Bay State Banner 03/21/2013

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

Hansberry classic revived at Huntington Theatre...pg. 11 FREE

Credit checks are screening blacks, Latinos out of jobs .............pg. 7

Thursday • March 21, 2013 • www.baystatebanner.com

FREE

Newly installed Pope Francis lauded as ‘a man of the people’ Howard Manly

ence of Bishops, told the Associated Press. “He will imprint his Donna Gittens can trace her Latin American personality … He Catholic roots back to when she knows the joys, pains, the probwas a little girl at St. Katharine lems, and the opportunities of the Drexel Parish in Grove Hall. people of Latin America and the Since then she has received Bap- Caribbean, and that will create a tism there, married her husband very close relationship.” there and gave her parents their In his first Mass as pope, Franburial services there. cis reinforced his pastoral priorities “My family goes back at least and service during a brief homily in 60 years at the church,” she said. the Sistine chapel last Thursday.

It’s no surprise then, that GitFrancis, who chose the name tens, head of the Newton-based of a medieval patron saint of Italy More Advertising Company, was who came from wealth and took a delighted to see the installation of vow of poverty, is the first pope to Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio of Argen- come from the Jesuit order. tina as pope.

The Jesu“This was its take a vow g o o d n e w s , ” “It is the Jesuit of poverty and Gittens said, have tradition“and a hopeful philosophy of Pope ally focused on sign that, not Francis that makes service, educaunlike the Retion and enpublican Party, this such an exciting gaging with the Catholic time for the Catholic the world.

Church is recSimplicity, ognizing the Church. He wants poverty, rigor,” need to work to be a man of the Rev. Antonio with people of Spadero, the people.” color.” editor of the At St. KathLa Civilta Catarine’s alone, — Meyer Chambers tolica, a Jesuit Gittens says journal close about 500 Afto the Vatican rican American families worship Secretariat of State, told reporters. there, as well more than 1,000 The Jesuit ethos is built other families from the Caribbean strongly around academic rigor and the continent of Africa. and missionary service — and “You name it, they are here,” since the 1960s has been associGittens boasted. “Cape Verdeans, ated with so-called liberation theJamaicans, Haitians, Ethiopians ology, the view that Jesus’ teachand Nigerians.” ings require fighting for social Indeed, Latin America repre- and economic justice. Francis has sents 40 percent of the world’s 1.2 called liberation theology a misbillion Catholics. guided view, but he accepts its “For me it’s a sign from God, goals, according to published rewho is inviting us to commit our- ports, such as closing the gap beselves to a continental mission,” tween the comfortable and needy Bishop Eugenio Lira, secretary and easing the pressures of westgeneral of the Mexican confer- ern style capitalism.

Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley meets with Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio at his residence in Buenos Aires, Argentina in December 2010 as part of a visit to South America. Cardinal Bergoglio was elected Pope Francis I on March 13, 2013. (Photo courtesy of CardinalSeansBlog.org)

BPS assignment plan sparks debate on quality choices Howard Manly The Boston School Committee approved a new school assignment plan last week that Superintendent Carol Johnson called a bold step forward in ensuring students will attend schools closer to their homes.

By a vote of six to one, the school committee decided to eliminate three citywide assignment zones that the School Department has operated since 1989 to comply with court-ordered desegregation.

The new plan starts in fall 2014 and will allow students currently enrolled in the system to stay at their schools. The plan will also let their younger siblings

attend the same school when they enter kindergarten and provide busing — regardless of how far it is — until 2020.

Under the new policy, a computer algorithm developed by Peng Shi, a 24-year-old doctoral student at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, will generate a list of at least six schools from which parents will be able to choose based on a variety of factors, such as the distance of their residence from school, school capacity and MCAS performance.

School officials said that at least four of the school choices will be of medium or high quality.

Superintendent Johnson was not at last week’s hearing because

Francis, continued to page 9

of the recent death of her husband in Memphis, Tenn. But she did offer her support in a threepage letter read before the vote.

“This represents a major step forward for our city,” Johnson said in the prepared statement.

“It is a bold plan that strengthens access to quality schools, builds predictability and improves our communities while ensuring our schools can serve them well.”

Johnson also touched on the issue that has triggered significant criticisms by many community groups, minority teachers and parents — the lack of quality schools in every Boston neighborhood.

As it is now, the majority of the city’s low- and under-performing BPS, continued to page 16

Morehouse president moves college ahead Bridgit Brown

Congratulations to the Brighton High boys basketball team for winning the Div. 2 state title championship on Saturday, March 16 at the DCU Center in Worcester. The Bengals defeated South Hadley 59-41 and end the season at 21-6. Kneeling are Malik James and Daivon Edwards and holding the basketball is head coach Hugh Coleman. (Patrick O’Connor photo)

Whatʼs INSIDE

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT . . 10-14

Dr. John Silvanus Wilson is no stranger to Boston. The Morehouse graduate came to Harvard and received a master’s degree in theology, as well as master’s degree and Ph.D. in administration, planning and social policy.

He then went on to serve as director of foundation relations and assistant provost at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It was not long before he was tapped by the Obama Administration to serve as White House director for

Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

While in Boston this past weekend, Wilson attended the Morehouse Glee Club performance at the Old South Church on Friday and spoke at the Young Men’s Leadership Conference on Saturday at the Joan Kroc Corp Community Center in Roxbury.

The conference was designed to encourage middle and high school boys to think seriously about college.

Dr. Wilson spoke about the Morehouse, continued to page 21

LISTINGS

PERSPECTIVE

CLASSIFIEDS

BUSINESS DIRECTORY . . . . 19

EDITORIAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

HELP WANTED . . . . . . . . . . 23

CALENDAR . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

OPINION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

LEGALS . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22-23

CHURCH GUIDE. . . . . . . . . 21

ROVING CAMERA . . . . . . . . 5

REAL ESTATE . . . . . . . . . 21-22

2 • Thursday, March 21, 2013 • BAY STATE BANNER

Final date set for Charles Street bankruptcy hearing

entire bankruptcy proceeding.

The relationship between OneUnited and Charles Street started on Oct. 3, 2006, when Groover agreed to borrow $3.6 million to build a 22,000-squarefoot community center on churchowned land near Grove Hall.

The OneUnited construction loan became due on June 1, 2008, and despite a total of five extensions, the church was unable to satisfy its debt by Sept. 1, 2009. A year later, on Aug. 17, 2010, OneUnited

about $630,000 to Thomas Construction Company, the Dorchester firm hired to build its proposed community center; another $450,000 is owed to Tremont Credit Union for a loan to repair the church’s roof.

As part of its initial defense, Charles Street attorneys argued in legal documents that the bank made “a reckless” loan and that they knew — or should have known — that the church would be unable to repay as originally agreed.

The April 12 confirmation hearing will determine whether the court will accept the church’s plan to repay nearly $5.2 million in loans to the nation’s largest black-owned bank as well as additional funds to outstanding creditors.

Charles Street pastor Gregory G. Groover Sr. recently told a crowd that he appreciated their support. (Sandy Middlebrooke photo) Howard Manly After a year of startling disclosures by Charles Street AME church officials, including an estimated $400,000 in misappropriated funds designated for a church pastoral program, U.S. bankruptcy Judge Frank Bailey set a final hearing date in the increasingly bitter trial pitting the historic church against OneUnited bank.

The April 12 confirmation hearing will determine whether the court will accept the church’s plan to repay nearly $5.2 million in

loans to the nation’s largest blackowned bank as well as additional funds to outstanding creditors.

Charles Street attorneys have argued that once the bankruptcy hearings are completed, the church can then finish building its Roxbury Renaissance Center and start generating money by holding weddings receptions and community meetings to repay its debts over a 30-year period.

OneUnited attorneys have opposed such repayment plans in large part because of what they have discovered are significant

problems with the church’s financial statements that are being used to determine the repayment plan.

Those financial statements, coupled with the testimonies of Charles Street Pastor Rev. Gregory Groover Sr. and Rev. Opal Adams, the woman who kept the financial books and authored Groover’s annual reports, demonstrate what bank attorneys characterized as “a false portrayal of its financial circumstances and purposefully [overlooking] its obligations.”

In fact, OneUnited attorneys have filed a motion to dismiss the

then sued in Suffolk Superior Court for breach of contract.

Also named in the suit was Charles Street AME’s co-signer, the First Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, based in Philadelphia. At the time, the First District, based in Philadelphia, claimed it had $65 million in cash and nearly $500 million in assets, and had plesdged its assets as collateral for the loan.

Charles Street had also borrowed another $1.1 million, separate from the $3.6 million construction loan.

That loan is also in default.

To forestall the pending foreclosure of its property by OneUnited Bank, Charles Street filed for bankruptcy in March in a move to keep the church operating as it has for nearly the last two centuries.

In addition to its debts to OneUnited, Charles Street owes

In addition to unpaid debt, the church is facing repercussions from Groover’s admission that he used cash from an $875,000 grant from the Lilly Foundation, which was designated for use only to support the church’s pastoral program. Of the $875,00 grant money, only $90,000 remains, according to the church’s latest financial disclosures, and with two years remaining on the program, Adams estimated that the church would need to raise an additional $340,000 to fulfill its program obligations. Based on her own records, Adams testified that the church owed at least $100,000 to the Lilly fund.

Groover, who recently resigned his position as chairman of the Boston School Committee, has admitted that “mistakes were made.”

Thursday, March 21, 2013 • BAY STATE BANNER • 3

RoxComp’s closing leaves employees out in the cold roll, and suspended clinical operations last month. In a prepared statement, Dr. Crawford cited a need “to ensure patient health and safety” while the agency confronts “challenging funding issues.”

“This is a difficult step to take,” Dr. Crawford said at the time, “but one we believe is necessary to preserve the core mission of RoxComp for the long term.”

The long-term future for RoxComp is not bright. Last summer, Anita Crawford stood tall in her defense of charges revealed in a series of letters from employees that portrayed a dismal picture of operations at the center.

The damaging letters written

Former RoxComp CEO Anita Crawford.

(Banner archives) Howard Manly Ghislaine Hernandez says she has been patient with her employers at the beleaguered Roxbury Comprehensive Health tCenter.

Hernandez, 54, an adult services caregiver, has worked at RoxComp for the last 15 years.

She hasn’t been paid since January, and based on what she has been told at recent staff meetings, she doesn’t know when to expect the nearly $5,000 she is owed.

“I’ve been very patient,” she said.

Hernandez is just one of the many employees at the health center who were told in recent weeks that the center was closed.

Hernandez said that they were told to clear out their offices on Monday and many were seen carrying plants and files to awaiting cars in the employees’ parking lot.

Though officially “closed,” the center still bustled with activity on Monday as a staff member stood at the front door to answer questions from antsy clients.

Since 1968, RoxComp has provided health services to countless community residents. But within the last six months, the center has been the subject of state and federal investigations, and its controversial CEO Anita Crawford stepped down.

RoxComp’s Board Chairman Dr. Keith Crawford (no relation) conceded significant financial problems, including missing pay-

The series of letters were sent last summer to RoxComp’s board of directors, the state Department of Public Health and the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers and blame the poor management on Anita Crawford.

A letter dated Feb. 24, 2012 informed RoxComp senior management that the medical center’s supply shortage “has significantly affected our ability to accurately diagnose patients, determine severity of disease, develop treatment plans and treat patients.”

The letter also stated that the center lacked supplies necessary to stabilize patients in an emergency situation. “We are profes-

Since 1968, RoxComp has provided health services to countless community residents.

But within the last six months, the center has been the subject of state and federal investigations, and its controversial CEO Anita Crawford stepped down. by medical personnel at RoxComp detailed financial problems ranging from the loss of “significant grants” that helped pay for medical and psychological programs, to an almost chronic shortage of medical equipment, paper towels and toilet paper. In some cases, the letters alleged, the center had no hot water.

Anita Crawford remained steadfast. “None of the letters,” she said at the time, “accuse me of stealing money or running a center that is delivering poor health care.”

She was right about one thing.

No one has accused her of stealing money. But in recent months, the state Department of Public Health has forced the center to close its laboratory, and cited a list of shortcomings that included mislabeled lab samples, use of expired medical supplies and failing to comply with various Medicaid and Medicare regulations.

The state also cancelled a $241,500 grant for HIV/AIDS testing in its HIV/AIDS program.

Earlier this month, the center’s doctors refused to see patients because of reports that RoxComp’s medical malpractice insurance had not been paid.

sionally responsible for providing a standard of care that gives us the capacity to make triage and referral decisions,” the letter stated.

In another letter asking for a meeting with the board of directors on or before June 29, 2012, an unnamed RoxComp staff member said the professional staff had concerns about “the lack of transparency, the lack of growth both in the number of patients we serve and in programs and services.”

Detailing the loss of several “significant grants” and the increased scrutiny from both “federal, state and local agencies,” the letter writer stated that “the staff understands that RoxComp cannot continue to exist and function …We have lost faith in the CEO and the senior management team.”

Share your comments on this story at baystatebanner.com

4 • Thursday, March 21, 2013 • BAY STATE BANNER

Established 1965

NAACP’s super-sized mistake The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People — the NAACP — has a glorious history of efforts to eliminate racial prejudice in the United States. As its name implies, the organization was also committed from its inception to ensure advancement for minorities in other areas such as political, educational, social and economic equality.

Unfortunately, the NAACP’s storied reputation was sullied recently by the decision of its New York state chapter to oppose Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s ban on the sale of sugary soda drinks in some stores and retail establishments.

In an effort to curb the obesity epidemic, the mayor authorized the New York City Board of Health to ban the sale of soda drinks larger than 16 ounces. This restriction applied only to stores and restaurants licensed by the city. Numerous research studies have established a connection between the excessive consumption of such drinks and the growth of obesity as a major health problem.

The greatest problems confronting African Americans in the early years of the twentieth century resulted not from obesity but from the violation of their civil rights. The U.S. Supreme Court had decreed that racial discrimination and segregation were permissible. The states of the old Confederacy had established social systems designed to facilitate racial oppression. Blacks with the temerity to oppose the system assumed the risk of being lynched. According to research by the Tuskegee Institute, 3,446 blacks were lynched between 1882 and 1968, with the peak period being from 1890 to 1920.

The NAACP was founded in 1909 to advance the status of African Americans. An early agenda of the new organization was to restrict lynching by making it a federal crime. While multiple efforts to end lynching failed, the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, under the leadership of Thurgood Marshall, was able to secure victories in pivotal court cases. The NAACP was also an important member of the coalition involved in the Civil Rights Movement.

With the enactment of federal laws in the mid-

1950s and ‘60s to outlaw racial discrimination and to secure voting rights, the NAACP had to expand its focus. One of its major concerns, among other issues, became disparities in health care. The NAACP website states, “The NAACP is committed to eliminating the racial and ethnic disparities in our health care system that plague people of color in the United States. African Americans continue to have the highest incidence, prevalence and mortality rates from chronic diseases like cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity.”

The medical evidence is indisputable. Obesity is now a major cause of diabetes and other cardiovascular diseases. Blacks suffer from obesity more than other groups. Blacks are 1.4 times more likely to be obese than non-Hispanic whites. Four out of five African American women are overweight or obese.

