NJG | Vol. 124, No. 1 - January 4, 2024

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January 4, 2024 - January 10, 2024

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Urban League of HR FAMILY & FRIENDS BID FAREWELL TO SLAIN ICON Hosts 40th Annual

By Leonard E. Colvin

James Carter was deemed a generous, outgoing community icon by those who knew him.

Chief Reporter Emeritus New Journal and Guide Two days after he was fatally shot trying to break up a dispute in front of the Triple C Convenience store on Lindenwood Avenue, three people were arrested and charged with the death of its owner, 84-year-old James Carter.

On Tuesday, January 2, his family, neighbors and friends showed up at the Metropolitan Funeral Services on Granby Street to say goodbye to him.

According to the Norfolk Police Department, (NPD) a manhunt led to 42-yearold Dennis Hisle being charged with seconddegree murder, malicious wounding, and two counts of use of a firearm. Fortyyear-old Bruce Hisle was also charged with possession of a firearm by a felon and possession of ammunition by a felon,

Photo: Courtesy

James Carter and 41-year-old Tamika Credle was charged with accessory after the fact.

Carter’s daughter, Georgia, revealed that her father was fatally struck on December 20 as he was coming back into the store

after telling the group to leave.

The ongoing investigation into who these people are and why their dispute caused such a tragic incident is continuing.

Meanwhile, the city, and specifically the community of Lindenwood, and the region applauded the arrest of the three linked to the untimely death of Carter, who was deemed a generous, outgoing community icon.

Outside the small convenience store he presided over for the past decade, there is a vast decorative memorial of flowers, candles, balloons, and other items indicating the community’s respect and love for Carter. ...see Carter, page 7A

NEWS ANALYSIS: HAUNTING NEWS FOR 2024

By Julianne Malveaux TRICEEDNEYWIRE.COM Many of us go through the useless ritual of making New Year’s resolutions and proclaiming “out with the old.” Maybe that works for your eating habits or exercise routine, but 2023 news will be with us into 2024. From my perspective, these are the things we’ll be paying attention to in 2024.

1. I’m an economist, so my top news carryover is The economy: Inflation is slowing, and unemployment rates are low. Good news, right? Some economists are still predicting a recession in 2024 and a “sharp hit,” not a “soft landing.” Either way, economic news will

Just because it (police violence) isn’t on the front page of the New York Times doesn’t mean it isn’t happening.

Julianne Malveaux dominate in 2024, and the fact that it’s an election year means there will be “alternate facts” and interpretations.

Bottom line – stack your money. Recession hits Black folks harder, and recovery helps us more

slowly than it helps others.

And don’t believe the hype that Biden didn’t help the economy. He did!

2.

Congressional gridlock: It won’t go away until the election of 2024.

Republicans have a narrow majority and can’t seem to get much done. A budget has to be passed in January, but neither side appears willing to compromise on immigration reform and border control, aid to Ukraine and Israel, and more.

I don’t think Republicans are eager to shut the government down, especially in an election year, but their brinksmanship has left their party in tatters (who knew who Mike Johnson (R-LA) was a year ago)?

3. While I hate to elevate the narcissistic former President: He dominates the news, and unfortunately, too many cover him uncritically. ...see News, page 7A

BELOVED ICONS WE LOST IN 2023...

By Stacy M. Brown

lasting impression on the Senior National Correspondent entertainment, sports, civil rights, and art industries. Their @StacyBrownMedia achievements have influenced countless generations. Here, NNPA NEWSWIRE In a year of achievements we list just some of those and setbacks, 2023 said losses.

• Richard Roundtree: Iconic goodbye to several significant personalities who left a Star of “Shaft’ (1942-2023)

Hollywood said goodbye to Richard Roundtree, the iconic Shaft star. While forever tied to the role that made him famous in 1971, Roundtree remained active for more than four decades, leaving an enduring mark on cinema.

Arlington Nat’l To Remove Monument ARLINGTON, VA – A 1914 Confederate monument, showing a Confederate soldier grasping an infant with a slave woman whose own child clings to the hem of her dress, is being relocated. ...see ... see page 5A

• Tina Turner: Legendary Singer and Performer (19392023) The music world mourned the loss of Tina Turner, the legendary singer renowned for her sultry voice and a string of platinum hits. ...see Icons, page 8A

MLK Jr. Breakfast

NORFOLK The Urban League of Hampton Roads will present eight awards during its 40th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Community Leaders Breakfast. The event will be held on Monday, January 15, 2024, at 8 a.m. at the Virginia Beach Convention Center.

Presented by Dollar Tree, this year’s in-person breakfast will honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and recognize dedicated leaders who make significant contributions to the Hampton Roads community.

“The Urban League of Hampton Roads is honored to recognize leaders who contribute in such meaningful ways to our community,” said Gilbert Bland, President and CEO of the Urban League of Hampton Roads.

“These dedicated individuals embody the spirit and values of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and we are excited to celebrate their achievements.”

The MLK 2024 Award Recipients are: • Health – Charlie Hill, Hampton Roads Prostate Forum • Education – Peter Blake, Retiring Executive Director of State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) • Economic Development – Harry Lester, Community Leader • Finance – Alexis

Former Virginia Governor L. Douglas Wilder will receive the ULHR Lifetime Achievement Award

The event will be held on Monday, January 15, 2024.

Swann, Peninsula President, TowneBank • Housing – Norfolk Redevelopment Housing Authority (NRHA) • ULHR Lifetime Achievement Award – Governor Douglas Wilder • Young Professional Member of the Year – Nykita Doggette • Guild Member of the Year – Lisa Wise Chapman The Keynote Speaker for the event is the acclaimed writer Clint Smith. (See additional story inside on page 1B.) ...see Urban League, page 2A

DR. BERNICE KING TO KEYNOTE ODU’S KING OBSERVANCE NORFOLK Old Dominion University will observe its 39th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Observance on January 23 featuring a keynote address by Dr. Bernice A. King.

Dr. King, the youngest daughter of the slain civil rights leader and the late Coretta Scott King, is a lawyer and minister. She serves as CEO of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Dr. Bernice A. King Change (The King Center) in Atlanta, Ga., founded by her mother after Dr. M.L. King’s assassination.

King’s primary focus as CEO of The King Center is to ensure that her father’s nonviolent philosophy and methodology is integrated in various sectors of society, including education, government, business, media, arts and entertainment and sports.

The event includes a special presentation of the Hugo is given annually to an Owens Martin Luther King, outstanding individual or Jr. Memorial Award, which organization.

ODU will observe its 39th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Observance on January 23, 2024.

New Journal and Guide

2A | January 4, 2024 - January 10, 2024

GOP’S VOTER FRAUD FOCUS Former Congresswoman AIMS TO REDUCE BLACK VOTE Eddie Bernice Johnson, of Texas, Dies at 89

By Stacy M. Brown

Senior National Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia NNPA NEWSWIRE The Republican Party’s assault on suspected and unverified widespread voter fraud has come into view for what it is: an attempt to disenfranchise Black and Hispanic voters.

According to a study by The Washington Post, Republican-led voter fraud crackdowns disproportionately target Democrats and minorities.

The newspaper’s analysis found that Black and Hispanic people made up over 75 percent of defendants accused of voter fraud, while registered Democrats accounted for nearly 60 percent of those charged.

The analysis also revealed that the election integrity units established or expanded in six states after the 2020 election only obtained 47 convictions, most of which were for minor instances of voter fraud by individual voters.

The analysis undermines claims by the twiceimpeached and fourtimes indicted former President Donald Trump and Republicans that

Urban League Continued from page 1A Clint Smith is a staff writer for The Atlantic and #1 New York Times bestselling author of How the Word Is Passed.

Observers claim Smith is revolutionizing how we understand the history of our country, the physical places where we live, and the stories we tell about the world around us.

Through his vital writing and talks, he argues that understanding our history not only enables us to understand our world, but also empowers us to fight for racial justice.

April Woodard, Emmy nominated Co-Host of Coast Live, a daily lifestyle show on WTKR in Norfolk, will serve as the event emcee.

Tickets are available online at ulhr.org/mlkawards Businesses and individuals interested in sponsoring the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Leaders Awards can visit ulhr. org/mlk-awards for more information or contact Ms. Patricia Gibson, Director of Employment and Corporate Partnerships at pgibson@ulhr.org.

Sponsorships of the Urban League help to

NEW JOURNAL AND GUIDE P.O. Box 209, Norfolk,VA 23501 Phone: (757) 543-6531 Fax: (757) 543-7620 PUBLISHER AND EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Brenda H. Andrews ASSISTANT TO THE PUBLISHER: Desmond Perkins ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Rosaland Tyler CHIEF REPORTER EMERITUS: Leonard E. Colvin PRODUCTION: Tony Holobyte New Journal and Guide (USPS 0277560/ISSN 8096) is published weekly on Thursday for $50 per year, $30 per year for six months by New Journal and Guide Publishing, Incorporated,5127 East Va. Beach Blvd., Suite 100, Norfolk, VA 23510. Periodicals Postage Paid at Norfolk, VA 23501. Postmaster: Send address changes to New Journal and Guide, P.O. Box 209, Norfolk, VA 23501. The New Journal and Guide is not responsible for any unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or related materials.

By Stacy M. Brown

Johnson championed NNPA NEWSWIRE STEM, women’s Former Texas U.S. Congresswoman Eddie rights, veterans, Bernice Johnson, a trailblazer and dedicated fair housing, public servant, died at 89. Kirk Johnson, her transportation, son, confirmed her death on Sunday, Dec. 31. and the Johnson had been recently Affordable Care admitted to hospice care and left behind a legacy of Act throughout remarkable achievements election integrity undermining democracy. widespread voter fraud the and contributions to the her career. influenced the outcome of units did not uncover Republicans defended the Senior National Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia

the 2020 election.

Among the key findings, registered Democrats comprised 58 percent of those charged with identifiable party affiliations, compared to 23 percent for registered Republicans.

The remaining cases involved defendants not registered with a specific party. The researchers determined a defendant’s race, ethnicity, or political party in approximately 70 percent of cases.

Contrary to assertions

by Trump and some Republican allies, the analysis revealed that

transform communities across Hampton Roads by creating the social and economic opportunities that change lives.

For more information, or to become a member of the Urban League, visit ulhr. org/membership. www. ulhr.org | www.facebook. com/ulhrva

widespread schemes that could significantly impact election outcomes. Instead, the convictions were typically the result of smallscale fraud or errors made by individual voters, such as casting multiple ballots, falsifying registrations, or voting while disqualified due to a conviction.

The data also showed that many pursued cases ended in dismissal, acquittal, or dropped charges. Out of 115 resolved cases as of mid-December, 42 had such outcomes, nearly equaling the number of guilty verdicts. All convictions occurred in Florida, Texas, and Ohio, with Virginia, Georgia, and Arkansas failing to secure any guilty verdicts despite substantial resources allocated.

