December 28, 2013 - December 28, 2013, www.afro.com
Volume 122 No. 21
The Afro-American A1 $1.00
DECEMBER 28, 2013 - JANUARY 3, 2014
Tyrone West’s Family Resists ‘Objectively Reasonable Force’ By Blair Adams AFRO Staff Writer None of the officers involved in the death of Tyrone West will face criminal charges because they were using “objectively reasonable force” to subdue a subject who was resisting arrest, the state’s attorney’s office and the Baltimore City Police Department announced Dec. 19. “We have concluded that there is no evidence to support the filing of criminal charges against any of the officers involved in this incident,” State’s Attorney Gregg Bernstein said based
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22 Year-Old Black Student Elected to Mississippi House of Representatives
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on investigations by him, the BPD and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME). “We are disgusted and we are going to keep on fighting,” Towanda West, West’s sister told the AFRO. “I expected for every last one of them to be charged.” According to Bernstein’s statement, the cause of death of West remains “undetermined.” He cited the OCME report’s conclusion that West “died of cardiac arrhythmia ... due to cardiac conduction system abnormality” during an encounter with police July 18 in Northwest Baltimore. “In other words, Mr. West died because his heart stopped beating, but the OCME was unable to say whether any one of the factors noted above was the absolute or even primary reason why Mr. West’s heart stopped beating,” the report stated 157 days after West’s encounter with police. The report details the moments just before the 44-year-old West died after what police described as a routine traffic stop on Kelway Road near Kitmore Road, in
a blow-by-blow description of the actions, first, of the officers who responded to the initial traffic stop and, then of the officers who were dispatched when a subsequent “officer needs assistance” call was issued. Nine officers involved in the incident –including a Morgan State University campus police officer--were suspended while the episode was investigated. Each one has returned to active duty. “None of the officers involved in this incident acted with the intent to cause death or serious physical injury to Mr. West,” Bernstein said in statement in which he voiced sympathy for the West family, who said they were disappointed in the Bernstein statement. “There were ten officers against one man—my brother,” said West’s sister, Towanda. “They beat and killed him.” Bernstein’s report chronicled four “physical encounters” after the traffic stop in which West resisted commands by the officers who were trying to handcuff Continued on A3
Happy Holidays!
A young girl stands with a gingerbread man at the Christmas Village celebration in Baltimore. The event, which was hosted at the Inner Harbor's West Shore Park from Thanksgiving to Christmas Eve, featured vendors, food and entertainment. Photo: http://www.baltimore-christmas.com
‘Casino’ Fund Offers Hope for Small Biz Owners By Sean Yoes AFRO Contributing Writer
It took perhaps an extraordinary entrepreneurial leap of faith in 2010 to open the doors of Jody Davis Designs, a woman’s boutique at 110 W. Saratoga Street in the midst of the country’s worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. “Business, it’s still challenging – up and down – but, I’m still thankful to continue to be moving forward,”
said Jody Davis, who owns the store with her business and life partner, Kevin Scott. Scott also owns and operates a men’s boutique, Benedetto Haberdashery at 324 Park Avenue, around the corner from Davis’ store on Saratoga. Recently, at a meeting in Charles Village with other small business owners of color, Davis and Scott learned how an allocated slice of the state’s slot machine revenues could provide much needed capital
Women Entering Prison at Higher Rate Than Any Other Group By Lucy Westcott Capital News Service Anna Davis spent four months this year in the Maryland Correctional Institute for Women in Jessup, where she said she found herself in the same living pod as an inmate who raped another woman with a curling iron. Pamela Griffith, now a psychology student, was imprisoned there several years ago after being convicted of theft. She had similar concerns about being housed with inmates from multiple security levels. “There’s no way to physically separate the lifers from the others … These women have nothing to lose,” Griffith said.
Women are entering the U.S. prison system at a faster rate than any other group, and they face an array of issues that male inmates don’t, including pregnancy and higher rates of mental health issues stemming from the tangled web of trauma,
“Too often, people do not receive the type of treatment they need in prison.”
– Amy Fettig
homelessness, and sexual abuse. Drugs are often a way to cope. Seventy-four percent of women in state prisons have mental health issues, compared to 55 percent of men, according to data from Continued on A4
for their retail ventures as the country’s lethargic economic recovery continues. The Maryland Casino Business Investment Fund (MCBIF) was established as part of the 2008 Maryland General Assembly legislation that ultimately brought slot machines to race tracks and casinos in Maryland and it calls for 1.5 percent of all gambling proceeds to be designated for businesses operated by people of color, small businesses and
women-owned businesses. “This fund is to provide an alternative to bank financing and to have standards that are less strenuous than bank financing,” said Randy Croxton, fund manager for Meridian Management Group, one of three fund managers assigned by the state to provide financial assistance to qualified businesses. Many of the businesses targeted for funding historically have had Continued on A3
Another Viewpoint
Sam Lacy: He Made a Difference – Part VI By Tim Lacy My trips to Florida for spring training and trips to other events requiring air or train travel gave me a sense of independence because Pop was usually on site and I was joining him there. To say I was gaining a sense of independence is a sort of understatement. The correct way of putting my new gained status is to say my actions were writing a check my butt couldn’t cash. A case in point was the trip to Tucson for the Cleveland Indians camp. The Indians had won the Sam Lacy pennant with Larry Doby and Pop was instructed to cover this story. I was elated because when the Indians came to Washington to play the Senators, Doby
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stayed at our house. He was nice enough not to treat me like the pain in the butt I probably was, and I interpreted this as the gaining of a new friend. In those days, you took an overnight train to Chicago (which was quite an adventure for a ten-year-old), and switched to another train for Tucson. On the overnight train I was allowed my freedom, because after all, where could I go? Mickey Vernon was the first baseman for the Indians, and he adopted me on the train. When it came time for me to go to bed, I was missing and Pop was worried. The conductor told Pop I was in the club car with some of the players. Continued on A4
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The Afro-American, December 28, 2013 - January 3, 2014
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Petitions Call for Removal of ‘Affluenza’ Judge Before Her 2014 Retirement
If Texas State District Judge Jean Houston Boyd thought her decision to let 16-year-old Ethan Couch off with no jail time for his role in the deaths of four individuals would fade from public consciousness she was sorely mistaken. There has been uproar over the ruling, which came earlier this month, just six months after the chain wreck Couch admitted he caused when he ran his Ford pickup truck off the side of a road in Fort Worth, Texas. At the source of the outrage is the reasoning behind the judge’s sentence of 10 years’ probation and rehabilitation at a swanky California treatment center that costs an estimated $450,000 annually. His parents will simply pick up the tab. Dr. G. Dick Miller, a clinical psychologist based in Bedford, Texas testified at the behest of defense attorneys Reagan Wynn and Scott Brown, and alleged Couch should not face jail time because he suffered from “affluenza,” a term he created to describe a lack of understanding for consequences due to an affluent childhood and the influence parents who gave the teen everything but punishments for bad behavior. In response to Boyd’s ruling, more than 20,000 U.S. residents have signed their names to a Change.org petition pleading with Gov. Rick Perry to remove Boyd from the bench- even though she’s not seeking reelection and will retire in 2014. Aside from the lives of 24-year old Breanna Mitchell, Brian Jennings, 41, Shelby Boyles, 21, and her mother, Hollie Boyles, 41, the collision Couch triggered left Sergio Molina, now 16, brain damaged and paralyzed after being thrown from the bed of Couch’s truck with another teen. According to information released by the Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney’s Office, Couch was throwing a party at his parent’s second home when he decided to go to a Burleson Wal-Mart to steal alcohol with friends. Moments before midnight on Jun. 15, Couch’s truck struck four pedestrians on the side of the road: the group included Mitchell, whose car was disabled, and the three individuals who pulled over to offer help. According to statements released by the district attorney’s office, Couch’s blood alcohol concentration that night was .24three times more than the legal limit for adults who are permitted to drink. Couch gambled- and won. Boyd wasn’t as lenient in other decisions. In the case of an unidentified 14-year-old boy who punched, at random, Mark Gregory, who weighed just 106 pounds and just one inch over five feet. Gregory fell to the ground, hit his head on the pavement, and died.
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As a result of that one punch, the teen was sentenced in March of 2012 to a juvenile prison until his 19th birthday. To the angry public, the stark contrasts between the punishments sent a clear message about the way wealthy Americans are treated within the legal system.
Dr. Gwendolyn Boyd Selected Alabama State U. President
Alabama State University’s (ASU) Board of Trustees Dec. 20 selected Dr. Gwendolyn Boyd, ASU alum and a former Delta Sigma Theta national president, to be the next ASU president. The board vote to offer the position to Dr. Boyd was unanimous, according to school officials. She will be the first woman to hold the position in the school’s 146-year history. Alabama-born, she earned her bachelor’s degree from ASU in 1977 in mathematics. She received a fellowship to attend Yale University’s School of Engineering in New Haven, Conn., becoming the school’s first African American woman to receive an M.S. degree in mechanical engineering in 1979. The board voted Dec. 20 after interviewing three finalists at the Montgomery university. The other finalists were retired Brigadier Gen. Dr. Gwendolyn Samuel Nichols and Democratic state Sen. Boyd Quinton Ross.
