NJG | Vol. 124, No. 30 - August 1, 2024 by NJG WebTech

New Energy Among Democrats Explodes With Harris Nomination

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

President Joseph R. Biden “has passed on the torch” to Vice President Kamala Harris to lead the Democratic party in its fi ght to defeat Donald Trump in this year’s General Election. If she wins, Harris will be the fi rst woman and the fi rst female of African, Asian, and Indian descent to be elected President of the United States. Before becoming Vice President, Harris, a graduate of Howard University, was

VP Kamala Harris

a Prosecuting Attorney in San Francisco, California Attorney General, and U.S. Senator from that state. She was then selected by Biden to be his Vice President.

Harris may become the ﬁrst woman and the ﬁrst female of African, Asian, and Indian descent to be elected President.

Biden’s faltering poll numbers, doubts among young and Black members of his party’s base, and physical and mental status have placed her in a position she earns by incumbency and the Democratic party’s rules.

Three weeks after the June 27 Presidential debate between Biden and Trump, ardent Democrats and the media

believed the party was trapped in a dark and depressing space.

Biden’s stiff and addled performance standing next to an almost incoherent Trump did not go well.

Biden’s physical and mental impairment was on display before them and millions of others.

see Harris, page 2A

OZEMPIC: HIJACKING OF DIABETES DRUG FROM ITS CREATED USE

By Andre ‘M. Johnson

According to a recent study published in Lucent, the number of people living with diabetes worldwide is on pace to more than double in the next three decades. This increase will bring the total of worldwide diabetic patients to a staggering 1.3 billion by 2025, making diabetes one of the top 10 leading causes of death and disability, in the world.

On December 5th of 2017, a little-known drug hit the market to help millions of people suffering with diabetes. The drug was called Ozempic. Ozempic was created to lower blood sugar by stimulating the pancreas to produce more insulin and has shown continual success in patients with lowering their A1-C.

Ozempic rose to fame when celebrities who do not suffer from diabetes began publicizing the drug’s ability to assist in fast acting weight loss.

The introduction of medications such as Ozempic and Wegovy has changed the game for millions of people worldwide who have been struggling with diabetes. It was a once weekly auto injector that would allow patients to maintain their sugar levels and create a healthier way of life. One of its

known side effects, however, was dramatic weight loss.

In early 2022, Ozempic rose to fame when celebrities who do not suffer from diabetes began publicizing the drug’s ability to assist in fast acting weight loss. It quickly went from a lifesaving medication for diabetics to the celebrity go-to for shedding unwanted pounds.

Valentine Paterson of Brooklyn, New York thought he had found a solution to his endless battle with obesity and diabetes when he was prescribed Ozempic. The effects were almost immediate and life altering. “I weighed more than 365 pounds and after being hospitalized for heart failure, my doctor recommended I take Ozempic,” said Paterson a 52-year-old Uber driver. see Ozempic, page 3A

KAINE, SCOTT

NABJ’s Invitation To Donald Trump Sparks Outrage And Backlash

By Stacy M. Brown Senior National Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia

NNPA NEWSWIRE

The National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) has forcefully condemned the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) for including former President Donald Trump in a panel during its annual convention. The stunning invitation has sparked widespread outrage within the journalism community.

“I strongly oppose Trump’s participation in the NABJ annual convention and career fair,” declared NNPA National Chair Bobby Henry. The NNPA represents over 250 African-American-owned newspapers and media companies and has been a pillar of the Black Press of America for 197 years. “His divisive rhetoric and actions have harmed marginalized communities, particularly the Black community,” Henry continued. “Allowing him a platform at this event undermines the NABJ’s values of inclusion and solidarity and risks normalizing his damaging behavior.”

Henry emphasized the necessity of Black journalists to foster dialogues that uplift and empower marginalized voices, not those who have historically opposed minority interests.

Trump a platform at

– NNPA Chairman Bobby Henry

Founded in 1975, the NABJ is a prominent organization for journalists of color in America. The decision to invite the controversial, twiceimpeached, and 34-times convicted felon and former president has triggered a signiﬁcant backlash from its members.

“I have decided to step down as co-chair from this year’s #NABJ24 convention in Chicago,” tweeted NABJ convention co-chair Karen Attiah to her 234,000 followers.

“To the journalists interviewing Trump, I wish them the best of luck. For everyone else, I’m looking forward to meeting and reconnecting with all of you in the Windy City.” see NABJ, page 6A

Photo: Courtesy

Photo: NJGStaff

NORFOLK

Former State Sen. Lionell Spruill displays a plaque from HRT Pres. and CEO William Harrell for 15 years of service to the Transportation District Commission of Hampton Roads. Also pictured is Board Chair Dr. Patricia Woodbury.

TRUMP TELLS CHRISTIANS: VOTING ENDS WITH HIM

By Stacy M. Brown

Senior National Correspondent

NNPA NEWSWIRE

In a series of alarming rallies, former President Donald Trump has made his intentions clear, signaling plans that many critics describe as dictatorial. At Turning Point Action’s Believers Summit, Trump urged Christian voters to turn out for the 2024 election with an unprecedented promise: “Christians, get out and vote, just this time. You won’t have to do it

Harris

Continued from page 1A

Post-debate polls showed Trump was ahead in the handful of battleground states that would decide the elections. In 2020 Biden won Virginia by 10 points, but polls showed him with a slim 3-point lead, and the debate was eroding that margin.

Black and young supporters, despite the benefits they may have reaped from three years of the Biden presidency, deemed him too old and did not connect with them.

A damning sign came two weeks ago when Senator Charles Schermer, the majority leader of the Senate, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries met with Biden and told him his weakness would drag the party to defeat come November.

On July 20, while campaigning in Pennsylvania, a would-be assassin nearly turned the course of the campaign when Trump was struck in the ear by his bullet. He hoped to secure some sympathy from supporters fearing opponents to his reelection were targeting him.

This incident was days before the Republican National Convention (RNC) in Milwaukee, where the Grand Old Party (GOP) launched a scathing attack against the weak Biden campaign.

Trump chose U.S. Senator J.D. Vance of Ohio as his Vice President. Vance, the author of the book “Hillbilly Elegy” was once a stark critic of the ex-president and denounced him as a threat to democracy.

Vance, a political analyst said, would help the GOP with white working-class voters, who typically won in national

anymore. … You got to get out and vote. In four years, you don’t have to vote again. We’ll have it fixed so good you’re not going to have to vote.”

With these words, Trump moved beyond veiled rhetoric, outlining a vision for America that directly threatens democratic principles.

Trump’s campaign has highlighted Agenda 47 as its ofﬁcial policy platform for the 2024 presidential election. This agenda, closely aligned with Project 2025, proposes sweeping changes to U.S. governance

elections, especially in the north-central industrial “rust belt” anchored by Ohio (which is Red) and Pennsylvania, which may be more competitive.

However, Vance, who is married to a woman of Indian descent, was once critical of Trump. Now, and, a portion of the GOP base may be souring on Vance. Trump still

July 28, 1928

Edition of the Guide

Talking Pictures Coming To Attucks

NORFOLK

The Attucks Theater will shortly begin the presentation of talking pictures on both the Vitaphone and Movietone (formats).

Engineers are now here installing these latest inventions in the local theaters and will include Attucks in their work. The ﬁrst talking picture to be exhibited in that playhouse will be Al Jolson’s “The Jazz Singer.” Renovation of the Attucks will proceed during the month of August without interruption to shows.

The theater is opening the ﬁrst of the month under the direction of Sidney G. Gates, the Vice President of the American Theatre Corporation.

Les Greenwood for many years, a popular “Keith Vaudeville” star and for 24 years an actor and executive, will be the local manager of the Attucks. It will be one of the ﬁve colored picture houses in the United States with Movietone and Vitaphone installations.

Colored Accredited High Schools In The South

NORFOLK

In the June-July issue of the Bulletin of the National Association of Teachers in Colored Schools, there is a third annual report of fouryear state accredited High Schools for Negros in the South, according to W. A. Robinson, Associate Editor of the Bulletin.

The report showed in 1924-25, in the 16 southern states only 23 four-year state accredited high schools for Negro children. The number for 1925-26 was 204 are shown in the second report in the June-July issue for 1927.

The report now in the press, indicates that for 1926-27, the number rose to 251. It is an encouraging note that the number for 1926-27 shows a gain of 47, up 23 percent over 1924-25

Christians, get out and vote, just this time. You won’t have to do it anymore ... In four years, you don’t have to vote again. We’ll have it ﬁxed so good you’re not going to have to vote.”

– 2024 Republican Candidate Trump

that align with authoritarian ideals. Both plans, shaped by Trump loyalists, aim to reshape the government and civil society under

what can only be described as a fascist framework, asserting their mission is to rescue the country from radical leftist inﬂuences.

They wanted to know what they could do to help her win. I and other friends want to volunteer. We have not been this excited since 2008 when Obama ran.”

– Wanda F. Camm

Project 2025 envisions ending the administrative state by placing the entire federal bureaucracy under direct presidential control, a “Unitary Executive” approach often seen as a pathway to autocracy. Similarly, Agenda 47 aims to dismantle the socalled “deep state” by ﬁring thousands of civil servants and replacing them with loyalists, referred to as “patriots who love America.” According to Trump, this restructuring would make federal bureaucrats and politicians accountable to the American

they could support Vice President Harris.

Camm, who is retired, said that Zoom typically maxes out at 1,500 participants, but a female executive at the video conferencing company called her boss and persuaded him to increase the capacity.

people. However, the plans fail to explain how the people would actually hold these ofﬁcials accountable, raising fears of unchecked presidential power.

Authoritarian leaders have long used propaganda to manipulate public opinion, and experts suggest that Trump’s rhetoric follows this playbook.

“When Vice President Harris says this election is about freedom she means it,” the Kamala Harris campaign said in a statement. “Our democracy is under assault by criminal Donald Trump.”

supports him.

But cries for Biden to step aside grew, and then he began isolating himself and missing important gatherings and rallies. Then it was announced he had COVID-19, and the calls grew louder.

Trump’s campaign and some analysts believed the Republicans were on a path to a landslide victory. Not expected but welcomed, on July 21,

Biden, after hours of talks with staff, former President Barack Obama, congressional leaders, and state leaders, said he would pass the torch to Vice President Harris.

Hours after Biden’s announcement, according to Wanda Farrow Camm, a friend, excited by the President’s decision, invited her to an upcoming call of about 1500 Black women to discuss how

Eventually, 40,000plus women joined Zoom organized by the #WinWithBlackWomen network.

Camm said the meeting was streamed to thousands of other women also on other platforms. The call “that started it all” was organized by Jotaka L. Eaddy, a seasoned strategist with more than 20 years of experience in policy, advocacy, and movement building. She is the founder and CEO of Full

From The Guide’s Archives

Circle Strategies, LLC – a social impact consulting firm committed to advancing transformative change and global impact. Eaddy is also the Co-Host of the award-winning OWN (Oprah Winfrey Network) Television series – “Speak Sis!” “So instead of 1,500, there were over 45,000 women on that Zoom and many more,” Camm said, “and they were excited. They wanted to know what they could do to help her win. I and other friends want to volunteer. We have not been this excited since 2008 when Obama ran.”

