NJG | Vol. 124, No. 24 - June 13, 2024

BIDEN HOSTS JUNETEENTH CONCERT;

By Stacy M. Brown

Senior National Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia

NNPA

The White House marked Juneteenth with a vibrant celebration on the South Lawn on Monday, June 10 that included some 2,000 invited guests. The celebration featured performances by legendary African-American artists, including Gladys Knight, Patti LaBelle, and Charlie Wilson. The event, officials said, emphasized the BidenHarris Administration’s dedication to preserving and honoring African-American history. Since taking office, President Biden and Vice President Harris have prioritized advancing racial justice and recognizing Black history as an essential component of American history. The White House said the dedication is reflected in significant actions such as signing the Juneteenth

National Independence Day Act into law, establishing the Emmett Till and Mamie TillMobley National Monument, and posthumously awarding the Presidential Medal of Freedom to civil rights icon Medgar Evers. Amid efforts to combat attempts to rewrite history and undermine racial progress, the administration hosted a live-streamed event to discuss federal initiatives

Judge Seeks Damages For Alleged Airline Racial Pro fi ling

This story appeared in the Chicago Crusader Newspaper Group posted by Stephanie Gadlin on May 31, 2024.

CHICAGO, IL

A retired Cook County judge says she was racially profiled during an American Airlines flight and now she is seeking civil damages against what she believes is a case of “travelling while Black.”

On a first-class flight to Phoenix with her husband and elderly mother on February 10th, the Hon. Pamela Hill-Veal, says an attendant aboard Flight 2765 falsely accused her of slamming a bathroom door and disturbing other passengers.

Later, when she used the lavatory again, the same flight attendant reprimanded her again, though she

A retired Chicago judge says she was racially profiled during an American Airlines flight in a case of “traveling while Black.”

says she made no such disturbing noise. The accusation led to the judge being directed to “use the bathroom in the back of the plane” for the duration of the trip, she said.

“I looked at him and told (the attendant) there were other people who used the restroom, and you didn’t say anything to those three

white men about slamming the door,” Veal said. “The third time I went, (the attendant) followed me back to my seat and grabbed my shoulder, pointed his finger in my face and told me I was going to be arrested because he didn’t like the way I had spoken to him – and that I had hit him.”

Hill-Veal said not only was she insulted by the accusation, having never touched the airline employee, but she intentionally remained calm throughout their exchange.

“When he touched me, he was trying to escalate the situation and I was not falling for that trick. I am 70 years old. I spoke firmly, but calmly, and told him I was dissatisfied with how I was being treated. see Airline, page 2A

By Brenda H. Andrews Publisher New Journal and Guide

I met Dr. John O. Simpson shortly after his arrival in Norfolk in 1998 to assume the position of Superintendent of Norfolk Public Schools. He came alone, unannounced, to my office, then located on Campostella Road, to introduce himself and to ask for my support in accomplishing the task that lay before him. Dr. Simpson passed recently at age 74, and was eulogized at Norview High School on June 1, having spent some years in ill health. Yet, the legacy of public school education excellence he brought to the nation and to Norfolk Public Schools is unmatched and remains to inspire and encourage us to know how important each of us is to the future of our children.

Dr. John O. Simpson was the second AfricanAmerican to lead the Norfolk Public Schools.

Dr. Simpson was 48-years-old when he became the second African-American chosen to lead the Norfolk Public Schools. He came here from Ann Arbor, Michigan where he was leading that city’s schools before his relocation. According to a story written at the time by NJG Chief Reporter Leonard Colvin, Dr. Simpson won over the Norfolk School Board unanimously because the members found attractive his compelling experience and success in large, urban mostly Black school districts which were plagued with problems in low test scores and poor retention rates. He brought his experience also having served in administrative positions as principal of an elementary school and assistant head of a junior high school in Washington, D.C., which Mr. Colvin described in his story was “deemed one of the most dysfunctional school districts in the nation.” see Simpson, page 7A

By Dennis Edwards Columnist

Dr. John Simpson

NORFOLK NJG Publisher Brenda H.Andrews and Assistant Desmond Perkins make presentation during

Chrysler Museum.

INSIDE, page 7A

Photo: RuvertaHolmes

Day-Long Juneteenth Event In D.C. see page 6A

Patty LaBelle and Charlie Wilson on the White House Lawn.

Photo: Courtesy

DR. HENRY LOUIS GATES TO RECEIVE

SPINGARN AWARD AT 2024 NAACP MEETING, LAS VEGAS

By Rosaland Tyler Associate Editor New Journal and Guide

Expect to see many high-

profile Blacks including

MSNBC President Rashida Jones, Congressional Black Caucus Chair Steven Horsford, and journalist Jemele Hill at the annual NAACP convention, which will be held July 1117 in Las Vegas.

This year’s theme is ‘All In.’ NAACP officers said it reaffirms the NAACP’s commitment to using the Black community’s collective ingenuity, creativity, and strength to continue the fight for civil rights and social justice.

“For 115 years, the

Airline

Continued from page 1A

We had paid about $4,000 for those seats –and I was being told to use the bathroom in the back of the plane.” Born and raised in Chicago, Hill-Veal was appointed as a judge to fill a vacancy in 2004 and was elected to the Cook County Circuit Court in 2006 and retained as a circuit court Judge until her retirement in 2012. Prior to serving on the bench, the wellknown jurist served as a professor at Chicago State University and worked in private practice. She is licensed to practice law in several jurisdictions, including Illinois and Michigan, District of Columbia Court of Appeals, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth and Seventh Circuits, and the

Dr.

Henry Louis Gates

NAACP has been all in on Black America – this year is no different,”

NAACP President & CEO

Derrick Johnson said in a recent statement on the organization’s website.

“We look forward to

United States Supreme Court.

Hill-Veal told the Crusader she believed she and her family were targeted by the attendant and racially profiled after her husband was asked to exchange seats with another passenger, which he declined.

“There were 20 other passengers and (the attendant) could have asked them as well.” As the only African-Americans travelling in first class, she said after that incident the cabin attendant, whom she described as a young Asian male, became

For 115 years, the NAACP has been all in on Black America – this year is no different.”

– NAACP President & CEO Derrick Johnson

welcoming, connecting with and celebrating some of our nation’s most distinguished members of the Black community to uplift and advance Black prosperity, Black culture, and Black equity,” Johnson said.

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are expected to attend the annual

increasingly hostile toward them.

“Then as we landed and approached the gate, the pilot came on the intercom and asked that everyone remain seated because they were going to have law enforcement come on board,” she told the Crusader. “None came. However, when we were escorted off the plane, there they were waiting on the bridge.”

As two police officers and an American Airlines representative escorted Hill-Veal and her relatives into the terminal, she asked if she was being arrested. Passengers filed off the plane and began “snickering” and ridiculing her, the retired law professor said. Authorities confirmed they had been called about a passenger but noted they would not arrest her.

“At that point, an American Airlines employee took me out to the gate and asked me to explain what happened, and I thoroughly explained the situation.

convention. Both have participated in every convention during the Administration’s tenure, the NAACP noted. “Las Vegas is the cradle of people power movements and is a blueprint for how to create long-lasting and meaningful change in our communities,” said Quentin Savwoir,

When he left a woman (who either worked at the airport or for the airline) came over to me and said, ‘I’m sorry I overheard your conversation ... and I want you to know the same thing happened yesterday (to someone else).’”

The following day, Hill-Veal said she reached out to Phoenix police department and the responding officer told her “The airline employee has no authority to threaten me with arrest. He said the only person with that authority is me (the police officer) so he should have never threatened you would be arrested,” she explained.

The Crusader reached out to the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport Police Department and the responding officer but did not receive a response.

Hill-Veal also contacted American Airlines to resolve the matter but received a response that alleged she had been “intoxicated” and

NAACP Las Vegas Branch president.

“As the host Branch, we’re diligently and intentionally curating an experience that will bridge the national program to the local community,” he said. “We’ll host a series of activations for convention-goers that center civic engagement, entrepreneurship and economic freedom.”

Participants will participate in panel discussions on Black culture, business, (DE&I), the upcoming elections, race, and justice. All events aim to address key issues facing the Black community and society at large.

“aggressive” during the flight.

Attorney Lester Barclay, who is representing HillVeal, wrote a scathing letter to American Airlines President Robert Isom, denying the assertion that the judge had been drinking and demanding immediate redress. He also outlined a pattern and practice of discriminatory incidents by the airline involving Black passengers.

Repeated allegations against the airline led the nation’s oldest civil rights organization (NAACP) in 2017 to issue a travel advisory to AfricanAmerican passengers.

