District Chronicles V14 Issue 20 by District Chronicles

COUNTY EXEC LEGGETT: SHOVELING SIDEWALK IS THE LAW 4

District bill aims to rid Pre-Kindergarten of suspensions, expulsions Page 12 January 8 - January 14, 2015

Is your finance advisor putting you first? Page 3 www.districtchronicles.com

Volume 14 Issue 20

Editorial

The content of Steve Scalise’s character

By Lee A. Daniels NNPA Columnist

nied approving of EURO’s views. “I didn’t know who all of these groups were and I detest any kind of hate group,” Scalise told the New Orleans-based NOLA.com/ Times-Picayune website. “For anyone to suggest that I was involved with a group like that is insulting and ludicrous.” By then, prominent Republicans in Congress had begun speaking up in his defense, and Rep. Cedric Richmond, of New Orleans, Louisiana’s only Black Democratic Congressman, vouched for Scalise’s tolerance and integrity. By the end of the week, those elements combined to take the steam out of the story. After all, one might also say, given the GOP’s voluminous recent record of bigoted comments and actions against Blacks and Hispanics, gays and lesbians, undocumented immigrants, and women, and its many racist references to President Obama, what’s “new” about a decade-and-moreold story of a Deep-South Republican’s trolling for votes among the nation’s most racist elements? But what caught my attention most about this story was the

Heather Reed/Creative Commons

here they go again! Just as the Republican Party is poised to take control of Congress, a key official’s actions and words remind us – just in time for the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday – that it remains implacably hostile to what King represented and what the holiday stands for. Louisiana blogger Lamar White Jr.’s revealing last week that Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.), now the third-ranking officer in the GOP’s House majority leadership structure, spoke at a White-supremacist convention in 2002 while a state representative, set off the by now well-practiced minuet of yet another prominent conservative trying to distance himself or herself from having associated with bigots. First, Scalise, through a spokesperson, acknowledged that he had spoken to the group, the EuropeanAmerican Unity and Rights Organization, or EURO, but said he had had no inkling of their anti-Black, -Hispanic and -Jewish views. No transcript or otherwise hard evi-

dence of what Scalise said then has surfaced to contradict – or support – his assertion that he spoke only of general public-policy matters. However, Scalise’s claim of ignorance about EURO produced widespread skepticism, even among some conservatives, given that he spoke to the group during its two-day convention at a hotel in his own district and that its racist views had been discussed in several recent local news articles. EURO, which had been founded two years earlier by David Duke, the notorious racist and former Louisiana state legislator, had links to several other similar Southern-based racist groups, although, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks U.S. hate groups, it was and is largely “a paper tiger, serving primarily as a vehicle to publicize Duke’s writing and sell his books.” The pushback forced Scalise to quickly issue another statement declaring that his appearance at the event was “a mistake in judgment,” caused by the organizational disarray of his scheduling team and this time he emphatically de-

Scalise, seen here next to John Boehner, is poised to be a leader in the GOP House majority.

largely ignored fact that in 1999 and again in 2004 Steve Scalise as a state representative was one of a very few Louisiana state legislators to vote against establishing a state holiday honoring Martin Luther King, Jr. On those occasions, only three and six Louisiana state legislators, respectively, voted against those proposals. Why at the opening of the 21st century, after the King national holiday had been celebrated for 15 years, would any public official be against establishing an official state holiday? Doesn’t that call for an explanation? Are those votes the actions of someone who’s not a bigot? Are they the actions of

someone who wouldn’t know they were at a White-supremacist conference despite being, literally, in the middle of it? In all the hullabaloo about Scalise’s speaking before the EURO group, his anti-King votes have been overlooked. But don’t those votes also raise a question about the content of Steve Scalise’s character? Perhaps this month he’ll find a respectable forum and give a speech about that. Lee A. Daniels’ essay, “Martin Luther King, Jr.: The Great Provocateur,” appears in Africa’s Peacemakers: Nobel Peace Laureates of African Descent (2014), published by Zed Books.

Laid to rest, Sen. Ed Brooke’s works spanned decades By George E. Curry NNPA Columnist Sandwiched between the deaths of former New York Gov. Mario Cuomo and popular ESPN sportscaster Stuart Scott, the passing of former Massachusetts Sen. Edward W. Brooke III at the age of 95 did not get nearly the attention it deserved. Though two African Americans were elected to the U.S. Senate during the Reconstruction Era by the Mississippi legislature – Hiram R. Revels and Blanche K. Bruce, both Republicans – Brooke was the first Black elected to the upper chamber by popular vote, beginning his term in 1967. What made his election remarkable at the time was that a Black Republican Episcopalian could be elected statewide in Massachusetts, a predominantly Democratic and Catholic state with a Black population of less than 3 percent. It would be another 25 years before another African American – Carol Moseley Braun

of Illinois – would win a U.S. Senate seat (1992). Prior to his election to the Senate, Brooke served two terms as attorney general of Massachusetts. When he came to Washington, he declined to join the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) and told Time magazine: “I do not intend to be a national leader of the Negro people. I intend to do my job as a senator from Massachusetts.” While doing his job, Brooke showed that – as did several Black Republicans who would later follow him in public service, including Assistant Secretary of Labor Arthur Fletcher in the Nixon administration and William T. Coleman, Jr., Secretary of Transportation under Gerald Ford – he could be a Black Republican without selling out his principles or abandoning the fight for civil rights. When Barry Goldwater won the party’s 1964 presidential nomination, for example, Brooke, the state attorney general, refused to be photographed with Goldwater