One of the consequences of obesity is that blacks are twice as likely as whites to be diagnosed with diabetes and they are 2.2 times as likely as whites to die from diabetes. With such a high mortality rate for blacks, it would seem that the organization that fought so hard against death from lynching would also oppose, by any means necessary, those practices that could lead to death from obesity.

The case against Mayor Bloomberg was essentially filed by the American Beverage Association and joined by others with a financial interest in the outcome. The New York State Conference of the NAACP and the Hispanic Federation joined the opposition allegedly for the specious reason that the “soda ban” discriminated against the practices of small black and Latino businesses. That reasoning is as foolish as support for an effort to keep the marketing channels for minority dealers of illicit drugs open and unimpeded.

The beverage companies have been generous financial contributors to minority causes. NAACP support for gargantuan-size soft drinks appears to be payback for those contributions and is damaging to the reputable image of the NAACP brand. The national NAACP office should not support local branches when they engage in conduct in conflict with national policies.

High interest rates are one of the biggest drawbacks to car title loans (“Report: Car title loans drive some into even more debt,” Bay State Banner, March 7, 2013).

Much like payday loans, you can end up paying extremely high rates for car title loans. Due to the high interest rates, car title loans generally have special rules in each state that limit how much trouble you can get yourself into. Because you are pledging your vehicle as collateral, it’s possible that you’ll get a better rate than other unsecured loans, but car title loans are not cheap.

Ricky Hitch Via email

Creating more awareness of HIV/AIDS I am so glad to see what the Boston area is doing to stimulate dialogue and bring about change in the way the world views the HIV/AIDS crisis! Keep up the good work!

USPS 045-780

Melvin B. Miller John E. Miller Howard Manly

Publisher/Editor Assoc. Publisher/Treasurer Executive Editor ADVERTISING Marketing-Sales Director Advertising Coordinator

Sandra L. Casagrand Rachel Reardon

NEWS REPORTING Karen Miller Lauren Carter

Health Editor Managing Editor

G. Valentino Ball

Deputy Editor

Gloria J. Browne-Marshall

Contributing Writers

Kenneth J. Cooper Colette Greenstein Caitlin Yoshiko Kandil Sandra Larson Shanice Maxwell Anthony W. Neal Brian Wright O’Connor Tiffany Probasco Ernesto Arroyo John Brewer Eric Esteves Tony Irving Don West

Staff Photographers

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Contributing Writers

LETTERSto the Editor Car title loans too expensive

“When I was young, I used to think that eight ounces was never quite satisfying.”

Charles W. Greer III Via email

Some homeowners share blame for mortgage crisis It takes two to tango. I know three families in California who received loans for homes based on highly inflated income statements. The statements were not checked out by the lenders and they all bought homes.

And they all lost them.

Lying buyers AND lying lend-

ers created the mess. I’m sure there were plenty of whites who did the same thing.

We’ve really got to stop being so sensitive about skin color and just be happy we live in a country with SOME opportunities. Make the most of our own abilities and learn that the only one who must take seriously the job of looking out for you is you.

Robin Hamilton Susan Saccoccia Lloyd Kam Williams

PRODUCTION Marissa Giambrone Heather Austin

Production Manager Production Assistant ADMINISTRATION Business Manager

Karen Miller

The Boston Banner is published every Thursday.

Offices are located at 23 Drydock Ave., Boston, MA 02210.

Telephone: 617-261-4600, Fax 617-261-2346 Subscriptions: $48 for one year ($55 out-of-state) Web site: www.baystatebanner.com Periodicals postage paid at Boston, MA. All rights reserved. Copyright 2010.

Thorn Via email Quotes from Swami Muktananda reprinted with permission from SYDA Foundation. © SYDA Foundation

The Banner is certified by the NMSDC, 2009.

Send letters to the editor:

By Fax:

617-261-2346

Circulation of The Bay State and Boston Banner 33,740.

Audited by CAC, March 2009.

From Web site: www.baystatebanner.com click “contact us,” then click “letters”

By Mail:

The Boston Banner 23 Drydock Avenue Boston, MA 02210.

Letters must be signed. Names may be withheld upon request.

The Banner is printed by: Gannett Offset Boston, 565 University Ave., Norwood, MA 02062

Thursday, Thursday, March January 21, 3, 2013 2008 • BAY • BOSTON STATE BANNER • 5

ROVINGCamera

OPINION Haters insure Vick won’t be ‘Finally Free’ Earl Ofari Hutchinson Michael Vick has done everything humanly possible to atone for his dog torturing past. He was tried, convicted and jailed. He accepted full responsibility for his actions. He’s virtually prostrated himself before every animal rights group around to apologize for his actions.

He didn’t stop there. He’s spoken out every chance he’s gotten against people who commit acts that he did. He even fully cooperated with federal authorities in identifying dog fighting rings. He’s donated time, money and his name to animal rights organizations. On and off the gridiron, he’s been a model citizen.

But that hasn’t been enough. Mention the name Vick on or off the playing field, and it still draws a predictable and seemingly orchestrated chorus of taunts, slurs, digs and plain vile hate. Convicted murderers who have served their sentence and have done penance have gotten more love than Vick.

In fact, the public pound on Vick before, during and after his sentencing and release assured that Vick’s name would be spat out in the same breath as the names of the worst of the serial killers, pedophiles and terrorists.

But the verbal trashing of Vick hasn’t satiated the professional Vick hatemongers. They got another chance to take a shot at him, this time maybe even literally, when he had the temerity to embark on a tour to tout his book, Finally Free, and publicly discourse on his epiphany and what lessons that holds. The tour was cancelled because of reported death threats to Vick.

Some wrote this off as overreaction — maybe the handiwork of a few kooks or simply a cheap stunt to get even more publicity. All this is hogwash. Vick doesn’t need any more publicity, good or bad, since his name is practically a household word and plenty of people would stand in line and plop down the price of his book to get his signature, take a photo and exchange a few words with him.

As for letting a few supposed oddballs ruin things for him and the publisher, the massacres in Newtown, Conn. and Aurora, Colo., not to mention a nation armed to the teeth, were more than cause for concern for Vick’s safety.

Vick was not just a dog torturer in the sight of many. He emerged from his shame, disgrace and punishment as still a rich and famous African American celeb who went bad. This in and of itself was more than enough to stir a mob vendetta against him. The warning sign that he would continue to be in the hate crowd’s bullseye came early, when the Atlanta NAACP — after his boot from the NFL — issued a mild statement urging calm on Vick. It did not try to apologize or pretty up anything that he did, but it did publicly plead that he not be permanently barred from the NFL. For this, the organization was relentlessly lambasted and drew the inevitable squeal that it was playing the race card. But the NAACP branch understood that in the case of men such as Vick, even when they admit guilt and plead for forgiveness, the words mercy and compassion are alien terms.

Vick could’ve spent millions and hired legions of pricey publicists, consultants and image makeover specialists and it wouldn’t have changed one whit of the public’s hostility and negative perceptions of him.

In fact, Vick has donated a small king’s ransom to charities and various causes, including humane societies, and it hasn’t meant a thing to the haters. The bad boy image of Vick is indelibly plastered on their foreheads.

Public revulsion over Vick’s crimes and resentment at his fame, wealth and race only partly explain why he’s in a near hopeless spot when it comes to fully rehabilitating his image. He’s the latest and handiest target for a public sick to death of sports icons and megacelebrities getting kid glove treatment for their misdeeds or outright lawbreaking, even though he didn’t get that treatment.

Vick will pay and continue to pay two steep prices for who he is and how many still see him. He’s done the jail time, coughed up a load of cash in fines and restitution and legal debts, and was ousted for a time from the NFL. This price was fair and warranted. The other price that he’ll never stop paying is serving as the permanent poster boy for animal abuse and the bad-behaving celebrity, a black celebrity that is.

Vick was eloquent when he shouted to the world that he had put his shameful actions behind him and that he had moved on. He has, but many others haven’t and won’t. His cancelled book tour was just the latest proof of that. The haters will insure that he won’t be finally free.

Vick is the latest and handiest target for a public sick to death of sports icons and mega-celebrities getting kid glove treatment for their misdeeds.

Earl Ofari Hutchinson is an author and political analyst.

The Banner welcomes your opinion. Email Op-Ed submissions to:

hmanly@bannerpub.com Letters must be signed. Names may be withheld upon request.

Do you believe extending the school day would improve public education?

No, because a longer day doesn’t reflect or change the curriculum, teaching methods, or learning and study habits.

Yes. At the very least it would create options for parents who can’t afford after-school [care] and for students who need extra help and programming.

No. Just because you increase the day doesn’t mean the teachers are better.

Shamieka Dunn

Jenese Brownhill

Tiffany Cooper

Freelance Blogger Medford

LICSW, Therapist Braintree

Recruitment Coordinator Boston

No. Increasing the time spent doesn’t mean they’ll learn more.

By all means. These youngsters need all the time they can get.

Ene Idoko

Al Vickers

Kenneth H.

Customer Service Randolph

Retired Dorchester

State Government Dorchester

I don’t think so.

Reprinted from December 13, 2012

INthe news Denise J. Casper US District Court Judge Denise J. Casper was selected last week to preside over the case of James “Whitey” Bulger, replacing a judge who was ordered to step aside by a federal appeals court.

Appointed to the bench in December 2010 by President Obama, Casper, 45, is the second black woman to become a federal judge in Massachusetts. The first occurred in 1979 when Joyce London Alexander became a US magistrate judge.

The US Court of Appeals for the First District removed Judge Richard G. Stearns from the case.

Stearns was a prosecutor in the US Attorney’s Office in the 1980s when Bulger claims that another prosecutor promised him immunity for his alleged crimes, including murder.

Casper also served in the US Attorney’s Office, but well after Bulger’s claims allegedly took place. Casper worked there from 1999 to 2005.

Born in East Patchogue, N.Y.,

in 1968, Casper graduated from Wesleyan University in 1990 before attending Harvard Law School, where she received her law degree in 1994.

“Knowing Judge Denise

Casper as a former colleague, the public should be particularly confident that this case remains in very able hands,’’ Middlesex District Attorney Gerard T. Leone Jr. said in a statement.

6 • Thursday, March 21, 2013 • BAY STATE BANNER

COMMUNITYVoices

Reflecting on Trayvon Martin one year after his murder Marc Morial “We’re here to let the community, and particularly teenagers, know that they have a right to walk in peace without being followed, without being harmed and without being killed.” Sybrina Fulton, mother of Trayvon Martin

not to follow Trayvon.

Moments later, Trayvon was shot dead. Since then, thousands of other gun deaths and several mass shootings have elevated the issue of gun violence to the top of the national agenda.

But the death of Trayvon Martin remains especially dis-

The death of Trayvon Martin remains especially disturbing to many of us because of what it says about the racial profiling of young black males.

A year has passed since that awful day last Feb. 26th when 17year-old Trayvon Martin was shot and killed while walking to a family member’s home from a convenience store in Sanford, Fla. Trayvon Martin was an unarmed African American teenager wearing a hoodie. The shooter was George Zimmerman, a 28year-old neighborhood watch volunteer, who called 911 to report a “suspicious” person and then ignored a police dispatcher’s order

turbing to many of us because of what it says about the racial profiling of young black males, police departments that are often slow to protect their rights, and a fatally flawed law that gives people — possibly even criminals — the right to shoot first and ask questions later.

It took a while, but the wheels of justice are turning in the Trayvon Martin case. In the wake of widespread criticism of the nearly six-week delay in arresting and charging Zimmerman with

a crime, former Sanford Police Chief Bill Lee was fired last June.

Former Elgin, Ill. Deputy Police Chief Cecil Smith is set to take over as head of the Sanford Police Force on April 1.

Zimmerman’s second-degree murder trial begins on June 10. It is believed that he and his lawyers will base their defense on Florida’s troubling Stand Your Ground law, which states that anyone in fear of his or her life could be justified in using lethal force against a poten-

tial or perceived attacker.

Thousands of citizens have rallied in recent days to mark the one-year anniversary of Trayvon Martin’s death. On Feb. 9, four days after what would have been Trayvon’s 18th birthday, his parents, Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin, sponsored an “I am Trayvon Day of Remembrance Community Peace Walk” in North Miami-Dade County.

Students at Florida State University in Tallahassee have rallied for a repeal of the Stand Your Ground law. And on Feb. 26, a “Million Hoodie” candlelight vigil was held in New York’s Union Square that was attended by hundreds, including actor Jamie Foxx.

While attention now turns to the upcoming trial, as the father of a 10-year-old son, I cannot help

but recall what Sybrina and Tracy said about their son a year ago: “Trayvon was our hero. At age 9, Trayvon pulled his father from a burning kitchen, saving his life.

He loved sports and horseback riding. At only 17, he had a bright future ahead of him with dreams of attending college and becoming an aviation mechanic. Now that’s all gone.”

Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin have formed the Justice for Trayvon Martin Foundation to honor their son and to “advocate for all victims of injustice and senseless crimes throughout the world.” Like millions of Americans, we continue to stand with them. We will not rest until justice is done.

Marc Morial is President and CEO of the National Urban League.

Congratulations to the Fenway High girls basketball team for repeating as Div. 4 state title champs on Monday, March 11 at the TD Garden. The Panthers defeated Greater New Bedford 56-47 and end the season at 15-7. (Patrick O’Connor photo)

Thursday, March 21, 2013 • BAY STATE BANNER • 7

COMMUNITYVoices

Credit checks are screening blacks, Latinos out of jobs Charlene Crowell As black America continues to struggle with disproportionate unemployment rates, a new research report draws an important connection between accessing employment and credit checks.

Published by Demos, a public policy organization, Discredited: How employment credit checks keep qualified workers out of a job, unveils how the use of credit history in employment decisions is often leaving people of color in the unemployment lines.

Among employers with fiduciary responsibilities, it is a longstanding practice to include credit reviews in hiring decisions. Banks, credit unions and similar employers should be careful in handling others’ monies and deposits.

But the Demos report found that employment credit checks now are becoming standard operating procedures for many employers without such responsibilities. In these instances, the practices disproportionately screening people of color out of jobs can lead to discriminatory hiring.

With higher rates of unemployment and the additional burden of wealth disparities, many African American and Latino households incur a greater need to borrow

for emergencies and are also at a greater risk for foreclosure or loan default.

Surveying nearly 1,000 low and middle-income households with credit card debt, Demos found that people of color are disproportionately likely to report worse credit than whites. Even for employed persons seeking a promotion at work, credit scores can be a factor in deciding which employee will get the better job.

Consumers surveyed shared that much of the debt going to collections agencies was for unexpected medical costs rather than for retail credit card usage.

Households without health coverage were more than twice as likely to report that their credit score had declined in the past three years.

“It makes little sense to say that someone is not a good candidate for a job because they are still coping with the expense of a costly family medical emergency several years ago,” states the report. “Yet this may be exactly the type of situation that a blemished credit history indicates: Having unpaid medical bills or medical debt is cited as one of the leading causes of bad credit among survey respondents.”