In the meantime, Hill-Veal says she vows to help put an end to discrimination Black travelers face on airlines.“This has to stop,” she said. This report was made possible by the Inland Foundation and the Crusader Newspaper Group. Read entire story at Crusader Newspaper Group.

Dr. Henry Louis Gates, a Harvard professor, will receive the NAACP’s annual Spingarn Award. Gates grew up in West Virginia. His father, Henry Louis Gates Sr., worked in a paper mill and moonlighted as a janitor. His mother, Pauline Coleman Gates, cleaned houses. Gates finished Yale in 1973 and earned his doctoral degree at Yale in 1979. Gates has hosted the popular PBS series, Finding Your Roots, since 2012.

Hon. Pamela Hill-Veal

PROFESSOR EMERITUS OF SOCIOLOGY

VIRGINIA TECH

WOMEN’S PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL – WNBA

By Wornie Reed, Ph.D.

Women’s professional basketball might be finally coming into its own. It is beginning to be treated like a professional league, with substantially more publicity and attendance.

The phenomenal collegiate star Caitlin Clark is a significant part of the increased attention to the WNBA.

However, note also the impact of college players’ NIL (Name, Image, and Likewise) contracts. This movement on paying college athletics is undoubtedly influencing the increase in such contracts to WNBA players, especially the rookies who come into the league with NILs.

Reaching this point has been a long and arduous journey for the players of the WNBA. They have had to overcome numerous challenges, including the pervasive sexism in the American sports world that often undermines the achievements of female athletes.

Many men – and many women – hold the problematic position that they do not like this or that women’s sport because women cannot do what men can do. Yet, they watch both professional football and college and high school football, even though most young men in college and high

Reaching this point has been a long and arduous journey for the players of the WNBA.

school cannot do things the professionals can do.

However, another culprit holding back the WNBA might be the NBA (National Basketball Association). The NBA created the WNBA, and it did so in a manner that minimized the public impact of women’s professional basketball.

Twenty-eight years ago, the American Basketball League (ABL) was launched, building upon the positive notoriety of the 1996 U.S. women’s Olympic team. This team, which won the gold medal in a popular dominating fashion, was a source of immense pride and inspiration. With eight of the 12 stars from that 1996 Olympic team, the eightteam league was formed, spreading across mostly second-tier league cities like Columbus, Ohio; Hartford, Connecticut; and San José, California. It also included teams in Atlanta and Portland.

In the same year, 1996, the NBA announced the formation of another women’s league, the WNBA, apparently to counter the ABL. This eight-team league would start play in the summer of 1997. Several of these teams were affiliates

of the NBA teams in their respective cities, automatically starting with some organizational and financial clout.

The WNBA had the other four stars of the Olympic team; however, these were some of the biggest stars–Lisa Leslie, Rebecca Lobo, Cheryl Swoopes, and the veteran Ruthie Bolton. These teams and stars were publicized as if all the players from the Olympic team had gone to the WNBA. Moreover, in a calculated move, the league’s season was set to play in the summer, when the NBA teams would not be playing, thus not having the share the fan base.

Using its clout, the NBA secured television contracts for the WNBA and prevented the ABL from getting a significant contract. Without a contract, the ABL folded after two seasons, thus clearing the field for the wintertime fans.

If the WNBA played during the regular basketball season, it would likely have more attention and fans. Moreover, here’s a wild thought. Perhaps with this rearrangement, the players would make more money in the U.S.

Louisiana Regresses With Barbaric & Ineffective Law

By Marc H. Morial (TRICEEDNEYWIRE.COM)

“This new law is solely vengeance and lacks any evidence of effectiveness and is aimed at a despised and powerless population that already is subject to dozens of draconian post-conviction collateral consequences. There is virtually no evidence that increasing punishments will have any impact on sexual recidivism.”

– St. Francis College sociology professor Emily Horowitz

Not to be outdone by other southern states trying to regress to the Jim Crow era, my home state of Louisiana is trying to regress to the Medieval era. A barbaric proposal to allow judges to sentence certain convicted sex offenders to surgical castration passed the legislature and awaits Gov. Landry’s signature. Louisiana would become the first state with such a law, joining the ranks of nations like Pakistan and Nigeria.

The bill has been compared to the Tuskegee Study and Josef Mengele’s experiments at Auschwitz II-Birkenau.

Child sexual abuse is a heinous crime with devastating consequences. It is also the crime with the highest rate of perjury or false accusations. In recent years, Orleans Parish in Louisiana has been called the wrongful conviction capital of the United States, with 10 times the number of exonerations per capita

than the national average. And Black people are eight times more likely to be wrongly convicted than a white person for a crime involving sexual violence.

Even the sponsor of the bill acknowledged Louisiana’s appallingly high rate of wrongful convictions.

The proposal raises the question of whether Catholic priests in the Archdiocese of New Orleans – currently the target of an active child sex-trafficking investigation – would be subject to the draconian punishment.

While Louisiana lawmakers clearly are desperate to portray themselves as tough on crime, their brutal proposal is unlikely to prevent a single assault. Researchers have found no cause-and-effect relationship between testosterone levels and sexual offending. On the other hand, psychological treatment has been shown to reduce recidivism among sex offenders.

It would be naïve to assume that preventing crime is the chief motivation behind this bill, however. Earlier this year, even as violent crime rates

CARRTOON By

Walt Carr

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

We have not had a lot in the news lately about which we could cheer, but we’re blessed that occasionally there’s something we can call positive. May 8, 2024 was such a day. A memorial to Daisy Bates was celebrated in the U.S. Capitol. It was a long time coming, but it finally happened!

The strangest thing about the program was (the support) of people whose fore parents were totally opposed to the work Ms. Bates did when she became a leader and key supporter of the nine students who integrated Little Rock Central High School in the school year 1957-58. That included the current Governor and Congressman of Arkansas. Benjamin Victor, the artist who did the sculptor, did a masterful job on the full body bronze statue of Ms. Bates. The statue is located in Statuary Hall in the United States Capitol. Ms. Bates and her husband, L.C. were publishers of the Arkansas State Press. They were leaders in their community. They had the courage to use their newspaper to focus on the African-American community and their civil rights. While her husband worked for the NAACP and she served on its Board, she

took a public role in voter registration, anti-poverty programs and once Brown v. Board of Education became law, she took on the role of integrating Central High School – a dangerous undertaking to say the least.

Recently I met three women who lived in Arkansas at the time, and pretty much had a front row place in what was happening. I spoke with Sarah Davidson, Bernice Bass Abner and Janice Kearney who knew a lot about Ms. Bates and their lives were impacted by the work of Ms. Bates.

I was still in high school at the time I learned about the leadership of Ms. Bates in working to implement the law on Black and white children attending school together. I learned about the Arkansas governor, Orval Faubus, who was determined to stand in the way of that happening. I remember hearing about the Little Rock 9, and later met

A memorial to Daisy Bates was celebrated in the U.S. Capitol. It was a long time coming, but it finally happened!

some of them. These were the students chosen to go into Central High School and make it their high school, too. Recently I learned that Ms. Bernice Bass Abner is the daughter of Rev. William Harry Bass who was called on to accompany the Little Rock 9 children on the first day of school at the segregated Central High School. Of course, the students were not welcomed and did not get into Central High that day. I met Janice Kearney who is the author of a book about the situation. She’s a former personal diarist to President Bill Clinton and a former publisher who revived the Arkansas Weekly Press founded by L.C. and Daisy Bates. Their paper once had a nationwide readership of thousands. She also published a creative non-fiction book on the life of civil rights legend Daisy Bates. It’s called A Rock and A Hard Place.

see Bates, page 5A

were falling, Louisiana rolled back criminal justice reforms that had saved the state more than $150 million.

Severe sentences do not deter crime, retribution often does not help survivors of crime heal, and the U.S. sentencing system overestimates who is a current danger to the community and when incarceration is needed for public safety, as a Vera Institute of Justice report makes clear.

Just as State Sen. Royce Duplessis noted when Louisiana was in the process of rolling back its effective criminal justice reforms, the state continues to prioritize political grandstanding over effective public safety.

“We could have actually done a lot of things to prevent crime on the frontend, instead of continuing to advance policies that do great for campaigns, but do very little to actually prevent crime,” he said.

By David W. Marshall (TRICEEDNEYWIRE.COM)

At some point, every child, teenager, and young adult should have an awareness of the full story behind the Black Wall Street massacre that occurred in the Greenwood District of Tulsa, Oklahoma.

The story of Greenwood is not only about racial resentment and violence; it is also a success story. There is a sense of racial pride that comes from seeing how the people of Greenwood became prosperous. The history of Greenwood gives hope and inspiration when the focus is on how the affluent community was built and developed rather than how it was painfully destroyed.

