PG County 2-16-2018 by AFRO News

November 11, 2017 - November 11, 2017, The Afro-American A1 PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY EDITION

Volume 127 No. 28

FEBRUARY 17, 2018 - FEBRUARY 23, 2018

Inside

Prince George’s

P.G. County Police on High Alert

B1 Stunt Woman Turned Actress Makes Feature Film Debut

Baltimore

She’ll Be Back

Rick Bowmer/AP

Health Care Is on the Ballot

Maame Biney, who was the first Black woman to make the U.S. Olympic speedskating team, became America’s sweetheart with her infectious smile. While the 18-year-old originally from Ghana who now lives in the Washington, D.C. area did not win her signature event, the 500-meter race, she vowed that she would return to next Winter Olympics. “I just have to wait four more years to be able to get back to this big stage, so I can’t wait until those four years,” she told reporters.

CBC Blasts 2019 Budget

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By James Wright Special to the AFRO jwright@afro.com President Trump sent a $4.4 trillion 2019 budget to the U.S. Congress for ratification on Feb. 12 and the membership of the Congressional Black Caucus rejected it outright. Highlights of the Trump budget include extensive cuts to domestic programs and entitlements and large increases in the military. U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), the top CBC member who sits on the House Budget Committee, dismissed the president’s proposal. “After giving massive tax cuts to billionaires, President Trump’s disgraceful slashes to Medicaid, Medicare, nutrition assistance, heating assistance and attempts to yet again

repeal the Affordable Care Act,” Lee said. “This Robin Hood-in-reverse agenda is the last thing American families need.” As required by law, the president creates and sends a budget to the U.S. Congress for consideration. However, as has been the case for decades, the president’s budget has been “dead on arrival” when it reaches the U.S. House of Representatives, which is the body that first considers government revenue spending as mandated by the U.S. Constitution. Still, the president’s budget is a reflection of what the administration’s priorities are and in some cases can be used as a public relations tool. Trump’s budget would fund his border wall, give money to fight the opioid crisis and privatize such entities as Dulles International Airport and Washington

Reagan National Airport. Trump, who campaigned in 2016 on a promise for $1.5 trillion in infrastructure upgrades, actually set forth $200 billion for that and much of the money is contingent on private investors and states putting forth money. That was no good for Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), who tweeted “45 releases FAKE infrastructure plan today.” “No money left to repair crumbling bridges/roads/tunnels after #GOPTaxScam,” he tweeted. “America deserves a #ABetter Deal.” Rep. Marc Veasey (D-Texas) said that Trump’s infrastructure proposal is inadequate to meet the nation’s needs. “It’s no secret that fixing our nation’s crumbling roads, bridges, and railroads Continued on A3

Celebrating 20 Years of Rambling Rose

Courtesy photo

Rep. Barbara Lee, the senior CBC member on the House Budget Committee, dismissed the president’s proposed budget.

Remembering the Instrumental $2.2M Black Cultural Center Black Women Who Served in WWII Planned for University of Oregon European Theater of Operations (ETO) of World War II. Organized to tackle the problem, the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, an all-Black, all female military unit was formed, but not without conflict. Also nicknamed, “The SixTriple Eight,” the unit’s determination to overcome

By Ajoya Long Special to the AFRO Years’ worth of backlog mail was stacked from floor to ceiling in warehouses throughout Birmingham, England in February 1945. The letters and packages were sent from loved ones to soldiers in the

Continued on A6

AFRO Names New Publisher, Board By AFRO Staff The AFRO-American Newspapers on Monday named a new publisher and a new board of officers. Frances Murphy Draper, who served as president of the family-owned company from 1987-1999, will be chairman of the board and publisher. John “Jake” Oliver, who became chairman and publisher in 1986, was named publisher emeritus. Continued on A6

By J. K. Schmid Special to the AFRO

The University of Oregon (UO) recently announced plans to begin building a $2.2 million Black Cultural Center. The 3,500-square foot facility’s construction is expected to begin this summer and completion is planned so that it will open for the 2019-2020 school year.

“I think that the tangibles will really bring it home,” Dr. R. Kevin Marbury, University of Oregon’s Vice President of Student Life, told the AFRO. ”The first time that we’re able to produce a document with the elevation, what the thing could look like, it takes it away from being a concept to being reality. Putting shovels in the ground in the summer, I think that we have some things in play

Continued on A3

AFRO Special 3 Part Black History Month Series

Remembering the 1968 Memphis Sanitation Workers Strike Part 3

The Death of King The Struggles SanitationWorkers Still Face AFRO file photo

Frances Murphy Draper, a direct descendant of the AFRO’s founder, John H. Murphy, was named the new chairman of the board and publisher of the AFROAmerican Newspaper. Benjamin Murphy Phillips (right), IV, was elected president.

By Toni Marshall Special to the AFRO The month of March was met with the heaviest activities from protesters and supporters of the 1968 Memphis

Black Sanitation Workers Strike. Protesters staged sit-ins at City Hall, set fires to trash and boycotted stores, while their heavy downtown presence intimidated Whites from patronizing Continued on A3

The Afro-American, February 17, 2018 - February 23, 2018

NATION & WORLD

Omorosa Spills More White House Secrets

Gates Hounded by Trump’s Erratic Behavior

CBS’ “Celebrity Big Brother” is turning out to be a great source for secret political intelligence, as reality star, former presidential aide, and ex-Trump booster, Omorosa Manigault, continues to air dirty laundry about the current administration, after her forcible exit from the White House grounds last December. According to The Washington Post, Manigault warned her fellow Big Brother cast members on the Monday, Feb. 11 episode about Vice President Mike Pence. “As bad as y’all think Trump is, you would be (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) worried about Pence,” Manigault said. Former Presidential Aide Manigault’s forewarning about Pence, comes Omorosa Manigault continues days after her declaration on Big Brother that she to make news now that she has would never “in a million years” vote for Trump, left the White House. after having worked for the businessman and former reality star. Despite her disdain for her former boss, Manigault said that people would begin to have Trump-era nostalgia if Pence became president. “So everybody that’s wishing for impeachment might want to reconsider their lives. We would be begging for days of Trump back if Pence became president.” Beyond her reality fame, Manigault is also an ordained minister. Yet, while she proudly admits her Christianity, part of her concern about the vice president is his reliance on Jesus for political advising. “He’s extreme,” Maingault said. “I’m a Christian. I love Jesus. But he thinks Jesus tells him to say things. I’m like, ‘Jesus ain’t saying that.” Trapped together in a studio and isolated from access to the outside world, the celebrities in the Big Brother house, such as television personality, Ross Matthews, admitted to looking forward to the information Manigault leaks. “Every time she opens her mouth, I’m like, ‘Is she going to drop a bomb’,” Matthews said. Presumed as a ploy to remain in the Big Brother house, Manigault did not hesitate to spill more White House tea to her cast mates during their political discussion of issues such as immigration and the Obama-era program, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). “No we’re not okay,” she said. “I’ve seen the plan. The roundup plan is getting more aggressive.” Having been saved from eviction up to this point, Manigault remains a strong competitor on Celebrity Big Brother, which runs until Feb. 25. While Manigualt’s remarks may have kept her in favor at the Big Brother house thus far, the White House was dismissive of her recent comments. During a press briefing last week, White House press secretary Raj Shah said, “Omorosa was fired three times on ‘The Your History • Your Community • Your News Apprentice,’ and this was The Afro-American Newspapers the fourth time we let her Baltimore Office • Corporate Headquarters go.” 1531 S. Edgewood Street

Bill and Melinda Gates, two of the most powerful philanthropists on the planet, say they endure a constant barrage of negative questions and comments, as they travel the world, about the disturbing antics of President Donald Trump and his administration. On Feb. 13, the New York Times reported that the Gates’, in their annual update on the work of the Gates Foundation, said the already hefty list of scandals, outrageous comments and incompetence, which seems (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) to grow on a daily basis, Philanthropists Bill and Melinda Gates say the emanating from the Trump outrageous nature of the Trump administration make White House is affecting their work more difficult. their efforts around the globe negatively. Specifically, the Gates said Trump’s comments referring to African nations as “sh*thole countries” have been of great concern among many people outside of the United States. “Those disparaging comments don’t belong in any public discourse,” said Melinda Gates during a recent joint interview with her husband. “That’s not how we teach our kids to speak. So, it’s discouraging to hear that kind of talk,” she added. Trump has roiled so many globally, his offenses earned a special section in the Gates’ 10th annual report published February 13. “I wish our president would treat people, and especially women, with more respect when he speaks and tweets,” wrote Melinda Gates. Bill Gates said he was worried about Trump’s pledge to significantly slash foreign aid, which he says is critical to the Gates Foundation’s global efforts to combat disease and poverty. Bill Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft, a pioneer in the tech industry and one of the wealthiest men in the world, added he and his wife have increased meetings with Republicans in Congress to emphasize the importance of U.S. foreign aid. “Although we disagree with this administration more than the others we’ve met with, we believe it’s still important to work together whenever possible,” he stated in the annual report. “We keep talking to them because if the U.S. cuts back on its investments abroad, people in other countries will die, and Americans will be worse off.” The Gates Foundation, believed to be the largest philanthropic organization in the world, has given away $41 billion since its inception in 2000 to 2016.

By Micha Green Washington, D.C. AFRO Editor mgreen@afro.com

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The Afro-American, February 17, 2018 - February 17, 2018

February 17, 2018 - February 23, 2018, The Afro-American

CBC Blasts Continued from A1 remain a priority for both sides of the aisle,” Veasey said. “Where Democrats and Republicans differ is in our approach to spur job growth and our commitment to ensuring the economic benefits from any plan reach the middle class first. President Trump’s mediocre $200 billion proposal leaves states, cities, and local governments to foot the bill and puts additional pressure on their budgets that are already stretched too thin.” We need an infrastructure plan that makes daily life easier for America’s hard-working families, not one that makes your family foot the bill with more taxes and tolls” The Texas congressman said. Rep. Terri Sewell (D-Ala.) criticized Trump for targeting programs that help the most financially-vulnerable citizens. Alabama has the sixth highest percentage of Blacks in the country with 26.2 percent of the population.

University of Oregon Continued from A1 that will really push this thing forward.” The university has raised $1.6 million at press time. 120 donors have made 144 donations, with the largest single donation coming from alumnus David Petrone. The facility was conceptualized when it became a component of 13 demands made of the UO administration in 2015. UO’s Black Student Task Force, comprised of elements from the Black Student Union, Black Law Student Association, Black Women of Achievement and Black Male Alliance, presented the demands in November 2015. Included in the demands, were the renaming of two halls; one honoring a Grand Cyclops of the Ku Klux Klan and a second honoring the first President of the Board of Regents that had at times advocated for Oregon’s admission into the Union as a slave state and other times for the forbiddance of all Blacks from entering Oregon’s borders. Dunn Hall, named for the Klansman Frederic Dunn, was renamed Unthank Hall in Summer 2017. Deady Hall remains named for White supremacist Matthew Deady. Deady, a native of Easton, Maryland, was Oregon’s first federal judge and a framer of Oregon’s constitution before becoming President of the Board of Regents. “The president empanelled a group of historians that went through the record and looked at his actions and took public comment and there were a lot of really thoughtful discussions around it,” Tobin Klinger, UO’s senior director of Public Affairs

“As healthcare costs, food costs and education costs rise, President Trump’s budget hits working families where it hurts the most by cutting the basics, including food assistance and child care, repealing the Affordable Care Act, slashing funding for student aid and a host of programs that specifically help communities of need,” Sewell said. She said Alabama’s 850,000 residents rely on SNAP (food stamps) to put food on the table and was cut by over $200 billion, and Trump cut Medicare (health care for seniors) by $230 billion when “many hospitals in our state are struggling to stay open.” “Make no mistake, if the budget becomes law, more Alabamians will go homeless, more children will go hungry and more families will go uninsured,” Sewell said. D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D) noted that Trump’s budget ignores the DC TAG (District of Columbia

Communications, told the AFRO. “At the end of the day, he sat down and with the Black Student Task Force and said ‘look, I’ve looked at this, I understand why you’ve brought it to the forefront, but we don’t necessarily gain anything by simply taking that name off. And here’s some of the information that I’ve gathered.’” The university had previously cited Deady’s strict constitutionalism, particularly his embrace of the Fourteenth and Fifteenth amendments, as evidence of a possibly softening of his outlook towards Blacks. Neither the university officials or student activists the AFRO spoke with considered each and every demand met. But the administration is embracing the opportunity for dialogue. “We’re about half way, maybe a little bit more through those demands,” Marbury said. “Which is pretty impressive when you think some about the amount of time and about the things that we’ve been trying to accomplish. There’s an effort, a concerted effort, to move through making this place an inclusive and safe, and some place that people will feel good about being, and will feel good about coming in the future.” But one unmet demand may the most critical in creating a lasting change. “We need movement on the Black Studies Program,” the task force wrote in an email to the AFRO. “It needs to move forward, per our vision, as an independent program. While we are buoyed by the commitment of Dean Marcus and leadership of President Schill, we are disappointed in certain campus leadership/ professors rancorous strategies to subvert our vision and hope for an independent Black

Tuition Assistance Grant) program that helps the District of Columbia’s college bound and enrolled residents receive money to pay in-state tuition at higher education institutions not in the District. “I want to assure D.C. parents and students, thousands of whom are away at college now, that I do not believe they are in danger of losing their tag funds,” the delegate said. “DC TAG has been funded every year by Republican and Democratic Congresses alike and unlike Trump this year, Republican presidents as well, since its creation. This draconian and backwards budget shows how out of touch this administration is with reality.” A spokeswoman for the CBC told the AFRO that Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-La.) isn’t likely to respond to the president’s budget and that the CBC and its staff are working on its annual budget proposal.

