Afro e-Edition 05-03-2024

Early voting in Maryland will take place May 2 to May 9

An AFRO salute: Black moms speak ahead of Mother’s Day 2024

week

By Alexis Taylor

AFRO Managing Editor

Mother’s Day is just around the corner and this week, in honor of the holiday, the AFRO spoke with moms about being a Black mother in America.

Takeia Hinton was just 21 when she first entered motherhood.

“I was shocked,” she recalls. “I was happy and I was definitely excited when I found out I was having a girl.”

Next, Hinton had a boy, and tried five more times- unsuccessfully- to duplicate the act. Today, she is mother to seven: a 25 year old, a 21 year old and a 19 and 18 year old she considers her “first set of kids” because they all arrived while she was in her 20s. Nine years passed before she began on her “second set,” delivered in her late 30s and early 40s, now ages nine, five and three.

“I think after 35, honestly, is the best time to have children because you’re more mature, you have more wisdom and life experience,” she said.

Hinton said having such a large family was different for her, as she was an only child. She told the AFRO that– contrary to popular belief–she had an easier time with her pregnancies that came later in life.

According to information released by the March of Dimes, “of all live births in the United States during 2020-2022, 4.2 percent were to women under the age of 20, 46.2 percent were to women ages 20-29,

45.9 percent were to women ages 3039, and 3.6 percent were to women ages 40 and older.”

Hinton said age does make a difference– but not always in a negative way.

“When my older kids were younger, I was younger. I was a different type of mother,” she recalls.

Biden-Harris administration scrubs $6.1 billion in student loans for former art students

than $6

to

By Megan Sayles AFRO Business Writer msayles@afro.com

The Biden-Harris administration is canceling more than $6.1 billion in student loans for nearly 317,000 individuals who attended The Art Institutes, a private, for-profit system of art schools that permanently closed in 2023.

The announcement came on May 1 after an investigation by the U.S. Department of Education (USED) revealed that the institutes and its parent company, Education Management Corporation (EDMC), fabricated postgraduation employment rates, salaries and career services to prospective students.

“This institution falsified data, knowingly misled students and

cheated borrowers into taking on mountains of debt without leading to promising career prospects at the end of their studies,” wrote President Joe Biden in a statement.

Students who attended an Art Institutes school on or after Jan. 1, 2004 through Oct. 16, 2017 will receive automatic relief. In total, the BidenHarris administration said it has approved $160 billion in student debt relief to nearly 4.6 million borrowers—$29 billion of which has been deployed to students who were deceived by their colleges or whose colleges closed suddenly.

“For more than a decade, hundreds of thousands of hopeful students borrowed billions to attend The Art Institutes and got little but lies in return. That ends today—

thanks to the Biden-Harris Administration’s work with the attorneys general offices of Iowa, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania,” wrote U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona in a statement. “We must continue to protect borrowers from predatory institutions and work toward a higher education system that is

This

the AFRO spoke with Black moms about raising children in America. From dealing with gun violence to police brutality– Black women handle the challenges of motherhood with grace. Shown here on the left, Ashley Thompson, 39, with her husband Jeff Thompson, and children Titus (front, left) Armani, Judah and Simeon (top, right); And Takeia Hinton (right photo), enjoying the 2024 AFRO High Tea with her daughters Kyé (left), Karley and Kimora Stewart.

AP Photo / Susan Walsh

President Joe Biden is providing more

billion in student debt relief

former students of The Art Institutes following an investigation that discovered the school system intentionally misled students

Photo courtesy of Meta (Facebook) / Takeia Hinton

Courtesy photo

AFL-CIO report exposes deepening racial disparities in workplace safety

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire

The AFL-CIO, a coalition representing 12.5 million workers across various unions, has released its 33rd annual report, “Death on the Job: The Toll of Neglect,” uncovering troubling racial disparities in workplace safety. The report’s findings, based on the most recent data available, underscore the urgent need for policymakers, regulatory bodies and employers to confront the disproportionate rates of fatalities, injuries and illnesses faced by workers of color.

According to the report, Black workers’ job fatality rates have surged to the highest levels seen in nearly 15 years. Meanwhile, Latino workers continue to endure the most significant risk of death on the job compared to any other demographic group. In 2022, 734 Black workers lost their lives while on the job, a significant increase from the 543 deaths recorded in 2003. Similarly alarming trends were observed among Latino workers, with the number of deaths rising from

“These

alarming disparities in workplace fatalities among workers of color are unacceptable, symptomatic of deeply ingrained racial inequity and the need to pay increased attention to the dangerous industries that treat workers as disposable.”

794 in 2003 to 1,248 in 2022. Shockingly, 60 percent of those killed were immigrants.

“These alarming disparities in workplace fatalities among workers of color are unacceptable, symptomatic of deeply ingrained racial inequity and the need to pay increased attention to the dangerous industries that treat workers as disposable,” remarked AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler in a statement.

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death on the job compared to any other demographic group.

The revelations are particularly stark when compared to the racial breakdown of the American workforce. Recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that as of 2021, White workers comprised 77 percent of the U.S. workforce, while Latino workers accounted for 18 percent, and Black employees represented 13 percent. The proportions don’t align with the rates of fatalities among workers of color.

“This report exposes an urgent crisis for workers of color and reaffirms what we’ve long known: When we talk about justice for workers, we must prioritize racial equity,” the authors wrote.

The report identified specific hazards and industries where workers of color are most vulnerable. For Black workers, fatalities often result from transportation accidents, homicides or exposure to harmful substances or environments. Meanwhile, Latino workers face significant risks in industries such as construction, agriculture and manufacturing, where workplace hazards are prevalent.

Furthermore, the report highlights the systemic challenges workers of color face in accessing adequate protections and resources. Instances of employer retaliation for reporting unsafe conditions or injuries are rampant, creating a culture of fear and silence among workers. Weak penalties and enforcement

New Ways to Understand Brain Health and Alzheimer’s Disease

Did you know that studying biomarkers has dramatically improved our understanding of brain changes that occur as we age, as well as those that occur in the earliest phases of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) or other types of dementia?

Biomarkers are indirect indicators of an individual’s brain health that may provide evidence of a condition or disease, in a similar way to how a blood pressure reading provides insights about heart health. Increasingly, Johns Hopkins Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (JHADRC) investigators are using biomarkers to understand brain health. This is important because studies have shown that brain changes underlying AD begin years to decades before individuals show symptoms of dementia. The ultimate goals? To find new signs identifying those with memory loss, help identify those most likely to benefit from new treatments, and, ultimately, help find a cure for AD.

JHADRC Director Dr. Marilyn Albert commented, “When we see patients with high blood pressure and high cholesterol, we don’t say we will wait to treat you until you get congestive heart failure. Early treatments keep heart disease patients from getting worse, and it’s possible the same may be true for those who are in the earliest stages of Alzheimer’s.”

Dr. Pettigrew, also with the JHADRC, asserted that, “There is increasing evidence that early intervention is the most effective time for treatment of memory loss. Measuring the earliest brain changes with biomarkers is an important first step.”

The BIOCARD Study is one example of many JHADRC projects using biomarkers, such as noninvasive Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scans, to obtain detailed pictures of the brain. These scans provide information about the brain’s structure and function, as well as dementiarelated proteins that often accompany memory loss, such as amyloid and tau. Involving more than 400 research volunteers, some of whom have been enrolled for 25+ years, BIOCARD

looks at brain changes over time to provide insight into changes that occur in aging and during the earliest phases of AD.

Another JHADRC imaging study recently measured serotonin, a chemical that regulates mood. PET scans revealed individuals with mild memory problems demonstrated lower serotonin levels in parts of the brain important for cognition; those with lower serotonin also performed worse on memory tests. These findings suggest serotonin levels may contribute to early stages of memory impairment, raising the exciting possibility that treating serotonin levels may help delay the progression of cognitive decline in some people.

Additional studies are also looking at biomarkers in blood and cerebrospinal fluid (a fluid that surrounds the brain and spine), as these measures also provide information about a wide range of brain proteins that may be altered by age or AD.

Volunteer participants in brain biomarker studies are critical to memory and aging breakthroughs. Ongoing studies are looking for people who have no memory problems, as well as individuals experiencing mild memory changes. Join the search for a cure by calling 443-542-7489, visiting Alzresearch.org, or emailing jhadrc@jhmi. edu.

mechanisms further exacerbate these issues, failing to hold non-compliant employers accountable for endangering their employees’ lives. Despite advancements in safety regulations and enforcement, systemic issues persist, threatening the wellbeing of workers across various industries.

Comparing records on safety and health, the report noted that the Biden and Trump administrations’ records differ drastically. The authors determined that the Biden administration’s job safety agencies have had to repair and rebuild after “four years of decimation rife with understaffing, repeal of worker safety laws, limits on public access to information and the inability to issue even the most basic of long-overdue protections.” They concluded that the Biden administration improved transparency of information about loved ones lost on the job to honor them and to prevent the tragedies for other families, bolstered enforcement initiatives to hold accountable the employers who violate the law and put workers in danger, strengthened policies to protect vulnerable workers with the greatest risks of dying on the job and facing retaliation, and issued milestone regulations to save workers’ lives and improve their livelihoods.

The authors noted that the Biden administration recently used the first action under the amended Toxic Substances Control Act to ban current uses and imports of chrysotile asbestos, after decades of weak laws and inaction that have put the United States behind other countries; issued a rule to protect communities from facilities that store, use or manufacture chemicals; clarified the rights of workers to choose their own representation during inspections; issued a rule to protect mineworkers from silica exposure; issued a rule to require large employers to fall in line with other-sized employers on injury reporting to OSHA and anti-retaliation measures for workers who report injuries; and worked across agencies to protect immigrant workers whose employers are involved in a workplace safety and health investigation.

The authors said urgent steps are needed to address the root causes of workplace fatalities, injuries, and illnesses, particularly those disproportionately affecting marginalized communities. They urged policymakers, employers and stakeholders “to prioritize racial equity to improve workplace safety and health outcomes for all workers.”

This article was originally published by the NNPA Newswire.

CBC member Rep. Donald Payne Jr. dies

By AFRO Staff

Donald Payne Jr., a beloved lawmaker, who represented New Jersey’s 10 Congressional District on Capitol Hill for 11 years, died April 24, his office announced. The 65-year-old died of a heart attack due to complications from diabetes and hypertension.

“Today, the Congressional Black Caucus mourns the loss of our dear colleague and friend,” the CBC said in a joint statement “Representative Payne will be remembered by all those who knew him for his kindness and generosity. He leaves behind a legacy and commitment to service that New Jerseyans and our country will not soon forget.”

Payne Jr. somewhat reluctantly ran for and won his congressional seat in 2012, following the death of his father, Donald Payne Sr., who was the first African American elected to represent New Jersey in Congress and was a beloved son of the state during his more than two decades on Capitol Hill.

A member of one of Newark’s prominent political families, Payne Jr. was deeply embedded in the community, living his entire life on Newark’s Bock Avenue. Before his stint in Washington, he previously served his community as a member of the New Jersey City Council, as a president of the South Ward Young Democrats, as a Garden State Parkway toll collector and for the Essex County Educational Services Commission.

“As a former union worker and toll collector, he deeply understood the struggles our working families face, and he fought valiantly to serve their needs, every single day,” New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said in a statement announcing the congressman’s death.. “That

purpose was the light that guided him through his early years as Newark City Council President and during his tenure on the Essex County Board of Commissioners. And it guided him still through his more than a decade of service in Congress.”

Known for his sartorial flair and signature bow ties, Payne was deemed an “effective” leader in Congress, serving on the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Recovery, and as the ranking member and chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials. In his latter role, most notably, introduced the INVEST in America Act, which became the bipartisan, $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to provide funds for critical road and rail projects, such as New Jersey’s Portal North Bridge and Hudson River Tunnel in the Gateway Program.

Additionally, Payne was a fierce advocate of racial justice, equal rights for all, reproductive freedom, free

college tuition, and public transportation; he fought to expand access to health care, clean drinking water, and cancer screenings; and worked to prevent gun violence, protect voting rights, and promote environmental issues.

President Biden said Payne, who “represented the best of Newark, a community of faith, grit, and hard work,” has been a stalwart partner on Capitol Hill, even co-sponsoring the 2013 law reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act that Biden first wrote years ago.

“They,” the president said of Payne’s legislative efforts, “will be a piece of his legacy forever.” He added, “Don Payne was an accomplished public servant whose kind strength and generosity of spirit won him love across his district and the U.S. Congress. I’ve trusted his partnership throughout my presidency, and always been grateful for his insight and support.” Payne is survived by his wife Beatrice and their three adult triplets: Donald III, Jack and Yvonne.

Unsplash / Ümit Yıldırım

According to a new AFL-CIO report, Black workers’ job fatality rates have surged to the highest levels seen in nearly 15 years. Meanwhile, Latino workers continue to endure the most significant risk of

AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite Friends, family and fellow legislators are mourning the death of Rep. Donald Payne Jr., a Democrat from New Jersey, who died April 24. Officials say his death came after suffering a heart attack earlier in April, which left him hospitalized. He was 65.

Vessels travel through temporary channel as wreckage from Key Bridge collapse is cleared

By Megan Sayles AFRO Business Writer msayles@afro.com

Nineteen vessels have traveled through the 38-footdeep Fort McHenry Limited Access Channel since it opened on April 25, officials said on April 30. Nine vessels traveled into the Port of Baltimore, while another 10 departed from the docks.

The ships carried cargo, including sugar, cement, fertilizer and lumber. The trips facilitated the work of 200 members from the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA). Gov. Wes Moore said the channel is a short-term remedy to the impassable, permanent 50-foot channel, which is expected to open by the end of May.

“That’s an important milestone, but it’s a temporary solution. We cannot take our eye off the ball,” said Moore. “The focus is making sure that we are going to open the 50foot channel, and we will.”

On April 28, the Port of Baltimore announced that the first container ship arrived at the Seagirt Marine Terminal since the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse. MSC’s Passion III brought nearly 1,000 containers, which were handled by 80 members of the local ILA.

The Fort McHenry Limited Access Channel was closed on April 29 to make way for salvage and recovery efforts

Efforts to clear a permanent Fort McHenry channel continue as experts work to remove the Dali ship and restore full operations to the Port of Baltimore following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 26. As of April 30, 19 vessels transporting sugar, cement, fertilizer and lumber have traveled through the 38-foot-deep Fort McHenry Limited Access Channel since it opened on April 25.

and the removal of the Dali. It will tentatively open with a depth of 45 feet on May 10, barring the removal of the ship.

