NEWJOURNAL & GUIDE NEW JOURNAL &
Vol. 124, No. 37 | $1.50 September 19, 2024 - September 25, 2024
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TRAFFICKING RACIST LIES ABOUT INNOCENT IMMIGRANTS OF COLOR
By Marc H. Morial
To Be Equal
(TRICEEDNEYWIRE.COM)
“These kind of anti-Black propaganda narratives that the ‘savages are coming to destroy and eat your family’ are really part of the same playbook that goes back hundreds of years. They try to create division and hate and get the political power that is up for grabs. It’s really heartbreaking and tragic.” – Erik Crew of the Haitian Bridge Alliance
It was a stunning moment, even by the standards of the MAGA-era ... even seasoned debate watchers were taken aback Tuesday night to hear Donald Trump’s panicked bellow, “They’re eating the dogs! ... “They’re eating the cats!”
It was a stunning moment, even by the standards of the MAGA-era. Outrageous, inflammatory lies about immigrants of color to incite rage among his aggrieved supporters have been Donald Trump’s stockin-trade for nearly a decade.
But even seasoned debate watchers were taken aback Tuesday night to hear his panicked bellow, “They’re eating the dogs! ... “They’re eating the cats!”
The day before the
debate, Trump’s running mate, JD Vance, amplified a false smear about Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio, eating people’s pets. He has also misrepresented a tragic school bus accident as “a child was murdered by a Haitian migrant.” Trump’s unhinged rant during the debate triggered an outpouring of mocking internet memes and jokes.
But for the immigrants who bear the brunt, these vicious lies and racist stereotypes are no laughing matter. Trump and Vance have unleashed a firestorm of racial hatred and violent threats.
see Trafficking, page 8A
Kicking Off NSU’s $90 Million Capital Campaign
NORFOLK
NSU launched its most ambitious ever fundraising campaign during the Battle of the Bay football game on Saturday September 14: “Now Is Our Time: The Campaign for Norfolk State University. The launch to raise $90 million included an exciting intro to the campaign with a flag bearer, check presentations, the debut of the campaign video and an announcement of the fundraising goal. Shown presenting a $6 million check representing cumulative campaign commitments from the Norfolk State University Board of Visitors are (L-R): Dwayne Blake, Gary McCollum (Now Is Our Time Campaign Chair), Ruth McCollum, Jay Jamison, Dmitri Gaston, Dr. Javaune Adams-Gaston, Bishop Kim Brown, Gil Bland.
REGINA LAWRENCE, STOP’S CEO, TO RETIRE AFTER 50 YEARS
By Leonard E. Colvin Chief Reporter Emeritus
New
Journal
and Guide
Established in 1965, STOP Inc. is Hampton Roads’ oldest Community Action Agency (CAA) and its leading anti-poverty agency.
Regina P. Lawrence, has been an employee for 50 years, 14 of them as President and CEO of STOP Inc., formerly known as “STOP Organization of Hampton Roads and the Southeastern Tidewater Opportunity Project.”
As of September 30, 2024, Lawrence will retire.
She is STOP’s longest-serving employee, having worked in or with every department within the agency
Past employees and leaders of public and private organizations who have partnered with STOP say she is loving, hardworking, and dedicated to uplifting the disadvantaged. Combine these traits with brutal honesty and deep faith, Lawrence says it drives her personally and professionally.
An aspiring sociologist and psychologist, she left college to support her family after her mother’s death. It appears she did not need a degree to write the resume she now owns.
She arrived at STOP in 1974, nine years after STOP began operation, as an assistant to the third Executive Director, Harvey Johnson, Jr.; both Johnson and Lawrence are products of Portsmouth. By then it had created a massive footprint in Hampton Roads.
“He was a father figure for me and a mentor,” she said. “He taught me the philosophy of what is to be expected and yielded from work. He also told me to be authentic in everything that I say and do.”
During a recent interview for this article, Lawrence said shortly before
Regina Lawrence arrived at STOP in 1974, nine years after STOP began operation, as an assistant to the third Executive Director, Harvey Johnson, Jr.
Johnson died, she told him how grateful she was for what he taught her and the work ethic that he had instilled in her.
see Lawrence, page 6A
By Stacy M. Brown Senior National Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia
NNPA NEWSWIRE
The Biden-Harris administration’s mission to strengthen educational equity and economic opportunity was on full display again as the White House announced an additional $1.3 billion in federal investments for historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). The new funding brings the administration’s total investment in HBCUs to an unprecedented $17 billion since Fiscal Year 2021, setting a new record and further displaying the administration’s commitment to institutions that have long served as beacons of opportunity and excellence for Black Americans.
Though representing only 3 percent of all U.S. colleges and universities, HBCUs play a crucial role in fostering economic mobility.
According to White House officials, HBCUs enroll twice as many Pell Grant-eligible low – and middle-income students as non-HBCU institutions, producing a significant percentage of Black professionals in critical fields – 40 percent of engineers, 50 percent of teachers, 70 percent of doctors and dentists, and 80 percent of judges. Officials touted Vice President Kamala Harris, an alumna of Howard University, as an example of these institutions’ profound impact on shaping national leadership.
A White House fact sheet highlighted how HBCUs are not just educational powerhouses but also drivers of economic growth. Research by the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) shows that HBCUs help more than five times as many students move from the bottom 40 percent to the top 60 percent of U.S. households compared to Ivy League and other elite nonHBCU institutions. Further, a report from the Council of Economic Advisors (CEA) links HBCU enrollment with higher graduation rates and increased household incomes. see HBCUs, page 7A
Photo: RandySingleton
Regina Lawrence President & CEO of STOP Inc.,
President Joe Biden
VP Kamala Harris
How Neighborhoods Factor Into Prostate Cancer Rates
By Rosaland Tyler Associate Editor New Journal and Guide
A new study shows Black men, who live in high stress, redlined and disadvantaged neighborhoods, are more likely to develop aggressive prostate cancer.
Health outcomes, including cancer, are influenced by the expression of stressrelated genes, which in turn would contribute to an increased risk of aggressive prostate cancer, according to researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and Virginia Commonwealth University, which conducted the study that was published in JAMA, July 12, 2024.
Researchers analyzed 218 men with prostate cancer (168 [77 percent] African-American men and 50 [23 percent] White men) who received radical prostatectomy surgery at the University of Maryland Medical Center from August 1992 to January 2021. Study participants had available RNA expression data from prostate tumor tissue, and had a valid residential, noninstitutional address at the time of diagnosis available for geocoding.
“To our knowledge, our study is one of the first to identify associations between neighborhood factors and RNA expression in prostate tumor tissue,” researchers noted in the study. “Similar to previous studies, we found that African-American men with prostate cancer were more likely than their White counterparts to reside in disadvantaged neighborhoods.”
In short, Black study participants tended to reside in areas with higher segregated housing patterns or a “concentration of disadvantage(s)” that triggered stress.
Researchers said more research is needed.
Although all men are at a risk for prostate cancer, Black men are at higher risk. They are about twice as likely to get and die from prostate cancer than white men. The reasons for this, however, are not definitively known.
Prostate cancer is the second most common form of cancer in American men, right behind skin cancer. About one in eight American men will develop prostate cancer at some point in their lives, and about 1 in 40 American
men will die of prostate cancer.
Currently, Black men are disproportionately more likely to receive an advanced prostate cancer diagnosis, (sometimes due to reduced access to health care and screening), and more likely to develop aggressive prostate cancer, which is more likely to be fatal.
Black men have a 70 percent higher rate of developing high-risk prostate cancer, and they are also more than twice as likely to die of it.
Prostate cancer is one of the most treatable forms of the disease with the fiveyear survival rate for men diagnosed with it being greater than 99 percent if the cancer is detected during the early stage.
Most studies suggest Black men should consider prostate cancer screening at 45 years. Other studies suggest those with family history consider age 40.
September 17, 1997 Edition of the Guide
EDITORIAL: When A Snub Is A Snub
By Brenda H. Andrews
Recently a number of prominent local AfricanAmericans gathered at Norfolk Community Hospital to announce their collective support for the Democratic ticket for state offices. Their message was not given space in the daily newspaper.
As might be expected this newspaper gave the issue front page attention.
The predictability of the message was no doubt the reason for its absence from the pages of the daily paper. After all, Blacks and the Democrats have a love affair, and aside from Candidate Mark Earley, no other Republican has caused a significant stir in the local Black community
Without doubt, had this group of Blacks announced support for the Republican ticket, their message would have been considered news breaking to the mainstream press. Certainly, had there been a division of opinion or act of hostility during the announcement the entire Commonwealth would have been alerted via the media.
Many Africans Americans will bristle at the suggestion that they and their news are insignificant to the larger community as well they should. It is insulting to be called or thought of as insignificant.
What we found newsworthy about the show of support is that the Black community of Hampton Roads is solidly convinced it does not want or need another four years of Republican policies that it feels are insensitive and unfriendly to Black people. And over 90 people stood together to say so including leaders of both of the area’s teacher’s organizations.
WWII Naval Crew Led In Opening Jobs For Blacks
By Leonard E. Colvin
It is not often life comes full circle – from a time and place when we face adversity and trial to triumph. On September 22-23, the Destroyer Squadron Association (DESA) a 17,000-member group of World War II Veterans who manned Navy ships protecting convoys of supplies and
RICHMOND
Richmond’s Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia was recently selected as one of seven new sites nationwide that will describe the civil rights struggle. The nationwide network includes the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, where four girls were killed in a 1963 bombing; the home of activist Medgar Evers in Jackson, Mississippi; and the Lorraine Motel in Memphis where the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was
BHMVA aims to restore a profound sense of cultural pride, well being and untiy within the diaspora while fostering a more open and inclusive society
assassinated in 1968. The Contrabands and Freedmen Cemetery and Memorial in Alexandria, Va., where about 1,800 Black slave escapees are now buried, was added to the network in 2021 Launched in 1981, the
Black History Museum of Virginia began on Clay Street in Jackson Ward. In 2016, the museum moved to an historic existing facility at 122 W. Leigh St. where it underwent extensive renovations. According to its website,
“BHMVA aims to restore a profound sense of cultural pride, well being, and unity within the diaspora while fostering a more open and inclusive society.” The museum focuses on the collection, documentation, and study of untold and forgotten stories of Blacks in Virginia. In February, the museum was one of fourteen organizations chosen to receive a grant from the Virginia Museum History & Culture’s (VMHC) Commonwealth History Fund.