2 | Jan. 8 - Jan. 14, 2015 | District Chronicles

or endorse the Arizona ultraconservative. In the 1966 book titled, “The Challenge of Change: Crisis in Our Two-Party System,” he asked, rhetorically: “Where are our plans for a New Deal or a Great Society?” Though fellow Republican Richard Nixon was in the White House, Brooke opposed Nixon’s attempts to abolish the Office of Economic Opportunity and the Job Corps and weaken the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). On Nov. 4, 1973, Brooke became the first Republican to call for Richard Nixon’s resignation after the famous “Saturday night massacre” that took place when Nixon ordered the firing of Special Prosecutor Archibald Cox after Cox issued a subpoena for copies of Nixon’s taped conversations recorded in the Oval Office. Brooke assumed an offensive posture as well, particularly on housing issues. He co-sponsored the Fair Housing Act of 1968, which

prohibited discrimination based on race, color, religion or ethnicity which became law a week after the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. He continued to work on strengthening the law and in 1969, Congress passed the “Brooke Amendment” limiting public housing tenants’ out-of-pocket rent expenditure to 25 percent of the resident’s income, a percentage that has since increased to 30 percent. He was part of the team of legislators who retained Title IX that guarantees equal education to females and the Equal Credit Act, a measure that gave married women the right to have credit in their own name. In 1967, Brooke served on the 11-member President’s Commission on Civil Disorders, better known as the Kerner Commission, which was established by President Johnson to investigate the causes of the 1967 race riots and to provide recommendations for the future. At various points during his

career, Brooke was at odds with civil rights leaders and liberals. As attorney general, he opposed the NAACP’s call for a boycott of Boston’s public schools to protest the city’s de facto segregation, saying the law required students to stay in school. In the Senate, he opposed a program to recruit teachers to work in disadvantaged communities and opposed amending Senate rules to make filibusters against civil rights legislation easier to terminate. Brooke also faced personal health challenges, including being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2002. He underwent a double mastectomy and was declared cancer free. Brooke spoke publicly about the illness, which strikes about 1,500 men each year, a disproportionate number of them Black. George E. Curry is editor-in-chief of the National Newspaper Publishers Association News Service (NNPA.) He can be reached through his Web site, www. georgecurry.com. Follow him on Twitter at @currygeorge.

Finance

Know your finance advisors and the standards they answer to

Robert Battle Artistic Director Masazumi Chaya Associate Artistic Director

Who you choose to help with finance, an investment advisor or a broker, matters.

one. Under the fiduciary standard, RIAs are bound by a 74-year-old federal act – and regulated by the SEC and state regulators. While both RIAs and brokers are required to act in their client’s best financial interests, RIAs are required to put their client’s interest first, even above their own or their company’s interests. Brokers (also known as registered representatives) operate under the suitability standard. They are required to have reasonable grounds for believing that securities recommendations are suitable based on information provided by the customer regarding other security holdings, financial and tax status, and investment objectives, and other information that would reasonably need to be considered. “Financial advice can come from practically anywhere these days,” said Schweiss. “Some of it will be good, some will be spurious. When you’re investing your money, it’s important to do your homework and not only research the individual or firm who is helping to manage your money, but the laws and standards to which they are held accountable.” Schweiss also offers these tips for choosing an advisor: * Know who regulates the advisor you’re considering. The regulatory body he or she answers to can clarify what standards he or she operates under. * Ask how he or she is compensated. By companies selling in-

vestment products? Fees paid by clients? Commissions? Compensation type may give you an idea of any potential conflicts of interest between what’s best for your money and what puts the most money in the advisor’s pocket. Learn whether the advisor has been disciplined in the past for dishonesty or inappropriate behavior. You can find background information on financial advisors through the websites of the SEC, FINRA, National Association of Personal Financial Advisors, Certified Planning Board of Standards and the Financial Planning Association. Information may also be available through your state securities agency. Ask how frequently your advisor’s firm conducts audits, and if your portfolio assets will be handled by a third-party custodian. A custodian will provide a monthly statement of your assets to both you and your advisor. Information is an investor’s greatest asset,” said Schweiss. “While investing always carries an array of different risks, selecting the right advisor and knowing how he or she operates can help ensure your investments are in alignment with your plans and risk tolerance. Investors can help themselves by choosing an advisor who works to help them pursue their own goals.”

