NJG | Vol. 123, No. 13 - March 30 - April 5, 2023

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WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH

Dr. Dorothy Ferebee: She Was Norfolk-Born, Became National Leader

By Leonard E. Colvin Chief Reporter New Journal

and Guide

In 2016 weeks before the Smithsonian National Museum of African-American History and Culture officially opened its doors in Washington, D.C., Janice Ferebee was in the final stages of her class to become a docent at the site.

Docents are tour guides assigned to educate the throngs of people seeking to experience 400-plus years of African-Americans’ history in this nation.

JANUARY 15,1929 to APRIL 4, 1968

Fifty-five years ago, on Thursday, April 4, 1968, as

he stood on a balcony at the Lorraine Hotel in Memphis, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was shot to death. King, age 39, was in Memphis supporting African-American sanitation workers fighting for equal pay. On the night of the tragedy, the late Dr. Milton A. Reid, then the Senior Pastor of New Calvary Baptist Church in Norfolk, was in his study when he heard the news. He was working on the final plans for the Poor People’s March scheduled for later that spring in Washington, D.C. which King was to lead. Dr. Reid told the GUIDE in the April 2, 2003, edition, Dr. King was scheduled to visit Norfolk that upcoming Friday to discuss plans for the March with him and other SCLC leaders. The March took place as scheduled, as thousands of people from all over the nation converged on the nation’s capital to bring attention to the economic disparities in this country.

DEVASTATED MOSTLY BLACK MISS. COMMUNITY APPEALS FOR HELP

By Hazel Trice Edney

(TRICEEDNEYWIRE.COM)

A deadly tornado killed at least 26 people in 80 percent Black Rolling Fork, Mississippi on the night of March 24, leaving the surviving population destitute and pleading for help. As news agencies have now turned to another mass shooting in Nashville, attention has faded from the people of Rolling Fork, but they are receiving help from politicians, private and public disaster assistance agencies, churches and kind-hearted volunteers.

“Friend – a series of violent tornadoes have devastated Mississippi and neighboring areas: destroying homes, damaging businesses, and tragically taking at least 26

A deadly tornado killed at least 26 people in 80 percent Black Rolling Fork, Mississippi on the night of March 24.

lives,” the NAACP wrote in a mass email appealing for help from its members.

“The NAACP is urgently responding to Mississippi’s state of emergency. We’re coordinating relief efforts with the Red Cross, Congressman Bennie G. Thompson, and local branch leaders so that every Mississippian gets the support they need ASAP.

Your donation, no matter how large or small, will help our teams on the ground provide shelter, food, water, and other essentials to NAACP members and others who are

suffering.

According to Abre’ Conner, NAACP director of Environmental and Climate Justice, author of the email, “In some areas, the destruction evokes horrifying memories of record-breaking storms like 2005s Hurricane Katrina and 2011s TuscaloosaBirmingham tornado.” He concludes, “A rapid and robust response is essential. With hundreds of Americans displaced and untold damage done, we’re calling on our nationwide NAACP community to come together

and support the families and individuals suffering from this disaster.”

Emergency responders are on the scene, but the rare tornado which was on the ground for more than an hour, destroyed homes, businesses and cars beyond imagination. According to initial reports, Diesel trucks were flipped over and cars were picked up and dropped on top of buildings and debris piled as high as 20 feet tall. Rolling Fork, Silver City, Black Hawk and Winona were hit hardest by the EF-4 tornado that tour through the area late Friday night, March 24. Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves issued a state of emergency for all the counties affected by the severe weather, describing the state as “devastated.” see Tornado, page 6A

Obamacare Performs Well On Improving Health Care Access

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia

Former President Barack Obama’s signature piece of legislation has proved the gift that’s kept on giving for Black and Brown communities in America.

Since its passage in 2010, the Affordable Care Act –better known as Obamacare – has helped cut the U.S. uninsured rate nearly in half while significantly reducing racial and ethnic disparities in both insurance

coverage and access to care – particularly in states that expanded their Medicaid programs, according to a new report issued by the Commonwealth Fund, a nonprofit that promotes a high-performing healthcare system.

Obamacare has reduced racial and ethnic disparities in both insurance coverage and access to care –particularly in states that expanded their Medicaid programs, the report’s authors noted.

While much of that progress occurred between

More than 5 million people gained coverage between 2020 and early 2022, driving uninsured rate to a historic low of 8 percent.

2013 and 2016, federal data show that more than 5 million people gained coverage between 2020 and early 2022, driving the uninsured rate down to a historic low of 8 percent.

Researchers found that insurance coverage rates improved for Black,

Hispanic, and white adults between 2013 and 2021.

The coverage gap between Black and white adults dropped from 9.9 to 5.3 percentage points, while the gap between Hispanic and white adults dropped from 25.7 to 16.3 points.

see Obamacare, page 5A

At one point the instructor was talking about the legacy of the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW).

She recalled that he mentioned the work of its founder, Mary McLeod Bethune, who also gave birth to Bethune Cookman College.

Then he mentioned the work of Dorothy Height, who rejuvenated the organization and was a national leader until her death.

Dr. Dorothy Ferebee

“What the instructor failed to mention was Dr. Dorothy Celeste Boulding Ferebee,” said Janice Ferebee. “He also forgot to mention Vivian Carter Mason. Dr. Ferebee was the second national President of the NCNW (1949 to 1953).”

Janice Ferebee said she stood up and acknowledged the omission of the two famous women. Now it has been corrected. Janice Ferebee is the grand niece of Dr. Ferebee. see Ferebee, page 6A

RESTORED VOTING RIGHTS TO RELEASED FELONS ROLLED BACK IN VIRGINIA

By Leonard E. Colvin Chief Reporter New Journal and Guide

When he was Governor from 2010-2014 Conservative Republican Bob McDonnell issued an order automatically restoring the rights of convicted felons, after they were released from state prisons.

After he left office liberal Democrat chief executives Terry McAuliffe and Ralph Northam followed suit.

Now Democratic State Lawmakers, the NAACP, and other Civil Rights groups are critical of current Conservative Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin for backing away from the policy.

Governor Youngkin recently changed the state policy, and now requires formerly incarcerated people to apply for their voting rights. In recent years, the restoration was automatic.

Opponents of his decision say they believe there is a lack of transparency within the Youngkin administration regarding this policy.

Democrat State Senator Lionell Spruill, who represents parts of Chesapeake and Norfolk, is leading the charge to express opposition and concern for the Governor’s action.

As Senate Privileges and Elections Committee Chair, Spruill is demanding answers from Governor Youngkin on how the application process will work.

“It deeply concerns me when the core rights I have been fighting for all my life

are being rolled back,” said Senator Spruill, in a press release to the media last week.

“Once you have served your time, your rights should be restored for non-violent felons. Period,” Spruill said. “As Chairman of the Privileges and Elections Committee, I will fight against this secret process and secret set of rules that the Governor is using to decide who can be denied the right to vote. Elections have consequences, and I will continue to fight back against the rollback of these rights.”

Spruill and other opponents of the Governor’s decision said they are worried this will keep many former inmates from voting without clear guidelines on how it will work. see Voting, page 8A

Gov. Glenn Youngkin

Gov. Youngkin recently changed the state policy on restoring voting rights for ex-felons.

Photo: NJGFileCollection

UPDATED FHA FEES WILL BENEFIT BLACK MORTGAGES

By Charlene Crowell (TRICEEDNEYWIRE.COM)

Beginning March 20, a recent move by the Biden Administration will make owning a home more affordable for current and prospective homebuyers. Arriving just in time for the spring buying season, 850,000 mortgage borrowers who used FHAfinancing for their homes as well as families choosing this popular mortgage program will benefit from lowered mortgage insurance premiums.

This monthly fee, paid along with principal and interest owed will be cut by 0.3 percentage points, thereby lowering regular monthly costs. The cut is also reflected in President Biden’s new budget proposal. With housing affordability straining many efforts to become homeowners, the lowered costs triggered by the insurance premium deduction can be an important difference.

“For this country to truly succeed, all Americans must have access to opportunity.

That means expanding access to wealth-building and home ownership,” said HUD Secretary Marcia L. Fudge in a recent interview. “Today, we are building on the steps we’ve taken to make homeownership more affordable, and HUD is acting to ensure people feel comfortable purchasing a home as they build toward their future. As we reduce housing costs for people with FHA mortgages, we continue our work to address longstanding disparities in homeownership.”

Although actual dollar savings will vary by market and locale, families who borrowed at the national median price of $270,000 for their home will see an annual savings of approximately $800. In markets where median prices are higher, higher dollar savings will apply. Conversely, in area where median home prices are lower than the national one, savings will be smaller.

For example, in Detroit where the median priced home is $200K, the annual savings for FHA borrowers will be approximately $600. FHA borrowers in Austin, TX can look forward to an estimated $1,500 in yearly savings on the market’s homes valued at $500K. In Boston, Los Angeles, and New York, where the median price of homes is even higher, so too will be those borrowers’ savings.

The program’s costcutting is made possible by the growth in recent years in the fund’s accumulated reserves, now five times

the amount required by Congress. This financial heft strengthens the program’s financial stability and was accomplished by multiple factors.

