Vol. 80 - No. 14

75 CENTS

OMAHA STAR

Welcome to Omaha

THE

Celebrating 80 Years

Gabrielle Jordan

1938 2018

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

Nebraska’s Only Black Owned Newspaper Omaha Star & MDBMSC Gala Keynote Speaker Vol. 80 - No. 14 Omaha, Nebraska

Friday, July 13, 2018

Promiseship Announces New Member Of Leadership Team African American and Native American children are vastly overrepresented in Nebraska’s foster care system, according to a report issued in June by the state’s Foster Care Review Office (FCRO). In light of that fact and great concerns in terms of disparities affecting the child welfare system, Gibril Mansaray, who most recently served as the first Cultural Equity Specialist focused on reducing Mansaray disproportionality for families involved with the Iowa Child Welfare system, has joined PromiseShip, the new Nebraska Families Collaborative, in the role of Diversity and Inclusion Manager.

Mansaray, a native of Iowa City, IA, has spent the past seven years working with families promoting healthy skill building, conducting training on cultural bias and inclusion and advocating for the rights of dozens of African American fathers who had open Child in Need of Assistance (CINA) cases, which later expanded to include all fathers. Mansaray said, “most fathers fighting for rights to their children feel like minorities when it comes to child services.”

In his new role at PromiseShip, Mansaray will lead diversity and inclusion initiatives, serve as community liaison and build strategic relationships in the community and deliver diversity and inclusion training.

About PromiseShip PromiseShip, the new Nebraska Families Collaborative, provides child wellbeing and safety services for more than 5,000 children and families in Douglas and Sarpy counties who are involved in the child welfare system through a publicprivate partnership with the State of Nebraska. PromiseShip tirelessly spans boundaries bringing powerful partners together to provide innovative solutions that transform life’s uncertainty into family wellbeing. Visit promiseship.org for more information.

75 cents

Maxine Waters Cancels Events Amid Shooting And Lynching Threats Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) has received increased death threats after she called for protestors to publicly question Trump officials. But this week, the congresswoman said she received “several very serious threats” leading to event cancellations.

Amid the backlash against Waters, the Democrats’ top two leaders in Congress, Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Nancy Pelosi, actually threw her under the bus.

The two publicly reprimanded her without specifically calling her out by name. Schumer denounced calls to confront Trump officials as “not American,” while Pelosi said in a tweet that it was “understandable but unacceptable.”

Now death threats against Waters, currently serving her 13th term in the U.S. House of Representatives, are escalating.

At a recent rally, Waters said that those who oppose Trump’s “zero tolerance” immigration policy should question his Cabinet members wherever they encounter them.

“If you see anybody in that Cabinet in a restaurant, in a department store, at a gasoline station, you get out and you create a crowd and you

push back on them,” she said. “And you tell them they’re not welcome anymore, anywhere. We’ve got to get the children connected to their parents. The children are suffering.”

In a recent tweet, Trump said Waters called for harm to his supporters; said, again, that she has a low IQ; and warned her to “be careful.”

That same day, Waters said she received a death threat so harsh she had to cancel events.

“There was one very serious death threat made against me on Monday from an individual in Texas, which is why my planned speaking engagements in Texas and Alabama were cancelled this weekend,” Waters said in a statement.

“This is just one in several very serious threats the United States Capitol Police are investigating in which individuals threatened to shoot, lynch, or cause me serious bodily harm.”

Lynching occurred in the Jim Crow era where Black men, women and children were hanged by whites. So for a Trump supporter to name that practice in a threat to Waters speaks volumes.

During a private caucus meeting,

Waters

according to lawmakers in the room, Waters said she has a right to express herself under the First Amendment and that she does not support or condone violence, The Hill reports.

“As the President has continued to lie and falsely claim that I encouraged people to assault his supporters, while also offering a veiled threat that I should ‘be careful’, even more individuals are leaving [threatening] messages and sending hostile mail to my office,” Waters said.

Omahan Honored as ‘Purple Profile of Courage’ by Alzheimer’s Assoc.

The Alzheimer’s Association is excited to announce that local Omaha resident Cheryl Willis has been selected as one of 11 spokespersons for the esteemed Purple Profiles of Courage Program. Purple Profiles of Courage participants are members of various communities in Nebraska who are devoted to advancing the mission of the Alzheimer’s Association. These participants offer inspiration to the public by speaking publicly about their disease experiences, engaging in media interviews, and participating actively in signature events with the Alzheimer’s Association. The Purple Profiles of Courage participants receive comprehensive training to advocate for advancements in the field and promote free services offered to families affected

by Alzheimer’s. Last year, Kathie Bickerstaff, Dylann Ehegartner, Lori Huffman, Mike Hughbanks, Bill Myers, Pam Parker, and Amy Walton served as advocates for the Purple Profiles of Courage in the Omaha area.

Willis has been involved with the Alzheimer’s Association since 2003, working with families, friends, and caregivers of people with the disease. Willis encourages those with a connection to the disease to get support from family and get connected with your local Alzheimer’s Association chapter.

By working with the Willis Alzheimer’s Association and serving as a support group leader, she is able to refer others to the free resources and support offered by the Alzheimer’s Association.

Cheryl states, “I have always referred families, friends and caregivers to the Association for resources and support.

I have used pamphlets for teaching in my practice and support groups. I have

used speakers for programming.”

Moving forward, spokespersons from across the state will represent various connections to Alzheimer’s disease, including having lost someone to Alzheimer’s, currently caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s, living with the disease, or having a vision of a world without Alzheimer’s. These spokespersons will engage in sharing their story on social media, blogs, media interviews, and various speaking engagements through signature events such as the Walk to End Alzheimer’s, the Growing Hope Gala, and The Longest Day. Elizabeth Chentland, Director of Communications for the Alzheimer’s Association Nebraska Chapter, looks

forward to helping Nebraskans better understand Alzheimer’s through the voices of people with extensive personal experience.

“We know that this disease affects families so deeply. Sometimes, the disease feels overwhelming to families.

Being able to learn from a peer with disease expertise who is willing to share their own story becomes critical in increasing awareness about the disease and providing information about care, support, and research opportunities. It also helps generate greater participation in Alzheimer’s Association events.”

In the United States, there are over 5.7 million people with Alzheimer’s and that is projected to grow to as many as 16 million people in 2050. In Nebraska alone, there are 34,000 people over the age of 65 living with the disease and they are supported by 82,000 caregivers across the state. Alzheimer’s is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States, leading to 598 deaths in Nebraska in 2017.

‘Zeta of the Year’ Award Recipient Named

What Trump’s Supreme Court Nominee Means for the Future of Black America

By Bruce C.T. Wright The president has nominated Brett Kavanaugh to fill the Supreme Court seat of outgoing Justice Anthony Kennedy, who was set to retire at the end of the month.

“There is no one in America more qualified for this position and no one more deserving,” President Donald Trump said in announcing his selection Monday night at the White House.

Conservatives rejoiced at the selection, but some of Kavanaugh’s first words after accepting the nomination likely had Black folks on edge about what to expect if he were to be confirmed.

Kavanaugh almost immediately pointed to his mother’s past as a teacher at two largely Black high

schools as supposed evidence that he would be fair and culturally sensitive in his rulings if he were to become Kennedy’s successor on the Supreme Court.

“My mother taught history at two largely AfricanAmericans public schools so I understand the

importance of equality,” he said.

Those words were all but tantamount to saying “some of my best friends are Black,” which is code to all people of color for an apparent over compensation for what could be racist tendencies.

Another possible troubling indicator: Kavanaugh once dissented in a 2011 case centered on President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act, saying the national health care law was “unprecedented and unlawful,” according to the Federalist.

Either way, because Trump chose him, Black America’s collective Spidey sense wasn’t buying it.

In an obvious case of something that was not a coincidence, Twitter reminded folks that Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch, Trump’s first Supreme Court pick, went to high school together.

Adams

The local chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc., Beta Psi Zeta, has announced that Dottie Adams is the recipient of the 2018 Zeta of the Year Award. The multifaceted characteristics and the untiring dedication Dottie exemplifies have set forth a shining example within the sorority and throughout the community. As an active member serving, giving, and volunteering for more than 30 years, Dottie continues her commitment to her music ministry at various Omaha nursing homes.

Don’t be confused about Medicare – July 18

It’s Summer in the City!

Ending the Cycle of Gang Violence – July 24

See In the Village for details

See the photo page inside this issue.

See In the Village for details

Page Two

LOCAL NEWS

THE OMAHA STAR

July 13, 2018

THE OMAHA STAR, INC. Applications for Arts Fellowship Are Now Open THE VOICE OF THE BLACK COMMUNITY

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Member of the National Newspaper Publishers Association MILDRED D. BROWN: Founder, July 9, 1938 DR. MARGUERITA L. WASHINGTON: Publisher, 1989 - 2016 Phyllis Hicks: Publisher & Managing Editor Frankie Jean Williams: Copy Editor Tanya Cooper: Circulation/Retail Coordinator Carl Hill: Retail Distributor Debra Shaw: Social Media Administrator

The Union for Contemporary Arts Co-Op is accepting applicants for the 2019 cohort of The Union’s Inside/Outside Artist Fellowship Program now through Aug. 31 at midnight.