Courtesy photo

Members of the University of Oregon Black Student Task Force (pictured) were advocates of the planned Black Cultural Center. Studies program. Black faculty have been hired as a part of the Black Studies cluster, with the assurance of developing and building an independent Black Studies Program. Though they are immensely qualified, these faculty lack firm support and are consequently walled off from leading the development/ implementation efforts of an independent Black Studies Program, which is the chief duty of the job they were recruited and hired

for.” While the administration frames the current argument as stemming from University of Missouri protests in 2015, the task force sees unmet commitments from a confrontation in 1968. The Demands of 1968 called for the creation of a Black Studies program 50 years ago and secured a $3 million endowment at that time

Sanitation Strike Continued from A1 businesses. Strikers chanted dirges in mock funeral processions to symbolize the death of liberty. Meanwhile, Memphis Mayor Henry Loeb remained defiant, budging little if any at meetings with workers’ representatives, visits from NAACP leaders and strikes led by those like the Southern Christian Leadership Conference’s Ralph Abernathy. Protesters and the nation waited for another appearance by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who already had joined marchers on March 18. King’s arrival 10 days later was impactful, but not in the way he planned. Strikers often met at Clayborn Temple, an African Methodist Episcopal Church, to rally and to pace forward to City Hall or the courthouse. The church had a White minister, Malcolm Blackburn, who also was a printer. It was in the church’s basement that he allowed strikers to print “I AM A MAN” posters, inspired by local activist Rev. James Lawson’s words to

sanitation workers: “For at the heart of racism is the idea that a man is not a man, that a person is not a person. You

City Hall, someone broke windows along the route. Police went on a beating frenzy, hitting protesters and

Ueal, Elmore Nickleberry and James Winton, King’s reappearance at the Mason Temple on April 3, summed

AFSCME

The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his prophetic “I’ve been to the mountaintop” speech at Mason Temple in Memphis the day before he was killed.

are human beings. You are men. You deserve dignity.” But on March 28, as King led protesters from Clayborn Temple toward

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spraying mace and teargas. They arrested nearly 300 of the demonstrators and injured scores of others. They shot and killed 16-year-old Larry Payne, not yet a man. The teen’s death gave more momentum to the movement. In the final segment of the three-part series, the AFRO revisits the last few weeks of the march, King’s impact and the struggles the sanitation workers still face today, despite their feats from 50 years ago. For workers like the Rev. Cleophus Smith, Ozell

up his decades-long fight as parity’s conductor and signaled more self reliance for those who looked to him to balance the scales for Blacks. Ueal, Smith and Winton actually were at the Mason Temple when King delivered his prophetic speech, which underscored the country’s incremental moves toward justice, yet dismissed despair. His “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” speech was painstakingly hopeful and would be revered as one of the greatest speeches of all time.

“It was something else. The Mason Temple was full of people, White and Black, but mostly Blacks,” said Winton. Smith said it was like being on “Cloud 19.” “When he spoke the last words: He may not get to the promised land with us, but we would get to the promised land...It was like the whole place stood up and shouted.” The next day, April 4, 1968, James Earl Ray, from 200 feet away, took aim, pulled the trigger and shot King as he stood on the second story balcony of Memphis’ Lorraine Motel. King was pronounced dead at a Memphis hospital. Winton recalled the guilt he felt: “He was trying to help us and got killed,” he said. The death of King didn’t stop the movement. The message soon flashed from the top to resolve the protest, as cities across the country erupted in violence. President Lyndon Johnson sent the Undersecretary of Labor, James Reynolds, to mediate and settle the strike. On April 8, King’s widow, Coretta Scott King, and other national and local leaders, led a peaceful protest in downtown Memphis, symbolic of the slain leader’s nonviolent message and to memorialize his mission. Two days later, Reynolds, the city and the union came to an agreement. The strike ended on April 16 with an agreement reached between the parties.

The American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) announced the end of the strike on April 16, as an agreement was met between all parties, according to the union’s published reports. Some of the workers initially received a raise of 10 cents per hour, and gained another five cents more, later. Blacks were afforded more chances to get supervisory jobs and better safety conditions were instituted. Fifty years later the movement has raised salaries and conditions for workers, but employees still struggle, and the younger ones lack direction, a few of the surviving ’68 strikers agreed. Nickleberry and Rev. Smith are still public works employees. “They need to step up to the plate,” said Smith, referring to some of the younger employees. Smith explained that there are a number of temporary workers who seek full-time employment in a department that has a little less than half the sanitation workers it had in 1968-- and the city has grown. “We try to keep these people encouraged...They are just throwing in the towel, so to speak, because they are being ambushed,” he added. “I’m still working, but I’m working for a cause. I tell the young people that’s out there to take the torch and run. Don’t stand still.”

The Afro-American, February 17, 2018 - February 23, 2018

Trailblazing New Jersey Man was One of America’s First Black Marines By Lenore T. Adkins Special to the AFRO Hugh Victor Browne II of New Jersey was excited to sign up for the U.S. Marines in 1943 because that distinguished him from his four older brothers who served in the U.S. Army, according to his daughter, Lovie Browne Tarver. Two years earlier, President Franklin D. Roosevelt had signed an executive order that ended racial discrimination in the national defense industry, which in turn allowed the Marines to recruit Black soldiers. But Tarver, of Bowie, Md., remembers in later years that her father talked about how angry he was when he found out he wasn’t going to boot camp at Camp Lejeune, one of several training grounds for white Marine recruits. Browne, like all of the other Black Marine recruits, was sent instead to Camp Montford Point, a training facility in Jacksonville, N.C., near Camp Lejeune. “He felt as if he had been tricked and he didn’t like that,” Tarver said. While Browne considered the conditions at Montford Point to be subpar, Tarver said her father, “made the best of a bad situation.” Despite facing racism at home and abroad, Montford Pointers made history with their service. About 13,000 of the Black marines from Montford Point went abroad during World War II, with nearly 2,000 of them helping Allied forces take Okinawa, in the largest amphibious landing in the Pacific theater of the war. The U.S. Armed Forces were racially segregated back then, and wouldn’t start integrating until after President Harry S. Truman signed an executive order forcing them to do so in 1948. Nearly 20,000 Black men enlisted in the Marines during World War II, and Montford Point trained America’s first Black Marines from 1942 through 1949. Jacksonville, N.C., followed Jim Crow laws that made it illegal for them to patronize “White’s only” establishments. Browne also made the trip to Montford Point in a “Colored” train car and packed plenty of food for the journey because he wasn’t allowed to eat in the dining car. At Montford Point, the men were housed

Courtesy Photo

Hugh Victor Browne II surrounded by his children. in corrugated metal huts with no running water and walked “half a block” to go to the bathroom, according to an article written about Browne on nj.com. Alligators, snakes, mosquitoes and muskrats roamed the grounds as well, the article said. On the few occasions her father ventured into town, he’d go with other Black Marines, take care of his business, and immediately head back to base. “If you’re looking at White women in the town, that’s going to be a problem for a Black man, so they rarely went into town and if they did, they went in groups,” Tarver said. Once they graduated from boot camp, racism often relegated Montford Pointers to support roles during the war that typically meant packing and unloading ships or

delivering ammunition to front-line troops, and only took arms when they were ordered to, historians say. Browne, for example, joined thinking he’d get to fight. He was instead sent to clean up the aftermath of Pearl Harbor in Hawaii for eight months, an experience he found disappointing. “They thought they had signed up for something much different than that, something much more noble, something more rewarding,” Tarver said. “You think you’re signing up to defend your country and you see no action … I don’t think that sat very well with him.” The New Jersey man had come from a long line of military men. His great grandfather Michael Brown, a slave and master blacksmith, shoed horses for the Confederate Army during the Civil War,

Tarver said. Browne’s father, Sylvanus Brown, served two tours in the U.S. Army, first as a Buffalo Soldier keeping peace between Native Americans and White settlers, and then as support personnel in France during World War I. His older brother, Moses Douglas Browne, saw action in Italy with the U.S. Army’s 92nd Infantry Division in World War II. And his famous brother, Emmy-award winning actor, Roscoe Lee Browne, served in the Army during World War II as well. Hugh Browne wished his experience had been more fulfilling, his daughter said. After Pearl Harbor, Hugh Browne served three years as a Marine payroll manager, a job that made him much happier, his daughter said. “He thought that that was a position of power, a position of prestige because he was responsible for making sure everybody got paid,” Tarver said. “Everybody had to come to him for their pay, so I think he liked that.” After discharging from the Marines, Browne studied pre-law at Lincoln University, where he met and later married Tarver’s mother, Erma E. Browne. He became an entrepreneur, opening a deli and three dry cleaning shops in New Jersey. Nearly 70 years after he set foot on Montford Point, Browne and hundreds of his fellow Montford Pointers received the Congressional Gold Medal in 2012 in recognition for their service. It’s the highest civilian honor the U.S. Congress gives. “He was elated that finally someone had recognized them for their service and for all that they persevered through and they endured,” Tarver remembered. “He kept kissing the medal and he kept holding it.” Browne died at the age of 90, three years after he got the gold medal, but his legacy lives on in his family. Tarver said. “The thing that he instilled in us is pride,” Tarver told the AFRO. “Pride in serving and … that’s something that I think my grandfather and my great grandfather they’ve all instilled through the generations in our family is to take pride in the opportunity to serve in whatever capacity that is, whether its military service or you’re just serving in your church or in your community. I mean, they did all of that.”

