Vol. 81 - No. 18

75 CENTS

OMAHA STAR

THE

Lest We Forget…

Proudly Serving Our Community for Over 80 Years

Will Brown

Dedicated to the Service of the People that NO Good Cause Shall Lack a Champion and that Evil Shall Not Go Unopposed

September 28, 1919

Nebraska’s Only Black Owned Newspaper Vol. 81 - No. 18 Omaha, Nebraska

Friday, September 6, 2019

75 cents

Ruth Sokolof Theater to Screen ‘Always in Season’ Sept. 24 Jacqueline Olive’s searing debut film “Always in Season” visits communities and citizens attempting to address America’s violent racial past. The documentary centers on the case of Lennon Lacy. Despite suspicious details, local officials quickly ruled Lennon’s death a suicide, but his mother, Claudia, believes Lennon was lynched. Woven into this difficult story is a diverse group of reenactors, including the adult daughter of a former Ku Klux Klan leader, who annually dramatize a 1946 quadruple lynching to ensure the victims are never forgotten. As the terrorism of the past bleeds into the present, the film asks: What will it take for Americans to begin building a national movement for racial justice and reconciliation?

Presented in collaboration with the Omaha Community Council for Racial Justice and Reconciliation (OCCRJR), UNO Department of Black Studies, Black Votes Matter, Creighton Department of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion, and OPS Equity and Diversity Office, this screening is part of many community events leading up to the Sept. 28 commemoration of the 1919 lynching of Will Brown. This screening will be held Sept. 24 at Film Streams Ruth Sokolof Theater, 1340 Mike Fahey St., at 7 p.m.

The film will be introduced by Christopher Whitt, PhD, Vice Provost for Institutional Diversity and Inclusion at

Will Brown and attend the beautification at Potter’s Field.

Lauren Burris, a high school Junior who won third prize in the BVM tour essay contest, participated in the cleanup. “I talked about how it just wasn’t a lynching like the entire town was pretty much on it, and he was burned and [there] was also more of a political aspect … it was kind of terrorism also,” said Burris. Elementary age children and their parents attended the clean-up as well as an OPS social studies teacher and a UNO student.

The Big Garden provided gloves, tools, and flowers for the project.

Attendees pulled overgrown grass and weeds and planted perennials and wildflower seeds, including Brown-eyed Susans and Forgetme-nots.

A commemoration ceremony, hosted by the Omaha Community Council for Racial Justice and Reconciliation, will be held Sept.

28 at 9 a.m. at Douglas County District Courthouse, 1701 Farnam St. RSVP and event details can be found on Eventbrite.

Love oversees work on gravesite

Volunteers gather at Brown’s gravesite

Let’s Move, Let’s Reach – Sept. 14.

See In the Village for details.

Join pastor, professor, awardwinning author, activist and social commentator Rev. Dr. Michael W. Waters and hear words of hope and empowerment that have inspired national and international audiences.

This free community event is Monday at 6:30 p.m. at the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s Community Engagement Center, Room 201. Dr. Waters’ book, “Stakes Is High,” will be available for sale and Waters has agreed to sign copies after his appearance.

The event is sponsored by UNO, the Omaha Star and The Reader.

Seating is limited; please RSVP at events.unomaha.edu.

Creighton University and steering committee member of OCCRJR. Dr. Whitt will also be facilitating a post-film community discussion about race relations in Omaha.

Free tickets for this one-time screening are limited to two per patron. For tickets, visit filmstreams.org events or stop by the ticket office. Please note: Reserved tickets must be claimed or presented (for print-at-home tickets) by 6:45 p.m. on the night of the event to guarantee admission. Any unclaimed tickets will be offered on a first-come, firstserved basis to patrons on the wait-list.

Generously supported by the Honorable Laurie Smith Camp, United States District Court Judge.

Community Gathered at Gravesite to Honor Will Brown Will Brown was the victim of a gruesome lynching in front of the Douglas County courthouse in 1919. The scorched and broken remains of Brown’s body were disposed of, by the county, in a field of unmarked graves. This was common practice for those who had no money or family to pay for their burial. The field, located North of Forest Lawn Cemetery, holds the graves of approximately 3912 people. The land is currently owned and maintained by the city of Omaha.

Last weekend, Preston Love Jr., executive director of Black Votes Matter Institute of Community Engagement (BVM), facilitated a community cleanup event as a service project leading up to the 100year commemoration of the lynching of Will Brown on Sept. 28.

“During the Black Votes Matter tour we taught the kids about Will Brown before and then the stop we made in Montgomery they get it face-to-face,” said Love, referring to the Equal Justice Initiative lynching memorial.

Love organizes an annual Black history tour through the southern United States. Participants from the tour were encouraged to write essays about

‘Stakes is High’ – Race, Faith & Hope For America

Waters

College World Series of Omaha Accepting Grant Applications through Oct. 1

The annual grant program sponsored by College World Series of Omaha Inc. and the NCAA is accepting applications through Oct. 1.

Organizations interested in applying for the 2019-2020 grant cycle must complete the application online at www.cwsomaha.com.

As noted in the news conference prior to the 2019 NCAA Men’s College World Series, additional grant funding is available this cycle for baseball and softball fields damaged by the 2019 spring flooding. Those organizations must apply through the traditional grant application but will be given special consideration during the review process.

All applications must be received by CWS Omaha Inc. no later than 5:30 p.m. CT Oct. 1.

The nonprofit CWS Omaha Inc. Contributions Committee of its Board of Directors will review all applications and submit recommendations to the full board for approval. All applicants will receive a response in January 2020.

Since it began in 1973, the annual grant program has donated more than $4 million. Grants are primarily distributed to local sports organizations to support baseball and softball. Last year’s grant program contributed $77,600 to 10 organizations.

MUD Board Appoints Tanya Cook to Subdivision 5 Vacancy

Former Nebraska State Senator Tanya D. Cook has been appointed by the Metropolitan Utilities District Board of Directors to fill the board vacancy for Subdivision 5 created by the recent death of Tom Dowd.

The board received 16 eligible applications for the vacancy and narrowed the list to six finalists who were interviewed at Wednesday’s board meeting. Cook will serve the remainder of Dowd’s term which runs through 2020.

Cook served two terms for the Legislature’s District 13 from 2009 to 2017, co-chairing the Business and Labor Committee and serving on the Appropriations, Urban Affairs and Long-Term Planning Committees.

“I’d like to thank the current MUD board members for their confidence in me. [The Cook board] has a long track record of sound leadership. I welcome the chance to continue my own public service as a member of the MUD Board of Directors,” Cook said.

Cook holds a master’s degree in adult and continuing education from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Georgetown University.

Cook is president of City Girl Communications, designing and leading systems mapping processes for urban planning and civic water infrastructure construction projects. She previously served as Director of Urban Affairs for the Nebraska Governor’s Office from 1999 to 2006 and was an administrator at Metropolitan Community College from 1995 to 1999.

Cook currently serves as a board member for Film Streams and formerly served on the boards of United Way of the Midlands and Girls Inc. She served on several committees for the National Black Caucus of State Legislators and received the organization’s Legislator of the Year award in 2016.

Will Brown Exhibit at Community Shred GPBHM – Sept. 20.

Day – Sept. 21.

See In the Village for details.

See In the Village for details.

LOCAL NEWS September 6, 2019 THE OMAHA STAR, INC. Nebraskans for Solar and Seventy Five North Partner THE VOICE OF THE BLACK COMMUNITY to Provide Solar Panel for Highlander Neighborhood Editorial and Business Office

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Member of the National Newspaper Publishers Association Mildred D. Brown: Founder, July 9, 1938 Dr. Marguerita L. Washington: Publisher, 1989 - 2016 Phyllis Hicks: Publisher/Managing Editor, 2016 - 2019 Frankie Jean Williams: Interim Publisher/Editor

Nebraskans for Solar, Seventy Five North Revitalization Corp., and Omaha Public Power District have announced they have completed the installation of a 4-kilowatt solar system on the roof of a home in Highlander, a mixed-income neighborhood in North Omaha.

The solar panels and components were funded by Nebraskans for Solar’s Green Watts for Good program through individual contributions to the fund as well as donations to the nonprofit’s 2019 Omaha Gives campaign.

Labor to install the project was donated by Michael Shonka, owner of Solar Heat and Electric, and Great Plains Renewables.

Previously, Nebraskans for Solar partnered with Habitat for Humanity of Omaha to install solar hot water systems on three newly-built Habitat homes, two in North Omaha and another in South Omaha. A fourth system was installed on a rehabilitated home in Benson. The systems, composed of south-facing solar collectors

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to save them an estimated $500 annually.

The solar system in Highlander is in partnership with Seventy Five North and is the first photovoltaic system installed by Nebraskans for Solar. The system will serve one residential home that will save the same amount of money each year as the Habitat

for Humanity installations, adding up to a considerable sum over the panels’ more than 25-year lifespan. The system will be part of the Omaha Solar Tour on Oct. 5.

A decade ago, Omaha’s Highlander neighborhood stood largely vacant.

Today it is a vibrant, eclectic community whose ongoing renaissance is predicated on a sustainable, mixedincome development. The sustainable strategy was recently praised by Housing and Urban Development Secretary, Ben Carson, during his tour of the neighborhood in July. Seventy Five North, the local nonprofit responsible for facilitating much of Highlander’s rejuvenation, strives to find innovative ways of creating an affordable living environment for families.

For more information about the solar panels or Seventy Five North Revitalization Corp., please contact Kashya Burrell with Seventy Five North at 402-502-2770 or Helen Deffenbacher with Nebraskans for Solar at 402-553-7423.

Annual Powwow Returns to Fort Omaha Sept. 21

Mutual Awards Grant to Women’s Center for Advancement

Tanya Cooper: Advertising Director/Business Manager

THE OMAHA STAR believes that America can best lead the world away from racial and national antagonism when it accords every man, regardless of race, color or creed, his human and legal rights. Hating no man, fearing no man in the firm belief that all are hurt as long as one is held back.

and eighty-gallon insulated storage tanks, continue to supply the four families with 70% of their needed hot water supply and

Metropolitan Community College will host the 28th annual Fort Omaha Intertribal Powwow on Sept. 21, 1-7:30 The Mutual of Omaha Foundation granted more than $1.1 million to p.m., on the Parade Ground of the historic Fort Omaha 37 nonprofit organizations in the first part of 2019. Of those grants, one Campus, 30th and Fort streets. The powwow celebrates was a $75,000 grant to the Women’s Center for Advancement (WCA), an Native American cultures with traditional dances, music, organization with a mission to assist survivors of domestic violence, sexual artistry, oral history, crafts and foods of regional tribes. assault, human trafficking and stalking, empowering them to lead safe, self- A Gourd Dance will precede the powwow from 11 a.m. 12:30 p.m. Grand entry into the powwow will begin at 1 determined lives.

In 2018, the WCA received nearly 11,000 calls, indicating a critical need p.m.

This year’s theme is “We are Still Here.” HawkQuest, for services dedicated to victims within the Omaha community. According to a raptor rehabilitation program from Denver, will provide Amy Richardson, Executive Director of the WCA, this grant will help them audience members with the opportunity to interact with continue to provide quality services to those in need. eagles, falcons and hawks. A demonstration of the traditional “The WCA supports approximately 150 people every single day in our art of porcupine quilling will be led by the Pomani/Benally community,” said Richardson. “Our trauma-informed safety and selffamily of Crow Creek heritage from Rapid City, South sufficiency services are critical tools for victims of domestic violence, sexual Dakota from 2-3 p.m. assault, human trafficking and stalking to find safety and stability in their This year’s master of ceremonies is Frank Bear Killer, lives. With support from community leaders like Mutual of Omaha, the WCA Oglala Nation, with Todd Stabler, Omaha, serving as arena is able to continue serving survivors of these crimes.” director.

Izzy Tamayo, Sicangu Lakota, will serve as head Gail Graeve, Executive Director of the Mutual of Omaha Foundation, said man dancer while Summer Barea, Omaha, will serve as the Foundation is proud to invest in the WCA and its mission to improve the head lady dancer.

The event also features a princess contest, overall well-being of the community. with Michelle Hallowell, Ponca Tribe of Nebraska, serving “The WCA provides expert levels of assistance, advocacy and educational as head judge.

Meskwaki Singers, Tama, Iowa, will be host services that help women and their families stay safe and grow strong,” northern drum while Southern Warriors, Cheyenne Arapaho Graeve said. “The organization’s year-over-year client growth demonstrates from Reno, Oklahoma, will serve as the host southern why this work is so critical.” drum.

The Foundation considers funding requests from nonprofit organizations in The event is free and open to the public. Attendees are the Omaha metropolitan area addressing issues of poverty. Grant applications encouraged to bring lawn chairs for seating. Coolers are are accepted twice per year. welcome.

No alcohol or smoking is permitted.

