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Volume Volume 127 123 No. No.35 20–22

April 7, 2018 - April 7, 2018, The Afro-American A1 $2.00

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APRIL 7, 2018 - APRIL 13, 2018

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Amazing Black Woman: Atima Omara

AFRO.com Exclusive:

Nephew of Winnie Mandela Shares Message About Her Life

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Thousands of people from across the country came to Washington, D.C. to rally against racism and honor the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Clergy Fuel Rally Against Racism By James Wright Special to the AFRO jwright@afro.com In commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., some of the country’s most distinguished ministers rallied together to call on the American people to wake up, stand up and be part of the change in ending racial injustices. On April 4, a half-century after King’s assassination

in Memphis at the Lorraine Hotel, the National Council of Churches held an A.C. T. (Awaken, Confront, Transform) Rally Against

“I am here to continue the walk towards equality while continuing my walk in faith.” -Kamron Redding Racism on the National Mall in the District of Columbia. The keynote speaker of the event was AME Bishop

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recently to my toddler granddaughter,” McKenzie said to the crowd of thousands. “I said that I hope

Rally to End Racism Stirs Thousands By Tilesha Brown Special to the AFRO

afro.com

Vashti Murphy McKenzie, who presides over the denomination’s Tenth District. “I wrote a letter

ACT Now. Take a stand. That was the order of the day. And as thousands converged onto the National Mall in Washington, D.C. April 4 to rally for the end of racism, the organizers of this movement had no problem getting its crowd up and out of their seats, ready to move toward finding solutions. As music acts like Yolanda Adams and Marvin Sapp lifted the program with song, and speakers like DeRay McKesson and Danny Glover took the stage one after the other to stir the crowd toward action, the mall came alive. The crowd even went wild for the famous White duo, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, as they reimagined their success story as

entrepreneurs in the ice cream business, placing themselves in the shoes of two Black men trying to live the American dream. Moving steadily for most of six hours, the event sustained its excitement from start to finish. Flanked on one side by the U.S. Capitol and the other by the Washington Monument, some stood while some sat on blankets, lawn chairs, and park benches in the fog, rain, and wind into the afternoon. Silent protesters walked around with signs speaking out against unemployment and systemic discrimination while the abundant sight of clergy collars alongside large congregations blended into a sea of more signs declaring support of Dr. King’s dream. Volunteers made their way through the crowd

Continued on A3

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Thousands braved cold, wet weather to attend the Rally to End Racism.

she doesn’t inherit a U.S. so divided.” The rally was designed to ignite the dialogue on racism in the country. People from

D.C. Remembers King’s Assassination with Events

Continued on A3

Commentary

The Black Press and the Baltimore ’68 Riot Part 1 of 2 By E. R. Shipp Special to the AFRO Perhaps, as with the assessment of Martin Luther King Jr., an appreciation of the significance of the riot – or civil disturbance – of 1968 grows with time. It was certainly not the centerpiece of news coverage in the AFRO, which back then produced multiple editions that were distributed in Washington, Richmond, Philadelphia and other cities. With more recent anniversaries, including the 40th in 2008, the AFRO has devoted more space to the lasting impact the 1968 riot had on the city and its people. But back during what the now-defunct Baltimore NewsAmerican decried as the city’s “60 hours of shame”

Continued on A4

Remembering the Chaos and Destruction of Baltimore ‘68 Riot By J. K. Schmid Special to the AFRO “My God, there’s going to be some action this summer,” the AFRO reported April 6, 1968. The quote is from an unnamed youth on Pennsylvania Avenue. The AFRO reporting of the immediate aftermath of the murder of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. describes a community almost physically struck or dazed at the news. “It don’t seem real, it just don’t seem real,” one youth stand on a Walbrook corner mumbled, his arms waving, pacing in front of two friends. Acts of arson were reported almost immediately,

according to the Baltimore City Police Department (BPD) reports, but their record considers the first significant act of violence to have started at 12:38 a.m. It was a firebombing of Hoffman’s liquor store at Park Heights Avenue. The BPD was on the watch for anything, and marks the first signs of organized, or at least coalesced, unrest at Coppin State and Northwestern High School where students that Friday “refused to follow the regular academic routine.” “There was school Friday, although my mother wasn’t sure whether she wanted me Continued on A6

The Afro-American, April 7, 2018 - April 13, 2018

WHAT’S TRENDING ON AFRO.COM Police Looking at ‘Red Flags’ Before Crash that Killed Multiracial Family By The Associated Press

(Tristan Fortsch/KATU News via AP)

The SUV carrying the Hart family accelerated straight off a scenic California cliff and authorities said the deadly wreck may have been intentional. Investigators said April 2 they were examining “red flags” in a Washington state family’s past in hopes of explaining why their SUV went off a 100-foot cliff in an apparent suicide plunge. The wreckage was discovered last week on rocks along the coast near Mendocino, California, a few days after child welfare authorities in Washington began investigating whether the children were being abused or neglected. The Hart family’s two moms and three of the six adopted children were found dead; the three others are missing and presumed dead, possibly washed out to sea. Police said Monday that social service authorities in Oregon contacted the West Linn Police Department about the family in 2013 while they were living in the area. The questions were referred to the Oregon Department of Human Services, which cited privacy laws in refusing to confirm or deny the agency was involved. Long before the crash, Sarah Hart pleaded guilty in 2011 to a domestic assault charge in Minnesota over what she said was a spanking given to one of her children. And last month, concerned neighbors in Woodland, Washington, contacted child welfare authorities, saying the children may have been going hungry. On Sunday, authorities announced that data from the vehicle’s software suggested the crash was deliberate. The SUV had stopped at a pull-off area then sped straight off the cliff, Capt. Greg Baarts of the California Highway Patrol said. Baarts said that as far as he knew, investigators had not found a suicide note.

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In interviews with friends and relatives, “there have been red flags,” Baarts said. He did not elaborate. Days before the wreck was discovered, neighbors called Washington state child-welfare authorities to say one of the youngsters had been coming to their house almost daily asking for something to eat and complaining that his parents were withholding food as punishment. Investigators last week obtained a search warrant for the family’s home in Woodland and looked for itineraries, bank and phone records, credit card receipts, journals or other documents that might shed light on the case. The large, multiracial family, led by Sarah and Jennifer Hart, both 38, grew their own food, went on road trips and took part in activist causes. The three children found at the crash scene were Markis Hart, 19, Jeremiah Hart, 14, and Abigail Hart, 14. There was no sign of Hannah Hart, 16; Sierra Hart, 12; and Devonte Hart, 15. Devonte drew national attention after the Black youngster was photographed in tears, hugging a white police officer during a 2014 protest in Portland, Oregon, over the deadly police shooting of a black man in Ferguson, Missouri. Devonte was holding a “Free Hugs” sign.

D’Usse (Jay-’Z’s cognac brand) VIP party, after his December show at the Forum in Los Angeles. Apparently, Beyoncé did not approve of the interaction between Lathan and her husband when she intervened and allegedly that’s when Lathan bit Bey on the chin. Lathan has denied biting Beyonce, but she did send a curious tweet in reference to the alleged incident. “Ya’ll are funny. Under no circumstance did I bite Beyoncé and if I did it would be a love bite,” Lathan tweeted on March 27. Neither Beyoncé or Lathan (beyond her tweet) have commented publicly about the alleged biting.

Baltimore’s Phil Booth Joins Rare Company After Leading Villanova to Two National Championships By Perry Green AFRO Sports Editor pgreen@afro.com

Beyoncé to Sanaa: Stop Biting By Sean Yoes Baltimore AFRO Editor syoes@afro.com

(AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Villanova guard Phil Booth is a Baltimore native who was a star guard for Mount Saint Joseph High School.

(Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

Tiffany Haddish (right) told GQ magazine that someone allegedly bit Beyoncé on the face at a party back in December. Speculation had swirled for days around the question: Who bit Beyoncé? Although maybe the question should have been, how could someone get close enough to give Queen Bey an unwanted chomping? But, the answer to who, according to several media sources is actress Sanaa Lathan. Bitegate began with a revelation from “Girls Trip” breakout star Tiffany Haddish during an interview in GQ magazine. In the interview, published March 26, Haddish described a party in December where she met Beyoncé and an encounter the superstar had with an actress. “There was this actress there...that’s just like, doing the mostest,” said Haddish. “One of the things she did? She bit Beyoncé in the face.” During the interview and subsequently Haddish has refused to name the actress, but she described the wild scene at the party further during the GQ interview. “So Beyoncé stormed away (and) went up to Jay-Z and was like, `Jay! Come here!” Haddish said. According to several media outlets, including Page Six, Sanaa Lathan, the star of “Love and Basketball,” “Brown Sugar,” and “The Perfect Guy,” had been talking to Jay-Z at a

Baltimore native Phil Booth just etched his place amongst College Basketball’s immortality after helping lead the Villanova Wildcats to a 79-62 victory over the Michigan Wolverines in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Championship. The win gave Booth his second NCAA title in two years he helped Villanova beat North Carolina in the 2016 National Championship, scoring a team-high 20 points in what turned out to be one of the greatest college basketball championship games in the sport’s history. A former star guard for Baltimore’s Mount Saint Joseph High School, Booth had already carved himself a spot amongst Baltimore’s all-time greatest ballers. Booth was named the 2013-14 Baltimore Prep Player of the Year after averaging 19 points per game while leading Mount Saint Joseph’s to the Baltimore Catholic League Championship and a Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association Conference title. Now, according to reports, the six-foot-three-inches, 200-pound junior shooting guard will join very rare company as just one of 31 players of the modern era to win multiple NCAA basketball championships in his career. Some of the legendary names in that company include former Duke stars Grant Hill and Christian Laettner. Booth’s father, Phil Sr., a Baltimore City basketball star in his own right, was elated after watching Villanova win the title Monday night. Booth Sr. was a high school basketball standout at Northeast High and also went on to play college ball at Coppin State University under the legendary head coach Fang Mitchell. “My Son is a 2x National Champion. Let that sink in!! #ProudDad,” Booth Sr. tweeted after the game with a photo of him hugging his son in celebration. “Bmore Standup!”

The Afro-American, April 7, 2018 - April 7, 2018

April 7, 2018 - April 13, 2018, The Afro-American

Supreme Court: Police Can Shoot First and Think Later for wounding or killing a civilian. Qualified immunity is needed because government officials could not do their daily jobs “Why did you shoot me?,” Amy Hughes effectively if they lived in fear of lawsuits. asked as she lay bleeding from four bullet However, this protection has limits. wounds. On April 2, the U.S. Supreme Court When the Supreme Court found that decided in favor of the officer who shot her Kisela’s conduct was immune from Hughes’ and expanded police immunity. lawsuit, civil rights groups complained that the Rebuked by Justice Sonia Sotomayor, she Court had gone too far to protect police. wrote, “There is nothing right or just under the There were three officers at the scene. Alex law about this.” Garcia and Lindsay Kunz did not fire their Amy Hughes was holding a kitchen knife. weapons. They believed the situation could be She was calmly standing in her backyard about handled through verbal communication. Garcia six feet from her roommate, Sharon Chadwick. testified that Hughes may not have even heard It was May 2010, in Tuscan, Arizona. Three the command to drop her knife. Chadwick asked the officers to “take it easy” and never feared for her life. Yet, less than a minute after arriving at the scene, Kisela fired four shots. After the shooting, he discovered Hughes had a history of mental illness and Hughes had threatened - Justice Sonia Sotomayor the dog, not Chadwick. The Supreme Court has not ruled on how police police officers arrived triggered by a 911 call officers are to confront suspects with mental and a bystander who told them an erratic illness. woman had a knife. Officers saw Hughes In the Tennessee case involving a Black through a chain link fence and told her to teenager shot in the back by police, the drop the knife. Within seconds of giving that Supreme Court said officers must have command, Officer Andrew Kisela fired four “probable cause to believe that the suspect shots wounding Hughes. She sued Kisela. poses a threat of serious physical harm, either The Supreme Court ruled this shooting to the officer or to others.” If force is excessive was reasonable. Qualified immunity protects then it violates the Fourth Amendment. Due officers from lawsuits if their conduct is to the nature of events, making split-second deemed reasonable. Unless an officer’s judgments under “tense, uncertain, and rapidly conduct is unlawful or violates clearly evolving” circumstances, the Court says it established law, they cannot be held liable leans toward the officer’s view of whether By Gloria Browne-Marshall Special to the AFRO

“Every year, hundreds of armed and unarmed civilians are killed or wounded by police officers. Amy Hughes was lucky to survive to ask,‘Why did you shoot me?’”

