NJG | Vol. 123, No. 29 - July 20, 2023

Biden Commits $2.2B Relief For Black Farmers

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

The Biden-Harris Administration has unveiled a $2.2 billion relief initiative aimed at providing support to Black farmers and other individuals who have faced discrimination within federal government lending programs.

The Inflation Reduction Act, part of Biden’s commitment to addressing historical injustices, includes a total of $5.3 billion dedicated to offering relief to tens of thousands of farmers across the country.

Of the allocated funds, $3.1 billion reportedly will be used to assist distressed borrowers in paying off their farm debts without losing their land or becoming ineligible for future assistance.

An additional $2.2 billion will be allocated specifically to farmers who have suffered discrimination through USDA farm programs.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that applications are now being accepted for the Discrimination Financial Assistance Program, which aims to provide financial aid to farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners who have experienced discrimination in USDA farm lending prior to 2021.

“The opening of the application process is an important step in delivering on our commitment to providing financial assistance to those who faced discrimination in USDA farm lending, as swiftly and efficiently as possible,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack emphasized.

The initiative comes after decades of Black farmers accusing the USDA of discrimination and being denied loans crucial for their livelihoods and land preservation.

A study conducted in May 2022 revealed that Black farmers had lost over $326 billion in land value throughout the 20th century.

The Washington Informer reported in 2022 that researchers considered that figure to be a conservative estimate of

the actual financial impact racist practices have had on Black American farmers since 1920.

Biden issued an executive order last year, instructing the USDA to

establish a 15-member independent equity commission aimed at rectifying discrimination within its policies and practices concerning Black farmers.

Under the initial Build Back Better plan, the Biden administration said it wanted to allocate significant funds to support Black farmers.

However, the plan was

Traveling To Richmond?

RICHMOND

This month marks the 159th birthday of Maggie Lena Mitchell Walker, a Black woman, and a distinguished American citizen. A native daughter of Richmond, Va., she was a visionary businesswoman, a dedicated civic leader, and the first woman of any color to serve as the head of a bank in the United States. This 10foot bronze memorial statue is located near the Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site in Jackson Ward. Ten benches surround the statue, each describing events and achievements in Mrs. Walker’s life.

JACKSON: REMAINS TRUE TO MLK’S PUSH FOR CHANGE

By Leonard E. Colvin

Chief Reporter New Journal and Guide

CHICAGO

Fifty-two years after he formed it, the Rev. Jesse Jackson has stepped down from leading the RainbowPUSH (People United to Save Humanity) Coalition.

Jesse Jackson, a civil rights leader, and two-time presidential candidate, announced his plans to retire during the organization’s annual convention last weekend.

Jackson, who will turn 82 in October, has remained active

in civil rights in recent years despite health setbacks.

In 2017 he began outpatient care for Parkinson’s disease. In early 2021, he had gallbladder

surgery, and later that year, he was treated for COVID-19, including a stint at a physical therapy-focused facility.

Jackson also participated in COVID-19 vaccination drives to battle hesitancy in Black communities.

He was hospitalized again in November 2021 for a fall.

Jackson and Andrew Young are two of the last close aides of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. Last weekend, Jackson

A Special Class of Graduates

Seniors living at the ‘Tranquility at the Lakes’ housing complex on Burton Station Road recently graduated from a 12-week workshop on nutrition and healthy living.

scuttled after white farmers filed lawsuits claiming that the earmarking of funds specifically for Black farmers amounted to discrimination.

The legal action has resulted in the tying up of $4 billion as the administration continues to defend the action in court.

Further, a 2021 report from ProPublica also shed

light on the systematic discrimination faced by Black farmers at the hands of various federal agencies, including the USDA.

The report detailed how the USDA impeded Black farmers’ access to critical federal funds through discriminatory loan denials and deliberate delays in financial aid. see Farmers, page 7A

Norfolk State In Top 20 For Its Online Master’s Cybersecurity Program

NSU NEWSROOM

Fortune has named Norfolk State University among its 2023 Best Online Master’s in Cybersecurity degree programs. NSU is listed in the top 20 with the likes of the UC Berkeley, U. of Arizona, Syracuse, and DePaul. Norfolk State is listed at No. 13.

Cybersecurity professionals are in high demand. In fact, cybersecurity jobs are far outpacing other industries, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Public, private and government agencies all cite information security as a business priority.

NSU officials report many of the university’s Master of Science cybersecurity graduates have multiple job offers prior to graduation.

Norfolk State University is Virginia’s largest HBCU and a recognized

leader in cybersecurity education and research. The University holds designations as a DHS/ NSA (Department of Homeland Security/ National Security Agency) Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education, an Intelligence Community Center for Academic Excellence (IC-CAE) and membership in the first HBCU-led University Affiliated Research Center (UARC).

NN $100M PROJECT TO PRESERVE SOME OLD AMID THE NEW

By Leonard E. Colvin Chief Reporter New Journal

and Guide

For years in the East End of Newport News, Huntington High School, Pearl Bailey Library, and the Dorie Miller Community Center have been tied to the area’s history and identity.

Huntington once was the main high school serving the Black community.

But desegregation changed that. It was converted into a middle school, and it was recently closed. Now a good portion of what remains of the massive building is being razed.

Community Center which served the East End as a venue for recreation and entertainment.

turned over the reins of the organization to Rev. Frederick Douglass Haynes III, a senior pastor of Friendship-West Baptist Church in Dallas, with more than 13,000 members.

“One of the things that I am quick to say is that of all of the degrees I may have, I must also confess that I’ve studied at the University of Jesse Jackson,” said Hayes, a longtime ally of Jackson. see Jackson, page 2A

The area that housed the former high school and other historic Black landmark buildings is being transformed into a 21st-century Southeast Community Resource Area (SCRA). By 2027 this huge urban space will look entirely different than it does now.

The Pearl Bailey Library, opened in 1985, is in the area. It was named for the late actress and singer who was born just blocks from the site.

The Bailey Library collection, according to city records, was located in the nearby Dorie Miller

The center gets its name from a WWII Black Navy hero. On the morning of December 7, 1941, Dorie (originally Doris) Miller was serving aboard the USS West Virginia at Pearl Harbor when the Japanese attacked the base. Miller manned an antiaircraft machine gun and downed several enemy planes. The ship was sunk but Miller’s stature rose, and he was deemed a hero. His heroics were showcased in events to sell war bonds and highlight the role of Black servicemen during the height of the war. see Newport News, page 7A

Doris “Dorie” Miller

Cybersecurity jobs are far outpacing other industries, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The President’s initiative comes after decades of Black farmers accusing the USDA of racial bias and being denied crucial loans.

Jackson, who will turn 82 in October, has remained active in civil rights in recent years despite health setbacks.

Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr.

HU PRESIDENT LTG DARRELL K. WILLIAMS (RETIRED, USA) WEIGHS IN ON THE SUPREME COURT’S AFFIRMATIVE ACTION RULING, HBCUS AND DIVERSITY. see page 3A

Maggie L.Walker Statue

Photo: Courtesy

2023 Report Released: Black Women In Politics

WASHINGTON, D.C.

Higher Heights

Leadership Fund and the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP), a unit of the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University, recently released the latest version of the report, Black Women in American Politics 2023.

For nearly a decade, Higher Heights and the Center for American Women and Politics have teamed up to report on the status of Black women in American politics. In that period, Black women have seen representational gains across all levels of office, including in the federal executive, and achieved milestones as candidates and officeholders within states and nationwide.

During the 2022 elections, record numbers of Black women ran for congressional and statewide elective executive offices and, as a result, a record number of Black women now serve in Congress and statewide.

Still, despite a record number of Black women running for and winning major-party nominations for the U.S. Senate and governor in 2022, last year’s election did not remedy the lack of Black women’s representation at either level.

The report illustrates:

• A record number of Black women serve in congressional, statewide elective executive, and state legislative offices, as well as in the presidential cabinet, in 2023, with important gains made and milestones achieved over the past decade.

Since 2020, Black women have ascended to the vice presidency and the U.S. Supreme Court.

• Still, despite being 7.7 percent of the population, Black women are less than 6 percent of officeholders in Congress, statewide elective executive offices, and state legislatures. They are eight of the mayors in the nation’s 100 most populous cities.

• A record number of Black women ran for the U.S. House, U.S. Senate, and statewide elective executive offices – including governor –in 2022, and a record number of Black women were nominees for the U.S. Senate, statewide executive offices, and governor. These candidacies translated into record-level officeholding at multiple levels, but no Black women serve in the U.S. Senate today and no Black woman has ever served as governor.

Jackson

Continued from page 1A

During the 2022 elections, record numbers of Black women ran for congressional and statewide elective executive offices.

• Between 2022 and 2023, Black women’s state legislative representation remained nearly equal –achieving a new high but by just three seats – though a record number of Black women currently lead state legislative chambers.

• Black women won big-city mayoral elections in Los Angeles, California and North Las Vegas, Nevada in 2022, and a Black woman is poised to be elected mayor of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in November 2023. Higher Heights and

CAWP issued their first report on the status of Black women in American politics in June 2014. Since then, 24 new Black women were elected to Congress, the number of Black women state legislators has risen by over 50 percent, Black women have made tremendous strides in representation as big-city mayors – with 15 Black women taking office as mayors in the top 100 most populous cities since mid-2014 – and a Black woman now serves as vice president.

“I first heard him as a college student at Bishop College in Dallas, Texas, and I was just blown away because I was trying to find my way in ministry. ... Through the years, my formation in justice work had everything to do with Rev. Jackson.”

“I want to teach more, all that I’ve learned, to other preachers: How do you fight the nonviolent fight, focus on affirmative action, loan debt, focus on pulling gun shops down,” Jackson said. Jackson said he would offer his guidance in academic settings, as well as in the field. He said he will double efforts to get reparations for the three remaining survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. A lawsuit filed by survivors was recently dismissed by an Oklahoma judge.

“The Supreme Court is setting the agenda — affirmative action, health care for women, rights in education – but we can’t afford that.

“They’re trying to take back the rights that protect the right to vote,” Jackson said. “The agenda is set by the opposition. I want Rainbow/PUSH to survive in that struggle and we have to have leadership help us.”

“I feel really good about what it is I’m called to do and because of my relationship with him, that is even more helpful,” Haynes said.

“I’ll be honest, the response I’m receiving from around the country has been overwhelmingly positive and supportive because ... we don’t know life without PUSH and Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. ... What he was doing in ‘63, we need in ‘23.”

In a December 25, 1971 edition of the New Journal and Guide, an article headlined “Abernathy or Jackson” detailed Jackson’s split from the SCLC and his formation of Operation

From The Guide’s Archives

July 18, 1953

Edition of the Guide

What Phillips Said In Defense of Segregation

BOOKER T. WASHINGTON BIRTHPLACE, VA

Following are direct quotations from the recent speech by S.J. Phillips, president of the Booker T. Washington Birthplace Memorial, defending segregation and which aroused sharp unfavorable comment by leading colored citizens of Virginia.

“As a Negro American about the age 50 years born and reared in the South, having dealt with members of my race widely, experiences with many white southerners. I believe, my own views common to those of many Negroes who are not considered among the so called “masses” and who have had opportunity for a certain degree of training and wholesome contacts under varying circumstances.