February 17, 2018 - February 23, 2018, The Afro-American

COMMENTARY

Health Care Is on the Ballot

The American people justifiably look to the President and their elected representatives in Washington to do everything within their power to protect them – to defend our nation, maintain safety in our workplaces and communities, and assure that every one of us can afford the high quality health care that every human being deserves. This is why (although too many of my Republican colleagues in Washington seem to have missed the memo) we all must come to terms with an essential truth about Election Day 2018. The health of our families will be on the ballot this year. Recent public opinion polling confirms that health care remains a top priority for most voters. The poll found that 54 percent of those surveyed view health care as one of the two issues that will be most important to their decision on Election Day (compared to the economy and taxes at 28-29 percent). Congressional Republicans who have repeatedly attacked (but failed to kill) the Affordable Care Act’s protections are politically vulnerable as a result. More than twothirds of the voters polled (68 percent) indicated that President Trump and congressional Republicans should abandon their efforts to repeal the ACA and “start working across party lines on common sense solutions that build upon the current law.” My Republican colleagues should also take note of this political reality. The fate of the ACA is not the only health care priority at the forefront of people’s minds. The American people are demanding that we in Washington take action this year to make the prescription drugs upon which we depend more affordable. Over the past decade, the prices of 90 percent of brand name drugs have doubled; and prescription drug spending reached $348 billion last year – a staggering cost with real-life consequences for the American people. A 2014 Commonwealth Fund survey found that nearly 20 percent of Americans reported not filling prescriptions because they could not afford them – a harsh and unacceptable reality. These hardships and dangers are even more appalling when practical solutions have already been proposed. For example, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and I introduced proposed legislation in March of last year that would allow the importation of safe, lowercost prescription medication from licensed Canadian pharmacies [S. 469 / H.R. 1245]. Our Affordable and Safe Prescription Drug Importation Act would require that imported medicines have the same active ingredients and strength as their U.S.-approved counterparts. Our bill also mandates safeguards that include FDA certification of foreign sellers. The President and congressional Republicans have acknowledged that prescription drug prices are excessive, but they have failed to take corrective action. Between now and next November, they owe the American people an explanation for this failure. Excessively high prescription drug prices continue to be a significant drain on our federal budget, especially within Medicare. Yet, the Congress has the power to mitigate those costs. Since 2006, government programs have paid for approximately 40 percent of retail prescription drug expenditures – and, largely as a result of skyrocketing drug prices, total spending on Medicare Part D is projected to increase from $103 billion in 2016 to $216 billion in 2025. Why does Medicare pay far more for prescription drugs than do other federal and state programs? Under current law, the Secretary of HHS is prohibited from negotiating lower drug prices on behalf of Medicare Part D beneficiaries. As a result, Medicare Part D pays, on average, 73 percent more than does Medicaid for the same brand name drugs and 80 percent more than does our VA. In dollar terms, the cost of this congressionally created legislative prohibition is staggering. The federal government (and American taxpayers) could save between $15 billion and $16

Elijah Cummings

billion each year if Medicare paid the same prices for prescriptions as do Medicaid or our VA. It hardly is surprising, therefore that (according to a Kaiser Family Foundation poll) 82 percent of Americans—including 93 percent of Democrats and 68 percent Republicans—want Medicare to directly negotiate lower drug prices. Congressman Peter Welch (D-VT) and I had met with President Trump on this issue early last year, and we subsequently sent him repeated reminders of the compelling need to take immediate action. Then, in October, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Congressman Welch and I introduced legislation that would require these cost-saving negotiations [The Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Act, S. 2011 / H.R. 4138] Nevertheless, the American people have yet to see any action by the White House or Congress, despite the fact that President Trump has publicly supported negotiating lower drug prices (as recently as in his State of the Union Address). Meanwhile, we continue to pay far more than we should, placing further pressure on the long-term viability of Medicare. Improving the ACA, making prescription drugs more affordable, and sustaining Medicare are urgent, real-life concerns for every American, challenges that are at the center of our lives. If the President and my Republican colleagues do not change course and address these challenges, the American people will elect Representatives who will take action on Election Day 2018. Congressman Elijah Cummings represents the 7th Congressional District of Maryland in the United States House of Representatives.

Giving Thanks for Black History Month The following are remarks Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-D) delivered at the 37th annual Black History Month breakfast at Camelot by Martin’s in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. They have been lightly edited and condensed for space. This year, our theme is courage and the remembrance of African Americans from Maryland and across the country who served valiantly in the First World War. Their story of determined service and heroism is all the more remarkable because these soldiers fought on two fronts: against the enemy on the bloody battlefields of France and against discrimination right here at home. In a segregated military, African-American soldiers at first were denied the chance to fight and instead given the hard work of unloading and transporting supplies. Later, as the war dragged on, the French military asked for help, and General Pershing allowed two divisions of black troops to see combat, but under foreign command. These divisions, the 92nd and 93rd – which included the famous ‘Harlem

Steny H. Hoyer

Hell-Fighters’ – fought bravely at the pivotal battles of Champagne-Marne and Meuse-Argonne in 1918, which secured the Allied victory a century ago. Prince George’s County sent 450 African-American soldiers to fight in that war, whom we remember today. These courageous soldiers should have returned home to a hero’s welcome. Instead, they returned to segregation, Jim Crow laws, bigotry, exclusion, and denial of rights and opportunities. They returned to the race riots of the ‘Red Summer’ of 1919, lynchings, and acts of racist violence committed against Black soldiers still wearing the uniform of our nation. But over the years that followed their homecoming, many of the World War One veterans brought that same fierce courage they displaced in France to the battle at home: the battle for civil rights and for respect. The ‘Harlem Hell-Fighters’ gave way to the Harlem Renaissance. In the 1920’s and 30’s, Black veterans marched at the forefront of movements for AfricanAmerican pride and dignity, for the expansion of

educational and career opportunities, and for unity in the face of injustice. “In 2018, we are also marking seventy years since the desegregation of our military as well as fifty years since the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Neither military integration in 1948 nor the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950’s and 60’s that Dr. King led would have been possible without the courage and contributions of the African Americans who served in World War One and the courage they showed both abroad and back in their communities. Courage. Courage to risk one’s life for the freedom of others. Courage to spend one’s life in the pursuit of freedom and democracy at home. As we celebrate Black History Month 2018, we honor them – and we thank them for all they gave. And we are inspired by them as we continue the fight for justice, equality, and opportunity today. Congressman Steny H. Hoyer represents Maryland’s 5th Congressional District.

Letter to the Editor

Oppose Inclusion of Postal Reform in Year-End Legislation As a member of the federal community who served our country for years, I am concerned with an attempt to force current U.S. Postal Service retirees onto Medicare Part B, after they previously declined this coverage. While hailed as a way to improve USPS’ finances, this is nothing more than balancing the books on the backs of seniors. Why should retirees, who spent their careers serving

this nation, be forced to pay an additional $134 per month, or more, for health coverage they previously deemed unnecessary? Mandatory Medicare Part B coverage was never part of the agreement made upon employment, and it should not be forced on any postal retiree, especially retroactively. Congress is currently attempting to fix the Postal Service’s problems by shifting costs to Medicare. I urge our legislators

to reject the current postal reform bill, H.R. 756. Retired postal workers proudly served our community and promises to them should be kept. Sincerely, Jim and Meg Bishop Gambrills, Maryland 21054

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

A6 The Afro-American, February 17, 2018 - February 23, 2018

February 17, 2018 - February 17, 2018, The Afro-American

Remembering Continued from A1 strife and complete their mission resonated with Edna Cummings, a retired Colonel of the United States Army. “It was more than just standing up to the officers and the Red Cross in Europe . . . this started back in the United States when Black women were fighting for equality,” Cummings told the AFRO, referring to the concerns that led to the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. The Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps was converted into the Women’s Army Corps (WAC) and was created by a law signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on July 1, 1943. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt along with civil rights leader and advisor to the War Department, Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune, championed for the inclusion of Black women in WAC to serve overseas. In November 1944, the War Department “acquiesced” or reluctantly agreed to enlist Black women according to the Women of the 6888th website, a subset of The Buffalo Soldier Educational and Historical Committee.

“If it hadn’t been for their contributions we wouldn’t have the success that we have not just for White women or Blacks, but for the underrepresented population in society as a whole.” – Edna Cummings The postal battalion consisted of 824 enlisted personnel and 31 officers, all Black, who were recruited from the WAC, the Army Service Forces, and the Army Air Forces. Major (later Lieutenant Colonel) Charity Adams Earley was selected to command the battalion. “They went to the recruitment station and they were barred from applying, one lady had to move to Washington just to apply so this was the beginning of a civil rights movement that people don’t talk about,” Cummings said. Cummings, also a member of the Buffalo Soldier committee in the East Coast, Washington D.C. area, explained how the military has been on the forefront of integration. “Before the formal movement of integration happened in terms of what history talks about [the] Civil Rights Movement made it a law to discriminate,” Cummings told the AFRO. “You had a whole fraction, a group of Black women, Mary McLeod Bethune,

File Name: Millie Veasey 688th

Millie Dunn Veasey, 100, served as a staff sergeant with the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, becoming a military trailblazer, educator, and Civil Rights icon. with the help of Roosevelt and his commander standing up for the rights of these women,” she said. On February 3, 1945, the postal battalion boarded the ship, the Ile de France, headed to Britain and later arrived

imagine

what tomorrow will bring.

in Glasgow, Scotland. The women travelled by train to Birmingham, England for their first assignment. “I personally feel that when they boarded those ships to Europe they parted the ocean so the rest of us could follow through,” Cummings said. Their motto of “No Mail, Low Morale” served as motivation to get the undelivered mail to their appropriate recipients. Work was constant as the unit members were organized into three separate shifts, seven days a week. Still a segregated unit, the women had to eat and sleep in different locations from the White male soldiers. The American Red Cross did not welcome the Black WACs and in turn Major Adams refused their offer of equipment for a separate recreational facility. When the back log of mail was cleared, the postal battalion sailed to France on June 9, 1945. They arrived in Le Havre and then took a train to Rouen where they encountered another back log of mail in which they cleared, too. In October 1945 the 6888th moved to Paris where their officers were quartered in the Hôtel États-Unis, and the enlisted women were quartered in the Hôtel Bohy-Lafayette. Due to the end of World War II, the battalion was reduced by nearly 300 personnel, with over 200 more women eligible for discharge in January 1946. By February 1946, the remainder of the unit returned to the United States and was disbanded at Fort Dix, New Jersey. The women were college educated and went on to pursue successful careers and remain active activists for civil rights of Blacks. “So, you have very highly skilled, highly educated population who came back and became active in the community,” Cummings said. However, upon their return, Cummings noted that the women did not receive any acknowledgement of their service. As a member of The Buffalo Soldier Educational and Historical Committee, Cummings is working to help build a monument in honor of the women who served in The Six -Triple Eight. The committee’s goal is to raise $70,000 by the end of May. Once $70,000 is raised, the process of building the monument and requesting proper paperwork from the secretary of the Army can occur. Cummings said the monument is an act of, “gratitude and appreciation for their hard work.” She believes these women have paved the way for others to partake in opportunities. “If it hadn’t been for their contributions we wouldn’t have the success that we have not just for White women or Blacks, but for the underrepresented population in society as a whole,” Cummings said. Advertiser:

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AFRO NamesAfro American Publication: Continued from A1 Insertion Date: 2/11, 2/18, & 2/25/2017 “I view the AFRO as our paper. And when I say ‘our’ I 7.28”The x 10” meanAd the Size: community’s paper. AFRO is the source for insight into what the Black community is talking about and I BHMlegacy. - Imagine want Title: to build on Mr. Oliver’s We appreciate his long service as publisher and chairman,” said Draper. If you have elected received this publication material annual Other officers or reelected at the Company’s in error, or havemeeting any questions about it please organizational Board are: Rachael Murphy Humphrey, contact theE.traffic at Weber secretary; James Wood,dept. Jr., treasurer; andShandwick Kevin E. Peck, at 212-445-8438. vice president of advertising. Benjamin Murphy Phillips, IV, was elected president, a position he previously held from 20142016.

