NJG | Vol. 124, No. 20 - May 16, 2024

Longwood To Honor Prince Edward Civil Rights Heroes

FARMVILLE, VA

During its Commencement

2024 ceremony on May 19, Longwood University will turn its attention to that area’s historic role in civil rights history.

Longwood President W.Taylor Reveley IV will join distinguished guests to recognize civil rights in education heroes from nearby Prince Edward County who were instrumental in the battle that led to the Brown decision and the end of separate but equal schools in America.

Since its founding more than two centuries ago, the citizens of Prince Edward County and Farmville have grappled with –and helped reshape – liberty and democracy in ways that have profoundly affected the nation as a whole. As early as Patrick Henry’s calls for independence to the free Black community of Israel Hill to witness to the final days of the Civil War, this place has borne witness to and left its mark on a common story.

Perhaps no role Prince Edward region has played, however, was so acute on the national stage as its role in helping launch the modern civil rights movement.

In 1951, African-American students of R.R. Moton High School, in Prince Edward County led by the courageous 16-year-old Barbara Johns, went on strike to protest

Longwood President will join distinguished guests to recognize civil rights in education heroes from nearby Prince Edward County who were instrumental in the battle that led to the decision and the end of separate but equal schools in America.

A statue honoring civil rights activist and journalist Daisy Bates in the National Statuary Hall brought out a bipartisan mix of individuals who praised the icon and the newest fixture at the U.S. Capitol.

ICONIC DAISY BATES STATUE UNVEILED IN U.S. CAPITOL’S STATUARY HALL

By Stacy M. Brown

National Correspondent

NNPA NEWSWIRE

The recent unveiling of a statue honoring civil rights activist and journalist Daisy Bates in the National Statuary Hall brought out a bipartisan mix of individuals who praised the icon and the newest fi xture at the U.S. Capitol.

Arkansas Republican CongressmanBruce Westermanre fl ected on Bates’s early life

challenges, while the man who created the statue praised her courage.Democratic members of Congress also chimed in, noting the historic installation and acknowledgment of Bates’ activism.

“Considering the current climate that we’re in as it relates to politics and race, it’s important that we remind people of our history,” Texas Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett asserted. see Statue, page 2A

Board of Prince Edward County, which

eventually joined the landmark 1954 Brown v. Board of Education lawsuit. see Longwood, page 7A

Opal Lee, Medgar Evers Among 19 To Receive Top Presidential Medal

New Journal and Guide Staff

President Joe Biden has chosen 19 persons to receive this year’s Presidential Medal of Freedom, to include several Black honorees.

The prestigious award is the nation’s highest civilian honor.

Among living legends to be awarded are South Carolina Democratic Rep. James Clyburn; Clarence B.Jones, a con fi dant of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; and Opal Lee, an educator, and activist, for her tireless work in making Juneteenth a federally recognized holiday.

An iconic legend to be awarded for making his mark in civil rights history is Medgar Wiley Evers, Mississippi NAACP activist who was assassinated at the height of the civil rights movement Evers, born in 1925 in Decatur, Mississippi, is remembered for his unwavering dedication to the civil rights movement despite facing relentless racism and threats to his life.

He embarked on a career in activism after serving in

World War II, joining the NAACP and organizing boycotts and protests to combat segregation and discrimination. His efforts caught the attention of the NAACP national leadership, leading to his appointment as Mississippi’s fi rst fi eld secretary for the organization.

A white supremacist assassinated Evers on June 12, 1963, outside his home, sparking outrage and galvanizing the civil rights movement.

Clyburn, a stalwart fi gure in American politics known as the “Kingmaker,” has dedicated his life to public service and advocacy. see Medal, page 2A

Class of ’24: Chesapeake Twins Become Double ODU Alums

By Joy Vann Special to the Guide

More than 20 years after earning bachelor’s degrees in information technology from Old Dominion University, twin sisters Monique and Nichole Perry received their Master of Business Administration degrees from the University’s Strome College of Business during commencement exercises on May 4.

While it was a long road filled with the ups and downs of life, it was practically inevitable that they would earn master’s degrees. Their parents, Bettie and Kevin Sr., instilled in Monique, Nichole and their brother, Kevin Jr. the importance of education early on.

Their mother set the example by earning a master’s degree at ODU and later a doctoral degree in instructional technology from ODU in support of her 30-year career in special education.

In 1999, as Nichole and Monique prepared to graduate from high school, their mother gave them two options: college or the military.

They chose college and enrolled at Old Dominion University. Their uncle, a computer engineer, suggested that they pursue technology “to see where it takes them.” They followed his direction and graduated in 2003.

If ODU had a linked undergraduate/

graduate degree program at that time, they likely would’ve pursued it. But that wasn’t offered so they went straight to work. Monique started out as a software engineer, moved on to technical management and is now a senior

program manager. Nichole had a similar trajectory as a project program manager.

Along the way, they both had children and faced the same challenges of working parents everywhere. see Twins, page 7A

AMERICAN CANCER LAUNCHES 30-YEAR STUDY FOR BLACK WOMEN IN 20 STATES

By Rosaland Tyler Associate Editor New Journal and Guide

Virginia is one of 20 states that recently launched a new American Cancer Societyfunded research program for Black women.

This means Black women from California, to Texas, Louisiana, New York, and Virginia can participate in the groundbreaking VOICES of Black Women research program. It plans

to enroll more than 100,000 cancer-free Black women ages 25 to 55 in the U.S. and study them for 30 years, to determine how their medical histories, lifestyle and experiences of racism affect their risk of developing or dying from cancer. That would make it the largest study of its kind ever conducted in the country.

“With few exceptions, Black women are more likely to be diagnosed with late-stage cancer, aggressive

tumor types and have higher cancer-specific mortality rates than other women. It’s within this context that the American Cancer Society is launching VOICES of Black Women,” Dr. Lauren McCullough, a co-principal investigator and the visiting scientific director at the American Cancer Society, recently told reporters at a briefing.

“While cancer deaths have declined, Black women maintain a high death rate,” said McCullough. see Study, page 6A

school conditions. Those students filed a lawsuit, Davis v.School

Twins Monique and Nichole Perry and Mom Bettie.

Photo: CourtesyofODU

Opal Lee “Grandmother of Juneteenth”

Photo: Courtesy

L. Francis “Skip” Griffin Jr. Keynote Speaker

A miniature version of the Barbara Johns statue now under construction to be set in the U.S. Capitol.

Photo: Courtesy

By AFRO Staff

On May 5, Lincoln University, the first degreegranting historically Black college or university (HBCU), proudly held its 165th Commencement Ceremony.

More than 400 undergraduate and graduate students were honored, marking the culmination of their academic journey and the beginning of a new chapter in their lives.

The ceremony, held on Lincoln’s main campus, was a momentous occasion filled with joy, pride and celebration. Distinguished speakers for the event included Bryan Stevenson, the esteemed founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative, who delivered the keynote address. Stevenson, known for his tireless advocacy for social justice, resonated deeply with Lincoln’s commitment to critical thought and equity.

Lincoln University President Brenda A. Allen, Ph.D., expressed her admiration for the esteemed speakers.

“Bryan Stevenson

Continued from page 1A

“I think we need to consistently remind people of our history and what really matters. And hopefully, we can find it in our hearts to recognize the future historians doing their part to better this country.”

Bates, who died in 1999 at age 84, is famously remembered for playing a crucial role in desegregating Arkansas public schools in the 1950s, especially guiding the Little Rock 9 students who desegregated the all-white Central High School under tumultuous protests by white citizens.

Along with her husband, she published an Arkansas newspaper dedicated to the civil rights cause and served as the president of the state’s NAACP chapter.

“Every high school, every middle school, every elementary school, every college in this country is the pattern of America today because of Daisy Gaston Bates,” remarked Charles King, President of the Daisy Bates House Museum Foundation, during the unveiling ceremony.

King asserted that Bates’ statue represents unity.

“The song of America was not the tune for Daisy Bates,” King said. “I have to believe the Almighty had a bigger and better song for Daisy … it appears that the America that Daisy sang and the America that America sang were two different songs, until today.”

Lincoln University is the nation’s first degree-granting HBCU.

addressing our graduates at Lincoln University’s 2024 Commencement Ceremony stands as a testament to the university’s dedication to fostering critical thought and pursuing social justice,” said Allen.

The ceremony also bestowed honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degrees upon four remarkable individuals: Dr. Johnnetta B. Cole, Cherelle Parker, of the class of 1994, Stevie Wonder and Bryan Stevenson himself. Each honoree has made indelible contributions to society, embodying the excellence and leadership

Medal

Continued from page 1A

Representing South Carolina’s 6th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, Clyburn has served since 1993, making history as the first AfricanAmerican to hold multiple

May 14, 1949 Edition of the Guide

No Demonstrations Against Hampton (Institute) Head HAMPTON

Persistent rumors on Hampton Institute’s campus this week of student demonstrations against newly-elected President Alonzo G. Moron were found by the Journal and Guide to be without basis in fact. There were reports that President Moron has been hanged, or burned in effigy, and that a large number of students had refused to attend a meeting on Thursday night of last week where he spoke. Queries by a GUIDE reporter brought an explanation from officials of the school’s public relations office that a relatively small student attendance at the meeting where the President spoke was due to the announcement that the event would be held following the weekly vesper service and was posted Thursday.

A forthcoming issue of the student-led newspaper “The Hampton Script” will carry an editorial urging cooperation for the new administration by the student body.

Suffolk Group Asks For Race Board Member

SUFFOLK

In a petition presented to the City Council during its last session, local colored citizens requested race (African American) representation on the newly-created Suffolk Recreation Commission.

The petitions were laid before the Council by a delegation comprised of T. R. Darden, Mrs. Elsie Chambliss with Moses Riddick as spokesman, representing the NAACP, the Booker T. Washington and Andres Brown Schools PTA and the Independent Voters League of Suffolk and Nansemond County.

Riddick submitted a list of four names which his committee suggested the council should choose from. The list included: Dr. R. E. Bland, H.C. Holoman, William Morse and Dr. M. Diggs. Mayor W. F. Whitley promised to turn the suggestion over to a committee which was involved in setting up the commission and said the proposal would be given serious consideration.