Delaware State University Student Cleared of Rape Charges
A Delaware State University student who was charged with rape in October was recently cleared by the school’s judicial panel of allegations that he violated the student code of conduct. According to the Associated Press, school officials notified 21-year-old Andre L. Henry Dec. 16 that the panel found him not responsible for the alleged sexual assault that a female student said took place at an on-campus apartment complex. The ruling comes after state prosecutors dropped all of Henry’s rape charges in November. The student had been suspended from the university since his arrest. Henry has filed a federal lawsuit against the university and his accuser, alleging malicious prosecution, defamation and violation of his civil rights.
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The Afro-American, December 28, 2013 - December 28, 2013
December 28, 2013 - January 3, 2014, The Afro-American
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Warring Balto. ‘Cherry Hill’ Gangs Busted
26 Socked with Tough Federal Indictments—Face Life Sentences By Zenitha Prince AFRO Correspondent Authorities took a giant step toward abating crime in the violence-steeped community of Cherry Hill in south Baltimore this week when they announced indictments against alleged members of competing gangs in the area. A federal grand jury, in three separate indictments, charged 26 individuals on racketeering conspiracy, drug conspiracy and other drug-related charges based on their alleged narcotics trafficking and violence in Cherry Hill, court documents show. The indictments were unsealed Dec. 17 upon the arrest of 11 of those defendants; nine were already in custody on state charges. “The defendants allegedly belong to rival drug gangs that have terrorized Cherry Hill, resulting in five murders as well as numerous shootings and robberies,” said U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein, who announced the indictments along with Special Agent in Charge Steven L. Gerido of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Commissioner Anthony W. Batts of the Baltimore Police Department; and Baltimore
City State’s Attorney Gregg L. Bernstein. “For other criminals in Cherry Hill who were not arrested today, these indictments send a clear message to stop the violence or be prepared to spend the rest of your life in a federal prison far from home.”
Ronald Hall, 37; Delano Johnson, 36; Tony Johnson, 29; Rashaud Kearney, 20; Russell Lumpkins, 26; Demond Pinkney, 28; Clarence Shipley, 26; Gregory Sykes-Bey, 20; Bryan Turner, 28; and Antione White, 25, and other unnamed defendants—were charged with engaging in a racketeering conspiracy and in a conspiracy to distribute heroin, powder and crack cocaine, and oxycodone as part of UDH. Members of the UDH also committed two bank robberies in – U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein 2011, according to the the indictment. According to charging documents, 15 In the second indictment, Davon Martin, defendants are members of the criminal 25; Brian Parker, 35; Shaquan Robinson, enterprise “UDH,” which operates in the part 22; Richard Williams, 22; and two unnamed of Cherry Hill known as “Up the Hill” or “Up defendants, were charged with engaging in a da Hill,” an area northeast of West Patapsco separate racketeering conspiracy as members Avenue and south of Arundel Elementary/ of the Little Spelman enterprise, which Middle School that extends on the operates in the “Down the Hill,” section of southeastern side approximately to Denham Cherry Hill. That neighborhood lies northeast Circle and Bridgeview Road. of West Patapsco Avenue, southwest of Those persons—Steven Jackson, 23; Cherry Hill Road, and northwest of Cherry Eugene Anderson, 36; Asim Benns, 30; Hill Park and extends on the northwestern
“The defendants allegedly belong to rival drug gangs that have terrorized Cherry Hill, resulting in five murders as well as numerous shootings and robberies.”
Tyrone West Continued from A1
him. “We look to the objective reasonableness of the officers’ actions,” Bernstein’s statement said. “In other words, we are not governed by 20/20 hindsight, but from the perspective of a reasonable officer on the scene, and the calculus of what constitutes reasonable use of force includes consideration of the split-second judgments officers are often required to make in sometimes tense, uncertain and rapidly-evolving situations .” Bernstein said cocaine was found in the car West was driving and that “while Mr. West did have traces of cocaine in his system, it did not indicate recent use, and the trace elements
could have been in his system for days or even weeks.” However, Towanda West said her brother had no prior medical conditions. “He was a healthy man,” she said. “We are not surprised that the officers weren’t charged. They are trying to paint my brother out to be a dope addict that was high off of drugs.” “Any life lost in Baltimore City is a tragedy. For the past several months, I have closely monitored this case and urged that all information be released as soon as possible without undermining this investigation,” Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake said in a statement to the AFRO. “With the criminal review complete, I have charged the Baltimore Police Department to conduct an internal investigation in an effort to further evaluate the details surrounding this case and to hold anyone found of any wrongdoing accountable for their actions.”
‘Casino’ Fund Continued from A1
difficulty securing loans and the Great Recession, which began in 2008, has made the process of obtaining capital for these businesses even more challenging. “It’s (Great Recession) curtailed business start-ups, it’s also curtailed the growth of businesses, so it has had an impact,” he said. MCBIF will provide about $7.8 million in funding initially (it began distributing loans in May), but according to Croxton the pool of money in the fund is expected to expand over time. “That fund is going to be added on to each year at those levels and hopefully higher because of more (gambling) facilities being on board, that’s going to be continuous…access to capital for small businesses,” Croxton said. Arnold Williams, a certified public accountant with the firm of Abrams, Foster, Nole & Williams helped facilitate the meeting of the business owners and Meridian Management Group. “They (Meridian Management Group) understand the issues that small and minority businesses go through. In the economic times – especially since 2008 – small and minority businesses have been hit harder than anyone admits or publically recognizes,” said Williams who also helped advocate on behalf of
some of business owners in attendance. “What I know in servicing small and minority businesses is that they have questions that they want to know the answer to, but often times won’t ask those questions or don’t know how to frame them,” he said. “The role I wanted to play was to make sure all of the hard questions got on the table,” Williams added. Entrepreneurs like Jody Davis and Kevin Scott hope the right questions lead to vital capital. “It would help with my cash flow…to help me be on target with my production,” Davis said. “I have to pay for my collection before I sell one piece…this season I came in late because of the finances, juggling trying to make ends meet,” added Davis, who graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York in the early 90’s and has been working at her craft ever since. She and Scott plan to keep growing in the fashion industry they both love. “We’re looking to move into a location where Kevin and I can be in the same space,” Davis said. “That funding will help us to grow and expand… and help us to hire some people because both of us are running our businesses solo and you can’t do everything.”
side approximately to Denham Circle and Bridgeview Road. The alleged gang members were also charged with engaging in a conspiracy to distribute heroin, powder and crack cocaine and marijuana. According to the indictments, UDH and Little Spelman are warring gangs, whose members protected their respective power, territory and profits through the use of violence, threats of violence, intimidation, robbery, narcotics trafficking and obstruction of justice. The indictments specifically allege that beginning in 2011, the gangs were involved in a dispute that resulted in three murders and the shootings of two others. UDH was similarly engaged in a longrunning conflict with an organization known as Coppin Court that is involved in criminal activity in the “Down the Hill” section of Cherry Hill, the indictment alleges. In the third indictment, five other individuals--Danna Fraser, 25; Ernest Thomas, 25; Melvin Truesdale, 20 and two unnamed defendants—were charged with conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine and heroin. All 26 defendants face a maximum sentence of life in prison.
In November, City Councilman Bill Henry joined the West family in calling on officials for answers. In an interview with the AFRO Henry said he wanted the family to have closure and the “answers they deserve.” In November, Councilman Bill Henry joined the West family in calling on officials for answers. In an interview with the AFRO Henry said he wanted the family to have closure and the “answers they deserve.” “Why did it take four to four and a half months to determine what happened to Mr. West,” he said after the Berstein statement. “Based on the information made available to me so far, it would be a tough case to say that all the police actions were justifiable.” Baltimore Police released a statement saying that they “must have and will continue to have a reverence for human life. While the criminal review of this difficult situation comes to an end, the internal evaluation of our tactics continues as we seek ways to improve. There will never be a perfect solution to every encounter. We will never stop in our efforts to reform and better our methods.” Howard L. Cornish Chapter of the Morgan State University National Alumni Association Will Host The 29th Annual
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholarship Breakfast
At Martin’s West on Saturday, January 11, 2014 From 9 A.M. – 12 Noon
The Honorable Anthony G. Brown, Lieutenant Governor of the State of Maryland will be guest speaker.
Musical performances by the world renowned Morgan State University Choir and the Morgan State Jazz Ensemble
Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown
Program Honorees: Montford Point Marines Dr. Edmonia T. Yates Dr. Eugene DeLoatch March Funeral Homes Dr. Clara I. Adams Ms. Mattie Gaines
Jody Davis and Kevin Scott in front of Jody Davis Designs on Saratoga Street. His men’s boutique, Benedetto Haberdashery is on Park Avenue.
Admission: $ 60.00 ($28.00 Tax Deductible) For ticket information, please call 410-461-3931.
