District Chronicles V13 Issue 52 by District Chronicles

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DCPS student test scores in math, English on the up and up Page 4

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Volume 13 Issue 52

Editorial

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President Obama addresses Africa’s leaders at a summit in D.C.

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he importance of President Obama’s U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit held in D.C. should not be underestimated. This is an historic event for all Americans, but especially for 45 million Black Americans who all are directly or indirectly descended from Africa. Because of the politically polarized atmosphere in Washington, D.C., whatever initiative President Obama attempts to launch is met with the usual conservative or racially motivated attacks on his leadership, motives or accomplishments. Yet, the sheer magnitude of 45 to 50 African heads of state, along with their respective ministers, will indeed significantly improve the public perception in America about Africa’s past, present and future. Beyond helping to change some of the negative stereotypes about Africa, the U.S. - Africa Leaders Summit has the potential to provide new business opportunities. In fact, there were multibilliondollar investment deals on the summit table for consideration. There were also summit-related opportunities to work on sustainable, collaborative business ventures, joint economic development

projects, and increased international trade relationships with Africa. The theme of the summit was “Investing in the Next Generation.” According to a statement issued by the White House, “This Summit, the largest event any U.S. President has held with African heads of state and government, will build on the President’s trip to Africa in the summer of 2013 and it will strengthen ties between the United States and one of the world’s most dynamic and fastest growing regions.” “I do not see the countries and peoples of Africa as a world apart; I see Africa as a fundamental part of our interconnected world – partners with America on behalf of the future we want for all of our children. That partnership must be grounded in mutual responsibility and mutual respect,” stated President Obama. Of course, mutual responsibility and respect cannot be something that just lasts a few days in Washington. The real test will be what happens after each African leader returns home. What will be the follow up? How will millions of people in Africa benefit from the summit? “We chose to do this summit to send a very clear signal that we are elevating our engagement with Africa. We see enormous opportu-

nities in Africa as it continues to advance its own economic development and continues to develop its capabilities as African countries as security and democratic partners of the United States,” said Ben Rhodes, Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications, in a telephone call with reporters. He added, “What the United States has done in all of our signature development programs – on food and power and health – is not just provide assistance to Africa, but build African capacity so that public health sectors are empowered to meet challenges on the continent; so that through our Power Africa initiative we are bringing electricity to the continent in a way that will foster development and integration with the global economy; and through our food security initiative we are building the capacity of the agricultural sector within Africa to feed populations and also to foster economic growth.” One thing is certain: the potential today for more economic development opportunity and progress in Africa is tremendous. In the wake of the U.S.- Africa Leaders Summit, I believe Black Americans in particular should independently reach out to Africa to establish long term, mutually beneficial relationships.

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DuJuan McCoy

or the second time in just two months, Nexstar Broadcasting Group has announced the sale of a television station to an African-American owned company. WEVV, a CBS affiliate in Evansville, Ind., will be sold to Bayou City Broadcasting for $18.6 million. Bayou City Broadcasting is a minority-led broadcaster owned by affiliates of Sankaty Advisors, LLC, Alta Communications and Bayou City Broadcasting, LLC. Bayou City Broadcasting, LLC is owned by DuJuan McCoy, who will serve as president and chief executive officer. Perry A. Sook, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Nexstar, commented, “The proposed transaction announced today, highlights our focus on completing pending transactions and represents the second time in the last two months that Nexstar has structured an agreement that furthers the FCC’s goal of increasing minority television ownership diversity.” McCoy founded Bayou City Broadcasting in December 2007 and in January 2008 agreed to purchase seven television stations located in Abilene and San Angelo, Texas. With this purchase, McCoy and Bayou City Broadcasting became the only African-American company to own and/or operate a Fox Affiliate in the United States and the first African American to own and operate a network affiliated station in Texas. For over two decades, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has advanced proposals for the incubation of broadcast station ownership by disadvantaged businesses, including minority-owned companies. FCC data indicates that AfricanAmerican ownership of television stations is exceptionally low, with African Americans controlling only 0.7 percent of all television broadcast stations. Last month, Nexstar announced plans to sell three full-

McCoy of Bayou City Broadcasting will buy WEVV, a CBS affilliate in Indiana.