Camm said she is among the 170,000 people who signed up to volunteer during the first seven days of the Harris campaign effort.

see Harris, page 6A

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

and in the two-year period since 1924, a gain of 88 or 54 percent.

The largest number is in North Carolina but the most adequate provision for high schools’ facilities for Negroes seems to be in West Virginia. Two years ago, at least one state did not accredit Negro high schools at all.

In Alabama, with over 900,000 Negro residents, there are no public or private accredited schools for Negroes. There are six private and six public schools for Negroes in Arkansas.

In Virginia with a Negro population of 690,017, out of a 1.6 million residents totally, there were 10 public and 10 private high schools for colored in the state. There were 367 public and 50 private accredited schools for Whites.

July 31, 1943

Edition of the Guide Warship Is Named For Navy Hero

By P. Bernard Young, Jr.

QUINCY, MASS

In Valhalla where heroic men live for eternity, Leonard Roy Harmon, a Texas born hero who gave his life aboard the USS San Francisco, while it was battling Japanese forces last fall, must be a proud ﬁghting man today. He has every right to be, for in his memory, America launched a $3 million warship bearing his name his mother sponsored and christened it.

The USS Harmon, a trim, smart and modern man o’ war, the ﬁrst United States Warship named in honor of a Negro, is a destroyer escort and one of the newly designed hard hitting sea warriors.

Due to war time restrictions, only the press and invited guests were on hand for the truly distinct moment for everyone, from admiral to apprentice.

And it was especially memorable for Nanita Harmon Carroll of Cuero, Texas, her two daughters and husband, who traveled

2,235 miles to share in the event.

102-Year-Old Former Slave Makes ‘Rithmetic His Hobby

By C.L. Williams

NORFOLK

Tackling difﬁcult and intricate mathematical problems that confound the average mind, he takes pad and pencil and with apparent ease, works out solutions to the astonishment of those looking on.

This is a hobby of Miles T. Nixon, 102 years old, who more than 50 years ago lived and taught school for a brief period in Norfolk.

Nixon, who re-visited the city last week for the second time within the past three years and was a caller at the Journal and Guide plant, conﬁdently and emphatically asserts that man has not contrived a problem in mathematics he cannot solve.”

A graduate of Hampton Institute, during the administration of the late General S. C. Armstrong, founder and ﬁrst President the school, he is also a former student of the Shaw and Howard Universities.

Nixon possess an amazing and alert mentality for a man of his age.

He is the uncle of Dr. S. F. Coppage, dentist of this city, whose mother is the youngest sister of Nixon. He is also grand uncle of Joseph Dale, a local restaurant owner.

Constantly traveling, he is busy delivering public lectures on timely topics.

He is twice married and fathered 21 children; 19 by his ﬁrst wife and two by his

present one, Mary, whom he has been married to for 35 years. He was born in 1841. His mother when threeyearsold was given by her slave master to his young daughter as a present. As an adult, she was queen slave of the household and bossed the others. Her children, including Miles Nixon, were given special privileges, including the right to learn how to read. He was emancipated in his middle 20s.

Suit Filed In Voting Case

PRINCESS ANNE COUNTY A formal court order instructing the Registrar of the Seaboard section of Princess Anne County to register all colored citizens was entered in the County Circuit Court.

The decree was ordered by Judge B.D. White after Andrew Shipp, Registrar of the County, had been advised by Commonwealth’s Attorney Paul W. Ackliss to register Isaac Gould, George B. Wilson and Philmore Reed, substantial citizens of the county who had been denied the right to register July 8.

The action put an end to a suit ﬁled by the trio against Shipp which was scheduled to have been heard by Judge White.

During the same week, the Norfolk Democratic Committee, for the first time in history, has named its first five colored voters to serve as judges and clerks in a primary election.

H.C. Young, S. H. Bell and P. J. Cherson have been named as judges, while Kelvin E. Shaw has been named as clerk for the 21st precincts for the August 3 primary.

The 21st Precinct is predominantly colored, but white judges and clerks have always been named to serve in the primaries.

The precinct comprises most of the section bounded by the Norfolk and Western railroad tracks and Church Street east and west and Princess Anne Road and Summit Avenues (all of Huntersville and Lindenwood).

July 28, 1951 Edition of the Guide

Protest Increase Over

“Amos ‘N’ Andy” TV Show

NEW YORK A storm of protests over the “Amos ‘N’ Andy” TV show continues to pour forth with intensity from all quarters this week as the NAACP pushed its campaign for discontinuance of the programs.

Students for Democratic Action, the largest independent students’ political organization in the nation was the ﬁrst national organization to follow the NAACP’s lead in making a public protest against the program. In a letter to the sponsors, Alvert C. Ettinger, Executive Secretary of the SOA, wrote: “The impact on inherent in the programs that all Negroes are stupid, lazy, dishonest or ‘amusing’ are not only contrary to the fact but highly dangerous to a healthy democratic society in which members of all ethnic groups should be evaluated as individuals.”

July 29, 1971

Edition of the Guide

7 Negro Candidates Seek Nansemond County Jobs

SUFFOLK

Seven Negro candidates have qualiﬁed for the November 7 general election. According to John H. Powell, Nansemond County Clerk of court, the following persons were certiﬁed. For County Treasurer, George W. Crocker, teacher in the county system who opposes incumbent W. O. Jones. Jacqueline Carson, a Suffolk pharmacist, opposes Supervisor Moses Riddick for the Cypress District seat (both are Negroes). Also, Lorraine Lassiter Gatlin and Lenora Skeeter, incumbents, and Horace Parson, an insurance man, and Margaret Smith, a department store clerk, are candidates for Justice of the Peace. William Goodman, candidate for Nansemond Sheriff, withdrew from the race because the Hatch Act forbids

workers to run or

partisan elections.

Miles T. Nixon

Wanda F. Camm

Ozempic

Continued from page 1A

“Within four months of taking the drug, I lost 65 pounds, and my doctor reduced my other medications from nine to four. It changed my life. But then I could not get my prescription filled. I looked for months; it was a nightmare. All the work and progress I was making was slipping away, all because I was unable to pay out of pocket.”

The reason Mr. Paterson could not get his prescription filled is because Mr. Paterson’s local pharmacy, like many others nationwide, was no longer able to obtain the blockbuster medication.

Ozempic and Wegovy created a nationwide shortage of medication by those willing to pay the exorbitant out-of-pocket costs getting first cracks at the available supply. So, while pharmacies in lower income neighborhoods could not stock their shelves, pharmacies on Manhattan’s Upper Eastside had a twelvemonth supply of the miracle drug readily available to those able to pay $1,400 per prescription. Given this void, the question was raised as to whether anyone or anything could help.

Enter the compounding pharmacy. According to the FDA, compounding pharmacies are authorized to produce exact drugs in times of a national shortage by making generic versions of those medications to assist all those in need. When a medicine is not on the national shortage list, compounding pharmacies are only authorized to make alternate forms of the prescribed drug.

Ozempic has been on both the worldwide and

U.S. shortage list since April of 2022. However, what happens when Big Pharma doesn’t want to let compounding pharmacies earn money they feel belongs to them even during a shortage?

“Lifeline Pharmacy” is a small compounding pharmacy run by Dr. Aisha Johnson in the heart of south Los Angeles. For years, this pharmacy has served as a beacon of hope, providing personalized care and essential medications to the predominantly Black and Latino residents. Among the most critical medications Dr. Johnson compounds is semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy.

According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, Black adults are nearly twice as likely as white adults to develop type 2 diabetes. This racial disparity has been rising over the last 30 years creating a disproportionate need for these life altering medications in communities of color. Despite the FDA’s approval for compounding pharmacies to produce semaglutide, Novo Nordisk has targeted these providers in order to protect their profits and

eliminate the competition.

The impact of Big Pharma’s campaign is being felt in communities from Brooklyn, NY to Los Angeles, CA. The misinformation spread by Novo Nordisk, stating that compounded versions of semagludies are unsafe and potentially life threating has created fear and uncertainty in those using compounded versions of the popular medication.

Intensifying the problem, legislative proposals inﬂuenced by pharmaceutical lobbyists threatened to impose restrictions that would make it nearly impossible for small pharmacies to continue compounding semaglutide. For communities of color, this means losing a critical source of affordable and accessible medication.

The popularity of these drugs has made it difficult for average Americans to afford or find these medications. These are not just weight loss medications; they are tools for survival for many diabetic patients. Many patients have been forced to accept lower doses of these drugs to maintain any benefits even though most experience little to no progress with the reduced dosage.

PROFESSOR EMERITUS OF SOCIOLOGY VIRGINIA TECH

THE REIGN OF TERROR AFTER SLAVERY

By Wornie Reed, Ph.D.

Last week, I visited the acclaimed Legacy Sites in Montgomery, Alabama, including the Legacy Museum, the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, and Freedom Monument Sculpture Park. These new national landmark institutions “chronicle the legacy of slavery, lynching, and racial segregation, and the connection to mass incarceration and contemporary issues of racial bias.”

African-American law professor Bryan Stevenson, the founder of the Equal Justice Initiative, led the development of these legacy sites. Stevenson has a philosophy about race in America that I share, “If we do not engage the past, we will never move forward into the future.”

The Legacy Sites are a means of pushing us in that direction. I call the National Memorial for Peace and Justice the lynching museum. Below, I have noted some of the museum’s information about lynching.

Many lynchings occurred at the drop of a hat:

• Grant Cole was lynched in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1925 after he refused to run an errand for a white woman.

• Otis Price was lynched in Perry, Florida, in 1938 for walking past a window while a white woman was inside bathing.

• Henry Patterson was lynched in Labelle, Florida, in 1926 for asking a white woman for a drink of water.

• John Stoner was lynched in Doss,

Louisiana, in 1909 for suing the white man who killed his cow.

• Elizabeth Lawrence was lynched in Birmingham for reprimanding white children who threw rocks at her.

• General Lee was lynched in Reevesville, South Carolina, in 1904 for knocking on a white woman’s front door.

• David Hunter was lynched In Laurens County, South Carolina, in 1898 for leaving the farm where he worked without permission.

• William Wardley was lynched in Irondale, Alabama, in 1896 because local white merchants wrongly thought his money was counterfeit.

• Warren Powell, 14, was lynched in East Point, Georgia, in 1889 for “frightening” a white girl.

Many people participated in lynchings:

• Elias Clayton, Isaac McGhie, and Elmer Jackson were lynched by a mob of 10,000 people in Duluth, Minnesota, in 1920.

• Will Brown was lynched in Omaha, Nebraska, in 1919 by a riotous white mob of up to 15,000 people,

• John Hartﬁeld was lynched in Ellisville, Mississippi, in 1919 by a white mob of several thousand people.

