Afro e-Edition 05-17-2024

excellence in the classroom

From teaching the ABCs to preparing students for college and career, a lot happens in the classroom that can helpor hinder- a scholar’s chances of success. This week, the AFRO explores all things related to the education of Black students and their teachers, who play a significant role in building the future.

Humble beginnings: A look at how Black institutions in America have changed over time

By Zsana Hoskins Special to the AFRO

In the wake of the Civil War and throughout the era of Reconstruction, the need for education in the Black community was evident. In response, historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) emerged, providing access to education when the doors of White institutions remained closed.

Among the first HBCUs were institutions such as Lincoln University and Cheyney University, both founded in the state of Pennsylvania during the mid-19th century. At that time, and even still today, HBCUs faced numerous challenges, including limited funding, discrimination and legal barriers. Despite these obstacles, they persevered, expanding their curriculum beyond teacher education to include fields such as agriculture, engineering and the liberal arts. Today, there

“We’re

getting a lot of first-generation students who want to go into education because they want to make a difference in their communities.”

are 107 HBCUs with nearly 228,000 students enrolled. Over 75 of these institutions offer an education major, including Jackson State University, Howard University, Harris-Stowe State University, Delaware State University, and more.

The addition of new programs and concentrations allowed HBCUs to adapt to the evolving needs of their students and communities while continuing to develop Black educators. In the face of segregation and unequal access to resources, HBCUs became hubs of academic excellence and community leadership, as graduates went on to become not only educators but also civil rights leaders,

Sscientists, artists and entrepreneurs, making significant contributions worldwide. Famous HBCU alumni include Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Thurgood Marshall, Toni Morrison, Chadwick Boseman and more.

Melanie Carter, Ph.D, the associate provost and director of the Center for HBCU Research, Leadership, and Policy, believes that the initial focus of teacher education that many HBCUs were founded on is relevant to the overall environments that cultivate leaders at these institutions to this day.

“The preparation of Black teachers at HBCUs has been critical to the creation of a Black middle class, creation of expanded opportunities for our children and our communities. And these same teachers often serve as leaders in their communities. They serve as leaders in school,” said Carter.

The legacy of HBCUs as teacher training colleges continues to resonate today. While they have expanded their offerings to include a wide range of majors and concentrations, teacher education remains a staple of many HBCU programs.

HBCUs are still the top producers of Black educators in the country, despite only making up 3 percent of the colleges and universities in the country. According to a study conducted by the Howard University School of Education, HBCUs produce 50 percent of all Black educators nationwide. Cheyney University, founded in 1837 and recognized as the very first HBCU, upholds a reputation of training the largest percentage of Black educators in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

“We’re getting a lot of first-generation students who want to go into education because they want to make a difference in their communities. Cheney pulls from a lot of cities and a lot of spaces that have been traditionally coined as ‘high need.’ [Students] use Cheyney as a stepping stone or a platform where they can go back into their communities and do some

good,” shared York Williams. Ph.D, professor of early childhood and special education and coordinator of student teaching at Cheyney University.

Research even shows that teachers who graduated from HBCUs are more dedicated to their field. A study conducted by Donors Choice found that Black HBCU graduates spent over five hours per week on tutoring outside the classroom and six hours per week on mentoring, compared to four hours a week each, on the part of Black teachers who did not graduate from HBCUs. This could be linked to the overall environments and the emphasis on community at these institutions.

Today, the university’s school of education offers majors in elementary education, human development, school psychology, secondary education, educational leadership and policy studies and special education.

“Often at HBCUs, there’s an emphasis on looking at ourselves and our students and our communities from an asset versus a deficit model,” said Carter. “Being culturally grounded, understanding the importance of culturally relevant teaching–all those kinds of things are preparing young people to flourish in a society that was not intended to support their growth and development.”

Black teachers who are HBCU educated are also a major contribution to several issues in education, including the literacy gap.

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Five first steps to start a company

tarting a business is a challenging task that requires a certain optimism, imagination, and perseverance. If you’re looking to start your own business, here are some important initial steps to consider:

1. Know the business in and out. Whether you want to sell homemade sauces, open a place that serves coffee or offer Artificial Intelligence services, you should know your product or service, the market you have and the competitors. Briefly and simply describe what your business consists of, what need or market it serves and who your potential clients are.

2. Create a Business Plan A guide or roadmap focused on your business idea, the market and how you plan to reach your objectives, will not only help you open and face the challenges that exist in a business but also maintain it. Additionally, it will allow you to focus on your idea, see the path ahead and communicate it to potential investors. Agile startups only need the description of the proposal, what is needed, finances and potential clients.

3. Assess the need for financing and look for it The business plan you created will help you. Many entrepreneurs initially use their personal credit card to fund a business, but there are actually business credit cards, like Chase’s Ink Business Cash Card, that can help meet your needs while earning rewards like cash back on business purchases. If you’re looking to obtain a business loan, you can work with a bank or through the Small Business Administration. Alternatively, there may be public and foundation subsidies where you can do crowdfunding.

4. Determine the legal structure and register your company. This affects your tax obligations and legal liability. Some options include sole proprietorship, or Unipersonal Company -- one owner is responsible for the debts; partnership --if there are more than two people; corporation -- to separate personal responsibility from that of the business; LLC -- or Limited Liability (the most common). Seek legal assistance to determine what structure is best for you and your business.

5. Register with the IRS Consider whether you

should have an employer identifier number among other things to keep tax obligations separate.

For more information and tips on how to start and manage a business, visit chase.com/business

Forinformational/educationalpurposesonly:Views andstrategiesdescribedmaynotbeappropriatefor everyoneandarenotintendedasspecificadvice/ recommendationforanyindividual.Informationhas beenobtainedfromsourcesbelievedtobereliable,but JPMorganChase&Co.oritsaffiliatesand/orsubsidiaries donotwarrantitscompletenessoraccuracy.

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Photo courtesy of Cheyney University Cheyney University is the nation’s first HBCU and still today trains teachers to serve students in need.

Photo courtesy of Harris-Stowe State University

Harris-Stowe State University, located in St. Louis, Mo., is a combination of two teacher colleges: Harris Teachers College, founded in 1857, and Stowe Teachers College, founded in 1929. The two colleges joined in 1954. Today, the university has one of the best HBCU education programs and offers majors such as elementary education, early childhood education, middle school mathematics education, middle school natural sciences and middle school social studies.

Photo courtesy of Moorland Spingarn Research Center Shown here, students on the campus of Howard University in 1870. Howard University also has roots in teacher training, as well as clergy training.

If you can read this, thank a teacher today

By Frances Murphy Draper AFRO CEO and Publisher

In my family, like so many of yours, good grades were expected–no, required. Failing a class, talking back to teachers, disrupting class or any other behavior that caused a teacher to even think about calling your parents was enough to make you do as Nat King Cole sang, “straighten up and fly right!”

If you went to West Baltimore’s Lemmel Junior High School or Douglass High School like I did, you encountered principals like Ms. Hermione Wharton, who put the fear of God in anyone who dared to even walk on the wrong side of the hallway. She was small in stature, but big on providing an excellent education for all her students. I can still see her standing in the middle of the hallway, with her arms folded and her slightly graying hair in a neat bun. Her strong, crisp voice would ring out the order to “get to class with alacrity and speed.” At 12 or 13, I had no idea what “alacrity” meant but I knew that in between classes wasn’t the time to stop and talk to my friends.

Although I was a (relatively) well-behaved student who received excellent grades, it wasn’t because I was so smart but rather because of parents, teachers and administrators who constantly pushed me to be better and to do better. As my mother accurately noted in her oral history, I did well in junior and senior high school – especially in all my French and Spanish classes.

So, at the ripe old age of 16, I decided I wanted to be a foreign language teacher. I began tutoring groups of my peers after school and before I knew it, I was graduating with honors from Douglass and off to Morgan State University (then Morgan College) to major in Spanish education with a minor in French. There were very

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few foreign language majors at Morgan. It was enough that everyone had to take English 101 and 102 plus three years of humanities classes, all of which were extremely rigorous thanks to professors extraordinaire like Dr. Iva Jones and Dr. Ruthe T. Sheffy. If you enrolled in a foreign language course it was because you really loved learning other languages and cultures, you didn’t find out how hard it was until it was too late to drop the class or it was the only elective that would fit into your schedule.

However, for me, with teachers like Douglass’ Muriel

“Teachers today are not as revered as they once were and our public school systems seem to be always under attack. However, I know there are still many dedicated, committed educators who devote their lives to improving the lives of children, teens and young adults.”

Callaman (French) and Doris Holtsclaw (Spanish), learning foreign languages ignited a thirst in me– not only to learn the nuances of the language, but to have a better understanding of the culture. I loved the way the letter “r” sounded in Spanish and with French, when spoken with all due dignity and sophistication, amazed me.

I don’t think my mother was terribly surprised when I announced I wanted to study foreign languages in college. But other family members weren’t so embracing of my career choice.

“You mean you want to be a foreign diplomat,” one cousin said. “You want to travel to Spain and get a job there?”

“Why foreign languages? Can’t you teach English or something else? Everyone needs English, and most people here speak English, so what’s the big deal with a language nobody really cares about?” were all questions that needed answers.

The big deal for me was interacting and communicating with people from different cultures. As my high school yearbook noted: “Culturally, the foreign language department attempts to open the mind of the student – to broaden ways of thinking. Thus, when a student learns a foreign language, he (or she) is directly introduced to another culture, which he (or she) is encouraged indirectly to understand or respect.”

Little did I know more than 50 years ago, Spanishspeaking U.S. citizens and immigrants would rise to be an important and necessary part of our society – while also becoming the center of much controversy, political maneuvering and manipulation.

Although my Spanish is really rusty, I am intentional about using it whenever possible, and I can’t help but notice how appreciative people are when you at least try to speak the same language they speak. Or

when you make an honest attempt to interact with and respect them for who God created them to be.

After college, I was fortunate to be one of the few (if not the only) foreign language majors to be offered a teaching position in the Baltimore City Public Schools. The paternal side of the family, who all followed in the footsteps of their dad and my grandfather, Dr. Marion Francis Wood (the first Director of ‘Colored Schools’ in Baltimore), were thrilled that I was going to teach. Afterall, I grew up in the era where teaching and nursing were the career paths many women were encouraged to pursue.

Although I only taught for five years, I encountered and encouraged many students I still interact with today. Students like Brenda Tiller Ransom, Dr. Karen Bethea and Ovetta Smith. And then there was the recent Facebook message every teacher loves to read: “Dear Mrs. Draper, you may not remember me because it’s been so many years ago. But I wanted to tell you that because of your class and your love and encouragement for ‘kids’ like me, kids who others didn’t think had a real chance to succeed, and your insistence that we ‘can be more and do more,’ I am a successful businessman and a dedicated family man today. Thank you.”

This week, Team AFRO put together an insightful and informative edition. There are articles on teacher pay, the 70th anniversary of the desegregation of American schools, acknowledgement of standout students and teachers and a piece on the evolution of HBCUs, from training facilities to full fledged universities. This edition is all about education and it is another keepsake!

photo

AFRO CEO and Publisher Frances “Toni” Draper speaks to the impact of educators, who inspire and change lives each day they enter the classroom.

Teachers today are not as revered as they once were and our public school systems seem to be always under attack. However, I know there are still many dedicated, committed educators who devote their lives to improving the lives of children, teens and young adults.

So, if you can read this, take the time today and thank a teacher!

AFRO

COMMENTARY

Black teachers matter–why aren’t schools trying to

By Sharif El-Mekki

We need new Black teachers. Just as important, we need to keep the ones we already have.

Teachers of all backgrounds are leaving schools at increasingly high rates. In cities like Philadelphia, more than 15 percent of them quit each year, costing a district around $20,000 per lost educator in added recruitment and new training costs, not to mention disruptions to student learning, according to the Learning Policy Institute.

The overall teacher retention crisis is particularly acute when it comes to Black teachers, whose severe shortage has meant that most Black students go through 13 years of public education without having a single Black teacher — someone who can support and mirror a future of greater possibilities. A figure who continues the legacy of historic Black triumphs against seemingly insurmountable odds.

Yet, when we of the Pennsylvania Educator Diversity Consortium sought to provide school and district leaders strategies to retain Black teachers, we found a scarcity of resources. Why educators of color leave their schools, if not the profession altogether, is well researched and documented. What’s confounding is there are no strategies focused specifically on their retention.

