Vol.80 - No. 6

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75 CENTS

OMAHA STAR

THE

Celebrating 80 Years

March is Women’s History Month.

Who is your Shero?

1938 2018

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

See Her-story Inside.

Nebraska’s Only Black Owned Newspaper Vol. 80 - No. 6 Omaha, Nebraska

Friday, March 23, 2018

EMILY’s List Endorses Deidre DeJear for Iowa Secretary of State

Deidre DeJear

WASHINGTON, D.C. – EMILY’s List, the nation’s largest resource for women in politics, has endorsed Deidre DeJear for Iowa Secretary of State.

Stephanie Schriock, president of EMILY’s List, released the following statement: “Deidre DeJear has spent her career helping Iowa’s small business owners and making sure Iowans’ voices are heard at the ballot box. She started her own business that provides marketing tools and strategies to help boost local businesses and nonprofits. Deidre also spearheaded efforts to provide financial education to more than 100,000 Iowans with the United Way of Central Iowa’s Financial Capability Project. And as Iowa African American Vote Director for the campaign to re-elect President Barack Obama in 2012, she registered thousands of new voters and increased turnout in the African American community.”

“At a time when it’s critical we elect secretaries of state who understand the importance of fair, wellrun elections and responding to the needs of small businesses, EMILY’s List could not be prouder to endorse an experienced leader like Deidre DeJear for Iowa Secretary of State.”

Last summer, EMILY’s List placed Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate “On Notice” for his record of creating onerous and unnecessary voting restrictions and his failure to defend the voters of his state against President Trump’s sham ‘voting commission.’

Students Nationwide Use Their Voices to Protest Gun Violence Students across the country, including metropolitan Omaha, spilled out of classrooms by the tens of thousands on March 14, chanting slogans like “No more silence” and “We want change” as part of a coast-to-coast protest over gun violence prompted by last month’s massacre at a Florida high school.

The #ENOUGH National School Walkout was intended to pressure federal and state lawmakers to tighten laws on gun ownership despite opposition by the National Rifle Association (NRA), the powerful gun rights advocacy group.

With some students dressed in orange, the color adopted by the gun control movement, the walkouts began at 10 a.m. local time in each time zone and were scheduled to last 17 minutes. Many rallies went longer.

The duration was a tribute to the 17 students and staff killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., on Feb. 14. It was the latest in a series of shootings that have plagued U.S. schools and colleges over the past two decades.

While many school districts gave their blessings to the walkouts, others said anyone who participated would face discipline. Many students defied the warnings and left REUTERS school anyway. They included over two dozen at Lindenhurst High School on New York state’s Long Island, who were at first suspended, then had their punishment reduced to detentions, according to a senior and the school superintendent.

In Parkland, thousands of students slowly filed onto the Stoneman Douglas school football field to the applause of families and supporters beyond the fences as law enforcement officers

Public Opinion in Nebraska Maps Clear Direction for Lawmakers

The Nebraska Values Project, a public opinion research initiative of the Holland Children’s Institute, reveals Nebraskans’ support differs from that of state lawmakers.

“The ‘Nebraska Values Project’ public opinion research results draw clear conclusions – Nebraskans overwhelmingly support more state attention on building the middle class through investing in healthcare and education at every level, and providing better opportunities for good paying jobs, retirement and benefits,” said Holland Children’s Institute CEO Hadley Richters. “A broad agreement exists that state elected officials should be more focused on giving families the tools they need to succeed, instead of eliminating community programs and reckless cuts to spending.”

“The research reveals itself as a guide for state lawmakers.” said Richters.

“Nebraskans make clear they believe the state should focus more investment to support families in Nebraska and build the middle class.” Richters continued. “Lawmakers may also take note that the majority of Nebraskans believe that currently the legislature and governor are solely focused on helping only big corporations and the wealthy.”

What Nebraskans believe the state’s

priorities should be: • Nebraskans placed the highest level of importance on career and vocational training expressing near unanimity (96%) who believe it should be a focus of investment in the state budget and a large majority (67%) saying it should be of major or largest focus.

• Nebraskans believe that providing incentives to businesses to create quality jobs with benefits, are key components to building a stronger middle class (78%). Paid family leave (71%) and paid sick leave (77%) were also strongly supported.

• A vast majority of Nebraskans believe expanding after school and voluntary pre-kindergarten will help build a stronger middle class (71%), and free community college classes (69%), and it should be noted that a majority of conservatives favor free community college (60%), and providing parents with state tax credits for early childhood programs (62%).

• Access to affordable child care is incredibly popular across the board.

Among those with children under age 18 at home, nearly all favor expanding access to affordable child care (93%), and of those without children at home are also in favor (69%).

• Almost unanimously Nebraskans See Public Opinion continued on page 3

“We Brunch Together” – March 25.

See In the Village for Details.

75 cents

looked on. News helicopters hovered overhead.

Ty Thompson, the principal, called for the “biggest group hug,” and the students obliged around the 50-yard line.

“We want change!” students chanted on the sidewalks outside the school. “Can you hear the children screaming?” read one of the signs.

But not all students in Florida were in favor of gun control. About 80 miles north of Parkland at Vero Beach High School, chants of “No more silence, end gun violence,” were countered by shouts of “Trump!” and “We want guns” from other students, according to video posted by local newspaper TCPalm.

At New York City’s Fiorello H. LaGuardia

High School, crowds of students poured into the streets of Manhattan, many dressed in orange, symbolic of the bright color worn by hunters to avoid being shot by accident.

“Thoughts and prayers are not enough,” read one sign at LaGuardia, a jab at a response often uttered by lawmakers after mass shootings.

In Akron, Ohio, hundreds of students wearing orange t-shirts with black targets on the front

Important: Polling Place Changes in Wards 1 and 2 There are four polling places that will be affected in the North Omaha area for the 2018 May Gubernatorial Election. The polling place changes are as follows: Ward 2 - Precinct 2 – Those who voted at Florence Christian Church, 7300 North Ridge Drive, will now vote at Trinity Lutheran Church, 6340 N. 30th St. Ward 2 - Precinct 11 – Omaha Home for Boys was unable to be a polling place for this election cycle and those voters will now vote at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church and School, 5020 Grand Ave. Ward 2 - Precinct 23 – Florence Elementary is under construction. Therefore, people will now vote at Florence Christian Church, 7300 North Ridge Drive.

Ward 1 - Precinct 31 – is a new polling place and these voters will vote at Joy of Life Ministries, 6401 N. 56th St. Voters whose polling place will be affected by these changes will be sent a postcard in April.

Rather than going to their polling place on Election Day, voters have the option to request a ballot be mailed to them. Voters wishing to request an early voting ballot can visit www.votedouglascounty.com, and on the home page under Quick Links choose Vote Early and download the application. More information can be obtained on the Douglas County Election Commission website at www. votedouglascounty.com or by phoning 402-444VOTE (8683).

walked out of Firestone High School.

At Granada Hills Charter High School in Los Angeles, students laid prone on the field of a football stadium to form a giant #ENOUGH, symbolizing the thousands of youth who die of gun violence every year in the United States.

Although Omaha Public Schools and Papillion/ LaVista Community Schools students were on Spring break, many high school students from Bellevue East, Duchesne Academy, Millard East, Millard North and Millard South held various types of protests. Gross, Mercy and Skutt Catholic high schools held prayer services.

Students at Columbine High in Colorado remembered the 1999 massacre at their school that began an era in which mass shootings became common in U.S. schools.

“I grew up in a community still haunted by the tragedy from 19 years ago,” said 16-year-old sophomore Abigail Orton.

The walkouts were part of a burgeoning, grassroots movement prompted by the Parkland attack and came 10 days before major protests planned in Washington and elsewhere. Survivors have lobbied lawmakers and President Donald Trump in a push for new restrictions on gun ownership, a right protected by the U.S. Constitution’s Second Amendment.

“We don’t feel safe in schools anymore,” said Sarah Chatfield, a high school student from Maryland, standing with hundreds of other protesters outside the White House.

Chanting “Hey hey, ho ho, the NRA has got to go!” students, many of whom will be able to vote in 2020, marched to the U.S. Capitol, where See Gun Violence continued on page 3

Black History Month Art Contest Winners Announced U.S. Cellular and Boys & Girls Clubs of the Midlands recently hosted a celebration to recognize the first Black History Month Art Contest winners.

The following artists were honored: First place: Aapril Boothe, age 13 of the North Omaha Club, won a $250 gift card for her Barack Obama portrait.

Second place: Kennedy Grace, age 16 of the Westside Club, won a $150 gift card for her Beyonce Knowles portrait.

Third place: Raheem Briggs, age 13 of the North Omaha Club, won a $100 gift card for his Kobe Bryant portrait.

“U.S. Cellular is very excited to celebrate with staff and students from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Aapril Boothe with her Barack the Midlands for the initial Black Obama portrait.

History Month Art Contest,” said Jonathan Thorndyke, U.S. Cellular’s area sales manager for eastern Nebraska and southwest Iowa. “At U.S. Cellular, we are committed to the education of young people in Omaha. This art contest gives us the opportunity to acknowledge the talent of our youth by commemorating African-American icons that have influenced the course of history, while celebrating the diversity of our country.”

The contest invited Boys & Girls Clubs of the Midlands members to create an original 8.5-by-11-inch piece of artwork in commemoration of influential African-Americans. The public voted on the top 10 finalist entries throughout February at two Omaha U.S. Cellular stores.

Don’t Miss the Education Train the Trainer Special Section in the – April 6.

April 6 Issue.

See In the Village for Details.

LOCAL NEWS

THE OMAHA STAR

March 23, 2018

Money Matters Seminar Scheduled for April 7

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“Managing Your Money Debt Free” is the theme for the 16th Annual Money Matters financial literacy seminar on April 7, sponsored by the National Coalition of 100 Black Women Greater Omaha Chapter (NC100BW). Tamika Stembridge, Esq., Executive Director of the dfree Global MAILING ADDRESS: Foundation, Philadelphia, PA, will be the keynote speaker. The event will be held at the Institute 2216 North 24th Street Omaha, Nebraska 68110 of Culinary Arts (ICA) Swanson Conference Center, Building 22, on the Fort Omaha campus of Metro Community College from 9 a.m. - 2:30 p.m., registration begins at 8:30 a.m.

WEB ADDRESS: The annual Money Matters, focuses on providing information to empower and promote www.theomahastar.com the awareness of wealth building and financial independence. Purchase your ticket from any Like Us on Facebook NC100BW member or register online at www.eventbrite.com/moneymatters2018. Registration includes a continental breakfast and lunch.

E-MAIL ADDRESSES: Stembridge will address building wealth and financial independence debt free. The NC100BW’s eleanor@omahastarinc.com President, Dr. Idalene Williams, remarks “to achieve financial wealth and stability debt free, it is fwilliams@omahastarinc.com extremely important to be well-rounded in the aspects of financial literacy. The Money Matters phyllis@omahastarinc.com financial seminar is intended to provide valuable information and tips which will empower tcooper@omahastarinc.com women to make the best financial decisions, and to learn the role that personal finances play in Notary Services available during business hours every aspect of their lives”.

Monday – Wednesday – 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

The breakout sessions and panel discussion topics include banking, insurance, budgeting, credit Thursday – 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. repair, homeownership, investments, entrepreneurship, starting your own business and more.

Additionally, sessions will be presented by the nationally renowned dfree organization.

Member of the National Newspaper Publishers Association A separate workshop for teens, Teen Boot Camp, will address financial literacy through Mad MILDRED D. BROWN: Founder, July 9, 1938 City Money, an interactive activity, presented by Urban Financial Services Coalition. “It is our DR. MARGUERITA L. WASHINGTON: belief if financial literacy and education are regularly instilled at a younger age, it will motivate Publisher, 1989 - 2016 children, as they grow and mature, to become interested in the financial industry and begin wealth Phyllis Hicks: Publisher & Managing Editor building early,” stated Dr. Williams. A new session, the dfree Young Money, will be presented to Frankie Jean Williams: Copy Editor teens, ages 12-18.For more information about attending Money Matters, please phone Angelia Tanya Cooper: Circulation/Retail Coordinator Thomas, Chair, Money Matters at 402-281-3398.

Carl Hill: Retail Distributor The National Coalition of 100 Black Women Greater Omaha Chapter is a 501(c)(3) non-profit Eleanor Riggs: Adminstrative Services Representative advocacy driven organization. The coalition works locally through volunteers to approach our Debra Shaw: Social Media Administrator community with innovative, advocacy solutions which address issues affecting Black women THE OMAHA STAR believes that America can best lead the world away from racial and national and girls in economic empowerment, education, health, political advocacy and leadership antagonism when it accords every man, regardless of race, color or creed, his human and legal rights. developments to help empower them to make informed decisions which may affect their life.

Hating no man, fearing no man in the firm belief that all are hurt as long as one is held back.

The coalition’s next community event is the 1st Annual Mental Health Summit to be held May 8. For more information about NC100BW or questions about any of the events, email: ncbwomaha@gmail.com, visit www.nc100bwomaha.org or phone 402-957-1895.

