NJG | Vol. 124, No. 19 - May 9, 2024

NEWJOURNAL & GUIDE NEW JOURNAL & GUIDE

Kirk Franklin Visits NSU: Speaks About Black Fatherhood

Special to the Guide

NORFOLK

Fatherhood is a topic that is not often discussed. Black fatherhood, often silenced within the community, requires an extra dose of courage to break through the barriers of discussion.

Norfolk State University’s Office of Campus Life & Diversity recently broke that silence and took on the subject of Black fatherhood through its Courageous Conversations series. The discussion, which delved into the insights of special guest and award-winning gospel artist Kirk Franklin, was at times emotional, occasionally humorous, yet unquestionably courageous. In raw honesty and transparency, Franklin talked about his own background as an adopted child, battling his feelings of rejection and abandonment, by his mother and later by the man he thought was his father walking out. Franklin revealed that he never met his biological father until his 50s, only to

find that his father did not know about Franklin. It was because of this that Franklin became engulfed in a certain darkness for many years,

searching for his selfworth and falling into a trap of placing his value in the approval of other people. He questioned the audience, “Do you know

what a painful, frustrating, daunting experience it is to live your life always looking for the value of people?”

see Franklin, page 6A

MARCH CALLED TO MOBILIZE POOR & LOW-WAGE VOTERS

By Stacy M. Brown

Senior National Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia

NNPA NEWSWIRE

Bishop William J. Barber

II, president and senior lecturer of Repairers of the Breach and co-chair of the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival, alongside Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis, cochair of the Poor People’s Campaign, led a press conference recently at the National Press Club to unveil plans for the “Mass Poor People’s and LowWage Workers’ Assembly and Moral March on Washington, D.C.: A Call to the Polls and to Vote.”

Scheduled for June 29th, the assembly aims to commence four months of

outreach efforts targeting 15 million poor and lowwage infrequent voters nationwide. According to the study “Waking the Sleeping Giant: Poor and Low-Income Voters in the 2020 Elections,” approximately 85 million eligible voters in the

We are here this morning to mobilize the power of more than 33 million infrequent voters

United States are classified as poor or low wage, constituting at least 30 percent of the electorate. In battleground states, the percentage climbs to over 40 percent.

“This is movement time,” declared Bishop Barber. “We are here this morning to mobilize the power of more than 33 million infrequent voters, poor and low wage, to demand attention to their concerns in the political arena.”

...”

–Bishop Barber

Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis echoed this sentiment.

“Our goal is to center the desires and political agenda of those who are often left out of the conversation,” Theoharis stated.

The coalition is comprised of representatives from more than 30 state coordinating committees, religious organizations,labor unions, and advocacy groups.

see March page 2A

MYTH OF BLACKS’ ‘SUPERHUMAN STRENGTH’ IN POLICE ENCOUNTERS

By Rosaland Tyler Associate Editor New Journal and Guide

A new Associated Press study shows some police reports still claim some Black suspects possessed “superhuman strength” when they were stopped, detained and arrested.

This is not a new myth. More than three decades ago, for example, the four white police officers who detained, beat, punched and kicked 25-year-old Rodney King in 1991 in Simi Valley, a predominantly

white suburb of L.A., said he kept coming at them. According to news reports, the officers struck King 56 times with their batons as he lay face down. Yet officers said he kept coming at them. Said King, who was 5 foot 8 inches and weighed 143 pounds at the time, “It was like being raped, stripped of everything, being beaten near to death there on the concrete, on the asphalt. I just knew how it felt to be a slave. I felt like I was in another world.”

Study shows some police reports still claim some Blacks possessed “superhuman strength” when detained ...

In another instance, in a 2020 unsealed video –George Floyd appeared startled, apologetic and fearful before he was pinned under an officer’s knee and ultimately died. Floyd told the officer when he was stopped and detained, “I’m so sorry.”

Floyd was eventually handcuffed. The officers tried to get him into the car on the driver’s side, but he eventually fell out of the police cruiser on the passenger side and said, “Thank you.” see Myth, page 5A

NORFOLK

Norfolk’s new Fire and Rescue Chief is Sidney Carroll, a Norfolk native, with a 41-year firefighting career. He started in his new position this week on Wednesday, May 4.

Chief Carroll holds a bachelor’s degree in fire administration and an associate degree in business administration. He has completed several national fire academy and national incident management system courses, served on the core values development committee for Norfolk Fire-Rescue, and served as the chairperson for the department’s diversity committee. Among other notable awards, he has received a medal of honor, a medal of valor, and a firefighter of the year award. He and his wife, Dr. Sally Carroll, reside in Norfolk.

Local and State Political Updates For This Year’s Elections

By Leonard E.Colvin Chief Reporter Emeritus New Journal and Guide

Virginians are gearing up to vote on June 18 for the 2024 Primary for candidates to the U.S. House and Senate. These winners will appear on ballots for the November General Election, along with candidates for President and local candidates for council and school board.

PART ONE: There are eleven U.S. House of Representatives Congressional Districts in Virginia.

Half of the U.S. Senate and all of the U.S. House seats are being contested in the November 2024 General Election.

Scheduled in each city and county, all council and school board elections across the state will be held on November 5. Constitutional offices such as Sheriff and Commonwealth’s Attorney, Treasurer and Commissioner of Revenue will not be contested until next year.

Senator Tim Kaine, who has served in the U.S.

Senate since 2013, has one independent candidate facing him in the June 18 Primary. But there are five Republicans waging campaigns to win the primary to determine who will run against Kaine on November 5. They are Hung Cao, Johnathan Emord, Eddie Garcia, Scott Parkinson, and Chuck Smith (the lone African-American). There are 11 U.S. House of Representatives Congressional Districts in Virginia. Three are In the Hampton Roads region: U.S. House District 2 (most of Virginia Beach); see Elections, page 7A

Chief Sidney Carroll

Photo: Courtesy

Bishop William J. Barber II

Kirk Franklin during recent visit to NSU.

Photo: Courtesy

March

Continued from page 1A

Poor and low-wage voters are saying in this season that if you want these votes, talk to poor and low-wage folks.

– Bishop Barber

It is seeking to mobilize the substantial voting bloc to demand political candidates’ endorsement of a moral agenda addressing the poverty and low-wealth crisis, which claims 295,000 lives annually.

“Poor and low-wage voters are saying in this season that if you want these votes, talk to poor and low-wage folks,” said Bishop Barber.

Rev. Mark Thompson, who also works for the National Newspaper Publishers Association, was among the many coalition members who addressed the issues during the news conference, which aired live on C-Span and at BlackPressUSA.com.

Thompson highlighted the interconnectedness of poverty with various social issues.

“Wherever there is a lack of health care and voting rights, LGBT rights and immigrant rights, there is an abundance of poverty,” he asserted.

“Wherever there is a lack of jobs and labor unions and sensible gun laws in women’s bodily autonomy, there is an abundance of poverty.”

The event’s organizers emphasized their commitment to empowering impoverished and lowwage individuals, aiming to amplify their voices in the political discourse.

Rev. Thompson concluded, “I contend we do not need to ask permission to finish Dr. King’s work. He did not retire. It is our duty to pick up his baton and move forward. They always talk about the people who don’t want to vote. They never talk about the impoverished and lowwage individuals. We want to lift them and bring them forth. If we address these issues, we will address all these others.”

As the nation gears up for the 2024 elections, Bishop Barber, the Poor People’s Campaign, and its allies assert that they are poised to make their presence felt, advocating for policies that address the systemic issues perpetuating poverty and economic inequality across the country.

“We want to lift them up and bring them forth. If we address these issues, we will address all these others,” Thompson insisted.

MAY 6-10 IS TEACHER APPRECIATION

By Stacy M. Brown Senior National Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia

NNPA NEWSWIRE

Ahead of Teacher Appreciation Week, the Biden-Harris Administration has unveiled comprehensive initiatives to bolster the teaching profession and support schools nationwide. The initiatives include calling on states to increase teacher pay, fix public service loan forgiveness (PSLF), support special education teachers, establish a technical assistance center, provide data on PSLF, and increase special education funding.

The administration also laid out its mission to return schools to prepandemic staffing levels. While teacher shortages remain, school staffing has recovered above prepandemic levels, including 40 percent more social workers and 25 percent more nurses, who provide critical support to students and help support teaching and learning.

Additionally, to help observe Teacher Appreciation Week, First Lady Jill Biden, a lifelong educator, hosted the inaugural Teachers of the Year State Dinner at the White House, honoring educators for their excellence in education. Missy Testerman, the 2024 National Teacher of the Year, and state Teachers of the Year from across the United States were also celebrated for their dedication to the profession.

The White House declared that it’s strengthening the teaching profession by expanding registered teacher apprentice programs to 34 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico while providing an affordable and high-quality path for candidates to become teachers

May 6, 1922

Edition of the Guide

Truxton News

NORFOLK

The First Baptist Sunday School opened at 9:30 (AM). On account of the large attendance, Sunday School was held in the auditorium. Rev. A S. Lomax preached at 11:30 (AM). Also, the B.Y.P.U night opened at 5:30 (PM).

Misses Mary and Rosa White sang a duet. Bernice Harding rendered an instrumental; The question box was especially interesting: the topic for discussion was “The Necessity for Christian Religion in the Home.” The Sunday School teachers and members of the Adult Classes met at the home of Mrs. E. M. Smith last Thursday to form plans for the Mother’s Day programs.

The Mother’s Day Club gave a 12 cents supper at the auditorium on last Thursday night. The menu included baked beans, potato salad, hot biscuits and hot chocolate. A play, “Uncle Epnarian’s Summer Boarders,” will be given under the auspices of the Truxtun Literary Society in the Auditorium May 8. The play consists of three acts and thirty characters. Tickets are on sale for 15 cents. The cast includes Margaret Jackson, Manager; Mrs. C. K. Harding is Pianist.

Mrs. C. K. Harding and her son returned from New York last Saturday where she had been on business. Mr. C.H. Smith spent the weekend with his family, returning to Elizabeth City Sunday night. Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Duke are the proud parents of a fine baby girl.

Lincoln Park And Area: Norfolk’s Finest Exclusive Colored Suburbs.

NORFOLK

The (Lincoln Park) lots are unusually large and roomy for a home, garden, if desired, or recreation space. This is something not seen in other parts of the city. Right on the (street) ... are city water and electric utilities. There are concrete sidewalks and other advantages not seen elsewhere for colored

The initiatives include calling on states to increase teacher pay ... and support special education funding.

in communities nationwide. The plan includes securing about $2.7 billion of investment in teachers in the current fiscal year budget to help states and communities address teacher shortages.

