NJG | Vol. 123, No. 32 - Aug 10, 2023

Vol. 123, No. 32 | $1.50

August 10, 2023 - August 16, 2023

VAACC: MAKING ITS MARK ALREADY

By Leonard E. Colvin Chief Reporter New Journal and Guide

When the fi rst phase of the 35,000 square foot Virginia AfricanAmerican Cultural Center, Inc. (VAACC) in Virginia Beach opens, it will have several missions.

“It will be a center whose mission is ‘to collect, preserve, interpret, inform, celebrate and educate on Virginia’s African-American History,” said Dr. Amelia RossHammond, who fi rst conceived the center’s creation in 2016. “It will also share in educating the community about those contributions in all areas of endeavor.”

Ross-Hammond currently sits on the Virginia Beach City council, in addition to serving as the center’s visionary founder and promoter. She is a retired Norfolk State University professor of music.

The massive facility Ross-

Hammond is spearheading will sit on 4.8 acres of land gifted by the city at Newtown Road and Diamond Springs Roads. Phase one, on completion, will house a central rotunda, called the “Drum,” for cultural performances, civic gatherings, and community events. Also, spaces will

allow for meetings, educational and performing arts, a research library, souvenirs, and concession shops, as well as administration of fi ces. Its second phase will house a 300-seat multi-purpose fl exible theater, and an outdoor history walking trail. see VAACC, page 6A

LAWSUIT SEEKS END TO GRANTS WRITTEN TO AID BLACK WOMEN

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

With the white sheets removed, the hoods now off, and the dog whistles as overt as they were during Jim Crow and the struggle for civil rights in the mid20th century, a conservative group that spearheaded the Supreme Court’s overturning of affirmative action now has set its sights on Black women.

Edward Blum, a conservative activist, founded the American Alliance for Equal Rights nonprofit, which has filed a lawsuit against Fearless Fund, an Atlanta-based venture capital fund.

NPD Makes Arrest In Shooting Death of Ali Muhammad

New Journal and Guide Staff

NORFOLK

Nearly six weeks after the fatal incident, the Norfolk Police Department (NPD) has arrested a man in connection with the June 29 shooting death of Ali K. Muhammad, son of community activist Bilal Muhammad.

Jalen Garces, 28, has been arrested and charged with second-degree murder and the use of a fi rearm in the commission of a felony. He was taken into custody August 4 and is currently being held in Norfolk City Jail without bond. Prior to the con fi rmation by police, various media outlets were contacted by the senior Muhammad, who revealed a break had happened in the case.

“They (NPD) had been working consistently to solve this senseless act of violence,” Muhammad told the GUIDE recently, shortly after the arrest. “So many people and organizations throughout the community supported the effort and were eager to see this resolved.”

Muhammad said that the motivation for the murder of his son has not been de fi ned.

Balil Mahammad was on the phone with his son on the evening of June 29 when Ali was gunned down in front of his home on the

The lawsuit alleges that Fearless Fund “is engaging in unlawful racial discrimination by restricting eligibility for its grant competition to only Black women entrepreneurs.”

The legal action cited the Civil Rights Act of 1866 and was filed in federal Court in Atlanta.

Fearless Fund, established in 2019 by prominent Black women, including Cosby Show

actress Keshia Knight Pulliam, entrepreneur Arian Simone, and corporate executive Ayana Parsons, aims to support and empower Black women who own small businesses.

Notable investors in the fund include Bank of America, Costco Wholesale, General Mills, Mastercard, and JPMorgan Chase.

The lawsuit reportedly marks Blum’s first legal challenge since his organization’s victory in

the Supreme Court in June.

The Court rejected affirmative action in collegiate admissions, ruling against raceconscious student admissions policies used by institutions like Harvard University and the University of North Carolina.

Blum’s group had argued that such policies unfairly discriminated against white and Asian American applicants.

Blum’s lawsuit focuses on Fearless Fund’s “Fearless Strivers Grant Contest,” which provides $20,000 in grants, digital tools, and mentorship opportunities to Black women business owners. see Women, page 7A

NEW REPORT: SOCIAL INTERVENTIONS & PUBLIC SAFETY REFORMS NEEDED

By Stacy M. Brown

NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia

As the United States commemorates 50 years of mass incarceration, researchers and experts call for a comprehensive reimagining of the public safety infrastructure to prevent another 50 years of this troubling trend.

The Sentencing Project, a leading criminal justice reform organization, has released a groundbreaking report titled “Ending Mass

Incarceration: Safety Beyond Sentencing,” outlining five social interventions that can pave the way to a safer, fairer, and more equitable future for America’s communities.

The report sheds light on the startling statistics, revealing that the U.S. prison population has expanded by a staggering 500 percent

since 1973.

However, it also highlights some positive developments, with the prison population declining by 25 percent since its peak in 2009.

Twenty-one states have taken steps to partially or fully close correctional facilities since 2000, signaling a trend of prison repurposing for community

Tulsa Massacre Survivors Fight On

Lessie Benningfield Randle, 107,Viola Fletcher, 108, and Hughes Van Ellis, Sr. 102, the last three known survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, continue their pursuit of justice. see page 2A

and commercial use.

Despite those changes, the current pace of deincarceration, averaging 2.3 percent annually since 2009, indicates that it would take until 2098 to return to the prison population of 1972.

The report emphasizes the need for social interventions and legislative reforms. see Report, page 8A

Ali K. Muhammad was the son of community and anti-gun

violence

activist Bilal Muhammad. He left behind three daughters, ages 8, 7, and 3.

9600 block of 1st Bay St.

The senior Muhammad, a well known anti-gun violence activist, has worked to fi ght against that issue for decades and is the founder of the nonpro fi t Stop the Violence 757. He said he lost his own brother to a bullet in 1982 when he was just 17.

“This is an example for these criminals, these murderers out here, that they will be captured because the city of Norfolk sees something and is going to do something,” he told the GUIDE, referring to the arrest.

Ali Muhammad left behind three daughters, ages 8, 7, and 3. He was on his way into work at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, where he worked the overnight shift, when he was killed. see Muhammad, page 5A

Charles J. Ogletree Jr. Leaves A Legacy of Justice & Empowerment

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

Charles J. Ogletree Jr., a distinguished Harvard Law School professor, celebrated attorney, and leading civil rights advocate, has died at 70. Ogletree, who had battled Alzheimer’s disease since 2015, reportedly died at his home in Maryland.

Ogletree’s work mainly centered around race, class, and criminal justice. He served as the lead counsel to Anita Hill during her sexual harassment allegations against Clarence Thomas, then a U.S. Supreme Court nominee.

His involvement provided legal counsel and helped Hill devise a media strategy, including a news conference to announce her successful lie detector test.

“Charles was a tireless advocate for civil rights, equality, human dignity, and social justice,” Harvard Law School Dean John F. Manning said, according to the Associated Press.

“He changed the world in so many ways, and he will be sorely missed in a world that very much needs him.”

Dorothy Roberts, a writer, social advocate, and professor at Penn Law, praised Ogletree’s impact at Harvard Law School.

She admired his role in inspiring confidence, promoting learning, and encouraging activism among Black students and

Attorney Charles Ogletree

He was lead counsel in the Anita Hill sexual harassment case against Clarence Thomas, then a U.S. Supreme Court nominee.

future generations.

“When I started at Harvard Law School in 1977, Tree was a thirdyear student and president of the Black Law Students Association,” Roberts recalled in a tweet.

“Thank goodness he was there. He set a tone for me and the other Black students – then, and for generations to come – to be confident learners, lawyers, and activists. Rest in love and power.”

Affectionately known as “Tree,” Ogletree was born in California and graduated with a law degree from Harvard Law School in 1978. see Ogletree, page 7A

“Ending Mass Incarceration: Safety Beyond Sentencing,” outlines 5 social interventions that can pave the way to a safer, fairer, and more equitable future for communities.

The lawsuit specifically focuses on a contest which provides $20,000 in grants and opportunities to Black women business owners.

VAACC upon completion

Photo: Courtesy

Dr. Amelia Ross-Hammond at Chrysler Museum program.

Photo: Courtesy

TULSA RACE MASSACRE SURVIVORS CONTINUE PURSUIT FOR JUSTICE

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

Lessie Benningfield

Randle, Viola Fletcher, and Hughes Van Ellis, Sr., the last three known survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, have continued their pursuit of justice.

They have appealed to the Oklahoma Supreme Court, urging a swift reversal of Tulsa County District Judge Caroline Wall’s controversial dismissal of their lawsuit.

At a press conference held at the Oklahoma Supreme Court, the legal team representing the survivor expressed confidence in the likelihood of the Oklahoma Supreme Court overturning Judge Wall’s ruling.

“The facts of this case align with the longstanding property-based

limitations of Oklahoma’s public nuisance statute,” said Damario SolomonSimmons, the lead attorney for the survivors and founder of Justice for Greenwood.

“The District Court’s imposition of a heightened pleading standard on the survivors is unprecedented in Oklahoma’s legal history,” SolomonSimmons continued.

“Our clients have sufficiently pleaded a public nuisance claim, as defined by the Oklahoma Supreme Court in its landmark decision on Johnson & Johnson in November 2021.”

Randle, 107, Fletcher, 108, and Van Ellis, 102, are the remaining survivors of the horrific massacre, which destroyed the thriving Greenwood District in Tulsa and caused the loss of countless lives and property, has long

been overlooked, and the survivors have been denied justice.

Their legal team contends that Judge Wall’s ruling imposes an unjust and burdensome requirement on parties alleging public nuisance claims.

The court mandated that the survivors provide a specific abatement remedy to address the issue before any discovery, trial, or liability determination occurs.

The survivor’s cocounsel Randall Adams, a Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP litigation partner, said this unusual pleading standard lacks any foundation in Oklahoma’s notice pleading code or prior case law.

Further, he said the District Court allowed the defendants to violate an agreement made in open court, promising not to file new motions to dismiss

N.J.’s History Making

the survivors’ unjust enrichment claims.

Despite the agreement, the defendants filed a second motion to dismiss the unjust enrichment claims, and to the dismay of the survivors’ legal team, the District Court granted these baseless motions.