The Mutual of Omaha Foundation was established in 2005 to continue the The 28th annual Fort Omaha Intertribal Powwow is made company’s longstanding tradition of supporting efforts that impact individuals possible with the support of Douglas County, Nebraska, the and families throughout the community. For more information on the Mutual Nebraska Arts Council and Nebraska Cultural Endowment. of Omaha Foundation and its mission, visit www.mutualofomahafoundation.

For more information, call 531-MCC-2253. org.

Great Plains Theatre Conference Announces Call for Plays The Metropolitan Community College Great Plains Theatre Conference has announced its 2020 Call for Plays. The call continues through Oct. 15, or once 1,000 plays have been received. Scripts will be accepted online at gptcplays.com. The 2020 Great Plains Theatre Conference will be held May 24-30, 2020 on the MCC Fort Omaha Campus.

Now in its 15th year, GPTC offers twenty playwrights a weeklong opportunity to connect and discover what colleagues are doing from across the country and further develop their plays in a supportive, encouraging environment. During the conference, local actors read PlayLab readings of the chosen plays and each

playwright receives feedback from GPTC guest artists, fellow playwrights and the general public. Playwrights also have the opportunity to work with a director and a dramaturg in a setting that inspires creativity.

The annual conference has included nationally-known artists and critically acclaimed playwrights, including Sarah Ruhl, David Lindsay-Abaire and Edward Albee.

All conference readings and events are free and open to the public. For submission guidelines and more information about the call for plays, visit gptcplays.com, phone 531-MCC-2618 or email theatreconference@mccneb.edu.

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Submissions written anonymously will not be printed.

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Submissions to Express Yourself or the commentary page may also appear on the Omaha Star Facebook page. Email submissions must be typed in a Word document and sent to the publisher at: fwilliams@omahastarinc.com

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September 6, 2019

LOCAL NEWS The following street segments are included in this year’s Resurfacing Program by the City of Omaha thrilled Saving Grace partnered with Dante to Public Works Department Construction Division and help with this event and further their mission to are scheduled to have the existing surface milled down and replaced with a new asphalt surface. We feed people, not landfills.” anticipate the majority of this work will begin during About Saving Grace – Feeding Hungry Bellies the following two to three weeks and is expected to be completed a few weeks after starting.

Instead of Landfills While September is Hunger Action Month, it also marks six years since Saving Grace opened its doors. Since that time, Saving Grace has rescued over 3.5 million pounds of healthy perishable foods – fruits and vegetables; milk, yogurt and cheese; prepackaged sandwiches and prepared meals; turkeys and other meats; and more.

All of this rescued food is rerouted to 40 area nonprofit locations where the children, seniors, veterans and families these agencies serve benefit from this healthy food. A few of Saving Grace’s long-term partners are Heart Ministries, Hope Center for Kids, Intercultural Senior Center, Stephen Center and Together.

It’s estimated that the amount of food wasted each day in the United States could fill a college football stadium. Since operations began, Saving Grace has saved 1,700 tons of food from going to the landfill.

Saving Grace began operations on Sept. 30, 2013, with one refrigerated truck, and food was picked up from three food purveyors and delivered to three food pantries. Now, Saving Grace operates a fleet of four refrigerated trucks.

Food is picked up from 53 local food purveyors and delivered the same day, free of charge, to 40 locations of nonprofit partner agencies that feed the hungry.

For more information, contact Beth Ostdiek Smith, beth@savinggracefoodrescue.org or 402215-6718.

• California Street from N. 30th Street to N. 40th Street; • Hamilton Street from N. 45th Street to N. 40th Street and N. 30th Street to N. 33rd Street; • 33rd Street from California Street to Burt Street and Lincoln Blvd to John A. Creighton Blvd; • N. 26th Street from Lake Street to Burdette Street and Patrick Avenue to Franklin Street; • N. 25th Street from Erskine Street to Grant Street and Burdette Street to Blondo Street; • N. 27th Street from Franklin Street to Erskine Street; • Erskine Street from N. 27th Street to N. 24th Street; • Grant Street from N. 25th Street to N. 24th Street; • Burdette Street from N. 26th Street to N. 24th Street; • Blondo Street from N. 27th Street to N. 24th Street; • Parker Street from N. 27th Street to N. 24th Street; and • Decatur Street from N. 27th Street to N. 24th Street.

Oldcastle Materials Midwest Company, along with its subcontractors, will perform the work. The City of Omaha selected Alfred Benesch & Co. (Benesch) to be the on-site representative and provide construction administration for this project. As with all roadway construction activities, this work may cause an inconvenience to residents, businesses and property owners. Street closings, parking restrictions and lane restrictions will be necessary at times. On street

Financial Tips from Veridian Save Money on Your Utility Bill If you’re on a tight budget, it’s natural to look at optional costs when you’re trying to save money.

While you can’t stop paying your necessary expenses – like food and shelter – you can attempt to reduce them.

When it comes to your utilities, it’s important to know where your money is going so you can identify potential savings. Here’s the breakdown of a typical energy bill: • 44 percent: heating and cooling • 33 percent: lighting, cooking and appliances • 14 percent: water heating • 9 percent: refrigerator Since the lion’s share of your energy goes to heating and cooling, that’s the easiest place to cut costs. If you don’t have a programmable thermostat, get one. You can use it to save money by turning down the AC or furnace while you’re gone. You can also set your thermostat a few degrees lower in the winter and a few degrees higher in the summer for easy savings.

Weatherproofing your home can also make a big difference in your energy bill. Ask your utility if they do free energy audits, where someone will come to your home and point out insufficient insulation or areas that should be sealed, like around windows. Keeping more of your cold (or hot) air in your home will keep your bill low too.

When it comes to lighting, many utilities offer rebates or in-store discounts on energy-efficient

LED bulbs. If you still have incandescent bulbs in your home, take advantage of those deals and replace them – LED bulbs use 75 percent less power.

You can insulate your water heater to save money, or you can go a step further and replace yours with a tankless model that heats water on demand. Appliances with Energy Star certification meet certain energy efficiency guidelines, so always look for that label when shopping.

Refrigerators are huge energy hogs, at almost 10 percent of a typical utility bill. If you have a second refrigerator in the garage or elsewhere, consider unplugging it. The less empty space in a fridge, the less it has to run to keep your food cold.

If you need help with energy costs, the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) assists eligible low-income households with heating and cooling costs, bill payment assistance, energy crisis assistance, weatherization and energy-related home repairs. Call (866) 6746327 to learn where you can apply locally for LIHEAP. If you could use some financial advice, Veridian is here to help. We’re a not-for-profit credit union with branches in Council Bluffs, Omaha and Papillion. Simply stop by a Veridian branch or call (800) 235-3228 and ask to speak to Areli to schedule a one-on-one consultation today.

Correctional Facility on Lockdown as Intensive Searches Get Underway Sept. 4 (Lincoln) – Director Scott R. Frakes says he is taking a no-holds-barred approach to stemming a recent uptick in assaults, drug exposures and contraband at the Nebraska State Penitentiary. The entire facility has been placed on lockdown.

(Lockdown is a significant and unusual action taken to restore order and ensure the safety of everyone inside a facility. All inmates are confined to their cells, and are under direct escort any time they are outside of their cells.)

“That will continue to be the case until further notice,” noted Director Frakes. “During this time we will have staff members doing organized and intensive searches of housing units, looking specifically for alcohol, drugs, weapons and cell phones.”

All visitation hours with inmates through Friday are canceled. During the Labor Day holiday, visitation was canceled due to reduced staffing. Director Frakes said the decision to go into lockdown was not the result of staffing challenges, but a decision to undertake actions necessary to address safety. “We’ve been doing concentrated, surprise searches for a number of years, including at the penitentiary. This is not new, but it is certainly on a larger scale.”

“Over the past month or so there has been an increase in assaults, not only on staff members, but also among inmates,” added Michele Wilhelm, warden at the penitentiary. “One assault resulted in a staff member receiving treatment at the hospital. Additionally, a few inmates have received outside treatment for injuries.”

Director Frakes said that introduction of K2 (commonly referred to as synthetic marijuana) into the penitentiary has also been on the rise.

Several vials of the substance were confiscated in the past month, but individuals continue to be intoxicated.

“No matter if it’s K2, alcohol or other substances, staff members are dealing with inmates who are intoxicated and are often confrontational when they are in that state,” said Director Frakes. “That, in addition to the homemade weapons that have been discovered, represents a serious compromise to facility safety. The only way to address this is to stop all movement and thoroughly search the facility.”

In the coming days, staff members from the penitentiary, supplemented by staff from other facilities, will be conducting thorough searches of cells, bathrooms, dayrooms and other areas that have seen the highest illicit activity. Members of the Corrections Emergency Response Team (CERT) will also assist in those efforts, as well as the agency’s trained canine team.

“We will ramp up searches over the next several days to the highest level possible. We want to identify not only where the contraband is being hidden, but if possible, how it is coming in,” said Director Frakes.

While not going into the specifics about how searches will be conducted, Director Frakes said the agency has a variety of tools at its disposal including handheld metal detectors, cell phone detecting devices and x-ray machines.

“Those technologies are in addition to the considerable use of personnel that will be utilized to physically search every corner, high and low,” stated Director Frakes. “Basically, anything that can be moved, disassembled or crawled into will be inspected.”

Page Three

City Releases List of Street Resurfacing Segments

Dante Partners with Saving Grace on Dinner to Help Combat Hunger September is Hunger Action Month, and Saving Grace Perishable Food Rescue has teamed up with Dante for a special one-night dinner on Sept. 30 to increase awareness of food waste and hunger. Funds raised from the event will support Saving Grace’s work to connect nutritious surplus perishable food from local food purveyors with nonprofits that feed the hungry in the Omaha area. In Douglas County alone, 73,000 children and adults are food insecure.

Dante Chef Nick Strawhecker will prepare a special meal for the event, which also is Saving Grace’s sixth birthday. Reservation times for dinner are available between 5 and 8 p.m.

“It’s been gratifying to hear stories of how healthy food that would otherwise be thrown out is gracing the tables of those in need,” says Beth Ostdiek Smith, Saving Grace founder, CEO and president. “I’m grateful for those in our community who realize that food is too good to waste and have supported our work and joined in our no food waste movement.”

The Sept. 30 dinner is open to the public.

The ticket price includes dinner, wine pairings provided by Spirit World and gratuity. Diners also will have the opportunity to purchase a Saving Grace Signature Drink crafted with spirits donated by Brickway Distillery.

For more information, or to purchase tickets, visit www.savinggracefoodrescue.org/events. A limited number of reservations are available for each time slot.

“There is no excuse for food waste in my kitchens or in Omaha when there are so many hungry people,” Strawhecker says. “Saving Grace has worked diligently for six years to combat both hunger and food waste issues. I am

THE OMAHA STAR

parking in front of your property, house, or business will be permitted from 6 p.m. to 7 a.m. when the construction crews are not working. Please be advised that temporary NO PARKING signs will be posted a minimum of twenty-four (24) hours before the start of the work with anticipated working times.

Vehicles parked in the NO PARKING ZONES may be towed at the owner’s expense if they impede the construction work. Typical working times are 7 a.m. to sunset for daytime operations and 6 p.m. to 7 a.m. for overnight operations. These times vary depending on the progress of the work. When it is safe, local access will be provided during construction and when construction is not occurring.

It is not anticipated that the construction will require overnight roadway closures.

Please do not move or otherwise tamper with barricades or other warning devices. They are essential for identifying potentially unsafe conditions. If applicable, please advise others (including children) at your location of the upcoming work and the need to exercise due care when in areas near or adjacent to the construction areas and activities.

To help minimize delay in completing the work, please deactivate any lawn sprinklers during the milling and paving operations as water on the roadway delays those operations.

If you have specific comments or questions regarding this program, the planned work, etc., please feel free to speak with the Benesch on-site representative or contact one of the following individuals: Erica (Sunny) Mullen, Benesch (402) 630-0595, emullen@benesch.com Jeff Sockel, Benesch (402) 333-5792, jsockel@ benesch.com Todd Spark, City of Omaha (402) 444-5145, todd. spark@cityofomaha.org Thank you in advance for your cooperation during construction.

‘Wonderfully Made’ Focuses on Empowering Girls of Color with Special Needs Wonderfully Made is an empowerment program for girls of color in grades 7-9 who require specialized services or accommodations to learn. Girls in this classification have 3 challenging factors to rise above: female, race and special needs. “I believe all girls of color with special needs can succeed in any area they choose. This program is structured to set girls on a path to show them the power of their uniqueness, empower their purpose and give them the tools to prosper in life,” says Misti Mitchell, founder of Wonderfully Made. “We will empower girls to advocate for the prosperity of their present and future while creating friendships and building a collaborative network for personal and professional growth.” Programming will focus on topics such as self-confidence, advocacy and personal care.

Wonderfully Made begins Sept. 10 and will be held every Tuesday (with the exception of holidays and Mitchell spring break) until May 19, at the Maple Street YMCA, 7502 Maple St., from 6-7:30 p.m. For more information about Wonderfully Made or to get your young lady registered, contact Misti Mitchell at wonderfullymadeomaha@gmail.com.