“Our nation’s teachers prepare and inspire the next generation of leaders critical to our future,” White House officials said. “President Biden has been clear since day one that to address these long-standing staffing challenges facing our schools, exacerbated by the pandemic, teachers, paraprofessionals, and other school staff need to be paid competitively and treated with the respect and dignity that they deserve, including through improved working conditions for staff and learning conditions for students.”

According to the White House, 30 states and the District of Columbia have taken action to raise teacher pay, supported by $130 billion from the American Rescue Plan, the largestever investment in public education.

One benefit of the investment is that the funds could support teacher salaries in underserved schools and enhance teacher pipeline programs.

Officials noted that the administration’s reforms to the PSLF program have benefitted nearly 876,000 borrowers, with $62.8 billion in approved debt relief distributed across every state and Congressional district.

An additional $25 million in funding has been secured to address the shortage of special education teachers, with grants available

to support the preparation and development of educators in this critical field.

Further, the Biden-Harris administration announced that establishing a technical assistance center would support states and communities in increasing teacher recruitment and retention, including expanding educator pathways and enhancing diversity in the profession.

This new center will provide universal and targeted intensive capacity-building services designed to support states as they, in turn, support their districts, schools, and partners in developing and scaling practices that establish and enhance high-quality, comprehensive, evidence-based, and affordable educator pathways (including educator residency and Grow Your Own programs, and emerging pathways into the profession such as registered apprenticeship programs for teachers), and in improving educator diversity, recruitment, and retention.

Additionally, the administration said it believes that providing data on PSLF would demonstrate the impact of loan forgiveness on public service workers, including teachers. The White House added that additional funding will be allocated to support the training and development of special education teachers, addressing a persistent shortage in this area.

“These initiatives build on the administration’s ongoing efforts to support educators, including investments in teacher recruitment programs, educator diversity, and the expansion of high-quality teacher preparation programs,” White House officials said.

From The Guide’s Archives

residents.

There are large lots, some over one quarter acres as low at $375 and up. Bartlette and Sullivan, in the 5 Arcade Building in Norfolk will help you to finance and build. The phone is 24856. Please arrange with our representatives to show you properties. Our cars are available for those who are interested.

May 4, 1968

Edition of the Guide

Students-Administration

Debate Ends; NSC quiet

NORFOLK

With the publishing of the School Executive Council’s response to a list of 62 student demands, Norfolk State College returned to normal following a week of hectic debate between the students and the administration. While most grievances were resolved by compliance, or pledges to comply, others were denied.

A number of students expressed dissatisfaction with the compact terming it in a “white wash” and a watering down of their grievances. The administration agreed to the following demands: Require Black culture instruction as part of basic education; An optional meal plan; Freedom to dress except at activities where formal attire is specified; Off campus housing and activities for Greek letter organizations; An open-door policy and prompt announcements of decisions; monthly statements to organizations; inclusion in the activity budget; and prompt distribution of midterm grades; Also, smoking privileges and no fee for dropping or adding courses.

Cops Oust 500 Students From Columbia Buildings NEW YORK – (UPI) About 350 policemen

swinging nightsticks dejected more than 300 screaming and yelling students from five buildings on the Columbia University campus when they staged a week’s sitin to protest university policy.

About 100 students were treated and released at 2 hospitals, most for head injuries. A spokesman for the demonstrators charged police with brutality. A first aid station was set up in the Philosophy building and about 40 injured were treated, according to a university spokesman.

Dr. Grayson Kirk, President of Columbia, announced the school would remain closed but would resume normal operation as soon as possible.

Kirk said discussions were underway “relating to a settlement of the present controversy “which began April 23 when 600 students occupied the buildings to protest the construction of a university gym in a nearby Harlem parking lot, claiming it would deprive Harlem residents of a recreation area.

Poor People’s Marchers Not Welcome In Norfolk NORFOLK

When the Poor People’s March winds its way into Norfolk May 17, the marchers will not be here on the invitation from city officials.

Mayor Roy B. Martin Jr. made this clear in remarks at a Law Day luncheon where Governor Mills E. Godwin was speaker.

Expressing the hope that the marchers will bypass Norfolk on their journey from the Deep South to Washington, Mayor Martin said, “These people are coming into our city for some reason and we don’t know why.”

Despite the mayor’s position, local SCLC leaders continued preparation for the arrival of the Poor People March in Norfolk later this month.

A meeting will be held at New Calvary Baptist Church on May 7 to organize a Norfolk Affiliate of the Southern Christian

Leadership Conference (SCLC) and plans for local arrangements of the Poor People’s March on Washinton.

There will be a Poor People’s March program in Norfolk May 17. The people who come to Norfolk for the march will be trained in nonviolence before a March to Richmond on May 18.

A meeting of representatives in Norfolk, Portsmouth, Chesapeake and Virginia Beach is scheduled to meet at New Calvary May 13 to complete the organization of the Tidewater groups.

May 1, 1976

Edition of the GUuide

Trustees Locked Up By Coeds 26 hours

ATLANTA

Spelman College students and faculty members who had held 14 school trustees captive for more than 26 hours met in the early hours attempting to end a disagreement over choosing the school’s next president.

The Trustees were locked in a room at 4 p.m. April 22, by students and faculty members of the all-women’s college who were protesting the choice of Dr. Donald Stewart, an Associate Dean at the University of Pennsylvania as the new president of the school.

The current president Dr. Albert Manley, is retiring this year. The students and faculty have pushed for a Black woman to be selected to head the 95-year-old Institution.

The Trustees were released about 5:45 p.m. Friday when local Black leaders, including the Rev. Martin Luther King, Sr. and U.S. Rep. Andrew Young, talked to the protestors.

Calling themselves the “Concerned Spelman College Family,” the protestors said they wanted the search for a new president to start again; the inclusion of students, faculty and alumnae members on the selection committee with the right to vote right; and a pledge of no reprisal against

those who took part in imprisoning the Board.

Staylor Vs. Jordan On Issue Of Police Brutality NORFOLK

Once again Vice mayor Jospeh A. Jordan Jr. and Councilman Claude J. Staylor are sparring over the problem of police brutality.

At a meeting held last Friday at the International Longshoremen’s Hall for Councilmanic candidates, Jordan made the statement that “most of us have seen or experience the problem of brutality.”

Another speaker Rev. L.P. Watson said what the predominately Black audience wanted to hear about police brutality.

Staylor took issue with those comments calling them “irresponsible” and questioning “the motives for branding the police of the city as brutal.”

He went to say that such statements “tend to incite segments of the Black community against the Police Department.

Sister Graduates, Thanks To Brother

PORTSMOUTH

No greater gift can man give than life is a topic Charles H. Bowens Jr. and his sister Cynthia E. Bowens should know. Bowens donated one of his kidneys to his 25-yearold sister. Thanks to her brother, Miss Bowens will be graduating from Norfolk State College this May with a Bachelor’s Degree in Special Education. Charles Bowens was certified by doctors in August 1975 to donate his kidney to his sister. Prior to the surgery, Miss Bowens has been dependent on a kidney machine for maintaining all renal body functions since March 1975. Mr. Bowens is a teacher at Mapp Junior High School in Portsmouth and the father of two daughters. Miss Bowens underwent surgery at Norfolk General Hospital on October 1975. According to friends, she is doing fine, but remains under the supervision of a team of doctors.

Photo: Courtesy

PROFESSOR EMERITUS OF SOCIOLOGY

VIRGINIA TECH

FUNDAMENTAL CAUSES OF DISEASE

By Wornie Reed, Ph.D.

Poor people have a heavier burden of illness in American society than people who are not poor. Individuals with lower socioeconomic status (SES) tend to have poorer health and higher death rates.

Socioeconomic status is an individual or group’s social standing or class, most often measured as a combination of education, income, and occupation, abbreviated as “SES.”

Not surprisingly, the incidence of COVID has differed by SES.

Social science studies have consistently demonstrated this fact, with the studies in London over the past half century or so showing that this relationship is independent of medical care, as everyone has equal access to medical care through the National Health System.

However, most attention has been given to individually based risk factors for disease, such as diet, cholesterol level, and exercise. More recent studies suggest that more attention should be paid to primary social conditions if health reform is to have its maximum effect. In other words, these individuallevel risk factors should be contextualized by answering the question, what puts people at risk of these individual-level risks? In other words, what social conditions exert indirect effects on disease outcomes?

A recent theory developed in medical sociology explains this issue. It is called the Fundamental Cause Theory, where some factors are shown to be fundamental causes of health inequalities.

The theory explains that a Fundamental

If the problem is heart disease, a person with greater resources can better maintain a healthy lifestyle and get the best medical treatment.

Cause leads to various Health Outcomes through Multiple Replaceable Intervening Mechanisms. For example, Fundamental Cause -> Intervening Mechanisms -> Health Outcomes. Link and Phelan have demonstrated that SES is a social factor that is a fundamental cause of disease. SES, a fundamental cause of disease, operates through the intervening mechanisms (diet, cholesterol) to affect the disease outcome. These intervening mechanisms are usually seen as the cause of the disease outcome. Of course, they are factors in that process; however, the fundamental cause can have its effect even if the intervening mechanisms are removed. The fundamental cause will develop another path or other mechanisms.

For example, in the 19th century, the primary intervening mechanism was the social conditions – the slums – that connected SES to various disease outcomes. More recently, slum conditions have become less prominent, so they have been replaced by other intervening mechanisms – poor diet, cholesterol, and lack of exercise –and different disease outcomes.

Despite changes in intervening mechanisms, SES has persistently been associated with health inequalities. One reason is that a fundamental social cause like SES involves resources that determine the extent to which people can avoid

risks for morbidity and mortality.

For example, if the problem is cholera, a person with more significant resources can better avoid high-risk areas. If the problem is heart disease, a person with greater resources can better maintain a healthy lifestyle and get the best medical treatment.

Higher-SES people are more likely to be aware of the risks and have the resources – money, knowledge, power, prestige, and beneficial social connections – to engage in prevention or treatment.

SES inequalities in health and mortality have persisted since the early 19th century. Long ago, infectious diseases were the result of overcrowding and poor sanitation. However, in advanced societies, these intervening mechanisms leading to death have been replaced by other intervening causes of death – cancers and cardiovascular illness – fueled by proximate risk factors like diet, cholesterol, and exercise. As new factors emerge, higher SES persons know more about the risks and are knowledgeable about ways to avoid these risk factors.

