Baltimore Afro American Newspaper April 4 2015

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April 4, 2015 - April 4, 2015, The Afro-American

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Volume 123 No. 35

Happy Easter

APRIL 4, 2015 - APRIL 10, 2015

Selma: Not Fixed Yet, Klan Still Powerful

By Zenitha Prince Senior AFRO Correspondent During spring break, Alexis Toliver, a senior neuroscience major at Johns Hopkins University, forewent the sandy beaches of Cancun, Mexico, for the southern climes of Selma, Ala. Toliver wanted a hands-on volunteer experience in a place that defined a turning point in the Civil Rights Movement. It was like stepping into a time warp.

“After a few days in Selma, I felt like Jim Crow was still in effect . . . everything felt separate and unequal,” Toliver told the AFRO. The Baltimore-based co-ed said she was “perplexed” by the “disorder and horrifying state” of the city, particularly in light of the nostalgic media coverage accompanying the 50th anniversary of the “Bloody Sunday” demonstration that precipitated passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Politicians and activists agree with Toliver’s assessment of the city. “It’s true. Selma is in a pretty bad state . . .. [It] is a ruined shadow of its former self,” said Mark Potok, senior fellow at the Southern Poverty Law Center, a social justice advocacy group. “That is the part that was lost in the exuberant coverage of the 50th anniversary of the Selma-toMontgomery marches.”

The first thing Toliver noted in Selma was an “air of White supremacy,” which she confronted almost immediately White House Photo

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City’s Tax Sale Policies ‘Heighten’ Vacancy Problems

By Roberto Alejandro Special to the AFRO Baltimore City may be contributing to its problem with vacancies. City codes are pushing homeowners out of their homes over as little as $250 in unpaid property taxes or $350 in unpaid water bills through an often opaque process known as “tax sales.”

In a tax sale, the city auctions a property with outstanding taxes or water bills (or, in some cases, other types of taxes or fees that can trigger a sale).

Private investors bid on the properties, according to Susan Francis, deputy director for the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service, one of just a hand full of organizations providing legal assistance for homeowners facing tax sales in Baltimore City.

The highest bidder receives a tax sale ‘certificate’ after winning the auction.

The auction winner pays only the outstanding debt to the city at the time of the tax sale, and is

only responsible for the remainder of her bid if she attempts to register a new deed (to actually take ownership of the property), says Francis. Before an investor can do that, however, the homeowner has a chance to redeem their home (pay off the

A homeowner looking to redeem more than four months after a tax sale must pay the lien plus 18 percent interest, the legal fees and expenses of the investor, and any current taxes on the property, according to a 2014 report on Baltimore’s tax sale policies produced by the Abell Foundation.

If that sounds complicated and confusing, the reality of navigating a potential tax sale by the city is even more so, according to homeowners and volunteer attorneys who have gone through the process.

Around 2011, after losing his job, Edward Mason fell behind on his utility – Edward Mason bills and taxes on his East Baltimore home.

Mason said he made an agreement with outstanding debt and preserve full ownership of the city to pay off his outstanding debt, on the their home). condition that he remains current with future taxes A homeowner who redeems their home and fees. within four months of a tax sale has to pay the Continued on A6 outstanding lien plus 18 percent interest to the city.

“...you’re unfortunate to have a fire, I didn’t know that you’re required to pay the fire department for coming and picking up the trash from that.”

The AFRO Salutes Baltimore District Wealth Disparity Challenges New Delegate Chapter of the Links Jannette J. Witmyer Special to the AFRO The Baltimore Chapter of The Links’ innovative GRASP (Graduation, Retention and Support Program) Fund is making a huge difference in the lives of students at local HBCUs. The AFRO American Newspapers is taking note and saluting the organization for its innovate approach, hard work, and success. The AFRO’s salute, that includes a VIP Networking Reception, takes place 6-9 p.m.

April 14, at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum.

Designed to help HBCU students who may be forced to drop out of

college due to unexpected financial challenges, GRASP has raised $17,900 from chapter and additional contributions, combined. The fund has assisted a total of 16 students at Morgan and Coppin State universities, since its December 2013 inception, and awards are in the works for six more students in the upcoming semester.