Amy Traub, the report’s author

and a senior policy analyst at Demos, was even more frank.

“This practice continues because it financially benefits the companies that market and sell this information to employers with little concern for the negative impact to the economic security of those with most at stake — low and middle-income Americans struggling to find work in a tough job market,” she said.

This specific finding on medical debt mirrors another by the Federal Reserve Board. According to the Fed, 52 percent of all accounts reported by collection agencies consisted of medical debt.

These consistent findings on medical debt are also reflected in America’s disproportionate unemployment data. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics continues to show that black unemployment doubles that of whites.

From December 2012 through February 2013, white unemployment averaged 7 percent. By contrast, black unemployment stood at 14 percent.

So what is a debt-burdened, unemployed consumer to do?

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) allows employers to request credit reports on job applicants and existing employees. The statute also lays out specific steps

under which these credit checks must occur. By law, employers must: 1. First obtain written permission from the affected consumer before a credit review; 2. Notify individuals before any adverse action is taken as a result of the credit review; 3. Offer the employee or applicant a copy of the credit report, along with a written summary of his/her consumer rights; 4. Provide job applicants with a brief period of time to dispute any errors in their report.

Additionally, eight states have

laws against employment discrimination involving applicants’ credit history: California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Oregon, Washington State and Vermont.

Three other states are now considering similar legislation: Colorado, Massachusetts and New York.

If your state lacks laws against this type of discrimination, contact your local legislator.

Charlene Crowell is a communications manager with the Center for Responsible Lending.

Boston Celtics head coach Doc Rivers and NESN Sports Anchor Jayme Parker came out in support of Paul Pierce’s “The Truth Strikes Again” celebrity bowling event to fight childhood obesity on Thursday, March 14, at King’s in Dedham.

(George Weinstein photo)

8 • Thursday, March 21, 2013 • BAY STATE BANNER

COMMUNITYVoices

Time for new leadership at housing finance agency Jean-Marie Caterina and Jose Gonzalez Business groups with an axe to grind against the Obama Administration, such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Federation of Independent Business, like to push the idea that “uncertainty” over government actions is the monkey on the economy’s back.

As small business owners who work in the housing sector, we don’t buy that analysis. The source of our continuing economic problems is not some vague cloud of “uncertainty.” It is, quite the opposite, the very real certainty that if we don’t do more — and soon — to hit the reset button for the housing sector, the economic recovery will continue to fall short of what we need to put millions of unemployed Americans back to work.

Almost five years after the financial crisis rocked our economy, we still haven’t done anything to address one of the key drivers of the crisis: the divorcedfrom-reality overpricing of homes and mortgages during the housing bubble.

Since the bubble burst, nothing has been done to correct the pricing distortions that were

written into mortgage contracts.

The result? Fourteen million Americans are underwater in their homes.

This isn’t just holding back the housing sector. A weak housing sector drags the whole economy down, and when consumers are

reset underwater mortgages to fair market value. That will boost the housing sector, bolster consumer spending and restore the dream of home ownership for millions of Americans who’ve been living an underwater nightmare for the last five years.

Despite clear evidence that writing down underwater mortgages to fair market value would be good not only for homeowners but also for Fannie, Freddie and U.S. taxpayers, DeMarco has rejected all efforts to move this solution forward. stuck shipping inflated mortgage payments off to Wall Street accounts every month, that drains consumer purchasing power and weakens local economies.

A scientific survey of small business owners nationwide commissioned last year by three business networks bears this out. In that survey, 73 percent of small business owners said the drop in consumer demand as a result of the housing and mortgage crisis has hurt their businesses (and 28 percent said it has hurt a great deal).

There is, of course, a solution:

Why haven’t we implemented this simple solution? There’s a simple answer. In two words or less: Edward DeMarco.

As acting director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Mr. DeMarco oversees Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. And in that capacity, Mr. DeMarco has blocked all efforts at resetting underwater mortgages. Indeed, despite clear evidence that writing down underwater mortgages to fair market value would be good not only for homeowners but also for Fannie, Freddie and

U.S. taxpayers, DeMarco has rejected all efforts to move this solution forward.

Remember how, on the campaign trail, President Obama often used the metaphor of driving a car to make his case for why he (and Democrats) should be reelected? “Why would we give the keys back to the same people who drove the economy into the ditch in the first place?” was the gist of his appeal. Well, now he’s got a guy driving his administration’s housing policy who, instead of turning the key and stepping on the gas to get the car out of the ditch, seems more intent on slashing the tires.

Especially with the gridlock in the U.S. House and Senate over

economic issues, we need President Obama to do what’s in his power to get the economy back on track.

As small business owners and real estate agents, we’d suggest he start by asking Mr. DeMarco to hand over the keys to his office.

It’s time to appoint a new FHFA director who will do what’s right for homeowners, small businesses and the economy by resetting mortgages to fair market value.

Caterina is a real estate broker at the Caterina MacLean Group in Scarborough, Maine, and a member of the Maine Small Business Coalition. Gonzalez is principal broker at Tu Casa Real Estate in Salem, Ore., and a member of the Main Street Alliance of Oregon small business network.

Darnell Williams, president and CEO of the Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts (L) and Boston City Councillor Tito Jackson (R) attended the annual St. Patrick’s Day Breakfast in South Boston on Sunday, March 17. (Photo courtesy of Tito Jackson’s office)

Thursday, March 21, 2013 • BAY STATE BANNER • 9

The choir from St. Angela’s Parish in Mattapan and Fr. Bill Joy pose after Mass honoring Haitian Independence Day on New Year’s Day. (Patrick O’Connor photo)

Francis continued from page 1

Two main themes are expected to frame the beginning of the papacy of Pope Francis — the need to reinforce the Vatican’s views on issues such as birth control and women’s ordination and a willingness to do more social outreach and take a more activist role on problems such as poverty and social justice.

Based on his previous writings and statement, Pope Francis appears ready for the challenge. At a meeting of bishops in 2007, the future pope called on the church to purge the “social sin” of chronic poverty and economic inequality.

The Jesuit teachings are particularly important to Meyer Chambers, the Boston College Minister for Liturgical Arts and former director of the Archdiocese of Boston’s Office of Black Catholics.

Like Gittens, he is a member of St. Katharine Drexel Parish, and he traces his interest in Catholicism to St. Peter Claver, the Jesuit priest who ministered to Africans enslaved

in Colombia in the 17th Century.

“Because of his humility, because of his willingness to serve the people, St. Claver was known as the slave of the slaves,” Chambers said.“It is the Jesuit philosophy of Pope Francis that makes this such an exciting time for the Catholic Church. He wants to be a man of the people.”

Chambers said the installation of a Jesuit was a radical departure from previous Popes, and their action suggests that the Catholic Church was quite willing to look at itself and its diversity and make an appointment that symbolizes the universality of Catholics.

“This doesn’t mean,” Chambers was quick to add, “that Pope Francis will stray from the teachings of Jesus Christ or promote views that are antithetical to those teachings.”

What it means, at least to Chambers, is that Pope Francis is a “humble person” and willing to work “as a servant of the people.”

Renounce the pride of wrong identification, which is also company.

Follow the example of the saints: root out anger, desire, and greed.

Respect authentic scriptures, and always meditate on the Lord.

Expect nothing from others.

— Swami Muktananda

10 • Thursday, March 21, 2013 • BAY STATE BANNER

‘Clybourne Park’ probes race, class with satire, smart cast

Philana Mia, Michael Kaye, Marvelyn McFarlane and DeLance Minifee in a scene from the SpeakEasy Stage Company production of “Clybourne Park.” (Craig Bailey/Perspective photos) Susan Saccoccia tatives of the now predominantly premiere of “Clybourne Park” black neighborhood meet with at the Calderwood Pavilion in Bruce Norris sets his Pulitzer the new owners, a white couple the Boston Center for the Arts Prize-winning play “Clybourne who want to tear it down and re- through April 6.

Park” in the house that Lena place it with a bigger house.

Directed by M. Bevin O’Gara Younger buys in Lorraine HansA scathingly funny satire with with sets by Cristina Todesco and berry’s 1959 classic, “A Raisin in a tragic undercurrent, Norris’s costumes by Mary Lauve, the stagthe Sun.” play premiered off-Broadway in ing is as strong as the seven-member In Act I, Norris offers a glimpse February 2010 and two years later cast, who reincarnate as a new set of of the white neighbors await- opened on Broadway, winning characters as they move from Act I ing the Youngers, the first Afri- the Laurence Olivier Award for to Act II. By using the same actors can Americans to move into their Best New Play and the 2012 Tony in both acts, Norris underscores his community, Clybourne Park.

Award for best play. sardonic view that little has changed Act II revisits the house 50 The SpeakEasy Stage Com- over 50 years when it comes to baryears later, in 2009, as represen- pany is presenting the Boston riers of race, class and money.

In contrast to the big dreams of the Youngers, who yearn for a better life, this play’s five white characters measure their dreams in minutes shaved off a commute or in the extra footage of a new, taller house.

As Act I begins, Frank Sinatra croons the soothing Johnny Mercer classic, “Dreams.” Stacks of boxes surround Bev and Russ and their yet-unpacked furniture.

A kind and befuddled Bev, performed with self-effacing brilliance by Paula Plum, is trying to fob off a silver chafing dish to her African-American maid, Francine, the elegant Marvelyn MacFarlane.

Francine politely declines, just as later, she graciously fends off Karl when he tries to draw her into his argument against integration.

In Karl, performed with the right comic desperation by Michael Kaye, Norris resurrects Hansberry’s sole white character, Karl Lindner. Philana Mia is hilarious as Karl’s deaf-mute wife Betsey, the only person who attempts to hear what others are trying to say. Fortunately, she is unable to hear her awful husband.

The production’s economical staging says a lot with a few telling details, including Lauve’s quietly satirical costumes. While the white characters wear Ozzie and Harriet attire, the two African Americans are the classiest looking people on the scene. When Francine sheds her apron, she is regal in a blue sheath and matching hat. Arriving to take her home, Francine’s husband Albert (DeLance Minifee) is dashing in a suit and tie.

As in Hansberry’s play, the man of the house is consumed with buried rage. Russ (the excellent Thomas Derrah) slouches in an armchair in his pajamas and

exchanges a numbing barrage of trivia with Bev. When visitors arrive, he barely tolerates them.

Provoked by the well-meaning questions of the local clergyman, Jim (Tim Spears), Russ fends him off with four-letter words and then threatens to punch him.

All these confrontations are great fun. But Russ and Bev are alone with a tragic secret they hope to leave behind, along with their dead son’s Army footlocker.

In Act II, 50 years later, a circle of young professionals outfitted in casual urban chic gathers in the house. The trivia goes upscale, but once more small talk, excessive politeness and joviality yield to heated exchanges.

Lena (MacFarlane), the niece of Lena Younger, her husband Kevin (Minifee) and their lawyer, Tom (Spears) represent the current Owners’ Association. They want to preserve the house as a landmark of the neighborhood’s African American heritage. In a high-minded but impotent speech, Lena says that her people have “a lot of pride,” resurrecting a poignant phrase from the climax of the Hansberry play.

The new owners are Steve (Michael Kaye) a reborn Karl, and his wife Lindsey (Philana Mia), a yuppie lawyer, accompanied by their real estate attorney, Kathy (Paula Plum). Embarrassed by her husband’s combative defense of their private property rights, Lindsey assures Lena, “Half of my friends are black!”

Thomas Derrah is Dan, the chatty workman who hauls in the footlocker he has unearthed from the yard while digging a trench for the couple’s koi pond. Like Russ in Act I, Dan is the only character who looks at the facts.

Thomas Derrah and Paula Plum in a scene from the SpeakEasy Stage Company production of “Clybourne Park” running through March 30 at the Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts.

For more informa on contact: Lloyd Lovell DBE Program Manager-CM/GC Compliance Officer GLX Transit Constructors Cell: 1-303-594-3054

Thursday, March 21, 2013 • BAY STATE BANNER • 11

C I S S A RY CL

R E B S HAN n full form

E R T revived i A E H T N O T G N I T N AT HU

Will McGarrahan and LeRoy McClain in the Huntington Theatre Company production of Lorraine Hansberry’s “A Raisin in The Sun.” Corey Allen, LeRoy McClain and Corey Janvier as Big Walter, George and Travis. (T. Charles Erickson photos)

Keona Welch, Ashley Everage and Kimberly Scott in the Huntington Theatre Company production of Lorraine Hansberry’s “A Raisin in The Sun,” which runs through April 7 at the BU theatre in Boston.

Susan Saccoccia “Bitter?” says Walter Lee Younger in the powerful Huntington Theatre Company production of Lorraine Hansberry’s 1959 masterpiece, “A Raisin in the Sun,” at the BU Theatre in Boston through April 7. “Man, I’m a volcano.”

As he sizes up George, the well-heeled collegian calling on his sister, Beneatha, Walter seethes with frustration. Like his spirited sister, who wants to be a doctor, Walter too is bursting with dreams. He works as a chauffeur, but longs to be the executive riding in the back seat. Yet he feels powerless to change his life.

He numbs his pain with beer, considers a dicey scheme to buy a liquor store and lives in his mother’s cramped apartment with his wife, Ruth, and son Travis, who sleeps on the living room sofa.

His mother, Lena, shares her bed with Beneatha.

The promise of a better life comes with the life insurance settlement of the deceased family patriarch, Big Walter. Lena wants the money to fund Beneatha’s education and buy a home for her family. But when she chooses one in an all-white neighborhood — where houses are nicer and cost less — a community spokesman informs the Youngers that a black family is not welcome and offers to buy them out.

Walter sees the offer is degrading but he needs the money. How

he resolves this dilemma is the turning point of the play.

Hansberry took the play’s title from the 1951 Langston Hughes poem “Harlem,” which begins, “What happens to a dream deferred?/Does it dry up/like a raisin in the sun?”

Hansberry sets the play in Chicago’s South Side, where her family’s house is now a Chicago historic landmark. Her father, Carl Augustus Hansberry, a real estate broker, bought the house in 1938. Then, the neighborhood was white and its residents drew up a restrictive covenant barring African Americans. He fought it all the way to the US Supreme Court, which in 1940 voided the covenant.

Remembering this “hellishly hostile” neighborhood, two decades later Hansberry created a landmark work of American dramatic literature. At age 29, she became the youngest playwright to receive the New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Play and the first African American playwright to be produced on Broadway.

Opening to standing ovations on March 11, 1959, “Raisin in the Sun” was the first Broadway production directed by an African American (Lloyd Richards).

Its stars, Sidney Poitier, Ruby Dee and Louis Gossett performed in a movie version three years later.

Few modern playwrights have achieved the impact of Hansberry, who died just six years later, succumbing to pancreatic cancer at

age 34. Since its debut, her play has been in continuous production throughout the world. Kenny Leon directed a 2004 Broadway revival and a 2008 TV movie starring Sean Combs, Phylicia Rashad and Audra McDonald. The women won Tony awards for their portrayals of Lena and Ruth.