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The Afro-American, December 28, 2013 - January 3, 2014
22 Year-Old Black Student Elected to Mississippi House of Representatives By Blair Adams AFRO Staff Writer Jeramey Anderson, a 22-year-old African American college student, was sworn in Dec. 6 as a member of the Mississippi House, becoming the youngest person in history to be elected to a House seat in the state. Anderson, a Democrat and senior at Tulane University, defeated Aneice Liddell, the former mayor of Moss Point, Mississippi. Voters in that southern Mississippi town of about 14,000 were selecting a replacement to fill the unexpired term of incumbent House member Billy Broomfield, who left the House to defeat Liddell in an earlier race for Moss Point mayor. Anderson won a runoff election Nov. 26 with over 61 percent of the vote while Liddell polled less than 40 at percent. The runoff was triggered when none of the five candidates in the Nov. 5 general election won a majority. Anderson told a WLOX reporter that he believes his social media push provided the edge that got him elected. “I felt that with that position opening up I felt like my service would be better off in that capacity than in a local position. It goes back to looking at the opportunities that are presented to me and going with that,” he said in an interview with The Washington Post. The 22-year-old said in an interview with The Sun Herald that he would complete his undergraduate coursework through online classes January through
August while the Legislature is in session. “I’m going to do what needs to be done,” he said. “The people of this district come first, and I will manage the two,” he said of juggling academics and lawmaking. Anderson said high on his legislative agenda is making sure residents in his district are not “priced out of flood insurance. ” The town was hit hard by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. He said he also will home in on increasing funding for education and increasing teacher’s pay. Anderson said, “We focus too highly on standardized testing,” he said. “We teach students to memorize the answers to specific questions and ideas, but what we don’t teach them is how it is they got those answers. We need to get back to the foundation of understanding why things are what they are. I think it would improve out education system.” Anderson is a native of Moss Point, Miss. He said his interest in politics was “sparked” after attending a political camp while he was a junior in high school. “I’ve had contact with several different Republicans locally. And everybody in general is just excited to have a different perspective in the House. I don’t see party lines. I want to do what’s best for my district and do what’s best for this state, before I see an R or a D behind somebody’s name,” said Anderson.
Sam Lacy Continued from A1
When he arrived, I was sitting with my feet propped up on a table, sipping a Shirley Temple. Busted! I spent the rest of that trip on lockdown. It was just as well, because my condition from all of that travel prompted Pop to introduce me to Pepto-Bismol to settle my stomach. When we disembarked in Tucson, I was dragging my suitcase and clutching my bottle of Pepto. I immediately arrived at the conclusion that Tucson must be the hottest place on the planet. I soon learned that Tucson’s weather was
a mixed bag. It was around forty degrees in the morning, prompting chill bumps, but around 10 a.m. the temperature jumped up so fast I thought the thermometer might jump off of the wall. Segregation was still around at the time, and we stayed in an approved home. It was Larry Doby, Minnie Minoso, Pop and me. Mealtime proved to be quite a treat. Watching Minnie pile his plate high and mix everything together was something I had never seen before. It was probably the expression on my face that
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prompted Minnie to say, “It’s all going to the same place.” When the team would take the field for a little fungo practice, I was always among them. The coach would hit grounders to players who would make the throw to first base. The first baseman would then throw the ball to me who was fielding for the coach. Trust me, you ain’t never had a fire in your hand to equal the heat received from a major league player throwing at you from 120 feet. This was the chore I undertook every day, and through the pain I enjoyed every minute of it. After all, I was hanging with the big dogs.
December 28, 2013 - December 28, 2013, The Afro-American
Women In Prison Continued from A1
the Sentencing Project, a research and advocacy group for prison reform. Women often have a higher rate of mental illness because many have experienced sexual and physical abuse starting as children and continuing into adulthood, said Amy Fettig, senior staff counsel at the American Civil Liberties Union’s National Prison Project. “Too often, people do not receive the type of treatment they need in prison,” Fettig said. Maryland saw a 353 percent increase in women going to prison from 1977 to 2004, according to data from the Women’s Prison Association. But that figure pales in comparison to the staggering rates of states such as Montana, which saw the highest increase in the country during that time at 23,550 percent. “We do know that the women’s population is growing at a higher rate than the men’s population since the 1980s,” said Marc Mauer, executive director of the Sentencing Project. “The women’s increase is about 50 percent higher than the men’s,” he said. Women in prison now make up 7 percent of inmates across the country, Mauer said. WOMEN IN PRISON Black inmates tend to be overrepresented in Maryland’s male prisons and the national justice system in general. But at Jessup, the difference is not as stark, with White and Black women entering at roughly the same rate. On average, Black inmates make up nearly 72 percent of all inmates in the state prison system, both male and female, whereas White inmates make up 27 percent. Maryland’s Black population is 30 percent. But in Jessup, Black female inmates make up nearly 53 percent of the population, and White inmates make up 46 percent. Inmates of Indian, Asian and unknown races make up nearly 1 percent. Drug-related offenses and longer prison terms — handed out due to policies like mandatory minimum sentencing and three strikes laws — are the two most significant factors in sending more women to prison, particularly White females. “I think for White women in some states, not all, as methamphetamines and prescription drug crimes have become more numerous… the defendants are far more likely to be White or Latino, rather than African-American,” Mauer said.
PREGNANT INMATES There are between 5,000 and 10,000 pregnant female inmates in the U.S. every year, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics. Maryland is one of 32 states where some facilities continue to use some form of restraint on women during transportation, pregnancy and birth. Maryland House Bill 829, an anti-shackling bill that sought to standardize the use of restraints across the state, did not pass during the 2013 legislative session, but is being reintroduced in 2014. The Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, which runs Jessup and the Baltimore City Detention Center, enacted a policy in April 2012 that prevents the restraining of inmates during labor, delivery and post-delivery. There is an exception if the inmate poses a safety risk to herself or others, or if she’s likely to escape. “Current DPSCS policy
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Braveboy said. Paris Turner gave birth in 1993 while an inmate at Jessup, before the new policy. After being convicted of theft at six months pregnant, she was sentenced to six months in prison. “I was on drugs, using cocaine and marijuana. The judge thought he was doing the best thing,” Turner said. Now a housekeeper at two Baltimore hotels, she was handcuffed during transportation to her pre-natal appointments and during the appointments. In the ambulance after her water broke, Turner was handcuffed by her foot to the bed. At the hospital, handcuffs were replaced by restraints around one arm and one leg. A female guard was on watch at all times, and refused to remove the restraints at the doctor’s request. “Cuff her, uncuff her, cuff her, uncuff her. It was so much. It was embarrassing,” Turner said. “I remember the doctor being angry because he was trying to take care of his patient,” she said.
“Because we only have that one prison for females, you sleep next to people who are murderers.” does not allow for restraint of an inmate/detainee during labor, delivery, or immediate post-delivery recuperation, except for at the request of attending medical personnel and/or the hospital,” said Mark Vernarelli, director of public information at the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, in an email. Jessup doesn’t allow waist restraints and chains, but a hospital’s protocols mean an inmate could be handcuffed to a wheelchair. “We do not restrain inmates unless the hospital orders it. It’s the hospital that would require this, presumably in an emergency situation. Our policy is that pregnant inmates are not restrained,” Vernarelli said. It’s the local jails in Maryland that have problems with shackling, Vernarelli said. The state-level department that runs Jessup has no control over the policies of the county jails, which have varying approaches to the restraining of pregnant inmates. Delegate Aisha Braveboy, (D-Prince George’s), one of the co-sponsors of the original bill banning the practice, said it would ensure a standardized policy that would apply to all facilities and could not be changed by a new administration. “Even though the state has a policy, the next administration could have something very different,”
– Anna Davis
Turner was kept on a “long chain” attached to her bed following her son’s birth so she could change him and spend time with him. The public needs to have more access to information about the varying policies of restraint use, said Jacqueline Robarge, director of Power Inside, a Baltimore-based re-entry group that serves formerly incarcerated women. “Even if they only have one pregnancy per year, or one pregnancy per five years, we really don’t want this happening to anyone, ever, because of the enduring trauma,” Robarge said. CO-MINGLING Maryland is not the only state with just one female prison. Connecticut, Delaware and West Virginia also have a single women’s-only prison, according to a 2000 Census of State and Federal Correctional Facilities by the Bureau of Justice Statistics. The Maryland Correctional Institute for Women at Jessup has 765 female inmates, according to data from an April 2013 inmate characteristic report. Overall, there are 854 women in the state corrections system, including women in the Baltimore City Detention Center for women, the Patuxent Institution, an intensive treatment facility that includes male and female inmates, and the Central Home Detention Unit, which monitors women in their homes. The other states with a single female prison also house inmates from all security levels: minimum, medium and maximum. There have been concerns among prison reformers and former inmates about the safety and treatment of women who are in lower security levels in these situations. “Because we only have that one prison for females, you sleep next to people who are murderers,” Davis said. The housing of multiple security levels is not unique and also happens in male prisons, Vernarelli wrote in an email. “The populations are separated and there are no issues with this standard practice,” Vernarelli wrote.
See more on Afro.com
December 28, 2013 - January 3, 2014, The Afro-American
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HEALTH
Light at the End of the Tunnel in the AIDS Battle By Zenitha Prince Special to the AFRO The Promised Land is in sight—though the view is somewhat hazy—for HIV/ AIDS activists, victims, government and others who hope for an end to the epidemic.