“It is imperative to recognize that allowing Judge Wall’s decision to stand will have severe implications for individuals and businesses across Oklahoma seeking to uphold their legal rights,” Solomon-Simmons emphasized.

He claimed that a favorable decision by the Oklahoma Supreme Court would “uphold the values of justice and fairness for all state residents and resolve the complaints of those who had suffered because of the Tulsa Race Massacre.”

Biden Invests $125M In Minority Businesses

By Rosalyn Tyler

Associate Editor New Journal

and Guide

The Biden administration recently announced plans to invest $125 million in grants to non-profit and community-based organizations to help small businesses in underserved communities.

Forty-three businesses in underserved communities will receive federal funds from the Capital Readiness Program, a $125 million technical assistance program that helps underserved entrepreneurs grow and scale their businesses. The awardees will launch and operate business incubators or accelerators designed to prepare underserved entrepreneurs to secure capital from the historic $10 billion State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) and other capital sources.

“The purpose of the Capital Readiness Program is to provide every American entrepreneur an equitable shot at building a successful business,” said Donald R. Cravins, Jr., Under Secretary of Commerce for Minority Business Development, in a recent statement.

“The BidenAdministration is investing $10 billion to support small businesses and empower them to access the capital needed to invest in job-creating opportunities,” Cravins said. “Through the Capital Readiness Program, MBDA will prepare socially and economically disadvantaged entrepreneurs to take advantage of this historic funding opportunity.”

The Capital Readiness

Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver Dies Suddenly At 71

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

New Jersey was plunged into mourning on Tuesday as the news of the untimely death of Lt. Gov. Sheila Y. Oliver shook the state.

The 71-year-old died just one day after being rushed to the hospital due to an undisclosed medical issue.

In a heartbreaking statement, the Oliver family expressed their profound sorrow.

“It is with incredible sadness and a heavy heart that we announce the passing of the Honorable Sheila Y. Oliver, Lieutenant Governor of the State of New Jersey. She was not only a distinguished public servant but also our cherished daughter, sister, aunt, friend, and hero,” the family wrote.

Program is funded by the Department of Treasury’s State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) and was reauthorized under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. The Capital Readiness Program awardees will join MBDA’s National Network of 88 business centers and

other projects that provide technical assistance and business support services to minority business enterprises

Announcing the new funds, Vice President Kamala Harris said in a recent statement, “When President Biden and I took

office, we decided to invest in the working people of America to make sure that every person in America, not just the wealthy or well-connected, have the opportunity to thrive. All that, ladies and gentleman and everyone else, that is called Bidenomics.”

Oliver had been acting governor in the absence of Gov. Phil Murphy, who was on vacation.

The mantle of acting governor was passed on to Democratic Senate President Nicholas Scutari

From The Guide’s Archives

August 7, 1937

Edition of the Guide Completion of the Aberdeen Project Announced

(Journal and Guide Bureau)

NEWPORT NEWS

The opening of the Newport News Homestead of Aberdeen Road is awaiting the settlement of negotiants between the Virginia Public Service Company and the Resettlement Administration.

This announcement was made by the office of W. R. Walker’s Community Manager last week. The Resettlement Administration is endeavoring to buy power for the Project in a bloc and redistribute it to the homesteaders.

Transportation to the homesteads is another problem for the settlement. Negotiations are in progress with the Citizens Rapid Transit (CRT) Corporation and a new bus company being organized to serve isolated Península communities.

“We are bending every effort to get in as early a date as possible,” Walker said.

“But we want to have all the utilities in operation before they open the houses for homesteaders.”

Street paving at the settlement is on the way; the sewer systems have been completed, and the pumping station has been installed. The school will be ready for the opening of school next month.

PUBLISHER AND EDITOR-IN-CHIEF:

Brenda H. Andrews

CHIEF REPORTER:

Leonard E. Colvin

ASSISTANT TO THE PUBLISHER:

Desmond Perkins ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Rosaland Tyler

PRODUCTION: Tony Holobyte

Seventy-two dwellings in the first unit of houses west of Aberdeen Road are ready for occupation while most of the 86 houses in the second unit are up.

Pollard Street Project Being Financed By Various Groups

NORFOLK

A playground sponsored by a local interracial committee is now in operation in the 900 block of Pollard Street in Lindenwood. The project, which is under the direct supervision of Professor P. J. Chesson, principal of the Abraham Lincoln School, is being financed by various individual groups.

Today the following groups have made substantial contributions: The Acolina Club, Bank Street Baptist Sunday School; Metropolitan

Lt. Gov. Sheila Y. Oliver

when Oliver’s health suddenly worsened. Speaking about Oliver, Gov. Murphy remembered her as a true trailblazer.

“When I selected her to be my running mate in 2017, Lt. Governor Oliver was already a trailblazer in every sense of the word. She had already made history as the first Black woman to serve as Speaker of the General Assembly, and just the second Black woman in the nation’s history to lead a house of a state legislature,” Murphy stated.

“I knew then that her decades of public service made her the ideal partner for me to lead the State of New Jersey. It was the best decision I ever made.”

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

AME Zion Sunday School; Hunton Branch YMCA; First United Presbyterian Church, and Grace Episcopal Church.

The playground has already been in operation for about three weeks.

For the present, its activities will be con fi ned to boys. Two horseshoe pitching contests have already been held with the Barraud Park group and it is planned to start a volleyball contest with the Lott Carey playground shortly, according to Chesson.

Wednesday of next week has been set aside and will be known as “Ministers Day” when the ministers of the city will participate in softball, horseshoe pitching, croquet, and various athletic contests.

The new playground is also equipped with a baseball diamond and other facilities. It is open each day from 3 to 7:30 p.m. every day except Sunday and is available to all boys in the city.

In constructing the playground, the city cooperated by furnishing WPA labor to clear the site to construct the baseball diamond, etc.

The sponsoring committee includes Winston Douglass, Mr. Chapman, physical training director of the Central YMCA, C.H. Wharton, executive director of the Central YMCA, J. W. Anderson of the Hunton Branch; Dr. Gerald Akers, of the Norfolk Division of the College of William and Mary.

( EDITOR’S NOTE: The Norfolk Division of the College of William and Mary is now named Old Dominion University. )

Hopes For Anti-Lynching Bill’s Passage Dim; FDR Tells Reporters He Favors Anti-mob Bill

WASHINGTON

Hopes for the passage of the Wagner-Van Nuys Anti-lynching Bill during this session of Congress went off course last Saturday when the Senate by a vote of 46-3 tabled the measure offered by Senator Royal S. Copeland, Democrat of New York, as an amendment to the BlackConnery Wage Hour Bill.

Supporters of the legislation had previously

agreed not to attach it as a legislative “rider” to any measure the Administration is seeking to have enacted at this session. Senator Copeland first tried to attach the Wagner-Van-Buys Bill as a “rider” to the McCarran Train Bill.

Senator Hugo Black, Democrat of Alabama, co-authored the wagehour bill motion to table the Copeland amendment. Several Senators who are in favor of anti-lynching legislation supported it.

Love Motive Behind Death of Teacher PRINCESS ANNE COUNTY, VA

The motive which prompted Irene Alexander, a 29-year-old teacher to end her life with poison early Friday night at Virginia Beach, was revealed as a love affair by her father just before he left to accompany her body home to Ashland, Va.

Alexander’s death at about 7:30 a.m. was attributed by Dr. R.W. Woodhouse, Princess Anne County Coroner, to Lysol poisoning. The young woman who was employed as a maid at the Murray Cottage on the Oceanfront near Twenty-third Street, died within an hour after taking the fatal dose despite the efforts of three Virginia Beach Physicians to save her life, Dr. Woodhouse told the Guide.

Before leaving with the body William Alexander, father of the victim and a waiter at the Courtney Terrace Cottage at the beach, revealed that his daughter had left a note addressed to him in which she mentioned the name of a young man with whom she had been friendly for several years.

Although the contents of the note where not divulged, Alexander did say that his daughter implored him to tell her mother “Not to worry; everything will be all right.”

Miss Alexander had recently finished a six-week summer term at Virginia State College and had been employed at the beach for only a short while, the griefstricken parent said.

Former Slave Dies ROCK HILL, S.C.

Mrs. Amanda Cornwell,

one of the section’s oldest and most interesting citizens, is dead at the age of 105. She was the mother of 16 children, and she was sold on the slave auction block for $900.

The elderly woman was born in Danville, Virginia, on a nearby plantation owned by Jesse Cornwell. She married a man who lived near that site.

After freedom the couple moved here, living for 40 years in the same house. Her husband died many years ago and only one child, a daughter teaching is living out of the 16 offspring.

Florida Electrocuted Colored Men For The Death Of One Of Their Own

RAIFORD, FLA

For the first time in the memory of Floridians, two Negroes here paid with their lives last week for the slaying of another Negro.

Both men took the electrocutions quietly, the first being pronounced dead within four minutes, the second in seven minutes.

Only one made a statement before the lethal current was applied.

The two men had been convicted of the robbery slaying of Joe Johnson, a Jacksonville taxicab driver, two years ago. Although convicted shortly after the slaying, no date for their executions had been named until a jailbreak from the Jacksonville County Jail a few weeks ago involved one of the convicted.

Several lawyers in the state claim that this is the first time two Negroes have ever died for killing a member of the race; others assert there’s no previous record of any Negro paying the supreme penalty for this type of offense, despite the yearly number of sentences for cases of “rape, assault and other cases involving white victims.”

August 10, 1963

Edition of the Guide

Korea Honors Reporter Hinton And 16 Others

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA

A joint memorial service was held at Dusko

Palace, Seoul, on July 27 in commemoration of the death of the 17 war correspondents who were killed while serving with the United Nations during the Korean War.

The service marks the tenth anniversary of the Korea Armistice.

One of the war correspondents who was honored was Albert L. Hinton, associate editor of the Journal and Guide Norfolk. He died instantly in July 1950 when the plane which was flying from Japan to the battlefront crashed in the sea. Hinton and the other war correspondents were posthumously awarded Korea’s Cultural Medals. Hinton and three other correspondents lost their lives on July 27, 1950. Only a Japanese sergeant was rescued from the plane wreckage.

$2,000 Hospital Gift

Honors Late Publisher NORFOLK

A gift of more than two thousand dollars has been received by Norfolk Community Hospital from a donor who asked to remain anonymous, according to Dr. Lyman Beecher Brooks, president of the hospital’s board of trustees.

