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Volume 122 No. 49
JULY 12, 2014 -JULY 18, 2014
Georgia Continues Longstanding Voter Suppression Efforts By Zenitha Prince Senior AFRO Correspondent Part 8 in a series detailing states’ efforts to keep citizens from voting. Georgia has long been the center of resistance to advances in voting rights
Senate Judiciary Committee on the need to amend and renew the Voting Rights Act. In 1871, in an attempt to undercut the Black political gains offered by Reconstruction, Georgia became the first state to enact a poll tax. Almost 150 years later, civil rights activists said, Georgia again took the lead in introducing a modern-day “poll tax,” – a voter identification law that is one of the strictest in the nation and which could have served as a catalyst for the spate of voter ID laws that have spawned across the nation in recent years. “Some of the major voting rights litigation in the past 20 years have come from this state,” said Jerry Wilson, a Georgia-based attorney with the Southern Coalition for Justice. And, he added, as one of the states that has to get Continued on A3
Register by Oct. 14 to vote in the Nov. 4 General Long-Time Community Activist Honored Election with Street Naming Ceremony for Blacks and other minorities. “The history of voting rights in Georgia can best be categorized as promises made, promises broken; promises remade, promises broken; promises made and now only partially realized,” said Francys Johnson, president, Georgia NAACP, in testimony before the
By Roberto Alejandro Special to the AFRO
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The 2100 block of Presbury Street is now adorned with a sign that reads ‘Gwen Shelton Way.’ This is a fitting tribute to a woman whose most enduring legacy is a lifetime of community activism and service. Friends and family recalled the “Gwen Shelton way,” defined by selflessness and a
INSERTS • International Festival • Walmart
a meal could stop by for something to eat. In addition to food, Gwen Shelton had stocked her home with about four computers for the use of neighbors and area residents. While cleaning out his mother’s personal belongings, after her death in December 2013 at age 65 from breast cancer, Kibwe Shelton discovered another use of those computers: about 20 obituaries his mother had written, without charge, on behalf of community members who had lost loved ones, easing the pressure of a responsibility that can prove daunting in the early stages of processing grief. From 2007 until her passing, Shelton, an active community presence in Baltimore for well over 30 years, served as president of the Matthew A. Henson Neighborhood Association in West Baltimore.
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tenacious drive to leave the communities in which she resided better than she first encountered them. Kibwe Shelton, the second of Shelton’s two children, recalls the home at Edmondson Ave. and N. Payson where he grew up as a veritable food kitchen, a place where anyone in need of
Harbor Point Breaks Ground
Beatty Optimistic About Future of Entire City
continue to grow. But, we also need the city to grow,” Beatty said from his company’s offices on Thames After months of consternation Street. by some in the city the Harbor Point Harbor Point, built in phases over project broke ground between Harbor the course of 12 years will feature East and historic 1.6 million square Fells Point in June. feet of office space, Yet, despite his 914,000 square feet detractors and the of residential space, tribalism within the 195,000 square feet state’s development of retail space and community Michael five public urban Beatty, the developer parks, among other of the billion-dollar Michael Beatty amenities. The project project is encouraged will also allegedly about Baltimore’s generate thousands of growth beyond the site’s 27 acres. construction and permanent jobs, as “We need to execute now and to well as $19.6 million in new city tax execute we need the private sector to Continued on A5 By Sean Yoes Special to the AFRO
“We’re building a big project but it’s only as good as what’s around it.” –
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Jay and Bey ‘On the Run’
Fans Flock From All Over
Thousands of fans came out to see Jay-Z and Beyoncé’s first-ever combined tour.
By Ashley D. Diggs Special to the AFRO On July 7, thousands of fans made their way through traffic and long M&T Bank Stadium lines to witness the highly-anticipated summer concert, “On The Run,” starring the dynamic duo Shawn “Jay Z” Carter and his wife Beyoncé Knowles-Carter. The first-ever combined tour performed by the Carters delivered an expensive, finely measured, top-shelf production fans would only expect from a Forbes power couple with a corporate sponsorship. Traffic was at a standstill outside the stadium just minutes before the 8 p.m. show time at 8 o’clock. Frustrated and tardy fans could be heard screaming from inside their cars. Other tardy fans walked calmly into the huge arena, suspecting a later start time, around 9:30 p.m., like the “On The Run” show in Philadelphia. Punctual Bey and Jay followers were ready at 8 p.m., hoping to be Continued on A3
Local Lettuce Farm Looks to Transform Neighborhood, Give Second Chances By Roberto Alejandro Special to the AFRO On a formerly vacant lot in the Sandtown-Winchester area of Baltimore City, a series of greenhouses have sprung up, growing over 10 types of lettuce and providing jobs to residents of an area more notable for its vacant housing stock than its green spaces. Part of a series of neighborhood revitalization projects developed by Newborn Holistic Ministries, the farm, known as Strength to Love, is helping to transform both the appearance of Sandtown-Winchester, and its residents. Continued on A4
Copyright © 2014 by the Afro-American Company
Photo by R. Alejandro
Gregory Megginson, an intern with YouthWorks, looks on as Lisa Franklin surveys the lettuce crop.
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NATION & WORLD Louis Vuitton Faces Discrimination Charges Over Racist Rants in London Store
works for Louis Vuitton, derided President Obama, calling him a “Muppet� and adding that America would be better off with “Miss Piggy� as president because “Muslim people... don’t eat pork.� Koffi said that when he approached his manager about his comments, the manager responded by saying it was a “joke.� Koffi told the UK Mirror he recorded his manager bashing other races and religions. He noted that there were frequent remarks about Asian people, including comments about some Louis Vuitton products being “s***� because they were “made in China,�
Fashion powerhouse Louis Vuitton faces racial discrimination and harassment charges brought by an employee Louis Vuitton faces who said his boss engaged in racial discrimination racist rants in a London store. and harassment According to Oliver Koffi, a charges. Louis Vuitton sales associate in the brand’s outlet embedded in a London Selfridges, a United Kingdom department store chain; his supervisor recently launched a racist tirade in front of Koffi and other employees in the store’s stock room during a discussion of the origins of the English language. “‘Black people are slaves who eat dirt “We expect signs to be tampered with or stolen, but not to this extent,� off the floor’,� Kofi said recounting the said Scurry-Smith. manager’s comments to the UK Mirror. The manager, who was not identified and who no longer The manager’s comments created a “hostile and intimidating� working environment, Koffi said in a complaint to be heard July 18 in a Central London Employment Tribunal where workplace conplaints are considered. A Louis Vuitton representative told UK Mirror, “Louis Vuitton has a zero-tolerance policy to harassment of any kind.� ) "%%! $ %( * " $* “This reported sentiment is in total violation of the Louis Vuitton Ethical charter,� the spokesman said. “This ( " $ -( * () *% %, ( %##+$ */ $ -) issue was investigated, and the manager in question no $ &%" * ) $ ) $ *%$ ( $ longer works within the company.� %( 0) %+$*/ $ "* #%(
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Black GOP Candidate’s Image Painted White on Campaign Poster
Gloreatha “Glo� Scurry-Smith, an African American seeking the Republican nomination for a House seat in Florida, was the target of vandals recently who used spray painted to turn the Black woman’s face white on a campaign poster, according to National Review Online. The candidate reacted to the defaced image, which was discovered June 29 and could be seen from a nearby interstate highway in Jacksonville, in a tweet: “This is sad, but I’m all for diversity.� Scurry-Smith, who is seeking the GOP nod in the Aug. 26 primary to challenge Rep. Corrine Brown (D-Fla.) for the state’s fifth congressional district in the fall, said, “We expect signs to be tampered with or stolen, but not to this extent.� On her Facebook page, the candidate said: “Please know that I do not know who did this, nor am I concerned with pointing fingers. It is important that we forgive and move on regardless of the person’s reason for doing this. My desire was to bring awareness, and hopeful make one think before doing something like this again.�
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The Afro-American, July 12, 2014 - July 12, 2014
July 12, 2014 - July 18, 2014, The Afro-American
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Three HBCU Officials Recognized by National Organizations By Maria Adebola Special to the AFRO Three presidents from Historical Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) were recognized and honored for their profound services and contributions in each of their fields. Hampton University’s president William R. Harvey received the 2014 Chairman’s Award in mentoring from the 100 Black Men of America Inc. June 17. The 100 Black Men of America is a men’s civic organization and service club whose mission is to educate and empower African American children and teens. Harvey has been the president of the university since 1978. He was recognized for his work and commitment to mentoring college and university presidents, especially African Americans at the organization’s 28th annual conference. “Part of my job at the local and national level
is to prepare leaders for tomorrow,� Harvey said in a Daily Press article. “In that regard, at Hampton University, I am constantly mentoring my administrative and faculty colleagues in the realities of administration, finances and governance.� Tennessee State University’s president Glenda Glover June 21 received the 2014 National Achievement in Education Award from the National Association of Black Accountants. The award is bestowed to individuals who have made significant contributions to the accounting profession. NABA, short for the National Association of Black Accountants Inc., was created in 1969 by nine African Americans to address the unique challenges and limited opportunities they faced in the accounting profession. Glover is a certified public accountant and attorney who is also one of the two African American women in the nation to hold both a Ph.D.
Dr. Glenda Glover
Julie D. Goodwin and a law degree. In a Tennessee State press release, Glover acknowledged that she was proud to have been recognized by the organization. “I am honored to receive this award from such a prestigious organization,� she said. “My relationship extends back to the late 1970s when we were all struggling to get through the CPA examination together. NABA has such a worthwhile purpose in the community assisting others in their efforts to enter the
Dr. William Harvey accounting profession. It is wonderful to be affiliated with an organization such as NABA.� Julie D. Goodwin, general counsel for Morgan State
Georgia
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University received the distinguished service award by the National Association of College and University’s Attorney (NACUA) for her service to the organization and contribution to its mission, according to the Baltimore Times. “My service to NACUA has been a labor of love due to the importance of NACUA to my career and because I am steeped in a family and community tradition (the daughter of James and Enolia Goodwin, educators in the Baltimore metropolitan area) which is dedicated to excellence and equal educational opportunity,� Goodwin said. “One emphasis is the enhanced implementation of some of NACUA’s core values related to diversity and inclusiveness. Working together, we were able to develop additional initiatives which have made NACUA a stronger organization and well-positioned to serve the needs of its attorney
representatives who provided advice and counsel to colleges and universities across the nation and world.� Goodwin also said that attorneys who are part of a multiculturally-rich professional organization are better able to develop advice that considers the complex interests of a multicultural and global society. “My family, professional peers, mentors and NACUA colleagues have done so much for my professional development that I am truly grateful to have had the opportunity, through my service, to return just a small fraction of the wealth that was invested in me.�  Goodwin has served as general counsel for the university since 1993, and has been a member of NACUA since 1985. Goodwin served on the NACUA board of directors as the at-large member from 2001-2004. madebola@afro.com
Jay and Bey
Continued from A1
federal preclearance before making voting changes as required by Section 5 of the VRA, Georgia “has had numerous Section 5 objections over the years.� Prior to 2006, when Georgia’s law was enacted, no state ever required a voter to produce a government-issued photo ID as a condition to voting. Under the new law, however, eligible voters would have to present a driver’s license, state ID card, tribal ID card, United States passport, federal or state employee ID card, military ID card, or a Voter ID card issued by the voter’s county registrar’s office to cast a ballot. And, if a voter lacked the proper documents on Election Day, they could cast a provisional ballot that would only be counted if the voter presented an acceptable ID to the county registrar’s office within three days. The law’s requirements, civil rights activists say, places a disproportionate financial burden – or poll tax – on minorities, the poor, the elderly, and students and increases their chances of being disenfranchised. State legislators one-upped themselves in 2008 by passing a law requiring new would-be voters to prove their U.S. citizenship before they could be added to the rolls. And, similar efforts continue. “While we’ve made great efforts we have a long way to go,� said Johnson of the advancement of civil rights in the Peach
State. He added, “Voter suppression is on the agenda during every legislative session and these efforts diminish the ability of old people, other young people and people of color to participate in the search for the common good.� One of the more egregious changes, activists say, is the diminishing of early voting—one of the tools that has boosted African-American voting participation, many experts agree. “Our legislature rolled back early voting from 40 to 21 days. Then during the recent legislative session, legislators tried to cut back early voting from 21 days to six days and they said this was in an effort to save $3,400,� Johnson told the AFRO.