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Readers are encouraged to email letters to the editor commenting on current events as well as what they would like to see Preston Love Jr. has released his second book. After included in the paper. Those emails should be sent to: phyllis@ the announcement of Rev. Jesse Jackson’s diagnosis of omahastarinc.com and must include the writer’s name, address, Parkinson disease, Love wrote this short but hard-hitting email address and telephone number. The ownership has editorial book, including many inside and otherwise unknown stories rights and does not guarantee that all submissions will be pubabout his two years as Jackson’s handler during the 1984 lished. presidential race.

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There are extended ramp closures for the southbound I-480 and northbound US-75 ramps to eastbound I-80, lasting till midApril, according to the Nebraska Department of Transportation.

Suggested detour routes: Northbound US-75, use eastbound US-275/N-92 (“L” Street).

Southbound I-480, use westbound I-80 to 42nd Street.

These extended ramp closures are necessary for pavement construction. Hawkins Construction Company is the contractor on this project.

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The Heart Ministry Center has announced plans to change its client clothing assistance services, effective March 30. Going forward, the focus will shift from a clothing closet to a clothing assistance program coordinated by the Center’s case management team. The new approach will better enable the Center to focus its efforts on services that more closely align with both clients’ needs and the organization’s goal of helping clients to find a way forward.

The center has long maintained a clothing closet accepting all clothing donations that have been used primarily to outfit individuals for survival. The new direction encourages self-sufficiency by providing clothing for clients to wear to job interviews and to help them dress for job retention.

While the Heart Ministry Center is moving away from the collection of used clothing beginning March 23, new or gently used coats, children’s items and shoes will still be accepted. The case management team will now work directly with SVPD, Goodwill, Salvation Army Stores, ReRuns R Fun, Walmart and Target to ensure that clients in need of clothing will still be able to obtain the items they need.

“The Heart Ministry Center makes every effort to ensure that our clients have the opportunity to engage in self-sufficient programming,” said Heart Ministry Center Executive Director, Eric Crawford. “In evaluating how we provide clothing to our clients, we determined that coordinating our clothing donation efforts through our case management staff is the most effective method to fully serve and support our clients. We will work to smoothly transition our clients who regularly make use of our clothing closet to other clothing resources.”

About the Heart Ministry Center The Heart Ministry Center, 2222 Binney St., has been providing food, clothing, healthcare and a way forward to people severely affected by poverty in the Omaha area for more than 35 years. In 2017, the Heart Ministry Center provided more than 128,000 acts of assistance to those in need.

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There will also be an extended ramp closure of the southbound I-680 exit ramp to the “I”, “L” & “Q” Street Collector-Distributor Road for approximately 3 months. The West Center Road entrance ramp to eastbound I-80 will remain open.

This extended ramp closure is necessary for bridge repairs and an asphalt overlay.

Constructors Inc. is the contractor on this project.

Motorists are urged to drive cautiously through construction zones, along detours and selected alternate routes.

April 2018 *Friday (Education Special) Friday

April 6, 2018 April 20, 2018

May 2018 *Friday (Mother’s Day) Friday

May 4, 2018 May 18, 2018

June 2018 Friday *Friday (Father’s Day) *Friday (Fourth of July)

June 1, 2018 June 15, 2018 June 29, 2018

July 2018 Friday Friday

July 13, 2018 July 27, 2018

August 2018 *Friday (Back to School) *Friday (Labor Day)

August 10, 2018 August 24, 2018

September 2018 Friday Friday

September 7, 2018 September 21, 2018

October 2018 Friday Friday

October 5, 2018 October 19, 2018

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March 23, 2018 Gun Violence continued from page 1 Democratic lawmakers emerged from the whitedomed landmark to praise them.

The student-led initiative helped bring about a tightening of Florida’s gun laws last week, when the minimum age of 21 for buying any handguns was extended to all firearms. But lawmakers rejected a ban on the sort of semiautomatic rifle used in the Parkland attack.

In Washington, however, proposals to strengthen the background-check system for gun sales, among other measures, appear to be languishing.

After protests began on March 14, the NRA tweeted a picture of a semiautomatic rifle with the caption “I’ll control my own guns, thank you.”

Students from more than 3,000 schools and groups joined the walkouts, many with the backing of their school districts, according to the event’s organizers, who also coordinated the Women’s March protests staged nationwide over the past two years.

In Newtown, Penn., more than 100 students

LOCAL NEWS/NATIONAL NEWS THE OMAHA STAR Page Three Election Protection Coalition walked out of Council Rock High School despite warnings they would face discipline if they left the building.

Activates Its National Network But after the walkout, Superintendent Robert Fraser said “the level of maturity and sincerity was amazing” among protesters, and the school district waived any punishments.

At Norton High School in the rural-suburban district in northeastern Ohio, a small group of students, including a teenage boy with an American flag draped over his shoulder, stood apart from a larger gathering of nearly 300 students who walked out of class. One of the students also flew a large Trump flag at the end of his truck.

Ryan Shanor, the school’s principal, said the small group wanted to honor the victims but disagreed with the sentiment they considered to be against the Second Amendment.

“They did not agree with everything they thought the protest was about,” he said.

Public Opinion continued from page 1 believe the state should be focusing on providing health care services for children (91%), support Medicaid (88%) and providing mental health care (94%) What Nebraskans believe are the priorities of state elected officials: • Across all partisan spectrums, Nebraskans believe state government is focused on tax cuts and helping big corporations (63%) and the wealthy (64%) • While a majority say state government only does just some, very little or nothing at all to help their own families (56%).

• Voters believe taxes have been the top issue of focus for state government. It is notable that just as many say that the Governor and legislature are not focused on any issue or do not know on which issues they have been focused, showing the disconnect we often see between voters and state government.

• In sum, the narrative that emerges is one in which Nebraskans believe government is cutting taxes for corporations and the wealthy but not necessarily for them and their families.

Meanwhile, education and health care are being gutted to pay for these tax cuts at a time when Nebraskans want investments in their services to rebuild the middle class.

“Across the board research shows, Nebraskans believe the state’s priorities are out of line with those of families in Nebraska,” Richters said.

“Regardless of party affiliation, the majority of voters say state elected officials are not looking out for average families, and are focused only on cutting taxes to help large corporations and the rich.”

The Nebraska Values Project is a public opinion research initiative of the Holland Children’s Institute. In partnership with Myers Research & Strategic Services, a live telephone survey was conducted in early November 2017 to measure public opinion among Nebraska voters on issues impacting children and families. The margin of error associated with this data at a 95 percent confidence level is +/-4.0 percent.

Visit www.hollandinstitute.org for the full report. Slides and sharable graphics are also available on Twitter, @HCInstitute or upon request: info@childrensmovement.com.

Early Voting Ballot Application Gubernatorial Primary Election Pick up a Ballot for Someone Else Limit of two (2) ballots per election that an agent may pick up for someone other than themselves.

Ballots may be picked up Monday, April 9, through Tuesday, May 15, at 7 p.m.

Early voting ballots must be requested in writing. Requests may be submitted between Jan. 14 and May 4 at 6 p.m.

If you would like your ballot mailed to you, download the application from http://www. votedouglascounty.com/early_voting.aspx, and return the completed application to the Douglas County Election Commission by mail or in person to 225 N 115th St., Omaha, NE 68154; by fax to (402) 444-4181; or by email by attaching a scanned image or picture of the completed application and sending it to earlyvoting@votedouglascounty. com.

Only voters who are not affiliated with a political party (nonpartisan voters) and who want to vote for U.S. House and/or U.S. Senate may request a nonpartisan congressional ballot from one of the political parties by checking the appropriate box.

Warning: Requesting an early voting ballot eliminates your right to vote at your polling place.

Ballots will be mailed beginning Monday, April 9. Voted ballots must be in the possession of the Election Commission by 8 p.m. Tuesday, May 15.

Voting In Person at the Election Commission In-person voting is Monday, April 16, through Monday, May 14, during regular business hours, and Saturday, May 12, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Ballot Return Ballots must be returned to the Election Commission or any postage free drop box location by 8 p.m. on Tuesday, May 15. Drop boxes will be open from Monday, April 9, through Tuesday, May 15, at 8 p.m. Locations are: • City/County Building: 1819 Farnam St. • South Omaha Library: 2808 Q St. • Charles B. Washington Branch Library: 2868 Ames Ave. • Ralston Police Department: 7400 Main St., Ralston • Milton R. Abrahams Branch Library: 5111 N 90th St. • Drive-Up Location: Davenport Street between 114th & 115th • Douglas County Election Commission: 225 N 115th St. • Douglas County Engineer’s Office:15505 W Maple Rd. • Millard Public Schools Foundation: 5255 S 159th Ave. • Bess Johnson Elkhorn Branch Library: 2100 Reading Plz. The Douglas County Election Commission is located at 225 N 115th St., Omaha, NE 68154.

Phone: (402) 444-VOTE (8683) Fax:(402) 4444181. Email: earlyvoting@votedouglascounty. com. Website:www.votedouglascounty.com Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday (excluding holidays); Saturday, May 12, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

3 Major Ways Financial Illiteracy is Harming Americans America is consumed with higher education – going to college and earning a degree as the necessary means to a well-paying job. Yet with parents emphasizing the importance of academic excellence, and their children graduating and going on to successful employment, why do many still remain uneducated in fundamental financial matters?

Numerous statistics show financial illiteracy is a major problem in the U.S., reflected in enormous personal debt, woefully small savings, and irresponsible spending. Despite being home to many millionaires and billionaires, the U.S. ranks only 14th in the world in financial literacy, according to Financial Literacy Around the World, a Standard and Poor’s Rating Services Survey.

“A lack of knowledge or interest in financial matters comes from the family culture early on, and often as adults people have to teach themselves,” says Alexander Joyce, a retirement planner. “They’re not teaching financial literacy in high school, certainly not even the basics, like how compound interest works.

“People need to self-educate and research. All the information is out there. Financial illiteracy is a widespread problem and its consequences reach far, from having no emergency funds to having little set aside for retirement.”

Joyce comments on three areas where the costly effects of financial illiteracy are significantly felt: • Low Savings. A 2017 survey of more than 8,000 people by GOBankingRates found that 57 percent had less than $1,000 in their savings account. “There’s an overall lack of education there as well from our schools,” Joyce says.

“But at home if you don’t set examples for your children, I don’t think it will ever change. At the

end of the day, you’ve got to put a little aside and say to yourself, ‘I’m not going to touch it.’“ • Credit card debt. In December, NerdWallet revealed in its Household Credit Card Debt Study that the average American household owes $15,654 in credit card debt. Forty-one percent in the study admitted to spending more than they should, which leads to paying more interest and lingering high debt. “It’s a lack of discipline and not knowing the effect of interest rates,” Joyce says. “Most people are well-educated enough to understand what living outside their means actually means. But many adults act like a child making a decision and not really thinking about the consequences until they actually happen. This is especially true with the younger generation.

The way the world is progressing with technology makes it easier to buy, and I think people easily get trapped in that.”

• College debt. Five-figure college loan debts are common and continue to be a major drag on the economy. Joyce says parents of normal to lowincome means might want to re-evaluate saddling their child and themselves with such a burden. But he also points the finger at colleges and employers.

“The colleges are to blame as well, because they make it seem as though in order to get a good job, everybody must go to college,” Joyce says.

“There’s nothing wrong with trade school. The cost of college is ridiculous. And I think employers can do a better job of having a benefits package that would absorb a lot of that college debt cost for a long-term valuable employee.”

“People lack financial discipline,” Joyce says.

“They need to stop and think about their needs versus their wants, about their short-term and long-term goals.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – With the midterm election season now underway, the Election Protection Coalition is activating its national network of lawyers and volunteers to ensure that eligible voters are able to cast ballots during the critical 2018 elections. With the administration continuing to wage attacks on access to the polls, most recently through a proposal in the Department of Homeland Security reauthorization bill to send Secret Service agents to polling sites across the country, the Coalition’s work to ensure access to the ballot box is more important than ever.

“Now more than ever, non-partisan voter protection programs remain critical to ensuring access to democracy. At a moment when we see states seeking to adopt restrictive photo id laws, burdensome proof of citizenship requirements and other policies that would burden the rights of voters, we know that vigilance will be required to ensure that all voters are able to have their voices heard in the 2018 midterm election cycle, said Kristen Clarke, president and executive director, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. “Through Election Protection, we provide voters access to the information they need to cast a successful ballot and a vehicle to which they can report problems that may be unfolding on the ground.”

“Voting gives immigrants and people of color the ability to keep their elected officials accountable and transform their lives,” said Christine Chen, executive director, Asian Pacific Islander American (APIA) Vote. “We must work together to remove language barriers so we can have an equal voice at the ballot box in the 2018 midterm elections.”

In the wake of youth-led movements for justice,

Rock the Vote is seeing a surge in soon-to-be first-time voters claiming their right to vote.

However, more work must be done to ensure all eligible voters can exercise their right to vote, particularly young people and young people of color who are disproportionately affected by discriminatory laws,” said Carolyn DeWitt, president, Rock the Vote. “Up to 18% of voters ages 18-24 don’t have a photo identification with their current address – that’s over 5.5 million young people, many of whom are away at college and cannot exercise their freedom to vote.

“Our democracy depends on citizens voting and on every vote being counted,” said John C. Yang, president and executive director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice - AAJC. “This means increasing access for all voters because voting is not a “privilege” earned by speaking or writing perfect English. Voting is a right of all citizens.”