Greenwood gives proof and examples of how Black entrepreneurs were capable of creating vast wealth despite the tremendous obstacles put forth by racial discrimination and Jim Crow segregation. With segregation laws that prevented Black residents from shopping in white neighborhoods along with the desire and commitment of Blacks to keep money circulating within their own community, Greenwood residents collectively funneled their cash into local Black businesses.

Segregation produced a captive marketplace where Black entrepreneurs prospered. In 1921, Greenwood was considered by many to be the most prosperous Black enclave in the nation. The sophisticated and self-sustained community consisted of banks, hotels, barbershops and salons, clothing stores, jewelers, restaurants, churches, taverns, grocers, movie theaters, and contemporary homes. The children were well-educated by a superior school system, and it was not uncommon to see residents stylishly dressed or driving luxury motorcars. But in a span of 24 hours, the 35 city blocks making up the Greenwood community were burned to the ground.

The Tulsa Race Massacre Commission reported that 100 to 300 people were killed. As many as 10,000

There needs to be a social justice revival within the Black church. A revival that balances tradition and legacy with an evolving 2024 society.

people were left homeless. The 1921 massacre was called the worst public disturbance since the Civil War. Today, the incident is cited as one of the most horrific acts of racial violence and domestic terrorism ever committed in the U.S., and yet it was hardly known or mentioned.

For years, America largely ignored the Black Wall Street events throughout mainstream history books. The story illustrates the legacy of Black independence and entrepreneurship and the subsequent white backlash. Whenever there is substantial progress on behalf of Blacks, there will always be some reaction extending from white supremacy. see Revival, page 8A

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

David W. Marshall

Marc H. Morial

This Story Appeared In The New Journal and Guide On May 20,1998 As Norfolk Was Preparing To Hire Superintendent Dr. John O. Simpson.

A PUBLISHER’S TOPIC FROM 1998 CHOOSING NORFOLK’S NEW SUPERINTENDENT Choose For The

Norfolk’s School Board last week invited members of the community to meet in small “invitation-only” groups and in larger public receptions with the two men it is considering for the position of Superintendent. It is not clear just how much community input will be used in making a decision that is to be announced shortly. As might be expected, however, both candidates – both veteran administrators – were prepared for and receptive to public scrutiny. Whoever is selected knows what needs to be done to take Norfolk public school children competitively into the 21st century. The question then becomes how do we ensure that the job is done, that beyond the rhetoric are the actions?

Shortly before his death, Dr. Martin Luther King talked about the will of America to do the right thing. Dr. King believed powerfully that if people knew better, they would act better. He believed in the divine goodness of humankind to correct itself when it was tasked to rise to the occasion.

Yet before his death, Martin’s experiences with racism and hatred had led him to ask if America had even the will to correct itself. Did America really want its land of liberty and justice for all to include the poor and minority members of the population? An untimely death ended this probing question for King.

Changing the direction of Norfolk Schools District to improve a system that is grappling with real

Future Not Just Rhetoric

problems of unacceptably low test scores and high drop out rates among a 66 percent Black student population will be the challenges awaiting the new superintendent. But it must be remembered that the man at the top is still only one man. He will likely get the heat when things do not go well, and the glory when expectations and promises are met and kept.

But it is the school board, school administration and ultimately the city council which creates the vision and mission for the city of Norfolk and sets the real direction in the educating of Norfolk children. It is they who must be held accountable.

Dr. Thomas Lockamy, one or the contenders for superintendent, made perhaps the best connection

of the role of the city when he noted during his public reception that education is the key to changing the economic status of Norfolk – not Nauticus, not Harbor Park, not MacArthur Mall. City council would do well to take note of that observation.

For Norfolk to grow economically, it must improve the public perception of its schools as less inviting and more problematic than its neighboring cities of Virginia Beach and Chesapeake. When that happens, families will want to move to Norfolk for its school system in the same way that families now work in Norfolk and exit at 5 p.m. for homes in the surrounding cities of Virginia Beach and Chesapeake.

The controversial and sensitive issue again before Norfolk City Council about its emphasis on business development at the expense of building “affordable housing” for low to moderate income families is shortsighted indeed. That is unless, as it appears to many by past actions and economic decisions of the council, Norfolk really doesn’t care about attracting families with school age children who would populate low to moderate income neighborhoods.

On another matter, Norfolk citizens who care about educating kids need to ask why, in a city whose Black students comprise two thirds of the classrooms, are there just two Black men at the

If the choice is Dr. Simpson, a Black man, we must ensure his selection is not just a window-dressing.

higher echelons of school administration where policies are made. If the new superintendent is Black, there will then be three men?

Even a body of three men will not begin to approach a racially or gender diverse and representative body of professionals to address how best to meet the needs of Norfolk school children. Because the city’s school population is mostly Black, racial sensitivity to that population is a critical element in every sincere effort to educate the children rather than more of the sameness from going through the motions.

However, hiring a Black man as superintendent must not become a trade off for insisting the Norfolk school board and administration do a better job of racial diversity at the top in principalships and in the classrooms.

Dr. John Simpson, the other candidate for superintendent and a Black man, began his public address with the statement he is not afraid to educate children. It may be taken for granted that his was a statement on which we can all agree. But in actuality, it can be seen as a profound comment on his willingness to go to bat for kids in the face of those who would continue whatever policies now in place that are part of the problem instead of the solution to educating the kids of Norfolk.

That big problem is public school education in Norfolk and elsewhere stems directly from our will to make education work in a diverse culture that requires the adults in charge to rise to the occasion. That means more concerned Black

Continued from page 4A

professionals in the classrooms and sitting around the table making decisions.

Recently, I traveled as a chaperone with seven Portsmouth I. C. Norcom student council representatives and their advisor to a high school leadership conference in Fairfax County. More than 1,000 kids from across the state were in attendance. We were the only Portsmouth school represented. None of the Norfolk high schools were present. However, all of the Virginia Beach high schools and most of Chesapeake’s high schools were represented. What that says to me is that all school districts are not equal in their philosophy about how and where to spend money on educating kids.

Whichever man is the victor, he has real work ahead of him. Reaching out to parents and the larger community to become involved in the education process must be among his priorities. These supporters have the ability to give children a larger vision of who they are and their possibilities to create new realities for themselves. Kids must know they can learn, and there is a reward for learning.

If the choice is Dr. Simpson, a Black man, we must ensure his selection is not just a window-dressing. The school board and the community must allow the new superintendent – Black or white – to make critical changes and invoke new policies and ideas without the fear that he will ruffl e the feathers of the power elite.

Ms. Sarah Davidson grew up in Arkansas and knows a lot about Ms. Bates’ work to integrate the schools. She was a civil rights advocate and social justice fighter at an early age. Her contributions became a catalyst that would change the course of history in her hometown. She was mentored by Ms. Bates, established the North Little Rock’s first NAACP Youth Council and served as its first President. She was strongly touched seeing the 4 Black women with memorials in the U.S. Capitol and was honored to participate in the unveiling of the memorial. She was nominated by former Arkansas Senator Blanche Lincoln to serve on the Congressional Task Force for a Memorial to Slaves who helped to build the U.S. Capitol –a significant fact often forgotten in our history. Let’s VOTE TO REMEDY THAT! Dr. E. Faye Williams, President of The Dick Gregory Society.

Brenda H. Andrews

NATIONAL JUNETEENTH OBSERVANCE FOUNDATION TO HOST DAY-LONG

WASHINGTON, D.C.

A two-day Juneteenth National Independence Day Celebration, hosted by the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation, will be held June 18th and 19th in Washington D.C. Vice President Kamala Harris, NJOF President Steve Williams and the National Miss Juneteenth Damia Taylor will all make appearances.

The celebration begins on June 18, with the 25th Juneteenth National Prayer Breakfast at the National Press Club which is by invitation only.

Guests are Rep. Danny K. Davis (D-Ill.), who chaired the National Juneteenth Congressional Committee, and several invited members of Congress. Also, NJOF Board members, President Steve Williams, Dr. Opal Lee, Vice Chair Deborah Evans, and Secretary Betty Sawyer of Utah will be present.

A Juneteenth healing ceremony at Lincoln Park and wreath laying at Moses African Cemetery will follow.

HOLIDAY CELEBRATION IN NATION’S CAPITOL

The next day on the official holiday, June 19, the Public People’s Juneteenth begins with “the Bivouac on D.C.” at 10:30 a.m. This is the official Juneteenth People’s Parade to the White House Ellipse. United States Colored

Father

Continued from page 1A

The product perhaps of a welcome relief from that nagging resignation within to possibly never hearing from him again. Now, my one and only child was back. My son just wanted to see how his dad was doing! And I desperately needed to hear his voice, where he is and how he’s doing too.