Norfolk State University Celebrates Founding
(NSU NEWSROOM)
Norfolk State University is commemorating its 89th anniversary with Founders Week activities that are scheduled for September 16-20 on the University’s campus. During a time when it was believed that many African-Americans’ prospects were limited, there were those who knew that a future offering great possibilities was achievable. And so, Norfolk State University was established in the midst of the
Great Depression, opening its doors on September 18, 1935. It became a vessel for new and exciting opportunities for the region’s youth. By 1969, Norfolk State began its transformation into a vibrant, independent college and in 1979, it obtained university status. As the University celebrates its founding with a week of events, Norfolk State remains a source of inspiration for those who aspire to fulfill their dreams of attaining a college
education and earning a degree. Signature events for the week include the Founders Day Breakfast featuring Virginia Senator L. Louise Lucas, president pro tempore; the Founders Day Ceremony and Freshman Convocation; an encore performance by the NSU Theater Co. of Thoughts of a Colored Man; and the annual Green and Gold Color Run/Walk. Each day will begin with an inspirational video titled Daily Joy.
From The Guide’s Archives
Archives taken from the pages of the (New) Journal and Guide
troops carried to Europe will reunite in Hampton at an annual convention.
Of the thousands of DESA members in Hampton, only three African-American men will participate. One of them will be James W. Graham, Chairman of the USS Mason (DE-529) Association, created in 1987 to make sure that his ship’s contributions to the war are not neglected.
During World War II, African-American sailors were relegated to service jobs, such as cooking and cleaning officers’ quarters.
This was true until March 20, 1944 when USS Mason DE-529 was commissioned in the Boston Naval Yard.
For the first time in the modern Navy, a vessel was manned with AfricanAmericans sailors in positions other than cooks.
The USS Mason was manned with 160 AfricanAmerican enlisted men and 44 White officers. The highest-ranking Black was a Petty Officer First Class. An officer from the first group of Black Naval officers would join the vessel. It was tradition of Black Army and Navy military units to be commanded by White men.
The Mason was one of the hundreds of small escort destroyers who fought the battle of the Atlantic against German U-Boats. These boats were assigned to cut the maritime lifeline between America and Great Britain which was dependent on American war material in its fight against Nazi Germany.
National Baptist Convention USA Grapples With Negative Publicity
By Leonard E. Colvin
Almost two weeks after the annual convention of the National Black Convention USA, (NBC, USA) some members if the organization are satisfied with the group’s vote to forgive rather than to condemn and oust the national leader Rev. Henry Lyons
But not all in the eight million-plus Baptist Convention appear so willing to forgive or forget the alleged missteps of Dr. Lyons and will further their efforts to displace him.
The leader of the Virginia delegation in Denver, Dr. Geoffrey Guns of (Norfolk’s Second Calvary Baptist Church) said he would have preferred that Lyons “step aside and allow a fair hearing on the charges he as facing.” However, now is the time for him to “move on,” Guns
SEPTEMBER 17, 1938 – EDITION OF THE GUIDE
Shown above are several of the officers and reception committee members who honored Mrs. Emily Gilpin Chambers of Richmond, President of the G.U. Order of Tents, at the home office auditorium here last Friday night.
(Seated, L-R): Mrs. M. E. Gordon, deputy; Mrs. Chambers, Mrs. Annette Harrison Richter, Secretary of the Order; Mrs. Jane E. Casper, Treasurer.
(Standing, L-R): Mrs. C. G. Owings, a grand officer; Mrs. Rosa Williams Robinson, grand officer, who was mistress of ceremonies; Mrs. Bettie Cowling, a past grand officer.
said.
“We have learned from this experience,” he said. “I will continue to support the Convention and I will urge my church and others to continue to do so. And out of all of this I think in the long run, we will be stronger.”
Over two thirds of the delegates to the convention of NBC, USA, Inc. voted September 3 to “forgive” Dr. Lyons after he confessed to misjudgments leading to the “misuse” of thousands of dollars of the organization’s money.
The vote came after an emotional and vocal struggle between factions who support Dr. Lyons and those who oppose him.
The dissenting factions failed to muster the organizational muscle and the votes to oust Lyons when floor vote was permitted after pressing from the dissenting elements.
Lyons troubles started after his wife, Deborah, discovered that he and a Convention official, Bernice Edwards owned a home together near St. Petersburg, Florida where he is based.
Mrs. Lyons set fire to the $300,000 home causing extensive damage. She is now charged with arson.
200 Plus Men Inspired To Put Forth Agenda of Area Community Service
By Chuck Penn Contributing Writer
“We are blessed with over 300 men who represent
a cross section of this community,” said George Crawley. “It would be hard to go through that membership and not find someone from every area of our community, and all of us have our sleeves rolled up and ready to go to work.”
“With the second anniversary of the historic Million Man March just weeks away, the Hampton Roads community can rest assured the best ideals and spirit of the Million Man March are alive and well in Hampton Roads,” said Crawley, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the newly formed Hampton Roads Committee of 200+ Men.
He said the newly created organization of over three hundred African-Americans are men poised to make its presence felt in the region.
“We want to operate in the spirit of the Million Man March; Africans American men coming together, taking responsibility for some of the things that are happening in our community and moreover, doing things to correct it,” Crawley said.
Black Funeral Homes Seeking To Stay Afloat
By Leonard E. Colvin
Black funeral directors say they are concerned that more small funeral homes are being bought up by large corporations. They say this will increase the cost beyond reach for many in the Black community.
With large conglomerates eying the Black community that can’t pay the increasing costs, how will small independent funeral homes insulate themselves from being driven out of business?
SCI – Service Corporations International, based in Houston, Texas, alone owns one in six funeral homes. It and two other large companies are steadily buying up more as well as large acres of graveyards and funeral supply companies. The trend has not bypassed the Hampton Roads region as a third of its 34 funeral homes are owned by one of the nation’s three large funeral home corporations.
Many of the Black Funeral Home directors the Guide interviewed for this article, indicated that it is no secret these same corporations are developing a long-range plan to “buy up and run out of business the remaining independent Black funeral homes”
One local director who traded anonymity for his opinions used for this article, said if Black funeral homes in Hampton Roads and elsewhere succumbed to the corporations it may be partly their fault. “They (the Black funeral directors) have taken the Black market for granted” they said. “Many of the funeral homes have not upgraded their facilities for one reason or another.”
PROFESSOR EMERITUS OF SOCIOLOGY VIRGINIA TECH
SANE WASHING TRUMP
By Wornie Reed, Ph.D.
I have long complained about how the press has treated Donald Trump with kid gloves while badgering President Biden and his press secretary, Karine JeanPierre. They tend not to ask Trump clarifying questions while overdoing it in the case of Biden and his press secretary.
Sometimes, the press attempts to clarify Trump’s incoherent pronouncements themselves. This process has precipitated the use of a new term, “sane washing.” That is when the press engages in trying to make sense of Trump’s “crazy talk.”
MSNBC host Lawrence O’Donnell used this term to discuss a seriously problematic explanation of Trump’s rhetoric by none other than the venerable New York Times.
The NY Times article referred to a meandering, hard-to-follow answer to a question on childcare at the Economic Club of New York a few days ago. Asked how he would help American working families stressed by the cost of child care, “Trump wandered through a thicket of unfinished sentences, non sequitur clauses and confusing logic that tied the answer to tariffs on imports.”
The so-called “confession” came in a passage in the article where the Times reflected on the former president’s recent word
MSNBC host Lawrence O’Donnell used this term (“sane washing”) to discuss a seriously problematic explanation of Trump’s rhetoric by none other than the venerable New York Times.
salad response to the question about how he would make child care more affordable.
The Times wrote: “Often his mangled statements are summarized in news accounts in ways that do not give the full picture of how baffling they can be. Quoting them at length, though, can provide additional context.”
The newspaper then included a lengthy quote of Trump’s incoherent rambling:
“It’s a very important issue. But I think when you talk about the kind of numbers that I’m talking about that – because the child care is, child care, it’s, couldn’t, you know, there’s something, you have to have it. In this country, you have to have it. But when you talk about those numbers compared to the kind of numbers that I’m talking about, by taxing foreign nations at levels that they’re not used to, but they’ll get used to it very quickly – and it’s not going to stop them from doing business with us, but they’ll have a very substantial tax when they send product into our country. Those numbers
are so much bigger than any numbers that we’re talking about, including child care, that it’s going to take care.”
The NY Times “explained” the statement in a quintessential bit of sane washing.
“What he seemed to be saying was that he would raise so much money by imposing tariffs on imported goods that the country could use the proceeds to pay for child care. In itself, that would be a disputable policy assumption.”
There are two problems here. One is the obvious sane washing. The other is the Times calling Trump’s obvious misunderstanding of tariffs “disputable.” That is not disputable. It is flat-out false – a fact that is widely known. Tariffs are taxes on imported goods that American citizens pay when they purchase some imported goods.
I agree with some media critics who indicate that when journalists try to make sense of Trump’s pronouncements, when they may not be sensical, they help Trump’s ideas sound more coherent than they are.
The Figures Who Helped Shape V-P Harris
By Ben Jealous (TRICEEDNEYWIRE.COM)
When Kamala Harris was sworn in as vice president in 2021, she swore her oath of office on two Bibles.
One belonged to our nation’s first Black Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. Marshall, the civil rights giant who founded the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, inspired a generation that included Harris to embrace the law as a means to advancing equality and justice. Harris chose to attend Howard University, Marshall’s alma mater.
