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EGACY Yesterday. Today. Tomorrow.

WEDNESDAYS • Feb. 28, 2018

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INSIDE

Hidden torture: Chil abuse cases - 2 Restitution sought from online lender- 5 Be empowered about end of life care- 6 BHM: The story of Aggy Randolph - 12 Legislation successes from the VLBC - 15

Richmond & Hampton Roads

Aggy as portrayed by an actress

LEGACYNEWSPAPER.COM • FREE

The hidden history of black nationalist women’s political activism

KEISHA N. BLAIN POINT OF VIEW Black History Month is an opportunity to reflect on the historical contributions of black people in the United States. Too often, however, this history focuses on black men, sidelining black women and diminishing their contributions.

This is true in mainstream narratives of black nationalist movements in the United States.

These narratives almost always highlight the experiences of a handful of black nationalist men, including Marcus Garvey, Malcolm X and Louis Farrakhan.

Contrary to popular conceptions, women were also instrumental to the spread and articulation of black nationalism – the political view that people of African descent constitute a separate group on the basis of their distinct culture, shared history and experiences.

As I demonstrate in my new book, “Set the World on Fire,” black nationalist movements would have all but disappeared were it not for women. What’s more, these women laid the groundwork for the generation of black activists who came of age during the civil rightsblack power era. In the 1960s, many black activists – including Ella Baker, Fannie Lou Hamer, Robert F. Williams, Malcolm X and Stokely

Ella Baker speaks her truth in 1968. PHOTO: Jack Harris Carmichael – drew on these women’s ideas and political strategies.

So, let’s use this Black History Month to begin to set the record straight.

The Universal Negro Improvement Association In 1914, when the Jamaican black nationalist Marcus Garvey launched the Universal Negro Improvement

Association, Amy Ashwood – who later became his first wife – was the organization’s first secretary and co-

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The LEGACY

2 • Feb. 28, 2018

News Hidden torture

Va. abuse cases include homeschooled kids DEB PELT PATCH - From the fatal beatings of two Virginia youths at the hands of parents who homeschooled their children for religious reasons to cases where a girl was forced to steal by her grandmother and an adoptive child was repeatedly beaten, all have something in common with other starvation and torture cases in the country: The victims’ precarious situation may have gone unnoticed in part because they were homeschooled.

In a more recent example of how homeschooling allowed seems to have let a child slip through the safety net, 16-year-old Natalie Finn died from starvation on Oct. 24, 2016, after her mother locked her, a 15-year-old brother and a 14-year-old sister in their bedroom for months, food and water all but cut off. One of the kids who survived, barely, later said their bedroom slowly filled with their own waste because their mother often would not let them out even to use the bathroom. When they did get permission, they were so desperately thirsty they sometimes scooped water into their mouths from the toilet bowl.

These damaged children in West Des Moines, Iowa, were not alone.

There are scores of cases nationwide like this one involving starving kids to death. Other cases document children who have been beaten by parents most of their young lives or have otherwise been treated so severely for so long they can rightly be classified as torture victims.

In one sense, the savage abuse inflicted on the Finn kids and in hundreds of other cases, including some in Virginia, is easily explained by a common factor: They were homeschooled. In a Fredericksburg case from 2010, Delores O’Brien Heffernan was arrested in Fairfax, Virginia, for contributing to the delinquency of her 10-yearold granddaughter when they were caught shoplifting. While Heffernan reported that the girl was homeschooled, she was not registered

Neighbors write down messages for the Turpin’s children on the front door of the home of David and Louise Turpin where police arrested the couple accused of holding 13 children captive in Perris, Calif., last month. The Turpins are accused of abusing their 13 children, ranging from 2 to 29, before they were rescued on Jan. 14 from their home in Perris.

The paernts have pleaded not guilty to torture and other charges.

PHOTO: Damian Dovarganes in a homeschool program as required by law. Investigators learned the girl had not been in school or had stable housing for almost a year. Eventually the courts terminated Heffernan's rights and barred her from contact with the girl until she reached 18.

That may not explain how parents like Natalie Finn’s mother could reach such depths of depravity to starve her own daughter to death.

Lax oversight of homeschooling provides a simple answer for why nobody noticed or reported the girl as she became little more than skin and bones. Her homeschooling ensured no teacher or other responsible adult would see the girl and detect the abuse.

Natalie’s starving siblings and her mother were the only people who saw her during the last months of her life, when her body gradually thinned until she became so skeletal that any responsible person who got even a glance of her would have sounded the alarm. A kid her age and height should have weighed at least 125

pounds. When she died, she weighed 81.

“It’s really hard to starve a child to death when that kid’s in school,” said Rachel Coleman, co-founder and research director of the Coalition for Responsible Home Education, which is pushing for regulations to protect homeschooled kids. The group does not oppose parents teaching their children at home but it wants to prevent abusive parents from so easily making their kids invisible.

From 2000 to last year, at least 320 homeschooled children were severely neglected and abused, often for years without detection, according to the Homeschooling’s Invisible Children database kept by Coleman’s organization. Of those kids, 116 died.

A disproportionate number of the children were adopted from foster care and the database indicates homeschooled kids die from abuse at a great rate than other children.

Nobody sees these kids.

“Without any oversight, there is nothing to ensure a child is

receiving an education or is seen by mandatory reporters,” Coleman said.

“Homeschooling parents could lock a child up and no one would ever know.”

Think about it: Lax oversight provides a shield far more effective than anything some parents could ever devise on their own to to lock up their children and hide their torture and abuse. Along with starvation, physical torture and medical neglect, totally isolating kids from any contact with the outside world is a common form of parental abuse.

Oversight of homeschooling in some states is non-existent. In most states, oversight is weak, at best. Nowhere in the United States do homeschool laws require welfare checks on the children involved to ensure they aren’t being abused or tortured.

The most they require are academic assessments, either by parents or a certified teacher. Only a few states require those assessments be done by someone outside the home.

All but two states allow convicted child abusers and other criminals to homeschool their kids.

Calls to strengthen homeschooling regulations have come and gone over the years, with the net result actually being a weakening of oversight. Advocates for reform, though, have become as optimistic as they have been for years in large part because of the emergence of a group that had long been muted: former homeschooled students themselves.

Coleman from the home education coalition was homeschooled.

Ryan Stollar, the co-founder of Homeschool Alumni Reaching Out, was a homeschooler, too. “When homeschooling is done responsibly, it can be amazing,” the group says on its website. “What we oppose is irresponsible homeschooling, where the educational method is used to create or hide abuse, isolation, and neglect.”

Coleman and Stollar have attracted other former students who want reform and have quickly surged in

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www.LEGACYnewspaper.com

Feb. 28, 2018 • 3

Governor announces more than $6.5 million in affordable and special needs housing loans Gov. Ralph Northam recently announced more than $6.5 million in Affordable and Special Needs Housing Loans for ten projects in ten localities across the commonwealth.

These projects are focused on affordable new construction and rehabilitation housing projects, as well as permanent supportive housing options for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

“By funding projects like these, we are working to ensure that more Virginians in need have safe and affordable housing options,” said Northam. “I commend this partnership between federal, state, and local partners that are working

to develop and preserve affordable housing in the commonwealth, which in turn strengthens our economy and gives Virginians the tools they need for success.”

Affordable and Special Needs Housing grants and loans are awarded through a competitive process. Since the creation of the Virginia Housing Trust Fund in 2013, Virginia has almost doubled its annual investment in affordable housing initiatives to support moderate and low-income families.

“The Affordable and Special Needs Housing program, which combines both state and federal housing resources including the Virginia Housing Trust Fund, is

an important way to create and preserve affordable housing units within the commonwealth. We know that affordable housing is key to so many developmental and economic opportunities focused on advancing Virginia’s communities,” said Secretary of Commerce and Trade Esther Lee. The Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development administers the program and combines state and federal resources to ensure a simplified application process.

Funding comes from three main sources: the federal HOME Investment Partnerships Program, the federal National Housing Trust

Fund, and the Virginia Housing Trust Fund. The Commonwealth’s commitment to affordable housing through investments in the Virginia Housing Trust Fund is critical to the program’s ability to serve more Virginians.

Twenty-three applications were received, requesting more than $17.5 million. These proposals were reviewed, evaluated, and scored, with proposals then ranked and award offers recommended to the highestranking proposals based on funding availability. The 10 funded projects represent a proposed investment of just over $6.5 million and will create or preserve 451 affordable housing units.

U.S. House approves supporting triple-digit predatory lending CHARLENE CROWELL POINT OF VIEW The U.S. House of Representatives broke the hearts of a broad and diverse coalition of advocates after members of Congress passed predatory lending legislation earlier this month.

A bill passed the lower chamber that would render useless state laws in the majority of states, including the 15 states and the District of Columbia where state interest rate limits prevent payday lending. HR 3299, titled the Protecting Consumers’ Access to Credit Act, passed the House on a 245-171 floor vote.

If passed in the Senate and signed into law by President Donald Trump, the measure will preempt state interest rate caps that now limit the annual percentage rates (APRs) on loans to no more than 36 percent.

These respective rate caps now save consumers an estimated $2.2 billion in fees every year. If HR 3229 is enacted, these significant savings will be lost.

Additionally, the bill would also allow high-cost installment loans.