Thus far, 3,300 tons of steel have been removed from the Patapsco River. Authorities have also completed the removal of 183 containers from the Dalie ship. Operations are underway to cut and clear the span of the bridge that rests on the bow of the vessel.

“We are using a precision cutting technique to allow us to safely remove that section from the bow of the ship,” said U.S. Coast Guard Rear Admiral Shannon Gilreath. “By using precision cutting techniques, we are able to institute all those cuts simultaneously. It’s the

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safest possible [method] for the salvagers themselves, so they’re not trying to cut something and then another section collapses while they’re making that cut.”

Gilreath could not provide

Moms

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a concrete timeline on when the Dali will be removed from the channel.

“There’s a lot of factors that play into that— the engineering, the salvage operations themselves and

“With the first set of kids I was going off the cuff. With my second set of kids I have more wisdom. It was harder when I was younger.”

“I remember those days of catching two buses to get them to school and catching the bus to get them to church,” she said, of sacrifices made in motherhood. “It was the Lord carrying me. I wanted them to have better.”

Over the years, a fair amount of trials and tribulations have accompanied Hinton’s motherhood journey. Like too many mothers that live in or near urban areas, gun violence has impacted her life and the lives of her children. Last year, her teenage daughter, 18-year-old Joy, was shot while attending a block party in the Brooklyn section of Baltimore on July 2.

“I was in a panic,” she recalls. “I thank God that she made it through and she’s now walking again.”

Hinton’s daughter had to have surgery and enroll in physical therapy in order to regain the ability to walk. They had to replace her thigh bone and connect it to her hip bone. But both ladies were up to the challenge. Hinton credits God and the other mothers in her life for helping her along her motherhood journey- no matter how hard.

“It’s been God’s grace,” she said. “There are times when I don’t feel like being ‘mommy’ but I have to survive. God put women in my life to help encourage me as mentors to pour wisdom into me. They help keep me motivated and encouraged.”

When asked about her advice to other mothers, Hinton said “the most important thing to do as a mom is listen.”

“I let my children speak and tell me what’s going on. I ask them questions. I disciplined them to prepare them for the world. I teach them in the house, so

Biden

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affordable to students and taxpayers.”

weather,” said Gilreath. “We’re going to continue to move to do this safely and as fast as possible.”

Moore reaffirmed his commitment to bringing closure to the families of the five construction workers killed in the bridge collapse.

Two men remain unaccounted for.

Authorities have used sonar images and other mapping techniques to determine search areas, but efforts have been hindered by the bridge wreckage.

“It’s very poor visibility down there, and there’s so much debris. We believe we have areas of interest, but we’re unable to access those areas of interest,” said Maryland Police Secretary Roland L. Butler. “That’s why it’s so important for the Unified Command divers to work in conjunction with the

when they go out in the world they are prepared,” she said. “I teach the truth about things and encourage them. I keep them motivated and active– in music and dance classes. I have them go to different events to give them exposure.”

This year, she accompanied her daughters to the annual AFRO High Tea.

“I think it’s good to be around people who are successful, great role models,” she said. “It takes them out of the norm. They like to swim and play sports– but taking them to the AFRO Tea teaches them etiquette. I like to keep them how I think little girls are supposed to look- I keep them girly.”

This year, she says her Mother’s Day plans are simple.

“My mother will be on vacation so I plan to be with the children and go to a jazz brunch. It’s still not really a day off for me, but they shower me with gifts. It’s all about mommy.”

According to the National Retail Foundation, Mother’s Day is a hit for consumers each year. This year, NRF experts expect Americans to kick out $33.5 billion for Mother’s Day alone.

“Eighty-four percent of U.S. adults are expected to celebrate the holiday,” according to information released by the NRF. “On average, those celebrating plan to spend $254.04 on Mother’s Day gifts and celebrations” with “the biggest spenders are expected to be those between the ages of 35 and 44, who are budgeting $345.75.”

Though billions are expected, Ashley Thompson, 39, says the best activities to engage in this Mother’s Day are free.

“This Mothers Day I encourage Black women to take time to take stock of all the gifts that they have been given,” said the mother of four.

“Motherhood is one of the most rewarding jobs I’ve ever had. I feel like

Attorneys general offices in Iowa, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania led multi-year investigations and lodged lawsuits against The Art Institutes and EMC after fraud accusations. The information that was gathered included internal employment data, admissions training manuals, institutions’ employment advertisements, records of graduate employment outcomes and statements from former students and staff.

After reviewing the evidence, the USED determined that The Art Institutes participated in rampant, pervasive falsifications that exaggerated the value students would get out of the schools.

salvage divers to communicate what they’re seeing, where they’re locating things and to allow the Unified Command divers to develop an effective survey to determine where they’re going to search once they have that area declared safe.”

In light of the tragedy, the Baltimore Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs has opened a fund to provide relief to the families of the seven men working on the bridge during the collapse. It has raised $750,000 in donations.

“While no amount of money can heal the pain that these families are feeling, we want to make sure they know that they will have their bases covered and we will be with them as they navigate this most difficult time,” said Scott.

Megan Sayles is a Report for America corps member.

I was handpicked by God to mother my children specifically. I see so much of myself in them. It’s such a gift.”

While the joys of motherhood are many, Thompson, like Hinton, said she has experienced hard times being a Black mother in America.

“One challenge is feeling overwhelmed at times,” she said. “During the pandemic I really struggled watching young, Black people being shot and killed, and knowing that regardless of how educated I am or what neighborhood we live in, my sons are young Black men in America and I won’t always be there to protect them.”

Like Hinton, Thompson said she leans on the women who came before her for strength.

“I’ve been blessed to have a very strong Black woman as my own mother. I have aunts and grandmothers. I take the gems and I alter the things that I wish were a little bit different,” she said.

When asked her advice to other Black mothers, Thompson said she encourages other Black moms to “stand strong and love your children well, with all that’s in you. Teach them to love God and love him wholly in all that you do. Do your best and that’s all you can do- let God do the rest.”

This Mother’s Day she says all moms need to take a moment and look at a blessing before them– even if they do feel overwhelmed day to day.

“Take notice of how you’re actually feeling because emotions are valid,” she said. “But respond with grace towards yourselves and others. For the record, Black moms: you are powerful [and] effective. Love hard, walk with grace [and] embrace healing and joy in whatever form it may come. When moms do good– the family does better.”

than 57 percent.

Salaries were also misrepresented on school advertisements.

According to the USED, employees of The Art Institutes manufactured graduates’ pay and annualized the income of those working in temporary roles. They also included top-earning outliers in averages and forged incomes reported for graduates.

“This institution falsified data, knowingly misled students and cheated borrowers into taking on mountains of debt without leading to promising career prospects at the end of their studies.”

The system broadcasted that more than 80 percent of graduates secured employment relevant to their areas of study within six months of graduation. The Art Institutes internal records revealed this was an overestimate. The USED estimated that the in-field employment rate could be no higher

The USED began notifying eligible borrowers that they’ve been approved for debt cancellation on May 1.

“The Art Institutes preyed on the hopes of students attempting to better their lives through education,” wrote Federal Student Aid Chief Operating Officer Richard Cordray in a statement.

“We cannot replace the time stolen from these students, but we can lift the burden of their debt.

We remain committed to working with our federal and state partners to protect borrowers.”

Megan Sayles is a Report for America corps member.

AFRO Photo / James Fields

COMMENTARY

Wake up, Black voters– don’t let the lies fool you

By Donald M. Suggs

The fact that exit polls showed that Donald Trump received 9 percent of the Black vote in 2016, the highest number since George Bush in 2000, and then won 12 percent in the presidential race in 2020 should be a cause for concern.

Moreover, some recent polls surprisingly showed that if the presidential election was held today, 17 percent of Black voters say they would vote for Trump, and even more troubling, 20 percent say they would vote for someone other than either Trump or President Biden.

Black voters have been the largest and most loyal voting bloc for Democrats for years, but there has been a shift in the number of Black voters who consider themselves Democrats.

That trend could be explained partially by a number of younger Black voters with no direct experience with the Civil Rights Movement. They have scant knowledge and no direct personal memory. They feel disappointed with Democrats and the Biden administration and seem willing to consider Trump despite his blatant and toxic racial baggage. This disconnection with the Democratic party is felt most strongly by some young Black males, many in critical battleground states like Michigan, Wisconsin, Georgia, Arizona, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina, where

Democrats need every vote. Most of these states have large concentrations of Black voters in their urban areas. This is a special issue in potentially close races like this one because the Electoral College gives Republicans a massive advantage in federal elections. This system allows them to govern with a minority of the popular vote.

However, there is also data that shows that the Democratic candidate for president over the last five presidential elections since 2000 has averaged 90 percent of the Black vote with an average of only 8 percent for the GOP candidate. In addition, the overwhelming concern of most Black voters continues to be race and racism with a particular aversion to the reprehensible and duplicitous Trump who has shown repeatedly that he is an instigator of racial hate. Any relationship he has with Black voters has been deceptive and disingenuous.

Fortunately, the overwhelming majority of Black voters can not be bamboozled or deceived because we know the record of his stance on healthcare with his recent attacks on Obamacare, opposition to greater diversity in the workplace, and efforts to restrict our voting rights as well as his racist, conspiracist “birther campaign” that sought to undermine the then-president, Barack Obama.

Still, we can’t simply

ignore the reports that Trump is possibly making inroads with Black voters while Biden is losing support from us.

Granted polls have been shown not to be reliable predictors of what Black voters will do.

Actually, our biggest worry should probably be third-party voting (third-party presidential candidates have no chance of winning. This is a binary election, and only a Democrat or Republican can win) and potential voter apathy, despite the high stakes in this contest to determine whether Donald Trump is elected again.

Clay Cane, a Sirius XM radio host, rightly said that the 2024 presidential election is not just a choice between the lesser of two evils, but this is an election to see if we can stop Trump and his pernicious plans to institute a future dictatorship to carry out his vile policies.

A Trump victory would be a grave threat to the well-being of Black Americans for certain.

In any case, the Democratic party must recognize the seriousness of the disenchantment of many Black voters who don’t feel motivated to make it to the polls and campaign more directly and intentionally in our community.

Furthermore, we ourselves must make an unprecedented and determined push to get to the polls in greater numbers to help stop this monstrous man and his MAGA minions from regaining control of the White House.

This article was originally published by Word in Black.

Love for the outdoors is a gift that pays forward

By Benjamin Jealous

When we see a 75-year-old White man out in the woods with a group of Black and Brown kids from low-income neighborhoods, teaching them about nature, few of us assume he is there because that is where he feels most comfortable.

Probably even fewer of us assume many of those kids look just like the ones he grew up with in public housing projects more than 60 years ago. Rocky Milburn grew up as one of the few White kids in a mostly Black public housing development in southern Indiana. His family was very poor. They were still poor when they moved into an old farmhouse in the country. That was where Rocky fell in love with the outdoors. Even though his parents struggled financially – perhaps even worse than when they lived in the projects –Rocky did not care.

“We lived right across the

street from a creek,” Rocky pronounces it “crick,” “and I spent my days running the fields. You can kind of say it was my drug at the time.” For more than 25 years, Rocky has been an Outings Leader with the Sierra Club’s Inspiring Connections Outdoors (ICO) program in Tampa, Florida. The program takes youth from underserved communities on outings such as camping and canoe trips and visits to the beach. Rocky says, “Many of these kids live two miles from the beach but have never seen the ocean.” His own experience has taught Rocky the importance of sharing his love of the outdoors. When the kids stand around Rocky and learn from him about nature, they do not see his age or his race. They see his heart. And they know his heart understands them and the challenges they are facing because he is from the same type of place. People like Rocky who serve as nature’s ambassadors to young people,

and people of any age who are nature-deprived, are heroes. The kids in his program learn how to appreciate and be good caretakers of nature. They experience firsthand the lessons nature has to teach us; how being outdoors benefits both our physical and mental health.

And they carry these lessons with them throughout their lives. Levi Randolph attended the Academy Prep Center of Tampa, which has a partnership with the ICO program. While at Academy Prep, a private middle school designed to give bright children from low-income families top-notch educational opportunities, Levi went on his very first camping trip: an outing led by Rocky Milburn. Now an adult, Levi is an Outings Leader with the Tampa ICO group alongside Rocky.

Levi is paying forward his experience. He is pursuing a career working with animals and investing his time to make sure other kids from his old

neighborhood and school get the same chance he had to explore and enjoy nature. This is a story that repeats itself in families and communities in every pocket of our country. And we should encourage and celebrate it.

As someone who comes from a long line of outdoors enthusiasts who passed the love of nature on to me, I try to do the same for my kids. Whether we are skiing in the winter, paddling and fishing in the summer, or visiting national parks year round, I try to do my part to make sure my family stays connected to the great outdoors. Everyone can do this, whether it is a community affair, a family affair, or both.

Vedia Barnett is a disabled Air Force veteran. After suffering a minor stroke, it was reconnecting with the outdoors and her love of nature that gave her a renewed sense of purpose to get back on her feet. “Just hearing the birds and feeling

the sun on my face, it was like giving me life back.” Now

Vedia works with Sierra Club’s Military Outdoors campaign, getting other women veterans outdoors.

She recounts one woman who left the service in the 1970s: “This was the first time she felt like she was in community with veterans who looked like her. And I think It’s important even for veterans to understand that all these lands are for us – they’re for everybody.” Vedia’s mom, a Marine Corp veteran, has also gotten involved, bringing senior women veterans in their 70s out to join the group’s outings.

This month is Earth Month.

It is a perfect time to get outside.

Bring your friends and family out there with you. If there is a local program near you that helps get kids – or anyone –outside who doesn’t typically have a lot of access to nature, consider chipping in your time.

Restaurant workers deserve a livable wage, too

By Helen H. Abraha

Growing up, I looked up to my father and aunt, who began restaurant industry careers after immigrating from Eritrea in the 1970s. When I started working, a restaurant job was a natural choice.

While I took great pride in my work, I struggled with the conditions. I was often on my feet for 10-12 hour shifts six days a week, had no access to affordable health care, was wholly unaware of my worker rights and constantly worried about money. Through laws rooted in slavery, employers are allowed to pay restaurant servers a subminimum wage. At the federal level, this wage has been stuck at $2.13 per hour since 1991. If tips don’t raise your hourly pay to at least the

your employer is supposed to make up the difference. But non-compliance is rampant.

