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November 12, 2016 - November 12, 2016, The Afro-American A1 PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY EDITION

Volume 125 No. 24

JANUARY 14, 2016 - JANUARY 20, 2017

Inside Commentary

How to Stump Trump and Save the Environment

Farewell Mr. President

Baltimore • Racial Bias

Shadows Bike Share

By Cathy Allen

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Prince George’s

London Named Head of Bison’s Football Program

• Legislators AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais

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President Barack Obama waves on stage with First Lady Michelle Obama, daughter Malia, Vice President Joe Biden and his wife Jill Biden after his farewell address at McCormick Place in Chicago on Jan. 10.

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to Become Civil Rights Leaders Troubled by Sessions’ Epps First Black Attorney General Confirmation Hearings Crewmember on

By Shantella Y. Sherman Special to the AFRO ssherman@afro.com The first day of confirmation hearings for Sen. Jeff Sessions, brought The Leadership Conference’s Wade Henderson, People for the American Way’s Marge Baker, National Center for Transgender Equality’s Mara Keisling and Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund’s Thomas Saenz together to address immediate concerns over both Sessions’ lack of candor and

his colleagues’ inability to hold the nominee’s feet to the fire.

Several civil rights leaders, who spoke to the AFRO following the hearing on Jan. 10, stressed that Sessions’ initial Senate Judiciary Questionnaire showed omissions, mistruths, mischaracterizations, and a general lack of disclosure.

“Sessions consistently emphasized that he would enforce an array of civil rights laws, which [he] has previously voted against. For instance, hate crime legislation and the violence against

women act. Yet today’s hearings left unexplored the important powers of the Attorney General to shape and interpret the laws on the books and set priorities for how the department will enforce those laws,” Henderson told the AFRO. “The American people deserve a thorough vetting of Sessions’ 40 years of service including a full exploration of the views that led the Senate to reject Sessions’ nomination for a federal judgeship in 1987 as well Continued on A3

International Space Station

By Shantella Y. Sherman Special to the AFRO ssherman@afro.com NASA astronaut Jeanette Epps is set to become the first Black crewmember on the International Space Station when she goes into space

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HBCU ‘Equality Lawsuit’

UMES Struggles in Face of State Discrimination

By Deborah Bailey Special to the AFRO

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Lay Out 2017 Priorities

Juliette Bell, University of Maryland Eastern Shore President, knows something about making lemonade. She recently told Judge Catherine C. Blake about how she squeezes and juggles the difficulties she faces at UMES and stirs in as much success as possible, while beating back flies that are attracted to the sweet taste.

“We have to be vigilant about duplication of our programs outside of the Eastern Shore. There

Holder Urges Md. Bail Reform

By Zenitha Prince Senior AFRO Correspondent zprince@afro.com

Former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder was among those testifying in favor of reforming Maryland’s bail rules to ensure poor and minority defendants are not unfairly penalized during an hourslong hearing before the state’s highest court on Jan. 5.

The Court of Appeals heard hours of testimony from people both for and against proposed changes to Maryland’s bail statute—Rule Continued on A4

have been many attempts to have other institutions offer [The] Hospitality and Tourism [academic program] outside of the Eastern Shore and we have to keep pushing back against that,” Bell said.

She then creates a family atmosphere at the Historically Black 1890 land grant institution that anchors rural Somerset County. She explained that with Somerset County consistently ranked among the poorest counties in the State of Maryland, the students, faculty, programs and facilities Continued on A4

AFRO Archived History

King Near Death

He Foresaw The End, Then Conquered Fear of It Sept. 23, 1958

AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite,File

Former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder testified in favor of reforming Maryland’s bail rules.

An intimate friend of Martin Luther King, who knew him in his school days well enough to call him “Mike,” Monday night filed out of his room 211 in Harlem Hospital and said, “I do not expect him Mike to live.

“Pneumonia had set in. It would be a miracle if he pulled through” Police were in the hall, all through the hospital room and on the street. In Mr. Continued on A7

Copyright © 2017 by the Afro-American Company

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Jeanette Epps will be the first Black woman to be a crewmember on the International Space Station.

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The Afro-American, January 14, 2017 - January 20, 2017

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Judge Rebukes Four Black Suspects in Beating of Disabled White Man in Chicago

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These booking photos provided by the Chicago Police Department show, from left to right, Brittany Covington, Jordan Hill, Tesfaye Cooper, and Tanishia Covington four people charged, Jan. 5, with aggravated kidnapping and taking part in a hate crime after allegedly beating and taunting a man in a video broadcast live on Facebook.

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A judge rebuked four Black people accused of beating a mentally disabled White man and broadcasting the attack on Facebook, sternly asking, “Where was your sense of decency?” before denying their attorneys’ pleas to set bail so they might be released from jail.

“I find each of you a danger to yourself and society,” Cook County Circuit Judge Maria Kuriakos Ciesil said, sounding baffled that the suspects, who hold jobs, attend school and, in one case, care for a brother in a wheelchair could be charged with attacking the 18-year-old victim. How, she wondered, could she agree to allow people accused of such “terrible actions” to walk out of jail?

Prosecutors offered new details of the assault, explaining that one of the suspects demanded $300 from the mother of the victim, who is schizophrenic and has attention-deficit disorder, and that the beating started in a van and continued at a house.

A prosecutor told the judge that the suspects forced the victim to drink toilet water, kiss the floor and then allegedly stuffed a sock into his mouth and taped it shut as they bound his hands with a belt.

The four are charged with two counts of committing a hate crime — one because of the victim’s race and the other because of his mental disabilities.

The beating was captured on cellphone video by one of the assailants and has since been viewed millions of times on social media.

On the video, the male suspects use knives to cut the victim’s hair and his sweatshirt with a knife. One of the females can be seen laughing. A female also laughs as she punches the victim.

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One of the men pulled the cord from the victim’s sweatshirt around the victim’s neck and held him up while the victim was groaning in pain, according to a document read in court. The victim could be heard screaming when one of the men walked up to him with a knife and asked if he should “shank” him.

The video also showed the suspects taunting the victim with profanities against White people and President-elect Donald Trump.

At one point, the prosecutor said, someone on the video can be heard saying that he did not care if the victim was schizophrenic.

All of this started, according to prosecutors, when Hill became angry that the victim’s mother had contacted him asking that her son be allowed to return home.

The four suspects were identified as Brittany Covington and Tesfaye Cooper, both of Chicago, and Jordan Hill, of suburban Carpentersville. All are 18. A fourth suspect was identified as Covington’s 24-year-old sister, Tanishia Covington, also of Chicago.

Dylann Roof Sentenced to Death for Killing 9 Church Members

By The Associated Press

An unrepentant Dylann Roof was sentenced to death Jan. 10 for fatally shooting nine black church members during a Bible study session, becoming the first person ordered executed for a federal hate crime.

A jury deliberated (Lastrhodesian.com via AP, File) for about three hours before returning with This undated photo that appeared the decision, capping on Lastrhodesian.com, a website investigated by the FBI in a trial in which the 22-year-old avowed connection with Dylann Roof, shows white supremacist did him posing for a photo holding a not fight for his life Confederate flag. or show any remorse.

He served as his own attorney during sentencing and never asked for forgiveness or mercy or explained the massacre.

Hours earlier, Roof threw away one last chance to plead for his life, telling jurors, “I still feel like I had to do it.”

A judge will formally sentence him during a hearing on Jan. 12. Roof also faces a death penalty trial in state court.

The last person sent to federal death row was Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev in 2015.

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The Afro-American, January 14, 2017 - January 14, 2017

January 14, 2017 - January 20, 2017, The Afro-American “Sessions didn’t seem to understand the standard for recusal, and repeatedly said he would recuse himself from certain situations. But when you stack all of these things up, especially when we have

Lawsuit Continued from A1 as his troubling voting record and views that have been on display during his tenure in the Senate.”

Sessions, as the first of President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet nominees to go before a Senate committee, said during his hearings that he would have no problem standing up to the

concerns over Session’s ability to lead without bias. “Sen. Sessions has a long and well documented history of racial intolerance.

His actions, attitude, and verbiage were so repugnant that members of his own party refused to confirm him for a federal judgeship,” Judd said. “Further, the

Salutes African American Leaders in Education Thursday, February 23, 2017 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. @The Reginald F. Lewis Museum I would like to purchase a patron ad for the souvenir journal

– Wade Henderson Office of Attorney General of the United States requires someone, not only with a sense of fairness, but, also a thorough knowledge of and commitment to the law, that will set policy and precedent for the nation’s legal and criminal justice systems.

We have no evidence to believe that Senator Sessions fits those requirements and should his nomination move forward, we urge the United States Senate not to confirm him.”

Republican senators and the Trump transition team attempted to portray Sessions as an egalitarian whose

a president who lashes out at anyone who criticizes him, it is important that the nominee understand the Constitution and the rule of law. Sessions needs a lot more investigation and we hope that will come.”

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“The American people deserve a thorough vetting of Sessions’ 40 years of service including a full exploration of the views that led the Senate to reject Sessions’ nomination for a federal judgeship in 1987 . . .”

Commander-in-Chief when necessary.

As the top U.S. federal prosecutor, Sessions would be responsible for giving unbiased legal advice to the president and executive agencies. His nomination has been called “deeply troubling and offensive” by Kevin Judd, president of the National Bar Association.

In a statement sent to the AFRO Jan. 10, Judd, who heads the largest association of Black lawyers, judges, law professors, and law students, representing a network of over 65,000 in the legal profession, voiced

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Wade Henderson, The Leadership Conference, along with other Civil Rights leaders, want the Senate to properly vet Sessions’ nomination as U.S. Attorney General. reputation as a racist was largely fabricated. His voting record, according to Mara Keisling, executive director at the National Center for Transgender Equality, demonstrates his ideals.

“Sessions has not backed away in any way from his belief that the Voting Rights

Act is intrusive and in fact is exaggerating his role in civil rights cases, which was made very clear today. This is a man who in the mid-1990s as Attorney General defended the chain gangs and couldn’t see anything that was dehumanizing and demeaning about them,” Keisling told the AFRO.

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UMES Continued from A1 at UMES are all in need of a tall glass of fresh lemonade.

Bell, told Judge Blake and the audience at the remedial phase of the Maryland Higher Education Desegregation trial how she has been working and collaborating to get the campus a new library to replace the current midcentury, water-damaged building.

“Our #1 project was a new library. Our current library was built in the 1960’s and has water damage, but that program got bumped,” Bell said. Although the library does not house a specific academic program, Bell made the connection between the central role of the library on a college campus and all academic programs.

The UMES library was bumped to accommodate the urgent need to place the campus’s pharmacy program that had been threatened with suspension into a suitable space for accreditation approval.

Like all HBCU Presidents, Bell’s testimony provided a glimpse into the comprehensive nature of the fix needed to dismantle the vestiges of racial discrimination in Maryland’s

Higher Education System.

In 2013, Judge Bell ruled in favor of the Coalition for Equity and Excellence in Maryland Higher Education, agreeing that racial discrimination had not been dismantled in Maryland Higher education. The parties tried to work on an agreement in mediation but after two years, talks were unresolved.

Now, the case is back in court to determine the fix.

Bell explained just how she and her faculty juggle with academic accreditation bodies who are faced with having to suspend otherwise worthy academic programs because of a lack of acceptable facilities.

“Our Pharmacy program is an example where we have a successful program, but we did not have the facilities to house the program,” Bell told the court.

In her 2013 ruling, Judge Blake proposed that compliance meant additional academic programs in high demand areas and without duplication would need to compliment current offerings of HBCU’s.

Bell’s testimony explained the inter-connection between academic program creation,

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infrastructure and funding support for academic program matters, such as faculty support.

“One of the problems we have experienced is that these programs have started without resources. We know these programs attract students of all races but we have to retain these programs.” Bell said.

“Some of our faculty positions were funded through Title III funds. This made it very difficult to attract qualified faculty,” Bell said.

In cross examination, attorneys for the State of Maryland zeroed in on a barrage of questions about UMES’s ability to recruit White students and how the White student recruitment effort was represented in the institution’s strategic processes.

“You didn’t study what kinds of programs would attract White students?” the state’s attorney pointedly asked Bell.

Looking directly at the row of all-White attorneys representing the state of Maryland, Bell responded simply.

“We are not seeking programs that are only attractive to White students.

We are seeking programs that are attractive to all students.”

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January 14, 2017 - January 14, 2017, The Afro-American

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Families: Forgiving Church Shooter Doesn’t Mean Sparing Life

By The Associated Press The families shattered when a gunman entered Emanuel AME Church and fired 77 shots at the end of Bible study get one last chance to confront convicted killer Dylann Roof on Wednesday before he heads off to death row as a federal judge verifies the jury’s death sentence.

The willingness of some of the relatives of the nine people killed in the massacre to forgive dominated the news in the days after the June 17, 2015, killings.

But that didn’t mean they felt his life should be spared. And there are others who said forgiveness is still a work in progress.

Melvin Graham said he will forever grieve the death of his sister Cynthia Hurd.

