PG County 5-18-2018 by AFRO News

Who Killed Det. Sean Suiter? 176 Days and Counting

PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY EDITION

Volume 127 No. 41

MAY 19, 2018 - MAY 25, 2018

Will Ervin Take Up the Mantle of the Kamenetz Campaign?

By Hamil R. Harris Special to the AFRO

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In Cannes, Spike Lee Lambasts Trump Over White Supremacists

In the wake of the death of Maryland gubernatorial candidate Kevin Kamenetz, his running mate, Valerie Ervin, is being urged to take his place on the ballot and according to state law she only has until May 17 to make a decision. Former Rep. Donna Edwards (D-Md.) wants Ervin to enter Maryland’s June 26 Democratic primary that already has six contenders- that include former NAACP President Ben Jealous, and Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker. Edwards is among three Democratic candidates running for Baker’s job. “Last week, our state’s leadership suffered a terrible blow in the losing Kevin Kamenetz. His decades of faithful public service has had an indelible impact on the State of Maryland, and thousands of Baltimore County residents have benefitted from his great acts of service, “ Edwards said in a statement. “Now, the time has come for a decision, and I couldn’t be more proud to urge my childhood friend and political sister, Valerie Ervin, to pick up where he left off and run for the Maryland governorship.”

A photo featured on Valerie Ervin’s Twitter featuring she and former Congresswoman Donna Edwards.

Both of their fathers served together in the Air Force. “From her time as an active parent in the community to her leadership on the Board of Education in Montgomery County to her leadership as President of the Montgomery County Council, Valerie is ready to lead our state. She’s fought tooth and nail for working families in the labor movement, and as a national leader building coalitions.” While Edwards said there is “no one better to carry on Kevin’s legacy,” Baker also issued a statement highlighting his commonality with Kamenetz and praising the Baltimore County Executive on May 10, the morning after all the candidates appeared on a gubernatorial forum at Bowie State University. “I had just watched hours earlier Kevin passionately and eloquently share his goals, vision, and ideas for the State of Maryland,” Baker said. “Over the past seven years, we worked together on critical pieces of legislation and shared goals for improving the education of Maryland children, achieving quality health care for all the state’s residents, and creating jobs and opportunity for our constituents.”

What Is the Racial Climate on UMD’s Campus?

Starbucks: From Boycott to Victory

By Brianna Rhodes Special to the AFRO

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The University of Maryland released a report from its diversity campus climate survey earlier this month. It included feedback such as racial and ethnic differences related to “belongingness, feeling welcomed and satisfaction with the decision to attend or work at UMD.” Latinx and Black participants indicated less attachment to the university compared to their White and Asian counterparts. Also, people of color, women and gender nonbinary individuals reported greater concerns about personal Continued on A3

Courtesy Photo

Valerie Ervin is facing the decision of whether to run for governor following the death of her running mate, Kevin Kamenetz.

Who is Valerie Ervin? By James Wright Special to the AFRO jwright@afro.com

Howell Wants to Be Next Clerk of Prince George’s Courts

As Valerie Ervin is being encouraged by Prince George’s County leaders to run for governor, others are wondering who she is. Ervin, a former Montgomery County Council member, was running with Kevin Kamenetz as his lieutenant governor’s pick for the June 26 Democratic Party primary. Kamenetz died unexpectedly of cardiac arrest on May 10. He was 60. As a result of Kamenetz’s death, some believe that Ervin Continued on A3

Continued on A2

Chadwick Boseman Honors Howard Graduates

Lee Seeks Fourth Term as Prince George’s Register of Wills

Courtesy photo

Cereta Lee is the first African American to be Registrar of Wills in Prince George’s County. By James Wright Special to the AFRO jwright@afro.com One of the most obscure elected positions in Prince George’s County is also one of the most important. Cereta Lee, the Register of Wills, wants to make sure residents understand that.

“People work hard to leave a legacy to their heirs and I want to make sure that they do that.”

By James Wright Special to the AFRO jwright@afro.com One of the most important jobs in Prince George’s County government is also considered one of the least glamorous, but that is fine with Adrion Howell. Howell, a resident of Glenn Dale, is a candidate for clerk of the county court. Howell told the AFRO he is committed to making sure the clerk’s office is the best it can be for county residents.

Washington

– Cereta Lee

Adrion Howell has worked for the White House and members of the U.S. Congress. He is seeking the office of clerk of the county court.

Courtesy photo

That is one of the reasons she is seeking a fourth term in the position. “I am running for reelection because I want to continue reaching out to the community and educating residents on the importance of having a will,” Lee told the Continued on A2

The Afro-American, May 19, 2018 - May 25, 2018

Brown Turns Flowers Into Baseball Powerhouse one hit baseball before yielding to Tremaine Cobb, Jr who retired the final three batters to earn the save. “It was a hard-fought battle no doubt,” coach George When Charles Herbert Flowers High School claimed Brown told the AFRO. their second Prince George’s County baseball championship The resilience shown by the Jaguars is a testament to the it was only the beginning of their journey. As the team architect of their program. visited Eleanor Roosevelt, Flowers was on a quest to erase These past three years mark the most successful run in the disappointment of last year’s loss to Henry A. Wise in the history of the Flowers program. Brown not only has the first round of the Maryland Public Secondary School brought a winning formula to the field he has created a yearAthletic Association (MPSSAA) Playoffs. round culture that keeps baseball at the top of his players However, as the Jaguars went to Greenbelt to face the last consciousness. Those who have watched baseball in Prince P.G. County team to win a state championship, they faced a George’s County praise his work ethic and the organization team whose program already has a championship pedigree. that Brown has established. Roosevelt won “I’m a throwback coach,” said Brown. “I want players the Maryland that aren’t just happy to be on the team. You’ve got to love 4A title in the game.” 2007, marking Flowers has won consecutive P.G. County the last time a championships thanks to a model that he’s implemented team from the Courtesy Photo which follows the blueprint from successful private school County won a programs. His physical conditioning plan includes an off– George Brown This photo featured on the Charles Herbert Flowers Baseball state title. It season weight program and players competing on elite travel Twitter account, shows the squad after winning their second is a draught teams that face the best talent around the country during the Prince George’s County championship for the second year in a that has now summer. It also arms players with the knowledge of how row. moved into its second decade for a county that continues to to be recruited by colleges. Brown hopes it will serve as a produce talent who make their mark around the country at model for other programs to keep their players at their zoned the collegiate level. high schools and forsaking the private schools who continue Flowers was set to host the sectional championship game until Mother Nature intervened. to raid the county for its elite players. After their 15-0 five inning shut out of Suitland to win the Prince George’s championship, “If every kid stayed at their zoned school instead of going to private schools this would be the thunderstorms washed out their field leaving it unplayable. The Jaguars were forced to make a top [baseball] county in the state,” said Brown. 20-minute bus ride to get to the opposition’s field for the game. Brown has also put his Howard University economics degree to work by establishing a nonDespite their challenges Flowers’ quest to bring the state championship back to the County profit booster association that helps offset the cost of keeping the program solvent. The Jaguar remained intact after a 1-0 pitcher’s duel that moved them deeper into the playoffs. Senior Baseball Booster Club is a 501 c3 that helps provide equipment and will address years of neglect Thomas Espinosa – who is being recruited by Lincoln (PA) University - pitched five innings of to their field as well. By Mark F. Gray Special to the AFRO

“It was a hard-fought battle no doubt.”

Howell

Continued from A1 “I am running to improve the quality of customer service in the clerk’s office and I have the qualifications to lead the office and the desire to serve the public,” he said. The Clerk of the Court is elected by the voters of Prince George’s County but is considered a state official and works with the county’s judicial branch. The duties of the clerk include having custody of the books, records and papers of the office; make entries of all proceedings of the court and keep them in well-bound books or other permanent form; providing copies of county papers that are available; issue writs from courts; administer oaths; report both traffic and criminal cases involving motor vehicles and receiving all books, documents, public letters and packages sent to the office and dispose of

them lawfully. Sydney Harrison is the present clerk. Harrison isn’t running for re-election but has instead opted to seek a District 9 County Council seat. Howell is running against Mahasin El-Amin, Adrian Mason, Gloria McClam-Magruder, Bonita Rabalais and Denise Roberts in the June 26 Democratic Party primary. The winner will likely take the seat after the Nov. 6 general election because there is no Republican opponent. Howell holds a bachelor’s degree from Norfolk State University and a juris doctorate from the Howard University School of Law. He has worked as a clerk for a judge in Virginia, the Clinton administration and for U.S. Reps. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.), who is retired and Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) as well as for the county. Howell ran unsuccessfully for the county council in 2002 and for county clerk in 2010. Howell is a principal and a founder of Howell & Associates, a government relations firm that has had clients such as Clear Channel. He is also a founding member of the African-American Democratic Club of Prince

George’s County. In the 1990s, Howell was honored by the Washington AFRO-American Newspaper for being an admired Black male and wrote commentaries for the newspaper.