“All across Georgia we’re seeing policies that would have been blocked pre-Shelby, they’ve been put back on the table and are going full speed ahead.�
– Francys Johnson
“Given that we presently spend over $45,000 a week to station a soldier in Afghanistan to fight for freedom abroad, spending $3,400 to ensure that working Americans can participate in the search for the common good seems like a worthy investments. According to Wilson, voters have also complained about constant changes in polling places and consolidation – or elimination – of polling places without notice. In the city of Athens, for example, there was a move to halve the number of polling places by replacing them with two early voting centers. The move would have meant that some voters had to travel about three hours round trip. “That is untenable for working Americans,� Johnson said. Even worse, the early voting places would have been located in police stations. “In some communities the police represents the people who protect and serve. In places of color, the police have been viewed as tools of intimidation,� the NAACP leader said. “So it would have had a chilling effect and would have discouraged people from participating – and they (officials) knew that.� Voter suppression efforts have gained new life in light of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Shelby v. Holder decision in June 2013, which negated Section 4, stymieing Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, advocates said. “Shelby has given a green light to those retrogressive forces to go back to business as usual,� said Johnson, who testified before a congressional committee on the impact of the court’s decision and the need to amend the VRA. “All across Georgia we’re seeing policies that would have been blocked pre-Shelby, they’ve been put back on the table and are going full speed ahead.� Fulton County, Ga., offers a perfect example, Wilson added. In the 2012 elections, he said, the county’s delegation to the Legislature changed, becoming more White and Republican. One of the first bills they introduced was a plan to restructure the county government. The plan to reorganize the voting districts structure was submitted to the Department of Justice for review under Section 5 of the VRA. But, the Shelby ruling came down before a decision was made and officials quickly put the new structure into effect. The change, Wilson said, achieved its goal of weakening African-American representation on the Commission. For example, the redistricting plan pitted two of the stronger incumbent Black commissioners against each other in the elections. If Section 5 were still in effect, the plan would have likely been overturned, Wilson said. “We don’t have the oversight from Section 5 so jurisdictions are able to do things unilaterally,� said the longtime civil rights attorney. And with expensive litigation as the only recourse, he added, advocacy groups are stretched thin. “We are not so organized that we can keep up with all the changes in 159 counties,� he said. “So the challenge is educating individuals so they know what to look for and they can then reach out to advocates who can work the system to address only the most egregious of those harmful changes.�
the first the see the “Crazy In Loveâ€? couple hit the stage. Pre-concert, fans received this message, “THIS IS NOT REAL LIFE,â€? across the main screen. Once the show started, it was endless excitement all around the Baltimore arena. The flawless and infallible Jay Z took the stage in a tee shirt with a blazer, with BeyoncĂŠ, wearing a usual black leotard. A fishnet facemask worn by BeyoncĂŠ, and a dark autumn hat with shades worn by Jay-Z created the espionage, crime-spree, bank robbing look for the infamous pair, and opened the show. For more than two hours, the sultry singer and the raunchy rapper took turns performing their individual hits and occasionally teamed for their expected duets. The lyrical selections by Jay Z, 44, included: “Izzo (H.O.V.A.),â€? “Hard Knock Life,â€? “Ni**as in Paris,â€? in addition to “Tom Ford,â€? and “Holy Grailâ€? favorites from Shawn Carter’s 2013 album Magna Carta Holy Grail. His biggest hits like “Big Pimpin’â€? and “99 Problemsâ€? made the crowd roar, while his finer moments came through older classics like “Song Cryâ€? and “U Don’t Know.â€? The catalogue serenade by BeyoncĂŠ, 32, included “Why Don’t You Love Me,â€? “Flawless,â€? “Pretty Hurts,â€? “If I Were a Boy,â€?
Halo,â€? “Single Ladies,â€? and “Upgrade U,â€? to name a few. Together, the couple performed “Drunk in Loveâ€?, their woozy duet, “Part II,â€? “’03 Bonnie and Clyde,â€? “Young Forever,â€? and such. The show ended with BeyoncÊ’s black and white American flag print dress cascading along the stage, and a beautiful moment of rare footage showing Jay Z and BeyoncĂŠ taking “selfiesâ€? while on vacation, getting matching tattoos, and playing with daughter, Blue Ivy, 2. The white text displayed in the beginning, “THIS IS NOT REAL LIFEâ€? seemed vague at first, until the finale. At the close of the video was “The Cartersâ€? written in the sand with the ending message: “THIS IS REAL LIFE,â€? identifying what truly matters to the couple: family.
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The Afro-American, July 12, 2014 - July 18, 2014
July 12, 2014 - July 12, 2014, The Afro-American
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Dr. Abdulalim A. Shabazz, Noted Math Scholar and Educator, Dies at 87 Trained More Than Half Nation’s Black Mathematician Doctorate Holders By AFRO Staff Abdulalim Abdullah Shabazz, noted math scholar who trained more than half of the nation’s Black mathematician doctorate holders, and former minister of Masjid Muhammad, once known as Nation of Islam D.C. mosque Temple #4, died June 25 in Grambling, La. where he was professor of mathematics at Grambling State University. He was 87. Born Lonnie Cross in Bessemer, Ala., Shabazz graduated with honors from Dunbar High School in Washington, D.C. in 1945 and earned undergraduate degrees in
math and chemistry from Lincoln University in Pennsylvania, a Masters degree in mathematics from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1951 and a doctorate in mathematics from Cornell University in 1955. He launched what would become an illustrious teaching career in 1956 as an assistant professor at Tuskegee Institute (now University), chaired the math department at Clark College (now Clark Atlanta University) from 1957 to 1963 and headed the math and computer sciences department at Lincoln University from 1998 to 2000 before accepting an endowed position as mathematics professor at Grambling.
He interrupted his career as a college professor to become an active leader in the Nation of Islam, teaching in Chicago, Detroit and in Saudi Arabia in Mecca. He served as minister of then-Temple #4 in D.C. until 1975. The American Association for the Advancement of Science gave him its “Mentor Award” in 1992, citing his work to increase the participation of women, minorities and those with physical disabilities in science and engineering. President Clinton presented Shabazz with a Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring award in September 2000. In 2001, the Association of African American Educators awarded Shabazz with its Lifetime Achievement Award for outstanding work with African Americans in mathematics.
Local Filmmaker, Activist Combats Dropping Out with ‘Motivation to Success’ Program By Roberto Alejandro Special to the AFRO When Anita Foster was only 16, she dropped out of high school in order to provide for her first child. Now, a playwright, filmmaker, and community activist, Foster has developed a program to help at-risk juniors and seniors stay in school and prepare for what lies ahead following graduation. Foster was raised in the Hollander Ridge housing projects which were demolished in 2000. Her father died when she was 16, and her mother, who Foster described as an occasional drug user, could not provide a very stable home life, often being faced with eviction. Though an ‘A’ student, Foster says she had little choice but to drop out of high school when she became pregnant at 16, “I had my own child, and my mother, she was out in the streets,” said Foster. “So, it was either we had to go to a shelter or me having to do what I had to do. So, at the age of 16, I had to drop out of school—in the 11th grade.”
A woman with an incomparable work ethic, Foster - who is currently a tax preparer, radio host, playwright, filmmaker, sitcom writer, organizer of Baltimore’s annual Hip Hop for the Homeless and Take Back the Night/Stop the Violence events- has created a program to help teenagers who may be facing challenges similar to those she experienced to stay in school. The program, called Motivation to Success, is geared towards high school juniors and seniors, who Foster says are in the age group most at risk for dropping out. Components of Motivation to Success include teenage pregnancy prevention, college preparation counseling, gang violence intervention programs, assistance with job applications, and acquisition of learner’s permits. In essence, Motivation to Success seeks to address a number of practical gaps not covered in standard public education. “Half of these kids don’t even know how to fill out an application,” said Foster of
the young people she works with. “They graduate these children without an email, they graduate these children without even knowing how to fill out an application, they graduate these kids without even knowing how to go apply for a job.” Foster partners with local businesses to help provide jobs for her students upon graduation, and also with PNC Bank to provide the teenagers with savings and checking accounts. “By the time they graduate high school, they’ll be prepared for the world,” said Foster. Erica Ware serves as the program director for music and hopes to impart the fundamentals of music while also helping the kids see that there are many opportunities they can take advantage of beyond what they encounter on the streets. A lifelong student of music, Ware has sung in various choirs since elementary school, and plays the piano, clarinet, and flute. By introducing the kids to the basics of music theory, she can then introduce them
Team members helping a student with research at the library. Photo courtesy of Anita Foster
to a more contemporary instrument than those she trained on, and one that many of the program participants are already interested in: the DJ’s turntable. By imparting a knowledge of music first, Ware can then train them in the art of mixing, which requires an
understanding of the rhythm and pace of music, as well as how to create their own instrumental beats. “We have to uplift our youth out here,” said Ware. “Just be a positive influence on them and let them know there’s other ways than hanging on the streets or
corners, doing whatever they’re doing to get in trouble.” Anyone interested in enrolling in the Motivation to Success program should contact Foster via email at mtsprogram1@gmail.com. ralejandro@afro.com
their secretary. “I felt elevated unyielding. Timothy Hawkins, because she thought enough of Shelton’s eldest son, remembers me that I could do something to his mother’s courage. Margaret Powell, secretary of the association, help other communities, not just “People that I – and anybody and a longtime friend and collaborator, our own,” said Powell. – would be afraid to even come remembers Shelton’s fighting spirit. “She was Marvin ‘Doc’ Cheatham, near, would come to her and definitely a warrior for the people of West who took over as president she would deal with them,” said Baltimore,” said Powell. of the Matthew A. Henson Hawkins. According to Powell, Shelton was an For Hawkins, one of the Neighborhood Association in active presence at Matthew A. Henson enduring legacies of the Gwen January, initiated the effort Shelton Way is the refusal to write to have the people off because of mistakes 2100 block or their present circumstances. of Presbury named after Shelton was heavily involved Shelton. He in the prison ministry at the Maryland Correctional Institution – Margaret Powell recalled the last general for Women as a representative This is how most people meeting of of Empowerment Temple. In the remember the late Gwen Elementary School, and, despite the fact the association with Shelton neighborhoods where she lived, Shelton; with a sign in her that her own children had long since passed presiding. Though at that time she confronted self-described hand and a smile on her face. elementary school age, Shelton sat on various she required a cane to get Courtesy photo thugs and drug dealers who would school committees. “She realized the school around, Shelton’s focus was later come back to share how her takes a community too,” said Powell. ever on the community. referring to it as Shelton’s “I’ve been to the intervention had spurred them to Shelton passed onto Powell the “She explained her love for the mountaintop” speech. The words that still lead a better life. importance of becoming involved in even community,” Cheatham said, “but that each of ring in Powell’s ears: “Our community is “Everywhere she went she made a those facets of the Baltimore community that difference in the community,” said Hawkins, us had a major responsibility to keep things worth saving. Our children are worth saving” did not affect one directly, sending her to “and her big thing was it’s not where you going and to take it to the next level.” Shelton’s commitment to people and different community associations to serve as Powell also remembers that meeting, neighborhoods that many would write off was live, it’s how you live.”
Activist Continued from A1
“She was definitely a warrior for the people of West Baltimore.”