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February 17, 2018 - February 23, 2018, The Afro-American

PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY-AREA New FBI Headquarters Will Not Be in Prince George’s County

Car Thefts and School Violence Put P.G. County Police on High Alert

By Brianna Rhodes Special to the AFRO A report released on Feb. 12 dealt a fatal blow to Prince George’s County’s hopes of getting the new FBI headquarters. A General Services Administration (GSA) and FBI report recommended that the agency’s new headquarters be constructed at its present location in Washington, D.C. The decision is a loss for Maryland since the new headquarters would’ve brought 11,000 new jobs to the state. Democrats in Maryland are disappointed at the news since members of the congressional delegation have been working for years to bring the headquarters to Prince George’s County. Prince George’s County

Prince George’s County Police Department Spokesman, Jennifer Donelan, discussing the anti-theft program addressing winter car robberies in the County. unattended even on the owner’s property. “We are urging people to please stay in their vehicles when they are warming up,” said Capt. Ken Humble of the Prince Although it’s only February, the Prince George’s County George’s County Special Investigation Division. “Even if you Police Department has seen its fair want to run outside for a short share of crime this year, including period of time, it is not worth car thefts and violence near or losing your car.” around school property. Humble said many cars have Prince County Police are been stolen by teenagers going warning motorist to refrain from to school who simply take the warming up their vehicles without vehicle, take a joy ride, and then anyone behind the wheel. Officers – State Senator Anthony Muse drop it off. He said the message say unattended vehicles are easy is simple, “Warm Up Your Car, targets for car thieves who have Stay in Your Car, Keep Your been preying on cars left running Car.” in driveways. In addition to car thefts the In January, 37 cars were stolen because drivers cranked county has witnessed a sudden increase in violence near area the vehicle and then went back inside their homes. According high schools. Last week two teenagers were charged with the to Prince George’s County police, this is one type of crime Continued on B2 that could be greatly reduced simply by not leaving a vehicle

Alsobrooks Wants to See Prince George’s County Progress By James Wright Special to the AFRO jwright@afro.com Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Angela Alsobrooks is passionate about her home county and is running for county executive to see that it is the best that it can be for all residents. “Prince George’s County is a magnificent and it is at a crossroads,” Alsobrooks told the AFRO. “I want every Prince Georgian to have a seat at the table of expanded opportunity. I also want to see our children prepared to take advantage of opportunities that are available,” Alsobrooks said. “Every child, every family and every family member should have the support and opportunity to take advantage of the American Dream.” Alsobrooks is running in the June 26 Democratic Primary against such political figures as former

By Hamil R. Harris Special to the AFRO

The Federal Bureau of Investigation will remain in Washington, D.C. after two out of the three bids for the headquarters location were in Prince George’s County.

Executive, Rushern L. Baker III, and his administration were working on potential locations for the new FBI headquarters in Prince George’s County. Greenbelt Metro Station and the former Landover Mall site were two of the three finalists locations considered. “After years of analysis, proposals, briefings and an estimated $65 million dollars spent, the news that GSA is recommending that the FBI headquarters remain in its current location is extremely frustrating,” Baker said in a statement. “The concept of a consolidated FBI that would house 11,000 employees was well thought out and supported by both the Bush and Obama administrations.” “Not only have resources and money been wasted, but more importantly, we are no closer to providing the American people the increased security and safety they desperately need from a consolidated and high security campus,” Baker added. Baker said he will continue to work with the congressional delegation to see what can be done moving forward about the project. Maryland Democratic Party chair, Kathleen Matthews said the congressional delegation will continue to do their part to help deliver the project to Maryland, but she mentioned that the delegation cannot do Continued on B3

“We need to get ahead of this violence before it happens.”

Currie’s Wife Acts as ‘Shadow’ Senator

Courtesy Photo

Angela Alsobrooks is the state’s attorney for Prince George’s County. Continued on B2

The Comeback: Former BSU Quarterback Trades Helmet for a Headset By Daniel Kucin Jr. Special to the AFRO

Regarded as one of the best players in the area, senior quarterback Nyema Washington finished out his high school career at Suitland in 2012 with dreams of continued success collegiately at Bowie State University. Yet, things didn’t go as planned for the former Prince George’s County Player of the Year. AFRO File Photo By James Wright Ulysses S. Currie has served A granuloma, a noncancerous inflammation in tissue, on the side of his brain, delayed the Special to the AFRO in the Maryland General Capital Heights native’s first freshman game jwright@afro.com Assembly since 1987. for the Bulldogs for three years. Nevertheless, Washington persevered by The wife of Maryland recovering and trained relentlessly to get back State Sen. Ulysses S. Currie, who represents the 25th district of Maryland that is located in Prince George’s County, is reportedly into the starting lineup in 2015. The former acting as her husband’s constant aide as he performs his duties in two-time All-State standout at the time was converted into a wide receiver and didn’t Annapolis. get his chance to play until Nov. 17, 2015, The Washington Post reported in its Feb. 12 editions that against Virginia State University. Washington Currie has been accompanied by his wife, Shirley A. Gravelychecked into the game and led an eight play, 48-yard drive, completing all his throws and a touchdown throw to seal the game with a 2219 comeback victory. The rest is history. Washington started every game at his true position and led the Bulldogs to their first Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Championship appearance since 1989. Though his –Ken Roberson game team fell to Winston-Salem State University 17-14, Washington won MVP honors, and it seemed that the best was yet to come from the Currie since the start of the Senate session on Jan. 10. Currie is gunslinger. 80-years-old and has served in the Maryland General Assembly However, with triumph came tragedy. as a member of the House of Delegates (1987-1995) and the Coming into the following season, Washington Senate (1995-present). He has risen to become chairman of one of the most powerful was slated to be the day one starter until he suffered a severe knee injury during training committees in the Senate, Budget and Taxation, and served in camp shortly before the beginning of the 2016that capacity from 2002-2010. During that time, it was rumored 2017 football campaign. that he was one of the successors to Senate President Thomas V. Despite rehabbing to get back into the Continued on B2

“He is seen as not fully performing the job and he and his wife are trying to keep up a legacy.”-

Photo by Danial Kucin Jr.

Former Bowie State University quarterback Nyema Washington traded a helmet for a headset and has found life after football in coaching the game that he loves. mix, doctors told him he should put the game behind because of the injuries that mounted up

Continued on B2

The Afro-American, February 17, 2018 - February 23, 2018

High School Basketball

Henry Wise Dismantles Bladensburg By Daniel Kucin Jr. Special to the AFRO Upper Marlboro, MD-based Dr. Henry A. Wise, Jr. High School (14-4) completely dismantled Bladensburg High School (Bladensburg, MD) 81-57 on Feb. 8. Wise senior guard Sherwyn Devonish faced his former team and didn’t miss a beat after he accounted for 22 points, four assists, and three rebounds to help lead his current team to victory. However, he got some help from his fellow teammates as well. Junior guard Fred Crowell and forward Terrance Gibbons both scored 15 points apiece against the Mustangs. Eleanor Roosevelt High School (14-5) located in Greenbelt, MD recently took down Beltsville, MD-based High Point High School 65-44 on Feb. 9. Junior guard Cameron Brown led the Raiders in scoring with 14 points while senior guard Juston Bailey and junior guard Isaiah Gross scored in double-figures respectively.

DeMatha Catholic High School (234) located in Hyattsville, MD is riding on a four-game win streak after defeating Leonardtown, MD-based St. Mary’s Ryken High School 77-53 on Feb. 10. Stags sophomore center Hunter Dickinson led the way with 19 points while junior guard Justin Moore lit up the scoreboard with 14 points. DeMatha sophomore forward Paul Smith chipped in with 11 points to score in doublefigures. Capitol Heights, MD-based Fairmont Heights High School (16-4) dropped Frederick Douglass High School, located in Upper Marlboro, MD, 74-62 on Feb. 8. Hornets senior guard Kimani Benjamin was on fire scoring 23 points, and he pulled down 13 rebounds as well. Fairmont Heights senior point guard Darren Lucas-White filled up the stat sheet with 21 points, eight rebounds and seven assists against the Eagles. Oxon Hill, MD-based Potomac High School (17-2) dominated Friendship

Collegiate Academy Public Charter School located in Washington, DC 69-43 on Feb. 10. Potomac senior point guard Jason Newman led his team in scoring with 18 points, and junior guard Jaquan Riddick pitched in with 10 points in the blowout victory. Rock Creek Christian Academy (15-3) located in Upper Marlboro, MD defeated Largo, MD-based Capitol Christian Academy 73-59 on Feb. 6. Rock Creek Christian senior guard Jermaine Harris was on fire scoring 30 points while senior guard John Preston dropped 15 points against the Red Storm. Bowie High School (Bowie, MD) blew out Hyattsville, MD-based Northwestern High School 94-58 on Feb. 8. Bulldogs sophomore guard Kyree Freeman-Davis led his team in scoring with 19 points, and junior guard Jordan Harris pitched in with 15 points. Bowie is enjoying a six-game win streak since falling to Eleanor Roosevelt 58-57 on Jan. 19.

Photo by Danial Kucin Jr.

Sherwyn Devonish: Dr. Henry A. Wise, Jr. High School senior guard Sherwyn Devonish led the Pumas in scoring (22 points) against Bladensburg High School on Feb. 8.

Car Thefts Continued from B1

shooting of a 17-year-old in the parking lot of Oxon Hill High School. In Riverdale a 16-year-old Parkdale student was stabbed several times in a gang-related incident. The spree of violence has come to the attention of Maryland State Senator Anthony Muse. He attached an amendment to a bill in this legislative session calling for a community taskforce to find new ways of dealing with the

uptick in crimes committed by teenagers. “We need to get ahead of this violence before it happens,” Muse said. “The money that was supposed to go to schools from the casinos, I put in an amendment to make it go to schools to bring together students, teachers, and parents in various parts of the county to make sure that violence is not the norm.” Muse represents the residents in Oxon Hill. “This

happened in my District. It scares me. I know a lot of those of students who are there,” he said. Last month Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker, flanked by a host of law enforcement officials, said violent crime in the county had dropped to a seven-year low, despite the recent events. “We have seen an incredible reduction in both violent crime and the

volume of crimes in Prince George’s County,” Baker said in a statement. “This reduction in crime is a key reason for the County’s economic success that has contributed to our leading the region and state in job growth, subsequent state-best increases in our residential and commercial property values, as well as improving our quality of life.” While the recent car

thefts and school violence are a concern for the police and a prompt to act, during a press conference at police headquarters Chief Hank Stawinski said there was an 18 percent drop in homicides and a drop in other crimes. He stressed that these reductions were related to the evolution of a different strategy in policing that “incorporates property crime, violent and

fatal collisions.” Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Angela Alsobrooks said at the time, “The best thing has not just been technology, but really strong relations in our community, so when they get in the jury box and we put up evidence, they have to be able to trust our word and the evidence that we are presenting.”

Currie’s Wife Continued from B1

“Mike” Miller (D-District 27), if Miller retired. However, Currie became embroiled in a bribery scandal involving his work as a consultant to Shopper’s Food & Pharmacy in 2008 and was indicted by a federal grand jury on Sept. 10, 2010. He beat the charges on Nov. 8, 2011 but was censured by the Senate in 2012 and was forced to give up the Budget and Taxation chairmanship. On Nov. 4, 2016, Currie resigned from the Senate “citing health reasons” but took back the resignation when it became clear to many political observers that his wife didn’t have the votes from the Prince George’s County Democratic Central Committee to get the office. Currie will not run for re-election this year and among the candidates who want to take his place are former delegate Melody Griffith and Del. Angela Angel. It’s not clear whether Currie’s wife is interested in the position. Calls made to Currie’s office on the matter weren’t returned by AFRO press time. Maryland Del. Darryl Barnes (D-District 25) was interested in running for Currie’s seat but told the AFRO he wants to stay in the House. “I am running for re-election,” he said. Barnes said he doesn’t know of any situation where a senator or any legislator’s spouse accompanies them to the floor or committee meetings but he doesn’t see anything wrong with it. Ken Roberson also lives in District 25 and is a member of the Prince George’s County Democratic Central Committee. Roberson told the AFRO that it is his understanding that the senator’s health is declining and that is unfortunate. “I hate to see him go through that,” Roberson, who is running for delegate, said. “I am glad that she is there for him. “However, it is so unfortunate that we as Black people put our career before our personal lives. “He is seen as not fully performing the job and he and his wife are trying to keep up a legacy.” Roberson said “his leadership is lacking because he is not fully ‘there’.” The primary for the District 25 Senate seat is June 26 and the general election is Nov. 6. The winner of the Democratic primary is widely expected to win in November because District 25 has a roughly 90 percent Democratic registration.

The Comeback Continued from B1

DC LOTTERY RECOGNIZES THE ACHIEVEMENTS AND LEGACY OF AFRICAN-AMERICANS WHO HELPED FORGE THE PATH TO CIVIL RIGHTS, FREEDOM AND EQUALITY. WE PROUDLY CELEBRATE BLACK HISTORY MONTH AND HONOR THESE IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTIONS.

