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Volume 121 No. 51
July 27, 2013 - July 27, 2013, The Afro-American A1 $1.00
JULY 27, 2013 - AUGUST 2, 2013
Family of Slain Teenage Girl Speaks Out By Blair Adams AFRO Staff Writer
Diamond Williams, left, and her mother, Terrena Williams. Courtesy photo
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On a warm summer night, the Williams family was operating as normal. Terrena Williams, the matriarch of the household, was at work, daughter Diamond, 16, and son D.J.,13, were at home. Their dad, Damond Williams, who lives just a few blocks from the family, was with his girlfriend and their small children. Diamond and D.J. were on the front porch of the family home in the 3600 block of Wabash Avenue in West Baltimore when Diamond’s cell phone rang. After the call, Diamond seemed upset, D.J. would later tell his parents and police. A short time later, she left her house. It is believed to have been the last time anyone in her family saw her alive. A few hours
later, concerned that she had not responded to numerous telephone calls and texts, her mother called her father, who advised her to call police. Diamond’s father and a relative began scouring the neighborhood for the teenager. A little more than three hours after Diamond left home, Damond Williams and the relative were searching in the 3000 block of Liberty Heights Avenue, near Salon L, when the relative saw what appeared to be specks of blood on the sidewalk. A trail of blood led him to a staircase behind the salon. He shined his flashlight toward the base of the stairs and yelled for Damond Williams. At the bottom lay a crumpled mass that appeared to be a body. Damond Williams dashed down the stairs to find his daughter. Her throat had been cut
and she lay in a pool of blood. “No father should have to see his daughter like that,” Williams said. “I just have that vision stuck in my head. It’s hard to sleep.” Police said at a news conference on July 19, the day Diamond’s body was found, that the slaying was a murder suicide. Police said that shortly after they were notified by Damond Williams that he had found Diamond’s body, they had responded to a call at a basketball court in the 800 block of Turnbridge Road. There they found Shaquille “Shaq” Anthony, 19, lying dead. According to police, Anthony, of the 1200 block of Silverthorne Road in Northeast Baltimore, had walked onto the court about 1 a.m. and ordered players off. He was planning to kill himself, he Continued on A3
Family, Friends Mourn 44-YearOld Tyrone West’s Death Witnesses Claim New Grandfather a Police Brutality Victim By Krishana Davis Special to the AFRO The most audible sounds above the traffic noise were sobs and shouts from the family and friends of Tyrone West, 44, who died of unknown causes on July 18 during an altercation with police officers. Mourners gathered on the corner of Kitmore and Kelway roads on July 23 for a candle light vigil to pay their respects to West and urge neighbors to come forward in what witnesses and community organizers are calling a case of police brutality. Before the vigil began, an ambulance was called for one of West’s aunts who fainted after becoming overcome with grief. Tyrone West Jr., son of West, said his father was a good and kind-hearted person. “He wasn’t a messed up person,” said West’s son. “It didn’t take eight people… you don’t treat a person like an animal no matter what they do.” West’s daughter, Shay West, said her father did not get a
Photos by Kerrid Marcano
Tyrone West’s aunt, middle, is consoled by family members during the vigil. Left: Tears stream down the face of Neil Norris, West’s cousin, as he listens to community leaders.
Continued on A4
Trayvon Martin Case Fuels Morgan State Hosts Urban Debate Camp Anxiety for Black Moms By Krishana Davis By Yanick Rice Lamb Special to the AFRO
Wikimedia Commons
Sybrina Fulton
Denise Green has been celebrating her son’s birthday on July 26 without him for the last four years. Her son, Joseph Taylor, died after bullets intended for someone else pierced his shoulder and struck behind his ear at a Baltimore intersection in November 2009. People still pack annual memorials held on the anniversaries of Taylor’s birth and death, just as they filled the church for his home-going service. Because her son was such a giving person, Green said, she donated his organs, which have benefited a baby and six adults. “He was a good son. He was a good brother. He was a good father. He was a good friend,” said Green, who has two surviving children and six grandchildren, including Joseph’s daughter. “If he had been sick, I’d still be upset, Continued on A4
Special to the AFRO
Twenty-one high school students from Baltimore, Detroit, New York, Oklahoma and New Jersey ventured to Morgan State University on July 14 for the inaugural Eddie Conway Liberation Institute (ECLI). The three-week program, sponsored by Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle (LBS) and Morgan State’s Institute of Urban Research, brings together top African American high school debaters to develop debate skills in public policy and politics from an urban perspective. “There isn’t a debate camp that focuses on Black youth development,” said Adam Jackson, co-founder of LBS, a youth-led think tank and political action committee based in Baltimore. “Most debate leagues just discuss politics and policy, but are race neutral.” Jackson said he wants his student debaters to be able Continued on A4
Photo by Kerrid Marcano
Dr. David Wilson, Morgan president, joins the group of young debaters in the week-long camp.
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NATION & WORLD Capitol Hill Celebrates 95th Birthday of Nelson Mandela
As many countries around the world celebrate the 95th birthday of anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela, Washington, D.C. lawmakers held a celebration of his life, legacy and values on Capitol Hill. Many gathered in Emancipation Hall to honor the former South African president with song, dance, and quotes. Among the attendees were Congressional representatives including Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-Ohio), Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif). “I was profoundly moved and inspired by Nelson and Winnie Mandela,” said Waters, who was the Chair of the Los Angeles Free South Africa Movement in the 1980s. Mandela spent 27 years in South African prison before becoming the first Black president in the country’s history in 1994. During his time in prison, the Free South Africa Movement across the U.S. fought and lobbied for an end to apartheid in South Africa. Several other leaders of the Free South Africa Movement were in attendance including co-founder William Lucy, Cecelie Counts, and Mary Franes Berry. They shared stories of Mandela and what his legacy meant to their lives. “Each time I met him, I was inspired,” said Lucy. “Just to see all he went through and for him to keep fighting is an inspiration to everyone.” Excerpts from Mandela’s famed speeches were shared by 10 members of Congress. Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.), James E. Clyburn (D-S.C.) and Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) were a just a few of the 10 who read brief pieces from Mandela’s speeches. African tribal dances by the KanKouran West African Dance Company opened and closed the ceremony, and a rendition of “Happy Birthday” was sung by the Thelonius Monk Institute of Jazz Ensemble with the help of the audience. Mandela’s birthday is also known as Mandela Day. To honor Mandela Day, individuals are asked to dedicate 67 minutes to charity work to commemorate the 67 years Mandela fought for human rights in South Africa. “Nelson Mandela’s guidance, his legacy and his life will not pass out of our existence,” said South African Ambassador to the United States Ebrahim Rasool.
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Mandela has been hospitalized and on life support in Pretoria, South Africa for more than five weeks, suffering from major medical issues due to lung infections. On his birthday, he remained in critical but stable condition.
Stevie Wonder Initiates Celebrity Boycott of Florida
It started with Grammy Award-winner Stevie Wonder, but celebrities of different genres have begun to boycott performances in Florida in protest of the state’s “Stand Your Ground” self-defense law. The announcements come just days after George Zimmerman was found not guilty in the February 2012 shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Fla. “I decided today that until the Stand Your Ground law is abolished in Florida, I will never perform there again,” Wonder said in various video recordings posted to YouTube from a July 14 night show in Quebec City, Canada. “As a matter of fact, wherever I find that law exists, I will not perform in that state or in that part of the world.” Stevland Morris, better known by his stage name of Stevie Wonder, made the declaration without his classic shades, and with his eyes showing. He added that though some may have already lost their battle for justice, there is more that can be done. “What we can do is we can let our voices be heard. And we can vote in our various countries throughout the world for change and equality for everybody,” he said. “That’s what I know we can do.” O’Jays lead singer Eddie Levert was among many entertainers nationwide who said he would protest the jury’s decision. “I, Eddie Levert will not play Florida until they change their gun laws,” the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer wrote on his personal Twitter account. “I’m going to join Mr. Stevie Wonder in his boycott of Florida.” By July 18, sisters Erica and Tina Campbell of the dynamic gospel duo Mary, Mary, also announced via Twitter, that they too would boycott the state. “We will stand with Stevie Wonder and boycott Florida until the Stand Your Ground law is changed,” said the sisters. “We love our fans but we must do something.” “We understand a ‘no’ from us isn’t as big as a ‘no’ from Stevie Wonder but if all our voices join together we can really change things,” they wrote.
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The Afro-American, July 27, 2013 - July 27, 2013
July 27, 2013 - August 2, 2013, The Afro-American
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Suspect in Execution-Style Slaying Named ‘Public Enemy Number 1’
playground late on the night of and robbery charges was cut short girl friend, who was not identified July 13 in the 4600 block of Gough when he agreed to a plea bargain witnessed the shooting. Street and shot him once in the head, with prosecutors. “We are looking for Capone, he Baltimore police said July 22 execution-style, police said. Based on “some past arrests,” is a known gang member and a lot of they are looking for Capone Chase, “This was a very vicious attack,” Davis told reporters, “We believe he our officers know who he is,” Davis November 1, 2008 - November 7, 2008, The Washingto 19, an alleged Black Guerrilla said Maj. William Davis, BPD is a BGF member.” said at a news conference held at the Family gang (BGF) member who, Southeast District commander. Neighbors who live near the scene of the shooting. “We are going police said, is responsible for the “Chase came here and assassinated playground but declined to be to put him behind bars.” shooting death of Ramon Rodriquez Rodriquez on this playground. He identified, told the AFRO “that night Davis said they labeled Chase sought in going from neighbor a suspiposted By Alan King July 13 on a playground in the city’s killed him execution-style.”sport-utility vehicle we heard talking ona and heardabout “public enemy number 1” as “a way connection with the murder of cious vehicle. noticedpeople know that these graph AFRO Staff Writer to court documents, of letting Greek Town neighborhood. According Ramon tell Capone, ‘If you are The man Hudson’s mother and brother. the vehicle while walking his Sunday are armed and dangerous. Chase , described by police as Jennifer the shooting occurred two days to shoot me, just it. Just to theguys The white, going 1994 Chevrolet dog.do According Chicago for the Hudson and other with information on the a black male with several facial relatives after Chase was released from the withdon’t shoot my girlfriend because Suburban Illinois license Tribune, the boy had been“Anyone shot her nep positively identified back seat blog, s of Capone is asked to tattoos, allegedy lured Rodriquez, Baltimore City Detention Center she is pregnant.’” multiple times in the whereabouts of the vehicle. The SUV, regis-police,” he said. porters call city 21, to the Gloria Hertzfelt where his confinement on assault Neighbors said Rodriquez’s Public Enemy #1 Capone Chase By Blair Adams AFRO Staff Writer
Jennifer Hudson and Relatives Identify Body of Her Slain N tered to Hudson’s murdered brother, was towed with the boy’s body inside and is being processed by evidence technicians and workers. The body was later removed and taken to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office. Hudson and other family members arrived at the Medical Examiner’s office mid-afterJulian King, Jennnifer Hudson’s nephew. noon identify the Lives,” body. Sisters: Expanding Preventive Care fortoEmpowered is the largest Medicaid managed care plan in the District, Given the choice between lookwill take place 10:30 a.m., July 26. workshop will feature serving almost 100,000 A spokesman for the members. office the murders but is being held in ingThe directly at the body or told the newspaper that Hudson jail for parole violation after Dale and a panel of other health care experts will convey “Building a healthier America requires shifting the health viewing it onwho a wall-mounted
Community Partnerships, More Primary Care Doctors Key to ‘Saving Our Sisters’
offered anyone alive. Sin Hudso after a Idol,” Acade the mo stayed The ed that slowly Monda news v
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. — Karen Dale, executive director of AmeriHealth District of Columbia, a Medicaid managed care organization serving members in the District of Columbia, will emphasize the importance of expanding ideas for making Courtesy women’s health care more accessible and care paradigm from a focus on treating problems when Photos they family. occur to preventing problemsainvery the first place. primary care to women’s healthJennifer in the Medicaid community building additional community-based resources to help with her Hudson and her mom, Darnell Donerson who “She held hands It was those obviously emotional momen killed, as well as Jason. The Affordable Care Act’s making many preventive care and offer solutions for doing sowas during a presentation at her the brother, patients obtain needed primary care services. “remained forthe herfirst famiconvicted of attempted freestrong is only step tobeing accomplishing this,” 2013 National Urban League Conference at the Pennsylvania A seasoned executive with 25video yearsscreen, of experience in chose services the family violenc ly” and was clearly its leader. murder and vehicular hijackplate X584859 was found on the latter. According to the In f the body of her 7-year-old says Dale. “Health plans need to encourage more primary Convention Center in Philadelphia. AmeriHealth District of health care operations, program development and financial “She held hands with her famiing. Cook County records show home, Chicago’s West Side after Tribune, Hudson said, “Yes, nephew Monday, just hours care and said. women’s specialists to guilty practice Columbia is a member of the AmeriHealth Caritas Family of management, Dale became the executive director for ly,” physicians the spokesman “It health that he pleaded to both police received a 7 a.m. call that’s him.” and ho after his body was found in a inwas underserved buildcharges strong relationships with Companies, a majority-owned subsidiary of Independence AmeriHealth District of Columbia on May 1. She previously obviously acommunities, very emotional in 1999. He was also kiss th moment.” organizations and offerconvicted in 1998 for possescommunity educational programs that Blue Cross; Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan holds a served as the executive vice president of strategic health ing the boy understand – the son ofwhy Juliapreventive sion ofcare a stolen motor vehicle. people is important and minority interest. solutions for D.C. Chartered Health Plan, which was acquired helpThe Jason. Hudson, Jennifer’s sister – had He was released from prison in “Ev how they can access it.” Dale’s presentation, part of a workshop titled “Save Our by AmeriHealth Caritas. AmeriHealth District of Columbia been missing since Friday, 2006 after serving seven years
ACORN Fights Back
Leader Calls Voter Registration Fraud Charges ‘Bogus’
Family Speaks Out
By Alan King AFRO Staff Writer