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PRAISE, WORSHIP, DEVOTION, OBITUARIES & INSPIRATION September 6, 2019 Zion Baptist Clair to Host Family & Friends ATTENTION READERS Back-to-School Fellowship Celebrates 131 Years Looking for Death

Page Four

THE OMAHA STAR

Free books, clothing, food, fun and games will abound on Sept.

14 at Clair Memorial United Methodist Church, 5544 Ames Ave. The fun begins at 10 a.m. and will conclude at 2 p.m.

Activities include basketball, outdoor Connect Four, a bounce house and face painting. Students will have the opportunity to select books to add to their personal collections.

As a highlight to the day, local spiritual writer Alan Black will sign copies of his latest book, “In the Spirit Intended.” It will be a day of friendly, family FUN and the community is invited.

Royalty at Pleasant Green The Seniors on the Move ministry of the Pleasant Green Baptist Church, 5555 Larimore Ave., held their sixth annual weekend celebration Aug. 24-25. On Saturday evening, the members attended their Senior Prom, a dressy dinner-dance, catered

by Minister Justin Payne. The seniors danced the night away to music provided by Brother Robert Brown Jr. The 2018 King and Queen, Brother

Melvin Gardner Sr. and Sister Emma McCruel, crowned Brother Charles Harmon and Sister Cheryl Austin as the 2019 King and Queen.

On Sunday, the annual day speaker was the Rev. Bernard Johnson of Blue Springs, Mo., former pastor of the Rising Star Baptist Church, Omaha.

The theme was, “Even in our old age it’s good to know that we have a Savior.” Theme Scripture: Isaiah 46:4.

The Seniors on the Move ministry welcomes PGBC members and community residents, 55 years of age and older, to meet the first Friday of the month, February - November. For more information, phone the church at 402-346-8427.

Rev. Brian Page is the pastor of Pleasant Green.

How Could Anyone Turn Away?

By Dr. William Holland I’m sure most of you heard about a couple of prominent Christian leaders who recently announced they are changing their mind about following the Lord and have decided to abandon their faith.

It’s true that all of us make our own decisions every day, but this is different and much more serious. Our spiritual life is the most important aspect of our journey and for the Christian, it is literally the meaning and purpose of our existence. We become excited and filled with hope when someone embraces the gospel and turns their life over to Christ, but are stunned when we hear about a member of God’s family turning away from him. I’m sad not only for these individuals but also for seekers who might have been thinking about taking a closer step toward God and are now having second thoughts. In a world permeated with discouragement and confusion, it’s disheartening and difficult to understand how a person who has experienced the joys of salvation can suddenly declare they no longer believe it anymore.

Some might be curious with how a person could be saved and then be lost, especially with many Protestant groups who acknowledge that salvation is a one-time confession. For Orthodox Christians, the idea of losing one’s salvation is much more acceptable since they believe that salvation is a process of being saved instead of the concept of eternal security. With so many different doctrinal interpretations and without walking through a theological minefield, let’s just say that whatever your persuasion, we can agree that walking away from God is very dangerous, to say the least. We realize there have always been individuals that have drifted away from former convictions and it’s prophesied in I Timothy chapter four and II Thessalonians chapter two, that in the end times people will continue to fall away from the faith and submit to seducing spirits. This “falling away” is a translation of the Greek apostasia, meaning departure, rebellion, betrayal, defection, or apostasy. One indicator of rejecting holy truth is ignoring the reverential fear of God which is why it’s so critical to developing a constant awareness of his presence. Another sign is developing an ungrateful attitude and allowing arrogance to corrupt and control our thinking. “We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away” Hebrews 2:1.

I feel it’s important to discuss this phenomenon and be prepared to face even stronger hostile rejection of the Bible and even God himself by those who disagree with God. We realize we cannot prevent people from doing whatever they want, we can only present and demonstrate the truth and of course, pray for them. God has given mankind the free-will to choose whom they will serve and likewise will judge each person according to our decisions.

Nonetheless, I would like for us to at least consider why someone who has tasted the goodness of God and has studied and embraced the scriptures, would publicly deny and denounce their spiritual views. I understand that we all go through normal seasons of discouragement and difficult times when we might have doubts, or circumstances that may test our faith, but these are just temporary.

The Bible talks about back-sliding and drifting away but to declare to the world that you are absolutely finished serving and trusting God forever is something much more serious.

What would it take to convince a person there could be something or someone else that is worth more praise than Jesus who gave his life so we could be ransomed forever? What sin could be more valuable, or satisfying, and more alluring than the glories of God’s presence? What could be more joyful, and peaceful than trusting in God’s divine truth which cannot fail? Since temptation can influence the mind and have such a powerful stronghold within the conscience, it is heartbreaking to see that many are being held captive in the bondage of deception. When a person ceases to believe in God, it is worth considering who they are serving now and what consequences will this bring? Taking a closer look at II Peter chapter two, the question remains for those who turn away; did they ever have a true personal relationship with Christ, or was their former religious lifestyle only based on an emotional feeling?

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Zion Baptist Church proudly celebrates 131 years with the theme “131 Years of Proclaiming God’s Word!”

The celebration will begin on Sept. 18 at 6 p.m. with Wednesday Night Prayer & Praise, featuring Minister Justin Payne from Pleasant Green Baptist Church and Rev. Dr. D. Young of King Solomon Baptist Church.

The celebration will continue with a Gospel Brunch featuring Chad Stoner at 10 a.m. on Sept. 21 at Hotel Deco, 1504 Harney St. Tickets are available through Sept. 14 via PayPal at www.ZBComaha.org in the electronic giving section or during church office hours at 2215 Grant St., 402-346-1502.

The anniversary celebration concludes on Sept. 22 with worship services at 9 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Zion Pastor, Rev. Kenneth A. Allen, will deliver the morning message. Rev. Dr. Cedric Perkins, Pilgrim Baptist Church, will bring the message during the 3:30 p.m. service.

All services will be held at Zion unless otherwise indicated.

and Funeral Notices If you want a notice of death or obituary published in the Omaha Star Newspaper, call or let your funeral director know that you want a notice placed in the Omaha Star Newspaper. Funeral directors should contact the Omaha Star office to submit notices and/or Obituaries.

Monday - Thursday 10:00 am - 4:00 pm 402-346-4041

Saint Benedict Youth Club The Saint Benedict Youth Club was founded in 1948 by Rev. John J. Killoren S.J. to provide a positive social outlet for high school and college youth in the Black community. The first officers were William Harrison, Charlette Key, Charlene Foxall and Barbara Brown.

Over the years there were 250 Youth Club members; seventy percent of them were non-Catholic. Saturday night meetings in the Saint Benedict Social Hall consisted of a social hour with Father Killoren games and refreshments; a business meeting and guest speakers from the community followed by lively dancing to records of the day.

It was the Youth Club’s sponsorship of public events that demonstrated to the community just how vital and capable the organization was. Examples are: Dinner Dances at the Blackstone Hotel; honoring Judge Stevens of the New York Supreme Court; the Hill Hotel speaker, Lloyd Davis and the Rome Hotel; honoring Tim Hawkins of Notre Dame.

Of special benefit was the Youth Club members’ opportunities to meet and host achievers such as Joe Louis, Jackie Robinson, Hank Aaron, Sugar Ray Robinson, Henry Armstrong, Althea Gibson, Oscar Robertson, Barbara Jones as well as our own “home grown” stars. The Youth Club flourished until the 1960s under the blessing, leadership and support of Father John Killoren and “the Village.” The effect of the Youth Club experience helped to mold the character and ambition of its members. In 1980, 130 members united at the Hilton Hotel to honor their mentor, Father Killoren and to give thanks for their good fortune.

This year on July 29, 60 Youth Club members and their spouses (70-80 plus years), from 12 cities across the nation, gathered at the James Tinsley Community Center to remember Father Killoren and to celebrate and give thanks just as they had done 40 years before.

Club member, Alvin Goodwin, a life-long member of St. Benedict the Moor Church, was Master of Ceremony. Deacon James Chambers of Sacred Heart Church lead a prayer of thanksgiving and best wishes for those present, those unable to attend, Father Killoren and all of the members who had passed on. Joyce Long

of Omaha and Warnetta Perkins from Lancaster, California offered the welcome and several members gave testimony to the love and uniqueness of “their Youth Club.”

Joy and thanksgiving filled the room as the members went back in time reminiscing and lauding the good old days; a time when people were struggling but hopeful. Their world was opening up!

It was the Civil Rights Era and they were made ready! They were alive with anticipation! They were alive marching, praying, sitting in, picketing, integrating neighborhoods, businesses, schools; even churches.

It was agreed that the Club was exceptional; that the attention and experiences they garnered were critical in the formation of their lives; morally and culturally. The road to advancement for Blacks was inevitable and their experience of leadership and organization helped them to enter their world with purpose and confidence.

Festive food and old school music ended the reunion. A goodwill offering was collected for a memorial of Father Killoren to be placed in Saint Benedict’s archives. The club members also agreed that the history board and banner should be given to the Great Plains Black History Museum as a reminder of one man of God’s vision and of a community’s love. Club member Alvin Goodwin reflected, “How could we fail while our visionary’s dream, our family, our community and our lifelong friendships abound? How could we fail?”

1980 gathering

Kids Talk About God

Why Did John the Baptist Call Jesus the Lamb of God?

By Carey Kinsolving And Friends “John the Baptist called Jesus the Lamb of God because Jesus is too holy and wonderful for him to even untie his shoes,” says Mitchell, 8.

Before John the Baptist proclaimed Jesus as the Lamb of God, he talked about his sandals. By saying he was not worthy to untie Jesus’ sandals, John put himself in the position of the lowest slave.

Anything to do with feet was usually reserved for the lowest slave in a household. That’s why Jesus shocked his disciples when he cleaned their feet before they ate the Passover meal on the night before his crucifixion.

Jesus wasn’t joking when he said the way up in his kingdom is the way down. After his disciples debated among themselves about who would be the greatest in God’s kingdom, Jesus said, “If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all” (Mark 9:35).

God’s ways are usually contrary to the way we’re trained to think. Leaders usually come from prominent families and go to the best schools. Who would think that the Messiah would be born into a poor family supported by a father who did manual labor in a backwater place like Nazareth? The whole scenario is so contrary to the way we think about power.

“In Bible times when a person sinned, they would take a lamb to the temple to sacrifice,” says Sandra, 9. “To be called a Lamb of God means that God gave Jesus to be killed like a lamb for our sins so we could live forever.”

The majority of Old Testament passages that mention “lamb” refer to a sacrifice (85 out of 96). As a nation, Israel began its

history by putting lamb’s blood on the doorposts and lintels of each house. The death angel took the lives of all Egypt’s firstborn, but passed over the houses that had lamb’s blood on the door. To this day, Jews all over the world celebrate Passover.

The entire Old Testament can be summed up with one question, “Where is the lamb?” A pivotal point in Jewish history came when father Abraham took Isaac up the mountain to offer a sacrifice.

Abraham knew God had promised to make him the father of many nations, yet God had commanded him to sacrifice his only son by Sarah. When Isaac asked about the lamb, Abraham assured him that God would provide the lamb (Genesis 22:6-8).

The priests in the temple at Jerusalem sacrificed a lamb in the morning and evening every day (Exodus 29:38). For hundreds of years, Jews brought lambs to the temple as sacrifices for their sins.

They kept coming back year after year because no lamb could take away all their sin.

For Christians, the Passover points to a greater reality. In the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, God brought the perfect sacrifice that John proclaimed: “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29).

The prophet Isaiah foresaw the Messiah’s sacrifice when he wrote: “He was oppressed and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth” (Isaiah 53:7).

Think about this: All the sacrificial lambs offered in the Old Testament point to Jesus Christ.

Memorize this truth: John 1:29 quoted above.

Ask this question: Have you beheld and believed in the Lamb of God as the one who took away your sin?

AND

THOMAS FUNERAL HOME

THE BLACK CHURCH:

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& Cremation Services

And Both Black - Owned.

A Tradition of Caring Since 1939

Together, The Press And the Pulpit Can Give Us Full Citizenship Immediately

3920 North 24th St. Omaha, NE 68110 402-453-7111 www.omahathomasfh.com

Both Born Out of Necessity For Self-Expression

PRAISE & WORSHIP DIRECTORY

September 6, 2019

Rev. Benjamin R. Finnell

Rev. Benjamin R. Finnell Presiding Elder and Pastor Tammi Tate, Public Relations Chairperson 2842 Monroe St. Ph: (402) 502-8003 Fx: 934-8581 Sunday School....................................9:00 a.m.

Sunday Worship...............................10:00 a.m.

Thursday Bible Study..........................8:00 p.m. via teleconference, dial-in number 563-999-2090 and access code 576989

ST. MARK BAPTIST CHURCH

MOUNT CALVARY COMMUNITY CHURCH

ALLEN CHAPEL A.M.E.

