PG County 6-1-2018

Who Killed Det. Sean Suiter? 197 Days and Counting

PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY EDITION

Volume 127 No. 43

JUNE 2, 2018 - JUNE 8, 2018

Stop The Killing

Homicides on the Rise, District Struggles to Cope

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Photo Courtesy ofMarkus Batchelor (D.C. School Board Ward 8 Representative)

Concerned residents gathered on Memorial Day to discuss the alarming uptick in violence. See story on D1.

Maryland Senate Hopefuls Appeal to Church Members

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

On Finally Leaving Scandal-Plagued R. Kelly Behind

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On May 24, eight candidates running to represent their districts in the Maryland Senate voiced their views during a forum at the First Baptist Church of Glenarden (FCG).

The senatorial candidates were invited to the forum because of the church’s reach and parishioners’ concerns. FCG, which has an estimated 10,000 members, has its sanctuary/ administrative offices in Glenarden, a ministry center in Landover, and a worship center in Upper Marlboro that are in different senatorial districts.

District 23 candidates were challenger Tim Adams and incumbent Sen. Douglass “J.J.” Peters while District 24 participants were

Photo courtesy of Melony Griffith

Melony Griffith is a Maryland Senate candidate in District 25.

2018: The Year of the Anacostia River

By Hamil R. Harris Special to the AFRO At one time few people dared to take a boat or kayak ride down the Anacostia because her brown waters contained plastic bottles, old tires and plenty of trash in addition to the smell of raw sewage.

On May 27 a youth group from the University

Park Church of Christ took a boat ride on the areas almost forgotten waterway, yet it was clean without a foul odor thanks to years of volunteer efforts and the implementation of a $2.6 billion Sewer System that has replaced an old system that mixed sewage with rain water every time it flooded.

Experts say that the river has come a long way in the

last decade, so much so until 2018 was named the ‘Year of the Anacostia’ and conference was held at U.S. Capitol visitors center on Wednesday.

“I thank the Anacostia Waterfront Trust and the forum’s other sponsors for championing one of the District’s prized assets, the Anacostia River,” said D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Continued on A2

Roebuck Joins Race to Serve on Prince George’s Dems Central Committee

By James Wright Special to the AFRO jwright@afro.com While the race for county executive, county council, and senate contests are getting attention for the June 26 Democratic primary in Prince George’s County, the race for a seat on the Prince George’s County Democratic State Committee is no less compelling.

Monica Roebuck, an educator in the Prince

George’s County public school system, is a candidate for the District 23A position on the committee. Roebuck wants voters in District 23A to elect her to the committee to improve political engagement.

“Voting is very important,” Roebuck told the AFRO. “The voter participation is not as high as it should be in Prince George’s County and we have to remember our history. Many people suffered so that we may have the right Continued on A2

Sen. Joanne Benson with former Maryland Del. Tiffany Alston and Everett Browning as hopefuls wanting her seat. District 25 doesn’t have an incumbent and the candidates are former Maryland Del. Melony Griffith, Maryland Del. Angela Angel and Jonathan Rosero.

Adams said children are vital to the future of Prince George’s County and Maryland and the county’s education system must be improved. “Our school is ranked [based on standardized test scores] 23 out of 24 Maryland jurisdictions,” he said. “We must raise the pay for our teachers and make sure that universal Pre-K is available to all. We must treat our teachers better because they make the difference in our children’s lives.”

Peters talked about the ongoing controversy Continued on A3

Black Business

Soul of Sonoma Highlights Black Premium Wine Experience

By Hamzat Sani Special to the AFRO Soul of Sonoma wants to raise the profile of the few Blackowned vineyards, wineries and establishments producing quality wine.

Boasting “unparalleled tasting experiences at premium wineries and featured venues,” SoS has a focused approach to premium wine that serves both the taster and makers alike.

While African Americans are Coral Brown from Brown Estates strong consumers (a featured winery) of wine it is hard to find Blacks Courtesy Photo represented amply in the production of premium wine. Very few Black owned vineyards exist and many that do face steep challenges, limited resources and little Continued on A3

Copyright © 2018 by the Afro-American Company

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The Afro-American, June 2, 2018 - June 8, 2018

Branson, One Time Member of Montgomery County Council, Seeks Re-Entry

By James Wright Special to the AFRO jwright@afro.com Cherri Branson is no stranger to Montgomery County politics and as a candidate for one of the four at-large seats, wants to make the process works for everyday residents.

Branson is one of 33 candidates for the Democratic nomination to the Montgomery County Council. She served on the county’s legislative body from January-December 2014, replacing Valerie Ervin, who is now running for Governor, and is ready to get back to helping her fellow residents.

“There is a sea of change taking place in Montgomery County,” Branson told the AFRO. “This is a very appropriate time for someone who has experience in county government to be on the council. A lot of our indicators say that the county is at a crossroads and we could either go in a direction where people are doing well or not. I want to make sure that Montgomery County is on the path of prosperity and inclusion.”

Montgomery County is the largest jurisdiction in Maryland in terms of population. A 2017 U.S. Census estimate shows the county has 1,058,810 residents and 29.2 percent of its people over the age of 25 have bachelor’s degrees, the highest

percentage in the country.

Montgomery County recently became majority-minority with 20 percent of its population Black, 16 percent Latino, 16 percent Asian and with Whites making up the rest. Branson said the new racial status of the county is revealing.

“We are the new majority,” she said. “Even

“I want to make sure that Montgomery County is on the path of prosperity and inclusion.”

– Cherri Branson

though we are majority-minority, minority interests are represented in the county. When you run at-large you have to look at the county as a whole and address those issues.”

Branson said the interests of Silver Spring are different from Germantown and that is also the case with wealthy Bethesda-Potomac as opposed to more working-class, multiethnic eastern parts of the county.

Branson has an extensive background working for different levels of government.

Photo courtesy

Cherri Branson is a former member of the Montgomery County Council who is seeking.

She works as the director of the county’s procurement program and served as the chief counsel on oversight and senior investigator for the Homeland Security committee for the U.S. House of Representatives.

A native of Shepherdstown, W.V., Branson

Anacostia River Continued from A1

Norton in a statement. “If we continue our efforts, the District will see what it means to be located on a beautiful, clean river to enjoy for recreation and to witness our native fish and wildlife thrive. I also look forward to continuing to work with the National Park Service and others on our work to transform Anacostia River Park into a one-ofa-kind urban park that will greatly benefit our residents and visitors to the District.”

On Wednesday Norton presented a

got her bachelor’s degree from Vassar College, a juris doctorate from Indiana University School of Law, and a master’s of laws degree from Emory University School of Law. In the race for the Democratic nomination for the four seats, are six other African Americans: Brandy Brooks, Craig CarozzaCaviness, Lorna Phillips-Forde, Will Jawando, David Lipscomb and Jarrett Smith.

Branson said if elected, she knows what to do and will get it done. “I will request seats on the education committee and also government operations,” she said. “We want to make sure that Montgomery County schools are the best that they can be. My work on Capitol Hill and as the county procurement officer will be useful because I understand how government works and how to make it work better.”

Branson said her life experiences will influence her service as a county legislator.

“My life has taught me to pursue fairness and openness in government, seek practical solutions to problems and to assure that everyone has a place at the table,” she said.

“I believe this county must be a great place to live and work for all of its residents and I am committed to pursuing policies that bring about that goal. If elected, my priorities on the council will be economic development, housing affordability, transportation and land use.”

Soul of Sonoma Continued from A1 congressional resolution designating 2018 as the “Year of the Anacostia” that recognized the area’s efforts and partnerships to restore the Anacostia River watershed. Rep. Anthony Brown (D-MD) is a cosponsor of the resolution.

Norton has secured federal funding for ongoing work to clean up the Anacostia River for years, including $14 million in fiscal year 2018. One of Norton’s major economic projects, the Capitol Riverfront, created new development and economic activity

along the Anacostia River while fueling new efforts to clean up the river.

Norton was the lead sponsor of the Water Resources Development Act of 2007 that directed the Secretary of the Interior, in partnership with the Mayor of the District of Columbia, the Governor of Maryland and the county executives of Montgomery County and Prince George’s County, to develop a 10-year action plan to restore and protect the ecological integrity of the Anacostia River and its tributaries.

Photo taken by Alana Harris

A member of the University Park Church of Christ youth group captured this photo during their tour down the Anacostia River on May 27, which left from the port of Bladensburg.

attention. ‘’SoS differentiates itself from the crowded field of wine tour services by offering coordinated access to premium African American wineries and tasting rooms for tastings, networking, and private events.’’

Founder Patrice Davenport started her entrepreneurial journey shortly after finishing graduate school with her first business, 1865 Company, which focused on high end items and gifts associated with African American heritage and culture.

The idea for Soul of Sonoma started as a part of 1865 Co. “One of our brands that we had was the Legacy Cellars Club, we were the first wine club to feature exclusively black owned premium wine brands,” she told the AFRO. Originally from the San Francisco area, Davenport used her experience and knowledge of the local wine country to build a fledgling business. The company provided tours of Blackowned vineyards in nearby Napa and Sonoma County, hence the name. Despite their success a combination of interstate laws around shipping wine and an immature internet resulted in the business being sunsetted until the timing was right.

“Fast forward to 2017 with the proliferation of African American wineries it just seemed like a really great time to bring parts of that business back under the Soul of Sonoma brand. So we are doing tours in Napa and Sonoma ...we are doing tours, premium tours of kind of high end vineyards, tasting rooms that type of thing that are black owned in those areas.”

Now Davenport and her team are bringing their west coast born business model east in hopes of spreading the reach and appeal of black owned vineyards and wineries throughout the country. Part of Soul of Sonoma’s offerings on the East Coast will include tours, tastings and exclusive access to Black owned wineries. SoS also is conducting research and outreach to Black owned wineries and vineyards up and down the mid-Atlantic to help African American wine consumers identify businesses to support such as Wisdom Oak Gardens in Virginia, Nyari Cellars in New York and Akwaaba Bed and Breakfast right here in D.C. where Davenport has set up East Coast operations.

Soul of Sonoma also hosts exclusive events catered to high end wine connoisseurs seeking a premium Black wine experience. “We have heard from many affluent African Americans and others about their desire to support Blackowned businesses while sharing the pride of Black-ownership and cultural experiences with their peers.”