The Inside/Outside Fellowship Program and overarching mission center on building relationships between artists and communities through creative expression. Wherein traditional residencies artists often work on their own in seclusion, The Union encourages artists of all disciplines to be active participants in the civic life of North Omaha while recognizing the potential of art and artists to spark social change. The Inside/Outside Fellowship is an opportunity for deep immersion in both studio practice and community engagement.

Applications are accepted from artists and artist duos working in any creative discipline and at any career level. A jury will select five Fellows from the open call applications. Four spaces in the Inside/ Outside Fellowship program are reserved for artists living in the Omaha-Council Bluffs area. The one remaining space is available to a fifth locally-based applicant or an artist currently living outside

Farmers Market Opens For Eight-Week Season

The Omaha Farmers Market returns to the Charles Drew Health Center (CDHC) at 30th and Grant Streets on Wednesdays through Aug. 29. Each Wednesday from 3:30-5:30 p.m., two to five local farmers will offer farm-fresh, local produce. Health related nonprofit groups will rotate providing information throughout the season.

The CDHC Market accepts Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards at its information booth and is now offering the Double Up Food Buck (DUFB) Match Program – a partnership with Nebraska THE OMAHA STAR believes that America can best lead the world away from racial and national antagonism when it accords every man, regardless of race, color or creed, his human and legal rights. Department of Agriculture and Nebraska Extension, allowing EBT users an additional $10 in matching funds to purchase fresh fruits, Hating no man, fearing no man in the firm belief that all are hurt as long as one is held back. vegetables and herbs. Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) and Women, Infants and Children (WIC) recipients can also use their benefits with all the Market vendors; more information is available The United States provides opportunities for free expression onsite at the information booth. of ideas. The Omaha Star has its views, but others may differ.

In 2011, the CDHC Market opened to serve the North Omaha Therefore the Omaha Star ownership reserves the right to community as a smaller Farmers Market exclusively featuring publish views and opinions by syndicated and local columnists, produce vendors. Its purpose is to provide easily accessible farmprofessional writers and other writers whose opinions are solely fresh, locally-grown produce to the community. their own. Those views do not necessarily reflect the policies The Omaha Farmers Market has expanded from a small group and position of the staff and management of the Omaha Star of vendors in the Old Market in 1994 to two additional market newspaper. locations at CDHC and Aksarben Village. The Old Market location Readers are encouraged to email letters to the editor commenting is open on Saturdays at 11th and Jackson Streets from 8 a.m. to on current events as well as what they would like to see included in 12:30 p.m., and a Sunday Market is open in Aksarben Village, 67th the paper. Those emails should be sent to: phyllis@omahastarinc. and Center, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., both through mid-October. com and must include the writer’s name, address, email address Visitors are encouraged to visit OmahaFarmersMarket.org or and telephone number. The ownership has editorial rights and follow Omaha Farmers Market on Facebook and Instagram for does not guarantee that all submissions will be published. special events, vendor updates, seasonal produce recipes and tips.

Please be advised that the Omaha Star ownership does not employ staff writers who charge for preparing and submitting Partners and Supporters articles for the general public. Should you encounter such, please The Omaha Farmers Market in the Old Market is sponsored by advise Phyllis Hicks at 402.346.4041.

WOWT NBC Omaha, Sweet 98.5, Park Omaha, The Sherwood Foundation, Security National Bank, Wells Fargo and Old Omaha Association.

The Omaha Farmers Market at Aksarben Village is sponsored by WOWT NBC Omaha, Sweet 98.5, University of Nebraska Omaha, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska, The Sherwood Foundation, Aksarben Village, Security National Bank and LeafFilter Gutter Protection.

In order to be included in the Omaha Star, all articles and The Omaha Farmers Market at Charles Drew Health Center is announcements must be submitted by e-mail to fwilliams@ brought to you in partnership with the Omaha Farmers Market, omahastarinc.com no later than two weeks in advance of the Charles Drew Health Center and Douglas County Health Department, event. All articles and announcements should be prepared in a and is sponsored by The Sherwood Foundation, Blue Cross and Blue word document using Times New Roman, 10 pt. Submissions Shield of Nebraska, WOWT NBC Omaha, Sweet 98.5 and Wells must be limited to 500 words. Any accompanying photographs Fargo. should be submitted in a jpeg or pdf file. The deadline for all articles is Monday at 3:00 p.m., two weeks prior to the event date. Articles and announcements will not be accepted at the Omaha Star office. The Omaha Star is now published bi-weekly on Fridays. The Omaha Star business office hours are MondayNeo-Nazi booklets have been turning up in the West Omaha Thursday, 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. communities of Trendwood, Leawood and Deer Ridge in Little Free Libraries. The Plains States Region of the Anti-Defamation LeagueCommunity Relations Council is aware of the issue and is working with local law enforcement to combat the rise in hate speech.

Regional Director Dr. Mary Beth Muskin said, “Fortunately this kind of hate does not reflect our community. This is a growing tactic used by white supremacists to get their message out. Clearly, it is the act of one person or a few individuals. The majority of Omahans reject this kind of behavior and beliefs as witnessed by the multitude of reports we have received. These attitudes have no place in our society.”

If you encounter any of this material, please notify the Plains Baker’s Supermarket 7312 N. 30th St. States Region of the ADL at skurz@adl.org, or call 402-334-6570.

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Neo-Nazi Propaganda Found in Little Free Libraries

of Omaha who is willing to relocate for this opportunity. National artists participate by invitation only.

All fellows receive: • an $1,800 stipend • a private studio • free access to The Co-Op Studios and workshops (materials not included) • technical assistance • pProfessional development opportunities Ideal applicants have a practice that allows them to take full advantage of the private studio, as well as genuine interest in engaging people and social issues through their work.

Applicants can register for 30-minute, one-on-one sessions to receive feedback on their Fellowship applications, including work samples. Bring your application in progress; the more you have filled out the more feedback you will be provided. RSVP required at u-ca.eventbrite.com. The sessions will be held on July 26 and Aug. 23 from 5:30-7 p.m.

Community-Academic Partnership Launches Mental Health Initiative The North Omaha Mental Health Initiative (NOMHI) is a community-academic partnership with the UNMC College of Public Health, Center for Reducing Health Disparities and several community-based providers included but not limited to the Omaha Branch of the NAACP and Charles Drew Health Center, Inc. This partnership is an innovative community engagement approach to increase knowledge, reduce stigma, and improve the mental health and well-being of African Americans in Douglas County with focus on the North Omaha area. This area includes zip codes 68104, 68110, 68111, 68112, and 68131.

In recognition of July as National Minority Mental Health Month, NOMHI is coordinating a series of events to heighten awareness of mental health conditions, create open dialogue about mental health, and increase utilization of available mental health services.

The following events include: Providers Mixer; Faith-based Training for Pastors; and Family Fun Day. Other NOMHI events include a media campaign consisting of a video series, a dinner and movie focused on mental health, and a photo exhibit to further heighten awareness of mental health in our community.

For more information regarding NOMHI activities, contact Vickie Young, office: 402-345-6227 or email: vickieyoung@ outlook.com.

African Culture Connection Receives Grant From Lozier Foundation African Culture Connection (ACC) has announced the receipt of a $15,000 grant from the Lozier Foundation for general operating support.

“We are extremely grateful for the funding from the Lozier Foundation,” said Charles Ahovissi, Executive/Artistic Director of African Culture Connection. “This funding supports the meaningful work we do in the Omaha metro area, teaching African culture & history through authentic dance, music, drumming, and visual arts.”

African Culture Connection’s unique education and social programs respond to two unmet needs: 1) The importance of building community awareness of and respect for African culture and diverse cultures as a whole, and 2) The pressing need of very high-risk populations, primarily African-American children and youth of low-income, for opportunities for positive development.

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July 13, 2018

PRAISE, WORSHIP, DEVOTION, OBITUARIES & INSPIRATION THE OMAHA STAR

Christopher “Chris” Wiley

Music Workshop at Pleasant Green The music and arts ministry of the Pleasant Green Baptist Church is having its annual music workshop July 30 – Aug. 3. Workshop rehearsals are Monday-Friday. The children’s choir will rehearse from 6-7 p.m.

Adults will rehearse from 7-8:30 p.m. Dinner will be served for the children from 7-7:30 p.m. The guest clinician is native Omahan Tanya D. Berry, now of the Gethsemane Baptist Church in Houston, Texas. All choir members, musicians and anyone seeking to partake in this ministry opportunity are invited to come and be a part. The workshop musical will be on Aug. 4 at 6:30 p.m. at Pleasant Green, 5555 Larimore Ave. There is a small participation fee to help offset the cost of the workshop.

Rev. Brian Page is the Pastor of Pleasant Green. For more information regarding the workshop or musical, please contact the church office at 402-346-8427.

A man of great faith!

July 1, 1953 – July 2, 2018 Christopher is survived by his wife of 38 years Brenda M (Rogers) Wiley and children Adonis and Matthew. A Tribute Celebration was held on Sunday in North High School’s auditorium.

The Celebration of Life was held Monday at Salem Baptist Church.

In lieu of flowers and plants the family is asking that monetary donations be sent to Risen Son Church, 4932 Ohio St., Omaha, NE 68104.

For more details, visit www.bramanmortuary.com. Braman Mortuary (72 St. Chapel), 1702 N. 72nd St., Omaha, NE 68114.

402-391-2171

Home Going Celebration Mama Annette Chambers Saturday at 10 a.m.