Currently 34 states, now limit interest rates on a $2,000, 2-year installment loan to no more than 36 percent, and once again, consumers would wind up paying the higher cost.

For Congressman Patrick McHenry, who co-sponsored the bill with New York Congressman Greg Meeks, the measure “marks an important step towards modernizing our financial system and ensuring financial

inclusion for all Americans.”

That’s one lawmaker’s opinion. But a California Congresswoman had a vastly different take. Minutes before the floor vote, Congressman Maxine Waters, the Ranking Member of the House Financial Services Committee spoke.

“H.R. 3299 would go much further to allow other third-parties, including payday lenders, to evade or outright disregard state-level laws, and collect debt from borrowers at unreasonably high rates of interest if they purchase loans from a national bank,” said Waters. “These arrangements are called “rent-a-bank” or “rent-acharter” agreements, and they allow payday lenders to use banks as a front for predatory behavior and the evasion of state interest rate caps.”

More than 150 organizations spanning consumer advocates, civil rights and faith organizations across the country as well as 20 state attorneys general agree with Congresswoman Waters. Together

these state officials and advocates remain determined to preserve the ability of their respective jurisdictions to protect consumers by enforcing existing rate caps that were either enacted by voter referendum or state legislation.

Another claim by the bill’s proponents argued that the legislation would expand lending opportunities for consumers who are now underserved by financial institutions.

That claim was also refuted.

“The claim that this bill will help underserved urban and rural areas by expanding access to credit is false”, said Scott Astrada, the Center for Responsible Lending’s Federal Advocacy Director. “The reality is that it will expand unchecked predatory lending and allow lenders to make high-cost loans, such as short-term and long-term payday loans and car title loans, at rates that exceed existing state interest rate limits.”

As the measure now moves to the U.S. Senate for further consideration, perhaps the upper chamber would be wise to remember that this nation was founded as a democracy – and that its actions would be by, for, and of the people. Any loan that charges triple-digit interest rates costing far more than the actual principal borrowed is predatory and could not be construed to be somehow helping anyone.

Similarly, just as mortgage rules require lenders to determine a borrower’s ability-to-repay a loan

before approving an application, so should small-dollar loans. Access to credit is one thing; but triple-digit debt traps are something else.

The sad truth is that predatory lending preys upon people with the fewest financial resources and options. Across the country, many Black and Latino neighborhoods may lack full-service grocery stores and banks; but a profusion of predatory lenders always seem to be nearby.

Even more disturbing, an updated report by the Center for Responsible Lending on payday lending in Colorado found that even in affluent communities of color, the likelihood of a nearby payday store is greater than in low-income, predominantly White areas. In 2016, high cost Colorado payday loans took nearly $50 million in fees alone from customers. In some cases, borrowers took out two or more loans simultaneously from two or more lenders.

“There is good reason over 200 civil rights, consumer, faith-based, housing, labor and veterans’ advocacy organizations oppose this bill,” noted Congresswoman Waters. “The type of credit that this bill helps consumers access is the kind that makes it easier for vulnerable consumers to sink into insurmountable debt – like payday and other high-cost loans.”

Crowell is the Center for Responsible Lending’s deputy communications director.

The LEGACY

4 • Feb. 28, 2018

(from page 2) status not only as leaders of reform efforts but also as credible voices that can gain the support of all but the most hard-core oversight opponents. The most extreme antioversight groups oppose any form of government involvement in homeschooling and they always will.

Coleman and Stollar have changed the tone from previous reformers to appeal to less ideological homeschoolers, positioning themselves not as hostile outsiders but as pragmatic insiders pusing for reasonable child protections that would never face opposition in any context outside of homeschooling.

The Responsible Education coalition’s creation of a database details in graphic language hundreds of gruesome abuse cases involving homeschooled kids.

“Homeschooling can serve as a powerful tool in the hand of an abusive parent,” according to the sister group that maintains the database, Homeschooling’s Invisible Children. “Numerous young adults who were homeschooled for part of their upbringing and attended public school for part of their upbringing have reported that their parents’ abuse was worse when they were homeschooled, as there was nothing to act as a check on their parents’ abuse.”

Among other measures the coalition has called for: * Background checks: Bar parents from homeschooling if they have committed a crime that would prevent them from teaching in a public school. * A flagging system: Bar parents from homeschooling if they or anyone in the household have previously had a founded abuse or neglect report.

Risk assessments: Conduct risk assessments when parents begin to homeschool after a recent child abuse report or concerning history of reports. * Mandatory reporter contact: Ensure that homeschooled children are seen by mandatory reporters via academic assessments, medical visits, or other means. * Medical care: Require homeschooled children to have the same medical visits required of children who attend public school.

Only Pennsylvania and Arkansas currently forbid homeschooling of kids whose parents have been convicted of child abuse and certain

other crimes. Some states require none of the coalition’s proposals. No state requires all of the measures.

The events leading up to the death of Dominick Diehl, who also went

by Andrew, at age 13 at the hands of his adoptive parents, Michael and Karen Diehl, included a two-year road trip where the family of 19 lived in their school bus, parking at camp sites across the country. They became involved in a fundamentalist Christian faith community in Virginia while on the road; the parents were sentenced to a total of 70 years in prison for their son's death.

In a 1995 Clarke County, Virginia, case, Valerie Smelser, 12, was beaten to death by her mother and her mother's boyfriend, who left her emaciated body in a ditch.

Valerie's mother claimed a religious exemption from public schooling and kept the girl home. She requested an application for homeschooling but never returned it. Child abuse tips were lodged against the family on numerous occasions, but each time they moved without leaving a forwarding address.

Under Virginia law, homeschooling requirements include that parents give annual notice to the division superintendent, have a high school diploma or GED (or provide evidence of the parent's ability to provide an adequate education), offer 180 days of instruction, maintain attendance records, and have their children assessed annually by a standardized test or portfolio review).While there are no subject requirements, assessments must be turned into the division superintendent who will begin a remediation process if a homeschooled student is not receiving an “adequate education”.

Virginia parents and children who have religious objections to school attendance may opt out of all education requirements by providing notice of their objections to the division superintendent. Various school districts enforce this provision differently.

If the required evidence of progress

is not submitted, the homeschool is placed on probation for one year.

Parents who then fail to show evidence of their ability to provide an adequate education for their child and a remediation plan for the probationary year will then be ordered to end home instruction.

To track children, the district superintendent must compare lists of enrolled students with lists provided by the State Registrar of Vital Records and Health Statistics. A local attendance officer will investigate any cases of children not enrolled in school and not excused under the state’s homeschooling law.

About 1.7 million children in the United States — or about 3.3 percent of kids — are homeschooled, including about 41,437 in Virginia, according to estimates from the National Center for Education Statistics.

‘DROP-KICKED’ DOWN BASEMENT STAIRS While most homeschooling parents provide warm, nurturing environments for their children, University of Wisconsin pediatrician Barbara Knox found in a 2014 study on child torture that in 38 cases of severe child abuse, 47 percent of parents had either never enrolled or pulled their kids out of public schools when abuse was suspected.

Her findings were based on reviews of only a small number of cases and while not statistically relevant, she identified the same pattern of abused homeschooled kids as the responsible home education coalition.

Knox's review also found the abused homeschool children received no true educational efforts, and the “isolation was accompanied by an escalation of physically abusive events.”

Sabrina Ray's brief, tortured life is another glaring example.

At 16 years old, Sabrina weighed only 56 pounds when paramedics were called to her home last May in Perry, Iowa. She had often been so hungry that she ate what she could find rummaging through garbage cans. Police said that sometime after

April 15, Sabrina’s adult brother “drop-kicked” her down a basement staircase. She lay for days on the basement floor in excruciating pain, police said, unable to move until her emaciated body finally gave up.

Like Natalie Finn’s mother, Sabrina’s adoptive parents had previous involvement with child protection workers. Under reforms pushed by advocates for tighter homeschooling regulations, once the parents removed Sabrina from school, they would have faced close monitoring.

Instead, the law allowed Sabrina’s parents to make their daughter, and signs of her abuse, invisible.

So was Liam Roberts, a 6-yearold boy in Jerseyville, Illinois. He dropped off the radar of adults who might have saved him two years ago after his father and stepmother, Michael and Georgena Roberts, were investigated by child protective services caseworkers for "inadequate food in the home." Soon after, they began homeschooling Liam and his siblings.

Liam died last week of extreme malnutrition. He weighed only 17 pounds, about a third the weight of a typical 6-year-old.

Except in Pennsylvania, homeschool laws allow even parents who have been convicted of crimes like sexual assault or child abuse to hide their children from public view.

A lack of oversight in California is what helped make the 13 children of David Allen Turpin and Louise Anna Turpin invisible to their Riverside County neighbors .

The children, ages 2 to 29, were rescued in January after a 17-yearold escaped their house and called authorities. When police arrived at the home, they found ropes, chains and padlocks used to restrain and shackle the Turpin siblings to their beds. They were dirty and a putrid odor permeated the house. Investigators said parents had imprisoned their children for years. The adult children were

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www.LEGACYnewspaper.com

Feb. 28, 2018 • 5

Va. AG obtains restitution for online lender customers Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring’s office has reached a settlement with eight affiliated online lenders and debt collectors to resolve allegations that the companies offered unlawful openended credit plan loans and engaged in unlawful debt collection practices including contacting borrowers’ employers and implementing wage garnishments. As a result of the settlement, borrowers will receive nearly $150,000 in restitution and forgiven debt.