“Many residents don’t understand the role of the office.” – Adrion Howell Howell said if elected as the clerk, he will work diligently to serve Prince Georgians. “Many residents don’t understand the role of the office,” he said. “I will make sure that I will be an impartial keeper of the records that include marriage and divorce papers, deeds and land records. If this job isn’t done right, it can cost the citizens a lot of money.” As the clerk, Howell said he will continue its evolving technological capacity and work to increase outreach in the county. “I want to focus on seniors so they can understand what our office does,” he said. “I want to increase our outreach in the community so they can understand what we do also and bring young people into the office with internships.”

Lee

Continued from A1 AFRO. “People work hard to leave a legacy to their heirs and I want to make sure that they do that.” The duties of the Prince George’s County Register of Wills are to file wills that are presented to the office in a discretionary manner; make sure that the decedent’s wishes in the will are carried out; heirs, legatees and creditors are notified about what they will receive when a person dies and a will is filed and serves as the collector for the state of Maryland regarding taxes and fees that apply. Lee notes that wills of living people are kept with the office and aren’t public records. In addition, Lee said her office doesn’t give legal advice or prepare wills. “You have to go to an attorney for those things,” she said. Lee has a bachelor of business administration from Strayer University and is a retired manager with Verizon. She also served as an executive assistant to Maryland Del. Michael Jackson (D-District 27B) when he was the sheriff of Prince George’s County.

In 2006, Lee was the first African American elected as the county’s Register of Wills. Lee said that residents come first in her office. “I love helping people,” she said. “Each year, I attend 65-70 events a year going out to civic association meetings, club meetings and various events explaining to people what I do. Lee’s goal is to make sure residents have an easy experience when dealing with her office. She has worked to increase her office’s capabilities such as implementing credit-card payments and being able to conduct office matters online. Lee said when she talks with county residents they tend to ask the same questions no matter where she is. “They say to me that I’m going to do my will, what do I do,” she said. “I tell them to get an attorney and file their will with our office for safekeeping. “ Lee said when she hires new employees they take classes in professionalism and courtesy. One of the classes deal with customer service and the other is how to deal with difficult people. Lee faces Toya Fasakin in the June 26 Democratic Primary. The winner of that contest will likely be the next Register of Wills because there is no Republican opponent in the Nov. 6 general election.

May 19, 2018 - May 25, 2018, The Afro-American

UMD

Continued from A1

safety. The survey was conducted at the beginning of the spring semester for students, faculty and staff to share their experiences and perspectives on safety and inclusion concerns, according to its website. Students of color at UMD revealed that they were not surprised with the results and stated the administration should make improvements to make all students feel welcomed and acknowledged on campus. Linda Kuo, an Asian American and Pacific Islander student intern for Multicultural Involvement and Community Advocacy (MICA) department said the survey reveals relevant information about the racial and ethnic differences in feeling welcomed on campus, personal safety issues and hate-bias incidents. Kuo said more transparency on behalf of the administration would be appreciated and the reaction rate and preventative measures to diversity and inclusion-related incidents on campus could be improved. “There are many general ways the university could improve, such as implementing diversity training for Greek life, hiring and retaining more professors of color and increasing funding for diverse spaces and programming,” Kuo said. Graduate student Jaelen Barnett said the climate

“A silver lining could have been that the university actually makes the changes that would’ve been necessary to start on the path to moving forward for actual tangible equity diversity and inclusion . . . but that takes work.” – Delisha Thompson of the school has changed since the murder of Bowie State University student,

Lt. Richard Collins III, on UMD’s campus last year. Sean Urbanski, who was

charged with Collins’ death, is set to go on trial in July. The results of the survey were revealed on May 3, almost a year after Collins’ death. “The climate has just been in a state of like unknown, not really showing too much and I say that from an administrative side,” Barnett said. “The students don’t really know where the administration is really trying to work towards.” Barnett said the administration sends out emails to the campus community, but it really isn’t to the point where students are well informed about them to take the initiative

A photograph featured on the UMD Climate Survey Homepage.

to attend. Overall, he does feel like UMD is a good school and there is unity and camaraderie amongst the Black community on campus. Another graduate student, Delisha Thompson, who attended UMD for undergrad, agrees with her peers about the climate of the university and the changes that could’ve been made after Collins’ death. She said much hasn’t changed since she began attending the school in 2010. “A silver lining could have been that the university actually makes the changes that would’ve been necessary

to start on the path to moving forward for actual tangible equity diversity and inclusion . . . but that takes work.” Thompson said to make change, she recommends students sustain pressure on the administration, arm themselves with as much information as possible, work to empower each other and create a mechanism for the pressure to stay constant. Thompson was dissatisfied with the overall structure of the survey. She was also displeased with the average time it took to complete the survey and the lack of effort she said the administration put into convincing faculty, staff and students to take it. The report included multiple steps the university plans to take to address and promote equity, diversity and inclusion based on the responses. Some efforts include increasing security cameras, focused police patrols, and continued investment in advanced cultural sensitivity and awareness for students’ safety. The Office of Diversity and Inclusion is working on initiatives and recommendations include implementing training and education programs.

Valerie Ervin Continued from A1

should run for governor with the Kamenetz organization behind her. If Ervin were to run, and win, she would be the first Black, female governor in the history of the United States, and with her experience and the potential of a history making election, many Prince George’s County leaders are urging her to run. “Kevin Kamenetz chose Valerie because she has the intelligence, heart and integrity to lead this state-he knew that she could step up to be governor should the need occur. There’s no one better to carry on Kevin’s legacy, Former U.S. Representative Donna Edwards, who is a candidate for Prince George’s County Executive, said in a statement. “It’s her time to lead Maryland and I am all in, if she is all in.” Nicole Williams is a candidate for the Maryland House

Delegates in District 22. Williams told the AFRO that Ervin should run for governor. “Maryland is considered a progressive state and yet there are no women who are in elected statewide offices and there

“It’s her time to lead Maryland and I am all in, if she is all in.” -Donna Edwards are no women in the congressional delegation,” Williams said. “Ervin is well-known and is from Montgomery County. We need more women to run for statewide office and put a

crack in that ceiling.” Former District 24 Delegate Tiffany Alston, who is running for the Maryland Senate, tweeted “Let’s elect Valerie Ervin the first Black woman Governor ever in U.S. history”. However, some Prince Georgians aren’t so sure Ervin should run. David Grogan is a candidate for Prince George’s county sheriff. Grogan told the AFRO that he’s not familiar with Ervin. “Most people I know have never heard of her,” Grogan said. “She needs a lot more time to develop name recognition and name recognition is half of the battle in a campaign.” A spokesman for the Kamenetz-Ervin campaign told the AFRO that no decision has been made on what Ervin will do at press time.

D4 A4

The Afro-American, May 19, 2018 - May 25, 2018

In honor of 150 years of African American collegiate excellence, Howard University held its sesquicentennial commencement on May 12 on the

yard of the institution. Howard University alum and “Black Panther” star, Chadwick Boseman, served as the commencement speaker in order

Students process into the 150th Howard University commencement

to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the graduation exercises and in celebration of his recent record breaking and history making film.

Chadwick Boseman doing the Wakanda symbol from the hit movie “Black Panther”

Student raises fist In agreement

Students at commencement

Students at Graduation TV Host Rock Newman

The crowd

Photos by Everette Wright

Inez Davis (Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient), Shirley G. Ali (Community Service Award Recipient), Vivian L. Smith (Leadership Award Recipient), and Dr. LeTea Perry (General Welfare Award Recipient)

Photos by Brigitte White

Gale Perry, Chair Spirit of Bethune, Student Section, Lori Hawkins, Jennifer Phillips Gibbs, Co-Founder and Dr. Beth Reeves, President of the Washington School for Girls (Community Partner Award Recipient), and Dr. Renee´ Starlyn Allen

On April 21, the Washington Section, National Council of Negro Women (NCNW), Inc. celebrated its 75th Anniversary “The Vision Lives On…” and hosted its 9th Annual Jazz Luncheon & Silent Auction at the College Park Marriott Hotel and Conference Center with over 430 guests in attendance. This event provides funds for the Washington Section’s community service projects, advocacy partnerships, and scholarships. The” Community Woman Award” was presented to three people who provide exemplary service and leadership in the areas of:

Some of the many guests of Raynard Jackson

Shay Hawkins, Legislative Assistant to Sen. Tim Scott, Dr. Ben Chavis, President and CEO of NNPA, Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), Dorothy Leavell, Publisher of The Crusader Newspaper and Chairman of NNPA, and Raynard Jackson, President & CEO of Raynard Jackson & Associates

April Gaines-Jernigan, President, Xi Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa, Alpha Sorority (Community Partner Philanthropy Award Recipient) Lori Hawkins

Constance L. Washington is presented with the “Woman in Action award” by Rita Lewis

Shay Hawkins, Legislative Assistant to Sen. Tim Scott, and Raynard Jackson, President & CEO of Raynard Jackson & Associates

Maggie Harris, President & CEO, ESC

General Welfare, Leadership, and Community Service. A Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to someone who demonstrated 25 years or more of sustained and outstanding service.” Community Partner and Community Partner Philantrophy Awards’” were presented to two organizations in the community that support the mission of NCNW, Inc.“Focused on My Future” scholarships were awarded to 2 minority high school seniors in the amount of $2,000 each. Entertainment was provided by the “Johnnie Steele & the Steele4 Real Band & Show.” Dr. Renee’ Starlyn Allen, host of the Renee’ Allen & Friends Show was the Mistress of Ceremonies.

