NJG | Vol. 124, No. 22 - May 30, 2024

NEWJOURNAL & GUIDE NEW JOURNAL & GUIDE

SHOVE-OFF DAY ... DOWN BY THE WATER

ANOTHER SUPREME COURT ASSAULT ON BLACK VOTER STRENGTH

By Stacy M. Brown Senior National Correspondent

NNPA NEWSWIRE

The U.S. Supreme Court has reinstated South Carolina’s redrawn congressional map, declaring it not unconstitutional racial gerrymandering. Justice Samuel Alito authored the 6-3 opinion, which overturned a lower court’s finding that the map had illegally removed 30,000 Black voters to favor a white

Republican candidate in the 1st Congressional District.

Justice Samuel Alito authored the 6-3 opinion, which overturned a lower court’s finding.

“This ruling allows South Carolina to strip power away from Black voters and implement a congressional map that is clearly racially gerrymandered,” Ombres stated. “The majority cherrypicked evidence disregarded inconvenient proof of

The decision has prompted strong reactions, including from Devon Ombres, senior director for Courts and Legal Policy at the Center for American Progress.

racial gerrymandering and substituted its own judgment of the facts instead of deferring to the court below. Worse, the majority makes it clear that, in the future, it will be more difficult to challenge unconstitutional racial gerrymanders.”

see Court, page 3A

Nebraska Inducts Malcolm X Its 1st Black In Hall-of-Fame

By Rosaland Tyler Associate Editor New Journal and Guide

Nebraska recently inducted Omaha-born civil rights leader Malcolm X into the Hall of Fame at a May 19 induction ceremony held in the State Capitol Rotunda, where his family, local lawmakers and community leaders unveiled a bronze bust that honors him.

Standing beside the bronze bust designed by sculptor Nathan Murray, one of Malcolm X’s six daughters, Dr. Ilyasah Shabazz, of New York, said, “I am humbled and honored by the embrace of the residents of Nebraska. Thank you so much. Let

Nebraska inducted Omaha-born Malcolm X into its Hall of Fame on May 19 at the State Capitol Rotunda

Malcolm’s dedication to truth and justice inspire us all.” Shabazz added, “While my father and his family did not remain long in Omaha after his birth, it is here that the roots of Malcolm X were planted.”

Rowena Moore launched the Malcolm X Memorial Foundation in 1971. Before she died in 1998, she also served as chairwoman of the Nebraska Black Political Caucus and the Douglas

“She played a role in much of what has been done to honor Malcolm X in Nebraska,” according to a February 2024 Omaha World-Herald report. She helped get a historical marker placed at the site of his birth. Omaha renamed a section of a street to honor Malcolm X in 2003. The spot also is on the National Register of Historic Places. see Malcolm X, page 6A

Portsmouth’s Memorial Day Parade Dates To 1884

By Randy Singleton Community Affairs Correspondent

PORTSMOUTH

The I.C. Norcom Band (shown) was one of over 50 groups represented at Portsmouth’s 140th Memorial Day Parade on Monday (May 27), despite inclement weather which brought soaking rain, thunder, and lightning. Hundreds lined the parade route along High Street to see youth and community groups as well as various state and local political leaders participating in the march which honored America’s fallen military service members. Portsmouth’s Memorial Day Parade is one of the nation’s oldest, having first started in 1884. see more inside page 3B

The History 0f Juneteenth

JUNETEENTH is a freedom celebration that became a tradition when, on June 19, 1865, General Gordon Granger sailed into Galveston harbor and issued a proclamation that gave freedom to a quarter of a million Blacks in Texas who were still in bondage 2 1/2 years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation had given them freedom.

The tradition is so firmly rooted in Texas that it was made a state holiday in 1980, and Juneteenth has come to be regarded as the earliest African-American holiday.

The freedom message reached different parts of America on various dates between 1863 and 1865, but migrated Black Texans continued the Juneteenth celebration as they moved to cities in the North and across the country.

Today, this holiday is observed from California to New York. Some in Virginia have observed Emancipation Proclamation Day annually on January 1. Virginia and the nation have now proclaimed Juneteenth an official holiday. It was first observed on June 19, 2020.

An instructive way of uniting these commemorations in a day of national importance is through Juneteenth National Freedom Day.

County Democratic Party.

Photo: ErnestLowery

HOPEWELL, VA

Reenactors of the United States Colored Troops from several states and the District of Columbia pose with Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears,Va. Beach Councilwoman Dr. Amelia Ross-Hammond, NJG Publisher Brenda H. Andrews, and NJOF President Steve Williams at Shove-Off Day. see Story, inside page 6A

Norfolk native and BTW alum Leon Vaughan, now living in New Jersey, represented the NJ Colored Troops regiment.

Photo: ErnestLowery

Photo: RandySingleton

By Stacy M. Brown Senior National Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia

NNPA NEWSWIRE

Following her conviction for mortgage fraud and perjury, former Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby received a 12-month home detention sentence and two years of supervised release. U.S. District Judge Lydia Kay Griggsby handed down the sentence on Thursday, May 23, after a protracted and highly publicized legal battle that has stirred significant debate over race, politics, and justice.

Mosby, 44, gained national attention in 2015 for charging six Baltimore police officers in the death of Freddie Gray, a Black man fatally injured in police custody. Gray’s death led to riots and protests in the city. After three officers were acquitted, Mosby’s office dropped charges against the other three officers. In 2020, at the height of the pandemic, Mosby withdrew $90,000 from Baltimore City’s deferred compensation plan and used it to make down payments on vacation homes in Kissimmee and Longboat Key, Florida. Prosecutors argued that Mosby improperly accessed the funds under provisions of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act by falsely claiming that the pandemic had harmed her travel-oriented side business.

Mosby’s sentencing argument said the retirement funds came from her own income and that no one was defrauded because she paid an early withdrawal penalty and all federal taxes on the money. The government said that money remained the property of the city until she was legally eligible, and her perjury harmed everyone who followed the rules during the coronavirus pandemic.

Mosby’s mortgage fraud conviction stems from a $5,000 “gift letter” she submitted when taking a loan to buy the Longboat Key property. Prosecutors said the letter falsely stated that Mosby’s husband was giving her a $5,000 gift for the closing when it was her own money.

Judge Griggsby rejected the defense’s argument that the forfeiture amounted to an excessive fine.

see Mosby, page 8A

PETITION CALLS FOR JUSTICES ALITIO &THOMAS TO RECUSE

By Stacy M. Brown Senior National Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia

NNPA NEWSWIRE

A petition calling for conservative Supreme Court Justices and noted Donald Trump supporters Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas to recuse themselves from major cases related to the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack has amassed 77,000 signatures as of 11 a.m. Tuesday, May 21. Following a report from The New York Times that highlighted potential con fl icts of interest for the conservative justices, MoveOn launched the petition.

The Times reported that an upside-down American fl ag, a symbol associated with the twiceimpeached and four-times indicted Trump’s false claims of election fraud, was displayed outside Alito’s home in January 2021. The fl ag appeared outside the Alito residence in Alexandria, Virginia, on January 17, just days after Trump supporters stormed the Capitol. Alito told the Times that

May 30, 1970 Edition of the Guide

Nixon To Probe Campus Killings And Unrest

WASHINGTON

The White House said President Nixon will set up a special commission to investigate campus unrest in general and slayings at Kent State University and Jackson State College.

The commission is to be composed of several prominent Americans possibly including Dr. Milton S. Eisenhower as chairman. He is the brother of former President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Gerald R. Warren, Deputy White House Press Secretary, said the commission would “look into the situation on campuses and into the broad question of violence.”

Kent State’s president Robert I. White was among those who urged Nixon to set up a special panel to look into the four student deaths on his campus. There have been calls since then to have such a commission also investigate the shootings of two youths on the Jackson State campus in Mississippi on May 14.

Mississippi Finally Ok’s Sesame Street

JACKSON, MISS

The Board of Directors of the Mississippi Authority for Educational Television reversed its previous stand and approved broadcast of the “Sesame Street” children’s series.

The board previously had announced the series would not be carried over Mississippi’s newlyimplemented ETV system on grounds the Program’s integrated format would be “offensive to some Mississippians.”

Atlantic National Bank Opens Temporary Office

NORFOLK

Atlantic National Bank has opened a temporary office in the Rotunda Building at 415 Saint Paul’s Boulevard to handle communications and record-keeping involved in selling its stock.

R. M. Eager, prospective President of Atlantic National Bank, stated, “We expect the Comptroller of the Currency will shortly approve our offering circular, which is the equivalent, in the case of a national bank, of a prospectus on a stock registration with the State Corporations Commission.”

Eager said further, ‘We are greatly pleased to have this point in our organization and are encouraged by the number of requests for our offering

MoveOn’s petition argues that Alito must be held accountable for what they describe as a breach of

the fl ag was “brie fl y placed” there by his wife during a disagreement with neighbors.

The revelation has again raised concerns about Alito’s impartiality as the Supreme Court considers two signi fi cant cases: one addressing charges against the January 6 rioters and another determining whether Trump can claim immunity from prosecution on election interference charges.

Justice Thomas also faces scrutiny for his involvement in cases related to the 2020 election, particularly because his wife, Ginni Thomas, contacted Trump of fi cials and lawmakers, urging them to overturn the election results.

MoveOn’s petition argues that Alito must be held accountable for what they describe as a breach of ethics. “He must recuse himself immediately or be removed by

Chief Justice John Roberts, and the Senate Judiciary Committee must swiftly investigate and take action on con fl icts of interest,” the petition states. Rahna Epting, MoveOn’s political action executive director, emphasized the need for immediate action to restore public trust in the Supreme Court. “The only way to begin to restore any trust in the Supreme Court – and to ensure any semblance of a fair hearing on Trump’s baseless immunity claims – is for Justices Alito and Thomas to recuse themselves, or be removed by Chief Justice Roberts,” Epting said.

He criticized Chief Justice John Roberts for failing to address these “con fl icts of interest,” contributing to the Supreme Court’s lowest public approval ratings ever The petition also calls for the

Senate Judiciary Committee to investigate the alleged con fl icts of interest and consider impeachment if necessary.