Administratively, HUD updated underwriting policies that enabled lenders

to include both rental history and student loan debt in determining mortgage applicants’ creditworthiness. Also, HUD’s mortgage loan modification practices resolved delinquencies for financially-challenged borrowers, allowing them to keep their homes. Yet another policy change offered expanded housing counseling that prepares first-time buyers with

knowledge and information gleaned from 4,000 HUDcertified counselors working in 1,500 HUD-approved community agencies across the country. These reforms, combined with key market measures like stable home appreciation, low foreclosure rates, and significant refinance volume, generated improved loan

performance and savings that could be passed on to consumers. For low-to-moderate income consumers, these developments ensure that this long-standing federallyinsured program will remain an available, affordable, and sustainable path to homeownership. More than 80 percent of first-time homebuyers and 25 percent of buyers of color who secured these governmentbacked loans will benefit from the lowered fees.

In its recap of 2021 FHA lending to Blacks, the National Association of Real Estate Brokers, found that 40 percent of Black mortgage borrowers were FHA-insured, including 42 percent of Black millennials.

Public and private sector housing stakeholders applauded the action.

“Mortgage rates have doubled over the past year and home prices have increased more than 30 percent in some counties. In this competitive market, new and low- to moderateincome buyers are often left behind,” said Kenny Parcell, President of the National Association of Realtors. “This reduction will help alleviate some of the financial stress those potential buyers encounter when purchasing a home.”

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

March 28, 1964

Edition of the GUIDE

Norfolk “School of Choice Plan” Under Fire; New School Plan Called Confusing And Useless

NORFOLK

Superintendent of Schools

E. L. Lambert has been accused of following an “ugly dangerous path of “Sleight of Hand” so far as compliance with the Supreme Court order to end discrimination in our public schools.

The charge was made by Norfolk attorney Joseph A. Jordan, Jr. in a letter to Mr. Lambert this week after he had been consulted by “several parents” whom he said expressed “deep concern and indignation” about the administration’s “statement of choice of schools” form.

These forms were distributed to students in all four high schools, in eight of 10 junior high schools, and in 13 of 53 elementary schools last week.

Jordan was especially critical of question 5 on the form. This calls for the parents to insert the names of the two schools which serve the child’s attendance areas.

Under Norfolk’s desegregation plan each of the three formerly all-white high schools serves a specific geographic area of the city and the boundaries do not overlap.

But Booker T. Washington High School under the plan serves the entire city. Therefore, it is one of the two choices for all Negro children living in areas served by Granby, Norview and Maury.

One of his clients living in the Rosemont area, Jordan told the Guide, declined to insert Booker T. as one of the two schools serving her daughter’s attendance areas.

Instead, she indicated only her preferences for Norview High for one child who graduates from Rosemont Junior High in June.

Because of this, her child was sent home from school, according to Jordan.

Jacksonville Sobers Up; Race Rows Shake Nation

JACKSONVILLE, FL (UPI)

Negro and white businessmen in Jacksonville, Florida worked Thursday toward establishing a biracial committee to address the problems magnified by a series of clashes that left one person dead and a score injured.

Meanwhile in Mississippi, Negro and White demonstrators ignored a tornado threat and a warning of arrest to march in the rain to open a new voter registration drive in Greenwood. There were no incidents. Robert Milius, a Jacksonville businessman, said the biracial committee was being organized “to lay down the lines of communication which have been choked in the city.”

“The communication lines here between the races have eroded,” he said. “We are trying to desperately keep up a conversation between whites

and Negroes.” Jacksonville is the second largest city in Florida. It is a seaport and has enjoyed a growing economy. It was struck by a wave of violence Monday that continued sporadically through Wednesday. A white man Lee Phillips was struck by a brick Wednesday during an attack by 12 to 15 young Negroes. His conditions were described as fair in St. Luke’s Hospital

At the height of the violence on Monday a colored woman was shot to death by a passing automobile.

Accused Killer of Evers

Gets New Trial April 6th

JACKSON, MS (UPI)

Circuit Judge Leon Hendrick Monday set April 6 as the date of the new trial for Byron De La Beckwith, accused ambush slayer of Civil Rights leader Medgar Evers.

The process of drawing on a 300-man jury pool for Beckwith’s second trial was started immediately.

Both District Attorney Williams Waller and Beckwith’s attorneys Hardy Lott and Stanny Sanders told the court they felt a jury would be more difficult to select this time than for the first trial which ended in a hung jury on February 7.

A special panel of 200 jurors was used for the first trial.

Beckwith appeared in court Monday, nodding to Waller and Asst. Dist. Attorney John Fox smiled as he shook hands with Lott and Sanders.

He nodded to newsmen before taking a seat between his two attorneys.

Judge Hendrick said he would instruct the sheriff’s office to make a special effort to call jurors who are likely to appear and then make an extra effort to reach them.

He noted that only 109 of the 200 called before had served him on June 22. Judge Hendrick declared a mistrial last month when the 12-man all-white jury reported it was hopelessly deadlocked after 11 hours of deliberation.

News of a hung jury after a drama-packed trial of nearly two weeks surprised both Negro and White leaders.

Rev. King To Lead New Protests In ‘Bombingham’

BIRMINGHAM, AL

Integration leaders in Birmingham said Thursday night that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. stands ready to move into “Birmingham “at the flick of a switch” to lead a new wave of demonstrations in the Southern steel city.

A six-month racial truce ended in Birmingham Thursday when 12 persons picketed in the downtown area protesting that city officials and merchants had reneged on integration promises. Leaders said more demonstrations would follow.

All 12 picketers were arrested, including one who appeared to be about 12-yearsold. The demonstrators sang freedom songs and banged on the sides of the vehicles as they were taken to the city jail.

Seven were booked on charges of violating this picketing ordinance. The other five, all under 16, were turned over to juvenile authorities.

A short time after the arrest of Jerry Dutton of Birmingham and Jim Thornton of California, members of the National States Rights Party picketed a nearby store for about 30 minutes.

They carried signs reading “Hire Whites not Blacks.”

Fred Shuttlesworth, a high-ranking official of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), headed by Dr. King said the protection would continue because of the broken promises. At his Atlanta headquarters, Dr. King said, “I think we will see the hottest summer in terms of civil rights. I think we will see demonstrations on a level and size we have never seen before.”

Ashe Retains Collegiate Net Championship

LOS ANGELES

Bouncing back from his elimination in the recent National Indoor Tennis Championships, Virginia’s Arthur Ashe captured the eighth Annual Southern California Intercollegiate tennis title here on March 15.

According to Jamie Curran, a staff writer for the Los Angeles Times, the men’s singles finals played between Ashe and Donnie Ralston, was something to behold.

Ashe is ranked as the number-one netter on the UCLA net squad and Ralston is the number-one netter on the University of Southern California (USC) roster. Curran described the match

More than 80 percent of first-time homebuyers and 25 percent of buyers of color who secured these FHA government-backed loans will benefit from the lowered fees.

Charlene Crowell

NOTE: Dr. Wornie Reed’s Column will be returning at a future date.

– Publisher Brenda H. Andrews

The Unequal Cost of Protesting

By Julianne Malveaux

(TRICEEDNEYWIRE.COM)

The 45th President is in the news again, facing indictments in New York and Georgia for criminal behavior regarding illegally paying a porn star (New York) and election tampering (Georgia). While the former President has not yet been indicted, he has already wallowed in his victimhood, describing the legal proceedings as “political” and biased.

His attorneys have attempted to slow the process in Georgia by lobbing accusations against Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who happens to be a Black woman. She is biased, they say, incapable of prosecuting. As usual, the 45th President and his ilk have it all wrong. And as he has done for the past 50 years, the Orange Man attempts to wiggle out of his legal challenges.

The former President has attempted to rally his troops, just as he did on January 6, 2021. Fewer may be inclined to take it to the streets, given that about a thousand insurrectionists have been charged for disorderly and disruptive conduct and more. The average sentence for these miscreants was 16 months, but so far, at least five have been sentenced to more than seven years. Some were found not guilty, and many received minor sentences.

Contrast the treatment of traitorous criminals with the treatment of Brittany Martin, a South Carolina woman who participated in a May 2020 protest against police brutality and the murder of George Floyd. She was vocal with a police officer, shouting “no justice, no peace,” and, allegedly, “I’m willing to die for the Black, are you willing to die for the Blue? This is just a job for you; this is my life.” Her comments were perceived as “threats” (she had no weapon), and she was charged with aggravated breach of peace, instigating a riot, and five

By Ben Jealous (TRICEEDNEYWIRE.COM)

Whether it’s protecting the planet or preserving our democracy, it can seem at times that our individual actions fall short against the biggest challenges. Let me tell you why that isn’t true. We tend to overlook that issues like these arise in the first place because of the sum of a lot of individual actions. If one by one, half of us switched to powering our homes and cars with solar and wind energy, emissions and fossil fuel extraction would drop precipitously.

It’s the paradox of the aggregate. One of us doing something has a minimal impact, a lot of us doing the same thing moves the needle – for the good or the

Walt Carr

counts of threatening police officers. She was grossly overcharged for her verbal reaction to police violence and was sentenced, in May 2022, to four years in jail.

Appeals to shorten her sentence were unsuccessful, and there is evidence that she was brutally treated in jail. She was disciplined because she refused to cut her dreadlocks for religious reasons.

Brittany Martin got a sentence of four years for yelling at a police officer. Most insurrectionists on January 6 got less than a year and a half. If everyone who shouted “no justice, no peace” at a rally were sent to jail, the jails would overflow. Why was she electively prosecuted?

Brittany Martin was harshly treated and given an unfairly lengthy sentence because she was a Black woman who chose to stand up for her rights, including her right to protest. Perhaps the judge in the case decided to make an example of her. But as the former President attempts to get the misguided morons who support him out to protest, I am reminded of the unequal ways “justice” (or should we call it just-us) is meted out.

Rabid white men assaulted capitol police officers.

Many escaped judgment.