Dr. LeTea Perry, Katrina Turner, “Focused on my Future” scholarship winner, Rita Lewis and Dr. Renee’ Starlyn Allen

Rita Lewis, President of the Washington section of NCNW, Inc, seated on the left, Lori Hawkins, 1st Vice President and Chairwoman, 75th Anniversary & 9th Annual Jazz Luncheon & Silent Auction seated on the right; Paula S.F. Marshall (Co-Chair)third from right on the front row; Tameka Farley (Co-Chair), fourth from right on the front row ; and members the Washington Section

Tim Scott (R-SC) hosted a policy discussion as a part of his continuing National Opportunities Tour on Wed. Apr 25 at The Washington Court Hotel in Northwest,

Washington. DC. The tour highlights the “Investing in Opportunity Act,” which was recently passed tax legislation back

in December 2017. He discussed how the tax bill could positively impact economically distressed neighborhoods across the country. The discussion was moderated by Raynard Jackson, President & CEO of Raynard Jackson & Associates & a nationally syndicated newspaper columnist.

Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) and Raynard Jackson, President & CEO of Raynard Jackson & Associates

Dr. Ben Chavis, President and CEO of NNPA, Steve P. Munisteri, The White House Office of Public Liaison Deputy Assistant to the President/ Principal Deputy Director,Dorothy Leavell, Publisher of The Crusader Newspaper and Chairman of NNPA, and Raynard Jackson, President & CEO of Raynard Jackson & Associates

Aaron Manaigo, Partner, Potomac International Partners

Steve P. Munisteri, The White House Office of Public Liaison, Deputy Assistant to the President/ Principal Deputy Director

Photos by Mark Mahoney

Who Killed Det. Sean Suiter? 183 Days and Counting May 19, 2018 - May 19, 2018, The Afro-American

Volume Volume 127 123 No. No.41 20–22

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MAY 19, 2018 - MAY 25, 2018 Howard University’s 150th commencement was a tribute to Black excellence. See pictures of ‘Black Panther’ star Chadwick Boseman on page D4 and story about the event on D1.

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Bishop Michael Curry to Speak at Royal Wedding In England

her companion, Candace Simms, returned to Baltimore resolved. “On the way back, between the two of us, we were trying to determine how could we get the members of St. James to understand that this is the person that we need as our rector,” Griffin said. “It was just that tremendous, in hearing him.” Curry’s distinction at the time was his evangelical style. “He came down from the altar, he walked the floor as he talked to us, he wore his microphone,

Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio), Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Texas) and Bobby Scott (D-Va.). Richmond disputed the Trump The Congressional Black Caucus, administration’s spin on low Black along with National Urban League unemployment. “President Trump President Marc Morial, released one and the Republican Party he leads of its most forward-moving jobs bills would have you to believe that our in years. community is doing well because U.S. Rep. Cedric Richmond (DAfrican-American unemployment is La.), chairman of the CBC, talked at a historic low, which is the result of policies and programs implemented by the Obama administration,” Richmond said. “But the African-American unemployment rate is not a good barometer of our community’s success. When African Americans were slaves and -U.S. Rep. Cedric Richmond sharecroppers, African American unemployment was zero percent.” about the “Jobs and Justice Act of Richmond said racism and 2018” at a May 10 news conference discrimination throughout the country at the Rayburn House Office Building hinders Blacks from full employment on Capitol Hill. Members of the CBC status and the federal government joining him included Reps. Barbara should do its part to put an end to Lee (D-Calif.), Sheila Jackson Lee those practices. The 1,300-page bill (D-Texas), Val Demings (D-Fla.), Continued on B3 By James Wright Special to the AFRO jwright@afro.com

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A former Baltimore rector will speak at the royal wedding at Windsor Castle in England on Saturday. Michael Bruce Curry, Primate and Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, served 12 years as rector of St. James Episcopal Church in Baltimore, from 1988 to 2000. Born 1953 in Chicago, Illinois, Curry attended public schools in Buffalo, New York. He attained a Masters in Divinity from Yale; going on

to study at Princeton, Wake Forest and the Ecumenical Institute at St. Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore. He was ordained a priest in 1978, ministering to St. Stephens, Winston-Salem, North Carolina. In 1982, he became rector of St. Simon in Cyrene, Lincoln Heights, Ohio. A St. James delegation traveled to Ohio in search of a new rector to replace Rev. Donald Wilson, who had retired in 1986. “We were in awe,” senior warden Dr. Charlene Griffin told the AFRO. She and

DC Embraces Poor People’s Campaign

The Episcopal Church via AP

The Most Reverend Michael Bruce Curry, the 27th Presiding Bishop and Primate of The Episcopal Church, will speak at the wedding between Prince Harry and American actress Meghan Markle.

he was enthusiastic about everything,” Griffin said. “Everything he shared with us.” Curry’s approachability also defined his moments between delivering the Gospel. “There was no problem in getting to talk with him Continued on B3

CBC Offers Ambitious Jobs Bill Mom of 10 Tortured Kids in Custody, Bail Almost $500,000

New Podcast!

St. James Episcopal Church

By J. K. Schmid Special to the AFRO

Spike Lee Lambasts Trump Over White Supremacists

Top-Ranked High School Embroiled in Fraud Scandal

Wakanda Forever Howard Forever

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Washington

By The Associated Press Bail for a California mother of 10 children who officials say suffered long-term abuse was set at nearly $500,000 after the judge said she remains a danger to the kids. Prosecutors charged Ina Rogers, 31, on May 16 in Solano Superior

Court with nine counts of felony child abuse, saying that she caused the children to be in a situation likely to produce great bodily injury and death. Her husband, Jonathan Allen, faces multiple charges of torture and felony child abuse. He has pleaded not guilty and remains in Solano County Jail on

Continued on B3

“When African Americans were slaves and sharecroppers, African American unemployment was zero percent.”

Solano County Sheriff’s Office via AP

Jonathan Allen and his wife, Ina Rogers had 10 children removed from their squalid California home. Allen was charged with torture and their mother with neglect after an investigation revealed a lengthy period of severe physical and emotional abuse.

The Afro-American, May 19, 2018 - May 25, 2018

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Photos of Lessie Brown rest on a chair in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. She is believed to be the oldest person in the United States after the death of a 114-year-old Pennsylvania woman. A 113-year-old woman living in suburban Cleveland is believed to be the oldest person in the United States after the death of a 114-year-old Pennsylvania woman. Cleveland.com reports the 88-year-old daughter of Lessie Brown says her mother remarked, â&#x20AC;&#x153;thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s goodâ&#x20AC;? when told Friday she had become the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s oldest person. Daughter Verline Wilson says Brown spends much of her days sleeping. Brown was born in 1904 in Atlanta and moved to Cleveland when she was 18. She married and had five children, three of whom are still living. The Cleveland Heights resident has more than 50 grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great grandchildren. Family members have attributed Brownâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s long life to her eating a yam every day until she was 110. Delphine Gibson was 114 when she died Wednesday in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania.

Freed Death Row Inmate Back Behind Bars By The Associated Press

Isaiah McCoy walked out of a Delaware prison a free man in January 2017, five years after being convicted of murder and sentenced to death. A judge found him not guilty at a retrial, and McCoy soon began enjoying the limelight that came with his exoneration. He reveled in speaking engagements before lawyers associations and anti-death penalty groups. â&#x20AC;&#x153;People were loving my story,â&#x20AC;? McCoy said. But in less than a year, he went from death row in Delaware to giving speeches about wrongful convictions to back behind bars. Now, heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in a detention center in Hawaii, where he is charged with seven counts of sex trafficking. He told The Associated Press from the Honolulu Federal Detention Center heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s again accused of a crime he didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t commit, and heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll use his knowledge of the law â&#x20AC;&#x201D; learned

during years of incarceration â&#x20AC;&#x201D; to represent himself at his upcoming trial. Prosecutors arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t impressed. They say McCoy became a pimp after moving to Hawaii and that he threatened and coerced young women into prostitution. They call his arguments for dropping the charges, including vindictive prosecution, â&#x20AC;&#x153;conclusory and baseless.â&#x20AC;? At a May 15 hearing a judge rejected his motion to dismiss the case. While working as a security guard for a Waikiki hotel in an area of the tourist mecca known for prostitution, McCoy started dating a woman who he says worked as a stripper and prostitute. He could relate to her, and she wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t judgmental about his time behind bars. He said the woman is one of the seven alleged victims in the indictment against him. McCoy said he and the woman had a falling out, and she went to Honoluluâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Susannah Wesley Community Center â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a nonprofit human services association that helps trafficking victims â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and lied about being afraid of McCoy in exchange for a plane ticket out of Hawaii. The other alleged victims did the same, he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;All of these females were prostitutes before I met them,â&#x20AC;? McCoy said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Why would I have to force someone to do what theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re already doing?â&#x20AC;? The centerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s executive director, Ronald Higashi, declined to comment on McCoyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s claims. Prosecutors say McCoy is so dangerous to his victims that theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve gone to great lengths to ensure their names are not released. McCoyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Army soldier wife, Tawana Roberts, is a codefendant in the federal case. They wed six days after meeting at a Honolulu nightclub. She has pleaded not guilty and hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t responded to a request for an interview in the same detention center where her husband is held. Roberts is charged with prostitution in a separate case in state court. According to police documents in that case, McCoy was actively pimping in Hawaii since December 2017. The lawyers who represented McCoy in an appeal and at his retrial sent letters supporting him in the Hawaii case. So did Philip Primason, a private (Honolulu Police Department via AP) investigator who worked on Isaiah McCoy gave his Delaware defense team. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He wanted to become a speeches to innocence public speaker and advocate, projects, anti-death educating the public about penalty groups and the incarceration crisis, the lawyers associations. Now, enormous public risks of the heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in a federal detention death penalty and to advocate for innocence,â&#x20AC;? Primason center in Honolulu, where wrote. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I was very pleased to prosecutors accuse him of see this become a reality.â&#x20AC;? sex trafficking.