The contributions were made “in memory of the late P.B. Young who did so much in furtherance of the welfare of your institution and our entire community,” the donor wrote in his letter of transmittal, according to Dr. Brooks.

Young who died last October was publisher of the Journal and Guide He was also a trustee of the hospital for many years and served several terms as president The gift was in the form of a promissory note secured by a deed of trust on a parcel of property situated in the vicinity of the hospital. More than two thousand dollars in unpaid principal and accrued interest is due to the holder of the note.

( EDITOR’S NOTE:

According to the Culmulative Price Index (CPI) Calculator $2,000 in 1963 is worth $19,941.76 in 2023.)

Federal Trade Commission Hindering Black Economic Achievement

PROFESSOR EMERITUS OF SOCIOLOGY VIRGINIA TECH

CULT AND COUP

By Wornie Reed, Ph.D.

We should use two names of things more frequently. These terms are “cult” and “coup.”

The core followers of Donald Trump constitute a cult. Let’s call it the Trump Cult. Some may think that Trump’s core followers are not a cult because it is not religious. However, a cult need not be religious.

The Merriam-Webster dictionary has several definitions of “cult.” The first is “a religion regarded as unorthodox,” examples being a “satanic cult” and “a satanic cult.” The second definition in MerriamWebster’s list is “great devotion to a person, idea, object, movement, or work” or “a small group of people characterized by such devotion.” It is this second definition by Webster that characterizes Trump’s followers. They have “great devotion to a person.” Thus, they are cultlike, if not a cult.

Interestingly Trump has an eerie knowledge or understanding of his followers. I have been unable to figure out how he knew that if he shot a person on Fifth Avenue in New York City, he would not lose any followers. Trump said that when he was running for president in 2016. I no longer doubt him on that point, as he has done worse than shoot someone in the open, and he has not lost many if any, followers.

For example, in 2017, he gave secret intelligence about Russia to Russian leaders in the White House – the kind of intelligence gathered in Russia that usually causes sources to be killed, and he lost no supporters.

• He befriended the murderous dictator of North Korea, and he lost no supporters.

• He repeatedly accepted compensation from

foreigners violating the emoluments clause by having them stay in his hotel in D.C. at very high rates. The emoluments clause prohibits gifts to the President and other American officials from foreigners.

• He illegally held up weapons promised to Ukraine to pursue his crooked agenda.

• He weakened NATO, one of Russia’s President Putin’s most significant objectives – a reason some argue that Putin invaded Ukraine.

• And the list goes on, including two impeachments and three criminal indictments. Yet the cult stays mainly intact.

The other word seldom used in discussions of current politics and Department of Justice investigations is “coup.” According to Merriam-Webster, a coup is a small group’s violent overthrow or alteration of an existing government. In other words, a forceful takeover of the government.

A correct description of what happened on and around January 6, 2021, is an attempted coup. Fortunately, it failed; however, the January 6 Committee hearings and the DOJ indictment of Donald Trump show how close it came to succeeding.

The word “insurrection” is often used to describe January 6, an inadequate term for the task. Various sources have listed many insurrections in the United States. The last five are these:

• The Attica New York Prison riot in 1971 in

reaction to the killing of George Jackson.

• The 2014 Cliven Bundy Standoff with allies from the American militia movement (Oath Keepers and Three Percenters, etc.) over Bundy’s refusal to pay fees for grazing his cattle on federal land in Oregon.

• The Occupation of the Matheur National Wildlife Refuge in 2016 by radical right militias led by Ammon Bundy over the rights to federal land.

• The Capitol Hill (Seattle) occupation protest by George Floyd protesters.

• January 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol attack by supporters of then President Trump as part of the attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.

The January 6 attack is a different order of things compared to the preceding four. January 6 was part of an attempt to overturn the election and re-install Trump as president. Therefore, it should be called something else – a coup attempt.

From 2017 to 2019, Fiona Hill was the National Security Council’s senior director for European and Russian affairs. Just days after January 6, she explained why it was a coup attempt. Among other arguments, she went through a standard coup checklist that analysts use to evaluate coups.

The problem with not calling these things more appropriate names is that it minimizes them – not good. Instead, we should maximize their usage to force us to confront these problems now and in the future.

POLITICIANS ARE NOT HISTORIANS

By David W. Marshall (TRICEEDNEYWIRE.COM)

The College Board is a nonprofit organization that runs an association of institutions, including more than 6,000 schools, colleges, universities, and other educational entities as part of its membership.

It develops and administers standardized tests and curricula used by K-12 and post-secondary education institutions nationally.

While the College Board provides resources and services to students, parents, and universities in promoting college readiness, it has no predetermined political agenda.

The same cannot be said for the Florida Department of Education, which oversees its state’s public K-12 and college education systems. The department is under the direct responsibility and control of the governor. As of 2003, the commissioner of education, who manages the day-to-day operations of the school system, is no longer a position elected by the people.

It became an appointed position by the governor in addition to the six other members of the Board of Education. A governor is not a historian; therefore, providing an accurate depiction of history within a school curriculum should be left to those who are the most qualified to do so. By abusing his authority, Florida Gov. Ron

DeSantis adjusted the state’s education standards to align with his personal, politically, and racially motivated vision for a state “where woke goes to die.”

On July 19, the DeSantiscontrolled Florida Board of Education approved new guidelines for its Black history curriculum requiring middle-school students to be instructed on how “slaves developed skills which, in some instances, could be applied for their personal benefit.”

The new standards teach elementary school students how to identify famous African-American individuals but do not push their knowledge beyond surfacelevel awareness.

The public school teachers are pushing back on the weak and inaccurate guidelines. The same is true of the College Board, NAACP, and Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, the only Black Republican U.S. Senator. “We resolutely disagree

By Julianne Malveaux (TRICEEDNEYWIRE.COM)

The Biden Administration has been pushing hard for credit for its significant economic successes. Coining the phrase ‘Bidenomics,’ the term is meant to direct attention toward the administration’s striking successful economic agenda.

Under President Biden, the rate of inflation has been more than cut in half, employers have created more than 13 million jobs, wage growth has outpaced inflation, and the unemployment rate of Black workers is at a recordbreaking, historic low. Now, the administration wants the public to give them credit.

Yet, the key to widespread public support is not through grandiose statements or flashy catchphrases. Instead, it is through the ongoing prioritization of policy that enhances the everyday, lived experiences of Americans –especially Black Americans. On this front, the FTC can play a crucial role.

The Federal Trade Commission is charged with protecting American consumers from everyday threats permeating the domestic marketplace. Appointed by President Biden, Lina Khan now serves as Chair of the Commission, and she has adopted a unique, ultra-progressive approach to the FTC’s mandate.

Soon after assuming leadership, Chair Khan deprioritized the consumer welfare standard, a time-tested precedent that puts individual wellbeing at the forefront of any and all policy discussion, deeming it “too narrow.”

Instead, the Commission has embraced a broad view of consumer well-being, focusing on antitrust cases that could theoretically have

sweeping, long-term impacts on the economy.

While I appreciate this approach, a loss of focus on the FTC’s bread-and-butter consumer protection issues could have a devastating impact on Americans’ economic wellbeing, especially those most vulnerable.

We have already witnessed the consequences of a loss of focus on fundamental issues at the FTC. As the Commission focused their energy on theoretical risks rather than real threats posed to consumers, consumer fraud cases soared. From 2021 to 2022, fraud losses increased by over 30 percent.

Last year, alone, consumers lost $8.8 billion to fraudsters – and Black Americans are disproportionately suffering from the consequences of this tragic phenomenon.

According to the FTC’s Serving Communities of Color report, “predominantly Black communities filed consumer reports at a higher rate than predominantly White or Latino communities.”

Beyond that, Black and Latino individuals have reported higher instances of fraud via payment methods that do not have refundable protections. Without a solution from the FTC, they remain at a loss – exacerbating income inequality for

consumers already working in traditionally marginalized communities.

Americans are increasingly turning to gig economy work to make up for losses to increasing fraud, to keep up with rapid inflation, or simply to gain extra spending money. In fact, Black and Hispanic individuals are most likely to take up gig-work, compromising over half of workers in the industry. Nearly one-third of Hispanic adults have earned money through the gig economy, while over a quarter of African-American adults have earned money through these platforms.

Despite this trend, Lina Khan has now turned her attention to gig economy workers, with the commission vowing to “use its full authority” to investigate gig companies and worker practices. At an FTC Open Meeting, app-based workers warned the Commission against pursuing unnecessary legislation. Advocacy groups like the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and National LGBT Chamber of Commerce called on the FTC to consider that these apps serve as a resource to members looking empower themselves through another income stream.

see FTC, page 5A

IT’S TIME TO ACT

By Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr. (TRICEEDNEYWIRE.COM)

If things don’t add up, it makes sense to see if something has been left out of the equation. That’s the case today. The experts tell us that the economy is as good as it has been in decades –unemployment at record lows, inflation under control, wages finally rising faster than prices. Yet, most people are unhappy and pessimistic. President Biden’s approval rating is still under water. Donald Trump, his likely opponent in the presidential race, is even less popular. What’s going on?

crack down on the merger mania. First steps – but not nearly enough.

with the notion that enslavement was in any way a beneficial, productive, or useful experience for AfricanAmericans,” the College Board said in a statement to USA Today. “Unequivocally, slavery was an atrocity that cannot be justified by examples of African-Americans’ agency and resistance during their enslavement,” While the new guidelines still allow teachers to provide instruction about Black history in schools, the Board opted to do so in a way that the NAACP says “convey a sanitized and dishonest telling of the history of slavery in America.”

These latest changes result from the state’s Stop Woke Act, enacted in July 2022. The law says discussions about race must be taught in an “objective manner” and should not be “used to indoctrinate or persuade students to a particular point of view.” It also states that students should not feel guilty for actions taken in the past by people of their same race or origin. see Politicians, page 5A

Americans aren’t wrong. They struggle every day with what pundits call a “polycrisis.” That’s a fancy word for a lot of big things going wrong in a big way all at once. Catastrophic climate change, pandemics, extreme inequality, a broken and unaffordable health care system, a dangerously decrepit infrastructure, a growing Cold War amid unending forever wars – this list can go on. These crises are real and present. Families and communities take the hit again and again.