“Facing the matter of segregation squarely as measuring with a yardstick of commonsense, I must say first that I deplore the thought of the term, for it’s the idea of second class without freedom. And without opportunity to advance to any sphere of one’s livelihood. Yet it is my considered belief that:

“1. The circumstances of the segregation systems have been of overall benefit to the Negro. Handicapped as he was emerging from slavery, it gave him a field of his own to develop. Within that field he has the opportunity to work out his own destiny, find himself growing to a man’s estate without the competition with which he could not have coped has the circumstances been otherwise.

“2. The economic progress of Negroes has achieved is due in large measure, if not in practically entirety, to the pattern of segregation.

“Those who have attained economic success to a noticeable degree have been and are beneficiaries of that practice where in Negroes serve other Negroes. As teachers, as doctors, as ministers, editors and the like.

“Admittedly there are scattered exceptions which merely serve to prove the rules; and without exception in every instance where any Negro reaches a status of economic sufficiency without dependence upon members of this race –

PUSH. Jackson was head of the SCLC’s anti-poverty program Operation Breadbasket. But tension had built between Jackson and the old guard of the SCLC led by Ralph David Abernathy and the Executive Committee.

The tension was based on the Executive Committee’s concerns about how he ran the program. The Committee relieved Jackson of his control of the program on December 3, 1971.

They placed him on leave with a salary to avoid raising tensions further. But Jackson resigned a week later.

On December 18, Jackson formed Operation PUSH. SCLC leaders did not accuse Jackson of “outright financial irregularities or dishonesty.”

But they disagreed with Jackson linking Operation Breadbasket with the Black Expo, a business advocacy program Jackson had built without consulting them. see Jackson, page 8A

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

who have little choice other than to patronize him – the incidence makes news.

“3. The dual system has made the Negro look to himself, in large measure for his earning, his property holdings, his achievements, and even the popularity he enjoys. That credit the race receives for certain accomplishments in a given period all stems from accomplishments of Negroes with Negroes, for Negroes. Had it been otherwise, the identity of the Negro would have been lost, his personal accomplishments stifled, and advancements of the race as a whole.

“Men are made stronger in realizing that the helping hand they need is at the end of their own right arm.

Mass Meeting On Selby Case To Be Sunday

NORFOLK

A mass meeting open to all of Norfolk will be held at Shiloh Baptist Church Park Avenue and Olney Road July 19 at 3:30 p.m. for the purpose of giving financial and moral support to the Ruffin Selby case which involves the confinement to jail of Junius Selby of Princess Anne County on charges of rape, murder and robbery.

Selby is being held awaiting the court testimony of the rape victim who was physically unable to attend the previous hearing. The local chapter of the NAACP is urging all cities to attend the mass meeting Sunday to help raise funds to post a bond for Selby’s case.

C. Wood Named Principal at Norfolk County

NORFOLK COUNTY

Clinton Wood has assumed his duties as the new Principal of Norfolk County High School. Wood, former principal of Southeastern Elementary School, was named head of the county school on July 1 succeeding Edward S. Cox who has been named to replace Wood at Southeastern. A teacher in the Norfolk County system for 10 years and a former Principal at Crestwood School, Wood is a graduate of Elizabeth City State Teachers’ College. He has a master’s degree in education from Colombia University and has studied at Hampton Institute and Virginia State College.

To Play At Newport News

Toni Stone, (above), the sensational female second baseman for the Indianapolis Clowns of the NAL will see action at War Memorial Stadium July 19 when the Clowns and the Birmingham Black Bombers, also the NAL, clash in a day-night twin bill.The official NAL games will get underway at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. On July 20, the Clowns move to Portsmouth for an 8 p.m. tilt with the Portsmouth Merrimacs of the Piedmont League.

Tobey Tells Senate Of Abuses On Waterfront

WASHINGTON, D.C.

Senator Charles W. Tobey, Republicans of New Hampshire, last Tuesday brought up on the Senate floor testimony showing that colored dock workers are charged an initiation fee of $200 twice the amount paid by white dock workers in joining locals of the International Longshoreman’s Assocation, an affiliate of the American Federation of Labor.

Later Senator Tobey revealed that after his committee had held hearings in New Orleans, “angry” colored longshoremen packed a hall in the city to demand the impeachment of Dave Dennis and the end to 5-percent salary assessments. Petitions to that effect were signed by a large number of members.

Dennis, president of the Local 1419 International Longshoremen’s Association in New Orleans, was put through two days of tough questioning by the Tobey committee.

Good Land Difficult To Purchase

NORFOLK

Despite the fact that the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that restrictive covenants are unconstitutional, Negroes still find it virtually impossible to purchase desirable property

Norfolk GI Slain By Reds; Korean Casualty

Pvt. Winston Hudgins Jr., son of Mr. and Mrs. Winston Hudgins of 743 Avenue A Norfolk, was reported killed in action in Korea this week. He was a member of the 17th Infantry Regiment and had been in Korea since April of this year.

for home sites. One of the most effective ways colored buyers have of purchasing property in white neighborhoods or in areas which may eventually become white is to get a white person to make the original purpose for them.

Under such arrangements, the white agent agreed to transfer title to the property to the colored owner who supplied the money for the purchase in the first place.

This situation is pointed up in a case in which Dr. Irvin M. Watts, of Portsmouth, charges a white Norfolk businessman C.E. Watts Jr. with embezzlement of $14,000.

The initial hearing which was held in Corporations Court ended in a hung jury and C.E. Watts Jr. will face a new trial in August on the court term.

Thinking that he could not purchase a desired tract of land in the Churchland section because of color, Dr. Watts charges that he entrusted the white businessman with $14,000 to negotiate the sale.

According to the testimony, the Portsmouth dentist gave C.E. Watts $4,000 in cash and $10,000 in two checks of his own and of his brother Wilbur O. Watts in May 1951 to buy real estate from Imogene Wright.

The purchase was to be made in the name of an unidentified Richmond man and later the title was to be transferred to Dr. Watts.

The plaintiff testified that their agent neither purchased the property nor returned the money. A version of the

business association was told by the Norfolk businessman C. E. Watts Jr., who told the jury that he received only $10,000 from the brothers and that they had authorized him to use of all of it in an illfated Christmas tree venture.

Since the yule tree market was flooded in 1951, Mr. Watts said the brothers blamed him for overstocking and demanded a refund.

He claimed he gave them a check for $15,000 which they refused, saying that the Internal Revenue Bureau was watching too closely.

The property Mr. Watts was supposed to have purchased was subsequently bought by the Norfolk County School Board (where the new Churchland high school is being built).

Rev. Bowling Is Retired

As Pastor Emeritus

NORFOLK

The members of the First Baptist Church, Bute Street have declined to accept his resignation of the Rev. Richard H.J. Bowling as Pastor and instead have voted to retire him with status of Pastor-emeritus, it was announced recently.

The action was taken upon the recommendation coming from a joint board of deacons, trustees, and the finance committee at the regular church meeting July 8, the announcement said.

Dr. Bowling, who has been pastor of the church since 1914, recently tendered his resignation because of the condition of his health.

LEARN, LEAD, & LIFT: HBCUs Will Continue to Thrive Amid Diversity Debate

By LTG Darrell K. Williams (Retired, USA) President, Hampton University

After several weeks of national debate, there is broader understanding of the Supreme Court’s ruling on affirmative action and the redefined legal framework that governs diversity initiatives in higher education. The decision reaffirms the importance diversity plays in fostering inclusive learning environments. Admissions policies must strike a balance between meritocracy and equal access, ensuring that all students – regardless of their backgrounds and circumstances – have an equitable opportunity to pursue higher education. This aspect of the decision is not in question.

However, much of the unease with the decision is that it presupposes a colorblind society and that all its citizens have equal access to an education at all levels of the American education system. Unfortunately, this simply is not the case. The ruling potentially sows the seeds for a more segregated higher education system and one in which fewer Black Americans will receive a college education. Further, and equally troubling, is the possible decline in

Black student enrollment at Predominantly White Institutions (PWI). The ruling potentially rolls back decades of progress towards diversity within our higher education system, with potentially far-reaching impacts on HBCUs, as well as PWIs.

The potential decline in Black student enrollment at PWIs is borne out by the results of California’s 1996 California State System ban on affirmative action enrollment initiatives.

“As of 2020, Black student enrollment in California State University (CSU) and University of California (UC) remains lower than their share of high school graduates in California. The gap is greater at CSU where they were 8 percent of the freshman class in 1997 but have fallen almost in half to 4 percent. At the same time, the number of Black high school graduates has increased from about 21,000 in 1997 to 25,000 in 2018.”

There is great potential for this same dynamic to occur on a national scale, leaving an unacceptable swath of Black students in danger of experiencing more restricted access to higher education.

Among possible positive impacts is increased enrollment at HBCUs. Yet, challenges to both capacity and funding persist. According to the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) and Goldman Sachs Research, “Although HBCUs make up only 3 percent of the country’s colleges and universities, they enroll 10 percent of all African-American students and produce almost 13 percent of all AfricanAmerican graduates,” meaning the overwhelming majority of Black students graduate from PWIs. It is

unlikely that HBCUs can absorb the scores of Black students possibly turned away from PWIs, if indeed California is a test case. HBCUs will also require additional funding. The same Goldman Sachs report concluded that “Public HBCUs reported 54 percent less in assets per student than public non-HBCUs in 2021, highlighting an ongoing disparity in endowment sizes. Private HBCUs had 79 percent less in assets per student compared to private non-HBCUs. Failure to proactively address this sizeable gap will render many HBCUs unable to respond to the increased demand for enrollment. Impacted HBCUs will need additional funding for more faculty, staff, and administrators, and enhancements to residential and academic infrastructure.

Within this national discussion, we must reject the temptation of a false either-or narrative. We need both better support to HBCUs and maintenance of a process that ensures Black students are admitted into PWIs at levels near or greater than before the Supreme Court decision.

America must continue to insist upon diversity as an inseparable part of the comprehensive learning experience. College is where networking begins and where many of the relationships vital to our democracy are built. It’s where students from varying backgrounds are introduced to broader social and political perspectives, which form the foundation of civil discourse. College is more than an academic endeavor. At Hampton University, we call it providing an “Education for Life.” There are roughly 4,000 Title IV degree-granting institutions in America, and just over 100 are HBCUs. America needs both strong HBCUs and large numbers of Black

students graduating from PWIs.

To some, diversity within the concept of an HBCU is an oxymoron. History tells us that HBCUs are the blueprint for serving students, faculty, and staff from a spectrum of colors, creeds, and classes. From 1878 to 1923, Hampton opened its doors to over 1,300 Indigenous peoples from over 65 different tribes, marking one of our institution’s first major expressions of diversity and inclusion.

With over 40,000 recorded alumni across America and around the world, Hampton has long celebrated the contributions of students from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds, cultivating an environment that nurtures individual growth, cultural exchange, and intellectual rigor. With much of the teeth of affirmative programs shelved as a national imperative, responsibility now rests with individual institutions to ensure that diversity persists. We cannot wait five years to discover that possible unintended impacts of the ruling on higher education have become irreversible realities.

As higher education continues to evolve, HBCUs must remain an important pathway to equality. At the heart of any HBCU experience is the celebration of cultural identity, a “lift-aswe-climb” spirit, an ethos of service, and a commitment to excellence. However, HBCUs are only part of the overall landscape of a brilliant higher education system. There must remain equal access to an education at all of America’s colleges and universities.

As for us, Hampton University hereby reaffirms its commitment to remaining part of our nation’s higher education solution. Excellence is here. It has been since 1868, and will always be.