He told reporters after a jury recommended Roof receive the Family Photos of the shooting victims via AP death sentence Tuesday that he (top row) Rev. Clementa Pinckney, Cynthia Hurd, Tywanza Sanders, Sharonda Coleman-Singleton, Rev. DePayne Middleton-Doctor; (bottom row) has struggled because he feels Susie Jackson, Ethel Lance, Daniel Simmons Sr., and Myra Thompson. like it isn’t quite right to see someone ordered to die, but he also knows Roof must be Confederate flag from its Statehouse said. judge to appoint him new attorneys, but punished as severely as possible for what for the first time in more than 50 years.

“They welcomed a 13th person that the judge said he was not inclined to do so he did on Earth.

Other states followed suit, taking down night … with a kind word, a Bible, a because they had performed “admirably.”

“It’s hard to say a person should live Confederate banners and monuments. Roof handout and a chair,” Richardson said “We are sorry that, despite our best when nine others died,” Graham said. had posed with the flag in photos. during his closing argument. “He had come efforts, the legal proceedings have shed so U.S. District Judge Richard Gergel Roof specifically selected Emanuel with a hateful heart and a Glock .45.” little light on the reasons for this tragedy,” was set to verify the jury’s sentence at AME Church, the South’s oldest Black The jury convicted Roof last month of the attorneys said in a veiled reference to Wednesday’s hearing. The hearing will the mental health issues they wanted to also give relatives of those killed their present. only chance to speak to Roof and the court Felicia Sanders survived the shooting. directly, without having to answer specific Roof spared her after hearing her pray questions. loudly, saying she could go tell the rest And while forgiveness has been offered – Melvin Graham of the world why he slaughtered black from one side, Roof has shown no remorse people in a church. She offered forgiveness for the slaughter during weeks in court. He at Roof’s bond hearing, but has since not had a final chance to ask the jury to spare said if she wanted him to get life in prison his life Tuesday. church, to carry out the cold, calculated all 33 federal charges he faced, including without parole or death. Her aunt and son “I still feel like I had to do it,” the slaughter, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay hate crimes. He never explained his actions died.

22-year-old avowed White supremacist told Richardson said. to jurors, saying only that “anyone who Sanders husband, Tyrone, acknowledged the jury instead.

The gunman sat with the Bible study hates anything in their mind has a good his own struggle between earthly and Roof told FBI agents when they arrested group for about 45 minutes. During the reason for it.” eternal justice after Roof was found guilty him that he wanted the shootings to bring final prayer — when everyone’s eyes were Roof insisted he was not mentally ill of hate crimes and obstruction of religion back segregation or perhaps start a race closed — he started firing. He stood over and did not call any witnesses or present charges in December. war. Instead, the slayings had a unifying some of the fallen victims, shooting them any evidence.

“My thoughts were if I could get to him, effect as South Carolina removed the again as they lay on the floor, Richardson After he was sentenced, Roof asked a what would I do,” Tyrone Sanders said.

“It’s hard to say a person should live when nine others died.”

Epps Continued from A1 next year, the space agency announced Jan. 4.

Epps’ months-long trip should begin in 2018, and it will mark the first time she has traveled to orbit, allowing her to follow in the footsteps of the women who, she said, inspired her to become an astronaut. Epps was selected by NASA in 2009.

While other Black astronauts have flown to the Space Station for brief stays during the outpost’s construction, Epps will be the first Black crewmember to live and work on the station for an extended period of time. Her journey aboard the Soyuz spacecraft and stay at the station places her as the only American and female among a crew made up of mostly Russians and men. “I’m a person just like they are. I do the same work as they do,” Epps told a group of STEM students at her Syracuse alma mater, Danforth Middle School. “If something breaks, anyone of us will have to be able to go

out the door. We have to be jacks of all trades.

It’s not a job that’s like any other.”

While working on her doctorate, Epps was a NASA Graduate Student Researchers Project fellow, authoring several journal and conference articles about her research. After

selected as a member of the 2009 astronaut class.

“Anything you don’t know is going to be hard at first,” Epps said in a video statement about the launch. “But if you stay the course, put the time and effort in, it will become

completing her graduate studies, Epps worked in a research lab for more than two years, co-authoring multiple patents, before being recruited by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). She was a CIA technical intelligence officer for about seven years before being

seamless eventually.”

Epps, in the NASA video interview, shared when she was first introduced to the idea that she could be an astronaut. “It was about 1980, I was nine years old. My brother came home and he looked at my grades and my twin sisters’

grades and he said, ‘You know, you guys can probably become aerospace engineers or even astronauts,’” Epps said. “And this was at the time that Sally Ride [the first American woman to fly in space] and a group of women were selected to become astronauts — the first time in history. So, he made that comment and I said, ‘Wow, that would be so cool.’”

Epps will join veteran NASA astronaut Andrew Feustel at the Space Station. On Feustel’s first long-duration mission, he served as a flight engineer on Expedition 55, and later as commander of Expedition 56. “Each space station crew brings something different to the table, and Drew and Jeanette both have a lot to offer,” said Chris Cassidy, chief of the Astronaut Office at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, in a statement. “The space station will benefit from having them on board.”

and the consequences are ruinous: they lose their jobs, they lose their homes, they lose their families; they plead ‘guilty’ just to get out and they may get a criminal record they don’t deserve,” Frosh added.

Maryland’s Office of the Public Defender, for example, found that over a five-year period, 17,434 defendants spent at least five days in jail because they could not pay bail amounts of less than $5,000.

In October, Frosh sent a letter to the Court of Appeals’ Standing Committee on Rules of Practice and Procedure urging the changes, saying the way the current system operates is likely unconstitutional, ineffective and too costly. He cited studies showing that it costs up to $1 million per day to house the 7,000plus people who are detained in jail awaiting trial at any given time in Maryland.

Detractors of the current system said the current rules as applied not only unfairly targets the poor but also racial minorities.

For example, in its analysis, the Office of the Public Defender found that the mean bail amount for African-American defendants is 45 percent to 50 percent higher than that of White defendants charged with similar crimes under similar circumstances.

“Today this court has the opportunity to address the injustices inherent in this system that has grown overly-reliant on money bail,” testified Holder, who said the current rules yield results that are “irrational . . . fundamentally unjust . . . and likely unconstitutional.” Maryland’s pretrial system, he added, “punishes low-income defendants, rewards wealthier defendants and disproportionately detains racial minorities all while unnecessarily costing the state money and failing to advance the state’s important interest in public safety. “ Former U.S. Solicitor General Paul Clement disagreed, however, saying, “Maryland’s current [bail] system is plainly

constitutional.”

It is true, he conceded, that the current rules are “routinely violated,” but “the solution is not new rules; the solution is enforcement of the existing rules and education about what those rules provide,” he added.

Clement, who – according to the Baltimore Sun – was representing the bail bond company Lexington National Insurance Co. at the hearing, said proponents of the rules changes were rightly concerned about unnecessary detention but some had gone beyond that concern and have “begun to vilify the institution of secured bail and the bond industry.”

“If we’re concerned about unnecessary detention then we should be in favor of keeping a robust bond industry available,” he said in his testimony.

The Court of Appeals will vote on the proposed rule changes in February.

“I’m a person just like they are. I do the same work as they do.”

– Jeanette Epps

Holder Continued from A1 4-216—which would require judges and court commissioners to consider bail only if it is the “least onerous condition” necessary to compel a defendant’s re-appearance at court and only after an “individualized” assessment of that person’s financial means.

While the purpose of the Maryland bail system is not to detain defendants—unless that person is determined to be a flight risk or to pose a danger to the community—thousands remain in jail despite no determination of their guilt simply because they cannot afford to post bond, supporters of the rule change say.

“People should not be held in jail because they are poor,” Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh said in his remarks.

Yet, he added, there are thousands who sit in Maryland jails charged with minor offenses and given small bail amounts who simply cannot pay.

“As a result, they sit in jail—sometimes days, sometimes weeks, sometime months—

January 14, 2017 - January 20, 2017, The Afro-American

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Controversy over Painting by Black Student Roils Congress

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

Clay returned the painting to its original position on Jan. 10.

In an exclusive interview on Jan. 10, U.S. Rep. Lacy Clay Clay refuted some of (D-Mo.) told the AFRO he the aspects of the painting will file a complaint with the that have been depicted.

Capitol Hill police against one He noted that one police of his Republican colleagues. officer was shown as a wild The controversy involves U.S. boar and the other one had Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) a horse head. Clay pointed removing a painting of one of out that the wild boar police Clay’s constituents, recently. officer was confronting a “On Dec. 29, 2016, a blogger Black man that was shown wrote that there was a painting as a Black wolf.

(Courtesy photo) The painting by David Pulphus, a high-school student in Ferguson, Mo., is at the center hanging in the U.S. Capitol that “The young man of a first amendment fight in the U.S. Capitol. depicts police officers as pigs,” was portraying a street Clay said. “That painting was done scene in St. Louis,” the by one of my constituents, David Pulphus, as a part of the annual representative said. Clay represents St. Louis and much of St. Louis Congressional Art Competition. The blogger said that the painting County. “This kid has a right to his feelings,” the congressman was offensive to police officers and a Fox News reporter initiated a continued. campaign to have the painting removed.”

The representative said that Pulphus was reflecting what he saw Pulphus is Black. during his life including the murder of Trayvon Martin in which his killer, George Zimmerman, was acquitted, and in nearby Ferguson On Jan. 6, Hunter removed the painting from the Cannon tunnel where Officer Darren Wilson took the life of Michael Brown, as of the Capitol and caused a firestorm of controversy. Clay said well as the New York City case of Eric Gardner where officers any actions that take place in the U.S. Capitol and its grounds on choked him to death. “These acts by officers exhibited animalistic matters like this are the jurisdiction of the Architect of the Capitol, behavior,” Clay said. “This young man was expressing free thought not a member of Congress. “It is the Architect of the Capitol that and expression.” supervised the art competition and determines where paintings The AFRO visited Hunter’s office in the Rayburn House are located,” Clay said. “This art form is protected by the First Office building and made two calls for comment, but received no Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.” responses on the controversy or Clay’s talk of filing a complaint.

Tue., Feb. 7 at 7 p.m.

The Winter in Lisbon (Billy Wilson) Walking Mad (Johan Inger) Ella (Robert Battle) Revelations (Alvin Ailey)

Wed., Feb. 8 at 7:30 p.m.

Robert Battle, Artistic Director Masazumi Chaya, Associate Artistic Director

Yannick Lebrun. Photo by Andrew Eccles

February 7–12 | Opera House

Deep (Mauro Bigonzetti) After the Rain Pas de Deux (Christopher Wheeldon) Untitled America (Kyle Abraham) Revelations

Thu., Feb. 9 at 7:30 p.m. r-Evolution, Dream.

(Hope Boykin) Masekela Langage (Alvin Ailey) Ella Revelations

Fri., Feb. 10 at 7:30 p.m.

Deep After the Rain Pas de Deux Untitled America Revelations

Sat., Feb. 11 at 1:30 p.m.

The Winter in Lisbon Awakening (Robert Battle) Revelations

Sat., Feb. 11 at 7:30 p.m.

Exodus (Rennie Harris) Walking Mad Revelations

Sun., Feb. 12 at 1:30 p.m.

The Winter in Lisbon r-Evolution, Dream.

Revelations

Explore the Arts Explore the Arts is made possible by

Support for JFKC: A Centennial Celebration of John F. Kennedy is provided byAmbassador Elizabeth Frawley Bagley and The Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation.

Additional support is provided by The Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation, Inc. and The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation.

Kennedy Center education and related artistic programming is made possible through the generosity of the National Committee for the Performing Arts and the President’s Advisory Committee of the Arts.

Feb. 11 matinee Free Post-Performance Discussion

Feb. 11 at 5:30 p.m.

Free Revelations workshop on the Millennium Stage

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The Afro-American, January 14, 2017 - January 20, 2017

COMMENTARY

Tear Down the Barriers to Urban Farming

When applied to scenic farms nestled in quiet rural countrysides, the maxim “good fences make good neighbors” might ring true.

But that’s not always the case when you’re trying to build an urban farm. As essential as they can be, we actually find more than a few barriers in their way.

I’ve been thinking quite a bit about fences and barriers in my role as Director of the University of the District of Columbia’s Center for Sustainable Development & Resilience inside the Columbia College of Agriculture, Urban Sustainability, and Environmental Sciences.

We call it “CAUSES” for short. In that role, I work on introducing urban agriculture to some of Washington, D.C.’s most disadvantaged neighborhoods.

Given the large amount of vacant properties and unused space in many underserved urban areas (cities like Baltimore and Detroit come to mind), it may sound easy. But it’s not. Case in point: In 2015, CAUSES leased three acres of vacant property directly across the street from a Metro stop in D.C.’s struggling Ward 7 to construct the East Capitol Urban Farm. A partnership between several agencies and organizations, East Capitol Urban Farm is the District’s largestscale urban agriculture and aquaponics facility. It’s an ambitious effort to bring healthy produce to an underserved area of the District.