When I started as a server in 2018, my hourly wage was $3.89. During the five-month off season, I struggled to make the regular minimum wage, especially if I had a section with empty tables. When I got injured on the job and asked about workers compensation, my manager fired me.

I later experienced what I believed to be wage theft and workplace discrimination. That’s when I joined the movement to end restaurant worker exploitation.

This movement is growing rapidly as workers across the country demand livable wages. Organizers are working to put minimum wage hikes for tipped workers on November ballots in several states, including

Ohio, Maine, Maryland and Massachusetts. A dozen states are considering legislation to do the same.

I can tell you the opposition to these efforts will be fierce.

I live in Washington, D.C.

In 2018, I cheered when D.C. voters passed a ballot initiative to phase out the local sub-minimum wage for tipped workers. But the city council blocked the wage hike, forcing organizers to mount another successful ballot initiative in 2022.

D.C. finally began phasing out the sub-minimum tipped wage in 2023. And yet many restaurant owners are still undercutting workers by charging 20 percent “service fees” that most customers mistakenly think go to their servers, so they’re likely to tip less.

The National Restaurant Association, with affiliates in

every state, is the leading driver of these anti-worker efforts. The lobby group’s members include powerful corporations intent on shifting business risks and costs onto employees, customers, and taxpayers.

I used to work for one of them. In 2019, I had a job at Yard House, which is part of the Darden empire along with Olive Garden and seven other chains. I faced a common challenge for sports bar servers: groups would come in to watch a game for several hours, only to leave a modest tip on a $30 bill. Inexperienced managers would also often send me home as soon as I arrived because of overstaffing. On those nights, my pay would be less than my transportation cost.

A recent report by the Institute for Policy Studies and Americans for Tax Fairness

shows that while Darden was fighting minimum wage increases for their servers, they paid their top five executives a total of $120 million between 2018 and 2022. That’s four times as much as they paid in federal taxes, despite strong profits.

After college graduation, I decided to work full-time as a labor organizer. With so many immigrants relying on restaurants for jobs, this struggle feels personal. But we’d all be better off if corporations like Darden had to share their profits more equitably.

Workers could achieve a better life and restaurants would have less turnover. And for customers, the food will taste even better if they know the hard-working professionals who serve their meals are treated with respect.

Local Media Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable trust that provides support for the Word In Black collaborative, does not endorse political candidates. Word In Black, however, invites and publishes opinion essays, including this one, from vital voices and opinion makers central to creating equity in Black communities.

A love of nature is infectious. And it is one infection that is very worth spreading.

This article was originally published by National News Releases.

Ben Jealous is the executive director of the Sierra Club and a professor of practice at the University of Pennsylvania. Here, he talks about fostering a love for nature that lasts a lifetime.

Courtesy photo

Donald M Suggs is the publisher and owner of The St. Louis American.

Photo courtesy of X / Donald M. Suggs

Helen H. Abraha is an organizer with Restaurant Opportunities Center – DC. This week, she discusses the federal minimum wage for tipped workers.

Courtesy photo

Students weigh in as anti-war protests intensify on college campuses across America

By DaQuan Lawrence AFRO International Writer DLawrence@afro.com

With the beginning of May 2024, the current iteration of the longstanding conflict among Israelis and Palestinians enters its seventh month. As the Israel-Hamas conflict continues, protests in support of Palestine have emerged throughout the world– especially in the United States.

Pro-Palestinian demonstrations have taken place in cities such as Washington, D.C., New York City, Baltimore and Los Angeles. Colleges and universities based in the nation’s capital have been interrupted with demonstrations, including at American University, Gallaudet University, Georgetown University, George Washington University and Howard University. In New York City, locations such as The New School, Columbia University, New York University, the Fashion Institute of Technology and City College of New York have all been home to protests since the start of the conflict.

In Baltimore, student protests have occurred at the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) and at Johns Hopkins University, while demonstrations have also occurred across the state of California at

college campuses such as the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles and Occidental College.

USC recently announced the suspension of facets of its graduation ceremony due to protests and backlash received from stakeholders and various university constituents.

Alana DeBlanc, a freshman business major at Howard University who is originally from Houston, attended student protests at George Washington University.

“As a fellow human being, I stood in solidarity with the students of GWU,” she said. “The resilience displayed by these students and by students across universities in America has been and continues to be truly remarkable and inspiring,” DeBlanc said.

In New York City, approximately 300 students were arrested during recent pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University. The fall out of the protests led to more demonstrations as acts of civil resistance on 112th Street and Broadway in New York City, as reported by Columbia University journalism and graduate student Jason Ponterotto.

At some of the protests, there have been reports of violence, however members of the international community and citizens who support the demonstrations have claimed that protestors have remained peaceful. Pro-

Palestinian protesters allege that it is law enforcement that has demonstrated a draconian response.

“I feel like the protests around the country have been an accurate depiction of students’ attitudes across the country regarding what’s going on in Palestine [and] what has been going on Palestine for the past couple of years,” Fatou Jammeh, a junior economics major and political science minor at Howard University said.

“In regards to students being arrested for supporting anti-war efforts – unfortunately, that’s disappointing, but not surprising as students have been getting arrested for speaking out for years during crucial times in America’s history,” said Jammeh, who is originally from Newburgh, New York.

While many students are in support, some experts say they are misguided, and should study the decadeslong conflict that has been prone to bloodshed over the years. Still, as students have varying perspectives, it is clear that many students believe the protests have valid causes and should be permitted without students being arrested or charged with crimes simply for supporting human rights causes.

“It’s inspiring to witness students taking a principled stand in solidarity with Palestine, and highlighting their heightened awareness and empathy for global struggles,” Debbie Pace, a sophomore media television and film major at Howard University told the AFRO

“Their advocacy signifies a growing trend among young people to engage with complex geopolitical issues and lend their voices to marginalized communities. The disproportionate response by law enforcement, resulting in arrests and suppression raises troubling questions about the state of civil liberties and democratic freedoms,” Pace, a native of Maryland, shared.

Pace believes that protesters can channel their passion into peaceful activism and meaningful dialogue. She shared that she hopes that student demonstrators can amplify their message and foster genuine understanding and justice for Palestine.

“While I commend their commitment to advocating for justice, it’s crucial for

like occupying buildings or making threats undermines the integrity of their cause and risks alienating potential allies,” Pace said.

DeBlanc emphasized that student protestors have a right to advocate for human rights both within the U.S. and abroad, and that Palestinians are not alone in their pursuit of social, political and economic justice.

“Our demand for universities to divest from Israeli companies and safeguard our student bodies stems from a pursuit of basic rights that should be guaranteed. Regardless of what happens, we will continue to persevere until we have liberated Palestine,” DeBlanc said. “This is not only their fight, this is our fight and I believe that we will win.”

AP Photo/LM Otero

A woman paints on a barrier during a protest set up in a plaza at the University of Texas at Dallas, Wednesday, May 1.

AP Photo/Miguel Martinez Rev. Keyanna Jones gives remarks during a press conference along with a diverse group of faith leaders from the Atlanta Multifaith Coalition for Palestine on April 30.

AP Photo/Eugene Garcia

Barricades set up to protect an encampment on the UCLA campus on Wednesday, May 1, in Los Angeles. Dueling groups of protesters clashed early Wednesday, grappling in fistfights and shoving, kicking and using sticks to beat one another.

D.C. Gun violence prevention programs awarded

$330,000 in grants

By Mekhi Abbott Special to the AFRO mabbott@afro.com

Mayor Muriel Bowser and the Office of Gun Violence Prevention (OGVP) recently awarded a total of $330,000 in separate grants to 31 nonprofit organizations and individuals that support community-based programs and gun violence prevention.

Bowser and the OGVP awarded organizations and individuals grants ranging from $5,000 and $15,000. The grants are intended to aid D.C. residents with the resources they need to continue to improve community relations, aid the youth, increase the access of resources for the DC public and reduce gun violence.

Jasmine Goodman is a cofounder of Trapp Stars, an organization that received funds. “All of the money will go to the kids--towards trips, snacks and whatever else the kids need,” said Goodman. “We are beyond grateful.”

Since 2021, the Bowser Administration has granted $2.9 million to individuals and community organizations in the greater DC-Metro area. The full list of recipients is located on the Building Blocks D.C. official website.

Momulo Stewart is also on the list of grant recipients. Stewart is a Washington, D.C. native who was sentenced to life in prison in 1997 due to his involvement in the murder of Mark Rosebure.

Mayor Bowser celebrates D.C. Small Business Week

By Megan Sayles AFRO Business Writer msayles@afro.com

Mayor Muriel Bowser and the Department of Small and Local Business Development (DSLBD) celebrated D.C. Small Business Week from April 29 to May 4 with a host of free events and summits open to the District’s more than 70,000 small business owners.

At the top of the week, Bowser announced that 64 brick-and-mortar retail businesses became recipients of the Robust Retail Citywide Grants. She also toured several businesses and nonprofits located on Rhode Island Avenue Main Street that have received government funding.

our human services programs,” said Bowser.

The week coincided with the U.S. Small Business Administration’s National Small Business Week. Following the kick-off event, the D.C. Chamber of Commerce, D.C. Health Link, DSLBD and Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking (DISB) hosted a small business summit and expo on April 30. The event featured workshops covering best business practices and networking and grant opportunities.

“These investments clearly demonstrate that D.C. is putting our money where our mouth is when we say that our small businesses are truly the backbone of our local economy.”

“If we have more jobs, we have more businesses and we put more D.C. residents to work, then we can continue to make historic investments in schools, transportation and in

On May 1, small business owners were invited to a DSLBD workshop on accessing capital and a pitch and resource exhibition at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library.

The Downtown District Improvement District organized an exclusive celebration and networking gathering for Certified Business Enterprises (CBEs) on May 2. There,

Activist mom turns son’s life into hopeful legacy

By Steph Quinn Capital News Service

Ja’Ka McKnight dances as she prepares to lead a procession to the street being named, on this April morning, after her late son, King Douglas. The crowd’s shouts rise in a gray morning that is slowly turning to spring sunshine.

“Long live King!” they sing out. “Long live King!”

It has been three years since her son’s murder and McKnight, 36, is trying to make those words true – to turn her child’s life into a hopeful legacy that will help others suffering the aftermath of gun violence in their Prince George’s County community.

The worst thing that can happen, she says, is for people to put it out of their minds, to try and live with the pain by suppressing it.

“People sweep it under the rug,” she says, “and so it

affects them later on down the line. By that time, it’s too late.”

On this morning, she is turning the official streetnaming ceremony into a celebration of King’s life. Every other day of the week, she is becoming a fulltime community advocate, looking for every small way she can to help others confront the suffering.

She invites more than a dozen kids over for movie nights, home-cooked meals and sleepovers. She helps them search for jobs and figure out what they want to do in life. McKnight said she’s like the “cool mom slash big sister.” She’s there for them to confide in, or when they want help doing the right thing.

She’s also become a sister to other moms who have lost sons.

“It’s just like a support group, where we’re supporting each other and

Prince George’s County officials implement juvenile curfew

By D. Kevin McNeir

to

the AFRO

On April 25, during a public safety press conference held at National Harbor, Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks shared the news of an executive order that bans unaccompanied minors from the National Harbor on weekends.

The juvenile curfew took effect at 5 p.m. on Friday, April 26 and requires those 16 and younger without supervision to be off the property between 5 p.m. and 6 a.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights.

“The safety and wellbeing of our residents, visitors and businesses at National Harbor are of the utmost importance,” Alsobrooks said during the press conference. “The implementation of a juvenile curfew is a necessary step to address the recent incidents of unruly behavior and ensure public safety. We are committed to working collaboratively with all stakeholders to preserve the vibrancy and security of National Harbor.”

Alsobrooks was joined by Prince George’s County Police Chief Malik Aziz, County Chair Jolene Ivey (District 5), state Senator C. Anthony Muse (District 26) and County Public Schools Superintendent Millard House II.

Ivey thanked the County Executive for initiating the emergency measure.

“We want to make sure we’re in partnership with the

just trying to just be there for one another,” she said. “It brings comfort to us to know that we’re not in it alone and that somebody just really understands us.”

This month marks the three-year anniversary of King’s death at 13, when he was fatally shot in a Prince George’s County parking lot near an arcade where McKnight had dropped him off to hang out with friends.

A 12-year-old boy confessed to shooting King during a fight with King’s friend over a girl. A judge ordered supervised probation for the boy, who said he didn’t mean to shoot King when his friend handed him a gun in that parking lot. But the sentence and the explanation provided no solace to McKnight. In the years since King’s death, McKnight has had more encounters with the justice system than she’d ever imagined possible. She has talked with police, applied for victims’ compensation and sat in court hearings – for

Photo courtesy of Meta (Facebook) / Mayor Muriel Bowser

D.C. is home to more than 70,000 small businesses. From April 29 to May 4, the local enterprises were celebrated by Mayor Muriel Bowser and the Department of Small and Local Business Development during D.C. Small Business Week.

Special

Photo courtesy of Capital News Service

Ja’Ka McKnight looks up at a sign renaming a street for her son, King Douglas, at a celebration of his life in Capitol Heights, Md.

Small Business Week

Continued from B1

business owners connected with their peers and industry experts.

The businesses Bowser visited during the kick-off included Studio Chique Salon, Zeke’s Coffee, Emma’s Torch and Bandura Design. The latter, a women-led hospitality and multi-family interior design firm, held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its remodeled space on the Ward 5 corridor.

“My amazing team, fondly known as the ‘Bandura Babes,’ has doubled in size since we moved into this location. That growth has provided the opportunity and need for continued development in our space,” said owner Jennifer Farris.

Thanks to nonprofit D.C. Squared, Bandura Design was the recipient of a facade improvement grant, which is funded by the D.C. Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD).

“We are starting, today, to bring our office to the next level along with this amazing, thriving community here on Rhode Island Avenue.”

Through DSLBD, the 64 Robust Retail grantees are set to receive $10,000 to cover eligible business expenses, including wages for employees, rent, utilities, insurance and cleaning supplies. Since the grant program’s inception, the agency has deployed nearly $4 million to businesses spanning the District.

“These investments clearly demonstrate that D.C. is putting our money where our mouth is when we say that our small businesses are truly the backbone of our local economy,” said At-large D.C. Councilman Kenyan McDuffie, chair of the Committee on Business and Economic Development.