New Presidents Appointed At Johnson C. Smith & Barber Scotia

By Rosaland Tyler Associate Editor

New Journal and Guide

Board members at Johnson C. Smith and Barber-Scotia College in North Carolina recently selected new presidents who assume office in July and August at two distinctly different HBCUs.

In Charlotte, Dr. Valerie Kinloch will walk into the well-maintained presidential suite at the 155-year-old Johnson C. Smith on Aug. 1.

“It’s a dream come true to be invited to lead one of the finest Historically Black Colleges and Universities in America – and at the same time come home,” said Kinloch, a 1996 Johnson C. Smith graduate who earned a masters and a doctorate at Wayne State in Detroit. Her resume includes stints at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, as well as Teachers CollegeColumbia University in New York City and at the University of HoustonDowntown.

Kinloch will focus on innovation. “We have to support critical thinking

and provide an education that prepares students for the careers they want and that the community needs.

We also have to encourage students to pursue even higher forms of education,” she said in a recent statement.

Thirty miles away in Concord, William and Mary Law School graduate

Chris V. Rey, J.D., assumed office on July 17 as the next president of Barber-Scotia College where he will lead the college through a resurrection period.

Barber-Scotia College lost its accreditation and much of its funding in 2004. Six of its 15 buildings are currently deemed uninhabitable and another three have violations.

Barber Scotia held its last graduation in 2019. But many of the distressed buildings on campus will be refurbished on the 156-year-old campus.

“I am beyond honored to have been selected by the board to serve at the helm of one of the nation’s oldest historically Black colleges,” said Rey, who was born in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands but

spent his formative years in Spring Lake, N.C.

“My steps have always been ordained by God and I’m confident my past leadership experiences have prepared me to lead BarberScotia’s resurgence,” said Rey, a retired Army National Guard veteran who worked with a special team to establish the first cyber brigade headquarters for the National Guard.

He currently serves as international president of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc., one of the nation’s oldest Black fraternities, founded in 1914.

Rey will head BarberScotia, which has a habit of landing on its feet since it began in 1867 as a Presbyterian prep school for young, newly freed African-American women, who graduated and became teachers and social workers.

“We will continue working to obtain accreditation, ensure financial stability, build a strong and transparent relationship with alumni and the city of Concord, and grow our enrollment, as we begin our R.I.S.E,” he said in a press statement.

LTG Darrell K. Williams (Retired, USA)

We cannot wait five years to discover that possible unintended impacts of the (Supreme Court) ruling on higher education have become irreversible realities.

CLARENCE THOMAS HATES BLACK PEOPLE

PROFESSOR EMERITUS OF SOCIOLOGY VIRGINIA TECH

THE MASQUERADE IS OVER

By Wornie Reed, Ph.D.

Last month the U.S. Supreme Court – or more specifically, the six White supremacists on the Court – abolished affirmative action. In addition to making America more racist again, they, in effect, ended the charade of equal opportunity masquerading as affirmative action.

Affirmative action has been a weak and ineffectual policy. For most of its existence, much of its effect has been “equal opportunity,” not affirmative action. Real affirmative action has been primarily operative in just two areas of American life.

One was President Richard Nixon’s Ten Percent SetAside program. Under that program developed by African-American Arthur Fletcher, Assistant Secretary of Labor, the federal government required large contractors doing business with the federal government to set aside 10 percent of the contract to hire female and minority business contractors. This program worked for 20 years or so until opponents of this kind of progress successfully eliminated it in a series of Supreme Court cases in the 1990s.

The other instance of real affirmative action occurred in colleges and universities. Leaders of some of these institutions tried, with some success, to provide appropriate admission preferences to minorities.

But, of course, the attack on that practice began with the Bakke decision in 1978; the assault on that part of affirmative action kept going, minimizing affirmative action in colleges and universities. Please note that outside of the two instances mentioned above, the country never implemented affirmative action as defined by President Lyndon Johnson. In 1965, in

a commencement speech at Howard University – which I attended – Johnson laid out his ideas about affirmative action. At the time, we did not have such a term as affirmative action in our discourse. Johnson said in the speech, “You do not take a person who, for years, has been hobbled by chains and liberate him, bring him up to the starting line of a race, and then say you are free to compete with all the others, and then believe that you have been completely fair.” We seek not just freedom. We seek not just legal equity but human ability, not just equality as a right and a theory but equality as a result.”

But affirmative action did not begin on the firm footing articulated by Johnson. Instead, it started and remained a “program for Black folks because they need it,” a complete mischaracterization of the issue, which implicitly denied the role of systemic racism in creating the conditions of AfricanAmerican life.

Another weak and problematic issue with affirmative action as defined – explicitly as well as implicitly – was diversity. For example, advocates pushed affirmative action in higher education because of the “educational value of diversity.” That is a long way from having statesponsored efforts to make up for state-sponsored racism as specified by President Johnson.

Some people mentioned affirmative action as reparations; however, those of us pushing for reparations dismissed such claims as weak and inappropriate. On the other hand, consideration of reparations could have been helpful.

In the late 1960s, I was as interested in having a hot public debate over reparations as in receiving reparations. I figured that the question would be, “Just why should we give reparations to Blacks.” This question would have been answered forcefully by our many learned activists. Along with slavery, the rhetoric would have explained in much more detail the kinds of post-slavery state-sponsored racism that Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson listed in her dissent in the affirmative action case. Then the country would have been a lot less ignorant about the racist history of America. Without that history – the history that Republicans are currently trying to block – we cannot have rational arguments.

In the late 1960s, I had doubts that we could get reparations as government policy; however, I was convinced that if we pressed hard enough, a compromise would be reached, a settlement that would be something like a more assertive affirmative action policy. This affirmative action would be based on an admission of statesponsored racism requiring state-sponsored remedies.

WHERE ARE WE?

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

As children, when my siblings and I did something good, my mother never failed to compliment us. On the other hand, when we did something bad, she never failed to chastise us by providing a bit of corrective action!

Whichever we were to face, my mother did it with love. At times she would add, “This is going to hurt me more than it hurts you!” We found that hard to believe; however, we tried our best to do better or make improvements the next time. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if our Supreme Court and our politicians did the same thing – make things better?

Some people like to talk about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr’s dream. They talk about equality, but somehow forget that our nation has never been equal for many of us. So, just declaring equality does not make it so. Forward positive movement makes it so.

Donald Trump, the twice impeached, several times indicted, once convicted, many times exerciser of super bad behavior, made the phrase “Make America Great Again” famous. My friend, Dick Gregory, always responded with, “You act like America

I am not suggesting that attending Harvard University is any better

By Julianne Malveaux (TRICEEDNEYWIRE.COM)

As a child in Pinpoint, Georgia, Associate Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas was hazed by his classmates with the monicker “America’s Blackest Child.” Such hazing may have had long-term effects, rendering Thomas incapable of transcending his background. It may have given him an inferiority complex that expresses itself in his self-hatred, hatred of other Black people, and selfabsorption.

While I’m no psychologist or psychiatrist, watching someone who used affirmative action to get into Yale Law School so vociferously attack the policy is fascinating. But, as Associate Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson noted in her dissent in the two Students for Fair Admissions (a misnomer if I ever saw one), Thomas has carried out a “prolonged attack” against affirmative action. His June opinion in Students for Fair Admissions was just one of his many attacks on affirmative action. His distaste for affirmative action seems to stem from his own experiences at Yale, an experience that none of his classmates have verified. Thomas seemed to feel that white students assumed he was an affirmative action admit (he was) and thus not as capable as they were (there is no evidence of that). Thus he thinks affirmative action stigmatizes Black students, so the Supreme Court should eliminate it. Many of us who were affirmative action admits (I was) don’t much chafe about any stigma.

Instead, we celebrate the opportunities affirmative action offered, realizing that while affirmative action opened the door, it did not pass

our comprehensive exams, our bar exams, or any other qualifiers. Affirmative action opened the door to some elite institutions, but it did not do the work to get us out.

Thomas has a way of making public policy personal. People look down on him, he thinks, and he is hurt and angry, just as he was when people called him America’s Blackest Child.

To make himself feel better, Thomas has surrounded himself with the wealthy elites of the Horatio Alger Society, which believes that hard work is all you need to get ahead in this country. Some of the hardest-working people I know are moms who receive public assistance, but Thomas and his ilk would look down on these folks and describe them as lazy (just as he did to his own sister during his confirmation hearings). In his narrow mind, he was looked down on. Thus, he must prove that he is “fair,” “colorblind,” and a proponent of “equal protection.” If there were fairness and equal protection under the law, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas wouldn’t be sitting on the bench at all. Not only did he use affirmative action to get into Yale Law School, but he also used old-fashioned political patronage to get him on the bench. His patron, Senator John Danforth (R-MO),

In his confirmation hearings, Thomas said he brought “something different” to the court, namely his empathy for the downtrodden. Instead, he brought an unusually intense self-hatred, which spills over to how he deals with cases involving Black people.

aggressively championed his career, making sure he got plum assignments, including the chairmanship of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (where he once said that affirmative action made a difference in his life) and a judicial appointment that teed him up for the Supreme Court nomination. Several other, better-qualified Black jurists were far more qualified than he, but undoubtedly Senator Danforth put his thumb on the scale by embracing that nomination. Black America was ambivalent, but Thomas effectively used his “up from poverty” back story to convince folks like Dr. Maya Angelou that he would represent Black interests on the court. Instead, the New York Times described him, in 1992, as “the youngest and the cruelest” justice. see Thomas, page 5A

Tuberville is Part Of Gaslighting Plot To Downplay Racism

By Marc H. Morial To Be Equal (TRICEEDNEYWIRE.COM)

“Tuberville’s attempt to downplay and erase the racism of actual racists echoes attempts to downplay the violence of the largely White mob on January 6. More broadly, it’s part of the attempt to erase and downplay the role of race, racism and racists in American history and culture … While Tuberville might not be a student of history, he certainly has learned well the lesson of rewriting history, downplaying racism and absolving White nationalists.”

– Nia-Malika Henderson

white nationalists, or why purging racists from the armed services would destroy military readiness.

Racism, as a brand, is toxic. So the only politicallyacceptable way to condone and perpetuate racist behavior, institutions, and policies is simply to deny that they are racist.

has already been great for some of us!”

Sure, there was a time when many of us thought taking something to the Supreme Court would provide justice for our righteous causes. No longer are we under that illusion. Our only consolation is that we have three of the four women on the United States Supreme Court willing to make America great for all of us. We’re grateful for Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Ketanji Brown Jackson, and Elena Kagan – but for all their strong voices for justice for all, we need more!

We need a new Civil and Human Rights Movement because those rights we once thought we had are now slipping away faster than we’re moving forward in basic rights. The hatred we are experiencing is coming from so many directions. It’s sad to say that

too much hate and the blocking of our moving forward are coming from within.

One glaring example of blocking our forward movement is Clarence Thomas. His hatred for us is so glaring that he not only takes advantage of affirmative action for himself, but he votes to deny it for those who’ve come after him. see Williams, page 5A

According to former football coach Tommy Tuberville, who incomprehensibly remains a U.S. Senator, efforts to eliminate white nationalists from the U.S. armed services are “making this country weaker.”

Eliminating white nationalists, he said, would do away with most White people in this country, out of the military.”

White nationalists espouse white supremacy and advocate enforced racial segregation. But is that racism?

According to Tuberville, that’s a matter of opinion.