Extreme heat – or floods or forest fires or hurricanes – take lives and destroy homes. Ancient pipes serve up poisonous drinking water. People can’t afford to get sick. Big money and powerful lobbies block vital reform. Now billionaires are paying for a new party – the No Labels (and Dark Money) Party, as if owning the two major parties were not enough.

President Biden – much to the surprise of many – stepped up to address some of this. He passed the biggest bill to rebuild America in decades, the biggest investment in renewable energy ever. He made a small start in making some drugs more affordable. He broke with our ruinous trade policies and began to

Mr. Trump’s MAGA Republicans, meanwhile, are missing the bus. They – aided and abetted by a zealously right-wing majority on the Supreme Court – are focused on social reaction –rolling back the progress of the Civil Rights Movement, stripping women of the right to control their own bodies, trying to make voting harder and opening the door to big money in politics, waging war on “wokeness” as if diversity were the source of our problems.

They just overloaded the Defense Appropriations Bill with a bevy of anti-woke provisions – while utterly ignoring the reality that we’re starving basic investments at home while wasting billions of dollars and millions of lives trying to police the world. They may add to our problems, but they surely are not addressing the crises we face.

It is easy to get depressed, to give up, or to turn on one another rather than toward one another. But change –and survival – will come only when citizens come together, confront the powers that be, and force the change. Modern America has seen two periods of profound reform. The New Deal under Franklin Roosevelt in the 1930s ended the Depression, built a modern infrastructure, guaranteed the right to organize, Social Security, and much more.

The Great Society under Lyndon Johnson that brought a final end to segregation, revived the right to vote, provided Medicare and aid for mothers with children and much more. Both were driven by citizens in motion – workers forced the New Deal reforms, the Civil Rights Movement inspired President Johnson to act.

Now we see stirrings once more across the country, workers are striking for better pay and conditions, and for the right to a union. The Bernie Sanders campaigns inspired the young and provided the agenda. The progress President Biden made came largely from that energy.

Much more is needed. We need leaders who will show up at the point of challenge. We need citizens who will come together to demand change. The “polycrisis” makes dramatic reform necessary. And that will come only from the people up – not from the interests and the big money down.

When I ran for president in 1984 and 1988, I sought to build a progressive coalition, across lines of race, region, religion, gender and sexual preference. Now, in the face of the many crises that are disrupting us at once, that citizens coalition is needed now more than ever. It is time to act.

Jesse Jackson recently retired from his position as CEO and founder of Rainbow/ PUSH.

Rev. Jesse Jackson,

Sr.

We are struggling every day with what pundits call a “polycrisis.” That’s a fancy word for a lot of big things going wrong in a big way all at once.

The desire to develop a watered-down version of the truth is not just limited to Florida, and it predates the Stop Woke Act.

Americans are increasingly turning to gig economy work to make up for losses to increasing fraud, to keep up with rapid inflation, or simply to gain extra spending money.

The core followers of Donald Trump constitute a cult. Let’s call it the Trump Cult. Some may think that Trump’s core followers are not a cult because it is not religious. However, a cult need not be religious.

Julianne Malveaux

David W. Marshall

ASSESSING THE DANGER OF ANOTHER TRUMP PRESIDENCY

By John L. Horton

It was announced (August 1st) by the January 6 Probe, DOJ officials, that former President Donald J. Trump is being indicted for the third time in the past four months. Additionally, another (4th) indictment is expected to be forthcoming against Trump in Fulton County, Georgia. Trump is being indicted on four felony charges in regards to the Jan. 6 Probe: (1) Conspiracy to Defraud the United States; (2) Conspiracy to Obstruct an Official Proceeding; (3) Obstruction and attempt to obstruct an Official Proceeding; (4) Conspiracy Against Rights.

Additionally, there are six unnamed, uncharged co-conspirators, thought to be: (1) Rudy Giuliani; (2) John Eastman; (3) Sidney Powell; (4) Jeffrey Clark; (5) Kenneth Chesebro; (6) Presently Unknown. It is alleged that these six coconspirators, along with others, promulgated the “Big Lie,” and tried to aid and plan to keep Trump in power, beyond January 20, 2021, by refusing to relinquish the Presidency.

Further, it is charged that no person should be allowed to escape accountability for attempting to violently overthrow a legal election and refuting the (legitimate) will of the people. By his words and actions, Trump is accused of “putting his interests over those of the country ...”

As of August 5th, Trump is facing 78 different legal indictments across the various legal jurisdictions of the nation (Washington, D.C., Georgia, Florida, New York, etc.).

At this time of racial

Politicians

Continued from page 4A

This would not be necessary if the same history they are whitewashing focused on the stories of whites, such as John Brown, who held anti-slavery views and was a leading figure in the abolitionist movement. Our public schools should not protect the interest of one race at the expense of another.

The true story of the Black experience in America has always been shallow, filled with omissions in history books. The desire to develop a watered-down version of the truth is not just limited to Florida, and it predates the Stop Woke Act.

Protecting the feelings of white students and their parents does not justify denying Black students the uplifting and encouraging experience of knowing their ancestors’ full stories and contributions.

For example, when presenting the painful facts in depth regarding the transatlantic slave trade, it

FTC

Continued from page 4A

Yet their pleas went unconsidered, and Khan decided to release a policy statement giving the FTC the power to regulate the American labor market in the form of gig-worker regulation – despite the fact that opposing Commissioners claimed the decision “meanders in and out of our jurisdiction into matters of employment law.” Once again, Khan prioritized her own agenda despite what

Muhammad

Continued from page 1A

“‘Will you take that gun out of my face’ –those were the last words I heard from my son,” Bilal Muhammad told the media in an interview after the tragedy. “Then the gunshot, pow! I’m still on the phone hoping that my son will respond.”

“I commend the investigators of the

Norfolk Police Department for their hard work on this case. Thank you to the citizens who assisted by coming forward,” Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi said in a statement, “My continued condolences to Brother Bilal and his family.”

“What took place with our son – there are many other families right now that are there grieving [while the] murderer is still out there in the streets,” Bilal Muhammad said.

unrest, economic anxiety and pandemic aftermath, we need positive leadership and national unity more than ever. And, unfortunately, Trump, as a POTUS, is ill equipped for this challenging task, which leads us to a doorway of derision and down a staircase to (eventual) failure.

It does not have to be like this, for we can – and should – do better for the sake and success of “our” country and democracy as a whole.

With all that is going on among our diverse populations and divided communities, I believe Trump is fully engaged in causing and bringing about anguish, anger and antagonism in an attempt to get reelected. Moreover, I believe that once a person shows you who he is ... you should believe him! (Shades of Maya Angelou!)

Over the past several years, it amazes me how most Republican politicians and many influential others interact and react to Trump. At times, it seems that many of them are treating Trump “differently,” not out of respect, but out of “indifference.” It is as if they are dealing with

illustrates to a Black student the strength, courage, and resilience of enslaved Africans from which they are an extension. That important connection for all Black students gets lost in the skimmed-over teaching of valuable history. The long list of Black massacres is unknown to most middle and high school students today. The Orange County Regional History Center in Florida called the 1920 Ocoee Massacre “the largest incident of voting-day violence in United States history.”

For high school students, the DeSantis-controlled Board of Education will now require events like the Ocoee Massacre to be depicted as an “act of violence perpetrated against and by African-Americans.

From the DeSantis version of the massacre, students may never know that the massacre was a white mob attack on Black residents in northern Ocoee. The motive was to prevent Black citizens from voting in the 1920 presidential election. Most of the Black-owned buildings and residences were burned to the ground,

Americans were telling her they needed on the ground.

In the name of individual American wellbeing, this trend cannot continue.

The Biden administration claims its goal is to “lower costs and help entrepreneurs and small businesses thrive.”

To achieve this, the FTC must recommit to its most fundamental pillar: the consumer welfare standard.

This commitment will especially benefit Black Americans, who have become innocent bystanders as foolhardy legislation renders them even more vulnerable at the hands of scammers. When Americans feel the

an egotistical, arrogant, bullying, immature, irresponsible, incompetent “man-child.” Most of them appear to go along with Trump, because they want to avoid the “Trump tantrums” that usually attack those who disagree with and/or confront him.

In Trump’s mind, he is the “Chosen One,” and therefore, the only one who can truly “Make America Great Again…” Accordingly, many of his most ardent supporters truly believe that Trump is a “stable genius, Godsend, and the greatest president of all time.” Trump and his MAGA supporters always pit “us vs. them”: adversaries and opponents are usually casted as “enemies of America, fake news, communists, swamp inhabitants, and the deep state.” Supposedly, “these others” don’t love America and are disloyal and unpatriotic. Needless to say, this keeps us divided as a United States and cohesive citizenry.

Prior to running for and being elected President in 2016, Trump promised:

(1) To “drain the swamp;”

(2) Abolish Obama Care;

(3) Build and make Mexico pay for the Wall;

(4) Reduce the National Budget; etc. And, although Trump had four years and a Republican Senate and House Majority for the

and approximately 30 to 35 Blacks were killed.

“Most of the people living in Ocoee don’t even know that this happened there,” said Pamela Schwartz, chief curator of the Orange County Regional History Center. Sadly, a culture of silence existed. For almost a century, many descendants of survivors were not aware of the massacre that occurred in their hometown.

The memories of the victims from 1920 don’t deserve to be forgotten and then misrepresented. In 1920, the culture of silence concerning Blacks came out of fear. A traumatized community may never heal when racially driven politicians and appointees use their power and positions to perpetuate the white denial of the truth behind the sometimesuncomfortable Black American experience.

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

impact of thoughtful policy, they will be vocal in their support. From gig-economy workers to small business owners to high level corporate executives – every single American benefits from a vigorous FTC committed to protecting consumer interests. It’s time that the FTC recommit to the day to day needs of consumers, rather than distant, theoretical policy ideals that do nothing benefit lived experiences of Americans.