Democratic Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, has also urged Alito to recuse himself from cases related to the 2020 election and the Capitol attack. “Flying an upside-down American fl ag – a symbol of the so-called ‘Stop the Steal’ movement – clearly creates the appearance of bias,” Durbin said in a statement.

From The Guide’s Archives

circular that we are receiving by phone, by mail and in person.

Earle F. Thomas formerly with Leonard S. Frieden Agency of John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Company and one of the organizers of the Bank has already joined the permanent staff of the bank and will be in charge of the new temporary office.

Mrs. Chisholm Will Be Commencement Speaker

HAMPTON

Mrs. Shirley Chisholm the first Black Congresswoman in the United States will be the guest speaker for the 100th commencement at Hampton Institute at 10:30 a.m. June 1 in the new gymnasium Former administrative head of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) and resident minister of Canaan Baptist Church, Nashville, Tenn, Dr. Wyatt Tee Walker will be the speaker for the Baccalaureate ceremonies at 10:40 a.m. May 31 in Ogden Hall.

Rev. Walker is in constant demand as a preacher, human relations specialists, college lecturer and urbanologist.

When he went to the SCLC in the mid-1960s there was a staff of five and an annual budget of $57,000.00. When he resigned in June 1964 the Conference budget was nearly one million dollars with the full-time staff of over a hundred.

Elected to the 91st Congress, Chisholm, who represents the 12th Congressional District, the Bedford-Stuyvesant area of New York City, campaigned under the slogan “Unbought and Unbossed.”

A former school teacher, Chisholm was elected to the Assembly of New York in 1964. As a Freshman to the House of Representatives she quickly became known as a woman with “true grit” and a mind of her own.”

Beach Teacher Charges Salary Discrimination

VIRGINIA BEACH

The possibility that Black teachers are being paid less than their White counterparts in some local areas came to light May 10 when an industrial arts teacher sued the Virginia Beach School Board for $14,888.28 in back pay which he declares was denied him because he is Black.

Alexandre H. Woodhouse, who heads the Industrial Arts Department at Cox High School, filed the suit in Virginia Beach Circuit Court through Attorney Berry D Willis, Sr. who is also a candidate for City Council in

“I’m Too Young ... What’s Your Excuse”

Norfolk.

A teacher in the Virginia Beach system for about 16 years, Woodhouse claims from 1954 to 1965 he was “paid a sum of $700 less per year than white teachers who were performing the same type of duties.”

Teachers with military service have been paid a bonus of $300 per year in Virginia Beach. Also, industrial arts teachers receive $400 extra. Woodhouse contends that he qualified for both when he was employed in the system in 1954.

In the suit he claims he did not know about the bonus until 1965 and with the superintendent “carefully concealing” them from him.

In 1965 Woodhouse said he was called to the Superintendent’s office and with the city attorney present, was “tossed a bone in the firm of a cash partial payment of $1,600.

No High School In Negro Areas

By Thomas L. Dabney

NORFOLK

An audience at New Calvary Baptist Church was told Sunday night” It’s no accident they (the Norfolk School Board) want to move Booker T. Washington High School.”

Dr. C. T. Vivian, the main speaker said “if you don’t have the nerve to go after what

you want, you don’t deserve to have it.”

He warned, “there is no high school in Harlem.” That could happen to the Negro community in Norfolk, he intimated.

“Integration is dead! It’s a dead concept,” Dr. Vivian said. He is executive director of the Black Strategy Council of Chicago which is committed to align the forces struggles for Black freedom.

The meeting, sponsored by the Tidewater Area Council for Community Improvement (TACCI) was held to discuss the proposal to move Booker T to the 8400 block of Tidewater Drive. Several persons spoke to give the background on recent discussions with the school board on the problem.

Dr. G.W. C. Brown, Executive Secretary of TACCI, and PTA officials of Booker T and Crestwood High School, student leaders of the schools to review efforts to have both closed were present. Dr. Vivian said there were more segregated public schools and more children segregated schools today than 16 years ago when the school desegregation decision was made by the U.S. Supreme Court.

(Editor’s Note: 8401 Tidewater Drive in 2024 is in the Northside Park Baseball complex.)

Ex-Chairman for Rattley Charges Black Sell-out

NEWPORT NEWS

Julian Franklin, former chair of the Citizens for

Jessie Rattley, has charged that “a group of Blacks in Newport News are working behind the scenes to defeat Jessie Rattley on June 9.” Franklin in a recent statement charged that $2,000 was “delivered by a bagman” to at least five so-called Black politicians in order to defeat Rattley. Said Franklin, “We know who put up the money, we know who delivered it, and we know who received it This money was sent into the Black community by Whites and given to Black Judases to sell out Rattley.”

“Our information has the money being used in two ways: First, several Whites will pay poll workers who will support White candidates only in an attempt to deceive Blacks and cut into Rattley’s support. Second, just as done in the past, Blacks will be offered $5 and $10 to stay at home on election day June 9 and not vote!” Franklin denounced Blacks who “would sell us out when we have our best chance ever for representation on Newport News City Council.” Franklin warned that the names of those involved in the alleged sell out would be exposed at a public rally prior to the Election June 9.”

“We cannot allow,” he said “Uncle Toms and Black Judases to sell us out now. I urge all citizens in the Black community to oppose this type of politics.”

Col. Porcher L. Taylor Jr. Passes FORMER TUSKEGEE AIRMEN VETERAN, NOTED PETERSBURG COMMUNITY LEADER

By Rosaland Tyler Associate Editor New Journal and Guide

In Petersburg, funeral services are being planned for Col. Porcher L.

Taylor Jr., who died at his Petersburg home at age 98 on May 26, 2024.

The 28-year veteran served in three wars –(25 of them with the U.S. Army). In addition to serving as a member of the Tuskegee Airmen during World War II, Taylor also served during the Korean Con fl ict as a member of the 82nd Airborne Division. In 1971, during the Vietnam War, Taylor became the fi rst African-American promoted to the rank of Army colonel at Fort Jackson, S. C.

Taylor grew up in Florida. He was born on Aug. 9, 1925 in Jacksonville, to Porcher L. Sr. and Mary Bell Taylor. Taylor’s father was the founder, publisher, and editor of the Florida Tattler. The weekly newspaper ran from 1934 until his death in 1964. Taylor was hired by his father to work in the family business, Taylor and Son Printing Co. Inc. Taylor worked as a typesetter and a pressman until 1943, when he joined the military.

Col. Porcher L. Taylor Jr.

“He’s a true, true dedicated, patriotic American. It really meant a lot to him to serve his country,” said his wife, Ann Taylor, when her

husband

received

the 2022 Lifetime Achievement

Award from the Howard Baugh Chapter of Tuskegee Airmen, Inc.

In a recent announcement, the City of Petersburg described Taylor as a true community leader, due to the fact that he chaired the school board for many years, after he received his undergraduate degree at Tuskegee, earned his master’s degree in 1961 at Virginia State College, and was the fi rst Black student to earn a doctorate from the University of South Carolina. For many years, Taylor worked at Virginia State as director of counseling and then as vice president for

student affairs.

“Throughout his life and career, Colonel Taylor exempli fi ed the values of dedication, excellence, and service,” the City of Petersburg said in a recent statement. “He served as a positive role model for the youth of Petersburg, inspiring them to strive for success and make meaningful contributions

to society.”

He was, the city said, “a true community leader.”

Taylor not only launched the Downtown Churches United’s Walk Against Hunger, which was later named in his honor, he received numerous medals and honors including the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal and Army Commendation Medal. He was also presented with the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award, an honor he shares with former President Gerald Ford and former astronaut Neil Armstrong.

He helped launch the local Howard Baugh chapter for Tuskegee Airmen in 1972 in Petersburg.

The chapter met at his home. The Petersburg chapter was named after the late Howard Baugh, a Petersburg native who was a WWII fi ghter pilot and an original Tuskegee Airman who rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel.

Taylor is survived by his wife, Ann, and his children and grandchildren.

“He’s a true, true dedicated, patriotic American. It really meant a lot to him to serve his country,” said his wife, Ann Taylor, when her husband received the 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Howard Baugh Chapter of Tuskegee Airmen, Inc.

Funeral arrangements are being managed by J.M. Wilkerson Funeral Establishment Inc.

Court Continued from page 1A Congress must pass legislation to revitalize the Voting Rights Act to ensure that the will of American voters matters –not just the will of those already in power.”

The case, Alexander v. South Carolina State Conference of the N.A.A.C.P., No. 22-807, presented a complex challenge of distinguishing the roles of race and partisanship in drawing voting maps, especially as Black voters predominantly support Democrats. A unanimous three-judge panel of the Federal District Court in Columbia, S.C., had ruled in early 2023 that the state’s First Congressional District, drawn after the 2020 census, violated the Constitution by prioritizing race. However, the Supreme Court’s ruling now overturns that decision.

The lower court had held its decision while Republican lawmakers appealed to the Supreme Court, with the parties urging a resolution by January 1. After the deadline passed, the panel ruled in March that the 2024 election would proceed under the contested map, acknowledging practical constraints. “With the primary election procedures rapidly approaching, the appeal before the Supreme Court still pending and no remedial plan in place,” the panel wrote, “the ideal must bend to the practical.”

The disputed district, centered in Charleston, has been a Republican stronghold since 1980, except for 2018.

The 2020 race was notably close, leading Republican lawmakers to strengthen the district’s Republican tilt postcensus. The judges ruled that this goal was achieved by “bleaching AfricanAmerican voters out of the Charleston County portion of Congressional District No. 1,” moving 62 percent of Black voters to the Sixth District, represented by James E. Clyburn, a Black Democrat.

Republican lawmakers admitted that the district was redrawn for partisan gains, but challengers, represented by

– Devon Ombres

the ACLU and NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, argued that race was the primary factor. “That predominant reliance on race is impermissible even if mapmakers used race as a proxy for politics,” their brief stated.