“If recent special elections are any indication, we can anticipate a huge turnout in November and the work of our volunteers in the field will be key to make sure those elections run smoothly,” said Karen Hobert Flynn, president, Common Cause. “Our election protection volunteers are the direct link to voters on election day, helping them by troubleshooting problems when they occur at polling places. Common Cause continues to recruit and train volunteers while working year-round with partners and election administrators to ensure voters are able to make their voices heard on Election Day.” Election Protection will continue assisting voters throughout the 2018 election cycle to ensure voters can participate in the democratic process.

Military Official Warned Ravens about Signing Kaepernick: Report

By Evan Gross New York Daily News The Ravens did not sign Colin Kaepernick last year because a high-ranking member of the military raised concerns about bringing the polarizing QB to Baltimore, according to a report.

When the Ravens were shopping for a QB last season when Joe Flacco went down, they seemed a likely landing spot for Kaepernick. But when head coach John Harbaugh, who has spoken highly about Kaepernick, sought the advice of some trusted friends on the matter, one military honcho reportedly told him it might not be such a good idea, according to TMZ. According to the site, the unnamed official did not flat-out tell Harbaugh not to sign Kaepernick – who started the NFL’s protest See Kaepernick continued on page 9

PRAISE, WORSHIP, DEVOTION, OBITUARIES & INSPIRATION Prayer is the Least and Deaths & Funerals the Most We Can Do Ollie C. Kendrick relatives.

March 2, at a local Interment: Graceland host

Page Four

THE OMAHA STAR

By Dr. William Holland Recently, my wife Cheryl was talking about the need to increase her prayer time and I was definitely agreeing that praying is very important in our spiritual life. In the middle of our conversation, she said, “we should turn our cares into prayers” and that instantly caught my attention. I love catchy phrases and told her that I just might borrow that slogan! We all have worries and cares but for some strange reason, many times we do not consider praying as our highest priority. In fact, for most of us, it’s usually a last resort. Similar to prayer, I’m reminded of the fire axes that are mounted in glass cases and reserved for emergency use only.

Sadly, we often forget what a great price God has paid in order that we might have the privilege and opportunity to communicate with Him. It’s been said that prayer is the least we can do and yet the most we can do.

Prayer is the deliberate act of communicating with God. We can talk with Him while we are doing our daily work and if we need to be quiet we can concentrate and know that He understands us and knows our thoughts. Prayer has been described as simply pouring out our conscience to God about our desires, needs, burdens, and everything that is important to us.

Whatever is weighing heavily upon you today is causing anxiety and worry but there is encouraging news! God has provided a wonderful opportunity to cast our cares on Him. A huge aspect of faith is believing that He is concerned with our fears and troubles and that He desires to intervene. Billy Graham once said, “This should be the declaration of every follower of Jesus Christ. No matter how dark and hopeless a situation might seem, never stop praying. When we come to the end of ourselves, we come to the beginning of God.” Prayer may sound easy but anyone that has attempted to approach His throne on a regular basis will tell you it’s one of the most challenging undertakings of the Christian life. There are certain steps to take in order for prayer to become a serious part of our journey and it may sound elementary but first, we must have a desire to pray. Without a deep love for God and other people and a higher level of dedication we will not incorporate prayer as a lifestyle. Next, it’s important to believe that prayer is real and that God is listening. This is also not as easy as it sounds because if we have not abandoned our will and allowed Him to sit on the throne of our heart, He already knows we are just playing games. Once we decide to approach Him, let us humble ourselves and ask Him to forgive and cleanse us from our transgressions. This is how we can proceed into His holiness with a pure mind and heart. Since He has a specific destiny for us, may wealways respect His decisions which includes when He says no, as everything is about His will being done instead of our own.

Rev. Ollie C. Kendrick, age 78, passed away Friday, March 16, at a local hospital.

Survived by daughters: Janice Jones, Venita Edwards, Kansas City, MO; sons: Ollie Jr., & Jai Kendrick, Omaha; brothers: Joe, Boston, MA, & Kenneth Kendrick, Oklahoma City, OK; sisters: Zenobia Pless, Arlinda Rahn, Blue Springs, MO; nieces, nephews, other

Funeral Services: 11 am Friday, March 23, Greater New Hope Baptist Church, Pas. L. Henderson Bell, officiating.

Interment: Westlawn Cemetery Arrangements by Thomas Funeral Home. *** Tammera R. Montgomery Mrs. Tammera R. Montgomery, age 50, passed away Friday,

“In order to be free, we need to believe in the Lord,” says Emily, 12.

Yes, that is where freedom begins. Freedom from spiritual death comes from believing in Christ alone as one’s savior. That is why Jesus called this a new birth. Like a physical birth, it happens in an instant.

But learning how to walk and live in spiritual freedom requires a lifetime of learning and concentration. Jesus’ promised abundant life requires learning about him through his Word and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

True freedom is not doing our own thing. Rather, it’s communing with a holy God who knows more about us than we know about ourselves.

Learning how to live in spiritual freedom reminds me of something written by David Foster Wallace: “The truth will set you free. But not until it is finished with you.”

In our rebellion against God, we are suckers for all the things that life promises but can’t deliver. Slavery can be a physical status, but it’s more common as a spiritual status. To illustrate this point, my wife made the following statement about the behavior of college students during spring break at South Padre Island, Texas: “I don’t see how extreme self-impairment is fun.”

Many people think of freedom negatively as freedom from something such as alcohol or drug addiction. However, freedom is also positive in that it’s freedom toward something better.

“Knowing the truth, you can pray and worship him,” says Matthew, 9. “Knowing the truth will make you choose important decisions in your life.”

Christians are free to worship and pray to God. Amazingly, the New Testament says every believer is a priest unto God (I Peter 2:9). Guess

Why Not Speak Toastmasters meet each Thursday from 6-7:30 p.m. at Sharon Seventh-Day Adventist Church, 3336 Lake St. Additionally, the Speak Now Toastmasters meet on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of the month, from noon till 1 p.m., in the Family Housing Advisory Service office, 24th & Lake Streets.

All meetings are open to the public. For more information, phone Anthony Coleman, 402-707-3897.

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who sits in heaven as our high priest?

Jesus said, “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you,” (John 15:7).

If you’re a Christian who is drawing your life from Jesus by concentrating on what he said and did during his ministry, why wouldn’t your great high priest grant to you whatever you ask him?

As a functioning priest in God’s kingdom, your focus will be upon advancing his kingdom, not furthering your own agenda. Although Jesus’ kingdom remains hidden to most people, nevertheless, he is reigning and ruling from his throne in heaven right now. Someday, Jesus will descend upon this earth where he will establish his righteous, visible rule.

“No one can stop me,” says Hadie, 11. “If you know the truth, you will be set free.”

There is a sense of invincibility that comes from walking with God by remaining in his Word.

After all, who can stop God? This doesn’t mean that everything is going to go smoothly. Walking with God sometimes means losing. The irony is that even losing is winning when following the Lord. If you don’t believe this, take a look at the crucifixion of Jesus.

Think about this: Jesus took abuse that we can’t even imagine. During his trials on the way to crucifixion, he was mocked, spat upon and whipped. As he hung on a Roman cross, it looked like total defeat. Yet, it was his moment of greatest triumph. On the third day, he rose from the dead forever victorious over death, shame and embarrassment.

Memorize this truth: John 15:7 quoted previously.

Ask this question: As a Christian, are you meditating in the Bible so that God’s Spirit can enable you to experience the abundant, overcoming life that is your inheritance in Christ?

of grandchildren, great-grand, great-greatgrand, great-great-greatgrand, other relatives.

Funeral Services were held 12 pm Friday, March16, at Salem Baptist Church, Rev. Eddie Rollerson officiated.

Interment: Forest Lawn Cemetery Arrangements by Thomas Funeral Home.

Club. On Oct. 24, 1976, a group called the Omaha Homecoming Planning Committee held their first meeting and a vision of having a reunion of native Omahans who left the city for various reasons. The individuals responsible for setting up the committee and subsequent meetings were founders, Vera Johnson and Bettie McDonald. On Dec. 13, 1976, the committee elected to call themselves the Native Omahans Club. With a basic itinerary of a social mixer, gospel night, riverboat ride, homecoming parade, dance, picnic and “Blue Monday,” the Native Omahans Club held their first homecoming on Aug. 26, 1977. The week-long homecoming celebration continues to reunite former residents to a city that they once called home.

Services will be held at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, March 28, at Bethel A.M.E., 2428 Franklin St. The family is asking for your prayers.

African-American Hopeologist Inspires National Month Of Hope

BlackNews.com – For the first time, April will be recognized as the National Month of Hope thanks to an inspiring individual who is on a mission to spread hope across the globe. Recognized as a Hopeologist, Dr. Rosalind Tomkins will be launching the #HopeChallenge this April. Her goal is to see 10,000 “Hope Connections” take place throughout 2018.

“Through my work with Mothers In Crisis Inc. (MIC), for over 27 years, I have seen the power of hope in action as over 10,000 women and families have been impacted,” said Dr. Tompkins. In fact, Tompkins understands on a personal level about the need to restore hope as she battled drug and alcohol addiction that started at the age of 12. With the help of others and the birth of her daughter, she was able to turn her life around and has since been recognized as a humanitarian for the work she has done to end drug and alcohol addiction for individuals and their families.

Tompkins MIC is a non-profit organization committed to linking families and communities together to provide networks of support and encouragement for people to live productive, empowered, hope-filled lives.

Tompkins received a Doctorate of Humanities Degree from the Five-Fold Ministry Theological University in 2012, recognizing her for the work she has done to end drug and alcohol addiction. She’s the author of several books including Nimble Anointed Words Empower, As Long As There is Breath In Your Body, There is Hope, and You Are Beautiful. She is an inspirational and influential Hopeologist and poet whose passion in life is empowering others to spread hope while tapping into their God given power, potential and purpose. She’s also a columnist for the Tallahassee Democrat Newspaper and resides in Tallahassee, Fla. In June 2017, Dr. Tompkins was instrumental in getting the designation for April to become the National Month of Hope through the National Day Calendar. In keeping with her humanitarian call, Dr. Tompkins has traveled throughout the nation and around the world to many countries including East, Central, and South Africa, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Turkey, to spread hope to those most in need.

With daily headlines filled with school shootings, flooding and devastation, political turmoil, etc., we can all use a bit of hope in our lives. To learn more about the National Month of Hope along with ways to get involved, visit www.makeahopeconnection.com.

#MeToo and the Church: Lecture to Focus on Responses to Violence The biblical story of Tamar, daughter of King David, will serve as the jumping-off point for a conversation around the Church’s response to violence against women in the Women and Religion Lecture at Creighton University.

On April 9 at 6:30 p.m. in the Harper Center, Room 3023, the Rev. Pamela Cooper-White, PhD, will deliver her lecture titled “Revisiting Tamar: Violence Against Women and the Church’s Response in the #MeToo Era.” In the biblical story, Tamar is raped by her half-brother, Amnon. King David, while furious over the rape, does nothing to punish his first-born son, Amnon, and Tamar is counseled not to speak of the assault.

In her talk, Cooper-White, the Christine Brooks Johnson Professor of Psychology and Religion at the Union Theological Seminary, an Episcopal priest and a certified psychotherapist,

will examine the enduring dynamics of violence against women from biblical times to today, and the Church’s role in intervention and prevention of such violence.

Cooper-White’s lecture is derived from the second edition of her book, The Cry of Tamar: Violence Against Women and the Church’s Response (2012), chosen as one of the Top Ten Books of the Year by the Academy of Parish Clergy. Cooper-White is also the author of six other books, most recently Old and Dirty Gods: Religion, Antisemitism, and the Origins of Psychoanalysis, published in 2017.

The Women and Religion Lecture is sponsored by the Women’s and Gender Studies Program and the Kripke Center for the Study of Religion and Society.

This lecture is free and open to the public.

AND

THOMAS FUNERAL HOME

THE BLACK CHURCH:

TRADITION • RESPECT • DIGNITY

THE BLACK PRESS

Forest Lawn Funeral Home Cemetery & Crematory

Cemetery Arrangements by Thomas Funeral Home. *** Flora Rollerson Mrs. Flora Rollerson, age 98, passed away Wednesday, March 7, at her residence.

Survived by sons: Alton T. Rollerson, Rev. Edward (Cathy) Rollerson; daughters: Maurice A. Hawthorne, Joyce (Ed) McCreary, Susan Rollerson, Omaha;

Toastmasters Services Scheduled for Vera L. Johnson Vera L Johnson quietly passed away on March 20 at the age of 90 Meetings years. Vera, along with Bettie McDonald, founded the Native Omahans

Kids Talk About God How Does Remaining In God’s Word Make You Free?

By Carey Kinsolving And Friends

hospital.

Survived by son: Eurell Montgomery; daughter: Leony Montgomery; step-daughter: Paris Grier; mother: Christina Coffey, Omaha; sister: Tiffany Henry, St. Louis, MO; 2 grandchildren; aunts, uncles, cousins, other relatives.

Funeral Services were held 11 am Tuesday, March 13, at Gethsemane Baptist Church, Rev. Cordell Starks officiated.

March 23, 2018

& Cremation Services

Serving all cemeteries Pre Planning Discounts Beautiful Repast Area Available

And Both Black - Owned.