Riddick told the Councilmen lack of recreational facilities in his opinion was the leading cause of crime among city youth.

the transformative power of perseverance and dedication.

that Lincoln University champions.

The commencement was not only a celebration of academic achievement but also a testament to the resilience and determination of its graduates.

Among them was AFRO Arts and Culture writer, Ericka Alston Buck, who received her degree in human services. Buck’s journey to graduation was particularly inspiring, having navigated the challenges of adult life, parenthood and the COVID-19 pandemic – all while pursuing her education. Her story is a testament to

terms as Majority Whip.

Other recipients are:

Michael R. Bloomberg, former Mayor of New York City; Father Gregory Boyle, the founder of Homeboy Industries; Senator Elizabeth Dole, a trailblazing political leader; Phil Donahue, a pioneering journalist; Al Gore, former Vice President; John Kerry, a decorated veteran and former Secretary of State; Senator Frank

“Lincoln University understands the needs of adult students. Being able to graduate while working full time and being a parent made this 20-year journey possible for me,” said Buck. “Receiving my degree on the same day that Stevie Wonder received his honorary doctorate made the moment all the more special. He is an iconic figure in the music industry and a champion for social causes.”

“He epitomizes the spirit of excellence and service that Lincoln University instills in its graduates,” Buck continued. “His presence added an extra layer of significance to an already momentous occasion.”

Lautenberg, remembered for advocacy in environmental protection and consumer safety; Katie Ledecky, the most decorated female swimmer in history; Dr. Ellen Ochoa, the first Hispanic woman in space; Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a longtime advocate for democracy and progressive values; Dr. Jane Rigby, a prominent astronomer; Teresa Romero, president of the United Farm

Workers; Judy Shepard, co-founder of the Matthew Shepard Foundation; Jim Thorpe, the first Native American to win an Olympic gold medal; and Michelle Yeoh, an acclaimed actress.

“There is nothing beyond our capacity when we act together,” Biden insisted.

“These 19 Americans built teams, coalitions, movements, organizations, and businesses that shaped

From The Guide’s Archives

America for the better. They are the pinnacle of leadership in their fields. They consistently demonstrated over their careers the power of community, hard work, and service.”

This article was adapted from a story by Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent, @ StacyBrownMedia

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

Hotel Manager Protests Police ‘Raid” In Portsmouth

PORTSMOUTH

Police officers armed with search warrants, searched every room in the Hotel Omicron Saturday night. The “raid” came after William M. Miles, the manager of the only colored hotel in the city, sent a letter to Chief of Police O.B. Dunn, protesting the action last week of two plainclothes officers in bringing a suspect into the establishment and then placing him under arrest for violating the “numbers” ordinance.

In his letter to the Chief, Miles stated that it was a “great injustice” to him and his business for the officers to bring a suspect into the establishment for the purpose of making a search and an arrest. Copies of the letter were sent to City Manager W. Guy Ancell and to Colonel Galleried, Director of Public Safety.

The search warrants gave the police authority to enter the private rooms of the hotel at (Green and Glascow Streets) to search for “ardent spirits” and “gambling paraphernalia.” The officers found nothing.

They did however arrest a man and a woman on disorderly conduct charges when they found the unmarried defendants in the same room together.

The manager said the couple had rented separate rooms that night and did not know the couple were together in the same room at the same time.

Mr. Miles is an officer of the Truxton Civic League and is the chair of the recreation committee. He said his hotel pays annually a $300 license fee and $350 in real estate taxes. Miles said he wanted the same protections and freedom as the white hotels in Portsmouth and wanted assurances to operate without police supervision.

May 10, 1958

Edition of the Guide

Group Cited Gagging of Ministers On Racial Issues

NORFOLK

Delegates at the biennial session of the Southern Convention of the Congregational Christian Churches held here last week expressed concern over the fact that ministers who advocated better race relations are often maligned or silenced.

Speakers noted during the three-day convention that several white ministers in the South have been unduly criticized and, in some instances, silenced because of their stand for an open and free discussion on race relations with a view to improve conditions among the races.

The convention praised individual members and groups for their efforts to create a healthy atmosphere for free discussion of race relations. It also struck out against churches that refuse to study or discuss the relations of their Christian faith to those of other races. It deplored the practice of some white churches that prohibit the gathering of even small interracial groups in their churches.

May 15, 1954

Edition of the Guide

Seven Farmers Kept ‘Slaves’ Special to the Guide

BIRMINGHAM

Three White Alabama farmers have been freed because of a lack of evidence, but four others are still on trial here on charges of keeping Negroes virtually enslaved as laborers on their farms in a trial that got underway Monday in Federal court.

The six Alabama farmers and a Mississippi relative faced charges of forcing Negro men to work after securing their release from jail on bonds.

U.S. Senator John C. Stennis of Mississippi is scheduled to be one of the 120 witnesses to be heard before the trial of the other four men is completed.

Senator Stennis whose home town of DeKalb is across the state line from Sumpter county where the men were allegedly kept in servitude is scheduled to testify in behalf of the members of the Dial family three of who were free.

Federal Judge Seabourne L. Lynne dismissed charges against Arther Roner an d Linday Dial. U.S Attorney Frank Johnson asked Judge Lynne to free the trio because of lack of evidence.

Clifton James Fluker 33, testified that Fred Dial, one of the remaining four defendants had ordered a fellow farmer to beat a worker and then told him to stop because he was not hitting hard enough. He added that the man died a few days later.

Fluker said the incident occurred while he was

Symbol of Motherhood

NORFOLK Pleasant and hardworking, Mrs. Susie Mitchell strikes a Mother’s Day pose in her Young Park home for a Guide cameraman. Once holding three jobs to support her five children, Mrs. Mitchell, a widow, is now a recreation worker at Oak Leaf Center is a symbol of the finest in motherhood.

working on Dial’s farm after the farmer had paid his jail fine and obtained his release from the Mississippi road gang. The government charges that the men carried on the “slavery” practice for several years.

The U.S. Grand Jury returned an e indictment last September after one of the Negroes allegedly died of a beating with a rope.

The coroner later ruled that the man Herbert (Monk) Thompson died of natural causes.

May 14, 1977

Edition of the Guide

Chesapeake Forward Unites

CHESAPEAKE

In the April 9 edition of the Journal and Guide a story written by Saeed Shabazz explored the confusion and disunity among Blacks in the city of Chesapeake. Shabazz also included the trials experienced by Dr. Willa Bazemore in seeking a bid for nomination for the candidacy in the upcoming councilmanic elections

Bazemore’s threat to wrest control of the political organization from its nonviable leadership became a reality last week.

Bazemore a close ally of Dr. Jesse Allen assistant Superintendent of the Norfolk city Schools defeated Frank

top winners, it was reported.

Douglas, Johnson for the presidency of Chesapeake Forward at elections held May 1 and attended by about 200 members.

Johnson was allied with Vice Mayor Hugo A. Owens and William E. Ward, the threesome which has guided Black politics in the city for the past several years. Bazemore, a member of the city school board, launched her bid for leadership concurrent with her recently aborted candidacy for Democratic Party nomination for a seat on the City council. She contended the organization’s leadership no longer spoke for citizens. Bazemore’s view of this situation was not improved when the club’s executive committee endorsed her rival James Burke, a member of the City Planning Commission for the council seat. As it turned out the council primary was canceled and rescheduled for Spring 1978 and the struggle for the leadership of the Black organization went on to its climax. Mrs. Florine Clarke widow of W. P. Clarke Sr. who died after serving six months of a four-year term will remain seated on council until May 1978. In addition to electing Dr. Allen over Johnson the group chose Harry D. Powell Jr. over Wardell Nottingham to fill the vacant Vice Presidency.

Photo: Courtesy

PROFESSOR

EMERITUS OF SOCIOLOGY

VIRGINIA TECH

NEW ORLEANS TEENS SOLVE 2,000-YEAR-OLD MATH PROBLEM.

By Wornie Reed, Ph.D.

Yes, two AfricanAmerican teenagers in New Orleans solved a mathematical problem that had stumped the math world for centuries.

If you have not seen it, please view this 13-minute video from 60 Minutes and/ or read the accompanying text and be amazed. Then, follow me below as I take advantage of this monumental achievement to get something off my chest.

This month, seventy years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its landmark decision in Brown v. Board of Education. This decision overturned Plessy v. Ferguson and outlawed racial segregation in schools.

I have always supported the 9-0 Brown decision as the correct one, but I have long considered the reasoning problematic. The Court concluded that “whatever may have been the extent of psychological knowledge at the time of Plessy v. Ferguson, this finding is amply supported by modern authority.” What was the modern authority? The modern authority was social science; several psychological studies were mentioned. However, the pioneering AfricanAmerican duo of Kenneth and Mamie Clark and their famous doll studies figured prominently in the argument by Thurgood Marshall and his NAACP colleagues.

The Clarks’ doll studies were problematic. They gave Black children in the North and South, aged six through nine, a white doll and a Black doll. They then asked the children to provide them with “the white doll,” “the colored doll,” and “the Negro doll,” to test whether children understood the notion of race. Then they asked each child to point out “the doll you like best,” “the doll that is a nice doll,” “the doll that looks bad,”

I can’t entirely agree with the point of view that Blacksegregated schools cannot be made equal ... St. Mary’s Academy in New Orleans supports this different perspective.

and “the doll that is a nice color.” Most of the Black children preferred the white doll, so they concluded that this proved that segregation created feelings of inferiority.

The doll studies, being early psychological studies, had several flaws, including sample sizes that were too small and no control group. Perhaps most problematic, however, was that Black children in northern states without legal segregation were even more likely to prefer the white doll than Black children in the legally segregated South. The Clarks may have offered evidence – if any was necessary –hat in white-dominated American society, Black children would quickly learn the social meanings of white superiority and Black inferiority. However, they had hardly demonstrated that legal segregation in schools was the sole or dominant cause of this understanding.