Justice Elena Kagan, joined by the court’s other liberal justices, dissented. Kagan contended that the ruling encourages state lawmakers to use race as a proxy for partisan objectives. “Go right ahead, this Court says to States today. Go ahead, though you have no recognized justification for using race, such as to comply with statutes ensuring equal voting rights,” Kagan wrote. “Go ahead, though you are (at best) using race as a shortcut to bring about partisan gains – to elect more Republicans in one case, more Democrats in another.” Due to the South Carolina case’s reliance on the equal protection clause of the Constitution, it differs from a comparable Alabama case that is subject to the Voting Rights Act. Ombres underscored the broader implications, stating, “Congress must pass legislation to revitalize the Voting Rights Act to ensure that the will of American voters matters – not just the will of those already in power.”

PROFESSOR EMERITUS OF SOCIOLOGY

VIRGINIA TECH

CARRTOON By Walt Carr BROWN NEGATIVE FALLOUT

By Wornie Reed, Ph.D.

The Brown v. Board decision, made 70 years ago this month, outlawed racial segregation in schools and, in the process, overturned the 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson ruling that had brought about formal segregation. Thus, it was a monumental ruling, setting several civil rights bills in motion.

However, the Brown decision had some harmful consequences. By ruling that all Black schools were inherently inferior to White schools, it set in motion the closing of many Black schools, many that were inferior and many that were not. This inferior designation was carried over to the Black teachers, which was invalid.

After many years of resistance and then footdragging, the public school systems began its “integration” by firing many experienced, highly credentialled Black educators who had staffed the Black schools. Before Brown, an estimated 35 percent to 50 percent of the teaching workforce in the 17 states with segregated school systems were Black. After Brown, the proportion of Black teachers was reduced to less than 10 percent.

Former Howard University Dean of Education Leslie Fenwick argues that Blacks had played by the rules. They went North and got their graduate education – since the states did not provide it to Blacks in the South. They came back and were underpaid compared to White teachers with fewer qualifications. And then many were fired. The firing of Black schoolteachers had at least two devastating impacts on Black communities in the South. The first negative impact was on education.

At the time of Brown, nearly 75 percent of Black professionals were educators, either teachers or principals. Tens of thousands of Black educators losing their jobs caused about a $1 billion economic cut.

Because education was one of the only wellrespected career paths open to Blacks, there were many well-trained and talented Black teachers.

The presence of skillful teachers resulted in many all-Black schools being places where children received an excellent academic education. The White people in charge of education in the counties knew about these talented teachers. I used to joke about this by pointing out that integration finally started in my small town in Alabama by moving two of the highly heralded Black teachers and not firing them. Instead, the White administrators of the school system moved them to the White elementary school. Despite the large numbers of talented African-Americans in the national teaching force before the Brown case, that situation changed drastically after 1954. The loss of a generation of exceptionally credentialed and effective educators was virtually traumatic for Black students. The trauma was Black students finding themselves in previously all-White segregated schools without models of intellectual authority in teachers or leadership authority in principals.

A second negative impact of the Brown decision on Black communities was economic. At the time of Brown, nearly 75 percent

of Black professionals were educators, either teachers or principals. Tens of thousands of Black educators losing their jobs caused about a $1 billion economic cut.

Further, schoolteachers were often leaders in their communities, for example, working in NAACP chapters and pushing for voting rights. Of course, some of the dismissals of teachers and principals resulted from resentment by the local White power structures.

These Black teachers and principals could not readily get other Whitecollar jobs. An oft-told story about a Black principal underscores the trauma of the dismissal of teachers and principals.

The story: A Black man loses his principalship and ends up working in a factory. There, he encounters some of his students who are working in this factory, students he had encouraged to finish high school so they could go to college and get a good job. And here he is, working alongside school dropouts in a very menial job despite having done all the right things about self-improvement.

Black educators stood as examples of how there was a way to be educated and obtain a working service to their community. However, massive firings troubled that notion and negatively impacted future generations who would become teachers and principals.

HOW CLEAN ENERGY NAYSAYERS HELP CHINA AND HURT AMERICAN WORKERS

By Ben Jealous (TRICEEDNEYWIRE.COM)

Electric vehicles (EVs) are the future of transportation. As a driver of an (Americanmade) electric vehicle myself, I know firsthand the amount of money I have already saved compared to when I drove the gas-powered version of the same model. And that is before considering the benefit to our air quality, the climate, and how fun it is to drive.

But roughly 60 percent of electric vehicles sold worldwide are made by China. That is compared to just eight percent for American EVs. Moreover, Chinese sales continue to increase at a faster rate –79 percent compared to 55 percent for American EVs between 2021 and 2022.

Of course, part of the reason for this is the low prices of Chinese models. And part of the reason those low prices are possible is that the Chinese government has not exactly played fair – heavily subsidizing the industry in order to maintain its market dominance. But another reason China is so competitive is because of its domestic supply chain, especially localized battery production.

US policymakers and our big automakers are finally waking up to the urgency of investing in EVs. As they are

with solar and wind energy and battery manufacturing. But these staples of the next economy have their detractors – primarily the fossil fuel industry and the politicians and media outlets that often act as their mouthpieces. It goes further than that though. A big part of the naysayers’ messaging strategy is to inflame fears about economic and social change. Tuning into networks like FOX News and One America News Network, it is not uncommon to get a taste of the disinformation campaign against EVs and other clean energy solutions. They wrongly portray policies meant to reduce carbon emissions and other pollution – especially cars and consumer appliances –as an attack on consumers “freedom.” They also appeal to a general nostalgia for “the good old days” when no one was asked to think about

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

Marcus Garvey, SoJourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, Fannie Lou Hamer, Medgar Evers, Ida B. Wells, Dr. M.L. King, Jr. --even John Brown, a white man, worked so hard because they believed that one day, America would live up to her name for “We the People” that would include all of us – that America would come to be better than she began.

All these years later, we’re still struggling for justice.

For several months now, I have come to know who Marilyn Mosby is, who Fani Willis is, who Kim Gardner is, who Kim Fox is, who Aramis Ayala is, who Leticia James is when she says “No one is above the law.” We know that list of Black women being both persecuted, prosecuted and undermined for doing their jobs. We women understood the problems our people faced and went to law school. Most of us graduated with high honors, and came out of law school determined to bring some manner of justice to our people. While I didn’t spend a lot of time in the courtroom, in every job I’ve worked, I’ve given a full measure to all I did to better somebody’s life.

Those I’ve named here, and I know there are more, have been brilliant in the work they’ve tried to do.

Somehow, a system that finds every way to tell us we don’t belong, and sadly the system continues to knock some of our best and brightest down to remind our sisters that no matter how hard we work, we must be careful because there’s always someone lurking around just waiting to figure out a way to allow us to go only so far.

In China, even green manufacturing is dirty. The building of products like EVs and solar panels is powered mostly by coal.

energy efficiency or climate warming pollution.

Most Americans know, however, that we cannot afford to bury our heads in the sand. It would not only be a road to ruin for our climate but would also prevent American competitiveness in the global economy and be a disaster for American workers.

Right now, we are seeing the beginning of a green jobs boom and the rebirth of the American manufacturing sector. It is thanks to decisive actions by the Biden administration – from legislation like the Inflation Reduction Act, the bipartisan infrastructure law, and the CHIPS and Science Act to the recently announced tariffs. I wrote about it recently as President Biden’s antiNAFTA moment. This is the way we will win the next economy. see Energy, page 5A

By Julianne Malveaux (TRICEEDNEYWIRE.COM)

I was blessed to visit my hometown from May 17 through May 19, blessed to join a stellar group of twentyfive women who graced the front page of the San Francisco Sun Reporter during Women’s History Month. These were sisters who are making a difference, from elected officials like Mayor London Breed and District Attorney Brooke Jenkins, to legendary television personalities like Pam Moore and Carolyn Tylor. The room at the Filmore Center was filled with power and enthusiasm, anchored by Sun Reporter publisher Amelia Ashley-Ward, whose joy and appreciation for the women she featured in her paper was palpable.

My role? Simply to offer a keynote recognizing women and lifting us up. That might have been one of the easiest assignments I’ve had in a while. It was also a blessing that we were able to give away dozens of my book, Surviving and Thriving: 365 Facts in Black Economic History. Between the event at the Filmore Center on Friday and the book signing at the Sun Reporter offices on Saturday, my cup ran over so much that a saucer couldn’t handle my feelings.

I am so proud of Mayor London Breed, my sorority sister, and an impactful leader. It was informative

Working on the case against Marilyn Mosby, I found there’s a limit to what the system will allow Black women to do. Marilyn was selectively prosecuted for doing her job in daring to prosecute rogue police officers for crimes against our people. I know anger can consume and destroy us, so I chose to work to make a difference. The system has so damaged some of our people to the point they’re afraid to stand up for what some call controversial. Maybe they are afraid and chose to work behind the scene. Many of us with far less clout have worked day and night to get to where the case is now. We don’t plan to quit until President Biden pardons Marilyn, until she gets her bar credentials back, and gets her property back and is made whole. That is under appeal.

I Left My Heart In San Francisco

and important to hear her outline her accomplishments as Mayor – too many women are reluctant to toot their own horns.

The Filmore Center is testament to the mayor’s leadership, and to her recognition of the AfricanAmerican legacy in San Francisco. The lease on the center is held by the Westside Community Health Care, ably led by Dr. Mary Ann Jones, a sister whose work on trauma is global.

Another of the key players in San Francisco is Dr. Sheryl Davis, who leads the City’s Human Rights Commission, which includes the City’s reparations work. Imagine all this woman power in one room!