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Glenn Allen Sims. Photo by Andrew Eccles

(BPT) – What’s in a name? When choosing a brand of paper towels or laundry detergent, one name may be as good as another. When it comes to selecting a financial advisor, however, consumers should know there are different types of advisors who are held to significantly different professional standards. Registered investment advisors (RIAs), for example, are regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or individual states. They are held to a “fiduciary” standard of care, which means they have a legal duty to place the interests of their clients first. Brokers, or registered representatives, are regulated by the Financial Industry Regulatory Agency (FINRA) and are generally not considered investment advisors by federal regulators. They are held to a lower “suitability” standard, although FINRA views that as including a “best interest” of the client standard. While more than half of U.S. investors use a professional financial advisor (a catch-all phrase that some might see as including financial planners, accountants, brokers, RIAs and even insurance salespeople), four in 10 don’t know which standards govern their advisor, according to a 2013 survey conducted by TD Ameritrade Institutional. Yet it is a key distinction. “It’s not uncommon for investors to think a broker is the same as a registered investment advisor,” said Skip Schweiss, managing director of advisor advocacy and industry affairs for TD Ameritrade Institutional. “Even savvy investors may not know the difference. But different types of advisors deliver different types of services and are held to different professional standards. Before you invest with any advisor, it’s important to understand what their credentials mean, and under what accountability standards they operate.” Fiduciary vs. suitability There are two basic standards for financial advisors: fiduciary and suitability. Of these two standards, Schweiss said, the fiduciary standard for RIAs is the higher

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Polish Pieces (van Manen) Bad Blood Caught Revelations

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District Chronicles | Jan. 8 - Jan. 14, 2015 | 3

Neighborhood

Metro Briefs: Notable news in and around Washington

mymcmedia.org

Leggett (right) reminds county residents it is the law and “the right thing to do” to shovel sidewalks after snowfall.

Montgomery County Clearing sidewalks of snow is the law

4 | Jan. 8 - Jan. 14, 2015 | District Chronicles

ontgomery County Executive Isiah “Ike” Leggett has announced an initiative designed to remind residents they are required by law to clear sidewalks in front of, and alongside, their properties within 24 hours of the end of a snowstorm. “As winter approaches, county residents should be ready to clear their sidewalks, check in on neighbors in need, and prepare for winter emergencies,” said Leggett. “Clearing your walks is the law, but, even more, it is the right thing to do.” Flanked by colorful posters featuring “talking” snow shovels, Leg-

gett talked about the campaign. All single-family home households in the county will receive a mailer this week from the County Office of Public Information and the Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security. The campaign also will include bus signs, library and recreation center posters, in addition to outreach to civic associations and community organizations. The county has also rolled out a new website: www.montgomerycountymd.gov/safesidewalks and will be conducting outreach via social media. The website includes the county law on sidewalks, as well as details about the slightly different requirements in some municipalities, and copies of campaign materials. It also includes a “Frequently Asked Questions” section. “For residents who use public

transportation, walk, or bike, access to sidewalks is crucial,” said Councilmember Hans Riemer, who has taken the lead in the council in urging more outreach on the sidewalk-clearing requirement. “After winter storms, we all have a role to play in keeping our neighbors and our community safe by keeping our sidewalks clear of snow and ice. A resilient community can bounce right back from major weather events, and resiliency was my goal in writing the sidewalk snow removal plan legislation.” The campaign also asks residents to check up on older adults and vulnerable residents who may live nearby, especially those who live alone. It encourages county residents to sign up for Alert Montgomery at https://alert.montgomerycountymd.gov to receive winter weather alerts on computers and mobile devices.

Divine Intervention The race factor: what color was Jesus? By Joey Matthews Special to the Trice Edney News Wire from the Richmond Free Press

AMG | PHOTOGRAPHY

Editor’s Note: At the close of the National March Against Police Violence in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 13, the Rev. Jamal-Harrison Bryant declared that Jesus is Black. “Hollywood didn’t get the memo. Jesus is Black,” he proclaimed as he announced Black Solidarity Sunday, encouraging people to wear Black to church the next day to send the message that “Black lives matter.” This unrelated story, featured recently in the award-winning Richmond Free Press, hashes out the oft-occurring discussion on the historic race and complexion of Jesus.

Messiah and Friends at G2 Lounge 10-21-11. See more photos at flickr.com/amgunited. Henry Ossawa Tanner

Tis the season for depictions of baby Jesus and other biblical figures in movies and plays, on cards and in churches. In response to a Richmond Free Press query, several Richmond, Virginia-area faith leaders said it’s time to convey the truth – that pictures of a White Jesus with long flowing locks adorning the sanctuaries of many churches are not accurate. Nor is the portrayal, as in many Christmas plays and re-enactments, of a White baby Jesus surrounded by a Caucasian Mary and Joseph and White travelers from afar coming to worship him in Bethlehem. Further, those faith leaders said, it’s time for Hollywood to get its act together as well. They point to the latest Hollywood movie, “Exodus,” featuring a cast of mostly White actors, including Christian Bales as Moses, in which people of color are relegated to lesser roles such as servants of the pharaoh. “From a public policy perspective,” said Dr. Michael A. Sanders, pastor of Mount Olive Baptist Church on South Side Richmond. “It justifies unequal and unfair treatment for certain people, especially African-American men. This pervasive attitude and practice has prompted a national protest to show that ‘Black men matter too!’” The Rev. Phoebe A. Roaf, rector at St. Philip’s Episcopal Church on North Side, stated, “People relate to images that are familiar to

We photograph concerts, birthdays, weddings, sporting events, portraits and more. E-mail amgunited@ymail.com to receive a free quote on your next event.