Local Farm Continued from A1
Strength to Love is located on a formerly overgrown lot on Lorman St., between N. Monroe St. and N. Fulton Ave. The site currently consists of six hoop farms, 150 foot long greenhouses where the lettuce is grown and harvested. An additional 10 hoop farms are in the process of being built, four on the north side of Lorman and six on the south. According to Lisa Franklin, Strength to Love’s site supervisor, each house goes through a germination cycle of four weeks, and harvesting is done weekly. “We rotate the houses so that we’re constantly getting produce, constantly being able to harvest,”
explained Franklin. Of course, producing a crop is ultimately a means to an end. “This is a rehabilitation to reintegrate people who have been incarcerated back into society,” said Franklin of the farm that employs formerly incarcerated men and women, teaching them a skill and offering a second chance they seldom receive elsewhere. “That is Strength to Love’s mission.” Douglas Wheeler was living next door on N. Fulton Ave. when he noticed the greenhouses start going up two years ago. Wheeler, who at 18 served a one year prison sentence, was overcome by curiosity and began showing up to the farm, asking questions and learning about the process of growing lettuce, year round, in an urban environment.
Wheeler is now employed on the farm, and says that growing lettuce and understanding what counts as an acceptable harvest has taught him to take pride in the product of his labor. “If I won’t eat it, I’m not letting nobody else eat it,” said Wheeler. “So if I take good care of it, I know it’s good and it makes me feel good to know that I’m helping people.” Maurice Owens is a deacon with Newborn Holistic Ministries and oversees the farm’s operations. Owens spoke to the various ways the farm is serving the local community. “It’s a very good project,” said Owens. “It enables [the workers] to have some work in the neighborhood, some fresh food, vegetables, for our community, as well as bringing some money into the church to maybe help some of
those who might have misfortunes: gas and electric, rent, children are injured—the whole gamut of life.” Strength to Love’s harvest yields are mostly sold to Big City Farms, an urban farming company that sells produce to area vendors and also serves as a consultant to Strength to Love. The farm has become a point of civic pride, a place where local residents help out by volunteering to clean trash and debris from the site. “I love it because the kids in the neighborhood—they’ll mess up everything, you know how kids are in a neighborhood like this—they don’t mess it up at all,” said Damon Leighton, one of the employees on the farm. “They respect me because I’ve been here so long and they respect my job. They come through
and if they can help they will.” Strength to Love has not only supplied Leighton with a job, it has also made him healthier, introducing him to better food options which, combined with the hard work of farming, have enabled him to lose approximately 75 pounds. For Owens, Strength to Love’s greatest contribution, however, is hope. “This is what we do. Just a community thing, trying to help all the people in our community, give people jobs, give them some hope,” said Owens. “When you have some hope you can wake up and get started in the morning. When you ain’t got no hope, you just lay there and think of something crazy to do, which usually winds up being something bad.”
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The Afro-American, July 12, 2014 - July 12, 2014
July 12, 2014 - July 18, 2014, The Afro-American
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American Legion Builds Young Male Leaders, Struggles to Recruit from Inner City citizens and draw up charters for their city government, elect officials, and make their own rules and laws. After forming Each June, a free, week-long residential their own city governments, the boys also camp run by the American Legion gathers elect representatives to a state legislature, young men from around the state of Maryland which will vote on laws based on the for an exercise in civics in which they simulate recommendations of committees who have the processes of democratic governance. While already debated the relevant bills and in which the program, known as Boys State, has some all the boys participate. famous alumni, a lack of greater awareness Two of the participants in the camp will be about the program has limited its ability to elected senators and sent to another week-long attract potential participants from inner city program that generally runs towards the end of areas like Baltimore. July and takes place in Washington D.C. The Boys State, held this year on the campus only cost to the young men is transportation of McDaniel College, takes in young men to the camp. However, according to Russell from around the state who have completed Myers, department adjutant for Maryland Boys State and the chief administrator of this year’s camp, “If they can’t afford to get here, the Legion post arranges for them to get a ride here.” The only other cost associated with the camp – Russell Myers is the requirement that participants bring a roll of quarters. The purpose of the quarters is to fill the their junior year of high school and divides city coffers once a tax is levied in order for them into groups, referred to as cities. For the each city to provide important services to its first 24 hours, the counselors, all of whom are citizenry, in this case laundry. “It’s a way to members of the American Legion and most of show that the essential services in a city don’t whom are themselves military veterans, give just show up, there’s a way that they happen,” all the commands and make all the rules. said Myers who took the AFRO on a tour of Boys State, however, is not your standard the camp. drill camp for boys considering a career in the While there are certainly echoes of the military. Discipline is not the principal aim of counselors’ military backgrounds – for these first 24 hours; rather, the participants are example, there are color guards and the subjected to a set of rules in which they had no accommodations in which the boys stay are say as a simulation of the transition from more referred to as barracks – the emphasis is not on autocratic forms of government to democratic military service but on the inner workings of ones. democratic governance. “We’re trying to make Over the course of the second day, citizens and to continue on with our form of participants meet with their fellow government,” said Ronald Holcombe, a camp By Roberto Alejandro Special to the AFRO
“It’s a way to show that the essential services in a city don’t just show up, there’s a way that they happen.”
Photo by Roberto Alejandro
These boys were selected as the 2014 Legislative Floor Leaders for 2014 Maryland Boys State. counselor, and member of the Federal Post No. 19 of the American Legion in Baltimore City. Holcombe has worked to increase participation by boys from the Baltimore City area but has found recruitment difficult. As part of his efforts, he visits high schools, speaks with guidance counselors about the program so that they can inform students they think might be interested, as well as sends mailers. The response, Holcombe told the AFRO has been little to none. This year, only one person from Baltimore City participated, while another was accepted but never showed. “It’s a hard task trying to get students from the high schools from the inner city.” Myers admits that, while some very famous persons have come through the Boys State
beneficial in anything you do. As an example, a high MBE (Minority Business Enterprise), WBE (Women Business Enterprise) goal for the project; that is 100 percent selfish on our side in some ways,” Beatty said. “Because we have a city that if we can build up the MBE, WBE community it becomes more competitive and has better pricing. There’s nothing better than having 50 companies competing to do concrete work than two. So, we’re really focused on local MBE, WBE because that’s our community,” Beatty added. The developer came to Baltimore in the early 1990’s and worked for 23
Beatty
Continued from A1 revenue annually. “We’re building a big project but it’s only as good as what’s around it. This whole idea about one Baltimore – which can be about real estate, about people, about social issues and connectivity – I think [these] are the most important things to make the city successful,” Beatty added. But, in the minds of many only certain swaths of the city have reaped the rewards of multi-million and multibillion dollar development. Shortly after the plans for Harbor Point were made public some of the old fears about resources being mismanaged and unevenly distributed throughout the city manifested; fears rooted in failed urban renewal projects for West Baltimore juxtaposed with sparkling downtown waterfront vistas beginning with Harborplace in the 1970’s. In addition, the announcement that the city would supplement the $920 million private investment with approximately $106.9 million of TIF (Tax Increment Financing) bonds to finance the public infrastructure for the project only heightened anxieties of some community activists and politicians. “It is always a matter of class and race in the city of Baltimore,” said Baltimore City Councilman Carl Stokes in the midst of the debate over Harbor Point last year. Stokes, chairman of the Council’s Taxation, Finance and Economic Development Committee has been perhaps the most vocal opponent of certain aspects of the Harbor Point deal (Stokes has publicly and privately said he was never inherently against the project). Perhaps, “class and
race,” were introduced most profoundly in the evolution of Harbor Point when some argued the Perkins Homes public housing development – which stands in the shadows of neighboring Harbor East – should receive an investment of more than $15 million from Beatty Development, generally in reciprocation for the city’s TIF largesse and Enterprise Zone designation funds. The dramatic paradox of neighboring Harbor East and some of its adjacent communities is not lost on Beatty. “I’m looking to the east and there is Johns Hopkins in my view…one of the most incredible institutions for knowledge in the world. I’m standing in the center of a major U.S. city and to my right is this incredible waterfront and there’s incredible poverty between the two,” Beatty said. “And when you sit down and think about it, it’s pretty unbelievable that they’re not more connected together,” he added. But, the reality is they are not. And although Beatty is a proponent and practitioner of, “knitting neighborhoods together, not destroying them,” responsible urban development clearly is not a panacea for all urban ills. “We can only do what we can do. We’re not the solution, the savior, the benefactor of the city but I think the projects that we’re doing are good and I think they can generate benefit on their own,” Beatty said. “But, where we can kind of craft things that are mutually beneficial it’s a huge win,” he added. Some of what he has pledged in the development of Harbor Point is unprecedented according to some city officials.
program, including former President Bill Clinton, and NBA stars Michael Jordan and Thurl Bailey, the American Legion could do a better job of advertising programs such as Boys State. For Ayobami Afolabi, one of the nine boys elected a legislative floor leader at this year’s camp and whose family hails from Nigeria, Boys State has served to help him see his own potential as he heads into his final year of high school and the decisions about one’s future that inevitably coincide with it. “As soon as the first day went by, I felt like everyone here was like a family. They helped me to know who I was and what I was capable of. I helped them out, we all helped each other and it’s just been a really great experience,” said Afolabi. years with H&S Bakery mogul John Paterakis, before he established Beatty Development Group in January 2013. He and Paterakis developed the Harbor East community some refer to as, “Emerald City.” Beatty hopes to build upon that success with Harbor Point. “If you look at Baltimore then (1990’s) it was a lot of trouble, but there were a lot of good things going on and if you look at it now there are a lot of good things and there are still a lot of problems,” Beatty said. “But, I still see opportunity in the city I see opportunity for the whole city to do better.”
Hey Adults and Youth!
