Lives in limbo: Immigrants grapple with uncertain future post 2024 election
The turnout of the 2024 presidential election hasspread concern among immigrant populations across the country, including those from Jamaica, Haiti and Africa. Stress and anxiety is on the rise for some, as the incoming president and members of his administration continue to promote anti-immigration rhetoric.
By Megan Sayles AFRO Business Writer
msayles@afro.com
Black immigrants are concerned about what the next four years could mean for their communities, as anti-immigration rhetoric continues to grow.
Central to President-elect Donald Trump’s platform has always been a severe crackdown on immigration. Now, after his 2024 win, the former president has been even more outspoken about his plans for restricting legal immigration, completing his border wall, cutting federal funding to sanctuary cities and leading the largest deportation in American history.
Though Black immigrants are often overlooked in national conversations, the Pew Research Center reports that one in five Black people in the U.S. are immigrants or the children of Black immigrants.
People of African origin, specifically, have experienced the fastest-growth in the U.S. Black immigrant population, accounting for 42 percent.
Information from the Pew Research Center also states that in 2023, the U.S. foreignborn population hit a record 47.8 million. This is up 1.6
million from 2022, accounting for the largest annual increase since 2000.
As the guard changes, Black immigrants are battling uncertainty regarding their future in the country under the former president that has already shown who he is when it comes to immigration policy.
“Our community is extremely concerned, and not for nothing–we’ve already experienced a Trump 1.0,” said Diana Konate, deputy executive director for policy at African Communities Together.
Baltimore Mayor M. Brandon Scott sworn in for a second term
By Tashi McQueen AFRO Staff Writer tmcqueen@afro.com
Baltimore City Mayor Brandon M. Scott (D) was sworn in by Xavier A. Conaway, clerk of the Circuit Court for Baltimore City, on Dec. 3 for his second term. The well-attended ceremony included numerous current and past Maryland leaders such as Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D), Rep. Kweisi Mfume (D-Md.-07) and former Baltimore City Mayor Stephanie C. Rawlings-Blake (D). Scott won his bid for re-election on Nov. 5 during the general election with 82.15 percent of the vote, according to the Maryland State Board of Elections. During the Democratic primary, he beat out former Mayor Sheila A. Dixon (D) for the seat with 52.78 percent of the vote.
“No one needs to tell Brandon Scott about Baltimore. Brandon Scott is Baltimore.”
“I am very aware that it is the first time in 20 years that Baltimore has given its mayor a second term,” said Scott. “I am acutely aware that my first inauguration four years ago was not the typical celebration, as we were restricted during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Most of all, I am especially aware of how rare it still is – in this city and across this country – for young Black men who grew up in the type of neighborhood where I grew up to be entrusted with
leadership in executive positions.”
The inauguration ceremony took place at the Carl J. Murphy Fine Arts Center at Morgan State University and featured a variety of performances. The Connexions African Dance Team, the Morgan State University Choir, Merganthaler Vocational-Technical High School Cheerleaders and more all took to the stage
during the celebration.
During the ceremony, Scott reflected on where his passion for making a difference began.
“I witnessed my first shooting before my ninth birthday on the church lot near our house. Though it was only 20 seconds away from
Photo courtesy of the Office of the Mayor Baltimore City/J.J. McQueen Baltimore City Mayor Brandon M. Scott (D) enters his inauguration ceremony at Morgan State University with his stepson, Ceron Pugh III, ahead of him as the crowd cheers.
Graphic created by Dana Peck
Lawmakers prepare to challenge policies of incoming president
By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire
The Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) will enter the 119th session of Congress with a historic 62 members, marking the largest number of Black federal lawmakers in U.S. history. In total, 67 Black lawmakers will serve, with five Republican members declining to join the caucus. However, this historic milestone comes against the backdrop of a new Trump administration that has signaled sharp policy shifts, including an almost entirely White Cabinet and the implementation of the anti-minority Project 2025.
The CBC, established in 1971 to advocate for Black and marginalized communities, now represents 120 million Americans, including 41 percent of Black Americans. Yet its leaders face a steep challenge under a Trump administration openly pursuing policies that could roll back decades of progress in civil rights, healthcare access, and economic equity.
“We’ve always been the conscience of Congress, no matter who’s in charge,” said Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., a senior CBC member and ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
“But now we have a larger choir of leaders ready to call truth to power, ensuring the voices of the voiceless are heard. This administration poses a danger, and we’re here to counter that.”
Project 2025 and the challenge ahead
President-elect Donald
small but growing list of Black women elected to the Senate, doubling the total from two to four.
Blunt Rochester, the first woman and Black person to represent Delaware in the Senate, reflected on her groundbreaking victory.
“This is a historic step forward for our state and our nation,” she said.
Alsobrooks, a former Prince George’s County executive, highlighted the broader significance of her win. “In over 2,000 people who have served in the U.S. Senate, only three have looked like me,” she said.
“I stand here because of the sacrifices of those who came before me.”
Oregon’s Janelle Bynum also made history, flipping the state’s 5th Congressional District to become its first Black member of Congress.
Bynum, who unseated a Republican incumbent, noted,
conscience of Congress will be tested as it confronts an administration bent on undoing civil rights gains. Meeks emphasized that the caucus would oppose policies that disproportionately harm Black and marginalized communities, from healthcare access to police reform.
“Instead of just a quartet, we now have a full choir,” Meeks said. “And we will be loud, clear, and consistent.”
With Republicans maintaining control of both chambers of Congress, the CBC’s ability to influence legislation will likely depend on its capacity to build coalitions and galvanize public support. Wallace noted that the CBC’s growth, even in a Republicancontrolled Congress, is a testament to Black voters and communities’ enduring belief in American ideals.
Trump’s administration is advancing Project 2025, a policy blueprint critics say is designed to dismantle protections for marginalized communities while consolidating power among White conservatives. The plan includes eliminating the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, granting police broad immunity in cases involving unarmed citizens, and reversing diversity and inclusion initiatives across federal agencies.
In addition to these policy threats, Trump’s Cabinet appointments include figures like Dr. Mehmet Oz, tapped to oversee Medicaid and Medicare,
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and Linda McMahon, his pick for Secretary of Education, raising alarms about the administration’s priorities. The nearly allWhite leadership team underscores a stark contrast to the growing diversity in Congress.
“It will be interesting to
to push back, to advocate for policies that reflect the reality of a diverse America.”
Historic firsts in representation
While the Trump administration doubles down on policies many see as anti-minority, the new
“It’s not lost on me that I’m one generation removed from segregation. We believed in a vision and didn’t stop until we accomplished our goals.”
Delaware voters made further history by electing Sarah McBride, the first openly transgender person to serve in Congress. These
“We’ve always been the conscience of Congress, no matter who’s in charge. But now we have a larger choir of leaders ready to call truth to power, ensuring the voices of the voiceless are heard. This administration poses a danger, and we’re here to counter that.”
see how this administration interacts with a record number of Black lawmakers,” said Niccara Campbell Wallace, executive director of the Rolling Sea Action Fund. “The CBC’s growth means there are more voices
Congress will also usher in a wave of historic firsts.
Two Black women will serve simultaneously in the U.S. Senate for the first time. Delaware’s Lisa Blunt Rochester and Maryland’s Angela Alsobrooks join a
victories occurred even as the country faced deep divisions over affirmative action, LGBTQ rights, and racial equity.
The role of the CBC
The CBC’s role as the
“Black Americans have always believed in the promise of what America can be,” Wallace said. “Even when the odds are stacked against us, we continue to fight for a seat at the table.”
Looking ahead
As the CBC prepares for its largest-ever session, its leaders are already looking to the future. Meeks said the caucus is planning to spend the next two years opposing harmful policies and laying the groundwork for the 2026 midterm elections.
“Two years go by fast,” he said. “We’ll be working every day to reverse the tragedies this administration will bring to our communities and the country as a whole.”
Blunt Rochester added, “We’ve come a long way, but our work is far from over. Together, we will continue to fight for the future America deserves.”
Prince Johnson, Liberian warlord-turned-senator, dies at 72
By Mark M. Mengonfia The Associated Press
Prince Johnson, the Liberian former warlord and senator whose brutal tactics shocked the world, has died at the age of 72, according to authorities in the country.
Johnson, who infamously videotaped himself drinking Budweiser as his men cut off the ears of the nation’s former president, remained active in politics after the civil war ended and was elected senator in 2006.
He died on Nov. 28 at a local hospital in Paynesville, a suburb of Monrovia, said Siafa Jallah, deputy director of press relations at the Liberian senate.
Liberia’s civil wars, marked by mass killings, torture and sexual violence, killed an estimated 250,000 people between 1989 and 2003. Johnson was named one of the “most notorious perpetrators” by the country’s post-war truth and reconciliation committee, and was accused of killing, extortion, massacre, torture and rape among other charges.
Neither Johnson nor the other seven people that the committee listed as leaders of warring factions were ever tried in Liberia. But a handful were convicted overseas, including Charles Taylor, a former president, who is serving a 50-year-sentence in the United Kingdom.
Mohammed Jabbateh, a rebel commander who witnesses said sliced a baby out of a pregnant woman’s stomach, killed civilians and ordered his soldiers to rape young girls, was sentenced to 30 years in the U.S.
Earlier this year, President Joseph
Boakai signed an executive order to create a long-awaited war crimes court to deliver justice to the civil wars’ victims, but the court hasn’t begun operating.
Adama Dempster, a Liberian human rights advocate, expressed regrets that Johnson was unable to testify before the proposed tribunal before he died.
“It’s sad and has a deep meaning for an
accountability process,” he said.
In 1990, the then-38-year-old Johnson led a rebel faction that invaded Monrovia, captured former President Samuel Doe and tortured him in front of a rolling camera. Johnson is seen kicking back in a chair, his feet up on a table and a bottle of beer in one hand. He taunts the former ruler as his men strip the president to his underwear then cut off his ears, as blood streams down his temple. The president later died, and according to one witness’ testimony in front of the nation’s truth and reconciliation commission, Johnson later showed off Doe’s head on a platter. Around the same time, Johnson executed a relief worker wearing a Red Cross bib after accusing him of profiteering from rice sales. An Associated Press photographer who witnessed the scene reported the crumpled victim briefly lifted his head and asked “Why, why?” before Johnson finished him off with a burst of AK-47 fire.
After the end of the war, Johnson became a born-again Christian and ordained preacher, before being elected senator representing Nimba County. The country banned the sale of Doe’s notorious torture tape that had once been widely available at streetside stalls.
Liberian Senator Prince Johnson speaks during a 2010 interview in Monrovia, Liberia.
NNPA Newswire
Members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) are gearing up to fight injustice and other racist initiatives, such as the implementation of the anti-minority Project 2025. The Caucus has experienced growth under the leadership of CBC Chairman Steven Horsford, who serves Nevada’s Fourth District as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Strengthening diversity and representation: A look at eight new lawmakers joining Congress
By Ashlee Banks Special to the AFRO
As the 119th session of Congress prepares to convene in January, the Democratic Party is set to welcome 22 newly elected officials, marking a significant moment in the ongoing evolution of the legislative body. Among these fresh faces, Black leaders are reflecting a growing diversity within the party and its commitment to representing a broader spectrum of the American populace.
The incoming members come from various backgrounds and regions, bringing with them a range of experiences and perspectives. Their election has been seen as a response to the challenges and issues facing their constituents, including economic inequality, healthcare access, and social justice. These new representatives will join the existing Democratic Caucus, aiming to advance their party’s agenda and address the pressing needs of their communities.
The addition of more Black lawmakers is particularly noteworthy, as it highlights the ongoing efforts to enhance representation for communities of color within the halls of Congress.
Lisa Blunt Rochester made history Nov. 5 as the first woman and the first Black person to win a U.S. Senate race in Delaware. Blunt Rochester will be sworn into office on Jan. 3, 2025 along with Senatorelect Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland; U.S. Representative-elects Lateefah Simon (D-Calif.-12), Wesley Bell (D-Mo.-1), Sylvester Turner (D-Texas-18), Cleo Fields (D-La.6), Herb Conaway (D-N.J.-3) and Shomari Figures (D-Ala.-2).
Their voices are expected to play a crucial role in discussions around race, equity and justice, as well as in shaping policies that address systemic disparities.
Representative-elect Simon, a passionate advocate for civil rights and social justice, is eager to make an immediate impact when she assumes her role in the House next
Immigrants
Continued from A1
“Based on what he has described, we expect an even harsher Trump 2.0 as it relates to immigration.”
Konate was born in Côte d’Ivoire, a country in West Africa, and moved to the U.S. when she was eight years old. Her organization fights for civil rights and opportunity for African immigrants in the U.S.
Prior to the 2024 election, the nonprofit worked to secure
“Our community is extremely concerned, and not for nothing…”
temporary protected status (TPS) for various African communities, including Sudan, Ethiopia and Cameroon. While circumstances vary between countries, Konate explained that people of African origin may face political instability, war or even distressed
year. During a visit to the U.S. Capitol on Nov. 21, the legally blind soon-to-be congresswoman expressed her readiness to serve her constituents effectively. Simon’s commitm sent to addressing the needs of her community reflects her dedication to advocating for equity and inclusion. As she prepares for her new position, she aims to prioritize issues that matter most to those she represents and ensuring their voices are heard in Congress.
“Nancy Pelosi told me, we must
economic conditions.
Her concern extends not just to undocumented immigrants but to asylum-seekers and immigrants with legal status as well.
“In the rhetoric that we’re hearing from Trump, everyone gets lumped into this ‘illegal immigrant’ narrative. There’s a lot of confusion about who is undocumented,” said Konate. “If someone has an asylum application, and they haven’t heard back yet, are they at risk for deportation?
In addition, we have a lot of members who currently have TPS, and Trump has said that he will be doing away with that.”
Sylvie Bello, founder of the Cameroon American Council, said she was not surprised by the outcome of the 2024 election. The D.C. resident believes Democrats did not effectively engage the African immigrant community in the U.S., especially as their population continues to rise in the country.
“At the Cameroon American Council, we work in 30 states and we talk with Af-
åwork and not be menacing. I take that as a goal of mine…to be a real leader in this freshman class,” said the California lawmaker. “That’s what we’ve got to do.”
Although Simon is concerned with the direction that the country is going in, she believes that she can help make a difference.
“I believe deeply, as I always have, in our ability to make our case,” said Simon. “I promised myself as a Democrat to be the Democrat who wants to do the hard work.
an undocumented student at Morgan State University, is pushing off graduate school plans for fear of deportation.
ricans,” said Bello. “I could tell that they were just not lockstep with the Democratic Party.”
She said party leaders failed to address language access when communicating with African communities and didn’t consider religious diversity in a meaningful way, noting that much attention was given to Black Christian churches. Bello said that African immigrants also may lean more to the conservative side when it comes to social policies. As abortion rights were a top issue for Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign, some may have been moved to cast their ballot for the former president because it is more
I also studied, my whole life, the history of Shirley Chisholm–that’s her legacy and I plan on holding it and making them proud.” Bell, who currently serves as St. Louis’s prosecuting attorney, will succeed U.S. Rep. Cori Bush. In a statement obtained by the AFRO, Bell emphasized that St. Louis residents voted for him seeking a “bright future” and “greater opportunity,” reflecting their desire for positive change and progress in the community.
in line with mores and values taught in their native land and passed down today.
Though the president has used hostile rhetoric about African nations, including calling them “s***hole countries,” Bello said some African immigrants would side with this perspective.
“People who left those countries would say, ‘He’s right, that’s why I left. The presidency was bad. The economy was bad. The currency was bad,’” said Bello. “Unfortunately, it’s like Stockholm Syndrome– some folks will be oblivious.”
“During my campaign, I promised to serve the First District with integrity, transparency and accountability. I recommit myself to that promise and pledge to always remember who sent me to Congress to fight for them,” said Bell. “We must build an economy that works for everyone, protect our rights and freedoms and make sure that America remains on the forward journey towards building a more perfect union.”
“I’m ready to get to work.”
“They’re thinking I had to cross eight countries to come to America on foot and get to the Southern border. I did that for a reason. There was a push factor that led me to flee my country,” she continued.”
Unlike Bello, Morelys Urbano, an undocumented student at Morgan State University, was shocked by the former president’s win. She was heavily involved in Harris’ campaign and even flew from Maryland to Arizona to canvas for undecided voters.