Image of Christ in “A Black Jesus with Nicodemus” by Henry Ossawa Tanner.

them, either because they look like them or they have always seen things presented in a certain light. It’s an emotional choice and subconscious for many people. “Many of the famous depictions of Christ come from European painters in the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries, who painted Christ to look like that period of time,” she added. “Anyone who has been to the Middle East knows that Semitic people are darker and have curly hair, so I am most comfortable with images of Christ that look Semitic.” Larry Bland, a Richmond gospel music icon, said he is perplexed that some churches with black congregations portray Jesus as Caucasian. “With the vast amount of information we now have that substantiates Jesus’ skin color being other than white, how Black churches can continue to perpetuate this incorrect image is beyond my comprehension,” he said. Dr. Charles Shannon, president of Faith Leaders Moving Forward, who pastors Mount Level Baptist Church in Amelia County, seconded that point. “Ancient depictions of Jesus greatly differ from today’s figures, actors in Hollywood and those used in many churches despite the race of the congregation,” he

said.” Careful study of the historical Jesus described in the book of Revelation 1:14-15 – and archaeological and temperate zone data readily available via Google search – could not be clearer that Jesus was a Black man.” The Rev. F. Todd Gray, pastor at Fifth Street Baptist Church on North Side Richmond, said he’s not surprised by the overwhelmingly White bent of Hollywood films such as “Exodus.” “It is as old as Charlton Heston as Moses, Liz Taylor as Cleopatra and as recently as Ewan McGregor as Jesus in ‘Last Days in the Desert,’” he said. “It is important to try to be more historically and ethnically accurate, but it is more important that our people see themselves reflected as participants in the human and divine drama. “Right now, we have much more pressing issues than Hollywood’s casting,” he added. The Rev. David J. Stanfill of Holy Rosary Catholic Church in the East End said, as a white pastor of an African-American Roman Catholic parish, he tries to best represent those he serves. “Almost all of our artwork at the parish is done from the Black perspective, which I feel is very unique and special. Our baby Jesus is black. Our crucifix was hand carved in Africa,” he said.

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Cover

Ed Brooke, trailblazing U.S. Senator, succumbs By Hazel Trice Edney

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(TriceEdneyWire.com) – Edward Brooke, the first African-American elected to the U.S. Senate since Reconstruction, died Saturday. He was 95. Black politicians and educators around the nation this week saluted Brooke, a trailblazing moderate Republican. Brooke was elected in 1966 and served through 1978 when he lost his re-election bid amidst a controversial ethics investigation. His prized issues included health care, the economy, and wars overseas. Brooke also fought for bi-partisanship and sought to hold the Republican Party accountable to Black people. In a 2004 interview with this reporter, then Washington Correspondent for the NNPA News Service, Brooke sharply criticized top African Americans in the Bush administration, Secretary of State Colin Powell and National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice, at the Republican National Convention in New York that year. “I applaud Rice and Powell’s appointments and I think most African Americans applaud them as well. But when you’re talking bread-and-butter issues, when you’re talking jobs and health care, you have to balance that. What are they doing for the millions of African Americans who are suffering?” he asked. “From the tax programs, the war, and the disproportionate number of African Americans going to war, when you look at it that way, they can’t expect to receive African-American votes just because of a few Black appointments.” Brooke remained a loyal Republican, but said in that interview, “The Republican Party has not done what it should have done to attract African American. The party of Lincoln is not the party of Lincoln today. Unfortunately, African Americans still view the Republican Party as opposed to the issues that are most important to African Americans.” Brooke also received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2004 and received the Congressional Medal of Freedom in 2009.

Brooke was the first African American elected to the Senate since Reconstruction.

“Senator Brooke led an extraordinary life of public service, including his time in the U.S. Army. As the first African-American elected as a state’s Attorney General and first African-American U.S. Senator elected after reconstruction, Ed Brooke stood at the forefront of the battle for civil rights and economic fairness,” said President Obama in a statement. “During his time in elected office, he sought to build consensus and understanding across partisan lines, always working toward practical solutions to our nation’s challenges.” U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters (DCalif.), ranking member of the Financial Services Committee, credited Brooke for making “the critical connection between the challenges facing minorities and the challenges facing low-income families.” “Mr. Brooke was a trailblazer,” she said, “inspiring countless leaders who followed him to transcend partisan differences and find common-sense solutions to the problems facing our nation, including the passage of the bipartisan Fair Housing Act which, even today, works to ensure equal housing opportunity for all people.” Both Democrats and Republicans applauded him upon his death. “Today, our party and our na-

tion have lost a statesman and a trailblazer,” said Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus and Co-Chairman Sharon Day in a statement. DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz said Brooke “earned the respect of those who served beside him. He was a statesman in the truest sense, possessing a commitment to public service which is all too rare to find in this day and age.” Brooke was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2002, but died of natural causes. A native of D.C., Brooke graduated from Howard University in 1941. He served in an all-Black combat unit in World War II and later settled in Boston after graduating from Boston University Law School, the Associated Press reported. Howard University President Wayne A. I. Frederick described Brooke as “an activist who was willing to reach across party lines and use his power and influence to serve the underserved.” His survivors include his second wife, Anne Fleming Brooke; their son Edward Brooke IV; his daughters Remi Goldstone and Edwina Petit; stepdaughter Melanie Laflamme, and four grandchildren.

