Afro e-Edition 11-25-2022

UVA community mourns shooting victims as wounded students recover

By Associated Press

A University of Virginia football player who was seriously wounded in a shooting that killed three of his teammates has been released from the hospital.

Brenda Hollins, the mother of running back Mike Hollins, tweeted early Monday: “Mike has been discharged!!! HALLELUJAH.”

She asked for continued prayers “as he recovers and settles into his new life.” She also asked for prayers for the families of the three players who were killed in the Nov. 13 shooting. “They need us!!!” she wrote.

Joe Gipson, a spokesman for the Louisiana law firm where Brenda Hollins works, said Mike Hollins was released from the UVA Medical Center on Nov.20. Gipson said Mike Hollins will be staying with his family at an offsite location near the hospital for the next few weeks for follow-up medical appointments.

Authorities have said that Christopher Darnell Jones Jr., a UVA student and former member of the football team who was on the trip, began shooting at students on the bus as it pulled to a stop at a campus parking garage.

A prosecutor said in court last week that a witness told police the gunman targeted specific victims, shooting one as he slept. Two other students were wounded. Student Marlee Morgan was released from the hospital last week. A spokesperson for the Hollins family said last week that Hollins, who was shot in the back, underwent multiple surgeries and was making progress in his recovery.

Jones, 23, faces second-degree murder and

other charges stemming from the shooting, which set off a manhunt and 12-hour campus lockdown before Jones was apprehended in suburban Richmond. Jones is being held without bond.

Authorities have not released a motive.

UVA cancels match against Virginia Tech after players killed

The University of Virginia canceled its game against rival Virginia Tech scheduled for Nov.26 following the slaying of the three football players on campus just over a week ago.

The university made the announcement on Nov. 21, two days after a nearly twohour memorial service to remember Davis, Chandler and Perry.

“The decision was made following communication between the Atlantic Coast

Maryland Black Caucus Foundation holds 27th annual legislative weekend conference

By Tashi McQueen AFRO Political Writer Report for America Corps Member tmcqueen@afro.com

The Maryland Black Caucus Foundation held its 27th legislative weekend on Nov. 18 and Nov. 19, highlighting the Black agenda and recognizing excellence in Black leadership.

The Maryland Black Caucus Foundation is a nonprofit public policy organization that aims to embolden the African-American community through a partnership with the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland (LBCM).

Evens Charles, CEO of Frontier Development and Hospitality Group, was keynote speaker at the Business Over Breakfast session on the morning

of Nov. 19, and Maryland Governorelect Wes Moore was the keynote speaker for the gala in the evening.

The inspirational weekend welcomed legislative members and the community to “Move Forward Together” through virtual workshops, networking sessions and a gala at Maryland LIVE! Casino and Hotel.

The weekend was topped off at the annual gala, where the Panama Band and Kevin Howard, jazz pianist, provided live entertainment.

The workshops provided space for citizens, experts, elected officials and industry leaders to discuss and shape policy that supports the 2030 Black Agenda in Maryland.

“In the African American community we finally have an opportunity to have a seat at the

Conference, Virginia and

department administration,” Virginia Tech said in a statement. “The ACC and Virginia Tech continue to support UVA following the devastating tragedy... .”

Virginia also canceled a game against No. 23 Coastal Carolina last Saturday.

Neither the Cavaliers (3-7, 1-6 Atlantic Coast Conference), under first-year coach Tony Elliott, nor the Hokies (3-8, 1-6), under first-year coach Brent Pry, have anything to lose by not playing their Commonwealth Cup matchup, the last scheduled game for both.

The Hokies, who endured a massacre that left 33 dead, including the gunman, in 2007, wore orange uniforms as they ended a sevengame losing streak with a 23-22 victory at Liberty on Saturday. The Hokies and Virginia share orange as a signature color.

Hank Kurz Jr., of the Associated Press, contributed to this article.

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

A new exhibition debuting next spring at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) will celebrate Chadwick Boseman’s Black Panther hero costume.

Afrofuturism: A History of Black Futures,” opens on March 24, 2023, and features the late actor’s iconic gear.

Black Panther counts as the first superhero of African descent to appear in mainstream American comics, and the film is the first major cinematic production on the character.

“Investigating Afrofuturist expression through art, music, activism and more, this exhibition explores and reveals Afrofuturism’s historic and poignant engagement with African-American history and popular culture,” Smithsonian officials wrote in a news release.

“From the enslaved looking to the cosmos for freedom to popular scifi stories inspiring Black astronauts, to the musical influence of Sun Ra, OutKast, P-Funk and more, this exhibition covers the broad and impactful

Lavel Davis Jr., D’Sean Perry and Devin Chandler were shot and killed on a charter bus as they returned to campus from a field trip to see a play in Washington. Each died of a gunshot wound to the head, according to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

Virginia Tech athletic

AP Photo/Steve Helber, Pool

University of Virginia football coach Tony Elliott speaks during a memorial service for slain athletes, Lavel Davis Jr., D’Sean Perry and Devin Chandler. The service for the three foot ball players was held at the John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, Va., on Nov. 19.

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

A federal judge in Texas bent to the will of a few and struck down President Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness program that offered relief to at least 40 million borrowers.

The conservative group, Job Creators Network Foundation, filed the lawsuit against the plan on behalf of two individuals who didn’t qualify for relief under Biden’s program.

There remains another legal challenge to the plan.

“We strongly disagree with the District Court’s ruling on our student debt relief program, and the Department of Justice has filed an appeal,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.

“The President and this Administration are determined to help working and middle-class Americans get back on their feet, while our opponents – backed by extreme Republican special interests – sued to block millions of Americans from getting muchneeded relief,” she stated.

White House officials maintain that the secretary of education received power from Congress to discharge student loan debt under the 2003 HEROES Act.

“The program is thus an unconstitutional exercise of Congress’s legislative power and must be vacated,” wrote Judge Mark Pittman, who was endorsed by Donald Trump.

“In this country, we are not ruled by an all-powerful executive with a pen and a phone,” he continued.

By Megan Sayles AFRO Business Writer Report for America Corps Member msayles@afro.com

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost has sued two leading discount stores for deceptive pricing: Dollar General and Family Dollar.

Yost sued Dollar General on Nov. 1 after receiving complaints from residents across multiple counties in the state, alleging that the variety store charged them higher prices for items at the counter than as advertised on the shelves.

In a statement, Yost

Under the president’s plan, borrowers who earned less than $125,000 in either 2020 or 2021 and married couples or heads of households who made less than $250,000 annually in those years are eligible to have up to $10,000 of their federal student loan debt forgiven.

If a qualifying borrower also received a federal Pell grant, the individual would receive as much as $20,000 of debt forgiveness.

In October, the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals placed an administrative hold on Biden’s forgiveness program based on a suit filed by six GOP-led states.

In the most recent case in Texas, one plaintiff did not qualify for the student loan forgiveness program because the federal government does not hold her loans.

The other plaintiff is only eligible for $10,000 in debt relief because he did not receive a Pell grant.

They argued that they could not voice their disagreement with the program’s rules because the administration did not put it through a formal notice-and-comment rule-making process under the Administrative Procedure Act.

“This ruling protects the rule of law which requires all Americans to have their voices heard by their federal government,” said Elaine Parker, president of the Job Creators Network Foundation, in a statement.

According to their website, Trump donor and former Home Depot CEO Bernie Marcus founded Job Creators Network Foundation.

said he received 12 consumer complaints from March 2021 to August 2022 recounting pricing discrepancies, and one individual contended that they were charged $2 for shampoo that was listed as $1 on the shelf.

Some consumers alleged they called attention to the inconsistencies, according to the statement, but the stores refused to alter the price.

Ohio’s Department of Agriculture allows stores to have a 2 percent error rate on overcharges at a maximum, but in the statement, Yost said testing done in October by Butler County’s

Department of Weights and Measures concluded that 20 Dollar General stores had error rates ranging from 16.7 percent to 88.2 percent.

Yost sued Family Dollar, a chain owned by the Dollar Tree, for the same offense.

The majority of Dollar General and Family Dollar’s customer base are low- to middle-income families who depend on the discount stores for obtaining low-cost goods. Aside from misleading customers, deceptive pricing can have serious consequences for consumers’ budgets and income.

Texas

President Biden’s student

COMMENTARY

Voters make an important down payment on democracy’s future

By Ben Jealous

A lot of good news came out of this month’s elections—and enough bad news to remind us that we can never let our guard down when freedom and democracy are at stake. This year, democracy itself was on the ballot, and voters made an important down payment on its future.

In 2020, Americans voted not to give President Donald Trump a second term. He wasn’t willing to accept his loss, and tried to overturn the election. The anger he fostered with lies about election fraud led to a violent attempt to stop Congress from affirming Joe Biden’s victory.