A Tradition of Caring Since 1939

7909 Mormon Bridge Rd 402-451-1000.

Free Space for Veterans www.forestlawnomaha.com

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

March 23, 2018

ALLEN CHAPEL A.M.E. 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

REV. BENJAMIN R. FINNELL

THE OMAHA STAR Page Five

SACRED HEART CATHOLIC CHURCH

KOINONIA AND FRIENDS OF CHRIST

FR. DAVE KORTH • DEACON JIM CHAMBERS 22nd and Binney Street • 402-451-5755 • www.sacredheartchurchomaha.org

PASTOR TONY E. SANDERS JR. 3208 Corby Street Omaha, NE 68111 Sunday School ..................................................9:00 a.m.

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

Thursday Bible Study ......................................6:30 p.m. www.KFCChurch.org PASTOR TONY E. SANDERS JR.

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

“Where Life is for Everyone” Drs. Mar n & Lynnell Williams

DEACON JIM CHAMBERS, FR. DAVE KORTH

Mass Times: Saturday: 5:00 pm • Sunday: 8:30 and 10:30 am

Founders & Lead Pastors SUNDAYS Prayer 9:00 AM Worship 10:00 AM

ALL ARE WELCOME!

Radio Broadcast: 101.3 fm 9:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. each Sunday

WEDNESDAYS Prayer 6:00 PM Worship 7:00 PM

ST. BENEDICT THE MOOR CATHOLIC CHURCH

Worship Service .............10:00 a.m.

REV. DR. LEROY E. ADAMS, JR.

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

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

Excluding First Sunday

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

Tuesday Evening Service.........7:00 p.m.

BIBLE TRUTH MINISTRIES “Strengthing Families for Victorious Living” PASTOR RORDY SMITH PASTOR RAMONA SMITH PO Box 1703 2402 Franklin St. Bellevue, NE 68005 402-292-9499 Web: www.BibleTruthMinistries.org Sunday School..................................9:00 a.m.

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

Wednesday Prayer & Bible Study......6:00 p.m

PASTOR RORDY SMITH PASTOR RAMONA SMITH

MOUNT CALVARY COMMUNITY CHURCH

HOLY NAME CATHOLIC CHURCH

“Jesus is the light of the world” REV. JAMES P. WALKER, SENIOR PASTOR mtcalvarycommunitychurch.org

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

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

CLAIR MEMORIAL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

ST. MARK BAPTIST CHURCH

REV. PORTIA A. CAVITT, PASTOR 5544 Ames Avenue, Omaha, NE 68104 Telephone: 402-451-8322 • Website: www.cmumc.net Email: clairumc@cumc.omhcoxmail.com

DR. RALPH B. LASSITER, PASTOR 2602 N. 24th St. Off: (402) 451-8800 - Fax: (402) 451-8522 mtmoriahomaha.net pastorlassiter@gmail.com

Sunday School………………………8:45 a.m.

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

Monday Bible Study…………………6:00 p.m.

Wednesday Bible Study….…….…….7:00 p.m.

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

REV. PORTIA A. CAVITT, PASTOR

FAITH MISSION CHURCH PASTOR BERTHA JACKSON 2532 Binney Church: 402-451-1474 “The Church On A Mission For God”

PASTOR BERTHA JACKSON

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

Sunday Service ...............................10:30 a.m.

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

Wednesday Bible & Prayer Service ....7:00 p.m.

REV. RALPH LASSITER, SR.

MT. NEBO MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH

Sunday School – Sunday 9:00 a.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.

Televised Broadcast – Sundays at 6:00 p.m., KPAO Cox Channel 22 & CenturyLink Channel 89

Serving God and One Another in the Spirit of Excellence REV. DR. SELWYN Q. BACHUS SENIOR PASTOR

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

Family Hour of Christian Education.................11:00 a.m.

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

Youth/Children Ministry Focus (Wednesday)..7:00 p.m.

Wednesday Night Adult Bible Study ................7:30 p.m.

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

SALEM BAPTIST CHURCH

PASTOR TERRY L. ARVIE REV. DR. SELWYN Q. BACHUS

NEW BEGINNING COMMUNITY BAPTIST CHURCH

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

Where we Exalt, Equip, and Evangelize

7020 Cass Street, Omaha, NE 68132 402.556.6262 www.fumcomaha.org

REV. WALTER B. JONES, PASTOR 2301 North 45th Street, Omaha, NE 68104 Ph. 402-934-6020 • Fax 402-453-3190 E-Mail: wrjallied@cox.net

REV. DR. JANE FLORENCE REV. WALTER B. JONES

Sunday School………………………….9:30 a.m.

Sunday Worship…………11:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.

Wednesday Bible & Prayer Service………6:30 p.m.

FREEDOM WORSHIP CENTER OMAHA “Where CHRIST is Preeminent and the Word Prevails!”

Sunday at 10:00am Family Night each Wednesday at 7pm The Daily Journey each Wednesday at Noon Saturday Prayer from 7 - 8am

PASTOR BRIAN PAGE 5555 Larimore Avenue Church: 402-346-8427 www.pleasantgreenomaha.org

PLEASANT GREEN BAPTIST CHURCH

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

1411 North 30th Street Omaha, NE 68131 Office: 402-342-0265 Fax: 402-342-0343 Email: gnh.omaha@gmail.com Website: greaternewhopebaptist.com Sunday School: 9:30 am Sunday Morning Worship: 10:45 am Bible Study: Wednesday 6:00 pm Prayer Service: Wednesday 6:45 pm

HOPE LUTHERAN CHURCH Missouri Synod 2723 N. 30th Street 402-453-1583 Sunday School................................10:00 a.m.

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

YOU ARE ALWAYS WELCOME

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.

SHARON SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH Come Experience the Power of God Where Faith and Fellowship is Fostered 3336 Lake Street • 402-453-4079 Fax: 402-453-7082 Gacoll4@aol.com • Website: omahasharonsda.com SATURDAY SERVICE: Sabbath School……………………9:30 a.m.

Divine Worship…………………11:00 a.m.

PASTOR JEFFREY & TERRI BOOTH 3025 Parker Street Omaha, NE 68111 402.905.9730 • www.fwcomaha.com

GREATER NEW HOPE MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH

Thursday: Youth For Christ ............................................6:00 p.m Prayer & Bible Study ....................................7:30 p.m Sunday: Worship..............................................8:00 a.m.

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

Worship............................................11:00 a.m.

PRAYER MEETING: Wednesday Night Prayer Meetings....7:00 p.m.

The Community is invited to attend Youth Wednesday Prayer Meetings…6 pm-7p.m.

PASTOR GARY S. COLLINS & MRS. LORETTA COLLINS, J.D.

BIBLE STUDIES: Every Tuesday.........................6:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m.

TABERNACLE OF FAITH CHURCH

PASTOR BRIAN PAGE

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

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

PASTOR BARBARA MITCHELL

RISING STAR MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH Pastor Darnell N. Johnson, Sr. 1823 Lothrop Street, Omaha, NE 68110 Phone: 402-451-3700 Fax: 402-451-3700 Email: Risingstarbaptchurchone@gmail.com Follow us on Facebook at RisingStarMBCONE Sunday Sunday School…………….............. 9:30 a.m.

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

Tuesday PASTOR DARNELL N. JOHNSON, SR. & LADI J Tuesday Night Teaching……...........6:30 p.m.

Wednesday Prayer Meeting/BIBLE Study............7:00 p.m.

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 2215 Grant Street Omaha, NE 68110 Ph: 402-346-1502 Fx: 402-344-2720 Sunday School ..................................9:00 a.m.

Worship Services ...........................10:40 a.m.

Wednesday Prayer Services ...........6:30 p.m.

Wednesday Bible Study .......7:15 - 8:00 p.m.

REV. KENNETH A. ALLEN

REV. JAMES D. WILKENS

THE WORSHIP CENTER

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 JARROD S. PARKER

“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

REV. DR. JANE FLORENCE, SENIOR PASTOR

PASTOR JEFFREY & TERRI BOOTH

PASTOR JARROD S. PARKER 3616 Spaulding Street, Omaha, NE 68111 Phone: 402-451-0307 Email: smbcsecretary@stmarkbaptist.org

Our Mission: “To exalt the Savior, edify saints, evangelize sinners and elevate society.”

FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

First United Methodist Church is a welcoming and inclusive community, inspired to grow with and in God.

Pastor: Rev. Vitalis Anyanike

REV. JAMES P. WALKER

MT. MORIAH MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH

“Come Get Your Hilltop Experience”

&

REV. VITALIS ANYANIKE

PASTOR ERIC BUTLER AND CO-PASTOR CYNTHIA BUTLER

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

COMMENTARY/YOUTH NEWS This Issue’s Shero is...

Blacks in the Military Katherine Johnson We Must Defend Those Who Defend Us

Page Six

THE OMAHA STAR

By Attorney Ben Crump The military is one of our nation’s most revered and essential institutions, filled with courageous men and women who willingly sacrifice so much for our nation’s greater good. It is a point of pride among African Americans that black soldiers have served in the military since the American Revolution and the War of 1812 – long before they were even recognized in law as full-fledged people.

So I was particularly touched to be selected as recipient of an award given in the name of one of the first true black military heroes, Col. Charles Young. Born in neutral Kentucky while the Civil War was still raging, Charles Young in 1889 became only the third African American to graduate from West Point and, later, the first black U.S. national park superintendent and first African American to achieve the rank of colonel in the U.S. Army. We also share a brotherhood through the same fraternity, Omega Psi Phi. In March, the Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument will mark his 154th birthday, where it will be my great fortune to receive the Trailblazer Award. This will be presented during festivities at the National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center in Ohio.

Every award, every honor, is something to be cherished. But it is particularly humbling to be recognized in the name of such a trailblazer. I have spent my career working to bring justice to African Americans and all people of color, just as Col. Young spent his life dispelling common myths about what blacks were capable of – or, more accurately, what most folks figured they were not capable of.

In Col. Young’s day, it was simply an accepted fact that blacks would not receive the same kind of opportunity as their white counterparts. For example, Col. Young was denied becoming the 1st black general of the military, even though he was more than qualified, simply because white superior officers did not want to take orders from a black general. They claimed that he was not medically fit enough to receive such a promotion – in true Col. Young fashion, he rode his horse over 100 miles to prove his fitness for duty.

Just like Col. Young, the Buffalo Soldiers heroically showed just what black soldiers were capable of contributing through hard work, dedication and service at a time when half the

Ben Crump with picture of Col. Young country did not want to even acknowledge they were whole citizens.

In the end, Col. Young died 26 years before President Harry Truman issued an executive order officially ending racial segregation in the military.

At least, that was the idea. The reality is that racism continues to infest all branches of our military, even if more subtly.

The nonprofit advocacy group Protect Our Defenders carefully examined almost 10 years of data to identify racial disparity in the military. Not surprisingly, they found it in abundance. Their report last year found that across every branch, black service members are as much as 2.5 times more likely to face military justice or disciplinary action than their white counterparts.

“Military leadership has been aware of significant racial disparity in its justice process for years, and has made no apparent effort to find the cause of the disparity or remedy it,” the organization declared. The report also showed that the problem was progressively getting worse, not better.

The example of men like Charles Young show us that people of color can endure, and even thrive, within the nation’s military despite a culture of racism, whether official or otherwise. But it’s equally clear that people of color should not have to overcome such a challenge, in the military and in society in general.

I am committed to doing everything within my power to see that the oppressed find justice wherever possible. That is why it is such a tremendous honor to be recognized in Col. Young’s name.

It is time for our nation to live up to the promise that Charles Young saw when he looked at America.

Mentoring Matters

By Debra L. Shaw There are two broad types of mentoring relationships: formal and informal. Formal mentoring relationships are set up by an administrative unit or office in a company or organization, which solicits and recruits qualified individuals who are willing to mentor, provides training to the mentors, and then helps to match the mentors with a person in need of mentoring. While formal mentoring systems contain numerous structural and guidance elements, they still typically allow the mentor and mentee to have an active role in choosing who they want to work with. Formal mentoring programs which simply assign mentors to mentees without giving these individuals a say

have not performed well. Even though a mentor and a mentee may seem perfectly matched “on paper,” in practice, they may have different working or learning styles. As such, giving the mentor and the mentee the opportunity to help select who they want to work with is a widely used approach. Informal mentoring occurs without the use of structured recruitment, mentor training and matching services. Informal mentoring arrangements can develop naturally from business networking situations in which a more experienced individual meets a new employee, and the two strike up a rapport. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mentorship) “One of the things I keep learning is that the secret of being happy is doing things for other people,” a quote from Dick Gregory. This quote is so true and thought provoking for all to Shaw continued on page 9

ve ce r se p a e R r s y! u a yo tod

Omaha Star Spring Education Special Edition

“Preparing for the next step” April 6, 2018 Deadline for Ads and Materials: March 28, 2018 For specific quotes or information contact: Phyllis@omahastarinc.com • 402-346-4041 ext. 4

Being handpicked to be one of three black students to integrate West Virginia’s graduate schools is something that many people would consider one of their life’s most notable moments, but it’s just one of several breakthroughs that have marked Katherine Johnson’s long and remarkable life. Born in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia in 1918, Katherine Johnson’s intense curiosity and brilliance with numbers vaulted her ahead several grades in school. By thirteen, she was attending the high school on the campus of historically black West Virginia State College. At eighteen, she enrolled in the college itself, where she made quick work of the school’s math curriculum and found a mentor in math professor W.W. Schieffelin Claytor, the third African American to earn a PhD in Mathematics. Katherine graduated with highest honors in 1937 and took a job teaching at a black public school in Virginia.