Considering these issues is not just an academic exercise. To be more effective in improving the nation’s health, we must pay attention to social factors such as socioeconomic status and social support, which are likely ‘fundamental causes’ of disease.

Reducing Asthma Means Addressing Pollution, Climate & Barriers

By Ben Jealous (TRICEEDNEYWIRE.COM)

“Please Kyla, stop running, you can’t run like the other children. You have to worry about your asthma.”

That’s what Kyla Peck’s aunt who babysat for her would tell her growing up. This week is World Asthma Day. As we look at Kyla’s story, it is worth remembering that her story is all too familiar among the 27 million people living with asthma in the US (about one in 12 Americans) – especially those living in cities like Chicago, where Kyla is from.

Kyla says, “My mother has told me about the countless experiences she has had with me in the hospital from an early age. One of the most memorable moments of me being in the hospital for my asthma came more recently. I was home in Chicago from college, maybe 20 years old, and I had a really, really bad asthma attack. I was hospitalized for maybe about 12 hours. Then I received the bill. Even after insurance paid their part, I owed about $500. I was in college; I had no money. It was my first experience

CARRTOON

By Walt Carr

By David W. Marshall (TRICEEDNEYWIRE.COM)

The year of 1968 remains one of the most historic turning points in history. This single year was marked by historic achievements, assassinations and protests over a much-hated war.

It was a year which literally transformed the future of a nation.

While young white students protested the Vietnam War, frustrated Blacks protested racism and poverty at home.

The assassination of Martin Luther King on the balcony of the Lorraine Hotel in Memphis unleashed a wave of violence, looting and arson in cities across the U.S.

Two months later, on the night of the California primary, Sen. Robert F. Kennedy was leaving the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles when he was shot by a young Jordanian immigrant Sirhan Sirhan. Born in Jerusalem, Sirhan later said he assassinated Kennedy out of concern for the Palestinian cause and felt betrayed by the senator’s support for Israel during the Six-Day War in 1967. After Kennedy’s victory in the California primary, he was in reach of securing the Democratic presidential nomination.

One has to wonder what would have happened to the direction of our nation if Sirhan was not motivated by the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. Whether a person is a supporter of Israel or

David W. Marshall

pro-Palestinian, the conflict between the two sides has a long and complex history of impacting our political landscape. Universities have always been breeding grounds for political activism. Protests against the war in Gaza have now spread through American college campuses where students are now being arrested, suspended and setting up encampments in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

On October 7, Hamas and several other Palestinian militant groups launched a surprise attack into southern Israel resulting in approximately 1,200 deaths and more than 200 hostages in Israel. Hamas said its attack was in response to the continued Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories. The Israeli/Palestinian conflict will never be seen as a winwin scenario abroad or here in the U.S.

The current protests may not ever reach the magnitude of the student protests of the 1960s against the Vietnam

The current protests may not ever reach the magnitude of the student protests of the 1960’s against the Vietnam War or the 1980’s against South African apartheid, but the level has risen to where they can impact the results of the 2024 U.S. presidential election - especially against the Biden campaign.

War or the 1980s against South African apartheid, but the level has risen to where they can impact the results of the 2024 U.S. presidential election – especially against the Biden campaign. Biden has a problem now with ArabAmerican voters which was part of his winning coalition in 2020. If they decide to stay home, it is still a “protest vote” which supports the prospects of a Trump election. see Turmoil, page 5A

SELECTIVE PROSECUTION OF MARILYN MOSBY

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

Ben Jealous

dealing with the healthcare system knowing that I’d have to pay for my own care. It was stressful, not only having to navigate the asthma attack but having to learn to navigate my own financial situation living with this illness.”

A 2020 survey by Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and the Chicago Department of Public Health found that 16 percent of Chicago families have a child who had been diagnosed with asthma. That is well above both the 11 percent rate across Illinois and 12 percent rate nationwide.

Life in Chicago comes with exposure to an extraordinary number of asthma’s causes and

To mark World Asthma Day –and throughout May, which is Asthma Awareness Month – we should focus on preventing asthma attacks.

triggers. Like in other large cities, emissions from gas-powered vehicles contribute heavily to overall air pollution. Chicago is a national crossroads of commercial transport by rail, road, and airplane. There is historically no shortage of power plant and industrial pollution, including fine particulate matter. Ground-level ozone, a major respiratory irritant, is a problem in the region (ozone is formed when certain industrial pollutants interact with the air). And the northern Midwest and Great Lakes region are heavily impacted by the smoke from Canadian wildfires that are more common each summer. see Asthma, page 5A

Black people have always known about selective prosecution, but lately, it has been more blatant than any we’ve seen in recent years. Many people think things have gotten better, but in many areas, nothing could be a longer way from the truth.

“Selective prosecution in jurisprudence is a procedural defense in which those convicted argue that they should not be held criminally liable for breaking the law, as the criminal justice system discriminated against them by choosing to prosecute.”

This is certainly true in the case of Marilyn Mosby. She did as more than 700 people in Baltimore alone did while she served as State’s Attorney. She borrowed funds during COVID from her own retirement fund!

Her ‘sin’ was convicting police for unprincipled acts while on duty. If you’re Black, you know it happens because it has more likely than not happened to you or someone you know. I would, however, argue that my brother who was a parish sheriff, my nephew who is a current state trooper nor any of my relatives in law enforcement would ever be in that category as most people in law enforcement.

Unfortunately, Marilyn Mosby, a brilliant young

I’m, therefore, asking you to go to the website about her case, read the true story, sign the petition for the pardon, and forward the website to all of your friends and relatives and ask them to do the same. The site is www.justiceformarilynmosby.com.

woman who believed in justice, and worked to make that clear ran into a roadblock.

As one who understands what she and her young daughters have gone through, the fact that the orange man worked to convict her while he was committing real crimes, I’m supporting her by seeking a pardon for her.

She’s scheduled to be sentenced May 23rd, so several of her friends and I who know about her great work, are seeking a Presidential pardon. I’m, therefore, asking you to go to the website about her

case, read the true story, sign the petition for the pardon, and forward the website to all of your friends and relatives and ask them to do the same. The site is www. justiceformarilynmosby. com. Additionally, I’m asking you to call the White House on 202/456-1111 on one of the following days (Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday) and simply ask President Biden to pardon Marilyn. Marilyn’s had her life totally disrupted because she dared to prosecute people who committed crimes, and save those who were accused, but did not commit crimes.

I’ve met so many people who were the recipients of her good work to bring justice to deserving people. It’s now time for us to work on her behalf. We must get this done by May 15th, so please read the website, send it to your email list and call the White House on the first Tuesday you get my message. see Mosby, page 5A

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

Asthma

Continued from page 4A

A lot of these triggers are problems for people all over the country. Last summer, smoke pollution from wildfires in Canada blanketed much of the US, including Washington, DC where Kyla now lives.

“The impact of that wildfire smoke from Canada was significant. It was so bad, I remember I was in my car and my eyes were burning. I was driving in my car with a mask on because I couldn’t breathe the air.”

The wildfire smoke is expected to return this summer. It will be especially bad for residents of Chicago and others in the upper Midwest. And experts expect this fire season to be even worse than last

Turmoil

Continued from page 4A

The president has been steadfast in his support for Israel, but has repeatedly denounced the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Biden’s embrace of Israel is seen by some as a political liability. Others feel the president needs to be harder on Israel. Biden has received both proIsraeli and pro-Palestinian backlash in recent weeks. It exemplifies the no-win reality leaders often face in politics. The student-led protests on college campuses is not only about the long held dispute over an independent Palestinian state, it has now turned into a fight over the humanitarian crisis for Palestinian civilians living in Gaza. The biggest losers in this struggle are the civilians, Israeli and Palestinian. Hamas, the de facto governing authority of the Gaza Strip has used Palestinian civilians as human shields in conflicts with Israel

year’s because of “zombie fires” that have remained burning in Canadian forests throughout the winter under the snowpack.

Another important trigger for people living with asthma is seasonal allergies. One of the less discussed public health impacts of climate change is that both the length and severity of allergy season are on the rise. Among other factors, warming temperatures and higher quantities of carbon in the air contribute to various trees and plants producing more pollen and producing it for longer periods of time.

One recent study North America’s pollen seasons from 1990 to 2018 found climate was a primary driver of allergy season lasting an average of 20 days longer.

The same study found the concentration of pollen also went up by 21 percent over that time.

To mark World Asthma

since 2007. Israel’s ongoing assault on Gaza has resulted in the killing of more than 33,000 Palestinians and injuring more than 75,000 others. Some 1.7 million Palestinians, nearly 75 percent of the population, are estimated to be internally displaced and are vulnerable to hunger and disease. For Israeli civilians, the October 7 Hamas massacre was labeled the bloodiest day in Israel’s history and the deadliest for Jews since the Holocaust. Many of the 200 hostages still remain captive. Any nation, including Israel, has the right to defend themselves. But at what point does the oppressed become the oppressor? The human dignity of an innocent civilian should always be defended. This is true if the person is American, Israeli or Palestinian. When you take away the basic rights of human beings because of hatred, it simply perpetuates more hatred and mistrust.

The depth of active hostility shown by Sirhan Sirhan in 1968 is still alive in 2024.

On May 19, President Biden will be giving the commencement speech at

Day – and throughout May, which is Asthma Awareness Month – we should focus on preventing asthma attacks with the most comprehensive approach possible. That means making sure asthma medicines are in schools and co-pays for inhalers remain low – initiatives being pursued by organizations like the Respiratory Health Association and some members of the Illinois legislature.

It means educating the public about asthma. It means tackling the climate crisis, which worsens allergy season and the prevalence of wildfires. And it means addressing all sources of air pollution from combustion engine vehicles to dirty power sources like coal and gas.

Ben Jealous is the Executive Director of the Sierra Club and a Professor of Practice at the University of Pennsylvania.

Morehouse College. The announcement was met with an immediate backlash from Morehouse students and faculty opposed to Israel’s ongoing assault on Gaza. The alumni reportedly drafted a letter calling on the school to drop the president’s commencement address. Needless to say, the president will be exposed to uncomfortable protests as he speaks at the alma mater of Martin Luther King, Jr. a social justice advocate.

