PG County 6-8-2018

Who Killed Det. Sean Suiter? 204 Days and Counting

PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY EDITION

Volume 127 No. 44

JUNE 9, 2018 - JUNE 15, 2018

Inside AFRO Endorsements in Maryland Governor • page 3 U.S. Senate • page 4 U.S. House of Representatives • page 5 Maryland Senate • page 7 Maryland House of Delegates • page 11 Prince George’s County Executive • page 12

AFRO Endorsements in DC Mayor • page 14 Delegate to the U.S. Congress • page 14 D.C. Council Ward 1 • page 14 D.C. Council Ward 5 • page 14 D.C. Council At-Large • page 15

June 9 • AFRO’s 2018

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In Nasty Prince George’s County Executive Race, An Oasis of Civility

By James Wright Special to the AFRO jwright@afro.com The race for county executive for Prince George’s County has taken a touchy turn. Affiliates of former U.S. Rep. Donna Edwards accuse Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Angela Alsobrooks of being a tool of the county business and political establishment.

Alsobrooks is crying foul to that accusation, while the other candidates are seeking attention by attacking the two front-runners.

However, there was no showcase of hostilities at a May 30 county executive forum sponsored by the civic engagement ministry at the First Baptist Church of Glenarden. The moderator, sportscaster Lou Holder, set the tone. “We want to have a civil discussion of the issues that affect Prince Georgians,” he said.

Edwards and Alsobrooks participated in the forum along with Maryland State Sen. C. Anthony Muse (D-District 26), Billy Bridges, Tommy Thompson, Paul Monteiro and Republican Jerry Mathis.

The winner of the Democratic Party primary on June 26 will face Mathis in the Nov. 6 general election.

The civic engagement ministry gave Holder questions to be directed to specific candidates. However, Holder asked the first question, which had to do with the candidates’ qualification to serve as the county executive.

Alsobrooks said she has the experience to run the county government.

“I have run agencies for 14 years,” she said, referring to her almost eight years as the county’s top prosecutor and as the executive director of the county’s Revenue Authority before then. “In both of those roles, I have served with integrity and if you vote for me, the best is yet to come.”

Edwards said her experience

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D1 DC Candidates Face Tough Questions Over Police Reform

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Black Business

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Prince George’s County Executive Candidate Paul Monteiro. as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives and extensive work in the non-profit sector qualifies her to be the county executive. “I played a role [as a lobbyist] to pass the Violence against Women Act in 1994,” Edwards said. “I was the executive director of the ARCA Foundation that deals with equity and justice issues.

“As a member of Congress, I passed legislation that made sure children who got free or reduced breakfast and lunch can also get dinner. I have delivered for Prince George’s County.”

Monteiro touted his work with President Obama. “I worked in the White House for five years and was the leader of Continued on A2

Roberts Wants Excellence Community Works Together in Prince George’s County to Pull Youth out of Gangs Clerks’ Office

By Hamil R. Harris Special to the AFRO

By James Wright Special to the AFRO jwright@afro.com Denise Roberts has been a customer of the Prince George’s County’s Clerk of the Courts office. She thinks there should be improvements there and she is the one who can implement the needed changes.

“I’m running to make the

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better and more efficient,” Roberts told the AFRO. “The citizens of Prince George’s County deserve better. I have been a customer there and have experienced interaction with the clerks. If elected, I will improve the operations of the Clerk’s Office and implement programs that will elevate and advance the people of our community.”

The Clerk’s office is the administrative arm of the county court system.

It serves as the custodian of the books, records and papers of the county court system and makes entries of all proceedings, keeping them in bound books or other permanent forms.

When requested to do so, and if legal, the Clerk’s office provides copies of court Continued on A2

Denise Roberts works in communications in the Prince courthouse George’s Supplier Diversity office.

Prince George’s County School officials recently teamed up with the police and community leaders to make parents aware of the growing problem with gangs across the county and how their children could be recruited to be part of these often violent organizations and not even know it.

A hush fell over the room at the Good Luck Community Center in Lanham as people watched a gang initiation where a group of teenagers formed a circle, knocked a young man to the ground and proceeded to kick and punch him. But then it Continued on A2

First Baptist Church of Glenarden

Doing the Cupid Shuffle in the name of Good Health

By Hamil R. Harris Special to the AFRO The First Baptist Church of Glenarden has been hosting health fairs for 25 years and to mark this year’s occasion, the Rev. John K. Jenkins and his first lady didn’t mind doing the Cupid Shuffle, by Lafayette, Louisiana singer Cupid, in a pulpit normally reserved for more serious expressions of worship.

Last Saturday the Jenkins kept in step with fitness queen Donna Richardson who went from dancing to preaching at the Upper Marlboro church where more than 2,000 people

Copyright © 2018 by the Afro-American Company

Continued on A2

Barbecue Everything Brings Signature Sauce to Local Stores

By Jasmine A. Ball Special to The AFRO Barbecue Everything wants to be on your plate.

A native of Prince George’s County, Dennis Rawls Jr., the founder of Barbecue Everything, created his own business and sauce. “I started my business because one, I love food. When I attended Morehouse College for my undergraduate degree, we would throw parties and I was always caught on the grill,” Rawls told the AFRO. Rawls was featured on Great Day Washington on the WUSA9 segment “Best BBQ tips for your Memorial Day Cookout” on May 28.

Barbecue Everything started in early 2016 as a way to promote tips for grilling foods and assisting friends, families, and clients with their cookout and party needs by taking pressure off the hosts.

Soon Barbecue Everything began to develop.

What’s a grilling company without a homemade sauce?

B.E. Sauce was created in order for the world to be exposed to the company’s signature flavor.

Barbecue Everything Sauce can be found in 20 different Harris Teeter’s in Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia.

“My short-term goal is to have my sauce in every major retail grocery store.

My long-term goal is to use the proceeds from the sauce to start my own restaurant,” Rawls said.

Continued on A2

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The Afro-American, June 9, 2018 - June 15, 2018

New Carrolton Mom Joins City Council, Vows Mayoral Run

By Hamil R. Harris Special to the AFRO For more than two decades Phelecia Nembhard has driven around New Carrollton and other communities in the country to drop off food and to raise money for school children in a half dozen schools.

But while Nembhard, 48, was trolling around New Carrollton on the first Tuesday in May she had no idea that enough people had written her name on the ballot to elect her as the newest member of the New Carrollton City Council.

Andy Hanko served as mayor of New Carrollton for more than three decades but last month he didn’t run for re-election and a few days after an election where Duane Rosenberg received 206 votes to defeat Katrina Dodro, who received 192 votes, to become mayor. Even though New Carrollton has more than 12,400 residents few people vote in the local elections.

Roy Peterson, who was actually on the ballot, won a seat on the New Carrolton City Council with 386 votes but the Phelecia Nembhard second leading vote getter was Nembhard with 55 votes. was recently elected to While Nembhard can’t believe that she won, she has now the New Carrolton City vowed to run for mayor in two years and has a platform.

Council.

“I am trying to stamp out hunger. If children are hungry how can they learn,” asked Nembhard, a licensed realtor who has to sell homes at night because she spends 40 hours during the week volunteering in the area schools. She was the President of PTA at Lamont Elementary and she currently serves at Charles Carroll Middle School and is a member of the PTA at Parkdale High School.

Nembhard, who has three children and two nieces, has many admirers.

Susan Johnson said she voted for Nembhard because, “She is a people person. She works with the kids and people of different cultures.”

Nasty Race

Continued from A1 AmeriCorps,” he said, referring to the agency that recruits Americans to work on community projects in the U.S. as a volunteer. “Working in the Obama administration, I helped fund nonprofits that were doing good work.”

Muse said his 16 years of serving in the Maryland General Assembly “prepared me for every issue I will face as county executive.”

“As a legislator, I learned to look for best practices in addressing problems,” the senator said.

Bridges said he wanted to “build bridges” by bringing back prayer in school and lifting

up those who are down. Thompson, who has served as the county’s housing director, said he wanted to use his 35 years of county and federal government experiences “to level the playing field.”

“I can run the county government because I have done over $400 billion in transactions throughout my career,” he said.

Mathis said he wanted to end the “plantation mentality” of county Black politicians and his mentor, the late Wayne Curry, the first Black county executive, taught him how to get things done.

Roberts

Continued from A1

documents. In addition, it administers oaths to county officials, when requested to do so, and works with the office of the Motor Vehicle Administrator to establish uniform procedures for reporting traffic cases and criminal cases involving a motor vehicle to the Motor Vehicle Administration.

Roberts is a lifelong resident of Prince George’s County and holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from Howard University and a master’s degree in public communication from American University. She works as the outreach program manager in the county’s Supplier Development and Diversity Office.

“In that role, I work to advance opportunities for citizens and minority and small businesses in our county,” Roberts said.

Roberts is active in the county, having served as the president of an elementary school parent and teacher association, as former parent involvement coordinator for the county PTA council and past vice president for the Villages of Marlborough Community Association. She worships at Zion Baptist Church in Lanham and is a member of Delta Sigma Theta.

Roberts will be facing Mahasin El Amin,

Adrion J. Howell, Adrian O. Mason, Gloria McClam-Magruder, and Bonita M. Rabalais.

The Democratic Party primary will be on June 26 and the general election will be Nov. 6.

The present Clerk, Sydney Harrison, is seeking the Democratic nomination for the Prince George’s County Council District 9 seat.

Roberts said she will focus on improving the employee experience at the Clerk’s Office. “When I take office, I will do a whole lot of assessments,” she said. “I will talk to employees and get customer feedback. I want to find out what the issues and concerns of the office are. I want to build on what is there.”

She said every employee will take a mandatory customer service training class and employee development training will also be available. Roberts will also work to bring the office technologically up to date.

Roberts dismisses the critics who argue that the Clerk of the Court should be a former employee or an attorney. “I think the main qualification should be whether the clerk is a good leader and someone with good people and organizational skills,” she said.

Gangs

Continued from A1 stopped, the teen was picked up and embraced as their newest brother.

But one young man in his twenties didn’t need to watch a presentation that included images of gang symbols, statistics about 20 major gangs operating in the county or a video showing a row of blood stained bodies killed by the gangs because they challenged a way of life that is more common for too many teenagers and young adults in this area.

“I was going to a new school without a lot of obstacles,” said Javier Saavedra, a former member of the MS 13 gang, who said he joined the gang as a teenager because he was picked on. “They were laughing at the way you dress, laughing the way you speak and you want to fit in.

I thought that the gang would be for protection. When I was in middle school a group of teens would fight,” take his money and he got tired of it.

“We had to defend ourselves.

Saavedra, 33, who attended William Wirt Middle School, was frightened at times because there was a group of teens from a D.C.

group home who picked on kids who appeared to be isolated. “They would wait for you after school. They would steal your shoes, they would steal your money, that is what started the gang, we started to fight back.”

Dana Brown, coordinator of community outreach at Parkdale High School, said, “We are connecting families and students to things that will improve the quality of their liv es and one of the things we [were] tasked to do was to create an advisory council to complete a needs assessment in the community and one of the things very important is public safety.”

“We decided to have an awareness campaign on gang activity because sometimes if people don’t see it they don’t think that it is happening,” Brown said. “We want to make the community more vigilant and lets us work as a team.”

Sgt. Shannon Earl, a safety officer for the Prince George’s Public School, said he is organizing more community events for when school is out. “What we need is collaborative effort, not just the county police, not

just the school system. They say it takes a village,” said Earl. “We have to engage our parents and community organizations. Just locking them up is not the answer.

People join gangs to identify.”

Saavedra said he got out of the gang because he was doing all of the fighting but when he needed help his friends couldn’t help him.

He also said his daughter was born, his “mother was suffering,” and he learned about the Crossroads Youth Outreach Center, a non-profit group used to with teens in Prince Georges County.

“The program I now work for helped me to take all of my gang related tattoos off.

They also helped me with job training. I started as a carpet cleaner and then I went to FedEx as a delivery driver and then I was hired by the outreach center.”

Saavedra said the program only serves youth in Montgomery County. “I want to get Prince George’s to come. I will come and speak anytime. We have different kinds of field trips and when youth are exposed to other parts of life, it changes them.”

Cupid Shuffle Continued from A1

came out and took part in health screenings, cooking demonstrations and even did the Cupid shuffle “in the name of Jesus.”

“We are trying to help people live longer and better,” said Reverend Jenkins who added that over the years the annual event has actually saved lives. “We have had people discover that they had cancer and because it was detected earlier enough it prolonged their life and we are grateful to God. In keeping with the theme-Bold Radiant Reflection of God- Mellissa Johnson, director of the church’s Health Ministry, was proud to be dressed in a glitzy silver pantsuit that she said was inspired by Luke 11:36 which reads “If your whole body is full of light and no part of it dark, it will be just as full of light as when a lamp shines its light on you.”