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May 19, 2018 - May 25, 2018, The Afro-American

Curry Continued from B1 or having him show the interest that parishioners were interested in having, when they talked or were with their rector or their priest,” Griffin said. In 2000, Curry was elected Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina. In 2015, he was elected in the first ballot to preside as bishop and primate of the Episcopal Church. It will be as the leader of a territory of the Anglican Communion that spans across the United States, South and Central America, the Caribbean, Taiwan and Micronesia. Curry is the first Black presiding bishop and primate. “I heard him say that when he got elected, he would be the ‘CEO of the Episcopal Church,’ and went on to say ‘Chief Evangelism Officer,’ said Father Charles Cloughen, an Episcopal priest and friend and colleague of Curry from seminary school. “But that’s how he was, he’s very big on evangelism, the Jesus Movement, and presenting a living Jesus Christ to the world around him.” Curry’s unique charismatic style, emblematic of the Jesus Movement, likely stems from the Baptist and Episcopal traditions shared by his parents, Cloughen says. “His presence is incredible,”

Cloughen told the AFRO. “I credit part of that to his Baptist grandmother. His father was an Episcopal priest. They went to a church in the South and Communion was to be done and the Episcopal Church would practice a common chalice. And his father was not Episcopalian, but his wife went up and took Communion and he thought they’ll

White. Curry’s mission and evangelism will cross the Atlantic in the coming days, but he has a history of crossing denominations here in the United States. “The love that has brought and will bind Prince Harry and Ms. Meghan Markle together has its source and origin in God, and is the key to life and happiness. And so we celebrate and pray for them today,” Curry said in a statement. Upon assuming rectorship of St. James, Curry initiated a revival. “The revivalist was from the AME church,” Griffin said. “It was Dr. John Bryant who came as the revivalist. That’s how open [Curry] was, that’s how involved he was in the community and we continued that even after he left. Probably because we were still thinking of the influence that he had on us. Probably thinking, we wanted to make him proud of us, also.” “He’s a truly spiritual leader, a gifted and person who clearly knows God,” Alice Pinderhughes, Chancellor of St. James told the AFRO. “He always was a very upright person and always concerned about people. He always put the church, always put St. James above everything else.”

Curry’s mission and evangelism will cross the Atlantic in the coming days, but he has a history of crossing denominations here in the United States. never give her the same chalice that White people are going to be drinking from.” “His father sat there, and said ‘Oh my God, what’s gonna happen now?’ Cloughen continued, recounting Curry’s story of his father. “‘Will we be asked to leave? What’s going on?’ And the priest gave her the wine from the common chalice.” Curry is one of several speakers at the May 19 wedding of Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle, whose mother is African American and father is

Tortured Continued from B1 $5.2 million bail. Rogers did not enter a plea and she did not make a statement. “Instead of taking care of them she has abused them, if not assisting her husband in torture,” said Veronica Juarez, Solano County’s deputy district attorney. Judge William J. Pendergast agreed with the deputy district attorney’s request to set bail at $495,000, saying that “she may not be a danger to the public at large, but these charges make clear she is a danger to the children.” Rogers was taken into custody after the hearing. Her court-appointed attorney, Barry Newman, declined comment. Rogers and Allen have said the allegations are false. It’s still unclear whether any California government agencies had an opportunity to intervene in the years authorities claim the children were abused inside their home in suburban Fairfield, about 46 miles northeast of San Francisco. Their mother claimed social services interviewed the kids three years ago but nothing came of the visit. Rogers told reporters that she had one prior interaction with child welfare officials when her mother “had mentioned something” that prompted a home visit. Officials took pictures of the children and interviewed them individually, she said. “Nothing was founded, my kids were placed back with me,” she said. Solano County’s Child Welfare Services department officials did not immediately respond to requests Tuesday for details about the visit, or information about other interactions they may have had with members of the household.

AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli

The bathroom is strewn with feces at a home in Fairfield, Calif., Monday, May 14, 2018, where authorities removed 10 children and charged their father with torture and their mother with neglect. Sheriff’s and prosecutors say the children were rescued from a filthy house in March and had suffered puncture wounds, burns, bruising and injuries consistent with being shot with a pellet gun. Sharon Henry, the county’s chief deputy district attorney, said they were tortured “for sadistic purposes.” Allen, 29, was arrested Friday and faces seven counts of torture and nine counts of felony child abuse. Allen denied the allegations in an interview with KCRA-TV on Tuesday, declaring “I am not an animal.” “The truth is that it is a functioning household,” he said. “Everyone helped everyone. It was a complete circle — the older ones helped the little ones.” Questions remain as to

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how the children and the alleged abuse went undetected for years until March 31, when police responding to a missing juvenile report entered the house. They found a home filled with rotted food and human and animal waste, Fairfield Lt. Greg Hurlbut said. Police removed the children, ages 4 months to 12 years, and arrested Rogers on suspicion of neglect. She was released after posting $10,000 bail. Stories about the alleged abuse came out gradually in interviews with the children over the past six weeks and eight of the children told professionals about incidents dating back several years, authorities said. Rogers says she homeschooled the children, but the Fairfield home was not registered as a private school and neither were three prior addresses in Fairfield and Vallejo, according to the California Department of Education. California law requires children to be enrolled in public school unless they meet specific exemptions, such as documented attendance at a private school. Parents who teach their own

children can register as a private school, but the state does not approve, monitor or inspect them. Rogers said she previously enrolled her two oldest children in school but decided to teach them herself because she didn’t think they were getting enough attention. She said her daughter failed to get on the school bus on her first day of kindergarten and was later found talking to a stranger and his dog at the school, she said. “They were bullied and the teachers weren’t helping me with their education,” Rogers said. “So I said, ‘OK how am I going to do this with all these kids? I can’t do that.’ So I was like, ‘I’m the only one who cares enough’ so I started to homeschool them.” At least one person suspected abuse: The children’s maternal grandmother. She called Allen a monster. “He would take the baby and slap it in the face and put duct tape on the baby’s mouth to make it shut up,” Wanda Rogers told KNTV in San Francisco. Rogers said the children slept in one bedroom because they were close. The home’s other rooms were used as a master bedroom, playroom and meditation room. Rogers said she works as an EKG technician at a heart monitoring company and her husband is a tattoo artist.

The Morgan State University Class of 1969 is attempting to locate classmates in preparation of its May 201950th Anniversary celebration. Please visit www.morganstate1969.org or contact Jesse Bennett 443 286-5355 for details.

CBC Continued from B1 includes calling for a $15 an hour minimum wage; providing tax incentives for employers to hire young people, veterans, and the unemployed; emergency relief to address homelessness and increases in mortgages rates; expands access to New Market Tax Credits; $7.5 billion to upgrade water infrastructures; nationally banning the box for returning citizens and allowing them access to Pell Grants, TANF and SNAP. The bill also has such CBC initiatives as abolishing the death penalty, modernizing funding for Black colleges and universities, and eliminating mandatory minimums for federal drug offenses. The bill has been embraced by House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.). Morial said that the bill is ambitious and that the Trump administration should get its priorities straight. “We should be investing in getting jobs for people instead of investing in foreign cities and tax cuts for millionaires,” he said in his remarks. Morial said the bill will have trouble getting through the Republican Congress. However, Scott, the ranking Democrat on the Committee on Education and the Workforce and Barbara Lee, who is a member of the powerful Committee on Appropriations, said they could use their committee perches to insert the bill’s programs into a congressional spending bill this year. Mentioned was the District of Columbia’s low unemployment rate – 5.6 percent – according to D.C. Department of Employment Services statistics. However, the Black joblessness rate in the city is about 13 percent, according to data from the Economic Policy Institute. “Our legislation supports a bunch of job training programs as well as banning the box,” Richmond told the AFRO to explain how the legislation will address the District’s booming economy. “Some people have to work two jobs to make ends meet and we address that also.” Scott said the legislation funds apprenticeship programs that can elevate African Americans in the city who are in low skills jobs and programs to prepare for the work world.

Courtesy Photo

U.S. Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-La.), chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, recently laid out an expansive plan to deal with Black unemployment.

