Afro American e-edition 7.4.26

Volume 134 No. 49

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JULY 4, 2026 - JULY 10, 2026

AFRO Photo / Victoria Mejicanos

AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh

The Obama Presidential Center is officially open to the public in Chicago. Former First Lady Michelle (left) and President Barack Obama were on hand to welcome thousands of visitors on June 19. Shown here, on the right, Pierre Andre Evans dancing outside of the center on opening day.

Inside the Obama Presidential Center’s opening week

By Victoria Mejicanos AFRO Staff Writer vmejicanos@afro.com

as a civic, educational and cultural hub for Chicago and visitors from around the world.

One day ahead of the June 19 public opening, President Obama spoke the location and the vision of the center.

“More than 40 years ago, on a late summer afternoon in 1985, I arrived here in Chicago, entering the city through the very spot where

this center now stands,” said Obama, on June 18. “I can still picture myself heading down what was then Cornell Drive in a janky used car that I’d bought in New York, with all my worldly possessions stuffed in the trunk and the back seat, so I really couldn’t see out of the rear view mirror, and I was a safety hazard.”

“We designed the center not

to be some lifeless mausoleum – I am too young for that – not just a place to see Michelle’s dresses, although I understand that will be the top attraction,” he said, drawing laughs. “We wanted it to be a vibrant, living celebration of community, where we can learn together and share the joys of art and music and sport and play, because it’s in those moments that we’re

reminded of our common humanity and strengthen the bonds of trust that not only make our lives richer, but make our democracy stronger.”

Visitors could explore the new branch of the Chicago Public Library, the Eleanor Roosevelt Fruit and Vegetable Garden, and tour the museum Continued on A5

First Lady of the Nation of Islam, Khadijah Farrakhan, dies at 90

afro.com

The Obama Presidential Center welcomed its first public visitors and hosted its inaugural event after opening July 19 on Chicago’s South Side, bringing together hundreds of leaders, advocates and educators focused on improving outcomes for children

worldwide.

In collaboration with the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the center hosted the Every Child Thrives Festival, a global conference that encouraged attendees to reimagine the future through the lens of children. More than 500 participants from several countries attended the gathering.

The center, years in the making, is intended to serve

By Erick Johnson

AP Photo/Matt York

Khadijah Farrakhan, wife of Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, is remembered for her devotion to family, faith and community. She died on June 27 at age 90 and leaves behind a legacy of supporting the Nation of Islam, and advocating for the strength and unity of families.

Mother Khadijah Farrakhan, the wife of Nation of Islam leader Minister Louis Farrakhan, has died, the Nation of Islam announced June 27. She was 90.

In a statement, the Nation of Islam said, “The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan with deep sadness yet with profound gratitude to Allah informs you that his beloved wife of 72 years, the First Lady of the Nation of Islam, Mother Khadijah has returned to Allah (may Allah be pleased).

“We thank Allah for the precious life of a loving wife, mother, a faithful devoted follower of The Honorable Elijah Muhammad,” the statement continued. “Mother Khadijah will forever be cherished and remembered.

May Allah give His unequaled comfort to the family as we mourn this tremendous loss and lift the family in our prayers and thoughts.

“Allah, there is no God but He, He gives life and to Him is our eventual return.

Funeral (Janazah) services will be sent as soon as it’s available.”

Copyright © 2026 by the Afro-American Company

Mother Farrakhan and her husband lived in Chicago’s Kenwood neighborhood, less than a mile from the national headquarters of Operation Rainbow PUSH, which was founded by the late Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. Together, the couple for decades led the Nation of Islam at the Mosque Maryam in Chicago’s South Shore neighborhood.

Born in 1935, she and Louis Abdul Farrakhan married in 1953. They have nine children. Their eldest son, Continued on A3

A2 The Afro-American July 4, 2026 - July 10, 2026

WHAT’S TRENDING ON AFRO.COM Supreme Court says Cook can keep her job at Federal Reserve–for now

By Mark Sherman The Supreme Court on June 29 dramatically expanded presidential power, upholding President Donald Trump’s firings of the heads of independent federal agencies with one important exception: the Federal Reserve.

The justices allowed Fed governor Lisa Cook to stay in her job while she fights the Republican president’s effort to fire her over allegations of mortgage fraud, which she has denied.

But other than at the nation’s central bank, with its role of setting interest rates, the court held that presidents have free rein to fire agency heads at will, despite federal laws that require a cause for such dismissals and a 91-yearold decision that had limited executive authority.

With the six conservative justices in the majority, the nine-member court jettisoned its unanimous decision in Humphrey’s Executor that had limited when presidents can fire agencies’ board members — in part to try to

ensure decision-making free of political influence.

“We hold that such protection from removal is contrary to the separation of powers enshrined in the Constitution,” Chief Justice John Roberts wrote for the court.

Support for Trump’s position

The justices ruled in the case of former Federal Trade Commission member Rebecca Slaughter, whom Trump fired without cause despite a provision of federal law that requires a reason. The logic of the decision extends to other agencies, including the National Labor Relations Board, the Merit Systems Protection Board and the Consumer Product Safety Commission, where Trump also has fired board members.

Trump voiced his approval in a Truth Social post. “It is such an Honor to be the sitting President who won this Historic and Unprecedented Ruling, one of the most important ever given with respect to Presidential Powers,” he wrote.

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The court already had signaled its support for the Trump administration’s position, over the liberals’ objection, by allowing Slaughter and the board members of other agencies to be removed from their jobs even as their legal challenges continued.

No president before Trump had sought to wrest control of the agencies that regulate wide swaths of American life, including nuclear energy, product safety and labor relations. But at arguments in Slaughter’s case in December, the six conservatives, including three appointed by Trump, seemed more concerned about issuing a ruling that would endure than handing too much power to Trump.

Their rhetoric was reminiscent of the presidential immunity case in 2024 that allowed Trump to avoid prosecution for his efforts to undo his 2020 presidential election loss to Democrat Joe Biden.

The court is writing a decision “for the ages,” Justice Neil Gorsuch said then.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor, in a dissent she summarized aloud in the courtroom, said the ruling could lead to “submission, instability and even oppression.”

“The president, to be sure, emerges with more power than ever before. That power was given to him by six justices on this court, not the people or the Constitution,” Sotomayor said.

Fed governor Cook’s case

In Cook’s case, the court voted 5-4 to reject the Trump administration’s effort to get Cook out of her job now.

Roberts, Justice Brett Kavanaugh and the three liberal justices were in the majority.

Allowing Cook to be ousted now, Roberts wrote, “would allow the President to remove a member of the Federal Reserve at any time, for any reason, without any notice before, and without any judicial check after. That would turn for-cause protection into little more than at-will employment.”

Roberts did include a footnote in his opinion noting that nothing forbids Trump from “trying again” to fire her, provided she is given proper notice and a chance to contest it.

Trump suggested he would take Roberts up on the offer, saying on Truth Social that “we will take appropriate action immediately to make sure that someone who has committed wrongdoing will not be making vital decisions concerning the Welfare of the United States of America!”

Cook, who was nominated to the Fed’s Board of Governors by Biden, can continue in her post at least as long as her lawsuit challenging her firing goes on, the court said.

The Trump administration is appealing a lower-court ruling in her favor.

Besides trying to fire Cook, Trump had threatened to fire former Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell if he didn’t leave the board when his term as chairman ended in mid-May. Powell has remained as a governor, even as Kevin Warsh has replaced him as chairman.

Judges on lower courts have allowed Cook to remain in her post as one of seven central bank governors.

AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein

Federal Reserve Board of Governors member Lisa Cook leaves the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C. The true motivation for trying to fire Cook, Trump’s critics say, is the Republican president’s desire to exert control over U.S. interest rate policy. If Trump succeeds in removing Cook, the first Black woman to be a Federal Reserve governor, he could replace her with his own appointee and gain a majority on the Fed’s board. The case is being closely watched by Wall Street investors and could have broad impacts on the financial markets and the U.S. economy.

Cook said her case was “never about mortgage documents signed years before I became a Federal Reserve governor.”

“It was an attempt to remove me on a manufactured pretext because I refused to bow to political pressure and continued to set interest rates based only on what would best serve the American people. That is the most fundamental obligation of a Federal Reserve governor,” Cook said in a statement.

Trump’s confrontation with the Fed

Trump has been dismissive of worries that cutting rates

too quickly could trigger higher inflation. He wants dramatic reductions so the government can borrow more cheaply and Americans can pay lower borrowing costs for new homes, cars or other large purchases, as worries about high costs have soured some voters on his economic management.

The Fed has left its key rate unchanged this year, but a growing chorus of policymakers is expressing concern about persistently high inflation and suggesting the central bank could raise its benchmark rate by the end of this year or leave it unchanged.

While Cook’s case was under review at the high court, Trump dramatically escalated his confrontation with the Fed. The Justice Department opened a criminal investigation of Powell and served the central bank with subpoenas.

The investigation ended in late April, the department said. The announcement cleared a major roadblock to the confirmation of Warsh as Powell’s successor.

Read full story on AFRO.com

Tennessee Tribune family mourns death of Rosetta Miller-Perry, founder and publisher

By Phyllis Qualls Rosetta Miller-Perry, trailblazer, visionary, bridge builder and motivator, passed peacefully on Friday, June 26, surrounded by family. She was 91.

Shortly after she passed, the family posted a message on the Tennessee Tribune’s website. Perry’s remarkable presence and influence extended throughout Tennessee and beyond.

After graduating from high school in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania, she joined the Navy and earned an honorable discharge. She began work in the Pentagon and several government departments, including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. She was an observer in Memphis during the Civil Rights protests and the sanitation protest. She was in Memphis when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated. The danger was prevalent because her life was threatened several times.

While working at the EEOC, she was assigned to Memphis to observe the sanitation protest. And during that time, Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated. Perry was compromised, and her life was threatened. Yet, she was not afraid and continued

Photo courtesy of Black Press USA / Rosetta Miller-Perry

The Tennessee Tribune family mourns the passing of its founder, publisher and chief executive officer, Rosetta Miller Perry. her work.

She retired from the federal government after 25 years of service; she established Perry & Perry Associates and started the Black-based Contempora Magazine in 1990 and the Tennessee Tribune in 1991. She could not get a loan; therefore, she used her own funds to establish these media outlets before AI and cell phone use were so prevalent. The Tribune is now 35

years old.

At the 30th anniversary of the paper, NNPA president and CEO, Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., dubbed Perry “Queen Mother of the Black Press,” because of her years in journalism and the impact she has had on the industry.

Miller-Perry has been described as a trailblazer, visionary, motivator, role model and entrepreneur. She was either a founder or charter member of

several organizations. She established the Black Chamber of Commerce so that Black businesses could be recognized and participate in civic and business benefits.

She was also a founding charter member of the Nashville Chapter of Les Gemmes, Inc., a social and civic group focused on exposing youth to the arts. It was as rewarding to Mrs. Perry as it was to the youth. Whatever she did, she did with tenacity and class because she knew she was right!

Her belief in education was strong, and she has scholarships in her name at Tennessee State University, the University of Memphis, and Meharry Medical College.

The Celebration of Life services will be Friday and Saturday, July 11 and 12, in Nashville. The Friday night public viewing will be at Lewis and Wright Funeral Directors, located at 2500 Clarksville Pike, Nashville, TN. The funeral will be Saturday, July 11 at Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church, located at 7594 Old Hickory Blvd, in Whites Creek, Tennessee.

This article was originally published by the Tennessee Tribune. Tennessee Tribune Staff contributors added to this report.

July 4, 2026 - July 10, 2026 The Afro-American A3

Lauryn Hill honored and Druski makes history at BET Awards

By Jonathan Landrum Jr. After watching a 20-minute tribute celebrating her groundbreaking career, Lauryn Hill surprised the BET Awards audience June 28 with an impromptu performance of her 1998 classic “Ex-Factor” after accepting the Living Legend Icon Award, before closing the show with “Everything Is Everything.”

Introduced by Ice Cube, the eight-time Grammy winner was honored with performances at Los Angeles’ Peacock Theater from SZA, Doechii, Lizzo, Queen Latifah, Common and her children Selah Marley and Zion Marley, who revisited songs from Hill’s stellar catalog while she stood smiling, singing along and applauding throughout the tribute.

After she accepted the honor, Hill encouraged artists to embrace their gifts and remain true to their purpose.

“I fight for y’all,” Hill said. “And fighting for y’all is me fighting for myself, it’s me fighting for my children, it’s me fighting for my community.”

