Baltimore Afro-American Newspaper October 18 2014

www.afro.comOctober 18, 2014 - October 18, 2014,

Volume 123 No. 11

A1 $1.00

The Afro-American

Nation’s #1 African American Newspaper 2014 Nielsen-Essence Consumer Report

OCTOBER 18, 2014 - OCTOBER 24, 2014

Brown Proposes Positive Gains Mayor Announces Study Task Force for the Black Community Baltimore’s Heroin Problem

By AFRO Staff

Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown (D) seems destined to become the first Black governor of Maryland—if recent polls are any indication. The AFRO did not get a chance to speak with him or his running mate Ken Ulman about his potentially historic election or how their platform will impact African Americans, as requests for interviews went unmet.

However, a look at the Democrats’ campaign website anthonybrown.com and the candidates’ public Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown seems destined to become the remarks offer some insight first Black governor of Maryland—if recent polls are any into what a Brown-Ulman indication. administration will mean for Maryland’s African Americans.

Jobs and economic empowerment continues to be a chief issue for African Americans across the nation and in Maryland.

Brown has pointed to his support of legislation this year that will raise the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour by July 2018 as something that will specifically affect African Americans. In terms of creating jobs, his plan involves infrastructure projects, such as the Red Line and Purple Line subway projects in Baltimore and in Prince George’s and Montgomery counties, respectively. He also plans to expand vocational education opportunities to better prepare Marylanders for in-demand jobs.

Continued on A3

By Roberto Alejandro Special to the AFRO Baltimore City Mayor Stephanie RawlingsBlake announced the creation of a task force to study the city’s ongoing heroin problems and to make recommendations by July of next year at a press conference at City Hall on Wednesday.

Flanked by Dr. Jacqueline Duval-Harvey, interim commissioner of the Baltimore City Health Department, and Bernard McBride, president and CEO of Behavioral Health System Baltimore (BHSB), Rawlings-Blake announced that the task force would be overseen by BHSB. “Specifically, I have asked that [the task force] provide recommendations for

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strengthening drug treatment options, improving access to treatment, [and] reducing substance abuse overall in Baltimore City,” said Rawlings-Blake about the task force’s mandate. “The task force will also work to strike the right balance between proper access to treatment, as well as balancing the concern of many communities and businesses who worry about the overpopulation of clinics in some areas.”

The mayor’s description of the task force suggested it would be focused on issues related to treatment and public safety.

“As my administration works to implement more comprehensive reforms for heroin treatment, we’ll also continue our robust efforts at curbing access to heroin on our city streets and holding dealers accountable for bringing these drugs into our community,” said the mayor.

Asked whether the task force would look more broadly at issues contributing to the proliferation of addiction and drug trafficking in Baltimore, such as the city’s desperate economic conditions or public education, the mayor responded that she felt she was clear in her comments that the task force’s would be a holistic approach, but then reiterated a list of issues related only public safety and treatment.

“Are we going to start at Head Start and figure out what happens to a kid in pre-K that drives them into drug use? No,” said

Continued on A5

Fed. Courts Address Voter Disenfranchisement

By Zenitha Prince Senior AFRO Correspondent

Hundreds of thousands of voters of color in Texas and Wisconsin will not be denied access to the ballot box this November in the wake of two recent court rulings. Civil rights advocates are claiming these rulings are significant victories.

On Oct. 9, a federal judge in Texas and the Supreme Court struck down laws that would require voters in both states to present photo identification to vote. This issue has been a political flashpoint in states across the nation.

Republicans have argued it’s a needed to prevent voter fraud. Democrats and civil rights activists say widespread voter fraud is a mere figment of the GOP imagination and that the laws are instead meant to keep minorities, the poor and the young – who tend to lean Democrat – from voting.

Texas’ law, SB 14, has been deemed the most restrictive voter ID law in the nation.

“The court’s ruling will enable minority voters to more fairly participate Continued on A3

Maryland’s Anti-Voucher Bias

Monumental City Bar Foundation Symposium

Examining Diversity in the Legal Profession

By Roberto Alejandro Special to the AFRO

By Roberto Alejandro Special to the AFRO A recent symposium at the University of Baltimore School of Law took on the issue of diversity in the legal profession, highlighting the need for improved recruitment and retention of minorities and women in Maryland’s, and the nation’s, top law firms.

According to the American Bar Association, women account for only 17 percent of equity partners at American law firms, despite making up 34 percent of the legal profession. African Americans currently only make up 4.8 percent of the legal profession overall. Troublingly, the profession remains over 88 percent White.

For Ron Richardson, chair of the Monumental City Bar Foundation, the charitable arm of the Monumental City Bar Association which distributes grants to community-based organizations serving underprivileged populations, the profession has “obviously come a long way, but we obviously have a long way to go. Most of the major firms do not have a lot of minority equity partners.”

The symposium, held on Oct. 13 and titled “Symposium on Race and Gender: Embracing

Courtesy Wikimedia Commons

Former Rep. Harold Ford served as the keynote speaker for the symposium.

Diversity in the Legal Profession,” was the result of what Richardson calls “collaborative competition” between his foundation and the Baltimore Bar Foundation.

Continued on A5

Last week, Baltimore City announced the reopening of its Housing Choice Voucher Program (formerly known as Section 8) waiting list for the first time since 2003. Any interested resident may apply for one of 25,000 spots, online, between Oct. 22 and 30. In Baltimore, as well as many other jurisdictions, however, there are no legal requirements that landlords accept all legal sources of income (SOI), including the federally subsidized vouchers, for rental purposes, undermining the ‘choice’ portion of this federal housing program.

Odette Ramos is the executive director of the Community – Odette Ramos Development Network of Maryland, which for the last year has been running the ‘Consider the Person’ campaign, designed to dispel myths surrounding the types of tenants voucher recipients are.

“In Maryland, it’s perfectly legal for a landlord to say, ‘Oh, I don’t like how you’re getting your money, so I’m not going to Continued on A5

Copyright © 2014 by the Afro-American Company

“In Maryland, it’s perfectly legal for a landlord to say, ‘Oh, I don’t like how you’re getting your money, so I’m not going to rent to you.’ And that, to us, is discrimination.”

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The Afro-American, October 18, 2014 - October 24, 2014

NATION & WORLD from revealing government requests for user data are a violation of Twitter’s First Amendment rights.

The company said it seeks to detail the type of data the government requests on national security grounds “by providing information about the scope of U.S. government surveillance,� Twitter’s vice-president, Ben Lee, said.

In its Oct. 6 suit, Twitter described itself as a “global information sharing and distribution network serving over 271 million monthly active users around the world.� Though the social media network only allows short messages or tweets of no more than 140 characters, it boasts a global audience.

The social media giant seeks permission to publish the full version of its transparency report, which includes details on the number of national security letters and Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act court orders the company has received from the government, “even if the number is zero.�

In a blog post, Lee explained that the company has tried to reach a level of transparency with its users to no success due to these restrictions. “We’ve tried to achieve the level of transparency our users deserve without litigation, but to no avail,� Lee wrote. “In April, we provided a draft Transparency Report addendum to the U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, a report which we hoped would provide meaningful transparency for our users. After many months of discussions, we were unable to convince them to allow us to publish even a redacted version of the report.�

According to the Los Angeles Times, much of the company’s drive to provide more candid transparency to its users derives from Edward Snowden’s disclosure on the amount of data the National Security Agency collects on American citizens. Twitter, as well as Microsoft Corp., Google and other technology conglomerates are working to regain public’s trust that the companies are protecting their private information.

Department of Justice spokesperson Emily Pierce told The (U.K.) Daily Mail that though similar complaints have been raised by other tech companies, an agreement between these companies and the government allows them to disclose only a broad number of court orders they receive for the sake of protecting the national security.

Twitter Sues U.S. Government over Rights to Freedom of Speech

Social media giant Twitter is suing the U.S. government, claiming that federal restrictions which limit the company

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Video Captures Police Breaking Car Window & Tasering Man For Failure to Wear Seatbelt

A video showing an altercation between Indiana law enforcement and a family has gone viral after depicting police breaking through a car window and Tasering a man for failing to wear his seatbelt.

Lisa Mahone and her boyfriend Jamal Jones, with Mahone’s two children in the backseat, were pulled over by Hammond, Ind. police on Sept. 24 due to the Mahone and Jones not wearing their seatbelts at the time.

According to NBC News, the video, which was captured

by Mahone’s 14-year-old son, documents the majority of the traffic stop and shows police demanding Jones’ ID. When he fails to produce his driver’s license, officers draw their guns and order him from the car. As Mahone calls 911, an officer shatters the passenger window and uses a stun gun on Jones.

In a lawsuit filed by Mahone and Jones against the police and city of Hammond, the pair claim that they were on their way to visit Mahone’s dying mother and that Jones had turned over his license for an unrelated citation, CNN reported.

However, a Hammond police spokesman said the officers were suspicious after Jones rolled his window down only a few inches and feared that he had a weapon. Mahone was eventually cited for failing to wear a seatbelt, while Jones was

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arrested for failure to aid an officer and resisting arrest. “Police officers who make legal traffic stops are allowed to ask passengers inside of a stopped vehicle for identification and to request that they exit a stopped vehicle for the officer’s safety without a requirement of reasonable suspicion,�

Hammond police spokesman Lt. Richard Hoyda said, according to CNN. The lawsuit accuses the officers of use of excessive force, false arrest and imprisonment, assault and battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Cornel West, Baltimore’s Rev. Jamal Bryant Arrested in Monday Ferguson Protest Chana Brittmon Please be aware you all...protesting for our justice, respect, etc., this is what it takes...Really.

Thank you to all who will stand in and stand up for the rights of our sons, brothers and fathers.

Frances Frazier Thank you gentlemen for your time. We’re proud.

Tillery Thomas There should be some degree of protest everywhere. A Ferguson could very well happen in your or my town tomorrow. Unfortunately at some point, it will. Unity and respect among us Black folks needs a complete turnaround. Protest everywhere.

Health Worker Second in U.S. to Test Positive for Ebola

Argirtha T. Dillard We’ll see. We know the results already. If he or she is White, they will live. And if that person is a person of color, they will die. I feel that this story is just the media taking the real focus off of murdering our brother from Africa!

Celia K. Dale If the issue is coming contact with bodily fluid only, how in the world could she have contracted it in full protective gear?

Kevin Martin What a bigoted bunch of commenters. Race has nothing to do with the contraction or the treatment of this virus.

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The Afro-American, October 18, 2014 - October 18, 2014

October 18, 2014 - October 24, 2014, The Afro-American

A3

Body Cameras: The Good Vs. The Bad

By Roberto Alejandro Special to the AFRO When the mayor of Baltimore City, Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, and Police Commissioner Anthony Batts released a report on ways to reform the Baltimore Police Department (BPD) in the aftermath of two damning videos that surfaced showing Baltimore police officers engaged in seemingly unwarranted violence against citizens, the report included a recommendation to “convene a panel to develop a pathway towards” implementing a

body camera program for the BPD. Body cameras, small cameras worn by police officers for the purpose of recording both video and audio interactions with the public, are believed to have the potential to reduce the incidence of use-offorce by police officers. The report cites a study produced by the Police Foundation, an organization that seeks to use social-scientific research to improve policing practices, which found a 50 percent reduction in useof-force incidents among Rialto, Calif. police officers equipped with cameras, as compared to a control

group of officers not wearing cameras.

That study was designed to test the effect of an officer’s awareness that she was being recorded on her likelihood to use force. It did not investigate the question of whether citizens were more likely to engage in behavior that required a useof-force response from officers if those citizens knew they were being recorded, but the study does note that in the case of the officers equipped with cameras, physical contact was initiated by citizens in all of the useof-force incidents, whereas in the

Voter Disenfranchisement Continued from A1

in the electoral process,” said Jon M. Greenbaum.

Greenbaum is the chief counsel and senior deputy director for the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, a nonpartisan organization that represents two of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit. “This is a great victory for democracy,” he said.

In Wisconsin’s case, the U.S. Supreme Court blocked the state from implementing its photo ID law, vacating an Oct. 6 ruling by the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals that had affirmed the law as constitutional. “We’re really thrilled about the victory in the Supreme Court. It was a hard-fought battle to stop Wisconsin’s voter ID law for the November elections,” said Katherine Culliton-González, senior attorney and director of voter protection for the Advancement Project, which represents plaintiffs in the case.

In Texas, the photo ID law was challenged by several interveners, including the Department of Justice, on the basis of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act and the Constitution. Advocates claimed the law unfairly and purposefully abridged the right to vote of minority voters in the state. And in her 147-page opinion, District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos agreed.

“The Court holds that SB 14 creates an unconstitutional burden on the right to vote, has an impermissible discriminatory effect against Hispanics and AfricanAmericans, and was imposed with an unconstitutional discriminatory purpose,” Ramos’ opinion read. “The Court further holds that SB 14 constitutes an unconstitutional poll tax.”

While the court’s finding that the Republican-controlled Texas legislature deliberately discriminated against voters of color is significant, it was not surprising, Bob Kengle, co-director of the Lawyers’ Committee’s Voting Rights Project, told the {AFRO}.

“There were many, many, many amendments offered while this bill was being legislated that would have tempered the impact of it. But, the people who were running the legislature rejected those amendments,” Kengle said

in an interview. “What that showed is that the impact (on minority voters) was what they wanted in the first place.

He added, “Because they were so extreme in pushing such a hardline, restrictive measure, it made it easier to challenge.”

In her decision, Ramos cited the preponderance of expert evidence showing that African Americans and Latinos disproportionately lack the required identification. It also cited the substantial burdens those individuals would face in obtaining the mandated documentation, including time taken away from work and the costs of purchasing the IDs. The judge also noted a lack of any real evidence of widespread voter fraud and Texas’ long history of discrimination against minority voters. “What it means legally is that is sets up a predicate for the court to order Texas back under preclearance (federal oversight of election laws,)” Kengle said. “There is a pretty good

they are being recorded with both video and audio.

If the officer is in an area where a person has a reasonable expectation of privacy, such as a home or a hospital room, the officer only records if consent is given. Once the officer hits record, the camera saves the previous 30 seconds of video (no audio is saved on this portion of the recording), and the camera then records video and audio until the officer subsequently turns off the recording.

Brooks says that though some

Continued on A5

Brown Proposes

Continued from A1 Last month, a three-judge panel from the Seventh Circuit ruled that the state could implement the law while it considered the merits of the case, sparking outrage and dismay among civil rights activists and community leaders, who felt it was too short a time to prepare voters for the change.

Approximately 300,000 registered voters, who lack the strict voter IDs, would have been disenfranchised, said Culliton-González during a press call. And many more could have been disenfranchised based on the level of confusion alone, community organizers said.

“When the Seventh Court decision came down last month and photo ID was suddenly needed to vote my work doubled,” said Anita Johnson, of Citizen Action of Wisconsin, who has worked for the past year on educating voters about changes in the election law.

Many more calls for help came in, Johnson said. And, she found, for

“The photo ID law is unnecessary and potentially harmful and was likely to cause confusion at the polls next month. So it is with a sigh of relief that I know that Wisconsin seniors, students, the poor and people of color will have the dignity of voting without showing their IDs at the polls.”

– Anita Johnson

chance that a judge will order some type of pre-clearance as a final remedy in the case.”

Texas is appealing the decision in the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, and among its arguments is that following its pre-2012 identification law would be more confusing for voters and election administrators. Kengle said, however, that administrators from at least five counties have provided testimony saying administering the pre2012 rules would be much easier.

In Wisconsin’s case, the majority of Supreme Court justices – Justices Samuel Alito, Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas dissented – agreed to hold off on implementing the law, noting the “proximity” of the upcoming election.

17 use-of-force incidents in which control group officers were involved, physical contact was initiated by police in four of those instances.

