniels and Zachary McDaniels

Gerald Stansbury, president of Maryland State NAACP and Wandra Ashley-Williams Vice President Maryland State NAACP

and Jem Pagan, director, Technology Strategy JNK Securities. Discussion focused on how businesses might have to operate under the Trump Administration.

Robert L.Wallace, chairman of The President’s Roundtable and CEO of BITHGROUP Technologies welcomed CEO’s and businesses leaders. The panelist were August J.Chiasera,

regional president M&T Bank, Mike Gill, Maryland Department of Commerce, Larry N. McKenney, president of LNM Innovative Healthcare Solutions

Larry N.McKenney, August J. Chiasera, Robert Wallace, Jen Pagan

Jeff Hargrave President/CEO Mahogany and Coretta L.Bennett, Leed AP BD+C Chief Operating Officer

Jake Oliver, CEO and Publisher of the Afro American Newspapers and Stanley W. Tucker President Meridan Management Group

John R. Brown, JR Brown & Associates LLC and Norman Farooqi, Vice President Sr. Banking Capital One Bank

Keynote Speaker Valerie Jarrett and Jake Oliver,AFRO CEO and Publisher

Alonza E. Williams, the Maryland House of Delegates, Cheryl G. Williams Lutheran World Relief, Floyd Smith Assistant Vice President Business Banking M&T Bank and Mike Gill Maryland Department of Commerce

Cora H. Williams, President & CEO Ideal Electric and Sheila Brooks, CEO SRB Communications

Photos by James Fields Sr.

Honoree Valisha Andrus and Charles Jackson

Charles R. Conner III, Baltimore Regional Director Chris Van Hollen Office

Rajan Natarajan,PhD.,MBA President Technogen Inc. and Robert Wallace Chair,The President’s Round Table

John R. Brown President & CEO JR Brown & Associates, Robert Wallace and Douglas E. Moore TDMG,LLC

To purchase this digital photo page contact Takiea Hinton: thinton@afro.com or 410.554.8277.

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DONATE AUTOS, TRUCKS, RV’S. LUTHERAN MISSION SOCIETY. Your donation helps local families with food, clothing, shelter, counseling. Tax deductible.

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Place a business card ad in the Regional Small Display 2x2/2x4 Advertising Network - Reach 3.6 Million readers with just one call, one bill and one ad placement in 71 newspapers in Maryland, Delaware and DC TODAY! For just $1450.00, Get the reach, Get the results and for Just Pennies on the Dollars Now... call 1-855-721-6332 x 6 or email wsmith@ mddcpress.com

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FAMILY COURT 202-879-1212 DOMESTIC RELATIONS 202-879-0157 a. Absent Defendant b. Absolute Divorce c. Custody Divorce

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To place your ad, call 1-800-237-6892, ext. 262, Public Notices $50.00 & up depending on size, Baltimore Legal Notices are $24.84 per inch.

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•Your History

Want a larger footprint in the marketplace consider advertising in the MDDC Small Display 2x2 or 2x4 Advertising Network. Reach 3.6 million readers every week by placing your ad in 71 newspapers in Maryland, Delaware and the District of Columbia.

With just one phone call, your business and/ or product will be seen by 3.6 million readers HURRY....space is limited, CALL TODAY!!

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Payment will be accepted in the form of chwecks, credit card or money order. Any returned checks will be subject to a $25.00 processing fee and may result in the suspension of any future advertising at our discretion.

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DONATE AUTOS, TRUCKS, RV’S. LUTHERAN MISSION SOCIETY. Your donation helps local families with food, clothing, shelter, counseling. Tax deductible.

MVA License #W1044.

410-636-0123 or www.

LutheranMissionSociety.org

BUSINESS SERVICES Bulk advertising at its best: advertise in over 70 newspapers and reach millions of readers with ONE call. Broaden your reach and get results for pennies per reader. Call Wanda at 410-212-0616 or email wsmith@mddcpress.com.

