Afro PG County 3-10-2017 by AFRO News

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

Volume 125 No. 32

MARCH 11, 2017 - MARCH 17, 2017

Woke Women

Inside

Baltimore • Did the ‘First Family of Hip-Hop’ Steal All of Dru Hill’s Royalties?

‘Rosewood’s’ Lorraine Toussaint on Acting, Living Lovely, and Activism

Prince George’s

C1 Commentary

A Pastoral Response to the Muslim Ban By Daryl K. Kearney

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AP Photo/Andre Penner

Activists march holding a banner that reads in Portuguese “Black women against racism, genocide and femicide. Our lives matter,” during a demonstration to mark International Women’s Day, in Sao Paulo, Brazil on March 8.

Black Leaders Briefly Meet with A.G. Sessions

By Lenore T. Adkins Special to the AFRO The Rev. Al Sharpton and five other Black civil rights leaders had a “very brief” meeting March 7 with Attorney General Jeff Sessions that lasted 45 minutes, which, according to the leaders, was not nearly enough time to bring up all of the civil and human rights issues affecting Black communities. Meanwhile, the group denounced President Donald Trump’s newly revised travel ban as unconstitutional, saying it promotes racial and ethic profiling and fuels hate-inspired incidents. They asked Sessions to counsel the president to rescind the executive order that now bars travelers from six Muslim-majority countries. But, in the end, Sharpton said, the group secured a commitment from Sessions on one issue, Continued on A3

California Fight With EPA Will Affect Nation AP Photo/Cliff Owen

Civil rights leaders met with Attorney General Jeff Sessions, in Washington. From left are Melanie Campbell, National Coalition on Black Civic Participation; Kristen Clarke, The Lawyer’s Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Rev. Al Sharpton, National Action Network, Wade Henderson, president of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights; and Marc Morial, National Urban League.

AFRO’s 125th Anniversary

Are You an AFRO Woman? By AFRO Staff On Apr. 23, the AFRO will celebrate the many contributions women have made to the success of the organization over the past 125 years and we want you to be a part of it. “Women of the AFRO American Newspapers” will pay tribute to the numerous women who have worked at the paper over the years

and the event will be held from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Sharon Baptist Church in Baltimore. If you worked at the AFRO, in any capacity, over the years call Diane Hocker, director of community and public relations, at 410-554-8243. The AFRO American Newspapers began on Aug. 13, 1892 when founder, John H. Murphy Sr., merged his onepage weekly church publication The

Black Political Community Leading Charge on Russian Investigation By Charles D. Ellison Special to the AFRO There was a time, particularly during the height of Cold War tensions and Soviet Empire demise in the 1980s, when Black politicians

and their constituents were naturally more focused on domestic community challenges than international clashing between super powers. And, for the most part, the routine barrage of Continued on A3

Sunday School Helper with two other church publications, The Ledger and The Afro American. The consolidation was only possible because of a $200 loan from Murphy’s wife, Martha Howard Murphy. That loan turned a church newsletter into Continued on A3

AFRO Archived History

Holiday from Work to Mark Anniversary By Patricia McCormack

Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., ranking member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, says he wants an investigation into President Donald Trump’s relationship with Russia.

By Rushawn Walters Howard University News Service California is preparing for a huge fight over its climate with the Trump administration and its new EPA director, a battle that could have ramifications for residents across the nation, from New York to Washington state, from Maryland to Massachusetts, from Pennsylvania to Arizona - potentially affecting more than one of every three Americans. In preparation for what elected officials expect to be a protracted brawl on auto emissions, the state has hired Eric Holder, attorney general under President Obama, to take on the Environmental

Continued on A4

On March 8 women across the world participated in International Women’s Day in an effort to call attention to the important role women play in the workforce. This is not the first time such a strike has been tried. In 1970, the National Organization for Women called for a similar event on Aug. 26, the 50th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote.

April 18, 1970

AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite

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• D.C. Plans to Memorialize Mayor Marion Barry

American women will participate in a holiday from drudgery in the office and on the homefront August 26 – according to an edict from Betty Friedan, president of NOW (National Organization For Women). If you accept, you’ll do absolutely nothing that day, the 50th anniversary of the 19th Amendment to the constitution – which gave women the right to vote. You may do some manly things – like Continued on A4

The Afro-American, March 11, 2017 - March 17, 2017

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Somalia: 110 Dead from Hunger in Past 48 Hours in Drought By The Associated Press

Founded by John Henry Murphy Sr., August 13, 1892 Chairman of the Board/Publisher - John J. Oliver, Jr. Executive Assistant - Sallie Brown - 410-554-8222 Receptionist - Wanda Pearson - 410-554-8200 Director of Advertising Lenora Howze - 410-554-8271 - lhowze@afro.com Advertising Account Executives Baltimore - Robert Blount - 410-554-8246 - rblount@afro.com Washington, D.C. - Vetta Ridgeway - 202-332-0080-ext. 1104 vridgeway@afro.com Director of Finance - Ronald W. Harrison - 410-554-8242

Two-Time Haitian President Rene Preval Dies

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“When I saw her, it was a genuine expression of affection,” Bush said of that moment. And there were many other similar events where the pair was often seated together, he added. “I can’t remember where else I’ve sat next to her, but I probably have a few wisecracks and she seemed to like it okay,” says Bush. “I needle her a little bit and around her, I’m fairly lighthearted. [The Obamas] are around serious people all the time and we just took to each other.” It helped that Obama chose to champion a cause close to the former president’s heart—that of the welfare of the nation’s military and their families. Bush said he and his wife, Laura, would be happy to continue to collaborate on the issue with the Obamas, Bush said. “It’s going to take them a while to find their footing and figure out how they’re going to do what they want to do,” he said. “But if there’s a way to be symbiotic, we’ll do so.”

(AP Photo/Farah Abdi Warsameh)

In this Feb. 25 photo, malnourished baby Ali Hassan, 9-months-old, is held by his mother Fadumo Abdi Ibrahim, who fled the drought in southern Somalia, at a feeding center in a camp in Mogadishu, Somalia. Somalia’s prime minister said Mar. 6 that 110 people have died from hunger in the past 48 hours in a single region — the first death toll announced in a severe drought threatening millions of people across the country. Somalia’s government declared the drought a national disaster on Feb. 28. The United Nations estimates that 5 million people in this Horn of Africa nation need aid, amid warnings of a full-blown famine. Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire spoke during a meeting with the Somali National Drought Committee. The death toll he announced is from the Bay region in the southwest part of the country alone. Somalia was one of four regions singled out by the U.N. secretary-general last month in a $4.4 billion aid appeal to avert catastrophic hunger and famine, along with northeast Nigeria, South Sudan and Yemen. All are connected by a thread of violent conflict, the U.N. chief said. The U.N. humanitarian coordinator, Stephen O’Brien, was expected to visit Somalia in the next few days. Thousands have been streaming into Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, in search of food aid, overwhelming local and international aid agencies. Over 7,000 internally displaced people checked into one feeding center recently. The drought is the first crisis for Somalia’s newly elected Somali-American leader, President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed. Previous droughts and a quarter-century of conflict, including ongoing attacks by extremist group al-Shabab, have left the country fragile. Mohamed has appealed to the international community and Somalia’s diaspora of 2 million people for help. About 363,000 acutely malnourished children in Somalia “need urgent treatment and nutrition support, including 71,000 who are severely malnourished,” the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Famine Early Warning Systems Network has warned. Because of a lack of clean water in many areas, there is the additional threat of cholera and other diseases, U.N. experts say. Some deaths from cholera already have been reported. The government has said the widespread hunger “makes people vulnerable to exploitation, human rights abuses and to criminal and terrorist networks.” The U.N. humanitarian appeal for 2017 for Somalia is $864 million to provide assistance to 3.9 million people. But the U.N. World Food Program recently requested an additional $26 million plan to respond to the drought.

George W. Bush Details Unlikely Friendship with Michelle Obama By Zenitha Prince Senior AFRO Correspondent zprince@afro.com

(AP Photos/LM Otero and Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

Former President George W. Bush (left) and former First Lady Michelle Obama (right). The friendship between former President George W. Bush and former first lady Michelle Obama seems like an anomaly in an increasingly partisan political sphere. But Bush, this week, told People Magazine that, as unlikely as the pairing may seem, the two have struck up a genuine friendship. “She kind of likes my sense of humor,” Bush said in an interview with the magazine. “Anybody who likes my sense of humor, I immediately like.” The former president is promoting his first art book and an accompanying new exhibit, “Portraits of Courage: A Commander in Chief’s Tribute to America’s Warriors,” a collection of his paintings of post-9/11 war veterans. Many recall the hug between the then-first lady and the former president during the dedication ceremonies for the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture in September. The seemingly genuine cuddle between the smiling pair quickly went viral.

By The Associated Press

Rene Preval, the only democratically elected president of Haiti to win and complete two terms, has died at age 74. Current President Jovenel Moise confirmed Preval’s death in a Tweet on Mar. 3. “I learned with sadness the death of former President Rene Preval,” Moise said on his Twitter account. “I (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari) prostrate myself before the In this March 10, 2010 remains of this worthy son photo, Haitian President of Haiti.” Rene Preval pauses while The cause of death was speaking on Capitol Hill, in not given. Preval had been treated for prostate cancer in Washington. Cuba in 2001. Preval was elected by a landslide in 1995 as the chosen successor of Jean-Bertrand Aristide, and turned power back over to Aristide when he left office five years later after a term marked by political infighting. His second term, which started in 2006, was marred by the disastrous earthquake of January 12, 2010, which reportedly killed more than 310,000 people and displaced more than 1 million. Many Haitians accused him of a fumbling response to the tragedy. Preval was born on Jan. 17, 1943, in the town of Marmelade in rural northern Haiti. His father, Claude, was an agronomist who served under President Paul Magloire and fled during the early years of the dictatorship of Francois “Papa Doc” Duvalier. Preval earned an agronomy degree from Gembloux Agricultural University in Belgium and later studied geothermal sciences at the University of Pisa in Italy. In 1970, he moved to New York, where he worked as a waiter and a messenger. Five years later, he returned to Haiti and worked at the National Institute for Mineral Resources, according to an official biography. Preval became a leading figure in Aristide’s Lavalas political movement, which enjoyed a huge following among the poor and was feared and hated by the tiny community of elites who long dominated the country’s economy and government. Aristide, by now no longer a priest, was elected president in 1990 and appointed Preval to be his prime minister. A military coup ousted Aristide seven months into his term and the two leaders went into exile. A U.S.-led invasion restored Aristide to power in 1994 and he was allowed to serve the year-plus remaining in his term. Running as Aristide’s successor, and with his backing, Preval won 88 percent of the vote in 1995 though only a quarter of eligible voters cast ballots. Preval’s first term was marked by political infighting, with Aristide seen as the power behind the throne. When Preval completed his term in 2001 and transferred power to Aristide, he became Haiti’s first democratically elected president to leave office after a full term. Preval then withdrew from politics and spent his time in Marmelade during Aristide’s second term, which ended when he was forced to flee the country following a violent rebellion in 2004. An interim government backed by the United States then took power. Preval won a second term in 2006 in an election that nearly headed to a runoff. As his supporters demonstrated in the streets, the electoral council recounted ballots and found him to have an outright majority. Preval’s second term was marked by a dramatic spike in kidnappings, gang warfare, riots over soaring global food prices and a series of tropical storms that caused widespread flooding and death, particularly around Gonaives in the north. Still, Haiti enjoyed a rare political stability. The economy started improving, with growth reaching almost 3 percent in 2009, the second-fastest rate in the hemisphere, according to the International Monetary Fund. But the Jan. 12, 2010, earthquake destroyed much of the capital, including the National Palace and many other government buildings. The government estimated 314,000 people were killed and more than 1.3 million were displaced. There was widespread public anger at Preval, who made few public appearances after the disaster and was blamed for much of the chaos engulfing the capital. His chosen successor, Jude Celestin, lost in the first round of the 2010 presidential election, which was won later by popular musician Michel Martelly, a former Aristide opponent. On May 14, 2011, Preval handed over power to Martelly, marking the first transfer of power from a Haitian president to a member of the opposition. Preval then left politics and lived quietly at his estate in the mountains above Port-au-Prince and in the Miami area, where many Haitian expatriates live. His survivors include his third wife, Elisabeth “Babette” Delatour, and two adult daughters.