No wonder Obama’s campaign is and Dallas Cowboys players trying to distance him from the Tony Romo and Terrell Owens, group, saying, “Barack Obama among the names submitted to Continued from A1 Never Organized with ACORN.” election officials. Presidential candidate John Hurd said those workers, who But Obama’s ties to ACORN run announced. McCain’s attack on ACORN – long and deep. He taught classes were doing those things without Community Police said Anthony had tried toAssociated date Diamond, but had for ACORN. They even endorsed ACORN’s knowledge or permisReform Now – been shunned. They believe it wasOrganization Anthony sheforspoke with and him for President. sion, were fired. confirms the success of the went to meet when she left home. organization, They did notthe disclose But now ACORN is in trouble. “The evidence that has surhead ofdetails the of the slaying. Reporter: There are at least faced so far shows they faked group says. 11 investigations across the “This is Williams testimony to the work forms to get paid for work they In an interview with the AFRO, Damond explained country involving thousands of didn’t do, not to stuff ballot we’ve donehis anddaughter success we’ve the moments leading up to and after finding dead. potentially fraudulent ACORN boxes.” ACORN, she said, is the had,” Maude Hurd, president of D.J. told his parents he had tried to stop said her, in but forms. victim of fraud, not the perpetraACORN, anshe interview yelled at him. “She just told him towith leave alone,” Damond Announcer: Massive voter tor of it. theher AFRO. fraud. And the Obama campaign Hurd said the only things “When this attack started, we Williams recalled. bogus are the charges thempaid more than $800,000 to an had just announced thatdid we had He said the family grew concerned when Diamond selves. And factcheck. org ACORN front for get out the vote registered 1.3 million new votnot immediately return home. Jeanette Norris, agrees. efforts. ers,” she said.Diamond’s “That’s just to say grandmother, said she knew something was wrong whenscared It concluded, “Neither Pressuring banks to issue risky that someone’s running ACORN nor its employees have loans. Nationwide voter fraud. of ACORN’s Diamond at first failed to respond because to her text messages,success.” then been found guilty of, or even Barack Obama. Bad judgment. McCain, who is running for responded in a way that frightened her. charged with, casting fraudulent Blind ambition. Too risky for president on the Republican tick“She responded to my text saying, ‘I’m ok omw votes.” America. et, lashed out grandma at ACORN in the [on my way] home,’” Norris read from her phone. grew The problem came about prifinal debate againstShe Barack Since McCain’s comments, the group concerned because Diamond neverObama, called contending her Grandma, she “is marily because of the way ACORN operates. Rather than ACORN’s 87 offices have been on the verge of maybe perpetratcalled her Nana. rely on volunteers, it pays peobombarded with threats and ing one of the greatest frauds in Norris responded: “What??? Where are you? Where is ple, many of them poor or unem- racist mail. voter history in this country, mom? U ok?” ployed, to sign up new voters. The day after the presidential maybe destroying the fabric of The idea was to help both those debate, vandals broke into the democracy.” being registered and those doing organization’s Boston and Seattle Factcheck.org, a non-partisan the registration. offices and stole computers. Web site, found those claims to Maud explained, “We have a After a Cleveland representative be “exaggerated,” with “no evizero tolerance policy for deliberappeared on TV, an e-mail was dence of any such democracyate falsification of registration.” sent to the local office saying she destroying fraud.” Most news account neglect to “is going to have her life ended.” Hurd believes the McCain point out that ACORN is A worker in Providence, R.I., charges were politically motivatrequired by law to turn in all reg- received a threatening call sayed. istration forms. And they also fail ing, “We know you get off work She said, “Because it’s lowto note that it was the organizaat 9” and uttered racial epithets. and moderate-income people, tion, in many instances, that first A caller to one office left a and people of color, I believe the brought the phony registrations message on the answering McCain campaign thinks those Photos by Blairmachine, Adams saying: “Hi, I was just to the attention of authorities. voters are going to vote These lead toapparently the place where The steps McCain camp calling to let you know that Democratic, which is not necesisn’t interested in those finehe found Barack sarily true.” Damond Williams says the Obama needs to get points, preferring to air misleadhung. He’s a (expletive deleted) ACORN is no stranger to body of his daughter, Diamond. ing ads that seek to link Obama nigger, and he’s a piece of controversy. to ACORN, thereby undercutting (expletive deleted). You guys are For 38 years, the non-partisan his political fraudulent, and you need to go to organization has fought for social that she hadsupport. started watching her walk McCain: I’mbus. John McCain hell. All the niggers on oak trees. and economic justice for lowhome from the and I approve this message. They’re gonna get all hung honand moderate-income As they waitWho to learn what police eys, they’re going to get assassiAnnouncer: is Barack Americans. With 400,000 memwill find,Athey for their nated, they’re gonna get killed.” Obama? manare withpreparing “a political ber families organized into more Another message said, “You baptism performed at warp than 1,200 neighborhood chapdaughter’s home going. liberal idiots. Dumb (expletive speed.” ambition. After colters in 110 cities nationwide, “ThisVast hurts,” Terrena deleted). Welfare bums. You lege, he moved to Chicago. ACORN has over the years seen “We are all guys just (expletive deleted) Became a said. community organizer. its share of criticism while advo- Williams Courtesy photo trying get through this the come to our country, consume There, to Obama met Madeleine cating for affordable housing, Damond Williams with his daughter, Diamond Williams. every natural resource there is, Talbot, part the Chicago living wages, healthcare for the best way weofcan.” and make a lot of babies. That’s branch of ACORN. He with was so underserved— and while organDiamond’s room, its all you guys do. And then suck impressive that he was asked to voter registration drives. Later, after receiving no furtherizing response, Norris texted turquoise, pink and purple up the welfare and expect everytrain the ACORN staff. But none has been as withering Diamond’s phone again. “Come home. Calling the police!!! comforter, same one else to pay for your hospital What didremains ACORNthe in Chicago and baseless as this one. Calling ur father.” bills for your kids. I jus’ say let engage banks. With the presidential election way shein? leftBullying it. On the bed your kids die. That’s the best Intimidation Disruption Diamond’s parents said they have questions about lessmany than two weeks away, lays the pinktactics. tiara and pinkmove. Just let your children die. of business. ACORN forced ACORN’s detractors allege the their daughter’s death. They are waiting for police to conclude sashrisky with the loans. word Forget about paying for hospital banks to issue home organization has engaged in mas- and-black their investigation. bills for them. I’m not gonna do The same typesspelled of loansout thatin sive voter registration fraud after FABULOUS Terrena Williams said she had seen Anthony watching it. You guys are lowlifes. And I causedthat the financial we’re the reported discovery of bogus glitter she worecrisis at the hope you all die.” in today. her daughter as she walked names, such as Mickey Mouse Hurd thinks the hate calls will home from the bus stop cease soon. when returning from work “In two weeks, I think these at Johns Hopkins, where she attacks will be over. But I think it was participating in a student will be harder for us to get our name back on good graces nursing program. The rising Identification Statements because they really trashed us in Baltimore Afro-American — (USPS 040-800) is published weekly by The Afro-American junior attended Mergenthaler the last few weeks.” Newspapers, 2519 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218-4602. Subscription Rate: Vocational-Technical High Baltimore - 1 Year - $40.00 (Price includes tax.) Checks for subscriptions should be made But ACORN will not be payable to: The Afro-American Newspaper Company, 2519 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD School. She had celebrated deterred. 21218-4602. Periodicals postage paid at Baltimore, MD. “We’ve been fighting for a her birthday with a Sweet 16 POSTMASTER: Send addresses changes to: The Afro-American Newspaper Company, 2519 long time, for over 30 years, for N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218-4602. party on June 25. the rights of low- and moderateThe Washington Afro-American & Washington Tribune — (0276-6523) is published Terrena Williams said she income people all across the weekly by the Afro-American Newspapers at 1917 Benning Road, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20002-4723. Subscription Rate: Washington - 1 Year - $40.00. Periodical Postage paid had grown so concerned about country,” Hurd said. “We’re at Washington, D.C. going to continue to fight for Anthony, whom Diamond had POSTMASTER: Send addresses changes to: The Washington Afro-American economic justice in our commu& Washington Tribune, 2519 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218-4602. known since middle school, nities.”
throug West, a area to have to young for wh
when a relative found Julian’s for the attempted murder and grandmother, Darnell car hijacking charges. birthday Donerson,party. 57, and his uncle, The boy remained missing Jason shotcertificates to death for through a longachievement, weekend in OnHudson, the walls29,hang academic in his grandmother’s home in which police and volunteers school pictures and poems, including one penned by Diamond the 7000 block of South Yale at age 6: Avenue. Every Sunday to church An Amber Alertwe – ago designation missing Andfor allhigh-risk his children, we love his work children – was issued I would keep him Friday to myself, if I could. after Julian was discovered But since so many people need him, for now I’ll just be missing after the murders. good Police arrested William Balfour, boy’s it’s stepSo if the it’s missing not for GOD not for me father and estranged husband Because I’m his little angel and he’s my king of Julia, at his girlfriend’s He keeps me company day and night Southside apartment several Canafter youthe seemurders. him? I can. Because we are always in his sight hours Balfour’s mother, Michele, has told reporters that her son had nothing to do with the slayings. Balfour remains a suspect in Jason Hudson
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The Afro-American, July 27, 2013 - August 2, 2013
Tyrone West Continued from A1
chance to see her 14 day-old newborn grandson, who was also at the vigil. Deputy Commissioner Jerry Rodriguez said police officers stopped West and another passenger for a traffic violation. He said as police were searching the car for drugs a struggle began between West and the officers. Rodriguez said officers requested back up. Baltimore police and Morgan State officers arrested West when we went into a “medical distress” said Rodriguez. He said officers attempted to revive West and he was later pronounced dead at a local area hospital. Eight Baltimore police—Nicholas David Chapman, Matthew Rea Cioffi, Alex Ryan Hashagen, Eric Maurice Hinton, Danielle Angela Lewis, Derrick Dewayne Beasley and Latreese Nicole Lee—and a Morgan State officer were involved in the incident. All of the Baltimore police officers are still on active duty, according to police records. A Morgan spokesperson declined to comment on the matter, saying it “is an ongoing investigation.” “I can’t explain how hurt my family is,” said Towanda Jones, West’s sister. “He was a god-fearing man. I don’t know who I am going to go to church with now. He usually beat me to church.” Rev. C.D. Witherspoon, an advocate for victims of police
July 27, 2013 - July 27, 2013, The Afro-American
brutality and excessive force issues in Baltimore, said the death of West is an example of what he calls “police terrorism.” Witherspoon said neighbors near the death scene have complained about intimidation by police officers standing on corners in the area since West’s death. One witness, Chuma Obineme, 22, who recently moved into the area said he has never seen police officers patrolling in their neighborhood before the incident. At least eight uniformed Baltimore police officers stood on corners near the vigil. Obineme said he was walking in the alley behind his home when he heard a man screaming for help. “I thought someone was beating the guy up so I thought I
Witherspoon. “We are sick of officers taking the law into their own hands.” Witherspoon was also at the forefront of another police custody death. Witherspoon sought charges against police officers in the death of Anthony Anderson, 47, who died after being thrown to the ground following a drug bust. A. Dwight Petit, attorney for the West family, said it is “open season” in Baltimore. “Officers believe there is no price to pay for beating Black men,” said Petit. “Commissioner Batts said ‘It’s a new day.’ Well let’s see it.” Petit said Baltimore City State’s Attorney Gregg L. Bernstein is not pursuing criminal or civil prosecutions against Baltimore police involved crimes and – Towanda Jones killings. “It’s time for citizens to demand he do the right thing… the police can’t police themselves.” At the vigil, Witherspoon said he will be adding allegations against police in the death of Tyrone West to a $20 million civil suit. The suit says Baltimore police policies foster overzealous conduct by patrol officers, often leading to unwarranted violence, and injuries, mostly at the hands of African Americans. “We are asking people of the city to keep the family in prayer and to come and stand in solidarity,” said Witherspoon. “Today this family is victimized; tomorrow our families could be victimized by police terrorism.”
“I can’t explain how hurt my family is.” should say something,” said Obineme. “I saw batons shoot up in the air and three officers were punching and kicking him.” He said more officers arrived and they beat West for at least two minutes. “You couldn’t see him at all; he disappeared into a sea of dark blue.” Witherspoon said there is a double standard for police officers in Baltimore. He said they do not get convicted and he is sick of the “George Zimmerman-style” non-prosecution of police officers. “We demand charges are applied to these officers,” said
to relate their own issues on a national scale. He said the purpose of ECLI is to allow students to develop their own Black identity while using social justice, history and different art forms such as music and poetry to build a compelling argument. During one workshop, Geor Lee, lab facilitator for the ECLI, worked on teaching the students performance debate, which incorporates both personal experiences and noted phrases from “organic intellectuals” such as rappers like Lil’ Boosie. For one assignment, the students were asked to write an open letter to the mother of Trayvon Martin, the 17-year-old who was slain in a confrontation with George Zimmerman while walking
from a convenience store. “Take advantage of being heard and felt, not just seen,” Lee instructed the students. During the camp, students will also work on policy briefs for five debate topics approved by the National Federation of State High School Association. ECLI students will focus on U.S. policies on economic engagement in Latin American countries. “If you are poor and from west Baltimore, you can relate to the struggle of a poor person in a developing country as it relates to policy and politics,” said Jackson. During the camp students are split into two workgroups, JV and Scholars. The JV work group is specially designed for novice debaters with two
Photo by Kerrid Marcano
Debate Camp Continued from A1
Debate camp participants listen in preparation. or less years of experience. These students will learn the fundamentals of debate and argumentation. The Scholars are students with three or four years with debate experience, who are competing for national spotlight in the field.
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Dr. David Wilson, president of Morgan State University, said he is enthusiastic about planning host to the group of students and hopes the experience pushes them towards wanting to pursue a college education. “In order for any young person today to be successful they really need critical thinking skill… they need to understand how to form and defend a point of view,” said Wilson. “We thought Morgan
was the perfect place to begin to imbue young people with these types of skills.” ECLI students, many of whom have never set foot in Baltimore before, will also tour a variety of Baltimore’s Black owned businesses and cultural attractions such as Darker Than Blue restaurant, Apples & Oranges market, and the National Great Blacks in Wax Museum. ECLI program cost $1,500 for Baltimore Urban Debate
League (BUBL) members and $2,000 for non-members. Ten ECLI students were gifted full-tuition scholarships from the BUDL. One program participant, Mustafa Porter, 16, who attends Frederick Douglass High School, said he randomly fell into debate a year ago when he walked into a club meeting at his school. “I thought it would be hard stepping into it with seasoned people, but the concepts are pretty easy,” said Porter. “Now I am just working on learning the linguistics, some of the students in the program eat, sleep, breathe the linguistics… You have to live debate.” Jackson said policy debate is one of the most rigorous forms of debate because it not only helps the debater become a skilled orator, but gives them the ability to think through complex issues and makes them a better researcher. “Debate at a fundamental level takes your own God given gifts and enhances it to create a world class leader,” said Jackson.