powered, FOX affiliated stations in Shreveport, LA, Odessa-Midland, Texas and Quad Cities, IA, to Marshall Broadcasting Group, Inc., a newly formed minority owned media entity owned by Pluria Marshall Jr.

to supporting minority broadcasters as FCC licensees and owners and operators of television stations.” Nexstar’s recently announced station divestitures are subject to Federal Communications Commission approval, the consummation of Nexstar’s previously announced –DuJuan McCoy, BCBE a g r e e m e n t s to acquire the stock of pri “Nexstar is taking an indus- vately-held Communications Cortry leading role in significantly poration of America, and other expanding the diversity of media customary closing conditions, and ownership assets among minority Nexstar expects to complete all operators and addressing recent announced pending transactions proposed FCC regulation chang- in 2014. es,” said McCoy. “I am delighted The sale of WEVV to BCB we have been able to structure an brings the overall Communicaagreement for Bayou City Broad- tions Corporation of America casting’s purchase of the Evans- transaction into compliance with ville CBS affiliate and would wel- Department of Justice requirecome other opportunities to work ments for approval and will refurther with Nexstar or other lease the pending transaction from broadcasters who are committed hold pending divestiture.

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Neighborhood Metro Briefs: Notable news in and around Washington District of Columbia DCPS students test scores show improvement in math, English proficiency

dcscholars.org

istrict of Columbia Public Schools students reached all-time highs in maths and English on the 2014 DC CAS. For the first time, more than half of DCPS students are proficient in math, Office of the Chancellor reported in a press release. In math, 51.1 percent of students are proficient, up 1.6 percentage points from the previous year and 22.6 percentage points from 2007. In reading, 47.7 percent of students are proficient, up 0.3 percentage points from 2013 and 13 percentage points from 2007. “I’m proud that the results of the DC CAS show we’re continuing on an upward trajectory,” Chancellor Kaya Henderson said. “However, I’m somewhat disappointed that we weren’t able to demonstrate greater growth this year. We are on the right track and

now we just need to accelerate our progress.” Two schools, Stanton Elementary School and Kelly Miller Middle School, moved out of “priority” status, which is a school accountability classification under the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act. To exit this status, these schools had to show significant growth over three consecutive years. According to the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE), Stanton is now classified as “developing” and Kelly Miller is now classified as “rising.” The greatest gains of any tested grade were at the high school level where students showed 4.2 percentage point growth in math and a 4.2 point percentage point growth in reading. Nearly every high school, 15 of 17, showed a gain in one of the testing subject areas. Students in six high schools, Cardozo, Coolidge, Dunbar, Luke C. Moore, McKinley and Wilson, made growth in math and reading. Students in the tenth grade made the greatest gains of any other grade, growing 4.1 per-

Schools like Stanton Elementary saw significant improvement over three consecutive years

centage points in math and 4.1 percentage points in reading. In addition, students in eighth grade grew in both math and reading, 1.1 point increase in math and 0.9 point increase in reading. In the coming 2014-2015 school year, the school system will focus on improving struggling schools, investing in middle grade students and increasing student satisfaction. Eleven schools, representing nearly all wards in the city, made

Divine Intervention By Sarah Pulliam Bailey Religion News Service

rominent conservative voices are criticizing the decision to bring two medical missionaries that contracted Ebola back to the United States for treatment. Real estate mogul Donald Trump and retired neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Carson were both critical of bringing the infected missionaries back to the U.S. columnist Ann Coulter went further, questioning why the missionaries were working in the “disease-ridden cesspools” of Africa. Dr. Kent Brantly, with Samaritan’s Purse, and Nancy Writebol, with Service in Mission, are medical missionaries who were infected with Ebola while working with patients in Liberia. They are being treated at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta. “If Dr. Brantly had practiced at Cedars-Sinai hospital in Los Angeles and turned one single Hol-

lywood power-broker to Christ, he would have done more good for the entire world than anything he could accomplish in a century spent in Liberia,” Coulter wrote in a column. But the professional provocateur is facing a backlash from the mainstream Christian establishment, especially evangelicals, for whom overseas missionary work is an article of faith. “St. Thomas should have never gone to India and Jim Elliott should have never gone into the jungle,” conservative columnist Erick Erickson shot back at Coulter on Twitter. Denny Burk, a biblical studies professor at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, said Coulter was dishing out “pagan foolishness” and shouldn’t be a go-to source for the theology of mission work. Andrew Walker from the Southern Baptists’ Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission called her remarks “absolutely reprehensible, Christdenying vitriol.”