The backlash to Biden from Morehouse and other universities extends from the fight for human dignity. In this year of turmoil and given Joe Biden’s no-win situation, the president should give the Morehouse social justice crowd a presidential social justice message. Meanwhile, acceptance of the new Israeli proposal for a cease-fire will help diffuse the protest at Morehouse and other universities nationwide.

David W. Marshall is the founder of the faith-based organization, TRB: The Reconciled Body, and author of the book God Bless Our Divided America.

Wake Up, Black Voters. Don’t Let

Trump’s Lies Fool

By Donald M. Suggs Word in Black St. Louis American

The fact that exit polls showed that Donald Trump received 9 percent of the Black vote in 2016, the highest number since George Bush in 2000, and then won 12 percent in the presidential race in 2020 should be a cause for concern.

Moreover, some recent polls surprisingly showed that if the presidential election was held today, 17 percent of Black voters say they would vote for Trump, and even more troubling, 20 percent say they would vote for someone other than either Trump or President Biden.

Black voters have been the largest and most loyal voting bloc for Democrats for years, but there has been a shift in the number of Black voters who consider themselves Democrats.

That trend could be explained partially by a number of younger Black voters with no direct experience with the civil rights movement. They have scant knowledge and no direct personal memory. They feel disappointed with Democrats and the Biden administration and seem willing to consider Trump despite his blatant and toxic racial baggage.

This disconnection with the Democratic party is felt most strongly with some young Black males, many in critical battleground states like Michigan, Wisconsin, Georgia, Arizona, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina where Democrats need every vote. Most of these states have large concentrations of Black voters in their urban areas. This is a special issue in potentially close races like this one because the Electoral College gives Republicans a massive advantage in federal

Myth

Continued from page 1A

After failing to get Floyd in the car, Floyd lies on the ground. Police Officer Derek Chauvin presses his knee against Floyd’s neck for about 9½ minutes, time codes on the video show. Throughout much of his time under Chauvin’s knee, Floyd begs for help.

Floyd said, “I can’t breathe. Please. Your knee in my neck. S---,” Floyd can be heard pleading.

Chauvin’s knee remained on Floyd’s neck, even as he appeared to pass out and up to the moment that he was rolled on to a paramedic’s stretcher.

The “superhuman strength” police-claim surfaces in other videos including a 2013 video that shows police officers in Phenix City, Ala. had hogtied a naked Black man who was walking down a rural road one night in 2013. According to police, 24-year-old Khari Illidge ignored police commands. Instead, he walked toward officers and said, “Tase me, tase me,” according to sworn statements from

Continued from page 4A

I’ve written messages to many churches to announce this to their congregations. I know there are many I didn’t get to, so please share this message with your pastor or if you want me to send it, go to www. thedickgregorysociety. org or www. drefayewilliamsesq.com.

elections. This system allows them to govern with a minority of the popular vote.

However, there is also data that shows that the Democratic candidate for president over the last five presidential elections since 2000 has averaged 90 percent of the Black vote with an average of only 8 percent for the GOP candidate. In addition, the overwhelming concern of most Black voters continues to be race and racism with a particular aversion to the reprehensible and duplicitous T rump who has shown repeatedly that he is an instigator of racial hate. Any relationship he has with Black voters has been deceptive and disingenuous. Fortunately, the overwhelming majority of Black voters cannot be bamboozled or deceived because we know the record of his stance on healthcare with his recent attacks on Obamacare, opposition to greater diversity in the workplace and efforts to restrict our voting rights as well as his racist, conspiracist “birther campaign” that sought to undermine the thenpresident, Barack Obama.

Still, we can’t simply ignore the reports that Trump is possibly making inroads with Black voters while Biden is losing support from us. Granted polls have been shown not

officers.

Exactly how did Illidge gain supernatural strength, since a medical examiner’s report said the victim was only 5-foot1-inch and weighed 201 pounds? Toxicology reports were negative for any “known” substances, but after the toxicologist reviewed police reports and body-camera footage, the medical examiner blamed the cause of death on “excited delirium syndrome as a result of an unknown substance that he ingested.”

“Excited delirium” is a hotly contested term frequently used to justify police use of force, according to law enforcement researchers and experts. The term is not widely recognized by medical associations, including the American Psychiatric Association.

In another instance, a 2017 case in Arizona showed Muhammad Muhaymin, a homeless man with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Officers were called after he attempted to use a community center bathroom, according to records obtained by the Howard Center.

There you will fi nd every way you need to get acquainted with me and know how to reach me if you have questions or suggestions on what else I can do to provide the help Marilyn needs now or to tell me what you are willing to do that I haven’t mentioned. This case has taken us to the latest Civil Rights Movement. Please don’t get left out. If you have children or grandchildren, working on this case is your opportunity to tell them

You

Still, we can’t simply ignore the reports that Trump is possibly making inroads with Black voters while Biden is losing support from us.

to be reliable predictors of what Black voters will do. Actually, our biggest worry should probably be thirdparty voting (third party presidential candidates have no chance of winning. This is a binary election and only a Democrat or Republican can win) and potential voter apathy, despite the high stakes in this contest to determine whether Donald Trump is elected again.

Clay Cane, a Sirius XM radio host, rightly said that the 2024 presidential election is not just a choice between the lesser of two evils, but this is an election to see if we can stop Trump and his pernicious plans to institute a future dictatorship to carry out his vile policies. A Trump victory would be a grave threat to the wellbeing of Black Americans for certain. In any case, the Democratic party must recognize the seriousness of the disenchantment of many Black voters who don’t feel motivated to make it to the polls and campaign more directly and intentionally in our community. Furthermore, we ourselves must make an unprecedented and determined push to get to the polls in greater numbers to help stop this monstrous man and his MAGA minions from regaining control of the White House.

Donald M. Suggs is the publisher and owner of The St. Louis American.

Finding an outstanding misdemeanor warrant for Muhaymin, all four officers attempted to arrest him by wrestling him to the ground. They noted in their official statements that the 43-year-old Black man had “superhuman strength.”

According to the newly released AP study, which relies on a review of dozens of police use-of-force cases (court records, depositions and police statements), multiple cases show police officers testified that a (Black) suspect displayed “superhuman strength.” The Associated Press compiled the report with the Howard Center for Investigative Journalism at Arizona State University. The point is the police claim is an old one. “It fueled widespread violence against more than 4,400 Black Americans who were beaten and killed by lynch mobs between 1877 and 1950, according to data from the Equal Justice Initiative, a nonprofit that provides legal representation to people illegally convicted, unfairly sentenced or abused in custody. Since not all lynchings were documented, it’s impossible to know their true extent,” the new AP report noted.

you worked on another Civil Rights Movement. As Black people, we must know that the freedom we have now is because a lot of our ancestors and a few others like Viola Liuzzo worked to get us the rights we have today. Some even died. We are responsible for not only preserving those rights as Marilyn Mosby was doing, but expanding them. Don’t forget to vote in every election. Dr. E. Faye Williams, President of the Dick Gregory Society.

Mosby

Donald M. Suggs

Alasha Bennett And Her Youth Business Program

By Melissa Spellman Staff Reporter New Journal and Guide

Alasha Bennett is a local entrepreneur whose goal is to help bring families out of poverty by teaching them how to build businesses – starting with the young. She is preparing for her summer youth business program and the August 2024 Kid Expo in Richmond, Virginia.

Bennett founded the Bennett Center in 2016. Originally from New York, she came to Hampton Roads in 1999. A hair stylist for over 17 years, business comes second nature to this entrepreneur.

It was when she began homeschooling her children that she had the idea of helping other families.

“I have always been an entrepreneur. Homeschooling my kids, they are seeing their mom as an entrepreneur, and I am teaching them the ways of being an entrepreneur. How can I help other families? How can I help other families learn how to get in this grove as well because children should be learning these things at an early age, and they are not,” said Bennett.

She went on to say, “The Bennett Center was born out of creating a

Franklin

Continued from page 1A

school that teaches entrepreneurship. If we help the kids get businesses, the whole family comes out of poverty.”

Bennett’s program takes families from the starting line to the finish line of creating a business. The kids in her program range from ages five to 17.

“I started them at age five because my son was five when he started his business,” shared Bennett.

“We take them through a 12-week program, and at the end of the program they actually have a

legal business. So, all through the program we are teaching them social media, business banking, marketing. They learn a pitch, create a business plan and logo. We take them from a concept to an actual business in those 12 weeks,” said Bennett. In her last session, all the kids also became published authors.

Bennett’s relationship with the children and the families extends far past the 12-week program. “At the end of this 12-week program the students have an EIN, their LLC,

I have always been an entrepreneur. Homeschooling my kids, they are seeing their mom as an entrepreneur, and I am teaching them the ways of being an entrepreneur. How can I help other families?”

– Alasha Bennett

their business banking. It’s off and running. They stick with us, we stick with them, we mentor them through the years. We do events together. It’s continuing education and now they’re in a community. The next thing we are doing is a podcast,” said Bennett. The podcast will allow the kids to talk about their businesses and give them more exposure.

Bennett’s program is held at The Hive in Virginia Beach, and Bloom in Portsmouth will hold their summer program. “Now we have two locations. The summer program will be on Wednesdays in Portsmouth and on Saturdays in Virginia Beach,” said Bennett.

The Bennett Center’s major event of the year and the culmination of the participation in the youth

business program is the Kid Expo. This year will be their 4th Kid Expo.

Bennett describes the event. “The Kid Expo is where we take all the kids that have been with us for the year going through our program and we take some other kids who are interested. We put them all in a room and we allow them to sell their goods and services.”

This year’s Kid Expo will be held in Hampton Roads on August 3 at a location is to be announced. Also on August 17, the Kid Expo will expand outside of Hampton Roads and will be held at the Greater Richmond Convention Cener in Richmond, Virginia.

She shared what participants can expect at the expo, “The judges come around and judge all the youth businesses

and then score it, and they are given grants for participation.” The youth are also judged on things like concept and pitch. Bennett wants to teach Black and Brown communities through the youth business program how we can set ourselves up financially to be successful so that we are able to do other things in life that we would like to do. Bennett says, “Not only building businesses but buying homes, investing, and being able to travel. Not always having to worry about where their next meal is coming from. How they’re going to pay their light bill. If they can afford to go to college.”

To participate in the youth business program summer session or the Kid Expo on August 3 in Hampton Roads, or August 17 in Richmond call (757) 754-0559 or admin@ thebennettcenter.com.