What did that have to do with this year’s elections?

Trump tried to get his people in power as governors and secretaries of state so they could pull off in 2024 what they were not able to do in 2020.

Voters weren’t having it. The “Red Wave” that Trump was counting on was blocked. Most of the secretary of state candidates running on Trump’s election lies were defeated, which means that important guardrails against future assaults on our democracy remain in place.

To further resist the threat of authoritarianism, we must lift up young leaders who will be democracy’s

champions for this and future generations. People For the American Way’s Young Elected Officials Network is celebrating the election of young leaders as new members of Congress from across the country: Greg Casar from Austin, Texas; Emilia Sykes from Akron, Ohio; Maxwell Frost from Orlando, Fla.; Summer Lee from Braddock, Pa.; Robert Garcia from Long Beach, Calif.; Sydney Kamlager from Los Angeles, Calif.; and Jasmine Crockett from Dallas, Texas. Dozens more were elected to local and state offices, building a crucial leadership pipeline.

One bright spot was Pennsylvania, where voters elected state attorney general Josh Shapiro as governor, rejecting a far-right promoter of Trump’s election lies, and voted to send Lt. Gov. John Fetterman to the U.S. Senate rather than Trump’s hand-picked celebrity con man. What has gotten less attention is the exciting news about who will replace Fetterman as lieutenant governor: state Rep. Austin Davis, an impressive young Black man who has devoted his life to community and public service since he was a teenager.

There were other bright spots. Democrats will hold a majority in the Senate, so Republicans will not be able to stop President Biden from building on his

excellent record of naming brilliant federal judges who are committed to justice for all. Voters in Los Angeles elected Karen Bass as mayor and dumped Sheriff Alex Villanueva, notorious for overseeing an abusive department. Voters in several states protected access to abortion. Far-right attempts to build a national “Red Wave” with racist fearmongering about crime and bigoted smears of transgender people didn’t work, though they did enough damage to keep some good people out of office.

One bit of bad news came with the narrow victory of Kris Kobach as Kansas attorney general. Kobach made a name for himself with attacks on immigrants and relentless attempts to restrict voting. Voters previously rejected his bids for governor and Senate, but, sadly, he’s back.

So is Trump, who officially launched his campaign to get back into the White House just a week after voters said “no thanks” to his most high-profile allies. It’s a reminder that in politics, no victory is final. The struggle is never over. In fact, even this election isn’t over, as Georgia voters must return to the polls for a crucial runoff between Sen. Raphael Warnock and Trump’s candidate Herschel Walker.

Citizenship is a responsibility that requires

constant recommitment. On that front, I’d like to share a bit of exciting personal news. Next year, I will continue my advocacy for a more just and sustainable world in a new role as executive director of the Sierra Club, the nation’s most influential grassroots environmental group. I am delighted that my successor as president of People For the American Way will be Svante Myrick, who is just

the kind of young leader our nation needs. He was elected to the city council of Ithaca, N.Y., while still a student, and at age 24, he became the city’s first Black mayor and the youngest mayor in the state. He was reelected twice by huge margins, and now he’s bringing his leadership and passion for defending democracy to the national level.

Much to be grateful

for. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

Ben Jealous serves as president of People For the American Way and Professor of the Practice at the University of Pennsylvania. A New York Times bestselling author, his next book “Never Forget Our People Were Always Free” will be published by Harper Collins in January 2023.

What will it take to get more people reading in this country?

By Brittany Selah Lee-Bey

With 130 million adults in the U.S. struggling to read and more than half of Americans between the ages of 16 and 74 (54 percent) reading below the equivalent of a sixth-grade level, it’s clear that if we’re ever going to get more people reading in this country, we need a different approach that can turn these numbers around.

Low literacy is a serious situation in our country.

When people struggle with literacy, they often have low self-esteem, feel ashamed and powerless, and find themselves unable to fully participate in society. They also may experience fewer employment opportunities and lower incomes, which can lead to welfare dependency and crime.

Individuals with low

literacy often need to read information more than once before they can fully comprehend it. They also struggle with such things as spelling, filling out forms and navigating their way through a transportation schedule. Anyone can have low literacy regardless of age, gender, race, religion or economic status.

The percentage of fourth graders, for example, who read below proficiency levels is 77 percent in D.C., 57 percent in Virginia and 55 percent in Maryland, according to Think Impact’s child literacy statistics. Reports show children who have low literacy are more likely to feel incompetent, get bad grades, have more school absences and display behavioral issues – all of which can result in feelings of isolation.

So, how can we tackle

this issue? Based on my experience, I’d say by the method we use to teach. Let me explain.

Word study is a critical component to literacy development because it offers insight into a person’s ability to decode and comprehend word meanings. Most English words follow a predictable spelling pattern based on orthographic generalizations and etymological principles. By learning to identify patterns of specific letters as words, readers can strengthen word recognition and spelling skills and gain a deeper understanding of word meanings. With development of these skills, reading begins to happen.

Etymology is the study of the origin and history of words. This technique helps readers improve their phonetic

Shop small this holiday season

By Stephen D. Umberger, District Director, SBA Baltimore

Leaves are turning, temperatures are falling, and to-do lists are growing. Our thoughts turn to family gatherings and holiday traditions. It’s time to give thanks and celebrate one another and it’s the perfect opportunity to show appreciation for local entrepreneurs. Small businesses need our support more than ever. Skip the long lines at

big box stores and head out on Small Business Saturday (November 26th) to “shop small” and local.

Since 2011, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has been a formal cosponsor of Small Business Saturday, founded by American Express in 2010. Last year, shoppers showed up to support their local communities, and Small Business Saturday hit a record

high with an estimated $19.8 billion in reported spending.

Small businesses are vital to the Maryland economy. They are the cornerstones of our neighborhoods, provide jobs and give back to their communities. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Office of Advocacy, small businesses account for 99.5 percent of all Maryland businesses and employ nearly half of the workforce in the state. To put it in perspective, for every $100

awareness, decoding, word identification and spelling. It also can improve reading comprehension, writing abilities, speaking and overall communication by teaching sounds, patterns and word parts to increase word recognition and vocabulary skills.

Research shows that the study of “roots” gives students the ability to learn new words by connecting words and word families that are semantically related. Activities that use “roots” for word exploration (etymology) and word play – such as puns and riddles – also foster “word consciousness.”

For example, Greek and Latin origins have morphemic patterns that contain parts of a word’s meaning. For instance, the words fraternity, fraternal, and fraternize all derive from

the Latin word fraternus meaning “brother.” The previously listed words contain the root word frat, and thus their meanings all relate back to brothers or brotherhood. Homicide, suicide and pesticide all come from the Latin root -cide meaning “kill.” When students of etymology come across a word such as fratricide, they can determine the meaning based on their knowledge of root words and the origins of other words.

Currently, word study and etymology are not taught in all schools. But where these learning tools are available, there’s already been significant improvement in reading ability, according to various sources.

Literacy consists of reading, writing, language, speaking and listening. Of all the skills anyone will

ever learn, none are more important than the ability to read, sources say. Reading is an opportunity to learn something new, expand one’s vocabulary, train the brain, increase wellness, lower stress and even help with depression. People who read are over 25 percent more likely to be healthy than non-readers, have a lower mortality risk and have a reduced chance of developing dementia.

These reasons alone justify why we must get more people reading in this country. Wouldn’t you agree?

Brittany Selah LeeBey is the author of “EtymologyRules: Back to Basics” and a reading specialist in Washington, D.C., who also promotes the need for effective literacy in underserved communities.

you spend at a locally owned business, roughly $68 stays in your local economy.

Many towns across the state are hosting special events, with retailers offering discounts and refreshments to draw consumers to Maryland’s main streets for a special shopping experience. Whether shopping in person or online, you’ll see that small businesses offer a wide variety of unique gifts and services, with unmatched customer service.

‘Tis the season to be

thankful and enjoy quality time and precious moments with family and friends. Show your thanks for small businesses who add so much to our communities and support them by shopping and dining “small” throughout the holiday season.

If you’re an entrepreneur, the SBA has programs that can help you start, grow, and manage your small business, including access to capital, free one-on-one counseling, free or low-cost training, and government contracting

assistance. Learn more at sba. gov.

Best wishes for joyous and healthy holidays. Don’t forget to shop and dine “small” this holiday season and throughout the year.

Happy shopping!

Stephen D. Umberger is the district director of SBA (Small Business Administration) Baltimore, an organization dedicated to helping small business owners and entrepreneurs succeed.

Black Caucus

table,” said LBCM Chair Del. Darryl Barnes, a democrat representing District 25 in Prince George’s County.

Barnes noted that voters elected their first Black governor and attorney general in the state of Maryland this election cycle.

Governor-Elect Wes Moore and Attorney General-Elect Anthony Brown join the first Black woman to lead as Speaker of the Maryland House, Del. Adrienne Jones.