The Afro-American, March 11, 2017 - March 11, 2017

Sessions Continued from A1 which was to look into the Eric Garner case. Garner, 43, died in 2014 after a New York City police officer placed him in an illegal chokehold in an arrest that was caught on video. Though the medical examiner ruled the death a homicide, a grand jury declined to indict the arresting officer. Garner’s death further galvanized the national Black Lives Matter movement, with protestors chanting his last words, “I can’t breathe.” Sharpton emphasized that the group wasn’t seeking commitments from Sessions on any issue. The purpose of the meeting was for Sessions to hear the group’s civil rights agenda and their grievances on actions Trump and the DOJ have taken during the nascent administration, he said. “We were not hostile, but we showed holy indignation and we continue to be indignant about any threat to our civil rights,” Sharpton,

founder and president of the National Action Network, said at a news conference. The meeting was closed to the press and leaders held a news conference once it concluded. They said they spent a large part of the meeting discussing voting rights. They said they also urged Sessions to uphold the Voting Rights Act and

director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, said that she interprets that as targeting Black and Latino voters and told Sessions to talk the president out of forming such a task force. As the nation’s chief law enforcement officer, Sessions is obligated to investigate voter discrimination laws that impact racial minorities’ right to vote, Ifill said. “Any effort by this administration to advance an investigation in search of this mythological voter fraud that

– Al Sharpton pushed him to fight against laws they say disenfranchise voters. Trump has claimed, without evidence, that he lost the popular vote against Hillary Clinton due to millions of people illegally voting. Trump has also proposed forming a task force to investigate those claims. Sherrilyn Ifill, president and

Continued from A1 But, in a new twist, no segment of that side of the political spectrum has been as vocally anti-Putin as the Black Electorate. Leading the charge is what was once – during the Cold War - an unlikely and sophisticated coalition of Black elected officials, experts and thought

targets our communities will be met with our resistance.” The group also expressed dismay at the DOJ’s decision to dismiss its earlier claim under the Obama administration that a Texas voter ID law disenfranchises voters of color. It was not lost on them that Sessions hails from Selma, Ala.

coming from the White House starting today, or anytime in the foreseeable future on how they actually do collections, it means they’re preparing for a cover-up,” argued Nance on MSNBC’s AM Joy over the weekend, pushing back against recent Trump accusations that President Obama wiretapped Trump Towers. “Because they want to know how they’re actually getting this information. This

“The constant revelations regarding senior officials in the Trump Administration and the Kremlin underscore the need for an independent bipartisan investigation into Russian involvement in our election.” – Rep. Barbara Lee leaders deeply versed in foreign affairs and willing to use that knowledge to push back against President Donald Trump. Black foreign policy and terrorism experts like Malcolm Nance, executive director of the Terror Asymmetrics Project on Strategy, Tactics & Radical Ideology, are near household names on cable channels like MSNBC offering scathing, straight-no-chaser analysis of the Trump administration’s conduct throughout the Russia scandal. “If there are any questions

is what happens when a target starts getting buggy because he knows that he’s caught.” “The Congressional Black Caucus has not stood silent while this White House promotes positions and policies that threaten our communities, and we will not stand silent while this White House condones collusion and conversations that threaten our national security,” Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-LA), chair of the Congressional Black Caucus , said in a statement last week. “National security should be the top

of the women who sacrificed and contributed to the paper to ensure it would reach 125 years. Martha Murphy’s torch still burns bright at the AFRO in the 21st century as seen in former editor Rev. Dorothy Scott Boulware who continued the legacy of women in leadership roles at

the paper for close to 19 years along with Diane Hocker, director of community and public relations, who is the current incarnation of Ms. Santa and coordinator of the rebooted Clean/Green Block Campaign, who has been at the paper for over 20 years. The “Women of the AFRO American Newspapers” event is just one of many to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the AFRO this year including, the AFRO’s Black History Month program honoring leaders in education, the Clean/Green Block Initiative and the upcoming tea. The celebration will culminate with a 125th Anniversary Gala on August 12. For more information on 125th anniversary events, visit afro.com.

AFRO Woman Continued from A1 the most widely circulated Black publication along the Atlantic coast. Martha Murphy’s legacy lived on at the paper through the women who came after her such as Frances Murphy, Eva Barnes, Gertrude Steel, Arnetta Lottier, Mae Dyson, Lula Jones Garrett and Ruth Jenkins. These are just a few

and that the meeting occurred on the 52nd anniversary of the Bloody Sunday protest march from Selma to Montgomery, Ala. The march led to the passage of the Voting Rights Act. The leaders said they implored Sessions to keep federal consent decrees in place for more than a dozen troubled police departments, including Baltimore, that were found to have engaged in patterns of discrimination. In the past, Sessions has expressed skepticism to consent decrees and to investigations of

“We were not hostile, but we showed holy indignationand we continue to be indignant about any threat to our civil rights.”

Investigation anti-Communist rhetoric, which painted Russians as the “Evil Empire” (phrasing Ronald Reagan) was a bogeyman campaign happily led by White conservatives and Republicans. That, of course, worked with the base. Years later, in the Era of the Black President, and Republicans were more than happy to peg President Obama as being “too weak” in response to Russia’s annexation of Crimea and its shadow invasion of Ukraine. In 2017, that script has flipped dramatically. Each day is a new headline about probable close ties between the campaign of the new Republican president and the totalitarian regime of Russian president Vladimir Putin. The president’s own intelligence apparatus quietly investigates how close those ties were, and how deeply the Russians manipulated the 2016 U.S. election cycle. Under pressure, the growing scandal has not only prompted one high level casualty in the resignation of now former National Security advisor Michael Flynn, but it has also caused a fresh, new Attorney General Jeff Sessions to recuse himself from any Russia-tied investigations moving forward. Such events have, predictably, aroused the suspicions and very public ire of frustrated Congressional Democrats and progressives.

March 11, 2017 - March 17, 2017, The Afro-American

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police patterns and practices. “We underscore the first point which is that the Civil and human rights are not partisan issues they are national issues and we expect the Attorney General to live up to his responsibility to enforce the laws fairly and without discrimination or favor for all,” Wade Henderson,

priority of the White House. But time after time the Trump Administration has demonstrated that they do not take this priority seriously. Since they don’t, Congress must.” Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) agreed, adding, “The constant revelations regarding senior officials in the Trump Administration and the Kremlin underscore the need for an independent bipartisan investigation into Russian involvement in our election.”She normally focuses on domestic policy. Public polling shows a vast split along racial lines on the Russia question. In a YouGov poll, there are actually more Black voters

president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and The Leadership Conference Education Fund, told the AFRO. The leaders encouraged Sessions to speak out against and investigate the rash of hate crimes against minorities in the country. Going forward, they’ll continue monitoring the administration and looking for opportunities to provide input. “It would be a grave mistake for the Justice Department to retreat in its responsibility to defend the constitutional rights of people who have been aggrieved by police departments in those 20 communities,” said Marc Morial, president of the National Urban League. He described the wideranging meeting as “constructive and candid,” deeming it an important first step in an ongoing dialogue. A DOJ spokesman told the AFRO that the agency had no comment on the leaders’ version of events and said Sessions would not be issuing a statement about the meeting. Lon Walls contributed to this article.

who view Russia as an enemy than White voters – by 6 percentage points. In the meantime, while the general observation of the zeitgeist was that Trump’s Joint Address before Congress was a stroke of political genius and theater; the general mood of many in the Black political and civil rights community was of skepticism. “Sure, if you like great political theater, it was a good speech,” quipped the National Action Network’s Rev. Al Sharpton. “But, here’s where we need to separate the tone from the substance. There wasn’t really any substance.” “And, everyone is talking about how well behaved he was. He’s like that bad kid in

the classroom who’s always getting in trouble and then one day he miraculously stops misbehaving and everyone is like ‘wow, look at that, he’s being such a good boy.’ So, I’m not falling for that act,” Sharpton continued. Still, others could not help but admit that the president’s performance was a clever departure from his normally erratic, off-script and firebrand style. Most in the Black political space stopped short of saying “he was presidential,” as Black CNN analyst Van Jones said, the response in the mainstream pundit space. But many did note that the president had displayed deft political trade craft in his speech.

The Afro-American, March 11, 2017 - March 17, 2017

Holiday Continued from A1 standing on a corner and whistling at goodlooking guys – while practicing equal pursuits with men, if you wish. But, please, don’t do anything womanly. Mrs. Friedan sounded the call for a general strike by women that anniversary day while at the annual meeting of NOW in Des Plaines, Ill. Since usual laborious things will be out, perhaps fun for all will be the result. Strictly fun isn’t what Mrs. Friedan has in mind. Office workers will punch the timeclocks but after that, bosses, watch out. The chief drum-beater for women’s rights

March 11, 2017 - March 11, 2017, The Afro-American

wants office machines and switchboards unplugged, typewriters silenced, stenographer’s pencils stopped, and women, in effect, to sit on their hands – until bosses get the idea that women deserve to be paid on a par with men. On the homefront, women may express themselves by leaving dishes in the sink, rings in the bathtub, dust on the mantle. They may refuse to take their stand at the range and steer clear of the grocery store – if such a trip means victuals for the family. They may even steer clear of the steering wheel itself, if means calling attention to their worth as family chauffeur. While Mrs. Friedan, author of the “Feminine Mystique” (a book that pepped up

California Continued from A1 Protection Agency’s new leader, Scott Pruitt. California, home to 39 million Americans and an estimated 14.5 million cars, both the highest for any state, is fighting to maintain its higher automobile emissions restrictions, which its leaders say have rescued the state from high levels of air pollution. The law, state officials said, has paid off. Since 2015, Los Angeles’ “smog” days, those days in which air pollutants are higher than the federal regulation standards, have declined by nearly 50 percent compared to the numbers during the 1970s. Health care and black elected officials say the fight is particularly important to African Americans because statistics show African-American communities suffer disproportionately from high levels of air pollution. Due to California’s success, 13 other states, Arizona, Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington, have adopted its clean car standards. Now, those states fear the EPA will no longer allow them the exemptions that it has done through every Republican and Democratic administration since the law was initiated. During his Senate confirmation hearing, Pruitt, who sued the EPA 14 times as Oklahoma attorney general and has called scientific evidence of a correlation between climate change and

this equal rights movement), may be on the right track, there’s such a thing as carrying a movement too far. If her declaration is taken seriously, women on that anniversary day in August will refuse to go through a doorway held open by a man, nix seats offered by males on conveyances, refuse to have the stronger sexed ones help with heavy packages. They won’t let men pick up luncheon or dinner checks. They will refuse to accept invitations offered by males that day. In the spirit of equality they will reserve the right to issue such invitations. The very worst thing that could happen (to bachelors) in the 24-hour period of equal rights: women would grab the right to propose.

human activity “religious beliefs,” refused to say whether the EPA under his direction will allow states to maintain higher emission control standards. Newly-elected California Sen. Kamala Harris repeatedly questioned Pruitt about the states’ concerns. Harris, who opposed Pruitt’s confirmation, said last week she was troubled by Pruitt’s response. “California is a recognized leader on clean energy

“Rolling back environmental protection is going to disproportionately impact communities of color already suffering from brownfields, toxic waste or the type of negligence that led to the Flint water crisis.”