“God’s Light reflects on us and we reflect that light back to earth,” Johnson said. “We want everyone to come and see the light so that we can show God’s light to the world.”

From the “Man Cave,” where men were being screened for prostate cancer, to a section

for women to be checked for breast cancer, to every part of the main level of the church, there was some type of health related event. In one section people could even walk through an air filled colon to look at polyps that could be inside their small intestine.

“You have to make a commitment,” Richardson told the gathering. “How can you take care of business if you are sick in bed.

Make a commitment to start. Isn’t gluttony a sin?”

But Stanley Johnson, Chief of the Prince George’s County Division of the Maryland National Capital Police showed that working out can be fun. He and his son were giving out golf lessons near the main entrance to the building.

Kimberly Covington, a nurse in the Prince George’s County School System, said events like the health fair is good for young people. “It is so important to show them what they need to be and not just tell them. Whether we are eating properly or living for Christ it is about living your life holistically in the correct way.”

Barbecue Continued from A1

Barbecue Everything is striving to become the condiment of choice worldwide. “The sauce has a chance to grow and become a nationwide name brand like Kraft, Sweet Baby Rays, etc.” said Rawls.

Marcus Curry, a Barbecue Everything customer, said, “I just tried the B.E. sauce on some leftover chicken for the first time and I have no idea how I’ve been having barbecues without it.

The balance of sweet and spicy with a tad more towards spicy is so excellent, it is definitely a must have for anything you want to put barbecue sauce on.”

When asked what makes his sauce different from others, Rawls said, “The main thing that makes it different is that it is mine. New sauce, new company, which brings new opportunities for consumers to try it.”

June 9, 2018 - June 15, 2018, The Afro-American

The Residences at Arundel Preserve in Hanover, Maryland was the site of the of the official pre-release party and

reception for Dr. Hattie Washington’s new book, “Aunt Hattie’s Cookbook: Southern Comfort Food and Beyond” on May 8. Guests enjoyed succulent chicken and waffles, family favorites-mac and cheese, almandine garlic green beans, and her signature bread pudding. There was jazz music, door prizes and giveaways like the Aunt Hattie’s appliqued aprons along with a Book N’

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Basket. Partial proceeds from the launch party and reception will be donated to the Aunt Hattie’s Scholarship Fund at Coppin State University where she was the first female Vice President.

Stephen Rumble, Dr. Hattie Washington and Christine Rumble Photos by Bruce Smallwood

Juanita Thomas, Dr. Hattie Washington and Cheryl Washington

Shawn Papi and Eric Twiggs Dr. Hattie Washington, the author

Charlene Day, Eric Twiggs and Melody Jackson

Portia Frazier, Julie Haskins-Turner, Dr. Hattie Washington and Diane Pruitt

Jeffery Braxton, Leslie Ragin and Kahalia Wilson (L & L Catering) Susan Ottly Preddie, Charlene Day, Hattie Washington, Sharon Bullock and Peggy Morris

Former Mayor of Alexandria, VA, William “Bill” Euille

The Honorable Justin Fairfax, Lt. Gov., the Commonwealth of Virginia receives the “Man of the Year” Award from John Chapman, member, the Alexandria, VA City Council

Vivian Malloy and Cheryl Washington

The Northern Virginia Urban League honored Virginia Lieutenant Governor Justin E. Fairfax, former Virginia Governor L. Douglas Wilder and Fairfax Virginia native Cadet Simone Askew, First Captain of the Corp of Cadets, West Point, first African American female appointed to this position were presented at the 28th Annual Community Service and Scholarship Awards on Fri., April 22 at the Hilton McLean Tysons Corner Hotel, McLean, Virginia.

Other honorees included SunTrust Bank, Outstanding Corporate Sponsor Award and Naomi Wadler, Young Emerging Leader Award. Over $32,500 in scholarships was awarded to local minority Northern Virginia students. The theme for the gala was, “ Preserving Our History and Empowering the Future”; Angela Stribling, WHUR radio personality was the emcee.

Naomi Wadler, the youngest speaker at the “March For Our Lives” being recognized by Diana McLaughlin, 2018 gala chair

Dr. Hattie Washington and Kellie Johnson

Tracey Walker, Chair, Board of Directors, NOVA Urban League receives Proclamation from the Honorable Alison Silberberg, Mayor, Alexandria, VA.

Jimmi Barnwell, William and Joyce Ward

Levon Anderson, Gen. (Ret.) Johnnie Wilson and Col. (Ret.) Marion Barnwell

Scholarship recipients(seated): Clarence Brown III (his mother receiving for him), Adrianna Jones, Justin Moore, Naomi Nero, WHUR Radio Host, Zoe Price and Tylan Reeves; standing behind the students Angela Stribling, are the scholarship sponsors: NVUL, Neil and Judy Robinson, emcee Fannie Mae, Dominion Energy, NVUL Guild and Cox

Tracey Walker, honoree Muriel Garr, SunTrust Bank and Diane McLaughlin

Joint Armed Forces Color Guard The Todd Ledbetter Trio

Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax(third from the left), Lt. Gov. of the Commonwealth of Virginia with family and friends Photos by Rob Roberts

Cora Barry with Prince George’s County State’s Attorney and County Executive Candidate Angela Alsobrooks

Cora Barry with the SETLCs Blacks N Wax version of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks and Erykah Badu

The AFRO was invited to the Southeast Tennis and Leadership Center (SETLC) founded by Cora Masters Barry, who also serves as the facility’s Chief Operating Officer. There students are offered a variety of experiences where they are exposed to strong tennis training and facilities, reading programs, acting training, performance opportunities at the Kennedy Center such as their annual Blacks in Wax program, robotics, computer training and even sewing with the program Sew N Know that culminates with an annual fashion show. This year’s fashion show is on June 9.

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Cora Barry with the SETLC’s Blacks N Wax version of New Edition

Cora Barry with Washington, D.C. Atlarge Candidate Marcus Goodwin

Janice Rankins, Program Director, Sew N Know and Raji Rankins, Executive Director, Sewing Opportunity Never Ending

James Wright, AFRO Senior writer, Cora Bary and Micha Green, AFRO Washington, D.C. editor

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The Afro-American, June 9, 2018 - June 15, 2018

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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? 204 Days and Counting

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Fox News Apologizes After Using Misleading Photos of Eagles Players Praying

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Civil Rights Attorney Premieres New Wrongful Convictions Doc

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Washington

Washington Capitals forward Devante Smith-Pelly says that if the Capitals win the Stanley Cup he will not visit the White House. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The things that he [Trump] spews are straight-up racist and sexist,â&#x20AC;?

Canadaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Postmedia quoted Smith-Pelly as saying. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Some of the things heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s said are pretty gross.â&#x20AC;? His statement comes at the same time that the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers have said they will not visit the White House if they win the NBA championship.

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From left to right: Rushion McDonald, executive producer of the new series; Tia A. Smith, executive in charge of production and senior director of programming and production for TVOne; and Ben Crump, noted civil rights attorney.

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WOLB radio host Larry Young hosted a gubernatorial debate between Democrats on June 5. From left: Krish Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Mara Vignarajah, Jim Shea, Rich Madaleno, Alec Ross, Rushern Baker, Valerie Ervin and Ben Jealous (not pictured).

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Trump Commutes Sentence for Kardashian-Backed Drug Offender

By The Associated Press

President Donald Trump commuted the sentence June 6 of a woman serving a life sentence for drug offenses whose cause was championed by reality TV star Kim Kardashian West in a recent visit to the White Alice Marie Johnson, who is serving House.

Trump commuted the a life sentence without parole for sentence of Alice Marie a nonviolent drug offense, had Johnson, two White her sentence commuted after Kim House officials said. The Kardashian West lobbied President 63-year old spent more than two decades behind Donald Trump at the White House (pictured). bars and is not eligible for parole. The move comes amid a recent flurry of pardons issued by Trump, who has seemed drawn to causes advocated by conservatives, celebrities or those who once appeared on his former reality show, “The Apprentice.”

The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to publicly discuss the commutation before it was announced.

The commutation puts a renewed focus on the Trump administration’s push for prison and sentencing reform, but which has sometimes clashed with the president’s law-and-order approach, especially at the Justice Department. Indeed, Trump has called for getting tougher on drug dealers, including suggesting some should receive the death penalty.

Johnson was convicted in 1996 on eight criminal counts related to a Memphis-based cocaine trafficking operation involving more than a dozen people. The 1994 indictment describes dozens of deliveries and drug transactions, many involving Johnson.

She was sentenced to life in prison in 1997, and appellate judges and the U.S. Supreme Court have rejected her appeals. Court records show she has a motion pending for a reduction in her sentence, but federal prosecutors are opposed, 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 Wednesday afternoon.

A criminal justice advocacy site, CAN-DO, and one of Johnson’s attorneys say a request for clemency was rejected by former President Barack Obama. The reasons are unclear.

A 1997 Associated Press story on Johnson’s sentencing said she headed up a multimillion-dollar drug ring. But Memphis attorney Michael Scholl, who filed the latest court documents in her request for a sentence reduction, said she was not a leader in the cocaine operation.

“What is the purpose of putting a lady with no prior criminal record, on a nonviolent drug offense, in jail for her entire life?” he said in a telephone interview. “She’s a model inmate.”

Scholl added that Johnson has admitted her wrongdoing, which is borne out in letters she has written to U.S. District Judge Samuel H. Mays, who now oversees her case.

“Judge Mays I’m writing to you to express my deep remorse for the crime that I committed over 20 years ago. I made some bad choices which have not only affected my life, but have impacted my entire family,” she said in a February 2017 letter in the court record.

In a hand-scrawled letter last June she wrote: “I’m a broken woman. More time in prison cannot accomplish more justice.”

Kardashian West visited the White House in May to meet with Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser, who is overseeing the administration’s push to overhaul the nation’s prison system. She also met with Trump in the Oval Office, a photograph of which the president released on Twitter.

In an interview with Mic released earlier this year, Kardashian West said she’d been moved by Johnson’s story after seeing a video by the news outlet on Twitter.

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

The commutation comes days after Trump pardoned conservative commentator Dinesh D’Souza, who was convicted of a campaign finance violation, and granted a posthumous pardon to boxing’s Cast of Ain’t Too Proud. Photo by Kevin Berne.

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first Black heavyweight champion, clearing Jack Johnson’s name more than 100 years after what many saw as a racially charged conviction.

The boxer’s pardon had been championed by actor Sylvester Stallone, who Trump said had brought the story to his attention in a phone call.

Trump has also pardoned former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, a staunch campaign supporter; Scooter Libby, who served as chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney; and a U.S. Navy Correction: sailor convicted of taking photos The Rushern Baker of classified portions of a sub. In endorsement says that he May, he also suggested he was served in the House of considering acting to commute the sentence of former Illinois Gov. Delegates from 1194-2003.

Rod Blagojevich, who is serving Baker served from 199414 years in prison for corruption, 2003. The AFRO regrets the and celebrity homemaker Martha error.

Stewart, convicted of insider trading.

Retired Policeman’s Hunch Leads to Suspect in 6 Killings

By The Associated Press

A hunch from a retired detective helped lead police to a man suspected of shooting six people to death in the Phoenix area, some of whom were connected to his divorce, authorities said after the assailant killed himself with officers closing in.

A round-the-clock investigation that began late last week led police Monday to an extended-stay hotel in suburban Scottsdale where 56-year-old Dwight Lamon Jones was staying.

(Scottsdale Police Department via AP) As officers approached, they heard gunfire and found his Dwight Lamon Jones, body. suspected of gunning Jones’ victims included a down four people last well-known forensic psychiatrist week, shot himself to death who testified against him in June 4, and authorities said court in 2010, two paralegals who worked for the law office they have linked him to that represented the suspect’s two other slayings beyond wife, a marriage-and-divorce those of a prominent counselor who was apparently psychiatrist, two paralegals targeted in a case of mistaken and a marriage-andidentity and another man and woman who have not been divorce counselor. identified, authorities said.

In an unexpected twist, the suspect’s ex-wife, Connie Jones, said her current husband, a retired police detective, made the connection between her divorce and the crime scenes and notified police of his suspicion Saturday night.

Connie Jones said in a statement that her ex-husband was a “very emotionally disturbed person.”