For the last 18 months, the police department in Laurel, Md. (LPD) has equipped its officers with body cameras worn on a sunglass or headband mounts, recording interactions with the public from the officer’s point of view. According to Deputy Chief James Brooks of the LPD, the cameras are always on and officers press the record button during any citizen contact in the public domain and let citizens know

example, that many seniors lacked birth certificates and other documents needed to obtain their IDs, among other concerns. And, even Department of Motor Vehicle clerks – whose job it would be to issue the IDs – also seemed confused, Johnson said. “This was such a sudden change nobody knew what to do.”

She added, “The photo ID law is unnecessary and potentially harmful and was likely to cause confusion at the polls next month. So it is with a sigh of relief that I know that Wisconsin seniors, students, the poor and people of color will have the dignity of voting without showing their IDs at the polls.”

The civil rights victories in Wisconsin and Texas came a day after the Supreme Court stayed an appeals court decision in North Carolina, which would have provided a preliminary injunction against key provisions of the state’s massive election law that would have disproportionately disenfranchised AfricanAmerican voters. The Supreme Court’s ruling means that voters – particularly African Americans – will no longer be able to benefit from same-day registration and outof-precinct provisional voting this election cycle.

Brown also promises to shore up minorityowned businesses by raising the procurement goal to 29 percent, pushing for their inclusion in the insurance market, establishing a statewide mentor-protégé program and more.

Education has always been a central concern for the Black community. Statistics show that African American children are more likely than their peers to attend poorly resourced, underperforming schools, to have lower high school graduation rates, to be suspended or expelled, etc.

Brown directly acknowledges that education gap, citing the achievement gap for African Americans and Latinos at every stage of K-12 education and other statistics.

The centerpiece of Brown’s plan to close that gap is the creation of universal, voluntary pre-kindergarten—which many educators agree is a boost to students—which would cost about 138 million a year and be funded by revenues from casinos and by allowing wealthier parents to pay for full-day pre-K. The plan also involves establishing a Governor’s Office of Educational Disparities and Opportunities, investing in school construction to the tune of $160 million a

year, expanding school breakfast availability and school-based health services, creating a minority teacher scholarship fund, empowering teachers to identify and address achievement disparities and more.

On HBCUs, Brown offers no substantive plan other than establishing a commission to develop an approach for ensuring the institutions’ sustainability. And, he promised that tuition at Maryland’s public colleges and universities will grow by no more than 3 percent annually through 2018, which could prove a boon to Black students.

Brown has also remarked that his plans to reduce crime and address public health disparities are issues that specifically impact the African-American community.

The lieutenant governor plans to implement several strategies to further reduce recidivism rates and smoothen the path to reentry for exoffenders, including investing in transitional housing, providing more job training and employment support, providing incentives to businesses that employ ex-offenders and more.

For a look at the Brown-Ulman’s full platform, visit: www.anthonybrown.com

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The Afro-American, October 18, 2014 - October 24, 2014

Murphy Generations Celebrate a Virtuous Life Carlita Candace (Candy) Murphy Jones Perkins

By AFRO Staff When family and friends gathered, Oct. 13, to celebrate the life of Carlita Candace Murphy Jones Perkins, they did indeed “rise up and called her blessed,” in the spirit of the virtuous woman described in Proverbs 31. The life she chose for herself blessed the lives of her husband of 38 years, Charles E. Perkins and their daughter and grandchildren.

“The celebration of her life reflected her love of people, life and most importantly God,” said Rachael Murphy Phillips Humphrey, a loving cousin.

“These characteristics were grown and nurtured over her 59 years,” Humphrey said, adding, “we will hold dear to our hearts our ‘Candy memories’ always.”

Cousin Susan Murphy Wood Barnes, in giving remarks during the Delta Sigma Theta Omega Omega service, spoke of Perkins’ commitment to Christ and of her desires to line Carlita Candace Murphy up with Delta’s five point programmatic thrust including all Jones Perkins facets of public service.

She encouraged everyone at the service to take the “Candy Challenge” because to the remaining Murphy cousins, “Candy always meant a treat.”

Younger cousins Barnes, Humphrey and Perkins spent great summers together when Perkins visited Baltimore from her home in Buffalo.

In family tributes, granddaughters Quortney and Nyjai Muhammad echoed how much their grandmother had enriched their lives.

“Grammie always told me how thankful she was for having me around, but I was the one who was truly blessed with her presence,” was Quortney’s statement in the program.

Likewise, Nyjai’s statement, out of the encouragement she’d received from her grandmother, “I know you’d tell me to stay strong, stay focused, and get my education, so that’s what I’m going to do.”

Carlita Perkins was the daughter of Leeland N. Jones Jr. and Carlita Murphy Jones, granddaughter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority founder, Vashti T. Murphy, great granddaughter of AFRO founder, John H. Murphy Sr. Before working with her husband in the company they founded, Success Results Consulting, Perkins was director for the Maryland Adult Education Professional Development Program and Gifted Child Resources of Optimal Learning Centers. She provided training and development for Sallie Mae and taught international students for Montgomery County, Md. and Buffalo boards of education as an English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) teacher.

She served at Victory Christian Church international as a leader in the Extraordinary Women’s Ministry, Marriage Excellence and sang with their Praise Team and Victorious Praise.

A member of The Links and the NAACP, she was also on the AFRO board of directors.

Among those who will cherish their memories of her are her daughter, Marion Jeannelle Perkins Muhammad (Franklin) of Yokohama, Japan; brothers Dr. Leeland Anthony Murphy Jones III (Patricia) of Buffalo, N.Y. and John Aaron Murphy Jones of Honolulu, Hawaii and sister-in-law Mary Frances Dortche (George) of Charlotte, N.C.

COMMUNITY CONNECTION Coppin’s Christina Epps Awarded MEAC Woman of the Year Award

BALTIMORE – Coppin State’s Christina Epps could relate to the honorable Elijah Cummings’ convocation message about turning dreams into reality, Oct. 14.

Epps knows all about overcoming obstacles, silencing doubters and staying focused.

Cummings’ inspirational message hit home for Epps, who did all the above to be selected as the 2014 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Woman of the Year and named one of 10 Division I student-athletes as a finalist for the prestigious award.

Epps was formally presented with the MEAC Woman of the Year Award by conference commissioner Dennis E. Thomas during the annual Fanny Jackson Coppin Convocation in the James Weldon Johnson Auditorium. Epps will take one final bow, Oct. 18, in Indianapolis as part Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake presents…

2014 Minority Enterprise Development Week ---Promoting Supplier Diversity and Inclusion in Baltimore--Monday, October 20 -- thru-- Friday, October 24 Monday, Procurement Fair and Press Conference › Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake proclaims October 20 Minority Enterprise Development Week in Baltimore. The City of Baltimore is joined by over 50 exhibitors (state, federal and private institutions), with matchmaking sessions, special breakout sessions and information about contracting opportunities.

Register @ www.mwbd.baltimorecity.gov | Hilton Baltimore – Holiday Ballroom | 8:00 am – Noon Tuesday, October 21

Thank You Tour › Site visits of selected minority and women-owned businesses.

Wednesday, Buy M/WBE Wednesday › This day is dedicated to promoting minority and women-owned October 22 businesses. On this day we will support our local economy by visiting, calling, mentoring or purchasing a product or service from a minority and /or women-owned business. Place a decal in your window and on your website in support of this effort. Go to mwbd.baltimorecity.gov for more details.

Thursday, 8th Annual Top 100 MBE® Awards honoring minority and women entrepreneurs from October 23 the mid-Atlantic region. 2014 Top 100 Award winners can be found at www.top100mbe.com.

Tickets can be purchased online www.top100mbe.com | War Memorial Hall | 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm Friday, Rescuing Superwoman Part II › Join Mayor Stephanie Rawlings Blake and a host of powerful October 24 women for a breakfast. Our conversations will inspire and empower women. Space is limited.

Register @ www.mwbd.baltimorecity.gov | Vollmer Center at Cylburn Arboretum | 8:00 am – 10:00 am

MEAC Woman of the Year, Christina Epps, center, is surrounded by Rep. Elijah Cummings, left, Derrick Ramsey, Coppin Athletic director; Coppin president, Dr. Mortimer H. Neufville and MEAC commissioner Dr. Dennis E. Thomas. of the NCAA Woman of the Year celebration ceremony in which the winner will be revealed.

“I am elated, filled with joy and honor,” Epps said. “Mr. Cummings really touched me today especially when he talked about turning a negative into a positive. People told me not to attend Coppin at first, but I did and I was able to blossom. Coming to Coppin State was one of the best decisions I ever made. Going back to what he talked about today, ‘pain, passion and purpose.’ I went through some pain and it made my passion for track and field stronger and now I feel like it’s my purpose to go to the 2016 Olympics and inspire others.”

Thomas shared his admiration for all of Epps’ accomplishments and being a tremendous ambassador for the MEAC. He was thrilled that he was able to be part of the convocation that kicked off a weeklong celebration that honors Fanny Jackson Coppin, the founder of Coppin State University.

“It’s just tremendous, for me personally, to see student-athletes develop during the course of their undergraduate career and excel at the highest levels,” Thomas said. “Christina has embodied and is the epitome of what a student-athlete should be. I know that her family is proud.

Her teammates are proud. Obviously, Coppin State is proud as well. I have to commend the work that (Coppin State track and field coach Alecia) Shields-Gadson has done in molding Christina.”

When Epps stepped to the podium, she was overcome with emotion as she shed tears of joy while thanking Coppin State faculty, administrators and coaches. As she finished her speech, Epps received a hug from Cummings.

“Honoring our Sheroes: Those Who Have Served and Are Serving”

For more information call us at 410.396.3818.

Mayor’s Office of Minority and Women-Owned Business Development

The Baltimore County Delta Foundation (BCDF) is hosting a one day Stand Down for homeless military females who have served and are serving in the military, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Nov. 14, at the Community College of Baltimore County, Catonsville Campus Veterans Center. Stand down is a military term for “at ease” or rest. Brig. Gen. Linda Singh will be the keynote speaker.

The Baltimore County Delta Foundation (BCDF) is dedicated to meeting the needs of homeless female veterans in Maryland. It is estimated in a report compiled by the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans that there are 2,062 homeless veterans in Maryland. BCDF is sponsoring a oneday Stand Down event to assist homeless female veterans attain meaningful civilian employment; address housing and healthcare needs and provide ancillary services aimed at meeting their personal needs. Stand Down provides a myriad of services which include shelter, food, clothing, hygiene kits, haircuts, medical care, legal assistance, homeless court, spiritual care and much more. BCDF is targeting 75 homeless female veterans in Baltimore County and surrounding areas.

Workshops will be provided on Intimate Partner Violence, Suited for Sheroes Success, Meaningful Eating and Financial Fitness. Exhibitors will provide information on job readiness, resume writing, scholarships and personal care services. The event will also provide a continental breakfast, box lunch, and snack for all participants.

To register for the event: www.bcdeltafoundation.org/standdown-registration; Additional Info: ejj@bcdeltafoundation.org (Web site) Telephone: 410-656-9866

October 18, 2014 - October 24, 18, 2014, The TheAfro-American Afro-American

Body Cameras Continued from A3

officers were apprehensive at first about the new equipment, the value of the cameras for the purpose of documenting and collecting evidence, training and even resolving complaint issues (officers can now sit down with complainants and explain why they acted as they did in a given situation with reference to the recorded interaction), has ultimately won the day. Since implementing the body camera program, Brooks says the LPD has seen an approximately 30 percent decline in use-of-force incidents. “[The body camera] kind of just puts everybody on the same playing field,” said Brooks. “It’s a document of what actually occurred. It’s going to change behavior in both the citizen in some cases, and the officers in some cases, so I think it’s a winwin.”

For David Rocah, a senior staff attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union, Maryland, policeworn body cameras can provide critical evidence for determining whether any misconduct occurred during a police-citizen interaction, but they are limited to documenting single instances and cannot address broader cultural issues within a police department.

“It’s critical that in our focus on police body cameras, we don’t lose sight of their limitations, and don’t lose sight of the importance of data collection and meaningful data analysis, and accountability by police departments—something that Baltimore is currently not really doing and not good at. That’s a critical defect,” said Rocah in a conversation with the AFRO. While Rocah believes that if a body camera program is implemented, all interactions between the public and police in which an officer is exercising her

Heroin Task Force Continued from A1

Rawlings-Blake. “That wouldn’t be a heroin task force, but we are taking a look at the problems as it exists today, taking a look at what resources are available, taking a look at the drivers of heroin traffic, taking a look at how people in recovery are using the services that we have available and to what benefit, and what problems that exist. We are looking to take a holistic approach to this.”

In discussing the task force, the word ‘poverty’ was not mentioned once, and the mayor’s stated goal for the task force also focused on treatment and public safety.

“My ultimate goal is to increase the availability and the

police authority should be required to be recorded, he says that policy protections must be in place in order to prevent the cameras from turning into a dangerous surveillance tool, used to compile information on all persons in Baltimore or all persons in certain communities.

There are also important questions about how long recorded interactions should be stored, and while he understands law enforcement’s desire to keep recordings for the entire statutory period of limitations for

quality of outpatient services and to provide a more robust structure for supporting residents in recovery,” said the mayor while reading her prepared statement. “The task force will also explore how to better engage the community and promote positive interactions in neighborhoods where treatment programs operate.”

Most of the media’s questions focused on this issue of treatment centers and public safety concerns within communities where such centers are located. Only McBride addressed the obvious undercurrent of those questions, after they carried over into a second question and answer session with McBride and Duval-Harvey after the mayor had left the room.

“You’re raising real questions but I’ve got to say [that]

Continued from A1

Obituary

Henry Harold Jones

December 21, 1934 to September 14, Henry Harold Jones, the son of the late Timothy Jones and Viola Mack Jones-Evans, graduated from high school in Berkeley County, S.C. and then enlisted in the Air Force and served for 20 years. He earned numerous awards and did two tours in Vietnam before retiring in 1976. Following that he worked as a supervisor for Trak Auto and was highly respected by all who knew him. His mother introduced him to Ruby McFadden and after a whirlwind courtship, he realized Ruby was the love of his life and that

Continued from A1 choose to live. And they probably would otherwise be a very good tenant,” said Smith.

But stereotypes and stigma are only one obstacle to a greater housing supply for voucher recipients. As Scott explained, any landlord can participate in the voucher program but their property must meet housing quality standards established by HUD and enhanced by HABC. While such standards are necessary to protect voucher recipients, Smith, who also worked for the HABC for many years, notes that an unintended consequence of this is to limit the available housing stock for voucher recipients in a place like Baltimore, whose older infrastructure means many landlords are not able to participate in the voucher program, even if they want to, without first making significant capital improvements to their rental units.

Another issue, according to Clifton Martin, CEO of the Housing Commission of Anne Arundel County, is that “some areas have extremely competitive rental markets, and this drives rent up. We see this in some areas in and around Baltimore and DC. Once this happens, voucher families are priced out of those markets.”

As Scott explained, voucher recipients, who generally have higher incomes than persons in public housing, pay 30 percent of their income toward rent with the voucher subsidizing the rest of the costs. Housing authorities are required to do surveys of area rents in order to establish reasonable maximum rent rates. If a person wants to live in an area with far higher than average rates, the housing authority is not permitted to subsidize the rental, which further limits choices for recipients.

Then, of course, there is the simple problem of racism, which further works to limit housing options for voucher recipients in jurisdictions without SOI laws. “We know that there’s a racialized nature to this, because in the Baltimore region, most of the families are African American that need the vouchers,” said Ramos. “There are White families, and other nationalities that need the vouchers as well, but the stereotype certainly is that it’s just African American families and we don’t ‘those people’ here.” he couldn’t let her get away. They married on Sept. 10, 1965 and had two daughters.

Having joined First Baptist 2014 Church of Glenarden in 1995, he worked tirelessly, assisting the pastor, Elder Frank Grier, singing on the Inspirational Choir and offering his services wherever the opportunity presented itself.

Henry leaves to cherish their memory of him; his devoted wife of 49 years, Ruby Daisy Jones; daughters, Vikki D. Johnson, Bronx, NY; Geri Jones, Glenarden; grandson, David DeAndre Johnson; goddaughter, Lauren Williams; sisters, Sally Nichols (Earl) and Maggie Scott (Ben); brothers, David Jones (Oclivery) and Joenathan Jones (Gloria)

legislative and civil rights advocacy arenas.

