Mc digital 2 22 17

'Scandal' star Cornelius Smith Jr. among Michigan Chronicle 40 Under 40 honorees

The Pecks: Paradise Valley power couple

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Volume 80 – Number 24

michiganchronicle.com

February 22-28, 2017

Algiers Motel aftermath: A firsthand account of the People’s Tribunal

By Roz Edward Managing Editor

Events at the height of the 1967 Riot, coupled with an overwhelmed police force and terror in the streets, resulted in one of the most tragic events in Detroit’s history. On July 25, at the height of the 1967 riot, three young black men, Carl Cooper, 17; Aubrey Pollard,19; and Fred Temple, 18 were killed at the Algiers Motel, executed by members of city, state and national law enforcement officers.

In the wake of that incident and after a change of venue for law enforcement officials charged in the murders, local activist formed the People’s Tribunal to tell the true story of the heinous nature of the crimes and exact justice for the victims and the community.

DETROIT

1967- 2017

BLACK HISTORY MONTH

Lead organizers Lonnie Peek and Dan Aldridge began organizing for the mock trial in July of ’67 with the trial being held on Aug. 30, 1967 at the Shrine of the Black Madonna.

“I think that once Dan and I went to the Algiers Motel and were able to see the crime scene ourselves, along with the tension in the community, we started organizing then, based upon what was happening in terms of black folks and the police,” recalls Peek.

“We laid out the format, and the format was that we would produce evidence based upon our going to the motel scene, and based upon talking to the families of the three young boys that were killed. We produced and presented evidence just like in a courtroom in order to judge the guilt or innocence of the accused. ... So, Milton Henry was the prosecuting attorney and the one who laid out all of the evidence that we had gathered. We had taken pictures of the motel scene where there was blood on the walls, and we presented those pictures and pictures of the young boys to the courtroom. …

Kenny Cockrel was the judge and Rosa Parks and Ed Vaughn were two of the jury members.”

The People’s Tribunal to decide the fate of three white officers charged, but never indicted in Michigan Courts provided an

See ALGIERS

MOTEL page A-4

Mayor Mike Duggan with supporters on Election Night 2013. Last night, his State of the City address followed his re-election campaign announcement to complete the work he began during his first term.

Mayor Duggan’s State of the City address keeps focus on development, neighborhoods

By Roz Edward Managing Editor

Having recently announced his intention to run for a second term and accelerate the city's economic recovery while focusing on making Detroit a more attractive locale for growing families, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan has been whisked to the head of the municipal politics class and is sitting at the table with some of the city’s most effective and successful mayors.

Duggan, who won in spectacular fashion in 2013, having been a write-in candidate for the August primary and easily winning against Wayne County Sheriff Benny Napoleon, spoke with the Michigan Chronicle in an exclusive interview just days before his highly anticipated State of the City address on Tuesday, Feb. 21.

When asked about his most significant accomplishments, the affable politician was quick to rank youth employment and education programs like Detroit Promise among the most meaningful accomplishments of his administration.

“We became the first major city in America where every student who graduated from high school in Detroit was guaranteed two years of community college paid for. We had 600 young people start community college in September under the Detroit Promise program and now we’re enlarging it to four-year universities for our students with 3.0 grade

point averages and a score of 21 on the ACT,“ Duggan said. “The 8,000 young people who worked in summer jobs last year are successes … that means a lot to me.”

Duggan, a former prosecutor and onetime chief executive officer of the Detroit Medical Center, rattled off a list of municipal must-haves to bring the city back online and functioning to support the day-to-day needs of residents. “The buses are running on schedule, the streetlights are on, the ambulances are showing up in a timely basis, the grass is getting cut and 11,000 [vacant and abandoned] houses have been demolished. So, there has been progress in some areas, but in other areas we have a lot of work to do,” he noted.

But it’s the impact of new business attraction and expansion that many residents consider as the most discernible developments in Detroit’s resurgence, and having the most tangible impact on the quality of life in Detroit.

“The trend nationally is for millennials to want to live in urban areas, and this next generation doesn’t want to live in the suburbs and drive a minivan. And that means that companies and engineering firms and tech firms who want to get the best talent need to be in urban areas,” Duggan explained. “And now we’ve got Detroit to a point where we are attracting young people and young talent. As a result, we’ve been able to land Allied Bank’s headquarters and the Lear Innovation Center, and Amazon and

Microsoft,” he said, “so we’re going to keep building the employment base in this city on auto manufacturing plants like Flex N Gate where we have more than 400 employees over on the I-94 industrial corridor.” The automotive manufacturing momentum continues to build as the industry retools with new parts projects like the transformation of former Southwestern High School to a new General Motors parts production plant.

But it hasn’t all been a honeymoon for the mayor credited with helping to guide Detroit out of Chapter 9 bankruptcy and emergency management administered by attorney Kevyn Orr, a Gov. Rick Snyder appointee.

Detroit’s controversial federally funded demolition program was suspended in October 2016 to address concerns over improper billing and misallocation of funds, although a new set of procedures developed with the assistance of the Detroit Land Bank Authority, the Michigan State Housing and Development Authority and U.S. Treasury Department allowed the administration to resume razing abandoned buildings and providing relief to blight-stricken communities across the city.

Detroit’s demolition program is supported by the Hardest Hit Fund created by the U.S. Department of Treasury to provide assistance to homeowners in states most affected by the mortgage foreclosure crisis. To date, Detroit has received

See DUGGAN page A-4

Detroit’s Junction Street renamed Thomas Hitman Hearns Ave. to honor boxing legend

WHAT’S INSIDE

By Donald James Special to the Chronicle

Saturday, Feb. 18, was a record-setting day in Detroit, when temperatures soared to 69 degrees. The day, with its bright, sun-filled sky, provided the perfect setting for Detroit’s record-setting boxing champion and legend, Thomas “Hitman” Hearns, as he was honored at an outdoor event.

Is Farrakhan still the black people’s messenger?

With an estimated 500 fans, relatives, friends, former Kronk Gym boxers, and other well-wishers gathered at the intersection of Junction and McGraw on the city’s west side, Hearns, also known as the Motor City Cobra, stood in awe as Junction Street was renamed Thomas Hitman Hearns Ave.

See page D-1

$1.00

Monica Morgan photos

“I owe God so much, because He has done so much for me throughout my life,” Hearns told a cheering crowd, standing next to his mother, Lois Hearns. “And, for God to make it possible today for me to have my own street is an awesome feeling. Now, when I ride up to the intersection of Junction and McGraw, I will look up and smile to see Thomas Hitman Hearns Ave. on the

Thomas "Hitman" Hearns with Detroit City Council President Brenda Jones and Thomas Bolden, a longtime friend of Tommy Hearns. street sign.”

Thomas told the crowd that he spent a lot of years over there, as he pointed to the nearby abandoned and decaying Kronk Community Building at 5555 Junction. Built in the 1920s, the structure once housed the original and famed

See HEARNS page A-4

'Scandal' star Cornelius Smith Jr. among Michigan Chronicle 40 Under 40 honorees

The Pecks: Paradise Valley power couple

Page B1

Page C1

Page B1 POWERED BY REAL TIMES MEDIA

Volume 80 – Number 24

michiganchronicle.com

February 22-28, 2017

Algiers Motel aftermath: A firsthand account of the People’s Tribunal

By Roz Edward Managing Editor

Events at the height of the 1967 Riot, coupled with an overwhelmed police force and terror in the streets, resulted in one of the most tragic events in Detroit’s history. On July 25, at the height of the 1967 riot, three young black men, Carl Cooper, 17; Aubrey Pollard,19; and Fred Temple, 18 were killed at the Algiers Motel, executed by members of city, state and national law enforcement officers.

In the wake of that incident and after a change of venue for law enforcement officials charged in the murders, local activist formed the People’s Tribunal to tell the true story of the heinous nature of the crimes and exact justice for the victims and the community.

DETROIT

1967- 2017

BLACK HISTORY MONTH

Lead organizers Lonnie Peek and Dan Aldridge began organizing for the mock trial in July of ’67 with the trial being held on Aug. 30, 1967 at the Shrine of the Black Madonna.

“I think that once Dan and I went to the Algiers Motel and were able to see the crime scene ourselves, along with the tension in the community, we started organizing then, based upon what was happening in terms of black folks and the police,” recalls Peek.

“We laid out the format, and the format was that we would produce evidence based upon our going to the motel scene, and based upon talking to the families of the three young boys that were killed. We produced and presented evidence just like in a courtroom in order to judge the guilt or innocence of the accused. ... So, Milton Henry was the prosecuting attorney and the one who laid out all of the evidence that we had gathered. We had taken pictures of the motel scene where there was blood on the walls, and we presented those pictures and pictures of the young boys to the courtroom. …

Kenny Cockrel was the judge and Rosa Parks and Ed Vaughn were two of the jury members.”

The People’s Tribunal to decide the fate of three white officers charged, but never indicted in Michigan Courts provided an

See ALGIERS

MOTEL page A-4

Mayor Mike Duggan with supporters on Election Night 2013. Last night, his State of the City address followed his re-election campaign announcement to complete the work he began during his first term.

Mayor Duggan’s State of the City address keeps focus on jobs, neighborhoods

By Roz Edward Managing Editor

Having recently announced his intention to run for a second term and accelerate the city's economic recovery while focusing on making Detroit a more attractive locale for growing families, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan has been whisked to the head of the municipal politics class and is sitting at the table with some of the city’s most effective and successful mayors.

Duggan, who won in spectacular fashion in 2013, having been a write-in candidate for the August primary and easily winning against Wayne County Sheriff Benny Napoleon, spoke with the Michigan Chronicle in an exclusive interview just days before his highly anticipated State of the City address on Tuesday, Feb. 21.

When asked about his most significant accomplishments, the affable politician was quick to rank youth employment and education programs like Detroit Promise among the most meaningful accomplishments of his administration.

“We became the first major city in America where every student who graduated from high school in Detroit was guaranteed two years of community college paid for. We had 600 young people start community college in September under the Detroit Promise program and now we’re enlarging it to four-year universities for our students with 3.0 grade

point averages and a score of 21 on the ACT,“ Duggan said. “The 8,000 young people who worked in summer jobs last year are successes … that means a lot to me.”

Duggan, a former prosecutor and onetime chief executive officer of the Detroit Medical Center, rattled off a list of municipal must-haves to bring the city back online and functioning to support the day-to-day needs of residents. “The buses are running on schedule, the streetlights are on, the ambulances are showing up in a timely basis, the grass is getting cut and 11,000 [vacant and abandoned] houses have been demolished. So, there has been progress in some areas, but in other areas we have a lot of work to do,” he noted.

But it’s the impact of new business attraction and expansion that many residents consider as the most discernible developments in Detroit’s resurgence, and having the most tangible impact on the quality of life in Detroit.

“The trend nationally is for millennials to want to live in urban areas, and this next generation doesn’t want to live in the suburbs and drive a minivan. And that means that companies and engineering firms and tech firms who want to get the best talent need to be in urban areas,” Duggan explained. “And now we’ve got Detroit to a point where we are attracting young people and young talent. As a result, we’ve been able to land Allied Bank’s headquarters and the Lear Innovation Center, and Amazon and

Microsoft,” he said, “so we’re going to keep building the employment base in this city on auto manufacturing plants like Flex N Gate where we have more than 400 employees over on the I-94 industrial corridor.” The automotive manufacturing momentum continues to build as the industry retools with new parts projects like the transformation of former Southwestern High School to a new General Motors parts production plant.

But it hasn’t all been a honeymoon for the mayor credited with helping to guide Detroit out of Chapter 9 bankruptcy and emergency management administered by attorney Kevyn Orr, a Gov. Rick Snyder appointee.

Detroit’s controversial federally funded demolition program was suspended in October 2016 to address concerns over improper billing and misallocation of funds, although a new set of procedures developed with the assistance of the Detroit Land Bank Authority, the Michigan State Housing and Development Authority and U.S. Treasury Department allowed the administration to resume razing abandoned buildings and providing relief to blight-stricken communities across the city.

Detroit’s demolition program is supported by the Hardest Hit Fund created by the U.S. Department of Treasury to provide assistance to homeowners in states most affected by the mortgage foreclosure crisis. To date, Detroit has received

See DUGGAN page A-4

Detroit’s Junction Street renamed Thomas Hitman Hearns Ave. to honor boxing legend

WHAT’S INSIDE

By Donald James Special to the Chronicle

Saturday, Feb. 18, was a record-setting day in Detroit, when temperatures soared to 69 degrees. The day, with its bright, sun-filled sky, provided the perfect setting for Detroit’s record-setting boxing champion and legend, Thomas “Hitman” Hearns, as he was honored at an outdoor event.

Is Farrakhan still the black people’s messenger?

With an estimated 500 fans, relatives, friends, former Kronk Gym boxers, and other well-wishers gathered at the intersection of Junction and McGraw on the city’s west side, Hearns, also known as the Motor City Cobra, stood in awe as Junction Street was renamed Thomas Hitman Hearns Ave.

See page D-1

$1.00

Monica Morgan photos

“I owe God so much, because He has done so much for me throughout my life,” Hearns told a cheering crowd, standing next to his mother, Lois Hearns. “And, for God to make it possible today for me to have my own street is an awesome feeling. Now, when I ride up to the intersection of Junction and McGraw, I will look up and smile to see Thomas Hitman Hearns Ave. on the

Thomas "Hitman" Hearns with Detroit City Council President Brenda Jones and Thomas Bolden, a longtime friend of Tommy Hearns. street sign.”

Thomas told the crowd that he spent a lot of years over there, as he pointed to the nearby abandoned and decaying Kronk Community Building at 5555 Junction. Built in the 1920s, the structure once housed the original and famed

See HEARNS page A-4

news

THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE

February 22-28, 2017

Page A-2

Molina Healthcare of Michigan welcomes Dr. Taft Parsons as chief medical officer

Dingell, health care providers stress importance of Affordable Care Act at Beaumont Hospital U.S. Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-12) has joined doctors, nurses, patients and administrators at Beaumont Hospital in Dearborn to discuss the importance of protecting the Affordable Care Act and the impact ACA repeal would have on hospitals and patients. Since the ACA was enacted in 2010, the uninsured rate in Michigan has fallen by more than 50 percent, with 695,000 residents gaining coverage. As Congress debates changes to the law, Dingell has been a leader in working to ensure every American has access to affordable, quality health care and that we do not reverse gains in access to coverage and care.

“The Affordable Care Act has allowed hundreds of thousands of hardworking Michiganders

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to gain health insurance for the first time and has benefited millions more, regardless of whether you get coverage through your employer or buy a plan through the Marketplace,” said Dingell.

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take that care away from them.”

and help regulate diabetes.”

“As Congress considers changes to our healthcare system, it is critical to hospitals like Beaumont that we build off the gains made by the Affordable Care Act instead of repealing the law with nothing in its place.

We’re thankful to Congresswoman Dingell for convening this meeting today to listen to our concerns,” said Dr. Malcom Henoch, senior vice president and associate chief medical officer for acute care at Beaumont Health.

Studies have indicated that ACA repeal would result in 30 million individuals losing their coverage and cause health care providers, including hospitals and doctors, to see a dramatic surge in uncompensated care – $88 billion in 2019 alone and $1.1 trillion over ten years – which would be crippling to hospitals across the country.

“At Beaumont, we believe that the most important aspect of delivering care is ensuring our patients have full and robust access to care and health insurance. Any changes should protect the more than 600,000 Michiganders who now receive insurance through the Healthy Michigan plan and the 340,000 Michiganders who have care through the marketplace.

The ACA is not perfect but it has provided access to care where there was none before.”

Dingell and Dr. Henoch were joined during the discussion by Kelly Smith, president of Beaumont Hospital, Dearborn; John Kerndl, executive vice president and CFO at Beaumont Health; Mary Zatina, vice president for government relations and community affairs at Beaumont Health; as well as doctors, nurses and clinicians who shared how repeal of the Affordable Care Act would impact their patients.

Dr. Lakshmi Swaminathan said, "Because of the ACA, patients are able to get coverage for medication, some of which can be lifesaving, and can prevent readmissions to the hospital. These can include medications that are used to keep arteries open after heart attacks,

Additionally, in Michigan: • 695,000 people have gained health coverage since the ACA was implemented.

• 4.5 million people in Michigan now have health plans that cover preventive services without any copays, coinsurance or deductibles.

• Roughly 1.6 million people in Michigan have pre-existing health conditions, and could have their coverage rescinded if the ACA is repealed.

• 212,000 Michigan seniors have saved an average of $1,100 on their prescription drug coverage thanks to closing the “donut hole” gap in coverage.

• Michigan received $3.08 billion in federal Medicaid dollars to implement the Healthy Michigan plan. This revenue could be lost if the ACA is repealed.

• A recent University of Michigan study found that Medicaid expansion in Michigan has boosted our economy and our budget and will continue to do so for the next five years. According to the study, the Healthy Michigan plan has generated more than 30,000 new jobs each year – one-third of them being in healthcare and 85 percent in the private sector. These jobs resulted in approximately $2.3 billion more in personal spending power for Michigan residents.

Molina Healthcare of Michigan has announced that Taft Parsons III, M.D. has been named chief medical officer for the health plan. In this role, he will be responsible for overseeing the health plan’s clinical operations, including utilization management, case management, and quality improvement. Dr. Parsons joined the company in 2013 as the vice president of Behavioral Health Plans for Molina Healthcare, Inc., where he was responsible for standardizing and overseeing the behavioral health benefits for each of Molina’s health plans.

“Dr. Parsons brings with him not only significant insight, but also clinical leadership for his new team,” said Christine Surdock, president of Molina Healthcare of Michigan. “During his time at Molina, Dr. Parsons has demonstrated his ability to care for members with complex medical needs and develop innovative ways to provide care. We are overjoyed to see Dr.

Dr. Taft Parsons III Parsons help implement and guide Molina Healthcare of Michigan’s clinical direction.”

Dr. Parsons attended Morehouse College where he received his Bachelor of Science in Biology.

He received his medical degree from Medical College of Wisconsin and completed his residency in behavioral health at Henry Ford Health System. Additionally, Dr. Parsons is professionally affiliated with the American Medical Association, American Psychiatric Association and Michigan Psychiatric Society.

Rep. John Conyers pushes the conversation about reparations forward Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich), the longest serving congressional member, is pushing the conversation surrounding reparations for African Americans forward.

Act, it is similar to the earlier measure but has been amended to reflect expanded legal and societal discourse about the Transatlantic Slave Trade and reparations.

According to NBC News, Rep. Conyers held a Capitol Hill briefing that gathered activists, politicians, community leaders, and scholars to spark dialogue about how America should address its history of slavery.

According to NBC News, the H.R. 40 bill that Rep. Conyers reintroduced has been backed by several groups including the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and the Green Party.

“I’m not giving up,” said Conyers “Slavery is a blemish on this nation’s history, and until it is formally addressed, our country’s story will remain marked by this blight.”

Since 1989, Con­yers, a lawyer and ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, has repeatedly introduced H.R. 40.

“Reparations is repairing or restoring,” said human rights lawyer Nkechi Taifa.

“It’s a formal acknowledgment and apology, recognition that the injury continues, commitment to redress and actual compensation.”

It is a bill that would establish a commission to examine the institution of slavery in the United States and its early colonies, and recommend remedies the commission appropriate.

In January, the 87-yearold lawmaker reintroduced updated legislation for the 115th Congress.

Now titled The Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African-Americans

Eric R. Sabree - Wayne County Treasurer

TAXPAYER SATURDAYS Held at Wayne County Community College District Locations

February 4 | 10 AM to 2 PM Northwest Campus 8200 West Outer Drive, Detroit February 11 | 10 AM to 2 PM Downriver Campus 21000 Northline Road in Taylor February 18 | 10 AM to 2 PM Eastern Campus 5901 Conner Ave. February 25 | 10 AM to 2 PM Downtown Detroit Campus 1001 West Fort Street

TaxInfo@waynecounty.com | (313) 224-5950

news

THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE

February 22-28, 2017

Page A-3

Mayor Duggan taps medical director as new health officer for Detroit Health Department Dr. Joneigh S. Khaldun is a board certified practicing emergency physician and public health leader who has served medical director of the Detroit Health Department since July of 2016. In that role, she oversaw the Communicable Disease Program, all direct clinical services, and was the lead on special projects including development of the city’s strategy to address unintended teen pregnancy. Dr. Khaldun, who replaces Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, begins her new role on Friday, Feb. 17. El-Sayed resigned from the position as the city’s chief health officer to make a bid for governor in the state’s 2018 election.

“Dr. Khaldun is an extraordinarily experienced medical professional and a talented administrator. Her passion for public health makes her the right person for this job. I’m confident that under her leadership we will take on some of Detroit’s most pressing health challenges and improve public health outcomes across our city.” said Mayor Duggan.

In her new role, Dr. Khaldun will oversee the Health Department and lead the city’s efforts to decrease the infant mortality rate and improve maternal health outc o m e s .

She will also focus Dr. Joneigh S. on building Khaldun collaborations with health systems and continue to build the department’s infrastructure.

Prior to returning to Detroit, Dr. Khaldun was chief medical officer and assistant commissioner for Clinical Services for the Baltimore City Health Department. In that role, she served as a senior advisor to the Baltimore City Health Commissioner, implementing key strategies around preventing opioid overdose, violence prevention, youth wellness, and improving care coordination.

She also oversaw seven health department clinics, a complex laboratory, and the Office of Epidemiology.

“It is such an honor to have been chosen by Mayor Duggan to lead this department and serve a city that I credit for shaping who I am today,” said Dr. Khaldun. “I look forward to changing the way health systems and public health work together, and listening to the community’s needs. I also would like to thank Dr. Abdul El-Sayed for building a strong foundation that will help this department grow for years to come.”

Dr. Khaldun has held several local and national leadership roles, including director of the Center for Injury Prevention and Control at George Washington University, fellow in the Office of Health Reform at the US Department of Health and Human Services, and director of the Fellowship in Health Policy and Leadership in the University of Maryland’s Department of Emergency Medicine.

She is a former board member of Break the Cycle, a national organization that addresses teen dating violence, and was previously appointed to the Commission on Health in Montgomery County, Maryland. In addition to her policy and public health roles, Dr. Khaldun is an accomplished academic professor who has published and lectured widely on the impact of health reform on the health care system.

Dr. Khaldun obtained her undergraduate degree in Biology from the University of Michigan, her MD from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, and completed her emergency medicine residency at Kings County Hospital Center/ SUNY Downstate in Brooklyn, New York, where she was also a chief resident. Her MPH and fellowship in health policy were completed at George Washington University. She also practices clinically parttime in the Emergency Department at Henry Ford Hospital.

Literacy Project revives great game of ’67

By Ken Coleman Curtis Jones, a thin as a rail point guard, jackhammers the rock onto the court a few times, twists around a defender like a pretzel and drains an 18-foot jump shot.

The basket not only wins the championship for his team—the 1966-67 Northwestern High School Colts — but it also instantly becomes an integral part of what will come to be known as the greatest high school basketball game in Michigan sports history.

Jones was Isiah Thomas more than a decade before the National Basketball Association Hall of Fame superstar donned a Detroit Pistons jersey and won our hearts in the Motor City. In fact, George Gervin, a 1970 Martin Luther King Jr. High School graduate and NBA Hall of Famer, called Jones one of the greatest players he’d witnessed.