• Ellis Persons was lynched by a mob of 5,000 people in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1917.

• Horace Duncan and Fred Coker were lynched in Springﬁeld, Missouri, in 1906 by a mob of 5,000 people,

• Fred Rochelle, 16, was burned alive in a public spectacle lynching before thousands in Polk County, Florida, in 1901.

If we do not engage the past, we will never move forward into the future”

– Bryan Stevenson, African-American Law Professor

• Henry Smith, 17, was lynched in Paris, Texas, in 1893 before a mob of 10,000 people.

• Fred Alexander, a military veteran, was lynched and burned alive before thousands of spectators in Leavenworth, Kansas, in 1901.

And it went on and on.

• William Stephens and Jefferson Cole were lynched in Delta County, Texas, in 1895 after they refused to abandon their land to white people.

• Bird Cooper was lynched in Claiborne Parish, Louisiana, in 1908 after he was acquitted of murder charges.

• After a white man attempted to assault Jack Brownlee’s daughter in Oxford, Alabama, in 1894, Mr. Brownlee was lynched for having the man arrested.

• A Black man was lynched in Millersburg, Ohio, in 1892 for “standing around” in a white neighborhood.

• Jim Eastman was lynched in Brunswick, Tennessee, in 1887 for not allowing a white man to beat him in a ﬁght.

• After Calvin Mike voted in Calhoun, Georgia, in 1884, a white mob attacked and burned his home, lynching his elderly mother and his two young daughters, Emma and Lillie. A reign of terror indeed.

Sonya Massey Should Still Be Alive

By David W. Marshall (TRICEEDNEYWIRE.COM)

In many ways our nation has changed, but it hasn’t changed. When the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, informally known as the National Lynching Memorial, opened in Montgomery, Alabama, it was to commemorate the Black victims of lynching in the United States. Its focus was to acknowledge past racial terrorism and advocate for social justice throughout our nation. Symbolically placed on high ground overlooking the city, it is located approximately a mile from the state capitol building and the city’s overabundance of Confederate statues.

The powerful museum explains lynching as a direct legacy of slavery and a way of enforcing white supremacy. Lynching often involved amputations, mutilation, torture and castration. The bodies were publicly lifted up and displayed in full view because they wanted to intimidate and traumatize Black communities. The spilling of innocent blood is their legacy which was tolerated and often aided by law enforcement and elected ofﬁcials.

Exhibits explore a consistent history of violence and control over Black Americans. More than 4,400 Black people were killed in racial terror lynching between

CARRTOON

By Walt Carr

By E. Faye Williams (TRICEEDNEYWIRE.COM)

We’ve had to do a lot of listening lately about choices we must make about who’ll be our next President when 2025 rolls around. Single women should be having children if we want to have something to do about the future of our nation!

That’s what J.D. Vance said! We don’t know what the orange man thinks about that or should we just assume he’ll tell us on his first day in office?

Many believe the orange man was really injured enough to wear that big pad on his ear that could have been covered by a band aide! I’m still trying to figure out how he really got that little scar! I think he wears the pad for sympathy! It’s hard enough to believe his ear was pierced by a young man who couldn’t shoot straight enough to even get into a gun training session in school! I wasn’t at the Republican convention, but I’m having a hard time believing the same man who was such a bad shooter that he tragically killed one man and injured two others near the orange man was the same one who hit just the tip of his ear.

Let’s look at the Secret Service as they tried to protect the orange man

1877 and 1950. They are remembered having their names engraved on more than 800 monuments – one for each county where a lynching took place. As this memorial confronts the shameful history of racial terror, it also reminds us that this legacy of fear and trauma continues today by way of unjust killings of Black people at the hands of law enforcement.

George Wallace once occupied the Alabama state capitol as governor. His idle words would eventually become deadly. He provoked public violence in the South where people were inspired to put violent action behind their personal feelings of resentment and rage. Many of Wallace’s speeches were rallying cries which indirectly motivated acts of domestic terror, harassment and even murder.

During the same year as his infamous “segregation now” speech, Wallace in a newspaper interview, said he believed Alabama needed a “few ﬁrst-class

The shameful history of racial terror ... continues today by way of unjust killings of Black people at the hands of law enforcement.

funerals” to stop racial integration. One week later, four young girls were killed and over 20 others were injured in a bombing at the 16th Street Baptist Church in downtown Birmingham. Martin Luther King later informed Wallace that “the blood of four little children ... is on your hands. Your irresponsible and misguided actions have created in Birmingham and Alabama the atmosphere that has induced continued violence and now murder.” Wallace changed, but he didn’t change. In his case, while campaigning for president in Maryland, Wallace was shot as part of an assassination attempt leaving him permanently paralyzed. Being bound to a wheelchair can make a person humble. Each person is ultimately held accountable for their actions. A contrite Wallace met with various civil rights activists and addressed Black congregations to personally ask for their forgiveness. see Massey, page 5A

while he continued to pop his head up so we could see his fist pump into the air (which by the way is a symbol we Black people use to express our determination to fight against racism.) I may be wrong, but I find it hard to believe anyone in his right mind just shot would not want to be protected by holding his head down so as not to make it easy for the shooter! I was impressed by the Secret Service’s quick response as they risked their lives to save the orange man. He should be grateful for the female Secret Service woman who rushed up to make him stop popping his head up so they could get him down the stairs to the safety of the limo waiting to take him away.

For those complaining about the women, they’re

I’m having a hard time believing the same man who tragically killed one man and injured two others near the orange man was the same one who hit just the tip of his ear.

the ones who quickly took measures to get him into the limo instead of allowing him to showboat further putting himself and them in more danger. The three female agents stood by the door of the limo risking their lives to save him. They closed the door as he resisted and kept him safe as the male agents walked away. I resent criticism of agents just because they are women, but when you consider how orange man and his VP teach people to disrespect women, they should consider themselves lucky the women agents were there, and it’s horrible the way the female Director of the Secret Service was treated causing her to resign before she completed her study of the matter. see Tell Me, page 5A

Sheila Jackson Lee AN ENERGIZER BUNNY FOR JUSTICE

By Dr. Julianne Malveaux (TRICEEDNEYWIRE.COM)

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) didn’t lose many battles, but she succumbed to pancreatic cancer on July 19. She tackled the disease like she tackled so many other challenges, working with her doctors on a treatment plan, making the most of the time that she had, and speaking with optimism about the future.

Even though she had been ill, she took to the streets to provide food, baby formula, and other supplies in the wake of Hurricane Beryl. And until the end, she worked. I know a journalist who had an appointment set up with her a few days after her death. Her ofﬁce called Wednesday before her Thursday death to cancel.

What optimism to think that, even battling a deadly disease, she might still want to do an interview. What faith, resilience, focus to keep working through it all. Sheila said she wanted to be an “Energizer Bunny” for Houston, and indeed she was. She was also an Energizer Bunny for social and economic justice.

The congresswoman was able to get federal appropriations for her beloved 18th Congressional District because she worked

tirelessly to get things done. She was especially effective around race matters, successfully lobbying President Biden to make Juneteenth, the day when enslaved Black Texans learned that they were free, a national holiday. She also took HR40, the Congressional bill that would study reparations and develop remedies for the economic injustice African-American people experienced because of enslavement and its aftermath, to the point that more than two hundred members of Congress cosponsored it. President Biden should sign an executive order to implement HR 40, especially now, in tribute to our fallen Congresswoman. It would be ﬁtting recognition to a sister who took the baton that Congressman John Conyers (D-MI) passed her

She worked hard, she shone brightly, She cared for our nation, for Black people, justice.

and ran with it.

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee was selected by Congressman Conyers to shepherd the legislation he introduced in every congressional session since 1989. She never failed to acknowledge his effort and made herself available to reparations activists. She was especially helpful to the National AfricanAmerican Reparations Commission (NAARC), which was created in 2015, partly to support HR 40. (Full disclosure – I am a member of NAARC). She traveled to many of our town hall meetings, that took place all over the country. Always a forceful and ﬁery speaker, she made a solid case for reparations. From her perch on the Judiciary Committee, she convened a hearing on June 19, 2019, the ﬁrst time Congress held such a hearing. (Again, full disclosure, I was among those testifying at that hearing). see Justice, page 5A

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

David W. Marshall

Dr. Julianne Malveaux

Massey

Continued from page 4A

While speaking before a Black church in Montgomery, Wallace showed that a man can change his ways. “I think I can understand some of the pain that Black people have come to endure,” he said. “I know I contributed to that pain, and I can only ask for your forgiveness.” In Wallace’s public campaign for forgiveness, John Lewis said that while he could never forget the hatred Wallace unleashed and his “political opportunism” he could forgive him.

“George Wallace should be remembered for his capacity to change,” Lewis wrote years later in The New York Times.

“And we are better as a nation because of our capacity to forgive and to acknowledge that our political leaders are human and largely a reflection of the social currents in the river of history.” The forgiveness helps to address the personal and community trauma, but did Wallace go far enough?

History makes it clear that Wallace, who once had Ku Klux Klan members for advisors, went to the Black community for their

Tell Me

Continued from page 4A

Mark Pocan said in

essence: Selection of J.D. Vance as his running mate is the latest blaring sign that if Trump retakes the White House and has a Republican Congress, he’ll pursue an extreme

forgiveness. It is not clear what message a contrite Wallace had for the white church and community. As Wallace went to Black congregations for forgiveness, did he return to white congregation with a message of racial reconciliation? Did he ask for forgiveness from the white church and community for perpetuating their racial hatred toward Blacks for his political gain? Did he challenge the white power structure to change?

The oppressed can forgive, but can the oppressors repent? The forgiveness by members of one community is only part of the equation if we are to see a true end to America’s legacy of lynching. Forgiveness is really the second part. The first and critical half is the repentance by specific members of the white church and community who still uphold this legacy of white supremacy and the lack of value for a Black life. Wallace changed, but he didn’t change enough to boldly correct to his counterparts.

Today, the Black community is still paying a heavy price as a community as whites fail to boldly confront their counterparts. This out of control legacy of lynching is one of the root causes behind our police

agenda that leaves Americans with fewer rights, worse healthcare access and a higher cost of living – not to mention a loss of freedom. You know orange man’s positions on issues, but take a look at what JD Vance, Trump’s selection for VP believes in: 1. National abortion ban with no exceptions, 2. Stay in abusive marriages for the sake of children,

misconduct problem. For the hanged and beaten. For the shot, drown, and burned. For the tortured, tormented and terrorized. For those abandoned by the rule of law. We will remember.

William Donnegan was a shoemaker and once a conductor on the Underground Railroad. During the Springfield massacre of 1908, a white mob unsuccessfully attempted to lynch Donnegan and left him for dead. Police later cut him down from a tree outside his home. He was transported to the hospital where he later died from his injuries.

In July 2024, Sonya Massey was shot by law enforcement in her home over a pot of hot water. Massey was a descendent of William Donnegan. She, like any concerned citizen, called police in fear of a home intruder. As we make the generational connection, Sonya Massey and William Donnegan died at the same St. John’s hospital 116 years apart. Two lives cut short over a senseless attack. Things change, but they don’t change.