Experts and advocates expressed alarm over the findings, with Heather Sawyer, executive director of the watchdog group American Oversight, describing the units as a waste of money

units, emphasizing their role in ensuring election integrity and instilling confidence in voters.

Critics argue that the racial and political disparities in the crackdowns, along with the limited number of convictions, question the necessity and fairness of election integrity initiatives.

The analysis has prompted concerns about potential voter suppression efforts under the guise of combating fraud, encouraging calls for reevaluating the allocation of resources in election integrity units.

“At best, these ‘election integrity’ units are for show, designed to placate far-right election denialists in the conservative base,” Sawyer told the researchers.

“At worst, they are used to justify new voting restrictions and to intimidate people – especially racial minorities – from exercising their right to vote.”

nation.

In her political career, Eddie Bernice Johnson served in the Texas House and Senate, becoming the first African-American woman in Dallas to be elected to office. When she went to Washington, she became the first registered nurse to ever serve in Congress. She was an Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Girlfriends Circlets, and Links, Inc. Johnson was the first African-American and first female chair of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.

She was also the first African-American to serve as the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare regional director, appointed by thenPresident Jimmy Carter.

Before her retirement, Johnson’s portrait was unveiled and hung in the Science Committee Room.

The program for STEM women has also been named in her honor. Upon her retirement at the end of

the 117th session, she was the oldest member of the House of Representatives.

The Congressional Black Caucus Chairman Steven Horsford (NV04) and members of the CBC issued a statement mourning the loss of Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson.

They acknowledged her groundbreaking achievements, including her role as the first African-American and first female Chair of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.

Johnson’s impact extended beyond legislation; she delivered hundreds of millions of dollars toward revitalizing transportation in Texas, notably for the Southern Gateway Project and the DART Rail System.

“Her legacy as a trailblazer and advocate for justice, equality, and progress will endure,” CBC members asserted.

From The Guide’s Archives

Archives taken from the pages of the (New) Journal and Guide January 6, 1940 Edition of the Guide

remaining 10 percent will be raised through a local bond issue.

Seven More Congressmen It is planned to construct Sign On To Anti-Lynch Bill 250 dwelling units for Negro families in the low-income WASHINGTON, D.C. level at rates below the private With Congressmen from market rates. seven states adding their names recently to the roster, Guide Discontinues Its the NAACP announced a Printing Department total of 158 members of the House have indicated they NORFOLK will be on the floor when the A new business was Gavagan-Fish Anti-Lynching launched in Norfolk on Bill comes up for a vote on January 1. It is a new business January 8. with old and satisfied The total support to date customers. includes 84 Republicans, 78 The Guide Quality Printery, Democrats, and one member H.C. Young proprietor, opened of the American Labor Party. its doors at 1618 Church Street The association also in the Tents Building. announced that Washington Because of its growing political commentators newspaper operations and the substantially agree that the bill necessity for more editions will pass the House but run a in order to adequately cover gauntlet of another filibuster its expanding market, the in the Senate. There were five Guide Publishing Company, persons, two White, who were Inc. decided to discontinue lynched in 1939, according its commercial printing to a report released by the department.

NAACP. H.C. Young acquired In only one case was the the commercial printing charge of molesting Whites machinery business and will alleged; the other cases be operated independently grew out of differences under the name of Guide between employment and an Quality Printery. automobile accident.

Young has been connected with the Guide Publishing Housing Grant Is Company since 1910 and Given To The City has been its secretary and superintendent of printing NEWPORT NEWS since 1913. He has been Work on an all-Negro slum a close student of printing clearance housing project in all of its phases, and he here, should get underway in developed the trade name the next several months. The “Guide Quality Printing” and Journal and Guide learned maintained its high standards last week following Mayor over the years.”

B.G. James’ announcement that President Roosevelt Ban Still Holds At had approved a loan from The U.S. Navy the United States Housing Authority (USHA) of WASHINGTON, D.C. $901,000 for the local project.

At the end of the fiscal Several months after local year, there were only 2,807 authorities applied for the Colored men in the United grant, USHA earmarked States Navy among the $1.1 million for the Newport total enlisted personnel of News project. The $901,000 110,000. represents 90 percent of The annual report of the estimated cost and will Charles Edison, acting be sufficient, according to Secretary of the Navy, Ward M. Palmer, Executive shows the appropriation of Secretary of the local 1939 allowed an average authority, to consummate the of 107,550 men. With this proposed construction. The allowance, it was possible

to maintain the larger ships at 85 percent of the war complement, the minimum under which they could safely operate.

Submarines were maintained at 100 percent complement.

If any Colored men served abroad, submarines were not disclosed.

The Secretary of the Navy said that 56 enlisted men entered the Naval Academy under the allowed quota of appointments.

None of them was Colored.

P.B.Young, Sr. Publisher on Virginia Honor Roll P.B. Young, Sr, was chosen among ten others for the third annual “Honor Roll of Virginians” who consciously served the state during 1939 by the Richmond TimesDispatch. The others chosen were White, including John D. Rockefeller, Jr; Homer L. Fergusen; Ambassador, A.W. Weddell; and Dr. W. T. Sanger, President of the Medical College of Virginia.

“I resolve to hear Dorothy Maynor when she sings in Norfolk on January 26.”

On that night, they will hear singing that will lift them from their seats, like the capacity audience New York Audience at her Town Hall debut in November, which stood up at the end of the program and yelled excited approval.

Her concert is being sponsored to benefit the Norfolk Community Hospital, which recently moved (from Lindenwood) into a new building built by the federal and city governments but needs funds for operations and additional equipment purchasing.

Maynor, the daughter of the Rev. Maynor and Mrs. Maynor, began singing at Hampton Institute under the famous Dr. Nathaniel Dent.

Little wonder, this singer, Norfolk’s own, had a sensational future predicted for her by Manhattan’s Critics. Her January 26th recital is much anticipated and will fill City Auditorium as it has not been filled for a concert since the wellremembered Fall of 1930 when audiences consisting of both races packed it for the appearance of Roland Hayes and the Choirs of Hampton and Virginia State College.

January 6, 1969 Edition of the Guide Norfolkians To Have A Chance To Hear Hometown Singer Norfolk and music lovers of other Tidewater cities are making a New Year’s resolution that will be easy to keep:

Dot Maynor

Judge Hoffman Says Freedom of Choice Plan A Sham NORFOLK U.S. District Court Judge Walter Hoffman became testy during a recent hearing in which he was presented with the Isle of Wight County freedom of choice school desegregation plan and declared that the plan could not meet the law clerk’s test of constitutionality.

Judge Hoffman asked attorney Frederick Gray who represented the Isle of Wight school board, to request it devise a schedule for desegregation, noting that four of the county’s seven schools remain all Negro and the other three all white.

Gray explained the board was satisfied with the system.

Judge Hoffman called for the docket book and scheduled the case for January 2, ordering Gray to have every member of the Board present in the court here.

The Judge said, “I can tell you the government right now on their face in Isle of Wight County is going to have to get moving.”

In another case, Judge Hoffmann gave the NAACP and the Justice Department until January 1 to prepare any objections they might have to the construction of the Tarralton Junior High School in the northwestern part of the city now served by Northside, Azalia Gardens, and Rosemont Junior High School.

Also, he gave them a chance to object to the continuation of the present name of the school, but none was raised.

The Justice Department filed a report drawn up about two years ago suggesting that the school be built at Barraud Park, about a mile north of the present location.

The Norfolk School Board has suggested the school be constructed in proximity to the present school in a Negro residential section.

The NAACP is contesting this choice, claiming that it would only perpetuate segregation.

New Journal and Guide

January 4, 2024 - January 10, 2024 | 3A

New Journal and Guide

4A | January 4, 2024 - January 10, 2024

A NEW YEAR OF PROMISE

PROFESSOR EMERITUS OF SOCIOLOGY VIRGINIA TECH

PUTIN’S WAR AND THE RUSSIAN DIVA

By Wornie Reed, Ph.D.

Everybody must pay in a war, and opera fans, including yours truly, paid Putin’s aggressive war against Ukraine a small price here. caused many countries, organizations, and individuals to choose sides.

Choosing sides, the venerable Metropolitan Opera parted ways with the leading diva in the opera world, Russian Soprano Anna Netrebko.

“It is a great artistic loss for the Met and for opera,” Met general manager Peter Gelb announced at the time. “Anna is one of the greatest singers in Met history, but with Putin killing innocent victims in Ukraine, there was no way forward.”

Gelb announced in early March 2022 that the Met would not continue to associate with artists who support Putin. The Met had previously tried to persuade Netrebko to renounce her support for the Russian president, but their efforts were useless.

Netrebko is a known supporter of Vladimir Putin. For example, she supported Putin in his last sham election. And Putin once presented her with a significant national award.

As she told it, Netrebko’s story was that as a teenager, she

took a job as a maid in the primary opera hall in Moscow so she could wiggle her way into appointments and auditions. If true, it worked marvelously, as she ascended to the very top and is a darling at the Met, having opened the season 3-4 times in 20 years.

Netrebko has called on Russia to end the war. She noted in a statement, “I am opposed to this senseless war of aggression, and I am calling on Russia to end this war right now, to save all of us. We need peace right now.”

However, the Met wanted more; specifically, they called on her to denounce Putin, which she refused to do.

“Forcing artists, or any public figure, to voice their political opinions in public and to denounce their homeland is not right. This should be a free choice. Like many of my colleagues, I am not a political person. I am not an expert in politics.

I am an artist, and my purpose is to unite people across political divides,”

Netrebko wrote on an Instagram post in the Spring of 2022.

Everybody must pay in a war, and opera fans, including yours truly, paid a small price here. I was looking forward to her role in the opera Turandot in May of 2022. I wondered if she would make that opera more appealing to me.

I am not a big fan of that opera, but divas have a way of getting you there, and I thought she might do it. Opera fans, more steeped in the music, love Turandot. I only watch it for the great aria, Nessun Dorma, Luciano Pavarotti’s signature song.

The Met replaced Anna Netrebko in Turandot with a Ukrainian soprano and announced that they were suspending Ms. Netrebko for at least two years. That time might be extended as there is still a stalemate, with Netrebko suing the Met. Meanwhile the diva is performing around the world, everywhere but at the Met.

Norman Lear’s Impact on White America’s Perception of Black Families

By Marc H. Morial (TRICEEDNEYWIRE.COM) “His shows are what started the conversation about race and justice – All in the Family, The Jeffersons – in a way that America had not been prepared to [discuss] before. His impact and his legacy will be felt for generations to come.

Even people who are not familiar with his shows are Marc H. Morial experiencing the benefits of what those shows did for us had to be Norman Lear.” as a culture.”

Lear’s influence on a – Oprah Winfrey generation of young, Black creators like Perry may be

his greatest legacy.