“I’m hoping that bringing all these stakeholders together will provide for a more in-depth and knowledgeable discussion around body cameras,” said Brown.

The work group is set to have its first meeting on Oct. 23, and is expected to make its recommendations on the implementation of body cameras by Dec. 1 to both chairs of the Judiciary Committee. The work group’s findings will set the stage for whether the General Assembly might act and how long such action may take to materialize.

“Depending on the complexity and the parameters of the proposed language, something like this could take a year, or it could take multiple sessions,” said Brown. “But I think there is energy around doing something around this issue, not only in Maryland but around the country.” ralejandro@afro.com

mixed into this is some misinformation, and frankly in many places, a fair degree of prejudice about the people because they’re not always attractive people, even the ones that don’t act badly, the idea that we have about people who use substances is tainted with prejudice. It is,” said McBride.

According to the Rawlings-Blake, “there’s no way to make Baltimore a safer and healthier city, without an effective and coherent strategy against heroin use.”

While the initial statements about this task force suggest it could be in a position to advance the way we treat substance abuse from a medical and mental health standpoint, nothing suggested the problem would be addressed more robustly than that. ralejandro@afro.com

Symposium

Anti-Voucher Bias rent to you.’ And that, to us, is discrimination,” said Ramos.

According to Ramos, studies have found no correlation between persons with vouchers moving into a community and increases in crime, for example. However, stereotypes and assumptions drive a perception among many landlords that voucher recipients will engage in undesirable behavior, a perception out of touch with the reality that housing vouchers are a scarce and therefore precious resource, as shown by the closing of the HCVP waiting list in Baltimore City for over a decade.

“More often than not you get tenants who have a voucher who are great tenants because they have to follow the rules to keep that voucher,” said Ramos.

The Housing Authority of Baltimore City (HABC) is a partner in the Consider the Person campaign, and according to Anthony Scott, deputy executive director of HABC, Baltimore currently has around 4,000 landlords participating in the voucher program, a number that is constantly growing.

Baltimore, however, has no legal prohibitions against discrimination based on source of income (SOI), so landlord’s are not required to accept voucher recipients.

Currently in Maryland, only Frederick, Howard, and Montgomery Counties, as well as the cities of Frederick and Annapolis have SOI laws requiring that all legal sources of income be accepted by landlords. According to Tiffany Smith, chief of staff of Howard County Housing, these laws protect various types of income against discriminatory treatment.

“It does cover the voucher, which is great, but it also covers social security, child support, alimony, and those are areas that were typically discriminated against by landlords in the past,” said Smith.

For Smith, what SOI laws do is create an equal playing field for all renters, and protects persons who would otherwise be model tenants from discrimination on arbitrary grounds. “If a person has excellent credit, has no criminal background, and just does not make as much money as another person, and you just say ‘I don’t want to deal with the voucher program,’ it tends to limit the places that a person can

filing a complaint against an officer, that period is three years, an amount of time over which a massive amount of data could be collected and saved.

“I think if the data is going to be kept for that long, then there has to be, preferably legislative but at the very least policy, prohibitions on accessing that data for any purpose other than to assess whether misconduct occurred in a particular incident, or when the video itself is evidence to be used in a criminal case against a member of the public,” said Rocah.

In a letter dated March 25, Sen. Brian Frosh and Del. Joseph Vallario Jr., made a request of the Governor’s Office of Crime Control and Prevention to form a work group to consider how the state might move forward on the use of body cameras.

According to Kisha Brown, director of legislative affairs and of civil rights for the Maryland Attorney General, the work group will consist of persons in the law enforcement,

A3 A5

Richardson noted that many minority and women lawyers end up in government work or solo practice rather than reaching the upper ranks of large law firms. “They’re just not able to get into the door of the larger firms,” said Richardson.

This lack of diversity at the partner level is not simply a problem for lawyers of color and women, but for the firms themselves, who compete over corporate clients who increasingly require diverse representation in exchange for their lucrative business. “[Corporations] are all learning that as the world globalizes, and we are becoming in many senses one world – economics and just about every way you can think of – have people of multiple diversities actually benefits the whole team package that these corporations are looking for because they are involved in many international affairs,” said Richardson.

For Neil Duke, chair of the fundraising committee of the Baltimore Bar Foundation, said, “One of the clear benefits of having a diverse team working on a project is that through that particular diversity, problems are approached differently, as opposed to a monolithic sort of thinking as a result of having shared similar experiences.”

“One of the clear benefits of having a diverse team working on a project is that through that particular diversity, problems are approached differently, as opposed to a monolithic sort of thinking as a result of having shared similar experiences.”

– Neil Duke

Among the principal takeaways from the day’s panel discussions, according to both Richardson and Duke, was the need for firms to take a two-pronged approach to improving diversity. They should increase not only recruitment of minorities and women, but also retention efforts, particularly in the form of mentorship programs so that minority and women associates feel that the path to partnership is open to them.

Additionally, Richardson says, conversations about diversity need to continue. “The topic of diversity in the legal profession is not commonly addressed, and so [events] such as this, in my humble opinion, are desperately needed.”

You are invited to attend an Open

House

Wednesday, October 29, 2014 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM Mt. Royal Elementary Middle School 121 McMechen Street Baltimore, MD 21217 Come to the open house anytime between 5:00 PM and 8:00 PM. No formal presentation will be given. The meeting will be held to: • Share the Preliminary Alternatives developed by the project team • Describe the methods for screening the alternatives • Present engineering, community and environmental issues for the Preliminary Alternatives • Receive comments on those alternatives that the team recommends to carry forward for further study, and those that are proposed to be eliminated

The Baltimore and Potomac (B&P) Tunnel is located between the West Baltimore MARC Station and Penn Station, and is used by Amtrak, MARC, and Norfolk Southern trains. The project will address existing and future deciencies associated with the tunnel.

The Federal Railroad Administration and Maryland Department of Transportation have evaluated preliminary alternatives which will be discussed at the open house.

Can ’t attend? Meeting materials also will be posted on our website: www.bptunnel.com.

Meeting locations are accessible to persons with disabilities. If you require translation services, please contact info@bptunnel.com, at least one week in advance of the meeting.

Si necesita traducción por favor póngase en contacto: info@bptunnel.com.

A6

The Afro-American, October 18, 2014 - October 24, 2014

Maryland State Employees Obligated to Partake in State Wellness Program

By Maria Adebola AFRO Staff Writer Maryland state employees

who receive government health benefits will be mandated to participate in a state wellness program

effective Jan. 1, or face a mandatory $50 penalty.

The wellness program is designed to improve the

health of the state employee workforce of more than 250,000 people, according to The (Baltimore) Daily

Record. The state hopes that the mandate will decrease the amount which taxpayers spend on state employees’

“You cannot find this education anywhere else.”

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50621_N4090491A.indd 1

10/9/14 8:12 PM

health care bills by at least $4 billion over the next decade, The Frederick News-Post reported.

According to The Daily Record, in the program’s first year, participants must choose an in-network primary care physician, and with them create a “health risk assessment” evaluating potential health hazards each program participant faces.

In 2016, program participants must finish a nutrition education or weight management program, and undergo health care screenings keyed to their age group or gender, such as colonoscopies and mammograms.

But it’s not just state employees who will be required to participate in the wellness-program—retirees, and spouses covered by state insurance will also have to take part in this initiative.

According to the Associated Press, the penalties will become more stringent in coming years, increasing to approximately $450 for participants who do not comply with their health screenings or treatment plans by 2017.

October 18, 2014 - October 24, 2014, The Afro-American

A7

HEALTH

On Being a Raccoon: The day when looking good made a difference

By MarshaRose Joyner Special to the AFRO “You have the big C,” Dr. Akino said, “let me get my appointment book.” He turned and walked out of the room . . . leaving me utterly alone. My heart sank.

The big C? Could he not have said more? Could he have touched my hand?

The big C. Damn I thought as I pulled myself from the tiny gurney - taking two steps to the huge glass windows, the only light in this tiny hospital room.

The sun rose slowly from behind Diamond Head turning the mountains from black to green, stretching its warm rays across the ocean. Honolulu in September 1982 was dressed for autumn.

Located in Waikiki adjacent to the Ala Wai Boat Harbor, Kaiser Permanente Hospital’s patients awoke to beautiful tropical sunrises and drifted off to dramatic sunsets. Only today all I could see in the glass was me. My first thought was to cry. The big C . . . ran through my mind. Was this really me?

Why am I standing here?

I have to go to work. For more than 27 years, my husband, Kenneth and I had two beauty salons in the heart of Waikiki and one in the Reef Tower Hotel and one in the Edgewater Hotel. That was the time when snowbirds (tourists) came to Waikiki for the season - the Canadians and Europeans in the winter and the Aussies in the summer. Waikiki was magic. One could hear the rolling surf calling, beckoning, summoning . . . “join me”! Along the shore the gentle tradewinds kiss the lacy bamboo fronds. The aroma of the fresh cut plumeria from lei stands on the every corner filled the air. A stroll in the evening afforded one a bevy of entertainment as each hotel’s showrooms open onto the beach.

Fighting back the tears, my mind was racing. Yes, I have to go to work. I cannot cry. No tears. I sucked in my gut and leaned into the window, and there before me was a carefully made up woman, complete with black mascara and big, big eye lashes. No tears. NO! If I cry the mascara will run, the eyelashes will come loose and I would look like a raccoon. With smudged black circles under my eyes, tears streaking the blush and the brown paper bag color complexion peeping out from under the carefully applied suntan foundation.

No I cannot cry. After all we sell looking good. Whatever color nail polish I wear we sell lots of.

When I change my hair color we sell! We sell, we sell, that is the beauty business, we sell, I cannot cry.

Raccoons don’t sell. Raccoons are not allowed.

When Dr. Akino returned to the tiny hospital room, I asked if we could wait until Kenneth returned from the mainland. He agreed that was a good idea. So we made the schedule for the big C surgery. And began what was to be a long term relationship.

The years faded into each other, I don’t remember how many or the number of cancers and surgeries and I did not cry. No raccoons.

It was clear; I could not have an affair because I looked like the loser in a hatch fight. And I did not cry.

The years went by and snip, snip, chop chop, cut cut and so did my breast. Four years later the medical staff surmised, because I was so young that I should have breast implants. Ok, why not. Will

they make me look sexy? They pulled out these funny looking gel things that were to be a substitute for Mother Nature. I would even get to choose the size. Having never had sexy breasts, this was to be a new adventure, and another surgery.

Days, week and months went by with these things. I must admit I looked great and I did not like them.

I could not sleep on these hard things sticking straight up in the middle of my chest. Then one morning before dawn I was in the shower and felt something strange under my make believe breasts. I woke Kenneth and asked him what did he see? His eyes opened wide. He turned a pale shade of gray. My body was expelling these implants.

Since it was Labor Day weekend, neither my doctor nor any other surgeon was available. Even the hospital was gone. Everyone on the emergency staff wanted to look but no one wanted to touch them.

Finally a male nurse fresh from Vietnam said he knew what to do. He wrapped me from head to toe in ace bandages holding the implants in place until my doctor returned. Labor Day weekend and everyone is at the beach and I’m wrapped like an antique mummy. It was more than Kenneth could stomach. At no time did I see him cry and I believe he did.

Finally, the day came to remove the implants. After the surgery I was in the recovery room dazed out of my mind, I tried to sit up only to see Elvis in the next bed. Falling back deep into the pillow, I knew I had died and gone to Graceland. Enough!

I asked the nurse if I could see my husband. She allowed as how no one but medical staff could come into the recovery room. Feeling as if she was doing the right thing, she summoned the doctor.

He gently whispered my name and put out his hand. I felt his arm, immediately I knew it was not Kenneth. The flood gates opened up. I cried and cried and cried. The poor doctor was terrified he did not know what he had done to me. How could I tell him? After years of not crying, of not being a raccoon, I began to cry and cry and cry some more. The nurse gave me a box of tissues and slipped a drug into my mouth. The tears stopped.

Now thirty+ years later: The cancer detection process is much better.

In the early days I was asked to have my husband sign a consent form for me to have a breast biopsy.

“What if I don’t have a husband, I asked? Dr. Akino was completely taken aback having met Kenneth. “If he had had a testicular biopsy, I would not have been asked to sign a consent form, right?” Needless to say Dr. Akino was not sure how to answer. However, over the years we became great friends.

A mammogram -the x-ray picture of the breast has greatly improved.

And no, the surgeries have not ended.

My body just keeps producing tumors.

I’ve learned how to detect the signs at its earliest stages.

And no, there is not much point to crying. And no, raccoons are not allowed.

MarshaRose Joyner is a resident of, and an activist in many civil rights causes in, the Hawaiian Islands. She is a native Baltimorean, one of the first Black graduates of Baltimore’s Western High School, and the daughter of the late Elizabeth M. Oliver, a nationally recognized AFRO journalist. Joyner is also the great-granddaughter of AFRO founder, John H. Murphy Sr.

Roberta’s House Director a Finalist for CNN’s ‘Hero of the Year’ Award

Annette March-Grier Addresses Damaging Effects of Losing a Loved One

By Christina Sturdivant Special to the AFRO The executive director of a Baltimore-based grief and loss counseling center was selected as one of 10 finalists for CNN’s Hero of the Year, a worldwide competition honoring those who give back to their community.

Annette March-Grier, executive director of Roberta’s House in Baltimore, was announced as one of CNN’s Top Ten Heroes on Oct. 2 “I was really awestruck and surprised; I did not imagine that Roberta’s House would make it to the top ten,” March-Grier told the AFRO. “I was humbled in the fact that CNN actually felt as though Annette March-Grier the work that we do was significant enough that it should be recognized for such a status.”

The yearly broadcast of “CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute,” highlights everyday people who are changing their communities and the world. In Baltimore, March-Grier has been an advocate for addressing the damaging effects that losing a loved one can have on the lives of individuals.

Roberta’s House hosts seven programs for adolescents and adults suffering with grief. The center is a safe space serving more than 500 individuals each year who learn how to express themselves in healthy ways, develop positive coping skills, learn lessons behind loss and create memories of their loved ones to empower their futures.

Outside of the community, the organization touches at least 1,000 more people

each year through its summer camp and support training programs for churches and professionals. Launched this year, the Survivor Advocacy Program trains individuals who make visits within 24 to 48 hours after a homicide to provide grief counseling and other resources to related victims.

“Being able to see people transform in just a short period of time from being depressed, hurt and angry to finding a desire to live and grow with positive memories is the greatest reward,” said March-Grier.

As a finalist for the Hero of the Year honor, March-Grier will receive a $25,000 grant and free organizational training from the Annenberg Foundation, including practical guidance in fundraising, communications and management of volunteers.

If she wins the CNN Hero of the Year, Roberta’s House will receive a $100,000 award—money she said will be used as seed funding for a brand new center that will be developed over the next three years. The winner is selected by an online vote.

“By voting, we all can take action in making a difference,” said March-Grier. “This is an opportunity where everyone in Baltimore can play a role in supporting the work that we do—we all, as a community, have to take charge in healing our community.”

Voting for CNN Hero of the Year can be accomplished at www.CNNHeroes.com and via the CNN app through Sunday, Nov. 16 at midnight Pacific. “CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute” will air on Sunday, Dec. 7 at 8:00 p.m. Eastern on CNN, and will be simulcast on CNN International and CNN en Español.

A8

The Afro-American, October 18, 2014 - October 24, 2014

Guest Columnist

Black on Black Crime: Police Thugs!

Almost a month ago as I stopped for my morning 7/11 coffee in Baltimore County, I noticed several young people sitting outside the store. As I got my coffee (actually chocolate) a Black woman police officer came in and had a brief discussion with the person behind the counter, an elderly White woman. As I was leaving, a young White male officer had joined the Black female officer and they were discussing trespassing with the youngsters. One young man was quite persistent with the questions; “What have I done? How am I trespassing? As the two officers attempted to explain the situation, another officer, a Black male corporal, arrived.