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

3. Universal child care is a “war against normal people”! Don’t forget his voting record where he failed to stand with striking autoworkers last year and advocated for cuts to Social Security.

Consider working for and voting for those who’ve shown they’ll work for your best interests. Next time to do that is November 5, 2024. You know how to vote – so VOTE!

LOCAL VOICES

MY HOPE FOR KAMALA AND HER DAD

By Dennis Edwards Columnist

Vice President Kamala Harris is uniting the Democratic Party, all of its constituencies as well as much of the nation, like nothing I’ve seen in a lifetime. Former President Barrack Obama did something similar when he ran and won the Presidency proving the nation is more than capable of living up to its declaration that “all men are created equal.”

Yet, Harris has another monumental opportunity here. With the help of the American people she can expand the tent of democracy by spreading that promise and opportunity to women of all races as well.

Yet, there’s still an even more subtle, nuanced perhaps equally important potential fortuity presenting itself in her candidacy. I hope she takes advantage of it. This one is personal and universal, private and public, packed with potential and some degree of risk. But the beneﬁts for her and for millions of Americans across all walks of life could be more than lifechanging.

She can help expand the circle of inclusion, so to speak, by bringing the estranged and ostracized back into the family. There are many men and women who ﬁt into that category. But none so notable as Kamala’s father, the nationally and internationally respected Jamaican-American Stanford Economist Dr. Donald J. Harris. The Professor Emeritus is known for applying post-Keynesian ideas to development economics. He is and has been a major mind in economic theory worldwide.

As we all know, different cultures can clash within the precincts of marriage and family in extreme ways. Dr. Harris is of Jamaican descent. His ex-wife and Kamala’s deceased mother Shyamala Gopalan Harris was a Biomedical Scientist of South East Asian descent. Both cultures can be direct and

“SWEET

clear in their independence and self sufﬁciency.

When the marriage came undone, so did the relationship between Kamala’s maternal family culture and Dr. Harris’ Jamaican independence and self-determination. Details are not necessary here. But whatever caused an estrangement, there may still haunt and complicate the relationship between a father and his two daughters.

But are they so different from any American family upset by divorce. Not really. Maybe the estrangement has lasted too long. Maybe, on what could be the precipice of history being made, just maybe there’s an opportunity to change a key personal relationship and pave the way for something similar to happen in families all around the nation and world.

I’d like to see the Vice President reconcile with her Dad as she runs for President. As my grandmother would have said “Just Go See About Him”! Not to gloat, but to include him in her success. After all, without him, there is no Kamala.

A gesture like that could ripple through divergent cultures around the world. It would open doors long closed for urban families to rural families everywhere. It would be a delight to see a healing spirit sweep over her and into families still struggling with the remnants of divorce and its many rippling waves of discontent. Could also open the doors for some political healing as well. Sometimes it’s more important to forgive and embrace the moment

I’d like to see the Vice President reconcile with her Dad as she runs for President. As my grandmother would have said “Just Go See About Him”!

than to keep making the same relationship mistakes over and over again through countless generations. But perhaps more importantly, imagine how that gesture would allow the inclusion of a group of men, who look like her as well as those who don’t, to see reconciliation is always possible. It might open the door that brings back estranged fathers into families, into the political mainstream while strengthening families in the way her Republican opponent could never understand or execute. It would also remind us of the words Shakespeare gave to Portia in the Merchant of Venice. “The quality of mercy, she says, is not strained. It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven upon the place beneath. It is twice blest: it blesseth him/her that gives and him/her that takes.” In this case it might also open the door to major support from urban men who look like her, whose hearts would be warmed by the daughter who re-embraced a father whose brilliance also contributed to her getting to this time and place in history.

(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.)

(Copyright July 2024)

HONEY AND THE ROCK” CO-FOUNDER DIES AT AGE 81

WASHINGTON, D.C.

Mourners gathered in July for the funeral of Bernice Johnson Reagon, who died July 16, at age 81. Reagon is noted for co-founding the acapella ensemble “Sweet Honey in the Rock,” a liberation group that often performed at marches, churches, concerts and in jailhouses during the Civil Rights era. “Wade in the Water,” was one the group’s most popular hits.

Reagon, a Georgia native, began her music career at Albany State where the Rev. Dr. Martin L. King, Jr. was arrested in 1962. “I was already in jail,” Reagon recalled decades later in a 1988 public radio interview with WHYY. “So I missed most of it.”

The Albany Singing Movement became a vital catalyst for change

Justice

Continued from page 4A

Reparations and racial justice weren’t the only things that impassioned the Texas Congresswoman. She was passionate about children and their opportunities, supporting Head Start, children’s health, and women’s rights. She fought to re-authorize the Violence Against Women Act, which ﬁrst passed in 1994, but subsequently lapsed. She was successful in getting it expanded and reauthorized. She supported the CROWN Act, legislation that prevents

through music in the early 1960s protests of the Civil Rights era. Reagon devoted her life to social justice through music via recordings, activism, community singing, and scholarship.

After Albany State expelled her for protesting in civil rights demonstrations, she cofounded “The Freedom Singers” with Cordell

discrimination against people because of their natural hair styles and spoke out when a young Texas man was put out of school because of the length of his dreads.

It seems that no issue was too big or too small for Sheila. Her ofﬁce provided excellent constituent services, but beyond services, she offered the personal touch, attending weddings and funerals and neighborhood gatherings. Yet, she shone on the big stage, on the Floor of Congress, in her Africa work, in the world. She worked hard, she shone brightly, She cared for our nation, for Black people, justice. And Sheila Jackson Lee was my friend. I was blessed

Reagon, whom she married in 1963 and divorced in 1967, returning to school on a Ford Foundation fellowship. Two children were born to this union: a daughter, (Toshi), and a son, (Kwan). Toshi Reagon is also a singersongwriter. Kwan Reagon is a chef.

Reagon extended her musical advocacy efforts to apartheid and said “Sweet Honey in the Rock” singers began to recycle hymns and replace the word “Jesus” with “freedom,” when police arrested them at protests. She earned a doctoral degree at Howard, worked as a music historian at The Smithsonian in 1975, and was awarded a 1989 genius grant from the MacArthur Foundation. Her 1994 NPR documentary, “Wade in the Water,” won a Peabody Award.

to have a personal relationship with the fierce, fiery, forceful, fantastic and, yes, fashionable fighter. The sister could rock some African attire! She stood on strong shoulders – that 18th district had previously been represented by the esteemed Barbara Jordan and the impactful Mickey Leland. She once told a reporter she had both of her predecessors “in her soul,” modeling her work after theirs. Now, she is in our soul, that Energizer Bunny for Justice. Her memory is both a blessing and an inspiration. Dr. Julianne Malveaux is an economist and author based in Washington, DC. juliannemalveaux.com

Dennis Edwards

Bernice Johnson Reagon

THE OBAMAS FORMALLY ENDORSE HARRIS AS DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE

By Stacy M. Brown Senior National Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia

NNPA NEWSWIRE

Former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama have ofﬁcially endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic presidential nominee. The landmark endorsement, publicly issued at 5 a.m. on Friday, July 26, solidiﬁes Harris’s standing and injects renewed energy into her campaign as the election draws near.

“Kamala Harris is the leader America needs,” the Obamas announced in a forceful statement. “We are thrilled to endorse Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee for President of the United States.” Harris embraced the endorsement during a phone call with the Obamas, a moment her campaign shared via video on Friday morning. The pivotal endorsement coincides with Harris for President kicking off a weekend of action, marking 100 days until Election Day. With an army of 170,000 volunteers and 2,300 events planned across crucial

NABJ

Continued from page 1A

Attiah noted that NABJ leadership did not consult her in the decision to provide Trump with a platform.

Journalist Kathia Woods, who will host a panel during the event, voiced her disappointment but af ﬁ rmed her commitment to attending the convention due to her responsibilities.

“I’m here for my young journalists to support and will continue to advocate for you,” Woods stated.

“Also, Brandon is a friend, and he and his team worked really hard.”

Prominent journalists April Ryan and Yamiche Alcindor, both of whom

Kamala has the vision, character, and strength this critical moment demands. She gives us all reason to hope.”

Barack and Michelle Obama

–

battleground states, Team Harris is mounting an all-out effort to engage voters on their critical choices this November.

Barack Obama, who had previously withheld his endorsement, highlighted Harris’s exceptional qualiﬁcations and dedication to public service. “Choosing Kamala was one of President Biden’s best decisions,” he said. “Her track record is unparalleled: as a prosecutor, she defended the Constitution; as California’s Attorney General, she ensured fairness and justice; as a Senator,

she was a formidable opponent to the Trump administration; and as Vice President, she has led the charge on healthcare expansion, climate change, and reproductive rights.”

The Obamas emphasized that Harris’ strengths go beyond her resume. “Kamala has the vision, character, and strength this critical moment demands. She gives us all reason to hope,” they noted.

The Obamas’ endorsement ampliﬁes the momentum behind Harris’s campaign, which already enjoys broad support from labor unions, advocacy groups, and a multitude of Democratic ofﬁcials.

In their concluding call to action, the Obamas declared, “We’re going to do everything we can to elect Kamala Harris the next President of the United States. And we hope you’ll join us.”

With the Obamas’ powerful endorsement and a robust grassroots movement, Harris stands poised to continue to climb in a race some polls currently have as a dead heat. “Kamala Harris represents the best of America and will work tirelessly to create a brighter, fairer future for all,” Michelle Obama stated.

Like so many others, Roland Martin vehemently objected to including Fox News personality and Trump apologist Harris Faulkner, who will serve as moderator.

Trump has previously targeted, also condemned the NABJ’s decision.

However, Jemele Hill and Simone Sanders argued that the criticism might be premature.

“We interviewed the President of the Heritage Foundation on @ TheWeekendMSNBC,” Sanders wrote. “Some people thought it was a bad idea, but we asked real questions and got him on the record on key issues. Folks shouldn’t assume that all the journalists

interviewing Trump at NABJ aren’t going to ask real questions or hold him accountable.”

Roland Martin, another prominent NABJ member, added that he found it troubling that no Black male journalists were invited to question Trump. Like so many others, Martin vehemently objected to including Fox News personality and Trump apologist Harris Faulkner, who will serve as moderator.

As the backlash grows,

NABJ President Ken

Lemon faces increasing calls for his resignation.

“The NNPA is resolutely opposed to Donald Trump being scheduled to speak at the 2024 NABJ national convention in Chicago,” stated NNPA President and CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr.

“For 197 years, the Black Press of America has been on the frontline of Black America’s struggle for freedom, justice, and equality. It is a tragic affront to Black America for NABJ to permit Trump to spew racist lies, hatred, and fascism at an NABJ national convention.

“The NNPA urgently calls upon NABJ leadership to immediately rescind the invitation. The eyes of Black America and the world are watching with shame and disgust.”