“It was very disappointing to see– especially as someone who cannot vote,” said Urbano. “I felt very helpless as if I had to do 10 times more to get more people out to vote so I could feel like my ‘vote’ counted.”
The 22-year-old hails from the Dominican Republic, though she spent several years in Spain before moving to the U.S. in 2017. When President Joe Biden was elected in 2020, she did not have fears over her immigration status. The 2024 outcome has left her feeling anxious.
“I had plans of going to graduate school for a Ph.D. after my undergraduate degree, but I had to give up on that dream right after Nov. 6,” said Urbano. “A whole doctorate involves a lot, and I cannot just start a program when I fear my own deportation or the deportation of family members.”
Urbano considers immigration a human rights issue. She believes that the pathway
to U.S. citizenship, which is associated with complex paperwork, lengthy processing times and language barriers, must be improved.
“You come to this place where you have nothing. You start from zero, and you have to still be resilient enough to make it happen. It’s a journey that not everybody wants to endure, and it’s not an easy journey,” said Urbano. “People need to understand that there needs to be more humane policies in place and a quicker process.”
Rebkha Atnafou, an African immigrant and CEO of RnD Associates, said there is no easy solution to address the mass immigration that the U.S. faces. However, she does not think the president-elect’s intentions for mass deportation or an expanded border wall will be effective.
“Many people are battling ideas of photos of men on horseback with whips chasing would-be immigrants on the Southern border from a few years back to those being housed in posh hotels with three meals and expense cards,” said Atnafou. “Although both images occurred during different administrations, they each created a public uproar and resentment toward immigrants. What is a fair process to accommodate or turn away mass immigrants?”
Photo courtesy of African Communities Together Diana Konate is the deputy executive director of policy for African Communities Together, an organization that advocates for civil rights, opportunities and a better life for African immigrants.
Photo courtesy of Morelys Urbano Morelys Urbano,
Photo courtesy of Meta (Facebook)/ Angela Alsobrooks
U.S. Senator-elect Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.)
Photo courtesy of Mayor’s office for the city of Houston U.S. Representative-elect Sylvester Turner (D-Texas-18)
AP Photo/Jeff Chiu
U.S. Representative-elect Lateefah Simon (D-Calif.-12)
AP Photo/Jeff Roberson
U.S. Representative-elect Wesley Bell (D-Mo.-1)
AP Photo/Gerald Herbert U.S. Representative-elect Cleo Fields (D-La.-6)
AP Photo/Pamela Smith
U.S. Senator-elect Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.)
Photo courtesy of X (Twitter)/ Herb Conaway U.S. Representative-elect Herb Conaway (D-N.J.-3)
AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite U.S. Representative-elect Shomari Figures (D-Ala.-2)
America doesn’t have to shop at Walmart COMMENTARY
By Liz Courquet-Lesaulnier
fighting systemic racism after George Floyd’s murder — just pulled the plug on its diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. Now, three weeks after Donald Trump’s election, they claim they want to be “a Walmart for everyone.”
And the anti-woke bros on the right are trading high-fives, claiming they forced the retail giant to abandon its DEI initiatives.
Yes, DEI, the root of all so-called reverse racism in America. Because for some folks in this nation, DEI is code for anything that gives the appearance of supporting Black people, communities or businesses.
It’s not that Black folks thought the post-George-Floyd-murder racial reckoning would last forever. Our ancestors lived through Reconstruction, so we know better.
But back on June 12, 2020, just days after Floyd’s murder, Walmart’s CEO Doug McMillon emoted in a blog post about how the company’s goal was “to help replace the structures of systemic racism, and build in their place frameworks of equity and justice that solidify our commitment to the belief that, without question, Black Lives Matter.”
Let’s be clear: Walmart needs Black America a heck of a lot more than Black America needs Walmart.
Wielding roughly $1.8 trillion in spending power this year, Black folks’ economic clout is undeniable. We get to choose where we spend our hardearned cash during the holiday shopping season and beyond.
But Walmart — one of many companies that made lofty promises about
McMillon pledged to examine every aspect of Walmart to ensure the company was prejudice-free. He waxed poetic about a conversation he had with a Black woman employee about racial microaggressions. He pledged $100 million to a Center for Racial Equity that would “address the root causes of gaps in outcomes experienced by Black and African American people in educa-
tion, health, finance and criminal justice systems,” according to Walmart’s website.
Walmart, he vowed, was on a “journey in support of racial justice and equity.”
One thousand, six hundred twentyeight days later, that journey is over.
The Center for Racial Equity? Closing. Racial equity training for employees? Not today, Satan. Using the phrase “DEI” in corporate communications? Axed.
Walmart now says it wants to foster “a sense of belonging.” Apparently, as journalist Judd Legum quipped on Bluesky, “Walmart has solved racism.”
Right-wing anti-DEI activists like Robby Starbuck are popping champagne, claiming they pressured the company into ditching its “woke” policies. Starbuck, a former music video director, regularly posts lines like “It’s a fact that DEI is antiwhite,” and “DEI IS racism and deserves to die,” on X.
In a lengthy post on the social media platform, Starbuck insinuated that his conversations with Walmart — the nation’s biggest, most influential retailer — led to this rollback, a move that will “send shockwaves throughout corporate America.”
“This is the biggest win yet for our movement to end wokeness in corporate America,” Starbuck posted on X.
Walmart touts itself as Black America’s biggest private employer and has long been a retail giant in the Black community. A 2023 analysis by Collage Group identified Walmart as our favorite brand, due to the company’s
Another ‘Whitelash’ election
By Tracey L. Rogers
Even with high turnout, endorsements from top Republicans and former Trump aides, and outspending the Trump-Vance ticket by nearly $460 million, Democrats still lost the White House, as well as both chambers of Congress.
What happened?
Many are speculating what Democrats could have done differently. Some political pundits blame Joe Biden for not stepping down sooner, while others blame the party for not having an official primary.
Those things all contributed, of course. But the most important reason is simpler: Donald Trump won by turning people against each other instead of the real enemies: price gouging corporations, greedy CEOs, polluters and so on.
He exploited fears among White conservatives toward immigrants by
evoking language Adolf Hitler used against Jews during the Holocaust.
Like American fascists in the 1930s, Trump even hosted a closing rally at Madison Square Garden where he doubled down on the divisive rhetoric that colored his campaign.
As I listen to pundits praise Trump’s ability to appeal to the working class, I’m perplexed that no one is sounding the alarm as to why he was so convincing.
Polls indicate that the No. 1 issue among voters was “the economy.”
But despite inflation and other valid concerns, even The Economist — no one’s idea of a leftist publication — reported that Trump will inherit a “solid economy” when he takes office.
I would argue that the real culprit was racial division. As Ibram X. Kendi, a historian and best-selling author, argued when Trump first won in 2016, “our leaders continue to refuse to recognize racism as a decisive factor in this election.”
The people Trump demeaned most on the campaign trail — including Latin and Hispanic Americans, Black Americans and other people of color — will make up the majority of our electorate in the coming decades. It’s estimated that less than half of Americans will be White by 2045, at which point no one racial group will be demographically dominant.
There’s been a lot of research suggesting that this diminishing majority is generating discomfort and changing how people especially vote — especially White people, although not only them.
Isabel Wilkerson wrote about this in her book “Caste: The Origins of Our Discontent.” She identified a hidden American caste system that kept White people at the top of an “artificial hierarchy,” with access to certain privileges regardless of their income and education.
When asked why this election
investments “in Black enrichment, and taking a stance on social matters.”
But here’s the other side of the coin: research revealed that Walmart stores in Black and Latino neighborhoods consistently get worse reviews for service quality. Walmart’s been hit with multiple discrimination lawsuits. Remember that $17.5 million class-action lawsuit? Yeah, the 2009 one where Walmart settled claims that it discriminated against Black folks trying to get truck driving jobs? That was a thing.
Just two years ago, an Oregon jury ordered Walmart to pay $4.4 million to a Black man after a White Walmart employee racially profiled and harassed him in one of their stores.
A quick internet search nets plenty of other examples of people suing Walmart over shopping while Black experiences, Black employees suing for being repeatedly passed over for promotions, and Black employees suing because they were being called racial slurs in the workplace.
Let’s call Walmart’s abandoning DEI efforts what it is: a slap in the face to the Black folks who’ve kept their registers ringing for decades.
This isn’t just about Walmart, though. Across corporate America, antiDEI crusaders are attacking anything and everything related to leveling the playing field for Black folks, the Latino community, women and the LGBTQ+ community. And companies are nervous about Trump 2.0, as well as a Supreme Court that’s overtly hostile to anything that smacks of affirmative action.
was so close in a recent interview, Wilkerson responded that White Americans were not voting for their best economic interest in the usual sense, but to “maintain their position in the American caste system.”
Wilkerson’s book also discussed how minority groups have historically strived to “assimilate” in order rise to the top of this artificial hierarchy. This could explain why some Black and Latino men voted for Trump at higher rates than before, too.
Still, what we saw in this election was a form of “Whitelash” — a protest vote against the changing make-up of our country.
But if we ever want a true multiracial democracy that delivers for all of us, we must not only address the grievances of all Americans (including Whites), but also elect leaders who will represent all of us, too — regardless of our skin color, gender, sexual orientation or zip code.
The audacity of now: A Black woman’s reflections
In recent weeks, I’ve been confronted by an uptick in audacity—bold, unapologetic and frustrating behavior designed to test my patience and principles as a Black woman. I find myself balancing the weight of this audacity with the hope that one day, we will all do better. Audacity isn’t new, but it feels particularly grating amidst
the exhaustion of navigating a “new and evolving normal.” My response to it is evolving too, shaped by a growing determination to set boundaries, protect my peace and encourage meaningful change.
I’ve been beaming with pride for a Black woman colleague who took advantage of an incredible opportunity and spoke publicly about an upcoming Associated Black Charities event, focused on celebrating Black women. During an almost four-minute interview exchange, she misspoke once on a term – a momentary slip in an otherwise extremely powerful delivery. Almost immediately, we received an email from an unfamiliar White woman who decided to forego focusing on the substance of the interview, but to critique the error in the use of “theirselves” over “themselves.”
Instead of giving friendly feedback, she chose to audaciously zero in on the mistake with a tone that felt more like a “gotcha” moment than an effort to support or uplift. It wasn’t necessary. It wasn’t helpful. And, it certainly wasn’t her place to diminish the speaker’s contributions. For me, it was the straw that broke the camel’s back.
In the scheme of what truly matters, one negative comment shouldn’t. But it exposes a deeper issue: the audacious need to intrude upon, diminish and “correct” Black women.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve also encountered considerable post-election insensitivity and pushback when I’ve addressed it. Some have even insisted on dictating how their insensitivity should
be checked, expecting not only that I endure their missteps but also that I respond in a way that prioritizes their comfort over my truth.
The audacity of it all feels overwhelming at times, yet I remain steadfast in my resolve. My agency as a Black woman shall not be constantly diminished. In fact, my responses are becoming as audacious as the behaviors I’m encountering. The grace I’ve extended so freely, for so long, is officially on recall. It will now be reserved for those willing to unlearn harmful patterns and show up better for Black women. Period.
This audacity feels new, but it isn’t. It is rooted in a long history of entitlement, systemic racism and dismissiveness that has followed Black women for generations. From the time of slavery, when Black women’s autonomy was stripped away, to modern-day iterations of microaggressions and tone policing, audacity has always had a seat at the table. But alongside this history is something equally enduring: the resilience of Black women. Time and again, we have risen, building communities, fostering progress, and offering grace even when it wasn’t reciprocated. The so-called “Karen” phenomenon—where White fragility and entitlement collide—is a stark reminder of the work that remains, but it is also a continued opportunity to rewrite the narrative.
I can’t be the only Black woman who is tired. Black women have carried the weight of movements, often without recognition or reprieve. We’ve given endlessly, yet despite the exhaustion, we are also hopeful. We are hopeful that the work
But here’s the kicker: Black America is not powerless. Walmart, like every other company, runs on dollars. And Black dollars matter — a lot. If Black shoppers took their spending power elsewhere, the fallout for Walmart would be seismic.
Starbuck, though, doesn’t think Black folks have a choice.
“I’m happy to have secured these changes before Christmas when shoppers have very few large retail brands they can spend money with who aren’t pushing woke policies,” he gloated. Amazon and Target, he said, “should be very nervous that their top competitor dropped woke policies first” and should brace themselves for losses.
Which begs a simple question: Should Black America keep shopping at Walmart when it seems Walmart might have forgotten who helps keep its lights on?
“I think America has figured out that if you dish out racism and bigotry subtly one drop at a time and not in a direct overt manner the Black community is OK with it,” Isaac Hayes III wrote on X about the situation. “Kneel on their necks and kill one of them they get mad. Dismantle systems that level the playing field for them and they just accept it and still continue to spend money with us.”
A company that caves to racist attacks coded as “anti-woke” does not respect Black America. It doesn’t deserve our loyalty. Because loyalty isn’t free — and $1.8 trillion in purchasing power can go a long way somewhere else.
we do today—drawing boundaries, speaking truth and holding others accountable—will create a better tomorrow.
Today, my response to audacity isn’t just about calling it out; it’s about inviting accountability and change. I will no longer let moments of my discomfort pass unchecked, but I’m being thoughtful about teaching people how to treat me. I am sharing with those who are willing to learn, listen and grow.
Audacity, left unchecked, perpetuates harm. It also comes with consequences. If you choose to approach Black women with unchecked entitlement, be prepared for what it conjures. But when met with honesty and a willingness to change, your audacity can become an opportunity for growth. My hope is that those who engage with us do so with care, recognizing the history and humanity we carry. To those who dare to be audacious, let your audacity be one of care and accountability, not critique and control.
Don’t come for us unless we send for you. If you want to support Black women, start by listening. Educate yourself. Learn how to be a better ally, a better colleague and a better friend. Understand that your words and actions have power, and use them to build bridges, not walls. Let’s build a world where audacity isn’t weaponized against Black women but instead used to dismantle the very systems that oppress us. Until we get there, tread lightly. We are watching. Our tolerance is low, and we are done being silent. Together, we can do better. Together, we will.
Courtesy Photo
Chrissy Thronton is the CEO of Associated Black Charities. This week, she speaks on being an unapologetic Black woman in a world emboldened when it comes to correcting Black women in the public eye.
Courtesy photo
Tracey L. Rogers is an entrepreneur and diversity, equity and inclusion consultant in Philadelphia. This week, she speaks on the fallout from the 2024 general election.
By Chrissy M. Thornton
Photo courtesy of Liz Courquet-Lesaulnier Los Angeles-based journalist Liz Courquet-Lesaulnier is managing director of Word In Black. This week she speaks to the Black community on the importance of carefully choosing where to spend funds during the holiday season.
Meet LaVonda N. Reed, the first woman dean for University of Baltimore’s School of Law
By Megan Sayles AFRO Business Writer msayles@afro.com
LaVonda N. Reed became the first woman dean of the University of Baltimore’s (UB) School of Law on July 1 after serving at Georgia State University’s law school for three years. A military brat, Reed grew up moving from state to state, and some of that time was spent in Prince George’s County, Md.
Her interest in law arose from a passion for social justice and American history. Over the course of her career, Reed has served as a professor of law for Syracuse University, a judicial clerk of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and a telecommunications and corporate law attorney.
Before being offered the deanship, Reed had two chances to work in Baltimore, but she decided to go in a different direction. This new role has felt like a homecoming, as much of her family and friends live in Maryland.
“When this opportunity came up last spring, I jumped at it,” said Reed. “It was a good time in my life to be able to make the move, and I was excited to have the opportunity, yet again, to come to Baltimore.”
The AFRO had a chance to sit down with Reed to discuss her goals and plans for leading the law school. The responses below have been edited for length and clarity.
As you’ve settled into your role, what have you identified as priorities for the law school?
Some of the big things that we are tackling here at the law school are around student success. We’re focusing on academic preparedness while they’re in law school, increasing the bar passage for our law graduates and programming that will increase the pipeline of individuals who matriculate at law school.
We have some fabulous programs where we work with high school students during the summer to provide an opportunity for them to see what law school is like. We
Scott
Continued from A1 home, it was impossible to get there – all I could do was jump into the bushes and hope a bullet didn’t jump in there with me,” said Scott. “After it happened, it was that feeling of fear and frustration that took over. And somehow, still, I was expected to go to school the next day, as if everything was normal. But it wasn’t.”