Bowser’s proposed Fiscal Year 2025 budget includes several investments to further support local, small business enterprises. The mayor allocated $4.9 million for the Main Streets Program to bolster the revitalization of District business corridors and $26 million to enact the Business and Entrepreneurship Support to Thrive (BEST) Act, which will streamline the city’s licensing process. She also designated $6.7 million for DSLBD’s Clean Teams, which work to beautify D.C.’s commercial districts.

These investments accompany Bowser’s $401-million Downtown Action Plan, which presents a fiveyear economic development strategy for the recovery and transformation of D.C.’s downtown.

“I want to recognize Mayor Bowser for making sure that our small businesses—our entrepreneurs who live here, were born and raised here and hire our local residents— are getting the resources they need to be a part of this comeback,” said McDuffie.

Megan Sayles is a Report for America corps member.

A curfew is now in place for the National Harbor, mandating that an adult accompany anyone 16 years old and younger at all times between 5 p.m. and 6 a.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights.

Juvenile curfew

Continued from B1

behavior before it gets out of hand.

“We’re seeing hundreds of children running loose and acting irresponsibly,”

partnership for the betterment of National Harbor that includes more than just police officers,” Aziz continued. “We’re there for the safety of youth, visitors and National Harbor businesses. But we are not there to babysit.”

Recent juvenile curfews have proven successful

Alsobrooks noted that her administration has implemented successful juvenile curfews in the past, enacting one during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021 and again in 2022. The 2022 curfew coincided with a substantial improvement in crime numbers with homicides declining by 71 percent during the curfew.

“A juvenile curfew has always been in place,” Alsobrooks said during the press conference. “It’s been on the books since around 1991 and is one of the tools in our toolbox. The chief decided we needed it– as did I– when we saw a spike in carjackings involving underage youth occurring between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. We’re going to take very aggressive action to protect the lives of youth and adults in Prince George’s County.”

Gun violence

Continued from B1 business community, with law enforcement and the residents of our county, who have all been strong supporters of these measures,” Ivey said during the press conference.

In an interview with the AFRO, she said what the county is now facing is a regional problem.

“The safety and wellbeing of our residents, visitors and businesses at National Harbor are of the utmost importance. The implementation of a juvenile curfew is a necessary step to address the recent incidents of unruly behavior and ensure public safety.”

“What happens if these youth shift their focus and gather somewhere else?” quipped Ivey. “This is more than just a Prince George’s County problem. Kids are coming from everywhere. We don’t know where the next ‘cool place’ will be. As community leaders and elected officials, we need to be alert and prepared to stop this kind of

Ivey continued. “In most cases, it’s typical teenager stuff – it’s no different from when we were their age. But the stakes are much higher now. Leaders have to be ready to deal with whatever situations arise.”

The curfew comes after months of engagement and collaboration with the Peterson Companies, National Harbor’s management company, and by Prince George’s administrators and police in efforts to better understand and respond to public safety concerns at the harbor.

The move also comes after around 800 youth, mostly teenagers– but some as young as eight years old– converged at National Harbor on April 20, many of whom were unaccompanied by adults. While some may have been there to mix, mingle and enjoy the waterfront, a contingency of youth had other things on their minds as they engaged in fights, smoked marijuana and committed a series of crimes including shoplifting.

Now an enhanced safety plan is being developed by the Prince George’s County Police Department and will include enhanced collaboration with local businesses, residents and will employ community engagement officers to inform and educate the juvenile visitors.

“It doesn’t take a lot of people to start a ruckus and these youth are communicating with one another through direct messaging and other means – ways in which they know what’s being planned before we do,” Aziz said during the press conference.

“We have increased the number of personnel at National Harbor with the support of a lot of others to form a united

In 2017, the Washington D.C. Council passed the Incarceration Reduction Amendment Act which allowed inmates who committed crimes as juveniles and have already served 15 years of their sentence to petition for a reduced sentence. Stewart had been sentenced as a 16 year-old and already served 23 years in jail so

Both Aziz and Alsobrooks agreed that when the curfew was enforced several years ago, the results were positive with most of the community agreeing with the decision.

“Last weekend we had one youth smoking marijuana right in front of an officer – that youth was arrested,” Aziz said. “There’s also a trend to carry fake weapons and some kids had those with them. We issued citations after a fight broke out. Look, this is not television. When the police have to detain you, we have you. That’s why we joined with National Harbor personnel last Saturday (April 20) and closed things down.

“Sure, there are studies across the nation that say curfews work – there are other studies that say they do not,” said Aziz. “What I know is when the county executive implemented the last curfew under my watch, it worked. It succeeded because we had cooperation and compliance with the community and with parents. It may not work in other places but it works here in Prince George’s County.”

Learn more about the National Harbor Juvenile Curfew at mypgc.us/ NationalHarborCurfew.

his lawyers filed a sentence reduction appeal on behalf of Stewart. In 2019, with the support of Kim Kardashian West, Stewart was granted early release with five years of supervised probation.

Stewart now works as a multiplatform artist, a motivational speaker and a youth activist.

“We are always grateful for residents and

organizations that step up and say they want to be part of the solution,” said Mayor Bowser in a statement provided by her press secretary, Daniel Gleick. “These grants are one way we support people who know our community and who know our young people and they are helping us build a safer, stronger D.C.”

Kenyan McDuffie is a councilmember at-large for the D.C. Council and chair of the Committee on Business and Economic Development. He praised the mayor’s investments in small businesses of the District.

Unsplash / Maria Lysenko

A total of 31 nonprofit organizations are in receipt of funds from Mayor Muriel Bowser and the Office of Gun Violence Prevention (OGVP). The money will help with programming that provides resources to reduce crime in the D.C. area.

Courtesy photo

Unsplash / Noor Younis

Activist mom

Continued from B1

the boy who shot King and for children in foster care, whom she represents as a court appointed special advocate.

She has testified about her experience in committee hearings of the Maryland General Assembly. When lawmakers voted this month to expand the list of crimes that automatically send kids as young as 10 to the court system, McKnight agreed.

But that change wouldn’t have made much difference in the court hearing of her son’s killer, since violent crimes were already included on that list. And it wouldn’t have made it any easier for McKnight or King’s friends to find resources to work through what happened.

“It will help the next child, though,” McKnight said.

The street naming turned into a party to celebrate King’s life. There was a DJ onstage behind a giant photo of King surrounded by balloons. Facing the stage was a semicircle of tables, offering resources on kids’ mental health, job openings with the local fire department and information from a local crime victim’s advocacy organization.

McKnight has created her own support program – for other parents and children whose lives have been rocked by gun violence, and for her own healing – that is driven by a conviction that tragedy need not beget more tragedy.

“I’m dealing with the emotional trauma that they go through,” McKnight said.

“Mental health awareness – it needs to be discussed more, and it’s not.”

McKnight started her mentoring outreach with King’s best friend, who was present the night of King’s killing and lost his father that same year.

Not all the kids touched by King’s death got therapy, even though parents wanted to get them help, so McKnight stepped in –“just talking to them, mentoring them, letting them know situations of what I’ve been around and what I went through as a child.”

“To see your friend get shot and killed laying on the ground at the age of 13 is traumatizing for any child,” McKnight said.

“So if you don’t get them the proper help, then they’re going to act out in whichever way they know how to act out, to be able to let loose of the anger that they’re holding inside.”

Some of the kids McKnight mentors have been involved in robberies or carjacking and want to get on a better path.

“They’re trying to do right with their lives, but they are in situations where the home life is not well, or they’re around the wrong type of friends,” McKnight said.

And McKnight has bonded with a group of women who understood what she was going through.

August 2021.

Crystal McNeal, 39, of Washington, D.C., met McKnight at an event where they both shared memories of their children.

“We just keep on trying to motivate each

“To see your friend get shot and killed laying on the ground at the age of 13 is traumatizing for any child...if you don’t get them the proper help, then they’re going to act out in whichever way they know how to act out...”

“We feel like the world doesn’t know actually how we feel, how we function and how we’re making it on a day-to-day basis after losing our child,” said Tiffani Evans, 36, of Capitol Heights, who lost her son in

other and keep on pushing,” said McNeal, who lost her son to gun violence in July 2020.

Tyeisha Lucas, 36, of Washington, D.C., said that after the death of her son in October 2022, the group of moms has helped her to

be strong for her four other kids.

“I’m only at one year and six months in. They’re like two or three years in. So they keep me strong,” Lucas said.

When Lucas’s son was shot dead on a family member’s porch, victim’s compensation from the D.C. government covered the burial, but Lucas funded other needs, like plates for food, by calling around for donations. She wanted to move from the apartment where she was raising her son, but the assistance she received didn’t cover those expenses. And she waited seven months for her first therapy appointment to process her grief.

“I don’t wish this on nobody,” Lucas said. The women are creating the support they and others need in the community.

“We don’t go looking for the support,” Evans said. “We just put the information out there so people know what we’re going through. Either they support it or they don’t. But at the end of the day, we know we’ve got the almighty power of God to get us through the tough times.”

Now that the Under King We Stand Foundation is registered as a nonprofit, McKnight plans to lease a mentoring center for kids, and where moms can do healing circles “and just release and find resources.” She wants to expand her work to help kids in Washington, D.C., too.

And she wants grieving families and kids – including those who have committed crimes – to have a place in lawmakers’ conversations about youth crime.

“In their eyes, from experiencing what I’ve experienced since King has passed, it (seems as if it) really doesn’t matter about my child or the next child that passes away because they no longer have life and a second chance,” McKnight said. “However, they can give a second chance to the person who committed these crimes.”

“We need resources,” she said. “We need help.”

This article was originally published by Capital News Service.

Photo courtesy of Capital News Service

The life of King Douglas is honored with a street sign in Prince George’s County.

Cherry blossom season concludes with fashion show at National Harbor

By Ama Brown AFRO Editorial Assistant

Plus Ultra Entertainment and Studio Couture recently came together to close out the end of D.C.’s iconic cherry blossom season with a fashion show at the National Harbor. Plus Ultra, an event planning entity focused on the niche of nerd culture, worked with Studio Couture owner Roquois Clarke, an events planner and creator of multimedia productions, to flood the harbor with bright spring designs in an ode to the flower.

Elegant and fun pieces rocked the runway from designers such as the world-renowned DiDomenico and Andrew Lowell. VIP treatment at the event included an open bar with cooling stations. Seated on the pier at sunset, the show as a dazzling array of pink and green tones, bringing out the natural beauty of popular bloom.

All photos by J. Pamela Stills

Roquois Clarke, owner of Studio Couture, works the event decked out in a pink tulle gown.

Models Kelvin Hayford and Tiona Lawson display designs covered in delicate cherry blossoms. Shown here, Hayford in a suit designed by Aurelius Suits and Lawson in a gown by DiDomenico.

Daisy Nairuba struts her stuff in this 1920’s inspired party dress in Barbie pink, from the closet of designer Silvia Mora.

Designer Silvia Mora’s soft pink sweater dress is paired with a shiny pink bag on model Tedora Matthews.

Eris Aubrie captivates the audience in a sage green babydoll dress by designer Le Tam.

Designer JonLei’s gown dazzles on model Carmella Dean.

Regin Maxwell models threads from designer JonLei.

Andrew Lowell marries bold pattern with business sensibility in this floral number on Kadavius Morant.

Liesl Mattar is a vision in white as she shows off a wedding gown designed by JonLei.

Jett Brand’s gothcore street wear with an eastern flair is modeled by Hezekiah Corbin (left) and Coffin Nachtmahr.

Kandia Clemons serves up a look in an eye-catching gold and silver gown by designer DiDomenico.

Madisson Grissom displays ethereal beauty in a sequined dress by DiDomenico.

Damarie Johnson models a piece by Cee Bleu.

The importance of cost effective childcare services

By Sabreen Dawud Special to the AFRO

The rising cost of childcare is causing concern for parents or people considering having a child.

According to a brief issued by the U.S. Department of Labor Women’s Bureau, last year median childcare prices for one child ranged from $4,810 to $15,417 per year. These prices make up 8 percent to 19.3 percent of average family income.

With many families in need of childcare services for multiple children, the cost of childcare can significantly strain even the best, carefully thought out budget. When considering care type, age group and county population size, the report

“Childcare

needs to be funded as a public good, just like we fund the libraries, third grade classrooms– in some cases–[the] metro [and] the parks.”

found that childcare was still reported to cost a considerable portion of family income.

Early childhood education experts recognize the need for more funding of childcare, describing it as a necessary resource for the public.

“Childcare needs to be funded as a public good, just like we fund the libraries, third grade classrooms– in some cases–[the] metro [and] the parks,” shared Marica Cox Mitchell, vice president of early childhood for the Bainum Foundation. “It should just be funded as part of the public good because it benefits young children, it benefits their families, it benefits the economy.”

The high rates of childcare do not come with no explanation.

Kathy Hollowell-Makle, executive director for the District of Columbia Association for the Education of Young Children, notes how the smaller classroom sizes required in early childcare institutions play a role in the high costs.

“It’s very expensive and that’s mostly because the ratios have to remain small,” she stated.

“For instance, infants usually have maybe six [children] and, depending on the square footage, maybe eight, and they’ve acquired two teachers. They have two teachers in a classroom with six kids. That’s expensive when you look at that same cost of two educators being in a classroom of 25 kids,” she explained.

Hollowell-Makle also emphasizes how pricey childcare often leads parents to receive childcare services from family members. However, when said family members do not implement early childhood education practices in their

services, there can be concern surrounding the benefit of this approach in comparison to enrolling a child in an educational institution.

“We want to make sure children have exposure to high quality experiences where the educators are credentialed, they have experience, and they have the supervision and regulatory oversight that makes sure that children remain safe and healthy,” she added.

The impact that expensive childcare can have on certain communities also remains a concern as parents in low income, marginalized communities may be unable to access childcare altogether.

Cynthia Davis, executive director for the District of Columbia Family Child Care Association, spoke of the contributions of women in the workplace and the impact of high child care costs on their ability to be successful in their careers.

“Black and Brown women have always been in working positions. We always served the public [and] we always served in help positions– positions where we had to serve children, serve families [and] cleaning positions,” she expressed. “It’s very crucial that it be affordable for them to be able to [maintain]. Every woman doesn’t want to stay home and those options need to be available for them to be able to experience work.”

As parents continue to navigate through costly childcare options, early childhood experts advocate for more educational and affordable care for children.