The Supreme Court ruled against Amy Hughes, a young woman with mental health issues who was shot in her front yard for carrying a kitchen knife. AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite

force was necessary, regularly protecting officers under qualified immunity. Sotomayor, a former prosecutor, and Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, dissented. They believe Kisela’s conduct was not entitled to immunity. Reviewing the facts, “Hughes was nowhere near the officers, had committed no illegal act, was suspected of no crime, and did not raise the knife in the direction of Chadwick or anyone else,” said Justice Sotomayor. “If this account of Kisela’s conduct sounds unreasonable, that is because it was.” Sotomayor then directly chastised the Court’s decision.

Clergy McKenzie was introduced by W. Darrin Moore, chair of the NCC and the bishop for the Mid-Atlantic Episcopal District of the AME Zion Church, who said that there were no denominational divisions at the event. “I was talking to the media and they asked me how many churches were here,” Moore said. “I told them one. We are all one in the eyes of God.” The theme of confronting racism was the universal thread for the event’s speakers. Dr. Frederick Douglass Haynes III, senior pastor of the Friendship West Baptist Church in Dallas, said “America is sick.” “White America is infected with the disease of racism,” Haynes said, quoting King. “We cannot get caught up in Dr. King’s dream and stay locked in 1963. Let’s fight the nightmare [of racism].” Actor Danny Glover delivered remarks, said, “Dr. King wanted America to awaken and confront its shameful bigotry” while Baltimore political and social activist DeRay McKesson said that “many people are in love with the idea of resistance instead

of working for the resistance.” Two White pastors, the Rev. Jim Wallis, who is the editor-in-chief of “Sojourner” Magazine and Rev. Jennifer Harvey, talked extensively about the need for Whites to repent of their past sins and push away their embrace of White privilege. Santha Neal traveled from Media, Pennsylvania., a suburb of Philadelphia to attend the rally. Neal, who is a member of the St. Paul AME Zion Church in Media, told the AFRO she wouldn’t have missed the rally. “We need to bring awareness to people and issue because things are changing,” Neal said. “It is time to unite the churches because there is a wave of violence against African Americans, especially males. Instead of AfricanAmerican males fighting each other they should love and stop killing each other.” Kameron Redding is a nurse who lives in Montgomery County, Md. Redding told the AFRO he came to the rally to remember King. “I am here to continue the walk towards equality while continuing my walk in faith,” he said.

Rally Continued from A1 asking important questions like “Are you registered to vote?” and “Will you join this movement after the rally is over?” And the sound of agreement was everywhere. At one point, the program had to be postponed because of a cold front that was moving quickly over the park, but after about 30 minutes, organizers resumed with more onlookers than were there before. One look around the mall, and it was evident. People wanted to be a part of this piece of history. They wanted to be in the group that stood up against this proclaimed “stain” that speaker after speaker described as racism. At the very end of the rally, keynote speaker Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie addressed the crowd in earnest, declaring that the time to take a stand is now. She sighted scenarios like those involving Trayvon Martin and Freddie Gray as being evidence that action is needed to turn mere hashtags into law. “You’ve heard of the Amber Alert, right? That came from

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the abduction and murder of Amber Hagerman in Arlington, Texas,” she told the audience. McKenzie went on to list the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act, which stemmed from Adam Walsh’s violent death in Hollywood, Florida, and Mattie’s Call that came out of the disappearance of 66-year-old Mattiie Moore in Atlanta, as laws that came out of criminal issues plaguing a community. “Let’s take a stand and move from hashtags to create the laws that make sure that this stuff don’t happen again,” she charged, “We need a Tamir Rice law, and a Trayvon Martin law, and a Parkland Students law to protect our students and to protect our communities.” Bishop W. Darin Moore, chair of the NCC, followed McKenzie, taking to the podium to make perfectly clear that this rally is just the beginning. He challenged the congregations present to think of themselves as the body of Christ and racism as a wound in its foot. He said he is suspicious of anyone who calls themselves a part of the church, yet doesn’t move to heal a wound in the body of Christ. This movement, he shouted, will be the answer. “Racism, in 2018, has met its match,” he declared, to thunderous applause. And as if to convey the sincerity of his declaration, he held his infant grandson up in his arms and passionately promised that 50 years from now, he would not have to deal with the racism we know today. With that, the crowd left understanding just how much work still needs to be done.

Gloria J. Browne-Marshall is a legal correspondent covering the U.S. Supreme Court, a professor, and the author of the forthcoming book “She Took Justice” (City Lights).

Help the AFRO Celebrate Amazing Black Women

Continued from A1 all over the U.S. came to the rally to remember the life and legacy of King and to deal head-on with the issue of racism. “There are people who will avoid talking about race,” McKenzie said. “That will not make it go away.” McKenzie described terrorism, whether domestic or international, as a form of hate. “Terrorism is nothing new,” she said. “It is hate and fear. There was hate when the snake stalked Eve and there was hate when Cain slain Abel. Terrorism begats terrorism begats terrorism begats terrorism.” She said that terrorism is in “Alabama and Algeria, Ferguson and France and Sacramento and Sri Lanka.” “No one is safe,” the bishop said. “Terrorism casts a shadow over life.” McKenzie urged the crowd to “take a stand” against racism, sexism, militarism and classism. She applauded the successful march against gun violence that took place in the District a few weeks ago, saying “when children have to take to the streets, the adults aren’t doing their job.”

“It sends a message to police and the public that “they can shoot first and think later, and tells the public that palpably unreasonable conduct will go unpunished.” Every year, hundreds of armed and unarmed civilians are killed or wounded by police officers. Amy Hughes was lucky to survive to ask,‘Why did you shoot me?’”

The AFRO is excited to join the nationwide celebration of women this March in recognition of this year’s National Women’s History Month. From now until April 21st, we will be highlighting prominent AfricanAmerican women who have contributed to significant events in history and continue to do so in their respective fields. We invite you to share your stories, your achievements and your perspective on the pioneering role women have played in American history. If you, or someone you know, holds a leadership role and deserves to be celebrated this month for their contributions to American history, please submit the following information to our editorial team: L Candidate’s Name L Candidate’s role in the organization L Candidate’s contact information L A short summary of the candidate’s historic achievements (200 words or less) L Headshot of candidate

Submissions will be reviewed and chosen for publication by the AFRO based on the significance of each candidates’ contributions. All choices are at the discretion of the AFRO. Send submissions to tips@afro. com by April 14.

Black Memorabilia,

Fine Art & Crafts Show April 14 & 15, 2018 Saturday: 10 AM – 7 PM ** Sunday: 10 AM – 5 PM

Montgomery County Fairgrounds 501 Perry Parkway ** • Gaithersburg, Maryland 20877

“34th Year Celebrating African American History & Culture”

• • • •

Purchase Black Memorabilia, Fine Art & Crafts from many vendors and artist. View Educational Exhibits including Slavery Artifacts, Buffalo Soldiers, Black Panther Party, Marcus Garvey, Malcolm X, Negro League Baseball, Nannie Helen Burroughs, George Washington Carver, Tuskegee Airmen & others. Meet and obtain autographs from Negro League Baseball Players, Tuskegee Airmen and movie/TV celebrities Fred “The Hammer” Williamson and Marc Copage. Book signings with Askia Muhammad, A. Peter Bailey, Ntozake Shange & Jeannette Carson

“Black History Matters” Admission: $7, Students are admitted FREE All Indoors* *Free Parking

(301) 649-1915 ** www.johnsonshows.com www.facebook.com/Blackmemorabiliashow

The Afro-American, April 7, 2018 - April 13, 2018

April 7, 2018 - April 7, 2018, The Afro-American

The Black Press Continued from A1 in April 1968, the AFRO seemed a bit out of step in keeping up with the story and in connecting with the people caught up in the mayhem. Understandably, everyone was in shock about the death of Dr. King on Apr. 4. The story of his assassination, the funeral, the law enforcement search for a killer and attempts to quantify what he had meant and what America had lost dominated the news for weeks. In addition, as a twice a week newspaper, the AFRO could not really compete with the two major dailies – the News-American and the Baltimore Sun – as well as television and radio. But there was another factor that affected the AFRO’s performance: A not-too-subtle classism evident in descriptions of rioters as “ghetto dwellers.” Clearly, they did not represent the race as well as did the social and civic leaders, the church folks, the college crowd, the athletes and the entertainers who were regularly chronicled in the pages of the AFRO. An April 9 article noted: “As of press time Monday, the affect of appeals for peace and order from…numerous colored public officials and community leaders was questionable.” It added: “One obvious reason for the lack of impact the appeals had on the rioters is due to the fact that they do not relate to those persons sounding the pleas.” They were “vandals” responsible for ’the reign of terror.” Forty years later, Clarence Mitchell 3d, who had been a state senator in 1968, told the AFRO: “Once the mob mentality takes hold – there were people out there participating in the riots who weren’t even grieving for King. They were using the riots as a means to get a refrigerator, or get a fan and it spoke to the poverty that was endemic in this city and how much we still needed to do.” That kind of empathy, apparent in later years, was absent in the AFRO’s 1968 coverage. King’s death took place as the April 6 paper was being “put to bed,” as they say in newspaper parlance. That meant the news pages had to be hurriedly rewritten, edited and readied for the printing press. Some early editions carried a front page headline, “Riots Part of Ugly Atmosphere,” but that was about unrest at Bowie State College, where students had been protesting untenable conditions and Gov. Spiro T. Agnew had responded by having 293 of them jailed. The dominant photo on page 1 had been of National Guardsmen with bayonets pointed at striking sanitation workers in Memphis; a story reported that Dr. King was expected to return to that city to support the workers. But all that had to be redone when word came of King’s death. In the April 13 paper, the “If You Ask Me” columnist, Bettye M. Moss, shared some behind the scenes insight into how the staff had rallied. “There followed work all night here at the AFRO. Editors, reporters, photographers, who heard the [news], rushed to help get it set, to pull out photos…to restructure the Washington and Baltimore editions already in the composing room.” Next week: How the AFRO covered the aftermath of the ’68 Riot.

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April 7, 2018 - April 13, 2018, The Afro-American

COMMENTARY

Update on HBCU Coalition’s Lawsuit Against Maryland Marvin L. ‘Doc’ Cheatham, Sr.

In 2006, a coalition of HBCU students, alumni and other HBCU supporters filed a lawsuit in the Maryland Federal District Court against the State of Maryland alleging that the State had failed to make HBCUs comparable and competitive

with their White counterparts. Specifically, the Coalition for Equity and Excellence in Maryland Higher Education maintained that the State was in violation of the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act 1964 and the Fordice decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in duplicating the academic programs of Historically Black Institutions at nearby predominantly White campuses; limiting HBI missions; failing to provide appropriate facilities and underfunding the overall development of the four Historically Black Institutions (HBIs). After a failed attempt at mediation of the issues, the case went to trial in January 2012. In October 2013, Judge Catherine Blake ruled that in maintaining the practice of unnecessary program duplication between HBIs and Traditionally White Universities, Maryland continues to operate a dual and segregated system of higher education, in violation of the U.S. Constitution and to the harm of the HBIs and their students. The judge asserted that the violation must be remedied and suggested that the Coalition and the state attempt to resolve it through mediation. Unfortunately, the post-trial mediation-- like the pretrial mediation-- was not successful, so the Court convened again in February 2017 to hear arguments on appropriation remedies for transforming Maryland’s dual system of higher education into a unitary or single system of colleges and universities. In November 2017, the judge issued an order providing for the establishment of new unique and high demand programs at each of the HBIs to form niches or specialty areas that would give the HBIs identities beyond their racial history. The judge’s order also provided for the appointment of a special master to work with the HBIs, Coalition experts and others in determining what the niches should be, any facilities that would be needed, and how much the enhancement effort would cost. Included among the duties of the special master is the responsibility to monitor the implementation of the court’s remedial plan to ensure that it proceeds in accordance with a schedule to be approved by the court. The judge stipulated further that funding be provided for student financial aid, marketing and recruitment and the State was to abandon the practice of unnecessary program duplication which had led to the massive disparity in academic programs between Traditionally White Institutions and the HBIs. Notwithstanding decades of petitions from the HBIs; the recommendations of several state commissions and outside consultants; the Fordice ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court and the November 2017 Federal District Court ruling against Maryland specifically, Maryland’s failure to accept responsibility for the harm it continues to do to HBIs and their students. State lawmakers seem to believe that the future of higher education in the State depends primarily on development of traditionally White campuses at the expense of its HBIs. In January of this year Attorney General Brian Frosh appealed the judge’s decision to the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals. Subsequently, attorneys for the Coalition appealed the judge’s positions on HBI missions, facilities and funding. Meanwhile the Governor has since sent a letter to the

Maryland Legislative Black Caucus offering $100 million over ten years to settle the lawsuit. The irony is that attorneys for the State estimate the cost of the Coalition’s plan to fix the problem is between $1-2 billion and, for the Coalition to accept $100 million to settle as much as a $2 billion problem would be a downright betrayal of our students, faculty, alumni and others who have historically suffered the injustices of the State’s neglect. This case has been going on for more than 12 years but the injustice to the HBIs and their students has endured since public education in the State began and the Hogan-Frosh appeal can only delay addressing the injustice. Therefore, we are calling upon the Governor, the attorney general and the leadership of the Maryland General Assembly to withdraw the appeal and begin immediately to implement Judge Blake’s order. Dr. Marvin L. ‘Doc’ Cheatham, Sr. is a civil rights and election law consultant and convener of the Maryland H.B.C.U. Matters’ Coalition.