The Supreme Court concluded, “To separate [Negro school children] from others of similar age and qualifications solely because of race generates a feeling of inferiority as to their status in the community that may affect their hearts and minds in a way unlikely to ever to be undone.”

Because of this psychological harm, the Court determined that Black children can never get an equal education to white children if they are in a segregated school, no matter how good the physical facilities or curriculum.

The NAACP argued that segregated schools are not equal and cannot be

CORRECTION

made equal. It is obvious that in most instances of segregation, Black schools are not equal to white schools. However, I can’t entirely agree with the point of view that Blacksegregated schools cannot be made equal, and I am in good company. Legal scholar Derek Bell makes the same point in his critique of the Brown decision.

St. Mary’s Academy in New Orleans supports this different perspective.

In no way am I trying to compare my situation long ago to that of these two teens; However, I reflect to the time of the Brown Decision to my little severely underresourced high school in rural Alabama, where three members of my 12 member high school class scored in the top 15 Black students in the state on the language and mathematics tests, signifying what DuBois wrote in 1935:

In a Journal of Negro Education article in 1935, DuBois warned that [a] mixed school with poor and unsympathetic teachers, with hostile public opinion, and no teaching of truth concerning Black folk, is bad.” He added, though, that “[a] segregated school with ignorant placeholders, inadequate equipment, poor salaries, and wretched housing is equally bad.”

He concluded that “[o] the things being equal, the mixed school is the broader, more natural basis for the education of all youth ...

But other things are seldom equal, and in that case, Sympathy, Knowledge, and Truth outweigh all the mixed school can offer.”

Ben Jealous Op-Ed: May 6, 2024

“Forcing Polluters To Clean Up Their Mess Means New Hope For Communities”

An op-ed by syndicated columnist, Sierra Club Executive Director Ben Jealous, distributed April 27, contained an error. In the column, headlined “Forcing Polluters to Clean Up Their Mess Means New Hope for Communities,” the number of Superfund sites in the state of Illinois was stated as 11. That was inaccurate. The Sierra Club apologizes for this error, which slipped through rigorous review and fact-checking for the weekly column. While there are different categories of Superfund sites and reputable sources sometimes provide conflicting figures, there are several dozen in Illinois – as many as 70, under the broadest definition listed by the Environmental Protection Agency.

CARRTOON By Walt Carr

Justice For Marilyn Mosby & Other Black Women

By Julianne Malveaux (TRICEEDNEYWIRE.COM)

Marilyn Mosby is the fearless Baltimore chief prosecutor who took on the six police officers who essentially killed Freddy Gray, a young man who was arrested and given such a “rough ride” that he suffered fatal neck injuries.

Mosby’s bod attempt to hold so-called “law enforcement” accountable attracted the ire of the Baltimore police department, thenGovernor Larry Hogan, the status-quo “law and order” establishment, and others. How dare she, this young Black woman, the youngest ever to earn election as chief prosecutor, take on the police?

Now, she has been convicted on a flimsy charge and may face as many as 40 years in jail.

Usually, prosecutors look the other way toward police violence, which is why so few officers are indicted, much less convicted, for violations of both the law and human decency.

Misygonoir (the dislike of, contempt for, or ingrained prejudice against Black women) is a disease, and it puts us all in jeopardy.

FAMILY REUNIONS

–ROUGH, BUT GREAT!

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

I don’t know if you’ve ever had a Family Reunion. If you haven’t, I think you should have one. They can be very interesting!

That’s a pledge we made when Mother left us a few years ago. We always had one when she was with us, and we have kept that pledge.

In Baltimore, the officers broke laws that required passengers in police transport to be secured by seat belts as they were moved from their arrest site to a police station. Mosby took the unprecedented step of indicting six police officers involved in the death of Freddy Gray. see Mosby, page 6A Don’t get me wrong now, because I love all of my family members, but like it is with every family, it might have been wise for some to have been invited on the day of the main event only!

As for many of the parents, grand and great grandparents, they are so enamored by what their grown up children have produced that each one, with few exceptions, think theirs can do no wrong. In many cases they are

We have one every year. After this one, I am tempted to say, “That was a very nice thing to do,” but when you get a family that is as blessed as ours, maybe it is a good idea to give all the new born babies, the one year olds, teenage girls who live in another world with their new found dance moves and cheerleading skills and eye rolls, until they stop responding to you as though you must be from another planet!

right, and as their Aunt, I love all of them, except when their parents think their child is never wrong in the squabbles their child has with their cousins. see Reunions, page 6A

SECESSION IS NOT A QUICK FIX

By David W. Marshall (TRICEEDNEYWIRE.COM)

The idea to create a new Buckhead City finally died in the Georgia state legislature. And rightfully so. Democratic members of Atlanta’s state delegation never favored allowing the affluent, majority-white neighborhood of Buckhead to secede from the city of Atlanta. It became a measure long opposed by the city’s business leaders, while many of the city’s Black residents strongly believed it was racially motivated.

The proposed Buckhead City ended when 10 Republican state lawmakers broke ranks, joining with Democrats in rejecting the measure. Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, who forged a close working relationship with Democratic Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, also questioned the legality and practicality of Buckhead City.

Kemp’s chief lawyer, Executive Counsel David Dove, sent a memo attacking the de-annexation plan.

David W. Marshall

Dove wrote that the split could wreck the ability of all Georgia cities to borrow money, based on bond markets fearing that cities could default on their debts if they broke into pieces. “If we jerk the heart out of the city of Atlanta, which is Buckhead, I know our capital city will die,” said Frank Ginn, a Republican state senator. Buckhead, known for its highend shopping and several famous residents, has a median household

Local and state lawmakers in Georgia took into account the logistical nightmare involved in creating and running a new city.

income of $109,774 compared to $68,806 in the rest of the city.

Residents and other proponents who supported the de-annexation measure claimed the city was not doing enough to fight crime and provide services despite Buckhead making up 40 percent of Atlanta’s tax revenue and less than 20 percent of the city’s population.

The reasons for justifying such a move will never overcome the racial symbolism of having a wealthy white neighborhood

separate itself from a majority Black city. It becomes another version of white flight. Once the reality check ran its course, both sides realized they needed each other.

“Constitutionally, it’s not possible to divide the city of Atlanta, with its schools, with its debt obligations,” said Sen. Jason Esteves, who represents a section of Buckhead. Practical arguments against the cityhood measure involved whether a new Buckhead City would still send its students to Atlanta’s school district.

Members of both parties understood the magnitude of having Atlanta divided into two separate jurisdictions.

Despite the problems, both sides are stronger together as one city rather than becoming two broken and weak jurisdictions.

It is a message of unity that took years to accept in Georgia. Still, the idea of maintaining a unified city was overruled in the case of the Louisiana state capital city. A

predominantly white section of the city of Baton Rouge is now allowed to secede from the Blackmajority city. After the Louisiana State Supreme Court overturned a lower court’s ruling, an eastern Baton Rouge parish will now be known as the city of St. George, ending a hostile and divisive 10-year campaign that divides wealthy white residents from poorer Black neighborhoods. Residents and parents living in the proposed city of St. George now face the same dilemma as those residing in Buckhead: schools. Should a new St. George school district come to pass, children will likely be forced out of their current schools because they would be unable to live in one district and attend school in another. Be careful what you ask for. There are 8,349 pupils living in the proposed St. George school district but attend school elsewhere. see Fix, page 7A

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

Julianne Malveaux

WE CAN’T AFFORD TO LET ANYONE SWIFTBOAT US ON BIDENOMICS

By Marc H. Morial CEO National Urban League

(TRICEEDNEYWIRE.COM)

“The truth is that the U.S. economy is a remarkable success story. Don’t let anyone tell you that it isn’t.”

Paul Krugman

Earlier this year, the National Urban League launched our D3 initiative to Defend Democracy, Demand Diversity, and Defeat Poverty. The initiative to combat poverty emphasizes a comprehensive strategy centered on increasing access and equity across several critical areas, recognizing poverty as a significant national issue that jeopardizes the future prosperity of the United States.

The plan includes expanding access to quality education and financial services, making childcare and healthcare more affordable, and addressing the high costs associated with higher education. It aims to improve social safety nets and create affordable housing while advocating for the decriminalization of poverty and fair pay through living wages. This initiative targets the root causes of poverty, particularly in communities of color, and views the eradication of poverty as crucial for the nation’s moral and economic health.

We prioritize these issues, because we know

that there are political forces whose agenda conflicts with our progress and our continued work to keep building on progress and fighting for equity wherever and whenever it is necessary.

As we reported in the 2024 State of Black America, which featured a Progress Report on the Biden-Harris Administration:

“When President Biden took office in January 2021, the Black unemployment rate was 9.2 percent. As of January 2024, that number is 5.2 percent. Through a series of bills investing in America’s infrastructure, workforce, technological advantage, and climate, the administration has created opportunities for generations of Black Americans to prosper.”

Simply put, by all economic metrics, Bidenomics is working. It is working for our communities, and it is working for all of America.

Progress works on a continuum and progress requires active participation, that is why our D3 initiative also calls upon every citizen to stand up and defend democracy. We know that efforts to suppress votes

When President Biden took office in January 2021, the Black unemployment rate was 9.2 percent. As of January 2024, that number is 5.2 percent ... by all economic metrics, Bidenomics is working.

through intimidation, suppression, lack of access and other efforts to change the laws and make it harder are part of the strategy to keep our community from participating.

In 2022 testimony to a Congressional Subcommittee studying “The Impact of Disinformation Targeted at Communities of Color” the head of the University of Texas Center for Media Engagement said:

“Specific content is drafted as well as tactical behavior employed to influence minority groups. These targeted messages undermine our democracy as they work to alienate and disengage minority groups.”

We see this over and over, so it shouldn’t be a shock that in March 2024 as the economy continued to grow stronger, we saw that Americans for Prosperity, the conservative think tank funded by the Koch Brothers, launched a very strategic and well-funded effort to attack Bidenomics and all the good news and positive outcomes for Americans from bipartisan policies that have led to the strongest post-recession recovery in U.S. History.

The sophisticated campaign led by AFP is both national and targeted in specific congressional

districts, including a number of Black and Hispanic represented districts.