This is where I personally came to perceive how the father in the story of the Prodigal Son really felt. To comprehend a prodigal state of recklessly extravagant

love with its re-uniting and saving power.

To be sure, there are two prodigals in this story. A prodigal son who had to fi nd out some things on his own and a prodigal father who embraced his return with an equally lavish love. A different, perhaps more powerful kind of recklessness.

Now, you need to know, my son is NOT like the Bible’s prodigal son in any way. He is meticulous, thorough, responsible to a fault as well as kind. The type of man who’s achieved magni fi cently on his own with a B.S. in Finance from Hampton University and an MBA from Indiana University. Who’s, by the Grace of God, maximized

USCT and Buffalo Soldier reenactors will lead the Juneteenth Parade from the Martin Luther King Memorial on June 19.

Troops (USCT) and Buffalo Soldier reenactors will lead the Juneteenth Parade from the Martin Luther King Memorial, east bound on Constitution to the White House Ellipse. Accompanied by groups from across the United States, they will be met by the 257th Army Band, also known as the President’s Band.

From noon to 7 p.m., the People’s Juneteenth will be showcased on the White House Ellipse, beginning with a raising of the official red, white and blue Juneteenth flag authorized by creator Ben Haith to protect and administer the usage. It will be accompanied by the Juneteenth Anthem, a creative blending of the National Anthem and Lift Every Voice and Sing, also known as the Black National Anthem.

A Juneteenth Anthem by spoken word artist Coffee Wright and the

his opportunities in-spite of things that went wrong on a dark and misunderstood afternoon his mother and I experienced too many years ago. You should also know how the mysterious and magni fi cent prelude to this reunion began about 12 months earlier. In the shadow of years of trying to re-connect, trying to call, receiving no answer and no call back. After years of what felt like endless angry rejection, The Lord suddenly moved in a mighty way.

As I sat in my recliner one evening, the escalating and intensifying warmth of the Holy Spirit embraced me. It was pursued by the calm, kind and clear voice

reading of the three Documents of Freedom – Emancipation Proclamation, General Order #3 and the 13th Amendment – will be highlighted prominently. At the halfway mark, there will be the premier performance of an original play, the Abolitionist Museum by Sheri Bailey, The day’s events include readings of the Traditional Juneteenth Prayer, composed by NJOF founder Rev. Ronald V. Myers, Sr. M.D., and Dr. Charles Taylor, and the Requiem Prayer For The Innominate Slave by Robert Starling Prichard. Also members of Congress and the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation will be recognized as part of the day’s program. Special recognition will go to Pvt. Wiliam Cosley, the first male freed from enslavement by Abraham Lincoln, 20 years before the presidency. Pvt. Cosley later entered the USCT

of the Father saying, “You need to let them go.” The Lord was talking about my son, his mother, and all the hurt in “buked and scorned” life chapters so very long before. I was anxious to say “Yes Lord.” So I let them go and God brought him back after I’d returned to a pulpit that had lost its luster for me some time before. God immediately af fi rmed the obedience with a call from my son. This is where the old folk might say “Don’t tell me, Don’t try to tell me, Don’t even think about telling me what the Lord Can’t Do.” He did that for me, he did it for my son and he can do the same for you and yours too.

So this Fathers Day, don’t

and was present in Galveston on June 19, 1865.

“Juneteenth Remembrances” stories delivered by Eddie Carthan, former mayor of Tchula, Mississippi, and Dr. Charles Taylor will be intermingled with musical performances by a number of performers. They include jazz pianist Marcus Johnson; Atlanta musicians Brick; D.C. performers Malik Dope Drummer; TOS Band with the Honest Politix; American blues artist Bobby Rush; African Drummers; and Shofar. The show will take the audience home with a rousing funk Grand Finale by Funkativity: the Wave of Freedom Band featuring David and Damon Batiste and Michael “Kidd Funkadelic” Hampton. D.C. Juneteenth activities were begun in 1999. President Steven Williams was handed the baton by Rev. Ron Myers and after Rev. Myers’ passing, President Williams successfully guided the foundation’s goal to the finish line gaining President Biden’s signature on the National Juneteenth Independence Day Holiday legislation in 2021, the first new holiday in 40 years.

deprive yourself of the overwhelming reciprocity of a God who rewards those who diligently serve him. In the shadow of a Savior who never gives up in us and on us, don’t dare give up on the return of your sons or your daughters. Never give up on the God who gives better than He gets. The Savior who rewarded me for returning to the pulpit with the return of my son on the very same day. Is there something and/or someone you need to return to now?

Remember the nuances, what happens in the here and now when our judgement re fl ects the judgement of God himself from Revelations 21, that present/future tense

eschatological promise. “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain, for the former things are passed away ... and behold ... ALL THINGS ARE BECOME AS NEW. Won’t he do it? YES HE DOES!

Dennis Edwards is a Major Market Emmy and Virginia Associated Press Broadcasters Award winning T.V. and WRVA Radio News Anchor, Investigative Reporter, Columnist and Pastor. He is a graduate of Virginia Union University and its Samuel Dewitt Proctor School of Theology. ©June 2024

Steve Williams, President, NJOF

Photo: ErnestLowery

“ JUNETEENTH: RESILIENCE AND FREEDOM ” EVENT AT CHRYSLER MUSEUM OF ART

NORFOLK

For the second year, The Virginia African-American Cultural Center, the New Journal and Guide, and the Chrysler Museum of Art partnered to present a community event at the Museum centering on African-American History. In 2023, the partners sponsored an event during Black History Month. This year, on June 8, they recognized and celebrated the Juneteenth holiday through art, song, historical accounts, and storytelling under the theme “Juneteenth: Resilience and Freedom.”

The day’s activities began with a Pre-Program Art Tour with Docent Guide Barbara Higgins and ended with a reception in the Kaufman Theater lobby. On hand to welcome attendees to the theater and to introduce the program was Michael Berlucchi, Community and Government Relations Manager for the Museum.

Historian Dr. Cassandra Newby- Alexander of

Norfolk State University provided an overview of Juneteenth, which stands for June 19th, the day in 1865 in Galveston, Texas that finally meant freedom for the Black population still enslaved under the rule of the Confederacy after the end of the Civil War.

Through the voice of 19th century emancipator Frederick Douglass, Nathan Richardson delivered an engaging account of the Women’s Suffrage Movement. He was followed by “Art Talk: Resilience in Art,” presented by Stacey Shelnut-Hendrick, the Museum’s Deputy Director for Public Engagement and Learning, who displayed several thought-provoking art pieces from the Museum’s collection highlighting African-American history.

Grammy Nominated Performance Artist Amber Garrett offered her renditions of “My Dream” and “My Soul’s Been Anchored In The Lord” to an approving audience.

A presentation “Unfiltered

Black History: Photos and Stories of the New Journal and Guide” was given by Brenda H. Andrews, Publisher and Owner of the New Journal and Guide, and Publisher’s Assistant Desmond Perkins, outlining a three-year special project underway on preserving the newspaper’s archival photos and stories to be introduced in late 2024.

Offering the closing remarks was Dr. Amelia Ross-Hammond, Founder and Chairman of the Board of the Virginia AfricanAmerican Cultural Center which is building a center to showcase African-American legacy and history locally and throughout the state and nation.

Simpson

Continued from page 1A

Dr. Simpson had won over the Tidewater Metro Ministers Association and the Norfolk NAACP during his appearance before public hearings that Norfolk held on the selection of the city’s next Superintendent.

Mr. Colvin quotes the late Rev. L.P. Watson, NAACP President, who concluded, “If they give him the independence and the resources to implement programs to help all of our children, I think he will be effective.”

And, over the next seven years of his tenure as Norfolk’s Top Educator, Dr. Simpson was most effective.

In a 2006 House Joint Resolution commending Dr., Simpson, the Virginia Delegates in The General Assembly wrote “WHEREAS, since his appointment as superintendent in 1998, John Simpson has spearheaded a district-wide administrative reorganization and implemented a highly successful accountability system in order to provide equitable education to all of Norfolk’s students.”

They lauded him “an energetic and innovative leader” who “has worked diligently to foster the belief that all children can achieve their full academic potential regardless of the challenges they face;” and, “because of John Simpson’s visionary leadership, the achievement gap between minority and majority students in Norfolk Public Schools has decreased considerably, and the schools are making great progress toward the goal of full accreditation under the Virginia Standards of Learning.”

