NJG | Vol. 123, No. 21 - May 25, 2023

Remembering Our Fallen Military Heroes

NORFOLK

On May 21, the Uplift Foundation of the Lambda Omega Chapter of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc, held its first Wreath Laying Ceremony at the West Point Cemetery near downtown Norfolk. The ceremony was a Memorial Day Tribute to Black veterans of the Civil War, Spanish American, World War I and World War II wars who are buried at the historic site.

Shown at the microphone is Rev. Dr. James Edwards, III, of the Lambda Omega Chapter, in front of the monument where the wreath was placed.

Completed in 1920, the monument is topped by a brown metal statue of a Black Union private wearing a kepi, a tightly buttoned tunic, a shoulder strap bearing the initials “U.S.A.,” ribbed stockings, and heavy shoes. The figure holds a regulation Civil War rifle and has a replica of a bayonet attached to his belt.

James E. Fuller (18461909), a former slave and Norfolk’s first Black Councilman, led the campaign to erect the monument. His committee raised funds to begin the monument in 1906. The cornerstone was laid on Decoration Day the same year. see page 1B

THE MANY ACCOMPLICES TO THE KILLING OF JORDAN NEELY

By Marc H. Morial (TRICEEDNEYWIRE.COM)

“His mental illness screamed of profits prioritized over people ... His Blackness disquieted the American ideals and sensibilities that proclaim us all equal. His existence, on that train, on that day, exposed just how poorly America cares for her people and how poorly we care for one another.”

– Brittany Packnett Cunningham

◆◆◆

One man faces charges of criminal manslaughter, but Jordan Neely’s death had many accomplices.

Ignorance and fear of mental illness. Implicit racial bias. A desperately inadequate health care system. Reckless

UPCOMING PRIMARY RACES: NEW HOUSE DISTRICT 95 PITS JAMES VS. ASKEW

By Leonard E. Colvin Chief Reporter New Journal and Guide

During the 2021 Republican wave, Democrat Alex Askew who represented the 85th District covering mainly Virginia Beach, lost his reelection bid.

Now Askew is working to return to the Virginia General Assembly, this time in the newly drawn 95th House District where he is running in a primary race against fellow Democrat Rick James on June 20.

Voters in Norfolk and Virginia Beach who live in the new 95th District will decide which man to place on the November ballot for the seat.

The winner of the June 20 primary for the 95th District is virtually assured of victory in November since the district leans blue, according to the Virginia Public Access Project (VPAP).

Askew’s loss along with a hand full of other seats held by Democrats shifted control of the House to the Republicans at the same time Glenn Youngkin was elected Governor.

Both

The GOP now has a 5046 majority in the House. But Democrats are hoping to reclaim control of that chamber and retain their majority of the State Senate. Both candidates support key Democratic issues fueling campaign speeches this spring and later this year. Funding for public education, transportation, gun safety or reducing access to them, $15 minimum wage, protecting a woman’s reproductive rights, employment equity, voting rights, helping cities battling gun violence and a lack of affordable housing.

Rick James, who has a military and law enforcement background, currently works for State Senator Lionel Spruill, writing legislation and other assignments. see 95th, page 8A

Petitioner Seeks A New Name For Norfolk’s Redeveloped Barraud Park

By Leonard E. Colvin Chief Reporter New Journal and Guide

While the city of Norfolk is readying plans to invest $4.5 million dollars in redeveloping Barraud Park, Norfolk resident Elaina Dariah is launching a petition drive to change the park’s name.

Dariah is Navy Veteran who lives in nearby Dowrie Park off Tidewater Drive.

She said the park is named after the Barraud family, who were French Huguenots from England.

Elaina Dariah

of the park they love so much.”

and distorted political rhetoric about violent crime.

Jordan Neely didn’t fall through the cracks. The world where he existed is nothing but cracks.

Neely’s short, tortured life ended in the 15 minutes

Daniel Penny gripped him in a chokehold on a New York City subway. But as a severely mentally ill Black

man in America, Neely spent most of his adult life at risk of a violent death.

Most Americans experiencing a serious physical health crisis in public can expect to end up in a hospital, receiving treatment. An American experiencing a mental health crisis is far more likely to end up in prison – or killed at the hands of emergency responders. Black Americans with mental illness are even more likely to face a tragic outcome.

Penny’s lawyers claim he was acting in defense of himself and his fellow passengers. Whether he

truly feared for their safety or simply was irritated by Neely’s disruptive behavior is unknown. The risk of being assaulted in the New York City transit system is miniscule, and the chance an assault will be committed by someone experiencing a mental health crisis even smaller.

Neely did have a history of violent behavior, but Penny could not have known that in the moment that he tackled him. Statistically, the passengers on that F train were as likely to be assaulted by any other passenger as by Neely. see Morial, page 6A

They settled in Norfolk during Colonial times.

Daniel Barraud became a successful merchant, did business with George Washington and shipped goods to England.

But the damming feature about Daniel Barraud’s history for Dariah is that he offered rewards for the capture of runaway slaves.

“This Park is named for a man who helped keep Black people enslaved,” said Dariah. “He denied them emancipation. I walk through that park as part of my health ritual. I see our children and adults who do not know about the history

“I don’t think the city should be honoring a family or a man who was involved in keeping Black people who sought their freedom, enslaved,” she said. “I think we have many AfricanAmericans whose names could be used to honor that park.”

Dariah stood before the Norfolk City Council on May 23 and read a petition outlining her stand on the issue.

Both are named posthumously and were born in Norfolk.

She offered two names: John Jenkins Roberts, who was one of the founders of Liberia. see Berraud, page 7A

HOW TO KEEP IT MOVING DURING MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH

By Rosaland Tyler

Associate Editor New Journal and Guide

Life has changed since the nation first observed Mental Health Awareness Month in May 1949.

Since then, ongoing and escalating mental health episodes have been recorded. Currently, national

attention is on a New York City subway chokehold killing of 30-yearold Jordan Neely, a homeless man with a documented mental health history.

According to news reports, 24-year-old Daniel Penny choked Neely to death in a subway car on May 1, turned himself in on May 13, was charged with second-degree

The Legendary Jim Brown Passes

died at 87. see page 2A

murder (which carries a five-to-15year prison term), and posted bail in the amount of $100,000. Meanwhile, Penny’s attorney launched an online fundraising campaign that has

already received more than $1.6 million from 25,000 online donors. Penny is due back in court July 17.

Some conservatives and Republicans are posting social media messages that call Penny “a national hero,” including Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who recently tweeted, “We stand with Good Samaritans like Daniel Penny. Let’s show this Marine ... America’s got his back.”

Others are protesting Neely’s killing, including New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, who called the

incident “horrific,” saying, “there have to be consequences.”

In the Biblical parable, Jesus described a good Samaritan as a charitable, compassionate man who unselfishly helped others, especially strangers. “The one who had mercy on him,” was the good Samaritan, Jesus said in Luke 10:37. “Go and do likewise.”

The New Journal and Guide recently scrolled through seven convictions held by high-profile Blacks who have a history of helping others and offers seven tips which may help defuse a mental health episode for yourself or someone you want to help.

Tip No. 1 – Experts advise you to listen to a person who is suffering mental distress. see Mental, page 6A

Experts advise you to listen to a person who is suffering mental distress.

Jim Brown, the superstar Cleveland Browns’ running back who quit football at the very height of his hall-of-fame career,

I think we have many AfricanAmericans whose names could be used to honor that park.”

–

candidates support key Democratic issues fueling campaign speeches this spring.

Marc H. Morial

Jordan Neely didn’t fall through the cracks. The world where he existed is nothing but cracks.

Photo: ErnestLowery

Passes: Jim Brown, 87, NFL Great, Actor, Activist

By Rosaland Tyler

Associate Editor New Journal and Guide

Recently, NFL great Jim Brown died peacefully in his sleep at his Los Angeles home in California, according to is family. He was 87.

The former activist, actor, and Cleveland Browns football star died on May 18. He married twice and had five children. Brown married his first wife, Sue Brown in September 1959. They had three children, twins born in 1960, and a son born in 1962. According to news reports, he was worth $55 million at his death.

Survivors include his second wife, Monique, and their two children, as well as children from his previous marriage. He was preceded in death by his daughter, Karen Ward. In 2016, The Cleveland Browns erected a statue of Brown outside their stadium in 2016.

Brown became an actor after he stunned the world by retiring at age 30. He appeared in over 30 films, including The Dirty Dozen (1967) and 100 Rifles (1969). His later credits include parts in Mars

Attacks! (1996) and Any

Given Sunday (1999), in which he played a football coach.

He participated in the 1967 “Muhammad Ali Summit” that was held in Cleveland – where several prominent Black athletes from that era, including Bill Russell and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar –gathered and expressed public support for Ali, who was stripped of his championship title due to his objection to fighting in the Vietnam War.

“To the world, he was an activist, actor and football star,” Monique Brown wrote in a recent Instagram post. “To our family, he was a loving and wonderful husband, father and grandfather. Our hearts are broken.”

Brown’s life was complicated. Although he enjoyed a nine-year NFL and long-lasting civil rights career that made him a household word, he was arrested a half-dozen times, mostly on charges of hitting women.

Brown, a Georgia native, enrolled at Syracuse University and excelled in several sports before he was drafted by the NFL in 1957. He became the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year that season. But Brown also grew up enduring countless racist

A GRANDMOTHER’S GRIEF BIRTHS ANTI-VIOLENCE YOUTH PROGRAM

CHICAGO

After gun violence in Chicago stole her grandson from her grip just days after his 18th birthday, Crystal Dyer knew she must do everything in her power to keep others from such unbearable grief. Soon after, she set her sights on Chicago’s Austin neighborhood just steps from where her grandson Devin was killed and set up shop.

roots at the city’s 15th police district. The big payoff, a chance to travel to Ghana, Africa, where their ancestors once lived. This year’s trip is set for July 30th through August 11th.

taunts while playing at virtually all-white schools.