Place a business card ad in the Regional Small Display 2x2/2x4 Advertising Network - Reach 3.6 Million readers with just one call, one bill and one ad placement in 71 newspapers in Maryland, Delaware and DC TODAY! For just $1450.00, Get the reach, Get the results and for Just Pennies on the Dollars Now... call 1-855-721-6332 x 6 or email wsmith@ mddcpress.com EDUCATION/CAREER TRAINING

To advertise in the Baltimore AFRO call 410-554-8200

DC BIG FLEA & ANTIQUES MARKET APRIL 29-30. Also Feasturing The Washington Modernism Show 2 Shows for The Price of 1! 2 Bldgs—700 Booths DULLES EXPO CTR 4320 Chantilly Shopping Ctr; Chantilly, VA 20151 www.thebigfleamarket.com 757-430-4735 AUTOMOBILE DONATIONS

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NAME: ________________________________________________ ADDRESS: _____________________________________________ PHONE NO.:____________________________________________ CLASSIFICATION: ______________________________________ (Room, Apt., House, etc.)

INSERTION DATE:_________________

BALTIMORE AFRO-AMERICAN NEWSPAPER Legal Advertising Rates

Effective October 1, 2008

PROBATE DIVISION (Estates) 202-332-0080 PROBATE NOTICES a. Order Nisi $ 60 per insertion b. Small Estates (single publication $ 60 per insertion c. Notice to Creditors 1. Domestic $ 60 per insertion 2. Foreign $ 60 per insertion d. Escheated Estates $ 60 per insertion e. Standard Probates

CIVIL NOTICES a. Name Changes 202-879-1133 b. Real Property

$180.00 per 3 weeks $180.00 per 3 weeks $180.00 per 3 weeks $360.00 per 6 weeks $125.00

$ 80.00 $ 200.00

FAMILY COURT • 202-879-1212 DOMESTIC RELATIONS • 202-879-0157 a. Absent Defendant b. Absolute Divorce c. Custody Divorce

$ 150.00 $ 150.00 $150.00

To place your ad, call 1-800-237-6892, ext. 262, Public Notices $50.00 & up depending on size, Baltimore Legal Notices are $24.84 per inch.

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AIRLINE MECHANIC TRAINING – Get FAA certification. Financial Aid if qualified. No HS Diploma or GED – We can help. Approved for military benefits.

Call Aviation Institute of Maintenance 866-8236729

Delaware New MoveIn Ready Homes!

Low Taxes! Close to Beaches, Gated, Olympic pool.

FOUR New Homes from low $100’s. No HOA Fees. Brochures Available 1-866-629-0770 or www.coolbranch.com.

Want a larger footprint in the marketplace consider advertising in the MDDC Small Display 2x2 or 2x4 Advertising Network. Reach 3.6 million readers every week by placing your ad in 71 newspapers in Maryland, Delaware and the District of Columbia.

With just one phone call, your business and/ or product will be seen by 3.6 million readers HURRY....space is limited, CALL TODAY!!

Call 1-855-721-6332 x 6 or 410-212-0616 email wsmith@mddcpress. com or visit our website at www.mddcpress.com

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REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

VACATION RENTALS Ocean City, Maryland.

Best selection of affordable rentals. Full/parital weeks, Call for FREE brochure, Open daily.

Holiday Resort Servcies.

1-800-638-2102. Online reservations: www. holidayoc.com

SUPPORT OUR ADVERTISERS SUBSCRIBE TODAY

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WASHINGTON-AREA Republican Efforts to Repeal Obamacare Angers District

Black Climate Marchers Accuse Trump of Environmental Racism

By James Wright Special to the AFRO jwright@afro.com Despite actions by Congressional Republicans to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, District residents are expressing support for the maintenance of Obamacare and suspicious of Republicans attempts to repeal it. All the members of the D.C. Council and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) are in favor of keeping the main structure of Obamacare in place.

That doesn’t mean that some residents haven’t had difficulties with the program.

“I have been on Obamacare for about a month now, but

By James Wright Special to the AFRO jwright@afro.com

AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais

A pair of participants chant in front of the White House in Washington April 29 during a demonstration and march.

Thousands of people gathered across the country in protest of President Donald Trump’s environmental policies, which have included rolling back restrictions on mining, oil drilling and greenhouse gas emissions at coal-fired power plants. The demonstrators sat down for 100 seconds to mark President Trump’s first 100 days in office.