According to Patricia Coats Jessamy, president of the Baltimore chapter, as little as $250 can stand between a student and his or her college degree. None of the awards has exceeded $1,300, and the organization gives emphasis and priority to seniors and second Continued on A10

By Roberto Alejandro Special to the AFRO

Development in Baltimore has to benefit as many as possible and should not look different based on what neighborhood you live in says Del. Brooke Lierman (D-Baltimore City), whose district contains the widest wealth gap of any in the state.

Lierman is a freshman delegate from the 46th district, which includes Baltimore’s vaunted inner-harbor area as well as some of the city’s most struggling neighborhoods like Cherry Hill and Westport.

While running for the House of Delegates, Lierman says she went door-knocking by herself in every neighborhood in her district, an effort that won her the highest percentage of votes cast (28.1 percent) of any candidate for the 46th in the 2014 Democratic Primary (which

Copyright © 2015 by the Afro-American Company

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Courtesy photo, office of Del. Lierman

Del. Brooke Lierman (D-Baltimore City), whose 46th district has the widest wealth gap of any in the state.

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The Afro-American, April 4, 2015 - April 10, 2015

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NATION & WORLD Supreme Court Declines Review of Racist Wisconsin Voter ID Law

The United States Supreme Court this week declined to hear a case seeking to overturn Wisconsin’s voter ID law, which dissenters say is discriminatory in nature. The decision means that the measure goes into immediate effect.

Republican Gov. Scott Walker in 2011 enacted the law, which is among the most restrictive in the nation, voting rights activists say, requiring voters to produce one of a few specified forms of photo identification in order to vote.

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UN Women Dumps Uber Following Outcry from Unions, Women’s Groups

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The American Civil Liberties Union, League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) and the Advancement Project filed a complaint against the law, saying it violates the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause and the 24th and 14th amendments because it effectively imposes an undue burden on voters and also an unconstitutional poll tax on eligible voters. Additionally, the ACLU lawsuit claimed, the law violates Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, which bans the use of voting practices that have a disparate negative impact on racial and language minorities. As the AFRO previously reported, research showed that more than 300,000 people—50 percent Latinos and African Americans compared to 17 percent Whites—lack the required government-issued ID. The voter ID law was struck down by a federal trial court in April 2014, but that decision was overturned by the Seventh U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. However, until this week, the law was held in abeyance while the Supreme Court considered whether to hear the case.

The Congressional Black Caucus, which filed an amicus brief in the case against Wisconsin’s restrictive voting law last month, and other voting rights advocates expressed dismay at the high court’s decision.

“The Congressional Black Caucus is deeply disappointed in the Supreme Court’s decision to not hear the discriminatory Wisconsin voter ID case, which will disenfranchise thousands of African American voters,” said Chairman G. K. Butterfield, D-N.C., in a statement. “The Wisconsin voter ID law places unnecessary burdens on African Americans under the guise of combatting voter fraud. These requirements seem benign but in application they will result in lower voter participation because many Black voters lack the required identification.”

With voting—via absentee ballots and in-person early voting—already underway in an April 7 General Election

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in Wisconsin, the ACLU filed an emergency motion with a federal court to bar the state’s voter ID law from taking immediate effect.

“Although the Supreme Court has declined to take this case, it previously made clear that states may not impose new requirements for voting in the weeks before Election Day,” said Dale Ho, director of the ACLU’s Voting Rights Project, in a statement. “The situation is even more compelling here because absentee ballots have already been mailed out for the April election, and early in-person voting has begun. Imposing a new restriction in the midst of an election will disenfranchise voters who have already cast their ballots. It is a recipe for disaster.”

Stating election officials later announced they would delay the law’s implementation until after the April election.

y the order of the Queen of Hearts You are hereby summoned To a land of wonders wild and new Where learning dreams come true And all that is found will amaze and astound!

Honorees: Jonathan Melnick and Sonia Socha Live & silent auction extravaganza Enchanted sounds of Fifth Avenue

Saturday, April 11, 2015

Spirits and delectable delights from Baltimore’s best restaurants

MONTGOMERY PARK BUSINESS CENTER

6:30 to 11:30 p.m. www.southbaltimorelearns.org 410-625-4215 Presented by

SBLC programs are partially supported by grant funding from Maryland Literacy Works & U.S. Department of Education

The United Nations has pulled out of a partnership with mobile-app-based taxi company Uber, which would have created 1 million driving jobs for women because of concerns about the company’s treatment of women.