Mayor Pugh Should Think Twice Before Signing Foam Ban Bill

Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh gave her second State of the City address on March 12, laying out a bold vision for the future of Baltimore City. After saying that the city has received “too much attention for all of the wrong reasons” she called upon the Baltimore business community to help finance a $1 billion investment fund for the city. While investing in underdeveloped neighborhoods is a noble goal and critical to addressing the issues of crime and unemployment in the city, so far she has only committed about $2 million of city funds to the effort. She is apparently counting on Baltimore’s businesses to contribute the other $998,000,000 toward making her talking point into a reality. Another major focus of her speech was for the expansion of the city’s YouthWorks program, which already has over 16,000 applicants for summer jobs. Here again, the mayor is asking Baltimore’s businesses to step up to create positions for all of the teens that are looking for jobs. Yet, even as the mayor is asking for the business community to open their wallets to provide jobs and money for government programs, Baltimore’s city council just passed anti-business legislation that will make it harder for the restaurants, hospitals and caterers to hire new staff and balance their books. The city council passed a bill that would make using polystyrene

Casey Jenkins

containers, commonly known as Styrofoam, a crime. This bill would hurt the exact businesses that Mayor Pugh is asking for help. Some of the biggest job providers to the YouthWorks program are Johns Hopkins Health System, the University of Maryland Medical Center and Martins Caterers. Why would healthcare and food services companies want to help a city that is focused on taking away the inexpensive containers they rely on for their low cost and effective insulation? Alternative packaging is far more expensive than foam, so forcing restaurants and healthcare facilities to pay more already acts as a tax on these vital businesses. Cheryl Glenn, a Democratic State Delegate from Baltimore, opposes a polystyrene container ban for exactly that reason. “In my opinion, you can’t pile on too heavily with something that would be devastating to the businesses,” Glenn told reporters. Even as the City Council passed one of the harshest bans in the country, the state legislature rejected proposals for a statewide ban. Mayor Pugh needs to signal that she is serious about partnering with the business community to make the investments needed to make Baltimore the “city on the rise” that she referred to in her address. An important first step would be to veto the foam ban bill that is on her desk. If she wants to promote jobs and the environment, putting teens to work cleaning up litter in the city and implementing a curbside foam

container recycling program would be a good place to start. These initiatives would cost only a tiny fraction of even the $2 million the city has committed to the neighborhood investment fund and would be a strong signal that Baltimore can be a clean, safe and business-friendly city. Mayor Pugh should be applauded for addressing the issues Baltimore faces. The record-breaking 343 people killed in the city last year, and the police corruption and brutality that have plagued the city cannot be allowed to continue. The police reforms that have already taken place and expanding the youth jobs program are a good start. However, she is also right that the scale of neighborhood development goes far beyond the resources the city alone can commit to the effort. The business community will need to play a large role in funding the neighborhood effort and providing the jobs and opportunities that will make short-term gains last. The way to do that is by supporting the business community and partnering with them to ensure that investment doesn’t just get talked about, it actually happens. Mayor Pugh should veto the foam ban bill that would make using takeout containers a crime and then work with the city council and local businesses to implement real solutions. Casey Jenkins is the owner of the Baltimore-based Darker Than Blue Café and is the founding organizer of the Black Restaurant Challenge

Homegrown DC School Leaders Need More Support

With the scandal surrounding the federal investigation into inflated high-school graduation rates at D.C. Public Schools—the traditional public school system—and the decision of the charter board to revoke the charters of two public charter schools, the District’s public schools have made news lately. But as parents and guardians seek to make sense of the latest developments, identifying and facing the facts is more important than some of the more sensational and selective media coverage. What these stories have in common is that they speak to how we should hold our public schools, funded as they are by taxpayer dollars, accountable for the critically important task of educating our city’s children and preparing them for careers, college and adult citizenship. We want accountability for the sake of all of our children enrolled in public schools—the 53 percent who attend DCPS, and the 47 percent who are educated at the District’s public charter schools. The “pretty significant bumps” in the road identified by Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) referred partly to the graduating of under-credited students uncovered by a local reporter. While the investigation by federal authorities is ongoing, it seems likely that the on-time—within four years—highschool graduation rate will fall significantly from the reported 73 percent for the traditional school system last year. The “bumps” reference also covers the flouting of residency requirements at a DCPS school. At around the same time, one preschool through eighth grade all-girls public charter school had its charter revoked by the D.C. Public Charter School Board—which cited failure to

Ramona Edelin

meet academic targets the board has set—and will now be run by DCPS. And a public charter high school is at risk of closure absent a new building. Like all public schools, charters are tuition-free and taxpayer-funded, but differ from traditional public schools in that they can design and determine their own educational programs. Charters are independent nonprofits whose educational outcomes and governance are monitored by the charter board. Overall, the public has confidence in the public charter schools that educate nearly half of District public school students. Standardized test scores have consistently improved, while the D.C. public charter school on-time graduation rate has risen steadily to 73 percent which, unlike that of DCPS, is not in question – and is evaluated by the charter board rather than the traditional public school system. But there are issues around how schools are judged and what are the most effective ways to improve outcomes for students growing up amid intergenerational poverty, in neighborhoods that lack adequate resources and services, while also being underserved educationally. The charter board divides schools into three tiers based on a variety of academic metrics—broadly, Tier 1 is considered “high performing,” Tier 2 “compliant,” and Tier 3 “underperforming,” and therefore at risk of closure. But while student outcomes vary, so do the level of resources invested in students. In the District, about 85 percent of Tier 2 public charter schools are headed by executive leaders of color. These schools also are native to D.C. and operate as single campuses, rather than the multiple campus networks run by some of the national charter school management organizations. While

motivated, engaged and determined, the leaders of these schools too often lack access to resources and supports, in particular the private fundraising many national CMOs can leverage. These significantly add to the public funds available via D.C.’s per-student funding formula. More needs to be done to strengthen and source additional funding for these homegrown schools that, through local history, experience and connections often have a strong understanding of the needs of students from historically underserved District communities. Such leaders with strong ties to the neighborhoods they serve need to be better supported to deliver excellent academic outcomes for students, and better networked to additional sources of investment and other supports. District charters already serve, by conscious choice of school location and mission, a higher share of economically disadvantaged students than the traditional public school system, while producing stronger educational outcomes and significantly enriching curricula and after-school options. A level playing-field where all public charter schools can access the philanthropic and human capital resources currently only available to some has the potential to improve the educational offering charters can bring to the one-half of District students defined as “at risk.” How much more could be accomplished, in particular in terms of erasing the achievement gap between such students and their peers, if every public charter school and school leader could access such support? Dr. Ramona Edelin is executive director of the D.C. Association of Chartered Public Schools.

A4 A6

The Afro-American, April 7, 2018 - April 13, 7, 2018 2018

Remembering Continued from A1 to go because everybody felt that something wasn’t right,” Robert Birt told University of Baltimore interviewers in 2008. He’s now a professor with Bowie State University. “But I did, and students were talking about it at Mergenthaler. I started noticing a certain uneasiness in the interaction between Black and White students, more so than usual. Everybody knew what the deal was, but nobody really wanted to talk about it, but it would come out anyway, and then emotions would blow up in classrooms, and teachers would have a difficult time just trying to keep things civil.” The same day, Mayor Thomas D’Alesandro III declared Monday a Baltimore day of mourning, and Sunday a day of prayer. Simultaneously, Governor Spiro Agnew placed the Maryland National Guard and State Trooper at high levels of readiness. BPD reporting claims full control of the city, despite “sporadic” fires and incidents of looting, until Saturday morning. On April 5, approximately 300 mourners attend a peaceful memorial service for Dr.

King from noon until 2 p.m. Additional services continue until 4 p.m the early evening. By 5 p.m., BPD begins receiving reports of smashed windows and looting in the 400 block of Gay Street. Police, attempting to cordon off 400 to 700 block, are confronted by rioters hurling bottles and stones. Before 7 p.m., a curfew is declared keeping all Baltimore City residents to their homes after 10 p.m. Not everyone obeyed the curfew, like Rev. Vernon Dobson. “One of the first things that I remember was my father going out after curfew one night to go get a soft drink around the corner,” Sandra Dobson, his daughter, told the AFRO. “He was in his robe and pajamas, because it wasn’t far from the house. And he was arrested-one of the many times he was arrested. They didn’t keep him there, but that was the first thing that stuck in my mind about the riots: its effect on folk.” While the riots were miles away, it was never as though Rev. Dobson was oblivious to the threat. Rioting and looting, coupled with the termination of public transit, left Baltimore Baltimore Police Department

YOUR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT CAN ATTEND COLLEGE FOR FREE.

Over 700 people were injured and almost 6,000 arrested during the Baltimore Riot of ’68. residents unable to access regular supplies of food for days. “When stores were burned down and there was no place to go to get food or supplies,” Sandra Dobson said. “And that was one of the things that he started doing out of Union [Baptist Church], the Harvey Johnson Center, but then it overran the Harvey Johnson Center. The supplies couldn’t, there was no place to put them. So, he and Jim Rouse, the builder of Columbia, Peter Angelos, who now owns the Orioles, they got a warehouse.” The project to feed Baltimore ultimately evolved into the 1971 establishment of the Maryland Food Bank. The riots divided the Baltimore community. “When it was decided that law enforcement would use rubber bullets against looters; this was perceived by some as Selma Alabama,” John Savage, a University of Baltimore student at the time, told the AFRO. “However,

there were just as many that felt this was justified to quell the disturbance and stop the destruction of business property that had just started to openly serve the Black community in a respectful manner on a daily basis. Whites were nervous, terrified and voiced their concerns that the loss of Dr. King was a complete destruction of ongoing progress in race relations versus the absolute immediate demands of The Nation of Islam and Stokely Carmichael.” Rioting and looting would continue for another four days. At peak, the US Army and National Guard deployed almost 11,000 troops. They would fire only four shots during the violence. Six Baltimoreans would die in the riots. Three died in a fire. Two are suspected to have been shot and killed by looters. One person, a looter, was shot and killed by police. Over 700 people were injured and almost 6,000 arrested.

People of Color to Outnumber Whites in 2045 Through the Mayor’s Scholars Program, 2018 Baltimore City Public High School graduates, who live in the city, can attend BCCC

tuition-free.