“We are at a very important juncture in the trajectory of the AIDS epidemic. We now have the tools to end this disease,” said Phill Wilson, founder, president and CEO of the Black AIDS Institute. Major strides in prevention technologies and approaches, including scientific
breakthroughs in treatment, has brought the United States closer to defeating the scourge of HIV/AIDS, experts said. “Prevention has really helped us rethink what we can do to end this disease,” said Michael Kaplan, CEO, AIDS United, a nonprofit advocacy group dedicated to ending the
Condoms: A Pedestrian but Effective HIV Barrier By Zenitha Prince Special to the AFRO
They are innocuous looking, but those square, multicolored foil-wrapped condoms can be a gift of life to those who may be at risk of contracting HIV. They are old-school and not as sexy as the new technologies and approaches to defeating the spread of HIV, such as antiretroviral medications, but condoms work, experts say. “Condoms continue to be an extremely effective mechanism for protecting against
HIV infection,” said Phill Wilson, founder, CEO and president of the Black AIDS Institute. Research has shown that increasing the availability of condoms is associated with significant reductions in HIV risk, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If used correctly during every sexual encounter, male condoms are 98 percent effective. HIV, like other sexually transmitted diseases, is transmitted when infected
urethral or vaginal secretions contact mucosal (or moist) surfaces that line the inside of the body, such as in the male urethra, the vagina, or cervix. Latex condoms provide an essentially impermeable barrier to genital secretions that transmit STD-causing pathogens, laboratory tests show. Latex is formulated from rubber, tapped from trees in Brazil, Southeast Asia or West Africa, according to an article on Howstuffworks.com. During the factory process other ingredients such as antifungal and antibacterial compounds; zinc oxide and sulfur, which help make the rubber more durable; ammonia, an anticoagulant; potassium laurate, a stabilizer and other preservatives and pigments. Water is also added to determine the condoms’ thickness -- the more water, the thinner the condom. More recently condoms have been produced from polyurethane or polyisoprene, extremely strong materials that allow for thinner condoms. They are ideal for people who are allergic to latex. Water-based lubricants are safe to use with all types of condoms. Oil-based lubricants, such as moisturizer, lotion and petroleum jelly, can make latex condoms less effective, but they are safe to use with condoms made from polyurethane or polyisoprene.
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epidemic. Among the proven HIV prevention methods, experts said, were increased HIV testing and linkage to care, access to condoms, prevention programs for people with high risk of HIV infection and those who are already HIV-positive, substance abuse treatment and access to sterile syringes. Screening and treatment for sexually transmitted infections such as gonorrhea, which increase the chances of acquiring and transmitting HIV, have also proven effective. Most promising is the impact of HIV medications such as antiretrovirals, which have proven effective in reducing mother-to-child transmissions and reducing the HIV viral loads in infected persons, which reduces the chances of transmission to someone else by 96 percent, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. When taken immediately after exposure to the virus, antiretrovirals also reduce the risk of infection (postexposure prophylaxis). And, when taken by HIV-negative individuals who are at high risk of infection, such medications have proven effective in reducing that risk (pre-exposure prophylaxis). Campaigns to educate the public about HIV—how it can be prevented and treated— has also proven effective in mitigating the disease’s impact, experts said. “You have to salute the Department of Health and Human Services and state health departments who did a great job of marketing this information,” said Dr. Sohail Rana, who treats pediatric HIV/AIDS patients and is
a professor of pediatrics at Howard University College of Medicine. Due to those efforts, since the height of the epidemic in the mid-1980s, the annual
2015 benchmarks established in the Obama administration’s National HIV/AIDS Strategy, however, many challenges remain. The number of new
“We are at a very important juncture in the trajectory of the AIDS epidemic. We now have the tools to end this disease.” – Phill Wilson number of new infections in the U.S. has dropped by more than two-thirds from about 130,000 to 50,000, according to the CDC’s “National HIV Prevention Progress Report,” which was released this month. More recently, from 2008 to 2010, new HIV infections decreased 15 percent among heterosexuals, 21 percent among African-American women, and 22 percent among injection drug users. Also promising was a decline in the HIV transmission rate, which decreased about 9 percent from 2006-2010. And testing efforts succeeded in increasing the percentage of people living with HIV who know their status from 80.9 percent to 84.2 percent, which means that 5 out of 6 people living with HIV in 2010 knew their status. While the nation has taken strides toward reaching the
infections has “flatlined” at about 50,000 per year over the past decade or so, Kaplan said. Additionally, while more people are aware of their HIV status, there are an estimated 180,000 people in the U.S. living with an undiagnosed HIV infection. Racial/ethnic disparities persist—African Americans, particularly Black women, continue to bear the brunt of the epidemic, accounting for almost half of new infections (44 percent) and almost half (44 percent) of those living with HIV, and they lack access to treatment. Also, new infections remain dauntingly high among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM), who account for 63 percent of all new infections. From 2008 to 2010, there was a 12 percent increase in new infections among MSM and a 22 percent increase among young MSM aged 13-24 years.
Affordable Healthcare for the New Year
In Maryland log onto MarylandHealthCareConnection.gov. Navigators are available at the Consumer Support Center 1-855-642-8572, with services for the deaf or hard of hearing at 1-855-642-8573. District of Columbia residents should visit DCHealthLink. com for Obamacare enrollment before the March 31 deadline. Or call 1-855-532-5465 for assistance.
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The Afro-American, December 28, 2013 - January 3, 2014
COMMUNITY CONNECTION Make A Joyful Noise: Best of Maryland Gospel
forum for key opinion leaders to work as a think tank in identifying critical issues facing the future of community colleges, and to recognize Bellwether Finalist colleges as trend-setting institutions. For more information, consult the Community College Futures Assembly website at http://education.ufl. edu/futures/ or email futures@coe.ufl.edu.
Strathmore celebrates gospel music with three local award-winning choirs preserving and spreading the rich, jubilant and reverent tradition of the genre in Make a Joyful Noise: Best of Maryland Gospel, 8 p.m., Feb. 8 in the Music Center. The voices of the James E. Jordan Jr. Adult Choir, the Tribe of Judah Choir and Baltimore City College High School Choir will blow the roof off the concert hall in their celebration of faith. The choirs also represent the generational spectrum of gospel, The National MS Society, Maryland Chapter, with two established choirs passing the torch to the has announced the honorees for its 2014 Dinner Baltimore City College High School Choir to spread of Champions. Dr. E. Albert gospel to new audiences. For more information or to Reece, OJ Brigance and Dave purchase tickets, call (301) 581-5100 or visit www. Pietramala will receive the strathmore.org. Champion of Hope award at The day prior, 7:30 p.m., Feb. 7, choral members the 21st Annual Dinner of from the ensembles will lead a singing session of Champions, Feb. 22, 2014 gospel favorites in the Best of Maryland Gospel at the Baltimore Marriott Community Sing in Room 402 of the Music Center Waterfront. at Strathmore. No singing experience necessary and The Dinner of Champions is held annually great for families; best for children 8 and up. to recognize distinguished area business and The James E. Jordan, Jr. Adult Choir is led by community leaders. The dinner is a high profile and Courtney Michelle King, and is the vocal ensemble prestigious fundraising event, bringing together for Refreshing Spring Church of God In Christ. corporations and community and civic leaders to The Tribe of Judah Choir is the music ministry honor one of their own. strathmore.org of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Victory James E. Jordan Jr. Adult Choir “Each of 2014’s Champions of Hope are Temple, led by Pastor Bayo Adeyokunnu. important contributors to making life better in Initiated years ago with the male glee club, of program effectiveness. Maryland and beyond,” said Mark Roeder, President the legacy of musical excellence has continued with the The Legacy award is sponsored by the Association of of National MS Society, MD Chapter. “Dean Reece, OJ Brigance development of Baltimore City College High School Choir’s Community College Trustees (ACCT). The call for nominations and Dave Pietramala are all amazing leaders and we look choral program. The choir consists of over 100 students ranging extended to more than 500 community college programs and forward to recognizing their accomplishments at this dinner.” from grades 9 through 12. 60 postsecondary institutions. The field of Legacy nominations Dinner of Champions presenting sponsors are Schmidt was very competitive with 30 Legacy applications. All finalists Baking Company, the Marriott Baltimore Waterfront and H&S will present on Jan. 25, 2014 in Orlando, Bakery. JR Paterakis, Maryland Chapter Board of Trustees Fla., and one winner will then be selected member and vice president of H&S Bakery, serves as gala by a panel of national experts. The winners chair. The black tie optional event will begin at 6 p.m. with a The Community College of Baltimore County was among will be announced Jan. 28 at the CCFA cocktail reception and will continue with dinner, the awards 10 finalists chosen by the Community College Futures annual meeting in Orlando. presentation and live entertainment. Past honorees have Assembly as it issued its call for Legacy Award nominations. The Community College Futures included William Donald Schaefer, Henry A. Rosenberg, The Legacy award application criteria included only former Assembly, now in its 20th year, convenes Brooks Robinson and Art Modell. bellwether finalist programs that are able to illustrate five years annually as an independent national policy For tickets or more information, visit MarylandMSdinner.org.
