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February 25, 2017 - February 25, 2017, The Afro-American

Volume Volume 125 123 No. No.30 20–22

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FEBRUARY 25, 2017 - MARCH 3, 2017

Inside

Baltimore • Spotlight on Black Educators: BCPS CEO Sonja Santelises

Singh: The Man Who Almost Broke the Color Barrier at U of M.

Washington

Famine in South Sudan

Commentary

LBC: Why Pre-K Suspensions Should Be Banned

One Million on Brink of Starvation

Kate Holt/UNICEF via AP

A boy has his arm measured to see if he is suffering from malnutrition during a nutritional assessment at an emergency medical facility supported by UNICEF in Kuach, on the road to Leer, in South Sudan. Famine has been declared in two counties of South Sudan, according to an announcement by the South Sudan government and three U.N. agencies, which says the calamity is the result of prolonged civil war and an entrenched economic crisis that has devastated the war-torn East African nation.

By Andy Pierre

Who Is Steve Bannon? By Michael H. Cottman Special to the AFRO

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Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York didn’t mince words when describing White House adviser Steven Bannon. “He’s a stone cold racist and a White supremacist sympathizer,” Jeffries told MSNBC last week. Jeffries was responding to questions about a proposed meeting with President Donald Trump and The Congressional Black Caucus, a meeting that Trump inappropriately asked White House correspondent April Ryan to broker. “It’d be hard for me to participate in any meeting

with Steve Bannon that normalizes his presence in the White House,” Jeffries said. Bannon, the former head of conservative website Breitbart News, has been criticized by African Americans, Hispanics and Democrats who have accused Bannon of providing White supremacists with a platform for their racist rants. Bannon is a self-described “economic nationalist” and says he is not racist. But he is angry. “I think anger is a good thing,” he told a gathering of conservatives in Washington in 2013, according to a profile Continued on A3

Black Women Change Wildest Dreams into Reality

Join Host Sean Yoes Monday-Friday 5-7 p.m. on 88.9 WEAA FM, the Voice of the Community. 20

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By Deborah Bailey Special to the AFRO

AP Photo/Andrew Harnik

Steve Bannon, senior adviser to President Donald Trump, is known for his polarizing views.

Exceeding Expectations – two words characterize Dr. Robert S. D. Higgins’s life as a son, surgeon and the first African American appointed as Director of the Department of Surgery at Johns Hopkins University (JHU) School of Medicine. Higgins, an internationally renowned heart-lung transplant surgeon, comes to JHU School of Medicine from Ohio State University School of Medicine. Almost two years into his role as “Surgeon in Chief” Higgins Continued on A3

Courtesy photo

By Rushawn Walters Howard University News Service Stephanie Wilson and Joan Higginbotham are two Black women who dared to dream the impossible. One reached for the stars, the other was exceptional at math.

Nevertheless, both reached, what seems, the ultimate height – making their dreams reality. As a young girl growing in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, a small town of 44,000 and 130 miles west Boston, Continued on A3

Courtesy photo

Dr. Robert Higgins is the first African-American Director of the Department of Surgery at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.

During Feb. the AFRO has been celebrating the work of former AFRO Executive Editor Moses J. Newson, who turned 90-years-old this month. In this final installment, Newsom reports from the South Christian Leadership Conference where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. pledged to bring back massive protests to Birmingham, Al. in the face of continued segregation. Ultimately, protests were held in St. Augustine, Fla. in 1964.

Definitely Back to Birmingham’ Pledges Dr. King Joan Higginbotham, left, here with flight engineer Sunita L. Williams, flew into outer space in 2006 aboard the space shuttle Discovery.

Dr. Robert Higgins: A Hopkins Historical First

AFRO Archived History

Listen to Afro’s “First Edition”

• Spotlight on Black Educators: UDC President Ronald Mason

Oct. 5, 1963 By Moses J. Newsom AFRO Staff Correspondent RICHMOND It’s definitely back to Birmingham or on to Danville for giant-scale street and economic protests--and possibly, if necessary, massive civil disobedience demonstrations that could immobilize elites and industries. Continued on A4

The Afro-American, February 25, 2017 - March 3, 2017

NATION & WORLD

Black Caucus Dismayed by Trump’s Invite to April Ryan By The Associated Press

(AP Photo/Zach Gibson)

In this Jan. 5 photo, House Assistant Minority Leaser James Clyburn of S.C speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington.

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Members of the Congressional Black Caucus expressed bafflement and dismay Feb. 16 after President Donald Trump asked a Black reporter to set up a meeting with them. Rep. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina said there is “an element of disrespect” in Trump’s comment to journalist April Ryan, asking her whether she was friends with CBC members and could convene a get-together. “He’s not going to ask any other reporter to do that for any other group, so why did he do that to her? I think that was pretty instructive to me,” said Clyburn, a veteran lawmaker and member of the House Democratic leadership. When asked whether Trump was implying that all Black people know each other, Clyburn said, “I don’t know what his implications were but that’s my interpretation.” The chairman of the CBC, Rep. Cedric Richmond, D-La., issued a statement late Thursday saying the White House reached out to schedule a meeting with the 49-member organization and discussions were underway about a possible date. Ryan is a longtime White House reporter and Washington bureau chief for American Urban Radio Networks. She asked Trump at his East Room press conference on Feb. 16 whether he planned to include the CBC “in your conversations with your urban agenda, your inner-city agenda.” The president responded by asking Ryan whether the CBC are “friends of yours” and remarking, “I tell you what, do you want to set up the meeting?” Ryan herself responded over Twitter: “I am a journalist not a convener! But thank you for answering my questions.” And the CBC noted over Twitter that the group sent Trump a letter in January outlining areas where they could work together, “but you never wrote us back. Sad!” The organization later issued a statement saying they were in talks with the White House about a possible meeting. Richmond’s statement said it was remarkable that Trump had not responded to their letter. “President Trump has been in office for almost a month and the Congressional Black Caucus – which at a historic 49 members is almost a fourth of the House Democratic Caucus and represents millions of African-Americans – did not hear from the White House until we introduced ourselves on Twitter after the White House press conference today.” Rep. Joyce Beatty of Ohio said: “We have a rich history, we have some almost 50 members of the Congressional Black Caucus. We’re not new. What a president should say is, yes, it’s already on my agenda to talk to them.” Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn., called Trump’s remarks another “abuse of protocol.” “Donald Trump knows how to call Cedric Richmond, our chair, and that is what he should do. And then we’ll (the CBC) sit together and see if it’s in our interest” to meet with Trump, Ellison said. Trump specifically mentioned a meeting with Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., and said the lawmaker canceled because it would be bad for him politically. Cummings, in response, said, “I have no idea why President Trump would make up a story about me like he did today.”

FACT CHECK: Trump’s Lame Attempt at Blaming Obama By The Associated Press

President Donald Trump on Feb. 16 made a messy case that he “inherited a mess” from his predecessor. Economic stats and territorial losses of Islamic State insurgents don’t support his (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) assertions about the In this photo taken Jan. 18, President problems handed to Barack Obama speaks during his final him on those fronts. presidential news conference, in the A look at some briefing room of the White House in of his claims from Washington. the Feb. 16 news conference and how they compare with the facts: TRUMP: “To be honest I inherited a mess. It’s a mess. At home and abroad, a mess.” THE FACTS: A mess is in the eye of the beholder. But by almost every economic measure, President Barack Obama inherited a far worse situation when he became president in 2009 than he left for Trump. He had to deal with the worst downturn since the Depression. Unemployment was spiking, the stock market crashing, the auto industry failing and millions of Americans risked losing their homes to foreclosure when Obama took the oath of office. None of those statistics is as dire for Trump. Unemployment is 4.8 percent, compared with a peak of 10 percent during Obama’s first year as president. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was cratering until March 2009, only to rebound roughly 200 percent over the rest of Obama’s term— gains that have continued under Trump on the promise of tax and regulatory cuts. When Trump assumed office last month, a greater percentage of the country had health insurance, incomes were rising and the country was adding jobs. The Trump administration has noted that a smaller proportion of the population

is working or looking for jobs. But even this measure began to turn around toward the end of the Obama era. TRUMP: “ISIS has spread like cancer, another mess I inherited.” THE FACTS: The Islamic State group began to lose ground before Trump took office, not just in Iraq and Syria but also in Libya. The gradual military progress achieved in Iraq during Obama’s final two years has pushed IS to the point of collapse in Mosul, its main Iraqi stronghold. It remains a potent danger beyond its shrunken territory, encouraging adherents to stage acts of terrorism. The analogy with cancer is an echo of Obama’s last defense secretary, Ash Carter, who repeatedly cast Obama’s counter-IS campaign as an effort to reverse the extremists’ “metastasis” beyond the “parent tumor” in Iraq and Syria. TRUMP: “I see stories of chaos. Chaos. Yet it is the exact opposite. This administration is running like a fine-tuned machine, despite the fact that I can’t get my Cabinet approved. THE FACTS: Did he just say a “fine-tuned machine”? Trump’s first month has been consumed by a series of missteps and firestorms, and produced far less significant legislation than Obama enacted during his first month. Republican-led congressional committees will investigate the Trump team’s relations with Russians before he took office and the flood of leaks that altogether forced out his national security adviser in record time. His pick for labor secretary withdrew because he didn’t have enough Republican support. By many measures, the administration is in near paralysis in its earliest days, leaving allies unsettled and many in Congress anxious about what Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., called the “constant disruption.” To many Republicans — never mind Democrats — the “fine-tuned machine” seems in danger of its wheels coming off. In his first month, Obama signed a $787 billion stimulus package into law, as well as a law expanding health care for children and the Lilly Ledbetter bill on equal pay for women. Trump has vigorously produced executive orders, which don’t require congressional approval and typically have narrow effect. The one with far-reaching consequences — banning entry by refugees and by visitors from seven countries — has been blocked by courts. Trump’s biggest initiatives, such as tax cuts and a replacement for Obama’s health care law, have not emerged. On Feb. 16 he was signing into law a rollback of Obama-era regulations on mining near streams. Congress has sent him little else. TRUMP, bragging again about his Electoral College vote total: “We got 306 because people came out and voted like they’ve never seen before, so that’s the way it goes. I guess it was the biggest Electoral College win since Ronald Reagan.” THE FACTS: Not even close. In the seven previous elections, the winner of five of those contests won a larger Electoral College majority than Trump. They were George H.W. Bush in 1988, Bill Clinton in 1992 and 1996; and Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012. When a reporter pointed out that Trump was overstating his winning margin, the president said: “Well, I don’t know, I was given that information.” He then called it “a very substantial victory.” Trump actually ended up with 304 electoral votes because of the defection of two electors in December, but he had won enough states in November to get to 306. TRUMP, saying the appeals court that blocked his selective travel ban “has been overturned at a record number.” THE FACTS: Other appeals courts have seen their decisions overturned at a higher rate than the San Franciscobased 9th Circuit that froze his action on immigration. In the most recent full term, the Supreme Court reversed 8 of the 11 cases from the 9th Circuit. But the Atlanta-based 11th Circuit went 0 for 3 — that is, the Supreme Court reversed all three cases it heard from that circuit. And over the past five years, five federal appeals courts were reversed at a higher rate than the 9th Circuit. The 9th Circuit is by far the largest of the 13 federal courts of appeals. In raw numbers, more cases are heard and reversed from the 9th Circuit year in and year out. But as a percentage of cases the Supreme Court hears, the liberal-leaning circuit fares somewhat better, according to statistical compilations by Scotusblog. Most cases decided by appeals courts aren’t appealed to the Supreme Court, and the high court only accepts a small percentage of those for review. But the very act of the Supreme Court’s agreeing to hear a case means the odds are it will be overturned; the court reverses about two-thirds of the cases it hears.