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

first two years, he failed to successfully accomplish any of these “political promises.” It is felt and believed by many that Trump is basically uncontrollable and impulsively challenged when it comes to the office of POTUS. That Trump is not a devotee of party, principle, participation, and/or patriotism. After all, Trump claims to be the “retribution and vindication” for his supporters and voters. And, Trump plans to get “revenge and justice” for his supporters and voters against the “others” (the liberals, the left, the Democrats, the deep state, the corrupt government, and anyone, who is not a true MAGA believer, and the like ...) Trump has said on many occasions, “If reelected President, I will go after those who have gone after me.”

However, I firmly believe, in the final analysis, that “truth, justice, democracy, the Constitution, and the rule of law” will be hold steadfast and perpetuate and sustain our nation until its eventual victory for our future and existence. At this time and this place, “failure is not an option ...”

John L. Horton is a resident of Norfolk and frequent Contributor to this newspaper.

John Horton

With all that is going on among our diverse populations and divided communities, I believe Trump is fully engaged in causing and bringing about anguish, anger and antagonism in an attempt to get reelected.

Ali Muhammad is shown with his three daughters.

Photo: Courtesy

Dr. Angela Mercer Appointed To VWU Board of Trustees

VIRGINIA BEACH

Dr. Angela Mercer, a retired physician, was recently appointed to the Virginia Wesleyan University (VWU) Board of Trustees. Over the years, Dr. Mercer’s community service has included participation on the board of directors for the Governor’s Advisory Board for Emergency Medical Services, EdMarc Hospice for Children, The United Way of South Hampton Roads, and more. College officials noted that while her daughter was attending VWU, Dr. Mercer participated in the Parents

VAACC

Continued from page 1A

Based on Pre-COVID Pandemic dollars, the first phase of the building was estimated to cost approximately $8 million, but that figure may easily rise to about $10 million due to construction costs.

Long before the walls of the facility are erected and its “doors” opened for business, Ross-Hammond and the VAACC have already established an engaging regional presence.

Dr. Angela Mercer

Council, “demonstrating her active engagement and investment in the university from the onset.”

Judge Assigned Trump’s Election Interference Case Considered No-Nonsense

By Stacy M. Brown

NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia

Judge Tanya S. Chutkan will preside over the case of former President Donald Trump’s alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

This decision comes after Chutkan’s previous involvement in key motions related to the January 6 committee’s investigation.

Chutkan has a history with Trump. She denied his 2021 motion to prevent records from being given to the January 6 committee.

In her decision, she emphasized that “Presidents are not kings, and Plaintiff is not president.” This ruling showcased her commitment to upholding the principles of democracy and the rule of law.

A trailblazer in her own right, Chutkan’s background is impressive.

She was born in Kingston, Jamaica and moved to the United States to pursue higher education. She earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from George Washington University and later graduated from the University of Pennsylvania Law School.

Chutkan began her law career working in private practice and later at the District of Columbia Public Defender Service.

After that, she joined the law firm Boies, Schiller, & Flexner LLP, where she specialized in white-collar criminal defense for a total of 12 years.

Legal experts described Chutkan as incredibly dedicated to justice and fair representation as a public defender. They said her commitment to ensuring equal access to justice was evident.

Chutkan was appointed to the District Court for the District of Columbia by former President Barack Obama in 2014.

Chutkan has a reputation for being a fair and committed judge.

Still, she hasn’t shied away from imposing harsher sentences than the Justice Department initially requested in cases involving January 6 defendants.

When federal prosecutors suggested that Matt Mazzocco serve three months of home confinement and probation after he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of storming the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, Chutkan insisted that there must be consequences “beyond sitting at home” for individuals involved in an attempted violent overthrow of the U.S. government.

“If Mr. Mazzocco walks away with probation and a slap on the wrist, that’s not going to deter anyone trying what he did again,” Chutkan asserted from the bench.

“It does not, in this Court’s opinion, indicate the severity – the gravity of the offenses that he committed on Jan. 6.”

Ultimately, she sentenced Mazzocco to 45 days in jail

This includes, publishing a self-guided tour brochure of African-American history, which has received national reviews from AAA, AARP, the Philadelphia Enquirer, and recently, was listed on Ebony magazine’s top tourist destination.

It also has a new Executive Director, Tamara Smithers, who was recruited to Hampton Roads last September. She leads four other staff members at the organization’s first office on Bonney Road.

those visiting our region.’

Month, VAACC, the New Journal and Guide and the Chrysler Museum collaborated on a civil rights photo exhibit and community program at the Chrysler Museum.

With a strong belief in giving back in support of the cause, the VAACC, under Ross-Hammond’s leadership, has provided mission-relevant subgrants to various organizations from its $1 miillion windfall, to pursue projects such as follow.

The City of Franklin’s recent inaugural Juneteenth three-days observance of its historic African-Americanrelated heritage to this new federal holiday.

and 60 hours of community service.

After a national executive committee search, Smithers was hired and now orchestrates the day-to-day operations of the organization and fundraising. “I am lucky to have Tamar here,” said Ross-Hammond. “We were both born in May, so we are doers. I love her energy and respect for the mission. Our signature code words established by the Board are to ‘Curate, Cultivate and Communicate (share) Virginia’s rich African-American history with the community and

“For years, we were a volunteer working Board, and now that I’ve been reelected to city council, it is wonderful to have such a talented young woman continue the vision of our cultural center.”

With $1 million in grant funding from the state via the Virginia Tourism Corporation last year, along with grants awarded from Sentara, VB Arts and Humanities Commission, Virginia Commission for the Arts, the City of Virginia Beach, Dominion Energy, and generous local donors, the VAACC uses its grant awards to finance its “pre-opening” historical and cultural contents through programs,

artistic performance, curated exhibits, and new health and nutritional welfare partnership initiatives in the surrounding communities.

Besides these outreach projects, the VAACC generously gives back to the community by donating supplies for youth and seniors, mentoring as guest lecturers for several schools and providing professional artists, and cultural inperson and virtual arts series performances.

VAACC also partners with local museums, theaters, and participates in civic and cultural panels, with local universities, other nonprofits, faith-based organizations, and libraries. For example, during 2023 Black History

The New Journal and Guide’s photo preservation project that is digitizing its vast historic photo collection dating back to the 1930s, overseen by Publisher Brenda Andrews. The Guide, one of the nation’s oldest AfricanAmerican newspapers, is in collaboration with VAACC, the Virginia Beach Archival Library staff and a renowned Richmond-based historian and curator to preserve the photos as a research resource for the next generation.

The “Your Neighbor’s Hood” civic and social rights organization’s podcast series titled “Truth Be Told,” overseen by Hannah Sobel and State Del. Jackie Glass, is interviewing persons in four historically Black neighborhoods and community members from around the state to record stories of the historic impact of structural and environmental racism, health and criminal justice inequities, and housing discrimination.

see VAACC, page 7A

Judge Tanya Chutkan

Tamar Smithers during Chrysler Museum program.

Photo: Courtesy

VAACC

Continued from page 6A

The completed series will be on the VAACC’s website for interested researchers.

The NSU’s Joseph Jenkins Roberts Center’s “Sold Down the River” project overseen by Dr. Cassandra Newby Alexander and a team of professors, along with students to research documents and share the history of slave migration in Virginia leaving the Norfolk ports, travelling Deep South. Yet another subgrant was awarded to the “Arts for Learning, Virginia (A4L) organization to produce a series of up to fi fty public performances/programs in Hampton Roads and on the Peninsula, highlighting African-American art and culture. A4L’s mission is to inspire and engage students in and through the arts. They are producing arts and storytelling performances.

The Vibes Creative District nonpro fi t was also awarded a subgrant to produce four large murals across Hampton Roads, one of which is four stories high and recently unveiled in Virginia Beach next to the Convention Center on the wall of the Ambassador Hotel. The next one will be painted in the City of Franklin in partnership with their nonpro fi t organization as part of its Juneteenth celebration.

In the future, the VAACC, Inc. will help fund a regional collaborative to promote a travel destination tour guide highlighting signi fi cant African-American historic and cultural sites in the region’s seven major cities.

According to Smithers, the VAACC is also partnering with the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame to highlight the contributions of Black athletes and the intersection of art and sports.

Even though grant funds from the state cannot be used for capital funding, it is providing major funds for the cultural programming, performances and knowledge-based research that will be housed in the cultural center.

Ross-Hammond said the VAACC sustains its operation through membership drives and fundraisers, such as its annual successful signature Golf Tournament, held last month.

Another annual fundraiser will be the VAACC’s Community Fall Festival on October 14 on the vacant acreage and basketball court, where the facility will be built. Arts groups, vendors, regional performing artists, choirs, historians, local civic resource organizations and the community are invited to see the region’s cultural offerings and network.

“This family friendly event is free and open to the public,” said RossHammond. “We are expecting a large crowd, and this is the time, more than ever, to become a member and support this cultural organization.”

Ross Hammond and Smithers believe the VAACC’s generosity is building not only fi nancial backing but demonstrating the “impact” the cultural center will have on the community and beyond, long before its doors are opened for business. It has been awarded several proclamations from the city.

The VAACC’s monthslong Capital Fundraising Campaign will get underway in earnest during the fi rst quarter of next year, according to Smithers.

Smithers, a native of New York, said before coming to Hampton Roads last September, she served as the founding Senior Director of Education for the National Museum of African-American Music (NMAAM) in Nashville, TN where

she was instrumental in creating culturally speci fi c programs and curricula for students of all ages.

The VAACC’s new Executive Director is a professional actress, vocalist, arts administrator, and educator. She is an avid arts advocate with more than 15 years of experience in the not-forpro fi t sector with a special focus on museums, higher education, and cultural institutions, according to the organization’s website.

She said VAACC’s fundraising will be sought to access local, state, and federal government coffers.

Private donations of any kind are welcomed, and she said corporate America will be called upon to make its contributions locally and nationally.

She said, upon completion, the VAACC will be performanceoriented, and not a museumtype venue to “collect” artifacts and display items as the National African-American Cultural Museum does in D.C. or the museums displaying history in Charleston, South Carolina, or Williamsburg.

“This region is so culturally rich and diverse,” she said. “The facility will reside in Virginia Beach, the largest city in the Commonwealth. Hampton Roads, with more than 1.5 million people and their neighboring communities, are just a car drive, train, or plane ride away.

“It will add to the cultural and economic vitality of the area, as a destination for tourists who will also enjoy the beaches, just minutes away.”