National MS Society, MD Chapter, Names Dinner of Champions Honorees
CCBC selected as 2014 Legacy Award Finalists
happy kwanzaa
A pA s t t o u n i t e u s , s ev e n p r i n c i p l e s to g u i d e u s
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12/12/13 4:03 PM
December 28, 2013 - January 3, 2014, The Afro-American
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OPINION
Keeping Christ in Christmas I popped into my local post office to get my Christmas stamps and was offered one celebrating Kwanzaa, one featuring holiday baubles, and another picturing gingerbread houses. Where’s the Madonna with the Christ child, I asked myself. Feeling miffed, I left without purchasing any stamps. What Jesus Christ stands for has been removed from Margaret D. Pagan the institution of marriage, from the conception of children, from prayer in schools, and I don’t know what all else. Had even the U. S. Postal Service now removed Christ from Christmas? How disappointing! But, before I began an angry crusade against the post office, I decided to do some checking. So I inquired of the agency and learned that revered scenes from the Christmas story, including vignettes of the Madonna and Child, had been issued by the U.S. Postal Service at least since 1966 when first class postage cost five cents! Checking 2008 and the following years, I saw that the agency created a stamp from the painting called Virgin and Child with the Young John the Baptist by the Italian master Sandro Botticelli when the cost of first-class postage had climbed to 42 cents. Botticelli painted it for an orphanage in Florence in the late 1400s. It is now in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art in Ohio. The Madonna and Sleeping Child by Italian Baroque painter, Giovanni Battista Salvi da Sassoferrato, was chosen for 2009. Sassoferrato spent much of his career painting Madonna
and Child portraits for his patrons. This one is displayed at the Hearst Castle in San Simeon, Calif., which, along with its surrounding acreage, was donated to the state by William Randolph Hearst decades ago. The Postal Service reprinted this stamp in 2010 raising the price from 42 to 44 cents. The Christmas stamp for 2011 and 2012 presents a detail from the Madonna of the Candelabra by Raphael, the gifted painter and master of the Italian High Renaissance, completed in 1513. You can see the full painting at The Walters Art Museum in Baltimore, Md. This forever stamp is good for mailing one-ounce first class mail anytime in the future regardless of price changes. And so, in keeping with its tradition, the U.S. Postal Service did indeed issue a stamp featuring the Madonna and Child in 2013. It simply must not have been available at the time I visited my branch. This Virgin and Child stamp by Jan Gossaert features a detail of Gossaert’s 1531 oil-on-wood painting entitled Virgin and Child. He is credited with being one of the first artists to bring the innovations of the Italian Renaissance to Europe. The person responsible for bringing the work of several of
Where Bipartisanship is Out of Order
Former Kansas senator and 1996 Republican presidential candidate Bob Dole was recently presented with an award that is named after him. The World Food Program USA’s first George McGovern and Bob Dole Leadership Award, is named after him and his friend and colleague The two teamed up in the 1970s to make food stamps easier to get and use. Today, Republicans Julianne Malveaux in Congress have been adamant that food stamps be cut. Dole, a conservative, and McGovern, a liberal, were not always on the same page about poverty, government programs, and food stamps. Were they both in the Senate now, they would likely share the commitment to reduce or eliminate hunger and yet they might not agree on how much should be spent on the challenge. But surely, neither would be of the mind to cut the food stamps program as significantly as the Republicans of the 113th Congress would like to cut them. The GOP plan wants reductions of at least $40 billion over 10 years, eliminating about 4 million families from the program.
Bipartisan relationships like those that Senators Dole and McGovern shared are rare these days because party lines have been so tightly drawn. Thus, while some will celebrate the budget proposal of Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) that will prevent future government shutdowns (that is, as long as there is agreement on debt ceiling), I am among those that decry the hollow victory in the passage of this budget. It is better than nothing, but still quite disgraceful. While the food stamp program was once paired with the Farm Bill in a way to create a “something for everyone” bipartisan approach, the uncoupled two bills allow farmers to gain while hungry people don’t. Still, failure to adjust aspects of the farm bill may cause milk prices to rise before Congress returns to work in January. No matter. Republicans in Congress seem to subscribe to the Marie Antoinette theory of food distribution: “Let them eat cake.” No worries for the hungry or the poor. They just, says Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) “have to get a job.” While budget-lite passed, the unemployment insurance extension did not. On Dec. 28, 1.3 million long-term unemployed people will collect their last check unless new legislation is passed in January. Congress says it “might” look at retroactive benefits. Paul apparently does not read the monthly employment situation, released last week by the Labor Department. While it indicated that the unemployment rate dropped
Waiting for ‘Someday’ We shall overcome, we shall overcome, We shall overcome someday; Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe, We shall overcome someday.
Jineea Butler
With 2014 right around the corner, I wonder what is the target date for someday? When I sing the song I feel vibrations from the ancestors who owned it when they sang and brought down walls like Joshua and the Battle of Jericho. It’s inspirational, it’s therapeutic and it’s powerful for a group of people to sing, pray and believe in one accord. For instance, in August 1963, 22-year-old folksinger Joan Baez, led a crowd of 300,000 in singing “We Shall Overcome” at the Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. recited the words from “We Shall Overcome” in his final speech delivered in Memphis in 1968, before his assassination, “We Shall Overcome” was sung days later by more than 50,,000 attendees at Dr. King’s funeral. Farm workers in the United States later sang the song in Spanish during strikes and grape boycotts of the late 1960s, and
SPEAK OUT!
it was notably sung by the Sen. Robert F. Kennedy when he led anti-apartheid crowds in choruses from the rooftop of his car while touring South Africa in 1966. In many ways, we have overcome. You should never forget that those who dreamed the first dreams of freedom dreamed us all the way into the presidency of the United States. But the reality is that we are further behind than we were in those times. And we know it. We are being outperformed in every area except sports and hip hop. And Hip Hop is now on the edge. Why does it seem like we are the only race without a plan, the only race that looks at one another and despises the beauty they see? Why are we the only race that tries to undermine one another for capital gain? Is this by design or did we evolve into this state of consciousness? We have to stop making excuses for everything that is wrong and just make it right. We are not living up to our fullest potential and, again, we know it. Dig deep within yourself and take off the mask, allow the layers and layers of defense mechanisms to fall to the wayside and have the courage to look the real you in the face. Have the courage to be greater than your best self.
these great artists to the postage stamp is Richard Sheaff of Scottsdale, Ariz. We salute him. Well, now I can better enjoy my Christmas knowing that Christ is still a part of it in the eyes of our venerable U.S. Postal Service. Please enjoy yours as well! Stamps may be viewed at www.beyondtheperf.com or www. uspsstamps.com. Margaret D. Pagan is a writing instructor, historian and author.
to 7 percent in November, it also reported that more than 4 million people have been unemployed for more than half a year. Additionally, the alternative measures of unemployment, which include part time and discouraged workers, suggest that real unemployment is 13.2 percent (and 25 percent for African Americans). Where are these unemployed people supposed to find jobs when the federal government has removed itself from the job creation business even as our infrastructure continues to fray? The unemployment insurance extension would cost $26 billion for two years. Budget balancers say that’s too much and pushes the federal budget into further deficit. The unwillingness to assist those considered “collateral damage” in our broken economy has less to do with fiscal responsibility than with the “get a job, let them eat cake” mentality embraced by so many tea party Republicans. To fully applaud the Murray/Paul budget is like applauding people for saying hello. It is a tenuous bipartisanship, a compromise achieved on the backs of the hungry and the unemployed. The Murray/Paul budget is an example of the devolution of bipartisanship from the days when two men reached across the aisle to figure out how to reduce the amount of food insecurity in our nation. Julianne Malveaux, president emerita of Bennett College for Women in Greensboro, N.C., is a Washington, D.C.-based economist and writer.
Do you wonder why more and more people are expressing their contempt for African-Americans in this country? Is it purely hate or is it how we carry ourselves? Is it how we talk to one another? How we talk to our children? What if we bring up the content of our character, if we were judged on that alone, how would we do? As we mourn the loss of Nelson Mandela, think about the path that this great man chose to follow for himself and the liberation of his people. He has overcome. Think about the path that you currently follow and why. Are you anywhere near the man or woman you should be in faith and in truth? Are you making up your own rules based on how you feel and how you have been hurt? Are you an asset or dead weight to the race? Be honest. When will someday arrive? I have raised a lot of questions, but there is a simple answer? It will arrive when we decide it’s going to get here. Jineea Butler is a Hip Hop analyst who investigates the trends and behaviors of the community. She can be reached at jineea@gmail.com or tweet her at @flygirlladyjay
Send letters to The Afro-American 2519 N. Charles St. • Baltimore, MD 21218 or fax to 1-877-570-9297 or e-mail to editor@afro.com
SPEAK OUT!
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The Afro-American, December 28, 2013 - January 3, 2014
December 28, 2013 -January 3, 2014, The Afro-American
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Victor Green and Rev. Willie Ray
Traci Horne, Janean Stubbs-Taylor, Michele Wilson, Stephanie Perkins, Stephanie Smith and Danielle Millberry Seth Murphy, Dr. Ben F. Chavis, Jr. and Hassan Murphy
Hassan Murphy, J. Howard Henderson, CEO Balto. Urban League, Eric White, president, Greater Balto. Leadership Assoc.
Robert Ingram, Marsha ReevesEvery year The Gardner Jews and John Lee Law Group of Baltimore hosts a holiday Sandy Pagnotti, Annie celebration Pagnotti and Debbie Hood that results in thousands of toys to make Christmas Caprece Jackson-Garrett, a little brighter for the Dr. Ben F. Chavis Jr. and children. This year, the Erica Solomon eighth, was no exception as the group partnered with Special Delivery, Dec. 19 at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum in Baltimore. Toys were shared with AFRO Charities, Carpenter House, Fashiondesigner, Jodi Davis, Kevin Scott Kinder Care and various and Shelonda D. Stokes, CEO, greiBO Baltimore area shelters.
Debbie Allen, Marc Clark, Marsha Reeves-Jews, Valerie Fraling, Kendrick Tilghman and Freddi Vaughn
Monique Jones and Glen Middleton, executive director, AFSCME
Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake
Marilyn Mosby and Shelonda Stokes
Marsha Reeves-Jews, Freddi Vaughn and Karyne Henry
Zachary McDaniels and Anthony Romidian
Photos by Anderson Ward
Rep. Elijah Cummings hosted a holiday reception, Dec. 12, at the Reginald F. Lewis museum in Baltimore. As they arrived for the celebration, guests brought new toys for distribution by AFRO Charities, Light and Wellness Comprehensive Services and the Salvation Army.