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The Mentoring Clinic By Arthur Burrell Harbor East developer Michael Beatty broke ground on his new project Harbor Point last month. Beatty has promised a $3 million investment into the city’s Inclusionary Housing Fund, which provides money for low-cost housing. It is allegedly the largest investment in the history of that fund. Beatty has set a local workforce goal that guarantees at least 20 percent of all laborers will be Baltimore residents and 51 percent of new hires will also be Baltimore residents. Beatty has also pledged Minority Owned Businesses (MOB) and Women Owned Businesses (WOB) will account for 38 percent of construction firms. The highest previous goal ever set in Baltimore for construction contracts had been 37 percent. “Ideally, you find ways that are mutually
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The Afro-American, July 12, 2014 - July 18, 2014
COMMUNITY CONNECTION Help The Zoo Name Our New Bald Eagle In a few weeks The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore will debut a new addition - a female bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus). “This eagle came to us from the National Aviary in Pittsburgh which began caring for her at the request of the US Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS),” said Jen Kottyan, avian collection and conservation manager at the Zoo. “She was found in North Carolina in June of 2009, and despite the efforts to rehabilitate and release her to the wild, she was unable to survive on her own and was deemed non-releasable.” After living at the National Aviary for the past few years, the eagle has landed here in Maryland! Once the mandatory quarantine period has ended and the veterinarians have given her a clean bill of health, she will make her home in the Polar Bear Watch section of the Zoo. “She is approximately five years old and has not yet fully developed the completely white head that distinguishes the bald eagle from other large birds,” Kottyan said. “What we need now is a good name for her, so we are asking the public for their help.” The following names were selected by the Zoo keepers who will care for the eagle once she is out of quarantine: Scout - for the Eagle Scouts Sioux - in honor of the Native American and First Nations people in North America Migisi - Chippewa for eagle Annie - for Annie Oakley, the American marksman and exhibition shooter Vega - a constellation in the summer sky also known as the “Swooping Eagle” Visit the Maryland Zoo website at www.marylandzoo.org/eaglename , until July 14, to vote for your favorite name. The winning name will be announced later in July when the eagle makes her public debut. Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center to Host American Red Cross Blood Drive The American Red Cross is asking that summer revelers set aside one hour of fun to donate blood, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., July 1517, in the Francis X. Knott Conference Center of Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center. Every participant will receive a meal coupon, parking pass and special gift from the Medical Center. More important, participants will take pride in knowing they saved up to three lives! You can make twice the difference by scheduling a double red cell blood donation. During a double red cell donation, a machine separates the red blood cells from other blood components and returns the remaining components back to the donor. By doing this, the machine is able to double the amount of red cells it would normally collect in a standard blood donation. Donors are actually donating two units of blood, instead of one, and saving twice the number of lives! For more information or to schedule a life-saving donation, call 410-550-0289. New Officers to be Installed for United Baptist Missionary Convention The United Baptist Missionary Convention installs its new officers, “Rebuilding Community – Keeping Christ at the Center,” 7 p.m., July 23 at Perkins Square Baptist Church, 2500
Edmondson Avenue in Baltimore. The new leadership team includes the Rev. Dr. Cleveland T.A. Mason 2nd, president; Rev. Dr. Franklin Lance, first vice president; Rev. Kirk J. Jackson Sr., second vice president; Bishop Dean A. Jones-Evans and Rev. Dominic A. Smith, overseer and recording secretary respectively. The Buddy Project to Host Dueling Pianos Benefit Event The Buddy Project, a local nonprofit organization that provides technology and training to persons with disabilities, will host a Dueling Pianos Benefit Show, 8 p.m., July 25, at The Delaplaine Center for the Arts in Frederick, Md. Two pianists on baby grand pianos face off to perform an exciting & interactive show for the audience, including fan requests, old favorites and pop songs with a twist. All proceeds will benefit The Buddy Project. Dress for this event is creative black and white attire. Advance tickets are $30 each, plus processing fees. Guests that use the code PIANOMAN for advance tickets can save $5 per ticket purchased. Reserved tables for parties of six are available for $195 each, plus processing fees. ALL tickets include admission to the show, 2 complimentary alcoholic beverages and light fare. A premium cash bar will open at 7:30 pm, featuring beer, wine and liquor. More information and ticket purchasing options can be found at www.viceNvirtue.com. Homewonership Prospects Among Black Americans Focus of Realtists® At National Convention More than 700 real estate professionals, financial service executives, housing counselors and policymakers will meet in Baltimore, MD, July 27 to 30, at the 67th Annual National Convention organized by the National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB). Convening under the banner Homeownership…Priority #1, NAREB leadership is urging the continuance of focused discussion and solutions-based strategies to address the significant drop in homeownership and the decrease in net worth among African Americans. These were just a few of the findings in the State of Housing in Black America, a report issued by NAREB in September 2013. “Although the overall economy is improving, African Donnell Spivey Americans continue to lag far behind those of other demographic groups when it comes to employment, homeownership and net worth. During this most recent recession, African Americans experienced unbelievable loss of jobs thereby causing many of them to lose their homes,” said Donnell Spivey, president of NAREB, the nation’s oldest minority real estate trade group. “To ensure that this does not ever happen again, we are more aggressively advocating for policies and programs that provide affordable and sustainable homeownership options for African Americans,” added Spivey. The convention’s theme is reflected in the line-up of speakers, presentations and site visits. Among the many presenters are: Ron Busby, president, U. S. Black Chambers of Commerce; Phillip Bracken, chief policy officer for Radian Guaranty Inc., the mortgage insurance (MI) subsidiary of Radian Group Inc.; Honorable Catherine E. Pugh, MD State Senator and past chair of the MD Legislative Black Caucus; former congressman and NAACP president, the Honorable Kweisi Mfume and Freddie Mac senior executive, Anthony Hutchinson. For more information about the 67th Annual NAREB Convention to register, or to download a copy of the State of Housing in Black America visit www.nareb.com.
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July 12, 2014 - July 18, 2014, The Afro-American
COMMENTARY
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Unfinished Business: 50 Years After the Civil Rights Act of 1964 “The purpose of the law is simple…those who are equal before God shall now also be equal in the polling booths, in the classrooms, in the factories, and in hotels, restaurants, movie theaters, and other places that provide service to the public.” – President Lyndon B. Johnson, July 2, 1964 July 2 marked the 50th anniversary of President Lyndon Johnson’s signing Marc H. Morial of the landmark Civil NNPA Columnist Rights Act of 1964 that outlawed discrimination and segregation based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. First introduced by President John F. Kennedy shortly before his 1963 assassination, the Civil Rights Act offered greater protections for the right to vote and paved the way for another historic achievement one year later – the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Momentum for the legislation picked up following the 1963 March on Washington where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the National Urban League’s Whitney M. Young, along with 250,000 activists and citizens, gathered to demand “Jobs and Freedom” for people of all races who were locked out, left out, and disenfranchised. President Kennedy, a Massachusetts liberal, introduced the bill in June 1963, just five months before his assassination. It was up to his appointed successor, Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson, a former United States Senator from Texas with deep southern roots, to carry it over the finish line. Despite extreme opposition, especially from his former southern Congressional allies, President Johnson successfully navigated the bill’s passage. He signed it into law surrounded by Dr. King, Whitney Young, and a multi-racial group of civil rights activists.
It was only 50 years ago that it was legal in some states to deny Blacks the right to eat in the same restaurants as Whites, to sit in the same movie theaters or even to apply for the same jobs. Thankfully, that is no longer true anywhere in America. We have also seen other gains, including a rising Black middle class and an increase in African-American high school graduation rates. However, there is still a wide opportunity gap in America. According to a recent USA Today article, “In almost every economic category, Blacks have been gaining, but not by enough. Median family income (in inflation-adjusted dollars) is up from $22,000 in 1963 to more than $40,000 today, still just two-thirds of the median for all Americans. Black unemployment remains twice the level of White unemployment, similar to where it was in 1972. The Black poverty rate has dropped from more than 40 percent in the 1960s to about 27 percent today; child poverty similarly has dipped from 67 percent to about 40 percent. Those numbers still are glaring, however. And the gap in overall wealth is more than 5-to-1 between Whites and Blacks . . .” Perhaps the most visible demonstration of the progress we have made over the past 50 years is the 2008 election and the 2012 reelection of Barack Obama as America’s first Black president. But even that achievement has been met with a backlash, as right wing voter suppression efforts have increased since President Obama first took office and the United States Supreme Court essentially gutted the Voting
Rights Act of 1965 last year. Obviously, 50 years after the passage of the Civil Rights Act, our work is not yet done. As we noted last week in our statement in support of the Voting Rights Amendment Act now before Congress, “The National Urban League believes there is no better and fitting tribute to the men and women who 50 years ago fought for and died to secure a Civil Rights Act and a Voting Rights Act than to pass the VRAA this year before the November mid-term elections. We cannot focus only on a celebration of progress. We must also ensure there is a continuation of the very equality and opportunity that are at the core of this country’s democratic values.” Marc H. Morial, former mayor of New Orleans, is president and CEO of the National Urban League.
The Supreme Court’s ‘Religious Freedom’ Scam Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court issued two decisions that the Court’s conservative majority and the larger conservative movement pretended were about “religious freedom.” In one case, involving the Hobby Lobby chain of craft stores and the Conestoga Wagon Specialties company which makes wood cabinets, the majority ruled that a federal law guaranteeing “religious freedom” means Lee A. Daniels family-owned corporations NNPA Columnist don’t have to provide insurance coverage for contraception under the Affordable Care Act. That decision, which the Court issued on June 30, seemed to leave the law’s provision governing nonprofit organizations in place. The law allows nonprofit organizations, if desired, to transfer the delivery of free contraception to others. However, in a second ruling which the Court delivered July 3 – specifically involving Illinois’ Wheaton College, a conservative Christian institution – the majority temporarily exempted the college from having to comply at all with the contraception provisions of the law. Critics of the decisions, which produced extremely sharp dissents from the court’s three female justices, said they have stripped women workers of any guarantees that contraception coverage will automatically be part of their health insurance. That’s because these rulings aren’t about “religious liberty.” They actually have an entirely different purpose: jerry-rigging a legal framework around the efforts of the White Christian
right to impose its religious beliefs on other Americans. The Christian Right has been pursuing that goal, of course, for decades. But it’s become clear in recent years that it was losing control on two of its most important issues: women’s reproductive rights and the rights of gays and lesbians, especially regarding same-sex marriage. So, now they’ve re-cast themselves as “victims” whose “freedom” to adhere to their religious beliefs is being violated. It’s a scam the conservative political movement is pushing in brazen fashion – as exemplified by a strikingly apt word in the Hobby Lobby opinion written by Justice Samuel A. Alito. That word is “fiction.” On page 18 of the majority opinion, Alito acknowledges that defining corporations as persons in legal terms is a “fiction,” but asserts that “the purpose of this fiction is to provide protection for human beings . . . When rights, whether constitutional or statutory, are extended to corporations, the purpose is to protect the rights of those people.” A moment later, Alito defines “those people” in this way: “And protecting the free-exercise rights of closely-held corporations thus protects the religious liberty of the humans who own and control the companies.” As {Washington Post} columnist Dana Milbank pointedly noted two days before the Wheaton College decision, that sentence does not contain any mention of the rights of these corporations’ employees. In other words, in declaring that a family-owned corporation – that, after all, is an artificial entity created in accordance with governmental regulations – can, in effect, take on the religious coloration of “those who own and control” it, the court’s conservative bloc was indulging in another of the “fictions” by which it’s been trying to hold back the expansion of democracy for more than a decade. That became even clearer once it issued the Wheaton College ruling. Given that it is indeed a “fiction” to pretend the ruling was
not a politically driven gift to the Christian right, here are some questions to think about: How long will it be before some conservative Christian business owners require their female employees to wear dresses (no slacks, please) down to their ankles? And for all employees to genuflect before crosses set up at entrances to their businesses? And to join them in “prayer sessions” before and after the workday? And to attend only those houses of worship they “approve” of? And how long will it be before some White business owners claim – as in the Jim Crow days – that their “religious beliefs” require that they not serve or employ Black Americans? Or, will they try that on Muslim Americans first? Or gays and lesbians? Or Hispanic Americans? Or Jewish Americans? If those possibilities sound far-fetched to you, you’ve forgotten that for most of American history, the “White” version of Christianity was part and parcel of the many crackpot justifications for the exclusion and oppression of women and Americans of color. And you’ve forgotten that the Court’s conservative majority crafted numerous “fictions” in its 2010 Citizens United decision to enable corporations to make unrestricted political contributions, and again in the 2013 decisions that significantly narrowed affirmative action and voting rights protections. Those facts underscore that there’s little in the Christian right’s efforts to limit the freedom of others that the Supreme Court’s “5 political operatives” (as a headline in {The Huffington Post} so accurately put it) will consider “farfetched.” Lee A. Daniels is a longtime journalist based in New York City. His latest book is Last Chance: The Political Threat to Black America.
Supreme Court Seeks to Gut Labor Unions
The Supreme Court’s decision in the case of Harris v Quinn essentially means that personal care attendants who are represented by a union do not need to pay a service fee that would cover the cost of representing and advocating on their behalf. The Supreme Court’s conservative majority justified this decision purportedly on the basis of freedom of speech. What is clear is that Bill Fletcher the Supreme Court’s NNPA Columnist conservative majority has a sniper’s scope trained on workers and unions. They will soon aim to eliminate the ability of labor unions to collect service fees from non-members to cover representation. The implications of this are profound but a little context is necessary. In the public sector, there are many states, counties and municipalities that permit union membership and collective
bargaining, but do not require that employees in a given agency join the union. While they may join the union, they are obligated – if there is such an agreement – to pay a service or agency fee. The idea here is that regardless of whether one is a union member or not, the union is obligated by law to represent fairly and fully all workers in what is called a “bargaining unit,” which is a recognized body of workers who share similar interests. This means that whether a given worker likes the union or not, if they have any challenges, the union must represent them. As you can imagine, representation costs money, including legal fees, cost of staff, administrative costs, etc. Additionally, the union lobbies on behalf of those workers around salaries, benefits, and working conditions. Thus, in the absence of a fee, a worker can benefit from all that the union brought about but pay nothing. This is why agency or service fees are permitted. The Supreme Court’s conservative majority is trying to say that this is a violation of free speech. Thus, using the Supreme Court’s logic, a person working in a given situation that gains the benefits of a labor union and can be guaranteed representation should not have to pay anything. This is frequently called “right to work,” but a more accurate description is freeloading.