–Karen Bass

development and global effort to combat climate change,” Harris said in an interview. “During his hearing, I asked multiple times if he would uphold California’s motor vehicle pollution standards, and each time he shied away from that guarantee.” California’s ranking senator, Dianne Feinstein, who also opposed Pruitt’s confirmation, said she and her constituency are

Perhaps that wouldn’t be bad. The year 1970 isn’t leap year – with its extra day the second month for women to propose marriage to men. Women contemplating expressing that equal right on August 16, better think twice. Once they’ve proposed, they’ll also have to – buy an engagement ring and ask the prospective bridegroom’s parents for his hand in marriage. But that’s not all. They’ll have to pay for the honeymoon. And, if they really want equal rights after the honeymoon, they’ll have to give the new bridegroom his choice: staying home and minding the house or taking on the doubleheaded challenge – mixing a career and homemaking chores.

also concerned about Pruitt’s environmental view. California Congresswoman Karen Bass, a Democrat who represents Los Angeles, said if Pruitt’s doesn’t uphold the emissions controls rules, it could have a serious effect on the most vulnerable Americans. “Something that seems to be far from his radar is the disproportionate effects climate change has on poorer communities,” Bass said an e-mail to Howard University News Service. “Rolling back environmental protection is going to disproportionately impact communities of color already suffering from brownfields, toxic waste or the type of negligence that led to the Flint water crisis.” President Trump, who has already signed executive orders to rollback EPA policies to protect the nation’s water, has said EPA is hurting the economy. Before Trump was elected, he called the EPA a “disgrace.” “Every week they come out with new regulations,” he told Fox News in 2015. “They’re making it impossible. We’ll be fine with the environment. We can leave it a little bit, but you can’t destroy businesses.” Despite Trump’s claims, the auto industry is flourishing in California under the state’s tighter emissions controls. In 2015, the state nearly set a new record when new car sales rose 11 percent. Californians bought more than two million cars that year. According to Employment Development Department data, jobs in California’s automotive industry jobs have grown by 47,000 since 2011, nearly a 26 percent increase.

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March 11, 2017 - March 17, 2017, The Afro-American

COMMENTARY

Why Md.’s SB 437 Won’t Lower Prescription Drug Prices

As a faith leader in my community, I witness firsthand the struggles our neighbors face in accessing quality, affordable health care. These are challenging times. We face the threat of the repeal of the Affordable Care Act in Washington. Rising out-of-pocket costs and deductibles are making health care and medicines less affordable. In our community, there is a need to focus on reforms that incentivize preventive medicine – encouraging people to visit their doctors and take their medicines – rather than ending up, too often, in the emergency room. Dealing with accessibility and costs must be our highest priorities, and I applaud the Maryland Legislature for considering several pieces of legislation that attempt to address these concerns. Al Hathaway In predominantly African-American communities such as ours, access to prescription drugs is critical. Chronic diseases affect People of Color more than any other population. In order to maintain quality of life, patients need consistent access to their prescription medications, without the risk of having their formularies changed and treatment disrupted at any moment. Continuity of care should be guaranteed. In contrast, however, there is no evidence that SB 437 and its companion bill in the House, HB 666, would provide Marylanders’ relief from rising healthcare costs, and they could potentially reduce access. It creates paperwork, not savings for patients. The bills seek to force drug manufacturers to disclose why they are raising prices for prescription drugs. Our neighbors who suffer from chronic disease deserve new, effective treatments that will surpass previous solutions as our biohealth industry continues to innovate. All of us can remember when HIV was considered a death sentence. Now, it is a manageable chronic disease – as long as patients take their medicines. This type of life-changing innovation and care is what we should be striving for – which, ultimately, lowers the cost of treatment. I fear that forcing biopharmaceutical manufacturers into a unique, single-state regulatory system would discourage innovation here, harming Maryland’s economy and, potentially, keeping new medicines from coming to market. Our state depends on the tens of thousands of jobs and the billions of dollars in revenue that the biohealth sector provides.

Chronic diseases affect People of Color more than any other population.

The only state to have passed similar legislation to SB 437 and HB 666 is Vermont, which essentially has no biotech industry and has much different demographics than our state. Health care costs are a growing burden on our communities, and communities across Maryland. We need to find a comprehensive solution to improve access and really address costs to patients. Reducing out-of-pocket costs and deductibles would be much more effective than SB 437. So would coverage equality that requires insurance companies to cover medicines and other types of care at equal levels – rather than charging higher co-pays and deductibles for prescriptions. I urge Maryland lawmakers to support actions that will benefit consumers, such as SB 768, the Continuity of Care bill. And I urge them to reject SB 437 and HB 666, because the potential consequences outweigh any benefits. The Rev. Al Hathaway is Pastor at Union Baptist Church in Baltimore, Md.

LBC: Food Deserts Aren’t Just a Baltimore Problem Hunger is an often underestimated and overlooked cause of depression, anxiety, stress, and poor concentration. According to the Alliance to End Hunger, our food-insecure elderly community has higher rates of health problems, decreased resistance to infection, and extended hospital stays. Hunger also increases the chances of developing type 2 diabetes among adults, and children who are hungry are more likely to have behavioral problems. Then there is a question of the quality of food available; the lack of access to fresh and healthy options is a silent killer of millions of Americans across the nation. Not every family who lives more than a quarter mile away from a market that carries fresh fruits and vegetables has access to a bus system to help with the trip. Many live in rural communities with no access to a vehicle, so they have to walk to the nearest grocery store, sometimes a mile away, because they do not have access to a bus line. Then after all the traveling, some people end up purchasing fruits and vegetables that go bad in two or three days. This exacerbates the obesity problem because for someone on a tight budget, a balanced diet is a fiscal strain. This leads a large swath of our working poor to spend their money on highly processed foods, laden with harmful preservatives, high fructose corn syrup, trans fats, and fatty acids. Food deserts are not just a Baltimore City problem. Families from counties such as Wicomico and Allegany are living in food deserts or suffering from food insecurity. There is no one-

Andy-Evens Pierre

size-fits-all solution to food deserts. Some of the initiatives that could help include re-outfitting small convenience stores with the proper equipment and education so they can make fresh fruits and vegetables available, increased support for urban food hubs and farmers markets, and serving Maryland-grown produce in after-school and summer programs. The members of the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland and Maryland’s Commission on Environmental Justice and Sustainable Communities hosted an educational luncheon, on March 1 in Annapolis to discuss access to healthy foods with community leaders and stakeholders from around the state. It

There is no one-size-fits-all solution to food deserts. is going to take a multi-pronged approach to solve Maryland’s food access problem and the members of the Legislative Black Caucus are in it for the long haul. Over the interim, the Black Caucus plans to hold work sessions on Food Access in order to prepare solid legislation for next session. Medical Cannabis Hearings were held last week on the Medical Cannabis legislation introduced by Delegate Cheryl D. Glenn and

cross-filed by Senator Joan Carter Conway in the Health and Government Operations (House) and Judicial Proceedings (Senate) committees. Members of the Medical Cannabis Commission, stakeholders, legislators, and families shared their testimonies with the committee members. The committee heard testimony from Billy Murphy, lawyer, former State’s Attorney Stuart Simms, and Delegate Cheryl Glenn on the pieces of legislation designed to increase the number of grower’s licenses and provide oversight to the Medical Cannabis Commission by making it a division under the Department of Health & Mental Hygiene, requiring appointments to the Commission to be confirmed by the Senate, and that the Commission shall reflect the racial diversity of the state. Further the legislation prohibits commissioners from working for a Medical Cannabis company for two years after their term has ended. Coming up On March 21, the members of the Legislative Black Caucus will be hosting the “HBCUs Night in Annapolis” starting at 6 p.m. in Conference Room West of the Miller Senate Building, 11 Bladen St, Annapolis, Md. 21401. The event will be attended by Presidents, students, and alumnus of Maryland’s four HBCUs: Morgan State University, Coppin State University, Bowie State University and University of Maryland Eastern Shore. Andy Pierre is the Executive Director of the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland.

A Pastoral Response to the Muslim Ban The deplorable executive orders issued by the president Daryl K. Kearney recently, in particular the 90 day ban on people from the Muslim majority countries of Libya, Sudan, Syria, Iran, Yemen and Somalia from traveling into the United States, do not exemplify Christian principles and values. As members of the Christian community, we cannot sit idly by and allow the president to defraud the moralities of our faith or use them to wear down the principles of a democratic society. The United States is a multi-cultural nation that was, and still is, built by the hands of immigrants. The reality is unless we are of Native American descent, we are immigrants in this country. Some, like our ancestors, were driven from their homeland and forced into slavery, while others came of their own free will; many seeking religious freedom. When one looks at the birth of Jesus we are clearly reminded that Jesus himself was a refugee. Jesus, a Jew born in Bethlehem under the colonial oppression of Rome, along with his family fled to Egypt because of King Herod’s “executive order” to have all male children killed. One of the greatest sermons that Jesus ever preached, the Good Samaritan,

should inform our views on immigration. In this short story Jesus challenges us to minister beyond the boundaries of our own self-existence. The “neighbor” in Luke’s parable serves as a metaphorical bridge between identity and difference. A hermeneutic of hospitality commands community where care is offered to this “certain man” who is not characterized by race, religion, or region. I want to lift the same question found in the Luke’s gospel; “Who is our neighbor?” The current governmental leadership will say to us that the undocumented immigrant, the Muslim refugee, and the Latino/a immigrant are not our neighbors. Nevertheless, the love of God has no bounds. Jesus explains “neighbor” as any person irrespective of race or religion with whom we may come in contact. This parable shatters the stereotypes of social boundaries and class division and destroys any system that hinders one from being hospitable to any sojourner realizing that we too were once immigrants. What should be the church’s response to immigration and/or reaching out to our multi-cultural communities? It is impossible to respond lovingly and prophetically to communities where persons have come seeking refuge and justices without seeing the value and the worth that is within them. They too were created by the hands of God and the death

of Jesus was an act of love not just for America, but for the entire world. The love of God looks beyond race, stereotypes, and prejudices. In no other arena is the possibility for inclusive community more pregnant than among the churches that make up the body of Christ. The church, to be true to Christ and to our faith, must be a visible sign of the “beloved community.” We must recognize that our immigrant brothers and sisters are in search of meaning, care, and love in the same ways that we are.

The United States is a multi-cultural nation that was, and still is, built by the hands of immigrants.

The Rev. Daryl K. Kearney has over 20 years in pastoral ministry. He serves as Pastor of Turner Memorial African Methodist Episcopal Church in Hyattsville, Md. and is a Doctoral Candidate at Payne Theological Seminary.

The Afro-American, March 11, 2017 - March 17, 2017

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March 11, 2017 - March 17, 2017, The Afro-American

BALTIMORE-AREA

Race and Politics

All Options Should Be on the Table for the BCPD

What the hell are we going to do about the Baltimore City Police Department? Seriously. Many of Sean Yoes the sordid Senior AFRO details of Contributor how seven Baltimore City police officers, five Black, two White (all living outside of Baltimore City), allegedly operated a criminal enterprise beneath the ubiquitous blue covering of the BCPD, have been made public since their arrest last week. The Department of Justice was investigating the BCPD in 2016, while these cops were allegedly jacking drug dealers and legit businessmen alike for hundreds of thousands of dollars, and simultaneously shaking down the City of Baltimore for hundreds of thousands of dollars in mostly fraudulent overtime pay. According to the DOJ, Det. Momodu Gondo, 34, on a salary of $71,400 collected $29,100 in overtime pay, which incredibly was the lowest amount collected by the seven last year. The largest amount of overtime pay went to Sgt. Wayne Jenkins, 36, who on a salary of $85,400 nearly doubled his money with overtime payments of $83,300. “How easy it is to steal overtime from the Baltimore City Police Department and from the City of Baltimore,” said Stephen Janis a veteran investigative reporter with The Real News Network, and a Continued on B2

Did the ‘First Family of Hip-Hop’ Steal All of Dru Hill’s Royalties?