Directed by Liesl Tommy, the Huntington Theatre staging brings out the full grandeur of Hansberry’s play, which in the poetry of everyday language tells the story not only of Walter but also of his family and their struggle to achieve a good life.

Unfolding in three acts, this production moves with the layered emotional music of the family, from its turbulent storms to light-hearted scenes of a dancing Beneatha joyfully embracing an African boyfriend’s cultural traditions.

At the center of the play and the family is Lena, the voice of love and truth, portrayed with majesty by Kimberly Scott.

Scott’s companion in inner heft, Ashley Everage endows Walter’s wife Ruth with a weary loveliness as well as sardonic humor and a wide scale of emotions, from dread that Walter does not want the baby she is carrying to elation about the family’s new home.

Telling her family why she bought the house, Lena says, “We was going backwards ‘stead of forwards … When it gets like that in life — you just got to do some-

thing different, push on out and do something bigger.”

Lena slaps Beneatha for denying God, chastises Walter for not reassuring his wife and seeing his brokenness, turns her money over to him.

Acting the part of a man in meltdown, Leroy McClain at times overplays Walter’s intensity in his scenes of angry confrontation. Yet in quieter moments, McClain is riveting, even magnificent, as he reveals Walter’s tenderness, joy and vulnerability.

Although Beneatha sparks much of the play’s humor, she is also a force in her family. At first, Keona Welch is a trifle too adorable in the role of Beneatha, and nearly turns her character into a lightweight. But as she interacts with Scott’s Lena and Everage’s Ruth, her Beneatha gels into a strong character, balancing winsome style with earthy substance.

The set by Clint Ramos rotates on a platform to show the Youngers in their kitchen and living room, stairwell and small bedroom. In this worn, crammed apartment, Ruth and Lena bring order by folding clothes, ironing, preparing meals, cleaning and occasionally, stomping cockroaches.

Costumes by Kathleen Geldard suit the characters. Dressed for school in his sweater vest, Travis (a part shared by Cory Janvier and Zaire White) looks like a beloved child. Beneatha’s shapely dresses give her the look of a ‘50s ingénue.

Lighting by Lap Chi Chu lends

a surreal quality to some scenes, including an intimate episode between Walter and his son. In a stirring performance by McClain, Walter conjures for Travis their family’s proud ancestral past. As he speaks, the two step into a shaft of light, leaving their cramped apartment behind.

Invisible to the family is the ghost of Big Walter. Dressed in grey, he sits stone-still in the kitchen, turning slightly only to watch his son and grandson when they enter the room. Performed with wordless eloquence

by Corey Allen, who also plays George, the ghost is an invention of the director. Without interfering with the play, his presence underscores the lineage of pride and self-respect that Lena strives to nurture in her family.

When Walter tells Lena that he has lost all her money in a business scam, she stands frozen, facing her son. Unseen by her, Big Walter stands alongside her, his profile aligned with hers like its shadow. Together, they watch their son fall apart in a self-lacerating confession.

Near the end of the play, as Walter begins to summon his strength, he tells the spokesman from the all-white neighborhood, Karl Lindner, “We come from people who had a lot of pride.”

Unseen by Walter, his dead father’s hand rests on his shoulder, as if transferring that proud lineage to him. It is a kind of benediction.

12 • Thursday, March 21, 2013 • BAY STATE BANNER

Joi Gresham reflects on ‘growing up Hansberry’

Kimberly Scott and LeRoy McClain in the Huntington Theatre Company production of Lorraine Hansberry’s “A Raisin in The Sun.” (T. Charles Erickson photo)

Colette Greenstein Joi Gresham. Choreographer, dancer, educator, professor and heir to the Lorraine Hansberry literary legacy. Hansberry wrote the groundbreaking play “A Raisin In The Sun,” which plays at the Hunington Theatre through Sunday.

Joi Gresham grew up in an artistic and literary world in rural Crotonon-the Hudson, NY in the home of a literary giant and against the backdrop of the Civil Rights Movement. She has lived a life that most can only dream of. The daughter of Jewel Handy Gresham and Robert Nimeroff , Gersham is cur-

rently the executive director and a Trustee of the Lorraine Hansberry Literary Trust.

Joi’s eclectic upbringing began when her mother Jewel Handy married Broadway producer Robert Nimeroff, former husband of Lorraine Hansberry. Nimeroff married Hansberry in 1953 and although they divorced in 1962, they continued a close partnership.

Nimeroff came into Joi’s life when she was 10 and he adopted her as his daughter after his marriage to Jewel in 1967. Hansberry had passed away two years prior in 1965 at age 34 due to pancreatic cancer. Robert, Jewel and Joi all lived in Lorraine’s picturesque home, where Joi has fond memories of growing up.

“It was a mid-century house sort of ranch-style, all one level.

And was built into a hill where the outdoors and indoors were continuous,” she said Even at age 10, I realized how special it was”.

There were little things of who she [Hansberry] was that reminded Joi of who she was.

“Lorraine was the quintessential humanist with a wicked sense of humor,” she explains, “She had a little troll on her desk and she had clowns. She loved clowns.” Of the home itself, Gresham says “Lorraine chose the house as a sanc-

tuary and as a place to write and to get away from all of the things that haunted her, drained her and prevented her from writing.”

Gresham lived in Crotonon-Hudson from age 10 to 17 until she left home to go to college. The house was sold in 2007 after her mother’s death in 2005 due to cancer. After both Nimeroff and her mother Jewel passed away, the role of literary executor passed to her.

At her Cambridge home Gresham recently opened up about her memories of the legacy and impact of “growing up Hansberry.”

How was it growing up with the legacy of Lorraine Hansberry?

On one hand it was amazing.

It was an extraordinary experience, and don’t get me wrong, I always knew I was blessed to come into that inheritance. Lorraine came into my life and I into hers in 1966, when I was 10 years old. I was at an age where I was kind of clueless on what it meant at some level. I was young enough to be raised by Bob Nimeroff, my father. And, I grew up in this peculiar 1960s kind of extended family where Lorraine was everywhere. She was a part of the whole house.

During that time from when you were 10 to 17 years of age, did you understand the significance of being part of this living history?

I did. I was 11 when my parents actually married in 1967. In 1969, my father compiled a work

based on Lorraine’s writings called “To Be Young, Gifted and Black”. It was staged Off Broadway. After it was staged, it was prepared and put into a book. It’s more of an autobiographical portrait of Lorraine’s writings and scribblings, photographs and artwork. The book was dedicated to me and my cousin and Lorraine’s cousin. I was 13 when the book came out and it was such a heady thing to happen to a 13-yearold. The spirit of “To Be Young, Gifted and Black” is about youth and the promise of that. I got that I was a part of this future she dreamed of.

With the Civil Rights Movement happening when you were growing up, how did that shape you?

Here’s a little more about the environment that I grew up in.

Lorraine died in 1965. She was one of the voices of the early Civil Rights Movement. There was a famous meeting held with Bobby Kennedy when he was Attorney General in 1962 or 1963. He [Kennedy] assembled a group of black leaders to really be briefed and educated about the Civil Rights force coming on.

I believe one of the key people was James Baldwin and he immediately thought of Lorraine.

Lena Horne was there, Harry Belafonte and some other people from SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee) and CORE (Congress Of Racial Equality). They were all there Hansberry, continued to page 14

Thursday, March 21, 2013 • BAY STATE BANNER • 13

14 • Thursday, March 21, 2013 • BAY STATE BANNER

Hansberry continued from page 12

and were trying to do their best for someone who wanted to know but didn’t really want to know about the fire and what was coming. She was a force of nature [at the meeting] and I wanted to be like Hansberry.

Was it a surprise to you to become executor of the estate when your mom passed?

I’m an only child and the expectation and the pressure of that expectation was pretty clear, pretty early on. And then I remember growing up and thinking about choices. My father made

this choice and I didn’t know if I would make that choice. I started thinking about what I would need to make that choice. I was trained as a choreographer. I was a performing artist from when I was a very young girl and I grew up studying dance and performing. I was guided to do that by my parents who sought out the best teachers and training for me.

And, that was what I was going to do and that was true until my mother’s death. I had a career as a college professor. I taught Arts education and African American studies. I performed and I choreographed. That was my life. I taught for about 25 years on the college level and I was looking for something different. I still

Coming to Art is Life itself!

March 21

PERCUSSION, BEATS, RHYTHM “Drum Song” SydSonic will play an electronic hand drum and Cajon (box drum) to explore the world of percussion. Audience participation is encouraged. “Body As Instrument” Keyona Aviles shares her interactive dancing meditation flow. Keyona Aviles, LMHC of Inspired Release + Open Mic

March 28

LONDON BRIDGEZ NIGHT A Cappella London with Scratching DJ This once-monthly series will introduce three versions of the founding member of the Neo-Logic Beatnik Assembly, Spoken Word Artist and Friends + Open Mic

April 4

THE NEW ROXBURY: MORE ART & MUSIC “Gallery Musikavanhu” [formerly Cafe Basquiat] Promoting Social Equity Featuring Co-founder, Doumafis Lafontin, Rara Drummer & Public Health Administrator + The Fulani Haynes Jazz Collaborative + Open Mic

April 11

LEARNING GAMES & MUSIC “The Artist-Activist Game” an interactive game that illustrates history and it’s relationship to the present. Presented by Artist, Community Educator Neil Horsky + Kendall Ramseur, will provide musical delight with Voice, Guitar and Cello. Kendall is a recording Artist, Cellist, Singer-Song Writer, Composer, Pianist & Poet. His mission and passion is to create positive, inspiring, and heart-felt experiences through music. Kendall performs in many genres including Pop, Classical, R&B, Inspirational & Gospel. + Open Mic

April 18

READING & GROOVIN’ “Things I Used To Do To Sneeze,” by Author Monica D. Cost will read & autograph books. A self-exploration on defining your personal truth and living an authentic life with awesome sensations. Book will be available for purchase + “Iyeoka & bcap” Iyeoka Okoawo is a Nigerian American poet, recording artist, singer, activist, educator and TEDGlobal Fellow. Her music includes elements from soul, R&B, rock, hip hop, and jazz. bcap — Brian Capobianchi is a musician, lyricist, songwriter, recording artist and a dedicated live performer.

His sound evokes the musical stylings of Beck, Blackalicious, Citizen Cope and John Lennon. + Open Mic

Program starts at 7pm Come early for dinner!

Donations Accepted 12 Dade Street, Roxbury, MA 02119 617-445-0900 www.haleyhouse.org/cafe

wanted to be involved in theater and I needed to do something different. I came to the Boston area to teach at Lesley [College].

I thought about reentering the Hansberry world around the time of the “Raisin In the Sun” revival.

[Her mother was responsible for the 2004 revival on Broadway with Phylicia Rashad, Sean “Diddy” Combs, Audra McDonald and Sanaa Lathan.]

Once you decided to continue on with your parents’ work, did you feel connected to your mother?

Absolutely. I also felt deeply connected to my father. It’s impossible to separate his and Lorraine’s work. He so deeply served the publishing of her work. When you go to the Schomburg Center in the archives section, they roll out these archive boxes. There are all these folders covered with the handwriting of my father.

The only way I can go home on some level is to go to the Schomburg and see this stuff. It’s the only place that I can get a hit of all of it at once. It reminds me of being part of that whole experience. It helps me to connect and stay with those people and at the same time it was an incredible opportunity to know her.

Seeing that Hansberry wasn’t perfect, did it help you or shape you in your life?

Has it given you a better understanding of her?

It has. It would be fair to say that I came to understand all those cultural and political leaders of those times who I identified with and looked up to as imperfect. At a certain point in your

and left this incredible legacy.

At the same time, part of [that] legacy is you start in examining it to see what you’re supposed to do with it. It helps you to understand your role and what you can contribute. I’ve been learning. Every day I learn more of what I’m supposed to do. This combination of what Lorraine is asking me to do in her life and what I think is unfinished. I have an incredible

“Lorraine was the quintessential humanist with a wicked sense of humor.”

— Joi Gresham

education, your exposure and in your own maturation you learn to do that as you would with your own parents. The purpose of that lesson is that you learn about your own shortcomings. You start to learn if you’re lucky what you can do to make a difference.

I started to learn the difference between Lorraine and myself.

Weeding out the fantasy. She was a contained being that had an incredible, short time on the planet

job as the person who directs the trust and as a trustee, to keep completing Lorraine Hansberry.

I’ve learned how to feel into what I’m supposed to do with it.

The Huntington Theatre Company presents “A Raisin in the Sun” through Sunday, April 7. Tickets are available online at www.huntingtontheatre.org by phone at (617) 266-0800 or in person at the BU Theatre Box Office.

Subscribe to the Banner: Call: 617-261-4600 or visit www.baystatebanner.com

Thursday, March 21, 2013 • BAY STATE BANNER • 15

COMMUNITY Calendar .

Thursday

Saturday

March 21

March 23

Brother Outsider: The Life of Bayard Rustin The Cambridge GLBT Commission and the Cambridge Peace Commission are sponsoring a viewing of the acclaimed documentary Brother Outsider: The Life of Bayard Rustin to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington. This free event will be held at 6pm, at Cambridge Public Library, 449 Broadway. Opening reception with food and refreshments will begin at 5:30pm. A panel discussion will follow with Cambridge Vice Mayor E. Denise Simmons, activist, Cambridge Peace Commission Executive Director Brian Corr, and 2012 Bayard Rustin Service Award recipient Priscilla Lee.

Two Times Two Starting at 4pm, at St. John’s Episcopal Church, Roanoke Ave., Jamaica Plain, JP CONCERTS presents the TWO TIMES TWO, a program of chamber music featuring the Burdick/Ross Duo and Due Celli performing works by Francesco Geminiani, Charles Ives, Friedrich Kummer, Rahbani Brothers, Maurice Ravel, Alfred Schnittke, Jay Ungar, Antonio Cabán Vale.

Tickets are $10 at the door. For more information and directions please see jpconcerts.org.

Guns Don’t Kill People, The Media Kills People Ford Hall Forum at Suffolk University presents Guns Don’t Kill People, The Media Kills People with John Rosenthal and Charlton McIlwain; moderated by Edward Powell. 6:308 p m . A d m i s s i o n i s f re e a n d open to all. Suffolk University Law School, McLaughlin Moot Court Room, 120 Tremont St., Boston. Wheelchair accessible and conveniently located near the Park St. MBTA Station. For more information, contact Ford Hall Forum at Suffolk University: 617-557-2007, www.fordhall forum.org.

Point and Counterpoint Simmons College presents Point and Counterpoint, an exhibition of paintings and prints by Juan José BarbozaGubo, Jennifer R. A. Campbell and Sydney Hardin through April 18 at the Trustman Art Gallery, located on the fourth floor, Main College Building, 300 the Fenway in Boston. A reception from 5–7 pm will be held on Thursday, March 21. Closed April 15. The exhibit and reception are free and open to the public.

Friday March 22 Through Barbed Wire presents 4th Friday Reading of Prisoners’ Writings 7-9:30pm, monthly prose & poetry participatory event focused on prisoners’ writings.