We began planning the project in early 2015. During the University’s initial site visit, the first order of business was to determine how we would actually walk the vacant parcel — considering the 8-foot high chain link fence surrounding it. Residential properties surround the site on the south and west. The Capitol Heights Metro stop is on the east and a vacant parcel is to the north.

That parcel, incidentally, was under construction at the time for use by Wal-Mart. That project was shelved and the lot stayed empty.

What seemed like a straightforward walk through the site became much more complicated since we didn’t have a key to the gate. Searching for a way in, the team eventually climbed over a wall and through a small opening to access the site. But the physical barrier of the fence and our valiant attempts at scaling it led to much deeper questions. What social implications did such a fence have in Ward 7? What was the purpose of erecting it? How was it interpreted or perceived by the community?

We came to realize that the chain link fence, while probably erected as a safety measure, sent a powerful message of exclusion to people in the neighborhood. It’s a message that echoes the larger story of access and food security in places like Ward 7. For a long time, society has sent a message (intentional or not) to underrepresented populations that fresh, local produce, as well as access to community-oriented landscapes, is out of reach – or, at best, a real challenge to access. The nature of fencing, in this case, may play a role in how the urban farm is perceived and utilized.

So, in our first major site planning for East Capitol Urban Farm, when someone asked “Where do we start?” I couldn’t help but recall those now-famous words from former President Ronald Reagan’s 1987 speech to West Berliners: “Tear down that wall!” I quickly responded: “Let’s tear down the fence. It sends the message to keep out or stay away.

“That’s the very opposite of what we intend.”

Rather than continue limiting community access, we eventually erected a 4-ft. high wrought

Dwane Jones

iron fence to encompass a portion of the farm which set a boundary around the different zones contained within the space. Since then, the gates are always unlocked and the community has access to the farm from sunrise to sunset, seven days a week.

East Capitol Urban Farm is now embraced, supported, and operated by its community.

Removing barriers has afforded Ward 7 residents the opportunity to: plant over 3,600 produce plants; operate 70 garden spaces; engage over 300 D.C. Public School Students in over 2,500 hours of trade learning; launch a Farmers Market; and employ (part-time) three residents and three UDC students.

At the East Capitol Urban Farm, the fence merely delineates a boundary, a line that outlines the zones of each portion of the farm. It does not represent limitations on a better quality of life. For the people of Ward 7, this is a very crucial and important distinction that removes one barrier at a time.

Dwane Jones, PH.D., is the director of the Center for Sustainable Development and Resilience, a division of the University of the District of Columbia College of Agriculture, Urban Sustainability, and Environmental Sciences. Dr. Jones conducts research and teaches courses in Urban Sustainability, Urban Design, Urban Planning and Low Impact Development.

He is a member of the Urban Resilience Project.

Healing the Black Family Today across urban America lie pockets of Black poverty produced largely by housing discrimination, redlining and later, public housing.

While some neighborhoods have always been poor, they haven’t always been dangerous.

Black families lived relatively peacefully in poverty for over a century. Prior to the 1970s during the struggle for civil rights, violent crimes in the black community were often a result of White-on-Black hate crimes and it wasn’t until the outbreak of the post-Vietnam heroin epidemic and organized gang activity in the mid-70s that Black-on-Black crimes became prevalent.

Combined with Lyndon B. Johnson’s Great Society, a robust set of domestic programs referred to as a “war on poverty” that essentially forced Black fathers out of the home, Richard Nixon’s “war on drugs” that provided Black fathers a new permanent residence upstate, the election of Ronald Reagan (and his subsequent Reaganomics that defunded public schools and other social programs), the crash of the steel industry in the ‘80s and the crack epidemic, a dangerous cocktail of drugs, gangs, unemployment, welfare dependency, fatherless homes and mass incarceration was created that crippled a Black community on the rise. From 1969 to 1993,

Torri Stuckey

the Black poverty rate remained virtually flat at roughly 32 percent but once people were denied the ability to earn an honest living, they began to resort to less constructive means of supporting themselves. This is how peaceful Black ghettos became treacherous Black hoods.

In the ten years following the launch of the Great Society, the percentage of single Black mothers doubled. By 1994 that number had tripled, ballooning from 24 percent in 1964 to 70 percent in 1994. In 1971, when Richard Nixon first declared a war on drugs, our prison population was roughly 200,000.

Today it’s over two million and disproportionately Black and brown.

Working in tandem, these dynamics have produced generations of Black children who don’t know their fathers, who’ve never seen marriage modeled and who devalue the significance of a spouse. That, in turn, has caused marriage rates in the Black community to decline. It has also forced many Black women to learn how to be independent. Over time this learned behavior has become hardwired in the psyche of many Black mothers and Black daughters. The goal is no longer to get married but to be independent.

Black women have relinquished their power and rightful place in Black society through the birth of the Independent Black Woman, a financially stable woman who provides

for herself and is proud of her ability to stand alone. This, however, has contributed to the death of the institution of marriage—creating a new social (dis)order. Now that Black women have their own money, the playing field has been leveled from a financial perspective, giving them the ability to say to Black men “I don’t need you.” Financial prosperity has given Black women a false sense of power and a cocky “never put a man before my money” attitude as the Black community deteriorates due to this social dysfunction.

Black America is already generations behind in wealth building compared to its White counterpart. Choosing to remain single instead of joining forces with Black men in marriage is only hindering the economic growth within the Black community. The problems plaguing the Black community are vast and cannot be easily remedied. There is no cure-all. It is a painfully slow and arduous path back to prosperity. However, before we can heal the community we must first heal the Black family. The first step in recovery is admitting there is a problem.

Torri Stuckey is a community activist and the author of the forthcoming book, His Dough, Her Cookie: The Black Woman’s Guide to Love and Marriage in the Age of Independence.

How to Stump Trump and Save the Environment As an environmentalist, I am bracing myself for the worst case scenarios our current elected president and his administration could implement.

In recent years, the world has slowed its impact on the environment by making strides in sustainable and renewable energy sources and, finally, recognizing that climate change is real.

The world is looking at Trump’s environmental agenda of climate change denial, appointing fossil fuel-friendly people to key organizations, promising to take an axe on environmental protections.

We, as a people, can stump Trump on his path of environmental destruction.

Step 1: Apply local pressure Each time a republican president took office over the past few decades, the U.S. saw protections of the environment

rolled back or denied, resulting in looser standards for air pollution and loopholes in fracking regulations that directly affect air and water quality. We as a nation are still seeing the ramifications of those changes today, following the George W. Bush, Cheney, and Newt Gingrich era.

Do your research of your elected local officials to see where they stand on environmental issues affecting your county, city, and state. Let your voice be heard, join environmental action groups and be a part of the big picture in saving and protecting the very water you drink and the air you breathe.

Step 2: Diversify the movement Environmentalist and advocates agreed that to succeed in fighting climate change and preserving, protecting, and sustaining the environment it’s going to take a broad-based strategy that engages more people from diverse populations and new allies to fight climate change.

Let’s talk new allies, Starbucks, General Mills and Hewlett Packard and over 360 companies and investors made a plea in an open letter to Trump and Congress to continue the U.S. participation on the climate change Paris Agreement, which Trump has threatened scrap.

“Failure to build a low-carbon economy puts American prosperity at risk, but the right action now will create jobs and boost U.S. competitiveness,” the letter states. “Implementing the Paris Agreement will enable and encourage businesses and investors to turn the billions of dollars in existing low-carbon investments into the trillions of dollars the world needs to bring clean energy and prosperity to all.”

As a nation, we cannot win on the environment front with policies alone, because our current elected administration will block, delay and stream forward if Trump keeps his promises.

To Stump Trump’s environmental agenda, it will take: applying pressure on the local level and a diverse population and new allies to fight for environmental protection, preservation and a sustainable future.

Cathy Allen is an award-winning Urban Environmentalist, the co-creator of G.R.A.S.S. (Growing Resources After Sowing Seed) as well as Chair of the “Grow-It Eat It” campaign.

G.R.A.S.S. is an environmental entrepreneurial nonprofit program based on the fundamentals of gardening, agriculture and ecology. In conjunction with Baltimore City Public Schools, Allen’s campaign has planted over a half-million trees on the lawns of Baltimore City public schools.

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The Afro-American, January 14, 2017 - January 14, 2017

King Continued from A1 King’s room were his wife, Mrs. Coretta King: his sister, Miss Christine King from Atlanta, and his father, Rev. Martin Luther King Sr. Dr. King is under sedation and is being fed through tubes.

The AFRO informant said, “Mike kept saying that he didn’t want his would be assassin prosecuted.”

Friday night, some 24 hours before Mrs. Curry attacked the Rev. Mr. King, she came to a platform from which he was to make a speech. She had in her hand a bunch of flowers.

The Rev. George Lawrence, pastor of the Baptist Ministers Meeting of New York, accepted the flowers from Mrs. Curry’s hands and took them to Dr. King.

The Rev. Gardner Taylor and Gov. Harriman were on the platform when the flowers were presented.

Mrs. King is occupying a suite of rooms in the Hotel Statler.

New York police have uncovered evidence that Mrs. Izola Ware Curry, the 42-year old domestic who stabbed Dr. Martin Luther King, harbored resentment against colored clergymen and race leaders for some years.

The AFRO learned at noon on Monday that police discovered several letters in Mrs. Curry’s room in a boarding house on 122nd St. The letters were written to the governors of Southern States and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

One letter addressed to the governor of

Florida said, “Please don’t let the preachers in the schools. They are driving me crazy with this Integration. Don’t let them in the schools.”

ON SUNDAY morning Mrs. Curry, who was arrested and booked on Saturday for felonious assault and Sulland Sullivan law violations, was arraigned in felony court, and later committed to Bellevue Hospital for observation by Judge Vincent Rao. Mrs. Curry, who stands at 5 feet, 6 inches and weighs 151 pounds, recently arrived here from the South.

When searched at the police prescient, a 25 caliber Italian revolver fully loaded with six cartridges was found in her bosom, which she said was purchased last year in Daytona Beach Fla. Where she worked as a domestic.

While Dr. King was being operated on by the four-man team at the hospital Saturday night, an AFRO writer spent the vigil eating a snack with GOV. Harriman who stayed until he was assured that Dr. King would be all right.

Asked for a statement the governor said, “I will stay here until I am defiantly sure Dr. King is alright.”

Later in the evening the doctors assured the Gov. the minister would be alright after which he returned to his Manhattan residence which he a left, soon after he learned of the tragedy.

In the party at the hospital with the governor were Herbert Evans of the legal staff with the governor in Albany, senator

January 14, 2017 - January 20, 2017, The Afro-American

James “Skid” Watson of Harlem, Mrs. Anne Hedgeman, assistant to mayor Robert Wagner of the city of New York; A. Philip Randolph, President of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters; Hulan Jack, president of the Borough of Manhattan, Robert Mangrum, recently appointed deputy hospitals commissioner; Councilman Earl Brown of Manhattan and Joseph Tepper, deputy commissioner of boxing on the staff of Gov Harriman.

MAYOR Wagner during the afternoon called the hospital to assure that all facilities were being made available to Dr. King, who

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is now in a room on the second floor of the hospital.

Visiting the hospital on Sunday morning were Dr. King’s wife and sister and the Rev. Abernathy, Dr. King’s lieutenant in the Montgomery Improvement Association.

Although more than 40 persons offered blood to Dr. King on Saturday night, only two pints actually were used. The hospital requests donors to still contribute blood in the name of Dr. King for the use of other patients.

Transcribed by David Smith

DARKNESS CANNOT DRIVE OUT DARKNESS; ONLY LIGHT CAN DO THAT. HATE CANNOT DRIVE OUT HATE; ONLY LOVE CAN DO THAT.

The DC Lottery honors Martin Luther King, Jr. and the countless African-American heroes who’ve contributed in our journey toward civil rights, equality and freedom.

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The Afro-American, January 14, 2017 - January 20, 2017

Vet Who Served with Pioneering 1st Black Marines Dies at 89

By The Associated Press A Georgia man who served among the first black U.S. Marines during World War II died Jan. 3 just a few years after Congress honored him and fellow Montford Point Marines for their pioneering role in a segregated military.

Angus Hardie Jamerson, known as Jay to his family and friends, died peacefully in his sleep at age 89, said his daughter, Wendy Jamerson. He lived in Villa Rica, 35 miles west of Atlanta, and would have celebrated his As part of Black History Month, 90th birthday later this The AFRO will be honoring top month.

Black educators in the Maryland Jamerson was a and Washington, D.C. area. student at Morehouse College in Atlanta Come out and show your support when he was drafted in 1945 and sent to Camp on at the Lejeune, North Carolina.

Reginald F. Lewis Museum That’s where Montford 830 E. Pratt Street, Baltimore, Md. Point, a segregated training facility, had 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. been established in 1942 Tickets are $100. after President Franklin Tables are available.