Politics

Elected Black Republicans not expected to be plus By Freddie Allen NNPA Senior Washington Correspondent

that Scott proposed a bill in 2011 to block families from receiving food stamp benefits if one of the adults in the home joined a strike, and as a state legislature Scott supported cuts to South Carolina’s HIV/AIDS budget. Love has also pledged to take the Congressional Black Caucus “apart from the inside out.” If they continue to express views counter to those held by the Black electorate that overwhelmingly supported President Obama with more than 90 percent of their votes in back-to-back elections, Morris said, their presence could actually hurt that visual image of minority outreach, because it will further distance the GOP from the politics that are overwhelmingly characteristic of Black voters. Raynard Jackson, a Republican strategist called Love, “the embodiment of the American Dream” referring to her journey as a first generation Haitian immigrant becoming the first Black Republican female ever elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. “It doesn’t matter what her politics are or what her party affiliation is, if Love’s story doesn’t inspire you, then there is something

Gage Skidmore/Creative Commons

WASHINGTON (NNPA) – Black Republicans made history during the Midterm Elections in November by winning in South Carolina, Utah and Texas, but political analysts wonder if the victories will have any long-term impact on the future of the GOP in the Black community. Traditionally, Black candidates running for elected offices not only need a large Black turnout, but also a majority of the Black vote to win statewide and national races. Sen. Tim Scott made history by becoming the first Black Republican elected to serve in both the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate. He won with just 10 percent of the Black vote and 82 percent of the White vote, according to exit polls. Rep.-elect Will Hurd beat his Democratic challenger Pete Gallego in Texas by a narrow 2.1 percent margin in a predominately Hispanic congressional district (House District 23) to become the first Black Republican from Texas

elected to the United States Congress since Reconstruction. When the next congressional term begins, Mia Love, a Black Mormon and daughter of Haitian immigrants, will represent Utah’s 4th House district in a state where Blacks account for just 1.3 percent of the total population. Lorenzo Morris, a political science professor at Howard University in Washington, D.C., said that the Black community shouldn’t expect much from the Black Republicans during the next legislative session, because they won largely without Black voters. In addition, he said their rank as freshmen lawmakers will limit their influence within the party. “Their collective impact, if they are really outspoken, will just be on the plus side of zero, barely zero,” said Morris. “The obvious impact for Republicans is positive only to the extent that it shows visually, if not substantively, an outreach to minorities.” Scott earned an “F” on the NAACP’s legislative report card during the first session of the 113th Congress from January 2013 – December 26, 2013. ThinkProgress.org reported

Republican congressman Scott earned an “F” on NAACP’s legislative report card in 2013.

wrong with you as an American citizen,” said Jackson. Former congressman Allen West (R-Fla.) said that the Republican Party has to remind Black voters that the conservative principles and values of the GOP are quite consistent with the history of the Black community. “When you go back and read Booker T. Washington’s writings at the turn of the century, his remedy for the Black community under the stress and strain of segregation and Jim Crow laws were three points: education, entrepreneurship and self-reliance,” said West. “When you look at each one of those individuals Sen. Tim Scott,

Reps.-elect Mia Love and Will Hurd, that’s what they represent, and those are the three things we must have conversations about in the Black community.” Morris said that if a Black Republican wanted to sway Black voters in any significant way, the candidate would have to talk about social policies and programs in ways that are open and address issues such as income inequality similar to the way a moderate Democrat would. In short: the candidate would have to be a liberal Republican. “It would take a miracle for a Black Republican to win a majority Black district,” said Morris.

‘Selma’ delves into truth of King’s advocacy, impact By Lauren Victoria Burke NNPA Columnist

he movie “Selma,” which debuted on Christmas Day, is an eerily timely film detailing a history not taught in American schools on a regular basis. There’s the obvious truth we already knew: Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. is in another stratosphere of leadership compared to the who’s who on the scene today. In terms of results, no one has come close to King before or since. Anyone attempting to define themselves as a leader in the movement around the Black agenda today needs to check themselves after watching this movie. The film provides an unintended indictment of the non-strategies that yield no positive results often seen in today’s socalled leadership. Director Ava DuVernay’s depiction of the lead up to President Lyndon B. Johnson’s signing of the 1965 Voting Rights Act leaves behind