But unfortunately, Curtis Jones could not read the press clippings that lauded him. The ’67 game and fame associated with it dogged him for the next 30 years — a painful reminder of what could have been. At one point, Jones sued his former coaches and the institutions they represented arguing that they had exploited his talent and then dropped him like a bad habit. Jones’ off-the-court troubles led to a vicious spiral that resulted in drug addiction, mental instability, and ultimately death in 1999 at age 50.

THE GAME On February 21, 1967 undefeated Detroit Northwestern beat undefeated Detroit Pershing, 63-61, to win the Detroit Public Schools championship. Played at Osborn

High, a neutral site, it was also broadcast on WKBD-TV 50, which was unprecedented. Northwestern and Pershing set up televisions at school so that students, staff and fans who couldn’t get into the game could watch it. A nail-biter, the game was tied on 13 occasions and the lead changed hands eight times.

The game was noteworthy for several reasons, which is why it’s considered the most state’s famous high school game ever. That 1967 Pershing team – which two weeks later beat Northwestern on their way to winning the state championship that year – ranks as perhaps the best Michigan high school team ever.

The Doughboys, led by legendary coach Will Robinson, featured two future National Basketball Association superstars, Spencer Haywood and Ralph Simpson.

Haywood played the 1979-80 world championship Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association. Led by coach Fred Snowden, Northwestern, too, had a star-studded roster. It included Lamont King, who led all scorers with 24 points in the game; and a future Major League Baseball star John Mayberry, who played for the Houston Astros, Kansas City Royals, Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees during the ‘60s, ‘70s and early ‘80s.

But the star of the game was Curtis Jones. He had only one basket in the game but delivered an astounding 25 assists. He graduated in 1968 and attended North Idaho Junior College in matchbox-size Coeur D’Alene, Idaho. There, he faked his way through classes for a year-and-a-half before people finally discovered that he was illiterate. He returned to Detroit, where he became a playground legend in the 1970s

at the famed St. Cecilia’s Gym located on Livernois Road on the city’s west side.

LITERACY PROJECT To coincide with the game’s 50th anniversary, the Michigan Association of Public School Academies (MAPSA), the state charter school association, has released the Curtis Jones Literacy Project – an innovative program that uses basketball as a means of reaching students with the message that nothing is more important than getting an education.

The project, which includes a MAPSA-produced documentary about Curtis and supporting curriculum materials, is being offered to each charter school in the Detroit area. Likewise, the plan is to deliver the tool to each Detroit Public Schools Community District program and private school as well. The centerpiece of the Curtis Jones Literacy Project, MAPSA points out, is the documentary Fouled Out: The Story of Curtis Jones. The film was written and produced by its communications chief Buddy Moorehouse, an Emmy-nominated documentary filmmaker.

Let’s hope that The Curtis Jones Literacy Project positively impacts the lives of today’s youth. Let’s hope that they learn from the tragedy of the program’s namesake. Let’s hope that Curtis Jones in spirit works the same type of magic he did 50 years ago, in the game that made him a legend.

Ken Coleman writes frequently about black life in Detroit. He can be reached at www.historylivesDetroit.com. For more information about The Curtis Jones Literacy Project contact Buddy Moorehouse at 517-515-9496.

Rev. Dr. Wendell Anthony celebrates 30 years of powerful preaching and activism

By Donald James Special to the Chronicle

It has been 30 years since Rev. Dr. Wendell Anthony was installed as senior pastor of Fellowship Chapel in Detroit. He succeeded Rev. James E. Wadsworth, Jr. at Fellowship after the elder preacher passed.

Wadsworth had been a mentor and spiritual advisor to Anthony, going back to Anthony’s youth.

While Anthony’s first sermon at Fellowship was three decades ago, he said he still remembers the inaugural message preached as if it were yesterday.

“My first sermon was ‘The Black Church in Revolutionary Times,” Anthony recalled. “As a result of the sermon, some people left the church for good. However, some other people joined the church because of the sermon.”

For those who have followed Anthony’s life, at least from his teen years into adulthood, they shouldn’t be surprised that he delivered a fiery, black revolutionist/spiritually-laced sermon right out the gate.

After all, the Black Power movement in America was born in the mid-to-late ’60s while Anthony attended Detroit’s Central High School. Thus, he didn’t miss any opportunities to formulate social and political philosophies from the movement and facilitate them into action for change in the black community, including the church.

“My thing was always about black unity,” Anthony said. “It has always been about building organizations of activism, which spilled over into my spiritual and social orientation in church.”

After graduating from Central, Anthony attended Wayne State University where he continued to grow as a black activist for change. He ultimately graduated with a bachelor’s degree in political science. He later earned a master’s degree in pastoral ministry, and received an honorary doctorate of arts degree, both of which are from Marygrove College. Additionally, Anthony attended the University of Detroit for Advanced Study in Black Theology.

What

further

developed

Anthony’s

thinking about creating platforms and programs to help empower black people, was a month-long trip to the Motherland, where he visited Ghana and Liberia.

Still a colRev. Dr. Wendell Anthony lege student at the time, it was in Africa that Anthony saw black people effectively running entire governments, businesses, school systems, flying airplanes, and many other things not seen in America at the time.

Anthony returned to Detroit with a stronger sense of black pride, punctuated by the African values, principles, and cultures learned across the Atlantic Ocean. He joined such organizations as the Pan-African Congress, USA, created to encourage and strengthen bonds between people of African heritage.

While Anthony was elevating his role as a change agent in the black community, the church was calling his name.

“There were so many people in the church that kept pushing and motivating me,” he said. “It just kept coming…the church, the church, the church. Yet, it was still a gradual realization that this is perhaps what I should be doing. However, everything about the church was falling in place, and it felt comfortable and natural.

Rev. Wadsworth, Sr., my mentor, was very instrumental in helping me make the decision to go into ministry.”

It’s exciting times at Fellowship Chapel these days as the church celebrates Anthony’s 30-year pastoral anniversary under the banner theme, “The Power of a Prophetic Preacher.” Fellowship Chapel, located at 7707 W. Outer Drive on the city’s west side, is honoring Anthony’s milestone with a series of programs and worship services beginning on Wednesday night, Feb. 22, with a Youth Poetic Celebration.

On Sunday, Feb. 26, at 9:30 a.m. at Fellowship, Rev. Jesse Jackson, founder and president of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, will preach at the anniversary worship service. Later that evening at Fellowship, beginning at 5:00 p.m., an anniversary Rhythm & Jazz Praise Concert will be held, featuring trumpeter Rayse Biggs, pianist Al McKenzie, and other jazz musicians.

“As we celebrate Rev. Anthony on his 30th anniversary, we are excited and thankful that God sent him to lead our congregation,” said Larry and Silvia Sims, co-chairs of the anniversary. “We are forever reminded that he is a man whose teachings reflect on all of God’s children.”

In addition to serving as senior pastor at Fellowship for 30 years, Anthony, since 1993, has also served as president of the Detroit Branch NAACP. Also, he was recently re-elected to the NAACP National Board. He was tapped to co-chair the NAACP’s National Religious Affairs Department.

While it seems as if the two leadership roles at Fellowship and the NAACP are polar opposites, Anthony makes the case of their connectivity.

“I believe, preach and teach that we are Christ-rooted, to the degree it is our focus and faith,” Anthony explained. “However, we are also African-centered. We have a particular culture, a particular history, a particular view of the world, and everything should be connected. I don’t see the role of the black church and the role of the NAACP as antithetical. I see them as having a symbiotic relationship that feeds off each other.”

Anthony is appreciative of the support received from Fellowship Chapel’s members.

“I give praise and thanks to my church for allowing me to be a part of the NAACP for the last 24 years,” said Anthony, who along with First Lady Monica G. Anthony, has four daughters. “I could not do what I do with the NAACP without Fellowship Chapel’s support.”

For more information on pastoral anniversary events, contact Fellowship Chapel at 313.347.2820 or log on to www.fellowshipchapel.org.

news

THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE

February 22-28, 2017

Duggan more than $200 million for abandoned building demolition under the Hardest Hit Fund.

“We had 40,000 houses that needed to be demolished when we started in January of 2014,” Duggan said. “Some people have thrown our numbers as high as 80,000. But 40,000 was the number we started with and we have 22,000 left to be demolished today. We took down 11,000 with another 7,000 having been rehabbed. And people have moved into those homes, which is very encouraging.” Homeowners with properties adjacent to vacant land parcels created by the demolition program are encouraged to establish community parks, playgrounds and gardens to create greenspace and recreational opportunities for residents in these evolving neighborhoods.

“Our focus for the next four years is going to be on making

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From page A-1 Detroit a great city to raise a family. We have been addressing [city] services for the last few years and now we can really focus on the quality of life in the neighborhoods.

Duggan announced in September of 2016 that Detroit had been awarded a $4 million to $5 million grant to further its redevelopment efforts in the Fitzgerald neighborhood in Northwest Detroit, with another $4 million in local matching funds to invest a total of $8 million in the Fitzgerald community. The grant funding and local match are critical elements in advancing Duggan’s 20-Minute Neighborhood initiative, which proposes investing in targeted communities to better link residents to key assets, such as housing, retail, recreation, transit lines and educational centers. The objectives is to make these amenities accessi-

of transformation they want to see in their neighborhoods,” explained Duggan.

“We’re doing the same thing in West Village and Southwest Detroit and we’re working with [these communities] to see how you can create communities where vacant land can become a thing of beauty.”

And on the small business front, Mayor Duggan points out that the success of Motor City Match is helping to unite old and new residents by supporting business startups and existing Detroit-based businesses.

ble within a 20-minute walk or bike ride.

“We’re working with the residents in planning the type

“We have a lot of storefronts in adjoining neighborhoods … and every quarter we help support 10 new business startups and we try to get them to fill in vacant storefronts in neighborhoods. So, it’s not so much that people resent what’s going on in those neighborhoods, they

just want to see more going on in theirs.”

Duggan offered to expound in greater detail on his administration’s neighborhood and business development plans, as well as crime reduction strategies in his State of the City address at Operation H.O.P.E. Contrary to federal and state politics, Mayor Duggan added in closing that he is immensely proud of the relationships he’s cultivated, saying political cooperation is key to Detroit’s continued success.

“You don’t see the mayor and the [city] attacking each other. You don’t see the mayor and the unions attacking each other, and that is a big part of why we are experiencing so much progress. Taking the divisiveness out of politics in this town, I think, is the most welcomed development.”

New study: Blacks feel ignored by the Democratic Party Cornell Belcher releases results of revealing study

By Lauren Victoria Burke NNPA Newswire Contributor

Cornell Belcher, CEO of Brilliant Corners Research, said it’s no surprise that black voters have presented a very clear mandate to the Congressional Black Caucus to oppose the Trump Administration, because 92 percent of African Americans voted against President Trump.

“However, to maintain this broad level of support among African-American voters, Democrats more broadly will have to reevaluate the way they are engaging this critical section of [their] base,” Belcher said in a statement on Feb. 9.

Belcher made a presentation and presented his new study to members of the Congressional Black Caucus at their retreat on Feb. 7. House Democrats then departed to Baltimore for their annual three-day retreat the next day.

Belcher’s phone survey questioned 601 African Americans, at least 18 years old, and registered to vote. The survey was conducted Jan. 4-8.

The results of the Belcher survey showed that AfricanAmerican voters were dissatisfied with President Trump and the direction of the country, and want more drastic tactics used to fight programs and policies that negatively impact their communities. The results also showed that protecting Social Security, reforming the criminal justice system, keeping the country safe from terrorists and other issues are priorities for African Americans.

“African Americans are the Democratic Party’s most loyal voters and they should be treated as such,” said Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-La.), chairman of the CBC, regarding the new study.

“The results of this survey are clear marching orders for the Congressional Black Caucus — African Americans want Democrats to stop using the same old playbook and to make substantive progress on the issues that affect their communities.”

Some of the findings from Belcher’s study: ■ A large majority of African-

American voters (63 percent) feel taken for granted by the Democratic Party. This startling majority represents a growing problem among one of the most critical components of Democrats winning coalition. The outcome of the 2016 election was widely the result of this coalition splintering away from the top of the ticket along the margins with younger and browner voters.

■ The majority of African-American voters (53 percent) want the Congressional Black Caucus to oppose President Trump. While 53 percent is not an overwhelming majority, it does represent an unusual decision for voters that normally prefer cooperation rather than obstruction from elected officials in Washington.

■ African-American voters broadly support more drastic tactics to obstruct the Trump administration, including not confirming President Trump’s appointees (53 percent), sit-ins and other acts of civil disobedience.

■ African-American voters (69 percent) are overwhelmingly dissatisfied with the direction of the country now, a drastic departure from the satisfaction they experienced during the Obama administration. Only 22 percent of African Americans are satisfied with direction of the country now, while 69 percent are dissatisfied.

■ The list of important priorities for African American voters includes: Protecting Social Security (88 percent), keeping us safe from terrorists (78 percent), criminal justice reform (74 percent), reforming the election process so the candidate with the majority wins (72 percent), investigating Russian interference with the 2016 election (72 percent), protecting Obama’s legacy (71 percent), banning assault weapons (61 percent), and blocking Sessions (60 percent) are the top legislative priorities for African Americans nationally.

Lauren Victoria Burke is a political analyst who speaks on politics and African-American leadership. She is also a frequent contributor to the NNPA Newswire and BlackPressUSA. com. Connect with Lauren by email at LBurke007@gmail.com and on Twitter at @LVBurke.

Hearns

From page A-1

Kronk Gym in the building’s basement. Much of the building’s interior features and fixtures have been stolen, totally destroyed, or defaced.

The name Kronk Community Building is still inscribed over the building’s outer entranceway, but the front door is gone. Many of the windows are also missing or boarded, and graffiti on the building’s outer walls is plentiful.

Yet, Hearns professed a great love for the building, and credited Kronk Gym for playing a significant role in his life.

“Being in that building gave me the tools I needed to become the person I am today,” he said. “I would have never been an eight-time world champion if it wasn’t for Kronk, and for my main man, Emanuel Steward. He made me ‘the Hitman.’”

The renaming of Junction Street to Thomas Hitman Hearns Ave. was the brainchild of Thomas Bolden, a close friend of Hearns. After seeing the love and respect that other boxing legends and fans have for Hearns, especially when the champ attended the 2015 Floyd Mayweather, Jr.–Manny Pacquiao fight in Las Vegas, Bolden wanted Detroit to have the same love and respect for the Hitman.

Bolden approached city council about renaming Junction in honor of Hearns. Council President Brenda Jones liked Bolden’s idea, and worked with him to make it happen.

“It’s truly an honor to rename this street Thomas Hitman Hearns Ave. This is something that should have happened a long, long time ago,” a jubilant Jones told the festive audience. “The weather is great today, because we ae honoring our great champion, Thomas Hitman Hearns, who has knocked out a lot of people. Thank you, Thomas, for all you’ve done for Detroit.”

With a professional boxing career that spanned from 1977 to 2006, Hearns fought some of the greatest boxers of his generation, such as Sugar Ray Leonard, Marvin Hagler, Pipino Cuevas, Virgil Hill, Roberto Duran, Wildred Benitez and Iran Barkley, among others.

When he retired 11 years ago, Hearns, who in 2011 was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame, had amassed a record of 61wins (48 knockouts), 5 defeats, 1 draw.

“Tommy and I go way back,” said friend, Hilmer Kenty, Kronk Gym’s first world champion. “Without question, Tommy is an incredible world champion, having won multiply championships in multiple weight categories. And, in addition to being a great world champion, he’s a great human being.”

While it was obvious that Hearns was elated by the street renaming honors, as well as visibly appreciative of the extolling of his achievements, the champion, he also stressed the importance of one day renovating and reopening Kronk Community Building, and moving Kronk Gym back to its rightful place. The new Kronk Gym is located at 9520 Mettetal, not far from the original landmark.

“We have to get it going again because I want to make this place a safe haven for all people,” said Hearns. “It will offer tutoring and computer classes. It will be a place for young people and seniors to come and enjoy. I want it to be a place to serve this entire community. I want all of you to help me get it back together.”

Many who have followed Hearns’ career, along with the Kronk Gym’s history, hope the boxing legend can restore Kronk Community Building and Kronk Gym to the days of yesteryear.

“I’ve watched Tommy’s boxing career for a long time,” said native Detroiter Faune Carter.

“He deserved to be honored for what he has done in boxing and in the city. Hopefully, he can restore the Kronk Community Building that once housed the original Kronk Gym. It would mean a lot to this community, and to Detroit.”

Hearns’ son, Ronald Hearns, agreed.

“For my father’s name to be on the street sign so close to the old Kronk Gym is something special,” said the younger Hearns, who also boxes and once trained at Kronk Gym. “There’s a lot of great fighters and a lot of great history connected with this building. There’s a new Kronk Gym open now, but it’s just not the same as going down in the hot basement of the original Kronk to train and box. I believe my dad, with some help, will find a way to reopen this building and bring Kronk Gym back home where it belongs.”

Algiers Motel outlet for black Detroiters to express their frustration over the killing of innocents and protest the fact that none of those charged were ever indicted.

But at the People’s Tribunal, the pendulum of justice swung in a different direction. The three police officers were found guilty.

“When Dan and I walked into the side door of the Shrine of the Black Madonna, it was a hot steamy August night, and people were everywhere, literally everywhere. Standing room only inside, outside and the realization that folks responded to what we were trying to do was just overwhelming. I will never forget walking in that side door.

“Once we got into the trial itself, we said, ‘Look. We’re here to conduct a courtroom

From page A-1 scene, and what we want to do this with order, peace and order, and we want you to work with us. We want you to help us to lay out what we want to present to the community and we just need y’all to be cool,” explained Peek.

Peek and Aldridge along with fellow organizers, Rev. Cleague, Milton Henry, Ed Vaughn, Kenny Cockrel and a Who’s Who of black activist insisted that the trial be orderly, fair and that there would be no calls to “hang the cops” or “shoot the pigs.” Some in the capacity crowd that flowed out of the Shrine and into the streets expressed that the mock trial showed more compassion for its defendants than had been afforded black defendants, and certainly more hu-

“Life in black communities at that time was very oppressive and the police officers were an occupying force. … People were just frustrated, frustrated relative to being able to advance where jobs and economics and [housing] were concerned …

The kerosene was there and the match that lit the fire was when the police raided the blind pig, then it was a social explosion.”

Peek adds that institutions like the Michigan Chronicle and the Wayne Community College District have played critical roles in addressing the socioeconomic issues that impact Detroit’s black community. manity than was shown to the three victims who lost their lives on that fateful day.

“After more than two hours, Kenny [Cockrel] said, ‘Alright.

Now it’s time for the jury to deliberate.’ And they came back up and said, 'We find these individuals, these three police officers guilty of the crimes with which they are charged.’ The judge said the guilty verdict was read into the record. And

that’s when Dan and I came back and reminded the people that this was a mock trial and there was not to be any retaliatory action. That was not what this was about.”

But Peek says the trial did have an impact, and that the fair and truthful proceedings helped to ameliorate tensions which were still running high on that hot August day.

“James Del Rio said to me years ago, ‘You have to play to the black press because they are the backbone of our community.”

Similarly, Peek says that under the guidance of Dr. Curtis Ivery, WCCCD has grown “to be the backbone for preparing our students and adults for not only education, but careers.

Dr. Ivery has been a Godsend to our city and has taken that institution to heights.”

news

THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE

February 22-28, 2017

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Trump and the Black Caucus plan to meet for first time

By Lauren Victoria Burke NNPA Newswire

Following a bizarre exchange with American Urban Radio Networks White House Correspondent April Ryan, the Congressional Black Caucus is in talks with President Donald Trump to set up a meeting.

Trump asked Ryan, a veteran black journalist, if she could set up a meeting with him and the CBC, as if Ryan was an employee of the White House or a special assistant to the CBC. Ryan responded by saying, “I’m a journalist.”

The confusing exchange was one of several moments at an unscheduled press conference Trump held at the White House on February 16.

“Since the White House has reached out in an appropriate manner to request a meeting with the caucus, I am now in discussions with them about setting one up,” Congressional Black Caucus Chairman Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-La.) said in a statement after the press conference concluded.

During an interview on MSNBC on February 17, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said, “Steve Bannon cannot be in the room” when the CBC meets with President Trump. “He’s a stone cold racist.”

Bannon is currently the president’s chief strategist and served as a high-ranking executive at Breitbart News, an online publication known for

The CBC, which is now at its largest membership in history, traditionally requests a meeting with the new president after the inauguration.

Photo of CBC members taken during a press conference outside of the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. in September 2016.

(Freddie Allen/AMG/NNPA) trafficking in right wing, alternative news that Bannon himself defined as “the platform for the alt-right.”

The term “alt-right” is increasingly used to describe a new and emerging movement of racists and White supremacists.

Chairman Cedric Richmond (D-La.), said the following in response to President Trump’s comments regarding a meeting with the Black Caucus: “President Trump has been in office for almost a month and the Congressional Black Caucus — which at a historic 49 members is almost a fourth of the House

Democratic Caucus and represents millions of African Americans — did not hear from the White House until we introduced ourselves on Twitter after the White House press conference today.”

“For whatever reason, the letter the Congressional Black Caucus sent to then President-elect Trump and incoming White House officials on January 19 was not enough to get their attention. As the letter explained, President Trump’s ‘New Deal for Black America’ is ill-informed and insufficient and he would be wise to tap into the decades of expertise held by the Congressional Black Caucus

DNC holds forum at Wayne State University The Democratic National Committee held a forum in Detroit based on electing new members and candidates for office. The forum was held in Wayne State University’s Community Arts Theater.

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan spoke along with DNC Chair Donna Brazile and others. Stephen Henderson, Detroit Free Press editorial page editor, moderated.

Later that evening, the Democratic

National Finance Committee held a reception hosted by Carla Walker-Miller of Walker-Miller Energy Services.

The reception focused on energizing and strategizing, as well as electing new members and candidates for office.

Mayor Duggan addressed the crowd, along with Carla Walker-Miller and the candidates present.

when it comes to addressing issues that affect African Americans.”

The CBC, which is now at its largest membership in history, traditionally requests a meeting with the new president after the inauguration. Ironically, some of the meetings the CBC had with President Obama, specifically on the topics of jobs

and the challenges of Historically Black Colleges and Universities, have had tense moments.

President Obama did not meet with the Congressional Black Caucus during his first year in office. Meetings between Obama and the CBC were scarce even though most of the members and the president were members

of the same party.

Lauren Victoria Burke is a political analyst who speaks on politics and African American leadership. She is also a frequent contributor to the NNPA Newswire and BlackPressUSA.com.

Connect with Lauren by email at LBurke007@ gmail.com and on Twitter at @LVBurke.

AT&T ranks No. 1 on Fortune’s Most Admired Companies list AT&T was recently recognized by Fortune magazine as the Most Admired Telecommunications Company in the world in 2017 for the third year in a row.

“Our industry has never been more dynamic than it is right now. And that makes this recognition particularly meaningful,” said AT&T Chairman and CEO Randall Stephenson. “It’s really a tribute to the hard work and customer commitment of every employee in the AT&T family.”

The publication also placed AT&T at No. 37 among the Top 50 Most Admired companies in the world. This is their fourth year on the Global Top 50 list.