White teacher retention, for example, focuses on identifying, building and leveraging opportunities for belonging; experiences that make educators internalize their role in the school community as a part of their professional, if not also their personal identity. Research suggests a higher

sense of belonging is directly linked to increased rates in not just retention but also job performance.

If the dominant school culture, celebrations, and norms skew towards White culture, for example, teachers, students and families of color may not feel welcomed or included. It can be a curriculum that only highlights White authors and heroes and excludes other groups or deems them as irrelevant; or it might be centering pedagogical and instructional frameworks that leverages the status quo but ignores the educational expertise of Black teachers. The result is the marginalization of key contributors with deep roots in the communities that schools across the country struggle to serve justly.

But does this type of retention strategy, focused on belonging, support educators of color in schools where the administration, faculty and culture are predominantly White and may be working at various points on an antiracist continuum? Such strategies would work, presumably as designed, but only once a school culture is truly welcoming to all, where the teachers’ racial identities, histories, aspirations, and cultural backgrounds reflect that of the student body and surrounding community.

Until then, would Black teachers’ sense of “belonging” to the school’s culture make them want to stay more? Could they feel less themselves if they stayed in an antithetical culture? Would they have to compromise, sell out or deny who they are to fit in?

Based on my review of retention strategies, there was clearly a need for new ones with Black teachers in mind. Which is why we developed The anti-racist guide to teacher retention.

Sharif El-Mekki is the founder and chief executive officer of the Center for Black Educator Development. The Center’s mission is to build the Black Teacher Pipeline to achieve educational equity and racial justice. El-Mekki is a nationally-recognized principal and U.S. Department of Education Principal Ambassador Fellow.

This toolkit provides school and district leaders with assessments, exercises and practical information to help make the changes that will entice teachers of color to stay in the profession. School leadership can use the strategies to focus on opportunities for respect, rather than belonging, since most schools have not achieved enough of a welcoming culture for their Black teachers to want to belong.

It is a truism in education that when a school has high staff turnover, that is an indictment of its leadership. Teachers don’t quit their schools, the saying goes, they quit their principals.

So how does school leadership avoid this? How do they create such a welcoming culture, and thereby create the conditions that would allow them to recruit and retain their Black teachers? How can school (and district) leaders develop policies and ongoing professional

keep them?

learning opportunities and practices that ensure Black teachers are respected, professionally effective, and fulfilled?

It’s not easy. It requires a commitment to change and a reexamination of all aspects of our schools’ cultures, recruitment and retention processes. I recommend schools begin with cultural audits and insight surveys to gauge the current state of their climate. Leadership must model self-reflection in developing an anti-racist culture, directly asking Black teachers: “How are you experiencing my leadership? What should I change to show my respect for your experiences, expertise and aspirations?”

There must be ongoing professional development for all educators to examine the basic human condition that often enables biases (not only racial) to get in the way of leading classrooms, schools, and districts well. Schools and districts should ensure

feedback loops that actually consider how to implement retention strategies that so many affinity groups recommend. Far too many school and district leaders give space for affinity groups, but block the participants from addressing cultures that undermine healthy, antiracist working and learning spaces.

But these are only the first steps in what must be a broad-based approach. We hope school leaders across the country use the toolkit to jumpstart this hard, but meaningful and critical work. And we hope everyone will help us refine this unique, much needed resource.

We know how critical it is to rebuild the Black teacher pipeline, the mission of our Center for Black Educator Development. That is because Black teachers can save Black children’s lives, changing their future trajectories.

Research shows when a

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For Black boys from low-income households, their on-time high school graduation rates soar by almost 40 percent. In fact, students of all racial identities and ethnicities benefit from increased educator diversity, while energizing the professional development of nonBlack educators. An educator workforce that better reflects society brings more opportunities for school experiences that counter racism and negative stereotypes and promote cross-cultural understanding, preparing all our children for life in an increasingly diverse and complex world.

This article was originally published by Word

What do kindergarten teachers mean by ‘ready for school?’

By Kristen J. Amundson

At this time of year, many preschool parents are worrying about whether their child will be ready for kindergarten. What are the things their child should learn? Do they need to make alphabet flash cards? Invest in worksheets so kids can practice math. I talked with kindergarten teachers to find out what they think kids need to know to be kindergarten-ready. You may be surprised: Readiness for school, teachers say, does not mean that your child will have mastered all the kindergarten skills on day one. Instead, it means that your child will take pleasure in learning how to do things on their own.

One kindergarten teacher said to me, “I can teach kids

their ABCs. I can’t teach them —at least not very efficiently—to help them get along with others and to understand that they aren’t going to get their own way all the time in school.” If you always do things for your child, and always tell them what to do, they will not be able to make their own decisions and learn how to be independent. One good rule of thumb for parents of toddlers: whenever possible, avoid doing things for your child that they can do on their own.

Kindergarteners are expected to take responsibility for their belongings. They put their lunch boxes in the right place. They hang up their coats. During the day, they use the restroom and wash their hands by themselves.

In the cafeteria, children must put the straw in their juice box or open the milk carton. They must get the foil on top of the applesauce.

“The whole first month in the cafeteria, we’re helping children learn to open things,” one teacher said. “They’re always surprised that ketchup packages have a little line that shows you where to tear to get the ketchup out.” So, teach your child how to do those things before the first day of school.

Let your toddler eat (and accept that mealtime will be messy and s-l-o-w, at least at first). Let young children choose what they want to wear—and relax if they choose to wear the polka-dot shirt with the checked pants. Encourage them to use the crayons they want to use

in their coloring book and do not be surprised if you see a purple horse or a red elephant.

Follow the rule that teachers use when they are teaching a new skill: First, I do. Then we do. Then you do. Whether it’s shoe tying or making a sandwich, start by showing your child what to do. Then practice the same skill together, working side by side. Finally, let your child do it alone, first while you watch and then independently. And let me just say one word here about shoes—the bane of every kindergarten teacher. Shoelaces do not stay tied. “They drag on the floor. They drag across the restroom floor. They go into kids’ mouths,” a

kindergarten teacher told me. “They need my help retying them. If I have 25 students, that’s 50 feet. And at 30 seconds per shoe tie, that’s 25 minutes a day–I’m not teaching them letters or numbers or how to get along with others,” she said. That doesn’t mean children have to be able to tie their shoes before they start kindergarten. “Just put them in different shoes,” the teacher wisely advised. And really, just reread that part about shoelaces that have dragged on the kindergarten restroom floor ending up in the child’s mouth. You’ll probably keep your kid in Velcro shoes until they’re 20.

This article was originally published by NNPA Newswire.

school board chair and state legislator. She also has previously served as CEO of the National Association of State Boards of Education. This column is excerpted from her book “81 Questions for Parents:

Photo courtesy of www. thecenterblacked.org

Black student has one Black teacher by third grade, they’re 13 percent more likely to enroll in college. With two Black teachers, that jumps to

percent.

in Black.

Kristen J. Amundson is a former teacher,

Helping Your Kids Succeed in School,” published by Rowman and Littlefield.

Photo courtesy of www.history. house.virginia.gov

Living where you work: Can teachers afford it?

By Megan Sayles AFRO Business Writer msayles@afro.com

The National Education Association (NEA), the country’s largest labor union, recently revealed that the average teacher earns $69,544 each year. If you’re just starting out in the profession, that number drops to $44,530. But, inflation is outpacing these salaries, according to the union, putting a strain on the pockets of teachers across the nation, regardless of years served.

“Even with record-level increases in some states, average teacher pay has failed to keep up with inflation over the past decade,” wrote the NEA in its 2024 Educator Pay in America report. “Adjusted for inflation, on average, teachers are making 5 percent less than they did 10 years ago.”

The report comes as the U.S. battles a national teacher shortage, which was intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic. In its analysis, the NEA asserts that there is considerable work to be done in reducing the teacher pay penalty, a term used to describe the wage gap between educators and professionals with similar levels of education.

“Chronic low play is plaguing the profession,” wrote the NEA. “A staggering 77 percent of U.S. school districts still pay a starting salary below $50,000— 28.6 percent start out teachers at less than $40,000—while teacher salaries top out over $100,000 in only 16.6 percent of districts.”

California, New York and Massachusetts offer the highest salaries, on average, to public school teachers at $95,160, $92,696 and $92,307 respectively. Meanwhile, Florida, West Virginia and South Dakota maintain the lowest salaries, doling out $52,870, $53,098 and $53,153 respectively.

These figures come at little surprise, as top-earning teachers also live in some of the most expensive states, while bottom earners live in states with relatively low costs of living.

Coppin State University (CSU) School of Business

“Whatever region you go to get a job, you want to make sure you don’t just look at the paycheck- but at how much the paycheck will buy you.”

“You want your income to be above the cost of living,” said Gregory. “Whatever region you go to get a job, you want to make sure you don’t just look at the paycheck-

but at how much the paycheck will buy you.”

Cost of living encompasses essential expenses, like food, clothing, housing, healthcare and childcare according to Gregory. She said states on the West coast and in the Northeast, as well as Alaska and Hawaii, tend to have higher costs of living than those in the South.

The NEA provided corresponding minimum living wages as part of its report. They represented the income necessary for one parent and one child to attain a modest standard of living in states’ most affordable metropolitan areas.

This measure is somewhat limited though, as cost of living can be vastly different depending on the given metropolitan area. In California, the NEA estimated that the minimum living salary is $68,182, nearly $27,000 less than the average teacher salary for the state.

But, for the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale area, the Economic Policy Institute approximates that the annual living costs for one adult and one child total $96,117, just shy of $1,000 more than teachers’ average earnings.

In some states, the cost of living exceeds what teachers are taking home. In fact, all of the bottom-earning states have average teacher salaries that fall short of the minimum living wage, according to the NEA’s estimates. South Dakota’s shortfall is the starkest of the bunch with more than a $9,000 gap.

Across the country, Hawaii fairs the worst with an average teacher salary of $70,947 compared to a $100,150 minimum living wage.

If a teacher, or anyone, finds themselves in a position where their cost of living outstrips their income, Gregory said their quality of life will decline.

“If you’re barely able to cover the cost of living and you’re living paycheck to paycheck that means no savings, no vacation, no money for your kid’s tuition and no opportunities to do something extra special,” said Gregory.

Megan Sayles is a Report for America Corps member.

Dean Sadie Gregory said it’s critical for people to account for cost of living when assessing salaries.

Unsplash/ Kenny Eliason

Scholars, education leaders discuss 70th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education

By D. Kevin McNeir Special to the AFRO

Despite the inclement weather, an enthusiastic group numbering several dozen gathered in Northwest Washington, D.C. on May 9, for two purposes: to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case, Brown v. Board of Education and to celebrate the life and legacy of the social justice icon, the Honorable Thurgood Marshall. The event, sponsored by the Thurgood Marshall Center

Trust (TMCT), featured a panel discussion that included some of the greatest minds in the Greater Washington Area. The gathering took place at the Thurgood Marshall Center for Service and Heritage – now an historic landmark and the first YMCA in the country designated for African Americans.

White House Correspondent for the American Urban Radio Network, Ebony McMorris, moderated a panel discussion that challenged the audience, while also forcing them to consider the possibility that our nation’s highest court might one day–as

Panel participants gather at the Thurgood Marshall Center for Service and Heritage in Northwest D.C. for a discussion on the life and legacy of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall and the 70th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education. Shown here: Rawle Andrews Jr., Esq. (left); Dr. Jean Accius; Thomasina Yearwood; Ebony McMorris; Kim Keenan, Esq.; Barbara Arnwine, Esq. and Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis.

it has recently done with other highly controversial cases like Roe v. Wade– decide that Brown v. Board has run its course and should be overruled.

Panelists included a TMCT board member Rawle Andrews Jr., Esq. , who currently serves the American Psychiatric Association Foundation as executive director and The Bar Association of D.C. as the 135th president; Kim Keenan, Esq., former NAACP general counsel and past president of the National Bar Association; and Dr. Jean Accius, president and CEO of Creating Healthier Communities. Also joining the panel was Barbara Arnwine, Esq., president and founder, Transformative Justice Coalition and co-host for the informative weekly Radio One talk show, “Igniting Change.”

Keeping the legacy of Thurgood Marshall alive

During opening remarks, Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, TMCT board chair and National Newspaper Publishers Association president, shared his thoughts about his formative years of public education, particularly after the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Brown v. Board on May 17, 1954.

“Seventy years ago, I was a student in the North Carolina Colored School System and despite Brown v. Board, I went through school in a system that remained segregated because the cities and counties in North

Carolina fought against the court’s ruling. Malcolm X had it right when he said, ‘As long as you are South of the Canadian border, you are South.’