By Shantella Y. Sherman Special to the AFRO ssherman@afro.com

Courtesy Photo

Xavier Hodge said that he has had problems with ACA, but the solution is fixing it, not repealing it.

I have had trouble in the past,” Xavier Hodge, church administrator for Capitol Hill United Methodist Church in Southeast D.C., told the AFRO. “I don’t pay for my premiums now; an organization does it for me.”

Hodge said when Obamacare was activated in the District in 2012, he participated but dropped out Continued on D2

On April 29, tens of thousands of demonstrators converged on to Washington, D.C. for the People’s Climate March, to challenge what they viewed as an attack by the Trump administration on the environment.

Among the throngs of Blacks marching from the Capitol to the White House, concerns over environmental racism, toxic schools, and poor air and water quality in Black neighborhoods rang high.

Scheduled to coincide with President Donald Trump’s 100th day in office, the People’s Climate March, according to Damien Jones of the non-profit Union of Concerned Scientists, was designed to demonstrate how climate change impacts traditional social justice issues like racial, gender, and economic inequality.

“People are tired and have so much spirit to resist and fight back. There are attacks on climate justice and those doing that work. There are so many disparities across the board, but especially in communities of color,” Jones told

D.C. radio station WPFW in a live broadcast April 28. “We need protections for the earth and protections for our most vulnerable communities. We must ensure they are spoken for and taken care of, so when you see budgets that cut away at those protections, it angers people.”

Across the country, cities with majority minority populations, including Detroit, Baltimore, and St. Louis, have above average rates of exposure to lead, asbestos, mold, and vermin infestations. In one 2016 study conducted by the {Huffington Post}, Detroit schools were found to be so – Damien Jones heavily infested with rats, roaches, and mold that teachers staged a sickout in protest of conditions. It also found that in Baltimore, the levels of lead poisoning among children was three times the national rate. In February, a D.C. elementary school briefly closed for three weeks because of pest infestation.

“The numbers are staggering – 70 percent of African Americans live within 30 miles of a coal fire plant and that is a direct indicator of millions of young people dying of asthma in low-income and poor communities,” Jones said. “There’s this myth that Black people and other people of color don’t care about the environment, or are not doing their part to lessen their Continued on D2

“There are so many disparities across the board, but especially in communities of color.”

Md. Native Pushes Education in Black Diaspora

By Chelsea Burwell Special to the AFRO More than skin color and ancestral lineage connect Black youth in the United States to other nations like South Africa. According to

Courtesy photo

Meisha Robinson started a nonprofit that helps youth across the Black Diaspora receive quality educations.

D.C. VA Hospital Gets Mixed Reviews

Meisha Robinson, founder and executive director of I Am We Are (IAWA) – a nonprofit organization that provides youth with social engagement, global awareness, and economic freedom – Black youth across the African Diaspora fall victim to stark rates of unemployment.

“It saddens me, as a Black American, to be in South Africa that is 20 years out of apartheid, and then to be in the U.S. and we’re 200 years out of slavery, and realize we’re going through the exact same thing,” she said.

As a former U.S. Peace Corps volunteer and seniorlevel marketing manager in Benin, a country in West Africa, and South Africa, Robinson, a Germantown, Md.-native said before

The recent concerns voiced about the Washington, D.C. Veteran Affairs Medical Center (DCVAMC) in an inspector general’s report are echoed by some veterans.

However, staff members say they are committed to providing top-notch service to the nation’s warriors.

On April 12, the Veteran Affairs Office of the Inspector General issued an interim summary report citing management practices and staffing deficiencies that were present at the facility located near the Washington Hospital Center in the northwest quadrant of D.C. The backlash from the report prompted U.S. Sens. Mark Warner, Tim Kaine (D-Va.), and Jon Testor (D-Mont.) to write Veteran Affairs Secretary David J. Shulkin demanding immediate action.

Since the report’s release, retired Army Col. Lawrence Connell has been named the acting director.