“One thing we all have in common is no one can take our integrity away from us,” Brown told CBS News in a 2016 interview.

“And you know, all of the glory of being an athletic star doesn’t measure up to being a man. You know, we weren’t asking for anything that anyone else shouldn’t ask for – we just wanted to be a part of the real deal, treated with the same respect you would treat anybody else.”

Brown played for the Cleveland Browns from 1957 to 1965 after earning all-American honors. He was a four-time NFL MVP and eight-time rushing champ, who averaged

104.3 rushing yards per game – and never missed a game. He shattered NFL records. He was a gifted athlete – “one of the most dominant players to ever step on any athletic field – but also a cultural figure who helped promote change,”

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a recent statement.

In 1988, Brown founded Amer-I-Can, an organization that helped former prison inmates develop life skills that aided their transition. Brown also worked with former gang members and sought to create a truce between rival gangs in Los Angeles.

In 2015, Chicago Austin Youth Travel Adventures, Inc. (CAYTA), was born out of a grandmother’s grief. Today, the organization is thriving, reaching at-risk children, youth, and young adults through a variety of programs aimed at showing them a world outside their neighborhood, a world many have never seen.

“After I lost my grandson to gun violence in Chicago, I vowed to do everything within my power to ensure no other family experiences such a tragedy. Through CAYTA, we can get our youth off the streets and show them the world on an international stage,” says Crystal Dyer, Founder, and CEO of Chicago Austin Youth Travel Adventures, Inc.

Why travel? That was an easy decision for Dyer. An accredited and Certified Travel Advisor (CTA), she opened the first African-American-owned travel agency in Chicago Austin’s community where she also resides. Every year, she takes youth and young adults aged 14-23 on a genealogy journey through their family’s

In addition to CAYTA’s popular genealogy program, the nonprofit also runs a Teen Reach Afterschool Program. The program is offered six days a week and allows youth aged 11-17 to receive help with their studies in a safe environment at Dyer’s travel agency, Gone Again Travel & Tours.

For those looking for job training, CAYTA along with Choose Chicago offers workforce training for youth interested in its’ tour guide program which will also be teaming up with the Obama Presidential Library once it’s complete. In addition, a community clean campaign offers stipends to youth who embody pride and teamwork while working to reduce crime in their neighborhood.

“Our goal through the workforce training program is to show kids that there are other ways of making money instead of selling drugs,” adds Dyer. “The

me? The

I am driving a bus for the city, thanks to you.’”

For more information about CAYTA, visit their website.

From The Guide’s Archives

Archives taken from the pages of the (New) Journal and Guide

administration of this.”

19,

B.T. Washington Fires Continue; $500 Reward Stands

NORFOLK B.T. Washington High School continued to be plagued by fi re this week despite the announcement that a $500 reward has been posted for the apprehension and conviction of the person or persons responsible.

The latest in a series of fi res that have been set at the schools since April 5 occurred Tuesday when a fi re of “undetermined origin” was discovered at 7:30 p.m. in a rear storage room of the gymnasium.

The blaze found by fi remen in two tackling dummies used by the football team during practicing season forced the evacuation of 1,200 night school students from the building. Booker T. Washington early fi res set throughout the threestory building caused an estimated $75,000 in damages and were attributed to arson.

Investigators of Tuesday’s fi re said it could have started from a cigarette started by a careless smoker.

All of the fi res that have occurred at BTW are still under investigation and have produced no results.

Association Says Hiring Policy Unfair To Negro Educators

RALEIGH, N.C.

A resolution was signed at a recent meeting of the North Carolina Teachers Association held here deploring the actions of many school boards in dismissing or demoting Negro teachers, administrators and supervisors in desegregation cases.

In cases when Negroes are “promoted,” the resolution said the action is taken “without recognition of preparation, ability or term of service.”

PRODUCTION:

past 200 years.

“In our opinion the present plan of replacing Negroes with whites is completely undemocratic, unpatriotic and unacceptable.”

Not Intended To Split Vote, Says Candidate Riddick

RICHMOND Nansemond County Supervisor Moses A. Riddick Jr. tossed a small bombshell in the state political circles Wednesday afternoon when he qualified as an 11th hour candidate for Lieutenant Governor in the July 15 Democratic primary His surprise entry into the race was widely interpreted as a move on the part of the state’s conservative faction to split the “Negro Vote” which the “experts have predicted would be a block for State Senator J. Sargeant Reynolds of Richmond.

Riddick strongly denied the report that his mission in the hectic primary race is to split the sizable minority vote. “That is a deliberate falsehood,” Riddick told the GUIDE Thursday.

“The only reason for running for Lieutenant Governor is that I think it is time for a Negro to be in a position to speak up for the Negro at the state level on the vital issues of these troubled times,” he said.

Senator Reynolds, running as an independent, was obviously upset by Riddick’s last minutes entry into the race for Lieutenant Governor and implied that the move was engineered

by the conservatives of the Democratic party.

Mr. Riddick is the first Negro in modern times to run for statewide office. He scored another “first” when he was elected to the Nanosecond County Board of Supervisors. He was reelected in 1967.

Brambleton View Given On Model City Planning

NORFOLK

A spokesman for the Brambleton Assembly said this week that “neighborhoods should have a veto at some level, if not at the city manager’s level, then most certainly at the agency level” regarding plans for the Model City Program. The spokesman also said the “grievances procedure under the partisanship plan is meaningless and a farce.”

The Brambleton Assembly representative believes plans for Model City citizens’ participation have some faults.

“As Vice President of the Neighborhood Leadership group,” Lenious G. Bond, who is also chairman of the Brambleton Neighborhood Assembly, said, “I believe I speak for the best majority of its members when I say that the citizen participation structure of the plan is designed to keep the participation of Black citizens at a minimum.”

“The monies allocated to the neighborhoods for citizens participation is minimal in comparison to the overall budget. I do not blame the Model City Agency for the issue as many residents doubt. I blame the city’s

King Slaying Case: Ray Gets Hearing May 26

MEMPHIS, TENN

James Earl Ray may be returning for a hearing May 26 to determine whether he will be tried again for the death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Judge Arthur C. Farquin Jr., replacement for the late W. Preston Battle as trial judge in the case, announced the date Wednesday, stating that it had been agreed to by prosecutor Robert K. Dwyer and Richard J. Ryan, Ray’s new attorney.

Shelby County Sheriff William Morris said Ray’s cell was ready and would be used against him if he is returned. Ray was confined at the Shelby County jail from the time he was brought here from London last July 19 until March 11 when he was spirited from the jail wearing a deputy’s jacket and a hat for a trip to the state prison in Nashville. His transfer came the day after he pleaded guilty to the slaying of King in exchange for 99-year prison term, a move he claimed in a letter to Battle was made “under pressure.”

New Jersey Mayor Frat Keynoter

The resolution which was adopted unanimously said further: “We know that there are many Negroes who are better quali fi ed for administration positions, such as superintendents and principals, than many of their white counterparts who are being arbitrarily placed above them. It appears to be a continuation of ‘the system’ to which Negroes have been subjected for the

Eleven Norfolk State Staffers Receive 25-year Service Pins

payoff for

success stories. One young man came to me and said, ‘Ms. Crystal, my whole family was selling drives but now

Matthew G. Carter (left) Mayor of Montclair, N.J., shakes hands with James A. Overton (center) Provencial Polemarch, Portsmouth, and William Ward, Polemarch, Norfolk, during the Eastern Province Council meeting of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity last weekend in Norfolk. Mayor Carter was the banquet speaker at the two day affair. The Norfolk Alumni chapter served as host.

Photo: SouthallBassII

Eleven Staff members at Norfolk State College, including the President, recently received 25-year service pins during Men’s Week. Joel Nwagbara Ocha, (center right) president of the student government makes the presentation to Dr. Lyman. B. Brooks, President.

Others in from (left to right) Herbert A. Marshall, Dean of Men, Haywood Davis, who sponsored the event, Hollis Tildon and Dr. G.W. C Brown. In the second row (left to right) are Naomi Pharr,Timothy Wells, Fannie Taylor, Selena Robinson Clyde McDaniel and Mary T. Henderson

Photo: HurleyM.Faulkner

To our family, he was a loving and wonderful husband, father and grandfather. Our hearts are broken.”

– Monique Brown, Jim

Brown’s

wife

NAACP ISSUES ADVISORY ON TRAVELING TO FLORIDA

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia

The NAACP Board of Directors has issued a formal travel advisory for the state of Florida.

According to a news release from the nation’s oldest civil rights organization, the travel advisory comes in direct response to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ “aggressive attempts to erase Black history and to restrict diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in Florida schools.”

The formal travel notice states, “Florida is openly hostile toward AfricanAmericans, people of color and LGBTQ+ individuals.

“Before traveling to Florida, please understand that the state of Florida devalues and marginalizes the contributions of, and the challenges faced by African-Americans and other communities of color.”

NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson said he wanted the message to resonate.

“Let me be clear –failing to teach an accurate representation of the horrors and inequalities that Black Americans have faced and continue to face is a disservice to students and a dereliction of duty to all,” Johnson stated.

“Under the leadership of Governor DeSantis, the state of Florida has become hostile to Black Americans and in direct conflict with the democratic ideals that our union was founded upon,” he continued.

“He should know that

VOTE RICHARD JAMES

Website: rickjames96hd.com 757-692-9222

MARYLAND’S NEW GOVERNOR SIGNS ANTI-GUN LAWS

By Rosaland Tyler Associate Editor New Journal and Guide

democracy will prevail because its defenders are prepared to stand up and fight. We’re not backing down, and we encourage our allies to join us in the battle for the soul of our nation.”

According to the release, the travel advisory was initially proposed to the Board of Directors by NAACP’s Florida State Conference.