The expo on August 3 is free and open to the public. Come support the youth as they sell their goods and services. There will be characters, a photo booth, face painting, and everything is run by kids. The Bennett Center serves the seven cities of Hampton Roads. To volunteer as a speaker, mentor or to donate to the Bennett Center contact Alasha Bennett at (757) 754-0559 or admin@ thebennettcenter.com.

Franklin believes that a father’s role is equal to that of a mother’s. “Not having

Eventually, through his own experiences, it took some time for him to figure it out for himself. “One of the biggest problems you have is that when you do not have anybody to tell you who you are, you spend a lot of time trying to figure out your identity,” said Franklin. He further expanded the notion, “Your being has to do with your understanding of where your value comes from.”

a father in my life has been extremely traumatic,” said Franklin. “The father’s role is so necessary for the blueprint. I need to know where the bombs are hidden. I need to know where the potholes are. When you have to rewrite your whole path, you can’t plan, you can’t prepare because you’re still learning as you go.”

Franklin’s narrative carries the weight of longing, the echo of unanswered questions, yet it sings with the success of self-discovery. Despite his painful experience in his relationship with his father fi gure, Franklin was very clear about the overall experience of being a dad. “Fatherhood,” he said, “is

the imperfect pursuit of a legacy. It’s messy. It’s fragile. But it’s the most beautiful storm that you can fi nd yourself in.”

Using the analogy of a relay race, Franklin encouraged the audience, saying, “I don’t care how much Hell you’ve gone through. You were born at the right moment, at the right time in the right place. Your Heavenly Coach made you for this moment to give you your humanity, your future. Get back in the race – all things work together.” As his message soared, the room pulsated with emotion, and the audience roared in loud refrain, af fi rming their commitment to reclaiming their place in the race of life.

Alasha Bennett

NNPA President Inspires Graduates At Voorhees

By Stacy M. Brown

Senior National Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia

NNPA NEWSWIRE

In a profound address at Voorhees University’s 127th Commencement, National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) President and CEO and civil rights leader Dr. Benjamin Franklin Chavis Jr. delivered a powerful message of hope, resilience, and social responsibility to the graduating class of 2024.

The NNPA is the trade association of the 250 African-American-owned newspapers and media companies that comprise the Black Press of America. David Miller, the publisher of Our Weekly newspaper in Los Angeles, serves on the board at Vorhees.

“One historical note: this year marks the 197th year of the Black Press since the first publication of Freedom’s Journal in March of 1827,” Chavis remarked. “All across the nation, we are reporting and highlighting the achievements and graduations of students who have triumphed at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs).”

A class of 75 graduates, a host of faculty, and guests gathered at the Leonard E. Dawson Health and Human Resources Center, where Dr. Chavis emphasized the significance of commencement as a threshold to new beginnings.

Following the ceremony, Dr. Chavis, who also received an honorary Doctor of Environmental Justice from Vorhees, stated that “Voorhees University has come a mighty long way since the university’s first founding back in 1897 by The Honorable Elizabeth Evelyn Wright.” “We are all blessed to be gathered together here at this providential moment, and I pray that my remarks will encourage you to keep pressing forward.”

He told the graduates, “Today is a new beginning for you and your families. Today is a new beginning for you to seize the opportunities that are before you. But it is also important to be ever aware of the world you are entering.”

Dr. Chavis drew attention to ongoing challenges facing Black Americans, including attacks on voting rights and attempts to distort historical narratives.

“In some states, they are even banning books and attempting to engage in disinformation about our history, our culture, and our future in America and throughout the world,” Dr. Chavis cautioned.

Despite these challenges, Dr. Chavis expressed confidence in the resilience of the graduating class, whom he hailed as “the boldest, the most intelligent, the most gifted, and the most promising generation.” He encouraged them to maintain faith in themselves, their communities, and their ability to effect

Elections

Continued from page 1A

District 3 (Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk, Portsmouth, and part of Chesapeake); and District 4 (taking in most of the area between Richmond and the North Carolina state line).

Current 3rd District Congressman Robert Scott will face two political unknowns in the June Primary: Rhoda Young and Shanise Williams.

Scott is one of two AfricanAmericans representing Virginia in the House of Representatives and the longest-serving, elected in 1992.

The other Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan, 4th District, was elected in 2023, after the death of Rep. Donald McEachin. She will face Republican Bill Moher in the November election since neither is being primaried.

In the 2nd Congressional District’s first term, Incumbent Republican Jen Kiggans is taking on Independent Robert Reid in the GOP primary on June 18. Missy Cotter Smasal and Jake Denton will compete in the June Democratic Primary to determine who will face her in November.

While balancing those 2024 political contests, journalists and political junkies recently had their attention diverted to politicians positioning to run for the state’s top three political offices in 2025 – 19 months away – for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Attorney General of Virginia.

Republicans own the state’s top three political offices: Governor, Lt. Governor, and Attorney General. But Democrats are

Dr. Chavis emphasized the significance of commencement as a threshold to new beginnings.

positive change. Voorhees University President, Dr. Ronnie Hopkins, said the school was honored to have Dr. Chavis provide the 2024 graduation address. “We are honored to have Dr. Chavis as our commencement speaker,” Dr. Hopkins stated. “His dedication to justice and his commitment to empowering future generations make him an exemplary role model for our graduates.”

hoping to reclaim them in 2025.

The current Governor, Republican Glenn Youngkin, is limited to one term.

The current Republican Lt. Governor Winsome Sears and Attorney General Jason Miyares have tossed their respective hats in the ring to replace him.

Sears is the first AfricanAmerican woman, and Miyares, a Hispanic, made history in 2021. If Donald Trump wins the Presidency again, will either of the Conservative Republicans embrace his message and policies?

With $3.2 million in the bank and a growing list of endorsements from party leaders across the state, Democrat Abigail Spanberger is driving to secure her party’s nomination for Governor.

She will be the first woman to attain that seat if she wins. She was elected to the U.S. House 7th District seat in 2018.

Two weeks ago, it looked like Spanberger would be pitted against current Richmond mayor Levar Stoney. But faced with Spanberger’s monetary and endorsement muscle, he dropped out of that race.

Instead, he is focusing on running for Lieutenant Governor, which has a crowded field that includes 7th District Senator Aaron Rouse of Virginia Beach).

Stoney said he wanted to avoid a costly and divisive race against Spanberger. Instead, according to various party activists, he created one when he jumped into the Lt. Governor’s contest.

Stoney, a second-term mayor and former Secretary of the Commonwealth, caught many party leaders and activists off guard, including his two

competitors. A spokesman for then camp of one of his opponents said that Stoney had promised not to “meddle” in the Lt. Governor’s race, thus creating tensions in party ranks.

Senator Rouse, a newly minted lawmaker, announced his intentions to run for Lt. Governor shortly after Stoney. Rouse won his first state race in a January 2023 special election for a Senate seat vacated by Kiggans. He then won a full term in the November 2023 election for the 7th Senate District. Before entering politics as a Virginia Beach Councilman, he played in the NFL. Rouse supported most of his party’s agenda during the recent legislative session. He has been endorsed and is receiving funding from many of the region’s state and local political figures, notably State Senator Louise Lucas and former State Senator Lionell Spruill. As of this deadline, no Democrat or Republican has openly announced for Attorney General.

If Sears and Spanberger win their respective party’s nomination, they will be working to be elected as the state’s first female Governor. Political analysts across the board say that if Rouse or Stoney win their respective races coupled with a run for Attorney General by . former state Democrat Delegate Jay Jones, this chemistry would make for an entertaining statewide race come 2025. The Website of the Virginia Publica Access Project (VPAP) was the source for a good portion of this article. Next week, we will have a look at how the city council and school board races are shaping up in the Hampton Roads locales.

Dr. Benjamin Chavis

Photo: Courtesy

YOU MET YOUR GOAL, AT WHAT EXPENSE?

Before you celebrate your fundraising success, take a moment to get real: what did it really take to meet your goal? Did you jilt your staff and volunteers, burn bridges, and destroy relationships? Does a close look reveal the devastating consequences that a poorly managed campaign can spawn? Reflecting on the reality of your campaign – and not the pressrelease version – can be sobering. Here are some things that your reflections could reveal.

Low participation.

Only a few, less than 10 percent of your team, did the work. The CEO did not participate as promised and midcampaign left for another organization. The board, while enthusiastic and almost demanding a campaign, did not give in a meaningful way and did not participate in raising funds. The few staff on your team were overworked and unclear about what they were supposed to do. At times it seemed as if everyone was doing everything, but nothing was being accomplished.

Staff departed and you were too busy to make a new hire. Even though your campaign was staff-driven: no fundraising volunteers

had been recruited. You had to put on your superwoman cape and work 32 hours a day. The morale of staff and volunteers sunk to an alltime low – some swore off their allegiance to your nonprofit. No one committed to ongoing fundraising and future campaigns.

Lack of planning.

The campaign launched with a declaration from leadership that “we need more funding.” But no one committed to defining what exactly you were raising money for. Goals and priorities changed by the day, seemingly on a whim, and as a result your team gave up on trying to make the case. Without a day-to-day campaign manager, staff – and your few volunteers – pursued their goals without coordinating with others. There was a campaign plan, but no one used it, deciding instead to follow their instincts and do what they were most comfortable with. There was improvisation which sometimes was very successful, but too often the lack of understanding and coordination resulted in a lot of activity and no results. Without an unexpected windfall gift, there would have been no success!

Inadequate capacity and infrastructure.

The campaign was launched knowing you had no capacity or infrastructure. With little or no research and no advance feedback on your proposed campaign your fundraising goals weren’t really a fit for your current donors and you didn’t know how to identify and cultivate new prospective donors. There was no budget and campaign costs went through the roof. Gifts were double and triple-counted. Vital data was never recorded and utilized as planned.

Fundraising can be expensive in so many ways. Our core belief: meeting your fundraising financial goal is only one aspect of success. Other goals include building and sustaining a team, engaging leadership, building relationships, keeping your cool, containing expenses, and uplifting everyone you come in contact with. It’s a tall order, but you’re up to it: your organization’s future depends on it.

Comprehensive Fund Development Services. Video and phone conferencing services are always available. Let us help you grow your fundraising. Call us at (901) 522-8727 or visit www.saadandshaw.com.

Copyright 2024 –Mel and Pearl Shaw of Saad&Shaw

16th Annual Black Male Achievement and Scholarship Award Program Circle of Excellence

Special to the Guide

CHESAPEAKE

More than 600 guests gathered at the Chesapeake Conference Center on April 27 for the 16th Annual Black Male Achievement and Scholarship Award Program. The event is presented by The New Chesapeake Men for Progress Education Foundation, Inc., and included citizens from throughout Hampton Roads, Richmond, North Carolina and Maryland.