Others were given a slap on the wrist. A Black woman fighting for Black people gets an unreasonably long sentence, and her pregnancy is imperiled. She gave birth in November 2022 while incarcerated, receiving neither justice nor mercy.

Brittany Martin has given birth to seven children,

Brittany Martin got a sentence of four years for yelling at a police officer. Most insurrectionists on January 6 got less than a year and a half.

losing one to SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) and another to gun violence. Before her latest birth, there were four surviving children, and now five children are missing their mother, including an infant who has had no time to bond with her. South Carolina incarcerated a mother for four long years for yelling at a police officer. Federal courts are sentencing insurrectionists to much less time. In some ways, comparing federal courts to state ones is like comparing apples to oranges. Still, the contrast between Brittany’s sentence and those who have done far worse is instructive.

The prior President may or may not get indicted or convicted, and he may or may not be forced to don a jumpsuit the same color as his hair used to be. But those of us who watch the so-called justice system are almost certain that he’ll get a break, just like his supporters, the January 6 insurrectionists are getting.

Yelling is not the same as breaking into a federal building, assaulting Capitol police officers, breaking windows, and busting into Speaker Pelosi’s office. The insurrectionists excuse their lawlessness by leaning on “free speech” rights. Where are the rights of Brittany Martin and the other fearless freedom fighters treated shabbily by the courts?

Dr. Julianne Malveaux is an economist and author. She is also Dean of the College of Ethnic Studies at Cal State LA.

THE SCAM

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

The one thing I will not accept or acknowledge is that age has rendered me incompetent. I do admit that, like the other body parts among the aging, circumstances affecting individuals exist which impact their cognitive acuity. Now, unlike the thoughts of many, age has not rendered ALL elders mentally deficient. I consider any manifestation or act against my personhood that supports that thought as character assassination.

The fact that elders are frequently targeted by unprincipled and unscrupulous scam artists is well known. Incalculable amounts of money and personal property are swindled from elders each year. Right-thinking individuals condemn these acts and wonder how people can live with themselves after such contemptible behavior. It should be emphasized that although acts against the elders are, seemingly, more well-publicized, young people fall victim to scam artists as well. I can only guess that fact is omitted because it flies in the face of the belief that the young, like Superman, possess invulnerability commensurate with their youth. You may wonder why I use this article to address the issue of scamming. I do so because I was recently the target of a scam. I did not lose any money or property, but I was inconvenienced by having to adjust personal financial accounts and the loss of the time it took to resolve those issues. From the perspective of a nonprofessional, I want to remind my readers of the pitfalls of conducting personal/ financial business in the ever-changing and wideopen digital environment.

Rather than begin my thoughts in the digital landscape, I want to address the mind – our own minds – their strengths and the hazards they open for us. Our greatest strength rests in attention to detail, emotional self-control, the acknowledgment that we live in an environment where scamming has become more of a norm, and, most importantly, the recognition that the scam CAN HAPPEN TO US.

I have noticed an increasing number of tempting online offers (scams) that come from those presenting themselves as reputable businesses. These offers include logos and images we associate with legitimacy and present no immediate reason for caution. For all electronic communication, I have learned to look first at the correspondence’s originating address. If the address suggests a source other than that which is represented, I immediately delete it. Moving further, except for fine detail, some images look so authentic that the casual observer can be, and is often, fooled.

Scammers cast wide nets. I cannot count the number of times I have been asked to reconcile accounts with banks or businesses I have no connection with. You might be asked to verify an existing account number. You may be encouraged to renew an “expired” subscription. Scammers depend upon extracting bits and pieces to help them complete a puzzle.

Key to THE SCAM is the emotional “hook.” Common to the “questionable” correspondence I have received are appeals to fear, greed, and the loss of opportunity. I am sure there are more “hooks,” but those stand out. The scammer relies on catching you off-guard and receiving an immediate emotional response. Commonalities exist among humans. Many are delinquent with debts or other obligations and fearful of the consequence. Some cannot resist the idea of getting something for nothing. Others cannot pass up “a deal” that is available for only a short period of time – deals too good to miss. You can experience these “hooks” separately or in tandem, and their messages will be so general as to fool many.

Key to our emotional and financial security is the understanding that real privacy is a thing of the past – we must acknowledge potential vulnerability. The scammer relies on a lack of awareness, over-confidence, and self-indulged arrogance to succeed. Be aware of schemes!

Dr. E. Faye Williams is President of The Dick Gregory Society (thedickgregorysociety. org; drefayewilliams@ gmail.com) and President Emerita of the National Congress of Black Women)

bad.

Voting is no different.

I’ve spent a good part of my career fighting to ensure people can vote and encouraging them to get out and do it.

Next week, on April 4, Wisconsin will hold a spring election, mainly for local races. It’s the kind of election that historically voters across the country skip. Voter turnout in the Wisconsin primaries last month was 21 percent, and that was a four-point improvement. Badger State voters should see this election differently.

This election will pick the swing vote on the state’s Supreme Court, which is dominated by a far-right majority that’s ruled against everything from broad use of ballot

drop boxes to make voting more convenient to the right of citizens’ groups to challenge environmental permits (the dissenting justices said that decision “slam shut the courthouse doors” to Wisconsinites).

The Wisconsin race may even decide the next Presidential election.

Those justices may well be called on in 2024 to rule on election challenges in a state whose 10 electoral votes have decided presidential elections. It happened that way in 2020, and the conservative in this year’s race advised the national and state Republican parties and those who sought to submit fake paperwork for Donald Trump electors after he lost the 2020 race.

A few more people stepping up to vote could decide this race. Statewide contests in the Dairy State often turn on razor thin margins. Wisconsin has 72 counties. If 140 more people in each one chooses to vote for the same candidate in the supreme court race, that’s one percentage point in the typical voter turnout in April. If more 500 people in each county go vote for that person, that’s nearly

four points. And even with that boost in turnout, a majority of voters would still have stayed home.

So Wisconsin voters can do a lot to save the country and protect the planet if they cast their ballots. Judging by past races, most Wisconsinites plan to skip this election. The rest of us can do something by texting anyone we know in Wisconsin to let them know how important this election may be. Their State Supreme Court may end up deciding the next President.

Ben Jealous is executive director of the Sierra Club. He is a professor of practice at the University of Pennsylvania and author of “Never Forget Our People Were Always Free,” published in January.

Dr. E. Faye Williams, Esq.

Ben Jealous

Julianne Malveaux

The Wisconsin race may even decide the next Presidential election. Those justices may well be called on in 2024 to rule on election challenges in a state whose 10 electoral votes have decided presidential elections.

Our greatest strength rests in attention to detail, emotional self-control, the acknowledgment that we live in an environment where scamming has become more of a norm ...

PROFESSOR EMERITUS OF SOCIOLOGY VIRGINIA TECH

WISCONSIN RACE REMINDS US HOW IMPORTANT EVERY ELECTION IS

CARRTOON By

TONI MORRISON: 1st Black American Awarded Nobel Prize In Literature

By Jaelyn Scott Spring Intern New Journal and Guide

Chloe Anthony Wofford, also known as Toni Morrison, was born on February 18, 1931, in Lorain, Ohio. Born as the second child of four, she lived in an area that was semi-integrated, that did not remove racial discrimination as a threat to Black families in that area. In fact, at the age of two, the owner of her apartment building set their home on fi re with everyone inside all because they could afford to pay rent.

Despite everything, their family still valued Black Culture and what it has to offer, especially when it came to storytelling, songs, and folktales. As she attended school, she started

to put more focus into her studies, becoming an avid reader as well. Outside of school, she decided to convert to Catholicism at the age of 12, getting baptized under the name Anthony after Saint Anthony of Padua. She later shortened it to Toni. After graduating high school, she moved to

Martha Williams Pens Children’s Book On Gardens’ Women Workers

HAMPTON ROADS

Dr. Martha M. Williams, whose book gave a historical account of the 200 Black women and 20 Black men who labored during the Great Depression to create the Norfolk Botanical Garden has released a children’s book in time to celebrate Women’s History Month. The Women’s History Month theme for 2023 is “Women Storytellers.”

Williams’ book tells a story about the 200 African-American women from Norfolk,

VA, who during the Great Depression were the first planters at the Norfolk Azalea Garden –Now Norfolk Botanical Garden. Children and adults will enjoy the story. It is a message about unity, teamwork, friendship, how to overcome, love of family, determination, the environment, hope, success and most importantly about imagination and dreaming. For very young readers, the beautiful illustrations tell the story.

Washington D.C. in 1949 to attend Howard University. While she attended Howard, she was also part of their theatrical group, the Howard University Players. It was in this group that she was able to witness fi rsthand racial segregation in a new light as they toured the segregated South, witnessing the rampant colorism and racial discrimination that occurred there.

During this time, she was also allowed to connect with people who would later inspire some of her future work, meeting writers, artists, and activists.

After graduating from Howard in 1953, she decided to get her master’s degree at Cornell University in 1955. Afterward, Morrison would

Obamacare

Continued from page 1A

Additionally, uninsured rates for adults in all three groups improved during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, a finding that held true in states that had expanded Medicaid and those that had not.

The report further noted that Black and Hispanic adults experienced larger gains in Medicaid and individual market coverage than white adults between 2019 and 2021.

Between 2013 and 2021, states that expanded Medicaid eligibility had higher rates of insurance coverage and health care access, with smaller disparities between racial/ ethnic groups and larger

begin her teaching career, teaching at Texas Southern University for two years before she decided to return to Howard and teach there. She taught at Howard for seven years, from 1957 to 1964. During this time, she met her husband, Harold Morrison, and the couple would later have two sons, Harold Jr. and Slade.