Harris

Continued from page 2A

Apart from pledges to knock on doors and volunteer to work for the campaign, those Black women raised some $2 million initially on Zoom and the ﬁgures are growing for her campaign.

White women for Harris have raised some $10 million, and counting as of July 26.

The Harris campaign said that with white women, the LGBT community, Hispanics, and other groups in the party’s coalition mobilizing and energizing, some $200 million plus and growing has been raised.

This will be added to the millions already raised by President Biden.

Along with the steady donations of money, the Democratic party’s leadership from the U.S. House and Senate, and all of the state delegations to the Democratic National Convention (DNC) is backing Harris.

Virginia has 119 delegates and eight alternates, according to the Virginia Democratic Party.

On July 22, the party delegates met to endorse Harris.

Gaylene C. Kanoyton, a party activist, delegate, and participant in WinWithBlackWomen, said, “It’s a new day, and the excitement is amazing, thanks to President Biden.

“It’s not just Black women, but White women, LGBT, Hispanics, Black men and even Republicans,” she said. “It’s just like the Obama situation in 2008. Some people have not voted in years, saying they support her. We are getting hundreds of calls from people to volunteer.”

Kanoyton will be among the 3,359 delegates to participate in an August 7 virtual convention who are

With the DNC opening approaching, Harris’ ﬁrst critical decision will be selecting a running mate.

expected to nominate Harris, ahead of the DNC slated for Chicago 19-22. Harris needs 1,976 votes to secure the nomination, according to the DNC. She has those in her possession. Nominating delegates are not bound by law to vote for a speciﬁc candidate. However, they do take a pledge to do so, according to Caitlin Jewitt, a professor of political science at Virginia Tech and an expert in presidential primaries.

With the DNC opening approaching, Harris’ ﬁrst critical decision will be selecting a running mate.

U.S. Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona and three governors: Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, Roy Cooper of North Carolina, and Andy Beshear of Kentucky -are high on her list.

As of July 27, according to a CNN Poll, the Vice President has 94 percent of the Democratic party’s support, Trump has 91 percent of the GOP voter support, and Biden has less than 60 percent. Black men who were allegedly shifting according to Republican propaganda. But U.S. Congressman Robert Scott and Virginia House Speaker Don Scott who organized a conference call with Black men supporting Harris, said indications are that this segment of the party base is may be stronger for her too.

Within three days after Biden dropped out, Harris had secured the blessing of all of Virginia’s Democratic Virginia federal, state, and local leaders.

Part 2, Next Week

NORFOLKSTATE UNIVERSITY

CONVERSATIONS LIONELL SPRUILL SR.

“Still Helping People”

By Brenda H. Andrews Publisher New Journal and Guide

InMay 2000, then Virginia State Delegate Lionell Spruill received an honorary degree of Doctor of Laws citation from the Norfolk State University Board of Visitors. Today, the very same Spruil sits on that Board of Visitors, being recently appointed by Governor Glenn Youngkin.

It is one of two new prestigious boards where Spruill (that’s Senator Spruill!) has been appointed since his departure from the Virginia General Assembly in 2023 after losing a re-election bid. His second board appointment is on the Chesapeake Regional Medical Center, located in the city he has served as a public servant for as long as he cares to remember.

Outstanding report card for a kid who grew up in a racially segregated and working class household of 15 children in South Norfolk before it merged into the city of Chesapeake. Complicating life for him as a youth were a hearing handicap and a speech impediment that caused him to curse when he couldn’t get his point across.

Later as an adult, several operations helped to stabilize the hearing and speech defects, enabling him to pursue his political career. Yet even today, he still carries a handful of beads in his pocket for use if he ﬁnds himself challenged when speaking or being misunderstood. The beads are his reminders to slow down and concentrate on his speech and delivery.

“People want to know, ‘what is Spruill doing now?’” Sen. Spruill says. “Well, I’m still helping people.”

“Helping people” began many years ago when a young Spruill and his neighbors organized the West Munden Civic League which created Chesapeake’s ﬁrst block security unit. His lobbying before city council to improve the community’s infrastructure led to an appointment on the Chesapeake Planning Commission.

That was followed by running for and winning a seat on the Chesapeake City Council. In 1994, he transitioned from local to state politics, winning a seat in the Virginia House of Delegates. He completed 22 years as a State Delegate before becoming a State Senator, a position he held from 2016 to 2023. During that time, he sat or chaired several powerful committees.

His accomplishments as a state legislator are numerous. As a rookie in the Virginia statehouse in Richmond, he spent his first five years working to change the state’s rules on the appointment of judges that led to Chesapeake’s first three Black judges being appointed: Bernard Goodwin, now Chief Justice of the Virginia Supreme Court; Rufus Banks and Eileen Olds. As a seasoned veteran lawmaker, he took on the rights of Black women to wear their hair as they wish on the job by co-sponsoring the Crown Act which is being duplicated in other states and at the national level.

But the single area he most relates to throughout his long political tenure in the Virginia General Assembly is the consistent focus he maintained on increasing funding for Virginia’s two Historically Black Colleges and Universities: Norfolk State University and Virginia State University. Spruill is an NSU alum. For years, both HBCU’s were underfunded, a disparity Spruill championed to change whenever he could.

As one might imagine, his recent gubernatorial appointment to the NSU Board of Trustees has been well received and appreciated by him.

Spruill’s appointment to the Chesapeake Regional Medical Center has brought its own acclaim to the former lawmaker. His board nameplate reads “Sen. Lionell Spruill,” a show of respect for his many years and contributions to the city of Chesapeake and the Commonwealth.

The Chesapeake Regional Medical Center opened its doors in 1976 and is the only independent hospital in the Hampton Roads area. It was awarded

PhotosbyErnestLowery

People want to know, ‘what is Spruill doing now? ... Well, I’m still helping people.”

– Former Senator Lionell Spruill, Sr.

Magnet Recognition, the highest honor in nursing excellence, achieved by only a small select number of hospitals.

The hospital’s Comprehensive Stroke Center is nationally recognized and treats the most stroke patients in the region. Also, the hospital has an Open Heart Program and performed its ﬁrst open heart surgery this year which was successful.

Spruill was appointed to the hospital board by the Chesapeake City Council in a 5-4 vote decided by Mayor Rick West. That important support from West earned the Mayor, a Republican running for re-election in November, support from Spruill, a Democrat. Getting along across the aisle for a common cause was a lesson Spruill says he practiced over the years he negotiated policies in Richmond.

For the record, Senator Spruill wants everyone to know he has not left the world of politics. He is the campaign manager for Dr. Pat King, Democrat, who is running for Chesapeake City Council, and for Malia Huddle, Democratic candidate for Chesapeake School Board. He’s also supporting Les Smith, Democrat, who is running for Chesapeake City Council.

Over in Norfolk, he’s campaigning for his longtime good friend Mayor Kenneth Alexander in his re-election bid. When Alexander, who was a State Senator, was elected Mayor, Spruill replaced him in a special election that year.

Thusly, the yet enlarging legacy of public servanthood and community engagement that deﬁnes Lionell Spruill continues as an example for others to follow.

And so it is.

PRESIDENT BIDEN DEMANDS SUPREME COURT OVERHAUL

& CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT

By Stacy M. Brown Senior National Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia

NEWSWIRE

NNPA

President Joe Biden has called for a sweeping overhaul of the Supreme Court and a constitutional amendment to limit presidential power, signaling his intent to tackle deep-seated issues within the American judiciary. In a compelling op-ed published this week, Biden underscored the need for reforms to restore public trust and integrity in the nation’s highest court.

“I served as a U.S. senator for 36 years, including as chairman and ranking member of the Judiciary Committee,” the president wrote. “I have overseen more Supreme Court nominations as a senator, vice president, and president than anyone living today.”

Biden, who earlier this month stepped aside and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the next president, said he maintains great respect for America’s institutions and separation of powers.

“What is happening now is not normal, and it undermines the public’s confidence in the court’s decisions, including those impacting personal freedoms. We now stand in a breach,” Biden stated.

The president’s most striking proposal is a constitutional amendment to ensure former presidents are not immune from federal criminal indictments, trials, convictions, or sentencing.

“We are a nation of laws — not of kings or dictators,” Biden remarked.

His assertion comes in direct response to a recent Supreme Court ruling that shields certain presidential actions from prosecution, a decision that has provided a lifeline to former President Donald Trump amid his ongoing legal battles.

Biden further advocated for imposing term limits on Supreme Court justices, suggesting 18-year terms to prevent any single presidency from exerting multigenerational in ﬂ uence over the judiciary.

Biden further advocated for imposing term limits on Supreme Court justices, suggesting 18-year terms.

“Term limits would help ensure that the court’s membership changes with some regularity and reduce the chance that any single presidency radically alters the makeup of the court for generations to come,” he insisted.

Biden also called on Congress to enforce stringent ethics requirements on Supreme Court justices, akin to those governing other federal judges. Criticizing the current voluntary ethics code as insufficient and self-enforced, he argued for robust regulations concerning gifts, political activities, and financial dealings. “This is common sense,” he wrote. “The court’s current voluntary ethics code is weak and self-enforced.”

Biden is scheduled to elaborate on these proposals in a speech at the Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library in Austin, Texas, as part of the 60th anniversary celebration of the Civil Rights Act. The event,

initially slated for mid-July, was postponed following an alleged assassination attempt on Trump at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania.

Despite the presidential push for these reforms, passing such legislation through a divided Congress remains a formidable challenge. Senate Democrats, including Judiciary Committee Chair Dick Durbin, have expressed strong support for Biden’s proposals but acknowledge the political hurdles ahead. Harris has endorsed Biden’s call, stressing the necessity of restoring public confidence in the court and ensuring that no individual is above the law.

“Our democracy depends on the integrity of our institutions,” Biden stated. “This is not just about reforming the Supreme Court –it’s about safeguarding the future of our nation. We must act now to ensure justice and fairness for all Americans.”

12th Annual Fuse Fest Presented By Teens With A Purpose, August 3

NORFOLK

The Virginia Arts Festival has partnered with Teens With A Purpose to support TWP’s Fuse Fest on Saturday, August 3 from

noon to 7 p.m. Fuse Fest is a celebration of the power of community and features local and regional artists at Purpose Park, 801 Church Street in Norfolk.

HEALTH CENTER CELEBRATES

CHILDREN’S HEALTH DAY

PORTSMOUTH

In recognition of National Health Center Week (August 4-10), Hampton Roads Community Health Center will host Children’s Health Day on Saturday, Aug. 10, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Barbara L. Willis Wellness Center, 1541 High Street, Portsmouth. Our theme this year is “Powering Communities through Caring Connections.”

Children’s Health Day will feature a health fair of vendors, community and health resources, entertainment including a bounce house, face painting and deejay, food,

back-to-school giveaways and more. Children’s physicals, dental screenings and immunizations will be offered on-site. Preregistration will not be required but registration will begin prior to the start of the event. Each August, National Health Center Week is celebrated to emphasize the vital role of Community Health Centers nationwide. Hampton Roads Community Health Center is one of 1,400 Community Health Centers in the country. More than 8.8 million children in the U.S. receive primary care from a Community Health Center.