“If we want to keep Thurgood Marshall’s legacy alive, we must get the vote out because the powers that be want to not only turn back the clock but also deny us our rights,” said Chavis. “Banning books has served as the latest example but religion is also being used today as well. As for Donald Trump, he serves as an existential threat to Thurgood Marshall.”

Arnwine, whose office is located in the center, noted that the man for whom the building is now named both “changed the world and set things in motion.”

“Brown v. Board was one of the few cases in which the court talked about [the impact of] White supremacy. I have no doubt that given the way the case has been inaccurately portrayed, today’s court would not have come up with the same decision,” said Arnwine. “For more than a century, the court has been dominated by conservative rule. However, if America wants to continue to claim to be the home of a just and inclusive, multiracial society, then we [and the court] must be ready to open, not close avenues to opportunity for all its citizens.”

Andrews delivered a primer about the five cases that were involved in the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court case, emphasizing that for those

living in the District, Bolling v. Sharpe– not Brown v. Board–had the greatest impact on African Americans.

“You’re now sitting in the building that was once the 12th Street YMCA – it was for Blacks and it has been here since 1854,” Andrews said. “One hundred

the U.S. Supreme Court on May 17, 1954 in Washington, D.C. after the court ruled in Brown v. Board of Education, agreeing that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional.

years later, in 1953, if you were living in America and you were Black, then you were living under the American apartheid system. People would like to call it something else – perhaps in efforts to sugarcoat things – but that’s what it was.”

“What I continue to grapple with as a D.C. lawyer– one who has lived here for 30 years– is the fact that of the five cases, only Bolling v. Sharpe had an impact on opportunities for African Americans,” he said, adding that Board of Education was a group of five legal appeals that challenged the ‘separate but equal’ basis for racial segregation in public schools in Kansas, Virginia, Delaware, South Carolina and the District of Columbia.

“Because D.C. is not a state, the 14th Amendment doesn’t apply,” explained Andrews. “So, in reality, the court could have ruled against the case and simply said let Congress figure it out. We know how that always ends for those living in the District, especially today when we have little less than a do-nothing Congress on the Hill.”

Yes, race still matters in America Keenan, agreeing with Chavis, said “unlike Whites, Blacks don’t have the luxury as voters to say, ‘I don’t like any of the candidates’ or ‘I’m just going to stay home and not vote this time.’”

See more on afro.com

Teachers help shape the minds of tomorrow’s leaders. That’s why we invest in partnerships that seek to make a quality education accessible for all—and a teacher’s job a little easier.

AFRO Photo/ D. Kevin McNeir

Lawyers George E.C. Hayes (left), Thurgood Marshall and James M. Nabrit, Jr., celebrate outside

AP Photo

From the AFRO Archives: A look at the legal warriors who desegregated America’s classrooms

By AFRO Staff

May 17 marked the day the U.S. Supreme Court made the groundbreaking decision to desegregate schools across the country.

Dr. Kenneth Clark, along with his wife, Mamie, proved instrumental in demonstrating the effects of segregation on young school children. In the 1930s, the married pair of psychologists conducted tests in New York City with a set of four dolls– two with dark skin and two with much lighter skin. They then asked the youths a series of questions. The answers were horrifying enough to persuade major change in the classroom.

As a result of segregation, the study found that children who participated in the experiment associated lighter skin with being “good,” and darker skin with being “bad.” The young, Black respondents also had skewed views of themselves, saying they identified more with the White dolls when asked which one they resembled the most. The Clarks replicated their test in other parts of the country. Ultimately, the evidence was used in the U.S. Supreme Court case, Brown v. Board of Education, which desegregated schools on May 17, 1954.

In the landmark case, Brown v. Board of Education, opportunity for African Americans in the classroom expanded exponentially. The case said out loud what Black people then and now know to be true: separate did not mean equal.

This week, the AFRO recognizes great Black contributions to education, including the 70th

anniversary of the case that, slowly but surely, led to the integration of classrooms throughout America. Take a look below at how the AFRO covered school segregation leading up to the ruling that undid the sordid practice.

Thurgood Marshall, NAACP attorney, (standing), who argued the Sipuel case before the Supreme Court last week with Amos T. Hall, Tulsa, Okla., lawyer, checks last minute details with Frank Reeves of Washington (left), and Spottswood Robinson III, of Richmond, prior to making argument. Marshall, who also sponsored Reeves’ admission to the Supreme Court, asked for the end of separate education and admission of Miss Ada L. Sipuel to the Oklahoma University Law School now.

The name of James M. Nabrit, shown here, is key when discussing desegregation in the classrooms of Washington, D.C. Nabrit led the team of attorneys that worked on Bolling v. Sharpe, a companion case to Brown v. Board of Education. Shown here, Nabrit arrives at Danville Airport in Danville, Va., where he is greeted by NAACP lawyer S.W. Tucker. ahead of a freedom rally.

School-based initiatives could be the answer to looming shortage of health care workers

By Mylika Scatliffe AFRO Women’s Health Writer

Globally, the field of health care is in desperate need of workers. In the United States, health care workers are retiring, changing careers and experiencing unprecedented levels of burnout– particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Projections by the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicate the United states will see a shortage of nearly 200,000 nurses by 2031 and openings for home health and personal aides will increase by 37 percent by 2028.

The American population is aging. Patients are living longer and surviving illnesses and diseases that were once terminal. The result is an enormous strain on the medical workforce.

Now, educators, hospitals and philanthropists are joining forces to ensure the next generation can stand in the gap.

In April 2024, the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and Mastery Schools announced a partnership to design a high school that will prepare students for wellpaying health care careers.

“There is a growing need for professionals in all areas of health care post- COVID, and there are people who are currently interested in going into those fields. It’s certainly true in a place like Philadelphia, where our primary employers are educational and medical institutions,” said Dr. Saliyah Cruz, chief equity officer and program lead for the CHOP partnership.

Bloomberg Philanthropies seeks to increase the number of

health care workers available, so they formed an initiative to fund up to 10 partnerships between health care and education systems across the country. CHOP is one of those organizations.

“The idea of the partnership is that workers are needed in health care. We want the ability to inform the education system [on] what skills are necessary for strong health care employees. We also want those employees to have jobs that pay a family-sustaining wage and have opportunities for advancement within the health care organization,” Cruz added.

Mastery Hardy Williams High School, a Philadelphia charter school commonly known as Hardy High, will be revamped to fully integrate health care career knowledge and job-training for high school students in Philadelphia, graduating them with qualifications for high demand health care jobs at CHOP.

The program will begin in September 2025 and will serve approximately 620 students in grades 7-12. This $250 million initiative led by Bloomberg Philanthropies is the first of its kind. It will connect health care and education systems in 10 urban and rural communities across the county, including Boston; Charlotte, N.C.; Dallas; Durham, N.C.; Houston; Nashville, Tenn.; Demopolis, Ala. and six locations across Northeast Tennessee.

“For too long, our education system has failed to prepare students for good jobs in high-growth industries,” said Michael R. Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg Philanthropies and Bloomberg LP, and 108th

As officials brace for a shortage of workers in the health care industry, school systems are training up the next generation of professionals looking to help people via careers in the medical fields.

mayor of New York City. “By combining classroom learning with hands-on experience, these specialized health care high schools will prepare students for careers with opportunities for growth and advancement. America needs more health care workers, and we need a stronger, larger middle-class – and this [is] a way to help accomplish both goals.”

The $16.9 million investment from Bloomberg Philanthropies into Hardy High will support the school startup costs like personnel and renovations of classrooms and labs. Cruz told the AFRO about the pathways that will be available to students in the

program.

“We will have a traditional patient facing pathway; those students will be taking course work for certified medical assistant certification,” said Cruz. “In addition, we’ll have a pathway for students to pursue courses and certification for sterile processing (preparing and sterilizing instruments for surgery), and a pathway for Information technology (IT).”

Students will meet Pennsylvania state high school requirements, regardless of their chosen pathway.

“We are not changing our core academic model or repurposing electives. These pathways will not preclude any student’s ability to attend

“For too long, our education system has failed to prepare students for good jobs in high-growth

industries. By combining classroom learning with hands-on experience, these specialized health care high schools will prepare students for careers with opportunities for growth and advancement.”

a four-year university after graduation,” Cruz confirmed. Cruz went on to describe the certified medical assistant (CMA) certification as the “keys to the kingdom.” The CMA is an entry level certification but opens the door to many options.

The entry point for many departments within a health care system is the CMA certification.

An employee can enter the system as a CMA and work and go on to college, or may decide on another area of health care

like radiology or working in a lab.

This pathway is an excellent option for students who don’t wish to incur student loan debt.

Students who are able to gain entry level employment with a CMA certification can take advantage of CHOP’s tuition reimbursement program to pay for a college.

CHOP is equally enthused about the partnership.

“The purpose of K-12 education in the United States is to prepare students for careers,” said Alonzo South, assistant vice president of community impact at CHOP. “A proven way to prepare students for careers is a deep partnership between industry and education.”

South emphasized how deeply integrated and committed CHOP is to its place in Philadelphia.

“We are a pediatric institution, and have a long-term commitment to the community. This initiative aligns closely with our mission,” South said.

The advantage to partnering with K-12 institutions is twofold. Children are getting early exposure to potential career paths. They will have opportunities to job shadow and complete internships. Once it is time to explore a career, CHOP will already know them and be familiar with their work.

“Our employees are constantly asking for more opportunities to get involved in the schools. There is a tremendous amount of excitement [to] get into the schools and partner with young people,” said South.

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AFRO inside look: Addressing depression in the K-12 setting

By Gene Lambey

Special to the AFRO

As May is Mental Health Awareness Month, school systems across the country in states like New York and Colorado are taking extra care to provide mental health resources for students.

In Maryland, Baltimore County Public Schools (BCPS) and the Baltimore City Public School System (BCPSS) partnered with organizations like Talkspace, offering virtual licensed counseling to students suffering from depression or other mental disorders.

The AFRO spoke with Dr. Kimberly Ferguson, BCPS’ executive director for the department of social and emotional support, about BCPS’ partnership with Talkspace and other programs available to students.

“Talkspace is just one of the opportunities that we have to support student’s mental health. Here in Baltimore County, we

through private messaging,” said Dr. Ferguson. “Our students can exchange messages with their dedicated Talkspace therapist by way of text from the privacy and convenience of their computer or smartphone.”

“We partnered with Talkspace and have services available to all of our students in grades 9-12. Every student has the opportunity to login for free and access the self-guided lessons or to connect with a therapist by way of text messaging. We started this project in December and for the next couple years, our students will have access to it.”

“Right now we’re seeing some promising numbers,” she continued. “We have quite a few students who have signed up for the services and Talkspace Go, meaning the self-guided lessons and we also have students who elected to engage in some of the therapy.”

“Mental health involves emotional, psychological and behavioral wellness.”

recognize the importance of our student’s mental health wellness and safety. Mental health involves emotional, psychological and behavioral wellness,” said Ferguson. Ferguson mentioned BCPS’ “tiered-intervention support,” system where all students have access to school counselors, psychologists and social workers.

“Talkspace is an online therapy service that connects individuals to a dedicated, licensed mental health therapist

Ferguson also spoke on the year-long campaign, Mind over Matter, which advocates for mental health and wellness for students. BCPS staff, in this campaign, are trained to watch for signs of mental disorders or warning signs of suicide.

According to Mental Health America (MHA), a mental health research and advocacy organization, in Maryland alone, “16.39 percent of youth age[s] 12-17 reported suffering from at least one major depressive episode (MDE) in the past year.”

Across the country, students are in need. MHA reports

Youth across the country are in desperate need of mental health care. According to Mental Health America, a mental health research and advocacy agency, “the state prevalence of untreated youth with depression ranges from 32.6 percent in the District of Columbia to 77.1 percent in South Carolina.”

state that in 2023, “the state prevalence of untreated youth with depression ranges from 32.6 percent in the District of Columbia to 77.1 percent in South Carolina.”

More and more, school districts are looking to be part of the solution.

Officials within New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) have been recognized for choosing to partner with community school mental health programs, offering resources to students experiencing depression and other mental disorders. Telehealth services like NYC Teenspace; also developed by TalkSpace, are offered to NYCPS students similar to BCPS students.

In Colorado, a program called I Matter is changing lives. The initiative provides students with up to six free virtual counseling sessions to speak with a licensed therapist, but funding ends this summer.