“We have the largest Black Caucus in the Union right here in Maryland. When you start talking about opportunities, now is our time as a race and a people,” said Barnes.

The LBCM Chair spoke on how the economic landscape needs to improve for Black business owners. Barnes informed the audience that the Maryland officials have yet to meet the stated goal when it concerns the

generational wealth, the power of the Black dollar and how Black entrepreneurs can take advantage of federal funding for their businesses.

“Larger companies have an advantage over little guys,” said panelist Jimmy Rhee, special secretary of Small, Minority and Women Business Affairs of Maryland. “In the market system, inequality is baked into the system.”

Rhee said that small businesses need help raising “risk capital,” in addition to other costs related to starting a business.

According to the International Risk Management Institute, Inc., “risk capital” is money that is “required to finance the consequences of business risks.”

Rhee said that in order to see more Black businesses open and thrive, risk capital funds have to be “taken care of” in addition to other costs.

“That is the issue that all legislators and policy makers have to address.”

Ricky Dorell Smith, executive director of the Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI Marshall) and chair of the Airport Minority Advisory Council’s (AMAC) board of directors, highlighted the sheer power of the Black dollar and the Black working class.

Smith detailed how employees of color keep the local airport, an international hub of travel, running smoothly.

Airports are enormous economic engines,” said Smith, noting that between “advertising, parking, food and retail,” BWI Marshall has more than 106,000 employees.

number of opportunities granted to minority business enterprises (MBE).

“The state of Maryland has an MBE goal of 29 percent. This past year we only had 14 percent the 29 percent. If I drill down from that 14 percent, Black folks only got three to five percent of that– it’s shameful.”

Barnes said with new leadership in place, he believes “Maryland is moving forward.”

Workshops during the legislative weekend addressed mental health in the Black community, equity and access in the cannabis industry for Black entrepreneurs, and the impact of appraisal bias and discrimination on Black homeownership rates in Maryland.

During the Business Over Breakfast event, a panel discussion was held that talked about building, maintaining and passing down

“12,000 actually work at the airport and 93 percent of those people are minorities,” he said. “They are amazing professionals, doing amazing stuff. We generate over $300 million a year in revenue. About 45 percent of all those sales are generated by minorities.”

C. Gail Bassette, director of economic development and strategic engagement at Bowie State University, said that pairing up with an HBCU is one of the smartest moves Black entrepreneurs can make, as Black colleges and universities have received major contracts and are looking to partner with subcontractors for a host of services.

Todd Rodgers, CEO and president of Logical Technology and Research also spoke to those gathered for the discussion on economics and financial literacy.

“The business breakfast was amazing,” said Lenora Howze, executive director of the

“We have laid the foundation that other Black businesses can use to grow and thrive for years to come,” said Howze, in reaction to the recent influx of awards the AFRO has received. “That’s amazing to be a part of.”

Black Panther costume

Continued from A1

Medicare

spectrum of Afrofuturism.”

Through the 4,300-square-foot temporary exhibition, visitors will view a variety of objects from Afrofuturism pioneers, including Octavia Butler’s typewriter, Nichelle Nichols’ Star Trek uniform as the character Lt. Nyoto Uhura and Nona Hendryx’s space suitinspired costume worn while performing with LaBelle.

The exhibition also utilizes select objects to elevate stories that speak to Black liberation and social equality, such as Trayvon Martin’s flight suit from Experience Aviation, and his childhood dream of being an astronaut.

“Trayvon Martin’s flight suit tells the story of a dream of space flight ended tragically by earthbound violence,” said Kevin Young, the Andrew W. Mellon Director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

“We are honored to tell more of Trayvon’s story, exploring his love of flight and mechanics and his fondness for science and technology. Afrofuturism charts the joy of a rich, imagined future, often in the face of injustice.”

Since its opening in 2016, NMAAHC has supported conversations, collections and initiatives surrounding Afrofuturism.

“Afrofuturism: A History of Black Futures” will be on view in the museum’s Bank of America Special Exhibitions Gallery from March 24, 2023, through March 2024.

For more details about the new exhibition and to sign up for additional updates, visit the museum’s Afrofuturism website at https://nmaahc. si.edu/explore/exhibitions/afrofuturism.

AFRO. “Financial equity and entrepreneurship was the highlight of the event to make sure Black residents have access to funds we have been traditionally disenfranchised from.”

Aside from workshops and panel discussions, several elected officials were recognized for their work, including Sen. Antonio Hayes, who was honored as “Senator of the Year.”

The AFRO was also highlighted with the Foundation Award, adding to the list of accolades collected in the publication’s 130th year of service.

Photo by BlackPressUSA The late Chadwick Boseman will be honored at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) for his performance as T’Challa in the Marvel film, “Black Panther.” The museum will have his costume on display at the “Afrofuturism: A History of Black Futures” Exhibit in Spring 2023.

“We have the largest Black Caucus in the Union right here in Maryland. When you start talking about opportunities, now is our time as a race and a people.”

D.C. Public School teachers walk out in frustration, no new contract since 2019

By Deborah Bailey Contributing Editor

D.C. Public Schools

Teachers walked out of their classrooms in frustration on Nov. 17. as arbitrators and representatives from the Washington Teachers Union still had not come to an agreement over a new teacher’s contract.

Prince George’s County mourns the death of Sheriff Melvin High

Congressman Hakeem Jeffries wants to succeed Nancy Pelosi as top House Democrat

By Deborah Bailey Contributing Editor

Congressman Hakeem Sekou Jeffries (D-NY) Jeffries said Nov. 18 he wants to succeed Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) as the leader of House democrats. He would be the first Black member of Congress to hold a top leadership position in either chamber.

His announcement came a day after Pelosi, House speaker and Baltimore native, said she has decided to step down as Democratic House Leader after nearly two decades at the top of House party leadership.

Jeffries announced his bid for the leadership position in a letter to House Democrats.

Melvin C. High, Prince George’s County Sheriff, died unexpectedly on Nov. 17. Sheriff High was 78 years old and he was due to retire. Feeling ill, the Union County, Miss. native died shortly after driving himself to the Washington Hospital Center.

mentor,” explained Braveboy. “I will miss him as a colleague in law enforcement, but I know that his body of work and good deeds will live on.”

In what they called Thursday’s Day of Action, the Washington Teachers Union urged their members to walk out of schools across the city in an effort to end the impasse with D.C. Public Schools resulting in teachers working without a pay increase or a contract since October 2019. Teachers were seen protesting at schools across the city including Alice Deal Middle School, Kramer Middle School, Wheatley-Wales, Tubman and Whittier elementary schools.

The WTU represents roughly 5,000 educators who are entering a fourth year without a new contract.

D.C. Teachers’ Union

President Jacqueline Pogue Lyons said teachers have been working too long without a contract or a raise.

“We are extremely saddened to hear of the passing of Sheriff Melvin High. Sheriff High has been a dedicated public servant to the residents of Prince George’s County for nearly 20 years and will be remembered for his service to our community and commitment to the safety of Prince Georgians,” said County Executive Angela Alsobrooks.

Sworn in as Sheriff on Dec. 7, 2010, Sheriff High was responsible for leading a law enforcement staff of more than 300 deputies and citizens in providing safety and protection for the citizens of Prince George’s County. Beyond his duties as a law enforcement officer, Sheriff High was visible throughout the county, making his presence felt amongst youth and community organizations.

Sheriff High embarked upon his illustrious career in 1969 as a patrol officer for the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Although a sheriff, he was infectiously referred to as “Chief High” because he retired from the MPD in 1993 as the Associate Chief. He served as Police Chief for Prince George’s County Police Department (PGPD) for five years and was elected as the first African-American chief for the city of Norfolk, Va.

are extremely saddened to hear of the passing of Sheriff Melvin High. Sheriff High has been a dedicated public servant to the residents of Prince George’s County for nearly 20 years and will be remembered for his service to our community and commitment to the safety of Prince Georgians.”

During his tenure of over 50 years, Sheriff High’s servant leadership was encompassing. He launched numerous community and crime prevention strategies, served as an executive committee member on several community involvement initiatives, and received many awards, including the Martin Luther King, Jr. Family Life Institute’s “Real Dream” award. He implemented former President Bill Clinton’s security details for his first presidential inauguration.

“Today, I write to humbly ask for your support for the position of House Democratic Leader as we once again prepare to meet the moment,” Jeffries, chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, said in a four-page letter to colleagues.

The letter noted that, in addition to Pelosi stepping down, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (DMD) told colleagues that he, too, is stepping down

“We couldn’t have a more humble, unassuming, and compassionate servant leader of our law enforcement community than Sheriff High,” explained Jerrod Mustaf, retired NBA player and executive director of the Take Charge Juvenile Diversion Program. “He epitomized community policing— always out in the County meeting and greeting the citizens. I last saw him last year at the University of Maryland versus Howard football game. He asked how my program was, and said he was checking in on me. He was so humble.”