Think about it for a moment. Is there any other institution in the U.S. that permits this? If you do not agree with the policies of a government, can you choose not to pay taxes yet gain the benefits of public education, water, police, and fire? Of course, not. So, why should it be different in a collective bargaining context? The answer is simple. The Supreme Court’s conservative majority, along with other forces on the political Right, simply wish to gut labor unions. It is really that simple and that deadly. And, unless they are stopped, they will succeed in doing just that. I was wearing a T-shirt the other day from the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists. A guy sitting next to me on a plane said: “Yes, we really need unions. At a time when there is such a polarization of wealth, we really need unions to fight for us.” I smiled. It is not rocket science. This is precisely why the forces of wealth and greed are so determined to bring about an extinction moment for unions. Bill Fletcher, Jr. is a racial justice, labor and global justice writer and activist. He is the author of “They’re Bankrupting Us” – And Twenty Other Myths about Unions. Follow him on Facebook and at www.billfletcherjr.com.
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The Afro-American, July 12, 2014 - July 18, 2014
TECHNOLOGY Why We Text and Drive
By Steven Ivory Special to the NNPA from the Houston Forward-Times While sitting at the light on a backed-up Los Angeles freeway exit ramp one morning, I noticed that one out of every three drivers getting onto the freeway on the other side of the divider—both private vehicles and professional cars and trucks with company names and logos on them–had their heads tilted into their laps, as if either texting, reading a text or dialing a phone number. Some of them appeared able to do it with more finesse than others—their actions weren’t so obvious—but I’m sure most of them were doing what I thought they were doing. They were texting while driving. This is what we do now. It’s not enough that for years we have been distracted by cell phone conversation. Today, behind the wheels of moving automobiles, using one or two hands, on smart phones we type out messages and conversations. You can usually tell when someone is texting or dialing a number while driving. Their faces are usually aimed just below their steering wheel. They’re driving unusually slow. They weave. After the light has changed or traffic is moving, they’re still sitting there. A lot of people do it. The U.S. Department of Transportation reports that cell phones are involved in 1.6 million auto crashes each year that cause a half million injuries and take 6,000 lives. Individuals who drive while sending or reading text messages are 23 percent more likely to be involved in a car crash than other drivers. A crash typically happens within an average of three seconds after a driver is distracted. Despite those figures, people still text.
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That this is illegal in many states is not a deterrent. Currently, the fines for being caught doing so—in California it’s between $20 and $50 dollars–are laughable (although in Alaska a maximum first time texting penalty can mean a $10,000 fine and one year in jail). I’ve actually tried to guilt drivers into putting down their phones; damn near rear-ended the car in front of me trying to stare down a texter. I know—it’s not smart and it’s a form of harassment. They simply glance over at me and keep texting, anyway. The person who comes up with a way to stop drivers from texting is going to make a mint. I’ve an idea: have city municipalities create divisions that track people texting in their cars. Kind of like parking ticket officers. They’d move among the public in unmarked cars of all makes and models, equipped with cameras that can shoot people in the act—or have technology aboard that can detect texting happening in a vehicle. Using a car’s license number, they send the ticket in the mail. And that first fine is a doozy: $1,000. The second time you get caught, that fine is doubled, and on and on until you reach ten grand. Get caught after that, your car is impounded, your license is suspended for a year and you go to jail. Texting is dissuaded; cities make money. A bit Big Brother-sounding, I know, but drastic times call for drastic measures. Texting while driving is like waving around a gun in public that discharges, injuring or killing someone every time. And it’s not just teens and young adults doing it. Texters come in all ages. In deterring this epidemic, the first thing to understand is that texting and driving have nothing to do with one another. The drunk driver who gets behind the wheel—driving is not his problem; drinking is, and driving is not the only thing he can’t do effectively when under the influence. Same with texting. Incessant texting reflects an addiction to it. Thus, those who text, do so while driving because they text while doing everything: Walking. Sitting at home. Eating at the table. Watching movies in movie theaters. Sitting on the toilet. On PUBLIC toilets. They can’t walk without bumping into walls, doors and people, because they are so busy texting. Those who choose texting as their preferred form of talk are often unskilled at verbal communication. They weren’t great at it before, so texting is their godsend. Driving is simply something else they can’t do because they are obsessed with typing out their thoughts. If you find that you just have to text, then face it: you’re addicted to your phone. Some folks’ addiction is more acute than others, but addiction is addiction. And like any addiction, text addiction brings with it all sorts of “acting out.” There’s the sense of entitlement—”I just HAVE to text this”—that eats at the addicted texter while he or she is behind the wheel like an itch that must be scratched immediately, damn the laws and the risk. There’s a feeling of superiority: “I don’t have a problem texting behind the wheel, I can do it…I know HOW.” And there’s the intoxicating high that comes with meeting the challenge of getting a complete text off…before the person at Starbucks asks for your order; before your lover returns to bed; before a light changes, before rush hour freeway traffic begins to flow again. Texters, by the way, LOVE traffic jams. More time to text. If you’re doing any of this, you need to stop now. Because it’s only a matter of time before something bad happens. The statistics back me up. Remember the good ol’ days, when technology- distraction in your car amounted to finding a good radio station or reloading the cassette or CD player? Now, people kill people while attempting to text “LOL” or “LMFAO.” It can wait, people. Full disclosure: I’ve texted while driving. Well, I’ve tried. More than once. Simply couldn’t pull it off without the risk of wrecking. And though I do it hands free, I don’t have to talk on the phone while I drive, either. To prove this to myself, I’ve left my phone in my pocket. Or I’ve put it in my trunk. The first time I did that, it gave me all the calm of transporting a dead body. Now I can do it often without freaking out. Which is a good thing, because I’ve got enough problems without adding to them the title of “text whore.” Steven Ivory, veteran journalist, essayist and author, writes about popular culture for magazines, newspapers, radio, TV and the Internet. Respond to him via STEVRIVORY@AOL. COM
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MedStar Orthopaedics combines the expertise of MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center, MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital, MedStar Harbor Hospital, MedStar Union Memorial Hospital, and The Curtis National Hand Center.
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July 12, 2014 - July 18, 2014, The Afro-American
Muse 360 Arts held The 12 Daughters of Dance, its 10th anniversary gala, June 7 in the Kraushaar Auditorium of Goucher College in Towson. Honorees for the event included:
Kwame Kwei-Armah, artistic director, Center Stage; Gloria Mayfield Banks, entrepreneur and motivational speaker; Loring Cornish, visual and mixed media artist; Stephanie Powell, matriarch of dance in Baltimore and activist and radiohost,
Joyce Jackson, Sharayna Christmas Rose and Dr. Timothy Jones Sr.
Marc Steiner, Center for Emerging Media. Muse 360 Arts was established by Sharayna Christmas Rose to make dance available to the community, from the youngest to the oldest, and continues to do so along with training in art and entrepreneurship.
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Sharayna Christmas Rose, Gloria Mayfield Banks, Stephanie Powell, Marc Steiner, Sylvia Brown and Kwami Kwei-Armah
Terrence Jones, Shameirra Johnson, Eric Hairston and Coney Harriston Jr. Donald Malcolm Smith Ngozi Young, Sylvia Brown, Sharayna Christmas, Gretchen Jeremie and Gloria Mayfielf Banks
Photos by J.D. Howard
Ms. P. Hunter and Ms. Valerie Chongaui
Kwami Kwei-Armah, honoree and family
Alan Kreizenbeck, Sheri Parks, Jeannie Howe, Sylvia Brown and Eddie Brown
Performing artists in the Anniversary Gala of 12 Daughters of Dance
Rhonda Overby and Joseph Haskins
Women in Transition recently held its annual fundraiser, “Everyone Has a Story,� June 12 at the Eubie Blake National Jazz Institute and Cultural Center. The organization helps young women successfully move from foster care to independence. During the evening, which included food, a silent auction and jazz, the group recognized some who
Ken Karpay, Jeannette Karpay, Jane Rodbell and Councilman Nick Mosby
have served as advocates for such young people: Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown, Thomasina Hier and Jill Taylor. Host committee members in attendance included: Coppin President Dr. Mortimer Neufville, Diane Bell McKoy, CEO, Associated Black Charities; Selwyn Ray, Big Brothers Big Sisters and Hathaway Ferebee, Safe and Sound Campaign.
Peggy Murphy, Foster Parent Of The Year Dina Brown and Dani Johnson
Photos by Anderson Ward
Diane Bell-McKoy (CEO ABC) and Tanya Washington (Annie E. Casey Foundation)
Dean Lyons
Peggy Murphy, Ted Dallas accepting award for Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown and Dani Johnson
Volunteers, Tiffany Davis and Constance Walker WIT board members: Peggy Murphy, left, WIT executive director/ founder; Alexis Seth, Dani Johnson, event chair; Sade Smith, Anne Chester and Holly Morgan Foster Youth of Excellence Alexandria Rogers and father David Rogers
Rose Gold Experience Band
LaTeri McFadden, Sherrice Davis and Keisa Joyner
Peggy Murphy, Foster Youth of Excellence Shauna-Kaye Simmonds and Dani Johnson
Honoree Jill Taylor, Peggy Murphy and Dani Johnson
Joy Goodie and Alexis Seth
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The Afro-American, July 12, 2014 - July 18, 2014
SPORTS
AFRO Sports Desk Faceoff
Should Chicago Bulls Guard Derrick Rose Assist Team in Free Agent Recruiting? free agents and sit in on meetings to prove to whomever that he’s healthy and committed. Rose deserves the right to help or not help but his main focus right now should be preparing for the 2014-2105 season and ensuring that he’ll be healthy for the duration of the campaign. Rather than being ridiculed for not wanting to participate in free agency talks, we should be saluting Rose for his focus on trying to return to his MVP form.
By Perry Green and Stephen D. Riley AFRO Sports Desk Current New York Knicks free agent Carmelo Anthony visited the Chicago Bulls at the United Center arena midweek for the Bulls’ best free agency pitch. Amid conflicting reports that starting point guard Derrick Rose helped in recruiting, a report was later released definitively stating that Rose had no involvement in Chicago’s efforts. Center Joakim Noah and forward Taj Gibson reportedly were on hand to welcome Anthony to the arena and Bulls headquarters. Rose had already gone on record and stated that he wouldn’t aid Chicago in their efforts to land a marquee free agent this summer. But considering that Rose is a huge part of the franchise, should the
Riley: It isn’t like the Bulls brass is asking Rose to cut his training and rehab activities short to come help pitch free agents. It only makes sense for Rose to help the team court free agents because any player that winds up signing with Chicago is going to do so with the lofty expectation of playing with the team’s best player. So if Rose has to show free agents that he’s healthy then that’s what he has to do. The goal in the NBA is for a team to acquire enough talent to win a title, not just rehabbing and reworking yourself back into shape after you missed the last two seasons. Multitasking is definitely a skill that most professional athletes have. And perhaps part of the reasons why Rose has found himself in the trainer’s room the last two years has been from trying to do too much. Well, if he aided his team in recruiting other players he might not have to worry about putting too much of the load on his shoulders.
“His reluctance to get involved in Chicago’s attempts to land the team some higher caliber talent could potentially set the franchise back if Rose retains his stance.” –Riley franchise player be assigned the task of helping the front office land stars? Perry Green and Stephen D. Riley of the AFRO Sports Desk debate the question. Riley: If you’re Derrick Rose and you’re committed to winning a title then why wouldn’t you help your franchise land talent through whatever means necessary? How much would it hurt for a potential free agent to hear a few choice words from a former MVP and the face of the team’s franchise? For Rose, a player who’s been injured for much of the last two seasons, just reassuring any free agent whether it’s Anthony or Pau Gasol or LeBron James from his own mouth that he is healthy could be useful to the Bulls’ chances of landing a marquee talent this summer. His reluctance to get involved in Chicago’s attempts to land the team some higher caliber talent could potentially set
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Should a franchise player, like Derrick Rose, be assigned the task of helping the front office land stars? the franchise back if Rose retains his stance. Green: Rose’s only two jobs right now are to get as healthy as possible and prepare for the upcoming season. Nowhere in his job description is it outlined for him to pitch potential
Green: It would be nice as a free agent to walk into a business meeting with a potential suitor and see the team’s best player sitting idle in the corner waiting to give his input but it’s not necessary. In the age of social media, cell phones and summer camps and trainings, it’s easier for players to communicate now than it ever has. You don’t think Rose and a guy like Anthony have already talked about the possibility of teaming up together? Those two players have been on the same All Star team for the last few years and played on the same Olympic team for the last few summers so the discussions have probably already occurred, similar to how the Big Three forged a pact at Olympic team practices years ago. Whether it’s Anthony signing in Chicago or whoever it may or may not be, if someone really wanted to reach out to Rose to find out about his health or his opinions on the team then they don’t need him sitting in on meetings to find out.
