ANTONIO BARNES ELECTED, YOUNGEST MEMBER IN HIS ANC 8
In her defense: Janay Rice should be applauded, not attacked Page 2
Robert Eubanks/District Chronicles
December 18 - December 24, 2014
Which area hospitals are Ebola ready? Page 4 www.districtchronicles.com
Volume 14 Issue 18
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Editorial
Janay Rice has been called everything but a child of God
By Raynard Jackson NNPA Columnist
ESPN
Feminists claim that women should take more control of their lives, arguing that they are capable of making their own decisions without a man’s guidance. However, these feminists are curiously absent when it comes to defending Janay Rice’s very personal and difficult decision to fight for her marriage. You know Janay – or you think you do. She’s the wife of Ray Rice, the former Baltimore Raven’s football running back. He was fired from the Ravens after the infamous video of him knocking out Janay in an Atlantic City elevator surfaced. The video, which was repeatedly aired on television and the internet, shows Rice dragging her limp, unconscious body out of the elevator. At the time, she was his fiancée. They got married a couple of weeks later. Since the airing of the embarrassing video, people – both men and women – have called Janay everything but a child of God. She has been pilloried for purportedly “not knowing she was abused” and setting a “bad example” for other victims of domestic violence. What was her offense? Apparently it was making the
decision – on her own – to work through the terror and shame of being knocked unconscious by her now husband in order to keep their marriage intact. Yep, what a “horrible” person she is. The nerve of her taking her marriage vows literally and seriously: “to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part.” It would have been so easy for Janay to walk away from it all. But she didn’t. She decided that after investing so much in her relationship with Ray Rice, and for the sake of their young daughter, Rayven, she would stay and work through their issues. In an interview on the “Today Show,” Janay said, “Everybody makes mistakes … After this whole situation, you would think that we lived in a country full of people who never made a mistake.” You would have thought that Janay would be heralded as a woman to be emulated but that hasn’t been the case. Instead, she has been called “crazy,” “a victim,” “delusional,” and “in denial.” There was a time when women were praised for working through the problems everyone faces during the course of a marriage. Women used to be ashamed at the pros-
Janay Rice has backed her husband, former Baltimore Ravens player Ray Rice, since the domestic violence scandal.
pect of a divorce. As hard as it is for the public to understand, many of these women never bailed out because they still loved their husband, flaws and all. There is the shining example of Earlitha “Cookie” Johnson, the wife of NBA great, Earvin “Magic” Johnson. She committed to working through Magic’s womanizing and contracting HIV in order to keep their marriage and family intact. And let’s not forget Hilary Clinton, who had to undergo the embarrassment of sordid details of President Clinton’s affair with a White House intern. Janay should be looked at in
the same light as other courageous women who decided that they, in the words of an old cigarette commercial, would rather fight than switch. But she is not viewed that way. If Ray Rice were a Wall Street investment banker, and all other facts were the same, would people view Janay any differently? Just asking. Despite constant talk to the contrary, divorce rates have been falling over the past 30 years. According to a study by University of Michigan economist, Justin Wolfers, only one-third of marriages end up in divorce, not the much touted 50 percent.
Historically, Black women have been fiercely loyal to their men and have been the backbone of the Black family. Their loyalty was celebrated. So why is Janay not being celebrated by Black women? Where are the wives of the members of the Congressional Black Caucus? Why is Janay not receiving an image award from the NAACP? Why has the preeminent Black women’s group, the National Council of Negro Women, suddenly come down with a case of laryngitis? All troubled couples need and deserve support. That’s what we should extend to Janay rather than scorn.
Yes, protests and marches still make a difference By Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. NNPA Columnist “Hands Up, Don’t Shoot” “No Justice, No Peace” “I Can’t Breathe” “Black Lives Matter” Those are the chants and handwritten signs that continue to characterize marches, die-ins, sit-ins and other non-violent actions in more than 50 cities across the nation in response to grand jury decisions in Missouri and New York not to indict White police officers for killing unarmed African Americans. As always, there are detractors who argue that civil rights marches, while helpful in the past, are passe in an era of a Black family occupying the White House. They
are wrong. And if they had studied history, they would know it. Every inch of progress toward racial justice and equality in America has only come as a consequence of organized public protest and struggle. Each march had goals that went beyond marching for the sake of marching. The Civil Rights Act of 1964, Voting Rights Act of 1965, and Fair Housing Act of 1968, as well as all the subsequent racial justice laws were only established after a protracted period of civil rights demonstrations and protest. It is noteworthy that today a growing number of young people are not only marching, but assuming leadership roles in the mass marches in support of Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Akai Gurley, Tamir Rice, and Rumain Brisbon.
2 | Dec. 18 - Dec. 24, 2014 | District Chronicles
From Boston to Los Angeles, Miami to Phoenix, from Chicago to New York City, from Washington, D.C. to Atlanta, and from St. Louis to Pittsburgh people are demanding equal justice. People are protesting excessive use of deadly force and police brutality. And the movement is growing. The coalition includes the National Action Network, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), National Urban League, Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, the Institute for Policy Studies, the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation, and the Hip-Hop Caucus. The goal of the march will be to seek additional
protection from Congress and the Department of Justice (DOJ). We want the DOJ to deploy federal special prosecutors to take over cases of Black Americans being killed by police officers. We should work with members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) to craft the appropriate legislation and remedies that should be adopted into law. The issues of racial profiling, police use of deadly force, prosecutorial misconduct, inadequate police training, video cameras on police officers, and grand jury injustice all are matters that require systemic change. Yes marching does make a difference in particular if it leads to both a change in how laws are established and enforced with transparency and equal justice. In his book, Where Do We Go From Here:
Chaos or Community? Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. warned, “The persistence of racism in depth and the dawning awareness that Negro demands will necessitate structural changes in society have generated a new phase of white resistance in North and South.’’ It is ironic, although some will say it is providential, that 47 years after Dr. King’s prophetic words, the persistence of racism in America continues with a majority of White Americans living in what Rev. Joe Lowery calls the 51st state – the state of denial. Yet, younger Americans – Black, White, Latino, Asian, and Native – are jointly protesting racially-motivated police killings. I agree that attaining equal justice today requires more marches and demonstrations. But, as always, they represent a great start.