Featured Guest: KAZI TOURE, reading selections from NOTES FROM THE UNDERGROUND. Audience participation encouraged, light refreshments, standard-size wheelchair accessible, near Copley Sq and Back Bay MBTA bus, subway, commuter rail, Amtrak. Created and directed

by Arnie King. Community Church of Boston, 565 Boylston St, 2nd fl (above the Globe Cafe), Copley Sq in Boston. www.arnold king.org or throughbarbedwire@ yahoo.com; tel: 857-492-4858.

Free/Donation.

Walking in their Shoes: Historic Women of Uphams Corner 10:30am, Rain or Shine. In the 19th Century, Uphams Corner was home to influential national civil and health reformers. Walk with Boston Women’s Heritage Trail members to six sites on the Dorchester Women’s History Trail. The trail is on the BWHT website at bwht.org/Dorchester/.

Meet at the branch at 10:30am.

If the weather is bad, a PowerPoint of the trail sites inside the branch will be shown. www.bpl. org, Uphams Corner Branch of the Boston Public Library 500 Columbia Rd., 617-265-0139.

The Mothers of Freedom: A Historic Walk through 19th Century Beacon Hill Saturdays, March 23 and 30 at 12 noon. Celebrate Women’s History Month by joining rangers from Boston African American National Historic Site on this free Beacon Hill walking tour that highlights the vital role of African American women and their allies in the struggle for social justice and equality in the years preceding the Civil War. The tour will examine the critical role that these women played on the Underground Railroad and in the Abolition Movement, and highlight their contributions to education and community aid and uplift.

Tours begin and end in front of the Museum of African American History’s African Meeting House on Smith Court on Beacon Hill.

Tours last 60 minutes. The tours are free and open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis.

Please call 617-742-5415 for more information or visit www. nps.gov/boaf. For more information on The Museum of African American History, please visit www.maah.org.

Sunday March 24 2013 PEN Hemingway Awards Patrick Hemingway, Ernest Hemingway’s sole surviving son, presents this year’s PEN Hemingway Award to novelist Kevin Powers for The Yellow Birds. Colm Toibin, author of Brooklyn and The Testament of Mary, will deliver the keynote address. The Kennedy Library is the major repository of Ernest Hemingway’s works. This

forum will be held from 2-3pm in Stephen Smith Hall at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Columbia Point, Boston.

All forums are free and open to the public. To make reservations and for further information, visit the Kennedy Presidential Library web page at www.jfklibrary.org or call 617-514-1643.

Tuesday March 26 I Can Cope workshop Patients and their family members, caregivers, and friends are invited to attend the American Cancer Society’s I Can Cope workshop, titled ‘Keeping Well in Mind, Body, and Spirit’, 12-2pm, at St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center, in the St. Margaret’s Center for Women, Conference Room 3, 736 Cambridge St., Brighton. The free workshop will examine the physical, emotional, intellectual, social, and spiritual dimensions of wellness. Participants will be encouraged to think of ways of maintaining health in spite of cancer, and to explore strategies for increasing well being. The workshop will be facilitated by Lauren Schairer, MSW, LCSW. To register, or for more information, please contact Lauren Schairer at 617-789-2662 or Lauren.

Schairer@steward.org.

Wednesday March 27 Rescheduled Millennium Park Bird Walk 3:30 - 4:30pm, Millennium Park, 300 Gardner St.,West Roxbury. The Boston Parks and Recreation Department and Mass Audubon host a walk for those residents interested in looking for winter birds at Millennium Park in West Roxbury. Meet at the parking lot near the canoe launch. Free parking. For further information, please call 617-635-4505 or visit online at www.facebook.com/bostonparks department.

Book Talk by Novelist Anthony Barcellos The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Center for Portuguese Studies and Culture and the Ferreira-Mendes PortugueseAmerican Archives, in collaboration with the Center for Arts and Ideas at UMass Lowell, announce a book talk by novelist Anthony Barcellos at 5:30pm in the Ferreira-Mendes Portuguese-American Archives, parking lot 13. Free and open to the public. The author will read from his debut novel, Land of Milk and Money (Tagus Press, 2012), which tells the story of the Francisco family, Portuguese immigrants who build a prosperous dairy farm in California. However, the family falls apart when the matriarch’s death leaves their dairy-farm legacy up for grabs.

Upcoming Simmons College/Beacon Press Race, Education and Democracy Lectures Co-sponsored by the Boston and Cambridge Public Schools.

Lecturer: Freeman A. Hrabowski, III, President, University of Maryland, Baltimore County; Chairperson of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans. Topic: Standing Up for Justice/Creating Opportunity, March 30, 10am –12pm, Standing Up For Justice: My Life as a Twelve-Year Old Activist in the Birmingham Children’s Crusade; 1–3pm, Educating Achievers in Math, Science and Technology; April 4, 4:30–6pm, Raising a Generation of Achievers in Math, Science, and Technology — It Takes a Village/via SKYPE. For more information and to register, visit www.raceandeduca tion.com. Simmons College, 300 The Fenway, Boston. Contact: Theresa Perry, theresaaperry@ gmail.com; 617-521-2570. Free and open to the public.

Ongoing “Dance with Books” Monday afternoons from 3:30 - 5pm, March through June.

“Dance with Books” gets kids and parents participating in dance, fitness, and literacy activities that include: Dance Games and Improvisations, Dances from Different Countries and Books about Dance.

“Dance with Books” is designed for Ages 4-12. Parents are welcome to participate. The classes are taught by Sharon Shakur, MA, an expert in Dance Education. The Dance Complex located at 536 Mass Ave., Cambridge close to the Red Line “Central Sq” T stop. Contact Ms. Shakur at 323-570-6649; website: www.academyofdance andchoreography.blogspot.com or on Facebook enter in the search box Academy of Dance and Choreography. Price is $10 per child per class. Great news! When the Parent participates too, the fee is still just $10 which includes both Parent and Child. Bonus! Siblings in the same family pay only one $10 fee.

“Impressions of the Voyageur” The Multicultural Arts Center will be hosting an exhibition of photography by artist Lucy Cobos titled “Impressions of the Voyageur” running through April 5.

“Impressions of the Voyageur” is a collection of photographs taken by the artist over a period of two years. During this time she travelled all over Massachusetts photographing hulls of boats guided by the desire to experiment with the abstract images she saw within them. Her odyssey resulted in documentation of a series of distinctive imprints of the hulls.

Lucy Cobos graduated from the

New England School of Photography. She went on to establish the first photography department at the NBC affiliate station in Boston. For 10 years she created imagery for billboards, media publications, exhibits and animation and received awards from the broadcast design industry for her photography work. She currently lives in Cambridge and works primarily as a commercial portrait photographer. Her interest in fine art portraiture led her to a commission by the Berklee College of Music to photograph faculty jazz musicians. Gallery website: www.multiculturalartscenter.org/ galleries, Artist website: www. lucycobos.com. FREE and open to the public.

Hans Tutschku: Unreal Memories The Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts at Harvard University presents Hans Tutschku: Unreal Memories, a sound installation conceived for the rooftop of the building, occurring from through May 29. Specially conceived for the rooftop of the Carpenter Center of the Visual Arts in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the building, Unreal Memories is composed of transformed voices from many different cultures. Original recordings serve as models for computer transformations that create an imaginary intercultural journey, where voices from elsewhere come together. They call us, they celebrate, they open a short sonic window into our busy everyday lives. Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts, Harvard University, 24 Quincy St., Cambridge.

Handreach Beatbrigade Drum Circle First Tuesday every month.

Handreach Beatbrigade Drum Circle starts up for the fall from 7-9pm. No Charge! Bring a drum!

Director Cornell Coley facilitates improvisational drumming, drawing from African and Latin traditions as well as certified drum circle facilitation techniques and healing drum strategies. Spontaneous Celebrations, 45 Danforth St., JP. Contact: Cornell Coley www.afrolatin.net. 617-298-1790 cc@afrolatin.net.

Families Creating Together Families creating Together is an ongoing free class for children ages 5 and up. Come create art with your children every Tuesday from 3-4pm at the Family Resource Center at 1542 Columbus Ave., Jamaica Plain/Roxbury. Please call 617-522-1018 if you have any questions. Wheelchair accessible.

BANNER BILLBOARD LISTINGS baystatebanner.com/billboard

The Community Calendar has been established to list community events at no cost. The admission cost of events must not exceed $10. Church services and recruitment requests will not be published. THERE IS NO GUARANTEE OF PUBLICATION. To guarantee publication with a paid advertisement please call advertising at (617) 261-4600 ext. 111 or email sandra@bannerpub.com. NO LISTINGS ARE ACCEPTED BY TELEPHONE, FAX OR MAIL. NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE. Deadline for all listings is Friday at noon for publication the following week. E-MAIL your information to: calendar@bannerpub.com. To list your event online please go to www.baystatebanner.com/events and list your event directly. Events listed in print are not added to the online events page by Banner staff members.

There are no ticket cost restrictions for the online postings.

B B

16 • Thursday, March 21, 2013 • BAY STATE BANNER

Boston Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Carol R. Johnson and her pen pal, Nelise Mendes, a student at the Timilty Middle School.

(Eric Esteves photo)

BPS

continued from page 1

schools are in Dorchester, Roxbury, Mattapan and Jamaica Plain.

Without significant improvement in those schools, critics argue that minority students will be disproportionately impacted by the new assignment plan.

In her statement, Johnson said efforts to improve the academic quality of all of the city’s schools are ongoing.

“Until we can guarantee that every student has equal access to quality, we must keep working on quality,” Johnson said in her statement. “In the meantime, our assignment system must compen-

sate for the current inequitable distribution across the district of our highest quality schools. That is what is fair.”

But fairness is in the eye of the beholder. For members of the Black Educators Alliance of Massachusetts (BEAM) and Kim Janey, the senior project director for the non-profit MA Advocates for Children, the new assignment plan limits choice for students living in neighborhoods with low-performing schools, and thus “limits access to quality education.”

Janey said she did an analysis of the plan and compared two streets, Walnut Avenue in Roxbury and Maple Street in West Roxbury.

On Maple Street, Janey said,

K-8th grade students will have a choice of seven schools on their list. Of the seven, six are highquality, while only one is considered low-quality. But on Walnut Avenue, Janey said, students have a choice of 13 schools, but only three are considered the highest quality, while nine are underperforming.

The issue of quality choices led one school committee member, John Barros, to vote against the plan.

Barros said he was concerned the algorithm generated choices based on the number of schools rather than the number of quality school seats. Barros pointed out that the two best schools in his Roxbury neighborhood — Hale and Mason — are small with limited seating, but that other areas have larger quality schools, po-

tentially increasing the odds of students in those areas getting in.

“I don’t think supply and demand should be based on school buildings. It should be based on seats,” Barros told reporters in published reports.

The school committee’s decision last Wednesday ends nearly two years of community meetings and hearings on a subject that drew hundreds of parents, educators and elected officials. Mayor Thomas Menino appointed a 27member advisory committee last year to develop alternatives to the city’s student assignment process.

Menino supported the final plan. The vote, Menino said in a statement, “marks a new day for every child in the City of Boston.

A more predictable and equitable student assignment system that emphasizes quality and keeps our children close to home has been a long time coming for our city.”

Menino also explained that improving school quality is an issue to which he is still committed.

“There will always be more work to be done to push all of our

the school assignment process all the more frustrating.

Because there are more students than seats in Roxbury and Dorchester, parents in the black and Latino communities often face fewer choices. A neighborhood school is not an option when there are not enough seats in that school.

To some observers, that reality hasn’t changed.

“Everyone agrees that this plan will have a discriminatory impact on the African American and Hispanic youth in this city,” the Rev. Miniard Culpepper, pastor of the Pleasant Hill Baptist Church in Dorchester, told the school committee before its vote. “If that’s the case and this school committee is going to sit here tonight and vote on a plan that has a discriminatory impact on our young people, then what kind of message are we sending? ... When the will of the people is ignored they will rise up.”

Councilor John Connolly, who is running for mayor, also criticized the new plan.

“ [This] marks a new day for every child in the City of Boston. A more predictable and equitable student assignment system that emphasizes quality and keeps our children close to home has been a long time coming for our city.”

— Mayor Thomas Menino schools to be better, and tonight’s vote sets a path forward to make all our schools quality schools of choice,” Menino stated.

Under the old system, the city was divided into three zones: North, East and West. Half the seats in elementary and middle schools were reserved for children who live within two miles of the school, the other half for parents who live anywhere else in the zone. Parents listed their choices for their children’s assignments, then were selected by lottery.

The old system had been roundly criticized by parents in neighborhoods throughout the city. While many in the white community, including many city councilors, advocate for a return to a neighborhood schools system — where seats in any given school would be reserved for children who live in close proximity — many parents in the black community said they wanted better choices for their children.

Competition for the betterperforming schools was intense.

And living in close proximity to underperforming schools made

“BPS replaced the current convoluted school lottery with a different convoluted school lottery, and, to make matters worse, they removed walk-zone priority,” he said in a statement. “It is cruel to call this bold reform.’’

The Black Ministerial Alliance of Greater Boston, Inc also weighed in on the new school assignment plan, saying that though it was “less than perfect,” it was better than the existing plan.

“Certainly, the main goal must be to have all of our schools, in every neighborhood, be high quality schools,” BMA Executive Director David Wright wrote in a statement. “Until that time, however, we can’t go back to sentencing the majority of our children to attend poor-quality schools just because of their zip code.”

Remain far from other’s wealth.

Neither go anywhere near it nor cast your eyes upon it.

Never let it creep into your meditation.

Regard women with respect and affection.

Never harm a woman.

Consider her the mother of the universe.

— Swami Muktananda

Start At The Top! Our prices are A STEEL! 5% Discount for Seniors!

Asphalt Shingles Up to 1,000 Sq. Ft.

Steel Roofing Up to 1,000 Sq. Ft.

Fully Installed

Fully Installed

$5,240

$5,980

Budget Terms Available.

Steel Roofing: Feel The Strength!

MA Office 978-578-0474 Call The Roof Guy, LLC® Today

MA Reg #106353

in[OLMix

Thursday, March 21, 2013 • BAY STATE BANNER • 17

with Colette Greenstein

Carnaval, a masquerade ball, was held on Saturday, March 9 by The Boston Chapter of Links, Inc. at the restaurant Blu. (L-R) Pamela Everhart, president of the Boston Chapter of Links, Inc.; Addie Johnson; Danny Levy; Lisa Simmons and Sylvia Simmons, Boston Chapter of Links, Inc. members.

Boston Celtic Paul Pierce held “The Truth Strikes Again” Celebrity Bowling Tournament at King’s Dedham on Thursday, March 14. Above, Celtics forward Kevin Garnett makes his way to the bowling lane. (Colette Greenstein photos)

Fit for a King and a Queen…

Boston’s finest came out in support of The Boston Chapter of Links, Inc. (The Links) second “Carnaval” fundraiser at the restaurant Blu. It was a fun-filled and festive evening that had people donning masks and painted faces (courtesy of Ginc Productions), and guests mingling and dancing with the twinkling lights of the Paramount Theatre in the background. Brazilian dancers, professional face painters and a live DJ kickin’ it old school entertained the crowd of over 250.