One such example of the companies luxury approach to the wine experience is an exclusive event to be held at the Historic Oak Bluffs on Martha’s Vineyard. The inaugural Soul of Sonoma on the Vineyard will combine wine, food and African American history to produce a premium wine tasting experience in one of the countries most iconic communities.

Set in Farm Neck Golf Club, where former U.S. presidents tee off, the culinary and wine experience will bring some off California’s award winning Black-owned vineyards to guests.

Davenport hopes to soon open up a brick and mortar on the East coast to bring the experience of great wine produced by Black-owned vineyards to more people.

“We do hope to have a tasting room on the East coast in the near future...to have a northern California style tasting room (here) would be amazing.”

The Afro-American, June 2, 2018 - June 8, 2018

A3

Senate Hopefuls

Continued from A1 regarding physician-assisted suicide and why he is against it.

Benson said she supports a $15-an-hour minimum wage.

“People should be paid a decent wage,” she said. “I also support paid sick leave in the state and I will work diligently on that when I go back to the Annapolis [for the next session].

Browning said redistricting taking place in 2021 must be fair and not drawn to protect incumbents in office. “Districts should be drawn that make sense and not look crazy on a map,” he said.

Angel said she supports the historically Black colleges and universities law suit against Maryland, adding that institutions with predominantly Black student bodies should be given equitable funding by the state with those with White students in the majority. Griffith said she could work with Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) as a senator, but hopes she won’t have to.

“When I served in Annapolis from 1999-2013, I worked under Democratic and Republican governors,” Griffith said.

Rosero said he doesn’t support the legalization of the recreational use of marijuana but is in favor of decriminalization. “I do support the decriminalization of marijuana because that would help people who made a mistake get back on their feet as far as the criminal justice system is concerned,” he said.

The Maryland Democratic Party primary is June 26.

Former President of the National Press Club and Honoree, Jeff Ballou

Rapper and DJ Biz Markie, who DJ’d the afterparty.

Roebuck

Continued from A1 to vote.”

There are seven senatorial districts in Prince George’s County and four people are elected to the committee from each district. The committee serves as a powerful voice on who gets to serve in elected office.

For example, if there is a vacancy in the Maryland General Assembly, it is the committee, by majority vote,

Cathy Hughes accepts her award

has the largest number of registered Democrats in the state – 450,136 – while Montgomery County, Maryland’s most populous jurisdiction, has 377,786. It is almost impossible for a Democrat to win a statewide office without carrying Prince George’s County.

Given that Prince George’s County is 65 percent Black, it is safe to say it has

“We need to get people registered, engaged in the political process and educate people on the candidates.”

Jeff Ballou and Dr. Sheila Brooks Beatriz Acevedo, David Morgan, and Soledad O’Brien at the Multicultural Media Correspondents Gala Photos by Brigette White

– Monica Roebuck that decides who serves out the rest of the term. The governor is mandated by law to appoint that person to the seat.

There is also a central committee for Republicans in the county.

Prince George’s County

Maryland’s largest bloc of registered African-Americans voters. Roebuck said those powerful numbers should be used to benefit county residents.

“We need to get people registered, engaged in the political process, and educate

Courtesy photo

Monica Roebuck, an educator in the Prince George’s County public school system, is seeking a seat on Democrat State Committee.

On May 24, the Multimedia Correspondents Soledad O’Brien and Herman Cain Association held the third annual Multimedia Correspondents Dinner at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. Honorees included, Hermain Cain, Soledad O’Brien, Jeff Ballou, Raynard Jackson, Beatriz Acevedo and Radio One pioneer, Cathy Hughes. Throughout the evening the honorees received awards in front of their peers and colleagues and gave speeches about Raynard Jackson and Micha Green, continuing to be truthAFRO Washington, D.C. Editor tellers in media. After the dinner, guests went to Claudia’s in D.C., where rapper Biz Markie kept the party going as DJ for the evening.

people on the candidates,” Roebuck said. “There is a connection between communities that have high voter turnouts and those that tend to get resources. We have to vote because this is participating in our own survival.”

District 23A consists of Bowie, Beltsville, and Laurel in northern Prince George’s County. The district is 61 percent Black, 26 percent White and 5 percent Latino.

Roebuck said if elected to the committee, she will spend her energy knocking on doors and fundraising for Democratic candidates from the White House to the county council.

Roebuck was born and raised in the county and attended its public schools.

She attended Bowie State University for her bachelor’s and master’s degrees. She has served as the political director for one of the county’s Alpha Kappa Alpha chapters.

For some, the committee serves as a stepping stone to an elected office. Roebuck has a “wait-and-see” attitude on being a politician full or part-time. “Right now, I just want to get my feet wet,” she said. “I want to see how the process works and then I will take it from there. We as African Americans need to vote for people based on their qualifications and desire to serve and not on a popularity contest.”

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The Afro-American, June 2, 2018 - June 8, 2018

CHEVROLET AND NNPA JOIN TOGETHER TO OFFER HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY STUDENTS A $15K FELLOWSHIP! The National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) is excited to partner with the all-new 2018 Chevrolet Equinox to present Discover the Unexpected (DTU) – an amazing journalism fellowship.

Selected DTU Fellows from Historically Black Colleges and Universities earn a $10,000 scholarship, $5,000 stipend and an exciting summer road trip in the all-new 2018 Chevrolet Equinox.

Join our DTU Fellows on this multi-city journey as they discover unsung heroes and share stories from African-American communities that will surprise and inspire. DTU is back and better than ever! Are you ready to ride? #ChevyEquinox, #Chevy, #NNPA

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Who Killed Det. Sean Suiter? 197 Days and Counting

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Homicides on the Rise, District Struggles to Cope

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The Afro-American, June 2, 2018 - June 8, 2018

WHAT’S TRENDING ON AFRO.COM NAACP Joins Black Motorcyclists in Suing Myrtle Beach for Discrimination

By Perry Green AFRO Sports Editor pgreen@afro.com

(Facebook)

A lawsuit alleges members of Black Bike week in South Carolina were the victims of discrimination.

A group of Black motorcyclists teamed up with the NAACP to file a lawsuit against the city of Myrtle Beach, S.C., as well as its local police department, for alleged racial discrimination shown towards those who participate in Black Bike Week.

According to the NAACP, the complaint alleges that there are major differences in the treatment of African-American bikers during Black Bike Week in comparison to how bikers are treated during Harley Week, which attracts mostly White riders. While both bike events occur in May, Black Bike Week is traditionally held during Memorial Day Weekend, while Harley Week occurs a week prior.

The complaint is mainly about a different traffic plan that Myrtle Beach has enforced during Black Bike Week; the city doesn’t enforce the same traffic plan during Harley Week, despite both events attracting a similar amount of people in attendance.

“The City of Myrtle Beach and its police department impose no formal traffic plan during Harley Week. However, during Black Bike Week they restrict the main two-way thoroughfare, Ocean Boulevard, to a single lane of southbound traffic. All vehicles entering Ocean Boulevard at night are forced to travel through a 23-mile loop with just one exit. On Sunday night of Black Bike Week, it could take over six hours to complete the loop,” the NAACP said in a statement.

The suit also mentioned how Myrtle Beach drastically beefs up its police force, which “utilizes overly aggressive policing tactics against African Americans.”

The NAACP claims Myrtle Beach’s city government are employing these tactics in attempt to deter Black riders and

tourists from visiting the city.

“All citizens are entitled to equal protection under the law and have the rights of expression, assembly and association,” said NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson in the press release. “The City’s traffic plan and overly aggressive policing tactics during Black Bike Week violate those fundamental constitutional rights. The Association will continue to use the courts to fight such blatant discrimination.”

The NAACP fought and beat Myrtle Beach for the exact same issue more than a decade ago. In 2005, the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina granted the NAACP’s motion for preliminary injunction, citing the differences in the traffic plans for both events were likely motivated by race, which violated the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

According to the NAACP, an agreement was then reached that forced Myrtle Beach to apply the same traffic plan for both events. But that agreement expired three years ago, and Myrtle Beach has since begun to enforce an even more rigorous traffic plan for Black Bike Week than before.

Chauncey Harris, a Maryland native who regularly drives out to Myrtle Beach to ride his bike during the event, said the current traffic plan and heavy police presence is causing some of the bikers to consider moving the event just north of Myrtle Beach, near Atlantic Beach.

“The loop that they’re forcing us to drive is affecting everybody,” Harris told the AFRO. “There’s talks going around of just meeting up at North Beach, where we’ll probably feel more comfortable because the White folks ate acting like they don’t want us here.”

Myrtle Beach Mayor Brenda Bethune said the different plans are due to “public safety,” according to Myrtle Beach Online. “What I want to do on behalf of council is to reassure the public that our number one concern always has been and always will be public safety. And that’s just really what I want to stress. To me, my job is to make the public feel secure in their city management and their city government and our number one focus is to make sure our public is safe in all situations and all special events no matter how many people are here,” she said at a recent city council meeting.

Health Officials ‘Cautiously Optimistic’ on Ebola

By The Associated Press

(Salvatore Di Nolfi/Keystone via AP)

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Secretary General of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), Elhadj As Sy, informs the media about IFRC’s and WHO’s response on ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo at the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland.

The World Health Organization said May 29 it is “cautiously optimistic” about efforts to curb the spread of Ebola in an urban area in Congo, although the lethal virus is still reported in at least two remote areas.

There have been 35 confirmed cases, including 12 deaths.

The U.N. health agency and partners have vaccinated more than 400 people with an experimental Ebola vaccine, the first time it has been used in an emerging outbreak.

WHO emergencies chief Peter Salama told reporters that the response has gone “quite smoothly” and that the agency’s first priority had been to stop Ebola’s spread in Mbandaka, a city of more than 1 million that sits on a river described as a “highway” connecting it to other regions.

“We can’t conclude we have safeguarded the city of Mbandaka, but so far there hasn’t been an explosive increase in cases ... We have reason to be cautiously optimistic,” Salama said.

He added that the next stage of the vaccination strategy would focus on the remote regions of Iboko and Bikoro, where most of the cases have been reported.

Salama also said officials were planning to test five unlicensed drugs for Ebola, pending Congo’s approval. Two of the drugs were previously used in past Ebola outbreaks, but the three remaining medicines have mostly been tested in animals. Salama said using the drugs in Congo’s basic health clinics would be challenging since some involve intravenous infusions and require daily monitoring of kidney and liver

functions.