John L. Hudgins He walked past the first two officers into the store, talked with the cashier and came out confronting the young people (actually two Black males and a White female). The first young man persisted with the questions. The Black male officer became agitated and said, “You need to get off the premises before I throw your ass in jail.”

Next, he slammed the questioner against the wall, placed handcuffs on him and forced him into the back seat of his patrol car and drove away. The other two officers simply watched.

A few weeks ago a video was released showing a Baltimore City Police officer attacking a Black male at the corner of Greenmount and North avenues. Apparently there were some words between the officer and the male leaving a store. The officer appears to push past other officers and commenced to beating the man. This action was caught on the city police camera. The officer was a Black male.

A Baltimore County police officer in Randallstown chased down a young Black man who he thought had thrown rocks at his home and choked the young man to death. The officer was a Black male.

Earlier last year as his fellow officers watched and sought shelter, a Baltimore City Police officer shot and killed his girlfriend from an upstairs window as she pleaded for help. The officer was a Black male.

A few years ago as I left class at Coppin State University, an unmarked police car followed a young man in a jeep onto the campus. Two officers (plain clothes) were in the car, a White male and a Black male. The Black male, a rather large individual proceeds to almost pull the young man from the jeep and briefly searched it. He then called a Black woman officer to search the female passenger. Interestingly the White male officer stepped back and simply watched the whole occurrence. When apparently nothing was found the officers got into their cars and left. Word is the young man had come to campus to pick up his mother after class.

For the last few months our attention has been focused on the tragic, probably malicious shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo. by a White police officer. We have noticed the many parallels across the country where White police officers have been brutal and homicidal especially toward Black males. Ironically if the police officer had been a Black male, most of us would not have heard of the shooting/homicide.

During slavery there were a few Black males who became overseers, a job normally reserved for poor Whites. These chosen Blacks were often as brutal if not more brutal than their

White counterparts. They were apparently chosen for their strength, their obedience and their insensitivity to the suffering of other Blacks who also were enslaved.

During the twentieth century many police departments including Baltimore had desegregated by adding Black police officers. These officers were restricted to policing in the Black community and were not allowed to arrest Whites. My understanding is that in Baltimore they also were not even assigned patrol cars. This desegregation came in many cases after much protest and political action on the part of the Black community. The feeling at the time was that Black officers in police departments would be more sensitive and concerned about issues affecting the Black community including White police brutality against Black citizens. Because of this feeling the assumption was often made that Black police officers were generally better for the African-American community.

This history often gave Black police officers a pass when it came to issues involving police behavior in the African-American community. Thus the misbehavior by Black police officers was ignored by the White community (why should they care) and the Black community pretended that it did not happen. In time African Americans gained political control of many of the larger cities with Black mayors, Black City Council majorities and yes, Black police chiefs. In too many cases these advances meant very little in terms of police behavior in the rank and file, poor and working class Black communities. In many cities like Baltimore the police departments remained controlled by the White ranking officers even with a Black police chief. The Black police chief was almost symbolic as the majority White police department was controlled by the very White ranking officers. It is likely that some of these hierarchies encouraged and expected maximum application of force by Black police officers against the Black community. The Police color became “blue” and Black officers were expected to fall in line much like the Black overseers during slavery. This took place despite the rampant racism and discrimination they themselves experienced within these departments.

Today the African-American Community must demand fairness and civility not only from White police officers but all police officers. It is likely that a significant amount of the 5.7 million dollars paid in police brutality cases by the city of Baltimore involved Black police officers. Black police officers should no longer get a pass when it comes to abusive behaviors in the Black community. In true fashion, they rarely if ever commit such atrocities in the White community. If anything Black police officers should be held to a higher standard in providing protection for the Black community. The expectation to protect and to serve should not stop at White middle class neighborhoods. Black police officers should take the lead in providing high quality non abusive services to the communities of their families, relatives, church members, former classmates and fellow travelers in what continues to be an often very racist society.

They should be an active part of the solution. They must not be a major part of the problem and be allowed to take shelter under the cover of their skin, a skin which they in too many instances demonstrate that they do not cherish and in some cases even hate. Obviously there are many good, professional, caring and concerned Black police officers everywhere. The thugs however should be sent packing away from inflicting harm and abuse in the African American Community.

Dr. John Hudgins is associate professor of sociology at Coppin State University.

Follow the AFRO online and on Facebook for opportunities for citizens to share their encounters.

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VALID 10/17 ’TIL 2PM OR 10/18/14 ’TIL 2PM. LIMIT ONE PER CUSTOMER. ALSO EXCLUDES: Everyday Values (EDV), specials, super buys, furniture, mattresses, floor coverings, rugs, electrics/electronics, cosmetics/fragrances, athletic shoes for him, her & kids, Dallas Cowboys merchandise, gift cards, jewelry trunk shows, New Era, Nike on Field, previous purchases, special orders, selected licensed depts., special purchases, services, macys.com. Cannot be combined with any savings pass/coupon, extra discount or credit offer, except opening a new Macy’s account. Dollar savings are allocated as discounts off each eligible item, as shown on receipt. When you return an item, you forfeit the savings allocated to that item. This coupon has no cash value & may not be redeemed for cash, used to purchase gift cards or applied as payment or credit to your account. Purchase must be $50 or more, exclusive of tax and delivery fees.

ONE DAY SALE PRICES IN EFFECT 10/17 & 10/18/2014.

OPEN A MACY’S ACCOUNT FOR EXTRA 20% SAVINGS THE FIRST 2 DAYS, UP TO $100, WITH MORE REWARDS TO COME. Macy’s credit card is available subject to credit approval; new account savings valid the day your account is opened and the next day; excludes services, selected licensed departments, gift cards, restaurants, gourmet food & wine. The new account savings are limited to a total of $100; application must qualify for immediate approval to receive extra savings; employees not eligible.

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October 18, 2014 - October 24, 2014, The Afro-American

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COMMENTARY

Republicans Still Earn ‘F’ on Civil Rights

The Leadership Conference of Civil Rights (LCCR), a coalition of more than 200 human rights groups, has issued a new congressional report card that reaches the same conclusion that similar analyses by the NAACP has reached in recent years: When it comes to issues important to the civil rights community, every Republican in the House and Senate gets an ‘F.’ George E. Curry The LCCR graded each NNPA Columnist federal lawmaker on a points system and no Republican supported key civil rights measures more than 45 percent of the time. Even grading on a generous academic curve that translates to a clear F. The bills members of Congress were graded on included a Fair Housing Amendment, workforce reinvestment, financial reform, gender equality, child tax credit extension.

House Speaker John Boehner (R., Ohio) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky). and the lone Black senator, Tim Scott (R-S.C.) each earned a zero. Presumptive GOP presidential candidates Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) scored zero and 5 percent, respectively.

In a warm up to his presidential run, Rand Paul has been criticizing his own party for not making overtures to Black voters. In an interview with CNN last week, he said, “I think in the Republican Party, the biggest mistake we’ve made in the last several decades is we haven’t gone into the AfricanAmerican community, into the NAACP and say you know what, we are concerned about what’s going on in your cities and we have plans. They may be different than the Democrats, but we do have plans and we do want to help.”

Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus has also said the GOP plans to actively compete for the Black vote.

Speaking to the National Association of Black Journalists’ national convention in Boston last summer, he said: “We have become a national party that has decided it is okay to show up every four years, about five months before an election,” he said. “We’ve become a national party that’s really just a U-Haul trailer of cash for a presidential nominee.”

He said that had changed under his watch, noting that he had launched a “full-time engagement program” to attract African Americans, Latino and Asian voters. Priebus said he was also bringing more people of color into the party.

He proclaimed, “”We’re in this for the long haul. We’ve got

to get this right.”

But getting it right involves more than invoking new language while continuing the same old patterns. And that’s exactly what Republicans are doing with the votes in Congress and their constant attacks on President Obama.

Their best performers on civil rights voted wrong more than half of the time, according to the LCCR report card. Rep. Christopher Gibson (R-N.Y.) was the top rated Republican at 45 percent, followed by Senator Susan Collins of Maine with 43 percent.

Most Republicans in Congress did far worse.

In the Senate, 18 Republican scored zero: Sessions (Ala.); Boozman (Ark.); Rische (Idaho); Grassley (Iowa); Roberts (Kan.); McConnell and Paul (Kentucky); Blunt (Mo.); Johanns (Neb.); Inhofe (Okla.); Cornyn and Cruz (Texas); Scott, the only African American senator, (S.C.); Thune (S.D.); Cornyn and Cruz (Texas); Lee (Utah); Johnson (Wis.) and Barrasso and Enzi (Wyoming). The only Democrat graded an F was John Kerry, who didn’t complete his term

“Even grading on a generous academic curve that translates to a clear F.” because he resigned Jan. 13 to join the Obama administration as Secretary of State.

In the House, 119 of 233 Republicans earned zeros. Another 57 earned only 5 points, meaning 176 of 233 Republicans scored 5 percent or lower. Still others, such as John McCain earned only 20 percent By contrast, the entire congressional delegations of Obama’s native Hawaii, Vermont, Massachusetts (excluding John Kerry, who resigned), and Rhode Island each earned 100. Nine of Maryland’s 10-member delegation earned 100.

Though GOP leaders are using, in the words of George W.

NUL Backs “Put Our Children 1st” “Education is the key to unlock the golden door of freedom.”

—George Washington Carver In recent weeks, the latest major steps towards realizing the Brown v. Board of Education guarantee that education “is a right which must be made available to all on equal terms” have been taken. First, on September 22, the National Urban League Marc H. Morial launched the second phase NNPA Columnist of our Put Our Children 1st campaign, which includes a series of television and radio public service announcements (PSAs) airing on TV One and Comcast, Radio One and Reach Media, including Tom Joyner, Rickey Smiley, Yolanda Adams and Russ Parr. These PSAs stress the importance of the equitable implementation of Common Core State Standards in helping to ensure that all children – no matter their race, where they live or their parents’ income – receive a high-quality education.

Two weeks ago, the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights released updated guidelines to ensure that students have equal access to educational resources, such as academic and extracurricular programs, effective teaching, high quality technology and instructional materials and safe school facilities, “regardless of race, color, national origin or zip code.”

Despite its call for equity in education 60 years ago, full compliance with the letter and the law of the Brown decision remains a promise unkept. To fulfill that promise, more must be done to ensure that all districts are held to high standards, that those standards are consistent across the country, and that

schools, teachers and students in all schools and neighborhoods have the necessary resources to succeed. That is a primary goal of Common Core State Standards (CCSS).

Common Core establishes clear, consistent guidelines for what every student should know and be able to do in math and English from kindergarten through the 12th grade. It does not dictate curriculum – or how to teach. School districts and teachers still have complete authority to create their own curricula. CCSS also empowers students by placing a greater emphasis on critical thinking, problem solving and expository writing that focus more on a child’s understanding of a subject rather than memorization or repetition.

“Despite its call for equity in education 60 years ago, full compliance with the letter and the law of the Brown decision remains a promise unkept.”

The National Urban League firmly believes that with equitable implementation, Common Core State Standards offer an unprecedented opportunity to help meet our national goal of preparing America’s children for the 21st Century. By raising standards for everyone, Common Core can help bridge the education achievement gap and create a new reality in which all students are adequately prepared to excel. But equitable implementation – high-quality resources, teacher training and support in every school – is essential for its success.

That is why we have launched this second phase of our Put Our Children 1st campaign with a national media, digital and thought leadership effort in partnership with One Solution, the

Bush, kinder, gentler language, they remain downright hostile to civil rights.

It hasn’t always been this way. In the 1960s, for example, civil rights was a bipartisan issue. In fact, if you look at the proportion of each major party voting for the Civil Rights Act of 1964, a larger percentage of Republicans voted for the landmark measure than Democrats. Unlike today, Black Republicans, including Secretary of Transportation Bill Coleman and Assistant Secretary of Labor Arthur Fletcher, championed civil rights. Today, however, Blacks like Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas stand against everything Bill Coleman and Art Fletcher stood for.

Also, White moderates have been chased out of the party in deference to right-wing Tea Party zealots. Consequently, at a time the GOP was poised to become the dominant party, its move to the far right has made it impossible for them to reach that goal in an increasingly diverse America.

Republicans can run for the White House in 2016, but they can’t run away from the Republican record on civil rights.

George E. Curry, former editor-in-chief of ‘Emerge’ magazine, is editor-in-chief of the National Newspaper Publishers Association News Service (NNPA) and can be reached through georgecurry.com; at twitter.com/currygeorge and George E. Curry Fan Page on Facebook.

creative and branded entertainment arm of Radio One, Inc., touching more than 80 percent of African Americans through Radio One, TV One, Interactive One and Reach Media. All four PSAs included in the campaign demonstrate how young people can reach their goals and fulfill their potential when we put our children first with equal access to a high-quality education and resources.

Launched in April, Put Our Children 1st: Common Core for Common Goals is a multi-state parent education campaign developed by the National Urban League and implemented locally through the Urban League affiliate network. The purpose of the campaign is to ensure that parents are fully aware of and understand the Common Core State Standards and what they mean for their children. Parent Circles have been convened by Urban League affiliates in Cleveland, Los Angeles, Nashville and Pittsburgh, and Citywide Parent Summits have been held by the Urban League of Greater Cleveland and the Urban League of Middle Tennessee, with upcoming events in Pittsburgh (Oct. 17) and Los Angeles (Nov. 1).

Achieving true equity and excellence in education involves all aspects of a child’s education, from resources and teachers as called for by the Department of Education in its racial disparity guidance, to consistent educational standards as provided by the Common Core State Standards, which have currently been adopted by 43 states. The mission of Put Our Children 1st is to responsibly inform and educate parents about these standards and the potential they have to better prepare our children for college and jobs. No large-scale change is ever easy, but missteps and underinvestment in implementation cannot be used to attack the merits of the standards and what they are meant to accomplish.

It’s time to put down the politics and Put Our Children 1st.

Marc H. Morial, former mayor of New Orleans, is president and CEO of the National Urban League.

The opinions on this page are those of the writers and not necessarily those of the AFRO. Send letters to The Afro-American 2519 N. Charles St. • Baltimore, MD 21218 or fax to 1-877-570-9297 or e-mail to editor@afro.com

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The Afro-American, October 18, 2014 - October 24, 2014

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9/24/14 10:10 AM

October 18, 2014 - October 24, 2014, The Afro-American

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N

o one could have anticipated the high time of celebration that evolved at the Oct. 7 breakfast at the Reginald Lewis Museum when the AFRO honored the Rev. Jamal H. Bryant with the John H. Murphy Sr. Award, only the second given. The Rev. Cecilia Williams Bryant, the honoree’s mother, regaled the audience with tales, beginning with his birth, sharing the assurances she received along the way that he’d be much more than she’d ever expected.

Participants came from his church, the Empowerment Temple, as well as Bethel AME, the church in which he grew up, nurtured by the pastoring of his

Rev. Dr. A.C.D. Vaughn offered the invocation

Honoree, Rev. Dr. Jamal H. Bryant

grandfather, the late Harrison Bryant and his father, the Right Rev. John R. Bryant, senior bishop of the AME Church. Former colleagues from his days as national youth leader for the NAACP, news commentator Jeff Johnson and Kia Pearson, gave remarks and served as emcee respectively.

Rev. Bryant accepting the John H. Murphy Sr. Award from AFRO Publisher and CEO Jake Oliver The honoree and his mother, on the right, along with Linda Foy, BGE and Jake Oliver Kia Pearson, emcee

Journalist Jeff Johnson talked about how much he learned from Rev. Bryant

AFRO President Ben Phillips with Rev. Bryant

Photos by J.D. Howard

Betty Clark brought greetings from Bethel AME Church, the honoree’s home church AFRO editor Rev. Dorothy Boulware and Rev. Bryant

The Bryant Family

AFRO Baltimore Circulation Manager Sammy Graham and AFRO Archivist Ja-Zette Marshburn

Dr. Vaughn and daughter, Cassandra Fox

The thousands of visitors to the annual Baltimore Book Festival, this year held Sept.