AT&T is also the only communications company on the list. They ranked first in all nine attributes again, including innovation, financial soundness and qual-

ity of products/services.

Fortune’s Most Admired Companies lists are among the most highly respected indicators of corporate performance and reputation.

Fortune and its partner, the Hay Group, survey top executives and directors from Fortune 1000 and Global 500 companies and financial analysts to identify the Most Admired Companies.

They seek companies with the strongest reputations, both in their own industry and overall. Then, they rate companies on various attributes. This includes ability to attract and retain talented people, quality of products and services, quality of management, innovation, social responsibility, and use of corporate assets and long-term investment value.

news

THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE

February 22-28, 2017

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Giving youth the keys to unlock their future Every school year, scholars, parents, media and politicians debate the best way to educate our youth and prepare them for success in a growing global economy. The debate is often centered on whether public, private or charter schools offer the best opportunities for kids to succeed. Each institution has its own supporters and detractors, successes and failures. One point everyone agrees on is that every student deserves access to a quality education despite their economic situation.

dents are present much more frequently than their non-JA Academy counterparts.

Unfortunately, public schools face multiple challenges that impact our teachers’ ability to effectively educate their students, and the challenges are compounded in economically distressed areas. As a kid growing up in Macon, GA, I attended both a school located in a lower economic community and one in a more affluent area. These varied experiences helped me understand the important role financial and socio-economic differences play on education.

Assessments: JA Academy students outperformed their peers in every state milestone assessment for 9th grade – Science, Math, and English Language Arts – while at the same time, the scores for the overall 9th grade students increased from the year before.

Hard work and dedication helped bring my vision to life.

I serve as vice president of channel operations at Cricket Wireless, a subsidiary of AT&T, where I’m responsible for customer care, training and communications, digital experience and sales operations. I’m proud to represent both AT&T and Cricket. Our employees donate countless dollars and volunteer hours to support organizations like Junior Achievement (JA).

Reading & Math Levels: JA Academy students advanced an average of nearly 3 grade levels in Reading and Math from the beginning of the year, starting from an average level of 6th grade.

Discipline: Discipline incidents occurred 90% less compared to non-JA Academy 9th grade students, and fell 49% from fall to spring semester amongst JA Academy students.

George Cleveland Vice President of Channel Operations Cricket Wireless JA is redesigning the student learning experience in Georgia, which we hope will serve as a model for schools across the country.

“There is a direct correlation between education and economic development,” said Jack Harris, president & CEO, Junior Achievement of GA. “Through strategic partnerships between JA, school systems and the business community, this model [JA Academy] has the potential to transform education to meet the needs of today’s students. Together we can bring innovation to edu-

cation in order to create more pipelines to economic opportunities for all students.”

The JA Academy is a full immersion “school-within-aschool” model that acts as a joint venture between JA, the local school system, and the business community. It’s designed to provide rigorous standards-based education infused with career readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy.

This model ensures that learning is relevant, experiential and authentically connected to the complexities that exist beyond

the classroom walls.

This model is working and JA recently announced that the program will launch in Atlanta Public Schools at the start of the 2017 school year. It’s currently operating in two school systems in Metro Atlanta - Fulton County Schools and Gwinnett County Public Schools – and, the first-year results are really encouraging: Attendance: Chronic absenteeism decreased by 75% in the second semester compared to non-JA Academy students, and overall JA Academy stu-

The above results are truly impressive. My hope is that the JA Academy will be adopted by more school systems in Georgia and throughout the country. This will take time, patience and commitment. It’s imperative that every child have the opportunity to reach their potential. Until then, I ask that you join me in giving your time and sharing your experience with our youth by serving as a mentor, or volunteering with organizations like JA. Let’s help them locate the keys to unlock their potential and passion to be successful leaders in a growing global economy. We all can make and be a part of history!

City extends deadline to appeal proposed 2017 property tax assessments Michigan Chronicle reports

The City of Detroit is extending the deadline for residents to appeal their 2017 proposed property assessments to February 28th, according to Deputy Chief Financial Officer and City Assessor Alvin Horhn. The deadline initially had been Saturday, Feb. 18.

The change is due to the fact that this year’s notices went out approximately two weeks later than usual to allow for additional time to ensure that all of the calculations used were accurate. This is the first time

in 60 years the city has issued this noticed based on all of the available market data and we wanted to make sure we got it right.

“Because the mailing was delayed, we felt it was fair to extended the assessor’s review period for anyone who has questions or wants to challenge their proposed assessment until the end of the month,” Horhn said. “Additionally, any property owner who still misses the extended assessor’s review period will be able to proceed directly to the March Board of

Review to have their case heard at the local level.”

Usually, property owners must first go through an assessors review before proceeding to the March Board of Review, Horhn said. The City of Detroit has 255,000 residential parcels. In January, Mayor Mike Duggan announced that after completing its first citywide parcel-by-parcel reappraisal in 60 years, 94 percent of residential property owners will see a change of less than 10 percent (up or down) in their assessed value. Fifty-three percent will

see assessment reductions of 10 percent or less. Forty-one will see assessment increases of 10 percent or less. The remaining 6 percent of properties will see larger adjustments, due largely to the specific information that was able to be obtained by the parcel-by-parcel review.

Impact on tax bills This year’s assessments show that more residential property owners will see lower taxes on average than those who will see an increase, as a result of this year’s proposed

assessments.

Approximately 140,000 will see reductions in their taxes averaging $263, while 112,000 will see increases that average approximately $80. The amounts for each will vary significantly since each property, unlike in past years, was individually assessed.

The appeal process will continue through Feb. 28 in Room 804 of the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center, 2 Woodward Ave., Detroit.

Tax bills will be mailed in June and payments are due by Aug. 31.

in partnership with

present

A celebration of the restoration of the new Paradise Valley Cultural and Entertainment District and the Michigan Chronicle’s move to that historical neighborhood, the 2017 Michigan Chronicle Journey to Empowerment tribute takes a looks back on the history of Black Bottom and the original Paradise Valley. The month-long showcase will pay homage to the district by highlighting known and unknown stories of historical moments, figures and events during the Paradise Valley/Black Bottom era from 1920-1950.

#mcbacktoparadise

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michiganchronicle.com

February 22-28, 2017

Is Farrakhan still the black people’s messenger?

Saviours’ Day address delivers few workable solutions to pressing problems

By Keith A. Owens Senior Editor

S

aviours’ Day 2017, from what I could see, wasn’t that much different in message or tone from the last Savior’s Day event I attended in Detroit when Kwame Kilpatrick was still the mayor. Nor was the message much different from many of the other times I have heard Minister Louis Farrakhan speak. The message, at its core, has always been one of the necessity for black self-sufficiency in the face of white oppression and the dangerous delusions of white supremacy. The fact that we now have a president of the United States who is an acknowledged and beloved favorite of white supremacists everywhere does indeed make Farrakhan’s message seem more urgent, and some might even say that Trump’s presidency lends credence to the view that Farrakhan is somewhat of a prophet, at least in the I-Told-You-So mode.

But that doesn’t change the fact that we have been here before. Depending on one’s views of Farrakhan, consistency of message can either be the mark of divine seer or the flaw in a message — and messenger — that has refused to evolve.

I’ve been listening to Minister Louis Farrakhan for at least 35 years now, ever since the first time I heard him speak during my senior year in college. I was on a semester-long Urban Studies program in Chicago, and one of my teachers was a man named Lu Palmer. At the time, Palmer was

See SAVIORS’ DAY page B-2

Monica Morgan photos

By Ken Coleman

can congregations, on June 17, 1928.

William and Fannie Peck, like tens of thousands of blacks, arrived in bustling Detroit during the 1920s.

In April 1930, the mild-mannered man founded the Booker T. Washington Trade Association, an organization dedicated to promoting and strengthening black businesses, most of which were located in Paradise Valley along Hastings, St. Antoine, and East Adams streets.

Between 1910 and 1930, Detroit’s black population skyrocketed from 5,700 to 120,000. Most of them lived in either Black Bottom or Paradise Valley, both located on the city’s lower east side.

PART FOUR OF A FOUR PART BLACK HISTORY MONTH SERIES William Peck was born in Maryland on Dec. 4, 1878. He studied at Lincoln and Wilberforce universities and was called to lead Bethel A.M.E. Church, one of Detroit’s first African-Ameri-

The Pecks: Paradise Valley power couple

Each week, the organization held a Wednesday noonday luncheon at the Lucy Thurman branch of the YWCA, one of the community’s signature social centers located at the corner of Elizabeth and St. Antoine streets in the heart of Paradise Valley.

During the meetings, business leaders and others discussed issues facing small business

See THE PECKS page B-2

community

THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE

February 22-28, 2017

Saviours’ Day

From page B-1

one of the most well-known black activists in the city, a well-respected — and also very controversial — journalist who was known to speak his mind frequently about what he viewed as the injustices of a white majority society intent on the steady, unwavering oppression of black people. The founder of CBUC (Chicago Black United Communities, “We Shall See in ’83!”), Palmer had a considerable amount to do with the election of Harold Washington, Chicago’s first black mayor.

So it wasn’t surprising when Palmer made the decision to take the black students to see Minister Farrakhan, knowing it would shake us up. Some of us one way, others another. I was one of the ones who was completely and totally enthralled with the man. I thought he was a brilliant speaker, and although I thought the program went on for far too long (over five hours, which I came to find out was customary), I felt his message of black self-sufficiency and empowerment made a lot of sense. His fearlessness in calling out the inherent racism in America was hugely appealing to me, and reminded me of my hero, Malcolm X. Sure, he said some things that made me cringe, and other spiritual-related things that I couldn’t make sense of, but I let myself overlook it.

“You’re living in the breakup of America and the white man’s world.”

As the years passed, I would see Farrakhan again in Los Angeles at the Forum, in Miami, and several times in Detroit at different locales. I also attended the original Million Man March in Washington, D.C., as well as the event 10 years later, and then the most recent 20-year commemorative march with my son in 2015. When white colleagues and friends would ask me in amazed curiosity why I thought black folks continued to revere Farrakhan (although many do not) and to come hear his message in such large numbers year after year, my answer was that, in my opinion, Farrakhan was viewed as one of the few — if not the only — black leader many black people felt they could trust because white people weren’t pulling his strings.

Plus, face it, a lot of us love to hear how Farrakhan will tell us about ourselves.

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huge difference between her and Trump.

I think Trump’s first month in office should be all the evidence anyone would ever need to make that case. For anyone to suggest that Hillary Clinton would have governed in the same way as Trump — or that she posed the same level of danger not just to America but to the entire world — is delusional. Would she have been black peoples’ deliverance from the valley of oppression? Hell no.

But she would not have overseen the wholesale dismantling and destruction of America either. We can debate forever how evil America has been to black people, but we still live here, which means if America goes up in smoke, so do we.

in black America, the vast majority of whom have never been — and will never be — familiar with that amount of freedom which we equate as the sole privilege of what it means to be white, this is a very appealing quality.

“Your rise is their fall. That’s why they work hard to keep you where you are.”

Farrakhan’s mesmerizing ability as a speaker and his willingness to openly chastise and call into question the white power structure, as well as those African Americans whom he views as complicit in their own white-sponsored oppression, remains enough of a drawing card even today to bring out sizable crowds, especially considering how long he has been at this.

“They [white people] have torn away from us our identity, and we love it. …

So you and I are white people in black skin.”

But in listening to his lengthy Sunday speech, I once again got that feeling that I’ve had for awhile that the minister is too many times off message — or stuck on a message from years past that he must know by now will never come to pass, such as the supposed “solution” of black people separating themselves into a separate nation. And what is this about white people being created 6,000 years ago, and the angels who supposedly were upset about this and questioned what God was up to when He did this?

I’m sorry, but this gets hard to take.

Where is this in the Bible? Or the Holy Quran?

Farrakhan’s money did not — and does not — come from white people or institutions. He was not elected by white people. Which means his power base does not come from white people, which means he is free to say exactly what he thinks without [much] fear of repercussion from white America. To many of us

I also had problems with Farrakhan’s analysis of Trump’s victory over Hillary Clinton, chastising Clinton supporters for not seeing that Clinton and Trump are one and the same, saying that all black people get is “more deceit from Hillary and more straight talk from Trump.”

Straight talk from Trump? Really?

“Most of you are so hurt because Queen Hillary lost, and some of you have cussed me out because I didn’t vote for her. … See, Hillary lovers, you were so hurt when Miss Clinton lost because you felt her rise to the presidency, breaking that glass ceiling, would mean something good for you. Hillary don’t have nothing for you.”

You don’t have to be a Hillary Clinton lover to see that there is, indeed, a

The Pecks

owners. By 1941, the BTWBA had attracted 300 members who followed the slogan “trade with your own people.”

Fannie Peck, born on Aug. 15, 1879 in Missouri, founded the Detroit Housewives League on June 10, 1930. Its aim was similar to the organization created by her husband — to support black businesses and professionals, buy black-produced products, and help to train young people for careers in business. The Fannie B. Peck Credit Union, conceived and organized by her, was the first black credit union in America to become state chartered. She served as chairwoman of the National Housewives League, later organized leagues in Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Toledo, as well as in Indianapolis, Pittsburgh, Kansas City, and Jacksonville. By 1933, she had organized 10,000 women in Detroit and was president of the organization until 1944.

On Sept. 10, 1950, a dedication ceremony was held as city officials named a park, which included a playfield and a swimming pool located on Brush and

Which makes me wonder why Farrakhan would ever say such a thing. Sure, it gets adoring applause from the crowds and followers, the comical way he imitates a poor-forlorn Hillary supporter as being too distraught to function because Trump doesn’t like dark-skinned people of any sort. Farrakhan is a master speaker and manipulator of emotions, he is brilliant, and he knows black people better than they know themselves, knowing what buttons pushed will solicit which desired response.

He also knows that most will never go back and take a second look, or take the time to listen to that speech again, with no adoring crowd, so they can listen more intently to what is said and not said, and how it is said.

Don’t be like most. Take another listen.

From page B-1 Frederick streets, in Rev. Peck’s honor.

In 1961, the Detroit Board of Education named a school, located at 1600 Lawrence Street, after him. Also in 1950, the Detroit Housewives League declared May 24 Fannie B. Peck Day, a tribute to its founder.

William Peck died on Nov. 5, 1944 at age 65. About 40,000 people over three days either viewed his body or attended his homegoing service on Nov. 9.

At that time, the Michigan Chronicle wrote: ‘We cannot measure his contribution to the spiritual and temporal well-being of our citizenry. He worked not for credit nor glory, but for the fulfillment of a mission which he felt called upon to carry forward as a man of God.” Fannie B. Peck continued efforts to better our community. She died on Nov. 13, 1970 at age 91.

Ken Coleman writes frequently about black life in Detroit. He can be reached at www.historylivesDetroit.com.

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UAW-FORD’s

Section B-3

February 22-28, 2017

Detroit Morehouse Alumni Association delivers for local youth Players, coaches and community stood tall on a magical Saturday of hoops Longtime Detroit PSL fans have been treated to some of the best sports action anywhere through the years. With a $5 or $10 ticket, true sports fans can expect a true treat whenever our student-athletes come together for competition, especially when a championship is being contested.

This was definitely the case on Saturday, Feb. 18 at Calihan William Winfield Hall on the campus of the University of Detroit Mercy. The occasion was the Detroit Public School League “Big D” Girls and Boys Tournament championship games.

As usual, our student-athletes did not disappoint. Playing before a big crowd in the “Big House,” the young ladies from Mumford and Martin Luther King and the young men from Martin Luther King and Cass Steve Hall Tech put on a wonderful show.

All of the attributes that we have come to expect from the PSL: Athleticism, team work, tenacity, sportsmanship, and intelligent play were on display.

At the end of the night, the scoreboard said Martin Luther King’s girls and Cass Tech’s boys were PSL champions. In reality, all four teams and their coaching staffs showed the qualities of champions and deserve praise and respect from our community. And staying consistent with our emphasis on African American History this month, the “Best of Young Detroit” also would like to extend special congratulations to two legitimate history makers in our local sports community: Mr. William Winfield, the Hall of Fame coach of the Martin Luther King girls basketball team; and Mr. Steve Hall, the very accomplished coach of the Cass Tech boys basketball team.

Following the conclusion of the girls’ championship game, Daryl Weaver, the longtime voice of the PSL announced that Coach Winfield had won his 24th PSL title in 27 attempts, which is truly an astounding feat. And in coaching Cass to victory in the boys’ championship, Coach Hall joined a small group of Detroit coaching legends. Hall, who also won a title at Northwestern in 2008, joins Will Robinson (Miller and Pershing), Robert “Smitty” Smith (Northeastern and Murray-Wright) and Derrick McDowell (Redford and Western) as coaches that brought home the PSL’s biggest basketball prize at two different schools.

We celebrate Coach Winfield and Coach Hall for their victories last Saturday, but more importantly we celebrate them for making history each day in our community through the lives of the precious student-athletes they touch.

Please see “Shining Stars” on the second page for more details about the PSL basketball championship games.

Detroit students can shine brightly if given ‘light,’ says Morehouse alum Wilkerson

Men of purpose: Committed Morehouse Men give back to Detroit youth in a variety of meaningful ways, including mentoring in schools and field trips where students are exposed to STEM careers.

By Scott Talley Special to the Michigan Chronicle Can an institution more than 700 miles away from Detroit still have an impact on our city’s youth?

The answer is a resounding yes if the institution is Morehouse College.

During African American History Month it is only natural that attention is focused on the famous school in Atlanta, which groomed Dr. Martin Luther King and many other prominent “Morehouse Men,” who have made significant contributions to the world.

But those contributions are not just limited to what we read in history books or hear during thirtysecond public service announcements. In fact, through the Detroit chapter of the Morehouse Alumni Association, Morehouse Men are making significant contributions across our community today. And not surprisingly, much of what they do focuses on education with the goal of uplifting our youth.

“The social currency of our society is education,” said Franklin Wilkerson, president of the Detroit Morehouse College Alumni Association. “Education is the one thing that can change your condition and make you a productive member of society.”

When the “Best of Young Detroit” caught up with Wilkerson he was on his way to Atlanta to take part in ceremonies commemorating Morehouse College’s 150th anniversary. His pride in being able to make that special trip was quite evident, but Wilkerson was equally proud to talk about the ways his organization is enriching Detroit youth through initiatives rooted in education.

With exuberance, Wilkerson described how he and his Morehouse brothers get busy for the betterment of young people in Detroit including presenting a program at the Science Center to 130 African American boys;

mentoring 30 students at the Frederick Douglass Academy for Young Men who all went on to college; partnering with Cass Tech to expose students to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) careers as part of the Morehouse Alumni STEM Outreach Program; and a partnership with ECOTEK, a science research organization that provides middle and high school students with opportunities to participate in international science research projects.

“We want to build the pipeline of kids who are going to college and graduating from college,” said Wilkerson, who also shared information about upcoming involvement his Morehouse brothers will have with students at Mackenzie ElementaryMiddle School and Plymouth Educational Center.

Wilkerson relates everything the Detroit alumni association does to enrich Detroit youth back to the Morehouse motto, “et facta est lux.” When asked to translate the Latin phrase to English, Wilkerson said it means: “And there was light.” While bringing “light,” Wilkerson said he and his Morehouse brothers want to reach all segments of Detroit

youth, particularly students that may be overlooked.

“We want to illuminate the darkness with education, exposure and resources,” he said. “It’s about bridging the gap. We feel if we bring our success and experience to our children we can transform a 2.0 student to an honor roll student.”

Wilkerson gets excited when he talks about helping youth. He speaks about making education a true community initiative, where adults go beyond just paying taxes and get directly involved in the education of all Detroit children through mentoring and other forms of volunteerism. And he wants it to be known that the Morehouse Men of Detroit are eager to work with all— men and women—to ensure all Detroit students have “light” to become stars.

“We are all about building alliances,” said Wilkerson, who is heavily involved in a capital campaign to raise funds for the nonprofit alumni association’s initiatives, including scholarships and programs that touch Detroit youth. “Often times a lot of groups are so focused on their

own initiatives. We’re trying to break down barriers with organizations that are pushing in the same direction that we are.”

To get in touch Wilkerson and the Detroit Morehouse College Alumni Association, please visit www.facebook. com/morehousedetroit, or email info@detroitmorehousealumni.org.

Correspondence also can be sent to 18701 Grand River Avenue, Suite 237, Detroit, 48223.

UAW-Ford’s Best of Young Detroit

Febrauary 22-28, 2017

By Scott Talley Special to the Michigan Chronicle It had the makings of a relatively short relationship when Nate Ford asked his old Cass Tech classmate Garrett Street to be a volunteer little league baseball coach with PAL. “When Nate approached me about coaching, I thought it was something that I may do for two or three years to give back,” said Street, who had fond memories of playing baseball while growing up in a northwest Detroit neighborhood near Mumford High School. “But what I came to realize what that a lot of our kids were getting into trouble because they just didn’t have anything to do, and if I could keep a number of kids off the streets that would be a number of kids that wouldn’t fall by the wayside.”

That realization in 2005 launched Street on a coaching and organizing journey, which continues to this day and many Detroit youth are better for it. Just as Major League Baseball teams are getting ready for opening day, Street is working overtime to organize local youth teams for the upcoming spring season of Legends League Baseball, which Street co-founded in 2011 and directs today.

A nonprofit organization, Legends League provides affordable baseball to Detroit youth and families of Detroit youth,

Coach Street puts Detroit youth on winning baseball path, with help from UAW-Ford

Page B-4

while focusing on baseball skill and character development. This spring’s Legends League season is expected to include 30 teams total, with teams playing in three divisions: 10 and under; 12 and under; and, 1314 intermediate. The goal this spring is for more than 400 youth to participate, which would be an all-time high for the league.

With that said, Street is extremely appreciative of his sponsors, including lead sponsor UAW-Ford, for allowing Legends League to provide this opportunity to local youth.

“The revitalization of youth baseball in Detroit would not exist without UAW-Ford,” Street said “From day one they were there and we would not exist without them.”

The fields that host Legends League games, particularly the Detroit sites (Tindal Recreation Center, Palmer Park, Balduck Park, Dorothy W. Clore Field and William Clay Ford Field at the Woodbridge Community Youth Center) reflect the revitalization of youth baseball in our community referenced

by Street, who champions year-round youth baseball and has prepared many kids for summer play on PAL teams.

Teams are still being accepted and formed for this spring’s Legends League season, which will begin April 22 and run through mid June. Coaches with formed teams, as well as interested parents, can contact Street about this spring’s Legends Leagues Baseball season at 313-363-7271.

Remembering Northwestern High School Willie Horton

It may require a few extra keystrokes, of Northwestern’s distinguished alums, but but the “Best of Young Detroit” will always a very tiny sampling includes Judge Damon include “Northwestern” in the name, when Keith; Congressman John Conyers; teacher referring to the school that was renamed and longtime school system administrator Detroit Collegiate Preparatory High School at Dr. Jean Ernst Mayfield; educator Catherine Blackwell, who spent virtually a Northwestern a few years back. lifetime teaching African American Our practice of always including children to be proud of their “Northwestern” in the name, and African heritage; Detroit Tigers also avoiding the “NW” abbreviation great Willie Horton; Olympic gold when possible, is done to give full medalist Henry Carr; Motown’s respect to what Northwestern High first superstar artist Mary Wells; School meant, and continues to and award-winning writer Pearl mean to our community.