Ogletree

Continued from page 1A

He became an influential legal theorist and a prominent figure in the legal community.

Throughout his illustrious career, Ogletree actively contributed to the National Bar Association (NBA) and its affiliate, the Washington Bar Association (WBA).

In 2001, he received the Charles Hamilton Houston Medallion of Merit from the Washington Bar Association.

Then, in 2010, he was inducted into the WBA Hall of Fame.

In a news release, the NBA remarked that Ogletree was known for his mentorship and service, in which he emphasized the need to use the law as “an instrument of social and political change” and “a tool to empower the dispossessed and disenfranchised.”

“Professor Ogletree was an invaluable member of our Association,” said NBA President Dominique D. Calhoun.

“His contributions toward the profession and efforts to advance reparations for our people left an indelible mark on the conscience of America for generations to come.”

Calhoun called Ogletree a visionary leader and vowed that the Bar Association would continue strides toward justice and equality.”

Ogletree credited much of his professional success to the opportunities afforded him due to the Supreme Court decision Brown v. Board of Education, which

found segregated public schools unconstitutional.

He organized Harvard’s Criminal Justice Institute, establishing the Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice and co-chairing the Reparations Coordinating Committee.

Many recounted how strongly he believed in using the law as a catalyst for social and political change, advocating for the empowerment of marginalized communities. He led efforts to improve clinical training in public and indigent defense.

By establishing Harvard’s Criminal Justice Institute, Ogletree paved the way for students to gain valuable experience in Boston’s juvenile and district courts.

Additionally, he created the Saturday School program, supporting Black students on Harvard’s predominantly white campus.

The program featured several influential speakers, including the Rev. Jesse Jackson, philosopher and now presidential candidate Cornel West, and actor Danny Glover. One notable attendee of the

Saturday School was Barack Obama, who considered Ogletree a mentor and sought his advice frequently, even during his presidency.

“Michelle and I are heartbroken to hear about the passing of our friend Charles Ogletree,” Obama said in a statement.

“He took time on weekends to run something called ‘Saturday School” for Black students who didn’t necessarily have the support

Women

Continued from page 1A

The American Alliance for Equal Rights claims that white and AsianAmerican members of their organization have been excluded from the grant program solely based on race.

Fearless Fund has yet to respond to the allegations.

In an interview with Reuters, Blum stated that the lawsuit is just the beginning

systems at home to get them through the difficult first years of law school,” Obama recalled.

The former president noted that the school had become so popular that students from every background began showing up to hear Ogletree explain subjects in a way they all could understand. Ogletree is survived by his wife, Pamela Barnes, and his children, Charles Ogletree III and Rashida Ogletree.

of his efforts to challenge race-based policies used by private corporations through the American Alliance for Equal Rights. He said he aims to build upon the success of the cases against Harvard and UNC, filed by his organization, Students for Fair Admissions, which led to the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling in June. “The common theme of these organizations is to challenge in the courts the use of racial classifications and preferences in our nation’s policies,” Blum said, as reported by Reuters.

Attorney Charles Ogletree

Photo: Courtesy

HBCU Tennessee State Announces Scholarship Opportunity For Male High School Seniors

NASHVILLE, TN

In a message from Dr. Glenda Glover, President of Tennessee State University and her Community Affairs Liaison, Mrs. Barbara Murrell, an appeal has been issued to male high school seniors interested in becoming a doctor.

TSU and Meharry Medical College are now offering a 7-year combined undergraduate-MD or DDS degree program (similar to CUNY’s Sophie Davis program).

Continued from page 1A

Liz Komar, Sentencing Reform Counsel at The Sentencing Project, and co-author of the report, stressed the importance of reimagining public safety infrastructure.

“Policymakers can create safer, fairer, and more equitable communities by combining social interventions that address some of the root causes of crime with legislative reforms that reduce the harm of the criminal legal system,” Komar insisted.

Further, the report noted that deep racial and ethnic disparities exist throughout the criminal legal system, from the point of arrest to post-incarceration experiences that include restrictions on voting and employment.

“Black, Latinx, and Indigenous residents experience cumulative disadvantage at every stage of the criminal legal system because they are more likely to be arrested, convicted, and receive more punitive criminal sanctions than white individuals,” the authors wrote.

“Black adults are incarcerated in state prisons at nearly five times the rate of whites,” they continued, noting that, in 2019, Black youth were 4.4 times as likely to be incarcerated in the juvenile justice system as were their white peers. The report offers five

The universities have met their desired goal for enrollment of high school females; however, there are no Black males enrolled.

If you know Black male high school seniors who are interested in earning an MD or DDS, *have a 28 on the ACT and a 3.5 GPA,* there’s an opportunity for them to obtain a fully paid scholarship at Tennessee State University. Eligible candidates should send an email directly to: lhodge@tnstate.e du

Reduce unnecessary justice

key recommendations for policymakers and community members to create a safer society without relying on mass incarceration:

1. Implement community-based safety solutions: Violence interruption programs and changes to the built environment, such as adding green spaces and improving street lighting, can decrease violence without resorting to incarceration.

2. Transform crisis response: Investing in trained community-based responders with expertise in public health approaches can reduce police shootings, improve safety, and decrease incarceration during crises, including mental health emergencies.

3. Reduce unnecessary justice involvement: Decriminalizing certain non-public safety offenses and implementing diversion programs can limit police contact and court involvement, ultimately improving safety and reducing unnecessary incarceration.

4. End the drug war: Shifting away from

criminalizing drug use and focusing on public health solutions, such as harm reduction services and supervised consumption sites, can improve public health and safety.

5. Strengthen opportunities for youth: Providing summer employment opportunities and training youth in effective decisionmaking skills can prevent their involvement in the criminal legal system.

Nicole D. Porter, Senior Director of Advocacy with The Sentencing Project and co-author of the report, underlines the effectiveness and cost-efficiency of these interventions.

“Research shows these interventions are more effective at reducing crime and improving public safety, more cost-effective, and more equitable than punitive responses that rely on over policing and mass incarceration,” Porter stated.

Researchers asserted that the report serves as a beacon of hope and an urgent call to action for policymakers, community leaders, and citizens alike.

involvement: Decriminalizing certain non-public safety offenses and implementing diversion programs can limit police contact and court involvement, ultimately improving safety and reducing unnecessary incarceration.

SECTION B

& MORE ...

NBA’S DORIAN FINNEY-SMITH TO HOST GALA; BISHOP T.D. JAKES IS SPECIAL GUEST

PORTSMOUTH

NBA player Dorian Finney-Smith will host the “Hampton Roads Black Tie Gala” with special guest Bishop T.D. Jakes at 7:30 p.m. September 1, at the Renaissance PortsmouthNorfolk Waterfront Hotel.

This event will honor several business and community leaders from around the Hampton Roads region including: Business and Entrepreneurship Award: Tim Faulkner, President & Chief Executive Officer at The Breeden Company; Visionary Leader Award: Bishop Courtney and Pastor Janeen McBath, Senior Pastor and Co-Pastor of Calvary Revival Church, Norfolk; Community Impact Award: Dr. Dwight Riddick, Senior Pastor of Gethsemane Baptist Church and Chair

of the Greater Peninsula C.A.R.E.S. Foundation; Trailblazer Award: L. Louise Lucas, State Senator, 18th Senatorial District; Philanthropist Award: Alonzo Short, Lieutenant General, US Army (Ret.); Changemaker Award: Dr. Melvin Marriner, Senior Pastor, Grove Church, Portsmouth; and Corporate Citizen Award: Dominion Energy.

The proceeds from this year’s event will be dedicated to three Hampton Roads organizations: Hampton Roads Urban Agriculture; Friends of the Portsmouth Juvenile Court; and Greater Peninsula C.A.R.E.S. Foundation.

“I’m excited to partner with my hometown, the city of Portsmouth, to host the ‘Hampton Roads Black Tie

Gala’ and have Bishop Jakes,” Finney-Smith said. “The gala will be an opportunity to showcase our city and raise funds to directly benefit and shine a light on organizations who are working every day to better our community.”

“The City of Portsmouth is proud to host and be the presenting sponsor of the Gala,” said Interim City Manager Mimi Terry. “We applaud Dorian’s unwavering passion and commitment to our city. He serves as a role model to so many and his dedication to making a difference is to be commended.”

Dorian Finney-Smith was born in Portsmouth, attended and played basketball for I.C. Norcom High School where he led his school to back-to-back Group AAA championships, as well as

Eastern Region and District titles.

Finney-Smith signed with the Dallas Mavericks as an undrafted free agent in 2016 and re-signed three years later. In 2023, Finney-Smith joined the Brooklyn Nets. He helped found the Finney-Smith Foundation with the mission to “inspire the youth to become productive members of society by providing service to the community.”

For six consecutive years, he has returned to Portsmouth to host the foundation’s annual basketball camp. Guests interested in attending can purchase tickets at hrBlacktiegala. eventbrite.com. For additional information regarding the purchase of tickets, please call (757) 580-0501.

SEATACK RESIDENTS OPPOSE PROPOSED BATTERY STORAGE FACILITY IN VIRGINIA BEACH

VIRGINIA BEACH

Several Seatack Community Civic League members are opposed to American Power Ventures building a lithium-ion battery energy storage system near South Birdneck Road, off Beautiful Street.

Norfolk World War II Vet Celebrates 100th Birthday

By Rosaland Tyler

Associate Editor New Journal and Guide

Neighbors, friends, and even Norfolk Mayor Kenny Alexander gathered to celebrate Michael Robert (Bob) Green’s 100th birthday on the front lawn of Green’s Ocean View home, on July 27.

Green is one of approximately 167,000 World War II veterans who is still living. He served from 1942-1947, according to news reports. Members of area civic leagues and the Norfolk Veterans Affair Commission also attended Green’s birthday celebration that included a cake, well wishes, and the reading of a public proclamation.

Alexander read the proclamation aloud

and declared the day as

“Michael Robert ‘Bob’ Green Day” in Norfolk.

“Bob, we represent a very grateful city,” said Alexander, who surprised Green with a photo of his military draft card, which Green said he had never seen.

Green’s niece, Becky Parsons, drove 12 hours from her home in Eatonton, Ga., to celebrate her uncle’s birthday.

“He was so much fun growing up,” Parsons said.