Scott shared how his mom played a part in initiating that spark.
“I kept asking my mom, my dad, aunts, uncles, grandparents, everyone: ‘Why did this happen? Why does no one care?’ My Mom responded… ‘If you want something to change, you’ll have to do it yourself. No one is coming to save us,’” said Scott.
Moore praised Scott during his speech at the ceremony, touting Scott’s achievements throughout his first term and his ability to lead the city.
“I’m here not just to celebrate [the] countless achievements of Mayor Scott– I’m here to celebrate this man from Park Heights,” said Moore. “No one needs to tell Brandon Scott about Baltimore. Brandon Scott is Baltimore.”
“You don’t just have a partner, you have a friend,” Moore said to the mayor.
In addition to the governor and local legislators, the ceremony brought in other officials such as the first Black woman to hold the Office of the Mayor in St. Louis, Mo., Tishaura O. Jones, and Fredrick County, Md. County Executive Jessica Fitzwater (D).
Scott reflected on his accomplishments during his first four years in office.
“This year, we’re seeing a 24 percent reduction in homicides and a 34 percent reduction in nonfatal shootings,” said Scott. “That is on top of a historic 20 percent reduction in 2023 – which at the time,
also have a program in collaboration with the area historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) that creates a pipeline and preparedness for older students who are considering law school.
We are also working on raising the profile of our faculty. We have a world-class, diverse faculty here. They are coming from all over the world, and they have a wide variety of disciplinary interests. We want to raise the profile of the scholarly work they’re doing. Our folks are working on things from juvenile justice, to school truancy, to post-conviction projects.
You are the first woman dean of UB’s School of Law in its nearly century-long history, what did this achievement mean to you, and what do you think about the state of women representation in law?
It’s humbling, and it’s also a point of pride. I know that when history is told many years from now, it will be a significant moment for the university and the law school. I know it’s been a long-time coming. It’s also a huge responsibility. I serve as a role model for a lot of people. I want to do the best I can for this institution, the students, alumni, faculty and staff.
It’s often said that people can’t be what they can’t see. My role is multi-fold. My primary responsibility is to run the day-today operations of the law school to prepare it for future success. But, I also recognize that my serving in this role with excellence, grace and class also shows young women who are coming up behind me what is possible. They will see that they can do hard things if they see other women in leadership roles navigate hard situations and solve problems.
I do what I do in honor and recognition of the people who came before me. My parents grew up in the segregated South, and these types of jobs weren’t available to them. My dad was one of the early Black officers in the Marine Corps, so he was a trailblazer in his own regard. A lot of what I do is in honor of him.
was the largest single-year drop that Baltimore had ever seen.”
“We have invested more in our young people than ever before – opening rec centers and expanding programs like YouthWorks, B’More this Summer, and our Attendance Challenge,” said Scott. “Whether it’s programs like the squeegee collaborative or opening 11 new or renovated rec centers. These investments make a difference in our kids’ lives that could change the trajectory of their future and Baltimore’s future, forever.”
Scott reflected on implementing the city’s first Comprehensive Violence Prevention Plan, and the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement.
“We also improved the way that our law enforcement officers work alongside community partners, strengthened our coordination with federal agencies and the State’s Attorney Office, and have gone after gun manufacturers and distributors in court – like the ghost gun company Polymer80 and Hanover Armory –to directly address the source of guns on our streets,” said Scott.
“Since I took office – we have taken more than 10,200 guns off the streets of Baltimore.”
Throughout his speech, Scott emphasized that he is putting into action long-term solutions– not short-term remedies.
He highlighted the five pillars of his administration’s goals: building public safety, prioritizing youth, clean and healthy communities, equitable neighborhood development and responsible stewardship of city resources.
“They remain our guiding light and will continue to structure our priorities moving forward,” said Scott. “But we will renew our efforts in each
that could be done. We are always looking for partners who might be able to help us provide more services to our community.
While the education students receive from law school may be invaluable, it comes with a hefty price tag. How important is addressing affordability to you, and how does the school help to ease the financial burden on students?
It’s very important. As the country diversifies and the wealth gap widens, it becomes even more critical, particularly for our graduates who are going into jobs that do not have the highest salaries. We don’t want students to be making decisions about fulfilling their aspirations and how they will use their law degree based solely on financial terms.
We’ve done a fairly good job of raising money for scholarships, and that is something we want to continue to build upon. We also want to increase stipends for students. A lot of them are actually continuing to work while they are in law school. We want them to be able to focus on studying for the bar exam.
As leadership shifts in the country, what is your message to students about your commitment to supporting them?
At this moment in time, lawyers are going to be needed more than ever before. Lawyers are going to play an important role in upholding civility and adherence to the rule of law and maintaining a society in which people’s rights are recognized.
of them and tackle new challenges wherever they arise.”
Scott addressed federal partnership concerns with another presidential administration soon to take office in January 2025.
“We hope that those assuming power in Washington are able to see our progress in curbing gun violence through a holistic, public-healthinformed approach alongside our federal partners,” said Scott. “We hope they continue to see the value of federal transportation investment for projects like the Red Line and the Key Bridge and fixing the ‘Highway to Nowhere.’ But unfortunately, we simply do not know the attitude they’ll take to these things.”
“Regardless of what is happening on the national stage, we will do everything in our power to keep moving our city forward – together,” continued Scott. “We will continue to work to build generational wealth for families – particularly Black families – who were impacted by decades of intentional disinvestment.”
“We’re going to take some big strides over the next four years,” said Scott.
Scott said he will continue to expand the Group Violence Reduction Strategy to be citywide and implement public safety plans outside to provide alternatives to throwing people in jail during his next term.
“We’re going to revolutionize the way cities tackle blight and increase housing stock that families can actually afford to live in with our vacant strategy,” said Scott. “There is no reason that we should be losing Black Baltimoreans because they feel forced into either staying in disinvested-in neighborhoods or moving away to find affordability.”
How does the School of Law engage Baltimore’s underserved communities, and how do you plan to continue that legacy?
Our law school is home to a number of legal clinics where our students work under the supervision of licensed attorneys to solve reallife issues for our neighbors here in Baltimore. We have an Innocence Project Clinic, a Low Income Taxpayer Clinic, a Family Law Clinic and an Immigration Clinic. Our clinics are ranked number five in the country on U.S. News World Report.
Our faculty testify in Annapolis on a variety of different issues related to policy, like juvenile justice for example. We are really proud of the fact that we contribute a lot to the state of Maryland, and there’s always more
Our students are getting a degree that is very powerful in society. I want them to feel empowered by the credential they’re getting and their ability to effectuate change in the country. Some of the most profound changes that we have seen in the country were brought about because lawyers were involved. We’re in Baltimore, the home of Thurgood Marshall, and he was central to so much that we enjoy today. Our students should find solace and draw inspiration from the work of so many people who came before them, who faced what seemed like insurmountable odds. We will probably see attempts to set us back, but people who came before us have confronted these issues and overcome them. Our students can do the same.
Photo courtesy of University of Baltimore
LaVonda N. Reed is the first woman to serve as dean for University of Baltimore’s School of Law. She assumed the role in July
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WASHINGTON-AREA
Local community organizations
receive
$10
million
to assist students with school commute
By Megan Sayles AFRO Business Writer msayles@afro.com
Four District-based community organizations just received $10 million to further the work of the Safe Passage, Safe Blocks program, which supports D.C. youth as they travel to and from school.
Mayor Muriel Bowser awarded the funding to the Center for Nonprofit Advancement (CNA), Collaborative Solutions for Communities (CSC), Georgia Avenue Family Support Collaborative (GAFSC) and National Association for the Advancement of Returning Citizens (NAARC) in November.
According to a 2018 report by the Urban Institute, 22 percent of District students take public transit to school and 23 percent walk to school. Ensuring they can navigate their journey safely is critical to their participation in school.
“The Safe Passage, Safe Blocks program goes hand in hand with our work to ensure students are in school every day, on time,” said Mayor Muriel Bowser in a statement. “When students feel safe on their commutes to school, we know they are more likely to show up and be success-
Montgomery County’s Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. celebrates fortitude of women on World AIDS Day 2024
By D. Kevin McNeir Special to the AFRO
The Montgomery County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., located in Maryland, hosted its fourth annual World AIDS Day Solidarity for Health Equity Breakfast on Dec. 3.
With a theme of “Breaking the Silence Together: Celebrating Black Women’s Strength in HIV Awareness, Sexual Health and Wellness,” the women came together inside of the Silver Spring Civic Center to address topics related to the disease.
Under the leadership of Emily Halden Brown, Montgomery County Sexual Health and Wellness Services, health experts shared vital information with local residents on the County’s plan to end HIV transmission and to pay tribute to the businesses, organizations and individuals who advance equity and help alleviate health disparities in Montgomery County.
In her previous role as a spokesperson for Georgia Equity, Brown pointed to the stark reality facing African Americans,
particularly Black gay men, noting that many would become HIVpositive on or before their 30th birthday.
“It only takes one time without a condom,” Brown said, adding that education is key- especially for teens and young adults. “We have the power to protect our young people,” she said.
In addition to the breakfast, programs for the day included two free lunch and workshop events, “Embracing Pleasure: A Journey to Wellness and Empowerment,” that encouraged a discussion on HIV awareness in a safe and supportive space; and “PrEP Now . . . Not Later,” which educated the community on the PrEP medication, which when used properly, is highly effective in preventing HIV.
The later workshop, facilitated by Dr. Immirne Ouwinga, a family medicine physician in Silver Spring, affiliated with CCI Health and Wellness Services, gave special attention to the benefits to Black women who chose to use or are considering using PrEP.
The final workshop for the day, “I
am a Quintessential Woman,” helped women focus on the challenges and obstacles in their lives while creating a specific plan to achieve attainable goals based on “unleashing [their] quintessential self.”
World AIDS Day, first held on Dec. 1, 1988, serves as an international day dedicated to increasing awareness of the HIV/ AIDS pandemic and to remember those who have died because of the disease.
For the 37th commemoration of World AIDS Day, this year’s theme, “Take the Rights Path,” encouraged a human-right focused approach with a worldwide emphasis among health officials for “treatment as prevention,” a target agreed upon by UNAIDS which the organization hopes to achieve in 2025.
Among his last official duties, President Joe Biden recently hosted the AIDS Memorial Quilt on the South Lawn of the White House and a seminar, “Embracing the Lives of People with HIV: A Quality of Life Symposium,” on Dec. 5.
Biden spoke to Americans during
D.C. officials ramp up efforts against repeat shoplifters during holiday shopping season
By D. Kevin McNeir
While shoplifting is a major concern for businesses throughout the year, it’s even more of a challenge during the holiday season. Both community stakeholders and law enforcement officials have now turned their attention to thieves who repeatedly steal from area businesses.
Jeff Wojcik, deputy chief in general crimes for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Columbia (USAODC), said there’s an initiative underway which specifically targets repeat shoplifters. Wojcik said that under the direction of U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves, who leads the D.C. office, authorities
“We’re going after repeat offenders who have made a job out of shoplifting and reselling stolen goods for profit.”
are doubling down on those who break the law by stealing. Repeat shoplifters could face felony charges and significantly more time behind bars if arrested and convicted.
“People are beyond frustrated with retail
Senatorelect Angela Alsobrooks resigns as Prince George’s county executive
By Megan Sayles AFRO Business Writer
msayles@afro.com
U.S. Senator-elect Angela Alsobrooks (D) officially resigned from her post as county executive for Prince George’s County, Md. on Dec. 2. Alsobrooks was the first woman to hold the position and has led the county since 2018.
Chief Administrative Officer Tara H. Jackson will now step in to serve as acting county executive.
“Thank you for your trust and partnership as we worked to build a stronger, united Prince George’s,” wrote Alsobrooks in a Dec. 2 statement. “Serving the residents of this county has been the honor of my lifetime, and I am deeply proud of all we have accomplished together.”
Alsobrooks, a lifelong Prince Georgian, defeated former Republican Governor Larry Hogan for the Senate seat. She will be the first Black woman and second woman to represent Maryland when her six-year term begins on Jan. 3. As head of the county, Alsobrooks worked to enhance infrastructure, construct new schools and open a mental health and addiction care facility.
Governor Wes Moore,
theft in our stores – they don’t like to see items like shampoo locked up behind glass doors in stores like CVS or Walgreens,” Wojcik said. “People are also sick of paying for meals or [having] items delivered only to find that they’ve been stolen –often right off their front porches.”
Wojcik noted that there is already a statute on the books to go after
Angela
is no longer county executive of Prince George’s County. The U.S. senatorelect stepped down from her position on Dec. 2 as she prepares to become Maryland’s first Black senator.
Photo courtesy of www.mcacdst.org
The ladies of the Montgomery County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. work diligently to keep the community informed. On Dec.3., the chapter hosted a World’s AIDs Day event to spotlight Black women dealing with effects of HIV and AIDS.
Photo courtesy of Meta (Facebook)/ Angela Alsobrooks
Alsobrooks
Special to the AFRO
Unsplash/ Krisztina Papp
Shoplifters are on notice as the holidays approach, with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia setting new penalties for repeat offenders.
Alsobrooks resigns
Continued from B1
an early endorser of Alsobrooks’ senate run, thanked her for her dedicated service to the county.
“Angela worked tirelessly to make Prince George’s County a safer, stronger place to call home— we’re deeply grateful for her effort and for the results she achieved,” wrote Moore in a Dec. 2 statement. “We look forward to continuing our work together to uplift Maryland families, protect fundamental freedoms, and build a brighter future for our state in her new role as U.S. Senator, as we welcome the opportunity to continue to serve the people of Prince George’s County alongside acting County Executive Tara Jackson.”
Recently, Alsobrooks joined Senators Ben Cardin (D) and Chris Van Hollen (D) to endorse former Democratic Governor Martin O’Malley as chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC). O’Malley, who recently resigned as commissioner of the Social Security Administration, faces contenders, including DNC
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ful, so we’re grateful to the Safe Passage teams who are helping our students succeed.”
The Safe Passage, Safe Blocks funding will be used in 12 priority area across D.C.: Anacostia,
Vice Chairman Ken Martin, Chairman of the Wisconsin Democratic Party Ben Wikler and former Maryland Senate candidate Robert Houton.
“As Marylanders, we are proud to support and endorse former Governor Martin
clear to voters that Democrats will listen to Americans’ concerns and deliver real solutions for their families and our country.”
Prince George’s County Council Member at-large Calvin S. Hawkins has already
“Serving the residents of this county has been the honor of my lifetime, and I am deeply proud of all we have accomplished together.”
O’Malley for DNC chair. His leadership plan centers around a 50-state strategy focused on jobs, opportunity and economic security for all,” they wrote in a Nov. 26 statement. “There’s no question that Democrats stand on the side of hardworking Americans. We need a DNC chair, like Governor O’Malley, focused on making it
who know children and families in the community, who are invested in their community and who provide an additional layer of visible safety, particularly for young children,” said Cameron Shuster, Safe
“Any program that provides wrap-around service to assist our youth in not just achieving school but being able to live trauma-free lives and feel safe within their community is very important.”
Brookland, Columbia Heights, Congress Heights, Eastern/Stadium Armory, Fort Totten, L’Enfant Plaza, Minnesota Avenue, NoMA, Petworth/Brightwood, Potomac Avenue and Tenleytown.
The program supports the hiring and training of Safe Passage Ambassadors, who live in the communities they support. Wearing green vests, they are posted along school routes and help provide conflict resolution and mediation.
“They are individuals
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Passage, Safe Blocks program manager for NAARC. “If a young child in elementary, middle or even high school is feeling unsafe, they have a multitude of trusted adults who are stationed throughout the school zone, transportation routes or metro stations.”
Schuster’s organization exists to deliver wraparound services for returning citizens with the goal of helping them to become productive members of society and to avoid re-
shoplifters who are repeat offenders, referencing Title 22, Section 3212 of the D.C. Code.
“The Code has a provision which addresses a person who is convicted of theft on two or more occasions,” he said. “Typically, that means the offender has gone before two judges and been convicted but even if they’ve gone before the same judge, the law allows for a minimum/ maximum sentence of no less than one year and no more than 15 years.”
Wojcik said his office has received many complaints from shoppers, business owners – even from local law enforcement. The complaints are often accompanied by high quality videos that have captured the thieves in action.