James Earl Jones, Donald Glover Cast in ‘Lion King’ Remake By The Associated Press

James Earl Jones and Donald Glover are lending their voices to Disney’s upcoming remake of “The Lion King.” Director Jon Favreau announced the casting of the two men as voice actors. Glover, star and creator of television’s (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP) “Atlanta,” will portray In this Jan. 8 photo, Donald Glover the adult Simba. Jones poses in the press room with the reprises the role of award for best performance by an Simba’s father, Mufasa, actor in a television series – musical which he voiced in the or comedy for “Atlanta” at the 74th 1994 animated film. annual Golden Globe Awards at Favreau is making a the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly CGI created live-action Hills, Calif. version of the movie, similar to Disney’s remake of “The Jungle Book,” which he also directed. No release date has been publicly set for the new movie. A similar process is being used for “Beauty and the Beast,” which debuts next month. Favreau has directed “Iron Man,” ”Iron Man 2” and is again producing the next two “Avengers” films.

The Afro-American, February 25, 2017 - February 25, 2017

February 25, 2017 - March 3, 2017, The Afro-American

Bannon Continued from A1 in The Atlantic. “This country is in a crisis. And if you’re fighting to save this country, if you’re fighting to take this country back, it’s not going to be sunshine and patriots. It’s going to be people who want to fight.” “I’m a Leninist,” according to a reporter for The Daily Beast who met him at a party in 2014. “Lenin wanted to destroy the state, and that’s my goal, too. I want to bring everything crashing down, and destroy all of today’s establishment.” Bannon was Executive Chairman of Breitbart News from March 2012 until August 2016 when he took a leave of absence to join the Trump campaign and ultimately the administration as a senior adviser. He has many critics. “President-elect Trump’s choice of Steve Bannon as his top aide signals that white supremacists will be represented at the highest levels in Trump’s White House,” Adam Jentleson, a spokesman for Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), said in a statement. “It is easy to see why the KKK views Trump as their champion when Trump appoints one of the foremost peddlers of White Supremacist themes and rhetoric as his top aide. Bannon was ‘the main driver behind Breitbart becoming a White ethno-nationalist

propaganda mill,’ according to the Southern Poverty Law Center.” Bannon’s racism is subtle. He is not overt with racist language in public but his messaging, through the Breitbart News website is still hostile and offensive. And last year, Jake Tapper, an anchor for CNN, exposed Bannon’s racist side. Tapper tweeted: “Bannon’s ex-wife swore in court in 2007 that he “didn’t want the girls going to school with Jews...He said he doesn’t like Jews...” Here are a few examples of harsh headlines from the Breitbart News website. Political Correctness Protects Muslim Rape Culture Suck it up Buttercups: Dangerous Faggot Tour returns to Colleges in September Birth Control Makes Women Unattractive and Crazy Bill Kristol: Republican Spoiler, Renegade Jew According to BuzzFeed, Bannon said in 2011 that the progressive movement was all

about victimhood: “The progressive narrative and that is all about victimhood. They’re either a victim of race. They’re victim of their sexual preference. They’re a victim of gender. All about victimhood and the United States is the great oppressor, not the great liberator.” Appearing on Karen Hunter’s SiriusXM show in July, here’s Bannon in his own words: “I do not believe we have a major race problem in this country. I just don’t,” Bannnon said.

that are attracted? Maybe. Right?” Bannon added. “Maybe some people are attracted to the alt-right that are homophobes, right? But that’s just like, there are certain elements of the progressive left and the hard left that attract certain elements”. And here’s a post Bannon wrote in July about how he believes Black Lives Matter is a liberal sham. “What if the people getting shot by the cops did things to deserve it? There are, after all, in this world, some people who are naturally aggressive and violent.”

“Do I automatically say it’s because the police officer is a racist and there’s some systemic race problem? No. I don’t think it’s a systemic race problem in this country.” he said. “My own life experience. I’ve just seen in communities like Richmond, Virginia and in the United States military when I was a naval officer. I don’t see systemic racism in the military. I don’t see systemic racism in these communities.”

“Cities like Richmond and Baltimore and Philadelphia have black mayors, have black city councils, have black police commissioners. How can it be systemically racist if these men and women today are actually in control of the city?” Rep. G. K. Butterfield (D-NC) said Bannon’s appointment is dangerous. “Bannon’s appointment is a cold slap in the face to those of us who are working to mend race relations in America, and it further divides our country along the lines of hate and bigotry,” Butterfield said in a statement.

“Look, are there some people that are white nationalists that are attracted to some of the philosophies of the alt-right? Maybe. Are there some people that are anti-Semitic

Wildest Dreams

Higgins

Continued from A1

Wilson said she spent her nights looking up into the sky wondering what was out there. For a class assignment, Wilson got the chance to speak with an astronomy professor at a local college who talked to her about space and the things that go on outside of Earth. “It really started a thought process about what other opportunities were available and what were some other ways that I could function in aerospace,” she said. “I also had an interest in working with my hands and understanding how devices are put together. So, I did decide to study engineering in college.” After graduating high school in 1984, she attended Harvard University and received a bachelor of science degree four years later in engineering science. Upon graduation, she got a job at the Martin Marietta Astronautics Group in Denver as a loads and dynamics engineer. Wilson later earned a Master of Science degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Texas, where she researched the control and modeling of large, flexible space instruments, much like the structures and devices used at NASA. She began working for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., as a member of the Attitude and Articulation Control Subsystem for the Galileo spacecraft, the unmanned spacecraft that studied Jupiter, its moons and other Solar System bodies. It was launched in 1989 and arrived at Jupiter seven years later. In April of 1996, Wilson was selected by NASA to be an astronaut candidate and reported to Johnson Space Center in August.

is laying the groundwork to exceed expectations once again - for the hospital and more importantly, for a more diverse cadre of medical professionals that will follow his lead.

Courtesy photo

Stephanie Wilson flew to space a total of three times between 2006 and 2010. Wilson completed her first spaceflight on Space Shuttle Discovery in 2006 and logged almost 13 days, becoming the second African-American woman to fly into space. Following that expedition, Wilson was assigned to the a second mission aboard Space Shuttle Discovery that delivered the Node 2 connecting module to the International Space Station. Between 2006 and 2010, Wilson went on a total of three expeditions to space. “I think my faith played an essential role in my career,” she said. “I also think my family, friends and teachers played a part as well because they always encouraged me to go for my dreams.” Wilson is the recipient of the NASA Distinguished Medal, which she was awarded in 2009 and 2011, the NASA Space Flight Medal, 2006, 2007 and 2010, an honorary doctorate of Science from Williams College, the Harvard College Women’s Professional

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Achievement Award and the Harvard Foundation Scientist of the Year Award. She is still with NASA working in the branch for operations of the International Space Station. During grade school growing up in Chicago, Joan Higginbotham said, she always enjoyed math and science. That led to her love for electronics as a young, inquisitive girl. “I was fascinated with electronics. I used to mess around with things at home,” Higginbotham said. Ultimately, her fascination with math, science and electronics led to her desire to become an electrical engineer, which ultimately led to NASA and a trip to outer space about a space shuttle. After graduating high school in 1982, Higginbotham received a bachelor’s of science degree in electrical and electronics engineering five years later from Southern Illinois University. She then set her sights on working for IBM, where she had interned for two summers. There was just one problem, she said. IBM wasn’t looking for any electrical engineers at the time. NASA, on the other hand, was. “Unbeknownst to me, they got all our résumés and out of the blue one day a manager called me up and offered me a choice of two positions at Kennedy Space Center,” she recalled. Higginbotham said she initially thought the job offer

was a prank, but she soon realized it was the real deal. She began her career and new life at the Kennedy Space Center as a payload electrical engineer in the Electrical and Telecommunications Systems Division. She eventually applied and was selected as an astronaut candidate and began training in August 1996. After over a decade of training, Higginbotham, along with the rest of the six crewmembers of the space shuttle Discovery, took off on Dec. 9, 2006. During her 12 days in space, Higginbotham’s assignment was to operate the robotic arm space shuttle. The robotic arm is used to hold crew members while doing work in space and to move cargo, such as satellites. After her career with NASA, Higginbotham switched gears and worked in the oil industry and is currently working for hardware store chain Lowe’s as director of supplier diversity, which ensures that the more of business’ suppliers are minority-owned and woman-owned.

A set of expectations instilled through family and life circumstances Life was unexpectedly interrupted when Higgins was five. His father, Charleston’s first African-American physician, was killed in a car accident. Higgins and his two younger brothers were raised by their mother and grandparents. Higgin’s mother often repeated the axiom “there’s work to be done,” an expression Higgins internalized to embrace life’s challenges. “My Mom spoke about the work to be done of

Americans graced the halls of Ivy league institutions. Higgins understood that his opportunity was made available through the sacrifice of others. “It was clear that I had responsibilities not only to myself as a young person to develop academically but to others who had gone before me and created that opportunity,” Higgins told the AFRO. “We were expected to perform at a fairly high level and take advantage of those opportunities or the opportunities would be lost,” Higgins said. Developing the Connection Between Medicine and Community Higgins accepted the challenge of completing his father’s unfinished work in medicine. After Dartmouth,

“Service was always one of the things we heard and saw modeled in our home.” – Robert Higgins being a good student with strong family values, with commitment and service to others as well as the community.” “Service was always one of the things we heard and saw modeled in our home,” Higgins said. Higgins left his transplanted home in upstate New York for Dartmouth College, at a time when few African-

he headed to Yale Medical School. “When I thought about medicine and what I could do it was clear that my Dad’s legacy would be benefitted by following in his footsteps,” Higgins said. “I came to understand how cool it was to take care of patients with heart disease, which was the number one killer in America and Continued on A4

51st Annual Benefit Musical Sponsored by

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Sunday, February 26, 2017 5:00 P.M.

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The Afro-American, February 25, 2017 - March 3, 2017

Back to Birmingham Continued from A1

These were among the major project approved during the four-day, seventh annual convention of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference here Sept. 24-27. In a dramatic freedom message closing out the convention Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., SCLC president, said decisions on the question of which city and when would be worked out in meetings with national leaders in Atlanta this week. *** THE ONLY question to be settled on whether new all-out anti-segregation protests will be held depends only on concrete progress being made in the possible target cities and the extent of the protests depends upon what is necessary to “crumble the walls of segregation” Dr. King assured delegates and guests numbering about 3,500. Dr. King envisioned “massive civil disobedience demonstrations the like of which has never been seen” in the event the public accommodations section of the Civil Right bill is defeated this year. And, he added, “There will be nothing Martin Luther King can do about it except try to keep it non-violent.” *** OTHER KEY actions during a convention filled with provocative speeches, area reports, non-violence workshops, spirited demonstrations as well as some lengthy behind - the - doors strategy sessions included: 1. Approval of a march on Montgomery, Ala., details of which are to be worked out in the Atlanta meeting tentatively scheduled for this week. 2. General approval of the don’t buy at Christmas project plus an enlarged selective buying campaign to encourage more hiring and upgrading of colored employables.