New Life Presbyterian Church, 4060 Pratt St. Condolences, cards, letters or food are being received at 4903 N. 126th St. The repast will be at Florence Community Center, 2920 Bondesson St., from noon to 3 p.m.

Food can be dropped off at the Community Center as early as 10 a.m.

Berry

By Clarissa Hamlin Black people have found ways to cope with racism, traumas and the BBQ Beckys of the world. One of those ways, you ask?

Many African Americans have joined churches to deal with stressful racial profiling incidents, which have skyrocketed in recent months. The coping mechanism has proven effective as worshippers have reported fewer mental health issues, according to a recently published study.

Churchgoers are less likely to suffer from depression, psychological distress and post-traumatic stress disorder, University of Michigan and Case Western Reserve University researchers said in a report published in the Journal of Community

Psychology.

Black parishioners are also less likely to struggle with suicidal thoughts, according to the “Church and Family Support Networks and Depressive Symptoms among African Americans: Findings from The National Survey of American Life” study.

Researchers surveyed 3,000 African Americans, whose ages ran the gamut from 18 to 93, for the report. They also examined associations between emotional support from church members and support from extended family members, researchers said.

In finding support to confront various traumas, worshippers have also begun fighting the stigma and culture of silence linked to mental health within the Black church, the Washington Informer reported.

The Challenge to Keep Families Together wife recalls how the men would gather under the shade trees and talk about cars, sports, and fishing while the women would be in the house laughing and preparing the meal. Unfortunately, when her grandmother passed away, it was the end of an era. Many times families become distant when certain loved ones pass away and the absence of these central figures reveal just how much their love, generosity, and concern was the “glue” that held everyone together. We often hear how the world has changed for the worse, but maybe it had a lot to do with us being so young that we paid no attention to the news.

Or maybe it was because evil had not been so brave to step out from the shadows as it is now.

Whatever the case, as we grew up we were slowly drawn into the worries and anxieties of life, and as we became burdened with more responsibilities we gradually drifted away from each other.

I wrote a song years ago about how sad it is when families drift apart and there’s a line that says, “Just because life is not the way it used to be – doesn’t mean we can’t do the things we used to do.” How important it is to adapt when individuals are missing or the locations are not the same. May we not allow the “missing pieces” (as precious as they are) to prevent us from actively carrying on the legacy and traditions within our family. It’s sad when children and grandchildren do not even know their own aunts, uncles or cousins, and the only time they come together is at a funeral where the atmosphere is awkward and everyone seems like strangers. Children form their own opinions and attitudes from the bonds of family and it is selfish for us to have these wonderful experiences and memories and then pull away from this important foundation just because the situation has changed. Our parents and grandparents were hoping and praying that someone (like us) would keep the family together because they understood that close families provide the love, security, encouragement, stability, and nurturing we all need and long for.

(You can read more at billyhollandministries. com)

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

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Some churches make available actual counseling and other resources to confront mental health problems instead of opting only for prayer and more spiritual ways to confront issues.

It is a combination of methods that is often used to help African American churchgoers deal with traumas, not ignore them.

Parishioners can be encouraged to talk about what’s on their minds and hearts with other churchgoers in a house of worship, which is typically viewed as a non-judgmental setting.

The support systems established in churches, as well as families, have contributed to healthier lives for many African Americans, studies have shown.

First they came for the ___________, and I did not speak out, because I was not a __________; Then they came for the __________, and I did not speak out, because I was not a __________; Then they came for the __________, and I did not speak out, because I was not a __________; Then they came for the __________, and I did not speak out, because I was not a __________; Then they came for me … and there was no one left to speak out for me.

Kids Talk About God

Why Did God Create Boys?

By Carey Kinsolving And Friends “God made guys for a reason we don’t know, but I know they’re good for something,” says Allison, 12.

Good for something? I hope so.

“Men lay around the house, but sometimes they do stuff, too,” says Shelby, 8. “Sometimes they’re helpful.”

Gee, thanks a lot, Shelby. Have you been talking to Allison?

“God created men so they could build homes and smell like rotten eggs,” says Brianme, 11.

Have you discussed this with your dad, or do you always give him cologne for his birthday?

Well, maybe there’s a reason for the smell, suggests Lauren, 11: “I think that God created boys because he wanted them to do all the dirty work while the girls get to stay at home and do what they please. He made boys tougher than girls.”

You might get an argument from Allison and Shelby about boys being tougher than girls, but not from Andrew, 10: “God created boys to grow up and become men. They are head of the house.

The main purpose is to make sure everything is all right at all times and to protect the household.”

Andrew, beware of Barbara, 11, when you begin to look for a wife. She says, “I think God created boys so a girl could have a daddy, a brother and a husband, but who wants one!”

Andrew, you stand a much better chance with Beth, 9: “God created boys because girls need them to help make babies. Even though boys are rowdy, we’ve got to have them.”

Another Shelby, 9, says: “Adam gave one of his ribs to create girls. He was the first human who ever played with lions and tigers without getting a scratch! Jesus was the most important boy and

performed miracles.”

Well, Adam didn’t exactly give his rib. God put him to sleep and performed surgery. Man has never recovered from the surgery, says author John Eldredge.

Eldredge conducts a seminar for men called “Wild at Heart,” which is also the title of his bestselling book. He asserts that most of our images of God or Jesus are passive. In most pictures, Jesus looks like Mr. Rogers with a beard. We interpret the biblical statement “God is love” to mean God is “nice.”

Eldredge challenges other misconceptions about God’s love when he says: “God’s love is a love that leaps on you from the dark and wrestles with you through the night as in the case of Jacob. God is not safe, but he’s good.

“A stallion is wild at heart. Geldings are safe, but they don’t give life. We have taken away man’s masculine heart, and then we tell him to be productive.”

Teddy, 10, gets to the heart of God’s love when he says: “God made boys because he is a boy.

Another possible reason is he wanted his son to die on the cross.”

Deep in his heart, every man wants to be a hero.

A true hero offers his strength to rescue those in need. Jesus did just that when he fought and won the battle over Satan, sin and death.

True masculinity requires humility. Jesus humbled himself by submitting to a humiliating death. We humble ourselves when we believe in the Lord Jesus for salvation. We depend on him instead of our own efforts.

The strength of man is of no avail in becoming a Christian. Human power is of no use in trying to live the Christian life. Both require trading imagined strength for God’s grace and power.

Only God can make a man a true hero.

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Looking for Death and Funeral Notices

From A Woman Of A Particular Age

Deaths & Funerals

I am sure that many of you can remember when life was not so demanding and filled with anxiety or at least it seemed that way. I was raised in the city so when I had a chance to go to my grandparent’s house out in the country it was like going on vacation. They lived on a quiet overgrown road that came to a dead-end at the Kentucky River and their farm was so remote that when an occasional car would pass by we would stop and stare at it like it was entertainment. I will never forget helping in the garden, feeding the animals, playing in the fireplace and the sights and smells of country living that gave me a sense of love and security.

I have such fond thoughts of my grandmother serving huge delicious meals, eating homemade ice-cream, the joy and freedom of running through fields and forest and then catching lightning bugs in the evening. When I was young, I thought that going fishing on my grandfather’s boat was the ultimate adventure and going to the creek to help them wash their old car was such innocent fun. Looking for crawdads, throwing rocks, watching out for snakes and getting soaking wet on a hot sunny day were the perfect combination for thrills and excitement.

And in the winter when the snow was deep we would go out and play then come in and hold our hands over the pot belly stove and listen to the coal crackle and pop. Spending the night was filled with such anticipation as we slept in huge feather beds with piles of blankets and I still recall the moonlight shining through the windows that made everything seem magical to a boy who dreamed this would last forever.

My wife Cheryl has also told me of the special occasions her family shared together with cookouts and all the kids running and playing. I remember her grandmother lived in an old farmhouse off the highway where so many parties and celebrations happened over the years.

Her husband had passed away a long time ago, but they had seven children and this is where everyone would meet on the weekends. My

ATTENTION READERS

Here’s One Way Black People can Deal with BBQ Becky and Friends

It’s been a long time since I have written. I have been consumed by the evilness that has reared its ugly head in this country. I ran across this poem that most of us are familiar with. It was written by Martin Niemoller many years ago, but the poem is eerily relevant today. If Richard Tate Mr. Richard Tate, age 62, passed away Monday, June 18, at a local you are not familiar with the poem, “Google” it. I thought I would make it a fill in the blank and share it with you because they are hospital.

Memorial Service 10 a.m., Tuesday, June 26, Power House coming… Take a couple of minutes and fill in the blanks, then use social media, the telephone, email, pigeons, smoke signals and any Church. other method of communication to encourage people to get on their Cremation knees and pray, then get up and go vote.

Arrangements by Thomas Funeral Home.

By William Holland

Page Three

& 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

Page Four

THE OMAHA STAR

LOCAL NEWS

Back-To-School Backpack Drive Celebrates 20th Anniversary The Salvation Army and KETV 7 Can Help Kids are collecting new school supplies to help thousands of students get ready to go back to school this August. This year we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the program. Thanks to the generosity of the entire community, since 1998 more than 189,000 children have been equipped with the right tools to set them on a path to a successful school year.

Donations are needed now through Aug. 7. New supplies can be dropped off at Methodist Health System clinics and hospitals and Wendy’s locations in the

Omaha-Council Bluffs area and Fun-Plex.