When West Virginia decided to quietly integrate its graduate schools in 1939, West Virginia State’s president Dr. John W. Davis selected Katherine and two male students as the first black students to be offered spots at the state’s flagship school, West Virginia University.

Katherine left her teaching job, and enrolled in the graduate math program. At the end of the first session, however, she decided to leave school to start a family with her husband.

She returned to teaching when her three daughters got older, but it wasn’t until 1952 that a relative told her about open positions at the all-black West Area Computing section at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics’ (NACA’s) Langley laboratory, headed by fellow West Virginian Dorothy Vaughan. Katherine and her husband, James Goble, decided to move the family to Newport News to pursue the opportunity, and Katherine began work at Langley in the summer of 1953.

Just two weeks into Katherine’s tenure in the office, Dorothy Vaughan assigned her to a project in the Maneuver Loads

March 23, 2018

Branch of the Flight Research Division, and Katherine’s temporary position soon became permanent. She spent the next four years analyzing data from flight test, and worked on the investigation of a plane crash caused by wake turbulence. As she was wrapping up this work her husband died of cancer in December 1956.

The 1957 launch of the Soviet satellite Sputnik changed history – and Katherine Johnson’s life.

In 1957, Katherine provided some of the math for the 1958 document Notes on Space Photo Credit: NASA Technology, a compendium of a Katherine Johnson series of 1958 lectures given by Glenn’s Friendship 7 mission, engineers in the Flight Research from blast off to splashdown, Division and the Pilotless but the astronauts were wary Aircraft Research Division of putting their lives in the care (PARD). Engineers from those of the electronic calculating groups formed the core of the machines, which were prone to Space Task Group, the NACA’s hiccups and blackouts. As a part first official foray into space of the preflight checklist, Glenn travel, and Katherine, who had asked engineers to “get the girl” worked with many of them – Katherine Johnson – to run since coming to Langley, “came the same numbers through the along with the program” as the same equations that had been NACA became NASA later that programmed into the computer, year. She did trajectory analysis but by hand, on her desktop for Alan Shepard’s May 1961 mechanical calculating machine. mission Freedom 7, America’s “If she says they’re good,’” first human spaceflight. In 1960, Katherine Johnson remembers she and engineer Ted Skopinski the astronaut saying, “then I’m coauthored Determination ready to go.” Glenn’s flight of Azimuth Angle at Burnout was a success, and marked a for Placing a Satellite Over turning point in the competition a Selected Earth Position, a between the United States and report laying out the equations the Soviet Union in space.

When asked to name her describing an orbital spaceflight in which the landing position greatest contribution to space of the spacecraft is specified. exploration, Katherine Johnson It was the first time a woman talks about the calculations that in the Flight Research Division helped synch Project Apollo’s had received credit as an author Lunar Lander with the moonorbiting Command and Service of a research report.

In 1962, as NASA prepared Module. She also worked for the orbital mission of John on the Space Shuttle and the Glenn, Katherine Johnson was Earth Resources Satellite, and called upon to do the work authored or coauthored 26 that she would become most research reports. She retired in known for. The complexity of 1986, after thirty-three years at the orbital flight had required Langley. “I loved going to work the construction of a worldwide every single day,” she says. communications network, In 2015, at age 97, Katherine added another linking tracking stations around Johnson the world to IBM computers extraordinary achievement to in Washington, DC, Cape her long list: President Obama Canaveral, and Bermuda. awarded her the Presidential The computers had been Medal of Freedom, America’s programmed with the orbital highest civilian honor.

Biography by Margot Lee equations that would control the trajectory of the capsule in Shetterly

United Way of the Midlands’ Community Spotlight

United Way Invests in Programs for Families to Build a True Pathway Out of Poverty Currently there are more than 51,000 households in the Omaha-Council Bluffs metro where the occupants pay 30 percent or more of their family income on rent, which is 45 percent of all metro households who pay rent or a mortgage. Professionals in the world of personal finance and banking, as well as writers of federal policy aim for people to spend less than 30 percent of their household income on rent or mortgage. Dedicating more than that amount means less income is available for other basic needs like healthy food, medical care and transportation. It also limits a family’s ability to address their financial risk in proactive ways such as building a savings account or purchasing insurance. If incomes unexpectedly decrease or unexpected expenses occur, families can be at a high risk for eviction and that could mean moving, perhaps more than once.

When a family is forced to move frequently, they lose stable community connections which creates excess stress and results in negative health outcomes. Neighborhoods provide access to essential resources, such as employment, education, healthcare and retail such as food outlets or pharmacies. Isolation from these resources makes it more difficult for residents to successfully utilize them, causing a ripple effect through other elements of health, such as education, employment and stable environment.

When children move from one home to the next, it can result in poor classroom performance, higher dropout rate and problems in early adulthood such as depression.

Studies have shown that when housing is affordable and accessible, our neighbors and our neighborhoods thrive – children do better in school, seniors are healthier longer and more socially connected, parents and children experience more positive mental health, workers are more productive, trips to the emergency room are reduced, and families have more disposable incomes to boost local economies.

Fundamentally, the key to housing stability is maintaining a steady income and maximizing every dollar. As a result, the primary services offered by many of United Way of the Midlands’ (UWM) funded programs are financial education and homeownership classes, as well as intense

case management that incorporates peer support programs to create a network for first-time homeowners and those who aspire to be. Housing stability investments offer: • Programs that operate on a “two-generation” principle by providing services to both parents and children • Programs working to transition formerly homeless families from shelters to more permanent housing • Programs that work with families to increase their annual income by accessing local and federal resources, for example, the Earned Income Tax Credit and tax preparation services * In 2017, close to 5,000 individuals received free tax services (supported by UWM funding) resulting in more than $10 million in tax returns, $3 million of which was in Earned Income Tax Credits.

These programs create opportunities for families to decrease debt, increase credit scores, secure financial assets and in doing so, build a true pathway out of poverty. UWM is honored to be awarded grants from the Siemer Institute and Lincoln Financial Group to fund targeted programming to connect families in poverty to stable housing. In 2017, UWM-funded programs delivered over 30,000 services to local individuals and families and helped sustain and maintain their housing. By 2025, UWM will help ensure 65 percent of residents in the OmahaCouncil Bluffs community are financially stable so they can support themselves and their families.

Please visit UnitedWayMidlands.org for more information.

About United Way of the Midlands Thanks to donors, volunteers and community partners, United Way of the Midlands (UWM) is not only focused on addressing our community’s human needs today; it is focused on what can be and what should be. It is building on today’s strong partnerships to create even more comprehensive human service efforts tomorrow, so our community can solve some of the root causes of poverty. UWM is community-based, community-focused. Thanks to those who share their strength, UWM is COMMUNITY STRONG.

NATIONAL NEWS THE OMAHA STAR Page Seven Under Siege By The CBC: The Political Trump Calls for Death Penalty Betrayal Of Black America Again for Drug Dealers

March 23, 2018

(BlackNews.com) – “Our Black politicians did it to us again,” Rev. William Owens, the president of the Coalition of African American Pastors (CAAP), said passionately during a press conference Feb. 13 at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. He was referencing what he and 20 other national black leaders felt was the worst representation by the CBC (Congressional Black Caucus) demonstrated during the televised State of the Union Address.

The tone set by the CBC angered numerous national black leaders, prompting many groups to convene in Washington, D.C. to address what they considered was a severe misrepresentation and a disservice to the achievements of blacks in this country.

Rev. William Owens, the president of CAAP, joined by over 20 national leaders such as Stephen Broden: Senior Pastor Fair Park Bible Fellowship, President Protect Life and Marriage, Dr. Alveda King: Civil Rights For The UnBorn, Bishop Leon Benjamin: Coalition Of Leaders United, Shirley Husar: CEO Urban Game Changers, Rev Dean Nelson: Frederick Douglas Foundation, Rev Derek McCoy: Urban Cure, Dr. Randy Short: International Human Rights Association For American Minorities, Dr. Johnny Hunter: Life Education and Resource Network, Jonathan Alexander: Liberty Counsel Action, Suzzanne Monk: Political Pundit from Chicago, Johnny Rice for Congress (D.C.), Kenneth McClenton: President of Exceptional Conservative Show, joined forces to expressed their disappointment and mismanagement of the People’s power entrusted to the Congressional Black Caucus.

“The disgrace before the global community by the CBC (Congressional Black Caucus) during the State of the Union Address was the worst I have ever witnessed in my life as a black father, educator, civil rights

activist, and man of faith. Our elected officials’ demonstration of childish behavior; sulking in their seats, texting, pretending to be disinterested, was distasteful. We did not elect children, we thought we had leaders,” indicated William Owens.

Collectively the leaders called to question what they characterized as “foul demeanor” and demanded either the CBC start “REPRESENTING or GO AWAY.” Also, CAAP launched an online petition “CROSSROAD” that will be hand-delivered to CBC members’ offices to demonstrate the will of the people.

In addition, the multifaceted group rolled out its new 2018 Black Agenda to counter the fallout among younger blacks who have lost interest in political engagement in hopes of inspiring civic engagement. To attract a younger demographic, the group is utilizing social media platforms to promote the hashtag #representorgoaway.

Many of the speakers at the press conference extensively expounded on what numerous officials don’t want known about the current effectiveness of the CBC. Rev. Owens and others indicated “What began 46 years ago in March 1971 has morphed into the greatest breach of trust in the black community since Reconstruction.

Our precious black children are not on the minds of the Congressional Black Caucus, they care more about the rights of undocumented immigrants and football players who don’t stand for the national anthem than they do about our families and precious children.”

Various group leaders made strong pleas to the black community to embrace this position with openness and to hear the total message citing, “We, meaning Black Americans, have been sidelined by traitors in Washington.”

CAAP’s president, Rev. Owens, also mentioned that last year his media relations office contacted Congressman John Lewis, Rev. Al

Sharpton (who purports himself as a civil rights advocate for the voiceless), and Attorney General Jeff Session pertaining to the documented research conducted by prestigious Yale University researchers published in USA Today in 2016. The article detailed racial bias and poor treatment of preschool-age black children, with special emphasis on black boys.

CAAP requested several meetings to initiate a national dialogue, but was met with resistance.

“Not one elected official or civil rights leader has responded to date or called for an inquiry.

This is a shame. If our children are not protected at this tender age, what kind of future will exist for them when lawmakers don’t care enough to take up the just cause to fight and utilize the power of their office? My office sent copies of the Yale research to many and to this very day, no serving black politician in Washington, black news reporters (and we reached out to many) and sadly, even the black clergy, have responded. This is really tragic,” said Owens.

Unfortunately, this issue is very personal to Rev. Owens and his wife, Dr. Deborah Owens, whose then 4-year old son experienced racial discrimination in his preschool. The Owens, after documenting many instances which they cited were deeply troubling, immediately removed their son after school officials failed to correct the problems in a timely manner.

Rev. Owens said he thought his son’s troubles at his preschool were isolated until he discovered the article published in USA Today in 2016 written by Yale University Researchers citing this was a national problem. He also said it was alarming to read that black teachers were worse than whites.

To date, over 50 online groups have attached their support to this cause. Join the conversation and sign the CROSSROAD petition.

Visit www.caapusa.org.

Woman Faces Only Probation for Disgusting Crime

By Kaitlyn D’Onofrio Former University of Hartford student Brianna Brochu, who harassed her Black former roommate and smeared bodily fluids on her belongings, not only faces a mere probation for her disgusting crime but may avoid a criminal record altogether.

Brochu rubbed her used tampons on Chennel “Jazzy” Rowe’s backpack and claimed to stick Rowe’s toothbrush “where the sun doesn’t shine” while the two roomed together at Hartford. As punishment, Brochu, who also avoided a hate crime charge, must perform 200 hours of community service, 50 of which will be completed at a literacy group and another 50 at a social services organization. Her mental health will also be evaluated.

If she completes the service hours and remains trouble-free for two years, the charges Brochu faced of breach of peace and criminal mischief will disappear after only two years.

Rowe attended the hearing and did not oppose accelerated rehab for Brochu, who was expelled from the school following the incident.

However, she called her former roommate’s actions “acts of hate” that left her traumatized.

“By giving her this second chance, I hope she will change her ways and finds love for all mankind no matter what race,” Rowe said at the hearing.

Brochu said her relationship with Rowe went south when Rowe started making fun of her and posted a video of her snoring on social media. Rowe eventually requested a roommate change, at which time Brochu took to Instagram to declare victory.

“Finally did it yo girl got rid of her roommate!!

After 1-1/2 months of spitting in her coconut oil, putting moldy clam dip in her lotions, rubbing used tampons on her backpack, putting her toothbrush places where the sun doesn’t shine, and so much more I can finally say goodbye Jamaican Barbie,” Brochu wrote in a post.

Brochu later told police she exaggerated her behavior “to appear funny.” But smearing tampon blood on Rowe’s backpack was true, she said, and she admitted to licking Rowe’s utensils and plate.