Black Moms Continued from A1
but it’s not the same feeling when someone just comes up and takes your child’s life.” Like other mothers who have lost a child to violence, Green said she identifies with Sybrina Fulton, the mother of Trayvon Martin. In televised interviews after her son’s killer, George Zimmerman, was acquitted of seconddegree murder and manslaughter on July 13, Fulton expressed concern for other Black youths. “It’s not just about the Trayvon Martin case,” Fulton told “Good Morning, America” during an interview. “Now, it’s about your kids. It’s about other kids. What do we tell our sons?” Green said the case brought back the pain she felt when Joseph died. “I have a lot of empathy for her and his dad,” Green said. “That kind of death doesn’t compare to any other death. It’s your child. You gave birth to him—someone you brought into the world. It’s unbearable.” As opponents of the verdict agitate to urge the Department of Justice to investigate Trayvon’s death, young people—mostly boys—continue to fall prey to violence on our nation’s streets. In the District of Columbia, a vigil held July 22 in memory of Eric Leeper and Anthony Chase and siblings Jamie and Jamahl Jenkins, killed in two double-shootings in Ward 7, drew more than 100 people, including Mayor Vincent Gray, Councilman Tommy Wells and Councilwoman Yvette Alexander. The victims were all between the ages of 19 and 28. Sherry Sykes of Washington, D.C., has also been despairing since her son, Omar, a business major at Howard University, was shot and killed near campus on the Fourth of July. “We advised him when he asked for advice, and we watched him blossom into the gorgeous young man we all knew,” Sykes said during an overflowing memorial service on campus. “And Omar we feel your love still, and we will do our best to do you proud.” But even mothers whose sons have not fallen prey to violence relate to Fulton. Joy Turner, a single mother in Baltimore who has a 14-year-old son, said she couldn’t watch the Zimmerman trial. “It’s just too
painful,” she said. “Your heart just went out to the family. It was as though you were walking in their shoes.” Dandrea James Harris, the mother of a young son in Bowie, said the case demonstrates how dangerous life can be for young Black men, whom she called “moving targets.” “You know what we have to do with moving targets?” she asks. “We have to keep them under the radar.” Millie Brown, mother of a 21-year-old son, founded A Mother’s Cry, a support group for mothers who lose their children to violence. She said she has seen countless injured young men go through the emergency department at Johns Hopkins University. “We have so many Trayvon Martins here in Baltimore,” she said. “There are so many that you don’t see on the news, which is sad.” The name of her organization is based on the cries she has heard too often when a mother learns that her child didn’t make it. She started A Mother’s Cry to try to ease the mothers’ pain. “It was something that I needed to do to try to stop one mother from making that yell to let them know that they’re not alone.” A Mother’s Cry has planned a reunion for survivors and area residents who want to support them from noon to 8 p.m. Aug. 8 at the Swan Pavilion at Druid Hill Park in Baltimore. “Just follow the yellow balloons,” she said. “Yellow represents the sunshine that the children…brought their families during the years they were alive.” Brown encourages people to get more involved in their communities, whether it’s working with young people, holding elected officials accountable or reaching out to neighbors who have lost children to violence. Just knocking on the door will be mean so much, even if the survivor initially says “no” to a helping hand. Green said to cope with the pain, she attends counseling sessions and she helps other grieving families by volunteering with support groups. See more at afro.com.
July 27, 2013 - July 27, 2013, The Afro-American
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The Afro-American, July 27, 2013 - July 27, 2013
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July 27, 2013 - August 2, 2013, The Afro-American
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OPINION
Finally, the Barack Obama I Voted For For more than four years, I have said that I liked candidate Barack Obama better than I like President Obama. Candidate Obama addressed the question of race head-on when pressured to distance himself from Rev. Jeremiah Wright, the Chicago pastor who led him to Christianity. But President Obama has been a different story. According to research conducted by Daniel Q. George E. Curry Gillion, an assistant professor of political science at the University of Pennsylvania, in Obama’s first two years in office, the nation’s first Black president made fewer speeches and offered fewer executive policies on race than any Democratic president since 1961. Frederick C. Harris, director of the Institute for Research in African-American Studies at Columbia University, noted that Obama’s 2011 State of the Union address was the first by any president since 1948 to not mention poverty or the poor. In the words of scholar Michael Eric Dyson, “This president runs from race like a Black man runs from a cop.” Obama’s first comment on Trayvon Martin was that if he had a son, he would look like Trayvon. But he didn’t say what he would do to make sure Black male teenagers are not treated the way Trayvon was treated by George Zimmerman. Obama’s first words in the aftermath of Zimmerman’s acquittal were predictably insipid. In his written statement, Obama said: “The death of Trayvon Martin was a tragedy. Not just for his family, or for any one community, but for America. I know this case has elicited strong passions. And in the wake of the verdict, I know those passions may be running even higher. But we are a nation of laws, and a jury has spoken. I now ask every American to respect the call for
calm reflection from two parents who lost their young son.” To quote another president, I thought, “Well, there he goes again.” But last Friday, candidate Barack Obama and President Barack Obama finally became one. He spoke with passion, without the aid of a TelePrompTer or notes, about what it’s really like to be a Black man in America. “There are very few African American men in this country who haven’t had the experience of being followed when they were shopping in a department store. That includes me,” he told reporters in the White House briefing room. “There are very few African American men who haven’t had the experience of walking across the street and hearing the locks click on the doors of cars. That happens to me — at least before I was a senator. There are very few African Americans who haven’t had the experience of getting on an elevator and a woman clutching her purse nervously and holding her breath until she had a chance to get off. That happens often.” He explained, “And I don’t want to exaggerate this, but those sets of experiences inform how the African American community interprets what happened one night in Florida. And it’s inescapable for people to bring those experiences to bear. The African American community is also knowledgeable that there is a history of racial disparities in the application of our criminal laws – everything from the death penalty to enforcement of our drug laws. And that ends up having an impact in terms of how people interpret the case.” While being candid about how Whites generally treat Blacks, President Obama was equally frank when he said a Black person faces a greater likelihood of being killed by another AfricanAfrican than by a White person. “I think the African American community is also not naïve in understanding that, statistically, somebody like Trayvon Martin was statistically more likely to be shot by a peer than he was by somebody else. So folks understand the challenges that exist for African American boys. But they get frustrated, I think, if they
The making of the Black man into Public Enemy Number 1 began long before a rainy, dark night in a gated Florida community where a White person with a gun would be seen as a gun enthusiast -- a Second Amendment scholar -- but a Black man with a gun could only be a thug. Where an unarmed innocent did not know that he had no rights Auset Marian to innocence. Where a Black Lewis child’s skin convicted him on sight. Trayvon Martin had to be guilty of something so George Zimmerman’s defense attorney charged him with being armed with a sidewalk. The Zimmerman case is not about the hoodie of Trayvon Martin, it’s about the pointy hood of the American criminal justice system. Michelle Alexander’s book, The New Jim Crow, brilliantly chronicles the dogged march of Black men into the jaws of the prison industrial complex. Racial profiling and the “stop and frisk” policies of police, 89 percent unsuccessful for African Americans, have a lot to do with this. But the making of the Black male as Public Enemy Number 1 began before police
forces were financially incentivized to make arrests, militarized to wage war against the new crack-crazed, violent, Black people, and long before the prison industry morphed into the prison industrial complex, providing cheap, labor that made it lucrative to lock people up. Will the Trayvon Martin controversy force people to look at America’s criminal justice system? With all those dark faces peering from prison bars, maybe it’s too reminiscent of slavery, which is a past only to be peeped in slick Quentin Tarantino spaghetti westerns where White people can laugh and congratulate themselves that they no longer use the “n” word. Maybe it’s because the American justice system has more Black people in prison than were forced into chattel slavery. Maybe people, Black and White alike, are too busy battling the recession and trying to do the right thing to worry about people who aren’t. Will Attorney General Eric Holder, an African American, take up the fight? Is he having flashbacks of Medgar Evers whose perpetrators “stood their ground” and were acquitted of murder? Does the death of the Sanford teenager remind him of Emmett Till, another teenager whose White mutilators went free and whose mother displayed his savaged body in an open casket to forever press his gruesome death in our memories. Holder told the NAACP convention in Orlando, Fla. that his father had told him that his color convicted him in the eyes of
most police officers before he could ever reach a jury. He shared that he had passed this lesson on to his own son. Imagine that the attorney general of the United States had to tell his son that, essentially, he is not innocent until proven guilty. Clearly, with all the Trayvon demonstrations and media coverage of the controversy, this spotlight on the criminal justice system will likely not fade. The uncomfortable subject of race is coming out of the shadows as well. The predictable tactic of the right wingnuts is to blame the victim. People who talk about race are racists. Kind of catchy. Emery McClendon of the National Center for Public Policy Research says, “For too long, people such as the NAACP’s Ben Jealous and Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson have spoke out in hate and ignorance and found placement in the media. It’s time to stop the madness. We must turn the tide. If we put as much time into restoring our Constitution as we did into the Zimmerman trial, America would be a better place for all of us.” McClendon, obviously another Second Amendment scholar armed with the Constitution, is clearly not a thug. Nonetheless, this is the first time that I have considered that the Constitution could be ominous.
As we embark upon another debate about whether Baltimore should sell bonds and offer tax incentives to aid in the development of a billiondollar harbor development project, some old points of view are being resurrected. Many will argue the efficacy of the city investing millions of dollars in a development project, but what is missing in Dr. Charles the current, as well as previous Simmons debates, is a real discussion and agreement on how the city’s investments in downtown development projects benefit the residents of the impoverished inner city neighborhoods. We debated over Harborplace. The proponents believed that it would bring new revenue to benefit both the city and its impoverished neighborhoods. Others did not believe that downtown development would benefit Baltimore’s impoverished communities. Approximately 35 years later we know that Harborplace brought new visitors and additional revenue to the City, but we also know that the same Baltimore neighborhoods that begged for transformation are still poor. We had a similar debate over Harbor East, and now we are making the same arguments over Harbor Point. The question that Baltimore’s elected and appointed officials should answer is what have we learned about community human and economic development? Socioeconomic factors such as employment opportunities, income, education, healthy food, healthy housing, safe parks
and recreational space, healthcare, safe neighborhoods, and transportation affect quality of life issues such as crime, neighborhood blight, home maintenance and ownership, decisions regarding the location of businesses, economic development opportunities and health outcomes. What is the city’s human and economic development plan for the residents of the impoverished communities? How many and what type of jobs will go to people like the residents of Perkins Homes and specifically, how will the taxes that Harbor Point generate benefit these impoverished communities and their residents? Have good intentions worked, have sincere promises worked, has legislation worked, has increased police presence worked? The answer to these questions can’t be avoided. If the answer is no, then city officials have an obligation to agree on a specific plan realistically designed to organize, empower and transform the lives of the residents of the impoverished inner city communities in question to be in a position to take advantage of the possible benefits to include education and training, social services, living wage jobs, cultural enrichment, etc. Otherwise we can expect the same outcome that we have experienced to date. We must move beyond mere good intentions to a workable plan to connect Baltimore’s residents – even its poor residents – to the affluence expected from development. It has been the vision of Sojourner-Douglass College that opportunity excludes no one because of race or life’s circumstance. We have been working with the residents of the Oldtown community to establish with residents a vehicle for even the most hopeless to achieve outcomes for themselves that no one could imagine. People of color have achieved remarkable affluence and accomplished extraordinary things under limited conditions. Conditions we no longer have to endure. Whether the
community was Tulsa, Oklahoma during the early part of the 20th century, Harlem of the same period, or Baltimore 60 years ago, our parents and grandparents overcame. As undereducated and underemployed as they were, they nonetheless sparked a demographic movement from poverty to middle class status that produced most of us. The same outcome can still be accomplished by us today. But we need what they could take for granted – the power of social networks to connect people for effective action. It is to take advantage of this history that we are focusing our effort in Oldtown to restore, revitalize, and expand long broken social networks to enable the people of Oldtown to reclaim their own future by working together once again to accomplish extraordinary things. Working with the stakeholders of Oldtown, Sojourner-Douglass has incorporated Change4Real Community Corp. as a vehicle for organizing the local stakeholders into an effective social, political, and economic presence sufficient to transform the community from poverty to prosperity that the residents can enjoy. Change4Real was created not just to represent the community, but to contain and effectively be the community – to be the presence at the table that makes the community a place where people want to live. More to the point, the footprint over which Change4Real is intended to operate includes the Perkins Homes public housing development. Change4Real is a vehicle capable of translating change for and by the residents of this community from the kind of direct investment suggested by Councilman Stokes’ resolution.
feel that there’s no context for it and that context is being denied. And that all contributes I think to a sense that if a White male teen was involved in the same kind of scenario, that, from top to bottom, both the outcome and the aftermath might have been different.” The president demonstrated real courage by addressing race in America without being forced to as was the case with Rev. Wright. Moreover, he challenged us not to let the last chapter of Tayvon’s life be marked a misguided not guilty verdict. “And for us to be able to gather together business leaders and local elected officials and clergy and celebrities and athletes, and figure out how are we doing a better job helping young African American men feel that they’re a full part of this society and that they’ve got pathways and avenues to succeed – I think that would be a pretty good outcome from what was obviously a tragic situation.” George E. Curry, former editor-in-chief of Emerge magazine, is editor-in-chief of the National Newspaper Publishers Association News Service (NNPA.)
Trayvon Martin: No Right to Be Innocent
Auset Marian Lewis is a writer and former columnist for a Gannett newspaper.