“We really have to step up and start funding and treating early childhood education as a public good like we treat K-12 or Pre-K,” Mitchell said.

Top five methods to prepare your child for pre-k and kindergarten

By Sabreen Dawud Special to the AFRO

The time leading up to a child’s enrollment into an academic institution is vital. While it is the responsibility of early education teachers to set the foundation for a child’s academic skill, it is also beneficial to begin introducing educational activities to children early on. From introducing acts of independence to improving literacy, parents can take steps to further ensure the success of their children in school.

1. It’s never too early to read

A consistent reading schedule has proven to have a longlasting effect on a child’s literacy skills.

Research has shown that reading one book a day to a child can introduce them to up to 290,000 more words by the time they reach five years old.

Kathy Hollowell-Makle, executive director for the District of Columbia Association for the Education of Young Children, emphasized how getting in the habit of reading to your child early on is an effective approach to further develop their cognition.

“I tell parents all the time– read in utero, read to a newborn, read to a six month old. Read, read, read to your children! The research heavily supports cognitive development, language development, receptive language [and] expressive language development,” she said.

Hollowell-Makle also noted that exposure to the different books with various storylines can bring new perspectives to a child.

“It opens up the world and it makes them stronger readers as they get ready for school,” she added.

For Washington, D.C. residents who may need assistance in developing their child’s at-home libraries, the District of Columbia Public Library’s “Books from Birth” program allows parents to enroll children under the age of five to a free monthly book subscription. The book is mailed to the subscriber’s mailbox.

2. Consider a head start program

As defined by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, a Head Start program supports a child’s growth from birth to the age of five by implementing early learning, development, health and family well-being services.

Intended to prepare children for schooling, Head Start programs are available at no cost. Some of the core aspects of Head Start learning practices include implementing families into a child’s learning, incorporating learning in play and creativity, and indoor and outdoor physical activities.

Patricia Dela Torre, president of the District of Columbia Head Start Association, highlighted how effective communication amongst families and Head Start program specialists better educational outcomes.

“We give resources to the parents and at the same time,

them in school.

teach the kids. I think the reinforcement of what they learn from the center can be brought back to home [with] open communication between the parents, the teachers [and] the family engagement specialists,” Dela Torre explained. If interested in applying to a Head Start program, parents can visit eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/how-apply.

3. Invite language practices

Cristina Encinas, president of the Multicultural Spanish Speaking Providers Association, says early childhood is a sensitive period for learning language. An individual’s

“I tell parents all the time– read in utero, read to a newborn, read to a six month old. Read, read, read to your children! The research heavily supports cognitive development, language development, receptive language [and] expressive language development.”

childhood can be an effective time to begin learning a language as they may have an easier time absorbing the language.

“We need to be very aware that there are periods of sensitivity for children at that age and one of them is the development of language. Children develop language between zero to six years old. Use words from the very beginning– not baby talk– but big words. The children are absorbing everything,” Encinas said.

Encinas also noted methods that parents can introduce

to better a child’s language skills. These activities can be included into a parent’s daily routine with their child while leaving a lasting impression on their linguistic abilities.

“Exposing them to rich language environments is the very first thing we need to be aware of,” said Encinas, adding that “reading books and using extensive words–describing everything they see when they go out– singing songs [and] rhymes” can all lead to educational moments.

4. Embrace differences

As your child enters an academic institution, they will likely be met with peers of varying backgrounds. Whether they will be introduced to new languages or cultural practices that differ from their own, there is value in finding unique ways to educate them on the diversity of their surroundings.

Parents can implement books that feature characters of various communities or invite visual representations of diverse groups through art and toys. Not only will this better your child’s understanding of diversity, but it will also allow for them to build confidence in their own identity.

“Representation is very important. It’s important for affirmation for the young children, it’s important that children see themselves in the educators that teach them, and it’s also important for children to have diverse educators in their life,” Hollowell-Makle shared.

Hollowell-Makle said embracing diversity in a child’s educational activities can positively impact character development.

“They have a tendency to have more of a broad worldview, more empathy, more sympathy and just have a better understanding of how the world works and how all these different cultures and ethnicities play a part in it,” she said.

5. Establish independence

Though children who have yet to begin school are young, there are many ways parents can introduce small acts of independence.

Many toddlers have developed motor skills that allow them to try small tasks out on their own. It is common for preschool and kindergarten educators to implement independent tasks into a child’s routine. Practicing routines at home will aid the child in smoothly transitioning to a school environment.

As described by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), toddlers can complete tasks such as carrying their own lunch boxes, putting toys away, placing their shoes by the door or putting clean laundry into drawers.

The NAEYC also encourages acts of independence that can be introduced into a child’s daily schedule. These activities can include putting on their shoes, walking to the car, or feeding the family pet. While these acts may seem minor, they aid in familiarizing the child with completing duties on their own.

Experts say parents should introduce key elements of a child’s education into their at-home routine prior to enrolling

Unsplash/Aaron Burden

Experts say the rising cost of childcare services is prohibitive to parents who must work to sustain a living for themselves and their families.

Unsplash / Markus Spiske

Ravens happy with ‘productive’ NFL Draft

By Cordell Woodland Special to the AFRO

The NFL draft has long been known as the “Super Bowl of the offseason.”

The build-up for the event is sometimes exhausting but that doesn’t take away from its importance. The Baltimore Ravens use the draft as its primary source of team-building and this year proved no different.

The Ravens entered the 2024 NFL Draft with nine picks and a need at offensive line, cornerback, running back, edge rusher, safety and wide receiver.

Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta weighed in on the event.

“I think it was a productive three days. [We didn’t make any] trades – we had some opportunities, but in the end picking the best player available made the most sense for us.”

Let’s take a look at the Ravens 2024 draft class:

Nate Wiggins, Clemson Cornerback

The Ravens selected CB Nate Wiggins out of Clemson with the 30th pick in the first round. Wiggins was one of the fastest players in the class registering a 4.28 in the 40-yard dash at the NFL combine. Wiggins gives the Ravens a guy who can run with the speedster receivers and has no problem playing the ball.

“I was like ‘Man, I hope no one else picks him before it gets to us,’”

Ravens defensive coordinator Zach Orr said. “But, it was great. [I] just started getting excited because we knew he was our guy.” Orr echoed the sentiments of Ravens GM Eric DeCosta who said that they wanted Wiggins all along if he was available.

Roger Rosengarten, Washington Tackle

It was no secret that the offensive line was the Ravens’ biggest need going into the draft. They traded RT Morgan Moses to the Jets and they lost guards John Simpson and Kevin Zeitler to free agency. The Ravens used their second-round pick of Roger Rosengarten to address that need.

Rosengarten is a 6 -foot-5 mammoth of a man who weighs in at 308 pounds. He blocked for one of the best quarterbacks in the nation last season in Michael Penix Jr., and was one of the best tackles in the nation. He will now have the opportunity to block for the reigning two-time MVP and he couldn’t be more happier. “As soon as I heard [it was] Baltimore, that’s the first thing that came to my mind – blocking for Lamar [Jackson],” Rosengarten said. “[He’s] an elite-level quarterback, an MVP-level quarterback. It’s a dream come true.”

Adisa Isaac, Penn State

Outside linebacker

There’s no such thing as having too many pass rushers and in

the case of the Ravens, they need as many as they can get. After losing last year’s sack leader Jadeveon Clowney to the Carolina Panthers, the Ravens drastically needed pass-rushing help. They selected Adisa Isaac from Penn State in the third round in hopes that he could give a boost to that group.

“What I like about [Adisa Isaac] is [that] he’s got great length, which is a critical factor,” DeCosta said.

“He’s got heavy hands, he’s got some different moves, he’s got speed and quickness, and I think he’s tenacious.”

Isaac himself was asked if there’s a quarterback he’s most excited to bring down. “I need that [Patrick] Mahomes sack. I need that Josh Allen sack. I want to sack him just because I like his frame. He’s a bigger body, and he’s kind of athletic, so it would give me more of a challenge, and then Lamar Jackson.”

Devontez Walker, North Carolina

Wide receiver

The wide receiver position has become a position that teams are constantly courting. It’s a passing league and receivers are more valuable today than ever before. The Ravens added WR Zay Flowers in the first round of last year’s draft and selected WR Devontez Walker from North Carolina in the fourth round of this year’s draft.

Walker is a speedster with raw route-running ability. He was thirdteam All-ACC despite only playing eight games due to eligibility issues. He has a shot to crack the Ravens’ rotation and potentially give them a much-needed deep threat. Walker talked about his ability to stretch the field being a strength for him.

“Definitely a vertical threat, but I feel like the speed, cuts at the top of the route and things like that, I feel like I’m very good in that aspect and running away from defenders,” he said. “Still need a little work at the top of the route, cleaning up steps and things like that, but I feel like releasing off the ball and being a vertical threat, those are the two strong points of my game.”

T.J. Tampa, Iowa State Cornerback

The Ravens selected CB Nate Wiggins in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft but as expected they weren’t done at the position. They came back in the fourth round to select T.J. Tampa from Iowa State as well. Tampa is a guy who was projected to go in the second or third round so the Ravens got great value with him.

DeCosta was ecstatic to land

Tampa saying, “T.J. [Tampa] is a guy that, quite honestly, we would’ve taken on the second day of the Draft. [He] is a press corner; [he’s] long [and] just a guy that we think really fits what we do very, very well.” The additions of Tampa and Wiggins will put a lot of pressure on some of the other young corners on

the Ravens roster but should make for some fun camp battles. Rasheen Ali, Marshall

Running back

The Ravens signed running back Derrick Henry this offseason, which to this point has been their biggest non-draft move. Despite signing Henry, the Ravens still needed more running back depth and more speed at the position. Losing Keaton Mitchell late in the season really hurt Baltimore’s offense so Rasheen Ali helps give them that speed element again.

Ali has home run capabilities with his one-cut, patient running style. The Ravens will see if Ali can be the lightning to Henry’s thunder. “Rasheen [Ali] is a running back that we’ve really liked since the fall; [I’m] excited about him.”, said DeCosta. “[We] had a chance to see him at the Senior Bowl before he got hurt, and [he] was very, very impressive to us as a guy that can run the ball, pass-protect and also catch the ball.”

Devin Leary, Kentucky Quarterback

The Ravens currently have the reigning two-time MVP in Lamar Jackson at the quarterback position but they needed a young and cheap backup. The team re-signed veteran Josh Johnson to be the immediate backup and lost Tyler Huntley to free agency. That prompted them to select quarterback Devin Leary from Kentucky in the sixth round. Ravens GM Eric DeCosta said, “Devin [Leary] is a quarterback that we see as a viable backup over time.” That would make sense as he’s a developmental player who at best could be an average backup.

Leary seemed thrilled about the possibility of playing in Baltimore, saying, “[It’s] a blessing. Honestly, [I was] completely taken by surprise. I talked toCoach [Tee] Martin at the combine and had an awesome conversation. [I] got to talk ball with him, and I just remember telling him, ‘Coach, anything that I can do to help this team win is why I want to be a part of the Ravens.’ To get that call and kind of turn my whole world around was truly a dream come true.”

Seventh round selections

The Ravens finished the seventh round by selecting center Nick Samac from Michigan State and safety Sanoussi Kane from Purdue. While it’ll be tough for both guys to make the roster, there is an opening. The offensive line has major depth concerns so if Samac can show himself to be a reliable backup center while also flashing the ability to play elsewhere on the offensive line he could crack the roster.

Sanoussi Kane also has a golden opportunity to potentially show himself to be a guy that the Ravens can trust on the back end of the defense. The Ravens desperately want to be able to use safety Kyle Hamilton in the nickel spot so if Kane can be trusted deep, it opens the door for the Ravens to continue to play their big nickel packages.

HBCUs perform well at Penn Relays

By Mekhi Abbott Special to the AFRO mabbott@afro.com

Howard University’s Sean Wray arrived at the Penn Relays with high expectations and then he delivered with a phenomenal performance during the college men’s long jump, capturing a gold medal with an event-winning leap of 7.33 meters (24 ft, ¾ in).

He won the event on his third of five attempts in the pit at Franklin Field on April 26.

“Going into the meet I was focused on executing [my] technique,” Wray said. “ Regardless of the results, I was going to be happy as long as I executed.” Norfolk State long jumper

Rodric Cox-Cooper executed too, finishing runner up with a jump of 7.25 (23 ft, 9 ½ in).

Wray, a two-time Mid-eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) long jump champion, finished second in overall distance if you include the April 27 college championship section. For Wray, he said, it means more being able to represent HBCUs at a historic meet like Penn Relays.

“I’m honored to be able to use my talents to showcase the type of talent HBCUs have… It definitely

means more to win and represent HBCUs,” he said. “HBCUs don’t get enough recognition and there is an overall stigma where people think [HBCUs] are less than or aren’t on par with Power Five programs. It feels great to challenge that stigma.”

This marks the third year in a row that a Howard Bison won an event at Penn Relays. Last year, Darci Khan took home a gold watch after winning the women’s 100-meter hurdle championship. In 2022, Howard University graduate and All-American Jessica Wright won her first gold watch after winning the women’s 400-meter hurdles. In 2023, she repeated as the Penn Relays 400-meter hurdles champion.

Howard University, Norfolk State University, North Carolina Central University (NCCU), Tennessee State University (TSU) and Saint Augustine’s University all participated in the Penn Relays. Those schools competed against other NCAA Division I universities such as Clemson, Penn State and Navy. On the women’s side, Nyla Ward of Norfolk State finished second in the women’s long jump and Howard’s Ija Mumford finished in third. Joidon Battle of NCCU

seventh and eighth, respectively, in the men’s championship final on April 27.

Five HBCU athletes made the final in the men’s 110-meter hurdle championship – three Howard Bison and two North Carolina A&T Aggies. NCAT’s Jason Holmes finished second with a time of 13.43 seconds. Howard’s Samuel Bennett finished fourth, Zach Hawkins finished sixth and Otto Laing came in ninth. NCAT’s Thomas Smith took home seventh just breaking under 14 seconds with a time of 13.98.

Howard’s women’s 4x100 team finished third with a (44.30) behind Ohio State (43.92) and TCU (44.05). The Bison’s quartet included graduate Kailei Collins, junior Tiffani-Rae Pittman and rookies Aiyana Gray-Williams and Mackenzie Robinson.

finished runner-up and TSU’s Elaina Housworth finished third in the triple jump.