Baltimore Featherweight Gervonta Davis Opens Pro Career with Seven Knockouts Undefeated 19-Year-Old Talks with AFRO About Fast Pro Start By Mike Wright Special to the AFRO (July 6, 2014) With the dog days of summer upon us, I want to touch on and showcase some of the up and coming talent in Baltimore-D.C./Metro area boxing scene. With the blessings of the editor I have decided to start my “Boxing Spotlight Series” which will bring you established and up and coming boxers. Today’s boxer is Baltimore’s Gervonta “Tank” Davis. Davis, 19, is an undefeated professional featherweight--(7-0, 7 knockouts) after having won 206 and losing10 fights as an amateur. Veteran trainer Calvin Ford is currently training Davis. I recently had a chance to speak with Davis: Wright: OK, first off, talk about growing up in Baltimore and some of the people that helped you grow as a boxer and as a young man.
Davis: I grew up in Baltimore where it’s hard. There’s a lot of shootings and drug dealing. Many people helped me out in boxing, such as my main coach, Calvin Ford, and some others at Upton Boxing Gym. Calvin is like a father to me. He took me in as a son when my dad was locked up and wasn’t around. Wright: In addition to your trainer Calvin Ford, you are also among a long list of fighters who happen to be managed by Al Haymon. What made you want to sign with him and how did it come about? Davis: My coach Calvin Ford raised me as a young boy to work my way up through the amateur ranks, and we always said that when it’s time to make that move to go pro, sign with Al Haymon. He treats his fighters right and they are well taken care of. How I got with Al was just meant to be, and now I’m glad I can work with the man I dreamed to work with. Wright: With Haymon as your manager,
Banjos on the Waterfront A night of great live music at the BMI featuring:
you are still under the tutelage of your longtime trainer, Calvin Ford. Tell us a bit about him and your rise through the ranks together. Davis: Calvin Ford is a great, all-around person. We’ve been through it all together, coming up in the amateurs. We are continuing everything into the pros. Words can’t explain what that man means to me. Calvin is my hero. Wright: Tell me about your upcoming fight and a little background about your opponent (if any) and where boxing fans can pickup tickets? Davis: I was told that I’ll likely fight in August, but we don’t have a specific date yet or an opponent. As soon as I have the info, I’ll let you know and I’ll post it on my social media. Wright: How active will you be this year? Boxer Gervonta Davis facebook.com Davis: I cannot say how active I will be, but my goal is People can get over on you if you don’t to fight often until I reach a record of 15-0 or understand what’s going on. 16-0. Wright: Let’s take a look at the featherweight division for a second with guys like Nonito Donaire, Orlando Salido, Abner Mares and others. Is there anybody down the line (once you have a good amount of fights under your belt) that you would like to have a shot at? Davis: I would like to take a shot at all of those guys. To be the best, you have to beat the best, but that’s up to my management team to say who I fight next.
Dom Flemons
Tony Trischka
Thursday, July 17 ~ 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm Gates open 5:30 pm Tickets $20.00 available at www.thebmi.org or in person at the BMI Seating is limited; beach chairs welcome!
Baltimore Museum of Industry · 1415 Key Highway · thebmi.org · 410.727.4808 x132 Supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts. Art Works.
Wright: I found out that you are also a student and that you returned to school this year to work towards your high school diploma. Talk about why you made that decision. Davis: I went back to my high school because I knew I needed to. You do need education to do many things in life. I need to be able to read my contracts and understand what’s going on in the business side of boxing.
Wright: On a personal note, what are five things about you that boxing fans would find interesting? I’ll take one off your list and let the fans know that your KO percentage is 100! Davis: Not only that my KO percentage is 100, I’m a great role model to the youth. I’m good all around the board, I have speed, power, footwork and many more other things. I’m great in the ring and out. Wright: Last, but not least, where can the fans go to interact or follow you on these various social media platforms? Davis: My Instagram address is @ GervontaDavis, Twitter is @GervontaDavis and Facebook Gervonta Davis. To all my fans and supporters, I love you all. Support me and I’ll fight for you. Michael Wright is the co-host of FSP Crew Show, an online sport talk radio show, and an occasional contributing writer for the AFRO.
July 12, 2014 - July 18, 2014, The Afro-American
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“BALTIMORE’S FESTIVALS AND CRAB FEASTS”
Kelly R. Carter, executive director and the coordinator for the Liberty Road Business Association’s “Outdoor Concert Series and Festival” being held 6-9 pm July 11 and 25 at Kings Point Square, 9900 Liberty Road in Randallstown, Md. It is free and open to the public. There will be live entertainment, food, vendors, and a beer and wine garden.
© 2014 UNIVERSAL STUDIOS
Eleanor “Reds” Richardson, counselor and consultant, is now, with her first novel Silent Cry, an author. Silent Cry is about a young lady, Raye Grant, and the family dynamics that cause her to have a dim outlook on life. Her cry is silent, because only she knows the torment of it all. This book is a combination of romance, humor, and sadness. Contact Richardson via email at redsrich3207@yahoo.com for more information. wcar8@verizon.net for location or directions. Well, my dear friends, I am out of space, I have to go. Enjoy your week. If you need me, call me at 410-833-9474 or email me at rosapryor@aol.com. UNTIL THE NEXT TIME, I’M MUSICALLY YOURS.
SAT 7/12 3 COL. (5.42”) X 10” MR ALL.PUR.0712.DCAAEMAIL
UNIVERSAL PICTURES PRESENTS A PLATINUM DUNES/BLUMHOUSE/WHY NOTEXECUTIVE PRODUCTION “ THE PURGE: ANARCHY” FRANK GRILLO CARMEN EJOGO ZACH GILFORD KIELE SANCHEZ AND MICHAEL K. WILLIAMS PRODUCERS JEANETTE VOLTURNO-BRI LL LUC ETIENNE PRODUCED WRITTEN AND BY JASON BLUM p.g.a. MICHAEL BAY ANDREW FORM BRAD FULLER SEBASTI ´ EN K. LEMERCIER p.g.a. DIRECTED BY JAMES DE MONACO #PURGEANARCHY A UNIVERSAL RELEASE
AFRO-AMERICAN
email him at charlesfaison@hotmail.com. Jazz live 6-9 p.m. July 12 at the Cultural Center, 6037 Liberty Rd., Suite 6, Baltimore, Md. featuring internationally renowned recording artists Lafayette Gilchrist on piano and Eric Kennedy on drums. There will be vendors, food, and music on sale. For ticket information, call 443-453-3010. King David Lodge No.18 presents “The Blue & Gold Cabaret” from 9 p.m. – 1 a.m. July 11 at the Grand Lodge, 1307 Eutaw Pl. For more information, contact W.M. Medford Campbell or Bro. Curtis Williams at 410-258-1715. The Waterfront Festival in Columbia, Md. is a lot of fun for grown folks. My buddy, Walt Carr turned me on to this one. This is going on throughout the month of July on 12-13, 17-20, 23, 26 and the 31st. Showtime is 8 p.m. except for Sundays, which is 6 p.m. Take your blankets or folding chairs, and refreshments (your cooler and snacks). Folks, it is FREE! CALL 410-715-3161 or email:
BALTIMORE & DC COMBO
Hello everyone! Baltimore is known to entertain you in the summer months with outdoor concerts, festivals, carnivals, crab feasts, and cabarets. My goodness gracious, you just don’t know which one you want to attend. Well, depend on the date, time, and location, do as I do. I go to two or three a day on the weekend and I support many organizations who work with the communities. It is not easy, but it is a whole lot of fun. Now this weekend, I will be moving a little slow, because I just had major exploratory stomach surgery July 2. The final result: my appendix was damaged and they removed it. So under doctor’s advice, I have to lay low for about 4 weeks. So my “Boo-Boo” will drive me to the DipNic Festival on July 12 where I will do my book signings, and he will take me to the Liberty Road Festival on July 11 where I can also do book signings. But I will see all of you at my Rosa Pryor Music Scholarship Fund Oldies but Goodies Crab Feast 3-6 p.m. July 19 at the VFW Post 6506, 8779 Philadelphia Rd. All the crabs you can eat, cash bar, full dinner buffet, free beer, and music by DJ “Sugar Chris.” Donations are acceptable. For ticket information, call 410-833-0474. TREA, the Enlisted Association family and friends day picnic in the park is noon – 6 p.m. July 19 at Patapsco State Park, Pavilion No. 708. Elaine Simon is doing again! The Baltimore/Washington Caribbean Carnival and Festival will be at Lake Clifton Park on July 12 and 13. You will see many islands represented by beautifully hand-crafted costumes and steel band performers. There will be many vendors of authentic food including Jerk Chicken, Curried Chicken, Peas and Rice, Plantain, Roti, Coconuts, Sugar Cane and Mangoes. The music and entertainment will be all around you. Check it out! It will be a sight you will never forget. It is very beautiful! Another Festival for you, the DipNic Festival is noon – 8 p.m. July 12 at the Elks Camp Barrett, 1001 Chesterfield Rd., Crownsville, Md. 21401 and it is for adults only (children are not allowed). Now folks, don’t try to hide your rug-rats in the truck of the car, or say, “OOPS! I forgot to drop little Marylou and Johnny off to the babysitter.” Sorry, that will not work. Now you can truly enjoy you without the little ones. Take your swimwear, jazz concert gear, canopy chairs, umbrella tables, table cloth, your charcoal and your bar-b-que grill, it is BYOB, BYOF. The Faisonian Club will have a BBQ pit, ice, raw bar and steamed crabs on sale along with many other vendors. For more information, call Charles Faison at 443-801-1100. Or
UNIVERSAL PICTURES AND IMAGINE ENTERTAINMENT PRESENT A JAGGED FILMS/ BRIAN GRAZER PRODUCTION IN ASSOCIATION WITH EXECUTIVE WYOLAH FILMS ATATE TAYLOR FILM “GET ON UP” CHADWICMUSICK BOSEMAN NELSAN ELLIS DAN EXECUTIVE AYKROYD VIOLA DAVIS CRAIG ROBINSON OCTAVIA SPENCER MUSIC PRODUCER MICK JAGGER MUSICBY THOMAS NEWMAN SUPERVISORS BUDD CARR MARGARET YEN PRODUCERS PETER AFTERMAN TRISH HOFMANN JEZ BUTTERWORTH JOHN-HENRY BUTTERWORTH JOHN NORRIS ANNA CULP PRODUCED STORY BY BRIAN GRAZER p.g.a. MICK JAGGER p.g.a. VICTORIA PEARMAN p.g.a. ERICA HUGGINS p.g.a. TATE TAYLOR BY STEVEN BAIGELMAN AND JEZ BUTTERWORTH & JOHN-HENRY BUTTERWORTH SCREENPLAY DIRECTED A UNIVERSAL PICTURE BY JEZ BUTTERWORTH & JOHN-HENRY BUTTERWORTH BY TATE TAYLOR SOUNDTRACK ON UNIVERSAL MUSIC ENTERPRISES
STARTS FRIDAY, JULY 18
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THIS FILM CONTAINS DEPICTIONS OF TOBACCO CONSUMPTION
© 2014 UNIVERSAL STUDIOS
STARTS FRIDAY, AUGUST 1
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The Afro-American, July 12, 2014 - July 18, 2014
ARTS & CULTURE
The Chat Heard ‘Round the World By Kam Williams Special to the AFRO
Kicking off an impressive career in front of the camera at the tender age of five, Bobb’e J. Thompson rose to fame as a child actor well before his teens, initially with a small but colorful and energetic supporting role as the pint-sized Tupac in My Baby’s Daddy (2003). He subsequently appeared in television and film efforts such as “The Tracy Morgan Show” (2004), Shark Tale (2004), “That’s So Raven” (2004), and “Joey” (2005). Bobb’e contributed to OutKast mainstay Bryan Barber’s offbeat, inventive musical drama Idlewild (2006) before teaming up with Vince Vaughn in the holiday comedy Fred Claus (2007). He then starred in the acerbic farce hit comedy Role Models as the hilarious, wisecracking Ronnie Shields, for which he earned an MTV Movie Award nomination for Best Breakthrough Performance in 2009. Tyler Perry jumped at the opportunity to work with Bobb’e, casting him as M.J. Williams in the television series “For Better or Worse.” But the role of “Cal Devereaux” in Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs showed a sweeter side closer to his real-life personality. Here, Bobb’e reflects upon his starring role as Jason, the main character in Nick Cannon’s directorial debut, School Dance. Kam Williams: Hi Bobb’e, thanks so much for the interview. BJT: Thanks for having me, Kam.