Dr. George F. Reed, Board Secretary, provided an explanation for the occasion, noting that it highlights excellence embodied in student achievement as well as the school division which is highly rated among the 131 school divisions in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Now in its 16th year, the program has grown to award 21 $1,000.00 scholarships to graduating Black male students from Chesapeake’s seven High Schools. Scholarship awardees included: Ethan Richie; David Adejepong; Amir Wray-Hill; Bradley Eric Ayieko; Ethan Gaylor; Jameson Douglas Booth; Addae Perry-brown, Zachary

Moore; Deiko Amir Pitts; Ewomazibo Igwe; Elijah Cian Woods; Johnathan Lee McNair, Jr; Brevin Caldwell; Lavonte Leeiron Thomas Jones; Joshua S. Davenport; Isaac Alexander Huffman; Renard Lamonte Jenkins; Timothy Haynes, Jr.; Ellis Travon Wright; Jaylen Christian Brady Perry; and Markus L. Dock

During his keynote speech for the occasion, Kelvin L. Wright, Retired Chesapeake Chief of Police, commended the students on their achievements and accomplishments and commended the parents for their parenting. He admonished the students that “Life is About choices.” He noted that their choices would define them, and noted that choices have consequences. Mr. Wright told the students to know who they are and what they want to be, and think about it with both their mind and heart. He advised the students to choose a life of kindness, love, and compassion.

This year, for the first time, 10 scholarships were awarded to middle school students. Awardees included: Thomas Robinson, Jr.; Ahmir Battle; Ian Reid; Samuel coles; Brandon Debrow; Cartier Crump; Brandon McAdoo; Issac

Abakpa; Reginald Wallace, Jr. and Kennan Biggs. Dr. Stephanie D.B. Johnson funds this program by providing a $100.00 gift card to each student and supports the annual event as a Bronze Sponsor. A special Scholarship was initiated during the program by Chesapeake’s Delegate C.E. Cliff Hayes. Hayes presented the Foundation with $1,000.00 check to establish a memorial scholarship in the name of the late March Cromuel, a political activist and former president of the Chesapeake NAACP. Del. Hayes committed to support this scholarship for ten years at which time the Foundation will continue the scholarship. Chesapeake Undersheriff, David Rosado matched Hayes’ contribution of $1,000.00, bringing the initial contribution to $2,000.00. The March Cromuel Memorial Scholarship will be awarded in August of this year. The annual program is supported by city departments, governing body, churches leaders, community organization leaders, other foundations, and citizens. This year’s signature sponsor was Virginia Senator L. Louis Lucas who has a strong commitment to educational excellence.

RESTON, VA.

Do you know a high school senior who is not sure about taking the college path for their future? Now is the perfect time for college bound students unsure about committing to a fouryear traditional college to take advantage of a program offered by the National Court Reporters Association’s (NCRA). A to Z® Intro to Steno Machine Shorthand program is a free online six-week introductory course that lets participants see if a career in court reporting or captioning is a good choice for them. NCRA is the country’s leading organization representing stenographic court reporters and captioners. Registration opens May 20th for the next session being held June 17-July 28.

Job placement is nearly immediate in the stenographic court reporting and captioning

fields as there is a growing need for official court reporters in the courtroom. Also needed are deposition reporters as well as captioners to provide access to the spoken word through realtime captioning to members of the deaf and hard-of-hearing communities.

During the six-week program, experienced court reporters teach participants the alphabet in steno and how to write on a machine. There is no charge to take the course, but participants are required to have access to a steno machine or an iPad they can use to download an iStenoPad app. People with good gaming skills, a love for the English language, and finger dexterity like those of musicians make great candidates for this career choice. For more information, contact pr@ncra.org.

NCMPEF Scholarship Awardees Circle of Excellence

Photo: Courtesy

Charles

(L-R) Keynote Speaker Kelvin L. Wright, and Foundation Board Chairman Al Alexander

Photo: Courtesy

GET NOTICED AND PLACE A SMALL BUSINESS AD IN THE

VSU Ceremonies To Feature Wilder, Scott

By Rosaland Tyler Associate Editor New Journal and Guide

Virginia State University will welcome two well-known keynote speakers, former Virginia Gov. Doug Wilder and U.S. Congressman Robert “Bobby” Scott, when it holds its commencement exercises on May 11.

Wilder will deliver his keynote address at 9 a.m. He will address graduates from the College of Education and College of Humanities and Social Sciences, according to the university’s website. Scott will deliver his keynote address at 2 p.m., to graduates from the College of Agriculture, College of Engineering and Technology, College of Natural & Health Sciences, and the Reginald F.

Lewis College of Business. Both ceremonies will take place inside the VSU Multipurpose Center. Wilder made history when he was elected as the 66th governor of Virginia in 1989. A building on campus bears his name. Wilder was elected

Virginia’s first Black governor since the Reconstruction era. He is currently a professor in the Wilder School at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond. Scott, meanwhile, made history when he was elected to Virginia’s 3rd congressional district in the U.S. House of

Representatives in 1993, after serving in the Virginia House of Delegates from 1978 to 1983 and in the Senate of Virginia from 1983 to 1993.

According to Scott’s Congressional website, “His 1992 election to Congress gave Congressman Scott the distinction of being the first African-American elected to Congress from Virginia since John Mercer Langston’s election more than 100 years earlier during the Reconstruction era. Having a maternal grandfather of Filipino ancestry also gives him the distinction of being the first American with Filipino ancestry to serve as a voting member of Congress.” You may watch Virginia State’s commencement live stream at, www.vsu.edu/ graduation.

VAF Opera Concert At Attucks Will Showcase African-American Stories

HAMPTON ROADS

Music lovers can discover the music of Anthony Davis in Virginia Arts Festival’s concert at the Attucks Theatre, Sunday June 2 at 4 p.m.; a Q & A session with a distinguished panel follows the performance.

Davis is noted for sharing the African-American experience through opera, to include the life of Malcolm X; the journey of the 19thcentury slave ship La Amistad; and the tragedy of the Central Park Five.

He is recognized for blazing a trail in contemporary opera, bringing new works, new

stories, and new sounds to an art form that sometimes is limited to familiar Eurocentric classics that are performed over and over

again. Hailed by Opera News as “A National Treasure,” Davis has penned seven operas, with a number of new works in development. His X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X was performed at the Metropolitan Opera in November 2023, prompting The New York Times to call it “An American classic.” Davis’s goal in creating the work was to “depict Malcolm’s odyssey as a story of redemption ... from a child filled with justifiable rage to a man with a transcendent view of the future.” Davis received the

Pulitzer Prize for Music for his opera The Central Park Five, based on the story of the wrongful conviction and later exoneration of five Black and Latino New York City teenagers. The Pulitzer committee praised it as “a courageous operatic work” that “transforms a notorious example of contemporary injustice into something empathetic and hopeful.” Davis, currently a professor of music at the University of California, San Diego, has composed many other orchestra and chamber ensemble and choral works. Tickets are available at vafest.org.

Anthony Davis

Former Virginia Gov. Doug Wilder

Rep. Robert “Bobby” Scott

Happy Mother’s Day To Every Magnificent Mother

BY DELORES DUDLEY HAMPTON ROADS ʼ POET,

When I was born, you cradled me and whispered,”I love you,”

And with gentleness, you bathed and fed me and then sang a lullaby too.

And you dressed me up and took me out in fashioned finery.

You made me feel so special MOM, the best that I could be.

Before PRE-K,you brought me books and read to me out loud,

and you taught me how to spell my name, making me to feel so proud.

And from grade to grade,a great difference you made in guiding me until graduation,

For you supported me academically and never had one reservation.

And then,on those days,when I gave

JUNE 15

my personal best and still failed in my race to win,

You shared my lost as I had to face failure ʼ s cost,and you said,”Success is still to come, my friend.”

And when I heard someone say that Granny had died, MOM, you were there by my side, explaining

the term,”passed away,”and afterward both of us just fell back and cried and yet held on to hopeful hugs anyway!

And all vacations were fun with family pets, friends, and sand and sun,

But they were richer MOM because of you, for you were our light that shone just before night and the full day was done.

And remember those times when illness was so unkind and caused me to painfully feel weak and very sore?

Well ,Your heartfelt warmth and caring way and prayers every day helped me to be strong and endure.

You taught me to respect wherever we lived and to keep our neighborhood clean.

You taught me to always stand up for myself but to never be nasty or mean.

You taught me to never curse or use language base because that signals an ungodly soul,

And you taught us that being an upright woman or man should be our most desirable goal.

Mom, you were a chef, teacher, nurse, counselor, and a loving preacher of faith whom I could daily see,

For in your prayer room, down our hall, I often heard my own name called as you wept while thanking GOD for all our blessings, as you bowed down on a bended knee.

“O,” Mother , my very soul can never express the depth of my happiness, For, in this life, Mother, you helped me to carry the whole of this worldʼs weight,

And MOM, do understand that because of you, each of your children is a better woman or man, who knows how to give and to take,

And to Every Magnificent Mother, Thanks and Happy Mother ʼs Day, for you were and you are a Worthy Woman: FIRST RATE

a woman of godly love that comes down from above a woman so SIMPLY and MOST WONDERFULLY GREAT!

Hello and welcome to The Bridge Corner. Congratulations to Tidewater Bridge Club (TBC)! This past week, Tidewater Bridge Club (a member of the American Bridge Association) introduced its Quarterly Appreciation Luncheon and the event was a success by all standards: full-house attendance, delicious food, sincere expression of appreciation for members Betty Warren, Wilma Horne, and Aldis Raymond, bridge hands for experienced players, and bridge instructions for new and interested players. What was also noted was the increase in understanding and motivation for bridge concepts by new players when they were given the very basic rules. That said, this article will present the ground rules for learning bridge. But fi rst, let’s explore some of the many bene fi ts of learning to play bridge!

The American Bridge Association was formed in 1932 at Buckroe Beach, Virginia (the ABA’s website: www. ababridge.org/aboutaba). Fast forward to today and the bene fi ts of learning and playing bridge have skyrocketed; bridge is no longer “just a form of relaxation.”