Spotted making their way in and around the masquerade ball were former President and CEO of The Partnership, Inc. Bennie Wiley, WCVB-TV’s CityLine host Karen Holmes Ward, NextStreet Financial’s Managing Partner and President Ronald L.Walker, Boston City Councillor Tito Jackson and Principal & Founder of MORE Advertising Donna Latson Gittens.

The celebration was to raise money for the Links signature service project “Fit For The King.”

The project is a three-year com-

mitment to the Martin Luther King, Jr. K-8 School in Dorchester to provide an overall health and wellness program.

All the Single Ladies…

The Improper Bostonian took over the restaurant Jerry Remy’s Seaport in celebration of their Bachelor/Bachelorette issue party. The after-work soiree was jam-packed with over 200 attendees mingling, eating and chatting the evening away, as some of Boston’s single ladies and men took the opportunity to try to change their status from ‘single’ to ‘taken.’

The celebration featured a live DJ along with hors d’oeuvres and specialty cocktails from St. Elder and Budweiser Black Crown.

The Truth Strikes Again…

Boston Celtics guard Paul Pierce held his annual celebrity bowling tournament at King’s Dedham to benefit his Truth on Health Campaign and FitClub34, a program designed to inspire young people to lead healthier lifestyles. Fans, friends and admirers alike descended on Kings to support the event along with number

(L-R) Krazy Kulo, Ramiro and Ashlee, JAM’N 94.5’s morning show crew, hit the lanes in support of Paul Pierce’s fundraiser at King’s Dedham on March 14.

34’s teammates: Kevin Garnett, Chris Wilcox, Jeff Green, Brandon Bass and Courtney Lee. Former Celtic Walter McCarty, Celts head coach Doc Rivers and CEO and Co-Owner of the Boston Celtics Wyc Grousbeck and his wife Corinne donned the “ugly shoes” in support of “The Truth.”

Also hitting the lane was Ramiro from JAM’N 94.5’s morning show “Ramiro’s House” with co-hosts Ashlee and Krazy Kulo.

Coming Up… The 5th Annual Women in Comedy Festival kicks off today (March 21) through Sunday, March 24 at venues in Boston and in Cambridge with performances by both local and national comics from the worlds of improv, sketch, stand up, musical comedy and sto-

rytelling stand-up. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.womenincomedyfestival.com.

This Saturday, March 23 at 6 p.m., ArtsEmerson presents the screening of Ava DuVernay’s Middle of Nowhere. Hailed as a “plaintive, slow-boiling, quietly soul-stirring drama” by The New York Times, this powerful film garnered DuVernay the director award at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. She is the first African-American woman to win the prize. For tickets go to www. artsemerson.org.

The second half of Boston’s winter restaurant week continues from March 24 to 29 with prix fixe meals at over 200 restaurants in Boston and in Cambridge. For a listing of participating restau-

rants visit http://www.bostonusa. com/visit/restaurantweek/.

P!NK’s “The Truth About Love” tour comes to the TD Garden on Thursday, March 28 at 7:30 p.m.

On Saturday, April 6, World Music/CRASHarts presents Dianne Reeves at the Berklee Performance Center for one show at 8 p.m. For tickets and information call World Music/CRASHarts at (617) 876-4275 or purchase online atwww.WorldMusic.org.

Alicia Keys brings her “Set the World on Fire Tour” to The Agganis Arena along with opening act Miguel on Wednesday, April 10 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available at www.ticketmaster.com.

If you would like me to cover or write about your event, email me at inthemixwithcolette@gmail.com.

18 • Thursday, March 21, 2013 • BAY STATE BANNER

Thursday, March 21, 2013 • BAY STATE BANNER • 19

Justin Timberlake returns with timeless R&B effort

After nearly seven years away from music, Justin Timberlake is back with the breathtaking new album “The 20/20 Experience.”

Dart Adams Justin Timberlake is coming off of an extended hiatus from making music where he became a bona fide actor and a legitimate leading man in Hollywood.

After years of complaints from fans, JT has returned to the musical arena with a vengeance in 2013. His Jay-Z assisted lead

single “Suit & Tie” was first introduced to the public via a stylish lyric video on YouTube and was instantaneously everywhere.

There was a bit of controversy caused by his vocals and overall song structure resembling Robin Thicke’s most recent material.

Comparisons to Mayer Hawthorne’s musical approach and aesthetic have also been made,

ARCHITECTS D/R/E/A/M COLLABORATIVE, LLC • Customized Residential and Commercial Designs – Free Initial consultations Homeowners | Small Business | Developers • New Construction • Renovations • Code Compliance • Development Concepts & Feasibility • Energy Upgrades Email: gminott@dreamcollaborative.com Web: www.dreamcollaborative.com Free in-house consultations every Saturday by appointment Tel. (617) 606-7029

AUTO BODY HICKS AUTO BODY, INC 10 Talbot Ave, Dorchester, MA 02124 Repair, refinish damaged vehicles. Complete interior and exterior recondition/detail 24 Hour Towing • (617) 825-1545, fax: (617) 825-8495 www.hicksautobodyinc.com

CAR WASH OJ CAR WASH, INC. 273 Columbia Rd, Dorchester, MA 02121 Proudly Providing Auto Wash Services For Over 20 Years!

Contact Person: Tucker Owens Tel/Fax: (617) 265-0117 • EMAIL: ojcarwash@verizon.net WEB: http://www.wmtn.biz/ojcarwash.html (8) Self-Service Bays — (1) Super Bay — (2) Truck Bays.

A total of 10 bays. 100% brush-less & soft touch wash.

JOIN OJ’s AUTO CLUB NOW! — 50 hour guarantee FREE VIP CARD FOR TUNNEL WASH MONTHLY PASS • ANNUAL PASS WE CAN CUSTOMIZE WASH PLANS TO YOUR SATISFACTION.

CATERING HALEY HOUSE BAKERY CAFÉ Breakfast Specials, Signature Muffins and Scones, A la Carte Breakfast, Lunch Package Deals, Wrap and Sandwich Platters, Steamin’ Hot Entrees, Soup and Salads, Pizza, Side Dishes, Appetizers, Desserts, Beverages and more.

To place an order call catering line Monday through Friday 8am-4pm at (617) 939-6837

CONSTRUCTION KERRY CONSTRUCTION, INC 22 Sylvester Rd, Dorchester Interior & Exterior Painting Replacement Windows & Doors • Carpentry • Roofing • Gutters • Masonry • Kitchens • Bathrooms • Vinyl Siding Free Estimates • Licensed & Insured Call James O’Sullivan (617) 825-0592

but in the end, it all comes down to the finished product.

Is the music itself original? Is “The 20/20 Experience” good? If so, how good is it?

The project gets off to a rather exquisite start with the jam “Pusher Lover Girl,” which features perfectly delivered falsetto vocals that would cause Prince to raise an eyebrow. It also has lush strings throughout, plus a classic Timbaland breakdown at the end that Ginuwine would’ve killed for back in 1997.

We go from that into the lead single that unnerved some Robin Thicke fans (and even Jay-Z’s “little brother” Kanye West), “Suit & Tie.” The fact remains that it was a perfect uptempo, bouncy initial single with the perfect feature artist to generate the buzz necessary to grab the attention of fans and promote the album’s release.

“Don’t Hold The Wall” opens with some vocal runs that are reminiscent of Mayer Hawthorne’s throwback ‘60s Philly Soul and Detroit R&B sound but slinks right back into that 2000s-era Timbaland/Danjahandz sound.

“Strawberry Bubblegum” is another example of producer Timbaland exerting his mastery of composition, as the final three minutes switches from a modern R&B song seamlessly into some-

TANKO CONTRACTING LLC Asbestos and lead Abatement, Roofing, Masonry, Kitchens, bathroom general capentry complete rehab free estimate. license and insured call AMID ALASA 508-269-7073.

CONSULTING CAROLE COPELAND THOMAS, MBA, CDMP High Energy Programs Conventions • Training Workshops • Retreats Speaker • Trainer • Author Global Diversity • Leadership • Multiculturalism • Empowerment (508) 947-5755 • carole@mssconnect.com www.tellcarole.com • www.mssconnect.com

DENTISTS RICHARD D. CARR AND ASSOCIATES Richard D. Carr - D.D.S. Bahram Ghassemi - D.M.D., Badrieh Edalatpour - D.M.D. Gail Fernando - D.M.D. Diba Dastjerdi - D.M.D 68 New Edgerly Rd, Boston, MA 02115 • (617) 262-5880 • Fax: (617) 859-8804

ELECTRICIAN JAMES M. BUTLER ELECTRICIAN Great with old wiring • No Job too small Ceiling Fans, Knob and Tube Rewiring, Electrical Service Upgrades and Much More Free Estimates • Fully Insured License # 12077-B • 24 Hour Emergency Service (617) 593-0573

EYE DOCTORS & GLASSES URBAN EYE MD ASSOCIATES. P.C. 183 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA 02115 720 Harrison Avenue, Boston, MA 02118 (617) 262-6300 • (617) 638-8119 Web: www.urbaneyemd.com Benjamin Andre` Quamina, M.D. • Lawrence I. Rand, M.D. Clifford Michaelson, M.D. • Sergey Urman, M.D. Lessa Denis Mahamed, O.D. Treating: Glaucoma, Cataracts, Diabetes, Ocular Plastic/ Cosmetic Surgery and other vision threatening conditions and diseases. Offering: Routine Eye and Contact Lens Exams

BUSINESS DIRECTORY Email: ads@bannerpub.com

thing that sounds like Sly & The Family Stone’s “Stay.”

Yet another testament to Timbaland’s chemistry with Timberlake is the way the two following songs, “Tunnel Vision” and “Spaceship Coupe,” perfectly bookend each other. The two-song stretch is the height of the entire album as both “Tunnel Vision” and “Spaceship Coupe” are devoid of any outside influence besides Timberlake and Timbaland.

The next track is another winner, the ‘70s soul-influenced “That Girl” featuring his ensemble

“J-Roc” Harmon and Rob Knox to create something that sounds wholly new and fresh.

The final verdict? By turning each of the 10 songs spanning 70 minutes into individual compositions utilizing live instrumentation all throughout “The 20/20 Experience” with different transitions, it heightened the listening experience immensely.

This is treated as a timeless piece of art rather than simply a modern R&B album that was made purely to move a significant amount of units. This album was

This is treated as a timeless piece of art rather than simply a modern R&B album that was made purely to move a significant amount of units.

The Tennessee Kids providing the sonic backdrop. “Let The Groove In” effortlessly blends an early ‘70s Fania All-Stars Latin Soul and Afrobeat sound in the song’s beginning and turns into a purely Timbaland/Timberlake creation over the final two minutes.

The least inspired song on the entire project is the album track “Mirrors,” but it’s the perfect leadin to the album’s somber downtempo closer “Blue Ocean Floor.”

In the end, the album doesn’t sound like anything but an excellent project from Justin Timberlake and his longtime collaborator Timbaland, in association with the production duo of Jerome

clearly made to be performed live and experienced in one continuous listen, just like the classic soul/ R&B LPs of yesteryear.

Welcome back, Mr. Timberlake.

Well played, sir.

Join the

Banner www.baystatebanner.com

FIRE EXTINGUISHERS

PHYSICIANS

FIRECODE DESIGN LLC.

MARIAN H. PUTNAM, M.D.

195 Dudley Street, Roxbury, MA 02119 (617) 442-CODE (2633) Roxbury's #1 Full Service Fire Extinguisher Company Inspections • Maintenance • Sales • Installation FREE Workplace Fire Extinguisher Training (some restrictions apply)

Pediatrician, Newborn to age 22 • Mass Health Plan patients welcome • Children's and BIDMC Hospitals • 36 Maple St, Hyde Park. (617) 364-6784 • home.earthlink.net/ ~mputnam3

FITNESS

SEAN’S PLUMBING & DRAINS

UNIFIED FITNESS, INC. Personal Fitness Studio • One-on-one personal fitness training • Nutritional Consultation • Group Sessions • Party and Fitness Fun • Massage Therapy 1 Westinghouse Plaza, Bldg. D, Hyde Park, MA 02136 (857) 345-9252 office (617) 803.8904 mobile unifiedfitness1@gmail.com http://www.facebook.com/UnifedFitness

INSURANCE MUTUAL OF OMAHA • Life Insurance • Disability Insurance • Long-Term Care Insurance • Annuities • IRA • 401(k) • Mutual Funds • 529 College Savings Plans • Buy-Sell Funding • Key Person Protection • Executive Bonus Contact: Trevor Farrington Telephone: (617) 407-2684 Email: trevor.farrington@mutualofomaha.com Website: http://www.TrevorFarrington.com Boston Division Office, 400 Crown Colony Drive, Suite 201, Quincy, MA 02169

EMPIRE INSURANCE AGENCY AND REAL ESTATE SERVICES Home • Car • Life • Business Insurance also Real Estate Services helping Buyers and Sellers 1065 Tremont St, Boston, MA 02120 Call Now 617-445-5555

LAWYERS BANKRUPTCY ATTORNEY ANGELINA BRUCE-FLOUNORY, ESQ High Quality Legal Services at Reasonable Rates!

Other areas incl. Divorce ∙ Criminal ∙ Estate Matters Call (617) 698-0409 or visit Web: www.lawofficeofabf.com

BOSTON ATTORNEY CYNTHIA E. MACCAUSLAND provides compassionate, high quality legal services in Divorce, Custody, Support and Guardianship.

Sliding-Scale and Income-Based Fees.

Call 617-284-3804 or visit www.maccauslandlaw.com.

PLUMBING Since 1970, A1 References, no job too small. Drains cleaned, disposals, water heaters, washers/dryers, damaged bathroom & kitchen, floors repaired. Quotes over phone.

Shower Diverters Expertly Rebuilt 24 hours, 617-690-9383, Cell: 617-610-0492 Boston area only.

License B18081. Fully Insured

REMOVAL SERVICES ROOF ICE & ROOF SNOW REMOVAL Call Akee Roofing (781) 483-8291

ROOFING AKEE ROOF LEAK REPAIRS Roof Leaks repaired, Gutters repaired, cleaned, and replaced, Flatroofs replaced. Call Richard (781) 483-8291

SKILLED NURSING FACILITY SKILLED NURSING & REHAB CENTER Proudly serving the Community since 1927

BENJAMIN HEALTHCARE CENTER 120 Fisher Ave, Boston, MA 02120 www.benjaminhealthcare.com Tel: (617) 738-1500 Fax: (617) 738-6560 Short-term, Long-term, Respite, Hospice & Rehabilitation Myrna E. Wynn, President & CEO, Notary Public

TELEPHONE & INTERNET MASSACHUSETTS LOCALTELEPHONE COMPANY Pay-As-You-Go! Fast, Friendly, Guaranteed!

We'll install a new number, or re-use your existing number.