Tasked 19 years ago to confirm Sheriff High as the then Chief of Police for Prince George’s County, State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy was familiar with Sheriff High’s exemplary law enforcement career.

“For me, Sheriff High was a supporter, an adviser, and a

Sheriff High was a member of NOBLE (National Association of Black Law Enforcement Executives), IACP (International Association of Chiefs of Police), the Association of FBI National Academy Graduates, the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police, the Hampton Roads Chiefs of Police Association, the Maryland Chiefs of Police Association and the Maryland and National Sheriffs’ Associations.

Sheriff High is survived by his wife, Brenda, and his daughter Tracy.

Reginald Williams is the author of “A Marginalized Voice: Devalued, Dismissed, Disenfranchised & Demonized.” Please email bookreggie@reginaldwilliams.org or visit amarginalizedvoice.com for more information.

Mayor Bowser lays out plans for her third term after re-election

By Tashi McQueen AFRO Political Writer Report for America Corps Member tmcqueen@afro.com

D.C. will keep their Mayor another four years.

Mayor Muriel Bowser won her third term this

election cycle after eight years in office.

On Nov. 9, at a press event Bowser she spoke

on her last two terms and foreshadowed what will come in the term ahead.

The D.C. native expressed her commitment to” building pathways to the middle class,” as evidenced by her support of the Metropolitan Police

Department (MPD) Cadet Corps and making sure Washingtonians get a “fair shot.”

Bowser hopes to work on democracy, ending gun violence, reimagining downtown, encouraging student success and

presenting the District of Columbia as a “strong, sustainable and resilient city,” according to her newsletter.

Early in her tenure, she promised to end family homelessness and build housing across the city.

from a leadership post.

Rep. James Clyburn (DSC) announced on Nov. 17 that he wants to remain in the Democratic leadership.

In April, Bowser reported that homelessness is down by 47 percent since the creation of Homeward D.C, a strategic plan to address homelessness. Homeward

Reginald Williams Special to the AFRO

Prince George’s County Sheriff Melvin C. High died on Nov. 17 at the Washington Hospital Center.

Photo by Melvin C. High on Facebook

“Today, I write to humbly ask for your support for the position of House Democratic Leader as we once again prepare to meet the moment.”

“We

“Our teachers haven’t had a contract since 2019. The number one most important thing this city can do to improve teacher retention is to settle the Washington Teachers Union contract.”

D.C. Public School

Continued from B1

“Our teachers haven’t had a contract since 2019. The number one most important thing this city can do to improve teacher retention is to settle the Washington Teachers Union contract,” Lyons said in testimony before the D.C. Council before Thursday’s action by D.C. Public Schools Teachers.

A recent survey of D.C. public school teachers conducted by Hart Research revealed

close to 80 percent of the District’s public school teachers are not satisfied with current conditions at their schools and an even higher number believe they are not treated with respect, nor have District leaders “been honest and fair in negotiations,” according to the survey.

Contract negotiations moved to arbitration last month, after both sides blamed each other for the lack of progress in moving

toward an agreement.

Louis Ferebee, chancellor of D.C. Public Schools, said he was surprised to hear teachers were planning to protest, suggesting that both sides were moving closer toward settlement.

“Surprised to see this planned protest, given that we and the WTU had already planned to resume contract negotiations this Thursday,” Ferebee tweeted yesterday.

But parents and supporters of teachers shot back at Ferebee via Twitter.

“The way you and

Congressman Jeffries

Continued from B1

2006.

“As we Democrats set about the work of retaking the majority in 2024 and re-electing our President, I humbly ask for your support to remain at the leadership table as the Assistant Democratic Leader, to work alongside our new generation of Democratic leaders,” he wrote colleagues.

“Each member from the most junior to the most senior, brings to the table enormous talent, skill, vision and experience. At this moment of transition, we are presented with a once-in-a generation opportunity to further unleash our full potential as a team,” Jeffries said.

“In this spirit, it will be my mission to make sure that every single Member of the Caucus has an authentic seat at the legislative table and the maximum opportunity to excel. That is my promise to you,” Jeffries continued.

In his letter, Jeffries noted that the current actions by House leaders signal a time to pick new voices for leadership.

Jeffiries was an impeachment manager in the first attempt to impeach former President Donald Trump. He also was an architect of the FIRST STEP Act (Formerly Incarcerated Reenter Society Transformed, Safely Transitioning Every Person Act) co-sponsored with Republican Congressman Doug Collins (GA-9). The legislation passed the House in 2018, cleared the Senate with bi-partisan support and was signed into law in December 2018.

Mayor Bowser

Continued from B1

2.0 is now in action until 2025.

The Mayor’s Office centers its agenda on making all D.C. residents prosperous, forwarding D.C. values and building better neighborhoods throughout the eight wards.

Director Tommy Wells will no longer be the director of the Department of Energy & Environment. La Toya Foster, communications director for Bowser, is also stepping down.

“I’ve enjoyed working for the Mayor,” said Wells at the conference. “The mayor has been a great supporter, advocate and person to work for.”

Community members will be called

@Mayor Bowser treat our DCPS educators is embarrassing,” tweeted T Eastunder. “You cannot be honestly surprised to see this action. As a parent of 2 DCPS kids, I support our teachers – pay them now, pay them more, and give them what they ask for,” Eastunder tweeted.

As of press time, the arbitration which started Thursday has not resulted

in a successful contract, although both sides have indicated they are still working toward an agreement.

“While collective bargaining agreements are confidential pursuant to D.C. Code, we are proud of the offer we made which includes robust compensation increases for educators,” DCPS officials said in a statement released

Thursday afternoon.

Pogue Lyons issued her own statement in response, saying there was still a lot of work ahead before the two sides could reach agreement.

“We were at the bargaining table for 12 hours today, but we have a lot of work to do to get what’s fair for teachers and good for students,” said Pogue Lyons.

to participate on the transition team.

At the event, Bowser asked for the input of residents to submit their ideas and recommendations for the next four years.

Together.dc.gov is where anybody who has a “big idea” can submit theirs and work with the leaders to help them move forward.

The Mayor spoke

about

pleasure with the results of the Midterm elections thus far –predating the Democratic Senate takeover – and her

He has been the third-ranking House Democrat since

Parents at Anne Beers Elementary School show support for DCPS teachers during a walk out and protest on Nov. 17.

Courtesy Photo

Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY-8), who was elected over Congressman Yuri Dashevsky (R-NY) to represent New York’s 8th district, was a manager during the first impeachment of former President Donald Trump. Jeffries is also creator of the FIRST STEP Act (Formerly Incarcerated Reenter Society Transformed, Safely Transitioning Every Person Act), which was signed under Trump’s presidency in December 2018.

AP Photos

Hart Research Poll of D.C. Public Schools reveal that a majority of teachers are unsatisfied with current working conditions.

From: WTU slide presentation to DC City Council, Oct. 25

Mayor Muriel Bowser will keep her position for another four years in the District of Columbia. She laid out her plans for the future, which included ”building pathways to the middle class,” democracy, ending gun violence and reimagining downtown.

AP Photos

her

willingness to continue to push D.C. matters regarding statehood, judges and federal lands at stake.

“The Mayor has been a great supporter, advocate and person to work for.”

Resident physicians at Children’s National Hospital say more resources needed to cope with patient surge

By Megan Sayles AFRO Business Writer Report for America Corps Member msayles@afro.com

Doctors in residence and fellows at Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C. are in the midst of a critical negotiation with their employer.

The doctors, represented by the Committee of Interns and Residents, recently held a Unity Break to call attention to their struggle to obtain a contract that allows them to sufficiently care for their young patients, while also nurturing their own mental health and well-being.

“Recently, across the country children’s hospitals are pretty swamped.

Children’s National is no exception. In terms of being filled beyond capacity and the amount of providers that exist– but

remained at home, and hospitals saw respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) rates drop. This year, however, RSV came earlier, and hospitals are seeing higher numbers of RSV infection, according to the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases.

Taliaferro, a third year resident of the Pediatric Residency Program at Children’s National Hospital, has witnessed the stress this surge has caused in their co-residents.

Although the hospital includes patient caps in its residency program protocol, the limits are not codified in their contracts, and with the rise in patients, the caps are not always satisfied.

This forces residents

a time on the Hematology and Oncology Service each night. In the NICU, one resident works overnight and can care for up to 36 babies.