Dr. Christopher Shaw, a researcher from Carlinville, Il., completed a study in 2005 that shows children who play bridge perform better on standardized tests than their non-playing counterparts (www. ccshawjr@aol.com). The Alzheimer’s Association is developing a lifestyle intervention program to support brain health and prevent brain decline using bridge as part of the Alzheimer’s “10 Ways to Love Your Brain” campaign

(www.ACBL.org/ Alzheimer’sAssociation). Then there is the study that says, “Forget exercise. Forget chicken soup, Forget sleep, vitamins, and heredity. If you want to stay healthy, play bridge!” A study by researcher Marian Cleeves Diamond, a University of California-Berkeley professor of integrative biology, indicates that playing contract bridge leaves people with higher numbers of immune cells which makes for a stronger immune system (www.berkeley.edu/news/ berkeley/2000/11/15/ bridge.html).

Overwhelming evidence strongly suggests that in 2024, playing bridge is FUN while supporting academic, health, and lifestyle improvements.

Let’s start now with a quick fi rst lesson! Two important concepts: 1) EVERY bid asks a question and 2) During the bidding, you ARE NOT playing your hand, you must discipline yourself to ANSWER your partner’s question(s). in order to “open” the auction for bidding, a player (the opener) must have at least 12 points. In order for the partner of the opening bidder to respond, this player (the responder) must have at least 5 points. The point system: Ace = 4 points; King = 3 points; Queen = 2 points; Jack = 1 point. The FOUR things EVERY one-level opening bid is saying: 1) point count, 2) indicating whether or not the hand has at least a 5-card Spade or Heart suit, 3) if opener opened a Club or Diamond, opener is asking responder if he has at least a fourcard Spade or Heart suit. If opener opened a Spade or Heart, opener is asking responder if he has at least

3 Spades or 3 Hearts, 4) opener is asking responder if he has at least 5 points in order to answer opener. From a deck of 52 cards (no Jokers), deal four hands of 13 cards in each hand (four players/2 pairs are needed). Make North & South a pair facing each other and East & West a pair facing each other. How many points are in each hand? Who has enough points to open the bidding; who can respond? How many points are in the deck?

TIDEWATER BRIDGE CLUB

The Banks at Berkley 701 South Main Street, Norfolk, VA 23523

WEDNESDAYS 10:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

This is a locked building. You will have access from 10:30 a.m. until 11 a.m. Take the elevator up to the second floor Community Room. The game fee is $6. Bring your lunch. Light packaged snacks/ water will be provided. Winning

Delores Dudley

Newport News Launches Black Culture, Experiences Tourism Campaign

NEWPORT NEWS

An increasing number of Virginia cities are majority Black, including Newport News which recently launched a tourism campaign celebrating the city’s abundance of AfricanAmerican experiences.

Dubbed African-American Cultural Experiences, this endeavor kicks off on June 5 with a special Music Through the Decades, which will be held from 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in City Center at Oyster Point. Specifically, the new initiative is called AACE (and pronounced “Ace”). It aims to create an inclusive and welcoming hub for travelers who plan to visit Newport News this year, according to the city’s website.

The new initiative will direct and guide visitors through historical landmarks, museums, and also highlight local Black-owned businesses as it promotes the rich cultural heritage of Newport News’ Black community.

The goal of the campaign

is to attract new visitors to the city, engage regional residents, and support local businesses by showcasing spaces that highlight the Black experience in Newport News. AfricanAmerican majority-owned or operated businesses are invited to be a part of this movement by becoming an AACE Enterprise Partner and signing on as an AACE Space. Email AACE@nnva. gov to learn more. All of the upcoming ACCE events are sponsored by Newport News Tourism. The Music Through the Decades, which will be held from 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., June 5, in City Center at Oyster Point is in celebration of Black Music Month. It will feature the iconic sounds of Black music from various decades, changing every hour. It will also include karaoke, games, contests, dancing, food trucks, art exhibits, vendors, community resources, demonstrations, and more. To become a vendor, contact AACE or email AACE@nnva.gov.

MY SOUL’S BIGGEST SCAR

By Sean C. Bowers

Many years ago at the Virginia Beach oceanfront around the 17th Street beach, my chocolate lab puppy was abducted from my uncle by a group of bullies. I had only had him for three days. Being Quaker, my Mom said, we should pray for my puppy that he would have a good life. She also stated, we should also pray for the men who took him. That was much harder.

While I tried to do both, my heart wasn’t in it. The pain of that loss, was swallowed up at the time. But it didn’t go away. Over the next twenty years, it nearly swallowed me whole. At five years old, I did not have the mental processing skills to deal with that loss or to understand and not let it negatively affect me, going forward. I buried that anger as deep as I could, using it as rage-fuel for my basketball cager passion.

Since that searing incident, all relationships in my mind were only temporary, doomed to fail, never permanent. I witnessed my dad’s bad example as husband and

father and my parents’ subsequent divorce. I followed in those troubleladen footsteps unwittingly, not knowing the endup-alone, dead-end-culde-sac, or the “me-firstand-only” approach to my life’s relationships brought. The wake of pain and selfishness was not overcome until I decided to have a real chance at lifelong long-term happiness by being honest, faithful, and self-sacrificing in my relationships. Only then did my relationships strengthen and lengthen. What I did instinctively out of self-protection was to wall off a part of myself. I decided no-one could or would be allowed to touch

Daughter of Norfolk Family Will Be Awarded By VBA

Special to the Guide

Lisa Wilson of Alexandria is one of two longstanding and tireless volunteers to the legal profession who will receive the 2024 Edward L. Chambers Jr. Lifetime Bar Service Award later this month. The corecipient is Eugene M. Eliott Jr. of Roanoke.

The two will be honored at the Virginia State Bar’s Annual Meeting in Virginia Beach on Wednesday, May 29, 2024.

The award recognizes exemplary lawyers who have enhanced the legal profession in Virginia by their extensive and longstanding commitment of time and leadership on Virginia State Bar boards, committees, sections, or conferences.

Wilson is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Wilson of Titustown in Norfolk, Va. Phillip V. Anderson of Roanoke, who nominated both awardees, wrote of Wilson, ”Despite the demands of her job as a prosecutor and administrator, Lisa found time to volunteer with the Virginia State Bar. She began by serving on the Virginia State Bar’s Fourth District Disciplinary Committee in 2006. Her outstanding service led

her to be appointed by the Chief Justice of the Virginia Supreme Court to the Virginia State Bar Disciplinary Board in 2013, culminating in her being named Board Chair in 2018, becoming the first African-American woman elected to that position.”

Beyond her work with VSB, Wilson served on the Church Council at the historic Alfred Street Baptist Church in Alexandria. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

Elliot has served as President of the Roanoke Bar Association and President of the Roanoke Bar Association Foundation. He also was elected as a Fellow of the Virginia Law Foundation, a recognition limited to only one percent of Virginia attorneys.

my inner sanctum of safety. This place became a prison cell like that of my father, of anger held in, and of a perfection attainment syndrome through basketball, my chosen outlet/passion. It was not enough to win, be good, get better, and beat people. I wanted to demoralize them, so they would never want to ever play me or the game ever again. I was trying to inflict humiliation on them for the way I was feeling inside. The lonely perfectionist pain I had deeply internalized festered.

I burnt through many girlfriends, women, friends, and teammates holding myself and each of them to unhealthy mental levels of unattainable perfection about on-and-off the court issues. My selfprotective self-cauterized wounds of dog abduction and then six weeks solo in foster-care made me think ALL relationships were only temporary, doomed to fail and end. I yelled at teammates and was not mature in my thinking or approach.

Basketball was the lifesaving “life-preserver” that gave me what nothing else could: a home, a place to excel, a brotherhood, a family, a team, a place to become something, a place to win while becoming a champion, and make something better of myself. Most importantly the game helped me understand the power of the team approach and about being a part of something bigger and better than just being alone. Anything was better than where I found myself and what I had inherited.

I walled myself off to pets as they only reminded me of that first dog’s loss.

This man resisted man’s best friend until a month ago. Fifty-five years later after that life-altering tragedy, we got a puppy, an eight-week-old chocolatemix Australian-Sheperd

I walled myself off to pets as they only reminded me of that first dog’s loss ... until a month ago.

lady, we named Moses. She has been healing those old wounds in me one walk, one lick, one snuggle at a time. In her good company I have felt myself calming down, resting my last nerves, so to speak. My wife, Kimberly, helped me remove the puppy-abduction-thornful-pain from my heart and paw. She helped me understand in ways I never could before. Walling oneself off, imprisons one in our own selfconstructed, self-imposed tomb of continued pain. We have to see where we’ve overcome something to best clearly see where we still have left to go. Moses will lead our just and peaceful exodus from pain just like her namesake Harriet Tubman, and one of my childhood basketball mentor/hero, Moses Malone, as we wade into our waters of the heart. Sean C. Bowers has written the last 27 years for The New Journal and Guide, CHAMPIONING overcoming racism, sexism, classism, and religious persecution. More of his work can found by searching “Sean C. Bowers” on the NJ&G website, on social media at Linkedin.com or by email V1ZUAL1ZE@aol. com NNPA 2019 Publisher of the Year, Brenda H. Andrews (NJ&G 37 years) has always been his publisher.

Sean C. Bowers

Moses

Lisa A. Wilson

A young Sean Photo: Courtesy

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

LIVING IN FREEDOM MOMENTS of MEDITATION

Galatians 5:1-15

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1)

One way to outline Paul’s letter to the Galatians is to divide it into three parts, each consisting of two chapters. Chapters 1-2 deal mostly with historical and autobiographical matters. Chapters 3-4 are concerned with doctrine or theology. The last two chapters focus on the practical implications of all this. With chapter 5, then, we will consider what it means to be free in Christ. From the beginning, Paul has pointed out that the Gospel that he preached was based on faith in Jesus Christ and not on slavery to the law (2:16). The law had kept people “locked up until faith should be revealed” (3:23). Turning back to the law after trusting Christ meant being “enslaved ... all over again” (4:9). Trusting Christ means that “we are not children of the slave woman [Hagar], but of the free woman [Sarah}” (4:31). So freedom is a Christian’s heritage.

But what does this mean?

Is it merely a slogan without any practical application?

Is it the statement of a lofty idea that does not really affect each day’s living? Just what is involved in true freedom?

True Freedom Comes From Christ. Galatians 5 begins with a ringing “declaration of independence” – not from Christ, but from bondage to legalism. Christ did not set us free in order that we might go back into bondage, but so that we might remain free. Since this is the case, we should persevere in this freedom and not allow ourselves to be recaptured by any form of legalism (v. 1).