Whatever Brochu’s actions were, they left Rowe frequently ill, suffering from a prolonged sore throat “to the point where I had extreme throat pain that I couldn’t sleep, to the point where I couldn’t speak,” she reported early on.

The University of Hartford has roughly 5,000 undergraduate students, which are 56 percent white, 16 percent Black, 12 percent Latino, 3 percent Asian and less than one percent Native American.

According to Judge Omar Williams, even if the charges are erased from Brochu’s record, the internet will continue to punish her long after the two years pass. The Hartford Courant reported: “Friends, potential employers and even potential romantic partners will learn of Brochu’s conduct with a simple internet search, the judge said. Even her own children might one day learn about their mother’s misconduct. “ ‘The internet has a long memory and you will have to do a lot of good to live down these allegations,’ he said. The judge urged Brochu to embrace diversity and the opportunity it gives one to grow, to not waste her opportunity at a second chance and to move forward. ‘You can let this case define you or bury it beneath your accomplishments,’ he said.”

Scot X. Esdaile, president of the state’s NAACP chapter, expressed disappointment when the hate crime charge was rejected and maintained this view after the hearing this week.

“There’s a system for white people and there’s a system for Black people,” he told the Hartford Courant. “That’s what we face every day.”

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING - CITY OF OMAHA HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT 2018 ACTION PLAN On Wednesday, March 28, at 7:00 P.M., the Planning Department will conduct a public hearing on the 2018 Action Plan. This meeting will be held in the Legislative Chamber of the Civic Center, 1819 Farnam Street, Omaha, Nebraska.

All requests for sign language and other interpreters will require a minimum of 48 hours advance notice. If alternative formats are needed, all requests will require a minimum of 72 hours advance notice. Please notify Jim Anderson at (402) 444-5150 Ext. 2019, if arrangements need to be made.

Entrance to the building is handicap accessible on the Farnam Street side. General public parking will be available in the Omaha/Douglas Civic Center Parking facility directly west of the Omaha/Douglas Civic Center on an hourly basis using the level “A” tunnel to enter the Civic Center. Access to the parking garage is available on the Harney Street side of the parking structure.

The Consolidated Plan is a document prepared under the requirement of Section 105 of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act as amended (Public Law 101-625). Completion of a Consolidated Plan is required for the City to participate in the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), HOME Investment Partnerships, and Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) programs.

The Omaha Planning Department will receive written comments regarding the Consolidated/Action Plan of the City through April 27, 2018. Comments should be sent to: City of Omaha Planning Department Omaha/Douglas Civic Center 1819 Farnam Street, Room 1111 Omaha, Nebraska 68183

By Kaitlyn D’Onofrio President Donald Trump blew yet another dog whistle to his support base of racists when he called for the death penalty for drug dealers at a Pennsylvania rally recently.

Trump called the option to pursue the death penalty for drug dealers “a discussion we have to start thinking about.”

“Do you think the drug dealers who kill thousands of people during their lifetime, do you think they care who’s on a blue-ribbon committee?” he asked the crowd. “The only way to solve the drug problem is through toughness.

When you catch a drug dealer, you’ve got to put him away for a long time.”

Trump was in Pennsylvania rallying for Rep. Rick Saccone, a Republican who was seeking a seat in Congress during a special election.

According to Trump, drug dealers “kill 5,000 people with drugs because you’re smuggling them in and you’re making a lot of money and people are dying.”

“That’s why we have a problem, folks. I don’t think we should play games,” he went on. “Now, I never did polling on that – I don’t know if that’s popular, I don’t know if that’s unpopular. … But these people are killing our kids and they’re killing our families, and we have to do something. We can’t just keep setting up blue-ribbon committees with your wife and your wife and your husband, and they meet and they have a meal and they talk, talk talk talk, two hours later, then they write a report.”

Trump’s attack on Rep. Maxine Waters, who in the same speech he said has a low I.Q., was much more straightforward to his racist support base. But it doesn’t take much to read between the lines on his drug dealer comments, either, as they follow a pattern for the president.

Trump’s racist views precede his presidency.

He for years has questioned whether former President Barack Obama was born in the United States or not, fueling the unfounded “birther” movement. An archive of Trump’s tweets includes at least 85 where he references the “birther movement,” dating back to 2011.

(In 2012 he chose to tweet about it on the anniversary of Sept. 11 – twice.)

In 1989, Trump publicly called for the death of five Black and Latino teens who were wrongly accused of raping a white woman. The teens, dubbed the Central Park Five, were the subject of four full-page ads Trump placed in New York City’s daily newspapers. He spent $85,000 on the ads and wrote, “Muggers and murderers should be forced to suffer and, when they kill, they should be executed for their crimes.”

So where do the drug dealer comments fit in? Data has shown that Black people in America are more likely to be arrested for

drug-related crimes than white people – even though, statistically, they use drugs at similar rates, and whites are more likely to sell drugs.

And this trend is not new. A study from the Brookings Institution in 2014 reported: “Whites were about 45 percent more likely than blacks to sell drugs in 1980, according to an analysis of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth by economist Robert Fairlie. This was consistent with a 1989 survey of youth in Boston. My own analysis of data from the 2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health shows that 6.6 percent of white adolescents and young adults (aged 12 to 25) sold drugs, compared to just 5.0 percent of blacks (a 32 percent difference).

“As for drug use, just 10 percent of blacks report using illegal drugs within the last month, which is not statistically different than the rate for whites.”

A report from the National Research Council reached similar findings. “… the prevalence of drug use is only slightly higher among blacks than whites for some illicit drugs and slightly lower for others; the difference is not substantial. There is also little evidence, when all drug types are considered, that blacks sell drugs more often than whites.”

The gap has closed slightly since the 1980s, but not because Black sellers are being arrested less often. There has just been a stronger focus on marijuana arrests, which more often involve white people. “Absolute numbers of blacks arrested for trafficking in cocaine and heroin have not fallen significantly; they simply make up a smaller percentage of overall arrest numbers that are rising,” the research states.

A 2016 analysis from Politifact found that Blacks go to prison more often because they’re more likely to get caught – for two reasons.

“They’re more likely to get caught selling drugs, as Michael Tonry, professor of law at the University of Minnesota, [said.] ‘Whites are more likely to sell to people they know, and they much more often sell behind closed doors. Blacks sell to people they don’t know and in public, which makes them vastly easier to arrest.’

“Blacks arrested for drugs are more likely to be sent to jail because they’re more likely to have had a previous run-in with the law.

Police tend to patrol high-crime areas more aggressively, which tend to be the poor areas, which have a higher proportion of minorities.

Thus, they’re more likely to be stopped for something and have a rap sheet once a drug charge comes along.”

An earlier investigation found that Blacks tend to have longer prison sentences than whites.

This was not the first time Trump called for the death penalty for drug-related crimes, making a similar claim earlier this month in light of the opioid crisis.

NOTICE OF FINDING OF NO SIGNFICANT IMPACT AND NOTICE OF INTENT TO REQUEST RELEASE OF FUNDS Date of Publication: March 23, 2018 City of Omaha, Nebraska 1819 Farnam Street Omaha, Nebraska 68183 (402) 444-5150 These notices shall satisfy two separate but related procedural requirements for activities to be undertaken by the City Of Omaha.

REQUEST FOR RELEASE OF FUNDS On or after April 9, 2018 the City of Omaha will submit a request to HUD for the release of Community Development Block Grant and HOME funds under Title I of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, as amended (42 USC 5301 et seq.) and HOME Investment Partnerships Act (42 USC 12701 et seq) to undertake the following project: Project Title: Neighborhood Action and Fact Revitalization Area Purpose: Funds will be used in this area from March, 2018 to December, 2020, possibly extending into 2021, for revitalization efforts including, but not limited to home rehabilitation projects, demolition of degraded structures, construction of new homes, and neighborhood capacity building efforts.

Location: Approximately Wirt St to Sprague St, 24th St to 27th St Estimated Cost: Approximately $3,400,000 of Community Development Block Grant funds, and $200,000 HOME funds FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT The City of Omaha has determined that the project will have no significant impact on the human environment.

Therefore, an Environmental Impact Statement under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) is not required. Additional project information is contained in the Environmental Review Record on file at the Omaha Planning Department, Suite 1111, 1819 Farnam Street, Omaha, Nebraska, and may be examined or copied weekdays 8:00 A. M. to 4:30 P. M. The Environmental Review can also be found on the Planning Department’s website at https://planninghcd.cityofomaha.org/holistic-neighborhood-revitalization/neighborhood-action-fact. Comments may also be submitted through the Planning Department’s website.

PUBLIC COMMENTS Any individual, group, or agency may submit written comments on the ERR to the City of Omaha Planning, Housing and Community Development division. All comments received by April 9, 2018 will be considered by the City of Omaha prior to authorizing submission of a request for release of funds. Comments should specify which Notice they are addressing.

RELEASE OF FUNDS The City of Omaha certifies to HUD that William Lukash, in his capacity as Provisional Assistant Director of Planning, consents to accept the jurisdiction of the Federal Courts if an action is brought to enforce responsibilities in relation to the environmental review process and that these responsibilities have been satisfied. HUD’s approval of the certification satisfies its responsibilities under NEPA and related laws and authorities and allows the City of Omaha to use HUD program funds.

OBJECTIONS TO RELEASE OF FUNDS HUD will accept objections to its release of fund and the City of Omaha’s certification for a period of fifteen days following the anticipated submission date or its actual receipt of the request (whichever is later) only if they are on one of the following bases: (a) the certification was not executed by the Certifying Officer of the City of Omaha; (b) the City of Omaha has omitted a step or failed to make a decision or finding required by HUD regulations at 24 CFR part 58; (c) the grant recipient or other participants in the development process have committed funds, incurred costs or undertaken activities not authorized by 24 CFR Part 58 before approval of a release of funds by HUD; or (d) another Federal agency acting pursuant to 40 CFR Part 1504 has submitted a written finding that the project is unsatisfactory from the standpoint of environmental quality. Objections must be prepared and submitted in accordance with the required procedures (24 CFR Part 58, Sec. 58.76) and shall be addressed to HUD at 1616 Capitol Ave, Suite 329, Omaha, NE68102, 402-492-3101 .

Potential objectors should contact HUD to verify the actual last day of the objection period.

William Lukash, Provisional Assistant Director, City of Omaha Planning Department

Page Eight

LIFE & STYLE/HEALTH & WELLNESS

THE OMAHA STAR

Ask Alma

By Alma Gill NNPA Newswire Columnist Dear Alma, I have a dear friend who is the sweetest, kindest person you could ever hope to know. She remembers everything you’ve ever told her, and always follows up to find out how things went. But, she’s a drinker.

The last time we met for brunch, there was unlimited champagne, and she had seven or eight glasses. When we go out for dinner, she always has multiple glasses of wine. There is no way I can keep up with her, so I just nurse my drink so she doesn’t feel like she’s drinking alone.

The drinking doesn’t change her personality, she basically stays the same, not louder or sadder or sillier.

I’ve never once seen her out of control. What concerns me most is when she drives home after we go out. I usually try to drive, so she can feel comfortable if she wants to drink, but once in a while she insists on driving because she feels like she should share it. Then, I’m petrified for both of us. I know I should be ordering cabs, but I don’t want to offend her.

I know she’s unhappy in her job and she’s living far from her family, although she is so upbeat that you would never know if she had anything on her mind. I have never said anything about her drinking to her, but I’m wondering if maybe I should. If I did, what would I say? Or should I just not bring it up?

Help!

Dear Help, I’m so glad you’re pondering this. Oh yes, sweetie pie, you’ve got to bring it up. It’s your sister-girlfriend duty to help save her life. I know, I know, confronting a loved one about an addiction is a rough road to travel.

Once the words come out, you’ve gotta dodge speed

bumps, gravel pits and potholes the size of a mini-van.

Nevertheless, there’s no excuse to ever park on the street of silence. She needs you and I commend you for stepping up. Now, let’s take a minute to weigh in on the good, the bad and the ugly that stands before you.

The good: she’s your dear sister-girlfriend and you love her. It breaks your heart to think she’s pained in any way. You want to protect her from any hurt, harm or danger.

The bad: She’s a functioning alcoholic. So far, to our knowledge, she has never been confronted about her problem or had to admit to it. She’s allowed to continue this charade because she’s composed, calm, employed and performs as if she has it all together.

The ugly: She doesn’t have it all together. She knows how much she drinks, but she thinks she can handle it because of the enablers she has surrounded herself with.

And yep, you’re one of ‘em.

My Uncle Dan (God rest his soul) was an absolute drunk from 5:00 pm on Friday until 10:00 pm on Sunday. Come Monday morning, he was clean as the Board of Health, and never missed a day of work.

Where I’m from it’s called “carrying your liquor.”

For most of us, when we think of an alcoholic, what comes to our mind’s eye, is a person who’s unkempt, homeless, unemployed with no family to speak of. But that’s not the truth of the matter. Everybody knows an Uncle Dan. Bottom line is, if you abuse alcohol every day or just on the weekends, you have a problem and it’s up to your family and friends to call you out on it.

Allow me to reiterate for loves sake, yes, have that hard conversation with your friend. I’d suggest you go to alcoholic.org; it explains how to take the first step with love and kindness. It tells you what to say, how to say it, and what to expect after you’ve said it. All best of blessings to you both, my dear. It may not feel like it right now, but let me be the first to say, you’re doing the right thing. I pray your friend will be able to receive it.