D. Roosevelt ordered the Marine Corps to begin accepting Black recruits.

Jamerson would recall stepping off a bus into a mosquito-infested camp where trainees lived in Contact Diane Hocker, crude wooden huts and AFRO director of community & were often subjected public relations, at 410-554-8243 to cruder behavior, his or dhocker@afro.com wife, Doris Jamerson, for more information. said. On their first day,

Feb. 23

she said, Jamerson and fellow Black recruits were slapped across the face by a White instructor. Throughout their service, the Black Marines were barred from setting foot onto neighboring Camp Lejeune without a White escort.

Jamerson’s service lasted about 18 months, most of it spent performing postal duties. After leaving the Marines in 1946, he graduated from Morehouse and later earned a law degree while living in California. He returned to the Atlanta area in 1979 after starting a cosmetics company.

“He started out wanting to serve and ended up making a historical difference,” his wife said. “But he had (Melaine Boyd/Times Georgian, via AP) no idea of the significance of it at all.”

Jay Jamerson, one of the first men who Neither did most Americans. Unlike integrated the United States Marine Corps during World War II and a recipient of the the Tuskegee Airmen during World Congressional Gold Medal for this service, War II and the Army’s Buffalo Soldiers died Jan. 3. formed after the Civil War, Blacks who served in the Montford Point Marines received scant recognition for decades. It’s estimated 20,000 of them trained from 1942 until 1949, when the Marine Corps was ordered to desegregate.

Fred Codes said he had served in the Marines for a decade before he first heard of Montford Point in the 1980s. Now Codes serves as Southern regional vice president for the National Montford Point Marine Association.

“They actually fought for the right to fight,” said Codes, who counted Jamerson among the members of the group’s Atlanta chapter. “The history was really, really buried.”

That changed somewhat in 2011 when U.S. lawmakers voted to award the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian honor given by Congress, to the surviving Montford Point Marines. Codes said his group estimates only about 300 of them are still living, and their numbers are rapidly declining.

Jamerson was among 15 Montford Point veterans in the association’s Atlanta chapter to accept the medal at a banquet four years ago, Codes said. After Jamerson’s death, only nine remain.

Wendy Jamerson said her father didn’t know about the congressional award until he read about it in the newspaper. She said he appeared nonchalant, telling her: “Well, you know, they’re going to give me a medal.”

But Jamerson’s pride was unmistakable.

“He did sleep with it for a couple of nights,” his wife said. “We couldn’t get it off him.”

pepco.com

Working together for a brighter future, we honor the life, vision and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. © Pepco, 2017

Send your news tips to tips@afro.com.

January 14, 2017 - January 20, 2017, The Afro-American

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BALTIMORE-AREA Racial Bias Shadows Bike Share Program

Race and Politics

Carson at HUD Could be Catastrophic

President Obama delivered his farewell address to the nation, the last major speech of Sean Yoes his historic Senior AFRO presidency Contributor this week in his adopted home of Chicago in front of more than 18,000 rapturous supporters. Towards the end of his speech, emotion illuminated his famously placid countenance and the President shed a tear as he thanked his wife and his daughters.

We witnessed a decidedly different emotion from Obama as he sat listening to the comments of the keynote speaker for the 61st National Prayer Breakfast, famed neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Carson on Feb. 7, 2013.

Perhaps ironically, First Lady Michelle Obama sat to President Obama’s right and Alabama Sen. Jefferson Beauregard Sessions, the current nominee to be the next Attorney General of the United States, sat to the President’s left as Carson delivered his meandering 27 minute speech.

Carson’s address alternately plugged a book he had recently written with his wife, touted the virtues of his, “Carson Scholars Fund,” and warned against the evils of political correctness.

But, when Carson took veiled swipes at Obama and unambiguous shots at the main plank of his presidential legacy, the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, it seemed like the President was on the verge of shattering the enduring narrative of,

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Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Jan. 14 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship Breakfast

The Howard L. Cornish Chapter of the Morgan State University Alumni Association will hold its 32nd annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship Breakfast in the Calvin and Tina Tyler Ballroom at Morgan. For additional information call 410-833-8668.

(Bikemore)

Baltimore residents gather for a “bike party.”

The launch of Baltimore Bike Share is still relatively new with limited stations and 500 bikes, but this is similar to bikeshare launches in other cities. There are plans to have 50 Baltimore’s recently implemented bikeshare program stations by the end of this spring and continued growth after boasts of being the largest electric-assist bicycle fleet in that. There is a call for the bikeshare to expand to lower income North America. But, as the city has seen with much of the neighborhoods, and this bikeshares, like New York’s similar biking infrastructure, Baltimore Bike Share has been met with Citibike program, is facing the same criticism.

Courtesy photo criticism of its inequity.

Philadelphia’s A series of maps bikeshare program composed by blogger Indego, Hoffman Ellen Worthing show said, started from an bike rack locations, bike equitable framework lanes and bike share which is more stations concentrated effective than trying in the city’s “White L,” to “retrofit equity” the L-shaped area of as many bikeshares Baltimore of primarily across the country White neighborhoods such would have to do. as Hampden, Federal Hill “Bikeshare itself is and Locust Point. Melody maybe not designed Hoffman, author of the for the needs of book “Bike Lanes are White lower income people Lanes,” said that this has who don’t bike all – Liz Cornish been the case in major cities the time,” Hoffman all over the country. said. “And so, the “Baltimore just made a discussion could also nonverbal statement that bikeshare is for tourists and downtown be, ‘is bikeshare really the answer to the transportation inequity business people,” Hoffman said. “When they try to expand it, issues in Baltimore?’” they’re going to have a really hard time getting other people Liz Cornish, executive director of Bikemore, a Baltimore on those bikes because it’s going to seem like it’s not for them bike advocacy group, said that for residents the transportation because it wasn’t for them in the first place.”

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By Briahnna Brown Special to the AFRO

“We have to be careful…not believing that just by putting a bikeshare station or just by putting a bike lane in a neighborhood that that is suddenly going to undo all of these decades of disinvestment and layers upon layers of policies that have led to the challenges that these neighborhoods are facing.”

PRT and The AFRO to Host Summit on Black Business in Age of Trump

Freddie Gray

By James Bentley AFRO Associate Editor jbentley@afro.com

By The Associated Press

On Jan. 19, The President’s RoundTable, a group of African-American CEOs, and the AfroAmerican Newspaper will host a town hall with the theme of “Where Do We Go from Here?

Strategies for Thriving Economically Under a Trump Administration.”

The PRT and the AFRO have assembled a group of industry, business, and political experts to share their views on how the minority community can thrive economically under the leadership of President Donald Trump. Invited guests include U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md), former U.S. Congressman and President of the NAACP, Kweisi Mfume, David Wilson, president, Morgan State University, Joe Haskins, president, Harbor Bank, Michael Cryor, president, The Cryor Group, Sheila Brooks, president and CEO, SRB Communications, Robert L. Wallace, president of BITHGROUP Technologies and chairperson, PRT, Jake Oliver, publisher and CEO, AFRO and University of Maryland Law School professor Larry Gibson will be on hand to moderate the lively discussion.

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Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Day @ Providence Baptist Church

The Men’s Fellowship of Providence Baptist Church is hosting their annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Day at 10 a.m. Rev. Dr. Bernard “Skip” Keels, Dean of the University Chapel at Morgan State University is the speaker. The church is located at 1401 Pennsylvania Avenue, Baltimore, Maryland.

Call 410-523-7000 for additional information.

Jan. 15 Union Baptist Church Celebrates MLK Day

Union Baptist Church has planned a celebration for MLK Day featuring singers from their Senior Choir, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and a distinguished group of Jewish Cantors. The celebration is scheduled from 11:00 a.m. to noon at Union Baptist Church, 1219 Druid Hill Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21217. For more information, contact Dr. Alvin Hathaway, Sr. at 410-905-5110 or by email at alhathaway@gmail. com.

Jan. 16 Continued on B2

Baltimore and DOJ Reach Agreement Over Consent Decree

Courtesy photo

Robert L. Wallace, president of BITHGROUP Technologies and chairperson, The Presidents’ RoundTable.

In Memoriam

Former AFRO Editor, Marc Eugene Warren, Dies at 56

A spokesman for Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh says the city and the U.S. Justice Department have reached agreement on a consent decree that will require the city to reform its police department.

“Negotiations are done,” Anthony McCarthy said Jan. 11.

“The final document has gone to the principals” to be signed.

Attorney General Loretta Lynch is expected to speak on community policing Thursday at the University of Baltimore Law School, as well as meet with community members, law enforcement and other local officials.

At a news conference on Wednesday, Pugh stopped short of confirming that an announcement would be made Thursday, but said the city is “very very close” to finalizing the agreement.

The Justice Department opened a formal investigation of the department’s patterns and practices after the death in police custody of a 25-year-old black man, Freddie Gray. Six police officers were charged but none were convicted in the arrest and death of Gray, whose neck was severed inside a police van.

The Justice Department in the last eight years has opened similar investigations into about two dozen local law enforcement agencies, including Albuquerque, New Mexico; Continued on B2

By AFRO Staff

Courtesy photo

Mark Eugene Warren

Marc Eugene Warren, a former arts and entertainment editor for the AFRO, died on Dec. 21 at the age of 56. The cause of death was a series of strokes.

Warren was born in Baltimore, Md. on Dec. 18, 1960 to Marian Woodfork and Eugene Warren. He was raised in the Ashburton and Bolton Hill neighborhoods of Baltimore City.

In 1976, he graduated from Baltimore City College High School and he would later go on to receive his Bachelors of Science Degree from Towson State University in 1993.

At the AFRO in the early 2000s, Marc served as Arts and Entertainment Editor where his primary focus was the production of the weekly “EW,” which stood for Every

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5

Past Seven Days

9

2017 Total

Data as of Jan. 4

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The Afro-American, January 14, 2017 - January 20, 2017

Bike Program Continued from B1

options are constrained because the city depends on the state for public transportation, and that limits what the city can do. She also noted that commute times are the number one indicator for emergence out of poverty, even though it doesn’t get the attention that other indicators do. “Transportation becomes this really important root cause that, if we’re interested in moving forward as a city, we have to be creative about how we address that for our residents,�

Cornish said. “Improving access to biking and walking is one way that we can improve a lot of other different quality of life factors for residents of Baltimore.�

Aside from the obvious health benefits of daily bike riding, it is also a more environmentally sustainable and affordable method of transportation compared to driving a car.

Bicycle infrastructure is also much quicker and less costly to implement than other transportation projects. The Maryland Avenue cycle track cost $700,000 and took a few months, whereas the cost to widen Route 32 costs $152 million and is expected to take several years.

There are, however, some safety concerns because in some of Baltimore’s lower income neighborhoods it has traditionally been unsafe waiting for a bus or walking a few blocks where a car provided a level of safety for those residents.

“Because biking and walking does make you more vulnerable to the environment where you are, that’s not a choice or a luxury that all of our residents of the city currently have,� Cornish said. “We have to be mindful when we’re saying ‘everybody should bike’ or ‘we should be putting this infrastructure to make sure it goes everywhere.�

She also noted that simply placing biking infrastructure in these neighborhoods would not be effective, and that it needs to be supported with educational programs like learnto-ride programs and encouragement programs, as well as doing group rides so people feel more comfortable riding and helping residents learn different routes that are less hilly or maybe more populated so that they feel more safe.

Cornish said she would like to hire community organizers from these neighborhoods that are already biking and can more effectively present alternative transportation methods.

Getting community involved early on, including them in design process and making sure the infrastructure addresses specific needs of each neighborhood can help with its success, Cornish said.

The Monroe Street bike lane, which lasted five months in 2011 before it was removed, faced opposition largely because the community was not involved in the planning. The backlash

to the Roland Avenue bike lane in early 2016 was tied to the design, with residents complaining that it was unsafe for drivers, pedestrians and bike riders alike.

Bikemore is working to acquire the necessary resources to address many of the concerns residents have, and Cornish said she is optimistic about the future of biking in the city because of the new Pugh administration, and its adoption of many of Bikemore’s recommendations, particularly the announcement of a nationwide search for new director of transportation with more progressive job qualities.

Cornish also noted that there needs to be a comprehensive approach to the issues in bicycle inequities and undoing structurally racist transportation and land use policies, and that not just one implementation of biking infrastructure will fix it. “We have to be careful, or I have to be careful as an advocate, not believing that just by putting a bikeshare station or just by putting a bike lane in a neighborhood that that is suddenly going to undo all of these decades of disinvestment and layers upon layers of policies that have led to the challenges that these neighborhoods are facing,� Cornish said. “However,� Cornish continued, “it is important to remember that sometimes these single interventions can provide a proof of concept that these things work.�

Rev. Alvin Hathaway of the venerable Union Baptist Church in West Baltimore.

Hathaway has worked with HUD secretaries from the Reagan administration to the Obama White House, seeking funds and resources for some of Baltimore’s poorest communities for decades.

Baltimore receives 10’s of millions of dollars annually from HUD to fund a litany of affordable housing and public housing programs. “His (Carson’s) learning curve is going to be insurmountable...When you think about, “HOME� dollars (HOME is HUD’s Home Investment Partnerships through its Community Planning and Development

where he said, “You know Obamacare is really, I think. the worst thing that has happened in this nation since slavery,� Carson said. “And it is in a way, it is slavery in a way, because it is making all of us subservient to the government, and it was never about healthcare. It was about control,� he added.