“People may believe that retail theft, either happening in businesses or at people’s homes, is no big deal but it is– and it’s gotten much worse,” he said. “In the building in which I live, we had one person who routinely went into our mailroom and ‘shopped.’ He gutted our right to receive our mail and items for which we had paid, ordered and expected to be delivered to our place of residence. Now, after having gone before a judge at least twice for the same charge, he’s spending the next seven years in jail.”
Wojcik emphasized that the new initiative does not include more organized groups responsible for “smash and grabs” which is covered by a different statute in the D.C. Code, nor does it cover people who may steal a relatively inexpensive item like juice or water out of
thrown his hat in the ring to become the next county executive. The D.C. native formerly served as a local emergency management leader and a senior adviser to former Prince George’s County Executive Rushern L. Baker III.
In a Dec. 2 statement, Hawkins announced his intentions to run for the
position, sharing his vision for a Prince George’s County that embraces local business owners, partners with faith and nonprofit communities and has schools with world-class resources.
“We will prioritize the welfare of our seniors by addressing the lack of affordable housing and continuing to expand their access to quality care, and we will attract economic development that drives the region’s vibrant economy while uplifting local businesses so that they are not left out,” wrote Hawkins in the statement. “I will put people first, from educators to entrepreneurs and our re-entering citizens, actively engaging our diverse county to understand everyone’s needs. I strongly believe that our strength lies within the questions we ask and the conversations we have. Prince George’s County needs a leader with a proven record of listening— at people’s doorsteps, on the phone, at the supermarket— so we can forge a path forward that works for everyone.”
Image generated with picsart.com
Students will have more help as they travel to and from school, as local organizations have received funds from the Office of Mayor Muriel Bowser to assist scholars in their commute.
incarceration. He explained that the Safe Passage, Safe Blocks program enables them to reduce the amount of local youth entering the prison system.
“It’s absolutely essen-
immediate need.
tial in a landscape where there’s a lot of gun violence and, unfortunately, a lot of generational trauma that we have support services ensuring our youth are able to safely enter and
exit the school building, get home safely and be productive during the day” said Schuster. He explained that students can face a number of public safety threats as
they commute to school. They may also be tempted or coerced to participate in delinquency.
“It’s anywhere from community-based violence, to open drug sales, to robberies, to theft of jackets, footwear and sneakers,” said Schuster. “Children can be lured into nefarious behavior that they otherwise would have not been susceptible to if they lived in wealthier communities where there are less socioeconomic problems.”
Schuster noted that the work of the Safe Passage, Safe Blocks program contributes to broader neighborhood safety, especially for Black and Brown communities.
“We face a different level of violence that has perpetrated itself upon communities of color in the United States,” said Schuster. “Any program that provides wrap-around service to assist our youth in not just achieving school but being able to live trauma-free lives and feel safe within their community is very important. I don’t think a price tag can be put on that.”
“We understand that when people fall upon hard times, they may take an item because of thirst or hunger from a store and know that they have no means to pay for the item,” he said. “And while they, too, are breaking the law, they’re not the ones we’re after. We’re going after repeat offenders who have made a job out of shoplifting and reselling stolen goods for profit.”
Since Sept. 1, 2023, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia has indicted 56 cases involving a felony second-degree theft charge based on a defendant’s two or more prior theft convictions, not from the same occasion. Earlier this year, in announcing the indictments and the sentencing, Graves and D.C. Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Chief Pamela Smith commended the work of those investigating the case from MPD and the USAODC.
Retailers report troubling rise in theft at the hands of dangerous offenders
Recent data from the National Federation of Retailers (NFR) indicates that there’s been a sharp rise, nationwide, in both the frequency and scale of retail crimes, most notably those which include organized groups like numerous examples of “smash and grabs” that have garnered headline news in Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia in recent years.
In a statement from NFR, officials reported record losses in 2022 and said that as retail crime has escalated
across the nation, retailers have seen a dramatic jump in financial losses associated with theft. When taken as a percentage of total retail sales in 2022, shrink accounted for $112 billion in losses, up from $93.9 billion in 2021, according to the 2023 National Retail Security Survey recently released by the NRF.
“Retailers are seeing unprecedented levels of theft coupled with rampant crime in their stores, and the situation is only becoming more dire,” NRF Vice President for Asset Protection and Retail Operations David Johnston said in a statement. “Far beyond the financial impact of these crimes, the violence and concerns over safety continue to be the priority for all retailers, regardless of size or category.”
Representative Glenn Ivey, D-Md. agreed that organized retail crime has become an issue that continues to frustrate retailers and said offenders have become far more sophisticated than in the past.
“The problem is becoming bigger and bigger and that has made it hard for local prosecutors to address,” Ivey said in a statement, adding that with coordinated efforts between retailers and law enforcement he’s seeing positive results.
“The benefit is the coordination,” Ivey said. “A lot of times you›ll have these criminal acts going on in different jurisdictions and sometimes there are challenges in making sure that law enforcement in one area understands what›s going on in other places as well.” See more on afro.com
Rams add CB Emmanuel Forbes to roster after release from Commanders
By AP NFL
The Associated Press
The Los Angeles Rams have claimed cornerback Emmanuel Forbes off waivers from Washington.
The Rams (6-6) announced the move Monday. They waived undrafted rookie defensive back Charles Woods to make room on the roster.
Forbes was the 16th overall draft pick in 2023, but the Commanders released him Saturday in yet another latest flop for their first-round selections under former coach Ron Rivera.
Forbes started 10 games as a rookie, but the Mississippi State product got benched during the season — and his playing time dwindled to almost nothing under new coach Dan Quinn this season. Forbes was considered undersized to be an elite NFL defensive back before Washington used a first-round pick on
him, and his play did little to discourage that perception.
But the Rams are taking a flier on Forbes to help their mediocre pass defense.
Darious Williams, a member of the Rams’ Super Bowl championship team who returned to Los Angeles this season as a free agent, has been their best cover corner, but he struggled in Sunday’s victory over New Orleans. Third-year pro Cobie Durant has started all 12 games this season with one interception.
Los Angeles already traded Tre’Davious White, its other major offseason signing at cornerback, after the former Pro Bowler failed to perform. The Rams shipped White to Baltimore for a seventh-round pick swap last month.
Woods has played in nine games for the Rams, appearing mostly on special teams.
Los Angeles hosts Buffalo on Dec. 8..
World’s AIDS Day 2024
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a televised press conference on Monday, Dec. 2 at the White House.
“For the families here today, we hope you can find comfort and remember the love you’ve had for those who you have lost and their love for you is never lost,” the president said. “We use this sacred place to ensure that everyone in America is seen and your stories heard. That’s why we’re here on World AIDS Day.
“The idea of the quilt was first conceived in 1985 to honor the memory of those lost to AIDS with one panel. Nearly four decades later, that quilt now includes 50,000 panels and more than 10,000 names. It tells the tragic story of brothers who died too soon, children born with the disease and their mothers who, like them, also died, and countless friends and loved ones whose lives were cut short,” Biden said, adding that the quilt was first displayed at the White House in 1987.
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Washington Commanders cornerback Emmanuel Forbes Jr. (13) leaves the field following pregame warmups before an NFL football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Upcoming events in the D.C., Maryland and Virginia area
By Aria Brent AFRO Staff Writer abrent@afro.com
As the holiday season revs up there are a variety of events taking place in the D.C., Maryland and Virginia (DMV) area. December is full of celebrations and cool occasions for the whole family to enjoy. From specialized yoga sessions to workshops, community celebrations and masterclasses– there is plenty to see and do!
Washington, D.C.
Black House CollectionCommunity Mixer
Join Black House Collection for an engaging community mixer open to both members and non-members. This mixer is designed to foster connections, build community and showcase their services. Also event guests are welcomed to sign up for membership to the organization online or in person at the event in a quick and simple process. Come network, collaborate, and celebrate as they wrap up our first year on a high note.
Date: Dec. 18
Time: 5 p.m.- 8:30 p.m.
Location: The Metropolitan by Black House Collection
1014 1/2 17th Place
Northeast Washington, D.C. 20002
10th Anniversary Her Story Matters and Courage In Action Breast Cancer Awards
Health Alliance Network welcomes the D.C. community to an inspiring celebration focused on women who have shown tremendous courage in the battles against breast cancer. This in-person event will honor women from D.C.,'s Wards 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 who have battled and overcome the disease with a night of powerful stories, empowering speeches, song, music, poetry and recognition.
Date: Dec. 21
Time: 2 p.m. -5:30 p.m.
Location: Capital Turnaround 700 M Street
Southeast Washington, D.C. 20003
D.C. Fellows Meet-up: Black Broadway Walking Tour
The Washington D.C. Fellowship community warmly invites all to an engaging walking tour led by Brianna A. Thomas, acclaimed author and D.C. historian behind “Black Broadway: Washington, D.C.” Join them as they explore the historic Greater U Street area, once known as Black Broadway, through captivating stories and vivid visuals. Guests will discover the area's oldest landmarks, admire unique murals, encounter influential history makers, and visit century-old theaters. Along the way, attendees will dive into the Jazz and Cultural Renaissance that laid the foundation for many of today’s renowned African-American leaders, educators, musicians, and heroes.
Date: Dec. 21
Time: 10am
Location: U Street Northwest Washington, D.C.
Maryland
SCDC Holiday Celebration
Kick off the holiday season in style with the South County Democratic Club at a special celebration honoring our vibrant senior community. Enjoy an evening of festive cheer, delicious food, and meaningful connections. This event is a chance to embrace the holiday spirit, celebrate the invaluable contributions of our senior members, and share a joyful evening with friends and neighbors. Guests can anticipate hearing Rev.Dr. Zina Pierre, president of the Maryland Black Caucus Foundation as she shares inspiring words meant to uplift people this holiday season. Additionally they can also look forward to being entertained and engaged by DJ Ole Skoulz and Asia Chandler of Majic 102.3 Radio Station.
Date: Dec. 17
Time: 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Location: 5508 Arapahoe Drive Forest Heights, MD 20745
As the holiday season kicks into high gear, there are many events taking place during the month of December in the D.C., Maryland and Virginia area.
Black Book Designers Pilot Masterclass:
for DIY Authors & Book Designers
The East Baltimore Historical Library welcomes aspiring book designers to join them for their Black Book Designers Pilot Masterclass: for DIY Authors & Book Designers. This event was designed with new book designers, DIY authors and book lovers of all sorts in mind, however all are welcomed. Aspiring book designers who are eager to learn the craft, build skills and explore the art of storytelling through design with an experienced book designer and storyteller.
Date: Dec. 20
Time: 6 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Location: East Baltimore Historical Library 2122 Ashland Avenue Baltimore, MD 21205
Asia’s Buy Black Bazaar
Join Majic 102.3/92.7 host, Asia “Luv Asia” Chandler for her second annual indoor community day. This is a family friendly event that will feature free toys for the first 150 kids, a meet and greet and photo op with Santa and friends and the opportunity to shop from local vendors. There's also a lineup of DJ’s and entertainers that are guaranteed to keep attendees entertained at this fun filled event.
Date: Dec. 21
Time: 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Location: Harborside Hotel 6400 Oxon Hill Road Oxon Hill, MD 20745
Virginia
Black Men Heal Yoga
A rejuvenating yoga session awaits Black men seeking healing and peace. Funded by the Center for Public Health Initiatives at Norfolk State, this event will be held at Chesapeake Hot Yoga, though it is not a hot yoga class. Designed with beginners in mind, it offers a welcoming space for individuals new to yoga. Participants will have the opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals and focus on self-care and wellness in a calming, supportive environment. It's a chance to embrace relaxation and empowerment on the mat.
Date: Dec. 19
Time: 7:15 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Location: Flourish 809 Brandon Avenue Norfolk, VA 23517
Black and Free Kwanzaa Expo
The Black and Free Kwanzaa Expo is an annual celebration of African-American culture held in the heart of Virginia. This vibrant event features live music, vegan soul food, and showcases Black-owned businesses from the local community. Attendees can enjoy a diverse range of cultural performances and shop for unique items from over 30 vendors. The expo also offers a Wellness Corner with holistic health services and a special Children’s Art Area where young visitors can express their creativity. It’s a day filled with celebration, education, and empowerment for all ages. All proceeds benefit the year-round programming efforts of the local non-profit FOR THE FEM IN YOU.
Date: Dec. 22
Time: 3 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Location: Beulah Recreation Center 6901 Hopkins Road Chesterfield, VA 23234
Adulting 101: Fostering Healthy Relationships
Join the Richmond Public Library for a program designed for younger adults aged 18-30 that are looking to focus on building, fostering, and nurturing personal and professional relationships
Date: Dec. 17
Time: 6 p.m.- 7 p.m.
Location: Richmond Public Library-Broad Rock location 4820 Old Warwick Rd. Richmond, VA 23224
AFRO Photo/Aria Brent
Photo courtesy of Eventbrite
Photo courtesy of Eventbrite
Photo courtesy of Eventbrite
The first 1,000 days: How to support brain development in babies and toddlers
By Katie Dukes
When babies are born, their brains contain billions of neurons. But how those neurons interact — and what they can do as babies grow through childhood into adulthood — is largely shaped by their experiences in the first 1,000 days of life. The architecture of the brain is built in those first three years, creating a foundation that enables thinking, learning, and adapting over time. More than 85 percent of adult brain volume is built during this critical period. Luckily, we know exactly what infants and toddlers need to develop healthy brains that will set them up for a lifetime of well-being.
How to support brain development
Decades of research have identified several building blocks that are essential to constructing strong foundations for the brain in the first 1,000 days. Researchers agree that the cornerstone of healthy brain development is the formation of secure attachments between babies and the trusted and caring adults in their lives. Whether these caregivers are parents, kin (including friends and neighbors), or trained early childhood professionals, they should be “knowledgeable about how to support (babies’) development and learning and responsive to their progress,” says a report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Note the connection between caring and learning: Caring adults are crucial to developing the capacity for learning in the brains of infants and toddlers. In early childhood, care and learning were inseparable.
To strengthen the brain’s capacity for learning in the first 1,000 days, the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University has identified two key strategies that trusted adults can use — engaging in “serve and return” interactions and minimizing exposure to toxic stress. As researchers at the center explain, serve and return interactions occur when an infant or toddler “babbles, gestures, or cries, and an adult responds appropriately with eye contact, words, or a hug.” Engaging in service and return with caregivers helps babies and very young children build and strengthen neural connections related to communication and social skills in their developing brains. The absence of consistent serve and return exchanges can release potentially harmful stress hormones into the brains of infants and toddlers. And prolonged exposure to such hormones can result in what is
Big
Decades of studies consistently show that children who receive high-quality early learning have better health, education and earnings outcomes.
known as “toxic stress.” Minimizing exposure to toxic stress in the first 1,000 days is crucial for healthy brain development.
According to the Center on the Developing Child, typical causes of toxic stress during this
“What happens in the first three years of a child’s life has lifelong consequences, for better or for worse. Those years represent an opportunity that won’t come again.”
period include “physical or emotional abuse, chronic neglect, caregiver substance abuse or mental illness, exposure to violence, and/or the accumulated burdens of family economic hardship.” However, the center also points out that trusting relationships with adult caregivers can act as a buffer against these hardships.
That’s why childcare providers — whether they are friends, family, and neighbors, or licensed home-based or center-based caregivers and educators — can be so essential in the lives of families who may be experiencing economic hardships such as food or housing insecurity.
As Dr. Dana Suskind, a pediatric specialist and expert in early childhood brain development, writes in her book Parent Nation, “Loving (adults) do not need a PhD or expensive gadgets to do an excellent job at supporting early brain development and building our future citizens. They need easily acquired, basic knowledge about how to best foster critical neural connections.”
To that end, The Basics is an initiative that uses a public health approach to educate and empower caregivers about their role in healthy brain development. In addition to a wide array of online resources (some available in multiple languages), The Basics offers a printable onepager that can be posted in homes, classrooms, pediatrician offices, or anywhere else caregivers may find themselves. Adults — including policymakers — who embrace the basic building blocks of healthy brain development for infants and toddlers, are helping build a foundation that will yield benefits well beyond the first 1,000 days.