Of course, there were a few good men, including Mayor Willie Brown, who is enthusiastically supportive of Mayor Breed, and Timothy Simon, a civic powerhouse recently led the California Black Chamber of Commerce. Ace Washington,

who I worked with “back in the day,” was there helping, as he always has, moving chairs, helping people to their tables and being the all-around good guy that he has always been. While I was working, I was also walking down memory lane, and marinating in the memories. Whenever my plane lands in San Francisco, as I see the water I get choked up with nostalgia. I left San Francisco thirty years ago, but I still identify myself as a San Francisco woman. I still bristle when our city is referred to as “Frisco.” We are worth all the syllables. And we are blessed to have London Breed as our mayor. She describes herself as a child of the projects, raised by her grandmother. Her lived experience brings a depth of policy knowledge that her melanin-deficient opponents in this mayor’s race do not have. see S.F., page 5A We began believing it was possible to eliminate that proposed 40-year prison term. As it turned out the 40 years went down to 100 hours of community

Ltc. Tyrone Bost was our leader and he worked so hard that it gave the rest of us energy to work another day. We arrived at the court at 9 a.m. EST. and we were there until 5 p.m. The wait was well worth it. see Stops, page 5A

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

Julianne Malveaux

Ben Jealous

TO BE EQUAL RUSSIAN TROLLS ARE BACK TO DISRUPT U.S. ELECTIONS

By Marc H. Morial CEO National Urban League (TRICEEDNEYWIRE.COM)

“Russia remains the most active foreign threat to our elections. The Russian government’s goals in such influence operations tend to include eroding trust in U.S. democratic institutions, exacerbating sociopolitical divisions in the United States, and degrading western support to Ukraine. Russia relies on a vast multimedia influence apparatus, which consists of its intelligence services, cyber actors, state media, proxies, and social media trolls. Moscow most likely views such operations as a means to tear down the United States as its perceived primary adversary, enabling Russia to promote itself as a great power.”

– U.S. Director of National Intelligence

In the spring of 2019, the National Urban League’s State of Black America report was the first to highlight the extent of Russian efforts to deceive, manipulate

Energy

Continued from page 4A

Just look at Illinois, where a $2 billion EV battery facility in Manteno will produce 2,600 new goodpaying jobs. Lion Electric’s new plant in Joliet, IL will produce about 20,000 electric school buses and trucks a year, employ hundreds of

and exploit Black voters in the 2016 presidential election. Five months later, a Senate Intelligence Committee report confirmed our findings: Russian trolls targeted Black Americans more than any other group to dissuade them from voting.

Now, as the 2024 presidential election approaches, the Russians are at it again, armed with new technology and new techniques.

Videos, spewing disinformation, with voices and images manipulated by artificial intelligence, are the medium of choice for Russian operatives. Falsely represented as the work of independent journalists or

workers, and is the first new vehicle assembly plant in the Chicago area since 1965. EV manufacturer Rivian, which already employs about 8,000 people in Bloomington and Normal, IL, is expanding its production in the state. And one of the outcomes of last year’s strike by the United Auto Workers (UAW) is the reopening of Stellantis’s plant in Belvidere, IL which was idled in February 2023 but now will produce EVs and bring at least 1,300 jobs

Key to Russia’s disruptive plan is the promotion of racial strife and the suppression of Black votes.

whistle-blowers, the videos are considered more likely thank simple blog or social media posts to enter the mainstream discourse.

Though the tactics are new, the goal remains the same: the election of Donald Trump and the implementation of Trump’s pro-Russia policies. Trump has said he would encourage Russia to do “whatever the hell they want” to our NATO allies who don’t meet defense spending guidelines. He would end U.S. support for Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s invasion.

Key to Russia’s disruptive plan is the promotion of racial strife and the suppression of Black votes.

“By far, race and related issues were the preferred target of the information warfare campaign designed to divide the country in 2016,” the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee concluded.

“Some of the videos featured expressly voter suppressive content intended to dissuade African-American voters from participating in the 2016 presidential election,” the committee found.

Russia continued to target Black Americans through the 2020 presidential election. Our best defense against disinformation, national security experts say, is identifying and publicizing the propaganda push.

“The great antidote to all of this is being able to shine a light on it,” former NSA director Gen. Paul M. Nakasone told the Senate Intelligence Committee. “If they are trying to influence or interfere in our elections, we should make it as hard as possible for them.”

Of Russian operatives’ top 10 Instagram accounts, five were focused on African-American issues and audiences. Their Twitter content was “heavily focused on hot-button issues with racial undertones such as the NFL kneeling protests.” And 96 percent of their YouTube content was targeted at racial issues and police brutality.

back to that community. In addition to the federal action mentioned above, this EV boom in Illinois is being helped by state initiatives like Governor JB Pritzker’s Reimagining Energy and Vehicles incentive package.

Elsewhere in the Midwest, the Department of Commerce just reached a preliminary deal with the company Polar to expand and modernize its semiconductor manufacturing in Bloomington, Minnesota. A battery manufacturing boom throughout the Southeast now has that region being referred to as the “Battery Belt.”

And domestic solar is also helping to revitalize manufacturing in the South. The Qcells solar panel plants in Dalton and Cartersville, Georgia, are soon expected to employ nearly 4,000 people. In China, even green

Stops

Continued from page 4A

Upon arrival at the court, I saw so many already there –some on crutches and walking sticks. As my friend Dick Gregory would say, “They were walking the way they do when they’re going to the liquor store or to get their lottery tickets!”

manufacturing is dirty. The building of products like EVs and solar panels is powered mostly by coal. And the production of raw materials for those products – like aluminum and steel – is rife with toxic pollution. In the US, by contrast, the transition towards powering our electric grids and industries with clean energy sources is well underway. And new manufacturing methods are making materials like aluminum cleaner than ever to produce. Add to that the boom in good American jobs, and it is clear that moving manufacturing and supply chains for the next economy to our shores is a win-winwin for the United States. Ben Jealous is the Executive Director of the Sierra Club and a Professor of Practice at the University of Pennsylvania.

Please go to http://www. justiceformarilynmosby.com/. Fill the petition to get a pardon for Marilyn. President Biden has the authority to do it, and it’s up to us to, as another President once said, “Make him do it.”

Black people played the biggest role getting him in the White House. Let’s keep him reminded.

Dr. E. Faye Williams is President of TheDickGregorySociety.com

The night before the sentencing, my good friends Dr. Stephanie Myers, Dr. Barbara Reynolds and others from Black Women for Positive Change held a prayer vigil. We began believing it was possible to eliminate that proposed 40-year prison term. As it turned out the 40 years went down to 100 hours of community service! That was no challenge for Marilyn because she’d already been doing that!

S.F.

Continued from page 4A

But she should not be reelected simply because she is a Black woman who grew up in the projects. She should be reelected because she is policy-superior, because she is determined to serve ALL the city, but especially the least and left out.

A millionaire whose mama is prepared to fund his campaign isn’t focused that way. Neither is a so-called progressive who embraces the NIMBY (not in my back yard) philosophy. NIMBY won’t help with rising rents or the homeless situation.

NIMBY is backward thinking.

San Francisco used to be one of the most progressive cities in the nation. We are a city who elected the iconic Senator Dianne Feinstein in the wake of tragedy, the city that produced our current Vice-President, the city that elected Willie Brown as Mayor, the city that elected Ed Lee, who preceded

London Breed as Mayor. Some of the anti-Blackness in this current campaign belies our city’s progressive roots. The power in the room at the Filmore Center can repel these repulsive sentiments. I came to San Francisco on the heels of the victory of Angela Alsobrooks, who wrestled the Democratic nomination from David Trone, the billionaire bully who thought he could buy himself a Senate seat. Some say Angela’s double-digit win over an opponent who spent more than $60 million of his money on the race, is an example of “Black Girl Magic.” Nope! Angela worked hard for her victory, there was no magic dust! Like Angela Alsobrooks, Mayor London Breed has worked hard. She deserves reelection. And my time at home reminded me how much I love my city. What a wonderful walk down memory lane!

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

Marc H. Morial

A JUNETEENTH LEGACY:

SHOVE-OFF DAY FROM VIRGINIA

By New Journal and Guide Staff

HOPEWELL, VA

The National Juneteenth Observance Foundation (NJOF) in partnership with the National Park Service hosted the second “Shove Off Day” at City Point in Hopewell, Virginia on May 25.

Last year, the National Park Service hosted the first “Shove Off Day,” bringing widespread national attention for the first time to the role of Virginia in the storied history that surrounds Juneteenth.

This year, a bigger “Shove Off Day” celebration took place that was witnessed by many, including a busload of guests from Hampton Roads sponsored by the Chesapeake Juneteenth Foundation, founded by Ernest Lowery.

Included in the 2024 activities were a Juneteenth Flag Raising Ceremony performed by U.S. Colored Troops (USCT) reenactors from several states; guest speakers sharing the USCT’s stories; and Tours of City Point and Appomattox Plantation where Union Gen. Ulysses Grant set up headquarters during the concluding days of the Civil War.

Among guest speakers were Virginia’s Lt. Governor Winsome Sears; Steve Williams, the National President of the NJOF; and Calvin Pearson of Hampton and founder of Project 1619, Inc.

Exactly what is “ShoveOff Day” and why was it an important untold piece of Black History until recently?

“Shove Off Day is just one of the many stories that make up the legacy and the full glory of Emancipation and the effect on all that share this land and beyond,” the NJOF said in its press material.

On May 25, 1865, several thousand Union soldiers having served during the Civil War departed (shovedoff) from the shores of the converging James and Appomattox Rivers at City Point, Va. (now Hopewell) where the May 25th ceremony was held. Their purpose was to close out the Civil War, liberate the Black population, and execute a secret mission on the US/Mexico border to defend the United States from Emperor Maxmilian. Included in their ranks were several regiments of the U.S. Colored Troops (USCT) who had fought valiantly for the Union during the Civil War.

When their ship ran into a storm in the Gulf of Mexico, they were forced to land at Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865. What they found there

was a population of Black people still being held in bondage despite having gained their freedom with President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation and the end of the Civil War..

According to USCT historian Darron Charles Overby of Washington, D.C., who spoke during the May 25 Shove-Off Day observance, the bonded Black men and women knew they had been set free but were disempowered and not equipped to act in their own defense. The arrival of the U.S. Colored Troops who intervened on their behalf made enforcement of the federal law and their freedom possible.

More than 4,000 USCT soldiers were on the island that June 19th day and were present and equipped to enforce the news of freedom they delivered to those still enslaved. General Order #3 by Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger and signed by F.W. Emery was posted on the door of the Colored Church (present-day Reedy Chapel) informing them of their “Absolute Equality.”

What resulted led to the observance named Juneteenth (June 19th) which is today a federal holiday. Over the years, history has marked June 19th as the African-American Emancipation Day. Today, the official handwritten General Order #3 is preserved at the National Archives Building in Washington, D.C. Juneteenth’s annual observance has spread

across the United States and beyond. It became an official federal holiday in 2021 and is observed by most U.S. states.