After leaving Howard, she and her family moved to Syracuse, New York where she got a job at Random House Publishing Company. She fi rst worked in the textbook division, but within two years she would transfer to the New York City division and become a fi ction editor, editing books that were written by African-American authors. Despite working in a publishing company, she would not publish her fi rst

book until 1970, at the age of 39.

The Bluest Eyes was one of the fi rst books that she published, followed by Sula three years later in 1973, and Song of Solomon in 1977. By this time, she has started earning awards for her work and became a household name, being nominated for a National Book award and winning a National Book Critics Circle award. She decided to become a full-time writer, and in 1987 she wrote Beloved, which became a best seller for 25 weeks, and earned her a Pulitzer Prize for fi ction.

All of her works focused on different topics and aspects of racial discrimination, exposing the issues that took place in America, especially the segregated South. And with

Obamacare

improvements, than states that didn’t expand Medicaid.

For example, the authors found that after Virginia expanded Medicaid in 2019, its uninsured rate for lower-income adults dropped substantially in comparison to neighboring North Carolina, a nonexpansion state, and the disparities between Black and white adults narrowed.

Compared to lowerincome white adults, larger percentages of lower income Black adults and lower-income Hispanic adults live in states that haven’t expanded Medicaid, the report revealed.

Researchers said Black and Hispanic adults had higher uninsured rates than white adults in 2013, before Obamacare took full effect.

Uninsured rates for Hispanic adults fell by 15.7 percentage points between 2013 and 2021.

Also, the Black adult uninsured rate dropped by 10.9 points, and the white uninsured rate declined by 6.3 points.

“These gains reduced coverage disparities considerably,” the authors determined.

The gap between white and Black adults has dropped from 9.9

those stories, she became the fi rst African-American to earn a Nobel Peace Prize in Literature in 1993. She would later also be honored with the National Book Foundation’s Medal of Distinguished Contributions to American Letters, and years later she would receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

In 1984, Morrison would resume teaching writing at the State University of New York, later teaching at Princeton University for their creative writing program until she retired in 2006, earning an honorary doctorate from the University of Oxford. She passed away on August 5, 2019, in New York City, New York due to complications from pneumonia.

percentage points to 5.3 points, and the gap for Hispanic adults has declined from 25.7 to 16.3 points.

While the largest coverage gains occurred from 2013 to 2016, adult uninsured rates for these three groups, and for the nation overall, dropped again between 2019 and 2021, as new federal policies aimed at boosting coverage took effect.

They concluded that Obamacare “has been a powerful force for racial equity in health and health care over the past decade.”

“The expansion in access to affordable coverage has served as the backbone for this progress, helping to remove financial barriers and increase access to primary care clinics and other providers where people can get the care, they need to stay healthy,” the authors wrote.

Toni Morrison

They concluded that

“has been a powerful force for racial equity in health and healthcare over the past decade.”

Ferebee

Over the past two decades, she has been working hard to ensure that the museum and the world outside its doors recognize Dr. Ferebee’s work and legacy.

Janice Ferebee is a trained social worker, but she has been working for various publications, nonprofits, and now the D.C. government as an elected Advisor to the Council on Issues Related to Youth and Senior Citizens in the city’s Ward 2.

She calls herself the Chief Woman Warrior of Ferebee Enterprises International, LLC, which is centered around programs designed to uplift and empower girls.

Shortly after graduating from the University of Pennsylvania, she landed a job with “17 Magazine,” a bimonthly publication for 13–19-year-old females.

The publication devised an edition featuring teen models and her encounter with the young candidates seeking to be models in the issue inspired her work.

“I met girls who had issues with self-esteem,” she said. “They were so concerned about her body, skin color, and hair texture, an enviable of the European idea of beauty. But I told them appearance was not important. That (being) pretty is what you make it.”

Ferebee said her inspiration for this effort is derived from the work and legacy of her famous great aunt, who she said, was an extraordinary woman and professional.

She was a well-educated and privileged woman who, despite her intellect and advantages, had to overcome racism, sexism, and other issues.

In 1898, in Norfolk, Dorothy Ferebee was born into a family of lawyers and other professionals in the South Norfolk section who had begun their origins under slavery.

One of them was R. G. L. Paige of Norfolk, and the state’s first Black lawyer, a reconstruction era member of the House of Delegates. Born a slave, Paige escaped to Philadelphia in about 1857 and eventually settled in Boston before returning to Norfolk.

Dorothy Ferebee and her brother Ruffin were shipped off to Boston when their mother, Florence Boulding, became ill.

The two grew up in the middle-class neighborhood of Beacon Hill.

After graduating from English High School in 1915 with high honors, she attended and graduated from Simmons College in Boston where she became a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.

She went on to graduate at the top of her class in 1924 from Tufts University School of Medicine and in 1927, she was one of nine women to pass the District of Columbia medical exam. Ferebee could not secure an internship at any white hospital; however, she did at Howard University’s Medical School’s training hospital at the time, Freedom’s Hospital. This was where most of the

Tornado

Continued from page 1A

Rolling Fork Mayor, who led the governor on a tour of the destruction, expressed appreciation for those who are sending help and expressed hope amidst the tragedy.

“On behalf of this entire community, first we want to say thank you. We want to thank you for all you’re doing for the families of this community and making sure the city of

nation’s Black physicians were trained.

Ferebee, majoring in Obstetrics, promoted contraception and sex education to poor Black women, both highly controversial topics during the time.

Upon completing her internship in 1925, she began her medical clinic in the Southeast section of Washington, the poorest section of town.

She persuaded the trustees of the Friendship House, a charitable segregated medical center, to open a clinic for AfricanAmericans. This clinic was later named Southeast Neighborhood House.

She set up the Southeast Neighborhood Society, which contained a playground and daycare for the children of working mothers.

She also joined the faculty of Howard University Medical School where she was appointed medical physician to women. She even found time to marry Howard University dental professor Claude Thurston Ferebee and the couple had twins.

From 1935 to 1942, Dr. Ferebee directed the Mississippi Health Project in the Mississippi Delta, supported by the AKA sorority. It provided healthcare to poor Black sharecropper families in Holmes and Mound Bayou Counties.

According to Janice Ferebee, her great aunt, and 17 other female medical professionals made the health care project work for the community, despite racist hostility.

“It was a challenge,” she said. “They had to drive to Mississippi because they could not buy enough train tickets for the 17 Black women. The trains only accommodated 20 seats in the Negro sections.”

Ferebee said when the women arrived, they were not welcomed by the wealthy white farmers who did not want their Black sharecroppers, most of whom had never seen a doctor, to be served.

Ferebee and her colleagues set up a makeshift clinic, using sheets to provide privacy for their patients.

Janice Ferebee said the Project provided over 15,000 vaccinations for all kinds of diseases.

“Many of the children had never brushed their teeth,” said Janice Ferebee.

“The Black sharecroppers picked healthy vegetables but they could not afford or were not allowed to eat them.”

Rolling Fork will come back bigger and better than ever before,” Walker told the media.

“Now, I’m having to meet my families, those who have lost loved ones, and help them make it through this traumatic time,” Walker said. “But you know what? I’m a firm believer that when you do right, right will follow you. And I think that I’ve been prepared to take on this task and I am going to do it in the name of the mayor of Rolling Fork and the man that I am and the man that God has made me to be.”

Ahead of its time, Ferebee said that the Surgeon General at the time applauded the AKAs’ effort. It was the largest public health program in the nation at the time.

Along with being a leader of the AKAs, and groups like the Girls Scouts, Dr. Ferebee was involved in the civil rights movement as a member of the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW).

In the fall of 1949, they elected her president of the organization after Dr. Bethune retired.

The organization promoted healthcare, and education, and continued its work to end discrimination against African-Americans and women in the military, housing, employment, and voting.

As president of NCNW,

she issued her “Nine Point Program” which outlined a plan to achieve fundamental civil rights through educational and legislative initiatives. At the same time, she continued her career as an obstetrician. She served on the boards of the White House’s Children and Youth Council, as well as the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF); was a delegate to the World Health Organization and other national and international organizations addressing world health disparities and poverty. She died in 1980.

“She was an extraordinary woman,” said Janice Ferebee. “My goal is to continually remind people of that by empowering women, girls, and others just as she did.”

NCNW leaders attending a 1950 reception given by the Philippines Embassy in Washington, D.C. (L-R) Mrs. Nora Dailey, Chicago; Mrs. Verda Welcome, Baltimore; Mrs. Vivian C. Mason, Nat’l Vice President, Norfolk; Filipino Ambassador; Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune, Founder, Pres-Emeritus; Dr. Dorothy Ferebee, NCNW Pres.; Mrs.Vivien Alleyne, Baltimore

Photo: NJGCollectionFiles

BLACK CULTURE

Re-Setting Jet Magazine For Today’s Generation

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia

Remember “Beauty of the Week,” Jet magazine’s famous page 43, which featured Black women college students, actors, nurses, and everyday girls in swimsuits?

Now, anyone can be a beauty of the week or even grace the cover as the iconic publication resets digitally and where readers and fans can go to myjetstory.com and upload their photos and create a personalized Jet cover.

“Everybody has a Jet story,” Daylon Goff, the president of Jet, said during a 30-minute interview on the National Newspaper Publishers Association daily show, Let It Be Known.

“I’m always rocking Jet merchandise, and when someone finds out what I do for a living, they immediately give me their Jet story. Unprompted.”

For Goff, that’s all the fuel he needed to help in what he calls the re-set of Jet.