3. Adoption of a GROW get rid of Wallace project for Alabama which would emphasize voting. 4. Called for the removal from office of all officials who conduct themselves irresponsibly on the civil rights issue. 5. Criticized the failure of the Federal Government to indict and prosecute high officials who defy the law of the land and protested indiscriminate use by the federal and state governments of serious felony charges and punishments of civil rights leaders. *** 6. ASKED WHAT THE Civil Right Bill, already strengthened by the FEPC and the Title III section be further amended so all voting cases in which the government is a plaintiff be tried by a judge designated by the chief judge of the circuit; that voting referees be appointed by the same judge, that applications for voting right be decided within 60 days by federal judges and that an immediate state-by-state census be taken toward the end that those states denying any citizen the right to vote can have its congressional representation reduced. 7. Urged that the U.S. government exercise its enormous available powers to protect all citizens from brutality and harassment and intimidation from any source whatsoever. *** THROUGHOUT the convention here, Birmingham has been a constant topic with everybody expressing themselves as unhappy about the progress being made there. The Rev. Fred L. Shuttlesworth, who was cited by SCLC for his leadership of the last major demonstrations there, left the conference Wednesday, returned to accept his award and then went back to Birmingham to take part in talks through which President Kennedy’s two representatives are trying

February 25, 2017 - February 25, 2017, The Afro-American

to better racial relations. But Friday night when Dr. King went before an audience which had been waiting all week for his Freedom Message, he was still asking questions and fixing blame for the bombing of a church that killed four young girls. Failure to finds these and other bombers in Alabama he termed “an indictment against the government and more specifically, the FBI.” *** DR. KING said local communities in Birmingham have “demonstrated bad faith” in dealing with the matter of progress for colored citizens. “I have come to the conclusion that if in the next few days something serious is not done in Birmingham, I will have to recommend to Dr. Fred Shuttlesworth and others that demonstrations be resumed there.” “This time” he declared, as his listeners recalled pictures of water hoses and snapping police dogs, “they will be bigger and more determined.” “We will call upon white and colored outsiders to come in and help.” Dr. King said boycotts would be conducted against every firm which produces anything in Birmingham and its branch companies in other cities, if necessary. “Maybe a new march on Washington will have to take place,” he declared. *** THESE THINGS are necessary at once if demonstration are not to come back to Birmingham, Dr. King said. 1. Good faith negotiations should begin immediately between the political leaders and colored leaders. 2. The Birmingham City Council and Mayor will make a public declaration urging respect and obedience for the law of the land. 3. City officials request that the state troopers in Birmingham be removed.

4. The City of Birmingham hire colored policemen to help restore the lost respect for enforcement authorities. Dr. King called the Birmingham situation “most pressing” and said it could take precedence over Danville where SCLC plans to send a task force of 500 freedom fighters. Volunteers have already started signing up for the big push there. CHILDREN in Birmingham can’t sleep these days, Dr. King said. He added that people are afraid in their homes, afraid in their churches, in their schools, everywhere. “Something must be done or something is going to happen,” he said. Irked by the NAACP executive secretary Roy Wilkins’ cool reaction to the don’t buy at Christmas, Dr. King said he would hope the NAACP would not view the project as something that would be totally ineffective. He noted that originally the NAACP had been cool to the idea of the March on Washington. Dr. King said he was quite pleased with the strong reaffirmation of the non-violent theory from delegates to the convention despite the great provocations many of them have faced in the carrying out of their duties. The convention had its largest participation this year and approved and expenditure budget larger than ever before, close to $900,000. SCLC also indicated in the near future it would begin to sell paid memberships. Transcribed by J.K. Schmid

Higgins Continued from A3

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certainly had a disproportional impact on people of color,” he said. After completing medical school and advanced surgical training, Higgins combined his skill and passion for medicine with commitment to community; one modeled before him in childhood. “I lived and worked in urban academic medical centers for that exact reason. After I finished my training I ended up in Detroit and worked downtown,” Higgins said. “It was a fantastic opportunity for an African-American man to serve a community that was so deserving and in need of underrepresented minorities taking a leadership role,” Higgins said of his Detroit experience. Higgins is one of few surgeons capable of performing complex procedures, including open heart surgery, valve surgery, heart-lung transplant, mechanical circulatory support. He was the first African American division chair at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine and practiced at Cook County Hospital in Chicago, Illinois. “It was a rare opportunity to do the things that I did and serve the community,” Higgins said of his medical work in urban arenas. SAT 2/25

Being the “first” at Hopkins - Opening the Door for Others Higgins was happy with life at The Ohio State when JHU School of Medicine called two years ago. Curiosity compelled him to accept the interview. “This is among the elite academic medical facilities in the world. You see people with diseases named after them and Nobel laureates,” Higgins said.

But Higgins didn’t know that JHU, like many Baltimore institutions, was still reeling from Freddie Gray’s death and the worst unrest since the 1960’s. JHU and JHU Medicine sought to reach out to a city that was nervous after Gray’s death. JHU promised to create jobs, opportunities and to make Hopkins accessible to a city in need. JHU School of Medicine needed Higgin’s - his surgical skill, administrative leadership and community commitment. Higgins sees the challenge and how Hopkins is poised to do more. “I have a greater appreciation of the importance of being the first African American in a leadership role here at Hopkins and from a physician leaderships standpoint,” Higgins said. “I’m proud of that. I take it pretty seriously. I’m humbled by it. I think I’m up to it but it will be up to others to judge,” Higgins said. While Higgins embraces the challenge of performing at an international standard of excellence in his daily work, he sees a greater challenge of bringing others through the doors at JHU School of Medicine to follow in his footsteps. “I believe that my greatest measure of success will be if I can not only do the job and do it well but to open the door for others and make it a more inclusive and diverse environment,” Higgins said. “Meet the challenge - discharge the responsibility - open the door for others, those are the parameters of success.”

February 25, 2017 - March 3, 2017, The Afro-American

COMMENTARY

LBC: Why Pre-K Suspensions Should Be Banned

In 2015, researchers scrutinized the effects of out-ofschool suspension in Maryland Public Schools. They found that out-of-school suspensions are linked to drop-out rates, disengagement, and criminal activities. Those same researchers also found that between 1974 and 2010, the suspension rate has risen by 14% among African-American students. Between 2013-2014, 7.8% of pre-K students have been suspended at least once – a rate higher than the 2015 unemployment rate. The statewide out-of-school suspension rate of African-American students is over 10%. Garrett County in Eastern Maryland, where there is a small African-American population (less than 1% as of 2013), has been suspending African-American students at the rate 21.67% since 2014. The higher rate of suspension for African-American students is a factor across the state (except for Baltimore city) but especially prevalent in counties with a low population of African-American residents. These numbers include the students who are being suspended at the pre-K level. According a report by Duke University, African-American students with emotional, behavioral, or learning disabilities are the most likely to be suspended. In some cases, Black students are suspended for minor misconduct. So, not only is the practice of suspensions having a disparate impact on students of color, but it leads to higher drop-out rates, lower performances, and it does nothing to improve school safety. When a student who has very little parental supervision at home is suspended, is the problem solved? Simply put, no, and these are the students that need adult guidance the most. At the pre-K level, this practice doesn’t seem to factor in that most parents work long hours, and many work for an hourly income, so suspending a toddler for acting up can potentially cause financial hardship for that family. Under the current law, local school systems are charged with establishing their own methods for dealing with disruptive students. In doing so, principals have been authorized to suspend pre-K students for up to 10 school days and expel a pre-K student with the approval of the superintendent. The unintended consequences of this system is that minority students are disproportionally and more frequently suspended which is linked to higher drop-out rates and future run-ins with the law. This pervasive problem is why banning pre-K suspensions is one of the top priorities of the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland for the 2017 Legislative session. The practice of pre-K suspension is a repugnant attempt at solving a hard problem with a seemingly easy solution, and it does way more harm than good. Meanwhile there are alternatives to suspension that have been proven to work effectively. These alternatives to suspension are more likely to achieve the

Andy Pierre

desired results, rather than giving a student a vacation for misbehaving. Black Caucus member Senator William C. Smith of Montgomery County has introduced legislation to address this problem. Senator Smith’s bill, that will be heard in the Senate on March 8, prohibits the suspension or expulsion of pre-Kindergarten students while requiring the school to employ special intervention methods and provide support to address behavioral problems in students. Andy Pierre is the Executive Director of the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland.

Civil Rights: Unfinished Business of Our Nation’s History As one of his final acts in office, President Obama established the Freedom Riders National Monument. Building upon the ‘Journey of Reconciliation,’ an integrated bus ride through the Upper South 56 years ago, the Freedom Riders sought to test if bus stations in the Deep South were complying with U.S. Supreme Court desegregation decisions. On a fateful May 14, 1961, the first Freedom Riders group from Washington D.C, pulled into a Greyhound bus station in Anniston, Alabama—a site now protected for the future. There the riders, Black and White, were viciously attacked by a violent mob. As rocks were thrown, windows broken, and tires slashed, police officers belatedly arrived to clear a path. Two cars pulled ahead that slowed the bus to a crawl and the vehicle’s slashed tires gave out and a flaming bundle of rags was thrown through one of the windows, causing an explosion with the riders still inside. The mob outside tried to prevent the riders from leaving before they were rescued by a Baptist minister. The long reign of violence and legal and illegal discrimination left its mark on our society, leaving a poisoned legacy that persists to this day. However, the courage and determination of the Freedom Riders paved the way for the

Ramona Edelin

Civil Rights Act of 1964 and voting rights legislation that helped bring reform. Sadly, many inequalities and much prejudice still endure. This is not simply about societal attitudes, but also a result of both historic and present inequality. For decades, even after the end of formal segregation, the needs of urban youth and their families were neglected. Their lives began with few resources, which included a substandard public education. The District of Columbia was no stranger to public educational neglect. Children with the most acute need for a high-quality public education were chronically underserved, with consequences that cast a shadow over a lifetime. But a change came—this year is the 20th anniversary of chartered public schools opening in the District. In that time, they have proved their worth to parents. Charters now educate 46 percent of all students in public school, transforming the prospects of so many. Importantly, this education reform provided choice for parents who did not have the means to move to access public education in a suburban area, or pay for private school. And the result has been an improvement both for students attending the thriving public charter school network, and those enrolled in the traditional system, D.C. Public Schools. The on-time—within four years- high-school graduation

rate, which involves tracking high-school students from entry into and graduation from high-school, was 72 percent for District public charter schools and 68.5 for DCPS this year. This is a big improvement from twenty years ago, when an estimated half of all high-school students failed to graduate— with all the avoidable consequences that involved. D.C. public charter schools have led in the improvement of standardized test scores, and – more importantly – in innovation, enriched learning and parental and student involvement. Empowered by their ability to offer a tuitionfree public education in which they can choose their own school curriculum and culture, while being held accountable for improved student performance, charters have been free to raise the bar for their students. All District students have benefited. Providing the strong public education that is the birthright of every American will take our society forward in ways that we cannot foresee today. The courage that the Freedom Riders showed nearly a quarter of a century ago can still be channeled for all of our children—and move us forward. Dr. Ramona Edelin is the executive director of the D.C. Association of Chartered Public Schools and a longtime civil rights activist.

Beattyville and Baltimore Are More Alike than Different As I sat watching the CNN documentary news recently, a segment on Beattyville, Ky. came across the screen. The title read, “Trump gives America’s ‘poorest white town’ hope.” This town rated as America’s poorest area from 2008 to 2012. Beattyville residents voted 81 percent for Donald Trump. Over half of the people there rely on food stamps. Many depend on Obamacare. Over 50 percent are on Social Security disability. The town is 96 percent White. There are no Blacks. Beattyville is not far from the town where President Lyndon Johnson declared his infamous “War on Poverty” in 1964. According to stereotypes these folks were ignorant White racist, crackers that supported Trump because of his demagogic views. According to Hillary Clinton, they were part of the “basket of deplorables.” Wrong. Their primary gripes included neither the words “nigger” nor “race.” They talked about the lack of jobs and hopelessness as reasons for their

Ken Morgan

plight. They said that President Trump gave them hope that previous administrations did not deliver. My mind raced back to Baltimore City and the similarities most of the 63 percent of Blacks residing in Charm City have in common with this eastern rural Kentucky town. For young Black men joblessness hovers at 37 percent. Poverty spills to almost one quarter of the city’s population. A sense of hopelessness exists. Over 90 percent of residents voted for Hillary Clinton. Does President Trump possess the power to create jobs and bolster hopes of Beattyville residents? For that matter did former President Obama exercise that power? The answer is no. Trump gives hope on the false premise that eliminating bad trade agreements e.g., (North American Fair Trade Act (NAFTA), Trans Pacific Pact (TPP), and slashing taxes and regulations will bring back jobs to the U.S. Obama said that making trade deals such as NAFTA and the Trans Pacific Pact would help keep profit makers happy in all countries involved,

and assure long-term growth and jobs. Obama kept some regulations--not enough--to quench the thirst of corporate greed. Although he did not slash taxes, he delivered revenues to businesses too large to fail. Meanwhile, Beattyville and Baltimore residents continued to wait. One solution is to increase the number of social gains and entitlements such as Social Security, unemployment compensation, etc., that helped working people. Take the private out of Obamacare and replace it with single payer free health insurance for all. Put folks to work to renovate the failing infrastructure. Make public key industries that are presently in private hands. One local solution is to enact a $15 an hour minimum wage and a union now a law. Kenneth O. Morgan is an assistant professor and coordinator of the Urban Studies Program in the Department of Criminal Justice and Applied Social and Political Sciences at Coppin State University in Baltimore.