This year’s Fuse Fest features Hip Hop Olympics, Reiki healing, interactive art, plant-based chef demos and tastings, and three different stages featuring an array of musical genres. Fuse Fest is an annual reminder of the Power of Community and this year’s theme is Planet Hope – centering around environmental justice

and the impact our surroundings, our food, and our entire planet have on marginalized communities. For more information, visit https://www.twpthemovement.org/fusefest. TWP curates and delivers events, workshops, and curriculums yearround to under-resourced youth in the surrounding community called The St. Paul’s Quadrant.

“I Am Nansemond”

SUFFOLK Norfolk photographer Diana Chappell displays her image “I Am Nansemond“ at the Suffolk Center for Arts as part of an exhibition titled “Talented Teachers and Students.” Chappell’s photo was taken during the 2022 Nansemond POW WOW. The exhibition runs through August 2024.

Photo: Courtesy

CLASSIFIEDS

ORGANIST NEEDED

Flames of Fire Church in Norfolk, VA is seeking an organist. $300 per Sunday. For more information, call (757) 455-6460

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

The Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority (NRHA) will receive proposals for PR2153-153-24: Project Based Vouchers (PBV) for Projects within the Boundaries of the City of Norfolk from property owners and developers for new housing developments in Norfolk, Virginia and neighboring jurisdictions. The PBV program is a tool to promote the expansion of quality, affordable and accountable housing opportunities to low income families, homeless persons, elderly persons and person with disabilities, in order to meet mixed-income community objectives. The PBV shall be deployed in new construction, rehabilitated housing, or adaptive reuse of existing structures for residential housing developments or mixed income rental communities. Multiple, resultant contracts may be offered up to 20 year terms.

Proposals will be received at NRHA, 555 E. Main Street (17th Floor Drop Box) Norfolk, VA 23510 up through August 9, 2024, no later than 3 p.m. local prevailing time. Solicitation documents are available for review at www.nrha.us and the E-Virginia Procurement website (www. eva.virginia.gov).

NRHA does not discriminate against individuals because of race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status or national origin. Small businesses owned by women and minorities, and Section 3 certiﬁed businesses are encouraged to submit proposals.

PUBLIC HEARING

Chesapeake Redevelopment and Housing Authority (CRHA) will hold a public hearing September 3, 2024, 5 p.m. at 1468 S. Military Hwy. Chesapeake, VA.

The purpose of the hearing is to obtain input from city residents in reference to the 2025 Annual Plan and 2025-2029 5-Year Plan Submission to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and Capital Fund Program. Total funds being allocated for this year are estimated at $2,070,000 for Operating Funds and $1,685,000 for Capital Funds, subject to Federal reductions. All residents are encouraged to attend this hearing. A copy of the Annual and 5-Year Plan drafts will be available from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. July 19, 2024, thru September 3, 2024 at the address below and at each of the public housing management ofﬁces, or it can be viewed 24 hours per day at the website, www.crhava.org. Persons can also submit written comments prior to the public hearing to:

Chesapeake Redevelopment and Housing Authority 1468 S. Military Highway Chesapeake, VA 23320

Attn: Nancy Tarkenton

PETERSBURG CASINO PROJECT CERTIFIED

FOR UPCOMING

PETERSBURG, VA

The City of Petersburg is one step closer to bringing the $1.4 billion Live! Casino Resort destination to Central Virginia following certiﬁcation for this November’s election. The proposed project is being codeveloped by Bruce Smith Enterprise and The Cordish Companies and represents a ﬁrstof-its-kind development partnership in the gaming and entertainment industry.

The November 5th ballot question, which reads “Shall casino gaming be permitted at a casino gaming establishment in Petersburg, Virginia located on an approximately 92.5acre development site located off Interstate-95 at Wagner Road along Brassﬁeld Parkway in the City of Petersburg as may be approved by the Virginia Lottery Board,” will ask Petersburg residents to allow the development to proceed.

“Today shows we are All In for economic growth, opportunity, and social mobility in Petersburg,” said Sam Parham, Mayor of Petersburg.

NOVEMBER ELECTION

“City ofﬁcials and many residents have worked very hard to get to this point, and we look forward to our great citizens having a vote on this historic moment and positive change this November.”

The proposed project site is situated at the intersection of Wagner Road and Interstate I-95 with easy access on and off the East Coast’s major north-south interstate.

The Live! Casino Resort destination is expected to be a catalyst for change and signiﬁcant economic and tourism development. Promoters say it will set a new standard for gaming, hotels, and entertainment in the Commonwealth, and serve as a new world-class attraction for Petersburg and the greater Central Virginia region.

“I hail from Virginia, and I’m so gratiﬁed to be able to bring such an impactful project to a place I care about so deeply,” said Bruce Smith, Pro Football Hall of Famer, Prominent Developer, and Community Leader.

“Over the years in both my football and business careers, I’ve learned

that collaboration and building relationships are hallmarks of any successful undertaking. That is why I am excited to personally engage with Petersburg voters to show them how this long awaited economic opportunity will change the trajectory of their futures.” In its ﬁrst 10 years, the Live! Casino Resort destination, if approved by voters, is expected to generate $2.8 billion in economic stimulus to the Region and over 7,500 new construction and permanent jobs

Upon completion, the world-class Live! Casino & Hotel Virginia resort destination will feature more than 400,000 square feet of first-class gaming, hotel and dining space and 35,000 square feet of meeting and convention space. The partners intend to quickly open an initial first phase casino within a year of voter approval to begin creating jobs, vendor opportunities, tax revenues, and many economic benefits immediately for the City of Petersburg and its residents.

NEW HUD GRANT ADDS 191 UNITS TO ST. PAUL’S HOUSING

NORFOLK

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has awarded Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority (NRHA) and the City of Norfolk a $2.5 million Choice Neighborhoods Initiative (CNI) Current Grantee Award. Funding will be used for completion of the last phase of the St. Paul’s Area/Tidewater Gardens CNI initiative, which will provide 191 additional units to the community.

offers 72 one- and twobedroom apartment homes and includes a ﬁtness center, computer lab, comfortable community spaces, on-site management and off-street parking.

Origin Circle at Kindred, a family development, offers 120 one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments. The community provides

3,600 square feet of indoor community and amenity space, outdoor gathering space, playground and on-site parking. It also includes 4,700 square feet of retail space along Church Street that is for rent by neighborhoodand community- serving groups. Both buildings are EarthCraft Gold certiﬁed with Energy Star-rated appliances and waterconserving ﬁxtures. The second phase of on-site development is under construction, Unity at Kindred and is set to for completion by fall of 2025. It will include 141 apartments and 17,700 square feet of commercial space.

SONYA’S SONG

BY DELORES DUDLEY HAMPTON ROADS ʼ POET,

For further information please contact Nancy Tarkenton, Deputy Executive Director at (757) 233-6411 or email: nancy_tarkenton@crhava.org. Hearing Impaired please use Virginia Relay 7-1-1.

In addition to the $2.5 million grant, redevelopment of the Tidewater Gardens area was made possible with an original 2019, $30-million HUD CNI grant as well as an investment of more than $150 million in local and private funding. Scheduled for completion between 2026- 2027, of the total 383 new units in the transformed community, one-third are available for rent-subsidized housing, one-third for affordable housing and one-third for market-rate housing.

To date, two housing block developments have been completed. Reunion Senior Living at Kindred

Hello and welcome to The Bridge Corner.

Developing Winners in the Trump Suit. In this exercise, we are examining the strategy for the play of the hand when the best opportunity to develop additional tricks is in the trump suit.

1) West opens the bidding with 1 Spade. West is the describer and East is the responder and the captain.

2) East, the responder, can support opener’s suit with four Spades (responder needs at least 3 of opener’s major suit) and 6 points. East, the responder, would bid 2 Spades. Opener does not have to bid again.

3) The contract is 2 Spades and West is the declarer.

4) North makes the opening lead with the Q Diamond.

5) Declarer needs eight tricks but only has five sure tricks. Declarer can

develop the extra tricks in the Spade suit (the trump suit).

6) Declarer should play the Spades after winning the first trick to develop the extra tricks in the Spade suit. Declarer needs to be lucky to make the contract because Declarer can afford to lose only one trick in the Spade suit. The opponents’ Spades need to be divided 2-2.

7) Declarer should make his 2 Spade contract.

TIDEWATER

BRIDGE CLUB:

Richard A. Tucker Memorial Library 2350 Berkley Ave., Ext. Norfolk, VA 23523

The dates for the next four games are:

1) Friday, Aug. 2, 2024 –10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

2) Wed., Aug., 7, 2024 –1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

3) Wednesday, Aug., 14 –10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

4) Wed., Aug. 21, 2024 – 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Game fee is $6 (paid BEFORE the game thru our voucher system. Contact L. Owes at email below). Light snacks and water provided; bring your lunch.

Any questions, concerns, or comments, please feel free to contact Lawrence Owes, President, Tidewater Bridge Club at l.a.owes1@ gmail.com

By now you have seen that word that brings sadness whether in print or audibly heard; yet, today again a news man has said, that another, Black woman is dead:

So, again We ask,”WHY,” as tears swell up in every eye,and We cry, yes, we cry. We cry!

For now Sonya too will have a song as all who loved her will have to move along without seeing her face nor her earthly form,

So, I ask, What words can a composer write when a woman has been ungodly and unjustly taken ?

And what hymn can soothe the souls of those whose love one ʼ s last moments of life were forsaken ?

A Black woman just alone in her own home was shot by a white officer, and now is dead: forever gone ...

And the insane irony is that she felt a bit afraid of a would be prowler outside, so she had called the, two policemen for aid, and they had quickly arrived, so how in this world did her police security moments later became her worst enemy ?

They had checked outside her home and said no one was there, so why did they go inside and question her ?

Now was that fair ?

Really, she was but a small, Black, unarmed woman, and they were two, white, robust and heavily armed men not close to her at all,

And yet, they saw her as some sinister suspect that had to take a deadly fall! It was said that she was holding a pot of boiling water, and she was told to put it down, but didn ʼ t they know that they were so far away that if thrown the pot and water would have only splashed on the ground, so at no time were they in any bodily harm, but the bullet that was fired flew as it always will do right through the air to its target true!

And since a bullet itself bears no name except for that person for which the shooter takes aim, And the shooter aimed right at Sonya ʼ s head, and SONYA MASSEY was hit,and she fell dead.

So Sonya Massey ʼ s, SONG of LIFE, has come to an end, but her melodies for when she was here will surely be played in all who hold her memories dear.

But let us still on our knees bow and pray, That the next generation will never have to hear anyone say,”That another Black man or woman was unjustly shot dead today.”

And all who knew Sonya ʼ s favorite song May we all sing it for freedom as we march on!