The Mayo Clinic defines

depression or major depressive disorder as a condition when patients experience a “persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest” which can affect “how you feel, think and behave,” leading to more mental and physical complications if left untreated.

In the U.S. depression is one of the most common mental illnesses. MHA says it affects more than 21 million Americans each year. Roughly 3.7 million youths 12 to 17–or 15 percent–are affected by major depression.

The AFRO spoke with Jennifer Rothman, director of youth and young adults initiative at the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) on depression symptoms in schools K-12.

“What you typically find in depression [are] symptoms of sadness, loss of interest in things you enjoyed doing,” said Rothman. “Sometimes you can have a feeling of guilt, loss of appetite, low motivation and a lot

of problems with concentration and inattention, which is why our students may have a difficult time with their studies.”

“If you have family members that experienced depression and or other mental health conditions, you are more at risk to have that condition,” Rothman added.

“For younger children, more like elementary age, what you hear most about elementary students is ADHD and anxiety. Those are precursor[s] to what could possibly be a more serious mental health condition later in life. For depression to show at elementary age, I think you might want to look toward things happening at home.”

Dr. Sunny Patel, senior advisor for children, youth and families for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and Nancy Kelly, director of children and school mental health at SAMHSA, spoke to data on depression and the origin of its causes in young children and teens.

“From the programs that we worked on, like Project AWARE and our traumatic TraumaInformed Support Services (TISS) in schools program, common factors for youth depression include bullying and victimization, social media use, climate change and educational expectations. Family conflicts like relationship hardships or a young person discovering their identity can feel incredibly overwhelming.”

“The rates of adolescence depression increased from 8.1 percent in 2009 to 15.8 percent in 2019,” said Kelly.

“It is an interplay between genetic predisposition, environmental influences and issues that occur. Depression is a complex interplay of these

factors. One of the things that increases this risk include children experiencing physical illness [or] stressful events whether it’s bullying, neglect, trauma, death of a loved one, break up…” Patel said discrimination against Black and other marginalized groups of youth and teens can also lead to depression. In the past five years, however, a main stressor has been the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Nearly a quarter million children in America lost a primary caregiver. As a child psychologist, I took care of many of these kids during the acute period of the pandemic,” said Dr. Patel. “I am conscious about this idea that the pandemic caused the youth mental health crisis. I think we have to be very careful. We knew that the kids were not quite alright prior to the pandemic, ” said Patel. In addition to health concerns, the pandemic also relegated teens and young children seeking social interaction to virtual platforms.

“[Social media] was the way to communicate. Young people and adults were able to stay connected with each other through texting or social media,” said Kelly. But there is a down side.

Kelly said users should beware they are using social media in the right way because it can attract a lot of attention and, sometimes, cause “shame and guilt, [which] do not lead to healthy behaviors or self efficacy.”

Gene Lambey is a resident of Washington D.C. He is writing for the community.

Unsplash/ Alex McCarthy

Unsplash/Bruno Rodrigues

The AFRO & FitzGerald Financial Group will host a virtual homebuying workshop on June 13th on The AFRO’s Facebook page! Scan here to register.

and a strong offer.

Financial Preparation for Homebuying

Being financially ready for the homebuying season involves several steps. Let’s focus on three key areas:

1. Knowing and Enhancing your credit score: Your credit score is vital in securing a mortgage and getting a favorable interest rate. Obtain a free credit report from the three major credit bureaus - Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion, and check for any errors. You can do this at www.annualcreditreport.com. Pay down your debts and ensure timely payments to improve your score.

2. Saving for a down payment and closing costs: The amount you put down on a home will depend on your loan selection. While low downpayment options are available, such as the VA Loan that starts at 0% down, the FHA loan that starts at 3.5% down, and a conventional loan that starts at 3% down, a larger down payment can help you secure better loan terms and a lower monthly payment. Don’t forget to account for closing costs,

which include appraisal, inspection, and legal fees. Closing costs typically vary between 2-5% of the total loan amount. It is important to know how much you can set aside for your down payment and closing costs before you start looking for homes. Keep in mind that moving comes with additional expenses as well, so you’ll want to make sure you still have some extra money set aside.

3. Securing mortgage pre-qualification: A prequalification gives you a clear budget and makes you a serious buyer. This involves submitting a loan application to a lender who will assess your financial situation and determine the loan amount you qualify for. Even if you’ve been pre-qualified in the past, it is important to keep your loan officer up to date on any changes in your financial status or home search criteria so that they can help you understand how these changes might impact your pre-qualification status or loan options. Your loan officer’s goal is to make sure you’re fully prepared to go under contract once you’ve found a home you love. With these important financial steps, you’re set to make informed decisions during the spring homebuying season.

THE HOMEStretch Stretch

Maximizing Homebuying Resources

There are numerous resources to help you make informed decisions when buying a home in spring. Let’s look at some of them: Down Payment Assistance Programs: These programs offer grants, loans, or tax credits to eligible buyers, easing the burden of saving for a down payment.

Online Budgeting Tools: Online tools and calculators can help you estimate monthly mortgage payments, assess affordability, and track expenses, simplifying the budgeting process for the spring homebuying season.

Your Loan Officer: Your loan officer can work with you to show you different loan options and scenarios, helping to find one that fits your specific financial needs. A local lender who is available around the clock can provide invaluable support when it comes to understanding your financial needs. Whether you have questions about the loan process, need guidance on choosing the right mortgage product, or require assistance with paperwork,

having a lender who is readily accessible can make a world of difference. They can help you navigate through the complexities of the mortgage industry and ensure that you make informed decisions that align with your goals and financial situation

Additionally, a local lender may have a deeper understanding of the local real estate market, allowing them to provide tailored advice and recommendations that can benefit you in the long run. By choosing a lender who is dedicated to meeting your needs and being available whenever you need them, you can have peace of mind knowing that you have a trusted partner by your side throughout the loan process. By leveraging these resources, you can better prepare for the homebuying season. With the right preparation and resources, you’re well on your way to achieving your homeownership goals.

Have more questions? Join us for a virtual homebuying workshop on June 13th on The AFRO’s Facebook page! Scan here to register.

Shirvan Joseph Diversity Manager/Loan Officer NMLSR# 188513 571-278-8351

Shirvan.joseph@fitzgeraldfinancial.net

FitzGerald Financial Group NMLS# 512138.

The information contained herein (including but not limited to any description of FitzGerald Financial Group, its affiliates and its lending programs and products, eligibility criteria, interest rates, fees and all other loan terms) is subject to change without notice. This article is for informational purposes only. This is not a commitment to lend.

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Preserving legacies over time: A look at the Black Teacher Archive

By Deyane Moses Special to the AFRO

In a groundbreaking initiative, Harvard University launched the Black Teacher Archive (BTA) in late 2023. This digital treasure trove offers a wealth of primary source materials – journals and newsletters – created by members of the Colored Teachers’ Associations (CTAs) between 1861 and 1970.

Dr. Jarvis R. Givens, a distinguished author and professor at Harvard who cofounded the BTA, reached out to Afro Charities in April about the treasure trove of information housed within the AFRO Archives. He was eager to explore the AFRO’s collection and discover if it held any materials related to the CTAs.

This fruitful collaboration led to a virtual discussion featuring Givens and Senior Project Manager, Micha Broadnax. The conversation delved into the significance of the BTA, particularly how providing access to these historical documents, created primarily by Black educators in segregated Southern schools, will revolutionize research in various fields – from the history of education to African American studies and critical pedagogy.

BTA is based at the Harvard Graduate School of Education in association with the Monroe C. Gutman Library Special Collections and is made possible through the generous support of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the Spencer Foundation.

Moses: Thank you for joining me. Tell me a little about yourself. How did you come to the BTA?

Givens: The BTA grew out of my own research on Carter G. Woodson’s partnership with Black teachers, but also from collaborations with a colleague of mine, professor and cofounder, Imani Perry. Through our respective research we noticed the scattered existence of CTA materials in collections and decided we wanted to make them available in one particular place. Additionally, we are taking advantage of new technologies in terms of preservation when it comes to

to access and study.

Broadnax: I’ve worked in the archival profession for about 10 years and always wanted to center Blackness in my work. It was really great when I saw the call that Jarvis and Imani put out, recognizing the skill set an archivist or librarian can bring to the project. I’m just fortunate to be working with them to make this history more accessible.

Givens: The history offered through the Black Teacher Archive does two important things when it comes to current educators. First, it helps contextualize the current attacks on teaching truth within a much longer history, while also offering a tradition of teaching and teacher organizing that resisted such conservative factions in America schooling. Second, it allows teachers to go back and study this history. By understanding themselves as part of a much longer tradition grounded in study, scholarship and research, they can cultivate among themselves more empowered and historically informed professional identities.

Moses: Absolutely. The AFRO’s collection has an estimated three million photographs in addition to other ephemera, artwork and physical objects. What’s in the BTA’s collection?

Broadnax: The BTA is a digitally curated collection with material from over 70 institutions. In this first phase we are focused on journal publications. These publications

senior project manager of the Black Teacher Archive Harvard Graduate School of Education Harvard University, centers Blackness in her archival work by preserving the legacy of Black teachers around the country.

were published at the state and national level, sometimes monthly or biannually. We are looking to expand the material to meeting minutes of these associations and track down any kind of photographs or audio visual materials that may exist that helps tell the story of these teachers associations.

We’ve been in contact with Afro Charities to help fill those gaps. In the collection, some states are better represented than others–particularly in the South. We are interested in seeing the coverage of northern and border state teachers associations within the Black Press.

Moses: Why is the BTA crucial for appreciating the ongoing contributions of Black teachers?

Givens: One of the most important things we’ve been finding in this research is the need to tell and retell powerful historical narratives about Black educators, because the archive is filled with them, yet public memory is quite impoverished when it comes to the legacy of Black teachers. The BTA showcases the amazing things Black teachers did to fight for educational justice in African American communities, especially for students. It provides a model of teachers who worked together,

organizing to teach against the grain and push back against the aggression, and in many ways, violence they experienced; experiences that resemble what teachers are facing today.

The BTA is crucial not just for understanding history, but also for inspiring effective organizing strategies for educators today.

Black educators, in particular, are often social justice-oriented educators within the profession. Many of them are called to the profession because they want to correct experiences they had, or they

professor of education and of African and African American studies is cofounder and director of the Black Teacher Archive at Harvard University.

want to inspire young people the way they were inspired from those who came before them. This is especially important in this moment, when teachers overall are constantly under attack. It’s an unfortunate reality that we live in a time where many are discouraged from entering the teaching profession. We see this with teachers being targeted for teaching an inclusive curriculum, whether it’s African American history, gender or sexuality.

Moses: Is there an example of this in the BTA?

Givens: Of course. Lots of them. For instance, if we look in the 1935 Louisiana Colored Teachers Journal, we’ll see teachers organizing themselves into study groups by grade level where they’re reading emerging scholarship and literature by Black writers and Black scholars– and they’re doing this with the purpose of integrating this new Black scholarship into their classrooms. Of course, this was not formally sanctioned by Louisiana’s Board of Education. We find similar cases in other states.

Note: The responses above have been edited for length and clarity.

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A time to educate: The importance of civic studies in K-12 classrooms

By Tashi McQueen

Political Writer

AFRO

tmcqueen@afro.com

With 2024 being a major election year, it is imperative that citizens of all ages have a solid understanding of how to exercise the right to vote and engage in civic duties. As the AFRO works to cover the issues and happenings of the current election year, it’s important to consider civic education in a country that boasts a democratic system.

“Civics education in K-12 prepares students to live in a democracy,” said Nina Kasniunas, an associate professor of political science at Goucher College. “It teaches students how to think critically about our governmental system and gives them the knowledge and ability to think about and address the problems that arise in our society.” According to Civics for Life, an initiative through the Sandra Day O’Connor Institute for American Democracy, civic education helps to foster a sense of national identity, helps people understand their rights, encourages civic responsibility

and helps create meaningful participation in society.

Social studies standards in Tennessee include lessons about American identity as citizens, the various levels of the political system, and its purpose and how it functions. Maryland’s social studies standards include teaching youth the historical development of the foundational processes of authority and power in American society and helping students question them to gain a better understanding of them.

“Research has shown that having a strong foundation in civics education leads to greater civic engagement as adults,” said Kasniunas. “Without a good civics education, we risk a generation that’s unprepared to step up to leadership roles in our democracy.”

It appears that youth in recent years have heard the call, with increased voter turnouts in the 2022 and 2018 midterm elections. They are also exercising their rights by protesting at college campuses over the nation’s stance and involvement in the Israel-Hamas war.