There is a general consensus by American historians that argues, `in order to understand the history of the United States you have to understand the history of the Civil War.’ But, to understand the history of the Civil War you have to understand the history of American slavery. It seems clear Carson is wildly

Race and Politics Continued from B1

“no drama Obama.� That speech catapulted Carson into the stratosphere of the conservative right, yet began the precipitous descent of his image in the minds of many others, particularly in the Black community that once saw him as a hero.

Now Carson, the failed presidential candidate will begin his Senate confirmation hearings on Jan. 12 to become Donald Trump’s Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, a post his detractors argue he is woefully unqualified to occupy. In fact, perhaps his most loyal supporter, longtime adviser Armstrong Williams made the announcement in the wake of Trump’s victory,

Carson lacked the necessary qualifications and background to run a government agency (yet, he was somehow qualified to be President of the United States?).

Nevertheless, Carson at Trump’s beckoning (it was Trump who likened Carson to a pedophile on the campaign trail), comes forward to attempt to convince us he is prepared to run one of the most complex and vast U.S. government agencies of them all. “The Trump administration appointing Dr. Ben Carson as the secretary of HUD, is a slap in the face of urban America and particularly a slap in the face of African Americans,� said

programs), money that comes to the cities to help underwrite affordable housing. If you don’t understand the nuances of that, how would you then be able to protect that in your budget when there are requests to cut the budgets of your agencies,?� Hathaway added. “I’m a faith man so I always lean to there is some greater good, even in the worst situations. But, I’m hard pressed to find greater good in the appointment of Dr. Ben Carson as the secretary of HUD.�

Months after Carson’s address to the Prayer Breakfast, Carson spoke to the Values Voter Summit in Washington in Oct. 2013,

ignorant of the history of American slavery, because only the most obtuse individual would liken it to the implementation of healthcare coverage for millions of Americans.

U.S. Senators will question Carson’s capacity to run HUD this week. But, perhaps the most perplexing question is, how can a Black American man born into poverty in Detroit craft a worldview, which concludes, “Obamacare...is slavery?�

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

Martin Luther King Continued from B1

17th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parade

The 17th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parade commemorates the life of the civil rights leader and icon Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at noon. More than 70 groups will participate in the parade including high school and community bands, honor/color guards, equestrian units, fraternities & sororities, lively dance squads and civic organizations. The parade starts at the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. and Eutaw St., proceeds south on Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. and disbands at Baltimore St. For more information, call 410-752-8632 or visit promotionandarts.org.

Celebrating MLK Day with the Reginald F. Lewis Museum

The Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture will offer the opportunity to experience and reflect on Dr. King’s legacy. Community conversations, crafts, films and live performances tie into the theme “Keep Moving Forward.� For more information, visit lewismuseum.org.

PRT

In Memoriam Continued from B1

Wednesday, Magazine. “We at the AFRO are deeply sadden to hear of the passing of Marc�, AFRO Publisher Jake Oliver stated. “Marc was a gifted writer and reporter whose contributions to the pages of AFRO

Continued from B1 publications were widely followed and respected.�

Warren died at the Christiana Hospital in Newark, De. He leaves his partner of 22 years, Mark Diffenbaugh, his sisters Mary Warren, Brooke Batson

and Brandi Wiggins; brothers-in-law Gregory Batson and Philander Wiggins, II; three nieces; five nephews and, his aunts, Adele Queen, Catherine Hampton and Helen Bland. He was preceded in death by his brother, David George Warren and stepmother, Brenda Warren.

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A powerful legacy

inspires

every dreamer

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Whatever you think of President-elect Trump, the fact of the matter is, that he is going to be our commander-in-chief. As a result of that he will be in control, to a large degree, of where money will be invested in our economy and in our nation. So our point of the symposium is to provide another perspective, as opposed to reacting to his impending presidency in a detrimental way that we should instead put our thinking caps on and be looking at how we can benefit economically from a Trump presidency,â&#x20AC;? Walllace told the AFRO. â&#x20AC;&#x153;That will entail, for many of us, thinking differently about our businesses, about the economy and what role we can play in it.â&#x20AC;?

Questions which will be addressed include: The risks, challenges, and opportunities a Trump presidency presents; how to position your business for opportunities that will be emerging under President Trump and what will become the new areas of business growth over the next four years?

The Town Hall Symposium will take place from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Morgan State University, School of Business Auditorium located at 4100 Hillen Rd. in Baltimore. For more information, contact Mollie A. Jackson at 410-480-7130 or mjackson@presidentsroundtable.net.

to

dream big

Consent Decree Continued from B1

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. dedicated his life to making the world a better place for us all. At AARP, we are committed to ensuring that every generation has the power to advance the legacy of Dr. King to realize their dreams and reach their full potential.

See the resources, tips and tools available at aarp.org/blackcommunity.

Chicago; Cleveland and Ferguson, Missouri. The Baltimore police department is one of the largest to come under Justice Department scrutiny.

The city and the federal government agreed to enter into a binding consent decree when a Justice Department report released in August found pervasive civil rights violations by the police department.

The report found that Baltimore police officers routinely used excessive force, discriminated against African-Americans and made unlawful arrests; It also identified serious training deficiencies.

The police department has already begun addressing some issues outlined in the report. Police Commissioner Kevin Davis said Tuesday officers are now required to undergo 80 hours of in-service training â&#x20AC;&#x201D; twice the time required by the state â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and officers in the field are equipped with body cameras.

January 14, 2017 - January 20, 2017, The Afro-American

“Like a comet blazing ‘cross the evening sky gone too soon. Like a rainbow fading in the twinkling of an eye gone too soon. Shiny and sparkly and splendidly bright here one day gone one night, like the loss of sunlight on a cloudy afternoon gone too soon. Like a castle built upon a sandy beach gone too soon.

Like a perfect flower that is just beyond your reach gone too soon. Born to amuse, to inspire, to delight here one day gone one night. Like a sunset dying with the rising of the moon gone too soon.”Michael Jackson It’s something about the sudden death of Baltimore native and former NFL safety Keion Carpenter that left my mind troubled, remembering that in the blink of an eye we can be transformed. A time to remember that it’s time to put away foolish issues and petty disagreements, it’s a time to remember that life’s short and in the words of BB King, “I don’t care if you young or old let the good times roll.”

The last time I saw Keion, he was at Colin’s Restaurant having dinner with his daughter. He called me over and said, “Ms. Val I want to introduce you to my daughter.” I can’t remember how old his daughter was but I doubt if she was ten years old. It’s what he said next that I will never forget. “Her and I go to dinner ‘just the two of us” because I want her to know how a man should treat a woman when on a date,’

he said. We laughed and I remarked, “You are really starting early.” He responded, “It’s never too early.” They say that we know when our end is near because we move with a quickness in getting things accomplished.

I received the text on Wednesday evening saying that he had fallen while running with his son and only a few knew because they hadn’t told his daughter and didn’t want it on social media. Immediately I thought about his relationship with his daughter and the last time I saw him and I wondered if he knew he wouldn’t be around to protect and show her how she should be treated.

The word of his fall and subsequent death hit social media in the way the death of a King or mighty warrior does. No one used his name for the first 24 hours but prayers lit up the airwaves.

“Just pray” as if mentioning his name would bring reality. “…May the service I give speak for me. When I’ve done the best I can and my friends don’t understand may the service I give speak for me.

The works I’ve done, they seems so small, sometimes, they seem like, seems like nothing at all. When I stand before my God, I want to hear Him say, ‘Well done.’ May the works I’ve done, speak for me for me.”-The Consolers What a legacy he has left his daughter and his family.

What a legacy he has left his friends and the city. He

gave back to his community creating several foundations to help the fatherless children develop into adulthood. At the age of 39 Keion is “gone too soon” but his legacy will forever remain as the hometown kid who came back and gave back.

“What’s so good about goodbye? All it does is make you cry.”-The Miracles The death of Keion during Christmas week left a sadness among his friends young and old so George Ray and I decided to have a get together at my house on Jan. 29 and he would host a party on New Year Day to say goodbye to 2016.

“There’s no yes in yesterday and who knows what tomorrow brings or takes away. As long as I’m still in the game I want to play for laughs, for life, for love. So here’s to life and all the joy it brings. Yes, here’s to life!”-Shirley Horn I immediately called Dante at Colin’s to see if he could prepare a simple menu for the next day. He walked in my home with mounds of fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, string beans and cornbread; I ordered platters from Old World Deli. I took the leftover hambone from Christmas, fixed a pot of black-eyed peas, went down to Lexington Market, and brought pounds of Chitterlings from Angie that I season to perfection and the seasoned was on.

They were there from age

honoring

Dr. King

Johns Hopkins honors the legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the day of service that commemorates his life. His work inspires us as we strive to enhance and enrich our ties to Baltimore, the nation, and the world.

Johns Hopkins. Investing in our community.

18 to 80 and who said young people don’t eat chitterlings.

I made one mistake. I tried to invite people using group text needless to say I won’t do that again. Special thanks to Mildred Harper, Doobie, Kim, Sheryl, Donnell and my son Keith for making a last minute party seem like it was planned for months.

Roxy and Fred “set it off” providing cigars for the guests who joined them around the pool. On New Year’s Day we gathered at the home of George and KB for fun drinks and more food. The menu

consisted of turkey salad, salmon, pasta dishes, seafood and more. Chef Irvin prepared several specially dishes.

Happy birthday Elexis Wylie, Dwight Taylor, Donnell Moses, Dorothy “The Queen” Williams, Michaun Carney, Reggie McCray, Antoinette Ford, Camay Murphy, Deborah Ferguson, Sara Gray, Wayne Nichols, Candes Daniels, Wendell “Pete” France, Adrian Harpool, and Monte Sanders.

“Hey girl I think I want to marry you.”-Bruno Mars Jasmine Imani Hampton,

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daughter of Sheila Dixon and Thomas Hampton said yes to “Native New Yorker” Adrian Brooks, son of Adrienne Brooks-Bryant and Dana Blocker while on vacation in Dubai.

Get well wishes to Leah Goldsborough Hasty.

Stay tuned for the grand opening of Slate, Randallstown’s newest restaurant.

“Oh, Baltimore man, it’s hard just to live. Oh, Baltimore man, it’s hard just to live.”-Nina Simone

SUPPORT ORGAN, EYE AND TISSUE DONATION IT’S A DECISION EVERYONE CAN LIVE WITH

Register online or at the MVA when you obtain your license.

DonateLifeMaryland.org

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The Afro-American, January 14, 2017 - January 20, 2017

On Dec. 10 the recital hall in the Murphy Fine Arts Center at Morgan State University in Baltimore was filled to capacity as family members and friends gathered to share in the celebration of approximately 50 Honoree Travis J. males who were honored by the Women of Pride, a group of Delta Sigma Theta “TJ” Debreaux Jr. Sorority sisters.

Dr. Ruth K. Pratt collaborated with Sharon Baptist Church to salute boys and men for their exceptional contributions to their families and the Baltimore community.

The group of boys and men represented the many areas of education, religion, politics, law, medicine, community Honorees David McDaniels and leadership, business, the Richard Ian McKinney-Johnson arts, fashion and sports.

Each honoree received a plaque and an official Rev. A.C.D.Vaughn, Senior Pastor, citation from Maryland Sharon Baptist Church State Senator Nathaniel McFadden.

Honorees Rev. Dr. Ronald J. Williams Jr., Zanes Cypress Jr., John C. Berkley

Honorees Samuel Sydnor, Marlowe Garnes, Life Chesley

Honoree 4-year old Kyle Barnes

Honorees of CAAM Father-son honorees Timothy W. Tillman Sr. and Timothy W. Tillman Jr.

Photos by Dr. A. Lois De Laine

Dr. Ruthe Sheffey, 90 year-old birthday celebrant

Truc Goss and Mila Goss

Dr. Ruthe Turner Sheffey, professor of English Emerita at Morgan State University was born on Christmas Day in 1926, Baltimore, Md. Her family members and friends, however, hosted a luncheon on Dec. 27 to celebrate her 90th birthday.

Dr. Sheffey laughed as she told her guests that her mother’s name was “Mary.”

A 1947 graduate of Morgan State College (University), Dr. Sheffey taught at her Alma Mater for 62 years, and “devoted 62 years to the survival

Donna Jacobs, Lynne Barney Porter, Michelle Wright

of the Black College through teaching, research, counseling, administrative and other duties”, she said.

One of her bridesmaids, retired City Councilwoman Agnes Welch, presented Dr. Sheffey with a picture from 1942 of three friends riding bicycles: Shirley Long, Ruthe Turner (Sheffey) and Agnes Welch. A short video was shown which summarized her career.