Bikoro has had no electricity and no functioning lab, officials said, and outbreak response efforts in Iboko have required the establishment of helicopter landing sites and electricity.

Salama said WHO has been focused on three separate chains of Ebola transmission connected to a funeral, a church gathering and a visit to a health center in Bikoro. He said officials were trying to monitor about 900 contacts of Ebola cases but couldn’t say how many of the newly reported cases are coming from previously identified contacts.

Having new cases arise from people not already under observation suggests the virus could be spreading unchecked in certain areas.

“This is a work in progress,” Salama said, adding that the “overwhelming majority” of contacts were being followed up on a daily basis and that vaccination was providing further reassurance the epidemic might soon be controlled.

Civil Rights Activists Rally Outside of NFL HQ

By The Associated Press

(AP Photo/Ralph Russo)

New York Councilman Jumaane D. Williams, second from right, with the help of Kirsten John Foy, second from left, Northeast Regional Director of the National Action Network, holds a jersey with Colin Kaepernick’s name on the back, during a rally of civil rights activists outside of Civil rights activists protested outside NFL headquarters May 25, calling on team owners to overturn their new national anthem policy and urging a boycott of the league and its sponsors.

About 50 people gathered at the midtown Manhattan office building for a rally organized by National Action Network, a civil rights nonprofit.

Kirsten John Foy, the group’s northeast regional director, was the first of 10 speakers who took turns during the 40-minute demonstration to criticize NFL team owners and President Donald Trump.

“Our demand is that the NFL reverse that immoral and unconstitutional decision,” Foy said.

NFL owners voted Wednesday to require players to stand for the national anthem or stay in the locker room. Teams will be fined if players don’t stand. Some players have been kneeling during the playing of “The Star-Spangled Banner” before games the last two seasons to protest police brutality and racial inequality.

Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick started the protest in 2016. He did not play last season after being unsigned as a free agent. He is suing the NFL and team owners for colluding to keep him out of the league. ional Action Network spokesman Alex Butcher-Nesbitt said the group planned to hold similar demonstrations around the country, including Detroit and Los Angeles.

The Rev. Charles Williams II, president of the Michigan chapter of the National Action Network, said if Detroit Lions owner Martha Ford and the team adhere to the anthem policy, “then they are doing nothing more than ... standing with racism.”

In New York, Foy was joined by progressive talk radio host Mark Thompson, who wore a long shirt with a depiction of Kaepernick in his 49ers uniform taking a knee, and city councilman Jumaane Williams, who brought a Kaepernick No. 7 jersey to display after he spoke and wore a shirt with the slogan #IMWITHKAP across the front.

“I’m proud because I’m going to be on the right side of history,” Williams said. “I’m going to be standing and kneeling with Colin Kaepernick.”

Several speakers said supporters of Kaepernick and the protesting players should stop watching NFL games and no longer patronize companies that sponsor the league.

“You can’t inundate us with tens of millions of dollars in commercial ads and then strip the people that generate your money and your profits of their first amendment rights,” Foy said. “And if they choose to protest, they’ve got to stay in the locker room. So the locker room is the new slave shanty.”

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The Afro-American, June 2, 2018 - June 2, 2018

June 2, 2018 - June 8, 2018, The Afro-American

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Rhoden Continued from A1 of previous inductees, this honor becomes even more humbling. Many of those men and women are people I have looked up to and admired for decades and who were beacon lights for my own career,” Rhoden told the NABJ. “The sole focus of my life and career at this point is mentoring and sponsoring a new generation of talented African Americans, not only in sports journalism but throughout a sports industry that tends to exclude and ignore Black talent that does not run and jump. I appreciate what this honor says about my past and am even more excited about the momentum it provides for an exciting future.”

One such mentor was AFRO sports editor Sam Lacy, of the eponymous NABJ Sam Lacy Pioneer Award. Lacy was 1991’s NABJ Lifetime Achievement Awardee.

“Sam was a crusader, I became a crusader,” Rhoden wrote of Lacy in “Overcoming Barriers With His Sports Pen” a May 2003 article for The New York Times. “In the roughand-tumble 1940s and 1950s, he fought so many battles in a sports industry coming to terms with the emergence of African-American athletes. Lacy, Wendell Smith and Joe Bostic played a major role in integrating major league baseball. Sam and Wendell shepherded Jackie Robinson into White baseball and chronicled his first seasons for a Black audience that couldn’t get enough. Sam was an advocate for Black rights, a watchdog, a voice of reason.”

Since that 2003 article, Rhoden went on to publish 40 Million Dollar Slaves: The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of the Black Athlete in

2006. A deeply conflicted work; Rhoden’s literally-on-the-field account of 1968’s Whitney Young Classic, wherein he and the Morgan State Bears played the Grambling Tigers in Yankee Stadium, describes thrilling instances of courage, daring, foolhardiness, desperation and resolve. He and his Bears won, but in the echoes of the twin hammerblow assassinations of Malcolm X and Martin

The reality of Black sport, Rhoden’s research uncovers, is explained by his term “Jockey Syndrome.” Named so for the first instances of Black domination in American sport: horse racing. 18th and 19th century slaves, who tended, trained and finally rode their masters’ horses were nigh-unbeatable on the track. But White ownership coupled with White popular resentment, changed the rules to

“I appreciate what this honor says about my past and am even more excited about the momentum it provides for an exciting future.”

–William Rhoden Luther King, questions what the ecstasy that comes with Black excellence ultimately delivers without Black advancement.

“This was a snapshot of out past, our present, and--I hoped--our future,” Rhoden wrote. “I walked off the Yankee Stadium turf bursting with pride, thankful to be part of something this big, this Black, this beautiful.

We had the athletes, we had the fans, we had the money. This day, I thought, was the beginning of something. After all that happened in 1968--the assassinations, the riots, the protests--things would never be the same again; there was no going back. I felt that something new had awakened in us. Decades later, I would still be waiting. The dream was a mirage.”

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.

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marginalize and all but eliminate Blacks from competition. Rhoden works reveals a similar pattern in the back-and-forth integration of baseball, the rise of and fall of Negro leagues, and Robinson’s 1947 break of the color line coming to overshadow Moses Fleetwood Walker’s debut in the major leagues in 1884.

While working for the AFRO in the 1970s Rhoden covered sports and Baltimore City among other things. One memorable article about various scams from 1974 carried the headline, “Summertime is ‘sting season’ for city’s flim-flammers.”

Rhoden now writes for The Undefeated.

While chronicling the ever-rising LeBron James on the court, or profiling UMBC’s own Freeman Hrabowski’s leadership; one critical

eye remains on how the NCAA compensates players.

“What happens if the players don’t show up?” Rhoden wrote in “The NCAA Tournament and the Billions of Dollars That Need to be Shared” for The Undefeated.

“What happens if they stage a protest and demand a promise for greater distribution of the wealth? This year’s tournament is expected to take in more than $800 million. Are players willing to fight for greater compensation? Will March Madness ever take a knee? Perhaps sooner than you imagine.”

Rhoden and his peers will be inducted into the NABJ Hall of Fame August 5 during the organization’s convention in Detroit.

14-Year-Old Continued from A1 “I want to be a Cosmetic Chemist. I want to start my own line of chemical products, the beauty of things,” said the 14-year-old, who has been planning his career since the age of 8.

“At one point he said I’m going to cure wrinkles, and I said, good because one-day mom is going to have wrinkles and I’m going to need you,” McCord said.

In addition to going to school, McKenzie enjoys playing football and plays saxophone with the Joyful Noise Homeschool band.

Hurricane Maria Continued from A1 Researchers led by Harvard University called the official toll of 64 deaths a “substantial underestimate.”

Maria caused the longest blackout in U.S. history, leaving the entire island of 3.3 million people without power, including those in hospitals and nursing homes who relied on respirators. Researchers surveyed 3,299 households earlier this year and used the findings to extrapolate to the whole island. They found that 31 percent reported disruptions in medical services, and more than 14 percent said they were unable to access medications.

“Indirect deaths resulting from worsening of chronic conditions or from delayed medical treatments may not be captured on death certificates,” researchers said in the study.

They calculated 4,645 more people died in the three months after Maria compared with the same period in 2016. One of the researchers, Rafael Irizarry of Harvard University, told the AP that the estimate is uncertain because of its limited size, but that the study still provides valuable information, including how some people died.

Previous studies have found that the number of direct and indirect hurricanerelated deaths in Puerto Rico is higher than the official toll, including a 2017 report that there were nearly 500 more deaths than usual on the island in September.

In late February, Puerto Rico’s governor announced that a team of experts at George Washington University would lead an independent review to determine the number of deaths caused

by Hurricane Maria amid ongoing accusations that the government undercounted the toll. A preliminary report was due in May, but Puerto Rico officials announced last week that the team requested and was granted more time.

The director of that study did not return messages for comment.

The government of Puerto Rico issued a statement Tuesday in response to the

AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa

A new study contends that many more deaths than normal occurred in Puerto Rico in the three months after Maria devastated the island, mostly because of problems getting medicines or medical care.

study saying that it welcomed the research and would analyze it.

“As the world knows, the magnitude of this tragic disaster caused by Hurricane Maria resulted in many fatalities. We have always expected the number to be higher than what

was previously reported,” said Carlos Mercader, executive director of Puerto Rico’s Federal Affairs Administration.

Meanwhile, a couple of media organizations have gone to court to obtain more details on the deaths reported in Puerto Rico last year.

Demographers have said that Puerto Rico recorded an official average of 82 deaths a day in the two weeks before Maria hit. The number increased to 117 a day after the storm pummeled the island in mid-September and then fell below usual in October.

Engineering Subcontracting Opportunities Michael Baker International is seeking qualified, Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) subconsultants to participate in upcoming contracting opportunities.

We are presently seeking assistance in the following areas: Water and Wastewater Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering, Value Engineering, Surveying, Cost Estimating, Mechanical and HVAC Engineering, Electrical Instrumentation and Controls Engineering, Structural Engineering, Environmental Science, and Sustainability.

Qualified MDOT certified MBE consultants should immediately forward their business information to Stephanie Allder at stephanie.allder@mbakerintl.com for consideration.