In addition, younger people are running for notable offices

With increasingly intense elections and certain rights being challenged or overturned, civic education can be seen as more important than ever.

across the country, and some have even won their campaigns, such as Congressman Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.-10) and Maryland State Dels. Jeffrie Long (D-Md.27B) and Joe Vogel (D-Md.-17). Frost, Long, and Vogel were 25 when they were elected.

“Young people need civics education because it helps them understand their responsibilities and power as citizens,” said Mileah Kromer, director of the Sarah T. Hughes Center

for Politics. “A robust civics education is a building block– a necessary foundation– for future change-makers. You can’t expect to improve this country unless you know exactly how [the] government functions and where power is held.”

Though American schools put an emphasis on preparing youth for their civic responsibilities, it is not common practice for every American school to remind and register 17-18-year-old high

“Civics

education in

K-12 prepares students to live in a democracy. It teaches students how to think critically about our governmental system and gives them the knowledge and ability to think about and address the problems that arise in our society.”

schoolers of their civic duty to vote.

According to a survey by the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning (CIRCLE) and Engagement, an independent research organization, about two-thirds of respondents, 64 percent, said they were encouraged to vote in high school, while 50 percent say they were taught how to register to vote. CIRCLE found that youth who said they were encouraged to vote or taught how to register to vote in high school are more likely to vote and participate in other civic activities.

According to CIRCLE, about

50 percent of eligible youth, ages 18-29, voted in the 2020 presidential election. Kasniunas says while adults are important in the process of learning civics, youth can and should take responsibility as well.

“When students take the initiative, it’s a practice that is more likely to become a lifelong habit,” said Kasniunas. “If you do it for them, it’s not as likely to have the same effect. We want students to have agency to vote because they understand why it’s important.”

For America corps member.

Tashi McQueen is a Report

Unsplash Photo / Dan Dennis

From convention reports to education journals, photos and event programs, the work of Black teachers throughout history is preserved in the AFRO Archives.

Jarvis Givens, Ph.D.,

Courtesy photo

AFRO Charities’ Curator of Archive, Deyane Moses, explores the preservation of documents, materials and legacies left behind by Black teachers for future generations

Courtesy photo

Micha Broadnax,

Courtesy photo

AFRO Archives

Nov. 1937

Oct. 1959

July 1948

Beyoncé inspires new college curriculum with ‘Renaissance’ album

By Ariyana Griffin Special to the AFRO

Beyoncé’s 2022 house music themed album, “Renaissance,” will be the topic of discussion at Prairie View A&M University this year. The Texasbased historically Black institution has partnered with the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) to provide coursework that highlights queer history and theory, feminism and diversity.

The HRC has been dedicated to meeting people where they are when it comes to advocating for equal rights and ending discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community for decades.

Since 1980, the organization has put forth the work to expand their programming across the country, to fight for equal rights. Part of that expansion was the creation of an HBCU initiative, which provides students with education, ambassador opportunities and resources. “Renaissance-A Queer Syllabus,” was birthed from this program specifically to educate HBCU students.

“This syllabus aims to amplify diverse voices, empower communities pushed to the margins, and promote inclusivity and a sense of belonging within education,” the organization states in the syllabus.

“Renaissance” has tight ties to house music, a genre of music originated by the queer Black and Brown community in the early 1980s in Chicago. The electric beats and feel good rhythms allowed people to move their bodies freely and shed the day off of discrimination, hatred and worries on the dance floor. This era of music is highly connected to the AIDs epidemic, which greatly impacted the queer community.

Beyonce dedicated the album to her uncle Johnny, who passed away from AIDS. She credits him for exposing her to music that helped make the album.

“A big thank you to my Uncle Jonny. He was my godmother and the first person to expose me to a lot of the music and culture that serve as inspiration for this album,” she wrote on her website. “Thank you to all of the pioneers who originate culture, to all of the fallen angels whose contributions have gone unrecognized for far too long. This is

a celebration for you.”

Justin Calhoun is a 2020 Howard University graduate. During his matriculation, he focused on LGBTQ inclusion and continued his work and activism at HRC. Calhoun also serves as HRC’s HBCU program manager.

Calhoun explained that the syllabus was created to dig deeper, and provide a way of students to be met where they are and be inclusive. He spoke about the attack on legislation when it comes to queer rights and how it is also integrating with bans in the classroom.

“The Renaissance syllabus is a way that teachers and students can expand their education,” he said. “It’s Black, it’s queer– its really touching on topics that they might not get the chance to do because of some of these like legislative restrictions,” said Calhoun

The syllabus breaks down the album into six lessons: empowerment and self-acceptance; intersectionality and inclusivity; social justice and activism; resilience and overcoming adversity; artistic expression and storytelling and legacy and history. The

“This syllabus aims to amplify diverse voices, empower communities pushed to the margins and promote inclusivity and a sense of belonging within education.”

curriculum is supported by several books, articles, essays and films, including but not limited to bell hooks [sic] and Audre Lorde.

Calhoun shared that harm to the LGBTQ community was a big reason he decided to help people gain knowledge of the community and its history.

O’Shae Sibley, specifically, is recognized in the syllabus. Sibley was a man who was murdered at the age of 28 years old queer for “voguing” – which is a highly stylized dance influenced by the 1960s Harlem ballroom scene.

“Simply for dancing somebody took his life and for dancing in our art form that is so Black, so queer. Somebody took his life because they didn’t see that, they didn’t value that. And so in the syllabus, towards the end, we do a tribute to O’Shae Sibley,” Calhoun told the AFRO

The course is open to multiple HBCUs in the HRC network, and has kicked off with Prairie View A&M University incorporating the course first.

Jeanelle Hope, Ph.D., is the director and an associate professor of African American Studies at PVAMU. She has extensive knowledge in Black feminism, Black queer theory and Black art and cultural production.

“They’ve [HRC] geared it towards being able to bolster HBCUs teaching of concepts related to gender, sexuality, race and many of the other sort of themes that emerge out of the album,” said Hope, including “self-love, identity, Black LGBTQ rights and issues, intersectionality, social responsibility and social activism.”

“It’s really exciting to see a major human rights organization invest not only in HBCUs, but also thinking about critical academic work that would be useful for students certainly at the higher-ed level,” Hope shared with the AFRO Hope teaches the “Race, Class and Gender in America” course at PVAMU and looks forward to incorporating elements from the syllabus into her course. She expressed that breaking down the history and terms related to the album and syllabus would be beneficial for students because they will be able to combine what they are already familiar with on a deeper level.

“Sit with a song like ‘Alien Superstar’ for instance. Leaning into this notion that ‘Yes, I’m different, no, I don’t go within the binary or what may be the norm of Blackness, but I’m cozy within my skin. I’m cool with being an alien superstar and all that’s okay,’” Hope told the AFRO She shared that students have already been emailing her to inquire about the course.

“Many of our students are from Houston because Prairie View is just right outside of Houston. This is someone who is homegrown talent as well, so it holds a little bit more significance for them,” Hope told the AFRO. “I think it’s an opportunity again for us to be able to meet our students where they’re at, to be able to lean into popular culture and get them to have really robust discussions.”

HRC looks forward to hosting virtual courses in the future as well as having in person activities related to the syllabus in the fall at Howard University.

AP Photo / Andrew Harnik

Beyonce’s album “Renaissance” is being used in higher education classrooms to educate on the history of LGBTQ culture in the United States.

One way to appreciate teachers: These schools provide their day care

By Carly Flandro Idaho Education News and Valeria Olivares Dallas Morning News

When Christina Zimmerman returned to teaching last year after maternity leave, she grappled with postpartum depression that she says could have led to quitting her job.

But her school’s onsite day care made all the difference, as she knew her daughter was just a few classrooms away.

“I can be mom and teacher in the same breath,” said Zimmerman, who teaches fourth grade at Endeavor Elementary in Nampa, Idaho. “I’ve dreamed of teaching since second grade. Truthfully, it’s all I’ve wanted to do, but I also want to be there for my child.”

In states such as Idaho and Texas, where funding for early childhood education is limited, some schools are spearheading initiatives to provide quality, affordable child care. It’s a teacher retention tool as much as it is a way to ensure youngsters are prepared when they enter kindergarten.

Some districts are transforming donated spaces — a former recycling center or house — into daycares for staff and in some cases, for first responders

in the area as well. Others are incorporating child care on their campuses.

The schools hope parenting teachers don’t have to choose between career and motherhood, as the education workforce

“We may not be able to pay every teacher what we should be able to, but what if we could create a compensation package that took a little stress off of them?”

remains predominantly female.

This series on how the child care crisis affects working parents — with a focus on solutions — is produced by the Education Reporting Collaborative, a coalition of eight newsrooms, including The Hechinger Report, AL.com, The Associated Press, The Christian

Science Monitor, The Dallas Morning News, Idaho Education News, The Post & Courier, and The Seattle Times.

Women are more likely than men to leave their careers to care for children, data shows. On top of that, teachers’ salaries

“If we’re going to support our community, … we need the very best teachers in the classroom,” said Tabitha Branum, superintendent of Richardson schools, north of Dallas. Her district runs two daycares, with goals of opening more.

aren’t keeping up with inflation, according to the National Education Association, even as child care costs have become more untenable.

Dropping out of the workforce can be an attractive option for educators with young children, which adds to retention challenges already facing schools.

“This is one of the strategies that we have in place to attract and retain the very best of the best,” Branum said.

In 2022, district leaders nationwide reported increased staff vacancies; most administrators — 63 percent — cited the pandemic as a cause. Last school year, nearly 1 in 4 teachers said they were likely

to quit their job due to stress, disillusionment, low salaries and heavy workloads, according to a RAND survey.

School-sponsored child care can mitigate that stress.

The devastating feeling of dropping off her three-month-old daughter Gracee with a caregiver each day still haunts Heather Yarbrough, even 14 years later.

She cried every day for weeks, but didn’t have the option to quit her job as an elementary reading specialist in Nampa.

Yarbrough and her husband, both educators, needed two incomes to get by financially. Over time, she realized having a career was healthy for her and her family.

That brought her to a eureka moment: “Why do we have to choose? There’s got to be a better way,” she said.

Now Endeavor’s principal, she spearheaded an on-campus day care. Funded through a combination of grants and parent fees, the program is in its fourth year. It’s become a recruitment and retention tool for the district, which doesn’t pay teachers as much as neighboring districts.

A dozen of the school’s 30 teachers use the daycare.

Child care for school employees has trickle-down benefits for students, said Van-

Kim Lin, an early childhood development researcher at nonprofit Child Trends.

The kids can build stronger relationships with educators, counselors or other staff members because turnover is minimized and children are on campus at younger ages.

“This is a great strategy by which you can … support both children, families and then also on the flip side, districts and their workforce,” she said.

As Molly Hillier, an instructional coach at Endeavor and mother of a child in the day care, put it: “It benefits students because

An AFRO spotlight on Black excellence: Meet Zion Phillips, the five-year-old accepted into the national society for high IQs

By Ariyana Griffin Special to the AFRO

Five-year-old Zion Phillips has become a part of the less than 1 percent of members to test into Mensa, the largest and oldest national intelligence quotient (IQ) society in the world. Due to her high achievement as a kindergartener, she has officially been identified as gifted allowing her to receive support and resources through the Florida Department of Education until the end of her high school matriculation.

Zion’s love for reading and learning started young; her father, Kevin Clouden, remembers her reading early and often.

“To be honest, naturally she enjoys reading. She would stay up for hours reading book after book after book,” Clouden told

She shares her love of reading with her youtube audience via her channel “ZaZa Read To Me.”

enriched outside of academics she is in several extracurricular activities.

“Her schedule is one that

“Her ability to catch on to things very easily and be able to adapt in areas that may not be as straightforward is something we found to be just extremely astonishing.”

the AFRO. “Her mother, who is an advocate for education, placed her in a position where she was able to naturally show her intelligence.” Clouden explained that reading is not the only thing she enjoys or has on her schedule. Being musically inclined himself, it was only right that he exposed her to instruments and music early on. But quickly, he realized she naturally had an ear for music. He shared that children usually bang on a piano until they get the hang of things, but Zion was different. She mentally registered sounds and music notes, and eventually started playing things she heard on television. To keep her

an adult probably would not be able to keep up with. From ballet to basketball, to swimming and obviously to piano lessons,” said Clouden. “ Her ability to catch on to things very easily and be able to adapt in areas that may not be as straightforward is something we found to be just extremely astonishing.”