A spokesman for D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D) told the AFRO that she is aware of the situation at the center and will respond appropriately in due time.

Veterans receive free treatment at VA hospitals.

Health professionals who work at VA hospitals tend to specialize in diseases and ailments that are unique to veterans. Dental and mental health services are also Continued on D2

Police on Manhunt After Fatal Shooting

By Briana Thomas Special to the AFRO

Courtesy photo

Students from Bucklodge Middle School in Adelphi, Md. video chat with IAWA ambassadors to discuss current events and cultural differences. establishing I Am We Are, much of her time centered on community outreach and starting youth groups. “I was working with these kids that I thought were absolutely brilliant, and when I got back to the states, I was devastated to see so many of them

struggling to accomplish their dreams,” said Robinson.

I Am We Are was established in 2015 and encourages academic excellence and matriculation through high-school to increase youth Continued on D2

A Maryland man died after being shot in a Southeast parking lot on April 27. District authorities are looking for the suspected killers.

Christopher Devin Heard, 37, Oxon Hill, Md. in Prince George’s County, was fatally shot around 4 a.m. April 27. Police said officials were called to the scene after receiving reports about a man down in the 2300 block of Ainger Place, SE. Heard was found unconscious and suffering from multiple gunshot wounds in a parking lot in front of a Southeast residence, according to police. Police said he died on the scene.

The Metropolitan Police Department released video surveillance of the violent incident, showing two suspects and a vehicle of interest. The footage shows what appears to be a black car drive onto the lot and park. The two suspects get out of the vehicle. One of the suspects is wearing dark pants and white and black sneakers, while the other suspect is wearing a baseball cap and denim.

The video does not show the actual shooting. The two suspects are behind a truck when the incident takes place and then they run away and ride off in the vehicle.

Police said still in search of the suspected shooters. “The case remains under investigation and no arrests have been made,” Aquita Brown, a spokesperson for the department, told the AFRO on May 1. Police do not have a motive for the Continued on D2

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The Afro-American, May 6, 2017 - May 12, 2017

Obamacare Continued from D1

of it two months later. “I couldn’t pay the premiums,” he said.

Hodges said that when open enrollment has been available since then, he participated but had to drop out each year because of the high costs of premiums.

Hodges said his trouble with Obamacare doesn’t mean the program should be repealed. “What the Republicans need to do is fix it, not get rid of it,” he said.

Republicans have tried twice to replace the healthcare program with what is known as the American Health Care Act (AHCA). The first attempt to replace Obamacare was unsuccessful, but Republicans have put out another version of their plan for a vote before the end of the legislative session.

As of March 3, support for the Republican replacement strengthened.

District residents enroll in Obamacare through the D.C. Health Link and it has been recognized as a success. According to a Kaiser Family Foundation analysis, DC Health Link

enrolled 74 percent of eligible residents as of Feb. 1, 2016.

This is much higher than the 46 percent national average and the National Center for Health Statistics reports that the District attained an uninsured rate of just 3.7 percent in 2016, which ties it with Wisconsin for the third-lowest rate in the country.

Johnny Blake, a vendor selling hats and clothes in a small booth on Pennsylvania Avenue, told the AFRO he is covered by

“Obamacare has helped a lot of people get health insurance.”

– Johnny Blake Obamacare in the District and likes it. “Obamacare has helped a lot of people get health insurance,” he said. “It helps people stay healthy and it keeps costs down. Obamacare has helped the

disabled, elderly, and young people get insurance.”

Blake suggested Congress “should keep it around” and said repeal efforts are suspect. “I think repeal is just plain politics,” he said. “I also think that repeal may be to benefit somebody else financially.”

Andre Resende-Gomes, newly employed in commission sales, told the AFRO he is confused about Obamacare. “I was advised to get insurance but I don’t know where to go,” he said.

“I was told by somebody to go to Malcolm X Boulevard and sign up but I don’t have transportation to go there and even if I did I wouldn’t know where to go.”

He said the District’s system seems to be different and that is why he is perplexed. He agrees that Obamacare shouldn’t be repealed. “If the Congress reforms health care, it should be so that it helps everyone,” Resende-Gomes said.

