VOTE MY TRUTH
Celebrating Women
By Cheryl Smith, Publisher
Sitting in class with students recently I was explaining to them the importance of communicating and how oftentimes what you do is saying much more than you’d like to convey, so you have to also be cognizant of nonverbal communications. They talked about how in the textbook certain movements are perceived as negative when they actually are the exact opposite for them.
JUSTICE Walk of Fame
The Justice Walk of Fame honors those who have fought for the oppressed and upheld the call to justice in their work. The Justice Walk of Fame is located on the grounds of Friendship-West Baptist Church. It is a permanent tribute to men and women who have fought the long hard battle for justice. Pictured 2019 Honoree, Rev. Zan W. Holmes III and Mrs. Holmes. Far right: Mrs. Holmes, Dr. Holmes, Rev. Michael Bowie, Commissioner John Wiley Price and Dr. Frederick. D. Haynes III, with Rev. Dr.
Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr. (seated).
Singleton dead at 51 By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Correspondent- @StacyBrownMedia Photo - Eva D. Coleman
Frances M. Hill
I tended to agree with the students because the world has changed so much that the textbook explanations have to be reexamined and sometimes modified to align with current times and circumstances. When you consider all the influences that are impacting our lives, you can’t say, for example, that because you are speaking to a group sitting in front of you with their arms folded that they are “disinterested, bored or closed to whatever you are discussing with them.” There are so many explanations for the crossed arms and they are not all negative. My students felt that too many assumptions are made about their actions, instead of asking. See MY TRUTH, page 4
VOL. 7 NO. 34 MAY 1, 2019
Famed African American movie producer John Singleton has died. Best known for the hit 1991 movie, Boyz N the Hood starring Ice Cube, he had been on life support after reportedly suffering a stroke. He was 51. Singleton was traveling back to Los Angeles from Costa Rica when he mentioned experiencing pain in one of his legs, according to Newsweek. Following transport to a California hospital, Singleton suffered a stroke and was emitted into ICU. Singleton’s health continued to deteriorate and he was put into a medically-induced
photo credit- Vincent Hall
Rev. Zan W. Holmes, Jr and civil rights icon Claudette Colvin were the 2019 honorees, last weekend.
coma just eight days after the stroke, TMZ reported. He had been on life support, but ultimately his family made the “agonizing decision” to remove him from life support on Monday, they said in a statement. “John Singleton is a prolific, groundbreaking director who changed the game and opened doors in Hollywood, a world that was just a few miles away, yet worlds away, from the neighborhood in which he grew up,” the statement read. “We are grateful to his fans, friends and colleagues for the outpouring of love and prayers during this incredibly difficult time. We want to thank all the doctors at Cedars Sinai for the impeccable care he received.” According to Newsweek, Singleton’s family also noted the movie producer’s battle with hypertension, a high blood pressure ailment
Trump, media assaults on Omar a new low By Stacy M. Brown
NNPA Newswire Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia
American politics appears to have hit a new low. According to reports, Congresswoman Ilhan Omar has beefed up
Congresswoman Ilhan Omar
of which African Americans are particularly at risk for. “Like many African Americans, Singleton quietly struggled with hypertension. More than 40 percent of African American men and women have high blood pressure, which also develops earlier in life and is usually more severe,” the statement read. “His family wants to share the message with all to please recognize the symptoms by going to Heart.org.” Singleton was a father to seven children including Justice, Maasai, Hadar, Cleopatra, Selenesol, Isis and Seven Singleton. In addition to Boyz N the Hood, which received two Oscar nominations, Singleton also directed classic films and shows like Poetic Justice, Baby Boy, Four Brothers, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Billions and many others.
security following the vicious attacks she’s received and even news reports that paint her as un-American. What’s worse, the attacks stem from tweets made against her by President Donald Trump. “The criticisms of Congresswoman Omar, what Trump has been saying about her, is reprehensible,” said New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, a Democratic presidential candidate. “It is trafficking in Islamophobia, and should be
condemned by everyone.” One of the first Muslim women to serve in Congress, Omar has come under repeated attack from the president and others, including Fox News as a result of her questioning America’s relationship with Israel. “We will never forget,” Trump tweeted in all-capital letters recently, attaching a video that spliced together See OMAR, page 14