The other Bible on which Harris was sworn in was the family Bible of Regina Shelton. Shelton was a neighbor, trusted caretaker, and mentor to Vice President Harris and her little sister Maya as children after school when her mom was working. Harris refers to Shelton as her “second mother.” It was Harris’s actual mother Shyamala Gopalan who guided and encouraged that relationship.
A civil rights activist herself, Gopalan was keenly aware that the world would see and treat her biracial daughters as Black women and of what that meant in America. She knew it was important for the girls to bond with other Black girls and women.
Regina Shelton was from Louisiana, part of the migration of AfricanAmericans from Jim Crow South. Shelton shared her perspective on Black culture and identity, took the Harris girls to church, taught them to cook soul food, and inspired them with stories of important
Black female leaders. She was one of the people who exemplified and passed on to both Harris girls “a responsibility to give and serve,” according to the vice president. That responsibility to give and serve was also influenced by Vice President Harris’s sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha. Founded at Howard, AKA has been on the front lines of fights for social justice for more than a century. AKA members organized to stop lynchings, advocate for women’s rights, staff health clinics in rural Black communities, offer job training programs, and more. AKA charted the path for other Black sororities and fraternities to become more active in the civil rights movement when it became a permanent member of the NAACP in 1939. As AKA international president and CEO Danette Anthony Reed puts it: “Whether it’s social activism, advocacy for civil rights, building economic wealth, impacting our communities, we make a positive change.” Vice President Harris’s dedication to service was not only inspired by her personal relationships and affiliations. Her chosen path as a lawyer was shaped
CARRTOON By Walt Carr
TRUMP FALLS APART
By Julianne Malveaux (TRICEEDNEYWIRE.COM)
I rarely think of Irish poets, but I could not help thinking of William Butler Yeats (1865-1939) as I watched the 45th president unravel during his debate with Vice President Kamala Harris. The Irish poet wrote:
Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity.
and outstretched her hand in a gesture of courtesy and gentility.
The former president was a shadow of his legendary self who could not seem to connect all of the dots and had to resort to lies – 33 of them according to CNN – to cover both his ineptitude and his ignorance.
He (Trump) lost his train of thought on more than one occasion, he blatantly lied repeatedly, and he drilled down on unimportant issues.
might have been effective if he didn’t have to attempt to mock her with the “sound familiar,” but the fact that he added that made him seem as effete and ineffective as he is.
That responsibility to give and serve was also influenced by Vice President Harris’s sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha.
by important icons who embodied a commitment to freedom, justice, and equity. Justice Marshall was one of them. Another one was Judge Thelton E. Henderson.
Before becoming a legendary judge on the U.S. District Court for the Northern California District, Henderson was the first African-American lawyer to serve in the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. He was a field investigator, working alongside Dr. King and other movement leaders. He was famously fired for loaning Dr. King his government rental car in Alabama because Dr. King’s car had a problem with a tire and Henderson feared for King’s safety if he got stranded. From the bench, Judge Henderson understood the importance of protecting human dignity for all people, and that the Constitution guaranteed fundamental rights even to those who much of our society shunned and did not accept. His judicial philosophy was shaped by wisdom, experience and an understanding of the law’s role in protecting people that naturally allowed room for empathy. see Harris, page 5A
The nation watched a man, once full of arrogance and bluster, reduce himself to a blubbering buffoon who offered unproven accusations of immigrants eating dogs and cats to a nation that craved specificity about public policy. We watched a man who scowled and grimaced for nearly two hours while his joyful (yes, joy) opponent smiled and relaxed into her power. We watched a man who once boldly stalked candidate Hilary Rodham Clinton onstage, nearly cower when a confident Kamala Harris strode over to him
Vice President Kamala Harris handled the business of the debate from the handshake to the facts, and her preparation showed. She irritated the 45th President numerous times, from telling him that he was “fired by 81 million people” to needling him on his much-exaggerated crowd size. His team crowed that he didn’t need to prep as much as he did, but his lack of preparation showed, even when he tried to turn one of his zingers on her.
Although both microphones were off, she spoke over him and he gleefully said, “I’m speaking. Sound familiar.” Reprising her line from the VP debate with Mike Pence in 2020
The two passionately mixed it up on abortion, where he lied and said that Harris favors nine-month abortions and infanticide, so out of order that one of the moderators had to fact check him. They mixed it up on immigration. They mixed it up on the economy. Trump’s best line might have been “why didn’t she do it before,” a Vice President’s job is to serve the President, while a President’s job is to make policy. As Vice President, Kamala didn’t enact a bigger child tax credit because she couldn’t. Her job was to follow the President’s lead and help him implement his policies. Trump’s chiding will cause some on the fence to raise questions about Harris, but for every question, the Vice President had an answer.
see Trump, page 5A
School Shootings & Parental Accountability
By David W. Marshall (TRICEEDNEYWIRE.COM)
This time it occurred in Winder, Georgia. Another school shooting with an assault-style rifle, more “thoughts and prayers” and another traumatized community.
A 14-year-old student is now charged with murder in the killing of two of his fellow students along with two teachers. According to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University, the attack was the 30th mass killing in the United States so far this year. Unfortunately, America’s gun culture pits one individual right against another. The right to bear arms versus the right to life. The two should never be in conflict with one another. One would think the choice is clear with the right to life always being our main concern. Our nation, given its easy access to guns has developed an unhealthy love for them. The United States is the only nation in the world where civilian guns outnumber people. There are 120 guns for every 100 Americans, according to the Switzerland based Small Arms survey (SAS).
In 2019, the number of U.S. deaths from gun
violence was about 4 per 100,000 people which is 18 times the average rate in other developed nations.
A contributing factor is the easy access to guns mixed with the irresponsibility of gun owners. Many people pride themselves as defenders of American values. As part of those values, it means every person throughout our diverse nation has the right to life and liberty. They also have the right to have justice properly served. As we coexist as one people, our Pledge of Allegiance defines who we are when it refers to “one nation, indivisible (unable to divide or separate), with liberty and justice for all.”
Liberty is interesting. It is defined as the state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions imposed on one’s life. It can be described as the freedom
People have the right to bear arms, but the public has a right to life.
to live your life the way you want without interference from others. Or simply the power to do as one pleases. We cannot automatically assume that an individual, once given the freedom to do as he pleases, will do so responsibly and with a sense of community. Liberty is a personal right, but liberty should not result in being rude, offensive, selfish and especially deadly to others. While the Winder shooting resulted in four people killed and another nine hospitalized with injuries, the political rhetoric still remains along partisan lines. JD Vance, the Republican vice-presidential nominee, stated school shootings had “become a fact of life” in the U.S. To imply that the dozens of school shootings in our nation is a fact of life that cannot be avoided becomes hard to accept from a U.S. senator whose party is in position to do something meaningful about it through protective legislation. It has now become a matter of political accountability. see School, page 5A
Julianne Malveaux
David W. Marshall
Ben Jealous
Defending Democracy Is Everyone’s Responsibility
By Michael A. Grant, J.D. (TRICEEDNEYWIRE.COM)
It seems that every four years, we are told that the presidential election before us is the most important one of our lifetime. Oftentimes, the claim is hyperbole. But to say that 2024 will be one of the most consequential elections of our lifetime will prove to be urgently true. This fast – approaching election will determine whether or not the United States of America will survive as a constitutional democracy. Who we choose as the next leaders of the free world will determine in large measure whether the republic that holds the promise for a planet in turmoil will itself survive. Keeping America
Harris
Continued from page 4A
Judge Henderson defended the prisoners who were being abused and denied adequate health care. He made the Oakland Police Department more accountable to federal monitoring over police brutality. He was the fi rst judge in the country to recognize the Constitution’s guarantee of equal protection and due process rights for gay
Trump
Continued from page 4A
Mr. Trump inelegantly attempted to poke fun at President Biden by describing him as relaxing at the beach, and chiding Vice President Harris to “wake him up at 4 p.m.” She didn’t bite. In contrast, he bit at all the bait she threw at him, unable to stay on message and disciplined. But who expects discipline from a lout and a bully who has blustered his way through his presidency and his subsequent years out of office.
Much of his vitriol has centered on his contention
School
Continued from page 4A
The endless number of mass shootings may not be a “fact of life” if lawmakers from both parties responsibly did their jobs. The same is true with parents. The negligence of parents within the household can no longer be ignored. Fortunately, the courts are now taking a closer look at the issue of parental accountability. It is rare for parents of shooting suspects to be charges with crimes, but prosecutors are now willing to hold parents responsible in connection with their child’s mass school shooting. In the 2021 landmark case in Oxford, Michigan where a 15- year- old committed a mass shooting at his high school, it was the first time in the U.S. that parents were charged and convicted in connection with their child’s school shooting rampage. In separate trials, prosecutors convinced juries that the parents repeatedly ignored warning signs that a “reasonable person” would
strong, resilient and a force for good in the world is the responsibility of all of us. And keeping our form of government functioning with an intact democratic system is how each of us can participate in this grand undertaking. So, yes, this election is critically important and each voter must be willing to actively participate. It is our civic duty to vote and to do what we can to protect the integrity of the vote. Regardless of the impediments that might be placed as obstacles, each eligible citizen has a constitutional right to vote and to have that vote counted accurately.
Below is an example of how one man, Athan L. Gibbs, Sr., an AfricanAmerican accountant, responded to the debacle that was the Bush-Gore
people – decades before the Supreme Court recognized same-sex couples’ right to marry. Judge Henderson is widely celebrated by conservationists for saving dolphins from drowning in tuna nets. And he wrote a decision that in effect made the San Francisco Bay Area meet federal air quality requirements.
A fi erce defender of civil rights, a champion of the law’s role in protecting the vulnerable and marginalized, who understands the importance of laws and regulations that protect our environment and health.
that he won the 2020 election, a lie that spurred a mob to descend on the Capitol on January 6, 2021, an event Mr. Trump denied any involvement in. Again, Harris was effective in reminding people that she was at the Capitol that day.
ABC moderator David Muir asked Mr. Trump if it is appropriate to weigh in on the racial identity of Vice President Harris, and Trump replied with his usual word salad. There was some truth in his confused words, though. “I don’t care what she is. I don’t care. You make a big deal out of something. I couldn’t care less. Whatever she wants to be is okay with me,” he said. What she wants to do is be President
have recognized, including their son’s deteriorating mental health and social isolation, and that they could have done more to prevent their son from gaining access to a weapon. Ultimately, it was determined that they both failed in their legal responsibilities to help prevent the shooting, therefore the community paid a deadly price. The parents, who were sentenced to 10 to 15 years in prison for involuntary manslaughter, had purchased a semiautomatic handgun for their 15-year-old son as an early Christmas present. Georgia authorities are following suit in testing the limits of parental blame. The father of the shooter in connection with the Winder shooting was arrested along with his son. According to arrest warrants, the father faces murder and manslaughter charges and is accused of allowing his son to have access to the military-style rifle used in the shooting despite knowing “he was a threat to himself and others.” The gun, an AR15 semiautomatic rifle, was a Christmas present from the father to the son in 2023.
A. Grant, J.D.
race of 2000. I had the privilege of teaming up with Athan, the inventor of the TruVote Validation and Verification Voting System, as his vice president for marketing. He, like so many others, was outraged that AfricanAmerican voters were ten times more likely to not have their ballots counted in Florida. He
That description applies to both Thelton Henderson and Vice President Harris –and that is no coincidence.
Over our 20-year friendship, I have witnessed fi rsthand how the powerful lessons from these mentors continue to guide Vice President Harris in her commitment to justice and service. And I am grateful to all the in fl uences who helped shape and instill that commitment.
Ben Jealous is the Executive Director of the Sierra Club and a Professor of Practice at the University of Pennsylvania.
of the United States, and I hope that’s okay with Mr. Trump because at the rate he is going, he’ll have to once again, resign himself to losing.
Trump’s debate performance indicates that he is unraveling. He lost his train of thought on more than one occasion, he blatantly lied repeatedly, and he drilled down on unimportant issues. Not once did he display a pleasant countenance. Indeed, he seemed ready to explode.
Meanwhile VicePresident Harris did not seem stressed or angry, just factual. She handled her business even as Trump fell apart. Brava, Kamala! Dr. Julianne Malveaux is an economist and author based in Washington, D.C.
Every person has right to bear arms, but in doing so they must also maintain the parental responsibility that comes with gun ownership. We cannot assume that parents will make the right decisions when there are warning signs present concerning their children and the safety of the general public. People have the right to bear arms, but the public has a right to life. Military assault weapons are now the gun of choice for teenagers who want to be copycat mass shooters. When lawmakers seek to ban assault-style rifles, more background checks and other gun safety measures, it is a response to a public safety crisis rather than an attack on the second amendment. Exercising liberty should never result in the shooting rampage in schools. Prosecutors have recognized the problem by holding parents accountable. The killing of school children should never be accepted as an American “fact of life.”
David W. Marshall is the founder of the faith-based organization, TRB: The Reconciled Body, and author of the book God Bless Our Divided America.
I genuinely believe the only way to guarantee America’s uninterrupted march “Toward a more perfect union” is for all of us to take voting seriously.
was incensed that those charged with overseeing the election were so inept or biased and that their vote tabulators were so prone to error.
A brilliant auditor, he devised a voting system with several levels of redundancy and with software that produced a paper trail of the vote. His system addressed the issues of over-votes and under-votes. He made it possible to audit the election at the precinct level. Though not given credit for revolutionizing voting in America, that is exactly what he did. Unfortunately, he died tragically in a car accident before he was given full credit for his invention.
I recount Athan’s contribution because he gave everything he had to ensure that the processes that we use to elect our leaders worked properly. While each of us may not be endowed with Athan Gibbs’ inventive genius, we can each maximize our roles in protecting our sacred democracy against those who would subvert the will of the people.
The most profound
reason for ensuring the survival of American democracy is that it frustrates the ignominious intentions of despots. It acts as a restraining force against those whose malevolent intentions seek to disenfranchise voters, usurp power and abrogate the constitutionally protected rights of others.
Even with a democratic system, codified by law, America has had an inglorious past where many of its citizens were relegated to positions of societal inferiority. But the country’s founding documents provided an expanding framework which eventually allowed suffrage for those who were historically disenfranchised.
When the right to vote – to participate in our democracy – was granted, America inched closer and closer to the ideals espoused in her founding documents. The country is still evolving “Toward a more perfect union” where all are guaranteed equal protection under the law. All are invited to share in the power of governing. However, in the
aftermath of our last presidential election, we were awakened to the inescapable reality that our democracy is fragile. January 6, 2021, reminded us that we could have been one insurrection away from a republic in danger of collapse. When the peaceful transfer of power is threatened, the will of the people can be thwarted and democracy replaced with authoritarian (fascist) rule.
Thomas Jefferson was quoted as saying: “The true price of liberty is eternal vigilance.” Our liberty is sustained by the sacred bonds of trust that we periodically renew through our democratic rituals. Our elections empower each of us to help perpetuate a system that protects the freedoms of all Americans. If we fully partake in this social ritual, we increase the probability of electing leaders who will honor their sacred duty to our constitution and to the rights of all U.S. citizens. I genuinely believe the only way to guarantee America’s uninterrupted march “Toward a more perfect union” is for all of us to take voting seriously. For if we do, I believe the true champions of democracy in this race will prevail with a resounding victory for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. Michael Grant is former president of the National Bankers Association.
BACK TO
SCHOOL: TEACHING ABOUT RACE IS GOOD; ACTUALLY STATES NEED TO STOP BANNING IT
By Ian Wright OtherWords.org.
In this back to school season, millions of American students are returning to classrooms where the wrong course, lesson, or textbook can lead to deep trouble. Why? Because for the last several years, conservative activists and lawmakers have been waging a crusade against “critical race theory,” or CRT.
Critical race theory is an academic concept acknowledging that racism isn’t simply the result of individual prejudice but is also embedded in our institutions through laws, regulations, and rules.
As school districts have emphasized, it’s a higher education concept rarely taught in K-12 schools. But cynical activists have used CRT as a catch-all term to target a broad range of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives – and seemingly any discussion about race and racism in the classroom.
Since January 2021, 44 states have “introduced bills or taken other steps that would restrict teaching critical race theory or limit how teachers can discuss racism and sexism,” according to Education Weekly. And as of this writing, UCLA has identified 807 antiCRT “bills, resolutions, executive orders, opinion letters, statements, and other measures” since September 2020.
Critics claim – falsely – that CRT teaches that all white people are oppressors, while Black people are simply oppressed victims. Many opponents claim it teaches white students to “hate their own race,” or to feel guilty about events that happened before they were born.
In reality, CRT gives students of every race the
tools to understand how our institutions treat people of different races unequally – and how we can make those systems fairer. That’s learning students of every race would be better off with.
But instead, this barrage of draconian legislation is having a chilling effect on speech in the classroom.
In 2022, Florida passed the “Stop W.O.K.E. Act,” which prohibits teaching that could lead to a student feeling “discomfort” because of their race, sex, or nationality. But the law’s vague language makes it difficult for educators to determine what they can or cannot teach, ultimately restricting classroom instruction. In my home state of Texas, SB3 similarly restricts these classroom discussions.
Running afoul of these laws can get teachers and school administrators in trouble. As a result of this hostile environment, the RAND Corporation found that two-thirds of K-12 school teachers have decided “to limit instruction about political and social issues in the classroom.”
Notably, this self-censorship extends beyond states with such policies: 55 percent of teachers without state or local restrictions on CRT have still decided to limit classroom discussions of race and history. As a student, I find this
Neither white students nor students of color benefit from laws that censor history, critical thinking, and open dialogue in the classroom.
distressing. My high school history classes gave me a much richer understanding of race in our history, especially the discussions we had at the height of the Black Lives Matter protests. And in college, I’ve gotten to learn about racial inequalities in everything from housing and real estate to health care, politics, education, and immigration policy. As a person of color, I can’t imagine where I’d be without this understanding. Neither white students nor students of color will benefit from laws designed to censor their understanding of history, critical thinking, and open dialogue in the classroom. The fight against CRT is a fight against the principles of education that encourage us to question, learn, and grow. Rather than shielding students from uncomfortable truths, which they can certainly handle, we should seek to equip them with the knowledge to navigate the world, think critically about our history and institutions, and push for a more inclusive country.
Ian Wright is a Henry A. Wallace Fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies and a student at Rice University from Dallas, Texas. This op-ed was distributed by OtherWords. org.
Michael
Ian Wright
But Johnson responded, “Regina, I taught you only the basics and you have been teaching me ever since I retired many years ago ...,” she said.
Lawrence’s first leadership challenge was administering a thirty-two-bed nursing home in Portsmouth that STOP had acquired. She successfully brought the facility into compliance with state regulations.
Under her leadership and previous leaders, STOP has stretched money from local, state, and federal public agencies with support from private ones and similar agencies to achieve its mission.
Lawrence said she has witnessed STOP planting nurturing seeds in other public agency gardens to create programs that followed several STOP success stories.
For instance, in 1997, STOP provided a heating system for a poor, elderly couple in Smithfield from the Atlantic Shores Heating and Cooling company. In 1999, STOP partnered with Norfolk Public Schools to launch the “Mama, I Want to Read” program in the Park Place and Lamberts Points neighborhoods.
The “Norfolk Works” job support program was born
from a job training program launched by Lawrence.
The Foodbank of South Hampton Roads and the Eastern Shore was based on STOP’s community food and nutrition program that Lawrence and a former supervisor developed.
Head Start, weatherization, the first paramedic and nursing training programs, affordable housing in urban and rural areas of the region and clean drinking water for poor rural communities were pioneered by STOP.
In 2010, due to the passing of the STOP CEO, Lawrence, then Central Records and Public Relations Director, was appointed as CEO. STOP faced a fiscal crisis caused by a mishandling of federal funding for its Head Start program, causing the agency to relinquish it.
In 2011, during this financial crisis, former Norfolk Skill Center Director,
Dr. George F. Reed, who was also the Vice Chairman of the STOP Board, was named Acting Chair of the STOP Board of Directors.
Reed helped Lawrence restructure the organization and develop policies to put STOP back on track.
During a recent interview with the GUIDE, Lawrence said,. “I could not have gotten through that crisis without Mr. Reed’s advice, counsel and leadership on the Board as well as his influence in the community.”
“Regina showed a great deal of leadership and commitment to service in the community during that period of crisis,” said Reed.
“I helped the best I could. But I watched her put out fire after fire with honesty and professionalism. It wore on her. The more people gave up on her, the better she fought! I don’t think anyone else had the faith, skill, and
institutional knowledge to get through it.”
For two years, afterwards, the two worked to acquire Council on Accreditation (COA) certification and the first Certified EvidenceBased Organizations (CEBO) recognition for abilities and accomplishments in the area of evidence-based policies, programs, and practices.
Sharon Waters, an
Alabama native, now retired from STOP, said STOP ran an educational program at Norfolk Public School’s (NPS) Madison Skill Center and hired her as an instructor in 1996.
“This connection between Regina and me lays the foundation for a relationship that has endured to this day,” said Waters, who later taught at TCC and Hampton
University.
“Teaching was something I had yet to consider. Regina saw something in me I had not recognized.”
“Regina is the most resilient person I know, her legacy is a testament to the Community Action Promise of changing lives, embodying hope, and improving communities,” Waters said. see Lawrence, page 7A
Regina Lawrence and Dr. George Reed.
Photo: Courtesy
Lawrence
Continued from page 6A
“Her focus on community development and individual empowerment has left a lasting mark on every program,” said Waters. “This includes projects like STOP’s first Weatherization Program, the Technology Bus for at-risk youth and a Mobile Telehealth Clinic in the Western Tidewater region.”
Bruce Watts worked with the Norfolk Economic Development Department twenty years ago when he first met Lawrence. Since 2012, he has been Ohio-based Woda Cooper Companies’ Assistant Director of the Department of Housing and Community Development.
STOP and Woda will partner to provide financial skill programs to residents living in two affordable residential communities: the Banks in Berkley in Norfolk and Holley Point in Portsmouth.
“Mrs. Lawence has become an icon in her field,” said Watts. “The stars aligned for her over the years, and she has empowered many people. She is an example of ‘it is not what you say…but what you do to succeed!’”
Marleisa Montgomery is Executive Director of The Genieve Shelter, a non-profit that provides Suffolk, Franklin, the Isle of Wight, and other Western Tidewater locales with services for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and human trafficking. Montgomery said her agency was denied a grant to establish safe housing for victims.
Shortly after, during a phone conversation with Lawrence, the two established a partnership which afforded The Genieve Shelter a subcontract from STOP for the
Lawrence is leaving a legacy of dedication, leadership, and commitment to
bettering individuals, families, and communities.”
– Norfolk Mayor Kenneth C. Alexander
project.
“That was a blessing,” said Montgomery. “Because of her history and legacy of knowing the need…she helped us provide support for many women who are victims of abuse and homelessness.”
James Church said he “grew up” in STOP. He has spent 30 years with Priority Ford and is now General Manager. He was a board member when Lawrence became CEO.
“Some people are born leaders, and I realized this about her when we first met,” said Church. “She is honest and straightforward. She always reminded me of the mission of the agency: ‘it’s all about the kids and ensuring their future.’ That will be her legacy.”
Norfolk Mayor Kenneth C. Alexander, running for his third term as Mayor of Norfolk, has known Lawrence for most of his life.
“Lawrence is leaving a legacy of dedication,
leadership, and commitment to bettering individuals, families, and communities,” said the Mayor.
“As President and CEO, she guided STOP in creating lasting opportunities and meaningful impact through programs like housing counseling, employment training, and veteran (prison to home) reintegration services.”
William Curtis, who replaced George Reed as the Chair of the STOP Board, is the Assistant Director of the Department of Housing and Community Development.
“Having vision ... that is the key to her legacy,” said Curtis. “I do not know if she would have lasted 50 years if she did not have that. She is steadfast in her commitment, pays attention to detail and holds everyone at that Agency accountable. It is not about personal gain; it is about helping people move forward and become productive. That is Regina Lawrence.”
Rep.
Congressman
for his
to
policies that improve social and economic outcomes in local communities.
of
HBCUs
Continued from page 1A
This affirms their role in advancing social and economic equity.
Economically, according to the UNCF, HBCUs contribute $16.5 billion annually to the U.S. economy, generate over 136,000 jobs, and produce $146 billion in lifetime earnings for their graduates. The administration’s investments aim to amplify this impact, particularly by enhancing HBCUs’ research and development (R&D) capacities in STEM fields.
The new $1.3 billion investment includes $188 million in competitive grants for R&D capacity building and $1.1 billion in funding to support students directly through need-based grants and programs like Pell Grants. According to the fact sheet, this action builds on a series of initiatives launched to expand HBCUs’ influence and capabilities, including: Innovation in Defense:
Photo: Courtesy
“I was honored to be named a
by
said
“Since my time serving in
General Assembly, I have been focused on leveraging resources, so we can develop exceptional communities for people to enjoy as they live, work and raise their families. I look forward to our continued work together.”
The Department of Defense created the first-ever HBCUled University Affiliated Research Center (UARC).
Howard University, leading a $90 million program over five years, focuses on advancing autonomous technologies for Air Force missions.
Bridging the Digital Divide: The Department of Commerce’s ConnectingMinority-Communities program funds 43 HBCUs to secure high-speed internet, equipment, and IT personnel, directly addressing the digital divide.
Leading in Clean Energy:
The Department of Energy’s $7.75 million HBCU Clean Energy Education Prize is designed to enhance STEM education and inspire future leaders in clean energy fields.
Diversity in Agriculture: The Department of Agriculture’s $262.5 million investment supports 33 projects to train over 20,000 future food and agricultural leaders, emphasizing diversity in the agricultural sector.
Officials said that the unprecedented support for HBCUs reflects the
administration’s broader agenda to promote educational excellence and equity. Reestablishing the White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity through HBCUs further signifies this commitment, they said.
Further, according to the fact sheet, the administration’s diversity is a testament to this focus, with many HBCU graduates, including Harris, holding key roles.
The new funding coincides with Forbes magazine’s recent ranking of HBCUs. Forbes named Howard University the number one HBCU. It was ranked 273rd among the top 500 colleges and universities, ahead of Spelman, Morehouse, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU), North Carolina A&T, and Hampton University. The rankings showcase HBCUs’ ability to produce high-earning, influential graduates from diverse economic backgrounds, often with lower student debt.
WASHINGTON, D.C.
Bobby Scott (VA-03) received the Champion of Community Development Award from Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC). Congressman Scott was recognized
commitment
supporting
Champion
Community Development
LISC,”
Congressman Scott.
Virginia’s
VIRGINIA’S REPUBLICAN LT. GOVERNOR WANTS GOVERNOR’S SEAT IN 2025
By Rosaland Tyler Associate Editor New Journal and Guide
Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome
Earle-Sears, a Republican, recently announced her gubernatorial bid in Virginia Beach at Chick’s Oyster Bar, after she filed paperwork on Sept. 4 with the Virginia Department of Elections to run for governor of Virginia in 2025.
But will she encounter challenges similar to those that the state’s first Black Democratic governor, Doug Wilder, encountered on the campaign trail over three decades ago in 1989 when he ran in a three-way race against two White candidates?
At the time some news reports said Wilder was quick with a quip. He had a politician’s toothy smile. He loved a good argument, a meaty issue, a loud party. Ultimately, Wilder was elected and served as the 66th governor of Virginia from 1990 to 1994.
According to news reports, in addition to a push back from Democrats, Earle-Sears is expected to encounter some resistance from Trump loyalists who have already resisted her candidacy, due to the fact that she made previous less-than-flattering remarks about the former president.
“A true leader understands when they have become a liability,” Earle-Sears said in a TV interview with Fox News, in November 2022. “A true leader understands that it’s time to step off the stage. And the voters have given us that very clear message.” She is likely to run against another female candidate. U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger, a popular Democrat representing Prince William who was the first candidate to announce her bid. Earl-Sears’ conservative platform is a potential challenge. While she has risen rapidly in the GOP due to her strong conservative values, will enough voters, statewide, support her views on education reform, public safety and other GOP themes?
“She’s an insufferable, never-Trumper that’s totally myopic and self serving,” conservative talk show host John Fredericks wrote on the social media platform X, after Earle-Sears announced her gubernatorial bid. Fredericks’ show runs on Radio Network, the largest independent conservative news/talk radio network in America that covers the MidAtlantic region from north to south, from Philadelphia to Atlanta, and west to West Virginia. Fredericks served as Trump campaign chairman of Virginia in 2016 and 2020 and was elected Trump Delegation Chairman of Virginia in 2020. Fredericks is also the publisher of three Star News Media digital daily newspapers: The Georgia Star News, The Virginia Star and Pennsylvania Daily Star.
The point is lack of widespread Republican support may affect EarleSears, in other words. This was not a challenge that Wilder encountered from his party as Virginia’s first trailblazing Black Democratic governor. Although Wilder won by less than 2 percentage points, he won and became the first Black elected governor of a state. As governor, Wilder balanced the state’s budget, created a surplus state fund during an economic recession, and increased the number of Blacks working in the state government. The Financial World magazine ranked Virginia as the nation’s best-managed state two consecutive years during his term. Wilder also obtained legislative approval for gun-control laws, barred state agencies from investing in companies doing business with South Africa, and promoted foreign trade between Virginia and various countries, especially those in Africa.
According to the New York Times, “Wilder’s
swearing – in ceremony changed the political face of the United States.” Wilder, whose grandparents had been slaves, took power in Virginia, “the centerpiece of the Confederacy.” His tenure made him “the nation’s highest ranking Black elected official, a political figure to be reckoned with nationally, a symbol not
Winning Virginia is not just possible, it is necessary because the Democrats have had a head start and they are fighting tooth and nail to win in November. And they want to win in November 2025 as well, but we are not going to let them.”
just of a changing state but of a changing South and a changing nation.”
Elected to the Virginia House of Delegates in 2001, Earle-Sears, a Marine veteran who immigrated to the United States from Jamaica as a child, recently said, “Winning Virginia is not just possible, it is necessary because the Democrats have had a head start and they are
fi
– Lt. Gov.
ghting tooth and nail to win in November. And they want to win in November 2025 as well, but we are not going to let them. So, let’s roll up our sleeves and let’s get to work.”
“We must come together, it is really that simple,” she said. “We must stand strong, we must support each other, we must share each other’s values and visions.”
Trafficking
Continued from page 1A
Two days after the debate, bomb threats forced the evacuation of Springfield City Hall, two schools and a state motor vehicle facility. Politicians have long sought to dehumanize and demonize minority cultures via their real or imagined culinary customs.
Presidential candidate Grover Cleveland printed trading cards for his 1888 campaign that depicted Chinese immigrants eating rats. Just this week, “prowhite nationalism,” Trump ally Laura Loomer targeted his opponent’s south Asian heritage with a social media post referencing curry.
The influx of 12,000 to 20,000 Haitian immigrants, most of whom are in the United States legally, has strained schools and other services in Springfield, a city of about 60,000. Racial tensions were further strained after a tragic accident involving a Haitian driver last August claimed the life of an 11-year-old boy. Vance further fanned the flames of racial hatred by mischaracterizing the accident as a murder “by a Haitian migrant who had no right to be here.” The driver, like most Haitian immigrants, holds temporary protected status and was in the United States legally.
In amplifying malicious racist lies and stereotypes, Vance and Trump have aligned themselves with Nazi sympathizers, some of them armed, who waved
The influx of 12,000 to 20,000 Haitian immigrants, most of whom are in the United States legally, has strained schools and other services in Springfield, a city of about 60,000.
swastika flags as they marched in Springfield last month. The hateful display evoked the fatal 2017 “Unite the Right” rally by white supremacists whom Trump referenced as “very fine people.”
The anti-immigrant “Great Replacement” conspiracy theory that motivated the Unite the Right marchers also inspired the slaughter of 11 people at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue in 2018, 23 people at an El Paso Walmart in 2019, and 10 people at a Buffalo supermarket in 2022. The deaths of dozens of innocent people have not deterred Vance and Trump from continuing to smear immigrants with racist lies. As Kathleen Belew, a historian of white supremacist movements, wrote on social media, “The people spreading this rhetoric either know exactly what they’re doing, or they should know. But violence follows. Every time.”
Winsome Earle-Sears
Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears
Lt. Gov. Earle-Sears (seated center) spoke during the Juneteenth Shove-Off Day event earlier this year in Hopewell,Va.. At podium is the late Calvin Pearson. Also shown, U.S. Park Ranger and Steve Williams, President National Juneteenth Observance Foundation.
Photo: ErnestLowery
SECTION B
VOTER ALERTS
Important Dates For The November 5 Election Cycle:
• Sept. 20 – Early voting begins at all general registrar’s offices. Some cities and counties offer early voting satellite locations. Dates and times vary by jurisdiction.
• Oct. 15 – Deadline to register to vote and cast a regular ballot
• Oct. 16 – Same-day registration begins. Anyone registering and voting at the same time will have to cast a provisional ballot.
• Oct. 25 – Last day to request an absentee ballot by mail or online
• Nov. 2 – Last day of early voting
• Nov. 5 – ELECTION DAY
REMINDER: If you are already registered, be sure you update any personal information that may have changed since the last election cycle. Visit the Virginia Department of Elections website at www.elections.virginia. gov
REGISTER TO VOTE
AREA CITIES REMEMBER 9-11
HAMPTON ROADS
On September 11, 2001, the United States came under attack when 19 alQaida hijackers crashed four jetliners into the World Trade Center in New York City, the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. and a field in southwest, rural Shanksville, Pennsylvania, resulting in the deaths of 2,977 people.
Every year since that day, Americans have held remembrance ceremonies to honor the victims and their families. All of the seven Hampton Roads cities participated in this year’s observances. Chesapeake held its ceremony at The Chesapeake 9/11 Memorial near the main entrance of the Chesapeake City Park. The memorial features a 5.5-ton steel beam from the World Trade Center displayed on concrete rubble, symbolic of Ground Zero.
SMALL BUSINESS DIRECTORY
Old Glory on proud display at 9-11 Remembrance Ceremony at Chesapeake City Park.
Photo: ErnestLowery
HU CRUISES PAST NSU, 37-7,
IN BATTLE OF THE BAY
By Randy Singleton Community Affairs Correspondent New Journal and Guide
NORFOLK
The Norfolk State Spartans walked the plank at Price Stadium as the Hampton University Pirates dismantled NSU in the annual Battle of the Bay, 37-7. The Pirates
displayed a balanced offensive attack, running the football for 227 yards and racking up another 239 yards passing.
Norfolk State’s lone score occurred in the 4th quarter when NSU QB Jalen Daniels hit Jahee Blake for a 26 yard score. HU QB Chris Zellous completed 20 of 25 passes for 185 yards. Zellous also ran for 2
touchdowns. HU running back Elijah Burris rushed for 77 yards. NSU only managed to tally 46 yards passing and 58 yards rushing. NSU linebacker AJ Richardson had 12 tackles, while Terique Miles totaled 10. NSU travels to Lexington, Virginia next week, September 21, to face VMI (Virginia Military Institute) at 1:30 p.m.
FRIENDS, COMMUNITY OFFER TRIBUTES TO CALVIN PEARSON
By Rosaland Tyler Associate Editor New Journal and Guide
Project 1619
Founder Calvin Pearson died on Labor Day after a lengthy illness, but organizers of the non-profit say the effort that he helped to launch in 2008 will continue.
Although Pearson was too ill to attend the Aug. 26 African Landing Day commemoration event at Fort Monroe or to hear the drums – thanks to his trailblazing efforts, hundreds of people heard songs, prayers and contemplation, and remarks from Walter “Red Hawk” Brown, chief of the Cheroenhaka or Nottaway Tribe of Southampton.
“The lives of Black people changed on these very shores,” said Virginia Sen. Mamie Locke, speaking at the African Landing Day commemoration at Fort Monroe in late August, shortly before Pearson died on Labor Day.
“Involuntary servitude found its way into the laws, culture and societal norms of American society ... it is also here that the atrocities of slavery began to unravel with General Butler’s contraband decision in 1861.”
Pearson’s funeral was held at First Baptist Church of Hampton at 11 a.m. on Sept. 10. Tributes included a letter of condolence from Angolan Ambassador Agostinho VanDunem. VanDunem called Pearson
a “visionary and inspirational force whose passion and commitment were instrumental in the accomplishment” of Project 1619s mission.
“On behalf of the Government and the Embassy of Angola, on my own and of my wife, I present the most heartfelt condolences and feelings of solidarity to the family and to the [Project 1619 Inc.] for the irreparable loss,” Van-Dunem wrote.
Pearson, who was born in 1951 in Newport News and spent much of his youth in Hampton, launched the Hampton-based nonprofit, Project 1619 in 2008. As a result of his research which began in 1985, he documented that it was today’s Hampton, Virginia and not Jamestown, where the first enslaved Africans were brought in 1619. Project 1619 worked successfully to change the history narrative.
Pearson retired from the City of Hampton in 2005, after 30 years with the city.
In addition to Project 1619 Inc., he also chaired
the National Juneteenth Grassroots Enslavement Legacy Commission and the advisory board for National Freedom Day, Inc. He also worked on numerous African cultural festivals in Hampton.
Project 1619 was launched to provide accurate information about the African-American experience.
Bill Wiggins, a retired Hampton University historian and another Project 1619 founding member, recently told WHRO how the non profit started. “We set up a plan and program to have [an event] at Gosnold’s Park … but we got rained out completely,” Wiggins said.
“The sun came out later that afternoon … so Brother Pearson, myself and others said ‘Well, let’s go ahead, let’s share with the audience our thoughts about the AfricanAmerican experience.’”
Larry “Kamau” Gibson, a 1619 board member, who had known Pearson since they were boys said, “We maintained a realization of what this movement is really about, and it’s more than Calvin Pearson, it’s more than membership, it’s more than Hampton, more than Virginia,” Gibson said.
“This is about every faction, especially African and American factions, HBCUs, historical museums – everything that we could gather together to work as a oneness [and] promote our true story.”
Happy 105th Birthday!
Mrs. Grace Wright is celebrating her 105th birthday on September 21, 2024. Born in Boykins, Va., in 1919, she is the mother of seven children.
Mrs. Wright now lives in Capron, Va.; however, at this time, she is staying with her daughter, Ms. Swanee Jones, who lives in Chesapeake, Va. Have A Happy Birthday, Mrs. Wright!
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.
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.
1) West opens the bidding with 1 Spade. West is the describer and East is the responder and the captain.
TIDEWATER BRIDGE CLUB: Richard A. Tucker Memorial Library 2350 Berkley Ave., Extension –Norfolk, VA 23523. The dates for the next four games are:
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 Dealer:
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.
Tidewater Bridge Club’s winning players in the September 11, 2024 game: Gloria Brown –Lawrence Owes Jennifer Douglas –Gene Payne Aldis Raymond –Leon Ragland Sandra Starkey –
Gillis Watson Barbara Whit
Elva Taylor
All Photos by Randy Singleton
Calvin Pearson
Photo: Courtesy
Delta Foundation
Miss Red and White
HAMPTON
The Hampton Delta Foundation is pleased to announce that Zahra Imani Sandifer was crowned Miss Red and White 2023-2024 at the 19th Annual Debutante Cotillion. Zahra is the daughter of Dr. Anthony and Renee Sandifer Sr. Zahra is a senior at Phoebus High School and served as President of the Hampton Delta Foundation
Debutantes. She was the Public Relations Chair for her school’s Junior Class and is a member of the Hampton Chapter NAACP. Zahra is also active with the Hampton Chapter of Jack and Jill. She enjoys cooking and contributing to the Phantoms Read Initiative. She aspires to attend Howard University to study both law and medicine. Her dream is to become a neurosurgeon or an anesthesiologist.
FREE WORKSHOP FOR MINORITY, FEMALE-OWNED BUSINESSES
VIRGINIA BEACH
Virginia Wesleyan University (VWU) is hosting a free workshop on Thursday, September 26 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. aimed at helping femaleand minority-owned small business owners and entrepreneurs. Nearly 100 participants will learn how to access vital resources, information, and opportunities that can help their businesses thrive. Led by VWU faculty and staff, along with industry experts, were will be a day-long series of breakout sessions. To register online, please visit https://bit.ly/3ARtICz or contact Larry Belcher at (757) 455-3292.
GETHESEMANE CHURCH ACTORS TAKE A BOW!
NORFOLK
The cast of the original play
“Shenice” written by Reaco Boyd strikes a pose following their stellar performance at Gethesemane Fellowship Community Church on Friday, Sept. 13.
Church members of all ages came together to entertain their church family
and friends as part of Gethesamane’s 32nd Anniversary events now taking place. The plot centers around restoring the broken family relationship of a father and his beloved daughter driven by the spiteful mother who in the end seeks and receives forgiveness.
Gethsemane’s Senior Pastor is Dr. Kirk Houston.
OCTOBER 5
CONGRESSMAN SCOTT TO SPEAK FOR CHESAPEAKE NAACP
FREEDOM FUND LUNCHEON
CHESAPEAKE
The Chesapeake Branch (NAACP will host its 57th Annual Freedom Fund Celebration on Saturday, October 5, 2024, at 11 a.m. at New Galilee Missionary Baptist Church, 765 South Military Highway, Chesapeake, VA 23320. The guest speaker is Congressman Bobby Scott.
Freedom Fund tickets are $50 each and can be purchased at the following locations: *Every Monday/ Wednesday/Thursday from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., Jasaron Learning Institute, LLC 1400 Kempsville Road Suite 105, Chesapeake, VA
This year, lunch will be provided by “James Enterprises, LLC (hot dogs, chicken barbecue, chips, soda combo)” and a second
COME JOIN THE VIRGINIA AFRICAN-AMERICAN CULTURAL CENTER, AS WE CELEBRATE OUR ANNUAL COMMUNITY FALL FESTIVAL ON OCT. 5TH, 12 P.M. -5 P.M., 744 HAMPSHIRE LANE, WITH LIVE ENTERTAINMENT, PRAISE & AFRICAN DANCERS, COMEDIANS, CHILDREN’ ACTIVITIES, BOUNCE HOUSE, VENDORS, AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY, ARTS & CRAFTS, AND FOOD TRUCKS.
WITNESS THE HISTORIC RIBBON CUTTING CEREMONY FOR OUR RENOVATED BASKETBALL COURTS SPONSORED BY SITW AND THE NBA WITH LOCAL SPORTS CELEBRITIES AND SURPRISE GIVEAWAYS!
vendor. Each ticket is eligible for up to $20 with a lunch vendor. This is a way for us all to support small businesses.
For information about the luncheon or to advertise in the souvenir booklet, please call the Chesapeake NAACP’s office at (757) 4042180 or email the branch at unit7049@gmail.com.
The deadline for cameraready advertisements is September 27, 2024.
New Exhibitions Open At Black History Museum & Cultural Center of Virginia RICHMOND
Two new exhibitions are open at The Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia (BHMVA) in Richmond.
“A Prescription for Change: Black Voices Shaping Healthcare in Virginia” highlights the significant yet often overlooked contributions of Black professionals in the health fields. It will continue through March 15, 2025.
This exhibition includes images, artifacts, and documents, showcasing the efforts of Black medical professionals to combat
LOCAL VOICES
healthcare disparities and inequities. The exhibition will start with the early years Black practitioners as far back as the late 1700s. The second exhibition is “Sweet to the Soul and Healing to the Bones” which was organized by the Black American Artist Alliance of Richmond (BAAAR). The exhibit features works from 14 talented artists, exploring physical, emotional, psychological, and historical aspects of healthcare disparities faced by Black patients. . It continues through November 30, 2024.
CHOSEN ONE
By Sean C. Bowers
Who in the hell made 45 the one to choose anyone or anything?
Being WHITE and having stolen money he did not earn, 45 had daddy money to burn. 85K to take out 5 innocent kids with a full-page NY paper ad insisting on the DEATH penalty, BAD OPINION choice.
Forty-five’s comments on the innocence or guilt of the Central Park Five, (later proven innocent by DNA evidence) confirms the DERANGED O’range one, who knew nothing but racism. To this day, 45 continues to choose himself only and always. Bad OPINION choice.
Buying advertising, and strong-arming intimidation of others legally are items of 45’s chosen expertise.
By fanning the “BIRTHER” movement’s obvious racist flames, 45 brought his warped “hater” mindless set into the new millennium as the name-caller-and-chiefcandidate over REALITY! Bad OPINION choice.
An ex-reality TV show host out of touch with reality, tells people, as President, to drink bleach during the height of COVID-19 on national television! Really BAD Lifethreatening DUMB OPINION choice.
Forty-five told the world Charlottesville had “fine people on both sides,” gladhanding, wink, wink, nod, nod, say- no-more, Captain WHITEY! NAZI’S ARE NEVER A GOOD, FINE, OR SAFE, OPINION CHOICE!
Doubling down on WHITE hate, he proudly tells the PROUD BOYS to “Stand back and stand by,” during the run-up to his January 6th attempted insurrection. By NOW you can see this is NOT merely a Series of BAD OPINION choices, it is a man clearly showing himself to be ignorant, a poor judge of character, and a REJECT, with a mental defect! When allowed to act and do as he pleases, he is “CHOOSING” to act, as if, he is somehow uplifting any woman from her poor woman’s gutter-life with his MAs agonistic advances, grop-ings, and trop-ings. As if, they should be so lucky and
blessed to have the over-done, over-drawn, over O’range one’s seventy-eight-yearold wrinkly defections. NO woman has ever looked at 45 and said he is “THE ONE,” sexy, attractive, smart, or even, nice. Rich White power run amuck, WTF. Being a run’em over, run’em-off-the-road, run-away, runway to ruin, is 45’s gift (aLITTERation) to the world. As for letting “the proven crazy” choose anything, would not be done in anyone’s house or home willingly, without FACTUAL EVIDENCE! NO one goes to the (inane) insane asylum and says, “Hey you people, CHOOSE for us the best way forward to peace, security, joy, and equality.” We don’t do that because those people (by their actions) have proven themselves needing to be there for a reason and require supervision. Thery are Not in the “REAL WORLD,” We should also remember this THE, an-excuse-for-aman, who openly bragged about his repeatedly grabbing women by their privates and how he got away with it ALL because he is rich. That is something the rest of us in the real world learned never do or to stop doing, in kindergarten. Still more HABITUAL BAD OPINION choices.
Forty-five is the worst of what he “CHOOSES” to BE and see of America, for America. He chooses WHITE over right, rumor over truth, conspiracy over facts, isolationism over world freedom, protection, and leadership. He chooses lies over substance, profits over people, tax breaks over the national debt, book burning over reading, pro-life (RED) state-sponsored persecution over private individual choice every time.
45 is anti-choice, anti-voice, and he wants to be the “SELF-CHOSENONE,” who gets to make all future CHOICES, for you and the rest of us.
Forty-five’s choices are HIS “broken-life choices” where he has always been and will remain. Can’t change the freckled HATE SPOTS on that O’range SWAMP rat; Fear not, he is about to be put on full display by the PROSECUTOR Puma cat. Now “she chooses” to show true leadership governing capabilities, fiscal responsibility, while representing ALL America through continued peaceful bi-partisan cooperation. The way Joe Biden showed America-first leadership overcoming COVID-19 and bringing down 45’s runaway CHICKEN- HAWKED economic inflation through job creation is what VP Harris/ Walz will continue at historic record levels. Our choice, our voice, is our vote and it is quite clear. America as it is going in the strongest best economic direction, right ahead, is our confirmation of the PROOF is in the (Numerical and factual) pudding. Choose wisely. 45 is anti-choice, anti-voice, and he wants to be the “SELFCHOSEN-ONE,” who gets to make all future CHOICES, for you and the rest of us. WE WON’T CHOOSE (WHITE) HATE, OVER LOVE, OF AMERICA. Sean C. Bowers has written the last 28 years in The New Journal and Guide, CHAMPIONING overcoming racism, sexism, classism, and religious persecution. More of his work can found by searching “Sean C. Bowers” on the NJ&G website, on social media at Linkedin.com or by email V1ZUAL1ZE@ aol.com NNPA 2019 Publisher of the Year,
Sean C. Bowers
Photo: Courtesy
Photo: Courtesy
Reaco Boyd
melded believers.
POWER IN CHRIST MOMENTS of MEDITATION
By Rev. Dr. Archie L. Edwards, Sr.
Ephesians 3:14-21
Ephesians, like Paul’s other letters, contains both doctrine and application. The foundation for a strong Christian life is biblical truth, or, sound doctrine, which is what Paul has been giving the Ephesians in the first part of this letter. He has revealed the truth that believers are “in Christ” as a result of the spiritual regeneration. When God the Judge looks at a believer, He sees him or her as sanctified and united with Christ, “seated ... with Him in the heavenly realms” (2:6).
“But,” someone may object, “What difference does this make in my life right now? After all, I’m not living in the ‘sweet bye-andbye,’ but in the ‘hasty nowand-now.’ I need some downto-earth help today.”
Paul is very much aware of this need and he is about to offer some practical ways in which our being “in the heavenly realms” in Christ makes a tremendous difference here and now.
Before doing so, however, he concludes his doctrinal exposition with a heartfelt prayer (3:16-19). One commentator calls it an “enraptured supplication.”