Afro-American | 3 Col x 10.5 | 5.42x10.5 | 4C

during his football career. “I would never have guessed that my first year would be my last playing football and that I would never play again,” Washington said after his successful rookie of the year campaign. “After the injury, it was hard because you were the man and you get a little cocky from the hype,” Washington said. “Getting hurt put everything into reality for me and I don’t think that it was a coincidence that Amir (Hall) had my number. I think that everything was a revelation from God telling me to humble myself. Amir had the blessed year that he had, and I thought that maybe God wanted me to be a part of football in another life.” Even though it was a painful decision to stop playing football, Washington traded a helmet for a headset as Head Coach Damon Wilson gave him the opportunity to be the quarterback’s coach and remain with the team. “I got into coaching Amir (Hall) that year and that opened up my eyes about coaching. As a quarterback, I always had a mind for the game and watching film, and I think that helped me transition into a coach.”

Washington mentored the sophomore into one of the best quarterbacks in the conference. Under his guidance, Hall has thrown for over 7,000 yards, averaged over 300 yards per game, and tossed 71 touchdowns over the past two seasons. Bowie State’s overwhelming success offensively, under Washington’s tutelage, offered him a new venture in West Virginia with the ability to recruit players from his old stomping grounds. He recently accepted a position to be the quarterback’s coach for West Virginia Wesleyan College. Washington will be joining a team with a 6-5 record last season, but he is excited about rebuilding the Bobcats by coaching the position that is close to his heart. “It is a great honor to coach here,” Washington said. “The energy is high here, and they brought in a great staff and recruiting class. It is an exciting time to be here, and I am glad to be a part of it.” Even though Washington’s glory days of playing football are over, he has found a second chance in life after football at coaching, and the sky is the limit for the comeback kid.

February 17, 2018 - February 23, 2018, The Afro-American

FBI

Alsobrooks

Continued from D1

Continued from B1

U.S. Rep. Donna Edwards, Maryland State Sen. Anthony Muse (D-District 26) and Obama administration official Paul Monteiro. Prince Georgeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s County Executive Rushern Baker III (D) has served the maximum of two consecutive four-year terms and cannot run for re-election and is a candidate for Maryland governor. The winner of the Democratic primary will likely win the Nov. 6 general election because Democrats outnumber Republicans three-to-one in voter registration. Alsobrooks was raised in Camp Springs and graduated from Benjamin Banneker High School in the District of Columbia. She received a bachelorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s degree in public policy from Duke University in 1993 and a juris doctorate from the University of Maryland School of Law in 1996. Alsobrooks worked as an assistant stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attorney in Prince Georgeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s County from 1997-2002 and then was the education liaison for County Executive Jack Johnson from 2002-2004. Johnson appointed Alsobrooks as the executive director of the Revenue Authority of Prince Georgeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s County in 2004 and she served in that capacity until her election as stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attorney in 2010. The Revenue Authority is a quasi-governmental entity that serves as a real estate development and development finance agency, and it operates programs and facilities in the county in partnership with other county agencies. Alsobrooks said leading the Revenue Authority gives her a distinct advantage over her opponents. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I am the only candidate in the race that has executive experience,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I know how to grow a budget and work collaboratively with other agencies and how to build relationships.â&#x20AC;? Alsobrooks said that being the countyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top prosecutor is a positive in terms of being a competent public manager. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I increased the salaries of the staff of those who worked in the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attorneyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s office and we have increased our staff by 40 percent since I came in,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I wanted to make sure that our office is well-run and I have worked to make it more efficient and cost-effective.â&#x20AC;? Alsobrooks wants to continue advocating for the rights of domestic violence victims and reaching out to the faith community on that issue as well as others. Alsobrooks will also focus on fighting crime. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just want to lock people up,â&#x20AC;? she said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;but to lift up children and people in general. I want to make sure that our truancy programs make sure that young people are in school and there are workforce development programs for people who want jobs.â&#x20AC;? Prince Georgeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s County is one of the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s highest income and the wealthiest predominantly Black jurisdiction in the country, and has a number of federal agencies, including the U.S. Census Bureau, and upscale retail and residential

communities, such as National Harbor within its borders. The State of Maryland designated in 2011 New Carrollton as the home for its Department of Housing & Community Development and Giant Food, which took its headquarters from Prince Georgeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s to Pennsylvania in 1978, recently announced that it will come back to the county. While these large entities are important to Alsobrooks, she wants to think locally. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are going to focus laser-like on small and minority businesses and what their needs are and how the government can help them grow and prosper,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have found out that there is no inventory of businesses here. I will look into hiring a consultant or finding a way to identify the businesses in the county and see how the government can assist them.â&#x20AC;? Like many Prince Georgians, Alsobrooks is concerned about the school system. Prince Georgeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s school -Emma Andrews system is one of the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 25 largest and is the second biggest in Maryland. However, the school system has had problems with low scores on standardized tests and scandals regarding sexual misconduct among school personnel and grade-fixing. Alsobrooks said she will make major changes in the school system. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I will bring my own leadership team,â&#x20AC;? she said, insinuating that Dr. Kevin Maxwell, the CEO of the school system may not be retained. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is not just about one person, though. I will make changes in the whole school leadership team.â&#x20AC;? Alsobrooks said she will focus on growing PreKindergarten and career/technical education. She wants to increase teacher salaries so that the countyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s educators can be paid competitively with other jurisdictions and institute a holistic approach to teaching children. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We need to address the psychological and emotional needs of the children,â&#x20AC;? Alsobrooks said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;so that they can learn better.â&#x20AC;? Emma Andrews is a longtime political and civic activist in the central Prince Georgeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s County community of Pepper Mill Village. Andrews, who moved to Prince Georgeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in the mid1960s, has a high opinion of Alsobrooks. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think she is a serious politician,â&#x20AC;? Andrews told the AFRO. â&#x20AC;&#x153;She is not in public service to be known. Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not one of those â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;I amâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; or â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;I wasâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; types. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Her leadership is from her heart.â&#x20AC;?

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think she is a serious politician.â&#x20AC;?

it alone. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Why wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Governor Hogan able to leverage his relationship with his Republican allies in Congress and in the Trump administration to bring 11,000 jobs to Maryland?,â&#x20AC;? Matthews stated in a Maryland Democratic Party press release. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s becoming abundantly clear that Hogan is a subpar dealmaker who canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get the job done when faced with

â&#x20AC;&#x153;â&#x20AC;Śthe news that GSA is recommending that the FBI headquarters remain in its current location is extremely frustrating.â&#x20AC;?

â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Prince Georgeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s County Executive, Rushern L. Baker III

competition.â&#x20AC;? Last month, Hogan became the first Maryland governor in decades to lose a Fortune 500 company to another state, resulting in Discovery moving from Silver Spring to New York in 2019. Facebook, Nestle, and Boeing also chose to invest in Virginia instead of Maryland, according to the Maryland Democratic Party press release.

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The Afro-American, February 17, 2018 - February 23, 2018

DMV Links Presidents: Carla Johnson, Arlington; Yvonne Clarke, Annapolis; Martha Lloyd, old Dominion; Carla Williams, Reston; Candice Edwards, Mount Rose, Phyllis Caudle-Green, Capital City Links; unnamed; unnamed; unnamed and Sandra Britt, Patuxent River.

Lenora Johnson, from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute and Kimberly Jefferies Leonard, PhD, National Vice President of Links

Patuxent River Links members: Barbara McGee, Amy Bryan, lyndia Griggsby, Ann Everett and Sheila Harrison

Shirley Bowden with David and Latanya Higginbotham

Lt. Gen. Bruce Crawford, the Army Chief Information Officer/ C6 presents the Keeper of the Community Award to Lt. Gen. Gwen Bingham, the Assistant Chief of Staff for Installation Management

The speakers: Chaplain(Maj) Willie Mashack, USA and Lt Col Janelle T.H. Jackson, USAF

Veterans who are members of the Arlington(VA) Links chapter with Lt. Gen. Gwen Bingham

The co-emcees, Carol and Jesse Holland, the award winning author of The Black Panther

Jackie Harper and Josephine Rigmaiden Attendees received high blood pressure screenings

Speakers: Dr. Barbara Hutchinson, President, Association of Black Cardiologists and Dr. Olusey Princewill, Cardiologist, MEDSTAR Health Cardiology Associates

On Friday, Feb. 2, Local TV personalities Andrea Roane & Molette Green were the emcees for the 10th Annual Red Dress Event, “A Heart Healthy & Beautiful You” sponsored by the DMV Chapters of the Links. With well over 700 attendees, the event featured two noted

cardiologists, Dr. Barbara Hutchinson and Dr. Oluseyi Princewell, a vendor extravaganza, fabulous give-a-ways, coveted door prizes and a Heart Healthy buffet. The DMV Links Red Dress Event was first started by Arlington (VA) Links Member and National VicePresident of The Links.” N Street Village, the largest provider of housing and services for women in Washington Arlington Chapter Connecting D.C., is the proud Link member, Tommy Walker, community partner shared a testimonial about for this year’s Red heart healthiness Dress and received over $8,000 from the DMV Links.

Jeffrey Washington, Jeffrey Kennedy and John Giles Edna Moffitt and Ludlow McKay

Dr. Nicolette Martin, chair, Eastern Area Health and Human Services, The Links, Inc. presents Certificate of Appreciation to co-emcee Andrea Roane

Erma Withers, Sharon Bland, Elaine Bush, Wanda Smith and Lynn Selby

Co-emcees Andrea Roane, WUSA9 News and Molette Green, NBC4 News

Keeper of the Community honorees with the Gospel Service pastor, Chaplain(Lt. Col.) Sid Taylor(top right)

The Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall(JBM-HH) Gospel Service hosted its Annual Black History Month Celebration and Keeper of the Community Awards Service Feb. 10 at the Memorial Chapel, Fort Myer, VA. The program included a presentation by the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment(The Old Guard) of the various military uniforms worn by Soldiers during times of war, musical selections by local church gospel choirs, a commemoration of Vietnam War Veterans, two speakers addressing the topic, “Why We Serve”, all centered around the presentation of the Keeper of the Community Awards to the honorees: Lt. Gen. Gwen Bingham, Howard University Air Force ROTC, Detachment 130, Dr. Shakina Dunbar Rawlings, Psi Alpha Alpha Chapter, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity and Sis. Cynthia Harris.

Edgar Brookins, chair and AFRO D.C. general manager, Black History Month Planning Committee present’s a Designated Offering on behalf of the Gospel Service to Jas Boothe, founder/ president, Final Salute, Inc.

Col(Ret.) Lucretia McClenney, Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Arnold Fields, USMC and Gunnery Sgt. Stewart Thomas, USMC

Mount Zion Baptist Church Creative Arts Ministries Choir

Lt. Gen. Bruce Crawford with members of Psi Alpha Alpha Chapter, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity; the chapter was a keeper of the Community awardee

Woodrow Jones, Gentry Jones, Zoree Jones and Angela Jones

Photos by Rob Roberts

February 17, 2018 - February 23, 2018, The Afro-American

ARTS & CULTURE

Janeshia Adams-Ginyard

Stunt Woman Turned Actress Makes Feature Film Debut in ‘Black Panther’ By Nadine Matthews Special to the AFRO It was, essentially, a small thing. A pebble upon which Janeshia Adams-Ginyard stumbled as she reached a fork in the road. “Girl, my hair was eighteen inches long. When I was first told, I was trying toget out of it,” she tells the AFRO. It was a small thing but had potentially huge repercussions for the veteran Hollywood stunt woman and budding actress. She remembers, “I was like ‘Can we get some bald caps?’” The coordinator for the film was understanding but firmly communicated that was a not going to be a possibility. “So I called one of my friends and I was crying to her and she was like ‘Girl why are we crying over some hair?’” AdamsGinyard was somewhat reassured but hesitated once more. “Then I called my pastor. He said ‘Jesus sacrificed it all on the cross, you can’t sacrifice some hair? He said, ‘your sacrifice will never outweigh your reward.’” Adams-Ginyard started moving forward again. “My pastor kept it real.” She explains, “So my head was shaved for this movie. I was like ‘Bring on those clippers!’” Usually brimming with confidence, character, and optimism, stuntwoman and neophyte actress Janeshia AdamsGinyard had already stepped out on faith and auditioned for a part as a Dora Milaje in Marvel’s “Black Panther” in addition to auditioning to do stunt work, her main profession. Prior to that, in addition to stunt work, she did athletic modeling, and commercials. Adams-Ginyard slayed both audition processes. Overcoming the fear of flouting the usual Hollywood beauty standards however, was in some ways more daunting than auditioning for top director Ryan Coogler and film studio behemoth Disney. Yes, “Black Panther” was going to be a huge film but what about after that? The advice of her supporters and her own sense of honor and humility prevailed. “I was happy to be part of that chosen group,” she says, “Because they had looked all over the world for those girls.” Adams-Ginyard does double duty in “Black Panther,”

(Courtesy photo)

Janeshia Adams-Ginyard went from being a background extra to a foreground actress in ‘Black Panther.’