Under the leadership of Dr. Simpson, Norfolk Public Schools was named

among the top five finalists in 2003 and 2004 for the Broad Foundation’s Broad Prize for Urban Education award, the “Nobel Prize” of education. The awards presented to Dr. Simpson were numerous and diverse; but one thing they all had in common was extremely high regard for the energy he expended in making the education of Norfolk’s young people his primary concern. Dr. John O. Simpson, 74 of Chesapeake, VA. passed away on Wednesday, May 15, 2024 and was eulogized on June 1. Those remaining to cherish his memory are his wife of 47 years, Rita Dailey Simpson; son, John Michael Simpson; his brother, William J. Simpson (Sandra); a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, in-laws and many colleagues, and friends. He graduated from his hometown Chester Public Schools and received his higher education from West Chester State University, the University of Delaware, and the University of Michigan. As an aside, from the day in 1998 when Dr. Simpson walked unannounced and uninvited into my office of the New Journal and Guide, he maintained a subscription to the city’s historical voice of the Black community, this newspaper, the New Journal and Guide. i checked before I began this article, and sure enough, he just renewed for two years earlier this year. Twentysix years of giving support to the Norfolk community he served through the newspaper that records its Black history.

PUBLISHER’s NOTE: On Page 5-A, I share a Publisher’s Topic editorial I wrote in advance of Dr. Simpson’s hiring as Norfolk’s Superintendent. “Choose For The Future, Not Just Rhetoric.” Though written on May 20, 1998, it is as relevant for today’s generation as it was then.

Photo: Courtesy

Nathan Richardson as Frederick Douglass

Photo: Courtesy

(L-R): Nathan Richardson, Dr. Cassandra Newby-Alexander, Stacy Shelnut-Hendrick, Amber Garrett, Dr. Ameilia Ross-Hammond, NJG Publisher Brenda Andrews and Michael Berlucchi

Continued from page 1A

The gathering highlighted ways the public can commemorate Juneteenth and emphasized the broader historical significance of African-American experiences.

In conjunction with the celebration, the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities organized the second annual Juneteenth National Independence Day event in partnership with the White House. The large-scale concert also honored Black Music Month, showcasing African-American musical legends and underscoring the cultural importance of this federal holiday.

Harris declared June 19, 2024, one of three National Days of Action on Voting, focused on enhancing voter engagement and safeguarding voting rights.

The White House noted that National Days of Action will also occur on August 6 and September 17, 2024.

Aligned with Biden’s Executive Order on Promoting the Arts, the Humanities, and Museum and Library Services, several federal agencies announced new initiatives to protect African-American history and culture.

The National Archives Museum will display the original Emancipation Proclamation and General Order No. 3 from June 18 to June 20, 2024, while the National Park Service will

Revival

Continued from page 4A

As the residents of Greenwood gained a strong foothold within the City of Tulsa, it came with power and potential to effect meaningful economic and social change. As a result, the socioeconomic progress of Blacks in the Greenwood District became a major threat to the city’s whitedominated power structure.

The upper-class lifestyle of Greenwood residents was a slap in the face to the Black inferiority narrative given by many whites. When an angry white mob destroyed Black business establishments and homes, it was to ensure that white superiority would always be maintained. Throughout history, there have been three American eras of reconstruction.

The first reconstruction marks the period immediately following the end of the Civil War. It saw the defeat of the Confederacy, the emancipation of formerly enslaved people, and the rise of discriminatory laws such as Black codes aimed at restricting economic, educational, and social advancement for Blacks. The Black Wall Street massacre occurred during this time.

The second reconstruction is known as the Civil

offer free entrance to park sites on Juneteenth.

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has launched a digital repository to deepen public understanding of African-American history. Additionally, NEH will establish a nationwide program celebrating Juneteenth, leading to a grand 160th-anniversary celebration in 2025.

In response to the rising incidence of book bans targeting historically marginalized groups, the U.S. Department of Education announced it had appointed a coordinator to address the impact of such restrictions on civil rights. The White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity will host events emphasizing the importance of culturally relevant education.

Rights Movement, which started at the end of WWII and continued through the late 1960s. It culminated with the end of legal racial segregation.

Some historians and sociologists mark the election of President Barack Obama, the first president of color, as the start of the third reconstruction. It also covers the rise of racial and social justice movements like Black Lives Matter with its ensuing backlash.

The backlash to the Obama presidency is in the form of the weakening of the Voting Rights Act by the Supreme Court and the flurry of voter suppression laws in states nationwide. The overall attack against DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) is a hostile response to the George Floyd movement.

During the first two reconstruction eras, the Black church was considered the center and heart of the Black community. According to the research of Professor Henry Louis Gates, Black churches were the first institutions built by Black people and run independently of white society.

The church provided a refuge for a people systematically brutalized by slavery and then by Jim Crow racism. Leaders from Black churches were at the forefront of the fight for justice. Today, the influence of the Black church is declining. Nearly half

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) plans to announce new recipients of the NEA Jazz Masters Fellowship, celebrating the contributions of AfricanAmerican musicians to jazz. The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) will highlight projects that preserve African-American history as part of its “250: All Stories. All People. All Places initiative.”

The administration said it has significantly invested in preserving African-American history through infrastructure and preservation projects. The Department of Interior’s National Park Service (NPS) and the Historic Preservation Fund have allocated substantial funds for these efforts, including grants to support underrepresented communities and historic site nominations.

Federal agencies, including the Department of Transportation, are working to document and uplift the stories of communities affected by past federal policies.

The NEH prioritizes projects that preserve historical collections on slavery and its legacies. At the same time, the President’s Committee on Arts and the Humanities will launch initiatives to support underserved creative and cultural communities.

“Through these actions and policies, the Biden-Harris Administration reaffirms its commitment to advancing racial equity and ensuring that America’s promise is realized for all citizens,” the White House said in a Fact Sheet.

of Black millennials and Gen-Zers seldom or never attend church. If the third reconstruction involves the rise of a social justice movement, then there needs to be a social justice revival within the Black church. A revival that balances tradition and legacy with an evolving 2024 society.

The third reconstruction will have a long-lasting impact on younger generations. One powerful lesson from the Greenwood District is unity. The lesson is “a chain is only as strong as its weakest link.” The weakest link becomes the point of failure. The Greenwood residents understood that they had to depend upon the success of each individual and each group in becoming a strong, self-sustained unit.

When the Greenwood District was destroyed, they destroyed the prototype model from which other communities could follow in becoming prosperous. Communities nationwide may no longer have the captive marketplace due to segregation; however, Black residents can still maintain the desire and commitment to support Black businesses, banks, and newspapers.

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

SUPREME COURT GIVES BLOW TO PAYDAY LOANS

By Charlene Crowell (TRICEEDNEYWIRE.COM)

A recent 7-2 ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court gave consumers a long-sought victory that ended more than a decade of challenges over the constitutionality of the agency created to be the nation’s financial cop on the beat.

The May 16 decision in the case formally known as Consumer Financial Protection Bureau v. Community Financial Services Association of America LTD, ET AL refuted arguments by the billion-dollar payday lending industry that CFPB was unconstitutional because its funding is derived directly from the Federal Reserve instead of Congress’ annual appropriations.

Payday loans that lure financiallystrapped consumers with promises of easy cash can still be found in profusion in most urban areas across the country. The payday industry’s billion-dollar profits typically are generated on loans of $350 or less. With high fees that create deepening cycles of reborrowing, these loans disproportionately affect Black and Latino borrowers who earn $40,000 or less per year, and do not have a college degree. Research by the CFPB found that payday lenders collect 75 percent of their

Payday loans that lure financially-strapped consumers with promises of easy cash can still be found in most urban areas across the country.

fees from borrowers who take out more than 10 loans per year.

In the absence of federal regulation, 20 states and the District of Columbia have enacted laws to cap payday lending interest rates at around 36 percent annual percentage rate (APR), or required other measures to eliminate long-term debt traps for consumers. But for the remaining states without reasonable rate caps, triple-digit interest on payday loans continues.

Against this backdrop, it remains important for CFPB’s work in support of financial fairness to continue.

Charlene Crowell is a senior fellow with the Center for Responsible Lending. She can be reached at Charlene.crowell@ responsiblelending.org.

Photo: Courtesy Gladys Knight

SECTION B

GRAVE ST. NEAR CASINO TO BEAR NAME OF CITY’S ADVOCATE SEN. LOUISE LUCAS

PORTSMOUTH

The street near the Rivers Casino Portsmouth and TCC will bear the name of Virginia State Senator L. Louise Lucas, who has served as a Virginia state legislator for more than three decades.

According to news reports, the City Council recently voted unanimously to rename a stretch of road near the casino and Tidewater Community College to “L. Louise Lucas Drive” in honor of her advocacy and service to the city for more than four decades. Lucas was instrumental in bringing the Rivers Casino to Portsmouth. It is the region’s

first casino. “I’m ecstatic because there’s no greater honor than to be honored in your own hometown,” Lucas said, in a recent statement.