On March 10, the opening day of the two-week session of the Commission on the Status of Women in New York, Uber and UN Women announced the partnership to help advance the UN’s goals toward gender equality and female empowerment.

“Today, UN Women and Uber are launching a partnership to work together around the world toward a shared vision of equality and women’s empowerment,” announced Uber’s founder and chief executive, Travis Kalanick. “We intend to invest in long-term programs in local communities where we live and work, as Uber commits to creating 1,000,000 jobs for women globally on the Uber platform by 2020.”

Kalanick’s statement was co-signed by Phumzile MlamboNgcuka, executive director of UN Women. But the UN director recently changed her tune, however, after trade unions and women’s rights groups brought pressure to bear.

Uber’s detractors, who campaigned at the conference, urging supporters to use the hashtag #UNWomenDumpUber, decried the partnership, saying the San Francisco-based ride booking app provider fails to protect female passengers and drivers.

April 4, 2015 - April 10, 2015, The Afro-American

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‘No Shots Fired’ to Remember Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Center will be on Radio One’s program, Think on These Things, 6 p.m., April 3, Good Friday, to talk about the continued moratorium she is t’s been 47 years since the Rev. Dr. shepherding.

Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated The King Center is calling for a continuing in Memphis, Tenn., and those who are moratorium on violence that began last year, old enough still remember where they by asking everyone to commit to “No Shots were, what they were doing and in whose Fired.” This means abstaining from shots company they were in when they heard the fired by the ‘tongue’ (speech), ‘fists’ (physical violence), or ‘guns’ (gun violence and media that glorifies gun violence).

“This is just one of the ways we can begin to turn the tide of escalating violence in our world,” Rev. King said, adding that they are also convening a forum, “A Moratorium on Violence: It Starts with Me!” 1 to 4 p.m., April 4, in the Center’s Freedom Hall Auditorium. The forum will include thoughtprovoking videos and a facilitated, interactive discussion with diverse participants addressing our Right(s) versus our Responsibility to the Beloved Community.

Rights that will be discussed include: A Right to Protest, A Right to Freedom of Speech, A Right to Bear Arms, A Right to Profit and A Duty to Serve and Protect in the case of law enforcement. A Moratorium on Violence: It Starts with Me is free and open to the public.

Photo by Eric Draper Following the forum, Rev. Dr. Bernice A. King, CEO of the King Center. at 4 p.m., Rev. King and other members of the news. His death created a hole in the collective family, along with representatives of the heart of America and remains a type of National Park Service, will participate in a blemish that bears an enduring sting. silent wreath-laying ceremony at the crypt of But the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Dr. King and Mrs. Coretta Scott King.

Non-Violent Social Change wants America to According to the Martin Luther King Jr. do more than merely remember the moment of Center for Non-Violent Social Change, “If his death. It wants more considered attention we can make April 4th a day of meditation to the premises of his life and message. and action to prevent physical and spiritual The Rev. Dr. Bernice A. King, CEO of the violence in our homes, communities and nations,” Rev. King said, “We will be able to honor my father’s legacy in a way that serves the cause of nonviolent change, for which he gave his life.”

Community leaders are asked to help spread the word of this annual moratorium of “No Shots Fired on April 4!”

According to [This Day in History’s’ Website] It was just after 6 p.m. on April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. was fatally shot while standing on the balcony

By Lyndia Grant NNPA Columnist

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outside his second-story room at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tenn. The civil rights leader, in Memphis to support a sanitation workers’ strike, was on his way to dinner when a bullet struck him in the jaw and severed his spinal cord. Dr. King was pronounced dead after his arrival at a Memphis hospital. He was 39 years old.

Dr. King gave his last sermon in Memphis; “We’ve got some difficult days ahead. But it really doesn’t matter with me now, because

I’ve been to the mountaintop…And He’s allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I’ve looked over, and I’ve seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you, but we as a people, will get to the promise land!

Lyndia Grant is a speaker, columnist and host of Think on These Things on Radio One, 1340 AM, WYCB. Visit her at lyndiagrant.com or call 202-263-4621.

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1934 • Lawyers attend the National Bar Association in Baltimore.

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1936 • Monumental City Bar Association, regular meeting letter.

Business cards in an AFRO directory.

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Roy S. Bond was credited with more divorces than any lawyer outside Reno.

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7KH %ODFN /HJDO %RG\ 1928 • U. Grant Tyler, Roy S. Bond, Emory Cole and John Hampton outside the Banneker Law Building, which was owned by African-American lawyers.