Jones was arrested in May 2009 at his family’s Scottsdale home on a domestic violence charge after his wife said he backed her against a wall, hit her in the face and threatened to kill her, according to court records. The arrest was cited by his then-wife when she filed for divorce.

“Personally, I have feared for my safety for the past nine years. I cannot express the emotions I feel for the innocent families touched by this senseless violence,” Connie Jones said.

“We started to see that Mr. Jones was visiting them in an effort to right some wrong based on what we could see,” said Rich Slavin, assistant police chief in Scottsdale.

The slayings began Thursday with the fatal shooting of Dr. Steven Pitt, who, according to court records, had evaluated Jones and testified in 2010 that he had anxiety and mood disorders and symptoms of a paranoid personality.

Pitt said Jones did not conform to social norms and acted impulsively and aggressively. He lacked remorse and close friends and required excessive admiration, the records said.

The testimony was cited in the couple’s November 2010 divorce, which granted Jones’ wife sole custody of their now 21-year-old son.

“This is not a success story, but it’s a story that has closure,” Maricopa County Sheriff Paul Penzone said.

The 59-year-old psychiatrist was well known in his field and assisted in high-profile murder cases, including the JonBenet Ramsey mystery in Colorado and a notorious Phoenix serial killer investigation.

Paralegals Veleria Sharp, 48, and Laura Anderson, 49, worked at the law office that represented Jones’ wife. Police believe Jones may have been targeting the attorney, but she was not present Friday when Jones went to the office in downtown Scottsdale.

Sharp was shot in the head but ran out of the office to get help before collapsing on the street, police said. She was pronounced dead at a hospital.

Counselor Marshall Levine, 72, appears to have been mistaken for someone else who once occupied the same office. At one time, the space was used by a counselor who saw Jones’ son as part of the divorce. Levine, who took over the space, was not involved in the divorce case.

Police would not speculate why Jones tracked down people connected to his divorce so long after it happened. They say he had been living in extended-stay hotels for the past nine years.

Analysis of shell casings found at Pitts’ office, the law firm and Levin’s office confirmed that the victims were killed with the same

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June 9, 2018 - June 15, 2018, The Afro-American

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Grad Continued from B1 listening to teachers, not really paying attention, my grades suffered with a few detentions here and there,” Williams-Brown said.

He was denied admission to Baltimore Polytechnic Institute, due to his subpar grades, leaving his parents with a tough choice.

“My parents were left either to send me to a school in the area that was struggling, and eventually closed, or send me to private school,” Williams-Brown said. “My dad had found me a private school, he talked to my mom, he said ‘you know what, let’s give this a shot.’”

With help from his three aunts and his grandparents, Williams-Brown’s family was able to raise tuition for him to attend Calvert Hall Catholic High School.

“I think that sort of sparked within me, that I need to take it serious,” Williams-Brown said. “This is not cheap, this is not easy, they really are pushing for me to accomplish, so let me go and do well. It was a different experience, coming from a city school to a private school, my only focus was to go in, put my head down and do the work and make sure that investment paid off.”

It did pay off. Upon graduation, Williams-Brown was awarded a full academic scholarship to Howard University.

“People call it the Mecca, it’s this center of Black culture and Black history and education for so many brilliant people and experiences,” Williams-Brown said.

While studying alongside the Black elite, both peers and professors, some of the experience was taken for granted until graduation.

“You go back and look at folks who graduated from Howard and contributed to society and how great and successful and prominent these folks have become and how important their work has been to the movements,” Williams-Brown said. “By the time my senior year came, I really started to appreciate

what I had been a part of and being able to graduate and say that I went to an institution that was a part of that.”

While there were too many Howard professors and mentors to recognize, Williams-Brown did go on at length about his Mock Trial coach, attorney Angela D. Minor, Esq. William’sBrown was himself a mock trial attorney, his team went to nationals.

“Watching her commitment, learning from her, and getting the opportunity to be able to go out and explore what my interests were, and explore my talents and get better at the trade was something that was very important to me,” WilliamsBrown said. “It’s one of those things that will follow through the rest of my career.”

Williams-Brown’s academic career next took him to Harvard Law School. He interned for the ACLU and was a member of the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau. In Boston, Williams-Brown fought evictions and foreclosures, serving as a community lawyer for the disadvantaged and vulnerable.

He’s returned to and taken up residence in Baltimore, a city with an alarming and nation-leading rate of eviction.

As Williams-Brown’s wrote on his Harvard application: “Knowledge of the law is empowering,” he wrote. “I witnessed this firsthand when I saw the weight lifted off my mother’s shoulders as an attorney explained the legal procedures and her potential options during the foreclosure process. Although at times limited, the law also has the ability to promote the ideals of self-determination, equality, and social justice. During my legal education, I know that I will gain the skills necessary to continue to advocate for the underprivileged in society. Motivated by my own humble upbringing, I hope to collaborate with a variety of bright legal minds and utilize legal scholarship to imagine innovative solutions and create the change that I want to see in the national community.”

Rap Beef Continued from B1 proper fanbase off of their own platform. What even makes this idea much more valid is the fact that rappers like Tekashi69 has not only built a following off of only a few tracks on music platforms like Soundcloud, before releasing an album earlier this year, but has also been able to connect, collaborate, and sometimes troll both fans and artists through social media.

Unfortunately, while those high numbers of followers can be a monumental attribute to one’s career, it can also be a curse when things don’t go well. In the case of the Pusha T/Drake beef, we never saw Drake on the losing side before “Story of Adidon.”

This Grammy-winning artist has several accolades and records broken on the Billboard, not to mention a victory after his rivalry with Philly-rapper Meek Mill, but Pusha T changed all of that with a track the reveals a side of Drake no one has seen and then stomps on it.

The chances of you getting shot by another rapper’s group are much lower, yet constant trolling and lack of response can mess up your numbers and eventually your money. It’s a dangerous game that several artists had to play with their careers to keep it going after taking shots that failed. Remember when Nicki Minaj tried dissing Cardi B through a song and certain interviews? She was ducking Remy Ma after “Shether” dropped last year, though.

What about rapper Action Bronson? While his music is still good, after a viral video of Ghostface Killah threatening him for throwing shade on an episode of SportsNation about the Wu-Tang rapper, Bronson backpedaled and steered most of his time to Viceland shows.

While this the new

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.

Attorney Continued from B1 shed light on wrongful convictions and inequities in America’s criminal justice system were Rushion McDonald, executive producer of the new series; Tia A. Smith, executive in charge of production and senior director of programming and production for TVOne; Chanta Parker, special counsel for new initiatives for the Innocence Project; Mike Fletcher, senior contributor for ESPN’s The Undefeated and Linda Lipsen, CEO of the American Association for Justice. The panel was moderated by Roland Martin.

Airing every Monday in June, “Evidence of Innocence” is a four-part limited series aimed at raising awareness about inequities within America’s criminal justice system. It is a hour-long crime documentary that tells uplifting, yet unknown, stories of individuals who were convicted of offenses they did not commit and the journey they endured to obtain justice

“Go into any courtroom in America, sit in the back of it and you will see justice is anything but equal.”

– Civil Rights Attorney, Benjamin Crump

Courtesy photo

Rapper Pusha T used a picture of Drake in blackface as the cover of his Drake diss song. generation of rap beef can be entertaining on the ‘Gram, things can get messy if it stumbles into reality.

Violent moments come from more random encounters in different cities that somehow ends up on social media, but then there are some moments that actually seems to be planned.

Recently, Chief Keef was allegedly shot at in New York, with some speculating that the two shooters were allegedly a part of Tekashi69’s entourage.

Although those rumors were false, it took 69 to open up on social media about how they were false, but he eventually trolled him in the process.

You see? Chief Keef’s moment was a “random encounter,” but Tekashi69 was there to add insult to injury.

Keef and 69 were already beginning to trend for beefing on the internet because of a situation between him and his cousin Taito. But you know what Keef did? Made a track with Tekashi’s kryptonite -

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Trippie Redd. Rappers like 69 and XXXTentacion has experienced the critical effects of the things they wrote on social media, unfortunately, which usually results into getting embarrassed at airports or getting hit in the face during a live concert.

So are rap beef as popular as they once used to be?

Yes, but it’s on a completely different frontline. Sure, we may have certain diss tracks like the one between Pusha and Drake, but sometimes things can get dangerous if it gets out of hand.

In the beef between Chief Keef and Tekashi69, a woman was physically harmed, Keef had actual gunshots fired at him for no reason, and god knows what Birdman thinks about Pusha T now. We’ve seen this several times, but will continue to see it as long as Facebook and Twitter remain prominent in the tech world. However, we hope that there’s no harm to any of these artists because we have also witnessed how rap beefs were once settled. No one wants another Tupac or Biggie.

and get their lives back. The victims highlighted in the show include Lisa Roberts, Richard Miles, Melanie Ware, and Mark Schand.

“We not only show the injustices, we also let them speak in first person telling their own stories so that you would know this [story] comes from them,” Smith told the audience of about 30. “It was important for us to show the resilience of everyone that participated with this which is so synonymous with our community and culture.”

While there are four voices featured on TVOne’s new series, statistics show these voices are far from being alone. According to a 2017 report by the National Registry of Exonerations, a total of 166 wrongly convicted people were declared innocent in 2016. And TIME Magazine reported, on average, there are more than three exonerations per week—more than double the rate in 2011.

Also alarming is the racial disparities found in wrongful convictions. According to the same report, while African Americans make up only 13% of population, they constituted 47% of the 1,900 exonerations listed in the National Registry of Exonerations as of October 2016.

“Go into any courtroom in America, sit in the back of it and you will see justice is anything but equal,” Crump told a crowd following the screening. “We have to acknowledge that they want to justify or legitimize putting Black and Brown bodies in the prison industrial complex. Now with this administration - I thank God for TVOne - for putting out a counter narrative out there. We have Jeff Sessions in the Department of Justice saying ‘let’s do the most that we can do to put people in prison.’

So, I thank God for this show at this time in America.”

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COMMENTARY

An Orchestra of Hope for Baltimore’s Future Elijah Cummings

Anyone with any doubts about the value of “OrchKids,” the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s instrumental music program for inner city students, should listen to what young Asia Palmer, a flute player in her 10th year with the program, had to say to the New York

Times recently.

“The program has given me a voice,” Ms. Palmer declared. “I feel like I can be whatever, do whatever – strive.”

Strive and succeed she has. Back in 2013, I had the honor to be at the White House with Ms. Palmer as First Lady Michelle Obama gave her a hug and presented her with OrchKids’ National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award.

I cannot think of any time that I have been prouder of our young people or more hopeful for the future of our community.

Now in its 11th year serving our students, OrchKids is a year-round, during- and after-school music program designed to create social change and nurture promising futures for young people who live in Baltimore City’s neighborhoods.

Since its creation a decade ago by Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Music Director Marin Alsop, OrchKids has grown from serving a few children in a single public school to uplifting more than 1,300 Baltimore City children in eight of our schools today.

In collaboration with several community partners, including Baltimore City Public Schools, OrchKids provides music education, instruments, academic instruction, and meals, as well as performance and mentorship opportunities – and it does so solely through donations at no cost to our students and their families.

Marin Alsop’s dream is for OrchKids to continue to grow to 5,000 students in the next five years, 10,000 in the next ten. We should be doing everything that we can to help her realize her dream for the young people of our community.

Our first step is to take Asia Palmer’s words to heart, to “be whatever, do whatever, [and] strive” to build on this empowering OrchKids initiative.

The Eddie and Sylvia Brown Family Foundation has taken that first step toward responding to Marin Alsop’s dream. It has challenged all of us in Baltimore’s African American community to match its $500,000 commitment to OrchKids through our own donations, whether large or small.

Up to this point, the outpouring of support for the Brown OrchKids challenge has been heartening – and important.

In a city where too many of our young people are feeling lost in the present, depressed about their future, and driven to join something larger than themselves, we all want them to join something larger that is positive and will lift up their lives.

This is why Marin Alsop’s goal is so personal for me.

People often ask me, “Congressman, when there are so many other priorities, why do you devote so much energy to supporting opportunities for our young people to participate in music programs like OrchKids and other initiatives like your annual Congressional Arts Competition?”

I could answer that there can be no higher calling than uplifting our children in life; or I could respond that music and the other arts feed our children’s souls, stimulate their minds, and help them become forces for good in our community.

Both of those answers would be the truth, but, in all candor, they would not be the whole truth that I remember, feel and see.

That more complete truth would have to go back to a lasting childhood disappointment more than 50 years ago – to the marching band in our inner, inner Baltimore City neighborhood that I was unable to join.