huge lessons – many unintentional. The first would be that without constant pressure on those in power nothing will change. Even within the genre of a history we already know on a man we’ve over-studied, there’s that powerful truth. “Selma” reminds us of what is required to win results for African Americans with 300 years of history stacked against them. Even with the predictable restrictions brought on by the money-grabbing King kids who forbade the director to use their father’s actual words for the film – screenwriter Paul Webb tells us that King remains one of few people in American life to speak brutal honesty on racism and make a difference. The film reaffirms that King worked in service of a mission. In the case of the Selma campaign, it was voting rights. King did not get up in the morning to focus on TV interviews, news conferences or participate on panels. His was a results driven movement. Un-

derstanding the domino effects of certain actions in “Selma” and how those actions would win results and move the needle on voting rights is featured. It’s jarring to consider how unthinkable it was for Blacks voting in the South 50 years ago just as it was unthinkable to imagine a Black president in the White House. Now, even with both those realities realized, current Black leadership still hasn’t found a way to win. The post-King era of civil rights groups is more fixated on corporate sponsorships, endless roundtables and sprawling conferences. It also features meetings with people in power that yield no results and endless re-statements of unsolved problems. The pattern typically ends with a behind-the-scenes deal to keep modern civil rights leaders quiet. All this comes at a time when any glance at economic data on poverty, unemployment and economic status would tell you something is

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seriously wrong with Black leadership. That King was operating during a much more perilous time punctuated with murder makes it even more of an indictment of today’s “leaders.” In the wake of Ferguson, Missouri, and the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner by state actors, there is the realization that much of what King confronted and improved remains unconquered. We still have unarmed Black men being shot dead and their killers going unpunished after telling tales that blame the dead for their demise. At first glance, a viewer could look at “Selma” as a completely different era. The failure of the state to punish those who killed Black people is featured in the murder of Jimmie Lee Jackson by an Alabama State Trooper who was never punished. Given recent events the film prompts a scary question: What’s different now? Maybe King appears larger be-

cause the stakes were higher. Or, maybe it’s because in the 1960s era of law enforcement featured beatings that were routine. But the fact is that still happens. With no smart phones, Facebook, Twitter, or laptops, you may ask: What was it that the group of leaders had 50 years ago that is missing today? King visited the White House in person fewer than six times from 1961 to 1968. According to movement historian Taylor Branch, King informed President Kennedy and his brother, Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, that he would attend no further social functions at the White House until they dealt with his request for an executive order ending segregation. The thought of any current civil rights leader doing anything close to that now is unfathomable. Lauren Victoria Burke is freelance writer and creator of the blog Crewof42. com. Reach her at laurenvictoriaburke. com, or on Twitter @Crewof42.

District Chronicles | Jan. 8 - Jan. 14, 2015 | 7

Technology

Inside the crystal ball: mobile predictions for 2015 (BPT) – Mobile has certainly come a long way to help connect people with loved ones, improve productivity and simplify daily tasks – with simple swipes or taps, they can instantly locate the best restaurants in town or get directions from point A to point B among other game-changing benefits. But it doesn’t just end there. In 2015, significant developments in the mobile space will empower people to do even more with their devices. Intel executives predict these top five trends will emerge across mobility in 2015. LTE (short for Long Term Evolution) will take 2015 by storm.

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“People are used to associating LTE with their smartphones, but in 2015, LTE technology is going to connect more than just mobile devices. We’ll not only see LTE in 2 in 1s and laptops, but in other categories including fashion, wearables, home appliances and medical devices. More cars will be connected on LTE. This will give a new meaning to the connected lifestyle and change the way people interact with their technology,” said Hermann Eul, Intel’s corporate vice president of the mobile and communications group. “More regions around the world will begin launching LTE to help people more quickly access data on their phones and increase cellular reliability.” According to the Global Mobile Suppliers Association, 331 operators have launched LTE networks and service in 112 countries, which is more than half of the world. Focusing on 5G (fifth generation wireless) in 2015.

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“The clock is ticking on 5G deployment, and 2015 is the year 5G starts to get real, as the mobile and wireless industry moves from concepts to actual technology trials and standards development,” said Aicha Evans, Intel’s vice president of wireless platform research and development. “Designed with billions of connected Internet of Things devices in mind, 5G will be tasked with

More people are intergrating tablets into their daily lives.

resolving a slew of new challenges like network congestion, spectrum availability, energy efficiency, cost, reliability and more. Put simply, it’s no longer only about speed, but about intelligence, and how people can connect with a high influx of devices and how devices can connect and compute with one another. We’ll start to see 5G coming into focus in 2015.” Emerging markets will dominate mobile. “Emerging markets will be a key driver for global smartphone growth in 2015. There is a lot of competition among original equipment manufacturers (OEMS) in the emerging markets. More importantly, this growth and competition will push innovations forward at lower price points with more interesting capabilities and features built into smartphones and tablets,” said Rupal Shah, general manager of Intel China. “We’re already seeing skyrocketing growth from Chinese smartphone manufacturers such as Xiaomi and Lenovo, and this trend is not slowing down anytime soon. People will be getting more value from their devices.” In fact, CCS saw that the average selling price of mobile phones declined for the first time in four years in 2014. Additionally, Strategy Analytics predicts there will be a 158 percent growth in tablets under $150 and only a 17 percent growth in tablets in the $150-$249 price point in the next four years. One size does not fit all. Consumers will see more choices when it comes to screen size, price