Apply by April 20: visit bccc.edu or call 410-462-8300. Mayor’s Scholar recipients will be paid to attend BCCC’s Summer Bridge program for seven weeks (June 25-August 11) during the summer before their first semester in Fall 2018.

www.bccc.edu/MSP

City Council. Bullock told the AFRO that Black politicians and activists should actively look to building coalitions with other peoples of color. People of color will be the majority of the “We need to think of ways to build American population in 2045 and a leading alliances with Hispanics and Asians,” he said. political scientist says that African Americans “This growth in people of color is brought should be ready to use its numbers to gain about by the Hispanics and we as Blacks political power. need to make sure that we will have access to William H. Frey is a senior fellow at the resources that our community needs as well as Brookings Institute’s Metropolitan Policy work with others.” Program. His latest report, “The U.S. Will Bullock said the growth in people of color Become Minority White in 2045, Census will affect political parties. Projects”, released on March 14, says based on “The Democratic Party will have to the census’s March 13 population projections, seriously address the concerns of the Hispanic Whites won’t be the dominant racial group. and Asian populations and Blacks can be a part The census projects in 2045, the White of that shuffle also,” he said. population will be 49.9 percent of the country There are whispers among some politically and 24.6 percent will be active Blacks that as Latino, 13.1 percent Black, Hispanic and Asian 7.8 percent Asian and 3.8 numbers grow, the percent multiracial. Hispanics in particular The projected growth will be viewed by the rates for Blacks up to 2045 White power structure as is 13 percent while the the “favored” minority growth rate for multiracial and receive financial and populations, Asians and material resources as Hispanics from 2018-2060 opposed to Blacks. Bullock will be 175, 93 and 85 said that’s not the case. percent, respectively. Frey “The Hispanic bloc notes that during the 2016has several groups such as 2060 timespan, Whites will Mexicans and Salvadorians -Dr. John Bullock and one of those groups be declining in numbers and percentages with the may have more people exception of the 65 and than Blacks put together older group. someday,” he said. “That is Frey said according to why it is important to have census data, there will be more White seniors alliances so we can work with these groups to than children and more White deaths than see that our interests are taken care of.” births, starting this year. He also said among Bullock said Blacks need to engage the youth under the age of 18, people of color will political process in order to remain relevant in outnumber Whites starting in 2020. the coming decades. Frey said people of color will fuel the “We need to have Black people in place country’s growth in voters and consumers and that are ready to assume important political provide the tax base for years to come. He also positions on the state and national level,” he said that the rapidly growing largely White said. “Barack Obama started on the state level senior population will be dependent on these before going national and we need people who young people of color for contributions to the can do things like that so we can have a deeper economy and government programs such as bench of elected officials. We need Blacks who Medicare and Social Security. can create public policy that can benefit us and Dr. John Bullock is a political scientist in we need to cultivate a younger, skillful group Baltimore and is a member of the Baltimore of African-American politicians.” By James Wright Special to the AFRO jwright@afro.com

“We need to think of ways to build alliances with Hispanics and Asians.”

April 7, 2018 - April 13, 2018, The Afro-American

BALTIMORE-AREA U.S. House

Race and Politics

Using City Money to Put Baltimore’s Youth First The final community design sessions, organized to help craft the framework for the distribution Sean Yoes of the $12 Baltimore AFRO million Editor syoes@afro.com Baltimore Children and Youth Fund, took place this week. The sixth and final session was at Patterson High School in South Baltimore. I attended the fifth session April 2, at Lakeland Elementary/Middle School in the Cherry Hill community of South Baltimore, and the library where the meeting took place was packed (I was told it was the best attended meeting of them all to that point). The energy in the room, filled with a very diverse (age, race, gender), group of community leaders, educators and child advocates offered dozens of cogent ideas for how this year’s total of $24 million should be spent ($12 million left over from last year, plus this year’s $12 million, equals the $24 million total for 2018). Perhaps, more importantly, the group forwarded names of individuals and entities more Continued on B2

These are the African Americans Running in Maryland

Following Outcry, State Says `No’ To Hopkins Police Force By Stephen Janis and Taya Graham Special to the AFRO A plan to allow Johns Hopkins University to start its own police department, staffed by officers with arrest powers, has been temporarily shelved by the Maryland General Assembly. In a last minute move this week State Delegate Curt Anderson withdrew a bill that would have enabled the university to

Courtesy Photos

Clockwise from top left: Lamont Taylor, Hubert Owens, Thomas E. “Pinkston” Harris, Rep. Anthony Brown, Rep. Elijah Cummings, Charles U. Smith, Bridgette L. Cooper By Sean Yoes Baltimore AFRO Editor syoes@afro.com There are several Black candidates from Maryland vying for the United States House of Representatives and several are Republicans. Here is a list of all the candidates running in their respective primaries the AFRO could locate with biographical information available.

First District Lamont Taylor, a Republican, is running against incumbent Andy Harris, to lead a district that represents large swaths of Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Taylor currently resides in Caroline County (Taylor is a native of Oxford, Md.) and he is a former owner of a janitorial business from 2000-2010. He is a member of the Shriners.

Hubert Owens was originally listed as a candidate for the 32nd District of the State Senate. He is currently listed as a Republican candidate for U.S. House of Representatives Second District. His biography says he has earned a Masters in Theological Studies from Liberty University and is a army combat veteran. He has worked on several Republican presidential campaigns, including Sen. Ted Cruz, Gov. Mitt Romney and Sen. John McCain.

District Three Thomas E. “Pinkston” Harris is a Republican candidate for the seat currently held by Democrat John Sarbanes. He is a Continued on B2

Following Oaks’ Sudden Resignation, 41st District Senate Seat Up For Grabs

“The process is transparent and all open to the public.” – Del. Angela Gibson April 17, where each applicant will discuss their qualifications and interest in finishing Oaks’ Senate term. The interview will be conducted with a committee composed of State Central Committee members from the 41st. The committee will then select a candidate to recommend to Gov. Larry Hogan. “The process is transparent and all open to the public,” said Gibson. Joining Gibson in selecting Oaks’ replacement

State Delegate Curt Anderson withdrew a bill to authorize sworn officers to patrol both its North Baltimore campus and the hospital facilities in East Baltimore. enter a memorandum of understanding with the Baltimore Police Department to authorize sworn officers to patrol both its North Baltimore campus and the hospital facilities in East Continued on B2

Easter Shooting Leaves Five-Year-Old Boy Injured By Michelle Richardson Special to the AFRO

By Deborah Bailey Special to the AFRO The State Senate seat in Baltimore’s 41st legislative district of Baltimore City left vacant by Nathaniel Oaks resignation last month won’t be filled before the current session of the Maryland General Assembly ends April 9. Instead, the Baltimore City Democratic State Central Committee will organize an interview process for residents interested in finishing Oak’s remaining term, which ends Dec. 2018. The Central Committee is accepting resumes from interested persons now through April 13, according to Del. Angela Gibson, 41st District chair for Baltimore City Democrats. Eligible candidates must have lived in the 41st district for at least six months, be at least 25 and a Democrat. “I’ve had phone calls and been in a lot of discussions about it (the process to fill Oak’s seat) but those who are really interested and serious will submit their resumes to the post office box. There are no walk-ons, no other way to get involved in the process,” Gibson told the AFRO. Interviews with all candidates who submit materials to the Central Committee will then participate in a public hearing on

Courtesy Photo

Second District

Courtesy Photo

The 41st District Senate seat is now up for grabs after the sudden departure of Nathaniel Oaks, who pleaded guilty to corruption charges. are 41st District Del. Bilal Ali, former Baltimore City Councilwoman Rochelle “Rikki” Spector, Wanda Wallace, George Smith and Chezia Cager. Oaks is also a voting member of the committee. Oaks unexpectedly resigned March 28 and on March 29 he pleaded guilty to two federal corruption charges. As part of a plea agreement, eight other charges were dropped. Sentencing is scheduled for July 17. “The person who is recommended on April 17 will fill the remaining current term of Sen. Oaks, ending December 31 of 2018,” Gibson said, distinguishing the Central Committee’s process from the upcoming Democratic primary for the 41st district senate seat. Jill P. Carter and J.D. Merrill, the two candidates for that seat are already in heated debate. Carter, a former Delegate representing the 41st, is director of the Baltimore City Office of Civil Rights. Merrill, son in law of former Gov. Martin O’ Malley, has denied interest in the special election to fill Oaks’ remaining term and challenges Carter to steer clear of seeking the short-term appointment as well. “I hope Jill Carter joins me in declining to apply as well. The Central Committee should nominate a qualified neutral candidate to complete the remainder of the term,” Merrill said

Continued on B2

Police have arrested a man accused of shooting a family of three, including a five -year- old boy, on Easter Sunday. Devron Paul Goodwyn, of the 3800 block of Coronado Rd. in Gwynn Oak, MD, was arrested Apr.3. Goodwyn is charged with attempted first-degree murder, first-degree assault, second-degree assault, and the use of a firearm in the commission of a violent crime. According to Baltimore County Police, they received a call around 5:45 p.m. on Easter Sunday for a triple shooting at Cinnamon Circle in Randallstown. The suspect and the victim allegedly had a prior business dispute that led to the shooting, although the nature of that business relationship

Past Seven Days

is unclear. According to police, Goodwyn drove to the home where the 24 year-old victim lived with his 21 year-old girlfriend, and five-year-old son. Police stated Goodwyn then got out of his vehicle and

Courtesy photo

Devron Paul Goodwyn is accused of a triple shooting on Easter Sunday.

Continued on B2

58 2018 Total

Data as of April 4

The Afro-American, April 7, 2018 - April 13, 2018

Race and Politics Continued from B1

than worthy of resources to help sustain the work of those who help sustain our children. In 2016, Baltimore voters approved the ballot measure to create the fund and City Council President Bernard â&#x20AC;&#x153;Jackâ&#x20AC;? Young crafted the legislation to distribute the $12 million. Adam Jackson, CEO of Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle, the grassroots think tank, was named co-chair (along with John Brothers of T. Rowe Price), of a 34 member task force assembled to build an infrastructure to distribute the money, to smaller groups, less connected to the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s corridors of power. The preliminary report containing the recommendations culled from the design sessions is due to the City Council April 9.

The task force assigned Associated Black Charities the responsibility of anchoring the process of distributing the funds. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re putting residents at the center of how money is decided-or allocated, rather-- because we recommended from the task force that the city instead have a new nonprofit intermediate organization that is controlled and accountable to and by Baltimore residents,â&#x20AC;? Jackson told journalist Lisa Snowden-McCray, former editor-inchief of the now defunct Baltimore Beat. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have an assembly that will replace those program officers, or what we think of program officers. Instead of paying somebody $100,000 a year to decide where money goes, you instead can

compensate city residents, have them in a group setting and

and heal our children and young people. The process so far has been

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re putting residents at the center of how money is decidedâ&#x20AC;Śâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Adam Jackson look at requested proposals and decide where money goes in their community. So, thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dramatically different than what happens now.â&#x20AC;? I know that there may not be a lot of community trust in City government these days, however the establishment of the Children and Youth Fund feels like a fundamental shift in how money gets distributed to smaller, Black led non-profit groups in the city that nurture

incredibly transparent and inclusive. Perhaps, even more importantly the establishment of a multi-million dollar fund to support the work of people and groups that collectively help keep the city from being torn asunder signals a broader symbolic shift. In the current climate, of course law enforcement is going to receive the lionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s share of dollars in the city budget. But, the

creation of the Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Fund is an acknowledgement (and a fiscal commitment) by the city that investing in our children on the front end instead of locking them up as young adults is a more plausible and tenable policy position for Baltimoreâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s future. And placing the implementation of the Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Fund largely in the youthful hands of Jackson, who leads a group devoted to the liberation of Black people, sends a powerful message to the grassroots and the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s majority population. Sean Yoes is the AFROâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Baltimore editor and executive producer and host of the AFRO First Edition video podcast, which airs Mondays and Fridays at 5 p.m., on the AROâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Facebook page.

Hopkins

Continued from D1 Baltimore. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We decided, me and the chairman of the judiciary spoke with Hopkins and said, look the ground swell against the bill is overwhelming, you really need to go and get this with the community,â&#x20AC;? State Delegate Curt Anderson told the AFRO.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;The constituencies around Hopkins and the students didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t like it.â&#x20AC;? In an earlier interview with the AFRO, Johns Hopkins University President Ron Daniels said the plan was in response to an uptick in violent crime in the areas surrounding both campuses following the 2015 uprising after the death of Freddie Gray. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As you can imagine post Freddie Gray, we had a significant surge of violence in the city and particularly around our campus,â&#x20AC;? Daniels told the AFRO. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We saw 18 armed robberies near the Homewood Campus

just in the fall alone â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 12 involving our students, this was a level of crime we were not used to.â&#x20AC;? But unexpected pushback from students concerned about a culture of corrupt policing in the city, and the negative impact of officers on campus would have on the schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s minority students, lead the city delegation to conclude the proposal needed further study. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They conflate any police force with the Baltimore police force,â&#x20AC;? Anderson said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;One of the things theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll have to do when this comes back is to put in assurances to the community that the community itself will have some oversight of this police force if Hopkins continues with this effort.â&#x20AC;? Students who initially opposed the plan said they were pleased the proposal will be tabled. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I believe it was a very smart move I think it makes sense to

pull the bill. The most interesting thing that Hopkins says they are doing it for the students,â&#x20AC;? said Karter Burnett, a sophomore at Hopkins and one of the founders of student organization called Students Against Private Police or (SAPP). Burnett says the concerns about violent crime are overstated. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The violent crime he is referring to either does not exist, or is crime that is happening on campus that has not been reported or acknowledged. There are way more assaults that are happening at fraternities which arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t being handled effectively or reported,â&#x20AC;? Burnett said. For now Anderson says he will reconsider the bill next year only if community support is evident. But Burnett says students plan to continue to organize against the proposal and hope the bill is done for good. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We plan to continue fighting this 100 percent.â&#x20AC;?