Cleage.

As African American History As we encourage the current Month winds down, the “Best students at Detroit Collegiate Prep of Young Detroit” invites our at Northwestern (2200 W. Grand community to recall the rich Judge Damon Keith Blvd.) to strive for greatness, the history of Northwestern High School. One “Best of Young Detroit” also encourages cannot understand the full history of African the continued celebration of what was Americans in Detroit without studying started at the original Northwestern High Northwestern, which produced a host of School. Today’s Detroit Collegiate Prep at scholars, athletes, artists and future leaders Northwestern students literally stand on the that literally changed the world. shoulders of giants, and that is a legacy that Many pages would be required to list all should never be forgotten.

Henry Carr

Pearl Cleage Mary Wells

Catherine Blackwell

Congressman John Conyers

Swimming

Dr. Jean Ernst Mayfield

Cass Tech wins 2017 PSL boys championship The “Best of Young Detroit” salutes all of the swimmers that participated in the recent PSL boys’ championship meet at Western International High School on Feb. 15.

Cass Tech won four individual events and two relays en route to capturing the team title.

Brian Williams, a junior at Detroit West Side Academy, who swims for Mumford, continued his outstanding season by winning the 200 individual medley and the 100 breaststroke. Williams, a multiple-event qualifier for this year’s Michigan High School Athletic Association Division 3 state championships, was named Outstanding Swimmer at the PSL championship meet.

Following are meet results provided to the “Best of Young Detroit” by legendary coach Gary Peterson, a champion of youth swimmers across Detroit:

King’s girls, Cass’ boys win basketball titles during big night for the PSL “Come on King get your hands up, hands up, come on King let’s go!” This cheer, one of many belted out by the enthusiastic King cheerleaders, was definitely heard by the Lady Crusaders at Calihan Hall during the Detroit Public School League “Big D” Girls Basketball Championship on Feb. 18.

Utilizing a super active zone defense, with some timely traps mixed in, King prevented Mumford from every finding a rhythm, let alone comfort on offense, en route to a 5533 Crusaders victory on the University of Detroit Mercy campus. It was the sixth consecutive PSL championship for the Lady Crusaders. A standout for King all afternoon was senior do-it-all point guard Alicia Norman. The 2017 Miss PSL recipient helped set King’s defensive tone in the first half with four steals. Along with her defensive pressure and near-flawless ball handling, Norman also scored 13 points, including eight in the second half. Other top performers for King included senior wing Tia Tedford (17 points), junior forward Jordan Lewis (13 rebounds, 10 points) and junior wing Mariah Mitchell (10 points, eight in the second half).

In the nightcap, defense was again the name of the game during the PSL “Big D” Boys Championship, and in a hardfought contest Cass Tech was able to get the defensive stops at the most critical times in a 59-47 victory against King.

Offensively, Cass Tech rode a balanced attack, reminiscent of the two Cass PSL championship teams from the 1990s coached by Robert Shannon, who was one of many in the house to watch the current version of the Technicians coached by Steve Hall. Top performers for Cass against King included senior Michael Green (14 points, nine in the second half) and senior guard Leonard Silas (12 points).

King was valiant in defeat and was led in the scoring column by senior guard Kemon Bassett (13 points).

The big afternoon and evening of PSL basketball, skillfully carried out by Mr. Alvin Ward (DPS Community District Office of Athletics Executive Director) and his team, was made even more special by the announcement of the All-City teams before the “Big D” Boys Basketball Championship. Following are the selections:

GIRLS 1st Team Da’Shawnna Fowler, Cody Anjanae Horton, Detroit Collegiate Prep at Northwestern C’Erra Maholmes, East English Village Alicia Norman, (Miss PSL), King Chasidey Willis, Mumford 2nd Team Caprice Brown, Denby Alexis Crawford, West Side Academy Vantanae Garrett, Communications & Media Arts Nina Reynolds, Renaissance Victoria Wright, Renaissance 3rd Team Caitlyn Harrison, Detroit International Academy for Young Women Keeiona Howse, Southeastern Tia Tedford, King Taniesna Thurman, Cody Shardaye Yharborugh, Mumford BOYS 1st Team Gregory Elliott, (Mr. PSL), East English Village David DeJulius, East English Village Kenneth Holloway, Osborn Jorden Peterson, Communications & Media Arts Jesse Scarber, King 2nd Team Kelly Broadus, Frederick Douglass Scott Nelson, West Side Academy Leonard Silas, Cass Edmen Stewart, Davis Aerospace Deontae Ulmer, Henry Ford 3rd Team Patrick Hatcher, Pershing Armonee’ Felder, Osborn Kylan Shipp, Detroit Collegiate Prep at Northwestern Janard Smith Jr., Frederick Douglass Chandler Turner, Renaissance

Team Results 1st Place: Cass Tech 2nd Place: Western International 3rd Place: King 4th Place: Renaissance 5th Place: East English Village 6th Place: Mumford 7th Place: Cody 8th Place: Detroit Collegiate Prep at Northwestern

Event Winners 200 Medley Relay – Cass 200 Yards Freestyle - William Cameron, Renaissance 200 Individual Medley - Brian Williams, Mumford 50 Freestyle - Dorian Ross, Cass 100 Fly - Kenneth Hammond, Cass 100 Freestyle - Donovan Malcolm, Cass 500 Freestyle - Marcello Lopez, Cass 200 Freestyle Relay - Cass 100 Backstroke - Delshawn Durkins, King 100 Breaststroke - Brian Williams, Mumford 400 Freestyle Relay - Cass All City Swimmers: Brian Williams (Mumford), William Cameron (Renaissance), Dorian Ross (Cass), Kenneth Hammond (Cass), Donovan Malcolm (Cass), Marcello Lopez (Cass), Delshawn Durkins (King) Most Outstanding Swimmer Brian Williams, Mumford

Your Feedback Matters The “Best of Young Detroit” welcomes feedback from our community. Please submit story suggestions and other comments to Scott Talley at stalleyassociates@gmail.com or 313-590-3686.

HIRAM E. JACKSON Publisher

A Real Times Media Newspaper 479 Ledyard • Detroit, MI 48201

(313) 963-5522 e-mail: newsdesk@michronicle.com February 22-28, 2017

Page B-5

CATHY NEDD Associate Publisher KEITH A. OWENS Senior Editor SAMUEL LOGAN Publisher 1933-2011

JOHN H. SENGSTACKE Chairman-Emeritus 1912-1997 LONGWORTH M. QUINN Publisher-Emeritus 1909-1989

Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, I am still furious 35 years later

By Veronica M. Brown-Comegys I had a volcanic first encounter with the Nation of Islam in the 1980s. Subsequently, I screamed a vow, which I still honor.

I had left my receptionist job in a government office and was heading to the bus stop. A member of the NOI was selling the organization’s newspapers across the street.

He stopped walking and stared. In a rush he approached me and lashed out.

Evidently, he was the “business attire police.” He Veronica M. shrieked, “You are Brown-Comegys out here trying to be the white man’s whore.” And, it was on. We stood face-to-face hollering. Finally, I stalked away.

At home I trembled with fury as I frantically dialed the NOI. I boomed my earsplitting rant, and ended by saying, “I’m not buying your newspaper again.”

Decades have passed, and I’m still not a reader. Several days later at the same location, I saw the man. He was glaring at me as if he had murder on his mind.

As I looked around for a brick, I thought, “Come over here and I’ll give you something to howl to Mohammed.”

Furthermore, the grudge remains because in the 1990s unexpectedly, I needed an attorney, and a coworker pointed me to someone in the building.

I was unaware the lawyer was a Muslim.

I would not have hired him if I’d known.

However, for several days we conferred.

Suddenly, he began hounding me about attending the mosque. “I don’t like people bugging me about their religion,” I said. Next, he started another campaign; I was disgusted and reminded him that he was married. His spouse was a diminutive Caucasian woman, who was always shrouded in white. In addition, she trailed several steps behind him with her head bowed. “She has been with me a long time,” he said. I thought, “That’s only possible because she avoids looking at your face.”

Eventually, we had a court date. However, three weeks beforehand the barrister disappeared. I sent him a letter, and he signed the return receipt, but remained out of sight. I obtained the services of another black man. When it became obvious that he was not on my side, I transferred to his sister. One year later I ran into the disappearing attorney. I growled, “What happened to you?” His answer tripled the size of my animosity. He casually said, “Oh, I decided to move to Battle Creek for a job.”

Over the years, I tried to have a civil attitude. I listened to some of Minister Farrakhan’s speeches, and even corrected misinformation spouted by my Jewish graduate school professor. However, around 2014, along came 800-ton Raehunya barreling over me, spitting, snapping, snarling, condescending one minute, phony-friendly and syrupy-voiced the next. I suspected she was proud to be black, but angry that she was darkskinned. Without questioning me about my background, she launched into a lecture about “bettering myself.” I thought, “I’m already better than you.”

Amazingly, the following day the woman-beast expected me to return for more at my volunteer post in a professor’s home. But I did not show up. Instead I was home, sitting in my recliner, and enjoying a snack when she called.

Sister Sweetness and Spite said, “Veronica, are you busy?” “Yes, I’m busy.”

“We need the meeting room put back in order.” “Well I’m busy,” I said before violently hanging up. Consequently, I no longer assist a certain man’s projects; his eight-hundred-ton, nausea-inducing, hanger-on is a pestilence. Instead, I visit African-American residents at a suburban nursing home, where the white staff appreciates my help.

So, what has the Nation of Islam unloaded on me? Disrespect, verbal abuse, character assassination, slander, patriarchy, unprofessionalism, invitations to have sex with a married man, rudeness, grossness, ungratefulness, and witchy behavior, with a capital B. Those black American Muslims make a strong impression. On the other hand, the people from the Middle East are always friendly and polite.

Civil rights will suffer under AG sessions

By Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr. (Founder, Rainbow PUSH Coalition)

Donald Trump’s first three weeks in office left Americans reeling from what Republican speechwriter Peggy Noonan called his “cloud of crazy.” His cabinet nominees seem intentionally perverse: an education secretary who has no clue about public schools; an energy secretary who wanted to eliminate the department; a treasury secretary from Goldman Sachs who ran a home foreclosure factory. So when a White nationalist sympathizer, Sen. Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III, was confirmed to be attorney general, it passed by as just another absurdity.

The coverage Rev. Jesse Jackson of the confirmation battle focused primarily on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s outrageous muzzling of Sen. Elizabeth Warren as she tried to read a 1986 letter from Coretta Scott King criticizing Sessions.

The muzzling was an unforgivable indignity. Lost in the furor was the thrust of King’s letter. She was writing to urge the Republican-led Senate of the time to reject President Reagan’s nomination of Sessions to the federal bench because he had “used the power of his office as U.S. attorney to intimidate and chill the free exercise of the ballot.” Sessions had opposed the Voting Rights Act, made racist statements and falsely prosecuted Black civil rights leaders seeking to register people to vote in Alabama. He was an ardent and unrelenting opponent of civil rights. The Republican Senate rejected his nomination.

Sessions views have not changed. He opposed Supreme Court decisions striking down laws banning homosexual sex and same-sex marriage. He voted against equal pay for women and against reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act, and he argued that it would be a “stretch” to call grabbing a woman’s genitals — as the president boasted of doing — assault. He is leading opponent of immigration reform and supported Trump’s ban on Muslims.

On civil rights he learned, as Strom Thurmond’s late operative Lee Atwater put it, that “you can’t say ‘n—–’ — that

hurts you. Backfires. So you say stuff like … states’ rights and all that stuff.”

Sessions remains a fierce advocate of states’ rights over civil rights. Even as he joined 97 senators in voting to reauthorize the Voting Rights Act in 2006, he gave a speech declaring its enforcement sections unconstitutional. When the Supreme Court’s conservative gang of five gutted the law, he praised their decision, saying preposterously, “(I)f you go to Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, people aren’t being denied the vote because of the color of their skin.”

Even as he was saying that, states across the South were preparing a raft of laws to make voting more difficult for African Americans and the young. Striking down the voter ID law in North Carolina, the federal appeals court found that the new provisions “target African Americans with almost surgical precision,” while providing “inept remedies” for an alleged problem of voter fraud that is nonexistent.

Now Sessions will take his states’ rights views to the Justice Department.

He will have more power than George Wallace ever had. Wallace had state power. Sessions has national power with a state agenda, with thousands of lawyers under his command. He will help shape the Supreme Court. And simply by inaction — by refusing to enforce the Voting Rights Act as states act to restrict voting — he can do more to undermine civil rights than Wallace could by standing in the schoolhouse door.

Every senator who voted for this nomination shares the shame. This isn’t or should not have been a partisan question. This is a question of whether the Constitution that Lincoln fought a Civil War to forge and Dr. Martin Luther King led a movement to enforce will be respected. Donald Trump and the Republican Senate have put in office someone who is committed to undermining that Constitution. He is in position to poison the well of justice for a long time.

On the campaign trail, Donald Trump wooed African-American voters, saying given disproportionate unemployment and poverty, they should vote for him.

“What have you got to lose?” he asked.

By making Sessions the next attorney general, Trump has shown us what we have lost: a Department of Justice committed to equal rights, ready to defend the right to vote. People of color, immigrants, the LGBT community and women are likely to experience justice denied directly, and the country as a whole will suffer as justice is defiled.

Building The Movement to Fight Extremism

By Rev. Dr. William J. Barber, II (President, North Carolina NAACP)

On Friday, January 27, 2017, President Trump wrapped up his first week of executive orders with a temporary ban on refugees and travelers from several Muslim countries. Effective immediately, this order impacted tens of thousands of people, leading to the detention of travelers in airports across the United States. Mass protests erupted, a federal judge issued a temporary injunction against the ban, and team Trump responded by attacking the judiciary branch and the media alike.

Moral resistance, Americans are quickly learning, is a civic duty under President Trump.

But even as mass protests remind us that the Constitution was not un-elected last November, history suggests that our resistance must prepare for a longterm movement. Things are going to get worse in America before they get better.

We will win, but it’s not going to be fast and it’s not going to be easy. Lest we lose perspective, we need to soberly face the challenge before us.

The beginning of Trump’s administration marks a turn from the immoral rhetoric of a divisive campaign to the immoral action of an anti-democratic administration. Those who never imagined Trump could win the Republican primary—even less the White House—are right to be outraged at the hubris with which he disregards observable facts, projects delusions of grandeur, and attacks those who disagree with him.

Trump is intentionally outrageous. But outrage, he knows, is a difficult emotion to sustain. Repeat an alternative fact often enough, and it begins to sound banal.

From Hitler to Franco to Suharto, fascist regimes in the 20th century seemed implausible in their beginnings. Nevertheless, their strong men defied the political establishment and appealed to “the people,” even as they undermined the democratic process, a free press, organized labor and the arts. In no instance, did this happen all at once, and in every case there were opponents who expressed outrage at some point (80 percent of Germans disapproved of the Kristallnacht attack on synagogues).

But outrage did not stop fascism. The consistent scapegoating of some mi-

Reverend William J. Barber II nority group inevitably turned national attention to security, law and order. Every fascist regime has blessed its corporate leaders and invested in infrastructure projects; in turn, so-called religious leaders consistently bless the marriage of God and country. The only thing that can stop fascism is a broad coalition of people determined to stand together against extremism.

Trump’s message could not be clearer. He insists he is returning government to “the people” while delegitimizing the press, the electoral process, and the clear feedback he is receiving from the American people via protests and favorability ratings. His Tweet-storms against the nation’s most respected media outlets are as dangerous as his unsubstantiated claim that 3-5 million people voted illegally in the 2016 election, his executive order that led to the detention of visa-holders, his nomination of the wealthiest cabinet in US history, and his prosperity pastors who preach a heretical gospel of national security. Each lie and extreme action is an offense against democracy itself.

What will protect us, four years from now, from a fascism that delays normal elections during war time?

Fascism is not foreign to Western democracy. When we give in to the worst demons of our nature, it is a real possibility. With the ascent of Steve Bannon to the White House, we are closer to fascism than America has ever been before. But we also know what can beat fascism.

President Trump loves confusion and chaos

By Roger Caldwell

(NNPA Newswire Columnist)

In politics, I have been told that you pick your battles, but President Donald Trump has a different theory. He has decided to fight everyone that does not agree with his opinion, and it’s probably the worst way that he could have started his administration.

There are over 600 administrative positions that must be filled, and staffers who have been hired Roger Caldwell are having meetings in the dark, because they don’t know how to turn on the lights. There are leaks coming from aides who are questioning if the top staff understands the processes of the White House and/or the federal government.

“While the administration tries to exude confidence and sure-footedness in its opening weeks, it has made multiple embarrassing public stumbles,” wrote David Ferguson of “Raw Story,” who went on to quote an article from the New York Times: “The bungled rollout of his executive order barring immigrants from seven predominantly Muslim countries, a flurry of other miscues and embarrassments, and an approval rating lower than that of any comparable first-term president in the history of polling has Mr. Trump and his top staff rethinking an improvisational approach to governing that mirrors his chaotic presidential campaign, administration officials and Trump insiders said.”

At this point, Trump’s most significant political setback in his new administration is the 9th Circuit Court ruling against reinstating the president’s travel ban. The unanimous ruling from a three-judge panel means that citizens of seven majority-Muslim countries will be able to continue travel to and from the

U.S., despite Trump’s executive order last month.

Trumps immediate response was an angry tweet: “See you in court. the security of our nation is at stake!”

So, now Trump’s top staff will hold numerous meetings trying to determine how they can circumvent the Circuit Court’s decision and fall further behind in organizing the administration.

Instead of presenting evidence to explain the need for the executive order, Trump’s legal team came to the hearing unprepared. This is significant, because it raises questions about how his other executive orders will be defended in court, as lawyers across the nation begin to file lawsuits.

An environment of chaos is not new for Trump, and he appears to thrive on disorder. During the campaign, then- Republican presidential candidate promised that he would drain the swamp and now people are watching it happen every day.

Trump, the reality TV star, loves confusion, and believes chaos produces the sort of results he likes.

“Read any of those stories and the word ‘chaos’ jumps to mind. Or ‘turmoil.’

Or ‘dissension.’ All of them convey the same thing: “Less than three weeks into his presidency there is a knife fight happening daily among Trump’s top aides.” wrote Chris Cillizza for “The Fix,” a politics blog for the Washington Post.

Then National Security Advisor Michael Flynn was forced to resign after it was reported that he had contact with Russian officials after the election.

Trump’s Labor Secretary pick Andrew Puzder withdrew from consideration for the post amidst decades-old domestic abuse claims, which his wife later recanted, and shortage of support among Republican senators.

The West Wing is basically empty, and there are small cracks of disappointment and disapproval with the dysfunction of the administration.

Roger Caldwell is the president and CEO of On Point Media Group.

Page B-6 • THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE • February 22-28, 2017 w

2017 Women of Excellence Honorees Adrana Jones, Postmaster, United States Post Office - Southfield Alisa Berry Brown, Deputy Superintendence, River Rouge Public Schools Amanda Ward, Senior Associate, Plante Moran Angelique Peterson-Mayberry, Director of Community Initiatives, UAW Ford Anika Jackson, Jackson Asset Management Anquinette Mosley, Psychologist, Black Family Development Barbara J. Patton, Area Director, United Negro College Fund Bridget Leonard, Director of Nursing Office Operations, DMC Rehabilitation institute Brittany Merritt, Executive Director, American Heart Association Cecelia Walker, Director, Butzel Family Center Celeste Williams, Medical Director, Cardiac Transplantation and Mechanical…, HFHS Cheryl Johnson, CEO, COTS Crystal Windham, Director of Design – Cadillac Interiors, General Motors Debra Napier, Campus College Chair, University of Phoenix Deirdre Young, Vice President for Health and Equity, United Way of SEM Dianne Cottle, Genanscot Services Donna Bell, Global Quality Manager, Ford Motor Company Dr. Tanya Martin, Clinical Psychologist, Apex Behavioral Health, PLLC Elect Lady Bonita Shelby First Lady, Burning Bush Int’l Ministries and SW5 Jurisdiction COGIC Erica Jordan, Senior Vice President, Comerica Bank Gina Smith-Gallant, Attorney, The Auto Club Group Grenae Dudley, President & CEO, The Youth Connection, Inc. Jackie Parker, Director, Global Philanthropy and Corporate Giving, GM Jennifer Wheeler, Founder & CEO, Michigan Training Center on the Abuse and Trauma of Children Kedra Ishop, Vice Provost for Enrollment Management, University of Michigan Kelly Jones, Owner/CEO, Goodness Gracious Kendra Pack, CEO, Bloomfield Real Estate Group Kiko Davis, Major Stockholder, First Independence Bank Kimberly Gill, Co-Anchor, Local 4 News Lauren Clayborne, Director of Community Relations, Detroit Lions Lashanda Thomas, CEO, Clairmont Group Loretta Morman, First Lady/Church Administrator, Christian Tabernacle Lysa Davis, CEO, The Trusted Banker, LLC Marilyn Horn, President & CEO, Van Dyke Horn Public Relations Agency Melanca Clark, President & CEO, Hudson-Webber Foundation Michelle Alexander, Diversity Marketing Manager, General Motors Michelle Reaves, Executive Director, DAPCEP Monica Briggins, Owner, Detroit Bailbondsmen Monique Parnell-Phifer, Regional Vice President, Briova RX Pamela Farris, Chief Academic Officer, Cornerstone Schools Rian Barnhill, Director of Marketing, EAA Shaniece Bennett, Managing Principal, Owner, Accutrak Consulting and Accounting Services Sharon Robinson, Principal, Detroit Public Schools Sharon L. Harris, President/Founder, Lupus Detroit Silverenia Q. Kanoyton, Ed.D, Director, King-Chavez-Parks 45 and MICUP Initiatives, Co-Principal Wayne State University Sonya Mays, President & CEO, Develop Detroit Susan Gunn, Dean of the College of Urban Education, Davenport University Takisha Harper, Director Privacy & Security Risk Management, HFHS Tonia Williams, CEO, Universal Special Events, Inc. Velton Robinson, DDS, Owner, Smile Connections Wendy Turner Lewis, CEO, Law Offices of Wendy Turner Lewis MICHIGAN

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HIGAN CHR MIC ON IC

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Michigan Chronicle honors

40 Under 40

class of

2017

Trailblazer honoree Cornelius Smith Jr. as Marcus Walker on ABC’s “Scandal”

By Lee Watson

T

here are literally thousands of young people under the age of 40 who are positively impacting every sector of the greater Detroit area.

Many of these individuals are making a vast difference in communities where empowering talents are leaving fingerprints of benevolence. The Michigan Chronicle believes that young leaders hold the keys to Detroit’s promising future.

Thus, the Chronicle is proud to unveil and honor its 40 Under 40 class of 2017.

After sifting through hundreds of nominations submitted by peers, mentors, family, colleagues and coworkers, the Chronicle was charged with the tough task of choosing 40 true leaders who were born after 1977.

Within the 40 Under 40 class of 2017 there are many who are blazing distinctive trails of achievement in the world of law, education, medicine, and finance.

Many have birthed the entrepreneurial spirit into fruition and have made exceptional contributions in business, corporate affairs, non-profit entities, and government sectors. Those chosen have exhibited great vision, strong leadership, a love for community, outstanding entrepreneurship, a spirit of philanthropy, and a passion to empower others.