The opinions on this page are those of the writers and not necessarily those of the AFRO. Send letters to The Afro-American • 2519 N. Charles St. • Baltimore, MD 21218 or fax to 1-877-570-9297 or e-mail to editor@afro.com

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The Afro-American, Afro-American, February February 25, 25, 2017 2017 -- March February 3, 2017 25, 2017

Analysis

Dems Could Miss Crucial State Contests in 2017 By Charles D. Ellison Special to the AFRO

Talk of Democrats making a comeback is mostly focused on 2018 Congressional midterms and the 2020 presidential election. But there are a series of major state legislative races just around the corner in 2017, many observers and some Democratic strategists point out, that the party is missing. This week, three states are holding special elections where the Senate chamber is up for grabs: Connecticut, Delaware and Washington. Democrats find themselves on the cusp of losing slim control of the state Senate in each, handing early scoreboard victories to Republicans despite a non-stop tsunami of remarkable scandals, gaffes, and missteps from the barely month old Trump administration. Still some months away, but in play on the state electoral map, are major gubernatorial and state legislative races in New Jersey and Virginia. Those won’t be until November, but observers are starting to doubt Democrats will manage to replace the outgoing Chris Christie (R-N.J.) with one of their own or keep the Virginia governor’s mansion in their hands after the departure of Terry McAuliffe (D-Va.). Democrats also have a chance to make significant gains in upcoming House of Delegate elections, particularly considering the Commonwealth’s close political proximity to Washington, D.C. But, there are no signs of aggressive voter mobilization efforts from Democrats. Interestingly, four of the five states in play for 2017 are places where Black residents are nearly 15 percent or more of the population. In Delaware, Blacks are 24 percent of the state’s population. In Connecticut, they are 13 percent. In states like New Jersey and Virginia, Black residents account for 16 and 21 percent (respectively) of the overall population. “It’s less sexy, but this really needs to be a part of the conversation,” said Stefan Hankin, a longtime Democratic strategist and now president of Lincoln Park Strategies, a D.C.based polling analytics firm. “It’s one thing to march in the streets and delete Uber. But,

AP Photo/LM Otero

Republican-controlled state legislatures around the country, such as in Texas, are taking steps to tighten voting laws, which critics say is an attempt to suppress Democratic voters. if we’re not affecting electoral outcomes, this is all for naught. Sometimes it’s tough to get excited over a state that’s just not there on the radar. Republicans understand it, though – from school board to dog catcher . . . They’re busy building their bench.” Hankin explains that Republicans discovered, years ago, the benefit of shaping policy on the local and state level. It’s something Democrats have not learned to leverage in their failure to mobilize coalitions during state and local elections or during dreaded “off cycles” when presidential elections aren’t taking place. At the moment, Democrats seem comfortable on paper in New Jersey. A January Quinnipiac University Poll showed leading Democratic contender and former U.S. ambassador to Germany Phil Murphy ahead of Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno by 16 points.

But, 22 percent of voters in that poll are undecided and Murphy has less name recognition among voters than Guadagno. In addition, there are early signs of an intense Democratic primary brawl that could leave

“…if we’re not affecting electoral outcomes, this is all for naught.” – Stefan Hankin Democrats exposed and weakened, thereby giving Republicans a moment to rally around Guadagno. It feels a lot like 2016 for Democrats. “Murphy gets the Democratic vote and Guadagno has the Republican vote,” observes

Quinnipiac’s Mickey Carroll. “It looks like Goldman Sachs versus the lieutenant governor who spent four years in Christie’s shadow. Will other challengers perk up? Will it be strictly a party-line election?” The demographics in these states are important, especially when considering the crucial role Black voters play in creating the most loyal brand of the Democratic Party’s base. There is an expectation that Black voter mobilization is the key to either maintaining Democratic hold on local, state, and federal seats or helping the party make gains. And, should Republicans further cement their dominance of state legislatures nationwide, GOP lawmakers could renew a drive towards voter suppression laws in states with large multicultural populations. The problem for Democrats is that elections on the state and local level almost always produce very low turnout among voters. Only 20 percent of voters nationwide know their state legislator. And Democrats generally have trouble raising local and state election awareness among their voter coalitions, which includes Black, Brown, and young voters. The other problem: Democrats may be too overconfident in the assumption that voters are angry enough with Trump to notice off-cycle state elections and to vote Democrat across the board. In addition, Democrats are currently consumed by a long battle for party chair that has opened up a bruising fight between progressives and pragmatists. “I think once the national DNC leadership race is done, they’ll be able to refocus,” says Emory University’s Andra Gillespie. For Gillespie, there’s a bigger question of whether or not Democrats can make inroads in a hostile political environment. “Whites are becoming a shrinking portion of the American electorate,” adds Gillespie, emphasizing state elections and Congressional midterms, noting that could be used to Democrats’ advantage. “They have to look into not only winning some White voters back but also finding ones on the progressive scale you can turnout while maximizing your multicultural coalition.”

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February 25, 2017 - March 3, 2017, The Afro-American

BALTIMORE-AREA

‘Fight for $15’ Wage Is On

Race and Politics

Setting an Agenda for Trump and HBCUs

In the midst of what most have characterized as a chaotic (to be charitable) Sean Yoes first month of the Senior AFRO Trump Contributor presidency (failed Muslim ban, millions protesting against Trump globally, General Flynn ousted as National Security Adviser, alternative facts, and of course the burgeoning Russia scandal), a potentially fascinating meeting was allegedly proposed; Trump sitting down with several presidents of Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Given the daily struggle the Trump White House seems to have with veracity, initially many weren’t even sure if the offer was real. Or if was true, whether it would simply be another Black History Month photo op for the 45th president. However, an hour-long conversation with Morgan State University president, Dr. David Wilson on First Edition, Feb. 16, shed new

“I can confirm that the meeting is indeed going to take place.” –Dr. David Wilson light on what could be a critical moment connected to the plight of America’s Black colleges and universities. “I can confirm that the meeting is indeed going to take place,” Wilson said. Morgan’s president also provided some historical context to a potential Trump executive order on HBCU’s. “What is being proposed by the current president is nothing new. The HBCU executive order creating the White House initiative on HBCUs, was actually started with former president Jimmy Carter. And each president after President Carter; Reagan, Bush 41, former President Clinton, Bush 43 and former President Obama, have all reauthorized that executive order,” Wilson said. “And so, my understanding is that what the current president is working on is the continuation of that executive order that goes back to President Jimmy Carter. Basically, what the order has said in the past, is there

Continued on B2

AFRO’s 125th Anniversary

By Briahnna Brown Special to the AFRO

Spotlight on Black Educators: Sonja Santelises, CEO, BCPS By Briahnna Brown Special to the AFRO Baltimore City Public Schools (BCPS) CEO Sonja Santelises has always loved everything about the learning process. As an educator, she said she is privileged to be able to merge the need to engage in work that impacts those beyond her inner circle, and leverage her position as a Black woman in power to provide opportunity for others to maximize their talent. Even though she is still in her first year in the position, she’s no novice to the city’s school system; she was chief academic officer for BCPS from 2010-2013. After serving for three years as vice president for K-12 policy and practice at The Education Trust, a D.C.-based nonprofit that advocates for closing the achievement gap for students of color and those living in poverty, she returned to city schools in May 2016, taking the helm as CEO with plans to build systems and supports to turn the school system around. Santelises replaced Gregory Thornton after only two years. Santelises said the school system is committed to supporting educators around curriculum implementation, connecting school to the working world, and moving to seeing students as whole people and not just a compilation of their test scores. She said that to improve education for the city’s students, many of whom are African American, there has been a push to help young Black students “assert their personhood” through literacy and seeing themselves in literature while providing them with

the tools to “defend the knowledge that many of them already have.” “There are schools that do a good job at that now, but, as I think everyone would agree, we don’t have enough,” Santelises told the AFRO. “We don’t have a majority of schools that know how to do that. We need to be far more flexible and results oriented in our thinking about how we get there, what that actually looks like, what it means, and how we really are helping young people feel the connection between what they’re learning today and how that’s going to impact them tomorrow.”

“We need to be far more flexible and results oriented in our thinking about…how we really are helping young people feel the connection between what they’re learning today and how that’s going to impact them tomorrow.” – Sonja Santelises Santelises has been implementing these changes while facing an unprecedented budget shortfall. She released a public letter in Jan. informing the public that there will be layoffs of over 1,000 faculty and staff, in addition to cuts in art classes and enrichment programs, if state and city officials fail to close a $130 million budget gap, the largest in recent history. The state is already facing its own $544 million budget gap, and much of the city’s funding has gone to policing rather than education. “Unfortunately, the Baltimore City Public Schools System is forced to address a structural deficit, and I know Dr. Santelises Continued on B2

Baltimore City residents of all ages were fired up at a Fight for $15 Baltimore kick-off rally on Feb. 16 night at New Waverly United Methodist Church in East Baltimore. Workers and their families came to show their support for a reintroduced $15 per hour minimum wage bill currently being considered by city council. “We just wanted to kick off the campaign, let folks know that the fight for $15 is back and that we’re still fighting for it in Baltimore,” Fight for $15 Baltimore Coalition Chair Ricarra Jones told the AFRO.

Photo by Briahnna Brown

Fight for $15 Baltimore Coalition Chair Ricarra Jones speaks to the crowd at a kick off rally encouraging attendees to keep fighting for the bill. “Nationally, we’ve seen a lot of wins lately…we’re not going to stop fighting in Baltimore for our workers and for our communities and for our families. “ Maryland will be increasing the minimum wage from $8.75 to $10.10 statewide by 2018, but Continued on B2

Baltimore PRT and BGV Host ‘Hidden Figures’ Viewing for Over 400 Rally Draws Hundreds in Baltimore City School Girls By James Bentley AFRO Associate Editor jbentley@afro.com On Feb. 19, The President’s RoundTable (PRT) in conjunction with Black Girls Vote (BGV) sponsored a viewing of the award-winning motion picture “Hidden Figures” at the historic Senator Theatre for young women in Baltimore. The critically acclaimed film is a fact-based drama about the

Continued on B2

Courtesy Photo

Hundreds of school children were given the opportunity to see the award winning drama ‘Hidden Figures.’ Seated front center are Black Girls Vote Founder and CEO Nykidra Robinson and President’s RoundTable Chairman Robert L. Wallace.