Look for the collection barrels and boxes inside each location. For a complete list of donation drop off locations visit www. salarmyomaha.org.

The following new items are being accepted: Rulers, Spiral Notebooks, Erasers, Glue, Crayons, Theme Paper, 2-Pocket Folders, Pens & Pencils, Backpacks, Tissues, Markers, Reusable Water Bottles, Bottles of Hand Sanitizer, Colored Pencils In Omaha, school supplies will be distributed to students Aug. 10 and 11. In

Council Bluffs, pre-registration for the Back to School program is required. Sign up is open Aug. 7-9. Check ahead for times.

Monetary gifts are encouraged and will be used to purchase new school supplies.

Donations earmarked “Back to School,” can be mailed to The Salvation Army, 10755 Burt St., Omaha, NE 68114 or donate online at www.salarmyomaha.org.

The Salvation Army and KETV 7 Can Help Kids thank the Back to School partners: Methodist, Wendy’s, Fun-Plex, Sweet 98.5, Barnhart Press, Firefighters on the Move and Payless Office Products.

July 13, 2018

Marseille Aerographer’s Mate 3rd Class Baltazar Sauceda, from Omaha, observes the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) pull into Marseille, France. Harry S. Truman is currently deployed as part of an ongoing rotation of U.S. forces supporting maritime security operations in international waters around the globe. AG3 Sauceda is a 2015 graduate of Elkhorn South High School.

Visit us on the web at theomahastar.com (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Juan Sotolongo/Released)

ADL-CRC Hosts First Community-Wide Event

The Anti-Defamation League Plains States Region (ADL) is excited to announce their first community-wide event , “Be an Ally, Make a Difference, Raise a Glass,” to raise funds for our mission of fighting anti-Semitism and all forms of hate. The event will be held Aug. 19 and feature a wine-tasting experience and silent auction.

The event is open to our supporters and will be held at Gallery 1516, 1516 Leavenworth St., from 2-4 p.m. Tickets include wine and light fare.

Silent auction packages include two club seat tickets to Elton John’s farewell tour, a night and dinner at Lied Lodge, Nebraska Football tickets and a signed poster from the cast of Hamilton.

Every day, the ADL-CRC works to help shape laws locally and nationally, and develop groundbreaking model legislation. The ADL works with students to respect inclusion and to challenge bias and bullying. They train law enforcement officers about extremism, terrorism and hate crimes. They never give up trying to build a better world inspired by a democratic sense of unity. Their mission is increasingly critical.

Honorary event co-chairs are Gary Nachman and Sheila Fitzgerald.

Event co-chairs are Toba Cohen-Dunning and Eric Dunning.

For tickets and more information, contact the ADL-CRC office at 402-334-6570.

LOCAL NEWS

July 13, 2018

Summer in the City Bridge Beats Photos by Roger Humphries Photography

THE OMAHA STAR Page Five

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THE OMAHA STAR

PRAISE & WORSHIP DIRECTORY

ALLEN CHAPEL A.M.E.

Rev. Benjamin R. Finnell

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

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

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

KOINONIA AND FRIENDS OF CHRIST

ST. BENEDICT THE MOOR CATHOLIC CHURCH

Pastor Tony E. Sanders 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

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.

“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 Founders & Lead Pastors WEDNESDAYS Prayer 6:00 PM Worship 7:00 PM

Radio Broadcast: 101.3 fm 9:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. each Sunday Worship Service .............10:00 a.m.

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

Rev. Dr. Leroy E. Adams, Jr.

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

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

Pastor Rordy Smith Pastor Ramona Smith

Pastor: Rev. Vitalis Anyanike

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

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

“Jesus is the light of the world” Rev. James P. Walker, Senior Pastor mtcalvarycommunitychurch.org 5112 Ames Avenue Omaha, NE 68104 Ph: 402-457-4216

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

Rev. James P. Walker

CLAIR MEMORIAL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH MT. MORIAH MISSIONARY 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 Rev. Portia A. Cavitt, Pastor

Rev. Ralph Lassiter, Sr.

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.

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

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

FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH Rev. Dr. Jane Florence, Senior Pastor Pastor Barbara Mitchell

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

MT. NEBO MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH

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

Rev. Dr. Jane Florence

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

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

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

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

Pastor Jeffrey & Terri Booth 3025 Parker Street Omaha, NE 68111 402.905.9730 • www.fwcomaha.com Sunday at 10:00am Family Night each Wednesday at 7pm The Daily Journey each Wednesday at Noon Saturday Prayer from 7 - 8am

Rev. Kenneth A. Allen, Pastor Pastor Terry L. Arvie

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

WEDNESDAY 11:00 A.M. ~ Hour of Power Bible Study Wednesday is Family Night!

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

PLEASANT GREEN BAPTIST CHURCH “Where CHRIST is Preeminent and the Word Prevails!”

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

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.

Pastor Brian Page

Televised Broadcast Sunday @ 10pm on KPAO Cox Communication channel 22 & Century Link channel 89 Dr. Stan Rone Senior Pastor

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

JOY OF LIFE MINISTRIES COGIC

Pastor Darnell N. Johnson, Sr. & Ladi J Pastor Eric Butler and Co-Pastor Cynthia Butler

Pastor Kenneth A. Allen

THE WORSHIP CENTER

Rev. James D. Wilkens

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

2215 Grant Street Omaha, NE 68110 Ph: 402-346-1502 Fax: 402-344-2720 SUNDAY Sunday Morning Worship……………9:00 A.M. Sunday School……………………...11:15 A.M.

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

HOPE LUTHERAN CHURCH

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

FREEDOM WORSHIP CENTER OMAHA

Pastor Jeffrey & Terri Booth

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

Rev. Dr. Selwyn Q. Bachus

“Come Get Your Hilltop Experience”

Pastor Jarrod S. Parker

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

MOUNT CALVARY COMMUNITY CHURCH

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.

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.

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

Prayer and Bible Doctrine Study Midday - 12:00 noon; Evening – 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

&

Rev. Vitalis Anyanike

HOLY NAME CATHOLIC CHURCH MORNING STAR BAPTIST CHURCH

SUNDAYS Prayer 9:00 AM Worship 10:00 AM

July 13, 2018

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

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

Tuesday Tuesday Night Teaching……...........6:30 p.m.

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

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

July 13, 2018

With 44 million consumers owing student debt that now reaches $1.5 trillion and still climbing, a lot of people want to better understand how and why this unsustainable debt trajectory can be better managed. For Black consumers who typically have less family wealth than other races and ethnicities, borrowing is more frequent, and as a result, often leads to five figure debts for undergraduate programs and well beyond $100,000 for graduate or professional degrees.

Besides deep debt incurred to gain a college education, another sphere of concern presents yet another financial hurdle: student loan defaults.

New research by Judith Scott-Clayton of the Brookings Institution focuses on explaining these defaults and what happens once they occur. Her research shows that a large racial gap exists in default rates between Black student loan borrowers and their White counterparts.

This gap can only be partially explained by controlling for multiple socio-economic and educational attainment factors.

After accounting for variations in family wealth and income, differences in degree attainment, college grade point average and even postcollege income and employment, a stubborn and statistically significant 11 percentage point gap remains between Black and White student loan borrowers. Before adjusting for these factors, the gap is 28 percent, with Black borrowers defaulting at a rate of more than double that of Whites – 49 percent compared to 21 percent over 12 years.

The research also finds a strong disadvantage to attending for-profit colleges, in which Black students disproportionately enroll. More than a decade after leaving school, and accounting for the same background and attainment factors listed above, loan defaults of for-profit college borrowers exceed those of two – year public sector peers by 11 percent.

The author points to the need to understand what influences the “stark” remaining divide.

“The better we can understand what drives these patterns,” wrote Scott-Clayton, “the better policymakers can target their efforts to improve student loan outcomes.”

Among these influences are the widening racial wealth gap. As Black student debt is typically heavier and often takes longer to repay, the ability to build wealth becomes a heightened challenge. Years that might have been opportunities to become homeowners or begin other investments can have lengthy deferrals due to large student loan debts.

Similarly, a new report by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) that focused largely on student loan repayment reached a similar conclusion. Authored by Thomas Conkling, the new CFPB research

By Debra L. Shaw Mentoring relationships involve numerous opportunities to interact with and support mentees in their educational endeavors. In this era, children and youth are dealing with a sundry of issues. Mentors are not expected or required to have a solution for every problem that a mentee may encounter; however, a mentor with a toolkit complete with community connections is certainly an advantage.

With the invention of the World Wide Web and the ability to utilize search engines, information is literally at our finger tips. Mentoring relationships must be established on a level of trust and respect with committed, caring adults who have the desire to make a permanent difference in a mentee’s life. Oftentimes, mentees need assistance beyond the scope of mentoring. Mentees face situations surrounding interpersonal skill development such as how to handle conflicts and anger management.

We live in a society filled with conflict. Learning how to manage conflict is a topic that would be well served to a young mentee.