Hospital

Continued from D1 available.

Jacque Patterson, retired Air Force veteran and president of the Ward 8 Democrats, told the AFRO that he is not a fan of veterans’ hospitals. “I try to avoid them if I can,” Patterson said. “If I had medical needs or had to have medical attention, I would not go to a VA hospital. The service is poor and it is hard to get an appointment.”

Stanley Ray served in the Army and Navy and has visited the D.C. VA Hospital. He wasn’t impressed, either. “They need to improve,” Ray told the AFRO. “They don’t treat veterans with the type of respect that they deserve.”

Ray is aware of the inspector general’s report critical of the way the D.C. VA hospital was run. However, he said, the Trump administration is likely to enhance VA hospitals financially, but the D.C. hospital has issues that need addressing. “There needs to be a strong emphasis on customer service,” Ray said. “It seems like when you are visiting there, they are doing you a favor when you they serve you. That’s not the case. This is a service that you have earned.”

Ray made it clear he was so turned-off by the service at the D.C. VA hospital that he pledged “never to go back there.”

That hasn’t been the experience of the Rev. Scott Bostic, youth pastor of Asbury United Methodist Church in the District. “My experience at the DC VAMC has been good overall,” Bostic, a 2005 Courtesy photo graduate of the United States Military Academy West Point, The Washington, D.C. told the AFRO. “I am seen there Veteran Affairs Medical for my primary care but not for Center is located in the northwest quadrant of the much else since overall I’m in good health. When I first moved District of Columbia. to D.C., I had a routine surgery done at the VAMC and that went very well, and my follow-up was also handled well.”

Bostic did cite a problem seeing a physical therapist and said that experience “was disappointing.” Nevertheless, Bostic, who served in Iraq as a health care administrator from 20092010, is upbeat about the center. “I have recommended and referred people to go to the D.C. VAMC because they have a

Marchers

– Stanley Ray lot of resources there which can make a significant difference to veterans in need of care,” he said. “However, I do warn people that they will need to be persistent and advocate for their care, so as to make sure they don’t fall into one of those cracks and get forgotten about.”

Despite a few positive reviews, any unhappy veteran concerns Gloria Hairston, director of public affairs at the D.C. VA Hospital. “We are committed to caring for all veterans,” Hairston told the AFRO. “I don’t want veterans leaving the hospital feeling that our customer service wasn’t satisfactory.

We are not looking to be rude to people.”

Education

Continued from D1 carbon footprint . . . that myth goes right out of the door because the environmental justice movement is made up of young African-American students at Black colleges.”

Another report by the Environmental Justice and Health Alliance for Chemical

“It seems like when you are visiting there, they are doing you a favor when you they serve you.”

Continued from D1 Policy Reform, “Coming Clean, and the Center for Effective Government,” further solidified the connection between race and chemical exposure. The report showed more than 134 million Americans live within danger zones around

3,433 chemical facilities – with 3.8 million living within “fence line” areas or zones that present greater danger, leaving residents near those areas less time to evacuate in an event of a chemical crisis.

The number of Blacks living in fence line zones was 75 percent greater than for the country as a whole.

During the rally, Alphonse LeRoy, a member of the Yankton Sioux Tribe of South Dakota, told participants that almost every natural resource in the country was being disrupted by industrial corporations, like the Dakota Access and

Keystone XL pipelines. “I think first of the grass, plants, animals, eagles, birds, fish — without water, nothing will survive,” LeRoy said. “This isn’t just important for me; it’s important for everybody.”

The Trump administration already has moved to roll back former President Barack Obama’s signature climate initiative, the Clean Power Plan, and Trump and his team have taken many other actions to weaken environmental protections of air and water, and to enable fossil fuel exploitation on public lands and waters.

Shooting

Continued from D1 homicide.

Violent crime in the District is down 10 percent from the same time last year (6,387 in 2016, 5,759 in 2017) as of May 2, according to D.C. police data. The area of the shooting had 21 crime incidents in the last year with 11 incidents occurring in 2017.

entrepreneurship and foster holistic development. Inspired by those she met during her stint with the Peace Corps, Robinson said she was determined to pursue God’s calling and her purpose. “It wasn’t because they didn’t have the drive. It wasn’t because they weren’t motivated. It was just they didn’t know how to get it,” she said.