U.S. House

Shooting

special education teacher, who resides in Baltimore City.

opened fire while the family was playing outside. The three victims then ran and hid inside of an apartment while the suspect fled in his vehicle. All three victims, including the five-yearold boy were transported to local hospitals

Continued from D1

District Four Rep. Anthony Brown, the incumbent, is the former Lt. Gov. of Maryland. The district he currently represents encompasses parts of Anne Arundel and Prince Georgeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s counties. He serves on the House Armed Services Committee, the House Committee of Natural Resources, as well as the House Committee on Ethics. Brown is a retired Colonel in the U.S. Army. He was formerly a member of the Maryland House of Delegates representing Prince Georgeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s County. He is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School.

District Seven Rep. Elijah Cummings, the venerable incumbent, has served the Seventh District since 1996, when he replaced Kweisi Mfume. Cummings is the Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and is a senior member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. He was born, raised and still resides in West Baltimore. Cummings obtained his undergraduate degree from Howard University and his law degree from the University of Maryland. He served in the Maryland House of Delegates for 14 years (1983-1996). Charles U. Smith, formerly a failed candidate for Maryland Governor and U.S. Senate, filed in February to challenge Rep. Cummings.

District 8 Bridgette L. Cooper, a Republican, resides in Silver Spring, Md. Her bio lists her occupations as an opera singer, television/podcast producer, music educator and advocate. This is her first run for elective office.

Senate Seat Continued from B1

via his Twitter account. The Democratic Primary is scheduled for June 26 with early voting starting June 14. Carter, for her part, has expressed interest in filling the position. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Governor must act within 15 days on our recommendation to him,â&#x20AC;? Gibson said,

describing Hoganâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s responsibility in what some have disparaged a politically charged process. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our job is to represent the interests of the 41st District and secure the best process and representation possible.â&#x20AC;?

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with non-life threatening injuries from the gunshot wounds. There was no attorney listed for Goodwyn in online records. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 27 in Baltimore County.

April 7, 2018 - April 13, 2018, The Afro-American

“We’ve got some difficult days ahead. But it really doesn’t matter with me now, because I’ve been to the mountaintop. And I don’t mind… And He’s allowed me to go up to the mountaintop. And I’ve looked over. And I’ve seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the Promised Land. So I’m happy, tonight. I’m not worried about anything. I’m not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Long Live the King!

Remember the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., gunned down 50 years ago in an act of senseless violence. Fifty years later, people are still dying at an alarming rate. It’s not too late to live and honor the life of the King. Talk and educate the young people about Dr. King, who believed in non-violence and died for his belief knowing he had made a difference. “You must take the ‘A train.’ To go to Sugar Hill way up in Harlem. If you miss the ‘A’ train. You’ll find you’ve missed the quickest way to Harlem. Hurry, get on board, it’s coming. Listen to those rails a-thrumming. All aboard, get on that ‘A’ train. Soon you will be on Sugar Hill in Harlem.” Duke Ellington People travelled from Boston, New York, Connecticut and other locations to party at the Boom Boom room in celebration of Rita Horsley-Johnson’s, “Fabulous 50 Harlem Nights” birthday party. “Drop me off in Harlem any place in Harlem. There’s someone waiting there who makes it seem like Heaven up in Harlem.” Duke Ellington Guests dressed as characters from the popular movie like Sunshine, Vera, Bennie, Sugar Ray and Quick. They arrived at the party to a room transformed into the Boom Boom with chandeliers, flashing lights and champagne. The honoree was stunning, dressed in a sweeping, gold, sleeveless gown with a red feather boa, matching tiara fascinator and red feather fan. She entered the Boom Boom room on the arm of her husband Tim Johnson who looked like Sugar Ray Sweets, to musical excerpts from the Harlem Nights soundtrack playing in the background. The Panama Band provided the music and kept the guests on the dance floor until the “other side of midnight.” The joint was jumping as women in gowns and men in pinstripe suits and fedoras strutted their finery reminiscent of the roaring 20s. “Play it as it lies,” is one of the fundamental dictates of golf. The other is, “Wear it if it clashes.” Henry Beard Longest drives, putting contest, food, drinks and John Daly, one of the most colorful golfers created a fun evening at Maryland Lives’ Prime Rib restaurant, during a reception honoring the legendary golfer. Invited guests dined on prime rib, crab cakes, salmon and more, while enjoying photo ops with the affable Daly. “A crust of bread and a corner to sleep in. A minute to smile and an hour to weep in. A pint of joy to a peck of trouble, and never a laugh but the moans come double. That is life. A crust and a corner that makes love precious, with a smile to warm and tears to refresh us, and joy seems sweeter when cares come after, and a moan is the finest of foils for laughter. And that is life.” Paul Laurence Dunbar

What’s happening!

April 8, “A Sunday Kind of Jazz,” featuring Definite Friends at Sharp Street Memorial United Methodist Church, 1206 Ettings Street. For information, call 410523-7200. April 10,12 and 14, “Lyrics of Sunshine and Shadows,” an opera about the life and love of Paul Laurence Dunbar and Alice Ruth Moore at the Murphy Fine Arts Center 2201 Argonne Drive. Call 443-8854440 for more information. April 21, the AFRO’s second annual tea at New Shiloh Baptist Church. For tickets call Diane Hocker 410-554-8200. “Everybody can be great ... because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Such a great feeling when we can honor our young adults for their contributions to society. Congratulations to Mario Armstrong and his company on their nomination for two Emmy Awards by the National Academy of Television Arts and Science’ New York Chapter. Armstrong was nominated for two episodes of his “The Never Settle Show.” The Digiday Publishing Awards has also nominated Mario for Best Use of Facebook Live, “The Never Settle Show.” Congratulations to Preze D. Watson Jr on his nomination for Carroll County’s Outstanding Teacher Award. Proud are parents Valerie and Myron “Moe” Bundy. Preze has also accepted a speaking engagement in Indiana. “Like anybody, I would like to live a long life – longevity has its place. But I’m not concerned about that

now. I just want to do God’s will.” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. We remember the following families in our thoughts and prayers as they grieve the death of their loved ones. Carolyn Hill-Harp and family on the death of her brother George Hill; Fred Shaw on the death of his brother David Robinson; James Benton and family on the death of his wife Anastasia Benton and to Angela Adams and family on the death of her husband Howard Adams. Family, friends and patrons of The Place Lounge are mourning the death of longtime barmaid Terri Daniels. Terri’s brilliant smile greeted you as she prepared your favorite libation at The Place.

Celebration time!

It’s your birthday Elvard Cooper, Olivia Libby Harris, Shelonda Stokes and to my mother, retired United Methodist pastor Rev. Pauline Wilkins, a happy and glorious birthday. I’ll be seeing you Valerie and the Friday Night Bunch

The Afro-American, April 7, 2018 - April 13, 2018

Avon and Jeanette Garrett

Dorothy Stone, Ovella Queen, past National Basileus

Fannie Johansson, Nicholas Johansson, Noah and Carter Johansson

Kopelle Awards honorees are Darolyn Milburn, Roxanna Brooks, Joyce Sturgis, Dr. Sheula Jessup, Lenora Terrell

TheIotaChapterofLambdaKappaMuSorority,heldits71stAnniversary Founders’DayAwardsluncheononMarch31,attheForumCatererson Primrose Avenue. FormerKopellesgraduates,whohavepursuedcareersandoutstanding achievementinthefieldsofmedicineandinternationaleducation marketing, were honored by the Iota Chapter members. CrystalC.Watkins-Johansson,MD,Ph.D.,receivedbothherMDandPh.D. degreesfromtheJohnsHopkinsUniversitySchoolofMedicine.Dr.WatkinsJohanssonistheassistantprofessorofPsychiatryatHopkinsandher research focus is on using brain imaging and blood markers. StacyGarrett-Ray,MD,MPH,MBAisthePresidentoftheUniversityof MarylandQualityCareNetworkandVicePresident/MedicalDirectorofthe PopulationHealthServicesOrganizationfortheUniversityofMaryland. Dr.Garrett-Rayisalsoafamilyphysicianwhopracticedprimarycareatthe University of Maryland Community Medical Group.

Dorothea E. Jordan, Joyce Sturgis, W. Annette Dredden, co-chairperson

John Watkins, Nettie Watkins, John II Turner, Lauren Turner

Community Service Awards Honorees are Dr. Crystal Watkins-Johansson, Gretchen Cook-Anderson, Dr. Stacy Garrett-Ray

TheBaltimoreChaptermembersoftheLinkscelebratedtheir10thannual EmpoweredWomen’sLeadershipluncheononMarch17,attheStudent Activity Center at Morgan State University. Apanelofnotablemediaprofessionalsdiscussedthetheme,“Articulate Women,BreakingMediaStereotypesandBuildingPathwaysto Success.”PanelistswereMichelleBernard,politicalanalyst, Dr. Maya Rockeymoore Cummings, president/CEO,BernardCenterforWomen;JannetteDates,dean President/CEO, Global Policy Solutions, EmeritaofHowardUniversity,SchoolofCommunications;April Master of Ceremonies and Sen. Ryan,WhiteHousecorrespondent,American Benjamin L. Cardin UrbanRadioNetworksBureauChief;Jeff Ballou,110presidentoftheNationalPress Club,AlJazeeraMediaNetworkNews Editor. FormerBaltimoreMayor,Stephanie Rawlings-Blake,SRB&Associates, wasthepanelmoderatorandDr. Lydia Mussenden, 98-year old MayaRockeymooreCummings, Baltimore (MD) Link president/CEO,GlobalPolicy Solutionsservedasmistress April Ryan, White House Correspondent, of ceremonies. American Urban Radio Networks Bureau Chief, panelist

Photos by Dr. A. Lois De Laine

Catherine Moore DeFord, Beverly Holman

Photos by Dr. A. Lois De Laine

Janette L. Dates, Dean Emirita, Howard University School of Communications

Dr. Dominique Allen, Rose Hamm and Carolyn Cole

Stephanie Rawlngs Blake 49th Mayor of Baltimore served as Panel Moderator

Panelist Jeff Ballou, President, National Press Club

Michelle Bernard, political analyst, president/CEO, Bernard Center for Women, Politics & Public Policy

April 7, 2018 - April 13, 2018, The Afro-American

ARTS & CULTURE

Amazing Black Women

Atima Omara, Political Pioneer with No Fear of Failing By Tilesha Brown Special to the AFRO

Atima Omara is an award-winning political strategist, advocate, writer and speaker based in Washington, D.C. She made history in 2013 when she became the first African American, and only the fifth woman, to be elected president of the Young Democrats of America (YA). She has worked for a governor and as a staffer on nine federal, state, and local Democratic campaigns in the state of Virginia. Now, with more than a decade of political experience, she is focused on reaching back. Having recently opened her own global consulting firm, Omara Strategy Group, she is helping other women, people of color, and members of the LGBTQ community break barriers in the political and community service arenas. She helps organizations with their operations, fundraising and special projects and she trains African American and female political candidates on how to effectively run for public office. Atima first became interested in public office as a student on the campus of the University of Virginia (UVA). Before arriving on campus, she was convinced that she’d become a lawyer— maybe even a doctor. With a mother who is a registered nurse and a father who is a teacher, she says those were the kinds of professions her family talked about at the dinner table. But when she got there, she started to write for UVA’s campus newspaper, publishing more and more pieces centered around tough questions in the Black and LGBTQ community. From there, she took it a step further and started to think about how she could continue to do work where she could talk about the things she cared about but make more of an impact. That’s when she got more involved in student government and was set on the path to public policy.