I intensely wanted to learn to play the trumpet in that marching band. Young, isolated, and bored, like far too many of our young people today, I wanted to join my friends as they proudly played and marched through our streets.

As a young person still forming my core identity, I desperately wanted to be part of something beautiful and important, something larger than myself, something above and beyond the harsh, isolated and constrained life that I was experiencing on Baltimore’s streets.

That is why I asked my Dad if we could rent a trumpet so I could play in the band. He was sympathetic, but it was not to be.

We could not afford the rental fee, he told me, and I tried to understand. Yet, I still felt diminished – like my life was worth less than the few cents to rent that trumpet each week.

I share this personal reflection with you today because far too many of the young people of our city look at me with that same intense longing in their eyes that I can still remember from my own youth long ago.

The calling that these young people evoke in me – a vocation to help them replace the longing in their lives with the joy of creativity – is almost overwhelming.

I hope that others feel the same. Together, we can create a positive song for Baltimore’s future.

Together we can become an orchestra of hope in which everyone can play.

Congressman Elijah Cummings represents Maryland’s 7th Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives.

The Supreme Court Case Unions Are Anxiously Watching

It’s hard to imagine things getting any worse for AfricanAmericans these days, whether it’s police shootings, Starbucks or the rise of hate crimes. However, no one is talking about an assault on African-American workers that is right around the corner.

By the end of June, the Supreme Court will decide the case of Janus v AFSCME. This is yet another attempt by big corporations to get over on us by weakening public sector unions that represent school workers, government workers, postal workers and more who are largely African-American and include many longtime Baltimore residents.

As a father of four, I could not provide for my family the way I needed to with my non-union job. Previously, I worked in food service making $13 per hour and paid out of pocket for benefits. I had my hours cut regularly which meant that I was often late paying the rent and utility bills. Adding insult to injury, they talked down to us and no one had my back when they mistreated me. Without the union, you can work hard but never get a raise, even if you deserve more, and most importantly, they can fire you anytime for any reason.

Now that I have a union, I earn about $20 per hour with much better benefits and employer-paid health care. If I’m ever mistreated,

Kenneth Wiley

I can call the union and someone can help with my problem. We were all holed up in a tiny apartment before, but with the union job I was able to buy a house, a car for myself and my wife and I’m saving money for my family’s future. My entire family benefits from the union and I don’t have to constantly worry about losing my job. My life is much better with the union.

That’s why this is personal for me. The outcome of this case would kill some of the few remaining middle-class and family-sustaining jobs, the kind that are even harder to come by for African-Americans.

Only through a union are these workers – and any others - able to bargain for fair pay, health care, job security, a fair schedule, respect and dignity, among many other benefits. In fact, the difference between a union and a non-union job often means the difference between poverty and being able to support a family.

As if the injustice of poverty that plagues many our communities isn’t bad enough, the richest of the rich are using Janus v AFSCME to attack the gains we have been able to achieve. They can’t stand to see any threats to their profits or to see us rise up through the ranks of society, so they try to divide us and limit the power in numbers we have together in our union. An attack on unions is an attempt to drive a nail in the heart of our overall movement for social justice.

Even before the days when Martin Luther King Jr. fought alongside

sanitation workers in their fight for good jobs with dignity, unions have always been and will continue to be a strong ally helping communities of color, not just by fighting for good jobs, but for racial and criminal justice, affordable healthcare, better education among many others.

History shows that we are stronger together and that we win by standing together. And we are far from alone. Teachers all across the country continue to show, that they won’t take it anymore. Many other workers who don’t yet have a union yet are also fighting hard to join together. Fast food workers, airport workers, home care workers and other hard-working women and men have united to demand $15 an hour and a union. They are all united across different workplaces, jobs and communities, through our shared fight for economic justice.

We also have the power to control our own destiny by voting for elected officials who will do everything they can to make it easier, not harder to form unions. No single court case will stop us from coming together for the basic human dignity of a fair wage, the ability to support our families and to help ensure our children have more opportunities and a brighter future.

Kenneth Wiley is a food service worker and 32BJ Service Employees International Union member based in Baltimore.

Don’t Lose Sight of DC’s Charter School Success

As controversy continues to swirl around public education in the District of Columbia, with much misunderstanding and misinformation as well as genuine problems, District parents, guardians, and taxpayers might be forgiven for wondering what is going on in the District’s public schools lately. The news has been unrelentingly negative. From the scandal about inflated graduation rates and attendance data to the untimely resignation of the Schools Chancellor, the public have not been encouraged by media reports.

But while D.C. Public Schools re-examines and reforms its practices under new leadership, District residents should remember that the other half of D.C.’s public schools—which educates 48 percent of all District public school students—is flourishing with verified success. D.C.’s charter schools are taxpayer-funded, tuitionfree public schools that operate independently from DCPS, the traditional school system, and are held accountable by the city’s independent charter board and the choice of families to enroll their children in them.

District public charter schools have brought a diverse set of strong educational programs to our communities for nearly a quarter of a century, with participation steadily rising to nearly half of all District students, with another 11,000 on waitlists hoping for a chance to join them. The confidence shown by this rising enrollment is based on many factors, but one is the high, on-time graduation rate of 74 percent—within four years. This compares to estimates of a meager 40 to 50 percent graduation rate before charters schools were allowed to operate.

Ramona Edelin

Charter schools’ gains in graduation rates have been shared by students throughout the city: the on-time rate for African-American and economically disadvantaged charter students is almost identical to charters’ average rate. Unlike the traditional public schools, the graduation rates of charters are guaranteed to be accurate—for years, the District’s charter board has audited the transcript of every graduating student, an important safeguard against fraud and self-serving grade inflation. This is one of the benefits of having results externally audited, a move the city-run school system is now considering.

But higher graduation rates are only one measure of the hard work and smart thinking that charters invest in their students, as evidenced by the National Assessment of Educational Progress, also known as The Nation’s Report Card. Administered nationally, without the stakes involved in citywide standardized tests and conducted among randomly selected groups of students, the latest figures show charter scores are up since the previous tests two years ago in three of four core subject measures.

This increase is more than any state in the nation. In fact, over the past decade, overall growth in test scores has been greater than any other state, and it has been achieved with a higher share of economically disadvantaged students and lower city funding per student than the traditional system.

Charters have been especially effective in the District’s most vulnerable and underserved neighborhoods. Charter students in Wards 7 and 8 are twice as likely to meet state standards for college and career-readiness as their peers in the traditional system.

No less importantly, these improvements in school quality have

been accomplished while curricula have been enriched and pre- and after-school options multiplied. School quality has also risen because charters have made significant progress in reducing suspensions and expulsions while adopting more contemporary methods of ensuring school discipline, all without adversely impacting student instruction.

Of course, much more progress is needed, specifically to ensure that all D.C. students currently on waitlists can find a place at a charter school and that the city government fund D.C. public school students fairly. This simply means enforcing D.C. law, which requires equal funding for every D.C. public school student, charter or traditional, who is enrolled at the same grade or special education level.

The District government also needs to do a better job of ensuring that charter school facilities are a priority when it come to the disposal of surplus public school buildings and that the allowance charters receive to help finance schoolhouse expenditures increases in line with real estate costs.

D.C.’s school system and the mayor to which it is accountable must work together to rebuild trust and ensure that families can have confidence in the integrity of the data produced by the traditional system. Part of this process should include learning how charters have produced strong improvements in student performance while being audited and held accountable.

Whatever next steps the school system, mayor, and city council members take, the District’s charter reform is continuing to deliver for D.C.’s students.

Dr. Ramona Edelin is executive director of the D.C. Association of Chartered Public Schools.

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 9, 2018 - June 15, 2018, The Afro-American

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June 9, 2018 - June 15, 2018, The Afro-American

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ARTS & CULTURE

Men’s Health Month

Common Superfoods and Herbs for Men

antioxidants that support prostate health, tumeric contains the naturally occurring chemical curcumin, which has been shown The numbers don’t lie. For years, studies, to reduce joint pain and inflammation, surveys and statistics have found that men relieve digestive issues and have positive are less likely than women to visit the doctor. effects on psychological health.

According to reports by the Centers for Disease The lesser-known herb Astragalus root Control (CDC) and EverydayHealth.com, men (Astragalus membranaceus) tops the list are 80 percent less likely to use a general source for overall men’s health. Traditionally of health care. Other research has shown that prescribed in Chinese medicine for male half of men ages 18 to 50 don’t have a regular infertility, Astragalus has been proven source of health care, while one-third of men in to support male hormones by balancing that age group haven’t had a regular checkup in glucose levels and enhancing testosterone over a year. and growth hormone levels. Known as a Although there may never be full powerful immune booster, it helps improve understanding on the disconnect between men resistance to viral infections, slows down and doctors (and preventive health), today’s the aging process and revitalizes the body world allows people to access information on by stimulating the production of stem cells alternative ways to support men’s health through in bone marrow. common superfoods and herbs.

Each of the superfoods and herbs can (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe) The most common and easily available be found at your local grocer or at herbal superfood that supports men’s health is the Brazil Today’s world allows people to access information on alternative ways to support shops in D.C. (Blue Nile Botanicals, men’s health through common superfoods and herbs. nut. The large nut, which is actually a seed, is Bazaar Spices) and Prince George’s County eaten raw, blanched and dried and is packed (Smile Herb Shop). with both magnesium and selenium and powerful antioxidants that help prevent cancer, heart In addition, regular exercise and stress-management regimens are complementary pathways disease and naturally boosts testosterone levels in men. It is also associated with promoting to healthy living that men should support - especially as they age. And although there are no good prostate health and even decreasing the risk of prostate cancer. substitutes for regular doctors visits, there are plants, herbs and unconventional methods to The well-known tumeric root is another superfood that caters to men’s needs. Also high in help keep our men living longer, healthy lives.

By Mia Aguilar Special to the AFRO

Hogan Honored at Langston Hughes Community Center Governor Larry Hogan (2nd from left) is joined by (Left to right) Betsy Simon, Director Z-Hap; Karen Hammond, President & CEO KHD Performance Analysis Solutions; George E. Mitchell, Executive Director Langston Hughes Community, Business & Resource Center; and Gwendolyn S. Woody, Wellness WERKS 8 at a dedication of a Library and Computer Lab named in his honor at the Langston Hughes Center in Park Heights on June 5.

Knights of Peter Claver-Council 62 Partner with Calverton School The Knights of Peter Claver-Council, a Catholic social organization, partnered with Calverton Middle School to form a leadership institute.

From right to left: Marie Brown, student, Martia Cooper, principal, William B. Robertson, Knights of Peter Claver-Council 62, Kevin Gardner, Knights of Peter Claver-Council 62, Michael Marshall, Grand Knight, Larry Johnson, Knights of Peter Claver-Council 62, Paul Grant, assistant principal, Trinity Peterson, student and Raquan Patterson, student.

SPORTS

Fox News Apologizes After Using Misleading Photos of Eagles Players Praying “During our report about President Trump canceling the Philadelphia Eagles’ trip to the White House to celebrate their Super Bowl win, we Philadelphia Eagles receiver Torrey showed unrelated footage of players Smith accused President Donald Trump kneeling in prayer,” said Christopher of lying after the controversial president Wallace, executive producer of “Fox announced June 4 that he was canceling News @ Night with Shannon Bream,” the Eagles’ visit to the White House in a statement sent to the Washington because they disagreed with standing Post. “To clarify, no members of for the National Anthem. the team knelt in protest during the “So many lies,” Smith tweeted. “...no national anthem through the regular or one refused to go simply because Trump postseason last year. We apologize for insists folks stand for the anthem. The the error.”

President continues to spread the false Smith piggybacked his teammates’ narrative that players are anti-military.” comments and also retweeted a Smith also reminded his followers that comment he made back in February, no Eagles player took a knee further explaining why he in protest during the playing and many of his teammates of the anthem at any point didn’t want to go to the White during the regular season or House in celebration of their playoffs last year.

Super Bowl victory.

After canceling the Eagles “For me, it’s not just about visit, Trump held an event politics,” Smith said. “If I meant to celebrate patriotism told you that I was invited and then appeared to forget to a party by an individual the words to “God Bless I believe is sexist or has no America.” respect for women or I told But apparently the POTUS you this individual has said isn’t the only one who may offensive things towards have misled people with a minority groups.... this false narrative. individual also called my Fox News reported on peers and my friends SOBs, Trump’s canceling of the you would understand why I Eagles’ White House visit wouldn’t want to go to that yesterday and aired photos party. Why is it different of multiple Eagles players when the person has title (Screenshot) of President of the United kneeling during the TV Fox News portrayed members of the Philadelphia Eagles segment. The images were States?” as kneeling in protest when they were actually praying. of multiple Eagles players

By Perry Green AFRO Sports Editor pgreen@afro.com

Subscribe • afrosubs.com INVITES YOU AND A GUEST TO AN ADVANCE SCREENING OF

kneeling together in the end zone before a game. But the players shown weren’t kneeling during the anthem in protest; the photos, instead, captured players kneeling in prayer, as many NFL players have traditionally done.