Millions of dollars are being spent on ads promoting a false narrative on the Biden Administration’s successful economic policies and to algorithmically profile voters who click on these misleading ads. As I said in my introduction to this year’s state of Black America, “Our abiding commitment to freedom is undermined by discriminatory voter ID laws, gerrymandering, the shuttering of polling places in predominantly minority neighborhoods, limits on early voting, and reckless purging of voter rolls.”

It is also undermined by divisive disinformation. We know that before any election gets here, antiracial justice forces will push false narratives and disinformation designed to depress us and divide us in America. By every factor that matters, it is important to remember that Bidenomics Works. These “Swiftboat” tactics that target us on our phones and in our computers are a dangerous tactic we must remain vigilant about as we fight on for justice and equality.

THE MAJORITY WILL VOTE AGAINST TRUMP

By Roy Perry-Bey VIRGINIA (UFJ)

In the aftermath of the events of January 6, 2021, in and around the U.S. Capitol, there have been repeated calls for accountability for those who participated, as well as for those who may have conspired or helped instigate it.

The criminal breach of the U.S. Capitol resulted in numerous injuries, multiple deaths, and significant property damage. It also delayed Congress’s constitutional duty of legally certifying electoral votes for President-elect Joseph Biden, the peaceful transfer of power and caused Capitol Police and other law enforcement personnel to evacuate the former Vice President, his family and Members of Congress from the House and Senate floors to safer locations.

The Chief Confederate and disgraced unfit secessionist infamous so-called former expresident Donald John Trump must be stripped of his pension, perks, secret service protection, intel briefings, and disqualified from holding a security clearance and the office of President under Section Three of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.

A vast majority of Americans reject the Courts’ special treatment of Trump and/ or preferential egregious rulings, and believe that special prosecutor Jack Smith must file charges against the disgraced infamous so-called former president Donald John Trump, and MEGA Vladimir Putin’s GOP

Party members of Congress who may have conspired or helped instigate by force the authority [of the government] under Federal, D.C. and State law or violating 18 U.S.C. 2383.

This code prohibits incitement of rebellion or insurrection; it provides for 10 years in prison for anyone who “incites ... any rebellion or insurrection against the authority of the United States or the laws thereof, or gives aid or comfort thereto; and 18 U.S.C. Sec. 2383, seditious conspiracy by conspiring “to oppose by force the authority [of the United States government],” and “by force to prevent, hinder, or delay the execution of any law of the United States.” Seditious conspiracy carries a 20year prison sentence.

If convicted, Trump shall be incapable of holding any office under the United States, and imprisoned for his own safety and security at America’s highest security federal supermax prison that is home to some of the world’s most dangerous high profile criminals. These include Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, the leader of Mexico’s Sinaloa drug cartel;

The 14th Amendment Insurrection clause still bars Trump from appearing on ballots.

Tyler Bineham, Aryan Brotherhood Leader; and Robert P. Hanssen, Soviet spy, who pled guilty to 14 counts of espionage and one count of conspiracy to commit espionage, who sold thousands of classified documents to Soviet and Russian intelligence.

The 14th Amendment Insurrection clause still bars Trump from appearing on ballots:

“No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and VicePresident, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may, by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.

UFJ MEDIA BULLETIN May 9, 2024

United Front For Justice

Mr. Roy Perry-Bey, Executive Director

Marc H. Morial

Roy Perry-Bey

Virginia Leads Nation On Blacks Battling Cancer

HU’S STATE-OF-THE ART PROTON CENTER PLAYS VITAL ROLE

By Hazel Trice Edney Special to the Guide (TRICEEDNEYWIRE.COM)

Medical eyes are trained on Virginia as Black women from Hampton Roads have become the focus of a new cancer study led by the American Cancer Society (ACS).

The ACS has announced the study, called “Voices of Black Women” to determine why Black women have the greatest cancer risks and worse outcomes than other women. An ACS press

Study

Continued from page 1A

She added, “With few exceptions, Black women are more likely to be diagnosed with late-stage cancer, aggressive tumor types, and have higher cancer-specific mortality rates than other women.”

This disparity is especially pronounced in breast cancer, where Black women face a 40% higher mortality rate than white women. Black women also die at higher rates for cervical cancer and endometrial cancer.

Aiming to pinpoint the causes for stark female

Mosby

Continued from page 4A

Two were acquitted, one had a hung jury, and three others had their charges dismissed.

The federal government declined to prosecute the officers, which means they got away with murder; the City of Baltimore paid Gray’s family $6.4 million when they threatened to sue.

All of this happened in 2015, five years before the murder of George Floyd.

Officers were convicted in that case, and the ringleader of the mob, Derek Chauvin, will spend two decades in jail after he infamously put his knee to Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes.

Arguably, had Marilyn Mosby not had the courage to indict officers in the death of Freddy Gray, there would have been no precedent in indicting Chavin and his gang of thugs for killing Freddy Gray. Mosby, in other words, is a trailblazer.

She is now being punished for her boldness. Convicted of, essentially, lying on a mortgage application and using her 401-K savings to fund an investment, she could face as many as 40 years in jail. Many Black women, including political pundit Angela Rye and Dick Gregory Society leader E. Faye Williams, have rallied around her as she has asked for a presidential pardon. She has lost almost everything she values – her reputation, her

Reunions

Continued from page 4A

I have no children, but parents with children think that means those of us without children could not possibly understand anything about children.

I must admit I sometimes can not resist coming to the rescue of the little ones, especially when their parents are chastising them.

As for the noise the little ones produce everyday when the big event is going on, they just smile and pretend they even hear it, so it doesn’t bother them. Well, I think all of them surely must have left their hearing aids back home!

Occasionally, we have family reunions at my Mom’s home, but this year, we (THEY) thought it would be

release says the new study is the largest study of cancer risk and outcomes in Black women in the United States.

The ACS study on Black women has been announced just as the Virginia General Assembly meets in a special session this week to confirm the Commonwealth’s budget. Advocates against cancer treatment disparities are hoping for the legislature’s attention to the Hampton University Proton Cancer Institute.

In Virginia, the city of Portsmouth has the

cancer inequities, the American Cancer Society recently launched the study in 20 states and Washington, D.C., which together account for more than 90 percent of the U.S. population of Black women ages 25 to 55.

The 20 states that will participate in the study include California, Texas, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, Missouri, Tennessee, New York, Virginia.

Pointing to the Tuskegee study and other studies that eroded Black trust, coprincipal investigator of the VOICES study, Dr. Alpa Patel, senior vice president of population science for the

marriage, her property, and there is a motion to revoke her law license, leaving her with no means of support.

This case is not only about Marilyn Mosby. It is about the misogynoir that she has faced. She was targeted and prosecuted because she had the nerve to take the system on, targeted, and charged just like Fannie Lou Hamer, who was blinded and then evicted from her home after she registered voters.

She has been targeted because she has been a vocal advocate for justice, opposing mass incarceration, racial disparities, and police violence. Pushing for police accountability, she has collided with well-financed opponents who want to see her punished, making an example of her as a deterrent to others who speak up.

I do not use the term lynching lightly. There were nearly five thousand documented lynchings in this country, and nothing compares to a noose around the neck or the burning alive that so many of our people experienced.

But the writer Richard Wright once spoke to the widespread effect of lynching, saying that a lynching that happened in Mississippi could be felt in Chicago. In other words, lynchings were a warning to Black people –stay in your place. Similarly, the prosecution of Marilyn Mosby is a warning to Black women. Stay in your place. How dare you challenge the establishment?

It is a warning to other Black women. In Georgia, prosecutor Fanni Willis has had her personal life

a great idea to rent a Texas mansion and we would all live together 24/7! They were right about the first night. They just didn’t get it right for the rest of the time when everybody seemed to come alive together!

Don’t get me wrong now, because I love all of my family members, but like it is with every family, it might have been wise for some to have been invited on the day of the main event only!

I must admit that I would have been happier having rotation day where all the children lived together in one house according to the level of age or maturity, and have the parents who believe they have the most wonderful children in the world, live in the house with like minded parents.

Those who have no children should live in House number 2 and pretend to each other what wonderful nieces and nephews and family members

highest African-American cancer death rates in the state. According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the risk of Black men dying from lowgrade prostate cancer nationally is “double that of men of other races” and Black men. The city of Petersburg, Virginia, leads the nation with Black men dying from prostate cancer. Hampton University, an HBCU, is less than an hour away.

evidence to such treatment than is used for treatments it otherwise approves.”

The opinion was welcomed by many who had observed or experienced denials of insurance coverage for the treatment. Some, including Benjamin J. Lambert IV, the son of a former Virginia senator. Lambert died at 52 on June 7, 2019, leaving a wife and two children, after his insurance initially denied the treatment.

Hampton University and a leading national advocate for proton therapy, said, “To help save one life from death or human suffering is worth all the fight in me. For an insurance company not to cover proton radiation therapy when they cover other forms is plain wrong,” Thomas says.

American Cancer Society, said, “We recognize that there has been historic mistrust in the Black community for several reasons.”

Late last year, Virginia Attorney General Jason S. Miyares wrote a strong opinion praising the work of the university’s proton center and confirming that insurers in the Commonwealth are prohibited from denying coverage for proton therapy for cancer treatment when the coverage determination “is based on the carrier’s application of a higher standard of clinical

Patel said, “It’s been really front and center for us to ensure that we’ve partnered with Black women to understand how to build this study in a way that is respectful.”

To participate, cancer-free participants must complete an initial questionnaire that takes about 15 minutes, followed by an hour-long, more detailed questionnaire about their lives and family histories, and their mental and emotional health.

“The faster we get to 100,000, the faster we get to the first wave of answers,” Patel said.

embarrassingly explored in public because the former President doesn’t want to face charges that he tampered with votes in an election. In New York, prosecutor Letitia James has faced potshots, threats, and ignorance because she has pursued financial fraud charges against the former President.

In Maryland, billionaire bully David Trone has spent $57 million of his own money to defeat Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks. Alsobrooks may beat him, but if not, will she pay a price for standing up to a bully? He has the dollars and the racist, vindictive nature to hurt her. In San Francisco, Mayor London Breed is up against financial bullies whose misogynoir is troubling.