Finance
Money, not marches, matters in Black economic empowerment
Robert Eubanks/District Chronicles
Some question if the marches following the grand jury decisions in Ferguson and New York will bring effective change.
By James Clingman NNPA Columnist
A
s the end of another tumultuous year approaches, Black people again find ourselves in the relative same economic and political position as we were the year before, and the years preceding. In 2007, leading up to 2008, when the ultimate level of political history had finally come to fruition, Black folks and others were citing the mantra, “Hope and Change!” Quite frankly, we got more hope than real positive change – for Blacks, that is. Just as our emotional bubble was inflated to its maximum capacity, now the air is coming out and we are heading back down from our lofty height, about to burst in a very short while. Instead of saying, “We are the change we’ve been looking for,” in light of all the unrest and injustice, I and others say as we have said for decades, “The change you are looking for is in your pockets.” Slowly but surely, albeit very late in the game, Black folks are learning that economic empowerment is the key to our progress and prosperity in this nation. Decades of instructions from wise elders, scholars, and activists seem to be taking hold on the minds of young people, despite the tired messages coming from some of our current leaders. It is way past time that Black people acknowledge our situation, admit our mistakes, and work cooperatively to improve our eco-
nomic situation, from which we can then build true political power. It’s not the other way around, and fortunately the young generations see and understand that reality. Although we still get our “marching” orders from political icons and media talking heads, many are determined to blaze a new trail that leads us to economic empowerment. The sad part is that all we have to do is look back at the past 60 years and we can see how wrong and misguided we have been in our quest for parity and fairness. Now, there is an enlightened, determined, and unwavering group of young people who are neither intimidated by the powerful nor swayed by the mis-leadership of the old guard and political gatekeepers. From the looks of it, they are in it for the long haul. While the events in Ferguson, Missouri, has brought about an awakening of sorts, the solutionbased messages we still hear are, “march” and “vote.” The NAACP, as big and bad as it purports to be, has just concluded a 120-mile walk from Ferguson to the Missouri governor’s office, the same guy who insulted them with his decisions in the aftermath of Michael Brown’s death. Walk 120 miles? The only thing we will get out of that is sore feet and worn shoe leather. Oh yes, the businesses along the route will benefit economically; I can hear them now saying, “Y’all come.” We will be counting the miles, and they will be counting the dollars. It’s no
wonder the younger generation is marching to its own drummer. They look back and see all the marching we did and ask, “Why are we still being subjected to the same things they marched against back in the day?” Can you blame them? While many in my generation and older are still hoping for change, young folks have come to the conclusion that the change they can and should control is in their pockets. They are committed to implementing economic solutions to address the problems they face, not only in Ferguson, but across the nation. They know that politics alone will not solve their problems; they know that the hue and cry from folks like Congressman John Lewis, who is now saying, “Republican voter suppression efforts played a crucial role in driving voter turnout to historic lows in 2014,” is ridiculous. The old political agenda is not the primary agenda of our young people. We fell head over heels for politics to solve our problems; they are using economics. I believe young folks, the “new guard,” are saying: “No more symbolism; we want substance; no more speeches, we want specifics; no more rhetoric, we want results; no more dallying, we’ll use our dollars; and no more hope, we’ll use our change.” Jim Clingman, founder of the Greater Cincinnati African American Chamber of Commerce can be reached through his Web site, Blackonomics. com.
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Neighborhood Metro Briefs: Notable news in and around Washington District of Columbia DC Lottery moves to new headquarters
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District of Columbia Thursday Network and National Black United Front present Ujima Kwanzaa Celebration Collective Work and Responsibility: To build and maintain our community together and make our brother’s and sister’s problems our problems, to solve them together The Greater Washington Urban League’s Young Professionals Auxiliary - Thursday Network and the National United Black Front - DC Chapter will host a “Ujima Kwanzaa Celebration.” This event will recognize the Kwanzaa principle of the day-collective work and responsibility (Ujima), as well as provide an introduction to the principles of Kwanzaa. There will be a discussion of current efforts and programs by both organizations as well as introductions to a number of organizational partners engaged in similar community based work. The event will take place on Sunday, December 28, 2014 from 2:30-6:00 p.m. at the Greater Washington Urban League Headquarters 2901 14th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009. Artistic performances by African dance troupes and drummers will be featured, along with a showcase of crafts and services by local entrepreneurs and artisans. Speakers include Nkechi Taifa,
Esq. - social justice attorney and author, Salim Adofo - national vice chairman, National Black United Front and Charis Goff - president of the Greater Washington Urban League’s Thursday Network.