The Living Legend Icon Award recognizes pioneers whose work has remained culturally essential across generations. Hill first emerged as a member of the Fugees before releasing her landmark solo debut, “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill,” featuring classics including “Doo Wop (That Thing),” “Ex-Factor” and “Everything Is Everything.”

Janet Jackson surprises Teyana Taylor with honor

Teyana Taylor fought back tears after an emotional surprise at the show: Janet Jackson walked onto the stage to present Taylor with the Icon of the Year Award.

Taylor, visibly stunned as Jackson received a standing ovation, embraced the music legend before thanking one of her biggest inspirations.

“They did not tell me Janet was coming,” Taylor said through tears. “There will be no me without you.”

Presenting the award, Jackson praised Taylor’s relentless work ethic and artistic range, highlighting her Golden Globe win for best supporting actress in “One Battle After Another” and calling her gifts “God-given.”

The Icon of the Year Award recognizes a creative force whose influence is shaping culture. Taylor has evolved from a multiplatinum recording artist into an award-winning actor, director, producer and choreographer.

Accepting the honor, Taylor reflected on her two-decade career.

“I worked my (expletives) off 20 years,” she said. “So I’m not accepting what I’ve earned with arrogance. I’m accepting what I’ve earned with gratitude.”

BET Awards remembers Clive Davis, Richard Smallwood and other trailblazers

The BET Awards paused to honor influential figures from music and entertainment who died over the past year during an emotional in memoriam tribute.

Erica Campbell of Mary Mary introduced the segment by reflecting on the enduring legacies left behind by those who died, paying special tribute to the late gospel composer Richard Smallwood, whose music she said strengthened her faith. She also remembered the late music executive Clive Davis, who died earlier this week at 94, before performing Whitney Houston’s “I Love the Lord” with Le’Andria Johnson.

The tribute remembered Smallwood, Davis, Malcolm-Jamal Warner and others whose contributions left a lasting mark on music, television and culture.

AP Photo/John Locher

Lauryn Hill is honored as a living legend icon during the BET Awards on June 28 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.

D’Angelo honored with all-star tribute

The show also celebrated the late D’Angelo’s legacy with a star-studded tribute that opened with appearances by his three children.

Ari Lennox, BJ the Chicago Kid, Durand Bernarr, George Clinton and RAYE were among the artists who honored the singer with performances of his music, celebrating the enduring influence of one of R&B’s most acclaimed voices.

Sylvia Rhone honored for shaping generations of artists

Music executive Sylvia Rhone received the BET Ultimate Icon Award in recognition of her groundbreaking leadership and lasting impact on the music industry.

AP Photo/John Locher

Host Comedian Druski revives his megachurch skit at the BET Awards on Sunday, June 28, 2026, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.

Presented by Kelly Rowland, the honor celebrated Rhone’s trailblazing career as the first Black woman to lead a major record company owned by a Fortune 500 corporation. A video

tribute featured messages from artists including Missy Elliott and Busta Rhymes, highlighting her role in helping develop the careers of performers such as Tracy Chapman, Brandy, Erykah

Badu, Lil Wayne, Kid Cudi, Future, Travis Scott and Tyler, the Creator.

While accepting the award, Rhone dedicated the honor to the artists and creative teams she has worked alongside

throughout her career.

“Tonight’s honor bears my name, but it really belongs to all of us who create culture,” she said.

Continued on A5

AP Photo/Matt York

Shown here, Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan (left), his wife Khadijah Farrakhan, and their daughter, Maria Farrakhan Mohammad, in front of the Window Rock Navajo Monument, July 19, 2006, in Window Rock, Ariz..

Farrakhan Continued from A1

Louis Farrakhan Jr., died at 60 in 2018. Another son, Joshua Farrakhan, died in 2023. He was 64.

Khadijah converted to Islam in 1955. As Farrakhan rose to

become the leader of the Nation of Islam, Khadijah was by his side, serving as a stabilizing force for their family.

According to The Grio, at the 1997 Million Woman March in Philadelphia, Khadijah took the stage after her husband organized the 1995 Million Man March in

Washington D.C. “A nation can rise no higher than its women,” Khadijah said. “We focus on women but cannot lose sight that we must rise as a family — men, women and children.”

This article was originally published by Chicago Crusader.

A4 The Afro-American July 4, 2026 - July 10, 2026

COMMENTARY

Why I will not celebrate America’s birthday

By Michael Eugene Johnson As America prepares to celebrate 250 years of independence, I find myself asking a simple question: Independence for whom?

When the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776, my ancestors were not free. They were property.

They were bought and sold. They built wealth they could not own, worked land they could not possess and helped create a nation that denied them citizenship, dignity and humanity.

So, when America celebrates 250 years of freedom, I must ask: Where in that celebration do I find my history?

I acknowledge America’s greatness.

I acknowledge its achievements, its innovations and its ideals. But I also acknowledge that for much of those 250 years, Black men and women were

excluded from the promises written into the nation’s founding documents.

My ancestors survived slavery.

They survived lynching.

They survived segregation.

They survived laws designed to keep them poor, powerless and invisible.

And yet they still believed in a better America.

They fought in every American war. They built cities, railroads, businesses, churches, schools and communities. They created music, literature, inventions and movements that transformed the world. Black people have always loved America enough to demand that America become what it promised to be.

That is why I do not celebrate blindly.

I reflect. I remember. I question. I challenge. I honor those who came

before me.

I honor the Black men who were never called “founding fathers” but who helped build the foundation of this nation with their labor, sacrifice and blood.

My refusal to celebrate is not an act of hatred. It is an act of honesty.

I cannot celebrate 250 years of freedom without acknowledging 250 years of struggle.

I cannot wave a flag without remembering those who were denied the protection of that flag.

I cannot sing of liberty without remembering those who lived and died without it.

America’s birthday should not only be a celebration. It should be a reckoning.

It should be a moment when the nation asks itself whether it has fulfilled

its promise of liberty and justice for all.

For me, the Fourth of July is not about fireworks.

It is about truth. It is about memory.

It is about unfinished business.

And while I may not celebrate America’s 250th birthday in the traditional sense, I do celebrate the resilience of Black people.

I celebrate our survival. I celebrate our faith. I celebrate our excellence.

I celebrate our determination to keep pushing America toward its highest ideals.

Perhaps, one day, America will fully become what it declared itself to be in 1776.

When that day comes, my celebration will be complete.

Until then, I will continue to speak the truth, honor my ancestors and work for a future worthy of their sacrifice.

Meta (Facebook) / Michael Eugene Johnson

Michael Eugene Johnson is creator of the Pikes Studio Cinema and cofounder of Black Men Unifying Black Men. Thank you, and may God bless our community and guide this nation toward justice.

America at 250: Time for white history month policing—benefited from the broader slave economy, and united across class lines to defend a dehumanizing and racist racial hierarchy.

By Aswad Walker For decades, a familiar refrain has echoed from certain corners of white America whenever February rolls around: “Why isn’t there a White History Month?”

The standard, and entirely accurate, rebuttal from Black folk has been that since the white worldview and its protagonists dominate textbook curricula, media, and institutional power, every month is effectively White History Month.

But as the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, it’s time to reconsider the proposition from a radically different angle. Truth is, white Americans actually know very little about their real history. They’re well-versed in a sanitized mythology of pioneer grit and founding fathers but profoundly ignorant of the structural mechanics that built their dominance. Black people in America, by contrast, have always had to study white history with razor-sharp precision just to survive it.

As the nation marks a quarter-millennium, it’s past time to grant that old request. Let’s inaugurate a White History Month—not to celebrate myths, but to finally examine the unvarnished history of whiteness in America.

Slavery: A white thing

A foundational pillar of this curriculum must be the recontextualization of chattel slavery. For generations, slavery has been marginalized

Legacy of institutional disenfranchisement

Courtesy photo

Aswad Walker serves as associate editor for The Houston Defender. as a “Black history issue.” In reality, U.S. slavery is primarily a quintessential chapter of white history. It’s the story of what white people were/ are capable of doing to other human beings for economic gain.

The system was exponentially more brutal than even the most horrific mainstream descriptions convey, relying on a regime of calculated torture, forced labor, human trafficking, and systematic family separation. Crucially, this was not the work of a few bad actors. While only a minority of white southerners formally owned enslaved people, the broader white population actively sustained the system.

They served on “slave patrols”—the direct predecessors of modern-day American

Beyond the antebellum era, a White History Month would illuminate the relentless, multi-generational institutional efforts to block Black advancement.

When slavery ended, white-dominated legislatures quickly engineered the convict leasing and sharecropping systems, effectively re-enslaving Black labor. In the 20th century, the federal government structured its social safety net to primarily benefit white citizens. Black agricultural and domestic workers were initially denied access to Social Security. The GI Bill, which launched millions of dirt-poor white World War II veterans into the middle class through subsidized college tuitions and mortgages, was systematically denied to Black veterans by local administrators.

Add to this a history of purposeful medical apartheid—from denying Black patients access to hospitals to conducting state-sponsored medical experiments like the Tuskegee Syphilis Study—and the narrative of a fair, colorblind trajectory falls apart.

Wealth theft and meritocracy myth

The most enduring American fiction is that of meritocracy—the

idea that wealth is purely the result of hard work, and poverty the result of laziness. A true study of white history completely shatters this illusion, revealing 250 years of affirmative action for white people.

Consider the Homestead Act of 1862. The federal government granted 160 acres of public land to predominantly white western settlers for a nominal filing fee. In today’s real estate value, that asset transfer equates to giving those families over $1 million each to kickstart their generational wealth.

Conversely, whenever Blackfolk achieved brilliant self-sufficiency, white supremacy intervened through domestic terrorism. In places like Tulsa, Okla.; Rosewood, Fla.; East St. Louis; and Elaine, Ark., white mobs—often aided by local police and state militias—murdered thousands of Black citizens and burned thriving communities to the ground.

What wasn’t destroyed was stolen, including over 12 million acres of Black-owned farmland seized through coercion, legal fraud, governmental backing, and violence over the course of the century.

The perspective shared by countless civil rights historians can be summed up as follows: The wealth gap in America was not created by a lack of Black industriousness, but by a continuous legacy of white state-sanctioned theft.

The living past and the way forward

This history remains entirely relevant today. The past isn’t dead, nor is it even past. The massive contemporary racial wealth gap is the direct, mathematical consequence of these historical policies.

Yet, by whitewashing this narrative, American society allows anti-Black tropes to persist, poisoning the minds of white, Latino, Asian, and Black citizens alike with a suffocating undercurrent of anti-Blackness.

Will exposing this history change the hearts of those committed to white supremacy? Probably not.

Hell, the principal author of Project 2025—widely viewed as one of the most anti-Black legislative playbooks in decades—was a white man who majored in history with a focus on African American Studies.

Clearly, knowledge alone does not guarantee empathy or justice.

Ultimately, a White History Month isn’t about waiting for white America to change. Black folk can’t afford to hold their breath waiting for a moral awakening. It’s about setting the historical record straight for the well-being and clarity of the entire nation. Facing the truth of America at 250 isn’t an act of division—it’s the only honest way to understand the country we actually live in. What we do with that truth is another matter.

This commentary was originally published by The Houston Defender.

Women of color shape our past and future

By Dr. Sharon M. Holder It’s time to recognize the enduring impact of women of color leadership across history and in the present day.

From Harriet Tubman and Shirley Chisholm to today’s leaders in science, politics and culture, women of color continue to shape movements, institutions and communities through courage, collaboration and vision.

We should pause and honor the women whose courage, intellect and leadership have shaped our world. This year, that invitation feels especially urgent. We are living in a time when history is being rewritten, when DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) is being recast as a threat, and when the stories we choose to uplift matter more than ever. The stories of women of color must be centered, celebrated and carried forward with intention.

For centuries, women of color have been architects of progress, even when history tried to confine them to the margins. They have

led movements, built institutions, transformed culture and expanded the boundaries of justice, leadership and community. Their contributions are not postscripts; they are landmarks. Yet too often, their brilliance has been acknowledged only in hindsight. We have a chance to correct that imbalance, not only by remembering the past, but by recognizing their leadership unfolding before us.

This legacy lives in Harriet Tubman, whose courage and strategic brilliance transformed the Underground Railroad into one of the boldest freedom operations in American history. In Barbara Jordan, whose moral clarity reshaped the nation’s understanding of justice and constitutional responsibility. In Madam C. J. Walker, expanding both the beauty industry and the economic horizons of Black women. It dances in Josephine Baker, who challenged racism and resisted fascism. In Ida B. Wells and Dolores Huerta, who wielded truth and determination in

pursuit of justice. In Chien-Shiung Wu, whose experiments altered science, and Shirley Chisholm, whose political courage expanded the very definition of leadership.