“He was always there for us. He was so excited when I had my boys. He taught my son to whistle.”

Parsons said her uncle has always had a positive outlook.

“I’ve never seen him argue,” she said.

Green, who has lived in Ocean View since he

returned home from World War II, said the recent birthday celebration was a complete surprise.

Recalling how trolley cars ran up Granby Street and along Ocean View during his early years, Green said he returned home from the war and spent many evenings riding the roller coaster at the Ocean View Amusement Park and winning dance contests at local dance halls. Of his recent 100th birthday celebration, Green said, “I’d never have believed it. I never expected it. Thank you for everything.”

In about 10 years, the estimated total number of World War II vets still living in the U.S. will be 1,751 World War II veterans, according to recent data from Statista.

CHESAPEAKE NAACP TO HOST ANNUAL FREEDOM FUND EVENT ON SEPT. 23

CHESAPEAKE

The Chesapeake NAACP will host its Annual Freedom Fund Fundraising event on September 23, 2023 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at New Galilee Missionary Baptist Church, 1765 South Military Highway, Chesapeake, VA 23320.

The 2023 Theme is “Remembering Our Lineage And Supporting Our Legacy.”

During the event The Freedom Fund Honoree Award will be given

to residents in the city of Chesapeake that have supported the NAACP values, mission, and vision and made a significant contribution to Chesapeake and willing to support equality and justice for all.

The ticket is $50 which covers your lunch voucher and designates $30 to be used by the branch for community activism.

For tickets and more information, visit NAACPChesapeakeVP1@gmail. com.

32nd Down Home Family Reunion Celebrates African-Americans Folk Life

RICHMOND

On Saturday, August 19, the 32nd Down Home Family Reunion will happen, 411 p.m., downtown in Historic Jackson Ward’s Abner Clay Park, 200 W. Clay Street. The annual event is designed to link West African and African-American cultural traditions and to demonstrate ways these practices have influenced the American South.

The Down Home Family Reunion is presented by the Elegba Folklore Society, Inc., Richmond’s Cultural Ambassador in partnership with the city of Richmond and a number of corporate sponsors.

Attendees can be a part of Bringing the World Home in this Celebration of African-American Folklife – a celebration of culture, a celebration of heritage, a celebration of the soul and the influences of Africans and African-Americans on the fabric of America and in a global community.

The Elegba Folklore Society’s

performance company will be among other entertainment during the day. The company will appear with a colorful and interactive program of African dance, music and the oral tradition that celebrates the oneness of the African Diaspora. The company performs domestically and internationally. They will engage the festival’s audience with relatable stories and traditions no matter their age or background. Artistic Director Janine Yvette Bell says, “Participants will find themselves swept up in the oneness of movement and rhythm that links them with the global significance of this timeless art form.”

Attendees are encouraged to visit www. efsinc.org for parking updates and shuttle schedules. While the festival disallows attendees to bring coolers, animals and tents, there will be a drop off and pick up point in front of the park at 200 W. Clay St., W. Clay and Brook Road, for those who need it.

According to news reports, several Seatack residents recently pushed back against the New Jersey-headquartered company’s construction plans. Seatack residents characterized APV’s proposed lithium-ion battery energy storage system as a potential health and safety threat. Seatack residents said they worry the new facility will spark fires and environmental risks.

Seatack homeowner William Cornick, a pastor, said documents show the facility would be built about 100 feet from his property line.

“100 feet is not far,” he said. “There’s a possibility that whatever is there, if

leaked, could spread.”

Seatack is a predominantly AfricanAmerican community in Virginia Beach that was founded in the 1700s. It stretches along the Atlantic coast and the Chesapeake Bay. Seatack is considered the oldest African-American community in the United States and organized its own fire department in the late 1940s. Virginia Beach officials are expected to vote on the matter in early September. “A recommendation to approve or deny the application would be sent by the Planning Commission to City Council for a final vote,” a representative for the City of Virginia Beach wrote.

In an effort to discourage the construction of the new lithium-ion battery energy storage system, Seatack Community Civic League members held an Aug. 5 rally at 11 a.m. at New Jerusalem Church, 118 Bishop Thoroughgood Ave., in Virginia Beach.

Photo: Courtesy

SCOTT DELIVERS $3M. FOR CHESAPEAKE’S 1ST PUBLIC POOL

CHESAPEAKE U.S. Congressman Robert “Bobby” Scott (Democrat) delivered a $3 million check on August 3 which is part of funding to be used to build Chesapeake’s first public swimming pool.

Scott presented the check during a ceremony at the Dr. Clarence V. Cuffee Community Center to members of the city council and community leaders. Among them were members of the New Chesapeake Men For Progress who have long championed the city to build a public pool.

Chesapeake was founded in 1963 and the funding will provide resources to build the city’s first public pool using these funds.

“I’m pleased that the city

of Chesapeake will be able to open, what I understand, is the first public pool with these funds,” Scott said.

Mayor Rick West said this is a way of fulfilling a promise made years ago.

Chesapeake was trying to keep up with road and utility infrastructures, schools at overcapacity, and can now focus on making quality of life improvements, Deputy City Manager Brian Solis said.

The pool will be located near South Norfolk. Photos were on hand at the ceremony to give folks an idea of what the final project will look like.

“This is a great opportunity to expose everyone – from our elderly, all the way down to kids even before they learn to walk – to water,” Solis

COLD BLOODED

By Sean C. Bowers

said. “To get comfortable with it, and not only for just recreation, but at the core of life-saving opportunities to just learn to swim.”

The project is estimated to cost $20 million, to be funded by state, federal and local contributions. While this project is still in the design and planning stage, the city hopes to have it finished in about two years.

“This is an excellent opportunity for children to have something constructive to do with their time during the summer, and also learn a life-saving skill – learning how to swim,” Scott said. “Drowning is a leading cause of death, especially amongst young children, and so this is a great opportunity for the city.”

Calculatingly, criminally, and catastrophically the ex-commander-in-chief, 45, made his way back to Washington, D.C., the scene of his biggest January 6th crime site against the people of the United States.

Returning to the capital, landing at the National Airport on the nation’s fi rst revolutionary war hero and our founding father’s, former driveway. George Washington’s Mount Vernon Parkway, lay to the South. That driveway leads directly 14 miles to Mount Vernon, along the wooded Potomac where our fi rst president retired, in peace.

45, however, made his own polar opposite history by blazing an offensive orange trail northbound on the Mount Vernon Parkway disgracing every foot he traitorously traveled. He became the biggest Potomac 14th Street bridge crash ever: dwar fi ng, in our limited 1981 memories from those alive at the time, that snowy river plane crash of Flight 1491 when Americans sel fl essly rescued and saved one another as detailed in the movie. “Hero.”

Americans name places and events after our best leaders, particularly war heroes. We do so because of the outstanding leadership, valor, honor, moral fi ber they demonstrated with a regal elegance of how they conducted themselves.

Sean C. Bowers

They always placed the needs of the nation above everything, even perhaps their own potential sel fi sh political power grab. They resist the “be-Kingforever,” opportunity, and temptation.

In Washington’s second inaugural address on March 4, 1793, he swore an oath he kept: “Previous to the execution of any act of the President, the Constitution requires an oath of of fi ce. This oath I am now about to take and in your presence: that if it shall be found during my administration of the government, I have VIOLATED WILLINGLY OR KNOWINGLY in the injunctions thereof I may (besides incurring Constitutional punishment [while still in of fi ce]) be subject to the upbraidings of all who are now witness of the present solemn ceremony.”

In 1796 when Washington chose to retire and not accept a third term, his fi nal public presidential farewell address was reprinted across the nation and said in part: “Towards the preservation of your government, and the permanency of your present happy state, it is requisite, not only that you steadily discountenance irregular oppositions to its acknowledged authority, but that you resist with care the spirit of innovation upon its principles, however specious the pretexts.”

Making his way out of Virginia on George Washington’s Mount Vernon Parkway near that famed 14th Street bridge, 45 solely owned his meteoric crash landing in a court room building mere blocks away from where he earlier sent his thuggish racist stormtroopers mobs proud boyishly wearing NAZI and CONFEDERATE uniforms, to do his psychotically sick bidding in an effort to overthrow our American government and the Rule of Law, once and for all.

Washington, the gentleman, knew in his time that he had to step aside not seeking a third Presidential term. It was most important to this statesman, that he do the right, most honorable thing, for the best of the country. First and foremost, he always put nation fi rst, over oneself and over party.

45 shows no signs of remorse, contrition or even the acknowledgment that he repeatedly broke a whole slew of laws. Based

never on facts or evidence, 45 did it his own way, on his own warped legally unproven, badly broken, belief structure. Now he has dragged all of us, coldbloodedly, into all his legal undertows of woes. 45s spiral illegal gravitational Black(-hearted) hole sucks in, enveloping and destroying: lawyers, workers, staff, supporters, people’s lives, legal defendants until the last man, woman, and child as America cries, “Enough.”

In these cases, those testifying under oaths are vast numbers of REPUBLICANS, whom 45 hand-picked, held up as “the very best,” then threw under the 45 bus as he drove on. His actions fl y in the face of his constant victimhood claims of “a Democratic overreach.”

This is exactly what can happen when a coldblooded snake gets into any position of political power and decides he never wants to leave of fi ce, thereby making himself, “KING.”

The of fi ce of President, the integrity of the nation and our moral fortitude compass tell more of who we are as people than your little-handed self, trying to shoplift America right in front of us all on national television, and rewrite history with your own fabricated history.

The law, facts, and truth shall set us free. 45, only if and when you can prove beyond a reasonable doubt to a jury of your peers (who charged you, not Joe Biden, or the Justice Department) that you are NOT the snake that cold-bloodedly tried to eat our America apple, whole, by himself, on January 6th!

• Personal Note: As a native son of Virginia, 45 offends me, having attended the original Mount Vernon High School, in Alexandria, and played on the Virginia AAA #1 ranked Major’s championship basketball team in my senior year of 1982 for Northern Virginia 2014 Hall-of-Fame Coaching legend Don McCool. McCool stressed team, family, school, God, and country along the way to our 20-straight wins and my subsequential #1 JUCO scholarship.