DOH: Local hospitals equipped to battle Ebola This month, the DC Department of Health (DOH) reaffirmed its commitment to preparing for potential cases of the Ebola virus disease by announcing the first tier of acute care hospitals ready to address Ebola in the District of Columbia. DOH, along with the support of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has identified Children’s National Medical Center, Medstar Washington Hospital Center and George Washington University Hospital as the first group of nationally recognized Ebola preparedness hospitals in Washington, D.C. The CDC and DOH have visited, evaluated and determined these facilities capable of providing extensive clinical treatment. “Over the past six months, we have been focused on developing a strategy that will allow us to efficiently identify, monitor and treat potential Ebola cases identified in the District of Columbia,” said DOH Director, Dr. Joxel Gar-
4 | Dec. 18 - Dec. 24, 2014 | District Chronicles
dclottery.com
he DC Lottery’s headquarters has relocated to 2235 Shannon Place, SE. While it is just one block from its current location inside a former furniture warehouse on Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue, SE, the move represents a new age of operations for the 32year old revenue-generating DC Government agency. Founded in 1982, the DC Lottery is the District of Columbia Government agency that regulates the sale of gaming products and charitable gaming activities in the District of Columbia. Since its inception, the DC Lottery has awarded more than $3 billion in prizes,
transferred more than $1.8 billion to the District’s General Fund, which supports essential services in the District, and has helped local nonprofits raise more than $125 million in support of social causes. The new headquarters houses the agency’s executive and administrative staff as well as the consolidate claim center operations, which were previously conducted at a separate location within the Frank D. Reeves Municipal Centeron 14th Street in Northwest D.C. The move will not impact services conducted at any of the agency’s 500 DC Lottery retailers located throughout the District. “This building signals positive change for the DC Lottery, our players, and the neighborhood,” said DC Lottery Executive Director Buddy Roogow. “We are invested in this community and welcome
The new DC Lottery headquarters will house the agency’s executive and administrative staff.
the economic progression that is underway and evidenced by the city’s commitment.” The 82,000 square-foot office
building sits on the site of the former Metropolitan Police Department’s evidence warehouse. The building, currently in the final con-
struction stages, was the location for Mayor-Elect Muriel Bowser’s transition team announcement made last month.
cia. “Through collaboration with federal and local partners including the CDC and DCHA, we have created a unique standard, as well as an optimal system for preparing the city for Ebola or any other emerging public health threat. I strongly believe we have the best public health system in the nation and we will be ready if and when the time comes to address this public health concern.” The District of Columbia has developed a three-tiered approach to hospital readiness: the first tier of acute care hospitals are capable of identifying, isolating and treating patients infected with the Ebola Virus. The second tier will have the same capabilities and will serve as overflow should the tier one institutions be at capacity at the time of need. Tier three institutions will be capable of evaluating and isolating patients at risk for Ebola, and be able to stabilize these patients for transfer to a higher tier facility. “To be identified as a designated site in Washington, D.C., is an honor and recognition of the tremendous work we do every day,” said Barry Wolfman, chief executive officer and managing director of George Washington Hospital. “If called upon, we are ready to provide outstanding care of the highest quality. That’s what our record shows we do and what people in this region and our country expect from GW Hospital.” Moving forward, DOH will
continue to work with community based organizations, local health care facilities, fellow District agencies and all District hospitals on Ebola preparedness.
In addition, Uber will contribute $5 – the equivalent of 12 meals – to the food bank for every firsttime rider who enters the promo code. With just a few taps on a smartphone, transportation for food drive or volunteer initiatives can be left to the professionals. The food bank can dedicate its transportation resources to moving the 42 million pounds of food it distributes annually to the community, and the folks who want to help solve hunger but lack transportation can do so more conveniently. The partnership with Uber will make a huge impact on the CAFB by getting more food into the community, moving more volunteers to sort and pack food, and freeing up limited food bank resources to focus on hunger relief initiatives. Right now, over 100 schools, businesses and individuals are planning food drives; and in November and December alone, over 5,000 people will volunteer at one of the CAFB’s two locations in the District and Northern Virginia. With CAFB providing 35 million meals to over 500 food assistance partners in the District, Maryland and Northern Virginia, any extra help can make a big difference. The Capital Area Food Bank has been addressing hunger in the Washington metro area since 1980. The Uber partnership is just one example of how the food bank utilizes innovative approaches to solving hunger.
Uber, Capital Food Bank partner for holiday food donation The Capital Area Food Bank, the region’s largest hunger organization, has partnered with Uber, the rising ridesharing company to help get food to children, seniors and families during the holiday rush. “Hunger is at all-time highs in the D.C. area with more than 700,000 people in need,” said Nancy Roman, president and CEO of the Capital Area Food Bank. “This innovative partnership solves a bottleneck and will help us get thousands of small donations to children, seniors and families who need them.” Uber will provide first-time riders who use the promo code “CAFB” a free ride of up to $25 to one of the CAFB’s donation locations. She said this gives donors who want to help, but who either don’t drive, or can’t get to and from the organizations’ facility in Northeast – a way to contribute much needed canned goods. Roman said the organization needs tuna, canned chicken, beans and fruit in its own juice.