Visit us at 1953 Dorchester Ave., corner of Fuller St. 1-888-248-6582 (Free month with a year sign-up!)

INSURANCE

View The Banner online www.baystatebanner.com

20 • Thursday, March 21, 2013 • BAY STATE BANNER

HEALTHNews

Find the best foods to fight cancer in produce aisles 1.Kale

Cook tomatoes to best absorb their cancer-fighting phytonutrient, lycopene.

Experts at Dana-Farber highlight five cancer-fighting foods with easy-to-make recipes Confusing and conflicting health claims can make it a challenge to select healthy food, but the good news is that there are many nutritious options.

“There are so many ‘goodfor-you’ foods to choose from that the list could be a mile long,” says Stacy Kennedy, MPH, RD, CSO, LDN, a nutritionist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

“But if I had to pick just five, I would start in the produce aisle

of the grocery store.”

Remember: If it comes from the ground and can stain a shirt, you want to be eating it.

“The key is color,” says Kennedy. “That is where the phytonutrients, or cancer-fighting properties, can be found. They help protect the produce and can also be beneficial for humans by strengthening the immune system.”

Here is a list of five of Kennedy’s favorite foods, as well as easy-to-make recipes for each. All can be found on the Dana-Farber Nutrition Services web page.

Kale may be the new “it” food, but long before it was popular, it was one of Kennedy’s favorites.

“Kale is one of my go-to choices, because it’s rich in a phytonutrient called indoles, which stimulates liver detoxification and helps fight cancer,” says Kennedy. Indoles are found in the rich, dark green color of kale. Other members of the cruciferous family include broccoli, cabbage and brussel sprouts.

The American Cancer Society suggests consuming one serving of cruciferous vegetables a day, and studies show people who have diets rich in these vegetables have been found to have lower incidences of lung cancer, prostate cancer and stomach cancer.

Kale that is cooked by steaming also may have cholesterollowering benefits. Try it in a hearty seafood stew with tomatoes, saffron and kale.

2. Tomatoes “Tomatoes are a great food because they are rich in a phytonutrient called lycopene, which has been associated with a reduced risk of prostate cancer,” explains Kennedy.

Tomatoes are available yearround in the supermarket, but when they are in season, try to buy them at local farm stands. That’s when they are at their nutritional peak.

A tip for getting the most nutritional value from tomatoes is to buy local, make them into a sauce, and freeze it to use year-round.

The lycopene is best absorbed when the tomato is cooked. Including a healthy fat, like olive oil or avocado, helps pack a more nutritional punch. Try them fresh in this dish of angel hair pasta with tomatoes and avocado.

3. Sweet Potatoes Sweet potatoes and yams are other foods that should be enjoyed year-round. They are rich in a phytonutrient called carotenoids. “As little as two servings a day of carotenoids have been shown to help reduce the risk of breast cancer, lung cancer and ovarian cancer,” says Kennedy.

What other foods are rich in carotenoids? Think orange like carrots, acorn or butternut squash, and pumpkin.

Phytonutrients like carotenoids are available in pill form, but Kennedy warns that they do not have the same protective properties as those found in whole foods and may even cause harm in certain individuals.

To get the healthiest boost, Kennedy says it is best to eat the food in its whole form. One of her favorites is a roasted vegetable salad.

4. Apples Studies suggest that eating at least one apple a day can help prevent throat, mouth, colon, lung and possibly breast cancer. Besides being crisp, sweet and juicy, apples contain quercetin, a nutrient that protects the cell’s DNA from damage that could lead to the development of cancer.

“It’s best to choose organic, when possible, and eat them raw and with the skin on,” says Kennedy. “That’s where many of the nutrients are found.”

5. Quinoa (keen-wah) Although it may not be found in the produce aisle, quinoa is a great source of protein. It’s naturally gluten-free and often called an ancient grain because it’s been grown for thousands of years.

Quinoa is actually a seed that can be ground into flour.

It is considered a complete protein because it contains all nine essential amino acids.

Quinoa is also rich in fiber and minerals like iron, magnesium and calcium, plus phytonutrients like quercetin.

Quinoa is a nice alternative to protein-rich foods like meat and fish. Other alternatives include lentils, beans, nuts, seeds, whole grains and dark green, leafy vegetables.

Angel Hair Pasta with Tomatoes and Avocado Ingredients: • 8 ounces uncooked angel hair pasta • 2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil • 1/2 large avocado cut into cubes • 4 medium tomatoes • Salt/pepper

Directions: • Cook and drain pasta as directed • In a 3-quart saucepan, over medium heat, heat oil with avocado and tomatoes.

• Toss vegetables mixture and pasta. Sprinkle with salt/pepper or garlic to taste.

Yield: 6 servings

Avacados are rich in protein, contain all essential amino acids and, like sweet potatoes, contain carotenoids.

Thursday, March 21, 2013 • BAY STATE BANNER • 21

for Mormons and the same way that Wellesley College needs to exist for women. There’s a lot of diversity that is still in higher education and there are still, in America today, a lot of niche institutions that provide environments that are especially made for a subset of the population. And we believe firmly that that ought to be celebrated rather than criticized, because it makes America strong and it makes America unique.

John S. Wilson Jr. was named Morehouse president on Nov. 12, 2012.

Morehouse continued from page 1

dangers of ignorance in today’s knowledge economy, and then he spoke to the Banner about the importance of HBCUs, funding challenges in higher education and his bold idea to make Morehouse a world-class educational environment.

What are some of the specific funding challenges that HBCUs face?

In terms of funding challenges faced by HBCUs, it’s not terribly different from other institutions.

The federal government is shrinking a bit, but in general there is less federal funding available to higher education. States are withdrawing their support. More than half of the HBCUs are state-controlled colleges.

There are challenges in the private sector as well. I wrote about that in particular in the Chronicle of Higher Education. I

Why is it important to have a Morehouse, or any historically black college or university today?

Because you have black colleges, [that] does not mean that black colleges are exclusive. Black colleges were never segregated or never segregating institutions.

You can’t name an HBCU that has ever had a policy that said only blacks are allowed to be educated here. In fact, it was white institutions that had those policies and HBCUs were created as places where African Americans could be educated, but they have always had an open door for others — and that’s really important to understand.

In fact, many HBCUs have white and Hispanic students attending them now. For those who would question HBCUs in this time, there are two responses: one is, it is important to know that in the Obama Administration, we never wondered whether HBCUs should exist. HBCUs are doing a great job for America and producing graduates who are ready for the world.

The other response that I have about HBCUs and diversity in American higher education is very straightforward: HBCUs need to exist as an option in higher education just as much as a Brandeis University needs to exist as an option for those of the Jewish religion that wants to be educated in an environment that is more tailored for them than for others.

In the same way that Notre Dame needs to exist as an environment that is an option for those who want to be around a disproportionate number of Catholics; in the same way that Brigham Young University needs to exist

States as our graduation speaker at Morehouse College.

This will be the first time that any college or university in the state of Georgia has been visited by a sitting United States president to be the graduation speaker.

There are a number of states in America that have not had that, so we’re going to make history in May. We’re proud of that, and our alumni are very excited, and the excitement is growing. We’re going to see an uptick in support from alumni on that basis.

Can you talk about the broken financial model in higher education and explain some solutions that you have for preparing the model at Morehouse?

There’s been a lot of recognition on some high-profile platforms that the financial model in higher education is broken and many colleges and universities have reached a price point that is very difficult for most of the families in America. The tuition is way

In the Obama Administration, we never wondered whether HBCUs should exist. HBCUs are doing a great job for America and producing graduates who are ready for the world. want to speak specifically though, in terms of funding challenges, about alumni giving.

The national average on alumni giving is roughly 13 percent. HBCUs average around 8 percent of alumni giving. Morehouse is roughly at 30 percent, so we are higher than the national average on alumni giving, but we’re not as high as we want and need to be and so in looking at the financial challenges that we have at Morehouse, we are looking at it holistically.

Sure, we would like to get more federal support in terms of research. We’d love to be embraced more by the philanthropic community in general, and we’re also pressing to get our alumni to give even more than they do now.

We’re not content to be above the alumni or the average for HBCUs. We want and need them to give a whole lot more.

I am going to work hard to engage more of our alums. I’m going to get out and ask for their support, and I’m going to be very clear about the reasons why we have a great value proposition and they ought to support us. And I should mention that we also have a lot of excitement growing in our alumni base because on May 19, 2013, we’re going to be visited by the President of the United

too high and it is very difficult for many families to figure out how to pull together the resources through a combination of loans and grants and just spending their hard-earned money.

How to figure out how to do that for four years straight and get one student through college — never mind multiple students through college — and that’s the basis for which there has been a recognition that the financial model is broken.

We’re challenged at Morehouse with that same question, and because we have that question and because of a new president, we’re going to zero in on helping to meet that challenge by being most creative and innovative as we think about how to ensure that the education that we provide remains of high quality but is more affordable.

So we’re thinking of ways to take a hybrid approach. Our tuition is not as high as many others, but it is a challenge for many of our families. We’re thinking about if some families have to stop, we don’t want it to be a drop out but a ‘stop out’ while they need a little more time to build up some resources.

We’re thinking about offering a subset of our courses online, and for free so that they could ‘stop out’ and take a break from paying tuition and being on campus.

LEGALS

We’re on a mission now to create, at Morehouse College, a cathedral, and we’re going to be engaging a lot of people in the philanthropic market place with the creation of this cathedral — that being a world-class educational environment. We believe that we already have character preeminence.

We know how to produce smart people who are also good, and as evidence of that our most illustrious graduate, Martin Luther King, Jr., is now memorialized in granite on the National Mall. Of course we have a national holiday named for him as well. We want to produce more Martin Luther Kings, but we want to produce a Martin Luther King of biology, chemistry and of political science.

We just want to do more of that in various areas, so we believe we have the infrastructure for creating more tgame-changers for the world in various areas. What we don’t have is, to put aside that character preeminence, is what I call “capital preeminence” and that’s when you have a great endowment and you’re able to pay your faculty at competitive rates.

We have a great physical structure and that all goes to the physical capital and the information capital and the academic capital. We just need a larger endowment and a larger flow of revenue into the institution. So the big idea is to build a cathedral and you don’t have a cathedral unless you have both character and capital preeminence in the same place at the same time.

Religious Worship Guide

Patricia M. Campatelli Register of Probate

Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Trial Court Probate and Family Court Department

CITATION G.L. c. 210, § 6 SUFFOLK Division

A petion has been presented to said court by Tiffany Foster of Dorchester, MA, Jaqueline Wingo, of Dorchester, MA requesting for leave to adopt said child and that the name of the child be changed to Ta'Kyi D'Moni Foster.

IF YOU DESIRE TO OBJECT THERETO, YOU OR YOUR ATTORNEY MUST FILE A WRITTEN APPEARANCE IN SAID COURT AT BOSTON ON OR BEFORE TEN O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING (10:00 AM) ON 05/16/2013.

WITNESS, Hon. Joan P Armstrong, First Justice of this Court.

The First Church of Christ, Scientist Sunday Church Services & Sunday School

10 am and 5 pm (no evening service July & Aug.)

Wednesday Testimony Meetings 12 noon and 7:30 pm (2 pm online)

Sunday & Wednesday Live Services Online ChristianScience.com/OnAir

Near the corner of Huntington & Mass. Ave. Free Parking at all services.

T Hynes, Prudential, Symphony, or Mass. Ave.

For further information, call 617.450.3790 or visit www.ChristianScience.com

LEGALS

Docket No. SU13A0027AD

To any unnamed or unknown parent and persons interested in a petition for the adoption of said child and to the Department of Children and Families of said Commonwealth.

I’m beginning my presidency at Morehouse at a very auspicious time. It’s the year 2013, and not only is it significant that we have a visit by the President of the United States this year, but also 2013 is the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, so you have a new kind of freedom in mind for Morehouse.

2013 is also the 100th anniversary of Morehouse being called Morehouse. It was changed from Atlanta Baptist College to Morehouse College in 1913, so being the 100th anniversary of being called Morehouse, we believe it’s the ideal time to rethink and reconsider our institutional identity and to surge forward toward some new thinking about that.

Most people believe that W.E.B. Du Bois is the one who came up with the concept of the Talented Tenth, but that’s not true. It was Henry Lyman Morehouse — after whom the college was named — who originated the idea of the Talented Tenth. We need to think about where we are vis-à-vis the Talented Tenth of African American males in this day and age.

As a new president starting out in 2013, it’s an auspicious time, and I’m glad the President of the United States is going to visit this year — we are going to use this as a launch point for our quest to become a cathedral in American higher education.

Call 617-261-4600 or visit baystatebanner.com

Date: March 4, 2013

In the matter of Takyi D'Moni Foster

What are your thoughts on being president of Morehouse College at this particular time in history?

Advertise in the Banner

LEGALS

Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Trial Court Probate and Family Court Department SUFFOLK Division

What are some new initiatives taking place at Morehouse?

Docket No. SU13P0410EA

Citation on Petition for Formal Adjudication Estate of Patricia E. Donovan Date of Death: 11/25/2012 To all interested persons: A petition has been filed by Maureen Earley of Rosindale, MA requesting that the Court enter a formal Decree and Order of testacy and for such other relief as requested in the Petition. And also requesting that Maureen Earley of Rosindale, MA be appointed as Personal Representative(s) of said estate to serve Without Surety on the bond.

You have the right to obtain a copy of the Petition from the Petitioner or at the Court. You have a right to object to this proceeding. To do so, you or your attorney must file a written appearance and objection at this Court before 10:00 a.m. on 04/04/2013. This is NOT a hearing date, but a deadline by which you must file a written appearance and objection if you object to this proceeding. If you fail to file a timely written appearance and objection followed by an Affidavit of Objections within thirty (30) days of the return date, action may be taken without further notice to you.

The estate is being administered under formal procedure by the Personal Representative under the Massachusetts Uniform Probate Code without supervision by the Court. Inventory and accounts are not required to be filed with the Court, but recipients are entitled to notice regarding the administration from the Personal Representative and can petition the Court in any matter relating to the estate, including distribution of assets and expenses of administration.

WITNESS, HON. Joan P. Armstrong, First Justice of this Court.

Date: February 28, 2013 Patricia M. Campatelli Register of Probate

22 • Thursday, March 21, 2013 • BAY STATE BANNER

LEGALS

LEGALS

Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Trial Court Probate and Family Court Department PLYMOUTH Division

Docket No. PL13C0025CA

In the matter of Justin Almahd Fernandez Jr. of Plymouth, MA NOTICE OF PETITION FOR CHANGE OF NAME

supervision by the Court. Inventory and accounts are not required to be filed with the Court, but recipients are entitled to notice regarding the administration from the Personal Representative and can petition the Court in any matter relating to the estate, including distribution of assets and expenses of administration.

WITNESS, HON. Joan P. Armstrong, First Justice of this Court.