point and new tablet capabilities in 2015. Whether they are more comfortable with Windows or Android operating systems, there will be a tablet for everyone with great performance. “One thing we’re seeing in the tablet market is how it is fulfilling more specific needs as more people have integrated tablets into their lives and adopted them so widely,” said Chris Walker, Intel’s general manager of tablets. “Now it is about more customized devices that address specific usage needs such as the Kurio tablet for kids or the tablet we developed with AARP for the ‘tech-shy’, as well as devices that can appeal to a wide variety of uses.” Do and play differently with a new generation of tablets. As tablets evolve, innovation will drive new user experience and adoption in tablets. For example, the Dell Venue 8 7000 Series Tablet with Intel(R) RealSense(TM) snapshot has multiple cameras to capture photos with full depth information, enabling consumers to dynamically change the focus of their pictures after they have been taken with a single touch, among other exciting new usages. The Lenovo Yoga Tablet Pro 2 tablet comes in a very sleek design that has an enhanced kickstand or hangs on a hook, and it’s also the first of its kind with an integrated projector that can project a 50-inch viewing screen. “We are pleased with the partnerships and products that have come out as a result of our efforts and there are some exciting, innovative features and tablets on the horizon,” said Walker.

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The new income limits, determined on the median income for the D.C. area, will help a wide range of home buyers.

District of Columbia New income limits set for D.C. Home Purchase Assistance Program.

he federal housing and urban development department has set new limits to continue promoting affordable homeownership opportunities and help a wider range of qualified low and moderate income residents to purchase their first home. The new limits were determined based on the area median income of $107,000 for the Washington, DC, metro statistical area. “We are also happy to announce

Norton mourns passing of ‘native son,’ former Massachusetts Sen. Edward Brooke For herself and D.C. residents, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton offered her deepest sympathy to Anne Brooke on the passing of former Massachusetts Sen. Edward Brooke, the nation’s first African-American popularly elected senator. Senator Brooke, who was 95, grew up in LeDroit Park and attended Dunbar High School here in the District. “The country has lost its first

an increase, from $40,000 to $50,000, in the gap financing we can provide to our very low income households in the District – we’re giving more assistance to those who need it the most, ” said Department of Housing and Community Development Director Michael P. Kelly. The revised “Homebuyer Assistance Table” outlines the amount of first-time homebuyers assistance for home purchases through gap financing ranging from $50,000 for very low income households to $10,000 for moderate income households, plus $4,000 for closing cost assistance. The assistance provided is based on household income and size. New applicants that currently

hold an active Notice of Eligibility, without an approved sales contract from the Greater Washington Urban League, Inc., are eligible for the new assistance amount. The income limits established shall be periodically reviewed and revised as needed by the DHCD to stay current with the household incomes in the Washington, DC area. This chart will periodically be updated, provided that the current median income established by the Secretary of HUD for the Washington, DC metropolitan area is available. For more information about these revised requirements or the HPAP program please visit the DHCD website; www.dhcd. dc.gov.

popularly elected African-American senator, and D.C. has lost its most distinguished native son,” Norton said. “After serving in WWII, Sen. Edward Brooke had to leave his hometown to get a congressional vote and certainly to become a U.S. Senator. “Sen. Brooke, however, never forgot his hometown and played an important role in the city’s quest for the House Voting Rights Act, when he lobbied his former colleagues in the Senate. D.C. residents won the House vote in both the House and the Senate until the NRA insisted on attaching an amendment eliminating all of

D.C.’s gun laws, an offer that had to be rejected. “Sen. Brooke was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in 2009 and spoke robustly, without a note, with all the rigor he was known to bring to bear in the Senate. The country will remember Sen. Edward Brooke for his many contributions, especially for his work on housing and on housing discrimination. D.C. residents will never forget their native son, who got a vote for himself in Massachusetts and used his last years to try to do the same for the city where he was born and raised.”

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District Chronicles | Jan. 8 - Jan. 14, 2015 | 11

Medicare covers revolutionary new device that gives seniors freedom from lower back pain Easy-to-use high-tech back brace is now covered by Medicare. Specialists are manning the phones for the next 48 hours to assist seniors in qualifying to get the new Verta Loc back brace and regain their youth.

But even better news is that recently approved Medicare coverage means that most seniors with lower back pain can get the amazing Verta Loc – and much-needed relief – at little or no cost. Qualifying is fast and easy with a free phone call within the next 48 hours to the trained Medicare specialists at The Back Pain Resource Center. Comfortable, custom fit provides immediate pain relief If you are reading this, you know that lower back pain can be excruciating and debilitating. Even mild, low-grade back pain, whether chronic or recurring, robs seniors of their golden years and takes the fun out of life. The Verta Loc was designed by medical technology experts to reverse that situation, instantly. It fits all waist sizes and has no small pieces to fumble with. Your Verta Loc will arrive fully assembled and could not be easier to adjust for a perfectly custom-tailored fit and immediate relief. Verta Loc’s unique two-strap system gives you complete control over the compression you need to feel relief, offering maximum comfort and protection with just the right amount of support.