Members of Dru Hill allege that their royalties were stolen by the family that started Sugar Hill Records. facebook.com

By Kamau High AFRO Managing Editor khigh@afro.com Baltimore native Sisqó sold millions of records as a solo artist and had many hits with his group Dru Hill. But in a lawsuit, he and his bandmates, allege they have not received any royalties since 1996. They did, however, receive “substantial” advances and revenues from touring and merchandise, according to their lawyer. Further, the group alleges the money was stolen by 27 Red Music Publishing, a now defunct business that was owned by the now deceased Rhondo Robinson, a scion of the Robinson family, which started Sugar Hill Records. Allegations of mob ties and stealing artists’ money have followed the Robinsons since Sylvia Robinson and her husband, Joseph, started Sugar Hill Records in 1979. The label put out the first hip hop record, Rapper’s Delight, a seminal moment that is credited with proving that rap music was commercially viable. The original members of Sugar Hill— Michael “Wonder Mike” Wright, Henry “Big Bank Hank” Jackson, and Guy “Master Gee” O’Brien —in a 2011 documentary alleged the Robinson family prevented them from using their own names to perform. The seed money to start the label was reportedly given to the family by reputed mobster Morris “Mo” Levy. In 2005 Sisqó, frustrated that he felt he was not receiving the

proper amount of royalties from his original publisher Art of War Music Publishing, contracted with 27 Red Music Publishing to collect royalties covering the period of 1996-2005. Art of War in 2002 signed an agreement with EMI where EMI would pay royalties to artists under contract to Art of War. The group’s lawsuit states that EMI paid over $600,000 to 27 Red Music and that 27 Red Music never paid the members. Mark “Sisqó” Andrews, James “Woody Rock” Green and Larry “Jazz” Anthony are part of the suit. Tamir “Nokio” Ruffin is not. 27 Red did not defend itself. “They were served and nobody showed up,” Lita Rosario, lawyer for the group, told the AFRO. A representative for the Robinson family, who currently star in the Bravo reality show, “First Family of Hip-Hop,” did not respond to multiple requests for comment by press time. On Feb. 24 a judge dismissed the group’s claims with prejudice. Kevin Peck, the group’s manager and a Baltimore native, would have been entitled to 10-20 percent of the group’s royalties. According to Rosario he did not receive any of that money. Rosario said she would file an appeal within 30 days. “Unfortunately for myself & my fellow song writer/artists we have already paid with our blood, sweat and tears, giving back to the public in the form of music and only looked to be compensated fairly for our efforts,” Sisqó said in a statement. “Even though I am, years later, asking for compensation for the works that I have done, I still have faith that the light will always outshine the darkness, and the truth will always come to light.”

…in a lawsuit, he and his bandmates, allege they have not received any royalties since 1996.

BUILD Presses for School Budget Resolution

By Deborah Bailey Special to the AFRO HBCU students, alumni and advocates across the state packed the Senate Office Building in Annapolis this week to testify on behalf of SB-712, a bill to guarantee supplemental funding to the state’s four public HBCUs. “I’ve been fighting this battle a long time,” Senator Joan Carter Conway said to members of the Senate’s Budget and Taxation Committee. Conway is the primary sponsor of SB-712, The Blount-Rawlings-Britt HBI Comparability Program. Carter summarized the state’s history of discriminatory actions negatively impacting Maryland’s HBCUs and the legislation she has sponsored through the years to seek parity in funding between

Courtesy photo

State Senator Joan Carter Conway is the primary sponsor of bill that equitably distribute funds to Maryland HBCUs. the state’s HBCUs and TWI’s (traditionally White institutions). Conway testified that the state’s HBCUs continue to experience limitations due to inequitable funding on a material level resulting in

Continued on B2

William Cornish, Devoted Church Man, Dies at 76 By AFRO Staff

Baltimore United in Leadership Development (BUILD) swarmed City Hall to demand a resolution to the $130 million Baltimore City schools budget on March 8. Pastors, activists and parents gathered at Baltimore City Hall to hand deliver letters to Mayor Catherine Pugh and City Council President Bernard C. “Jack” Young at a morning Board of Estimates meeting. Young expressed a willingness to work with BUILD to reach a solution and Pugh committed to a March 20 deadline, said Dr. Douglas J. Miles, Bishop of Koinonia Baptist Church and co-chair Emeritus of BUILD. BUILD plans to deliver additional letters to Gov. Larry Hogan, Delegate Maggie McIntosh, City Schools CEO Sonja

Photo by J.K. Schmid

Activists, parents and pastors line up at City Hall to demand a resolution to Baltimore City’s public school $130 million deficit. Santelises, and Marietta English, president of the Baltimore Teachers Union.

Continued on B2

Morgan State University Honors Calvin and Tina Tyler with New Student Services Building On Feb. 10, 2016 Morgan alumnus Calvin E. Tyler Jr. and his wife Tina, both well known philanthropists, announced a $5 million dollar gift to Morgan State University (MSU) for an endowed scholarship established in their name at

HBCU Advocates Take to Annapolis to Plead for Equality

In Memoriam

By J. K. Schmid Special to the AFRO

By James Bentley AFRO Associate Editor jbentley@afro.com

the University. On Mar. 8, MSU President David Wilson announced the dedication of the University’s future student services building to the Tylers, which is set to open in 2020. Calvin E. Tyler Jr., the first person in his family to attend college when he entered MSU in 1961, was forced to interrupt his education in 1963 due to financial struggles. Tyler said having his surname

on the student support building at Morgan has a deep meaning for him. “Tina and I are extremely honored by this news,” Tyler said in a statement. “We both feel strongly about education, and we are very happy that we are able to provide an opportunity for young people in Baltimore to get a good education, especially since we were born and raised in

Baltimore.” Construction of the $81-million, state-of-theart facility is scheduled to begin later this year, and its opening is slated for 2020. The 139,000-square-foot Calvin and Tina Tyler Hall will house nearly 20 student support departments and will include numerous special features,

Continued on B2

William Joseph Cornish died unexpectedly at the age of 76 on March 5 in Cambridge, Md. Cornish was born in 1940 to Naomi Stanley and Joseph Ulysses Cornish. Third of four siblings, Cornish was reared by Naomi and Carroll Cooper. He was educated in Maryland’s Dorchester County Public Schools, graduating in 1958 from Maces Lane High School. Always industrious, William was a hard worker, for his family and friends, at work, and for his church. As a young man, he was protective of his mother, escorting her, with his brother, to work at the crab house during the early morning hours. He married in the early 1960s and his daughters – Talibah Chikwendu and

Continued on B2

Past Seven Days

56 2017 Total

Data as of March 8

The Afro-American, March 11, 2017 - March 17, 2017

Race and Politics Continued from B1

recurring contributor to First Edition, during the, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Mod Squad,â&#x20AC;? segment. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is one of the big parts of this indictment...with the overtime there is a lot of evidence that they actively, fraudulently put in for overtime and they werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t there. Given the fact we have a $40 million budget in overtime, which is like $30 million over budget and a school budget deficit...itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important to pay attention to this indictment, because it shows thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no culture of accountability. They were doing whatever they wanted... it sounds like...there was never a time when it seems like a supervisor intervenes,â&#x20AC;? Janis added. To my knowledge, not one member of the BCPD, rank and file, command staff, outside of fired police commissioner Anthony Batts, was spotted leaving police headquarters carrying a box in the wake of the uprising in April 2015. And it was deja vu all over again in August 2016 following the release of the Department of Justice, â&#x20AC;&#x153;patterns or practiceâ&#x20AC;? report on the BCPD, one of the most scathing in the history of the DOJ. Again, nobody got fired (to my knowledge). So, whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going down as a result of the latest BCPD scandal? If past is prologue, nobody. Nothing to see here. And that may be the real issue, what we see with this latest incident of misconduct is just the tip of the iceberg, according to all the people Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve talked to in law enforcement and in politics.

One draconian solution seems to be resonating with more people, disband the BCPD. And for those who believe tearing down the department and building a new one is absurd, it happened just to our north in New Jersey five years ago. In November of 2012, the city of Camden, New Jersey, which was being overrun by crime, disbanded their police department, laying off or firing hundreds of their officers and hiring a

â&#x20AC;&#x153;â&#x20AC;Śitâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important to pay attention to this indictment, because it shows thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no culture of accountability.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Stephen Janis nonunionized force of 400 officers. Of course, there is a great disparity in size between the Camden Police Department and the BCPD, but many of the ills that plague Camden are the same that ravage Baltimore, poverty, substandard public schools, lack of affordable housing, lack of jobs, drug addiction and rampant police corruption.

The DOJ says in order for the BCPD to correct course, the City of Baltimore will most likely have to invest many millions of dollars over the course of several years. But, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been sinking more money into law enforcement for decades and how has that been working out for us? Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve said publicly and privately on dozens of occasions, the vast majority of the men and women sworn to protect and serve the citizens of Baltimore, do their jobs professionally. I know some of them personally and they perform heroically day in and day out. But, I once asked Commissioner Kevin Davis, if a good cop turns a blind eye to corruption by his brothers and sisters in blue, can he or she still be a good cop. He said, no. So, how many good cops do we really have in the Baltimore City Police Department given the amount of corruption that so many believe is pervasive? Perhaps the time has come for Baltimore City residents to abandon the BCPD, (or at least implement a Serpico-esque purge of dirty cops) which seems dysfunctional on every level and start all over. Sean Yoes is a senior contributor for the AFRO and host and executive producer of, AFRO First Edition, which airs Monday through Friday, 5 p.m.-7 p.m. on WEAA, 88.9.

HBCU Advocates Continued from B1

campuses that are underresourced in comparison with the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s TWIs. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It takes an HBCU project 7 to 10 years longer to get their capital projects built,â&#x20AC;? Conway offered as a tangible example of the continuing inequity between the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s HBCUs and other state universities. Morgan State University President David Wilson, the only HBCU president present to testify on behalf of SB 712,

echoed Conwayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s analysis of the disparity between HBCUs in Maryland and better funded and resourced, state institutions. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Much more is needed for Morgan to reach a level of parity,â&#x20AC;? Wilson said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have the highest percentage of contract faculty of any institution in the state. We have a $375 to $400 million-dollar capital backlog,â&#x20AC;? Wilson said.

Contract faculty are not considered permanent employees of the university and are employed subject to funds available. A capital backlog occurs when projects have been approved for funding but money has not been allocated to implement the project. Students and alumni from Morgan and Bowie State University described the impact of the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lack of

equitable funding for their colleges. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It really hurts me to know that we are here fighting just to get equal funding. Our HBCUs are very special,â&#x20AC;? said Ron Washington, Bowie State University Student Government Vice President. Ricardo Mitchell, National Director of Bowie State Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Alumni association ended his testimony with a question for

members of the Budget and Taxation Committee. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If we fail to act as a state and continue on the path of not properly funding these institutions, where will we be?â&#x20AC;? Supplemental funding bills for Marylandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s HBCUs sponsored in prior legislative sessions have failed to clear both the State Senate and House of Delegates. The current legislation would require the Governor to

provide funding for the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) for distribution to the HBCUs. Currently, MHEC funding allocations to public four-year higher education institutions is discretionary. HBCU advocates will have another opportunity to support the Blount-Rawlings-Britt HBI Comparability Program at HBCU Night in Annapolis, on March 21st.