Paulette McCoy and James Tibbs
Larry Gibson, Diana Gibson and Rep. Elijah Cummings
Richard Dick Fredericks Members of the Elijah Cummings Youth Program
Joe Smith, Wanda Watts and Terry Brown Nichelle Johnson
Lawrence Bell III and Anishia Coleman
Inez Robb, Kirk Sykes, principal Carver Voc.-Tech. H.S. and Bernetta Dyson
Carla Farrington
Allen Atkins, Major Gene Hogg and Fran Allen, board member, Salvation Army
Photos by Anderson Ward
Dr. Maya RockeymooreCummings
Judith Langley and Robert Christian Scott
Kyle Burke, program coordinator, Tawney Manning, principal, Maritime Industries Academy and Chief Edwin Craig
Karyne Henry and Monique Jones
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The Afro-American, December 28, 2013 - January 3, 2014
My Take
Economic Development and African-American Culture
By Lyn Hughes For the past 18 years I have devoted my life to working in what I later discovered is the area of Cultural Economic Development. My understanding of that enterprise, however, didn’t emerge until 2006 when I was forced to pick a topic for my doctoral dissertation. Through my research, I realized that what I had been doing all that time was carving out a niche through which I could inform people in the Black community what the rest of the world already knew and had been capitalizing on for a very long time. This crystallized into a realization: Black Culture Sells. And it is a very profitable commodity. I had battled to include Black people in the development of the A. Philip Randolph Pullman Porter Museum and the Pullman community, to awaken community pride and civic consciousness. It took 20 years of promoting the legacy left by the Pullman porters for me to see the manifestation of that self-interest. Unfortunately, during this time, we sat and watched everyone else benefit from the packaging and selling of our cultural product not only regarding the A. Philip Randolph Pullman Porter Museum but across the board. The play, Pullman Porter Blues, is an excellent example. The Goodman Theatre in Chicago did a fantastic job of selling Black culture in what was a wonderful production of the play. I am certain the box office is very happy. The question is how did the Black community benefit? African Americans should be the primary beneficiary of the sale of our cultural product. We only need to be who we are and to perfect ways to sell our culture to the broader public.
This then allows us to control the packaging and dissemination of our own cultural product. It seems to me that we need to educate our community on this concept so that we can begin to create and develop the required vehicles to distribute that product. Another example of cultural economic development is happening right now. In Chicago, the buzz about the National Park Service and the historic Pullman museum is being co-opted by entities where the Pullman porter name was never even uttered. Let me be very clear before someone attacks me as being prejudiced. In every American city there is a Chinatown. The customers who patronize those businesses are not all Asian. Get the point? Some in the younger generation seem to have grasped this. Consider Sean Combs who just launched his own music network, Revolt TV, using the distribution vehicles of Comcast and Time Warner cable. It is not about separating ourselves from any other group, because inclusion is the key to success. It is about you benefiting from your own natural platform. Dr. Lyn Hughes is the founder of the A. Phillip Randolph Pullman Porter Museum in Chicago. She can be reached at drhughes@aprpullmanportermuseum.org My Take is a social commentary feature that allows AFRO readers to share their insight into a range of topics. Please submit your 250-450 word entries, with My Take typed into the subject field, to editor@afro.com. Include your name, age, occupation and daytime phone number. The AFRO reserves the right to edit or reject any entry.
December 28, 2013 - January 3, 2014, The Afro-American
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ARTS & CULTURE
The 10 Best Black Books of 2013 (Non-Fiction) By Kam Williams 1. (1)ne Drop: Shifting the Lens on Race Edited by Yaba Blay, Ph.D. with photography by Noelle Theard
10. The Motherhood Diaries: A Humorous Look at Motherhood in the New Millennium by ReShonda Tate Billingsley Honorable Mention If You Can See It, You Can Be It: 12 Street-Smart Recipes for Success by Chef Jeff Henderson
Sugar in the Blood: A Family’s Story of Slavery and Empire by Andrea Stuart
Public Schools Edited by Dr. Michael W. Nellums and Dr. Walter Milton, Jr.
Men We Reaped by Jesmyn Ward
Front Row Seat: A Photographic Portrait of the Presidency of George W. Bush by Eric Draper
How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America by Kiese Laymon Kansas City Lightning: The Rise and Times of Charlie Parker by Stanley Crouch
2. Ebony & Ivy: Race, Slavery, and the Troubled History of America’s Universities by Craig Steven Wilder
Where Did Our Love Go? Love and Relationships in the African-American Community Edited by Gil L. Robertson, IV Shattered Mirrors: Broken in Plain Sight by Karl Allen Griggs
Better Than Good Hair: The Curly Guide to Healthy, Gorgeous Natural Hair by Nikki Walton with Ernessa T. Carter
Come to Love: Affirmations from Women Who Have Fallen in Love with Themselves by Miki Turner God’s Graffiti: Inspiring Stories for Teens by Reverend Romal Tune
The Wealth Choice: Success Secrets of Black Millionaires by Dennis Kimbro, Ph.D.
Eslanda: The Large and Unconventional Life of Mrs. Paul Robeson by Barbara Ransby
Raising the Bar by Gabrielle Douglas
Harlem Nocturne by Farah Jasmine Griffin Life upon These Shores by Henry Louis Gates
PHD to Ph.D.: How Education Saved My Life by Dr. Elaine Richardson
Jim Crow Wisdom by Jonathan Scott Holloway
240 Ways to Close the Achievement Gap by M. Donnell Tenner, M.Ed.
Boomerangs to Arrows by Sharon Norris Elliott
6. This Is the Day: The March on Washington Photos by Leonard Freed
A Matter of Life or Death: Why Black Men Must Save Black Boys in America’s
GOLDEN GLOBE AWARD NOMINATIONS ®
INCLUDING
BEST ACTOR IDRIS ELBA (DRAMA)
5. Soul Food: The Surprising Story of an American Cuisine by Adrian Miller
The Rejected Stone: Al Sharpton and the Path to American Leadership by Reverend Al Sharpton
Soul Recovery: 12 Keys to Healing Addiction by Ester Nicholson
Journey to the Woman I’ve
Self-Inflicted Wounds by Aisha Tyler
7. No Place for Race: Why We Need to Address Economic and Social Factors That Are Crushing Us Every Day by Rodney L. Demery
The Lace Wig Bible: How to Style, Care & Maintain Lace Wigs by Morgan R. Gantt
Guiou: The Other Blacks by Gloria J. Arnold
3. David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants by Malcolm Gladwell 4. The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross by Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and Dr. Donald Yacovone
Harlem Street Portraits by Harvey Stein
BEST ORIGINAL SONG “ORDINARY LOVE” LYRICS BY BONO, MUSIC BY U2 & BRIAN BURTON
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9. High Price: A Neuroscientist’s Journey of Self-Discovery That Challenges Everything You Know about Drugs and Society by Dr. Carl Hart
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Be one of the first people to logo onto www.gofobo.com/rsvp and enter in the code AAW7HN6 for passes to the advance screening. Passes are available while supplies last. No purchase necessary. One pass per person. Seating is limited and on a first-come, first-served basis and is not guaranteed. Theater is overbooked to ensure capacity. Employees of all promotional partners and Avenue Newspaper are not eligible. This film is rated R.
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The Afro-American, December 28, 2013 - January 3, 2014
AFRO Sports Desk Faceoff
SPORTS
What’s Next for Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers? By Perry Green and Stephen D. Riley AFRO Sports Desk Fresh off his return from an Achilles injury, Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant is on the mend again, this time with a fractured bone in his left knee. At age 35, Bryant was averaging just less than
14 points per game to go along with 6.3 assists as the Lakers had inserted him in their point guard role with several other guards dinged up. With now another major injury to deal with as he enters the twilight of his career, where does Bryant go from here? The longtime Laker recently signed a $48.5 million-dollar
deal for two additional seasons but how will his latest setback impact him as well as the Lakers? Perry Green and Stephen D. Riley of the AFRO Sports Desk debate the question. Riley: Bryant’s recent injury doesn’t really change the landscape in Laker Land. With a roster short on talent and tall on salary, Los Angeles is still positioned where they want to be and that’s with tons of cap room as we head into what should be another blockbuster summer. The Lakers weren’t going to compete this season anyway. So the best Bryant can do is take his time rehabbing, come back before the season’s off and work off the rust as he and the Lakers prepare for what should be a pivotal 2014-2015 season. Green: But at 35-yearsold and off two major injuries to his legs, how much will Bryant be able to give the
“The longtime Laker recently signed a $48.5 million-dollar deal for two additional seasons but how will his latest setback impact him as well as the Lakers?” Lakers going forward and will that notion greatly impact a free agent’s decision to join L.A.? It probably will. This was another worse case scenario and the Lakers got it with this latest injury. The plan obviously was to bring Kobe back, show that he’s good and head into the summer with cap space and retool for a major run next season featuring Bryant as the star attraction. Well, I hate to break it to Lakers fans, but the Kobe Bryant that we’ve all come to love is done. Finito. Black Mamba down. And I don’t think he will ever be as athletic as he was pre-injury. Bryant will still be a very skilled player. But his super star abilities may be gone
forever, healthy or not. Riley: Obviously Bryant’s health will be a key thing to whatever the Lakers decide to do next season but you simply can’t count him out. The prolonged period will not only give that broken bone a chance to heal but his Achilles as well. I wouldn’t put it past Bryant to return to the 20-plus point scorer next season that he’s always been. Acquiring Carmelo Anthony is even more of a possibility now than it was prior to the season starting, all L.A. has to do is sit back, rest and rehab Bryant, sign a few key pieces for next year and make a run at Anthony. This injury shouldn’t deter Bryant from
coming back strong and it shouldn’t deter players from keeping the Lakers in their free agent plans. Green: The pressure to win rings is becoming even more prevalent after LeBron James ran off back-to-back titles. So the sense of the ideal setting is going to weigh heavy in the back of any free agent’s mind. The Lakers have a lot going against them right now and they’ll face another uphill battle with a rapidly aging Bryant trying to return from another knee surgery. I have no doubt that Bryant will return to some kind of acceptable form but will the Lakers? The odds don’t look good.