Divine Intervention
‘Sacred Journeys’ chronicles pilgrimage for many nations By Kimberly Winston Religion News Service
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At a time when membership in organized religion is shrinking, the number of spiritual or religious pilgrims has never been larger – more than 200 million per year. Why? That’s the main question behind “Sacred Journeys with Bruce Feiler,” a six-part television series that premiered on PBS this week. In it, Feiler, 50, follows pilgrims to sacred sites in Israel, Japan, France, Nigeria, India and Saudi Arabia. “Working on this series made me realize that organized religion may be threatened, but the desire people have for personal journeys, for seeking answers and asking the simplest question of ‘What do I believe?’ is as strong as ever,” Feiler said from his home in Brooklyn, N.Y. “And pilgrimage is that – an expression of people trying to figure out what they believe.” Feiler is a long-time pilgrim himself. His 2001 book, “Walking the Bible: A Journey by Land through the Five Books of Moses,” was a New York Times best-seller and the subject of its own PBS miniseries. But in “Sacred Journeys,” he explores six of the world’s most popular pilgrimages – the Marian shrine in Lourdes, France; Jerusalem; Mecca; the Kumbh Mela along the Ganges River; the Japanese Buddhist festival Shikoku; and the Osun-Osogbo fertility festival in West Africa – not on his own, but through the eyes and footsteps of others. Most are first-time pilgrims who find themselves out of their spiritual and physical comfort zones. They’re afflicted with blisters, sore backs, sunburn, travel sickness and very little sleep. On the hajj – Islam’s compulsory once-in-a-lifetime pilgrimage to Mecca – one woman winds up in a wheelchair with a twisted knee and a man gets a black eye in the crush around the Ka’aba, the black cube Muslims consider the earthly “House of God.” One of the pilgrims, a Muslim chaplain from Boston, is shocked to discover that because she is a woman, she cannot enter the Prophet Muhammad’s home. Dissolving
The series follows pilgrims to several religious sacred sites across the world.
into tears, she says: “It feels like the prophet is very far away.” While the series’ pilgrims are new to pilgrimage, their journeys are as old as religion itself. Jews have made pilgrimages for at least 3,000 years, and the first Christian pilgrim was Empress Helena, the mother of Constantine, who ventured to Jerusalem in the 4th century. Her Church of the Holy Sepulchre – one of the sites Feiler’s pilgrims visit – was built where she is said to have discovered the “true cross.” Muslims have made their way to Mecca since the 600s, and in increasing strength. A century ago, Feiler reports, about 50,000 “hajjis” gathered each year; that number is now 5 million. Indeed, pilgrimage -- both sacred and secular -- has never been more popular. Pop culture has tapped into the trend with movies like “Wild,” television documentaries like HBO’s “The Last Patrol” and best-selling books like “Eat, Pray, Love.” All feature protagonists who go on long, transformational journeys of both feet and faith. It is that transformational nature that separates pilgrimage from travel -- it’s a vocation, not a vacation. “The road itself has power,” Feiler says in the series. Embark on it and “you enter the story” of faith.
But Feiler’s contemporary pilgrims don’t have much in common with their historical counterparts – at least on the surface. Modern travel has eased the way for many pilgrims, with tour guides, packaged travel excursions and technology like GPS devices and downloadable maps. Feiler said the real difference between his contemporary pilgrims and those from the age of “The Canterbury Tales” and “The Pilgrim’s Progress” is more about impulse than intention. They set out for reasons their historical counterparts might not recognize – to investigate a newly adopted faith, to find their ethnic roots, to become better parents or spouses, to find a new home. “In the past, if you were Catholic and you went on a pilgrimage, you were going to come back Catholic,” he said. “But we get to pick our own faith now. We are more spiritually and physically mobile than we were in the past. We can go on pilgrimage and ask, ‘Do I still want to be Christian or not?’” The suffering they endure is different, too – more emotional and psychological than physical. “You are not suffering to serve God, you are suffering because you question and you doubt,” said Feiler. “The suffering is inside you, and you have to get over that to determine what you believe.”
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District Chronicles | Dec. 18 - Dec. 24, 2014 | 5
Cover Americans protest police killings of Blacks By Jazelle Hunt NNPA Washington Correspondent
“I brought my grandson to his first march so he understands that what he is doing is right. We’re teaching him solidarity … and that he can speak up and be nonviolent without being afraid,” she said. “We, as a people, have to stick together and be more involved. We have to go to the source, where the laws are made, to put our foot on their necks.” University of Maryland students and Divine Nine fraternity members Marcus Davis, Justin Ferguson, and Akiel Pyant carried a “Black Lives Matter” banner. “I’m here because I’m concerned about the future. If our grandparents went through this, and we’re going through this, Lord only knows what my grandchildren will go through,” said Davis, a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. The light police presence blocked traffic and generally stayed out of the way as the loud but peaceful processional traveled six blocks to the main stage at the foot of the Capitol’s front lawn. Both national and international media were present, as well as union organizations, Black Greek letter organizations, civic and grassroots organizations, student groups, and families. Mar-
Robert Eubanks/District Chronicles
WASHINGTON (NNPA) – On Saturday, thousands of Americans across the country registered their objection to police officers not being held accountable after killing unarmed citizens, many of them Blacks, by mounting massive demonstrations and rallies, the main one held here in the nation’s capital. Organized by major civil rights organizations, the goal of the protest was to demand federal intervention in state prosecutorial systems that have failed to indict anyone in the police killings of victims such as Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Aiyana Stanley-Jones, and Pearlie Golden. “We must have this nation deal with the fact that just like 50 years ago, the states have taken a position to rob the human rights and civil rights of citizens with states’ rights-protected laws,” said the Rev. Al Sharpton, the rally’s chief organizer. The demands by Sharpton included: expanding the powers for the Justice Department to investigate state prosecution procedures; national legislation to lower the threshold for grand jury indictments
of police officers; and independent special prosecutors to examine potential cases of police brutality or misconduct. The march drew a multiracial, intergenerational sea of sign-toting citizens from all over the nation. Wanda Sharif, from Beaumont, Texas, had already been in Washington to help care for her grandchild, but extended her visit to attend the march. The grandmother of seven recalled marching with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at 11 years old, and attending all-White schools until enrolling at Spelman College in Atlanta. “I’ve been doing this for three generations. I have to be here to document for my grandchildren, so they know I was here,” she said. “It’s important that everybody sees – not just America, but the whole world should see that we have not made all the progress and accomplished all that we thought we did. More and more eyes are opening. We’re still fighting for the same things we were fighting for in the ‘60s.” Washington, D.C., residents Albert and Andrea Elliott brought their 12-year-old grandson, Jeremiah, to use the march as a teachable moment.