These women did more than break barriers; they built new worlds.

A powerful throughline in the leadership of women of color is how they lead: collaboratively, creatively, relationally, and with deep responsibility to community.

Their leadership is grounded not in hierarchy but in connection, in the belief that progress is something we build together.

We see this in Kamala Harris, whose presence expands the boundaries of possibility; in Ketanji Brown Jackson; in Oprah Winfrey; and in Toni Morrison, who insisted that the interior lives of Black women are essential to the human story. It resonates in Simone Biles and Serena Williams, redefining strength through excellence and self-belief.

Today, women of color continue to drive breakthroughs in medicine,

technology, the arts, politics and environmental justice. Their leadership appears not only in boardrooms or public office, but in mentorship, advocacy, and the daily navigation of systems never designed for them.

The spirit shines in Mae Jemison and Ellen Ochoa; in Michelle Obama; and in the brilliance of Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, and Christine Darden, whose work helped launch a nation into space.

Celebration is important, but it is not enough. Honoring women of color requires intentional action rooted in equity. It means creating environments where their voices are valued, challenging the biases that shape who is recognized, and ensuring progress is shared.

Let us honor women of color not as symbols, but as leaders whose work continues to guide us. When we uplift women of color, we honor history and shape the future.

This commentary was originally published by The Minnesota Spokesman Recorder.

Photo courtesy of LinkedIn / Dr. Sharon M. Holder

Dr. Sharon M. Holder lives in South Carolina. She holds a PhD/MPhil in gerontology from the Center for Research on Aging at the University of Southampton, UK.

The opinions on this page are those of the writers and not necessarily those of the AFRO. Send letters to The Afro-American ∙ 233 E. Redwood Street, Suite 600G Baltimore, MD 21202 or fax to 1-877-570-9297 or e-mail to editor@afro.com

July 4, 2026 - July 10, 2026 The Afro-American A5

BET Awards Continued from A3 Rhone also used the moment to urge the music industry to protect artists as artificial intelligence reshapes the business.

“We make the algorithm.

The algorithm doesn’t make us,” she said. “We must honor the musician. We must compensate the creator.”

Obama

Continued from A1 that centers on the lives and careers of the former first couple.

Aside from Michelle Obama’s dresses, exhibits on the Obama White House and a replica of the Oval Office are also on view for visitors seeking to see themselves behind the Resolute Desk. Other galleries trace Barack and Michelle Obama’s lives before the presidency, the civil rights movement that shaped their political journeys and the 2008 and 2012 presidential campaigns. Exhibits also examine the administration’s legacy on issues including health care, civil rights and gun violence prevention.

Among those attending the festival was Eartha Robinson, a member of the Heartfelt Education Through the Arts Foundation, a nonprofit in North Hollywood, Calif., that provides an arts education to youth from diverse backgrounds. After an exclusive tour of the museum, Robinson shared her impressions with the AFRO. “What I love about it is that we are in politics, we’re in

She concluded by calling on the industry to ensure the next generation of artists has the opportunity to create “the songs that will change the world.”

Druski opens BET Awards with dramatic entrance

Druski made a grand entrance to kick off the BET Awards on June 28, descending from the rafters in a harness as a choir filled the theater with a rendition

of Kirk Franklin’s “Revolution,” setting the tone for a night celebrating music, comedy and culture.

The comedian and digital creator made history by becoming the youngest host of the ceremony.

The show’s opening performances featured Kehlani, who sang “Folded” with Jamie Foxx and his daughter, Anelise Estelle Foxx, on guitar.

Don Toliver also performed his hits “E85” and “Body.”

Accepting the award for best female R&B/pop artist, Kehlani admitted she hadn’t prepared a speech, instead marveling that “Janet Jackson is here,” before telling the icon she was “really honored to be here” among the night’s talent.

Druski, 31, surpassed Kevin Hart, who previously held the distinction as the BET Award’s youngest host when he emceed in 2011.

Throughout the night,

Druski leaned into his comedic persona with appearances alongside Martin Lawrence and Latto. Lawrence jokingly shut down Druski’s pitch to appear in the next “Bad Boys” film before teasing his upcoming Paramount+ series, while Latto playfully poked fun at the host during one of the show’s transitions. Druski also spoofed Jay-Z’s Roots Picnic freestyle.

Druski became one of entertainment’s fastest-rising

stars through his viral sketches before expanding into sold-out comedy tours and collaborations with artists including Drake and Snoop Dogg, as well as appearances alongside figures like Tom Brady and Timothée Chalamet.

Hip-hop pioneer MC Lyte returned as the show’s announcer.

This article was originally published by The Associated Press.

real life, we’re in real time, we’re telling history, we’re in the future, we’re in the present,” she said of the museum’s exhibits. “The energy of the place is just incredible, because as you walk along, everything is just thought out, everything was placed, love is placed in it, and you can feel that energy resonate.”

Robinson expressed appreciation for the aspects of the museum that explore the country’s history.

“You have everyone that has made a difference in America, and you have the remembrance of why we are Americans,” she said. “We are reminded that we are the people who run this. The people have the power, and if the government can support that, we’d all be in a better place.”

Another attendee, Guards Jean, shared that she was inspired by how the surrounding community was kept in mind and hopes to mirror that with her community advocacy.

Jean was born in Port-auPrince, Haiti, and raised in Naples, Fla. She is vice chair of the Board of Advisors at Womenful Voice, an organization that invests in women and girls in Haiti through

providing resources for education, health and wellness, mentorship and gender equality.

“What I love the most about the Obama Presidential Center is that it’s very encompassing,” she said. “I just feel like in every aspect it really just considers the community that it serves, the South Side of Chicago, and I love that.”

She said the center demonstrates what communities need more of: accessible spaces where families can gather, learn and thrive together.

“I think spaces like this are important because they’re lacking,” Jean said. She explained that she imagined how an entire family could enter the center and find that there is something for everyone.

Jean also praised the museum for its architecture and inclusion of Black artists and designers. What impacted her most, though, was the vegetable garden.

“Seeing the vegetable garden, the way that they harvest, and they send it out to local pantry, that made me happy, [and] made me feel proud about what the work that I’m doing with

Womenful Voice, because with Womenful Voice, we do have in our future plans to build a communal garden for the community of Northeast Haiti, which is underserved, and having everything from communal garden be completely for that community,” she said. “So it just made me happy to confirm that I’m doing the right work, and it felt fulfilling. I felt like I’m doing what God has called me to do.”

For Jeremy Reed, one of the center’s tour guides, the excitement surrounding the opening is clear in interactions he has with visitors and coworkers each day.

“The energy here is so positive,” Reed said. “Everyone is so nice.”

Reed said one of his favorite parts of working at the center is watching guests leave inspired by what they experienced.

“The history and knowledge that this place contains is very contagious,” he said.

“If you have not visited the Obama Presidential Center, make this a summer trip, a fall trip, maybe even a winter trip. Put this on your to-do list, and I’ll see you when you get here.”

On the exterior of the Obama Presidential Center museum are words taken from President Obama’s speech marking the 50th anniversary of the march from Selma to Montgomery, Ala. Visitors can look at the words onto the South and West sides of Chicago at the museum’s final floor.

AFRO Photo / Victoria Mejicanos

A6 The Afro-American July 4, 2026 - July 10, 2026

Black voices underscore the lifesaving value of regular HIV testing

By D. Kevin McNeir Special to the AFRO Americans around the country highlighted National HIV Testing Day (NHTD) on June 27. The day encouraged Americans to focus on self-compassion and respect by taking charge of their sexual health under the theme, “Level Up Your Self-Love: Check Your Status.”

of HIV status is the first step toward accessing resources like Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis, known as PrEP (a medication that can prevent the contraction of HIV), or prompt treatment if necessary.

Locally, in the Greater Washington area, Us Helping Us People Into Living, Inc. (UHU) held free, confidential rapid HIV and STI testing at two participating Walgreens loca-

“No one should want to pass the virus on to others, so getting tested is essential.”

— Harvey Sears Routine HIV testing serves as a critical means of maintaining one’s overall health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that individuals ages 13 to 64 get tested at least once, with annual screenings for those at higher risk.

And because Black men in America face higher risks of infection and systemic barriers to care, knowledge

tions in Maryland on June 27.

UHU, established in 1985 with a group of volunteers, has two locations in the D.C. area that provide a mental health clinic among other services. In addition, UHU’s staff remains committed to offering health equity for underserved and marginalized populations in the metropolitan area.

According to the CDC, in 2022,

AP Photo/Themba Hadebe

Decades after the onset of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, experts and those infected with the disease say testing is crucial in the fight to stop new transmissions of the virus. an estimated 1.2 million people in the U.S. were living with HIV, while another 13 percent of people with HIV were unaware of their status.

An estimated 40 percent of new HIV diagnoses are transmitted by those who are unaware of their status.

HIV testing is the pathway to connect people with care and help them remain healthy regardless of their test result. Those who test positive can begin antiretroviral therapy to stay healthy. People who have a

negative test can learn how to access HIV prevention options that include PrEP and condoms.

Black men weigh in on the benefits of getting tested regularly for HIV Harvey Sears, 57, who lives in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., learned that he was HIV-positive in 2002 after first contracting shingles. The diagnosis prompted him down a healthier path.

“After my doctor gave me the medicine I needed and I began to

heal, I was advised to get tested for HIV because shingles is often an alert that you’re HIV-positive,” Sears said. “No one should want to pass the virus on to others, so getting tested is essential.”

“With advances in medicine, HIV/AIDS is no longer a death sentence,” he continued. “For me, taking my meds and taking better care of myself have given me a more positive outlook on life. Supposedly, researchers are close to a cure. But in the meantime, people like me can look to the future with optimism.”

Like Sears, Jerry White, 63, who lives in Bronx, N.Y., tested positive for HIV in 1997. He said he’s learned a lot about maintaining a better health regimen and is a staunch advocate for practicing safe sex.

“Getting tested regularly is important because if you are positive, you can expect your body to change as the virus replicates,” White said. “Unfortunately, with the new medications like PrEP, people have become more complacent. As for the younger generation, they don’t understand the seriousness of this disease. They weren’t around when people with HIV/AIDS were dying in record numbers with no hope of surviving the virus.

“Yes, we can live longer but we have to educate and protect ourselves,” White said. “Having an open, honest conversation with your sexual partner is critical. And it’s always a good idea to wear a condom every time you engage in sex.”

Why hasn’t FDA recalled Black hair products with toxic chemicals?

By Tashi McQueen Special to the AFRO A second Consumer Report (CR) investigation has found that the issue of toxic chemicals in hair extensions, which are primarily used by Black women, to be more of a widespread issue than originally thought.

The new study, released on Feb. 26, CR discovered that not only has synthetic hair been found to have the toxic chemicals, but human hair extensions as well. Prompted by reader requests for CR to test human hair, researchers found it contained higher levels of lead, showing that switching to human hair does not necessarily make users safer.

Even the tiniest amount of lead can be extremely toxic for the human body, especially within children. Lead exposure has the ability to disrupt all the functions of the body, including a person’s digestive, nervous, respiratory and reproductive systems, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Carcinogens found in human hair

Toward the end of 2025, CR tested 30 products, which included human, plant-based and additional synthetic braiding hair not previously tested for heavy metals like lead and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

VOCs are potentially harmful chemicals that easily evaporate into the air and can cause health problems, including liver damage and cancer.

Lead was discovered in 29 of the 30 products tested, with human hair containing the most. Only Dosso Beauty’s synthetic Kanekalon fiber braiding hair was found to have no detectable levels of lead.

The AFRO reached out to Dosso’s Beauty for comment, but did not receive a response.

The original report, released on Feb. 27, 2025, sparked significant concerns over the quality of hair products largely marketed toward and used by Black women and girls.

Consumer Reports tested 10 of the most popular synthetic braiding hair products in the U.S., finding that nine contained detectable levels of lead and all 10 contained VOCs.

Newer laws strengthen FDA powers over cosmetics-will they use it?

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which used to have a limited level of authority of cosmetics, now, through the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act of 2022 (MoCRA), has the increased authority to ensure that cosmetic products are safe for consumers.

“The FDA’s authority over cosmetics was lacking,” said Dr. Gerome Burke Jr., a medical toxicologist with FDA experience and a contributor to drugwatch, a consumer health information website. “They followed rules based on a law passed in 1938. Under the law, the FDA did not have the power to enforce product recalls from a company (e.g., makeup, shampoo or synthetic braiding hair). If the company refused, the FDA’s only other option was to take the company to court with a lengthy and expensive court battle.”

