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Volume 122 No. 22
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JANUARY 4, 2014 - JANUARY 10, 2014
Parental Involvement at D.C. School in a Class by Itself By Jazelle Hunt NNPA Washington Correspondent Stepping into the cozy parent center at Orr Elementary School in Southeast Washington, D.C. is like grabbing a cup of coffee with an old friend. On one ordinary morning long
Photo by Marlon Ray
Principal Niyeka Wilson fires up teachers before the first week of school.
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after the 8:45 a.m. late bell, three mothers chatted and laughed over a light breakfast. Another mom quietly pored over a database. A dad in the corner of the room helped himself to coffee. Adults aren’t the only ones in sight. Little ones streamed by just outside the door on their way to recess, stretching their necks for a longer look into the room, searching for familiar faces. The moms reined in adult giggles and waved at the passing students, calling a few out by name. Ten minutes later, a boisterous first grader in braided ponytails popped into the room and declared, “Mr. Ray says he needs somebody to help with recess.” Two moms hopped out of their chairs. One assured the other, “I’ve got it.” What was once a small windowless office has now become a reliable resource for parents and caregivers who need information about social services, continuing education, employment, basic computer access, a few words of advice, or, simply, a welcoming place to spend their free time in a worthwhile way. Parents who linger here operate as a corps of on-hand volunteers called “P-WAP” – Parents With A Purpose. This type of synergy might not be expected at a school like Orr, where 99 percent of the mostly-Black student body qualifies for free or reduced lunch. But including parents and families as partners in academic success has proven benefits. As education expert Karen Mapp explained, “We Continued on A3
Missing for 63 Years
Black Korean War POW Buried in L.A. Remains of Sgt. 1st Class Joseph Gantt taken to burial site By Zachary Lester and Avis Thomas-Lester AFRO Staff Writers For 60 years, Clara Gantt hoped that her husband, Sgt. 1st Class Joseph E. Gantt, might be alive, despite the fact Clara Gantt and family friend that military officials Trena Thompson at funeral. had notified her in 1951 that he was missing and presumed dead. Gantt, who was born and raised in Baltimore, was working as a medic with the U.S. Army’s Battery C, 503rd Field Artillery Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division when he was taken prisoner on Dec. 1, 1950 during the historic bloody Battle of Kunu-ri, Korea. Clara Gantt, now 94, who was married to her husband for only two years when he became a prisoner of war, was notified in 1953 that he had died of pneumonia in a POW camp on March 27, 1951. But his body was not returned to her. “She was living in military housing in Fort Lewis, Wash., when she got a telegram telling her he was dead,” said Sharon Barnes, the Gantts’ niece. “She was told that she had to move out of base housing. She moved to Los Angeles and she’s been waiting for him ever since.” Clara Gantt’s waiting ended Dec. 21 when her husband’s
Clara Gantt leaves the funeral service. Courtesy photos
remains were returned to the United States. She was reunited with him in an emotional ceremony at Los Angeles International Airport, where she wept over his flag-draped casket. His remains had been found by a Korean citizen earlier this year and after extensive DNA testing in Honolulu, they were identified by authorities. Gantt was buried before hundreds of loved ones and military officials with full honors Dec. 28 in Inglewood, Calif., where Continued on A5
Homelessness Increases in U.S. By Freddie Allen NNPA Washington Correspondent
The downturn in the economy and a lack of local resources have forced more Americans to live under bridges, in their cars and on the couches of other family members, according to a recent report on hunger and homelessness. The 25-city survey, conducted by the United States Conference of Mayors, found that more than 20
percent of homeless people that needed help over the past year didn’t get it and 71
The U.S. Conference of Mayors is a nonpartisan group that represents 1,398 cities
“71 percent of the survey cities reported that their emergency shelters were stretched to capacity.” percent of the survey cities reported that their emergency shelters, stretched to capacity, had to turn homeless families with children away.
with populations of 30,000 or more. According to a 2012 report by the Institute for Children, Poverty and Homelessness,
Black families depended on homeless shelters at a rate that was seven times higher than White families. A majority of the cities surveyed reported that unemployment, rising housing costs, and substance abuse contributed to higher homelessness rates. Although Blacks often abuse illegal drugs at similar rates as Whites, Blacks suffer discrimination in housing and hiring that often affects how and where they live. Continued on A3
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Some 25,000 people live in two hastily arranged camps for the internally displaced in Juba and nearly 40,000 are in camps elsewhere in the country.
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