Sharpton flanked by the mothers of Michael Brown, Trayvon Martin, march in the District.
vin Gaye’s ‘What’s Going On’ and ‘What’s Happening Brother’ met the marchers as they arrived at the main stage, where media trucks, government Suburbans, and a stilted press box overflowing with photographers flanked the crowds. With the Capitol as a backdrop, the main stage featured a lineup of speakers including Rep. Al Green (D-Texas), Newark, N.J. Mayor, Ras Baraka, Howard University Student Association President, Leighton Watson, and more. Activist and radio host, Joe “The Black Eagle” Madison served as master of ceremonies. The Washington march was also the only one attended by the fami-
lies of well-known unarmed Black male victims: Eric Garner, Michael Brown, Akai Gurley, Tamir Rice, John Crawford III, Lavar Jones, Cory Ball Jr., Trayvon Martin, and Amadou Diallo. All of the families were given time to speak. “We’ve been here so many times. I know in 2000, when the four White officers were acquitted of killing my son, of all charges, I thought the world was ending,” said Kadiatou Diallo. Her unarmed son Amadou Diallo was shot 41 times by four New York Police Department officers in 1999. “…We said stop police brutality then. And today, 16 years later, we’re here demanding the same thing.”
Warm stories behind those “Little Red Kettles” By Maya Allen, Howard University News Service
6 | Dec. 18 - Dec. 24, 2014 | District Chronicles
Maya Allen/Howard News Service
They come out across Washington and America every Christmas season, the Salvation Army bell ringers and their red kettles. From sunup to sundown, their bells never stop ringing outside of department stores, grocery stores, malls and other places where people frantically shop. Some sing and dance, but they all spread holiday cheer as they collect hundreds of thousands of dollars to help others. Among them are Pamela Gratts, 51, and Cassandra Thomas, 50, who ring their bells outside of different locations in Northwest Washington. Gratts, Thompson and thousands of others who man their posts collecting money are often referred to as “the army behind the Army.”And behind each of those volunteers is a story of salvation and redemption. So it is for Gratts and Thomas. When Pamela Gratts was 39, her whole life changed.
A self-described workaholic, Gratts moved to Washington from Kansas City, Missouri, for work. She spent her days caring for patients as a nurse at the Washington Hospital Center. “I had no worries in the world,” said Gratts, who received her pharmacology degree from Tarkio College in Tarkio, Missouri. “I had no children, a nice home, a car, insurance and a career that I loved.” “My mother used to always say to me, ‘You are just one paycheck away from being at the same level as someone beneath you.’” She never expected for that someone to be her. “I had a stroke, and in a blink of an eye, I had nothing,” she said. When Cassandra Thomas, who Gratts had befriended 34 years earlier during a visit to Jackson, Mississippi, heard the news, she came to be by Gratts side. Thomas struggled with drug addiction, but still came to help Gratts. “When I got sick, she dropped everything to come take care of me,”
Gratts and Thomas help raise money and spirits for the Salvation Army in the District.
said Gratts. Gratts, crippled by the stroke and virtually penniless, and Thomas, struggling with her addiction, soon found themselves sleeping on the streets of Washington., carless, jobless and homeless. “I went from being financially independent and self-sufficient, to actually on the streets in a wheelchair,” said Gratts. “I was going through a lot mentally, physically and finan-
cially, but I was determined not to stay there.” “We were homeless, but I wasn’t going to leave her,” Thomas said. “She couldn’t walk or talk. In the beginning, I wasn’t getting paid a dime to take care of her, but I did it out of love.” They turned to the Salvation Army. “When you don’t have anything and you have to ask an organization for something, it’s a mental trip,” said Gratts. “But The Salvation Army paid my rent and bought me groceries. They never turned me away.” Thomas, is now drug free, a certified nurse and Gratts’ primary caregiver. Despite having a home and caregiver, Gratts early on still suffered with the sense of being useless. It made her depressed, she said. Two years ago, she and Thomas went to The Salvation Army’s Thanksgiving Dinner on Sherman Avenue. That is when they met Capt. Ray Jackson and his wife, Shalanda. Capt. Jackson asked if she could be a
bell ringer. Being able to help others has lifted her spirits, she said. “Now I volunteer so I can give back. If you’ve been where I’ve been and God saved and took care of you, this ain’t nothing. The Salvation Army is truly the salvation army. It saves people.” Gratts, who is confined to a wheelchair, said she gets joy every single day when she’s out ringing bells. At 6:00 a.m., she said, she’s already up and waiting for Thomas to come get her out of bed. When Grant is not bell ringing, she said she spends her days going to her doctors’ appointments, watching TV and doing activities to stay active. “They saved this,” said Gratts, pointing to her head. “I’m happy now, and my mental health is transformed, which has made my body feel a lot better. I will always volunteer for the Salvation Army,” she said with a smile, “any season, but especially this season. It’s just something about these little red kettles.”