Although IAWA is in its beginning stages, since its inception two years ago, Robinson said the nonprofit has done well, as it is currently hosting its fifth empowerment camp in South Africa. The Bokgoni Empowerment camp, a career development and educational retreat for high school students,

“It wasn’t because they didn’t have the drive. It wasn’t because they weren’t motivated. It was just they didn’t know how to get it.”

– Meisha Robinson ran from April 3-April 15.

Robinson said she and her team visited schools in South Africa to gauge interest. She added that many of the youth who participate in IAWA are struggling to advance to the next levels of their education due to the poor condition of the nation’s school systems. Per the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, despite having a “no-fee” public education system, South Africa ranks 75th out of 76th on their list of national education systems.

Robinson recalls one young girl’s story, whose plight with education epitomizes the country’s dire academic conditions.

Because of poor student-to-teacher ratios, Robinson said the girl found a means to pursue her education on her own. “She stayed after school everyday, goes home, eats dinner, then wakes up at 3 o’clock in the morning and gets ready to go to school,” Robinson said. The girl, with the help of Robinson and others, transferred to a more rigorous and better-equipped charter school.

Robinson said one of her goals is to connect the experiences and narratives of Black youth across the African Diaspora, especially when considering the fight for receiving a highquality education.

The nonprofit’s financial and operational support, Robinson shared, comes from her family, friends, generous donors, and communities in the U.S. and South Africa. Currently, the organization is 100 percent volunteer-based. Robinson said she is in talks with larger organizations whose work is like IAWA’s mission and values, to create collaborations.

The IAWA’s fundraising goal for 2017 is $100,000. So far, the organization has raised $5,000.

When she isn’t splitting her time between U.S. and South Africa to promote the message of IAWA, Robinson balances two other jobs, which she said is a part of keeping afloat as a nonprofit founder. “That’s the entrepreneur’s challenge,” she said.

May 6, 2017 - May 12, 2017, The Afro-American

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AFRO WASHINGTON AREA

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS Washington, D.C. Carnegie Library, 801 K Street

My Brother’s Keeper: A Conversation with Dr. Roger Mitchell, Jr.

Jeffrey Johnson, Dorian Thorne, Russell Stewart, Marilyn Thorne, presenting 40 year certificate of service to Russell G. Stewart and Andre Ford

Grayhound Trash Removal, a solid waste collection company, celebrated its 49th anniversary with a luncheon and employee recognition on April 7 at its office in Upper Marlboro, Md. Founded by Elijah W. Thorne, Grayhound has been in business since April 1, 1968. Lt. Gov. Boyd Rutherford, staff from Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker’s office, officials from the Departments of Environment and Maryland Parks and Planning Commission, area business owners and more than 70 residents attended the luncheon. Rutherford presented Grayhound with a proclamation from Gov. Larry Hogan. Md. State Sen. Anthony Muse also awarded Grayhound with an official citation from the Maryland General Assembly.

Courtesy Image

In 2014, President Obama launched the My Brother’s Keeper initiative to address persistent opportunity gaps faced by boys and young men of color and ensure that all young people can reach their full potential. Dr. Roger Mitchell, Jr. is the chairman of My Brother’s Keeper D.C. Join Dr. Mitchell and participants in the program for a conversation on May 5 about the strategies they use to make a difference in the lives of boys and young men of color and why this matters for the city.

The conversation will take place at Carnegie Library, 801 K Street, from 2 p.m.-3 p.m.

Rockville, Md.

Rockville Town Square, 200 East Middle Lane

5th Annual A-RTS Rockville Town Square Art Festival The 5th Annual A-RTS at Rockville Town Square Fine Art Festival, one of the region’s premier events, will showcase the work of 160 nationally recognized artists from around the United States in a spectacular outdoor gallery.