“HBCUs have a lot of talent to offer, and it’s just time that we stepped up and showed what we can really do,” Mumford said. “As the years have gone by, more and more HBCUs have decided to come to Penn [Relays] to compete and that just shows that we can compete with any other Division I/Power 5 school.

“All I’m going to say is be on the lookout for the MEAC and Coastal Athletic Association because it’s getting very competitive with some very talented athletes!” On the track side, Norfolk State senior Kai Cole finished first in the preliminary rounds of the men’s 100 meter dash with a time of 10.29 seconds. Howard’s Ja’leak Perry also made the final with a time of 10.49 seconds. They finished

During the women’s 4x400 meter college relay on April 27 three HBCU relay teams finished with top-four performances.

Saint Augustine’s finished as the runner up while Norfolk State and Coppin State finished third and fourth.

Saint Augustine’s actually holds the Penn Relay record in the event with a time of 3:33.97, set in 1999.

Photo courtesy of Howard University’s Athletic Department Howard University junior Tiffani-Rae Pittman, left, hands baton to freshman Aiyana Gray-Williams during the 4x100 relay race at Penn Relays on April 27. The Bison finished third in the event behind winner Ohio State and runner-up TCU.

Single In the City: Breaking up is hard– but not too hard to do

Ericka Alston Buck Special to the AFRO

I’m back! Yes, I tried it again and took myself off of the market for a few months, I even got the ring only to step back and reevaluate the relationship and ponder if this was really where I wanted to hitch my wagon, forever?

We made lists.

Decided what was non-negotiable.

Compromised. And decided….not to settle.

My final answer was no.

There’s a song that says “breaking up is hard to do.” But does it have to be? It really shouldn’t be if we recognize ourselves as the prizes we are– and in 2024, we’re no longer willing to settle for anything less than what we deserve. So, let’s gather ‘round for a little chat about breakups. Are you ready to reclaim your crown? I am. Let’s dive in!

You know, breakups can hit us hard– and I mean really hard. Some of us lose weight from the stress, while others can’t seem to catch a wink of sleep. And don’t even get me started on the tears—Lord knows I’ve cried enough to fill a river or two. It’s like we’re on an emotional rollercoaster, and sometimes, it feels like we’re never gonna make it off.

But here’s the thing: breaking up is tough for everyone, but it doesn’t have to be the end of the world. It’s okay to feel sad, angry or even relieved—it’s all part of the healing process. The key is to remember that you’re not alone and that brighter days are ahead.

Now, let’s talk about how to make that breakup sting a little less, shall we?

1. Don’t forget why you broke up: This one’s crucial. When you find yourself reminiscing about the good times–stop right there. Instead, pivot back to why you broke up in the first place. Remember, you deserve better.

2. Delete the contact information: It’s time to declutter your phone. Delete the number, the emails, the texts— everything. You’re making space for better things to come.

3. Delete all photos– everywhere: Say goodbye to those memories. Delete the pics from your phone, your social media accounts, your iCloud and anywhere else they might be lurking online. Out of sight, out of mind!

breakup.

4. Limit Interactions with mutual friends: Those mutual friends? Yeah, they gotta go too (at least for now). Keep your circle tight and surround yourself with people who uplift you– not remind you of the ex-lover.

5. Stay away from the family: I know your ex had an amazing family with a mom that makes bomb mac and cheese– but it’s time to cut ties with everyone. You’re building your own empire. No room for reminders of the past. Revisit these relationships after you’ve given yourself the time needed to really get over it.

6. Make self-care a priority: Treat yourself like the VIP you are. Take long bubble baths, get those facials and

Meet the Ma’ats: Advocating for Black love

Reginald Williams Special to the AFRO

A civil war is playing out on social media platforms on a daily basis, undoubtedly spilling into real, everyday life. The bitter combatants are Black men and Black women. With Black men persistently asking what Black women bring to the table, and Black women either believing Black men are no good or are unneeded– the disparaging attacks on Black love are proving detrimental to Black relationships and marriage. Many believe the distasteful disharmony is also harming Black families.

Overwhelming data may suggest there may be some significant discontent in Black love.

The prevalence of children born to single-family homes, approximately four million according to research, and the paltry percentage of African Americans getting married demonstrate the depth of relationship issues often argued. The U.S. Census Bureau reports that 31.2 percent of Black people were married compared to approximately 54 percent of Whites. Black women represent the least married population at 28.6 percent. Black men married at 34.4 percent. According to the Journal of Blacks in Higher Education, approximately 48 percent of Black women and 51 percent of Black men never married.

With this data in mind, husband-and-wife duo Ayize and Aiyana Ma’at, created BLAM, or Black Love and Marriage.

BLAM is an organization working to offset the negative narratives surrounding Black love. The relationship transformation community focuses on personal and relationship growth and healing. The couple’s ministry began in 2011 on their YouTube platform, “Ask the Ma’ats,” allowing followers to write and ask relationship questions.

“Even though we didn’t call it BLAM when we began this work, the idea, concept [and] heartbeat of it was birthed about 13 years ago when we started doing work inside the community. Ayize Ma’at says the goal was “to help people improve the quality of their lives, mainly focusing on the quality of their relationships.”

Married for 21 years, through BLAM, the trained therapists have built a nationwide community dedicated to collaboratively growing Black love. California, Colorado, Texas, and North and South Carolina represent a few of the BLAM communities with robust members, working collaboratively to show that Black love exists.

Members remain active even when their relationship fails to end with happily-ever-after narratives.

Amid his divorce, Spencer Washington continues to participate in BLAM activities. He attends the meetups in the District of Columbia and also takes advantage of a variety of online activities offered by the group. Relationship Thursday, Expert Office Hours and The Love Experience: A Virtual Journey to Elevate Your Intimacy represent some of the online events available. The Men’s Lounge and Sister Circle are bimonthly group sessions that play out like collaborative therapy

sessions. They also host an annual marriage conference held at the National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Md.

“BLAM was something I really wanted to be a part of,” explained Washington. “After my wife filed for divorce, I was really at a loss. I didn’t know where to turn. I told myself–wait a minute–I have my BLAM brothers and my BLAM family (BLAMily) to turn to.”

“In our work, we were really hitting in on people’s pain points. We got really clear about the pain people were experiencing around their relationships…”

“During the Men’s Lounge, I found that there were brothers that I shared with, and they shared with me,” he continued. “We had a lot of similarities. I felt like BLAM and the Men’s Lounge were right for me. I felt like God had led me to the place I needed to be.”

Washington added that he continues participating in the BLAMily activities to prepare for his next partner.

The soul of BLAM’s delivery is providing a safe space for its members to be vulnerable. The provision of its compassionate, listening ear coupled with the mission of holding members accountable. Its tagline is “Relationship work is personal work.”

“In our work, we were really hitting in on people’s pain points. We got really clear about the pain people were experiencing around their relationships,” explained Aiyana Ma’at. “The nature of the work we do is connecting. We’re asking people to share things that are vulnerable—they’re

“...Breaking up is tough for everyone, but it doesn’t have to be the end of the world. It’s okay to feel sad, angry or even relieved—it’s all part of the healing process. The key is to remember that you’re not alone and that brighter days are ahead.”

indulge in some retail therapy. You deserve it.

7. Pick up a hobby: Time to discover what makes your heart sing! Whether it’s painting, dancing, or knitting cat sweaters, find something that brings you joy and dive right in.

8. Stay booked and busy: Keep that schedule packed, darling. Plan outings with your friends, join a book club or take that salsa dancing class you’ve been eyeing. Busy bees don’t have time for heartache.

9. Glow up and elevate: It’s your time to shine! Hit the gym, revamp your wardrobe and slay those looks. You’re not just moving on, you’re moving up.

10. While you wait, elevate: Remember, darling, you’re not just waiting for Mr. or Ms. Right—you’re leveling up in the meantime. Focus on becoming the best version of yourself, and everything else will fall into place.

So, there you have it. Ten quick and sassy tips to help you bounce back from that breakup like the star you are. Remember, you’re the prize, and nothing—absolutely nothing—can dull your shine or dim your light.

Remember to update those online dating profiles too, get back on the market. Date them all– and remember to hold your head up while you’re single in the city! Chat soon.

exposing themselves. We put a lot of energy into creating a safe space. There is no judgment. Love and safety are the number one virtue in our space.”

One of the ways that BLAM has become so respected is by providing relationship education using entertaining online tools. JR and Reina McKinney joined BLAM after participating in BLAM’s Communication Challenge. Two years after their nuptials, the McKinneys found themselves in space where their differences were magnified and almost unbearable. Reina McKinney saw a Facebook advertisement for the challenge and signed the couple up. By the fourth night, both knew BLAM was where they needed to be.

“This is the third and final marriage for both of us,” explained Reina McKinney, BLAMbassadors in the Carolinas. “We entered our covenant in 2018 with a no-out clause. If we were going to make it, we either needed coaching or counseling otherwise we would be stuck and miserable forever, which neither of us wanted.”

Through BLAM, the McKinneys say they are collaborating with a community of support and accountability partners with similar goals. They have gained valuable tools for communication, connection, and personal work.

The community is what makes BLAM more than just content curators.

“We’ve created solutions to people’s problems,” shared Ayize Ma’at. “We were consistent in our delivery of those solutions. When I say we created solutions, I mean we created solutions around communication, conflict management, sex and intimacy. We created those solutions while remaining consistent in delivering them.”

“This community gives you the vocabulary to engage in reaching the next level,” explained Graham Dixon, a member from the D.C., Maryland and Virginia area that has been married for nine years. “A lot of times, I find myself in situations where I don’t know how to say what I’m saying. In listening to some of the classes, sitting back thinking and reflecting [on what] Ayize said provides a deeper insight.”

The Ma’ats have come full circle. The native Washingtonians met almost 30 years ago at Tots and Teen, a D.C.-based family organization whose mission was to improve the quality of the Black family. Now based in Los Angeles, Calif., they have built a platform impacting Black families.

The Ma’ats are parents to five children. Their eldest, Asante Duah Ma’at, is the primetime Emmy Award nominee known as “Asante Blackk.” He starred as Kevin Richardson in the Ava Duvernay film “When They See Us.” While their son’s star is on the rise, the couple has been featured in “You Saved Me,” a documentary showcasing Black Love.

Reginald Williams, the author of “A Marginalized Voice: Devalued, Dismissed, Disenfranchised and Demonized,” writes on Black men and Holistic Health concerns. Please email bookreggie@reginaldwilliams.org or visit amvonlinestore.com for more information.

Ayize Ma’at (left) and Aiyana Ma’at celebrate and encourage Black love on a daily basis.

Photo courtesy of BLAM

Ericka Alston Buck dishes on the best way to get over a

Courtesy photo

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION ADMINISTRATION NO. 2024ADM000383

SHIRLEY LINDA YOUNGER JAMES AKA

SHIRLEY JAMES AKA

SHIRLEY YOUNGER AKA

SHIRLEY L. YOUNGER AKA

SHIRLEY L. YOUNGER JAMES AKA

SHIRLEY YOUNGER JAMES AKA

SHIRLEY L. JAMES Name of Decedent Notice of Appointment, Notice to Creditors and Notice to Unknown Heirs

ESTHER NADINE YOUNGER, whose address is 6925 MAPLE STREET NW APT 6, WASHINGTON DC 20012, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of SHIRLEY LINDA YOUNGER JAMES AKA SHIRLEY JAMES AKA SHIRLEY YOUNGER AKA

SHIRLEY L. YOUNGER AKA SHIRLEY L. YOUNGER JAMES AKA SHIRLEY YOUNGER JAMES AKA SHIRLEY L. JAMES, who died on FEBRUARY 13, 2024 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision.

All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance In this proceeding. Objections to such, appointment shall be filed With the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before OCTOBER 19, 2024. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before OCTOBER 19, 2024 or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship. Date of first publication: APRIL 19, 2024 Name of newspaper and/or periodical:

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION ADMINISTRATION NO. 2024ADM000440 JOYCE ANN MALLORY AKA JOYCE ANN SMITH Name of Decedent Notice of Appointment, Notice to Creditors and Notice to Unknown Heirs

JOCELYN K MALLORY, whose address is 8202

American Newspapers

SHELORE C. WILLIAMS Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS 4/19, 4/26, 5/03/24

BELLEFONTE LANE, CLINTON, MD 20735, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of JOYCE ANN MALLORY AKA JOYCE ANN SMITH, who died on DECEMBER 25, 2022 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance In this proceeding. Objections to such, appointment shall be filed With the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before NOVEMBER 03, 2024. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before NOVEMBER 03, 2024 or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship. Date of first publication: MAY 03, 2024 Name of newspaper and/or periodical: Daily Washington Law Reporter AFRO American Newspapers

JOCELYN K MALLORY Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS 5/03, 5/10, 5/17/24

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION ADMINISTRATION NO. 2024ADM000443 MARY T. HARRIS Name of Decedent Notice of Appointment, Notice to Creditors and Notice to Unknown Heirs

DONOVAN T. HARRIS, NECANDRA T. WILLIAMS, whose addresses are 5149 8TH STREET, NE WASHINGTON, DC 20011, 14303 KATHLEEN LANE BRAN-

DYWINE, MD 20613, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of MARY T. HARRIS, who died on FEBRUARY 29, 2024 with a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance In this proceeding. Objections to such, appointment shall be filed With the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before NOVEMBER 03, 2024. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before NOVEMBER 03, 2024 or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship. Date of first publication: MAY 03, 2024 Name of newspaper and/or periodical: Daily Washington Law Reporter AFRO American Newspapers

DONOVAN T. HARRIS NECANDRA T. WILLIAMS Personal Representative

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION ADMINISTRATION NO. 2023ADM000876 MAXINE HOOVER JACKSON Name of Decedent JOHNNY M. RIDDICK, ESQUIRE 505 CAPITOL COURT, NE. SUITE 100 WASHINGTON, DC 20002 Notice of Appointment, Notice to Creditors and Notice to Unknown Heirs DUANE JEFFREY JACKSON, whose address is 6423 2ND PLACE, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20012, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of MAXINE HOOVER JACKSON, who died on JULY 5, 2020 with a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance In this proceeding. Objections to such, appointment shall be filed With the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before NOVEMBER 03, 2024. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before NOVEMBER 03, 2024 or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship. Date of first publication: MAY 03, 2024 Name of newspaper and/or periodical: Daily Washington Law Reporter AFRO American Newspapers DUANE JEFFREY JACKSON Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS 5/03, 5/10, 5/17/24