Morgan

Continued from B1 including a green roof on the third level, a state-of-the-art recruitment room and â&#x20AC;&#x153;generalist desksâ&#x20AC;? to limit studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; time spent in different departments, according to a statement released by the University. The scholarships will provide full tuition for select Morgan students who reside in Baltimore City, the Tylerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hometown. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There are two major things I want to achieve (with the endowed scholarship fund),â&#x20AC;? Tyler said in 2016. â&#x20AC;&#x153;No. 1, to see as many of our young people graduate with a degree as possibleâ&#x20AC;Ś. The second thing that my wife and I are concerned about, and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re providing 10 full-tuition

scholarships each year, is that we want more students to get a college degree and graduate debtfree.â&#x20AC;? It will fund 10 fulltime scholarships per year initially, but Wilson said Courtesy photo they hoped the endowment Rendering of the new MSU would grow to fund more Student Services Building, students in the future. Calvin and Tina Tyler Hall.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Morgan family is grateful beyond measure for the generosity of Calvin and Tina Tyler,â&#x20AC;? said David Wilson, Morganâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s president, in a statement. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The resources they have provided are furthering the vital work of Morgan by expanding opportunities for quality higher education for students of all backgrounds. This building dedication, during our sesquicentennial year, is a small token of our gratitude and will serve as a permanent reminder to all who pass through Morgan Commons of the commitment of this exemplary couple to Morganâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s long-term vitality.â&#x20AC;?

BUILD

Continued from B1 â&#x20AC;&#x153;All the adults need to get in a room and solve this $130 million deficit to keep our children harmless from budget cuts,â&#x20AC;? Miles told the AFRO. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As they fill that gap they cannot cut other services to young people. If these budget cuts go through, the city may as well hang up a sign that says â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Closed for Business.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;? Despite increasing property values in some parts of Baltimore, and by extension, tax values, tax revenue is not keeping up due

to tax increment financing and other business development pilot programs, said Stephanie Safran, parent of a second grade student at Roland Park Elementary/Middle School and co-chair of Family and Community Engagement. Roland Park faces a $1.5 million budget cut under the current budget, Safran said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Every school in the city is in the same situation,â&#x20AC;? Safran said. According to the U.S. Department of

Education, there are 191 public schools in the city, with 83,800 students, and 914 certified instructional teachers. The Rev. Glenn Huber, interim Rector of St. Andrewâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Episcopal Church, was one of those who came to personally deliver the letters. Huber has been in Baltimore for seven years and every year sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been a part of a

fight with Annapolis to ensure students have adequate funding, she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The urgency for the principals, for the teachers, and parents is such that we need to know whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s happening,â&#x20AC;? Huber told the AFRO. â&#x20AC;&#x153;What kind of money are the teachers looking at? What are the real cuts that are going to impact our schools. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re here today, to increase the urgency.â&#x20AC;?

Cornish

Continued from B1 Stephanie Cornish â&#x20AC;&#x201C; were the result of that union. Both daughters currently work for the AFRO. William worked at a variety of places during his life, but was employed the longest at the Cambridge Municipal Utilities Commission. William remarried Edith Murray-Cornish in February 1995, adding her son, Terrance Murray, to his children. For years, he served as janitor and grounds keeper at Waugh Chapel UMC in Cambridge, Md. He also assisted with the care of the church cemetery on High Street. As a long-term member of Waugh, he served on the trustees, on the finance committee, as church treasurer, on the Angelic and Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s choirs and as an usher. His death is mourned by his brother C. Wendell Cornish; children, Talibah Chikwendu, Stephanie Cornish, and Terrance (Keida) Murray; six grandchildren; two great grandchildren and his extended family. In addition to his parents, his wife Edith Murray-Cornish, siblings Estelle Sampson and Elizabeth Brannock, and brother- and sister-in-law William and Janice Lake preceded him in death. The viewing will be held on March 10, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Henry Funeral Home, 510 Washington St., Cambridge, Md. 21613. The funeral will be held at Waugh Chapel United Methodist Church, 425 High Street, Cambridge, Md., 21613 at 10 a.m.

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March 11, 2017 - March 17, 2017, The Afro-American â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Emancipation of women is not an act of charity, the result of a humanitarian or compassionate attitude. The liberation of women is a fundamental necessity for the revolution, a guarantee of its continuity and a precondition for its victory.â&#x20AC;?-Samora MoisĂŠs Machel In honor of International Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Month, I have selected names that you may not recognize, including the names of mothers who contributed to our nation by birthing our leaders. Katherine Johnson, Mary Jackson, Dorothy Vaughan, Henrietta Lacks, Elizabeth Keckley, Frida Kahlo, Linda Thompson, Irene Reid, Nina Rawlings, Ruth Cummings, Joan Bowser, Barbara Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Malley, Ann Dunham, Marian Robinson and Vashti Turley-Murphy. All are phenomenal women who contributed to the success of our nation by their deeds or the deeds of the children they birthed. During Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s history month, we recognize their contribution and the sacrifices they endured that is written in the history of our city, state and nation. There are so many untold stories about phenomenal women, many we will never know, just look in the mirror it may be you. Ordinary women doing extraordinary things, that is you, a Phenomenal Woman. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You must be a special lady and a very exciting girl.â&#x20AC;?Ray, Goodman and Brown Imelme Umana is the first African American woman elected to serve as President of the Harvard Law Review in their 130-year history. The first African American president of The Harvard Law Review was President Barack Obama elected in 1990. â&#x20AC;&#x153;How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes!â&#x20AC;?-Maya Angelou March 18, on what would have been her 110th birthday, Morgan State University and the Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture are hosting a ceremony celebrating the life of the honorable Verda Freeman Welcome, the first African-American woman to serve as a State Senator and rededication of the MSU Welcome Bridge that stretches across Cold Spring Lane. The Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Finer Womanhood Awards

celebration is honoring Florine â&#x20AC;&#x153;Peachesâ&#x20AC;? Camphor for her dedication and commitment to her sorority and the community. This event is March 12 at Martinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s West and is sponsored by the Alpha Zeta Chapter. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are familyâ&#x20AC;Śall of the people around us they say can they be that close. Just let me state for the record weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re giving love in a family dose.â&#x20AC;?-Sister Sledge To the world, he is R& B recording sensation Mario but to Ray Dylan he is â&#x20AC;&#x153;my big brotherâ&#x20AC;? and the look on Rayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s face when he spotted his big brother in the audience at the prestigious Friendâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s School, where Ray was starring in the schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s play, was priceless. Ray had no idea that his mom, Sarita Oaks, and Mario had been planning the surprise visit. Ray wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t the only one surprised. It seems that Ray can sing. I remember Mario was Rayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s age when he got his start. Mario was due in Australia the next day so although the visit was brief, the memories will last forever for Ray and the students at Friendâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s school. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thank God that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Friday night and I just got paid yea, oh just got paid Friday night. Partyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hoppinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, place is right booties shaking, all around pump that jam, while Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m getting down.â&#x20AC;?-Johnny Kemp Rose Hamm had the right idea when she reserved a 56-passenger bus to take us to Takoma Station for first Friday Night hosted by Coach Butch McAdams. The warm atmosphere was the perfect venue when we arrived to a full house waiting for the Baltimore Connection to arrive.The live band kept us on the dance floor playing my favorite go-go, the genre founded by Chuck Brown. If you go to a club in DC and you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t hear go-go, politely leave. The owner personally greeted us even as he busily prepared food. Takoma Station Tavern 6914 4th St NW Washington, DC in case you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to wait for first Friday. Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s happening The Howard County Morgan alumni meeting is hosting the

30th spring scholarship fundraiser, The Spring Party Caribbean Style, on April 22 at Kahler Hall, 5440 Tucker Row Columbia, Md. Light fare, BYOB, free set-ups, door prizes and vendors. Tickets are $35.00 per person, call chapter president Dr. Iantha Tucker at 410-7305325 or contact Walter Carr. The Legends Ball hosted by female clergy is on June 2. For more information or tickets, go to femaleclergymd.org. Our favorite DJ, Randy Dennis, is hosting a Spring Break Concert on March 25, from 8 p.m. until midnight featuring Mark Evans at the Middle Branch Park Yacht Club 3301 Waterview Ave Baltimore, Md. For tickets, call 443-800-4056. See you there. Speaking of live jazz, Stephanie Hannah, owner of the 5 Spot Neighborhood Kitchen & Bar in Randallstown, Md. now has live jazz on Wednesday evenings. My good friend George Ray invited me to join him last Wednesday. The band The Fruition Experience played Neo Soul, Hip-Hop and Jazz to a mature audience. Aaron Hill is the keyboardist and founder, featuring vocalist Titania â&#x20AC;&#x153;Tinyâ&#x20AC;? Adams. For more information check out 5iveSpotBar.com. Tarsha Fitzgerald and Carlos Hutchins are hosting jazzy Thursdays at Corinthian Lounge and Restaurant in Windsor Mill, Md. featuring top jazz artists like Isaac Parham and Craig Alston. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s happy birthday to: Gloria â&#x20AC;&#x153;Tuttieâ&#x20AC;? Bogan, Michele McNeil Emery, Mayor Catherine Pugh, former Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, Yale Madison, Myron â&#x20AC;&#x153;Moeâ&#x20AC;? Bundy, Ursula Battle, Donald Thoms, DL Hughley, Rosemary â&#x20AC;&#x153;Duchessâ&#x20AC;? Atkinson, Anthony Jones, Martha â&#x20AC;&#x153;Marty Pâ&#x20AC;? Puryear, Bunny Wylie, Labria Shannon. A special happy birthday to my leap year friends Jai Matthews, Terrance Shields, and Winfield Kelly and a happy 90th birthday to Sidney Poitier, Harry Belafonte and James â&#x20AC;&#x153;Winkyâ&#x20AC;? Camphor. Condolences to the family of Minnie Smoot on her death, to Barbara Sheard and Calvin Graves on the death of Charles Johnson and to Rev. Marcus Wood and the Providence Baptist family on the death of his wife Bessie Wood. Thinking of you Bill and Betty Dorsey.

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partnering in

Photo by Amy Hodges

education

Supporting our cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s young people is crucial to the future of Baltimore. The Film and Media Studies Program at Johns Hopkins gives young artists a chance to express themselves creatively and build their rĂŠsumĂŠs through the Baltimore Youth Film Arts Program. Students and young adults ages 16 to 29 document their world on film through workshops on moviemaking and photography, creating art while they gain professional experience that could lead to long-term jobs. Their work is shared at screenings and exhibits, and on the programâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website, www.filmartsbaltimore.org/.

Johns Hopkins. Investing in our community.

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The Afro-American, March 11, 2017 - March 17, 2017

Tammy Banks, Jerry Palmer, Denise Palmer

If you were unable to travel to New Orleans for the official Mardi Gras, you probably were at the 66th Annual Mardi Gras party hosted by Pi Omega Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity which was held on Feb. 25 at the Baltimore Hilton Hotel.

Just as New Orleans is famous for its parties, cuisine and parades, the 800 or more guests kicked into high gear with live music, jubilant dancing, and enjoyed an assortment of food choices ranging from seafood gumbo, red beans and rice and fresh and smoked greens for a delicious meal. The partygoers were decked out

in brightly colored fashions carrying banners and parasols as they marched in the popular 2nd line parade led by Adolph McDonald. The Mardi Gras MasQUErade Ball is an annual event to benefit the Pi Omega Foundation.

Brenson Long and Avia Cannaday

JT McCray and Jessica Simpson

Lasava Tidwell and Roger Mason

Craig and Sharon Sims

Ques and Quettes John Berkley, Karen Berkley, Alan Taylor, Leslie Taylor, Donna Cypress, Zanes Cypress

Debbie Parker, Denise Smith, Maria Stokes, Chris Cephas and Charlene McCargo

Dawn Nichols and Bruce Nichols

Pi Omega Foundation Board members are Charles Cephas, VP, Clarence Jeffers III, Charles Summers, Jon White, Jestus Johnson, Otho Thompson, T. Russell Hopewell, Charles Downs, president, Calvin Beads, Thel Moore, Dr. Ron Willuiams, Basileus, Pi Omega Chapter, Melvin Burley Photos by A. Lois De Laine

The 19th Annual Black History Celebration of Harriet R. Tubmanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Legacy in Nursing was held Feb. 25 at The Forest Park Senior Center Baltimore, Md. Awards given in the fields of Adult Health Nursing, Community Health Nursing, Nursing Education and Military Nurse Leaders. The Leadership and Legacy Award was

presented to Vanessa P. Fahie. Maryland State Senator Shirley Nathan-Pulliam congratulated the winners and gave remarks.Â

Colonel Joy Napper,RN Military Nurse Leader Award 2017

Marguerite Louise McClammy,RN Adult Health Nursing Award 2017

Adrienne Ray, RN Community Health Nursing Award 2017

Vanessa P. Fahie Leadership and Legacy Award 2017

Maryland State Senator Shirley Nathan-Pulliam

Sandra O. Hines, RN Adult Health Nursing Award 2017 Members Black Nurses Rock Charlene Harrod-Owuamana, Renata James-Rollins and Cheryl Murdock

Photos by James Fields Sr.