It’s open season for Black women, and we must respond in kind. Black women can support the sisters on the firing line, Mosby, who will be sentenced in May unless she secures a pardon (www. justiceformarilynmosby. com); Alsobrooks, whose primary is May 14 (www. angelaalsobrooks.com), and Breed, who is in a fight to retain her mayoralty (www. londonbreedformayor.com).

We must be vigilant about attacks against those courageous prosecutors who are simply doing their job of bringing charges against the former President. A specious attack on one of us is an attack on all of us. Misygonoir is a disease, and it puts us all in jeopardy.

Dr. Julianne Malveaux is an economist and author based in Washington, DC. juliannemalveaux.com

they have, who would never do anything wrong. But of course, when they say it, they know better!

Well, I truly do enjoy family reunions and I will always be present, but I will be happy to be on the next planning committee.

I would be happy to give my niece, Lynne, and her husband, Terry, a break, and everyone should have an opportunity to participate in a Family Reunion.

First, I would give my niece and nephew a break and let somebody else see how much of a challenge family reunions can be ... but everybody should have them!

We spent three days together, and as we parted we gave each other hugs and everybody was happy. We took photographs to share the memories and the great times we had. I am so proud of my family. We have grown closer every year.

It is believed that Miyares’ opinion will now have far-reaching implications for proton therapy and for the future of insurance coverage for advanced medical treatments with budgets that reflect the need for urgent care.

Bill Thomas, associate vice president of governmental relations at

Hampton University invested more than $225 million in developing the Institute with little to no financial support from the State or local community. It is the hope of advocates that Virginia will now invest in what many perceive as a life-saving modern medical treatment. Says, Thomas, “I am thankful for the support of the Attorney General to hold the insurance companies accountable to the law.”

Benjamin J. Lambert IV died five years ago at 52 after his insurance denied him proton therapy for prostate cancer.

Longwood

Continued from page 1A

Of the five cases that comprised Brown, Davis was the only one initiated by students themselves.

In the ensuing 10 years, public education was upended in Prince Edward as schools were defunded and shuttered rather than integrate during a period of Massive Resistance. Again, the legal system became the vehicle for change, and in 1964, the Supreme Court ruled in Griffin v. School Board of Prince Edward County that desegregated public schools must be reopened and funded.

Longwood University was more than silent witness to these injustices. With its own policy of segregated higher education, it dissuaded qualified Black students from submitting applications, and when applications were submitted, admittance was denied until 1966. The university neglected to stand up for equal rights in public schools during Massive Resistance and

Twins

Continued from page 1A

Though graduate school still beckoned, it seemed like a daunting project given all they had on their plates. Monique remembered how her mother’s observation about time made all the difference.

“I was pushing 40, and I was thinking I don’t know if I really have the time to sit here and go to classes. Who has that time?” she said. “And then my mother said to me, which still resonates with me to this day, that time is going to pass by anyhow, whether you like it or you don’t like it, so you might as well spend that time working towards a goal.”

With that encouragement, the sisters enrolled in the University’s MBA program.

That was the start of what would become a five-year journey. The hiccups came from the quotidian things in life — namely childcare and full-time work.

“I have three daughters. I had one of my daughters

Continued from page 4A

Where local and state lawmakers in Georgia took into account the logistical nightmare involved in creating and running a new city, Louisiana lawmakers failed to address the realities of two cities with two school districts.

There are times when lawmakers must resist the racial pressures from within

Barbara Johns

used eminent domain to facilitate campus expansion into a predominantly Black community, actions for which it formally apologized in 2014.

President Reveley will recognize each group of civil rights in education heroes in turn: Moton strikers and Davis plaintiffs; 195964 public school lockout victims; and those denied or discouraged from enrolling at Longwood University on the basis of race. Degrees of Honorary Juris Doctor will be conferred on members of the three groups to honor their participation in, support of, or commitment to the pursuit of justice in education through the legal system.

Joining President

through this journey. So, it’s taken us a little bit longer than two years,” Monique said.

“But through perseverance, continuing to work full time and taking care of our children, here we are, at the next stage of our lives.”

Nichole concurred that going back to school was anything but easy.

“I’m a single parent so that’s been challenging. My sister and I work full time and we both travel for work. It’s difficult to balance everything,” Nichole said.

Nichole added that ODU’s flexibility was extremely beneficial.

“Our priority is our family and making sure that everyone is doing well. Education couldn’t be our number one priority. So, we took our time, taking two classes each semester,” Nichole said. “We just kept pushing ourselves, semester to semester, staying present, until we realized our goal.”

The 42-year-old Chesapeake residents credit their parents and their families, their mother in particular, with helping them get through graduate school.

“Our mom has three

their communities, where creating divisions becomes the quick-fix solution to social problems. This is particularly true with Republicans. The conservative school of thought will too often resist social change while tolerating social inequality. The liberal school of thought is the opposite, with the tendency to embrace social change while rejecting forms of inequality. Social inequality is the root cause of poverty.

Poverty leads to crime and underperforming schools: two issues that were driving the secession plans proposed

Degrees of Honorary Juris Doctor will be conferred on the heroic civil rights pioneers to honor their participation in, support of, or commitment to the pursuit of justice in education through the legal system.

Reveley to honor these civil rights heroes will be keynote speaker L. Francis “Skip” Griffin Jr., one of the lead plaintiffs in the Griffin decision. Family members of honorees who are deceased or unable to attend were invited to participate in the ceremony; diplomas will be issued to all honorees who so desire. There will be no time limit on requesting an honorary degree.

children who all do the same sort of work and eight grandchildren,” Monique said. “She has really been the pillar in supporting us through everything and helping us with our children. It’s been an amazing journey. And she’s been the main person to help us along the way.”

The Perrys also said they could not have done it without the help of their older children.

“There were times where I’d be in a class Zoom session and I couldn’t attend to everything my younger kids needed,” Monique said. “My oldest daughter, who’s 12, and Nichole’s son, who’s 11, really stepped up and helped provide some of that support when I couldn’t find a sitter. Our kids were also part of that support system and looking out for their mommy and auntie.”

Nichole’s advice to others thinking about returning to school is reminiscent of a famous sneaker advertisement.

“Just do it, just get started,” she said. “Don’t focus on a timeline. You just have to take things one step at a time. And, don’t compare yourself to anyone else’s journey.”

in Georgia and Louisiana. Separation is not always the answer to complex social problems. Separation between the “haves and “have nots.” Separation due to fear or hate of “others.” Separation due to pride and the sense of being superior. Separation based on cultural differences. Too many times, they will all have the backdrop of race. 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.

Photo: Courtesy

Lending Needed Support For Returning Citizens

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

According to a recent Department of Corrections report, Virginia had one of the lowest recidivism rates in the country: 23 percent. It was the fifth year in a row that the Commonwealth had the lowest or second-lowest recidivism rate in the nation which has continued to decline, according to state sources.

Recidivism refers to an individual released from prison who commits a new offense within a specified follow-up period, resulting in a new sentence and a return to jail.

The recidivism rate was twice as high when Derrick Minhaj Malie Hansford became an inmate of the state.

He is the now Librarian, Muslim Liaison, and Coordinator of the Manto-Man program at the Norfolk City Jail.

Hansford, now 58, served a 25-year sentence for robbery. Based on his account, he did not use a weapon or physical force during the incident.

He was dealing drugs on the streets, and one day, he ran across one of his customers who owed him $500. Standing at an ATM, the delinquent consumer was accompanied by his wife, but upon seeing Hansford, he fled, abandoning his startled and frightened spouse.

Hansford told her the story of her husband’s delinquency, and she promised to pay him half the debt.

Days later, he was arrested and charged with robbery.

Despite video footage of his nonlethal presence and the woman offering the money to him willingly, he was arrested and charged.

Along with his record of peddling drugs on the streets of Norfolk, Hansford, a native of Paterson, New Jersey, had a criminal record.

Thanks to a pardon by former Governor Ralph Northam, he was released in 2020.

During his time in jail, Hansford said he did extensive soul-searching and rewiring of his outlook on life and moral mindset.

He converted to Islam and earned a degree in Drug and Alcohol Counseling. Before his release, he also organized the Community of United Focus (CUF).

Hansford said organizations like CUF, designed and dedicated to assisting people “returning to their communities” from prisons and local jails, are one of the reasons why Virginia has a low recidivism rate.

Hansford is the founder, Stacie Armstead, head of the Norfolk NAACP, is the President, and Luka Hamil-Serenity, Executive Director. They are the small staff who run the out fi t. CUF is connected with a

We can help them, but we can’t do it all ... they also need strong support from the community as well so they can establish a mindset to motivate themselves to be disciplined, engage in positive thinking, avoid trouble, and not go back to jail.”

– Derrick Minhaj Malie Hansford

large and supportive network of agencies, nonprofits, supportive public servants, and clergy, said Hansford.

It provides a variety of counseling and referrals to supportive services, including enabling men and women returning to their communities from incarceration to make a positive transition to life outside prison.

A free informational summit with keynote speakers and a video on May 17 at the Slover Library is one of the ways CUF is getting its message out to the community it serves and helping people returning to their communities to overcome barriers they encounter.

In April, CUF hosted a Criminal Justice Forum.

Hansford said various public and non-profit re-entry programs, such as his, have alleviated some of the most vexing barriers, such as acquiring an identification card, accessing shelter if none is available with family, and eventually, employment and independence.

Hansford said there are vocational and degree programs in the prison available to inmates that help them on release. But one issue is the long time between the end of one training period for courses and the beginning of another to secure certification.

He said that returning home to live with relatives can be complicated upon release. Felons are forbidden from living in public housing units. Probation status may prohibit a returning citizen from even visiting certain areas of the city where relatives live.

“Even if they live with a relative or friend, there is pressure on them to find employment and get their own place,” he said. “They do not realize it may take time to do that if they are felons, can’t find employment or have other issues.”

He said ex-inmates with a non-criminal “entrepreneurial” mindset, who are focused, and have a plan may fare better.

Many returning citizens are skilled in various professional and technical trades.