The Concord Mediation Center’s staff and affiliated mediators specialize in alternative and innovative methods to manage personal or professional conflicts. A straight-forward approach facilitated by trained professionals identifies underlying perspectives which are discussed and then used as a basis for building solutions agreeable to all involved. Concord Mediation Center (CMC) is the approved center of the Nebraska Supreme Court’s Office of Dispute Resolution for Douglas and Sarpy Counties. Since 1999, CMC has provided exceptional service in mediation, facilitation and conflict resolution training. The CMC promotes constructive dialogue and conflict resolution through the processes of facilitation, mediation and training. They serve families, individuals, businesses, schools and community groups. http://concordmediationcenter.com/about/

examining borrowers who were unable to fully repay their student loans early, “suggests that their required monthly student loan payments constrained their ability to pay down other debts.” CFPB also found that the typical student loan repayment lasts a full decade with equal monthly payments. Further, borrowers repaying on schedule are not more likely to become firsttime homeowners.

A portion of the Brookings report provides useful information that could help those at risk or in default. Loan “default is a status, not a permanent characteristic.” Four ways to get out of default are cited: rehabilitation, consolidation, paying in full, or have a loan discharged.

For my money, paying in full is seldom a practical option unless someone’s lottery numbers hit a jackpot. But the other three options offered could begin to chart a path in important ways.

Rehabilitation of student loan defaults can only be used one time. It also requires, according to Brookings, successfully making 9 payments over 10 months.

A second option, consolidating defaulted loans, can end default more quickly and is used by more than half of Blacks who have defaulted.

In recent years, loan discharge has been frequently pursued, especially by former students of now-defunct for-profit institutions.

Others choosing public service careers may be eligible for loan forgiveness depending upon the type of loan, servicer assistance and employment.

Any loan default will worsen credit scores and will be a part of a consumer’s credit record for up to seven years. During this time, the cost of credit for other goods and services will be higher, and additionally cost many job applicants to lose out on employment opportunities. For several years, credit score screening has become a part of the job application process for many employers.

“The numbers show that our current system is not working, and that higher education is not providing the pathway to financial stability that it once accomplished,” said Ashley Harrington, Policy Counsel and Special Assistant to the President of the Center for Responsible Lending.

“We need federal and state policymakers to take concrete steps to effectively address this crisis, such as better regulation of for-profit colleges.

“As for loan servicers, it is time to hold them accountable for their errors,” continued Harrington. “Standardizing income-based repayment plans, and when appropriate, refinancing of student loans, should be offered as alternative options before allowing borrowers to default.”

(Charlene Crowell is the Communications Deputy Director with the Center for Responsible Lending. She can be reached at charlene. crowell@responsiblelending.org.)

There was a reason Ku Klux Klan members wore hoods that hid their faces.

Anonymity allows people to act upon their worst instincts without having to suffer the consequences.

Southern bigots acted out their racial hatred as night riders and resumed their roles as responsible doctors, policemen, judges and other model citizens the next day because no one knew who was behind the masks.

The internet has given individuals similar anonymity, allowing trolls and haters to assume false or cloaked identities as they terrorize their victims in cyberspace.

There had always been a certain shame that attached to depraved acts of cruelty. Bullies and sadists did not want to be known for their true selves. If the world did not know who they were, they could dress themselves in a suit of false rectitude and hypocritically wag their fingers at those they deem to be unfit.

Today, however, there is a new norm for bullying and sadism. Donald Trump has figuratively flung wide the gates of hell and all its minions have come spilling out. His cabinet is rife with villains determined to leave the entire Earth worse than when they found it. They appear to take joy in abusing the helpless and molesting the rights of people they consider unworthy.

Trump’s lieutenants are so drunk with power they believe that through their lies they can support bigotry, greed and callousness with impunity. But recent events have shown that America has had enough of this bad behavior and will not allow it to be normalized.

In confronting Trumpism, we can all take a lesson from Emile Zola, the French journalist, who in a famous 1898 commentary titled “J’accuse,” charged the French president and government with anti-Semitism because of a blatant case of injustice against a Jewish French military officer, Alfred Dreyfus. Dreyfus had been falsely accused and convicted of treason due to anti-Semitic sentiment in France at the time.

Zola’s charge against the president and government of France spoke truth to power so forcefully that it started a groundswell of support for Dreyfus that led to his being released from prison and awarded a medal for having endured

One of the programs that the CMC offers uses the principles of Restorative Justice. This program has the potential for keeping students in school, instead of removing them for suspension or expulsion. Practices include: Circles – Students sit in a circle, using a “talking piece” to take turns speaking in a safe and respectful setting.

When participants sit in a circle, they experience a greater sense of community. Peer Mediation – This is a youth-centered program. Students hear cases of minor delinquent acts or school offenses.

Students are empowered to take leadership roles and learn problem solving skills. Mediation and Conferencing – Mediation in school resolves disputes between two students. Conferencing opens the process to other students, staff and teachers. Both models are facilitated by trained mediators. Affected parties come together to develop an appropriate, peaceful response to the conflict. An alternative to punishing and incarcerating young offenders, these practices encourage “offenders” to accept responsibility, while repairing relationships that help them take positive steps to reintegrate into society.

Involvement in an over-burdened criminal justice system does not encourage healing nor ensures public safety. The cycle of violence in society can be reduced when citizens understand the underlying causes of juvenile offenses (from poverty and joblessness to drug abuse and ongoing exposure to violence) and work together to identify solutions.

Mentorship needs are in all shapes and sizes with a variety of requirements. You can become a Restorative Justice-Victim Youth Conferencing (JR-VYC) Facilitator through the Concord Mediation Center. A basic training session will be held July 24-27. For more information about becoming a JR-VYC facilitator, phone 402.345.1131 or email rjvyc@concord-center. com. Decide where you fit in and then join a group that is changing lives.

Mentoring Matters!

Toxic Social Media Influencers as a Catalyst for Violence

By Jay York

Shame, Shame, Shame

By Oscar H. Blayton

Page Seven

Mentoring Matters

Racial Divides Found in Student Loan Defaults

By Charlene Crowell

THE OMAHA STAR

martyrdom.

This tactic of “Naming and Shaming” also has been used for years by Human Rights Watch to confront dictators and human rights violators around the world with an aim towards forcing them to stop their bad behavior. Now it is time to employ this tactic at home. We know who the bad actors are, and we know what they are doing to enable a maniacal, power hungry demagogue who poses a threat, not only to this country, but to the world. The Nuremberg Trials established the principle that individuals cannot escape the consequences of their actions by claiming that they were merely following orders, and Trump’s minions cannot escape responsibility for their bad behavior by claiming they were only carrying out the president’s wishes.

Among some Democrats who consider themselves to be progressive, there is strong support for the tactic of naming and shaming when used against foreign dictators and their enablers. But they appear to value civility over justice and wring their hands over the lack of decorum when it is used against Trump’s enablers.

These Democrats have turned on Congresswoman Maxine Waters of California and chided her for speaking truth to power when she called for all right-thinking Americans to confront Trump’s enablers whenever they show their faces in public.

Those of us old enough to remember the Civil Rights Movement recall that Southern bigots and their enablers intoned in the 1960s how demonstrators lacked civility and proposed proper decorum as the path to voting rights and equal justice when confronted with fire hoses, vicious police dogs and bludgeoning night sticks. Only after it became clear that civil disobedience would persist until the humanity of people of color was recognized that America’s political and cultural landscape began to change.

For anyone who has a love for humanity, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders and the rest of Trump’s hellish minions are not entitled to civility, regardless how many “white girl tears” they shed over being ejected from restaurants and other public places. Shaming them is a tactic that works and should be continued, as it is quite possibly the way to bring America back to a sane path – the qualms of those who would abide tyranny for the sake of decorum notwithstanding.

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

The senseless murder of five employees from the Capital Gazette in Annapolis, Md., was preceded by a long, complicated history of harassment, veiled threats and growing anger – most of which occurred on social media.

Five human lives – people who worked dayin and day-out to tell the stories of the city of 39,000 people – were taken thanks to a misguided, angry gunman emboldened by hateful and violent rhetoric directed at journalists at large.

Working in the media and primarily on social media, you see the real side of journalism. The passion, the dedication, the desire to “get it right.”

The ones looking to keep our population informed and then go home to their families at night.

The dangerous rhetoric of framing journalists as enemies of the United States is simply not a reasonable perception based on my experiences in the industry. And yet, there it is. For years now, news that doesn’t jibe with our personal opinion of a topic has been called “Fake News.” Don’t like something you read? “Fake news.” The dog whistle here is that journalists, by and large, are organized, professional liars looking to misinform the populace for nefarious reasons. The problem is – it’s not true.

But what happens when you call journalists liars, the news fake, and those covering it the “enemy of the American people” who “need to be curb-stomped”?

To those with a history of mental illness, or others harboring long-held, hate-filled grudges, or some having a desire to make their political allies proud, or those making a misguided attempt to “preserve” freedom, this sort of rhetoric is emboldening. It gives them an excuse to do something horrific, with the badly mistaken selfperception that they’re doing something heroic.

Result: Five hard-working newspaper employees are murdered at their jobs on a sunny Thursday in Annapolis.

The emergence of social media has provided a platform for hateful rhetoric to spread like wildfire in a way that we’ve ever seen before. It has created “influencers” that have emerged solely

★

because of their willingness to sow venom more than their reasonable competitors. It has nursed and cultivated a dangerously divisive dynamic to our already divisive political system. Those who aren’t inherently violent people unknowingly give these personalities power which, in turn, allows them to influence those who do have a propensity towards violence.

Our tweets and posts have consequences. Words matter, especially to those who aren’t of stable mind. Social media influencers and politicians who choose to spread this angry, hyperbolic rhetoric are giving agency to the most delicate and dangerous among us.