Date: March 13, 2013 Patricia M. Campatelli Register of Probate

To Justin Fernandez interested in a petition described: A petition has been presented by Marissa LaChance on behalf of Justin Almahd Fernandez, Jr. requesting that Justin Almahd Fernandez Jr. be allowed to change his/her/their name as follows:

Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Trial Court Probate and Family Court Department SUFFOLK Division

Justin Paul LaChance

Docket No. SU13D0117DR

Angela S Wynn

vs.

Vernon C Wynn

To the Defendant:

WITNESS, HON. Catherine P Sabaitis, First Justice of this Court.

Date: March 5, 2013 Robert E. McCarthy Register of Probate

The Plaintiff has filed a Complaint for Divorce requesting that the Court grant a divorce for irretrievable breakdown of the marriage.

Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Trial Court Probate and Family Court Department

An Automatic Restraining Order has been entered in this matter preventing you from taking any action which would negatively impact the current financial status of either party. SEE Supplemental Probate Court Rule 411.

SUFFOLK Division

Docket No. SU13P0341EA Estate of Edwin Lincoln Humes Also Known As Edwin L. Humes Date of Death October 30, 2010

INFORMAL PROBATE PUBLICATION NOTICE To all persons interested in the above captioned estate, by Petition of Petitioner Brian J Berte of Raleigh, NC a will has been admitted to informal probate. Brian J Berte of Raleigh, NC has been informally appointed as the Personal Representative of the estate to serve without surety on the bond.

The estate is being administered under informal procedure by the Personal Representative under the Massachusetts Uniform Probate Code without supervision by the Court. Inventory and accounts are not required to be filed with the Court, but interested parties are entitled to notice regarding the administration from the Personal Representative and can petition the Court in any matter relating to the estate, including distribution of assets and expenses of administration. Interested parties are entitled to petition the Court to institute formal proceedings and to obtain orders terminating or restricting the powers of Personal Representatives appointed under informal procedure. A copy of the Petition and Will, if any, can be obtained from the Petitioner.

Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Trial Court Probate and Family Court Department SUFFOLK Division

Docket No. SU98P0805

Citation Giving Notice of Conservator's Account In the matter of Charles E. Penn Of Roxbury Crossing, MA Protected Person/Disabled Person/Respondent To the named Respondent and all other interested persons, you are hereby notified pursuant to Rule 72 of the Supplemental Rules of the Probate & Family Court, that the 14th account(s) of John M. Fitzgibbon, Esquire of Brookline, MA as Conservator of the property of said Respondent has or have been presented to the Court for allowance.

You have the right to object to the account(s). If you wish to do so, you or your attorney must file a written appearance and objection at this Court on or before 10:00 A.M. on the return date of 03/28/2013. This day is NOT a hearing date, but a deadline date by which you have to file the written appearance if you object to the account(s). If you fail to file the written appearance and objection by the return date, action may be taken in this matter without further notice to you, including the allowance of the account(s).

Additionally, within thirty days after said return date (or within such other time as the Court upon motion may order), you must file a written affidavit of objections stating the specific facts and grounds upon which each objection is based and a copy shall be served upon the Conservator pursuant to Rule 3 of the Supplementaßl Rules of the Probate & Family Court.

You have the right to send to the Conservator, by registered or certified mail, a written request to receive a copy of the Petition and account(s) at no cost to you.

You are hereby summoned and required to serve upon: Margarette Grandoit Esq., Marius & Grandoit, P.C., 1803 Dorchester Ave., Suite 101, Dorchester, MA, 02124, your answer, if any, on or before 04/25/2013. If you fail to do so, the court will proceed to the hearing and adjudication of this action. You are also required to file a copy of your answer, if any, in the office of the Register of this Court.

Witness, Hon. Joan P. Armstrong, First Justice of this Court.

Date: February 5, 2013 Patricia M. Campatelli Register of Probate

Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Trial Court Probate and Family Court Department Docket No. SU13C0091CA

In the matter of Shaquiri Jahmeaka Manns of Roxbury, MA NOTICE OF PETITION FOR CHANGE OF NAME To all persons interested in a petition described: A petition has been presented by Shaquiri J Manns requesting that Shaquiri Jahmeaka Manns be allowed to change her name as follows: Shaquiri Jahmeaka Reed IF YOU DESIRE TO OBJECT THERETO, YOU OR YOUR ATTORNEY MUST FILE A WRITTEN APPEARANCE IN SAID COURT AT BOSTON ON OR BEFORE TEN O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING (10:00 AM) ON 04/11/2013.

WITNESS, HON. Joan P. Armstrong, First Justice of this Court.

Date: March 11, 2013 Patricia M. Campatelli Register of Probate

The outcome of this proceeding may limit or completely take away the above-named person's right to make decisions about personal affairs or financial affairs or both. The above-named person has the right to ask for a lawyer. Anyone may make this request on behalf of the above-named person.

If the aboved-named person cannot afford a lawyer, one may be appointed at State expense.

WITNESS, HON. Joan P. Armstrong, First Justice of this Court.

Date: February 22, 2013 Patricia M. Campatelli Register of Probate

Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Trial Court Probate and Family Court Department Docket No. SU13P0529EA

Citation on Petition for Formal Adjudication Estate of Clarone A Reed Date of Death: 08/26/2012 To all interested persons: A petition has been filed by Walter A. Reed, Jr. of Dorchester, MA requesting that the Court enter a formal Decree and Order of testacy and for such other relief as requested in the Petition. And also requesting that Walter A. Reed, Jr. of Dorchester, MA be appointed as Personal Representative(s) of said estate to serve Without Surety on the bond.

You have the right to obtain a copy of the Petition from the Petitioner or at the Court. You have a right to object to this proceeding. To do so, you or your attorney must file a written appearance and objection at this Court before 10:00 a.m. on 04/18/2013. This is NOT a hearing date, but a deadline by which you must file a written appearance and objection if you object to this proceeding. If you fail to file a timely written appearance and objection followed by an Affidavit of Objections within thirty (30) days of the return date, action may be taken without further notice to you.

The estate is being administered under formal procedure by the Personal Representative under the Massachusetts Uniform Probate Code without

Heat and Hot Water Always Included Modern Laundry Facilities Private Balconies / Some with City Views Plush wall to wall carpet Adjacent to New England Baptist Hospital Secured Entry, Elevator Convenience Private Parking Near Public Transportation and much more ...

2 bedrooms $1264-$1850 1 bedroom $1058-$1450 Studio $993-$1350 Call Today for more details and to schedule a visit...

888-842-7945

ADVERTISE YOUR CLASSIFIEDS (617) 261-4600 x 119

WOLLASTON MANOR 91 Clay Street Quincy, MA 02170

Senior Living At It’s Best

A senior/disabled/ handicapped community 0 BR units = $1,027/mo 1 BR units = $1,101/mo All utilities included.

Call Sandy Miller, Property Manager

#888-691-4301 Program Restrictions Apply.

Notice of opening of James Steam Mill waiting list for applicants under age 62.

Accepting applications for over-62 list also The James Steam Mill apartment building for elderly/disabled persons announces the opening of the waiting list for persons under age 62. Applicants UNDER age 62 must be handicapped or disabled to qualify. Applications are also being accepted for the waiting list for persons over age 62, and applicants do NOT need to be disabled to qualify. All applicants must qualify under federal low-income restrictions ($33,050 or less for one person, $37,800 for two). Applicants on both lists are accepted in chronological order, unless they qualify for priority status under MassHousing regulations. JSM is a Section 8 building, and residents pay 30% of their income toward their rent.

The James Steam Mill is a beautiful former textile mill. Apartments are primarily one-bedrooms, a few twos. On public transportation, close to downtown Newburyport. Non-smoking building, limited parking.

INVITATION TO BID

James Steam Mill

The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority is seeking bids for the following:

1 Charles Street. Newburyport, MA 01950 Phone: (978) 465-5166 | TDD: (978) 465-7598

BID NO.

DESCRIPTION

DATE

TIME

OP-209

Grit and Screenings Hauling and Disposal

03/28/13

2:00 p.m.

7222

Watertown Section Rehabilitation

03/28/13

3:00 p.m.

*7377

RFQ/P Clinton Wastewater Treatment Plant Phosphorus Reduction Design, Construction Administration and Resident Engineering Services

04/12/13

11:00 a.m.

Sealed bids will be received at the offices of the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, Charlestown Navy Yard, Document Distribution Office, 100 First Avenue, First Floor, Boston, Massachusetts 02129, up to the time and date listed above at which time they will be publicly opened and read. *(indicates) Bid Documents available on the Comm-PASS Website (www. comm-pass.com).

IMPORTANT NOTICE

SUFFOLK Division

The Complaint is on file at the Court.

SUFFOLK Division

Parker Hill Apartments The Style, Comfort and Convenience you Deserve!

Divorce Summons by Publication and Mailing

IF YOU DESIRE TO OBJECT THERETO, YOU OR YOUR ATTORNEY MUST FILE A WRITTEN APPEARANCE IN SAID COURT AT PLYMOUTH ON OR BEFORE TEN O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING (10:00 AM) ON 04/05/2013.

Room for Rent Looking for one quiet person to rent a room in a 4 bedroom apt.

(Dorchester, off Blue Hill Ave).

Room is unfurnished. Rent $650 includes utilities. Call 617-3120164 for showing. Available now.

ADDENDUM NO. 1 MASSACHUSETTS BAY TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY 10 PARK PLAZA BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02116 Public Announcement of Request for Qualifications for Independent Cost Estimating (ICE) Services on the Green Line Extension Project The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority ("MBTA") hereby solicits Letters of Interest ("LOI") & Statements of Qualifications from firms or teams interested in providing Independent Cost Estimating (“ICE”) Services for the MBTA Green Line Extension Project (MBTA Program No. - E22PS05). The ICE services will be performed during the pre-construction and design development phases, as well as other tasks as required.

Additional information and instructions on how to submit a Letter of Interest is available at http://www.mbta.com/business_center/bidding_solicitations/current_solicitations/ Any firm currently affiliated, either through common ownership, management or a current business relationship, with the Program Manager / Construction Manager (HDR/Gilbane, including the joint venture or HDR or Gilbane individually) or the Final Designer (AECOM/HNTB, including the joint venture or AECOM or HNTB individually) is not permitted to submit a Statement of Qualifications in response to this RFQ. On behalf of the MBTA, thank you for your time and interest in responding to this Request for Letters of Interest.

Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Dr. Beverly A. Scott, PhD MBTA General Manager and Rail & Transit Administrator Richard A. Davey MassDOT Secretary and CEO

Thursday, March 21, 2013 • BAY STATE BANNER • 23

Affordable First-time Homeownership Opportunity

James M. Salah Family Housing at Cheriton Heights

Tadmuck Meadows Bandon Circle off 1 Reinsway Circle Westford, Massachusetts 01886

Senior Affordable Housing Rental Opportunity 18 Cheriton Road – West Roxbury – Massachusetts - 02132

Ten two-bedroom, loft, one car garage, one and one-half bath townhomes, 1,392 square feet, $159,900

Applications may be picked up in person at…

Cheriton Grove Apartments 20 Cheriton Road, West Roxbury, Ma. 02132

On the following dates 04/8/2013 to 04/22/2013 Mon. thru Friday (9:00 AM to 5:00 PM) 4/8/2013 & 4/9/2013 Mon. & Tues. (6:00 PM to 8:00 PM) 04/13/2013 Saturday (9:00 AM to 12:00 PM) or via the mail by calling Cheriton Grove Apartments 617-325-1913.

Information Sessions Wednesday April 10, 2013, 1:00 PM The Community Builders 3rd Floor Conference Room 95 Berkeley Street, Boston, Ma. 02116 Wednesday, April 17, 2013, 1:00 PM Cheriton Grove Apartments Community Room 20 Cheriton Rd. West Roxbury Massachusetts, 02132

2013 income limits

The application deadline is May 25, 2013.

#of BRs

Rent

% of AMI

1

30% of adjusted income

50%

# in HH

30% AMI

50% AMI

60% AMI

23

1

$1,062

60%

1

$19,850

$33,050

$39,660

7

1

30% of adjusted income

30%

2

$22,650

$37,800

$45,360

NOTE: This property is a smoke free facility

Buyers will be selected by lottery An application and information packet may be picked up at J.V. Fletcher Library, 50 Main Street, Westford or call the Housing Resource Group, LLC: 781-820-8797

31

Selection by lottery. Use and Occupancy restrictions apply

One person household: $45,100 Four person household: $64,400 Two person household: $51,100 Five person household: $69,600 Three person household: $58,000 Six person household: $74,750 Household asset limit of $75,000 applies.

Attendance is encouraged but not required.

# of Units

Sec.8 households are encouraged to apply. Rents at payment standard.

Rent & income limits based on HUD guidelines and subject to change.

In order to qualify, total household income cannot exceed the following maximum income limits per household size:

Deadline for applications: 4/29/2013 Completed applications may be returned to Cheriton Grove at the above dates and times or mail applications postmarked by 4/29/2013 to: Cheriton Grove Apartments 20 Cheriton Road West Roxbury, Ma. 02132

Information meeting will be held in the community room at J. V Fletcher Library, 50 Main Street, Westford at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 6, 2013.

SUBSCRIBE TO THE BANNER call (617) 261-4600

baystatebanner.com

Reasonable Accommodations will be provided upon verbal or written request for persons with disabilities.

Applicants must be 62 years of age or older at time of occupancy.

Preference for City of Boston residents for up to 70% of the units.

The development has a CBH set-aside for 5 units for persons with disabilities living in institutions or at risk of institutionalization.

Preference for 1 barrier-free unit to households who require wheelchair access. Preference for displaced and homeless households.

ADVERTISE YOUR CLASSIFIEDS WITH THE BAY STATE BANNER (617) 261-4600 x 119

ads@bannerpub.com

Rate information at www.baystatebanner.com/advertising

Codman Square Health Center, a non-profit multi-service center, is committed to improving the well being of our community.

You can make a real impact and work to improve the lives of your community, your neighbors and yourself. Join Our Team!!!

Codman Square Health Center is hiring for the following positions: Grant Manager

RN Manager

Nurse Practitioner

RN Supervisor of Case Management

Physician Registered Nurse

How to apply Applicants can apply by mail, fax or e-mail to complete an application.

Please include job title on all applications.

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER

@baystatebanner

LIKE US ON FACEBOOK

BAY STATE BANNER

Apply online at www.codman.org > Careers.

Contact information Codman Square Health Center 637 Washington Street, Dorchester, MA 02124 Fax: (617) 822-8216 E-mail: codemp@codman.org Codman Square Health Center is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are based on merit, without regard to race, color, gender, sexual preference or orientation, marital status, creed, national origin, disability, veteran status or age. M/F/D/V bi-lingual candidates are encouraged to apply.

GET READY FOR

A GREAT OFFICE JOB! Train for Administrative, Financial Services & Medical Office jobs (ESL classes also available) Work in hospitals, health care, finance, banks, colleges, & more.

YMCA Training, Inc. is recruiting training candidates now!

Job placement assistance provided. We will help you apply for free training.

No prior experience necessary, but must have HS diploma or GED. Free YMCA membership for you and your family while enrolled in YMCA Training, Inc.

Call today for more information about our training program: 617-542-1800