“Virginia’s open-end credit statute is being exploited by more and more lenders, especially online lenders, to provide extremely expensive loans to Virginians. Open-end credit plan loans are particularly troublesome

because they can trap consumers in a cycle of debt that can take years and thousands of dollars to break,” said Herring. “Consumers should be wary of these loans, particularly when the terms allow for aggressive debt collection tactics like wage garnishments. My Predatory Lending Unit will continue to aggressively pursue lenders who do not comply with our laws, because their tactics hurt financially vulnerable Virginians who can least afford it.”

The settlement includes the following key terms relating to loans made by the lenders during the period from January 2015 through June 19, 2017: The lenders agree to refund all interest and fees paid by consumers

Attorneys launch group to boost free legal services to low income clients Virginia Legal Aid Society is pleased to announce the creation of the Suffolk Pro Bono Task Force, a group of influential and successful attorneys who are recruiting their colleagues to provide volunteer, free legal help to VLAS clients.

The attorney members of the task force are calling, writing and visiting with other attorneys in the area to encourage them to take on pro bono cases for VLAS clients. In addition to this work, the attorney members of the task force all accept representation of VLAS clients on a pro bono basis.

Private attorneys who agree to work pro bono allow VLAS to help many additional low income clients who otherwise would not be able to hire an attorney for representation in their civil legal case. VLAS staff attorneys in Danville, Lynchburg, Farmville and Suffolk close about 3,000 cases each year; pro bono attorneys close an additional 150 or so cases for VLAS clients.

VLAS seeks to greatly increase the numbers of attorneys providing pro bono representation to its clients, and the Suffolk Task Force members are an invaluable asset in this endeavor.

The Suffolk Task Force members are: Nicole Harrell, Jeanette Ojeda, Andrew Page, Richard Railey, Whitney Saunders, Martin Speroni

and Daniel Vinson.

For more information contact: Kristine Smith, pro bono director 434-846-1326, ext. 413.

Virginia Legal Aid Society is a nonprofit law firm that provides legal information, advice and representation in civil cases to underprivileged individuals and families. Since 1977, VLAS has been the only institutional provider of such services in Central, Southside, and Western Tidewater Virginia. VLAS attorneys and paralegals use legal skills to solve problems in housing, access to health care, income and public benefits, family issues, consumer lending and assets.

“Our mission is to resolve serious legal problems of vulnerable people, promote economic and family stability, reduce poverty through effective legal assistance, and to champion equal justice,” notes VLAS. For more information on services, to get involved, or to make a donation, visit VLAS at www.vlas.org and follow us on Facebook, http://www. facebook.com/VaLegalAidSociety Central Virginia, Danville- Free legal advice and information at 1-866-LeglAid (534-5243) Pittsylvania, FranklinSouthampton, Henry County & legal information at VLAS.org.

Mark Herring in excess of 12 percent of the loan amount, totaling approximately $85,000; The lenders agree to forgive all outstanding remaining debt of Virginia consumers, totaling over $63,000; The lenders agree to a permanent injunction against consumer lending activity in Virginia; The debt collectors agree to a permanent injunction against all debt collection activity in Virginia; The lenders agree to pay $10,000 in civil penalties and $10,000 in attorneys’ fees; The debt collectors agree to pay $75,000 in civil penalties and $10,000 in attorneys' fees.

The companies involved in this matter all operate under the common interest and control of two individuals and are based in Wood Dale, Illinois. The companies include six lenders (Field Asset Service Team, LLC; VIM Holdings, LLC; MR Capital Group, LLC; Nascent Holdings, LLC; B Financial, LLC; and DTS Capital, LLC, collectively "the Lenders") and two debt collectors (Bradley Goldberg & Miller, LLC and U Solutions Group, LLC, “the Debt Collectors”) that acted in concert to provide and collect open-end credit plan loans made over the Internet to Virginia consumers.

The lenders offered open-end credit plan loans and imposed “service fees” as high as $160 per month. Thedebt

collectors then emailed consumers in an effort to collect on these loans and contacted the consumers' employers to implement wage assignments and collect money directly from the consumers’ paychecks. At the request of the attorney general’s office, the lenders and debt collectors ceased all lending and debt collection activity in Virginia as of June 19, 2017.

The settlement resolves allegations that the lenders’ open-end credit plan loans violated Virginia consumer finance statutes and the Virginia Consumer Protection Act ("VCPA") by imposing illegal charges on borrowers during the required finance-charge-free grace period and by misrepresenting that the loans were legal and permissible.

It also resolves allegations that the Debt Collectors violated the VCPA by implementing illegal wage assignments and by misrepresenting that that these loan debts were valid.

The Office of the Attorney General will be monitoring the Lenders' and Debt Collectors' compliance with the settlement to make sure it is being administered properly.

Consumers who have questions about the settlement may contact the representative of these companies directly at 877-822-1064.

The settlement is in the form of an Assurance of Voluntary Compliance which was approved by the Circuit Court of the city of Richmond on Feb. 7.

6 • Feb. 28, 2018

Op/Ed & Letters

The LEGACY

Educating and empowering blacks about end-of-life care

BRANDI ALEXANDER As we close out the celebration of Black History Month, one of our goals should be to change the history of African-Americans like my father enduring needless suffering when we die because we don’t prepare for the inevitable end of life.

When my father’s cancer came out of remission in 2010, he declined in a matter of months. I had never had one conversation with him about his end-of-life care goals, preferences and values, so he suffered terribly during his last days. My family spent so much time fighting over what we thought he wanted, when in reality, The LEGACY NEWSPAPER Vol. 4 No. 9 Mailing Address 409 E. Main Street 4 Office Address 105 1/2 E. Clay St. Richmond, VA 23219 Call 804-644-1550 Online www.legacynewspaper.com

none of us knew what he really wanted. That experience taught me not only the importance of these discussions, but also how much of a need there is for us to start planning early, before a time of crisis.

Unfortunately, African-Americans are less likely to complete advance directives or have conversations with our families and healthcare providers about our their end-of-life care goals, preference and values, according to a 2014 report in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. It is critical that our community begin focusing on advance care planning about the end-of-life care options, including educating ourselves about the value The LEGACY welcomes all signed letters and all respectful opinions.

Letter writers and columnists opinions are their own and endorsements of their views by The LEGACY should be inferred. The LEGACY assumes no responsibility for unsolicited material.

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of hospice and palliative care.

The sad truth is that we suffer from higher rates of healthcare outcome disparities caused by smoking, obesity, hypertension, heart disease, and cancer. By not having frequent conversations about end-of-life care options early, to prepare before a health emergency occurs, people of color often opt for aggressive, futile medical treatments that only prolong an agonizing dying process. African Americans are less likely to access comfort care, hospice and palliative care to maximize the quality of remaining life.

In fact, while representing more than 13 percent of our nation’s population, according to U.S. Census data, but yet we account for only 8 percent of hospice users.

Unlike many of the other disparities that impact the community, this is one we actually have some control over. It starts with having a conversation. Unfortunately too many of us are not having discussions. In fact, 20 percent of African-Americans have not talked to anyone about end-of-life care, according to research conducted by the Duke Divinity School and the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization.

Every individual has a responsibility to lead by example on healthcare issues, so I challenge you to start having conversations today, with your personal networks and your health care professionals.

Complete an advanced directive and identify your power of attorney, the person who will make decisions for you in the case that you can not speak for yourself. The most loving thing you can do is to make your wishes known to your loved ones, it provides peace for all involved.

Tomorrow is not promised, so whether you want every treatment option available or none at all, it’s imperative to make sure it is clear to those who matter to you the most. Start this process by visiting Compassion & Choices website page, compassionandchoices.org/plan-yourcare, where one can access statespecific advance directives and find other resources and tools to help, free of charge.

We even offer a diagnosis decoder that generates questions for physicians specific to a particular illness. Educating and utilizing these resources will not only empower you, it will also have a positive and lasting impact on our community as a whole and the way we experience end of life. Remember...talking about death will not kill you...advocate for yourself!

Alexander is the national constituency director for Compassion & Choices, the nation’s largest, oldest and most active nonprofit organization dedicated to expanding and improving patient-driven, end-oflife care options.

www.LEGACYnewspaper.com

Feb. 28, 2018 • 7

P.T. Hoffsteader, Esq.

A letter to students demanding action from a gun owner I understand. You’ve witnessed -- far too often at first hand and in the most terrifying circumstances -- the violent deaths of your fellow students. You refuse to accept that that's just how it has to be. You’re organizing for change. You deserve to be heard. Don’t let anyone talk down to you or minimize your concerns.

You want action. I don’t blame you.

But it’s important to consider what kind of action you want, how to go about getting it, and what it will accomplish.

With respect to gun control laws, it’s worth considering how well those have worked in the past at preventing school shootings.

Article 18, Section 922 of the United States Code deems it “unlawful for any person to sell or otherwise dispose of any firearm or ammunition to any person knowing or having reasonable cause to believe that such person ... has been adjudicated as a mental defective or has been committed to any mental institution.”

Nikolas Cruz was, according to Florida’s Department of Children & Family Services (which had investigated prior violent incidents in which he was involved) “classified

as a vulnerable adult due to mental illness.”