Michael Epps and Bobb’e J. Thompson in ‘School Dance’.
KW: What interested you in School Dance? BJT: Honestly, I liked the fact that I would have the chance to play a character that’s the opposite of what I’m used to playing. Jason isn’t as outspoken and foul-mouthed. I liked having an opportunity to channel my abilities in a different direction.
Story with a modern twist to it. I went, “Yeah, that’s dope!” And we made it happen. That’s how we wanted it to be perceived, so I’m glad you saw it that way. KW: Is there any question no one ever asks you, that you wish someone would? BJT: Reporters never ask me about my real passion, my music.
KW: Did you feel any pressure to do a good job and carry the movie as the main character, given that it’s Nick Cannon’s directorial debut? BJT: I don’t know what pressure feels like. I went in with my head clear ready to do my job, because I knew everybody else was coming to do theirs. I was working with a team, so as long as I was ready to do my part, I was confident that the pieces were going to fit together as they should.
KW: Okay, then tell me about your music. BJT: I just finished a mixtape that’s available at www.DatPiff.com . And I also have a video out on Youtube entitled “OMG.”
KW: What was it like working with a cast with so many great comedians? Kevin Hart… George Lopez… Katt Williams… Mike Epps… BJT: And Lil Duval and Luenell. We had some heavy hitters. We had fun on set. Everybody was upbeat and in good spirits. We cracked jokes and laughed but, by the end of the day, everybody got their work done. We were all about business when it was time to get on camera. And when the camera’s rolled, it was crazy! Everybody was cracking jokes and having fun, man.
KW: What advice do you have for anyone who wants to follow in your footsteps? BJT: Follow your dreams, stay in school, and honor your mother and your father. That’s pretty much it.
KW: The movie reminded me of a musical, comical version of Romeo and Juliet. BJT: Yeah, that’s kinda what Nick was going for when he pitched it to me. Like a West Side
KW: When you look in the mirror, what do you see? BJT: I see an ambitious young man who will one day have it all.
KW: Thanks again for the time, Bobb’e, and best of luck with School Dance. BJT: Appreciate it, Kam. To see a trailer for School Dance, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qKXSL2N0RQ To watch Bobb’e’s music video, “OMG,” visit: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=0PS79KWlR-w
Movie Review: ” Deliver Us From Evil”
Edgar Ramirez and Eric Bana co-star in the paranormal cop thriller, “Deliver Us From Evil” By Dwight Brown NNPA Film Critic What do you get when you mix cop/thriller elements with a paranormal film? Dread, fear, anguish, action, suspense anxiety, curiosity, disbelief, demons, thrills… At first, you might think that this creepy crime movie is just another excuse for a The Exorcist rip-off—but it’s better than that. Better. Sgt. Ralph Sarchie works in the 46th Precinct in the South Bronx, a rough section of New York City where ordinary crime is overshadowed by inexplicable acts that are just not normal. He works with priests, even aiding them as they perform exorcisms on people who seem possessed by demons. Trying to solve those bizarre incidents wears on his soul. He becomes despondent. Sound like the premise of a generic cop/thriller/horror movie? Yes it does. And it would be no more than that, except that phenomena is based on the horrifying circumstances that a real Sgt. Sarchie encountered on patrol. He catalogued his experiences with paranormal activities in his book “Beware the Night,” which was co-written with Lisa Collier Cool. Apparently, Sarchie even became an assistant to an exorcist. His story is a tough sell to skeptics. Hard to believe. Very hard to believe. But fascinating. Director/screenwriter Scott Derrickson (The Exorcism of Emily Rose) and his writing partner Paul Harris Boardman based their screenplay on Sarchie’s book, whittling down a string of anecdotes into one suspenseful narrative that has cop story, family drama, investigative
thriller and evil mysticism components. For the most part their unearthly concoction is compelling, dramatic, scary and violent. Their craftsmanship will likely not win them any awards (even with all the window dressing, the film feels a bit derivative), but what’s on view is not a regulation B-movie either. The direction, writing, production quality and acting make it more than that. Sgt. Ralph Sarchie (Eric Bana, Hulk) and his patrol partner Butler (Joel McHale, TV’s Community and The Soup), a sarcastic ex-Army Ranger, cruise Bronx streets looking for trouble. Sarchie, with his inexplicable, clairvoyant and clairaudio sixth sense, sees and hears things. They investigate a domestic dispute and run across a crazed, tattooed Iraqi vet (Chris Coy) who has been beating his wife. A chase ensues. They’re called to the Bronx Zoo where a woman has thrown her young son into a lion’s habitat. When they arrive, she is psychotic, super strong and prattles on incoherently. A mysterious man (Sean Harris) in a hoody appears in the lion’s den, and then disappears. Sarchie and Butler discover that all the events are linked. Their investigation comes under the watchful eye of a Joe Mendoza (Edgar Ramírez), an atypical priest who has fallen on and off the wagon while wearing the cloth. Scott Derrickson’s pacing as a writer and director is near perfect in a film that takes nearly two hours to tell its tale of unholy possessions. He measures out the violence, gore, drama, chase sequences and devil extractions quite well. Better than a lot of paranormal movies. His efforts are helped by crystal clear cinematography (Scott Kevan, Underworld: Awakening), realistic costume design (Christopher Peterson, assistant on The Wolf of Wall Street), a tension-building score (Christopher Young, Spider-Man 3) and scary noises (the sounds of fingernails clawing rocks will give you the heebie-jeebies). You never question the visuals, the clothes or the sounds. You just get sucked into the fray. Even if you didn’t know that the footage was based on someone’s actual experience— be it real or just real to them—the urgency in the story comes through in large part due to the performances. Eric Bana has just the right mix of bravura, natural appeal and healthy skepticism. Says Sarchie, “You can’t blame invisible fairies for the evil men do.” Hard to believe that McHale, who acts like a smug jackass on The Soup, can play a believable cop. Sean Harris and Chris Coy as the vets who brought the devil home with them from Iraq are fluidly demonic. Olivia Mum as Sarchie’s wife and Dorian Missick as a fellow police officer blend into their portrayals. The man who brings real gravitas to the proceedings is Venezuelan actor Edgar Ramirez. Rent Carlos the Jackal on Netflix; it was a mini-series that was released in the U.S. as a 334-minute film called Carlos. His performance in that riveting movie should have won him an Emmy, Golden Globe or Oscar for Best Actor. He is one of the most talented actors in film today and he makes Deliver Us From Evil surprisingly impressive. He’s intense. He jumps between English and Spanish effortlessly. As the hard-drinking, chain-smoking priest who has fallen from grace countless times, he makes Mendoza almost saintly: “I can’t help you further unless you humble yourself before god.” This is a smart blend of cop drama, thriller and paranormal elements. It’s a compelling and surprising mix that raises this genre movie into the realms of an imperfect but solid thriller. Fact or fiction. It’s scary and grisly in all the right places. Visit NNPA Film Critic Dwight Brown at DwightBrownInk.com.
July 12, 2014 - July 18, 2014, The Afro-American
The Author’s Corner Title: Mixing Author: Joseph McCray
Bio: Joseph McCray lives in Baltimore with his lovely wife and their son. He works as a Certified Addictions Registered Nurse and
speaks about drug addiction, mental illness, HIV and AIDS in his hometown of Baltimore. He is passionate about helping people with addictions and mental health issues and is the sole owner of Education For The Community, an outreach business he founded. He is the author of Pushing On. Wonderful stories about the life of Josephine Jordan, his mom, available on Amazon. com and BarnesandNoble. com. His latest work is Mixing, an eye opening non–fictional book about sexual awareness that every youth and young adult should read.
about becoming sexually active. 3. For what audience is this book written? The book is written for people in their twenties and thirties mainly, while it speaks to all people sexually active. This is the group who has been most enthused. 4. What one thing do you most want the reader to learn? That sex should be carefully considered and that a healthy relationship needs to be formed before one embarks upon sexually activity. A relationship that incorporates trust, respect, commitment and loyalty should be developed first. 5. What did you learn during the writing process? I enjoyed all the hours of writing and researching the topic. I had so many experiences in my nursing career and personal life that it was actually fun writing this book.
1. What was the impetus for writing this book? I was motivated to see people think about the power, beauty and seriousness of sex.
Joseph McCray
2. What’s the overall theme? This is an informative, funny and inspiring book as I explore some of the history of sex and HIV in Baltimore including a chapter on Magic Johnson when he came to Baltimore and his testimony. Mixing means sexual
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6. Any advice for aspiring writers? Write what you feel. Carve out some time each day to put it on paper and be a blessing to someone by putting it all together into a book. intimacy and is a book born out of a desire to see people have a higher appreciation of their bodies as it comes to mixing. This book is directed towards men and women of all ages who are sexually active or thinking
7. What’s next on the horizon for you? I plan to write a book on popular sayings I write each day on Facebook; then I will write a book on drug addiction. So much is not known about why people try and use drugs. I want to try to help someone.
PEOPLE
Helen Easterling Williams Named Dean of Pepperdine’s Graduate School of Education and Psychology
Dr. Helen Easterling Williams has been named dean of the Graduate School of Education and Psychology at Pepperdine University. Williams, a lifelong educator, has served two decades in higher education leadership. Williams is currently the president of Health Education & Welfare International, a firm that provides consultative services designed to improve the health, education, and welfare of individuals, faithbased organizations, higher education institutions, and elementary and secondary educational organizations. Prior to her current role, Williams held the deanship at the School of Education at Azusa Pacific University, where
she successfully led school reaccreditation efforts (National Council for Accreditation
Helen Easterling Williams Courtesy Photos
of Teacher Education) and initial accreditation for the School Psychology Program, established the Emerging Technology Center, and
developed an international visiting scholar program. She also served as a professor of doctoral studies in the School of Education. Williams also held senior academic leadership roles at the University of Delaware between 1997 and 2006. She was responsible for Delaware’s University Parallel Program that provided research on institutional education opportunities to residents of the state through multiple regional centers. Williams is a member of the prestigious American Council on Education Fellows Program Class of 2004-2005. She participated in the American Council on Education Women’s Leadership Forum,
and was selected to the HERS/Bryn Mawr Summer Institute for Women in Higher Education Administration. In 2011 Williams received the Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Excellence in Educational Leadership Award and the City of Los Angeles California Certificate of Appreciation award from
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. Williams earned her bachelor of arts degree in speech correction with a minor in biology from Jersey City State College and continued to earn a master of science degree in speech and language pathology from Towson State University in Maryland. At
the University of Delaware, Williams completed her doctor of education degree in educational leadership where she focused on the topic of internationalizing the community college. Her present scholarship focuses on education leadership particularly as it relates to both technology and women.