Why support brain development
Many people, especially educators who work with children in kindergarten through third grade, can point to early learning as crucial for “school readiness,” but that term can be easily misunderstood. In EdNC’s many conversations with elementary educators, the vast majority say school readiness means young children are being prepared to participate in group learning. This includes having skills such as developing relationships with trusted adults outside their homes, sitting in a circle or standing in a line with other children, communicating about their wants and needs, sharing objects with others, fine motor control and knowing a little bit about how to regulate emotions.
While school readiness may also include some basic academic skills, elementary educators assure EdNC that teaching children how to count, write, and spell is only possible when young learners arrive at school with the social and emotional skills that make them ready to learn. And it’s the brain development that occurs in the first 1,000 days that makes this possible. In addition to helping young students be school-ready, numerous studies have shown that early learning leads to better performance in third-grade math and reading tests. But the benefits of early learning don’t stop there — they last a lifetime.
Decades of studies have consistently shown that children who receive high-quality early learning have better health, education, and earnings outcomes, and are less likely to be incarcerated or use government assistance programs throughout their lives. Nobel prizewinning economist James Heckman found that the highest rate of economic returns comes from the earliest investments in children. More specifically, investment in early care and learning yields a 13 percent annual return to society. As Suskind puts it, “What happens in the first three years of a child’s life has lifelong consequences, for better or for worse. Those years represent an opportunity that won’t come again.” Babies born today are expected to live for almost eight decades, meaning they’ll likely see the 22nd century. But it’s the care and learning they receive in the next 1,000 days that provide the foundation for what they’ll build for themselves and our society.
Katie Dukes is director of early childhood policy for Education NC.
tobacco vs. America: Guess who’s still winning?
By Jennifer Porter Gore Word in Black
Cigarette smoking has plunged more than 70 percent among Americans since a landmark 1965 surgeon general’s report linked tobacco use to cancer. But recently, the nation’s top doctor issued a report that found that people of color, people with low incomes and members of the LGBT community still have disproportionately high smoking rates. Despite decades of strict anti-tobacco-related laws and a historic lawsuit intended to punish the tobacco industry, disparate smoking rates in marginalized communities have increased since 2000, the report finds.
Authored by Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, the report calls out Big Tobacco as a key driver of the disparities, pointing to decades of aggressive, highly specific marketing aimed at those communities.
Unsplash / Nawfal
Cigarette smoking and secondhand smoke exposure continue to cause roughly 20 percent of all U.S. deaths each year — a total of half a million victims.
Murthy’s report is the latest in a series of surgeon general’s reports on tobacco use among U.S. racial and ethnic groups. Besides identifying the problem, it proposes ways to eliminate these disparities
ing movements triggered a drop in overall smoking rates and substantial reductions in secondhand smoke exposure in the overall U.S. population.
Still, poverty, racism, and the tobacco industry’s marketing strategies are major roadblocks to progress and are responsible for the differing rates of smoking by various demographic groups, according to the report.
“Poverty, racism, and the tobacco industry’s marketing strategies are major roadblocks to progress.”
and advance health equity in the U.S.
and workplaces. It also calls for restricting flavored tobacco product sales, which the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has yet to do. Health organizations continue to call for action on this front and suggest state and local governments pick up the slack.
Anti-smoking advocates welcomed the report.
Harold Wimmer, president of the American Lung Association, said in a statement that Murthy’s findings show
Socially and economically marginalized groups “have been subjected to decades of inequitable treatment and manipulative tactics that impact tobacco-related health consequences,” according to the report. It also noted that smoking is a significant factor in disparate health outcomes between white people and people of color.
the tobacco industry harmed vulnerable people and communities through “the use of tobacco, exposure to secondhand smoke, and the death and disease that disproportionately affects” them.
“Achieving health equity requires knowing where these disparities exist and acting to eliminate them,” he said.
“Tobacco use imposes a heavy toll on families across generations. Now is the time to accelerate our efforts to create a world in which zero lives are harmed by or lost to tobacco,” Murthy said in a statement. “This report offers a vision for a tobacco-free future, focused on those who bear the greatest burden, and serves as a call to action for all people to play a role in realizing that vision.”
To be sure, the tobacco settlement and the anti-smok-
As a result, cigarette smoking and secondhand smoke exposure continue to cause roughly 20% of all U.S. deaths each year — a total of half a million victims. Cigarette smoking is also a major cause of heart disease — the number one killer of U.S. adults —and is directly linked to lung cancer. Black men have the highest incidence and death rate due to lung cancer of any racial and ethnic group of men or women.
To curb those disparities, the report calls for government policies that increase access to health care, education, and safe, smoke-free housing
“Among its many findings, the report concludes that menthol flavored tobacco products increase the likelihood of tobacco initiation, addiction, and sustained use; and are target marketed and used disproportionately by certain population groups, including Black people and people who identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual,” ALA’s Wimmer said.
“Following the Biden administration’s failure in 2023 to finalize the lifesaving rules to end the sale of menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars across the country, the American Lung Association urges cities and states across the U.S. to pass policies to end the sale of all flavored tobacco products, including menthol cigarettes, flavored cigars and flavored e-cigarettes,” Wimmer said.
This article was originally published by Word in Black.
Makarim
Unsplash / Aditya Romansa
achievements.
Philadelphia seeks artist to create statue honoring Sadie T.M. Alexander
By Ariyana Griffin AFRO Staff Writer agriffin@afro.com
Sadie T.M. Alexander, the Philadelphia trailblazer in academia, law and the civil rights arena, is now the focus of a public art competition hosted by Creative Philadelphia, formerly known as the City’s Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy. The organization is currently in search of an artist to complete the commissioned work of art, which will be a statue in honor of Alexander.
In 1921, Alexander made history as the first African American in the United States to earn a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Pennsylvania. Her journey continued with another groundbreaking achievement, becoming the first African-American woman to earn a law degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 1927.
Alexander held a variety of titles related to civil rights and law throughout her life. She was a founding member of the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations, the first Black woman to hold the position of assistant city solicitor for the City of Philadelphia, the first national president of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and the first Black woman to practice law in the state of Pennsylvania. She also served on President Truman’s Committee on Civil Rights and was a founding member of the National Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.
According to information released by Creative Philadelphia, the project “is a priority of Mayor Parker’s Administration, to commission a statue honoring this trailblazing Philadelphian and African American woman who shattered glass ceilings, advocated for underserved communities, and contributed greatly to the city and the nation by expanding economic opportunities for people of color.”
The statue will have a permanent home in Thomas Paine Plaza at the Municipal Services Building. It will also be the second woman civil rights leader statue to be installed by the organization, with the first being Harriett Tubman.
Creative Philadelphia has launched the Sadie T.M. Alexander Statue Selection Committee, which includes Sadie Alexander’s daughter, Dr. Rae Alexander-Minter and representatives from NAACP Philadelphia; the University of Pennsylvania Carey School of Law; the Penn Black Law Students Association; the Philadelphia Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority; Philadelphia Bar Foundation; Friends of the Henry O. Tanner House; The Sadie Collective; Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations; PA Advisory Council ACLU; Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights; artists and design professionals, representatives from the City’s Capital Program Office, Councilman Jeffrey Young, Jr’s office, and Creative Philadelphia.”
The call for artists will end on Dec. 30 at 11:29 p.m. eastern time. For more information about the process and the organization visit, www.creativephl.org.
‘Wicked’ and ‘Gladiator’ revive box office ticket sales
By Jake Coyle
The Associate Press
With a combined $270 million in worldwide ticket sales, “Wicked” and “Gladiator II” have breathed fresh life into a box office that has struggled lately.
Jon M. Chu’s lavish bigbudget musical “Wicked,” starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, debuted Nov. 22 with $114 million domestically and $164.2 million globally for Universal Pictures, according to studio estimates. That made it the third-biggest opening weekend of the year, behind only “Deadpool and Wolverine” and “Inside Out 2.” It’s also a record for a Broadway musical adaptation.
Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator II,” a sequel to his 2000 best picturewinning original, also launched Nov. 22 with $55.5 million in ticket sales through the first weekend. With a price tag of around $250 million to produce it, “Gladiator II” was a big bet by Paramount Pictures to return to the Colosseum with a largely new cast, led by Denzel Washington and Paul Mescal. While it opened with a touch less than the $60 million predicted in domestic ticket sales, “Gladiator II” has performed well overseas. It added $50.5 million internationally.
The collision of the two movies led to some echoes of the “Barbenheimer” effect of last year, when “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” launched simultaneously. The nickname this time, “Glicked,” wasn’t quite as catchy and the cultural imprint also was notably less. Few people sought out a double feature this time. The domestic grosses in 2023 — $162 million for “Barbie” and $82 million for “Oppenheimer” — also were higher.
“Glicked” falls short of “Barbenheimer”
For Universal, which distributed “Oppenheimer” last year, the weekend was more a triumph of “Wicked” than it was of “Glicked.”
“We saw an opportunity to dominate a weekend and get a very large running start into the Thanksgiving holiday,” said Jim Orr, distribution chief for Universal. “We’re very confident that it will play ridiculously well through the Christmas corridor and into the new year.”
But the counter-programming effect was still potent for “Wicked” and “Gladiator II,” which likewise split broadly along gender lines. And it was again the female-leaning release — “Wicked,” like “Barbie” before it — that easily won the weekend. About 72 percent of ticket buyers for “Wicked” were female, while 61 percent of those seeing “Gladiator II” were male.
“Standing on their own, each of these movies may have done pretty much what they did, but it’s hard to know,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for Comscore. “Raising awareness can indeed lead to an increase in box office. Let’s put it this way: They didn’t hurt each other at all.”
Massive marketing campaigns paved the way for opening weekend
While “Barbenheimer” benefitted enormously from meme-spread word-of-mouth, both “Wicked” and “Gladiator II” leaned on all-out marketing blitzes.
The “Gladiator II” campaign featured everything from a muchdebated Airbnb cross-promotion with the actual Colosseum in Rome to simultaneously running a oneminute trailer on more than 4,000 TV networks, radio stations and digital platforms.
The “Wicked” onslaught went even further, with pink and green themed “Wickedly Delicious” Starbucks drinks, Stanley mugs and Mattel dolls (some of which led to an awkward recall ). Its stars made appearances at the Met Gala and the Olympics.
“We had roughly 400 global brand partners on ‘Wicked,’ so the campaign was inescapable, said Orr. “And our cast, led by Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, worked so hard on this. They were everywhere. They did everything we asked them to do.”
Box office sales at the end of November were down about 11 percent from last year and some 25 percent from pre-pandemic times. That meant the two headline films led a much-needed resurgence for theaters.
The two films boosted sluggish box office performance David A. Gross, a film consultant
who publishes a newsletter for Franchise Entertainment, said the “two strong openers are invigorating a box office that fell apart after a good summer.”
Though some have dinged “Wicked” for running long, at 2 hours and 40 minutes, the film has had mostly stellar reviews. Audiences gave it an “A” on CinemaScore. The reception for “Wicked” has been strong enough that Oscar prognosticators expect it to be a contender for best picture at the Academy Awards, among other categories.
Producers, perhaps sensing a hit, also took the step of splitting “Wicked” in two. Part two, already filmed, is due out next November. Each “Wicked” installation cost around $150 million to make.
“Gladiator II” has also enjoyed good reviews, particularly for Washington’s charismatic performance. Audience scores, though, were weaker, with ticket buyers giving it a “B” on CinemaScore. The film will make up for some of that, however, with robust international sales. It launched in many overseas markets at the end of November and has already accrued $165.5 million internationally.
Photo courtesy of Creative Philadelphia
Sadie T.M. Alexander will be honored in Philadelphia with a permanent statue celebrating her academic and civil rights
AP Photo
Denzel Washington is still capturing the hearts of fans, decades into his Hollywood acting career. Washington is currently lighting up the big screen with his larger-than-life talent in the film, “Gladiator II.”
AP Photo via Minnesota Spokesman Reporter
Cyntha Erivo shines in the film version of the popular novel and Broadway play, “Wicked.” Erivo plays the character of Elphaba.
New clean air rules help communities suffering from pollution
By Willy Blackmore Word In Black
Over the past four years, the Environmental Protection Agency has tightened restrictions on a host of pollutants and pollution sources, ranging from tougher tailpipe emissions standards for all heavyduty trucks to cracking down on chloroprene pollution — emissions which come from just one plastic plant in Louisiana’s Cancer Alley.
The new restrictions are continuing even in the waning days of the Biden Administration: in November, the White House announced new standards for all nitrogen oxides, a class of harmful gasses generated from burning fossil fuels, in power plants and other industrial facilities.
It’s a change that — as is often the case when it comes to air pollution — would greatly benefit Black communities. But like all Bidenera environmental protections, the new nitrogen oxide rule is at risk when Donald Trump returns to the presidency next year.
Joseph Goffman, an assistant EPA administrator, said in a statement that the stronger standards will “better protect nearby communities’ health, and the power sector has already shown that the additional pollution controls can affordably and reliably do the job.”
In 2023, researchers from Northeastern University published a study that looked at how nitrogen dioxide pollution varied by Census tract. It found that Black, Latinx and otherwise non-White tracts had disproportionately high rates of exposure.
LIke other nitrogen oxides, nitrogen dioxide is caused not only by power plants but cars and other vehicles with internal-combustion engines. And, as freeways were disproportionately built through
Black communities, utilities were more likely to build power plants in close proximity to Black neighborhoods.
The study, published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology Letters, found that the number of premature deaths related to NO2 exposure in predomi-
nantly Black Census tracts was 47 percent higher than the national average.
The EPA believes stricter standards “could also lead to reductions in other types of pollution, like particulate matter and ozone, by lowering the amount available to react with other volatile organic
Commentary Is paid extreme weather leave possible?
By Willy Blackmore Word In Black
When Hurricane Helene swept through the South in late September, the extreme rainfall sent rivers over their banks across the region, including in eastern Tennessee. And when the Nolichucky River flooded, workers at Impact Plastics, a riverside factory in Erwin, Tenn., were still on the job. Eleven workers, most of them Latinx, were swept away in the floodwaters and six were killed.
waiters at restaurants in a shopping center to white-collar employees trapped in office parks. Many employers reportedly told workers in Valencia that they had to stay on the job despite the national weather agency issuing a red alert due to the weather conditions (though companies say that alerts were sent out too late). In future storms when there are official warnings about dangerous conditions, “the worker must refrain from going to work,” labor minister Díaz said.
home when the weather turns dangerous.
During extreme heat, letter carriers, UPS drivers and other delivery workers–many of whom are Black or Brown– have little respite from high temperatures. In 2023, a Black postal worker in North Texas died after collapsing on June day when the heat index hit 113, and the lack of air conditioning in UPS trucks has become a key labor issue for the Teamsters-back workforce.
compounds,” according to the New York Times. The agency estimates that cutting nitrogen oxide emissions could produce a “net benefits to society” dividend of $46.4 million.
Under the Clean Air Act, the EPA must reconsider power-plant pollution standards every 8 years,
“The power sector has already shown that the additional pollution controls can affordably and reliably do the job.”
but the nitrogen oxide limits have not been updated since 2006. The new EPA rule stems from a 2022 lawsuit filed by the Sierra Club and Environmental Defense Club, which set a 2025 deadline for updated standards.
During the last Trump Administration the EPA loosened monitoring standards for nitrogen oxide emissions from coal-fired power plants — plants that are more likely to be located next to Black and Brown communities.
This article was originally published by Word in Black.
“The worker must refrain from going to work.”
It’s a deadly example of a scenario that plays out routinely now in extreme weather events driven by climate change, where vulnerable workers who are often Black and Brown are stuck on the job even when weather alerts and local government guidance say that no one should be out and about due to the dangerous conditions. In Spain, where recent floods killed more than 200 people in Valencia, the left-wing government has a new solution to the sometimes deadly labor problem of extreme weather: national paid climate leave.
The new law provides four days of paid leave to workers in the event of a weather emergency, with the option for employers to add additional days with reduced hours if necessary too. Spanish labor minister Yolanda Díaz told the country’s public broadcaster, RTVE, that the law would make it so “no worker must run risks” in the event of a major storm or other weather-related disaster.
In Valencia, where a foot of rain fell over parts of
workers
were
Such a simple idea, with the social safety net support to back it, isn’t even in the radar in the United States. Instead, extreme weather often highlights the stark and potentially deadly reality of who can afford to stay
In New York City, the current period of drought was preceded by a number of dramatically wet years. During major storms, the image of e-bike delivery drivers (many of whom are immigrants) wheeling takeout orders through flooded and otherwise im-
passable streets has become one of the enduring symbols of the labor imbalance of the climate crisis in the city.