NAACP’s collective consideration of the advisory is a result from unrelenting attacks on fundamental freedoms from the Governor and his legislative body, the organization asserted.

Following DeSantis’ ordering the state to reject students’ access to AP African-American studies course in March, the NAACP distributed 10,000 books to 25 predominantly Black communities across the state in collaboration with the American Federation of Teachers’ Reading Opens the World program.

Most of the books donated were titles banned under the state’s increasingly restrictive laws.

The NAACP vowed to continue to encourage local branches and youth councils to start community libraries to ensure access to representative literature.

The organization said in the release that it has encouraged all Florida residents to join the effort to defeat the “regressive policies of this Governor and this state legislature.”

For additional information and updates visit www.naacp. org.

Maryland’s first Black governor, Wes Moore, continued to make history after he recently signed 175 new laws, including gun restriction laws that determine who can carry guns and where they can carry them.

The newly-inked legislation bans firearms in public spaces like schools, bars, restaurants, performance venues, polling places and more The new law will require some establishments to display a sign indicating whether concealed carry is allowed in that building. The new law is scheduled to take effect on Oct. 1 unless the federal court decides that the gun laws being challenged, are unconstitutional.

While a spokesperson for Moore recently said, “Governor

Gov. Wes Moore

Moore is committed to signing legislation to help curb the gun violence epidemic,” opponents argued legislation cannot prevent law-abiding citizens from ordinary self defense needs.

The NRA said in the lawsuit that it promptly filed in U.S. District Court in Maryland that the state replaced “one blatantly unconstitutional licensing regime with another

blatantly unconstitutional licensing regime.”

Will mass gun shootings decline in Maryland, thanks to Moore’s new legislation? Time will tell.

Moore, a Democrat, said at a bill-signing ceremony, “Gun violence is tearing apart the fabric of our communities, not just through mass shootings but through shootings that are happening in each of our communities far too often. In Maryland, we refuse to say these problems are too big or too tough. We will act, and that’s exactly what today represents.”

The new law will also increase the fee for an initial application for a handgun permit from $75 to $125. The fee for renewal or subsequent application for a handgun permit increases from $50 to $75, and a fee for a duplicate or modified handgun permit would go from $10 to $20.

BLACKS WIN 2 PRIMARIES FOR MAYOR & GOVERNOR

By Rosaland Tyler Associate Editor New Journal and Guide

The upcoming November election may change history in Philadelphia and Kentucky in November, since primary voters in these two states recently elected a Black female as the Democratic nominee for mayor of Philadelphia, and a Black Republican male as the gubernatorial nominee in Kentucky.

In Philadelphia, Cherelle Parker, age 50, recently won 28.7 percent of the vote. She could become the city’s first Black female mayor in November after voters go to the polls. Meanwhile in Kentucky, Daniel Cameron, age 37, recently won 45.9 percent of the primary vote. Cameron could become Kentucky’s first Black governor in November.

“It’s been a long road,” said Parker, who lost both of her parents at a young age but went on to become a former state representative and former public school teacher in New Jersey.

Speaking to supporters at her recent victory speech in Philadelphia, Parker said, “I’m

looking forward to November and bringing our city together as its 100th mayor.”

Parker will face Republican David Oh in Philly’s November general election. According to news reports, Parker is likely to prevail due to the fact that Democrats in Philadelphia comprise a more than 7-to-1 voter registration advantage in the city. The new mayor will assume office in January and replace outgoingterm-limited Mayor Jim Kenney.

Meanwhile, another history-making event is playing out 11 hours away from Philly, in Kentucky. Cameron, a Black Trump ally, recently won the state’s gubernatorial primary election. Cameron ran for governor after he was endorsed by former USA President Donald Trump.

“How ‘bout those polls?” Cameron said shortly after 8 p.m. in an 11-minute victory speech, while his supporters cheered at the Galt House Hotel in Louisville, after the election results were announced. “Sounds like Kentucky is ready for a new governor, “Cameron said.

Cameron beat 11 Republican gubernatorial candidates.

What We Shouldn’t Permit

By Ben Jealous (TRICEEDNEYWIRE.COM)

PROFESSOR EMERITUS OF SOCIOLOGY VIRGINIA TECH

NOTE: Dr. Wornie Reed’s Column will be returning at a future date.

– Publisher Brenda H. Andrews

In The Image of Trump

By Dr. E. Faye Williams, Esq. (Ret.)

(TRICEEDNEYWIRE.COM)

Back in 2015, I can distinctly remember telling myself and others that the damage of a Trump presidency would last longer than a four-year term. I knew then I would be right, but, at the time, could not imagine just how right I would be.

Anyone who knew Trump, in fact or by reputation, should have known when he descended his golden escalator in 2015 that his presence was a fabrication of the highest order. Later, it was revealed that his adoring crowd had been lured from NY streets, by promising each a $500.00 payment for pretending to be members of an excited fan base. It was the first of what would become an anthology of over 20,000 lies.

Like a malignant Svengali, Trump was accompanied into office by a phalanx of acolytes with equally malignant mindsets and worldviews. Steve Bannon, Rudy Giuliani, Stephen Miller, Michael Flynn, Bill Barr, Mike Pence, Kellyanne Conway, and Sarah Huckabee Sanders all stood at the forefront of Trump’s administration.

Sadly, those he brought with him were not the only ones of his ilk. Trump opened the soul of America’s corruption to clear view. Those who had been attentive were not surprised. Millions came to a gradual realization. Millions of others didn’t care!

There are far too many Trump “wanna-bees” to call out by name, but several serve as exemplars of the dangers of a United States under the control of another Trump regime. Three stand out to foreshadow the worst of existence under a renewed Trump.

Interactively, if I asked readers who best mimicked the “Lying Lifestyle” of

Trump, few would hesitate to say, George Santos. To both, lying comes as easily as drawing breath. All but the most brainwashed have come to understand that their lying is primarily associated with them moving their lips. Their veracity is not the issue. The expectation for the acceptance of their lies and/or that their lies, and the resulting consequences, would be ignored is the problem. Both unreasonably expect a “get-out-of-jailfree” card or a functional “double standard” to mitigate their guilt.

Marjorie Taylor Greene, MTG, is clearly representative of the intolerance and racism of Trump. Although both will “technically” deny the racism that motivates their actions, their actions belie any supposition of fairness or objectivity in their thought processes. I should remind you that MTG represents an area where “Sundown Cities” were, and may still be, the rule rather than the exception. For a clear understanding, we only have to remember Trump’s “good people on both sides” and Greene’s “Jewish space lasers.” Both are masters of far-right conspiracy theories and inflammatory, venomous rhetoric.

The most frightening of Trump’s comparators is the new guy, Vivek Ramaswamy, billionaire businessman and longshot candidate for the Republican presidential nomination. The label of political “Freshman” is

appropriate for Ramaswamy because of his newness on the political scene. However, his stated platform harkens back to the policies of the preCivil Rights movement and would, arguably, result in similar outcomes.

Ramaswamy believes that Congress should pass a constitutional amendment barring 18-25-year-olds from voting, with some exceptions. Under his proposal, within that age range, people could only vote by serving as first responders or passing a civics test.

Those who remember the “soap bubble” or “beansin-a-jar” voting tests will agree with the dangers and potential outcomes of such a policy. Because Gen Z is more racially diverse than any other generation in U.S. history, restricting the voting rights of people this age would disenfranchise millions of nonwhite voters. These voters are also more likely to support LGBTQ rights.

Take the time to learn about your potential adversaries and the futures they offer you! Make the correct choice!

Dr. E. Faye Williams is President of The Dick Gregory Society (http:// thedickgregorysociety.org/.) and President Emerita of the National Congress of Black Women.

Picture a mountain valley somewhere in the Alleghanies, Appalachians or Blue Ridge. It’s a safe bet what you just imagined didn’t include a metal pipeline more than three feet wide running down a steep ridge or crossing a pristine stream.

People from West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, and several Indigenous nations have been fighting for years to keep that image from becoming a reality by opposing the incongruously named, 303-mile-long Mountain Valley Pipeline across their states and ancestral lands. They’ve been so successful, in fact, that some in Congress want to take away their power to oppose a project that’s recorded hundreds of clean water violations alone.

It’s part of a bigger fight that goes by the mundanesounding name “permitting reform” that’s playing out in Washington right now. While that description isn’t as stirring as “Star Wars” missile defense or “the Great Society,” the decision being made will determine how the nation can exert oversight on big projects from pipelines to manufacturing plants to minimize their damage to the planet. Some of them may go on federal lands, many of them will be financed by hundreds of billions that the federal government will invest in infrastructure and clean energy in the next decade.

It’s a fight so important that House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has tied defaulting on the country’s debt to resolving it.

“This is more than just about the Mountain Valley Pipeline,” Maury Johnson, a retired educator and farmer from West Virginia who’s a leader in the opposition, told a reporter. “This is about the Gulf Coast, North Alaska and

Ben Jealous

every community that has been sacrificed for decades. We can’t continue to sacrifice communities and people.”

If we called it “protection reform,” it might be easier to understand. What’s at stake is the process for protecting our air, water, and land from what may be irreparable harm. Some want to erode environmental safeguards that have been in place for more than 50 years and reduce the time allotted to determine the impact the new projects will have during their decadeslong lifespan. Some want to treat dirty fossil fuel industries in the same way we think about new clean energy businesses. The fast lane needs to be reserved for renewable energy and transmission infrastructure to distribute it. We also could call it “participation reform.”

President Biden is pushing for greater consultation with communities that will be closest to new projects and transparency about their locations. Opponents want to extend exclusions that would allow plans to bypass any meaningful public voice, particularly for the Mountain Valley Pipeline project. They even want to limit the ability of communities to challenge projects in court.

Those who are most strident about permitting reform argue that the safeguards we have in place or seek to add come at too high an economic

price. Faster approvals will lead to lower energy prices sooner, they claim. But the falling prices of renewable energy show otherwise.