Burke said the MoCRA was the most significant update to cosmetic law in more than 80 years.

“Now, cosmetic companies must register with the FDA and report adverse effects from their products,” said Burke. “Most importantly, If the FDA determines a product is dangerous, it can order a company to recall it. The company can be fined by the FDA if they do not comply.”

Heather Bustos, an FDA regulatory attorney, helped lay out the recall process and some of the challenges that come with it.

“The recall process itself has different phases,” said Bustos. “It begins with a health hazard evaluation and classification (Class I, II or III) based on the severity of the risk.

If a product is found to pose a serious health threat, the FDA can now, under MoCRA, compel a recall.

However, the agency often relies on

manufacturers to initiate voluntary recalls and enforcement actions can be delayed by political, scientific or procedural hurdles.”

The FDA responded to the AFRO’s inquiries into why they have not issued a widespread recall of the toxic hair. They acknowledged having the authority to act against companies using harmful chemicals, but emphasized they need reliable evidence that a product fails to meet the legal safety requirement before taking action.

“If the agency determines that there is a reasonable probability that a cosmetic is adulterated or misbranded and the use of or exposure to the cosmetic will cause serious adverse health consequences or death, the FDA has the authority to order a mandatory recall if the responsible person refuses to do so voluntarily,” said an FDA spokesperson. “It is against the law to use any ingredient that makes a cosmetic harmful when used as intended, and the FDA has regulations that specifically prohibit or restrict the use of certain ingredients in cosmetics. The FDA can also take action against cosmetics on the market that are in violation of these laws, as well as companies and individuals who market such products.”

To that point, the CR report notes that when synthetic hair is heated—as encouraged by words on the physical packaging of many hair brands—VOCs are released into the air, activating the harmful chemicals.

The FDA highlighted that they have a list of prohibited and restricted ingredients, including carcinogens, and limits for the amounts of certain ingredients in cosmetics due to their potentially harmful nature.

Though the FDA may have responsibility for overseeing cosmetics regulations, hair products such as extensions and wigs can fall under other federal agencies, meaning the FDA is not the sole authority over it. Other agencies that share some responsibility in regulating hair products, depending on their use and

Unsplash/Alex Robinson

Braiding hair products marketed to Black women and girls are under scrutiny after tests reveal dangerous chemicals, such as carcinogens and lead, in the hair. The findings raise safety concerns as the FDA has yet to issue a recall. safety concerns, include the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

Mitchell J. Katz, senior public affairs specialist for the FTC, told the AFRO that the agency’s focus is on product claims, ensuring they are not deceptive or misleading to consumers, as required under the FTC Act. “If the Commission has brought any actions against the manufacturers or sellers of a certain product we would issue a press release announcing it, and in the time I’ve been here, I don’t remember an action related to this specific type of product,” said Katz. “That being said, the FTC takes potentially deceptive or misleading advertising seriously, and if consumers feel they are being misled about the claims being made for this or any product, we’d encourage them to file a complaint on our website, ftc.gov.”

The AFRO reached out to the CPSC but did not receive a response in time for publication.

Burke highlighted the different ways this issue can be addressed.

“Several governing bodies have the ability to take action,” he said.

“Individual state attorneys general can bring lawsuits against companies to stop the product sales within their states. This action by one state could pressure a company into a

nationwide recall.”

Will state leaders step up?

Though state attorneys general like Anthony Brown in Maryland have acted on harmful chemicals such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), their authority is limited regarding toxic hair products.

Many states lack clear regulations on carcinogens and lead in synthetic braiding hair, leaving little room for enforcement.

New York, however, is one state that has successfully taken action.

Lawmakers recently passed a law to increase awareness of harmful chemicals in hair products and give the state’s attorney general the power to hold companies accountable.

The “Beauty Justice Act,” introduced in March 2025 and signed into law in November 2025, requires synthetic braiding hair, weaves and extensions sold in the state to list all ingredients and display warning labels for harmful chemicals.

Even Congress has some kind of authority to take action on toxic hair products.

“The U.S. Congress has the power to pass a law that could outright ban a specific ingredient or product type,” said Burke. “This has occurred on several occasions such as asbestos and synthetic dyes, like Red 3 and Red 40.”

July 4, 2026 - July 10, 2026 The Afro-American A7

LeBron hits free agency: James not returning to Lakers, plans to play 24th season elsewhere

By By Tim Reynolds LeBron James is leaving the Los Angeles Lakers, which means another decision awaits.

A mere 16 years after his first famed “decision” — the one that saw him leave Cleveland for Miami — James is getting ready to change uniforms once again. He has told the Lakers that his eight-year run with them is over and that he’ll play a record-extending 24th NBA season elsewhere.

James has made clear many times in recent years that more championships are his motivation, which means it’s almost certain he’ll pick a team that he believes can contend for an NBA title in 2027. Golden State is believed to be on his list, though there are certainly some who will wonder if reunions with Cleveland and Miami are possible. Or, perhaps, a new landing spot awaits such as San Antonio, where he could partner with 7-foot-4 global megastar Victor Wembanyama.

“I’ve done it all. I’ve seen it all,” James said when the Lakers’ season ended in May — after what was his last game with the franchise. “Just being able to compete and trying to win championships, I think that’s a motivating factor.”

The first half of his decision is complete: He’s back for at least one more year, which means his family agreed to that part of the plan — James had said his wife Savannah and 12-year-old daughter Zhuri would have big says in whether or not he continued to play.

His next decision — where to

play — is among the biggest dominoes that will fall during the NBA’s offseason player movement window, alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo being traded by Milwaukee to Miami.

The Lakers released a statement on June 30 thanking James for his eight seasons with the club.

“LeBron James is one of the greatest athletes in history,” said Jeanie Buss, part of the Lakers’ ownership group. “We will always be thankful for his eight years with the Lakers, including the title he led us to in 2020 under the toughest imaginable circumstances, and the countless records he broke in purple and gold. We wish him all the best in the future, both on the court and off.

He will always be a cherished part of the Lakers family.”

ESPN, citing James’ longtime agent and Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, first reported James’ plans.

What happens now

James can begin talking officially to new clubs after 6 p.m. EDT on June 30, when the league’s free agent period opens. He will not be able to sign with a new team until the league’s offseason moratorium is lifted on July 6.

The momentum toward Golden State seemed to pick up when longtime Warriors forward Draymond Green did not exercise his $27.6 million option for this coming season earlier this week in large part to allow his team flexibility to make other roster moves. It doesn’t mean Green won’t be back in Golden State — all indications are that he will — but it gives the team options.

“Personally, I’m always willing

to work with the team on whatever is best, especially at this point in my career,” Green said on the latest episode of his podcast, which was released June 30. “So my decision to opt out was for a few reasons.

As you all know, I’ve always taken the approach of working with the organization. I’ve been in one place for 14 years. It’s more of a family to me than anything.”

Golden State is a franchise James faced four times with Cleveland in the NBA Finals. He also has close relationships with Green, Stephen Curry and Warriors coach Steve Kerr; Curry was his teammate and Kerr was his coach for USA Basketball’s run to the gold medal at the 2024 Paris Games.

James spent eight seasons with the Lakers, the longest he spent in one stint with one NBA team and led them to the 2020 NBA championship. He became the NBA’s all-time points leader while wearing a Lakers uniform and surpassed a slew of other records while in purple and gold.

He spent the first seven years of his career in Cleveland, then left for four years in Miami where he won the first two of his four championships. That was followed by another four-year stint with the Cavaliers (so he had 11 years there total), and in 2018 he joined the Lakers.

A career like none other

James is the NBA’s oldest active player; he turns 42 in December. He was the first player in league history to log 23 seasons; he’ll add at least one more to that this season. He also became the first player in the league to have a son as a teammate, with

AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill

After eight seasons in Los Angeles, LeBron James is moving on from the Lakers, setting the stage for another major free agency decision in his legendary NBA career.

Bronny James playing alongside him with the Lakers.

The list of James’ accolades to this point are beyond comparison.

He’s a 22-time All-Star, a 21-time All-NBA selection, a four-time Most Valuable Player, a four-time NBA Finals MVP, a three-time All-Star Game MVP, and was part

of the NBA’s 75th anniversary team.

He’s coming off a season where he averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 7.2 assists per game, and for his career, he’s averaged 26.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 7.4 assists in more than 1,600 games.

This article was originally published by The Associated Press.

African teams and supporters bring success and history lessons to the World Cup

By Briannia Robinson brobinson@afro.com and Morgan Carpenter mcarpenter@afro.com AFRO Interns African soccer is enjoying its strongest FIFA World Cup performance ever, with a record nine of the continent’s 10 representatives advancing to the knockout stage of the expanded 2026 tournament.

Those nations are Morocco, South Africa, Egypt, Ivory Coast, Cape Verde, Algeria, Ghana, Senegal and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo). Tunisia was the only African nation eliminated during the group stage.

The historic performance comes four years after Morocco became the first African nation to reach a World Cup semifinal in 2022, marking what many players, coaches and officials have described as a new era for African soccer.

The expanded 48-team tournament also gave Africa its largest World Cup representation in history, increasing from five teams in previous tournaments to 10 in 2026. The strong showing has strengthened the case for greater recognition of African soccer while demonstrating the continent’s growing depth beyond traditional powers such as Morocco and Senegal.

Morocco has already continued its historic run, defeating the Netherlands in a penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw on

June 29 to advance to the Round of 16. The Atlas Lions erased a late deficit before prevailing on penalties, continuing the momentum from their semifinal appearance in Qatar.

Although South Africa and Ivory Coast were eliminated in the Round of 32 by Canada and Norway, respectively, several African nations remained in contention as of this week’s July 1 print deadline.

With several African nations still alive, the continent has an opportunity to surpass Morocco’s historic semifinal appearance and continue rewriting World Cup history.

The tournament has also become a platform for African supporters to celebrate their countries’ histories and national identities.

Protest continues off field

Before DR Congo’s Group K match against Colombia in Zapopan, Mexico, on June 23, Congolese supporter Michel Nkuka Mboladinga arrived dressed as Patrice Lumumba, the country’s first democratically elected prime minister following independence from Belgium in 1960. Mboladinga has become known for standing still during the DR Congo’s soccer games with his arm raised to replicate the Lumumba statue in Kinshasa.

The protest has earned him the name “Lumumba Vea,” or “Lumumba Lives.”

Lumumba became one of

AP Photo/Gregory Bull

Canada’s Jonathan David (front) and South Africa’s Mbekezeli Mbokazi battle for the ball Jonathan David, Mbekezeli Mbokazi during the World Cup round of 32 soccer match in Inglewood, Calif., near Los Angeles, June 28, 2026.

Africa’s most influential independence leaders by advocating for national unity, political independence and Congolese control of the country’s natural resources. Following independence, however, the nation descended into political turmoil.

Lumumba was removed from office, arrested and assassinated on Jan. 17, 1961.

Subsequent investigations found Belgian officials bore significant responsibility for the events leading to his death, with the alleged involvement of other powers, such as the United States.

More than six decades later, Lumumba remains one of Africa’s most enduring symbols of anti-colonial resistance,

national sovereignty and self-determination.

Despite being included in DR Congo’s delegation, Michel Nkuka Mboladinga has only been able to attend one tournament match in Mexico.

He has been restricted from traveling to the United States after his visa application was denied ahead of the opening match between Portugal and Uzbekistan. He has been left stranded in Mexico due to issues related to the ebola outbreak in the DR Congo.

Instead, fellow fan Enock Kabwende, has taken up the Lumumba Vea protest, keeping the martyr’s name alive on the international stage during the World Cup.

Michel Nkuka Mboladinga / AP Photo Natacha Pisarenko

Congolese supporter Michel Nkuka Mboladinga poses dressed as the country’s slain independence leader, Patrice Lumumba, before the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s World Cup match against Colombia in Zapopan, Mexico, on June 23. Other fans took up his protest after his visa to enter the United States was denied.

A8 The Afro-American July 4, 2026 - July 10, 2026

BALTIMORE AREA

Photo courtesy of Baltimore Civic Fund

Marvin James speaks with the AFRO about his decision to leave Baltimore City Hall after seven years of service, saying his new role at Martin-Lauer Associates will allow him to build on relationships and skills developed in public service.

Marvin James, senior advisor for The B-side of Baltimore: 19th Annual Baltimore Office Boundary Block Party bridges music, fun of the Mayor, joins and community Martin-Lauer Associates Director Regina Carr leads the Baltimore All Stars Marching Band through the crowd gathered for the 19th Annual Boundary Block Party on June 27.