THE OMAHA STAR Page Five

“Jesus is the light of the world” mtcalvarycommunitychurch.org

Pastor Jarrod S. Parker 3616 Spaulding Street, Omaha, NE 68111 Phone: 402-451-0307 Email: smbcsecretary@stmarkbaptist.org

5112 Ames Avenue Omaha, NE 68104 Ph: 402-457-4216

Sunday School – Sunday 9:00 a.m.

Sunday School .................................................... 9:30 a.m.

Sunday Morning Worship Experience ......... 11:00 a.m.

Wednesday Food and Fellowship.................... 6:00 p.m.

Wednesday (WOW) Word On Wednesday... 7:00 p.m.

Worship Service – Sunday 10:15 a.m.

Children’s Church (except 2nd Sunday) Holy Communion every 1st Sunday Prayer and Bible Doctrine Study Midday - 12:00 noon; Evening – 7:00 p.m.

Pastor Jarrod S. Parker

Televised Broadcast – Sundays at 6:00 p.m., KPAO Cox Channel 22 & CenturyLink Channel 89 Our Mission: “To exalt the Savior, edify saints, evangelize sinners and elevate society.”

MT. MORIAH MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH

“Where Life is for Everyone”

Dr. Ralph B. Lassiter, Pastor 2602 N. 24th St. Off: (402) 451-8800 - Fax: (402) 451-8522 mtmoriahomaha.net pastorlassiter@gmail.com

Drs. Mar n & Lynnell Williams Founders & Lead Pastors SUNDAYS Prayer 9:00 AM Worship 10:00 AM

WEDNESDAYS Prayer 6:00 PM Worship 7:00 PM

www.ambassadorswc.com 402-341-1866 5417 N 103rd St. Omaha, NE 68134

Rev. Ralph Lassiter, Sr.

Sunday School ...................................... 9:30 a.m.

Sunday Worship ..................................10:45 a.m.

Overcomers in Christ...............Sunday 7:00 p.m.

Wednesday Bible-Prayer Service 11:30 a.m. & 6:30 p.m

Weekly Services Sunday Morning Worship Service ..................................8:30 a.m. & 11:30 a.m.

Children’s Church (2nd & 4th Sunday) .............................8:30 a.m. & 11:30 a.m.

Life Development (Sunday School) .....................................................10:15 a.m.

Wednesday Word and Worship (WWW) ............................................ 6:30 p.m.

MT. NEBO MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH

“The Church Where Fellowship is Real” Pastor Terry L. Arvie 5501 N. 50th Street Ph: 402-451-4245 Fx: 402-451-2130 office@mtneboomaha.org www.mtneboomaha.org

“Come Get Your Hilltop Experience” Rev. Portia A. Cavitt, Pastor 5544 Ames Avenue, Omaha, NE 68104 Telephone: 402-451-8322 • Website: www.cmumc.net Email: clairumc@cumc.omhcoxmail.com

TABERNACLE OF FAITH CHURCH

Sunday Morning Worship ...................................9:00 a.m.

Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting .....................7:00 p.m.

Wednesday Night Church School ......................7:30 p.m.

Youth/Children Ministry Focus (Wed.) ............7:30 p.m.

Pastor Barbara Mitchell 2404 Fort Street, Omaha, NE 68111 402-455-1800 Church 402-455-3390 Fax

Pastor Terry L. Arvie

Rev. Portia A. Cavitt, Pastor

Pastor Barbara Mitchell

FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH Rev. Kent H. Little, Lead Pastor

PLEASANT GREEN BAPTIST CHURCH

Services on Sundays at 8:30 am & 10:50 am

“Where CHRIST is Preeminent and the Word Prevails!”

Pastor Brian Page 5555 Larimore Avenue Church: 402-346-8427 www.pleasantgreenomaha.org

7020 Cass Street, Omaha, NE 68132 402.556.6262 www.fumcomaha.org First United Methodist Church is a welcoming and inclusive community, inspired to grow with and in God.

3131 Lake Street Omaha, NE 68111 402-455-1000 www.salembc.org

Rev. Dr. Selwyn Q. Bachus

CLAIR MEMORIAL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

Sunday School………………………8:45 a.m.

Sunday Worship Experience………...10:00 a.m.

Wednesday Bible Study….…….…….6:00 p.m.

SALEM BAPTIST CHURCH Serving God and One Another in the Spirit of Excellence Rev. Dr. Selwyn Q. Bachus Senior Pastor

Rev. Kent H. Little

8:30 am Early Sunday Morning Worship 9:30 - 10:15 am Sunday Morning Breakfast 10:15 - 11:15 am Sunday School 11:30 am Sunday Morning Worship 6:30 pm Wednesday Bible Study 8:00 pm Friday Night Service Noon day prayer Thursday - Saturday

ZION BAPTIST CHURCH Rev. Kenneth A. Allen, Pastor

Wednesday: Prayer Power Hour ......................................12:00 p.m

Pastor Brian Page

Thursday: Youth For Christ ............................................6:00 p.m Prayer & Bible Study ....................................6:30 p.m

Televised Broadcast Sunday @ 10pm on KPAO Cox Communication channel 22 & Century Link channel 89

Sunday: Sunday School.................................................9:00 a.m.

Morning Worship..........................................10:15 a.m.

2215 Grant Street Omaha, NE 68110 Ph: 402-346-1502 Fax: 402-344-2720 SUNDAY Sunday Morning Worship……………9:00 A.M. Sunday School……………………...11:15 A.M. WEDNESDAY 11:00 A.M. ~ Hour of Power Bible Study Wednesday is Family Night!

6:00 P.M. ~ Prayer & Praise Service 6:30 P.M. ~ Feast & Fellowship (Light Meal) 7:15 P.M. ~ Discipleship Academy (Classes for ages 5 & up)

ST. BENEDICT THE MOOR CATHOLIC CHURCH

Charles Galloway - President, Rev John Deang - Pastor, Dr John Beasley - Elder

HOPE LUTHERAN CHURCH

2423 Grant St. Omaha, NE 68111 Ph: 402-348-0631 • Fax 402-342-4451 Sunday Mass: 9:00 a.m.

Reconciliation: Sunday after Mass or by appointment

Missouri Synod 2721 N. 30th Street 402-453-1583 Sunday School................................10:00 a.m.

Church Service...............................11:00 a.m.

YOU ARE ALWAYS WELCOME Rev. Vitalis Anyanike

THE WORSHIP CENTER

& HOLY NAME CATHOLIC CHURCH

2901 Fontenelle Blvd. 68104 Ph: 402-451-6622 • Fax 402-457-6901 Mass Schedule: Mon. - Fri. 8:30 a.m., Sat. 8:30 a.m. & 5:00 p.m.

Sun. 8:00 a.m., 10:30 a.m. & Noon (Spanish) Reconciliation: Sat. 4:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. or by appointment

JOY OF LIFE MINISTRIES COGIC Pastors Eric and Cynthia Butler 6401 N. 56th Street • Omaha, NE 68104 Ph: 402-399-9628 E-Mail: Jolpastor@aol.com Sunday School...................................9:30 a.m.

Sunday Worship...............................10:30 a.m.

Sunday Evening Worship.................6:00 p.m.

Wednesday Night ..............................7:00 p.m.

Bible Study and Youth Ministries

Pastor: Rev. Vitalis Anyanike

Pastor Eric Butler and Co-Pastor Cynthia Butler

MORNING STAR BAPTIST CHURCH “Where Christ Jesus Is the Center of Attention” Rev. Dr. Leroy E. Adams, Jr. Senior Pastor 2019 Burdette Street Omaha, NE 68110 Ph: 402-342-0018 Fx: 402-346-9300 Radio Broadcast: 101.3 fm 9:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. each Sunday Worship Service .............10:00 a.m.

Rev. Dr. Leroy E. Adams, Jr.

Sunday School .................8:45 a.m.

Excluding First Sunday Tuesday Evening Service.........7:00 p.m.

Pastor Kenneth A. Allen

Dr. Stan Rone Senior Pastor

North 24th Street Church of God “Presenting the Never-Changing GOD to an ever-changing World!”

Dr. Stan Rone - Senior Pastor 2021 N. 24th Street • Omaha, NE 68110 (402) 341-4297 Sunday Kingdom Academy 9:00 a.m.

Worship Celebration 10:15 a.m.

Tuesday Prayer Hour 7:00 a.m. & 12:00 noon Wednesday Power Hour (Prayer/Bible Study) 6:30 p.m.

Youth and Children 6:30 p.m. www.theworshipcenter24cog.org

Page Six

COMMENTARY

THE OMAHA STAR

Op-Ed National Preparedness Month

Black Votes Matter

By Preston Love Jr. UNO Adjunct Professor Prestonlovejr.com Black Lives, Black Poverty and Black Votes Matter Love and Lindenmeyer to present Black Votes Matter Tour insights to the American Association for Adult and Continuing Education (AAACE) conference “Experiencing History Through Microlearning: The Face-to-Face with Black History Tour” will be the topic for Preston Love Jr., MPS, and Dr. Vince Lindenmeyer at the American Association for Adult and Continuing Education (AAACE) in St. Louis, Mo., on Oct. 10.

The theme for this year’s conference is “Adult Education for Human Rights, Economic Empowerment, and Environmental Sustainability.” Human Rights is a central tenet of adult education, which has a long history of advocacy with and for learners in the United States and around the world. Love and Lindenmeyer will discuss the inspiration for their collaboration, the process used to coordinate the curriculum and tour development, and the results about learning gained through the experiences.

“I had envisioned preparing youth and adults for the experience, but I could not have imagined the powerful combination of a microlearning curriculum paired with experiential learning,” said Love.

The Face-to-face with Black History curriculum was orchestrated by Preston Love Jr., Founder Black Votes Matter Institute for Community Engagement, and adjunct professor of Black Studies at UNO. The curriculum was designed for youth and adult participants of the 2019 Face-to-face with Black History tour to learn about the key events, key people and non-violent methods employed during the civil rights era. Love expected participants to be fully prepared to experience sites first-hand including Memphis, Birmingham, Selma, Montgomery, Tuskegee, and Atlanta. Lindenmeyer proposed they meet the youth “where they were at,” by delivering the curriculum using microlearning to their mobile smartphones, so they could consume the content while riding on the bus and in between events. Love agreed in February and the course launched on June 1, fifteen days before the trip departed Omaha for the first stop, Memphis.

Lindenmeyer

“Microlearning is a self-paced, personalized, and interactive course of compressed and engaging lessons that cover one individual objective at a time. The lessons allowed participants to learn and discuss the destinations before experiencing them first-hand,” said Dr. Vincent Lindenmeyer, co-Founder and Chief Learning Officer of GiNOSKO.co, a consulting and microlearning design organization.

Love and Lindenmeyer found the microlearning greatly increased the level of engagement with the experience each day for both the youth and adult audiences. Additionally, the engagement rate with the microlearning itself was over 90% for all participants. The method to distribute the learning via mobile device allowed the participants to quickly access and engage with the learning content during the transit and downtimes of the trip. The interaction between learners within the microlearning itself increased the level of community and social learning throughout the experience.

In addition to the microlearning, the students and adults participated in a daily survey that consisted of capturing a story and image about their experience. Love and Lindenmeyer observed a strong change in the attitudes and beliefs of the participants over the week-long experience. From the initial baseline survey in March to the final survey in Atlanta, youth and adults adopted a desire to act and make history.

The BVM tour certainly creates Ambassadors of Community Engagement ready to act, speak and make history.

The benefits of the trip and charge to “go make history” continue to be realized through ongoing activities and community service projects. Last week, the BVM Tour Alum completed a cleanup and beautification of the Will Brown gravesite.

The youth learned of Will Brown’s lynching almost 100 years ago on Sept. 28, 1919, as part of the Omaha Race Riots and Red Summer of 1919, and desired to “do something.”

What is AAACE? The American Association for Adult and Continuing Education (AAACE) is a notfor-profit organization dedicated to the belief that lifelong learning contributes to human fulfillment and positive social change. This presentation supports high school teachers, historians, diversity and inclusion educators and executives, social & racial justice educators, homeschool educators, lifelong learners, instructional designers, curriculum developers, corporate trainers, and history tour (experiential learning) guides.

A 2019 BVM Trip Report can be found at: http://bit.ly/BVMFTF2019Report A comprehensive data break out is available upon request. For further information contact: Preston Love Jr. at 402-812-3324 or prestonlovejr@gmail.com.

By Tom Salisbury Region 7 Administrator U.S. Small Business Administration There’s a day, a week or a month for everything these days. Some designations, of course, are more important than others. A designation I hope all of you will heed is this September’s National Preparedness Month.

No one wants to believe something terrible will happen to them. But sometimes it does. I witnessed quite a bit of devastation this year as I traveled in the U.S. Small Business Administration Region VII states of Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri and Kansas. Floods, tornados and high winds created the most pandemonium, destroying many homes and businesses and leaving many people feeling distraught and overwhelmed.