Eagles tight-end Zach Ertz ripped the news network for using the photos, calling them “propaganda.”

“This can’t be serious.... Praying before games with my teammates, well before the anthem, is being used for your propaganda?! Just sad, I feel like you guys should have to be better than this,” Ertz tweeted.

Fox News eventually apologized for using the photos.

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WASHINGTON-AREA

Skyrocketing Water Bills, Elder Abuse Addressed in 2019 Budget

DC Candidates Face Tough Questions Over Police Reform

“It is no secret that I’ve been very active fighting for affordable housing, education, workforce preparation and returning citizens.”D.C. Council member Robert White.

D.C. Council member Robert White (D-At Large) said the 2019 budget is focused on helping residents of the District meet their needs.

“It is no secret that I’ve been very active fighting for affordable housing, education, workforce preparation and returning citizens,” White said.

The budget includes programs designed to help African Americans in the city.

Programs that White favors includes $234,163 that creates a team at the Office of the Attorney General to investigate and prosecute elder abuse and financial exploitation of seniors; a $100,000 salary scale for child development center employees; $276,00 to fund returning citizens initiatives which require the Bowser administration to contact homecoming inmates from other states six months to

Continued on D2

Candidates for the District of Columbia’s City Council chairman and at-large member spent the evening of May 30 answering tough questions about criminal justice reform. One candidate called for the ouster of Metropolitan Police Chief Peter Newsham and another said the city should fire “bad cops.”

Candidates at the forum, hosted by the American Civil Liberties Union of the District of Columbia, fielded questions from moderator Denise Rolark Barnes, owner and publisher of the Washington Informer. ACLU-DC streamed the panels live on Facebook.

In the race for D.C. Council chairman, Rolark Barnes asked incumbent Phil Mendelson and challenger Ed Lazere how they’d restore community trust in the Metropolitan Police Department, given what she called a lack of transparency and accountability clouding investigations into fatal police-involved shootings such as Terrence Sterling’s and most recently, 24-year-old D’Quan Young’s.

Mendelson endorsed a three-pronged approach. One, bad

cops should be fired and prosecuted; two, the council should increase and promote police accountability in other ways; and three, officers should use community policing methods to reach out and build trust with residents.

“When they do that, we will see less, or fewer, of these incidents that are so troublesome and counterproductive with the community,” said Mendelson, who was elected to the council in 1998 and has been chairman since 2012.

Lazere, who said he left his longtime job as executive director for the D.C. Fiscal Policy Institute to concentrate on his candidacy, said the council should take a leadership role, whether it’s through legislation or extra oversight to ensure information goes public as quickly as possible.

“As council chair, I would be ready and eager to make sure what we do much more . . . and just putting public pressure on the mayor and partnering with the community to make sure that we know as much as possible as soon as possible,” he said.

In the race for the at-large council seat, two young political neophytes – Marcus Goodwin, a real estate acquisitions associate at Four Points and Jeremiah Lowery, an organizer at the Chesapeake Climate Action Network – hope to unseat Anita Bonds from the seat she’s held since 2012.

Continued on D2

Goodwin’s Personal Stake in DC’s Affordable Housing Crisis

By Brigette White Special to the AFRO The District is in the midst of an affordable housing crisis with the median price of a one-bedroom apartment $1,310 per month and a twobedroomgoing for $1,520 according to Apartmentlist. com.

“For many families, rent is a financial burden that adversely affects their economic well-being, which is often tenuous at best, as an unexpected drop in income could easily lead to eviction,” according to an analysis on the Bureau of Labor Statistics web site.

Renters are paying more than 30 percent of their income for rent and in some cases more than 50 percent according to an analysis of

Courtesy Photo

The District of Columbia Council recently passed the city’s 2019 $14.5 billion budget that deals with major issues facing Black residents.

On June 5, the D.C. Council passed the budget for the final time using a procedural tool known as the Budget Support Act or implementing the necessary legislation that makes the budget a reality. This was after the required votes that took place on May 15 and May 29.

By Lenore T. Adkins Special to the AFRO

rental data by Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies.

Eviction rates are disproportionately high in Black communities compared to other races. Many of the long standing minority residents can no longer afford to live in the city.

Several candidates running for District offices say they

have the solution.

Among those names on the ballot this primary election is Marcus Goodwin who grew up between the District’s Wards 1 and 8 on Kenyon St NW and Martin Luther King Jr Ave SE. “Growing up in Columbia Heights we saw people coming to my mother’s door every day asking to buy our house for all cash, but below the true value of the property.

It’s tempting to accept these offers which were often targeted at minority property owners. This is the reason a lot of Black homeowners have been deprived of their true equity value and the community has gentrified,” said Goodwin.

Goodwin, an at-large candidate for the D.C.council, is geared up for battle Continued on D2

A leading Black psychologist recently told a conference on co-parenting in the District of Columbia that the role of fathers – particularly African American fathers – is increasingly becoming obsolete.

“I take psychology from the real world,” Dr. James Ballard II, told participants at the “Inspiring Fathers, Celebrating Co-Parenting: A Community Conversation and Awards Program” held June 2 at the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church. “I am the product of a single mother.

When my father got into the picture, there was always a conflict between them. But in my mind I only had one parent to listen to and that was my mother.”

The conference was organized by Jonetta Rose Barras, a leading Districtbased journalist who has written books and articles on fatherless daughters; Frank Love, author of {How to Gracefully Exit a Relationship}; and Wayne Young of {Port of Harlem Magazine}.

Co-parenting is widely defined as adults raising a child even though they are not married. According to statistics compiled by the American Psychology Association 40-50 percent of all marriages in America

Continued on D2

Black Business

D.C. Spots to Enjoy Your #CoffeeWhileBlack

By Lauren E. Williams Special to the AFRO In April, two Black men, Rashon Nelson and Donte Robinson, were arrested at a Starbucks in Philadelphia for no apparent reason. Cell phone video of the incident helped the news go viral and the well-known, pricey, coffee chain was forced to act.

Contract Worker at White House Arrested on Warrant Courtesy Photo

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

Psychologist Insults Black Fathers at Co-Parenting Forum

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

(Courtesy Photo)

Brandon Todd, who represents Ward 4 on the D.C. Council, said the 2019 budget will offer major benefits for residents.

D1

By The Associated Press Authorities say a man wanted on an arrest warrant from a Maryland county was taken into custody when he reported for work at the White House, where he was employed as a private contractor.

News outlets report 29-year-old Martese Edwards was taken into custody at a checkpoint Tuesday. Prince George’s County police say a man with the same name was wanted on a charge of attempted first-degree murder.

A Secret Service statement says a member of its uniformed division ran the man’s name through a criminal database when he arrived at the White House. The Secret Service didn’t provide the man’s precise job or where he worked at the White House.

Edwards was charged in the district with being a fugitive from justice. It’s unclear if he has a lawyer.

Starbucks issued an apology saying it would close its stores on May 29th and hold a training to “address implicit bias, promote conscious inclusion, prevent discrimination, and ensure everyone inside a Starbucks store feels safe and welcome.”

The training was held last week. Employees reportedly worked in small groups to discuss their experiences of racism and discrimination, and Starbucks aired a now publicly released video - Story of Access - by Black filmmaker Stanley Nelson, featuring Common, to further encourage opportunities for dialogue and problem-solving.

While many agree Starbucks’ training was a positive step for the company, uncertainty around racial bias and behavior in business remains. And, a renewed conversation about finding alternatives to getting Continued on D2

D2

The Afro-American, June 9, 2018 - June 15, 2018

2019 Budget Continued from D1

connect them with housing and employment; using the Federal Bureau of Prisons identification card as their official ID and a three-month transportation stipend when they come back to the city.

“I have been on the council for a year and eight months and I promised to collaborate when possible and work hard for our city’s residents,” he said.

The budget offers small businesses in the District up to $5,000 in a tax credit for firms that generate less than $2.5 million in revenue with the purpose of offsetting rising costs of real property taxes and that could lower or eliminate those businesses’ minimum franchise tax bill and possibly bring about a tax rebate.

The other program is $13 million for residents, churches and non-profits that face disproportionately high water bills due to impervious surface fees needed to fund infrastructure to redirect sewage overflows away from the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s budget proposed $6 million for this program.

The Rev. Willie Wilson of the Union Temple Baptist Church has been a leader in addressing the fees, saying in essence that they are designed to force Black churches out of the city.

Many Black District residents make their living or participate heavily in the arts. Under the leadership of D.C. Council members Jack Evans (D-Ward 2) and David Grosso (I-At Large), the city’s sales tax will set aside 0.3 percent to

Police Reform Continued from D1

Bonds did not attend the debate or respond to a request for comment from the AFRO about why she didn’t go.

Suzanne Ito, strategic director of communications for the D.C. ACLU, said Bonds cited longstanding prior commitments when she pulled out on May 21. Her absence left the two millennials to spar with each other.

In response to a question about the police department declining to collect data on stop and frisks despite the passage of the Neighborhood Engagement Achieves Results Act in 2016, Lowery called for Chief Newsham’s immediate removal.

Lowery argues that the council can’t reform the criminal justice system or policing in the District without the stop-and-frisk information. “I believe that Chief Newsham, who knowingly did not submit the data – if he’s not going to do it, he should be fired,” Lowery said to applause. “They should fire him on the spot. It’s absolutely unacceptable.”

In statement to the AFRO submitted by Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice Kevin Donahue, the Metropolitan Police Department has been collecting data for stop and frisks.

“The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) has, for years, been collecting most of the police stops information required by the NEAR Act. However, the data currently provided may be in narrative fields or videos which are not easily aggregated,” Donahue told the AFRO in a statement.

The statement explains that updated technology is required in order to adequately collect stop and frisk data.

“With the start of the new fiscal year on October 1, we believe the necessary IT modifications will take six to seven months to complete and that the stops data will be collected in this new format beginning in the summer of 2019,” Donahue wrote.

Goodwin, meanwhile, pushed for an approach that holds the executive branch responsible for legislation the council puts in place. “We need to bridge the gap from our local elected officials, the ward and at-large council members with the executive branch so that we can have more oversight and hold the police accountable,” Goodwin said to applause.

The election is June 19, with early voting ending on June 15.

fund the Commission for the Arts and Humanities and its grantmaking authority for approximately $30 million a year.

D.C. Council member Brandon Todd (D-Ward 4) told the {AFRO} that budget initiatives for seniors, the District’s infrastructure that needs repair and money to the education system “will help residents across the city.”

“I am particularly proud of my bill that would provide free, diagnostic, preventive dental care coverage for seniors,” Todd said.

The budget that is locally generated will be sent to the mayor for approval, which is a given and then it will go to the U.S. Congress for review. If Congress says nothing, the budget becomes law Oct. 1.

Co-parenting Continued from D1

daughter he didn’t know about until she was 19-yearsold and pregnant with a child.

Bolden said men should be in their children’s lives.

“We are still fathers to those children,” he said.

“When I divorced my first wife, I would drive my kids to elementary school every morning, even though it was only two blocks from their house. My kids remember me being there even as 23-year(Courtesy Photo) olds.”

Yohance Maqubela and Sunshine Muse, who received the Chung said the Bowser 2018 Co-Parenting Award, are co-parenting their children administration embraces the idea of co-parenting and is even though they are divorced. doing what it can to help end up in divorce for a variety of reasons men and boys of color and such as conflicts over money, extramarital homeless families. relationships, career shifts and family issues.

Ballard, who works as the director of In addition to Ballard, A. Scott Bolden, a internship training for pre-doctoral students at noted attorney and managing partner at Reed Interdynamics Inc., in Lanham, Md., said the Smith law firm in the District, D.C. Council women’s rights movement has changed the member Kenyan McDuffie (D-Ward 5), and role of men. “Since women’s emancipation, Hyesook Chung, the District’s deputy mayor the role of father’s has been in decline,” he for Health and Human Services spoke at the said. “The husband has taken on female roles. forum.

Male roles have changed and disappeared McDuffie talked about growing up in a and the father’s role in a family is no longer structured two-parent household in Ward 5 necessary.” “when there was chaos in D.C.” Barras sharply took issue with Ballard.