Presiding Dorcas Baker,RN Black Nurses Association of Baltimore

Committee members

Juanita Hall North East Regional Director of Chi Eta Phi Sorority

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

March 11, 2017 - March 17, 2017, The Afro-American

ARTS & CULTURE

‘Rosewood’s’ Lorraine Toussaint on Acting, Living Lovely, and Activism really hard on the eye but I manage somehow, I manage”. Toussaint is also an activist writer and a blogger. Her lifestyle blog everdaylovelybylorraine.com is chock full of gorgeous pictures and the Though her mother always supported her ambitions, the rest of sage advice of a favorite auntie. She says that she started it because, “I Lorraine Toussaint’s Caribbean-American family and community in believe in humanity. I believe in us. I believe in the good that is inherent Brooklyn where she was raised, did not see the value in acting. “We in us no matter what and my job is to live it starting right where I am and Caribbeans want our children to excel academically and we’re very so I made a commitment to lovely inside and out. In my thoughts, in my clear about what that looks like and it’s sure not anything to do with words.” art. That perception still exists in the Caribbean. We don’t necessarily Her blog covers everything from parenting, intimate relationships, value art as a life purpose and certainly not a career. I beg to differ. entertaining, cooking, and decorating to spirituality, and social criticism. I remember my aunt saying ‘you must create something to fall back It is for the woman who believes in enjoying life to its fullest and on’. It’s ridiculous. You can’t put all of your eggs in one basket,” the staying woke while doing so. She pulls absolutely no punches with her Trinidad-born actress told the AFRO. “I thought if I create something observations on politics and society such as a recent post on feminism. to fall back on, I will fall back. No, I will not create anything to fall She explains, “My fear is that like the suffragette movement, I don’t back on. I am an actor.” She went on to study at the famous High want my White sisters to make the same mistakes and assumptions. School for the Performing Arts in Manhattan and then on to Juilliard This is a time in history when everyone has to come to the table. When like her “Orange Is The New Black” co-stars, Danielle Brooks and you consciously invite us you may be surprised at how far along we are Samira Wiley. within our community in terms of female empowerment.” Toussaint, whose acting idol is stage and screen actress Diahann Her social commentary is published in The Huffington Post as Carroll, manages to imbue all her characters with a patina of staunch well. One of her most recent essays is “Black Pu--y Matters”, a title dignity. Of Carroll she says, “She paved the way for so many of us completely at odds with her rarefied public persona. The overall message that we literally sit at her feet. And I don’t mean figuratively.” Though of the essay is the need to acknowledge Black feminism as part of the she had appeared in a slew of projects prior, Toussaint first came to (Courtesy photo) larger feminist movement. The use of that particularly vulgar utterance in Lorraine Toussaint is one of the stars of the public’s attention as the lead actress along with Annie Potts in the title and throughout the essay was an effort to reclaim it from what it Fox’s ‘Rosewood.’ the critically acclaimed and woefully underappreciated drama “Any turned into during the most recent presidential election. Day Now” which ran on Lifetime from 1998 to 2002. Since then, she “I loathe the word but one of the reasons that I talk about it and I has appeared in such fare as “Being Mary Jane,” “Friday Night Lights,” “The Fosters,” “Blackmention it so many times in that blog is because the word has become so normalized that awful ish,” the aforementioned “Orange Is The New Black,” and “Selma,” her second film with Ava man brought it to the forefront in a way that makes me cringe and then it has been accepted and DuVernay. picked up by the new women’s movement in a way that is shallow. If we’re going to reclaim She currently co-stars in “Rosewood” on Fox as Donna Rosewood, the mother of Morris that word and reclaim the power inherent in that p---y baby it can’t be shallow. It can’t be Chestnut’s character as well as co-owner of his private pathology practice in Miami. She superficial and it can’t be a fad,” she said. describes Chestnut as “kind and generous.” With tongue in cheek she says, “He’s, you know, Rosewood airs on Fox Fridays at 8 p.m. EST By Nadine Matthews Special to the AFRO

District Black Arts Collective Digs AFRO Sports Desk Faceoff Will Durant’s Injury Rearrange Deep for Inspiration NBA Playoff Picture? By Lenore T. Adkins Special to the AFRO

Buoyed by the success of “Hidden Figures,” and other Black films that have earned Oscar nods, a new Black arts collaborative in the District will tell stories for and about Blacks, drawing on a deep well of cultural inspiration. The collaboration is comprised of Prosperity Media, a nonprofit media arts organization, Koalaty Entertainment, a film and video production company (Photo by Lenore Adkins) and The Zhanra Group, a From L to R: Clayton LeBouef, artistic director play development company. at The Zhanra Group, Vaunita Goodman, a film Executives from the preservationist at The Zhanra Group, Sherelle Williams, three groups announced founder of Koalaty Entertainment and Cheryl Hawkins, their collaboration on Feb. chief executive officer of Prosperity Media. 28, the final day of Black History Month. Stories will consequences. be told on stage and film. The latter two projects are in development “The depth of Black culture is no secret,” and slated for release in a couple of years. said Clayton LeBoeuf, artistic director of The collective’s mission involves the Zhanra Group and the catalyst for the engaging and inspiring Black Americans — collaborative. “However, economics gets in D.C. and nationwide — by telling stories in the way because we have certain people that promote cultural pride, stimulate a who have millions of dollars who can take creative economy and offer a viable way for a Nina Simone story and make a film,” he local talent to make money in jobs that go said, alluding to Hollywood’s widely panned decision to cast the light-skinned Zoe Saldaña beyond acting. Other components include launching film screenings, conferences, and darken her skin to play the iconic singer. workshops focusing on acting, production The collaborative has three projects in the and introducing public school students to the works. craft. “The Eagle and the Lion,” is a play set in Several statistics are driving this initiative, the 1930s and based on meetings between said Cheryl Hawkins, CEO of Prosperity Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie and Hubert Media. Julian, one of the first Black aviators. The While the arts industry is booming, 27.4 play is slated for a 2017 release, and would percent of Blacks in the U.S are living in hit 30 years after LeBouef played Haile poverty, according to The State of Working Selassie with the Baltimore Arena Players. America. That figure climbs to 45.8 percent His other credits include “The Wire” and when singling out Black children. “Law & Order.” “There is an imbalance in terms of the The second project is a movie based on dollars the arts generate and people who “Love, Peace, and Soul,” a book written are so creative and artistic not being able to by Ericka Blount Danois, that goes behind participate … to have use of those dollars to the scenes of “Soul Train.” Koalaty stimulate their lives,” Hawkins said. Entertainment recently secured an option LeBouef, meanwhile, said she agreement for the book’s film rights. remains hopeful that major funding for The third project, a feature film “Called the collaborative will come from plays it to Teach: The Anna Julia Cooper Story,” produces that are optioned for major motion focuses on the first Black woman to ever pictures. earn a Ph.D. Born into slavery, Cooper taught “You have stories like ‘Driving Miss in the District at M Street High School and Daisy.’ ‘Driving Miss Daisy’ was a play,” he prepared the students for college. In doing said. “Most people don’t know ‘Ben-Hur’ so, she ignored her White supervisor’s was a play. This is how the film industry orders to teach them trades, and faced the generates dollars through theater arts.”

By Perry Green and Stephen D. Riley Special to AFRO AFRO Sports Desk With Kevin Durant on the shelf for the next month, things could get crazy for the Golden State Warriors. Durant suffered a Grade 2 MCL sprain in the team’s loss to the Washington Wizards on Feb. 28 and the Warriors promptly dropped their next two games. With just a two-anda-half game lead over the San Antonio (AP Photo/David Zalubowski) Spurs for the best record in the Western Conference, the Warriors will Will Golden State still go deep in the playoffs have to fend off another strong Spurs without the injured Kevin Durant (right)? team while keeping an eye out for the freshly reloaded Cleveland Cavaliers. the Spurs take the top seed and wrestle away Not to mention potential potholes looming in home court advantage. But no team in the Houston and Utah. Association is as loaded from top to bottom The Warriors were virtual shoo-ins right now like the Cavaliers are. Things for a championship just a few weeks looked almost too easy for Golden State just ago. Durant had finally found his groove a few weeks ago but Durant’s injury loosens alongside Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson the season-long stranglehold that the Warriors and Draymond Green, and Golden State was appeared to have. dominating every team on the schedule. With Riley: Even sans Durant, the Warriors Durant on the mend, does his injury change still have Curry, a two-time MVP winner, Golden State’s playoff prospects? Perry arguably the top shooter in the game in Green and Stephen D. Riley of the AFRO Thompson, and an annual defensive MVP Sports Desk debate this question. challenger in Green. The roster isn’t depleted Riley: With or without Durant, Golden in Golden State, although I admit it’s not State should be title favorites. Durant’s injury as deep as it’s been in prior seasons. With should only keep him out a few weeks and Durant scheduled to return, the road to the he’ll hopefully return full strength in time for Finals should be challenging but not grueling. the postseason. But even with their superstar The roster depth isn’t there for the injured, the Warriors have enough star power Warriors, but the star power has never been left over to fuel another championship run. stronger. The Warriors don’t need a lot The beautiful part about Durant’s summer from Durant, but if the team can put him acquisition was that the Warriors didn’t need in position to do what he does best as the his traditional 25 to 30 points per game—they playoffs deepen, then they’ll celebrate once just needed someone who can attack one-onthe Finals are over. one when the game bogs down. Green: Pursuing Durant last summer Golden State witnessed first-hand last definitely cost Golden State some roster summer how important isolation scorers depth, but I think it also may have put a are after watching LeBron James and mental strain on his new teammates. This Kyrie Irving shred through their defense. isn’t the same Warriors team we’ve been The Warriors have played excellent team accustomed to seeing over the last couple of basketball over the last few seasons but seasons. Adding a player like Kevin Durant Durant’s addition unleashed a new chapter in to your team can make you dependent on his Golden State basketball this season. As long heroics. as Durant is healthy, he doesn’t have to be Now, with him on the shelf, Golden dominant, just available late in the game once State’s remaining three stars have to play the playoffs heat up. a new brand of basketball that they’ve Green: The Warriors’ roster before never played before simply because the Durant’s arrival could survive and manage, reinforcements aren’t there. Guys like but this new-look Golden State team has less Andrew Bogut, Harrison Barnes, Leandro depth, so the Warriors need him, and they Barbosa and Marreese Speights were all need him healthy. Golden State parted ways critical to the team’s success since the 2014with at least six rotation players from last 2015 season. Adding Durant and losing those season’s roster and simply doesn’t have the players might be an even trade-off to some, reinforcements to sustain an injury to one of but once he goes down then what are you its top four players. Cleveland is now loaded left with? After dropping the first two games after a pair of veteran buyouts and midseason since his injury, the Warriors are about to find acquisitions, and they should now be the out how hard things are in the NBA when you clear-cut favorite to win the title this year. can’t trot out four All-Stars in your starting I’m still counting San Antonio as a threat lineup. out West—one that could become very real if