“Shove Off Day” is now part of the official Juneteenth calendar for The National Juneteenth Observance Foundation (NJOF) which advocated more than 25 years for the recognition of Juneteenth before the signing of the federal holiday legislation in 2021.

The observance was free and open to the public.

Allphotosby ErnestLowery FounderandDirector ofChesapeake JuneteenthFoundation

GENERAL ORDER NO. 3

Posted on the door of the Colored Church (present day Reedy Chapel) in Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865.

The people are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property, between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them, become that between employer and hired labor. The freed are advised to remain at their present homes, and work for wages. They are informed that they will not be allowed to collect at military posts; and that they will not be supported in idleness either there or elsewhere.

By order of Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger Signed F.W Emery Major A.A. Genl

The official handwritten record of General Order No. 3, is preserved at the National Archives Building in Washington, D.C.

Malcolm X

Continued from page 1A

Now, JoAnna LeFloreEjike is the executive director of the Malcolm X Foundation, She is a University of Nebraska graduate who assumed the post in February 2023. She resides in North Omaha with her husband and newborn daughter. At the recent unveiling ceremony, LeFlore-Ejike said, “He evolved into the human rights hero we know and love today.”

LeFlore-Ejike’s involvement with the Malcolm X Memorial Foundation stretches back to age 12, when she first enrolled in dance classes at the foundation, which is located on a multi-acre campus that includes a memorial, visitors center, and community vegetable gardens. It sponsors programs and events. It is located at 3448 Evans St., one block from the home where Malcolm was born on Pinkney Street. LeFlore-Ejike, the foundation’s new executive director, also served at the foundation for several decades as a

longtime volunteer board member, as well as vice president.

“Early on I was a nerd for Black history, Black studies,”LeFlore-Ejike said in a 2022 interview in NOISE, a community-led news organization that aims to address the information gap within North Omaha, according to its website.

“My mama [Angela LeFlore] had the Autobiography of Malcolm X readily available to read at home,” LeFloreEjike said. “Her old copy was the first I picked up. She had books by Terry McMillan, Iyanla Vanzant, Maya (Angelou). I was

so exposed to how Black people have celebrated each other through the art of writing.”

While Gov. Jim Pillen recently proclaimed May 22 as Malcolm X Day in Nebraska, the effort to induct Malcom X into Nebraska’s Hall of Fame dates back to 2004. Considered too controversial, he was consistently rejected as a Hall of Fame nominee until his name was approved in September 2022, according to news reports.

“Malcolm X used the lessons he learned early in life and his intellectual power, dedication and perseverance in the fight for

freedom and equality for all during the civil rights movement in America,” commission chairman Ron Hull said when Malcolm X was announced as a Hall of Fame inductee on Sept. 12, 2022. “His work and his legacy continue to impact the citizens of the world.”

This past March, The Nebraska Legislature passed a bill to recognize the civil rights icon every May 19, the day Malcolm X was born Malcolm Little in Omaha, in 1925.

The legislation falls short of declaring the day a state holiday, which was introduced in a bill by Omaha Sen. Terrell

McKinney — one of two Black members of the Nebraska Legislature. McKinney’s bill failed to gain traction mainly because of objections to the projected cost of more than $500,000 a year to declare a state holiday. That cost comes from holiday pay for state workers. Instead, McKinney added an amendment to a bill that declares Oct. 17 as Missing Persons Day. The amendment recognizes May 19 as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, Malcolm X Day, to allow Nebraska schools to hold exercises to recognize the civil rights icon.

Carl Adams Historian Calvin Pearson Founder of Project 1619, Inc.

Darron Charles Overby

Hampton Roads guests

Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears

NJG Publisher Brenda H. Andrews

Steve Williams National President of NJOF

U.S. Colored Troops reenactors

U.S. Colored Troops reenactors

U.S. Park Ranger Eric Schreiner

Cannon

Contestants for Miss Juneteenth

JUNETEENTH COMMUNITY DAY AT D.C.’S NAT’L MUSEUM AFRICANAMERICAN HISTORY & CULTURE

WASHINGTON, D.C.

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of AfricanAmerican History and Culture (NMAAHC) is celebrating the Juneteenth holiday with a special Community Day and “A Seat at the Table” evening program Saturday, June 15. The public is invited to join the museum’s Juneteenth celebration – during the entire month of June – and embrace the rich history of Freedom Day each week.

“Juneteenth is a time to celebrate freedom – both its promise and the enduring legacy of those who valiantly sought to realize it,” said Kevin Young, NMAAHC’s director. “As we look to this form of living history, this now-federal holiday reminds us of the joy and struggle of the past as well as the possibilities of the future.”

Juneteenth Community Day on Saturday, June 15 is themed “Freedom, Movement, and Migration.” This special day will offer educational, and cultural programs designed to enrich understanding and honor the legacy of freedom, movement and migration.

Activities and events begin at 11 a.m. with Juneteenth Storytime which repeats at 2:30 p.m.. Also, from noon to 2 p.m., Crafts of Juneteenth will allow participants to design their own Juneteenth

flag and create art based on the life and works of artist, veteran and fish pepper seed enthusiast, Horace Pippin. All ages are welcome. A program presenting the Buffalo Soldiers from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and again 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. will instruct on the 19th- and 20th-Century allBlack regiments’ pivotal role in supporting the nation’s westward expansion,. It will feature representatives from the U.S. Forest Service and the Buffalo Soldiers, Greater Washington, D.C. Chapter, 9th and 10th Cavalry Association.

Other activities are the Juneteenth Chef’s Table and Book Signing (noon to 2 p.m.) featuring renowned vegan chef and food activist Bryant Terry; running concurrent with Mixology of Juneteenth (noon to 2 p.m.) where participants can join a mocktail workshop to create drinks, including hibiscus “Red Drink,” and mint lemonade, using fresh ingredients from NMAAHC’s Pippin Garden.

At 3 p.m., the Juneteenth Soundstage will present live jazz performances by Alphonso Horne and the Gotham Kings with a focus on the role of jazz as a symbol of movement, migration and resilience.

Later that evening at 6:45 p.m., the museum will present A Seat at the Table: A Juneteenth Conversation with Bryant Terry and Kevin Young .

This event will explore African-American cuisine through the lens of migration, identity and resilience.

Attendees will be offered a special plant-based meal curated by Bryant Terry, designed to celebrate the vibrancy and diversity of African-American cuisine and Juneteenth.

There is a $40 fee and registration is required for the evening event.

For more information, the full schedule and to register for the event, visit the museum’s website at nmaahc.edu.

Chesapeake Juneteenth Foundation

Tickets: $50 Tables: $500

For information, call Ernest Lowery (757) 737-2180

Photo: CourtesyofX(FormerTwitter)

AMERICA’S FIRST BLACK ASTRONAUT TRAINEE, REACHES SPACE AT 90

By Stacy M. Brown Senior National Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia

NNPA NEWSWIRE

Ed Dwight, the pioneering AfricanAmerican who came close to becoming America’s first Black astronaut six decades ago, achieved his long-awaited journey into space at the age of 90. On Sunday, May 19, Dwight, along with five crewmates, soared aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket.

The liftoff from Blue Origin’s West Texas launch site was the company’s first passenger flight in nearly two years. This approximately 10-minute suborbital flight etched Dwight’s name in history as the oldest person to reach space, surpassing Star Trek actor William Shatner, who held the record at age 90 until Dwight’s journey.

Dwight’s fellow passengers included venture capitalist Mason Angel, French craft brewery founder Sylvain Chiron, entrepreneur Kenneth Hess, aviator Gopi Thotakura, and retired accountant Carol Schaller. Together, they experienced a brief but transformative journey as the rocket ascended over 347,000 feet, crossing the Kármán line, the internationally recognized boundary of space. After a few moments of weightlessness, the New Shepard booster landed smoothly near the launch site, with the crew capsule following under two of its three parachutes.

Emerging from the capsule, Dwight expressed his elation, shaking his fists in triumph. “Fantastic! A life-changing experience.

Everyone needs to do this!” he exclaimed. Reflecting on the experience, he added, “I didn’t know I needed this in my life, but now I need it in my life.”

In the 1960s, Dwight, then an Air Force captain, was fast-tracked for space flight following President John F. Kennedy’s call for a Black astronaut. Despite his top-half graduation from a prestigious test pilot school, he was passed over for astronaut selection. His autobiography, “Soaring On The Wings Of A Dream: The Untold Story of America’s First Black Astronaut Candidate,” recounts that challenging period.

Following his Air Force tenure, Dwight became a celebrated sculptor, specializing in depictions of historic African-American figures. “I’ve got bragging rights now,” Dwight told NPR post-launch. “All these years, I’ve been called an astronaut, but now I have a little [astronaut] pin, which is a totally different matter.”

Recalling the flight, Dwight remarked on the pronounced curvature of the Earth at their altitude.

“That line between the atmosphere and space – it was like somebody pulled the curtains down over the windows.”

The cost of Dwight’s ticket was shared among Blue Origin, Space for Humanity, and the Jaison and Jamie Robinson Family Foundation. Reflecting on his achievement, Dwight expressed his eagerness for further space exploration.

“I want to go into orbit. I want to go around the Earth and see the whole Earth. That’s what I want to do now,” he said. Born in 1933 on the outskirts of Kansas City, Kansas, Dwight grew up under the guidance of his mother, Georgia Baker Dwight, who instilled in him the belief that he could achieve anything. An avid reader and talented artist, Dwight pursued an aviation career, joining the United States Air Force in 1953 and earning a degree in Aeronautical Engineering from Arizona State University.

Selected as the first Negro astronaut trainee in 1962, Dwight’s journey was marred by discrimination and political setbacks, leading to his resignation in 1966.

Transitioning to a career in art, Dwight received a Master of Fine Arts and established himself as a renowned sculptor. His works, including monuments to the Underground Railroad and memorials to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and George Washington Williams, have earned a permanent place in American cultural history.

When asked what he’d like to do for an encore, Dwight told NPR he’d like a second trip into space.

“I want to go around the Earth and see the whole Earth,” he proclaimed. “That’s what I want to do now.”