The costs that are too high are not to determine environmental impacts and not to let those most affected have their say.

We know that it’s the poor, people or color, and native peoples who live in those communities that pay the most for these projects. The Biden administration has moved to acknowledge indirect and cumulative impacts on climate and environment as well as direct ones.

Under President Trump, the federal government limited the analysis to only the most blatant damage. The argument comes down to expediency versus existence. We’ve been careening toward a warmer planet with less biodiversity since the beginnings of the Industrial Revolution. We’ve subsidized destructive industries by rendering people and places disposable by failing to consider them. That’s what we can no longer permit.

Ben Jealous is executive director of the Sierra Club, the nation’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization.

He is a professor of practice at the University of Pennsylvania and author of “Never Forget Our People Were Always Free,” published in January.

JIM BROWN AND SOCIAL ACTIVISM

By David W. Marshall (TRICEEDNEYWIRE.COM)

Since most players in professional basketball and football are Black, it should come as no surprise that many highprofile Black athletes have become role models to young admirers who are also Black. Athletes such as football legend Jim Brown reached the professional ranks by overcoming tremendous odds with determination, perseverance, and commitment.

Any confident and successful pro athlete can easily become an example for a child or young adult to look up to. Charles Barkley is a former NBA star whose 16-year career covered stints in Philadelphia, Phoenix, and Houston. The outspoken Barkley once declared in a Nike commercial that kids should be taught to emulate their parents, not athletes or celebrities. “Just because I dunk a basketball doesn’t mean I should raise your kids,” Barkley concluded.

In an essay titled, One Role Model to Another published in a 1993 issue

of Sports Illustrated, Utah Jazz star Karl Malone wrote that being a role model was not Barkley’s decision to make. “We don’t choose to be role models, Malone wrote. “We are chosen. Our only choice is whether to be a good role model or a bad one. I don’t think we can accept all the glory and the money that comes with being a famous athlete and not accept the responsibility of being a role model, of knowing that kids and even some adults are watching us and looking for us to set an example.”

I agree with Karl Malone’s assessment that being a role model means not always knowing when a child has chosen

your example to follow, especially when that child is without parents worthy of emulation. The danger of a child looking up to the wrong individual is a risk that automatically comes with the position being in the public arena.

In the spirit of Barkley’s point, is it wrong for professional athletes to use their public platforms for social activism? Long before the infamous “shut up and dribble” kerfuffle, it has been widely believed that sports and politics should remain separate. Some see sports as a refuge to escape the mental exhaustion of politics and social conflicts. Former NBA coach Phil Jackson is well known for having won 11 championships as a player and coach.

The 77-year-old Jackson recently claimed he no longer watches the NBA due to politics. He

references the slogans used in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. Jackson believes the NBA has evolved since his time and has become too political for his liking. “They even had slogans on the floor and the baseline,” Jackson said.

While it is desired that athletes refrain from bringing political messages into the games, some players cannot simply put on a jersey, play ball, and then go home and remain publicly silent about the injustices we face. It is not wrong if a player is compelled to speak out on social issues. It just needs to be calculated and strategic to be effective.

Jim Brown was not silent when it came to separating his athletic dominance on the football field from being a relevant voice in addressing the social matters impacting

the Black community. He was never hesitant to speak out publicly, as many athletes were during the 1950s and ‘60s.

Brown was a social activist who often took a stand for Black citizens and other minorities whose rights were denied. Because he believed in Black empowerment, Brown became a key player with the Black Economic Union; an organization focused on creating careers for minorities by helping them get business loans to be self-sufficient.

Brown was never a lone ranger, and he knew when to bring in other high-profile athletes because there is strength in numbers. He played a key role in organizing the “Cleveland Summit” in 1967, which concluded with a group of prominent players such as Bill Russell, Kareem AbdulJabbar, Willie Davis, and Bobby Mitchell providing public support for Muhammad Ali, who refused to be drafted based on his religious beliefs.

On the football field, he is often ranked as one of the greatest NFL players to play the game. Off the

field, his leadership and messages of motivation inspired future players and prepared them for future activism.

Jim Brown passed the social activism torch to Ray Lewis and others like him. Just like Ray Lewis studied Jim Brown, Calais Campbell is a current NFL player who grew up learning Ray Lewis.

To be effective, today’s athlete-activist must take advantage of their role model status by focusing on our youth and young adults’ awareness, engagement, and empowerment.

Jim Brown’s politics were not radical. He believed that Black people do not achieve advancement through the politics of protest but through the politics of earning as much money as possible to build economic self-sufficiency.

We lost another icon.

Rest in peace, Jim Brown.

David W. Marshall is the founder of the faithbased organization TRB: The Reconciled Body and author of the book God Bless Our Divided America. He can be reached at www. davidwmarshallauthor. com.

David W. Marshall

The most frightening of Trump’s comparators is the new guy, Vivek Ramaswamy, billionaire businessman and longshot candidate for the Republican presidential nomination.

… today’s athlete-activist must take advantage of their role model status by focusing on our youth and young adults’ awareness, engagement, and empowerment.

We’ve been careening toward a warmer planet with less biodiversity since the beginnings of the Industrial Revolution.

Dr. E. Faye Williams, Esq.

Ask the distressed person, ‘What’s going on?’ Re fl ect on what they say. Help them feel heard. You can ask, “How are you doing?” Lean toward the person and make eye contact. Offer support, Mental Health America advises on its website.

Speak clearly. Use a calm and non-threatening voice but make sure you also keep an eye on your own safety.

“This a two-sided coin –there is your safety and the safety of the individual you want to provide assistance to,” Dr. Curley L. Bonds, chief medical offi cer for Los Angeles County’s Department of Mental Health, said in a recent LA Times interview.

“You fi rst want to establish: Is this person having a bad day, or are they in danger of hurting themselves or hurting

someone else?” Bonds said. If someone is not doing any self-harm or causing danger to others, but is ‘quietly psychotic,’ he said, referring to a person hearing voices or seeming ‘out of it,’ then intervening may not be the right idea “because that could escalate the situation.”

Trust your own judgment.

“You can pretty quickly tell when you make the fi rst entrée whether that person is receptive,” Bonds said.

Tip No. 2 – Get involved with organizations that serve individuals susceptible to mental stress. For example, Barack Obama recently rolled out a new initiative and added new cities to his 9-year-old Chicago-based foundation, My Brother’s Keeper.

“Fight cynicism,” Obama recently told young men of color in Chicago, Newark, Omaha Tulsa and Yonkers. Obama’s foundation has an impressive track record. Most of its members tend to fi nish high school, get a job, and get involved in their local communities.

“I think my main charge

Should You Tip At The Self Checkout Line?

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia

Recently, consumers have been forced to confront the revelation that having zero interaction with employees during a transaction no longer exempts customers from the moral dilemma of tipping.

Customers say they’ve noticed that they’re increasingly asked to tip at self-checkout terminals, despite having no contact with an employee.

Reportedly, cash registers in airports, stadiums, stores, and cafes are prompting customers to add up to 20 percent tips.

Tipping culture has expanded from pubs and restaurants to coffee shops and takeout establishments due to what one publication called “tip fl ation.”

“This new trend of being prompted to leave a tip does nothing but frustrate consumers. It’s one thing to tip your server personally; it’s another to be asked to leave a tip on a screen where you’ve done all the work at a self-checkout,” said Corey Donovan, president of Alta Technologies.

“It’s an option to have it turned on or off within the payment gateway software, so businesses are consciously choosing to have it turned on.”

Donovan said the bestcase scenario is that the business gives those tips to their employees.

“The worst-case scenario: they’re hoping that customers will just absent-mindedly keep hitting next to get to the fi nal payment screen to generate additional revenue,” Donovan remarked.

Tom Golubovich, the head of marketing at Ninja Transfers, offered that businesses placing a tipping option at selfcheckout machines appears to be just another way for companies to pad their bottom line.

“I ordered a smoothie online and went to pick it up myself, and it automatically added a tip to the checkout. Rather than the default being no tip, it was set to 15 percent,” Golubovich stated.

“I didn’t even notice this until after I’d already paid. I think that this is a sneaky practice for companies to take in additional revenue. I hope that the employees working got my tip, but I can’t be so sure of that. It also just feels wrong to have a tip

to everyone here is ‘fi ght cynicism,’ “Obama said in a recent speech at his Chicago-based foundation. “When the work gets hard, or something doesn’t work, don’t get discouraged. Innovate and try something new. Be honest about what is working and what isn’t working, build up trust.”

Tip No. 3 – Deliberately manage your inner voice while someone is having a mental health episode.

“Listen to that still, small voice within,” Oprah recently told more than 600 graduates at Tennessee State University during her nearly 20-minute speech at commencement exercises held in Hale Stadium on May 6.

“You’ll begin to know your own heart and fi gure out what matters most when you can listen to the still small voice,” Winfrey told TSU grads. “Every right move I made has come from listening deeply and following that still small voice.”

Morial Continued from page 1A

collapsed onstage, as well as her 2003 divorce from Armstead Edwards

In 2015, Labelle launched her popular sweet potato pie at Walmart where shoppers are still buying 36,000 pies every single day. Since then, Labelle has debuted three cobblers (apple, peach, and berry), apple pecan cake, and sweet potato loaf – as well as banana bread.

“I want my boomer friends to get on the truck to stay as fabulous as I am,” Labelle said. “Being diagnosed [with diabetes] was a big wake-up call for me. Now I’m very aware of my health, and I tell my friends, ‘Go check yourself before you wreck yourself.’ It’s important for us to know what’s in our bodies and how long we might be able to stay on this planet.”

Fear often is irrational, however, especially when it is compounded by implicit racial bias and deliberately fanned by unprincipled politicians who distort and exaggerate the risk of crime for their own benefit.

Whether Penny was justified in restraining Neely in that moment is a fair question for debate. Less ambiguous is the question of whether he did it in a reasonable manner. As an ex-Marine, Penny almost certainly was trained in the responsible use of a chokehold.