Before Harborplace Goes Forward, Learned Lessons Should be Applied
Dr. Simmons is founder and president of Sojourner Douglass College in Baltimore City and surrounding counties as well as the Bahamas.
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The Afro-American, July 27, 2013 - August 2, 2013
HBCU NEWS
James Black and Calvin Peete Team Former Ernest Just Student with Thurgood Marshall College for Finishes Top of Her Class HBCU Golf Challenge 2013 The Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) along with GIR Gear will host the 2nd Annual HBCU Golf Challenge (www.hbcugolfchallenge.com), Aug. 9 at the prestigious Lake Presidential Golf Club in Upper Marlboro, Md. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) to provide scholarships for current and prospective students attending public Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The festivities will begin with the African American Legends Golf Clinic, 6 p.m., Aug. 8 at Lake Presidential Golf Club, located at 3151 Presidential Golf Dr., Upper Marlboro, Md. Guests will have a chance to meet and hear the firsthand stories of two African American golf legends James Black and Calvin Peete and their fight to gain equal access to public golf courses and eventually the PGA Tour, the value of education, as well as learn some valuable tips to improve your golf game. An autograph session will follow with special items to be auctioned off with all proceeds going to TMCF. The clinic is free and open to the public, limited slots available. Register at www.hbcugolfchallenge.com to reserve your seat. The challenge will begin with registration and a continental breakfast at 7 a.m. and a shotgun start at 8 a.m. HBCU alumni, students, celebrities and friends will compete for a pot which is donated directly to the HBCU of choice for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners. Golfers will also have the opportunity to “Beat the Pro…Save a Child” on the par-three ninth hole with James Black and Calvin Peete. Other invited guests include national and local sports and entertainment celebrities. Following the tournament, an awards and recognition luncheon will be held. “As an HBCU Alum and parent, I’m keenly aware of the challenges facing our youth seeking to further their education. This tournament gives us an opportunity to contribute to prospective or current HBCU students looking to fulfill their dream of achieving a college education. I’m very grateful for the support of TMCF, our sponsors, volunteers, fellow HBCU Alum, family and friends who’ve helped make this event possible. I encourage everyone to come out, join the fun and support this worthy cause.” says Gibran Cotton, president/ CEO GIR Gear LLC. For more information on the 2nd Annual HBCU Golf Challenge 2013, visit www.hbcugolfchallenge.com .
Kayla Pasteur, 14, second from left, formerly of Ernest Everett Just Middle School in Mitchellville, Md., completed a week-long summer program, July 14-20, at Tuskegee University School of Veterinary Medicine’s Veterinary Science Training, Education and Preparation (VET STEP). VET STEP is designed to introduce minority 9th - 12th graders to the exciting careers in veterinary medicine. Kayla’s team came in first place for their PowerPoint presentation on the four compartments of a cow’s stomach. She also was one of four who tested 95 percent or better out of 20 students. Honor students came from as far as New Mexico to participate in this Tuskegee University program that has been in existence for over 20 years. It enhances study skills, encourages self-motivation and provides academic support and reinforcement.
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July 27, 2013 - August 2, 2013, The Afro-American
Morgan Alum Honored by National Lawyers’ Group
David J. Burton (MSU class of 1967) was honored recently in Washington, DC by the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law as one of its 2013 Annual Award recipients. Burton is president of the Coalition for Equity and Excellence in Maryland Higher Education. His organization, representing current and former students of Maryland’s four Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), filed suit against the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC). The lawsuit charges that Maryland’s four HBCUs have been the victims of historical unfair treatment as a result of the State maintaining policies of a racially segregated system of higher education. Burton was recognized with the Lawyers’ Committee’s “Frank R. Parker Client Award,” given for client long-term commitment, perseverance and dedication to the cause of civil rights. “I am both honored and humbled by this award,” says David Burton, who is also a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. “Throughout the lengthy process of this lawsuit, the only award I have been hoping to get is to finally see fair and equitable treatment for our schools David Burton (left) and our receives award students.
PEOPLE
The Coalition for Equity and Excellence in Maryland Higher Education owes a good deal of gratitude to the Lawyers’ Committee for its invaluable assistance in helping us to achieve our goal.” The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law is representing the interests of Burton and the other plaintiffs in the HBCU lawsuit. The group handed out awards this year as a part of its 50th Anniversary celebration.
1st Mariner Bank Names Autumn T. Wallace Esq. Community Reinvestment Act Officer
region. “1st Mariner has always taken its responsibility to the community seriously and we are confident with Autumn assuming this new role that we will continue to maintain active support,” said Mark A. Keidel, 1st Mariner’s Interim Chief Executive Officer. In addition to serving as CRA officer, Wallace will continue her role as associate corporate counsel to the bank where she is the liaison between 1st Mariner Bank and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., a federal regulator. She also continues as departmental chair for the bank’s consumer complaint management committee and will keep the bank’s senior leadership team up-to-date on changes in laws and regulations governing the banking industry. Wallace graduated from Morgan State University in 2004 and received a law degree from the University of District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law. She is currently pursuing her LL.M. at the University of Baltimore School of Law.
1st Mariner Bank announced today the appointment of Autumn T. Wallace to the position of Community Reinvestment Act Bernice M. Ross was recently honored officer. at the 2013 Senior Celebration, hosted by Wallace Seabury Resources for the Aging and The Autumn Wallace will oversee all Episcopal Diocese of Washington. Courtesy photos functions of the Ross was recognized, May 7, for her bank’s CRA program, including working with lifetime of dedicated community groups, faith based groups, service to God, family, community development corporations and community and the trade groups to understand the credit needs of congregation of St. communities in the bank’s footprint. Among George’s Episcopal other duties, Wallace will conduct compliance Church. She training and will assist in the development received a certificate and implementation of the bank’s affordable of recognition housing program. from the Right CRA is a federal law that encourages Reverend Marianne banks and savings organizations to lend to Edgar Budde, all neighborhoods and communities as well Episcopal Bishop of Bernice Ross as to low-and-moderate income areas in their T:11”Washington, who said
Senior Honored
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Ross’ dedicated service is an inspiration to the members of the congregation and community.
Jeanne Hitchcock to Become Chief Legislative Lobbyist
Gov. Martin O’Malley has tapped Jeanne D. Hitchcock, a longtime aide, to take over as his chief lobbyist with the General Assembly, the governor’s office confirmed July 7. “I know that her wealth of experience, wisdom and commitment to forward progress for our state will serve the people of Maryland well,” O’Malley said of Hitchcock in a statement. “I have the utmost confidence in her abilities.” Hitchcock, who has worked with O’Malley since his days as Jeanne Hitchcock Baltimore’s mayor, will also continue in her current post as appointments secretary in the governor’s office, according to O’Malley spokeswoman Takirra Winfield. In that position, which Hitchcock has held since 2007, she has been responsible for overseeing more than 8,000 appointments to more than 300 boards, commissions and other posts named by the governor. “We don’t see a reason why she can’t do both roles effectively,” Winfield said. O’Malley, who is term limited, has one 90day legislative session remaining in his tenure. Hitchcock will replace Stacy Mayer, who O’Malley last week named as a district court judge in Baltimore County. Prior to becoming a deputy mayor of Baltimore in 2000, Hitchcock had served as chief operating officer of the NAACP in its national headquarters.
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BOOK NOW. SAVE BIG. $4 2 T O N Y C For three days only, we’re offering super low fares so you can get away for less. Right now, you can get $42 fares to NYC when you book your trip on Northeast RegionalSM July 30 – August 1 for travel September 10 – October 3. But you’ll have to hurry. As always, there are no added fees. Limited seating. Book now only at Amtrak.com.
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This offer is exclusively available at www.amtrak.com. This offer is valid for sale between 7/30/13 – 8/1/13 and valid for travel between 9/10/13 – 10/3/13. This offer is valid for travel on the Northeast Regional trains between Washington, DC and New York, NY, only. Seating is limited; seats may not be available on all trains at all times. Once purchased, tickets are non-refundable; exchanges are permitted prior to the original travel date. The discounted one-way fares are valid for all adult passengers; no additional discounts apply. This offer is valid for coach seats only; no Business class upgrades permitted. Fares are subject to availability. This offer is not combinable with any other discount offer. In addition to the discount restrictions, this offer is also subject to any restrictions, blackouts and refund rules that apply to the type of fare purchased. Fares, routes and schedules are subject to change without notice. Once travel has begun, no changes to the itinerary are permitted. Other restrictions may apply. Amtrak and Northeast Regional are registered service marks of the National Railroad Passenger Corporation.
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The Afro-American, July 27, 2013 - August 2, 2013
COMMUNITY CONNECTION Climb the stairs with a firefighter to honor the 343 fallen heroes of FDNY
July 27
Join the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation to honor the 343 FDNY members who gave their lives on September 11, 2001, 9:30 a.m., July 27 for the 3rd Annual Firehouse Expo 9-11 Memorial Stair Climb at the Hilton Baltimore, 401 W Pratt St. in Baltimore. Participants will climb the stairwell of the Hilton Baltimore multiple times for a total of 110 stories, representing the number of floors in the Twin Towers. Check-in is between 8:30 and 9 a.m. at the Hilton and the climb starts at 9:30 am. The fee is $25 per person. Proceeds will benefit the FDNY Counseling Unit. Registration is open to the public at www.911stairclimb.com.
August 6
National Night Out Throughout the nation, neighbors will gather in groups large and small to celebrate National Night Out, a great opportunity for communities nationwide to promote police-community partnerships, crime prevention, and neighborhood camaraderie by holding block parties, cookouts, parades. Visit www.natw.org for ideas on planning your National Night Out. Email your name and phone number, the time and location of your event, and a brief description to NationalNightOut@ baltimorecity.gov.
September 6
Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts (MHCA) will host its annual fundraising event—Arts Alive, 6 p.m., Sept. 6, to raise funds for arts-related programs that serve nearly 100,000 people. For information about Arts Alive 15!, contact Maryland Hall at 410-263-5544, ext. 10 or go to www. marylandhall.org.
July 27, 2013 - August 2, 2013, The Afro-American
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Photos by Dr. A. Lois De Laine
Betty Ann Clark, Renee L. West Mother-daughters, Veronica Tubman, Kendall Tubman, Veronica Ambrose, Rosalind Ambrose-Robinson
Gwendolyn Lindsay, past president, Monica McKinney Lupton
The very popular Arts and Letters Afternoon Tea, sponsored by the Baltimore Alumnae Chapter, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, was the place to be for persons interested in an experience that offered the best gourmet cuisine, excellence in dance performance and stunning fashions. Elaborately stylish hats of every color were showcased with a unique fashion parade of guests modeling their own hats. The sorority’s Arts and Letters committee left nothing to the imagination at this stellar event held in the Calvin and Tina Tyler Ballroom, Morgan State University to a capacity crowd. Joanne S. Mack, Rev. Dr. The excited crowd was treated to lively dance Tamara England, chaplain numbers from The Anointed Jehovah Praise Beverly Boston, past president, Dancers choreographed by Michelle Julius. Baltimore Alumnae Karen Parks, anchor/reporter for Fox 45 News was emcee; Kathy Denise Gordon introduces Alexander was the chair of Parade of Hats this popular event; cochairs were Erica Fry Cryor and Brittney Gordon-Williams. Lucretia Performance by The Billups Anointed Jehovah Praise Dancers
Rev. Dr. Gwendolyn Boyd, Bernice McDaniels
Peggy Ammons, Esme’ Bentil, Helen McDonald
Marthe Motley and Simone Lindsay Ann Branch, Charmaine Dixon
Mother-Daughter Duo Laura Phillips Byrd, Cimmon Byrd Burris
Mime character introduces dance group
Roslyn Smith, Kimberly Mumby Green, Mattie Mumby
Arlene Wongus, Lynda Brown
Morgan Alexander, Dyonna Jackson
Mary Saunders wears a glitzy bronze hat
Brigette Nash Hodges, Ruby Jackson
The Murphy Family Andrea Evans, Qiana Gabriel, Morgan Peck, Blake Evans, great and great great grandaughters of Vashti Turley Murphy
Deborah Hayes Burton, MD State Coordinator, Angela Ewell Madison, past EA Region member of Scholarship & Standards MotherDaughter Christina and Serene Kelly
Maggie Wiggins, Minnye King Wanda Johnson, Robin Jacobs, EA Regional director, Dr. Thelma Thomas Daley, 16th National President, Joe Ann Oatis
Evette Everette, Jerilynn Reid, President, Baltimore Alumnae County Chapter
Eleanor Peters Matthews, president, Baltimore Alumnae Chapter and Kathy L. Alexander, chair
Dr. Marian DavisFoster, Dr. Deborah Carter
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The Afro-American, July 27, 2013 - August 2, 2013
Orthopedic Doc ‘Doing What I Love to Do’
SENIOR LIVING
By Blair Adams AFRO Staff Writer Dr. James E. Wood, chairman of the department of Orthopedic Surgery at MedStar Harbor Dr. James E. Wood Hospital, answers questions on joint replacement and other orthopedic concerns. With over 30 years of practice in total joint replacement and arthroscopic diagnosis and repair of peripheral joints, Wood is excited about helping patients regain their previous lifestyles. AFRO: How has joint replacement changed in recent years? Dr. Wood: The major focus is on prevention of complications. With the new prosthesis, as many structures aren’t damaged in order to replace the prosthesis. There are less evasive procedures. We focus on preparing the patient to avoid complications afterwards. The focus is really on presurgical strengthening and just getting the patients ready when they come in for their procedure so they are in the best shape possible to have it done. AFRO: What do you wish people knew about joint replacement? Dr. Wood: In general, patients have a lot they can do about this. The obesity epidemic is really putting a lot of pressure and force on joints. This is due to inactivity and a lack of taking care of themselves as they should. People are getting much less mobile, morbid obesity is just a vicious cycle that they can do a lot about. AFRO: If someone loses weight, will that eliminate some of the joint pains? Dr. Wood: Arthritis is the loss of the cushioning effect of the articulate cartilage of the joint. Consequently, once that is gone it does not come back; it’s an irreversible loss. Even though the joint is damaged, the functional loss can be improved by being in better shape, carrying less weight and being more active. AFRO: Is it more or less successful depending on gender? Dr. Wood: Gender, specifically, doesn’t speak to that. Women get joint replacement more, about 60 percent, as opposed to men, which is about 40 percent. Women tend to make their medical decisions over a longer period of time, compared to men who wait to seek medical treatment at the last moment. We haven’t seen a major gender difference between the two. Women will go to the doctors, and are the health leaders of most families. AFRO: Are over the counter medicines and or creams useful? Dr. Wood: Over the counter crèmes do work, Aleve and Tylenol help with the pain. If someone is obese they need to lose more weight. If they are inactive, they need to become more active. Flexibility and balance works. AFRO: Is there a better age to have joint replacement? Dr. Wood: I think there is an age in which the prosthetic will last you longer in life. I think it should be done when a patient has exhausted their conservative measures such as weight reduction, medications, exercise, injections, braces and physical therapy. When a patient has done all those things, and pain is still occurring that limits their quality of life then joint replacement should be done. Putting it off puts patients at the risk of having more problems down the road. AFRO: What excites you about your specialty? Dr. Wood: As an orthopedic physician, I can return patients to their normal lifestyle. I have the ability to get patients back to a functional lifestyle. Patients come in my office and thank us for giving them back their lifestyle. Chronic pain makes you depressed so helping people out of chronic pain is very gratifying. This is a gratifying career for me. As a kid I’ve broken a lot of bones. I am doing what I love to do. AFRO: What are some misconceptions? Dr. Wood: There are a lot of studies out there that compare the African American’s to the Caucasians and ask questions like, do you think you will have more pain after your surgery, or do you know someone who has had joint replacement. On average, African American tend to have higher misconceptions than their Caucasian counterparts. This is still life altering surgery. Again, if you see 50 patients, but the one person you pay attention to is the one who has the problem. Then the trusting nature with the patients with their physicians, because
Seniors Answer the Call to Help All Shades of Pink (ASOP) partnered with the Maryland - National Capital Parks & Planning Commission, November 2012, regarding its Wrapped in Comfort Blanket program. ASOP provided instruction to senior participants at area Senior Activity Centers throughout Prince George’s County. Participants learned how to create signature comfort blankets for newly diagnosed breast cancer patients. Executive Director Denice Whalen-White, and several volunteer staff each week visited seven centers to explain the comfort blanket program and demonstrate how to make the blankets. The project was well received from the centers’ seniors and ASOP enjoyed working with beginners and advanced crocheters in how the signature blankets were
Ms. Nicks, 96, long-time crocheter at the Evelyn Cole Senior Activity Center diligently works at creating her first comfort blanket for All Shades of Pink. to be created. Nearly half the seniors had never crocheted before but had always wanted
to learn. Some were quite familiar with crocheting as well as creating granny square blankets. Participants learned that for the ASOP pattern, they simply had to create one giant granny square in the method provided, as opposed to the traditional small squares sewn together. As the project was launched at the centers at the beginning of the winter holidays in 2012 the completion of blankets was very slow. However, once Christmas passed the blankets began to roll in on a regular basis and participants were asking to make more than one at a time. With a gang buster response that began in January and ended in June, the seniors produced a total of 402 comfort blankets. In relation to the size of the centers and their senior population the end
production was amazing. The contributions by centers were as follows:
Center Blankets Camp Springs 96 Evelyn Cole 25 Gwendolyn Britt 62 Harmony Hall 106 John E. Howard 18 Langley Park 29 Laurel-Beltsville 66 TOTAL 402
With no two blankets looking exactly alike, each is as unique as the individual who will receive one. These blankets will be distributed to newly diagnosed breast cancer patients in Prince George’s County and surrounding partner hospitals. All Shades of Pink will return to the centers beginning September and anticipate the response will be even greater in the next fiscal year.