Delores Dudley

Former NSU Student Now Works As Producer On Sherri Show

By Rosaland Tyler

Associate Editor New Journal and Guide

A former Norfolk State University student, Jawn Murray, works as the executive producer for “Sherri,” the No. 2 ranked TV talk show.

This means Murray works on a TV talk show that trailed “Live With Kelly and Mark,” the No. 1 TV talk show.

“The Jennifer Hudson Show” ranked third place behind “Sherri.”

“While people see the glory of the story, they don’t know about the blood, sweat and tears that went in behind the scenes,” said Murray, who studied under esteemed NSU Professor Dr. Wanda Brockington, while he majored in mass communication at Norfolk State in the late 1990s to early 2000s.

Murray’s began in a twoweek summer program that led him to attend Norfolk State University and major in mass communication. There, he learned about video and camera production, scriptwriting,

directing, and editing.

And he learned how to network, as a member of the Student Government Association. There, he met his best friend and fellow “Behold” cover Alumnus Phil Thornton. They helped SGA plan larger events, like Homecoming and Spring Fest. Inspired by entertainers such as Arsenio Hall and Montell Williams, Murray also worked on a promising newsletter but left Norfolk State at age 21 “to follow his dream,” he said in a recent statement on Norfolk State’s website. By the mid 2000s, Jawn Murray was on the air as a young contributor on the Tom Joyner Morning Show, according to Norfolk State’s website.

He wrote an entertainment news column for AOL Black Voices for several years. During this time, he was working tirelessly, accumulating an average of 100,000 frequent flyer miles a year and describing himself as ‘living this rock star media life,’” he said. His big break came after

CNN and Headline News contacted him in 2012, after he posted information about Whitney Houston’s unexpected death on Twitter, now X. Within seven days, Murray held 21 television interviews worldwide. He also provided live funeral coverage with MSNBC on the day of Whitney’s homegoing celebration, which was held in February 2012, at New Hope Baptist Church, in Newark.

The rest is history. Murray began making regular appearances on Headline News, CNN, and various TV One series. An early 2000s meeting with Sherri, at the Bobby Jones Retreat in Las Vegas, led to more opportunities. When Murray recently won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Talk Show, as the executive producer of the

FOUNDING FATHERS’ SELFLESSNESS REBORN

By Sean C. Bowers

A pact united our Founding Fathers, binding them, their vast accumulated personal fortunes, their desire for eternal freedom, and they risked everything to defy and fight the tyranny of Great Britian and their King George’s, colonialism. This week President

ALL THAT JAZZ AND MORE

This summer has been full of news about how old is too old. Some of the national conversation has been insulting to people of a certain age, and some of the talk has been positive. For example, when was the last time a 59-year-old woman was referred to in the popular media as “young?” One thing we know about is the power, energy, expertise, and networks of those who are referred to as “seniors.”

This demographic begins at 50 when AARP starts sending out membership cards and continues on upward. We are a mighty group – and one that is too often invisible within nonprofit and fundraising circles. We are active, but sometimes younger people are reluctant to engage us. That’s because they don’t know us!

This column tells the powerful story of the volunteers behind the Ocean City Jazz Festival, held annually on the North Carolina shores over the fourth of July weekend. This festival is hosted by a volunteerled nonprofit that is preserving and growing an African-American historical community.

The organization –the Ocean City Beach Citizens Council – is all about preserving and amplifying the history and improving the environmental, social and economic health of the Ocean City Beach

community. They support community self-reliance and enhance the quality of life for the residents through communitybased problem solving, community-oriented services and public/ private cooperation. That’s a lot, and they’ve been at it for years now.

In 2009, to celebrate its 60th anniversary, a Fayetteville, N.C. jazz saxophonist and his accompanist provided entertainment on the porch of the Ocean City Beach Community Center. All in attendance, both visitors and residents enjoyed the celebration, launching the annual Ocean City Jazz Festival as a vehicle to promote and celebrate the history of the Ocean City Beach Community. The festival has grown annually in attendance and features nationally recognized jazz artists, making it a perfect venue and destination for the summer. Next year they will celebrate 15 years. Who makes this happen? Senior volunteers and folks of all ages. The year-round volunteer-led planning deploys stateof-the-art marketing methods and resources. Senior-led volunteers secure sponsors and underwriters, both locally and regionally. And they get creative, adding something new each year. This summer it was the walking tour of the historic community.

In case you don’t know, the Ocean City Beach community was the first place in North Carolina where African-Americans could purchase beachfront property.

This year they secured additional funding to underwrite internationally recognized jazz headliner, Gerald Albright. Other performers that brought cheers from the crowd included John Brown, Phylicia Rae, the Braxton Brothers, Fred Wesley, Lin Rountree, Nnenna Freelon, and James “PJ” Spraggins. And the crowd was predominantly seniors – people over 50 having a very good time, a family reunion that grows with each passing year. Of course, there were younger people attending and involved in the planning, but really this was a magical event showcasing the power of seniors. We’ve created Black communities, families, organizations, and festivals and we are still going strong! Join us next year, July 4th through 6th.

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.

Joe Biden demonstrated selflessness. He stepped back and nominated his Vice-President, Kamala Harris, for the 2024 coming election.

Our former President, 45, has never demonstrated an understanding of selflessness or empathy. Instead, he has shown an unmitigated greed for conquest at the expense of others, often, the less fortunate.

Interestingly, 45 doesn’t use his own (nonexistent) fake fortune for his criminal proclivities. He actively fundraises, touting out-right lies, misdirected-self-projections, guilt, faux-patriotism, and now a full-blown “Messianic complex” to rob Americans who support him from their hard-earned funds.

He shamelessly bilks and milks those in his cult-members too mentally feeble to see that they are being scammed and shammed. 45 takes Americans’ pennies and uses them to pay for his own personal mountain ranges of legal bills and trial defenses across numerous states from the Catskills to the Great Smokies. 45 is the carnival barker who doesn’t respect what America is right now- our history- the good, bad, warts and all. That’s why he and his milky friends are desperately trying to re-WHITE it.

45 is like the grenade that blows up everything in its blast radius- the guilty and the innocent. There are no laws or traditions he respects or won’t break. His (P)HatePlatform, “Project 2025,” is HIS HERITAGE, “think tank” project, where onlyWhite worshiping protects the 140 former members of his administration who created the 900-plus pages of their Aryan ambition articulated. His lawlessness is SELFISHNESS. What you see is what you get. The 45 we have all known and been subjected to over the past 10 years of his political conquest has one goal in mind: absolute control. That is his ambition and mission.

Again 45 tells us that he is the solution, the answer, the way forward, and that “he is the only one who can fix this.”

He also has the audacity to try to claim that GOD is on his side, because the assassin’s bullet did

not kill him. Because he was only “dinged,” he is supposedly magically morphed into the second coming of “the Anointed One.”

That’s rich for a guy who holds the bible upside-down after using unnecessary military force to clear the street of peaceful protesters. All for a showy biblical photo-op.

That’s rich for the guy who doesn’t even know chapter and verse how the numerical biblical scriptures work, as he demonstrated, when asked, by butchering his supposed favorite bible scriptures.

That’s rich for a guy who has never worked a day in his life, and never had a job, other than inheriting his daddy’s money (470 MILLION.) But is he’s a magician when it comes to over and under-inflating his net-worth accordionstyle. When tax breaks are needed, worth is undervalued, (lied about) then his worth is magically over-inflated for future bank barrowing/leveraging capabilities.

That’s rich for the guy who gave the wealthy top 1 percent of Americans their wind-fall tax breaks as his 4-year administration’s only major legislative accomplishment. 45 accomplished this while running up more national debt ($8 trillion) in one term than all other U.S. Presidents COMBINED, over the previous 240 years.

That’s rich for the guy who packed the Supreme Court with three Republican reactionary, reconstructive, racists. 45 brags openly about reversing “ROE V. WADE,” making choices for ALL women that were their own personal and private RIGHTS for 50 years.

That’s rich for the guy who had his transcripts from high school, college, and business school scrubbed. His daddy paid for the education, 45 had

We salute you, President Joe Biden, (the best bridge one-term president ever) for passing the torch of Lady Liberty to the next generation.

those records expunged. That’s rich for the guy who claimed around multiple witnesses that members of the military were “suckers and losers” for making the ultimate sacrifice (giving their lives) for our nation. All this comes from a guy with ZERO of his own skin in the game, who used 5 deferments to avoid service in Vietnam.

Trump’s lies, laid bare, reveal SELFISHNESS personified, equals his limitless ego rotten to the ill-gotten core. Contrast that to the act of our First Founding father, George Washington, who selflessly stepped away from the Presidency’s power willingly for the good of the party, the nation, and the future. Our remaining future is still to be constructed on what we have built over these past 248 years. We salute you, President Joe Biden, (the best bridge one-term president ever) for passing the torch of Lady Liberty to the next generation. Your classy example will go down in history, along with those of the Founding Fathers who established the peaceful transition of power tradition. The example you uphold, defend, save and resurrect, by paying it forward, respects the concerns of the American people. American selflessness is sacrifice, “FOR” others, not “OF” others.

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.

Sean C. Bowers

“Sherri” show, he told the audience, “Stay the course.”

(L-R) April Woodard, Jawn Murray and NSU President Javaune Adams-Gaston

Photo: Courtesy

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

THE POWER OF PRAYER MOMENTS of MEDITATION

James 5:13-20

Prayer is indispensable to a vital Christian life. Jesus prayed and taught His disciples to do so. All true Christians pray. Prayer may be public or private, formal informal, perfunctory or from the heart. Prayer can also be a lifestyle. A person engaging in this form of prayer has learned to live in continuing communication with God. Not just audible words, but the thoughts and desires of the heart are open to Him. In his closing verses to his letter, James talks about prayer. Every experience, every circumstance, every attitude should be prayed about and made subject to the will of God.

PRAYER AND THE EMOTIONS. Whatever happens to us, however we feel, God wants us to talk with Him about it. James mentions two opposite experiences (5:13) and asserts that communication with God is our best response to each. The ﬁrst of these is

suffering. No trouble is too severe, no suffering too intense, for prayer. At the other end of the emotional spectrum is the exuberance that comes when things are going well. Those who are cheerful (v. 13), whether because of or despite circumstances, should sing praises (Ephesians 5:19).

As every circumstance and feeling are shared with God, prayer will have a stabilizing effect on our emotions.

PRAYER AND PHYSICAL HEALTH.

The Roman Catholic Church claims that James (5:1415) provides scriptural justiﬁcation for the sacrament of extreme action. A priest anoints a dying person with consecrated oil and offers a prayer. Thus ensuring (supposedly) that any unconfessed sins will be forgiven.

This passage, however, does not suggest that the sick person is about to die, also, it is not a priest who is to be sent for, but the elders of the church.

Another misinterpretation,

more common in Protestant circles, is that these verses prescribe a sure-ﬁre way by which sick believers may be healed without medical intervention. There are several problems with this interpretation. The elders are to pray over the sick person and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.

In those cases where he is restored to health, James says that it is the prayer offered in faith that God uses to restore him, and that it is the Lord who raises him up.