45, any ugly comments you make about the D.C.- Maryland-Virginia (DMV METRO) area come from deep within your own personal shortcomings. 45, you are at your core what is the MOST UGLY THING TO EVER COME OUT OF OL’ D.C., it is NEVER the most beautiful nation’s capital, on earth.

Sean C. Bowers has written the last 25 years, as a WhiteQuaker 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.

... those testifying under oaths are vast numbers of REPUBLICANS, whom 45 handpicked, held up as “the very best,” then threw under the 45 bus as he drove on.

(L-R) Holding check are Mayor Dr. Rick West, City Councilwoman Dr. Ella Ward, Sen. Louise Lucas, Congressman Robert Scott, and Del. Cliff Hayes.

Photo: Courtesy

MOMENTS of MEDITATION

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

STRENGTHENING YOUR GRIP ON MONEY

Read: 1 Timothy 6:3-19

PART TWO

In Part One, the Apostle Paul reminds his young protege, Timothy, that everyone, regardless of financial status, needs to develop the right attitude toward money. In verses 6-8, he speaks to those who are not rich. In this week’s lesson, he addresses those who want to get rich (vv. 9-10), and those who are rich (vv. 17-19).

*A Warning to Those Who Want to Get Rich.

Now Paul shifts his attention from the nonrich to the want-to-berich – those in hot pursuit of the proverbial pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a share and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men

into ruin and destruction.

(1 Timothy 6:9) That little word “want” in verse 9 seems true enough, but it can be translated as a strong craving for something. For these people, the pursuit of money is more than a passing fancy; it’s a passionate obsession. Paul gives a series of stern warnings to all those whose eyes are filled with the glint of gold: First: they fall into temptation and a share. Second: they fall into many foolish and harmful desires. Third: Those things plunge them into ruin and destruction. Not too encouraging, is it?

Remember, though, money itself isn’t the problem. Our attachment to it is what sinks us. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for

it have wandered away from the faith, and pierced themselves with many a pang. (1 Timothy 6:10) Study this verse carefully – it does not tell us, as some say, that money is the root of all evil. It says the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil.

Perils await those who long for money: first: they wander away; second, they heap all kinds of problems on themselves. How do we escape such misery? Paul says, “Flee!” (1 Timothy 6:11-16) In the midst of providing for our families, enjoying our possessions, and planning for our retirements, let’s keep our hearts reserved for God. Our immortal Savior, not our silver, deserves our undivided love and attention.

*Instruction For Those Who Are Rich.

The Apostle directs three straight forward commands to the rich – two negative and one positive. First: Don’t be conceited. Along with money comes the temptation to look down on those who have less. We need to remember that everything we have comes from God, and He can increase it or remove it at His discretion. Haughtiness shouldn’t replace humility simply because we have

money. Second: Don’t trust in your wealth for security. As Proverbs 23:4-5 warns, do not weary yourself to gain wealth, cease from your consideration of it. When you set your eyes on it, it’s gone. For wealth certainly makes itself wings. Like an eagle that fl ies toward the heavens. Our only security is in Jesus Christ, who never fails us. Third: Become a generous person. Paul tells Timothy, instruct them to do good works; to be rich in good works; to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed. (1 Timothy 6: 18-19)

What a thought! God blesses some of us with riches, not so we can hoard it all, but so we can share it with others who are in need. (See also Ephesians 4:28) By giving generously, we walk with God in the path of life (see Psalms 16: 11) and store up riches for ourselves in heaven. “I come that they might have life, and might have it abundantly.” (John 10: 10b)

An abundance of things doesn’t equal an abundant life. Only one Person can supply that, as Jesus said of Himself.

Monthly Middle Peninsula Genealogy Meeting, August 12

Middle Peninsula African-American Genealogical and Historical Society (MPAAGHS) will hold its monthly meeting virtually on Saturday, August 12, at 11 a.m. Eastern Time. This meeting will feature a roundtable discussion at which participants will have a chance to share queries and details about their family research. There will be an opportunity to discuss recent finds, resources and research techniques that have been used successfully, and “brick walls” that have stymied research efforts. Participants will be

invited to share surnames and information about research locales. Those sharing will have the opportunity to connect with others who have similar research interests. Interested persons are encouraged to utilize the organization’s surnames list, providing the family names they are researching with the goal of exchanging information with other researchers.

To receive an invitation for this virtual meeting or to get further information about MPAAGHS, email mpaaghs.va@gmail. com or call (804) 6518753.

Marker For St. Luke’s Episcopal Church To Be Dedicated in Kenbridge, Va.

RICHMOND

A forthcoming state historical marker issued by the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR) will be dedicated in the Town of Kenbridge in Lunenburg County that recalls the history of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, which emerged from a Reconstruction-era mission school and chapel for AfricanAmericans. Episcopal services at the church ceased in 2021.

The public dedication ceremony for the marker will be held Sunday, August 13, starting at 10 a.m., at the marker’s location on 409 N. Broad Street (23944). Free streetside parking will be available.

The dedication ceremony will feature speeches by

former members of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church. Patricia Harper Tunley, a friend of St. Luke’s, will preside over the ceremony. Wanda Hill and Jacqueline Haskins, both friends of St. Luke’s, will perform a song after the mayor of Kenbridge, Wanda Morrison, gives the opening remarks. Susan B. Haynes, Bishop of the Diocese of Southern Virginia, will lead the marker dedication and unveiling. State Underwater Archaeologist Brendan Burke will also attend the ceremony to represent DHR.

PLEASE NOTE: DHR creates markers not to “honor” their subjects but rather to educate and inform the public about a person, place, or event of regional, state, or national importance.

“BLACKEYED PEAS”

Soul Food Southern Cuisine Restaurant

By Ernest Lowery

Special to the Guide

It was a Tuesday afternoon when I encountered my first experience with the Blackeyed Peas Restaurant in the Lynnhaven area, near the movie theater and Dillards. The owner is Cynthia Terry, and she describes herself as a solo entrepreneur, which she has been for the past 10 years. Around the first six months this year, she and her brother, Carlos, teamed up as chefs to open the restaurant at this location, which she discovered at the closing quarter of last year.

Growing up in a family of eight, the siblings understood the value of cooking and its secrets. One, you did not waste any food; and two, blackeyed peas were a tasty staple that Cynthia had prepared many evenings for the family dinner; although at that time she was not always a fan. The location she occupies now is considered to be one of prime space at the mall. During the negotiations there were many hard decisions that had to be made. As a woman – as a Black woman – it wasn’t easy, she said You know the story ... (can you) qualify to our high

standards?

During a later moment in the talks, she was notified the real estate taxes were going to be half and separate of the monthly mortgage. This may have proved too much for her and she was preparing to walk away, when, at that moment of soul searching, a guardian angel came into the picture.

Every once in a while, when searching for answers, an African proverb can come in mind ... “The Way Out Is To Go Back In.”

Also, one key factor about business is knowing when to ask for help. A timely conversation was about to take place. Cynthia, who is a member

of Black Brand, a nonprofit organization with a strong entrepreneurship focus, consulted Black Brand trainer Jim Franklin. She was very familiar with his skills. He is known as a facilitator who helps Black Brand members develop their product pitching and research working skills. All in all, after he spoke with knowledge and authority to the property mangers at the mall ... three months later Blackeyed Peas had a home at the Lynnhaven site.

Now, seven months into the business, Cynthia’s dream has come alive. Yes, you have to learn to dot every (i) and cross every (t), and above all, know that God’s got your back.

FUN PUZZLE FOR YOUR LEISURE

Cynthia favorite food at Blackeyed Peas is the turkey chop cutlet, which has a unique taste. It’s like having a pork chop and it’s boneless. It tastes like chicken, but it’s turkey, and it really melts in your mouth ... very flavorful.

Cynthia also enjoys making the carrot soufflé. It’s made with lots of carrots and has a taste like you are eating yams – instead of carrots – and it’s very light.

At Blackeyed Peas, you can get an array of home cooked meals. They also provide a full scale bar for your taste buds while you dine in.

I decided to try the collard greens, old fashioned meatloaf, “Cynthia’s potato salad.” I must say I really enjoyed the meal ... one thing for sure, by the time you read this, I promise you I will have been back. I want to try the turkey

chops, vegetables and banana pudding. Come on out and let your taste buds dance at the Blackeyed Peas. It’s a great investment for you and the family.

And remember Cynthia Terry’s message: “Pursue your dreams; never give up on your purpose in life.”

For more on Blackeyed Peas, soul food and southern cuisine, visit Blackeyepeasvb.com

CLASSIFIEDS

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS

CONTRACT ID #: C00119112DB131

ROUTE 1 AND I-95 IMPROVEMENTS AT EXIT 126.

The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) is seeking Statements of Qualifications for the Route 1 and I-95 Improvements at Exit 126 designbuild project from qualified and experienced respondents with design and construction experience of highway facilities. This operational and safety improvement project is located in Spotsylvania County, Virginia. This project includes improvements to US 1 and I-95 including widening of US 1 from 4 to 6 lanes between the ramps to I -95 and the addition of a left turn lane from US 1 onto I-95 SB. The project also includes the addition of a left turn lane from US 1 onto I-95 NB. On I-95, this project includes milling and overlay of both the inside and outside shoulder to accommodate the addition of one thru lane for I -95 NB from the US 1 on ramp to Courthouse Road (Route 208). The improvements to I-95 NB will also require the addition of a noise barrier wall along I-95 SB for a length of approximately 4,700 feet. The work includes but not limited to: roadway design, survey, pier protection on existing structures, environmental, soundwalls, geotechnical, hydraulics and stormwater management, traffic control devices, transportation management plan, utility relocation, public involvement/relations and stakeholder coordination, quality assurance and quality control, construction engineering and inspection, and overall project management.

Questions/clarifications regarding the Request for Qualifications (RFQ) should be submitted to Bryan W. Stevenson, PE, DBIA (Bryan.Stevenson@vdot. virginia.gov).

Copies of the RFQ and additional submittal requirements can be found on Bid Express (bidexpress.com)

The Department assures compliance with Title VI requirements of nondiscrimination in all activities pursuant to this advertisement.

Blackeyed Peas Restaurant owner, Cynthia Terry, serves up a delicious meal of collard greens, old fashioned meatloaf, and “Cynthia’s potato salad.”

Photo: ErnestLowery