The Rivers Casino Portsmouth which has added $15 million plus dollars to Portsmouth’s tax base, also has produced a newly named Missy Elliott Boulevard nearby, which extends to a driveway and serves the casino. The Planning Commission also voted unanimously in favor of the request. City staff noted in a memo about the request

that no adjacent property owners objected and that Lucas agreed with and was flattered” by the initiative. Lucas, a Democrat, represents Portsmouth and Chesapeake in the Virginia Senate, where she is Senate President Pro Tempore and chair of the powerful Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee which spearheads the state’s budget negotiations. Lucas entered politics as a Portsmouth City Council member in 1984. She was first elected to the State Legislature as a Senator in 1992.

NNRHA Appoints New Exec. Director

NEWPORT NEWS

The Newport News Redevelopment and Housing Authority recently appointed Lysandra M. Shaw as its new executive director. Shaw has worked more than two decades in public redevelopment and housing agencies in Suffolk, Portsmouth, Norfolk, and Virginia Beach. Shaw previously served as the Newport News Redevelopment and Housing Authority deputy director, starting in April 2022. Shaw will assume office on July 1 and

replace Karen Wilds, who announced her retirement in April after serving 25 years in the position.

“Ms. Shaw has all the qualities we were seeking to fill this essential position. Her experience, reputation and leadership style are all first rate,” said Newport News Redevelopment and Housing Authority Board of Commissioners Chair Lisa Wallace-Davis in a news release.

Thaddeus Holloman, board vice chair of the NNRHA, said in a recent statement on the agency’s website, “We are fortunate to have Ms. Shaw as the next Executive Director of the NNRHA. We have observed her performance while serving as Deputy Executive Director and are confident in her ability to lead the Authority.”

Shaw earned her undergraduate degree at Salem College and her MBA at the University of Phoenix. She is a North Carolina native and has lived in Virginia since 2002. The agency provides affordable housing to more than 4500 families. Its annual budget is over $53 million.

SMALL BUSINESS DIRECTORY

Sen. L. Louise Lucas

Lysandra M. Shaw

Photo: Courtesy

INTERNAL AVALANCHE

By Sean C. Bowers

Full moon’s tug on one’s emotional state of being, Replaying, reliving, revelling and foreseeing

NORFOLK

The Norfolk Sister City Association hosted its annual Soiree en Blanc on May 30 at Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral on Granby St., in Norfolk from 5:30 to 8 p.m. The weather proved to be a perfect day for this outdoors gathering in which everyone wears white, and the décor is white also. Guests enjoyed the outdoor ambience while eating and drinking their own food, drinks, and wine, or pre-purchased boxed dinners.

NCSA’s Soiree en Blanc Is Success Virginia History Grants Announced By Museum History & Culture

RICHMOND

Virginia non-profits, educational institutions, and state-recognized Indian tribes in need of grant funding are encouraged to begin preparing for the Virginia Museum of History & Culture’s (VMHC) 2025 Commonwealth History Fund grant cycle.

Each year, the VMHC, in partnership with Virginia’s Department of Historic Resources (DHR), awards grants to history organizations and projects throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia. There are several key selection criteria to be considered for a Commonwealth History Fund grant, including the significance of the project or resource, its impact on its community and the Commonwealth, the focus on historically underrepresented topics and communities, the need for funding, and the project’s urgency.

Established in 2021, the Commonwealth History Fund, presented by Dominion Energy, continues to stand as a unique and significant initiative, expected to award up to $2,000,000 in its first five years. To date, the VMHC has awarded $1.2M to fellow history organizations. Funds can be used for diverse purposes, including preservation, publications, artifact acquisition, research,

conservation of artifacts, and educational programming.

“Everyone wants and needs a home,” said the Virginia Nottoway Indian Tribe, a 2023 grant awardee. “We now own our Tribal Home, which cannot be taken away from us. After almost 12 years, tears were shed amongst tribal citizens upon hearing the news of the award that enabled us to complete the purchase.”

The Historic First Baptist of Williamsburg, a 2022 grant awardee, noted, “For an aging congregation that could not raise the extensive funds needed to make the repairs that were critical for the historic building, there is no way that this could have been accomplished without the funding provided by the Commonwealth History Fund.“

The VMHC will receive applications for funding for its fourth annual grant cycle Sept. 1-30, 2024. Awards will be announced in early 2025. As part of VMHC’s 250th Initiative, grant applications related to the commemoration of America’s semiquincentennial will be given special consideration.

To view grant guidelines and download the application, go to VirginiaHistory.org/ HistoryFund.

FATHER’S DAY GIFT CHALLENGE

How do we honor our fathers within our families and across society? Are fathers expendable? Invisible? Are they the backbone? An equal to the mother? The bread winner? What about single-father families or families with two fathers? Will your Father’s Day gift be a horrible tie, a cigar, or a colorful Hawaiian shirt?

What about donating to a nonprofit that supports fathers throughout the year?

We want to encourage everyone to think about fathers throughout the year. Think about what it means to be a firsttime father without the confidence, knowledge, skills, or experience to care for a newborn. Consider the young man without a job who wants to be a part of his child’s life. There are men in the military, incarcerated, and in other countries who are unable to physically be with their children. What will life be like for them when they are reunited with their children? Who will help them readjust? Who will ease the awkwardness, the tension, and other feelings that long absences create?

Non-profits help fill the gap and when appropriate they help reunite men with their children. There are non-profits that support single fathers;

that provide vocational and professional training to help fathers increase their earning power; and that help fathers overcome homelessness, drug addiction or alcoholism. Non-profits help fathers overcome a history of suffering from or inflicting domestic violence. Many focus on new fathers, and still others focus on those with a history of estrangement from their children. Nonprofits provide support to LGBTQ+ families who may feel isolated from “traditional” families within their neighborhood. Faithbased organizations strengthen men’s spiritual understanding, encourage forgiveness of self and others, and share skills and resources that strengthen a man’s ability to become the father he always wanted to be. One example of a nonprofit that is committed to families and fatherhood is Families Matter in Memphis. Their AFIRM initiative is an example of a comprehensive program that supports fathers emotionally, with relationship skills, and with job training aimed at increasing the earnings of low-income fathers. They help fathers navigate the child support system so that dads can pay child support consistently.

Our connectedness to the world and all its inhabitants, Magnified by all our past relatives of which we are descendants Holiday cheer and gear, Can’t protect us when our Scrooge moment draws near

Those past, present, and future, As we turn out thoughts to our cure

Cease violence is peace,

Negativity eliminated is nativity, Gifts don’t heal rifts, Forgiveness carte blanche, Releases would love and the high tidal internal avalanche

LIFE’S NOT ABOUT

By Sean C. Bowers

The one that got away, It’s about the way you live today

Life’s not about the loves lost, It’s about what you learned from that spiritual cost

Life’s not about how you stood for those who look and are like you, It’s about how to bring justice and equality for all you remained true

Life’s not about what

you got and bought, It’s about the number of slipping falling souls you caught

Life’s not about being right or judgmental, It’s about how each day your over all improvement was incremental

Life’s not about, Clout and there’s no time to pout, Remain stout for the underdog against the route – 12/28/07

Sean C. Bowers writes 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 e-mail at V1ZUAL1ZE@ aol.com NNPA 2019 Publisher of the Year, Brenda H. Andrews (NJ&G 37 years) has always been his publisher.

&

They are positive in their approach – they “make good fathers better.” And they do it with love.

Here’s our Father’s Day recommendation: what better way to assure the stability and growth of our future, than by providing continuous resources to men who want to be active fathers. There is something each of us can do to help ensure that fathers have the skills, resources, and support they need to be actively engaged with their children. Let’s honor our fathers – young and old – by making a gift in their name to help non-profits step up and make a difference in the growth and development of fatherhood. As always, it doesn’t have to stop with you: encourage your friends, family members, and associates to match or surpass what you are doing. We hope that this can become a tradition for you and your family going forward.

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.