Alma

Why Did ABC Decline to Air a ‘Black-ish’ Episode?

By Tonya Pendleton BlackAmericaWeb.com

It’s the “Black-ish” episode the world will never see. The popular sitcom, starring Tracee Ellis Ross and Anthony Anderson, has tackled some controversial topics before. Their Juneteenth episode covered the history of slavery and the show also dealt with the feelings of dread and horror African-Americans faced after the Trump election. Created by L.A. native Kenya Barris, “Black-ish” has also covered the “N” word and police shootings of unarmed

Black men.

But once again, it turns out that the NFL anthem protest remains the most polarizing issue that divides people today. While specific details of the episode have not been shared or leaked, it appears that “Black-ish”’s attempt to cover it didn’t fly with Disney, the parent company of both ABC and ESPN that makes a lot of money off of the NFL. Variety reports: Titled “Please, Baby, Please,” the episode was originally set to air Feb. 27.

ABC revealed in a scheduling announcement on Feb. 22 that the episode would be replaced with a rerun of the single-camera family comedy, but did not provide any additional detail at that time about why the change had been made or when “Please, Baby, Please” would air.

“One of the things that has always made ‘Black-ish’ so special is how it deftly examines delicate social issues in a way that simultaneously entertains and educates,” an ABC spokesperson told Variety. “However, on this episode there were creative differences we were unable to resolve.”

Shot in November and directed by Barris, “Please, Baby, Please” features Anthony Anderson’s patriarch Dre caring for his infant son on the night of an intense thunderstorm that keeps the whole household awake. Dre attempts to read the baby a bedtime story, but abandons that plan when the baby continues to cry. He instead improvises a bedtime story that, over the course of the episode, conveys many of Dre’s concerns about the current state of the country.

The episode covers multiple political and social issues. In one scene, Dre and oldest son Junior (Marcus Scribner) argue over the rights of athletes to kneel during the performance of the national anthem at football games.

“Given our creative differences, neither ABC nor I were happy with the direction of the episode and mutually agreed not to air it,” Barris, the show’s creator, told Variety. “‘Blackish’ is a show that has spoken to all different types of people and brought them closer as a community and I’m so proud of the series.”

Omaha Community Joins Together for Safe Routes to School

Children need safe places to walk and bike, including their route to school. By implementing a Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program, students are encouraged to take active forms of transportation to school and increase their daily physical activity, helping them to be healthier and ready to learn. SRTS is an evidence-based policy change effective at increasing rates of bicycling and walking to school and decreasing injuries.

Live Well Omaha Kids has teamed up with

CUES to bring Safe Routes to School to All Saints School, Holy Name School, and Sacred Heart School. SRTS is provided free of charge through Live Well Omaha Kids thanks to a Preventing Childhood Obesity Community Grant from Children’s Hospital & Medical Center. Over 500 students will be positively impacted by this program!

Walk audits for these schools are taking place during the month of March. Each building has formed a School Advisory

Council which has gathered pre-assessments, including student travel tallies and parent surveys about walking and biking to school.

At the walk audit, school and community members will work collaboratively to identify and prioritize neighborhood factors that support or inhibit active commuting. City of Omaha Public Works and City Planning, as well as Omaha Police Department, and surrounding neighborhood associations are among the confirmed attendees.

REACH Will Night Work Increase Risk for Obesity?

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

Something to Talk About You Are Amazing

By Ashley Marie Dantzler Being victorious in life is very subjective. You may never learn to drive, own a home, or have children, but does that make you unsuccessful? Some would say yes, but if you are one of the millions of human beings suffering from a mental illness, you might not ever accomplish these things. However, I believe that we are all victorious, and victors when it comes to life.

Your childhood may not have been textbook, and your adulthood may not be that either, but you are special. You were chosen to be born, to live this life fully and to do the best you can to be a decent human being. I would say that is all anyone can ask. And yet, I am asking for a little bit more. I know you have goals, some attainable, some not; but you have things you want to do in this world. Things that

only you can do. You are still here, because God wants to use you. Some have left this world young, some much older, but they all fulfilled their purposes, you must do the same.

Life is not a game, it is serious and sometimes tedious. But just because it’s not a game, doesn’t mean it can’t make you happy. Do the things that will make you victorious in your own eyes. Write that book that will change the world, paint that picture that will make you smile, hold your loved ones tighter each day and do what it is you are supposed to do.

Your purpose may not be clear to you right now, but when you feel that you have found what you are supposed to do on this earth, it is an amazing feeling. Like the Nike campaign, “Just Do It.” Don’t hesitate or procrastinate, this is your calling. Feed the hungry, develop ideas for companies that help those in need, raise your children; whatever your purpose, please don’t wait.

You are here for a reason and that reason is to be victorious in whatever God has purposed for your life.

You are amazing, whether with a mental

illness or not. And if you have never heard that you are amazing, I am telling you right now.

Do what is right for you and no one else. Your spouse, your children, your pet, all have things they must fulfill. Today is the day you start living in your purpose; walking in your future, racing to your goals.

Don’t let the sun go down without feeling like you have accomplished something.

If you are not sure what your purpose is, or what you should be doing in this moment, there are people, good people, in our community and abroad that can help you understand what you are supposed to do. But I am not petitioning them, I am petitioning you and I am telling you that you are amazing, and I pray you never get tired of hearing that.

Finding a therapist is an important piece to finding who you are supposed to be in this world. This website is a great resource for finding a therapist near you, www. therapyforblackgirls.com Another resource: CHI Health Immanuel – Psychiatric Associates – 402-572-2916.

Subscribe To The Omaha Star 402-346-4041 opt. 5 • theomahastar.com Save the Date!

Omaha’s Power To End Stroke™ Walk

Saturday, June 2 | 9 a.m.

Walk starts at Fontenelle Park Pavilion

Community rally to follow at Adams Park Community Center

Registration opens soon!

THANKS FOR SUPPORTING THE WALK!

Omaha Parks & Recreation | Omaha Police Department ©2018 MWA American Heart Association. Also known as the Heart Fund.

March 23, 2018

I am always looking and listening for new information about health and well-being.

After all, we should want to feel good and live as long as we possibly can? I recently came across an article that warned that overnight workers could be at high risk for obesity. Fiza Priani writes in the Philly Voice that new research published in the “Obesity Reviews” suggests that night shift workers have a high risk of obesity or being overweight. Other studies suggest that night shift workers may be at high risk for breast cancer. They found that night shift work increases risk of obesity/overweight by 23 percent. It seems that the shift from midnight to 5:00 a.m. is the worst.

The odds of obesity/overweight is 1:32 higher for night shift workers compared to non-night shift workers.

There was no scientific reason given for such a phenomenon.

Since I worked the night shift at one time in my life for 3 months, I had a little experience. So, I’m going to offer an explanation for why extra weight can be gained for night workers.

It could be that people are more sedentary at night than during the day just because humans are not nocturnal. I believe that people eat more snacks at night, partially to stay awake and not fall asleep. Also, people who work at night tend to cheat on getting rest during the day because there are busy doing things that can’t be done at night, such as visiting a medical or dental provider. There is need to visit the beauty or barber shop, attend sports activities, go shopping or to a student teacher conference etc. There is science that suggest that loss of sleep increases fat storage because the body thinks that it has depleted its energy source, which it needs to respond to danger, for survival.

Thus, working at night can be another reason to exercise more and engage in physical activity at night or during the day to get enough sleep to keep metabolic balance and decrease fat accumulation. We know for certain that physical activity has positive benefits for the brain which controls mood and focus. Physical activity protects the brain from depression, Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. The effects of physical activity is powerful. Almost as powerful as vibrainium?

“Get Active Healthy and Happy.”

Three Young Organ Recipients Share Their Stories At UNO Event Dispelling myths and educating college students on how they can assist in saving lives through organ donation can do much to increase rates of donor registration, according to the American Journal of Transplantation.

That’s why a team of University of Nebraska at Omaha public relations students have launched a campaign to increase Nebraska’s organ and tissue donor registry.

The event, “MavMythbusters: Bust the Myth. Become an Organ Donor” takes place April 3 from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on UNO’s campus.

A highlight of the event is a panel of three organ recipients, in their 20s, who will share their stories: Waverle Monroe, a 2016 UNO alumna; Mike Bramhall, double-lung recipient; and Luke Kollars, heart recipient.

Kara Cordell, public relations and marketing manager for the Nebraska Organ Recovery, will moderate the panel.

The event is sponsored by the UNO Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) chapter as part of the National Organ Donor Awareness Competition (NODAC). The students hope to add at least 50 more donors to the Nebraska organ donor registry by May 1.

One registered organ donor can save up to eight people and one tissue donor can heal more than 100 patients, according to the Nebraska Organ Recovery System (NORS).

PRSSA has partnered with NORS and the Chris Klug Foundation in planning this event.

Through a social media campaign and media outreach, the students also hope to

dispel several myths about organ donation such as doctors will not work hard to save the life of a registered donor or the family of the donor must pay all expenses.

The event will feature the following: • 10:30 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. – Students staff informational tables in the Milo Bail Student Center (MBSC) Plaza.

• 11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. – Organ recipients share their stories in the College of Public Affairs and Community Service Room 101.

• 12:45 - 1 p.m. – PRSSA team announces raffle prize winners on the Plaza stage.

• 1 to 2:30 p.m. – Students play “Organ Match” game in the MBSC Plaza.

For more information or to arrange interviews, contact Hannah Whaley at hdelzell@unomaha.edu or (402) 452-4323.

March 23, 2018

EVENTS/CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING Historic Florence Days

In The Village!

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

March 23 – Only two Fridays left to attend the fixed and linear projection, creating new allegories annual Lenten Friday Fish Fry at Mt. Calvary for his characters and opening an unexplored Community Church, 5112 Ames Ave. Lunch is space for the perception of black people by whites served from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. and dinner is 4-8 and blacks. The event is free and open to the p.m. The menu is a choice of a whole catfish or public.

March 29 – Metropolitan Community College a catfish fillet, spaghetti, coleslaw, pickles, bread and cake. Delivery is available on 3 or more will host National Debt Trivia Night from 5:30dinners. For cost and more info, phone Sister 7:30 p.m., inside room 120 of the Industrial Training Center on the South Omaha Campus, Molly Reynolds at 402-457-4216.

March 23 – This is the last Friday to enjoy 27th and Q streets. The event is free and open to delicious fish dinners at St. Benedict the Moor the public. Attendees will learn about the country’s Church, 2423 Grant St. Dinners will be served national debt and current events while competing from 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. The meal includes a choice for prizes through quizzes. Free Subway miniof a fried or baked catfish fillet, green beans, sandwiches and cookies will be available. For spaghetti and a dessert. Delivery is available for more information, contact Amy Forss at aforss@ 5 or more dinners. For cost or more info, phone mccneb.edu.

March 31 – Easter Egg Swim at Montclair 402-348-0631.

March 24 – The Black Family Health & Community Center, 2304 S. 135th Ave, from 1-4 Wellness Association hosts a special celebration p.m. Join the existing open swim and enjoy an and their annual health fair. This special Easter egg hunt in the pool! Normal admission celebration is honoring you (the community). The rates and pool rules still apply. For more info, health fair is 8:00 a.m. - noon. Health screenings phone 404-444-4956.

April 2 – Lozier Omaha Table Talk & will be conducted from 8-11:30 a.m. The special celebration will be held from noon till 2 p.m. This Training: Sexual Harassment will be held in free event is at North High School, 4410 N. 36th Weitz CEC Room 201, 6001 Dodge St., from St. Free screenings, vendors, refreshments and 11:15 a.m.-1:00 p.m. This Omaha Table Talk and training is a collaboration event between Inclusive fun.

March 24 – Free Set Aside Clinic, 9 a.m. - 1 Communities and the City of Omaha Human p.m., at Metro Community College Fort Omaha Rights and Relations Department. Register at campus, 5300 N. 30th St., Bldg 9. You are eligible www.inclusive-communities.org. Want to for a set aside if a court sentenced you to probation volunteer? Contact Tena@inclusive-communities. and/or a fine, you finished probation and/or paid a org.

April 6 – National Coalition of 100 Black fine and it has been two years since you have had a criminal conviction. Space is limited. Pre-register Women, in partnership with dfree® Foundation, is offering Train the Trainer Debt Free at www.legalaidofnebraska.org March 24 – OTOC Celebrating Community Workshop. It is geared toward organizational

by Lighting the Way at Kaneko, 1111 Jones St., and church representatives who are interested in from 6-9:30 p.m. Join them for appetizers, a silent providing training in the community. Attendees auction, desserts, ice cream, a cash bar and live will receive materials and detailed training on music by Olivia Marks; Michael Saklar and the the defree® book “Say Yes to No Debt.” The Sun-less Trio. Tickets are on sale now from OTOC workshop will be held at the UNO Barbara Weitz Community Engagement Center from 6-8 p.m. leaders and the office 402-344-4401.

March 25 – Marque Snow will host “We Seating is limited. RSVP at www.eventbrite.com/ Brunch Together” from 12-5 p.m. at Howlin’ defreetrainer.