But there are still companies that will not hire felons. Some states and localities have imposed a policy not requiring applicants to admit they are ex-felons on the initial job application. Upon further screening, they may be able to move

forward or be rejected.

Finding adequate health care to deal with emotional or physical issues is a factor for some persons. Health programs may not cover certain chronic ailments fully.

“We can help them, but we can’t do it all,” Hansford said. “They also need strong support from the community as well so they can establish a mindset to motivate themselves to be disciplined, engage in positive thinking, avoid trouble, and not go back to jail.”

Participants at CUF’s April 2nd Criminal Justice Forum – (from left) CUFs Founder Derrick Hansford; Norfolk City Councilman John ‘JP’ Paige; Norfolk Mayor Kenny Alexander; US Congressman Bobby Scott; Norfolk Chief of Police Mark Talbot; Norfolk Commonwealth Attorney Ramin Fatehi; and CUFs President and NAACP President Stacie Armstead.

Photo: Courtesy

SECTION B

Portsmouth Hosts Annual Umoja Festival May 24-26

By Rosaland Tyler Associate Editor New Journal and Guide

Grab a lawn chair and the kids or grandkids and head to Portsmouth’s annual Umoja Festival, which will be held May 24-26 at Festival Park, the city’s historic downtown waterfront.

The free, three-day event began in 1991 as Portsmouth’s yearly celebration of diversity, unity, and African-American culture. Over the weekend, it will feature popular jazz, reggae, gospel and rhythm and blues entertainers. The festival’s name, Umoja means “unity” and togetherness in the family, community and nation.

Expect to fi nd something for everyone at Portsmouth’s annual festival including the elders who are selected by the city to traditionally kick off the weekend festival with their blessings. John Ray Johnson is this year’s King Elder. Rosa Hines is this year’s Queen Elder.

Johnson, a West Virginia native worked in Detroit and relocated to Portsmouth, where he now lives in the Cradock neighborhood and serves in Miracle of Faith Baptist Church. Hines worked as an accountant at Naval Shipyard and is a member and volunteer at several local churches.

The festival will also include a free, one-hour tour that will

The free, three-day event began in 1991 as Portsmouth’s yearly celebration of diversity, unity, and AfricanAmerican culture. Over the weekend, it will feature popular jazz, reggae, gospel and rhythm and blues entertainers.

expose visitors to icons, innovators, and trailblazers from Hampton Roads. The tours depart from Crawford Street, in front of City Hall and will include stops at Portsmouth Colored Community Library Museum, as well as a stop at an Ella Fitzgerald tribute that will be held on the back patio of the museum.

For three days, festivalgoers will enjoy food, marketplace shopping and live music, at an event which also welcomes nonpro fi t and social service organizations that set up exhibits and distribute awareness

information to festival visitors.

This year, Portsmouth’s annual homegrown festival will feature local artists such as B. Michelle who grew up in Hampton Roads, won a talent show at age 10, and went on to perform with“Sweet Dreams,” which was featured on BET multiple times. B. Michelle has also performed as an opening act for artists such as, Chris Brown, Tank, and Vivica Fox.

Another performer, 2ndWyndBand (2WB) will feature artists who are retired military musicians. These performers have traveled the world performing with notable artists on both R&B and gospel tours.

And make sure you experience Living Testimony Community Singers, which appeared on Good Morning America in 2001. Terris J. Gamble leads the group.

Free parking will be available at public garages and off street parking lots operated by the city. Festival visitors may park in both visitor and reserved spaces (except for spaces marked 24 Hrs. reserved) after 6 p.m. on Friday and anytime on the weekend. On street metered parking is also free after 6 p.m. on Friday as well as on Saturday and Sunday.

Interested in becoming a vendor?

Vendors may phone (757) 393-8481 or drop by 801 Crawford Street, Portsmouth – Monday – Friday from 8:30 a.m.

HU Discussion Marks 70th Anniversary of Historic School Desegregation Ruling

HAMPTON An education forum hosted by Hampton University President Darrell K. Williams is marking the 70th Anniversary of the landmark Brown v. Board of Education Decision that ended racial segregation in public schools in America.

HU’s free and open to the public forum on Thursday, May 16th was planned in partnership with Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares, Congressman Bobby Scott, and former Gov. Bob McDonnell.

The Brown v. Board of Education ruling on

May 17, 1954 declared state laws establishing separate public schools for Black and white students to be unconstitutional. It overturned the 1896 doctrine of racial segregation that was established in the U.S. Supreme Court case of Plessy v. Ferguson. The education forum was called to honor the Virginians who were pivotal in the Brown case and those who continue to lead efforts for educational equality.

“It is a profound privilege for Hampton University to host this discussion on such a critical moment in our nation’s history,”

said Hampton University President Darrell K. Williams. “Brown v. Board of Education is not just a legal landmark; it is a testament to a continuing journey towards educational equity and justice.” He continued, “The moral authority of Brown dovetails with our core principles, our ongoing commitment to be a beacon of light and serve as a gateway of access to education for all. Institutions of higher education inherit the benefits and responsibility of this enduring and powerful legacy. We

are reminded daily of our responsibility to uphold these values, for our university and our nation.” Former Governor of Virginia and current member of Virginians for Reconciliation, Bob McDonnell, shared his insight. “I believe people will learn the important lessons of history, understand the progress and challenges of the last 70 years in making the ruling a reality, and address the all important question of what next for all of us to educate all of our children better to keep the country, strong and united.”

SMALL BUSINESS DIRECTORY

Dr. Nelson (L) and Mayor Alexander

HRBRAA Gears Up For Its Second Radio Legends

Wall

Special to the Guide

of Fame Induction

The Hampton Roads Black Radio Announcers (HRBRAA) established by Dr. Phil N. Nelson, former radio host of the Quiet Storm, and Rev. Dr. Glenda P. Murray Kelly of G Paris Media Group and CMM 2K, have been working hard since June 2023. The New Journal and Guide has reported on two events which were hosted in December 2023 and February 2024. However, the most important event to bring honor to the legends of Hampton Roads Radio Announcers was the April 20, 2024, induction. That is when honorees unbeknownst to them received “Gold Jackets” on the order of the NFL Hall of Famers.

HRBRAA is a newly accepted organization to the National Black Radio Hall of Fame, Virginia Chapter. While the history of Black Radio dates back to the late 20s with Jack Cooper out of Chicago., the Hampton Roads/ Tidewater area didn’t start having Black Radio Jocks until the mid 40s. The HRBRAA Committee knew it had play catch up in 2024 to motivate those jocks who had worked so hard. Therefore, the HRBRAA Wall of Fame and the Scroll of Fame were founded.

The inaugural event was hosted at the Richard Tucker Memorial Library in Norfolk, VA. The facility could only hold the maximum of 50 attendees. Yet, the beauty

of it all was that over 40 individuals were wearing HRBRAA T-Shirts. During the event 20 Radio Jocks were inducted into the 1st HRBRAA Wall of Fame.

The room was set up like a production studio.

HRBRAA had the starving artist corner; The Cooking with Dr. Phil Show; The Old School music tributes; The DJ corner; and the “Pass the Mic Plz” session with Radio Jocks telling their stories.

The full staff included a stage manager, production manager, mistress of ceremonies, a director, a director of food services, hostess, engineers, a videographer and two photographers.

The HRBRAA dream was coming true. As the Radio Jocks stood outside of the Richard Tucker facility, they took photos with the statue of the great Norfolk educator, Dr. Richard Tucker. In the hallway showcases of the facility were books of African-American authors. The Radio Jocks stood patiently in the entrance waiting for the first African-American Mayor of the City of Norfolk, Dr. Kenneth Cooper Alexander, to arrive. All were excited, not knowing at that time that they would leave the facility with their “Gold Jackets” as NFL Hall of Famers are given.

“I can recall the day that my fellow elementary schoolmate, Kenny Easley was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame,” said Rev. Murray-Kelly. “It took him 25 years to be accepted

JUNE 15

under the veteran’s rule. Therefore, the Gold Jackets represented Kenny, our Chesapeake ICON, and what he went through to be inducted in 2017.”

The celebration continues in August 2024.

HRBRAA is planning a Wall and Scroll of Fame ceremony where the 2024 Exhibit for National Radio Day will be displayed. The Exhibit will be showcased for the entire month of August 2024.

“We have come a long ways since we started, and we are not turning back,” said Dr. Phil Nelson, HRBRAA Chairman/ President. “We are grateful for Ms. Brenda Andrews, Leonard Colvin, Ernest Lowery, Senator L. Louise Lucas, Mayor Kenneth Cooper Alexander and over 400 Black Radio Jocks who have worked the airwaves of Hampton Roads.”

In April, Dr. Nelson was inducted into the Hall of Fame by HRBRAA CoFounder, Rev. Dr. MurrayKelly, and Dr. Kenneth Cooper Alexander was inducted by Dr. Nelson. After all of the inductions were finished, the group of Gold Jacket Wall of Famers were photographed. Dr. Alexander expressed excitement that he was included in the occasion.

By mid-July, HRBRAA plans to provide more details to the community at large about the August event. However. The committee anticipates that 27 more individuals will be inducted this summer.

7)

Hello and welcome to The Bridge Corner.

There will be times when you need to develop additional tricks in order to make your contract.

PROMOTION is one technique for doing this: playing high cards to drive out the opponents’ higher-ranking cards until your lower ranking cards become sure tricks. Promotion involves giving up the lead to the opponents. This is a useful technique as long as you have enough sure winning tricks in other suits to regain the lead before the opponents can take enough tricks to defeat the contract.

Examine this hand. Do you agree or disagree with the statements made about this hand?

Dealer: North

1) North is the dealer and opens the bidding with 1 N/T. North is the describer and South is the responder and the captain.

2) With North showing at least 15 points (a No Trump opening bid show 15 to 17 High Card Points) and South having a 10 High Card Point hand, the

contract should be in game. The strain is notrump.

South’s bid is 3 N/T.

3) South’s bid of 3 N/T is a sign-off bid and opener should pass. The contract is 3 N/T and North is the declarer.