Politics
A mother’s plea: Don’t overlook my son’s death By Narene Stokes-James Special to NNPA
Naren Stokes James/Courtesy Photo
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – In the midst of the headliners Eric Garner, Michael Brown and now Tamir Rice, the name of Ryan Stokes has not been part of the news or the protests that are taking place around the nation and it hurts me. As a mother, it hurts that no one is marching for my son and no newspapers are writing about him. The Justice Department is not investigating. Attorney General Eric Holder has not visited. President Obama does not know his name. My son’s name is Ryan Stokes and he was only 24 years old when a Kansas City, Missouri, police officer chased him and shot him four times – two times squarely in the back and two times in his side near his back. He was killed in the Power & Light District of the city; an area in downtown Kansas City frequented primarily by White middle- and upper-middle class professionals. It is an open secret that Blacks are not welcomed by the clubs, restaurants, theaters and shops in the district. In fact, there is a pending lawsuit against merchants who have used dress codes and other ruses keep Blacks out.
Ryan was in a good mood and looking forward to an evening with friends. I never knew, did not ever imagine that night would be the last time that I would see him alive. Had I, I would have blocked the door. I would have tied him up until morning. I would have given him a something to make him sleep all night. Ryan worked in his dad’s dry cleaners and had no criminal record. He was a “little” brother to two sisters who loved him. He was an uncle to their children. He was a father to a toddler, a little girl whom he loved and who loved him. And if she reads news account of her father’s death after she gets older, she will not see any accurate depiction of him. According to police, Ryan had a gun. Police claimed that while Ryan was running from them, he threw the gun away. Early reports also said he turned and pointed a weapon at police officers. The police and media painted a picture of an all too familiar portrait of young Black males: a violent young man who died while trying to shoot police officers. My law firm obtained the autopsy, which revealed that Ryan was shot in the back and in his side near his back. It also showed that he had no drugs or alcohol in his system. KMBC-TV ran a story that
In 2013, Narene Stokes-James lost her 24 year old son, Ryan, when Kansas City police shot him.
showed a video taken minutes before Ryan was killed and pointed out that the last images of him showed his true character. He was breaking up that disturbance and trying to bring peace among those involved in the fight. Shortly afterward, he was seen on the video running when police arrived, as so many young people do, particularly, Black males, even when they haven’t done anything wrong. Ryan certainly had not. The police would not tell me anything, spoke to me rudely when
I inquired about my child and told me go sit on a bus stop to wait for someone to speak with me. I could see someone lying on the ground in a roped off area in the distance. I said, “I think that’s my baby.” The police would not confirm or deny it was him but as a mother, I knew that my child. I was numb. I was sick to my stomach. I could hardly stand. They told me my only son was dead and that he had refused to drop a weapon and had to be killed.
However, no gun was ever recovered from the scene. I knew, we all knew, it was not true. There have been no demonstrations, marches, protests, or riots for Ryan Stokes. There has not been much media coverage, save for the first few days. No parent should experience what I am experiencing now. And no young man should have his life cut short by officers who feel that they can take a life and not be held accountable for their actions.
Mayor for life: a tribute to Marion Barry from his biographer By Omar Tyree NNPA Columnist My admiration of the late Marion Barry Jr., who died on November 23, 2014, began long before I coauthored his autobiography, Mayor for Life: The Incredible Story of Marion Barry Jr. As an undergraduate student at Howard University’s School of Communications in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, I learned first-hand how Mayor Barry opened up the gates of government bureaucracy to make sure that more people benefited from his culturally inclusive policies, including summer employment and job training for young people and scholarship programs where the poor could receive a higher education at several Washington-based colleges and universities. In recent ceremonies, Barry was hailed for using his elected power
to execute real change and opportunity – not only for the AfricanAmerican community, but also for women, the gay community, the elderly, the youth and thousands of underutilized professionals. Mayor Barry put tax monies to work for the advancement, improvement and the economic progress of the people, which included opportunities for those who lived or later moved to the Maryland and Northern Virginia suburbs, creating multiple generations of families touched or inspired by his bold, unwavering and determined example of fearless and effective leadership. When Barry’s darkest times arrived, revealing his embarrassing addictions to recreational drugs, alcohol, ego trips and affairs, I was forced to navigate an inevitable quagmire. I found myself explaining to my family and friends back home in Philadelphia and elsewhere why the citizens of Washing-
ton, D.C., would “vote for that man again.” Only those immersed in D.C. culture could truly understand the immense loyalty and love there is for Barry. After five years, including my marriage to a D.C.-born and raised woman, I understood it then and still get it now. It takes a special man to do what he says he’s going to do for the benefit of people while in office, despite his struggles against personal demons and outside political pressure. The citizens of D.C. understood that and felt compelled to support an honestly flawed man who possessed wit, heart and soul that they could relate to. That’s why it became pivotal in the twilight of his years for Barry to sit down and document his legacy in a book, not merely to explain one fateful night at a downtown Washington hotel room, but to explain the other 365 days times 78 years of
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his full life of service. When Barry passed away, he was still committed to serving the people as the councilmember of Ward 8, providing a new generation of leaders in the District with fresh ideas and the benefit of his vast experience in formulating policy. Mayor Barry, a poor Mississippi-born farmer boy, was reared in Memphis and was a big brother, a scholar with a Master’s Degree in chemistry – he stopped just short of earning a doctorate before getting fully immersed in the Civil Rights Movement. He became the first chairman of the Student NonViolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), the Atlanta-based organization that also birthed Congressman John Lewis (D-Ga.) and former NAACP Board Chairman Julian Bond. The extensive list of events, of organizations, of activism and
inclusive list of practices regarding government contracts, hiring, housing, education and health care that the man championed once he arrived in the District, provide more than a foundation from which to build and to celebrate a long and proud legacy. You were a man who refused to go away and hide. You fulfilled your life’s purpose in the fashion that many great and flawed men and women of the Bible did. And now you’ve written and published your own book for us to read, to be inspired by, and to cite chapter and verse … just like the ‘good book.’ Rest in Peace, Brother Barry. May our next generation be as tireless, courageous, determined and dogged in their work as you were in yours. May they be granted the passion, the humility and the fortitude to get back up and fight when knocked down, like you did throughout your life.