Support of Md. HBCU Equality Lawsuit By Deborah Bailey Special to the AFRO Hundreds of HBCU students, alumni and supporters rallied this week to show their support for Maryland’s four HBCUs in the final days of the historic HBCU equality lawsuit and to lay out a vision for the future. “We’re writing history for all people attending HBCUs across America,” DeJuan Patterson, one of the rally’s lead organizers, told a crowd that filled the Eutaw Street Masonic Lodge. The rally brought supporters of the state’s four Continued on B2

AFRO Photo/Deborah Bailey Courtesy photo

Hundreds of students, young alumni, and other supporters show up for HBCU Rally at Masonic Lodge in Baltimore.

Past Seven Days

48 2017 Total

Data as of Feb. 22

The Afro-American, February 25, 2017 - March 3, 2017

Race and Politics Continued from B1

should be attention on the part of the federal agencies toward making strategic investments in HBCUs. One of the scores of HBCU presidents invited to the meeting, which is set to take place on Feb. 27 and Feb. 28 is Dr. Roslyn Clark Artis, president of Florida Memorial University, a private, four year, liberal arts school with a current enrollment of about 1,200 students, in Miami Gardens, Fla. “I would like to think that any support to be directed toward the historically Black colleges and universities will be viewed as a smart investment,” Artis said during a recent interview with CBS. “I think in the political discourse, I think we can have differences of opinion. We can engage in intelligent dialogue and debate...We are always open to a well thought out dialogue on the issues. I would like to believe that the president’s savvy, business savvy, and therefore recognizes an investment when he sees it,” Artis added. Wilson described one of the overarching goals of the

meetings with the Trump White House. “The purpose...is to sit down with the domestic policy advisers in the White House and share with them the needs and opportunities for further investments in this genre of institutions that quite frankly, gave rise to the Black Middle Class in this country,” Wilson said. The obvious question is, does Wilson plan to attend? “I have thought about that for the last couple of weeks or so. I have registered, but along the way, I am still in consultation with a number of major constituents at Morgan. I am planning a dialogue with the members of the Morgan State University national alumni board and presidents of clubs. Also...I’m meeting with our student leaders to hear their perspective on this as well,” Wilson said. “But, at the end of the day I certainly think that it is an opportunity for HBCUs to set an agenda and not to be placed in a position where we are reacting to someone else’s agenda. And

so, if I in the end...if I am raising my hand and saying yes, I am going to go, it will be with very clear goals in mind. I’m not interested in any photo opportunity, that’s just not who we are at Morgan,” Wilson added. “And so the first goal would be to insure that there is a clear appreciation and understanding of the great history, role, legacies and contributions that historically Black colleges have made to the competitiveness of America. That would be the first goal that I would want to pursue in going to this meeting because there cannot emerge...I don’t want any quote, unquote alternative facts to emerge about our institutions that are not necessarily accurate. If you are not at the table, you could very well be on the menu.” 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.

Wage

Continued from B1 sponsors of the bill are proposing an additional raise to $15 an hour by 2022 The bill for a $15 minimum wage in Baltimore City lost by one vote last year, but Councilwoman Mary Pat Clark reintroduced the bill just last week with some added compromises. Under the new bill, starting in 2019, large employers must meet the $15 minimum wage by 2022, but small businesses (under 50 employees) will not have to raise employee wages to $15 an hour until 2026. The proposal would increase pay incrementally each year. “Individual families, individual workers who work so hard, in justice, should be able to earn enough to be self-sufficient,” Clark said. “I think we have a shot, and I think in justice, and to bring Baltimore together, it’s one of the things we must do. The gap in earning is a gap in the city, and we can’t live this way.” There is also an age restriction in this bill that excludes workers under the age of 21 from receiving the new wage. Advocates of the bill have planned to push back against that portion, as it would exclude a large percentage of the hourly wage workforce—35.4 percent of the hourly wage workface being aged 1619, according to data from a 2012 George Mason University study.

The first hearing for the bill will be held on March 1 at 5 p.m. at city council chambers. Bowie State University economics professor Latanya Brown said that increasing the minimum wage for those covered under the proposal could increase the consumption habits and economic security, which she said will benefit the overall economy. She noted that according to a Pew Research study, those earning a minimum wage have lost 9.6 percent of their purchasing power, and because people in that wage group generally spend their money right away on necessities rather than saving it, retail stores would see an increase in profit. “A lot of the claims from small businesses and so forth, their prices—if you think about the prices of the goods and services they offer—their prices constantly go up with inflation, but the workers that they’re paying, their wages are not going up with inflation as well,” Brown said. “So, who’s pocketing the difference between those changes?” Jacq Jones, owner of Sugar, a retail store in Hampden, said that she is in full support of the fight for $15, and hopes other small business owners, who have generally been against this bill, will feel the same. “As a business owner, I’m interested in

dollars and cents and I’m interested in data,” Jones told the crowd at the rally. “The truth is, when you pay your people fairly, when you treat them decently, shockingly they work harder and your business is more successful. When my coworkers don’t have lights at home, they don’t sleep well, they don’t eat well, and they’re not able to do well. That’s not good for me, and that’s not good for them.” Jonathan Hutt, 51, is a security officer at Johns Hopkins University and a strong advocate for workers’ rights and the $15 minimum wage. He said that if people band

together for this cause, a change can be accomplished. “How can you expect someone that’s constantly out here working, slaving, and then they can’t afford nothing after they get paid because a higher cost of living is not where it’s supposed to be when you’re at a certain pay rate at your job?” Hutt said. “We shouldn’t have to work constantly throughout our period of life and be poor. We should be to a point where we work and we survive, not work and be poor and then we die poor. No, absolutely not.”

Santelises Continued from B1

is using every resource available to her to address this situation,” Mayor Catherine Pugh said in a statement responding to the crisis. While school officials have asked city and state legislators for $65 million to help decrease the budget gap, Santelises said that she has no commitments yet from the State House or City Hall to aid city schools. Still, she said that she is encouraged by the outpouring of support from the community, and the advocacy shows an “understanding of the link between education and the future vitality of this city.” “I’m hopeful that a lot of people who have expressed a willingness to support,” Santelises said. “I think in the end though, it’s going to be the mobilization of families and neighbors who will make sure that the promises of support reap tangible results.” “I’m willing to be held accountable for moving the needle on the achievement, on the options for young people, on improving schools,” Santelises continued, “but to do that without a discussion about the resources that are required, and hard, cold commitments to support that, it is really a fanciful discussion rather than one that is really about commitment.” Through the budget struggles, Santelises has been able to work to improve the educational experience for city students through various initiatives like a partnership with Johns Hopkins and some of the city’s elementary schools, and the robotics courses offered in some middle grades’ curriculum, which offers a different way for students to view STEM that is much more hands-on with real-world application. In the face of much of what has been a negative conversation about the condition of the city school system, Santelises remains hopeful that there will be more high-quality options for the children in city schools, as she said she sees “great potential” in Baltimore. “This really is about preparing generations of leaders in Baltimore City, and that for all of the disparaging news and results that we hear about education, I think it’s important for people to know that we do have schools that are getting it done for kids,” Santelises said. “The challenge is we need more and we need it to be fair, widespread and we need to move it to the next level.”

PRT and BGV Continued from B1

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The role of Rachel Marron will be played by Jasmin Richardson for the Saturday matinee and Sunday evening performances.

contributions of Black female mathematicians to the U.S. space program. Robert L. Wallace, chairman, PRT and founder and CEO of BITHGROUP Technologies, as well as one of the organizers of the event, told the AFRO that when the movie debuted he canceled a business trip so that he could escort his three granddaughters. “I have never seen my grandchildren so moved by a movie before. They were mesmerized by how these three African American female heroes endured and overcame the sexism and racism that they confronted in their pursuit of careers in engineering and science. At that moment, I thought to myself, ‘we need to find a way for all Black girls in the Baltimore City School System to see this movie.’”

Rally

Continued from B1 HBCUs together to lay out next steps as the remedial phase of the lawsuit closes out on Feb. 21. During those proceedings, the parties to the lawsuit will attempt to agree on a plan to address the illegal duplication of HBCU programs at other state schools. Organizers are hoping to fill the courtroom in the final days. “You being at the courthouse makes a difference,” said Rashad Staton, Morgan State University alum and co-organizer of the evening’s event. “Let’s stand in the courtroom on Thursday and let’s stand in the court next Tuesday so we can send a message to every level of government that we value our own lives.” Earl Richardson, president emeritus of Morgan State University, reminded the audience that the state of Maryland will act in their interest only as long as HBCU supporters press for change. “Since we went to court, you see buildings going up on our campuses,” Richardson said. “As soon as the pressure is off, they will go back to business as usual. They will stop immediately if pressure is not applied.” The last two days of testimony in the remedial – Rashad Staton phase were scheduled for Feb. 16 and Feb. 21 at the U.S. Federal District Court of Maryland, 101 West Lombard Street in Baltimore. Court is in session from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm each day. ”It’s up to us to create our own stories,” Patterson urged the gathering. “Ask where your university president stands on these issues,” he said.

“You being at the courthouse makes a difference.”

February 25, 2017 - March 3, 2017, The Afro-American

â&#x20AC;&#x153;He brought the country back from the brink of financial disaster after big banks caused the economy to collapse. He saved over a million jobs by bailing out the American auto industry. He gave healthcare to over 30 million Americans with the Affordable Care Act. He ended the war in Iraq and ordered the raid that killed terrorist mastermind Osama Bin Laden. In his second term, he fought to make same-sex marriage legal in all 50 states. He issued wide ranging executive actions on climate change, immigration and initiating sanctions against Russia for the atrocities in the Ukraine. So if you want to know what a president doesâ&#x20AC;Śthatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what a president does!â&#x20AC;?-Whoopi Goldberg (honoring President Barack Obama for Black History Month.) February is the designated month to celebrate the accomplishments of African-Americans but we who know, celebrate Black history daily, every time we plug in an iron, ride an elevator, navigate the traffic in Washington DC., eat a peanut, get a blood transfusion or have a shoe repaired and the list continues. Our Black history is rich in cultures including the Arts, Theater, and Music. So the next time you are at a red light, eating a bag of potato chips, ironing a shirt, read a classic by Richard Wright, hear Paul Robesonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s voice, or watch a play by Lorraine Hansberry or August Wilson, remember you are celebrating Black history because an African-American created it and made it possible. We all are living history and we are history makers. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I wish I knew how it feel to be free.â&#x20AC;?-Nina Simone Did you know that Ethel Waters, Hattie McDaniel and Louise Beavers all played Beulah in the 1950â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s debut of this TV show and were the first African- American women to star in a TV show as the main character. Did you know Robert Johnson was called the father of the Mississippi Delta Blues? Legend has it that Robert Johnson sold his soul to the devil one midnight hour at the crossroad of 61st and the 49th in Clarksdale Mississippi after years of trying to learn how to be the best guitar player. Coppin State Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Homecoming 2017 was a huge success with different events to highlight the homecoming season. Among the activities were â&#x20AC;&#x153;Paint and Sipâ&#x20AC;?, a red themed happy hour, green themed dinner dance and a jazz brunch featuring Isaac Parham. The celebration continued with Coppin State Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s homecoming win over Bethune â&#x20AC;&#x201C;Cookman in a close