Brady, Patriots Gain Revenge Over Ravens By Perry Green AFRO Sports Editor The Baltimore Ravens needed a win Dec. 22 to maintain control over their chances of clinching the sixth and final seed in the AFC playoff picture. Unfortunately for Baltimore, they had to take on a New England Patriots team that was itching for payback after losing to Baltimore in the AFC Championship game last postseason. The Patriots successfully avenged their lost to the Ravens last January with a 41-7 win over Baltimore on Dec. 22 at M&T Bank Stadium. Baltimore struggled offensively throughout the entire game, scoring just one touchdown. and that came in the fourth quarter. They went scoreless in the first half as New England took a 17-point lead into halftime. Baltimore later trailed 20-7 and had a chance to attempt a comeback midway through the fourth quarter. But they were
Mrs. Santa Donation Form The Afro-American Newspaper family is helping to grant a wish for the area’s most vulnerable. Would you like to help a child or family and create memories that will last a lifetime? For many disadvantaged families, you can turn dreams into reality by participating in the Mrs. Santa Campaign. o I want to join the AFRO’s spirit of giving. Please accept my contribution of $___________ to benefit a less fortunate family. Name_______________________________ Address_____________________________ Organization_________________________ City________________________________ State___________________ Zip_________ Phone_______________________________ E-mail_______________________________ Please send all contributions and adoption requests to:
Afro-Charities, Inc. Attn: Diane W. Hocker 2519 N. Charles Street Baltimore, MD 21218 410-554-8243
stopped on a fourth down giving the Patriots the ball back with six minutes left. New England only needed to run the clock out to secure the win, but went on to score 21 unnecessary points within the final two minutes of the game, running the score up on the Ravens in revenge fashion. Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco completed 22 of 38 pass attempts for 260 yards but failed to throw a touchdown and was picked off twice by the Pats defense. Flacco sprained his left knee last week against the Detroit Lions and had to wear a knee brace for the first time in his career, which may have contributed to his struggles. He wasn’t as mobile in the pocket as he usually is, giving the Patriots an advantage in their attempts of stopping him. Flacco rested during the final minutes of the game once the score was out of reach. But backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor came in and committed two turnovers that gave the Patriots’ two defensive touchdowns for 14 points scored in garbage time. The Ravens’ best receiver, Torrey Smith, also struggled as he caught just 3 passes for 69 yards. The Patriots used their running game on offense to pound away at the Ravens’ defense. Veteran running back LeGarrette Blount ran for 75 yards and 2 touchdowns on just 15 carries, while Steven Ridley added 54 yards on 15 carries for the Patriots. Quarterback Tom Brady had an average game, completing 14 of 26 passes for 172 yards and a touchdown, still one of his better performances against the Ravens in recent history. The Ravens are now 8-7 overall on the season and are tied with the San Diego Chargers and Miami Dolphins for the final seed in the AFC playoffs. Baltimore will need to beat the Cincinnati Bengals (10-5 record) in their meeting on Dec. 29 for any chance of stealing the sixth seed.
The Afro-American, December 28, 2013 - January 3, 2014
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In Memoriam 2013 It is the AFRO’s pleasure to remember your loved ones.
Augusta J. Cheek Jr.
Irene Speight
Willie Clark Jr. 1934 - 2013
Florence M. Lee
Lionel A. Jones Sr.
1916 - 2013
Sylvia F. Wright
Martha L. Thomas
Dorothy S. Dickerson
James M. Brown1949 - 2013
Ethel M. Mosby
Emily Johnson
Bruce R. Bayton
Dorothy M. M. Fickling
Julio R. Santana Sr.
Donald M. Knox Sr.
Robert H. Diggs
Hazel L. Smith
Alice M. Boykin
Clarence H. Harrell
Pattie H. Berry
Elnora W. Barber
2013
1954 - 2013
1940 - 2006
1910 - 2013
1927 - 2013
1938 - 2013
1920 - 2013
Jake R. Butler
Richard E. Adair Sr.
Floyd L. Gaston
James A. Hopewell Jr.
Joyce E.R. Ewin
Leslie B. Wood
Lawrence Hamilton
George W. Thompson Sr.
Christopher Q. Blackwell
Priscilla M. McAdory
Mary E. Cooper
Rosa Williams
Hattie A. Privette
Isaac Brown
Ruth P. Morton
Sadie A. Smarr
Paul W. Scott Sr., 78 1935 - 2013
1921 - 2013
1943 - 2013
Gwendolyn F.H. McRae
1906 - 2013
1927 - 2013
1912 - 2013
Marie R. Cain
1933- 2013
1922 - 2013
1937 - 2013
1936 - 2013
1934 - 2013
1928 - 2013
1944 - 2013
1935 - 2013
1941 - 2013
1917 - 2013
1917 - 2013
1949 - 2013
1926 - 2013
1920 - 2013
1918 - 2013
1952 - 2013
1918 - 2013
1940 - 2013
1940 - 2013
1960 - 2013
1947 -2013
1925 - 2013
1941 - 2013
1944 - 2013
CLASSIFIED LEGAL NOTICES
Sealed proposals addressed to the Board of Estimates of Baltimore, will be received until, but not later than 11:00 a.m. local time on the following date(s) for the stated requirements: JANUARY 15, 2014 *STEEL PRODUCTS B50003281 *FIBER OPTIC CABLE MATERIAL AND SUPPLIES B50003244 JANUARY 22, 2014 *VARIOUS MEDICAL SUPPLIES B50003256 JANUARY 29, 2014 *VARIOUS OILS & LUBRICANTS B50003298 FEBRUARY 5, 2014 *WATER BILLING CUSTOMER INFORMATION SYSTEM (CIS) SELECTION AND IMPLEMENTATION B50003294
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TYPESET: Tue Oct 15 19:39:04 EDT 2013
BECOME A FOSTER PARENT
Become a Foster Parent! Treatment Foster Parents work from home, receive a tax-free stipend and professional 24 hour on-call support for providing shelter for a young person who has suffered abuse or neglect. For more information, call the CHOSEN Treatment Foster Care Program at 1-800-621-8834.
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Wanted To Purchase Antiques & Fine Art, 1 item Or Entire Estate Or Collection, Gold, Silver, Coins, Jewelry, Toys, Oriental Glass, China, Lamps, Books, Textiles, Paintings, Prints almost anything old Evergreen Auctions 973-818-1100. Email evergreenauction@ hotmail.com
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BUSINESS SERVICES Drive traffic to your business and reach 4.1 million readers with just one phone call & one bill. See your business ad in 104 newspapers in Maryland, Delaware and the District of Columbia for just $495.00 per ad placement. The value of newspapers advertising HAS NEVER BEEN STRONGER....call 1-855-721-6332 x 6 today to place your ad before 4.1 million readers. Email Wanda Smith @ wsmith@mddcpress. com or visit our website at www.mddcpress.com.
BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY Place your ad today in both The Baltimore Sun and The Washington Post newspapers, along with 10 other daily newspapers five days per week. For just pennies on the dollar reach 2.5 million readers through the Daily Classified Connection Network in 3 states: CALL TODAY; SPACE is VERY LIM-
MISCELLANEOUS AIRLINE CAREERS begin here – Get FAA approved Aviation Maintenance training. Housing and Financial Aid for qualified students. Job placement assistance. CALL Aviation Institute of Maintenance 800-481-8974
MOUNTAIN PROPERTY Mountaintop Land Bargain! Next to Ski Area! Only $89,900. Was $249,900. Spectacular mountain homesite set amid tremendous 4 season recreation. SAVE almost 65%. Own in time for ski season. Excellent financing, little down. Wont last, call now 877888-7581, x 167
SERVS./ MISC. Want a larger footprint in the marketplace consider advertising in the MDDC Display 2x2 or 2x4 Advertising Network. Reach 3.6 million readers every week by placing your ad in 82 newspapers in Maryland, Delaware and the District of Columbia. With just one phone call, your business and/or product will be seen by 3.6 million readers HURRY.... space is limited, CALL TODAY!! Call 1-855-721-6332 x 6 or email wsmith@ mddcpress.com or visit our website at www.
REAL ESTATE OUT-OF-STATE mddcpress.com Discover Delaware’s Resort Living without Resort pricing! Low Taxes! Gated Community, amazing amenities, equestrian facility, Olympic Pool. New Homes mid $40’s. Brochures available
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LANDS FOR SALE Waterfront Lots Virginia’s Eastern Shore Was $325k Now From $55,000 - Community Pool/Center, Large Lots, Bay & Ocean Access, Great Fishing & Kayaking, Spec Home www. oldemillpointe.com 757-824-0808.