District Chronicles | Dec. 18 - Dec. 24, 2014 | 7
Student Life
ANC 6E elects youngest commissioner By Lyndsae’ Peele
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“I used to fight in the streets, now I’m fighting for what’s right,� said Antonio Barnes, the 24-year-old councilmember recently elected on the ANC 6E board of commissioners. An advocate and seven-year employee of the Service Employee International Union (SEIU), Barnes is a resident of Sursom Corda, a low-income neighborhood in Ward 6. With a mission to tackle unfair treatment at work, Barnes started with the Union at 17, which helped him to develop a passion for helping and giving back, while growing and maturing into an upstanding young man. Pleased to have won his electoral race, he is eager to take office. “I used to be out here doing bad things, fighting and other stuff, but now I’ve changed,� said Barnes. Growing up in Sursum Corda, Barnes has seen what has been promised to the community but still hasn’t been done.
Antonio Barnes (left) is the youngest person to be elected commissioner in Ward 6.
“I know the hardships that my community has encountered and I vow to do all I can to make things better,� he said. Residents of the area feel as though the government has neglected them. Barnes has a plan to cater to the residents of the area and give them what he knows they need. As a young adult, Barnes can target more than one type of crowd, from the youth to the middle-age parents and even older people who
want to see young Black men doing something positive. “I’ve seen him go out and canvas, talk to so many people, and even knock on numerous doors,� said Leslie Clark, a co-worker of Barnes. “Everyone knows him.� Barnes is the youngest in Ward 6’s history to win commissioner and vows to do what he can for his community. “I fought long and hard to get where I am today and I won’t stop now,� said Barnes.
Career colleges help develop necessary skills for jobs (BPT) – Education is not a onesize-fits-all system. Each higher education institution has its own unique culture, and the goals of each student are not the same. Some students are fresh out of high school and looking forward to the social opportunities that a public university will give them. Some are single parents, already working full-time jobs, who just want to go back to school and quickly get a degree in pursuit of a better job. For these latter students, a four-year university may not be the right fit for their needs. Instead, career colleges may be the best way to go. According to a recent article in Business News Daily, many people are recognizing the importance of skills training in the workplace as it relates to their chances of a promotion and increase in pay. These
people are turning to career colleges because they know they can quickly learn the skills they are lacking, and start moving up the professional ladder through the programs offered. “[Career colleges] are focused on providing students with hands-on learning and quick degree completion, which helps develop a trained workforce for employers, and can positively impact the economy. Without question, education is one of the biggest factors with regard to economic advancement in today’s society, and career-focused schools play a vital role as one of many education options for students,� said Jeff Hill, Westwood College - Dupage campus president. Demand for skilled labor plays a huge role in the economy. It is not uncommon for employers to have
available jobs, but not enough trained workers to fill them. According to a recent article published by the Newark Advocate, many employers plan to grow their companies and hire more people, but aren’t sure where they will find workers with the skills they need. Companies across the country face this issue. Many businesses looking to expand or move struggle to do so because it can be difficult to find a town or city with enough skilled workers to do the jobs. The U.S. Department of Labor predicts that jobs that tend to require some form of higher education will grow faster than those you can get with just a high school diploma or less. The department also predicts a shortage of more than 35 million skilled workers over the next 30 years.