4 | Aug. 14 - Aug. 20, 2014 | District Chronicles

double-digit gains in math. These schools are Amidon-Bowen Elementary School (10.4), Capitol Hill Montessori (12.9), Drew Elementary School (34.0), Ketcham Elementary School (11.3), Kimball Elementary School (10.6), LudlowTaylor Elementary School (15.3), Raymond Education Campus (15.3), Ross Elementary School (13.3), School Without Walls at Francis-Stevens (11.0), Truesdell (14.2) and Whittier Education Campus. (13.3). Four schools

made double-digit gains in reading, including Cardozo Education Campus (10.2), Drew Elementary School (18.0), Dunbar High School (23.3) and Seaton Elementary School (16.6). Two schools, Mann Elementary School in Ward 3 and Ross Elementary School in Ward 2, crossed the 90 percent proficiency mark in both reading and math. Complete school level data will be available on the DCPS website later this summer.

Carson takes heat for his view on ebola crisis

Last week, Trump sent a series of tweets about the missionaries being treated in the U.S.: “Ebola patient will be brought to the U.S. in a few days - now I know for sure that our leaders are incompetent. KEEP THEM OUT OF HERE!” “Stop the EBOLA patients from entering the U.S. Treat them, at the highest level, over there. THE UNITED STATES HAS ENOUGH PROBLEMS!” “The U.S. cannot allow EBOLA infected people back. People that go to far away places to help out are great-but must suffer the consequences!” Russell Moore, the head of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, tried to restrain himself on Instagram: “I have no words for this. Actually I think I do but the Holy Spirit won’t let me say them.” Carson, who is flirting with a

White House run after taking on President Obama at the 2013 National Prayer Breakfast, said it was a mistake to bring the missionaries back for treatment and doctors could have flown overseas to treat them. The head nurse at Emory, where the missionaries were taken, wrote that Americans stand to benefit from what medical professionals learn by treating the patients. “These Americans generously went to Africa on a humanitarian mission to help eradicate a disease that is especially deadly in countries without our health-care infrastructure. They deserve the same selflessness from us,” wrote Susan M. Grant. “To refuse to care for these professionals would raise enormous questions about the ethical foundation of our profession.” Before they returned to the United States, Samaritan’s Purse arranged for the missionaries to receive an experimental drug, prompting debate among Africans over why Americans could receive

the drug when Africans couldn’t. An elderly missionary became the first Ebola patient to arrive in Europe for treatment on August 7 when Spain’s government flew a 75-year-old Roman Catholic priest back from Liberia. Missionaries have sometimes received backlash for their involvement in other countries. Evvy Campbell, a retired professor of intercultural studies at Wheaton College, who once served as a medical missionary in Sierra Leone, said a similar epidemic of fear surrounded the beginning of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in the 1980s. “It’s driven by ignorance and self-protection,” said Campbell. “Missionaries have always gone into these kinds of situations and have often been on the front line.” The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued its highest-level alert for a response to the Ebola crisis. Ebola has claimed more than 900 lives in West Africa since the start of the latest outbreak.

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Cover

Obama seeks ‘long-term’ partnership with Africa

By George E. Curry NNPA Editor-in-Chief

from Congress. The United States does most of its trading in Africa, primarily in the energy sector, with just three countries – South Africa, Nigeria and Angola. “Our entire trade with all of Africa is still only about equal to our trade with Brazil – one country,” the president stated. “Of all the goods we export to the world, only about 1 percent goes to sub-Saharan Africa. So we’ve got a lot of work to do. We have to do better – much better. I want Africans buying more American products. I want Americans buying more African products.” Obama said, “I’m pleased that in conjunction with this forum, American companies are announcing major new deals in Africa. Blackstone will invest in African energy projects. Coca-Cola will partner with Africa to bring clean water to its communities. GE will help build African infrastructure. Marriott will build more hotels. All told, American companies – many with our trade assistance – are announcing new deals in clean energy, aviation, banking, and construction worth more than $14 billion, spurring development across Africa and selling more goods stamped with that proud label, ‘Made in America.’”