28, at the Inner Harbor, downtown, attest to the love for the written word and the people who write them. It’s one of those times when Baltimore is one city and everyone finds something to their liking, even the youngest residents.

Author Norwood Holland

Author Vernell Chapman

Dr. Bryant and Dr. Sandra Conner

Author Teresa E. Mack

Author Robert Blake Whitehall There was something for every age and reading interest

Caprece Jackson-Garrett and Emelda DeCoteau

Choreographer and Author Bill T. Jones

Apostle Dr. June H. Lawrence

Author Claudia Dobson-Largie

Koli Tengella and his twins, Omage and Nkosi

The AFRO was there

Cartoonist KAL

Beverly Wimbish-Jackson and grandson Sage Jackson

Author J. A. Rollins

People are attentive as they listen to a guest speaker

Reading in Baltimore is not complete without the Enoch Pratt Library participating Author Curtis Black Photos by Anderson Ward

Author John B. Barkowiak Jr.

Author Angela Brown Ware

Author Benjamin and Susan Hemme from Philadelphia

Baltimore Artist Martha Dougherty

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The Afro-American, October 18, 2014 - October 24, 2014

FAITH

Remembering Vocal Music: Honoring Rev. Roosevelt Davenport

By Yolanda Thomas Special to the AFRO “Vocal Music is dying out,” says Charles Jeffreys, a dedicated vocal choir member of First Baptist Church of Cherry Hill. “But, Rev. Davenport has been a strong supporter of vocal music for 30 plus years now, so I think it’s high time we honor him for that.” The Rev. Roosevelt “Doc” Davenport, whose career in ministry began in the Red Hill Community of his native South Carolina, is the senior pastor of New Pilgrim Baptist Church.

His powerful voice and stature encourage the unanimous thought that he is a gentle giant. “Because of his support and influence, if he is invited to another church and he calls on the vocal choir members, they’ll go and support him without a question. The Vocal Choir Union of Baltimore City was founded in 1979 and it was originally a group of 32 churches, but over the years, it’s gone down to 12.

New Pilgrim Baptist Church is the site of the first meeting of the Vocal Choir Union.

“It’s really sad that churches have forgotten their roots; the messages in the vocal music dates back to the times of slavery.”

–Charles Jeffreys

There are only about 6 or 7 original choirs left in the union and there aren’t really any young people in the vocal choirs,” says Jeffreys.

Vocal choirs have as their sole instrument their voices and the energy and fervor that resounds from the members individually and collectively.

The Vocal Choir Union’s first meeting was held at New Pilgrim Baptist Church, though the choir in place had formerly been called the Mobley Vocal Choir before the installation of Rev. Davenport.

The Maryland State Missionary Baptist Convention of 1986 was hosted by the Rev. Olin P. Moyd, who asked Rev. Davenport to organize a mass vocal choir that would travel every year, from Florida to St. Louis to Kansas City and everywhere in between. “Every choir in the union has a different personality; that

includes New Pilgrim deep, in fact, that Jeffreys Baptist, where the says, “Even though each atmospheric culture is choir celebrates their own largely based on their anniversary, they travel to vocal choir. One of the each other’s churches for problems, though, is the other’s anniversaries.” that whenever a new When asked how many preacher has to come original vocal choir in, they’ll change the members were still living, program. They focus Jeffreys said, “Most of on more modern the older members of the Christian music, which original choirs have passed changes the culture of away, leaving only 12 Photo courtesy of Roosevelt Davenport, Jr that church. It’s really current choirs active. Some Rev. Davenport is going to be sad that churches have of the former vocal choir honored Oct. 24. forgotten their roots,” members still come out to says Jeffreys, “the celebrate the anniversaries messages in the vocal music date back to or they will send out ‘Happy Anniversary’ the times of slavery.” letters.” Jeffreys has been in the union for As part of a union, the choirs are 10 years and in 2002, his own daughters required to meet once a month and pay became musicians at New Pilgrim Baptist their respective dues. The sense of unity is under the guidance of Rev. Davenport. deep within the vocal choir community; so Some of the songs that are near and dear to these vocal choirs are, “Let’s Go Down By The River,” “Will You Meet Me In The Promised Land,” “One More River To Cross,” “Green Tree Planted

By Water,” and “I Shall Not Be Moved,” just to name a few.

visualphotos.com

The sense of unity is deep within the vocal choir community.

Rev. Davenport is going to be honored 7 p.m., Oct. 24, at the First Baptist Church of Cherry Hill.

Y3thomas@gmail.com

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October 18, 2014 - October 24, 2014, The Afro-American

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ARTS & CULTURE

‘Dear White People’ Film Review

‘Culture Worrier’ Book Review

Social Satire Takes Reflections on Race, Politics Sophisticated Look at Race and Social Change Relations in the Ivy League

By Kam Williams Special to the AFRO

By Kam Williams Special to the AFRO The academics are tough enough at Winchester University, a mythical Ivy League institution. It’s too bad that black students there also have to worry about making themselves comfortable socially.

That’s precisely the predicament we find a quartet of African-American undergrads facing at the point of departure of Dear White People, a sophisticated social satire marking the directorial

“It’s too bad that black students there also have to worry about making themselves comfortable socially.” and scriptwriting debut of Justin Simien. Earlier this year, the thought-provoking dramedy won the Jury Award for Breakthrough Talent at the Sundance Film Festival.

The picture’s protagonists are as different from each other as night and day.

Lionel Higgins (Tyler James Williams) is gay and uncomfortable around his own people because blacks teased him the most about his sexuality back in high school. So, he lives in a predominately-white dorm where he’s ended up being bullied anyway.

Then there’s Troy Fairbanks (Brandon P. Bell), a legacy admission to Winchester courtesy of his father (Dennis Haysbert), an alumnus and the current Dean of Students.

Troy’s dating an equally-well connected white girl, Sofia Fletcher (Brittany Curran), the daughter of the school’s President (Peter Syvertsen).

Political activist Samantha White (Tessa Thompson) sits at the other extreme, being a militant sister who lives in the all-black dorm ostensibly serving as a refuge for the “hopelessly Afro-centric.” She also hosts a talk show on the college’s radio school’s station, “Dear White People” where she indicts Caucasians about everything from their racism to their sense of entitlement.

Finally, we have Coco Conners (Teyonah Parris) who just wants to assimilate into mainstream American culture. In fact, she’s more concerned with whether she might make the cut for the reality-TV show conducting auditions on campus than with challenging the status quo, ala rabble rouser Samantha.

So, the premise is set by establishing that the four lead characters have little in common besides their skin color. And the plot subsequently thickens when Pastiche, a student-run humor publication, decides to throw a Halloween party with

rottentomatoes.com

Tyler James Williams (center) co-stars in Dear White People. an “unleash your inner-Negro” theme.

Now they share the prospect of being stereotyped by white classmates cavorting around in blackface dressed as pimps and gangstas, and as icons like President Obama and Aunt Jemima. En route to a surprising resolution, director Simien pulls a couple of rabbits out of his hat while lacing his dialogue with pithy lines (“Learn to modulate your blackness up or down depending on the crowd and

what you want from them.”) and touching on a litany of hot button issues ranging from Affirmative Action to Tyler Perry.

A delightful dissection of the Ivy League that stirs the pot in the way most folks mean when they a call for a national discussion of race.

Excellent (HHHH) Rated R for profanity, ethnic and sexual preference slurs, sexuality and drug use Running time: 106 minutes

Mrs. Santa Donation Form

The Afro-American Newspaper family is helping to grant a wish for the most vulnerable. Would you like to help a child create memories that will last a lifetime? For many disadvantaged families, you can turn dreams into reality by participating in the Mrs. Santa Holiday Charity Drive. o I want to join the AFRO’s spirit of giving.

Please accept my contribution of $___________ to benefit a less fortunate family.

Fans of Sunday morning TV talk shows undoubtedly recognize Clarence Page as a regular on The McLaughlin Group where he participates in the program’s spirited banter about the prevailing political issues of the day.

But he is also a Pulitzer Prize-winning syndicated columnist in his own right who has been on the staff of the Chicago Tribune since 1969.

Over the years, Clarence has opined on everything from Thurgood Marshall to Clarence Thomas; from the use of the N-word to political correctness; and from Dr. Martin Luther King to President Barack Obama. Now, he has compiled an opus containing selected opinion pieces published over the past three decades.

Clarence takes pride in the fact that his articles enjoy a broad appeal, a reflection of his sterling reputation as an impartial pundit willing to criticize folks on either side of the aisle as he sees fit. On the one Clarence Page has compiled an opus hand, he might indict Ronald Reagan containing selected opinion pieces for playing the race card by invoking published over the past three decades. the image of “welfare queens” to curry the favor of rednecks during the 1980 presidential campaign. On the other, he’ll point out how, during the 2008 campaign, Obama declared, “Race is an issue that I believe this nation cannot afford to ignore,” only to proceed to do just that once he got into office.

Again and again, the insightful author weighs-in in a pleasant fashion reflective of an introspective, enlightened than one with an ax to grind. A refreshingly-mellow, measured and moderate voice of reason all too rare in these divisive days of snarky, gotcha political rhetoric.

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Why do some people reach age 80, 90, and older living free of physical and cognitive disease? National Institute on Aging (NIA) researchers on the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA) are exploring this question through the IDEAL (Insight into Determinants of Exceptional Aging and Longevity) Study. Although research exists on the relationship between long life and functional decline, we still know relatively little about why certain individuals have excellent health well into their 80’s while others experience disease and physical decline earlier in life.

IDEAL Study participants can help NIH researchers uncover secrets of healthy aging.

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B4

The Afro-American, October 18, 2014 - October 24, 2014

“LOCAL MUSICIANS AND CLUB OWNERS BEING HONORED” Hello everyone, I hope all is well with you. I am a little under the weather with a bad cold I’m trying to kick, but honey child it is not easy. I am trying to get my act together; this is a busy month for me because the Rosa Pryor Music Scholarship Fund Award Banquet is coming up, on Oct. 26 and it has me very busy.

This year we are honoring 10 veteran musicians who have been performing at least 30 years or longer and/or are at least 65 years old. Also club owners who have opened their clubs for musicians to play on a regular weekly basic for many years. It is very important to me to give these musicians and club owners their flowers while they still can smell them and let them know how much we appreciate their gifts and talents throughout the years. This year we are honoring club owners Dante Daniels, the owner of Maceo’s Lounge and Colin’s Seafood & Grill; Ronald Scott, the owner of Caton Castle; Dennis Chambers, Jesse “Jay” Moody, Jacob Saulsbury, Lady Rebecca, Steve Scribner, Kendra Holt, Gaynell Colburn and Lucille Brooks, who turned 102 years old in July of this year and just passed away last week. Her daughter, whose name is also Lucille, will represent her mother at this event. The event will be named in memory of Lucille Brooks, may she rest in peace. Also, 4-8 p.m., Oct. 26, at the Forum Caterers located 4210 Primrose Avenue in Baltimore the Rosa

“Lady Rebecca” Lilly, Baltimore’s own song stylist, and recording artist, now retired will be honored by the Rosa Pryor Music Scholarship Fund, Oct. 26, at the Forum Caterers. She would be remembered locally for performing in many of the nightclubs, such as the Sportsmen Lounge, Woodstock Night Club, The Gatsby, the Bird Cage, the Closet, Arch Social club and many more including working with O’Donel Levy.

Facebook photo

Marsha Jews, radio personality, talk show host and journalist will interåview a few of the honorees and Rosa “Rambling Rose” Pryor, CEO & founder of the Rosa Pryor Music Scholarship Fund on WEAA 88.9 FM, 7 p.m., Oct. 20.

Pryor Music Scholarship Fund will present scholarships to five deserving, gifted and talented children who are singers and musicians between the ages of 5-17 years old. These children will perform at the banquet as well as the dynamic Greg Hatza and his band. The event will include open buffet and cash bar. Donation for this red carpet event is $65.00 tax deductible. For ticket information, call 410-833-9474 or go to web site: www.rosapryor@aol.com and use PayPal. The Liquor Associations MULBA and Maryland Beverage Association are

Gaynell Colburn, percussionist, motivational speaker, vocalist and recording artist has been performåing since she was three years old will be honored by the Rosa Pryor Music Scholarship Fund, Oct. 26, at the Forum Caterers. having their “Free Beer, Wine & Liquor Expo” 3-8 p.m., Oct. 18 at the Fifth Regiment Armory. There will be DJ music, dancing, bottle services tables, vendors, food and much more. For ticket information, call Roz at 410804-9334.

We want to ask you to join me in prayers to be sent out to our sick and shut-ins.

People who are active in our community, such as Judson Hughes, a member and the DJ at the Arch Social Club who recently had a double hip replacement; Randy Tilghman the former owner of the Sphinx Club and a Dennis Chambers, well-known drummer, recording gifted actor with the Arena artist, now travels the world with Carlos Santana and Players who is recuperating Maceo Parker, will be honored by the Rosa Pryor Music at home after having a Scholarship Fund. stroke and Marshall Booze, renowned musician and his wife Mary who just went thru a liver transplant. Marshall received his miracle liver from his wife Mary. They are both doing well, unable to receive visitors at this time.

Well, my dear friends, it is about that time, I am out of space and time. I will be looking forward to hearing from you. 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.

Youth Think Tank Makes Way for Community Support GIRLS NIGHT OUT 2014

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By Roberto Alejandro Special to the AFRO Officers of the youth-led, Baltimore area think tank Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle (LBS) have sought to equip young people with the tools to combat racism and White supremacy in its various social and political manifestations. They have engaged local politics by fighting for the passage of Christopher’s Law, a law requiring police officers to receive improved cultural-sensitivity and first-aid training, in an effort to prevent deaths of young Black persons stemming from instances of police violence. They have done so, largely, by reaching into their own pockets in order to fund the organization’s various activities.

Now, four years into the group’s work, they are turning to the Baltimore community in an effort to raise monies to fund their activities moving forward. They are asking those who believe in their vision to become community supporters, committing $15 a month.

“The idea around the community supporter drive is to be able to have a self-sustaining organization where it allows us to just do LBS full-time,” said Dayvon Love, director of research and public policy for LBS. “It also gives us the resources to do some of the programming.”

That programming includes the Eddie Conway Liberation Institute, the only debate institute in the country held at a historically Black college (Morgan State). The institute trains high school debaters to incorporate Black theoretical frameworks into their policy debates. LBS also offers the Walter P. Carter Leadership Institute, which uses the LBS background in policy debate to train young people for political advocacy and policy debate.

In 2010, LBS chose to skip non-profit incorporation, aware it would deprive them of potential revenue streams but preferring the flexibility a for-profit status gives the organization. “Most organizations can’t directly engage in the political realm, because that’s the limitation of a 501(c)(3) status,” said Love. “What’s good about our current configuration is that we can be very explicit about engaging the political realm.”

LBS hopes the community supporter drive will raise enough money to cover the work they do, making them one of the few Black led advocacy movements with few constraints in their advocacy on behalf of Black people. “Once we’re able to really start generating those resources, we’ll be in a position where we’ll have control over the work we do in a way that other organizations don’t,” said Love.

Those interested in becoming supporters can sign up at the group’s website, lbsbaltimore.com. Supporters will receive a monthly newsletter with essays and updates on LBS’s activities. They will also receive discounts on LBS events.

October 18, 2014 - October 24, 2014, The Afro-American

B5

SPORTS

AFRO Sports Desk Faceoff

Will the Long-Awaited Mayweather/Pacquiao Fight Happen in 2015?

By Perry Green and Stephen D. Riley AFRO Sports Writers

I

Floyd Mayweather Jr. A potential bout between Mayweather Jr. and Pacquiao fell apart a few years ago after Mayweather requested that the two use Olympic testing standards during their training to confirm that Pacquiao’s climb to the top ranks wasn’t due in part to sports enhancing drugs. After Mayweather announced late this year that he intends to retire in 2015, the idea of

n early October, Floyd Mayweather Sr. reignited speculation over a possible fight between his son and Manny Pacquiao, a fantasy bout that’s been teasing boxing fans for the last few years.