The man who walked into the Capital Gazette and opened fire had a very close relationship with social media. His original conviction stemmed from cyber stalking and harassment, and for years he used multiple Twitter accounts to harass and demean the publication and its journalists. He spoke both cryptically and literally. He turned his Twitter profile into a veritable manifesto for the violent atrocities he would eventually commit.

Journalism’s role has never been more important than it is right now.

We live in a society that not even a century ago battled fascism and authoritarian rule, and now we see its rise happening again. The founding fathers understood the dangers of not having a free press to educate our citizens and provide a check on potentially malignant, powerful entities.

Social media – and the hateful, violent language spewed upon it by misguided, profit-seeking talking heads – needs to be taken seriously. We cannot continue to pretend words don’t matter and that actions don’t have consequences. We cannot disregard the fact that unstable, misguided, or impressionable people are sitting at home right now reading what we say and using it to justify their twisted, violent desires. We cannot continue to be at war against our free press.

Our journalists deserve respect, not indignation.

We won’t always like the news we hear, but we’re lucky to live in a society where it can be shared free of authoritarian oversight.

(Jay is the Senior Digital Marketing Strategist at News & Experts (www.newsandexperts.com), a national publicity firm.)

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LIFE & STYLE/HEALTH & WELLNESS July 13, 2018 Rapper T.I.’s Plan to Revitalize Nigerian American Artist Publishes the Atlanta Neighborhood Debut Poetry Book Where He Grew Up (Black PR Wire) – “the geometry of being Black”

Page Eight

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By Keka Araujo

In a great example of paying it forward, rapper T.I. is rebuilding his old neighborhood in the Center Hill section of Atlanta. Growing up in the area, he said the place he called home was vibrant and full of families. With the onset of drugs and businesses folding from the mid ‘90s to 2012, the neighborhood was devastated beyond belief.

The successful rapper, actor and now philanthropist knew that the community would come back eventually but he was leery of the exclusion native Atlantans would face once the area was rebuilt. Gentrification does that. The savvy entertainer also recognized that in the impoverished area people lived within a food desert. By owning the properties, T.I. wanted to ensure that it would be an affordable place to live.

So he took matters into his own hands.

Last year, he created and launched his own development company, appropriately named, Buy Back the Block. He has invested almost $3 million of his own money into buying properties in Center Hill, one of which used to be the Kmart where his family shopped, Inc. reported.

“I grew up in the 1980s and ‘90s in

the Center Hill section of Atlanta, just off Bankhead Highway,” he told Inc. “Back then that part of town was considered the lower end of the middle class. There’s no major grocery store chain, there’s no fresh produce, there’s no CVS, there are liquor stores.”

“Green spaces and gardens are incredibly important,” said T.I. “We want a movie theater, bowling, laser tag, stuff I didn’t have. I’m trying to build a community where the people within it can be proud. If they’re proud they’ll have more of a sense of wanting to maintain it.”

T.I.’s goal is commendable and it speaks to a growing number of black celebrities who are making the time and effort to reinvest in their communities again.

is a book that probes into the effects of anti-Blackness on the Black community. Divided into five segments – receiving, internalizing, unlearning, loving and resisting – the book delves into how the Black community receives and internalizes anti-Blackness, how the community can unlearn and resist anti- Blackness, and how the community can begin to love its Blackness in a world that does not let it.

“We are living through a Black creative renaissance.

Black creatives are finding innovative ways to confront how anti-Blackness has been threaded into the bricks in our foundations. This book is part of this rebirth,” the author said.

While the first half of the book delves into themes such as police brutality, colorism, Black womanhood, toxic masculinity, and internalized hate, the second half of the book is about restoring the community. Many of the poems in this section touch on unlearning selfhate, fostering love within the community, and strengthening the fight against anti-Blackness.

What makes the book revolutionary is that it isn’t just about Black suffering. Beginning at suffering, and ending at empowerment, “the geometry of being Black” is a journey about healing racial trauma. The book will break your heart open in the

Good Books Café

beginning, fill it with love in the middle, and sow it back up at the end. “Our community needs healing, and I believe this book is a step towards that,” Ogorchukwu said. “the geometry of being Black” is available on Amazon.

The ISBN for the book is 978-1719276009. To order a copy online: https://www.amazon. com/geometry-being-Black-

About the author: Ogorchukwu is a Nigerian American artist and activist. As a UC Berkeley graduate who studied social sciences, it is her mission to create content that speaks to the communities that are often overlooked in society.

Health Tips for the Summer Season

Something to Talk About The Clouds are Lifting

By Dr. Tony Sun Chief Medical Officer UnitedHealthcare of Nebraska

By Ashley Marie Dantzler

Talk of mental health in both the media and the local grocery store checkout line is growing at an expediential rate. With the untimely deaths of celebrities that we praised for having brilliant minds, to the children that leave us much too soon; we are a grieving world. This can easily make us sad and tweets or Facebook posts are far from helping us heal. But we race to social media for an outlet, and at times it just looks like we are desperate for a friend. We have taken our amount of likes as the equivalent to a good healthy relationship. Sadly, and I hate to break this to you, but actual human contact is still the best way to cope with real crisis. Yes, we have friends online and yes likes, loves, and frowny faces all affect our emotions, but to really lift the cloud of depression and enjoy life’s pleasures we cannot isolate ourselves behind our computer, tablet, or phone.

Sometimes when one deals with a mental illness, isolation feels like the only way that we can cope. A brief period of isolation is at times needed, like a cooling off period for the mind. But once you have had time to think about your situation and make the important decisions, isolation time is over. It’s time to rekindle friendships, make conscious efforts to build and keep healthy relationships, and if needed reach out for a little help.

We are a grieving world. Each day the media puts more death, hatred, and destruction in our faces and sometimes it feels as if they are stuffing it down our throats. However, we have the power to decipher what is relative to us and what is not. And we also have a secret power, the power to shut off the television, ignore the tabloids, and get down to business, the business of making ourselves happy. All we can do is pray for this grieving world and give our all each day to live a full life. A full life looks like whatever you want it to look like. The canvas is blank.

When we come to the realization that we are in a destructive world, we give the clouds of despair permission to lift and as they lift we see that yes it can be a bad place, filled with untrusting people, but it can also be filled with special moments and love. Once we see what life is throwing at us, we can dig in our cleats and swing at the pitches that are right over the plate. Choose to build healthy relationships, encouraging your friends with words, not confusing them with emojis or an overuse of exclamation points.

If you are looking for ways not to isolate there are many events happening within our community. A good place to look is the “In the Village” calendar of events in The Omaha Star, and check out The Omaha Star online at www.theomahastar.com where we have events for the whole family listed weekly.

Summer is here, providing an ideal time for people in Nebraska to get active. While some people may talk about getting a “beach body,” fitness is more than just a matter of aesthetics – it can mean the difference between a long life and premature death.

Studies show 80 percent or more of premature chronic conditions, such as heart attack, stroke or diabetes, are caused by modifiable lifestyle choices, as opposed to being caused by genetic factors. Yet, many Americans lack an understanding of the connection between lifestyle choices and chronic health conditions. A recent UnitedHealthcare survey found that just 16 percent of Americans correctly recognized that 80 percent or more of premature chronic conditions are caused by modifiable lifestyle choices, such as risk factors like smoking or obesity, not genetics.

To help make fitness a priority this summer, here are tips to consider: Walk This Way: Studies have shown walking more and sitting less may help people maintain a healthier weight, ward off depression and prevent serious health issues like heart disease. And a recent report concluded that walking can help curb sweet cravings, boost the immune system and ease joint pain. To make walking more effective, think FIT, which stands for frequency (500 steps within seven minutes six times per day), intensity (3,000 steps within 30 minutes each day) and tenacity (at least 10,000 total steps per day).

Get Outside (Safely): The popularity of smartphones and streaming TV has made it easy – and entertaining – to stay inside. In fact, recent research has found that some people spend 90 percent of their time indoors, limiting exposure to daylight and fresh air. This can have negative consequences, including for children and their eye health. Studies have found that exposure to outdoor light may help reduce the risk of nearsightedness, the inability to see far off objects clearly. To gain the potential benefits of being outdoors while helping stay safe, children and adults should wear sunglasses that block both UV rays and blue light, as well as apply sunscreen to help reduce the risk of skin cancer.

Maintain Your Hearing Health: Summer is a popular time for sporting events and music concerts, which can lead to exposure to loud sounds. Crowd noise at sporting events can exceed 90 decibels, while music concerts can reach 110 decibels. Prolonged exposure to sounds above 85 decibels can contribute to gradual hearing loss, so it is a good idea to use ear protection when seeing your favorite team or band. Likewise, extended listening to music or digital content through headphones or earbuds may damage hearing overtime. To help prevent that, turn the volume on your electronic device to 60 percent and listen for no longer than 60 minutes at a time, and never listen to earbuds while using power tools or a lawn mower.

Stay Safe Overseas: With people heading out on summer vacations, it is important to recognize that up to 20 percent of travelers suffer an illness or injury while on vacation. Before traveling out of your home state, review your health plan and understand what it covers, including if you have access to a national or local network of hospitals and health care providers. For people traveling overseas, contact your primary care doctor or travel medicine clinic to determine what pre-screenings or immunizations might be recommended or required, based on your health history and countries on the itinerary.

Following these tips may help you focus on fun, friends and family during the summer, while helping maintain or improve your health now and in the future.