Instead of calling for his resignation, as they should have done in October when he called Black Americans “the people that do the crime,” Tuberville’s colleagues pressured him into conceding that yes, white supremacists who advocate enforced racial segregation are racist.

He has not attempted to explain why he thinks “most White people in this country” fall into the category of

Perhaps the larger question is how he can defend “white nationalists” while claiming in the same breath that he is “totally against racism.” That’s easier to explain: Tuberville is part of an extremist campaign to gaslight Americans on racism.

The logic, such as it is, goes like this: If there are white nationalists in the military – and there are – then white nationalists must not be racist because there’s no racism in the military.

Tuberville and his fellow extremists don’t want the electorate to consider them racist. Racism, as a brand, is toxic. So the only politicallyacceptable way to condone and perpetuate racist behavior, institutions, and policies is simply to deny that they are racist. How could they be, when systemic racism doesn’t exist?

Realistically, Tuberville and his allies cannot marshal public opinion against efforts to dismantle systemic racism by declaring they want to preserve systemic racism. By framing the movement as an attack on white Americans, Tuberville and his allies hope to fan the flames of

racial resentment and white grievance. If they occasionally are force to employ pretzel logic they employ to defend themselves, no matter: the tactic is an appeal to emotion, not facts.

In the 1944 film which gave birth to the term “gaslighting,” a murderous husband persuades his wife that the very real evidence of his criminal activities – noises and flickering gaslights as he searches the attic for jewels he intends to steal – are figments of her imagination and a sign of her derangement.

The injustices that Tuberville’s band of extremists are trying to obscure are no less real. Racial bias and discrimination continue to pervade our economic, educational, criminal justice, and civic institutions.

Persuading Americans that they are figments of our imagination gives cover for the continued plundering of the “jewels in the attic” of voting rights, economic and educational opportunity, and bodily autonomy that rightfully belong to us all.

Dr. E. Faye. Williams, Esq.

Julianne Malveaux

Marc H. Morial

for a Black student than attending Howard University or any of our fine predominantly and historically Black colleges and universities. Learning to appreciate diversity in this country is not exclusively for Black people.

But affirmative action did not begin on the firm footing articulated by (President Lyndon) Johnson. Instead, it started and remained a “program for Black folks because they need it,” a complete mischaracterization of the issue ...

BAD AFFIRMATIVE ACTION DECISION WON’T STOP EQUAL RIGHTS PROGRESS

By Dr. Gail C. Christopher

The decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to end affirmative action in higher education is much more than just a bad ruling; this is an embarrassment on a global scale.

It’s based on the misguided notion that the Constitution, and even our society today, is colorblind. That’s so far from the truth. In reality, what we have is a judicial authority that is in denial, denial of racism, denial of facts, denial of the consequences of this decision, denial of the harm to the people affected, and denial of the hierarchy of human value that this nation was built upon and still reigns supreme in too many minds and institutions today.

Writing for the majority, Chief Justice John Roberts concluded that the approach used by Harvard University and the University of North Carolina violated the 14th Amendment and “cannot be reconciled with the guarantees of the Equal Protection Clause.”

That is duplicitous - that clause was designed to remedy the harm caused by denying rights and protection to people of color over centuries. For this court to use it to deny educational opportunities to people of color in the 21st century is hypocrisy at best and cruel at worst. Their decision lacks empathy and compassion for millions.

Our Constitution was conceived in an environment of racial hierarchy. It was dedicated to the proposition that some people were not human. Blacks could be enslaved and had no human rights. During the 1787

United States Constitutional Convention, the infamous Three-fifths Compromise relegated enslaved people to be counted as 3-5ths of Whites in a state’s population. That created an inequitable and unfair American society. Harvard Professor Roland G. Fryer, Jr. has quantified the consequences. Relative to Whites, Blacks earn 24 percent less, live five fewer years, and are six times more likely to be incarcerated on a given day.

Hispanics make 25 percent less than Whites and are three times more likely to be incarcerated. At the end of the 1990s, there were one-third more Black men under the corrections system’s jurisdiction than those enrolled in colleges or universities.

Despite improvement by Blacks and Hispanics, there remain stark differences in access to quality education and opportunity that education affords. In a recent NCHE recent paper, Susan Eaton, Director of the Sillerman Center for the Advancement of Philanthropy at the Heller School for Social Policy at Brandeis University, cited the racial disparity in poverty nationwide. About 24

percent of Native Americans, 20 percent of Blacks, and 17 percent of Latinos live in high-poverty neighborhoods compared to just 4 percent of Whites. Disparities in schools are even more extreme, with 74 percent of Black and Latinos, 70 percent of Native Americans, and just 32 percent of Whites attending schools where at least half of the students qualify for free and reduced lunches.

Clearly, American society remains far from a colorblind state where equity and equality are spread across all communities, rich and poor, Black, White, and Brown. It’s astounding that the Supreme Court chose to ignore centuries of racism that has created a society where Blacks, Native Americans, and other people of color are forced to confront bias daily in their everyday life, at school, at work, at play, and in their communities.

But there is hope for America. This Supreme Court is not a reflection of the people. This Court represents the opinions of a minority of our population.

That has been demonstrated by the political uprising after the Court’s rejection of a woman’s right to her own reproductive decisions. We may see a similar reaction to this Court decision limiting access to the nation’s top educational institutions to

Williams

Continued from page 4A

people qualified to attend but have faced discrimination because of their skin color every day since birth. NCHE has conducted research, which will soon be released, demonstrating that the American people want to put racism and political divisiveness behind us and move forward to create equitable communities.

America made tremendous progress after the murder of George Floyd. A watershed of honesty and sincerity opened up to address the realities of police brutality and the legacy of denial of humanity. Anytime there is a moment creating a seismic wave in society, one representing a transformation from the norm, there will be resistance. In this case, the opposition has a high level of authority and power, but it contradicts the minds and hearts of the majority of America.

The march towards an equitable society will continue.

Dr. Gail C. Christopher is the Executive Director of the National Collaborative for Health Equity, Senior Scholar at the Center for Advancement of WellBeing at George Mason University, and former Senior Advisor and Vice President of the W. K. Kellogg Foundation. She is the author of a new book RXRacial Healing.

Let me be clear. I am not suggesting that attending Harvard University is any better for a Black student than attending Howard University or any of our fine predominantly and historically Black colleges and universities. Learning to appreciate diversity in this country is not exclusively for Black people. That is the way it is treated, however. So many things people other than white people have created are used by them, and some are presumably used by the Thomas family.

Let’s name a few: The gas mask grabbed by Members of Congress when they were under siege in the Capitol on January 6, 2021, the blood bank, improved ironing board, home security system, yield traffic

Thomas

Continued from page 4A

In the Supreme Court case Hudson v. McMillan, a Louisiana inmate, Keith Hudson, sued after Jack McMillan and other prison guards beat him so severely that they broke his dental plate while it was in his mouth. Seven of the nine justices agreed that the brutal and malicious beating was “cruel and unusual punishment,” outlawed by the Eighth Amendment. Thomas, joined by Antonin Scalia, dissented from the majority, saying that the beating was not severe and that the Constitution did not protect prisoners. The facts of this case are jarring, especially as a supervisor witnessed McMillan and a colleague beating Hudson

light, refrigerated truck, automatic elevator doors, tissue holder, automatic gear shift helping people to drive uphill, clothes dryer, dust pan, folding chair, golf tees, lawnmower, lawn sprinkler, modern toilet, the mop and too many things to mention here, but I am sure you get the idea.

My point for mentioning these things that benefit all people is that many of those who invented them didn’t say, “We are inventing these things for ourselves, and for nobody else.” No doubt, they were happy to benefit everybody.

Just look at where we are now. Just look at where our Supreme Court is. They seem to be happy to take us back to a day when we had no rights and now they’re taking away others we once had!

Dr. E. Faye Williams is President of The Dick Gregory Society and President Emerita of the National Congress of Black Women

and told them “not to have too much fun.”

In his confirmation hearings, Thomas said he brought “something different” to the court, namely his empathy for the downtrodden. Instead, he brought an unusually intense self-hatred, which spills over to how he deals with cases involving Black people.

All Americans must deal with this self-hating justice, whose outdated opinions threaten civility, inclusion, and decency in our nation. Black America is significantly affected by his antiBlackness. Hopefully, the Department of Justice will investigate Thomas’ financial shenanigans and remove this depraved man from the Supreme Court.

Dr. Julianne Malveaux is an economist, author, and Dean of the College of Ethnic Studies at Cal State LA. juliannemalveaux.com

Dr. Gail C. Christopher

But there is hope for America. This Supreme Court is not a reflection of the people. This Court represents the opinions of a minority of our population.

Farmers

Continued from page 1A

“If you are Black and you’re born south of the Mason-Dixon Line and you tried to farm, you’ve been discriminated against,” Lloyd Wright, the director of the USDA Office of Civil Rights under Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, and a Black Virginia farmer, stated in the report.

In an earlier interview with the Informer, John Wesley Boyd Jr., founder,

Newport News

Continued from page 1A

Two years later he died when the ship he was serving on was sunk by an enemy torpedo. The C. Waldo Scott Center for HOPE is currently located in a portion of the old Huntington Middle School building. The organization’s mission is to provide comprehensive services to educate and foster the growth and development of youth and families.

Scott, the father of the current U.S. Congressman Robert Bobby Scott, was a noted physician and community leader in the city’s Black community.

The Downing-Gross Cultural Arts Center is located at 2410 Wickham Avenue, just three blocks from the tobe-developed SCRA site. It is a multi-purpose venue, owned and operated by the city.

All of these facilities exist in a 7 by 2 block footprint nestled between Orcutt and Wickham Avenue from 28th to 35th Streets.

The SCRA will feature the new Huntington Middle School facing 35th Street. Seven blocks away facing 28th Street will be the new Community Building. It will combine the existing Pearl Bailey Library, a new Doris Miller Community Center, a swimming center, and space

and president of the National Black Farmers Association in Bakersville, Virginia, added, “The oldest occupation in this country for Black people is farming. But from slavery through Jim Crow, the USDA, and the banks – all these things put together means we are facing extinction.”

Boyd added: “What’s troubling is when the brown bear, the Black bear, and the bald eagle were facing extinction, Congress put harsh laws in place until their numbers came back up. So why can’t they do the same thing for the oldest occupation in history

for a non-profit service or educational agency.

The new 21st-century development, the city says will preserve a portion of the Huntington School building and the Importance of the other facilities.

In between these two brick, mortar, and glass structures will be a multi-purpose activity/athletic field, and other green areas and space or recreation.

According to Sheila McAllister, the Newport News Director of Planning, the development is a $100 million project.

Planning for the project began back in 2017, which included feasibility studies, consideration of the historic nature of the seven-block area, and public hearings to gather the views of the adjacent residents.

One segment of the Black community which expressed reservations and some acceptance of the city’s plans is Huntington High School Alumni Association, Inc. (HHSAA).

Recently about 70 members of the group held a reunion, and the HHSAA INC. annual scholarship awards program in June, at the United House of Prayer for All People in Newport News. Five graduating seniors were selected from 10 finalists for a $1,000.00 scholarship each.

James Lovette, Jr. is the Chair of the Scholarship Committee. He said that many of the Huntington High School Alumni are saddened

for Black people, which is farming?”

The White House said the launch of the $2.2 billion relief initiative represents a significant step towards rectifying the historical injustices faced by Black farmers and marks the BidenHarris Administration’s commitment to addressing systemic discrimination in federal lending programs.