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The Afro-American,June 2, 2018 - June 8, 2018

COMMENTARY

Year Up Changes Lives

“Your story may not have had the happiest of beginnings, but that doesn’t make you who you are. It is the rest of your story, who you choose to be.” When I first heard these words, they resonated with me in a profound way. I could relate because in a way it described not only my life, but also my time here at Year Up.

When I started out as a younger adult, I wanted to go the traditional route: attend a four year university, graduate and then get a career in my chosen field. However, life didn’t turn out that way. Sacrifices had to be made.

I dropped out of college after my first year. For the next six years I stumbled through life trying to find my way. I moved from place to place staying with friends and family. I worked night jobs with 12 and 14 hour shifts. Some days I would walk over 2 hours, both to and from work, because I had to pay bills and I didn’t have any bus fare. In what I thought was the beginning of my life, I wasn’t thinking about how to succeed; I was simply thinking about how to survive.

I like to think of this time as a learning experience. Although there were struggles and hardships, I was able to learn about myself and about life. I learned responsibility, resilience and dedication. I learned about the value of hard work, and the value of a dollar. I learned about how difficult it is being an adult on your own, and how ill equipped I was to make it without the proper foundation. Hope was a seldom thought, it was something that I never let go of. The hope that one day things will get better. That’s what Year Up gave me. Year Up was my hope, my opportunity. Year Up was my chance for a new beginning.

To describe my Year Up experience in one word, I would call it transformative. I knew why I joined this program, and what I wanted to get out of it, but I never expected to grow as a person in such a way that I did. It was here at Year Up that I found my voice, my confidence.

I remember when we were just a few weeks into classes, and during one of our career development classes Mr. Emmanuel had everyone in the class share their experiences before coming here. I was actually nervous about sharing, because I was still getting to know my classmates and I was self-conscious about myself. But after seeing my peers be so open, honest and raw with their stories, I felt that I should be able to do the same thing, so I did. I felt empowered and relieved that I could express my thoughts with my peers in a judgment free zone. It was a huge personal victory and the first step in developing and growing as a person.

I challenged myself in different and creative ways. From public speaking, to being social with my peers, I felt blessed and lucky to be in a place that not only nurtured personal and professional growth it was the standard.

As young adults we all had a rough start, a not so happy beginning. Life got in the way of our plans. But when we came here, no matter what we were coming from we all made a commitment, a resolution, to better our lives. We chose to start over, to start on a new path in our lives. This was, and is, our genesis. And as we prepare to embark on our individual journeys, and carve out our destinies in this world, I know that we will never be alone. We have the bonds we made throughout our Year Up journey. We are a part of a movement that will never end.

Although your story may not have had the happiest of beginnings, that doesn’t make you who

Davon Banks

you are. It is the rest of your story, who you choose to be. So be someone great in your homes, in your communities, and in the world. Help your fellow man. Never stop working to achieve your greatest destiny possible, and in doing so, not only as individuals, but also as a connected Year Up unit. I am sure we will all leave a legacy that will stand the test of time.

Davone Banks graduated from Year Up in January 2018. Year up is a professional training corps, on the campus of Baltimore City Community College. Year Up offers an intensive, oneyear program for college students, ages 18-24, combining professional coaching, hands-on skill development, and internships at some of America’s top companies.

Environmental Fake News and The Truth

Last week I was on social media and ran across a post with a lovely picture of a honey bee covered in pollen inside a flower bloom with the caption, “Maryland will be the first state to ban pesticides and save the bees.’

Unfortunately, that is environmental fake news.

Here’s the truth. On May 1, 2018 the state of Hawaii came close to making history by becoming the first state in our nation to ban the harmful chlorpyrifos pesticide in all agriculture use, a rule started under the Obama administration.

Our current Scott Pruitt-led EPA reversed that pledge.

Hawaii bill SB3095 requires all users of Restricted Use Pesticides (RUPs) to report usage of chlorpyrifos pesticide and mandates minimum 100-foot no-spray zones for RUPs around schools during school hours.

Maryland 2018 Environmental Legislative Session proposed bill (HB116/SB500) This bill would have banned chlorpyrifos in that state for agriculture use. It is already banned for residential use. Chlorpyrifos is a toxic nerve agent pesticide proven to cause brain damage in children and known to harm the environment (honey bees) and wildlife. This bill raised concerns on the Senate floor, and the House bill was withdrawn by the sponsors, Delegate Stein/Senator Nathan-Pulliam.

Cathy Allen

Maryland is moving forward in other important environmental matters such as these environmental wins in the 2018 Environmental Legislative Session.

(HB003/SB0138) This bill passed both chambers and requires Governor Hogan to include the state as a member of the U.S. Climate Alliance on or before July 18, 2018 and mandates that only the General Assembly may withdraw that state from the U.S. Climate Alliance. It also requires Governor Hogan to provide an annual report on the activities of U.S. Climate Alliance to the General Assembly. This bill is awaiting the Governor’s signature. Sponsored by: Delegate Stein/ Senator Conway.

(HB1350/SB1006) This bill advances efforts to adapt to climate change and passed the House and Senate and is currently awaiting Governor Hogan’s signature. Sponsored by: Delegate Stein/Senator Pinsky.

(HB1135/SB1058) This bill would have halted the development of offshore wind projects by moving them at least 26 nautical miles off the coast of the state and halt offshore wind projects. This bill was voted down in the House Economic Matters committee and securing the future of offshore wind in Maryland. Sponsored by: Delegate Adams/Senator Hershey.

(HB0744/SB0850) These bills created a “Complete Street Program” on both a state and local level. The first bill provides

grants to local governments to encourage their adoption of complete streets policies. The second: requires that the state Department of Transportation to adopt and implement a ‘complete streets policy.” These policies seek to make walking and bicycling safer and more attractive. Both bills are awaiting the Governor’s signature. Sponsored by: Delegate Lafferty/ Senator Mathias.

(HB993/SB0898) This passed bill will require the Board of Trustees for the state Retirement and Pension System to conduct a climate risk assessment of investments in the pension system every four years consistent with its fiduciary duties.

The bill awaits Governor Hogan’s signature. Sponsored by: Delegate Adams/Senator Korman.

Fake news has become the ‘norm’ in our society, so much so that it is now spreading into the environmental sector. Check your facts.

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.

Celebrating Pentecost In the Midst of a Divided Evangelicalism?

All around the country and, specifically in the city of Baltimore, people are celebrating the Feast of Pentecost (Shavuot). Pentecost is believed by most evangelicals and mainline denominations to be a prophetic divine encounter and empowerment of the Holy Spirit, as a cosmic reality, into the human domain.

The primary purpose is to bring to humanity an awareness of latent power dynamics in our lives for a new way of living.

Subsequently, power is not only defined as the ability to define one’s destiny and reality but also to influence and act to get things done. However, imbalances of power continue to be allowed and remain among the very same people that claim as their Pentecostal tenet to have “power from on high.”

According to a recent survey, Christianity in America is statistically divided into 25.4% Evangelical, 14.7% Protestant Mainline denominations, 6.5% historically Black Protestant, 20.8% Catholic, 1.6% Mormon, 0.5% Orthodox Christianity, 0.8% Jehovah Witness, and 0.4% Other. The statistical divide is also mimicked in how they prioritize the interpretation of power both in principle and in the practice of social justice and other moral issues.

For example, (1) during the National Day of Prayer, many evangelicals celebrated President Trump for his executive order to expand government grants to religiously-affiliated groups, while other denominational groups were morally challenged

Kevin Daniels

that nothing was said on the same day news broke of hush money paid by President Trump’s lawyer in a settlement to the pornographic film actress Stormy Daniels over the affair the president had with her a decade ago; (2) while many evangelicals celebrated 70 years of Israel becoming a state since May 14, 1948, and the U.S. Embassy be moved from Tele Aviv to Jerusalem, other Christian denominations were disturbed how nothing was said critically concerning the multiple deaths and war scrimmages that broke out at the borders among the Palestinians; and lastly, (3) while over 50 evangelical pastors converged on the Billy Graham Center at Wheaton in Chicago to discuss the “soul of evangelicalism” in America during the era of Trump, other denominational groups were challenged that nothing was said concerning the recent Chinese Telecom firm ZTE being spared from collapse by the current administration and then to allow the Chinese government to approve five new trademarks for Ivanka Trump’s businesses.

Many evangelicals at the Billy Graham Center raised questions concerning how global Christians are viewing what’s happening to the American witness around the world and evangelical willingness to risk an entire future generation because of their current silence. All of this on the heels of the life and legacy celebration of the death of Dr. James Cone, who during the Civil Rights Era originated Black Liberation Theology, which was a prophetic protest theology against the

interpretive divide between southern and northern churches.

Even though historically the church has seen a divide during antebellum, Civil War era, and the Civil Rights era, many Baltimore Pastors, at a recent roundtable discussion, were also extremely concerned that this current divide could, in fact, risk future generations. With the current statistical gap between church attendance and ideology of the millennials, generation X, and baby boomers, many expressed concerns that like the Rev. William Barber “we need to revisit the biblical term of “evangelicalism as good news” outside of partisan politics, and to revisit the prophetic scripture that calls us to accept the call

by Jesus “to make us one, like God is one.”

If the power of Pentecost is to have the kind of impact it intended in the prophetic text, we must continue to rediscover, uncover, and recover the theological (our position living with God fully present), relational (organizing in one place and on one accord), economic (having all things in community), directional (positioning for mighty rushing winds of change), and dimensional components (breaking through sound and many other barriers in the earth from heaven).

Dr. Kevin Daniels is an Associate Professor at the Morgan State School of Social Work, Chair of the Civic Actions Committee (Minister’s Conference of Baltimore & Vicinity), and The Pastor at the St. Martin Church in Baltimore.

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

June 2, 2018 - June 8, 2, 2018, The Afro-American

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Kim Kardashian West Goes to the White House to Talk Pardon classified portions of a submarine.

Kardashian West supported Trump’s rival, Reality TV star Kim Kardashian West went Democrat Hillary Clinton, during the 2016 to the White House Wednesday to make a star- election. But her husband, rapper Kanye powered case for prison reform and advocate West, recently offered his support for Trump on behalf of a great-grandmother serving a life in a series of tweets, saying they both share sentence. “dragon energy.”