basketball game. The crowd of alumnus and friends remained Vernal Pulliam, Warren Pulliam, Marsha Reeves- Jews, Myrtle on their feet until the final buzzer with Coppin winning by Britton and my youngest son, Michael Gregory Lee. A special one point. The homecoming game win was a perfect ending 93rd birthday to Bernice Smith White, a history maker at to the weeklong activities that greeted students, friends and the Social Security Administration who was the first African alumni with the theme from â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Wizâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no place like American woman policy maker. home.â&#x20AC;? A special thanks to Stephen and Kathleen Levinson for Baltimore County Urban League hosted their first Black being such gracious hosts at their breathtaking Homeland home and White Ball at Martinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s West with more than 250 people when my friend Ora Reed and her friend Atsuko Masutani from in attendance including Howard Henderson Urban League Japan were in town. Some of Oraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Baltimore friends stopped Director. Guests were enjoying and dancing to the music of by to visit. Among the guests enjoying a delightful Sunday Reminisce, a band featuring John Lamkins and Craig Alston. afternoon were Barbara and Dwight Pettit, Marty Bass, Brenda Our beautiful host Stacia Mobley gave each guest a thank Williams and Senator Michael Bowen Mitchell. Present in you note with a power ball ticket making us hopeful winners. spirit was the Godfather of us all, James Biddy Wood, who Guests sparkling in the night were Howard Eady, Cheryl was the connecting link in this dynamic friendship. Ora has Crawford, Sheryl Deer, Jerry Maddox, Odyssey and Myra entertained and lived all over the world, including Dubai and White-gray, Debbie Allen, Senator Michael Bowen Mitchell, Japan, but still shares her love of Baltimore. Alicia Jackson, Marc Boles, Dennis and Bernie Christmas, Good news: Robert â&#x20AC;&#x153;Bobbyâ&#x20AC;? Chambliss is recuperating at Mike and Debbie Daniels, Octavia Smith and Wendell and Future Care Courtland, 7920 Scotts Level Road. Andrea Billips. Friends gathered at the newest restaurant Citron located â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got an odometer on my voice that has outin Quarry Lake to celebrate the birthday of my niece Sarita odometered an odometer on an automobile.â&#x20AC;?-Al Jarreau. Murray Oak. From the valet parking to the dĂŠcor one of Rest peacefully Al and Professor Irwin Corey. Baltimoreâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s premier restaurants, Citron has several dining areas for large or small parties, including a heated deck that Remembering a sweet spirit, Viola Jordan, one of the the owner graciously arranged for us as the party grew with neighborhood moms when we were growing up on Lyndhurst well-wishers stopping past to wish Sarita a happy birthday. It Street. Prayers to her children Sandra and Dr.Charles Coger, was great seeing Rorye and Dominic Jordan enjoying a night Annie Sinclair, Diane and Ivan Bell and Lozell Gibson. out from their childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s busy schedule. Other folks stepping out on a Saturday night were Mildred Harper, Zerita Ross, Stephanie and Reggie Farmer, Kay B and George Ray, Donnell Moses, Lamont Doobie, Kim Smalls, )#' ( " # ' + &) &+ # ( &!+ Dawn Milner and Marcy ( &#$$# * ( & )' # !! ( & ' Crump. * !! ( $% ' )# & ! $" % ! $# Happy birthday Jean & + &) &+ ( &$" , Dennis, Marty Glaze, * !! ( ! & (& ( %( '( )& $# Lamont Doobie, Rosalind ()& + &) &+ ( ( Anthony, Katie Lou Burrell, * !! ( ! & "$& ! & #' # Dr. Heyward Burrell, Captain ! & &+! # Gerald Brown, John Gilliam, # ! ) $ -$* &' ( " !+ ' ' ( ( $# ( $#' Jai Matthews, Gabrielle " # & # " ($ ( " & # &( ''$ ( $# Gilliam,Councilwoman Paula ( *** &( $& Johnson Branch, Sheryl Hamlett, Wayne Pulliam,

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The Afro-American, February 25, 2017 - March 3, 2017

Will Stewart and Ken Plummer

Coaches Allen Meacham Sr. and Allen Meacham Jr.

1977 Mustangs Team

Photos by Anderson R. Ward

Clay Troy and Junie Myers

The James Mosher Baseball Association Reunion was held on Feb. 18. The event, organized by Ken Plummer, was held at Colin’s Seafood Grill in Randallstown, Md. The James Mosher Baseball Association was formed in 1959 as a league for youth between the ages of 4 and 18. The Association is named after noted Baltimorean and Revolutionary War colonel James Mosher. This was the first reunion in over 40 years. Over 300 kids participate in the league. Coaches Allen Meacham Jr., Delmar Harrod and Association President William H. Neal were honored. Coach Allen Meacham Sr. (90 yrs old) was present. The James Mosher Baseball League has produced some of the best ballplayers in the city.

Red Dress Sunday was celebrated on Feb. 12 at Gillis Memorial Christian Community Church in Baltimore, Md. The Baltimore Fire department came out to check blood

Junie Myers, Alvin Campbell, Angelo Hicks, Allen Meacham Jr., Delmar Harrod, Milton Boone, Stanton Wilson, William H. Neal, Kevin Beckett and Ken Plummer

Red Dress Committee 2017, Gillis Memorial C.C. Church

Jackie Lipscomb being instructed on hands on C.P.R.

Mrs. L. Dickerson gave invitation to after church service

Baltimore’s Public Servants at their best

Photos by DeVone Marshal

pressure and gave information to promote good heart health. Red Dress Sunday was started as a way to raise awareness about the impact of heart disease on women.

The Red Dress Committee of Gillis Memorial Community Church and members of the Baltimore City Fire Department

Nu SigmaAlumni Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity

Choir of Gillis Memorial

The Nu Sigma Alumni Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity hosted their founders’ day on Jan. 7 at the Doubletree Hotel in Pikeville, Md. I Am My Brother’s Keeper was the theme. The honorable Jonathan A. Mason, Sr., 34th International President of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, served as the keynote speaker.

Blood brothers and fraternity brothers, Keith Price and Kevin Price, chapter vice president

Courtesy Photos

Fraternity members pinning Sigma Beta Club members

Brother Keith Harvey pictured with his son, Alex, scholarship recipient and engineering student at Morgan State University

Guest speaker the Honorable Jonathan A. Mason, Sr., 34thInternational President of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity delivers an inspiring keynote speech

Brothers Maynard Minor, Joe Phillips, Darryl Gould, Gary Johnson, Eric Holmes and Phil Thompson take a group picture

Brother Duane Johnson presents Karen Barnes, principal of the Southwest Academy with the Community Partnership Award

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

Don Basilio, president of Nu Sigma Sigma Alumni Chapter with wife, Danielle

Randallstown High School honor guard

February 25, 2017 - March 3, 2017, The Afro-American

ARTS & CULTURE

CeCe Winans Invigorates Gospel with Sound of the Sixties By Shantella Y. Sherman Special to the AFRO ssherman@afro.com Like the classic soul that defined Motown and The Sound of Philadelphia artists of the sixties, Grammy-award winning gospel artist CeCe Winans’, “Let Them Fall in Love,” offers a wistful and refreshing merger of two genres. Using inspiration amassed from years of growing up in Detroit during the height of the Motown sound, but restricted from listening to it by parents, Winans successfully ties gospel to the distinctive sounds of soul. “We lived down the street from the Four Tops, so we were very aware of all the other music. But it’s not what was allowed in our home. So, we heard it on the radio, or we heard it in school,” Winans told National Public Radio. “We knew good music when we heard it.” Winans said both the church and the Motown sound influenced much of her career in the same manner as early contemporary gospel artists like the late Andrae Crouch, who introduced Baptist and Pentecostal arrangements into modern productions. “People think of gospel as one way, but we found all the different styles of gospel and Christian music and don’t really feel like we missed anything,” Winans said. “When you listened to someone like Andrae Crouch, he had all the sounds, contemporary sounds.” Each offering on “Let Them Fall in Love” showcases tightly nuanced and composed songs that run the full gamut from the fast-paced, syncopated call and response of “Hey Devil,” featuring the Clark Sisters, to “Why Me,” which evokes the sound of blue-eyed soul artist Dusty Springfield

(Courtesy photo)

CeCe Winans’ new album, ‘Let Them Fall in Love,’ mixes classic soul and gospel music to produce a fresh sound. with a touch of Grand Ole Opry-style arranging. Following a move to Nashville several years ago, Winans, whose birth name was Priscilla Marie, one of 10 children

James Brown’s ‘Funky Drummer’ Clyde Stubblefield Dies at 73

AFRO History

Sam Lacy Scoop Derailed History at University of Maryland We’ll never know. Lacy knew D.C. back then the way the legendary TV and radio broadcaster Glenn Former Afro Sports Editor and Hall of Harris did in contemporary days. He had Fame journalist Sam Lacy was always ahead contacts throughout the insulated Black of his time. He tackled the social injustices community because of the segregated times of race in sports with a voracity that changed of the Jim Crow era. The grass roots local the complexion of college and pro athletics. sports community was his arena. With history He was so far ahead of the curve and his about to be made in his own backyard he relevance only grew was faced with a journalistic during his career because dilemma that confronts many of the organizations reporters and columnists he covered ultimately routinely. realized that they had to Lacy watched from afar face the harsh reality that as Singh’s reputation grew segregation was not in the nationally while the “Hindu” best interest of organized with game produced epic sports. performances against the Ivy Along the way, League’s best teams. Lacy however, there was a knew the family secret. Singh moment where Lacy, was Indian in name but not who died in 2003, and his by birth. intrepid brilliance derailed He was born in D.C. as history. Wilmeth Webb – son of Elias Wilmeth Sidat-Singh Webb, a Black pharmacist was an outstanding two from the Nation’s Capital sport athlete who starred and Pauline Miner. Wilmeth as a basketball player was raised in New York after at New York’s DeWitt Webb died from a stroke in Clinton High School in the 1925 and adopted by Miner’s early 1930s. After earning second husband -Samuel a scholarship to Syracuse Sidat-Singh - a West Indian and earning status as “the physician who gave him a only Hindu basketball new last name. player in the United But on Oct. 23 Lacy broke (Courtesy photo) States” Singh was asked the news that Singh would be Wilmeth Sidat-Singh was to play for the Orange’s playing in College Park and forced to sit out a game football team after he was that he was not Indian, but against the University of noticed on campus playing Black. It was a great piece Maryland in 1937 because he in an intramural game of compelling journalism for which should have been the was Black, not Indian as many D.C.’s Black community. believed. stuff of legend. However, it came at As soon as he stepped an enormous price for the on the football field his basketball athleticism Singh/Webb family. On the cold rainy the raw talent took over. He was the original day at Maryland’s stadium Syracuse dual threat athlete who was as dangerous University relented and kept Singh on the as a single wing running back as he was as sidelines. Instead of backing their player, a quarterback. He stood to become the first they capitulated to the rules of the times. Black football player to face Maryland in Wilmeth’s family was forced to watch as he College Park. was an innocent bystander in their shutout In 1937 Maryland played in the Southern loss. Conference, which forbade their schools to The story became a source of scorn and play against teams with Black players. Had ridicule for the family. Wilmeth should the secret of Singh remained in the closet he have been a hero but became a pariah. He’s would have broken that color barrier on Oct. barely a footnote historically. Decades later 24, 1937. If only he could have remained the University of Maryland apologized for behind the façade of his Hindu last name its racist behavior. The irony is Singh made maybe Syracuse wouldn’t have lost 13-0. headlines but never made history. By Mark F. Gray Special to the AFRO

(Amber Arnod/Wisconsin State Journal via AP)

Legendary drummer Clyde Stubblefield created one of the most widely sampled drum breaks ever. He died on Feb. 18

By The Associated Press Clyde Stubblefield, a drummer for James Brown who created one of the most widely sampled drum breaks ever, died Feb. 18. He was 73. His wife, Jody Hannon, told The Associated Press that Stubblefield died of kidney failure at a Madison, Wisconsin, hospital around noon. He had been suffering from kidney disease for 10 years, and had been hospitalized for a few days, she said. Stubblefield performed on several of Brown’s classics in the 1960s and early 70s, including “Cold Sweat,” ‘’Say It Loud — I’m Black and I’m Proud,” ‘’I’ve Got the Feelin’,” and the album “Sex Machine.” But he was best known for a short solo on Brown’s 1970 single, “Funky Drummer.” {Rolling Stone} magazine said it was sampled on over 1,000 songs and served as the backbeat for countless hip-hop tracks, including Public Enemy’s “Fight the Power,” Dr. Dre’s “Let Me Ride,” LL Cool