“I grew up during the crack cocaine “Fathers are critical to family and to the epidemic,” he said. He said community community,” she said. “There is no change in support and his parents helped him become an the role that fathers should play.” attorney and a member of the D.C. Council.

Yohance Maqubela and Sunshine Muse As the father of two daughters, McDuffie received “The 2018 Co-Parenting Award” for said two-parent households offer children their roles in raising their children even though more support than a one-parent situation. they live in different cities. Muse was present Bolden spoke extensively about his divorce to receive the award. from his first wife and finding out about a

Goodwin

Continued from D1 against strong incumbents Democrat Anita Bonds and independent Elissa Silverman.

The 28-year-old candidate said he is ready for this race because he is accustomed to healthy competition, as he was a student athlete at St. Albans school before perusing higher education at the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard University.

“I was a football player, a wrestler and a track athlete. I played football in college,” Goodwin told the {AFRO}.

Goodwin, an economic development professional with a background in real estate and Wall Street, said he is armed with the ability to attack the District’s housing crisis having served on the Jim Graham campaign during the summer of 2008 and learned from former D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty, while working in the office of Deputy Mayor Valerie Santos Young before making his bid.

“I understand economics, community development, and urban planning,” said Goodwin.

Goodwin has already successfully improved housing developments to build apartments with more than the standard amount of affordable units in them.

“I’m committed to stopping the wave of displacement that has washed over the city by providing and creating more affordable housing for property owners and renters, as well as proposing tax reform bills that will help people afford to stay in place,” said Goodwin.

Sankofa

Continued from D1 one’s morning, afternoon, or evening, java fix continues.

Black Washingtonians, like many across America, are also having this discussion. Thankfully, Black-owned coffee shops can be found throughout the District.

The AFRO highlights a few below.

Sankofa Cafe 2714 Georgia Ave NW Located on Georgia Ave, home of many of the city’s oldest Black-owned businesses, sits Sankofa Books and Cafe. According to the store’s website, Sankofa was “named after the internationally acclaimed film called SANKOFA (produced by the founders). It’s symbol, the Sankofa Bird, looks backward with the egg of the future in her beak, constantly checking as she moves into the future.”

While the property has been Black-owned since 1997, according to the website, the Sankofa cafe was added in 2007. Sankofa Cafe hopes to be a place where thoughtful consideration of the past and future can take place.

Calabash Tea & Cafe 1847 7th St NW Handwritten notes, a calming vibe, and unique tea and coffee blends have made this place a D.C. favorite. In fact, according to their website, Calabash has won “Best in D.C.” five years in a row.

The teahouse boasts more than 100 teas and coffees and food inspired by family recipes.

Washingtonians tend to go to Calabash for the tea and stay for the experience.

Culture Coffee Too 300 Riggs Rd NE Culture Coffee Too is a new Black-owned shop that opened in November 2017. Located near the Fort Totten Metro Station, the coffeehouse had a star-studded ribbon-cutting with Mayor Muriel Bowser, D.C. Council members Brandon Todd and Robert White in attendance.

According to their website, Culture Coffee Too is a “diverse coffee shop, art gallery, live performance venue, and event space, with a mission to bring delicious coffee, and diverse culture to the Washington, DC community.” Their menu includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner items, and made-to-order coffee drinks.

June 9, 2018 - June 15, 2018, The Afro-American

The Residences at Arundel Preserve in Hanover, Maryland was the site of the of the official pre-release party and

reception for Dr. Hattie Washington’s new book, “Aunt Hattie’s Cookbook: Southern Comfort Food and Beyond” on May 8. Guests enjoyed succulent chicken and waffles, family favorites-mac and cheese, almandine garlic green beans, and her signature bread pudding. There was jazz music, door prizes and giveaways like the Aunt Hattie’s appliqued aprons along with a Book N’

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Basket. Partial proceeds from the launch party and reception will be donated to the Aunt Hattie’s Scholarship Fund at Coppin State University where she was the first female Vice President.

Stephen Rumble, Dr. Hattie Washington and Christine Rumble Photos by Bruce Smallwood

Juanita Thomas, Dr. Hattie Washington and Cheryl Washington

Shawn Papi and Eric Twiggs Dr. Hattie Washington, the author

Charlene Day, Eric Twiggs and Melody Jackson

Portia Frazier, Julie Haskins-Turner, Dr. Hattie Washington and Diane Pruitt

Jeffery Braxton, Leslie Ragin and Kahalia Wilson (L & L Catering) Susan Ottly Preddie, Charlene Day, Hattie Washington, Sharon Bullock and Peggy Morris

Former Mayor of Alexandria, VA, William “Bill” Euille

The Honorable Justin Fairfax, Lt. Gov., the Commonwealth of Virginia receives the “Man of the Year” Award from John Chapman, member, the Alexandria, VA City Council

Vivian Malloy and Cheryl Washington

The Northern Virginia Urban League honored Virginia Lieutenant Governor Justin E. Fairfax, former Virginia Governor L. Douglas Wilder and Fairfax Virginia native Cadet Simone Askew, First Captain of the Corp of Cadets, West Point, first African American female appointed to this position were presented at the 28th Annual Community Service and Scholarship Awards on Fri., April 22 at the Hilton McLean Tysons Corner Hotel, McLean, Virginia.

Other honorees included SunTrust Bank, Outstanding Corporate Sponsor Award and Naomi Wadler, Young Emerging Leader Award. Over $32,500 in scholarships was awarded to local minority Northern Virginia students. The theme for the gala was, “ Preserving Our History and Empowering the Future”; Angela Stribling, WHUR radio personality was the emcee.

Naomi Wadler, the youngest speaker at the “March For Our Lives” being recognized by Diana McLaughlin, 2018 gala chair

Dr. Hattie Washington and Kellie Johnson

Tracey Walker, Chair, Board of Directors, NOVA Urban League receives Proclamation from the Honorable Alison Silberberg, Mayor, Alexandria, VA.

Jimmi Barnwell, William and Joyce Ward

Levon Anderson, Gen. (Ret.) Johnnie Wilson and Col. (Ret.) Marion Barnwell

Scholarship recipients(seated): Clarence Brown III (his mother receiving for him), Adrianna Jones, Justin Moore, Naomi Nero, WHUR Radio Host, Zoe Price and Tylan Reeves; standing behind the students Angela Stribling, are the scholarship sponsors: NVUL, Neil and Judy Robinson, emcee Fannie Mae, Dominion Energy, NVUL Guild and Cox

Tracey Walker, honoree Muriel Garr, SunTrust Bank and Diane McLaughlin

Joint Armed Forces Color Guard The Todd Ledbetter Trio

Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax(third from the left), Lt. Gov. of the Commonwealth of Virginia with family and friends Photos by Rob Roberts

Cora Barry with Prince George’s County State’s Attorney and County Executive Candidate Angela Alsobrooks

Cora Barry with the SETLCs Blacks N Wax version of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks and Erykah Badu

The AFRO was invited to the Southeast Tennis and Leadership Center (SETLC) founded by Cora Masters Barry, who also serves as the facility’s Chief Operating Officer. There students are offered a variety of experiences where they are exposed to strong tennis training and facilities, reading programs, acting training, performance opportunities at the Kennedy Center such as their annual Blacks in Wax program, robotics, computer training and even sewing with the program Sew N Know that culminates with an annual fashion show. This year’s fashion show is on June 9.

Courtesy Photos

Cora Barry with the SETLC’s Blacks N Wax version of New Edition

Cora Barry with Washington, D.C. Atlarge Candidate Marcus Goodwin

Janice Rankins, Program Director, Sew N Know and Raji Rankins, Executive Director, Sewing Opportunity Never Ending

James Wright, AFRO Senior writer, Cora Bary and Micha Green, AFRO Washington, D.C. editor

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The Afro-American, June 9, 2018 - June 15, 2018

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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

#DTU2018

AFRO Endorsements in Maryland Governor • page 3 U.S. Senate • page 4 U.S. House of Representatives • page 5 Maryland Senate • page 7 Maryland House of Delegates • page 11 Prince George’s County Executive • page 12

AFRO Endorsements in DC Mayor • page 14 Delegate to the U.S. Congress • page 14 D.C. Council Ward 1 • page 14 D.C. Council Ward 5 • page 14 D.C. Council At-Large • page 15

June 9 • AFRO’s 2018 Endorsement Guide

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Letter from the Publisher

T

his year the AFRO changed our endorsement process by inviting members of the community to be a part of our editorial board. We sent out a survey to many of the candidates and then asked several of them to meet with us for an interview.

The editorial board was made up of activists, pastors, organizers, civil rights advocates and other leading figures from across the state of Maryland. All of them gave their valuable time to sit down and ask questions of the candidates who came in to explain why they should be elected.

The questions they asked of the candidates were well researched and helped inform our selection process.

In the following pages you will find our choices for offices across

A publication of the Afro-American Newspapers The Baltimore Afro-American Newspaper

1531 S. Edgewood Street Baltimore, MD 21227 410.554.8200

The Washington Afro-American Newspaper

1816 12th Street, NW Washington, DC 20009 202.332.0080 Frances Murphy Draper Chairman/Publisher Director of Advertising Lenora Howze Managing Editor Kamau High Baltimore Editor Sean Yoes Washington Editor Micha Green Design/Layout Denise Dorsey

Maryland as well as Washington, D.C. These endorsements represent the view of the paper and not the individual thoughts or viewpoints of any particular person represented on the board.

The Maryland primary takes place June 26 although early voting begins June 14. The D.C. primary is June 19 with early voting currently taking place.

While every election is important, the upcoming midterms will determine many things including how much opposition the Trump administration faces and who Hogan will face in the general election. Keep that in mind as you make your choices. You can not sit this one out.

Frances M. Draper, AFRO CEO and Publisher

The Maryland Editorial Board Dr. Paul Archibald is a professor at Morgan State University’s School of Social Work.

Pastor Jamal Bryant is the head of the Empowerment Temple Church in Baltimore.

Wanda Draper is the executive director of the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture in Baltimore.

Kamau High is the AFRO Managing Editor and has been with the paper for three years.

Adam Jackson is co-founder and CEO of Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle, Baltimore’s grassroots Black think tank.

The Living Well Center for Social and Economic Vibrancy.

A. Dwight Pettit is a civil rights attorney based in Baltimore.

Professor E.R. Shipp is a founding faculty member of the School of Global Journalism and Communication at Morgan State University, where she currently directs the school’s new Baltimore Reporting Project. She is a 1996 recipient of the Pulitzer Prize.

Gerald Stansbury is the president of the Maryland branch of the NAACP. Stacy Smith is a long-time Baltimore based community activist.

Nicole Mundell is executive director of Out For Justice, a returning citizen and member-led organization with the mission to engage, educate and empower individuals with criminal records in Maryland.

Sean Yoes is the AFRO Baltimore Editor and has been with the paper for more than 15 years.

Nneka Nnamdi is the founder of Fight Blight Bmore, a campaign of people working together to cultivate safe, green, economically vibrant communities in Baltimore and she is a partner at

Larry Young is a long time radio host on Baltimore’s WOLB and former state senator.

• Laura Byrd, AFRO Board Member

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AFRO’s 2018 Endorsement Guide • June 9

For Governor: Rushern Baker Maryland is at a crossroads. From what the state will do about the historic HBCU lawsuit it lost but continues to appeal, to how the many people who desperately needed the Red Line will cope in its absence. Baltimore’s police department is so far unable to solve the murder of one its own, Det. Sean Suiter, let alone cope with the continuing rise in homicides, the existence of open air drug markets and the mounting corruption scandal which has seen several officers go to jail for serious crimes.

That is what makes who the next governor will be such a critical decision.

With the death of Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz and the elevation of his running mate Valerie Ervin to the top of the ticket, Maryland has a Black woman as the face of a serious ticket. Ervin’s running mate, Marisol Johnson, is also a woman of color. It is egregious that the two of them do not have their names on the ballot. We wish them well on their lawsuit to have Kamenetz’s name with their own.

The ticket of Jim Shea, long time Baltimore lawyer, and Baltimore City Councilman Brandon Scott, deserves commendation for racial diversity as well as that of Richard Madeleno and Luwanda Jenkins.

Ben Jealous, the former head of the NAACP, has amplified a powerful, progressive message. Hopefully he will continue to speak out and seek elected office.

Rushern Baker, the current County Executive for Prince George’s County, has the necessary experience of running a large, diverse government and of having been a community activist. Prince George’s County is one of Maryland’s jewels. Having served in the House of Delegates from 1994-2003 and as County Executive from 2010 to today he knows intimately how the levers of power in the state work and is prepared to do the hard work starting on his first day in office. For those reasons, the AFRO endorses his candidacy for governor.