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1934 • Lawyers attend the National Bar Association in Baltimore.

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1936 • Monumental City Bar Association, regular meeting letter.

Business cards in an AFRO directory.

A2 A6

The Afro-American, Afro-American, April April 4, 4, 2015 2015 --April April 10, 4, 2015 2015

Selma

Continued from A1

upon crossing the infamous Edmund Pettus Bridge to enter the city. A huge billboard honouring Ku Klux Klan founder Nathan Bedford Forrest, a Confederate general remembered for his brutality, met her. The sign features Forrest astride a horse above ‘em.”

“I was horrified,” the college senior said.

The billboard was sponsored by the neo-confederate group Friends of Forrest, led by Patricia Godwin, known as the “Wizardess” around Selma and also known for denouncing the 1965 march as “The Mother of All Orgies.” Godwin’s group was also responsible for a Forrest monument that has been a symbol of the racial acrimony that still exists in Selma since it was erected in 2000. The monument has been beheaded, defaced, and shuffled around, including to a cemetery.

“Race relations have come a long way but it still needs some improvement, because we have Blacks who don’t trust Whites, and Whites who don’t trust Blacks,” said Selma Councilman Samuel Randolph, D-Ward 5.

Some of Forrest’s future adherents were also very present during the recent commemorations, distributing thousands of KKK fliers to Selma homes. “We went down there to do recruiting and to tell our side of the story,” Robert Jones, grand dragon of the Loyal White Knights of the KKK, told the AFRO. “Alabama has always been a good, strong state for the Klan . . .. It’s easy to recruit there.”

The KKK’s “side of the story” included alleged truths about the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (“The guy was a communist agitator,” Jones said), about Blacks and their alleged penchant for crime and about immigration.

“The old Klan was concerned about African Americans, but the new Klan is more concerned about immigration,” Jones said. “I think it is going to be the downfall of this nation.”

The Klan’s upfront presence – its members no longer wear masks, Jones said – is evidence, some said, of the way Selma’s segregated past has remained little unchanged. ““I’m not really surprised because there will always be people who don’t want to see progress, who don’t think Whites and Blacks should be united,” said Randolph.

Added Jones, “You can’t put this many races and religions one continent and don’t expect them to try and step on each other’s necks. There’s always going to be a confrontation between the races.”

The Klan leader said they are not White supremacists – they are not trying to enslave any other race – but they are separatists.

“…we have Blacks who don’t trust Whites, and Whites who don’t trust Blacks.”

– Selma Councilman Samuel Randolph, D-Ward 5 In Selma, that separation is very evident. White residents have fled the city, which in 1965 was evenly divided but is now 80 percent Black. And those that remain live in cloistered communities. The Selma Country Club has yet to admit a Black member. Schools are segregated as well. “There are very, very few White kids in public schools in Selma. I think there is a handful – if even that,” said SPLC’s Potok. “Almost all the White children attend private schools.”

In fact, Morgan Academy – named after John Tyler Morgan, a former Confederate general-turned-grand dragon of the KKK and lynching advocate, and founded in June 1965 just months after the voting rights marches in Selma – only accepted its first Black child in 2008, stirring significant resentment.

Tax Sales Policy Continued from A1

In 2012, Mason experienced a fire in his home, which was uninsured at the time. This led to a series of city fees including charges for debris removal after the fire, as well as other citations for issues related to Mason not being able to rehab the home quickly for lack of funds.

“I didn’t know that if you’re a homeowner, a taxpayer, and you’re unfortunate to have a fire, I didn’t know that you’re required to pay the fire department for coming and picking up the trash from that,” said Mason.

Mason was facing the loss of his home – which had suffered mostly cosmetic damage – over the mounting fees, made worse by his unemployment. Had Mason not been connected to the Volunteer Lawyers Service through another organization called Just Advice, he would not have been able to resolve his issues with the city.

“I would’ve just walked away and left my house which I didn’t want to do, or couldn’t do because I didn’t have anywhere else to go,” said Mason.