But he got a gun anyway.

Another part of that US Code section, usually referred to as the “Gun-Free School Zones Act,” deems it “unlawful for any individual knowingly to possess a firearm that has moved in or that otherwise affects interstate or foreign commerce at a place that the individual knows, or has reasonable cause to believe, is a school zone.”

But Nikolas Kruz came to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida with his rifle and killed 14 students and three staff members anyway.

Nikolas Cruz was, in theory, bound up in a web of laws intended to prevent him from getting a gun or using it to commit murder. Those laws didn’t stop him.

Starting with the National Firearms Act of 1934, the US government has, with increasing stringency, regulated the ownership, carriage and use of guns for nearly a century.

What have we learned?

Among other things, we’ve learned that these regulations don't work, at least if the goal is to reduce violence.

Any list of the most dangerous cities in the United States will heavily overlap a list of the cities with the most draconian gun control laws.

The numbers are hard to pin down, but at a minimum there are more than 100 million gun owners, and more than 300 million guns, in America. The Gun Violence Archive claims 15,593 gun deaths in 2017.

That's 15,593 too many. But it's also one death for every 6,400 gun owners

and one for every 18,000 guns, and that includes police shootings, selfdefense, and suicide.

I’m writing to you as one of more than 100 million American gun owners who has never entered a school with the intent to kill. We and our guns are clearly not the problem as such.

What is the problem? How to solve it? I wish you luck in doing a better job than your elders of figuring that out.

Thomas L. Knapp

Remembering the late Billy Graham What was it about Billy Graham?

He was one single person who impacted the planet by everything that he said and did. Many years ago, there was another great preacher by the name of Dwight L. Moody.

Moody was said to have shaken two continents for Jesus Christ. Moody is often remembered for saying, “The world has yet to see what God can do with a man fully consecrated to Him.

By God’s help, I aim to be that man.

By God’s grace I will be that man,” he said. I believe history will attest that Moody became that man.

Graham in every way, and even more, became that man Moody aspired to be as well. The Bible tells a story of a woman who had been sick for many years. She had heard that Jesus would be passing by. She did everything to get close to Jesus because she just wanted to touch him. When she did, she was healed and Jesus knew that power had gone out of him to heal the woman. Jesus said, “Your faith has made you well.”

Millions of people have had life changing experiences because of Billy Graham. Yet, Graham would be the first to declare that he was simply the messenger. He had a message of pointing people to Jesus Christ.

In essence what made Graham so attractive was that he pointed people to the one far greater than he.

He preached a simple Bible message of God’s love and about an old rugged cross where Jesus died for the sins of the world. He preached about a wonderful place called heaven.

Because of Graham’s simple message and beautiful Christ-filled life he became America’s pastor who many of us grew up loving to hear.

I heard Graham preach several times in Cincinnati, Louisville and Atlanta. My oldest son and I heard him right after he had a fainting spell in Toronto. Word about his failing health was spreading.

Graham came on to Atlanta to preach where about 8,000 of us where gathered in the Georgia Dome. He was 80 years old when he marched into that stadium and strongly stood on that platform and powerfully brought his inspiring message. What a day, what a day that was.

What a day it will be when Jesus we shall see. What a day it will also be whenever I get to meet Billy Graham. If anybody is in heaven it surely is Billy Graham. By God’s grace and mercy, when I get to heaven I’m going to try again to find him and shake his hand. Of course I will try to find his famous singer George Beverly Shea and also shake hands with him.

Dr. Glenn Mollette

The LEGACY

8 • Feb. 28, 2018

Faith & Religion (from page 1) founder.

Her efforts were invaluable to the success of the association, which became the most influential black nationalist organization of the 20th century. The organzation’s earliest meetings were held at the home of Ashwood’s parents. When the organization’s headquarters relocated from Jamaica to Harlem, Ashwood was actively engaged in its affairs.

In addition to serving as general secretary in the New York office, Ashwood helped to popularize the Negro World, the organization’s official newspaper. She also contributed to the financial growth

of the organization, relying on her parents’ money to meet some of the growing expenses.

In 1922, months after Garvey’s divorce from Amy Ashwood, Amy Jacques became Garvey’s new wife – a position she used to leverage her involvement and leadership in the organization. During these years, she helped to popularize and preserve her husband’s ideas. When her husband was imprisoned in 1925 and later deported – on trumped-up charges of mail fraud orchestrated by the FBI – Amy Jacques Garvey oversaw the organization’s day-to-day activities.

In the aftermath of Garvey’s 1927 deportation, women helped to

popularize black nationalist politics.

With limited financial resources and resistance from the FBI, these women asserted their political power in various cities across the United States.

The Peace Movement of Ethiopia During the Great Depression, Chicago was one of the key cities where black nationalist women organized. In 1932, Mittie Maude Lena Gordon, a former member of the Universal Negro Improvement Association, established an organization called the Peace Movement of Ethiopia which became the largest black nationalist organization established by a woman in the United States. At its peak, the organization attracted an estimated 300,000 supporters in Chicago and across the country.

In 1933, Gordon initiated a nationwide emigration campaign, utilizing her widespread political networks in Chicago and across the Midwest. With the assistance of other black nationalist activists, she collected signatures for a proemigration petition. In August of that year, she mailed the petition to President Franklin D. Roosevelt with approximately 400,000 signatures of black Americans willing to leave the country. Drawing inspiration from FDR’s New Deal programs, Gordon requested federal support for those who desired to relocate to West Africa in hopes of securing a better life.

Gordon’s attempt to secure federal support failed. Yet she drew an even larger following of supporters who were inspired by her bold move.

Many of these new members were

women. Black women found in her organization a space of empowerment and opportunity. They occupied a number of visible leadership roles, working alongside the organization’s female founder.

Celia Jane Allen, a black woman from Mississippi who had relocated to Chicago, was one of these women.

In the mid-1930s, she became an active member of the Peace Movement of Ethiopia. Embracing Gordon’s vision for unifying black people in the U.S. and abroad, Allen took on a leadership role in the organization. In 1937, she became one of the national organizers.

From the late 1930s to the mid1940s, Allen traveled extensively throughout the South, visiting local homes and churches to recruit new members and advocate the relocation to West Africa. By the end of World War II, she was successful in getting thousands of black southerners to join the movement and embrace black nationalist ideas.

Today, these women’s stories are largely absent in popular accounts of black nationalism. More often than not, the assumption is that men exclusively established and led black nationalist organizations. This could not be farther from the truth. As these few examples reveal, women were key players in black nationalist movements, and their efforts helped to keep black nationalist ideas alive in U.S. politics. No history of black nationalism is complete without acknowledging women’s significant contributions.

Keisha N. Blain is assistant professor of History, University of Pittsburgh

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Feb. 28, 2018 • 9

(from page 4) so malnourished they looked like children.

What happened to these poor souls has been a sadly familiar story to Coleman since the founding of the Coalition for Responsible Home Education.

“This was not new to us,” said Coleman, whose organization keeps a database called Homeschooling's Invisible Children listing the names of hundreds of home-educated children who have been tortured and abused by their parents. "The isolation and food deprivation, none of that was surprising. It’s not even the first case of 13 children, but a photo with all the girls dressed the same created a moment of virality.”

The case drew increased scrutiny of homeschooling oversight, but Coleman believes the enormity of the problem has been understated.

Her organization’s Invisible Children database surely does not include every severely abused homeschooled kid or every child who died at the hands of their parents because no one knows where — or if — many kids are supposedly being schooled.

HOMESCHOOLING ‘NEITHER GOOD NOR BAD’ Of course, kids who attend public schools are often abused, too.

Homeschooling has both advocates and critics, and many good parents whose children don’t thrive in traditional classroom see it as a valuable option.

Coleman is one of them. Her mother required standardized testing every three years, provided outlines of the curriculum to school officials and maintained a portfolio of Coleman’s academic achievements — “part of keeping a good record,” she said.

At-home educations are “neither good nor bad,” said Coleman, whose doctoral candidacy in history at the University of Indiana represents a level of academic achievement not uncommon among homeschoolers.

But “in the hands of abusive parents,” she said, homeschooling can lead to “horrific abuse situations.”

Iowa opened the door for abuse five years ago when it sliced homeschooling regulations to almost nothing. Before the changes, Iowa’s homeschooling laws were among the most thorough in the country.

State Sen. Matt McCoy, who conducted an inquiry into Natalie’s

Law enforcement scene investigation confirmed the 11-year-old child victim’s disclosures that he was forcibly confined in a cubbyhole underneath the stairs (a) and in closets. A child alarm was placed on the house door to detect his movement and prevent escape (b). Scalp pressure injury from chronic confinement, eroded to the bone (c); burned and mummified toes, later spontaneously disarticulated (d); scalded fingers with mummified tips (e). PHOTOS: NATIONAL CHILDREN’S ALLIANCE and Sabrina’s deaths, said that in some cases in which children are adopted from foster care, as the two girls were, home education is a complete ruse. Sabrina, for example, was not educated at home but rather worked at her parents’ Rays of Sunshine Daycare in Perry. McCoy called it “slavery.”

HOMESCHOOL LAW REFORM EFFORTS McCoy is working on legislation to prevent parents from using homeschooling simply to hide their abuse. He wants mandatory annual physicals and dental checkups for the kids and a requirement that they be checked on by public school monitors every three months.