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Become a Foster Parent! Treatment Foster Parents work from home, receive a tax-free stipend and professional 24 hour on-call support for providing shelter for a young person who has suffered abuse or neglect. For more information, call the CHOSEN Treatment Foster Care Program at 1-800-621-8834.
AD NETWORK New Century is Hiring Exp. Drivers, both Solo and Team Operations. Competitive Pay Package. Sign-On Incentive. Pets/Welcome! Call (888) 903-8863 or apply online at www.drivenctrans.com.
HELP WANTED: PART-TIME Individuals with good community/ school contacts wanted to place and supervise 15 students from Spain for short term program in July or August in your own community. Good additional income. Email resume or letter of interest to: GLOBAL FRIENDSHIPS, INC. FAX- 410-861-8144 EMAIL - jtarlow@ globalfriendships.com
LOTS & ACREAGE LAND BARGAIN. PUBLIC WATER STATE RD FRONTAGE 8.16 AC - $37,215 Prime hardwood setting with pristine mountain & valley views. Ready to build, camp or relax . This parcel has everything you need: utilities, PUBLIC ATER, general warranty deed, all mineral rights convey, new perc & easy access. Close to charming country town like Mayberry! Terrific financing with little down. CALL OWNER 1-800-8881262, 7 days
MISCELLANEOUS AIRLINE CAREERS begin here – Get FAA approved Aviation Maintenance training. Housing and Financial Aid for qualified students. Job placement assistance. CALL Aviation Institute of Maintenance 800-481-8974
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RESORT/BEACH PROPERTY Discover Delaware’s Resort Living without Resort Pricing! Milder winters & Low Taxes! Gated Community with amazing amenities! New homes mid $40’s. Brochures available 1-866-629-0770 or www.coolbranch.com
SERVS./ MISC. Want a larger footprint in the marketplace consider advertising in the MDDC Display 2x2 or 2x4 Advertising Network. Reach 3.6 million readers every week by placing your ad in 82 newspapers in Maryland, Delaware and the District of Columbia. With just one phone call, your business and/ or product will be seen by 3.6 million readers HURRY....space is limited, CALL TODAY!! Call 1-855-721-6332 x 6 or email wsmith@ mddcpress.com or visit our website at www. mddcpress.com
TYPESET: Wed Jul 09 16:55:06 EDT 2014
LEGAL NOTICES
Hamel Builders Inc. cordially invites you to bid on Renovation of Whitehall Cotton Mill. Address: 3300 Clipper Mill Road Baltimore, MD 21211 Bids are due: 7/28/2014 at 2 pm via email.Please contact Surya K. Mistry at TYPESET: Wed Jul 09 16:52:04 for EDT 2014 estimating@hamelbuilders.com details. Hamel Builders Inc. cordially invites you to bid on Renovation of Whitehall Cotton Mill. Address: 3300 Clipper Mill RoadBaltimore, MD 21211 Bids are due: 7/28/2014 at 2 pm via email. Please contact Surya K. Mistry at estimating@hamelbuilders.com for details. Please confirm if you are bidding this project or not by 7.14.2014 Link below includes the following: PlansSpecifications https://hamelbuilders.box.com/s/ TYPESET: Wed Jul 09 16:51:47 EDT 2014 hrrh51pn4g8ka03d3zxj
YOU KNOW YOU’RE IN THE KNOW... WHEN YOU READ THE AFRO
New Construction of Hospice of Chesapeake Address: 92 Ritchie Highway Pasadena, MD 21122 Bids are due: 7/28/2014 at 2 pm via email.Please contact Surya Mistry at estimating@hamelbuilders.com for details. RFIs due by 7.18.2014 by 2:00 pm Please confirm if you are bidding this project or not via email or phone by 7.14.2014 Link below includes the following:PlansSpecifications https://hamelbuilders.box.com/s/ nqf2yakfvnc12v0zvkqk There is one more, I will send you shortly.Please confirm receiving this email and send me the proof as well as pricing. Call me with any questions.Thanks so much!Surya K. MistryMarketing AdministratorHamel Builders, Inc.5710 Furn a c e Av e n u e , S u i t e H E l k r i d g e , M D 21075Phone: 410-379-6700 Ext. 102 Direct: 410-782-3267 Email: smistry@hamelbuilders.com TYPESET: Wed Jul 09 16:33:53 EDT 2014 TYPESET: Wed Jul 09 16:34:26 EDT 2014 IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR BALTIMORE CITY Case No.: 24D14001636 IN THE MATTER OF Jasmyne Erlin Johnson FOR CHANGE OF NAME TO Eric Mikhail Johnson ORDER FOR NOTICE BY PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to officially change the name of the petitioner from Jasmyne Erlin Johnson to Eric Mikhail Johnson
City of Baltimore Department of Finance Bureau of Purchases Sealed proposals addressed to the Board of Estimates of Baltimore, will be received until, but not later than 11:00 a.m. local time on the following date(s) for the stated requirements: JULY 23, 2014 *SUPPLY & DELIVER NITRILE GLOVES B50003635 JULY 30, 2014 *TOWING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM B50003558 * T R A N S P O R TAT I O N W O R K F O R C E DEVELOPMENT B50003627 THE ENTIRE SOLICITATION DOCUMENT CAN BE VIEWED AND DOWN LOADED BY VISITING THE CITYS WEB SITE: www.baltimorecitibuy.org
It is this 17th day of June, 2014 by the Circuit Court for Baltimore City, ORDERED, that publication be given one time in a newspaper of general circulation in Baltimore City on or before the 17th day of July, 2014, which shall warn all interested persons to file an affidavit in opposition to the relief requested on or before the 2nd day of August, 2014.
To advertise in the AFRO Call 410-554-8200
Frank M. Conaway Clerk TYPESET: Wed7/11/14 Jul 09 16:33:34 EDT 2014
INVITATION FOR BIDS TOWN OF NEW WINDSOR WASTE WATER PUMPING STATION REPLACEMENT NEW WINDSOR, MARYLAND Sealed bids to furnish all materials, labor, tools and equipment necessary for the construction of Coe Drive and Main Street Waste Water Pumping Station replacements will be received from qualified bidders on or before August 22, 2014 at 2:00 PM, Local Time, by the Town of New Windsor at the Town Hall, 211 High Street, New Windsor, Maryland 21776 at which time and place, each bid will be publicly opened and read aloud. This project generally consists of the replacement of two (2) existing ejector lift stations with new suction lift pump stations. New pump station installations will include new pump and control equipment, equipment enclosures, paving, fencing, and other related site improvements. The Contract Documents may be examined at the following location(s):New Windsor Town Hall at 211 High Street, New Windsor, MD or at the Engineer’s Office at ARRO Consulting, Inc., 1101 Opal Court, Suite 312, Hagerstown, MD 21740 Copies of the Contract Documents may be obtained at the Issuing Office, ARRO Consulting, Inc., 1101 Opal Court, Suite 312, Hagerstown, MD 21740 upon payment of $50.00 for each set. A Pre-Bid Conference will be held at the New Windsor Community Room, 1100 Green Valley Road (Route 75), New Windsor, MD 21776 on July 29, 2014 at 10:00 AM. All contractor questions are due in writing by no later than August 6, 2014. The Town of New Windsor reserves the right to reject any or all bids and to waive technicalities. TOWN OF NEW WINDSOR FRANKLIN G. SCHAEFFER TOWN MANAGER
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The Afro-American, July 12, 2014 - July 18, 2014
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NAME: ________________________________________________ ADDRESS: _____________________________________________ PHONE NO.:____________________________________________ CLASSIFICATION: ______________________________________ (Room, Apt., House, etc.) INSERTION DATE:_________________
BALTIMORE AFRO-AMERICAN NEWSPAPER Legal Advertising Rates Effective October 1, 2008 PROBATE DIVISION (Estates) 202-332-0080 PROBATE NOTICES a. Order Nisi $ 60 per insertion b. Small Estates (single publication $ 60 per insertion c. Notice to Creditors 1. Domestic $ 60 per insertion 2. Foreign $ 60 per insertion d. Escheated Estates $ 60 per insertion e. Standard Probates
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July 12, 2014 - July 18, 2014 The Afro-American
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LEGAL NOTICES
To advertise in the AFRO Call 410-554-8200 Petitions have been filed by the following applicants for licenses to sell alcoholic beverages at the premises set opposite their respective names. The real property for these applications will be posted on Monday, July 7, 2014. Written protests concerning any application will be accepted until and including the time of the hearing. Public hearings will be held after July 31, 2014. Interested parties should contact the office of the Board, 231 E. Baltimore Street, 6th Floor, Baltimore, Maryland 21202 or by calling (410) 396-4380 to determine the exact time and date that a particular application will be considered by the Board. Written protests will be acknowledged by the Board and such protestants will be notified as to the date, time and place of the hearing.
New Ritz, Inc. Joseph Soltas & David Hitchiner
Expand license to include 500-504 S. Broadway
900 S. Kenwood Avenue
500-04 S. Broadway
Second Chance Operating Transfer of ownership & location from 1400 Warner Street Ventures, LLC 837-39 W. Cross Street, live entertainment James Trujillo & William Hotaling Serenity Lounge, LLC Dennis Hall
Transfer of ownership
1173-75 Sargeant Street
In Like Flynn Tavern, LLC Transfer of ownership, request for outdoor 1367-71 Andre Street Richard Flynn, Veronica table service, live entertainment & off Flynn &Cora Flynn- premises catering Williams 2. CLASS “D” BEER LICENSE Union Craft Brewing Co., Request to add outdoor table service LLC Adam Benesch, Jonathan Zerivitz Robert Kemmery, III 3. CLASS “D” BEER, WINE & LIQUOR LICENSE Zhao Brothers, LLC Request for live entertainment Richard Zhao, Raymond Zhao Cheok Zhao Mugs Italian American Transfer of ownership & location from Bistro, LLC contract purchaser at 4900 Curtis Avenue Gayle Mugavero-Grimm Gregory Mugavero
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1. CLASS “BD7” BEER, WINE & LIQUOR 900 Pizza, LLC Transfer of ownership, live entertainment Vladimir Semerey & outdoor table service Emer Bektas
1700 Union Avenue
1035 S. Charles Street
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CAREER CORNER ADVERTISING ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE INSIDE SALES ADVERTISING ACCOUNT Advertising Sales Professional needed for the AFRO-AmericanEXECUTIVE Newspapers, Washington, D.C. or Baltimore office. Entry-Level Advertising Sales Rep Position needed provides: for the AFRO-American • Newspapers, Competitive compensation package Baltimore, M.D. • Salary and commission plan • Full benefits after trial period provides: • Position Opportunity for fast track advancement •
Competitive compensation package
• Salary and commission plan Candidates should be: • • Self starters Full benefits after trial period • • Money motivated Opportunity for fast track • Goal-oriented advancement • Experienced in online/digital sales • Confident in ability to build strong territory possess: • Candidates Previous salesshould experience preferred • Good typing/data entry skills • Excellent customer service skills Please email your resume to: dhocker@afro. • or Previous telephone sales experience com mail to: • Excellent written and verbal Afro-American Newspapers Diane W. Hocker, communication skills Director of Human Resources 2519 N. Charles Street to: Please email your resume Baltimore, MD 21218 lhowze@afro.com or mail to AFRO-American Newspapers, Diane W. Hocker, Director of Human Resources, 2519 N. Charles Street,
TYPESET: Wed Jul 09 16:35:07 EDT 2014
ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY CAREER OPPORTUNITIES Automotive Mechanic I Automotive Mechanic II Automotive Mechanic III Detention Officer Engineer I, II & III Environmental Sanitarian I/II Equipment Operator III Facilities Administrator Facilities Maintenance Mechanic I/II Fire Department Equipment Specialist Police Communications Operator I/II Roads Maintenance Crew Leader Storekeeper I Traffic Analyst II Visit our website at www.aacounty.org for additional information and to apply on-line. You may use the Internet at any Anne Arundel County library, or visit our office at 2660 Riva Road in Annapolis. Deadlines to apply posted on website. AEO/DF/SFE
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The Afro-American, July 12, 2014 - July 18, 2014
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