By Andrew Hall AFRO Intern Ahall@afro.com

No Boundaries coalition hosted its 19th Annual Block Party on June 27.

Each year, the event highlights the “B-side” of Baltimore. Not the side that makes local and national headlines, but the lesser known scenes woven into the fabric of the city. This year, residents from the West Baltimore community joined together for an afternoon of fun, music, performance and more.

The block party opened with comments from various speakers, including Kireem Swinton, president and CEO of Visit Baltimore.

“We recognize that everything is about the people we work for—the people we love,” said Swinton.

As leader of Charm City’s official destination marketing organization (DMO), Swinton’s job is to ensure that visitors, jobs, economic opportunities, key partnerships, services and more come to Baltimore.

“You want to see the truth behind the B-side,” said Swinton. “Just like a classic record, the A-side is the story that everyone tried to tell about Baltimore,

By D. Kevin McNeir Special to the AFRO

Lauren “Bemi” Byrd enjoys the music and vendors of the 19th Annual Boundary Block Party. but we want to build our own narrative.”

The warm, summer evening was complete with kickball and dodgeball games, music from DJ Cray-Zay and resources offered by local nonprofit organizations and small businesses.

Lauren “Bemi” Byrd, a resident of Bolton Hill, expressed her excitement to eat barbecue from Chef Ziggy and to

watch performances from Davon Fleming and more.

“I really appreciate and love the work that No Boundaries does in our district of central West Baltimore,” said Byrd.

“It’s really exciting to be able to partake in this space today with the natural Continued on A10

West Baltimore law office of Juanita Jackson Mitchell opens

By Megan Sayles AFRO Staff Writer msayles@afro.com Beloved Community Services Corporation (BCSC), a community development organization led by Rev. Alvin C. Hathaway Sr., hosted a ribbon-cutting and dedication ceremony for the restored law office of civil rights trailblazer Juanita Jackson Mitchell in West Baltimore’s Upton neighborhood on June 26.

Mitchell, who was the wife of NAACP lobbyist Clarence M. Mitchell Jr., was the first Black woman to practice law in the state of Maryland.

The building will soon house the University of Maryland, Baltimore’s Rebuild, Overcome and Rise (ROAR) Center, which offers free Continued on A9

Courtesy photo

The restored law office of Juanita Jackson Mitchell, the first Black woman to practice law in Maryland, will soon be home to the University of Maryland, Baltimore’s Rebuild, Overcome and Rise (ROAR) Center. The hub will provide free legal and mental health services to survivors of crime in Baltimore.

Marvin James, who previously served as chief of staff for Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott and currently serves as a senior advisor, announced July 1 that he has accepted a position as an equity partner with Baltimore-based firm Martin-Lauer Associates.

In an exclusive interview with the AFRO, the 38-yearold Baltimore native spoke with optimism about his future while also reflecting on his seven years of service in city government.

“Martin-Lauer is one of the preeminent political consulting and fundraising firms in the country and I’m excited to take the skills I have acquired in my years with the City of Baltimore to my new position,” said James, who added that he first began to contemplate a transition to the private sector in April.

Since being founded in 1991 by Colleen Martin-Lauer, the firm has established a reputation for helping to elect numerous Democrats in Maryland while also providing fundraising and compliance services to non-profit organizations.

James said he’s confident that his business acumen will serve him well in his new role.

“Throughout my professional career, I have routinely interacted with

2

Past 7 days

elected officials, their respective communities, and those who support them and their platforms,” James said. “Not only will I take those relationships which I have forged with me, but I also bring an understanding of how to provide actual strategies for those vested in politics.”

“The people who support Mayor Scott are all about doing the right thing and standing up for those in our community who are often unheard and ignored,” James said. “But when you support people like that, power structures become upset. In my opinion, it’s that simple.”

James said he believes recent attacks against him are part of an ongoing agenda to discredit the mayor and his achievements.

“There are those in Baltimore who want to change the public’s perception about the mayor, especially when it comes to how he has found innovative ways to reduce crime and improve public safety,” James said. “Mayor Scott made an early commitment to securing a relationship with organizations known for their ability to hit the streets and to effectively communicate with those who the establishment would rather ignore. True to his word, the mayor has invested in those organizations.”

“In my seven years being Continued on A9

49 2026 Total as of 7/1

July 4, 2026 - July 10, 2026 The Afro-American A9

Nicole Earle makes history as first woman, first Black chair of Maryland Racing Commission

By Victoria Mejicanos AFRO Staff Writer vmejicanos@afro.com Nicole Earle is making history at the Maryland Racing Commission, becoming both the first woman and the first Black person to serve as chair of the commission since its founding in 1920.

“Nicole Earle is the right leader at the right time and I am proud to appoint her as Chair of the Maryland Racing Commission,” said Gov. Wes Moore in a press release.

“This appointment is a historic milestone for Maryland and I am confident her expertise and experience will guide her while leading our horse racing industry.”

Earle’s appointment comes at a critical moment as the Pimlico Race Course and Laurel Park undergo redevelopment.

“It’s personally and professionally rewarding,” said Earle, who previously served one year on the commission.

“I’m deeply honored. I feel the weight of the appointment, considering just how large this industry is, and how important it is for Maryland in general.”

Earle said the Maryland Racing Commission oversees health and safety standards, enforces racing rules and ensures the integrity of wagering operations.

One of Earle’s priorities is to continue to maintain Maryland’s strong safety record while also increasing awareness of the many job opportunities the industry provides.

“Health and safety of the horses are really important, and the jockeys as well,” she said.

Earl added that 99.7 percent of horses that raced in Maryland last year completed all their activities safely due to rigorously upheld local and federal safety standards.

“We’re proud of that achievement, and the goal, particularly, of the MRC, is to ensure that we maintain that

record and improve if possible,” she said.

Earle also hopes to diversify and sustain the industry by introducing it to younger generations. She noted that the industry extends far beyond jockeys and trainers to include veterinarians, business professionals, marketers and several other occupations.

She said that horse racing supports 28,000 jobs and $1.2 billion in wages in Maryland.

“A lot of people may just see the horses and the jockeys and think that’s it,” she said. “But there’s so many different careers. If you want to take the medical track and be a veterinarian, if you want to be on the business side, the business side behind any industry is so vast. And I think a lot of young people don’t recognize that.”

Another major goal for Earle is to engage with key stakeholders through listening sessions and farm tours to better understand the

Courtesy photo

Nicole Earle is working with Gov. Wes Moore to sustain and improve the racing industry in Maryland, which contributes $1.2 billion in wages in the state. concerns of those involved in Maryland racing.

“Being that this is a new role for me, one of the things I think that’s really important when you take on a new

role is to make sure that you listen more than you speak,” she said.

As a Park Heights resident, Earle said the redevelopment of Pimlico makes the work

especially meaningful. She shared that she hopes her work will represent her community well and help sustain the industry and thrive for generations to come.

hoto courtesy of Beloved Community Services Corporation

Rev. Alvin C. Hathaway, president and CEO of Beloved Community Services Corporation (BCSC), speaks to the crowd during the ribbon-cutting and dedication ceremony for the historic law office of Juanita Jackson Mitchell on June 26. BCSC is leading the restoration of the building.

Law office

Continued from A8

legal, case management and mental health services to survivors of crime— a mission Hathaway says reflects Juanita Jackson Mitchell’s legacy.

“When Beloved Community Services Corporation acquired the property, we knew of its history. We knew that it was Juanita Jackson Mitchell’s law office, and we knew the services and the strategic meaning of that space,” said Hathaway. “Our goal is to not only restore

James

Continued from A8 connected with the mayor, I have never responded to any accusation from any entity,” James said. “I have always remained focused and determined to ensure that the work I’ve been asked to do on behalf of the citizens of

it but, in her spirit, provide legal services to that community once again.”

Juanita Jackson Mitchell began operating her law office out of a rowhome on the 1200 block of Druid Hill Avenue in 1950 after becoming the first Black woman to graduate from University of Maryland School of Law. Over her decades-long career, she was instrumental in lawsuits that helped to eliminate segregation in parks and public schools across Baltimore and the state of Maryland.

Keiffer Mitchell Jr., grandson of Juanita Jackson

Mitchell, said his grandmother would have been overjoyed at the ceremony.

He recalled visiting her office as a young person—noting that she often extended her work hours to the weekends for families to have greater access to services.

“She wanted to make sure that the office was accessible to the people in the community and that she was there to help in any way she could,” said Keiffer Mitchell Jr..

“Hats off to Rev. Hathaway and the entire project team for honoring my grandmother by restoring that building.”

When BCSC acquired Juanita Jackson Mitchell’s office in 2022, the building was in severe disrepair after 20 years of sitting vacant.

The nonprofit teamed up with construction industry veteran Marty Glaze to rehabilitate the property.

“We were able to maintain and retain the historic exterior architecture, including the woodwork of the storefront, its doors and cornices,” said Hathaway. “Marty Glaze and his construction team did an amazing job transforming that building. When we purchased it, there was nothing

but a roof. It had no floors or interior.”

Now the restored office is part of a larger renaissance in the Upton neighborhood, which was once one of the most prominent, affluent African-American communities in the country. The community’s revival has been marked by several major developments in recent years, including the opening of the Justice Thurgood Marshall Amenity Center at P.S. 103 and the ongoing renovation of the historic Upton Mansion by Afro Charities—which will house the AFRO’s extensive

archives.

Hathaway hopes the revitalization efforts will inspire younger generations to carry the momentum forward.

“When you take a step back and see the amount of investment that is now coming into a concentrated area, you can tell that this community is on the upswing,” said Hathaway. “I think what’s important about it is that we have to tell our story so that the new generation understands that they have a responsibility to grab the baton and run their leg of the race as well.”

Baltimore City gets done.”

The AFRO reached out to the Baltimore City Office of the Inspector General (BCOIG) and asked if they were mounting any investigations into allegations or concerns about Marvin James.

Deputy Inspector General Matt Neil said, “As part of our standard process, our office neither confirms

nor denies the existence of investigations.”

James said he remains supportive of the mayor’s agenda as well as his goal to have zero murders occur in Baltimore City.

“There will always be different ideas on the best way to execute any policy agenda,” James said. “But it’s pretty clear that not only did

the mayor significantly bet on the Community Violence Interruption organization, but that his decision is paying off.”

Mayor Scott expressed his appreciation for the work done by James while working for the City.

“I am deeply proud of Marvin and excited for this next chapter in his work on

behalf of our city, our state, and our country. Throughout his time in city government, he has been a tireless advocate for our city and the vision we laid out when I first told him I wanted to run for Mayor,” said Scott, in a statement sent to the AFRO. “He has been at the forefront of every historic success, every emergency response, and

every challenging moment of this administration, offering his insightful perspective and relentless energy. While we will deeply miss him in city government, his impact will be felt for years to come in City Hall, and I know that I will continue to be able to count on him to fight for Baltimore no matter where this new role takes him.”

A10 The Afro-American July 4, 2026 - July 10, 2026

Roca Baltimore celebrates growth and second chances at Night of Elegance

By Kendra Bryant Special to the AFRO M&T Bank Stadium’s The Trust club hosted Roca Baltimore’s “Night of Elegance” on June 26 to celebrate 20 young men for their growth and commitment to the program.

The event’s black-tie dress code was inspired by a program member’s confession that he had never worn a suit.

“He didn’t just want for me to purchase him one, but to create a venue for all of them to attend while wearing one,” said Tyrone Kent, director of Roca Baltimore. “When you have a young man and get him out of his comfort zone to put on a suit and a pair of dress shoes, the behavior changes. Even though we may not look at it as deep–it is.”

Sharp Dressed Man and K&G Fashion Superstore donated suits to Roca members for the evening, with tailoring services provided by Brian Collins.

“People don’t understand, they think it’s just a suit, but it’s the character [that it builds],” said Kent.

“This is the beginning of what we want to do on a regular basis. When you dress the part, you play the part and the way you think is different.”

Roca Baltimore was founded in 2018 with a mission to relentlessly disrupt violence by engaging young people, police and systems to heal trauma, find hope and drive change for young men aged 18-24.

The organization began a five-year, $300,000 partnership with the Baltimore Ravens in 2024.

“These young men deal with dayto-day traumas and have to continue

AFRO Photo / Kendra Bryant

M&T Bank Stadium takes Roca Baltimore event attendees on a private tour of the Baltimore Ravens locker rooms. to go back into that environment,” said Kent. “With their trust, we build transformational relationships and encourage them to believe in themselves. We create a safe space for them to fail, but we continue to push and support them. This is what it looks like when you have patience and believe in the mission.”