Hello and welcome to The Bridge Corner. In our last two sessions, we were working with No Trump contracts. Let’s pause from bidding to do a review of the responses to the 1 No Trump opening bid. The 1 No Trump (N/T) opening bid, like EVERY one-level opening bid, is saying four things: 1) Giving point count (1 N/T = 15 to 17 points); 2) Indicating whether or not there is at least a 5-card major suit in the hand (1 N/T = no 5-card Spade or Heart suit in the hand); 3) If 1 Spade or 1 Heart is opened, then asking for at least 3 cards in the suit opened; if 1 N/T, 1 Diamond, or 1 Club opened, then asking for at least a four card major suit. So, when 1 N/T is opened, the opener is asking his partner for at least a four card Spade or Heart suit (Majors) and at least 8 points in order to respond. In our previous session, we described the Stayman Convention: when responder has a 4-card Major suit(s) and 8+ HCP, bid 2 Clubs = STAYMAN. This bid says “opener, do you have a fourcard Spade or Heart suit? If so, name it. When the NoTrump opener answers this 2 Club bid, responder bids his point count. If the N/T opener does not have a fourcard Spade or Heart suit he will bid 2 Diamonds. With an 8-card

Major suit fit discovered

8-9 HCP bid at the 3 level in the discovered 8-card Major suit fit 10-14 HCP bid at the 4 level (game) in the discovered 8-card Major suit fit With no 8-card Major suit fit discovered 8-9 HCP bid 2 No Trump 10-14 HCP bid 3 No

Trump Now, let’s take a look at the Jacoby Transfer Convention: With 0+ HCP, bid the suit below your long Spade or Heart suit (must have 5+ cards in the Major suit).

2 Diamond or 2 Heart bid = 0+ High Card Points

This says “I have at least a 5-card Major suit in the suit directly above the one I named. * If I (the responder) bid 2D, I want you (the 1 No Trump opener) to re-bid

2 H. * If I (the responder) bid 2H. I want you (the 1 No Trump opener) to re-bid 2 Spades. After the No Trump opener accepts the transfer, responder tells opener his point count:

POINTS 0-7

5-CARD MAJOR SUIT Pass 6-CARD MAJOR SUIT Pass

2 N/T 6-CARD MAJOR SUIT Raise to 3 level in the Major POINTS 10-14 5-CARD MAJOR SUIT

3 N/T 6-CARD MAJOR SUIT Bid 4 Spades or 4 Hearts (Game)

TIDEWATER BRIDGE CLUB

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

WEDNESDAYS 10:45 a.m.

Sean C. Bowers

NORFOLK

Teens With a Purpose and the Safe Passage Safety Coalition have joined hands to honor young people who have lost their lives due to gun violence and for all the families impacted by gun violence.

They’re calling it Hope Chasers Wear Orange (HCWO) and the group held an event recently to create a joyful memorial

filled with poetry and music and dance, art creation and healing circles at Purpose Park located near the TWP headquarters at 801 Church street

HCWO says its group hopes those who have died from violence have not died in vain and that HCWO’s efforts will comfort the families, the community and spark change that helps to end gun violence.

Chesapeake Juneteenth Foundation presents “Where History Reveals Truth” A Celebration of Juneteenth JUNE 15, 2024 | NOON - 4 P.M. LUNCH, ENTERTAINMENT AND BLACK HISTORY

HU & C.O.G.I.C. SECOND JURISDICTION VA ANNOUNCE

NEW EDUCATION PARTNERSHIP

HAMPTON

Hampton University recently announced its newly launched School of Religion in partnership with the Church of God in Christ Second Jurisdiction of Virginia. The announcement was made at the 110th Hampton University Ministers’ Conference (HUMC).

“We are thrilled to announce that the Church of God in Christ is our very fi rst partner with the School of Religion,” said Hampton University President Darrell K. Williams.

“Together, we are shaping the future of religious education and leadership, stepping forward to support our mission of preparing inspired and effective leaders for the 21st century.”

The Church of God in Christ (C.O.G.I.C.) is one of the largest Pentecostal denominations in the world, founded in 1907.

Tickets: $50

Tables: $500

For information, call Ernest Lowery (757) 737-2180 For more information visit, chesapeakejuneteenthfoundation.org

“The collaboration between C.O.G.I.C. and Hampton University’s School of Religion is a remarkable opportunity to enhance spiritual education and leadership,” said Bishop Michael B.

Golden, Jr., appointed as one the youngest bishops of C.O.G.I.C. “We are honored to be the inaugural partner in this endeavor, and we look forward to the positive impact this will have on our communities and beyond.”

Rev. Dr. Debra Haggins, executive director and treasurer of the Hampton University Ministers’ Conference, and HU chaplain, is the founding

dean of the School of Religion. She said, “We are excited about our partnership with C.O.G.I.C. and we’re committed to fostering a new generation of leaders who are wellequipped to address the challenges of our time.”

The School of Religion offers a diverse range of programs and initiatives, including degree programs, continuing education and research and publications.

3-Day Juneteenth Fest At Beach

VIRGINIA BEACH

We are a 501(c) (3) not for profit organization.

A three-day festival of familyfriendly fun, education, engagement, activities, live entertainment, games, and the opportunity to support local small businesses is taking place June 15, 16, 19, varying times, at the 24th Street Stage and Park. Events include a parade, car show, fashion show, trivia, block party, poetry, demonstrations, children’s village and more. Presented by T.E.A.M. L.A.M.B. and The L.A.M.B.S. Foundation with support from the City of Virginia Beach. Some events may require tickets. Learn more

at www.juneteenthatb.com.

In addition, the VBPL has a variety of Juneteenth-related materials for all ages in print and digital formats that are free to borrow with a Virginia Beach library account. Learn more at virginiabeach. gov/library. On June 19, Juneteenth Paint Night, 7-8:30 p.m., will be held off-site at Vibrant Shore Brewing Company: Adults can learn about the history of Juneteenth while creating a painting in celebration of the holiday. Free. All supplies are provided, and registration is required.

(L-R) Bishop Michael B. Golden, Jr. and HU President Darrell K. Williams

Photo: Courtesy

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

THE PRACTICALITY OF FAITH MOMENTS of MEDITATION

James 2: 14 -26

We come now to the most controversial section of the Book of James, in which he wrote, “A man is justified by works, and not by faith alone” (2:24). These words raised the hackles of Martin Luther, who questioned whether it should have been included in the New Testament. Luther’s perspective, of course, was that of a man struggling with an ecclesiastical system that stressed human works as necessary to salvation, to the point that the biblical teaching of salvation by grace through faith had almost been forgotten. In that situation, he was understandably suspicious of anything that seemed to claim human merit as a basis for salvation.

Now, five centuries later, we can appreciate his point of view, while not sharing his suspicion of James’s teaching. Both James and Paul taught that we are saved by God’s grace, and that salvation comes through faith. Both taught that good works are not the root, but the fruit, of salvation, and that they always appear in the life of a genuinely saved person.

Superficially, faith and works appear to be contradictory concepts, but actually they are complementary. Genuine faith results in changed behavior,

characterized by kindness and consideration to all. THE BASIC THEME.

“What use is it,” asks James, “if a man says he has faith, but he has no works? Can that faith save him?” Counterfeit faith will not produce works in harmony with one’s profession. It will gain nothing for the person – and certainly not salvation (see Matthew 7:21). James illustrates his point by citing two cases of counterfeit faith, which does not produce good works, and two cases of genuine faith, evidenced by good works.

FOUR CASE STUDIES.

1. NEGLECTING THE NEEDY. (James 2:15 –17). In the first part of this chapter, James described the thoughtless way in which poor people were being treated –not only a visitor (vv. 2-4), but fellow believers (“a brother or sister,” v. 15). Since joining the church family, their economic situation had not improved. What should a congregation do about persons in their fellowship who are inadequately clothed and poorly fed? This group had said, in effect, “God bless you; we sincerely hope you can find warmth and food.” James says this kind of “faith” is worthless; in fact, it is dead.

2. CONFESSING A CREED. (James 2:18-20) The “Someone” of whom James speaks has observed the hypocrisy of those who show partiality in favor of the rich and against the poor. This person says, “You people claim to have faith. I have not been bragging about my faith, but the good works that I have done reveal the reality of my faith. I challenge you to show me the faith that you claim to have without good works to back it up. I don’t believe you can do it.”

We must remember that James never says that doing good works can take the place of faith in Christ. He does assert that when faith is present, works will follow.

3. SACRIFICING A SON. (James 2:21-24). James now cites two Old Testament instances of genuine faith: Abraham and Rahab. The Apostle Paul categorically denies that Abraham was justified by works (Romans 4). James referring to the same set of facts, asserts that “a man is justified by works” (James 2:24).

This apparent contradiction is easily resolved if we look carefully at how James and Paul use the terms “faith” and “works.”

When Paul spoke of being justified (declared righteous) by faith, he meant a genuine faith in God that transformed one’s life and bore fruit in good works. Paul insisted that the basis for justification is faith and not works, but he also insisted that the genuine faith produces works.

When James spoke of being justified by works, he was not denying that faith had preceded the works. He saw the works as proof of the genuineness of the faith that had produced them.

Abraham’s faith, by which he was justified the moment he believed God, found its fruition in what he did 30 years later, when he was asked to obey God regardless of the cost (Genesis 22).