April 7 – “Managing Your Money Debt Free,” Hounds Coffee Shop, 712 S. 16th St. Enjoy a delicious menu of eggs, bacon, sausage, fruit, sponsored by the National Coalition of 100 Black mimosas, cupcakes and a Bloody Mary Bar while Women Greater Omaha Chapter, will be held from you meet and converse with OPS candidate Snow. 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m., at the Institute of Culinary Arts To RSVP or for more info, visit SnowforOPS. in the Swanson Conference Center, Bldg 22, on Metro Community College’s Fort Omaha campus. com.

March 28 – Friends of Notre Dame Housing Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. For more info, see (NDH) will host their quarterly networking article in this issue.

April 9 – The Rev. Pamela Cooper-White, PhD, breakfast, from 8:00-9:00 a.m., at 3439 State Street. Come and learn about the many services will deliver a lecture titled “Revisiting Tamar: that help low-to-moderate income seniors offered Violence Against Women and the Church’s

by NDH. A continental breakfast will be provided, Response in the #MeToo Era,” at 6:30 p.m.

RVSP at yhoof@ndhinc.org by Monday, March in Creighton’s Harper Center, Room 3023. This 26. lecture is part of the Women and Religion Lecture March 28 – Willson Memorial Lecture Series: series, sponsored by Creighton’s Women’s and Nyame Brown, 12 - 1 p.m. at the University of Gender Studies Program and the Kripke Center for Nebraska Omaha Gallery, Weber Fine Arts Bldg, the Study of Religion and Society. The lecture is Rm 129. Artist-in-residence Nyame Brown will free and open to the public. deliver a free lecture as part of the Bemis Center’s ongoing partnership with the UNO Art & Art History program. Brown is a multidisciplinary artist in drawing, printmaking, and painting. He desires to use art historical precedent as a fluid Director,Transportation Development source of reference rather than a

Historic Florence Days will present the Florence Days Parade beginning at 30th and Redick Avenue and continuing north down 30th Street to McKinley Street on May 12.We are featuring The Notre Dame Sisters as Grand Marshal.

Florence Historical Foundation is proud to continue the tradition of the Florence Days Parade, which has been held in Omaha for over 50 years. The Florence

12th Annual Fairley Classic Golf Tournament

The 12th Annual Fairley Classic Golf Tournament is right around the corner.

The tournament will be held on May 26.

The Shotgun start will be at 9 a.m. at Elmwood Park Golf Course.

Proceeds will provide assistance to people who do not have the immediate ability to take care of specific financial needs. For information on forming a team, contact David Young at 402-3202832. Registration is open until May 13.

The “Expand Your Horizons” series will present “Nebraska’s Death Penalty: Part I – Eyewitness Marylyn Felion Speaks, Again,” on April 19 from 7-8:30 p.m. at Notre Dame Housing, Seven Oaks Senior Center, 3439 State St. The first Nebraska execution by hanging was in 1879; the last, by electric chair, was in 1997. Mercy Associate Marylyn Felion was an eyewitness at that electrocution. She has been working on abolition for over 20 years. With LB 268 in May 2015, the Nebraska legislature repealed the death penalty. On Nov. 8, 2016, Felion with Referendum 426, 61.2% of Nebraskans repealed the LB 268 law. Marylyn is now back to give her testimony that life without parole is a more humane decision.

For more information, phone 402.451.4477.

Shaw continued from page 6

consider. Mentoring relationships can be fulfilling and rewarding for everyone involved. The benefits of mentoring can be measured, and the results have been proven. Mentors and mentees learn valuable lessons from each other which can be applied to creating educational goals, building career opportunities and designing entrepreneurship strategies. As mentor relationships develop, the propensity to inspire, encourage and motivate excellence into dreams becomes more real to the mentee. It is powerful to witness a young mind mature and reach its greatest potential through supervision and purposeful direction. Everyone has an ability to exceed in something. Some individuals need more cultivating and additional resources to discover their hidden talents or skills

to reach success. Others may know their abilities but lack the application knowledge. Mentorship can strengthen either of these scenarios through sharing past experiences, connecting real life examples and offering a listening ear.

Mentor/mentee partnerships can be a source of happiness and joy. Whether these relationships are formal or informal in nature, they have a significant impact when handled effectively, appropriately and consistently. Mentors are always needed for every agency or organization that has a mentoring program. Looking for moments of happiness?

Well, consider moments of mentoring. It could put a smile on someone’s face as well as a smile in your heart.

Mentoring Matters!

Kaepernick continued from page 3 against racism and police brutality by kneeling during the national anthem two years ago – but he did caution the coach that signing the free agent could present a difficult challenge if he continued to kneel.

He reportedly advised Harbaugh to create a team rule Kaepernick would have to abide by “if he wanted to keep his job,” according to TMZ. Instead, the Ravens signed Thad Lewis, who had not thrown an NFL pass in four years.

Jerry Jones is the only NFL owner who has said he would bench any of his players for taking a knee and it seems Harbaugh’s military buddy advised creating a similar rule.

In September, Ravens legend Ray Lewis said the reason Kaepernick didn’t have a job in Baltimore is because Kaepernick’s girlfriend, Nessa Diab, was critical of Ravens management, publishing an incendiary post on social media in which she accused Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti of being a slave owner and Lewis a slave.

“We were talking about giving this kid an opportunity to get back in the National Football League,” Lewis said on Inside the NFL. “I have been fighting for this kid behind the table like nobody has …

Then, his girl goes out and puts out this racist gesture and doesn’t know we are in the back office about to try to get this guy signed.”

Lewis was exposed as one of the biggest hypocrites in sports last year when he was also critical of Kaepernick kneeling and advised him to ditch the protest, yet later in the season got down on two knees during the anthem.

Kaepernick accused the NFL of collusion last year when sub-par players like Thad Lewis got jobs while he continues to be out of football. His lawyers continue to build their case against the league.

★

Business Connection

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We know that people and businesses are attracted to vibrant and successful places that have robust, world-class transportation systems that move people and commerce.

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Seeking a leader to work with local, state and federal officials to foster awareness of transportation needs and advocate for solutions. Areas of focus include formulating long-term funding strategies and serving as liaison to transportation advisors and industry professionals.

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Page Nine

Death Penalty Foe To Speak April 19

DO YOU HAVE PASSION FOR OMAHA AND THE DESIRE TO LEAD THE CHAMBER’S TRANSPORTATION EFFORTS, INCLUDING THE FORMULATION OF LONG-TERM FUNDING STRATEGIES?

Submit events at least 2 weeks in advance.

Days parade will start at 1 p.m.

Come out to Florence and enjoy some good old fashioned family fun. There will be many activities at the businesses and churches along the parade route.

Carnival rides will be at Kelly’s North Bowl.

If you would like more information or would like to register a free parade entry, contact Dick Brown at 402453-6688.

THE OMAHA STAR

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YOUTH/EDUCATION NEWS March 23, 2018 Holy Name Students Visit State Capitol Black Panther Essay Contest Holy Name’s 4th graders Looking for Youth to Participate spent the day in Lincoln

Page Ten

THE OMAHA STAR

The Mildred D. Brown Memorial Study Center is pleased to announce its 2018 essay contest based on the movie Black Panther.

Students in grades 8-12 are encouraged to explore what the movie means to them and to contemporary African and African-American peoples and cultures. Awards will be presented for each grade level; first place authors will receive $200 and be featured in The Omaha Star Newspaper, second place authors will receive $100, and third place authors will receive $50.

Students may use one or more of the following prompts as inspiration: (a) Talk about the role models in Black Panther. Who are they, and what character strengths do they exhibit? How does T’Challa demonstrate courage, integrity, and even teamwork? ‌ (b) Why is it important for superheroes to be diverse? How is Black Panther an example of both racial and gender diversity compared to other superhero films? Why does representation of black characters matter in movies and books and on TV? ‌ (c) How does the movie explore issues related to race and race relations? Why is Erik/Killmonger’s perspective

on the world so different from T’Challa’s? Is one right and the other wrong? Why, or why not? ... (d) What is the movie’s message about global responsibility? Do you agree with the view that the Black Panther should keep Wakanda safe at all costs ‌ or with the idea that Wakanda should help less-stable, less-advanced nations and communities by sharing their resources? ‌ (e) How does the movie inspire us to think about what Africa might look like today without the legacy of colonialism? How did it inspire you to see the science and technology of Wakanda? ‌ and/or (f) Overall, what do you see as the significance of Black Panther for contemporary African and African-American peoples and cultures?

There is further application information at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1iy9zenU HDe6Py1K74aFM1EXWlxE8Fg7I0zooNZm FpkQ/edit. Essays should be grammatically correct and 750-1000 words (double spaced; 1� margins; 12 point Times Roman). The deadline for submissions is April 27; submit essays to mdbmsc1938@gmail.com.

visiting the State Capitol and the UNL football stadium. They even got to watch the unicameral in action from the balcony. On the way back to Omaha they stopped at the Holy Family Shrine. The entire trip was paid for by a grant through the Nebraska Arts Council.

Below: Students gaze at artwork on the rotunda ceiling.

City Sprouts Urban Farming Internship Applications Open City Sprouts is launching its 2018 Urban Farming Internship and applications are now available.

Now in its 6th year, this paid internship offers young adults ages 16-20 training in agriculture, horticulture, culinary arts, public health and life skills, all while being immersed in a dynamic and supportive work environment, where every day is a new adventure. In 2018, City Sprouts will host 12 interns at City Sprouts, 4002 Seward St., and 4 interns at City Sprouts South, 1815 N St. City Sprouts interns work as a team to assist with regular crop maintenance including planting, watering, weeding and harvesting at the Decatur Urban Farm or City Sprouts South garden. Interns market produce and other goods at the weekly City Sprouts Farm Stand and promote City Sprouts in the community through site visits, school visits, presentations and events.

Our interns get the opportunity to work with diverse groups or individuals in indoor and outdoor settings. Interns learn about healthful cooking and have the chance to cook and serve meals to the team and guests, and they have

cleaning responsibilities in and around the education center, gardens, and farm.

Applicants must be 16-20 years old, be eligible for free or reduced meals, and have an interest in agriculture, horticulture, nutrition, culinary arts and/or education. Interns are expected to work outside and have the ability to lift up to 50 pounds.

Interns work Saturdays, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., in May and August, and Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., in June and July.

Selected interns may have the opportunity to extend the internship into September.

Shar Paw, 2017 City Sprouts Intern, said “I loved building the aquaponics system and harvesting the potatoes. In the future, I look forward to having my own garden and aquaponics system.�

Applications are available now. Interviews will take place on April 14. For more information and to download the application, please visit http://www.omahasprouts.org/urban-farminginternship. For questions, please contact Roxanne Draper at director@omahasprouts.org.

TThe he Na onal Na onal Coali on Coali on of of 100 100 Black Black Women Women Inc., Inc., Greater G reater O Omaha ma m ah ha aC Chapter ha ha ap ptte er er Presents:

Managing Your Money Debt Free e ee

Application Deadline Extended for Competition Rockville Centre, NY – The Center for Science Teaching & Learning (CSTL) has extended the application deadline for the 2018 Spellman High Voltage Electronics Clean Tech Competition to March 30. This unique international research and design challenge for pre-college youth encourages scientific understanding of real-world environmental and energy use challenges. This year’s theme is “Solving Climate Change.� Teams are challenged to identify and analyze specific problems associated with climate change in detail before designing a clean technology solution.

Monetary prizes are provided to the top 10 finalists with $10,000 awarded to the winner.

The competition is pleased to announce that the winning team will also be flown to Rome, Italy to be guest presenters at the World Congress on Climate Change in September 2018.

Teams of young people from around the globe are urged to participate in the competition. For information or to submit an application, visit www.cleantechcompetition.org.

The competition’s goal is to foster students’ deeper understanding of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) related concepts, recognize outstanding talent and prepare the next generation of globally competitive innovators.

CSTL, a not-for-profit organization with a

mission of encouraging science learning and literacy, is accepting applications from high schools representing teams of 1 to 3 students between ages 15 and 18. The competition’s finals will take place at Stony Brook University in Stony Brook, N.Y., on July 12. Teams will present to judges and display their innovative solutions. “The Spellman HV Clean Tech Competition is an important and engaging program created to inspire and motivate students from around the globe to focus on STEM education and careers. Students who participate gain important skills and discover the many exciting opportunities that careers in science, technology, math and engineering have to offer,� said Dr. Ray Ann Havasy, Director of The Center for Science Teaching & Learning. “It is important for us to strongly support the next generation of STEM leaders and play an instrumental role in generating the international attention the Competition deserves,� says Dr. Loren Skeist, President of Spellman HV Electronics.

Spellman High Voltage Electronics, the Competition’s major sponsor, is a leader in high voltage technology in the medical, industrial and scientific fields. For information about, CSTL or the 2018 Spellman HV Clean Tech Competition, visit www.cleantechcompetition.org or phone 516-764-0045.

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Keynote Speaker Tamika Stembridge, Esq. of Philadelphia, PA Execu ve Director of the dfreeÂŽ Global Founda on

Metropolitan Community College, Fort Omaha Campus

Saturday

April

07

Swanson Conference Center, Bldg 22 9:00am– 2:30pm (registration begins at 8:30) Cost: $10.00

For more informa on on sponsorship or vendor opportuni es please contact Dr. Idalene Williams or Angelia Thomas at 402-281-3398. To register visit www.eventbrite.com/ moneyma ers2018