(Courtesy photo)

Atima Omara works to get Black women to run for public office. But when she arrived on that scene after graduation, she realized that there were not a lot of people that looked like her in that arena. “For women, actually stepping up and saying ‘I want to be elected to public office,’ the numbers have remained small,” she explains, “and those are the positions that actually hold a lot of the power and make a lot of the decisions and the priorities in public

policy.” So Atima decided to be the one to step up. She ran in the special election for a Democratic seat in Virginia’s House of Delegates in 2014 because she figured she had nothing to lose. She had just won the YA presidency the year before, so she thought she could definitely handle the pressure. But very quickly, she started to see what she was really up against. “There was a different set of standards for me than my White male colleagues,” Atima says, “Something would come out of my mouth and it would be deemed ‘offensive’… Then, he would say the same thing and it would be ‘sharp and on the mark.’ That tripped me up a few times.” She ultimately lost the race, but she says she learned a lot about how people perceive young people, women, and especially women of color… and she learned what people generally want leadership to look like. “My mother and father raised me to be confident in my own skin,” she says, “and to give my opinion like everyone else in the room. Sometimes that makes all the difference.” Atima says that she believes you should take chances in life to do the things you’re meant to do. And she hopes to pass that kind of confidence and strength on to the women in the non-profit organizations she works with, the women she helps to get into public office, and even little girls just now coming into their own. “Don’t be afraid— don’t worry about what people might think of your ideas,” she tells young girls, “Don’t be afraid to try them and fail because… at least you tried them.” Do you know an amazing Black woman? Help the AFRO celebrate her by sending her story to us at tips@editor.com

Erin J. Gilbert’s Job is to Archive Druid Hill Park Plays Host to Black Art for the Smithsonian 14th Annual Victim Fund Run By Nadine Matthews Special to the AFRO Erin J. Gilbert recalls the wise advice of a former mentor who told her, “Nothing matters besides acquisitions, exhibitions and publication.” In the world of fine art, the value of a piece of art is directly related to these three elements. Archiving the documents of artists enable publications of research and critique of artwork that potentially elevates its value, the value of the artist and the community that influenced the creation of the work. Gilbert, who has previously worked at the Studio Museum of Art, the Art Institute of Chicago, and other similarly august organizations, was recently named Curator of African-American manuscripts at the Smithsonian Institution. It is one division within the revered institution’s Archives of American Art. She will be, according to an announcement by the Smithsonian, “Charged with developing a strategy for substantially increasing the collections of papers of and about African-American artists and will travel nationally to acquire collections.” A gala event in Chicago in 2009 was the setting for a short conversation which fueled her with the passion for archiving, in particular. She tells the {AFRO}, “I’d had the great privilege to work with the leadership advisory committee in planning the legends and legacy awards gala where legendary visual artist Margaret Burroughs was honored.” During the event, Burroughs asked Gilbert what she felt her contributions would be. In fact, they were related to Gilbert’s first-hand experience with Burroughs herself. “Working with her,” Gilbert remembers, “there were documents relating to her founding of the Southside Community Arts center and the DuSable Museum of African American History that needed to be sorted and organized and presented and preserved. I became passionate about understanding the process of archiving artist legacies.” Burroughs passed away a few days after the party, increasing Gilbert’s sense of urgency to do what she’d come to recognize as crucial work. Though born in Oakland, California, Gilbert was raised in Malawi in southern Africa, perhaps most recently known as the country where singer Madonna’s adopted son was

born. It was in Malawi Gilbert says she developed an appreciation and her particular eye for art. “I was raised in Malawi. My family left the U.S. when I was nine years old. I would say in Africa, specifically Malawi, is where my understanding the production of works of art in the context of being African-American or of African descent began.” She returned to the United States as a teen and eventually attended the University of Michigan where she earned a degree in Political Science and African-American studies. “Years later I went away to London,” she explains, “and studied contemporary art at the University of Manchester. Even before my Masters I was working at museums and art galleries and art programs.” Gilbert, of course, has strong opinions about Baltimore artist and portraitist of First Lady Michelle Obama, Amy Sherald. “We think we know what a portrait of the First Lady should look like and a lot of our assumptions are subverted in that painting. I think that’s exactly what contemporary art is supposed to do, it’s supposed to spark dialogue. Amy should be congratulated.” Overall, Gilbert sees evidence that AfricanAmerican art is already being absorbed into the overall canon of American art in general. She points to the esteemed Baltimore Museum as an example. “I think it’s amazing to see the Baltimore Museum of Art presenting Jack Whitten and presenting Mark Bradford. They are all artists of African descent working in the context of the U.S. and to see an institution like the Baltimore Museum present them, really canonizes all of those.” Her work at the Smithsonian will serve to expand the process even further. “The canon of art history is created by the Archives of American Art. When this position was posted, and seeing it was specifically about ensuring that artists of African descent who had contributed to the canon and had had major museum exhibitions and major gallery representations, were then included in the Archives of American Art was something that I had been thinking about and talking about for years. It seemed like the perfect path for me and thankfully they thought so as well.”

(Courtesy photo)

State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby reinstituted the Crime Victims Fund Run/Walk in 2016.

By AFRO Staff While violent crime statistics are falling in Baltimore in recent months, there are still victims of crimes every day. That is why the Office of the State’s Attorney for Baltimore City is holding their 14th Annual Victims 5K Run-Walk and 1 Mile Walk April 7 in Baltimore’s Druid Hill Park. The money raised is used by the Office of the State’s Attorney to fill in gaps the Maryland Criminal Injuries Compensation Board leaves. “While the Maryland Criminal Injuries Compensation Board provides financial assistance to cover major experiences such as funeral bills and lost wages, not all losses are covered. Additional funding for victim services generally comes from a variety of state and local resources, but can only be used to assist victims where criminal charges are pending against the perpetrator of the underlying crime. Often times, there is a gap in funding for victims in the immediate aftermath of a criminal incident where no charges have been filed,” according to a statement from the Office of the State’s Attorney. Things the fund covers include replacing broken windows and locks, stolen property, crime scene clean up and medical treatment. According to the Office of the State’s Attorney, “Since 2001, more than 900 victims have received financial assistance totaling $107,476.28.” This year, for the first time, the Edmondson-Westside High School Marching band will be performing during the event. The run/walk will take place April 7 from 7:30 a.m. to noon. For more information go to victimfundrunbaltimore.com.

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TYPESET: Mon Mar 19 16:29:02 EDT 2018 SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Foreign No. TYPESET: Mon Mar 19 16:29:49 EDT 2018 2018FEP44 Date of Death January 22, 2015 Superior Court of Surjit Singh Bian the Decedent District of Columbia NOTICE OF PROBATE DIVISION APPOINTMENT Washington, D.C. OF FOREIGN 20001-2131 Administration No. PERSONAL 2018ADM000256 REPRESENTATIVE Jerome A Lindsay AND AKA NOTICE TO Jerome Albert Lindsay CREDITORS Decedent Purshotam S Bian whose NOTICE OF address is 7120 Royal APPOINTMENT, Fern Circle, # 103, NOTICE TO Manassas Va, 20111 was CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO appointed personal reUNKNOWN HEIRS presentative of the estate S h a r o n A n n H a r r i s , of Surjit singh Bian, dewhose address is 4129 ceased by the Register of Chariot Way, Upper MarlWills Court for Montgomboro MD 20772, was appointed personal repre- ery County, State of sentative of the estate of Maryland, on January Jerome A Lindsay AKA 31, 2018, Jerome Albert Lindsay , Service of process may who died on January 14, be made upon Paul D 2018 with a will, and will Hunt, Attorney at Law, serve without Court su- 717 D St. NW, Suite 300, pervision. All unknown Washington, DC 20004 heirs and heirs whose whose designation as where-abouts are unknown shall enter their District of Columbia agent has been filed with appearance in this proceeding. Objections the Register of Wills, to such appointment (or D.C. to the probate of de- The decedent owned the cedent´s will) shall be following District of filed with the Register of Colombia real property: Wills, D.C., 515 5th 738 50th St. Ne, WDC Street, N.W., 3rd Floor 20019, 742 50th St. NE, Wa s h i n g t o n , D . C . WDC 20019, 745 50th 20001, on or before September 23, 2018. St., NE WDC 20018, 743 Claims against the de- 50th St., NW WDC cedent shall be pre- 20019, 737 50th St., NW sented to the under- WDC 20019 SSL 5179 signed with a copy to the 0037 WDC Register of Wills or filed Claims against the dewith the Register of Wills cedent may be prewith a copy to the under- sented to the undersigned, on or before signed and filed with the September 23, 2018 , or be forever barred. Per- Register of Wills for the sons believed to be heirs District of Columbia, or legatees of the de- Building A, 515 5th cedent who do not re- Street, NW, 3rd Floor. ceive a copy of this notice Washington, D.C. 20001 by mail within 25 days of within 6 months from the its first publication shall date of first publication of so inform the Register of this notice. Wills, including name, Purshotam S Bian address and relationPersonal ship. Representative(s) Date of Publication: TRUE TEST COPY March 23, 2018 REGISTER OF WILLS Name of newspaper: Date of first publication: Afro-American Washington March 23, 2018 Law Reporter Name of newspapers Sharon Ann Harris and/or periodical: Personal The Daily Washington Representative Law Reporter The Afro-American TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS 03/23, 03/30, 04/6/18

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Ronald Lynn Thompson Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Bernadette Sandidge , whose address is 4208 TYPESET: Mon Mar 19 16:24:53 EDT 2018 LEGAL NOTICES LEGAL NOTICES 4th St., SE Apt 103, Washington, DC 20032 was appointed personal Superior Court of representative of the the estate of Ronald Lynn District of Columbia Thompson, who died on PROBATE DIVISION October 10, 2017 without Washington, D.C. a will, and will serve with 20001-2131 Court supervision. All unAdministration No. known heirs and heirs 2000ADM229 whose where-abouts are Callie Wooten unknown shall enter their AKA appearance in this Callie D Wooten proceeding. Objections AKA to such appointment Callie Daniel Wooten shall be filed with the Decedent Register of Wills, D.C., Lynn H Johnson Esq 1413 K Street, NW, 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor Washington, D.C. Suite 1500 20001, on or before Washington, DC 20005 September 23 , 2018 . Attorney Claims against the deNOTICE OF cedent shall be preAPPOINTMENT, sented to the underNOTICE TO signed with a copy to the CREDITORS Register of Wills or filed AND NOTICE TO with the Register of Wills UNKNOWN HEIRS Leslie Jackson , whose with a copy to the underaddress is 235 Ogleth- signed, on or before orpe St. NW, Washing- September 23, 2018, or ton, DC 20011 , was ap- be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs pointed personal representative of the or legatees of the deestate of Callie Wooten cedent who do not reAka Callie D Wooten, ceive a copy of this notice A k a C a l l i e D a n i e l by mail within 25 days of Wooten , who died on its first publication shall January 20, 2000 with a so inform the Register of will, and will serve with Wills, including name, Court supervision. All un- address and relationknown heirs and heirs ship. whose whereabouts are Date of Publication: unknown shall enter their March 23, 2018 Name of newspaper: appearance in this proceeding. Objections Afro-American to such appointment (or Washington to the probate of de- Law Reporter cedentÂ´s will) shall be Bernadette Sandidge filed with the Register of Personal Wills, D.C., 515 5th Representative Street, N.W., 3rd Floor