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March 11, 2017 - March 17, 2017, The Afro-American

PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY-AREA County Politics

Possible Delay in New Prince George’s Hospital Plan

Everyone agrees that Prince George’s County needs a new hospital. Like the Bruce Branch old D.C. General in Special to neighboring the AFRO District of Columbia, Dimensions Healthcare seems to have outlived its purpose and usefulness. For years it has served a wide population of indigent patients who without it would not have any kind of healthcare. The hospital was among the top healthcare centers for trauma treatment while under the leadership of the late Dr. Willie Blair, widely recognized as one of the best surgeons in the nation. But times in the healthcare business have changed. Dimensions, faced with mounting debts, has been a source of controversy for the past 10 years. Some want to close it and others, including the Baker Administration, want to build a state of the art facility that would be the envy of the region. The proposed $543 million regional medical center in Largo, that will be owned by the University of Maryland Medical Center, would replace Prince George’s Hospital Center Continued on D2

Faith Leaders Condemn Healthcare Replacement

D.C. Plans to Memorialize Mayor Marion Barry

By Hamil Harris Special to the AFRO As lawmakers debate the Affordable Care Act replacement in Congress, local pastors condemned the GOP version as being detrimental to the poor and elderly. Rev. Simeon Corum, a pastor at Goshen Worship Center in Forestville, Md., said he looked intently at his TV screen when Dr. Tom Price, Secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services talked about the White House plan Photo by Rob Roberts

Cora Masters Barry addresses a group of politicians and residents who attended a reception March 6, where Mayor Muriel Bowser revealed the rendering of a future statute of former Mayor Marion Barry to be placed outside of the John A. Wilson building. See additional photos of the event on D4. managing the project that is expected to be completed in 2018, and according to Barry the two artists selected to finish the models are Steven Weiztman and Vinnie Bagwell. The replica of a statue of former D.C. Mayor Marion Barry Ramone Baine, a spokesperson for the family, said that -- who was known as the city’s mayor for life -- was unveiled along with the statute, a poster of the late mayor’s legacy will at the John Wilson building on what would have been his 81st be made into a medallion. birthday. Barry’s political career in the Mayor Muriel Bowser and members District began in 1971, after he was of the D.C. Council joined Barry’s elected to the city’s first school board. family members and friends on March In 1974, Barry won a seat on the D.C. 6 to unveil a model of the former mayor City Council. He was reelected to the that will one day be a nine foot figure D.C. Council in 1976, and two years standing outside City Hall. later, hr became the second mayor of –Cora Masters Barry the city, serving, in that position, until “It is important to keep the memory of Marion Barry alive,” said Cora 1990. Masters Barry, his widow. “This is just Even though Barry was arrested in the opportunity for the city to memorialize his contributions.” a FBI sting and served time in federal prison for drug use, he Barry and Mayor Bowser have worked together to keep the returned to D.C. politics in 1992 by winning a seat on the D.C. former mayor’s legacy alive since he died on Nov.23, 2014. Council and in 1994 he became mayor again. In 2016 Barry unveiled a headstone and memorial at her late Barry retired from politics in 1998, but then decided to run husband’s grave at Congressional Cemetery in Southeast. for the Ward 8 City Council seat in November 2004 and won. The D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities is He held this seat until his death in November 2014. By Hamil Harris Special to the AFRO

“It is important to keep the memory of Marion Barry alive.”

Employment Gap Continues to Widen for Blacks By James Wright Special to the AFRO jwright@afro.com The D.C. Fiscal Policy Institute recently released a report stating Black Washingtonians suffer higher rates of unemployment than residents of other races and the jobless gap has widened since the Great Recession. The institute’s report DC’s Black-White Employment Gap Continues to Widen, that became public on March 1, was authored by policy analyst Linnea Lassiter, who said despite the city’s economic growth and overall drop in unemployment since 2010, recovery from the Great Recession has been uneven, particularly among African Americans. Black D.C. residents continue to experience elevated rates of joblessness and are the only racial/ethnic group whose unemployment rate is worse than it was in 2007. In 2016, 13.4 percent of Black workers in the District were without a job compared with 9.5 percent in 2007. White and Latino workers have bounced back from the recession, with just 1.6 percent of White residents and 3.6 percent of Latino adults classified as unemployed in 2016. “These findings underscore the fact that D.C. economic growth has left many Black people and those without a college degree behind,”

Lassiter said. The report says that even Blacks with bachelor’s degrees or above are affected. Black college graduates have a higher likelihood

Black-White unemployment can be attributed to disparities in education, there are other factors that come into play such as systemic racism and employment discrimination.

Courtesy photo

An institute report shows that Black Washingtonians have a higher unemployment rate than White residents. of being unemployed than other residents who have a bachelor’s degree or higher. It also says that unemployment rate among Black college graduates was 5.7 percent in 2016 while non-Blacks similarly situated were 1.9 percent unemployed. Lassiter said that while

Lassiter said more needs to be done to help Blacks and low-income residents to get employment and stay employed. “D.C. should invest in more job training and adult education programs to ensure that all residents benefit from the city’s growing job market,” she said.

“I know there has always been a disparity and probably always will.” – Anthony Wright

The racial employment gap becomes stark when the report’s data is broken down by wards. Wards 7 and 8 have the highest concentration of Blacks by percentages in the District and their jobless rates are 10.9 and 13.3 percent, respectively. On the other hand, the city’s Whitest wards, 3 and 2, have the lowest unemployment statistics with 4.0 and 4.3 percent, respectively. Anthony Wright has been a political activist in the District most of his adult life. The racial gap between Blacks and Whites is no surprise to him. “I am Black,” Wright told the AFRO. “Blacks don’t make the type of money that Whites do. I know there has always been a disparity and probably always will.” Gregg Rhett, former president of the Eastland Gardens Civic Association in the Kenilworth-Parkside neighborhood in Ward 7, told the AFRO that the racial employment gap “is not unique to the District and that D.C. is a microcosm of what has happened nationally.” “Black communities across the country never recovered from the recession,” Rhett said. “The situation you have here in D.C. is that you have a mayor who talks about so many construction cranes are in the city but if you go to those sites, there aren’t a lot of D.C. residents working on them. The city gives millions

of dollars to developers and there is no enforcement of laws that mandate that residents get first consideration for jobs and certified business enterprises in the city get Continued on D3

Courtesy Photo

Rev. Graylan Hagler, pastor of Plymouth Congregational United Church of Christ in Northeast D.C., says the Republican replacement boils healthcare down to the haves and the have nots. to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA). “The system is broken, one third of the doctors don’t see medicare patients,” Price said during a White House briefing. “This is about patients and partnerships.” While Price is a physician who spoke with authority at the briefing, local pastors like Corum told the AFRO that he sees this bill as a “death certificate” to many poor people. “From the middle class to the poor this plan destroys them,” said Corum. Continued on D2

Prince George’s County

Grand Jury Indicts Former Md. Del. Michael Vaughn for Bribery By The Associated Press A grand jury recently indicted a former state delegate on bribery charges in a case involving liquor sales in Prince George’s County. Democrat Michael Vaughn of Bowie, Md. resigned less than an hour before this year’s legislative session started, citing “health challenges.” The U.S. attorney’s office said March 8 that Vaughn will make an appearance in the afternoon in court in Greenbelt, Md. Prosecutors say Vaughn accepted more than $10,000 in cash bribes, “influencing the performance of his official duties,” including voting for a bill to expand alcohol sales on Sundays. Their statement says that from January 2015 through April 2016, Vaughn conspired with a liquor regulation official

Courtesy Photo

Former Maryland Del. Michael Vaughn was indicted on bribery charges. and store owners “to enrich himself personally.” Another former Prince George’s delegate, Democrat William Campos, pleaded guilty in January to bribery and conspiracy in the case.

The Afro-American, March 11, 2017 - March 17, 2017

D.C. Officials Look to Tennessee Plan for Statehood By James Wright Special to the AFRO jwright@afro.com

D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D), D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D), D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson (D), and Delaware’s U.S. Sen. Tom Carper held a news conference on March 1 to announce that a bill granting the residential and commercial areas of the District of Columbia statehood was introduced and based on a plan used by Tennessee. At the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill, the lawmakers and the elected District of Columbia statehood delegation, said the bill would make the District the 51st state of the union. Norton, serving in the U.S. Congress since 1991, said she won’t give up the fight for full citizenship of her constituents. “Sen. Carper and our city leaders come united for a dualpurpose D.C. statehood event – the delivery of a petition to Congress for statehood by Bowser and Mendelson and the introduction of our statehood bill, the Washington, D.C. Admissions Act, in the House and Senate by me and Sen. Carper,” the delegate said. “The statehood referendum asked voters ‘whether the council should petition Congress to enact a statehood admission act. D.C. voters made their choice loud and clear with 85 percent support.” The District is pursuing statehood through the Tennessee Plan, in which a jurisdictional referendum was voted on, a constitutional convention took place, the city’s legislative body, the D.C. Council, approved the statehood plan and then the leaders approach Congress. Tennessee became a state in 1796 through this method and six other states – Michigan, Iowa, California, Oregon, Kansas and Alaska –gained statehood, also. This is the first time the District has used the Tennessee Plan

for statehood. On Nov. 21, 1993 Norton led an effort to pass the “District of Columbia Statehood Act” but it failed, 277-153. Other statehood-like initiatives such as the District of Columbia Voting Rights Amendment in 1978 and the 2009 District of Columbia House Voting Rights Act weren’t enacted by Congress either. Nevertheless, Norton said the District statehood effort is making headway. “Today 60 percent of House Democrats are introducing our statehood bill alongside me, joining me not only as co-sponsors, but as equal original cosponsors,” she said. “This 60 percent in just the first two months of the 115th Congress smashes the record we set last Congress when 50 percent of Democrats were original cosponsors. By the [time the] 114th Congress was over, 72 percent of House Democrats were Courtesy Image cosponsors of The flag of the District of Columbia my bill, with that promotes statehood. only logistics and timing accounting for why there were not more. By the end of this Congress, our goal is to beat the total number of cosponsors we got last Congress. We hope that residents will similarly set goals for themselves – for example, gathering increased support for statehood in the city and the country.”

In the past, Norton embraced the concept of incrementalism or the means that statehood would come in phases, but the delegate rejects the approach now. “To be content with less than statehood is to concede the equality of citizenship that is the birthright of our residents as citizens of the United States,” the delegate said. “That is a concession no American citizen has ever made and D.C. residents will never make as we approach the 216th year in their fight for equal treatment in their country.” Bowser said “District residents aren’t demanding special treatment but equal treatment from the country that we love” and Mendelson pointed out that city residents are the “only citizens on Earth that cannot participate in their national legislature.” Carper, who held the first D.C. statehood hearing in 20 years, in 2014, said that “people in D.C. deserve statehood because they pay taxes and serve in the military.” Norton conceded that she and Carper’s bills have little chance for passage because the Republican majorities in both chambers think only a Constitutional amendment can grant statehood or that the District, except for the federal enclave, should retrocede into Maryland. Norton has rejected both ideas and said that Maryland elected officials aren’t interested in having the District as a part of their state. While support for statehood is strong among residents, the methods used by Norton and Bowser have been questioned by some. “The constitutional convention that the city had last year had a lot of problems,” Ann Hume Loikow, a statehood activist for decades, told the AFRO. “We need to have a real constitutional convention where some of the problems dealing with D.C. being a state are thought through . . . The people voted for statehood and the District government needs to devote the resources to see how this will work.”

take his job. Baker is banking on the clout of Sen. Thomas V. Mike Miller (D-Md.) and a strong Democratic Legislature to bring him through. A wise man once said “He who has the gold has the power,” and last month Hogan exerted that power by approving $15 million for the 700,000-square foot hospital for the next fiscal year as part of a plan that calls for investing $55 million over five years to maintain the current system and help with the transition to a new regional medical center. Hogan weighed the political winds and put the money in his supplemental budget, a fact not lost on his Democratic adversaries. Hogan is no dummy. He is not about to allow Baker to take credit for another successful building project when they are going to be likely facing off in the political ring in the very near future. Without a substantial amount of state money, Hogan knows the project will likely be delayed – at least until after the election and without the project, it will put another chink in Baker’s thinning armor. “It’s been a long sad story about the Prince George’s Hospital System, and this we believe is a tremendous solution to decades of problems there,” Hogan said at a news conference with University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) leadership. “There’s no group that’s more capable in my opinion of doing a turnaround

“This Regional Medical Center will improve healthcare options and outcomes in Prince George’s County and has already begun to spur transit-oriented economic development around the Largo Metro station.”