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION ADMINISTRATION NO. 2024ADM000414 PATRICIA O. DANIELS Name of Decedent Notice of Appointment, Notice to Creditors and Notice to Unknown Heirs

CLARANCE JOHNSON, whose address is 38200 SOUTH PAR COURT, TUCSON, ARIZONA 85739, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of PATRICIA O. DANIELS, who died on JUNE 21, 2023 without a

HOUSING AUTHORITY OF BALTIMORE CITY INVITATION FOR BIDS EMERGENCY SEWER SERVICES & ROUTINE MAINTENANCE AND REPAIRS IFB NUMBER: B-2009-24

he Comptroller, R oom 2 04 C ity H all, Baltimore, Maryland until 11:00 A.M. June 5th, 2024. Positively no bids will be received after 11:00 A.M. Bids will be publicly opened by the Board of Estimates in Room 215, City Hall atmNoon. The proposed Contract Documents may be examined, without charge, at the Dept. of Rec & Parks at 2600 Madison Ave, Baltimore, Md. 21217 by appointment only on Wednesdays and Fridays, 8:30am – 4:00pm by emailing benitaj.randolph@baltimorecity.gov as of May 3, 2024 and copies may be purchased for a non-refundable cost of $100.00 Conditions and requirements of the Bid are found in the bid package. All contractors bidding on this Contract must first be prequalified by the City of Baltimore Contractors Qualification Committee. Interested parties should call (410) 396-6883 or contact the Committee at 4 South Frederick Street, 4th Floor Baltimore, Maryland 21202. If a bid is submitted by a joint venture (“JV”), then in that event, the document that established the JV shall be submitted with the bid for verification p urposes. The P requalification Ca tegory required for bidding on this project is E13001 Three-Story and Under or E13004 Rehabilitation of Structures, Cost Qualification Range for this work shall be $40,000.00 to $80,000.00. A “Pre-Bidding Information” session will be conducted in-person at Department of Recreation and Parks, 2600 Madison Avenue and via Microsoft Teams at 10:00 A.M. on May 15, 2024. Email your contact information to shanek.kumi@ baltimorecity.gov to receive an invite to the Microsoft Team (video conference meeting) no later than May 14th, 2024 at 5:00pm. Principal Items of work for this project are demolition of masonry wall for new entryway, installation of new entryway, installation of new exterior door, jam and header, wood- framing of interior walls with cement board backer, new gypsum board suspended ceiling, new interior finishes a nd fixtures throughout, including floor and wall tile, installation of plumbing and electrical fixtures and modification of ductwork. Site work to include grinding and refinishing of existing concrete slab. The MBE goal is 32% and WBE goal is 10%.

APPROVED: M. Celeste Amato, Clerk, Board of Estimates

The Housing Authority of Baltimore City (“HABC”) will issue an Invitation for Bids (“IFB”) for interested and qualified vendors to supply emergency sewer services and sewer routine maintenance & repairs at various HABC facilities.

BIDS WILL BE DUE no later than 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Friday, May 31, 2024

A non-mandatory pre-bid conference will be held on Wednesday, May 15, 2024 at 10:00 a.m., which will be scheduled as a virtual meeting.

The entire IFB can be viewed and downloaded by visiting https://habc. bonfirehub.com/projects on or after Monday, May 6, 2024

Questions regarding the IFB should be directed in writing to the address and individual indicated above and must include the reference: HABC IFB Number B-2009-24.

Housing Authority of Baltimore City Division of Fiscal Operations, Procurement Department 417 E. Fayette Street, Room 414 Baltimore, Maryland 21202

Attention: Patrick Sullivan, Senior Buyer Tel: 443-984-1963 patrick.sullivan@habc.org

HOUSING AUTHORITY OF BALTIMORE CITY REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT CONSULTANT RFP NUMBER: B-2010-24

The Housing Authority of Baltimore City (“HABC”) requests proposals from interested and qualified construction management firms to provide multidiscipline professional services inclusive of, but not limited to: pre-construction, construction, design/build, and construction management and to serve as the overall Project Manager for several HABC projects.

PROPOSALS WILL BE DUE no later than 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Friday, May 31, 2024

A non-mandatory pre-proposal conference will be held on Wednesday, May 15, 2024, at 10:00 a.m., which will be scheduled as a virtual meeting.

The entire RFP can be viewed and downloaded by visiting https://habc. bonfirehub.com/projects non or after Monday, May 6, 2024

Questions regarding the RFP should be directed in writing to the address and individual indicated below and must include the reference: HABC RFP Number B-2010-24.

Housing Authority of Baltimore City Division of Fiscal Operations, Procurement Department 417 E. Fayette Street, Room 414 Baltimore, Maryland 21202

911 Call Taker/Dispatcher

Automotive Mechanic I

Budget and Management Analyst II/III

Classification & Compensation Analyst (Personnel Analyst III)

Classification & Compensation Analyst, Part-Time

Combination Code Inspector (Building, Electrical, Plumbing and Mechanical)

Construction Code Inspector - Electrical Inspector

Correctional Program Specialist II

Custodial Worker

Deputy Sheriff I - Entry Level

Deputy Sheriff I - Lateral Entry

Equipment Operator I

Equipment Operator II

Environmental Technician

Forestry Program Specialist

Landfill Manager

Maintenance Worker II

Maryland Public Information Act

Office support Assistant II

Office Support Specialist

Permit Specialist (Planning Technician II)

Police Officer - Entry Level

Senior Center Associate

Senior Equipment Operator

Sheriff’s Communications Operator

Solid Waste Special Collections Supervisor

Survey Field Technician

Telecommunications Officer

Utilities Support Worker II

Utility Repair Crew Leader

Wastewater System Technician I

Water System Technician I/II

Attention: John Airey, Senior Vice President of Procurement Tel: 410-396-3261 ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

Visit our website at www.aacounty.org for additional information and to apply on-line. You may access the Internet at any Anne Arundel County library, or visit our office at 2660 Riva Road in Annapolis, MD. Deadlines to apply posted on the website.

BSO’s GospelFest 2024: A harmonious blend of symphony and spirit

able to work with Donald Lawrence, one of the

greatest gospel artists out here. I’m blessed and I’m very happy.”

The evening’s repertoire was nothing short of spectacular. Hits like “The Blessing of Abraham” and “Healed” had the audience on their feet, singing along with the performers.

Lawrence shared touching anecdotes, including the story of finishing the late Dr. Andre Crouch’s “Bless Me Indeed,” a song that left Crouch in tears upon hearing its transformation.

A highlight of the night was when awardwinning songwriter and poet “Wordsmith” joined

the HBCU choirs and the symphony orchestra for a remarkable rendition of “Glory” from the movie Selma, leaving the audience spellbound.

In the end, GospelFest 2024 was more than just a concert– it was a celebration of faith, unity and the transformative power of music.

As Lawrence himself proclaimed, the evening was simply about getting the audience ready for church in the morning. And indeed, it was an experience that left hearts lifted and spirits renewed, a testament to the enduring power of Gospel music.

Baltimore AFRO High Tea

By AFRO Staff

On

April 27 the AFRO American Newspapers held the AFRO High Tea at Martin’s West in Baltimore County. Elected officials and community residents alike attended the event in their best threads. The event, which honored the Black Greek letter organizations (BGLO) of the Divine Nine, featured song selections from Jade Madden, words from Baltimore City Mayor Brandon M. Scott, and the annual parade of hats.

Members of the Morgan State University choir perform alongside the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and legendary gospel artist Donald Lawrence on April 27, with Dr. Henry Panion III serving as conductor.

Courtesy of Meta (Facebook) / Eric Conway

All photos by James Fields

Jade Madden encourages the audience through song. Adrienne Davis (left) Nia Collins and Maureen McLain

Hostesses of the 2024 AFRO High Tea come together after bringing more than 900 to Martin’s West for the special occasion.

Leana Davidge (left) enjoys the AFRO High Tea with Emily Hunter (center) and Chyanne Leslie. WBAL- TV anchor Jenyne Donaldson serves as a mistress of ceremony for the event.

BALTIMORE-AREA

Thiru Vignarajah speaks on behalf of seven-yearold girl shot at Mondawmin Mall, gives updates

By

Former Deputy Attorney General and current Baltimore mayoral candidate Thiru Vignarajah, hosted a press conference on April 29 to update the community on the condition of the seven-yearold girl who was shot at Mondawmin Mall on April 13. He shared that he was contacted by one of the family member’s pastors and asked to assist the family with guidance.

“They wanted to make sure that the community heard their message. To make sure that people didn’t forget their baby girl in this city, [where] even the most profound headlines can be replaced and supplanted by the tragedy of the next day,” said Vignarajah Vignarajah spoke on behalf of the family and with the girl’s mother and aunt, who have asked not to be named at this time, for safety reasons. While he was not able to give a lot of information, he did confirm that the seven year old was shot twice and suffered wounds to her abdomen and hand. She has undergone several surgeries and is on the road to recovery.

“They want to express their gratitude to the outpouring of love and support and prayers that have come from every corner of the city to their family as well as to their little girl. This has obviously been

Baltimore mourns death of legendary civil rights activist, Helena Hicks, Ph.D.

By Catherine Pugh Special to the AFRO

The viewing, wake and funeral for Helena Hicks, Ph.D., a distinguished Baltimore activist and civil rights leader, was held May 6 and 7.

A viewing took place from 3:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on May 6, with a wake taking place from 10:00 a.m. until 10:30 a.m. on May 7, followed by a funeral, which ran from 10:30 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. Both ceremonies were conducted at the Joseph H. Brown Funeral Home located at 2140 N. Fulton Ave. in Baltimore.

Hicks was 88 years old when she died on April 18, and she leaves a legacy of fighting for civil rights and justice for African Americans.

“She was a stalwart in the early civil rights movement as a student and she was a critical conscience of our community. Ms. Hicks gave her energy to many causes that impacted Baltimore City,” said Michael Mitchell, attorney, and former member of the Maryland State Senate.

Hicks participated in the picketing of the Ford’s Theater against their segregation policies.

Hicks was no stranger to raising a voice in protest, as she was among the five Morgan State University students to lead the charge against segregation policies in Baltimore.

At the time, the institution was a state college, no longer a private Bible institute, but not yet a university. Students at the historically Black institution were focused on civil rights and had a big goal in mind: desegregate the counters inside the chain of Read Drug Stores operating throughout Charm City.

Reads Drug Stores opened up in Baltimore in 1934.

Protests of the business centered around the drug store’s refusal to provide counter service to African Americans.

“She was a stalwart in the early civil rights movement as a student and she was a critical conscience of our community. Ms. Hicks gave her energy to many causes that impacted Baltimore City.”

“She remained involved in political elections vital to our community; helping to elect our city’s first Black Congressman, my uncle, Parren J. Mitchell, our first Black judge, Joseph Howard, and our first Black state’s attorney, Milton B. Allen.

“She stayed involved and stayed committed,” Mitchell continued. “She was a freedom fighter like my grandmother, Lillie Mae Jackson, who headed the Baltimore Branch of the NAACP for thirty-five years. Helena came regularly and helped to register our community to vote.”

In the 1940’s, as part of the youth group formed by civil rights leader Lillie May Jackson and the NAACP; Helena

Black people were allowed to buy products at Read Drug Stores but could not sit at the lunch counters and be served. They could not drink from fountains or enjoy a sweet treat at their leisure.

Protests against the store’s policies began in 1952, when a group of students staged sitins. The protest grew with the participation of the civil rights organization, Congress Of Racial Equality (CORE).

In 1955, the sit-in protest targeted several Read Drug Store locations throughout the city– including the Howard and Lexington Street Location and the Northwood Store.

On January 22, 1955, Read Drug Store President Arthur Nattans Sr. announced via the Baltimore AFRO American Newspaper, that his business would “serve all customers throughout our entire stores including the fountains, and this becomes effective immediately, “ he said.

Gov. Moore signs renter rights and housing affordability legislation into law

By Tashi McQueen AFRO Political Writer tmcqueen@afro.com

Gov. Wes Moore (DMd.) made the issue of better housing his mission during the 2024 Maryland legislative session, working hard with legislators to ensure support for renters and homeowners in the state.

On April 25, at his second bill signing after the 2024 session, Moore

“You cannot have

a growing state if people cannot afford to live here.”

said there is a “shortage” of “a minimum of 96,000 units” in his state.

“Thirty percent of younger Marylanders are considering leaving our state simply because of housing costs. You cannot have a growing state if people cannot afford to live here,” Moore said. More than 52 percent of Maryland renters spend 30 percent or more of their earnings on housing costs. As a result, Moore authored and signed the Housing Expansion and Affordability Act of 2024, the Renters’ Rights and Stabilization Act of 2024 and the Housing and

Baltimore woman sues Jason Billingsley and his former employers for violent attack

By Megan Sayles

Business Writer

April Hurley thought she was safe in her home on Sept. 19, 2023. What began as a routine night ended with a brutal attack on the Baltimore resident and her friend, allegedly at the hands of Jason Billingsley.

Now, attorneys from Murphy, Falcon and Murphy have announced a lawsuit against Eden’s Homes, Property Pals and Billingsley. According to court documents, Billingsley allegedly sliced Hurley’s throat, tortured and sexually assaulted her before setting Hurley and her guest, Jonte Gilmore, on fire in her Upton home on Sep. 19. The pair managed to survive the attack after receiving emergency care at Shock Trauma.

Six days later, Baltimore tech founder Pava LaPere was discovered dead on the rooftop of her Mount

Vernon apartment building. She was discovered after being strangled and ruthlessly beaten to death. Only then did Baltimore police publicly identify Billingsley as a threat to the public. As a result, he was spotted and apprehended in Bowie, Md. on Sep. 27. Billingsley, a registered sex offender and convicted felon, was employed as a maintenance worker for Eden’s Homes and Property Pals. The companies managed and owned Hurley’s home, respectively. Hurley is suing the companies and Billingsley for compensatory damages.

“The fact that I’m sitting here in front of you today is honestly a miracle,” said Hurley during the press conference, tears streaming down her face. “Sometimes it’s still unbelievable I’m here. Jason Billingsley literally tried to take my life. This could have been prevented. He would have never had the chance if my former landlord and property manager did not hire him.”

why it was so preventable is that it’s clear to us that Eden’s Homes and Property Pals did not look into Mr. Billingsley’s background,” said Malcolm P. Ruff, trial attorney and associate at Murphy, Falcon and Murphy. “He was a repeat violent offender. He had sexually assaulted a woman and been sentenced to serve 16 active years in jail back in 2013, and he had been released well before his sentence had ended.”