With the Discrimination Financial Assistance Program now accepting applications, eligible farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners should now have access to needed financial assistance.

by the demolition of the old high school building.

But they have resigned themselves to the inevitable redevelopment project moving forward.

According to McAllister, the school was first built in 1929 and had many additions to it.

Lovett, a 1968 graduate of Huntington High School, said the last year it served as a high school was in 1973.

Since then, it met the fate of many Historic Black High schools, as it was converted to a middle school.

Eventually, due to white families’ reluctance to support it, it became a predominately Black school.

The building was large enough to serve that purpose and as a community meeting place until it was closed several years ago. Until the new facility is built, its students will be moved to another facility to make way for the pending development.

Lovett said that many community activists and alumni stood before the council and voiced opposition to the demolition of old school as part of the SCRA.

They are pleased that some semblance of the old facility is to be saved out of respect for its historic importance.

There was even a petition drive, but it did not receive enough support to deter the city council and planners from moving forward with its plans.

Many of the Huntington High School graduates who participate in the Alumni Association are in their 50s and older.

“They said some part of the old school will be saved. They mentioned a wall,” said Lovett. “We are pleased that some of the old school’s importance is recognized and not forgotten”

Councilwoman Tina Vick, who represents the area where the structure is being constructed, said she supports the project. It is taking place as Newport News has razed and redeveloped its aging public housing communities.

“We are trying to save as much of the history of the area as possible ... to give the residents a new school, a community center respecting the history of Huntington High School, and the Dorie Miller Center for current and future generations,” she said.

Charles “Chuck” Cherry II FLORIDA PUBLISHER AND ADVOCATE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE PASSES AT 66

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

Charles W. “Chuck” Cherry II, a prominent figure in the fight for social justice and a staunch supporter of the Black Press, has died.

According to the Daytona Times, the retired attorney and publisher of the Daytona Times and the Florida Courier passed away on Saturday, July 15, at the age of 66.

The newspaper called Cherry an influential voice in the community, who dedicated decades to running the e ditorial operations of the papers before retiring in 2020.

“Charles was not only a good person, but an individual who fought hard to bring truth to light about any situation,” said NNPA Chair Bobby Henry, the publisher of the Westside Gazette in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.

“Charles was also a dear fraternity brother,” Henry related.

“He truly spoke truth to power without any hesitation. He was a lover

Charles W. “Chuck” Cherry II

and faithful soldier of the Black Press. Indeed, he was a soldier without a sword.”

NNPA President and CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., said the entire association of Black publishers were saddened by Cherry’s death.

“On behalf of the NNPA, we express our profound sympathy and condolences to the family of one of the NNPA’s stellar publishers and leaders, Charles W. Cherry II,” Chavis stated.

“Attorney Cherry was a fearless person and a renowned freedom fighting publisher,” Chavis added.

The Daytona Times noted that Cherry also counted as an accomplished author,

speaker, radio broadcaster, and strategic business planning consultant.

He was a sought-after speaker on Black history and civil rights, both in Daytona Beach and beyond.

Born on August 6, 1956, in Daytona Beach, Charles W. Cherry II was the son of Julia T. Cherry and Charles W. Cherry Sr., the founder of the Daytona Times and Florida Courier newspapers.

He receive his B.A. degree in journalism from Morehouse College in 1978 where he followed in his father’s footsteps by pledging Omega Psi Phi Fraternity.

Cherry continued his education at the University of Florida, earning both an M.B.A. and J.D. in 1982.

After being admitted to the Florida Bar in December 1983, Cherry worked as a former Fort Lauderdale city and South Florida state prosecutor, practicing law for 21 years.

However, upon the passing of his father, Charles W. Cherry Sr., he returned to journalism and newspaper publishing as his primary occupation.

Former Charlottesville Police Chief Is New Podcast Host: “Black Arm of the Law”

ATLANTA, GA

Dr. RaShall M. Brackney. Former Chief of Police in Charlottesville, VA., is the host of a redesigned podcast focusing on stories and topics affecting Black and Brown communities. The podcast relaunches on July 20 during the 47th Annual NOBLE (National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives) conference.

Titled “Black Arm of the Law,” the weekly podcast is created by Mean Ole Lion Media content company, and presents candid discussions around the intersection of race, public safety and public policy with lawyers, activists, scholars, politicians, as well as those within Black and Brown communities who have been impacted by the criminal legal system.

Hot topics include racial inequities, police and prison reform, police violence, community partnerships, the criminal legal system, stop and frisk, identifying best practices, the war on drugs and guns, the history of policing, over

criminalization in America, positive leadership, and other issues.

Dr. Brackney served as chief of police in Charlottesville during the deadly “Unite the Right’’rally and brings a unique perspective about law enforcement to “Black Arm of The Law” podcast. She also serves as a distinguished visiting professor at George Mason University and a professor at Carnegie-Mellon University’s Institute for Politics and Strategy, teaching courses focusing on the intersection of race, politics and policy.

“We first met Chief Brackney as a guest on Black Arm of the Law,” says Ken Johnson, president and chief executive officer, Mean Ole Lion Media.

“After the recording, the production team was blown away by how well she communicated her detailed knowledge of the law, as well as her overall presence as a guest. And now we are impressed each week by her knowledge, insight,

and command of the topics and opportunities,”

During the re-launch of the “Black Arm of the Law” podcast at the 47th annual NOBLE (National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives), Dr. Brackney will interview several prominent Black law enforcement executives. NOBLE’s mission is “to ensure equity in the administration of justice in the provision of public service to all communities and to serve as the conscience for law enforcement by being committed to justice by action.”

“I look forward to hosting the Black Arm of the Law podcast, where I’ll provide an insider’s analysis of the most pressing legal issues facing Black and Brown communities across the nation,” says Dr. Rashall M. Brackney.

Tune in to the “Black Arm of the Law” podcast on the Mean Ole Lion Media network, as well as on Amazon, Apple Podcasts, Audible, Google Podcasts, Podchasers, and Spotify.

Continued from page 2A

The committee investigated the program and discovered that it had grossed some $450,000 in revenue in a short period of time.

Dr. Abernathy took over the SCLC after the death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. three years before, and denied the schism was over a power struggle between him and Jackson.

But Jackson’s RainbowPUSH organization overshadowed the SCLC, launched by Dr. King and other southern pastors in the late 1950s. Over time it continued to fray as a force in civil rights advocacy due to infighting over leadership.

Subsequent stories in the Guide indicated that Jackson was not only about pushing for social equity but pressuring white corporations for economic inclusion and empowerment of Black people.

This was an advanced version of Dr. King’s last project highlighted by the “Poor People’s March.”

Jackson later changed the name of his organization to the Rainbow Push Organization.

One example of Jackson’s success with PUSH involved the NIKE Sportswear company.

Jackson accused the company of exploiting Black consumers and denying them any economic inclusion in the company, including hiring and franchises.

Jackson called for a boycott of the company.

Today NIKE spends millions on sponsorships to high school, collegiate, and professional athletes, many of whom are Black.

The corporate brand today is centered around NIKE’s promotion of inclusion for people of color and women.

Dr. King and other activists in Montgomery used the boycott strategy to dismantle

the segregation policy of that city’s bus transit company. In the late 1970s, Black people made up 15 plus percent of Burger King’s customers. But there were no company executives and franchise owners.

Jackson used the Black and mainstream press to hammer the fast-food company.

In a November 30, 1983 edition of the Guide, the headline “Burger King announces first Black Franchise.”

Jackson engineered a “joint trade covenant with the Minority Franchise Association (it recently created) and Operation PUSH.

John Harris, Jr was the first Black Franchise owner, and he built his store in Atlanta.

In a short period, Black Franchises were built all over the country, including several in Hampton Roads. Jackson, because of his friendship with Rev. Milton Reid of Norfolk and other activists in Hampton Roads, made frequent visits to Hampton Roads to speak at New Calvary Baptist Church, and devoted his support to various causes.

He led a march to support union workers and spoke out against Norfolk’s ending school busing to desegregate its schools

Until Barack Obama’s election in 2008, Jackson was the most successful Black candidate for the U.S. presidency, winning 13 primaries and caucuses for the Democratic nomination.

When Jackson launched his campaign for President in 1988, a great deal of support was marshaled in Virginia. Jackson won the State’s

Democratic party race, at a convention held in Norfolk, orchestrated by Bishop Levi Willis.

Willis formed a franchise of Rainbow Push in Norfolk.

It eventually replaced the Concerned Citizens headed by Evelyn Butts that spearheaded Black political activity in the city in the 60s and 70s.

Jackson lost the nomination to Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis, but he wielded a great deal of power in the Democratic party for years.

He continued to be relevant during the Black Lives Matters (BLM) Movement.

He stood with the family of George Floyd at a memorial for the Black man murdered in 2020 by a white police officer, whose death forced a national reckoning with police brutality and racism.

Vice President Kamala Harris paid tribute to Jackson on the final day of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition Convention. She slammed the Conservative Republican agenda seeking to destroy the civil rights gains that Jackson and other longtime advocates fought to secure, especially diversity.

“At the core of Rev’s work is the belief that the diversity of our nation is not a weakness or an afterthought, but instead, our greatest strength,” she said.

“The promise of America is that we are all created equal in the image of God and deserve to be treated equally throughout our lives,” President Joe Biden said on July 17. “While we’ve never fully lived up to that promise, we’ve never fully walked away from it because of extraordinary leaders like Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr.”

Norfolk’s Barraud Park To Get $4.5M Facelift

By Leonard E. Colvin Chief Reporter New Journal and Guide

Norfolk City Councilwoman Mamie Johnson has been soliciting ideas from residents living adjacent to Barraud Park on what they would like to see in the park slated for redevelopment in 2024.

She said the city will spend $4.5 million for the project and has already invested in upgrading the shoreline along the Lafayette River as part of fl ood mitigation.

She said once the project gets underway late next year, the park will be closed off.

The 17 acres site is located in the Barraud Park neighborhood, adjacent to the Lindenwood and Cottage Heights communities in the northeastern section of the city off Tidewater Drive.

The origins of the park date back to the mid1920s. It was the first one funded by Norfolk to serve the African-American community during the days of Jim Crow segregation. It is one of five parks run by the city.

According to Darrell Crittenden, Director of the City Parks, and Councilwoman Johnson, one of the most critical needs is addressing accessibility and parking at the park.

Both of fi cials said Barraud is one of the most heavily patronized parks in the city, especially on the weekend.

But it is isolated in the Barraud Park Community. Johnson said the aim of the project is to open it up and improve the fl ow of traf fi c.

Once upon a time, the city’s boxing program was located in a small structure in the park. That program has been relocated to the Park Place area.

Prior to the mid-1920s, African-

American civic leaders sought to convince the city to build a major park or some recreation site for Black residents in the city.

Blacks only had makeshift recreation spaces and several small parks in Berkley, Brambleton, and Lambert’s Point. They were not allowed to set foot in Lafayette Park unless they were picking up trash along Granby Street.

In 1926 the city fi nally bought land from the Barraud family to be used for “colored” recreation. The park was formally opened in August 1928.

According to the New Journal and Guide archives, the planning of the grand opening was coordinated by “colored” playground supervisors of Brambleton, Lambert’s Point, and Berkley.

These prominent Black leaders spoke at the opening. There were sporting events, cookouts, and musical concerts by a “colored” military band from Berkley.