According to an assessment by “OCPS School Psychologist Tamika Matthews, her composite IQ is in the top 2 percent, and her non-verbal score is in the top 1 percent.”

Her mother, Anuli Phillips, shared that when Zion was young she was read to often by family members. By threeand-a-half years old, she was

reading on her own. She even found a way to use reading to extend her bed time.

Around 7 p.m. all technology would be turned off, and instead Zion would pick up a book.

“She knew that if she was sitting there with a book, I wouldn’t say, ‘Okay, Zion put the book away– time to go to sleep.’ It started off with 10 minutes of reading and then 20 minutes. The next thing you know, she’d be in a room and I would forget she was there. An hour would go by and she’d be in there reading,” said Anuli.

Zion’s grandmother is an early childhood education specialist, and urged her parents to get her tested early on. “I just figured it was grandmother’s love and I didn’t think too much of it,” said Anuli. However, when she entered Zion in pre-K, her teacher started pulling her aside letting her know Zion would be getting extra work due to being ahead. The teacher even allowed Zion to read onstage at the school’s graduation. By kindergarten, Anuli knew the testing had to be done.

“She was already in the 90th percentile as far as reading, math, language, arts–everything,” said Anuli.

She started the task of reaching out to administration

and school boards to see what can be done as far as advancement. The parents

Zion Phillips is among the youngest individuals to be accepted into Mensa, the society for people with extraordinarily high IQs.

Courtesy Photo

Education leaders say the price of child care is negatively impacting teacher retention.

Unsplash / Gautam Arora

Name that great Black educator in time

By AFRO Staff

This week, the AFRO celebrates all things related to education and the people who have taken up the profession of teaching. Educators, of both the past and present, have left an indelible mark on the world. From teaching the first generation of free African Americans, to helping the present generation succeed, the individuals pictured here have changed the course of history in more ways than one. These educators have made great contributions to the world of academia while overcoming personal and professional roadblocks. Take a look below and see who you recognize!

This legendary educator was born into slavery in the nation’s capital in 1837. The native Washingtonian had a penchant for learning that led her to Oberlin College. She began matriculating through her coursework at the institution in 1860 and graduated in 1865. She immediately put her training into practice by teaching math and Latin and Greek at the Institute for Colored Youth, becoming head principal by 1869. By the late 1870s, educators of the day were taking note of her “practice-teaching” initiative, which trained up teachers and prepared them for work in the classroom. In 1881 she married a man who, in 1900, was appointed to the position of bishop in the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Her work continued. In 1889 she gained notoriety for steering Black youth to both vocational training and higher education as a way to improve their lives and provide for themselves and their families. In 1902 she retired and set sail for Cape Town, South Africa. According to information released by Britannica Encyclopedia, there, “over the next decade she worked tirelessly among the native Black women, organizing mission societies and promoting temperance, as well as founding the Bethel Institute in Cape Town.”

In 1926, the High and Training School of Baltimore renamed their institution in her honor. The school still thrives today.

This great educator was born a slave in April 1856 on the plantation of James Burroughs and rose to become the first person to serve Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute as president and principal developer. The institution, now known as Tuskegee University, still thrives today.

capital at M Street Colored High School, where she arrived in 1887. The two teachers were married in 1891, the year before a devastating event. The following year, a lynching in her home state would significantly alter the course of her life.

In 1892, Thomas Moss was brutally murdered in a rivalry with White business owners in Tennessee, who chose to lynch the entrepreneur rather than put up with him as solid competition. This caused the educator to join forces with Black Press legend Ida B. Wells-Barnett, who was already gaining attention for her anti-lynching campaign.

From there, this educator began to lean into the work of pushing Black people and other women forward.

By 1896 she was leading the National Association of Colored Women (NACW) as president. It was a role she would hold until 1901. A strong, inspirational leader, the words of this educator, “Lifting as we climb,” were eventually adopted as the organization’s motto.

Over time, she lent her time and efforts to other great organizations, such as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the College Alumnae Club, which became the National Association of University Women. In 1914, she wrote the oath of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority and later, authored her autobiography, “A Colored Woman in a White World.”

This educator- activist carried the fight for equality into her senior years, as at the age of 86, she fought segregation in Washington, D.C.’s public places and won. As a result, the Supreme Court handed down a ruling that eliminated segregation in restaurants by deeming it unconstitutional.

This southeast Alabama native attended Spelman College. The historically Black institution is where she earned a degree in math– the first of many. Currently a professor at The Ohio State University, this educator was selected to serve as the inaugural chair of the university’s department of engineering education. It wasn’t the first time she made history in higher education. When the College of Engineering at Purdue University granted tenure for the first time to an AfricanAmerican female, she was the professor they chose in 2011.

This educator was also an advocate for civil rights and a journalist. An 1886 graduate of Howard University, he became the first Black person to seek and gain admission to the worldrenowned John Hopkins University. While at the Baltimorebased institution, he chose to take courses in physics and astronomy, but math was the subject that he studied and would eventually teach later on the campus of his alma mater.

education, but he didn’t let that deter him.

After passing the entrance exam for Lincoln University, he matriculated and graduated with magna cum laude honors. Ultimately, after serving in World War I, he earned his doctorate degree at Clark University and became a professor. His time in the classroom led him to Howard University. There, he helped found the historically Black institution’s psychology department and chaired it from 1928 until his death in 1954.

Best recognized for the collection of diaries she published, this educator was born free in Philadelphia. Her family was known for their work as abolitionists and she would later follow in their footsteps but before then she was sent to Salem, Mass. to escape the segregated and racist school system in Philadelphia. While living in Salem she attended the Higginson Grammar School and was the only Black student out of the entire student body. During this time is when she first began to keep a diary. With no interest in marriage, she furthered her education at the Salem Normal School where received her training to be a teacher. She graduated from the institute in 1856 and she began to teach at the Epes Grammar School, an all-White institution in Salem.

Her passion for literature and language arts increased as she started writing poetry at this point in her life. When the Civil War broke out she followed it closely and saw that over 10,000 enslaved people were abandoned on plantations all across the coast of South Carolina once the Union gained control over the sea islands.Following this situation the government launched an experimental program focused on educating the formerly enslaved and they needed volunteers to serve as teachers. For two years she worked as a teacher and documented her experiences. She eventually returned to New England and further dedicated herself to the fight for freedom by working as secretary for the Boston branch of the Freedmen Union Commision.

This teacher has found success in many arenas including the entertainment industry, higher education and literature. His name became well known after appearing on an episode of CNN’s “Black in America,” where he was featured with the school he founded, Capital Preparatory School. A native of Middletown, Conn.,the multifaceted educator has used the struggles he endured throughout his adolescence to inspire the work he does now.

This educator has dedicated his life’s work to helping disadvantaged children and families. He is the higher education expert that stars like Oprah Winfrey, Bishop T.D. Jakes and Steve Harvey look to for insight. The best-selling author and education advocate is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and as of 2020 he has five different locations of his Capital Preparatory School throughout Connecticut and New York.

Photo courtesy of The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Libraries

Photo courtesy of Britannica Encyclopedia

This Tennessee native is known still today for her work in the civil and human rights space. Born to former slaves in Sept. 1863, this staunch supporter of the Women’s Suffrage Movement was a graduate of Oberlin College. After

Photo courtesy of Britannica Encyclopedia

Courtesy photo

The “Father of Black Psychology” according to the American Psychological Association, this educator was known for his expertise in the field. Born in 1895, and hailing from the state of Arkansas, this educator didn’t have a high school

Photo courtesy of New York Public Library

Photo courtesy of behavioralhealth.llu.edu

Courtesy Photo

Photo courtesy of New York Public Library

A time to honor: A look at the teachers who inspired the AFRO team

By AFRO Staff

Douglas Anderson

Jacksonville, Fla.

Grades 9 thru 12 1999 - 2002

Dean Brinson walked onto campus every day with solid gold nails and 12 inch extensions.

The day I got to know her well, I was sent to her office for being a little “too real” with another student in defense of the teacher. She told me three things: First, I wasn’t wrong. Second, my “Blackness” was walking around campus a bit too loudly– and third, that’s “just the way she liked it.”

That conversation opened my eyes to just how disenchanted I was with traditional school culture. After that, my best friends and I brought as much “Blackness” to campus as we could. Little did we know, it would support the present generation of scholars who attend Douglas Anderson School of the Arts. We held the first Black history performance and the first step show that the school had ever seen. This legacy lives on in the empowered students still thriving there today.

-Ama Brown

AFRO Editorial Assistant

Baltimore Grades 5 and 6 1959-1960

For two years, Mrs. Geneva Johnson established a safe, sacred space for us to respect each other as young ladies and gentlemen, to explore our ideas– no matter how far afield–and to learn the workings of the political system. We did cast our votes to elect President John Fitzgerald Kennedy and felt quite savvy as we did. And every day’s class began with the reading of a passage from the Bible. She prepared us for the approaching changes of junior high school that wouldn’t be as protective, but much more challenging.

-Rev. Dorothy Boulware AFRO Special Projects Editor

Ethel Johnson, Clemouth Brown and Michael Powell West Columbus High School

Cerro Gordo, North Carolina

Grade 9 through 12 1974-1978

I was beyond blessed to have several educators who had a tremendous impact on my life: Ms. Ethel Johnson, Mr. Clemouth Brown and Mr. Michael Powell. It wasn’t their teaching, but their humanity and how they treated me.

The Columbus City Preparatory School for Girls Columbus, Ohio 8th grade 2014-2015

Mrs. Rashaun James was one of the greatest teachers I’ve ever had.

She was and continues to be the embodiment of grace, intelligence, wit and strength. She taught me so much from both an academic and personal standpoint. In my eyes, she was the coolest person ever. She went out of her way to make me feel seen and important—especially at a time in my life when I usually felt so invisible, it meant the world to me. The experiences I had in her class will always be dear to me.

-Aria Brent AFRO Staff Writer

My accounting teacher in my junior and senior years. Mrs. Harcum was a tough yet encouraging teacher that made me fall in love with accounting and how it affects the business world. She was tough, but her stearness was delivered with love and respect similar to the tough love you get from a parent. Her encouragement showed me how to believe in myself. Shout out to her and her husband, Mr. Ellis Harcum Sr., who is a long time subscriber of the AFRO

-By Bonnie Deanes

AFRO Finance Manager

An Oblate Sister of Providence, Sister Matthews, is my all time favorite teacher. She taught me at St. Pius V Catholic School in Harlem Park. Sister was very complimentary and encouraging of me, dropping a handful of penny candy on my desk to reward my school work. She was a great teacher, who suggested to me, in 1960 or so, that I could be President of the United States one day.

-By Ralph E. Moore Jr.

AFRO Freelance Writer

Ms. Johnson lived in my community. She taught my mother and at least six of her eleven siblings. She took it personally for me to be great.

Mr. Brown was stern and nononsense, but always available to provide a friendly moment. Before COVID, Mr. Brown surprised me by attending a keynote speech I delivered. As I made my way to the podium, I spotted him in the audience and cried—I was excited to see him. Later, he reminded me how he needed to stay on me all the time, but said I turned out okay. That was Mr. Brown. Finally, there’s Mr. Powell, whom we affectionately refer to as “Peanut.”

He began teaching at West Columbus in my junior year. I was a two-year starter on the varsity basketball team when he arrived. I heard he could hoop, so I challenged him. He destroyed me. He had the same drive in the classroom. Forty years later, we still talk.

By Reginald Wilson -AFRO Freelance Writer

Dean Clavelia Brinson

School of the Arts

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Mrs.Rashaun James

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Mrs. Geneva Johnson Oliver Cromwell Elementary School #74

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Sister Justina Matthews St. Pius V Catholic School Baltimore Grade 3

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Mrs. Vera Harcum Eastern High School Baltimore 11th and 12th grade 1983 to 1984

Eastern High School Yearbook, 1984

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Photo courtesy of Ralph Moore

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 Will and will serve without Court supervision.