By 1974, television had Kenya Barris, who been America’s primary created the show Black·ish, source of entertainment said, “It’s like asking for more than two someone who played decades. They had seen basketball if Michael Black people portrayed Jordan influenced them.” as “inferior, lazy, dumb, As well-intentioned as and dishonest,” as the Lear may have been, he was NAACP complained known to fumble. Good about The Amos ‘n Times attracted its share Andy Show in 1951, of criticism. Actor John and as domestic servants Amos, who portrayed in Beulah.

The ‘60s family patriarch James brought non-stereotypical, Evans, complained that professional characters the storylines devised like Julia, a widowed nurse by the show’s white raising a young son, and writers were unrealistic Pete Dixon, the idealistic and the character of J.J. high school history teacher was buffoonish. Amos’ of Room 222. character was killed off But America had not two years into the series’ seen a stable, loving, run. two-parent Black family When the Black on television until the Panthers complained to sitcom Good Times hit the Lear, “Every time you airwaves on February 8, see a Black man on the 1974. tube, he is dirt poor, Norman Lear, the wears sh*t clothes, can’t executive producer afford nothing ... That’s of Good Times and other bullsh*t,” Lear responded groundbreaking shows, by creating The Jeffersons. died at the age of 101, The Jeffersons featured leaving a legacy that is not only television’s first unmatched in its impact prosperous Black family on white America’s – who famously “moved perception of Black on up” from working-class families.

Queens to Manhattan’s “There wasn’t a Black swanky Upper East person who could have Side – but also its first made that happen,” p r o m i n e n t l y - f e a t u r e d filmmaker Tyler Perry told interracial married couple, the New York Times. “It Tom and Helen Willis.

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

We have a lot of work to do in (TRICEEDNEYWIRE.COM) By the time you read this 2024, so no one message, we will already have said goodbye to 2023. is exempt from It is my hope you have made your resolutions helping to resolve for 2024 that you really plan to keep! It is my the craziness experience that we make resolutions but forget them going on all a few weeks later! I have counted myself among Dr. E. Faye Williams, Esq. (Ret.) around us. those who forget them, but I am determined to do better in 2024.

Times require us to be serious about keeping many of what I hope will be in your resolutions. For example: 1.

Did you wish for the killing of our brothers and sisters who are still living in Gaza to stop immediately and may the hearts of those still living be healed?

2.

Did you wish for our brothers and sisters in Israel to have their relatives who’re hostages returned safely to them and may their broken hearts be healed for friends and family they lost?

3.

Did you wish for all the broken hearts from 2023 to be healed?

4.

Will you do all you can do to prevent the senseless killing of our people, including our children?

5.

Did you pray for America to end homelessness?

6.

Did you pray for ending food deserts, and a way to feed healthy food for all to eliminate hunger?

7.

Will you take any steps necessary to truly make voting a right that is worth exercising?

8.

Will you work to make voting easy and urge every citizen to know about and exercise their right to vote?

9.

Will you speak with your Members of

Congress to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act immediately?

10. Will you contact your Members of Congress to urge them to make Rosa Parks’ birthday a Federal Holiday?

11. Will you encourage your local, state, and National leaders to recognize the urgency of working on climate change?

12. Will you work to get politicians to provide more support for Historically Black Colleges and Universities?

13. Will you support efforts to continue taking down Confederate statues representing slavery and glorifying racist actions in this country?

14. Will you support National and World Foster Care?

15. Will you work to support women’s right to choose and take away that practice from politicians?

16. Will you support efforts to find common ground for the U.S. and Cuba to work cooperatively?

17. Will you work to end book bans and support educators who are taking a stand against banning books?

18. Will you do all you can to improve healthcare for all?

19. Will you work to end racism in every form and for all of our brothers

and sisters no matter from whence they have come?

20. Meanness against immigrants has got to stop!

21. Finally, will you do all in your power to make this a kinder, gentler nation for all?

Inaction by our leaders has got to be called out and voted out if they can’t solve the problems. When I heard a seasoned politician like Lindsey Graham respond to Trump’s constant racist ranting about immigrants saying he wasn’t concerned about Donald Trump’s highly offensive rantings and poisoning the blood of this nation, I was shocked.

Trump no longer shocks us, but Lindsey Graham is intelligent enough to do better. We have a lot of work to do in 2024, so no one is exempt from helping to resolve the craziness going on all around us.

It seems these multiple cases against Trump will never be resolved, so we can’t help by wishing things away. Voting is more critical now than ever before and Black people can’t be mad about anything, and sit out the election because we don’t like one thing President Biden did. You need to vote!

Dr. E. Faye Williams is President of “The Dick Gregory Society” and a member of the Board of the World Conference of Mayors.

BLACK WOMEN AND PAY INEQUALITY

Lear’s influence on a generation of young, Black

By David creators like W. Marshall Perry may be his greatest legacy. (TRICEEDNEYWIRE.COM) Taraji P. Henson is

In a recent conversation on SiriusXM, speaking out, and people are listening. It remains to be Henson spoke Less remembered, seen if the award-winning but equally actress will become a catalyst about how she is groundbreaking, The for major changes within the Jeffersons was the entertainment industry, but still treated as a first sitcom to address her message is much needed.

David W. Marshall novice regarding controversial subjects Henson made her film like colorism and debut in the 1998 movie and TV roles. “It seems every transgenderism.

The Streetwise and later received time I do something, and I negotiating Willis daughter Jenny was an Oscar nomination for her break another glass ceiling, shown to be resentful of portrayal of Queenie in The when it’s time to renegotiate, contracts for film her lighter-skinned brother Curious Case of Benjamin I’m at the bottom again, like and TV roles. who could pass for white.

George Jefferson’s Army buddy, “Eddie,” underwent gender reassignment surgery and transitioned to life as “Edie.”

Born and raised in Connecticut, Lear was inspired to a lifetime of social activism when he first heard a broadcast by the antisemitic demagogue Father Charles Coughlin, “the father of hate radio.”

Lear told Variety that “the feeling of this creeping hatred and racism” of the Trump era recalled Coughlin’s broadcasts in the early 1930s. In 1981, in the wake of the election of President Ronald Reagan, Lear founded the advocacy group People for the American Way. The American way, according to Lear, is pluralism, individuality, freedom of thought, expression and religion, a sense of community, and tolerance and compassion for others.

People for the American Way President Svante Myrick said in his tribute to Lear, “We will honor Norman by carrying on the work to which he dedicated so much of his life.”

Button,” starring Brad Pitt.

In 2016, she starred with Janelle Monáe and Octavia Spencer in the film Hidden Figures, which received three Oscar nominations. Henson is probably best known for her role as Cookie Lyon on the television show Empire.

During the show’s six seasons, Henson won two Emmy nominations and a Golden Globe for her performance.

Despite the depth of talent and the success throughout the careers of Black actresses, Hollywood is not immune from the issue of pay inequality for Black women. It is easy for fans to automatically assume television and movie celebrities have “rich and famous” lifestyles free from financial struggles.

When we see so many Black female celebrities in high-profile roles on the big screen, we conclude that they have made it, and the infamous glass ceiling doesn’t come to mind. As others have done before her, Henson has returned the spotlight to one of Hollywood’s many dark sides.

In a recent conversation on SiriusXM, Henson spoke about how she is still treated as a novice regarding negotiating contracts for film

I never did what I just did,” Henson said.

There is a report claiming she considered quitting acting altogether. “I’m just tired of working so hard, being gracious at what I do, being paid a fraction of the cost,” Henson said. “I’m tired of hearing my sisters say the same thing over and over. You get tired.”

It is unfortunate that an actress of her talent was brought to the point of giving up due to being undervalued, disrespected, and discriminated against.

Race and gender should never determine a person’s professional value. In 2019, she told Variety that she asked for “half a million” to perform in the movie The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” only to receive $150,000. The film was a box office hit, grossing approximately $335 million worldwide against a $150 million budget.

The combination of racism mixed with sexism is not new.

According to the National Women’s Law Center, Black women are typically paid only 67 cents for every dollar paid to white men. The wage gap widens to 65 cents on the dollar for Black women

who hold doctorate degrees compared to white men with the same level of education.

Pay disparity increases when educational and professional skill levels are the highest, decreasing with fewer skills and education.

Emily Martin, vice president of Education and Workplace Justice at the National Women’s Law Center, noted, “If you look at workers who don’t have a high school diploma, that is the education level at which the wage gap is smallest for Black women, who make a whole 75 cents for every dollar white men because there is more of a cap on lower-wage earners.” The Equal Pay Act requires “that men and women in the same workplace be given equal pay for equal work. The jobs need not be identical, but they must be substantially equal.” That is the law that is often contradicted by reality. One way companies ultimately get around the pay disparity is to encourage employees to keep their salaries private. As a result, the discrimination is not easily discovered. ...see Inequality, page 5A

New Journal and Guide

January 4, 2024 - January 10, 2024 | 5A

OP-ED

REMEMBERING OUR PAST ... REDEFINING OUR PRESENT ... REAFFIRMING OUR FUTURE (First In A Series From The Teaching Our Own History Task Force)

By Rev. Dr. R.B. Holmes, Jr.

We will not sit idly by and allow any governor to erase the accurate teaching of Black history.

Task Force Chairman

“I’m for truth, no matter who tells it. I’m for justice, no matter who it is for or against. I’m a human being, first and foremost, and as such, I’m for whoever and whatever benefits humanity as a whole.”

– Malcolm X

We have launched a statewide task force in conjunction with the Florida General Baptist Convention, Inc., Reverend Dr. Carl Johnson, President, to

demand that the governor of Florida and the State Department of Education teach Black history accurately, factually, and forthrightly.

In the spirit of Dr. King,

in the State of Florida, we organized a task force labeled, “Teaching Our Own History.” Carter G. Woodson, the founder of Negro History Week, encouraged us to not sit idly by and allow this system to “mis”educate Black people.

Our Task Force will present to the government a comprehensive curriculum that correctly and effectively teaches Africa and AfricanAmerican history to

Inequality

of them still have horror stories of compensation discrimination.

In addition to Taraji P. Henson’s recent remarks, Octavia Spencer has spoken out many times concerning pay inequality in Hollywood. In 2019, she highlighted the importance of men advocating for fair pay for Black actresses.

During Spencer’s salary negotiations for the Netflix series Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker, Executive Producer LeBron James was forced to intervene on her behalf. Mo’Nique, an Oscar winner for her Best Supporting Actress role in the movie Precious, sued Netflix for alleged gender and racial bias regarding negotiating her salary. The

lawsuit was eventually settled.

Beyoncé, the former Dreamgirls actress, said it best, “But unless women and men both say this is unacceptable, things will not change. Men have to demand that their wives, daughters, mothers, and sisters earn more – commensurate with their qualifications and not their gender ...”

Her words are true in addressing the issue of pay disparity everywhere, not just in Hollywood.

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

He can be reached at www. davidwmarshallauthor.com.

Rev. Dr. R.B. Holmes, Jr.