“There were so many talented young people nominated, it was extremely difficult to narrow it down to 40,” said Hiram E. Jackson, publisher of the Michigan Chronicle. “We are very pleased to showcase the accomplishments of the many young leaders in our community.

The 2017 class of 40 Under 40 honorees are among Southeastern Michigan’s best and brightest young stars.”

Along with those being honored, an award will be presented to Cornelius Smith Jr., a featured actor on one of

the nation’s hottest television dramas, ABC’s “Scandal,” and an alumnus of one the most popular and longest running soap operas of all time, “All My Children.” And he is only 34.

viewer of “Scandal.” He was coaxed by his girlfriend to begin watching the show. And when an opportunity was presented to audition for the role of Marcus Walker, that was icing on the cake. Smith admits when he first appeared on “Scandal” as Marcus Walker, a fiery, committed grassroots organizer, he was only written in as a guest star “possibly recurring,” meaning he may or may not return in later episodes.

His portrayal was so strong that it landed him a full-time role as a member of Olivia Pope’s firm of morally flexible fix-the-problem-at-any-cost types.

Born into a military family, Smith’s parents moved to Detroit when he was three years old. Although born in San Diego, he claims Detroit as his hometown. It was in high school that Smith would be bitten by the acting bug after joining an actors troupe, The Performing Actors Guild, at Cass Technical High School. A troupe that performed live comedic skits and dramatic performances.

It was after his “Marcus is first play, “Somesomebody that thing’s Afoot,” sets the moral he discovered his bar, for himself true passion for and raises it for the arts. After a others. He holds school-sponsored Entertainment host Lola George himself accountfield trip to Edable and doesn’t inburgh, Scotland, Smith knew he was budge on his beliefs. When everybody destined to follow his love for acting. else is blurring the lines, or stepping “Traveling to Scotland opened up my over the lines, Marcus has a clear vision eyes to the impact theater has on the of right and wrong. Which is needed on world and how many opportunities were the show,” he said. available”, he said.

Smith went on to study Performing Arts at Southern Methodist University and earned a graduate degree in acting from New York University. Shortly after graduating from NYU, he went straight to the big time with a prime role as Frankie Hubbard on “All My Children.”

Smith admits he was not an avid

Regarding his swift success Smith stated, “It did happen overnight, but after 10 significant years of building, grinding, and preparation.” Smith will return home to Detroit to be recognized with the Michigan Chronicle Trailblazer award.

“I think it’s important to return home, come back, give back and encour-

Trailblazer honoree Joique Bell, Wayne State graduate and Detroit Lions running back

age others to live their dream. To celebrate love with love is always an amazing thing and there is no better love than hometown love. Anytime I can come and tell others that anything is possible no matter what your circumstances… I am always down for that.”

Also being awarded is NFL running back Joique Bell. A Benton Harbor native, Joique Bell has had a surreal journey to reaching his dream of being an NFL player. While playing college football at Wayne State, Bell won the Harlon Hill Trophy and was named the Division II player of the year, after he rushed for 2,084 yards and made 29 touchdowns. Undrafted out of college, Bell faced an uncertain future as a football player. After tours with five different teams, in 2011 he found a home with the Detroit Lions where he became an instant fan favorite. Bell’s passion for football is deep-rooted, a dream he has pursued for a long time.

In an interview, Bell reflected on what an NFL scout once told him: “If you have talent, they will find you.” In addition to recently completing his sixth season in the NFL, he just completed a master’s degree in Sports Administration from Wayne State.

For all the 40 Under 40 honorees, success is not luck. It is the result of what happens when preparation and opportunity collaborate and when people, even under 40, are willing to go for their dreams now rather than wait and see what tomorrow brings.

The Michigan Chronicle will honor its 40 Under 40 leaders on Friday, Feb. 24, at the Whittier near downtown Detroit, beginning at 6:00 p.m. The event will be hosted by Lola George of the Detroit Entertainment Commission. Please see the complete list of the Michigan Chronicle’s 2017 40 Under 40 honorees.

40 Under 40 Jasmine Barnes

THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE

Senior Policy Analyst/ Community Liaison | Detroit City Council

February 22-28, 2017 Page C-2

Evrod Cassimy Anchor | WDIV

Jasmine Barnes is the senior policy analyst/community liaison for Detroit City Council President Brenda Jones. She has worked on many developments within the city of Detroit such as the Gateway Project, Littler Caesars Arena, and the M1-Rail. She has also facilitated the establishment of policies relating to various issues such as employment, community benefits, legislative transparency and efficiency, and her personal favorite, animal care and control. She works diligently to provide the residents of the city of Detroit expeditious access to information and resolutions to complaints.

Evrod Cassimy is the morning and noon anchor at WDIV Local 4 News. He started at Local 4 in August of 2013. Originally from the Chicago area, Evrod graduated from Columbia College Chicago.

He began his TV news career in Grand Junction, Colorado, and has covered news in Madison, Wisconsin, Orlando, Florida, Richmond, Virginia, and Denver, Colorado before joining the Local 4 News team.

He is an award winning journalist and six-time Emmy Award nominee.

In 2010, he received the Virginia Associated Press Award for Best Breaking News Coverage.

She is a native Detroiter and graduate of Cass Technical High School. Her parents, Gerald and Cynthia Williams, instilled the compassion for community service which led her to earn a Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy from Bowling Green State University in 2010.

Since 2011, with the support, guidance, and mentorship of Council President Jones, Chief of Staff Stephen Grady, and the entire Team Jones staff, Jasmine has become a dedicated passionate public servant focused on enhancing the quality of life and access to opportunities for all residents of Detroit.

Throughout his career in TV news, Evrod has covered a variety of major news stories, reporting in the field and from behind the desk. He can be seen on Local 4 from 4:30-7 am and 12 pm Monday through Friday.

Erika Batchelor Director, Head Start | Franklin Wright Settlements, Inc Erika B. Batchelor is the director of Early Childhood Development & Education at Franklin Wright Settlements, where she uses her passion for art to inspire early learning for vulnerable, special needs, and handicapped children. Her special gift is her ability to meet every child individually, and incorporate the child’s village to overcome any barriers to their success. Erika graduated from Columbus College of Art & Design with a B.A. in Art. After graduating from college, she lived in Australia and while there found her passion working with aboriginal children. Once the seed was planted, she moved to Atlanta where she continued to pursue her gift of working with children, and received her CDA (Children Development Associate). She returned to her native Detroit in 2009 where she continued her education and received her master’s degree from Central Michigan University.

On the personal side, Evrod enjoys working out, trying new restaurants, a good cup of coffee, socializing in metro Detroit, watching TV at home, listening to music and keeping up with social media. He is married with a young child and one on the way.

Dr. Eddie Connor Bestselling Author, International Speaker, College Professor Dr. Eddie Connor is a bestselling author, international speaker, college professor, and radio/TV correspondent. He is a survivor of stage 4 cancer and empowers people to overcome obstacles. As an author of seven books, Dr. Connor is the cousin of one of the world’s most influential entertainers and musicians, Prince. He has been featured and hosted segments on BET, CBS, FOX News, NBC, PBS, Steve Harvey’s TV show, Tom Joyner’s Show, and The Word Network.

Erika B. Batchelor will marry Marcus Murray on March 11, 2017.

They have an eight-month-old son, Keegan Jacob.

Dr. Connor is the CEO of the mentoring organization, Boys 2 Books, that empowers young males via literacy, leadership, and life skills enrichment. The program became the impetus for President Barack Obama’s, My Brother’s Keeper initiative. He is a recipient of the President’s Volunteer Service Award from the White House and was named one of the Top 35 Millennial Influencers in America. He grew up in Kingston, Jamaica and is a proud resident of Detroit.

Shanise E. Bell, MBA, PMP

Jehan Crump-Gibson, Esq.

Director of Business Transformation |Health Alliance Plan (HAP) Shanise Bell is a resourceful and results-driven Project Management (PMP) certified professional with 13 years of experience bridging the gap between business objectives and technology capabilities. She is a leader who is able to take the vision of a department and make it a reality.

As an accomplished leader, she has been recognized at HAP for her ability to execute successful projects, manage high performing teams, and build credibility with executives, project teams and staff.

Managing Member | C&G Legal Solutions PLC In 2009, attorney Jehan Crump-Gibson founded C&G Solutions PLC, a specialized legal and consulting firm. As C&G’s managing member, Jehan assists for-profit and nonprofit entities with contractual matters, licensing approvals and employment issues.

She provides counsel to businesses on municipal matters concerning zoning approvals, legislative analysis, and government-sponsored tax incentive programs. She has also assisted many families with the preparation of important estate planning documents and legal issues concerning estate administration.

Managing the initiatives within this portfolio is similar to running several small companies within HAP. Each has specific objectives, budgets, staffing, training needs and implementation plans. She has developed a process for each one to be managed, evaluated and replicated when needed.

Jehan currently serves as president of the Wolverine Bar Association and Wolverine Bar Foundation; is a member of the State Bar of Michigan Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee, member of the Institute of Continuing Legal Education’s Probate and Estate Planning Advisory Board, member of the Women Lawyers Association of Michigan, secretary of the Rising Achievers Advisory Board for Junior Achievement of Southeastern Michigan, mentor with Women of Tomorrow Mentor & Scholarship Program and a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated.

Among her major project successes is the implementation of a strategic process poised to save HAP millions of dollars over the next five years.

Jehan has been twice recognized by Michigan Super Lawyers as a Rising Star. She also received the 2015 and 2016 Martindale Hubbell Client Distinction Award.

Managing a multimillion dollar corporate portfolio of strategic projects across dozens of departments is essential work. Shanise’s function is critical to the maintenance and development of HAP’s most important internal business operations.

THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE February 22-28, 2017 40 Under 40 LaNesha DeBardelaben Garlin Gilchrist II Senior Vice President of Education and Exhibitions Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History

Director, Innovation & Emerging Technology | City of Detroit Garlin Gilchrist II came home to Detroit in July 2014 with his wife, Ellen, and 10-month-old twins Garlin III and Emily because he felt that everything he had learned and experienced living on the West and East coasts would be best used to serve Detroiters.

LaNesha DeBardelaben’s life motto has long been “To whom much is given, much is required.”

She joined the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History staff in 2011. She manages the Wright Museum’s education, programming and exhibitions teams, and is facilitating the museum’s stride toward national accreditation. She is a member of the national Board of Directors of both the Association of African American Museums (AAAM) and the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH). In addition, she serves on the statewide board of the Michigan Museums Association (MMA).

Always focused on community uplift, LaNesha is currently enrolled in Leadership Detroit, and is an active member of The Links, Incorporated, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, the Pierians, and Hartford Memorial Baptist Church. Passionate about educational equity, literacy, and public history, she is a published writer whose historical writings are published nationally in the African American National Biography and Michigan History magazine.

LaNesha has a BA from Kalamazoo College, an MA from the University of Missouri in St. Louis, an MLS from Indiana University-Bloomington, and is pursuing a Ph.D. at Michigan State University.

The importance of personal service was instilled in him by my mother Yvonne Gilchrist, and father, Garlin Gilchrist, Sr., who both grew up on Detroit’s west side. He is now the City of Detroit’s first-ever director of Innovation & Emerging Technology.

Garlin’s job is to open up the city’s public data and information, make it easier for Detroiters to gain insight into and participate in decision-making processes, and solve problems for the benefit of all city residents.

Before returning to Detroit, Garlin created Detroit Diaspora, worked as a software engineer at Microsoft, and was national campaign director at MoveOn.org.

He also co-hosted The #WinReport on “The Good Fight,” a podcast that was awarded one of Apple’s Best of 2013.

Garlin graduated with degrees in computer engineering and computer science from the University of Michigan in 2005.

Nyron Fauconier VP, Account Director | Jack Morton Worldwide As Jack Morton Worldwide VP and account director, Nyron oversees the Chevrolet Global account, creative, production and strategy teams charged with enhancing Chevrolet’s global brand awareness. Under his leadership, the teams have received several international awards.

Nyron also works with Chevrolet’s cause marketing initiative, aiding over 50 million people in disadvantaged global communities. Prior to his current role, he oversaw the NFL and NCAA sponsorships on the Buick GMC account. Nyron previously worked in strategy and analytics at the Arena Football League, Turnkey Sports & Entertainment, Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation and New Orleans Brass Hockey Team.

He is committed to the advancement of others, evidenced through his work as a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Incorporated, National Association of Black Journalists, National Black MBA, and Big Brothers & Big Sisters. Always reaching out and giving back, he leverages teachable moments to help others achieve their full potential.

Originally from Brooklyn, New York, Nyron holds a BA from Xavier University of Louisiana and an MBA from Clark Atlanta University and is a proud husband and father of two.

Indira K. Glass District Deputy Director | Congresswoman Brenda L. Lawrence Indira K. Glass currently serves as the deputy district director for Congresswoman Brenda L. Lawrence, representative for the 14th Congressional District. She oversees the congresswoman’s strategic priorities while managing relationships with key partners throughout the district. She is a member of the Detroit Branch NAACP where serves as secretary.

Mrs. Glass graduated cum laude with a Bachelors of Arts degree in Political Science & Women’s Studies from Oakland University and has earned a Master of Public Administration from Wayne State University. She is a current member of the Southfield Alumni Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. She is the oldest daughter of Indira Shelton-Pierce and Edsel F. Pierce Jr. She is sister of Angelia S. Pierce and she and her husband, Rubin Glass II are the proud parents of Regan Glass. She knows that to whom much is given, much is required and in the words of Althea Gibson, “No matter what accomplishments you make, somebody helped you,” and for that she is always grateful.

Aaron Foley

DeLorean Griffin MD

Editor | Blac Detroit Magazine Aaron Foley is a Detroit native and resident who has worked in journalism for the entirety of his professional career. He got his start early, writing short poems and features for the Michigan Chronicle, where his mother, Jill Day Foley, was business editor. He attended Michigan State University and majored in journalism. His first job was with the Lansing State Journal, where he was a copy editor and columnist. He returned to Detroit in 2009 to help launch MLive Detroit, an all-new news and information site serving the area.

Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon | St. Mary Mercy Livonia Dr. DeLorean Griffin is a plastic and reconstructive surgeon at St. Mary Mercy Hospital in Livonia. He has been in practice for two years and focuses on breast and body contouring following massive weight loss. He also performs up-to-date breast reconstruction and complex craniofacial reconstruction for trauma. As a fine artist, he regularly applies his artistic skills when performing surgery.

He completed his medical school education at Wayne State School of Medicine and his residency at the Detroit Medical Center.

During his training, he received the highest in-service exam score in his program two consecutive years and was promoted to chief administrative resident. He has won several awards, including the Best Breast Reconstruction, resident presentation, at the American Society of Plastic Surgeons Conference in 2014.

After his stint there and at Ward’s Automotive Reports, Aaron became a full-time freelance journalist, with bylines in Jalopnik, Ebony, Forbes, Reuters, Next City, Foreign Policy, CNN and several others.

Along the way, his essays have been reprinted in anthologies, textbooks and literary journals, and he delivered a well-received TEDx talk in front of 2,500 listeners at Fox Theatre.

In 2015, Aaron simultaneously published his first book, “How to Live in Detroit Without Being a Jackass” and took over as editor of BLAC Detroit magazine, and in 2017 he will publish a yet-tobe-titled Detroit neighborhood anthology.

Page C-3

Dr. Griffin is dedicated to educating residents and students in the field of plastic surgery and is active in many organizations and volunteer services in the community. He is currently on the executive board of the Detroit Medical Society and is a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.

Alaina Fruge Producer | AM 1200 WCHB, Radio One Detroit Alaina Fruge, a native of Louisiana, began her career in Michigan in 2010 as executive producer of “Inside Detroit,” now “The Mildred Gaddis Show,” at Radio One Detroit.

During her six-year tenure at Radio One, she has secured interviews from top local officials and former President Barack Obama.

She has been honored by Detroit City Council President Brenda Jones for speaking at public hearing meetings and organizing multiple broadcasts and securing donations for the city of Flint in its water crisis.

Russell Harris Principal | Jalen Rose Leadership Academy

Alaina’s activism started as a college student where she rallied alongside Michael Baisden during Jena 6 and volunteered during Hurricane Katrina. She has been an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. since 2005, currently serving in Detroit’s Lambda Pi Omega Chapter.

She has been a member of Triumph Church since 2010 where she has served with Youth Impact and Office of the Pastor. She is a former commentator and producer for “Detroit Speaks” with Cliff Russell, and voice talent for WGPR HOT 107.5.

Alaina graduated in 2007 from Grambling State University with a bachelor’s begree in Mass Communications.

Russell Harris currently serves as principal at the Jalen Rose Leadership Academy on the northwest side of Detroit. He recently completed studies at the Harvard Principals’ Center and Stanford’s Graduate School of Business, Summer Institute for General Management (SIGM). Overcoming many obstacles in his life, from being homeless to growing up in a single-parent household of eight children, Russell was the first male in his family to graduate with a high school diploma, undergraduate degree, and master’s degree.

He has already found success in his current role as principal, having graduated 99 percent of the academy’s class of 2016. One hundred percent of JRLA’s class of 2016 have also gained acceptance to post-secondary opportunities. Russell believes that all kids can lean and is on a mission to provide a quality education to urban youth regardless of their household income and zip code.

CONGRATULATIONS! Tiffany Sanford, M.D. For recognition as one of 2017’s

40UNDER40 The CareLink Board of Directors salutes your achievement!

We are proud to have you on the board! www.CareLinkNetwork.org

40 Under 40 Sherikia Hawkins

THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE

City Clerk | City of Pontiac Sherikia L. Hawkins, a Pontiac native, has worked in public administration for over 13 years. She holds an undergraduate degree in communications from Oakland University and a master’s degree from Eastern Illinois in political science with a specialization in public administration. In her role as Pontiac City Clerk, she takes pride in using unconventional methods to elicit and sustain voter participation.

A firm believer in giving back, Sherikia is involved in several civic organizations, including Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc., The National Black Women of Congress, The International Institute of Municipal Clerks, and the Baker College Business Advisory Board. Her comprehensive involvement throughout the metropolitan area illustrates a strong commitment to the edification of all residents. She is also an adjunct faculty member at Oakland Community College where she teaches political science. Recently, she was recognized as one of Oakland County’s Elite 40 Under 40.

Sherikia L. Hawkins is the proud wife of Jahquan C. Hawkins, a higher education professional and author. They have a son, Donovan. The family resides in Southfield.

Camille Hibbler, M.Ed. Principal | University Prep Academy High School Camille Hibbler is principal at University Prep Academy High School. In this position, she is responsible for facilitating the development and implementation of curriculum, programs, positive school culture and climate, policies, and budgets in order to promote the educational and social development of all students, and ensure the professional development of all staff members through observation and feedback.

Camille graduated from Michigan State University with a Bachelor of Arts in English and from Cambridge College with a Master of Education Leadership. She continues to professionally develop herself, including selection in Detroit Leads, a yearlong New Principal Program where she observed best practices of successful schools across the country, and Harvard Graduate School of Education’s New and Aspiring Leaders Program.

Camille is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Michigan Association of Secondary School Principals, National Council of Teachers of English, and ASCD.

February 22-28, 2017 Page C-4

Keith J. Jones Business and Community Liaison | Councilman Andre L. Spivey Keith J. Jones, a lifelong Detroit resident and community activist, has worked tirelessly over the past 20 years to be an agent of change in Detroit. A graduate of Martin Luther King Jr. High School (MSAT), Michigan State University and University of Phoenix, Keith know firsthand the importance of hard work and having a personal commitment to service.

Keith, a 2016 New Leaders Council fellow, is currently on the staff in the office of Detroit City Council member Andre L. Spivey as the community and business liaison. In this role, he works with community organizations, block clubs and businesses to forge partnership and bring new opportunities to District 4.

Keith has served on several boards of directors and currently is a board member in a local school district. He works in the community to support grassroots efforts that will transform the landscape of neighborhoods in Detroit. In addition to the hard work that Keith Jones puts int the city, he is a part-time adjunct professor at Wayne County Community College and a partner in the Fischer Insurance Agency.

Toni Jones Supervisor, Auditing | Detroit Wayne Mental Health Authority Toni Jones is a Detroit native and graduate of the Wayne State University’s School of Business Administration. After receiving a degree in accounting, Toni pursued a career in public accounting while working for George Johnson & Company, Alan C. Young & Associates, and KPMG. In 2015, she joined the Detroit Wayne Mental Health Authority’s finance department as supervisor of auditing, where she monitors spending and activities of mental health providers, assists in various compliance investigations, and oversees the Authority’s financial audit and all federal and state grant funding.

Jenni Lewis CEO | Tax Team Services, 360 MGMT & Consulting

After work, you’re most likely to find her spending time with family, volunteering with her sorority, or watching her favorite TV shows.

Jenni Lewis continues to show impressive growth in several industries with a simple, yet effective philosophy: “Continuous innovation and aggressive expansion.”

Kimberly Hoyle

Ms. Lewis was able to leverage this assertive approach to begin her first venture, a marketing and management company, 360 MGMT & Consulting. Through her growing experience with clients, she gained an understanding of a consistent and constant need —accounting. Gaining knowledge in this new field was essential, so she obtained her Master’s in Business Administration with a certification in Business Turnaround Management, and quickly opened her next business, Tax Team Services, a full service tax and accounting firm.

Director, Business Development & Marketing Hamilton Anderson Associates Kimberly Hoyle is the director of Business Development and Marketing for Detroit-based architecture firm Hamilton Anderson Associates (HAA). With her expertise in sales and professional management, she helps develop, coordinate and implement strategic business development and marketing plans for the firm, to discover and secure new opportunities across the design and architecture industry.

Her roles and responsibilities include identifying strategic opportunities to improve the market position of the firm, developing and directing the proposal response process, and collaborating with the leadership team to create, implement and meet firm objectives.

Her professional experience includes more than 15 years in sales, communications and marketing for both privately-held and public companies including Hampshire Designers, Inc. in New York City and the Sprint Nextel Corporation.

Kim plays an active role in several business and community organizations such as the Detroit Economic Club, Society for Marketing Professional Services (Michigan Chapter), and National Association of Women Business Owners. She also serves as a board member of Black Family Development, Inc., Youth Development Commission and as board president of the Michigan Garment Industry Council.

Kim earned a BBA in Marketing and a BA in Japanese during her time at Eastern Michigan University.

Antoine Jackson Corporate Development Director | Special Olympics Michigan Antoine D. Jackson is the first corporate development director-Detroit for Special Olympics Michigan. There he leads development and fundraising activities throughout Southeast Michigan with an emphasis on Detroit. Previously he served with Big Brothers Big Sisters Detroit for nine-and-a-half years where he, among other things, managed the growth of school- based mentoring programs, and the agency’s signature recruitment campaign.

Antoine is a graduate of the University of Phoenix where he studied business administration. A Detroit native, he is a graduate of the Detroit Public Schools’ Western International High School. He is an author, entrepreneur and minister in his church, Greater Mitchell Temple COGIC, where he works with the Youth Ministry.

Committed to service, Antoine is a board member of 100 Black Men of Greater Detroit; FIERCE (Female Icons Encouraging Real Concepts of Empowerment) as the only male board member supporting programming for young women; and God’s Old School Ministry supporting families and children. He is also a youth mentor and advocate for individuals with disabilities. He is the proud father of daughter Madison and loves encouraging and motivating others.