Bulletin Board Racial Taboo Uses History, Comedy to Help Viewers Talk About Race
by people of different races. Numerous test screenings have shown it to be very effective at breaking down barriers to conversations about race. It looks at such concepts as: White privilege, the biological basis of fear, and how the media perpetuates race-based fear and distrust. It also looks at how the current generation of youth is affected by not knowing its history and how our history still affects us today. Ultimately, the film encourages us to explore our own prejudices and broaden our minds and our relationships. “This is a very personal film,” said Brian Grimm, the film’s director. “I am certainly no expert on racial issues, but as a White middle-aged conservative male, I wanted to understand why I was so fearful about having racial conversations with Black people.” Grimm continued, “There are very few subjects that are as sensitive as the subject of race. I encourage everyone to have an open mind and take this fifty-three minute journey.” You can view the Racial Taboo trailer at www. RacialTaboo.com. If you find the trailer informative please Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter at @ RacialTaboo #RacialTaboo
Janet Langhart Cohen Invites Reflections On Racism To Honor Trayvon Martin and Emmett Till
hands or weapons. I hope that the Martin case is a lesson, not a reason for people to be destructive or take up arms.” The Facebook Opportunity to Share Tributes is simple. Create a message reflecting your thoughts and post on Janet’s Facebook page www.facebook.com/langhartcohen or Tweet to Janet at www.twitter.com/langhartcohen or @ LanghartCohen using the hashtag #NeverForgetEmmett. For more information about the tribute and Emmett Till, please visit www.anneandemmett.com
Wilmington, NC (BlackNews.com) -- Wave Communications is pleased to announce the upcoming release of the feature-length documentary Racial Taboo. This film was produced with the express purpose of providing people with a common experience that enables conversations about race. The entire film will be available in several formats including streaming for stationary and mobile devices, Blu-ray Disk(TM) and DVD disks. Racial Taboo will be available to the public on Sept. 5. The film’s trailer can be viewed at www.RacialTaboo.com. Racial Taboo is a film that is intended to be watched at the same time
Washington, DC (BlackNews.com) -- At no time has the memory of Emmett Till been so relevant, on the heels of the Trayvon Martin murder trial. Emmett Till, a 14 year old Black boy, was brutally murdered in Money, Miss. in 1955 for whistling at a White woman. His murder galvanized the modern Civil Rights Movement. Had he lived, Emmett Till would be 72 on July 25. Janet Langhart Cohen, playwright of “Anne and Emmett,” an imaginary conversation between Anne Frank and Emmett Till, would like people to join her in remembering them both by sharing your message of reflection on their deaths, the state of Civil Rights and how the movement has changed or progressed in the last 50 years. Janet’s message is “Emmett Till is not forgotten; the struggle continues with memories of Trayvon Martin.” “Little has changed in over half a century,” said Cohen, “Sadly, many people cannot see beyond the color of a person’s skin and judgment is passed accordingly. All we can hope for is peaceful and galvanizing change using words instead of people feel like doctors may only see them as someone they want to cut on, that lack of trust and confidence. AFRO: What is the size of the incisions Dr. Wood: If you get a knee replacement it’s about a 4 inch. If a patient is obese, doctors have to go through larger layers of fat in order to get through the joint, patients may find
that incision to be larger. These are all concerns that should be discussed prior to having the joint replacement surgery. Incisions are so much less than what they used to be; we are now able to perform less invasive procedures with minimal incisions. If patients are in great condition, they can go home in a day. On average some patients may go home in two to three days after joint replacements. Some people are being done as outpatients.
July 27, 2013 - August 2, 2013, The Afro-American
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ARTS & CULTURE
AFRO Interview with Author Harold T. Fisher
Two Weeks Until the Rest of My Life By Andrea “Aunni” Young Special to the AFRO Two Weeks Until the Rest of My Life a play about a steamy romance between an older woman and a younger man played to three consecutive sold-out performances at THEARC on July 20 and 21. The play is based on a novel of the same name by Harold T. Fisher, host of “The Daily Drum,” a news/talk program airing on WHUR-FM and H-U-R Voices, Sirius/XM Channel 141. Adapted by Paulette D. Harris, artistic director for the Paul Robeson Theater in Buffalo, N.Y. and directed by Mary Craig, the play conveys urban sensuality and Black love through two characters who meet by chance in New Orleans. Fisher agreed recently to be interviewed by the AFRO on the success of the book, which he published independently.
point of view and experience love at first sight? Harold Fisher: Writing from a woman’s point of view is not so difficult for me if you have an opportunity to have been surrounded by good women all of your life. If you’ve been surrounded by good black women all of your life, then you kind of know how they think to a certain degree. And what you don’t know you ask them, and they will tell you if they trust you. AFRO: Who did you trust the most, in your life, their perspective? Harold Fisher: Probably my Mother and her sorority sisters, because they were always around, talking and back then, playing pinochle. In doing so, they talked about the things that were affecting their lives. But beyond that, I think that even as a young man and as an older man, and as I said, having really good sisters in my life.
AFRO: Were you surprised by the success of the book.
AFRO: Does your character experience heartbreak?
Harold Fisher: The book has done reasonably well, I think, for a self-published book. As with the book, the main character is a woman. And the story is told from a woman’s point of view, which may be unique because I’m a man. But, it is about love at first sight.
Harold Fisher: Yes, there is a lot of that. But the premise of the book is that this is a MayDecember romance. This is an older woman with a younger man. She meets him after being sent at the last minute to a very long business trip and conference in New Orleans. And that is how she stumbles across him. The book is set pre-Katrina. The play differs slightly. The book is steamier, it’s more intense. And it’s a whole lot of stuff you just can’t put on stage!
AFRO: I actually do, and I wanted to ask you: how challenging was it to write from a woman’s
Panelists Tell Forum How Civil Rights Struggle Fueled Their Art for Black painters. “No one was doing or interested in political art back then”, said Ringgold, “they only wanted abstracts.” Ringgold told the forum audience that she was awakened to the power and importance of self-expression in the late 1950’s when, upon bringing her painted landscapes and portrait pieces to a gallery’s art director who accused her of forgery. “You didn’t paint these,” she said the art director told her. Ringgold would later take the director’s words to mean, “Why would you simply paint this, when your people and country are in the midst of such social, political and racial unrest?” Her featured exhibit in the festival, American People, Black Light, will be shown until Nov. 10 at the National Museum of Women in the Arts. “Art is about telling your story,” Ringgold said. “You have to speak from your own experiences.”
By Ariel Medley AFRO Staff Writer The art, artistic inspiration, and creative influences of the Civil Rights Movement were the topic of an often-lively forum July 16 that was part of the March on Washington Film Festival in Washington, D.C. Hosted by CNN political analyst Jamal Simmons, the discussion featured Avis Collins Robinson, painter, quilter and former economist for the Environmental Protection Agency; Keith Beauchamp, civil rights filmmaker and Faith Ringgold, painter, sculptor and writer. “My art comes from anger,” said Robinson, an avid collector of slavery documents and artifacts whose portrait of Abraham Lincoln is mounted in the lobby of Ford’s Theater. “Slavery really pissed me off,“ said the Harvard University graduate who was a high-ranking economist at EPA before she became an artist. Raised in Baton Rouge, La., Keith Beauchamp was stirred by the story of the death of Emmett Louis Till, a teenager who was murdered for flirting with a White woman in Mississippi in 1955. After being assaulted in his youth by a police officer for dancing with a white friend, Beauchamp was determined to take action, initially setting out to pursue a career as a civil rights attorney. While in law school Beauchamp came across filmmaking and said he viewed it as the best arena for him to expose civil rights injustice. “I use filmmaking as a platform for change, ” Beauchamp told the audience. “I deal with things mainstream media is afraid to touch.” Spurred by his research and production of the documentary film The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till in 2004, the Justice Department reopened the investigation of the teen’s murder. The documentary was one of the films featured in the March on Washington Film Festival. Faith Ringgold, 82, told of being a political artist decades before it was a fashionable pursuit
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The Afro-American, July 27, 2013 - August 2, 2013
FAITH
Black Church Leaders Urge Push Back Against Zimmerman Acquittal By Krishana Davis Special to the AFRO Following the acquittal of neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman of murder charges for the shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin after a sidewalk confrontation in a gated Sanford, Fla. community in 2012, Black Baltimore religious leaders across urged their congregations to channel their dismay into non-violent civic activism. “Several young people in the congregation texted me or called me after the verdict,” said Bishop Douglas Miles of Koinonia Baptist Church. “They said they have a lack of faith in the injustice system in America.” In his sermon the following day, he told his congregation that they must not lose faith. He said he told them to see the verdict as a time to push for action and engagement in their communities. “[The verdict] was a travesty against justice,” Miles told the AFRO. “I hope it becomes a wakeup call; it showed that African American young men are an endangered species in America and the justice system thinks little of them.” In Woodlawn, Benjamin F. Long, 39, pastor of Rehoboth Church Light of the World said America has proven it does not value the life of Black men. He said he told his congregation that football player Michael Vick received a harsher sentence for orchestrating dog fights than Zimmerman did for killing the teenager. “No one is being held accountable for the loss of life,” said Long. “It’s like Black males are of a lesser value than pets and animals.” Long said he first urged his congregation to pray for our country. He said parents and adults must also push youth towards awareness on the issues plaguing their communities. “This is not the time to lock our doors and hide behind our castle walls,” said Long. “It is time to take action and let our voices be heard.”
Bishop Douglas Miles Miles said there has been no progress in the Black community since the Civil Rights Movement. He said the baby boomer generation, which he called “the best-fed, besteducated ion generation” did not build on the progress and success of the movement. “After the Civil Rights movement, so many people in the community thought we had arrived,” said Miles. “We’ve done worst than stop moving forward. We’ve taken a step backwards.” Miles said he urges Blacks in Baltimore to mobilize and begin to fight against “business as usual in Baltimore.” He said Blacks must hold city leaders and officials accountable for the deplorable conditions of many their neighborhoods as they continue to channel funding for development projects downtown such as the approved $107 million Harbor Point development.