Sun Safety Facts

By Dr. Christopher Huerter Professor of Medicine and Chief of Dermatology Creighton University School of Medicine

• Sunscreen should become a staple in your daily routine to protect your largest organ, your skin.

To allow for absorption into the skin, sunscreen should be applied 15 to 30 minutes before sun exposure. Sunscreen should be reapplied often, especially after swimming or sweating.

• Sunburn can occur in as little as five or 10 minutes, depending on a person’s complexion.

The most dangerous time to be in the sun is during the noon hour. People get in trouble on cloudy days or in the early spring, when they’re not thinking about sun protection yet. You can absolutely burn in the winter, especially on sunny

Every 40 seconds someone in the U.S. has a stroke.

Learn the signs and be quick to recognize one.

F A S T

days with the reflection of snow.

• Seek shade and wear light clothing that covers most of your skin if you’re spending a lot of time in the sun.

• All sunscreens work fairly well, and waterproof or broad spectrum sunscreens are preferred.

For the average person, if you apply SPF 30 or SPF 50 perfectly and reapply as directed, the protection is about the same. People often don’t apply enough sunscreen; so a higher SPF might give you a bit of an advantage.

• After sun exposure, it may take 24 hours to know the severity of a sunburn. As soon as you feel the tingle, you can slow it down with a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug like Aleve or Advil. Apply cold compresses, aloe or moisturizing cream to the affected skin. Avoid products containing alcohol, which can dry out

skin.

• Patients should see a doctor if their sunburn includes a fever and chills. Treatment can include rehydration through IV fluids and oral steroid therapy.

• Too much exposure to the sun can lead to wrinkling, pigment changes and skin cancer.

Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer, according to the American Cancer Society.

Melanoma is the most dangerous type of skin cancer.

• Don’t forgo sun protection just to boost your Vitamin D. If you live in a sunny climate, you get enough Vitamin D just going about your daily life. The incidental sun that most of us get for six months of the year provides enough Vitamin D. The rest of the time, oral supplementation is cheap and widely available.

• Tanning beds are never okay. The most rapidly expanding group of melanoma patients is young women, and the reason for that is tanning.

If you go to a tanning bed long enough to get some color, you have damaged your skin and increased your risk of developing skin cancer and cosmetic damage later in life.

• In addition to certain sunscreens, what you consume could reduce your chance of getting skin cancer. Studies have revealed that drinking around four cups of coffee a day could decrease your risk of getting melanoma by 20 percent.

Melanoma is the most dangerous type of skin cancer. Eating carrots also can help fight off the sun’s damaging rays because they contain a pigment called beta-carotene. Beta-carotene can make people less sensitive to the sun and less likely to burn.

Cryptosporidium: The Parasite that Lurks in a Body of Water Near You Face Drooping

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Each summer, public swimming pools across the country are closed due to an outbreak of Cryptosporidiosis, one of the leading causes of waterborne disease in the United States. It is usually caused by swallowing water contaminated with fecal matter. According to Creighton University researcher, Xian-Ming Chen, MD, Cryptosporidium or Crypto, a microscopic parasite found in 65 to 97 percent of surface water in the United States, can cause diarrhea, abdominal cramps and low-grade fever. Children, pregnant women and individuals with weakened immune systems are at higher risk for developing more severe symptoms.

The Centers for Disease Control recently reported approximately 500 outbreaks linked to pools, spas and water parks that made more than

27,000 people sick and killed eight people between 2000 and 2014. Cryptosporidium accounted for almost half of the outbreaks.

Currently, there are no known fully-effective treatment options available for Cryptosporidiosis.

Chen, a professor in the Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology at Creighton University’s School of Medicine, is hoping to change that through his grant work.

Chen recently received a $1.9 million NIH grant to study how certain molecules are involved in the host defense in the intestinal tract from Cryptosporidium.

“Cryptosporidiosis is one of the most neglected and underdiagnosed parasitic diseases,” said Chen. “A better understanding how an infection happens can help in developing more effective treatment

strategies.”

Below are some important facts about Crypto: • Because it’s not easily killed by chlorine, Cryptosporidium is the most common cause of diarrheal illness and outbreaks linked to swimming pools.

Cryptosporidium can survive up to ten days in properly treated water.

• Swallowing just a mouthful of contaminated water can make otherwise healthy people sick for up to three weeks. Symptoms can include watery diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea and vomiting, which can lead to dehydration. For individuals with compromised immune systems, particularly those with late-stage HIV and other immune deficiencies, infection can result in persistent, debilitating and possibly fatal diarrhea.

• Staying out of the pool is advised if an individual is sick with diarrhea.

• Rinsing off in the shower before getting in the water can help remove any germs that could potentially contaminate the water.

• Potential long-term effects of a Crypto infection could include stunted growth and cognitive development deficits in children.

• Most cases of Crypto infection are caused by swallowing contaminated recreational or untreated water.

Other common causes include unprotected sexual contact and contaminated food, particularly in a daycare setting.

• Drinking only boiled or filtered water is advised when camping.

• Researchers in the field are currently trying to develop vaccines for this disease.

EVENTS/NATIONAL/CLASSIFIEDS

July 13, 2018

In The Village!

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

July 13 – It’s happening under the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge at Bridge Beats featuring the Blue Sunday/Blues sounds of Domestic Blend.

This event provides an outing for the family from 6-9 p.m. While the adults enjoy the music, the kids will have lots of fun in the bounce house or getting their faces painted. No need to pack a basket, there will be food trucks and other vendors for your enjoyment.

July 14 – Tabernacle of Faith Church, 2404 Fort St., will host a Church Bazaar starting at 10 a.m. There will be games, and also food and gently used clothing for a small donation.

The community is invited to come and enjoy the festivities. For more information phone 402455-1800 July 15 – Afromaha will present the inaugural African Cultural Festival from 12-8 p.m. at Stinson Park in Aksarben Village. Come experience Africa in the heart of Omaha! This family-friendly event incorporates authentic African music, art, dance, fashion, and cuisine in celebration of the diversity of the African diaspora. Admission is free, and festival attendees will enjoy performances by such notable acts as Edem, African Culture Connection, and Umoja Choir while they shop from an array of vendors, including food, crafts, jewelry, and clothing.

Afromaha is an organization created by Africans living in Nebraska whose mission is to connect people, foster creativity, and engage the African diaspora in the local community.

July 16 – It’s Monday Night at the Movies.

Turner Park opens for seating at 5:00 p.m. and the movies begin at dusk. These free familyfriendly nights are also dog friendly. Grab Fido, your blanket, chairs, sunscreen and flat shoes, enjoy some popcorn, sit back and relax. Tents, tarps, stakes, open flames and hard liquor are prohibited. Midtown Crossing restaurants will sell concessions and beverages. The featured movie is The Lion King.

July 16-20 – Sports Challenge, a sportsthemed, fun-filled Vacation Bible School week will be held at Mt. Moriah Baptist Church, 24th & Ohio St. at 6 p.m. Children, 5-12 years of age will learn and apply the principles of Jesus and how to develop a personal relationship with Him. Parents are encouraged to pre-register their children by phoning Mt. Moriah at 402-4518800.

July 17 – Inclusive Communities presents Lozier Omaha Table Talk, Unifying our City: South & North Omaha at Grace Lutheran Church (basement level), 1326 S. 26th St. from 6-7:30 p.m. Complimentary food and

beverages will be available. To register, visit www.inclusive-communities.org July 18 – Confused about Medicare? Attend a free Navigating Medicare session at 10 a.m. at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska, 1919 Aksarben Dr. in the Aksarben conference room.

Phone 855-766-5959 to reserve your seat.

July 20 – It’s not happening “Under the Boardwalk,” it’s happening under the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge at Bridge Beats, featuring the sounds of Gooch & His Las Vegas Big Band. This event provides an outing for the family from 6-9 p.m. While the adults enjoy the music, the kids will have lots of fun in the bounce house or getting their faces painted. No need to pack a basket, there will be food trucks and other vendors for your enjoyment.

July 20 – All Star Comedy Jam at Holland Performing Arts Center at 8 p.m. Tickets on sale now at the Holland box office.

July 20 – Movies after dark in Bayliss Park in Council Bluffs. PG movies start at dusk.

Featured film is Cars.

July 24 – Inclusive Communities presents Lozier Omaha Table Talk, Ending the Cycle: Gang Prevention at Barbara Weitz Community Engagement Center, room 201/205/209, from 6-7:30 p.m. Complimentary food and beverages will be available. To register, visit www. inclusive-communities.org July 25 – Enjoy the jazz stylings of Luigi, Inc. at Bayliss Park in Council Bluffs, 6:30-8:00 p.m.

July 26 – Washington branch library hosts a Nerf Lock-In with the Omaha Police Department, 6:30-8:30 (parental permission required). For registration and more info, phone 402.444.4849.

July 27 – From 6:30-9:30, Washington branch library hosts Flashback Friday Lock-In for middle school students. Parental permission required. For registration and more info, phone 402.444.4849.

July 27 – Movies after dark in Bayliss Park in Council Bluffs. PG movies start at dusk.

Featured film is Peter Rabbit.

July 28 – My Sister’s Keeper is offering all the jazz you want at their Jazz, Moscato and Mammograms Celebration from 6-9 p.m.