More than 80 percent of Roca members have four or more of the following risk factors: no employment history; involvement with the criminal justice system; drug, street and gang involvement or an incomplete high school education.

“I was always a juvenile delinquent,” said Myron Green, a Roca member. “You could never get me out of trouble. But Roca had a relentless effort and they kept on trying. I would always try to avoid them and I never wanted to be a part of the program because I felt like I could do it all by myself. But when times got

hard, I realized I couldn’t. I’ve seen a change in myself mentally, physically and financially. I want to have a career; and they’ve given us plans and training on different levels to where we can make more money than settling for a minimum wage job.”

The program bases its teachings on cognitive behavioral therapy, a technique that assists with communicating emotions and changing thinking patterns.

“I learned how to label my feelings,” said Manuel Brown, a Roca member. “I learned how to be present, focus on the here and now. I learned how to act on my values. I have bigger and better things to worry about instead of doing the same stuff I was doing in the previous years.”

Brown joined Roca after being arrested in 2021. When he was released, he was instructed to become a member of the program. After being rearrested and learning that

he would soon become a father, he decided to give the program a true chance.

“I really wasn’t active at first because I didn’t want to change,” said Brown. “But after being locked up again, I decided I had a plan. I wanted to go to prom and graduate. The program staff came to my house and had a deep conversation with me, asking me, “Is this what you want?

Do you want to change?”

Since then, Brown earned his high school diploma and has worked consecutively for 18 months since his incarceration.

Despite Baltimore’s efforts to decrease youth crime, there is still ongoing discourse among media outlets and political figures about the prevalence of juvenile crime.

According to the Abell Foundation, a Baltimore-based organization, if crime by young people nationally or in Baltimore was “out of control,”

it wasn’t apparent in the arrest data provided by the Baltimore Police Department. Despite statistical evidence suggesting that youth offenses in Baltimore City have not increased compared to pre-pandemic levels and that reported youth crime may be low compared to historic norms, there is a persistent public perception that crime involving young people is increasing.

“We purposely reach out to the high-risk young men because we want the people in the city to know that those young men that we deem to be high risk are only [high risk] because we didn’t give them opportunities to change,” said Kent. “We didn’t put them in positions to do something different, so our program allows that.”

Along with vocational training and transitional employment, Roca also assists members with food and housing needs.

Block Party Continued from A8

habitat and the wildflower space. So I definitely wanted to come out and be a part of the vibes today.”

When asked why people should come to next year’s block party, Byrd noted what the event has to offer.

“Come see what your community has to offer. I think so often people have negative feedback because they haven’t had a chance to engage in all of the different things available to them,” Byrd said. “I think people tend to miss out on little gems like this—a block party that they didn’t look twice at—that had resources, entertainment, food, community vendors and networking opportunities.”

As people entered from Etting Street, they were greeted by organizations sharing resources to help community members be healthy, gain housing and more. April Wickliffe, an information referral specialist for Baltimore City Health Department’s Division of Aging, described the importance of organizations like hers attending the block party.

“It is definitely important and essential for us to be out here because we offer resources and services for older adults, seniors, those who are aging and people who are disabled,”

Baltimore-based rapper Lor Xay Xay, 12, poses after a performance for the crowd.

Information referral specialist April Wickliffe shares resources from the Baltimore City Health Department’s Division of Aging.

Wickliffe told the AFRO. “We want to get the word out and let them know that there are services here from our agency that can assist them with their day to day needs, emergency services and in-home care.”

She continued by explaining why organizations should connect not just with their community members, but also with each other.

“It has been a great experience.

I’ve been introduced to some knowledge from different organizations, nonprofit organizations that I wasn’t aware of,” noted Wickliffe. “I was also able to share my agency’s information with other agencies so that we can all best partner with our communities.”

In addition to grassroots organizations, small business owners could also be found promoting their products and services. Jamari Crump, owner of Lemontopia, detailed her block party experience.

“This is one of my annual events.

This is actually my fourth time with No Boundaries, and I just really enjoy the event. The community is always really informational, really nice and caring,” Crump said. “It’s always at a different park or neighborhood, so you get to showcase your business to different communities, but also get to see what different communities offer.”

Onlookers were treated to lively performances from the Baltimore All Star Marching Band and Lor Xay Xay, a 12-year-old rapper from

Baltimore.

Lor Xay Xay told the AFRO he enjoyed the energy of the crowd during his performance.

“It felt good,” he said. “I’ve been doing this since I was a little kid, so it’s like second nature to me.”

Performing alongside his parents and little sister, Lor Xay Xay said music is his passion and he plans to continue pursuing it long term.

Rhonda Carr, director for the Baltimore All Stars, also spoke with the AFRO. She detailed the mission of her marching band.

“We’re a community based organization, so we’re always giving back.

We have people from West Baltimore, Randallstown, Owings Mills, Woodlawn, Pikesville. We take kids from five all the way to people in their 80s,” explained Carr. “We do whatever we can to keep the kids off the street, and help with community outreach. Going to events helps them to see all the good out there, so that’s why we marched today.”

Carr gave credit to her mom, Johnnie Alston, for instilling her love for dance and band. Alston, who co-founded the Baltimore All Stars Marching Band in 2003, said it’s a great feeling to watch her band perform in spaces like the Boundary Block Party.

Partners for this year’s event were the Black Arts District, Visit Baltimore and Druid Heights Community Development Corporation.

All AFRO Photos / Andrew Hall

Olufunmike Butterfly Woods, a longtime figure of the arts scene in Baltimore, speaks to those gathered on June 27 in West Baltimore for the 19th Annual Boundary Block Party.

Lemontopia owner, Jamaria Crump, connects with the community over sweet treats and lemonade.

Kireem Swinton, president and CEO of Visit Baltimore, addresses attendees of the 19th Annual Boundary Block Party on June 27.

Each year the event is hosted by the local nonprofit, No Boundaries Coalition.

July 4, 2026 - July 10, 2026 The Afro-American A11

With love from Baltimore: Appreciation reception honors Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie

By Deborah Peaks Coleman The Baltimore community presented “With love from Baltimore: An Appreciation Reception” honoring Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie on the occasion of her 40th Anniversary as national chaplain of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. (DST). The Ruby Celebration of Service was held on May 31 in downtown Baltimore with guests including sorority members, representatives of the faith community, business sector and community organizations.

Bishop McKenzie, a native of Baltimore, served as the national spiritual leader from 1985 until 2025 and now holds the distinction of being National Chaplain Emerita.

During the appreciation

reception, tributes were presented by family, faith leaders and national Delta Leaders.

Members of the faith community saluting Bishop McKenzie were Apostle Leah White, founder of Sisters in Ministry International; Bishop Dwayne C. Debnam, Senior Pastor and Dr. Carla Debnam, First Lady of Morning Star Baptist Church; and Bishop John R. Bryant, retired bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church.

Past National President Dr. Thelma T. Daley, served as honorary chairperson of the event and presented greetings; Rev. Dr. Frances “Toni” Draper, publisher and CEO of AFRO News, presented a tribute on behalf of the Murphy Family. Applauding Bishop McKenzie from the

national leadership of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. were past national presidents Rev. Dr. Gwendolyn E. Boyd and Elsie Cooke-Holmes, Eastern Regional Director Dr. Marie Durandisse Pressley, and the International President and CEO Cheryl W. Turner.

The first woman to be elected bishop in the African Methodist Episcopal Church, Bishop McKenzie is now a retired bishop who holds another key leadership position; she is the president and general secretary of the National Council of Churches.

All photos courtesy of LaTonia Sanders

Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie gives remarks at her Ruby Celebration of Service.

Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Past National President Dr. Thelma T. Daley, addresses the audience.

The Murphy Family poses for a photo: On front row, from left to right: Lyric Hamilton; Rachael Humphrey; Jeannelle Perkins; Christina Hamilton and Susan Barnes. On back row, from left to right, Andrea Evans; Joi-Marie Lewis; Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie; Dr. Frances “Toni” Draper and Qiana Gabriel. All are direct descendants of Delta Founder Vashti Turley Murphy.

International President and CEO of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Cheryl W. Turner, salutes the honoree.

National Delta leaders offer applause for Bishop McKenzie; National Secretary Wendy J. Johnson (left), Eastern Regional Director Dr. Marie Durandisse Pressley, 28th National President Elsie Cooke-Holmes, the honoree, National First Vice President Rosie Allen Herring, 16th National President Dr. Thelma T. Daley, 22nd National President Rev. Dr. Gwendolyn E. Boyd.

Rev. Sheila Claiborne (left), of Greater Faith Baptist Church, and Joi Marie Murphy McKenzie Lewis, daughter of Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie, share a moment.

Kendall Isadore performs along with other members of The Sister Band. Not shown here, Candra Rutledge on bass, Kim Jordan on keys and Dr. Nicole Hale on drums.

Alumnae Chapter Presidents of Baltimore present artwork, entitled “Undaunted” by Kathi Earle Ross, M.D., as appreciation gift to the honoree. The work “Undaunted” commemorates the Delta Founders participation in the historic Suffrage March of 1913.

Shown here, Lisa Dagnatchew (left) (Baltimore County Alumnae) and Geraldine E. Finch (Baltimore Alumnae).

Bishop John R. Bryant, regarded as Bishop McKenzie’s father in ministry, gives a tribute to the honoree.

A12 The Afro-American July 4, 2026 - July 10, 2026

WASHINGTON AREA

Instagram

Chef Martel Stone is the winner of the 2026 RAMMYS Rising Culinary Star of the Year award.

Black chefs, restaurants recognized at 2026 RAMMYS Awards

By Victoria Mejicanos AFRO Staff Writer vmejicanos@afro.com The Washington, D.C., culinary industry celebrated its top chefs and restaurants at the 44th Annual RAMMYS Awards and Gala on June 29. Black culinary talent took home some of the night’s highest honors.

The RAMMYS, hosted this year at Arena Stage at The Mead Center for American Theater, are one of the most prestigious awards in the hospitality industry for the D.C. region. Judges are anonymous and are members across all types of media with expertise in the restaurant industry. There are also publicly voted categories.

One of the winners, Tsehay in Adams Morgan, made history as the first Ethiopian restaurant to win a RAMMY. They were named “Casual Restaurant of the Year.”

In a post on Instagram following the win, restaurant leadership thanked guests and

acknowledged the weight of the history-making honor.

“DC is home to the largest Ethiopian community outside of Ethiopia, and for decades the Ethiopian restaurants here have fed this city, built this community, and laid every brick of the road that made tonight possible — long before anyone outside our community was paying attention,” said the statement posted to the restaurant’s social media page. “We’re standing on their shoulders, and we carry that with a lot of pride and a lot of humility.”

Chef Martel Stone, chef de cuisine at Dōgon by Kwame Onwuachi, won Rising Culinary Star of the Year. In a speech at the ceremony, he thanked Onwuachi for opening the restaurant and giving an opportunity to showcase his talent and the food.

The night’s recognition extended beyond the winners, with several Black chefs and restaurants earning nominations in some of the RAMMYS Awards’ top

Carolyn DuBose dies at 93

By Briannia Robinson AFRO Intern brobinson@afro.com

Instagram

Selam Gossa is the owner of Tsehay, an Ethiopian restaurant in the Adams Morgan area of Washington, D.C. The restaurant makes history as the first Ethiopian restaurant nominated for a RAMMY Award and to win in this category. categories.

Chef Kwame Onwuachi and Chef Eric Adjepong were both finalists for Chef of the Year. Elmina, led by

Adjepong, and Marcus DC, led by chef Marcus Samuelsson, were among the finalists for New Restaurant of the Year.

D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation brings residents free fun with weekly Thursday movie nights

By Morgan Carpenter AFRO Intern mcarpenter@afro.com Laughter echoed throughout Ward 8’s Yard Park on June 25 as the smell of popcorn wafted through the warm air. Members of the community enjoyed the free snack along with a screening of “Bad Guys 2.”

Residents of all ages across Washington, D.C., can spend Thursday evenings under the stars this summer as the District’s Department of Parks and Recreation hosts weekly outdoor movie nights designed to bring residents together through free entertainment and community activities.

The weekly gatherings are part of the department’s

Carolyn Dubose/ Photo courtesy of Regina Dubose

Family and friends are still mourning the death of Carolyn Dubose at age 93.

AFRO Photo / Morgan Carpenter

Residents gather in Washington, D.C., at Yards Park for the first Thursday Movie Night Continued on A13 of the summer, hosted by the District’s Department of Parks and Recreation.

Carolyn DuBose, an accomplished journalist, author, public relations specialists and longtime contributor to AFRO News, died peacefully on June 5 in Arlington, Va., at the age of 93.