“Once we lose them in the system, no one knows what happens to them,” he said.

In California, Assemblyman Jose Medina, a Democrat whose district includes the area where the 13 Turpin children lived, said he’s “extremely concerned” about the lack of oversight and is considering legislation to “prevent a situation like this from occurring in the future.”

Lawmakers in several other states are rethinking the lack of oversight in homeschooling situations, too, but even modest reporting proposals have been killed over the years by the powerful homeschooling lobby.

In fact, when homeschooling began to catch on in the 1980s, it faced significant government resistance.

The practice was banned outright in some states and heavily regulated in others. Since then, homeschooling’s

lobby, led by the Home School Legal Defense Association, has led the charge for full parental control over their childrens’ education, in the process managing to weaken oversight considerably.

The defense association, a creation of the religious right, has opposed states merely requiring that school districts be notified that kids being homeschooled aren't attending public school not because their truant but because they are being taught at home.

Beyond that, the defense association has been increasingly involved in defending homeschool parents accused of abuse and has worked to make investigations by Child Protective Services more difficult. To its homeschooling members who are approached by social workers, the association has advised: “Never let the social worker in your house without a warrant or court order. All the cases that you have heard about where children are snatched from the home usually involve families waiving their Fourth Amendment right to be free from such searches and seizures by agreeing to allow the social worker to come inside the home. A warrant requires ‘probable cause’ which does not include an anonymous tip or a mere suspicion.”

EPILOGUE Criminal cases against the parents and other family members in the four cases cited in this story are wending through court systems.

Nicole Finn, Natalie Finn’s adoptive mother, recently received

three life sentences for first-degree murder and kidnapping in Natalie's death, and two counts of kidnapping for confining two of the teen’s siblings. Joseph Finn, Natalie’s father, is scheduled to go to trial on kidnapping, child endangerment and other felony charges in April.

Marc and Misty Ray, Sabrina’s adoptive parents, are yet to go to trial on first-degree murder charges.

Three other family members are also charged in her death.

Sabrina’s adoptive brother Justin Dale Ray pleaded guilty Feb. 16 to two counts of willful injury and was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Sabrina's grandmother, Carla Ray Bousman, has yet to stand trial on charges of kidnapping, obstruction prosecution and child endangerment.

Sabrina’s cousin, Josie Bousman, is charged with kidnapping and child endangerment and has agreed to testify against her family members.

David and Louise Turpin, the parents of the 13 California children imprisoned from 2010 to 2018, could spend the rest of their lives in jail.

Together, they are charged with 37 counts of torture, child abuse and false imprisonment. David Turpin also is charged with a lewd act on a child under the age of 14.

Michael and Georgena Roberts each face a count of first-degree murder in the death of Liam Roberts. Each also is charged with a felony count of child endangerment in his death, and a misdemeanor count of child endangerment for their treatment of another child, age 7, who was also hospitalized.

10 • Feb. 28, 2018

The LEGACY

Photography exhibit showcases forgotten stories SARAH HONOSKY RVA MAG - The Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia (BHMVA) has put overlooked stories in the limelight with its photographic exhibition, “Yesterday’s Stories, Today’s Inspiration.” The exhibit—which will be presented in two phases— features more than 150 photographs, capturing a timeline of black history in Richmond and the surrounding

regions from the late 1800s to the early 1900s.

“Yesterday’s Stories, Today’s Inspiration” is a collaboration between the Black History Museum’s extensive archive and photographs contributed by the community. They not only invited photos scanned from family albums, but asked Richmond to share their stories and memories of the people and places that make up the commonwealth’s extensive black history.

The Norfolk Sister City Association presents ‘PassPORT to Norfolk’s Sister Cities, An Evening Around the World’ The Norfolk Sister City Association will hold their 5th annual fundraising event, PassPORT to Norfolk’s Sister Cities, An Evening Around the World. This year, the association has partnered with the Botanical Gardens to promote the return of Lantern Asia. Immerse yourself in culture as you travel around the world in one night without ever leaving Norfolk. Our focus this year is Asia and our four Asian sister cities; Ningbo, China; Kochi, India; Kitakyushu, Japan and Cagayan de Oro, Philippines.

This year’s event will be held at the beautiful Sheraton Norfolk Waterside on Tuesday April 17, starting at 6 p.m. Enjoy delicious cuisine from our sister cities around the globe prepared by 14 different local restaurants and celebrity chefs that will each represent an individual sister city.

The Norfolk Sister City Association also announced Paul D. Fraim as it first Honorary Chair. A Norfolk native and graduate of Virginia Military Institute, University of Virginia, and the University of Richmond, Fraim proudly served as the mayor of Norfolk for over 20 years.

“His dedication to helping the city of Norfolk and strong support of

community organizations, including the Norfolk Sister City Association, makes Fraim the perfect dignitary and community leader to be the first Honorary Chair,” noted the association.

“With the help of our volunteer board and membership that supports two part-time staff, Norfolk Sister City has made great strides in honoring our mission to celebrate cultural diversity, educate our youth to be good global citizens and facilitate mutually beneficial economic opportunities between Norfolk and its sister cities.”

As a member of Sister Cities International, Norfolk is connected with 140 other countries, allowing us to be a hub of international trade, culture, arts, education and economic development. A firm believer in educating our youth about international diplomacy, The Norfolk Sister City Association has developed a partnership with Norfolk Public School through our Young Global Citizens Program in the past two years. This has allowed High school students to travel to other countries as well as host inbound exchange students.

For more information and for ticket costs, visit the Norfolk Sister City website: www.norfolksistercities.org .

“We have a collection of thousands of photographs…and some of them have not been displayed, so we thought what better way to show our appreciation of Richmond and Virginia than to cull through these photographs to do our own special collection,” said interim executive director Adele Johnson. “Then we took it a step further and…did an open invitation to the Richmond community to invite them to share their photographs with us, and many of them did.”

Johnson said that while most Richmonders are aware of the big names in black history, the full scope of the rich, multi-faceted narrative is often left behind.

“We want them to learn new stories,” said Johnson. “I read a statistic not too long ago, that one in every four African Americans has a tie back to Virginia. I think that’s because Virginia is so rich in history.

There are so many successful people that have a Richmond connection, and we want people to learn about them and, just as importantly, we

want them to be inspired by those people.”

The first phase emphasizes the work of James Conway Farley and George O. Brown. Brown was a Richmond photographer prominent in the 19th century, who spent a lifetime chronicling African American history.

“New York City had James Van Der Zee, Washington D.C. had the Scurlocks, and Richmond had the Browns,” said historian and curator Elvatrice Belsches in the exhibit’s press release. “Their remarkable talents, captured in this exhibit along with others, act as a unique prism through which to view the fullness of the history of the Black experience in Richmond and beyond.”

This phase also includes education and worship. Johnson said the series featuring the Richmond Normal School, now Armstrong High School, is one highlight of the exhibit. “To think that the school is still in existence after all of these years is

(continued on page 11)

www.LEGACYnewspaper.com

Feb. 28, 2018 • 11

Va. is 23rd most sinful state DEB BELT PATCH - You’d think Nevada — home to “Sin City” — would be America’s most sinful state. But that’s not the case, according to the personal finance site WalletHub, which ranked each state based on what it calls a “vice index.” Florida ranked No. 1 as the most sinful with an index score of 57.27, out of 100, followed closely by California with a score of 55.76. Nevada ranked third with a score of 53.51.

The folks in Vermont, the least sinful state, are virtuous in comparison. Virginia ranked 23rd in the country with a vice index of 44.07. Nearby states of Maryland ranked 26th with a vice index of 43.31; West Virginia placed 29th with a score of 40.44; North Carolina ranked 25th with a score of 43.39; Pennsylvania placed 21st with a score of 44.63; and New Jersey ranked 15th with a score of 46.93.

The study considered seven “sins” to determine its rankings: anger and hatred, jealousy, excesses and vices, greed, lust, vanity and laziness. WalletHub evaluated those qualities using 38 relevant metrics, which it weighted. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with 100 representing the highest level of sinfulness.

Virginia’s biggest failings seem to be that it ranked 9th in vanity and 19th in greed. When it comes to anger and hatred and excesses and vices, the state ranked 32nd and 37th, respectively.

A map of the rankings shows southern states are decidedly more sinful than their northern counterparts.

Nevertheless, here’s how Virginia ranked overall: Anger and hatred: 32nd To evaluate anger and hatred, WalletHub analyzed a state’s violent

(from page 10) really something.”

The second installation of the exhibition—scheduled to follow soon after the opening of the first phase—will include professionals and entrepreneurs, organizations, and the military. “It’s really a broad brush of African American life,” said Johnson.

crimes per capita. Alaska was the most angry state while Maine was the lease angry.

Ask Alma

Jealousy: 28th To decide which state was most jealous, WalletHub looked at thefts per capita. New Mexico was the most jealous state and New Hampshire was the least.

Excesses and vices: 37th The site looked at excessive drinking to determine rankings for excesses and vices. Wisconsin ranked first in excessive drinking and Oklahoma ranked the least.

Greed: 19th WalletHub reviewed population percentage with gambling disorders to evaluate greed. Mississippi had the lowest percentage of its population with a gambling disorder while Michigan had the highest number.