◆◆◆

Continued from page 4A As entertainment stars, Black actresses have shown their greatest talent in every film genre, from musicals, dramas, romance, and comedies.

Many of them, such as Viola Davis, Angela Bassett, Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Halle Berry, Alfre Woodard, Whoopi Goldberg, Kerry Washington, Cicely Tyson, Loretta Devine, Mo’Nique, Nia Long, and others have achieved starpower comparable to their white male and female counterparts. Yet, many

Photo: Courtesy

Arlington National Cemetery To Relocate Confederate Monument

By Rosaland Tyler Associate Editor New Journal and Guide

Arlington National Cemetery will soon remove a Confederate monument that shows a Confederate soldier grasping an infant with a slave woman, whose own child clings to the hem of her dress.

Despite GOP opposition, the U.S. Army recently announced plans to remove the monument from its 32-foot pedestal.

Characterizing the monument as a “mythologized vision of the Confederacy (that contains) highly sanitized depictions of slavery,” the monument will be relocated to New Market Battlefield State, located about 100 miles west of Arlington.

Although 44 Republican lawmakers objected to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin removing the monument, and demanded that all removal efforts cease, workers will remove the memorial’s bronze elements and leave its granite base in place to avoid damaging nearby gravesites, officials said.

The U.S. Army is required to comply with a law to identify and remove assets that commemorate the Confederacy. A congressional commission had previously decided the memorial met the criteria for removal. The task will cost $3 million.

The monument’s removal and the renaming of several U.S. military bases marks a significant moment in the Defense Department’s mission to cleanse the U.S. military of Confederate iconography.

(The text that follows is taken from the Arlington National Cemetery website.)

The monument was unveiled in 1914, and was designed by noted American sculptor Moses Jacob Ezekiel, a Confederate veteran and the first Jewish graduate of Virginia Military Institute.

The elaborately designed monument stands on a 32-foot-tall pedestal, a bronze, classical female figure, crowned with olive leaves, represents the American South. She holds a laurel wreath, a plow stock and a pruning hook, with a Biblical inscription at her feet: “They have beat their swords into plough-shares and their spears into pruning hooks.”

The statue stands on a pedestal with four cinerary urns, one for each year of the war, and is supported by a frieze with 14 shields, one for each of the 11 Confederate states and the border states of Maryland, Kentucky and Missouri. Thirty-two life-sized figures depict mythical gods alongside Southern soldiers and civilians.

Two of these figures are portrayed as African-American: an enslaved woman depicted as a “Mammy,” holding the infant child of a white officer, and an enslaved man following his owner to war.

The image of the faithful slave, embodied in the two figures on the memorial, appeared widely in American popular culture during the 1910s through 1930s, perhaps most famously in the 1939 film “Gone with the Wind.”

students in Florida’s public schools. Moreover, we will develop forty (40) plus “Freedom Schools” by 2025. We will not sit idly by and allow any governor to erase the accurate teaching of Black history.

The Objectives of “The Teaching Our Own History” Task Force are as follows: 1. To encourage the accurate and unbiased teaching of AfricanAmerican history, culture, experiences and invaluable contributions in the state of Florida and this nation 2. To develop strategies and solutions to support and strengthen public education in marginalized communities

3. To develop and adequately support 40 Freedom Academies across the state of Florida 4. To create significant after school programs for students in Title One schools in marginalized communities across the state of Florida, using an age-appropriate AfricanAmerican History Curriculum to strengthen reading, writing and mathematics skills 5. To create summer “Freedom Schools” to teach youth the importance of AfricanAmerican contributions, self-respect, and personal responsibility 6. To empower and encourage the three private HBCUs in Florida to develop laboratory schools on their respective campuses by 2025 7. To cultivate and create partnerships with foundations, businesses and philanthropists

to support programs and events that consistently celebrate the contributions of African-American history, culture, literature, faith and heritage We all must redouble our efforts to fight for social justice, voting rights, civil rights, diversity, equity and inclusion. The dismantling of programs of diversity, equity and inclusion is shameful and insulting.

Over the next several weeks, selected members of “The Teaching Our Own History” Task Force will publish articles for dissemination through The National Black Press, addressing the critical components for teaching our own history.

I encourage our readers to enthusiastically engage in meaningful discussions in their various constituent groups and organizations as we “speak truth to power.”

LOCAL VOICES

Celebrating Dr. King On His 95th Birthday & The Nation’s 38th King Holiday

By John L. Horton Again, it is time to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday, who would have been 95 on January 15, 2024. Since his death on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee, so much has changed, and yet, so much has remained the same. The King holiday serves as a time for reflection, community service, and the celebration of King’s contributions to the civil rights movement.

Officially, King was born on January 15, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia.

However, the King holiday is observed every year on the third Monday in January. The King holiday was first observed January 20, 1986, 38 years ago, after being signed into law by President Ronald Reagan.

King would be proud of present day AfricanAmerican achievements, especially in the political and governmental arenas.

Today, thanks to the present Democratic Party, there are significant and influential African-Americans in place, which reflects the overall, generic population of America.

For example: Kamala Harris, Vice President of the United States; Ketanji Brown Jackson, Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court; Lloyd J. Austin III, Secretary of Defense; Lisa DeNell Cook, first AfricanAmerican woman and first woman of color to sit on the Federal Reserve Board of Directors/Federal Reserve Governor; Congressional Black Caucus, 59 Members between the House and Senate.

In memory and celebration of King, we must continue to live “the dream.” We must continue to honor King’s memory and legacy by becoming (re)acquainted with his fight for social justice, political fairness, and economic equity. Even today, much of this work remains to be done for the overall African-American community. Over the past several decades, AfricanAmericans have come far; however, they still have a great distance to overcome.

Inasmuch, I am sure that King would encourage us to resolve the social, political and economic challenges that buffet us.

He would remind us of individual responsibility, family stability, group cohesion and collective

How I wish Dr. King were still alive! But, he’s not. However, his teachings, sacrifices and contributions will John L. Horton always be with us. empowerment. And, he would remind us that many of the answers and solutions lie within us as a people.

King would inspire us to be optimistic and positive about ourselves. Moreover, King would emphasize the uplifting philosophy and psychology of life and reality that we must fervently follow the “Socratic Wisdom” that a life unexamined is not worth living ... and he would encourage us to always do the best that we can for ourselves and others.

King would demand that we empower ourselves (individuals, families and communities) by acquiring social competence and life survival skills of a positive and beneficial nature: literacy and education improvement, work and entrepreneurial attainment, political involvement, crime and drug-free lifestyles, overall personal and familial betterment, and the like.

He would remind us that we are standing on the backs and shoulders of those who have gone before us. In essence, we must continue the “good fight,” for failure is not an option. King would remind us that we are the “masters of our fates ... and the captains of our souls ...”

Just as importantly, King would motivate and inspire us with the most powerful words in the universe: “If it is to be, it is up to me!” Yes, he would! Also, King would encourage us to show a willingness to know something, to be smart, to be curious, and to be willing to learn and accomplish a lot more.

While the world we inhabit may not be all fair or just, we must be willing to try and try and try… In short, we must learn to give life our utmost effort and perform at our maximum capacity.

If King were alive, he

would stress the need for building a foundation of empowerment for teaching individuals, families and communities how to tap the power within, rather than depending on handouts and the goodwill of others.

Accordingly, he would emphasize the importance of family as the original and best departments of health, education, welfare, and salvation.

Simply stated, we cannot reasonably expect others to do those things that we should do for ourselves.

Over the years, many of our greatest and most influential AfricanAmerican leaders (Dubois, Washington, Bethune, Robeson, etc.) have espoused these philosophies and principles for motivating and uplifting AfricanAmericans.

Now that we know pretty much what King would think and do about our present circumstances, it is up to us to get the job done for ourselves. In short, we must not only “talk the talk, but walk the walk.”

If we do this, anything is possible! Therefore, let us work harder and strategize smarter as a cohesive and collaborative people so that we might progress to our rightful place in this society and the larger world. Yes, we can!

How I wish Dr. King were still alive! But, he’s not. However, his teachings, sacrifices and contributions will always be with us. Let us draw from his legacy and achieve his “dream” for all of us. There is no better way to show respect, dedication and appreciation for King and his “dream.” Therefore, let us “live the dream” to its maximum potential and fullest achievement. This we can do! This we must do!

John L. Horton is a retired U.S. Marine and resides in Norfolk, Va.

New Journal and Guide

6A | January 4, 2024 - January 10, 2024

MANAGING MENTAL HEALTH

U.S. Senator Thought AFTER BATTLING YOUTH DEPRESSION, VSU GRAD HELPS His Seeking Mental OTHERS WITH DEPRESSION Health Treatment Would

By Rosaland Tyler Associate Editor New Journal and Guide

Instead of becoming a young Black suicidal statistic as a result of depression at age 13, Brandon Anderson became the best kind of statistic when he recently crossed the stage at Virginia State University and picked up his diploma at commencement.

Anderson not only graduated with a business degree on Dec. 16, he received a full scholarship that will help him pursue a master’s degree in computer science at Virginia State. He also heads a company that helps people, especially young children, cope with depression, develop coping skills and make lifestyle changes that improve their overall wellbeing. He is a role model to many.

Anderson was only seven when his mother died from a thyroid illness that led to a fatal heart attack. His father was incarcerated until he reached age 18. He grew up a ward of the state and lived with his aunt.

Growing up, Anderson says he was depressed, and even had contemplated suicide. In high school, he visited Virginia State University under a college prep program called Go to High School, Go to College. It is sponsored by Virginia State’s Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity.

“That’s when everything started to change for me,” Anderson said in

Brandon Anderson

Brandon Anderson not only graduated with a business degree on Dec. 16, he received a full scholarship that will help him pursue a master’s degree in computer science at Virginia State. a recent statement on the university’s website.

“VSU’s programs allowed me to see that there was a better way to live. Virginia State University saved my life.”

Anderson’s depression lifted after he visited Virginia State’s campus and enrolled in the Upward Bound program for high school students.

After graduating from high school, he attended a community college

for a short time until his finances ran out, requiring him to enter the workforce.

In 2019, he went on to hold several positions with the Department of Defense in Ohio, where he entered and graduated from a community college with a 3.85 GPA. At age 33, Anderson returned to Virginia and enrolled in Virginia State’s Reginald F. Lewis College of Business. Soon, he launched his own business

with support from the university’s programs..

This means Anderson, now 35, is the best kind of statistic, due to the fact that he owns and operates a wellness company, BXclusive Fitness and Nutrition. He continues to help young people experiencing mental health issues.

“I found a sense of family and a support system at Virginia State that has allowed me to help others that have also faced difficult obstacles,” said Anderson, who graduated with a 4.0 GPA, and is the first in his family to graduate from college.

“VSU has allowed me to be who I am. My heart is here, so I’m not going anywhere.”

In addition to starting his own business while at Virginia State University, Anderson also tutored K-12 students interested in STEM, participated in the FBI Cyber Collegiate Academy, and represented VSU at the 2023 HBCU Battle of the Brains and the Thurgood Marshall Leadership Institute in 2022 and 2023.