SPORTS

Bowie State QB Earns Nation’s Top HBCU Football Honors Amir Hall Wins Deacon Jones and Doug Williams Awards

(Courtesy photo)

Bowie State QB Amir Hall won the Deacon Jones Award as National Black College Football Player of the Year presented by the National Black College Football Hall of Fame By Mark F. Gray Special to the AFRO For someone reluctant to embrace the spotlight and the history that he’s making with each passing game, Bowie State quarterback Amir Hall continues to solidify his place as the greatest football player in school history. Now he has established himself among the greats in HBCU football after winning the highest individual honors in the sport. Hall, a junior from Bowie, who played at Riverdale Baptist high school in Upper Marlboro, Maryland won the 2017 Deacon Jones Award as the national player of the year which is presented by the National Black College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta.

The Deacon Jones Award is HBCU version of the Heisman Trophy and Hall is just the second recipient. Last year the inaugural honor went to current Chicago Bears running back Tarik Cohen for his exploits at North Carolina A&T. He also was named SBN Doug Williams Offensive Player of the Year as the top offensive player for 2017. “When I was younger I always dreamed of trying to win the Heisman Trophy and going to New York for that ceremony,” Hall told the {AFRO}. “This award is special to me because I grew up watching NFL Films and watched [Deacon Jones] play with the funny chin strap and old school swag so to win this award really means a lot.” However, when the list of finalists was first announced it seemed Hall would face an uphill challenge to win. Two other quarterbacks – Grambling’s Devante’ Kincade and Lamar Raynard from North Carolina A&T were players of the year from Division I conferences (SWAC and MEAC) respectively. Virginia State running back Trenton Cannon – the CIAA Player of the Year – rounded out the quintet. In two years as a starter Hall has already rewritten Bowie State’s record books and last year’s statistics were mind boggling. Hall led the Bulldogs to a 9-2 regular season record and a berth in the NCAA Division II playoffs where they hosted a game for the first time in school history. He passed for 3,519 yards and 41 touchdowns in 11 games despite being on the bench for long stretches when they had big leads in the second half. He completed 65 percent of his passes and threw only four interceptions playing in an aggressive passing attack. Bowie St. led Division II in total offense with Hall throwing for at least 300 yards seven times and 400 yards twice.

playing one of the elite Dora Milaje bodyguards (who all sport completely shaved heads) as well as working as the stunt double for Danai Gurira (“The Walking Dead,” “Avengers: Infinity War”) who plays Okoye, the leader of the Dora Milaje. After earning a degree in Linguistics from University of California at Berkeley and being a member of the U.S. Bobsled Team, she had originally planned on becoming an interpreter for deaf athletes and a sports commentator. AdamsGinyard has been an athlete all her life and has known sign language since the age of eight. Her family moved to an area with a high concentration of the hearing impaired and her mother mandated that the whole family learn sign language. Adams-Ginyard eventually changed her mind about her career path. ”I was watching this movie and there was this guy on there and he was just awful. I was like if this guy is doing stunts and he’s running like that then I can do stunts. I started putting it out there into the universe.” She started off doing background and extra work. She trained in tumbling. “It helps in knowing how your body moves when you’re in the air.” Martial arts training also helped. “I had a taekwondo background and I chose it because it’s eighty-percent kicks. In action films, nine time out of ten, somebody is getting kicked.” Being a Dora in “Black Panther” is her biggest acting role thus far. “It was grueling but I was gonna be a part of history. It is just a huge blessing to be a part of it. It was not the first movie I worked on but it was the first movie where there was a costume that was gonna be specifically made for me and the first time I was going to be on a movie from beginning to end so it was really big.” It wasn’t lost on Adams-Ginyard the impact that she and the other actresses might have on young dark-skinned girls who would be seeing the film. “It was like, ‘Hey, we are showing up and we are showing out.’ We are dark-skinned women and we are about to make this movie and this movie is about to be bomb and there are going to be little girls watching who are going to identify with us.“

In Memoriam

U.S. Chess Champion Dies at 79 By Aya Elamroussi Special to the AFRO In 43 states and the District of Columbia, Black students are more likely to get arrested at school, an analysis by Education Week Research Center found last year. Another study finds that Black students are suspended and expelled at higher rates than White students. And most recently, NPR reported that administrators at Ballou High School, a predominately Black school in Washington, D.C., were pressured to pass a senior class where the majority of students missed more than six weeks of school. But in the 1800s, Dunbar High School, the first public high school for Black students in the U.S., was so renowned for its academic excellence that Black parents moved to Washington so their children could attend it. Dunbar was also home to Kenneth R. Clayton, the first African-American, and probably the youngest at 24, U.S. Amateur Chess Champion. Clayton died in December at the age of 79. “He’s an individual who was given a chess set as a graduation present from high school at Dunbar. And within a year…had mastered the game to the point that he was member of the Harvard chess club,” Robert L. Clayton, Kenneth’s brother, told the AFRO. K. Clayton received his first chess set in 1955. By 1963, he was the U.S. Amateur Chess Champion. “Not only was he salutatorian of the class, Kenneth did not have to apply to an Ivy League college,” R. Clayton said. “He received a

telegram from the Ivy group indicating that he was admitted to the Ivy league school of his choice.” R. Clayton said his brother had a perfect SAT score and never saw a grade below A in high school. As an African American, R. Clayton said that his brother didn’t see any limitations to what he wanted to accomplish. “The driving influence of Kenneth was never to recognize that there was an obstacle to any level of his achievement based on him being African American,” R. Clayton added. “There never was a discussion about whether or not African Americans could achieve on standardized exams.” K. Clayton attended Harvard and studied Chemistry but went into the computer science field in 1963. And that was an unusual education track for African Americans at the time because they – R. Clayton were encouraged to study law, medicine or teaching, according to R. Clayton. “Kenneth was pursuing excellence in areas in which African Americans weren’t encouraged to be excellent and still achieving significantly in those areas… there may have been encouragement to be a professional baseball player… but there certainly wasn’t encouragement, even within the African American community, to achieve in the game of chess.” K. Clayton’s successes in the fields of computer science and chess, where there were no exemplars of successful African Americans at the time, should be beacon for African American youth today to achieve and excel, R. Clayton said.

“Kenneth was pursuing excellence in areas in which African Americans weren’t encouraged to be excellent…”

“We still know the sky’s the limit for the young man,” said Bowie State coach Damon Wilson. “There’s still room for him to grow. I think we’re only beginning to see what he is capable of. He’s a joy to have in your program, an excellent student athlete”. Hall’s prolific season had to pass the litmus test from three former NFL quarterbacks who comprise most of the selection committee that were groomed at HBCU’s. Former Baltimore Ravens personnel executive and the league’s first Black starting quarterback James Harris, fellow Grambling alumnus Doug Williams, the senior vice president of player personnel for Washington’s NFL franchise, and ESPN analyst Jay Walker of Howard voted on the award. Former {USA Today} sports writer and HBCU Sports historian Roscoe Nance and Ty Miller, sports director for SBN Sports rounded out the selection committee. “I’m just so happy to continue to lead the way for the next generation,” said Hall. “The first time I went to Atlanta I had the chance to spend a lot of time with James “Shack” Harris who talked to me as did Doug Williams and Jay Walker. They all told me what I need to help me get better and what I could do to help make the team better.”

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Wendelin Watts Whitfield Personal Representative(s) TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS LEGAL Date of firstNOTICES publication: February 2, 2018 Name of newspapers and/or periodical: The Daily Washington Law Reporter The Afro-American

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Superior Court of the District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2018ADM000007 Aberta Sistare Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Rica J Rich , whose address is 435 21st Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Alberta Sistare, who died on June 10, 2012 without a will, and will serve with Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before July 26, 2018. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before July 26, 2018 , or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship. Date of Publication: January 26, 2018 Name of newspaper: Afro-American Washington Law Reporter Rica J Rich Personal Representative

Superior Court of the District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2017ADM001205 Willie Ray Murray Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Ursula Michaele Shokes , whose address is 403 South LLoyd Street, Ahoskie NC, 27910 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Willie Ray Murray, who died on October 25, 1996 without a will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose where-abouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent´s will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor Wa s h i n g t o n , D . C . 20001, on or before April 27, 2018. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before April 27, 2018, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship. Date of Publication: October 27, 2017 Name of newspaper: Afro-American Washington Law Reporter Ursula Michaele Shokes Personal Representative

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SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Foreign No. 2018FEP000009 Date of Death November 6, 2017 Ophelia Mary Watts Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF FOREIGN PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS Wendelin Watts Whitfield whose address is 10410 Balsamwood Court, Laurel, MD 20708-31786 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Ophelia Mary Watts, deceased by the Orphans’ Court for Prince- Georges County, State of Maryland., on March 28, 2017, Service of process may be made upon Michael N Watts 924 Euclid Street NW, Washington, DC 20001 whose designation as District of Columbia agent has been filed with the Register of Wills, D.C. The decedent owned the following District of Colombia real property: 1330 Massachusetts Ave., NW, Unit 517, Washington, DC 20005, 5512 8th St. NW, 20011, and 1336 Maryland Ave., NE, Washington, DC 20002. Claims against the decedent may be presented to the undersigned and filed with the Register of Wills for the District of Columbia, Building A, 515 5th Street, NW, 3rd FloorWashington, D.C. 20001 within 6 months from the date of first publication of this notice. Wendelin Watts Whitfield Personal Representative(s) TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS Date of first publication: February 2, 2018 Name of newspapers and/or periodical: The Daily Washington Law Reporter The Afro-American

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Foreign No. 2018FEP000010 Date of Death May 9, 2017 John H Harris Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF FOREIGN PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS Juanita Marie Harris whose address is 4670 Plymouth Court, Waldorf, MD 20602 was appointed personal representative of the estate of John H Harris, deceased by the Orphan’s Court for 15:51:32 EST 2018 CharlesCounty, State of Maryland., on January 12, 2018. Service of process may be made upon Gloria Mathis, 1700 Mass Ave, SE, Washington, DC 20003. whose designation as District of Columbia agent has been filed with the Register of Wills, D.C. The decedent owned the following District of Colombia real property: 5341 Nannie Helen Burr o u g h s Av e , N E , Washington, DC 20019 Claims against the decedent may be presented to the undersigned and filed with the Register of Wills for the District of Columbia, 515 5th Street, NE, Washington, DC 20019Washington, D.C. 20001 within 6 months from the date of first publication of this notice. Juanita M Harris Personal Representative(s) TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS Date of first publication: February 2, 2018 Name of newspapers and/or periodical: The Daily Washington Law Reporter The Afro-American

TYPESET: Tue Jan 30 02/2, 02/9, 02/16/18

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Foreign No. 2018-000007 Iris Massey Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF FOREIGN PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS Arnold H Massey Jr., whose address is 1306 E Barringer Street, Philadelphia, PA 19119 and Bethany A Hill, whose address is 3052 Secane Place, Philadelphia, PA, 19154 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Iris Massey , deceased, on May 16, 15:50:59 2016, byEST the2018 Office of Register Wills for Philadelphia County, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Service of process may be made upon District Registered Agent Services, Inc, 1025 Connecticut Ave., NW, Suite 615, Washington, DC 20036, whose designation as District of Columbia agent has been filed with the Register of Wills, D.C. The decedent owned the following District of Colombia real property: 5313 13th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20011 Sq 2931 Lot 086 Claims against the decedent may be presented to the undersigned and filed with the Register of Wills for the District of Columbia, 500 Indiana Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20001 within 6 months from the date of first publication of this notice. Arnold H Massey Jr. Personal Representative(s) TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS Date of first publication: February 2, 2018 Name of newspapers and/or periodical: The Daily Washington Law Reporter The Afro-American 02/2, 02/9, 02/16/18