If you own a business, just imagine stepping into or close to your store, restaurant, office or warehouse a day or two after a tornado has passed or after the floodwaters have receded. For thousands of business owners, this scenario was more than just imagined. It was a reality that left them to deal with the heartbreak of picking up the pieces in the aftermath of a disaster, and with a whole host of unanswered questions. That’s why you need to know about the SBA and the importance of disaster preparedness.

In the wake of a declared disaster, the SBA assists in the rebuilding of communities by providing affordable, timely loans covering uninsured losses to businesses of all sizes, nonprofit organizations, homeowners and renters. In the last year in Region VII, 1,423 people were offered these types of loans for a total of more than $85.6 million.

Following a disaster, individuals and businesses

It’s déjà vu all over again.

The defeat of the Democratic presidential candidate in 2016 was crushing, and many reasons have been given for why Hillary Clinton’s bid for the White House went down in flames. Some people blame her failure to visit key states often enough. Others blame a lack of enthusiasm on the part of African American voters. And then there were the Russians, among many other things.

But four years after their humiliating defeat, many Democrats seem to be leaning towards agreeing that what they did in 2016 is good enough for 2020.

Enter Joe Biden, stage right, with a broad toothy grin and promises of moderation and electability.

The reaction of many African Americans to Joe Biden’s appearance on the political horizon is a huge yawn of boredom. What many white politicians and policymakers in the Democratic Party do not realize is that African Americans understand that Donald Trump is not the sole problem we face today. He is merely the symptom, not the disease. And the disease has festered for centuries, mutating from one epoch to another – through slavery, Reconstruction, the civil rights movement, down to today. It is not enough to just beat Trump.

Conservative and moderate Democrats stuck their heads in the sand after November 2016 and ignored the white supremacy dynamics that were in play during the election. They resolutely proclaimed that Trump rode into office on economic anxieties.

Black folk have much more economic anxiety than whites but we did not vote for Trump. Trump rode into office on anxieties over the loss of white supremacy.

In 2008, what voters of color saw in Barack Obama was a step towards social justice and racial equality. What they saw in Hillary Clinton in 2016 was a privileged white woman who had once equated youth of color with animals and called them “superpredators.”

Now Democrats are asking for a “do over” in 2020, serving up a moderate-to-conservative Democrat trailing a foul-smelling political history that we ignore at our own peril. If we unpack Joe Biden’s political history, we find the following: School Busing – In 1974, as a junior U.S. senator from Delaware, Joe Biden promised his white constituents that he would oppose desegregating schools by busing students. In the 1970s, it was clear that many school districts were segregated along racial lines because housing patterns were likewise segregated, and busing students was the most logical solution to achieve school integration. Biden did not care about the social injustice of segregated schools. He only wanted to satisfy his racially bigoted white constituents. Because of politicians like Joe Biden, school districts today are more segregated than they were in the 1970s. This is an argument backed by data.

The National Center for Education Statistics’ data show that the percentage of African American students attending majority white schools is down to 23 percent from a high of 44 percent in the 1980s. The current situation is equivalent to the integration level in 1969.

The Hyde Amendment – The original Hyde Amendment, passed in 1976, barred the use of federal funds to pay for an abortion except to save the life of the woman or if the pregnancy arose from incest or

can register at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or visit www.SBA.gov/Disaster to see the types of federal assistance for which they are eligible. In large federally declared disasters, SBA Office of Disaster Assistance staff will open Disaster Recovery Centers and Business Recovery Centers to the public. Anyone can call the SBA at 1-800659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba. gov for instructions after a disaster.

Hopefully, you will never have to use the SBA’s post-disaster resources.

Much can be done before a disaster strikes to increase the chances of safety for your family, employees and property. Being prepared for any kind of emergency means you’ll rebound sooner with less financial impact. Besides causing untold personal and home losses, major disasters are the cause of an estimated 25% of businesses never re-opening. I urge you to think ahead and put a disaster preparedness plan in place. The SBA’s website at www.sba.gov/disasterpreparedness offers excellent information on setting up emergency and disaster plans. The 30 days in September are an important time to create or update yours.

(Tom Salisbury is the regional administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration Region VII, which covers Missouri, Kansas, Iowa and Nebraska. He previously worked as the smallbusiness liaison for U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt and in lending for UMB Bank. Salisbury can be reached at thomas.salisbury@sba.gov.)

(Editor’s Note: The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the policies and position of the staff and management of the Omaha Star newspaper.)

Corrections Demands Bold Actions Corrections – our prisons – remain in crisis, more severe now than ever. Overpopulation is the root of problems, but Director Frakes continues to attempt to address understaffing. So far unsuccessfully. While he makes futile efforts to “build his way” out of overcrowding. Inspector General Koebernick calls the situation “quite disturbing.” (LIS 8/22). He has been sounding this alarm for several years. (Julie Rogers has been saying the same about Geneva girls’ facility!)

Senator Lathrop has expressed some concern, but has not revealed adequate alarm in face of the crisis.

Despite these outcries: multiple news articles, disturbing reports, national analyses, stakeholder meetings, where problems of overcrowding, understaffing, low morale, lack of programming, services to the mentally ill, threats of legal action from the ACLU and the federal government, were both revealed and solutions given – despite all of this, little has been done.

The exception is the classy, 100 bed community

2016 – 2.0 Is Not Good Enough

By Oscar H. Blayton

September 6, 2019

rape. Joe Biden voted for its adoption and has staunchly supported that law until recently, when he began his current presidential campaign. He insists that his decision to flip on this issue was not due to politics, but he has expressed no other reason that makes sense.

Anita Hill – When Clarence Thomas was nominated to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1991, Joe Biden was the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Biden’s aggressive questioning of Anita Hill, an African American law professor who accused Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment, appeared to many Americans to be inappropriate and hostile. Anita Hill told the Huffington Post Live that Joe Biden did a disservice to the American public when he refused to call other witnesses who could have corroborated Hill’s characterization of Thomas’ behavior as sexually inappropriate. And she asserted that this failure got in the way of bringing to the public a better understanding of sexual harassment. It took Joe Biden almost 18 years to offer an apology to Anita Hill after acknowledging that his actions during the Thomas hearings were “wrong.” But this 2019 apology was so weak and disingenuous, Anita Hill refused to accept it.

The 1994 Crime Bill – Biden does not deny that he was the architect of the 1994 Crime Bill. But what he does deny, in the face of facts to the contrary, is that it led to mass incarceration in America. And the weight of that outcome was borne mostly by people of color. Attempting to execute a complicated two-step shuffle, Biden denies that the bill led to mass incarceration while at the same time trying to distance himself from responsibility for the impact of the bill. But his maneuvers have been met by sharp criticism from several other Democratic presidential candidates who believe he should accept responsibility for fostering such bad policy.

The road to Donald Trump was paved with politicians like Joe Biden, their big grins and folksy sayings masking an indifference to the suffering of people of color. You can find them at every level of government, professing not to be racist, but tolerating racism in local, state and federal policies. Politicians like these ask us to forget and forgive while they provide us with nothing but empty promises and disappointment. But there must be some accountability for politicians like Joe Biden because, while he is not the first of his kind, unless people of conscious act, he will not be the last.

One way to bar the doors to elected office against politicians who shrug off their past trespasses and look to escape responsibility for causing human suffering is to borrow the three strikes rule from Biden’s 1994 Crime Bill.

According to the Department of Justice’s Criminal Resource Manual, the three strikes law was created to take violent criminals off the streets by giving them enhanced punishments. Since Joe Biden wrote a bill that supported the idea that a three strikes rule would bring an end to bad behavior, perhaps that concept should be applied to him.

Opposition to school busing – Strike One. The Hyde Amendment – Strike Two. Anita Hill’s treatment – Strike Three.

And for good measure: The 1994 Crime Bill – Strike Four.

Joe, you’re out, go home.

(Oscar H. Blayton is a former Marine Corps combat pilot and human rights activist who practices law in Virginia.)

corrections facility for women. In contrast $45 million has been requested to build a maximum security 384 bed facility for troublemakers. A 19th century solution for a 21st century problem!

WE NEED DRAMATIC ACTION! Director Frakes says too many new inmates are being sent to him by judges and courts.

1. Attn: judges and legislators! More diversion and probation.

2. 1000 inmates are eligible for parole. Attn: parole board.

3. Programs for released inmates are inadequate.

Attn: legislature and department of parole 4. Too little concern by community of problem.

Attn: advocates and community educators TIME TO ACT BOLDLY! John Krejci (Editor’s Note: The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the policies and position of the staff and management of the Omaha Star newspaper.)

Mentoring Matters Changing Perspectives, Changing Lives

By Debra L. Shaw For more than 50 years, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Midlands has operated under the belief that inherent in every child is the ability to succeed and thrive in life. As a donor and volunteer supported organization, Big Brothers Big Sisters makes meaningful, monitored matches between adult volunteers (“Bigs”) and children (“Littles”), ages 7 through 18, throughout the Omaha/ Council Bluffs metro area. They develop positive friendships that have a direct and lasting effect on the lives of young people.

Big Brothers and Big Sisters of the Midlands helps children realize potential and build futures. They nurture children and strengthen communities. They couldn’t do any of this without volunteers. Their vision is ‘All children achieve success in life.’

Their mission statement reads, ‘Provide children facing adversity with strong and enduring, professionally supported one-to-one relationships that change their lives for the better, forever.’

The Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Midlands has special programs such as their Latino Mentoring program which was established in 2008 after the organization recognized the need for targeted support to Latino youth. The program is designed to encourage, to engage and to sustain greater numbers of Latino youth and recruit volunteers and families to join the program.

They provide Latino youth with a caring Big Brother, Big Sister or Big Couple that can enrich their lives culturally, socially and academically, and support them in reaching their potential through one-to-one mentoring friendships. They have multiple bilingual staff to support Spanish-speaking families. Youth accepted into the program are matched with the best possible volunteer, based upon the youth’s interests, volunteer’s interests, parent/guardian(s) preferences, personalities, etc.

The eligibility requirements for Littles are as follows: Youth must be 7-14 years old; Parent/Guardian(s) and youth must agree to a 12-month commitment; willing to participate in the program; available to meet 2-4 times per month for a minimum of 4 hours per month and the family must have an in-home interview with Big Brothers Big Sisters’ staff. It doesn’t take special skills, lots of money, or any specific personality type. All it takes is someone who will stand with a child as a friend and ally – someone who will help clear the path to their best possible future. All they need is you by their side to become the person they were already meant to be. You’ve got what it takes, and Big Brothers Big Sisters wants you on their team. Join their mission to create life-changing friendships. To become a volunteer with Big Brothers Big Sisters or to learn more about their mentor eligibility requirements, visit their website - bbbsomaha.org/page/33528/data/1. The next information session will be held on Thursday, Sept. 26, at 5:30 p.m., followed by a mentor training at 6:30 p.m., at the YMCA Healthy Living Center, 714 S Main St. in Council Bluffs, IA. Mentoring Matters!

LIFE & STYLE/HEALTH & WELLNESS THE OMAHA STAR Page Seven ‘Hurricanes: A Memoir’ Alice Marie Johnson is Newest Model

By Rick Ross with Neil Martinez-Belkin for Kim Kardashian’s Controversial The highly anticipated memoir from hip-hop icon Rick Ross chronicles his coming of age Shapewear Line amid Miami’s crack epidemic, his star-studded

September 6, 2019

By NewsOne Staff Alice Marie Johnson is the grandmother who served more than 20 years in prison for a first-time, non-violent drug offense. The world knew her when Kim Kardashian advocated for her release and she was granted her clemency by Trump. Now she will be a model for Kardashian’s shapewear line, which was blasted for its original name.

Bizarrely, Kardashian thought it was good to name the line Kimono, which is traditional Japanese garment.

After being rightfully slammed for cultural appropriation, the line is now called SKIMS Solutionwear. The reality star wrote on Instagram, “After much thought and consideration, I’m excited to announce the launch of @ SKIMS Solutionwear coming September 10. I love the idea that the pieces will be the closest thing to someone’s skin, skimming with amazingly soft and supportive fabrics which accentuate the best parts of our bodies.

Available in sizes XXS – 5XL, SKIMS Solutionwear is for every body. SKIMS.COM.” Johnson is one of the models and said in a promo video, “I was set free on June the 6, 2018. So now every moment in life is precious to me. This shapewear makes me feel that I can walk into the store, I can pick up something that I normally wouldn’t think about wearing and I can put it on, and it’s going to look great on me.”

When the 63-year-old was released from prison, she told the press about Kardashian, “I’ve always called her my angel but then she turned into my war angel – because only war angels never give up.

I mean, she has truly been relentless in her fight for me and to know a woman who has never met me who has embraced my story and taken me into her heart. This is not Alice Marie Johnson a publicity thing for her. Kim told me when she left that White House meeting that no matter how this turns out she would never stop fighting for me until I come home.”