Monica McKinney-Lupton, Stephanie Carr, Yolanda Carr, Betty Bates, Michelle Council with Dr. Ruth Pratt, seated

Dr. Iola Smith, Veris R. Lee, Shirley Stills, Geraldine Waters, Elise Jude Mason

Grace Coffey, Dr. Ruth Antoine, Bethea McMillan, Lois M. McMillan, Dr. Linda Mehlinger

The Morton Street Dancers performed at the birthday celebration Standing, Zemora Taylor, Rev. Jan Taylor, Beatrice Scott, Ruby Couch. Seated, Bernice Beaird, Dr. Anne O. Emery, Barbara Briscoe

Family members are Dr. Renata Rawlings-Goss, Christina Strong, Dr. Ruthe Sheffey, Illona SheffeyRawlings, Malcolm Goss, Stanford Goss, Dr. Michael Sheffey-Rawlings

Roxann Nottingham, Ed Nottingham III, Ed Nottingham Jr, Kyla McMullen

Photos by Dr. A. Lois De Laine

In 1986, seven men made a lifelong dedication to the ideas and purposes of the Greek organization, Kappa Alpha Psi and ultimately became known as the Magnificent Seven of the Baltimore Alumni Chapter. They are: Carl Anderson, Horace Ashby, Jerry Cole, Chet McDuffie, Dr. J.

Camelia and Kevin Clark

Larry Gibson and Diana Gibson

Cheryl Hitchcock Dr. Sheila Richardson, Dr. Earl S. Richardson, former president Morgan State University

Melanie Garrett, Jacqueline Massey, Deborah Ferguson

Gary Palmer, Michele McNeill Emery, Vallen Emery Jr.

Noirman Edwards, Nikki Williams, John Ward, Francis Ward

Laws Nickens Jr., MD State Senator Nathaniel McFadden, and Charles “Chuck” Thomas Jr. Even though three of the fraternity members have passed, the brothers have remained close to each Herbert and Edith Jenkins other and other members of the Baltimore Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi. A buffet dinner was held on Dec. 16 at Baltimore’s Forest Park Golf Course to celebrate 30 years of brotherhood for the Magnificent Seven. Spouses (Kappa Silhouettes) and friends were on hand to share in the excitement of Meredith and E. Dean Evans Milton and Lora Mayo the evening.

Sen. Nathaniel McFadden, Charles “Chuck” Thomas, Jerry Coles, Dr. J. Laws Nickens Jr., Milton Mayo, Alvin Bagley

Teddy Garrett, Melonie Garrett, Tony Ferguson, Deborah Ferguson, Tahlea McNeil, Eric Booker

Everett Jordan, Cynthia Jordan, Joe Anderson, Melvin Howard

Audrey Bennett, Allen Bennett, Loretta Mitchell, Stanley Mitchell Photos by Dr. A. Lois De Laine

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

January 14, 2017 - January 20, 2017, The Afro-American

Maya Angelou

ARTS & CULTURE

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Doc. Explores Triumphs and Challenges of Famed Poet

By Nadine Matthews Special to the AFRO For at least the last thirty years, reading Maya Angelou’s serialized seven-part memoir is a rite of passage for young women across the globe. The first book, I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, which documents Angelou’s childhood, is the most well-known. It is the ultimate story of the triumph of the human spirit.

As formidable as a seven-part memoir is, the upcoming PBS American Masters documentary “Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise” makes clear that they cover merely the tip of the iceberg in the incredibly well-lived life of the author, Maya Angelou, who died in 2014. Overcoming a turbulent childhood marked by parental absence, rape, and the virulent racism of the American Deep South during the Jim Crow era, Angelou firmly grasped every opportunity that came anywhere close to her to overcome these trials and many more. The result was her improbable metamorphosis into one of the most celebrated, revered, and respected cultural icons in the world.

Rita Coburn-Whack, the longtime producer of the “Maya Angelou Show” on Oprah Winfrey Radio was the only person who Angelou agreed to allow make a documentary based on her awe-inspiring life. “She had been approached by a number of people and the difference was, I think, because of the four years with her [producing her show]. She knew my work as a journalist and trusted

(Courtesy photo)

Maya Angelou (seated, center) and the American Masters: Pictured (standing, left to right): Bob Hercules (co-director/producer), Rita Coburn-Whack (co-director/ producer) and Keith Walker (D.P.)

me,” Coburn-Whack told the AFRO The PBS program features little-known tidbits about the cultural icon and personal recollections of some of her many friends and admirers such as rapper Common, filmmaker John Singleton, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Alfre Woodard, Cicely Tyson and more.

Bob Hercules, veteran documentarian, co-produced the documentary. Hercules became a fan of Angelou after having read “Caged Bird” as a young man. He also worked with her on a public service short film years ago and had a relationship with American Masters, the long-running PBS series of which this upcoming documentary is the latest installment.

The making of the documentary, which premieres Feb. 21, was a five-year process that started in 2011 and from a technical perspective, its greatest gift was also its greatest challenge.

“There were private photographs that nobody had ever seen before. I think there were four thousand photographs to get to the three hundred and seventeen I think that are in the final film so it was really a massive effort to just comb through all those photographs to find the exact right photos,” Hercules told the AFRO. There were also “something like a hundred hours of film and video footage of Dr. Maya Angelou over her career we had to go through hours and hours and hours of footage.

It was an effort that surpasses anything else that I’ve ever done in my life really,” Hercules said.

Columnist Nat Hentoff Dies at 91 To Celebrate Inaugural or Not?

By The Associated Press Nat Hentoff, an eclectic columnist, critic, novelist and agitator dedicated to music, free expression and defying the party line, died Jan. 7 at age 91.

His son, Tom Hentoff, said his father died from natural causes at his Manhattan apartment.

Schooled in the classics and the stories he heard from Duke Ellington and other jazz greats, Nat (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews) Hentoff enjoyed a diverse Jazz legends pose for a group portrait of National and iconoclastic career, Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters of the past and basking in “the freedom to present, in New York. At foreground right is writer Nat be infuriating on a myriad Hentoff. Also in the photo are, from left, front row: Clark of subjects.”

Terry, Frank Foster, James Moody, Chico Hamilton, Roy He was a bearded, Haynes and jazz writer Nat Hentoff; middle row: John scholarly figure, a kind of Levy, Nancy Wilson, Chick Corea, Barry Harris, Tony secular rabbi, as likely to Bennett, Jim Hall, Slide Hampton and David Baker; top write a column about fiddler row: Ron Carter, Bob Brookmeyer, Ray Barretto, Buddy Bob Wills as a dissection of DeFranco, Paquito D’Rivera, McCoy Tyner and Freddie the Patriot Act, to have his Hubbard. name appear in the liberal Village Voice as the far-right WorldNetDaily.com, where his column last appeared in August 2016.

Ellington, Charlie Parker, Malcolm X and I.F. Stone were among his friends and acquaintances. He wrote liner notes for records by Aretha Franklin, Max Roach and Ray Charles and was the first non-musician named a Jazz Master by the National Endowment of the Arts. He also received honors from the American Bar Association, the National Press Foundation, and, because of his opposition to abortion, the Human Life Foundation.

Hentoff’s steadiest job was with the Voice, where he worked for 50 years and wrote a popular column. He wrote for years about jazz for DownBeat and had a music column for the Wall Street Journal. His more than 25 books included works on jazz and the First Amendment, the novels “Call the Keeper” and “Blues for Charles Darwin” and the memoirs “Boston Boy” and “Speaking Freely.”

The documentary “The Pleasures of Being Out of Step: Notes on the Life of Nat Hentoff” was released in 2014.

Hentoff was born in 1925, the son of a Russian-Jewish haberdasher. Thrown out of Hebrew school, he flaunted his unbelief, even eating a salami sandwich in front of his house on Yom Kippur, the Jewish day of fasting and atonement. In 1982, his opposition to Israel’s invasion of Lebanon led to a trio of rabbis declaring he had been excommunicated.

“I only wished the three rabbis really had the authority to hold that court,” Hentoff later wrote. “I would have told them about my life as a heretic, a tradition I keep precisely because I am a Jew.” He was educated as a boy at Boston’s Latin School, alma mater to Ralph Waldo Emerson among others. But his best lessons were received at a local jazz joint, where Ben Webster and Rex Stewart were among those who took a liking to the teenage fan and became, Hentoff recalled, “my itinerant foster fathers.” Back in the classroom, Hentoff would hide jazz magazines inside his textbooks.

In college, Northeastern University, Hentoff found a home at the Savoy Cafe and befriended Ellington, drummer Jo Jones and others. Ellington not only lectured him on music, but enlightened young Hentoff (who eventually married three times) on the loopholes in monogamy. “Nobody likes to be owned,” Ellington told him.

After graduating, Hentoff worked as a disc jockey and moved to New York to edit DownBeat, from which he was fired in 1957, because, he alleged, he had attempted to employ an African-American writer. A year later, he joined the Village Voice and remained until he was laid off in December 2008.

“I came here in 1958 because I wanted a place where I could write freely on anything I cared about,” Hentoff wrote in his final Voice column, published in January 2009. “Over the years, my advice to new and aspiring reporters is to remember what Tom Wicker, a first-class professional spelunker, then at The New York Times, said in a tribute to Izzy Stone: ‘He never lost his sense of rage.’ Neither have I.”

Trump Critics are Divided

Public Angst over Whether to be Associated with the Inauguration is Unusual

By The Associated Press It’s typically an unquestioned honor to participate in the inauguration of an American president. Who wouldn’t want to be part of such a historic event?

This time, though, it’s different.

The sharp divisions over Donald Trump’s election have politicians, celebrities and even high school students debating whether taking part in the inauguration is a political act that demonstrates support for the new president and his agenda or a nonpartisan tribute to democratic traditions and the peaceful transfer of power.

Among critics of the president-elect, everyone from Hillary Clinton and Hollywood A-listers to the band director at tiny Madawaska Middle/High School in northern Maine and singers in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir is wrestling with this issue — and reaching different conclusions.

Bill and Hillary Clinton served belated notice this past week that they’ll be on the inaugural podium when Trump takes the oath of office Jan. 20. At least two legislators have said they’ll boycott the ceremony.

In Utah, singer Jan Chamberlin was so dismayed by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir’s decision to perform at the swearing-in that she decided not only to sit out the event but to resign from the choir she dearly loves.

“The president-elect does not represent anything that reflects my moral views,” says Chamberlin, who voted for independent Evan McMullin. She said she’s concerned that participation in the inauguration will tarnish the choir by creating a false impression that the church supports Trump.

Similar debates have played out among the dancers of the Radio City Rockettes and members of the marching band of historically Black Talladega College in Alabama after inaugural planners announced that the groups would be performing.

For Ben Meiklejohn, director of the 30-student Pride of Madawaska Marching Band, performing for an inaugural concert at the Lincoln Memorial will give his teenage musicians the experience of a lifetime and has nothing to do with politics. He still remembers when his high school band marched in the 1989 inaugural parade for George H.W. Bush.

“I’ve always thought that music transcends politics, that music can get

(AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)

A model of the White House is displayed on a giant planning map during a media tour highlighting inaugural preparations being made by the Joint Task Force-National Capital Region for military and civilian planners at the D.C. Armory in Washington. beyond the barriers that divide people,” says Meiklejohn, who voted for the Green Party’s Jill Stein.

Apparently that’s not the case in leftleaning Hollywood, where publicist Howard Bragman says most entertainers see “no separation between Trump the man” and his inauguration, and want nothing to do with him.

Trump denies he’s facing any shortage of top talent.

“The so-called “A” list celebrities are all wanting tixs to the inauguration, but look what they did for Hillary, NOTHING. I want the PEOPLE!” the president-elect tweeted last month.

Participation in an inaugural is always a personal decision, and no doubt people have opted to sit out past inaugurations due to differences with the president-elect.

But historians and others say this year’s public angst over whether to be associated with the inauguration is unusual.

Before the 2001 inauguration of George W. Bush, plenty of people harbored bitter feelings about the recount and Supreme Court ruling that left Republican Bush ahead of Democratic Vice President Al Gore. But former Bush press secretary Ari Fleischer doesn’t recall the same type of debate over whether to participate in the inauguration.

He shies away from blaming one party or the other, but laments the greater polarization surrounding what traditionally has been “an American moment.”

“Add this to the long and growing list of things that pull us apart,” says Fleischer.

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The Afro-American, January 14, 2017 - January 20, 2017

College Football

SPORTS

London Named Head of Bison’s Football Program that Howard recognizes the impact of athletics and academics peacefully coexisting to enhance their overall For a football program that image after years of being a black eye. has rolled craps for more than a “For 150 years we have excelled in decade, Howard University has the classroom and we intend to excel on pushed all its chips to the middle the playing field as well,” said Howard of the table hiring a Football President Dr. Wayne A. I. Frederick.

Championship Subdivision (FCS) “College athletics is not a hobby. It national championship winning requires that our student athletes make coach to rebuild its program. Mike sure they not only excel on the field but London, who led the Richmond academically as well. The coaches that Spiders to the 2008 title, will try we hire must reflect those principles to to restore credibility and give make sure the student athletes are in an direction to a program that has environment they can excel in and that become a perennial doormat we are recruiting the kind of athletes in the Mid-Eastern Athletic that can honor the tradition of Howard (Courtesy photo) Conference(MEAC). as well. This is an investment in the (L-R)Howard University President, Wayne A. I. Frederick, Deputy Director of Athletics “This is a new day in terms of entire athletic program.”