DuBose was born on Jan. 20, 1933, in Enfield, N.C. She was the only child born to Robert L. Powell and Laura Bell Powell, highly respective business owners whose enterprises served as important pillars of the local Black community.

From an early age, DuBose demonstrated intellectual curiosity, leadership and creativity. Described as an outstanding student, she studied French and continuously excelled academically being awarded as both valedictorian and salutatorian through her school career. She was also elected three times as May Queen, reflecting the admiration she received among her peers and community.

A 1954 graduate of Hampton Institute, now known as Hampton University, DuBose cultivated her passion for writing as a member of the reporting staff of the Hampton Script.

Throughout her college years, she became a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. This marked the beginning of a lifelong commitment to scholarship, service and sisterhood that would span more than seven decades. During her time at Hampton Institute, she was active in literary and social organizations and became part of a memorable “mother and daughter team” when her mother enrolled at the

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Past 7 days

university alongside her.

DuBose’s professional journey reflected a rare combination of creativity, intellect and service to her community. After serving 20 years of service with the Department of Defense at the Pentagon, she returned to her lifelong love for journalism.

As a freelance reporter and writer, she became a crucial contributor to AFRO News, the Washington Star, The Washington Post, Ebony Magazine and Jet Magazine.

Throughout her years with Johnson Publishing Company, she worked closely with her hearing impaired friend, the late Simeon Booker, the legendary Washington bureau chief whose reporting helped shape modern Black journalism.

Her talents extended beyond reporting. Carolyn wrote documentary scripts for the U.S. Information Agency, spent time serving as a staff writer for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and worked as a public relations specialist for several prominent organizations, including Ofield Dukes & Association, the American Freedom Train Foundation and the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Dedicated to public service and civic engagement, Carolyn served as press secretary to members of Congress, including Congressman Charles C. Diggs Jr., the first African American elected to Congress from Michigan. She later founded Barton Publishing Housing and became the author of “The Untold Story of Charles Diggs,” an important historical account that preserved the legacy and contributions of a pioneering political leader.

Continued on A13

46 2026 Total as of 7/1

July 4, 2026 - July 10, 2026 The Afro-American A13

Prince George’s County leaders launch Environmental Crimes Task Force to stop illegal dumping

By Victoria Mejicanos AFRO Staff Writer vmejicanos@afro.com Prince George’s County officials have launched a cross-agency Environmental Crimes Task Force to combat illegal dumping in the area. The effort has already led to multiple charges and several active investigations, according to a press conference earlier this month.

The effort brings together law enforcement, public works, environmental officials and other county departments. All involved will play a part in investigating dumping incidents, identifying suspects through surveillance footage and community tips. Leaders say criminal or civil penalties will be sought against violators.

Prince George’s County Executive Aisha Braveboy said illegal dumping isn’t just about appearances.

“I know firsthand that illegal dumping is not a victimless crime,” said Braveboy. “It degrades neighborhoods. It creates environmental hazards. It attracts additional blight and criminal activity. It lowers property values, and it damages community pride.”

Braveboy added that it places an extra burden on taxpayers, who ultimately bear the cost of removing illegally discarded waste from roadsides and public spaces.

Melvin Powell, deputy chief administrative officer for public safety and homeland security, said the task force was created to bring multiple county agencies together under one coordinated effort to track and investigate instances of illegal dumping through surveillance.

“We put together a team to ensure that we not only clean up Prince George’s County for those folks who thought it was okay to dump, but we’ve also put this task force together to ensure that we are able to find you,” said Powell.

“We’ll identify you, we’ll track you down, and we’ll work with our prosecutors to ensure that you pay fines, penalties, and even incarceration where it’s needed.”

Assistant Chief George Nichols said fines can range from $1,500 for small, minor household items to $30,000 for larger commercial items, with potential for imprisonment depending on the quantity.

County leaders are also calling on residents to report illegal dumping when they see it. Officials said tips submitted through Crime Solvers may be eligible for rewards of up to $250. Residents who witness illegal dumping in progress should call 911, while existing dump sites can be reported through the county’s 311 system.

Movie night Continued from A12 ongoing effort to provide free recreational programming throughout the summer while encouraging residents to explore local green spaces.

“Parks are a big part of it, and we recognize that one thing we can do is activate the park space,” said Thennie Freeman, director of the District’s Department of Parks and Recreation.

The series welcomes residents of all ages to Yards Park for screenings of popular films, including the recently released biopic “Michael.” Before each movie begins, attendees can participate in activities inspired by that week’s featured film. From creating superhero capes to making slime and singing karaoke, organizers hope the events offer more than just a movie by creating opportunities for families, friends and neighbors

Prince George’s County Executive Aisha Braveboy speaks during a press conference announcing the county’s new Environmental Crimes Task Force, which officials say will combat illegal dumping through enforcement and community reporting. Deputy Chief Administrative Officer for Public Safety and Homeland Security, Melvin Powell (right), says those who illegally dump will face legal consequences if caught.

Unsplash / Marija Zaric

Prince George’s County leaders are taking action to solve the issue of illegal dumping. Officials say everything from fines to jail time will be pursued for those who trash communities and roads across the county.

Residents watching the press conference commented on the need for the task force and highlighted issues related to illegal dumping in their areas. Jai Jai Bradley commented on Facebook, “Thrift Road in Clinton is horrible. It’s been business to connect.

“It’s always something to accompany the movie,” Freeman said, when asked how the activities are selected.

One of the department’s primary goals is to create safe, engaging opportunities for teenagers during the summer months.

“This is their city, and we don’t want them to not participate in their city. We just want them to participate in activities in their city safely,” Freeman said.

Teen attendee Gracie Lathers said the program gives young people positive opportunities to gather.

“This is giving us places to go,” Lathers said.

Another teen attendee added, “Leave the drama at home — just vibe.”

Freeman said the department has seen strong community interest in the movie nights. In the past, attendance grew over the summer with each session.

“We don’t do RSVP required.

vans with names on them dumping.” Roger Richardson suggested that the county extend its services for the landfill so that it’s open on Sundays. Bernice Simmons simply commented, “I pray this stops.”

Officials highlighted several

Later in the summer, finding a seat is going to be nearly impossible,” Freeman said. “They get extremely popular.”

The department has hosted several other free community events, including public watch parties for international soccer tournaments and NFL playoff games.

“We’ve done the World Cup… and watched the Commanders in the playoffs,” Freeman said.

From July 9 to Aug. 20, attendees are encouraged to bring blankets or lawn chairs and enjoy a summer evening outdoors with a movie and members of the community. The events are free and open to residents and visitors, making the series an accessible entertainment option for families, teens and young adults looking for affordable summer activities.

Residents can check the Department of Parks and Recreation’s website and social media pages for weekly movie schedules, locations, activity information and weather-related updates.

legal options for dumping.

“There is absolutely no reason why you should be dumping on the side of the road,” Sam Moki, director of the Department of Environment, said. “We have all the services, we have all the

DuBose Continued from A12 Carolyn was more than her professional achievements, she was a woman of faith, culture and deep community engagement. She was an active member of the Trinity Episcopal Church, a dedicated member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc, and a co-founder of the Northern Virginia Chapter of the National Hampton Alumni Association. She was an eager reader, world traveler and a devoted lover of arts who took journeys to Rome, Paris, London and a variety of other locations. One of her most memorable experiences was her visit to Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre and Shakespeare’s childhood home.

Well known for her elegance, intelligence, discretion and warmth, Carolyn continuously inspired many generations through her strength, wisdom and encouragement of others.

Through her writing, public service, community leadership and personal relationships, she directly left an

resources that we’re providing to the community.”

Moki said the county operates convenience centers and hosts collection events for items such as electronics and household hazardous waste. impactful mark on countless lives.

She was preceded in death by her late husband, George Howard DuBose Jr.; brothers-in-law Marion T. DuBose (late Gwendolyn) and Jacques C. DuBose; and beloved parents Laura Bell Powell, Robert L. Powell and stepfather, Chester McWilliams (late life remarriage).

Left to cherish her memory are her daughters Sharon D. DuBose, Jo Hilda DuBose Spence and Regina A. DuBose; son, George H. DuBose III (Judy); sisters-in-law Kitrena DuBose Foster (late Al) and Tullulah DuBose Pickens (late William); grandchildren, Elliott G. Lee (Ashley), George Brennan DuBose, Christina E. Lee, Briana L.DuBose, and Carla M. Spence Zatratz (Chris); great-grandchild, Callaway Zatratz; nieces Geowana Price, Terri Foster, Jihan Key (Kendrick), Nakia Alexander (Wesley), and Amanda Pickens-Ewell (Quincy); nephews, Xavier DuBose (Van), Jacques DuBose (Ruth) and William Pickens, Jr.; a host of great nieces, nephews, and cousins, and many lifelong and dear friends.

A14 The Afro-American July 4, 2026 - July 10, 2026

‘WAHALA’ premiers at Howard University

By Patricia McDougall Special to the AFRO A screening and conversation with the creatives behind “WAHALA,” a new sitcom, was held at Howard University Armour J. Blackburn University Center on June 26.

The new offering is centered around African storytelling, and humorously shows the differences between African and American culture. The screening had the audience laughing and engaged.

Prior to the screening a reception was held, and after audiences enjoyed the show, they were treated to a question and answer period.

AFRO photos/ Patricia MacDougall

Sharon Brown speaks after the screening of “WAHALA.” Cast members Mary Solafia (left), Dr. Kathi Muhammad (back, center) and Producer Mia Speight speak with audience members after a screening of “WAHALA” at Howard University.

Funlayo Alabi (left), Lydia Nylander and Fajingbesi share a moment at the screening of “WAHALA.”

Dr. Genie Purchas-Tulloch speaks during the question and answer period of the “WAHALA” screening.

Lucy Murphy (left), Verna Avery-Brown and Naomi Carrington-Hockman (right) arrive for the screening.

Constance Mwalagho (left) and friend, Marie Jeannette Ayissia, come together for an evening of Black excellence in the creative arts.

Anna “Mama Africa Anna” Mwalagho (left) enjoys the screening with her husband, Brandon Green, and son, Olufemi Mwalagho-Green.

Angelle Kwemo (left) and Winnie Yagan enjoy a reception prior to the screening.

Kevin Onyona, CEO and president of Swahili Village Group speaks at Howard University.

CeLillianne Green, D.C. poet, lawyer and professor at Howard University, speaks to those gathered on June 26 at Howard University.

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July 4, 2026 - July 10, 2026 The Afro-American A15

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BALTIMORE CLASSIFIEDS LEGAL NOTICES

LEGAL NOTICES

LEGAL NOTICES

City of Baltimore DEPARTMENT OF GENERAL SERVICES NOTICE OF LETTING

BOARD OF LIQUOR LICENSE COMMISSIONERS FOR BALTIMORE CITY NOTICE—SPECIAL AD – JUNE 17, 2026

Sealed Bids or Proposals, in duplicate, addressed to the Board of Estimates of the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore and marked for PRJ000889 – Harford Senior Renovation & Envelope Upgrades, will be received at the Office of the Comptroller, Room 204, City Hall, Baltimore, Maryland until 11:00 A.M. on WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 5, 2026. Board of Estimates employees will be stationed at the Security Unit Counter just inside the Holliday Street entrance to City Hall from 10:45 A.M. to 11:00 A.M. every Wednesday to receive Bids.

Petitions have been filed by the following applicants for licenses to sell alcoholic beverages at the premises set opposite their respective names.

The real property for these applications will be posted on or about June 22, 2026. Written protests concerning any application will be accepted until and including the time of the hearing. Public hearings may be scheduled on or after July 2, 2026 at 10:30 AM in the Liquor Board Hearing Room, located at 200 St. Paul Place, Suite 2300, Baltimore, Maryland 21202.

Please visit baltimorecity.gov/llb under the link for “Hearing Schedules” for confirmation of the date, time, and place for all matters being heard by the Board.

Positively no bids will be received after 11:00 A.M. The bids will be publicly opened by the Board of Estimates in Room 215, City Hall at Noon. Bid opening proceedings can be also viewed live at https:// www.charmtvbaltimore.com/live-stream at 12:00 noon. Bid tabulation sheets detailing the bids received will be publicly posted to the Comptroller’s website by COB on the date of bid opening.