Kardashian West has urged the president Johnson was convicted in 1996 on eight to pardon Alice Marie Johnson, 63, who is criminal counts related to a Memphis-based serving a life sentence without parole for a cocaine trafficking operation involving more nonviolent drug offense. than a dozen people. The 1994 indictment In an interview with Mic, Kardashian West describes dozens of deliveries and drug said she’d been moved by Johnson’s story transactions, many involving Johnson. after seeing a video by the news outlet.

She was sentenced to life in prison in 1997, “I think that she really deserves a second and appellate judges and the U.S. Supreme chance at life,” Kardashian told Mic. “I’ll do Court have rejected her appeals. Court whatever it takes to get her out.” records show she has a motion pending for a She said in the interview she’d been in reduction in sentence, but federal prosecutors touch with Jared Kushner, President Donald are opposed to a sentence reduction, saying in a court filing that the sentence is in accord with federal guidelines, based on the large quantity of drugs involved. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Memphis did not immediately respond to a request for comment – Kim Kardashian West Wednesday afternoon.

A criminal justice advocacy site, CAN-DO, and one of Johnson’s Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser, over attorneys say a request for clemency was the case. rejected by former President Barack Obama.

“I’ve been in communication with the The reasons are unclear.

White House and trying to bring her case to A 1997 Associated Press story on the president’s desk and figure out how we Johnson’s sentencing said she lead a can get her out,” she said of Johnson, who has multimillion-dollar drug ring. But Memphis spent over two decades behind bars. attorney Michael Scholl, who filed the latest Kushner oversees the administration’s court documents in her request for a sentence push to overhaul the nation’s prison system reduction, said she was not a leader in the and help former inmates gain skills and more cocaine operation. effectively make the transition back into “What is the purpose of putting a lady with society no prior criminal record, on a nonviolent drug Trump last week granted a rare posthumous offense, in jail for her entire life?” he said in a pardon to boxing’s first Black heavyweight telephone interview. “She’s a model inmate.” champion, clearing Jack Johnson’s name more Scholl added that Johnson has admitted her than 100 years after what many saw as his wrongdoing, which is borne out in letters she racially-charged conviction. has written to U.S. District Judge Samuel H. The boxer’s pardon had been championed Mays, who now oversees her case. by actor Sylvester Stallone, who brought the “Judge Mays I’m writing to you to story to Trump’s attention in a spring phone express my deep remorse for the crime that call.

I committed over 20 years ago. I made some Trump has issued just a handful of other bad choices which have not only affected my pardons, including one for former Maricopa life, but have impacted my entire family,” County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, a staunch she said in a February 2017 letter in the court campaign supporter; one for Scooter Libby, record. who served as chief of staff to former Vice In a hand-scrawled letter last June she President Dick Cheney; and one for a U.S. wrote: “I’m a broken woman. More time in Navy sailor convicted for taking photos of prison cannot accomplish more justice.”

By The Associated Press

“I think that she really deserves a second chance at life. I’ll do whatever it takes to get her out.”

Serena Williams Launches Fashion Collection of Her Own

By The Associated Press Serena Williams has launched a fashion collection soon after participating in her first major tennis tournament in 16 months, dressed in a black “warrior princess” catsuit, no less.

But don’t look for her French Open outfit among the athleisure, office and evening clothes on her new namesake website , the only place her duds are available.

Following collaborations with HSN and Nike, Williams’ “Serena” line includes an “S’’ motif and comfortable price points.

The letter adorns bralettes and high briefs, along with a T-shirt with the name of her childhood home, Compton.

She says she hopes to inspire women to own their own “s’’ words, like strong, sexy, sophisticated, sassy, smart, silly and spontaneous.

Prices range from $40 for the logo T-shirt to $215 for a gold and black anorak jacket.

AP Photo/Thibault Camus

Venus, right, and Serena Williams of the U.S. celebrate after scoring a point against Japan’s Shuko Aoyama and Miyu Kato during their women’s doubles first round match of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, France May 30. Serena launched her own fashion line dubbed “Serena.”

Courtesy photo

Kim Kardashian is asking the White House to pardon Alice Marie Johnson (left), who is serving a life sentence. Tretessa Johnson (right), her daughter , has been championing the pardon.

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The Afro-American, June 2, 2018 - June 8, 2018

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June 2, 2018 - June 8, 2018, The Afro-American

Opinion

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ARTS & CULTURE

On Finally Leaving Scandal-Plagued R. Kelly Behind

featuring Usher, it was another successful project despite the mixed reviews. This was a time where my fandom began to wear off, not only because time and growth would open my I remember the first time I came across music by R mind up to different sounds but there were way too many Kelly. I was 10-years-old, a nerdy, rather chubby kid bent on allegations revolving around him. He was too hot in these scavenging through people’s CD cases for movies and video streets, son. Plus, there were so many more artists to push games (sorry uncle Floyd). boundaries in the genre currently, like SZA or Daniel Caesar.

However, nothing made me more intrigued than the albums These current years of uncovering Kelly’s past has been the grown folks had around, specifically my parents. This is nothing but a horror story. With a better palette of music and long before my pops broke out his missing vinyl collection and a grown mind, I’ve laid my R. Kelly fandom to rest. My final before my father discovered Napster, so we had CDs all around moment as a fan was seeing the marriage certificate he had the house including a case holder full of PC games and music with Aaliyah. With current allegations speculating that the in our living room. So though you may find an Age of Empires “Trapped in the Closet” singer has sexually abused yet another demo from PC Gamer, there were also albums like D’Angelo’s teenager, Spotify has banned him from their music playlists.

“Brown Sugar” and Stevie Wonder’s “Innervisions” a few slots Sure, R Kelly still managed to release albums over the last down. decade. He’s worked with current stars in Chicago like Chance One day I found two R. Kelly albums: his second self-titled the Rapper, and there’s a 100% chance that you’ll hear your project and “R.” This was the moment I was introduced to the uncle play “Happy People” at the cookout. We can’t take away Chicago artist in his earlier years, and it made me a fan. the fact that he’s dominated the R&B game for literally over I continued to grow up and he continued to drop albums two decades. like “Chocolate Factory” and hits like “Step In The Name Of Unfortunately, with that same time of blatant evidence Love,” “Big Chips” and “Fiesta.” These songs were major accumulated, the same talent and content that he’s been able to hits but also narrated my life as a young teenager. That would possess musically make listening to those slow jams a cringeall change in 2002, when the first allegations began to surface worthy experience. With the #MeToo movement becoming a (Photo by Frank Micelotta/Invision/AP) about his most talked about court case. force that exposes a lot of high profile males for the alleged A woman recently filed a lawsuit in New York against R. The mid-2000’s were years of appreciation for Kelly and trash that they are, it makes me proud to see that the many skepticism towards the allegations. Not going to lie, these were Kelly, claiming the singer sexually assaulted her. He has women finally have a voice to speak out about what they’ve long been the target of sexual misconduct allegations, serious allegations against him, but my young mind and ears experienced. which he has denied. couldn’t stop playing “Ignition” on repeat. There were already I have sisters, I have a mother, I have female family allegations surfacing about an incident with an underaged intern members, mentors, and friends. What if I have a daughter? Why at Epic Records, but the highly talked-about sex tape was what would I want them to experience situations similar to this one, really caught the attention of the media, the music world, and the Black community as a whole. or even support the lames who are about this life with my ears, body and money? Maybe I could These allegations began to surface around the time of Michael Jackson’s investigation, so ignore all of these allegations and keep dancing like I was as a kid, but that would only make me both of these cases were talked about for years until their final verdict. Whether covered by the as ignorant as those who voted for 45. news or the Chappelle Show, people had hot takes long before one ever trended. But once R. Distancing from R. Kelly not only was a move I needed to do as an adult, it was just one Kelly was acquitted of all charges in 2008, it felt like we had another Black superstar finesse the way for me to show them that there are people who care about what women have to say. It’s just detrimental system that oppresses our reality. another way for me to develop and become a better person. But if a DJ played “Happy People” The Black community didn’t lose him at what was initially his last hoorah musically. “Double and somehow had me grooving a little, at least I know that deep down inside, R Kelly is a trash Up” came out a year before the acquittal and with hits like “I’m a Flirt” and “Same Girl” ass negro, and his catalog to me can only be from random encounters.

By Vance Brinkly Special to the AFRO

Black Exec Cancels ‘Roseanne’ SPORTS After Star’s Racist Tweet, Barr Death, Taxes and LeBron in the Finals Blames Ambien and Herself

By The Associated Press

The maker of Ambien said May 30 that “racism is not a known side effect” after Roseanne Barr cited the insomnia drug in explaining the tweet that led ABC to cancel her show.

Hours after ABC pulled the plug on “Roseanne” because of her offensive tweet about former Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett — and quickly breaking a promise to stay off Twitter — the comedian was busy posting on (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP) the social media platform.

ABC has canceled its hit reboot of “Roseanne”, following Barr tweeted that what she Roseanne Barr’s racist tweet about former Obama adviser did was unforgiveable and urged Valerie Jarrett. supporters not to defend her. She urged in an MSNBC special Tuesday about racism said of the Jarrett tweet, “It was 2 in the morning that the incident become a teaching moment. and I was ambien tweeting.”

“Tone does start at the top, and we like to look The drug maker Sanofi took to social media to up to our president and feel as though he reflects the say that “while all pharmaceutical treatments have values of our country,” Jarrett said. “But I also think side effects, racism is not a known side effect of any that every individual citizen has a responsibility Sanofi medication.” too, and it’s up to all of us to push back. Our Barr later tweeted that she has had odd government is only going to be as good as we make experiences while taking the drug late at night. “I it be.” blame myself, not Ambien,” she tweeted.

ABC and Disney had taken notable steps to be After not mentioning Barr’s firing in a more inclusive in its entertainment, and Dungey campaign-style rally in Tennessee Tuesday night, is the first African Amerian to be entertainment President Donald Trump broke his silence on president of a major broadcast network. But much Twitter. He noted that Robert Iger, chief executive of its progress would have been threatened if it of ABC parent Walt Disney Co., called Jarrett to tell looked the other way at Barr’s tweet. her that ABC did not tolerate Barr’s comments.