Not only are the physicians undergoing the physical toll of working 60 to 80 hours a week and pulling 24-hour shifts, their mental health is also taking a hit.

said Taliaferro. “Without opportunities to replenish yourself you continue to pour and pour until you’re pouring from an empty glass, and at that point, what happens?”

including the Employee Assistance Program, but Taliaferro said most residents have to wait months for an appointment.

also nurses and techs and all of the other healthcare workers –there’s a national healthcare shortage,” said Dr. Liz Taliaferro, resident physician at Children’s National Hospital.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, children

to take on more strenuous patient loads, and sometimes call on their colleagues to come in to offset the strain.

Currently, Taliaferro said one doctor in residence is expected to care for 20 to 22 patients at

“It’s that literal physical burden but then the emotional burden of wanting to provide kids and families with the care they deserve, no matter what that requires of you and no matter how stretched thin you are,”

At this point, the Committee of Interns and Residents is asking Children’s National Hospital to pay a salary that keeps pace with rising inflation, incorporate patient caps in all residents’ contracts and institute a mental health package for residents.

Currently, the hospital does offer a few options for employees to access mental health treatment,

According to Taliaferro, the proposed mental health package would include a program that the hospital would pay into, so residents could be given the time to attend therapy and the funds to be able to afford it.

Taliaferro said the program would cost the hospital 0.5 percent of a resident’s yearly salary.

But, Children’s National Hospital has declined the proposal without

presenting an alternative.

The Committee of Interns and Residents will meet with the hospital this week for a contract negotiation session.

“I’m just hopeful that the demonstration showed us as residents that we are stronger when we stand together and that there are a lot of us in this fight together,” said Taliaferro. “Then, hopefully, it can be a demonstration as well to the hospital that we are committed to making sure that the kids of D.C. get what they need by making sure that we can get what we need to provide them with excellent care.”

A doctor in residence at Children’s National Hospital is expected to care for 20 to 22 patients at a time.

Courtesy Photo

“I’m just hopeful that the demonstration showed us as residents that we are stronger when we stand together and that there are a lot of us in this fight together.”

There is a saying in the Black community that if you can get to “Momma’s kitchen, you’ll never be hungry.”

In the days preceding Thanksgiving, community advocates, churches, and groups of all kinds across the DMV fulfilled that saying with free turkeys, stuffing, bread, vegetables, and desserts for all

Wanda Durant, mother of Brooklyn Nets basketball player, Kevin Durant, partnered with Bishop McNamara Catholic High School to give away more than 500 food boxes filled with Thanksgiving meals. The resources were given to families throughout Prince George’s County and the nearby D.C. community.

“This is home, and this is Thanksgiving,” Ms. Durant said. “It’s a time where everyone should have a day of good food with family and friends and this is my way of giving back to the community that gave so much to me and my family.”

who stopped by. In the District of Columbia, the Greater Mount Calvary Holy Church (GMCHC) and its Crowder Owens Food Bank sponsored their annual Project Feed 5,000, intending to feed 5,000 in the D.C. area residents, said Dr. Susie C. Owens, co-pastor of GMCHC.

Angela Garner and Cynthia Perkins were volunteers for GMCHC’s food drive.

Volunteers from the Greater Mt. Calvary Holy Church (GMCHC) in the District of Columbia, prepare to distribute thousands of bags of food to D.C. residents.

Trina Ratchford, a member of GMCHC, preps produce bags for the food giveaway at the Susie Elizabeth Crowder Empowerment Center in the District of Columbia.

Teyrell Hawkins and Jaden Thompson, students of Bishop McNamara Catholic High School, help unload turkeys at a Thanksgiving food distribution hosted by basketball star Kevin Durant and his mother Wanda Durant.

Terrel Powell and his daughter, Tracey Powell

Wanda Durant and Priscilla Clarke load a truck belonging to one of the 500 residents that patronized the annual food giveaway on Nov. 22.

Juniors of Bishop McNamara Catholic High School, Casey Posigno, Madelyn Stroy, Marisa Tyler, and Leah Bryant were among the volunteers working to deliver meals to Prince George’s County families.

Cars waiting outside of Bishop McNamara Catholic High School in Forestville, Md. for the Thanksgiving food giveaway.

Photos by Deborah Bailey Contributing Editor

Photos by Deborah Bailey

Mother-daughter duo create online store for bath bombs, lipglosses and accessories

By Megan Sayles AFRO Business Writer Report for America Corps Member msayles@afro.com

Single mother Em Hunt was void of self-confidence and hope until she found out she was pregnant with her daughter.

At the time, Hunt was 22. She didn’t have a job, her car was repossessed and she was dealing with a granuloma tumor in her mouth. She didn’t have the support of her unborn child’s father and to put it mildly: times were rough.

Knowing she would have to provide for her daughter on her own, Hunt came up with a plan.

When she gave birth to Harmony, she quickly pinned down a stable job. She worked in human resources for a few years. Then, six-year-old Harmony told her mother she wanted to open her own business.

Unfortunately, Hunt didn’t have any extra money to put toward launching a business, but she didn’t overlook her daughter’s goal of entrepreneurship.

Before Harmony’s ninth birthday, Hunt decided that instead of using the

money she saved to take her daughter on a trip, she would invest the dollars into Harmony’ first business venture.

On Sept. 30, the mother-daughter duo launched Harm’s Charms, an online store for bath bombs, soaps, accessories and lipglosses, just five days after Harmony’s birthday.

“I remember promising my daughter at four weeks old, sitting in my mom’s house in my room, and saying ‘I promise to get you your own bedroom,’” said Hunt. “I just felt like a bad person because I brought her here with nothing. Now, I’m just thankful, and I know that with God and our supporters by our side, our business is going to grow larger, and we’re going to help people along the way.”

Two months into launching Harm’s Charms, she has already secured partnerships with Outback in Owings Mills, Md. and Nordstrom Rack in Washington, D.C. to

sell their products on the weekend.

The online store has also forged collaborations with KC Beauty and Beauty Outlet in Baltimore County.

All of Harm’s Charms products are veganfriendly, and its best-sellers are the donut-shaped Yum Yum Bath Bombs and adjustable bangle bracelets, although Harmony’s favorite is their Cuppy Bath Bomb. Harm’s Charms also recently added a mahogany teakwood beard oil to its product line.

The next goal for Harmony and her mother is to team up with a charity. Hunt said she would love to give back with nonprofits in Africa that assist young people, as well as support some Baltimore area homeless shelters.

“I dream about the business. I wake up thinking about the business, and to have Harmony involved is such a blessing because just nine years ago, I was lost and just felt hopeless,” said Hunt. “I just hope to encourage other young people and single moms out there.”

The Nonprofit Doctor: Maryland business woman helps spot pain points and solutions for local organizations

By Megan Sayles AFRO Business Writer Report for America Corps Member msayles@afro.com

After 30 years of dedicating her life to serving nonprofit organizations, Maryland native Jaye Matthews is launching her own consultancy, The Nonprofit Doctor. The firm seeks to ensure organizations across the globe have the support they need to sustain themselves, thrive and fulfill their missions.

Matthews, who grew up in Cambridge, got her first job at 14. She was a camp counselor for Delmarva Community Services’ summer camp for youth with developmental disabilities.

She was paired with one young person, accompanying and guiding them through the activities of each day, and the experience ignited the 47-year-old’s interest in nonprofit service.

Although she followed a premedical track in her undergraduate studies at Morgan State University, as the time to apply to medical school approached Matthews said she felt there were more pathways to better people’s lives when.

A friend informed her of an opportunity to work in community organizing and case management in 1999 for a project to redevelop Broadway Homes, a housing complex in Southeast Baltimore.

The project was a private-public partnership involving diverse stakeholders, and ultimately, Broadway Homes was transformed into a mixed-use housing building with more than 100 residences.

After participating in the project, Matthews knew her profession would have to center on altruism.

“I knew that if a cent is connected to something that isn’t for the greater good of other people, then I didn’t want it,” said Matthews. “I have to be able to know that I’ve helped someone at the end of the day and that I’ve done good work for the betterment of the greater good.”

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Matthews said she thinks one of the

biggest challenges facing nonprofit organizations is a lack of capacity.

The pandemic exacerbated community plights, like food insecurity, domestic violence, under and unemployment and housing instability, and nonprofits stepped in to mitigate these problems, serving larger populations than they were used to.

Matthews announced the launch of The Nonprofit Doctor in July during a party celebrating her graduation from Walden University, where she received her doctor of business administration in social impact management.

She came out in scrubs, signifying her commitment to caring for nonprofits with the formation of her firm.

The Nonprofit Doctor will partner with nonprofit leadership, staff, boards and stakeholders to ensure they are streamlining their services and operating effectively. Matthews will offer services, including strategic planning, financial management, fund development, program evaluation and gap analysis.

She credited much of her success thus far to her

mother, Alma Boulden, who raised her as a single mom. Although she didn’t have an education herself, Boulden always ensured Matthews received the support she needed to thrive in her studies.

She also taught Matthews to refrain from making excuses, own her failures and use them to do better in the future.