Ed Dwight

Ed Dwight finally achieved his dream of reaching space at the age of 90 by flying a Blue Origin rocket in a history-making suborbital flight.

The Important Steps To Owning A Home & Building Wealth

By Sheryl Merritt (TRICEEDNEYWIRE.COM)

The most effective way for African-Americans to build wealth is through homeownership. But so many families ask, where do you start when you want to buy a home?

The National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB) broadly provides this information so more Black families can enjoy the benefits of homeownership and create intergenerational wealth. The journey of becoming a homeowner, especially for the first time, can be both exhilarating and daunting. It’s crucial to approach this process with a well-structured plan. Here are a few essential steps every first-time homebuyer should consider:

STEP 1:

• Prepare for Buying Home: Before looking at potential homes, it’s essential to have a clear picture of your financial health. This includes reviewing your credit score, understanding your income, and identifying your budget for buying a home.

• Here are some tips:

– A good credit score for purchasing a home typically falls within the range of 620 to 850. Scores above 720 are considered excellent and may enable borrowers to access the best interest rates and loan terms. However, individuals with scores at the lower end of this spectrum can still qualify for a mortgage, though they might face higher interest

Mosby

Continued from page 2A

Instead, ruling that Mosby must surrender the assets gained through “her crimes.” The judge did allow Mosby to collect back more than $40,000 that she used as a down payment for the Longboat Key condo, but the mortgage of $428,000 was fraudulently obtained.

While the government argued that Mosby should not be entitled to any of the condo’s appreciated value – it has swelled hundreds of thousands of dollars since it was purchased – she said Mosby could recover 10 percent since that matched the proportion of the down payment.

Griggsby said there “has been a significant harm to the public because of Mrs. Mosby’s role at the time as both an elected official and an officer of the court.”

Political strategist Shermichael Singleton questioned the basis of Mosby’s prosecution.

“Was there a victim? Did any agency suffer financial loss? Did Mosby use public funds?” he asked, rhetorically. Answering “no” to each, Singleton argued that Mosby should not have been charged, let alone prosecuted. “I keep posting about this because this shows how screwed up our justice system is and how prosecutors have too much power and discretion,” Singleton

rates. It’s important to note that while your credit score is a crucial factor, lenders will also consider other aspects of your financial situation, including your debt-to-income ratio, employment history, and the size of your down payment.

– Improving your credit score will help you secure a mortgage and potentially save thousands of dollars in interest over the life of your loan. To maintain or improve your credit score, make sure to pay all bills on time, keep credit card balances low, and avoid unnecessarily opening new lines of credit. It’s also important to regularly check your credit report for errors and dispute any inaccuracies that could negatively impact your score.

– Ultimately, having a good credit score can open up opportunities for homeownership and save you money in the long run. So, whether you’re currently in the market for a home or just planning for the future, taking steps to improve your credit score is a smart financial move.

Remember, your credit

added.

Federal prosecutors argued that Mosby deserved prison because, unlike others convicted of white-collar crimes, she expressed no remorse or contrition and tried to delegitimize the case against her. They recommended a 20-month prison sentence for Mosby, who served two terms as the state’s attorney for Baltimore and lost a reelection bid after her 2022 indictment.”

Mosby applied for a presidential pardon earlier this month. In a letter to President Joe Biden, the Congressional Black Caucus expressed support for her cause. “As a nation that leads by example, our justice system must not be weaponized to prevent progress toward a more perfect union,” wrote Rep. Steven Horsford, a Nevada Democrat who chairs the CBC.

“We share your desire for racial equity, Mr. President and this Trumpera prosecution is in direct conflict with a justice system that serves us all.”

Hire a Real Estate Professional who can offer invaluable assistance in navigating the home-buying process.

score is just one piece of the puzzle when it comes to getting approved for a mortgage. Still, it’s an important one that can significantly impact your borrowing power and the overall cost of homeownership.

STEP 2:

• Hire a Real Estate Professional: A knowledgeable real estate agent, such as a Realtist from the NAREB, can offer invaluable assistance in navigating the home-buying process. They can help you find homes that match your criteria, advise on the offer process, and negotiate with sellers.

• Securing A Mortgage Pre-Approval: A preapproval from a lender gives you the advantage of knowing exactly how much you can afford.

– Lenders will require certain documents to verify your financial information, such as pay stubs, tax returns, and bank statements.

Research lenders: Shop around and compare

different lenders to find one that offers competitive rates and terms that suit your needs.

STEP 3:

Fill out an application with your chosen lender and provide all necessary documents to begin preapproval.

– The lender will review your application and documents and determine if you qualify for a mortgage pre-approval.

– If approved, the lender will provide a pre-approval letter stating the amount you can borrow.

– Keep in mind that a preapproval is not a mortgage guarantee, but it puts you in a stronger position when making offers on homes.

Remember, the preapproval is typically valid for a certain period, usually 60 to 90 days, so it’s important to start your home search soon after receiving it. Finally, maintain your financial stability during this period by avoiding new debt.

STEP 4:

Determine Your Preferences and Needs: Find the right neighborhood, quality of local schools, distance from your job, availability of public transportation, recreational activities, shopping, and places of worship.

• Shop for your new Home: Seeing a variety of homes in person gives a better understanding of what is available in your price range and what features you value most.

• Make an Offer on a Home: Once you’ve found a home that meets your needs and fits within your budget, your agent will assist you in making a competitive offer based on current market conditions.

STEP 5:

• Apply for Your Mortgage: Explore all the loan options. It’s essential to understand the different types of mortgage loans available to you. These may include fixedrate mortgages, adjustablerate mortgages (ARMs), FHA loans, VA loans, and others. Even with your pre-approval, you’ll need to provide additional documentation, including:

– Proof of income

– Two years of W-2s and/or

tax returns. – Source of funds, with one to two months of complete bank statements. Documentation of any large deposits, gifts, and liquidation of any assets.

STEP 6:

• Schedule a Home Inspection and Appraisal: The lender will likely arrange the inspection, appraisal, and a final walkthrough inspection.

• Close on Your Home: If all goes well with the inspection, appraisal, and final mortgage approval, you’ll close on your home. Obtain a cashier’s check for the amount due. Call the utility companies. Welcome Home!!!

STEP 7:

• Maintain Your Mortgage: After closing, remember to budget for monthly mortgage payments, property taxes, homeowners’ insurance, and any homeowner association (HOA) fees. Staying on top of these expenses is crucial to maintaining your home and building equity over time. This NAREB

MEMORIAL DAY IN CHESAPEAKE

CHESAPEAKE

Dr. E. Curtis Alexander (left) wears the official uniform of the United States Colored Troops (USCT) who fought valiantly during the Civil War during his annual Memorial Day observance at Belles Mill in Chesapeake. Chesapeake Undersheriff David Rosario (right) pays homage to the sacred moment. more photos, page 6B

Marilyn Mosby

Photo: ErnestLowery

Building Black Wealth Blog was written by Sheryl Merritt, MBA, CEO/Broker, New Legacy Realty.

Sheryl Merritt

Free Transit Rides On Juneteenth

NORFOLK

Riding Hampton Roads

Transit (HRT) buses, light rail, ferry and paratransit will be free on June 19 in commemoration of Juneteenth.

This HRT tradition – now in its fifth year and predating Juneteenth as a state and federal holiday – honors the longestrunning African-American holiday with free-fare access to HRT’s comprehensive transit solutions throughout Hampton Roads.

“Juneteenth has long been celebrated by the AfricanAmerican community, and HRT is proud to make it easier to get around on a day marking the end of slavery in the United States,” said William

E. Harrell, President and CEO of HRT. “Connecting Hampton Roads’ diverse communities through transit ensures everyone has access to opportunities and fosters inclusivity in our region.”

Juneteenth is one of four free fare days offered by HRT. Election Day (Nov. 5 this year), Transit Equity Day (Feb. 4, 2025), and Earth Day (April 22) are also days that Hampton Roads residents can try transit at no cost.

Since Juneteenth is a state and federal holiday, HRT bus, light rail and base express services will operate on their Saturday schedules.

The Elizabeth River Ferry will continue operating on its regular weekday schedule.

Transit center information booths and public access to all administrative facilities will be closed.

HRT’s Customer Service Call Center will be available from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. by calling (757) 222-6100.

HRT’s mission is to connect Hampton Roads with transportation solutions that are reliable, safe, efficient and sustainable.

For more information on transit services, visit gohrt.com.

Beach Kicks Off African-American Music Month At Mt. Trashmore With Live Music

VIRGINIA BEACH

Celebrate the beginning of African-American Music Month with a free event showcasing the deep and timeless legacy of African-

American music, 3-5 p.m. on Saturday, June 1, at Mount Trashmore Park, 310 Edwin Drive.

The City of Virginia Beach Cultural Affairs Department, Virginia Beach History Museums, Department of Parks & Recreation, the Princess Anne County Training School/ Union Kempsville High School Alumni and Friends Association, Inc. (PACTS/ UKHS) and the Virginia African-American Cultural Center have partnered for this outdoor event.

Symphonicity, under the masterful direction of Maestro Daniel W. Boothe, will take audiences on a journey through blues, jazz, and classical compositions, weaving together the rich tapestry of African and African-American musical heritage.

A special appearance by world-renowned composer and Virginia Beach resident, Dr. Adolphus Hailstork, will highlight the program. Dr. Hailstork’s innovative work has captivated audiences worldwide with its brilliance and societal relevance.

Other performers are Akeylah Simone* and blues master Bobby Blackhat. Elisha “Cadillac” Harris and Clarence F. Nelson, Jr., from PACTS/UKHS, will emcee the event. Please feel free to bring your own blankets, chairs and tents (no tents with stakes allowed) to sit and enjoy the event. Guests are also welcome to bring their own food and drink to enjoy a picnic with the show. The event is free and open to the public. Advanced registration is encouraged at culture.virginiabeach.gov/ events.

Campaign Kickoff In Chesapeake

CHESAPEAKE

It was a cool and windy day Sunday May 19th, but the heat was on two Chesapeake candidates running for city office. Dr. Pat King for City Council and Malia Huddle for Chesapeake School Board.