She has a history of diving into political “Gee, he never called President Donald J. Trump conspiracy theories on Twitter, and that’s how she to apologize for the HORRIBLE statements made ended her Memorial Day weekend. She criticized and said about me on ABC,” Trump wrote. “Maybe Democratic financier George Soros and tweeted I just didn’t get the call?” that Chelsea Clinton was “Chelsea Soros Clinton,” Trump reveled in the success of “Roseanne” implying she was married to a nephew of Soros. after Barr’s character in the show came out as a Clinton herself corrected Barr online. Donald supporter of his presidency.

Trump Jr. retweeted two of Barr’s statements about “Roseanne” was an instant hit when it returned Soros, although not the remark about Jarrett. this spring after a two-decade hiatus. But after Jarrett’s name came up in response to Twitter Barr’s tweet that likened Jarrett, who is Black, to commentary that raised her name in relation to an a cross between the Muslim Brotherhood and the Obama conspiracy theory. Barr tweeted: “muslim “Planet of the Apes,” ABC canceled the show in a brotherhood & planet of the apes had a baby=vj.” one-sentence statement from network entertainment “Roseanne” earned an estimated $45 million president Channing Dungey, who is African in advertising revenue for ABC through its nine American. She called it “abhorrent, repugnant and episodes that started airing in March, according inconsistent with our values.” to Kantar Media. The firm estimates that the 13 Barr’s agent also dropped her and several episodes that had been ordered for next season services pulled “Roseanne” reruns. would have brought in as much as $60 million, with Jarrett, who said she was “fine” after the slur, more through repeat episodes.

By Stephen D. Riley, Special to AFRO

A believable shocker. I don’t think the phrase has been coined but it was the only words I could get off watching LeBron James clinch an eighth-straight Finals appearance in an 87-79 Game 7 win over Boston on Memorial Day Eve. Counting LeBron in for another championship round wasn’t (AP Photo/Elise Amendola) the shocker but analyzing the The Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Boston Celtics 87-79 in way he got there and who Game 7 of the NBA basketball Eastern Conference finals he came with was the thing because of one word: LeBron. that made you blink twice.

Cleveland starters like Tristan Thompson, Jeff Green and J.R. Smith wouldn’t even start on worst teams but magically they’re key cogs in the James train. How? One word: LeBron.

It’s a strong chance that Cleveland gets obliterated next round and James departs in the summer in the search for more help but as of right now, we should all take the next few days to marvel at James’ greatness. It’s not the first time that LeBron has taken a hodgepodge Cavaliers group to the bonus round of the NBA playoffs but this might be the most special. Critics call the Eastern Conference a weaker version of its opposite coast counterpart but Boston could be the league’s deepest team next year. Toronto finished this season with the best record in the East and Indiana may have the Association’s most improved player in Victor Oladipo and they all succumbed to LeBron’s greatness.

It might sound homerish but LeBron-lovers have come to realize the continuous championship appearances as title-like accomplishments. James may be the only player in NBA history who gets praised for consistency but pardoned for his biggest failures. Maybe the reason to ooh and oggle is because we know things will come to a screeching halt over the next two weeks but to fully understand this season’s championship play-in was done with absolutely no help.

Going into last summer, the dumbest thing the Cavs brass could’ve done was trade Kyrie Irving, do a complete roster revamp during midseason at the trade deadline and rely on Kevin Love to step up as the always revered LeBron James sidekick. Cleveland did all those dumb things, Love never stepped up and Cleveland still made it back to the Finals because of one word: LeBron.

We never like to say ‘this team only did this because of playerX’ but that’s exactly what just happened. You can legitimately give LeBron all the credit for this makeshift Cleveland group that took down a triplet of East coast teams that were probably all more talented than them.

Boston’s clearly the future; Toronto was the best of the conference; and ironically, Indiana gave them the most trouble. But even with a roster full of starters that wouldn’t even sniff heavy minutes on the remaining top three teams as of last week, the Cavs still survived all of that because of one simple thing. LeBron.

We’re currently witnessing true greatness. Even without the amazing array of championship rings.

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FCAC Delta of the Year Award (L-R): Lenior Simmons (President, FCAC), Gwendolyn King (Awardee) and Connie Jackson

The Fairfax County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority celebrated its 25th Anniversary on May 20 with a Spring Hat Luncheon at Westfields Marriott Washington Dulles, Chantilly, VA. The Theme was “Continuing the Commitment to Service, Empowerment, and Leadership.” Guest speaker, Lt. Gen. Stayce D. Harris, Inspector General, U. S. Air Force, spoke about sisterhood and community service. As part of the celebration, FCAC awarded $27,000 in scholarship funds to nine young women and book awards to two young men.

Scholarship Recipients (L-R): Ashley Rock-Smith, Nadia Hernandez, Lauren Dessaure, Hannah King, Danielle Newsome, Rachel Jackson, Sinclaire Jones, Alissa Wells, Lauryn Mann, Jessica Kitchings and Kelli Boyer

FCAC Outstanding Community Partner Award: Joanelle Baptiste and Kofi Annan (President, Fairfax County NAACP

Empowering Males to Build Opportunities for Developing Independence (EMBODI) Awards (L-R): Benita Toler, Kelcey Parks (Awardee), Wallicia Gill and Emory Ortiz (Awardee

Photos by Ashley Rock-Smith

Chapter Presidents: Front Row (L-R): Darlene Faltz (19931995), Peggy Ridley (1995-1998), Yvonne McCall (19982003), Angela Wade (2003-2007), Princess Powell-McEvilley (2007-2011), Regina Milteer-Rock (2011-2015). Standing (L-R): Vicki West (2015-2017), Lenior Simmons (2017 to Present

Charter Members (Standing L-R): Arlene Donnelly, Carol Bradley, Juanita Trapp, Opal Cotton, Jonesetta Lassiter, Mary Ann Bosley, Benita Toler, Barbara Speed, Joyce Green, Linda Jones Kemp, Sharon Bundy, Janice Scott andShelia Edwards. Front Row (L-R): Darlene Faltz, Peggy Ridley, Yvonne McCall, Princess Powell-McEvilley andRegina Milteer-Rock

Joigic Tolson, Regina Davis Moss, Tisha Hyter, Edna Moffitt and Annie Whateley

Phyllis Caudle Green, (front, right), Chapter President and Dr. Glenda Newell-Harris, National President, The Links, 2nd front, left)

Educator Advisory Committee Program Excellence Award (L-R): Sharon Bundy (Awardee), Lenior Simmons (President, FCAC) and Shari Terry (Awardee)

On the Dais (L-R): Lenior Simmons (President, FCAC), Lt. General Stayce D. Harris (guest speaker), Michelle Lewis and Regina Milteer-Rock

Fairfax County Alumnae Chapter 2017-2018

The Capital City Chapter of The Links, led by chapter President Phyllis Caudle Green and Vice President, Nicole Venable, hosted it’s seventh annual Women’s Recognition High Tea, April 22 at the Fairmont Hotel, Washington, D.C. MSNBC’s Michelle D. Bernard and CNN’s Symone Sanders, members of Capital City Links, were Mistresses of Ceremonies. The High Tea honored six African American women including retired Dunbar High School counselor Willa Renee Burroughs Wallace; Denise Rolark Barnes, publisher, “The Washington Informer;” ColorComm president Lauren Wesley Wilson; Professor Anita F. Hill, Janaye M. Ingram, Director, National Partnerships, Airbnb; and Journalist/author April D. Ryan. Annie Whatley was the Chair of High Tea with Co-Chairs Dianna Campbell, Marilyn Gail Charity, and Joigie Tolson. Dignitaries included Glenda Newell-Harris, M.D., National President, The Links, Inc.; Kimberly Jeffries Leonard, Ph.D., National Vice President, The Links; Natalie H. Fant, Eastern Area Director, The Links.

Claudia McKoin, Alisa Dotson and Paulette Scott

FCAC Community Service Award : Jacy Yates Hobson (Awardee) and Joy Galberth

Sixty+ (60+) Years in Delta (L-R): Connie Jackson and Fredericka Phelps (Honoree)

Tracey Tolbert Jones, Debra Murphy and Michelle Jackson

April Gaines Jernigan, Shirley Bowden and Debbie Bragg

CNN News Contributor, Symone Sanders and Michelle Bernard, emcee

Dr. Glenda Newell-Harris receiving a special award from Phyllis Caudle Green, chapter president

Sixty+ (60+) Years in Delta: Yvonne McCall

McKenzie Green and Chelsey Rodgers

Councilmember Brandon Todd (Ward-4) speaking to guests

Dr. Kimberly Jeffries Leonard, National Vice President, The Links, (front, right) with other Links members and honorees

Michelle Bernard, Honoree Willa Renee Burroughs Wallace, Honoree Denise Rolark Barnes, Honoree Lauren Wesley Wilson, Honoree Anita Hill, Honoree Janaye Ingram, Honoree April Ryan, Phyllis Green and Annie Whatley Photos by Rob Roberts

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Bishop Michael Stop The Killing Curry, Church Leaders Call Out Trump

By Hamil R. Harris Special to the AFRO On Saturday May 19, a small framed African American preacher stood in St. George’s Chapel adjacent to Windsor Castle and lit a fire to the royal family by preaching about, “The Redemptive Power of Love” days before coming back to the United States to ignite a flame about activism.

Five days after he spoke at the wedding for the Duke and the Duchess of Sussex, the Rt. Rev. Michael Curry, the 27th Presiding Bishop and first African American to lead the Episcopal Church in the U.S. led a candle light march to the White House after he spoke at the National City Christian Church The sanctuary, foyer and steps of National City were filled as Curry spoke to a standing room only crowd about the redemptive power of love. In a statement, Curry Continued on D2

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Bishop Michael Curry, 27th Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, gathered religious leaders from around the country to protest Trump and preach love.

Homicides on the Rise, District Struggles to Cope

Gentrification Sparks New DC Lawsuit

By Brianna Rhodes Special to the AFRO Over the past 12 years, District land use policies have been put into place in an effort to attract “creatives” to D.C., with little regard to how long-time residents are being affected.

That’s according to a lawsuit filed April 13 by civil rights attorney, Aristotle Theresa. The complaint alleges land use policies that are being used to help attract the “creative” demographic do not include family units or true affordable housing. The policies not only discriminate in terms of age and source of

Photo Courtesy ofMarkus Batchelor (D.C. School Board Ward 8 Representative)

Concerned residents gathered on Memorial Day to discuss the alarming uptick in violence.