Soon, Matthews will leave Maryland for Clearwater, Fla. where she will become the executive director of the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA), although she plans to continue expanding her work with The Nonprofit Doctor.

Appointed by Mayor Frank Hibbard, she will start her role this December and support the city’s small businesses, ensuring they have what they need to thrive and serve their communities.

“Every gift that I have, every opportunity that I have, I always say, ‘God let me be a blessing or a help for something outside of myself,’” said Matthews. “I just want to be a light in this world, and I have been that way from childhood.”

Instead of taking a trip, Em Hunt celebrated her daughter Harmony’s ninth birthday by opening up a bath bomb and accessory business, Harm’s Charms.

Courtesy Photo

Jaye Matthews is the CEO of The Nonprofit Doctor, which seeks to ensure nonprofits across the world have the capacity to sustain themselves and fulfill their missions.

Courtesy Photo

LEGAL NOTICES

NOTICETO CREDITORS

Dorene Haney whose address is 209 Kennedy Street.NW was ap pointed personal representative of the estate of Marvel V. Clemons who died on January 20, 2022 without a will, and will serve with Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before May 18 2023. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before May 18 2023, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship.

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Local organizations work to fight food insecurity during the holiday season

By Mylika Scatliffe AFRO Women’s Health Writer mscatliffe@afro.com

Thanksgiving is the kickoff to the winter holiday season. This time of year invokes warm images of families gathered for holidays, preparing to dig into feasts reminiscent of Norman Rockwell paintings or Big Mama’s table in the cult classic film, Soul Food.

Unfortunately, the reality is that today trips to the grocery store are daunting. This week many of us left the grocery store having spent more money than we did this same time last year, but with less food.

“November 1 – January 1 is the time when everyone is ‘activated’ around the issue of food and trying to prevent hunger,” said Stacey Stephens, director of B’More for Healthy Babies, Promise Heights in Baltimore. “We want to make sure that access continues all year round.”

Food insecurity is the limited or unknown availability of nutritional and safe foods for everyone in a household to meet their basic needs.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), 10.5 percent of households experienced food insecurity in 2020. About four percent of households experienced it in its most extreme form–meaning people ate less or skipped meals altogether because they were unable to access food.

This year Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott announced an allocation of an additional $11 million to fight food insecurity in Baltimore with the American Rescue Plan Act, increasing the total to $26 million.

Charm City saw food insecurity rates increase from 18 percent to 21.7 percent during the pandemic, with 33 percent of children being affected. According to a press release from the Scott Administration, “the additional $11 million investment will support five key pillars of the Department of Planning’s Food Policy & Planning Division’s nutritional security programming:

1) Continuation of produce box distribution

2) Online Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) fruit and vegetable incentives

3) Expansion of nutrition incentives at farmers’ markets

4) MedStar Harbor Hospital’s Good Food Rx program

5) The Farm Alliance of Baltimore’s Black Butterfly Urban Farmer Academy”

“Higher food prices have shocked the budgets of families, seniors and people already struggling to make ends meet. The impact of these higher prices is especially felt with the holidays right around the corner,” said Katie Fitzgerald, president, and chief operating officer of Feeding America, the largest hunger relief organization in the United States.

Maryland has one of the highest costs of living in the country. Food insecurity is an issue that is more likely to plague people with lower income, enduring homelessness, or who are unemployed. Inflation has exacerbated these issues and affected those across socioeconomic lines. Mayor Scott simultaneously seeks to improve city residents’ access to affordable healthy food and address the food supply chain quagmire that persisted throughout the pandemic.

“Due to inflation, Maryland households are now spending over $400 more per month to buy the same goods and services they purchased last year. That’s especially tough for lower-income households that

have limited budgets to begin with, but even middleclass families are starting to seek support from our food assistance networks to help supplement their food budgets,” said Carmen Del Guercio, chief executive officer, and president of the Maryland Food Bank.

Adding to the struggle are food banks having to contend with increased food prices and demand. Every month food charities are seeing more and more people looking to supplement their food budgets.

In her work with B’More for Healthy Babies, Stephens often has the opportunity to assess families for food insecurity, and takes note that families commonly experience food shortages at the end of the month, when money or SNAP benefits are depleted. Many families

While the pandemic caused the ministry to be shuttered for a while, they have recently returned to Thursday night dinners, including an annual Thanksgiving day meal with all the traditional Thanksgiving fixings.

Heidi Boyd has served as part of the breakfast ministry at New Metropolitan since 2010.

“I began serving in this ministry because of my desire to serve the community in some way. It is a humbling experience, realizing that ‘but for the grace of God go I,’” said Boyd. “We see a lot of regular faces; we get to know some of them by name and miss them when they don’t show up.”

Over 53 million people nationwide relied on charitable food assistance last year to put food on the table, according to Feeding America.

“As families come together this Thanksgiving, there will be millions unable to put food on their table. Thanksgiving meal staples, like turkeys, can be cost-prohibitive. Food banks are anticipating higher demand and working hard to provide alternatives where they can. We need everyone to be a part of overcoming these challenges; the government, private sector, food donors, and folks who can contribute and raise awareness about this solvable but difficult problem,” said Fitzgerald.

struggle at the end of the month as they wait to replenish their bank accounts or wait for SNAP benefits to reload for the beginning of the next month.

Stephens, along with Meaghan Tine, a diabetes social worker at the University of Maryland School of Medicine Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Nutrition, founded the Freedom Food Initiative.

“During the pandemic we were able to partner with Black and woman owned caterers to provide nutritious, cooked meals for families. They were prepared the fourth Friday of every month and prepared in such a way they were easy to eat right away or freeze for later,” said Stephens. This initiative continues today, also partnering with the school community and local city churches, including New Metropolitan Baptist Church, Brown Memorial Episcopal Church, St. Catherine’s Episcopal Church, Memorial Episcopal Church, and Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church.

“We want people to be able to access nutritious and safe food and acquire it socially acceptable ways,” continued Stephens.

New Metropolitan Baptist Church has been feeding the local community for over 30 years as part of their Bread of Life food ministry. Anyone in need of a meal could go have a meal there three days a week – lunch on Tuesdays, breakfast on Wednesdays, and dinner on Thursdays.

Boyd began taking part in preparing and serving the annual Bread of Life Thanksgiving dinner at New Metropolitan in 2013 and spearheading it beginning in 2015. In 2016, the dinner was renamed the Jefferey Cameron Curtis Thanksgiving Dinner, after her late son who tragically and suddenly passed away in 2015. His favorite holiday was Thanksgiving. Hygiene care packages are also handed out to anyone who attends the meal and needs one. She continues to spearhead this annual meal today.

With so many people suffering from food insecurity, reducing food waste is crucial.

According to the United Nations, around 14 percent of food produced between harvest and retail is lost globally, while an estimated 17 percent of total global food production is wasted. Eleven percent of that waste occurs in households, five percent in food service, and two percent in retail. Food waste negatively impacts food security and availability, contributing to the increasing cost of food.

The current rate of inflation makes this unacceptable.

“Food for sustenance is necessary for pregnant women to deliver healthy babies and for the brain development of young children. Children need nourishment so they can focus and retain information they are learning in school,” said Stephens. “Food and hydration are critical to sustaining the health and well-being of our families and the community.”

Stress management is a vital part of your overall health

By Aaron Allen The Seattle Medium

According to medical experts, stress can impact your health and some of the health disparities that exist today.

Due to economic determinants, education, geography, the environment, lower quality care, inadequate access to care, the inability to navigate systems, and other factors, many African Americans may be impacted by stress, but may not know the full extent of its impact on their overall health.

According to Dr. Ben Johnson, a clinical psychologist, one of the biggest stressors that people may face is associated with uncertainty. Meaning that oftentimes people worry about things in the future or things they have no control over.

“The reason why this exists is because the biggest stressor in the world from my conclusion is uncertainty,” says Johnson. “So, when people are uncertain, they start asking “what ifs”, “how come”, those type

of exploratory kind of questions without having a reasonable answer.”

“This can cause people to be less trustful, cynical and research shows this is the reaction when people are fearing,” added Johnson. “And as we have learned, stress can be one of the major causes of poor health and even death in the Black community if we do not find a way to

learn how to manage it.”

Studies examining the role of social, racial and biological stressors on health suggests a link between socioeconomic status and ethnic disparities in stress and physical and mental health.

Some ethnic/racial groups are more economically disadvantaged and may be more susceptible to socioeconomic status related stress. For example, research has shown that African Americans are under a great amount of stress when it comes to overcoming discrimination. Not to mention the stress that the daily demands life places can have on people.

“Your stress can be based upon where you are at the current time,” says Johnson. “So, your mental health state is important to managing your stress. What can help people is to operate within a reasonable sense of what their demands are. The demands are things that we are associated with like your job, your socioeconomic role in life, your responsibilities you have. So, managing the demands, making sure that they make sense and that you are

able to execute them is the behavioral control that will support your emotional wellbeing.”