The Afro-American, May 19, 2018 - May 25, 2018

COMMENTARY

Starbucks: From Boycott to Victory

If Howard Shultz wasn’t the founder of Starbucks, he would have been one of the boycott protesters with us. He said he was “embarrassed” and “ashamed” by the arrest of two Black men in a Starbucks Store in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania who were taken away by police and subsequently held for 9 hours in a Philadelphia jail for the crime of sitting in a Starbucks store and not ordering coffee. Starbucks is widely known as a good operator and an overall good guy in American business circles with its clean stores, open meeting spaces, free Wi-Fi; strong community relations, and its great business model consisting of good jobs with fair benefits. But the Starbucks decision to fix this public relations problem with “diversity training” is not the Howard Schultz or even the Starbucks way. Rather than work with the Black community towards a solution to this potentially international issue, Starbucks turned to themselves and created a program for diversity training that includes closing their stores for one day and hiring the highest-priced diversity trainers money can buy.

Phillip Jackson

The Black community wanted to know, “How will we, the Black community--aggrieved by this incident and aggrieved every day--how will we be better because of your “diversity training”? The only answer Starbucks could give was, after the training “You will be better because we will be better.” Sorry, not good enough. The Black community wanted to know, “How will we, the Black community--aggrieved by this incident and aggrieved every day--how will we be better because of your “diversity training”? The only answer Starbucks could give was, after the training “You will be better because we will be better.” Sorry, not good enough. Numerous studies by Harvard University, MIT, Tel Aviv University and others show that diversity training doesn’t work and can produce the opposite of intended outcomes. These studies conclude that decades of cultural, racial and environmental bias and prejudice cannot be eradicated with one or 50 or 100 “diversity trainings.” In fact, such “trainings” can cause those hard-wired feelings to become more deeply entrenched thus resulting in the opposite of the sought-after effect. In Chicago, The Black Star Project organized a 12-store boycott of Starbucks. During the boycott, no anger was displayed. No one was arrested. No windows were broken. No stores were firebombed. Instead, there was plenty of dialogue. Dialogue is the Starbucks way. There were reports of Starbucks’ employees offering the boycotters free coffee and standing with the protesters. Protesters held doors open for elderly customers who did not honor the boycott. One protester even offered to buy a Starbucks coffee for the sick father of a man who expressed guilt about violating the boycott, but explained that his dad could only drink one kind of coffee—only available at Starbucks. It seemed as though boycotters and boycottees had reached a human accord -- The Starbucks Way. The Chicago boycott organizers are now planning community forums at more than 300 Black-owned or managed coffee houses, as well as at faith-based and community-based organizations across the U.S., especially near the 12 Starbucks stores previously boycotted. These community forums will serve as “Black Economic Empowerment Forums”, where attendees will develop plans to improve the economic vitality of their communities. We wanted Starbucks to be part of this initiative. So far, they have said no. Starbucks is really one of the “good guys” in corporate America but working with the community will only

make them better. It’s important to understand that even with over 9,000 stores throughout America, Starbucks shops are really only guests in these communities. Howard Schultz, Founder and Executive Chairman of the Starbucks Board of Directors does understand Starbucks culture and he understands America. He knows that the Starbucks success is tied to communities’ success. He is unafraid to try new ideas even though those ideas might fail. However, this seems not to be the Starbucks way today. In 2015, Starbucks tried to convene a ‘Race Together” dialogue through its stores. America was not ready then. In 2018, America is coming apart racially, socially and religiously. America is now ready for Howard Schultz’ ideas. But this effort cannot be owned by Starbucks alone. Other corporations, government agencies at all levels, foundations, faith-based and civic organizations along with social institutions and others must partner with Starbucks to make America and the world better. Mr. Schultz’ leadership style has been described as transformational. He does not think like a businessperson. He thinks like a person wanting to make the world a better place. But even he, super-rich, powerful, and well-intentioned, needs the help of the world to achieve this transformational vision and reality. Starbucks, well established in business history, now has a chance to establish itself in human history. Schultz says that he knows the Starbucks chain “won’t bridge the racial divide on its own” and that a coffee company “can only do so much.” However, he hopes to keep pushing forward and pursue initiatives that matter to him with the “same vigor he pursues corporate profits.” The Montgomery Bus Boycott that changed America forever lasted 381 days. The Starbucks Boycott is only 33 days old. Only 348 days to go. Phillip Jackson is the founder and chairman of Chicago-based The Black Star Project.

Will Baltimore be the Next Flint, Michigan? Maryland elected officials might be living in a secret world, like the mythical world of Wakanda; where the air and the waters are crystal-clear and clean, foods are natural and free from harmful pesticides and genetic alterations and where plant life is protected. That’s not the case here in Maryland. I attended the 2018 Maryland Environmental Recap Summit at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation Headquarters in late April. I was in the company of environmental leaders and organizations, gathered for a strategy summit to better understand why many of the environmental bills presented to the House and Senate did not get much-needed attention from either chamber. Many delegates and senators would not give us the time of day or comment on Community Healthy Act bills, that directly affects Maryland air quality, water and natural resources or bills that required environmental transparency from the Public Service Commission. Bills such as these spotlighted here could prevent tragedies like Flint, Michigan from happening in Baltimore.

Cathy Allen

Pesticides Use of Chlorpyrifos in Maryland Agriculture (HB116/SB500) This bill would have banned chlorpyrifos in the state for agriculture use. Chlorpyrifos is already banned from residential use. The toxic nerve agent pesticide has been proven to cause brain damage in children and is known to harm the environment and wildlife. This bill, had life saving measures and health prevention written all over it, was withdrawn by its sponsors. Sponsored by: Delegate Stein and Senator Nathan-Pulliam Public Service Commission (PSC) Reform & Application for Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity – Public Notice and Hearing (HB0715) This bill was a community priority and would have required PSC to consider the health impact of proposed natural gas infrastructure development projects and the second bill would have improved transparency and communications between communities and PSC. Both bills were voted down in the House Economic Matters Committee. Sponsored by: Delegate R. Lewis Community Healthy Air Act (HB0026/SB0133) This bill would have required the Maryland Department of Environment to conduct a onetime study that identifies air pollutants emitted by large animal feeding operations, such as chicken and dairy

farms, and assesses any potential pubic health risks. Sponsored by: Delegate R. Lewis/Senator Madaleno Forest Conservation – Technical Study and Programmatic Review (HB0766/SB0610) This bill would have the potential of being Maryland’s best tool for protecting Maryland forests. It was aimed at improving and updating current law; such as developers removing acres of forest for new construction and not paying enough taxes to replace the planting of trees. Currently, tax payers are picking up most of the cost in replacing those trees. Sponsored by: Delegate Healey/Senator Young If you are shaking your head, then its time for you to contact your elected officials’ and make some noise. Cathy Allen is an award-winning urban environmentalist, the co-creator of G.R.A.S.S. (Growing Resources After Sowing Seed) as well as chair of the “Grow-It Eat It” campaign. G.R.A.S.S. is an environmental entrepreneurial nonprofit program based on the fundamentals of gardening, agriculture and ecology. In conjunction with Baltimore City Public Schools, Allen’s campaign has planted over a half-million trees on the lawns of Baltimore City public schools.

Maryland’s Life Sentences Need to Change Maryland is one of three states that require the governor’s signature before men/women serving life sentences can be released on parole. Thus far, no one has been released on parole in the past two decades. There are over 2,500 “lifers” in Maryland and climbing. More than a decade ago former TV news reporter Michael O’Lesker conducted a state to state survey to see just how many years does the average “lifer” serve behind bars before they are released. The average “lifer” was serving a little over 17 years during that time. Maryland has “lifers” who have been behind bars 3040 years or more. There are geriatric prisoners in just about

James Wells

all institutions throughout Maryland and growing. Men and women over the age of 55 are costing tax payers in excess of $75,000 annually for housing and medical care. With the drug epidemic exploding here in Maryland and so

deaths amongst our youth. In addition, this money could be used for after-school programs to keep our youth off the street and from being subjected to gang affiliation, housing for the homeless, battered women shelters, recreational centers etc. The Maryland legislature passed a law that “lifers” who have served 25 years and have a good institutional adjustment will definitely be considered for release. Absolutely no one has been released thus far.

With the drug epidemic exploding here in Maryland and so many young kids overdosing, the money spent to house “lifers” could be used to open up drug facilities to try and deter drug deaths amongst our youth. many young kids overdosing, the money spent to house “lifers” could be used to open up drug facilities to try and deter drug

James Wells is serving a life-sentence for first degree murder. While robbing a jewelry store in 1977 with his co-defendant, William Henry Jackson, an off-duty police officer shot and killed the hostage Wells and Jackson were holding.