Lust: 24th For this category, the site looked at the average time spent on adult entertainment sites. Mississippi topped the list. Rhode Island residents spent the least amount of time on such sites.

Vanity: 9th To determine how vain a state is, WalletHub looked at the number of beauty salons per capita. New York, unsurprisingly, had the most and Alaska — equally unsurprisingly — had the least.

Laziness: 31st Finally, the study looked at how inactive a state’s adults were to determine which state was the laziest. According to WalletHub, Arkansas had the highest percentage of couch potatoes while Colorado had the least.

“There are stories about struggle, and there are stories about success,” said Johnson. “We want people to know more so they can be proud of our city and state. We want these stories to become part of America’s history, not just black history.”

The opening reception for “Yesterday’s Stories, Today’s Inspiration” was Friday. The exhibit will run through May.

My husband doesn’t believe in God anymore.

What should I do?

Dear Alma, My husband said he no longer believes in God. He did when I met him and when we got married. We have always attended my family church and have been very active in different organizations. I just don’t understand or think we can remain married. How can I be with someone who doesn’t believe in God. I am so mad! That has always been the first “must have” on my list.

My husband even stopped going to church. I am so hurt, I just don’t know what to do. Do you think I can convince him to go back to what we had and rededicate his life? How can a marriage stay together if only one person believes in God? Please help us!

Signed, Praying for My Atheist Husband Dear Praying, Holy guacamole, my sister, this is an issue of enormous ramifications.

Yes, it could easily end your marriage if not handled with divine intervention. You say you’re a Christian and so was your husband

when you met and married, but now he wants to change his stance and he no longer believes in God. Will he consider faith-based counseling?

Listen closely as I speak softly, not tilting the taste of judgment — I think you need to be truthful about his change of belief and try to remember what life experience u-turned him towards a different direction. Who, when, where and how was someone else able to grab hold of him when you weren’t watching. I’m not blaming you, oh no, that’s not my intent. I’m merely trying to show you that one doesn’t pick a Savior in one day. We’re too savvy for that nowadays. Folks will research everything on the Internet.

Unfortunately, the information no longer needs to be prophetic or true, as long as it’s printed. I’m just wondering out loud, where you were when he was searching, unraveling, disconnecting from your faith.

Wrangle your anger and resentment cause you’ve got to retain control of this with a calm hand and a cool head. The humbleness of your faith is being tested. Like my mama use to say, “the best of sermons are seen, not heard.” My advice to you is, live the Bible you read, carefully chose the words that you speak and most definitely display what you pray. Hold off on contacting a divorce lawyer just yet. Pick up a copy of “In Faith and In Doubt: How Religious Believers and Nonbelievers Can Create Strong Marriages” by Dale McGowan and start reading what has happened with other couples.

What’s great about America is the freedom to pick and follow the religion that suits your heart the best.

Only heaven knows if your marriage will survive this, but what I can assure you that both of you deserve the proper respect from one another while you work on it. Everyone is going to hell in a hand basket according to someone’s religion. Trust me when I say, it’s better to sit on a mountaintop meditating on God and all of His glory, than it is to sit in church disengaged, thinking about taking a hike.

12 • Feb. 28, 2018

The LEGACY

City seeks artist for mural Imagine transforming a blank wall into a showpiece of a community’s culture and history. The city of Newport News is seeking proposals for a community mural in the Southeast Community to do just that as part of the Choice Neighborhoods Initiative.

The original work of art, inspired by the community, is to be located on the Boys and Girls Club building at 629 Hampton Ave. The maximum budget is $20,000 and proposals are due March 2. All those who submit a proposal are required to attend a community meeting on March 6 to present their vision to residents.

Once the finalist is chosen, the mural must be completed by May 11. Artists that are passionate about community engagement are encouraged to apply. Access the Request For Proposals at www.newportnewschoice.com/calltoartists.

In 2016, the City of Newport News and the Newport News Redevelopment and Housing Authority received a $500,000 Choice Neighborhoods Initiative (CNI) Planning Grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to help develop a plan to transform the Marshall- Ridley area of the Southeast Community. CNI is HUD’s signature place-based initiative to revitalize and transform distressed public and assisted housing and surrounding areas focusing on housing, people and neighborhood needs and opportunities. This mural opportunity is one of the CNI Early Action Activities and is funded through the HUD grant. Learn more about the Newport News Choice Neighborhoods Initiative at www.newportnewschoice.com.

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Va. Sheriffs’ Institute offers scholarships Law Enforcement/Criminal Justice Students encouraged to apply Interested in a career in law enforcement or criminal justice?

Newport News Sheriff Gabe Morgan is encouraging students to apply for a scholarship through the Virginia Sheriffs’ Institute (VSI).

Last year, three city students received scholarships of $1,000 or $500 for full-time and part-time studies at a Virginia college or university. In 2017, VSI provided 78 scholarships totaling $77,000.

For information about eligibility, the application checklist and more, visit the VSI website. One required item is a letter of recommendation from Morgan.

Contact 757-926-3992 to schedule your appointment. Students must log in to the online application system to upload documents and submit the completed application by the May 1 deadline.

Aggy: An American slave’s fight to free her children Right here, right now – Black History Month 2018 – At the Peyton Randolph House, Aggy of Turkey Island, an enslaved woman, tells visitors of Colonial Williamsburg about the complicated story of her life.

Aggy, as portrayed by Mary Carter, a historic area interpreter since 2008, became the sexual partner of her owner Ryland Randolph, who was a friend and cousin of Thomas Jefferson and a member of a politically prominent Williamsburg family. They had two children and lived outside Williamsburg on a James River plantation, where Jefferson visited.

Randolph never married, and Aggy was not his mistress. She was the only woman in his life. But she also never had a choice whether or not to be with him.

When Ryland died in 1785, his will gave Aggy and their children their freedom, arranged for her transport to England, and left them a trust fund. His brother, Richard, contested the will and kept her in bondage.

Aggy desperately wanted her children to be free. She sued the Randolphs for unlawful imprisonment.

She won in a decision rendered by the courts on Aug. 7, 1790. The story of their relationship is complex, touching on race, power, and the universal desire for freedom. It is a very personal piece of history that resonates today.

Mary Carter has extensively researched Aggy’s story, going back through court documents at the

Chosen by her master to fulfill the role normally held by a wife, Aggy, a slave, is forced to navigate the world she will never be welcomed into while separated from the enslaved community in which she was raised.

Library of Virginia. She will be at the Randolph House, which dates to 1715, throughout spring, as well as in a program at the art museums throughout Black History Month.

Do you want to speak with her about how she brings this story about race and privilege to life? How present day Americans of all races, creeds and ages react?

Portraying Aggy, Carter says, provides her with the opportunity to explore race and racism in America today through a conversation with visitors. “I don’t know where that conversation is going to go,” Carter says, “but I want people to come here and talk about it.”

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Feb. 28, 2018 • 13

History isn’t just something you read about, it’s something you make every day.

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The LEGACY

Crisis Receiving Center marks five years of service Henrico County and Parham Doctors’ Hospital recently commemorated the fifth anniversary of the opening of the Henrico CIT Crisis Receiving Center, where individuals in psychiatric crisis can receive prompt care from a multidisciplinary team of health professionals.

The center, based in the emergency room at Parham Doctors’ Hospital, operates through a partnership between the hospital and Henrico’s Crisis Intervention Team (CIT), which includes representatives of the county’s Police and Fire divisions, Sheriff’s Office and Henrico Area Mental Health & Developmental Services. More than 3,600 people have received assistance through the center since its debut on Dec. 3, 2012.

“Henrico’s Crisis Receiving Center helps to ensure that prompt, comprehensive and compassionate psychiatric care is available when it’s needed most,” said Nicki Moon, coordinator of Henrico’s CIT. “In the past, patients often had to endure

long wait times to be evaluated by medical and clinical professionals, causing undue stress and prolonging their trauma.”

The center is designed to allow a team of medical, clinical, public safety and peer support staff to provide prompt, comprehensive care in a low-stress, safe and

respectful setting. The goal is to promote mental health recovery by connecting patients with community resources and avoiding unnecessary hospitalizations and incarcerations.

“After five years of having the Crisis Receiving Center at Parham Doctors’ Hospital, we continue to see positive patient outcomes

from our partnership with Henrico County, the Henrico Police Division and our clinical team at the Crisis Receiving Center,” said Brian Allen, the hospital’s chief operating officer.

“Our combined focus on caring for patients in crisis has led to improvements in identifying patients in need and providing appropriate treatment faster than ever before. I look forward to continuing the efforts of this program for many years to come.”

The center currently operates daily from 8 a.m. to 2 a.m. The CIT hopes to eventually expand to a 24-hour operation. The facility includes two private rooms for patients and office space.

The center is a key initiative of the CIT program, which was established in 2008 to improve Henrico’s response and care for residents in psychiatric crisis. The CIT and its staff provide training to public safety personnel, offer outreach services to the community and seek to improve systems of care for residents.

‘Kissing disease’ exhausting, but it strikes only once Tremendous fatigue, a very sore throat and achy body – Cheryl vividly recalls how bad she felt after coming down with infectious mononucleosis, commonly called mono, during her sophomore year at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York.

“I felt really dizzy, but it wasn’t just my head,” said Cheryl, whose last name isn’t being used to respect her privacy. “It was like my whole body was twirling around inside.”