4) East makes the opening lead with the Queen Club.

5) Declarer needs nine tricks. Declarer has six sure tricks.

6) The Diamond suit provides the best opportunity to develop the additional tricks needed to make the contract. Declarer should play Diamonds after taking the first trick because declarer wants to set the suit up right away while there are still winners in the other suits.

We hope you were well celebrated for Mothers’ Day and that you enjoyed celebrating the mothers in your life! We get one day to officially sing the praises of those who mother us and our families. But we believe there are 365 days to celebrate the mothering role that women (and men) play in the nonprofit sector. Not only are mothers served by non-profits across our country and around the globe, but they also lead these organizations. Many times they are the ones who birth them as well, pushing them into this world with force and determination.

Here’s to the moms who are the backbone of the non-profit sector. They are visible and invisible, in leadership roles, supporting roles, and everything in between. Look around and see who is volunteering at your religious organization, feeding the hungry, working the homeless shelters, campaigning for politicians, donating their legal and medical skills, and more. Notice the mothers working high-powered jobs in the non-profit sector as college presidents, CEOs of research institutions, and lead legal counsel for life-changing and policy-

changing lawsuits. Take note of the mothers doing the hard work of nursing assistants in healthcare facilities, bathing those who cannot bathe themselves. Notice those mopping floors in schools and hospitals, serving food in cafeterias, crunching numbers in accounting offices, all the other invisible work that makes the non-profit sector hum.

So let’s say thank you. And show we mean it! Here are some suggestions for yearlong celebrations of the mothers of the nonprofit sector. The first one is obvious. Identify an organization that reflects your mother’s values – or those of a mom in your life. Make a financial contribution in their honor and make sure the organization sends her a note of acknowledgement. You can post on social media about how you are honoring the mothers in your life and ask others to join you by making a similar financial gift. Here’s another suggestion: volunteer for an organization in honor of your mom, or the mothers in your family and community. When you do this, you are honoring their legacy and memory and paying

it forward. We can never make up for the history of contributions made by mothers over the decades and centuries. But we can continue their legacy by making just a little bit of time to make a difference. We can also take time to care for those among us who are mothering their children and may need a helping hand. We can do that directly by offering to pick up groceries or take a child to the doctor when they are working. We can do that indirectly by giving to a foodbank or clinic. Finally, it’s never too late to sit and talk with your mother about her priorities and how you can be a part of her legacy. Let her know you want to volunteer with a non-profit and that you want it to be one that reflects her values and beliefs. Sit and listen –you could be amazed by what you hear. 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

Photo: ErnestLowery

LEONARD A. SLADE, JR. IS PUBLISHED

ALBANY, NY

Leonard A. Slade,

Jr., Professor Emeritus of Africana Studies and former Adjunct Professor of English at the University at Albany, has been published in Wilfred Samuels’ Encyclopedia of African-American Literature, a work of 592 pages. According to Samuels, the volume includes entries on major writers of fiction, poets, dramatists, and critics and the finest works of AfricanAmerican Literature. Langston Hughes, Toni Morrison, Ralph Ellison, Maya Angelou, W. E. B. Du Bois, August Wilson, and Martin Luther King, Jr., among others, are included in the work.

A biographical sketch of Slade, exegeses of some of his poems, titles of his book· and journal publications, and his national awards are covered in the Encyclopedia. According to Samuels, Slade was Chair of the Department

IN ENCYCLOPEDIA

of Africana Studies, Director of the Humanistic Studies Doctoral Program, Director of the Master of Arts in Liberal Studies Program, recipient of several Excellence in Teaching Awards, and SUNY Citizen Academic Laureate.

Slade has also been honored by the New York State Assembly with a Citation in recognition of his being an Albany Public Library Literary Legends honoree. He received a Certificate

from Yale University for Postdoctoral Study in 2023. He is the author of twenty-three books of poetry, Lifetime Poet Fellow of The Martha’s Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing. Poet Laureate. of the Southern Conference of AfricanAmerican Studies, and Member of The Phi Beta Kappa Society.

Slade earned the master’s degree in English from Virginia State University and the Ph.D. degree in English from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He has been invited to speak at The Phi Beta Kappa Society Induction Ceremony at the State University of New York in May 2024. Slade was also invited to deliver a major address at The Martha’s Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing, where more than fifty writers from America will hear him in Edgartown, Massachusetts, in May 2024.

CHES. SHERIFF’S OFFICE REGISTERING YOUTH 10-14 FOR FOOTBALL CAMP

CHESAPEAKE

Calling all young athletes! The Chesapeake Sheriff’s Office is now accepting registration forms for our CTLT Youth Football Camp. Hundreds of local children, ages 10-14, are invited to attend the fun and challenging two-day football camp. This year’s camp is Friday, June 21, 2024 – 9 a.m.-2 p.m. and Saturday, June 22, 2024 – 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at Grassfield High School 2007 Grizzly Way, Chesapeake, VA 23323

Undersheriff Dave Rosado offers this football camp free of charge every year to Chesapeake children. This year, middle school, high school, and college football coaches will join Oscar Smith Head Football Coach Chris Scott, and former Coach Elisha “Cadillac” Harris to teach the children basic football skills and lead them in offensive and defensive drills. In addition to football skills, the camp provides teambuilding concepts, positive re-enforcement, and personal leadership development designed to prepare our future leaders for the challenges of tomorrow.

TOP LADIES OF DISTINCTION

HOST INAUGURAL GOLF

TOURNEY

HAMPTON ROADS

The Hampton Roads Chapter of Top Ladies of Distinction, Incorporated held their inaugural Golf Tournament on Monday, May 6 at Bide-A-Wee Golf Course in Portsmouth. Golfers playing in the tournament had the good fortune of beautiful weather,

including cool breezes throughout the day. Dr. Cynthia S. Nicholson, chapter president, commented on the participation of golfers from as faraway as Richmond.

“The dedication and support of our patrons has been truly amazing!” Funds from this event will allow the chapter to provide scholarships for graduating high school students in the surrounding area. Additionally, a portion of the proceeds will be marked for programmatic thrusts to enhance the lives of others. The chapter invites sponsors and golfers to join them in 2025 on the first Monday in May.

LOCAL VOICES

When The Time Comes

By Sean C. Bowers

We are all scaling this mountain we call life, in our pursuit of the summit. We reach for our best, by passing our life tests, leaving our mark on history and all the rest. “We choose the high ground by going high,” as Michelle Obama stated.

It seems the lower people go, the more of a challenge it becomes for “going high.” The true challenge is remaining true to our purpose in our own way. Some may be private, while others are publicly appreciated and respected.

Whether recognized or unknown, we face the future together. Whatever may come, we will find our way to continue to be positive difference makers.

Only we know in our hearts, the degree to which, we have committed ourselves to realizing our dreams and visualizations-practicedprepared-actualizations.

Those in our immediate world who know us best may sense or perceive the subtle variations in our focus, follow through and our strong finish.

Aging changes us, inside and out. We see and feel the pull of old haunts that we have outgrown, left behind, and in some cases, overcome. The nostalgia of those memories cast long shadows over our soul’s psyche and the depths we have explored.

Our physical bodies give us warning signs when we are better off being about ourselves by taking care of ourselves, rather than complaining, What about us? Those internal voices inside our heads, in our muscle memory, bones, and

Sean C. Bowers

minds, propel us through life. Listening to our bodies, the silence, Nature, the breeze in the trees, the little things, and the little ones, becomes a much higher priority. As we are the sum of our choicest experiences. Choosing wisely going forward brings even more exhilaration, considering our perceived time limitations placed on what is left of the rest of our lives.

If we are living righteously, we will have incorporated all the things others might wait until it is almost too late to assemble, such as some type of bucket list.

The meaningful example leader, lifelong student, peaceful servant is the Ideal we continue to evolve towards throughout our lives.

Owning our past, opting in by facing up to the hard stuff, helps us to overcome the shortcomings of self -perceived failures.

When the time comes. We have to ask ourselves: Were we there for others? Were we available? Were we easily accessible? Were we capable? Were we receptive? Were we open? Were we judgmental? Were we forgiving? Did we treat others as we would have wanted to have been

When the time comes, we will be either ready to step up, step forward, and lean into the timing or history will gobble us up like the others.

treated? Did we conduct our life in a way we could hold our heads high, knowing we were uplifting others, despite whatever negatives we encountered?

Only we know our answers to these questions. When the time comes, we will be either ready to step up, step forward, and lean into the timing or history will gobble us up like the others. In fact, many people believe in only death and taxes. Yet we all lived and eventually died here in the struggle. Let’s do our part to prepare as we are living our life. That way, when the time comes, it won’t be the first time we think about it. 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.

Standing (L-R): Sandra McCoy, Fallon Horton, Shelia Mason, Paula McClee, Michelle Brathwaite, Crystal Lovell, Ronny High, Duanne Hoffler-Foster, Fontaine Gerebee-Johns. Seated (L-R): Dr. Ingrid Watson-Miller, Dr. Cynthia Salley Nicholson, President, Alberta Williams

Photo: Courtesy

Leonard A. Slade, Jr.

MOMENTS of MEDITATION

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

Parenting is hard enough when we carry it out as a duet, but to do so as a solo – now that’s one horrendous task! But more and more people are fi nding themselves in that unenviable role. It would be different enough if the responsibility were limited to the demands and necessities of rearing children and teens, but when you toss in things like guilt, loneliness, fear, fi nancial strain, insecurity, rejection, and temptation the situation borders onto the maddening.

We want to probe into this seldom-mentioned world of the single parent and see what encouragement God’s Word offers for us today.