Dr. Makola M. Abdullah, who heads Virginia State, said in a recent statement on the school’s website, “Brandon Anderson’s story is one of hard work, determination, and perseverance in the face of overwhelming adversity.”

Virginia State has a history of helping its students overcome social, economic, and mental hardships, Abdullah said.

“Greater Happens Here at VSU.”

Destroy His Career

WASHINGTON, D.C. Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) assumed it would destroy his career if he revealed his mental health challenges--but his assumption was wrong.

Instead, it became “a career boon to talk about these kinds of topics,” Fetterman recently told NBC’s Kristen Walker on “Meet the Press.” He urged others who are experiencing mental health issues to seek help. Fetterman was treated for clinical depression at Walter Reed National Medical Center in February.

“Well, when – when it got released where I was and where it was going, it was – it was a big story,” he said.

“And so, I had assumed that that would be the end of my career. And I don’t know what that – what kind of impact that would have on my family or anything, so I – I really didn’t know what would happen at that point.”

Fetterman said his depression symptoms worsened after he won the 2022 election. He experienced problems getting out of bed. Worse, he did not want to travel to Washington, D.C. for his January 2023 congressional orientation.

According to The Hill, “He told Welker that he ultimately decided to check himself in for treatment because he began to have

Photo: Courtesy

Sen. John Fetterman

Sen. Fetterman was treated for clinical depression at Walter Reed National Medical Center in February. ‘dark conversations’ with himself about self-harm. He mentioned that a colleague of his took her own life the day before the interview, adding that he hopes he can help others by speaking up about his own struggles.”

Whether you live in a red or blue county, you “know somebody or love somebody that struggles from this kind of an issue,” he said.

866-903-3787

New Journal and Guide

January 4, 2024 - January 10, 2024 | 7A

Two days after he was fatally shot Carter trying to break up a dispute in front Continued from page 1A of the Triple C Convenience store on Lindenwood Avenue, three people At night, the colorful memorial intermixed with were arrested and charged with the traditional decorative Christmas lights residents the death of its owner, 84-year-old of Lindenwood adorned their homes with this time James Carter, a generous, outgoing of year.

The deadly event community icon. darkened the festive mood of the community. On a mild Christmas Eve at sunset, the hundreds of residents joined people from all over the city and region in one of the largest candlelight vigils organized this year in front of the “Triple C” convenience store on Lindenwood Avenue, Along with family and friends, Norfolk Mayor Kenneth C. Alexander recalled the life of Mr. Carter and noted his legacy as a mentor and private businessman, a man people respected.

Called “Pop” by family and friends who knew him, Carter was called the “Grandfather of Norfolk.”

Kevin Carter, the deceased man’s oldest son, said it’s difficult to put into words what his father meant to him.

“I’m really hurting on the inside, and I try to be strong, and I try to stay strong for my brothers and sisters,” Kevin said.

He also called the loss devastating and unnecessary.

“My father got shot down breaking up an argument,” he said. “He put himself in front of his customers so nobody else could get hurt.”

“He was a family man,” Georgia Carter said.

“He was a hardworking individual. He would give his heart out to a lot of people,” she said.

Carter had attended the annual joint Lindenwood/ Barraud Park and Cottage

Heights Civic Christmas Social just eight days before his death. Hosted by the League’s Executive Board at Mt. Olive Baptist Church, it took place a few blocks from his small white-brick building, which housed his convenience store.

During the event, the President of the Civic League acknowledged Carter’s attendance, which triggered a round of loud applause.

Rev. Howard LeMell, one of the Board members, sat next to Carter during the event. He said he recalls Carter from the late 1960s. LeMall was a young Navy man who had just gotten married and lived in the Highland Park section of Norfolk.

Lamell recalled that Carter operated the 1400 Club at 38th and Parker Streets in Lambert’s Point, a favorite and lively watering hole of civilians and servicemen alike.

LeMell, now 77, and his wife, Lillian, are on the Board. He said Carter’s small store was the only convenience store in Lindenwood proper.

“He was an institution in Norfolk and especially Lindenwood,” said LeMell, a native of Texas, a pastor, and a retired electrician. “He was a businessman and would help anyone, young and old, and people he did not know. It is so sad and tragic the way he died. He will be missed.”

A Norfolk native, Carter, who lived in the Poplar Hall area from Norfolk, was a retired railroad breakman. He also was a Longshoreman at one point in his life.

During the Social, Carter sat between LeMell and another Board member, Irene Pitchford, a longtime resident of Barraud Park.

Like many others, Pitchford recalled Carter’s long history as an entrepreneur, how she frequently patronized his Merrimac Market on Norchester Avenue in the Broad Creek section of Norfolk to buy meat and other items.

“I was hurt and shocked when I heard about James,” said Pitchford, a former Norfolk City employee.

“He was having such a good time at our Christmas Social.

That was the last time I sat and talked with him.”

“If anyone needed help, you could rely on James,” said Pitchford. “He was a generous, thoughtful, and kind man. They don’t make them like James Carter anymore.”

“A few people complained about it at times. But James had the only store in Lindenwood,” she continued. “He had some of everything like bobby pins. They are hard to find. If he did not have it, James Carter would have gone out and found it. He loved his customers, and

they loved him. He will be missed.”

Norfolk Councilperson John “JP” Paige, (Ward 4) does not represent Lindenwood on council.

But he recalls that Carter gave him and a rap group he performed for their

first big break at a club he owned called the Casablanca in Norfolk in 1984.

“He was an incredible individual, and businessman who stayed in our community and served our community,”

Paige said.

“Many people found their way because of him. I recall many families went into Merrimac Market to get food to feed their families and Mr. Carter helped them. He will be missed and loved.”

News

companies. Anti-blackness is alive and well. The struggle continues.

6.

Police violence: Nobody covers police violence better than Roland Martin, who very frequently highlights incidents of police violence that don’t make the national headlines. Just because it isn’t on the front page of the New York Times doesn’t mean it isn’t happening.

Kudos to Roland for constantly lifting this up and to attorney Ben Crump for working with the families of those massacred at the hands of rabid police officers. Justice delayed is not always justice denied. Thanks to Assistant Attorney General Kristin Clark, many of these massacres are being aggressively investigated.

7. Immigration reform and border control: Have been unfinished business since 1986, but the former President has denigrated and misrepresented immigrants.

There’s no easy solution to immigration. How do we deport millions who are now part of the fabric of our lives? How do we absorb the people at our borders who are only looking for a better way of life? How do we balance the needs of those coming in with those already here?

Cities like Chicago and New York struggle to accommodate those whose putrid governors (like Texas’ Greg Abbott) are shipping people to those states. Jingoistic rhetoric doesn’t help a pressing issue.

With Orange Man acolytes running the Congress, any solution seems grim, if not impossible.

8. Israel: People in the United States are firmly divided on how our country deals with the Middle East.

It goes without saying that Hamas was wrong in its attack on Israel, which resulted in between 1,200 and 1400 deaths and the taking of more than 200 hostages.

It should also go without saying that the attack was a function of the apartheid state Palestinians were forced into, the land loss that they experienced, and the desperation that many felt. Wading into this conflict is like touching kryptonite. If you say the wrong thing, you’re dead.

But while it is essential to condemn Hamas, it is also important to acknowledge their motivation. There must be a cease-fire. The hostages must be released.

The United States must be much more measured in our approach.

9.

Labor Power: Organized labor stepped up and showed out with strikes from the United Auto Workers, Los Angeles teachers and ancillary workers, and actors and writers in the entertainment industry. It’s essential to Black folks because when we are organized, we make about a third more Black folks who aren’t organized.

Economic issues have radicalized workers who thought they had no power.

Now, as the economy tilts against workers, organizing tilts toward them.

Fasten your seat belts, y’all. 2023 left us with much in the trunk for 2024. May we use this election year to struggle for economic and social justice?

Continued from page 1A Look – he lost the 2020 election and inspired an insurrection.

He’s been indicted 91 times and is unfit for public office, but his hard-right supporters, including many Congressional Republicans, are too afraid of his influence to speak up. Can he win in 2024? Unless we invest in record turnout, very possibly.

4.

Anti-blackness in education and legislation: While the mainstream media won’t cover this much, it is alarming that 44 states have introduced legislation to restrict teaching about race.

More than 1600 books have been banned, including works by luminaries like Toni Morrison and Alice Walker. Couple this with the efforts of Edward Blum to dismantle affirmative action, going so far as to sue the government, the private sector, and even African American women who have developed racespecific efforts. This effort isn’t going away.

Conservative foundations fund Blum’s efforts. These very predatory capitalists used racism to build their fortunes and now want to eliminate the use of race in repairing the racial wealth gap.

5.

Additionally, there have been constant attacks on DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion): Efforts exist at universities, government organizations, and private

New Journal and Guide

8A | January 4, 2024 - January 10, 2024

Icons Continued from page 1A

The world said goodbye to Harry Belafonte, a singer, actor, and staunch civil rights activist. Belafonte’s lifetime of activism transformed the arts while advocating for civil rights,

Turner’s impact on the music industry and her boundless passion for life captivated millions worldwide.

• Andre Braugher: Acclaimed Actor (19622023) The acting community bid farewell to Andre Braugher, an acclaimed actor known for his roles in “Homicide” and “Brooklyn-Nine-Nine.”

Braugher’s extraordinary Harry Belafonte talent earned acclaim, particular as Det. Frank Pembleton on “Homicide.” leaving an enduring legacy.

Nominated for an Emmy • Richard Hunt: Visionary 11 times, Braugher won the Sculptor and Art Pioneer award four times.

(1935-2023) The art world bid farewell to Richard Hunt, a trailblazing sculptor and the first Black artist to receive a solo retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.

With over 160 public sculptures across the U.S., Hunt’s seven-decade career left an indelible mark on contemporary art, influencing generations.

• George McGinnis: Indiana Basketball Legend Andre Braugher (1951-2023) • Harry Belafonte: Indiana mourned the loss Singer, Actor, and Civil of basketball legend George Rights Activist (1927- McGinnis, whose impact 2023) on the sport spanned from

his All-American days at Indiana University to his championship runs with the Pacers. McGinnis will be remembered as a symbol of Hoosier basketball excellence.

• Jean Knight: Soulful Songstress and GrammyNominated Artist (19432023) The soulful voice behind “Mr. Big Stuff,” Jean Knight, passed away, leaving a void in the world of R&B. Knight’s legacy extends beyond her musical achievements.

• George “Funky” Brown: Kool & The Gang Drummer and Songwriter (1949-2023) The rhythmic heartbeat of Kool & The Gang, George “Funky” Brown, left an indelible mark with his contributions to iconic songs like “Celebration” and “Ladies Night.”

Brown’s musical genius and resilience were evident even in the face of a battle with stage-4 cancer.