Paulina Johnson President | National Black MBA Association Detroit Chapter From teen mother to tenacious leader, Paulina Johnson, BS, MBA, overcame many obstacles to a successful corporate sales career.

She is currently an automotive account manager with ArcelorMittal USA where she manages GM accounts totaling over $145 million in annual sales. She is also serving a second term as president of the National Black MBA Association Detroit Chapter, where she champions leadership training and diversity and inclusion initiatives with corporations for minority professionals.

Now with gross profits averaging an annual growth rate of 25-30 percent between her businesses, she is dedicated to compounding the skills and creating the comprehensive model of branding, development, and marketing businesses, joined with accounting, maintenance, and business growth, to help other small businesses. Providing this platform to assist others in helping them find their footprint in business is her passion, and what she considers the true measurement of her success.

Elizabeth Mays President & Chief Executive Officer | MCS Multimedia Elizabeth Mays is CEO of MCS Multimedia, a visual design, printing and marketing company in Southfield. Established in 2011, MCS celebrated five years in October 2016 under the leadership of the 27-year-old entrepreneur.

Mays’ success in the printing industry is no surprise as she is a third generation of printers. Her grandfather, J. Caulton Mays, was a black pioneer in the printing industry when he started Mays Printing Company in 1946. Eager to keep the family-printing legacy alive, Mays, after graduating from Western Michigan University, started MCS Multimedia.

Mays has received many awards from organizations such as Women’s Informal Network (501c3) as one of ‘The Most Influential African American Women in Metropolitan Detroit,” Leadership Excellence Award from the Detroit Recovery Project and Rolling Out, and Succession Success Award by MICHBusiness.

Elizabeth is an active member of the Southfield and Ferndale Chamber of Commerce, NAWBO, Detroit Soup and Second Baptist Church of Detroit, to name a few. She was born, raised and still resides in Detroit.

Taylor Nelson Executive Programs Coordinator | City of Detroit Taylor Nelson, 27, a native of metro Detroit, currently serves as the executive programs coordinator for the City of Detroit’s Office of Immigrant Affairs. In this role, she focuses on integrating refugees into Detroit and connecting immigrant communities to vital city and community resources. For her efforts, Taylor was recognized in 2016 as a Crain’s Detroit Business Twenty in their 20s honoree.

Prior to returning to Detroit, Taylor, who is fluent in French, worked in the education field where she spent a year teaching English as a second language in Clermont-Ferrand, France and two years as a Teach For America corps member, teaching 7th and 8th grade Language Arts, Special Education in Decatur, Georgia. She is a 2011 graduate of the University of Michigan, where she studied English Language and Literature, and French and Francophone Studies.

Taylor currently serves on the Board of Directors for Black Family Development, Inc. She is also on the board of Detroit Young Professionals and is the co-chair for the organization’s enrichment committee. Additionally, she serves on the repopulation committee for the City of Detroit’s Immigration Task Force and is on the steering committee for the Detroit Symphony Orchestra’s 2017 Classical Roots Celebration.

Paulina’s childhood was riddled with abuse, neglect, and violence.

Becoming a mother at the age of 16, inspired her to break the cycles of abuse and poverty that had plagued her family. She used education to expand her opportunities. After completing high school as No. 8 in her class, she became the first person to complete a Bachelor of Science degree in three years from Indiana University Northwest.

With a passion for mentorship, education, community service and development, Paulina Johnson founded the non-profit organization Achieve Against All Odds, a mentoring organization in 2013.

She is a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Tau Alpha Omega Chapter.

Jewell Jones Michigan State Representative | 11th District Elect A lifelong resident of the city of Inkster, Jewell Jones made history when he was sworn in November 2015 as the youngest person to ever sit on Inkster’s City Council. He continues to make a difference in the community and have a positive impact on public policy.

His effectiveness as a councilman blossomed into a record-breaking campaign during the summer of 2016. Jewell was selected to be the Democratic nominee in the 11th State House District, and he went on to win the General Election, becoming the youngest state representative in Michigan’s history.

Congratulations Shanise Bell!

HAP’s Director of Business Transformation Thank you for your leadership and your amazing talent for managing high-performing teams.

Your 40 Under 40 honor is so well-deserved.

Jewell is also an U.S. Army Reserved Officer Training Corps (ROTC) cadet, a member of the Michigan National Guard, a senior deacon at his church, and a senior, pursuing a Political Science and Business Studies degree, at the University of Michigan-Dearborn.

He is passionate and committed about engaging youth in democratic citizenship, cultural enrichment, and sustainable business development.

hap.org

40 Under 40

THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE

February 22-28, 2017 Page C-5

Thomas Parker

Nicholas Schrock

Superintendent | Ecorse Public Schools

Agency Owner | Allstate Insurance

Thomas Parker has been the superintendent of Ecorse Public Schools since 2013. In that capacity, he restructured the district into financially solvency. He implemented several district-wide initiatives focused on improving student achievement with a special emphasis on closing achievement gaps. His numerous programs have resulted in Ecorse being recognized statewide as a Future Ready District.

Parker started in Detroit Public Schools, working from teacher at Cleveland Middle School to assistant principal at Martin Luther King Jr. Senior High School to founding principal at Osborn College Preparatory Academy. He also served as Harper Woods High School and Middle School principal and as director of mentoring of Cranbrook Schools – Horizons Upward Bound in Bloomfield Hills.

Parker holds an Education Specialist (ED.S.) in Educational Leadership from Eastern Michigan University. He has his MA in Education Foundation and Policy from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and earned his BA in History and Secondary Education from Howard University in Washington, D.C. Originally from Tillatoba, Mississippi, Thomas Parker is a proud husband and father of one daughter.

Choi Portis Associate General Counsel City of Detroit Water and Sewage Department Choi T. Portis, a Detroit native, is associate general counsel for the City of Detroit Water and Sewerage Department. In her current position, she handles the in-house litigation. She serves as a member of the executive council for the State Bar of Michigan Young Lawyers Section, and as the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division district representative for the state of Michigan. She is admitted to practice law in Michigan and the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. She attended Eastern Michigan University and Thomas M. Cooley Law School. She started her career as a litigator representing children who had been sexually and physically abused in schools.

Choi serves as a mentor to teenagers, and as a tutor to bar candidates through the Wolverine Bar Association. She is chair of the Kelly’s Kids Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing support to disadvantaged and low-income families that suffer from life-threatening illnesses. She also dedicates her time to service projects in the Inkster community as a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, Eta Iota Omega Chapter.

Erica Proctor MD Director | Breast Cancer Disparities Research Henry Ford Health System At Henry Ford Health System, Dr. Erica Proctor serves as the director of Breast Cancer Disparities Research, focusing on opportunities to improve access to screening and treatment to improve breast cancer health outcomes in Southeast Michigan.

She served as a scholar for the Translational Health Disparities Course at the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities. She was also a research fellow for the African Ancestry project, a collaboration between U-M, Henry Ford and Komfo Anoyke Teaching Hospital in Ghana to study triple negative breast cancer and African ancestry. She travels to Ghana each year to continue work on this research project.

Dr. Proctor received her medical education and completed her residency in general surgery and fellowship in surgical breast oncology at University of Michigan Medical School - University of Michigan Health System.

She is a member of the American College of Surgeons and the National Medical Association.

Kristina L. Robinson General Counsel | Wayne County Sheriff’s Office Kristina L. Robinson serves as general counsel for the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office. In this role, she advises the Sheriff’s Office in all legal matters, including litigation, contracts, labor and employment, FOIA, personnel, civil process and correctional issues. Her counsel protects the rights of employees, inmates and the public.

A committed public servant, Kristina served as a mentor and tutor for the Wolverine Minority Bar Passage Program and the University of Detroit Mercy and State Bar of Michigan Professionalism in Action program which introduces law students to the importance of civility, professionalism and ethics in the legal profession.

She also chairs the Urban League Blue Monday Network/Young Professionals. She earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan and a juris doctor from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law. Kristina, a Detroit resident, serves on the Board of Directors for the D. Augustus Straker Bar Association, and the Urban League of Detroit and Southeastern Michigan. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., the University of Detroit Mercy Black Alumni Steering Committee, and the Legal Advisors Section for the International Association of Chiefs of Police.

Tiffany L. Sanford, MD, MBA Chief Medical Officer | The Wellness Plan Medical Centers Tiffany Lavonne Sanford, MD, MBA, 36, is a board-certified internal medicine physician who completed her medical degree from Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, and holds a Master of Business Administration from Michigan State University’s Broad College of Business, as well as a Bachelor of Science from the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor.

Dr. Sanford has held leadership roles in various health care settings, with her most recent as the chief medical officer for The Wellness Plan Medical Centers, a collection of Federally Qualified Health Centers in Southeast Michigan. As CMO, she oversees a multi-disciplinary group of physicians, mid-levels, nursing, and behavioral health specialists to provide exceptional and companionate medical care to the medically underserved.

Currently, Dr. Sanford serves on the Board of Directors for the CareLink Network and the Imagine Mentoring Program. She is a member of many medical associations and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.

The Hon. Sylvia Santana Representative, 9th District | Michigan House of Representatives Sylvia Santana is the state representative for Michigan’s 9th District. She graduated from Eastern Michigan University in 2007 with BS in Business Administration, majoring in Finance.

Rep. Sylvia Santana serves as a member of the House Appropriations Committee, handling decisions regarding Michigan’s budget. She is also the Democratic vice chairwoman of the Corrections Subcommittee, a member of the Health and Human Services Subcommittee, and a member of the Licensing and Regulatory Affairs/ Department of Insurance and Financial Services Subcommittee.

Prior to serving, she spent 15 years in the financial industry. Her financial experience includes from mortgages, taxes, valuation, and lending.

Sylvia has served in her community in northwest Detroit since she moved there in 2003. For the past three years she served as the president of the Warrendale Community Organization.

Sylvia is the wife of former State Rep. Harvey Santana, has been married for the past 13 years, and they have three children, Sofia, Olivia, and Samuel.

Nicholas R. Schrock has been an Allstate agency owner since November 2011. He initially opened in Ferndale and subsequently added a location in Farmington Hills. He has been committed to the growth of his business and the success of the communities he serves. He has supported organizations serving youth, seniors and individuals with disabilities, including Ferndale Public Schools, the Jalen Rose Leadership Academy, Adult Well-Being Services, Winning Futures and many others.

Prior to launching his insurance business, Nicholas enjoyed a successful sales career with CINTAS Corporation beginning as an intern during college and ending as the regional manager for their Healthcare Division. He graduated from the University of Michigan with a bachelor’s degree in Organizational Studies. He graduated from Southfield High School where he was in the National Honor Society and played on the football and baseball teams. He maintains close ties with many childhood friends. His family encourages his entrepreneurial interests and community service. He knows that business success is fueled by a generous spirit toward his customers and the greater community.

Cedric Scott Director, Media & Communications | Triumph Church Cedric Scott is the director of media and communications at Triumph Church, Michigan’s largest church with eight campuses and weekly attendance of more than 15,000. He manages all communications and more than 100 volunteers in eight ministries throughout Michigan.

Previously, he was the promotions director for Detroit’s Radio One, overseeing marketing for Hot 107.5, 105.9 Kiss, Praise 102.7 and 1200 WCHB-AM. Outside of work, philanthropy is a staple for Cedric. His endeavors include being a co-founder of an organization that, to date, has raised $2.9 million for 150,000 children in the Children’s Miracle Network. Additionally, he currently leads a volunteer that team that feeds 200 needy Detroiters during the Christmas holidays.

As a former Flint radio personality, Cedric was a leading voice in the Flint water crisis, organizing national broadcasts from Flint while helping collect and distribute water.

He has also created internship and apprentice programs to help young people navigate into adulthood and professional careers. His mentees and protégés have found employment with leading media companies such as the Animal Planet, BET, Beasley Media, Cumulus and Radio One, among others.

Mary Sheffield Detroit City Councilmember | City of Detroit Mary Sheffield is a native Detroiter with a track record of community service and leadership. She believes in building a stronger future for all Detroiters and restoring Detroit to its rightful place of prominence, globally.

In November of 2013, Mary, at 26, became the youngest person ever elected to the Detroit City Council. Council member Sheffield was appointed chair of Neighborhood and Community Services and serves on the Planning and Economic Development Committee.

She is a board member for the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy and a member of the National Network to Combat Gun Violence and People for the American Way’s Young Elected Officials.

Sheffield is renowned for her monthly Occupy the Corner-Detroit initiative and Homelessness Taskforce. Legislatively, she sponsored an Inclusionary Housing Ordinance and restored police commissioner power and much needed Home Repair Grant funding.

Led by faith and driven by her passion for people and justice, Mary Sheffield has accepted her calling to be an active participant in Detroit’s Renaissance, lending her voice and expertise to ensuring all Detroiters benefit during Detroit’s resurgence and revitalization.

40 Under 40

THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE

February 22-28, 2017 Page C-6

Misha Stallworth

Glenn Wilson

Board Member | Detroit Board of Education

Founder & Chief Executive Officer | Communities First Inc.

Misha Stallworth doesn’t know how to work on any less than three projects at a time. Past projects have included advocacy for older adults, non-profit fund development, and facilitating youth empowerment. Currently, she is the youngest-ever newly elected member of the Detroit Board of Education, working on millennial engagement in civic issues, and the new director of arts and culture for the Luella Hannan Memorial Foundation. There, Misha is developing the creative arts space through programming and art exhibitions developed with an aging and intergenerational lens. She brings to this role not only a background in inclusive non-profit development, but also one in the arts as a classically trained pianist and writer.

Misha also serves on various boards and coalitions with social justice missions, including Services and Advocacy for GLB/T Elders (SAGE) Metro Detroit, the City Year Alumni Board, and the Greenwich Park Neighborhood Association. She has a bachelor’s degree in research psychology from the University of Chicago and a master’s in Social Work and Community Organizing from the University of Michigan. She lives in northwest Detroit.

Eric S. Thomas Senior Partner, Brand Strategist | Saga Marketing Eric Thomas is a brand strategist and senior partner at Detroit-based Saga Marketing. During his nearly decade-long career, he has worked with many businesses and organizations to help them develop their brands and find their voice through brand storytelling.

Glenn Wilson is co-founder and president/CEO of Communities First, Inc., a thriving nonprofit community development corporation in Flint.

Communities First was founded in response to the great need that distressed communities face with regard to economic development and affordable housing. The organization has secured more than $30 million in funding, primarily for real estate development projects and provided jobs to more than 200 people. CFI’s arts and culture program, Culture Shock, impacts more than 15,000 people each year.

Glenn currently serves on the Board of Directors for Michigan Housing Council, Community and Economic Development Association of Michigan, Mass Transportation Authority and Hurley Foundation, and was recently appointed to the Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis Advisory Committee. He is also involved in committees at the Flint Institute of Arts and Flint Institute of Music.

His work is helping to shape the housing and community development industry at the city, county, and state level. He is passionate about community and economic development, rebuilding distressed areas, and inspiring change in the lives of others.

The Hon. Coleman A. Young II State Senator, District 1 | Michigan Senate Sen. Coleman A. Young II is a 34-year-old hard-working young man who believes in the best for the people of Detroit. He returned to the city in 2005 because he was “called” to work for the people. He told them to hold him accountable, and his father, former Mayor Coleman A. Young, told him to “always let the people find you working, son.”

While seeking broader opportunities to help businesses understand storytelling, his blog on LinkedIn has experienced tremendous success. In under a year, his writing has been viewed over 1.5 million times and been republished across the globe. His most viewed article to date, “Why I Hate Detroit (134,516),” sparked heavy discussion around the world.

The growth of Saga MKTG has turned a new page in his entrepreneurial success. He has added a new chapter to his brand, serving as a storytelling expert, speaking at national conferences including IDSA Design Conference and TEDX Detroit as well as a host of Detroit events and workshops. His knowledge has also landed him in Crain’s Detroit Business “Twenty in their 20s.” (2016) along and the Spirit of Detroit Award (2017).

Katrina Turnbow

Since being elected in 2006, he has passed landmark civil rights legislation that gives Michigan’s working women paid maternity leave; laws regulating the medical marijuana industry, movie tax credits, assisting energy cost recovery, increasing blight control; created the Michigan Tax Tribunal Fund and extended neighborhood enterprise zones for local homeowners.

Sen. Young’s District 1 (the same as his father) of 400,000-plus constituents includes 11 cities and two townships from Alter Road to Gibraltar, and Midtown and downtown Detroit. His priority is to make the quality of life better — including jobs, expanding literacy with quality schools, reducing auto insurance costs, clean air and water, and public safety.

An Office in Detroit, Co- working Space Kanopi Social Digital Marketing Agency Katrina Turnbow is the owner and operator of Kanopi Social, a digital marketing firm, and An Office, a coworking space in Detroit.

An acknowledged expert on the use of digital media and marketing, Katrina’s career matured as the use of the Internet for business-to-business purposes exploded. Over the years, she has built a solid reputation for providing innovative solutions using digital methodologies, especially in high-pressure situations.

Kimberly N. Vann Chief Executive Officer | VIP Mentoring Kimberly N. Vann, Esq. has been dedicated to working with young people, helping them gain the tools needed to build a strong support system that will follow them throughout their lives. Born, raised and educated in Detroit, Kimberly has always been eager to be a benefit to others.

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Through her two companies, Katrina Turnbow has her sights on continuing to open doors online for her clients and being a conduit for small and mid-size business growth in the age of technology.

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Always open to new ways of presenting and delivering digital solutions to existing and new audiences, Katrina is especially passionate about helping small-to-medium-sized businesses receive exposure through social media by aligning their business goals with the appropriate communication and marketing channels. From this passion, Katrina not only launched her marketing firm, but also made the strategic decision to acquire the coworking space, An Office in March 2016, becoming one of Michigan’s few African American female coworking space owners.

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CONGRATULATIONS

While at the University of Michigan, Kimberly served in her first adult mentoring experience as a summer camp counselor for a youth sports camp. She knew she had a passion for working with young people in the capacity of relationship building.

After graduation, she went to work for the VIP Mentoring, a program dedicated to providing mentors to the most vulnerable youth to break the cycle of recidivism and school dropouts. She also attended Cooley Law School while continuing her position as assistant program director.

Kimberly now serves as president/CEO at VIP Mentoring and managed their first annual fundraiser in 2012 with close to $300,000 raised, and a 25 percent jump by 2016. She also serves on the board of Black Family Development.

Jami J. Vaughn Operations Director –Facility Administrator White House Services, Inc. Jami Vaughn is the facility administrator and operations director of White House Services Inc. (WHS), in West Bloomfield. WHS is a multimillion-dollar health care facility that provides rehabilitation for brain and spinal cord injured clients. Recently, she started her own business called Rolling Rehab Recreation that provides activities to these specific clients. She recognizes the importance of rehabilitation and how it impacts the ability to regain independent function for participation in daily living.

Ms. Vaughn is a graduate of Eastern Michigan University class of 2008. She earned her Bachelor of Science in English, Language, and Literature. She holds a Master of Arts in Psychology, graduating summa cum laude, from the University of the Rockies and became a member of the Golden Key International Honour Society. Currently, she is earning her certification to become an EMT (emergency medical technician) to continue to serve the community. Her desire to give back led her to make a greater commitment by becoming a licensed foster parent and adopting two babies one a former foster child, and raising them alone.

Shannon S. Williams

Jami Vaughn

On being selected for Michigan Chronicle’s “40 Under 40” from

Chief Executive Officer | Pathways to Self Determination Shannon S. Williams has always been strongly committed to supporting underserved populations. She is currently the CEO at Pathways to Self Determination, LLC, a leading provider of residential treatment services to persons with disabilities, mental illness and traumatic brain injuries.

In this role, Williams oversees the specialized residential program for 10 adult foster care homes. She ensures compliance with treatment plans and explores different ways to enhance therapeutic programming for clients. Most notably, she has been responsible for the implementation of innovative day programs, including a GED program and a micro-enterprise program.

Armed with a strong entrepreneurial gumption and successful history of developing progressive programming, Williams recently co-founded Cornerstone Case Management LLC, a premier provider of case management services to persons injured in auto accidents. She has been devoted to ensuring clients receive the benefits they are entitled to and achieve their greatest level of independence. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Houston and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Clinical Counseling.

20510 Livernois Avenue Detroit, MI 48221 (313) 345-6300 Bakerskeyboard@gmail.com

5466 Greenbriar West Bloomfield, MI 48323 (248) 682-0773 www.whitehouseservices.net

“Baker’s and White House Services always welcome good team members.”

40 Under 40

Under 40s making it happen at

THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE

February 22-28, 2017 Page C-7

40 Under 40

THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE

February 22-28, 2017 Page C-8

INDUCTION CEREMONY AND CELEBRATION Friday, February 24, 2017 6 PM – 9 PM

The Whittier Detroit 425 Burns Drive | Detroit, MI 48214

For tables, tickets, congratulatory ads and sponsorships, call the Michigan Chronicle today.

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February 22-28, 2017

Reflections

By Steve Holsey

Tracee glows

Tracee Ellis Ross — current costar of “Black-ish” and former co-star of “Girlfriends” — is the perfect talk show guest. She is exuberant, talkative, funny and likable.

Not many things in show business are worse than a dull guest on a talk show. It makes seconds seem like hours, especially for the host, and it’s embarrassing for all parties involved.

Tracee Ellis Ross Ross, always beaming, holds your attention, keeps you smiling.

The scandalous life

Rick James New biography takes a comprehensive look

Also, she is more comfortable discussing her age than most women are, and some men, too. Ross, who turned 44 in October, joked, “I used to think 40 was old, but now I think it’s so hot!”

PEOPLE are talking about the fact that when “America’s Got Talent” returns next month for its 12th season, Nick Cannon won’t be there. This would have been his eighth season as host.

Because Cannon used ethnic Nick Cannon humor, including the so-called “n” word in his Showtime special, the head honchos at NBC said even though it was his special, what he said still reflected on the TV show. They said it “disparaged their brand.”

Cannon strongly disagreed and subsequently made the critical decision to not return.

THE LGBT community sure has a friend in “Scandal” star Kerry Washington. Pulling no punches, she said: “We need more LGBT characters and more LGBT storytelling.

We need more diverse LGBT representation, LGBT people living different kinds of lives. We need more LGBT people in front of and behind the Kerry Washington camera. We have to continue to be bold and break new ground until that is just how it is.”

Reader Greg Hendricks, a former Detroiter who now lives in New York, really laid it on the line regarding Donald Trump, president and scary “entertainer.” His e-mail almost ignited.

“The presidency of Donald Trump is like a bad dream and you can’t wake up,” he began. “Every day you shudder at what he plans to do next. He is in the White House because (much of) white America voted hate. This is one last gasp for white supremacy.

“For many white Americans, the president is supposed to be a white man. Never mind if he is inept, incompetent and unqualified. The presidency of Barack Obama was infuriating to them. But many whites regret voting for Trump. They wanted to ‘give him a chance.’

“We’ve just lived through eight years of obstructionism and a House and Senate that blocked every effort President Obama made to take the nation forward, and I’m supposed to ‘give him a chance’?

“What’s frightening to me is that so many people are defining their own truths now, facts be damned.”