Crushing a man’s windpipe continuously for 15 minutes – long after his body had gone limp – is neither reasonable nor responsible.

At least one passenger warned Penny, “You’re going to kill him.” And when a bystander tried to revive Neely, Penny waved him off.

Rittenhouse, who fatally shot Black Lives Matter protesters, and Mark and Patricia McCloskey, who threatened to do so.

Rewarding and encouraging vigilantism is a path to ruin, but it’s simpler and easier than confronting the uncomfortable questions that Neely’s tragic life and brutal death have raised about mental illness, homelessness, and violent crime.

added to something where there wasn’t any personal interaction.”

Mark Pierce, the CEO of Cloud Peak Law Group, added that it’s becoming more evident that employers are attempting to put the onus for employee pay on customers.

“It’s not justi fi ed by any means, but employers saw the opportunity and went for it,” Pierce said.

“Tipping has always been a part of employees’ wages in the service industry, but it was attached to giving an actual person the tip,” he continued.

Oprah continued, “When you can get quiet enough to listen, you can begin to instill the still small voice which is always representing the truth of you; from the noise of the world.”

Tip No. 4 – Keep it moving. This is the advice that Patti Labelle, age 73, offered to herself during a rough patch that included a crushing diabetes diagnosis in her early 50s after she

Tip No. 5 – Continue to break barriers, said former White House Adviser Valerie Jarrett, who worked for the fi rst Black mayor of Chicago, Harold Washington, and said she transitioned to the Daley and Obama administrations by “staying cool and breaking barriers.”

In a recent Twitter post, Jarrett said, “Real change is not just a matter of instituting one program or initiative. It’s about bringing the community together to solve the most challenging problems.”

see Mental, page 7A

The rush to demonize a Black victim of deadly violence has long been standard operating procedure in the United States. The public learned about Neely’s lengthy arrest record before we even knew his name. The rush to glorify the white perpetrators of violence is not a surprise either.

We knew that Penny was a Marine Corps veteran before we knew his name. The celebration of vigilante killers, commonplace in the dark era of Jim Crow, is making an alarming comeback. Penny is being hailed as a hero, as are Daniel Perry and Kyle

For as long as a New York City task force has kept a list of the most severely troubled homeless people, Neely has been on that list, but instead of getting the treatment he needed, he was arrested 42 times in eight years. More than 70 percent of prison inmates have a diagnosed mental illness or substance abuse disorder, a third of them seriously mentally ill. The cost –both human and financial –is astronomical.

Anyone who’s been confronted with the erratic behavior of a person experiencing a mental health crisis knows the helpless desire for someone to do something to make it stop. None of us want that “something” to be deadly violence.

Marc H. Morial is the CEO of the National Urban League.

The celebration of vigilante killers, commonplace in the dark era of Jim Crow, is making an alarming comeback.

You first want to establish: Is this person having a bad day, or are they in danger of hurting themselves or hurting someone else?”

– Dr. Curley L. Bonds

Barraud

Continued from page 1A

The other is Ella Baker, born in Huntersville. She was a civil rights activist who worked with the NAACP, SCLC, and SNCC.

Once word of Dariah’s petition drive gains more momentum, she is assured that other names of historic figures now deceased will be submitted.

Dariah’s work comes at a time when monuments and other structures honoring Civil War heroes and other racists are removed from public spaces.

Dariah said the quest to change the name came after she attended a show where national Poet/Author Kwame Alexander read some of his works in early April.

Dariah said that Alexander

Mental

Continued from page 6A

Tip No. 5 – Trust yourself. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, whose resume includes command at the corps, division, battalion, and brigade levels, said he continues to focus on patterns in the post he has held since January 2021.

“History is a willing teacher, when and if we choose to listen to its lessons,” he said in a January 2018 interview with the U.S. Army.

said his mother lived in the Barraud Park community.

He said he would visit her and hone his skills in tennis at the park’s tennis courts.

She said that she meets people at the park who talk about the history and activities put on by the Black community at the park.

“So, I wanted to know whom that great park was named for,” said Dariah. “That’s when I ran across a newspaper article about Barraud.”

Dariah, born in Seattle, Washington, retired in 2001. She served in the Navy for 35 years before entering the civil workforce.

She told the GUIDE last week that she will be collecting the required number of signatures in the coming weeks.

“I talked to a lot of young and old people and when I tell them about the history,” she said, “they said it is time that the name should be changed.”

“History teaches us that the character of our fights have changed and will continue to change.”

To avoid a mental health episode, trust and respect your hunches. “Today, I see us facing compound threats,” Austin said speaking specifically about the nation’s challenges.

“These threats don’t just add up to a bigger sum of a problem facing our forces, but rather are multiplied problem sets that we will have to face and overmatch.”

Austin said, “We have to change our traditional ways of seeing and approaching tooth-to-tail operations,” in a July

But at the recent meeting of the Lindenwood/Barraud Park/Cottage Civic League, there was some pushback against Dariah’s petition drive.

Milton Reid was born in a home on Barraud Park Avenue and still lives there. He worked for the city of Norfolk for several decades before he retired.

He said he disagrees with Dariah’s effort because despite David Barraud’s history, “it was from the heart when his family willed that land to be used as a park for Black people years after he died.”

“As a child, I remember Black and White boy scouts using the park for Jamborees. During Easter that park was so full you had to walk over people. Over 95 percent of the people who use that park cherish it because of its history and pride that Black people have invested in that park.”

2019 interview with The Grio.

Tip No. 6 – Stick to big goals. Washington, D.C, Mayor Muriel Bowser said she keeps it moving during uncertain times by implementing big goals. “I have ... learned in my years of leadership that one of the worst things you can do as a leader is waver. You can take time to decide, you can consider, you can even change your mind, but you can’t flip-flop and waver.

Bowser said, “When you make a decision, explain why you did it and then implement it.” She added, “You win by winning.”

Tip No. 7 – Stay in survival mode. Beyoncé looks totally woke in photographs that show her performing in her new world tour. Beyoncé wears an exclusive body suit emblazoned with hands. The body suit was designed by Spanish label Loewe for her 2023 Renaissance World Tour, which debuted in Sweden on May 10. Beyoncé keeps it moving on stage and in real life by staying in survival mode, a feat she learned during the birth of her three children

“I was in survival mode and did not grasp it all until months later,” she said.

“I needed time to heal, to recover,” Beyoncé explained in a 2018 Vogue interview. “During my recovery, I gave myself self-love and self-care, and I embraced being curvier. I accepted what my body wanted to be.”

This means Beyoncé faced the brutal facts during a clear mental health episode. “I was 218 pounds the day I gave birth to Rumi and Sir. I was swollen from toxemia and had been on bed rest for over a month. My health and my babies’ health were in danger, so I had an emergency C-section.”

Although Beyoncé looks fit, trim and amped on her new world tour, she sidestepped a mental health episode by taking an honest look at her past.

“When I first started, 21 years ago, I was told that it was hard for me to get onto covers of magazines because Black people did not sell,” Beyoncé said. “Clearly that has been proven a myth. Not only is an African-American on the cover of the most important month for Vogue, this is the first ever Vogue cover shot by an AfricanAmerican photographer.”

Beyoncé stays in survival mode by opening doors for younger artists. “There are so many cultural and societal barriers to entry,” she said. “I like to do what I can to level the playing field, to present a different point of view for people who may feel like their voices don’t matter.”

Barraud Park

Photo: ErnestLowery

THE LONG ROAD HOME: BG CHARLES YOUNG MEMORIAL CORRIDOR DEDICATION

By Charles Blatcher III

Chairman, National Coalition of Black Veteran Organizations

In a speech delivered to the Kentucky Legislative Body in February, the coalition called for the designation of a corridor through Kentucky and Ohio to honor Brigadier General (BG) Charles Young. On June 1st, the National Coalition of Black Veteran Organizations will join Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, members of the Kentucky Legislative Black Caucus and the community of Maysville to unveil a road sign proclaiming the Brigadier General Charles Young Memorial Historical Corridor.

The unveiling is significant to the history of BG Charles Young. On June 1, 1923, General Young’s body was re-buried in American soil at Arlington National Cemetery, and now the corridor unveiling ceremony will occur on the 100th Anniversary of his reburial.

Personally, I was drawn to Kentucky in 2010 by the late Historian Jerry Gore. I met him and former Judge/ Executive James Gallenstein at a ceremony hosted at General Young’s graveside in Arlington National Cemetery. Brother Gore informed me of the existence

95th

Continued from page 1A

“So, I would love to use all of that experience to help all Virginians,” said James. “I think I have the experience, working for a lawmaker (10 years), my time in the military, law enforcement, and my educational background.”

James’list of endorsements includes Sen. Spruill, Smart Transportations, the huge railroad workers union, and DemsServe, a national PAC that supports ex-military personnel seeking political office.

James noted several former and current law enforcement personnel support his cause, including Norfolk Sheriff Joe Baron and Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney Rahim Fatehi and Norfolk Councilperson John Paige.

Askew was born in Virginia Beach and got into state and national activism helping seasoned politicians run their campaigns. He is a 2018 graduate of UVA’s Political Leaders Program.

Askew’s endorsements include former Delegate Jerrauld Jones, Norfolk City Treasurer Daun Hester, Norfolk Vice Mayor Martin Thomas, Jr., Virginia Beach Councilwomen Jennifer Rouse and Dr. Amelia Ross-

Brigadier General Charles Young

BG Charles Young (1864-1922) was the military’s first Black U.S. Colonel. On April 29, 2022, he was posthumously promoted to retroactively become the U.S. Army’s first brigadier general in recognition that his groundbreaking military career was hampered a century ago by the racism of the era. For years, history has recorded Army Brigadier General Benjamin O. Davis as first.

of BG Charles Young’s birth cabin and invited me to visit. It did not take much to get me involved in the project. The coalition had been advocating for the Colonel’s promotion for decades. The commitment was nothing more than an extension of our advocacy. It has proven to be quite an extension; we have been involved with the effort for the past thirteen years, the story is too long to tell in an article, and one day it may make a great chapter in a book.