1. CLASS “B” BEER, WINE & LIQUOR LICENSE Applicant: Sunday Social Brunch, LLC T/a Sunday Social - Jeffeary Miskiri and Nick Barbera Petition: New restaurant license requesting live entertainment and outdoor table service Premises: 2 E. Wells Street, Suite 116 21230 (City Council District: 10th; State Legislative District: 46th)

The Contract Documents may be purchased for a non-refundable cost of $100.00 by contacting Lauren Hoover at lauren.hoover@ baltimorecity.gov as of FRIDAY, JUNE 19, 2026.

Conditions and requirements of the Bid are found in the bid package.

City of Baltimore DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

All contractors bidding on this Contract must first be pre-qualified by the City of Baltimore Boards and Commissions. Interested contractors should call 410 396-6883 or contact the Office of Boards and Commissions at 4 South Frederick Street, 4th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21202. If a bid is submitted by a Joint Venture (“JV”), then in that event, the documents that establish the JV shall be submitted with the bid for verification purposes.

The Prequalification Category required for bidding on this project is E13001 – THREE STORY AND UNDER.

Citywide Traffic Signal Reconstruction & Pedestrian Crossing Sector 1 Public Meeting Join us to review proposed citywide traffic and pedestrian safety improvements. This meeting will cover upgrades to traffic signals and pedestrian crossing beacons, enhancements to ADA accessibility, and related sidewalk and roadway modifications.

TR19309, TR17305, TR25301 Citywide Traffic Signal Reconstruction & Pedestrian Crossing

The Cost Qualification Range for this work shall be $3,000.000.01 to $4,000,000.00

PUBLIC MEETING

Principal Items of work for this project are: 1. Interior Renovation of the Harford Senior Center The MBE goal is 24% The WBE goal is 10% CONTRACT NO. PRJ000889 APPROVED: M. Celeste Amato Clerk, Board of Estimates

Receive regular updates via Facebook, “X” formerly known as Twitter at @BmoreCityDOT.

APPROVED: Berke Attila Director, Department of General Services

BOARD OF LIQUOR LICENSE COMMISSIONERS FOR BALTIMORE CITY NOTICE—SPECIAL AD – JUNE 17, 2026

Veronica McBeth, DIRECTOR DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Citywide Traffic Signal Reconstruction & Pedestrian Crossing Sector 2 Public Meeting Join us to review proposed citywide traffic and pedestrian safety improvements. This meeting will cover upgrades to traffic signals and pedestrian crossing beacons, enhancements to ADA accessibility, and related sidewalk and roadway modifications.

TR19309, TR17305, TR25301 Citywide Traffic Signal Reconstruction & Pedestrian Crossing PUBLIC MEETING Monday, July 27, 2026 6:00p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Enoch Pratt Free Library Walbrook Branch 3203 W North Ave. Baltimore, Maryland 21216 If you have any questions, comments or need special accommodations, please contact dotengagement@baltimorecity.gov subject line Citywide Traffic Signal Sector 2 Or call 410-396-6802 Accommodation requests should be received by Monday, July 17, 2026

Petitions have been filed by the following applicants for licenses to sell alcoholic beverages at the premises set opposite their respective names.

The real property for these applications will be posted on or about June 22, 2026. Written protests concerning any application will be accepted until and including the time of the hearing. Public hearings may be scheduled on or after July 2, 2026 at 10:30 AM in the Liquor Board Hearing Room, located at 200 St. Paul Place, Suite 2300, Baltimore, Maryland 21202.

Please visit baltimorecity.gov/llb under the link for “Hearing Schedules” for confirmation of the date, time, and place for all matters being heard by the Board.

1. CLASS “B” BEER, WINE & LIQUOR LICENSE Applicant: Sunday Social Brunch, LLC T/a Sunday Social - Jeffeary Miskiri and Nick Barbera Petition: New restaurant license requesting live entertainment and outdoor table service Premises: 2 E. Wells Street, Suite 116 21230 (City Council District: 10th; State Legislative District: 46th)

A

• Accessibility: New ADA-compliant ramps and sidewalks for wheelchairs, walkers, and strollers.

• Infrastructure: Added crosswalks and modernized mast-arm traffic signals.

• Streetscape: Updated curbs, gutters, and tree pits were needed.

TR23301 Frederick Ave ADA Improvements PUBLIC MEETING Wednesday, July 15, 2026 6:00p.m. to 7:15 p.m.

Bon Secours Community Resource Center 31 S. Payson Street Baltimore, Maryland 21223 If you have any questions, comments or need special accommodations, please contact dotengagement@baltimorecity.gov subject line Frederick Ave ADA Or call 410-396-6802 Accommodation requests should be received by Monday, July 8, 2026 Receive regular updates via Facebook @BmoreCityDOT, “X” formerly known as Twitter at @BmoreCityDOT, Instagram at @BmoreCityDOT Veronica P. McBeth, DIRECTOR DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION City of Baltimore Department of Finance Bureau of Procurement Sealed proposals addressed to the Board of Estimates of Baltimore will be Received until, but not later than 11:00 am local time on the following dates for the stated requirements.

July 15, 2026 Supply & Delivery of Bulk Chemicals (Assorted)- RFQ-000770 August 5, 2026 Professional Mitigation and Restoration services- RFQ-000829 August 5, 2026 Baltimore City Ferry Boat Design-Build Project- RFQ-000808 ENTIRE SOLICITATION CAN BE VIEWED AND DOWNLOADED BY VISITING THE WEBSITE: cityservices.baltimorecity.gov/suppliers/ bid-opportunities BOARD OF LIQUOR LICENSE COMMISSIONERS FOR BALTIMORE CITY NOTICE—SPECIAL AD – JUNE 30, 2026 Petitions have been filed by the following applicants for licenses to sell alcoholic beverages at the premises set opposite their respective names.

The real property for these applications will be posted on or about July 20, 2026. Written protests concerning any application will be accepted until and including the time of the hearing. Public hearings may be scheduled on or after July 30, 2026 at 10:30 AM in the Liquor Board Hearing Room, located at 200 St. Paul Place, Suite 2300, Baltimore, Maryland 21202. Please visit baltimorecity.gov/llb under the link for “Hearing Schedules” for confirmation of the date, time, and place for all matters being heard by the Board.

1. CLASS “BD7” BEER, WINE & LIQUOR LICENSE Applicant: The Hidden Gem Bar & Grill, LLC T/a Trade Name Pending - Michael Davis and Dorian Tate Petition: Transfer of ownership with continuation of live entertainment and outdoor table service, requesting offpremises catering and delivery of alcoholic beverages Premises: 6506-10 Belair Road 21206 (City Council District: 2nd; State Legislative District: 45th)

August 27, 1962 - May 29, 2026

Frederick Nigel “Nic” Lewis, 63, of Washington DC passed away on Friday, May 29, 2026 at his home.

A memorial service will take place at 11 AM on Saturday, June 13, 2026 at Maddox Funeral Home, 105 W Main Street, Front Royal, Virginia 22630. The family invites guests to visit one hour prior to the service.

Mr. Lewis was born on August 27, 1962 in Dumfries, Virginia to the late Frederick Lewis and the late Peggy Brooks Porter.

IN Independent. Fearless.

Community-centered.

Independent. Fearless.

Community-centered.

Survivors include his two brothers, Jeffrey Lewis of Lowell, Massachusetts and George Porter of Warrenton, Virginia; sister, Kimberly Lewis of Alexandria, Virginia and numerous extended family members and friends.

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O. C O M . S R F C

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Project Highlights:

Frederick Nigel “Nic” Lewis

Veronica McBeth, DIRECTOR DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

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Join us to hear how DOT is enhancing safety and accessibility on Frederick Avenue by rebuilding sidewalks and ramps to meet ADA standards.

In Loving Memory

Obituary

Receive regular updates via Facebook, “X” formerly known as Twitter at @BmoreCityDOT.

OR M ORE

Frederick Avenue ADA Improvement Public Meeting

A “Pre-Bidding information” session will be conducted at 4920 Harford Road, Baltimore, MD 21214 on TUESDAY, JUNE 30, 2026 at 10:00 a.m.

Monday, July 30, 2026 6:00p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Enoch Pratt Free Library Hamilton Branch 5910 Harford Road Baltimore, Maryland 21214 If you have any questions, comments or need special accommodations, please contact dotengagement@baltimorecity.gov subject line Citywide Traffic Signal Sector 1 Or call 410-396-6802 Accommodation requests should be received by Monday, July 20, 2026

City of Baltimore DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

City of Baltimore DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

realRoyal stories, Following the service at the funeral homeYour there subscription will be a repastfuels at Front Independent.

Fearless. local reporting, opportunities for Volunteer Fire Department, 221 North Commerce Avenue,and Front Royal.

BlackGeorge journalists.

If any inquiries concerning Nick Lewis and his assets. young Please contact Porter.

Community-centered.

540-216-1709 or leisuretimeservices@gmail.com.

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A16 The Afro-American July 4, 2026 - July 10, 2026

Payment Policy for legal notice advertisements.

Effective immediately, The Afro AmericanNewspapers will require prepayment for publication of all legal notices. Payment will be accepted in the form of checks, credit card or money order. Any returned checks will be subject to a $25.00 processing fee and may result in the suspension of any future advertising at our discretion.

For More Information Please call the number above

LEGAL NOTICES

LEGAL NOTICES

LEGAL NOTICES

LEGAL NOTICES

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION 2021ADM001166 Estate of MARGARET JAY PETRIS Deceased NOTICE OF STANDARD PROBATE (For estates of decedents dying on or after July 1, 1995) Notice is hereby given that a petition has been filed in this Court by EDWINA DARCELL BURKE-MCINNIS for standard probate, including the appointment of one or more personal representatives. Unless a responsive pleading in the form of a complaint or an objection in accordance with Superior Court Probate Division Rule 407 is filed in this Court within 30 days from the date of first publication of this notice, the Court may take the action hereinafter set forth. *admit to probate the will dated March 25, 2003 exhibited with the petition upon proof satisfactory to the Court of due execution by affidavit of the witnesses or otherwise * appoint an unsupervised personal representative

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION ADMINISTRATION NO. 2026ADM000617 LEMUEL R MARBURY aka RONALD LEMUEL MARBURY Name of Decedent Notice of Appointment, Notice to Creditors and Notice to Unknown Heirs TIMOTHY D MARBURY whose address is 5019 HANNA PLACE SE, WASHINGTON, DC 20019 was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of LEMUEL R MARBURY aka RONALD LEMUEL MARBURY who died on MARCH 13, 2026, without a Will and will serve without 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., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before DECEMBER 26, 2026, 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 DECEMBER 26, 2026 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 publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship.

Date of first publication: June 26, 2026 Name of newspaper and/or periodical: AFRO American Newspapers

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION ADMINISTRATION NO. 2026ADM000629 LOUISE JEAN GILES Name of Decedent Notice of Appointment, Notice to Creditors and Notice to Unknown Heirs VANESSA L GILES AND ANDREA CHERRY whose address(es) are 103 DARRINGTON STREET SW WASH DC 20032 / 3312 22ND STREET NE WASH DC 20018 was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of LOUISE JEAN GILES who died on OCTOBER 30, 2017, without a Will and will serve without 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., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before DECEMBER 26, 2026, 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 DECEMBER 26, 2026 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 publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship.

Date of first publication: June 26, 2026 Name of newspaper and/or periodical: AFRO American Newspapers

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION ADMINISTRATION NO. 2026ADM000640 FRANCES GATLING Name of Decedent Notice of Appointment, Notice to Creditors and Notice to Unknown Heirs ADONICA MARCHA FRAZIER whose address is 850 XENIA STREET SE, WASHINGTON, DC 20032 was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of FRANCES GATLING who died on AUGUST 13, 2025, without a Will and will serve without 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., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before DECEMBER 26, 2026, 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 DECEMBER 26, 2026 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 publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship.

Date of first publication: June 26, 2026 Name of newspaper and/or periodical: AFRO American Newspapers

Date of first publication: June 26, 2026 Name of newspaper and/or periodical: Daily Law Washington Reporter AFRO American Newspapers ROBERT N MAXWELL 300 NEW JERSEY AVENUE NW, SUITE 300 WASHINGTON, DC 20001 202.697.7731 Signature of Petitioner/Attorney

VANESSA L GILES and ANDREA CHERRY Personal Representative

TIMOTHY D MARBURY Personal Representative

ROBERT N MAXWELL Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS 6/26, 7/03, 7/10/26

TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS 06.26, 07.03.26

TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS 6/26, 7/03, 7/10/26

PRETIREMENT TAKES THE PRETIREMENT FEAR TAKESOUT THEOF FEAR OUT OF RETIREMENT RETIREMENT

ADONICA MARCHA FRAZIER Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS 6/26, 7/03, 7/10/26

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