Pete Souza/whitehouse.gov

WASHINGTON (NNPA) – President Barack Obama announced last week that the federal government and private U.S. companies are investing $33 billion in Africa – $12 billion in new commitments – as part of an overall plan for his administration to strengthen its relation with the world’s second-largest continent. Speaking to nearly 50 African heads of state and top officials at the U.S.-Africa Summit at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in the nation’s capital, Obama said: “As president, I’ve made it clear that the United States is determined to be a partner in Africa’s success – a good partner, an equal partner, and a partner for the long term. Although this is the largest gathering of African leaders ever convened by a U.S. president, China has had several such conferences and has a strong presence in Africa, building infrastructure and making loans, without attaching the United States’ concerns about democracy or human rights. Offering an indirect contrast to China’s presence in Africa, President Obama said, “We don’t look to Af-

rica simply for its natural resources; we recognize Africa for its greatest resource, which is its people and its talents and their potential. We don’t simply want to extract minerals from the ground for our growth; we want to build genuine partnerships that create jobs and opportunity for all our peoples and that unleash the next era of African growth. That’s the kind of partnership America offers.” Obama announced five steps that he said will “take our trade with Africa to the next level.” < Work to renew the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA); < Provide $7 billion in new financing to promote American exports to Africa as part of the “Doing Business in Africa” campaign; < Partner with Africa to expand electricity, a requirement for economies to flourish; < Help African countries trade with one another and < Do more to empower the next generation of African entrepreneurs. Most of the government funding will come from existent U.S. development banks and therefore will not require new spending approval

President Obama in an on-stage interview with Takunda Chingozo of Zimbabwe.

After the president’s speech, onstage interview with Takunda Chingonzo, a 21-year-old wireless executive in Zimbabwe, illustrated the complexity of relations in Africa. Chingonzo said, “I’m working on my third startup – it’s called Saisai. We’re creating Zimbabwe’s first free Internet-access network, hence liberating the Internet. So in our working, we came to a point in time where we needed to import a bit of technology from the United States, and so we were engaging in conversation with these U.S.-based businesses. And the response that we got time and time again was that unfortunately we cannot do business with you because you are from Zimbabwe.” He continued, “…And I un-

derstand that the sanctions that we have – that are imposed on entities in Zimbabwe, these are targeted sanctions, right? But then we have come to a point in time where we as young Africans are failing to properly engage in business with U.S.based entities because there hasn’t been that clarity.” Obama said, “ … But you’re absolutely right that it also has to be balanced with making sure that whatever structures that we put in place with respect to sanctions don’t end up punishing the very people inside those countries.” The U.S. has a diplomatic presence in Harare and, like the European Union, has been moving toward normalizing relations with Zimbabwe.

Black women-owned businesses up by 258 percent By Jazelle Hunt NNPA Washington Correspondent (WASHINGTON)– From the rubble of the Great Recession, female business owners are emerging victorious with record growth and economic impact. Even so, female entrepreneurs still face barriers to success. 30 percent of all American businesses have a woman at the helm. African American women in particular are a driving force, establishing their enterprises at six times the national average, according to a 2013 American Express OPEN report. Between 1997 and 2013, African American women-owned businesses grew by 258 percent and made $226.8 billion in revenue. But available data suggests there is much more unearthed potential: “While women-owned businesses are the fastest-growing segment of businesses, and many succeed, women must overcome barri-

ers that their male competitors do not face,” stated a report from the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. “In the area of capital, studies find that women do not get sufficient access to loans and venture capital.” Despite excelling with the opportunities given, women entrepreneurs still face obstacles echoing from decades of codified sexism. Chief among these obstacles is access to capital. A study from the Ewing Marion Kaufman Foundation found that women receive 80 percent less capital than men for first-year financing. The Senate committee report also points out that women-owned small businesses (WOSBs) represent 30 percent of all small businesses, but only 17 percent of U.S. Small Business Administration loans went to women entrepreneurs. However, this may be their best opportunity to access funds; the SBA says women are three to five times more likely to be approved

6 | Aug. 14 - Aug. 20, 2014 | District Chronicles

for an SBA loan than for a conventional loan. The WOSB Procurement Program was established in 2000 to help federal agencies funnel contracts to WOSBs. Of seven similar procurement programs for disadvantaged businesses, the WOSB Procurement Program is the only one that does not have sole source authority. WOSBs can only subcontract on them, thus splitting the earnings with other firms. Some of the women business owners turned rampant unemployment into an opportunity. In 2002, Karen Lawrence was laid off in the post-9/11 recession. Tired of fighting to get back into the corporate world, she channeled her event management skills into a startup. Using her savings and severance package, she launched It’s My Affair, LLC. Despite the obstacles, women entrepreneurship will likely continue to grow, especially if proposed interventions come to pass.