Hamzat Sani Special to the AFRO Late Tuesday Mayor Muriel Bowser gathered several of her agency heads to address a 50 percent increase in homicides since last year and spike in violence over the Memorial Day weekend, which claimed the lives of 4 district residents and saw another 10 wounded by gunfire. Bowser addressed a crowd of media and a few community members outside of the Department of For-Hire Vehicles on Shannon Place Southeast with a mural of the late Mayor Marion Barry serving as backdrop for what was at times a testy press conference.

In a Monday press release Mayor Bowser said, “Over the weekend, we deployed additional police and non-law enforcement resources to communities in Wards 7 and 8 experiencing an increase in violence. While an enhanced police presence can help keep residents safe, we know that policing alone will not put a permanent stop to the violence in our communities. We ask residents to partner with us by reporting any criminal activity and send a clear message: violence will not be tolerated.”

The release noted that the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) increased staffing levels to nearly 25 percent in the Sixth and Seventh Districts in addition to partnering with the Narcotics and Special Investigation Division, the Special

Operations Division, and the Homeland Security Bureau to add additional personnel over the weekend.

On the non-law enforcement side the administration activated the Safer Stronger Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement, the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services’ Credible Messengers, and the Department of Parks and Recreation’s Roving Leaders in Wards 5, 7 and 8. The Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency, tasked with monitoring all adults on supervised release, will conduct checkins throughout the week with individuals on probation and parole in the District.

Bowser acknowledged the frustration of community members subject to continued violence noting a gathering of about 200 residents at a Community Planning Meeting held at the Check It Enterprises Event Space on MLK Jr. Ave in Anacostia. The meeting held on May 28 to address the Ward 8 violence crisis included remarks from Councilmembers Trayon White and Kenyon McDuffie focused on community oriented approaches to curbing the spike in violence.

At Large Council candidate Marcus Goodwin who was present at the gathering said, “People are frustrated with the lack of community and parental engagement to stop systemic violence; as well as the public safety climate that our law enforcement officials and elected leaders have allowed to Continued on D2

“So what we want is just equity in the projects…then you know the neighborhood can gentrify and we can be a part of the gentry.”

–Aristotle Theresa income, but it also impacts other classes such as race, family and religion.

According to the complaint, the city is trying to “lighten” Black neighborhoods through construction of “high density, luxury buildings, Continued on D2

The Phillips Collection Hires Its Superhero Focused Library Opens in Ward 4 Newcomer First Chief Diversity Officer

By Lenore T. Adkins Lewis Seeks Special to the AFRO

By Hamzat Sani Special to the AFRO Racism seems to be having a moment. Whether it’s your local legislature, at the culture of carshare service Uber; in the syrup at your local Waffle House or disrupting your cup of coffee at Starbucks, incidences of overt racism seem to makes news at a daily clip. Often as a response these institutions then hire executives armed with the ability to handle the complex landscape of racial bias. Frequently Black women have been just what the doctor ordered to restructure, reshape and reconcile organizations on the brink of collapse.

The art world has not been without incident. Earlier this year the Brooklyn Art Museum came under public scrutiny after it announced the appointment of a White curator for their African Art collection. Art lovers called out the inequitable relationships that had become ingrained in how museums engaged with non-majority White communities.

While The Dupont located Phillips Collection hasn’t recently experienced

Courtesy Photo

Makeba Clay is the first Chief Diversity Officer of the Phillips Collection. backlash or accusations of racism, the country’s oldest modern art institution is taking the progressive step of hiring on its first Chief Diversity Officer Makeba Clay. The New York born expert on Diversity and Inclusion Strategies has consulted with several art and academic institutions in the D.C. area including American University, Princeton University, the University of Maryland and the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art. In an interview with WAMU Clay mentioned that she suggested

Continued on D2

Can’t get enough of “Black Panther” and Marvel’s other exciting super heroes?

Disney Publishing Worldwide and Little Free Library have joined forces to launch a Marvel’s Avengers: Infinity War-themed library at Upshur Recreation Center, 4300 Arkansas Avenue NW. This library, which is one of nine Marvel themed locations in the United States, is stocked with titles including “The Heroes’ Journey (Road to Avengers: Infinity War),” “The Cosmic Quest Vol. I,” Continued on D3

Council Seat with Positive Message

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

Courtesy Photo

Jesse J. Holland, author of Marvel’s book for the hit ‘Black Panther’ movie and Ward 4 Councilman Brandon Todd Join Community at the Marvel’s Avengers: Infinity War Themed library at Upshur Recreation Center in Northwest, D.C.

During the Nov. 6 general election, voters in the District will elect a independent atlarge representative on the council. Rustin Lewis hopes residents will consider his

Continued on D3

Battle for DC Dems Central Committee

By James Wright Special to the AFRO jwright@afro.com On June 19, District of Columbia voters will go to the polls to vote in the Democratic primary. Many will focus on the mayoral, attorney general, D.C. Council chairman, and ward council races. However, near the bottom of each ballot will be positions that don’t get a lot of attention but are important to the direction of the District’s Democratic Party.

Voters in the District will choose

representatives on the District of Columbia Democratic Central Committee, the city’s arm to the Democratic National Committee.

These positions are important in helping Democrats shape the party’s message in the District and implementing campaigns such as voter registration and education.

“People are concerned about the state of politics in D.C.,” Philip Pannell, a wellknown Democratic leader who lives in Ward 8, told the AFRO. “I have joined a group of activist Democrats who have formed a slate, Dump Trump Dems 4 Action. There are Continued on D3

Photo courtesy

Rustin Lewis is a candidate for the non-Democratic at-large seat on the D.C. Council.

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The Afro-American, June 2, 2018 - June 8, 2018

Homicides

Continued from D1 persist for generations.

Both Bowser and MPD Chief Peter Newsham called for continued community involvement in taking illegal guns off the street and bringing crime suspects to justice.

Newsham went on to provide details on 3 homicide suspects: 17 year old Kaevon Sutton, 16 year old Daquan Gray; and Alonzo Lewis.

The 33 year old Lewis is wanted in connection with the double homicide, this past Saturday, of 40-year old Jaquon Helm of Southwest, D.C. and 35-year old Venius Badgett of Southwest, D.C. MPD offers a reward of up to $25,000 to anyone who provides information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for any homicide committed in the District of Columbia.

One of the victims of this weekend’s

Lawsuit rash of violence was the owner of District Culture in Anacostia. Alexander Mosby was a husband, father and respected member of the community he loved, grew upon and sought to serve.

“Many of the homicides that we are seeing in the city are these minor disputes that evolve into shootings and homicides because of the introduction of an illegal firearm into the incident,” Newsham said.

The Tuesday press conference marks the first time back at the podium since she was granted adoptive custody of a little girl. The Mayor ended the press conference noting that while a little tired she felt lucky to have her little girl.

“The thing that I enjoy the most is looking down at those little eyes looking back at me.”

Curry

Continued from D1 connected his message in England with his work in the U.S. “ As elders, we view bringing the “Reclaiming Jesus” declaration to the public square as a tangible example of how to live out that way of love,” Curry Said.

“We are Christian leaders bearing moral witness to the teachings of our faith in the public square. As citizens we want our government to reflect our values. As a Bishop I believe we should follow the teachings of Jesus - who taught us to love God and love our neighbor.”

Curry and leaders from the Episcopal, Lutheran, Methodist churches and a range of other faith groups called on President Trump to make a paradigm shift in rhetoric and policies that are dividing the nation.

“We came together, liberal and conservative and everything in the middle. What binds us together is Jesus Christ and his way, his teaching and his life,” Curry said.

“And when we leave this place this is not a protest march, this is a procession of Christian people. This is what they did on Pentecost, this is a Pentecostal moment.”

Curry was referring to the Day of Pentecost, which according to the New Testament is when the Holy Spirit descended on a group of Jesus’ followers, including his mother and the apostles, and caused them to speak in many languages or “tongues” 50 days (Pentecost literally means 50) after Easter. According to PBS Newshour, the first Pentecost marks the beginning of the Christian Church.

Rev. William H Lamar IV, Pastor of the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church in D.C., stood in

the doors of National City Christian Church because he said it was important to take part in this event.

“We are here tonight because our faith demands that we stand in confrontation of injustice that is sweeping the nation, injustice against the immigrants, the poor, the incarcerated and doesn’t mind using the most vile and racist terms to dehumanize God’s people to unite. You see there are Black people here, White people here, gay people here, straight people, Christian people and people of no faith.

We will not stop until justice is

special prayer to change hearts going forward.

“My prayer at the gate was: Lord please touch the hearts of our leaders in the Congress and the White House that they have compassion and mercy for all Gods children,” Skinner said in an interview with the AFRO. “We are fighting racism at every level because it demeans the divine imprint.

Our battle is not against Trump but to address the needs of all Americans whose jobs are not coming back. This is a message of love.”

Skinner said that leaders of this new movement are planning a series of organizational meetings to build bridges with a new generation of clergy of many races and background to forge a common agenda.

But change is already coming.

While the elders of this movement were speaking inside the church at Thomas Circle, the steps leading into the historic sanctuary became a –The Rt. Rev. Michael Curry diverse quilt of many: Black and White, old and young. a reality in the United States of Rev. Leslie Copeland America.”

Tunes, Director of Ecumenical After gathering at the Advocacy Days, a progressive church, people silently walked group of ministers who have to Lafayette Square May 24 challenged those on the where they offered prayerful so-called Religious Right petitions in front of the White weighed in on the importance House to challenge President of the gathering.

Trump for policies that some “For us to come together, leaders charge has put the for us to say that we are nation in a moral crisis. reclaiming Jesus from those Rev. Barbara Skinner, who have hijacked and a former faith adviser to distorted the gospel and for President Obama, was one of us to proclaim that it is a the organizers of the rally and liberating gospel,” Copeland silent March that drew several Tunes said. “To say that Jesus thousand people to the gates loves the poor and cares for of the White House while the poor and we are not going President Trump was inside. to stand for policies that During the vigil she offered a discriminate against people.”

“As citizens we want our government to reflect our values.

As a Bishop I believe we should follow the teachings of Jesus - who taught us to love God and love our neighbor.”

Continued from D1 that primarily only offer studios and one bedrooms.”