At one point since its opening, there was a zoo, which was separate and not equal to the one in the Lafayette Park area. Black patrons and civic leaders complained the Black zoo had a few scrawny monkeys

The park was used by the Booker T. Washington High School’s various sports programs and band practices.

Black baseball games, track meets and various political and social rallies and gatherings were held.

Eventually, an amphitheatre was built at the site, as well, as tennis, basketball courts, and the still favorite horseshoe pit.

Old-timers recall that Arthur Ashe commuted from Richmond to play matches and practice at the site because the law forbade him from using whitesonly facilities in Richmond.

Subsequent stories in the Guide indicated that Jackson was not only about pushing for social equity but pressuring white corporations for economic inclusion and empowerment of Black people.

Barraud Park Entrance

Photo: ErnestLowery

SECTION B COMMUNITY & MORE ...

VIRGINIA BEACH TRIPLETS ARE MAKING A

NATIONALLY TRAVELING CONFERENCE FOR GIRLS MAKES LOCAL STOP ON AUGUST 5

HAMPTON ROADS

The “All Girls Matter Empowerment Conference: Journey Across America” will be in Hampton Roads on Saturday, August 5, 2023 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the campus of Norfolk State University. The traveling monthly conference is making the fifth stop on its national tour.

The one-day conference is for girls 9-18 years old. Its purpose is to advocate for girls and prevent the growing epidemic of low self-esteem, cutting, bullying, eating disorders, sex trafficking, domestic abuse, suicide, and other critical topics. Making a guest appearance

locally is Shaniya Reddy, a Chesapeake, Virginia middle school student who has written and published, My Beautiful is Black.

The conference kickedoff in Utah in February, followed by Mississippi and New York in May, and Chicago in June. The event is sponsored by the Wade Family Foundation, and America’s Big Sisters Foundation under the leadership of Tragil WadeJohnson, sister of retired NBA All Star, Dwyane Wade. “This conference is about curating safe spaces for our girls. We are excited to have this opportunity in Norfolk ... this is a life-changing event,”

The event is free and open to the public; however, space is limited and closes on July 25, 2023 or when capacity is reached. To register visit: https://americasbigsisters.com/ and click ‘Norfolk, VA.’

said Wade-Johnson.

The conference continues in Memphis in September, Kansas City (Missouri) in October, Arizona in November, and concludes in Miami in December.

The event is free and open to the public; however, space

is limited and closes on July 25, 2023 or when capacity is reached.

To register visit: https:// americasbigsisters.com/ and click ‘Norfolk, VA.’ For more information, contact event director, Deirdre Sanderlin, (757) 724-1516.

MAJOR HEALTH EQUITY PROGRAM ANNOUNCED FOR HAMPTON, NEWPORT NEWS RESIDENTS

NEWPORT NEWS

The Greater Peninsula C.A.R.E.S. (Congregational and Residential Empowerment Services) Foundation, Inc., announced a major health equity partnership with Sentara Cares on Monday, July 17 at Gethsemane Baptist Church.

Since 2021, the Foundation, established by faith-based and community organizations in Newport News and Hampton, has been committed to advancing health equity across the greater peninsula. The foundation’s mission to overcome

social determinants and other barriers that prevent the disenfranchised from achieving an opportunity to attain the highest level of health, health care and economic empowerment. C.A.R.E.S. works to bridge the health gap and elimination of preventable health disparities through education, community engagement and capacity building.

Reaching out to Sentara Cares of the Sentara Health System, C.A.R.E.S. engaged in lengthy talks about health equity issues on the greater peninsula. These discussions ultimately led to a

mutually beneficial partnership. Reflecting on the partnership, the Chair of the C.A.R.E.S Foundation, Bishop Dwight S. Riddick, recently said, “We look forward to our partnership with Sentara Cares. Together, we will address the historical and contemporary injustices associated with health equity as we work to overcome them. Together, we will make lasting changes in our community ... changes that will one day make our vision for the Greater Peninsula as a healthier, happier and more harmonious community in which to live, work, worship and serve come to fruition.”

HOW TO HELP OUR CHILDREN TO FEEL GOOD ABOUT THEMSELVES

BY DELORES DUDLEY HAMPTON ROADS ʼ POET,

CDC 2023 Campaign Kickoff BBQ

CHESAPEAKE

The Chesapeake Democrats Committee and others showed up for the 2023 campaign kickoff BBQ. It was staged on Sunday July 16, 2023 at the Chesapeake City Park. It was on one of those unpredictable weather days conditions with heavy rain at times, but the message still rang loud and clear, get out and vote. “Support your candidate of choice.” The city of Richmond, Mayor Levar Stoney was the guest speaker.

FOUNDATION SUPPORTS TALENTED

YOUTH MUSICIANS

HAMPTON ROADS

Danielle Roby, of the HJ Jay Lang Foundation and retired Norfolk Public Schools Senior Coordinator of Music and Theatre, holds the saxophone case for the foundation’s student award recipient. L-R: Roby, Trisha Mitchel, Ronald Johnson, Jay Lang, Church Street Jazz Series producer, and recipient Trivaughn Clark. The Lake Taylor junior was presented a new alto sax and carrying case at the series concert featuring saxophonist Richard Elliot and trumpet player Rick Braun concert at the Harrison Opera House Saturday last night. The event concluded the 2022-2023 Jazz Season Series. At each show, the HJ Jay Lang Foundation has presented a musical instrument to a local student.

SOUTHSIDE B&G CLUB HOSTS DAY-LONG EVENT FOR BACK-TO-SCHOOL

NORFOLK

The Southside Boys and Girls Club will hold its annual Back-to-School Event, a day filled with free school supplies, mental wellness and skill-building workshops, exciting bounce houses, delectable food trucks, thrilling basketball championship games, incredible raffle prizes and giveaways, as well as complimentary hairstyling and haircuts. The event will be held on August 19, 2023 from noon to 8 p.m. at the Southside Boys and Girls Club, conveniently located at 701 Berkely Ave Ext, Norfolk, VA 23523.

The Back-to-School Event will feature a variety of resources to ensure students are equipped for success. Attendees will receive free school supplies, helping to alleviate the financial burden that often comes with purchasing educational materials. From notebooks and pens to backpacks and calculators, children of all ages will have access to the tools necessary to thrive in their studies.

In addition to providing school supplies, the Southside Boys and Girls

Club team is dedicated to addressing the mental wellbeing of young individuals.

The event will offer engaging workshops focusing on essential emotional wellness practices, encouraging students to develop resilience, coping skills, and emotional intelligence. These workshops aim to empower attendees to overcome challenges, build positive relationships, and enhance their overall wellbeing. To further enhance the event experience, a range of exciting activities will be available. Kids and adults alike can bounce around in various inflatable bounce houses, providing entertainment and excitement throughout the day. Local food trucks will be present, offering an assortment of delicious options to satisfy every palate.

Sports enthusiasts will find themselves immersed in the exhilarating and highly anticipated basketball championship games.

Witness the incredible display of athleticism and teamwork as talented teams go head-to-head to claim the

coveted title. Attendees will have the chance to participate in raffle games, with amazing prizes and giveaways up for grabs. From electronics and gift cards to schoolrelated items, a wide array of rewards will leave participants feeling thrilled and appreciated. As an added bonus, experienced hairstylists will be available to provide complimentary hairstyles and haircuts to attendees. Kids can leave with their new hairdos, ready for the school year with confidence and style.

The Southside Boys and Girls Club Back-to-School Event is open to the entire community and offers something for everyone.

Families are encouraged to join and take advantage of this fantastic opportunity to ensure a successful and enjoyable start to the academic year.

For more information regarding the event or to inquire about sponsorship opportunities, please contact: Alycia Archer, Chief Operating Officer, (757) 996-1837 or Aarcher@ssbandgc.org

HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT

The Southside B&G Club’s Back-To-School

NORFOLK

Your support can help make the Southside B&G Club’s 2023 Back-ToSchool Event on August 19 from 12-8 p.m. a bigger success. Below are ways you can help.

School supplies: Notebooks; Pens, pencils, and erasers; Rulers, scissors, and sharpeners; Calculators and geometry sets; Backpacks; Lunch boxes; Art supplies (colored pencils, markers, etc.); Scientific calculators; USB drives School uniforms: Shirts, pants, skirts, and dresses; Socks and shoes; Ties, belts,

and hair accessories; Jackets and sweaters (for colder climates) Monetary Contributions can be made in person enabling the purchase of these essential items. Please be reminded that your gift is tax-deductible.

Drop off donations at Southside Boys and Girls Club at 701 Berkley Ave Extension Norfolk, VA 23523 between 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

For further information, please contact: Alycia Archer, Chief Operating Officer, (757)b996-1837 or aarcher@ ssbandgc.org

July

is

Minority Mental Awareness month, and it is said that BLACKS are more troubled by this,

For even in 2023, we are the greatest population of men and women who seem to bear daily harsh risks, For an African-American baby or some may prefer to be called Black

is born here in AMERICA with systemic racism in his or her future, and this is a very sad fact,

So he or she from his or her very first day must be cradled in kindness and love that among family and friends always will stay,

And we must encourage that beautiful princess or prince who from GOD has been wonderfully made: COLOR EXACT and CHARACTER TRUE to be molded by GOD and GODLY PEOPLE as he or she goes through,

And the child will then grow daily into a great young lady or young man, And even in this EVIL WORLD will be able to face life and yet stand!

And he or she as it grows must have family around, who, may be honest about its strengths and weaknesses but must NEVER PUT THAT WONDERFUL CHILD DOWN!

PRAY FOR and OVER that bundle of joy, be it a lovely girl or handsome boy,

And let that child truly understand that someday he or she will be a great woman or man, for every person born on this earth has seeds of GOD GIVEN GIFTS at birth,

So talk to the child and help the child to find those talents that are evident in its mind,

And tell that child that with his or her gifts he or she can soar to reach heights that are limitless,lofty, and more, Tell the child that “You can learn it. You can master it. And you can earn it too,”

And make sure that the child comes to know THE LORD JESUS,

for in CHRIST, the child will be successful in all that it will do.

Tell the child to turn from swearing,hating,lying, cheating ,stealing, and killing others, And let the child know that he or she must treat all other humans like sisters or brothers, And if one can live in peace, many mental problems in one ʼs life will cease.

And just believe in your lifeʼs dream,then buckle down and work as hard as it may seem and keep JESUS in your every day:

PRAY! PRAY! PRAY, and PRAY!

And if you feel that regular,professional counseling is needed too,

Then, find that person whom you feel can helpfully mentor you!

For you are a rare gem meant to sparkle and shine and to make this old world better as you LIVE in your rich realm of time!

Delores Dudley

Front: Dr. Ella Ward, Karen Jenkins, Congressman Bobby Scott, Cliff Hayes, Myra Payne Back: Jeremy Rodden, Bonita Anthony, Levar Stoney, Nadarius Clark

Photo: ErnestLowery

Photo: NewJournalandGuide

Hatcher Endowed NSU Fellows To Work In Portsmouth

HAMPTON ROADS

Norfolk State University’s Ethelyn R. Strong School of Social Work recently announced The John G. Hatcher Jr. Memorial Endowed Graduate Fellowship Program. The program offers talented graduate students in Social Work (M.S.W. and PhD and Sociology (Urban Affairs) at Norfolk State University the opportunity to bring about positive change in the city of Portsmouth, Virginia.