An amendment to grant sole source authority to the WOSB Procurement Program is neatly tucked into the National Defense Authorization Act of 2015, which has been passed in the House and is moving its way through the Senate. The Senate committee also finds that the SBA Microloan and Intermediary Lending Programs are “well-suited to target women owned borrowers,” though they need to be modernized through Congressional action. The explosion of crowdfunding – using social networks and websites to seek donations to raise capital for projects – has been particularly useful for women. Because it is such a new phenomenon, the law is still catching up. The committee report explains, “When fully implemented, the [the Jumpstart Our Business Startups] JOBS Act through crowdfunding has the potential to greatly expand the investor base and allow women-owned companies to appeal to

a wider investor audience, such as other women investors.” Data suggests that the millennial generation, defined as those born between the mid 1980s and early 2000s, is particularly attuned to entrepreneurship. A Kaufman Foundation study found that 54 percent of young people are interested in starting a business or have done so already, and that the rate is “notably higher — 10 to 11 percent” for young adults of color. Lawrence advises aspiring entrepreneurs to become experts on the market they’re entering, make connections, and take advantage of resources such as a local SBA office. “It takes a lot of research to figure out what’s available to you. The SBA has done a good job in the past with helping find out what’s available,” said Lawrence, adding that repeated engagement with these resources yields best results. “The information is out there, but you have to find it.”

Politics

Young African leaders talk talent, tech with Obama By Freddie Allen NNPA Washington Correspondent

Freddie Allen/NNPA

WASHINGTON – Abbigal Muleya, a young woman from Zimbabwe, traveled by bus for 18 hours just to apply for the Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, a rigorous, six-week program at some of the best universities in the United States. Muleya was one of 500 young people selected from 50,000 applicants for the fellowship that featured training in leadership, business and public management. During a town hall with the young African leaders, Obama pledged to double the number of Washington fellows from 500 to 1,000, to provide more grants for entrepreneurship, and to develop regional leadership centers. “I launched the Young African Leaders Initiative to make sure that we’re tapping into the incredible talent and creativity of young Africans like you,” said Obama. “Since then, we’ve partnered with thousands of young people across the continent – empowering them with the skills and the training and technology they need to start new businesses, to spark change in their communities, to promote education and health care and good governance.” President Obama created the Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, renamed the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, in conjunction with the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) to partner with young people on the continent, providing the tools and training to start businesses and to support educational opportunities, health services and civic engagement. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) pledged $38 million to create regional leadership centers in Ghana, Kenya, Senegal and South Africa. The MasterCard Foundation will fund the centers for five years and companies, including Microsoft, Dow Chemical Company, Intel Corporation, and Cisco Systems, will also provide financial, business tools and technical support to aid in the project.

President Obama addresses participants in the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders during a town hall in Washington, D.C

With 60 percent of Africa’s population under 35, the future success of African nations will depend on the leadership, skills, and ingenuity of this emerging generation of leaders and this public-private partnership is vital to helping better the continent for years to come, said White House officials. Adebayo Alonge, 27, a business and entrepreneurship fellow at Yale University in New Haven, Conn., said that YALI is aimed at improving America’s relationship with Africa, a relationship that has been frayed. “[America] lost that first position to Asia and Europe, but this is supposed to redefine that relationship in terms of leveraging all of the young leaders here to improve its influence on the continent,” said Alonge, who is from Nigeria. “At the core of it, [Obama] is looking at African youth to take responsibility for moving the continent forward. At the end of the day, it’s the young people that have to hold our governments to account.” Hilarius Abiwu, 35, a public management fellow at Morgan State University in Baltimore, Md., said that the young African leaders agreed with virtually all of the comments that President Obama made from looking for homegrown solutions to solve Africa’s problems, to addressing gender equality, and moving away from the old model of providing aid to