Ruth E. Carter Afrofuturism Costume Design Exhibit At Jamestown

WILLIAMSBURG

The Ruth E. Carter: Afrofuturism in Costume Design Exhibit opened on May 11 at Jamestown Settlement.

If you liked the distinctive costumes that appeared in the movie, “Black Panther,” chances are you will applaud Ruth Carter’s new exhibit that will run to Dec. 1 at the Jamestown Settlement located in Williamsburg Visitors will stroll past more than 60 of Carter’s original clothing designs on display at the historical museum. They will probably pause and reflect as they take in Carter’s trailblazing costumes that appeared in acclaimed film and television productions such as “Yellowstone,” “Roots,” “Amistad,” “Malcolm X,” “Selma,” “Do the Right Thing” and “Black Panther.” Carter’s traveling exhibit features designs from 1619 to Wakanda. It was organized by Ruth Carter Costume Design and curated by Julia Long.

“Our ancestors dreamed of Afrofuturism in Jamestown,” Carter said in a recent statement. “I’m excited and honored to present.“

“Ruth E. Carter: Afrofuturism in Costume Design” is included with general admission to Jamestown Settlement: $18 for adults and $9 for ages 6-12. An annual pass offers year-round access to the special exhibition, along with daytime programs and events.

NONPROFIT CEOS –

OVERCOME THE FEAR OF ASKING

Fundraising is known for its abundance of disappointments and few successes. Don’t let that get you down. It’s just a fact of life. And you can overcome it.

Let’s say you’re a kid and you want a specific gift. What do you do? We recommend talking to those who just might give you a gift. Tell them what you want. Tell them why you want it, and how your life will be so wonderfully different once you have it. We hope you can conjure up the feelings that come with knowing you just might get what you want. Feel the feeling of knowing that people are going to come through for you.

You need this feeling when you are fundraising as a nonprofit director or CEO. You must believe that what you are asking for is important. You have to know and understand the mission, goals, values, and fundraising priorities of the organization you represent. You have to feel confident – you are not begging. And you cannot take rejection personally. If you have hesitancy, hire a consultant to coach you through the process of learning how to have a cultivation conversation, and – at the appropriate time – a

solicitation conversation.

Fundraising is a noble activity you engage in on behalf of the organization you lead. If you can’t overcome your fear of asking you are doing a disservice to your nonprofit.

Do your homework. Your ask or solicitation should be informed by knowledge of what your constituency wants, what their complaints are, and the ways in which they value you. You should have already tested and gotten proper feedback from stakeholders about your fundraising priorities. In terms of a specific ask, you need to do your personal homework to understand the prospective donor or funder you are approaching. Do you know what is important to them?

Get your house in order. Here’s a basic tenet – you can’t sell what you don’t know. Just because your organization “needs money” doesn’t mean you are ready to fundraise. You start with a written case for support that defines what you are raising money for, how much you need for specific initiatives, and what the impact will be when your fundraising is successful. You

MACARTHUR MEMORIAL

D-DAY FILM SCREENING MARKS 80TH ANNIVERSARY

NORFOLK

On Thursday, June 6, at 6:30 p.m., the MacArthur Memorial will host a screening of the documentary film The Girl Who Wore Freedom to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day. Directed and produced by award winning filmmaker Christian Taylor, The Girl Who Wore Freedom explores how the French saw – and still remember – the bravery and heroism of the American GIs who landed on the beaches of Normandy to liberate France from the Nazis. The film features interviews with French men and women who, as children, lived through the German occupation of

Normandy and later welcomed American soldiers as liberators. One contributor is the film’s namesake, Danielle “Dany” Patrix Boucherie, whose mother made her a red, white, and blue dress from parachutes, so she could “wear freedom” to honor the Allied forces at the first D-Day commemoration. Through the childhood memories of Dany and others, The Girl Who Wore Freedom highlights the deep bond between generations of the French and their American liberators.

Sponsored by Gary & Debbie Bonnewell, this film screening is free and open to the public. Registration is encouraged.

Hello and welcome to The Bridge Corner.

must practice, practice, practice your elevator speech. And you need a backup plan. If a prospective donor or funder says “no,” you need another option to put on the table that aligns with their interests and capacity. Too often the search for funding blinds a solicitor from asking for other valuable resources such as engagement, inkind resources, expertise, or introductions.

You may say to yourself, “Oh my gosh that is a lot of work! Why won’t people just give us money? We need it.”

Ah, if only life was like that. Gifts that come like manna from heaven are few and far between. You have to prepare. And that includes building the capacity and infrastructure to properly cultivate, make the ask, and follow up. You can do it, it’s all part of leadership! Comprehensive Fund Development Services. Video and phone conferencing services are always available. Let us help you grow your fundraising. Call us at (901) 522-8727 or visit www.saadandshaw.com.

Copyright 2024 –Mel and Pearl Shaw of Saad&Shaw

The hand below is the exact hand used in our last session’s lesson, “Promoting winners in a Suit Contract,” where East opened 1 No Trump and West (the responder) bid his long suit, thus becoming the declarer. The problem with West becoming declarer is that East’s hand (with almost half the 40 points in the deck) becomes the dummy hand, exposing the actual amount and location of all those points to the opponents! Jacoby transfers have made it possible to create a situation in which the No Trump bidder will be the declarer; this allows the No Trump hand (the strong hand) to remain CONCEALED. A Jacoby Transfer is used by the responder to show a 5-card or longer Spade or Heart suit (the majors). It is an instruction or relay TELLING partner to bid the suit directly above the suit responder bid. The Jacoby Transfer is an artificial bid (a convention). The responder is NOT showing or denying any holding in the suit responder has made. The bid by responder of 2 Diamonds after opener has opened with a bid of 1 No Trump, REQUIRES Opener to bid two hearts. The bid by responder of 2 Hearts after opener has opened with a bid of 1 No Trump, REQUIRES Opener to bid 2 Spades.

Examine this hand. Using the Jacoby Transfer Convention, do you agree or disagree with the statements made about this hand?

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

2) With East showing at least 15 points (a No Trump opening bid show 15 to 17 High Card Points) and West having an 8 High Card Point + 2 distributional point hand, the contract should be in game. The strain is Spades. West’s bid is 2 Hearts (Jacoby Transfer). East, the 1 N/T opener then bids 2 Spades

3) West then bids 4 Spades with a 6-card Spade Suit (knowing that East has at least 2 Spades). West’s bid of 4 Spades is a sign-off bid and the opener should pass. The contract is 4 Spades and East is the declarer.

4) South makes the opening lead with the 5 Heart.

5) Declarer needs ten tricks but only has four sure tricks. Declarer can develop the extra tricks in Spades (four) and Hearts (two).

6) Declarer should play the Spades first because that is the trump suit. If declarer plays the other suits first, declarer’s winners may be ruffed by the opponents.

7) Declarer should make his 4 Spade contract.

TIDEWATER BRIDGE CLUB

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

WEDNESDAYS

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

This is a locked building. You will have access from 10:30 until 11 a.m.

(L-R) Dr. Pat King, David Washington, Malia Huddle and Lionell Spruill

Photo: ErnestLowery

The Ruth E. Carter: Afrofuturism in Costume Design Exhibit

A PORTSMOUTH TRADITION CONTINUES

PORTSMOUTH

Mayor Shannon Glover and Sen. L. Louise Lucas, who represents Portsmouth and Chesapeake in the State Legislature, greet their constituents during the city’s 140th Memorial Day Parade. Also shown continuing the longstanding annual tradition are the Masons who were among some 50 groups marching.

Allphotosby RandySingleton

LOCAL VOICES

Upside-Down Backwards $$ Priorities

By Sean C. Bowers

America spends $7 dollars per American adult compared to $1 dollar per American child under eighteen, former Virginia Governor and current U.S. Senator, Mark Warner, remarked last week.

Children make up 14.28 percent of America. The adults make up 77.44 percent of America. Yes, they have earned, worked and contributed more to Social Security. But the 258 million adults who have 7 times more spent on them per individual. The 85 percent of American (adults) are selling our future generations out, selling them short, and selling them down the (FUTURE) river,

(TODAY.)

Doubling the number from $1 to $2 per child would still be investing less than 1/3 of the total spent at 28.56 percent.

The 258 million American adults (77.94 percent) are sucking America dry like a 7-11 Big Gulp Slurpee, right out from under the 22 percent of American youth.

With the 77 percent drinking 7 times faster, we are literally syphoning off our children’s future; 7 squared equals 49’er style stripmining their futures. The hell scape we are torching (their present,) their future for, is a Mad Max post-apocalyptic mental desert void of music, art, reason, truth, virtuoso excellence and evolutionary advancement towards peaceful tranquility of a shared domain of providence.

I’m not suggesting the children are worth more than the adults (who have a longer living track record.

To reach adulthood (18) with prospects, like 1849’er prospectors of the California Gold rush lore, they need a high school diploma, single status, good grades, work experience, extra-circular activities, sports, positive work-ethic references, community government understanding, engagement, activism, and empowerment. We keep ripping them off to feed the beast we create by NOT investing more (than a single $1 per youth) in their formative “pre-wild beast mode.” They are left uninvestedin, underinvested-in, in perpetuity. It only worsens, escalates, and multiplies in a frenzy feeding finale. They are left unappreciated and undervalued/devalued.

Youth will anger and sour on a system of a government that sells them (ages 1-18,) short, shortchanges them, and short balance sheets their futures 49 times every (single) dollar spent on them.

Sean

Let’s examine the simplest of programs: Friday Night Net Hoops-youth basketball fun and leagues run 6-12 p.m. in Newport News, Virginia, at the Achievable Dream Tennis Facility and Denbigh High School. The program runs through August 23, 2024, in an effort to provide a safe place for young people. The program is designed to take both kids and weapons off the streets and out of the line of firing.

We are putting fingers in the ends of what is loaded against usweapons of budgetary design discrimination and implementation.

More schools, teachers, resources, and after-school programs to provide tangible confidence and safety, is what is needed, programs that do instill self-belief remind them of their worth, enhance their education, and improve their chances in life.

We keep betting financially against them with our pocketbooks. Then we act surprised or stunned when they wild-n-out. Kids acutely sense desperation because of their lack of control over their own time, choices, resources, home, food, transportation, education and safety.