Enjoy free Hors d’ oeuvres while you sip on Moscato and listen to the smooth jazz sounds of Camille Metoyer Moten at Love’s Jazz & Arts Center, 2510 N. 24th St. To register, visit www. mskne5ajmm.eventbrite. All proceeds benefit My Sister’s Keeper. For more info, phone 402541-5803.

for Financial Advancement (CFA.) The Center for Financial Advancement was started so students could learn more about the industry and choose to become a part of it. CFA is geared to provide awareness and education – the goal is through exposure the Center will not only increase the number of young African-Americans in the mortgage business, but educate them on the value in purchasing homes at younger ages instead of waiting until they get older.

HomeFree-USA has also launched their Office of Homeownership Development, designed to make homeownership a more attainable dream for residents in Washington, D.C, Maryland and Baltimore. Since then, HomeFree has held numerous classes for homebuyers who want to improve their credit and learn financial habits that will equip them to be homeowners for life.

The Office of Homeownership Development is part of HomeFree-USA’s Move Up to

Homeownership campaign, a program intended to reinvigorate neighborhoods that have been ravaged by vacant properties.

Move Up in Homeownership’s mission is to enhance families financially, provide employment opportunities, and expand homeownership opportunities through the reuse of vacant, abandoned, and foreclosed properties.

HomeFree-USA is a leading HUD-approved homeownership development, foreclosure intervention and financial coaching organization.

They improve the financial position and enrich the lives of everyday people through homeownership and improved financial capability. Since 1995, HomeFree-USA has helped 23,867 families experience the accomplishment and joy of purchasing their first home.

They have also helped thousands of homeowners to prevent foreclosure. www.homefreeusa.org.

Metropolitan Utilities District The Metropolitan Utilities District is seeking qualified individuals for the following positions: • ERP Technical/Functional Analyst I • Manager, Systems Architecture HANA • Meter Reader (Temporary) • Security Technician Visit www.mudomaha.com, under the careers tab to fill out an application. Applications will be accepted until the close date of the position. Resumes will not be accepted in place of applications.

Employment Contingent Upon Results of a Drug Screen and a Background Check.

By Kaitlyn D’Onofrio

On July 3rd – the day before America was gearing up to celebrate Independence Day – Attorney General Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III was busy rescinding guidance intended to protect minorities.

In a statement Sessions called the documents “unnecessary, outdated, inconsistent with existing law, or otherwise improper.”

Sessions’ action does not do away the protections, but it makes them harder to understand for people who are not attorneys. So the way they are interpreted may change.

Revocation 9, a 2016 Dear Colleague Letter, pertains to whether minority students are disciplined at disproportionate rates and reducing the school to prison pipeline. Studies have shown that more Black students are severely punished at school than white students – despite the fact that more white students are enrolled in schools.

Revocation 12 is Federal Protections against National Origin Discrimination, a document issued in 2006. It was intended to educate people about their rights as they could be discriminated against based on their “national origin, race, color, religion, disability, sex, and familial status.” It covered areas including education, employment, housing, law enforcement/police misconduct and voting – all areas the Trump administration has shown zero regard for when it comes to minorities.

Revocation 13, a 2009 document, is titled “Look at the Facts. Not At the Faces. Your Guide To Fair Employment.” It protects people from discrimination in the workplace regardless of their legal status, if they are authorized to work in the United States. Similarly, Revocation 14, “Refugees and Asylees Have the Right to Work,” from 2011, states plainly: “Refugees and asylees are authorized to work indefinitely.”

Sessions in June announced that the U.S. would be turning its back on victims of violence seeking asylum, writing at the time: “The mere fact that a country may have problems effectively policing certain crimes – such as domestic violence or gang violence – or that certain populations are more likely to be victims of crime, cannot itself establish an asylum claim.”

Revocations 18-24 all pertain to affirmative action, which President Trump has been attacking in recent days.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) is reversing 2011 and 2016 legal guidelines set during the Obama administration to “avoid racial isolation” as administration officials contend the guidelines “mislead schools to believe that legal forms of affirmative action are simpler to achieve than the law allows,” according to The Wall Street Journal.

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Jeff Sessions Rescinds Documents Protecting Minorities

HomeFree-USA Advises: Buy Now, Not Later!

(Washington, D.C.) – If you put off buying a house today, you could be missing out on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

The housing crisis that caused more than nine million people to suffer foreclosure and even homelessness due to the economic slump across the U.S. 10 years ago has now fully recovered for everyone – except people of color, especially African-Americans.

A report released last year by the Urban Institute, co-authored

by Laurie Goodman, states, “Gains in black homeownership have been hard won, which amplifies big concern because in the last 15 years, black homeownership rates have declined to levels not seen since the 1960s, when private racebased housing discrimination was legal.”

For this reason, HomeFreeUSA, a non-profit organization that specializes in mortgage and home ownership advice, believes new and innovative ways must be put in place to bring about equality in homeownership.

“Now is the time for homebuyers who live in cities experiencing aggressive Urban Gentrification and Sprawl to buy a home,” says Milan Griffin, Vice President of Marketing & Outreach.

“HomeFree-USA wants to educate and show people that there is down payment money available, they just have to know how to get it.”

As a way of escalating the advocacy of homeownership reform, HomeFree-USA has strategically partnered with several campuses of historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to expose and educate young Black professionals, namely new college graduates, about the home buying job market.

Last September, HomeFree-USA opened on the campus of Fisk University in Nashville, Tenn., the Center

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Page Ten

YOUTH/EDUCATION NEWS

THE OMAHA STAR

King Science and Technology Magnet Center at the Creighton University School of Dentistry

July 13, 2018

NOAH Clinic Interns – College of Nursing Jesuit Academy with Ophthalmology Interest Group – Eye Dissections Simulation Lab

Pipeline Programming: Mini Health Sciences School and Day Camp Mercy, CU EDGE and Creighton Athletic Department in order to expose young people from diverse backgrounds to career opportunities they might not have considered otherwise and help students envision themselves in health sciences surroundings.

Outreach programs range from one day to one week. Students from Jesuit Academy, King Science and Technology Magnet Center, NOAH Clinic, McMillan Junior High School and Partnership4Kids participated in our Mini Health Sciences School/Day Camp where they were exposed to careers in the health sciences and provided a perspective of what is considered health science and the various jobs available to them in the many related fields. The mini day camp/school includes panel discussions with students, healthcare professionals, interactive hand-on activities, and an insider tour of

By Mervin Vasser Since the year 2000 the Health Sciences Multicultural and Community Affairs (HS-MACA) Office has introduced thousands of young people to health sciences careers. The Pipeline Programs serve students nationally, with particular attention to those in Nebraska at many academic levels, including middle school, high school, college years, and beyond.

In 2018 as in years past, HS-MACA continues to collaborate with the Creighton University Health sciences community which includes: School of Medicine, School of Dentistry, College of Nursing, School of Pharmacy and Health Professions, Exercise Science Department, Physician Assistant Program, CHI Bergan

the hospital, including operating rooms, simulation labs, dissections and wellness activities.

HS-MACA continues to embrace the diversity that each of our students bring to our programs and serves as the foundation for a variety of “pipeline” programs. We understand that Pipeline Programs lay the groundwork that can lead to students becoming viable applicants to competitive programs in medicine, dentistry, and other health-science disciplines.

(Mervin Vasser is Assistant Director/Recruitment & Retention Manager for Creighton University’s Health Sciences Multicultural and Community Affairs.)

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Does Your Child Have Asthma?

TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR ABOUT PROJECT AIR

Project AIR helps reduce in-home hazards for kids with asthma We make home improvements to address asthma triggers

L to R: Alicia Hogan, Amaya Ballard-Traylor, Teana Hamilton, Kamara Cullins, Elham Abdalla, Shawn Woods, Alexxis McDade

We educate families about hazards in their home We empower families to make positive behavior changes

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

Omaha Healthy Kids Alliance

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

Scholarship recipients Shawn Woods and Niyonkuru Fulgence with members of Phi Beta Sigma

Phi Beta Sigma, Zeta Phi Beta Award College Scholarships The local chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Alpha Pi Sigma chapter, and the women of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Beta Psi Zeta chapter, recently awarded college scholarships to nine graduating seniors from the Omaha area at their Blue and White Joint Scholarship Reception. Both Phi Beta Sigma and Zeta Phi Beta stand on the principle of scholarship and are able to provide scholarships through their Nebraska Sigma Zeta Education Foundation.

The nine awardees shared their future plans with their families and members of the organizations at the event.

These young scholars plan to pursue studies in areas that range from dentistry to engineering on

campuses here in the city and as far as Louisiana.

Zeta Phi Beta Scholarship Recipients: • Simone Davis, Omaha Central (Marie Dorsey Memorial Scholarship recipient) • Elham Abdalla, Omaha Central • Teana Hamilton, Omaha North • Alicia Hogan, Omaha South • Alexxis McDade, Omaha Bryan • Kamara Cullins, Roncalli Catholic • Amaya Ballard-Traylor, Omaha Central

DO YOU SMOKE CIGARETTES?

Phi Beta Sigma Bernard Hogan Memorial Scholarship recipients: Shawn L. Woods, Omaha Bryan • Niyonkuru Fulgence, Omaha South

If you’re a cigarette smoker we need you.

Celerion is seeking participants for a clinical research study.

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Study details Healthy males and females Age 26-65 Three 2-night stays, 2 follow-up visits and 6 calls Earn up to $4,430

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