“That fight’s gonna happen. Trust me,” Mayweather Sr. told fighthype.com. “It’s a fight for the world, man, right there. It’s the biggest fight that has ever been in life, so like I said, man, that fight’s gonna happen.”

Mayweather/Pacquiao was virtually left for dead. But with the current champ’s father saying that the idea is very much on the table, will we finally see the two most popular boxers square off in 2015? Perry Green and Stephen D. Riley of the AFRO Sports Desk debate the question.

Green: It’s going to

happen. There’s way too much money at stake for the fight to not go down. One last payday and a crucial win over a fighter who most perceive as his biggest rival would be ideal for Mayweather. If he can keep his undefeated record intact until the two would meet, the stage would be set for Mayweather to go out with a bang. The two have been boring fight fans

over the last few years with bouts against lesser names, but a fight of this magnitude would definitely be the highlight of their respective careers. Floyd has two fights left on his contract with Showtime—I can almost guarantee he’ll fight Manny

Manny Pacquiao

his record intact and still be considered one of the best fighters to ever box, without the risk of losing some of his luster as he heads into retirement. If Mayweather wasn’t willing to enter into such a fight in his prime, then I can’t see why he would now

“That fight’s gonna happen.

Trust me.”

–Mayweather Sr.

Sam Lacy: He Made a Difference - Part XVII

It has been suggested that I find my way back to the story of my Pop, Sam Lacy. I agree, but I must admit that there are some current events that warrant a mention from time to time.

I have been thinking a lot about Sam’s journey, and I want to take a moment to revisit the early years. It is hard to convince some people of how much time Sam and I spent together.

Believe it or not, during the last five years of his life we spent at least an hour together every day. During these times he would share tales from his childhood.

Sam grew up in Northwest D.C. His older brother, Erskine, had a best friend—Duke Ellington. We all remember Duke as a famous musician, but few tales are told of his mischief as a young man. There is a story of Erskine and Duke in a scuffle with boys in another neighborhood. Being outnumbered, they decided that retreat was the best defense.

In the path of their retreat was a Sanitary Grocery store. In those days milk was delivered in bottles. When you purchased your milk, you paid an extra penny deposit for the bottle. When you returned the bottle, you got back your penny, and the bottle was placed in a case outside the store.

As Erskine and Duke approached this crate, they didn’t see milk bottles, they saw ammunition. They loaded up with milk bottles and turned on the pursuing gang. They would heave these bottles like grenades, and when they ran out of bottles, the pursuit turned again. After about four attempts, everybody was worn out and the war was over.

This is not an unusual story for Erskine. In an earlier account I shared the story of Erskine stuffing his undershorts and a pair of socks in his back pocket, picking up his pool stick and hitch hiking to Philadelphia. This was all to avoid having to kiss his dead aunt goodbye, which was the custom of the time.

Sam had a buddy of his own, Niji Ellis. These two were joined at the hip. They played basketball on the same YMCA team, and their games took them into some rough neighborhoods. Niji was the enforcer, and handled the rough stuff. On one occasion he braced the opposing goon from the other team with the words, “You’re big as I am, ain’t you?” From Sam’s point of view this was hilarious since Niji weighed about a buck twenty fully clothed with his overcoat on, and this other guy looked like the Great Wall of China.

To add to his personification as a character, when getting dressed the first thing Niji would put on was his hat. Then he would light a cigarette.

There was the day when Sam and Niji decided to ride their bikes to Baltimore. They got as far as Rhode Island Avenue and Route 1, and Bat Man and Robin decided to call it quits.

Then came the day when Sam got the word that Niji had died, and it was the first time I saw my superhero vulnerable.

in both fights and cash out into retirement, possibly as a billionaire.

at a point in his career where he has clearly lost some of his quickness and power.

Riley: The older the two get, the less fizzle this fight has. The appeal was there three or four years ago, but with Mayweather at age 37 and Pacquiao at age 35 entering the twilight of their careers, a fight in 2015— when both fighters would be a year older—would be more sizzle than substance at that point. Mayweather’s a business man and with an undefeated record on the line, he could easily go out with

Green: The bout wasn’t there at first due to Pacquiao’s reluctance to submit to the testing Mayweather wanted, and I would assume talks won’t progress now if he doesn’t consent. Mayweather has been willing to engage in the fight since the idea first arose, but he’s not going to do so if Pacquiao is cheating—and I can’t blame him. Plus, Floyd didn’t want to give any money to Pacquiao’s

promoter, Bob Arum. But I think Arum won’t be in the way this time and the fight will occur. Floyd’s father obviously has more insight to his son’s plans than anybody else, so if he says the fight will happen then I tend to side with him, regardless of whatever obstacles are in place.

Riley: I’m sorry, but I just can’t see it. I can’t see Mayweather putting his unblemished record on the line at the tail end of his career and risking a crushing defeat. Although most would favor Mayweather greatly if the fight was to go down, it wouldn’t be a huge surprise if Pacquiao came away the victor. Pacquiao definitely has more to gain after suffering a pair of embarrassing defeats over the last few years. But when you look at Mayweather and everything he stands for, he has a whole lot more to lose than he does to gain should things go awry. We’ll see what 2015 holds but I wouldn’t hold my breath on a possible fight between the two fighters especially if Mayweather wins his next bout in May and remains undefeated.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Celebrating Our Survivors If there is someone in your life who has fought and survived the battle against breast cancer, honor them with a tribute in The AFRO’s Breast Cancer Awareness issue on October 25th.

Your tribute will be seen by The AFRO’s vast audience of readers and over 340,000 Facebook followers.

It is certain to be a great joy and keepsake for your survivor honoree.

You are such a special person in our lives, so we wanted to celebrate you in a special way.

We love you for so many reasons, and are truly inspired by your strength, courage and determination.

–Your friends and family

Congratulations

Valerie Fraling Breast Cancer Survivor

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LEGALEDT NOTICES TYPESET: Wed Oct 08 12:16:24 2014 CITY OF BALTIMORE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION NOTICE OF LETTING Sealed Bids or Proposals, in duplicate addressed to the Board of Estimates of the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore and marked for BALTIMORE CITY NO.TR14021; UTILITY LOCATION TEST HOLES AND BORING FOR ENGINEERING PROJECTS CITYWIDE will be received at the Office of the Comptroller, Room 204 City Hall, Baltimore, Maryland until 11:00 A.M. NOVEMBER 5, 2014. Positively no bids will be received after 11:00 A.M. Bids will be publicly opened by the Board of Estimates in Room 215, City Hall at Noon. The Contract Documents may be examined, without charge, at the Department of Public Works Service Center located on the first floor of the Abel Wolman Municipal Building, 200 N. Holliday Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21202 as of OCTOBER 10, 2014 and copies may be purchased for a non-refundable cost of $75.00. Conditions and requirements of the Bid are found in the bid package. All contractors bidding on this Contract must first be prerequalified by the City of Baltimore Contractors Qualification Committee. Interested parties should call (410) 396-6883 or contact the Committee at Room 634, Charles L. Benton Bldg. , 417 E. Fayette St., Baltimore, Maryland 21202 . If a bid is submitted by a joint venture (”JV”), then in that event, the document that established the JV shall be submitted with the bid for verification purposes. The Prequalification Category required for bidding on this project is NO PREQUALIFICATION IS REQUIRE FOR THIS PROJECT).Cost Qualification Range for this work shall be $200,000.00 to $500,000.00 A ”Pre-Bidding Information” session will be conducted at 10:00 A.M. on OCTOBER 24, 2014 at 417 East Fayette Street, Room 724, Baltimore, Maryland 21202. Principal Items of work for this project are -Test Holes Vacuum Excavation Method (up to 6 ft. depth per hole) 450 EA & Hollow Stem Auger Boring 3000 L.F. The MBE goal is 8%; WBE goal is 5% APPROVED: Bernice H. Taylor, Clerk TYPESET: Wed Oct 15 11:32:00 EDT 2014 Board of Estimates HOUSING AUTHORITY OF BALTIMORE CITY REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES OF A REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT PARTNER FOR THE SOUTHEAST EAST BALTIMORE REDEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE WHICH WILL INCLUDE PERKINS HOMES PUBLIC HOUSING SITE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT, OWNERSHIP, AND OPERATIONS OF NEW CONSTRUCTION, MIXED-INCOME, AND MIXED TENURE FAMILY HOUSING RFQ NUMBER: B-1773-14 The Housing Authority of Baltimore City (”HABC”) invites interested Development Partners to submit statements of qualifications for the transformation of the Perkins Homes, Washington Hill and Dunbar Broadway neighborhoods. HABC envisions a multi-phased development with an initial phase included in a transformation plan to be submitted as part of an application for the anticipated 2015 Choice Neighborhood Implementation Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

PROPOSALS WILL BE DUE no later than 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Friday December 19, 2014.

A non-mandatory pre-proposals conference will be held on Wednesday, November 5, 2014, at 10:00 a.m., at 417 E. Fayette Street, Room 416, Baltimore, Maryland, 21202.

HABC has established a minimum goal of twenty percent (20%) of the total dollar amount of the proposed contract for Minority Business Enterprise (”MBE”) utilization, applicable to all minority and non-minority businesses proposing to provide the requested services as the prime contractor. No goal has been established for participation of Women-owned businesses (”WBEs”), however, HABC strongly encourages and affirmatively promotes the use of WBEs in all HABC contracts.

Responders shall also comply with all applicable requirements of Section 3 of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968, 12 U.S.C. Section 1701u.

The RFQ may be obtained on or after Monday, October 27, 2014, at the following location: Housing Authority of Baltimore City Division of Fiscal Operations, Purchasing Department 417 E. Fayette Street, Room 414 Baltimore, Maryland 21202 Attention: John Airey, Chief of Contracting Services Tel: (410) 396-3261 Fax: (410) 962-1586 Questions regarding the RFQ should be directed in writing to the address and individual indicated above, and must include the reference: HABC RFQ Number B-1773-14.

TYPESET: Wed Oct 15 11:33:10 EDT 2014 MEB GENERAL CONTRACTORS, INC. is requesting quotations from certified WBE/MBE/ DBE/ SLBE to participate as subcontractors/ suppliers on the following project: Wastewater Treatment Plant Nutrient Removal (ENR) Upgrade, Leonardtown, MD. Bid Date: October 28, 2014 at 2:00 P.M. For additional information contact Angie Duffer in our Estimating Department at (757) 487-5858 phone / (757) 487-5089 fax or email me at aduffer@mebgc.com.

(EOE Employer) MEB Maintains a drug-free workplace.

TYPESET: Wed Oct 15 11:32:36 EDT 2014 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: OCTOBER 29, 2014 *ELECTRICAL SUPPLIES B50003818 PORTABLE GENERATOR B50003809 EXTRUDED SIGN BLANKS B50003815 *TIRE REPAIR B50003226 THE ENTIRE SOLICITATION DOCUMENT CAN BE VIEWED AND DOWN LOADED BY VISITING THE CITYS WEB SITE:

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B6 The Afro-American, October 18, 2014 - October 24, 2014

October 18, 2014 - October 24, 2014 The Afro-American

B7

LEGAL NOTICES NOTICE The following resolutions of the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore proposing an amendment to the Charter of Baltimore City (1996 Edition, as amended) will be submitted to the voters of Baltimore City for their approval or disapproval at the General Election to be held in the City of Baltimore on Tuesday the 4th of November, 2014 (CAPITALS indicate matter added to existing law, [Brackets] indicates matter deleted from existing law, Underlining indicates matter added by amendment, Strikeout indicates matter stricken by amendment). ______________________________________________________________________ FOR CHARTER AMENDMENT

AGAINST

CHARTER AMENDMENT QUESTION H Charter Amendment – City Council – Independent Counsel

CHARTER AMENDMENT

FOR the purpose of authorizing the City Council to retain the services of independent legal counsel; providing for the qualifications and term of that counsel; specifying the duties of that counsel; providing for the counsel’s compensation and expenses; and submitting this amendment to the qualified voters of the City for adoption or rejection.

BY adding

Article III - City Council

Section(s) 15

Baltimore City Charter

(1996 Edition) BY repealing and reordaining, with amendments

Article VII - Executive Departments

Section(s) 24(c)

Baltimore City Charter

(1996 Edition)

SECTION 1. BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL OF BALTIMORE, That the City Charter is proposed to be amended to read as follows: Baltimore City Charter Article III. City Council § 15. GENERAL COUNSEL. (A) AUTHORITY TO EMPLOY.

BY RESOLUTION, THE THE CITY COUNCIL MAY EMPLOY OR CONTRACT FOR THE SERVICES OF AN INDEPENDENT GENERAL COUNSEL. THE SELECTION AND EMPLOYMENT OF THE GENERAL COUNSEL SHALL BE CONSISTENT WITH THIS SECTION, AS SUPPLEMENTED BY THE RULES OF THE CITY COUNCIL. (B) QUALIFICATIONS. THE GENERAL COUNSEL: (1) MUST BE A MEMBER OF THE MARYLAND BAR; (2) MUST MEET ALL OTHER QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE POSITION SET BY THE RULES OF THE CITY COUNCIL; (3) DURING HIS OR HER TERM, IS SUBJECT TO THE RULES OF THE CITY COUNCIL THAT GENERALLY GOVERN OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES OF THE COUNCIL; AND (4) DURING HER OR HIS TERM, MAY NOT ENGAGE IN ANY OTHER PRACTICE OF LAW UNLESS: (I) IT IS UNCOMPENSATED AND IN THE NATURE OF COMMUNITY SERVICE, SUCH AS PRO BONO ADVICE TO OR REPRESENTATION OF INDIGENT CLIENTS; OR (II) IT IS ON BEHALF OF HER- OR HIMSELF OR HER OR HIS PARENT, SPOUSE, OR CHILD. (C) TERM. THE GENERAL COUNSEL SERVES AT THE PLEASURE OF THE CITY COUNCIL. (D) DUTIES. AS THE CITY COUNSEL COUNCIL DIRECTS, THE GENERAL COUNSEL SHALL: (1) PROVIDE INDEPENDENT LEGAL ADVICE TO THE CITY COUNCIL, ITS COMMITTEES, AND SUBCOMMITTEES, AND ITS MEMBERS; (2) ASSIST THE CITY COUNCIL IN INVESTIGATIONS UNDERTAKEN BY THE CITY COUNCIL OR ANY OF ITS COMMITTEES OR SUBCOMMITTEES; AND (3) REPRESENT THE CITY COUNCIL IN A JUDICIAL OR OTHER PROCEEDING IF THE COUNCIL IS A PARTY TO OR DESIRES TO INTERVENE IN THE PROCEEDING; AND (3) (4) GENERALLY SERVE AS ATTORNEY FOR THE CITY COUNCIL. (E) COMPENSATION; EXPENSES. (1) THE GENERAL COUNSEL’S COMPENSATION SHALL BE AS SET BY RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL. (2) AT LEAST 30 DAYS BEFORE THE BOARD OF ESTIMATES ADOPTS ITS PROPOSED ORDINANCE OF ESTIMATES FOR THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR, THE CITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT SHALL CERTIFY TO THE BOARD OF ESTIMATES THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT THE PRESIDENT ESTIMATES WILL BE NEEDED DURING THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR FOR THE COMPENSATION AND RELATED EXPENSES OF THE GENERAL COUNSEL. (3) IN THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE OF ESTIMATES SUBSEQUENTLY SUBMITTED TO THE CITY COUNCIL, THE BOARD OF ESTIMATES:

(I) SHALL INCLUDE AN APPROPRIATION FOR THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT CERTIFIED BY THE PRESIDENT, UP TO $100,000; AND

(II) MAY INCLUDE IN THAT APPROPRIATION ALL OR ANY PORTION OF THE AMOUNT CERTIFIED THAT EXCEEDS $100,000.