The opinions on this page are those of the writers and not necessarily those of the AFRO. Send letters to The Afro-American • 1531 S. Edgewood St. • Baltimore, MD 21227 or fax to 1-877-570-9297 or e-mail to editor@afro.com

May 19, 2018 - May 25, 2018, The Afro-American

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The Afro-American, May 19, 2018 - May 25, 2018

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May 19, 2018 - May 25, 2018, The Afro-American

ARTS & CULTURE

In Cannes, Spike Lee lambasts Trump Over White Supremacists Having already wrapped the film, Lee added the Charlottesville coda after the unrest In a passionate, expletive-ridden monologue last summer. at the Cannes Film Festival, director Spike Lee “Right away, I knew that this had to be the lambasted Donald Trump for the U.S. president’s coda for the film, but I had to do something response to last year’s violent White supremacist first,” said Lee. Before inserting footage protest in Charlottesville, Virginia. of the car that plowed through crowds in Lee spoke to reporters Tuesday after his Virginia, killing counter-protester Heather “BlacKkKlansman” premiered May 14 at Cannes to Heyer, Lee said he telephoned Heyer’s a rousing standing ovation. mother. The 1979-set film, loosely based on a true story, “I was not going to put that murder scene is about Black police detective Ron Stallworth in the film without her blessing,” said Lee. (played by John David Washington, Denzel’s son) Lee called Charlottesville an “ugly, and a Jewish detective (Adam Driver) who together ugly, ugly blemish on America,” but he infiltrated a Ku Klux Klan cell in Colorado. Topher also repeatedly stressed to the international Grace plays former KKK leader David Duke. Cannes media that the racism depicted in The 61-year-old filmmaker said that following “BlacKkKlansman” isn’t unique to the United the violence in Charlottesville, the U.S. president States. had the opportunity to denounce the Ku Klux “This right -wing (expletive) is not just Klan and the alt-right. But Trump instead chose America. It’s all over the world. And we to say there was “blame on both sides” in the have to wake up,” said Lee. “We can’t be unrest between the neo-Nazi groups and countersilent. It’s not black, white, or brown. It’s protesters. everybody. We all live on this planet, and this (Photo by Joel C Ryan/Invision/AP) guy in the White House has the nuclear code. He said Trump — whom he refused to call by Director Spike Lee showed his new film ‘BlacKkKlansman’ at the 71st international film I go to bed thinking about it.” name — had “a chance to say we are about love festival, Cannes, southern France. and not hate,” and sharply criticized him for not At the premiere Monday, Lee was outfitted denouncing the KKK. in a shiny purple-and-orange tuxedo and “It was a defining moment and he could have wore one ring declaring “love” on one hand, said to the United States and the world that we’re better than that,” said Lee. and “hate” on the other, paying homage to the jewelry won by the character Radio Raheem in “BlacKkKlansman,” produced by Jordan Peele (director of “Get Out”), concludes by his previous film “Do the Right Thing.” He bounced into the premiere at the Palais announcing: connecting the period tale with today. It ends with actual footage from Charlottesville, as well as “Brooklyn’s in the house!” Trump’s televised response. The final image is an upside-down American flag that fades to black Lee has frequently debuted films at Cannes, including “Do the Right Thing” in 1989. and white. He hopes “BlacKkKlansman” ‘’shakes people from their slumber.” Focus Features will release the film in August, on the year anniversary of Charlottesville. “I know it in my heart,” said Lee. “We’re on the right side of history with this film.” By The Associated Press

Gayle King Blabbed About Her Bestie Oprah’s Alleged Weed Habit

SPORTS

Did ESPN Hire Conservative Commentator Sage Steele to Appease Racist Viewers?

(Screenshot)

Sage Steele gets her hair tousled live on the air. (Instagram)

Gayle King told a television interviewer Oprah Winfrey occasionally likes to get high. By Micha Green AFRO Washington, D.C. Editor mgreen@afro.com Although she’s been successful in her own right, whenever Gayle King, CBS This Morning anchor and official best friend to Oprah Winfrey, gets interviewed, she often is expected to spill some tea about her BFF. However, on the May 8 episode of The Ellen Show, King may have spilled more tea than she perhaps intended to serve when she shared that while she has never been interested or partaken in marijuana, her media mogul bestie has. “Oprah has also smoked a little marijuana, too, I don’t mind saying… I’m not telling tales out of school,” King told Ellen. Except right after that statement, King did seem to mind what she had just divulged on national television. “I refuse to answer on the grounds that it may incriminate her… It’s not something that happens on a regular- I’m going to change the subject,” King said. While Winfrey is a big time billionaire boss with her own enterprises, she is a spokeswoman for companies such as Weight Watchers, and as, The Root Senior editor Stephen A. Crockett Jr., said, “if anything goes against dieting it’s blowing out clouds of OG Marion Bush Kush Monster.” Vanity Fair created an entire utopic scene surrounding Winfrey smoking weed. “The fact that King just shared this information isn’t exactly scandalous; marijuana is legal in California, where Winfrey lives. Actually, it kind of makes a whole lot of sense. If you were Oprah Winfrey, and you lived in a home where you were surrounded by what Vogue once described as ‘stacks of gardening books, and voluminous green wicker sofas and chairs,’ you too might take a hit or two before climbing into your custom-made bathtub for an evening, pre-bed soak.” For some, the businesswoman partaking in ganja may not come as a surprise as Winfrey herself said she had when she was on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen in 2013. According to the Huffington Post Cohen asked about the last time Winfrey smoked marijuana. “Uh… 19… 82,” she replied. “Let’s hang out after the show,” Cohen joked, implying Winfrey should try to smoke again after her over 30-year hiatus. “Okay. I hear it’s gotten better,” she said laughing. While the world may never know whether or not Winfrey ever shared a joint with Cohen after that show, King’s tattling on The Ellen Show definitely reemphasized Winfrey’s history with weed.

By Perry Green AFRO Sports Editor pgreen@afro.com ESPN announced over the weekend that it will be hiring Sage Steele and Kevin Negandhi as the new lead anchors for the 6 p.m. edition of its SportsCenter show. Steele and Negandhi will serve as the permanent replacements for former SportsCenter anchors Jemele Hill and Michael Smith, who both left the airwaves earlier this year following controversial tweets from Hill criticizing President Donald Trump. The hiring of Steele and Negandhi allows ESPN to keep both anchor spots filled with talent of minority descent; Negandhi is the first ever Indian-American anchor to lead a national sports network in American history, and Steele is mixed with African-American, Irish and Italian. But some folks are speculating if Sage’s hire was done to appease conservative viewers who support Trump. Unlike Hill (who criticized Trump in a series of tweets last September, calling him a “white supremacist” that’s “unqualified and unfit to be President”), Steele hasn’t pissed off the large portion of White America that supports our racially offensive President. Instead, Steele has caught criticism from within the Black community for her stance against athletes who chose to protest police brutality and racism by kneeling during the playing of the National anthem. Steele slammed Tampa Bay Buccaneers receiver Mike Evans last November after he took a knee in protest of Trump winning the election. “Hey @MikeEvans13_ look up the definition of the word DEMOCRACY & remember this pic while kneeling/exercise your right to protest #perspective,” Sage tweeted in 2016. The 45-year-old sports anchor also caught fire from the African-American community for allowing a White man to freely touch her hair live on national TV, and she was also criticized for claiming that she’s received more racism from Black folks than Whites. “The worst racism that I have received [as a biracial woman married to a White man] and I mean thousands and thousands over the years, is from Black peoples, who in my mind thought would be most accepting because there has been that experience,” Steele said during Under Our Skin, a discussion forum on race last year. Several Black people have used social media to express their displeasure with Steele’s hiring. Brian Jones, a sports podcast host out of Kansas City, tweeted that he was done with Sage “after she complained over her flight being delayed and blaming airport protesters for it happening.” “Sage Steele really let a white man basically pet her on live TV. I’m STILL shocked,” tweeted BBallBreakdown podcaster Nekias Duncan. But if her hiring truly was to satisfy right wing supporters, ESPN certainly found the right woman for the job.

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WASHINGTON-AREA

Top-Ranked High School Embroiled in Fraud Scandal

Chadwick Boseman Honors Howard Graduates

By Lenore T. Adkins Special to the AFRO An audit from the Office of the State Superintendent for Education released May 11 has found that nearly a third of the students enrolled at the acclaimed Duke Ellington School of the Performing Arts were not residents of the District of Columbia and were not paying the tuition they should have forked over as nonresidents. The probe found that 164 students at the premier performing arts high school were non-residents who either lacked sufficient

Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman received an honorary degree and delivered the graduation address at the 150th Howard University Commencement on May 12. Behind Boseman is Howard University president Wayne A.I. Frederick. See more photos on D4

Chadwick Boseman strolled onto Howard University’s campus as a bankable box-office star and walked away with another title on graduation day – doctor. The Howard alumnus and star of Marvel Studios’ Black Panther returned to his alma mater May 12 to receive the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters and deliver the keynote address at the 150th commencement. Thousands of people clung to his every word. Howard awarded 2,217 degrees to the class of 2018, including 343 master’s degrees and 90 Ph.Ds. It also paid tribute to the class of 1968, allowing them to march on the red

carpet along with the other graduates. Boseman, 40, called Howard a “magical place” and congratulated the class of 2018 for overcoming academic, financial, and other obstacles to reach graduation day. He pushed graduates of “Wakanda University” to savor their triumphs in life, to chase their purpose instead of money, and to rise above adversity. “I don’t know what your future is, but if you’re willing to take the harder way, the more complicated one, the one with more failures at first than successes, the one that has ultimately proven to have more meaning, more victory, more glory, then you will not regret it,” Boseman told graduates. He credits his Howard education with preparing him for his Continued on D3

“When God has something for you, it doesn’t matter who stands against it.”