Africa to a new model where Africa is seen as a partner in a competitive world. “As a continent, we need to move away from the position that we are looking up to other people to come and help us solve our problems,” said Abiwu. He was disappointed to learn that some young Blacks don’t even want to identify with the continent. Abiwu recommended that Africans and Black Americans that know the true history of the continent and the beautiful things that are happening in Africa to take the initiative by re-educating the Black community about the great potential that Africa has and about the rising star that Africa has become. The YALI Summit preceded the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit, the largest gathering of African heads of state and government hosted by an American president. “Because for all the difficulties, the world has made progress and Africa is making progress. And it’s growing. And there are fewer conflicts and there’s less war. And there’s more opportunity, and there’s greater democracy, and there’s greater observance of human rights,” said Obama. “ … I have no doubt that you’re going to leave behind for the next generation and the generation after that an Africa that is strong and vibrant and prosperous, and is ascendant on the world stage.”

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Technology

Nomophobia: When smartphone affliction leads to addiction

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(BPT) – Everyday technology consumes everyone’s lives as the phone, computer, tablet and other high-tech devices have become not just an object, but also a close companion. And for those who are extremely connected to their devices, going without them, even for only a few minutes, can be an anxiety-filled experience. A majority of American adults (56 percent) own smartphones, according to a recent study by the Pew Research Center. Having the ability to check your mail, play games and browse the Internet right in your pocket is a leap forward for technology and staying connected to the workplace, but it may come at a cost. Nomophobia, or the pathological fear of remaining out of touch with technology, is a relatively modern affliction. It’s basically a side effect from changes the mobile phone has made to human habits, behaviors and even the way we perceive reality. Entire relationships are becoming defined through mobile texting and colorful little emoticons, from saying “I love you” to “I think we should move on.” So how did it come to this? Have smartphones become an extension

of Americans, or is everyone simply becoming victims of a fast-paced, always connected society? Chances are it’s a little bit of both. Dr. Chuck Howard, licensed psychologist and chair of the psychology programs at Argosy University, Denver, believes it can be more complex than simply stamping a label on the problem. “Nomophobia is a result of people becoming more and more electronically connected to the point that their technology-based network and relationships become their home community,” said Howard. “Losing that connection is essentially a form of electronic banishment. They fear being tossed out of or losing their ‘social village.’” The term was originally coined from a 2010 study by YouGov, a UK-based research organization that wanted to look at anxieties suffered by mobile phone users. The study found that men and women often felt stressed when their mobile phones were turned off. “Nomophobia can be a symptom of a potential addiction,” said Howard. “Users who are happy and having a good time when on their device, then face great stress and anxiety without it. They may obsess

about it. They can’t put it down. This is when actual addiction becomes a threat.” When you see a behavior becoming destructive, and admit to having a problem, you can handle it in the same way as other types of addiction. “Develop strategies for meeting your social needs in other ways ... without depending on an electronic platform,” suggested Howard. Start by resisting the urge to constantly check your phone. Try limiting your number of mobile social media networks and consider joining more in-person professional networking groups or sports clubs. Set aside some time to leave your phone alone during dinner, while with friends or going to sleep. If it becomes an addiction and begins to strain your relationships, consider asking others around you what they think. Be open to a sort of intervention where friends and family may candidly tell you their thoughts. No need to go cold-turkey, just take some small steps at a time to disconnect and enjoy the world around you, without looking through a smartphone screen. And lastly if you can’t do it alone, then seek professional help.

Mobiles replacing human common sense

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By Bill Fletcher, Jr. NNPA Columnist I was strolling down a very busy Broadway in New York City a couple of weeks ago. It was a very nice Saturday and it seemed like everyone was out walking and shopping. In front of me was a woman and her very young child (maybe 3 or 4 years old). The woman was completely entranced by her cell phone. She was texting away. Her daughter was walking a few steps behind her and was meandering around. My wife and I found this very unsettling. So, too, did two young men who were approaching us. They looked at each other and got ready to say something to the young mother. My wife beat them to the punch, telling the woman that she needed to pay attention to her child because someone could simply grab the child since the mother appeared com-