County Politics Continued from D1

which has served the county for more than 50 years. The Maryland Healthcare Commission approved the certificate of need application for the hospital which includes 205 acute-inpatient beds and offer services available at the current hospital including a 15-bed special pediatric unit at Mount Washington Pediatric Hospital, part of the current hospital center complex. The project is to be financed by $127 million in new debt, $208 million from the county and $208 million from the state of Maryland. It is scheduled to open in 2020 bringing, if done right, jobs and contracts to the county. The plan sounded good until politics got into play. Republican Gov. Larry Hogan, running for re-election next year against Prince George’s County Executive Rushern T. Baker III, is in no hurry to do any favors for a man trying to

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– Rushern Baker of the Prince George’s County Hospital System than UMMS.” For years, the state has funded the hospital to keep the system functioning and out of bankruptcy, the governor said, adding that the state can’t act as a perpetual backstop for the hospital. Hogan said he believed the partnership with UMMS would provide a lasting solution for health care in a county with a population of about 890,000, second largest in the state behind Baltimore. “Throughout the ups and downs of this process, we remained steadfast to our mission of improving healthcare delivery in Prince George’s County and the [Regional Medical Center] was vital component of our plan,” Baker said in a statement. “In addition to Prince George’s County, it will serve southern Maryland. This Regional Medical Center will improve healthcare options and outcomes in Prince George’s County and has already begun to spur transit-oriented economic development around the Largo Metro station. We are confident it will be the anchor of ‘Downtown Largo’ attracting brand new retail, residential, office space, and other transit-oriented development.”

Faith Leaders Continued from D1

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“Some people are already living on the edge. This plan doesn’t work at all.” Corum said he keeps up with health issues because in addition to being a pastor he is also a dialysis patient in need of a kidney transplant. “This legislation is not only cruel in its victimization of the poor it will be deadly because people will die because of their lack of access to health care,” Rev. Derrick Harkins, a former pastor of the 19th Street Baptist Church in Northwest D.C. told the AFRO. Harkins used to sign people up for the ACA before he joined the Union Theological Seminary in New York as its senior vice president. The Republican healthcare replacement would remove the individual mandate that requires people to get health insurance or face a penalty and replace income-based subsidies with refundable tax credits to purchase health insurance. The replacement would also restructure Medicaid and

defund Planned Parenthood. While the replacement would maintain Obamacare protections for people with preexisting conditions, it would allow insurers to charge them higher premiums.

“The question comes down to does everyone have the right health care,” Rev. Graylan Hagler, pastor of Plymouth Congregational United Church of Christ in Northeast D.C. told the

“This legislation is not only cruel in its victimization of the poor it will be deadly because people will die because of their lack of access to health care.” – Rev. Derrick Harkins “When I worked with Enroll America I went to poor states represented by those who were against the Affordable Care Act. How can they go to church every Sunday and take a stand like this,” he said. CNN reported that, according to health experts, the GOP plan would result in millions losing coverage.

AFRO. “This is about the haves and the have nots.” “This is unhealthy legislation,” Rev. Lionel Edmond, pastor of Mt. Lebanon Baptist Church in Northwest D.C. and cofounder of the Washington Interfaith Network, told the AFRO. “The Republicans are always talking about Jesus but Jesus cared for the poor.”

March 11, 2017 - March 17, 2017, The Afro-American

James Nero Remembered as Energetic, Dedicated Leader By James Wright Special to the AFRO jwright@afro.com James Nero may not have been on the front pages of the District’s newspapers or a television star but he made a profound impact in his community and his church. Nero, a resident of the District since 1938, died on Feb. 28 of undisclosed causes at the age of 84. A leader in the United Methodist Church, he was praised for his steadfast dedication to the causes and organizations that he worked for. “It is on this occasion to rejoice the passing of James Herbert Nero,” the Rev. Ianther Mills, senior pastor of Asbury United Methodist Church, said in her eulogy at the church on March 7 with more than 400 people attending. “A mighty oak has fallen. Some people say that James Brown was the hardest working man in show business but I say that James Nero was the godfather of Asbury and its hardest working trustee.” Nero was born on Nov. 27, 1932 in Greenwood, Miss., to the late Richard and Minnie Mae Nero. He moved with his family to the District in 1938 and attended the District’s public schools. Nero graduated in 1951 from Armstrong Technical High School and attended Howard University and the University of Hawaii before receiving his bachelor’s degree in business administration from George Washington University. He worked for the National Security Agency and retired from the federal government after 36 years. A contingent of 11 Armstrong graduates were at the homegoing service. Nero served as the president of his alumni association as well as his 1951 class. He was also an activist for seniors. Nero served on the board of the Downtown Clusters Geriatric Day Care Center as treasurer from 2000 until his death. “He fought hard for the elderly to stay strong,” Homasina Cave, the executive director of the day care center, told the AFRO. “He had the energy of the Energizer Bunny and was a gentleman with a special anointing of God.” Nero’s biggest achievement with the center was his ability to persuade Asbury to house the center’s operations at a reasonable cost despite the reservation of some members of the board of trustees. He worked with the board to find a suitable financial arrangement with the church while keeping the center’s management abreast of possible places to relocate. As a member of Asbury, Nero served as the former president of the United Methodist Men (UMM) and rose to become the vice president of the UMM’s Baltimore-Washington Conference. He passed away as president of the board of trustees and testified before the D.C. Council a few years ago when there were proposals by the District’s Department of Transportation to infringe on Asbury’s front lawn to accommodate a street car lane on K Street., N.W. “He was unswerving and passionate about Asbury,” Josephine

Sy Smith

Baker, a member of the trustee board, said. “As the chairman of the board he ran a tight ship but he was always open to new ideas. He had a working knowledge of Asbury’s physical building and its history.” Photo Courtesy of the Nero family One of James Nero was a leader in his Nero’s hobbies community and his church. was carpentry and building maintenance and he played a key role in the refurbishing of the church’s social hall that serves as a meeting place for community groups, its homeless breakfast program and a Sunday night service. Distinguished Washingtonians such as former Deputy Secretary of Commerce and present president of Africare Robert Mallett, and renowned Howard University surgeon Dr. Clive Callender attended the service. Bill Cox, publisher of {Black Issues in Higher Education} and his wife, Lee, traveled from Clifton, Va. to attend. Nero “was one of the best human beings I had the great fortune of knowing in my lifetime,” Lee said. Nero’s widow, Lorraine, didn’t speak during the service but one of his sons, David, did. “My father was human,” David Nero said. “He made mistakes but he never quit doing what he thought was right.”

AFRO

WASHINGTON AREA

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS Capitol Heights, Md.

Greater Beulah Baptist Church, 6056 Central Avenue The Gathering Men Empowerment Programs

The Gathering of Men, a men’s empowerment group is scheduled to hold a biweekly program at Greater Beulah Baptist Church, 6056 Central Avenue from 6: 30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. The first program will be held on March 14. Following the first program, the group will also hold programs on March 28, April 11 and April 25. For more information, contact Darrick Johnson at 202-427-2414 or email at daricjohnson63@gmail.com.

Homicide Count 2017 Total

Past Seven Days

Data as of March 8

Employment Gap Continued from D1

contract work.” D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) and the D.C. Council are aware that many residents are jobless, particularly those living east of the Anacostia River. Gary Butler, who unsuccessfully ran for the Ward 7 D.C. Council seat in 2016 in the general election, told the AFRO elected officials in the city don’t understand the depth of the problem. “The council members don’t see the true reality of things,” Butler said. “It is hard for people to find a job and small businesses are having a difficult time operating. It seems that once people get on the council, they become associated with a different group of people and sort of lose touch with people who are hurting.” “A top priority for Mayor Bowser has been creating

Capathia Jenkins

pathways into the middle class for all District residents, particularly communities of color,” Kevin Harries, director of communications for Mayor Bowser told the AFRO through email. “The Mayor has taken a multi-faceted approach to address the skills gap between African Americans and Whites, including a concerted effort to take city resources directly into the communities where there is the most need.” Even so, Wright said he agrees with Butler that the city’s elected leaders know about the racial employment gap but believes some council members don’t want the problem solved. “There are seven White members of the Council and why are they inclined to do anything?” he said. “What’s going to push them to close the racial employment gap when it works to their advantage?”

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STEVEN REINEKE, CONDUCTOR

Tickets also available at the Box Office. Groups call (202) 416-8400.

For Ella Fitzgerald’s 100th, acclaimed singers Sy Smith, Capathia Jenkins, and Montego Glover come together to celebrate the legendary music of the First Lady of Song, plus favorites made famous by Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday, and Dinah Washington.

For all other ticket-related customer service inquiries, call the Advance Sales Box Office at (202) 416-8540.

David and Alice Rubenstein are the Presenting Underwriters of the NSO.

AARP is the Presenting Sponsor of the 2016-2017 NSO Pops Season.

Ella Centennial performances are supported in part by the Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation.

The Afro-American, March 11, 2017 - March17, 2017

Salute to Marion S. Barry Ward 4 Councilmember Jack Evans

On what would have been former Mayor Marion S. Barry’s 81st Birthday, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser revealed the rendering of a statute of Barry at the John A. Wilson building in Northwest D.C. on March 6. Barry’s wife, Cora Masters Barry, as well as D.C. politicians and residents attended the ceremony.

Revealed Rendering of Mayor Barry’s Statute, includes a statue of Barry standing on a map of D.C. and the ward he represented.

Cora Masters Barry (center) with friends

Janice Rankins, Constance Newman, Rev. Barbara Williams Skinner and Janette Hoston Harris

At-large Councilmember Elissa Silverman

Trayon White, Ward 8 Councilmember and Ward 3 Councilmember Mary M. Cheh

Yvonnie Demmerritte and Ward 7 Councilmember Vincent C. Gray

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser speaks at the salute to former D.C. Mayor Marion S. Barry

Remarks by Phil Mendelson, D.C. Council chairman

Arthur Espinoza, director, D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities

Closing Remarks by Charles Moreland, Marion Barry, Jr. Legacy Foundation

Photos by Rob Roberts

Joshua Johnson, NPR engages students and other participants during the journalism workshop.

The Washington Association of Black Journalists held their annual Urban Journalism Workshop on March 4 at NPR in Northwest D.C. The event attracted about 20 participants that included high school students from the area, their parents, and journalists.

Susan Carter, chief communications officer, USDA; Athelia Knight, an adjunct professor in the Department of English at Georgetown University and a 33-year veteran of The Washington Post; and Trina Williams, NPR

Gabrielle Turner and her daughter Sierra Turner

Damon Countee Jr. from Frederick Douglass High School and his mother Jannine Countree

Keynote speaker, Joshua Johnson, radio host for NPR

Calenthia Banks from Benjamin Banneker High School and her mother, Laurin Mallard

William Ford, Washington Informer reporter, Joliet Beverly and former journalist Reginald Stuart, the second keynote speaker Donna Walker, president of WABJ welcomes students and parents to the workshop.

Courtney Diggs from Charles Herbert Flower High School and her mother Jaacqulyn Turner

Trina Williams, NPR and Susan Carter, chief communications officer, USDA

Photos by Rob Roberts