August 29, 2015 - August 29, 2015, The Afro-American A1 PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY EDITION
Volume 124 No. 13
Don’t Forget!
Fall Back on Sunday
OCTOBER 31, 2015 - NOVEMBER 6, 2015
Inside
Washington
The Face of Domestic Violence
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•Tug of War Over
D.C.’s Fish Market
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Baltimore Beverly Johnson Bares It All
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• Graziano Under
Fire Over Sex Abuse Allegations
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Morgan Grad
Tuskegee Airman Dr. Cyril O. Byron, Sr. Dies at 95 By Monica Smith Special to the AFRO Cyril O. Byron deployed by sea to Europe on his 23rd birthday, April 15, 1943. He estimated more than 200 men, who would later become known as the Tuskegee Airmen, were onboard, along with other troops. But the Airmen were the only Black soldiers on the ship, and they were all housed downstairs as the craft zig-zagged across the ocean, avoiding German submarines. Byron ate hard boiled eggs, toast, and
Photos courtesy of Bea Scott
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Bruce Newman/The Oxford Eagle via AP
University of Mississippi students hold signs during a rally calling on the university to remove the Mississippi state flag from university grounds on Oct. 16 in Oxford, Miss. The school bowed to pressure and removed the flag. See story on page A2.
Dr. Byron posing with his 2007 Congressional Gold Medal
Obama, Clinton Fire-up Women Activists By James Wright Special to the AFRO jwright@afro.com
coffee—all his stomach could hold down during the eight day cruise from New York to Casablanca in North Africa. One year earlier, the campus mailman had delivered Byron’s draft notice personally, while the sophomore strolled across Morgan State College’s campus with his girlfriend, Freda Jefferson. A certified jock, he played fullback, then quarterback on Morgan’s football team, ran the quartermile in track, and played guard—all on an athletic scholarship. Byron had grown up in the Bronx, the fourth of six children born to Cyril and Blanche Byron, early 1900s immigrants from the West Indies. In his early years, Byron went by “Bill” to avoid being teased at school; he later changed his middle name to “Osbourne” because he didn’t like his given name,
Help Ms. Santa Spread Holiday Cheer By AFRO Staff
President Barak Obama and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton were among the speakers at a recent conference of Democratic female activists in the District. The president and Clinton, the front-runner for the Democratic Party’s 2016 presidential nomination, joined other presidential candidates and members of Congress at the Women’s Leadership Forum on Oct. 22Continued on A3
AFRO File Photo
Hillary Rodham Clinton is a 2016 candidate for president.
One of the longest continuously running initiatives of the AFRO-American Newspapers is the Ms. Santa program. For over 80 years the Ms. Santa program has served as an integral part of The AFRO’s legacy of serving the community’s less fortunate, in this case, with food, clothes, books and toys for the children. This December will mark 15 years for Diane Hocker, the AFRO’s director of Community and Public relations, who is the current Ms. Santa. This year Ms. Santa, with the help of her sponsor, Baltimore Gas & Electric (BGE), will expand the program by hosting a holiday party which will be held at the Reginald F. Lewis African American History Museum on Dec. 8 in Baltimore. Ms. Santa and the sponsors will meet the families Continued on A3
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“Osmond.” During WWII, Byron was an armorer in the 99th Fighter Squadron, working to the motto, “We keep ‘em flying.” One of 8-10 crewmen assigned to a single fighter aircraft, armorers were specially trained to maintain the aircraft and its weaponry, Byron told Bea Scott, a digital publishing consultant with Heritage Makers, Inc., for his storybook. After returning from Continued on A3
Freddie Gray Follow-Up
Baltimore City Police Officers to Begin Using Body Cameras By Justice D. Stanley Special to the AFRO On Oct. 26 the Baltimore City Police Department held a press conference to announce a trial program in which 155 officers from the Eastern, Western and Central districts of Baltimore will wear body cameras while dealing with civilians. The officers – who volunteered or were chosen Continued on A4