Among people of color, 44 percent report discrimination is a significant source of stress in their life, compared with 38 percent of people of color who said the same in 2019. Looking at races individually, Black people are the most likely to report discrimination as a stressor. A total of 48 percent of African Americans experiences stress directly related to discrimination, compared to 43 percent of Hispanic people, 42 percent of Native American, 41 percent Asian and 25 percent of White people.

While everyone deals with their own levels of stress, Johnson says that it is important to recognize that a person’s tolerance for stress and their ability to manage and cope with stress can be very different. See more on afro.com

The post, “Stress Management Is A Vital Part Of Your Overall Health,” appeared first on The Seattle Medium.

Courtesy photo

Heidi Boyd (left), Shielena Coleman (middle) and Alice Montague volunteer at New Metropolitan Baptist Church in Baltimore, where members of the community and those in need take part in the Jeffrey Cameron Curtis Annual Thanksgiving Dinner.

Photo by Gift Habeshaw on Unsplash

Experts say properly dealing with stress can go a long way in preventing health complications like high blood pressure and issues with digestion.

BALTIMORE-AREA

Opinion: the best baseball players and all center fielders in the league

By Ralph E. Moore Jr. Special to the AFRO

Pardon my name dropping, but I mentioned to Adam Jones in a Zoom meeting the other day that all my favorite baseball players were center fielders.

I loved watching baseball with my dad when I was a little boy. He’d be sitting in his easy chair and I’d be on the floor watching the games.

One year, watching one of the two Major League Baseball AllStar Games played each summer, Ralph E. Moore Sr. said to me, “Root for the National League, son, they got more Negro ballplayers.” And so, I did.

Race consciousness and race pride became a very significant part of me. And that’s when I met Mr. Willie Mays who, at the time, played with the San Francisco Giants.

He was a phenomenal baseball player—no one else could hit or catch like Mays. In fact, some

Price Rite Marketplace in Pigtown set to close next month

Community leaders and JHU students reflect on the midterm election results

By Tashi McQueen AFRO Political Writer Report for America Corps Member tmcqueen@afro.com

By Nicole D. Batey Special to the AFRO

The Price Rite Marketplace of West Pratt Street has served West Baltimore for 10 years. Now, just days before families are set to gather around the dinner table, Price Rite has announced that it is closing the sliding doors permanently at the end of December.

Price Rite originally opened in 2013 and was rebranded as Price Rite Marketplace in 2019.

The supermarket is located in Southwest Baltimore’s Mount Clare Junction shopping center and is the only full service grocery store in the immediate area. Hollins Market and stores like Family Dollar will be left to fill in the gap.

A food desert is defined by the Baltimore City Health Department as an area in which:

• The distance to a supermarket or supermarket alternative is more than 1/4 mile

• The median household income is at or below 185 percent of the federal poverty level

• Over 30 percent of households have no vehicle available

• The average Healthy Food Availability Index (HFAI) score for all food stores is low

When a district meets all four criteria, it is designated a “healthy food priority area.” The City Council District 10, where the store is located, has the second highest proportion of residents living in a priority area. Roughly 44 percent of the population in this area meet all four criteria for living in a food desert that is a high priority area, compared to 23.5 percent citywide. Nearly 12,000 –52 percent–of the city’s Black residents live in priority areas, compared to only 7,000

Black Girls Vote continues to inspire at

By Tashi McQueen AFRO Political Writer Report for America Corps Member tmcqueen@afro.com

Black Girls Vote (BGV) held its fifth annual ball on Nov. 18 at Martin’s West in Baltimore County.

Members of the organization celebrated Black women with elected officials and community leaders, all gathered to recognize the efforts in politics and advocacy to

make a difference in the community and worldwide.

Natasha Murphy, a cochair of the fifth annual ball and chief of staff at BGV, shared that 850 guests attended the ball.

“The organization’s marquee fundraiser was themed ‘It’s a Black Girls World,’ highlighting the undeniable, international

impact of Black women,” said Murphy. “Black

(38 percent) of its White residents. Also, seniors are the most likely of any age group to live in priority areas.

There are only four, now soon to be three, supermarkets in the entire district.

“The parents and the older folks are the ones that need this store. If you take it out of the Black community, where are they supposed to go?” asked Angela Baker, who spoke with the AFRO as she exited the store. “I’ve lived in the city all my life and it just seems like it’s getting worse.”

Baker pointed out how access to fresh fruits and vegetables in America is directly linked to other issues like income and transportation.

“Are people supposed to take an Uber? A lot of these folks are on a fixed income— they don’t have money to keep getting Ubers to go to the market,” said Baker. “They should be able to come around the corner and go grocery shopping in their own neighborhood.”

In a written statement, Karen O’Shea, of Wakefern Food Corporation, a retailer-owned cooperative comprised of nearly 50 member companies that includes Price Rite Marketplace and ShopRite, said:

“After 10 years, Price Rite Marketplace of West Pratt Street has made the very difficult decision to close the store next month,” O’Shea stated. “Price Rite appreciates the loyalty of customers who have supported the store through the years and the dedicated team members who have worked hard to serve the community. We are sharing information with our team members regarding potential job opportunities and available positions at other Price Rite Marketplace stores in the region.”

That may be of little consolation to laid off workers and neighborhood shoppers who now have to figure out where they’ll buy fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as other nutritional foods.

earlier this year and also announced the

awarded to leaders of BGV’s seven collegiate chapters, including Morgan State University, Bowie State University

All Vote, a non-profit organization, to discuss the results of the 2022 midterm election with students from Johns Hopkins University (JHU) and community members.

The session included discussion on what the election results mean for the future of Maryland and America as a nation.

The hour-long event was organized by Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) Agora Institute at JHU on their Homewood campus. “The 2022 Midterms: What Happened—and What Now?” was the title of the discussion.

Young focused her remarks on generation z and people of color while Mikulski centered on social security and highlighted democratic wins.

and Howard University.

The gathering featured a Black woman music mixer, DJ Keebee,

Girls Vote recapped the impact of the new Black Girls Vote Research Network launched

2023 launch of the organization’s advisory board.”

Scholarships were

their fifth annual ball

“After 10 years, Price Rite Marketplace of West Pratt Street has made the very difficult decision to close the store next month.”

Photo by Alexis Taylor

After 10 years of service, the Price Rite Marketplace in Mt. Clare Junction Shopping Center will permanently close its doors by the end of December.

Former Sen. Barbara Mikulski recently joined forces with Stephanie Young, executive director of the nonpartisan organization, When We

“The so-called ‘red wave’ was barely a trickle because people wanted stability and confidence.”

“I wanted my daughter to see women who look like her using their voices to challenge public policies for the greater good.”

The Moore Report

Continued from D1

say he once made the greatest catch in baseball history during game one of the 1954 World Series, where he played for the New York Giants against the Cleveland Indians.

With eight innings and a 2-2 tie, with runners on first and second, the Cleveland first baseman, Vic Wertz, pounded a ball 400 feet out to center field.

Mays went back and met the ball with an amazing over the shoulder catch. He fired the ball into the infield and kept the score tied (the lead runner only got to third base from second). Mays’ Giants won that game 5-2 and eventually won four games as well as the ’54 World Series. I was two years old at the time. By then I learned who Mays was; he was already moving fast toward legendary status.

Thus began my fascination with center fielders: Mays, Paul Blair of the Baltimore Orioles, Adam Jones and Cedric Mullins, who also played for Baltimore. I eventually embraced my hometown team because more Blacks were playing in the American League, too.

Recently, Adam Jones was our featured speaker at the Frank Fischer Scholarship Benefit Dinner at Loyola Blakefield, my high school alma mater. He joined us on Zoom from his current home in Spain. I had to tell him about my favorite ball players and asked him why he picked center field as his chosen position.

“It’s more challenging than other positions. Shortstop is very busy. For example, if you can handle shortstop, then you can handle center field,” he said.

Jones has a calm, friendly manner when he speaks. I’ve heard him a few times when he was here in Baltimore. He has a weekly podcast known as the Adam Jones Show on 98.5’s The Sports Hub.

The African-American alumni of Loyola gave their Black, Blue and Gold award to Adam Jones at the aforementioned dinner for his tremendously inspiring athleticism and altruism. We also gave the award to Jean Fugett, Jones’s father-in-law, a local attorney and businessman who inspired so many Black Catholics. Finally, we presented Reginald A. Boyce (Loyola High School class of 1969) with the Black, Blue and Gold award for being a star athlete, the first diversity director at Blakefield and an effective mentor to many young men. Incidentally, Boyce also played center field.