The fellowship focuses on research, community development, and policy to improve the quality of life and conditions in historically vulnerable communities in Portsmouth. Fellows collaborate with various organizations to address complex issues and provide concrete solutions with potential policy alternatives.

The fellowship program seeks students interested in projects related to housing inequity, violence prevention, economic growth, social and

VIRGINIA BEACH TRIPLETS ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE COMMUNITY

Special to the New Journal and Guide

John G. Hatcher

environmental justice, family preservation, youth development, health and wellness, education, and reentry. Fellows spend the academic year conducting research and collaborating in Portsmouth, guided by a faculty mentor.

The fellowship culminates with the annual John G. Hatcher Jr. Memorial Fellowship Lecture, where fellows present their research findings and policy recommendations. The program and lecture honor the legacy of Mr. John G. Hatcher Jr., whose estate generously established this fellowship.

New Va. Highway Marker Will Honor Elvis Presley’s Legendary Black Guitarist

By Rosaland Tyler

Associate Editor

New

Journal and Guide

Elvis Presley’s legendary Black guitarist Arthur ‘Big Boy’ Crudup would sometimes strum his guitar while Elvis was on-stage, As a result, a brand new Virginia highway marker has been approved by the state that will describe Crudup’s largely forgotten but trailblazing story.

Turns out Crudup not only taught Elvis how to swivel, moan and croon on-stage, Crudup, a former Northampton County resident influenced three of Elvis Presley’s greatest hits in the 1950s. The new Virginia highway marker that recognizes Crudup, will speak loud and clear about Crudup’s impact on Presley’s wildly profitable onstage performances. Specifically, Crudup contributed to two of Presley’s hit songs, “My Baby Left Me” and “So Glad You’re Mine.”

They met at a juke joint. Presley could not take his eyes off the charismatic excitement in the room. Presley

copied Crudup’s style. More important, Elvis’ first hit song called ‘That’s Alright Mama’, was originally written by Arthur ‘Big Boy’ Crudup.

Presley racked up at least 149 songs on Billboard’s Hot 100 Pop Chart in America. Of these, 114 were in the top forty, 40 were in the top 10, and 18 went to number one. Presley’s No. 1 singles spent a total of 80 weeks at number one.

Once completed, the highway marker will be placed in Northampton County where Crudup lived. He was born in Forest, Miss., on August 24, 1905. He relocated to Virginia and soon migrated to Chicago, where he became known as “The Father of Rock ‘n’ Roll,” due to the fact that he released several hit songs and also worked with The Beatles, B.B. King, and Elton John. The largely self-taught musician lived through poverty and oppression, and rarely received royalties for his work.

Crudup died on March 28, 1974, and is buried in Nassawadox.

Three junior volunteers at Lake Taylor Transitional Care Hospital (LTH) in Norfolk share more than their summer jobs. This special group of girls are sisters; in fact, they are triplets who are currently 17 years of age and rising seniors at Landstown HS in Va. Beach. Their senior year begins next month (class of 2024).

The Joseph sisters –Jasmine, Jaleesa, and Joselle – are the daughters of another Lake Taylor Hospital employee, Farah F. Joseph, who works on the Beechwood unit. Jasmine is the first born of the triplets. She is a member of the Landstown tennis team and wants to become an Occupational Therapist or Physical Therapist, possibly a Speech therapist.

At LTH, Jasmine and her sisters volunteer two days a week for 4-10 hours.

She serves in the rehab area where she transports patients to and from rehab, and she observes the interaction between the therapists and patients. Her favorite quote is, “It’s very interesting and new to me. I like that I’m able to help people.” Jaleesa, the middle

sister, enjoys books and at school, she is a member of the school’s Book Club. Her career interests center around books and beauty (nails, fashion, hair).

Assigned at LTH to the Dogwood unit, she transports patients to and from activities in the morning and from their

rooms to the nursing station.

The youngest of the three is Joselle. She is also assigned to the Dogwood unit. At school, she is a member of the book club, crochet club and three honor societies. She plans to pursue a career in engineering and STEM.

LOCAL VOICES WHEN WE FEEL ...

By Sean C. Bowers

Over the past few weeks, we have experienced a TEMPORARY shift in the nation’s outlook due to the UN-Supreme Court’s overreaching decisions by five White (mostly men) to take away rights for women, minorities, and the LGBTQ community.

At this time, it is most important to take stock of and reflect on where we’ve come from- and yes, how much further we still have to go to truly overcome. Though the Right’s over-reactionary decisions have more financial clout and are willing to stoop to notorious unlimited lows to try and get their way, FEAR NOT!

The Truth, God’s Truth, is on the side of the people, not the politicians who lie to themselves, their own voters, and the world, casually as though they were deeply breathing in the intoxicating aroma of their UN-HOLY persecution, of “others.” They will get their just desserts for trying yet, again to “OWN the LIBS.” We all know, that we “do (indeed) reap what we sow.”

They sow the discords of violence, of a dwindling (useta-be) super majority, now a slim majority, and an aboutto-be-minority for the first time, ever. As they (Karen-ly) cast about, failing and flailing for any and all levers of power they can get their grimy little (45) hands on to try and prevent their own inevitable demise at their own hands, in their day of reckoning, it is both sad and tragic.

Remember exactly who they are: the attempted exterminators of Native

Americans, slavers for hundreds of years, Jim Crowers, Red Line-rs, and Jan 6th Capitol Attackers who blame all those they attack for the very criminal tendency traits they perpetrate and harbor.

Now remember exactly who we are: daughters and sons of proud Queens and Kings, those who have been given so little, yet produced so much- all of it up-hill, against the law and the legal system’s entrenched White hate head-winds, tides, and currents. Their continued pressure continues to churn out countless diamonds of the once downtrodden in mass, around the world.

When my wife and I see our two oldest of seven grandchildren going away to college in the fall making themselves into today’s “diamonds,” we know we are going to be fine – way better than fine, divine. The two oldest grandchildren are exemplary students. They learned how to set the bar high, how to be the example, how to be the lead pace setters for the other five younger grandchildren to follow. It is a very high bar as it should be. That way, they will want to follow what we have instilled in them; the patience,

persistence, and resistance to (continue to stive to an unattainable perfection) to make a difference in our world, ultimately becoming difference-makers. They have been trained well, in the ways, we were trained by our forebears.

When we feel “low” or that the process is somehow blocked or too slow, we have to keep our eyes toward heaven’s prize. We have come farther than we have to go, this we all know.

With five more grandchildren to go, we focus on controlling what we can within our sphere of influence, inspiring, motivating, activating each of them to participate to the best of their abilities and capabilities. In that way, we keep arming them with God, love, and peace. By the grace of the Divine, we will all be extra fine. When we feel others uplifted and re-gifted, we and they become whole souls.

As in Civil War times, the World War II era, and now again today, we who battle to remain free shall always triumph in the end against those who seek to prevent or pervert justice, to oppress, to enslave or to control others (and their bodies) for any reasons.

Theirs is simply a

doomed, disillusioned worldview outlook of what they (supposedly) have lost, instead of a positive perspective of what we ALL could be, if we worked together in the same direction, to that inclusive end.

Simple math shows us that as they shrink in numbers and mentality, we only grow in size, knowledge, understanding, visibility, popularity, votes, successes, power, belief, wins, triumphs, championships, degrees, scholarships, and the confidence that we not only can, but that we will always overcome, because, that is our DNA-DO, Never Ask.

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 H. Andrews (NJ&G 35 years) has always been his publisher.

Sean C. Bowers

Jr.

Theirs is simply a doomed, disillusioned worldview outlook of what they (supposedly) have lost, instead of a positive perspective of what we ALL could be, if we worked together in the same direction ...

(L-R) Jaleesa, Joselle and Jasmine

Photo: Courtesy

MOMENTS of MEDITATION

By Rev. Dr. Archie L. Edwards, Sr.

NAAMAN AND GEHAZI: CHARACTERS IN CONTRAST

Read: 2 Kings 5

Part Two: Gehazi

Part One Background

Last week, we were introduced to the idea of “Poetic justice” which denotes that the characters in a drama essentially reap the harvest of what they sow.

In 2 Kings 5, a similar type of drama is enacted that forever changes the course of two men’s lives: Naaman, a leper, whom we met last week, and Gehazi, a servant of God’s prophet Elisha, in this week’s lesson. In an example of poetic justice, a surprising change takes place in the lives of both men. The leper becomes a servant of God; the servant, in turn becomes a leper.

GEHAZI

2 Kings 5:15-19 form a literary bridge by which Naaman and Gehazi are brought together. Elated with his cleansing, Naaman rushes to thank Elisha and makes a genuine profession of faith: “Behold now, I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Ismel” (v.15).

Then, he not only urges Elisha to accept a present of gratitude but upon Elisha’s refusal, he urges him again. Meanwhile, standing in the shadows, Elisha’s servant

Gehazi overhears this volley of offers and refusals. You can almost hear the dollar signs ringing in his head as tabulates the profit (v. 20). Seizing an opportunity for financial gain, Gehazi slips out the back to catch up to Naaman. (v. 21). It is at this point that Gehazi’s imagination sprouts full blooms of colorful lies (vv. 22-23).

First lie: “My master has sent me.” Second lie: “Two young men of the sons of the prophets have come” to stay and money is needed for their lodging. Third lie: “My master has sent me, saying.” He attributes this third lie to Elisha’s lips.

Gehazi returns to Elisha’s house, where he covertly stashes the coins. Although not caught with his hands in the cookie jar, Gehazi has crumbs all over his red face (vv. 2425).

Fourth lie: “Your servant went nowhere.” We are often advised never to say never. But one never that seems appropriate to never lie to a prophet. Of all the people in the world most likely to see through the scam and into the heart of things, it’s a prophet. Listen to the penetrating questions that pierce through Gehazi’s flimsy lies. Then hear

the scathing indictment (vv. 26-27). AN ICONIC ENDING:

Irony is a literary term that refers to a situation which is the tragic reverse of what is expected. Thus, it is ironic that King Arthur’s Round Table was destroyed by Lancelo –the very man who helped build it. It is ironic that Eve expected great happiness by eating the forbidden fruit when, in fact, it brought great sorrow.

And it is ironic that Naaman, the Syrian, came away from Elisha cleansed while Gehazi, the Jew who lived as a servant in Elisha’s own house, came away cursed (read Luke 4:27). It is ironic, too, that Naaman, the leper, (2 Kings 5:1), became the servant (v. 18), and Gehazi, the servant (v. 20), became the leper (v. 27). In a downpour of poetic justice, Naaman’s loose change became Gehazi’s leprous curse. The truth about Gehazi leaked through his roof of thatched lies to expose his greed and drench it in God’s sudden and torrential judgment.

If your life were made into a play, would the main character’s flaws be visible –like Naaman’s leprosy – for would they be hidden – like Gehazi’s greed?

Would the main character listen to the advice of servants – like Naaman – or be evasive to the words of his master –like Gehazi?

Has your main character made a public profession of faith – like Naaman’s washing in the Jordan – or is there a private world of hidden sin thatched with lies?

These are questions you need to come to grip with –if you want your life to have a happy ending instead of a tragic one.

THIS ROCK I BUILD MY CHURCH ...” (Matthew 16:18) PT. 2

Church In Scripture. The word church is derived from the Greek “ecclesia” meaning “called out.” The original meaning was a gathering out of citizens in a public place to assemble for deliberation. In its most general sense, The New Testament Church is the ecclesia – the called out assembly of believers in Jesus Christ at either the local or universal level.