Shelley Davis, Howard football coach Mike London and Athletics Director Kery Davis at the mindset and the approach we’re the announcement of London of as Howard’s new football coach.

There is no better marketing for going to have as a team,” said any college or university than a London said at a news conference competitive, compliant championship announcing his appointment as head football coach on Jan. 9. “Being the program. It has been proven on all levels that when a team wins titles in one of Stanford of the East, Howard has the opportunities to do that. There are not too the major three sports – football, men’s, or women’s basketball – there is a spike many places that can do it but Howard can and will.” in enrollment. Howard’s MEAC rival – North Carolina A&T - experienced London, 56, is a former Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Coach of the that in 2016 following their nationally televised win over Alcorn State in the Year at Virginia before spending last season at Maryland as the defensive line Celebration Bowl. coach. He is a tremendous defensive coach who has groomed NFL players such However, the academic infrastructure inside Howard’s athletic department as Chris Long while the position coach in Charlottesville and has developed must get better. Though he is familiar recruiting at places with strict academic nationally ranked units as a defensive coordinator. standards there always was adequate support. Howard is coming off NCAA “I had a very short list [of coaching candidates],” said Howard athletics sanctions because of its Academic Progress Rate (APR) penalties which led to director Kery Davis at the news conference. “There was one guy that I really, the hiring of Paul Bowden from George Mason to lead those reforms. really wanted but I didn’t know if I could get him. There were other people London could be the genesis to the renaissance of Howard athletics who I thought could do the job so I started with the I guy I really, really wanted especially since Dr. Frederick seems openly committed to creating synergy and that was Mike London.” between the program and academics while investing in its facilities. His hiring Sources say that London’s contract tops $300,000 with other incentives signals a change in the approach to sports on the hilltop. Only time will tell if which reflects a commitment by the university to the football program that speaks to a greater support of the overall athletics department. It finally appears results meet expectations.

By Mark F. Gray Special to the AFRO

January 14, 2017 - January 20, 2017, The Afro-American

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NBA

Hodges’ Book Details Life After Being Blackballed

By Maliik Obee Special to the AFRO It’s commonplace today to see superstar athletes taking on the powers that be, challenging issues of injustice in America.

Historical figures like Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Jim Brown and Muhammad Ali made waves challenging racism during the civil rights era. And today, basketball stars like Lebron James and Carmelo Anthony pick up the slack, using their voices to combat the same issues faced by icons of the past. While some athletes are praised for their actions, others are blackballed, erased from our memory banks and history books. One such person is Craig Hodges, and he has written a book to remind the world who he is.

Publisher Haymarket Books and author Rory Fanning have taken on the story of Hodges, one of the NBA’s greatest shooters who was blackballed for his activism.

Long Shot : The Struggles and Triumphs of an NBA Freedom Fighter details the rise and fall of Hodges, and how a visit to the White House led to him being removed from the league.

A member of the storied ’90’s Chicago Bulls, Hodges was a member of both the Champion 1991 and 1992 teams. During the span of 1990-92, Hodges won three-consecutive 3-Point Shootout Championships during All-Star Weekends. Despite Hodges being tied with Hall of Famer Larry Bird for most wins in the contest, it’s rarely mentioned.

Hodges record of 19 consecutive shots made in 1991 has yet to be broken. Yet following 1992, Hodges was let go by the Bulls, never to play in the NBA again. Considering his accomplishments, it’s obvious that Hodges committed a heinous violation in order to be exiled from the league at just 32. Hodges simply challenged the NBA, U.S. President George H.W. Bush, and the league’s best player Michael Jordan.

The details of Hodges addressing then-President Bush in

(Courtesy photo)

Former NBA player Craig Hodges’ book will be released on Jan. 31.

1991 at the team’s Championship White House Ceremony are well documented. Media outlets circulated the story of Hodges handing over a letter with requests and demands, noting problems and the plight of African-Americans in the U.S. Hodges wanted change, yet he didn’t understand the repercussions his penned letter would have on his life.

Fanning chronicles Hodges’ life from inner-city youth to big money NBA star. But Fanning brilliantly sprinkles inklings of circumstances through Hodges life that paved the way for the polarizing, boisterous figure he became. There are three sides to a story, two sides and the truth. Hodges finally gets to give his point of view, detailing what lead him to become whom he is, and his ultimate departure from the NBA. Hodges is known for taking on teammate Michael Jordan, a feat frowned upon by many. Even retired, Jordan is still a dominant figure as the primary owner of the Charlotte Hornets, and his stories of bullying teammates and opposing players are well documented. Hodges’ attempts to sway Jordan to use his voice and influence for change fell astray, souring their relationship, which Hodges goes into great detail in the book.

Instead of a messy attempt at sabotaging and slandering, Hodges and Fanning find balance, telling the story by using names strictly as evidence. It’s well known that activism in sports was not prominent from the 1980’s until 2000’s in terms of Black athletes. But Hodges gives insight on the fears and sentiments of those around him, and why things were and still are what they are.

There is a happy ending to the story, with Hodges making his way back into the NBA, as a coach for the Westchester Knicks in the NBA Development League. But the road to where he is now, and the continuous fight for change, even in old age, are worth reading.

In light of San Francisco 49ers Quarterback Colin Kaepernicks recent backlash for exercising his celebrity for better, this book is a must-read for those in the fight for change, and those opposed.

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PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY-AREA Prince George’s County

Prince George’s County

Pathway to Purchase Program Paves Way for New Home Owners

Legislators Lay Out 2017 Priorities

By James Wright Special to the AFRO jwright@afro.com The Maryland General Assembly on Jan. 11 kicked off its annual 90-day session with Prince George’s County lawmakers focusing on budgeting, public safety, health and education.

The General Assembly, the Free State’s lawmaking body, convened its 437th session in Annapolis, Md. The assembly contains 47 members of the Senate and 141 delegates.

The session is expected to terminate on April 10.

During the session, the state’s budget, which has a projected $500 million deficit, will be addressed along with other issues such as funding public universities and colleges, supporting public schools and supervising the funding of social services and passing laws that deal with health care, government operations, public safety, consumer protection, environmental protection and economic development.

Prince George’s County has one of the largest

Continued on D2

AFRO File Photo

Angela Angel represents District 25 in the Maryland House of Delegates.

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

Courtesy Photos

High school students from throughout D.C. gathered at Howard University Jan. 7. Jordan Johnson (lower right), a senior at School Without Walls has already decided to attend an HBCU.

HBCUs Make Their Pitch to Next Generation

By James Wright Special to the AFRO jwright@afro.com Jordan Johnson is a senior at the School Without Walls High School in the Northwest quadrant of the District of Columbia and like many seniors; she is looking forward to attending college.

Jordan has opted to attend a historically Black college and university (HBCU), and is proud of her decision to do so.

“People may knock down certain schools, but I’m going to be somewhere where I will be comfortable,” Jordan said. Jordan isn’t alone with her assessment.

On Dec. 7, 2016, School Without Walls hosted an HBCU Summit and College Fair for students in all District high schools.

Hundreds of students,

including Jordan, listened to speakers Keneshia Grant, a Howard University political scientist who received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Florida A&M University (FAMU); Keith Perry, a H.D. Woodson High School, Morehouse College, and Howard Law School graduate; and others.

The students were able to interact with HBCU alumni and network with admissions

D.C. to Celebrate King Holiday

By James Wright Special to the AFRO jwright@afro.com The District of Columbia will hold many events celebrating the official holiday recognizing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the coming days.

On Jan. 16, the day of the official King holiday, the annual Peace Walk and Parade will be held in Southeast Washington, Ward 8, on Martin Luther King Jr., Avenue, S.E. Stuart Anderson, one of the leaders of the march, told the AFRO that this year’s events will be different from the past.

“As we have in the past, we will hold the peace walk and it will start at the parking lot next to the headquarters of the United Black Fund,” Anderson said, referring to the 2500 Martin Luther King Jr. address of the UBF. The peace walk is scheduled to start assembling at 7:30 a.m., with a prayer service starting at 8 a.m. and the lineup for the peace walk beginning at 9:40 a.m., according to the event’s web site. The web site said that the peace walk will take place from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and go to the R.I.S.E.

Demonstration Center on the campus of St. Elizabeths East.

In regards to the parade, that is where the change from the past will occur. In recent years, the procession would start at the R.I. S.E. Demonstration Center and head south on Martin Luther King Jr., Avenue to the Covenant Baptist United Church of Christ in Southwest. At the church, there was a postparade program that consisted of speakers and music.

“This year, instead of heading south, we will be going north,” Anderson said. “We will march to downtown Anacostia where the Big Chair is and proceed to Anacostia Park, where a health fair will take place.”

The parade is scheduled to start at noon and will officially end at 2 p.m. at Anacostia Park.

The parade and peace walk are staples in the District’s events calendar and the mayor, D.C. Council members, and other elected and appointed city officials participate in the parade. Local high school bands and organizations in the city and some from Prince George’s County and northern Virginia Continued on D3

officials from Bowie State University, Morgan State University, Jackson State University, Grambling University, Spelman College, and Tuskegee University.

Perry, the executive director of the National Bar Association, said if a student wants to go to an HBCU, they should go for it. “I wanted to be able to

talk with them and explain to them that there are people who have walked the same path and explain to them that there’s a path to success academically,” he said.

The District’s Black residents have long had relationships with HBCUs. The city’s first HBCU was Miner Normal School, founded in 1851 for “colored girls” and through the years, Miner evolved through mergers and consolidations to become the University of

the District of Columbia in 1975 by an act of the D.C. Council. Howard University, considered one of the leading HBCUs in the country, was founded in 1867 by Gen. Oliver Otis Howard, head of the Freedmen’s Bureau.

A number of District leaders have received their education at HBCUs, with D.C. Council members Kenyan McDuffie (D-Ward 5) graduating from Howard and Trayon White (D-Ward 8) and Brandon Todd (D-Ward 4) receiving their bachelor’s degrees from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and Bowie State University, respectively.

Former D.C. Mayors Walter Washington and Sharon Pratt went to Howard University for their bachelor’s degrees and its law school, while Marion S. Barry graduated from LeMoyne College and received his master’s degree from Fisk University.

While Perry used his undergraduate experience at Morehouse for success in law school, James McClelland Jr., an internal controls and processes manager at Fannie Mae, told the AFRO his bachelor’s Continued on D2

The Prince George’s County Department of Housing and Community Development and the Redevelopment Authority recently launched a new home ownership program.

“Pathway to Purchase,” offers first-time homebuyers up to $10,000 in down payment and closing cost assistance.

Pathway to Purchase is a 0 percent interest loan program that must be paid back when the home is sold, transferred, or ceases to be the primary residence of the buyer(s). However, the loan repayment has a 10 percent decrease per year, and after 10 years, it is forgiven and the lien is released.

“We are eager to continue our progress in helping families begin their pursuit of the American dream.”

– Howard Ways Home buyers can purchase residential properties, including new construction, resales, short sales, and foreclosures anywhere in Prince George’s County.

“We are excited about this new opportunity,” said Eric C. Brown, director of the Prince George’s County Department of Housing and Community Development.

“We have dedicated $750,000 for this program to help people get on the path to home ownership.”

The purchase incentives also encourage Blacks in the County, whose wealth, according to the Federal Reserve’s Survey of Consumer Finances, Continued on D2

Prince George’s County

Suspicious Deaths in Greenbelt, Police Say woman were found on Jan. 10 on the 6000 block of Springhill Drive.

There were no signs of forced entry to the home, and police say they believe the deceased individuals knew each other.

No further information has been released.

By The Associated Press A man and woman were found dead inside a Prince George’s County home in Greenbelt, Md., police are investigating their deaths as “suspicious.”

The Greenbelt Police Department says the man and

Homicide Count 2016 Total

98

2017 Total

2

Data as of Jan.11

afro. com

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The Afro-American, January 14, 14, 2017 2017 -- January January 20, 20, 2017 2017

HBCUs

Continued from D1 degree in accounting from North Carolina A&T University helped him do well getting his master of science degree in accounting at Michigan State University (MSU).

“On the academic front, my undergraduate course load was strong enough to the point where I had already taken some of the classes required for my master’s degree at A&T,” McClelland, a graduate of Dunbar High School, said. “It made matriculating through my master’s program a lot easier when compared to some of my peers from other schools, including the MSU undergrads in the program with me.”

McClelland, a CPA,said the confidence he gained at A&T helped him become a leader at MSU and in his professional life.

McClelland said, “An HCBU experience is second to none. The family environment helps tremendously; the professors and administrators are personally vested in the success of students and you aren’t considered a number. The quality of education is just as strong if not stronger than non-HBCUs. There are several lifelong connections made and when you walk out of the walls of an HBCU, you will, without a shadow of a doubt, be prepared to take on life’s

challenges.”