When The Brook Dries Up: A Prophet. (1 Kings 17:1-7). In this Scripture passage, we fi nd life reduced to the bottom-line, bare essentials. We are fi rst introduced to Elijah when he brings to Ahab a message from the Lord: “’As the Lord, the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, surely there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word’” (v. 1). After delivering this judgment, Elijah was

instructed by the Lord to travel to a certain place by the brook Cherith. The Lord promised Elijah that He would provide him with food and water there twice daily. As God had permitted, He faithfully performed. But as the drought continued, the brook that supplied Elijah with water completely dried up. This probably sparked a number of questions in Elijah’s mind that we also would have asked if we had been in his situation. What Happened? Elijah did everything the Lord had told him to do, yet his essential water source dried up anyway. Why Me? Elijah probably could have named a hundred other people who deserved a dried up brook more than he did. After all, he was a prophet – a representative of God. Such things should not happen to God’s spokesman. Where’s God? This is often the hardest question to answer. We can see God working when times are smooth, but when things are rough, we feel alone as Elijah must have felt – so we often panic. When The Pain Goes On:

A Window. (I Kings 17:816). Elijah saw no sign that rain or food would be coming. In the midst of this bleak situation, the Lord spoke again to Elijah: “Arise, go to Zarephath, and stay there; behold, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you” (vv. 8-9).Here we’re introduced to one of several single parents in the Scriptures. As we shall see, this woman had hit rock bottom.

A Strange Place: Zarephath. (vv. 8-10a).

Zarephath is an interesting Hebrew term. In its verb form it means “to smelt, to re fi ne.” When used as a noun, it denotes “an instrument of re fi ning.”

Zarephath was an appropriate name for this place for their God would

soon re fi ne the widow and prophet He chose to bring together.

Increased Demands: Get Me … Bring Me … Make Me! (vv. 10b-13).

As soon as Elijah came to Zarephath, he met the single parent whom God had appointed to meet his material needs. Seeing her, he said, “’please get me a little water in a jar, that I may drink.’ And as she was going to get it, he called to her and said, ‘Please bring me a piece of bread in your hand.’”

Elijah’s fi rst words to this woman were demanding ones. Although they placed a greater burden on her, she did not hesitate to try to meet Elijah’s need for sustenance. But his request for bread brought a reply from the widow that clearly

revealed her desperate situation.

Limited Resources: No Bread… Handful Of Flour … Little Oil (v. 12). There is probably no feeling quite like that of being physically destitute. For this defeated widow, there were no resources left even though the demands of life kept coming … and coming … and coming. God’s Provision (vv. 13-16). Realizing her desperate need and tragic resolve, Elijah spoke to her and encouraging from the Lord: “’The bowl of fl our shall not be exhausted, nor shall the jar of oil be empty, until the day that the Lord sends rain on the face of the earth’” (v. 14). We read that the widow responded in obedience to the promise, and ‘ she and

he and her household ate for many days” (v. 15). When The World Caves In: A Son (1 Kings 17:17-24). For a time, her situation was better. There was enough food to eat and God’ promise that would not run out. But suddenly things again grew dim –even worse than they had been before. An Unexpected Af fl iction (v. 17a). There can be little doubt that she began to churn inside and fear for what might happen to her son. An Impossible Situation (17b). This single parent’s worst fears became reality when she saw her son die. This one ray of hope in her life was gone. Suddenly, she was left very much alone.

UM NEWS

In late April, the United Methodist Methodist Church officially installed its first Black, female bishop as the new president of the Council of Bishops (COB). In doing so, Bishop Tracy S. Malone, resident bishop of the East Ohio Conference, becomes the first Black woman in the history of the global denomination to ascend to the pinnacle of episcopacy leadership.

Bishop Malone accepted her new post at the denomination’s recent general conference that was held in the Convention Center in Charlotte, N.C.

as more than 800 UMC congregating cheered. She precedes outgoing President Bishop Thomas Bickerton and will serve a two-year term. Bishop Malone was elected as president during the COB meeting at Lake Junaluska in November last year.

“I am prepared to bring all of who I am and my gifts, wisdom, and experience to my role as President of the Council of Bishops and to my leadership and role in the Church,” Malon said in a recent statement.

Bishop Malone, who was elected bishop in 2016, added that she has

CHURCH ADs & DIRECTORY

“unshakable confidence” in how the bishops will lead the “whole church,” she said.

COB President Bishop Bickerton passes the gavel to Bishop Tracy Smith Malone during the 2024 United Methodist General

Photo: CourtesyUMNews

BOOKWORM REVIEW

By Terri Schlichenmeyer

THE JAZZMEN: How Duke Ellington, Louis

Armstrong, and Count Basie Transformed

Your toes didn’t wait long before they started tapping.

They knew what was coming, almost as soon as the band was seated. They knew before the first notes were played and the hip cats and jazz babies hit the floor to cut a rug. Daddy, it was the bee’s knees but in the new book “The Jazzmen” by Larry Tye, if you were the Sheik on the stage, makin’ cabbage wasn’t all that swank.

Louis Armstrong was born in 1900 or thereabouts in a “four-room frame house on an unpaved lane” in a section of New Orleans called “Back o’Town ... the Blackest, swampiest, and most impoverished” area of the city. His mother was a “chippie” and the boy grew up running barefoot and wild, the latter of which led to trouble. At age twelve, Armstrong was sent to the Colored Waif’s Home for recalcitrant Black boys, and that changed his life. At the “home,” he found mentors, father-figures, and love, and he discovered music.

For years, Bill “Count” Basie insisted that he’d grown up with “no-drama,

The Jazzmen: How Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, and Count Basie Transformed America” by Larry Tye ©2024, Mariner Books $32.50, 395 pages

no-mystery, and nobody’s business but his,” but the truth was “sanitized.” He hated school and dropped out in junior high, hoping to join the circus. Instead, he landed a job working in a “moving-picture theater” as a general worker. When the theater’s piano player didn’t come to work one day, Basie volunteered to sit in. He ultimately realized that “I had to get out ... of Red Bank [New Jersey], and music was my ticket.”

Even as a young teenager, Edward Ellington insisted that he be treated like a superstar. By then, his friends had nicknamed him “Duke,”for his insistence on dressing elegantly and acting like he was royalty. And he surely was – to his mother, and to millions of swooning female fans later in his life.

Three men, born at roughly the same time, had more in common than their basic ages. Two of them had “a mother who doted on ... im.” All three were perform-aholics. And for all three, “Race ... fell away as America listened.”

Feel up to a time-trip back a century or more?

Ameri ca

You won’t even have to leave your seat, just grab “The Jazzmen” and hang on.

In his introduction, author Larry Tye explains why he so badly wanted to tell the story of these three giants of music and how Basie’s, Ellington’s, and Armstrong’s lives intersected and diverged as all three were nearsimultaneously performing for audiences world-wide. Their stories fascinated him, and his excitement runs strong in this book. Among other allures, readers used to today’s star-powered gossip will enjoy learning about an almost-forgotten time when performers took the country by storm by bootstrapping without a retinue of dozens.

And as for the racism the three performers encountered? It disappeared like magic sometimes, and that’s a good tale all by itself here.

This is a musician’s dream book, but it’s also a must-read story if you’ve never heard of Basie, Ellington, or Armstrong. “The Jazzmen” may send you searching your music library, so make note.

Continued from page 4B

A Resentful Reaction (v. 18). Her response was not unlike what ours would have been. She spoke to Elijah with stinging words. Elijah became her scape goat; he took the blows of her anger and grief.

God’s Solution (vv. 19-24). Displaying great maturity, Elijah never once spoke in his own defense. He didn’t even attempt to defend God. First, he listened with a patient ear, then he reached out with a compassionate heart and met her need (vv. 19-23).

Ecstatic to see her son alive again, the widow voiced words of praise to both Elijah and God (v. 24).

When The Lord Comes Through: A Promise. We all wish every story had a happy ending –especially when our lives are involved. But we all know that isn’t a realistic scenario. However, through the double blessing the widow received from God – namely, the provision of food for meals and restored life to her son – she learned about on promise for sure: God’s methods may change, but His faithfulness will not. No one can promise us a life of financial security or uninterrupted contentment and happiness. But there is a promise we can all embrace no matter what life brings: God’s faithfulness will never change. All we have to be is flexible to His changing methods of providing for our needs.

INVITATION FOR BIDS PR2240-240-24

The Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority will receive bids for the “NRHA Oakleaf Forest Electrical Meter Box and Circuit Panel Replacement Project.”

The scope of work includes all supervision, labor, material, and equipment necessary to complete the NRHA Oakleaf Forest Electrical Meter Box and Circuit Panel Replacement at 1701 Greenleaf Drive, Norfolk, VA 23523. The work for this project includes but not limited to replacing existing electric meter bases, electrical panels, wiring and grounding. Also including items listed in the project scope of work section.

A pre-bid meeting will be conducted on May 23, 2024 at 11:00 AM outside Oakleaf Forest Management Office located at 1701 Greenleaf Drive Norfolk VA 23523. All prospective bidders are strongly encouraged to attend.

Please contact Steven Green - NRHA Construction Project Manager (sgreen@nrha.us) for any related questions. All questions must be received by 1 PM June 4, 2024.

Sealed Bids will be received, publicly opened and read aloud on June 18, 2024 at 11:00 AM local prevailing time at the office of the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority, 910 Ballentine Boulevard, Norfolk, Virginia 23504.

Contract documents will be available for review by appointment only at the NRHA Office of Economic Opportunities, Calvert Square Envision Center, 975 Bagnall Road, Norfolk, VA (please call (757)314-2026 to schedule); Builders and Contractors Exchange, Norfolk, VA; and on the Virginia Procurement Website (www.eva.virginia.gov). A thumb drive will be available from NRHA, 910 Ballentine Blvd., Norfolk, VA for the non-refundable price of twelve dollars (Company Check Only).

NRHA provides equal housing and employment opportunities for all persons. NRHA does not discriminate against any applicant, resident or employee on the basis race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status, disability, source of funds, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, personal appearance, marital status, political affiliation, matriculation, place of residence or business in the admission or access to or operations of programs, services or activities.

NRHA complies with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. An internal grievance procedure is available to resolve complaints. If you feel you have been discriminated against, you have the right to file a complaint of discrimination with the Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity by calling toll free 800-669-9777.

Qualified individuals who need communication aids, services or other accommodations to participate in programs and activities are invited to make your needs known to 504/ADA Coordinator Corey Brooks at 757-623-1111, TDD: 800-545-1833. Please give NRHA seven business days advance notice to

Larry Tye

Photo: LisaFrusztajer