In one of her first interviews, after being released she said to CNN about Trump, “I am going to make you proud that you gave me this second chance in life. And I will not disappoint the American public or the world that has so much faith in me. All I can say is thank you President Trump and I love you, President Trump.” CNN. com reports Johnson also said, “It means that someone finally saw me, someone finally heard me, someone had mercy on me – and that was President Trump, and so I’m so thankful for him and what he’s done.”

controversies and his unstoppable rise to fame.

Rick Ross is an indomitable presence in the music industry, but few people know his full story. Now, for the first time, Ross offers a vivid, dramatic and unexpectedly candid account of his early childhood, his tumultuous adolescence and his dramatic ascendancy in the world of hip-hop.

Born William Leonard Roberts II, Ross grew up “across the bridge,” in a Miami at odds with the glitzy beaches, nightclubs and yachts of South Beach. In the aftermath of the 1980 race riots and the Mariel boatlift, Ross came of age at the height of the city’s crack epidemic, when home invasions and execution-style killings were commonplace. Still, in the midst of the chaos and danger that surrounded him, Ross flourished, first as a standout high school football player and then as a dope boy in Carol City’s notorious Matchbox housing projects. All the while he honed his musical talent, overcoming setback after setback until a song called “Hustlin’” changed his life forever.

From the making of “Hustlin’” to his first major label deal with Def Jam, to the controversy surrounding his past as a correctional officer and the numerous health scares, arrests and feuds he had to transcend along the way, Hurricanes is a revealing portrait of one of the biggest stars in the rap game, and an intimate look at the birth of an artist.

The hardcover and audio version, released Sept. 3, are available at bookstores and online.

Good Books Café

Breaking Barriers in Ballet: Misty Copeland Set to Receive Trailblazer Award

By Lauren Poteat NNPA Newswire Washington Correspondent

Misty Copeland had the world of ballet standing still, when she made history as the first Black female principal dancer to the prestigious American Ballet Theatre (ABT) in 2015, just months after becoming the first Black woman to perform the lead role of “Odette” in ABT’s coveted “Black Swan” in the winter of 2014.

Determined to shatter the glass ceiling of the ballet world, on Sep. 11, the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) will honor Misty Copeland with their esteemed Trailblazer Award during the CBC’s annual “Celebration of the Arts” event – an award that Copeland deemed as not only an honor but also a necessity.

“It’s so important for other Black dancers to see a possibility, a future for themselves, in a world that still doesn’t include many other Black ballerinas,”

her fourth husband became abusive Copeland said.

“There’s definitely still a glass – both emotionally and physically – ceiling in the ballet world,” Copeland to Copeland’s mother and all of her continued. “There’s only one Black children. principal dancer in the American Ballet Despite the economic and social Theatre in their entire almost 80-year history and a lot of people don’t have the understanding that just because it’s been done once, doesn’t meant that that problem goes away… having one Black president didn’t mean that racism didn’t exist.”

“If I didn’t have art in my life, then I wouldn’t be the articulate, confident person that I am today.

Fields in STEM are important but Misty Copeland the arts are also so vital… not every child learns the same way and hardships, Copeland said that she was able to find solace and her voice sometimes the missing link is art.”

Growing up as the fourth child through the world of dance. At the age of six in underserved areas of San of 13, the ballet lessons that she began Pedro, California, Copeland spoke to taking at the local Boys and Girls Club a time where she and her five siblings would eventually allow her to move in found themselves all living in a small with her teacher’s family and eventually motel after her mother’s marriage to prepare her to make history.

R.E.A.C.H. Physical Activity Day Count Down

“It’s been 25 years now that I’ve been a part of classical ballet and I still have that same fire,” Copeland said. “I think for me it was initially out of my own need, as a 13-year old girl growing up in underprivileged areas, to find structure, something I never had, and dance provided exactly what I needed for that time in my life.”

“I represent ballet and any child that needs to see someone persevere,” Copeland continued. “What it means to be an underdog and to be mentored and have an amazing support system and represent that American dream.”

Since joining the American Ballet Theatre in 2001, Copeland has gone on to be inducted into the Boys & Girls Club National Hall of Fame; serve on the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition, under the Obama administration; publish three books, including the New York Times Bestselling memoir, “Life in Motion;” secure her own clothing line with Under Armour; and receive an

honorary doctorate from the University of Hartford. All the while Copeland has been an ardent believer in reminding others that “representation is important.”

“I’m still a Black ballerina and a Black woman in this world and that doesn’t just disappear with titles,” Copeland said. “The more I use my visibility, my platform, my voice, to continue to speak about diversity both in front of the scenes and behind them, the more I’ll be able to help change the directory of dance.”

“A lot of underserved areas and youth either don’t receive access to dance courses or don’t receive quality training, which limits their chances of going even further when that time comes,” Copeland continued. “My hope, is that with my platform, I can continue this conversation to bring about change, to show younger people how to own their own power, to embrace who they are, to walk in their own path and to be represented.”

Aretha Franklin’s Estate Supports Fund for Cancer Research

By NewsOne Staff

Racial and ethical approaches to community health (REACH) is a bi-weekly column featuring articles that focus on reducing health disparities in the African American community. It will include topics submitted by Creighton University Health Sciences Multicultural and Community Affairs (HS-MACA) department.

By Dr. Richard L. Brown, Ph.D., FACHE Executive Director, REACH, Creighton University

The 4th physical activity day count down is well under way with only days left before it happens. The Let’s Move, Let’s REACH physical activity day will happen on Sept. 14. This event will focus on promoting health and reducing health disparities in the African American community.

The celebration will be greatly enriched by the participation of many organizations. Several community groups will join in the festivities as residents and the community take center stage.

This half day of physical activity will begin at 8 a.m. with a one mile walk/run event from 24th and Cuming to 24th and Lake Streets. After the walk/ run event, the remaining activities will take place on 24th street between Lake and Burdett Street. Various DJs will provide music throughout the day. There will be dance contests for children, young adults

and seniors. Other activities include a basketball shooting contest, Zumba, a step show, a bounce house, bicycling, and drill team performances, to name a few. There will be a variety of summer refreshments provided. The day will end at 2:00 p.m. In the event of rain, activities will be moved to an alternate spot.

Beyond creating an enjoyable day for residents to have fun and visit with friends and families, this event is a very positive way to celebrate the community spirit of North Omaha. Attendees will learn more about the value of physical activity in reducing the risk of heart disease and improving quality of life.

We recognize how important community partnerships are for the success of this event. We hope that all of you can join us for this fun and meaningful activity. You can take great pride and satisfaction in knowing that your support makes a powerful and transformative impact in the lives of our community. We want to hear from you. Come out on Sept. 14 to share your physical activity routine and participate with our team. This is an opportunity to provide inspiration to others who need help in getting started on a regular exercise program. There will be TV, radio, and newspaper coverage. Please phone me at 402-306-7158 to let us know if you or your organization will participate.

Until then, “Get Active, Healthy, and Happy.”

‘Voices of Hope’ Shines Spotlight on Sobriety for National Recovery Month During National Recovery Month in September, people living in sobriety will share personal recovery journeys to inspire others impacted by addiction through the Voices of Hope project.

Produced by national addiction treatment provider Valley Hope, Voices of Hope leverages the personal stories of those living in recovery to help educate communities about the disease of addiction, effective treatment and the power of recovery. The project also celebrates the millions of Americans living in recovery, while aiming to reduce the stigma of addiction, a deadly perception preventing millions of people from seeking treatment.

“Through the Voices of Hope project, people are sharing

how healing and recovery from addiction is possible,” Dan McCormick, Valley Hope CEO and president, said.

“Only ten percent of people who need addiction treatment actually receive it and by shining a light on the potential of recovery, together we can eliminate stigma and help more individuals, families and communities find healing.”

Visit the Voices of Hope project at valleyhope.org/ recovery-stories throughout September and beyond to explore recovery stories, addiction information and treatment resources. Explore Valley Hope’s Beyond the Valley blog at valleyhope.org for extensive resources and information for loved ones, families and the recovery community.

Late legendary songstress Aretha Franklin left an indelible mark on music and now a year after her death her loved ones are hoping that her legacy will have an impact in the realm of medicine.

According to the Detroit Free Press, Franklin’s estate is backing a new research fund to find a cure for the rare form of pancreatic cancer that the singer battled.

The initiative – named The Aretha Franklin Fund for Neuroendocrine Cancer Research – was established by the Boston-based Neuroendocrine Tumor Research Foundation. Through the project, medical professionals will explore the causes of neuroendocrine tumors to find a cure. Leaders of the initiative hope to raise $300,000 by 2020. “One of the characteristics of neuroendocrine tumors is that they can appear anywhere in the body – most commonly in the pancreas, small intestines and lungs – and they present very differently,” Elyse Gellerman, CEO, NETRF told the news outlet. “So while we do have treatments and approaches that physicians can use, we don’t have cures for every patient. That’s why the research we fund is so important.” Gellerman added that NETRF is seeking support from individuals and companies in the music industry as well as corporate sponsors.

Aretha Franklin Members of Franklin’s family say that this initiative is an impactful way to honor her legacy and help others who are going through the same battle. “The Aretha Franklin Family is honored to partner with the NETRF to help raise funding for education and research of this devastating disease that takes our loved ones much too soon,” Franklin’s niece Sabrina Owens said in a statement. “We encourage her friends, fans, and supporters to consider contributing to this cause, until such time as we can eradicate NETs. We believe this is possible.

Become a Believer and join us in this effort!”

Aretha Franklin was reportedly diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2010. She succumbed to her battle with the disease on Aug. 16, 2018. There is a major need for research surrounding neuroendocrine tumors as they affect 171,000 people in the U.S. and there remains a lack of information regarding the causes.

Black Women Taking On the Fight against Diabetes

By Linda Goler Blount, MPH President and CEO Black Women’s Health Imperative The cost of insulin is skyrocketing and people – especially Black women – are dying because they cannot afford or don’t have access to vital medication.

There is not enough being done to lower the prices of prescription medications that could mean life or death for so many African Americans who depend on it to live.

Over 30 million people in the United States have been diagnosed with both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes – including nearly 13% of all non-Hispanic Black people. According to the Office of Minority Health at the Department of Health and Human Services, African Americans are 80% more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes and the majority of them are women.

Many of those suffering from diabetes depend on insulin to regulate their blood sugar to remain healthy so that the food they eat does not threaten their lives. Instead of ensuring that people with diabetes can have access to this life-saving drug, some political leaders have put up road block after road block to make it harder for patients to receive care, despite bipartisan outrage by the excessively

high cost of prescription drugs.

This isn’t just bad politics: this is a life or death issue for working families across the country, and African Americans are disproportionately paying the price.

Instead of focusing on lowering drug costs for all Americans, some lawmakers continue to attack the Affordable Care Act and its health care protections for those who have pre-existing conditions. While they do this, as many as one in four people skips insulin doses or ration prescriptions because of the rising cost. Sadly, some of these people are dying as a result – and many black women are specifically at risk.

African Americans are more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes and unfortunately suffer fatalities from type 2 diabetes at twice the rate of their white counterparts. Black people are overwhelmingly more likely to suffer from debilitating complications caused by diabetes such as amputations, blindness and kidney failure more than their white counterparts. Due to lack of health resources in predominately African American communities, black people receive poorer quality care and get care later when the disease has progressed.

The risk for getting type 2 diabetes increases with age with the highest incidence occurring between 65 and 75. This is precisely the

point in life when income decreases. African American women are especially affected.

They are likely to be care-givers and spend their hard-earned money on ensuring family members are healthy making access to insulin a greater challenge.

The health and wellness of Black women must be a top priority so we must take action.

Recently, a coalition of health care, social justice, and faith organizations launched “Affordable Insulin NOW,” a campaign demanding lower drug costs for those suffering from diabetes.

Together, we are raising our voices, amplifying each other’s stories, building on-the-ground teams, and demanding our policymakers and pharmaceutical companies work together to provide access to high quality and affordable insulin.

We need affordable insulin now. Too many lives depend on it.

(Linda Goler Blount, MPH, is President and CEO of the Black Women’s Health Imperative (BWHI). Linda oversees BWHI’s strategic direction and is responsible for directing the organization toward achieving its mission of leading efforts to solve the most pressing health issues that affect Black women and girls in the United States.)

Page Eight

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PUBLIC NOTICE SECOND FIVE-YEAR REVIEW COMPLETED Omaha Lead Superfund Site Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska August 2019 EPA Region 7: Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Nine Tribal Na ons The U.S. Environmental Protec on Agency (EPA) Region 7 has completed the Second Five-Year Review for the Omaha Lead Superfund Site. Five-Year Reviews are required by the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensa on and Liability Act (CERCLA) when hazardous substances remain on site above levels that permit unrestricted use and unlimited exposure. Five-Year Reviews provide an opportunity to evaluate the site remedy to determine whether it remains protec ve of human health and the environment. This Five-Year Review determined that the remedy at this site is “protec veness deferredâ€? of human health and the environment, in light of new scien ďŹ c informa on and a change in site condi ons. In the interim, soil excava on ac vi es completed to date have removed the contaminated soils and addressed interior dust and paint exposures. This Five-Year Review Report was signed August 26, 2019.