April 7, 2018 - April 13, 2018, The Afro-American LEGAL NOTICES

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Superior Court of the District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2018ADM221 Elizabeth Matthews Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS B r e n d a L a n c a s t e r, whose address is 12916 Applecross Drive, Clinton, MD 20735 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Elizabeth Matthews, who died on October 21, 2017 without a will, and will serve without Court TRUE TEST COPY superision. All unknown REGISTER OF WILLS heirs and heirs whose TYPESET: Mon Mar 19 16:27:52 EDT are 2018unwhereabouts 03/23, 03/30, 04/6/18 known shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections Superior Court of to such appointment the shall be filed with the District of Columbia Register of Wills, D.C., PROBATE DIVISION 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Washington, D.C. Floor Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 20001, on or before Administration No. September 23, 2018. 2018ADM000208 Claims against the deDorothy H Hedgman cedent shall be preDecedent sented to the underWilliam A Bland Esq 80 M Street, SE, Suite signed with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed 330 with the Register of Wills Washington, DC 20003 with a copy to the underAttorney signed, on or before NOTICE OF September 23, 2018, or APPOINTMENT, be forever barred. PerNOTICE TO sons believed to be heirs CREDITORS or legatees of the deAND NOTICE TO cedent who do not reUNKNOWN HEIRS Anita L Smalls , whose ceive a copy of this notice a d d r e s s i s 7 3 0 2 by mail within 25 days of Chaddsford Shoreside its first publication shall Court, Brandywine, MD so inform the Register of 20613, was appointed Wills, including name, personal representative address and relationof the estate of Dorothy H ship. Hedgman, who died on Date of Publication: October 6, 2017 without March 23, 2018 a will, and will serve with- Name of newspaper: out Court supervision. All Afro-American unknown heirs and heirs Washington whose whereabouts are Law Reporter Brenda Lancaster unknown shall enter their Personal appearance in this Representative proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the TRUE TEST COPY Register of Wills, D.C., REGISTER OF WILLS 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor Washington, D.C. TYPESET: Mon Mar 19 16:32:24 EDT 2018 03/23, 03/30, 04/6/18 20001, on or before September 23, 2018. Claims against the deSuperior Court of cedent shall be prethe sented to the underDistrict of Columbia signed with a copy to the PROBATE DIVISION Register of Wills or filed Washington, D.C. with the Register of Wills 20001-2131 with a copy to the underAdministration No. signed, on or before 2018ADM000203 September 23, 2018 or Bobby D Evans be forever barred. Per- AKA sons believed to be heirs Bobby Don Evans or legatees of the de- Decedent cedent who do not reNOTICE OF ceive a copy of this notice APPOINTMENT, by mail within 25 days of NOTICE TO its first publication shall CREDITORS so inform the Register of AND NOTICE TO Wills, including name, UNKNOWN HEIRS address and relation- Pamela B Evans , whose ship. address is 608 Drum Date of Publication: Ave, Capital Heights MD, March 23, 2018 20743 was appointed Name of newspaper: personal representative Afro-American of the estate of Bobby D Washington Evans AKA Bobby Don Law Reporter Evans , who died on Anita L Smalls December 25, 2017 with Personal a will, and will serve withRepresentative out Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs TRUE TEST COPY whose whereabouts are REGISTER OF WILLS unknown shall enter their appearance in this TYPESET: Mar 19 proceeding. 16:33:12 EDTObjections 2018 03/23, 03/30,Mon 04/6/18 to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Superior Court of 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd the Floor Washington, D.C. District of Columbia 20001, on or before PROBATE DIVISION September 23, 2018. Washington, D.C. Claims against the de20001-2131 cedent shall be preAdministration No. sented to the under2018ADM000167 signed with a copy to the Ronald Lynn Register of Wills or filed Thompson with the Register of Wills Decedent with a copy to the underNOTICE OF signed, on or before APPOINTMENT, September 23, 2018, or NOTICE TO be forever barred. PerCREDITORS sons believed to be heirs AND NOTICE TO or legatees of the deUNKNOWN HEIRS cedent who do not reBernadette Sandidge , ceive a copy of this notice whose address is 4208 by mail within 25 days of 4th St., SE Apt 103, its first publication shall Washington, DC 20032 so inform the Register of was appointed personal Wills, including name, representative of the address and relationestate of Ronald Lynn ship. Thompson, who died on Date of Publication: October 10, 2017 without

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The Afro-American, April 7, 2018 - April 13, 2018

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April 7, 2018 - April 13, 2018, The Afro-American

WASHINGTON-AREA

DC 1968 Project Commemorates the District 50 Years Ago By Akil Wilson Special to the AFRO

1968 is the year that altered Washington, D.C. economically demographically and geographically. Those who grew up in the District have heard tales of the tragic, historic turn that the city took beginning on the night of April 4, 1968. The day Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee. It all started at the intersection of 14th and U Streets Northwest. What began as a public display of grief, anger and confusion sparked by the loss of one of the most important men in United States history, eventually turned into major destruction in some of the District’s Black neighborhoods. Those riots, which destroyed or damaged over 900 business and properties as well left 13 dead, primarily resulted from the unbridled

D.C. Remembers King’s Assassination with Events

Courtesy Photo

frustration of D.C.’s Black population. 1968, like much of the 60’s, was a year filled Continued on D2

By Lauren E. Williams Special to the AFRO The walls are covered with school sports memorabilia, personal photographs, and newspaper articles. The furniture is modern, yet understated, as not to take away from the artifacts on the walls. The curators are knowledgeable, personable, and inspiring. The first museum committed to highlighting the excellence of HBCUs, The Welcome Center, is set to open on Georgia Ave in Northwest. “The idea for the museum came from me and my brother, and my family thinking about how to give back to the tomorrow generation,” Terrence Forte, Executive Director for the HBCU Museum, told the AFRO. “We wanted to figure out a way to amplify the message of what was so concretely laid for us as a foundation - the people who paved the way through HBCUs. We call them the

Photo by Lenore Adkins

Isaiah Messiah marching with his “I Am A Man” sign during “The People’s March for Justice, Equality and Peace” hosted by Ben’s Chili Bowl. The march started at Howard University on Georgia Avenue and Howard Place N.W. and ended at Ben’s Chili Bowl in the U Street corridor. By James Wright Special to the AFRO jwright@afro.com

A photo of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. preaching his last Sunday sermon at the Washington National Cathedral featured on the DC 1968 Project Instagram page.

First-Ever HBCU Museum Opens

The District of Columbia, like the rest of the nation, hosted several events to remember the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. An assassin killed King on April 4, 1968 in Memphis, Tenn. Virginia Ali, the co-founder of the famous Ben Chili’s Bowl restaurant chain on U Street. Northwest remembers vividly that day a half century ago. “I was at Ben’s Chili Bowl working,” Ali told a group of 40 people at the John A. Wilson Building as one of the speakers for a program “Reflection on 1968 in Washington, D.C. and the Life and Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.,” that was held on April 3 and was sponsored by the D.C. Council and Georgetown University. “Suddenly, someone rushed into the front door and said ‘Dr. King had been shot.’ Of course, we didn’t believe

him but someone later came in and said Dr. King had been killed. “When we found out that Dr. King had died, everyone was in tears. I remember going outside and that’s when I noticed that someone was throwing a brick on 14th Street.” The U Street corridor, specifically 14th Street Northwest, was one of the areas in the District where the disturbances took place on April 4 and a few days after. Former D.C. Council member Dr. Charlene Drew Jarvis, who was one of the speakers, remembers the day, too. “I had just finished teaching a class at Howard University and went to 14th Street to pick up my children at nursery school,” Jarvis, who served on the council from 19792001, said. “I couldn’t park on 14th Street, which I thought was strange, -Virginia Ali so I parked on 16th Street. When I got to 14th Street, I asked a police officer why and he told me that Dr. King had been shot and people were out in the streets. “I found out that the teachers had taken the children home and

“I was at Ben’s Chili Bowl working.”Suddenly, someone rushed into the front door and said ‘Dr. King had been shot’.”

Housing Crisis Looms in Ward 1: Candidates

Courtesy Photo

Terrence Forte, Executive Director for the HBCU Museum. Continued on D2

Continued on D3

ESSENCE Embarks on New Journey By Charise Wallace Special to the AFRO

By James Wright Special to the AFRO jwright@afro.com The candidates for one of the District of Columbia’s most contested D.C. Council races recently got together to discuss one of the city’s most pressing issues: housing. D.C. Council member Brianne Nadeau (D-Ward 1) is facing a re-election challenge from former D.C. Superior Court Magistrate Lori Parker, Ward 1 activist Courtesy Photo Sheika Reid and Kent Boese, Sheika Reid is a candidate for the Ward 1 D.C. Council an advisory neighborhood seat. commissioner in the ward, in the June 19 Democratic Party primary. The winner of the primary will face independents Greg Boyd and Jamie Sycamore in the Nov. 6 general election. The debate was sponsored by The Grassroots Planning Coalition and took place at the Busboys & Poets on 14th Street., N.W. on March 29. The candidates addressed how they would deal with the Continued on D2

When Shea Moisture founder, Richelieu Dennis, became the first Black owner of ESSENCE Communications, the media organization began planning and celebrating the possibilites of its new journey. One of the ways ESSENCE celebrated its new venture is through the event “My Journey: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow,” at the Newseum in Washington, D.C. While overlooking the District on March 29, Dennis and ESSENCE Communications President, Michelle Ebanks, joined a conversation with host of the Fox show The Real and Cafe Mocha Radio, Loni Love along with Fox 5 anchor, Allison Seymour to discuss the future of the magazine, entrepreneurship from local to global, and creativity. “Susan B. Taylor always says that “ESSENCE has

angels’,” said Ebanks, referencing the former Editor and Chief of the brand. “ESSENCE is about story telling with purpose… our minds are wired to understand stories… That’s the beauty of understanding…having this expertise and knowing that it’s been done so that we can

truly serve our audience and tell more stories.” The first Black women’s magazine wants to continue expanding the brand by utilizing their “community commerce model” in order to reach African American female entrepreneurs from all local communities and then expand to reach global

Courtesy Photo

Comedienne and talk show Host, Loni Love, ESSENCE Communications President, Michelle Ebanks, Richelieu Dennis, new owner of ESSENCE Communications, and Alison Seymour, anchor on Fox 5 News, at the My Journey: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow event at the Newseum in Washington, D.C.

profits. Currently, the platform is looking to provide $100 million worth of funding for Black women owned businesses. “Every platform will grow expeditiously,” she said. “Our digital platform, our video platform, our live events platform, and our magazine platform because we need to reach more of our women and across more verticals that serve, you know…their needs.” “I think that it’s just important to really know who you are…to carry the strength of our ancestors wherever we go,” Seymour said during a Facebook Live interview with AFRO Washington, D.C. Editor, Micha Green. “If we have that inside of us…we can be unstoppable, we just gotta get to it.” Dennis, who continues to expand his beauty lines under Sundial Brands, explained the strategies to take ESSENCE to the next Continued on D3

The Afro-American, April 7, 2018 - April 13, 2018

Black Business

D.C. Native Gives Back with Socks

By Jasmine Ball Special to the AFRO

A native Washingtonian is giving back to the community with socks. Socks might appear minor for some, but to others they can change lives. “I thought what if I designed my own socks, since I spend a lot of money wearing other brands and designs. Why not put it towards creating my own?”, said Yurlee Tinsley, owner of Royal T Socks. Tinsley officially launched his business Royal T Socks on February 5, 2018. Royal T is a brand that is geared toward expressing creativity through imagination. Tinsley told the AFRO, “I want to express imaginable creativity. Our designs will go beyond traditional colorful socks with no limitations. If you have an imagination, there is a design for socks.”

“I thought what if I designed my own socks, since I spend a lot of money wearing other brands and designs. Why not put it towards creating my own”? – Yurlee Tinsley

Courtesy Photo

Royal T Socks, owned by D.C. native, Yurlee Tinsely, donates a pair of socks for every 10 pairs sold.

Tinsley attended Woodrow Wilson High School in Washington, D.C. From high school, he went to South Carolina State University to receive his bachelors in business management, while minoring in Human Resource Management. He also earned his masters in information systems technology from The George Washington University. Even with his background in technology and business, getting the business off of its feet was not simple at first because he wanted to find people he could work with to bring his creativity to life.

“Looking for a manufacturer was not easy, but I was able to find someone who could make my ideas and designs come to life,” said Tinsley. Tinsley designs what he wants the sock to look like and the manufacturer does his magic. Tinsley plans to collaborate with different creators, work with different organizations and host events. The idea of donating socks came from researching that Washington, D.C. is fifth on the list of having the highest population of homelessness. “I plan to design a dedicated sock specifically for donating,” the entrepreneur said. Tinsley donates one pack of socks to a shelter in Washington, D.C., for every 10 pairs of socks purchased. Since the start of the business, seven packs of socks will be donated. There are five pairs of socks in each pack. The socks range from $10- $50. While a specific one has not been chosen, Tinsley plans on donating the socks to a youth shelter. Customers, like Kiana Howard, enjoy the quality of Royal T Socks and the fact the business is African American owned. ”The socks that I ordered are very comfortable. I like how much time Yurlee puts into his designs and how creative the patterns are. I will be ordering more pairs and definitely will keep supporting this Black owned business.” When asked what makes Royal T Socks different from other competitors, Tinsley said, “mostly the designs, I look at hundreds of sock designs and I try to make something that is different. The socks that I create are unique.”

DC 1968

Continued from D1 with protests, uprisings and sometimes violent clashes with authorities. “When I looked down the street, I really didn’t understand what I was seeing. It seems that people were in a celebratory mood dealing with the pain of losing Dr. King and the joy of having the chance to take things without recourse from the police,” Former D.C. Council member, Dr. Charlene Drew Jarvis, told the AFRO. 50 years later, Dr. Marya Annette McQuirter is commemorating the important year in D.C. history online. McQuirter is the curator of DC 1968 Project an online gallery of images chronicling what life was like in Washington D.C. in this pivotal year by posting a new

image every day for the in 2018. Her page shows that in the months leading up to the events of April 4th 1968 Washington was abuzz with activism. From the antifreeway building campaign spearheaded by a young activist named Marion Barry

SNCC. On March 31, she posted a photo from 50 years to the day of King delivering his last Sunday sermon at the Washington National Cathedral. With the photo is a description of the historicity behind the photograph.