Mono is a contagious disease caused by the Epstein-Barr virus, or EBV. Spread through saliva, mono’s nickname is the “kissing disease.”

But transmission of the virus isn’t limited to kissing; people can become infected by using someone else’s utensils or drinking from the same container, as Cheryl believes happened to her. She shared a cup with another member of the West Point orienteering team who later was diagnosed with mono ahead of Cheryl.

Teenagers and young adults are more likely than others to get mono.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 25 percent of people in this age range who are exposed to EBV will develop mono.

“Over 90 percent of adults will have

antibodies to mono – meaning, at some point in their lives they’ve been exposed,” said Dr. Jason Okulicz, an Air Force lieutenant colonel and chief of the Infectious Disease Service at San Antonio Military Medical Center in Texas.

“It’s also possible to not have any symptoms, though that’s more likely for young children,” he said.

Symptoms can occur anywhere from four to six weeks after being infected, according to the CDC. Along with what Cheryl experienced, they can include swollen lymph nodes in the neck and armpits, a fever, and a rash.

As bad as patients might feel, mono is a self-limiting illness for the vast majority, Okulicz said. That means it resolves on its own, usually over several weeks.

“The fatigue might linger for a few weeks after that, but long-term effects on a person’s overall health are uncommon,” he said.

Another good thing about mono?

It’s a one-and-done event. “With the flu, there are many different types and you can get infected numerous times over your lifetime,” Okulicz said. “But infectious mononucleosis doesn’t recur.”

One possible complication of mono

is an enlarged spleen that can rupture when performing strenuous exercises or engaging in contact sports. That’s why, even though an enlarged spleen is rare, doctors recommend people with mono avoid these activities at least three or four weeks after illness, Okulicz said. Any mono patient experiencing abdominal pain should seek help immediately, he added.

Otherwise, Okulicz said, there’s not much to do for mono except offer supportive care: lozenges for a sore

throat; over-the-counter medications for pain and fever; plenty of fluids to stay hydrated; and, of course, rest.

Cheryl spent a week in Keller Army Community Hospital recuperating.

Classmates delivered her books and assignments so she could keep up with her schoolwork. She said she felt better by the time she was discharged, but it took several weeks before the fatigue went away.

“I didn’t realize how long it would take to feel like myself again,” she said.

Feb. 28, 2018 • 15

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At session’s midpoint, black legislators hail success FROM WIRE REPORTS Black lawmakers said last week they have been successful this legislative session in addressing the problem of food deserts, funding apprenticeships for high school students and relaxing overly harsh school disciplinary policies.

At a press conference, members of the Virginia Black Legislative Caucus said they generally are pleased with how the session has progressed as it enters the second half.

“In the House and Senate, we have seen legislation advanced to address the long overdue need for an increase in felony threshold so that people are not harmed for life for relatively small mistakes; stop the suspension of drivers’ licenses, which makes it even harder for people to pay for their fines and court fees; reduce the imposition of counterproductive school suspensions for younger students; and tax credits for businesses that train Richmond high school students for good jobs,” said Del. Lamont Bagby, D-Henrico, the caucus chair.

The lawmakers said they were

pleased that several bills were moving forward: .SB 937 would provide a $2,500 tax credit to businesses offering apprenticeships for Richmond high school students. “Once that pilot is successful, we will expand it across the commonwealth because we realize that not everyone is going to college,” said Sen. Jennifer McClellan, D-Richmond. .HB 1600 would reduce the maximum school suspension from 364 days to 45 days with exceptions for aggravating circumstances.

“We can’t continue to use access to education as punishment and expect to change the outcomes for our young people,” said Del. Jeffrey Bourne, D-Richmond. “This is just one important step in dismantling and disrupting the ‘school-to-prison pipeline.’” .SB 37 would fund construction and improvements of grocery stores and food retailers in underserved communities known as food deserts.

Sen. Rosalyn Dance, D-Petersburg, said the bill would help prevent diabetes, heart disease and other health problems related to diet. .HB 1550 and SB 105 would raise

Del. Lamont Bagby the threshold for grand larceny - a felony crime - from $200 to $500.

The current threshold hasn’t been changed since 1980.

“You just don’t know how many kids and college students, as a part of a dare, or pressure from peer groups go and commit dumb mistakes,” said Del. Joseph Lindsey, D-Norfolk. He said young people convicted of felony theft under the existing threshold suffer lifelong consequences “keeping them away from the ballot box, keeping them away from business opportunities, keeping them away from educational opportunities.”

Despite those legislative successes,

caucus members expressed disappointment about the fate of bills such as SB 909. It would have made it illegal in the housing industry to discriminate against people based on their “source of income,” including whether they receive government assistance. A Senate committee voted to put off the bill until next year.

“When I talk about low-income housing, I’m also talking about middle-class housing for our firefighters, our police officers, our teachers that too often can’t afford to live in the communities that they serve,” McClellan said.

16 • Feb. 28, 2018

Calendar

The LEGACY

COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES & EVENTS

3.7, 8 a.m.

3.1, 6 p.m.

Virginia Credit Union will offer a free seminar with practical steps for identifying and prioritizing debt, reducing expenses, and accelerating the repayment of debt.

The “Strategies for Eliminating Debt” seminar will be offered on at Virginia Credit Union in the Boulders Office Park, 7500 Boulder View Drive in the Richmond area.

To register, call 804-323-6800 or visit www.vacu.org/seminars .

3.3, 9 a.m.

The Henrico County Department of Community Revitalization will present a free workshop on maintaining and repairing a wood deck and preparing a yard for spring.

Experts will offer tips for creating a sustainable lawn and keeping shrubs and other plantings healthy.

The workshop will be held from 9 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. in the Community Room at the Eastern Henrico Government Center, 3820 Nine Mile Rd. Exhibits, hands-on demonstrations and refreshments will be included.

The session will conclude a workshop series that began in October to help residents maintain and improve their homes. For information, call 804-501-7640 or go to henrico.us/revit.

M ...advertised here. oments

&e m o r i e s

Submit your calendar events by email to: editor@ legacynewspaper.com.

Include who, what, where, when & contact information that can be printed.

Submission deadline is Friday.

The Created Equal Film Series in Honor of Grady W. Powell is in its fifth year at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture. The series, which is free and open to the public, focuses on themes related to civil rights, human rights, and social justice in American history.

You are invited to a free screening of “Underground Railroad: The William Still Story” (2012, 55 minutes) on Wednesday, Feb. 28, at 6:30 p.m. Stay and listen to a historian provide commentary after the film.

“Underground Railroad: The William Still Story” reveals the largely untold story of William Still, who is one of the most important individuals of the Underground Railroad. Still smuggled many enslaved Americans across the U.S. border to Canada amidst the danger of bounty hunters. To this day, his record of those he helped escape provides some of the best evidence of the workings of the Underground Railroad, detailing the freedom seekers who used it, where they came from, how they escaped, and the families they left behind.

The Created Equal Film Series is presented by Bon Secours. The series is hosted by the Virginia Museum of History & Culture in partnership with the Richmond Peace Education Center and supported in part by Diversity Richmond’s Guy Kinman Research Award.

Chesterfield’s Business Watch, presented by Chesterfield County Public Library and Chesterfield Economic Development, takes place at Meadowdale Library, 4301 Meadowdale Boulevard, North Chesterfield.

The Business Before Hours series, will provide you with information and opportunities to grow your business before the doors of most businesses open. Chesterfield County’s Business Watch program teaches small businesses the latest crime prevention techniques and will help them stay up to date on crime trends.

Take advantage of this free learning opportunity. On-site registration available.For more information, reach Latisha Jenkins at 804-318.--8550 or email her at JenkinsL@chesterfield.gov – @ CVASmallBiz

3.11, 7 p.m.

First Baptist Church of Hampton will install their first female pastor in their 154-year history.

There are many events planned for this historic event. The Brooklyn Tabernacle Singers will hold a concert at the church at 7 p.m. on Friday, March 9, in honor of Senior Pastor Rev. Dr. Joan S. Parrott.

This concert is free and open to the public however, you must obtain a ticket from the church for entry.

On Saturday, March 10, the church will hold its Installation Banquet at the Hampton Roads Convention Center. The guest speakers are co-pastors, Dr. Grainger and Dr. Jo Ann Browning, of Ebenezer A.M.E. Church in Fort Washington, Maryland.

The musical guest is Pastor Donnie McClurkin. Tickets for the Banquet are $60.00 per person. Finally, the Installation Worship Service will take place at 10:15 a.m. and will be held here at First Baptist Church of Hampton.

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Feb. 28, 2018 • 17

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Music video encourages healthy dental habits According to the Virginia Department of Health, Southwest Virginia has the highest number of children with untreated tooth decay in the state. According to the CDC, something simple can be done to improve those statistics: brushing.

The American Dental Association recommends brushing for two minutes, twice a day, but two minutes can seem like a long time.

United Way of Southwest Virginia knows that forming good teethbrushing habits at an early age can save children from oral health issues later in life, so they’ve developed a tool they say might help parents and their children have some fun establishing the two-minute, twice-aday habit: a music video.

“Oral health is a vital indicator of quality of life,” said Travis Staton, president and CEO of United Way of Southwest Virginia. “With a grant provided by the LENOWISCO Planning District through the DentaQuest Foundation, United Way has been able to convene community partners to launch this region wide

campaign.”