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In the Neighborhood
Metro Briefs: Notable news in and around Washington District of Columbia Red Cross asks donors to give lifesaving gift this holiday
T
his holiday season, the American Red Cross is asking eligible donors to help give hospital patients one last gift – a blood or platelet donation. It’s a gift that doesn’t cost a thing and can help save lives. Blood donors of all types, particularly O negative, A negative and B negative, and platelet donors are urged to make a donation to help ensure patient needs can continue to be met this winter. In appreciation for making a lifesaving gift, donors that give from December 24 through January 4 will receive a long-sleeve Red Cross T-shirt, while supplies last. “Discover the true meaning of giving this holiday season by giving blood or platelets,” said Linda Voss, CEO of the Red Cross Greater Chesapeake & Potomac Blood Services Region. “Whether your donation goes to a premature baby with complications, a car accident victim, a child with cancer or another patient, you are giving the precious gift of life.” Historically, winter is one of the most difficult times of year to collect enough blood and platelet to meet patient needs. Holiday activities make it difficult for many regular donors to make time to donate. Seasonal illnesses can also cause some donors to become temporarily ineligible to donate, and winter weather can lead to cancellation of blood drives. Despite these challenges, patients still depend on lifesaving donations every day. All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. A blood donor card, driver’s license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age, or 16 with parental consent, weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet
Donate Upcoming blood donation opportunities in the D.C. Metro Area: DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 12/27/2014, 8:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Purity Baptist Church and Urban Center, 1325 Maryland Ave NE, Washington, DC 20002 12/30/2014, 10:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Office of the Attorney General, 441 4th St NW, Washington, DC 20001 MONTGOMERY COUNTY 12/24/2014, 7:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Montgomery Chapter House, 2020 East West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910 12/26/2014, 10:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. Adventist Healthcare Shady Grove Med Ctr, 9901 Medical Center Dr, Rockville, MD 20850 12/29/2014, 9:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. Hampton Inn & Suites, 960 North Frederick Avenue, Gaithersburg, MD 20879 12/29/2014, 11:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Bruster's Real Ice Cream, 18519 N. Frederick Ave, Gaithersburg, MD 20879 12/29/2014, 1:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. Hampton Inn & Suites, 960 North Frederick Avenue, Gaithersburg, MD 20879 12/29/2014, 1:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Montgomery Chapter House, 2020 East West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910
12/31/2014, 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. The Grand Rockville MD, 5801 Nicholson Lane , N Bethesda, MD 20852 1/1/2015, 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Trinity United Methodist ChurchGermantown, 13700 Schaeffer Road, Germantown, MD 20874 1/2/2015, 8:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. Montgomery Chapter House, 2020 East West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910 1/3/2015, 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Rockville Senior Center, 1150 Carnation Drive, Rockville, MD 20850
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1/4/2015, 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Congregation Or Chadash, 24800 Kings Valley Road, Damascus, MD 20872 PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY 12/24/2014, 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Bowie City Gymnasium, 4100 Northview Drive, Bowie, MD 20716 12/27/2014, 8:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Wayne Curry Sports and Learning Complex, 8001 Sheriff Rd, Landover, MD 20785 12/30/2014, 12:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. Navy Federal Credit Union, 7001 Berry Road, Accokeek, MD 20607 1/3/2015, 10:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. First Baptist Church of Beltsville, 4700 Odell Road, Beltsville, MD 20705 ALEXANDRIA CITY
12/30/2014, 12:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Montgomery County Fairgrounds, 16 Chestnut Street, Gaithersburg, MD 20877
12/26/2014, 12:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Alexandria Chapter House, 123 North Alfred St, Alexandria, VA 22314
12/30/2014, 12:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Medstar Montgomery Medical Center, 18101 Prince Philip Drive, Olney, MD 20832
12/30/2014, 2:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Alexandria Chapter House, 123 North Alfred St, Alexandria, VA 22314
12/31/2014, 10:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Aldon Management Corporation, 8200 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda, MD 20814
1/1/2015, 8:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. Alexandria Chapter House, 123 North Alfred St, Alexandria, VA 22
certain height and weight requirements. Eligible donors can schedule an appointment to give blood using the Blood Donor App, by visiting www.redcrossblood.org, or by calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-
YOU Choose The Deal!
2767). The Red Cross urges donors who have made a commitment to donate during the holiday period to keep their appointments. Each appointment kept, and each donation given, offers hope to a patient in need.
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District Chronicles | Dec. 18 - Dec. 24, 2014 | 11
In the Neighborhood Ward 8 Commissioners disapprove housing plan By Jasmine Jackson Howard University News Service Advisory Neighborhood Commissioners recently voiced their disapproval of a plan to build lowincome housing in the Bellevue and Washington Highlands neighborhoods. They says the housing will not serve people in the Ward 8 community, but instead will be purchased by newcomers rather than current residents. City Interests, a real estate development firm with numerous commercial projects in the District, wants to build 150 mixed-income residential units and structured parking in this area. The mixed-income residential units will be a part of the South Capital Shopping Center that is being redeveloped to include 36,000 square-feet of retail space, a 50,000 square foot primary care center and 37,000 square-feet of office space.
Sasha Angus, a City Interests representative, said the housing is for people who make between $20,000 and $40,000, or between 30 percent and 60 percent of the median income for Washington. Their goal, said Angus, is to maximize real estate value in the District’s community by building thriving neighborhoods. “It’s a luxury to bring affordable housing to residents,” said Angus. “We are bringing a diverse group of residents affordable housing.” ANC commissioners for the neighborhood, however, were not impressed. They argued that people in the neighborhood didn’t earn enough money to buy the proposed housing. Instead, they say people living outside of the area would purchase it. “You keep coming out here telling us you are building affordable housing,” said Commissioner Absalom Jordan, who serves as
the official 8D03 commissioner for Ward 8. “You are building houses for people that don’t live here now. According to the DC Fiscal Policy Institute, the unemployment rate in Ward 8 is currently 17.7 percent. One in three residents live below the poverty line. “Our ANC has the poorest people in the city, and they need housing. You are tapping people in this area who don’t live here who will change this area,” said Jordan. Commissioners said they want to see projects from city council members that will benefit the community. They want to understand how these new developments will affect their community and the residents who have lived there for decades. Angus said after the meeting that city officials are trying to do just that. “City officials were not trying to take away the commissioners’
ANC leaders are not convinced current residents can afford the proposed housing.
power. The goal of city officials is to hear what the community had to say and gain the input of the community in regards to new developments and projects. City officials essentially just wanted to
gain the trust of the residents.” The Commissioners want the government to provide affordable housing to those residents in Ward 8 who make between 0 percent and 30 percent of the median income.
Al Sharpton brings the fight against police brutality to the District
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Robert Eubanks/District Chronicles
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Robert Eubanks/District Chronicles
12 | Dec. 18 - Dec. 24, 2014 | District Chronicles
Clockwise from top-left: Civil Rights protesters from the old guard, the young new guard, families of victims, Black people and White people all converge at the nation’s capital to protest police killing of Black young men (Photo Credit: Robert Eubanks).