EPA has assessed the ability of the public to access this Five-Year Review through an internet-based repository and has determined that the local community has this ability. As a result, the Five-Year Reviews and Administra ve Records for this site are available through this website: h ps://www.epa.gov/superfund/omahalead Ques ons or requests for site informa on and/or the Five-Year Review process can be submi ed to: Tamara Freeman U.S. EPA Community Engagement Specialist Email: freeman.tamara@epa.gov U.S. Environmental Protec on Agency, Region 7 11201 Renner Boulevard, Lenexa, KS 66219 Toll-free: 1-800-223-0425

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Things to do, people to see, places to go.

Now – The Omaha Community Playhouse presents “Sweat,� a play that examines what happens to people when they are deprived of the dignity of honest work.

When survival is threatened, human beings under stress will self-protect, leading to isolation and the disintegration of human kindness. Tickets are available at ticketomaha.com. The play runs through Sept. 15.

Sept. 6 – The catfish is fresh, hot, and waiting for you at Clair Methodist, 5544 Ames Ave. Come for lunch, 11 a.m.

- 2 p.m., and return for dinner, 4-7 p.m. Menu includes fried catfish, two sides, a beverage and homemade lemon cake.

Phone 402-451-8322 to place your order. Delivery available on 3 or more orders.

Sept. 6 – First Friday Fish Fry! Get it while it’s hot at St. Benedict the Moor, 2423 Grant St. It’s on and frying from 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. On the menu: catfish fillet, spaghetti, green beans and a dessert. For more info, phone 402 348-0631 Sept. 7 – Book Signing: Author Nicole Ryan for release of her new book “Moving Forward,� Divine Nspirations, 2118 N. 24th St. For more info, phone Valerie Bradford at 402707-7139.

Sept. 9 – The monthly 24th Street Corridor Alliance meeting will be held from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. at Leflore’s Fashions, 1806 N. 24th St. The guest speaker will be John Heaston of the MDBMSC Board and President of The Reader Magazine.

Sept. 9 – UNO presents Stakes Is High, a conversation on Race, Faith & Hope for America featuring Rev. Dr. Michael W. Waters. The event will be held in the UNO Barbara Weitz Community Engagement Center on the 2nd floor at 6:30 p.m. Dr. Waters’ book, Stakes Is High, will be on sale and he has agreed to sign books after the presentation. The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required at Eventbrite.

Sept.

9 – STARZ documentary, Out Of Omaha, makes its broadcast debut at 8 p.m. CT. This is an intimate portrait of twin brothers Darcell and Darrell Trotter, two young black men coming of age in our racially and economicallydivided city. In a time when our country is being further racially divided every day, this story shines a light on the damage that discrimination does to a community and the struggle individuals face while trying to break the cycle.

Sept. 11-13 – Shake the Nations 2019! Ambassadors Worship Center hosts Succession: Passing It On. Day

Sessions: Thursday and Friday from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. Evening Sessions: Wednesday, Thursday & Friday at 7 p.m. Speakers: Wednesday evening: Bishop Joseph Garlington, Thursday and Friday evening: Bishop Tudor Bismark. To celebrate 25 years of ministry, AWC is offering this event with free registration at Eventbrite. For more info, phone 402-341-1866.

Sept. 12 – Free customized GED classes are offered Mondays - Wednesday, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m., at Creighton’s Educational Opportunity Center, 814 N. 20th St. For more info, phone 402-280-2700.

Sept. 13 – MOODANCE! Join The Union for Contemporary Art for a night of unexpected magic under the full harvest moon.

This is a fundraising event that will allow supporters to see how their support brings artists and the community together. Food, drinks, art, and dancing will be provided. For more information go to u-ca.org/moondance Sept. 14 – Clair Memorial, 5544 Ames Ave., will give away books, clothing, food and provide fun and games at their community Back-toSchool Fellowship, from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Activities include basketball, outdoor Connect Four, a bounce house and face painting. Local spiritual writer Alan Black will sign copies of his latest book, “In the Spirit Intended.� It will be a day of friendly, family FUN and the community is invited.

Sept. 14 – The Night L.I.F.E. Program sponsored by Banister Leadership Academy is held Saturdays at Catholic Charities, 2111 Emmet St., from 6-10 p.m.

Night L.I.F.E. empowers youth, K-8th grade, with leadership skills in a fun environment through organized sports, healthy living, and community awareness. For more info, visit banisteracademy.org Sept. 14 – The second annual African Cultural Festival, 2-10 p.m. at Stinson Park in Aksarben Village. The festival will showcase live music, dance, arts & crafts, and authentic African cuisine, as well as a variety of organizations, businesses, student groups, and individuals who are working to create a vision for themselves and their community.

Sept. 14 – Zion Baptist Church, 2215 Grant St., will host a Community Give-Away in its parking lot from 10 a.m.

- 3 p.m. There will be clothing items and small household appliances available. First come, first served. Please bring bags or boxes to take items home. For more info, phone 402-346-1502.

Come, receive a blessing from the Women of Faith Ministry.

Sept. 14 – Let’s Move,

DOUGLAS COUNTY HOUSING AUTHORITY PUBLISHES ITS AGENCY PLANS Douglas County Housing Authority will hold a public meeting at 7:30 AM on October 25, 2019 at the Douglas County Housing Authority office located at 5404 N 107th Plaza (near 108th and Fort). The authority is seeking public comment on its Annual Agency Plan and 2019 and 2020 Capital Fund. Prior to the meeting, the Agency Plans can be inspected at: Douglas County Housing Authority 5404 North 107th Plaza Omaha, NE 68134

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Let’s Reach! Join Creighton University’s Health Science and Multicultural Affairs for the 4th Annual Physical Activity Day. This event is free to the public with fitness and wellbeing activities for all ages, including a one mile walk/run, Zumba, Mixxedfit, drill teams, basketball, kids zone, and much more. This event will be held from 8 a.m. - 2 p.m. on N. 24th Street from Cuming to Lake Streets.

Sept. 15 – There is nothing like connecting and meeting dynamic black women in our community. Join I Be Black Girl at their quarterly networking event from 2-4:30 p.m. at The Venue at Highlander Accelerator, 2120 N. 30th St. For tickets and more info, go to Eventbrite.com Sept. 15 – The Black Family Excellence Festival will be held at Benson Park Pavilion, 7028 Military Ave., from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Join New Rising Star Baptist Church as they offer morning worship, health screenings, community resources, food, face painting, carnival games, a live Mixxedfit class, a DJ, and raffle prizes.

Sept. 16 – The Striving for Success Male Summit is a free day-long event held to inspire African American males entering high school to excel in their education. Registration includes meals, motivational workshops and transportation.

This Summit will be held from 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. at UNO’s Milo Bail Center. The keynote speaker is Jewell Jones. Summit sponsors are Urban League of Nebraska, 100 Black Men of Omaha and the Empowerment Network.

Sept. 18 – It is hard to believe it is that time again. Worship with the Salem Baptist Church, 3131 Lake St., at their annual Fall Revival. Enjoy worshipping, praising, and hearing the Word of God. Service begins at 7 p.m.

Sept. 19 – “Race Riots, the Immigrant Experience, and a Boy’s Life in Omaha 1919� is the topic explored by Theodore Wheeler at the Expand Your Horizons evening sponsored by the Notre Dame Sisters in the Seven Oaks Senior Center, 3439 State St. (use north entrance).

Wheeler’s book, Kings of Broken Things, is an immigrant coming-of-age novel that is set amid the domestic strife of World War I, the machine-boss era of politics in Nebraska, and events surrounding the lynching of Will Brown during the Omaha race riot of 1919. He will present a crash-course on the history of the riot, briefly read from his book, and take questions from the audience. Copies of the book will be for sale. This free public event will be held from 7-8:30 p.m. For more info, phone 402981-2701.

Sept. 19 – Davis Blight, a scholar of slavery, race, and the Civil War at Yale University, will deliver a lecture followed by a book signing at Creighton’s Harper Center, 602 N. 20th St., from 7-9 p.m. His book, “Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom,� will be available for purchase.

Sept. 20 – The Great Plains Black History Museum will host the “Will Brown and Lynchings Throughout the Great Plains of America� exhibit from 6-8 p.m. This exhibit commemorates the 100th anniversary of the lynching of Will Brown and will map out all Terror Lynchings throughout the Great Plains.

Sept. 20 – Joslyn Art Museum’s Young Art Patrons (YAP) presents GLOW in the Garden from 7-11 p.m. in the Sculpture Garden, 2200 Dodge St. Attendees will enjoy games, music, dancing, tasty local fare, and cocktails. GLOW attire is classic or creative cocktail, masks are encouraged. This is a 21-and-over event. Tickets are available online at http://bit.ly/ GLOWtix. For more info, phone 402-342-3300.

Sept. 21 – Urban Financial Services Coalition will host a community shredding event from 2-5 p.m. at First National Bank Omaha, 50th and Ames Ave. Sept. 22 – Attend Baby Love’s Baby Fair! If you are expecting or have a new baby in your life, come experience all things baby in one place, Baxter Arena, 2465 S. 67th St., from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. For more info go to Baby Love on Facebook.

LOCAL NEWS THE OMAHA STAR Page Nine Artist Reckons with Violence Against Black Bodies in New Exhibition at The Union

September 6, 2019

By Patrick Mainelli

Pittsburgh-based visual and performance artist Vanessa German describes her work as “a dimensional living reckoning. The living reckoning is bold, eruptive, disruptive work against systems & pathologies that oppress & subvert overt & covert violence onto & into the lives & humanity of marginalized people on this land.”

In her ambitious multimedia installation “sometimes.we.cannot. be.with.our.bodies.” (coming to The Union for Contemporary Art on Sept. 14) German’s reckoning takes the shape of several bodies, intricately sculpted from hundreds of small items – both everyday and elegant.

The immersive exhibition addresses violence against people of color, particularly members of the LGBTQ+ community. Nicole J. Caruth, The Union’s Director of Programs, explains: “ ‘sometimes. we.cannot.be.with.our.bodies.’ honors lives lost to violence while offering an opportunity for visitors to engage in necessary dialogue about human rights issues today and intersectionality within movements for social justice.”

German’s artist statement illuminates these social roots of her work: “I am thinking about Trayvon, Korryn Gaines, Eric Garner, Philandro Castille … I am thinking about Chyna Doll Dupree, Tearia Whitehead … I am thinking about the City of Bones … & all of the nameless disappeared peoples whose blood built the pillars of this democracy … I am thinking about Sandra Bland … & what the media does in the wake of these murders.”

As part of the exhibition, German will present a new site responsive performance – a two-mile public procession in honor of Omaha’s Will Brown (lynched 100 years ago this September) and other people of color whose lives have been lost to violence.

Accompanied by seven local performers, German will walk silently from The Union for Contemporary Art (2423 N. 24th St.) to the front lawn of the Douglas County District Court (1701 Farnam St.) where the group will perform a goodbye ritual song inspired in part by Mende birth and funeral rites.

Viewers are invited to encounter the performance as it meanders through Omaha, joining at any point for as little or as long as desired. The performance will take approximately 1.5 hours to complete; the specific route will be shared in advance. For the safety of spectators and performers alike, we ask that everyone stay on city sidewalks and out of the streets. This performance is co-produced by Caruth and Denise Chapman, The Union’s Producing Artistic Director.

German is the third recipient of The Union’s annual Wanda D. Ewing Commission, which supports the production and presentation of new work by a woman artist of the African diaspora. Wanda Denise Ewing (1970–2013), the Omaha artist

Image Credit: Installation view of Vanessa German: sometimes.we.cannot be.with.our. bodies. at The Mattress Factory, Pittsburgh, PA, 2017. Courtesy of the artist and Pavel Zoubok Gallery, New York. Photograph by Tom Little and courtesy of The Mattress Factory.

for whom The Union’s gallery and Commission are named, was influenced by folk-art aesthetics, craft traditions, and the limited depictions of black women in Western art history and popular culture. Through her art, she celebrated black bodies and explored the complex interplay of race, gender, and sexuality. The commission was established to carry forth Ewing’s legacy and to create a vital cultural opportunity for Greater Omaha, where narratives of black female experience are too often absent from the arts discourse.

“All of this is Love,” German asserts in her artist statement. She sees the collection, which fully embraces the viewer from all sides, as a “‘living life vest’ against the drowning & submersion of body, intellect, & spirit to the incremental rape of one’s humanity in a

system of white supremacy, xenophobia, anti-blackness, patriarchy, transphobia, homophobia & generalized hate of otherness.”