Paul Blair played in the major league for 17 years after growing up in Los Angeles and distinguishing himself as a high school athlete in baseball, basketball and track. He had his career high, batting an average of .293 in 1967. I remember him covering a lot of ground in the center field of the old Memorial Stadium where he is best known for his defensive skill.

Cedric Mullins scored the first 30/30 season in Orioles history in 2021. No one before him scored 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases in one season. Some say the unique success of that year might be attributed to his decision to only bat with his left hand (.291) when most ballplayers were switch hitters.

Mullins was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease during the 2020 baseball season, but waited until the end of the season to have the intestinal surgery.

See more on afro.com

Black Girls Vote

Continued from D1

backed by a live percussionist named “The Bearded Drummer.”

“This event needs to invite schools,” said

Community leaders

Continued from D1

”I think this election defied pundits and the polls,” said Mikulski. “The so-called ‘red wave’ was barely a trickle because people wanted stability and confidence.”

As of Nov. 16, Democrats have 51 seats in the U.S. Senate, including Vice President Kamala Harris, and Republicans have 49 seats according to Associated Press election results. Democrats have 209 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and Republicans have 219. It is likely Republicans will win the House, but the race has not been called yet.

Prior to the elections, Republicans were slated

Sophia attended the gala with her mother, Rachana Patani.

“I brought my daughter to the Gala because it’s important for her to recognize her voice and power,” said Rachana Patani. “I

to widely overcome Democrats in Congress.

Mikulski said this election will strengthen Biden because Democrats gained leverage despite the expected opposition.

Young commented on the climate of American government operations.

“We have to end gerrymandering and the filibuster,” said Young. “So we’re not relying on this institution that has historically held us back.”

Both Mikulski and Young highlighted voting rights as a remaining concern for young people and African Americans.

“We know that young people are paying attention,” said Young.

wanted her to see women who look like her using their voices to challenge public policies for the greater good.”

BGV is a grassroots organization that advocates for the interests of Black women

“They are doing peerto-peer organizing — getting in the game and taking actions”

Young said Gen Z voters are among the most active of voters because they now have reached a turning point where they feel comfortable taking charge and using their political power.

On Election day there were a number of reports of long lines of college students waiting to cast their vote – book bags and all.

Young and Mikulski further pushed that young people should get involved through non-profit Governmental Organizations. They advocated for students to become poll workers, become public service workers and run for office.

and other women of color. They aim to uplift communities of color and educate Black women to comprehend public policies making them more equipped voters and active citizens.

Young believes it is vital for more young people to become public service workers, especially those with varying backgrounds.

“Every issue is a voting issue,” said Young. “Our democracy can be taken away in the blink of an eye.”

Mikulski and Young reached at least one student, Feven Welde. She is a 20-year-old JHU biology major who showed up to the event out of curiosity and found a better understanding.

“I showed up out of curiosity because I’m not familiar with political science,” said Welde.

“Prior to this, I had no knowledge of voting, so I would definitely say I gained new viewpoints and a better understanding of the election process.”

Welde was so comfortable, she even introduced herself to Young after the event.

Note: The comments and opinions of the panelists are not expressly of Johns Hopkins.

Former Sen. Barbara Mikulski (left) and Stephanie Young (right), executive director of the nonpartisan group, When We All Vote, recently guided a discussion on the election’s outcomes for Baltimore students and community leaders. The session discussed what the election means for those elected and political institutions, as well as what students and the community can do to continue to have a voice.

Courtesy Photo

Hundreds gathered for the fifth annual Black Girls Vote Ball on Nov. 18. The event was a celebration of Black women in the area who are making moves in the political arena and pushing their communities forward.

Courtesy Photo

11-year-old Sophia Patani, who met Baltimore City Mayor Brandon Scott at the event.

Baltimore Museum of Art hosts new exhibit, A Movement in

Legacies of the Great Migration

By Beverly Richards Special to the AFRO

The Baltimore Museum of Art recently hosted a packed auditorium as journalist, author and the Pulitzer Prize-winner Isabel Wilkerson discussed her book, “The Warmth of Other Suns” and its impact.

The manuscript details the impetus and effects of the Great Migration, one of the largest mass relocations in American history. Six million African Americans fled the Jim Crow South from World War I until the 1970s, exiting to every corner of the U.S.

“This Great Migration

attached to what one looked like in one’s assignment.

“That hierarchy was so ingrained and so arcane

Wilkerson’s work has inspired an exhibit curated by Ryan N. Dennis and Jessica Bell

“The exhibition that we are celebrating is about migration, but it’s not what we think. It is about freedom and how far people are willing to go to achieve it. And I love the title because it speaks to the idea of a movement in every direction.”

was the only time in American history that American citizens had to flee the land of their birth just to be recognized as the citizens that they always have been. No other group of Americans has had to act like immigrants to be recognized as citizens,” said Wilkerson.

Written in the anthropological voice of a Zora Neale Hurston, Wilkerson skillfully weaves the exodus from the South from the perspective of Ida Mae Gladney, who in 1937 left sharecropping in Mississippi for Chicago; Robert Foster, who left Louisiana in 1953 to pursue a medical career; and George Starling, who fled Florida in 1945 for Harlem.

The North had an enormous labor shortage at the onset of the Great Migration and it needed laborers. “What did it do?” asked Wilkerson.

“It looked for the cheapest labor in the land, which was African Americans in the South. And they jumped at the chance to be able to escape.”

This was a defection, a seeking of political asylum within the borders of one’s own country. And what they were defecting was a world and a hierarchy, what Wilkerson called “a caste system,” a rigid hierarchy of value

Using various mediums, including wood, paper, photography, and film to make “the contemporary relevance of this historical movement.”

“The exhibition that we are celebrating is about migration, but it’s not what we think. It is about freedom and how far people are willing to go to achieve it. And I love the title because it speaks to the idea of a movement in every direction,” she said. “The goal of this

kind of work, and of this exhibition, that we are now celebrating, is the idea that it focuses our attention on this phenomenon that was promulgated by human beings in a situation where they felt that they had no other choice.”

The exhibit, “A Movement in Every Direction Legacies of the Great Migration,” will be presented at the Baltimore Museum of Art from Oct. 30 to Jan. 29, 2023.

a different race.”

The Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) will host the exhibition, “A Movement in Every Direction: Legacies of the Great Migration” until Jan. 29, 2023. The exhibit is based on the novel “The Warmth of Other Suns” by Pulitzer prize-winner Isabel Wilkerson.

Associated Black Charities is thrilled to invite women throughout Baltimore back to our in-person Women On The Move Networking and Empowerment event!

Photo by the Baltimore Museum of Art

Jamea Richmond-Edwards’ “This Water Runs Deep,” at the Baltimore Museum of Art.

Photo by Mitro Hood

The Maryland Black Caucus recognized Sen. Antonio Hayes (D-MD-40) as Senator of the Year.

Maryland’s Black Caucus awarded the Chairman’s Award to Del. Charlotte Crutchfield (D-MD-19).

The fifth annual Black Girls Vote Ball was held in Baltimore County at Martin’s West on Nov. 18.

Pastor Jewel Allen and Teajai Allen

Maya Gilmore, deputy director of the Mayor’s Office of Cable and Communications and executive producer at the PKWY Agency.

Eddie Pounds, partner of Perry, White, Ross, & Jacobson, LLC and Altmann R. Pannell, director of government relations for Coca Cola Consolidated.

Kirsten Downs, Esq., executive director of the Homeless Persons Representation Project.

Courtney Jenkins, president of the Metropolitan Baltimore Council AFL-CIO Unions, with Nicole Jenkins.

Governor elect Wes Moore stands with Del. Darryl Barnes (DMD-25) to the left and members of the Maryland Black Caucus behind him.

Black Girls Vote (BGV) founder, Nykidra Robinson, speaks to the guests at the fifth annual BGV Ball.

Ashley Green

Mayor Brandon Scott with future voter, 11-year-old Sophia Patani.

Photo Courtesy of Facebook/ Ashley Green

Photo by Maya Gilmore on Twitter

Photo Courtesy of Facebook/ Rachana Patani

Photo Courtesy of Facebook/ Justin Ross, Ross Multimedia Group

Photo Courtesy of Facebook

Photo Courtesy of Facebook/ Jewel Veronica Allen

The Maryland Black Caucus Foundation hosted its 27th annual Legislative Black Caucus weekend, Nov. 18 -19, with the theme for this year’s event, “Moving Forward Together.” During the legislative weekend, the Caucus held virtual workshops, the Business Over Breakfast panel discussion, a gala and a silent auction at Maryland LIVE! Casino and Hotel.

Black Girls Vote (BGV), a Baltimore based nonprofit, gathered members, local activists, influencers, and politicians on Nov. 18 at the organization’s fifth annual ball, held at Martin’s West in Woodlawn, Md.

The ball was a ceremony to honor those who make a difference in the world through politics, activism and advocacy.