The Coalition collaborating with the community, members of the local clergy, and the local

Hammond, and Norfolk school board member Carlos Clanton.

Askew and James met in a primary race before, in 2014 for the old 90th District, which was won by former Delegate Joe Lindsey who pulled 250 votes. James pulled 177 and Askew got 25 votes.

James lost three primary races for the old House 90th District in 2011 and 2013 against Algie Howell and most recently against Angelia Williams Graves in 2020.

But James hopes this time the political stars will align in his favor.

Both candidates expect a traditionally low spring turnout on June 20.

In the past, on average about 3,000 or fewer voters ventured to the polls.

So, 1500 votes may be the magic number to advance to the general election on November 7.

At this point, the two candidates are alerting the voters of their candidacy and the issues, as they knock on doors and use social media to educate people about the newly drawn 95th House district’s precincts and boundaries. Askew has amassed a considerable war chest, according to VPAP, with some $133,000, compared to James’ roughly $28,000 in the bank.

Ninety percent of the new

chapter of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., all joined to display the finished work in 2015.

Minority cultural institutions operate at crisis level during the best of times. Most are short staffed, underfunded with small budgets but persevere. There are ten historical sites relevant to Black History within the designated corridor. Eight are located between Camp Nelson National Monument in Nicholasville, Kentucky and the Charles Young and Buffalo Soldiers National Monument in Wilberforce, Ohio.

95th District is in Virginia Beach with several Norfolk precincts bordering the resort city.

As a former member of the House, Askew said, he fought “to bring Virginia into the 21st Century –raising wages, strengthening our economy, ensuring Virginians had more liberties and freedoms, and defending our environment. Glenn Youngkin is hellbent on tearing down our progress.

“This election is about Virginians standing up and defending the progress we’ve made in the Commonwealth,” he said.

James said he disagrees “with 99 percent of what Youngkin is doing as Governor.”

“Legislators write the bills, and the Governor signs them. So, if he (the Governor) is not in support of gun safety, a $15 minimum wage, and a women’s right to choose I don’t support him. We need progressive legislation for all Virginians.”

One of the strategies, to reduce violence, James said, is to apply “rules” akin to car safety and ownership.

It would make gun owners whose weapons are stolen from their cars or homes and used on the street more responsible. He said people should not only report stolen guns but ensure they can’t be stolen from unlocked cars or homes.

He said such laws

On my trips to the State, I have had the opportunity to visit many of the locations. The tours are replete with Black History education, and we encourage others to plan and visit, this regional mecca of Black History.

The Kentucky part of the corridor runs eighty-five miles from Camp Nelson to the Kentucky/Ohio bridge in Maysville. We are asking the State of Ohio to pick up the designation at the bridge and extend it to the Charles Young and Buffalo Soldiers National Monument. The extension into Ohio will add another eighty-five miles to the distance from the Ohio bridge.

The honor is appropriate, history is permeated throughout the region.

Born into slavery Young’s family escaped to Ohio when he was an infant. His formative years were lived over the river in Ripley, Ohio where he resided before entering West Point. We salute Governor Andy Beshear for his leadership in giving Colonel Charles Young’s a state promotion, getting the promotion federalized, and for signing Senate Joint Resolution 58 into law on March 7, 2023, designating the corridor’s Kentucky segment. There is still work to be done reference getting the cabin annexed into the National Park Service. We have called on President

would not infringe on gun ownership as the NRA and Second Amendment advocates falsely claim.

Askew has noted he championed legislation of diversity, gun safety, the ODU/Eastern Virginia Medical School Merger, the development of the Virginia Beach sports complex, and voting rights expansion.

To improve employment opportunities for those not on track to college, Askew said community colleges should expand access to blue-collar skill trades in HVAC, construction, and auto mechanics which pay more than some jobs requiring a college degree.

All of the state’s 140 legislative seats are on the General Election ballot on November 7.

The GOP now has a 5046 majority in the House. But Democrats are hoping to reclaim control of that chamber and retain their majority of the State Senate.

Governor Youngkin has backed away from running for President in 2024 and has pledged to expend sweat and treasure to help the GOP retain the House and take the Senate.

If the GOP succeeds, Democrats fear Republicans will approve a conservative agenda similar to what Republican-controlled legislatures have approved in Florida, Texas, and other Red-leaning states.

Biden to use the Antiquities Act to bring the property into the National Parks. We have a petition on Change. Org. Please visit the page and sign the petition. We also would like your support on our petition call for a statue of General Charles Young on the grounds of the National African-American Museum in Washington, DC.

To assist with marketing, we created a commemorative publication to honor the corridor unveiling occasion.

If you would like to receive an electronic copy please reach out to us by email. The corridor unveiling ceremony is scheduled for June 1, 2023, at the Bridge in Maysville followed by a program at the General’s birth cabin located at 6319 Helena Road, May’s Lick, KY, beginning at 2:30 p.m. The public is invited to the cabin program. Save the date, we are calling on Veterans and the public to join us. See you on the Corridor!

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OMEGA CHAPTER HOSTS WREATH LAYING MEMORIAL DAY CEREMONY

NORFOLK

On May 21, the Uplift Foundation of the Lambda Omega Chapter of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc, held its first Wreath Laying Ceremony at the West Point Cemetery near downtown Norfolk. The Lambda Omega Chapter is the oldest Omega Psi Phi Alumni Chapter in the United States.

According to Ted Price, the Military Affairs Committee Chair of the fraternity, the ceremony was held as part of the Memorial Day Tribute to Black veterans of the Civil War, Spanish American, World War I and World War II wars who are buried at the historic site.

Speakers during the event included Norfolk Fourth Ward Councilman John “JP” Paige, representing the City of Norfolk; Ronald Moore, the Basileus of the Omega Lambda Chapter; Jerome Bynum, President of the Uplift Foundation; and Rev. James Edwards, III, of the Lambda Omega Chapter.

According to Councilman Paige, the ceremony was an opportunity “to be in the presence of Our Ancestors.”

“This is an opportunity to give respect and

recognize the sacrifices of our Ancestors who paved the way for current and future generations,” he said.

“The struggles we endured then are not yet over. But they contributed to our ability to continue fighting for total freedom.”

Paige also noted that they the Westpoint Cemetery was one of the first publicly funded cemeteries for Black Americans. Civil

War veteran and Norfolk’s first African-American City Councilperson James E. Fuller lobbied the City Council to provide an adequate burial ground for African-Americans during reconstruction. He also noted the presence of a red brick wall which was erected to separate West Point from the surrounding Elmwood Ceremony during the Jim Crow era still stands.

The Lambda Omega Chapter of the Omega Psi Phi Alumni Chapter

Councilman John “JP” Paige

Community Action Month & The Power of Partnerships

By Regina P. Lawrence

Community Action

Month shifts the focus from non-profits’ disparate works to Community Action Agencies’ joint efforts in providing myriad simultaneous services across local networks and state coalitions. STOP Inc. believes that no single agency is equipped to address the diverse needs of all residents.

According to the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, the total number of sheltered, but unhoused people across the U.S. declined by almost 8 percent in 2021; but in Virginia, homelessness increased 6.9 percent in the same period. Although the state’s unemployment rate is slightly lower than the nation’s, the number of unemployed Virginians has now grown by 31,962 compared to the same period in 2022, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

And the state of Virginia’s healthcare remains precarious. According to the Virginia Health Care Foundation, 8 percent of Virginians under age 65 are without health insurance – more than 550,000 individuals for whom a major illness often means financial calamity.

While the data points are concerning, STOP Inc. is heartened by the state and federal government’s emphasis on coordination, the pooling of resources, and the sharing of best practices by Community Action Agencies that have provided measurable improvements in the lives of individuals and families.

“Advancing equity” across races, genders, age and income levels – advocated by the Administration for Children and Families’ Office of Family Assistance, Office of Community Services (OCS) – calls for cohesive and coordinated action by nonprofit organizations; yes, even by those that vie for funds from the same sources.

We firmly concur with Dr. Lanikque Howard, Director, Office of Community Services, that advancing equity can best be implemented through “culturally inclusive, whole-family approaches to service delivery.” In fact, we applaud Hampton Roads Community Action Programs and Virginia’s Department of Social Services for being cited by the OCS as participants in the COVID-19 and Safety Net Technical Assistance Initiative (CASI). It speaks to the clout of coalitions and the power of partnerships to effect positive change.

STOP Inc. embraces linkages among Community Action Agencies whose missions and programs may vary, yet whose common goal is to help the underserved. Our core guideposts of Education, Employment, Health and Housing (E2H2) assist a wide cross-section of low to moderate-income residents in Eastern Virginia and Western Tidewater.

STOP Inc. services include helping Veterans who are rebuilding their lives; seniors seeking home improvements; families grappling with rising energy costs; the underemployed striving for skills re-training and job placement; the homeless and the uninsured lacking access to affordable care.

Working to address the multiplicity of needs for low and moderate income families is a constant struggle. But, far from dispiriting our staff and volunteers, the challenge energizes, and motivates us to “up our game,” to explore new alliances where we can share what we know, and where we can learn from

others.

While it is important to mark Community Action Month as a significant event, STOP Inc.’s continuing work with local jurisdiction leaders, Virginia Career Works, Hampton Roads Community Foundation, the City of Virginia Beach, local

MOTHER’S DAY AT THE RICKS’ HOME

Pastor Joseph Ricks took off his pulpit robe to don his white chef’s jacket for Mother’s Day as he prepared a special dinner for nine mothers at the home he and his wife First Lady Virginia share. Entrees included sautéed cabbage with stewed pork and a combination dish of fish, chicken and shrimp that could only be described by the women as “spectacular,” as they asked for “more, please.” Ice cream and cake topped off the meal.

businesses such as PNC Bank, and other partners rises above mere symbolism.