WHEN IT COMES TO BRINGING HOME RESULTS FOR EAST BALTIMORE, EXPERIENCE MATTERS. WE’VE GOT YOUR BACK.

45TH DISTRICT CENTRAL COMMITTEE

Senator McFadden, Delegate Branch and Delegate Glenn endorse for State Central Committee: Eric Booker, Chanel Branch, Margie Brinkley, Jasmine Collins, Kurt Kennedy, Denise Richards, Robert Stokes

VOTE JUNE 26 FOR SENATOR NATHANIEL MCFADDEN, DELEGATE TALMADGE BRANCH AND DELEGATE CHERYL GLENN

And the 45th District Central Committee slate EARLY VOTING JUNE 14 – 21

Delegate Talmadge Branch

Majority whip, Maryland House of Delegates

Delegate Cheryl D. Glenn

Chair of the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland

Senator Nathaniel McFadden

Maryland Senate President Pro Tem and Member of Budget and Taxation Committee

Paid for and authorized by:Nathaniel J. McFadden for Senate, John Etoh, Treasurer. I Friends of Talmadge Branch, Keith Woodlon, Treasurer. I Friends of Cheryl D. Glenn, Nikila Savage, Treasurer.

June 9 • AFRO’s 2018 Endorsement Guide

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For U.S. Senate: Ben Cardin Ben Cardin has been a U.S. Senator since 2006 and is the ranking member of the Committee on Foreign Relations. Before that Cardin held office in the Maryland General Assembly in the House of Delegates from 1967-1987 and the U.S. House of Representatives 1987-2007.

Since the election of Donald Trump he has been consistent in calling out the growing number of outrages the Trump administration commits every day. When speaking at Baltimore’s New Shiloh Baptist Church earlier this year he said, “We need you. The moral direction of America is being challenged.” That notion remains true today and why the AFRO endorses his re-election.

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AFRO’s 2018 Endorsement Guide • June 9

U.S. House of Representatives District 2: Dutch Ruppersberger

District 3: John Sarbanes

Dutch Ruppersberger, the former Baltimore County Executive, has served in the House of Representatives since 2002. The veteran lawmaker, who serves on the Appropriations Committee, has steered millions of dollars for roads and schools to the state. For those reasons, the AFRO endorses his re-election.

John Sarbanes, son of former U.S. Senator Paul Sarbanes, has held office since 2007. He represents the same district his father once did. Sarbanes is a strong supporter of the Affordable Care Act, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and reviving the Red Line cancelled by Gov. Hogan. For those reasons, the AFRO endorses his reelection.

District 7: Elijah Cummings

In addition to being a watchdog for Maryland, Elijah Cummings has served as a relentless check on the many lies and cover-ups of the Trump administration. From his perch on the House Oversight Committee Cummings has tangled with perhaps the most corrupt administration in modern times. While he has been physically slowed by knee surgery and a lingering recovery, his greatest asset, his mind, remains sharp and aware of all of Trump’s transgressions. Cummings, who has written a column for the AFRO for the past 20 years, has long been a staunch civil rights advocate and champion of HBCUs. Today we need him to continue to focus not only those things but to serve as a check on an administration that daily seeks to undermine the very premise of representative government.

VOTE FOR

Senator Joan Carter Conway Regina T. Boyce for Delegate Delegate Maggie McIntosh “Baltimore needs Joan Carter Conway. As the first and only African-American woman to chair a Senate committee, Joan has brought an important voice to Annapolis. She has used her position to get funding for our schools, to support criminal justice reform, and to protect our healthcare from Republican cuts.

Join me in re-electing Senator Conway.”

Authority: 43rd District Leadership Slate, Matthew Stegman, Treasurer.

— Congressman Elijah Cummings

June 9 • AFRO’s 2018 Endorsement Guide

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For Baltimore State’s Attorney: Marilyn Mosby smear campaign and supports her opponent, Ivan Bates.

Mosby has vowed to hold the Baltimore Police Department, including the many officers who are too compromised to testify in any case they make an arrest, accountable. For those reasons, the AFRO endorses her re-election.

Courtesy photo

Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby

Courtesy photo

Courtesy photo

that remains unanswered.

Marilyn Mosby did the best she could when facing the nearly insurmountable odds of holding police officers accountable for their actions. The FOP, which remains powerful despite the cascading corruption in the Baltimore Police Department, has targeted Mosby in a vicious Courtesy photo

There is a billboard on North Avenue in Baltimore that asks the question, “Whoever died from a rough ride?” As we enter the third year after the death of Freddie Gray, with zero of the police officers there the day he died from injuries suffered while in their custody held accountable, that is a pressing questions

For Baltimore City Sheriff: John W. Anderson

For Baltimore Register of Wills: Belinda Conaway

For Baltimore Clerk of Court: Lenora Dawson

VOTE BAKER

JUNE 26

A PLAN FOR JOBS. A PLAN FOR PEOPLE. A plan for Baltimore.

Created over 16,000 jobs Cut crime in half First to raise minimum wage to the highest in Maryland

rushernbaker.com/baltimore-plan

By Authority, Friends of Rushern L. Baker III, Calvin Brown, Treasurer, P.O. Box 133, Greenbelt, MD 20700

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AFRO’s 2018 Endorsement Guide • June 9

Maryland Senate District 20: Will Smith

Maryland Senator Will Smith has already proven to be a strong leader and advocate in his district, and the AFRO believes he should be selected for another term to continue the work he has already begun. As a civil rights attorney native to Silver Spring, Smith’s background has allowed for a true investment in the community and a commitment to improve the livelihoods of others. As the first African American to represent Montgomery County in the State Senate, Smith has worked towards affordable housing in Silver Spring, part of the area he represents and closing the diversity gap of success in the classroom.

District 24: Joanne Benson

Maryland Senator Joanne Benson is one of the most powerful voices in the county on matters dealing with education and seniors and she should continue to serve in Annapolis to continue her work.

District 25: Melony Griffith

Former Maryland Delegate Melony Griffith should be the next senator to represent District 25 in Annapolis. Griffith served as the chair of the Prince George’s County House Delegation and has worked with Democratic and Republican governors. She has the experience to replace Ulysses Currie in that seat whereas her opponents are passionate about issues but lack the experience to be effective at this point.

Continued on Page 8

Authority: Citizens For Sandy Rosenberg, Herbert Brown, Treasurer

Here are some of their accomplishments:

«Seven new schools will be built for our children «Liquor stores must close earlier in Liberty Heights and Park Heights, reducing criminal activity «Slots money has assisted programs in Park Heights, Liberty Heights, and Northwest communities – $37 million for housing, public safety, redevelopment, recreation, sanitation, and school programs In the years ahead, we will need effective legislators to keep the Preakness at Pimlico and increase state aid for our schools by enacting the Kirwan Commission report

Improvements and Jobs for Our Communities 21st Century Schools

2018 Capital Projects Funded

Arlington Elementary School, Lyndhurst Elementary School, Forest Park High School, Pimlico Elementary/Middle School - $191 Million Calvin Rodwell Elementary/Middle School, Cross Country Elementary/Middle School, Medfield Heights Elementary School – Budgets to be determined

40 West Assistance and Referral Center - $125,000 Bnos Yisroel – gymnasium $200,000 Langston Hughes Community, Business and Resource Center - $500,000 West Arlington Water Tower - $500,000 Mary Rodman Recreation Center - $750,000

“Baltimore City needs effective legislators like Angela Gibson and Sandy Rosenberg in Annapolis. I am proud to support them.” Congressman Elijah Cummings

“Baltimore City needs effective legislators like Angela Gibson and Sandy Rosenberg in Annapolis. I am proud to support them.” Congressman Elijah Cummings

“Angela Gibson and Sandy Rosenberg have been advocates for civil rights throughout their careers. They get the job done.

We need them in Annapolis.” Congressman John P. Sarbanes

June 9 • AFRO’s 2018 Endorsement Guide

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staimandesign.com

staimandesign.com

”Sandy Rosenberg has been an outstanding legislator.

Angela Gibson has a long and productive career in public service. They deserve your support.“ Senator Ben Cardin

staimandesign.com

staimandesign.com

Delegates Angela Gibson and Sandy Rosenberg have worked hard for their constituents in all of the neighborhoods of the 41st District. That’s why they are supported by Senator Ben Cardin, Congressman Elijah Cummings and Congressman John P. Sarbanes.

staimandesign.com

Citizens for Angela C. Gibson, Michael K. May, Treasurerr

POWERFUL ADVOCATES FOR THE 41ST DISTRICT ANDTHE CITY OF BALTIMORE!

Maryland Senate Continued from Page 7

40th District: Barbara Robinson

Recently, several of Barbara Robinson’s campaign signs have been defaced with the word “liar.” However, Robinson has conducted herself with a great deal of integrity over the course of her decades-long public service career.

Robinson, a lifelong educator (Robinson has been an adjunct professor for BCCC, Dundalk Community College and Anne Arundel Community College), has been a grassroots advocate for women, children and small business owners for many years.

However, her opponent Del. Antonio Hayes is also impressive; he has already racked up a solid list of accomplishments in the House. Although Hayes has only served one term as a Delegate, he has significant legislative experience as a legislative aide to former Del. Salima Siler Marriott, director of Legislative Affairs to former Baltimore City Council President Sheila Dixon and as assistant deputy mayor from 2007-2010.

Ultimately, the AFRO believes Robinson’s cogent leadership will continue to serve the residents of the 40th District well.

41st District: Jill Carter

Jill Carter, as a Delegate for the 41st (2003-2017), then as director of the Baltimore City Office of Civil Rights (OCR), since 2017, has a clear track record of fighting for some of the most disenfranchised communities in the city. Carter recently resigned from the OCR, after Gov. Larry Hogan appointed her to the 41st District Senate seat vacated by disgraced Sen. Nathaniel Oaks.

As a Delegate in the 41st, Carter sponsored legislation to impose a moratorium on the controversial $100 million, 180-bed youth jail, proposed by Gov. Martin O’Malley. Ultimately, Carter and community advocates stopped the construction of the facility in 2013.

Carter also sponsored and passed “Christopher’s Law,” which requires police officers to be trained in CPR, cultural sensitivity, the proper use of force and interacting with the physically and mentally disabled. The law is named after Christopher Brown, the 17-year old who was killed when Baltimore County police applied a choke hold during an altercation in 2012.

Carter was a vocal and active advocate against the zero tolerance policing policy, which led to the arrest on average of more than 100,000 mostly Black, mostly poor Baltimore residents from 1999 to 2007. She lobbied for altering the Law Enforcement Officers Bill of Rights, the oldest and most comprehensive set of protections for law enforcement officers in the nation. For years Carter fought for lead abatement in drinking water in Baltimore City Public Schools and sponsored bills to create greater civil liability and criminal penalties for lead law violators. This is a partial list of Carter’s political and social justice legacy, rooted in the work of her father Walter P. Carter, the civil rights icon. We look forward to Jill Carter continuing her work as the Senator for the 41st.

43rd District: Joan Carter Conway

Joan Carter Conway is arguably the most powerful member of the Maryland Senate only behind Senate President Mike Miller (D-27), and the unquestioned champion of Maryland’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities. No member of the Baltimore Delegation is a more formidable fighter than Conway, who is chair of the important Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee.

For these reasons and more, the AFRO feels it is essential to re-elect Sen. Conway.

However, Conway’s opponent, Del. Mary Washington has compiled an impressive record as a legislator in the House of Delegates; she is extremely bright, hard working, resourceful and passionate about finding solutions for many of the challenges confronting the 43rd.

If 2019 is the beginning of Sen. Conway’s last term (as she has pledged), representing East Baltimore’s 43rd District, we are hopeful Del. Washington will step up again to take Conway’s seat after the venerable Senator steps away.

44th District: Shirley Nathan-Pulliam

Shirley Nathan-Pulliam has served in Annapolis for more than 20 years, first entering the House of Delegates in 1995 representing the 10th District. Over the years Nathan-Pulliam has been the primary sponsor of dozens of pieces of legislation that have been signed into law in the Senate and the House, but her passion has been healthcare.

Nathan-Pulliam, a practicing nurse for decades, is focused on the more than 750,000 Maryland residents who are uninsured, with a disproportionate number of them in the 44th, one of the most impoverished districts in the city. We feel there is no one better equipped to fight for affordable health care for her constituents and the rest of the state.

45th District: Nathaniel McFadden

Nathaniel McFadden, President Pro Tem of the Senate, is the patriarch of the East Baltimore political scene. A protégé of the legendary Clarence “Du”

18

Continued on Page 10

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Maryland Senate Continued from Page 8

Burns, the city’s first Black mayor, McFadden has methodically built and consolidated his Eastside power base over a political career that has spanned more than three decades.