The complaint alleges that Eden’s Home and Property Pals are “vicariously liable” for the false imprisonment, assault and battery of Hurley under respondeat superior, a legal doctrine that makes an employer responsible for the actions of its employees. It also alleges that the companies were negligent in hiring Billingsley as a background check would have revealed his criminal history.

When Hurley encountered Billingsley in her home at 842 Edmondson Avenue, the maintenance worker said he was responding to a flood in her kitchen. Still today she bears a scar on her neck from Billingsley’s attempts to slash it, and she’s been unable to return to work due to mental distress caused as a result of the attack.

“The problem that we have with what happened here and

“If Eden’s Homes and Property Pals had cared to take the time to look into his background, they would never –and should never– have let someone with that record and known propensity for violence to be in someone’s private residence and to have access to their home.” Ruff also questioned why police treated Hurley’s attack differently than LaPere’s murder. The Baltimore Police Department initially characterized the Sep. 19 incident as an arson and say, for that reason, they did not immediately alert the public to the crime. Further details about the incident were

Continued on B3

Ariyana Griffin Special to the AFRO

All photos from AFRO Archives

Friends and family are mourning the death of Helena Hicks, Ph.D., who died on April 18. Hicks was known for being one of the historically Black college students to help desegregate lunch counters in Baltimore years before sit-ins in North Carolina made international news.

April Hurley, left, and attorney Malcolm P. Ruff detail the harrowing attack Hurley endured on Sept. 19, 2023, allegedly at the hands of Jason Billingsley. Hurley is suing the maintenance worker and his employers, Eden’s Homes and Property Pals.

AFRO Photo / Megan Sayles

Thiru Vignarajah

Continued from D1

incredibly traumatizing–to be spending Saturday afternoon in a place that’s supposed to be safe and for that to be shattered by

gunfire,” said Vignarajah.

At this time the shooters have not been identified.

Baltimore City Police are asking for the public’s help with identification. Metro Crime Stoppers are offering a $4,000 cash reward for information that leads to an arrest of charges.

At this time she does not have a release date from the hospital, but she is reported to be walking and smiling.

“The family also wanted to share a simple message with public officials, with police [and] with prosecutors, which is to please continue to work as hard as we hope you are working to bring the individual or individuals responsible for this to justice,” Vignarajah said.

Helena Hicks

Continued from D1

In 1983 Read Drug Stores were purchased by Rite-Aid.

Civil Rights Attorney Ben Crump weighed in on Hick’s death, saying on social media that “a prominent Baltimore civil rights advocate has died. A steadfast voice for justice, she left an indelible impact.”

Hicks is the inspiration behind The Helena Hicks Emancipation School at the Billie Holiday Center for Liberation Arts at Johns Hopkins University.

Helena Hicks earned a Bachelor’s degree from Morgan State University, is a recipient of a Master’s Degree from Howard

University and a Doctorate Degree from the University of Maryland College Park.

She was a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority and her professional career included employment with the Housing Authority of Baltimore, time as a social worker for the Department of Public Welfare and service as the director of the Office of Policy, Planning and Program for Baltimore’s Department of Human Resources.

Dr. Helena Hicks is survived by a daughter Lynne Wilson and a son Wayne Hicks.

Gov. Moore

Continued from D1

Community Development Financing Act.

“This was the year that

we made the choice to put housing front and center because we knew this

was an issue that could not wait,” said Moore, who identified the efforts as “legislation that is making our state more affordable.”

State officials say more than 52 percent

Maryland

30 percent or more of their earnings on housing costs.

According to the governor’s office, between October 2021 and October 2023, the household income necessary to afford a median-priced home in Maryland increased by 56 percent, from $85,000 to $132,000.

Moore also signed the Freedom to Read Act, which aims to prevent politically motivated book bans and ensure students have access to a range of viewpoints. House Speaker Adrienne A. Jones (D-Md.-10) spoke on the work being done to discourage discrimination and racism in Maryland.

“Over the past few years, I’ve seen anger and hate resurface as part of our political discourse. We’ve seen political discourse pull apart our communities, families and friends,” said Jones, adding that she was proud of the Freedom to Read Act because she “wanted to put some safeguards and best practices in place” to prevent hate “from taking further root in our state.”

Tashi McQueen is a Report For America Corps member.

Gov. Wes Moore (D-Md.) (center) signs housing bills into law with Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Md.-46) (left) and House Speaker Adrienne A. Jones (D-Md.-10) (right) in attendance.

of

renters spend

AFRO Photo/Tashi McQueen

Unsplash / David von Diemar

A seven-year-old girl is slowly recovering after being shot at in Mondawmin mall on April 13.

April Hurley

Continued from D1

revealed in light of LaPere’s death.

“These incidents happened less than a mile away from each other, but Ms. Hurley’s incident happened on the other side of MLK Boulevard,” said Ruff. “Mrs. Hurley and Mr. Gilmore were violently attacked during a home invasion, she was sexually assaulted and they were almost burned alive–why did the Baltimore Police

Department categorize this as an arson? Why wouldn’t we want the public to know how heinous and serious this situation was?”

“Maybe that proper and accurate categorization of what happened to these Black people on the other side of MLK might have saved Pava LaPere’s life, but instead, their pain and attack was treated differently,” Ruff continued.

“This could have been prevented, and he would have never had the chance if my former landlord and property manager did not hire him.”

There is no Maryland law that requires employers to conduct background checks on employees. The state’s “Ban the Box” statute, or the Maryland Criminal Records Screening Act, prohibits employers from conducting criminal background checks on job seekers until they’ve had their first interview.

But, Hurley’s counsel asserts that Eden’s Homes and Property Pals had an

obligation to investigate Billingsley, particularly because he had keys to Hurley’s and other residents’ homes.

“There’s no specific state statute that’s requiring this, but there’s a duty to look into somebody’s background when you hire them—especially when that individual is going to be given a position of trust and access to your home, which is our most

sacred space,” said Andrew K. O’Connell, partner at Murphy, Falcon and Murphy. Hurley is seeking an excess of $75,000 from the defendants. The AFRO reached out for comment from Eden’s Homes and Property Pals but did not receive a response.

Megan Sayles is a Report for America Corps member.

UpSurge report demonstrates strength and opportunities in local tech ecosystem

By Megan Sayles AFRO Business Writer msayles@afro.com

UpSurge Baltimore’s (UpSurge) 2024 Tech Ecosystem Report recently revealed that local companies raised $782 million in venture capital in 2023, up 12.3 percent from the seven-year average of $697 million. The full analysis was unveiled at the organization’s inaugural Annual Meeting, which took place on April 23 at Rye Street Market.

This is UpSurge’s third Baltimore Tech Ecosystem report. For the first time, the organization expanded the study area beyond Baltimore City to encompass the entire Baltimore Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), which covers Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Harford, Howard and Queen Anne Counties, with Baltimore at the center.

“A lot of times when reporting happens on startup or venture activity, Baltimore gets lumped in with D.C.’s data. They sort of get to take

credit for all of our activity without having to take hits for the negative stuff people say about Baltimore,” said Kory Bailey, CEO of UpSurge.

“Tech is one of the brightest spots in our city. We have tremendous momentum, and our ecosystem is growing.”

Curretly, the Baltimore MSA maintains 496 startups in its ecosystem. They are most commonly found in ZIP codes: 21202, 21205 and 20759, which represent Downtown Baltimore, East Baltimore and Fulton, Md.

Of the $782 million that tech companies raised, 90 percent went to healthcare and information technology in 2023.

The report also collected workforce data to illustrate how the concentration of local talent impacts startup growth and expansion. In the last five years, Baltimore MSA tech jobs had an annual growth rate of 5.3 percent. Baltimore City alone had an annual growth rate of 6.8 percent, 1.1 percent higher than the national average of 5.7 percent. The average

salary for tech workers was $105,000.

“Some of the demographics that have the fastest growth are Black women,” said Bailey. “I think that is really telling. We have a competitive strategy in getting more underrepresented groups into the tech workforce.”

However, women tech workers’ earnings still lag behind those of their male counterparts. The report revealed that the average wage gap between women

and men in the tech space is $19,000. Although, women in tech do make 81 percent more than their non-tech peers.

“I think the wage gap is due to the historical underrepresentation of women in the tech space and in the type of roles women typically hold within tech,” said Bailey. “The more leadership we start to see from women, the more diverse hiring practices and diverse teams we will start to see.”

“I think tech is probably one of the best ways to close

the overall wage gap between men and women in the country, but we definitely still have some work to do.”

“Tech is one of the brightest spots in our city.”

Last October, the Baltimore MSA became one of 31 federal Tech Hubs across the nation , a designation bestowed by the U.S. Economic Development Administration. The classification enabled the region to apply for funding to operationalize a plan that propels economic growth and opportunity in key industries.

The Greater Baltimore Committee (GBC) is leading the hub with a consortium of 38 local business and technology leaders, including UpSurge, which is a leading partner. The region’s proposal centers on predictive healthcare technologies that will leverage artificial intelligence to enhance

biotechnologies.

The hub will do this work under UpSurge’s Equitech framework, which views equity and diversity as a vital force in the advancement of emerging tech sectors. The model capitalizes on the innovations of underestimated founders.

While the Baltimore Tech Hub has experienced broad buy-in from the public sector, there’s still more work to be done in engaging private entities.

“Public-private partnerships will actually drive the work. If you look at Silicon Valley, London or Toronto—the biggest tech hubs in the world— the magic that makes things happen is public and private investment,” said Mark Anthony Thomas, CEO and president of GBC. “It’s people committed to the ecosystem above their own interests, and that’s what we need to move the ball in the region.”

Megan Sayles is a Report for America Corps member.

Kory Bailey serves as the CEO of UpSurge Baltimore. The organization recently unveiled its 2024 Tech Ecosystem Report at its Annual Meeting.

AFRO Photo / Megan Sayles

Howard County NAACP hosts 2024 Freedom Fund Luncheon and Awards

By AFRO Staff

On April 28 the Howard County NAACP held the Freedom Fund Luncheon and Award Ceremony

at The Hotel at Anne Arundel Preserve. The event serves as both a fundraiser and a platform to honor local champions who have made a difference in civil rights,

education and health in Howard County.

The Howard County NAACP hosts the luncheon on an annual basis. This year, the event featured

Grammy-nominated poet, human and civil rights activist, journalist and author Kevin Powell as the keynote speaker.

The NAACP Howard County Branch, founded in 1944, is dedicated to advocating for civil rights, equality and justice in Howard County, Md. Through its programs and initiatives, the NAACP Howard County Branch works to address systemic issues and empower communities to create positive change.

Willie Flowers, president of the NAACP Howard County Branch, was in attendance to help handout awards and honor individuals who have demonstrated a commitment to advocacy and community service.

Leaders of the law, civil rights community celebrate upcoming anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education

On April 25 the Reginald Lewis Museum, in partnership with the Thurgood Marshall Center Trust, held a memorable event in celebration of the 70th anniversary of Brown vs Board of Education. The event included a panel discussion and honored Justice Thurgood Marshall, the first Black man to sit on the Supreme Court. Prior to joining the highest court in the land, Justice Marshall spearheaded the desegregation of schools across the country.

Speakers for the event included the renowned lawyer-professor and civil rights leader Larry Gibson, U.S. Rep. Kweisi Mfume (D-Md.) and President and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), Dr. Benjamin Chavis. Both Congressman Mfume and Ben Chavis have served as heads of the National Office for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

Maryland Governor Wes Moore brought greetings and offered thanks and appreciation to the panelists for their work on behalf of civil rights and to Terri Freeman, president of the Reginald Lewis Museum, who served as moderator for the event.

The panelist shared with the audience their encounters with Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall in his early years and the significance of

with law

and

his contribution to history and to them personally.

The event was just one of three planned by the Thurgood Marshall Center Trust in honor of the upcoming anniversary. An event will be held May 9 in Washington, D.C. at the Thurgood Marshall Center for Service and Heritage and on May 17 in Charleston, South Carolina at the International African American Museum. The 70th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education will arrive on May 17.

Willie Flowers (left), president of the Howard County Branch of the NAACP, presents an award to honoree Rev. Dr. Ricky Harvey, with Dr. Stephanie Wall.

John Wesley, public information officer for the Baltimore City Office of Equity and Civil Rights, attends the Howard County NAACP’s Freedom Fund luncheon and award ceremony.

Kevin Powell, a grammynominated poet, addresses the luncheon audience as keynote speaker.

The Rev. Dr. Robert Turner, pastor of Empowerment Temple AME Church in Baltimore, accepts his award from Willie Flowers (left) and Dr. Stephanie Wall.

Shown here, at the 2024 Howard County NAACP’s Freedom Fund luncheon : Dr. Stephanie Wall (left); Laura Johnson; Chapter Willie Flowers; Lynda Hill; Kori Jones; Jennifer Jones; Moyah Panda and Janssen Evelyn.

Dr. Barbara Morton speaks to the crowd.

Calvin B. Ball III, Ed. D., executive of Howard County, celebrates the work of community leaders in his area.

All photos by Stephen Hopkins

All photos by Jamaica Kalika

By Catherine Pugh Special to the AFRO

Shown here from left to right: Claudette Edgerton-Swain; Myrtle Dorsey; Larry Gibson; Dr. Thelma Daley; Dr. Benjamin Chavis; Garcia Williams and Joanna Langston.

Jordon Nesmith, Justin Morrissette, Eric Webb and Trevor Chin proudly identify as brothers of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, an organization that boasts the membership of Justice Thurgood Marshall and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore.

U.S. Rep. Kweisi Mfume (D-Md.-07) (left) shares a moment with NNPA CEO and President Dr. Benjamin Chavis, law professor Larry Gibson and Gov. Wes Moore, the first Black man to lead the state of Maryland.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore speaks on the impact of Justice Thurgood Marshall and the importance of remembering his work decades later.

Terri Freeman, president of the Reginald Lewis Museum, leads a panel discussion ahead of the 70th anniversary of the desegregation of schools in America. Freeman discussed the milestone

professor Larry Gibson (left), U.S. Rep. Kweisi Mfume and NNPA CEO

President Dr. Benjamin Chavis (right).