Before reaching out to Just Advice, Mason attempted to deal with the city directly in order to find a way to become current and keep his home, but to no avail. “I just kept getting the run around,” said Mason. “Everybody was telling me, ‘Well, you should’ve went here,’ when I’d go there they’d say, ‘No, they could’ve helped you over there,’ you know, back and forth. I was getting pretty frustrated with the whole process and that’s when I was about to give up. I did find, once I got the help of the Volunteer Lawyers Service, I went to some of the same people and the same places, but I did get more of a response, maybe because they knew that someone was following up on it and I wasn’t just walking in off the street.”

Kristin Rieger, the volunteer attorney who helped Mason navigate the tax sale maze and ultimately stay in his home, says that while

Lierman

Continued from A1

in Baltimore—let’s face it—is the general election where most local state offices are concerned).

Lierman also garnered comparable percentages in Westport (receiving 26.74 and 28.24 percent of the vote in Westport’s two voting precincts) and Cherry Hill (a slightly lower 25.58, 25.51, and 24.23 percent in Cherry Hill’s three voting precincts).

Though some might expect Lierman to feel pulled in different directions by the varied circumstances in her district, she says that has not been her experience.

“The thing that is amazing to me about our district, and that I worry sometimes people in our city don’t realize, is that no matter what zip code you live in, no matter what your neighborhood looks like, [if] you’re a mom or dad, you’re a brother or sister, you’re a grandparent, we all want the same thing. We want great schools to send our kids to, we want clean, green neighborhoods that are safe, where we can walk around and

there are processes in place to resolve issues like the ones Mr. Mason had, it is not always clear what they are. “I think a lot of the issues that homeowners like Mr. Mason have to deal with in Baltimore City are very opaque, and they’re just as opaque to lawyers as they are to homeowners,” said Rieger.

There is also a disconnect between what the city is willing to do to help homeowners resolve these issues and the means many Baltimore City homeowners have at their disposal, says Rieger, who notes that in some cases the city might be more willing to work

Some say the civil rights battles of the ’50s and ‘60s were not in vain, that there has been progress in Selma. City politics marked a significant turning point in 2000 when it elected its first Black mayor James Perkins. Today, the city is run by a Black mayor; six of the City Council’s nine members are Black and the police force is run by an African-American chief. Still, activists point out, that political power has not translated into economic power and the majority-Black town is foundering.

Decades after Dr King articulated his dream for a politically empowered people, in Selma, “not only are the fruits scarce, but the roots are shallow and feeble,” wrote Selma state Sen. Hank Saunders and his wife, attorney and activist Faya Rose Toure, in a recent New York Times opinion piece. They later added, “For the tens of thousands of African-Americans in Selma, life, as Langston Hughes said, ‘ain’t been no crystal stair.’ Better off is not equal.”

The pair cited issues of police brutality, inequities in the criminal justice system, and other social ills. Dallas County, where Selma is located, ranked as the poorest in the state last year, and in January had an unemployment rate of 10.3 percent, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. About 42 percent of Selma’s families live below the poverty line, according to the Census Bureau, and violent crime is five times that in other towns around Alabama.

“We have a lot of dilapidated houses in Selma,” added Randolph, the 16-year member of the Council, about the pervasive blight in the city.

“It is a tough town,” Potok agreed, adding that since Whites fled, and businesses along with them, “There is no work there; no one is doing well. And, it is very much the legacy of White racism.”

Just as Selma was the poster child of the hard yoke imposed

by Jim Crow back in the civil rights era, it is an example that the struggle for equal rights and justice continues, Potok added.

“Selma is an absolutely shining example of all that is left to be done,” he said. “We are so far from any social equality still.”

lose their home if they remain unable to pay off their outstanding debts, plus interest and, potentially, fees and other costs incurred by the certificate holder (not to mention remain current on their other fees and taxes).

Compounding the problem for homeowners is that fact that the city does very little to connect people at risk of losing their homes through the tax sale process with available resources that might help them avoid such a loss. Francis says that her organization has asked the city’s departments of finance and public works if the Volunteer Lawyers Service can include some resources to go along with notices sent to homeowners but have been told no, though they have worked with the city’s Photo by Roberto Alejandro

Susan Francis, deputy director for the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service (MVLS), Edward Mason, and Kristin Rieger, the MVLS attorney that helped Mason navigate the tax sale maze and stay in his home are shown. with the homeowner with an unpaid water bill, if, for example, the homeowner hired a plumber to address an issue that had caused high water bills.