Community Action Month ends on the 31st of May. For STOP Inc., creating transformative opportunities with our public service colleagues is on the to-do list each day of the year.

Regina P. Lawrence is the President and CEO of STOP, Inc., a Community Action Agency (CAA) in Southeastern Virginia and Western Tidewater, serving low and moderate income citizens residing in the Cities of Chesapeake, Franklin, Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Virginia Beach and the Counties of Accomack, Isle of Wight, Northampton, and Southampton.

Memorial Day Ceremony Commemorates Afro-Union Civil War Soldiers, Sailors

CHESAPEAKE Dr. E. Curtis Alexander will host his 23rd Founders Day ceremony in Hampton Roads of the United States Colored Troop Descendants on Memorial Day, Monday, May 29, from 10:30 a.m. to 12 noon. It will take place at the Unknown and Known Afro-Union Civil War Soldiers Memorial, 1001 Bells Mill Road.

According to Dr. Alexander’s news release, this year’s event commemorates the 404th anniversary of the African Holocaust Experience in America and celebrates the 160th anniversary of the Afro-Union soldiers who fought in the Civil War. More than 209,145 Afro-

Union soldiers volunteered to “fight for the right to fight, for the right to die in the fight, to save the United States of America and defeat slavery,” he wrote.

There will be the placement, dedication and unveiling of a new unknown and known Afro-Union Civil War Soldiers Memorial Bench and a special salute to the Descendants of Norfolk County Area Afro-Union Civil War Patriot Heroes.

It is recommended that guests wear COVID masks for safety.

The ceremony site is located between Jerry Locke Street and March Corprew Place and Enoch Ridge Place, Chesapeake, VA 23322.

Chesapeake Rotary Presents Annual Public Safety Awards

CHESAPEAKE On May 17,

The Chesapeake Rotary presented awards to the Deputy of the Year, Police Officer of the Year, and Firefighter of the Year at the Chesapeake Conference Center. Each individual was chosen for performing acts of bravery, skill, and professionalism under fire. Sheriff Jim O’Sullivan, Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Pascal, Captain Holten, Deputy City Manager, City Manager, the Police Chief, and the Fire Chief were all in attendance. Chesapeake Sheriff’s Office Deputy Diana Kubitschek-Brann was named the Deputy of the Year after coming to the rescue of a driver entrapped in his vehicle after a violent two-car crash.

Pastor Joseph Ricks

(L-R): First Lady Virginia Ricks, Lala Owens, Pastor Joseph Ricks, Glenda Hall, Stephanie Perry and Ella R. Wayne

Regina P. Lawrence

Photo: Courtesy

LOCAL VOICES

Expending and Impending

By Sean C. Bowers

I am usually a “the glass is way more than half full” type of guy. Yet, since the forced isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic, I have developed a new heightened perception of possible coming stress

points facing America.

First, is the national debt ceiling. Many can’t believe that Republicans are willing to trash America’s credit standing and force a predicted recession, trash everyone’s 401-k pensions. Nine trillion dollars of the

total 31 trillion-dollar debt was accumulated by 45. It took the other 44 presidents more than 240 years to compile the other 23 trillion dollars of debt.

Second, the coming presidential, state, and local 2024 elections.

Republicans’ grip on 31 of the state legislatures renders women’s choice and gun control frozen in place. The only way people can end this NRA-produced tragedy starring AK-15 weapons of war in a Groundhog Day of endless carnage and death

continue to discontinue Republican control.

Republican control equals zero gun-control.

The perfect storm on the economy’s horizon will be in 2025 when the rent from many new national office space buildings in all

Sean C. Bowers

major circles comes due. These spaces will never be refinanced because they are completely upside down. That wave of capsized empty office buildings has the dangerous potential to force our country into near Great Depression numbers of homeless, jobless, under-employed, and poor Americans.

Lastly, the world Meteoritical Society new five-year predictions include the one of hottest years ever recorded in the next five years. We are pressure cooking ourselves on earth’s big burner. We are expected to increase the rising point temperature 1 and 1/2 degrees by 2027.

The Right is driving the nation at full speed towards a cliff over which they are willing to trash the nation’s good credit standing and economy, because it would (in their minds) give them better chances of winning elections. Their means, do not justify our ends.

Women, this may be your last chance to end the far Right’s overreach, and your last voting chance to wrest control back from those who seek to inflict their narrow agenda onto the majority of us. It may be your last chance to break the cycle of super majorities in several states’ ability to continue to restrict the rights of the rest of us. Our nation deserves better consideration for our people from our government and our elected representatives.

The majority of our nation supports both “free choice” and “Gun Control Reform” concerning the AR-15. These two issues can be the center-piece-programs that send home those on the Right who have repeatedly lied to their own voters and lied to the nation, because they know they can’t win elections on the issues. Now is the time to expend all our resources to highlight these impending issues.

Sean C. Bowers has written the last 25 years, as a White Quaker Southern man, for the nation’s third oldest Black Newspaper, The New Journal and Guide, of Norfolk, Virginia, about overcoming racism, sexism, classism, and religious persecution. Some of his latest NJ&G articles detailing the issues can found by searching “Sean C. Bowers” on the NJ&G website. Contact him directly on social media at Linkedin.com or by email V1ZUAL1ZE@aol. com NNPA 2019 Publisher of the Year, Brenda K. Andrews (NJ&G 35 years) has always been his publisher.

Our nation deserves better consideration for our people from our government and our elected representatives.

In chapter 5, we learn of the power of Jesus as He stepped from a boat and immediately met a demon possessed man with an unclean spirit. This man lived among the tombs. No one could control him. Matthew 8 and Luke 8 support this same story. This man’s life was controlled by Satan who roams around deceiving the whole world! How can we protect ourselves from the daily power of Satan?

In James 4:7, we are told to submit ourselves to God and to resist the devil and he will flee from us!

Among this man’s problems three disasters surfaced before the other people: (1) social isolation in the tombs, (2) superhuman strength and (3) self-destructive behavior.

Can we imagine seeing him cutting himself with stones, while wrenching shackles and chains apart? These

activities were continued night and day under demonic influence.

The same Jesus, who was obeyed by the winds and waves earlier in the Book of Mark, appeared from afar. The man ran, fell down in submission before Jesus. Perhaps he finally recognized Jesus’ greater power! In this same timeframe, the demon surprisingly took over the man’s voice! Jesus, with a sense of mercy, had asked the demon to come out of this man as he also asked for his name. “Legion” was the reply as he admitted that many demons existed. The demons begged Jesus to send them among the pigs. How did Jesus honor this request? Jesus gave them permission. The impure spirits came out and went into the pigs and about two thousand demons rushed down a steep embankment into the lake and drowned.

This news caused much excitement in that area. With the unlimited power of Jesus the onlooker saw the man who had been possessed sitting there clothed in his right mind! The crowd became frightened. Other people were told about this miracle and others began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.

As Jesus was getting into the boat, this same man begged to go with Him. Jesus did not take him, but gave him an opportunity to witness to others about the power of our Lord. The NIV translation tells us through Mark 5:19 to “go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you and how He has had mercy on you.” The man testified and people were amazed at the goodness of our Lord Jesus!

The man, also, begged Jesus not to punish him or send them from the area.

Let us continue to tell others about the goodness of Jesus and thank Him for salvation. With the help of Jesus, this man’s life was transformed. Before he met Jesus, he had been extremely rebellious earlier and had lived undisciplined, spiritually unclean and was hurting inside.

Think and list what Jesus has done in our lives that needs to be told to others. With continued growth spiritually let us study the Bible and learn about the goodness of Jesus and also thank Him for salvation!

Mrs. Gladys McElmore was born in Essex County, Va. She was the founder of the Kathryn Bibbins Memorial Bible Study group.

(16) Galatians 4:2431 represent Allegorical “types.” (an allegory was referred to last week.) Note: A type is a divinely purposed illustration of a truth. It may be a person, an event a thing, an institution or a ceremonial. (Scofield p.4) Hagar is type of law, which is in contrast to Sarah, type of grace. Abraham is type of faith who believed God would give him a son although he was 100 years old and Sarah was 90. God counted it unto Abraham for righteousness and promised He would make him “father of many nations.” (Genesis 17:4-5) (17) Gal. 4:26 Sarah means “mother of nations,” Genesis 17:16) She points to the Abrahamic Covenant and stands for “JERUSALEM ABOVE WHICH IS FREE AND MOTHER OF US ALL.” That is, of those who by grace are one with the True, Son of Promise (Jesus) of whom Issac was the type. That is, of those who, by grace are one with the true Son of Promise, Jesus the Christ, of whom Issac was the type.

(18) Sarah the free woman and wife of Abraham bore Issac, the spiritual son promised by God through whom the lineage of Christ would come. As it is written, “But

when the fullness of time was come God sent forth His Son made of a woman made under the law.” (Gal. 4:4) “For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. (John 1:17)

(19) Finally, Jerusalem Above is the spiritual realm of the Messianic Kingdom of God’s Dear Son Jesus Christ that we the redeemed are translated into by the shedding of Jesus’ blood and the forgiveness of our sins. God’s Grace births us out of Jerusalem Above, Spiritual Mother, through our faith in Jesus Christ as Personal Lord and Saviour of our lives. Grace through faith go together like peas in a pod. You can have both together and more “grace for grace” (John 1:16) Thus, grace keeps on bringing more grace by Jesus Christ. (Oh, Yes!) Grace is the Father’s

kindness and love towards us through Jesus Christ. It is His unmerited favor freely given.