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION ADMINISTRATION NO. 2023ADM001295 CHRISTINE COFIELD Name of Decedent Notice of Appointment, Notice to Creditors and Notice to Unknown Heirs LAVENIA COFIELD, whose address is 8811 LOTTSFORD RD #544 LARGO, MD 20774 was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of CHRISTINE COFIELD, who died on AUGUST 12, 2023 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 10, 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 10, 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 10, 2024

Name of newspaper and/or periodical: Daily Washington Law Reporter AFRO American Newspapers

LAVENIA COFIELD Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS 5/10, 5/17, 5/24/24

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION ADMINISTRATION NO. 2024ADM000508

ELIZABETH JANE FARRELL Name of Decedent Notice of Appointment, Notice to Creditors and Notice to Unknown Heirs

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 BRANDYWINE, MD 20613, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of MARY T. HARRIS, who died on

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

CLARANCE JOHNSON 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. 2023ADM000947 CHRISTINE PRICE Name of Decedent Notice of Appointment, Notice to Creditors and Notice to Unknown Heirs

JAMES E PRICE, whose address is 246 37TH PL SE WDC 20019 was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of CHRISTINE PRICE, who died on APRIL 22, 2020 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 26, 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 26, 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 26, 2024 Name of newspaper and/or periodical: Daily Washington Law Reporter AFRO American Newspapers

JAMES E PRICE Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS 4/26, 5/3, 5/10/24

ANDREW FARRELL WALLACE, whose address is 3101 NEW MEXICO AVE. NW, APT 220 WASHINGTON DC 20016 was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of ELIZABETH JANE FARRELL, who died on MARCH 06, 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 10, 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 10, 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 10, 2024 Name of newspaper and/or periodical: Daily Washington Law Reporter AFRO American Newspapers

ANDREW FARRELL WALLACE Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS 5/10, 5/17, 5/24/24

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION ADMINISTRATION NO. 2024ADM000427

DORENDA RENEE CANTY Name of Decedent

OLESYA SIDORKINA,ESQ. ( BAR NO.1034094) 2001 MOUNT VERNON AVE ALEXANDRIA VA 22301 Notice of Appointment, Notice to Creditors and Notice to Unknown Heirs OLA SIMONE CANTY, whose address is 563 WINTHROP STREET, MEDFORD, MA 02155 was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of DORENDA RENEE CANTY, who died on NOVEMBER 28, 2023 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.,

FLETCHER, whose address is 1309 GABES PL HYATTSVILLE MD 20785 was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of JANICE MARIE FLETCHER, who

on FEBRUARY 6, 2024 without a Will and will serve without

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 17, 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 17, 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 17, 2024 Name of newspaper and/or periodical: Daily Washington Law Reporter AFRO American Newspapers EDWARD FLETCHER Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS 5/17, 5/24, 5/31/24

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION ADMINISTRATION NO. 2024ADM00047

MICHAEL E SHELL Name of Decedent Notice of Appointment, Notice to Creditors and Notice to Unknown Heirs

LINDA B SHELL, whose address is 618 UPSHUR ST NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20011 was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of MICHAEL E SHELL, who died on MARCH 17, 2023 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 17, 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 17, 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 17, 2024 Name of newspaper and/or periodical: Daily Washington Law Reporter AFRO American Newspapers

LINDA B SHELL Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS 5/17, 5/24, 5/31/24

Effective immediately, The Afro American

credit card or money order. Any returned checks

For More Information, please call the number

BOARD OF LIQUOR LICENSE COMMISSIONERS FOR BALTIMORE CITY NOTICE – MAY 2024

Petitions have been filed by the following applicants for licenses to sell alcoholic beverages at the premises set opposite their respective names. The real property for these applications will be posted on or about May 20, 2024. Written protests concerning any application will be accepted until and including the time of the hearing. Public hearings may be scheduled on or after May 30, 2024 at 10:30 AM in City Hall; 100 N. Holliday Street, Room 215, Baltimore, Maryland 21202. Please visit llb.baltimorecity.gov under the link for “Hearing Schedules” for confirmation of the date, time, and place for all matters being heard by the Board.

1. CLASS “A” BEER, WINE & LIQUOR LICENSE

Applicant: Sahani, Inc. T/a One Stop Shop Liquor - Pushpa Sharma, Janak Pun Magar, and Nim Sahani Petition: Transfer of ownership Premises: 4905 Frankford Avenue 21206

Applicant: 12 Bhairab, Inc. T/a Winchester Liquors - Pallabi Bijukchhe and Patricia D. Anderson Petition: Transfer of ownership

Premises: 1141 Poplar Grove Street 21216

2. CLASS “B” BEER, WINE & LIQUOR LICENSE

Applicant: Risky Biscuits, LLC T/a Bunny’s - Brian Acquavella Petition: New restaurant license requesting outdoor table service and off-premises catering Premises: 801 S. Ann Street 21231

Applicant: September Trees, LLC T/a Rize + Rest Café - Randall Jovan Matthews

Petition: Requesting outdoor table service

Premises: 3100 E. Baltimore Street 21224

Applicant: Eden Sports Bar & Grill, LLC T/a Eden Restaurant - Jer emy Freeman Petition: New restaurant license requesting live entertainment and outdoor table service

Premises: 6317 Belair Road 21206

Applicant: Red Crab Sushi, Inc. T/a Red Crab Sushi House - Kong Fei Chen Petition: New restaurant license

Premises: 438 E. Belvedere Avenue 21212

Applicant: Alma Cocina Latina, LLC T/a Alma Cocina Latina - Irena Stein

Petition: Transfer of ownership requesting live entertainment and outdoor table service

Premises: 1701-05 N. Charles Street 21201

Applicant: Crockett & Tubbs, Inc. T/a Nola Seafood & Spirits - Andrew Lasinski and Lonnie L. Shaulis

Petition: Transfer of ownership with continuation of live entertainment

Premises: 32-36 E. Cross Street 21230

Applicant: Copper Café, LLC T/a Copper Café - Mark D. Larkin, Jr.

Petition: New restaurant license requesting outdoor table service, off-premises catering, and delivery of alcoholic beverages

Premises: 5736 Falls Road 21209

Applicant: Demari, Inc. T/a Zella’s Pizzeria - Mert Ozturk

Petition: Transfer of ownership requesting off-premises catering and delivery of alcoholic beverages Premises: 1143-45 Hollins Street 21223

Applicant: Baltimore Beach Fish, LLC T/a Nick’s Fish House - James R. Weisgerber and John Kelly Dayton

Petition: Transfer of ownership with continuation of live entertainment and outdoor table service Premises: 2600 Insulator Drive 21230

Applicant: Facci Ristorante of Baltimore, LLC T/a Facci Ristorante - Luigi Palma-Esposito and Jacob S. Dellheim

Petition: Request to add live entertainment, outdoor table service, and off-premises catering Premises: 414 Light Street, Suite 102 21202

Applicant: Savoy’s Spot. LLC T/a Savoy’s Spot - Dominque Frances Sa-

CERTIFICATION OF PUBLICATION CITY OF BALTIMORE

OFFICE OF BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS PUBLIC NOTICE

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

PROJECT # 1389

PLANNING/FEASIBILITY STUDY WEST BALTIMORE UNITED RECONNECTING COMMUNITIES PROJECT

The City of Baltimore’s Department of Transportation has been authorized to request the Office of Boards and Commission (OBC) to advertise Project No. 1389 Planning/Feasibility Study West Baltimore United Reconnection Communities Project for selected services.

It is the expectation of the City that interested firms providing these services must demonstrate and document the following, to undertake a federally funded planning/feasibility study for the 1.4-mile-long US 40 Expressway corridor in West Baltimore that includes the development of transportation and redevelopment concepts and associated analysis in conjunction with deconstructing or reconfiguring the US 40 expressway Consultant services funded in whole, or in part, with Federal-aid highway program funds shall be procured and administered in accordance with the requirements of Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (2 CFR 200). In addition, contracts for engineering, planning and design related services which utilize Federal-aid highway program funds and are directly related to a planned construction project must also comply with the requirements established in 23 U.S.C.§112 and 23 CFR 172. Engineering and design related services are defined as program management, construction, management, feasibility studies, preliminary lated services, (as specified in 23 U.S.C.§. 112(b)(2)(A) and 23 CFR § 172.3). Many additional Federal laws and regulations apply to the procurement and administration of engineering, planning and design related services including the Brooks Act (40 USC Chapter 11).

City personnel will utilize the City of Baltimore Guidelines for the Performance Evaluation of Design Consultants and Construction Contractors for this contract/project.

Prequalification Requirements

All firms listed in the specific proposal for the project, whether prime or subcontractors, must be prequalified by the Office of Boards and Commissions for each discipline in which they propose to perform work at the time of submittal for this project. Any contracting firm listed in this specific proposal to perform work must also be prequalified. A copy of the prime and all subcontracting firm’s current prequalification must be included in the submitted package. Information regarding the prequalification process can be obtained by calling the Office of Boards and Commissions in 410396-6883

Submittal Process

Five (5) copies of the Federal Form 330 and response to the detailed technical proposal (NOTE: DO NOT PROVIDE A COST PROPOSAL) must be submitted on or before 12:00 P.M. (Noon) on 06/21/2024 to the Office of Boards and Commissions 4 South Frederick Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21202.

To obtain a detailed scope of work and to obtain an invite to the pre-submittal meeting, please contact Brenda Simmons at Brenda.simmons@ baltimorecity.gov.

The Department of Transportation will be hosting a virtual pre-submittal meeting on 05/17/24, at _11:00 AM. All interested parties must email their Firm Name, Representative Name, Email address and phone number to Brenda Simmons at Brenda.Simmons@baltimorecity.gov, no later than 5/13/2024, in order to revive an invite. DOT ask that no more than two representatives from your firm participate in the virtual meeting. Failure to follow directions of this advertisement or the application may cause disqualification of the submittal.

All questions should be submitted to Mr. Stuart Sirota at Stuart.sirota@ baltimorecity.gov no later than 05/22/2024 at 11:49 PM. Questions will be compiled, and responses sent on 05/29/2024 to those that have provided e-mail addresses.

DBE Requirements It is the policy of the City of Baltimore to promote equal business opportunity in the City’s contracting process. Disadvantaged Business Enterprise

Baltimore Classified

Continued from B8

LEGAL NOTICES

CITY OF BALTIMORE DEPARTMENT OF GENERAL SERVICES NOTICE OF LETTING

Sealed Bids or Proposals, in duplicate, addressed to the Board of Estimates of the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore and marked for GS23808 – Eastern Police District Roof Replacement & Partial Interior Renovations, will be received at the Office of the Comptroller, Room 204, City Hall, Baltimore, Maryland until 11:00 A.M. on WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26, 2024. Board of Estimates employees will be stationed at the Security Unit Counter just inside the Holliday Street entrance to City Hall from 10:45 A.M. to 11:00 A.M. every Wednesday to receive Bids. Positively no bids will be received after 11:00 A.M. The bids will be publicly opened by the Board of Estimates in Room 215, City Hall at Noon. Bid opening proceedings can be also viewed live at https://www.charmtvbaltimore.com/live-stream at 12:00 noon. Bid tabulation sheets detailing the bids received will be publicly posted to the Comptroller’s website by COB on the date of bid opening.

The Contract Documents may be purchased for a non-refundable cost of $50.00 by contacting Lauren Hoover at lauren.hoover@baltimorecity.gov as of FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2024.

Conditions and requirements of the Bid are found in the bid package.

All contractors bidding on this Contract must first be pre-qualified by the City of Baltimore Boards and Commissions. Interested contractors should call 410 396-6883 or contact the Office of Boards and Commissions at 4 South Frederick Street, 4 th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21202. If a bid is submitted by a Joint Venture (“JV”), then in that event, the documents that establish the JV shall be submitted with the bid for verification purposes. The Prequalification Category required for bidding on this project is E13004 – REHABILITATION OF STRUCTURES

The Cost Qualification Range for this work shall be $2,000,000.01 to $3,000,000.00

A “Pre-Bidding information” session will be conducted at the site: 1620 Edison Hwy, Baltimore, MD 21213 on TUESDAY, May 28, 2024 at 10:00 a.m.