Some members of Baltimore’s religious community have been involved in the case since the beginning. Prominent mega-church Pastor Jamal Bryant met with the dead teen’s mother, Sybrina Fulton, immediately following the shooting to offer spiritual support and guidance. He later invited Fulton to speak at his church, The Empowerment Temple, in 2012. Following the July 13 verdict, Bryant, Tessa Hill-Aston, president of the Baltimore branch of the NAACP, and other local civil rights leaders, joined by Baltimore Police Department officials, urged local residents to avoid violence and engage in civil discourse in protesting the verdict. Bryant participated in the National Action Network (NAN) rally alongside more than 100 clergy members outside the Department of Justice (DOJ) building in Washington, D.C. urging Attorney General Eric Holder to take action in the case following the not guilty verdict. “I really believed in my heart when they offered the reduced charge of manslaughter that that’s what Zimmerman would get,” said Bryant. “The Martin family needs to receive some restitution.” Following the peace rally, Bryant, NAN and clergy members held a meeting with Holder to discuss DOJ litigation against Zimmerman under federal civil rights law. “This wasn’t reactionary,” said Bryant. “We’ve been urging the Department of Justice to file this motion for over a year.” Bryant said when Blacks are the perpetrators they are vigorously pursued, but when they are the victim they are “willfully ignored.” He said he urges more self-love as one step for the Black community to take to help to curb violence against Blacks, especially Black-on-Black crime. Bryant also urges for Blacks to begin to take back their own neighborhoods. “We need to start monitoring and patrolling our own communities again,” said Bryant. “We must be on the front line. If we don’t look out for our children, who will?”
After Zimmerman: What the World Needs By Lisa Fritsch Commentary Justice is a lot like beauty. What one sees depends on their perspective. Where race is concerned in America, true justice is beside the point. Whites cried foul at the O.J. Simpson verdict. Now, blacks fume over George Zimmerman’s not guilty verdict. As both sides become inflamed to a boiling point, racial division is guaranteed. Those who feel denied or betrayed rarely leave the courtroom in peace. With Simpson, the grieving Goldman family fought back in civil court to receive financial justice. Trayvon Martin’s family and a supportive Black community vow to find justice through civil suits and marches. It’s about how justice is defined in the Black community. Cases such as the Zimmerman trial become less about the circumstances and more about a desire for “racial justice.” This is a perverted sense of justice where the victim (always Black) is immortalized to perfection and beyond reproach. The bad guy (in this case, “White Hispanic”) must
Lisa Fritsch
accept complete responsibility for the outcome despite any actions or fault by the victim. Justice is only served by punishing the “racist,” creating a harmonious path to racial justice. Why so one-sided? Despite professional, political and artistic progress, the Black community remains insecure about our equality. Too many still feel there is part of the meal we’re not getting while we are somehow paying more of the bill. Our faith fails to alleviate this insecurity, even though God is the one true judge of all things earthly and eternal, in and outside of race. The affirmation we crave, in terms of complete acceptance and unconditional love, can only come from God. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. understood this well: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” When Dr. King said this during one of America’s most racially-divided times, he was not debating the cruelty and injustice of hate and racism. Nor was he denying its power. He was instead speaking of the only way to overcome the stain of discrimination and hate. The black community has the power to heal our country with love and light. An olive branch of love and forgiveness towards both sides in the Zimmerman case is what our country needs most. If we respond in love, we teach young people to reach for something higher than courtroom justice: moral justice. Not only do we hold within ourselves the power to change and grow stronger in love so that our community benefits and prospers, but we can also disarm and confuse darkness so that it walks alone with no place to settle. To achieve peace, let us first be peace. The most powerful and noble way to seek justice is to pray for peace, love and understanding on all sides. If it is true justice we seek, we must trust in God’s equality and his right to judge above all. We must rest in faith that in being love, we can receive and create love. This is what the world needs right now. Lisa Fritsch is the author of Obama, Tea Parties and God.
July 27, 2013 - August 2, 2013, The Afro-American
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LITERATURE
Pretty Girl Blues By Jearlean Alston-Taylor
Many of us think there is a book in us, but what pushed you to put pen to paper? I had a book in me while I was in my mother’s womb. I could not imagine what my “book” would be or turn out to be. My parents never imagined their daughter would be diagnosed with a rare form of cancer at the age of three – Rhabdomysarcoma, a vaginal cancer. Because of this disease and many surgeries that followed, I have two permanent ostomy (colostomy and urostomy) bags to aid my bladder and bowel functions. Imagine growing up with these adversities. Not knowing early in my life how to change and manage them would be the beginning of children teasing me; “I smell something”, “I heard she wears a bag.” Those remarks would push me to hide my secret by any means necessary. What would I do? How would I handle what life had dealt me? Through the years and several more surgeries, I had to find a way to escape, to relieve my burdens. I began to write in a journal; to express on paper and pen all I ever felt about my
sickness, my insecurities, my struggles, my depression, my bags and life. What I wrote in my journal allowed me to realize that “life” happens. The more I wrote the more I learned I was not alone, the more I realized my life has a purpose. I am grateful for the struggles because it allowed me to discover the beauty in me from the inside out.
is what we put on ourselves. I am a cancer survivor with two ostomy bags for the rest of my life; however, I was nominated one of Maryland’s top editorial and runway models. I know God can do all things, but fail. I am a fashion model, author, and writer, with a bright future on the horizon. I have gone through some struggles and will have some more along the way. I take my internal struggles and give them to God. My faith and belief in God make all the difference. I initially did not understand why things happened in my life the way they did. I came to understand, God was using me as an instrument to bring Him glory and to help someone else. There is no better feeling to know your story is destined to bring encouragement, inspiration, healing and joy.
Was the “journey” of writing as rewarding as the end product? The journey of writing was rewarding and very therapeutic. It was healing for me. It was discovering things about my life I did not understand. My siblings played a major part in explaining things about my sickness that I never knew. It was rewarding to know how I handled my sickness at a young age. I was strong even back then. The end product of my book puts me in a place of gratefulness. I am very thankful that God gave me a story to help those suffering with a sickness, low self-esteem, health issues, and those cancer survivors who beat the odds. No matter what
Crime Writing Duo Tops List of Best-Read Black Authors
Courtesy Photo
By AFRO Staff
Author Jearlean Alston Taylor
The writing team of Ashley and JaQuavis Coleman continues to dominate the paperback fiction bestseller list with four titles in the top ten, according to the latest Power List, a compilation of three websites that have published African American literature for more than a decade. Ashley & JaQuavis’s Cartel 4, the latest in the duo’s Cartel series, attracted enough readers to push the series into the million-copy sales level. Their other entries in the top ten of paperback fiction are Murderville 2, The Prada Plan 2 and Murderville. Urban fiction author Wahida Clark also had two titles among the paperback fiction bestsellers, Payback Ain’t Enough and Justify My Thug, as well as one, Honor Thy Thug, among the hardcover fiction bestsellers. The Power List, released July 23, is a joint project of AALBC.com, Cushcity. com and Mosaicbooks.com and is published quarterly. The best-known Black authors with one or more titles on the Power List include Toni Morrison, Maya Angelou, Walter Mosley, Kimberla Lawson Roby, Eric Jerome Dickey, Carl Weber, Sister Souljah, Mary B. Morrison and Mary Monroe.
the disease may be, we all have a “book” in us. How are you changed by the experience? I’ve been changed as a person, as a cancer survivor, a Christian woman, a daughter, a sister and a friend. This experience taught me that all things are possible. My life experiences or sickness did not dictate my future. This experience also taught me to believe in my dreams and aspirations. The only limitation
What is the main message of the book? Miracles still happen. I want readers to know that “life” happens, but we have the power inside us to survive. This book is relatable on all levels to all people. I want others to be inspired, encouraged, and know they are more than they have become no matter what the circumstance is. We are VICTORIOUS and not a victim. We can conquer and overcome. What would you like the reader to walk away with? I would like everyone to be aware of early health issues, especially with our children. My disease was detected early. Do not let any illness go without seeing a physician or doctor. Your life is precious and we all have a destiny to reach. Jearlean Alston Taylor will sign copies of Pretty Girl Blues, 4-6:30 p.m., July 27, at Bethany Baptist Church, 4200 Townsend Ave., Brooklyn, Md. For more information www. prettygirlblues.com.
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The Afro-American, July 27, 2013 - August 2, 2013
‘...And let the church say amen!...’ Hello everyone, I know this has been a very hot summer, especially the last couple of weeks, but I am not complaining because if you look or listen to the news and weather reports of other cities and states, you would know that we are truly blessed. I know you are looking at the pictures in my column this week and wondering if I am now a gospel columnist. The answer is no! I just love gospel, that down-home, Southern, get-down, old gospel music as much as I love blues and oldies. A lot of church stuff, as well as jazz concerts, is going on this week. And my dear friends it is all about our local entertainers no matter what side of the record you are playing. The Meritocrats are having their annual picnic at Patapsco State Park, picnic area #703 on July 27 from 1-6 p.m., featuring lots of music, games, food and fun. Seniors are free. The food is catered by Famous Dave’s BBQ. Alcohol is permitted so you can BYOB. For more information, call Robert Gregory at 443-506-7996. Now, who says that Christmas only comes once a year? No, no, no, not true. I heard that Santa Claus is coming to the “Christmas in July” with a party in mind on July 29 , 5 p.m. until at the Roots Unltd., 2148 Vine Street on the corner of Smallwood Street. Honey Child! They do it up with lots of home-cooked food, a music raffle, and gifts. It is really unique. The decorations, the décor and the festive atmosphere are unbelievable. Ronnie Jackson has been doing this for years. Check it out. For my night club folks, DJ Sugar Chris is giving “The Big $10.00 Cabaret” for the 50-and Rev. Pamula Yerby-Hammock will be guest older party people on July 27 at preacher at the For God We Live Ministries, the Steelworkers Union Hall, 550 where Rev. JT Thornton is the pastor and founder, Dundalk Avenue. This is really turning at the 6th Annual Rainbow Tea on July 27, 1-4 back the hands of time. Just like the old p.m. Ticket price includes open buffet, fashion days, you BYOB and BYOF, bring in show and access to vendors. It will be held at the your cooler with your favorite beverages Towson American Legion Banquet Hall, 125 York in it and keep the potato salad cool. Road. For more information, call 410-542-2530. Live entertainment will be featured with The Potentials singing some oldies, but goodies. Also, Ms. Jennifer; a local song stylist, will perform. There will be vendors and yours truly, Rambling Rose, will be there signing my new book, “African-American Community, History& Entertainment in Maryland (Remembering the yesterdays 1940The gospel recording group Just Being Blessed from Baltimore is a group of men reaching audiences through song with the saving message of Christ. Members of the group include: Larry Cross, Delroy Smith, Johnny Robinson, Sonny Collins and Ronald Bowen. They will perform at Bro. Harry Warsaw’s 16th Anniversary Gospel Concert on July 27 at 4 p.m. at Spread the Word Cathedral, 4100 Frankford Avenue.
Greg Hatza ORGANization with Peter Fraize on saxophone, Brian Kooken on guitar, Robert Shahid on drums, and Greg Hatza on organ will grace the stage at the Grand Tremont, 225 N. Charles Street on July 28, 3-7 p.m.
The Christianaires of Baltimore is on the program with The Versatiles of Mt. Airy, DiVine of Annapolis of Maryland, About My Father’s Business, Just Being Blessed and many more at the Gospel Concert on July 27 at the Spread the Word Cathedral on Frankford Avenue. Dinner is included with your ticket. For more information, call 410-419-9220. 1980).” Speaking of music, this is one of the best things that could happen in Baltimore, since the days of Bob Haynes’ Sportsmen Lounge, the Bird Cage, Lorman House, Sphinx Club and, the Left Bank Jazz Society. Yes folks! I am talking about an idea of Thomas Saunders of Renaissance Partners & Tours, Vernard R. Gray of Be Mo Jazz and Caprece Jackson-Garrett to bring you some awesome, dynamite, and out-of-sight musicians to the Jazz at The Grand on Sundays from 3-7 p.m. at 225 N. Charles Street, the Tremont Grand. I am talking about local, top of the line, well-known musicians. Honey Child! I was there last week for their first week series and they had a sold-out crowd. It will be held every Sunday through Aug. 25. By the way, I will be there with my new book, too. They also have a buffet menu and cash bar. The line-up looks like this: On July 28 is the Greg Hatza ORGANization, Aug. 4, it’s the Carlos Johnson Quartet, Aug. 11 is Warren Wolf Quintet and it goes on and on. I will tell you about the rest later. For ticket information, which is cheap, cheap, cheap, you can call443-982-1091, or Tom Saunders at 410-728-3837. Oh my goodness, I am out of space. Remember, if you need me, call me at 410-833-9474 or email me atrosapryor@aol.com. UNTIL THE NEXT TIME, I’M MUSICALLY YOURS.