The “Brushing is Fun” campaign launched in February, National Children’s Dental Health Month.

The commercial for the campaign features two tooth fairies directing parents and kids to BrushingIsFun. com, where they can watch the two-minute music video while they brush their teeth. The commercial has made and continues to make appearances in United Way of Southwest Virginia’s service area – on social media, in movie theaters, TV stations, and radio stations across the region. The music video hosted on BrushingIsFun.com features Carlton “S.T.A.R.R.” Releford, the motivational rap artist who wrote the song, and many community members from the region.

Del. Todd Pillion provided a written statement to support the campaign: “As a delegate and as a pediatric dentist, the health of our region is one of my top priorities. It’s also one of United Way’s priorities. I am truly grateful to have been involved in the initial development stages of this

There’s a deficit of knowledge about Social Security, says AMAC There is a knowledge deficit among those who are approaching the age at which they become eligible for Social Security, said senior advocate Dan Weber.

“Social Security is not an entitlement, a government hand-out.

It is a savings account funded by the blood, sweat and tears of American workers and it behooves us all to gain an understanding of its ins and outs.”

Weber, who is president of the Association of Mature American Citizens (AMAC), said that the devil is in the details and the details of Social Security can be complex. He points out that more than threeand-a-half million people in the U.S. become eligible for benefits each year. And, he says, although they will be relying on Social Security to help fund their lives as they grow

older, a vast number of them find it difficult to navigate the system.

“That is why AMAC has put its resources to work for those who wish to know what they are owed and how to collect it. Knowing how the system works will help you get the most out of Social Security and will help ensure that you don’t leave the benefits that you are owed on the table.”

There’s been much written about how to get the most out of the retirement fund we’ve been paying into all of our working lives, but much of the advice that is provided can be unclear, according to Weber.

“So, we did our own research and found that, in fact, too much of the guidance that is available is complex and unintelligible for too many people and that in other cases it was downright wrong. That’s the reason

campaign in November 2016. To see it come to fruition is exciting, and I am grateful for the time United Way of Southwest Virginia spent creating a campaign that is not only educational and entertaining, but it will actually be used as a tool to improve the health of Southwest Virginia.”

The campaign is targeted at parents and children, but many of the head start locations in Southwest Virginia are using the music video

as well to revamp their alreadyscheduled teeth-brushing time, including the Kids Central location in Norton.

Jennifer Owens, Health Services Specialist at Kids Central, Inc. said, “In our classrooms, we incorporate brushing after our meals. I’ve been in this job for 24 years, and we’ve come a long way. This music video makes it even more fun, and hopefully that carries home, too. Thank you for doing this for our children.”

that we decided to dedicate ourselves to simplifying the facts about Social Security and providing a source for real-time information. We owe it to our over-50 membership and to all seniors as they approach retirement age.”

AMAC created new resources to educate seniors – including a dedicated Web site, www. socialsecurityreport.org, and a widely syndicated newspaper column. “The column is written by an expert in the field who offers explanations and advice in plain and simple language that informs and cuts through the confusion.”

In addition, AMAC is embarked on a massive effort to work with our lawmakers on Capitol Hill to help shape the future of Social Security. “We meet with the nation’s lawmakers on a frequent and regular basis to promote ways to improve Social Security and help to ensure its viability in the long term.”

He singled out the Social Security Guarantee plan his association has proposed that Weber said would ensure 75 years of solvency for the Social Security OASI Trust Fund.

The plan would include a fair and balanced setback for future recipients, guaranteed cost of living increases and a provision for a new personal Early Retirement Account (ERA).

The ERA that AMAC envisions would be similar to an IRA or a 401(k) plan. But, in order to safeguard the funds against risky investments, half of their benefits that individuals choose to invest in ERA accounts would have to be used to purchase guaranteed interest products such as government bonds or annuity contracts. Workers would be free to invest their balances in any other investment that meets certain suitability standards.

“For many elderly Americans, Social Security is what puts food on their tables. It’s their principal source of income, meager as it might be, and they would face cruel hardships if they their monthly checks were cut. What we need to ensure their future is a real and dedicated solution for fixing the system, not pie-in-the-sky theories.

And, we need it sooner than later.”

18 • Feb. 28, 2018

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2005 MAZDA MAZDA3 JM1BK32FX51317386 at the SCC Headquarters. Proposals are due on March 22, 2018 at UTILITY TRAILER 4YMUL081XDG054745 If•UNK your response is not received by deadline, your ad may not be inserted.

409 E. Main St. #4 (mailing) 105 1/2 E. Clay St. (office) INVITATION FOR BID NO. 18-6840-2 2:00 PM Eastern. An electronic copy of RFP# SCC-17-042-OCC can be SEIBERT’S is now accepting Richmond, VA 23219 Westover Hill Elementary Roof Replacement National Suicide Prevention Lifeline obtained at: http://eva.virginia.gov.

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The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) is requesting proposals from qualified firms to administer, operate, and maintain their Integrated Directional Signing Program (IDSP). All proposals must be received by 2:00 PM, March 27, 2018 at the Virginia Department of Transportation; Central Office Mail Center-Loading Dock Entrance; 1401 East Broad Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219.

A mandatory pre-proposal conference will be held at 10:00 AM on March 5, 2018. For a copy of the Request for Proposals (RFP # 154445-CW), go to the website: www.eva.virginia.gov . VDOT assures compliance with Title VI Requirements of non-discrimination in all activities pursuant to this advertisement. For questions or additional information email: carolyn.wisdom@vdot.virginia.gov Carolyn Wisdom, Contract Officer 804-786-5782

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05-18: An application of Raul Cantu for a building permit to install a Melinda A. Williams, CPPB walk-in cooler and freezer to the rear of an existing restaurant at 3449 Senior Purchasing Officer WEST CARY STREET. Please review the proof, make any needed changes and return by fax or e-mail.

If your response is not received by deadline, your ad may not be inserted.

06-18: An application of Curtis and Robyn Bailey for a building permit Ok X_________________________________________ to legitimize a previously enclosed two-story covered open porch to a single-family detached dwelling at 1924 HANOVER AVENUE.

EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY NOTICE

We are pledged to the letter and spirit 07-18: An application of Amin Satish and Mitesh S for a building permit Ok with changes of Virginia's policyX _____________________________ for achieving equal to construct a new building (1,507 sq. ft.) for restaurant use at 812 housing opportunity throughout the WEST MARSHALL STREET. commonwealth.

REMINDER: Deadline is Fridays @ 5 p.m.

We encourage and support advertising and marketing programs in which there are no barriers to obtaining housing because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status or handicap.

For more information or to file a housing complaint, call the Virginia Housing Office (804) 367-8530 or (888) 5513247. For the hearing-impaired, call (804) 367-9753 or e-mail fairhousing@ dpor.virginia.gov.

08-18: An application of Kurt Engleman for a building permit to construct a new single-family detached dwelling and masonry wall at 2308 IDLEWOOD AVENUE. 09-18: An application of McLaughlin Homes, LLC for a building permit to construct a one-story detached garage (23’ x 27’) accessory to a single-family detached dwelling at 4200 KENSINGTON AVENUE.

10-18: An application of Matthews Realty Group LLC for a building permit to split an unimproved vacant lot and to construct a new singlefamily detached dwelling on an independent lot at 5214 WAVERLY AVENUE. 11-18: An application of Chan Investments, LLC for a building permit to replace underground fuel tanks, fuel dispensers and vent piping at an existing motor fuel dispensing use at 2808 WEST BROAD STREET. Copies of all cases are available for inspection between 8 AM and 5 PM in Room 110, City Hall, 900 East Broad Street, Richmond, VA 23219.

Support or opposition may be offered at or before the hearing.

Roy W. Benbow, Secretary Phone: (804) 240-2124 Fax: (804) 646-5789 E-mail: Roy.Benbow@richmondgov.com

Feb. 28, 2018 • 19

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PROC 01-156-002-03600/0223 HAMPTON SOLICITATION The Director of Finance or his designated representative will accept written responses in the Procurement Office, 1 Franklin Street, Suite 345, Hampton, VA 23669 on behalf of the Entity listed below until the date and local time specified.

HAMPTON CITY Tuesday, March 20, 2018 1:30 PM ET – RFP 18-43/CLP (Re-bid) Provide on-call traffic engineering and related services for various City projects on an “as needed” basis for either City, State, and/or Federally funded projects. These services have a MBE goal of 2.86% and WBE goal of 4.76%.

Tuesday, April 5, 2018 4:00 p.m. ET – RFP 18-46/LDW Jail Study Mandatory Pre-Proposal Conference March 8, 2018 at 10:30 AM ET. Hampton Community Corrections Center 1928 W. Pembroke Ave. Hampton, VA 23669 For additional information, see our web page at http://www.hampton.gov/bids-contracts.

A withdrawal of bid due to error shall be in accordance with Section 2.2-4330 of the Code of Virginia. All forms relating to these solicitations may be obtained from the above listed address or for further information call (757) 727-2200. The City of Hampton reserves the right to reject any and all responses, to make awards in whole or in part, and to waive any informality in submittals.

Minority-Owned, Woman-Owned and Veteran Businesses are encouraged to participate.

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