Still, while seeing workers make deliveries or stay on the clock while flood waters rush in has created outrage, it hasn’t generated change. Americans have yet to see any kind of legislative solution- but that doesn’t mean answers aren’t available.
Spain’s almost immediate response to the Valencia flooding is a shining example of what can be done when we put people ahead of profit.
This article was originally published by Word in Black.
the city,
of all stripes
stuck on the job during the flooding — from
Unsplash/ Gary Meulemans
With freeways and power plants often located nearby, studies have found that Black and Brown communities suffer a disproportionate amount of nitrogen dioxide exposure, resulting in NO2-related deaths at 47 percent higher than the national average.
AP Photo/Mike Stewart
Rhonda Bell looks at the oak tree that landed on her 100-year-old home after Hurricane Helene. The hurricane ripped through America’s southern states on Sept. 26 and 27.
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION ADMINISTRATION NO. 2024ADM001342 OTIS JAMES HOLLOWAY Name of Decedent Notice of Appointment, Notice to Creditors and Notice to Unknown Heirs
KATHLEEN EVINS, whose address is 1313 WATERTON TRL. DOUGLASVILLE GA. 30134 was appointed Personal Representative of the estate ofOTIS JAMES HOLLOWAY who died on OCTOBER 23, 2024 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance In this proceeding. Objections to such, appointment shall be filed With the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before MAY 22, 2025. 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 MAY 22, 2025 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: NOVEMBER 22, 2024 Name of newspaper and/or periodical: Daily Washington Law Reporter AFRO American Newspapers
KATHLEEN EVINS Personal Representative
TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS 11/22, 11/29, 12/06/24
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION ADMINISTRATION NO. 2024ADM001333
BURWELL EMANUEL MCCREE SR. Name of Decedent Notice of Appointment, Notice to Creditors and Notice to Unknown Heirs
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 MAY 22, 2025 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: NOVEMBER 22, 2024 Name of newspaper and/or periodical: Daily Washington Law Reporter
AFRO American Newspapers
LUCCILLE M. BREWER Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS 11/22, 11/29, 12/06/24
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION ADMINISTRATION NO. 2024ADM001343
MARJORIE ROBINSON LIVINGSTON Name of Decedent Notice of Appointment, Notice to Creditors and Notice to Unknown Heirs CRAIG ROBINSON, whose address is 1325 Ist NE WASHINGTON DC 20002 was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of MARJORIE ROBINSON LIVINGSTON who died on SEPTEMBER 17, 2022 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance In this proceeding. Objections
BURWELL EMANUEL MCCREE JR, whose address is 4412 LEE ST. N.E. WASHINGTON DC 20019 was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of BURWELL EMANUEL MCCREE SR. who died on MAY 27, 2024 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance In this proceeding. Objections to such, appointment shall be filed With the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before MAY 29, 2025. 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 MAY 29, 2025 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: NOVEMBER 29, 2024 Name of newspaper and/or periodical: Daily Washington Law Reporter AFRO American Newspapers
BURWELL EMAUNEL MCCREE JR. Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS 11/29,12/06,12/13/24
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION ADMINISTRATION NO. 2024ADM001341 FRED R. DAVIS AKA FRED DAVIS Name of Decedent Notice of Appointment, Notice to Creditors and Notice to Unknown Heirs
MICHAEL DAVIS, whose address is 2701 ROSLYN AVENUE, BALTIMORE, MD 21216 was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of FRED R. DAVIS AKA FRED DAVIS who died on JANUARY 10, 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 MAY 29, 2025. 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 MAY 29, 2025 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: NOVEMBER 29, 2024 Name of newspaper and/or periodical: Daily Washington Law Reporter AFRO American Newspapers
MICHAEL DAVIS
Personal Representative
TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS 11/29, 12/06, 12/13/24
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION ADMINISTRATION NO. 2024ADM001323
TYMMI B. WESLEY Name of Decedent
LISA SMITH SANDERS, ESQ. 14452 OLD MILL ROAD SUITE 101 UPPER MARLBORO, MD 20772 Notice of Appointment, Notice to Creditors and Notice to Unknown Heirs
EUGENE WESLEY, III, whose address is 160 GINGERCAKE COURT, FAYETTEVILLE, GA 30214 was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of TYMMI B.WESLEY who died on JULY 27, 2024 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance In this proceeding. Objections to such, appointment shall be filed With the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before MAY 29, 2025. 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 MAY 29, 2025 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: NOVEMBER 29, 2024
Name of newspaper and/or periodical: Daily Washington Law Reporter AFRO American Newspapers
EUGENE WESLEY III Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS 11/29,12/06,12/13/24
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION ADMINISTRATION NO. 2023ADM1216
WILLIE MAE CASTLE
Name of Decedent
CECILLIA R. JONES, ESQ. 5335 WISCONSIN AVE., NW, SUITE 400 WASHINGTON, DC 20015
Notice of Appointment, Notice to Creditors and Notice to Unknown Heirs PRESTON JACKSON, whose address is 2023 FIRST ST., NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20001 was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of WILLIE MAE CASTLE who died on MAY 09, 1994 without a will. 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 MAY 29, 2025. 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 MAY 29, 2025 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: NOVEMBER 29, 2024 Name of newspaper and/or periodical: Daily Washington Law Reporter AFRO American Newspapers
PRESTON JACKSON Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS 11/29, 12/06, 12/13/24
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION ADMINISTRATION NO. 2024ADM001366 ANTONETTE GASKINS Name of Decedent SHELDON ELLIS 2001 FLINT HILLROAD SILVER SPRING, MD 20906
Notice of Appointment, Notice to Creditors and Notice to Unknown Heirs MICHAEL JAMES, whose address is 525 EDGEWOOD STREET, NE.,#10 , WASHINGTON DC 20017 was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of ANTONETTE GASKINS who died on MARCH 27, 2024 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance In this proceeding. Objections to such, appointment shall be filed With the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before JUNE 06, 2025. 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 JUNE 06, 2025 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: DECEMBER 06, 2024 Name of newspaper and/or periodical: Daily Washington Law Reporter AFRO American
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION ADMINISTRATION NO. 2024ADM001379 DENEEN D. JACKSON-ALSTON AKA
DENEEN D. JACKSON Name of Decedent
NAHAL DANESH, ESQ. 5335 WINSCONSIN AVE., NW #440 WASHINGTON, DC 20015 Notice of Appointment, Notice to Creditors and Notice to Unknown Heirs
WILLIAM A. ALSTON, whose address is 1516 TUBMAN RD. SE WASHINGTON, DC 20020 was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of DENEEN D. JACKSON-ALSTON AKA DENEEN D. JACKSON who died on MAY 31, 2024 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance In this proceeding. Objections to such, appointment shall be filed With the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515
12/20/24
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION ADMINISTRATION NO. 2024ADM1357 EVELYN G LAGROOM Name of Decedent Notice of Appointment, Notice to Creditors and Notice to Unknown Heirs
JAMES E LAGROOM, whose address is 15621 TIBBERTON TERRACE, UPPER MARLBORO, MD 20774 was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of EVELYN G LAGROOM who died on FEBRUARY 10, 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 JUNE 06, 2025. 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 JUNE 06, 2025 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: DECEMBER 06, 2024 Name of newspaper and/or periodical: Daily Washington Law Reporter AFRO American Newspapers
JAMES E LAGROOM Personal Representative
TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS 12/06, 12/13, 12/20/24
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION ADMINISTRATION NO. 2024ADM001359
ELIZABETH WHITLOW Name of Decedent Notice of Appointment, Notice to Creditors and Notice to Unknown Heirs TINA FORD, whose address is 304 SCHAFFER DR., FREDERICK, MD 21702 was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of ELIZABETH WHITLOW who died on NOVEMBER 17, 2021 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 JUNE 06, 2025.
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 JUNE 06, 2025 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: DECEMBER 06, 2024 Name of newspaper and/or periodical: Daily Washington Law Reporter AFRO American Newspapers
TINA FORD Personal Representative
TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS 12/06, 12/13, 12/20/24
Effective immediately, The Afro American Newspapers will require prepayment for
accepted in the form of checks, credit card or money order. Any
the
AND
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL - PROJECT NO. 1405
Construction Management Assistance for Sanitary Contract 979 Dundalk Avenue Pumping Station Rehabilitation.
The Baltimore City Office of Boards and Commissions has been requested by the Department of Public Works, Office of Engineering and Construction, to certify the qualifications of engineering firms to provide Construction Management Assistance for Sanitary Contract 979 Dundalk Avenue Pumping Station Rehabilitation. One contract will be awarded for a period of 5 years.
Scope of Work
The Project and Construction Management Assistance services to be pro-
vided include, but are not limited to, assisting the City Office of Engineering and Construction with construction monitoring and inspection, preparation of daily reports, maintenance of project records and documentation, review of contractor’s application for payment, attendance at progress meetings, preparation of record drawings, review of contract claims and support documents, cost estimating, scheduling, time impact analysis, quality control, project engineering, constructibility reviews, submittal reviews and responses, RFI reviews and responses, and other documents.
•Experience in Facilities Rehabilitation and Construction at Wastewater Treatment Plants.
•Experience in development and implementation of a Construction Project Management program for Wastewater Treatment Plants.
•Familiarity with standard construction inspection procedures and requirements for Civil, Structural, Mechanical, and Electrical disciplines and SCADA system installation and implementation.
•Familiarity with the most current applicable building codes, Electrical NEC, and Wastewater Treatment Plant standards.
•Experience in providing and managing field inspection staff with Quality Control and Quality Assurance experience and with change orders and claims analysis.
•Experience with Critical Path Method construction scheduling, and Time Impact Analysis, using Primavera version 6 scheduling software.
• Experience with Primavera Contract Management version 14 and Unifier project tracking software.
•Overall team approach to utilize, coordinate, and manage, assigned tasks of the Minority/Women Business Enterprises partners, and conform to City goals.
DPW encourages all contracting firms that have the experience and capacity to work on this scope to submit their proposals. All firms must demonstrate and document their capacity and resources to deliver the required services on time. Project fees have been estimated at $3,500,000.00 for a period of 5 years.
Should you have any questions regarding the scope of the project, please contact Mr. Kevin Cookley at 410-396-5385 or email Kevin.Cookley@baltimorecity.gov
Prequalification Requirement
All firms listed in the specific proposal for the Project must be prequalified by the Office of Boards and Commissions for each applicable discipline at time of submittal for this Project. A copy of the prime and sub consultant’s current Prequalification Certificate should be included in the bid submittal package. Information regarding the prequalification process can be obtained by calling the Office of Boards and Commissions on 410396-6883.
Projects must comply with the 2006 edition of “The Specifications for Materials, Highways, Bridges, Utilities and Incidental Structures”. City personnel will utilize the City of Baltimore Guidelines for the Performance Evaluation of Design Consultants and Construction Contractors for this contract/project.
Submittal Process
Each Firm responding to this Request for Proposal (RFP) Project #1405 is required to complete and submit an original Standard Federal Form (SF) 255 / 330 unless otherwise specified in this RFP. Provide one (1) original submittal, along with five (5) additional copies to the Office of Boards and Commissions at 4 South Frederick Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21202 on or prior to the due date by NOON Friday January 24, 2025. Submittals will not be accepted after the due date (NOON) and cannot be emailed.
IN THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS FIFTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT CASE NO: 2024-CP-26-01265
STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF HORRY LIS PENDENS (Suit to Quiet Title)
Willie Jenkins, Jr., Plaintiff, vs. Tammy Gladden, Kenneth Gladden, III, Keith Gladden, Terrell Gladden, Tamera Gladden, Tameka Gladden, Towanda Gladden, Nicholas Gladden, Jr., Cynthia Gladden Spence, and John Doe and Mary Roe, designating any and all other persons known or
Please Support Local Journalism
City of Baltimore Department of Finance Bureau of Procurement
February 22, 2024 Conway, South Carolina JOHN C. THOMAS, P.A. /s/ John C. Thomas John C. Thomas Attorney for Plaintiff 107 Lewis Street Conway, SC 29528
IN THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS
FIFTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT CASE NO: 2024-CP-26-01265
STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF HORRY SUMMONS (Suit to Quiet Title)
Willie Jenkins, Jr., Plaintiff, vs. Tammy Gladden, Kenneth Gladden, III, Keith Gladden, Terrell Gladden, Tamera Gladden, Tameka Gladden, Towanda Gladden, Nicholas Gladden, Jr., Cynthia Gladden Spence, and John Doe and Mary Roe, des ignating any and all other persons known or unknown who have any right, title, estate, interest or lien in and upon the real estate described herein, any known or unknown minors, infants or persons under a disabili ty, persons in the armed forces, and all other persons claiming to be heirs or assigns of Gladden, Nicholas Gladden, Frank Jenerett, Nancy Lee Gladden, Kenneth Essie Bellamy, and Elneeda Williams, deceased Defendants, TO: THE DEFENDANTS ABOVE NAMED NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN
Sealed proposals addressed to the Board of Estimates of Baltimore will be Received until, but not later than 11:00 am local time on the following dates forthe stated requirements.
January 8, 2025
* SUPPLY and DELIVERY of GUARDRAILS & BARRIERS
RFQ-000668
* SUPPLY and DELIVERY of WATER METERS (VARITES) RFQ-000584
* JANITORIAL & CLEANING SERVICES RFQ-000652
January 22, 2025
* SUPPLY and DELIVERY of SURFACE MOUNT DELINEATORS (LOT 1:CROSSWALK and (LOT 2: TRAFFIC FLEX POST) RFQ-000560
ENTIRE SOLICITATION CAN BE VIEWED AND DOWNLOADED BY VISITING THE WEBSITE: https://wd1.myworkdaysite.com/supplier/baltimorecity/SupplierSite
YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED and required to an swer the Complaint in this action, a copy of which is herewith served upon you, and to serve a copy of your answer to said Complaint upon the undersigned at his office at 107 Lewis Street, Conway, South Carolina 29526, within thirty (30) days after the service hereof, exclusive of the day of such service, and if you fail to answer the Complaint within the time afore said, the Plaintiff in this action will apply to the Court for judgment by default to be rendered against you for the relief demanded in the Complaint.
February 22, 2024 Conway, South Carolina JOHN C. THOMAS, P.A. /s/ John C. Thomas John C. Thomas Attorney for Plaintiff 107 Lewis Street Conway, SC 29528
SC Bar# 6470 107 Lewis Street Conway, SC 29526 (843) 248-6277
Old traditions, new paths: The priesthood of Merrick Moses
By Rev. Dorothy S. Boulware Word In Black
Merrick Moses is a man of many labels: Old Catholic priest, Benedictine monk, and LGBTQ+ advocate. But don’t let the “old” in his titles fool you – at nearly 50, this Reverend Brother has fire enough to walk by his faith.
The Baltimore resident, who loves ”to pray the rosary while I’m walking,” describes himself as a cradle Roman Catholic — which means he was born right into the church through his family. But Moses’ journey to the priesthood wasn’t a straight path.
He grew up in Queens, N.Y., with a Roman Catholic dad from Panama and a mom from Pittsburgh.
“My Roman Catholic side was really Roman Catholic– with altars in people’s houses and incense and novenas and rosaries,” Moses says.
Meanwhile, his mom’s side of the family “were Baptists, some Seventh-Day Adventists, and an aunt who was a Jehovah’s Witness,” he says. “I can’t tell you how many times I was called a papist, one who believes in the authority of the pope.”
Moses recalls he “always loved church — so much as a child that I would play mass, with figures set in place as parishioners and servers, with pomp and ceremony. But I really did want to lead mass and have a place in the church, but I knew I could never be a priest, having been born a female person.”
He ultimately chose to model his life after his godmother, his father’s sister, who lived a spiritually engaged life. She prayed Catholic prayers but with her own words and passion from her Caribbean heritage.
Moses says he couldn’t understand the reason women were oppressed in the church. He couldn’t understand why someone as devout as his aunt, with great devotion to the Blessed Mother, could not officiate at the altar. So, he left the church for a season.
He practiced Buddhism and found great peace until the tragedy of Sept. 11 drew him back to all he’d known and come to love in the Catholic Church.