Britain’s Hidden Black Royalty By Aya Elamroussi Special to the AFRO The royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle has been making headlines as the big day approaches this Saturday,

Washingtonian Magazine Ad Campaign Includes Zero Blacks By Micha Green AFRO Washington, D.C. Editor mgreen@afro.com

By Lenore T. Adkins Special to the AFRO

Duke Ellington School of the Arts, located in Georgetown, is under investigation after almost a third of the student body were found to be nonDistrict residents. Continued on D2

What Happened to Chocolate City?

May 19. But May 19 is also special because it’s the birthday of the first biracial royal queen of England, Queen Sophia Charlotte. “The royal family looked all over Europe for a young

An 18th century cartoon showing Queen Charlotte, middle, supporting the Saccharine Campaign against slavery.

Continued on D3

DC Embraces Poor People’s Campaign

lady to be [King George III’s] wife, and Charlotte rose to the top because she was so smart,” Dr. Stephanie E. Myers told the AFRO. Myers wrote the book Invisible Queen, which examines Charlotte’s

By James Wright Special to the AFRO jwright@afro.com

lineage and her history, after accidently seeing a picture of the queen on the internet captioned, “queen of England for 57 years.” After much research, Myers found that the queen had African Moorish descent. The book is exclusively sold on Myer’s website, myerspublishing. com. A PBS report also says that Queen Charlotte was directly descended from Margarita de Castro y Sousa, a black branch of the Portuguese Royal House. Born in Germany in a noble family, Queen Charlotte was recruited to marry Courtesy Photo

Although White residents may now make up 44 percent of the District’s population, Washington, D.C., once coined “Chocolate City”, still is majority African American with 47.7 percent of residents identifying as Black according to the U.S. Census. Despite city statistics Washingtonian Magazine completely disregarded the District’s majority population in a recently launched social media campaign. In a series of photos located in various places around the city, people are seen wearing shirts that read, “I’M NOT A TOURIST. I LIVE HERE.” Every single person featured in the campaign- a campaign about living in a predominantly Black city- is White. As soon as the campaign dropped, Black Twitter and Washingtonians immediately chastised the magazine and its tone deaf marketing.

Continued on D2

There are many activities surrounding the call for the “Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival” launched by former North Carolina NAACP President the Rev. William Barber II. The District of Columbia will play a key part in the events. The Rev. Wanda Thompson, pastor of the Ambassador Baptist Church, is one of the leaders of the District’s contingent leading the Poor People’ Campaign. Thompson spoke about the campaign and the need for District residents to get involved at the May 12 Ward Courtesy Photo 8 Clergy and Faith Leaders The Rev. Graylan Hagler Breakfast Meeting at the is a co-chair of D.C. effort America’s Islamic Heritage with the Poor People’s Museum. Campaign, which began “This is a national taking place in D.C. and movement,” Thompson said to around the nation May 13. the 30 people at the event. “We are calling for direct action across state capitals because our lawmakers must know that we will not tolerate poverty and discrimination in this country.” Since President Trump took office last year, Barber has Continued on D2

‘Soul Tent’ To Be On Display in DC Public Libraries By Brianna Rhodes Special to the AFRO 1968 was a monumental year for Black people in America. This year marks the 50th anniversary of many events such as the death of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the six-week occupation by King’s Poor People’s campaign on the National Mall in D.C. To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the campaign that began on May 12, 1968, D.C. Public Library is recreating Resurrection City’s “Soul Tent.” Resurrection City was created by thousands of people who came together

for the occupation. The “Soul Tent” also known as the “Many Races Soul Center” was a place where people from all over the country shared their struggles through cultural exchanges and music. The “Soul Tent” not only provided tents for people to sleep, but tents were also used for healthcare, learning and art. “The Soul Tent was the site where all were invited to come, and they treated it as a space for cultural exchange. They taught each other traditional music and compared experiences of poverty,” Nicholas Petr, a curatorial consultant for the D.C. Public Library, told Washington City Continued on D2

Courtesy Photo/ Flickr

Washington Area Park

The Afro-American, May 19, 2018 - May 25, 2018

Poor People’s Campaign Continued from B1

criticized the White House and the Republican Congress on its inaction dealing with poverty, hunger, economic distress and systemic racism. Barber delivered a stirring message on fighting for the principles of the campaign on May 6 at the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church, Thompson said, and District residents should pick up the mantle. “It has been calculated that 70 percent of every dollar circulated in the U.S. goes to war efforts and only 12 percent goes to social services,” she said. “This is not right. Many people in this country are living paycheck to paycheck and can be wiped out by a medical crisis.” Thompson outlined events to take place in the District, and around the country, dealing with specific issues. May 1319 will deal with “Somebody’s Hurting Our People: Child Poverty, Women and People with Disabilities” and there will be weekly themes until a mass rally on June 23 in the District. Also in the District, there will be weekly Moral Mondays with a rally at 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. action at the U.S. Capitol.

“We are focusing on the Capitol because we know that D.C. laws are made there, in spite of the city council,” Thompson said. Thompson encouraged the ministers to get their congregations involved. In response to a question by the AFRO, she said the NAACP has embraced the campaign but wasn’t clear about other national Black organizations such as the Congressional Black Caucus, the National Urban League,

“We are calling for direct action across state capitals because our lawmakers must know that we will not tolerate poverty and discrimination in this country.” – Rev. Wanda Thompson

and SCLC. The AFRO did not receive any word from the Congressional Black Caucus, the National Urban League and SCLC at press time. “This is a grassroots movement,” she said. “We are organizing from the ground up and not by organization.” The co-chairs in the District are the Rev. Graylan Hagler of the Plymouth Congregational UCC, and the Rev. Terrence Mayo. Ambrose Lane Jr., a candidate for the at-large independent seat on the D.C. Council, supports the aims of the campaign, but has a concern. “One of the things Dr. King talked about was guaranteed jobs,” Lane told the AFRO. “But I checked the website of this campaign and there is no mention of that. I think that should be included.” Thompson responded to Lane by telling him “to get involved” and make his feelings known. “We need people to say things like we need guaranteed jobs,” she said. “This is not a one-time thing, it is a sustained effort and we need everybody to get involved.”

High School Continued from D1

documentation to prove their residency or were labeled as non-residents by state superintendent’s office following the preliminary investigation, according to the report. Non-District residents may attend Ellington if accepted, but are required to pay tuition; tuition was $12,800 last school year, according to Ellington’s website. Those 164 students have not been paying tuition. The state superintendent’s office is referring the 164 findings of non-residency cases to the D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine to resolve their issues with his office for a limited time. While the state superintendent’s office isn’t ordering families to pull their students out of Ellington right away, every student has to prove his or her residency annually to re-enroll in District schools. Non-residents must pay all uncollected tuition by July 15, 2018. In some of the non-resident findings, students provided residency documents that at first glance appeared to be sufficient and adequate documentation of actual District residency. But upon deeper investigation, they were shown to be insufficient or fraudulent. The state superintendent’s office is investigating another 56 Ellington students because their information proved to be inconclusive following the probe, and those families have one last chance to prove they live in the District. All told, the probe has entangled 220 of 570 students enrolled at the coveted school near Georgetown. In a statement, State Superintendent Hanseul Kang said she has directed Ellington and D.C. Public Schools to bring in additional personnel, resources and training to make sure all schools follow proper residency verification procedures and that D.C families get first crack at D.C. schools. Parents or guardians found to have falsified their records will not be

allowed to re-enroll their students at the school next year unless DCPS has allowed them to do so under the auspices of paying non-resident tuition. “We take residency fraud seriously,” Kang said in the statement. “While we want to be sensitive to complex family

“These cases from Duke Ellington School of the Arts cause significant concern and represent a serious lapse in oversight at the school level and at D.C. Public Schools.” situations that may make it more challenging to provide residency documentation, these cases from Duke Ellington School of the Arts cause significant concern and represent a serious lapse in oversight at the school level and at D.C. Public Schools.” Non-compliance with residency rules is illegal, robs the DC government of needed revenue and deprives deserving District residents of the opportunity to study at award-winning schools like Duke Ellington, the school’s chief executive officer, Tia Powell Harris, wrote in a letter to parents following the results. The audit’s results are a blow to the premier performing arts high school founded in 1974 that counts comedian Dave Chappelle and other notables as alumni.