4. SHELTERING THE SPIES. (James 2:25-26). It may be difficult to accept Rahab as a person of faith and an illustration appropriate to James’ argument. She was, after all, a harlot. We may well believe, in view of her sheltering of the spies (Joshua 2), her residence among the Israelites (6:25), and her becoming one of the

ancestors of Jesus (Matthew 1:5), that she had abandoned her immoral lifestyle. But her earlier practice forever branded her with this unsavory label. Nevertheless, James includes Rahab as an illustration of real faith. When he asked, “Was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works?” he assumed that faith was there (see Hebrew 11:31), being made evident by works.

Though untutored in the Mosaic Law, Rahab recognized and acknowledged the existence, power, and universal reign of the Lord

(Joshua 2:9, 11). She showed the genuineness of faith by casting her lot and that of her family with the invading Israelite forces. Her protection of the spies was political treason, and bears eloquent witness to the depth of her primitive but genuine faith in the true God.

James is not anti-faith, but he knows that faith that is genuine is faith that works. We need to live out our faith so that unbelievers can see the Gospel’s power and be drawn to God through the witness of our works as well as our words.

THIS NOTICE IS ADDRESSED TO: REBECCA RIVKA

“Rebecca, certain beneficiaries may qualify for a grocery allowance of $2,343 per year with a Medicare Advantage Plan. If you’re experiencing chronic conditions and/or on a fixed income, an average of $2,343/ year in benefits assistance may be available for:---Food--Over-The-Counter Products--Home Supplies---Financial Assistance With Rent--Utilities---Gym Membership. Plans with benefits described here are available in your area with Aetna, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Anthem HealthKeepers, Humana, UnitedHealthcare. Please call (844) 727-6481(TTY 711) today to speak to a licensed insurance agent at GoHealth for your free, no-obligation Medicare benefit review.”

My Dear Readers, for a long time now I have been suspicious of the Advantage Plan Scheme and now

the spam has come to my house and my answer is a resounding and offensive NO!!! I want you to know that I have researched both the Medicare/Medicaid and Advantage Plans beginnings and their design and purpose to improve the quality and life of Americans who may live above the poverty line or (God forbid) – deep down in it. I will use plain talk. Since I am included in the mail-out, the Advantage Plan Scammers have access to

CHURCH ADs & DIRECTORY

all my medical and financial records and yours as well. Also, they know where I live by researching my zip code. Remember, the mass shooter in Rochester, NY, used the zip code to determine where large numbers of AfricanAmericans lived in order to kill as many as he could in one instance. Zip codes, among other things, identify ethnicity. Therefore, I was targeted as an African-American and one who is out to get something for nothing and welcoming hand-outs. I am placed in Republican Mitt Romney’s category; “There are 47 percent of Americans who do not take responsibility for their own lives and I can’t be bothered with those people.” You recall, Romney lost the election to President Barack Obama in 2012 for that insidious remark. see Rivka, page 6B

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

Rev. Dr. Rebecca R. Rivka

BOOKWORM REVIEW

By Terri Schlichenmeyer

JUNETEENTH BOOKS

The park shelter has been reserved. You’ve told everyone where to be and what to bring (Grandma’s favorite dessert!) and someone will set up games to occupy the kids. Your whole family celebrates Juneteenth, so maybe it’s time to bring these two great books to your jubilee ... If you sometimes feel like you’re always the last to know, then read “Galveston’s Juneteenth Story: And Still We Rise” by Tommie Boudreaux, Alice Gatson, Jami Durham and W. Dwayne Jones (The History Press, $24.99) Because sometimes, you are the last. Some sixty years before the end of the Civil War, Britain and the U.S. both “banned the international trade of enslaved people ...” Slavery still existed, of course, and “Galveston [Texas] was known as the largest slave market west of New Orleans ...” Roughly a thousand people were enslaved there, and “many more ... passed through the city’s slave trading houses.” It’s estimated that “thousands” also tried to

escape slavery through Galveston and Brownsville, over the Rio Grande to Mexico.

Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation proclamation on September 22, 1862. The Civil War ended in April 1865. On June 19 of that same year –two months after wars’ end –Black Texans finally learned that they were free. The slaves in Galveston were the last in the country to be notified. This essential look at the history of Juneteenth goes beyond that historic day to show more of what happened

in the immediate aftermath of the posting of General Order No. 3. The authors don’t stop there, though: they take their narrative well into the early 20th century, through Jim Crow laws, and into modern times and today’s celebrations. Complete with lots of illustrations, “Galveston’s Juneteenth Story: And Still We Rise” is a great book to browse and to keep around for reference. You know your child wants to understand the history of this holiday, too, so look for the new picture book, “Juneteenth Is” by Natasha Tripplett, illustrated

by Daniel J. O’Brien (Chronicle Books, $17.99).

The morning has just started. The sun is up and today is the day for Jubilee. Everyone’s heading for the park and a parade with drummers and steppers. They throw candy to everyone along the parade route. There are red, green, and black flags everywhere!

After the festivities at the park, it’s time to get together with family. Juneteenth is a time to “be thankful.”

It’s “the ladies singing in the kitchen,” an uncle’s jokes (groan!), basketball in the front driveway, prayer around the table, and “generations of family recipes.” And, of course, Juneteenth is a solemn time to acknowledge “things not taught in school.” That’s the lesson to be learned, and children ages 3 to 8 will love learning it with this book. If these Juneteenth books aren’t exactly what you’re looking for, be sure to ask your favorite bookseller or librarian. They can put lots of other Juneteenth books for anyone of any age, directly in your hands. Ask for help, or be sure to put these two great books on reserve soon.

FUN PUZZLE FOR YOUR LEISURE

Continued from page 6B

Let’s go into the history of the definitions of these very different plans. Original Medicare(Part A-Part B, blue and red card) is a national, government sponsored medical insurance program given universally to all Americans at age 65; rich or poor, Black or White. Part A pays for hospitalization and Part B pays 80 percent of doctors’ bills. This guaranteed health insurance program was begun in 1965 under the Social Security Administration and now administered by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. (Wikipedia) My brothers and Sisters, please know that we pay for that 80 percent ourselves. The government takes it out of our Social Security Check every month. So when These Advantage Plans say we will “Get more back in our Social Security check” we are in effect taking our own selves out of Medicare. This is true for Medicaid also for those who fall into “the double Medicare/Medicaid Advantage Scam and take them selves off Medicaid Roll. The Republicans have been trying to get rid of Medicare and Medicaid for years and to privatize Social Security. Now they have found away for us to do it our selves if we fall for the Advantage Plan Scam. KEEP YOUR ORIGINAL MEDICARE AND MEDICAID, PLEASE!!!

Those who can afford it carry Supplemental Insurance to cover the remaining 20 percent doctor’s bill. A friend told me she applied for an Advantage Plan and was denied because she had a Supplemental Insurance. That was the beginning of my suspicion of Advantage Plans. My friend was locked into the Original Medicare with the 20 percent Supplemental and illegible for the Advantage scam and also well above Romney’s 47 percent poor folk group that includes most AfricanAmericans. Medicaid is a state supported medical program for low-income persons and especially families who are medically indigent and cannot afford health care.

These citizens should never take them selves off the Medicaid State programs for the fly-by-night fraudulent Advantage Plans that do not provide health care. These citizens would have no where to go for health care, food and other advantages of Medicaid. Finally, Advantages Plans are owned by private companies who carry no official governmental medical assurances. Advantage Plans are social benefit, Part C, one year annual contracts with the same federal government. Now isn’t that interesting? All plans come from the same source. So we get the picture. An Advantage Plan Licensed Agent told me that Medicare allots money to the Advantage Plans to offer all of those benefits that were mailed to me in the beginning of this article. We ask these questions –Why must people call each year to see “if my doctor is still with the plan? If not, what do I do?” Why do they need my zip code? Do rich folk and poor folk, Latinos, Asian-Americans, Native Americans, AfricanAmericans and Jews live in different zip codes? “come let us reason together my Sisters and Brothers. The answer is simple. The 50 years or more systematic scam is to allow the people who need these federal and state, vital needs-programs, to year by year remove them selves voluntarily and completely from Medicare and Medicaid. Then the Advantage Plans will have done their job and cease the need to exist. Original Medicare and Medicaid would be finished. BEWARE!!! “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour ...” (I Peter 5:8-9) KJV

The Bible says: “The Lord is a God of knowledge” (I Samuel 2:3) “Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge?” (Psalm 14:4) “Give me knowledge that I may go out.” (II Chronicles 1:10) “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” (Hosea 4:6) “Get wisdom, get understanding. Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.” (Proverbs 4:5,7) AMEN Blessings and Shalom.