At a time when the value of black and brown bodies is still continually brought in to question by those in power, German’s “ferocious Loving in the face of the unbearable undoing of personhood” may be just the kind of life preserver we need most.

Opening Reception: Sept. 14, noon-2 p.m.

Public Performance: Sept. 14, 2-4 p.m.

On View: Sept. 14 - Nov. 30

‘VoicePlay’ Comes to the Lied

LINCOLN – The Lied Center for Performing Arts will present A Cappella sensation VoicePlay for two performances on Sept.

12 and 13 at 7:30 p.m. both nights.

Tickets for VoicePlay are available to the public and can be purchased at LiedCenter.org, by phone at 402-472-4747 or at the Lied Center box office, 301 N. 12th St. VoicePlay, an awardwinning A Cappella quintet, creates amazing harmony and reinvents popular music with nothing but their voices.

With their powerful sound, VoicePlay continues to amaze audiences around the globe.

The troupe from Orlando has evolved into an award-winning internationally touring phenom.

Infusing theatrics, sound effects and parody performances in their multi-genre covers, their YouTube videos have been met with global acclaim and nearly 500K subscribers. The quintet appeared on Season 4 of NBC’s

The Sing Off. UNL students can reserve their free tickets through the Lied Center’s Arts for All program via UNL Marketplace at marketplace.unl.edu/liedcenter.

Any remaining tickets can be picked up by UNL students before either performance.

This program is funded in part

by ASUN student government.

This presentation is made possible in part with generous support from the Pace Woods Foundation.

college experience,” said Bill Stephan, executive director of the Lied Center. “To support this vision, the Lied Center has led the way nationally, designing ways for students to see worldclass performances at affordable prices while also providing transformative engagement opportunities with Lied artists.

The Big Red Lied Experience will make the Lied Center one of the most student-attended

performing arts centers in the nation.”

Annually UNL students can get free tickets to many of the Lied’s top performances. The majority of free tickets are released on the first day of classes in the fall and spring.

Additional tickets are often released throughout the semester as they become available.

For more information, visit the UNL Marketplace.

About the Big Red Lied Experience The VoicePlay free concert is part of the Lied Center’s “Big Red Lied Experience” initiative, providing the opportunity for more than 4,000 UNL students to attend a Lied Center event.

“The Lied Center’s vision is that every University of Nebraska-Lincoln student graduates having had at least one professional arts performance at the Lied as a part of their

F.Y.I.

In order to be included in The Omaha Star, all articles and event calendar announcements must be typed in a Word document, using Times New Roman font, 10 pt, and must be received no later than two weeks in advance of the event.

Articles must be e-mailed to: fwilliams@omahastarinc.com by 3:00 p.m. on Monday. Any submissions that are received the same week as the current publication will not be included in the current week’s edition. The distribution day for The Omaha Star are Fridays on a bi-weekly schedule.

The Omaha Star is not responsible for unsolicited pictures or articles submitted for publication.

TM

Join Creighton University’s Health Sciences – Multicultural and Community Affairs for the 4th annual LET’S MOVE, LET’S REACH Physical Activity Day.

SATURDAY SEPT. 14, 2019 8 a.m.–2 p.m.

FREE TO THE PUBLIC!

This event is free to the public, with fitness and well-being events for children and adults of all ages. Activities will include: one mile walk/run, Zumba, MixxedFit, drill teams, basketball, kids zone, and much more.

Caring for someone with Alzheimer’s isn’t easy.

Reaching us is.

Beyond creating an enjoyable day for residents to have fun and visit with friends and families, this event is a positive way to celebrate the community spirit of North Omaha and learn more about the value of physical activity in reducing the risk of heart disease and improving quality of life.

For more information, contact Dr. Richard Brown by email at richardbrown@creighton.edu or phone at 402.306.7158.

E V E N T L O C AT I O N :

24th Street from Cuming to Lake Streets, Omaha, Nebraska Creighton University’s Center for Promoting Health and Health Equity–Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (CPHHE-REACH)

If you care for someone with Alzheimer’s disease, memory loss or dementia, you are not alone. We’re here day or night — whenever you need us — offering reliable information and support.

— O U R PA RT N E R S —

Free 24/7 Helpline: 800.272.3900 Alzheimer’s and Dementia Caregiver Center: alz.org/care

HS-MACA is associated with Creighton University.

YOUTH/EDUCATION NEWS/NATIONAL September 6, 2019 Omaha Joins Nationwide Campaign Omaha-Area Students Receive for Grade-Level Reading EducationQuest Scholarships The Omaha metro has taken a major step in the GLR Network gives Omaha access to

Page Ten

THE OMAHA STAR

toward improving student success by joining the nationwide Campaign for Grade-Level Reading (CGLR), a collaborative effort to improve reading proficiency and early school success for all children.

The Omaha metro campaign is supported by the Metropolitan Omaha Educational Consortium (MOEC), The Learning Community of Douglas and Sarpy Counties and United Way of the Midlands.

The campaign’s action plan addresses three underlying challenges that can keep young children from learning to read proficiently – school readiness, school attendance and summer learning.

“The metro Omaha area has many organizations responding to the needs of young children and working to increase the likelihood of success,” said Martha Bruckner, MOEC executive director.

“Having our community join the national Campaign for Grade-Level Reading provides an impetus to identify and partner with those organizations in a way to magnify the results.”

Reading proficiency by the end of third grade is a critical milestone toward high school graduation and success later in life because it marks the transition from “learning to read” to “reading to learn.” Students who aren’t reading on grade level by the end of third grade are four times more likely to drop out of school and six times more likely if they have lived in poverty for a year.

Reading proficiency ranges from 34 percent to 85 percent in Douglas County and Sarpy County schools, and 53 percent of Nebraska third-grade students are proficient in reading. Membership

experts and policymakers focused on early school success; assistance in addressing the challenges that keep many children from learning to read; and access to the online Community Learning for Impact & Improvement Platform (CLIP), which is designed to lower the barriers and costs associated with spreading information about what’s working, why and under what conditions.

About the Metropolitan Omaha Educational Consortium The Metropolitan Omaha Educational Consortium is a collaborative organization dedicated to public education and bringing Omaha-area educators together to ensure that all students in our community receive an exceptional education.

About the Learning Community of Douglas and Sarpy Counties The Learning Community of Douglas and Sarpy Counties is an educational subdivision focused on outcomes and opportunities for children and families. It achieves impact through a collaborative network of metropolitan area school districts and community organizations.

Independent evaluations demonstrate consistently strong results in early childhood education and family engagement.

Recognized nationally for advancing a twogeneration approach, the Learning Community creates opportunities to address the needs of children and families together. A 12-member Coordinating Council, elected by the public, guides policies which challenge the opportunity gap and strengthen our communities. Visit: LearningCommunityDS.org.

SBA Awards Grants to Support Innovation, R&D Commercialization WASHINGTON – The U.S. Small Business Administration has granted 24 awards up to $125,000 per recipient in FY 2019 under its Federal and State Technology (FAST) Partnership Program. FAST’s objective is to improve outcomes for underrepresented entrepreneurs in SBA’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Programs and increase participation for women-owned, rural-based, and socially and economically disadvantaged firms.

“FAST partners support an important role in attempting to fill various gaps that R&D-focused small businesses may have to help them win SBIR/STTR awards,” said Acting Administrator Christopher Pilkerton. “They focus on the needs of next-generation high-tech firms and support them through the entire cycle from ideation to commercialization. SBIR funding is one way to do that. Additionally, a number of these awards are going to partners that are located in Opportunity Zones where job creation and investments are moving forward to revitalize communities.”

FAST provides specialized training, outreach, mentoring, and technical assistance for R&D focused small businesses. The program provides one-year funding to organizations to execute state/regional programs that support potential SBIR applicants and awardees. The FAST award project and budget periods are for a base period of 12 months, beginning September 30, 2019.

This year’s recipients hail from several states across the country, and include state and local economic development entities, Small Business Technology Development Centers, Women’s Business Centers, Procurement Technical Assistance Centers, incubators, accelerators, colleges, and universities. All organizations will provide support to small businesses developing and commercializing high risk technologies.

Awardees – 2020 Cohort Arkansas – University of Arkansas at Little Rock Colorado – The Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade Connecticut – Connecticut Innovations, Inc. Hawaii – Hawaii Technology Development

Corporation (HTDC) Indiana – Northeast Indiana Innovation Center (located in an Opportunity Zone) Kansas – Wichita State University (located in an Opportunity Zone) Louisiana – Louisiana Business & Technology Center/LSU (located in an Opportunity Zone) Maryland – Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO) Minnesota – Minnesota High Tech Association Mississippi – Innovate Mississippi (located in an Opportunity Zone) Missouri – The Curators of the University of Missouri, Office of Sponsored Programs Montana – Montana State University Nebraska – Nebraska Business Development Center, University of Nebraska at Omaha (located in an Opportunity Zone) Nevada – University of Nevada, Reno (located in an Opportunity Zone) New Mexico – Arrowhead Center at New Mexico State University (located in an Opportunity Zone) North Carolina – First Flight Venture Center, Inc. Ohio – Ohio Aerospace Institute (located in an Opportunity Zone) Oklahoma – The University of Oklahoma Tom Love Innovation Hub (located in an Opportunity Zone) Oregon – VertueLab (located in an Opportunity Zone) South Carolina – University of South Carolina Tennessee – Launch Tennessee Virginia – Center for Innovative Technology (CIT) (located in an Opportunity Zone) West Virginia – TechConnect West Virginia Wyoming – University of Wyoming Small Business Development Center FAST Candidates were endorsed by each of their state and territorial governors, as only one proposal can be received per state or territory.

Proposals were evaluated by panels of reviewers from SBA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Missile Defense Agency, U.S. Navy Office of Naval Research, and the National Institutes of Health. Varying levels of matching funds were required, based on the number of SBIR Phase I awards in each state.

Eight Omaha-area students are among 25 Nebraskans who will share over $129,000 in renewable Reaching Your Potential scholarships recently awarded by EducationQuest Foundation.

The recipients, and the colleges they attend, are: Nia Brewer, Omaha, University of Nebraska at Omaha Sarah Brown, Omaha, University of Nebraska at Omaha Iesha Bryant, Omaha, University of NebraskaLincoln Hasley Cruz Garcia, Omaha, University of Nebraska at Omaha Alejah Fisher, Omaha, Metropolitan Community College, Omaha Lillian Hughes, Omaha, University of Nebraska at Omaha Hannah Osborn, Omaha, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Haleigh Wuster, Elkhorn, University of Nebraska-Lincoln EducationQuest awards Reaching Your Potential scholarships twice a year to Nebraska students who have overcome significant obstacles to attend college. Applicants are referred by community agencies and schools statewide.

Since the program was developed in 2000, EducationQuest has awarded approximately $5.9 million in scholarships to 520 Nebraskans.

EducationQuest Foundation is a nonprofit organization with a mission to improve access to higher education in Nebraska. Headquartered in Lincoln, EducationQuest provides free college planning services, need-based scholarship programs, college access grants for high schools, college access resources for middle schools, and outreach services for community agencies. For more information, visit EducationQuest.org or phone 800.303.3745.

Asthma In-Home Response

Does Your Child Have Asthma?

TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR ABOUT PROJECT AIR

Project AIR helps reduce in-home hazards for kids with asthma We make home improvements to address asthma triggers We educate families about hazards in their home We empower families to make positive behavior changes

LEARN MORE AT: OMAHAHEALTHYKIDS.ORG To enroll, call us at 402.934.9700 or talk to your doctor about Project AIR

Omaha Healthy Kids Alliance

We work to ensure every child in Omaha lives in a lead-safe, Healthy Home

WOMEN OF COLOR LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE AND LEGACY AWARDS LUNCHEON WOMEN THRIVING AND BREAKING BARRIERS

STAKES IS HIGH R ACE, FAITH, & HOPE FOR AMERIC A

MONDAY, SEPT. 9, 2019 COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT CENTER RM. 201 | 6:30 P.M. Join pastor, professor, award-winning author, activist, and social commentator, Rev. Waters’ and hear words of hope and empowerment that have inspired national and international audiences.

Seating is limited, please RSVP.

[ E V EN T S.UNOM A H A .EDU ]

Dr. Alexa Canady Pediatric Neurosurgeon Luncheon Keynote Speaker

Dannette Smith Theola Cooper CEO, Nebraska Crime Prevention Specialist Department of Health OPD and Human Services Panelist Breakfast Keynote Speaker

THURSDAY, OCT. 17TH 8 AM - 3 PM

EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION

$90

UNTIL SEP. 15TH

Carmen Tapio Founder & CEO North End Teleservices Panelist

Double Tree by Hilton Omaha 1616 Dodge St

REGULAR REGISTRATION

$115

Students $45 UNTIL OCT. 10TH

www.nc100bwomaha.org @ncbwgreateromaha @ncbwomaha

REGISTER ON EVENTBRITE Women of Color in Leadership Conference