• D.J. Hayden: Former NFL Cornerback and Athlete (1989-2023) Tragedy struck the sports world with the untimely death of former NFL cornerback D.J. Hayden.

The car crash that claimed his life has left the sports community in shock.

Hayden’s athleticism and contributions to the game will be remembered.

• C-Knight (Arnez Blount): Rapper and “Cha

Christmas Morning Blaze Engulfs Beyoncé’s Childhood Home

By Stacy M. Brown

averting potential injuries Senior National Correspondent or worse.

Beyoncé’s family @StacyBrownMedia reportedly purchased the residence on the 2400 block NNPA NEWSWIRE A Christmas morning fire of Rosedale in 1982, and broke out at the childhood the megastar herself resided home of global music there until the age of five. icon Beyoncé Knowles- Notably, the home gained Carter. Authorities said renewed attention when the incident happened Beyoncé took photographs at around 2 a.m. on of the property during her Monday at the home in the visit to Houston for the historic Riverside Terrace Renaissance World Tour.

The now-damaged house, neighborhood of Houston.

According to local built in 1946, served as a news affiliates, a prompt backdrop to the singer’s response from the Houston formative years and has Fire Department, arriving been featured in various at the two-story brick films and documentaries house within three to five celebrating the artist’s life.

Jack May, a neighbor minutes, prevented further devastation. District Chief living nearby, told KHOUJustin Barnes said the TV he witnessed the flames flames were successfully and emergency crews at contained within 10 work. “My first thought was minutes of their arrival, they have little children, so

we came out, and there was no indication that there was any tragedy, so we watched and prayed for the best,” May said.

“We have Beyoncé tourists here all the time; it’s bizarre,” May said.

“This house was for sale in ’93, which was when the Knowles moved out, and we took a look at it but ultimately didn’t go forward with it.”

For the family living in the home, now displaced, May hopes the Christmas morning fire doesn’t draw additional fanfare.

“Oh, I hope [it draws] less people – there’s nothing to see today that you couldn’t see yesterday or six months from now,” he said.

The cause of the blaze remains under investigation.

Cha Slide” Creator (19712023) The hip-hop community lost a creative force with the passing of C-Knight, known for birthing the international dance craze with the “Cha Cha Slide.”

His legacy lives on through the rhythmic beats that brought joy to countless dance floors, making him a lasting presence in music.

• Walter Davis: NBA AllStar and UNC Basketball Legend (1954-2023) UNC basketball mourned the loss of one of its finest players, Walter Davis, a two-time All-ACC honoree and NBA All-Star.

Davis, whose basketball prowess extended from the 1976 USA Olympic team to an illustrious NBA career, remains a symbol of skill and sportsmanship.

• Bertie Bowman: Capitol Hill Veteran with a Legacy of Service (19312023) Capitol Hill bid farewell to Bertie Bowman, whose more than 60 years of service spanned roles from custodial to politically significant.

Colleagues and the Capitol community will remember his legacy as a dedicated public servant.

• Rudolph Isley: Founding Father of The Isley Brothers (1938-2023) The music world said goodbye to Rudolph Isley, a founding member of The Isley Brothers.

His musical genius and timeless contributions to the industry, including hits like “Shout” and “Twist and Shout,” cemented the Isley Brothers’ place in music history.

• Hughes Van Ellis: Tulsa Race Massacre Survivor and WWII Veteran (19212023) The nation bid farewell to Hughes Van Ellis, one of the last surviving witnesses of the Tulsa Race Massacre. A proud US Army veteran who fought alongside the British in WWII, Ellis symbolized resilience and a living connection to a crucial chapter in American history.

• Zoleka Mandela: Granddaughter of Nelson Mandela (1980-2023) South Africa mourned the loss of Zoleka Mandela, Nelson Mandela’s granddaughter. Her battle with cancer came to an end, leaving behind a legacy intertwined with the struggle for justice and freedom.

• Clarence Avant: “The Black Godfather” of Music (1931-2023) The music industry lost a true legend with the passing of Clarence Avant, known as “The Black Godfather.”

Those he inspired will always recognize Avant’s contribution to the entertainment industry.

multifaceted icon with the passing of Jim Brown, a football legend, activist, and actor.

Brown’s influence extended beyond the field, making him a prominent figure in popular culture.

• Vida Blue: MLB Pitcher and World Series Champion (1949-2023) Baseball mourned the loss of Vida Blue, a former MLB pitcher who led the Oakland Athletics to three consecutive World Series victories in the 1970s.

• Tori Bowie: Olympic Gold Medalist in Track and Field (1990-2023) The world of athletics lost Tori Bowie, an Olympic gold medalist in track and field. The track and field community celebrates Bowie’s remarkable achievements and impact on the sport.

Clarence Avant • Sheila Oliver: New Jersey Lieutenant Governor (1952-2023) New Jersey mourned the loss of Lt. Governor Sheila Oliver, the first Black woman to serve in a statewide elected position.

Oliver’s dedication to public service and pioneering role in New Jersey’s political landscape will be remembered.

• John Beasley: Actor and Activist (1943-2023) Best known for his roles on Everwood and The Soul Man, died at 79. The actor died after being hospitalized in his hometown of Omaha, Nebraska, after his health took an “unexpected turn for the worst” following testing on his liver, according to reports.

• Jim Brown: Football Legend, Activist, and Actor (1936-2023) The sports and entertainment world lost a

Tori Bowie • Willis Reed: NBA Hall of Famer and Knicks Legend (1942-2023) In basketball, fans mourned the loss of Willis Reed, an NBA Hall of Famer, and iconic Knicks captain. His contributions to the sport, including leading the Knicks to two NBA championships, made him a basketball legend.

• Lola Chantrelle “Gangsta Boo” Mitchell: Rapper (1979-2023) Memphis and the hiphop community mourned the loss of Gangsta Boo, one-third of the awardwinning R&B trio 702.

Many others were also lost in 2023, and though they are too numerous to print, they are also fondly recalled, and their contributions are not forgotten.

Tina Turner

WIN TICKETS TO SANCTUARY ROAD

New Journal and Guide will award 10 sets (two admissions each set) to the acclaimed African-American opera “Sanctuary Road” coming to the Harrison Opera House Jan. 26, 2024 and Jan. 28, 2024.

E-mail your answer to the question at right by 12 midnight January 15, 2024 to enter the contest. Winners will be selected randomly and notified by return e-mail on January 16, 2024.

Contest answer will be posted in our January 18, 2024 issue.

QUESTION: Where was abolitionist William Still headquartered?

Send Your Answer To njguide@gmail.COM

By January 15, 2024.

New Journal and Guide

January 4, 2024 - January 10, 2024 | Section B

SECTION B NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR TO KEYNOTE URBAN LEAGUE’S MLK BREAKFAST

By Rosaland Tyler Associate Editor New Journal and Guide

Author Clint Smith will deliver the keynote address at the 40th annual Urban League of Hampton Roads MLK breakfast that will be held on Jan. 15, at the Virginia Beach Convention Center, starting at 8 a.m. Dollar Tree is co-sponsoring the annual community awards breakfast.

Smith’s keynote address will include research from his New York Times bestseller, “How the Word is Passed.”

You may discover a fact or two about your own ancestry since Smith began his research in Petersburg. Soon, he uncovered little-known facts at Petersburg’s Blandford Cemetery, Monticello, Louisiana’s Whitney Plantation, and Galveston Island, located about 50 miles from Houston. Smith

Clint Smith also gathered information at Goree Island located off the coast of Senegal, where tens of thousands of Africans were transformed into American slaves.

“I didn’t know where this book would take me,” Smith said in a June 2021 phone interview with the New York Times. “I thought I was going to write a chapter on Civil War battlefields, so I went to Petersburg, Va., and went

on a tour, walked around and asked people about their experiences. One of them said, ‘You should go to this Confederate cemetery down the road.’ I’d never heard of it.’”

The keynote speaker’s bestseller is about how individuals remember or misremember slavery. His book relies on information he gathered in nine places from October 2017 through

February 2020.

“From the moment enslaved people arrived on these shores, they were fighting for freedom,” Smith told the New York Times. “The vast majority of people who fought for freedom never got a chance to experience it for themselves. But they fought for it anyway, because they knew that someday, someone would. What kind of responsibility does that bestow upon us? To attempt to build the sort of world that we might not see ourselves, because that’s what was done for us.”

Smith is a Harvard graduate.

He is also a staff writer for The Atlantic. His work has appeared in The New Yorker.

He has won several awards including the 2017 Literary Award for Best Poetry Book, as well as an NAACP Image Award.

DEADLINE APPROACHING TO APPLY FOR VIRGINIA HBCU SCHOLARS FELLOWSHIPS

By New Journal and Guide Staff If you are interested in researching a well-known or little-known topic about Virginia’s HBCUs, apply for a Virginia Humanities Fellowship by Jan. 21.

Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation funds these annual fellowships through a major grant via Virginia Humanities, a Charlottesvilleheadquartered nonprofit that has supported research on the state’s history and culture for nearly 50 years.

Last year, nine new fellows received Virginia HBCU awards. In 2022, 19

new fellows received the awards.

During the past two years, Virginia HBCU Scholars Fellowships have been awarded to writers, independent scholars, community historians, and college and university faculty.

Yahusef Medina, who launched the program in 2022, said in a statement after the 2023 fellows were announced in June, “We are excited about the opportunities arising as a result of the work our scholars are doing and look forward to the continued impact their research will have on the humanities and academia more broadly.”

Last years’ fellowship recipients

included faculty from Hampton and Norfolk State, as well as writers and researchers from Charlottesville, the University of Virginia, Crozet and Midlothian.

These new fellows are “uncovering new stories that are vital to understanding who we are as Virginians,” Sue Perdue, director of Grants and Fellowships and Virginia Humanities’ chief information officer, said after last year’s recipients were announced.

To learn more about Virginia Humanities’ fellowship programs, visit VirginiaHumanities.org/ fellowships.

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Slavery In Virginia BLACK MEN ROCK AWARDS AND Is January 13th Topic SCHOLARSHIP BALL HELD IN SUFFOLK For Genealogy Society

Special to the New Journal and Guide

On Sunday, December 10, 2023, the Hilton Garden Inn Suffolk Riverfront in Suffolk, Virginia, was alive with a sense of achievement and celebration as the Black Men Rock Image Awards & Scholarship Ball marked its 10th anniversary. This momentous occasion not only honored accomplished Black men from diverse fields but also paid tribute to the enduring legacy of the late Jacobby Debouvier of Suffolk, who dedicated his life to recognizing and celebrating excellence within the community.

The event, meticulously planned and hosted by Latrese B. Carter of Faithwalk Productions, and co-hosted by celebrity make-up artist Wil Strayhorn, brought together an impressive list of honorees from various industries. The distinguished individuals recognized for their outstanding contributions included Paul Arnold, James D Brinkley III, Willie Brown, Hasani Chapman, JustCordell, Bishop Keith L. Curry, Troy Edwards, Pastor Joseph Fleming, Michael Frye, Arrington Gavin, Adrian A. Gentry, Mayor Shannon Glover, Dwayne Godwin, Joe Harmon, Tony Harold, Henry Harris, Michael Harris, Malique Hawkins, Niclous Howard, Dana S.

Hubbard, Damien “Snoop” Joyce, Cletus Kassady, Dutch RicLamar, Michael LeMelle, Trevor Lucas, Roderick D. Madison, Andre McLaughlin, Dr. Richard D. Myles Sr., Dr. Cardell Patillo Jr., Mikey Jay, Tavaris Powell, Darrell Redmond, Brandon Roberts, LaShawn Rodgers Sr., Bishop C. Vernie Russell Jr., Eugene Swinson, Cory Taylor, Markus Turner, Ronnie C. Wilson, Dominic Wright, and Glen Yearling.

The distinguished guests in attendance included the Mayor of Suffolk, Mike Duman, and other elected officials, such as Vice Mayor of Portsmouth Lisa Lucas-Burke and 77th District Virginia State Delegate Cliff Hayes. The atmosphere was charged with excitement and anticipation as the evening unfolded.

Sergeant Major Hasani Chapman, stationed at Ft. Belvoir in Virginia, was the recipient of the first award of the night. A touching moment ensued as he stood on stage, completely unaware that he was an honoree. Adding to the surprise, his father, a former Green Beret, had submitted a congratulatory video from Georgia, which played for all to witness, capturing the essence of familial pride and honor.

In addition to recognizing excellence, the Black Men Rock Image Awards & Scholarship Ball is

As the event came to a close, the legacy of Jacobby Debouvier and the spirit of celebration lived on ... committed to investing in the future. Two $500 scholarship pledges were awarded to the 2022 and 2023 scholarship recipients, Jaden Smith, a student at Howard University, and Jaiden Charles, a recent graduate of Indian River High School. The ongoing collection of donations for the scholarship underscores the event’s commitment to empowering the next generation.

The evening unfolded with captivating performances from Gail Harts Performing Arts Academy, who brought energy and vibrancy to the celebration. Dr. Peggy Britt, known as the “Queen,” set the tone with her soulful rendition of the Black National Anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” a powerful homage to the resilience and strength of the Black community.

Live performances by Romonta Allen, Titus Jackson, Lavoris Pace, Michael LeMelle, Dasianae Cross, and Candance Walton added a dynamic touch to the celebration, creating a lively and engaging atmosphere. Awards were presented by the esteemed Ms. Juneteenth Sunshine

Huggins, with past Black Men Rock Image Award recipients, including Phil Nelson, Ike Owens, Keith Cephus, Bryant Murphy, Alvin Keels, Terrance Afer-Anderson, and Raymond Colson, serving as presenters.

This Bridgerton-inspired event was a feast for the senses, leaving nothing to be desired. From the soulfood dinner to the sweet potato cake, the celebration of Black excellence was experienced throughout the night. The 10th-anniversary celebration of the Black Men Rock Image Awards & Scholarship Ball not only honored the achievements of exceptional Black men but also showcased the community’s commitment to unity, empowerment, and the pursuit of excellence.

As the event came to a close, the legacy of Jacobby Debouvier and the spirit of celebration lived on, ensuring that the Black Men Rock Image Awards & Scholarship Ball will continue to be a beacon of inspiration for years to come.

MIDDLE PENINSULA Middle Peninsula AfricanAmerican Genealogical and Historical Society (MPAAGHS) will hold its monthly meeting virtually on Saturday, January 13, 2024, at 11 a.m. Eastern Time. The meeting will feature a talk by historian Alan S. Taylor about his book, The Internal Enemy: Slavery and War in Virginia, 1772-1832. This searing story of slavery and freedom in the Chesapeake reveals the pivot in the nation’s path between the founding and civil war, with an emphasis on the impact that enslaved people in Virginia had on the War of 1812.

The Internal Enemy: Slavery and War in Virginia, 1772-1832 addresses the paradoxical and complex subject of slavery in a state dedicated to ideals of liberty and freedom yet that still enslaved two-fifths of its population. As the book’s title suggests, white Virginians viewed their enslaved populations as an “internal enemy,” enticed by the British to run away from their enslavers and mount an armed rebellion against them during the American Revolution. Therefore, when the British returned to the Chesapeake during the War of 1812, invading plantations

Alan S. Taylor and freeing the enslaved, Virginians faced another wave of fear of this “internal enemy” that further deepened the state’s commitment to slavery in the early decades of the 19th century.

Frederick Douglass recalled that enslaved persons living along the Chesapeake Bay longingly viewed sailing ships as “freedom’s swift-winged angels.” In 1813, those angels appeared in the Bay as British warships coming to punish the Americans for declaring war on the empire.

Hundreds of enslaved persons paddled out to the warships seeking protection from the ravages of slavery.

The runaways pressured the British admirals into becoming liberators. ...see Slavery, page 4B

Golden Voices And Community Servants Honored HAMPTON ROADS Voices of the “Golden Age” of African-American Radio, along with noted personalities of the Hampton Roads community were recently honored during the 20th Annual Presidential Volunteer Lifetime Achievement Award ceremony at the Virginia Beach Central Library.

Sponsored and hosted by The Connectional Ministries and Mission 2000, Inc. and G Paris Media Group under the directorship of Rev. Glenda Kelly Murray, the event honored living and deceased radio pioneers such as the late Daddy “Jack” Holmes and Leola Dyson and living ones such as Chester Benton, Phil Murray and Dale Nelson.

During the event, Radio Announcers or Disc Jockeys (DJs) were feted and as were professionals for their community service such as

Photo: G Paris Media Group and HRBRA.

Honorees: Phil Nelson, Kimberly Jenkins, Frankie Steward (Soul Ranger), Glen Francis, Chester Benton, Terrance Afer-Anderson, Terry Tapp, Colby Heard, and Clarence Neely. businessman Glenn Francis, Leonard E. Colvin, Chief Reporter Emeritus of the New Journal and Guide, Playwright, and thespian Terrance Afer-Anderson.

This event is the prelude to the creation of the Hampton Roads Black Radio

Announcers (HRBRA). The organization will develop a historical record of the careers of the region’s radio personalities. Also, during the event, an Honorary Degree was bestowed upon Phil Nelson, chair of the HRBRA.

LOCAL VOICES

Father, Son & The Holy Ghost

By Sean C. Bowers Father, who at 18, found his father dead on the bathroom floor, Father who was forced to become a man that day he walked through that door Father who brought me, Father who taught me Father who showed me work’s ethics, Father who was larger than life, one of the mythics

Sean C. Bowers

Father instilled in me a dogged desire, Father made me want to lift and take Son won two state championships and myself higher got two college degrees for dad, all for you Father who left my mother to find Son who followed in your footsteps to do himself, for himself, what’s right, Father started street singing becoming Son with writings and poetry, father with his the world’s greatest autoharpist, truly top music, both for less fortunate stand and fight shelf The Holy ghost constantly between the Father who showed me how to be a man, father and the son, Father who through his love fulfilled his The Holy ghost always there guiding part with me in God’s plan protecting us, one on one Son who watched his every move, The Holy ghost enabling the father and the Son who learned to tie his shoes from son, dad’s style, extra smooth The Holy ghost shows the father and the son from both life’s battles lost and won Son followed in dad’s footsteps through the snow, The Holy ghost never a religious focus Son who eventually had to make his own between the father and the son, path, his own way to go The Holy ghost whose watchful eye has always remained on the father and the son and Son who was a bolt of lightening from whose work is never done dad’s finger at fifteen, Son who won the family basketball to the The Holy ghost from both the East and death championship at sixteen West coasts there for the father and the son, The Holy ghost ever more entwined Son who played the top flight college between the father and the son whose life basketball Dad always wanted to, stories of love are in this rhyme, home spun

New Journal and Guide

4B | January 4, 2024 - January 10, 2024

which John wrote in the beginning of this letter.

KNOWING GOD LEADS TO CONFIDENCE IN HIM. Near the end of John’s Gospel he had described its purpose in these words: “these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name” (John 20:31).

Now, in writing to those who are already believers, he states the basic purpose

of this letter: “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13). The Gospel was written to encourage belief; and the letter was written to provide assurance.

John writes to remind Christians that their relationship to God is based on their belief “in the name of the Son of God” (v. 13), which means acknowledging Jesus Christ as God manifest in the flesh and trusting Him for salvation. If they have done this, they may know that they have eternal life.

This confidence also leads to assurance in prayer. They – and we – can be assured that God will answer any prayer request that is asked “according to His will” (vv.

14-15).

KNOWING GOD LEADS TO COMPASSION FOR OTHERS. Verses 16-

MOMENTS of MEDITATION

Published in 2013, The Internal Enemy won the Pulitzer Prize for History, the Merle Curti Prize (OAH), and was a finalist for the National Book Award for non-fiction. The book may be purchased on amazon.com and in local bookstores.

Alan S. Taylor, who holds a Ph.D. from Brandeis University, is a specialist in the early history of the United States who has written extensively about United States colonial history, the American Revolution, and the early American Republic. The author of seven books, he is the winner of numerous awards, including two Pulitzer Prizes and the Bancroft Prize. Since

2014, Dr. Taylor has held the Thomas Jefferson Chair in American History at the University of Virginia. Prior to that time, he was a Professor of History at the University of California, Davis.

MPAAGHS 2024 dues of $25 are now due and may be paid at mpaagenealogicalsociety. org. (Support Us) or by mailing checks made payable to MPAAGHS to MPAAGHS, 4114 Tidewater Trail, Jamaica, VA 23079.

To receive an invitation for this virtual meeting or for further information about MPAAGHS, email mpaaghs.va@ gmail.com or call (804) 651-8753.

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

KNOWING GOD Read: 1 John 5:13-21

In the final nine verses of this letter John uses the word “know” seven times.

He is marshaling a series of statements about God and His ways that believers can know with assurance, All of these are intended to lead them to know God through His Son, Jesus Christ, who gives eternal life. Intellectual proposition about God are important, but only when they lead to that personal encounter with the Word become flesh about

Slavery Continued from page 3B As guides, pilots, sailors, and marines, the formerly enslaved used their intimate knowledge of the countryside to transform the war. They enabled the British to escalate their onshore attacks and to capture and burn Washington, D.C. Drawn from new sources, Dr. Taylor’s riveting narrative recreates the events that inspired Black Virginians, haunted slaveholders, and set the nation on a new and dangerous course.

17 have perhaps been the subject of a greater diversity of interpretation than any other part of this epistle.

We can assume that those who originally received this letter understood what John meant, but it is more difficult for us who are removed from it by many centuries.

We can certainly recognize that the knowledge of God about which John is writing should lead us to compassion for others who are guilty of something that is clearly contrary to divine revelation. This compassion expresses itself through intercessory prayer, unless the sin is of such a nature as to be irremediable. Since we cannot be sure what that is, it would seem best to pray for all our brothers and sisters in Christ, remembering that John did not forbid prayer even when the sin was one that would lead to death.

KNOWING GOD LEADS TO CONTROL BY CHRIST. Earlier in this letter (3:7-10), John wrote about the conflict between the forces of God and the forces of the devil. Now (5:18) he summarizes what he said then. A born-again person “does not continue to sin.” This is the proper translation of the Greek present tense, indicating

that, though a believer may occasionally sin, he/she will not persist in a sinful way of life.

This victory over habitual sin is not a result of our own power. It occurs only because we are under the control of Christ, “the One who was born of God.” We do not keep ourselves safe; it is Christ, the Word become flesh, who keeps us safe as we yield ourselves to His control.

While “the evil one,” Satan, the devil, does not control a true believer in Christ, the believer should remember that Satan, as a lion, seeks through his wiles to ensnare and devour Christ’s followers (cf. 1 Peter 5:8).

KNOWING GOD LEADS TO COMMITMENT TO CHRIST. John’s final assertion of the things that a believer knows (1 John 5:20) is a capsule summary of the Gospel.

Those assertions were doubtless intended to fortify the church against the false teachings of the Gnostics. “The Son of God has come” in the flesh. He was not a phantom. Nor was He a mere man who was temporarily clothe with divine aura, as some

taught.

On the contrary, “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us” (John 1:14). He has “given us understanding” (1 John 5:20). This refers to a mind that can apprehend and accept the reality of the incarnation and its significance in God’s plan of redemption. And for what purpose? “So that we may know Him who is true.” All our intellectual knowledge about God and Christ finds its fulfillment in a personal acquaintance with our Lord.

C O N C L U D I N G EXHORTATION. John’s final exhortation (v. 21), though introduced with an affectionate term, seems somewhat abrupt and almost irrelevant.

Probably what the Apostle had in mind – which his readers would have realized – was the false teaching that he had been combating throughout the letter. To put anything in God’s place, whether it be a material object or a mancentered philosophy, is idolatry. It was supremely important that these believers guard against anything that would lead them away from God. The same is true of us today.

ANDREW SHANNON FEEDING 5000 TO HONOR DR. KING WITH FREE MEALS NEWPORT NEWS The Andrew Shannon FEEDING 5000 will honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with free meals at New Beech Baptist Church on Sunday January 14, 2024 from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. (While supplies last.) This special event is in partnership with New Beech Baptist Church and the Newport News Branch NAACP.

New Beech Baptist Church Pastor Dr. Willard Maxwell, Jr. is the Host. Doc Christian, who will serve as “”DJ” & CoHost, will provide musical entertainment.

Special Guests are Lionel T. Hines, Sr. and New Generation Marching Band.

The event is free and open to the public.

For more information, call (757) 8770792 or (757) 877-4114.

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BOOKWORM REVIEW The Bookworm’s Best of 2023

By Terri Schlichenmeyer

Our Secret Society: Mollie Moon And The Glamour, Money, And Power Behind The Civil Rights Movement

T

he One Percent has everything you do not.

A fancy house in a posh place. Designer clothing, fast cars. Friends in high places that know how to get things done. And money, they have lots of that. The One Percent has it all, and more – and as you’ll see in “Our Secret Society” by Tanisha C. Ford, they once wanted you to have it, too.

Mollie Moon knew what it was like to struggle.

Born in 1907 in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, she and her mother lived in a boardinghouse meant for migrants when Mollie was a baby. Later, Mollie’s new stepfather moved the family to Gary, Indiana, where Mollie witnessed “economic instability” caused by mill shutdowns. When she was ready to attend college, her mother hoped Mollie would become a pharmacist, which was “one of the most prestigious careers a Negro ... could have in the 1920s” but that wasn’t what Mollie wanted.

As a young woman, she left Gary and moved to New York City, to Harlem, hoping to “make a deep social impact.”

There, she met some of Harlem’s elite performers and thinkers, whom she joined in Moscow, then on to Berlin.

Rising Nazi influence forced

“Our Secret Society: Mollie Moon and the Glamour, Money, and Power Behind the Civil Rights Movement”

By Tanisha C. Ford, ©2023, Amistad $32.99, 353 pages Mollie home to New York where she met Henry Lee Moon, who would one day be her third husband.

With the contacts she’d made in her travels, the strategic friendships she enjoyed with both Black and white elites, and the feeling that “Negroes deserved a taste of the good life too,” Mollie honed her skills as a fundraiser for the Harlem Community Arts Center, and then for National Urban League. She and Henry were “a racialjustice power couple” and they used that power to help large organizations to better the lives of Black people all over the country.

As time passed and

viewpoints changed, however, some “found it difficult to define the role Mollie played.”

She still had influence, Ford says, yet “she did not fit the mold of a civil rights leader.”

But someone waiting in the wings did ...

Reading “Our Secret Society” is a little like taking a trip through time.

Author Tanisha C. Ford first transports readers back to a more genteel era when JazzAge folks dressed for dinner, upper-crust youth enjoyed a new permissiveness, and higher-class citizens held salons in their homes to discuss world affairs. Ford makes this seem like a movie script from a period film, and it’s oddly soothing.

But as the world changed, so does Ford’s story and it’s quite fascinating to see how Mollie Moon seized the social power she needed with determination, moving easily across racial boundaries at a time when such boundaries seemed like solid walls.

Given this, it’s with dread that you’ll approach the latter third of this book, as Ford takes readers to the 1960s and a little slippage of Mollie Moon’s influence.

Still, you’ll wish you knew Miss Mollie and for sure, you shouldn’t miss “Our Secret Society.” You need to know about this almosthidden slice of history.

FUN PUZZLE FOR YOUR LEISURE

Sometimes, reading is like a roulette wheel. You put your money down on a book that looks good, and you take your chances. If you’re lucky, you get a good story.

If you grab one of these books, you’ll have a great story ...

is he? The man who cleans Eugene’s room thinks he is, after he falls for Eugene’s tale of love through 1,100 years. This book is a stunner, a great choice for your next book club round.

FICTION

Winter is an excellent time to read “Ice: From Mixed Drinks to Skating Rinks – a Cool History of a Hot Commodity” by Amy Brady (Putnam, $29).

Not only does this book share icy weather facts and information about the stuff you slip on, but it’ll also send you poolside with ice in your summertime drink.

Science-minded readers will love it. Curious readers will, too.

So what do you know about Black history? Don’t answer.

Read “Black AF History: The UnWhitewashed Story of America” by Michael Harriot (Dey Street, $32.50) first. This is an eye-opening book, one that’ll make you wonder why you were never

Almost everybody who had a college friends group harbors a soft spot in your heart for the people in it, and “The Celebrants” by Steve Rowley (Putnam, $28), it’s been years since they’ve all been together. Once, back when they were practically just kids, they planned their maybe-someday funerals.

And now one of them needs to do it, for real. This is a great stay-at-home-and-read book, bookmarks optional.

Imagine starting your life over and over every morning when you wake up.

That’s what Tommy does in “How to Be Remembered”

by Michael Thompson (Sourcebooks Landmark, $16.99) and it took him awhile to understand that that’s the way things were going to be. So how can he keep the woman he loves, without scaring her every morning for the rest of their lives? Beware that this clever, clever book starts out rough – but stick around a few pages, and you’ll be irretrievably hooked.

Although “Again and Again” by Jonathan Evison (Dutton, $28) might sound the same, it’s not. This is the story of Eugene Miles, a curmudgeonly old man who lives in a home for seniors.

Eugene is 105 years old – or

NON-FICTION

told this stuff, one that’ll make you want to read more. Fortunately, that’s not hard: this book is written in a fun way that’ll have you laughing, too.

Here’s a book that may take awhile to read, and you really won’t mind: “Dinner with the President: Food, Politics, and a History of Breaking Bread at the White House”

by Alex Prud’Homme (Knopf, $35). Beginning with George Washington, this book takes a peek at what (almost) every President liked to have on the dinner table, what he served at State Dinners, and the cooks and servers who made sure the meals were well-appointed and nutritious. There’s drama in this tale, insider’s gossip, personality peeks, and more. History lovers, of course, will want this book – but so will foodies and recipe collectors.

There you are. Six books to start your new year off right.

Season’s Readings!

YOU CAN FIND THESE BOOKS AT YOUR LOCAL BOOKSTORE, BARNES & NOBLE AND AMAZON

CLASSIFIEDS INVITATION FOR BIDS

INVITATION FOR BIDS PR2158-158-24

The Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority will receive bids for the “NRHA Oakleaf Forest – Bungalow ADA Conversion.”

The scope of work includes all supervision, labor, materials, and equipment necessary to construct the repairs and alterations to the existing duplex building at 1832 and 1834 Greenleaf Drive Norfolk, VA. 23523. Furnish all labor, materials, and equipment as necessary to complete all work indicated, including, but not limited to: Related finish work and the full scope of work is described in the Contract Documents.

A pre-bid meeting will be conducted on January 11, 2024 at 11:00 AM outside of 1832 Greenleaf Drive Norfolk, VA 23523. All prospective bidders are strongly encouraged to attend.

Please contact Lorenzo Green, NRHA Construction Project Manager (lgreen@nrha.us) for any related questions. All questions must be received on January 18, 2024 at 1:00 PM. Sealed Bids will be received, publicly opened, and read aloud on January 31, 2024, at 11:00 AM local prevailing time at the office of the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority, 910 Ballentine Boulevard, Norfolk, Virginia.

Contract documents will be available for review by appointment only at the NRHA Office of Economic Opportunities, Calvert Square Envision Center, 975 Bagnall Road, Norfolk, VA (please call (757) 314- 2026 to schedule); Builders and Contractors Exchange, Norfolk, VA; and on the Virginia Procurement Website (www.eva.virginia.gov). A thumb drive will be available from NRHA, 910 Ballentine Blvd., Norfolk, VA for the non-refundable price of twelve dollars (Company Check Only).

NRHA provides equal housing and employment opportunities for all persons.

NRHA does not discriminate against any applicant, resident or employee on the basis race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status, disability, source of funds, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, personal appearance, marital status, political affiliation, matriculation, place of residence or business in the admission or access to or operations of programs, services or activities.

NRHA complies with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. An internal grievance procedure is available to resolve complaints. If you feel you have been discriminated against, you have the right to file a complaint of discrimination with the Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity by calling toll free (800) 669-9777.

Qualified individuals who need communication aids, services or other accommodations to participate in programs and activities are invited to make your needs known to 504/ADA Coordinator Corey Brooks at (757) 623-1111, TDD: (800) 545-1833. Please give NRHA seven business days advance notice to meet your needs.

... answers to this week’s puzzle.

New Journal and Guide

January 4, 2024 - January 10, 2024 | 7B

8B | January 4, 2024 - January 10, 2024

New Journal and Guide