AUTOMOTIVE CENTRAL AAA Mid-Atlantic Requests Investigation of Bay Bridge Railings AAA Mid-Atlantic is calling on the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to investigate the adequacy and the safety of the bridge parapets on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge in the aftermath of a frightful collision that sent a vehicle and its driver hurtling over the railings into the bay 40 feet below. In a letter to NTSB Chairperson Deborah Hersman, a spokesman for AAA MidAtlantic stated, “We believe this crash merits investigation by the NTSB, and call upon your agency to undertake an investigation.” The incident, which reportedly took place a quartermile into the eastbound span of the bridge this past Friday night, has shaken the confidence of the motoring public in the safety of the railings on the iconic span, observes AAA Mid-Atlantic. In the letter (see attachment) to the chief of the independent federal agency, the auto club representative wrote, “there would appear to be a failure of the restraint system on the Bay Bridge.” “This clearly raises questions about whether there was a failure of the specific restraint system used on the bridge, and whether it met federal specifications, or whether the federal specifications for bridge barriers are inadequate to restrain a vehicle in this type of crash,” wrote Mahlon G. (Lon) Anderson, AAA Mid-Atlantic’s managing director of Public and Government Affairs. “If so, does it warrant an examination of the adequacy of those federal specifications?” Installed in 1986, the “Jersey barrier” railings on the Bay Bridge were designed so that “if a vehicle ran into it at a small angle, it would deflect the vehicle back into the bridge-way with minimal damage,” bridge engineers say. The sheer force and physics of a collision on the bridge this past Friday hurled a vehicle atop the concrete Jersey wall before it toppled with its driver into the Chesapeake Bay. “We think it’s critical that your agency investigate this so that the huge number of motorists [that use the bridge] and their passengers can be assured that when they use this critical link with the Eastern Shore that the Bridge is safe and that the restraint
systems on the two spans of this bridge are working properly and will keep them on the bridge in the event of a crash,” Anderson wrote. According to its mission and legislative mandate, the NTSB determines the probable cause of each accident it investigates and “issues safety recommendations aimed at preventing future accidents.”For this reason, Anderson urged: “No motorist using this facility should have to worry about going off the bridge in the event of an incident. We think your agency’s investigation of this crash would provide that assurance or lead to the changes necessary to be able to give motorist this assurance.” The latest crash took place after a tractor-trailer rig reportedly rear-ended a vehicle on the eastbound span as thosuands of motorists were heading to the beach for the weekend. Miraculously, the 22-year-old driver survived her frightful plunge over the bridge. But concerns about the design standards of the Jersey barriers loom large in the minds of the motoring public, the auto club notes. This is not the first time such questions have risen to the fore. That was the case on Aug. 10, 2008, when the driver of a tractor-tractor drowned
after he crashed through the bridge’s railings, and then plummeted to his death in the bay. The driver of the big rig had swerved to avoid hitting a car. At that time, AAA Mid-Atlantic was highly critical of bridge safety and called upon state officials to inspect the bridge and to ensure the engineering and the structural integrity of the parapets along the 4.3 mile-long span. Shortly after that deadly crash, in-depth testing of the eastbound span’s concrete parapet (barrier) found evidence of corrosion of reinforcing steel bolts encased in the concrete barrier, the Maryland Transportation Authority (MdTA) announced. Subsequently, Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley called for the appointment of a panel of experts to investigate the safety records and inspection standards of Maryland’s bridges and tunnels. The seven-member panel of experts issued its report a year later on June 1, 2009. The panel issued 18 recommendations and 14 findings including: the railing knocked off the bridge in the fatal 2008 tractor-trailer crash “would not meet today’s design standards.” But the panel also stated: “Design standards are routinely changed, however, in many cases annually. It is neither practical nor recommended to retrofit bridges immediately to meet each such change. Rather, changes to meet later design standards are typically made to the extent possible as major bridge rehabilitation occurs.” Following the latest incident, Anderson noted that Maryland transportation authorities have consistently told the auto club that barriers on Maryland’s bridges meet federal specifications that require them to restrain cars that hit them, but not big trucks.” This was a car that hit the barriers and it still ended up in the water, he noted. Congress has charged the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) with the authority to investigate “every civil aviation in the United States and significant accidents in other modes of transportation-railroad, highway, marine and pipeline.” Spanning 4.3 miles from end to end, the original span of the William Preston Lane Jr. Memorial (Bay) Bridge (US 50/301) was the world’s longest continuous over-water steel structure when the two lane eastbound span opened in 1952. Its parallel structure boasts three lanes for westbound travelers and it opened two decades later in 1973.
July 27, 2013 - July 27, 2013, The Afro-American
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ANTIQUES & COLLECTIBLES
Wanted To Purchase Antiques & Fine Art, 1 item Or Entire Estate Or Collection, Gold, Silver, Coins, Jewelry, Toys, Oriental Glass, China, Lamps, Books, Textiles, Paintings, Prints almost anything old Evergreen Auctions 973-818-1100. Email evergreenauction@ hotmail.com
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LEGAL NOTICES
MBE/WBE Subcontractors and Suppliers Ulliman Schutte Construction, LLC, Rockville, MD is interested in receiving quotes from qualified City of Baltimore MBE/WBE subcontractors and suppliers for the Sanitary Contract No. 868 Liquid Oxygen Plant Improvements Patapsco WWTP bidding on August 14, 2013. Opportunities are available for Specifications Divisions 1 thru 44. Please Fax quotes to 301-545-0810. Contact telephone 301-545-0750.Ulliman Schutte Construction, LLC 7615 Standish place Rockville, MD 20855 www.ullimanschutte.com TYPESET: Wed Jul 24 15:40:49 EDT 2013 Equal Opportunity Employer
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IFB NUMBER: B-1728-13
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BIDS WILL BE DUE no later than 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Friday, August 16, 2013. A non-mandatory pre-bid meeting will be held on Friday, August 2, 2013 at 10:00 a.m., at the Charles L. Benton Building, 417 E. Fayette Street, Room 416, Baltimore, Maryland, 21202.
HABC has established a minimum threshold of twenty percent (20%) of the total dollar amount of the proposed contract for Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) utilization, applicable to all minority and non-minority proposing to provide the TYPESET: Wed Jul 24 15:39:52 EDT businesses 2013 LEGAL NOTICES requested services as the prime contractor. No threshold has been established for participation of Women-owned businesses (WBEs), however, IN THE CIRCUIT HABC strongly encourages and affirmatively proCOURT FOR motes the use of WBEs in all HABC contracts.
Frank M. Conaway Clerk 7/26/2013
410-554-8200
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The Housing Authority of Baltimore City (HABC) will issue an Invitation for Bids (IFB) for qualified and interested vendors to submit sealed bids to supply refrigerators and ranges as needed to various HABC properties.
OCEAN CITY, MARYLAND. Best selection of affordable rentals. Full/ partial weeks. Call for FREE brochure. Open daily. Holiday Real Estate. 1-800-638-2102. Online reservations: www.holidayoc.com
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VACATION RENTALS
BALTIMORE CITY Case No.: 24-D-13-002128 IN THE MATTER OF Sylvina Elizabeth Mullins FOR CHANGE OF NAME TO Sylvina Mullins Raver ORDER FOR NOTICE BY PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to officially change the name of the petitioner from Sylvina Elizabeth Mullins to Sylvina Mullins Raver It is this 10th day of July, 2013 by the Circuit Court for Batimore City, ORDERED, that publication be given one time in a newspaper of general circulation in Baltimore City on or before the 12th day August, 2013, which shall warn all interested persons to file an affidavit in opposition to the relief requested on or before the 27th day of August, 2013
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BALTIMORE AFRO-AMERICAN NEWSPAPER Legal Advertising Rates Effective October 1, 2008
The IFB and all supporting documents may be obtained on or after Monday, July 29, 2013 from the following location: Housing Authority of Baltimore City Division of Fiscal Operations, Procurement Department 417 E. Fayette Street, Room 414 Baltimore, Maryland 21202 Attention: John Airey, Chief of Contracting Services Tel: (410) 396-3261 Fax: (410) 962-1586 Questions regarding the IFB should be directed in writing to the address and individual indicated above, and must include the reference: HABC Bid No. B-1728-13.
PROBATE DIVISION (Estates) 202-332-0080 PROBATE NOTICES a. Order Nisi $ 60 per insertion b. Small Estates (single publication $ 60 per insertion c. Notice to Creditors 1. Domestic $ 60 per insertion 2. Foreign $ 60 per insertion d. Escheated Estates $ 60 per insertion e. Standard Probates
CIVIL NOTICES a. Name Changes 202-879-1133 b. Real Property
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BALTIMORE COUNTY, MARYLAND INVITATION FOR BIDS CONTRACT NO. 13080 SX0 CROYDEN ROAD RELIEF 15 AND 16 SEWER SSO #106 CROYDEN ROAD TO BROMPTON ROAD - CONSENT DECREE MILFORD MILL - DISTRICT 2 c 4 CONTRACT COST GROUP C ($500,000 to $1,000,000) WORK CLASSIFICATION: F-1 with F-2 Pre-Qualified Subcontractor BID DATE: THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2013 AT 10:30 A.M. EST On or after MONDAY, JULY 29, 2013, the above contract documents (See Note *) may be inspected and purchased from the Division of Construction Contracts Administration, Department of Public Works, Room 300B, County Office Building (COB), 111 W. Chesapeake Avenue, Towson, MD 21204, upon receipt of payment of $15.00 (FIFTEEN DOLLARS) per contract. All checks should be made payable to BALTIMORE COUNTY MD. NO REFUNDS will be made to anyone. Direct any questions to 410-887-3531. Bidders obtaining documents from another source other than Baltimore County WILL NOT be allowed to submit proposals to Baltimore County. The proposed work consists of: 1,770 (LF) 15 Inch Polyvinyl Chloride Pipe 22 (LF) 16 Inch DIP and Fittings - Class 52 145 (VF) STD. Sanitary Manhole - 48 inside diameter A pre-bid meeting will be held on Monday, August 12, 2013 at 10:00 a.m. EST in Room 300 B of the County Office Building. Located at 111 West Chesapeake Avenue, Towson, MD 21204. THE PROJECT IS SUBJECT TO A MINORITY BUSINESS ENTERPRISE UTILIZATION GOAL AND FEMALE CONTRACTORS UTILIZATION GOALS. THESE GOAL REQUIREMENTS ARE MORE FULLY EXPLAINED IN THE SPECIFICATIONS. THE MBE/WBE FORMS IN THE PROPOSAL BOOKLET MUST BE COMPLETED AND SUBMITTED AT THE TIME OF BID OPENING. Sealed proposals (the entire book) addressed to Baltimore County, Maryland for this contract will be received in the Baltimore County Purchasing Division, Room 148, Old Courthouse, 400 Washington Avenue, Towson, MD 21204, until the time specified on the contract at which time they will be publicly opened and read.
TYPESET: Wed Jul 24 15:36:58 EDT 2013 CITY OF BALTIMORE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS BUREAU OF WATER AND WASTEWATER
NOTICE OF LETTING Sealed Bids or Proposals, in duplicate addressed to the Board of Estimates of the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore and marked for Sanitary Contract 933-High Level Interceptor Cleaning will be received at the Office of the Comptroller, Room 204, City Hall, Baltimore, Maryland until 11:00 A.M. on Wednesday, August 28, 2013. Positively no bids will be received after 11:00 A.M. Bids will be publicly opened by the Board of Estimates in Room 215, City Hall at Noon. The Contract Documents may be examined, without charge, at the Department of Public Works Service Center located on the first floor of the Abel Wolman Municipal Building, 200 N. Holliday Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21202 as of Friday, July 26, 2013 and copies may be purchased for a non-refundable cost of $100.00. Conditions and requirements of the Bid are found in the bid package. All contractors bidding on this Contract must first be prequalified by the City of Baltimore Contractors Qualification Committee. Interested parties should call 410-396-6883 or contact the Committee at 751 Eastern Avenue, Baltimore, Maryland 21202. If a bid is submitted by a joint venture (JV), then in that event, the document that established the JV shall be submitted with the bid for verification purposes. The Prequalification Category required for bidding on this project is G90129-Large Diameter Sewer Cleaning Cost Qualification Range for this work shall be $4,000,000.01 to $5,000,000.00 A Pre-Bidding Information session will be conducted at the 300 Abel Wolman Municipal Building, Large Conference Room on August 2, 2013 at 10:00 A.M. All contractors bidding on this Contract must attend the mandatory Pre-Bidding Information Session. The CCTV videos of the sewers included in this project will be made available for viewing/copying to interested parties at the office of JMT, 72 Loveton Circle, Sparks, MD 21152, (410) 316-2249). Refer to IB-9 for additional details. Principal Item of work for this project are: Heavy cleaning and inspection of large diameter sewers and siphon including manholes and structures The MBE goal is 17% The WBE goal is 16% SANITARY CONTRACT 933
ONLY CONTRACTORS WHO HAVE BEEN PREQUALIFIED BY BALTIMORE COUNTY AT LEAST TEN (10) DAYS PRIOR TO THE OPENING OF BIDS WILL BE ALLOWED TO SUBMIT PROPOSALS.
APPROVED: Bernice H. Taylor Clerk, Board of Estimates
All proposals must be accompanied by a Bid Bond, on the approved form provided, in the amount as set forth in the Information for Bidders. No other form of proposal guaranty is acceptable.