Principal Items of work for this project are:

CONTRACT NO. GS 23808

APPROVED:

M. Celeste Amato

Clerk, Board of Estimates

APPROVED: Berke Attila Director, Department of General Services CITY OF BALTIMORE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS OFFICE OF ENGINEERING AND CONSTRUCTION NOTICE OF LETTING

Sealed Bids or Proposals, in duplicate addressed to the Board of Estimates of the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore and marked for SANITARY CONTRACT NO. 1006-Jones Falls Sewershed Inflow & Infiltration Reduction- Area A will be received at the Office of the Comptroller, Room 204 City Hall, Baltimore, Maryland until 11:00 A.M on June 26, 2024. Positively no bids will be received after 11:00 A.M. Bids will be publicly opened by the Board of Estimates and can be watched live on CharmTV’s cable channel 25/1085HD; charmtvbaltimore.com/watchlive or listen in at (443) 984-1696 (ACCESS CODE: 0842939) from City Hall at Noon. The Contract Documents may be examined, without charge, at Contract Administration 4 South Frederick Street Baltimore, Maryland 21202 on the 3 rd floor (410) 396-4041 as of May 17, 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 OBC at 4 S Frederick St., 4 th Floor, Baltimore, MD 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 forverification purposes. The Prequalification Category required for bidding on this project is B02552 – Sewer Construction. Cost Qualification Range for this work shall be $20,000,000.01 to $30,000,000.00

A “Pre-Bidding Information” session will be conducted via Microsoft Teams. Vendor can call 332-249-0605 Passcode: 710559518# on June 4, 2024 at 10:00 AM

To purchase a bid book, please make an electronic request at: https://publicworks.baltimorecity.gov/dpw-construction-projects-notice-letting and dpwbidopportunities@baltimorecity.gov For further inquiries about purchasing bid documents, please contact the assigned Contract Administrator Doreen.Diamond@baltimorecity.gov

Principal items of work for this contract include, but are not limited to:

* Cured-in-place pipe (CIPP) lining of sanitary sewers; * Excavate and replace segments of sanitary sewer via point repairs;

* Manhole repair and rehabilitation work;

* Sewer house connection (SHC) repair and rehabilitation work;

* New manhole and cleanout installation work

This project is funded by SRF program

The MBE goal is 22% APPROVED: Clerk, Board of

3 will be received at the Office of the Comptroller, Room 204 City Hall, Baltimore, Maryland until 11:00 A.M on June 26, 2024. Positively no bids will be received after 11:00 A.M. Bids will be publicly opened by the Board of Estimates and can be watched live on CharmTV’s cable channel 25/1085HD; charmtvbaltimore.com/watch-live or listen in at (443) 984-1696 (ACCESS CODE: 0842939) from City Hall at Noon. The Contract Documents may be examined, without charge, at Contract Administration 4 South Frederick Street Baltimore, Maryland 21202 on the 3 rd floor (410) 396-4041 as of May 17, 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) 3966883 or contact OBC at 4 S Frederick St., 4 th Floor, Baltimore, MD 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 purposes. The Prequalification Category required for bidding on this project is B02552 – Sewer Construction Cost Qualification Range for this work shall be $5,000,000.01 to $10,000,000.00

A “Pre-Bidding Information” session will be conducted via Microsoft Teams. Vendor can call 1 667-228-6519, 485944158# Passcode: DZosTi on May 31, 2024 at 10:00 AM

To purchase a bid book, please make an electronic request at: https://publicworks.baltimorecity.gov/dpw-construction-projects-notice-letting and dpwbidopportunities@baltimorecity.gov. For further inquiries about purchasing bid documents, please contact the assigned Contract Administrator Latonia.Walston@baltimorecity.gov

Principal items of work for this contract include, but are not limited to:

*Sewer cleaning and closed-circuit television (CCTV) inspection;

*Open cut point repairs of sanitary sewers;

* Cured-in-place pipe (CIPP) lining of sanitary sewers;

* Excavate and replace segments of sanitary sewer via point repairs;

* Manhole repair and rehabilitation work;

* Sewer house connection (SHC) repair and rehabilitation work;

* New manhole and cleanout installation work

The MBE goal is 12%

APPROVED:

Clerk, Board of Estimates

The WBE goal is 5%

APPROVED:

Khalil Zaied

Acting Director Department of Public Works

HOUSING AUTHORITY OF BALTIMORE CITY INVITATION FOR BIDS

EMERGENCY ON-CALL ELECTRICAL REPAIR SERVICES

IFB NUMBER: B-2011-24

The Housing Authority of Baltimore City (“HABC”) will issue an Invitation for Bids (“IFB”) for interested and qualified vendors for emergency on-call electrical repair services.

BIDS WILL BE DUE no later than 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Friday, June 14, 2024

A non-mandatory pre-bid meeting will be held on Wednesday, May 29, 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 20, 2024 Questions regarding the IFB should be directed in writing to the address and individual indicated below and must include the reference: HABC IFB Number B-2010-24.

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

Attention: Mary Bourke, Contract Administrator Tel: 410-396-3370 ext. 21347 mary.bourke@habc.org

CITY OF BALTIMORE

DEPARTMENT OF RECREATION AND PARKS NOTICE OF LETTING

Sealed Bids or Proposals, in duplicate addressed to the Board of Estimates of the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore and marked for BALTIMORE CITY NO. RP22806 Patterson Boat Lake will be received at the Office of the Comptroller, Room 204 City Hall, Baltimore, Maryland until 11:00 A.M. June 26, 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 at Noon. 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 Mondays - Fridays, 8:30am – 4:00pm by emailing benitaj.randolph@baltimorecity.gov as of May 17, 2024 and copies may be purchased for a non-refundable cost of $100.00. A SharePoint link to a PDF of the Construction Drawings will be provided to all prospective bidders. 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 purposes. The Prequalification Category required for bidding on this project is G90013 – Dredging or G90132 – Park Rehabilitation. Cost Qualification Range for this work shall be $500,000.00 to $650,000.00. A “MANDATORY Pre-Bidding Information” session will be conducted in person at 10:30 A.M. on May 28, 2024, and will be held at the BCRP Capital Development Office at 2600 Madison Avenue. Principal Items of work for this project are Partial dewatering of the “Boat Lake” pond, removal of debris, demolition, earthwork, removal and replacement of existing boardwalk, Storm water facilities, Landscaping including emergent and wetland plantings, Hardscaping and Paving as necessary to return site to original condition. The MBE goal is 27% and WBE goal is 10%

DEPARTMENT OF RECREATION AND PARKS NOTICE OF LETTING

Sealed Bids or Proposals, in duplicate addressed to the Board of Estimates of the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore and marked for BALTIMORE CITY NO. RP23885 Federal Hill East Slope Repairs will be received at the Office of the Comptroller, Room 204 City Hall, Baltimore, Maryland until 11:00 A.M. June 26, 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 at Noon. 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 Mondays - Fridays, 8:30am – 4:00pm by emailing benitaj.randolph@baltimorecity.gov as of May 17, 2024 and copies may be purchased for a non-refundable cost of $100.00. A SharePoint link to a PDF of the Construction Drawings will be provided to all prospective bidders. 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 purposes The Prequalification Category required for bidding on this project is F02200 Earthwork and Site Preparation. Cost Qualification Range for this work shall be $280,000.00 to $330,000.00. A “Pre- Bidding Information” session will be conducted via Microsoft Teams at 1:00pm EST on June 5, 2024. Email your contact information to joseph.bateky@baltimorecity.gov to receive an invite to the Microsoft Team (video conference meeting) no later than 4:00pm EST, June 4, 2024. Principal Items of work for this project are Slope stabilization at the East side of Federal Hill, with some pavement and sidewalk removal, pavement and sidewalk installation, fencing, erosion and sediment control, water utilities repair and landscaping. The MBE goal is 16.69% and WBE goal is 5.78% APPROVED: M. Celeste Amato, Clerk, Board of Estimates

CITY OF BALTIMORE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION NOTICE OF LETTING

Sealed Bids or Proposal for the TR-23004R, INSPIRE SCHOOLS SIDEWALK RECONSTRUCTION, will be received at the Office of the Comptroller, Room 204, City Hall, Baltimore, Maryland until JUNE 5, 2024, at 11:00 A.M. Board of Estimates employees will be stationed at the the Holliday Street entrance to City Hall from 10:45 A.M. to 11:00 A.M. every Wednesday to receive Bids. Positively no bids will be received after 11:00 A.M. The bids will be publicly opened by the Board of Estimates in Room 215, City Hall at Noon. As of MAY 17, 2024, the Contract Documents may be examined, without charge by contacting Brenda Simmons at brenda. simmons@baltimorecity.gov or (443) 865-4423 to arrange for a copy of the bid book labeled “NOT FOR BIDDING PURPOSES” to be emailed to you. Anyone who desires to purchase a bid book to be used for bidding purposes must do so in person and by contacting Brenda Simmons at the email address or phone number above. The non- refundable cost is SEVENTY-FIVE DOLLARS AND NO CENTS ($75.00) to be paid at the Department of Transportation 417 E. Fayette Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21202 made payable to the Director of Finance. 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) 3966883 or contact the Committee at 4 S. Frederick Street, 4 th 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 purposes. The Prequalification Categories required for bidding on this project is D02620 (Curbs, Gutters & Sidewalk) Cost Qualification Range for this project will be from $800,000.00 to $1,000,000.00. A “Pre-Bidding Information” session will be conducted via Microsoft Teams on May 29, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. hosted by the Department of Transportation. All Bidders must email your contact information to include your name, company name, phone number and email address to michael.donovan@baltimorecity.gov to receive an invite to the Microsoft Team (video conference meeting. Principle Items of work for this project are: 5” Concrete Sidewalk – 96,300 SF; 7” Plain Cement Concrete Pavement Mix #6 – 4,300 SF. The MBE Goal is 30%; The WBE Goal is 15%. APPROVED: Celeste Amato, Board of Estimates CITY OF BALTIMORE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION NOTICE OF LETTING Sealed Bids or Proposal for the TR-23014, STRUCTURAL REPAIRS ON BRIDGE CITYWIDE JOC 1, will be received at the Office of the Comptroller, Room 204, City Hall, Baltimore, Maryland until JUNE 5, 2024, at 11:00 A.M. Board of Estimates employees will be stationed at the Security Unit Counter just inside the Holliday Street entrance to City Hall from 10:45 A.M. to 11:00 A.M. every Wednesday to receive Bids. Positively no bids will be received after 11:00 A.M. The bids will be publicly opened by the Board of Estimates in Room 215, City Hall at Noon. As of MAY 17, 2024, the Contract Documents may be examined, without charge by contacting Brenda Simmons at brenda.simmons@baltimorecity.gov or (443) 865-4423 to arrange for a copy of the bid book labeled “NOT FOR BIDDING PURPOSES” to be emailed to you. Anyone who desires to purchase a bid book to be used for bidding purposes must do so in person and by contacting Brenda Simmons at the email address or phone number above. The non- refundable cost is SEVENTY-FIVE DOLLARS AND NO CENTS ($75.00) to be paid at the Department of Transportation 417 E. Fayette Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21202 made payable to the Director of Finance. 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 S. Frederick Street, 4 th 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

To all persons interested in the estate of KIRK AUBREY THOMPSON ESTATE NO. 206372 Notice is given that: BROCK THOMPSON, 10340 ARROW LAKES DR., E, JACKSONVILLE, FL 32267 was on APRIL 18, 2024 appointed Personal Representative of the estate of : KIRK AUBREY THOMPSON who died on JANUARY 11, 2024.

Further information can be obtained by reviewing the estate file in the office of the Register of Wills or by contacting the personal representative or the attorney.

All persons having any objections to the appointment (or to the probate Name and Address of Register of wills)shall file their objections with the Register of Wills on or before 16th day of November, 2024.

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

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT NOTICE TO CREDITORS NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

To all persons interested in the estate of KIRK AUBREY THOMPSON ESTATE NO. 206372

Notice is given that: BROCK THOMPSON, 10340 ARROW LAKES DR., E, JACKSONVILLE, FL 32267 was on APRIL 18, 2024 appointed Personal Representative of the estate of : KIRK AUBREY THOMPSON who died on JANUARY 11, 2024.

Further information can be obtained by reviewing the estate file in the office of the Register of Wills or by contacting the personal representative or the attorney.

All persons having any objections to the appointment (or to the probate Name and Address of Register of wills)shall file their objections with the Register of Wills on or before 16th day of November, 2024.

Any person having a claim against the decedent must present the claim to the undersigned personal representative or file it with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned on or before the earlier of the following dates: (1) Six months from the date of the decedent’s death; or (2) Two months after the personal representative mails or otherwise delivers to the creditor a copy of this published notice or other written notice, notifying the NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT NOTICE TO CREDITORS NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Any person having a claim against the decedent must present the claim to the undersigned personal representative or file it with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned on or before the earlier of the following dates:

(1) Six months from the date of the decedent’s death; or (2) Two months after the personal representative mails or otherwise delivers to the creditor a copy of this published notice or other written notice, notifying the creditor that the claim will be barred unless the creditor presents the claims within two months from the mailing or other delivery of the notice. A claim not presented or filed on or before that date, or any extension provided by law, is unenforceable thereafter. Claim forms may be obtained from the Register of Wills.

Name of newspaper designated personal representative: