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All 40 State Senate and 100 House of Delegates seats will be on November 7 General Election Ballot.
But before the General Election, on June 20 a primary election will determine the Democratic and Republican candidates who will be competing in these respective House and Senate races.
In 2021 all of the districts were redrawn. Incumbents in the old districts are now running in new districts which have been renumbered
and geographic boundaries redefined.
Old districts which once included two or more locales are now more compact or include partial portions of nearby cities. This was especially true for members of the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus (VLBC) whose numbers in the legislature may remain the same or increase after the upcoming election.
SOUTHSIDE RACES
Senatorial District 17
Senate District 17 is poised to be a pick up for the
Democrats and the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus. It covers Emporia, Franklin, Suffolk, and a tiny slice of Portsmouth.
Democrat Clinton Jenkins is the lone Democrat who filed for the seat. Two Republicans are facing off in the June primary for that district.
Jenkins hopes to jump to the Senate from House District 76
which he now represents.
Senatorial District 18
In South Hampton Roads, the June 20th primary race pits Senate Pro Tempore, L. Louise Lucas, and Sen. Lionell Spruill, Sr. against each other for the newly drawn 18th Senatorial District seat.
see Primary, page 6A
Members of the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus, and the state’s NAACP have called for the resignation of Martin D. Brown, the state’s chief diversity officer, who denounced the state’s use of diversity, equity, and inclusion programs during a speech at Virginia Military Institute (VMI).
“Let’s take a moment right now to kill that cow.
(Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) DEI is dead,” said Brown, whom Governor Glenn Youngkin appointed last in November.
“We’re not going to bring that cow up anymore,” he continued, before an audience of VMI cadets. “It’s dead. It was mandated by the General Assembly, but this governor has a different philosophy of civil discourse, civility, treating – living the golden rule, right?”
Brown, a conservative Black Republican with Norfolk, Va. ties, is a former Heritage Foundation fellow and worked for two prior
GOP governors. He was the featured speaker at a mandatory annual “inclusive excellence” training for VMI’s faculty and staff members. VMI recorded the speech and made it available to various media outlets.
Democrat State Senator, Lamont Bagby of Richmond, the chairman of the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus, described Brown’s rhetoric as “appalling” and said all 19 members of his group believe that he needs to leave his job at once.
The Virginia NAACP also issued a statement demanding that Brown step down immediately, citing
his “erroneous assumptions” and “lack of fitness for the critically important position he occupies.”
Brown, who is a graduate of Norfolk Catholic High School, according to his LinkedIn account, declared “DEI is dead” during an April 21 mandatory diversity training.
He called diversity the “wrong mission,” and argued that the pursuit of equity means “you’re not pursuing merit or excellence or achievement.”
Brown and other rightwing Republicans have been echoing the sentiment of Florida’s Governor Ron DeSantis who said Florida is where “woke” diversity comes to die.
During this year’s Correspondents Dinner at the White House, President Biden called the Black Press “Heroes” for telling the Emmett Till story. ...see page 2A
Last year, DeSantis signed legislation, dubbed the “Stop Woke Act,” that restricts certain race-based conversations and analysis in schools and businesses. The law bars instruction that says members of one race are inherently racist or should feel guilt for past actions committed by others of the same race, among other things. Brown, 60, makes $160,000 a year and oversees the state’s renamed Office of Diversity, Opportunity, and Inclusion.
Black lawmakers said Brown’s remarks were especially infuriating because they were made at VMI. see Equity, page 7A
Old Dominion University
Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin will be among the featured speakers at Old Dominion University’s 138th Commencement Exercises, May 5- 6.
The Undergraduate Ceremony, scheduled for 9 a.m. on May 6 at S.B. Ballard Stadium, will celebrate graduates of the College of Arts and Letters, the Strome College of Business, the Darden College of Education and Professional Studies, the Batten College of Engineering and Technology, the College of Health Sciences, the College of Sciences, the School of Cybersecurity and the School of Nursing.
Approximately 2,000 students will receive degrees.
In the event of inclement weather, undergraduates will receive their degrees at Chartway Arena with ceremony times to be announced 24 to 48 hours beforehand.
The Advanced Degree Ceremony for all colleges and schools is scheduled for 6 p.m. on May 5 at Chartway Arena. Approximately 600 education specialists, with master’s and doctoral degrees, will be awarded.
Tidewater Community College
Winsome Earle-Sears, the first woman, and the first woman of color, to serve as Virginia’s Lieutenant Governor will deliver the keynote speech at Tidewater Community College’s 76h Commencement on May 8,
at Chartway Arena in the Ted Constant Convocation Center on the campus of ODU. Sears was born in Jamaica and came to the United States with her family when she was six. “My father had $1.75 in his pocket and arrived during the height of the civil rights movement, just days before Martin Luther King Jr.’s ‘I Have a Dream speech.’”
Norfolk State University
Award-winning actor, writer, director, and producer Nate Parker will deliver the keynote address to over 600 graduating students at Norfolk State University’s Commencement Ceremony. see Commencements page 9A
Two recent reports show a sharp increase in the number of books that have been banned.
According to a new report from the American Library Association, last year, more than 2,500 different books were objected to, compared to 1,858 in 2021 and just 566 in 2019. In numerous cases, hundreds of books were challenged in a single complaint. Specifically, more than 1,200 challenges were compiled by the association in 2022, nearly double the thenrecord total from 2021 and by far the most since the ALA began keeping data 20 years ago.
“I’ve never seen anything like this,” said Deborah Caldwell-Stone, who directs the ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom. “The last two years have been exhausting, frightening, outrage inducing.”
Meanwhile, another recent report by the writer’s organization Pen shows book bans in U.S. public schools increased by 28 percent in the first half of the 2022-23 academic year.
“Since Pen America started tracking public school book bans in July 2021, [it] has recorded more than 4,000 instances of banned books ... this includes 1,477 individual book bans affecting 874 unique titles during the first half of the 2022-23 school year,” the report noted. According to news reports, the ban list differs for liberals and conservatives. While liberals tend to object to the racist language in Mark Twain’s “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.” conservatives have tended to object to books with LGBTQIA+ or racial themes. They include Maia Kobabe’s “Gender Queer,” Jonathan Evison’s “Lawn Boy,” Angie Thomas’ “The Hate U Give” and a book-length edition of the “1619 Project,” the Pulitzer Prize-winning report from The New York Times on the legacy of slavery in the U.S. see Librarians, page 5A
I’ve never seen anything like this.”
– Deborah Caldwell-Stone
Martin D. Brown
Let’s take a moment right now to kill that cow. (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) DEI is dead ... “We’re not going to bring that cow up anymore.”– Martin Brown, appointed by Governor Glenn Youngkin NORFOLK Mayor Kenneth C. Alexander (top) stands in front of the wall monument in downtown Norfolk that marks the city’s school desegregation history dating back six decades. Former City Councilman Paul Riddick (bottom) spoke at the ceremony which honored the Norfolk 17, the pioneering Black students who desegregated the schools in 1959. Among invited guests were former white students who belonged to “The Lost Class of 1959” and were adversely affected when the state closed the all-white schools rather than desegregate. see page 5A Photos: JosephRicks
President Joe Biden proved likely as funny and prescient in his White House Correspondents Dinner remarks as hired comedian and Daily Show correspondent Roy Wood Jr.
But the commander in chief struck a rather serious and forceful tone during his 22-minute speech when he declared how vital the Black Press remains after 196 years of speaking truth to power.
After hilariously railing on everyone from Fox News, Tucker Carlson, Donald Trump and Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, the president made fun of himself in a tour de force of hilariously selfdeprecating jokes.
But, it was his proclamation calling the Black Press heroes that punctuated a 22-plus minute speech that proved one for the ages.
“During Black History Month this year, I hosted the screening of the movie Till,” the president stated, after such quips like “MSNBC is owned by NBC Universal and Fox News is owned by Dominion Voting Systems.”
“The story of Emmett Till and his mother is a story of a family’s promise and loss and a nation’s reckoning with hate, violence, and the abuse of power,” Biden recounted as he started his championing of the Black Press.
“It’s a story that was seared into our memory and our conscience – the nation’s conscience –when Mrs. Till insisted that an open casket for her murdered and maimed 14-year-old son be the means by which he was transported. She said, ‘Let the people see what I’ve seen.’”
The president continued:
“The reason the world saw what she saw was because of another hero in this story: the Black Press. That’s a fact. Jet Magazine, the Chicago Defender, and other Black radio and newspapers were unflinching and brave in making sure America saw what she saw. And I mean it.”
He quoted Ida B. Wells, who exclaimed that “The way to right wrongs is to turn the light of truth upon the wrongs.”
“That’s the sacred view, in my view,” Biden asserted.
“That’s the sacred
charge of a free press. And I mean that.”
Earlier the White House Correspondents Association honored fallen PBS star journalist Gwen Ifill, and Biden took notice.
“That’s what someone we still miss so much, who you honored posthumously, stood for.
Gwen Ifill,” he said.
“She moderated my first debate for vice president and was a trusted voice for millions of Americans.
Gwen understood that the louder the noise, the more it’s on all of us to cut through the noise to the truth. The truth matters.”
Before given way to Wood, the president reminisced about the 2022 dinner.
“As I said last year at this dinner, a poison is running through our democracy and parts of the extreme press,” Biden reasserted.
“The truth buried by lies, and lies living on as truth. Lies told for profit and power. Lies of conspiracy and malice repeated over and over again, designed to generate a cycle of anger, hate, and even violence.”
He concluded:
“I’ve made clear that we know in our bones –
and you know it too – our democracy remains at risk. But I’ve also made it clear, as I’ve seen throughout my life, it’s within our power, each and every one of us, to preserve our democracy. We can. We must. We will.”
National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) President and CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., who sat nearby as the president spoke, offered praise to Biden.
“The NNPA thanks President Joe Biden for highlighting the strategic importance and ongoing value of the Black Press of America,” Chavis stated.
“Biden’s speech to the 2023 White House Correspondents Dinner in Washington, D.C., was another historic tribute to the Black Press as the
– Dr. Benjamin Chavis, CEO, NNPANNPA reaffirms being the trusted voice of Black America.”
Following the president’s speech, Wood went on to deliver bellyaching laughter when he zeroed in on Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, former Fox host Tucker Carlson, former CNN host Don Lemon, and others.
And while Trump, and so many others proved targets, Wood didn’t spare Biden.
“When the retirement age went up two years to 64 [in France] they rioted because they didn’t want to work till 64,” Wood said.
“Meanwhile in America, we have an 80-year-old man begging us for four more years of work.”
The white woman who testified that a Black teenager named Emmett Till had made inappropriate approaches toward her, which led to his lynching and murder in Mississippi in 1955, has died.
According to a coroner’s report, Carolyn Bryant Donham, 88, died while receiving hospice care in Louisiana.
A death record issued on Thursday, April 27, in the Calcasieu Parish Coroner’s Office noted that Donham died in Westlake, Louisiana, two nights earlier.
Donham’s false claims against Emmett Till set off a chain of events that sparked the modern civil rights movement.
After the teen’s mother insisted his casket remain open during the funeral and photos of Till’s battered and mutilated body appeared in Jet Magazine, the world received a birds-eye view of the brutality of America’s rampant racism.
In August 1955, Till traveled from Chicago to Mississippi to spend time
WASHINGTON
The last campaign Martin Luther King, Jr. mapped for his followers began this week with about a hundred poor people petitioning federal officials for massive assistance programs.
The Rev. Ralph Abernathy, who succeeded the late Dr. King as the leader of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, led delegates from around the country in opening three days of talks with Cabinet members and other government leaders.
The SCLC’s initial phase of the poor people’s march on Washington, D.C. was organized by King to demand a “mammoth” new federal effort to provide jobs, housing, and guaranteed incomes to those in need.
The Rev. Bernard Lafayette who will direct the march itself told a news conference Sunday that no effort was made to get the appointment at the White House. He said the advance group represents a cross-section of the nation’s needy Whites from Appalachia, Negroes from the deep South, Puerto Ricans, Mexicans, and Indians.
Early this month he said 10 caravans of the poor from various parts of the country will be on their way to Washington with the first contingent of about 2,000 to arrive around May 12.
On Memorial Day, May 30, delegates are to stage a giant rally.
Lafayette said he expected participation by several hundred thousand.
NORFOLK
A meeting will be held at New Calvary Baptist Church on May 7 to organize a Norfolk affiliate of the SCLC and to further plans for local arrangements of the Poor People’s March in Washington, D.C.
Further plans will also be made for training on the spot for the groups
with relatives.
Donham, then 21 years old and going by the name Carolyn Bryant, accused 14-year-old Till of making inappropriate approaches toward her while she worked at a grocery shop in the small town of Money.
Evidence suggested a lady identified Emmett Till to Donham’s then-husband Roy Bryant and his half-brother J.W. Milam, who were responsible for Till’s murder.
An all-white jury acquitted the two white suspects, but the men later confessed their guilt in an interview with Look magazine.
In March 2022, President Joe Biden signed the Emmett Till Anti-lynching Act of 2022, making lynching a federal hate crime.
The legislation received pushback from three Republicans – Andrew Clyde of Georgia, Thomas Massie of Kentucky, and Chip Roy of Texas. Specifically, the legislation makes lynching a federal hate crime, punishable by up to life in prison. The measure had faced defeat for over 100 years, with lawmakers attempting to pass the legislation more than 200 times.
Archives taken from the pages of the (New) Journal and Guide
coming to Norfolk to join the march.
There will be a Poor People’s March in Norfolk on May 17. The people who come to Norfolk for the marches will be trained in non-violence before the march.
Norfolkians will march to Richmond on May 18 but will be trained before March.
Each group will be transported by bus to the city where they will march.
A meeting of representatives in Norfolk, Portsmouth, Chesapeake, and Virginia Beach is scheduled at New Calvary Monday, May 13 to complete the organization of Tidewater groups. Meanwhile, further local plans for the Poor People’s March will be made by the Rev. Milton A. Reid, general convener and director and SCLC board member.
Federal Grants Re-fund STOP; Aid Job Program
NORFOLK
Federal grants of $1.5 million and $21,000 will enable the Southeastern Tidewater Opportunity Project (STOP) to operate for another year and state a concentrated Employment Program.
Announcements of the grants from the Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO) and the U.S. Department of Labor were made by the offices of Senators Harry F. Byrd J., William R. Spong, Jr, and George C. Crawley, executive director of STOP, and Paul L. Bryan Jr., manpower administrator of the state Department of Labor for CEP.
The re-funding of STOP for the year fell short of the agency’s budget request but Crawley revealed that the cut would not necessitate the elimination of any programs.
The concentrated Employment Program grant permits the planning of an operational jobs program that is scheduled to be allotted to the establishment of a job preparation center and a variety of training programs designed to cut the unemployment rate in
James Earl Ray, a Missouri prison escapee who has been sought under the alias Eric Starvo Galt in connection with the gunshot slaying of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is now on the FBI’s list of “Ten Most Wanted Fugitives.” Meanwhile, a total of $100,000 in reward money has been pledged for the capture and conviction of the sniper who killed Dr. King on April 4 in Memphis.
blighted areas of the city of Norfolk.
STOP and other community agencies will have 60 days to plan the Program.
Stop Insults to Tan GIs In Vietnam, Vets’ Demand WASHINGTON, D.C.
In a strong letter to the Secretary of Defense, the American Veterans Committee (AVC) called for “an immediate onthe-spot investigation” of reports being sent home by Negro Servicemen in Vietnam about the “Flying of the Confederate flag, high incidents of Negroes in stockades, and instances of reported discrimination, insults, abuse and unequal treatment that Negro servicemen are enduring.”
“The letter to Secretary (Clark) Clifford followed a reply from the Department of Defense (DoD) in response to an earlier letter asking the agency to investigate these reports which have been published in Newspapers.
“Reports of actual incidents have come to our attention, and we have suggested that it is incumbent upon the Department of Defense not to just issue pious statements about the “awareness” and “deep center” but to look into the matter and take effective action to remedy these violations of official
policy,” the AVC National Chairman Dr. Eugene D. Byrd wrote.
“What such incidents do to the morale and effectiveness of Negro fighting men should be obvious. What these incidents do to the morale of Negro Americans generally must also be considered.
Those similar things that occurred 25 years ago to Negro servicemen are taking place today is a tragic indictment of our society and, in this case particularly, the military establishment, Dr. Byrd pointed out.
Student-Administration Debate Ends; NSC Quiet NORFOLK
With the publishing of the school’s executive council’s response to a list of 62 students’ demands Wednesday, Norfolk State College returned to normal Thursday following a week of hectic debate between the students and administration.
While most grievances were resolved by administrative compliance or pledges to comply, others were denied.
A number of students expressed dissatisfaction with the compact, terming it a” whitewash” and a watering done for grievances. The administration agreed to the following details:
Required “Black culture” instruction as part of the
basic education courses.
A system of preregistration starting with the 1968 summer session.
An optional meal plan.
The editor-in-chief of the student newspaper will get a full tuition scholarship and the student’s government will select qualified advisors Freedom of dress except at activities where the dress is specified.
Off-campus housing and activities for Greek letter organizations. These students may select their own faculty advisor.
An open-door policy Administration policy; announcements of decisions; monthly statements to organizations included in the activity budget with copies available to the Student Government Association. Window service in the business and registrar’s office from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Abolition of the examination permit system; prompt distribution of midterm grades.
Smoking privileges. No fee to drop or add courses if done within one week of the beginning of classes.
The administration declined to act on such issues as naming buildings, requisitioning expenses from student activity funds, and a request for three divisions of the English Department.
Biden’s speech to the 2023 White House Correspondents Dinner in Washington, D.C., was another historic tribute to the Black Press as the NNPA reaffirms being the trusted voice of Black America.”
NOTE: Dr. Wornie Reed’s Column will be returning at a future date.
– Publisher Brenda H. AndrewsKevin McCarthy (R-CA) had a tumultuous election to his post as House Speaker in January. It took him fifteen votes and innumerable compromises to secure his position tenuously. The deal he agreed to allows any House member to call his leadership into question, voting him out at the drop of a hat.
As the House grapples with budget and debt ceiling issues, McCarthy is walking a tightrope that puts our nation’s international credit standing at risk and may also have killing results for poor people, seniors, and veterans.
The debt ceiling and the budget are two separate things that McCarthy and his extremist colleagues have managed to twin.
The debt ceiling addresses the money we owe and has already been spent. Raising the debt ceiling will pay the bills that we have racked up in the past. The budget deals with current spending on defense, social programs, health care, and other issues. There is, of course, a relationship between the two.
When the budget is imbalanced, we add to our deficit and push the need to raise the debt ceiling. But one issue can be dealt tackled without dealing with the other. The debt ceiling is an immediate issue. The current budget and the debt it may incur is a longer-term issue.
President Biden would like to raise the debt ceiling with no conditions. McCarthy and his cronies
want to cut the budget before they raise the debt ceiling. They would, of course, maintain defense spending at its current level or higher. If they have their way, domestic spending will drop by 22 percent, affecting everything from veteran medical care to school funding for lowincome students and those with disabilities.
Shalanda Young, Director of the Office of Management and Budget, says as many as 108,000 teachers and aides may lose their jobs because of these potential cuts. We spread over 50 states; those cuts may seem modest –eliminating about 2100 jobs per state. There are already teacher shortages. Will the McCarthy plan make these shortages worse?
The McCarthy proposal hits poor people especially hard. It would eliminate preschool and child care for hundreds of thousands of students. It would reduce nutrition assistance for millions and cut the Meals on Wheels program, which provides more than a million seniors with food assistance. These reductions are just the tip of the iceberg if 22 percent cuts are implemented.
To be sure, McCarthy’s extremist proposal isn’t likely to pass the Democratic Senate. But time is running out to increase the debt ceiling, and this game of brinkmanship damages our international reputation and potentially hurts people experiencing poverty.
McCarty’s proposals would eliminate student debt relief, increase energy and housing costs, and reduce safety inspections. Already, Congress has debated reducing programs that offered relief during COVID, including the Child Tax Credit. Such reductions would push more families into poverty.
The attacks on poor people are recurrent. Extremist Republicans seem to have contempt and antipathy for those hard-working people who live with low wages and challenging working conditions. If these people disappeared tomorrow, would our society survive?
At the same time, if the McCarthy proposals were implemented, would our nation’s poor survive?
see Debt, page 5A
By David W. Marshall (TRICEEDNEYWIRE.COM)It should come to no surprise that the head of the Alabama Department of Early Education, Barbara Cooper, was recently compelled to resign over a teacher resource guide which Gov. Kay Ivey denounced as too “woke.”
The book in question is a widely-used resource guide for early childhood educators that informs teachers that the “early education system is not immune” from the forces of “systemic and institutional racism” embedded in the history and development of the United States.
Cooper’s refusal to accept the book’s removal forced her to leave.
Gov. Ivey’s anti-woke views is in agreement with the shifting attitudes away from any type of racial sensitivity training and awareness. It brings us to a valid question regarding Black conservatives. How do Black conservatives align themselves with the changing cultural landscape within the Republican Party and the rise of the MAGA movement?
There are speci fi c reasons why moderate and prominent Black conservatives such as Michael Steele and Colin Powell separated themselves from the GOP. Michael Steele made history twice. He became the fi rst African-American to be elected to statewide of fi ce in Maryland, where he was elected lieutenant governor from 2003 to 2007. He was later chosen as the fi rst Black chairman of the Republican National Committee (RNC) from 2009 to 2011.
Under Steele’s leadership, the RNC broke fundraising records with more than $198 million raised during the 2010 congressional cycle; and Republicans won 63 House seats representing the largest pickup since 1938. Steele’s commitment to grassroots organizing and party-building at the state and local levels produced 12 governorships and the greatest share of state legislative seats since 1928, re fl ecting a pickup of more than 600 seats.
Today, Steele has
David W. Marshall
distanced himself from the Republican Party he once led, as he has spoken out against former President Donald Trump’s racially divisive politics. While he still remains a Republican, Steele supported Joe Biden for president in 2020. He is the fi rst to admit he is out of step with the 2023 version of the GOP who he believes is not salvageable in its current form.
Colin Powell, on the other hand, left the Republican Party.
Powell was a political independent during his military career but, after retirement in 1993 and a bestselling memoir, he was aggressively pursued by both Democrats and Republicans as a potential presidential candidate. He sided with the Republicans, explaining how he aligned with them on fi scal responsibility, small government and low taxes. At heart, he was a Black conservative who disagreed with the GOP on issues of inclusion.
“I believe I can help the party of Lincoln move once again close to the spirit of Lincoln,” Powell said as he announced he would not run for president in 1996. It was a line that was, in the words of the New York Times, a “clear reference to the issues of race, opportunity and social welfare that had him at odds with ranking conservative Republican ideologues who threatened fi erce resistance to his candidacy.”
For Powell, it was the global risk from Trump plus the threat to democracy, which alienated him from the Republican Party. The deadly insurrection by a pro-Trump mob at the U.S. Capitol was the fi nal straw. At the time of his death, in an acknowledgment of how far the party had moved away from his
As leaders of the today’s Republican Party continue to show an unwillingness to embrace the spirit of Lincoln, will Black conservatives stay aligned or distance themselves from the party?
views, Powell no longer considered himself a Republican.
As we strive to become the “perfect union,” a respected public servant such as Colin Powell should never feel compelled to leave his political party due to the divisive in fl uence of Trumpism. The same is true for Barbara Cooper who was forced to resign due to the hostile anti-woke movement perpetuated by Trump and his MAGA supporters.
In 1998, on the 50th anniversary of President Harry Truman’s Executive Order 9981, General Colin Powell spoke about the impact of Truman’s decision to desegregate the military made on his life. Every president is a product of their environment, including Harry Truman. Truman once wrote, “I am strongly of the opinion that Negros ought to be in Africa, yellow men in Asia and white men in Europe and America.” Truman came by those beliefs from his upbringing in Missouri where his grandparents owned slaves and he grew up in a home that openly detested Reconstruction and Abraham Lincoln. While he developed an abiding belief in white supremacy at an early age, Truman as president eventually acquired the spirit of Lincoln. Truman was moved to appropriately act, but it took pressure from Black civil rights groups who effectively articulated the Black experience to a man who was a white supremacist.
see Marshall, page 5A
Our sense of belonging and prosperity relies on freedom from violence. That freedom requires confronting the threat that armed violence poses to our democracy and the hatefueled rhetoric that feeds it. Moreover, keeping voters and elections safe from political violence is necessary to advance free, fair, and secure elections and ballot access.”
There is a fire blazing in the United States of America.
That the fire is burning through classrooms, law enforcement, the right to speak, the right to assemble and the right to vote. It is the fire of hatred, extremism, and domestic terrorism. It is the fire of white supremacy.
This year’s State of Black America® report, “Democracy in Peril: Confronting the Threat Within,” raises the alarm on extremist ideology taking root in the nation’s most vital institutions.
The mainstreaming of extremist ideology is an existential threat to American democracy, the rule of law, and decades of hard-won progress toward an equitable, inclusive, more perfect union.
No longer limited to passing out photocopied leaflets on street corners or
From sea to shining sea, this flame of hate and manipulation ... grew into a five-alarm wildfire after the 2020 election.
either held or were running for public office in 2022, 373 believed to be serving in law enforcement, and 117 believed to be active-duty military.
dilute, and undermine not only the votes of Black people, but of Latinos, disabled Americans, students, and the elderly. Another 150 bills introduced in 27 states would allow partisan interference in elections.
removed the Black Lives Movement and a list of prominent Black authors from the curriculum.
Now is the time for us to put this fire out.
huddling in corners of the dark web, conspiracy-mongers and white nationalists openly spew their bile across social media and cable television. They weave it into the public policy they impose on their constituents. It corrodes the trust between police and the military and the communities they are sworn to protect and serve.
Members of the U.S. Congress and state legislators across the country have promoted a conspiracy theory centered on a cabal of Satanworshipping, cannibalistic child abusers that includes fellow lawmakers, Hollywood actors and business tycoons.
The leaked membership of a violent, anti-government militia group that led the January 6 insurrection included 81 people who
Restrictions on teaching the history of slavery and the Civil Rights Movement have grown so stringent that students planning a Black History Month in Alabama were not permitted to reference any events prior to 1970.
White supremacists committed 22 raciallymotivated murders last year, including the 10 who were shot in a Buffalo supermarket by an 18-year old under the influence of the “Great Replacement” conspiracy promoted by prominent media figures.
From sea to shining sea, this flame of hate and manipulation which gave currency to foreign interference in the 2016 election grew into a five-alarm wildfire after the 2020 election when conspiracy theories about voter fraud in major cities such as Philadelphia, Detroit, and Atlanta, and in
majority Black districts in battleground states fueled the greatest assault on voting rights since Reconstruction.
Hate crimes in the largest U.S. cities soared by 44 percent last year, according to the Center for the Study of Hate & Extremism at California State University in San Bernardino. Yet there has been a 22 percent decrease in the number of reporting agencies; some of the largest cities in the country, including New York and Los Angeles, did not participate, nor did nearly the entire state of Florida or most of California.
Even more alarming, the FBI has warned agents that white supremacist and antigovernment militia groups may be seeking to infiltrate law enforcement including police and sheriff’s departments throughout the nation.
If hate groups can infiltrate law enforcement, then our democracy is truly threatened.
Lawmakers in 39 states introduced more than 400 bills intended to restrict,
Many of those same lawmakers who spouted conspiracy theories about the results of the election to justify voter suppression are actively engaged in suppressing American history and the reality of systemic and institutional racism.
Since September 2020, more than 200 local, state, and federal government entities have introduced 670 bills, resolutions, executive orders, opinion letters, statements, and other measures to suppress and censor books, knowledge, history, and truth.
This movement may have reached peak absurdity when a group of Texas educators, in a delusional fit, proposed to the State Board of Education that slavery should be taught as “involuntary relocation.”
Earlier this year, Florida banned AP African-American studies from being taught in its school, calling it “historically inaccurate.” Despite the College Board’s claim that Florida’s decision had no impact on its decision to revise the course, it subsequently
We can put this fire out by demanding a new set of voting laws that ban voter suppression, gerrymandering and vote dilution, called the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.
We can put this fire out by standing strong against the censorship of books, the suppression of the truth about slavery and discrimination, and suppression of the contributions of Black Americans.
We can put this fire out by banning assault weapons and insisting on background checks and red flag laws to prevent violent and unstable people from having access to guns.
We can put this fire out by enacting the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act to redefine and enhance public safety.
We have, as a movement and as a nation, the strength, the intelligence, the determination, the resilience, the energy and the aptitude, the foresight, and the attitude to extinguish the flames of hatred, extremism, and white supremacy forever.
The news that President Joe Biden will seek reelection has many curious about how well he will perform among African American voters.
According to the results of a recent poll conducted by TheGrio and KFF, Black people had a positive opinion of both Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. There remains some debate among Black Americans about whether or not they will support Biden for president in 2024.
According to the results of the poll of one thousand Black voters who were registered between August 24, 2022, and September 5, 2022, 69% of respondents were pleased with Biden’s
Continued from page 1A
Recently, in Virginia, two long time favorites for generations of public high school students to be placed on the ban list include “The Diary of Anne Frank” and “To Kill A Mockingbird.”
Other book bans such as the one in Florida’s
performance. When asked whether the Democrats should select someone other than Biden in the next presidential election, 58 percent of Black voters answered that they would rather see another candidate run than Biden.
Additionally, the results of the survey suggested that an astounding seventy percent of Black voters would cast their ballots for Harris if she were to run for president, revealing the possibility that African Americans would offer more support to Harris than Biden.
Further, there remains a greater degree of disagreement among Black voters who identify as Democrats or who lean toward the party.
The poll reveals a consensus among respondents (4 percent) that the party ought to put forward Biden as its
Martin County school district have removed dozens of books from middle schools and high schools, including numerous works by novelist Jodi Picoult, Toni Morrison’s Pulitzer Prize-winning “Beloved” and James Patterson’s “Maximum Ride” thrillers, a decision which the bestselling author has criticized on Twitter as “arbitrary and borderline absurd.”
candidate for another term.
The remaining half of voters have indicated that they would want the Democrats to select a different candidate for president in 2024.
Meanwhile, the Republican Party has struggled to win Black voters, and the poll shows that this pattern hasn’t changed.
The anger and obstruction that Republicans have shown toward Barack Obama throughout the years, in addition to their resistance to a voting rights law in Congress, make gaining the Black vote an uphill battle for the GOP.
According to reports, Julie Chavez Rodriguez, a top White House adviser and the granddaughter of the late American labor leader Cesar Chavez, is in the running to oversee the re-election campaign.
Republican-led states are more likely to launch book bans. According to Pen, “seven districts in Texas were responsible for 438 instances of individual book bans, and 13 districts in Florida were responsible for 357 bans.” It added: “Of the 1,477 books banned this school year, 30 percent are about race, racism or include characters of color, while 26 percent have LGBTQ+ characters or themes.”
NORFOLK
An 8-foot-by-57 foot commemorative wall honoring the Norfolk 17’s role in desegregating Norfolk’s Public Schools six decades ago is now on display in downtown Norfolk.
On hand for the unveiling on April 27 were Mayor Kenneth C. Alexander, city council members, artists, dignitaries, community persons and the remaining members or family representatives of the Norfolk 17, some who traveled to Norfolk for the occasion. Also on hand were persons who belonged to “The Lost Class of 1959” as a result of the school closures that prevented them also from attending the schools.
The public artwork is an 8-foot-by-57-foot wall and bears the name “The End of Massive Resistance”. It was created by Shane Albritton and Norman Lee of RE:site and is located at 114 W.
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“My stomach turned over when I learned that Negro soldiers, just back from overseas, were being dumped out of army trucks in Mississippi and beaten,” Truman said. “Whatever
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According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, “poverty was linked to at least 183,000 deaths in the United States in 2019 among those aged 15 or over.” That makes poverty the fourth-leading cause of death in this country, with death tolls only exceeded by heart disease, cancer, and smoking. The McCarthy approach to the debt ceiling will exacerbate poverty and increase the number of deaths connected to poverty. Poverty is an economic drag, affecting
Charlotte St.
The sculpture is composed of brick and glass in a graded transformation that suggests school segregation barriers breaking down.
A historic photographic timeline of events and text includes “Seventeen Ways,” by local poet Tim Seibles.
Sunlight penetrating the glass will symbolize the triumph of social justice and the opaque bricks suggest the ongoing work of creating equitable public schools in the city.
In September 1958, six allwhite middle and high schools in Norfolk were ordered by Virginia’s Governor to close rather than integrate as part of a policy called “Massive Resistance.”
In January 1959, the federal court overturned the state’s closure of the six schools.
On Feb. 2, 1959, despite the tension in the city, the Norfolk 17 were admitted to the re-opened formerly all-white schools, officially desegregating Norfolk’s schools.
The Norfolk 17 suffered many hardships for the cause while many white students also locked out of the schools never got to complete their education and became known as the “Lost Class of 1959.” Norfolk 17 members attending the ceremony were Alvarez Gonsuland, Edward Jordan, Lotita Portis Paige, Geraldine Talley Hobby, Dr. Patricia Turner, Betty Jean Reed, and Carole Wellington. The family of the late Louis Cousins travelled from Texas to participate in the unveiling. Following the unveiling, a luncheon was held at the Murray Center.
Attendees
my inclinations as a native of Missouri might have been, as president I know this is bad. I shall fight to end evils like this.”
Donald Trump like Truman is a white supremacist who is a product of his environment. Where Truman proved to have a conscience, Trump continues to promote racial division. As leaders of the today’s Republican
productivity, health care costs, and more. It also contributes to the falling life expectancy that the United States is now experiencing. Rev. William Barber, the co-chair of the Poor People’s Campaign, describes inaction on poverty as a form of “policy murder.”
Others see rising poverty as a public health emergency.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and his extremist colleagues seem blissfully unaware of the impact of their extreme budget-cutting actions. The debt ceiling has been raised or revised 78 times since 1960, 49 times under Republican presidents and 29 under Democrats. Democrats have typically agreed to increase the debt ceiling because of our international credit rating. Republicans
Party continue to show an unwillingness to embrace the spirit of Lincoln, will Black conservatives stay aligned or distance themselves from the party?
David W. Marshall is founder of the faith based organization, TRB: The Reconciled Body, and author of the book “God Bless Our Divided America”. He can be reached at www. davidwmarshallauthor.com
are now using this situation to push an agenda that will increase poverty and kill people.
To be sure, McCarthy’s extremist proposal isn’t likely to pass the Democratic Senate. But time is running out to increase the debt ceiling, and this game of brinkmanship damages our international reputation and potentially hurts people experiencing poverty.
McCarthy and his cronies prefer posturing to poverty reduction. Their stunning indifference to poverty is an alarming rejection of the income-challenged people who voted for them.
Dr. Julianne Malveaux is an economist, author, and Dean of the College of Ethnic Studies at Cal State LA.VIRGINIA BEACH
The Virginia Beach Branch of the NAACP held a Community Leaders VIP Brunch on Friday, April 28 at the 757 on the Oceanfront. Newly elected NAACP president Pastor Eric Majette was joined by Rev. Gary McCollum in hosting the event as a part of the Something In The Water activities
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District 18, before redistricting, was the power base of Lucas, which covered Portsmouth, Franklin, Suffolk, and other parts of Southeast Virginia.
Spruill was in Senate District 5, which covered a large portion of Chesapeake and Norfolk.
However, after the 2020 Census, new lines were drawn for a new Senate District 18 which now covers 60 percent of Chesapeake and 40 percent of Portsmouth. Both Lucas and Spruill were drawn into the new 18th District when Senate District 5 was moved completely out of Hampton Roads.
Now the competing candidates have support in both cities and will face off on June 20th.
This may be the most heavily funded race in the region’s history.
Lucas had raised $962,586 and Spruill $727,190 as of March 8, according to the Virginia Public Access Project (VPAP) Website.
Senatorial District 21
Senate District 21 is new and covers Norfolk. It is being sought by two popular and familiar Norfolk politicians: Angelia Williams Graves and Andria McClellan.
Graves is a Virginia House Delegate, currently representing the 90th District House seat. McClellan is Norfolk’s Super Ward 1 Councilperson.
Senatorial District 22
District 22 is new and covers a portion of Virginia Beach. Aaron Rouse, a former Virginia Beach City Councilperson, is the lone Democrat thus far in the primary race.
Sen. Rouse won Senatorial District 7 in a close race earlier this year.
House Districts 84, 76
The new House District 84 includes parts of Suffolk, Franklin, Chesapeake, and
taking place during the weekend.
The mid-day business and social networking occasion offered the opportunity to stress voting and the upcoming June 20th Primary as well as the importance of NAACP memberships. Mayor Bobby Dyer issued a city proclamation to the group for its community service and
Isle of Wight County.
Delegate Nadarius Clark resigned from the 79th District seat to move in order to run for the 84th where he faces Michele Joyce in the upcoming Democratic Primary.
In the newly drawn 76th House District located in Chester fi eld County, Debra Gardner, a Black woman is in the primary race. The district is majority white (41 percent) but leans Blue and may stay in Democrats’ hands.
House District 88
Minority Leader Don Scott could be the fi rst Black Speaker of the House if Democrats reclaim the House of Delegates. He is now running for the new House District 88 which is primarily in Portsmouth.
House District 89
House District 89, which once sat in Norfolk and was strongly Democratic, is now shared by Chesapeake and Suffolk and now leans Republican.
Current Chesapeake Councilperson Don Carey, an African-American and Republican, is running against two rivals Baxter Ellis and Jason Woolridge, who is Black, in the GOP June Primary.
Democrat Karen L. Jenkins, the wife of Clinton Jenkins, is running unopposed thus far in the primary race in that district.
House District 91
State Delegate Cliff Hayes was drawn out of the old 77th District seat and he is seeking reelection in the new 91st. Eighty percent of the new district is in Chesapeake and 14 percent is in Portsmouth and leans Blue.
House District 92
Another safe Democratic seat is in Norfolk – the new 92 where two political newcomers are facing each other: Bonita Anthony and Kim Sudderth.
Anthony is a Norfolk native, is currently Director of Retention at Virginia State University.
Sudderth is a member of the Norfolk Planning Commission and works for Health Resources Action.
social justice work in Virginia Beach.
Two persons were given NAACP awards by President Majette: Maia Chaka, the first Black female NFL referee; and Bruce Smith, retired NFL player and local businessman. Special acknowledgement was awarded 3x Platinum Super Producer Hannon Lane.
House District 93
State Delegate Jackie Glass is seeking another term, this time in the newly drawn 93rd district in Norfolk. John Sitka, III, who lost a bid for Norfolk school board last year, is running as a Republican.
House District 94
The new 94th district in the northern sector of Norfolk (Ocean View) is competitive. Phil Hernandez and Mike Podlodowski are on the primary ballot for the Democrats. Four Republicans are seeking that seat: Amy Chudzinski, Kenneth G. O’Brien, Andrew B. Pittman and Antonio Respass.
House District 95
Former Democrat House member Alex Askew is running in the new District 95 seat. He will be facing Rick James. District 95 is mostly in Virginia Beach and two precincts in Norfolk and leans Democratic.
House District 96
In the new 96th district, incumbent Kelly Fowler, a white Democrat, is facing three African-American challengers: Susan Hippen, Brandon Hutchins, and Sean Monteiro.
House District 97
Democrat political activist Michael Feggans thus far is the lone Democrat in the primary race.
THE PENINSULA
Senate District 23
Incumbent Democrat and Senate Caucus Chair Mamie Locke will now run in the new Senate District 23 which encompasses Hampton and a small portion of Newport News.
House District 85
State Delegate Marcia Price is now running in the new House District 85 which sits mostly in Newport News.
House District 87
New Journal and Guide
A new play, “The Yard,” written by Professor Iris Goode-Middleton of Hampton University’s Theater Department is what you have been waiting for!
“The Yard” focuses on Lewis Thompson, and other Blacks, who battled Jim Crowism but still maintained a compelling presence in their community. “Hats off” to Professor GoodeMiddleton for writing this much needed historical play, because it is the first
ever performed on the Black labor history of the shipyard.
Lewis Thompson, who worked as a chipper in the yard from 1929 until he passed on November 28, 1966, deserves to be a compelling protagonist. First, he was an activist believing in the power of democracy, even though segregation was rampant. This was first shown in his founding of the Grace Independent Voters League in 1943, a part of the United House of Prayer, where he served as superintendent of the Sunday School. At the Shipyard Community Center, which
back then was located on Orcutt Avenue in Newport News, he gave a speech on May 15, 1942 alerting the community to the “Negro’s Contribution to America” and the “Negro’s Contribution to the Shipyard.” Being on the Democratic Executive Committee and active at local, state and national levels, he did not shy away from controversial issues.
He spoke out against pay inequity among Black teachers; Blacks being excluded from the Democratic Banquet in 1954; the failure of the school system to renew the contracts of three
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Black principals and teachers (1943-44); and urged Blacks to vote for consolidation of Warwick County and Newport News. Still, he found time to campaign for the United Negro College Fund, be an active member of the Biracial Committee in 1963, and attend father-son activities at the Shipyard Community Center. Of importance also was his achievement as proprietor of a soda shoppe known as the Pleasant Nook, located at 624 – 20th Street, across from Zion Baptist Church in Newport News, in addition to being on the Auxiliary Police Force.
So, be sure you come to see this play, which champions a Black shipyard worker whose life exemplified commitment, not only to building “good ships,” but commitment to building good community!
As the Press Release of April 4, 2023 reminds us, “this show depicts the average life of a working African-American man during the Jim Crow Era. It is an inspirational story that highlights the injustices of how Black men were excluded from the union, and how they overcame it because ‘there is strength in numbers.’”
The Newport News Shipyard Union 8888 spoke at a public forum held at the Jamestown Settlement Museum in January against the absence of labor union history in the proposed draft of the history curriculum for K-12. This play fulfills this absence! Being a joint venture by the AfricanAmerican Historical Society, Hampton University, Newport News Arts Commission, and Downing-Gross Cultural Arts Center, the play will be recorded and shown in area schools. It will showcase a history that needs to be told as we celebrate the current movement to make local history more inclusive. This is one mission of the African-American Historical Society: to bring hidden Newport News history to the light. “The Yard” will do just that.
Admission to the play is FREE! It will be performed at the DowningGross Cultural Arts Center, 2410 Wickham Avenue in Newport News on Tuesday, May 2, 2023 from noon-2 p.m. and 6-8 p.m.; on Wednesday May 3, 2023 from 6-8 p.m.
For more information, contact Downing-Gross at (757) 247-8950.
Please visit the AfricanAmerican Historical Society of Newport News website: www.ashsnn. wildapricot.org to learn more.
The nation’s oldest statesupported military college has been working to be more welcoming to minorities and women in the wake of a state-ordered investigation in 2021 that found a “racist and sexist culture” on its Lexington campus.
The 183-year-old school, whose cadets fought and died for the Confederacy, hired its first Black superintendent, retired Army Maj. General Cedric T. Wins, and created a diversity, equity, and inclusion office, headed by two Black women. But its reforms have faced a backlash among some conservative White alumni. VMI recently renamed its DEI office to “Opportunity” to reflect the name of Brown’s office.
“For him to hold that role as a Black man and to continue to collect a sixfigure salary in that role and go to VMI and make statements like that, I think that takes disingenuousness to another level,” Bagby said. “We’ve collectively done a lot of work to address some of the racial challenges VMI has been facing, and VMI – under the leadership of its superintendent Cedric Wins – has turned out to be a serious partner in addressing those challenges associated with diversity, equity, and inclusion. So, for Brown to go there and say, ‘Oh, stop what you are doing, we’re no longer interested in that work.’ It was appalling. It’s evident that he doesn’t appreciate his role, and it’s time for him to make it official and offer his resignation.”
Robert Barnette Jr., the Virginia NAACP president, said in a statement to the press that Brown essentially talked his way out of the job while he was onstage at VMI before several hundred professors and college staff members.
“If diversity is the wrong mission, isn’t he in the wrong job?” Barnette asked. “Diversity, equity, and inclusion have been a staple of corporate organizations for many years, so to say that it’s dead at an institution of higher learning is very troubling and that’s why we called for his resignation. This man is in the wrong job.”
The Governor said he stands behind Brown and his statement.
Late last week the president of the Heritage Foundation, where Brown served as a visiting fellow from 2014 to 2018, issued a statement supporting him and his remarks at VMI. “Conservatives around the country support Martin Brown for having the courage to speak truth to power when it comes to diversity, equity, and inclusion,” said Kevin Roberts, Heritage’s president.
“The people of Virginia categorically denounced the nationwide effort to push Marxist critical race theory
to our kids when they elected Glenn Youngkin governor in 2021 ... Martin Brown was speaking truth to power. It was an act of bravery. I and Heritage salute Gov. Youngkin for making such a stellar choice.”
Janice Underwood was the state’s first Diversity officer. She was appointed in September 2019 by Democratic Governor Ralph Northam.
The next year, the General Assembly codified the position of director of diversity, equity, and inclusion – a law that has never been changed, said Democrat State Delegate Don Scott of Portsmouth, the minority leader of the House of Delegates.
In March 2021, the General Assembly voted to require state agencies to establish diversity, equity, and inclusion strategic plans.
But when Youngkin came to office in 2022, he rooted out the word “equity” from the state’s education system and changed the name of the state’s DEI office to Diversity, Opportunity, and Inclusion, though the General Assembly has not approved the department’s name change.
Brown’s most recent job was as president of a marketing and public relations firm, and manager of a Chick-fil-A franchise in Richmond, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Cozy Bailey, vice chair of the Virginia AfricanAmerican Advisory Board, said Brown recently told the board that he’d offer a strategic vision for the state’s diversity office by the end of March. Bailey, who also serves as the president of the Prince William County unit of the Virginia NAACP, said that the report has yet to materialize.
“Those who oppose equity try to frame it as something that is less than meritorious,” she said. “But the true concept of equity is, in fact, about the government and other entities providing each individual with what they need in order to be successful.”
The nation’s oldest statesupported military college has been working to be more welcoming to minorities and women in the wake of a state-ordered investigation in 2021 that found a “racist and sexist culture” on its Lexington campus.
Special to the New Journal and Guide
NORFOLK
Dwight and Ivy Byers live in a 100-year-old home, but recent upgrades have it feeling like new.
Winter temperatures cooled the aging house like a freezer. Summer temperatures warmed their residence like a furnace. Their energy bills fluctuated because of the extreme conditions, and eventually they fell behind on payments.
With seven children, and one on the way, the Byers looked for ways to save on their bill.
That’s when the couple reached out to Dominion Energy for assistance through its EnergyShare program. For 40 years, EnergyShare has helped about 900,000 eligible families with bill pay assistance.
In 2015, the program expanded to provide energy efficiency upgrades through a process called weatherization. More than 21,000 people have benefited from that portion of the program. A crew of Dominion Energy volunteers and contractors installed attic insulation, new shades, and weatherstripping, which will help the couple conserve energy.
The family also received a new energy efficient refrigerator and HVAC repair. Volunteers spruced up the home with new paint, fencing, and landscaping. The weatherization renovations can save the family up to 30 percent on their energy bill.
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The 110th NSU Commencement will take place at 9 a.m., Saturday, May 6, at William “Dick” Price Stadium, located on the campus of Norfolk State University. A native of Norfolk, Parker has played lead characters and held starring roles in at least 19 films. Most recently, Parker wrote, directed, and starred in the film, The Birth of a Nation, which tells the story of Nat Turner.
HAMPTON UNIVERSITY
“This is going to make a great difference in our lives,” Ivy Byers said.
This project and another one in Virginia Beach were a part of a collaboration with the Something in the Water music and community festival. Louise Hill, who lives in Windsor Oaks, said she appreciated the help.
At Hill’s home, the EnergyShare team replaced a leaky roof, performed weatherstripping, installed new insulation, and provided a new fridge. Hill and her husband live with six family members, some of whom have physical limitations. They
were grateful to get work done they can manage now but couldn’t have implemented alone.
“If someone had come in and given me a hot water heater – because ours wasn’t that efficient anymore – that would have been enough. But this is way beyond anything we expected,” Hill said smiling. “I didn’t realize how much hope I had lost but I am really beginning to take some pride in the fact I live here.”
Nikki Taylor, program manager for EnergyShare, meets with each family and works with a team to conduct an energy audit
to determine the home’s needs.
The upgrades help to make the homes run more smoothly, but they also help families during their most challenging times.
“This is no cost to the homeowner,” Taylor explained. “We just want to make sure that folks in the community that might need a little assistance –whether it be their home being more energy efficient or covering the cost of their utility bill – know that we have a program here called EnergyShare where they can come and get some help.”
Teenager Dennis Barnes has shattered multi-milliondollar records and gaining interest from colleges and universities everywhere.
Barnes, who goes by his middle name Maliq, is a senior at International High School in New Orleans and has earned more than $9 million in scholarship money during the college application process.
In shattering the previous record of $8.7 million, Barnes received 170 acceptances from 200 applications.
Barnes told the New Orleans NBC News station, “I started to apply to schools, and as I’ve gone through the process, the numbers just started increasing.”
Barnes and school counselor Denise James worked to shatter the $8.7 million record after Barnes realized he was close.
All of his offers came directly from the schools. Barnes first spent many hours applying to schools around the country, he told NBC News.
However, as a teenager, school, and extracurriculars took precedence over his pursuit.
“I was still doing other things,” Barnes said. “I did incorporate it into my schedule one way or another, but I just did it whenever I had time.”
Barnes’ participation in track and basketball and serving as the National Honors Society executive president made him a well-
rounded applicant.
He has a 4.98 GPA and speaks Spanish through an immersion school.
That primary school foundation was imperative in his decision to attend International High School.
“That school was very important for me and my journey,” he told the network.
“They set a strong foundation for me going into high school, and I think that’s a big reason I could say I am where I am today.”
International High School opened in 2009, when Barnes graduated from middle school.
Barnes advised prospective college students to value education, especially African American students.
“There’s always something in the news for athletics. And I think there’s a stigma put on African-Americans –probably others, too,” he said about academic success.
“I think that doing well in school and understanding the importance of education is something that could break that stigma.”
Barnes credits his parents and James for his success.
James helped him apply to institutions, prepare for college, and dual enrollment.
“She has guided me and instructed me in my best interest; that will move me forward,” he stated. “James has helped me get where I am.”
Barnes said he’s grateful and excited about all scholarships and acceptances.
Barnes now aims to exceed $10 million in scholarships and acceptances in the coming days.
Barnes plans to decide by May 2.
Ruth E. Carter, a 1982 Theatre Arts graduate, will be the keynote speaker at Hampton University’s 153rd Commencement Ceremony on May 14, 2023, at 10 a.m. at Armstrong Stadium. Carter, renowned as a visual storyteller, made
history as the first Black woman to achieve two Oscars for best costume design for her work in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, earning Marvel Studios their first Oscar recognition. The highly sought-after designer received the 2018 Academy Award for Achievement in
Costume Design for Marvel’s Black Panther, becoming the first African-American to win in this specific category. Carter has collaborated with prolific directors, including Spike Lee, Ava DuVernay, Steven Spielberg, and Ryan Coogler on projects including Do the Right Thing, Amistad, and the television reboot of Roots.
VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY
City Manager of Stockton, California, and VSU alumnus Harry Black will serve as the school’s spring 2023 commencement speaker on May 13 at 9 a.m. in the VSU Multipurpose Center. Black’s extensive career includes leadership roles in both the public and private
sectors. He served as a member of the VSU Board of Visitors from 2010 until 2018 and as the Rector of the Board from 2013 to 2018.
ELIZABETH CITY STATE UNIVERSITY
Rev. (Dr.) Gwendolyn
Elizabeth Boyd will be the keynote speaker for the Elizabeth City State University 176th Commencement ceremony on May 6, 2023, at 9 a.m. at the R. L. Vaughan Center.
Dr. Boyd is an engineer and is described as a dynamic and relevant leader, a prolific motivational speaker, a powerful preacher, and a prominent advocate for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education.
She is a native of Montgomery, Alabama.
VIRGINIA UNION UNIVERSITY
Dr. Johnnetta B. Cole, President Emerita of Spelman College and Bennett College will be Virginia Union University’s Commencement Speaker May 13 at 10 a.m. on Hovey Field.
Dr. Cole will be awarded an honorary degree at this year’s commencement ceremony.
In 1987, Dr. Cole became Spelman College’s seventh president and the first Black woman to lead the College that was founded specifically for the education of women of African descent.
(L-R) Former Virginia Lt. Governor Fairfax; U.S. Congressman Robert “Bobby” Scott;
Last weekend Justin Pearson, one of the “Tennessee 3” who was expelled from the Tennessee State House of Representatives for leading a protest calling for gun control, was in Hampton Roads. Pearson appeared at the 80th annual Virginia Beauticians Association Conference in Newport News and later at “Something in the Water”
Music Festival in Virginia Beach, accompanied by former Virginia Lt. Governor Justin Fairfax. At the Festival, Pearson spoke out against violence. He, alongside Tennessee Representatives Justin Jones and Gloria Johnson, faced expulsion votes earlier in April for their role in a protest calling for more gun control following a deadly mass shooting in Nashville.
NORFOLK
An art exhibition by local artist Ray Johnson that highlights Black men opens in Norfolk Arts’ Offsite Gallery at MacArthur Center with a reception on Saturday, May 6, 5-8 p.m. The exhibition continues through June 23. Johnson states, “As an artist, I aspire to create art that is meaningful and emotional. My art engages representation of Black beauty,
strength and perseverance.”
The work in this exhibition focuses on the positive impact of male figures on young men. “Aimed not only to praise fathers, the exhibition also is a special way to honor the man who believed in me more than I could ever believe in myself,” Johnson said. “I want young people to see that there are positive role models right here in the communities they live in.”
The exhibition date falls close to
Johnson’s heart, first, because of Father’s Day and second because June 17th is the day his father passed away. On Saturday, June 10, 5-7 p.m., there will be a “Conversation with the Artist” program.
The event and gallery are free and open to the public. The Offsite Gallery at MacArthur Center is located at 300 Monticello Ave., Suite #287 and is open Monday-Saturday: 10 a.m.8 p.m., Sunday: noon-6 p.m.
NORFOLK
The 12th annual Norfolk Bike Month is offering bikers three new bike trails this year in addition to those already established. New this year are the Granby Street bike bypass through Lafayette Park, the innovative new Glow Line at Jeff Robertson Park, and an expanded, upgraded path along Water Street and Park Avenue near Harbor Park and Norfolk State University. Other trails are at the Northside Park Bike Trail and the Elizabeth River Trail. Special Bike Month signature events include the Norfolk Bike Expo and Glow Ride VII.
Norfolk Bike Month is also an opportunity to remind bicyclists and motorists to be safe and vigilant while
on the road. In 2019, the City adopted a Vision Zero resolution – an initiative to create a safer environment for all who travel through Norfolk whether by foot, bike, scooter or vehicle.
Motorists are reminded to:
• Share the road with cyclists. Bikes are allowed on City of Norfolk streets whether in a bike lane or not.
• Keep a distance of at least three feet when passing a cyclist on the street. It’s the law!
• Watch out when opening car doors when parked on a city street.
• Follow the posted speed limits. Speeding can have fatal consequences for both motorists and cyclists.
Bicyclists are reminded to:
• Follow the same rules of the road as a vehicle. Stop at stop signs and yield to
pedestrians. Bike with the flow of traffic.
• Wear a helmet! Helmets are mandatory for those 14 years of age and younger.
• Be Seen! Wear bright clothing in the dark and use a white headlight or red taillight at night so others can see you.
• Use the bike lanes and buffered bike lanes. If you must ride on a sidewalk, be courteous to pedestrians. Riding on sidewalks is prohibited downtown.
• Park responsibly at designated parking corrals or bike racks. Do not park in front of building entrances and do not block sidewalks or pedestrian access.
To find Norfolk Bike Month events, city-wide biking information, resources and safety tips, visit www. norfolk.gov/bike.
CHESAPEAKE
On April 21, 2023, Sheriff Jim O’Sullivan recognized international philanthropist Dr. Juan Montero II, a local legend making a big difference in the world.
Dr. Montero founded “Montero Medical Missions” out of his medical practice in Chesapeake. The non-profit provides medical and humanitarian care to communities in need around the world.
Dr. Montero started the organization after noticing a lack of medical care in rural areas of Virginia, and it grew from there.
Sheriff O’Sullivan wanted to recognize Dr. Montero and thank him for his service by making him an Honorary Chesapeake Deputy.
VIRGINIA BEACH
Chesapeake 2023
ICON, DeAngelo E. Hall, a graduate of Deep Creek High School, Chesapeake, was among those inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame on April 22.
The Virginia Sports Hall of Fame celebrated their 50th anniversary inductee weekend at the Westin Hotel where nine Virginia Sports persons were inducted into the Hall of Fame. The weekend included a breakfast and the VIP Reception and Ceremony. Hall, Class of 2000, furthered his career at Virginia Tech becoming the cornerback for the football team. He was also awarded the Presidential Volunteer Lifetime Achievement Award, a congratulation letter from the Virginia Governor’s Office and a letter of recognition as a Chesapeake ICON from the Office of the City of
I am so happy and thrilled every year to celebrate every great mother, For on this earth as a secular friend,there was not and is not and never will be another,
For she is that woman who carried you, as you miraculously grew inside of her,
And she is the one who at your moment of birth suffered great pain only to later hold and cuddle you gently down right beside her.
And she was that person who bonded with you, so that she often put your needs before her own.
And she was the one who personified LOVE in the house and transformed the house into a home.
And she was called Mommy or Mama or Mother or Mom or even Mummy in some lands far away, That special title given to every lady who in loving service to her children gave her best to each child from day to day.
Oh! What a jewel ! Oh! What a gem ! For her presence was purposeful and her example deserved a hymn, For a hymn is a song honoring someone for an excellent undertaking, and a great mother is a symbol of meritorious family service to those around her. She guides their way. There is no action of gentleness mistaken.
And whether she birthed you from her body or through another method that
you became her daughter or son, She was your mother and dear teacher, who taught you to be strong and also bold :yet still to be kind to everyone.
She was a counselor and nurse and coach and caring cheerleader too, always telling you that you could do it! And if failure came your way, she would say,”Come on. Donʼt give up. I know,you and I can still do well , and we together can start over and work harder, and finally we will get through it.”
She taught you to cook and to clean and to learn the how to of many a thing and in knowledge to seek education, so that you could properly live and let live from your mind and your heart,loving all of mankind without thoughts of racial hatred and bigotry that cause senseless segregation,
And to live life honestly, never lying or cheating your way and never stealing to get ahead, but to set your plans as you HONOR GOD ,seeking only by him to be led,
Chesapeake. The awards were coordinated by The Connectional Ministries and Mission 2000 and G Paris Media Group.
Those in attendance for the induction ceremony included Senator Aaron
Rouse of Virginia’s 7th District; Chesapeake Mayor, Dr. Richard West; NFL Hall of Famer, 2017 Kenneth Easley; and Senator L. Louise Lucas, along with more than 300 guests and members.
SUFFOLK
The Greater First Baptist Church Orlando, Suffolk, will celebrate their 100th anniversary with a Gospel Music Concert presented by Rev. Dr. Brenda BooneSmith Productions. The concert is being held at Metropolitan Baptist Church, 125 County Street, Suffolk, on May 7, 2023 at 4 p.m. (doors open at 3 p.m.).
The featured guests will be Frankie Davis of Paris, France and The Mighty
Stars; Danny Hill & Group Determination, Portsmouth, VA; Elder Ronald Harper & The Harmonizing Echoes, Chesapeake, VA; and Rev. Dr. Brenda Boone-Smith and Higher Praise Community Choir of Hampton Roads.
The concert will be emceed by Donald L. Eason, CBC Radio Broadcast There is no admission fee; however, a free-will offering will be collected.
NEWPORT NEWS
Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03) recently delivered $760,000 in community project funds to the City of Newport News, which Congressman Scott secured in the FY23 Omnibus Appropriations Act. The funding will be used by Newport News to help fund the Gun Violence and Violent Crime Reduction Initiative, which is a multi-layered approach to gun violence reduction that utilizes collaboration, prevention, intervention, enforcement, reentry, community engagement, and outreach to prevent, intervene, and interrupt cycles of gun violence amongst
youth and young adults between the ages of 13 and 24.
The check presentation took place at City Council Chambers with Mayor Phillip Jones and other officials in attendance.
Congressman Scott represents the 3rd Congressional District of Virginia, which includes all of the cities of Newport News, Hampton, Norfolk, Portsmouth, and parts of the city of Chesapeake. In Congress, he serves as Ranking Member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce and is a member of the Committee on the Budget.
And to ask him for wisdom and to set your path ,so that every day would be a remarkable day.
And she taught you to say your bedtime prayer and many scriptures to memorize along the way.
For any woman who seeks to be a mother is LOVE that exhibits itself through care,
And she is that powerful person of peace whenever you feel despair,
And though other relatives, friends or your dad may console you when the whole of your world has not been fair, Only one earthly person can heal your heart when you look up and see MOTHER standing there.
So to every one who is,has been,or will soon be a mother, thank you for that which you give,have given or will give to all,
For you are the soft,soothing souls of the human race, for you are that steadfast and spirit filled thread that holds the family together when hearts are too heavy , weary, and teary, you keep all of the family members in place,
So, through it all,
We thank You GREAT MOTHERS, for in our lives, for STANDING TALL!
ENGAGEMENT ANNOUNCEMENT
Congratulations
Slicing, Dicing & Spicing The Truth
By Sean C. BowersThe thinner the truth is sliced, the harder it is for those who sliced it to get back to any truthful credibility standing. Forcing all, to doubt all equally, serves no one, but the liars and truth deniers.
Mr. and Mrs. Fernando and Pamela Wheeler are pleased to announce the engagement of their daughter
SIGOUNEY FERNANDA WHEELER to GRAYSON
CHRISTOPHER STRICKLAND , son of Mr. and Mrs. Richard and Sue Strickland of Tampa, Florida.
ENGAGED? WEDDING? ANNIVERSARY? PLACE IT IN THE NEW JOURNAL & GUIDE. E-MAIL US AT NJGUIDE@GMAIL.COM
This is brought up as the far-right echo-chamber of (FOX) DE-TOX NEWS has fired their lead mouth-piece Tucker Carlson. Kicked off their air and his #1 rated show with three million nightly viewers, he can no longer use his prime-time slot scarring and scarring his viewers, of, “them.” Those darker than you, those poorer than you, those different from you are the problem. Carlson has perfected the spoiled little child act, the White grievance (S) ATTITUDES laden with conspiracy theories, suckerfaced, election denials, excuse making for 45, and his baby, the “They will not replace us,” White Riche NAZI glamorizing and legitimizing.
(money) ball, because it always leads you directly to the truth, the coverups, and those lying liars. This is a term coined by Al Franken in the 1990’s when RUSH LIMBAUGH and FOX NEWS came to the American airwaves. First off, FOX would have never fired their golden calf (worshiper) money, rating, viewership monopoly advantage, unless they could see the (financial MATH) writing on the wall. FOX just paid a $7.85-billiondollar settlement to Dominion Voting Machines. With two more court cases pending, the damages stood to go through the
The Chesapeake City Council is seeking residents who may be interested in serving on various boards and commissions. Boards and commissions provide a vital service to various City departments, agencies, and City Council.
Citizens wishing to serve must complete an application form.
Applications for the vacancies listed below are due in the City Clerk’s office by May 31, 2023.
Vacancies are listed on the following boards: Airport Authority; Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area Board;
roof. These two cases have a chance of doubling or tripling the damages already paid. The Out-FOX(ED) MEWS penalties for being caught lying red(-neck) handed in court, the public’s perception of them was unwinding through the legal system’s depositions, testimony under oath, where the truth can only be told, not sliced and diced spun as network has become accustomed to doing to their (damn near blindly following) viewers.
Because Tucker was at the center of both the coming law suits, his word, testimony, texts, e-mails, actions, and on-air work lays out the lying-while-breathing, he and 45, show off as they open their mouths. These two filthy rich LITTLE boys have mastered the art of the double speak, the truth hairsplitting. In their cases this only leads to truth splicing with the real truth we all can plainly see with our own eyes. They lie as if they have gills to make them immune from their own lies and repercussions of said lies,’ toxicity.
45, the whole world is not lying about you ... you repeatedly lied to the world, yourself, and the American people. You then swindled them again, by fundraising off the people for your (indefensible) lies.
FOX NEWS cut loose Tucker with one giant pucker! Ted Cruz’s lies are now closing in on him as his recordings come to light showing his complicity in the-coup-plotter-take-over-
wanna-be’s causticness and calamity.
Politicians tell the truth, do the right thing, or WE (THE PEOPLE) WILL REPLACE YOU for cause, of constantly lying to the American people! Our nations foundational system is cracking, because the Right stopped playing by the truth rules way back in the 1960’s Nixon era.
Our nation is breaking apart under the strain of the overwhelming amount bold-faced of lies, mis-leads, hearsay’s, we are hearings, whatabout-isms and chronic inaccurateness.
Their truth slicing, dicing, and spicing leads directly to the splicing of the TUCKERS, CRUZS, and 45, to a place history mocks and locks them to their RIGHTFUL place, the lair’s wing of the asylum.
Sean C. Bowers has written the last 25 years, as a White Quaker Southern man, for the nation’s third oldest Black Newspaper, The New Journal and Guide, of Norfolk, Virginia, about overcoming racism, sexism, classism, and religious persecution. Some of his latest NJ&G articles detailing the issues can found by searching “Sean C. Bowers” on the NJ&G website. Contact him directly on social media at Linkedin.com or by email V1ZUAL1ZE@aol. com NNPA 2019 Publisher of the Year, Brenda K. Andrews (NJ&G 35 years) has always been his publisher.
Chesapeake Seeks Residents To Serve On Boards
NOTE TO OUR READERS:We wish to inform you of the recent transition of Mrs. Gladys McElmore. We will continue to carry her column in her memory until further notice. Thank you.
– Publisher Brenda H. Andrews
Jesus is the best of all God’s creations! He supersedes the value of all Old Testament persons or sacrifices. The author is unknown, but the book is thought to have been written by Jewish Christians. Remember that Jesus was Jewish. Although Jews could their faith without fear of prosecution, Christianity was, at this time, a first century religion that was unapproved. Those who practiced Christianity faced torture and execution; and those who professed belief in Jesus Christ as Savior of the known world recognized death could have been an end result! It is with those thoughts that the book of Hebrews evolved as converts came with some doubts when they converted to Christianity.
Today, as we study the book of Hebrews, we can focus on Jesus Christ’s role as priest and intercessor.
In Hebrews 7, God promised a permanent priest through Jesus Christ. Our Lord and Savior who came to earth as a human being, suffered and died for our sins. He was and still is, the King of righteousness and peace. Jesus Christ is superior to the priest Melchizedek and Abraham, a Jewish patriarch. Israel’s priesthood became useless and God replaced it. The Leviticus priests died; Mosaic Law was temporary and God said that the Messiah would live forever. Jesus Christ can continue to support us through trials and tribulations that we encounter. We can find
comfort in knowing that Jesus Christ is praying for us constantly. Let us continue to express an uncompromising faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. He is an enthroned King who asks what He will from a Father who always hears and grants His requests. Because Jesus will never fail us, and no other priest will ever replace Him, we can go to Jesus confidently at any time that we need help. Compare Jesus’ work to a master mechanic, a personal trainer, a competent lawyer or master chef to solve many daily problems. He is the world’s best problem solver and can help us to overcome our biggest obstacles. Jesus is with us at all times and will not let us continue to wallow in sin when we trust Him completely. We should gather all of our burdens, cares, concerns and issues and give them to Jesus our High Priest who pleads our case to God our Father. Sometimes we need someone to speak up for us and to take our side. God chose Jesus to be the perfect intercessor for us. God promised a permanent priest whose salvation is everlasting!
Mrs. Gladys McElmore was born in Essex County, Va. She was the founder of the Kathryn Bibbins Memorial Bible Study group.
“And when He had spoken these things, while they beheld, He was taken up; and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward Heaven as He went up, behold two men stood by them in white apparel; which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into Heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into Heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into Heaven.”
(Acts 1:9-11)
The Second Coming of Jesus Christ
This same Jesus is coming back just as He said He would. Spoken in the Passover chamber on Maundy Thursday night, Jesus foretells His coming again for His own. He tells all Christians not to worry, He’s gone to prepare a place for us.
Jesus says “Let not your heart be troubled ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and .receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” (John 14:1-3)
The place prepared for us is Heaven. Paul speaks of
Jesus’ Second Coming in the King James Version of The Holy Bible: “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not,even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him. For this we say unto you by the Word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord Himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout with the voice of the Archangel, and with the Trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up (The Rapture) together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so we shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”
(1 Thessalonians 4:I, 3-18) note, Jesus doesn’t touch
down yet.
The Living Bible gives this account of the Return of Jesus Christ.
“And now dear brothers and sisters, I want you to know what happens to a Christian when he or she dies so that when it happens, you will not be full of sorrow, as those who have no hope.
For since we believe that Jesus died and then came back to life again, we can also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with Him all the Old Testament saints who have died.
I can tell you directly from the Lord: that we who are still living when the Lord returns will not rise to meet Him ahead of those Christians who are in their graves.
For the Lord Himself will come down from Heaven with a mighty shout and with the soul-stirring cry of the archangel and the great trumpet – call of God. And the Christians who are dead will be the first to rise to meet the Lord.
Then we who are alive and remain on the earth will be caught up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and remain with Him forever. So comfort and encourage each other with this news.” (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18) The Living Bible Paraphrases #96.
All believers will not die. But all believers will be changed (1st Corinthians 15:51-58) see Rivka, page 8B
NORFOLK
NSU President Javaune Adams-Gaston salutes the Spartans’ Female Athlete of the Year forward Kierra Wheeler during a recent media appreciation social at the University House. Also shown is Coach of the Year Larry Vickers. NSU guard Joe Bryant (not shown) was recognized at the event as the Spartans’ Male Athlete of the Year.
By Dr. George F. Reed
Special to the Guide
By Rev. Dr. Archie L. Edwards, Sr. HE HAD AN EXCELLENTRead: Daniel 6:1-8,
“Daniel was preferred ... because an excellent spirit was in him.”
– Daniel 6:3
Daniel was a man of great faith, superb wisdom, and excellent character. For this reason, when Darius the King decided to set up 120 princes and three presidents over his Babylonian dominion, Daniel was made the chief administrator. Jealousy immediately filled the hearts of the others, and they sought to find some fault in this noble Israelite. His words and actions, however, were above reproach, so they decided to trap him. Before the King was aware of their plot, they had tricked him into signing a decree that if one should ask a petition of any god or man except himself, the offender would be cast into a den of lions. Daniel was “on the spot,” for he could not comply with such a blasphemous demand. He did not panic, but calmly continued his custom of praying to God three times a day. As a result, he was punished according to the monarch’s edit. Yet no harm befell him, for an angel was sent from Heaven to “shut the lions’ mouths.” The next
morning, brave Daniel was released unharmed, while those who had devised the evil scheme were condemned to the very fate they had intended for him.
Charles Spurgeon tells how a boy, reading this account aloud from chapter 6 of the prophecy, mistakenly rendered verse 3 as follows:
“Then this Daniel was preferred above presidents and princes, because an excellent SPINE was in him.” Spurgeon commented that it undoubtedly was bad reading but good theology.
When called to stand for Jesus, are you a moral coward with a backbone like “wet spaghetti,” or do you possess a courageous spirit and a sturdy spine?
Dare to be a Daniel,
Dare to stand alone!
Dare to have a purpose firm!
Dare to make it known! – Bliss
THOUGHT: A coward can praise Christ, but it takes a man of courage to follow Him.
Rev. Dr. Archie L. Edwards, Sr., is an Associate Minister at Second Calvary Baptist Church in Norfolk.
More than 600 people turned out April 29 for the New Chesapeake Men for Progress Education Foundation, Inc.’s 15th Annual Black Male Achievement and Scholarship Breakfast Awards program at the Chesapeake Conference Center. Mr. Micah C. Hall, Virginia’s Regional Sales Manager, Anthem, Inc., and Ways and Means Committee chairman for the Foundation, served as M.C. Opening the program were Chesapeake’s Sheriff Honor Guard; Carman X. Smith of Western Branch HS; Mr. David K. Hamilton, the Foundation’s vice president; Rev. Dr. Harry Allen Hall; and the Deep Creek High School Quartet.
Introductory program remarks were provided by Mr. Al Alexander, chairman, Board of Directors for the Foundation; Chesapeake Mayor Dr. Richard “Rick” West; and Dr. Jared A. Cotton, superintendent, Chesapeake Public Schools; and Dr. George F. Reed, the Foundation’s secretary.
A number of special guests were recognized to include: Congressman Robert “Bobby” Scott; Va. Sen. L. Louise Lucas; Va. Sen. Lionell Spruill. Sr.;
Del. C. E. Cliff Hayes; Del. Clinton Jenkins; Chesapeake Councilwomen Dr. Ella P. Ward and Debbie Ritter; Karen Jenkins, Suffolk School Board; Brenda Andrews, publisher and owner, New Journal and Guide; Dr. Stephanie Johnson; Colonel Mark Solesky, Ches. Chief of Police; Kenneth L. Gray, pres., ILA Local 1248; Thomas M. Little, ILA Hampton Roads District Council; Dr. Rebecca Adams, Chesapeake Forum; Chris Fleming, ODU; Ray Patel, president and CEO, Studios and Suites 4, Less Hotels; A. Keith Chapman, president, NAC; Rev. Dr. William D. Tyree, III, pastor; Willie Williams, professor, TCC; Kenneth Chesson, president, Crestwood HS Alumni Association, Inc.; Julius E. McCullough, pres., Tidewater Area Musicians; Mike Perez, principal, Grassfield HS; John Kownack, executive director, CRHA; Edmund Elliott, Ches.’s Fire Chief; Major David Rosado, Ches.’s Undersheriff; Paul Joseph, principal. Oscar Smith HS; Captain E. Mark Chicoine, director, Commonwealth Challenge, Youth Academy; Dr. Nathan, principal, Chesapeake’s Center for Student Success; Diane Edwards, Chesapeake Public Schools; Crystal Belifield, Anthem HealthKeepers Plus;
William E. Harrell, president and CEO, HRT; Dr. Danelle Wallace-Alexander, NSU; and Kamron Phillip, pres. Chesapeake NAACP.
Donald Larrimore, financial secretary for the Foundation, introduced the keynote speaker, Dr. John B. Gordon, superintendent, Suffolk Public Schools, who is a renowned speaker, motivator, and published author of the book, “The Teacher’s Lounge.”
In addition to chronicling his journey from elementary school through higher education, Dr. Gordon provided a four point inspirational and motivational speech directed first toward the honorees, while at the same time providing helpful advice to parents. His four point message which encouraged the students to take advantage of opportunities and make good choices, prompted a standing applause.
Thomas L. Hasty, II, CRP, Senior Vice President, Towne Bank, and Bonita Billingsley-Harris, Regional Policy Director, Dominion Energy, provided congratulatory remarks to the students on their accomplishments.
Quentin E. Hicks, principal, Western Branch HS, Introduced 10 middle school students, one from each of Chesapeake’s
10 middle schools who were awarded the late Dr. Darnell Johnson’s Award of Excellence. Each one received a certificate of accomplishment and a $100 visa gift card. The award is fully funded by Dr. Johnson’s widow, Dr. Stephanie Johnson. The Education and Scholarship Committee Chairman, Clifton Randolph, introduced the 20 scholarship recipients, three from each school except Grassfield HS which submitted two. All 20 students received a $1,000.00 scholarship, and an achievement medallion. All of the students graduated with advanced studies diplomas, and will be attending a college or university this fall.
The Foundation announced it has awarded $192,000 in scholarships since 2009, and a total of$209,740 when adding its contributions to mentoring, school supplies to three Title I Schools, and support of the Chesapeake Unit of the Boys and Girl Club.
Currently, the Foundation manages several scholarships, including the George McCadden $1,000.00 Vocational Trades and Technology Scholarship funded by Mrs. Carolyn Abron-McCadden, widow of the late George McCadden. It will be awarded in August. Also to be awarded in August is the $1,000.00 Vocational Trade and Technology Scholarship sponsored by InterCooler, Inc., a minority trucking firm in Portsmouth, Va. that is owned by Ian I. Thomas, who fully funds this. Dr. Rose M. Ward, widow of the late Dr. William E. Ward, supports the Foundation’s $1,000.00 Dr. William E. Ward Scholarship for students attending HBCUs.
A new partnership between the Foundation and Chesapeake Redevelopment and Housing Authority has established a $1,000.00 scholarship for students residing in public housing or in private housing using Housing Choice Vouchers. This partnership has led to the foundation’s launching its 10-month Leadership Development Mentoring Program for middle and high school students residing in public housing or private housing using Housing Choice Vouchers.
The Foundation also has a partnership with the Chesapeake Education Association to provide $1,000.00 scholarships to students pursuing careers as teachers. Additionally, the Foundation provides a $1,000.00 Fine Arts Scholarship.
The Foundation has been blessed to have members who believe and support its mission. Micah C. Hall and his wife Kandi Hall in 2022 established an endowment for $10,000.00, which has increased to $12,000.00. This endowment is designated to assist students in the Camelot and South Norfolk Communities.
The Foundation board of directors and members are required to make donations beyond their annual dues, and we are good stewards of the foundation’s funds. Only about 4% of each dollar the Foundation receives is spent on operations. We are all volunteers and trying to make a difference in the lives of Black males living in Chesapeake.
16-23Photo: Dr.GradyJames 2023 Scholarship Recipients with Al Alexander, Board chairman on the right. Photo: ErnestLowery Middle School Dr. Darnell Johnson’s Award for Educational Excellence Awardee accompanied by Al Alexander(L), Chairman of the Board of Directors, and Dr. Stephanies Johnson (R) Photo: ErnestLowery
Rivka
Continued from page 4B
So whether dead or alive, saints will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air. He doesn’t touch down yet. This caught up is referred to by theologians as the “Rapture of the Church.” The term rapture does not appear in
scripture, but it means the joyful, blissful, trancelike state of souls transmigrating from earth to glory. The rapture of the true church is the First Resurrection. There are two resurrections.
“The resurrection of those who have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil; unto the resurrection of damnation.” –
(John 5:28-29) There is also the “resurrection of the just.” –
(Luke 14:13-14) If you are part of the first resurrection, you will be saved and the “second death will have no power over you.” –(Rev. 20:5- 6). At the return of King Jesus, he shall come in the clouds of Heaven with power and great glory to judge and to wage war. He shall touch down. “And His feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives.”
– (Zechariah 14:4)
For further in-depth scriptures on the return in glory of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, please read:
• Zechariah 14:1-21
• Matthew 24 & 25
• Mark 13
• Luke 21
• Revelation (19:11-21; (20:1-15)
Blessings and Shalom
... Cont’d in May 18 issue
Copyright 2016 All Rights Reserved.
To many, Little Richard lived a complicated life, from his outwardly gay and hypersexual ways to his brilliant but amazingly disrespected career.
Putting aside his personal and flamboyant lifestyle, one could find it hard to argue with Richard’s statement in “Little Richard: I Am Everything,” a new documentary by awardwinning filmmaker Lisa Cortés.
“Michael Jackson was inspired by me. Prince. James Brown, I discovered him. Jimi Hendrix was my guitar player,” Richard says in the 98-minute film that includes homages from others he influenced, like Mick Jagger, John Waters, and Billy Porter.
Indeed, in one telling moment, while Richard inducts the late Otis Redding into the Rock n’ Roll Hall
of Fame, Jagger sits in the audience listening intently and almost embarrassingly as Richard recounts how the Rolling Stones served as the flamboyant “Tutti Frutti” singer’s opening act and how he helped their careers.
Born Richard Wayne Penniman in Macon, Ga., in 1932, Little Richard left his home as a young boy when his father discovered Richard was gay.
Cortés, who won an Emmy for The Apollo, and served as executive producer for the Oscar-winning film Precious, said Richard wasn’t just the king of rock ‘n’ roll but the architect.
“Little Richard is part of music history and the inspiration to many artists. Jimi Hendrix is playing in his band,” Cortés declared in an interview with “Let It Be Known,” the Black Press of America’s live morning news program.
“James Brown is brought to Macon, Ga., to record his first
hit because of Little Richard. He’s a conductor on this little rock n’ roll train.”
With Elvis Presley renowned as the king of rock n’ roll mainly for mainstreaming Black music, the documentary leaves no doubt that Richard deserves that title and more.
“People knew his connection to the Beatles, but he talks about these five guys that he meets in Europe,” Cortés noted.
“But when he goes to Hamburg, Richard has one musician with him, a very young Billy Preston. So, he introduces Billy Preston to the Beatles. And as many people know, Billy Preston then goes on to be called what some people consider the fifth Beatle.
“So, you see the connection there. And you understand that he’s the catalyst and the inspiration for so many.”
Throughout his illustrious career, however, the music world failed to recognize the genius of Little Richard, and
The Norfolk Airport Authority® is currently accepting application forms for Vehicle Mechanic, Operations Officer, Parking Attendant II, Maintenance Mechanic, Police Officer, Police Dispatcher-PT & Airport General Counsel. Visit www.norfolkairport.com/employment for details. EOE F/M/Vets/Disabled
he continually reminded them of the egregious oversight.
In 1997, the American Music Awards finally gave Richard the recognition he craved and deserved.
In receiving the Award of Merit, the emotions Richard usually wore on his sleeve were revealed as plainly as ever.
“It’s been a long time coming,” he said after composing himself during that ceremony.
The award’s inscription noted that Richard “is the founding father who sent rock n’ roll into orbit with his super-charged performances and spirit. He’s served as an inspiration to his fellow artists.”
“I am the originator. I am the emancipator. I am the architect of rock n’ roll,” he demanded.
“I am the man that started it all. I want you to know tonight that rhythm and blues had a baby, and somebody named it rock n’ roll.”
Notice is hereby given that the following watercraft has been abandoned for more than 180 days on the property of Repair Services, 2701 Victory Blvd., Portsmouth, VA 23702 (757) 692-5038. Description of watercraft: Make: WELLCRAFT, Length: 26 ft., 0 in. Year Built: 1985. Color: two tone burgundy, Identifying Numbers: VIN:WELPO3341485 / MD 8804 AU and named “GOOD TIMES.” Application for Watercraft Title/Registration will be made in accordance with Section 29.1-733.25 of the Code of Virginia if this watercraft is not claimed and moved within 30 days of first publication of this notice. Please contact Hugh Davies (757) 621-0057 with questions.
The Hampton Roads Workforce Council (HRWC), a local governmental authority funded primarily under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), is issuing RFP# FCA-2 (Financial and Compliance Audit). This RFP is available on the website www.theworkforcecouncil.org beginning Monday, May 1, 2023, at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time. Equal Opportunity Employer/ Program funded by the United States Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration.
The Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority will receive bids for the: “RE-BID NRHA Bobbitt and Hunter Square Mid-Rise Elevator Upgrades.”
The scope of work includes all supervision, labor, material, and equipment necessary to upgrade existing elevators at Bobbitt Mid-Rise, 5920 Poplar Hall Drive, Norfolk VA 23502 and Hunter Square Mid-Rise 825 Goff Street, Norfolk VA 23504. The work for this project includes but not limited to repairs and upgrades to the existing hydraulic elevators in two apartment buildings, new HVAC systems for the elevator machine rooms, miscellaneous repairs in the hoist-ways, and other additional work as indicated in the contract documents. The full scope of work is described in the Contract Documents.
A pre-bid meeting will be conducted on May 9, 2023 at 11 AM starting at Bobbitt Mid-Rise Lobby Area / 5920 Poplar Hall Drive, Norfolk, VA and will end at Hunter Square Lobby Area/ 825 Goff Street, Norfolk, VA 23504. All prospective bidders are strongly encouraged to attend.
Please contact Randy Hill - NRHA Senior Construction Manager at (rhill@nrha.us) for any related questions. All questions must be received by 12 PM May 16, 2023.
Sealed Bids will be received, publicly opened and read aloud on May 25, 2023 at 11 AM local prevailing time at the office of the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority, 910 Ballentine Boulevard, Norfolk, Virginia.
Contract documents will be available for review by appointment only at the NRHA Office of Economic Opportunities, Calvert Square Envision Center, 975 Bagnall Road, Norfolk, VA (please call (757) 314-2026 to schedule); Builders and Contractors Exchange, Norfolk, VA; and on the Virginia Procurement Website (www.eva.virginia.gov). A thumb drive will be available from NRHA, 910 Ballentine Blvd., Norfolk, VA for the non-refundable price of $12 dollars (Company Check Only)
NRHA does not discriminate against individuals on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status, disability, source of funds, sexual orientation, gender identity or veteran status in the admission, access to or operations of programs, services or activities. Small businesses and businesses owned by women and minorities and Section 3 certified businesses are encouraged to respond.