‘Soul Tent’

Black Royalty

Continued from D1

Paper. “It was a really amazing setting, and a history that is often forgotten,” said Petr, who was instrumental in putting the project together. . D.C. Public Library partnered with the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress and will be using original recordings at Resurrection City from the Bruce Jackson collection. The tent structure includes visual and audio displays, community storytelling and musical

It also comes at a time when the D.C. Public Schools system is reeling from scandal, following inflated graduation rates and the resignation of the previous chancellor who stepped down after it was revealed he bypassed residency rules and a waiting list to enroll his daughter in a competitive public high school. The Washington Post reported that the D.C. Office of the Inspector General is investigating Ellington to determine whether staff members were in on the residency scandal. Jaime Yarussi, deputy inspector general for business management, told the AFRO that the office does not comment on ongoing matters. When asked whether any staff members have faced disciplinary action in the wake of the probe, Harris told the AFRO over email that school officials will be thoroughly reviewing and considering the state superintendent’s findings. She added that they had been working to improve the school’s residency verification process ever since the superintendent’s office launched its investigation. “At this point, we have no indication of any wrongdoing by our small, but dedicated administrative team,” Harris wrote in the email. The state superintendent raised “no material residency concerns” when it ran audits in the past five years, Harris said in the letter. But this year, in light of increased systemwide scrutiny, the state superintendent cracked down on residency enforcement and implemented new policies for auditing school records. Because the state superintendent found “troubling indications of potential residency fraud” at Ellington during the 2017 enrollment audit, it took the unprecedented step of seizing all of the school’s residency files to conduct an in-depth investigation of all its paperwork.

Continued from D1

performances. The project also includes listening sessions of speeches and music from Resurrection City and poster-making workshops, according to dclibary.org. “The Soul Tent” will be on display at four D.C. public libraries this summer. It is currently at Mt. Pleasant Library until May 20. It will be on display at Anacostia Library from June 4-9, Woodridge Library from June 10-17 and Benning Library from June 18-23.

English King George III in the 1700s. Married at 17, she had 15 children, 2 of whom died in infancy, according to Myers. In the 1700s, Myers spoke four languages, read extensively and had what is equivalent to today’s high school education. Queen Charlotte was also an anti-slavery activist and an abolitionist, according to Myers. She protested the sugar plantation that thrived off the free labor of African slaves in the anti-Saccharine Movement in the late 1700s, according to Myers. “She had Moorish Black heritage, and she was the Queen of England-- the most powerful country in the world at that time,” Myers said. “It’s important that Black people understand that we have played a role in world

history. A role larger than being people [who] were seized, kidnapped and put in slavery in America.” Myers also said that Queen Charlotte helped establish the first hospital for poor women to birth their babies, provided support to orphans, she supported the inventor of the smallpox vaccine and was one of the first people to recognize Mozart’s talent as a composer. “Public service was a part of her personality.” Myers said that Markle has also shown she’s dedicated to public service. “Now that Meghan is going to become a woman of mixed race heritage in the royal family, Meghan will stand on the shoulders of Queen Charlotte.”

May 19, 2018 - May 25, 2018, The Afro-American

Howard

Magazine

Continued from B1

Continued from D1

Photo by Lenore Adkins

Students celebrate at the 150th Commencement exercises at Howard University on May 12.

groundbreaking Hollywood career, roles that have included Jackie Robinson in 42, James Brown in Get On Up, Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, another Howard alumnus, in Marshall, and T’Challa in Black Panther, a role he reprised in Avengers: Infinity War. To date, the latter two movies have grossed nearly $3 billion around the world. Howard President Wayne A. I. Frederick wanted Boseman to deliver the keynote address because the actor has portrayed African-American men in three biopics that “embody not just our history but our legacy.” Boseman told the class of 2018 about the time he called on the cultural pride Howard instilled in him to question a soap opera role early in his career. He felt it was wrapped up in assumptions about Blacks and needed more depth. In Boseman’s telling, he was fired three episodes in after raising objections with producers, but said the setback didn’t keep him down for long. “When I dared to challenge the system that would relegate us to victims and stereotypes with no clear historical backgrounds, no hopes and talents, when I questioned that method of portrayal, a different path opened up for me, the path to my destiny,” Boseman said. “When God has something for you, it doesn’t matter who stands against it.” The graduation capped a tumultuous year at the university. This included the nine-day student occupation of the school’s administration building over affordable housing, tuition hikes, and student safety, including mental health and the prevention of sexual assault. Students had a list of nine demands and after negotiations, university officials agreed to seven. A financial aid scandal ignited the protests and left students calling for Frederick’s dismissal and urging the school board’s leadership to step aside. Frederick acknowledged the demonstrators at the graduation, asking the seniors among them to rise so the audience could applaud them. The actor praised the students for their sit-ins and the administrators for listening to students’ demands, saying the protests were accomplishments for both sides. “I didn’t come here to take sides,” said Boseman, who was part of a protest while at Howard. “My interest is what’s best for the school.” During his years at Howard, Boseman, a 2000 alumnus, took part in an unsuccessful three-day protest with his classmates to stop the school from demoting the College of Fine Arts into the Department of Fine Arts. Almost two decades later and Frederick and Boseman are now rectifying that controversial change.. They announced a campaign the actor will lead to reestablish the College of Fine Arts and to launch an Endowed College of Fine Arts Award. “And so, fine arts forever.” Frederick said.

“PLEASE TAKE A LOOK AT [Washingtonian Magazine’s] DEPICTION OF WHO ‘LIVES HERE’… NOT ONE BLACK FACE IN THE ENTIRE PIECE,” social media influencer and community activist, Tony Lewis Jr. wrote on Instagram and Twitter. Lewis wrote in all capital letters similarly to the campaign t-shirts. “BLACK PEOPLE STILL MAKE UP [47 percent] OF THIS CITY. THIS IS DISRESPECTFUL, CARELESS, AND RACIST (YEAH I SAID IT, RACIST). THIS IS VERY REPRESENATIVE OF HOW WE FEEL IN OUR OWN CITY, THAT WE ARE INVISIBLE, THAT WE DON’T EXIST. THAT PEOPLE MOVE HERE HAVE MORE VALUE THAN THOSE BORN HERE. THAT WHEN WE DIE IN THE STREETS IT ISN’T IMPORTANT, THAT THE NEW RESTAURANT OR CONDO SUPERCEDES OUR EXISTENCE,” Lewis wrote. He encouraged Washingtonians to not support the magazine. “IF YOU ARE A WASHINGTONIAN (BLACK, WHITE, HISPANIC, OR ASIAN) NEVER BUY AN AD, DO AN INTERVIE W NOR PURCHASE A COPY OF THIS RACIST/ DIVISIVE MAGAZINE.” The controversy surrounding the shirts and campaign quickly escalated, prompting Washingtonian to delete the campaign apologize. “As a native Washingtonian, I am very sorry that our latest

“We took down the initial post because it created an impression that was inconsistent with our values and standards.”

– Washingtonian Magazine CEO and president Catherine Merrill Williams

‘I Am Not A Tourist’ marketing campaign did not represent the wonderfully diverse city in which we live,” Washingtonian Magazine CEO and president Catherine Merrill Williams wrote in a statement. “This was the very beginning of a campaign in which all intentions are to include the many communities that make up our city. We solicited pictures from a diverse group of people and put the pictures up in the order they came in. People who saw the initial gallery of pictures had no way of knowing that it was not, in fact, the entirety of the marketing campaign. We took down the initial post because it created an impression that was inconsistent with our values and standards. We’re confident that when the campaign is complete it will reflect the diversity of the readership that we serve,” she wrote. Despite the apology some Washingtonians are still outraged. In response to Washingtonian’s campaign, Lewis is putting together a photoshoot on May 20 at Union Market for residents “born, raised and educated” in D.C. “We will provide a counter narrative that there are still folks who were born, raised, and educated in this city still here. We will provide a counter image that not every person living in the city is a [White] millennial,” Lewis wrote on Instagram. The dress code for the A screenshot of the from Tony Lewis Jr.’s Instagram account admonishing the photoshoot is all black. Washingtonian Magazine campaign “I am Not A Tourist”.

The Afro-American, May 19, 2018 - May 25, 2018

In honor of 150 years of African American collegiate excellence, Howard University held its sesquicentennial commencement on May 12 on the

yard of the institution. Howard University alum and “Black Panther” star, Chadwick Boseman, served as the commencement speaker in order

Students process into the 150th Howard University commencement

to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the graduation exercises and in celebration of his recent record breaking and history making film.

Chadwick Boseman doing the Wakanda symbol from the hit movie “Black Panther”

Student raises fist In agreement

Students at commencement

Students at Graduation TV Host Rock Newman

The crowd

Photos by Everette Wright

Photos by Brigitte White

Some of the many guests of Raynard Jackson

April Gaines-Jernigan, President, Xi Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa, Alpha Sorority (Community Partner Philanthropy Award Recipient) Lori Hawkins

Constance L. Washington is presented with the “Woman in Action award” by Rita Lewis

Shay Hawkins, Legislative Assistant to Sen. Tim Scott, and Raynard Jackson, President & CEO of Raynard Jackson & Associates

Maggie Harris, President & CEO, ESC

Dr. LeTea Perry, Katrina Turner, “Focused on my Future” scholarship winner, Rita Lewis and Dr. Renee’ Starlyn Allen

Tim Scott (R-SC) hosted a policy discussion as a part of his continuing National Opportunities Tour on Wed. Apr 25 at The Washington Court Hotel in Northwest,

Washington. DC. The tour highlights the “Investing in Opportunity Act,” which was recently passed tax legislation back

Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) and Raynard Jackson, President & CEO of Raynard Jackson & Associates

Aaron Manaigo, Partner, Potomac International Partners

Steve P. Munisteri, The White House Office of Public Liaison, Deputy Assistant to the President/ Principal Deputy Director

Photos by Mark Mahoney