“When you’re someone with very limited means, the prospect of calling a plumber is pretty darn frightening,” said Rieger. “You assume you’re going to have to pay $300 just for the plumber to walk through the door, and if your water bill is $150 and you can’t pay that, and that’s why you’re in trouble, how can you call the plumber?”

Most of the clients the Volunteer Lawyers Service has helped with tax sales are on a fixed-income, either senior citizens or the disabled, and find it difficult to come up with the payments for their city debts, says Francis.

Most are African American, and the average length of time they have lived in their homes is 21 years. “The majority of these don’t have a mortgage, but they’re still at risk of losing [their homes in] a tax sale,” said Francis.

In 2014, the city sold 2,236 tax sale certificates for owner-occupied homes, according to the Abell Foundation report, each representing a person or family who could

know our neighbors. We want jobs that we can feel fulfilled in, [and] that we can support our families on,” said Lierman.

While she does not see a great divide in terms of what the different parts of her district want for their neighborhoods or the city of Baltimore, Lierman acknowledges that there is an important divide in terms of how close different neighborhoods in the 46th are to seeing those desires fulfilled.

The focus then, especially where development is concerned, needs to be on ensuring that development is done in a way that helps everyone, and not just some.

“I want to make sure that we are filling the needs of the most residents that we can. For instance, if we’re putting in a multi-family unit dwelling in an urban area, and the idea is that they are multi-bedroom housing and so you think, ‘Oh, this would be good for families,’ but they’re 10 blocks from the closest park—we’ve got to make sure that we’re also thinking about, ‘Well, would a family want to live in this apartment when it has no access to

Department of Aging to send lists of resources to homeowners who have lived in their home for more than 25 years.

On March 27, the city held a press conference to announce that beginning April 1, the Department of Public Works would begin shutting off water to customers who were either $250 or two quarters of a year behind on their water payments. The shut-off would affect around 22,000 accounts which are currently delinquent, representing about $40 million in loss revenue to the city.

“If the customer cannot bring their account to good standing, they certainly can contact our customer support services division . . . We’ll be more than happy to look over the account with them and perhaps work out a payment plan arrangement.”

According to Francis, however, working with the Department of Public Works has not been so simple, and the department’s attitude towards delinquent accounts has not been very “homeowner friendly.”

“If you go on [the Department of Public Works] web page, it’s not going to tell [homeowners] what to do, it’s not going to

outdoor space at all?’ Probably not,” said Lierman.

Lierman says that though she is pro-development, she is concerned about the lack of affordable housing being built as part of the development boom that is occurring in her district. But creating more affordable housing means looking beyond just capital funds for affordable housing construction projects.

“I’m open to anything that builds affordable housing units. . . . The Home Act, which prohibits source of [income] discrimination (e.g., refusing to rent to someone whose rental income is a section 8 housing voucher as opposed to a full-time salary) was not introduced this year but it has been introduced in the past, and that, I also believe, is an important piece of legislation that I’d like to see come back at some point. . . . But I also think there are bills we don’t think of as having an impact on getting people in homes that do, for instance the Maryland Second Chance Act, and similar expungement legislation,” said Lierman, who notes that criminal

tell you about an informal conference (where you can negotiate with the department over a delinquent account) and how you can request one. We had to get a copy and pass it around to various folks because you can’t even get a copy for how you submit for informal conference. So it’s sort of like ‘hide the ball’ with the homeowner who’s going to lose their house,” said Francis.

That could change in the future as the city also announced on March 27 the creation of a new tax sale service coordinator position (or ombudsman), which Henry Raymond, director of Baltimore’s Department of Finance, called part of the Rawlings-Blake administration’s “ongoing efforts to protect financially fragile and elderly homeowners in the city.”

The coordinator position will not be created until July 1, but its duties include training city staff to better assist homeowners in danger of a tax sale. Raymond notes that the city had raised its tax sale threshold for unpaid water bills in 2011 to $350 in order to give homeowners more time to address a delinquency, but notes that the city’s finances and operations are affected by outstanding accounts, whether for water or property taxes.

“Delinquent water bills are going to inhibit the operation of the water and waste water utility funds. Other delinquencies, i.e. things like real property bills, environmental citations, et cetera, would inhibit general operations of city government because real property revenue is used for general government operations, whether it be public safety, better housing, things of that nature,” said Raymond.