“It seems that people were in a celebratory mood dealing with the pain of losing Dr. King…” – Dr. Charlene Drew Jarvis to the anti-war protest actions led by Stokley Carmichael and the group of Howard University students known as

“He was invited by the Very Rev. Francis B. Sayre, Jr. (white), the cathedral dean, to speak about the Poor

People’s Campaign, which was scheduled to begin on 22 April. He also took the opportunity to speak out against the Vietnam War,” McQuirter wrote. “The title of King’s sermon was ‘Remaining Awake Through a Great Revolution.’ He shared: ‘And one of the great liabilities of life is that too many people find themselves living amid a great period of social change and yet they fail to develop new attitudes, the new mental responses, that the new situation demands. They end up sleeping through a revolution.’” Despite the passing of 50 years, DC 1968 Project shows many of the same issues the city currently faces were at the forefront

of the political landscape in 1968 as well. There was concern over Negro removal in Shaw- gentrification; teachers marching on the Capitol for fair pay and treatment- nationwide teacher strikes; and student led takeovers of Howard University administration buildings- such as what’s currently happening at the institution where students are demanding a change in policy and leadership On the 50th anniversary

of this monumental year, DC 1968 Project emphasizes it is important to not only focus on the assassination of Dr. King and the devastation that followed, but give thanks and credit to those who stayed, survived and thrived for half a century in the Chocolate City. For a glimpse into what life was like for Washingtonians of that era, check out McQuirter’s website dc1968project.com or follow the Instagram account, @dc1968project, for daily updates.

Museum

Continued from B1 legacy generation.” While Forte, a D.C. native, did not attend an HBCU, both of his parents did. They are proud graduates of Howard University. Forte admits his parents often shared their experiences. “Going to an HBCU was always talked about in my household. You always heard about it.” Forte and his family started scouting for locations and strategizing about the museum about “two to three years ago.” Now part of a four-phase plan, including two locations (one in D.C. and one in Atlanta), community outreach, and educational programming, the HBCU Museum officially opened the doors of its Welcome Center on February 28th. “We have more than 150 pieces in this building,” said Forte. “But have received over 1,000. We don’t have enough space to house at all.” Of note is a picture from Cheyney University, the oldest piece in the Welcome Center. Memorabilia from the ‘Official

“The idea for the museum came from me and my brother, and my family thinking about how to give back to the tomorrow generation.” –Terrence Forte Black Wall Street’ and fraternities and sororities of the National Pan Hellenic Council are on display as well. Donations have mostly come from HBCU alums. And, according to Forte, keep coming in. “We haven’t really begun to make our rounds to universities yet,” said Forte. Forte and his team look to open a 4,000-square foot location in D.C. and a 6,000 square foot location in Atlanta, GA. The locations have not yet been chosen. For now, the public is encouraged to visit the Welcome Center on Georgia Ave. It opens Monday through Saturday at 11am and Sunday at 1pm. In the midst of recent negative news about Howard University, particularly regarding the financial aid embezzlement scandal, the HBCU Museum stands tall as a reminder of the significant contributions all HBCUs have made to society. Through the museum, HBCUs can tell their own story. “We just want to make our ancestors proud,” Forte told the AFRO.

April 7, 2018 - April 13, 2018, The Afro-American

Housing Crisis Continued from D1

District’s housing crisis. “As the Ward 1 council member, I am committed to progressive causes,” Nadeau said. Nadeau is in her first term as a member of the District’s legislative bodyand said she is the best person running that will work for affordable housing for all District residents and noted her work in creating 500 units of housing. Ward 1 is located in the geographic middle of the District. Suburban Stats, an online publication that publishes data on population, income, gender and economic statuses of political jurisdictions, reported that in 2017, Ward 1 was 48 percent White, 24 percent Black, 20 percent Latino and four percent Asian. The average listing price for a home in Ward 1’s Columbia Heights is $764,388, according to Trulia, a web site that tracks home values nationally, while the average cost of a house in the District is 545,000, SmartAsset, an online housing publication said. Parker and Reid are the two African Americans in the race. Parker said that if elected to the D.C. Council, she would make affordable housing a priorities for Ward 1 residents. “I want a Ward 1 for all,” Parker said. “We all want the same things such as affordable housing and to stop escalating rents and property taxes. I want to work to expand economic

opportunity.” Reid said affordable housing is due to everyone. “I believe that safe and affordable housing is a human right,” she said. “Our city can do a lot better when it comes to housing. The D.C. Department of Housing has sent back

“We all want the same things such as affordable housing and to stop escalating rents and property taxes.” -Lori Parker millions of dollars to the federal government because those dollars weren’t used and we can’t continue to do that.” Nadeau realizes that affordable housing in the District for African Americans has been an issue for decades. The council member said Blacks in the city have historically faced

D.C. Remembers Continued from D1

when I got to my house, the kids and I went on the third floor and watched the flames in the city.” She said it is to the credit of then District Mayor Walter Washington that he ordered lawbreakers not to be shot. Jarvis said it took 30 years for the U Street corridor to get the attention it needed from the District government and business communities to economically develop to what it is presently a booming restaurant and enterprise scene. On April 4, District residents observed King’s assassination with a program at Shepherd Park in Ward 8, a march in Ward 1 and a ceremony at Georgetown University. Residents gathered at Shepherd Park, which is located at the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. & Malcolm X Avenues., S.E., to observe the event with speakers such as D.C. Council member Trayon White (D-Ward 8), faith leaders and local entertainers. A march from Howard University to Ben’s Chili Bowl in Ward 1 was held with the support of the restaurant. Ali told the AFRO why she supported the march. “This is a peaceful march in memory of Dr. King,” she said. Georgetown University held a ceremony in honor of King at its Dahlgren Chapel. Dr. Maurice Jackson, an associate professor of history at Georgetown, participated in the April 3 program at the Wilson Building and told the AFRO why the institution chose to remember King. “Georgetown students were very involved in the city during the time of the King assassination,” Jackson said. “The law students helped process those who were arrested and the undergraduate prepared food and blankets for people affected by the disturbance. I have been pushing the university to do something about this.”

racial discrimination in housing and have been the subject of redlining, the illegal practice in which banks refuse to lend money to homeowners who live in African-American neighborhoods. “The average family income of an African-American family is $30,000 while the White family is $100,000 and Hispanic at $80,000,”Nadeau said. She said, in essence, that everyone needs to have low-income housing including affluent Wards 2 and 3 and “new affordable housing shouldn’t just be in Wards 7 and 8.” There was a discussion of the District’s comprehensive plan, which is the long term framework for land use. Many District residents feel that the comprehensive plan is a reflection of the desires of developers and not of those who live in neighborhoods. Parker said the plan needs work. “The comprehensive plan provides guidance,” she said. “It can be strengthened to provide guidance and to prevent displacement and to provide housing for low and moderate income residents.” Reid said that the plan needs more metrics and instead of a process in which it is viewed every five years “it needs to be re-visited more often.”

ESSENCE

Continued from D1

“I think that it’s just important to really know who you are… to carry the strength of our ancestors wherever we go.”

level. “What we’ve had the good fortune of doing was not just disruptive to the current state, but it was also disruptive to the future state,” he said. “What Michelle is talking about is that same model and the excitement that comes around when you don’t think about ESSENCE as any of these other boxes, but simply think about it as we’re here to serve the Black community, Black women in particular, and where are those opportunities to serve.”

–Allison Seymour

CO-PRESENTED BY

Orchestras in Motion! April 9–15, 2018 Four adventurous orchestras. $25 concerts at the Kennedy Center. Plus exciting FREE performances and other events around the city! Learn more at SHIFTfestival.org. This year’s orchestras: Albany Symphony (New York)

Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra (Texas)

Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra (Indiana)

National Symphony Orchestra (D.C.)

Plus local participating orchestras, ensembles, and artists!

Tickets and info at (202) 467-4600 or SHIFTfestival.org For all other ticket-related customer service inquiries, call the Advance Sales Box Office at (202) 416-8540. Presented in cooperation with the League of American Orchestras Generous support of the SHIFT Festival is provided through a matching grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation; by the D.C. Commission on the Arts & Humanities, which receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts; by Dr. Gary Mather and Ms. Christina Co Mather; and by Michael F. and Noémi K. Neidorff and The Centene Charitable Foundation. This project is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts, Abramson Family Foundation, Betsy and Robert Feinberg, and Morton and Norma Lee Funger.

The Afro-American, April 7, 2018 - April 13, 2018

Shero Award Honoree, Wanda Durant

The Prince George’s County chapter of National Coalition of 100 Black Women (NCBW) presented the SHERO awards at the My Sister’s Keeper annual program on March 10 at the Scripture Cathedral

Church in Hyattsville, Maryland. This year’s honorees were Wanda Durant and Delores Hawkins. Both ladies have passions that inspired them to give back through various ways to Prince George’s County communities. Dr. Gretchen Lofland is the chapter president. Photos by Leta Harrison

Chantrell McCormick, Shero Award Honoree Delores Hawkins and Dr. Gretchen Lofland

Wanda Durant(center) with some of the attendees

Ceretta Lee

Wanda Durant, Shero Award Honoree, Dr. Gretchen Lofland and Deloris Hawkins, Shero Award Honoree

Former Congresswoman Donna Edwards(D-MD)

Chantrell McCormick, Dr. Betty Stelzer and Dr. Gretchen Lofland

Dawn Stevens, Guest, Darlene carter, Dr. Gretchen Lofland, president of NCBW of Prince George’s County, Jennifer Dickens, Guest, Bernita Graham and Chantrell McCormick

A. Peter Bailey( seated), the Play writer with cast members: Kevin Green, Carole Mumin, the director, Arjun Collins, Myles Copeland and Malaak Shabazz

Photos by Rob Roberts

Nadira, Associate Producer, Ibrahim Mumin, Nehemiah and Marcia Sellers

Malissa Tarver (far left) and Anaka Osbourne (far right) with students from KIPPDC-Aim Academy

Maryland State Delegate Dianna Fennel

The Town Hall education Arts Recreation Center (THEARC) and A. Peter Bailey presented the production “Malcolm, Martin, Medgar” on Feb. 22 at the THEARC in Southeast, Washington, D.C. The play was Malaak Shabazz, written and produced cast member by A. Peter Bailey, directed by and daughter of Carole Mumin and produced Malcolm X by OFTON with Dr. Betty Shabazz, Malcolm X’s widow, and Malaak Shabazz, daughter of Malcolm X, in a starring role and his great-grandnephew, Arjun Collins played the role of Malcolm X and also featured Carole Mumin and Amy Billingsley Kevin Green and Myles Copeland playing Dr. King and Medgar Evers respectively.

Arjun Collins, playing the role of Malcolm X, Myles Copeland playing the role of Medgar Evers and Kevin Green, playing the role of Dr. King

The Zumba Zone with Club Rachel

Madison Chambers and Bryce Armstrong with Tara Morrison (center), Superintendent, National Capital Region-east

Michael Lester and Gwendolyn Wade with the Wizards Mascot

District Pageant Queens and Residents Alike, Get Fit and Have Fun at the

Madison Chambers, Miss DC Teen USA, Leon Harris, NBC4 news anchor and Byrce Armstrong, Miss DC USA

The NBC 4 Health and Fitness Expo celebrated its 25th year of providing fitness; fun, and information for Washington Metropolitan area residents on March 10 and March 11 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. On Saturday, pageant queens, Bryce Armstrong, Miss District

Prince Georges County Chapter, Top Ladies of Distinction: Michelle Jiggetts, Carolyn Culver, Darlene Boykins, Lateisha Powell, Pam Wright, Cynthia Jones and Voka Norwood

of Columbia USA, and Madison Chambers, Miss District of Columbia Teen USA, greeted attendees and joined in on some of many activities offered. Rock climbing, Zumba, yoga, and virtual reality rides, were some of the fun, educational activities attendees enjoyed during the Expo.

Madison Chambers, Miss District of Columbia Teen USA (left) and Bryce Armstrong, Miss District of Columbia USA with some of the youngest visitors to Health and Fitness Expo

Candace Caren, Bryce Armstrong, Estelle Lloyd, Madison Chambers and Johnette Wilson; Caren, Lloyd and Wilson are with the DC Health link

Rock climbing Photos by Rob Roberts