one at little to no cost out-of-pocket. The specialists handle all the paperwork in a matter of minutes. Pain relief and financial relief too Many people find themselves wearing their Verta Loc for only part of the day to experience relief. Plus, when the pain subsides, many are able to reduce or even eliminate their use of pain medications, which not only eliminates unwanted side effects but also saves money. Recommended by doctors and back pain specialists Physicians agree that using a high-quality back brace like Verta Loc helps encourage safe movement, teaches good body mechanics, and restricts the motions that cause pain in the first place. Patients are able to maintain their daily activities and learn better back health practices. Medicare coverage specialists are available by phone for the next 48 hours only. Call today! Since Medicare is now covering the Verta Loc, the phone lines are expected to be flooded, but if lines are busy, callers are encouraged to keep trying. For the next 48 hours, the goal of the Back Pain Resource Center is to make sure every senior is able to experience the relief and freedom provided by having their own Verta Loc.

Not avail able through retailers or over the Internet To keep costs down and to streamline and speed up the Medicare qualification process, the Verta Loc Back Brace cannot be purchased online or in stores. It is only available with a free call to The Back Pain Resource Center, and will be shipped directly to your home by our trusted supplier of quality durable medical equipment. The Center’s specialists are trained in Medicare and make it very easy for virtually all seniors with lower back pain to qualify for the new Verta Loc and obtain

To get your Verta Loc please find your time zone on this map and begin calling at the time indicated.

CALL 800-943-5991 Results not typical and may vary. Not all patients qualify. Product covered in full with payment by primary and secondary insurance. Warranty and restrictions apply.

District of Columbia Grosso reintroduces bill to ban Pre-K suspensions, expulsions

ouncilmember David Grosso (I-At Large) has reintroduced the “Pre-K Student Discipline Amendment Act of 2014. prohibiting suspension or expulsion of a student of pre-kindergarten age from any publicly funded pre-kindergarten program in the District of Columbia. The bill also establishes annual reporting requirements for each local education agency on suspensions and expulsions data. The legislation was co-introduced by all of the current members of the Council. Last year, upon the request of Councilmember Grosso, the Office of the State Superintendent of Education released a report “Reducing Out-of-School Suspensions and Expulsions in the District of Columbia Public and Public Charter Schools.” The report found that during the 2012-2013 school year over 10,000 of the District’s 80,000 public school students were suspended at least once. One hundred and eighty one of them were in pre-kindergarten programs. “While I understand that man-

Montgomery County Leggett to Host Second FY16 Operating Budget Public Forum

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Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett will host the second of five budget forums on Wednesday, January 14 at 7 p.m. at the Silver Spring Civic Building, One Veterans Place. Residents are invited to attend and provide input about priorities for the Fiscal Year 2016 Operating Budget. “Public forums give residents an opportunity to tell me what’s important to them as I prepare next year’s operating budget for submission to the County Council on

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The revolutionary new Verta Loc Back Brace is helping seniors everywhere re-discover an active and pain-free lifestyle.

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The bill aims to ban suspension, expulsions from any publicly funded Pre-K program.

aging a classroom of young children can at times be difficult, I have a hard time understanding what behavior of a 3- or 4-year-old would constitute an out-of-school suspension or expulsion,” said Grosso. “We are beginning the school-to-prison pipeline before some children even have the opportunity to fully begin their educational pursuits.” The adverse effects of out-ofschool suspension and expulsion on a student can be profound, Grosso said. While there is no research that indicates that suspensions improve a child’s behavior or make schools safer, studies have shown that students who are suspended or expelled are more prone to low achievement and landing in the juvenile justice system. Further, students who experience suspension and expulsion are as much as 10 times more likely to ultimately drop out of school than are those who have not, he added.

The District would not be the first jurisdiction to recognize that when it comes to the youngest students zero tolerance-style school discipline policies are not always appropriate. Last summer, the Chicago Public School Board of Education voted to prohibit the suspension of Pre-K through 2nd grade students except for cases involving extreme safety concerns. In Minneapolis, the Superintendent has implemented a new Pre-K through 1st grade suspension ban for non-violent offenses. “The conversation regarding student discipline is ripe in the District of Columbia,” Grosso said. “We need to grapple with the fact that suspension is at odds with teaching the social and behavioral skills many students lack. I welcome that conversation as putting our students in the very best position to learn is a priority of the Committee on Education.”

March 16,” said Leggett. “Input from residents for the FY16 budget is crucial in helping me determine the County’s budget priorities.” The remaining forums in other areas of the County are scheduled throughout January according to the following schedule:

Sign language interpreter services will be provided only upon request with notice as far in advance as possible, but no less than 72 hours prior to the event. If these or other services or aids are needed to participate in this activity, call 240-7776507, TTY 240-773-3556 or email a request to Karen.falcon@montgomerycountymd.gov. The CountyExecutive announces his Recommended Fiscal Year 2016 Operating Budget on March 16. The County Council approves the operating budget at the end of May. Join Montgomery County’s conversation about the FY16 Operating Budget on social media and help raise awareness by using #MontCoFY16budgetforum.

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