In this petition Paul calls on God to provide the Ephesians with the power and strength they will need in order to move out of their pagan thought patterns and life styles into a full understanding and appropriation of the Spirit’s life. The apostle is confident that, like himself, they can find that power in Christ. This passage can be divided into three main sections: Paul’s posture (vv. 14-15), Paul’s prayer (vv. 16-19) and Paul’s praise (vv. 20-21). PAUL’S POSTURE.
Paul began to introduce this prayer in the first verse of this chapter, but he broke off to elaborate further on the “mystery” of Gentiles being united with Jews by faith in Christ. Having completed this, he now returns to his earlier thought and prays on behalf of these wondrously
Three matters of interest may be observed in these introductory verses. First, Paul’s posture in prayer is not that of standing, as the Pharisees often did (Matthew 6:5; Luke 18:11). We can, of course, pray in any posture if our hearts are truly humble before God. But for the Pharisees, standing while they prayed seems to have been a way perhaps subconsciously – of expressing selfrighteous pride in a life lived in conformity with their interpretation of the Mosaic Law.
It is not always feasible, of course, to kneel in public gatherings – and for some it is not possible to kneel at all because of physical limitations. But every believer can and should kneel inwardly and, if possible, outwardly as well.
Second, God’s family derives its name from Him. This is reflected in the Greek language in which Paul was writing, for the word translated “family” (Patria) comes from the word translated “father” (Pater).
Third, Paul speaks of God’s family “in heaven and on earth.” This suggests that the family of God includes not only human beings who have been redeemed, but angelic creatures as well.
PAUL’S PRAYER. The Apostle Paul’s prayer (3: 1619) includes three specific petitions. The first is that the Ephesians believers may experience God’s power to
the full in their lives through the indwelling Holy Spirit (v. 16). Earlier, Paul had referred to “the incomparable riches of His grace” (2:7), which will become evident to us “in the coming ages.” Yet God’s power is a part of the treasure that we can enjoy now. Careful reading makes us aware that God in His fullness – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – will bring about this empowerment.
Paul writes of God the Father strengthening believers through God the Spirit in order that God the Son may dwell in – graciously occupy – their hearts (3:17a).
Paul wants observers to see Christ as the real owner, not a mere tenant or visitor, living in believer’s bodies.
Paul’s second petition is that the Ephesians may be given power to understand what is humanly incomprehensible: the surpassing love of Christ (vv. 17b-19a). Love is the first of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22) and it the invariable quality of a life that is truly Christian. God is infinite in His love, as in all his attributes, but through His Holy Spirit we can deeply know the unknowable. For “God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us” (Romans 5:5).
The third blessing for which Paul prays is that the Ephesian Christians may be filled with “all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:19). Paul is not praying for them
to become ‘little gods” in their own right; rather, he wants these Christians to experience Christ’s love more and more, to the extent that God provides it. Too often we settle for a Christian life that is not only less than the ideal, but even less than what is readily available. We sometimes excuse ourselves as being “only human,” with the faults and failings that go with fallible humanity. But, though God loves us as we are, He loves us too much to leave us there. He wants us to become more and more like our Savior, identified with Him not only in His death to sin, but in the productive power of his resurrection. This is what Paul aspired to when he wrote, “I press onto take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me (Philippian 3:12). Being filled with “all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:19b) should be the unchanging goal of every growing believer. PAUL’S PRAISE. At the halfway point in his letter, Paul breaks into one of scripture’s great doxologies ascribing praise to God (vv. 20-21). The apostle is overwhelmed as he contemplates the greatness of God on behalf of His church. Through this praise song he ascribes glory to Him before going on with practical exhortations for the children of God.
Paul’s prayer has been for blessing beyond human capacity to comprehend and
he is completely confident that God can do far more than anything that we can even imagine. The word that Paul uses (v. 20) is a double compound that piles one word on top of another to express God’s limitless power: “immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine,” (“exceeding abundantly above,” King James Version). When we have stretched our minds and hearts to their limit in asking for God’s help, He can bless us infinitely beyond that in His wise and loving answer.
The central theme of this letter is the nature of the church as Christ’s body, finding its life and every other aspect of its existence “in Christ.” Believers will share His glory not only for time, but for eternity. This Spiritual union, symbolized by “the wedding supper of the Lamb” (Revelation 19:9), will last for eternity. It will never be dissolved.
With some important doctrinal truths clarified, Paul is ready to help the Ephesians apply them to living as a body of vital believers. Being “in Christ” does not eliminate human difficulties, but it does provide divine help in meeting them.
In the rest of this letter, Paul urges Christians “to live a life worthy of the calling you have received” (Ephesians 4:1), and he gives some Spirit-inspired guidelines for doing so. These will occupy our attention for the balance of this series of lessons.
CHURCH ADs & DIRECTORY
BOOKWORM REVIEW
By Terri Schlichenmeyer
“Life and Death of the American Worker”
Whatever pays the bills. That’s what you do, day in and day out, looking ahead for the weekend or even just your 15-minute break. Most days, you like your job. Most days, you don’t mind getting out of bed and going to work for that paycheck, the benefits and yes, the time off at days’ end. Though, as in the new book “Life and Death of the American Worker” by Alice Driver, you do expect to get it all safely.
“Life and Death of the American Worker” by Alice Driver © 2024, One Signal Publishers $28.99 | 272 pages
Alice Driver knew of the accident, and it lingered in her mind.
Over some years, Driver met many Tyson workers and gained their trust in order to investigate allegations of workplace accidents, unreported safety
For many years, Angelina Pacheco cut chicken in her sleep. She and her husband, Plácido, worked at Tyson Foods, the country’s largest meatpacking company at Tyson’s facility in Springdale, Arkansas, where Angelina was assigned to remove wings from chicken carcasses. Because of the violence of her work and the repetitiveness of it, her hands “moved against her will, gnarled as they were.” Still, she was lucky. Angelina was working somewhere else when there was a chemical leak at the Tyson plant in 2011. Her husband, however, was a victim.
issues, and ignored worker health matters. Employees –nearly 30 percent Hispanic, nearly 27 percent Black – told Driver that physical injury was very common inside the plant, but employees were forbidden to seek outside medical care. Bathroom breaks were often denied. Driver was told that speaking to the media about anything was strictly forbidden. Tyson jobs were generally the only above-minimum-wage employment an illiterate or non-English-speaker could find, and nobody could afford to be fired: many workers were supporting family in other countries.
Still, Driver knew that some Tyson workers were getting mighty fed up and some had broken company rules to explore legal and governmental help.
And then COVID hit ... No doubt, you’ve heard the stories. You might even remember the scant news coverage of the chemical spill in 2011. “Life and Death of the American Worker” fills in a lot of blanks and lets readers in
on the status of immigrant workers today. Take a guess about it, though, and you’d probably be right.
There’s really no better time than now to read this book, although you might imagine that in this political climate we live in, it could be controversial. And yet, it’s hard to ignore what author Alice Driver learned in years spent gaining the trust of immigrants who worked at Tyson while she investigating their working conditions. It’s equally hard to overlook what Driver says about the valid American need for these workers and the jobs they do.
Readers who enjoy the conveniences of storebought food will gain a new appreciation of the people who process it, but also beware that this book is unsettling and could make your blood boil. If you’re looking for argument or answers, you might find them here. If you’re ready for activism, “Life and Death of the American Worker” offers a good payoff.
By Stacy M. Brown Senior National Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia
NEWSWIRE
NNPA
Tito Jackson, a founding member of the legendary Jackson 5, has died at the age of 70. The Jackson 5, which included Tito and his brothers Jackie, Jermaine, Marlon, and Michael, skyrocketed to fame in the 1970s with timeless hits like “ABC” and “I’ll Be There,” reshaping the music scene and turning the group into teen heartthrobs.
Sons Taj, Taryll, and TJ, confirmed Jackson’s death, sharing the news in an Instagram post on their music group 3 T’s account.
“Some of you may know him as Tito Jackson from the legendary Jackson 5, some may know him as ‘Coach Tito’ or some know him as ‘Poppa T,’” the statement read.
“Nevertheless, he will be missed tremendously.”
Former Jackson family manager Steve Manning revealed that Tito died of an apparent heart attack while driving from New Mexico to Oklahoma on Sunday.
Born Toriano Adaryll Jackson on October 15, 1953, in Gary, Indiana, Tito was the third of ten children born to Katherine and Joe Jackson. His early talents as a singer and guitarist caught the eye of his father, Joe, who formed the Jackson Brothers in 1964, initially featuring Tito, Jackie, and Jermaine.
As the group evolved into the Jackson 5, they became one of the first Black American groups to achieve crossover success, breaking racial barriers with their infectious music and dynamic performances. The Jackson 5’s rise to fame was meteoric. With Motown Records backing them, they delivered chart topping hits that remain classics today. Their infectious energy and catchy songs turned them into pop culture icons almost overnight. After leaving Motown in 1975 and signing with Epic Records, they were forced to change their name to The Jacksons. Despite the shift, they continued to dominate the music scene, with Tito playing a crucial
role in the band’s success. While the Jackson 5 set the stage for Michael Jackson’s solo superstardom, with Michael permanently leaving the group in 1984 following the massive success of his “Thriller” album, Tito also carved out his own place in music history. The Jackson 5 were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1997, a testament to their enduring impact on the music industry. Though never officially disbanding, the Jacksons saw their members explore solo endeavors. Tito ventured into a solo career later in life, releasing his debut album “Tito Time” in 2016, followed by “Under Your Spell” in 2021. His work as a solo artist showcased his versatility and deep-rooted love for music, allowing him to step out of the shadow of his famous family name. Tito also fronted a blues band that performed mainly in Southern California but had made a name for itself nationally.
Tito Jackson’s legacy is more than just his role in one of the most successful pop groups ever. He was part of a cultural phenomenon that helped shape the music industry and left an indelible mark on fans across the globe. His contributions to music, both as part of the Jackson 5 and as a solo artist, resonate with generations who grew up listening to his voice and watching his performances. The Jackson 5’s influence paved the way for countless artists and helped establish the blueprint for modern boy bands. It also launched Michael Jackson’s unparalleled career as the “King of Pop.”
Tito Jackson