Much of the Middle East community within McFadden’s district was once dilapidated, now much of it has been reinvigorated and rebuilt with modern new additions. The $65.5 million innovation hub, for Johns Hopkins Hospital research, was developed by Hopkins, Forest City Enterprises and East Baltimore Development Inc., (EBDI). On the ground floor of the building is a Starbucks, which would have seemed implausible a decade ago. The building is part of the 88-acre EDBI renewal area.

The plan to renovate the once blighted community was quarterbacked by McFadden (with significant contributions to the process by Black leaders and builders), who has decided to make his bid for one last term in the Senate. The AFRO believes Sen. McFadden, second in line to Mike Miller in the Senate, has earned one more term (he says he plans to retire if he is re-elected) to zealously fight for his constituents.

However, McFadden is perhaps in the fight of his political life, attempting to weather the relentless challenge of Del. Cory McCray, who has emerged as a dynamic young leader in East Baltimore, exhibiting a vigorous work ethic for his constituents and on the campaign trail. McCray’s backstory is a Baltimore success story; after scrapes with the law as a young man, McCray has persevered to obtain his GED and two college degrees (BCCC and the National Labor College), he is a member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and is building a rental property business.

Still, after just one term in the House, the AFRO feels McCray may have been better positioned after serving another term as a Delegate, before stepping up to challenge McFadden.

✓ VOTE FOR ❑

DISTRICT 40 W W W. A N TO N I O H AY E S . C O M B Y A U T H O R I T Y: C I T I Z E N S F O R A N T O N I O H AY E S , J O S E P H A . P O W E L L , T R E A S U R E R .

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AFRO’s 2018 Endorsement Guide • June 9

Maryland House of Delegates 24th District: Jazz Lewis

Maryland Delegate Jazz Lewis has been a legislator less than a year but has proven to be a quick study and zealous in his advocacy for all of District 24, not just the affluent northeastern part.

40th District: Frank Conway Jr., and Nick Mosby

Frank Conway Jr., a, a member of the Conway political dynasty of West Baltimore, was an early proponent of equipping Baltimore police officers with body cameras. Nick Mosby, demonstrated leadership (he sponsored the “ban the box” legislation, which prohibits certain employers from asking job applicants about their criminal past before making a conditional job offer) and guts (interjecting himself directly at the epicenter of the uprising of 2015 as a moderating force, at the height of the unrest), as a member of the Baltimore City Council representing District Seven. Mosby was appointed to his current seat in the House representing the 40th District in 2017 and the AFRO believes he’ll continue to provide the same work ethic exhibited as a member of the City Council for his constituents in the 40th.

41st District: Bilal Ali, Angela Gibson, Samuel “Sandy” Rosenberg The AFRO endorses the three incumbents currently representing the 41st. Bilal Ali is a longtime business owner, community advocate and leader in Baltimore’s Muslim community. Angela Gibson is the 41st District chair of the Baltimore City Central Committee and worked in the Baltimore Mayor’s Office for 30 years. Both Ali and Gibson were appointed to their House seats in Feb. 2017. Samuel “Sandy” Rosenberg is the longest continuously serving member of the House from the Baltimore City Delegation (since 1983). He was the primary sponsor, or co-sponsor of 174 bills during the 2018 legislative session.

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Maryland House of Delegates Continued from Page 11

43rd District: Maggie McIntosh

Maggie McIntosh, one of the most influential members of the House, is chair of the powerful Appropriations Committee. A member of the House since 1992, McIntosh has been a part of Baltimore’s Democratic political arena for decades (she was an elected delegate to the Democratic Party National Convention in 1980 and campaign manager and state director for the legendary Sen. Barbara Mikulski, 1988-92). She is the most reliable political partner on the House side for Sen. Joan Carter Conway, forming one of the most effective legislative tandems in the state.

45th District: Talmadge Branch, Cheryl Glenn

The AFRO endorses Talmadge Branch and Cheryl Glenn, two veteran legislators for the 45th District. Branch has been a member of the House since 1995 and has been the majority whip since 2007. He began his political career as a special assistant (1984-1987) to the iconic Rep. Parren J. Mitchell, the first Black Congressman in Maryland’s history.

Glenn has been a member of the House since 2007 and was chair of the Legislative Black Caucus, 2016-2018.

She worked for many years for Baltimore City Public Schools, as a personnel officer, 1974-1988, and a field rep-

For Prince George’s County Executive: Paul Monteiro The county executive is the chief operating officer of the Prince George’s County government and the voters should not choose an inexperienced person for that position. On the other, it should not go to political hacks and professional politicians who see things in a strictly political lens and not in ways to help the county and its residents prosper.

The AFRO did not hear from several County Executive Candidates by press time and so the endorsement was made based off of those candidates who did reply to the publication’s request. That is why the AFRO supports Paul Monteiro. Monteiro is a product of the Prince George’s County public school system and successfully managed AmeriCorps, the federal government’s volunteer service organization. He works as the chief of staff for the president of Howard University and is therefore familiar with dealing with the issues that are inherent in managing large institutions.. That said, the AFRO has also been impressed with Angela Alsobrooks and her work as State’s Attorney for the county, and her campaign ideas in terms of jobs and economic development, education, and transportation.

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Letter from the Publisher

T

he AFRO’s Washington D.C. office sent surveys to many of the candidates and, with the aid of a community editorial board, interviewed candidates running in Washington, D.C., Prince George’s County and other districts in Maryland.

After conducting interviews, holding meetings and careful consideration through the beginning of June, the AFRO Washington, D.C. editorial board has decided to endorse the below candidates for elected office. These endorsements represent the view of the paper and not the individual thoughts or viewpoints of any particular person represented on the board.

The AFRO editorial board is impressed with the candidates running for office in 2018. Voting is critical and African Americans, and others, died for that right.

The Washington Metropolitan area is seeing a great deal of intelligent, involved, impressive candidates of color running for office. The AFRO asks, taking these endorsements into consideration, that readers vote in the District’s June 19 primaries and June 26 in Maryland. Early voting is also available in both D.C. and Maryland. Early voting began in the District on June 4 and will begin in Maryland on June 14.

Frances M. Draper, AFRO CEO and Publisher

D.C. Editorial Board Edgar Brookins, AFRO Washington, D.C. General Manager- In addition to his duties as the General Manager of the AFRO Washington, D.C. office he is also the D.C. Circulation Manager. He is responsible for the day-to-day operations that includes maintaining strong relationships with the local community on all levels; business, church, political, government and educational.

Micha Green, AFRO Washington, D.C. Editor- A graduate of District of Columbia Public Schools (Duke Ellington School of the Arts), Green is excited to be serving her community and people as AFRO Washington, D.C. Editor since February of this year.

Hamil Harris, AFRO reporter- Harris has returned to the AFRO after more than 20 years at the Washington Post where he chronicled the District government, the Million Man March, the Clinton White House, the Sept. 11 attack, the Sniper Attacks, Hurricane Katrina, the campaign of President Barack Obama among other things.

Raynard Jackson, Political Strategist, ColumnistJackson is a Republican political strategist and communications expert. The Multicultural Media Correspondents Association recognized Jackson at the National Press Club in May for his dedication to journalism.

Pamela Jenkins, Realtor, Community Activist- Pamela D. Jenkins, a top-producing realtor, is a native Washingtonian with a passion for making a difference.

James Wright, AFRO reporter- Wright has covered Capitol Hill, national, District of Columbia and Prince George’s County politics in addition to reporting from foreign countries for the AFRO. Wright started with the AFRO in October 1991 and has been with the newspaper except for stints with the Washington Post and the Washington Informer.

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For Mayor of Washington, D.C.: Muriel Bowser While The AFRO editorial board did not receive surveys or conduct interviews from each mayoral candidate by press time, through meetings and research, the board concluded that the incumbent, Muriel Bowser, was the best candidate presented in the June Primary. Since taking office, Bowser herself has remained virtually scandal free despite issues in her administration. Also, the mayor’s approach to policing, particularly implementing the largest body worn camera program in the country and the requiring of bias training for officers, directly reflects some of the values championed by the AFRO in terms of criminal justice reform.

For Delegate to the U.S. Congress: Eleanor Holmes Norton Continuing her longtime legacy of success in Congress, particularly with her vested interest in statehood and furthering the education of District residents, such as with programs like DC TAG, the AFRO believes Eleanor Holmes Norton is suited to remain in her position as D.C.’s Representative in Congress. That said, the AFRO editorial board was thoroughly impressed with newcomer, Kim Ford, who worked in the Obama administration and as Dean of University of the District of Columbia Community College, and her positions on improving the City utilizing tools that were effective in states and other jurisdictions and bringing it to D.C. The AFRO editorial board foresees a long future in politics for Ford and hopes she remains in active in the District’s political scene.

For D.C. Council Ward 1: Sheika Reid No one questions the effective of D.C. Council member Brianne Nadeau on the issues that she sees as being important. Dog parks, bike lanes and amenities that are suitable to newcomers to her ward seem to be priorities for her but we respectfully contend that there are other issues integral to Ward 1 and the District that Nadeau does not necessarily empathize with or prioritize. The AFRO endorses Sheika Reid as the best candidate for African Americans in Ward 1 because she has the institutional history, passion and activism in areas such as confronting the high cost of traffic tickets that better represent the overall needs of all Ward 1 residents.

For D.C. Council Ward 5: Kenyan McDuffie D.C. Council member Kenyan McDuffie has earned another four-year term. He has authored landmark legislation such as the NEAR Act, which has changed the way law enforcement deals with those in the criminal justice system and has been an advocate for responsible economic development in his ward. In addition, there is no hint of scandal with McDuffie and that is definitely a plus in an era of “pay-to-play” perception at the John A. Wilson Building.

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For D.C. Council At Large: Marcus Goodwin The Democratic at-large council member must be versatile enough to address the issues that confront all residents of the city. While D.C. Council member Anita Bonds has performed when it comes to fighting for senior citizens and addressing the issue of affordable housing, sometimes a more passionate voice is needed. Marcus Goodwin, a native Washingtonian, real estate professional who has strong ties to developers but well understands the needs for affordable housing not just for seniors, but for everyone should be the next Democratic council member at-large. Goodwin can deal intelligently and strategically with the well-moneyed developers and yet work well with affordable housing advocates and those who need jobs in the District.

Vote in the Tuesday, June 19, 2018 Primary Election Polls will be open from 7 am to 8 pm.

During the Primary, only Democratic, Republican, DC Statehood Green, and Libertarian voters may vote on the candidates. However, every registered voter, including unaffiliated and minor party affiliated voters, may vote on the Initiative Measure that will appear on the ballot.

Contests on the Ballot: Delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives Mayor of the District of Columbia Chairman of the Council At-large Member of the Council Ward Member of the Council for Wards 1, 3, 5 and 6 Attorney General of the District of Columbia United States Senator United States Representative National and Local Party Committee Members Initiative Measure No. 77, the “District of Columbia Minimum Wage Amendment Act of 2017”* * All voters, regardless of party affiliation status, will be asked to vote “YES” to approve or “NO” to reject the Initiative Measure in the Primary. For the complete text of the Initiative Measure, please visit our website at www.dcboe.org.

Want to Vote Early?

Early Voting will start at One Judiciary Square on June 4, and at ward-based Early Voting Centers on June 8. Early Voting Centers are open daily (including weekends) through June 15, 2018 from 8:30 am until 7 pm.

Early Voting Centers: Monday, June 4 — Friday, June 15 (Paper & Touchscreen Ballots) • Ward 2: One Judiciary Square, 441 4th Street NW

You Can Make A Difference.

Friday, June 8 — Friday, June 15 (Touchscreen Ballots only) • Ward 1: Columbia Heights Community Center, 1480 Girard Street NW • Ward 3: Chevy Chase Community Center, 5601 Connecticut Avenue NW • Ward 4: Takoma Community Center, 300 Van Buren Street NW • Ward 5: Turkey Thicket Recreation Center, 1100 Michigan Avenue NE • Ward 6: Sherwood Recreation Center, 640 10th Street NE • Ward 6: King Greenleaf Recreation Center, 201 N Street SW • Ward 7: Deanwood Recreation Center, 1350 49th Street NE • Ward 8: Malcolm X Opportunity Center, 1351 Alabama Avenue SE Need More Information?

For more information on the upcoming election, on voter registration, to confirm your registration information, or to find your polling place, please visit www.dcboe.org or call (202) 727-2525.

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