February 17, 2018 - February 23, 2018, The Afro-American TYPESET: Tue Jan 30 15:52:08 EST 2018

LEGAL NOTICES

Superior Court of the District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 15:51:50 EST 2018No. Administration 2017ADM001453 Ophella W Durant Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Patricia D King, whose address is 536 Oneida Place, NW, Washington, DC 20011, was appointed personal representative of the estate of Ophelia W Durant, who died on July 14, 2017 with a will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent´s will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor Wa s h i n g t o n , D . C . 20001, on or before August 2, 2018. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before August 2, 2018, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship. Date of Publication: February 2 , 2018 Name of newspaper: Afro-American Washington Law Reporter Patricia D King Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS

TYPESET: Tue Jan 30 15:50:41 EST 2018 02/2, 02/9, 02/16/18 Superior Court of the District of District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION 15:51:15 EST 2018 Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2017ADM487 Estate of Fred Hart Sr. (Deceased) Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Deborah A Hart-Johnson and Daisy G Johnson , whose address is 3501 Brightseat Rd, Hyattsville, MD & 13802 Bentwaters Dr, Upper Marlboro MD was appointed personal representative of the estate of Fred Hart, Sr., (Deceased) , who died on May 21, 2016 without a will, and will serve with Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent´s will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor Wa s h i n g t o n , D . C . 20001, on or before August 2, 2018. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before August 2, 2018, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship. Date of Publication: February 2, 2018 Name of newspaper: Afro-American Washington Law Reporter Deborah A Hart-Johnson Daisy G Johnson Personal Representatives TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS 02/2, 02/9, 2/16/18

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The Afro-American, February 17, 2018 - February 23, 2018

February 17, 2018 - February 23, 2018, The Afro-American

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Race and Politics

‘Skeleton Crew’ Echoes Life of Black Workers in Baltimore

I’ve spent more than my fair share of early morning hours on the streets of Baltimore, typically either Sean Yoes heading Baltimore AFRO from the Editor syoes@afro.com nightclub or headed to the health club. But, no matter the occasion, there is one consistent observation I almost always make during those early morning hours; Black people on the bus stops on their way to work at 5 or 5:30 in the morning. It cracks me up when I hear people running their mouths about, `how lazy Black people are.’ The devil is a liar. The workers of this city are the backbone of Baltimore and the vast majority of them are Black and have been for generations. There is a beautiful play currently running (until Mar. 4) at Center Stage in Baltimore, which celebrates these workers, called “Skeleton Crew” that is written by the infinitely talented Dominique Morisseau. “Skeleton Crew” is the third play (chronologically) in a trilogy by Morisseau called, “The Detroit Project.” I also saw “Detroit 67” by Morisseau at Center Stage in May 2016 (the third play in the trilogy is “Paradise Blue”). I remember thinking while Continued on D2

Calls for Reform Follow Guilty Verdicts in Notorious Gun Trace Task Force Case

By Stephen Janis Special to the AFRO

A lengthy trial that exposed one of the most brazen examples of police corruption in the history of American law enforcement ended in a guilty verdict for two Baltimore Police Department (BPD) officers who served in the now infamous and disbanded Gun Trace Task Force (GTTF). The convictions mean that a total of eight officers have either been convicted or pled guilty to dozens of crimes that range from dealing synthetic opiates looted during the uprising of 2015 after the death of Freddie Gray, to robbing hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash from both drug dealers and local businesses. It took two days of deliberation for a federal jury to convict Daniel Hersl, 48 and Marcus Taylor, 31, of robbery, stealing overtime and racketeering charges that could result in sentences in excess of twenty years a piece. Each of the former BPD detectives faces a total of up to 60 years in prison. The jury acquitted the pair on multiple counts of using a gun while committing a crime of violence. The verdict came after weeks of testimony from the victims of the unit that roamed the city without supervision preying upon an array of residents in search of cash, drugs and valuables. The testimony recounted a squad that received overtime pay without working and socalled “slash days,” paid time off without taking a vacation day.

Baltimore Area Church News Compiled by Joi Thomas Special to the AFRO

2018 is moving fast. We are already in the middle of Black History Month. If you haven’t had a chance yet, make sure you take some time to learn something new about the African American experience this month. There are plenty of resources available in our city to help you on your quest for knowledge. As always, make sure you educate our younger generation as well. While researching, see what you can find out about the churches of our city. Many of them have a rich history worthy of knowing. Below are this week’s church announcements. If you have an announcement you would like included, please send it to news@itsjoiful.com. Speak to My Heart Ministries 3903 Belvedere Ave. Baltimore, Maryland 21215 Winter Revival Feb. 16, 7 p.m., Feb. 18, 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Bishop Duane Johnson, Pastor New Christian Memorial Church 3525 West Caton Ave. Baltimore, Maryland Sunday School Black History Program

Feb. 18, 9:30 a.m. Rev. Dr. Walter Bronson, Pastor

Whitestone Baptist Church 3001-05 Baker Street Baltimore, Maryland 21216 Choir Day Feb. 18, 3:30 p.m. Rev. Dr. Elmore Warren, Jr., Pastor Holy Temple Holiness Churches of Deliverance, Inc. 2016 West Pratt Street Baltimore, Maryland 21203 Two Night Consecration Revival Feb. 22 and Feb. 23, 7:30 p.m. General Overseer & Head Prelate Apostle Dr. James Tilghman and Prophetess Greta Tilghman, Senior Pastor Dream Life Worship Center 4111 Deer Park Rd. Randallstown, Maryland 21133 Spiritual Gifts Workshop Feb. 24, 9 a.m.- 1 p.m. Charity Church The City of Truth 1710-22 Gwynn Oak Ave. Baltimore, Maryland 21207 53rd Church Anniversary Feb. 25 Tyrone Thomas, Pastor

Continued on D2

Gov. Hogan’s $100M Offer to HBCU’s ‘A Slap in the Face’ By Deborah Bailey Special to the AFRO

Courtesy Photos

Earlier this week, Daniel Hersl, 48 (left), and Marcus Taylor, 31, were found guilty on various charges including racketeering. During the trial, the courtroom became a forum for stunning revelations about a seemingly ingrained culture of lax oversight, particularly for a police department already under a federal consent decree. Throughout the proceedings former members of the unit who had already pled guilty revealed how top commanders not only ignored, but also encouraged, the unit’s plundering of overtime and reckless approach to policing. Reaction to the verdict was swift. Mayor Catherine Pugh, who as recently as last week said she had not been following the trial, promised to repair the rift the scandal had caused between the community and the department. “I am confident that this sordid chapter of policing culture can be closed as we work each and every day to re-establish the trust and confidence that our citizens need and deserve to have in their police officers,” the mayor said in a statement. The Baltimore chapter of the NAACP also weighed in, making the argument the community needed more than reform. “The horrific betrayal the officers perpetuated against the public for their personal

enrichment revealed a disturbing culture within the police department that must continue to be rooted out,” NAAPC president Ronald Flamer said in a statement. “As we move forward the NAACP is concerned about the potential hundreds of citizens who were the target and victims of this task force.” One of those victims,

After he denied possessing a gun, the trio ventured into a nearby alley and returned with a firearm which they claimed was his. Potts was convicted of gun possession based upon the testimony of the GTTF and sentenced to eight years in jail. Shortly after federal authorities announced the indictments against the GTTF, Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby dropped the charges against Potts after a judge granted him a new –Mayor Pugh trial. But, the consequences for Ivan Potts, was concerned the lifelong Baltimore resident that the verdict would dim have been harsh. He’s had any urgency to help residents trouble finding a permanent arrested by the unit for crimes job. And he has yet to see his they did not commit. 6-year old daughter. “They’re not doing nothing “It’s been rough for me,” to help me,” Potts told the Potts said of life after his AFRO. release. “So, I’m advocating Potts was arrested by the for people in my situation.” three members of the GTTF, Last week, Potts testified Evodio Hendrix, Sgt. Wayne in Annapolis in favor of a bill Jenkins, and Maurice Ward introduced by State Del. Bilal in October 2015. He says the Ali, a Baltimore Democrat. officers accosted him while The bill would require he was walking to the store, automatic compensation of and immediately began asking $50,000 per year for anyone him if he knew where they jailed illegally due to officer could find a gun. misconduct. On Feb. 13 Ali “They were talking, sent a letter to Baltimore `where’s the guns, the drugs,’ Mayor Catherine Pugh and I said, I don’t know what suggesting the city disband the you’re talking about,” Potts Baltimore Police Department, said. Continued on D2

“I am confident that this sordid chapter of policing culture can be closed…”

Governor Larry Hogan’s recent letter to Legislative Black Caucus Chair, Del. Cheryl Glenn (D-45), offering to settle the 12year long Maryland HBCU Equity lawsuit evoked strong reactions from HBCU advocates and Maryland lawmakers this week. The language of Hogan’s letter, offering up to $100 million to settle the HBCU lawsuit, is being perceived by some as simultaneously an affront and a back-door peace offering to HBCU advocates who believe Hogan’s initial offer is unrealistically low. “I was very insulted about it,” said State Sen. Joan Carter Conway, (D-43). “Why would anybody in their right mind accept $100 million at 10 million a year for 10 years,” Conway said. The governor’s offer stipulated the payment would be made in installments to each HBCU over a 10 year period. Conway is principal author of SB-252, which would implement the Blount-Rawlings-Britt HBI (Historically Black Institutions) Comparability Program and has advocated for economic parity between the state’s HBCU’s and TWI’s (Traditionally White Institutions) for more than a decade. David Burton, lead plaintiff for the Maryland HBCU Coalition said Hogan’s monetary offer was a “slap in the face” and not a sincere gesture. “$100 million is just the beginning of a long conversation. It’s nowhere near the requisite amount to meet what is needed to restore HBCU’s to a position of parity as required in the judge’s ruling,” Burton said. Del. Nick Mosby (D40), author of HB-450, the companion bill to SB-252, told the House of Delegates Continued on D2

Baltimore Street Artist, Robert “Kaki” McQueen Dies at 72 By Sean Yoes Baltimore AFRO Editor syoes@afro.com Robert “Kaki” McQueen, a popular and prodigious artist and musician in West Baltimore’s grassroots community died Jan. 26. He was 72. Robert “Kaki” McQueen’s McQueen was born depiction of “The Last Supper.” in Baltimore to parents Wilbert and Nodia McQueen, Dec. 4, 1946. He was educated in the Baltimore City Public Schools, and during this time he began to cultivate his self-taught artistic prowess. He was drafted into the military in 1966 at age 19 and served a tour of duty in Vietnam. After his service in the military, McQueen returned to Baltimore, but began to travel around the United States. By 1970, he said he experienced an, “awakening.” “I became aware of my Creator, my God, the first artist. I decided to make art my life,” McQueen told Rudolph Lewis, in a post on, “ChickenBones A Journal,” which celebrates Black culture. In the 1970’s, he drove across the country in a Volkswagen with a friend and stopped in cities including, Pittsburgh, Detroit, Cleveland and Chicago, before landing in California and traveling up and down the California coast. McQueen said he left artwork everywhere he traveled. After more traveling around the country and overseas, McQueen ultimately

returned to Baltimore where he pursued his devotion to art as a multimedia artist, painting murals and portraits and crafting sculptures, most of which evoked themes of spirituality and Black liberation. McQueen was also a prolific drummer, who was one of the founding members of the venerable “Druid Park Drummers,” founded in the 1970’s, who still play in the “Park” every Sunday practicing their craft and entertaining anybody who gathers around to listen and/or dance. On the Sunday after his death, a group of drummers played in the rain at the corner of Penn and North, to honor McQueen, a gifted artist, musician and local legend. The funeral for Robert “Kaki” McQueen is Feb. 15, at the Wylie Funeral Home, 701 N. Mount St., in West Baltimore. The wake is at 10:00 a.m., and the service begins at 10:30 a.m. There will be a repast Feb. 15, 2:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m., at the Unity United Methodist Church, 1433 Edmondson Ave., in West Baltimore.