ADELE is a fantastic singer and songwriter, and she deserves to be awarded for her efforts.

But Beyoncé is also great and has a much longer track record.

There is an absurdity about Beyoncé losing to Adele at the Beyoncé Grammys in three major categories — Album of the Year, Record of the Year,

See Reflections Page D-2

and ‘punk funk’ music of

By Steve Holsey

W

hen James Ambrose Johnson, Jr. — better known as Rick James — signed with Motown in 1977, he bore no similarity to any artists that had ever signed with the company before.

The singer, musician, songwriter and producer had no connection to the fabled Motown “machine,” nor was he part of “the family.” Rick James was a rebel who reveled in being outrageous and living out the flamboyant character he had created. Made a lot of exciting music, too.

James’ history is explored in great detail in a new book by Peter Benjaminson titled “Super Freak: The Life of Rick James.”

Benjaminson is among the best in his field. It was he who wrote, among other things, the masterpiece, “Mary Wells: The Tumultuous Life of Motown’s First Superstar.”

Rick James epitomized the concept of “wretched excess,” thrived on taking his pleasures to the next level. Pushing buttons was almost a way of life. But, of course, with age (usually) comes maturity and “Father Time” makes slowing down a necessity.

When he was in his fifties, James commented, “Rick James was just the image I created…Rick James was wild and crazy, sex, drugs and rock and roll…I had always been a free spirit and always gotten what I wanted…and trying to live Rick James almost killed me.”

To assure thoroughness and accuracy, Benjaminson used “countless court records, newspaper archives, interviews with dozens of James’ family members, friends, band members and lovers.”

Buffalo, New York-born Rick James was rebellious dating back to childhood. His sister, Camille Hudson, recalled that her brother was “hyper,” “bad…real hard to handle…a real handful.”

In the mid-1960s, James, while living in Toronto, formed a band called the Mynah Birds. They traveled to Detroit and landed a contract with Motown. Things were looking up, but the euphoria didn’t last long because later the company dropped the Mynah Birds.

Eventually, that band was dissolved and James put together another one, the Stone City Band, that Motown was eager to sign. However, it was decided that Rick James would be a solo attraction, accompanied by the Stone City Band.

“Come Get It!” was released in the spring of 1978 and was well-received by radio programmers and the public.

The lead single, “You and I,” climbed to No. 1 on the

national R&B Singles chart and No. 13 on the Pop Singles chart. The hit “Mary Jane” was also featured on that album. The song alluded to marijuana.

When the follow-up album, “Bustin’ Out of L Seven,” was also a major hit, it was clear that a major new star — who labeled his music “punk funk” — had arrived. And the next album, “Street Songs,” featuring “Give it to Me Baby,” “Super Freak” and the sizzling duet with Teena Marie, “Fire and Desire,” sent James into the stratosphere.

By this time, James’ fondness for weed — and other

See RICK JAMES Page D-2

entertainment

THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE

February 22-28, 2017 Page D-2

MOTOR CITY ENTERTAINMENT

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PICKS 472 617 622 995 118 WEEK’S BEST LOTTERY

CALENDAR

Angela Winbush

D.L. Hughley

Norah Jones

Doug E. Fresh

BIG SEAN, Fox Theatre, April 1. Tickets sold at Ticketmaster locations. To charge by phone, call 1.800.745.3000.

NORAH JONES, Fox Theatre, May 23. Tickets sold at Ticketmaster locations. To charge by phone, call 1.800.745.3000.

“THE BOOK of Pleasures, Chapter 2,” Starring Keke Wyatt, Angela Winbush and Avant, Masonic Temple, April 8. Tickets sold at the Masonic Temple box office and Ticketmaster locations. To charge by phone, call 1.800.745.3000.

BILL MAHER, Fox Theatre, April 8. Tickets sold at Ticketmaster locations. To charge by phone, call 1.800.745.3000.

BOBBY BROWN, Alise King, Masonic Temple, Saturday, March 4. Tickets sold at the Masonic Temple box office and Ticketmaster locations.

To charge by phone, call 1.800.745.3000.

BRIAN McKNIGHT, Sound Board at MotorCity Casino, May 18. Tickets sold at Ticketmaster locations. To charge by phone, call 1.800.745.3000.

“MJ LIVE – Michael Jackson Tribute,” Fox Theatre, March 3. Tickets sold at Ticketmaster locations. To charge by phone, call 1.800.745.3000.

GEORGE CLINTON and Parliament-Funkadelic, May 25.

Tickets sold at Ticketmaster locations. To charge by phone, call 1.800.745.3000.

MOTOR CITY Blues Festival, featuring Willie Clayton, Shirley Brown, Bishop Bullwinkle, Sir Charles Jones, T.K. Soul, Bigg Robb, Fox Theatre, March 11.

RACHELLE FERRELL, Sound Board at MotorCity Casino, March 23. Tickets sold at Ticketmaster locations. To charge by phone, call 1.800.745.3000.

CHRIS ROCK, Fox Theatre, April 28-29. Tickets sold at Ticketmaster locations.

To charge by phone, call 1.800.745.3000.

FOUR TOPS, Andiamo Celebrity Showroom, March 17. Tickets sold at Ticketmaster locations, the Andiamo box office and by calling 586.268.3200.

RICKEY SMILEY & Friends, Sound Board at MotorCity Casino, April 20. Tickets sold at Ticketmaster locations.

To charge by phone, call 1.800.745.3000.

DOUG E. FRESH, Al B. Sure, Slick Rick, Big Daddy Kane, Jalil and Ecstasy of Whodini, Force MD’s, Hi-Five, Cherrelle, Fox Theatre, March 17. Tickets sold at Ticketmaster locations.

To charge by phone, call 1.800.745.3000.

MUSIQ SOULCHILD, Fox Theatre, Saturday, Feb. 25.

Tickets sold at Ticketmaster locations. To charge by phone, call 1.800.745.3000.

D.L. HUGHLEY, George Lopez, Charlie Murphy, Eddie Griffin, Masonic Temple, May 13. Tickets sold at the Masonic Temple box office and Ticketmaster locations. To charge by phone, call 1.800.745.3000.

DAVID SPADE, Sound Board at MotorCity Casino, April 27.

Tickets sold at Ticketmaster locations. To charge by phone, call 1.800.745.3000.

VANESSA WILLIAMS, Sound Board at MotorCity Casino, March 9. Tickets sold at Ticketmaster locations. To charge by phone, call 1.800.745.3000.

Rick James

From page D-1

substances — had become well known, as had his love for the pleasures of the flesh.

Benjaminson devotes a chapter — there are 76 short chapters — to the famous Rick James-Prince feud. The flames were ignited on the occasions that James hired newcomer Prince to be a part of his live shows.

“Despite their obvious dislike for each other, it became apparent that neither man covered his ears in the presence of the other man’s performances,” writes Benjaminson. “For the rest of Rick’s career, he and Prince competed intensely…”

Rick James was red-hot from 1979 to 1983, enjoying the massive success of the albums “Come Get It,” “Bustin’ Out of L Seven,” “Fire it Up,” “Street Songs,” “Throwin’ Down” and “Cold Blooded.”

During this time, James also joined forces with the reunited Temptations (with David Ruffin and Eddie Kendricks) and had a Top 10 hit with “Standing on the Top,” written and produced by James.

In addition to the aforementioned Teena Marie, James also assembled the Mary Jane Girls, who had a string of hits from 1983 to 1986, the biggest of which was “In My House.” Teena Marie enjoyed Top 10 hits with “I’m a Sucker for Your

Beyoncé’s hugely successful “Lemonade” is one of the best and most unusual albums ever made, and was deserving of more Grammy recognition.

Even Adele publicly expressed that sentiment.

Some believe that a few of the songs on “Lemonade” are so pro-black and pro-women’s rights — complete with harsh language — that it made some people, including Grammy voters, somewhat uncomfortable.

It has been reported that Stevie Wonder has parted with Motown to start his own label and production company. He is the only artist who had stayed with Motown for the entirety of his career up to this point. But Motown hasn’t been a “company” in a long time. It’s just a label owned by a conglomerate.

But exactly when is Steve Wonder going to make a new album? The last one came out 12 years ago!

BETCHA DIDN’T KNOW…that when

On Sunday, Feb. 26, the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Michigan Chapter will present its 2017 Silver Circle Luncheon. The event will take place at the Townsend Hotel, 100 Townsend Street, in Birmingham, Michigan. The reception starts at noon, the luncheon at 1 pm and the induction ceremony at 2 p.m.

LOOKS

GOOD IN PRINT Place your classified or display ad in the

Among the Silver Circle honorees is William Anthony (Tony) Stevenson, recently retired satellite coordinator/engineering supervisor, WWJ/ WKBD-TV. Stevenson began his 46-year-long tenure with TV50 as a sophomore at Highland Park High School. That summer employment led to a series of positions, including audio technician/ engineer, studio camera operator, videotape/telecine (film) tech, floor manager, field-ENG EFP, master control and studio production switcher and lighting tech. His various positions were extended to include the duopoly sister station, WWJ-TV.

Call (313) 963-5522

Love,” “I Need Your Lovin’” and “Square Biz.” Both acts, like James, recorded for Motown.

James’ relentless drug use — marijuana, heroin, cocaine, freebasing — led to a series of health issues. At one point, he admitted to spending $7,000 per week on drugs for five years straight.

There were also serious legal troubles, including holding a woman hostage for several days, doing all kinds of disgusting things to her. And he ended up spending two years in prison, for kidnapping another woman and beating her, assisted by a woman who later became his wife.

In 2003, comedian Dave Chappelle’s began parodying Rick James on “Chappelle’s Show” that aired on Comedy Central. It proved to be hugely popular although it presented a completely negative and over-the-top image of James. There was plenty to justify that negativity, but Rick James was also an outstanding artist with a long list of achievements, having made a major, lasting impact and influencing other artists.

Rick James was, in many ways, a “super freak,” but he was not “just” a super freak.

Reflections and Song of the Year.

Tony Stevenson honored at Silver Circle Luncheon

Since retirement, Stevenson has volunteered his talents to the Detroit Chapter of the Tuskegee Airmen and Friends of Detroit City Airport.

“Rick loved getting high and having sex with two or three women at a time,” the author writes. “This was not exactly unusual among rock musicians during this area…He also enjoyed ordering an excited woman to…” (We can’t print what follows.) “…Even years later, when Rick was out of shape, no longer making hit records and rarely touring, women would still migrate to his house wherever he was living and join the large party that was always going on (likely partly a result of the masses of cocaine Rick kept on hand). When Rick wanted one of the women, he would just step out of his bedroom and point at her. After he’d finished with her, he’d point at the next woman he desired.”

Tony Stevenson

509 007 718 231 563 793 197 2938 1879 826 20 30 42 48 52 10 YOUR AD

From page D-1 he was just starting his career, Usher lived with P. Diddy, and that when Anita Baker had her first child, Roberta Flack stayed with her for a few days to help with the baby, etc.

MEMORIES: “Whip Appeal” (Babyface), “Can’t Hide Love” (Earth, Wind & Fire), “Tired of Being Alone” (Al Green), “Don’t Let Go” (Isaac Hayes), “Diamonds and Pearls” (Prince & the New Power Generation), “All Around the World” (Lisa Stansfield), “I’ll Never Love This Way Again” (Dionne Warwick), “If You Think You’re Lonely Now” (Bobby Wo­ mack), “Pull Up to the Bumper” (Grace Jones), “Get Off” (Foxy).

BLESSINGS to every person reading this right now.

WORDS OF THE WEEK, from Les Brown: “Forgive yourself for your faults and mistakes, and then move on.”

Let the music play!

Steve Holsey can be reached at svh517@aol.com and PO Box 02843, Detroit, MI 48202.

© 2016 UNIVERSAL STUDIOS

CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS FOR AND SHOWTIMES STARTS FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24 THEATERS

entertaiment business

THE MICHIGAN MICHIGAN CHRONICLE CHRONICLE THE

February 1-7, 2017 February 22-28, 2017 Page C-2 D-3

Midtowncelebration will honor DSO’S 39th Annual Classical Roots Regina Carter and Terence Blanchard

From page C-1

sumption.

over 1,800 new units of promotes local cultural “As a mission-driven housing and has assisted events including three lender Capital Impact is over 100 local businesses signature events – Noel assistance Night, DLECTRICITY, and ready to support projects with technical coast The Detroit Symphony Orchestra will at The John F. Detroit along with and financing. MDI premiere also ArtinX2017 like this that help create honor trumpeter, composer and Fred A. Center forCenter the Performing Arts New Park summer manages LiveKennedy Midtown, stability and opportu& Barbara M. Erb Jazz Creative Chair in Washington, DC. For more a successful initiative to entertainment. nity for Detroit's neighTerence Blanchard and jazz violinist visit asmidincrease population den- information, In Detroit, Blanchard serves the borhoods,” said Melinda and MacArthur fellow Regina Carter at sity through incentives to A.towndetroitinc.org.

DSO’s Fred & Barbara M. Erb Jazz Clemons, senior loan ofthe 39th annual Classical Roots Celeeligible anchorCreative institution chair and the regular host of ficer for Capital Impact bration. Classical Roots honors Afriemployees. Over 1,300 Jazz the Paradise AtSeries.

Your Service Partners.

“I'm particularly can-American composers, musicians, participants have taken excited about the fact that Regina Carter is considered the foreand educators for lifetime achievement advantage of the Live Midthis project includes the most jazz violinist of her generation. and raises funds to support the DSO’s town program to date.

Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. FounA Sony Masterworks artist, she was a African-American music and musician Additional 2006 initiatives dation and has an affordrecipient of a MacArthur Foundadevelopment programs. able housing component. include a comprehention “genius” grant. A master of improThe concert will take place on Friday, It will help ensure that the sive communication visation,and she has released numerous alMarch 3, at 8 p.m. at Orchestra Hall, loneighborhood remains marketing campaign bums as to a leader and has collaborated cated within the Max M. and Marjorie S. of as diverse as Wynton Marinclusive for people of all increase awareness with artists Fisher Music Center. The celebration, Midtown’s numerous income levels.” salis, Lauryn Hill, Max Roach, Joe Jackpresented by JPMorgan Chase and the qualities, stimulate pop- Parton. son and About Midtown Detroit, ulation growth, and Dolly DTE Energy Foundation, surrounds the atCarter to is a native Detroiter, proud From page C-1 Inc. performance, featuring a pre-concert tract new businesses Cass Technical High School alumna, Terence Blanchard strolling dinner and a post-concert cel- Regina Carter Midtown Detroit, Inc. the area. MDI additionally options hotel. ebrationatinthe The Cube. will also be featured. in theispresent as weplancome together to and former DSO Civic Youth Ensembles (MDI) a nonprofit student.

In addition to the featuring the tell ourand story development and inspire our AT future.”

A separate performance YOUR SERVICE The premiere of Blanchard’s piece ning building located at 1400 agency charged with reTickets for the DSO’s Classical Roots same program in a concert-only setting, is an element of the DSO’s partnership Co-chairing the Classical Roots CelWoodward the projof Detroit's concerts begin at $15 and can be purscheduled Ave., for Friday, March 3, at 10:45 with Detroit 67: Looking Back to MOVE vitalization ebration are Jason Tinsley and Therese ect includeSeries the Coffee ConWoodward Corridor.

Rep- of more than chased at dso.org, by calling (313) 576a.m.will as also a Classical FORWARD, a multi-year community enPeace, with the support building at 1416 over 100 area and corpo- 5111, or in person at the Max M. and cert, will take placeWoodas planned. gagement project of the Detroit Histori- resenting 30 Detroit-area volunteers ward and three buildings stakeholders, including cal Society that brings together diverse rate leaders committed to the Classical Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center (3711 The DSO present the world prelocated on will Woodward Woodward Avenue, Detroit). For group Detroit's anchor educamiere of abetween yet-unnamed piece composed voices and communities around the ef- Roots mission.

Avenue Grand ticket information (groups of 10 or tional, medical and culfects of an historic crisis to find their

by Blanchard the 50th anniverRiver and Johnmarking R that will About the honorees: MDI more), please contact DeRon Wilson at tural institutions, sarydemolished of Detroit’s to tumultuous summer of place in the present and inspire the fube make MBE (313) 576-5130 or dwilson@dso.org. provides public space Terence Blanchard has established ture.

1967.for (Please note: Blanchard does not room the project. maintenance and secuhimself as one of the most influential Classical Roots Celebration tickets — perform on the piece, which is scored “The DSO’s Classical Roots Celebra- rity services; marketing a creative Offering Affordable, preconcert reception for“Bedrock orchestraisand voice.) Kazem Abdul- tion is an annual tradition, celebrat- jazz musicians and film score masters which include the support; technical assisreal estate firm that the Classical Roots lah will conduct thefocusprogram, which also ing African American musicians and of his generation. With more than 31 al- and strolling dinner, Professional tance; infrastructure and es on delivering uniqueby Carter and bums to his credit, Blanchard is a five- concert, and the post-concert afterglow includes a performance Computer Sales & composers whose contributions tran- real estate development; developments.

Shinola Young Friends, Jeffrey Mumford’s celloisconcerto titled scend time and place while rooting us time Grammy Award winner and a Gold- — start at $175 ($75 for Service grant administration; and this amazing craftsmanof fields unfolding … echoing depths of deeply in our community,” says Mar- en Globe nominee. He has composed age 40 and under). All tickets include vaarts programming for50 the ship brand.

Utilizing both cellist Chrisscores for more than films, including let parking. Sponsorship Virus Removal opportunities resonant light with guest lowe Stoudamire, Director of the De- district. of our expertise to build Lucasfilm’s 2013 historical drama “Red ranging from $5,000-$25,000 are also tine Lamprea, first prize winner of the troit 67 Project. “The debut of Terence Cracked Screen a2013 hotelSphinx is whatCompetition. is so atAfrican-American pilots in available. For further information or to Overabout the last decade, A perfor- Blanchard’s piece demonstrates the role Tails,” Replacement tractive about this,” said World War II. Blanchard’s “Champion: reserve tickets, please call (313) 576mance by the Brazeal Dennard Chorale art can play in making history relevant MDI and its predecessor Latham Donald, Jr. Mullen.

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Calling all Detroit High School Seniors

The Michigan Chronicle presents the 2nd annual S.W.A.G. Awards in Detroit. S.W.A.G., which stands for Students Wired for Achievement and Greatness, is a scholarship program recognizing outstanding high school seniors who have demonstrated a commitment to community, integrity and service. Current students that live and attend school in Detroit or the Metro Detroit area and planning to attend college or a trade school are eligible to apply.

The Michigan Chronicle is awarding scholarships up to $10,000 Apply by March 31, 2017 NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT NECESSARY. 2016-2017 Michigan Chronicle S.W.A.G. Awards entry period starts at 12:00 AM ET on 12/7/16 and ends at 11:59:59 PM ET on 3/31/17. Open only to 12th graders who are 16 and older who are legal residents of City of Detroit or the Metro Detroit area who: (a) attend a public, charter, or private high school; (b) will graduate in spring 2017; (c) have at least a 2.5 grade point average (or equivalent); and (d) are in good community standing. Visit www.michronicleonline.com/ swag-awards for entry instructions. Submission requirements prizes and complete details. Only one (1) Submission per entrant. Void where prohibited or restricted by law.

SPONSORED BY

Go to www.michronicleonline.com/swag-awards to apply.

For more information, email swagawards@michronicle.com

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

PROCLAMATION

MRS. LINN

BORN GIFTED READER The 7th Daughter without asking you a single word. I will tell you what you want to know. Tell your present, past and future. Tell you who your friends and enemies are.

Why you’re so unlucky. If your loved one is true or false.I will advise you all problems of life, such as love, marriage, business and health, etc. Why suffer, you can be free from all troubles. I guarantee Sucess where others failed. I am superior to any other reader you have seen.

Don’t let distance keep you away from Health and Happiness. Hrs. 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Daily and Sunday.

No Mail Answered 2742 Monroe St., Toledo, Ohio 1-419-248-2145 1-419-248-2145

ANNOUNCEMENTS

REQUEST FOR QUOTE The Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART) is soliciting RFQ’s for Rack Mounted Computer Servers, Control No. 17-2213A. RFQ packages will be available February 22, 2017 from www.mitn.info.

RFQ’s are due Thursday, March 9, 2017 by 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

REQUEST FOR QUOTE The Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART) is soliciting RFQ’s for Informational Post Box Sign Holders Control No. 17-2159.

RFQ packages will be available February 22, 2017 from www.mitn.info.

IFB’s are due Thursday, March 9, 2017 by 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

I, MCCUIEN EL, whose address is 11610 Fordline St., Apt. 102, Allen Park, Michigan 48101 proclaim my Free National Name as MOORISH SCIENCE TEMPLE OF AMERICA according to the rules and usages of such MOORISH SCIENCE TEMPLE OF AMERICA. The Moorish Science Temple of America deriving its power and authority from the Great Koran of Mohammed to propagate the faith and extend the learning and truth of the Great Prophet of Alli in America. To anoint, appoint and consecrate missionaries of the prophet and to establish the faith of Mohammed in America.

IFB’s are due Thursday, March 16, 2017 by 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

REQUEST FOR QUOTE The Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART) is soliciting RFQs for a Cargo Style Mail Delivery Mini Van, Control No. 17-2337.

RFQ forms may be obtained beginning on February 22, 2017 from www.mitn.info.

RFQs are due by 3:00 PM ET, March 20, 2017.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL The Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART) is soliciting Request For Proposal (RFP) for Optical Insurance and Safety Glasses Program, Control No. 17-2351. RFP document maybe obtained beginning February 22, 2017 from www.mitn.info.

MICHIGAN CHRONICLE Published Every

February National Glaucoma Awareness Awareness Month

RSVP to che.lin.boggsschool@gmail. com or (313) 923-2301.

RSVP REQUIRED. THIS CLASSIFIED SPOT FOR SALE!

To place, Call: 800-227-7636

MICHIGAN CHRONICLE

Legal Notice Detroit Innovation Academy

Attention: Vended School Meal Companies The Detroit Innovation Academy is requesting proposals for school food service vended meals. The Vendor would provide meal services according to United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulations and guidelines as well as State of Michigan Department of Education policies and guidelines.

Detroit Innovation Academy 13600 Virgil St. Detroit, MI 48223 The Detroit Innovation Academy’s Board of Education reserves the right to accept or reject any and/or all proposals or to accept the proposal that it finds, in its sole discretion, to be in the best interest of the school district.

A copy of the RFP will be available by email at info@eqeducation. org by March 3, 2017. A mandatory pre-bid meeting is scheduled for March 10, 2017, at 2:00 p.m. at 18211 Plymouth Rd., Detroit MI 48228. Attendance is mandatory.

All proposals must be submitted no later than 3:00 p.m. on March 24, 2017. All proposals should be delivered in a sealed envelope and addressed to Stephanie McIlroy, Detroit Innovation Academy, and be clearly marked: Food Service Vended Meal Proposal.

OPEN ENROLLMENT

Grades PK-12 (Ages 4-18 yrs.)

Accepting Applications: M-Fr 03/01 - 3/31/2017, 9 AM–3:30 PM Fr 3/10/2017, 10 AM–6 PM & Sat 3/11/2017, 9:30 AM–12 PM PUBLIC LOTTERY Fri 4/21/2017 @ 1 PM

OPEN ENROLLMENT

Grades PK-12 (Ages 4-18 yrs.)