“It’s super exciting for

me to be able to take this on,” Goff insisted.

“When you hear ‘Beauty of the Week,’ you don’t have to even say Jet beauty of the week. It’s synonymous. I get those conversations from both men and women at least three times a week.”

Founded in 1951 by

John H. Johnson, Jet proved a mainstay in primarily Black households across America.

Like Ebony, founded six years earlier, Jet chronicled Black life in America and provided a lens into the AfricanAmerican community that mainstream media either ignored or misrepresented.

Goff recalled the disturbing but necessary

images Jet published in 1955 of Emmett Till’s body after he was lynched and tortured.

“We had to be bold because you have that full ownership and understanding of the significance of that story,” Goff related.

“Jet was to the Emmett Till story what Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook live was to George Floyd. It started a movement. It wasn’t like little Black boys and men weren’t getting killed in Mississippi in 1955, but when you saw it on those pages, you felt you had to do something.

“The same way when you saw on social media George Floyd’s murder, you had to do something about it because it wasn’t as if before that moment, Black men weren’t getting killed by the police.”

While Jet told real stories about real people, most readers began with page 43.

With the re-set, Goff

said one shouldn’t expect an immediate return of the Beauty of the Week.

“It was relatable and owned by our community,” Goff explained.

“The Beauty of the Week was a college student at Fayetteville, a nurse, secretary, or actress. Relatable people that we all thought were attainable. But how can we be relevant to our audience in a world that’s different and the way we consume information and get information?”

For instance, Goff wondered what would happen if Rihanna were chosen as the first beauty.

“Then Lizzo fans could say, what about her? And if we choose Lizzo, RuPaul could say, what about me?” Goff stated.

“People would have every right to say that Jet is saying ‘I’m not beautiful.’”

Indeed, Jet was social media before Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Going viral in pre-social media days meant being on

the cover of Jet.

Goff, whose background is brand marketing, understands that the Jet re-set is a challenging assignment.

But he’s thrilled to take it on.

“I call this being refueled by Jet. We can be relevant to our audience in a world that’s different, and the way we consume information and get information is different,” he stated.

The key, Goff said, is figuring out how to keep Jet around for the next 70 or so years..

“Talking to 20 and 25-year-olds, I’m sometimes surprised that they are familiar with Jet,” Goff said.

“People never threw away Jet. They put them in boxes, and I’m sure there’s a ton in someone’s attic. You just had to hold on to them. There’s a spark from the younger generation; for me, it’s about igniting that spark.

“The great part about the next generation is that they also grew up with this computer in their pocket and can find and search for knowledge. So, we need to ensure that our iconic brands remain for years.”

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Exhibition

Currently At NSU’s Wise Gallery

NORFOLK

The James Wise Gallery of Norfolk State University is currently presenting “We the Turkey,” a new exhibition by Stass Shpanin. It opened on March 22 and continues through April 20, 2023. Shpanin is a Philadelphiabased artist. His paintings and drawings presented in the exhibition are a result of visual conversations with computer generator programs that fragment graphic elements selected from the pictorial and textual manuscripts of American folk art of the 18th and 19th centuries.

As an immigrant to the United States, he reinterprets culturally and

politically charged visual remains of American history. Birth certificates, marriage, and death records of the American folk-art traditions are decorated with historical, religious, and mythological symbols of the past; these are the visual sources for the exhibition and the imaginary landscape of the Elizabeth River.

This river played a pivotal role in the history of the United States as a route in the Underground Railroad, and the American Revolutionary war, and now serves as an ecosystem for native animals and birds. A combination of imaginary creatures and legends alongside the historical references in this exhibition

confronts viewers to question American history.

Shpanin explains: “The turkey is a symbol of America, much like the bald eagle or George Washington.” This exhibition invites viewers to imagine themselves as “the turkey,” witnessing the events through their explorations and adventures shown in the paintings, drawings, and video with music by T.A. DePew.

The artist’s work has been shown internationally, at venues including Smack Mellon Gallery in New York, Gridchinhall Gallery in Moscow, Five Points Gallery in Torrington Connecticut,

Temple Contemporary in Philadelphia, and ToBE Gallery in Bern Switzerland, among others. Stass Shpanin is currently an Assistant Teaching Professor of Art at Rutgers University-Camden, New Jersey.

This exhibition is curated and organized by Anna Isbell, Assistant Professor and Director of the James Wise Gallery, with support from the Director of the Division of Fine Arts Solomon Isekeije.

The James Wise Gallery is located on the campus of Norfolk State University. For further information, visit: https://www.nsu.edu/finearts/james-wise-gallery

SUMMER TRAVEL: AFRICATOWN HERITAGE HOUSE OPENS JULY 8, MOBILE, ALABAMA

MOBILE, AL

On July 8, visitors will attend the opening of Africatown Heritage House, a community building that will house “Clotilda: The Exhibition” and share the longuntold story of the last known slave ship to arrive in the United States.

There were 110 enslaved West Africans who arrived illegally into the United States aboard the Clotilda ship 52 years after the

international slave trade had been outlawed. (Though it was illegal to bring enslaved people into the United States, domestic slavery itself remained legal until 1865.)

A story that was shared in secret for more than 150 years by their descendants will finally take the global stage as the people of the incredible community they developed – called Africatown –acknowledge “The Landing” on

July 8, the 163rd anniversary of the date their ancestors arrived in the United States…in shackles and against their will.

Pieces of the vessel will be displayed at Africatown Heritage House, curated by the History Museum of Mobile, and will be preserved alongside West African objets d’art (the captive passengers were stolen from Benin) and exhibits sharing the story of Africatown.

Jet was social media before Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Going viral in pre-social media days meant being on the cover of Jet.

Iconic Cover of Jet Magazine

Photo: PublicDomainWikimediacommons

Free Online Meetings Support Local Biz Owners

By Rosaland Tyler Associate Editor New Journal and Guide

In July 2022, Alicia Beatrice launched a series of free-monthly-online business meetings that could increase the number of Black businesses in Hampton Roads.

“It has grown from one person to almost 40 in attendance of Black men and women who want to have this safe space to make authentic connections and talk about their challenges in life and business without judgement or pressure,”

Beatrice, the founder and CEO of Black Family Business, said in a recent interview with The New Journal and Guide.

“When I created the Black Family Business Networking Event, I was sitting in my quiet time with God and thought how it would be refreshing to have a safe space to network, laugh and pray with other Black entrepreneurs,” said Beatrice, an award winning performer, threetime bestselling-author, life coach, self helpspecialist, and licensed therapist.

Black entrepreneurs from all walks of life attend and are welcome at these events, she said. “They feel heard and seen in this space.”

The free-online meetings are open to all. According to her ad on Eventbrite, her free monthly networking group welcomes individuals who “may have faced setbacks or losses in life and business, feel out of place, been kicked out of other communities including your church; or feel like you are ‘too different’ or ‘not normal’ enough to connect.”

The next online meeting dates are April 7, from 7 p.m., to 8 p.m. and May 5, from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. To sign up for online gatherings, head over to https:// www.eventbrite.com/e/ Black-family-businessnetworking-event-tickets476157268207?aff=ebdss bcitybrowse.

“The events are held the fi rst Friday of the month,” she said. “Instead of feeling locked out, join this 40-plus membership group and share your stories.”

The agenda typically includes prayer “to acknowledge God and then an introduction,” she said.

“I share the vision of Black Family Business and offer my resources and services to anyone who needs

Voting

Continued from page 1A

CALLING ALL BLACK ENTREPRENEURS IN THE HAMPTON ROADS AREA!

“There’s no clarity. There’s no transparency in this,” ACLU-VA Policy and Advocacy Strategist Shawn Weneta said. “This administration ran on clarity and transparency.”

Weneta knows firsthand the importance of getting the opportunity to vote after being released from jail. He had his rights restored in 2021 after serving 16 years in prison.

“It certainly puts a lot of people in limbo. There are no criteria set out,” Weneta said. “If they said, ‘these are the people that would qualify, and if you have either maybe not completed your probation or perhaps you were convicted of this certain type of crime,’ none of that is laid out in the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s memo.”

In a letter to Spruill, Secretary of the Commonwealth Kay Cole James explains that every discharged inmate will be given a paper application for restoration that will be considered individually. As a follow up, they are required to check their status online.

are working to move forward as active members of our citizenry. The Constitution places the responsibility to consider Virginians for restoration in the hands of the Governor alone, and he does not take this lightly.

“Restoration of rights is assessed on an individual basis, according to the law and takes into consideration the unique elements of each situation, practicing grace for those who need it and ensuring public safety for our community and families.

“The Department of Corrections and the Secretary of the Commonwealth work with the appropriate agencies to restore an individual’s rights.”

Stoney, who is now the Mayor of Richmond said in a statement:

Barnette echoed that the criteria needs to be explained so people of color can have the necessary information.

The NAACP said that “Virginia and Kentucky are the only states that permanently deny voting rights to those who have been convicted of a crime.”

Sen. Spruill, in a letter to Secretary James on March 17 said Youngkin was using unknown criteria for the restoration process and highlighting a reduction in the number of people who have had their voting rights restored under his administration.

support or accountability. Last, I open the floor for people to share their products or services, get feedback on business ideas, ask questions and share ways to stay connected with each other. The event concludes with prayer and invitation to attend the next event.”

Beatrice launched the group after she quit her non-profit job in 2009 and started her first online business while she was a stay-at-home mom. She said, “My career has allowed me to work with talented leaders in community programs, fundraising, administration, and healthcare. Currently, I am completing my yoga teaching registration and branching into financial services. I am mama of two Black boys, divorced, and spend any free time with God in prayer or reading the Bible. I visit churches from time to time, watch livestreams of services, but do not belong to a church by choice.”