29 2018 Total

Last Seven Days

Data as of Feb. 14

The Afro-American, February 17, 2018 - February 23, 2018

Race and Politics Continued from D1

experiencing “Detroit 67,” which focused on a family fighting to stay together and stay alive during the Detroit riots of 1967, that this play could be set in Baltimore (I wrote about it in this column in May 2016, “Detroit Riots 1967...Baltimore Uprising 2015”). I felt an even stronger connection with “Skeleton Crew”; with superb acting by Brittany Bellizeare (“Shanita”), Stephanie Berry (“Faye”), Sekou Laidlow (“Reggie”), and Gabriel Lawrence (“Dez”), and masterful direction by Nicole A. Watson, I felt like I know these people and I know their stories. Although “Skeleton Crew” is set at an automobile stamping plant around the winter of 2008, it could have been Sparrows Point or Westinghouse, or the Broening Highway GM Plant in Baltimore, all three are either shuttered or operating at a fraction of their zenith. There are so many parallels between Baltimore and Detroit. “Detroit...one of the most racially segregated cities in the United States, grappling with economic uncertainty, White

flight to the suburbs and an insurgent police force that routinely menaced the Black community through intimidation, brutality and murder. Sound familiar?” I wrote in May 2016. The great Kwame Kwei-Armah, Center Stage’s former (tragically!) artistic director, who brought “Skeleton Crew” to Baltimore, made a similar observation about these two imperiled great American cities. “Detroit and Baltimore have a shared history of postindustrial struggle,” stated Armah in the “Skeleton Crew” program. “What ‘Skeleton Crew’ portrays about the city and people behind this struggle I think rings true for our city-- and our audiences -- as well.” On a personal note, Armah (Soul Brother Number One, to me) is a world class theatrical talent, originally from Hillingdon, Uxbridge, United Kingdom. However, his contribution to the cultural lifeblood of our city has been prodigious in just a few short years since he became Center

Stage’s artistic director in 2011. Thankfully, he will return in the spring to direct the last play of the season, “SOUL The Stax Musical.” But, the void he will leave in the city’s cultural community once he finally exits won’t fully be filled. The phalanx of playwrights like Morisseau he brought to Center Stage over the years is part of his legacy to Baltimore. The truth is, Morisseau’s work likely resonates with not just us in Baltimore and Detroit, but, Black people across the American urban diaspora, from Cleveland, Chicago, Houston, New Orleans, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and points in between. Especially for the people who line up on a frigid bus stop at 5:30 in the morning to go to work. Sean Yoes is the AFRO’s Baltimore editor and host and executive producer of the AFRO First Edition video podcast, which airs Monday and Friday on the AFRO’s Facebook page.

$100M

Continued from D1 Appropriations Committee that Hogan’s offer, “equates to $2.5 million per institution over the next 10 years. That’s like throwing peanuts at a very gigantic problem.” Coalition plaintiff and HBCU Matters Convener Marvin “Doc” Cheatham said that billions, not millions, of dollars will be needed for the state to reverse years of discrimination at

Death Notice

Timothy S. Shelton Jr., 52 Timothy S. Shelton Jr. born August 31, 1965 resided in Baltimore, Maryland. He was the beloved husband of Celia Canty Shelton, devoted father of Timera L. Shelton and Timothy Shelton, III , and loving son of Phyllis Reese and Timothy Shelton Sr.. Relatives and friends are invited to gather at Howell Funeral Home

located at 4600 Liberty Heights Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21207 on Thursday, February 15, 2018 from 4 pm-8 pm. Funeral services will be held on Friday February 16, 2018. The Family Hour will begin at 10:30 am and Funeral Services will immediately follow at 11:30 am at Pennsylvania Avenue A.M.E. Zion Church at 1128 Pennsylvania Avenue, Baltimore, Md. 21201.

Maryland’s HBCU’s. “It will take at least one to two billion dollars to craft a remedial plan to eliminate vestiges of the prior de jure system in the area of unnecessary program duplication,” Cheatham said. Robert F. Scholz, Hogan’s chief legal counsel and author of the letter on Hogan’s behalf, laid out the state’s interest in working out an agreeable settlement. ”Ultimately, I am writing to let you know that Governor Hogan wants to bring this litigation to an end in a manner satisfactory to all parties and in the best interest of all Marylanders, especially current and future HBI students,” wrote Scholz. Hogan’s interest in ending the decades-long HBCU dispute, coupled with the fact that he is running for a second term in a crowded gubernatorial candidate field, gives some HBCU advocates, like Glenn, cause for cautious optimism. “We are happy that the Governor is in the frame of mind to resolve this lawsuit. This is not a settlement, but the start of a process and of course this is an election year,” said Glenn Conway said she spoke with Glenn about Hogan’s response. “We were just incensed by the fact that they would make such a ridiculous offer. And they had the audacity to say that the offer did not include the legal fees,” Conway said. “The legal fees alone would amount to a quarter if not more of the $100 million,” Conway said. Burton warned that there was no quick fix for the years of discrimination perpetuated by the state toward HBCU’s. “There should not be any signaling at any level from anyone that the governor’s proposal addresses the long-term remedies that will be necessary to resolve this long-standing issue,” said Burton. “There is no easy way out of this.”

Calls for Reform Continued from D1

similar to what Camden, New Jersey did in 2013 following a similar scandal in their police department. The controversial proposal was met with a mixed reaction. However, Potts says it’s difficult to put a price on years lost sitting jail for a crime he didn’t commit. “Honestly, I don’t believe anything can repair what has been done. If you’re asking me to put a price on the time I lost, I can’t,” Potts said. “I would just like to see some kind of change in the justice system.”

Church News Continued from D1

First Mt. Olive Freewill Baptist Church 618 N. Hammonds Ferry Rd. Linthicum, Maryland 21090 Family and Friends Day Feb. 25, 8 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. Bishop Oscar E. Brown, Pastor Bethel AME Church 1300 Druid Hill Ave. Baltimore, Maryland 21217 Lenten Revival Feb. 28, Mar. 7,14, and 29, 7p.m. Rev. Patrick Clayborn, Pastor The Tabernacle of the Lord Church and Ministries 2100 West Baltimore Street Baltimore, Maryland 21223 Gaining Momentum Revival Feb. 28, 7 p.m. Bishop C. Guy Robinson, Pastor United Baptist Missionary Convention of Maryland Statewide Institute March 5 –March 9 Morning Sessions-Concord Baptist Church 5204 Liberty Heights Ave. Baltimore, Maryland 21207 Evening Sessions-Western High School 4600 Falls Road Baltimore, Maryland 21209 To register: ubmcofmd.org Rev. Cleveland T.A. Mason, 2nd President

February 17, 2018 - February 23, 2018, The Afro-American

Celebrating 20 Years of Rambling Rose Hello my dear friends, I am excited to share with you again a look back at the years I have spent with you in your clubs, cabarets, parties and shows, that I have captured in pictures.

Many of our friends have passed away, and others may be still around, but unable to hangout anymore because of health issues. And there are my fans and friends who are still hanging in there partying, and enjoying their lives. These photos will help you remember the good olâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; days. I have thousands and thousands of pictures I have taken throughout the years, but I could only pick a few to share our memories. Do You Remember?

John Murphy III, Baltimoreâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s renowned, premier photographer caught on camera.

Charlie Burman and Wayne Polston hanging out in 1996.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sir Johnny Oâ&#x20AC;? (Jonathan Compton), and Senator Lary Young handing out.

Ida Peters, renowned Entertainment Editor and Columnist for the Afro American Newspaper with a friend Cojetta Stephens at a Pier Six Concert in 1990.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Rambling Roseâ&#x20AC;? (center) surrounded by her musician children who came to say goodbye to renowned organist, Dave Ross at his funeral.

(All Photos taken by Rosa Pryor)

Well, my friends, enjoy the pictures, see if you remember the faces and have fun guessing who is who and where you were. Thanks for 20 beautiful years and looking forward to 20 more. Remember, if you need me, call me at 410-8339474. Until the next time, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m Musically Yours.

Joe Alston and Rodney Orange having a cocktail.

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investing in

creativity

Good neighbors know that a creative community is a vibrant, successful community. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why Johns Hopkins is supporting collaborative spaces and artistic endeavors across Baltimore Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;renovating and revitalizing historic theaters, partnering with our peers to share programming, and creating opportunities for the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s children to explore music, the arts, and dance. Sharing these resources with our neighbors is important to us because when Baltimore thrives, we all do.

Johns Hopkins. Investing in our community.

This piece by students at Highlandtown Elementary Middle School #215 is one of the many on display at the Creative Alliance Feb. 24 through March 10 as part of the 8th Black History Month Student Competition and Exhibition, sponsored by Johns Hopkins East Baltimore Community Affairs Office.

February 17, 2018 – February 23, 2018, The Afro-American

Dr. William Watson, director, NE Region Tuskegee National Alumni Association, Inc.

James Hamlin, owner and operator of The Avenue Bakery

Anita Pinkney, chair, Members of the Baltimore Tuskegee Alumni Baltimore Tuskegee Association and Alumni Foundation hosted their Scholarship Breakfast 36th annual Carver-Washington Scholarship Awards breakfast, on Feb. 10, at the Forum on Primrose Avenue in Northwest Baltimore. The award honorees were outstanding business leaders who were honored for their positive contributions to the Baltimore community and the surrounding areas. Annette March-Grier, RN, CFSP is president/founder of the Roberta House and vice president of the well-known Gregory Dash, president, Waqiba Strother, family business, March Funeral Homes and James Baltimore Tuskegee treasurer, Baltimore Hamlin, owner and operator of The Avenue Bakery. Alumni Association Tuskegee Alumni Hamlin is also president and founder of The Royal Association Theatre and Community Heritage Corporation. Also honored was J. Albert Maddox Jr., president and CEO of amounts from funding full tuition to $10,000 Time Printers. Maddox’s grandfather, Gabriel Maddox and $5,000 respectively. Several Tuskegee Sr. was recognized for being the first instructor in alumni clubs from across the nation were printing and established the first printing shop at present for the breakfast. Tuskegee Institute. The theme, “Celebrating Our Legacy and Investing in the Future,” was emphasized by each of the honorees. Current Baltimore students enrolled at Tuskegee and incoming students were recognized for scholarships ranging in

Mary Wendhaus, Sen.Barbara A. Robinson, Fandreia Bowman

National Sorority of Phi Delta Kappa, Gamma Chapter, Alicia Copeland, Rodney’ English, Leta Smith, Beverly Woolford, Jadd Woolford, Kaneda Shipman

E. Fran Johnson. , Charlotte Bullock, Dr. Bettina Scott , Lois Wysinger

Time Printers family, Elsie Maddox, Greg Maddox, Brenda Maddox, Wayne Maddox

Caprisa Hooper, Julia Grier, Barbara Hall

Photos by Dr. A. Lois DeLaine

Wanda Draper, dir., Reginald F. Lewis Museum

A statue of Frederick Douglass by Joseph Sheppard

James Piper Bond (CEO Living Classrooms Foundation)

Baltimore City Council Pres., Bernard “Jack” Young

Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh hosted and led the commemoration of Frederick Douglass’ 200th birthday, on Feb. 1 at Baltimore City Hall. Entertainment was provided by the Dunbar Jazz Band. Sculptor Joseph Sheppard exhibited a statue of Douglass, a Maryland native and one of the most important Americans of the 19th century. Students from The Crossroads School gave a tribute to Douglass. James Piper Bond, CEO Living Classrooms, was one the speakers, as well as Baltimore City Council President Bernard “Jack” Young. Baltimore Comptroller Joan Pratt also spoke during the event. During the event, former Douglass High School graduates, Nathaniel Gibbs and Laurence Hurst also opened their art exhibit at City Hall.

Photos Anderson R. Ward Joseph Sheppard Baltimore City Councilman John Bullock

Baltimore City Comptroller Joan Pratt

Mayor Pugh with students from The Crossroads School