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The Afro-American, December 28, 2013 - January 3, 2013
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December 28, 2013 - January 3, 2014, The Afro-American
Myavana, A Social Network Empowering Women to Achieve Hair Nirvana Techturized announced the launch of Myavana, the first online social hair and style network developed with the express goal of helping women achieve hair nirvana. Founders Candace Mitchell, Chanel Martin, Jess Watson and Joy Buolamwini saw an opportunity to give women a platform to share hair care and hairstyle knowledge. The founders’ personal hair experiences (all are style conscious engineers) made them keenly aware of the challenges women, particularly African-American women, have finding hair care solutions when they travel or when they change hairstyles. “Many of us have dealt with the challenges of our daily hair maintenance since we were little girls as we mirrored our mothers tackling our complex curls and thick manes, Acting CEO Candace Mitchell told Blacknews.com. “Generation after generation, there hasn’t been a central resource established to simplify this process, whether it be finding a salon or stylist or receiving tips and suggestions unique to particular hair challenges. It’s time to change that and we aim to meet the hair care needs of women everywhere in an innovative way.” Myavana encourages women to form communities based on hair texture, desired
Courtesy photo
Co-founders of Techturized and creators of Myavana, a hair and beauty social network are Chanel Martin, left, Candace Mitchell and Jess Watson.
Baltimore actor Anthony Michael Hobbs stars in ‘Christmas Gift,’ a Nolan Williams Jr. holiday musical Young actor Anthony Michael Hobbs stars as Samuel Wise in the Nolan Williams Jr. holiday musical presentation, “Christmas Gift!,” held recently at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center located on the University of Maryland campus. Hobbs also appears in the Holiday campaign for Finish Line athletic chain, the second largest athletic chain in the U. S. The music, lyrics and book by Nolan (pictured with Anthony) follows 13 year-old Zawadi and her family as she explores the meaning of Christmas through narrative, poetry, song and dance. Anthony plays her brother. Anthony also appears in the Finish Line 2013 holiday marketing campaign in instore displays, catalogs and in their website promotions. Hobbs also appears in a DreamWorks documentary “How to Train Your Dragon: Dragons and Dinosaurs” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bekKOmfsWfc ); in a United Way PSA (http://vimeo.com/54017197); in a Norwegian Cruise-Line commercial that also airs during the cruise-line voyages; in several PBS Sprout Network mini-segments; in a PSA spot for the American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC); in a segment of the “SkWids” kids’ on-line Internet show at www.SkWids.com; in the national classroom program called KinderRhyme which appears in over 2600 school programs; the voice of an instructional video for advertising firm TBWA World Wide - the largest advertising holding company in the world; appears in the film Waiting for Godot; an industrial commercial for the U.S. National Parks Services; a Baltimore County Recycling commercial; a Greater Philadelphia Coalition Against Hunger commercial, and Hobbs appeared in USDA’s Healthy Kids 2011 print campaign. The winner of eight Global Stars Network acting awards, Hobbs - when not acting and going on auditions - plays sports, takes “tae kwon do” and dance lessons, and spends time with his dog.
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hairstyles or geography. Users can upload hairstyles, share beauty tips and styling techniques. Users can follow desired hairstyles by “Girlfriending” users who post images with that style. Each time a user accepts a Girlfriend request, the community can follow that user’s hair journey and learn her secrets to hair nirvana. Myavana supports its communities with tools that will best fit the users’ lifestyle and hair needs including access to the best bloggers, youtubers, shampoos, conditioners and stylists. “We understand that in order to get that perfect style, you need the right products, Chief Beauty Officer Chanel Martin said. “Myavana is the place to get up to date styles and product information to ensure that every day is a good hair day!” Myavana is currently available on the Apple App Store. By Spring 2014, Myavana will be available on Google Play. “This version is just the tip of the iceberg,” Jess Watson, chief technology officer, said. “As the Myavana community grows, users can expect to receive relevant hairstyle and hair product content delivered right to their phone from their favorite girlfriends and brands to achieve their best look.”
“The Secret Princess” - A Must See Family Film Featuring Black Animated Characters BlackNews.com - Set for an early release in 2014, “The Secret Princess” - a feature animation film by TransTales Entertainment, is a captivating romantic love story full of adventure, drama, music, a fantasy animal jungle and so many twists. The film is an amazing story with simple narratives for kids and for everyone that loves family movies. The story, uniquely told with captivating animation and dramatic narration, is about a princess named Sade who does not know that she is a princess because her parents are very poor. Those who love “Cinderella”, were inspired by “Brave”, were moved by “A Little Princess” and love any kind of princess stories, should brace themselves for a very unique princess story - one like no other out there! Here’s the synopsis: Two babies are exchanged at child birth, a boy born to a poor farmer and a girl born to the king’s third wife. The king already has 5 daughters and no son. He is in the dark about the baby switch. Following the mysterious disappearance of the farmer, the wife is accused of been a witch and to escape any consequences she runs away with the baby girl. Talking animals - A parrot that witness the baby switch in the Palace spreads the word in the jungle, and all the animals plan to help the girl and her mother who live alone in the jungle and often sad about their loneliness. Along the line, the prince meets the girl, and they fall in love. He fights a wrestling match to become the one who gets to marry her. In the last few scenes, a lot of amazing twists are revealed about many characters including the princess, the prince, the farmer and her wife, the queen and the king and of course - Mr Tortoise. “The Secret Princess” will premiere at a major film festival in 2014, but the exact one has yet to be announced. London-based TransTales Entertainment, the company behind the film, is currently in talks with a nationwide film distribution company for its theatrical release. The 3D animation film can also be seen in IMAX which really brings out the colorful African Scenery and jungle scenes throughout the film. For more information, visit www.TheSecretPrincess.com or www.TransTales.com
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The Afro-American, December 28, 2013 - January 3, 2014
Merry Christmas! Happy New Year! And Happy Kwanzaa! Merry, Merry Christmas my dear friends and fans! I wish you much love and happiness. May your holidays be as you wish it to be. We will start by tell you about one of my favorite person in Baltimore, the legendary Travis Winkey, who is an icon in this city for the impact he’s had on fashion. I was at the Lexington Market last week for one of his annual Christmas Fashion Show, and honey child! It was off the hook! Did you hear me? Lexington Market will not be the same again. It was people-packed from the door to the stage where the runway stood for his models to strut and WOW! As usual Winkey, his staff and models put on a Travis Winkey Studio very professional and entertaining show for over two hours. presents the 24 Karat Gold Well, if you missed that one, don’t miss this show. You will Awards & Fashion Show get the opportunity to see Travis Winkey one more time on Dec. 29 at Owings Mill this year. What you will see will be the result of 40 years Mall (lot 3, Door 3, near JC of hard work, sacrifice, love and passion he has for the Penney’s). Hosted by state business of fashion. Winkey’s 24 Karat Gold Awards & Sen. Joan Carter Conway Fashion show will be held on Dec. 29, 1-5 p.m., at Owings and Larry Young of WOLB Mill Mall. It will be a celebration of fashion, food, fun, 1010 AM Radio. For more and entertainment and will information and tickets, include the presentation of call 410-669-1220. Black Business Awards. Ladies and gentlemen, if you forgot a Christmas gift for a friend or a family member, well darling don’t worry, I got your back. Because you can get an autographed copy of my book, African American Community, History & Entertainment in Maryland. That’s right! I will be doing a book signing at Everyone’s Place, 1356 W. North Avenue in Baltimore, on Dec. 28 from 1-3 p.m. See you there. For more information, call 410-728-0877 or go to website: www. rambling-rose.com. Dr. Maulana Karenga, founder of Kwanzaa will join the Kwanzaa celebration at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum on Dec. 28 from 12 -4 p.m. The museum is located 830 E. Pratt Street. For ticket information, call 443-2631800.
The Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture is Baltimore’s premier facility. Located near Baltimore’s Inner Harbor at the corner of Pratt and President Streets, its exhibits highlight the history and accomplishments of African Americans with a special focus on Maryland’s African American community. So it is fitting that Kwanzaa creator Dr. Maulana Karenga, a professor and chair of Africana Studies at California State University, shares this weekend with them. He also has an
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honorary doctorate from the University of Durban, South Africa and is the author of several scholarly articles and books. Dr. Karenga forged the pan-African cultural holiday Kwanzaa, guided by Nguzo Saba, the Seven Principles of Kwanzaa, and wrote the authoritative Kwanzaa: A Celebration of Family, Community and Culture. The event is Dec. 28 12-4 p.m. HOLIDAY CALENDAR OF EVENTS: • Lexington Market: Dec. 27 12-2 p.m.: Space Band • Lexington Market: Dec. 28 12-2 p.m.: LA & The Unusual Suspects Band • New Year’s Eve, Dec. 31 8 p.m.-4 a.m. at Diamondz Event Center & Mall, 9980 Liberty Rd., for ticket information, call 410521-1155. • New Year’s Eve Midnight Masquerade Gala on Dec. 31, 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. at the Patapsco Arena. A MarvaD Events, call 410599-9159. Enjoy your holiday and be safe. Remember, if you need me, call me at 410-833-9474 or email me at rosapryor@aol. com. UNTIL THE NEXT TIME, I’M MUSICALLY YOURS.
Baltimore promoter Carlos Hutchins is the recent recipient of the A. Paul Menton Award by the Maryland Board of Football Officials for 34 years of officiating college and high school football games. The award was presented by past president James Byrd. Congrats, Mr. Hutchins!
Sankofa Dance Theater drummers will perform a “Drum Talk.” The colorful dance troupe is also set to dazzle the audiences with storytelling, music and dance. For information, call 443-263-1800.