“Church (true)

Summary: The true Church, composed of the whole number of regenerate persons from Pentecost to the first resurrection (I Cor. 15:52, note 4), united together and to Jesus Christ by the baptism with the Holy Spirit (I Cor 12: 12, 13), is the body of Christ of which He is the Head (Eph 1: 22, 23). As such, it is a holy temple for the habitation of God through the Spirit (Eph 2:21, 22); is “one flesh” with Christ (Eph 5:30, 31); and espoused to Him as a chaste virgin to one husband (II Cor 11: 2-4).” (Heb 12: 23 note) Scofield KJV Schism In The Church. “That there should be no schism (separation, division or split) in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.” (I Cor 12: 25) Glorious Church. “That Jesus

might present to Himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.”

(Eph 5: 27)

Pentecost Sunday (Acts 2: 4) Pentecost is the birthday and festival of the Christian Church occurring on the fiftieth day and seventh Sunday following the resurrection of Jesus Christ; also it is known as WhitSunday in African American Christianity because all church members wear white suits and dresses on that Sunday. Pente is Latin for five. Konta means times 10. Hence 5 x 10 = 50 days following Resurrection Sunday.

Mystery In Scripture.

A mystery in scripture is a previously hidden truth,

ADs & DIRECTORY

now divinely revealed, but in which a supernatural element still remains despite the revelation. The Church A Mystery Hidden From Past Ages. The first mention of the church was foretold, but not explained by Jesus. Paul says the revelation of this mystery was given to him by the Holy Spirit, “whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto His Holy Apostles and Prophets by The Holy Ghost.” (Eph chapters 2-3:1-12) “That the Gentiles were to be saved was no mystery.” (Rom 9: 24-33; 10: 19-21). The mystery “hid in God” was to make of Jew and Gentile a wholly new thing ... ” The church, which is His (Christ’s) body,” formed by the baptism with the Holy Spirit in which the earthly distinction of Jew and Gentile disappears (Eph 2: 14, 15; Col 3:10, 11). The revelation of this mystery was committed to Paul. In his writings alone we find the doctrine, position, walk and destiny of the church.” (Scofield note, pg 1252)

... To Be Continued Blessings and Shalom

“UPON

REBECCA’S WELL BY REV. DR. REBECCA R. RIVKA

Rev. Dr. Rebecca R. Rivka

VAACC SUB-GRANT SUPPORTS NUTRITION PROGRAM FOR SENIORS AT HISTORICALLY BLACK NEIGHBORHOOD

VIRGINIA BEACH

Seniors living at the ‘Tranquility at the Lakes’ housing complex on Burton Station Road recently graduated from a 12-week workshop on nutrition and healthy living. The class was instructed by Community of Destiny, Inc. Chef Grace Peart, who is also the President and CEO of the non-profit agency.

In partnership with the Virginia AfricanAmerican Cultural Center, Inc. and Sentara Healthcare, Community of Destiny, Inc. conducted the program which included growing an herb and vegetable garden as a form of therapy and self empowerment.

The program was held in Burton Station, which is one of the 16 Historically Black neighborhoods in Virginia Beach experiencing insecurities such as medications, health screenings, understanding healthy eating, and related healthy aging practices.

The Graduation Ceremony was held July 14 at the housing complex and included an opening prayer by Bishop Vernon Mathews (Health and Wellness participant) and reading of a poem, “The Promise,” by Minister Rose Clemons (Health and Wellness participant).

Dr. Sandra Gale, Hair Technology Center, was the Mistress of Ceremony:

The Keynote Speaker was James A Toney Jr., Life Purpose Coach & CEO of SAGAB Group.

Mrs. Doris Blount, Class leader and Health and Wellness participant, brought remarks.

Mrs. Angela Whitehead, Founder and CEO of Seniors Unlimited Lifestyles, Inc. & Executive Director of Programs and Services for Tranquility at the Lakes, spoke on the workshop’s impact on the seniors living at the complex.

Certificates of Completion were presented to the graduates by Chef

Grace Peart, and Dr. Amelia Ross-Hammond, Councilwoman, Founder and Chairman, VAACC, Inc. The VAACC awarded a subgrant to Community of Destiny, Inc. to support the 12-week program as part of a grant it received from Sentara Healthcare. The balance of the Sentara grant to VAACC was distributed to the Mountleads at Va. Beach which is a Fatih-Based organization.

The Burton Station graduates who received certificates were Essie Bennett, Janice Ballard, Doris Blount, Vivian House, Sharon Hamilton, Gail Darby, Diane Benson, Marcia Smith, Daryl Williams, Sonia Johnson, Linda Scipio, Minister Rose Clemons, Connie Hodge, Joel Parks, Jeanette Summer, Catha Cuffee, and Bishop Vernon Matthews.

The Presentation of Certificates was followed by a Tour of the Herb Garden.

Class graduates with (at left) Chef Grace Peart and (at right) Dr. Ross-Hammond.

Photo: Courtesy

Vegetable gardens

Photo: Courtesy

Graduate receiving her diploma.

Photo: Courtesy Another graduate showing her diploma to the crowd.

Photo: Courtesy Bell pepper garden

Photo: Courtesy Ready to ripen!

Photo: Courtesy

BOOKWORM REVIEWS

By Terri Schlichenmeyer

LIFE ON OTHER PLANETS: A MEMOIR OF FINDING MY PLACE IN THE UNIVERSE

Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight ...

And the second and third and you’ll just keep wishing until you run out of desires. You’ll never run out of stars, though, so you can spend all night wishing and do it again tomorrow. Wish hard enough, work even harder and, as in the new book “Life on Other Planets” by Aomawa Shields, PhD, you may see your hopes come true.

Growing up in a “selfsufficient and independent” all-female household that prized education and encouraged her love of the planets, Aomawa Shields was raised securely on a foundation of science and “the sky was my first love.” She didn’t know then that the night sky could become a career; she remembers wanting, instead, to be a cheerleader like the pretty white girls she saw on TV. Her PhD-educated mother “winced” over that, but delighted in Shields’ fascination with stars and her embrace of STEM subjects. By the time she was twelve years old, Shields had mapped out her entire future career.

To get there, she read as much about astronomy as she could find. She “devoured” TV shows about space before applying to attend an elite

“LIFE ON OTHER PLANETS: A Memoir of Finding My Place In The Universe”

By Aomawa Shields, PhD.

©2023, Viking

$28, 352 pages

prep school that took her from her California home to New Hampshire. At Exeter, she says, “As soon as I could, I took astronomy courses ...” She dreamed of applying at NASA. She also auditioned for a play, and landed a good part. Acting, Shields learned, was fun and she was quite good at it; storytelling, making an audience feel a certain way, it was addictive. And so, when she began struggling academically in college and a professor told her that maybe it was time to put astronomy aside, another “love” was

HIP-HOP ICONS RUN-DMC TO HEADLINE CONCERT CELEBRATING 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE GENRE AT YANKEE STADIUM

waiting for her in the wings. She continued to attend astronomy classes, but he also secretly auditioned for parts before moving back to California for her new career.

Still, she says, she wasn’t satisfied. Astronomy and acting – how was this going to work? She had two loves, and was about to meet a third ...

Pick up “Life on Other Planets,” and you may be tempted to put it right back down. The subject matter is pretty heavy. It’s very science-y and what if it’s over your head?

You might get lost, right?

Not really. Author Aomawa Shields does bring a lot of science into her tale, but it comes with a lot of gentle wide-eyed wonder and explanations that are easy for an average reader to grasp. There’s beauty in what Shields sees, and she shares her excitement in a way that will make you see the sky with fresh eyes. That’s the first leg of this book. The other part is about Shields’ journey to fit into two worlds, one foot in each of them, while still being true to herself and her interests.

Readers who love science will love this book, but you don’t have to be a STEM expert to enjoy it. Find “Life on Other Planets” and see if it doesn’t brighten your summertime reading.

FUN PUZZLE FOR YOUR LEISURE

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

In a historic event that will pay homage to the roots of hip-hop, the legendary Yankee Stadium in the Bronx will host a star-studded concert commemorating the 50th anniversary of the genre. Live Nation, the prominent entertainment company, has announced that the much-anticipated celebration, aptly named “Hip-Hop 50 Live,” will take place on August 11, symbolizing the day that hip-hop culture was born.

The concert holds even greater significance than initially anticipated.

It could be the final show for hip-hop trailblazers RunDMC, who will grace the stage as the headlining act.

Titled “Bottom of the 9th ... The Walk Off,” their set alludes to the possibility that this performance will be the group’s last, adding excitement and nostalgia to the event.

Unfortunately, according to organizers, an original invitation extended to the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) to cover the show from backstage will no

Run-DMC

Live Nation, the prominent entertainment company, has announced that the muchanticipated celebration, aptly named “Hip-Hop 50 Live,” will take place on August 11, symbolizing the day that hip-hop culture was born.

longer be honored.

The NNPA, representing over 230 African-American newspapers and media companies, including esteemed publications like Rolling Out, EBONY, The New York Amsterdam News, Chicago Defender, and the Philadelphia Tribune, expressed uncertainty about the access organizers would afford the Black Press.

NNPA President and CEO, Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., is respected as a godfather among the hiphop elite as the organizer of the Million Man March, executive director of the Hip Hop Summit, and for his role in the hip-hopthemed motion picture, “Belly.”

Chavis also serves as a special advisor to the Universal Hip Hop Museum board.

Rocky Bucano, the executive director of the Universal Hip-Hop Museum, revealed that Mass Appeal, the production company in charge of the event, holds the reins regarding press privileges.

Messages left for officials at Mass Appeal weren’t immediately returned.

The concert’s lineup is an homage to the pioneers of hip-hop, with DJ Kool Herc, credited as the originator of the genre, and his sister Cindy Campbell, who organized the seminal party in 1973, leading the “Pillars of Hip-Hop” set.

Accompanying them are esteemed figures such as Grandmaster Caz, Kurtis Blow, Mele Mel, Roxanne Shante, Scorpio, and The Sugar Hill Gang.

Joining Run-DMC as coheadliners are iconic artists

Snoop Dogg, Lil Wayne, and Ice Cube, promising electrifying collaborations and surprise guest appearances during their performances.

The lineup boasts impressive talent, featuring T.I., Fat Joe, Common, EPMD, Slick Rick, Ghostface Killah, Lupe Fiasco, A$AP Ferg, and more.

The concert will also feature a “Queens of HipHop” set, showcasing powerhouse female artists Eve, Lil Kim, Remy Ma, and Trina, with the possibility of additional guests joining them on stage.

To keep the energy flowing throughout the event, renowned DJs Battle Cat, Clark Kent, Mannie Fresh, and Marley Marl promise to provide captivating sets for what’s expected to be a sold-out crowd.

Speculation regarding Run-DMC’s future has been circulating since January, when co-founder Darryl “DMC” McDaniels hinted that the group, unable to carry on without the late DJ Jason “Jam Master Jay” Mizell, would bid farewell with one last monumental concert this year.

Speaking with LL Cool J’s Rock The Bells Radio, McDaniels acknowledged that Run-DMC’s essence rested in the triumvirate of talent, stating, “We can’t be Run-DMC without Jay.”

Many anticipate Run DMC’s final performance will count as a poignant tribute to their legacy and a testament to the enduring impact of their music. Pre-sale tickets for “HipHop 50 Live” are available through Ticketmaster.