J’s “Mama Said Knock You Out” and Run-D.M.C.’s “Run’s House.” It even turned up on Ed Sheeran’s “Shirtsleeves” and George Michael’s “Freedom ‘90,” the magazine said. Hennon said Stubblefield saw “very little” in royalties and never expected them. But Stubblefield was held in high esteem by his fellow musicians. When Prince got wind in 2000 that Stubblefield was deep in debt from a fight against bladder cancer, he personally paid $90,000 to cover his bills, she said. “Clyde was considered his favorite drummer,” she added. Stubblefield was “a very nice southern gentleman” from Chattanooga, Tennessee, but had lived in Madison, his wife’s hometown, since the early 1970s, she said. He had long been a fixture on the local music scene. “He played here one time with James Brown and just fell in love with it,” Hannon said. Services are pending.

within a Holiness-Pentecostal family, began experimenting more with the contemporary sound of Christian music. For more than a decade she collaborated with brother, Benjamin “BeBe,” on several gospel works, including the 2009 “Close to You,” which garnered gospel, adult contemporary and R&B nods. Their crossover success, however, pales in comparison to this work, which secured a taping for the famed country music television show Austin City Limits. “I think that audience was, if not 100 percent, 90 percent new ears. They’d maybe heard my name, but maybe not. But they had a good time,” Winans said. “Earlier on in my career, or when I was a lot younger, maybe it would’ve made me nervous, because at that time you’re still figuring out who you are. At this age, this is who I am. Either you’re gonna really like me or you’re not. And I’m gonna be totally free in who I am.” In addition to showcasing the expansion of her musical skills, “Let Them Fall in Love” provided the perfect platform to continue the Winans family’s long-standing tradition of family inclusion with her son, Alvin Love, III serving as coproducer. Additionally, Love provided musical direction and wrote most of the tracks. “It took me a while to grasp everything he was saying. Some of the style of the songs when I first heard them, I was like, ‘Whoa, I don’t know if I can do this’. But I listened and I was like, ‘this is fresh,’ and that was his point. He was like, ‘Mom, I think you can do something that’s really awesome, that’s fresh, that’s different, yet it’s not you trying to be a teenybopper,’ and when I got it, I got it and I was really excited,” she said. “Let Them Fall in Love,” was released on Feb. 3, and is available through music streaming services and music retailers.

C2 The Afro-American, February 25, 2017 - March 3, 2017

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February 25, 2017 - March 3, 2017, The Afro-American

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The Afro-American, February 25, 2017 - March 3, 2017

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February 25, 2017 - March 3, 2017, The Afro-American

WASHINGTON-AREA

Is It Time to Reform the Youth Rehabilitation Act?

Colleagues Remember Former D.C. Council Member H.R. Crawford

By James Wright Special to the AFRO jwright@afro.com D.C. Council member Charles Allen (D-Ward 6), D.C. Public Defender Service general counsel Laura Hankins, and anti-violence activist Ronald Moten spoke on the Youth Rehabilitation Act (YRA), which came under fire after a newspaper series highlighted significant failings of the law. The Feb. 18 meeting of the Ward 8 Democrats, at the R.I.S.E. Center, was the host of this discussion. Charles Wilson, president of the Ward 8 Democrats, noted the significance of Black History Month and the large number of Black youth in the ward. Fortytwo people attended the panel discussion. According to the

Spotlight on Black Educators: University of D.C. President Ronald Mason By James Wright Special to the AFRO jwright@afro.com

Photos by Hamil Harris

D.C. officials, residents and Crawford’s family gathered at Saint Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Southeast D.C. to pay homage to the late politician. By Hamil R. Harris Special to the AFRO Saint Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Southeast D.C. was filled with elected officials, community leaders and a diverse quilt of political icons on Feb. 18 paying their final respects to former Ward 7 D.C. Council Member H.R. Crawford. Born Hazle Reid Crawford in Winston Salem, N.C. on Jan. 18, 1939, Crawford adopted the nickname H.R. after his parents brought him to Washington D.C. when he was only three. The son of a housekeeper and a father who worked for the government and operated a boarding house, Crawford developed a passion for real estate, public service, fancy cars and palatial homes. Crawford was elected to the D.C. Council in 1980 and though defeated in 1992, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) said, during the service, that Crawford never stop working for the people. “He relished the role of being a former council member.

He reminded me of Marion Barry.” Four pews at Saint Francis Xavier were filled with current and former members of the D.C. Council. Chairman Phil Mendelson (D) spoke about getting frequent calls from Crawford to help other residents in the city. “It was never for himself but for others,” he said. The Rev. Mary E. Ivey, chair of Access Housing, a nonprofit organization that provides housing, counseling, and rehabilitative services to homeless veterans, served as –Muriel Bowser the moderator of the funeral. She said Crawford founded the organization after he found homeless people sleeping and living under a bridge in Georgetown. “He had a heart of love for all people at a certain level of life and those trying to find their way,” she said. At a time when the District is polarized along racial and political lines, Crawford’s life is a testimony to things long gone. Before being elected to the council, he was appointed

The University of the District of Columbia is recognized federally as an urban land-grant institution and a HBCU. In May 2015, Ronald Mason was hired for

“He relished the role of being a former council member, he reminded me of Marion Barry.”

Courtesy Photo

Ronald Moten, an antigang violence activist and writer, speaks about the progress of the Youth Rehabilitation Act in keeping young people from being trapped in the criminal justice system. Department of Planning and Economic Development, Ward 8 has the largest number of residents in the city in the between birth and age 19. In 1985, the D.C. Council enacted the YRA to “separate youth offenders from more mature, experienced offenders” and to provide an “opportunity for a deserving youth offender to start anew through expungement of his criminal record.” The law applies to all crimes except for murder and convictions for a second crime of violence while armed. One of the major benefits of YRA treatment is that it “clears” or “sets aside” the conviction from the criminal record of the person who was sentenced. However, because the records are not “obliterated” but remain available to law enforcement personnel and court officials for “legitimate purposes,” a set-aside is not the same thing as an expungement. The Washington Post published a series in 2016 that questioned the value of the YRA and its effectiveness given the number of defendants helped by the YRA that continued to commit crimes. Allen, chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety, received a lot of feedback as a result of the series. Continued on D2

Continued on D2

Courtesy Photo

Ronald Mason, president of UDC, is using the school’s Vision 2020 plan to improve and add additional academic and facility services for students and staff. Continued on D2

DCPS Rodents, Bedbug Crisis May Mean City Infestation Issue By Shantella Y. Sherman Special to the AFRO ssherman@afro.com Following a week that identified bed bugs at Miner Elementary in Northeast, and citations by the D.C. Health department that shuttered luxury food depot Dean & Deluca and a Whole Foods – both in Georgetown – concerns have grown among city officials and residents that the District may soon be overrun with pests. The District of Columbia has long been a hub for rodents – with tunnels, waterways, and occasional lapses in abatement; however, the D.C. Department of Health said there has been a drastic increase in calls to report rats, following four years of steady rodent decline. The city logged more than 3,000 rat complaints in fiscal year 2015-2016, causing Mayor Muriel Bowser to launch a rat-riddance program. The program, linking the Department of Health with the National Park Service, began inspecting and treating national parks in the city, including DuPont Circle, where frequent visitors spot an average of 12 to 20 rats each visit. “The National Park Service is committed to ensuring safe, positive experiences for visitors in all of our parks, and this agreement with the D.C. Department of Health provides us better tools to control the rodent population,” said Robert Vogel, director of the National Capital Region for the National Park Service, in a statement. “By simplifying the reporting process and decreasing the response time for treatment of affected areas, we are working together

toward a rat-free D.C.” But for parents of Savoy Elementary School, in Southeast, scheduled to reopen Feb. 27 following a temporary closure to treat both rats and bedbugs, fears have not been so easily assuaged. Despite the efforts by DCPS to proactively work to prevent and treat potential threats from pests, a recent Orkin Pest Control report noted the District has seen a 57 percent increase in its rat population – stressing the increase was among rats, not mice. Similar to large cities like Philadelphia and New York, D.C. has extended its abatement programs with increased patrols and treatments. Still, with increased property development and infrastructure improvements, including breaking open ground to modernize pipes, results are minimal. Deputy Mayor for Education Jennifer Niles told the AFRO that abating rodents across the city, but especially in schools, required improved habits of those inside as well as structural improvements to keep vermin from entering buildings. “With the rodents, it isn’t always easy because with all of the construction we have in the city the displacement of one population of rats means that they go somewhere [else in the city],” Niles said. “We need to make sure that we have school buildings with no entry in for rodents, and when we have buildings where rodents have entered that we don’t allow them to thrive. Different sites have different challenges, but these are best practices.” Ward 6 resident Donna Haskins told the

Continued on D2

Courtesy photo

Suspect sought in connection with two convenience store robberies in D.C. on Feb. 18.

Man Robs 2 D.C. 7-Eleven Stores Over Holiday Weekend By Briana Thomas Special to the AFRO The Metropolitan Police Department is currently searching for a man who robbed two convenience stores in the middle of the night over the President’s Day weekend. According to police reports, a man armed with a shotgun walked into a 7-Eleven convenience store in the 5500 block of South Dakota Avenue, NE and demanded money from the clerk. The incident happened in the early morning hours on Feb. 18 when the suspect entered the food mart and fired a shotgun into the ceiling of the establishment. The employee then followed the robber’s commands to hand over money from the store register. The robber took the cash and fled the scene, police said. On Feb. 21 police released surveillance of the incident. The video shows a Black man dressed in all black, wearing a black coat and a baseball hat. The surveillance video also Continued on D2

The Afro-American, February 25, 2017 - March 3, 2017

Mason

Continued from D1 the presidency by the board of trustees of UDC and has since worked to upgrade the school. He told the AFRO of his many accomplishments since being selected as its administrative leader. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have received accreditation with commendations and we have been removed from federal financial aid probation,â&#x20AC;? Mason said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have an enrollment of 48 District of Columbia public school students including high performers such as 12 valedictorians and salutatorians.â&#x20AC;? UDC currently offers 75 undergraduate and graduate academic degree programs through its College of Agriculture, Urban Sustainability, College of Arts and Sciences; School of Business and Public Administration; School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, the Community College and the David A. Clarke School of Law. The university has 4,604 students according to its enrollment data, with the community college at 1,899 and the law school at 286. The university was founded in 1851 as a school for Black girls and has evolved through mergers and acquisitions for over a century. In 1977, three institutions, The D.C. Teachers College, Washington Technical Institute, and Federal City College, were merged to become UDC. The university is in the shadow of more well-known and privately-financed universities such as Howard University, Georgetown University, and George Washington University, but Mason said that UDC has its assets too.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The University of the District of Columbia Community College is ranked best community college in the DMV [District, Maryland and Virginia] by Wallet Hub,â&#x20AC;? Mason said of the ranking by the personal finance web site. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The university is ranked the No. 10 HBCU by the Wall Street Journal. Such recognition is the reason Mason was selected as UDCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leader. Before he came to Washington, Mason was the seventh president of the Southern University and A&M College system, where he served a five-year term and was president of Jackson State University. Mason also held top administrative positions with Tulane and Xavier Universities, both in New Orleans. He holds a bachelorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s degree and juris doctorate from

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The university is ranked the No. 10 HBCU by the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Wall Street Journalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. â&#x20AC;&#x153; â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Ronald Mason Columbia University in New York City. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Mr. Mason has proven himself as a leader in the higher education community in many parts of the country,â&#x20AC;? UDC Board chair Elaine A. Crider said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He has bought enhanced community relationships, responsible governance, and a strong

students-first focus to his past roles and will do the same for the University of the District of Columbia as we continue to implement the goals and objectives of our â&#x20AC;&#x153;Vision 2020â&#x20AC;? strategic plan.â&#x20AC;? The â&#x20AC;&#x153;Vision 2020â&#x20AC;? plan, adopted by the board on Feb. 18, 2014, lays out specific plans for raising money, recruiting students and faculty, improving and expanding the curriculum, and building the universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s infrastructure. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) has expressed confidence in Mason, saying he is â&#x20AC;&#x153;a leader with a wealth of experience.â&#x20AC;? Mason has simple but concrete academic and infrastructure goals for UDC. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our job is to enable every student who walks through our doors, whether enrolled in the workforce certification, associates, bachelor, graduate or professional degree, to reach their highest level of human potential,â&#x20AC;? the president said. Mason expects to open up a student apartment facility within two years, a first for what is considered a commuter school. Plus, he said, there are plans to expand the Backus campus in Northeast Washington and to completely renovate the Van Ness campus, in Northwest, that houses the administrative offices and undergraduate and graduate facilities. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is always an honor to be recognized,â&#x20AC;? he said of the recognition from the AFROâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2017 Black History Month celebration on Feb. 23. â&#x20AC;&#x153;To be recognized by your family is especially gratifying because family knows you better than anyone.â&#x20AC;?