pletely oblivious to the surroundings. The mother grunted – there is no other way to describe it – and yelled to her child to stay with her. As we crossed the street I looked behind me and noticed that, while the daughter was closer to her mother, the mother was back at texting. This all reminded me of an episode from “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” where members of the crew discover this toy that completely captivates them to the point that they can do nothing but play with it. On another recent day, I saw a mother and her child walking to school with the mother texting away, ignoring the child altogether. Let me be clear. I use my cell phone regularly. But what I am seeing is not simply the usage of cell phones. Rather, it is the cell replacing real human contact. It is the cell as a narcotic. The woman in NYC had completely lost focus. Her child could

have vanished in a nano-second and she would not have noticed. Yet, there is another aspect to this. When I was a child and with my parents, my parents would talk with me. I do not mean that I was the center of every conversation, but we spoke about all sorts of things. If a parent is focused on that cell – and dollars to donuts they are not cutting deals for some hedge fund or handling major issues in their organizations – they cannot pay attention to the questions that the child might be asking or might wish to ask. Let me put it even more directly in case I have been too subtle: what is so important in that cell phone that one feels comfortable ignoring a child? Bill Fletcher, Jr. is a racial justice, labor and global justice activist and writer. Follow him on Facebook and at www. billfletcherjr.com.

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In the Neighborhood

Metro Briefs: Notable news in and around Washington District of Columbia Federal contract workers strike

ast week, hundreds of lowwage federal contract workers from landmark federal buildings in our nation’s capital walked off their jobs saying President Obama’s recent $10.10 Executive Order is not enough to afford the American Dream. “I’ve been serving food for two years in a federal building, but my real dream is to become a registered nurse,” said Keyona Dandridge, who works at Union Station. “I had to drop-out of college because I couldn’t afford books and tuition. I want to go back to school – but it’s hard to save on low pay.” This is the ninth strike in the past year by low-wage federal contract workers at federal buildings like Union Station, the Pentagon, Smithsonian museums, the National Zoo and the Ronald Reagan Building. In a dramatic escalation, the workers and national faith leaders engaged in civil disobedience in the street in front of Union Station by holding an “Interfaith Breaking of the Bread” ceremony. “The bounty our nation produces is abundant. There is enough for all, but it is not being shared with low-wage workers,” said the

Rev. Michael Livingston, former president of the National Council of Churches and the national policy director of Interfaith Worker Justice. The strike comes just days after a U.S. House Ad-Hoc Hearing on wage theft where leaders of the Congressional Progressive Caucus issued a letter to the president calling on him to do more than the minimum and issue a Good Jobs Executive Order to make sure federal contracts reward companies that don’t steal worker wages, pay living wages and benefits, and respect collective bargaining so workers don’t need to keep striking to be heard. A recent study by the think tank Demos estimated that a Good Jobs Executive Order could put almost 20 million people on a path to the middle class – and help end Uncle Sam’s role as the largest funder of low-wage jobs for women and minorities. “The taxpayers of the United States believe that their hard-earned money ought to go to contractors who treat their employees fairly. The federal government should set high labor standards that can radiate throughout the rest of the economy,” said U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN), co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. In addition to calling for the Good Jobs Executive Order, Reps. Ellison and

John Lewis (D-GA) announced new legislation to make union organizing a civil right.

Montgomery County Montgomery County Public Libraries seeking teens for advisory group Montgomery County Public Libraries is recruiting high school students for its Teen Advisory Group (TAG). Teens, ages 14 to 18, who like to read, write, and would be interested in perhaps interviewing authors and public officials are encouraged to apply. Any teens interested in doing social media, YouTube and video productions, and setting up teen events in branch libraries should also consider applying. Teens can apply online or obtain a hard copy application at their MCPL branch library. Applications are due September 5, and qualified candidates will be interviewed in September. Those who are accepted in the program will serve from September 2014 to May 2015 and will meet monthly, plus work independently or in small groups as needed. More details are available at on the Teensite , http://www.montgomerycountymd.libguides.com/ teensite, or by emailing teensite@ montgomerycountymd.gov.

Phi Beta Sigma fraternity gifts $500K endowment to Howard

Special to the NNPA from the Afro-American

howard.edu

Howard University recently received a $500,000 endowment from the Phi Beta Sigma fraternity, a gift the organization called a “reflection on its glorious past and the enormous achievements it has attained to date.” Late last month, Phi Sigma Beta Inc. International President Jonathan Mason presented the gift to

newly appointed Howard University President Wayne A.I. Frederick. In a release announcing the presentation, the fraternity called Howard University “beacon light from which all of the [Phi Sigma Beta] organization’s amazing accomplishments have shined.” A week before the presentation, Phi Sigma Beta celebrated the centennial of its founding with a gala event in Washington, D.C. The community service organization

Howard University President Frederick and International President of Phi Beta Sigma Jonathan A. Mason, Sr..

currently boasts more than 150,000 members and chapters in every state.