No wonder Moses is the epitome of ecumenism. The Morgan State University graduate currently streams broadcasts for the Catholic Church while he serves as an administrative board member for the Episcopal Church to which he also belongs. He is ultimately ordained as a priest by the “One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church” of the
“If this is the work God has given us, then certainly it must be a work that showcases the love we have for each other.”
Diocese of the Northeast in the International Ecumenical Catholic Church.
His spiritual footprint can also be found in state legislative discussions concerning equal rights for the LGBTQ community. “I entered into a realm of politics but with a spiritual component.”
Moses also knows the process of growth never ends. ”I’m taking a course that helps me participate in the conversation without exploding in anger, to dialogue with people I don’t agree with and listen with a non-judgmental ear,” he says. “I’m learning to sit with a simmer rather than the pretty hot temper I inherited from my ancestors. If this is the work God has given us, then certainly it must be a work that showcases the love we have for each other.”
And his joy? “Helping some of the most marginalized people understand that God loves them, too. And so I don’t necessarily push my own Catholicism on that, but I do help people.”
This article was originally published by Word in Black.
Advent: A preview of the reason for the Christmas season
By Rev. Dorothy S. Boulware Word in Black
Advent is a peculiar season, one that might only be known by those who attend liturgical churches that closely follow the Christian calendar. Some people put up Christmas decorations and trees before Thanksgiving, while others plan multiple shopping trips for Black Friday, which, to some, seems to be the official signal that Christmas is on. But the church calendar has another little season sandwiched between Thanksgiving and Christmas that is actually the beginning of the liturgical year. It’s called advent.
celebrating his earthly birth. It’s a time to focus on his second coming — he lived, ministered, died, was raised from the dead and will come again.
Rev. William Bailey, senior pastor of Christian Love Baptist Church in Baltimore, is making their advent worship a time for family. “We’re having different family members of our congregation read the advent lesson, light the candles, and then the entire congregation will sing the hymn, “Rejoice, Rejoice Emmanuel.” A season as unknown as advent lends itself to the interpretation of the worshiper. A season so small easily lends itself to the assignment
“A scared world needs a fearless church.”
And it’s just that; a season between. A waiting period. A time to perfect waiting. A time of preparation. A time to stop and ponder. A time to meditate. And like the season of Lent that precedes Easter, it is a time to consider the sacrifices of Jesus before the celebration of his resurrection.
Advent is observed for the four Sundays preceding Christmas. In addition to the regular actions that characterize corporate worship, like preaching and teaching, an advent wreath is displayed in full view of congregants. One of the four candles is lit each week with a scriptural reading to illuminate the themes of hope, peace, joy and love. A white candle is in the middle and represents Christ and all he brings to the world. Advent is a time to embrace the entire life of Christ before
of a theme or a purpose, such as justice.
Justice fighter and theologian Blythe Scott puts it this way: “We must live with a “holy discontent” — a burning in our hearts because we have a vision from Christ that there is something BETTER He desires for us and our world. A holy discontent that causes us to look at our cities and weep when we see pain or injustice, as Christ did when he looked over Jerusalem (Luke 19:41).
We are called to feel the pain of any of our brothers and sisters who are suffering, who are living under any type of injustice. We are called to feel sickened, to weep, to fight, as Christ did.”
Christians are always called upon to show forth the life of Christ, to be examples of the beloved com-
Each year, Christians across the world use advent calendars to mark the beginning of the liturgical year. The season is observed between Thanksgiving and Christmas and focuses on the life of Jesus Christ and his second coming
munity, and to be salt and light within that community.
Scott quotes A.W. Tozer, “A scared world needs a fearless church,” which is especially apropos in this post-election America.
“In this time of advent, we are called to show the world that Christ has come near. Advent reminds us that one day He will return again, once and for all, and will make all things new. But until then, we are to be his hands and feet, a foretelling of this reality, furthering His vision of renewal as much as we can while we are on this earth. In this time of Advent, we can show the world a
glimpse of heaven – a glimpse of true peace and justice. We can bring light into the darkness.”
WomanPreach!, an organization established to help women do just that; to help women determine what God sounds like in their throats, is offering reflections on Advent hymns as a way of capturing the time before Jesus’ birth for this year.
Dr. Tony McNeill, Jeffrey Allen Murdock, Rev. Dr. Lisa AllenMcLaurin, Rev. Dr. Alisha Lola Jones, and Rev. Kendal Brown write about hope, peace, joy, love and Christmas Eve, respectively. Rev Raquel Gill, a Woman-
Preach 2022 advent theme writer, ended her passage expounding on Paul Tillich’s premise, accept that you are accepted.
“Accept the fact that God called you. Accept the fact that God chooses you. Accept the fact that God loves you. Accept the fact that God made you significant just as you are! This holiday season, may you find your significance in the God who created you, the Savior who came to liberate you, and the communities that seek to affirm you.”
This article was originally published by Word in Black.
Unsplash/ Elena Mozhvilo
Photo courtesy of Word In Black Baltimore-based priest Father Merrick Moses uses his personal and spiritual journey to inspire others to walk out their faith.
BALTIMORE-AREA
On the wrong side of theology: Why it’s
time to say goodbye to the Catholic Church
By Ralph E. Moore Jr. Special to the AFRO
The recent closings of dozens of Catholic Churches in the Archdiocese of Baltimore for no good reason gives me tremendous pause…And so, after 72 years of being a Roman Catholic, a Black Catholic, it occurs to me that the Church will never be better, despite their constant talk of “hope” and “patience.” The truth is, church officials are never going to get
Ralph Moore, a life long member of the Catholic church, shares his thoughts on leaving the institution after the closure of several Black parishes in Baltimore, including his own St. Ann Church. on the right side of Theology. The Catholic Church will never ordain women. It has a long, deep, unchanging history of racial prejudice and discrimination and remains openly hostile to gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, transgender and identity questioning folks. So,
Inmates at the Baltimore County Detention Center in Towson, Md. say a bacteria, known as H. pylori, has been a source
Inmates say H. pylori bacteria wreaking havoc in Baltimore County Detention Center
By Alexis Taylor AFRO Managing Editor
Inmates at the Baltimore County Detention Center inTowson, Md. allege a bacteria is the source of rampant infection on Tier 4H.
Joseph Church, 53, spoke with the AFRO in a phone interview on Nov. 30, alleging that dozens of inmates are experiencing symptoms due to exposure to the bacteria, identified as H. pylori.
“We need some kind of help here,” said Church. “They don’t care. I put in a sick call last Wednesday. I’ve been peeing blood…I’ve got stomach cramps, head pain. I went to medical and I was told I had to ‘wait my turn,’ but it’s been over a week.”
The Johns Hopkins Medicine website has information on H. pylori in the "Conditions and Diseases" section of their website. According to the institution, “Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a type of bacteria that infects your stomach. It can damage the tissue in your stomach and the first part of your small intestine (the duodenum). This can cause pain and inflammation. In somecases, it can also cause painful sores called peptic ulcers in your upper digestive tract.”
Avenue in Baltimore County.
He alleges that pipes “sitting outside sitting against the wall,” gave the inmates the impression that something would be done about the plumbing system, but they’ve been sitting outside for months. While the public can’t see the pipes, those on the inside say they can see the materials laying on the grounds of the property. Meanwhile, inmates say they continue to get sick.
“The health department needs to be called. When somebody takes a ‘number two’ in a cell, it goes into the next cell,” he said.
“If you put a white cloth under the water the cloth will turn brown,” Church alleges. “That’s how bad the water is here. I just want someone from the outside to step in and try to help.”
“If you put a white cloth under the water the cloth will turn brown. That’s how bad the water is here. I just want someone from the outside to step in and try to help.”
The Mayo Clinic reports that “H. pylori bacteria are usually passed from person to person through direct contact with saliva, vomit or stool. H. pylori may also be spread through contaminated food or water.”
Church, who has been an inmate for 10 months, said he believes substandard plumbing has allowed the bacteria to spread through the older parts of the facility at 720 Bosley
Ronald Meyers says he tested positive for H. pylori in the medical office of the detention center. The 53-year-old says he began to experience symptoms aroundthe beginning of September. Meyers said he didn’t get tested until months later, when word of the bacteria began to spread through his tier along with signs of infection.
“I had blood in my poop, blood in my urine. I kept on having gas– even when I wasn’t eating food,” said Meyers.
“They did the test about three weeks ago,” said Meyers. “After, they told me I was positive they started giving me medication.”
Inmates who test positive say they have been given a cocktail of drugs and a regimen that lasts well into 2025.
Those who test positive– and at least one man who was deemed infected based on symptoms– are given amoxicillin
Racist spammers interrupt special education committee meeting in Howard County
By Aria Brent AFRO Staff Writer abrent@afro.com
On the evening of Nov.12 the Special Education Citizens Advisory Committee (SECAC), a parent advocate committee that partners with the Howard County PublIc School System (HCPSS), held a virtual meeting that welcomed students, families and community members to join a discussion focused on mental health. However, as the meeting came to a close, spammers began to call out racial slurs.
“The actual words were, ‘I hate the n-word’ over and over again,” said Dianne Henry, secretary of the Howard County SECAC.
SECAC is a state agency that partners with school districts across Maryland to help advocate for students in special education classes and advise districts on how to better serve their special education students and families. The team that helps provide resources and support to Howard County’s special education community is made up entirely of Black women– which is suspected to be the main reason their call was targeted.
“We are unique. We are a board that is made up of five Black women and that’s different, especially in the climate of Howard County,” said Darria Wise, co-chair of Howard County’s SECAC.
“When I was asked to do this I wanted to bring more diversity in regards to our special education population
Proposed legislation could limit non-safety related traffic stops
By Megan Sayles AFRO Business Writer msayles@afro.com
Attorneys from the Maryland Office of the Public Defender (OPD) and local community leaders invited the
as
held
Courtesy photo
Photo courtesy of Google Maps
of infection for months.
AFRO Photo / Megan Sayles
State Trooper and
agent Tyrone Powers (left); Vennieth McCormick, founder of New
Recovery Center; Cleveland L. Horton, executive director of the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights; Danielle Blocker, executive director of Young People for Progress; Tia Holmes, assistant public defender for Maryland’s Office of the Public Defender (OPD) and Debbie Levi, director of special litigation in the Baltimore City Trial Division for the OPD, discussing the proposed policy.
H. pylori bacteria
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and levaquin for two weeks and a year-long prescription for Prilosec, administered twice a day.
But the inmates say simply treating the symptoms– not the source of the exposure–isn’t enough.
The allegations coming from the Baltimore County Department of Corrections echo complaints from inmates across the country, who say their living conditions cross the line when it comes to “inhumane treatment” while they serve their time.
According to the Prison Policy Initiative, “people face extremely poor living conditions in practically every jail and prison, which negatively impacts their odds of success upon release, their families, and public health at large.”
The institute reports that “routine failure to provide for the medical needs of incarcerated people is harmful (even deadly) for those inside, and strains family resources and healthcare infrastructure after they’re released — and nearly everyone will eventually be released.”
While many Americans view the imprisoned as “less than” in society, many also believe inmates still deserve to serve their time in a facility that does not cause infection.
“We’re all human,” said Cameron Phillpots, an inmate in Baltimore County since July 22. “Everybody isn’t innocent, but we should still be treated like humans,” said the 18 year old.
“I first started experiencing symptoms around September. When I used the bathroom I was seeing blood. I was vomiting a lot, and I didn’t have an appetite for real,” said the teenager. “I was feeling light headed. I was going through a lot of symptoms, but I didn’t know it was to be honest. A lot of people had the same symptoms, so I put in the sick call and they came down to the tier.”
Phillpots says his blood pressure was checked and his body was weighed in his initial visit with the facility’s medical professionals, but no blood was taken to see if he was infected.
To date, Dec. 1, he still has not been tested for the bacteria.
“They said they would come back and test me for H. pylori, but they never came back, so I put in another sick call,” said Phillpots. “Normally, if you hurt yourself or ask to go to medical and tell them your symptoms they are going to come and get you the same day or two days later. I feel like they have something to hide- they don’t want to prove that I have it.”
“In my opinion, they’re trying to just throw it under the rug,” he said.
That sentiment was expressed repeatedly as sick inmates lined up to speak with the
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AFRO via phone.
Cameron Coates, a 25-year-old man from West Baltimore’s Sandtown community, says he believes a medical official tried to keep his positive results quiet.
“I got tested and the lady that works in the doctors office told me I tested negative,” said Coates. “They don’t give you your results–you have to request them. When I got my result, it said I was positive.”
Coates said in a medical appointment for an unrelated matter, he asked the woman who tested him why she lied about his results.
“She swore it wasn’t her,” he said.
Coates alleges he then asked the woman why she didn’t simply put in an order to treat him with medication as soon as she saw he was positive. In her defense, the woman allegedly told Coates she did–which, unwittingly, confirmed for him that he was speaking to the same woman who tested him and saw he was positive.
Many inmates expressed feelings of helplessness when it comes to avoiding the infection, as water from the faucets available is used to prepare food, wash and clean.
Mark Goinges, 26, served time in the facility between June 2023 and August 2024. After two months on the outside, he has returned. In his previous stint, it took six months before he started feeling sick. At the time, he wasn’t tested- he was just put on medication.
“Now that I’m back, it’s worse,” he said. “They tell you not to drink the water– the water’s contaminated- but you don’t have a choice to not drink the water.”
Xavier Nettles, a 24-year-old from East Baltimore, said he tested positive for H. pylori on Oct. 4.
He read from his medical documents in his phone interview.
“On here, it says if it’s over .99 it’s positive,” he said. “Under ‘summary,’ it says my H. pylori results are ‘1.42 H.’”
“They gave me antibiotics and medicine to take. They give it to me every morning and every night, but a week ago I was throwing up blood. My mother told me it’s probably the lining in my stomach. I don’t think you’re supposed to throw up blood.”
Inmates living on the “old side” of the Baltimore County Department of Corrections, along Kenilworth Drive, say the deplorable conditions must be addressed, or inmates will continue to get sick.
“In the cell next to me- if he pees or poops, everything he flushes ends up in my toilet,” said Nettles. “This jail shouldn’t even be open- it should be closed down.”
The AFRO reached out to the Baltimore County Department of Corrections via email and phone and did not receive a response.
the sole reason for a police officer pulling a person over.
Across Maryland, 43 percent of traffic stops involved African Americans in 2023 though they only represent about 31 percent of the state’s population, according to the Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention and Policy. In certain areas, like Baltimore County, Black drivers were even more overrepresented with 54 percent of traffic stops involving African Americans in spite of them making up 32.3 percent of the population.
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what are the values of the Church to be proud of?
Is it the horrific fact that the public routinely associates our denomination with the perpetration or enabling of sexual abuse? Is it the professed “preferential option for the poor?” (Catholic officials seem to prefer to do charity rather than advocate and work for social change).
Is it the rampant sexism? Nuns or sisters are not considered clergy in the Catholic Church– only men are clergy. Also, seven sacraments are available to men only, while women can only receive six? (There is no sacrament of Holy Orders or ordinations for the female half of the Catholic Church.) Officials’ gross mistreatment of women is not from God, but from morally weak men –literally.
The Catholic Church in America is very far removed from 21 st Century thinking. Officials complain of a priest shortage, but refuse to have women or married persons as priests (celibacy should be an option– not a requirement). The Catholic Church leaders in Baltimore take no responsibility for shrinking congregations in the churches. They do nothing to help the congregations evangelize (or spread the faith) despite paid staff at the Catholic Center paid to do so. At St. Ann Church in my 30 years of membership, I understand we’ve never heard much (if at all) from any of the three Archdiocesan Emmaus Teams. They are supposed to work with parishes to help them “cultivate a culture of discipleship (or renewal). And yet, the “Seek the City to Come Initiative” is closing down churches due to small congregation numbers, while the archdiocese did nothing to help those congregations grow. The ability of Catho -
Williams. “Other demographics, like Asians and Whites, were always underrepresented.”
Under Maryland’s current law, six traffic offenses are treated as secondary violations:
• Driving with an object hanging from the rearview mirror
• Driving with a frame or border that partly obscures a license plate
• Driving with a partially hidden license plate
lic Church leaders to live with their contradictions is astonishing to me! On race, gender, poverty, etc. the Catholic Church leadership is on the wrong side of Theology.