Reform

Continued from D1 Allen said there was a great deal of discussion among his council colleagues after the series appeared. He said many council members wanted to sponsor legislation to fix the parts of the YRA the Washington Post criticized but he urged caution. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have to update the YRA, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no question about that,â&#x20AC;? the council member said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I told them not to introduce legislation but letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s go through a process. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s find out what is wrong with the YRA and letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s verify it in a way that is datadriven.â&#x20AC;? Moten takes issue with the premise of the series and said the YRA is a good law. He was a beneficiary of the YRA and managed to connect with an organization â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Cease Fireâ&#x20AC;ŚDonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Smoke the Brothers â&#x20AC;&#x201C; that helped turn his life around. Moten said only 3 percent of the YRA beneficiaries re-offend and if the law is changed

in a way that harms youth offenders, â&#x20AC;&#x153;we will go back to mass incarcerations.â&#x20AC;? Moten said the District government should spend more money on its youth. â&#x20AC;&#x153;People will commit criminal acts if they canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t feed their families. I hear stories of boys and girls being raped and people using their food stamps to buy drugs. There is a lot of anxiety in D.C. and we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to end up like Chicago.â&#x20AC;? Hankins said when a young person gets into the criminal justice [system] it is usually the U.S. Attorneyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Office that â&#x20AC;&#x153;gets first crack at them.â&#x20AC;? He said the U.S. Attorneysâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Office determines what the charge is and â&#x20AC;&#x153;they have the power to charge you as an adult at 16 or 17.â&#x20AC;? Allen said the discussion on YRA opens up a broader concern with the Districtâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s criminal justice system.â&#x20AC;?The city hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t updated its criminal code since 1901,â&#x20AC;? he said, which was a surprise to many in the audience. Allen, citing

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the major role he will have in correcting the YRAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s deficiencies, expects and wants strong community input. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I really think the problem is the judges,â&#x20AC;? Nydria Humphreys, a resident of D.C., told the AFRO. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think they should be responsible

for offender. I think there should be an oversight committee that consists of people from CSOSA [the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s post-incarceration monitoring agency] and some volunteer groups who act like jurors. Judges should be thinking about rehabilitation, not punishment and helping ex-offenders.â&#x20AC;?

Rodents

Continued from D1 AFRO that Nilesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; assessment should be a city-wide mandate for schools, residences, and businesses. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is easy to point a finger at DCPS or the individual restaurants and businesses, like Whole Foods, but the truth [is] whether you are downtown near the Archives, east of the river, or in ritzy Georgetown, the rats are everywhere,â&#x20AC;? Haskins said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Yet and still, people are still throwing garbage down, allowing their trash to overflow, and basically inviting the rats to hang out.â&#x20AC;? The DOH asks residents to: eliminate all clutter around the outside of homes and under porches; store any garbage in metal or heavy plastic containers with tight-fitting lids and place trash at point of collection shortly before pickup â&#x20AC;&#x201C; not days in advance; remove weeds and debris near your property/ yards where rats can hide easily. Plants such as English Ivy, Periwinkle, Pachysandra, and Hosta are known to be cover for rats; remove uneaten pet food, and store pet food in secure containers; and add metal weather stripping and trim to doors to prevent rodents from gnawing and entering underneath.

Crawford

Continued from D1 to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development as an assistant secretary by President Richard Nixon. Crawford graduated from Cardozo High School in 1957. He served in the Air Force from 1957 to 1965. He attended the D.C. Teachersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; college, Howard University, Chicago State University, and American University where, in 1968, he became the first person of color to obtain a certificate as a certified property manager. Former Gallaudet University President I. King Jordan forged a close bond with Crawford after both men were stationed at the Pentagon in the 1950s. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I was in the Navy and he was in the Air Force. I was an E4 and he was an E5,â&#x20AC;? Jordan said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The creases in his pants were so sharp it could cut paper.â&#x20AC;? Crawford went from the military to college to a career in public service that included serving as the chair for the Metropolitan Council of Governments and the

Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority. His passion, however, was providing affordable housing for those on the margins of life especially veterans. Brian Hawkins, director of the VA Medical Center of D.C., spoke about how Crawford loved veterans and he was impatient when veterans were mistreated. He said one day he got a call from Crawford that began with â&#x20AC;&#x153;You are killing veterans . . .â&#x20AC;? In addition to being the principle of Edgewood Management and other real estate ventures, Crawford was also a developer. D.C. Council member Vincent Gray (D- Ward 7) said he was on the phone with Crawford, recently, discussing the completion of several real estate ventures. As she stood on the steps of the church, former Mayor Sharon Pratt Kelly said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;He was smart, strategic, and he knew how to make things happen and we knew we had to close ranks and follow

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him.â&#x20AC;? Christine Brooks, who worked at the D.C. Department of Human Service during the Crawford years called him one of the last â&#x20AC;&#x153;godfathers,â&#x20AC;? in the city who tried to help people. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He was like Marion Barry,â&#x20AC;? she said.

7-Eleven Stores Continued from D1

shows a shop customer standing near the checkout counter cowering to the ground as the thief wielded the shotgun. A few minutes prior, the suspect robbed another establishment in the 4000 block of Georgia Avenue, NW, police reported. Around 3:41 a.m., surveillance video recorded the unidentified man walking into another 7-Eleven holding a shotgun, where he demanded money and store merchandise, according to police reports. Police are offering a reward for up to $10,000 for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the suspect. According to the police department, robberies in D.C. have decreased in the last two years by 28 percent as of Feb. 21 with 330 robberies in the city in 2017 compared to 456 at the same time in 2016. In 2016, there were 3,000 robberies, a 13 percent decrease from the 2015 total of 3,447. Officials did not return comment on the robberies before press time.

February 25, 2017 - March 3, 2017, The Afro-American

M G M N AT I O N A L H A R B O R C E L E B R AT E S BL ACK HISTORY MONTH W E C E L E B R AT E T H E L E A D E R S H I P, C O U R A G E A N D VISION OF THE INSPIRING AFRICAN AMERICANS W H O O V E R C O M E A D V E R S I T Y O N T H E I R PA T H S T O A C H I E V E M E N T. M G M N AT I O N A L H A R B O R . C O M

The Afro-American, February 25, 2017 - March 3, 2017

Dr. Glenda Newell Harris (center), 16th national president of the Links is joined by Kimberly Jeffries Leonard, (right) national vice president of the Links

Nurses from Marymount University provide on-site blood pressure screenings.

The Links (Arlington, Va. Chapter) held its 9th Annual Red Dress event “To Fight Women’s Heart Disease,” on Feb. 3 at the Army Navy Country Club in Arlington, Va. The event was held in collaboration with 12 Links chapters in the DMV (D.C., Maryland, Va.), promoted knowledge about heart healthy lifestyles, heart treatment procedures and nutrition to an audience of more than 400 people. Local health institutions presented exhibits with brochures and information packets with healthy heart information. Participating institutions were Inova Hospital, Howard University Hospital, Virginia Hospital Center, AARP, American Heart Association, The Heart Truth and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.

Media Veteran & Red Dress Emcee Jennifer Donelan (far left) moderates a panel on women’s heart health.

Dr. Nicole Martin, chair of the Red Dress Event (Arlington Va. Links), addresses the group.

Evie Brown (front right), president of the Arlington (VA) Links, takes notes during the discussion.

Danielle Turnipseed, cochair, Capital City Links Health Committee; Jeanie Carr, member, Capital City Links Health Committee; Samantha Duke, Inova CVIR nurse manager; Rebecca Weisz, cardio-invasive specialist, Inova; Dr. Kelly C. Epps, cardiologist, Inova; Stephanie E. Myers, PhD, member, Capital City Links Health Committee; Akilah Jefferson, co-chair, Capital City Links Health Committee; Ellen Wells, Capital City Links; Phyllis Green, co-chair, Arts Committee, Capital City Links. Not Pictured: Gloria Lawlah-Walker, president, Capital City Links

Courtesy photos

Grand Conductress Sheila Smith, Grand Master Phillip David, Grand Worthy Matron Patricia L. Young, Grand Worthy Patron Riccardo Montague, Associate Grand Matron Eunice J. Dingle, Associate Grand Patron Joseph A. Dingle and Associate Grand Conductress Angela Tyson Worthy Matron Asya Heatley, Worthy Patron Alan Castor and members of Datcher Chapter #7

Past Grand Worthy Patron Thomas L. Coleman and Past Grand Worthy Matrons Margaret E. Anderson, Bettie C. V. Reed, Jane Robison and Audrey Robinson Underwood

Worthy Matron Stephanie E. Thorne, Worthy Patron Leslie Thornton and members of Thrift Chapter #12

On Jan. 28, the Georgiana Thomas Grand Chapter (GTGC), Order of the Eastern Star Prince Hall Affiliation (PHA) held its annual Charity Ball at the Bethesda Marriott in Maryland. Approximately 400 guests were in attendance to witness Grand Worthy Matron Patricia L. Young, Grand Worthy Patron Riccardo Montague and 15 subordinate chapter Worthy Matrons and Worthy Patrons make their public debut to the Washington metropolitan community. The Honorable Phillip David, the 85th Most Worshipful Grand Master of the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia was also in attendance. Proceeds of the evening will go toward Grand Worthy Matron Young’s charities which include the Margaret E. Anderson Breast Cancer 5K Walk to benefit the Howard University Cancer Center and St. Jude’s Hospital.

Grand Conductress Shelia A. Smith, Grand Matron Patricia L. Young, Associate Grand Matron Eunice J. Dingle and Associate Grand Conductress Angela B. Tyson

Grand Worthy Matron Young and the 2017 Worthy Matrons, The Kiras - Women Moving Forward in Kindness Worthy Matron Tamia Powell and Worthy Patron James Berry and members of Audrey Robinson Underwood Military Chapter #15 Chairs of the GTGC Charity Ball Grand Financial Secretary Patricia Tutt and Past Matron Barbara Wells

Grand Worthy Matron Patricia L. Young pictures with Prince Hall Freemason and Eastern Star Charitable Foundation Board members Shari L. McCoy (secretary) and Kelli J. McCoy-Burkett (president)

Worthy Matron Tonya C. Fadis, Worthy Patron Corey M. Satterwhite and Members of Electa Chapter #6

Photos by Shari L. McCoy