The more desperate we make them at a younger and younger age, the worse results we yield. In good conscience, it seems only fair we should bet more on the 73 million children in America. That single

The 85% of American (adults) are selling our future generations out, selling them short, and selling them down the (FUTURE) river, (TODAY.)

dollar per the $7’s being spent per U.S. adult, is the broken paradigm that we must adjust for OUR BEST COLLECTIVE FUTURE. Otherwise, we are betting against the house, our house. We are eating our own babies’ futures, so to speak. Country youth, city youth, urban and suburban youth all deserve our investment in them the way we would have wanted it to have been invested in us when we didn’t get it and were their age. More productive youth, equals a safer, more productive America for all. Bet MORE on “AmericanMade” Youth. Bet the house, before they burn it to the ground, because we didn’t invest in them until it was too late. Instead of betting against ourselves, let’s bet for the future!

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.

C. Bowers

Portsmouth Masons

Portsmouth Mayor Shannon Glover

Senator L. Louise Lucas

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

LIVING FOR OTHERS MOMENTS of MEDITATION

Galatians 5:1-10

“Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good unto all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

Galatians 6:10

In Christ, believers are freed from the chains of sin and legalism, but this does not mean that we can do anything we please. Paul urges the Galatians to “stand firm” in the freedom that Christ had bought for them (Galatians 5:1).

But he also reminds them that they are not to use that freedom to gratify their sinful nature, but to “serve one another in love” (v. 13). Being free in Christ does not mean that they have been freed from the obligation to obey the law of neighbor – love (v. 14).

How are the Galatian believers to love other people with the kind of self-giving attitude that loving others “as yourself” requires? Paul suggests several practical ways in which such love for others can be demonstrated.

RESTORING A SINNER. It is sad but true that, as long as we are in this life, bound by our mortal bodies, the temptation to

sin is present, so that even the most sincere believer may, in a moment of weakness, commit a sinful act. When this happens, it is not uncommon for this person to be shunned and virtually ostracized by some believers who consider themselves more ‘Spiritual” than the sinner. Paul’s instruction to “you who are spiritual” is threefold: First, they are to do whatever is needed to bring about wholeness in the life of the person who sinned and wholeness within the fellowship of the church (6:1); The second part of Paul’s instruction is that they deal with the offender without any self-righteousness, but with the kindness and gentleness of Christ Himself; The third part of Paul’s instruction to the Galatians is to keep a careful watch on themselves, realizing that the temptation that ensures a fellow believer could also trip them up. We need to help one another bear the things that weigh us down. When we do this, we are, in the best possible way, fulfilling the law of Christ (v. 2).

EXAMINING OURSELVES. A second way in which Christians can help others is by looking within their own hearts and examining themselves in the light of God’s standards, rather than comparing themselves with one another. Most of us have an innate tendency to overvalue ourselves, to arrive at inflated estimates of our own importance.

What we are to do is to test, or examine, our actions in the light of God’s standards rather than comparing ourselves to other people (v. 4). When we do this we avoid the dangers of both underserved selfcongratulation and of equally unmerited selfdepreciation.

In testing ourselves in this way, every believer must “carry his own load” (v. 5). We cannot and should not expect others to do our work for us. Believers should help one another carry the heavy burdens with which life sometimes weighs them down (v. 2), but there is for each of us a Godgiven task that we must “carry” and for which we will individually be held responsible when we give an account to Him.

SHARING WITH OTHERS. A third way in which believers should help others is in the practical matter of their material resources. Paul clearly states that those who receive instruction on the Word of God have an obligation to share their “good things” with their instructor (v. 6). Christian workers have

an obligation not to take advantage of those whom they serve or to regard them as sheep to be fleeced. But believers who benefit from the ministry of pastors, teachers, evangelists, and other Christian servants have an obligation to support them with their goods and gifts as well as with their love and prayers.

SOWING AND REAPING. This brings Paul to the enunciation of a basic, unalterable principle of the divine economy, that of sowing and reaping. The law of sowing and reaping is built into God’s plan for humankind. He has ordained that every human being “reaps what he sows” (v. 7) – and God cannot be fooled by smooth talk or superficial appearances. A person whose time and energies are spent in pursuits calculated to satisfy the desires of the

HAMPTON ROADS The 7th Annual

flesh – i.e., his sinful nature – will reap destruction (v. 8a). In contrast, a person who allows the Holy Spirit to cultivate in his life these qualities that the spirit desires will experience at least a portion of “the fruitful of the Spirit” (5:22-23) in this life, and in the life to come God’s commendation and eternal reward (Galatians 6:8b); see Matthew 25:21; 2 Timothy 4:7-8). The full harvest of divine blessing will be reaped “at the proper time ... if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9) How important are those last six words! Christian faith does not deliver instant gratification of every longing of our hearts, God is refining us in the crucible of daily life to mold us into the likeness of our Lord. One of the chief things that characterized Jesus was persistence in moving

toward the goal of our redemption despite all kinds of opposition and discouragement. The harvest will come, but we are not to become weary and stop doing good while we wait for it.

SUMMING UP. Paul sums up this practical part of his letter by urging his readers to keep on living a good life. Three qualifications are a part of this exhortation. First, we should make the most of our opportunities to always do well. Second, there should be no limit to our reach. Third, while recognizing our obligation toward everyone, we have a special obligation toward people within our own spiritual family. His words still apply to us today. Let us reach out to all people in self-giving love, especially to those within the family of God.

“Experience Ghana!” event will be held on Saturday, June 8th, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., at Mount Lebanon Baptist Church, 1141 Campostella Rd., Norfolk, VA 23523. Sponsored by the Tema, Ghana Committee of the Norfolk Sister City Association, this familyfriendly event will display the culture of Ghana, featuring drumming by local artist Baba Silkie, dancing by Rita Cohen of Tidewater African Cultural Alliance, and a display of original Ghanian artifacts. A food tasting prepared by Abena Aforo of Yendidi Restaurant, and a video presentation of Ghana today are also among the day’s activities. Guests are encouraged to wear their Ghanian fashion. Ticket prices for this event are as follows: $25 per Adult (Non-Member), $20 per Adult (Member), and $10 per Child. For more information and to purchase tickets, go to norfolksistercities.org

CHURCH ADs & DIRECTORY

By Terri Schlichenmeyer

THE BLACK GIRL SURVIVES IN THIS ONE BOOKWORM REVIEW

Don’t go into that room. Don’t start downstairs, there’s something down there you don’t want to meet. Don’t open that door. No, NO, don’t look inside the cabinet. You’ll scream and you’ll be sorry. Don’t go into the woods alone and don’t ever go into the tool shed – although, in the new book, “The Black Girl Survives in This One,” edited by Desiree S. Evans and Saraciea J. Fennell, there are times when you don’t have to worry so much.

Dive into your favorite scary media and you can almost immediately tell who will live and who will gruesomely die in each story. If there’s a Black girl in the cast, well, you know what’s coming next. But, says author Tananarive Due in her foreword, Black women are tired of that old trope. Rarely are fictional Black girls given a chance to “use their courage, strength, and wits to survive.”

All that changes in this book.

Who among us hasn’t taken a shortcut home?

In “Harvesters” by L.L. McKinney, Jo’s best friend and her new beau

“The Black Girl Survives in This One,”

Edited by Desiree S. Evans and Saraciea J. Fennell ©2024, Flatiron Books $19.99, 368 pages

want to party back at his place. So does the hot guy Jo just met, and a quick trip through a cornfield seems like the quickest way to get there – even though word is that the cornfield is haunted. Theater actors know that there’s a certain Shakespearean play that you don’t ever mention aloud, and in “Ghost Light” by Erin E. Adams, a white girl bends the rules at the worst possible time. No big deal, right?

Except that it is, and the deadly mess is left up to the producer-director to fix – if she lives.

Meeting your favorite celebrity is fun, but what if they’re not like you expect them to be? In “Tmi” by Zakiya Dalila Harris, the celeb in question is oddly too willing to connect with a fan, and too more-thanhappy to take selfies. That can be a lifetime memory but then again, sometimes, when someone famous shares too much, it’s not a good thing at all.

The windows are open, the night is quiet. All you hear is cicadas, crickets, and ... a hair-raising scream. Don’t worry, though, the night sounds are normal. The scream is yours and you’re reading “The Black Girl Survives in This One.”

Sometimes, all you really want in a story is short. Seriously, you have

a busy summer and that’s where this book comes in: fifteen authors present tales to scare you good, and they mostly succeed in their mission. Here, you’ll read about a family curse, an inheritance that you wouldn’t ever want, an otherworldly indication of danger and death, and a reason why you wouldn’t want to have a party in a cemetery. Any of these tales might make you laugh a little, nervously.

And you’ll be scared.

While “The Black Girl Survives in This One” is meant for readers ages 12-to-18, it’s absolutely also for adults who love a little scream in their story. Don’t leave this one behind.

Don’t miss this book.

Don’t stop reading.

Annual Memorial Day Salute To Afro-Union Soldiers Held In Chesapeake

CHESAPEAKE

This year’s Founders Day ceremony held on Memorial Day to honor the 161st anniversary of the Afro-Union soldiers who fought in the Civil War. The annual event has been presented and hosted for more than 20 years by Civil War historian and author Dr. E. Curtis Alexander at the Unknown and Known AfroUnion Civil War Soldiers Memorial, 1001 Bells Mill Road.

More than 209,145 Afro-

Union soldiers volunteered to “fight for the right to fight, for the right to die in the fight, to save the United States of America and defeat slavery,” said Dr. Alexander. A special salute to the Descendants of Norfolk County Area Afro-Union Civil War Patriot Heroes was one of the annual highlights. The Chesapeake Memorial is the only one of its kind in Virginia that is dedicated to saluting AfroUnion soldiers and sailor Patriot Heroes.

Desiree S. Evans Saraciea J. Fennell

Photo:Viscose

Jackson Barrios (fifth generation Afro-Union soldier descendant) and Michael Everett (home school group) with Dr. Alexander

Unknown and Known Afro-Union Civil War Soldiers Memorial

Unknown and Known Afro-Union Civil War Soldiers Memorial