APPROVED: Alfred H. Foxx Director of Public Works
The Purchasing Agent reserves the right to reject any or all proposals or bids or parts of bids and to waive technicalities as may be deemed best for the interest of the County. Keith Dorsey, Director Office of Budget & Finance
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The Afro-American, July 27, 2013 - August 2, 2013
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July 27, 2013 - August 2, 2013, The Afro-American TYPESET: Wed Jul 24 15:37:26 EDT 2013
TYPESET: Wed Jul 24 15:51:06 EDT 2013 LEGAL NOTICES
CITY OF BALTIMORE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS BUREAU OF WATER AND WASTEWATER NOTICE OF LETTING Sealed Bids or Proposals, in duplicate addressed to the Board of Estimates of the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore and marked for Sanitary Contract 932-Improvements to Lower Gwynns Run Interceptor-Phase II from Franklin Street to Baltimore Street will be received at the Office of the Comptroller, Room 204, City Hall, Baltimore, Maryland until 11:00 A.M. on Wednesday, August 28, 2013. Positively no bids will be received after 11:00 A.M. Bids will be publicly opened by the Board of Estimates in Room 215, City Hall at Noon. The Contract Documents may be examined, without charge, at the Department of Public Works Service Center located on the first floor of the Abel Wolman Municipal Building, 200 N. Holliday Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21202 as of Friday, July 26, 2013 and copies may be purchased for a non-refundable cost of $100.00. Conditions and requirements of the Bid are found in the bid package. All contractors bidding on this Contract must first be prequalified by the City of Baltimore Contractors Qualification Committee. Interested parties should call 410-396-6883 or contact the Committee at 751 Eastern Avenue, Baltimore, Maryland 21202. If a bid is submitted by a joint venture (JV), then in that event, the document that established the JV shall be submitted with the bid for verification purposes. The Prequalification Category required for bidding on this project is G90135-Microtunneling of 30-inch and Larger Inside Diameter Pipeline Cost Qualification Range for this work shall be $10,000,000.01 to $15,000,000.00 A Pre-Bidding Information session will be conducted at the 300 Abel Wolman Municipal Building on Tuesday, August 6, 2013 at 10:00 A.M. Principal Item of work for this project are: Construction of a 30 interceptor sewer using open cut and trenchless installation methods with a 48- 60 Steel casing and associated manholes and appurtenances. The MBE goal is 17% The WBE goal is 16% SANITARY CONTRACT 932 APPROVED: Bernice H. Taylor Clerk, Board of Estimates APPROVED: Alfred H. Foxx TYPESET: Wed Jul 24 15:38:59 EDT 2013 Director of Public Works CITY OF BALTIMORE DEPARTMENT OF GENERAL SERVICES NOTICE OF LETTING Sealed Bids or Proposals, in duplicate addressed to the Board of Estimates of the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore and marked for GS 13805-Canton Library No. 4 Renovations will be received at the Office of the Comptroller, Room 204, City Hall, Baltimore, Maryland until 11:00 A.M. on Wednesday, September 11, 2013. Positively no bids will be received after 11:00 A.M. Bids will be publicly opened by the Board of Estimates in Room 215, City Hall at Noon.The Contract Documents may be examined, without charge, at the Department of Public Works Service Center located on the first floor of the Abel Wolman Municipal Building, 200 N. Holliday Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21202 as of Friday, July 26, 2013 and copies may be purchased for a non-refundable cost of $300.00. Conditions and requirements of the Bid are found in the bid package. All contractors bidding on this Contract must first be prequalified by the City of Baltimore Contractors Qualification Committee. Interested parties should call 410-396-6883 or contact the Committee at 751 Eastern Avenue, Baltimore, Maryland 21202. If a bid is submitted by a joint venture (JV), then in that event, the document that established the JV shall be submitted with the bid for verification purposes. The Prequalification Category required for bidding on this project is E13006-Renovation of Historical Structures-Spec. in Museums, Libraries & Historical Structures Cost Qualification Range for this work shall be $2,000,000.01 to $3,000,000.00 A Pre-Bidding Information session will be conducted at The Site, 1030 S. Ellwood Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21224 on Tuesday, August 6, 2013 at 10:00 A.M. Principal Items of work for this project are: 1. HVAC/Plumbing 2. Electrical 3. Furnishings, walls and flooring 4. Windows 5. Demolition 6. Concrete 7. Steel The MBE goal is 27% The WBE goal is 10% CONTRACT NO. GS 13805 APPROVED: Bernice H. Taylor Clerk, Board of Estimates APPROVED: Steve Sharkey Director, Department of General Services
TYPESET: Wed Jul 24 15:39:25 EDT 2013 CITY OF BALTIMORE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT OF RECREATION AND PARKS NOTICE OF LETTING Sealed Bids or Proposals, in duplicate addressed to the Board of Estimates of the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore and marked for RP 13809Federal Hill Playground will be received at the Office of the Comptroller, Room 204, City Hall, Baltimore, Maryland until 11:00 A.M. on Wednesday, August 28 ,2013. Positively no bids will be received after 11:00 A.M. Bids will be publicly opened by the Board of Estimates in Room 215, City Hall at Noon.The Contract Documents may be examined, without charge, at the Department of Public Works Service Center located on the first floor of the Abel Wolman Municipal Building, 200 N. Holliday Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21202 as of Friday, July 26, 2013 and copies may be purchased for a non-refundable cost of $50.00. Conditions and requirements of the Bid are found in the bid package. All contractors bidding on this Contract must first be prequalified by the City of Baltimore Contractors Qualification Committee. Interested parties should call 410-396-6883 or contact the Committee at 751 Eastern Avenue, Baltimore, Maryland 21202. If a bid is submitted by a joint venture (JV), then in that event, the document that established the JV shall be submitted with the bid for verification purposes. The Prequalification Category required for bidding on this project is G90041-Installation of Playground Equipment Cost Qualification Range for this work shall be $100,000.01 to $500,000.00. A Pre-Bidding Information session will be conducted at 2600 Madison Avenue, Baltimore, Maryland 21217 on Tuesday, August 6, 2013 at 10:00 A.M. Principal Items of work for this project are: Playground Renovation
HOUSING AUTHORITY OF BALTIMORE CITY INVITATION FOR BIDS CHERRY HILL HOMES - HVAC EQUIPMENT IFB NUMBER: B-1730-13 The Housing Authority of Baltimore City (HABC) will issue an Invitation for Bids (IFB) for qualified and interested vendors to submit sealed bids to provide HVAC equipment (supply only) for the Community/Daycare Center at Cherry Hill. BIDS WILL BE DUE no later than 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Friday, August 23, 2013. A non-mandatory pre-bid meeting will be held on Friday, August 9, 2013 at 10:00 a.m., at the Charles L. Benton Building, 417 E. Fayette Street, Room 416, Baltimore, Maryland, 21202. HABC has established a minimum goal of twenty percent (20%) of the total dollar amount of the proposed contract for Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) utilization, applicable to all minority and non-minority businesses proposing to provide the requested services as the prime contractor. No goal has been established for participation of Women-owned businesses (WBEs), however, HABC strongly encourages and affirmatively promotes the use of WBEs in all HABC contracts.
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CAREER CORNER
TYPESET: Wed Jul 24 15:28:41 EDT 2013
Radio Account Executive Position SALES: WRBS AM/FM. Full-time sales opportunity in a professional, family-friendly environment. Earn top sales commission w/full benefits. Outside sales experience preferred. If you have a drive for excellence, and are knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the mission of WRBS AM/FM, send your resume and cover letter by 7/31/13 to: Mark Mobley, Director of Sales at mmobley@wrbs.com, or fax 410-247-4533. No phone calls. TYPESET: Wed Jul 24 12:20:22 EDT 2013EOE.
Responders shall also comply with all applicable requirements of Section 3 of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968, 12 U.S.C. Section 1701u.
ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
The IFB may be obtained on or after Monday, August 5, 2013, at the following location:
Accountant I Cashier I Central Services Officer Controller Director of Inspections & Permits Director of Public Works Economic Development Director Fire Protection Engineer Modeling & Analysis Engineer Manager Police Communications Operator I/II Senior Equipment Operator Utilities Maintenance Crew Leader Vacuum/Rodder Operator Watershed Environmental Control Inspection Supervisor Watershed Environmental Control nspector
Housing Authority of Baltimore City Division of Fiscal Operations, Purchasing Department 417 E. Fayette Street, Room 414 Baltimore, Maryland 21202 Attention: John Airey, Chief of Contracting Services Tel: (410) 396-3261 Fax: (410) 962-1586 Questions regarding the IFB should be directed in writing to the address and individual and must include the reference: HABC IFB TYPESET: indicated Wed Jul above, 24 15:59:20 EDT 2013 Number B-1730-13. HOUSING AUTHORITY OF BALTIMORE CITY INVITATION FOR BIDS CHERRY HILL HOMES - MECHANICAL SYSTEMS INSTALLATION IFB NUMBER: B-1731-13 The Housing Authority of Baltimore City (HABC) will issue an Invitation for Bids (IFB) for qualified and interested vendors to submit sealed bids to provide HVAC systems installation for the Community /Daycare Center at Cherry Hill. BIDS WILL BE DUE no later than 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Friday, August 23, 2013. A non-mandatory pre-bid meeting will be held on Friday, August 9, 2013 at 11:00 a.m., at the Charles L. Benton Building, 417 E. Fayette Street, Room 416, Baltimore, Maryland, 21202. HABC has established a minimum goal of twenty percent (20%) of the total dollar amount of the proposed contract for Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) utilization, applicable to all minority and non-minority businesses proposing to provide the requested services as the prime contractor. No goal has been established for participation of Women-owned businesses (WBEs), however, HABC strongly encourages and affirmatively promotes the use of WBEs in all HABC contracts. Responders shall also comply with all applicable requirements of Section 3 of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968, 12 U.S.C. Section 1701u. The IFB may be obtained on or after Monday, August 5, 2013, at the following location: Housing Authority of Baltimore City Division of Fiscal Operations, Purchasing Department 417 E. Fayette Street, Room 414 Baltimore, Maryland 21202 Attention: John Airey, Chief of Contracting Services Tel: (410) 396-3261 Fax: (410) 962-1586 Questions regarding the IFB should be directed in writing to the address and individual indicated above, and must include the reference: HABC IFB Number B-1731-13.
CAREER CORNER
Visit our website at www.aacounty.org for additional information and to apply on-line. You may use the Internet at any Anne Arundel County library, or visit our office at 2660 Riva Road in Annapolis. AEO/DF/SFE TYPESET: Wed Jul 24 15:30:25 EDT 2013 Registered Nurse (Adult Medical) Unique position available for versatile Registered Nurse to provide nursing assessments, health education and advocacy to homeless clients in a multi-disciplinary setting. Required current licensure in the State of MD. Minimum of two years recent hospital-based or community health experience; well-developed interpersonal skills. Bilingual (English/ Spanish) preferred but not required. Comfortable working with homeless and/or low-income individuals and families. Experience working with underserved or homeless populations preferred. Send resume by 07/31/13 to S. Johnson, HCH, 421 Fallsway, Baltimore, MD 21202. E-mail: hrresumes@hchmd.org. Fax: 410-837-8020. No phone calls. EOE TYPESET: Wed Jul 24 15:31:25 EDT 2013 Nursing Services Coordinator Unique position available for versatile Registered Nurse to provide nursing assessments, health education and advocacy to homeless clients in a multi-disciplinary setting. Required licensed in the State of MD. Minimum of three years acute care Medical/Surgical nursing experience; one year community health experience; one year experience in direct supervision of other staff; strong interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills. Comfortable working with homeless and/or low-income individuals and families. Send resume to S. Johnson, HCH, 421 Fallsway, Baltimore, MD 21202 by July 31, 2013. E-mail: hrresumes@hchmd.org. Fax: 410-837-8020. No Phone Calls. Bilingual (English/ Spanish)Wed preferred but not EDT required. TYPESET: Jul 24 12:24:07 2013 EOE Disability Assistance Outreach Specialist Health care agency serving Baltimore´s homeless has immediate opening for a Disability Assistance Outreach Specialist. The Disability Assistance Outreach Specialist works throughout Baltimore City with the primary responsibility of submitting federal disability (SSI/SSDI) applications for severely disabled individuals who are experiencing homelessness. Position requires experience working in health care and/or outreach setting, knowledge and experience of federal disability (SSI/SSDI) application process, strong communication and interpersonal skills and experience working with homeless and/or low-income individuals. Master´s degree and license strongly preferred. Send resume to Sage Johnson by August 10, 2013 HCH, 421 Fallsway, Baltimore, MD 21202. E-mail: hrresumes@hchmd. org. Fax: 410- 837-8020. No phone calls. EOE TYPESET: Wed Jul 24 15:33:07 EDT 2013
The MBE goal is 2% The WBE goal is 0% RP 13809 APPROVED: Bernice H. Taylor Clerk, Boards of Estimates
Client Services Associate Downtown primary health care organization has an opening for a Client Services Associate on the Client Services team. The role of the Client Services Associate focuses on identifying the needs of the adult and geriatric clients served by HCH, obtaining insurance status information, gathering all pertinent identifying information on the clients and entering such information into the Practice Management system. This position´s primary function is to accurately verify the insurance eligibility status of each adult, pediatric and geriatric client presenting for services at HCH in one or more of the following ways:
APPROVED Alfred H. Foxx Director of Public Works
- Contacting the Medicaid Eligibility System (EVS) to determine if the client has Medical Assistance, PAC and/or what MCO the client is assigned to. - Completing a PAC application on every client who had Pharmacy Assistance when appropriate. Assisting clients in switching MCO´s when necessary. Computer skills required. Send resume to S. Johnson, HCH, 421 Fallsway Baltimore, MD. 21202. Email: hrresumes@ hchmd.org Fax number: (410) 837-8020. No phone calls. Bi-lingual applicants are encouraged to apply. EOE
TYPESET: Wed Jul 24 11:57:38 EDT 2013
Apprenticeship Electrical and Voice, Data & Video - IEC Chesapeake is accepting applications for Fall apprenticeship program. For information call (800) 470-3013 x160
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The Afro-American, July 27, 2013 - August 2, 2013
Rhonda Virgil with her grandchildren Kem sang a little before the storms hit.
Hotter than usual temperatures and the threat of rain, that actualized eventually, did not deter the thousands who annually flock to Artscape, the largest free art festival in the country. Art in all genres, food in all forms, fun that involved family members and friends – that’s Artscape and it never disappoints.
Willia Bland with a group from Flair Studio
Denise Wood and Christine Moore enjoying the show
Photos by Anderson Ward
The Red Wagon is really a car.
Kem’s background singers
Honoree Florine Peaches Camphor
Honoree Honoree Betty Shelton centenarian Mary Catherine Rawlings
The annual event that brings Leah’s Book Club together for “High Tea” was held at the Forest Park Golf Club Room where enthusiastic members and guests met to converse, compare, discuss and aesthetically immerse themselves in artistic works. Delicious cuisine and fashion galore was observable, including exquisite hats and gloves that added to the ambiance of the occasion. The Memorial High Tea honors the late Irene Bennett Karla Young Reid, and daughter Jayla Young recognized mother in memory of of their late mother and grandmother Irene Vetta Bennett Reid
Proud mother and author, Dr. Margaret Musgrove congratulates her son Dr. George Derek Musgrove, on his book
Honoree Essie Sutton
Honoree Delphine Lee
Honoree Rhonda B. Jones
former Baltimore mayor, the Honorable Kurt L. Schmoke, and daughter Karla Reid Young. Dr. Leah Goldsborough Hasty spoke with feeling of her friend, Mrs. Reid, who had been an avid reader and literary genius who
Honoree Joanne Wallace
Honoree Joe Ann Oatis
Honoree Connie Waddell
Honoree Ella Holland
created a passion for reading in her children. The audience viewed a Power Point presentation displaying members of the community who were honored: Mary Catherine Rawlings, Florine “Peaches” Camphor, Joe Ann Oatis, Ella Holland, Delphine Lee, Betty Shelton, Essie Sutton, Joanne Wallace, Rhonda B. Jones, Connie Waddell, Deborah Lynn Brown (posthumously), and Loraine Brown. A book discussion by Dr. George Derek Musgrove, author of “Rumor, Repression, and Racial Politics: How Harassment of Black Elected Officials Shaped Post-Civil Rights America” provided a lively audience-author interaction. Photos by Dr. A. Lois De Laine
Leah’s Book Club for over 15 years has read more than 150 books
Book lovers Claire Dorsey and Shirley Swafford
SemaJ’ Jack, Douglass High School opera singer (center) with Helen Shelton and Lorna Brice
Leah’s Book Club members are Claudia Swain, Dr. Brenda Conley, Juanita Edgerton
Honoree Loraine Brown is congratulated by daughters Wanda Brown and Carla Brown Taliaferro