The neighborhoods that are being targeted include Navy Yard, U street, Bloomingdale, H street, Union Market, and soon Anacostia, according to Theresa. Parties that are affected are all African-Americans living East of the River.

“I think my clients have issues and concerns with the Zoning Commission and not feeling like they were heard in sincerity and their arguments were not heard earnestly,” Theresa told the AFRO. “I think that the residencts who face displacement have expressed fear and just uncertainty as to what’s going to happen in their lives.”

Theresa said that Black people were disproportionately missing from the discrete class of creatives that the city is seeking to grow.

“When you list out the professions that are part of the creative class, research and studies have shown that Black people are not in those professions to the extent as White people or other races,” Theresa said.

According to some studies, the African American portion of the creative class is 20

percent less than Whites, so that would be a policy that has a disparate impact, Theresa said. He also said this means resources are being siphoning from one group [Black people] to another group.

Spokesman for the District’s Office of the Attorney General, Robert Maurus, said the city would not comment on the lawsuit until its response is filed by its due date on June 25th, according to a Washington Post article.

“I think it’s important for our communities to fight for equity in the projects that are coming to our neighborhoods,” Theresa said. “Equity could mean land, money, programming or jobs, but you want to be a part of whatever development happening in the city, because a lot of things that people are asking for are things that take away from your community. If you don’t get anything in return, then you’re losing and you’ll soon be pushed out,” Theresa said.

“So what we want is just equity in the projects…then you know the neighborhood can gentrify and we can be a part of the gentry.

But, if we don’t get equity then that would never happen and that means the usage of gentrification displacement.”

Courtesy Photo Flickr

According to a lawsuit, the Navy Yard neighborhood is one of the neighborhoods being affected by the District’s land use policies.

Phillips

Continued from D1 the Smithsonian hire for the role she currently occupies at Phillips, but as far as she knows, they haven’t followed her advice. The Smithsonian does have an Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs which, according to its web site, is designed to “promote diversity and inclusion in all aspects of the Smithsonian’s workforce, programs, and activities.”

Clay’s role at the Phillips Collection will be to be responsible for all aspects of the Phillips’s institutional diversity and inclusion strategy. Clay layed out the details of her new role for the AFRO, “As the Chief Diversity Officer at The Phillips Collection, I

am charged with leading the institution through an organizational culture transformation process that aligns with our values of diversity, equity, and inclusion.”

While Clay’s role is a new, The Phillips Collection

expertise and leadership will enable us to build upon the strong foundation we have established and better reflect on our exhibitions, programs, board, and the diverse populations we serve.”

Clay hit the ground running as she is in charge of

By ensuring that we have people from all backgrounds within the museum, we will be a stronger institution.”

–Makeba Clay has had an official Diversity Statement as part of its Strategic Plan since 2013 and staff have worked with an Inclusion anD Diversity Task Force since 2016. In addition the art institution also has partnered with THEARC as far back as 2014 to bring its artistic programming to residents on the East side of the city. Currently the Collection offers Free field trips to schools in Wards 7 and 8 and will establish longterm Phillips@THEARC programming in winter of this year.

Despite these efforts Phillips leadership recognized the importance of pushing forward, “This is a truly pivotal moment for the museum world but also for the Phillips as we approach our 100th anniversary,” said Dorothy Kosinski, director of The Phillips Collection. “Duncan Phillips embraced a philosophy of diversity and inclusion as part of the museum’s cultural DNA. Makeba’s

an initiative that waives the $12 admission to the museum for visitors that are younger than 30 from Memorial Day to Labor Day. “I am working with my colleagues to build institutional capacity through training and workshops focused on implicit bias and inclusion. By ensuring that we have people from all backgrounds within the museum, we will be a stronger institution. This also includes making the pathway to jobs in a museum accessible to people of all backgrounds.,” Clay told the AFRO. She’s also working on a paid internship program.

“Many students may be interested in museums, but because internships in art museums are widely unpaid, they may not have the option to take an unpaid position.

We are working to eradicate this road block and make the way to employment at an art museum that much more accessible.”

June 2, 2018 - June 8, 2018, The Afro-American

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Superhero Continued from D1

and others.

The goals of the library are developing and inspiring young readers and their families, building communities where people have access to “epic” storytelling and igniting creativity.

Ward 4 Councilman Brandon Todd and Maryland resident Jesse J. Holland, author of Who is the Black Panther, the companion book for the blockbuster hit “Black Panther” held a community kickoff for the library on May 26.

“Upshur Park’s new little library is a great way to kick off the summer reading season and open up the wonderful world of books for our young people,” Todd said in a statement to the AFRO. “…this Marvel-themed little library will bring fun, engaging books directly to children in our community. I look forward to this resource helping our youth strengthen reading skills, spark curiosity, and build a lifelong love of learning.”

The library will be open for two years thanks to Disney Publishing Worldwide and First Book, a nonprofit, and maintained by Little Free Library community stewards. People are encouraged to donate books as well.

The library is supported by the Mayor’s office, Todd’s office, the Community Alliance for Upper Fourteenth Street and the D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation, according to Petworth News.

You can find related activities for kids, phone wall papers and other information about “Avengers: Infinity War-themed free libraries at littlemarvellibrary.com. For more information about Little Free Library, visit littlefreelibrary.org.

Central Committee

Cathy Hughes accepts her award

Former President of the National Press Club and Honoree, Jeff Ballou

Rapper and DJ Biz Markie, who DJ’d the afterparty.

Continued from D1

41 of us and we are running across the city.”

The chair of the District’s Democratic Party is D.C. Council member Anita Bonds (D-At Large). She is running for re-election to the council on the June 19 ballot. All indications say she wants to remain the party chair. Within three months of the June 19 primary, there will be an election for party officers.

Pannell’s slate is one group of Democrats seeking to take control of the central committee. Others are Democrats Moving Forward #Resist and Democrats 2020.

Ward 8 State Board of Education member Markus Batchelor is a leading figure on the Dump Trump ticket as its nominee for national committeeman and activist Nikki M.G. Lewis is its

Courtesy Photo

Ward 8 State Board of Education member Markus Batchelor is running for national committeeman.

national committeewoman hopeful. Democrats Moving Forward is led

by D.C. Council member Jack Evans (D-Ward 2) and Sylvia Martinez as national committeeman and national committeewoman, respectively.

Former Small Business deputy administrator Marie Johns is running for national committeewoman independently.

There are several candidates running for atlarge committeeman and at-large committeewoman, including Pannell. There are also races for each ward to have a committeeman and committeewoman.

Philosophically, there is little difference in the slates as far as opposing the Trump agenda and wanting statehood for the District. The difference appears to be style, with the Democrats Moving Forward being the more established organization, while Dump Trump is the more grassroots and outspoken group.

The District is an overwhelmingly Democratic jurisdiction with 76 percent of all registered voters in the party. The District participated in its first presidential election in 1964 and has supported the Democratic presidential nominee since then.

Each mayor and D.C.

Jeff Ballou and Dr. Sheila Brooks Beatriz Acevedo, David Morgan, and Soledad O’Brien at the Multicultural Media Correspondents Gala Photos by Brigette White

Council chair has been a Democrat since the advent of Home Rule in 1974 and about 90 percent of all council members have been members of the party.

Pannell said there is concern among some Democrats that the District’s party has lost its focus.

“The central committee is pretty much ineffective,” Pannell said. “We need to be more active in getting people to register to vote and participate in the political process.”

Members of the central committee receive no compensation.

Newcomer Lewis Continued from D1

bid. “I come from a non-profit background and I work at the University of the District of Columbia (UDC) as a member of its faculty,” Lewis told the AFRO. “We need someone with a non-profit background on the council and someone who understands the way nonprofit leaders think.”

Lewis is the former executive director for College Bound, an organization dedicated to helping young people go to college and a board member of Bowen McCauley Dance and National CARES Mentoring Movement.

Lewis has never run for political office.

He received bachelor’s and masters’ degrees in public administration from Clark Atlanta University and a doctorate in public administration from the University of Baltimore.

If elected to the council, Lewis will focus on developing a pipeline that supports children in their pre-K years to pursue college and job opportunities with UDC as well as help university graduates find good-paying jobs.

Lewis is concerned about the rising costs of housing in the District and wants to address that. “We are all concerned about the escalating costs of housing, and we do not want residents to choose between rent and eating,” he said. “The displacement of our residents is of grave concern. I want to collaborate with the business and non-profit communities to ensure that government policies support helping senior citizens keep their homes or that they are equitably

On May 24, the Multimedia Correspondents Soledad O’Brien and Herman Cain Association held the third annual Multimedia Correspondents Dinner at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. Honorees included, Hermain Cain, Soledad O’Brien, Jeff Ballou, Raynard Jackson, Beatriz Acevedo and Radio One pioneer, Cathy Hughes. Throughout the evening the honorees received awards in front of their peers and colleagues and gave speeches about Raynard Jackson and Micha Green, continuing to be truthAFRO Washington, D.C. Editor tellers in media. After the dinner, guests went to Claudia’s in D.C., where rapper Biz Markie kept the party going as DJ for the evening.

compensated should they choose to sell.”

Lewis said as a council member, he will focus on developing affordable housing units and workforce housing. “We need to make sure that teachers and police officers can live in the city they work in,” he said. “I heard a story about a teacher who lives some distance from the city getting up at 5 a.m. in the morning to make sure that her children got off to school, fight traffic and arrive at school on time with a smile. That’s not easy and housing is expensive in the city.”

Lewis said District government surplus property can be converted into affordable or workforce units as well as abandoned property can serve in that function as well.

Lewis, a resident of the Hillcrest section of Ward 7, said economic development east of the Anacostia River can be achieved with creative policies. “I support creating incubators that will help senior and seasoned citizens start their own businesses,” he said. “I believe the government should play a role in helping people start businesses. That helps the city because tax money will be coming in and D.C. residents will be employed.”

Lewis suggested a two-year moratorium on some businesses fees to help entrepreneurs get a start.

Lewis will be competing against D.C. Council member Elissa Silverman (I-At Large), entrepreneur Dionne Reeder, and Ward 7 health care activist Ambrose Lane, among others. The filing deadline for the Nov. 6 general election is Aug. 8.

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The Afro-American, June 2, 2018 - June 8, 2018

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