Universal Learning Academy 28015 Joy Road Westland, MI 48185 (734) 402-5900, www.ulapsa.org Accepting Applications: M-Fr 03/01 - 3/31/2017, 9 AM–3:30 PM Fr 3/10/2017, 10 AM–6 PM & Sat 3/11/2017, 9:30 AM–12 PM PUBLIC LOTTERY Fri 4/21/2017 @ 11 AM

OPEN ENROLLMENT

Grades PK-12 (Ages 4-18 yrs.)

Star International Academy 24425 Hass & 24480 George St Dearborn Heights, MI 48127 (313) 724-8990, www.starpsa.org Accepting Applications: M-Fr 03/01 - 3/31/2017, 9 AM–3:30 PM Fr 3/10/2017, 10 AM–6 PM & Sat 3/11/2017, 9:30 AM–12 PM PUBLIC LOTTERY Fri 4/21/2017 @ 8:30 AM FOR SALE

SAWMILLS from only $4397.00 MAKE & SAVE MONEY with your own bandmillCut lumber any dimension. In stock ready to ship! FREE info/DVD: www.NorwoodSawmills.com 1-800-578-1363 Ext. 300N

IT PAYS TO ADVERTISE IN THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE

WWW.MICHIGANCHRONICLE.COM

SENIOR SENIOR DEVELOPER

Senior Design and Release Engineer-Power and Signal Distribution Systems (PSDS), Warren, MI, General Motors. Design, dvlp &release wiring systems, for conventional &autonomous passenger vehicles, ensuring qlty integration per vehicle architecture reqmts. Member of autonomous vehicle engrg org (within GM Design), engr &release wiring harnesses (Instrument Panel, Console, Doors, Engine, Forward Lamp, Headliner, Front &Rear Fascia wiring harnesses) using Ethernet cables, coax cables, on direct applications for small/medium/long range radar sys, LiDAR (Light Detection &Ranging), camera, &GPS. Assist on creating internal methods &specs for autonomous vehicles.

Assist peer reviews &wiring harness assessments for conventional vehicles. Dvlp &maintain harness DFMEAs. Lead interface for technical issues &program engrg deliverables. Support pre-production vehicle builds at assy plant &prototype facilities.

Maintain performance for program team for wiring harnesses assigned, formulating &creating Power &PSDS Statement of Requirements (SORs). Dvlp engrg designs using Teamcenter Vispro application software.

Bachelor, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial &Systems Engineering or related. 12 mos exp as Engineer, engrg &releasing passenger vehicle IP &Forward Lamp (or related) wiring harnesses, formulating PSDS SORs, &supporting preproduction vehicle builds at assy plant. Mail resume to Alicia Scott-Wears, GM Global Mobility, 300 Renaissance Center, MC:482C32-D44, Detroit, MI 48265, Ref#735.

Vendors and/or their representatives may submit proposals to:

RFP’s are due by 3:00 PM ET, Thursday, March 9, 2017.

Universal Academy 4833 Ogden St Detroit, MI 48210 (313) 581-5006, www.universalpsa.org

Administrative Assistant

Senior Design and Release EngineerPower and Signal Distribution Systems (PSDS)

Remaining open house sessions: Fri. 2/24, 9:30am Tues. 2/28, 5:30pm Tues. 3/14, 9:30am & 5:30pm

Advertise your EVENT, PRODUCT, or RECRUIT an applicant in more than 130 Michigan newspapers! Only $299/week.

HELP WANTED

PROFESSIONAL HELP WANTED

The Boggs School’s 2017-18 open enrollment period is March 1-31, 2017 and random selection drawing, if needed, will be Th. April 13, 5pm, 4141 Mitchell St., Detroit, 48207. See: http://www.boggsschool.org/ application-instructions.

Detroit Edison Public School Academy and Early College of Excellence is accepting students from Pre-K through grade 12. The student enrollment period will begin Wednesday, March 1, 2017 and will continue until Wednesday, March 22, 2017 with applications being available on Saturday, March 4, 2017 and March 11, 2017 from 10:00am until 12:00pm. If full enrollment is not reached by March 22, 2017, the enrollment period will continue as long as necessary to complete full enrollment in each grade. Parents of students interested in applying for the 2017 – 2018 school year may obtain applications in the school’s main office, 1903 Wilkins St. Detroit, MI 48207, and online, www.detroitedisonpsa.org.

City of Highland Park Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program

PROPOSED STATEMENT NOTICE NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARINGS March 3, 2017 at 1pm March 6, 2017 at 7pm Notice is hereby given that the City of Highland Park, MI will hold a Public hearing on Friday March 3, 2017 at 1pm & Monday March 6, 2017 at 7pm at the Robert B. Blackwell Municipal Building, 2nd Floor City Hall Chambers. The purpose of this Public Hearing will be to obtain views from the community on the proposed use of the City of Highland Park’s FY 2017 CDBG allocation.

The primary objectives of the CDBG Program are to: 1. Benefit Lower and Moderate Income Areas 2. Prevent and eliminate blighted areas 3. Enhance Suitable Living Environments The FY 2017 Funds are being considered for use in the following areas: • Housing Rehabilitation • Demolition • Code Enforcement • Administration Your comments are encouraged. For additional information or to submit written comments, contact Yvette L. Robinson, Director of Community & Economic Development, 12050 Woodward Ave, Highland Park, MI 48203 or 313.252.0050 ext. 257. Comments must be received no later than March 1, 2017.

Brenda Green, CMC City Clerk, City of Highland Park

BOM Family Owner (BFO) Assistant Warren, MI, General Motors. Dvlp engrg design &validation reqmts for passenger car, truck, SUV, &performance car electrical wiring harness subsystems for future vehicle programs. Dvlp company strategies &catalog to standardize protection materials (such as tapes, sleeves, conduit tubes &heat shrink tubes) of wiring harnesses in compliance with safety standards. Reduce wiring harness complexity for each program by using wiring harness Optimization tool. Use engrg tools such as DFSS, DFMEA &DRBFM to analyze &dvlp wiring harness &electrical sys designs, &meet reqmts on vehicle electrical environments such as GMW (internal), USCAR, US NCAP/Euro/China NCAP standards. Dvlp engrg solutions to support Design Release Engrs. Dvlp baseline DFMEA for DRE use.

Dvlp &manage Mechanical Interface Control Document to identify &approve interface reqmts between wiring harness &other commodities (such as exterior, interior &chassis). Bachelor, Electrical or Electronics Engineering. 12 mos exp as Engineer or Electrical Architect, engrg passenger vehicle wiring harnesses or electrical schematics, & using DFSS, DFMEA &DRBFM to analyze &dvlp wiring harnesses to meet USCAR, US NCAP, Euro NCAP, &China NCAP standards. Mail resume to Alicia Scott-Wears, GM Global Mobility, 300 Renaissance Center, MC:482-C32-D44, Detroit, MI 48265, Ref#48248.

Page D-4

HELP WANTED

The Southeast Michigan Council of Governments seeks dependable multitasker to be an administrative assistant. Ideal candidate will have outstanding organizational and interpersonal skills.

For more information, visit www.semcog.org/careers.

EOE

Wendnesday

OPEN ENROLLMENT BOGGS SCHOOL

REQUEST FOR QUOTE The Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART) is soliciting IFB’s for Bus Shelters, Benches, and Trash Receptacles, Control No. 17-2322. IFB packages will be available February 22, 2017 from www.mitn.info.

February 22 - 28, 2017

THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE

Design Release Engineer

Warren, MI, General Motors. Perform, execute, &own brake sys product dvlpmt &integration activities for global rear wheel drive passenger car architecture.

Coordinate brake sys product dvlpmt team &ensure timely execution of planning, sourcing, designing, tooling process, validating &releasing brake subsystems incldg calipers, rotors, wheel bearings, &pedal systems in accordance with vehicle program product spec &timing plans.

Document designs parametrically &integrate component packaging (static, dynamic &thermal) within vehicle underbody compartment using Unigraphics NX. Perform engrg design evaluations &measure sufficiency of reqmts using computational modeling tools (GM designed soft, BrakePro). Recommend design direction to architecture chief engr &program teams. Document performance reqmts within component technical specs (CTS) &subsystem technical specs (SSTS). Assemble all reqmts (CTS, SSTS, part handling, warranty specs, assy reqmts, material specs) within a statement of reqmts (SOR) for communication to candidate suppliers in the sourcing process. Bachelor, Mechanical, Automotive or Production Engrg. 12 mos exp as Engineer, ensuring timely execution of planning, sourcing, design, tooling process, validation &release of brake subsystems incldg calipers, rotors, &wheel bearings, or related, in accordance with vehicle program product spec &timing plans. Mail resume to Alicia Scott-Wears, GM Global Mobility, 300 Renaissance Center, MC:482-C32-D44, Detroit, MI 48265, Ref#43085.

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February National Heart Disease Awareness Month

Advaita Corporation has available positions of Senior Software Developer in Plymouth, MI. Position requires a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in Bioinformatics or Computer Science & 12 months experience as a postdoctoral researcher in bioinformatics. Position also requires: Exp. must include 12 mos. exp. building webbased bioinformatics tools using Spring, AngularJS, PostgreSQL, & R. Job duties: Use Spring & AngularJS frameworks to develop & design web-based bioinformatics tools & workflow pipelines for analyzing variants & gene expression data.

Update & maintain Advaita’s PostgreSQL database with information from various pathway & similar databases. Develop & maintain analysis packages in R statistical language. Research, pursue, & participate in various funding opportunities.

Qualified applicants should mail resume & verification of requirements to Andrew Olson, VP Business Development, Advaita Corporation, 46099 Five Mile Road, Plymouth, MI 48170.

PROFESSIONAL HELP WANTED Lighting Design Release Engineer

Warren, MI, General Motors. Engr &dvlp lighting components incldg Headlamp (HL), Rear Combination Lamp (RCL), Front Fog Lamp, Center High Mounted Stop Lamp (CHMSL), License Plate Lamp (LPL) Side Blinker according to GM Global Vehicle Dvlpmt Process to meet physical/dimensional, electrical, legal (homologation) &timing reqmts &interface with vehicle dvlpmt teams from Chassis, Body, Electrical &Interior. Provide technical specification to meet all legal reqmts according to global regions (U.S. FMVSS 108, Canada CMVSS 108, Europe UN ECE R48, Brazil CONTRANS 227, Argentina Decrees, Australia ADR, &China CCC) where vehicles will be commercialized. Certify that Standard &Option meets legal content mandatory for the region. Dvlp Statement of Work to be shared with suppliers during first process to supplier nomination in preliminary Strategic Sourcing Process. Dvlp technical content of parts in order to make Desg Studio sketches feasible. Bachelor, Mechanical Engrg, Production Engrg or related. 12 mos as Engineer, dvlpg car, mid-­size truck, and/or SUV lighting components incldg HL, RCL, Front Fog Lamp, CHMSL, LPL Side Blinker to meet physical/dimensional, electrical, homologation &timing reqmts. Mail resume to Alicia Scott-­Wears, GM Global Mobility, 300 Renaissance Center, MC:482-­C32-­D44, Detroit, MI 48265, Ref#4455.

CAE Model Manager

Warren, MI, General Motors. Maintain &release CAE Master Models for full vehicle systems between virtual assessment gates. Use Ansa, Primer, Animator, LS Dyna, Optistruct, HyperMesh &Teamcenter NX to design, &perform finite element modeling &CAE simulations.

Validate CAE model build process by tracking on-going CAE studies &interface with CAE disciplines to drive efficient CAE integration. Perform &validate complex analytical Finite Element Analysis (FEA) simulations using linear &non-linear FEA tools such as NASTRAN, Optistruct &LS Dyna ensuring component &full vehicle compliance with N&V (Noise &Vibration), vehicle safety, durability, &crashworthiness standards. Support design, structural dvlpmt &performance teams towards root cause &countermeasure dvlpmt for issues across virtual assessment gates during product dvlpmt. Perform Multi-Disciplinary Optimization &apply DFSS techniques to improve CAE modeling processes &mass optimized vehicle body structures. Master, Mechanical Engineering or Aerospace Engineering. 6 mos exp as Engineer, performing &validating complex analytical FEA simulations using linear &non-linear FEA tools such as Optistruct &LS Dyna ensuring component &full vehicle compliance with N&V, vehicle safety, durability, &crashworthiness standards.

Mail resume to Alicia Scott-Wears, GM Global Mobility, 300 Renaissance Center, Mail Code 482-C32-D44, Detroit, MI 48265, Ref#2607.

Global Simulation Owner – Aeroacoustics

Warren, MI, General Motors. Apply advanced mathematics (such as Lighthill's acoustic analogy) in embedded soft, model acoustical phenomena, research, perform &analyze global vehicle Computational Aeroacoustics (CAA) simulations using CFD &CAE tools such as PowerFLOW &PowerACOUSTICS, to align hardwr (wind tunnel) to computational simulation.

Represent global single point of contact for technical expertise on aeroacoustics simulations. Enable performance integration strategies by working with wind noise (wind tunnel) Vehicle Performance Owner to dvlp supporting CAE strategies, tools &methods. Provide guidance for CAE infrastructure incldg high performance computer clusters &CPU hours, to support CAE wind noise standard works aligned to full scale wind tunnel. Perform wind noise anlys &compute wind noise on global vehicle programs to assess mirror, wiper noise &buffeting severity before styling freeze. Use &apply optimization techniques, Design of Experiments &Design for Six Sigma to dvlp cost-­ effective solutions to improve aerodynamic efficiency, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, &increase fuel economy. Ph.D., Mechanical, Architectural, or Aerospace Engrg or related. 6 mos exp as Engineer, applying advanced mathematics (such as Lighthill's acoustic analogy) in embedded soft, model acoustical phenomena, &perform &analyze psgr vehicle CAA simulations using CFD &CAE tools to align wind tunnel to computational simulation.

Mail resume to Alicia Scott-­Wears, GM Global Mobility, 300 Renaissance Center, MC:482-­C32-­D44, Detroit, MI 48265, Ref#5828.

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praise connection

Agape Jurisdiction Ministers’ and Workers’ Meeting to convene February 24-26 The annual Ministers’ And Workers’ Meeting of the Southwest Michigan Agape Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction Church of God in Christ will convene Friday, February 24, 2017 with its morning Women’s Day services. Supervisor Loretta Hogan Whitsett will lead the women in prayer, workshops and worship services.

Friday evening will feature a powerful worship and evangelistic service, as the jurisdictional prelate, Bishop Isaac King Jr., and all the delegates of Agape convene at its headquarters located at 30101 Parkwood Street in Inkster. Dr. Leonard Lovett will be the special guest at this year’s meeting.

Saturday, February 25

New this year is a career fair sponsored

by Ebsource, Second Ebenezer's workforce development program. Participants are encouraged to bring their résumés and learn about both internships and career opportunities at area employers.

A celebration of Black History Month, hundreds of students and their families are anticipated

Prayer Power and Black History

By Dorma McGruder Centuries ago beautiful rich Africa was our dwelling place and we used Prayer Power for God to teach us to use our full potential. Imhotep, Egyptian priest, physician and architect, developed complex surgical, teaching and engineering techniques, thousands of years before others.

Prayer Power sustained us through invasion, removal from our home, the inhumanity of the Middle Passage, slavery, and unbelievable atrocities still occurring.

Discussion of why bad things happen is for another time and place. As we wind down Black History Month, remember PRAYER IS STILL HERE! Prayer Power expects God’s plan, wisdom, favor, action, strength to do all of the things we can.

We have a right and obligation to dream of and do better. Our ancestors left us a blueprint of not only prayer, but faith, action, courage, growth and achievement. Black History is one month. Prayer Power is every day, every month.

A devout Christian and church-goer, she was a wonderful mother who enjoyed cooking for her family. She also enjoyed watching “Jeopardy” and the Food Channel, and chatting on the phone with friends. She worked for the federal government for 20 years, retiring in 1990.

Loretta Hogan Whitsett will start with a multiclass Sunday school session. The Pastors and Elders Council concludes the morning and afternoon activities.

Saturday evening will feature the youth of Agape, going forth in ministry. The eveningworship will start at 7:00 pm.

Isaac King, Jr.

Leonard Lovett

Official Day is Sunday, February 26. This service will commence at 4:00 p.m. at Bailey Cathedral COGIC 7045 Curtis, Avenue, Detroit. Bishop Isaac King, Jr. will deliver his Christ-centered message. The COGIC theme is “In This Changing World, Let Us Hold on to Our Un-

changing Faith” (Col 1:923; Jude 3, 4; 2 Tim. 3: 1-17; I Cor. 15:58).

The pre-musical precedes the meeting on Sunday, February 19, at 4 pm at the headquarters location. For additional information, call 734 7223060.

to participate and all are welcome.

Organizer Elder James Johnson said, “This event helps to shape the future for many metro Detroit youth. We are reaching out to all high school stu-

dents and their parents and encouraging them to plan early. Going to college is a family affair.

Economics make it out of reach for many. From understanding the value of higher education to fi-

nancing college and preparing for the ACT and SAT exams, we provide all the resources they need to succeed. As always, we will be giving away scholarships and offering onsite admissions.”

Are you hosting a concert or faith-friendly event?

Gertrude Mable Stafford’s memory is being cherished by her son, Derrick, daughter, Dianna, and many other relatives and friends.

Swanson Funeral Home handled the arrangements.

Interment took place at Elmwood Cemetery.

Wesley Nelson Norris Services for Wesley Nelson Norris, affectionately known as Skip, were held on Feb. 6 at Harford Memorial Baptist Church with Rev. Charles C. Adams officiating. Mr. Norris passed away on Jan. 26, 2017.

Wesley Nelson Norris was born on May 26, 1959 in Detroit to the late Wesley and Ollie Norris. He received his early education in the Catholic school system, graduating from Notre Dame High School where he was active in sports. He subsequently earned an undergraduate degree in criminology at Eastern Michigan University.

Mr. Norris spent 25 years of his career with General Motors, advancing in various positions. Among his special achievements there was assisting local and global minority suppliers in achieving their growth goals with GM. He later became managing partner of Norris Management Group, LLC.

Are you celebrating an anniversary or special occasion?

In 1990, he became the proud father of Jonathan Wesley Norris. “Skip” and Stephanie were married in 1996 and were blessed with a daughter, Sarah Danielle Randolph-Norris.

PROMOTE IT HERE!

PRAISE CONNECT

Mr. Norris, who had long been active in the church, the most recent being Hartford Memorial Baptist Church, enjoyed exploring history and listening to jazz. While employed at Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts, he came up with the idea for creating the popular Jazz Café and handled talent booking. He loved Detroit and recognized its great potential.

Contact us at: 313.963.5522

PRAISE CONNECT

Left to cherish the memory of Wesley Nelson Norris are his two children, Jonathan Wesley Norris and Sarah Danielle Randolph-Norris; close friend and confidant Stephanie Randolph; and many other relatives and friends.

Arrangements were handled by Swanson Funeral Home.

Alice Jones Morris Services for Alice Jones Morris were held on Sunday, Jan. 27, at Plymouth United Church of Christ with Rev. Nicholas Hood III officiating. Mrs. Morris passed away on Jan. 14, 2017.

Alice Estelle Jones Morris was born in Chicago on Dec. 13, 1925 to Floyd Kennedy and Minnie Roberta Jones. She was raised in Kansas City where she graduated from high school.

Are you hosting a concert or faith She earned a Juris Doctorfriendly event? ate Wayne State University’s

School of Law in 1949. Returning to WSU in 1962, she earned a master’s degree in Guidance and Counseling. She and Norman Julius Morris were married in 1950 and had a daughter, Jill Morris.

Are you celebrating an anniversary or special occasion?

PROMOTE IT HERE!

Sunday, February 26, 2017 beginning at

9:30AM

at Fellowship Chapel 7707 W. Outer Dr. • Detroit, MI 48235 (313) 347-2820

30Worship nblack@realtimesmedia.com Service Contact us at: th Pastoral Anniversary Guest Preacher

Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr.

Mrs. Morris passed the Michigan Bar in 1948. Two years later, she became the first African-American woman candidate for Detroit’s Recorder’s Court. In 1952, she and law partner Cora Mae Brown became the first black and first black female law firm.

She closed her law practice in 1958 and became a Social Studies teacher in Detroit Public Schools and, later, became DPS’s director of guidance and counseling.

Mrs. Morris was very active in the community in a variety of capacities.

Cherishing the memory of Alice Jones Morris are her daughter, Jill, and numerous other relatives and friends.

Swanson Funeral Home handled the arrangements.

Interment took place at Woodlawn Cemetery.

Founder Rainbow/Push

Black History Month raises awareness of the wealth we have and continue to bring to this world.

My personal challenge to every reader - mark this month as our beginning. Do three things every single day to move forward with your life and make our ancestors proud of what we do with what they taught and left. They did not retreat but faced what life brought and never abandoned God or their purpose.

March 2017 through February 2018, let’s see how far we can go with Prayer and our Rich Heritage! www.dormamcgruder.com dorma@dormamcgruder.com 313-282-3382

Gertrude Mable Stafford On Wednesday, Jan. 18, services for Gertrude Mable Stafford were held at Greater Miller Memorial COGIC with Bishop Earl Jerome Wright, Jr. officiating. Mrs. Stafford passed away on Jan. 10, 2017.

Gertrude Mable Stafford was born to Eddie and Georgia Stafford in Detroit on Dec. 6, 1927.

20TH Annual College Weekend, Detroit’s largest college fair More than 54 colleges and universities including the Historic Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and several area middle and high schools will descend on the campus of Second Ebenezer Church February 24-26, 2017 for a spectacular 20th Anniversary of College Weekend, announced Bishop Edgar L. Vann II. In its 20th year, Second Ebenezer's College Weekend has awarded more than $400,000 in scholarships and has reached more than 7,000 high school students and young adults with the promise of higher education.

February 22-28, 2017 Page D-5

THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE

Get your health checked and satisfy your shopping needs at the same location

Board of Christian Social Concerns Annual Entrepreneurs Marketplace and DMC Health Fair Sunday, Feb. 26 | 12:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Second Baptist Church of Detroit 441 Monroe, Detroit, MI 48226 Rev. Kevin M. Turman, Senior Pastor

All are Welcome more info @ Fellowshipchapel.org

Validated Parking: Parking Structure corner of Brush & Lafayette, across from Atheneum Hotel (Validation Codes given at the church)

Page D-6 • THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE • February 22-28, 2017

Now Accepting Online Nominations

: M E 17 The Michigan Chronicle is now accepting nominations for the Men of Excellence induction Now in its seventh year, the Men of Excellence awards seeks to honor local, African American men who are visionaries in their given fields and inspire those around them to go beyond the norm and strive for the exceptional. They are entrepreneurs, community leaders, fathers, husbands, and inspirers. There is no shortage of negative publicity surrounding African American men, and here at the Michigan Chronicle, we know that there are more black men doing amazing things in business and the community than is being reported.

If you know a man who has defied expectations and changed the status quo, then submit your nominations for the Men of Excellence award by going online to the MichiganChronicle.com.

Nominations are due April 21, 2017.

Submit your nomination at www.michiganchronicle.com

www.michiganchronicle.com

#MCMOE2017