The immediate issue for the Galatians was circumcision. They were Gentiles and had not been circumcised. This matter had presumably been settled by the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15), but the legalists had not accepted that ruling. Paul puts the matter plainly: You have a choice, either Christ and freedom or circumcision and slavery to the law. You cannot have it both ways. The reason that Paul is so adamantly against circumcision for these people is not the practice itself, but what it would symbolize for them.

To undergo circumcision as a religious requirement would mean that they were seeking to earn salvation by obedience to the law rather than by faith in Christ. This would cancel out the benefits of Christ’s death and the liberty for them (Galatians 5:2). The issue of circumcision represents a much more fundamental question, one that Paul has been dealing with throughout this letter: are we saved by faith or by works?

True Freedom Comes By Faith. For these Gentiles to submit to circumcision would be the first step toward putting themselves under obligation to obey the entire Mosaic Law (v. 3). Such a decision would mean not only that they were attempting the impossible – being justified by lawkeeping- but that they would be putting themselves in a position where God’s grace could no longer operate (v. 4). In the last part of verse 4, Paul is not writing about the danger of a believer’s losing his salvation, but of the impossibility of finding salvation through any means other than grace. Faith brings salvation to us, not only as an experience of this life, but as an assurance for the life to come. Through faith we have received the Holy Spirit, who speaks to us of a coming righteousness that God will bestow. This hope will be realized when God’s righteousness become ours (v. 6).

True Freedom Comes From Obeying The Truth. Paul puts into plain words his distress over the tendency toward legalism that he sensed at Galatia and his feelings about

those who were leading the Galatians away from the Gospel. It may be that the Galatians thought of the issue of circumcision as a small matter, not worth the energy that Paul had put into refuting it. But small error can and will lead to larger error if it is not corrected.

Paul quotes what was probably a well-known proverb: “a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough” (v. 9).

Despite his real concern, Paul believe that, in the end, the Galatians will agree with his position (v. 10). It is not so much that he has confidence in his own powers of persuasion, or even in the Galatians’ perception.

Rather, his confidence in this, as in so many other matters, is “in the Lord.” We can only suppose that some of his opponents, seeking to undermine his credibility by any and every means, were spreading a rumor that Paul still preached circumcision when it suited his convenience.

True Freedom leads To Serving Others. In contrast to those who were advocating circumcision, the Galatian believers were called to be free. But they must be careful not to misuse their freedom. It is not a license to indulge “the sinful nature” (v. 13), as some taught.

The Galatians could not earn salvation by keeping the law. However, having been saved by faith, they were to demonstrate their love for God by loving and serving other people (v. 14).

Concern for others would keep them from the kind of self-centered, petty warfare that is all too often waged by professing Christians.

NEWPORT NEWS

Dr. Golden Bethune Hill, noted for her pioneering achievements in the health care fi eld, passed April 29, 2024. Dr. Golden was the fi rst African-American Director of Nursing and Vice President of the Riverside Regional Medical Center. She also co-founded the Community Free Clinic of Newport News, now called the Charlie W. and Golden Bethune Hill Community Health Center

Raised in Newport News from an early age, the Carver High School graduate was not only celebrated for her professional achievements but also for her extensive community service. The Charlie W. and Golden Bethune Hill Community Health Center is instrumental in providing essential healthcare services to underserved populations in the Newport News Southeast Community. Her outstanding contributions were recognized with several prestigious awards, including the Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities Humanitarian Award and the Daily Press Person of the Year, which she shared with her husband. The Virginia State University Alumni Association, Peninsula Chapter, named her their 2018 Distinguished Lifetime Community Service Award. In addition to her professional endeavors, Dr. Hill was a devoted member and leader within the Newport News Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, and the Newport News Chapter of The Links, Incorporated. The family requests any donations would go to the Riverside Foundation, specifically to the Charlie Hill and Golden Bethune Hill Community Health Center of Newport News, Virginia and the Golden Bethune Hill Leadership Academy Endowment at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical University.

CHURCH ADs & DIRECTORY

Dr. Golden Bethune Hill

REVIEW: “HELL’S KITCHEN” A THRILLING MUSICAL JOURNEY THROUGH

By Stacy M. Brown Senior National Correspondent

@StacyBrownMedia

NNPA NEWSWIRE

In the heart of Manhattan, blocks from the 43rd Street and Ninth Avenue apartment on the 42nd floor where the story unfolds lies the Shubert Theater at 44th Street near Eighth Avenue, currently home to the captivating Broadway musical, “Hell’s Kitchen.” Developed over 12 years by the incomparable Alicia Keys, this jukebox musical is a touching journey through the soulful melodies that have defined her career.

At a recent midweek and matinee performance, attended by Keys’ own mother, “Hell’s Kitchen” was not just palpable, but electrifying. From the moment the lights dimmed to the final bow, the exceptional performances and the energy of the show were evident, even as Keys’ mother, Terria Joseph, could be heard enthusiastically cheering, laughing, and singing along throughout the performance. The musical left little doubt as to why, in bustling New York, in the middle of the week, a sold-out crowd poured into the Shubert Theater. It also provided many clues as to why this production has earned an impressive 13 Tony Award nominations. The narrative delves

ALICIA KEYS’ SOUL

deep into the tumultuous relationship between 17-year-old Ali (the main character based on Keys), portrayed with profound depth and charisma by Gianna Harris (filling in for Tony-nominated lead actress Maleah Joi Moon), and her fiercely protective mother, Jersey, in an absolute powerhouse performance by Shoshana Bean. Set against the backdrop of late 1990s Times Square area, Ali’s quest for independence and love clashes with Jersey’s fears and desires for her daughter’s safety, all of which creates a story that likely resonates with the audience’s own experiences.

Ali and her mom, Jersey/ Photo by Marc J. Franklin with permission from Polk

& Co.

Harris shines in her portrayal of Ali, seamlessly weaving Keys’ iconic hits such as “Girl on Fire” and “Fallin’” into the fabric of her character’s journey. Opposite her, Bean delivers a tour de force performance, capturing the raw emotion and maternal love that drive Jersey’s actions.

The supporting cast, including Brandon Victor Dixon as Ali’s father, Davis, and Kecia Lewis as the amazing Miss Liza Jane, Ali’s spiritual mentor, further elevating the production. Lewis’s rendition of “Authors of Forever” is exceptionally breathtaking, showcasing her remarkable vocal range and depth of emotion.

While “Hell’s Kitchen”

FUN PUZZLE FOR YOUR LEISURE

may not be a strict retelling of Keys’ life story – it ostensibly covers just her life as a 17-yearold, it offers a glimpse into a pivotal moment in her adolescence.

Kristoffer Diaz’s expertly crafted book ensures that the focus remained on Ali and her journey toward self-discovery, creating a narrative that sticks with audiences long after the final curtain falls.

With its electrifying performances and soulstirring music, “Hell’s Kitchen” is a testament to Alicia Keys’ enduring legacy as a musical icon. It proved more than just a Broadway production; it’s a celebration of the power of music to inspire, uplift, and transform lives. It’s also a gift from Keys to New York, celebrated in the closing with the heartthumping sound, lyrics, and performance of Keys’ hit with Jay-Z, “Empire State of Mind,” with the cast alternately crooning, “Ooh, New York; Ooh, New York. Even if it ain’t all it seems, I got a pocketful of dreams; Baby I’m from New York! Concrete jungle where dreams are made of There’s nothing you can’t do; Now you’re in New York! These streets will make you feel brand new; Big lights will inspire you; Hear it for New York, New York, New York!”

Airbnb Introduces “Icons” Extraordinary Experiences With Celebrities & Cultural Legends

By Stacy M. Brown Senior National Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia

NNPA NEWSWIRE

Airbnb is inviting customers to stay overnight in the bedroom where the late pop superstar Prince composed his groundbreaking tracks. Patrons are even invited to enjoy a private tour of the Purple Rain house, which is filled with the icon’s keepsakes.

“Listen and dance to special songs – go crazy for rare Prince tracks ... for the first time, celebrate the life and music of our friend and The Revolution’s legendary frontman, Prince,” the company boasts. “Wear your finest purple fits, and when you step into history, feel free to unleash your royal rockstar.

The popular online marketplace for lodging and tourism experiences announced the launch of a groundbreaking new category called “Icons.” The category will offer once-ina-lifetime experiences hosted by renowned figures from music, film, television, art, sports, and more.

Airbnb co-founder and CEO Brian Chesky announced that icons will transport participants into worlds they’ve only dreamed of inhabiting. “Icons take you inside worlds that only existed in your imagination –until now,” he stated. “As life becomes increasingly digital, we’re focused on bringing more magic into the real world.”

Prince’s home is just one of the initial 11 “Icons” unveiled by Airbnb.

Guests can now “Go VIP with Kevin Hart,” as the comedian offers an exclusive evening in his members-only Coramino Live Lounge, featuring tequila tastings and live stand-up comedy performances by top-tier comedians.

Music enthusiasts can also look forward to “Joining a living room session with Doja Cat,” where the Grammywinning artist will treat fans to an intimate performance of her favorite songs, including tracks from her latest album. For animation fans, Airbnb offers the opportunity to “Drift off in the Up house,” a meticulously crafted replica of the iconic floating home from Disney-Pixar’s beloved film, located amidst the stunning red rocks of Abiquiu, New Mexico. Additionally, guests can spend the night at the Ferrari Museum and immerse themselves in the world of racing during their stay in Maranello, Italy. Patrons will sleep on a bed crafted from the same leather as Ferrari seats, take a lap with Scuderia Ferrari ambassador driver Marc Gené, and head to Emilia-Romagna’s premier race as VIPs.

Customers can also “live like X-Men” as they stay in a 2D animated re-creation of Marvel Animation’s X-Mansion in Westchester, New York. “You’ll discover your mutant abilities and even train in the Danger Room,” the San Francisco-based company said in a release. The company said the concept of “Icons” stems from Airbnb’s desire to offer unique and unforgettable experiences, following the success of previous ventures like the Barbie-themed house in Malibu, California. Unlike traditional Airbnb listings, the “Icons” experiences will be offered for free or at prices under $100, with winners selected through a profilebased application process. “We’re not historically known for making anything,” Chesky asserted. We’re a platform. I think it’s really great to show what it looks like when you can suddenly step into our vision and imagination. I think it’ going to keep Airbnb top of mind.” The first batch of “Icons” experiences will be available for booking soon, and new additions will be introduced worldwide throughout the year.

Photo: Courtesy

Photo: Courtesy