Jordan is considering Norfolk State University, Dillard University, Fayetteville State University, FAMU, and Virginia State University, and is interested in studying business administration and marketing, with an eye on entrepreneurship.

Jordan told the AFRO she had to refute erroneous claims that students attending predominantly White institutions have a distinct advantage over those attending HBCUs in the job market.

“That is completely inaccurate,” she said.

“The school that someone went to plays a

part but is not the primary reason someone is hired. Plus, HBCUs and their alumni have connections to industries that will help students to find jobs.”

LaToya Grant is the admissions director and internship coordinator at School Without Walls and a graduate of Florida A&M University. She agrees with Jordan and McClelland about the HBCU experience.

“Black colleges and universities prepare you for the real world,” she told the AFRO. “HBCU graduates tend to fare better than students who attended [White colleges] in many cases.”

state will work together on some key issues.

He serves as the first vice chairman of the Maryland Legislative Black Caucus that is led by Del. Cheryl Glenn (D-District 45) of Baltimore City.

“We will be working on bail reform, regulating prescription drugs better and

of victims so they can’t go to work, flooded homes so that the victim will have to rely on the abuser for shelter and killed victims’ animals out of sheer cruelty. Those instances aren’t covered by the law and I want to change that.”

Angel has established herself as a legislative

testifying before House and Senate committees on behalf of the county. The county executive has made it repeatedly clear throughout his tenure that he wants state money to fund the new hospital center in Largo and for the school system to receive its share of county funds.

While lawmakers have their projects for the session, Pepper Mill Village resident Emma Andrews told the {AFRO} that she also has an agenda for her county’s state lawmakers.

“I would like for them to make a priority to stop the state money that is going to private schools,” Andrews said, speaking of Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan’s (R) plan to increase money for the Private Voucher Program, which Baker strongly opposes. “That will take money away from the public schools and I don’t support that.”

However, Andrews, who has lived in the county since the mid-1960s, said that she wants her lawmakers to do something else.

“I see my lawmakers as service providers and I would like for them to serve us better,” she said. “They need to have an effective communication system with their constituents so that we can know what is going on in Annapolis. It would seem that they act as if they know what is best for me without asking me.”

Legislators Continued from D1

delegations in both chambers, with eight senators that represent all or part of the county and 23 delegates that are similarly situated.

The county has long been a power in Annapolis, with Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller (D-District 27) serving in his capacity since 1987. Miller is the longest serving presiding officer of a state legislative chamber in the United States.

County Del. Jay Walker (D-District 26) is the chairman of the House delegation while Sen. James C. Rosapepe (D-District 21), leads the county’s senators.

Maryland Del. Darryl Barnes (D-District 25) has been in office since January 2015 and sits on the influential Ways and Means Committee. Barnes told the {AFRO} that he has a full plate for the session.

“One of the most important issues that we are going to tackle in the Prince George’s County delegation is the licensing of medical cannabis,” the delegate said. “During the first round of licensing, it has been noticed that not one person or firm of color got a license.

We think that this unfair and we will work to change that.”

Barnes said that he and his colleagues representing the county and Black and progressive legislators from other parts of the

“We will be working on bail reform, regulating prescription drugs better and tackling a $500 million deficit.”

-Del. Darryl Barnes

tackling a $500 million deficit,” Barnes said.

“We have to deal with the deficit.”

Del. Angela Angel (D-District 25), who has been in office since 2015, will be working on her agenda to help families that are under distress.

“My biggest priority is to change the language of laws dealing with domestic violence,” Angel told the {AFRO}. “I will work to get the Senate to refine protective orders where harassment and malicious destruction of property will be punished severely. I know of instances where abusers slash the tires

expert on domestic abuse, a problem that Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker, III and the county’s state’s attorney Angela Alsobrooks has made a priority in prosecuting. The delegate said she is working in that area because “too many children are dying because of domestic violence.”

Angel also wants to increase mental health services for children in the state’s public schools, saying that schools often have to deal with the consequences of domestic violence and aren’t generally equipped to do so.

Baker is a regular presence in Annapolis,

Courtesy photo

The County’s new home buying program can help several families become home owners.

Home Owners Continued from D1

dipped to century-old lows following the recession and accompanying high rate of foreclosures, to invest in homeownership again.

“Seeing that rate of foreclosure in Prince George’s does represent a problem for the whole nation,” Bill Sermons, research director at the Center for Responsible Lending told National Public Radio in 2011. “It’s one of the few counties in the country where it’s become more affluent as it’s become Blacker . . . There were a lot of communities within that community that were very solid, middle-class communities.”

The Redevelopment Authority of Prince George’s County will administer the program, and began accepting applications Jan. 9. “Home buyers must work with an approved mortgage

lender to submit an application. We are eager to continue our progress in helping families begin their pursuit of the American Dream,” Howard Ways, executive director of the Redevelopment Authority, said in a release.

The maximum purchase price of homes utilizing Pathway to Purchase assistance is $313,000. Home buyers may use one of the following loan programs with Pathway to Purchase: FHA, Maryland - Eric C. Brown Mortgage Program, VA or conventional loans, and the the home must pass a Housing Quality Standards (HQS) Inspection as part of the application process.

Since 2012, the Redevelopment Authority has assisted over 600 home buyers purchase their first home in Prince George’s County through various home buyer assistance programs.

“We are excited about this new opportunity.”

January January 14, 14, 2017 2017- January - January20, 20,2017, 2017,The TheAfro-American Afro-American

B3 D3

King

Continued from D1 participate in the parade while the peace walk tends to focus on east of the Anacostia River groups and individuals.

Anderson said that planning events for the peace walk and parade have been

going along smoothly.

“We have had a wonderful response to this,” he said.

“The planning committee has been meeting consistently since late August and we have gotten a great response from

Area MLK Celebrations Washington, D.C.

MLK Shabat Dinner Washington Hebrew Congregation will hold a “MLK Shabat Dinner” on Jan. 13 at 5:30 p.m.

Greenbelt, Md.

D.C. Support Group’s Scholarship Luncheon D.C. Support Group’s 45th Annual Scholarship Luncheon will be held on Jan. 15 at Martin’s Crosswinds, 8700 Greenway Center Drive, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Washington, D.C.

‘We Feed Our People’ 29th Annual Holiday Celebration On Jan. 16 volunteers will head to Big Chair in the historic Anacostia neighborhood to serve meals and distribute winter clothing and toiletries.

NAN MLK Breakfast National Action Network No Justice, No Peace Martin Luther King Breakfast on Jan. 16 at the Mayflower Renaissance Hotel, 1127 Connecticut Avenue, NW from 8:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m.

Peace Walk and Parade Peace Walk and Parade on Jan. 16 will begin at 10 a.m. on at 2500 MLK Ave, SE and end at the R.I.S.E Center at 2730 MLK Ave, SE.

Greenbelt, Md.

D.C. Support Group’s Scholarship Luncheon D.C. Support Group’s 45th Annual Scholarship Luncheon will be held on Jan. 15 at Martin’s Crosswinds, 8700 Greenway Center Drive, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Woodbridge, Va.

Deltas MLK Youth Oratorical Contest The Prince William County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority will host its 27th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Youth Oratorical Contest on Jan. 16 at 11 a.m. at the Hylton Memorial Chapel, 14640 Potomac Mills Road.

participants, bands and local schools.”

While the peace walk and parade have received the most attention, there are other events honoring the slain civil rights leader. On Jan. 12, there will be a program “An Honest Look at the D.C. Youth Act” that will take place at the Potomac Gardens Family Community & Recreation Center, located at 700 12th Street., S.E., with WJLA reporter Sam Ford moderating a panel discussion.

On Jan. 13, the Washington Hebrew Congregation will hold a “MLK Shabat Dinner” with the Rev. Dr. William Barber III, a renowned leader of the NAACP nationally and in North Carolina, as the guest speaker, with dinner starting at 5:30 p.m.

On Jan. 15, Covenant will hold a worship service celebrating King at 10 a.m.

After the peace walk and parade on Jan. 20, there will be “Let’s Stop the Violence Community Forum” at the First Rock Baptist Church in Southeast.

The non-profit, “We Feed Our People” will hold its 29th Annual Holiday Celebration Through Service by providing hot meals and warm clothes for the homeless. On Jan 14-16, volunteers are set to gather at the Howard University School of Law cafeteria to prepare meals and on Jan. 16, the organization will go to the Big Chair in Anacostia to serve meals and distribute clothes.

WASHINGTON AREA

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS Washington, D.C. National Mall National Action Network Hosts 2017 March on Washington On Jan. 14, the National Action Network (NAN) will lead minority, civil, human and women’s rights groups in a protest over Trump’s policies on economic inequality, his plan to dismantle the Obama agenda and to curve the rights of citizens of color and others who are disadvantaged.

The march’s theme is “We Shall Not Be Moved.”Marchers should assemble at 9 a.m. at the National Sylvan Theater, Independence Avenue, S.W. & 15th St., N.W. The March begins at 11 a.m. and will travel along Independence Ave., SW to West Potomac Park at 1964 Independence Ave., SW. There will be a rally at noon in West Potomac Park, directly across from Martin Luther King Jr. memorial. For any questions or concerns please call 1-877626-4651.

Greenbelt, Md. Martin’s Crosswinds, 8700 Greenway Center Drive D.C. Support Group’s 45th Annual Scholarship Luncheon The D. C. Support Group will hold its 45th Annual Scholarship Luncheon & Fashion Show on Jan. 15 at Martin’s Crosswinds, 8700 Greenway Center Drive, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. The theme of the event will be “Remember! Celebrate! Act! King’s Legacy of Courage for Our World.”

Lonnie Bunch, director of the

Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture will receive the2017 Humanitarian Award.

Donations of $75 per person are requested.

For Reservations, call 202-737-1277.

Woodbridge, Va. Hylton Memorial Chapel, 14640 Potomac Mills Road Prince William County Delta Alums Host MLK Oratorical Contest The Prince William County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority will host its 27th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Youth Oratorical Contest on Jan. 16 at 11 a.m. at the Hylton Memorial Chapel, 14640 Potomac Mills Road. This year’s theme is “What the World Needs Now...” Middle school and high school students from throughout the Prince William area will display their amazing oratorical skills and children of all ages will sing songs of celebration in the Martin Luther King Community Choir. For more information, visit pwcacdst.org.

Upper Marlboro, Md. 800 Watkins Park Drive First Baptist Church of Glenarden MLK Town Hall Upper Marlboro, Md. The First Baptist Church of Glenarden, 800 Watkins Park Drive, will hold a Race and the Media Town Hall on Jan. 16 at 10 a.m.

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The Afro-American, January 14, 2017 - January 20, 2017

NBC4 held its 24th annual Health and Fitness Expo, Jan. 7-8 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Northwest D.C. in partnership with Giant Pharmacy and Johnson & Johnson.

Thousands of attendees from around the area crowded into the convention center to take part in fitness exercises and health screenings, speak with health care professionals, and learn the benefits of eating healthier meals. Special guests included Bryan Dattila who plays, “Lucas Roberts” on NBC’s Days of Our Lives and NBC TODAY’s Charlie, Service-Dog-In-Training with America’s VetDogs.

Sanai, Simone and Shawnita Pair

Nadiya Williams and Kara McCullough with NBC’s 4 Aaron Gilchrist

Queens learn how to administer CPR

Tiny participants took part, too

Yvette Billups, Linda Shaw and Stephanie Bynurm

NBC4 staff

Edgar Brookins, general manager, D.C. Afro-American Newspapers

Kim Andrews, Valerie Crawford-Schiel, Sonja Osborne and Maiya Adams

Dr. Joseph Wright; Dr. Charles Howell; Juanita Coye Bailey, RA; Nadiya Williams, Miss D.C. Teen USA and Kara McCullough, Miss D.C. USA Photos by Rob Roberts

The birthday commemoration of Dr. Carter G. Woodson, founder of Black History Month and the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) was held on Dec. 17 at the Friendship Armstrong High School in Northwest D.C. Woodson served as principal at the school from 1918 – 1919. The National Park Service and Omega Psi Phi Fraternity joined ASALH to host the event. Guest speakers included Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton; Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham, ASALH; Tara Morrison and Robert Vogel, National Park Service; Ezekiel Dennison, Jr. and Robert Stanton, retired, National Park Service.

Dexter Hamlett; Sylvia Cyrus; Ezekiel Dennison, Jr.; Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham; Tara Morrison; Robert Vogel; Michael Chambers; Angel Thompson and Robert Stanton

Ezekiel Dennison, Jr., 3rd District representative, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity

Dexter Hamlett plays Dr. Carter G. Woodson

Greg Carr, Thomas Battle, Steven Johnson and Robert Vogel, National Park Service

Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton(D-D.C.) and Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham, president, ASALH

Mistress of Ceremonies Tara Morrison, superintendent, National Park Service

Michael Long, Prince Brown, Steven Johnson, Norm Senior, Antonio Coleman, Cornelius Beidleman, Peter Parham and Robert Stanton Photos by Rob Roberts

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