Therefore, what is there to hang one’s hat on? One can love God, the Lord Jesus and the Blessed Mother, Mary, without the Catholic organized system of beliefs and practices. The Catholic Church is not going to get any better– especially when it comes to inclusion.
Our Social Justice Committee of St. Ann Church has led a worldwide initiative for the expedited canonizations of the first six African-American saints from the United States of America. We have collected and forwarded to Pope Francis at least 4,500 signed letters urging him to go to God to give us our saints now. He has never acknowledged or responded to us in three years of letter writing. Our Social Justice subcommittee (Delores Moore, Mary Sewell and I) went to the Vatican in Rome last year to advocate in person with the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints. That congregation vets candidates for sainthood and recommends them to the Pope. We have never heard anything from either of them.
Mother Mary Lange, Father Augustus Tolton, Mr. Pierre Toussaint, Mother Henriette DeLille, Julia Greeley and Sister Thea Bowman are all good and decent persons, who suffered through race hatred from fellow Catholics and yet kept the faith.
Being Black and Catholic is one measure to deal with that tries one’s faith.
Catholicism based in and influenced by White supremacy does not come from God, sadly it comes from sinful human beings, who have ignored the
Gospels. Those of us born Black in America were, obliviously, African American before we became Catholic by virtue of Baptism. We have rights. Baltimore church authorities have told us not to speak to the media, as if they can freely remove our first amendment rights. We ignored them. They are now telling us where to go to church as if we are pieces on a chess board. They hold no regard for our church homes. They can also evict us at will (for no reasons, perhaps violating Roman Catholic Canon Law—Canon 1222). Our St. Ann Church in East Baltimore closed Dec. 1, 2024, despite the quantity of dollars in our financial account, the upgraded conditions of our church and rectory buildings and our well-known advocacy for the canonizations of Black American saints. And so, it is time to say goodbye to Catholicism. Too many Catholics are strong Donald Trump voters and supporters. Too many church leaders practice silence and secrecy and clearly care more about finances than faith. There is more concern for the size of congregations than the depth and commitment of Black Catholics who have stayed in churches, while White Catholics fled to the suburbs, fleeing in search of freedom from the racial integration ordered by the Supreme Court’s 1954 Brown vs. Board decision. Today, I say goodbye to Catholicism.
I remain a believer in God, I love the Lord Jesus and I love his Blessed Mother, Mary. However, I know the Catholic Church will never get any better. Their values –or lack thereof– are actually not consistent with mine. And so I leave them, I believe in a higher power and I can no longer live the Catholic lie.
implement the law without a change to the state law.
“Statewide, ending these stops can be helpful in that they’re reducing harm to drivers, they’re reducing risk for police that are often likely to be hit by oncoming traffic and they’re allowing us to use our resources on things that are much more effective at preventing crashes and keeping us safe,” said Danielle Blocker, executive director of Young People for Progress, a social justice and advocacy organization based in Montgomery County.
The new policy would aim to limit police interaction with the public, and in particular, communities who have been disproportionately stopped by officers.
• Provisional license holders breaching passenger restrictions
• Driving without headlights in rainy conditions
“We just want to save lives, and that’s why we’re here today.”
“Officers are culturally and socially promoted for racism, for bias-based policing,” said Randy Williams, former sergeant for the Baltimore County Police Department. “They’re groomed to go into specialized units and for promotion because of stop and frisk on Black and Brown folks.”
Just before retiring from the department, Williams was responsible for tracking and analyzing bias-based policing. He examined aggregated data on traffic stops in Baltimore County from 2010 to 2014.
Williams discovered that just in 2010, 430 Baltimore County officers stopped African Americans at a rate of 80 percent or higher. Some officers solely arrested Black people.
“What I noticed over that analysis that I performed every year for the five years was that Blacks were always overrepresented than their demographics in each precinct,” said
• A passenger over 16 neglecting to wear a seatbelt in the back seat
The new policy would add nine other non-safety related offenses to be enforced as secondary violations:
• Driving an unregistered car or with expired tags
• Driving without a working headlight, brake lights and taillights
• Driving without mirrors or with obstructed or damaged mirrors
• Driving in a bus lane
• Window tint
• Neglecting to illuminate a license plate
• Neglecting to signal a turn, lane change or start due to nonfunctional equipment
• Excessive noise
• Littering
In 2023, Montgomery County Councilmember Will Jawando (D-At-large), with the help of local organizers, introduced a bill called the Safety and Traffic Equity in Policing (STEP) Act, which had similar provisions. It also had the same goal of curbing racial disparities in policing.
But, Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown informed them that local jurisdictions would not be able to
Tia Holmes, assistant public defender for the OPD, emphasized the danger traffic stops can generate.
“We don’t want them to stop you for expired registration because that’s causing no issues. What it does is increase interactions, and it makes it very dangerous,” said Holmes. “Think of people like Philando Castile. We just want to save lives, and that’s why we’re here today.”
Castile, 32, was killed by St. Anthony, Minnesota police officer Jeronimo Yanez in 2016 during a traffic stop. Castile was in the car with his girlfriend Diamond Reynolds and her 4-year-old daughter when police pulled him over. While reaching for his driver’s license, Castile informed Yanez that he had a licensed firearm in the vehicle.
The officer instructed him not to reach for it or pull it out. Castile and Reynolds both confirmed to Yanez that he had no intention of grabbing the firearm, but Yanez shot Philando seven times at close range. Five bullets struck and killed him.
Castile is one in a number of African Americans who have lost their lives during traffic stops. According to the Center for American Progress, 600 Black people have been killed during the stops since 2017.
“We want to shift the narrative to understanding how dangerous traffic stops are, remove those from part of the narrative of policing and replace that with other less interactive instances with members of the public,” said Debbie Levi, director of special litigation in the Baltimore City Trial Division for the OPD.
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because it is a taboo within African American culture to talk about it.”
As a result of the breach, the Nov. 12 meeting was shut down, leaving parents and community partners concerned about what happened.
“I did have a few concerned parents reach out because the meeting abruptly ended. Some people were shocked, they weren’t sure what they heard,” said Henry. “We also have a board of education member that is a permanent liaison to our committee that comes to every meeting. She reached out immediately and said she was going to handle an investigation by HCPSS. At that time, we assumed that because they paid for the Zoom [subscription] they could conduct the investigation.”
In the days following the verbal attack the committee discovered that an investigation could not be conducted by HCPSS. They were told that although the district pays for the Zoom account, when it was first created, during the COVID-19 pandemic, it wasn’t registered with HCPSS credentials–leaving the committee to handle this situation independently.
Once SECAC communicated what happened in the meeting to their community, support came flowing in from individuals and organizations alike. On Nov.14, the Autism Society of Maryland (AUSOM) released a state-
ment against the racially motivated attack.
“The Autism Society of Maryland vigorously condemns the hate speech made during the Howard County Special Education Citizens Advisory Council Meeting on November 12, 2024. This was a cowardly attack on the volunteer leaders of SECAC,” the statement read.
“This event is especially painful for AUSOM because of our strong and ongoing partnership with SECAC. We call on all leaders in Howard County to join us in speaking out against hate speech and bigotry that have been spreading across the nation and sadly now have reached Howard County.”
While Autism Maryland was quick to release a statement against the racist verbal attack, the SESAC leaders told the AFRO they took issue with the fact that HCPSS at large was not. They allege that HCPSS representatives who were on the Nov. 12 call in real time were slow to denounce the spammer’s actions– and only did so after other orgs publicly denounced what happened in the committee meeting.
On Nov. 15, HCPSS superintendent issued a press release titled, “Update from the Superintendent on the Special Education Program Review.”
The message, sent by Superintendent Bill Barnes,
mostly focused on the topic at hand, with one graph that mentioned the incident in the SESAC meeting.
“I lend my voice to the chorus of individuals and groups advocating profusely to eradicate hate and hateful language. I denounce this deplorable act of cowardice and was extremely saddened that SECAC leadership were targets of such a horrible demonstration,” said Superintendent Barnes. “I am committed to ensuring that students, staff and our families experience a nurturing and safe environment and any acts of hate that threaten and negatively impact these experiences, will not be tolerated.”
The SESAC leaders are questioning the handling of the incident, and expressed concern, stating that the perceived lack of concern from HCPSS officials in this incident makes them wonder how students are supported if they are met with verbal racist attacks.
The AFRO reached out to ask why the district took multiple days to address the issue and if the statement was in fact only released as a result of AUSOM’s public denouncing of the incident.
HCPSS superintendent, Bill Barnes responded to the inquiry and spoke out against the incident, along with clarifying the steps he took to rectify the situation.
“Quickly following the SECAC meeting, I worked with my leadership team to react to this harmful act to try and prevent it from happening again. But in my efforts focused on preventing future incidents, I failed to call SECAC leadership to check on their wellbeing,” the comment stated.“When I realized that no one from my team had connected with SECAC leadership immediately following the incident, I made the decision to address it directly with SECAC membership at their in-person meeting and offer my sincere apology and intolerance for what occurred, albeit too late.”
Moving forward, the SESAC leaders plan to implement a registration system for future meetings to help
monitor who is joining them.
The AFRO contacted Zoom about protocol for identifying IP addresses of call participants and the handling of hate-fueled spammers committed to wreaking havoc on the virtual platform.
Their response was empathetic, but lacked solutions.
“We are deeply upset to hear about this incident and Zoom strongly condemns such behavior. We are committed to maintaining an equal, respectful and inclusive online environment for all our users,” said company representatives. “We encourage users to report any incidents of this kind to Zoom and law enforcement authorities so the appropriate action can be taken against offenders.”
“We have a number of default settings and features to help hosts easily access in-meeting security controls, including controlling screen sharing, removing and reporting participants and locking meetings, among other actions,” continued the statement from Zoom.
Even after being targeted, the ladies of Howard County’s SECAC continue to serve their community and represent minority students with special needs.
“We want to say ‘Hey, we’re here,’ and we are advocating,” Wise said. “And we want to bring more awareness and let people know that there’s no color to special education.”
Unsplash Photo/ Chris Montgomery
Members of the Howard County Special Education Citizens Advisory Committee say their Nov.12 Zoom meeting, addressing mental health in the special education community, was breached by spammers who interrupted the call with racist verbal attacks.
Maryland Black Caucus Foundation members close out 29th Annual Legislative Weekend with dinner gala
By AFRO Staff
The Maryland Black Caucus Foundation’s 29th Annual Legislative Weekend closed out on a high note Nov. 23 as members of the Maryland State Senate and House of Delegates came together to honor local changemakers.
The event was held at Maryland’s Live! Casino and Hotel and was led by Mistress of Ceremonies Tameka Harris. The night was truly an evening of Black excellence as multiple awards were given out. Emerick Peace, operating partner for Keller Williams Preferred Properties of Upper Marlboro, Md., received the Outstanding Business Award. The President’s Harriett Tubman Award went to Dr. Aminta H. Breaux, who currently serves as president of Bowie State University. Other legislators, such as Senator of The Year C. Anthony Muse (D-Md-26) and Delegate of The Year Aletheia R. McCaskill (D-Md.-44B) also were recognized.
Ceremonial street signs in Baltimore honor Dru Hill members
By Rishele Ellison
On Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, legendary R and B group Dru Hill, whose soulful harmonies and timeless hits have defined an era of music, received a heartfelt tribute as ceremonial street name signs were unveiled in their honor. Presented by their longtime manager, Kevin Peck, and Director of Digital Media Rishele Ellison, the ceremony took place during the first night of their sold-out weekend at the Bethesda Theater in Bethesda, Md.
The group, celebrated for hits like “In My Bed,” “Tell Me,” “Beauty,” and “How Deep Is Your Love,” was honored with street signs located at the very intersections and neighborhoods that shaped their upbringing and inspired their music.
The honor not only recognizes their contributions to the R and B genre but also cements their legacy in the heart of Baltimore. For decades, Dru Hill has been a source of pride for the city, known for their iconic harmonies and electrifying performances that have influenced generations.
The unveiling at the Bethesda Theater was an emotional moment for the group and their fans, many of whom have followed them since their 1996 debut. The audience erupted in cheers as each member was recognized, celebrating not just their music but their enduring impact on the community.
“This is not just an honor for us as individuals but a tribute to our city, our families, and our fans
who have supported us since day one,” said SisQo, reflecting on the milestone during the ceremony.
Baltimore residents can now find the following ceremonial street signs across the city:
SisQo’s Way – 2000 Block of Hillenwood Rd
Nokio’s Way – North Ave and Eutaw Ave
Scola’s Way – Monroe Ave and Lauretta Ave
Jazz’s Way (not pictured) – Greenmount Ave and North Ave
The street signs symbolize a full-circle moment for Dru Hill, marking their journey from Baltimore streets to international stages while honoring their roots. Fans can now visit these locations, etched with the names of the group members who helped shape the city’s musical history.
Dru Hill continues to tour and create, bridging generations with their timeless sound and unforgettable performances. Their three sold-out Bethesda Theater November shows testify to their enduring influence and the deep connection they share with their fans.
For the city of Baltimore, these signs serve as a reminder of what can be achieved through passion, talent, and perseverance.
Dru Hill will return to Bethesda Theatre for a special New Year’s Eve performance on Dec. 29.
AFRO Photo/ Wesley Robinson Tamir “Nokio” Ruffin (left), Rufus “Skola” Waller, and Mark “Sisqó” Andrews, a few members of the R and B group Dru Hill, hold street signs bestowed upon them. The signs will be visible in Baltimore, where the artists grew up and formed the group.
Mistress of Ceremony Tameka Harris takes to the stage to lead attendees through the evening’s events.
Del. Melissa Wells (D-Md-40), shares the impact of Del. Melvin L. Stukes, whose life was honored at the gala.
Doug Ruffin, of Urban Legacy Filmworks, enjoys the Maryland Black Caucus Foundation Gala dinner gala.
Co-Pastor Dr. Susie C. Owens of Greater Mt. Calvary Holy Church delivers the invocation.
Maryland Del. Marlon Amprey (D-Md-40) (left) and his wife, Normandi Amprey, share a moment at the dinner gala.
Rosalind Ellis (left) enjoys the event with her husband Sen. Arthur Ellis (D-Md-28), the deputy majority leader for the Maryland Senate.
Natasha M. Dartigue (left) Maryland Public Defender and Del. Stephanie M. Smith
Quintin and Megan Lathan, owners of the hair and cosmetic supply store, Beauty Plus, enjoy a night on the town.
Haki S. Ammi, a parliamentarian for the Maryland Black Caucus Foundation, arrives dressed to impress.
Senator Antonio Hayes (D-Md40) speaks to gala attendees.
Benjamin Brooks (D-Md-10)(left) stands with long time friend, former Senator Michael Mitchell (D-Md.-39).
Shown here, Sheryl Swoopes (center) with Del. Jheanelle Wilkins (left), and Maryland Speaker of the House Adrienne Jones.
Rev. Jules Dunham Howie serves as an administrator for the Maryland Black Caucus Foundation.
Emerick Peace, operating partner for Keller Williams Preferred Properties of Upper Marlboro, Md., receives the Outstanding Business Award.
Elle Odoi (left) and Yvette Pappoe are owners and operators of Decorelle, LLC.
The President’s Harriett Tubman Award goes to Dr. Aminta H. Breaux, who currently serves as president of Bowie State University.
Delegate of The Year Honoree Aletheia R. McCaskill (D-Md.44B) (center) accepts her award alongside other members of the Maryland Black Caucus. Shown here: Del. Karen Toles(D-Md-25), Del. Melissa Wells (left) (D-Md-40), Del. Stephanie M. Smith (D-Md-45), Del. Jheanelle Wilkins (D-Md-20), Del. Marlon Amprey (D-Md-40), Del. Jamila J. Woods (D-Md-28) and Majority Leader Arthur Ellis (D-Md28).
Senator of The Year C. Anthony Muse (D-Md-26) (center) and other members of the Maryland Black Caucus. Shown here, Del. Karen Toles (D-Md-25), Del. Melissa Wells (D-Md-40) (left), Del. Marlon Amprey (D-Md-40) , Del. Jheanelle Wilkins (D-Md20), Del. Stephanie M. Smith (D-Md-45), Del. Jamila J. Woods (D-Md-28) and Maryland Senate Majority Leader Arthur Ellis (D-Md-28).
AFRO Photos/James Fields