(1) THE GENERAL COUNSEL’S COMPENSATION SHALL BE AT LEAST EQUAL TO THAT OF A FULL-TIME CHIEF OF THE LAW DEPARTMENT’S GENERAL COUNSEL DIVISION. (2) THE BOARD OF ESTIMATES SHALL ANNUALLY INCLUDE IN THE ORDINANCE OF ESTIMATES SUBMITTED TO THE CITY COUNCIL AN AMOUNT SUFFICIENT TO FUND THE GENERAL COUNSEL’S COMPENSATION AND NECESSARY EXPENSES. (3) (4) THE AMOUNT APPROPRIATED FOR THE GENERAL COUNSEL’S COMPENSATION AND EXPENSES SHALL BE IN ADDITION TO AND MAY NOT SUPPLANT, BE DEDUCTED FROM, OR SERVE AS A BASIS FOR REDUCING ANY PART OF THE OPERATING BUDGET OF THE CITY COUNCIL. Article VII. Executive Departments § 24. Department of Law: powers and duties. (c) Outside counsel.

(1) The City Council, Comptroller, and, with the approval of the Mayor, a department, commission, board, or other authority, may select outside counsel to represent it if:

(I) [(1)] the City Solicitor gives it written notice that representation of it by the Department of Law involves an irreconcilable conflict of interest; and

(II) [(2)] the Board of Estimates authorizes the employment of outside counsel.

(2) THE CITY COUNCIL ALSO MAY EMPLOY LEGAL COUNSEL AS PROVIDED IN ARTICLE III, § 15 OF THIS CHARTER.

FOR

AGAINST CHARTER AMENDMENT CHARTER AMENDMENT QUESTION I Charter Amendment – Multi-Year Collective Bargaining FOR the purpose of authorizing the Board of Estimates to approve multi-year collective bargaining agreements with the City Union of Baltimore certain local unions, subject to certain conditions; providing for the funding of those agreements; conforming and clarifying related language; and submitting this amendment to the qualified voters of the City for adoption or rejection.

BY proposing an amendment to

Article VI - Board of Estimates

Section(s) 12(b)

Baltimore City Charter

(1996 Edition)

SECTION 1. BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL OF BALTIMORE, That the City Charter is proposed to be amended to read as follows: Baltimore City Charter Article VI. Board of Estimates § 12. Salary and wage scales; work conditions. (b) Multi-year collective bargaining agreements.

(1) The Board of Estimates may approve A collective bargaining [agreements] AGREEMENT between the City and [either or both] ONE OR MORE OF the Baltimore Fire Fighters, IAFF Local 734, [and] the Baltimore Fire Officers, IAFF Local 964, AND THE CITY UNION OF BALTIMORE, LOCAL 800 THE AMERICAN FEDERATION OF STATE, COUNTY AND MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES, AFL-CIO, COUNCIL 67 (AFSCME LOCALS 44, 558, AND 2202), THE CITY UNION OF BALTIMORE, AND THE BALTIMORE CITY LODGE NO. 3, FRATERNAL ORDER OF POLICE, INC., UNITS I AND II, for [terms] A TERM of not less than 1 fiscal year and not more than 3 consecutive fiscal years, so long as the term of [any] THE collective bargaining agreement does not extend beyond the fiscal year in which the current Mayor’s term of office ends.

(2) The Board shall annually include in the Ordinance of Estimates submitted to the City Council an amount sufficient to fund the salaries provided for in any collective bargaining agreement between the City and the local unions listed in paragraph (1) of this subsection.

FOR CHARTER AMENDMENT

AGAINST CHARTER AMENDMENT

QUESTION J Charter Amendment – Transfer of Powers and Duties FOR the purpose of transferring from the Department of General Services to the Department of Transportation certain Charter powers and duties relating to streets and rights-of-way, including the approval of new streets, the naming or renaming of streets, the opening and closing of streets, the numbering of buildings, the preparation of street plats and plans, and the maintenance of plats and records of all parcels of real property and underground structures, and the maintenance a system of uniform property identification; and submitting this amendment to the qualified voters of the City for adoption or rejection.

BY proposing to repeal

Article VII - Executive Departments

Sections 132(d)-(f) and 133

Baltimore City Charter

(1996 Edition) BY proposing to amend

Article VII - Executive Departments

Section 116(b)(2) and (5)

Baltimore City Charter

(1996 Edition) BY proposing to add

Article VII - Executive Departments

Section 116(e)-(k)

Baltimore City Charter

(1996 Edition) BY proposing to reletter

Article VII - Executive Departments

Section 116(e)

to be

Section 116(i)

Baltimore City Charter

(1996 Edition)

SECTION 1. BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL OF BALTIMORE, That the City Charter is proposed to be amended to read as follows: Baltimore City Charter Article VII. Executive Departments Department of General Services § 132. Powers and duties of Department. [(d) System of uniform property identification.

(1) The Department shall maintain a system for the uniform identification of all real property within Baltimore City.

(2) The system shall identify each parcel of real property by a symbol. That symbol shall be used by every municipal agency to identify that parcel, until it is subdivided or the symbol is changed by the Department.

(3) The failure of the Department or of any other municipal agency to identify a parcel of property by its symbol does not affect the validity of any assessment or charge otherwise properly made. (e) Plats and records – properties.

(1) The Department shall maintain adequate plats and other records of all parcels of real property within Baltimore City.

(2) These plats and records shall include:

(i) the ownership of each parcel; and

(ii) the symbol by which each parcel is identified.

(3) These plats and records shall be the official plats and records to be used by all municipal agencies to identify and determine the location of every parcel of real property within Baltimore City. (f) Plats and records – underground structures. The Department shall maintain plats and records of tunnels, pipes, mains, sewers, conduits, and other underground structures, both public and private.] [§ 133. Streets. (a) Approval of new streets.

(1) Any person who, in connection with any real estate development, wants to lay out, locate, or construct a street, public or private, within Baltimore City shall, before beginning construction and before selling any land abutting on the street, present to the Department of General Services a copy of the plat for the proposed development, as approved by the Planning Commission, showing in detail the proposed streets.

(2) If the plat is approved by the Department, the person shall: (i) record a copy of the plat, with the endorsements of the Planning Commission and the Department on it, with the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Baltimore City; and

(ii) a certified copy of the recorded plat with the Department. (b) Street names.

(1) New public streets may not be designated by names until the names have been approved by the Department and entered on the appropriate plats and records of the Department.

(2) If a private street is dedicated for public purposes and the dedication is accepted, or if the title to a private street is conveyed to the City, the Department shall give the street a name, by which it shall be known on all official records of the City.

(3) The name of a public street may not be changed except by ordinance or resolution of the Mayor and City Council (c) Building numbers.

(1) The Department:

(i)

(ii)

shall determine and fix the number of every new building; and may change existing numbers.

B8 The Afro-American, October 18, 2014 - October 24, 2014 LEGAL NOTICES

(d) Street plats and plans.

The Department shall: (1) adopt rules and regulations regarding plats and plans relating to the location of streets; and (2) shall prepare these plats and plans as required by the Board of Estimates or by ordinance.]

NOTICE

At the General Election to be held in Baltimore City on Tuesday, November 4, 2014, the following ordinances authorizing the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore to borrow money in the amounts and for the purposes hereinafter indicated will be submitted to the legal voters of Baltimore City for their approval or disapproval. ___________________________________________________________________________ FOR

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the City Charter is proposed to be further amended to read as follows:

Baltimore City Charter Article VII. Executive Departments Department of Transportation § 116. Powers and duties of Department. (b) Street construction and maintenance.

(2) The Department shall:

(I) prepare the plans and perform the work required by Ordinances [that open, extend, widen, straighten, close, or grade] FOR OPENING, EXTENDING, WIDENING, STRAIGHTENING, GRADING, AND CLOSING any street in the City[.]; AND

(II) [However, the Department of General Services shall] prepare all Ordinances for the opening and closing of streets, attend the hearings on [the] THOSE Ordinances, and perform all administrative functions related to [these] THOSE Ordinances.

(5) No pavement laid after the publication of the notice may be dug up by any person without a permit issued by the Director [of General Services]. The Director [of General Services] has discretion to issue or withhold this permit, and may attach appropriate conditions and charges to the permit.

(E) APPROVAL OF NEW STREETS.

(1) ANY PERSON WHO, IN CONNECTION WITH ANY REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT, WANTS TO LAY OUT, LOCATE, OR CONSTRUCT A STREET, PUBLIC OR PRIVATE, WITHIN BALTIMORE CITY SHALL, BEFORE BEGINNING CONSTRUCTION AND BEFORE SELLING ANY LAND ABUTTING ON THE STREET, PRESENT TO THE DEPARTMENT A COPY OF THE PLAT FOR THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT, AS APPROVED BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION, SHOWING IN DETAIL THE PROPOSED STREETS. (2) IF THE PLAT IS APPROVED BY THE DEPARTMENT, THE PERSON SHALL: (I) RECORD A COPY OF THE PLAT, WITH THE ENDORSEMENTS OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND THE DEPARTMENT ON IT, WITH THE CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT OF BALTIMORE CITY; AND

(II) A CERTIFIED COPY OF THE RECORDED PLAT WITH THE DEPARTMENT. (F) STREET NAMES. (1) NEW PUBLIC STREETS MAY NOT BE DESIGNATED BY NAMES UNTIL THE NAMES HAVE BEEN APPROVED BY THE DEPARTMENT AND ENTERED ON THE APPROPRIATE PLATS AND RECORDS OF THE DEPARTMENT. (2) IF A PRIVATE STREET IS DEDICATED FOR PUBLIC PURPOSES AND THE DEDICATION IS ACCEPTED, OR IF THE TITLE TO A PRIVATE STREET IS CONVEYED TO THE CITY, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL GIVE THE STREET A NAME, BY WHICH IT SHALL BE KNOWN ON ALL OFFICIAL RECORDS OF THE CITY. (3) THE NAME OF A PUBLIC STREET MAY NOT BE CHANGED EXCEPT BY ORDINANCE OR RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL (G) BUILDING NUMBERS. (1) THE DEPARTMENT:

(I) SHALL DETERMINE AND FIX THE NUMBER OF EVERY NEW BUILDING; AND

(II) MAY CHANGE EXISTING NUMBERS. (2) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL REPORT EACH NEW NUMBER OR CHANGE OF NUMBER TO THE OWNER OR OCCUPANT OF THE BUILDING. (H) STREET PLATS AND PLANS. THE DEPARTMENT SHALL: (1) ADOPT RULES AND REGULATIONS REGARDING PLATS AND PLANS RELATING TO THE LOCATION OF STREETS; AND (2) SHALL PREPARE THESE PLATS AND PLANS AS REQUIRED BY THE BOARD OF ESTIMATES OR BY ORDINANCE.

(I) PLATS AND RECORDS – UNDERGROUND STRUCTURES. THE DEPARTMENT SHALL MAINTAIN PLATS AND RECORDS OF TUNNELS, PIPES, MAINS, SEWERS, CONDUITS, AND OTHER UNDERGROUND STRUCTURES, BOTH PUBLIC AND PRIVATE. (J) PLATS AND RECORDS – PROPERTIES. (1) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL MAINTAIN ADEQUATE PLATS AND OTHER RECORDS OF ALL PARCELS OF REAL PROPERTY WITHIN BALTIMORE CITY. (2) THESE PLATS AND RECORDS SHALL INCLUDE:

(I) THE OWNERSHIP OF EACH PARCEL; AND

(II) THE SYMBOL BY WHICH EACH PARCEL IS IDENTIFIED. (3) THESE PLATS AND RECORDS SHALL BE THE OFFICIAL PLATS AND RECORDS TO BE USED BY ALL MUNICIPAL AGENCIES TO IDENTIFY AND DETERMINE THE LOCATION OF EVERY PARCEL OF REAL PROPERTY WITHIN BALTIMORE CITY. (K) SYSTEM OF UNIFORM PROPERTY IDENTIFICATION. (1) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL MAINTAIN A SYSTEM FOR THE UNIFORM IDENTIFICATION OF ALL REAL PROPERTY WITHIN BALTIMORE CITY. (2) THE SYSTEM SHALL IDENTIFY EACH PARCEL OF REAL PROPERTY BY A SYMBOL. THAT SYMBOL SHALL BE USED BY EVERY MUNICIPAL AGENCY TO IDENTIFY THAT PARCEL, UNTIL IT IS SUBDIVIDED OR THE SYMBOL IS CHANGED

BY THE DEPARTMENT. (3) THE FAILURE OF THE DEPARTMENT OR OF ANY OTHER MUNICIPAL AGENCY TO IDENTIFY A PARCEL OF PROPERTY BY ITS SYMBOL DOES NOT AFFECT THE VALIDITY OF ANY ASSESSMENT OR CHARGE OTHERWISE PROPERLY MADE. (L) [(e)] Additional powers and duties.

The Department has the additional powers and duties relating to the construction, reconstruction, and maintenance of streets, to transportation, and to traffic, including powers and duties transferred from other municipal agencies, as are prescribed by law.

Stephen M. Kraus, Chief Bureau of Treasury Management Custodian of the City Seal

Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, Mayor

QUESTION A BOND ISSUE Schools Loan - $34,000,000

AGAINST

FOR the purpose of authorizing the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore (pursuant to Resolution I of 2014 approved by the members of the Maryland General Assembly representing Baltimore City) to create a debt, and to issue and sell, at any time or from time to time and in one or more series its certificates of indebtedness as evidence thereof, and proceeds not exceeding $34,000,000 from the sale of such certificates of indebtedness to be used for the cost of issuance, including the expense of engraving, printing, advertising, attorneys’ fees, and all other incidental expenses connected therewith, and the remainder of such proceeds shall be used for the acquisition, by purchase, lease, condemnation or any other legal means, of land or property, or any rights therein, in the City of Baltimore, and demolishing, constructing and erecting on said land or property, or on any land or property now or hereafter owned by the Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners and/or the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore, new school buildings, athletic and other auxiliary facilities including community health and recreation facilities, and for additions and improvements to, or the modernization or reconstruction of, including the inspection, removal, encapsulation, management, containment and abatement of asbestos from existing school buildings or facilities, and for equipment for any and all new or existing facilities authorized to be constructed, erected, added to, improved, modernized or reconstructed by the provisions hereof; the payment of any and all costs and expenses incurred for or in connection with doing any or all of the things herein mentioned, including, but not limited to, the costs and expenses of securing administrative, appraisal, economic analysis, engineering, planning, designing, architectural, surveying, and other professional services, including, without limitation, services relating to planning for future projects of the same general character which may be constructed out of future loans; and for or in connection with or pertaining to any or all of the matters or things hereinbefore mentioned; authorizing the issuance of refunding bonds; conferring certain powers upon the Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners; imposing certain conditions in connection with the expenditure of the proceeds derived from the sale of said certificates of indebtedness; conferring and imposing upon the Board of Finance of Baltimore City certain powers and duties; authorizing the submission of this Ordinance to the legal voters of the City of Baltimore, for their approval or disapproval, at the Election to be held on Tuesday, the 4th day of November, 2014, and providing for the expenditure of the proceeds of sale of said certificates of indebtedness in accordance with the provisions of the Charter of the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore, and by the municipal agency designated in the annual Ordinance of Estimates of the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore.