“The prayer offered in faith” (v. 15) means prayer based on a ﬁrm belief that God can heal if He so chooses, coupled with willingness to commit the outcome to Him. When this is done, healing may sometimes (but not always) be God’s gracious response.

The ﬁnal clause of this passage, “if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him,” reminds us that a prayer for physical healing should include a petition for spiritual healing as well, if such is needed (see Mark 2:512; John 9: 3).

PRAYER AND SPIRITUAL WELL-

BEING. Continuing the thought from the end of verse 15, James encourages believers to be open and honest with each other and to pray for one another. When we have hurt someone, we are to confess it to him, seek his forgiveness, and be reconciled (Matthew 5:2324).

see Prayer, page 6B

“PUT A WOMAN IN CHARGE”

Put A Woman In Charge

By Keb’ Mo’ (Blues Musician, 2019, edited version)

Way back when In the beginning of time

Man made the ﬁre then the wheel

Went from a horse to an automobile

He said, “The world is mine”

He took the oceans and the sky

He set the borders, built the walls

He won’t stop ‘till he owns it all And here we are

Standing on the brink of disaster

Enough is enough is enough is enough I know the answer

Put a woman in charge

(Put a woman in charge, Put a woman in charge)

Put the women in charge

(Put the women in charge,

Put the women in charge)

The time has come

We’ve got to turn this world around

Call the mothers, call the daughters

We need the sisters of mercy now

She’ll be a hero

Not a fool

She’s got the power

To change the rules

She’s got something

That men don’t have (yes, we

have)

She is kind and she understands

So let the ladies

Do what they were born to do (ahh-ahh)

Raise the vibration

And make a better place for you and me (ooh-ooh)

Hallelujah (Hallelujah)

We’re gonna feel the magic

When the girls take over

It’s gonna be fantastic

(We need more women in charge)”

“Stay Woke,” my brothers and sisters. “Stay in alert expectancy.” (Romans 5:5)

KJV

The feminine spirit is rising in America and the wholewide world. But alas, if Donald Trump should win the election and his “Project 2025” hits the runway running, the Prophet Jeremiah steps up and shifts

the cadence. Observe: “Thus says the Lord of Hosts, consider ye, and call for the mourning women, that they may come: and let them make haste, and take up a wailing for us, that our eyes may run down with tears, and our eyelids gush out with water. For a voice of wailing is heard out of Zion, how are we spoiled! We are greatly confounded, because our dwellings have cast us out. Yet, hear the word of the Lord, O ye women, and let your ear receive the word of His Mouth, and teach your daughters wailing and everyone her neighbor lamentation. For death is come up into our windows, and is entered into our palaces, to cut off the children from without, and the young men from the streets.” (Jeremiah 9:17-21) KJV

But our Father God always provides a way out for His children. Observe the OT teaching: “If My people, which are called by My Name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My Face, and turn from their wicked ways: then I will hear from heaven, and forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” (II Chronicles 7:14) see Rebecca, page 6B

CHURCH ADs & DIRECTORY ADs

Rev. Dr. Rebecca R. Rivka

APOLLO THEATER MAKES HISTORY WITH KENNEDY CENTER HONOR

By Stacy M. Brown Senior National Correspondent

@StacyBrownMedia

NEWSWIRE

NNPA

The Apollo Theater, Harlem’s legendary cultural institution, has made history by earning a rare Kennedy Center Honors, one of the highest accolades in the arts. For 90 years, the Apollo has been the heart of American culture, nurturing emerging artists, launching legends, and serving as a center of innovation for Harlem, New York City, and the world. As the largest performing arts institution dedicated to Black culture and creativity, the Apollo has signiﬁcantly inﬂuenced popular culture globally.

The Kennedy Center Honors has selected The Apollo Theater, marking the ﬁrst time a venue, rather than an individual performer, has received this prestigious award.

“We are thrilled to be the ﬁrst organization honored in the history of the Kennedy Center Awards, emphasizing The Apollo’s impact on the past, present, and future of American culture and the performing arts,” stated Michelle Ebanks, President and CEO of The Apollo.

The 47th Kennedy Center Honors will also celebrate the lifetime achievements of director and ﬁlmmaker Francis Ford Coppola,

For 90 years, the Apollo has been the heart of American culture, nurturing emerging artists, launching legends, and serving as a center of innovation for Harlem, New York City, and the world.

blues singer-songwriter and guitarist Bonnie Raitt, jazz trumpeter, pianist, and composer Arturo Sandoval, and the surviving members of the counterculture rock band the Grateful Dead.

“I am profoundly humbled and deeply honored to be selected as a recipient of the prestigious Kennedy Center Honors,” Sandoval said. “This recognition is an extraordinary milestone in my career.”

Raitt said she’s “deeply honored and thrilled to have been chosen to receive one of this year’s Center Honors. There is no higher level of esteem nor as delightful a celebration.”

Frances Ford Coppola reﬂected on his career and the honor, stating, “There’s no greater honor than to be included along with those who inspired me, who I looked up to, and who gave me encouragement when times were dim.”

The Grateful Dead has always been about community, creativity, and

exploration in music and presentation, stated the band’s Bob Weir. “We’ve always felt that the music we make embodies and imparts something beyond the notes and phrases being played –and that is something we are privileged to share with all who are drawn to what we do – so it also must be said that our music belongs as much to our fans, the Dead Heads, as it does to us,” he continued. “This honor, then, is as much theirs as ours.”

The Kennedy Center Honors, which raises funds for the Kennedy Center in Northwest, D.C., will be held on December 8 and aired on CBS on December 23.

Meanwhile, for 90 years, the Apollo has served as a testing ground for new artists working across various art forms and ushering in the emergence of musical genres, including jazz, swing, bebop, R&B, gospel, blues, soul, and hip hop. The countless legendary artists who launched their careers at The Apollo’s Amateur Night,

the original, large-scale talent show and one of the longestrunning continuous events in New York City, include Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday, James Brown, Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight, Luther Vandross, H.E.R., D’Angelo, Lauryn Hill, Machine Gun Kelly, and Miri Ben Ari. The Apollo’s forward-looking artistic vision continues to build on this legacy.

During its 90th anniversary season, the organization opened The Apollo Stages at the Victoria Theater, marking the institution’s ﬁrst-ever major expansion and renovation. It also began plans to restore and renovate its historic theater. Ofﬁcials said this will allow The Apollo to increase performances and educational and community programs and expand its support for artists and other cultural organizations.

“From the longest-running talent show in America with, Amateur Night at The Apollo, which launched the careers of icons like Ella Fitzgerald and Lauryn Hill, to performances from beloved legends like Smokey Robinson and Lil’ Kim and today’s biggest stars like Drake, The Apollo has always been a home for artists to create and a home for audiences to see incredible music and art from legendary artists,” Ebanks asserted.

Continued from page 4B

PRAYER AND THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT. As an example of the power of prayer by a person who is living in accord with what is right, James cites the Prophet Elijah (5:1718). Despite his prophetic power and charisma, Elijah was very human.

The towering ﬁgure of 1 Kings 18, standing tall among the prophets of Baal and exposing the emptiness of their idolatry, became the frightened, discouraged man of 1 Kings 19, running from Jezebel, feeling sorry for himself, asking the Lord to let him die. Despite Elijah’s human weakness, God changed the course of nature in response to his prayers. When our hearts and lives are right before God, our prayers can be equally effective.

CHRISTIAN LOVE IN ACTION. James concludes his letter by urging his brethren to show loving concern for each other by

Rebecca

Continued from page 4B

On the way to the cross, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour, gave us a new promise and privilege in prayer. Observe the NT teaching: “Whatsoever ye shall ask in My Name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My Name, I will do it. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in My Name, He will give it to you. Hitherto have you asked nothing in My Name: ask, and ye shall receive, that you joy may be full.” (John 16:2324)

I offer a personal testimony that when we pray Jesus’ words back to Him in great faith and humility, He will surely answer prayer. Some years ago, my daughter Michelle’s husband and Eddie and Glen’s father, George, was stricken with terrific back pain while working in Japan that required immediate spinal surgery. A probationary regulation restricted George’s return to the states for surgery.

Our family wrote Jesus’ words back to Him in humble prayer and great faith of answered prayer. We emailed the prayer to George and all his coworkers in Japan and we all prayed fervently. Jesus overruled the government and within a few weeks George was home and mending beautifully from a successful surgery.

Finally, my Brothers and Sisters, let’s pray to Jesus.

“Jesus, You said in Your Word that if we ask anything in Your Name You would do it and if we asked the Father in Your Name He would give it to us. This is our humble and fervent petition prayer. Father, in Jesus’ Precious

mutual encouragement to pursue a consistent Christian life. A Christian – even a sincere one – may slip into an attitude or way of life that is contrary to the truth in Christ. Such a person needs to be restored to the reality of his faith)”converted,” cf. KJV). Conversion in this case does not refer to salvation, but to the restoration of one’s original faith.

Jesus spoke to Peter about being “converted” after the temporary failure that He knew Peter would experience (Luke 22:32). “Believers are expected to love one another (1 Peter 1:22), and help (Galatians 6:2) and strengthen each other (Luke 22:2), rather than being faultﬁnding and judgmental. A believer who lovingly restores his brother or sister to the faith would have the satisfaction, James says, of knowing that he had rescued someone from death. Since the restored person is one within the Christian community, this expression may refer to death in the midst of life – a defeated, joyless life due to lack of fellowship with God.

Name, we pray that You will “Put A Woman In Charge.” “Put A Black Woman In Charge of America. Jesus Christ, Please help us, we pray. Put Kamala Harris, A Qualified Black Woman In The Oval Office In Charge of America (Put Kamala Harris A Qualified Black Woman In The Oval Office In Charge of America.) Thank You, Jesus, for answering our prayer of petition. Amen. Note: There are different types of prayers – Petition Prayers, Prayers of Repentance, Prayers of Thanksgiving and Praise, Prayers of Agreement, Prayers of Forgiveness, and what I call, “The Never-Theless” and “Thou Will Be Done” Prayers that Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane when He was praying in great agony to pull His humanity up under His Divinity and accept the Father’s Will for the cross and salvation of all mankind. (John 3:16) Ours is a “Petition Prayer,” not a “Thou Will Be Done Prayer.” We do not attach a “thou will be done ending” to a prayer of petition. Observe: If our lights are going to be cut off and we are petitioning Jesus for money to keep them from being cut off, it would be superfluous to attach “Thou will be done” at the end of the prayer. Likewise we are praying for Jesus to please, pretty please – ”PUT KAMALA HARRIS A QUALIFIED BLACK WOMAN IN THE OVAL OFFICE AND IN CHARGE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. IN YOUR PRECIOUS NAME, WE PRAY. AMEN AND AMEN. (Mighty Prayer Warriors – pray pray pray for the next 100 days) We pray this prayer to Jesus, asking it of the Father, and the Bible says; “Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, He will give it to you.” (John 16:23-24) Amen. Blessing and Shalom.