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District Chronicles | Aug. 14 - Aug. 20, 2014 | 11

In the Neighborhood Metro Briefs: Notable news in and around Washington Montgomery County Board of Elections launches recruitment for Future Vote Program

he Montgomery County Board of Elections is seeking school-age students, grades 6-12, to participate in its “Future Vote” Program. Future Vote students will serve as Election Day student aides during the 2014 Gubernatorial General Election on Tuesday, Nov. 4. There are also opportunities for students to assist the Board of Elections with a variety of activities before Election Day. Students and their guardians must attend mandatory training to participate in the Future Vote Program and, if applicable, students will receive Student Service Learning (SSL) credits. Most students

work in precincts near their home. This initiative combines civic participation and the opportunity to observe democracy in action. The Future Vote Program is available to all students within public, private, independent, religious or home-school settings throughout Montgomery County, MD. U.S. citizenship is not a pre-requisite and students with bilingual and American Sign Language skills are encouraged to apply. In the 2012 Presidential Election, more than 2,000 Montgomery County students participated in the Future Vote Program, including 473 students with bilingual skills and 15 students who were available at polling places to assist voters using American Sign Language. Interested parents/guardians may register their student(s) before Oct. 9 online by visiting the Montgomery County Board of Elections’ website at www.777vote.org.

For more information, call 240.777.VOTE, visit www.777vote. org, the mobile-friendly site, www.m.montgomerycountymd. gov/elections, the Maryland State Board of Elections’ website at http://elections.state.md.us, or follow the Montgomery County Board of Elections on Facebook or Twitter.

District of Columbia DC prepares for nonviolence summit to be held August 23 “Changing the Culture of Violence” is the theme of the second National Summit on Non-Violence, sponsored by Black Women for Positive Change and the Summit Council on Non-Violence Advisory network will hold the second national summit on non-violence on August 23, 9 am to 5 pm at Metropolitan AME Church, 1518 M Street, NW, Wash-

ington, DC. Registration will begin at 8:00 am. National experts on violence prevention will make presentations on relevant topics including, pathways that lead to violence, retraining individuals and communities traumatized by violence and how to change the culture of violence. The afternoon session will focus on issues that impact youth, including a screening of the youthviolence prevention film, “On 2nd Thought.” Additional sessions will be held on breaking the cycle of violence by regulating personal behaviors, building peaceful communities among youth , and unleashing the genius in youth. The summit will conclude with a “Positive Change Harmony Jam,” which will be live streamed at 4 p.m., featuring youth performing positive, optimistic rap and hiphop songs.

Youth attendees designated as “Non-Violence Youth Ambassadors” will tweet, text and Facebook post conference proceedings to a global social network in real time. “The National Summit on NonViolence will focus on the problem of violence in our families, communities, and in society-at large. Adults, youth, faith leaders, rappers, educators and elected officials will talk together about finding solutions,” said BW4PC National Co-Chairs Delegate Daun S. Hester and Dr. Stephanie E. Myers in a joint statement. “No one has all the answers to solve the problem of violence so we are inviting the community to brainstorm together. We hope other cities will join this effort to find ways to stop the violence by watching the live stream of the workshops.” Registration is free at at www. blackwomenforpositivechange.org.

Families pack Show Place Arena wall to wall for PGCPS Back to School Fair

Robert Eubanks/DistrictChronicles

Robert Eubanks/District Chronicles

Robert Eubanks/DistrictChronicles

Robert Eubanks/District Chronicles

Robert Eubanks/DistrictChronicles

Robert Eubanks/District Chronicles

12 | Aug. 14 - Aug. 20, 2014 | District Chronicles

Clockwise from top-left: The Show Place Arena was packed August 9th for the PGCPS Back to Schoo Fair. Parents, kids had access to resources they needed for the school year and plenty of fun things to do around. These included face paintings, haircuts, student perfomances, immunizations, tutoring and giveaways like backpacks filled with supplies.