FOR

AGAINST QUESTION B BOND ISSUE Recreation, Parks and Public Facilities Loan - $47,000,000

FOR the purpose of authorizing the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore (pursuant to Resolution II of 2014 approved by the members of the Maryland General Assembly representing Baltimore City) to create a debt, and to issue and sell its certificates of indebtedness as evidence thereof, and proceeds not exceeding $47,000,000 from the sale of such certificates of indebtedness to be used for the cost of issuance, including the expense of engraving, printing, advertising, attorneys’ fees, and all other incidental expenses connected therewith, and the remainder of such proceeds shall be used for the development of the buildings owned or controlled by the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore, the Enoch Pratt Free Library, public park and recreational land, property, buildings, structures or facilities; for the acquisition and installation of trees for tree planting programs, including but not limited to, the acquisition by purchase, lease, condemnation or any other legal means, of land or property, or any rights therein, in the City of Baltimore, and constructing and erecting on said land or property, or on any land or property, new buildings, structures, and auxiliary facilities; and for the renovation, alteration, construction, reconstruction, installation, improvement and repair of existing buildings, structures or facilities, to be or now being used for or in connection with the operations, functions and activities of the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore and the Enoch Pratt Free Library, public park and recreational land, the demolition, removal, relocation, renovation or alteration of land, buildings, streets, highways, alleys, utilities or services, and other structures or improvements, and for the construction, reconstruction, installation, relocation or repair of buildings, streets, highways, alleys, utilities or services, and other structures or improvements; for the acquisition of trees or tree planting programs and for equipment and fixtures for any and all facilities authorized to be constructed, erected, altered, reconstructed, renovated, reconstructed, installed or improved by the provisions hereof; the payment of any and all costs and expenses incurred for or in connection with doing any or all of the things herein mentioned, including but not limited to, the costs and expenses of securing administrative, appraisal, economic analysis, engineering, planning, designing, architectural, surveying and other professional services; and for doing any and all things necessary, proper or expedient in connection with or pertaining to any or all of the matters or things hereinbefore mentioned; authorizing the issuance of refunding bonds; conferring and imposing upon the Board of Finance of Baltimore City certain powers and duties; authorizing the submission of this Ordinance to the legal voters of the City of Baltimore, for their approval or disapproval, at the General Election to be held in Baltimore City on Tuesday, the 4th day of November, 2014; and providing for the expenditure of the proceeds of sale of said certificates of indebtedness in accordance with the provisions of the Charter of the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore, and by the municipal agency designated in the annual Ordinance of Estimates of the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore.

FOR

AGAINST QUESTION C BOND ISSUE Community and Economic Development Loan - $47,000,000

FOR the purpose of authorizing the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore (pursuant to Resolution III of 2014 approved by the members of the Maryland General Assembly representing Baltimore City) to create a debt, and to issue and sell its certificates of indebtedness as evidence thereof, and proceeds not exceeding $47,000,000 from the sale of such certificates of indebtedness to be used for the cost of issuance, including the expense of engraving, printing, advertising, attorneys’ fees, and all other incidental expenses connected therewith, and the remainder of such proceeds to be used for or in connection with planning, developing, executing, and making operative the community, commercial and industrial economic development programs of the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore, including, but not limited to, the acquisition, by purchase, lease, condemnation or any other legal means, of land or property, or any right, interest, franchise, easement or privilege therein, in the City of Baltimore; the payment of any and all costs and expenses incurred in connection with or incidental to the acquisition and management of said land or property, including any and all rights or interests therein hereinbefore mentioned; the payment of any and all costs and expenses incurred for or in connection with relocating and moving persons or other legal entities displaced by the acquisition of said land or property, or any of the rights or interests therein hereinbefore mentioned; the development, or redevelopment, including, but not limited to, the comprehensive renovation or rehabilitation of any land or property, or any rights or interests therein hereinbefore mentioned, in the City of Baltimore, and the disposition of land and property for such purposes; the elimination of unhealthful, unsanitary, or unsafe conditions, lessening density, eliminating obsolete or other uses detrimental to the public welfare or otherwise removing or preventing the spread of blight or deterioration in the City of Baltimore and the creation of healthy, sanitary, and safe, and green conditions in the City of Baltimore; the demolition, removal, relocation, renovation or alteration of land, buildings, streets, highways, alleys, utilities or services, and other structures or improvements, and for the construction and reconstruction, installation, relocation or repair of buildings, streets, highways, alleys, utilities or services, and other structures or improvements; the payment of any and all costs and expenses incurred for or in connection with doing any or all of the things herein mentioned, including, but not limited to, the costs and expenses of securing administrative, appraisal, economic analysis, engineering, planning, designing, architectural, surveying, and other professional services; the lending or granting of funds to any person or other legal entity to be used for or in connection with the rehabilitation, renovation, redevelopment, improvement or construction of buildings and structures located within the boundaries of Baltimore City, which buildings or structures are to be used or occupied for residential or commercial purposes; making loans and grants to various projects and programs related to improving the cultural life and promotion of tourism in Baltimore City, including but not limited to the Bromo Arts Tower Facade Restoration, the Shot Tower, Carroll Mansion,

CHARTER AMENDMENT

(2) The Department shall report each new number or change of number to the owner or occupant of the building.

October 18, 2014 - October 24, 2014 The Afro-American

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LEGAL NOTICES Peale Museum, Lyric Foundation, Inc., The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, Center Stage Associates, Inc., Chesapeake Shakespeare Company, Baltimore Heritage Area, Maryland Science Center, American Visionary Arts Museum, Creative Alliance and B&O Railroad Museum; and doing any and all things necessary, proper or expedient in connection with or pertaining to any or all of the matters or things hereinbefore mentioned; all such land or property shall be acquired, developed, redeveloped, renovated, rehabilitated, altered, improved, held or disposed of, as provided by law; authorizing the issuance of refunding bonds; conferring and imposing upon the Board of Finance of Baltimore City certain powers and duties; authorizing the submission of this Ordinance to the legal voters of the City of Baltimore, for their approval or disapproval, at the General Election to be held in Baltimore City, on Tuesday, the 4th day of November, 2014; and providing for the expenditure of the proceeds of sale of said certificates of indebtedness in accordance with the provisions of the Charter of the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore, and by the municipal agency designated in the annual Ordinance of Estimates of the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore.

CHARTER AMENDMENT

FOR

AGAINST QUESTION D BOND ISSUE Baltimore Museum of Art Loan — $400,000

FOR the purpose of authorizing the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore (pursuant to Resolution V of 2014 approved by the members of the Maryland General Assembly representing Baltimore City) to create a debt, and to issue and sell its certificates of indebtedness as evidence thereof, and proceeds not exceeding $400,000 from the sale of such certificates to be used for the cost of issuance, including the expense of engraving, printing, advertising, attorneys’ fees, and all other incidental expenses connected therewith, and the remainder of such proceeds shall be used for the Baltimore Museum of Art, including but not limited to, the acquisition by purchase, lease, condemnation or any other legal means, of land or property, or any rights therein, in the City of Baltimore, and constructing and erecting on said land or property, or on any land or property, new buildings, structures and other auxiliary facilities; and for the renovation, alteration, construction, reconstruction, installation, improvement and repair of existing buildings, structures or facilities, to be or now being used for or in connection with the operations, functions, and activities of the Baltimore Museum of Art; and for equipment for any and all facilities authorized to be constructed, renovated, altered or improved by the provisions hereof; the payment of any and all costs and expenses incurred for or in connection with doing any or all of the things herein mentioned, including but not limited to the costs and expenses of securing administrative, appraisal, economic analysis, engineering, planning, designing, architectural, surveying and other professional services; and for doing any and all things necessary, proper or expedient in connection with or pertaining to any or all of the matters or things hereinbefore mentioned; authorizing the issuance of refunding bonds; conferring and imposing upon the Board of Finance of Baltimore City certain powers and duties; authorizing the submission of this Ordinance to the legal voters of the City of Baltimore, for their approval or disapproval, at the General Election to be held in Baltimore City on Tuesday, the 4th day of November, 2014; and providing for the expenditure of the proceeds of sale of said certificates of indebtedness in accordance with the provisions of the Charter of the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore, and by the municipal agency designated in the annual Ordinance of Estimates of the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore.

FOR

AGAINST QUESTION E BOND ISSUE Walter’s Art Museum Loan — $400,000

FOR the purpose of authorizing the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore (pursuant to Resolution VI of 2014 approved by the members of the Maryland General Assembly representing Baltimore City) to create a debt, and to issue and sell its certificates of indebtedness as evidence thereof, and proceeds not exceeding $400,000 from the sale of such certificates to be used for the cost of issuance, including the expense of engraving, printing, advertising, attorneys’ fees, and all other incidental expenses connected therewith, and the remainder of such proceeds shall be used for the Walters Art Museum, including but not limited to, the acquisition by purchase, lease, condemnation or any other legal means, of land or property, or any rights therein, in the City of Baltimore, and constructing and erecting on said land or property, or on any land or property, new buildings, structures, and other auxiliary facilities; and for the renovation, alteration, construction, reconstruction, installation, improvement and repair of existing buildings, structures or facilities, to be or now being used for or in connection with the operations, functions, and activities of the Walters Art Museum; and for equipment for any and all facilities authorized to be constructed, renovated, altered or improved by the provisions hereof; the payment of any and all costs and expenses incurred for or in connection with doing any or all of the things herein mentioned, including but not limited to the costs and expenses of securing administrative, appraisal, economic analysis, engineering, planning, designing, architectural, surveying and other professional services; and for doing any and all things necessary, proper or expedient in connection with or pertaining to any or all of the matters or things hereinbefore mentioned; authorizing the issuance of refunding bonds; conferring and imposing upon the Board of Finance of Baltimore City certain powers and duties; authorizing the submission of this Ordinance to the legal voters of the City of Baltimore, for their approval or disapproval, at the General Election to be held in Baltimore City on Tuesday, the 4th day of November, 2014; and providing for the expenditure of the proceeds of sale of said certificates of indebtedness in accordance with the provisions of the Charter of the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore, and by the municipal agency designated in the annual Ordinance of Estimates of the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore.

FOR

AGAINST QUESTION F BOND ISSUE Port Discovery Children’s Museum Loan — $400,000

FOR the purpose of authorizing the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore (pursuant to Resolution VII of 2014 approved by the members of the Maryland General Assembly representing Baltimore City) to create a debt, and to issue and sell its certificates of indebtedness as evidence thereof, and proceeds not exceeding $400,000 from the sale of such certificates to be used for the cost of issuance, including the expense of engraving, printing, advertising, attorneys’ fees, and all other incidental expenses connected therewith, and the remainder of such proceeds shall be used for the Port Discovery Children’s Museum, including but not limited to, the acquisition by purchase, lease, condemnation, or any other legal means, of land or property, or any rights therein, in the City of Baltimore, and constructing and erecting on said land or property, or on any land or property, new buildings, structures and other auxiliary facilities; and for the renovation, alternation, construction, reconstruction, installation, improvement and repair of existing buildings, structures or facilities, to be or now being used for or in connection with the operations, functions, and activities of the Port Discovery Children’s Museum; and for equipment for any and all facilities authorized to be constructed, renovated, altered or improved by the provisions hereof; the payment of any and all costs and expenses incurred for or in connection with doing any or all of the things herein mentioned, including but not limited to the costs and expenses of securing administrative, appraisal, economic analysis, engineering, planning, designing, architectural, surveying, and other professional services; and for doing any and all things necessary, proper or expedient in connection with or pertaining to any or all of the matters or things hereinbefore mentioned; authorizing the issuance of refunding bonds; conferring and imposing upon the Board of Finance of Baltimore City certain powers and duties; authorizing the submission of this Ordinance to the legal voters of the City of Baltimore, for their approval or disapproval, at the General Election to be held in Baltimore City on Tuesday, the 4th day of November, 2014; and providing for the expenditure of the proceeds of sale of said certificates of indebtedness in accordance with the provisions of the Charter of the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore, and by the municipal agency designated in the annual Ordinance of Estimates of the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore.

FOR

AGAINST QUESTION G BOND ISSUE National Aquarium at Baltimore Loan — $800,000

FOR the purpose of authorizing the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore (pursuant to Resolution IV of 2014 approved by the members of the Maryland General Assembly representing Baltimore City) to create a debt, and to issue and sell its certificates of indebtedness as evidence thereof, and proceeds not exceeding $800,000 from the sale of such certificates to be used for the cost of issuance, including the expense of engraving, printing, advertising, attorneys’ fees, and all other incidental expenses connected therewith, and the remainder of such proceeds to be used for the National Aquarium at Baltimore, including but not limited to, the acquisition by purchase, lease, condemnation or any other legal means, of land or property, or any rights therein, in the City of Baltimore, and constructing and erecting on said land or property, or on

any land or property, new buildings, structures and other auxiliary facilities, and for the renovation, alteration, construction, reconstruction, installation, improvement and repair of existing buildings, structures or facilities to be or now being used for or in connection with the operations, functions, and activities of the National Aquarium at Baltimore; and for equipment for any and all facilities authorized to be constructed, renovated, altered or improved by the provisions hereof; the payment of any and all costs and expenses incurred for or in connection with doing any or all of the things herein mentioned, including, but not limited to the costs and expenses of securing administrative, appraisal, economic analysis, engineering, planning, designing, architectural, surveying, and other professional services; and for doing any and all things necessary, proper or expedient in connection with or pertaining to any or all of the matters or things hereinbefore mentioned; authorizing the issuance of refunding bonds; conferring and imposing upon the Board of Finance of Baltimore City certain powers and duties; authorizing the submission of this Ordinance to the legal voters of the City of Baltimore, for their approval or disapproval, at the General Election to be held in Baltimore City on Tuesday, the 4th day of November, 2014; and providing for the expenditure of the proceeds of sale of said certificates of indebtedness in accordance with the provisions of the Charter of the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore, and by the municipal agency designated in the annual Ordinance of Estimates of the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore.

Board of Finance of the City of Baltimore Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, Mayor and President Larry I. Silverstein, Vice President Joan M. Pratt, Comptroller and Member Frederick W. Meier, Member Dana C. Moulden, Member Stephen M. Kraus, Clerk to the Board of Finance

CAREER CORNER

TYPESET: Wed Oct 15 11:39:54 EDT 2014

EDUCATION MATH AND ENGINEERING FACULTY Carroll Community College seeks a full-time, 10 month Math and Engineering faculty member beginning January 5, 2015.

Additional information may be obtained at www.carrollcc.edu.

TYPESET: Wed Oct 15 11:39:21 EDT 2014

EDUCATION -

SPANISH FACULTY Carroll Community College seeks a full-time, 10 month Spanish faculty member beginning January 5, 2015. Additional information may be obtained at www.carrollcc.edu.

TYPESET: Wed Oct 15 11:38:29 EDT 2014

Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) PROGRAM MANAGER SENIOR I Director, Multifamily Asset Management Recruitment #14-005482-005 Filing Deadline 10/28/2014 11:59:00 PM Salary: $67,606.00 - $108,557.00/year Work that Matters. The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) is a national leader in the financing and development of affordable housing and community development lending. As such, the primary function of the Division of Credit Assurance is to provide strong management of the State’s multifamily assets, including proactive early loss mitigation in order to ensure minimal risk and limited losses to the Department. Please visit www. jobaps.com/md to view the full job description, required qualifications and to submit an online application. EOE

INSIDE SALES ADVERTISING ACCOUNTACCOUNT EXECUTIVE ADVERTISING EXECUTIVE Advertising Sales Professional needed for the AFRO-American Newspapers, Washington, D.C. or BaltimoreSales office. Rep Entry-Level Advertising needed for the AFRO-American Position provides: Baltimore, M.D. Newspapers, • Competitive compensation package • Salary and commission plan Position provides: • Full benefits after trial period • Competitive compensation package • Opportunity for fast track advancement • Salary and commission plan • Full benefits after trial period Candidates should be: • Opportunity for fast track • Self starters advancement

• Money motivated • Goal-oriented Candidates should possess: • Experienced in online/digital sales • Good typing/data entry skills • Excellent customer service skills • Confident in ability to build strong territory • Previous telephone sales experience • Previous sales experience preferred • Excellent written and verbal Please communication skills email your resume to: dhocker@afro.

com or mail to:

Please email your resume to: Afro-American Newspapers lhowze@afro.com or mail to Diane W. Hocker, AFRO-American Newspapers, Diane W. Director of Human Resources Hocker, Director of Human Resources, 2519 N. Charles Street 2519 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218 Baltimore, MD 21218

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The Afro-American, October 18, 2014 - October 24, 2014