If you are an entrepreneur of color, you may want to join this free online group because participants are urged to speak openly but kindly.

“I encourage respect, kindness, and honesty,”

Beatrice said, describing the sentiments that stream through her monthly online meetings. “We are all on the path of wholeness and success which is what I celebrate at the Black Family Business Networking Event so everyone who attends feels like they matter and belong. My hope it that no one feels like they are alone in their journey.”

Last summer, Beatrice not only held her fi rst online business gathering, she also wrote her fi rst book to honor God and share her inspirational story.

“Out of this work, Black Family Business was born,” she said. “This movement is more than just a story about a Black mother starting a business to have financial freedom so she can live out her wildest dreams and build a legacy for her family. It’s an empowering community (that builds) holistic support and (helps others) find (their) voice. It’s God’s hand at work in Black families and communities.”

To contact Beatrice, email support@ Blackfamilybusiness.com. Her website is located at www.Blackfamilybusiness. com.

Chicago Program Addresses Street Gun Violence Using Genealogy & Job Training

CHICAGO

After gun violence in Chicago stole her grandson from her grip just days after his 18th birthday, Crystal Dyer knew she must do everything in her power to keep others from such unbearable grief. Soon after, she set her sights on Chicago’s Austin neighborhood just steps from where her grandson Devin was killed and set up shop. In 2015, Chicago Austin Youth Travel Adventures, Inc. (CAYTA), was born out of a grandmother’s grief.

Today, the organization is thriving, reaching at-risk children, youth, and young adults through a variety of programs aimed at showing them a world outside their neighborhood, a world many have never seen.

“After I lost my grandson to gun violence in Chicago, I vowed to do everything within my power to ensure no other family experiences such a tragedy. Through CAYTA, we can get our youth off the streets and show them the world on an international stage,” says Crystal Dyer, Founder, and CEO of Chicago Austin Youth Travel Adventures, Inc. Why travel? That was an easy decision for Dyer. An accredited and Certified Travel Advisor (CTA), she opened the first AfricanAmerican-owned travel agency in Chicago Austin’s community where she also resides. Every year, she takes youth and young adults aged 14-23 on a genealogy journey through

their family’s roots at the city’s 15th police district. The big payoff, a chance to travel to Ghana, Africa, where their ancestors once lived. This year’s trip is set for July 30th through August 11th.

In addition to CAYTA’s popular genealogy program, the nonprofit also runs a Teen Reach Afterschool Program. The program is offered six days a week and allows youth aged 1117 to receive help with their studies in a safe environment at Dyer’s travel agency, Gone Again Travel & Tours.

For those looking for job training, CAYTA along with Choose Chicago offers workforce training for youth interested in its’ tour guide program which will also be teaming up with the Obama Presidential Library once it’s complete. In addition, a community clean campaign offers stipends to youth who embody pride and teamwork while working to reduce crime in their neighborhood.

“Our goal through the workforce training program is to show kids that there are other ways of making money instead of selling drugs,” adds Dyer. “The payoff for me? The success stories. One young man came to me and said, ‘Ms. Crystal, my whole family was selling drives but now I am driving a bus for the city, thanks to you.’ If I can change just even one life, that is what gets me up in the morning.”

For more information about CAYTA, visit their website.

The restoration process began under Governor McDonnell, resulting in thousands winning their rights. Then in 2014, Governor McAuliffe and then Secretary of the Commonwealth, Levar Stoney worked to improve processes, streamlining the application process, which was then continued by Governor Northam, who restored rights for over 126,000 people before he left office.

Governor Youngkin’s spokeswoman Macaulay Porter released a statement regarding this change in restoring voting rights: “The Governor firmly believes in the importance of second chances for Virginians who have made mistakes but

“Removing the automatic restoration of rights is a major step backward for the Commonwealth of Virginia. By doing so, Governor Youngkin is intentionally adding red tape to further disenfranchise returning citizens. As elected officials, we should always strive to find better ways to serve ALL Virginians, which is what the prior three administrations did. The lack of compassion and transparency out of the Youngkin Administration is regression at its finest –I expected more from the highest elected seat in the Commonwealth.”

“We know over 10 percent of African-Americans over the age of 18 are presently disenfranchised due to felony convictions,” NAACP VA President Robert Barnette said.

In Virginia, people lose their right to vote, run for office, and have other civil rights revoked when convicted of a felony and must petition the governor to regain them. People need to petition the courts to restore their firearms rights.

In 2021, Democratic Ralph Northam removed the requirement that Virginians with felony convictions have to finish being under community supervision –parole or probation – before having their voting rights restored.

These policies ended with the changes from Youngkin’s administration.

During the 2022 legislative session, Republicans blocked a proposal to make ex-felon voting rights restoration automatic.

Last May, the governor’s office announced that nearly 3,500 people had their voting rights restored under Youngkin. But, last October, the next batch of Virginians who regained their voting rights dropped to over 800.

Last May, the governor’s office announced that nearly 3,500 people had their voting rights restored under Youngkin. But, last October, the next batch of Virginians who regained their voting rights dropped to over 800.

If you are an entrepreneur of color, you may want to join this free online group because participants are urged to speak openly, but kindly. Her website is located at www.Blackfamilybusiness.com. Also, check out her Black Family Business podcasts on Apple Podcasts.

Photo: Courtesy

SECTION B COMMUNITY & MORE ...

HAMPTON UNIVERSITY TO INSTALL 13TH PRESIDENT, APRIL 1

HAMPTON

A series of events are underway this week as Hampton University prepares for the investiture of President Darrell K. Williams, Lieutenant General (USA Retired) on April 1. This presidential investiture is the university’s first in 45 years, following the long-time presidency of Dr. William Harvey, who retired last year.

President Williams returned to his Home by the Sea to become the University’s 13th president on July 1, 2022. He and his wife, First Lady Myra Richardson Williams, are 1983 graduates of Hampton.

“I am thrilled to have been selected as the next president. I will work tirelessly with students, faculty, staff, alumni and the broader community

to prepare our graduates for today and for the continuously evolving, technology-driven workforce of tomorrow,” said Williams.

The West Palm Beach, Florida native and global leader brings to Hampton over four decades of proven success in leading complex domestic and international military,

government, civilian, academic institutional, and commercial business organizations. He served for over 37 years in the U.S. military, the final 11 at the executive and enterprise levels.

The university’s fourday grand celebration was planned to acknowledge President Williams’ inauguration, who has shared his vision to

Deliver the Number One Student Experience in America for Hampton students.

On Wednesday, March 29, the Hampton University Athletics Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in the Convocation Center spotlighted star athletes. This event was live streamed. Following the induction, After Glow, a

dessert reception, took place in the Convocation Center.

The Hampton University Museum hosts An Evening at the Museum on Thursday, March 30, 6:30-8 p.m. The event features the unveiling of the inaugural painting, a commissioned work by Preston Sampson, as well as the official ribbon cutting for the museum addition. A Touch of Spice band will perform live.

The Student Salute in Song and Dance in the historic Robert C. Ogden Auditorium will be held on Friday, March 31. The University Concert Choir will open the program at 7 p.m., followed by performances by the Phoebus and Bethel High School choirs, Hampton City Schools. The worldrenowned Terpsichorean Dance Company will grace

the stage at 7:45 p.m., after which the outstanding Hampton University Choir will perform. The choirs and Terps will combine to present a magnificent finale to close out the evening.

The investiture ceremony will take place 1-2:30 p.m., April 1 in the University Convocation Center. “This is an historic event that is celebrated to show deference and honor to our institution, so I invite all to come out to enjoy this occasion,” said Williams.

President and First Lady Williams invite guests to a Sunday morning worship on April 2 in the Hampton University Memorial Chapel. The Hampton University Alumni Band and University Alumni Choir will perform from 10:30-11 a.m. The worship service begins at 11 a.m.

I will work tirelessly with students, faculty, staff, alumni and the broader community to prepare our graduates for today and for the continuously evolving, technologydriven workforce of tomorrow.”

– Incoming President Darrell K. Williams LTG (Ret) LTG (ret) Darrell K. Williams Hampton University President

6TH ANNUAL UNCF HAMPTON ROAD’S MAYORS MASKED BALL IN PORTSMOUTH see page 2B

OF INDIA” TO FOCUS ON FASHION, FOOD & CULTURE

HAMPTON ROADS

For 13 uninterrupted years, Taste of India tantalized Hampton Roads with authentic cuisine, clothes, handicraft, dancing and the excitement of Bollywood.

Then the pandemic intervened, and the Asian Indian festival, a collaborative effort of hundreds of Indian Americans living in Hampton Roads, was not held, to the dismay of nearly 10,000 people who visited each year.

On April 29 from 11am8pm, Taste of India returns with the foods, sounds and lively culture of India but with a particular emphasis on the nation’s rich textile heritage, which dates to 4000 B.C. and continues to delight

consumers around the world.

Admission is free to Taste of India, but once inside the Chartway Arena at ODU’s Ted Constant Center, guests can purchase food, crafts, clothes and other items, enjoy a yoga demonstration, Bhangra and Fusion dances, a “Fabrics to Fashion” show and more. “Taste of India is so colorful but also aromatic and educational,” says Sponsorship Chair Manan Shah. “There’s something

here for everyone, young and old.”

“We are so excited to bring Taste of India back for a 14th year,” says Festival Chair Sanjay Patel. “This is our gift to the wonderful people in our region, and our many volunteers and businesspeople cannot wait to share our customs and traditions with our friends across Hampton Roads.”

For more information, visit www.tasteofindiahr.org.

2023 HAMPTON ROADS MAYORS’ MASKED BALL HELD IN PORTSMOUTH

Special to the New Journal and Guide

HAMPTON ROADS

The 6th Annual UNCF

Hampton Roads Mayors’

Masked Ball took place in Portsmouth, Virginia, on Saturday, March 11, with a record crowd of nearly 650 guests. Dana Brown, Area Development Director, and Dianna Ruffin, Development Associate, led a team of Leadership Council and Committee members that raised $338,600 pre-event and another $17,900 in auction revenue and donations the night of the event, exceeding its goal of $350,000. To date, the event has grossed $356,500 and still counting in support of UNCF to help more students go to college.

Nearly 650 guests dressed in their finest Black-tie attire were in attendance. Local Mayors and Public Officials were highly visible, including

Honorable Shannon E. Glover, City of Portsmouth;

Honorable Donnie R. Tuck, City of Hampton;

Honorable Kenneth Cooper Alexander, City of Norfolk;

Honorable Phillip D. Jones, City of Newport News;

Congressman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott; Senator L Louise Lucas; Delegate Don Scott; Delegate Angelia Williams Graves; and several local city council members and officials. In addition, Richard Lee Snow, Regional Development Director, UNCF Mid-Atlantic Region, delivered welcome remarks, and Dr. Hakim J. Lucas, President of UNCF-Member Institution Virginia Union University, delivered a passionate H.B.C.U. Charge.

The evening began with a masquerade reception, red carpet photos, silent auction, and live entertainment by Saxophonist Rick Elliot. This was followed by an elegant, seated dinner with a live performance by Brian D. Hill & The Provenance Singers.

The 2023 UNCF M.A.S.K.E.D. Awards program followed, honoring four outstanding individuals and one company: Michael

Berlucchi, Community Relations Manager, Chrysler Museum of Art; Fairlead Integrated; Pastor Emeritus Joe B. Fleming, Third Baptist Church; Dr. Johnny J. Garcia, Founder and CEO, SimIS Inc.; and Dr. Angela D. Reddix, Founder, CEO and President, ARDX. The event culminated in a live celebration for honorees and support of UNCF and its member institutions.

Top sponsors included Geico Philanthropic Foundation, Sentara Health, TowneBank, Dominion Energy, Truist, City of Portsmouth, City of Virginia Beach, Riverside Health Systems, Rosie’s Gaming Emporium, Grove Church and Third Baptist Church.

A special thanks to the Virginia Leadership Council, Mayoral Host Committee, Honorary CoChairs, Hampton Roads Planning Committee and Silent Auction Committee for helping execute this event and ensuring guests had an amazing evening.

Hampton Roads Mayors, Congressman Bobby Scott, UNCF Representatives

Photo: Courtesy

Honoree Rev. Dr. Joe Fleming (at left) with Mrs. Fleming third (from left) and family and friends.

Photo: Courtesy

Auction

Photo: Courtesy

Music By DJ Seko Varner

Photo: Courtesy

“TASTE

After three-year COVID hiatus, Taste of India returns April 29 to ODU’s Chartway Arena to focus on Fashion, Food, Culture, and Shopping.

Local Ceremony Recognizes & Pins Vietnam War Veterans

NORFOLK

A ceremony to recognize and pin veterans of the Vietnam War was held Wednesday, March 29 at The Murray Center.

Local Vietnam War veterans and their families gathered on at The Murray Center in Norfolk to be honored for their service and sacrifice.

During the occasion, Vietnam Veterans who had not received a lapel pin had an opportunity to be pinned. Veterans are only authorized to receive one Vietnam War Lapel Pin. A reception followed the program.

Vietnam War Veterans Day was first observed as a onetime occasion on March 29, 2012 by President Barack Obama. In May of that same year, he would launch a Presidential Proclamation

to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War. The commemoration continues through Veterans Day, November 11, 2025.

In 2017, five years after the 50th anniversary of the War, President Donald Trump signed The Vietnam War Veterans Day Act, making the day an annual national observance, but not an official U.S. holiday.

One of the event organizers and Vietnam War veteran, Dr. Edgar I. Farmer of the 173rd Airborne Brigade shared this sentiment during a planning meeting of the local celebration, “Returning home from Vietnam was the beginning of a new life for me; I started a family with my soulmate and wife of two years (Barbara Jean). My new life was such a defining

moment of jubilation; yet filled with sadness when thinking about some of my fellow comrades who paid the supreme sacrifice of giving their lives (more than 58,000) in combat.

“Unfortunately, our Nation was divided in turmoil during the Vietnam War. No one said ‘welcome home’ or ‘thank you for your service’ during the Vietnam Era. Now our Nation recognizes and honor Vietnam Veterans, both men and women, for their service, valor, and sacrifice, I am honored to join our Nation in saying to fellow veterans ‘Welcome Home’ and ‘Thank you for you Service.’ “ This event was cosponsored by the Norfolk State University Alumni Association, Military Alumni Chapter.

LOCAL VOICES

GUARD RAILS

By Sean C. Bowers

Regulation regulates Republicans who don’t want to be regulated. They resist, preferring a (Wild-) Wild-West approach where might makes right, literally and figuratively. Regulations ensure fair practices, safety concerns and the best interests of the people, not the corporations. When Republicans graduate to office or positions of power, they often attempt to dismantle, obliterate, or end the basic norms of the rules. They want to do away with existing regulations and protections favoring an un-structured unlimited support of the business world’s unbridled greed and limitless ability to prioritize other people’s interests into their own personal profit column with compounded interest. The good of the business world does not outweigh or overrule the rule of law, justice, and fairness to all parties, for sake of the(ir) desired bottom line. The restriction of business to live profitably (not greedily) under the certain rules and regulations is the state of the natural world. Therefore, conducting business in the U.S. of A. comes with some basic minimum business requirements or standards of conduct and ethics.

For instance, FOX NEWS is now in a $1.6-billion-dollar Dominion voting machines lawsuit because the entire network knowingly lied and misled their viewers and all the American public. This is about larger issues of honesty, truth and facts. FOX NEWS for months after the 2020 elections, carried 45’s lying heavy water. They admitted they knew their coverage broadcast on their airwaves 24-7-365 was completely untrue. The result was that a portion of the nation was fed straight B.S.

perpetuating that BIG LIE. The repeated repetition of lies ramped up reactive Republicans repercussions and the nation suffered the January 6th Capitol riot of the Right. Might makes right, but only when they lose fair and square. FOX NEWS owner Rupert Murdoch and major anchors on personal texts showed their disbelief of the fairyland crap 45 and they (themselves) were peddling. Only under oath and being caught red (-neck) handed in court testimony were they forced to admit they were all lying because they were afraid to lose viewers and hurt their profitability to truth ratio numbers, which is MAX$$:0 truth.

After all that confirmed bold faced lying, the-conon-air with ONE formal admission of error or the omission of truth, admission confirmed what we and the world have known since FOX NEWS’ founding in 1996. FOX NEWS is NOT a trusted news source and never has been. It is a wish list of the RIGHT’s worst views, born-again right in front of us, to promote, pre-package and proselytize Republicans’ un-holy garbage conveyorbelt of candidates, policies and persecution. ONE APOLOGY for months and years of agitation, regurgitation, and manufactured outrage at those they hate clearly illustrates that the penalty is infinitely smaller than the potential $$$ reward for lying and truth-denying.

Their others, are all the others who won’t take their “anti-woke”

White coke, the cracker crack of taking America back in their minds to where they could openly oppress others without fear of reprisals.

Turns out that guard rails keep the people honest because of the fear of being caught lying or being dishonest. Now the Right has erected a facade NEWS network to parrot and proliferate their propaganda of persecution of the people. The money always leads us directly to those who would sell out America for their own selfishness, (45).

Our recent banking collapse scandals and takeovers could have all been prevented by keeping in place the banking

regulations (rules) that 45 and the Right destroyed. Those were put in place after the last banking meltdown of 2008 under President George W. Bush. They de-regulated this current crisis RIGHT into reality by their unchecked, greed-driven, “me-firstism” that now defines the RIGHT.

Why do they persist in this mindless risky pursuit? They do so because the penalties for being caught are so small in comparison to what profits they can make on stolen profits at the expense of the people. Those who have money on the Right look for ways to protect their interests, not pay their taxes, not play by the rules, and to make the most money possible, at any and all costs.

The rules and regulations may make endless profits unreachable, but it is better to have some of something, than all of nothing. Seems the rules implemented by the rule-makers for the people had best protect the people more than they protect corporations’ profits or we will fast lie our way to the bottom.

We see the shallowness of their corrupt inept mindlessness in all directions. With no rules, there are no rulers, no regulations, no worries. Their market plan sorts us all out to the bottom, without the guard rails of regulation.

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 H. Andrews (NJ&G 35 years) has always been his publisher.

FOX NEWS is now in a $1.6-billion-dollar Dominion voting machines lawsuit because the entire network knowingly lied and misled their viewers and all the American public.

Sean C. Bowers

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

Christ was without spot or blemish. He was, and still is, perfect without sin.

What does the cross represent in our lives?

THE POWER OF THE CROSS

HEBREWS 9-12

Jesus Christ shed His blood for the redemption of humanity. We think of Jesus Christ as our intercessor and that He mediates on our behalf before God the Father. Recognition of our sins can create guilt and the need to be forgiven. As we read the scriptures we learn that Jesus Christ gave Himself as the sacrificial offering, once and for all, for our sins. In the beginning of Hebrews 9, the author discusses the worship practices God ordained such as giving the Israelites instructions for building the Tabernacle which traveled with them as they journeyed to the Promised Land. He took His own blood and obtained eternal salvation

for us. He became the perfect sacrifice to God. His blood purified our lives from useless rituals so that we may serve God in an acceptable manner. Christ has come to us as the High Priest; the tent in which He serves is greater and perfect. It is not made by human hands, nor is it a part of this created world. With one sacrificial death on the cross for our sins, we have an offering that is effective forever. Read Hebrew 10:5-7 to learn what Christ said to God before He came to earth as a human body. By verse 9, Christ offers Himself as the sacrifice. Since no animals could have cleansed anyone, Jesus Christ came as the perfect offering for sin (Hebrew 9:11-14) because

PALM SUNDAY: JESUS CHRIST RIDES INTO OUR JERUSALEM

Only faith in Jesus, who died on the cross, redeems us from sin. The cross symbolizes what He has done for us. How can we drop the weight of sin our lives? As believers we must free ourselves from sin through faith in Jesus’ resurrection from the grave. How can we commit ourselves to live through the power of Jesus Christ?

One favorable direction is to choose friends who are committed to Christ. Friends with negative values can influence us in wrong ways. Reconsider our activities that may hinder spiritual growth. Repent and reposition ourselves to receive God’s help. In other words, try to be in godly places where godly activities can be engaged and avoid trouble.

These scriptures reveal the tremendous love Jesus has for His people. He willingly paid the ultimate sacrifice for the sins of the world. Let us continue studying His word and spiritually learn to follow Jesus Christ, the SUPREME SERVANT!

Mrs. Gladys McElmore was born in Essex County, Va. She was the founder of the Kathryn Bibbins Memorial Bible Study group.

On Palm Sunday all Christendom will celebrate Jesus Christ’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem (Matthew 21:1-11 KJV) - fulfilling the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: He is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.”

Zechariah’s prophecy in The Message Bible’s modem language is “Shout and cheer, Daughter Zion! Raise the roof, Daughter, Jerusalem! Your King is coming! a good King who makes all things right, a humble King riding on a donkey, a mere colt of a donkey.”(v.9) That is how Jesus is presented in the Bible and that is how Jesus is presented in the Believer’s life. We sing the song, “Ride On King Jesus, No Man Can Hinder Me.” Somehow, we identify ourselves with Jesus, our King of Kings, riding into our own personal Jerusalem, our temple, our self-hood, our individual lives.

Palm Sundays across the centuries remind the Christian that this is how Jesus characteristically comes to us every day of our lives, just as He came to the geographic Jerusalem over 2000 years ago. Our Savior comes in goodness, gently setting things right in our lives.

And in humility, Jesus comes in peace, storming the gates of our cluttered lives of

agony, pain and loneliness. He comes to release us from the past and to promise a brighter tomorrow in His presence. Yes, many times we find ourselves like the donkey -tied up. Tied up in living unloved, unsatisfied, unproductive and mundane lives. “If it wasn’t for the Lord, tell me what would we do”: the songwriter bewails?

This is what our Lord and sweet Savior does when He rides into our Jerusalem. He sets us free, releasing that part of us that has been held captive. Jesus returns that part of us home and restores everything we’ve lost during those years of captivity.

I like how Dr. Eugene Peterson, author of The Message Bible states further: “Think of Zechariah’s image of the coming King entering Jerusalem on a lowly donkey. Now imagine Jesus coming to you that way. As Ruth Carter states in her book, “see Jesus opening the door and coming into your room, smiling at

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you, and holding out His Hands and arms to embrace you.”

Peterson continues, “Whatever it may be, it’s to that imprisoned part of you that Jesus comes. That’s why He has made the journey, and why He has traveled so far from Heaven to earth to see about you. Jesus has not come to rebuke you but to release you, to bring you home and to restore your soul. In my own experience, Jesus has restored lost parts of myself that I never knew. Psychology calls this the”alienated self,” “abandoned self’ or “shadow self.”

Jesus is the coming to yourself. In quietness, prayer and meditation, Jesus brings the lost parts of ourselves back to us. Jesus is the finding of the truth of ourselves in the midst of the years. ,Jesus· brings us to our center, the “I Am,” the place where God meets us within the “ holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way ... “ (Hebrews 10:19, 20 KJV)

Once the Believer reaches the “I Am That I Am” center of self affirmation, he or she cannot be hurt or disappointed anymore in life. For some, this quality of existence can only be realized in retirement or solitary living. For others, it is life in the midst of the storm.

Whatever your lot may be, I employ you dear sisters and brothers, to ride the mighty clouds of joy with Jesus Christ of Glory.

Blessings and Shalom

Rev. Dr. Rebecca R. Rivka

Actress and Grammy-Nominated Singer Halle Bailey Helping Make Disney Dreams Come True

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia

During a press junket held in a roped-off lawn area near the famous Walt Disney World Parade, a little girl named Mila experienced a dream moment.

“The Little Mermaid” star and Grammy-nominated singer Halle Bailey spotted Mila in a crowd of onlookers as Bailey spoke to the media during an event that kicked off the Disney Dreamers Academy, where 100 students receive mentorship during a four-day educational and entertainment excursion.

Mila wouldn’t let the star go, and Bailey reacted in the most superstar way: she held on and even shed a tear.

“You’re so pretty,” Bailey told Mila. “You’re so beautiful and sweet.”

Those unscripted moments helped to underscore why the Disney Dreamers Academy has meant so much to so many children for 16 years.

Bailey, like the 2022 celebrity ambassador, singer Kelly Rowland, found time

not only to mentor the 100 Academy students, but step from behind the parade ropes to embrace fans.

This year, Bailey is joined by other celebrities like H.E.R., Quest Love, and Marsai Martin.

But clearly, Bailey has won over the high school students, their parents, and others with gawkers surrounding Disney Coronado Springs Resort where cast and crew gather for the daily events taking place in the large ballrooms.

On Day 2 of the Academy, Bailey left two aspiring teen filmmakers speechless when she surprised them with a personal invitation to join her on the red carpet at the movie’s world premiere in Hollywood.

Dylan Jones of Atlanta and Madison Henderson of Los Angeles were in the middle of a movie production training session Friday morning during Disney Dreamers Academy when Bailey, the program’s celebrity ambassador, made a surprise appearance and delivered the personal invitation to come to Hollywood. For the students it was a truly magical dream come

true moment. The movie’s world premiere takes place just before the film officially hits theaters nationwide on May 26.

Bailey is one of several celebrities taking part in the program that runs through Sunday.

This is the 16th year

FUN PUZZLE FOR YOUR LEISURE

BOOKWORM REVIEWS INCLUSIVE BOOKS FOR BUSINESS

By Terri Schlichenmeyer

Every year has its challenges.

A few years ago, it was COVID-19. The economy influences your business constantly. Customer acquisition is a big issue, but you’re also laser-focusing on staffing. You’re determined to make a change in the people you hire and the workplace you offer them so let these two books be your guides ...

Unless you fall into the non-white, non-cismale category, you may not realize the amount of extra labor that women and minorities do at work and do to be able to work.

It’s hidden, and few folks discuss it but those who experience it, know it.

supervisors, business owners, and C-Suiters will be glad they read what she and her casestudy subjects have to say.

Business owners can no longer pretend not to know this information, making “Emotional Labor” an eye-opener, to be sure.

Another surety: you know you need to make change and you want to do it. You’ve wanted to do it for years, actually, but you’re not sure where to get started. In “Rising Together” by Sally Helgesen (Hachette Go, $30), you’ll see why you’re stymied and you’ll learn how to move forward.

of Disney Dreamers Academy, a four-day, transformational, mentoring program designed to broaden career awareness and create opportunities for 100 Black high school students and teens from underrepresented communities across America each year.

“Emotional Labor” by Rose Hackman (Flatiron Books, $28.99) helps you recognize those burdens and, if you’re someone dealing with the issues, learn how to regain your sanity and your strength.

Women – even, maybe especially, professional women – are asked to “smile more” and are often talked-over. People of color feel that they need to “code switch” and talk differently in the presence of their white co-workers. Black hair is now a workplace issue. Assuming who brings the coffee to a meeting is an issue. Gender is a workplace issue. None of this – or any other, similar thorniness on the job – is new; in fact, emotional labor has a long, long history and Hackman unpacks it with firmness.

And yet, this is not an anti-white-men rant kind of book. The author has a lot to say and she’s respectful, and though a good amount of it may be uncomfortable, leaders,

There are, says Helgesen, eight barriers to making change, including gender and age. Here, you’ll learn how to spot the most common walls between you and an inclusive workplace, and how to knock them down with communication, equity, and (yay!) humor. And just to be sure you can do this, the author offers tools to implement every workday until inclusivity feels natural and automatic. If you’re looking to make a better team or a new, topnotch, fi rst-rate workplace with different and dynamic outlooks, then this easy-tograsp, calm and methodical book is what you need. But let’s say you’re hungry for more on this subject. You want to be absolutely sure that forming an inclusive, welcoming, productive workplace is done right. Good for you, now head to your local book spot and ask your favorite librarian or bookseller for help. They’ll know what books you need, what you’re missing, and where you can find them. They’ll help you make change by stepping up to the challenge.

Those unscripted moments helped to underscore why the Disney Dreamers Academy has meant so much to so many children for 16 years.

Actress and Singer Halle Bailey surprises Dylan Jones and Madison Henderson with a personal invitation to come to Hollywood for the world premiere of “The Little Mermaid.”