(20) As Jesus came down from Heaven through 42 generations to see about us, so Jerusalem comes down from Heaven as the Mother Cell that gives the rebirthing of our spirits. In the born-again experience we are “born from above.” This ‘above” means “Jerusalem Above.” Furthermore to be born from “Jerusalem Above” means being reborn of Jesus’ Spirit from above in the Heavenlies and not flesh and blood of parents on earth. Thereby, we become one with the Triune Cod. It is then that we become mature, control habits, and allow the Spirit to flow into the physical body. This is the meaning of John 7:38-39...”He that believeth on me, as the scriptures hath said, out of his belly (spirit) shall flow rivers of living water ... But this He spoke of the Holy Spirit.”

(21) Literally, the Kingdom of God is within and not an outward show. Jesus said, “ The Kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! Or, to there! For behold the Kingdom of God is within you.” (Luke 17:20-21) see Rivka, page 6B

HAGAR vs SARAH

“But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the Mother of us all” (Galatians 4:26 KJV)

Rev. Dr. Rebecca R. Rivka

Mark 5:1-20

A MEMORIAL DAY THANK YOU TO EVERY VETERAN

BY DELORES DUDLEY HAMPTON ROADS ʼ POET

Among us is found in each generation,men and women who feel called out to follow a light, Those with a vision and those on a mission to travel the world as they turn wrong to right,

Those who love family,tradition,and order and those who will fight any enemy that they can, To defend and protect all Americans from danger, and to keep them all safe and secure in their land.

Oh, they are the faithful,the honorable and true, for they are watching and waiting ,helping civilians like me and like you.

In World Wars and global con fl icts and fi erce confrontations, they never fl inched and never failed to faithfully agree, that they would do all that they could even if it meant their fi nal fate to battle with powerful force and to defeat the enemy.

For they were ,and they are OUR AMERICAN ARMED FORCES TEAM: army, navy,coast guard,airmen, and marines it seems that can face domestic and foreign foes ,so that you and I can live life with a fewer number of worries and can pursue our special and dearest of dreams,

And they are today the brave men and brave women who are superb scholars and

fine husbands and fathers as well as loving wives and kind mothers too,

Who have entered the armed services and are working at all of their duty stations, while praying heartfelt prayers that GOD would keep their spouses and children as they all must go through.

For the numerous deployments and all of the good byes often bring tears from all family membersʼ eyes, and as they leave their homes and travel afar,

They challenge their souls as they seek Victoryʼs Star.

And these are the AMERICANS black and white, yellowish, brown,reddish, and tan United in purpose so that AMERICA may stand,

And these are the defined patriots who still believe in democracy

For they believe in the concept that with all of her issues that some day AMERICA will surely be the home of the brave and the beautiful land of the free!

For in the past and still now in the present, the armed forces members are integrated in goals to reach and to be one people and one voice for multi-racial, unwavering unity.

And so on Memorial Day, we give thanks for their sacr ifice so noble, for there is no greater act but to risk your own,dear life to go on a tour

that might lead you onward where you will have to be ready for your country to make a deadly sacrifice.

And when theyʼre in service, they are still relatively in youth, And yet they march forward,accepting that truth.

They are the men and women warriors who say to duty,”You can count on me,” Whether I am on the ground,in the air, or out at sea.

I am whatever my lofty lot may require. SERVICE is my call,so in service I will be, And total honor to my country will someday be my legacy!

So, in memory of veterans of the past and in the spirit of thanksgiving for all serving today, We are filled with humility and yet praise,thanking GOD for your spirit and loving, American Way,

For you represent the men and the women who respect and protect and still uphold, the FOREVER American Values that must never grow old!

So, thank you for being all that you can be. Thank you for facing every enemy.

Thank you for your lessons shown in unity. Thank you for safe guarding our liberty.

And for all veterans living and those who have gone on,”Thank you for serving AMERICA, OUR GREAT and BLESSED HOME!

MOMENTS of MEDITATION

By Rev. Dr. Archie L. Edwards, Sr. PENTECOST’S

AFTERGLOW

Read: Acts 2: 37 – 47

“And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship” – Acts 2:42

On the day of Pentecost, Christians were formed into a living organism through the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The third person of the Trinity came to indwell all believers and bring them together into one body, the church. An evidence of His uniting work is what happened following Peter’s sermon and the conversion of about 3,000 souls.

The Scripture declares that the Saints met together regularly for “doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.” This pattern must be carefully maintained today if church members are to retain the warm glow of the spirit in their hearts.

A man had been faithful in worshipping with others believers for many years. Then he became lax and stopped coming to the services. The pastor was burdened for his spiritual welfare, so one day he called on him at his home. The man invited him in and offered him a chair by the fire.

For several moments they sat in silence and watched the burning embers. Then, taking the

SEND

tongs, the pastor removed a hot coal and laid it by itself on the hearth stone. As it began to cool, its red glow soon faded. The man, who had been expecting a verbal rebuke, quickly caught the message. The next Sunday he was back in the service.

The coming of the Holy Spirit at Jerusalem began a work that must not be allowed to grow dim. But the only way the believer can experience Pentecost’s afterglow of spiritual growth and power is to “continue steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.”

“Attend church? Of course we do, like others in our set Except on days that seem too cold or hot or wet; But all other Sundays you will find us in our pew, For we always go to church when we’ve nothing else to do.” – Anonymous

THOUGHT: CH__ __ CH means nothing unless U R in it!

Rev. Dr. Archie L. Edwards, Sr., is an Associate Minister at Second Calvary Baptist Church in Norfolk.

Sunday, May 14, 2023!

BOOKWORM REVIEWS

By Terri Schlichenmeyer

KING: A LIFE

The life of the hero you most admire has been an open book.

For much of your life, you’ve read about him, watched him on television, and heard epic stories about him. Sometimes, your hero almost feels like a close personal friend; absolutely, he’s someone you want to be like. So read the new book, “King: A Life” by Jonathan Eig and find out all the things you don’t know.

Head to your local bookstore or library, and you’ll find thousands of “excellent biographies” about Martin Luther King Jr. You’ll find books on his work, beliefs, and his activism. Still, says Jonathan Eig, “the literature remains incomplete” – in part, because those books don’t tell much about King as a flawed, irritated, exhausted human.

Says Eig, “King was a man, not a saint, not a symbol. He chewed his fingernails. He shouted at the TV during quiz shows.” He cheated on his wife for so many years that “friends referred to [one] woman as his second wife.”

By the time he was a year old, young King had three names: Michael, Marvin, and Martin; his father adopted the name Martin Luther “after a few years,” and the younger King was then called M.L. As the middle child and older son, young Martin was close to his sister but tussled with his younger brother, sometimes violently. The elder Martin was a preacher, and M.L. said that God had called him to do the same –though he later claimed that he “tried to escape” the “responsibility on [his] shoulders, and grew frustrated.

King was a ladies’ man who fell in love with a white woman before meeting Coretta Scott. He often felt insecure and had a “tendency to depression.”

He “found strength in words,” vowing in a fiery speech in December of 1955 that “the world would change. Their time had come. He promised.”

Since his activism as a young man and his assassination more than a half-century ago, surely everything there is to know

“King: A Life”

By Jonathan Eig ©2023, Farrar, Straus and Giroux $35, 671 pages

about Martin Luther King Jr. has been told, right?

Surprisingly, no, as author Jonathan Eig shows. In “King: A Life,” readers are given a glimpse of a man who was more complicated and flawed than we’ve seen before.

Part of the revelation lies in the stories Eig tells about King and the many people in King’s circle, friends, family, and colleagues. It’s in these tales that we see a King that contemporary accounts generally didn’t

FUN PUZZLE FOR YOUR LEISURE

Jonathan Eig

reveal, but that “thousands of recently released FBI documents and tens of thousands of other new items ...” have shed light on.

In that, we learn much about the turbulent relationships that King had, broadly, and specifically with politics and presidents. There’s a fair amount of edginess and intrigue in that and, given the time-frame, a sense of doom.

The size of “King: A Life” may be daunting, but don’t let it scare you. It’s a surprisingly fast read that includes things you know and things you don’t know. Truly, you’re going to want to open this book.

Continued from page 4B

(22) To press the point, “The Kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace and joy in the Holy Spirt.” (Romans 14:17) The Kingdom Within is “ever the mystery of God which has been hid for ages, but is now made manifest to all saints: which is Christ in you, the hope of Glory.” (Colossians

l:26-27)

(23) “Jerusalem Above” does forever come down in us bringing new fillings of the Holy Spirit, ever transforming the mind and heart, and revealing a new sense of community and relational living. There is one baptism of the Holy Spirit, but many fillings. When we receive Jesus as Lord and Saviour we also receive the Holy Spirit (Ghost) For we cannot separate or split up the one True God.

(24) True believers are the New Jerusalem, the spiritual transformers come down from God out of Heaven. They are the movers and shakers of a new world order of peace and love. Moreover, they are the redeemed “Church of the Firstborn,” (Hebrews 12:23)

(25) John said he saw “the Holy City, New Jerusalem coming down from God out of Heaven, prepared

as a bride adorned for her husband.” (Revelation 21 :2)

(26) Jerusalem comes down time and time again into yielded hearts and minds.

(27) The ole gospel hymn reminds us:

“Heaven came down and glory filled my soul when at the cross the Saviour made me whole. My sins were washed away and my night was turned to day, when Heaven came down and glory filled my soul.”

(28) Dear Saints, rejoice and again I say rejoice; for a realm of pure blessedness has descended from on high into your total being. You are free indeed. For the Bible says,” If the Son therefore shall make you free, you are free indeed.”

(John 8:36) You now have a new psychospiritual way of physical living on the earth i.e., Kingdom-living from the inside out. You are bringing the Messianic Kingdom of, Jesus Christ within you out ] into the outside world by your thoughts, words, and deeds.

(29) This is my sterling task as I journey in the earth, speaking the wonderful words of life to self and others and writing contemporary lessons embracing the Gospel and love of Jesus Christ in REBECCA’S WELL for the NEW JOURNAL and GUIDE. Blessings and Shalom