The event takes place at Rockville Town Square, located at 200 East Middle Lane, on May 6 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and May 7 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free. The festival will include ceramics, drawings, fiber, glass, graphics, jewelry, metalwork, paintings, photography, printmaking, sculpture, wood and mixed media. For more information and a complete list of artists and activities, visit a-rts.org or the A-RTS on Facebook.

Jeffery Jefferson and Lonnie Green, manager, BB&T Bank

Donnie Best and his assistants from Big Tire America

Homicide Count 2017 Total

37

Past Seven Days

2

Data as of May 3

Delores McClain and Franz Exume

Paul Wharton and Daisy Capers

Homeownership is important.

We’re here to help first-time homebuyers navigate the mortgage process and make buying a home affordable, even if you have: • Little money for a downpayment • Little or “less-than-perfect” credit history • A recent job change

Wayne Clark, Daisy Capers, Marilyn Thorne, Elijah Thorne, Dorrian Thorne, Lt. Gov. Boyd Rutherford, 2 staff members from Rutherford’s office, Jeffrey Johnson and Delores Frazer

To get started, call 1-888-253-0993 or visit mtb.com/mortgage.

Equal Housing Lender. This is not a commitment to make a mortgage loan. Certain restrictions apply.

Subject to credit and property approval. ©2017 M&T Bank. Member FDIC. NMLS# 381076 Baltimore Afro American: 3.55” x 5” - 4/2017

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The Afro-American, May 6, 2017 - May 12, 2017

Brenda AtkinsonWilloughby, David Smith, eighth grade first place winner from School Without Walls at Francis Stevens

Brenda Atkinson-Willoughby and Simone J. Frederick present flowers to Keynote speaker Morowa Yejide

Jacqueline Dunmore-Griffith (far left) and Morowa Yejide (center) with award winners: Nathaniel Potts, Juwan Young, Troy Johnson, David Smith, Donshanay Brown and Karina Turner

Members of the Metropolitan District of Columbia Chapter of The Links

On April 8, six young writers were recognized by the Metropolitan D.C. Chapter of the Links during its 35th Maliik and Eunice Annual Dr. Jean Mosee – Young Writers Awards Turner with their daughter, Karina, 2nd Luncheon at Howard University’s place eighth Blackburn Center. Each winner grade winner received a prize package that included cash scholarships ranging up to $400. More than 2,000 students have participated over the life of the program, which was created in 1982 to encourage Anthony and Patricia Potts with their son Nathaniel (center), first place winner from writing among Sidwell Friends High School middle and high school students, especially students of color, and to publicly recognize their literary Jacqueline Jana Le’Madry talents.

Dunmore-Griffith, Taylor, emcee

Scholarship Committee with scholarship winners

Photos by Rob Roberts

Eloise Foster

Links chapter president

Wanda Rogers, Kathy McElroy, Terry Rogers and Maya Mann

The Omega Psi Phi Fraternity’s Gamma Pi chapter held its annual Mardi Gras Extravaganza at the Gaylord National Hotel and Conference Center at the National Harbor in Maryland. on March 25.

More than 1,000 brothers and their friends and families attended. The function raised funds for social action programs in conjunction with the Friendship Charities Foundation. It also provided an opportunity to award retiring Bowie State University President Mickey Burnim – a brother -- with a proclamation of his service to Bowie State University, the Prince George’s County community and higher education.

Mardi Gras Costume Parade

Lucien Cox and Anthony Lee present award to Mickley L. Burnim, president, Bowie State University John Robinson and his wife Audrey, Best Quette costume winner

Omega stepping

Kirk and Kay Weems with Kym Howard and Trevor Hamilton

Stephanie Lock, Kathy Boykins and Kim Blaney Bivings

(L to R) Anthony Lee, chapter basileus, Robert Swann, event chair and Rodney Beverly, event co-chair with Prince George’s County Council Chair Derrick Leon Davis

Cynthia Martin and Donna White Fowler

Mr. and Mrs. Harrison Foy

Calvin Hawkins, candidate for Prince George’s County Council, Prince George’s County States Attorney Angela Alsobrooks and Edgar Brookins, D.C. general manager Afro American Newspapers

Just friend’s Band Roland Jones, Andrea L. Royal, and Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker, III

Photos by Rob Roberts