For homeowners in need of free legal advice regarding the tax sale process, the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service will be holding tax sale clinics on April 9 (9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Urban Business Center, 1200 W. Baltimore Street), April 15 (3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Enoch Pratt Free Library, Southeast Anchor Branch, 3601 Eastern Ave.), and April 22 (1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at 4501 Reisterstown Road). ralejandro@afro.com

records disqualify many persons for housing once discovered on background checks.

Another important need for the city is a more effective public transportation system, since public transportation is essential to economic development. Lierman introduced a bill this session to create an oversight board for the Maryland Transit Administration, which she says “is not serving the people of Baltimore in the way that it should be, or the people of Maryland for that matter.”

“Public transportation strengthens the economy, it creates jobs, it reduces traffic congestion, it reduces air pollution. Transit helps maintain the vitality of urban areas, and we are not as connected as we should be,” said Lierman.

Lierman says that she received good feedback on her transit reform bill, but that it was put on hold this legislative session to give new Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Rahn one year to whip the transit administration into shape. Though she had to press pause on her bill, Lierman says she

nonetheless introduced language into the state budget which will require the Maryland Transit Administration to post a plan for improvement on its website by July 1, and to provide quarterly updates on its progress to the House Appropriations Committee, on which Lierman sits.

Lierman says she is grateful to have been assigned to the Appropriations Committee since it allows her to keep an eye on various areas affecting families in Baltimore City, whether affordable housing, public transportation, or funding for Baltimore City public schools (which faced deep cuts under the budget proposed by Governor Larry Hogan until the Appropriations Committee, under the leadership of chair Del. Maggie McIntosh—D, Baltimore City—managed to restore much of it).

“It behooves every neighborhood in Baltimore City to make sure that every child’s school is strong, that every neighborhood is safe, that everybody can access a quality education, and has access to good jobs,” said Lierman. ralejandro@afro.com

April 4, 2015 - April 10, 2015, The Afro-American

A7

TECHNOLOGY What’s the What

Keeping it Clean

By Kamau High Special to the AFRO When I was kid in the 1980s I spent my summers in Louisiana with my father and step-mother. While they were at work I went to the Boy’s Club or summer camp at the local YMCA. Occasionally, those programs would be closed but my parents would still have to work. On those days they would drop me off at the local library with lunch and a little pocket money.

Those were my favorite days because I had the entire library’s collection to myself. I could read whatever I wanted.

I quickly upgraded my child card to an adult one even though I was only about 10 years old.

During those days I would go through whole swaths of books considered inappropriate for someone that age today. Scary Stephen King books? Check. Sword and Fantasy books awash in sex and violence? Check. Did you know Judy Blume didn’t just write books for children? I found out that summer.

When I take my seven-year-old daughter to the library these days I follow the same attitude as my parents: If you want to read it, go for it. And while she has not currently expressed any interest in checking out the adult books, when she does I will happily point her to the stacks and say go have a blast.

I was reminded of this by a discussion of a new app that strips out curse words in e-books you buy from them called Clean App on Metafilter.com, a site that aggregates news and information from a variety of sources and lets people discuss the content. Clean App uses three filters: clean, cleaner and squeaky clean. As the makers describe it on their site, “The ‘Clean’ setting only blocks major swear words from display. This includes all uses of the F-word we could find. The ‘Cleaner’ setting blocks everything that ‘Clean’ blocks plus more. ‘Squeaky Clean’ is the most restrictive setting and will block the most profanity from a book including some hurtful racial terms.”

The app is made by a couple and originated when their oldest daughter came home complaining that a book she really liked had too many curse words in it.

Let’s state up front that what they’re doing appears to be legal. The app doesn’t actually remove the words from the book, it just covers them up on your screen. On top of that, you have to choose to download and install it. In addition, you can turn it off any time you want.

People have been fighting over what kids can and cannot read for many years. From banning to outright burning, books have always faced a fight. To this day, people still argue over whether or not Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn should have the word “nigger” taken out of it to protect young reader’s sensibilities.

And it’s not just books. People have sought to sanitize or ban everything from rap music, movies that were too sexually explicit, or violent, or depicted religion in a way they did not feel was respectful enough. This was made somewhat easier in 2005 with the passage of the Family Entertainment and Copyright Act which, among other things, allowed companies to sell products that clean up potentially offensive content in DVDs. Today there are companies such as ClearPlay and VidAngel that are dedicated to this business model.

There are even filters for web sites such as Facebook that can block everything from curse words to political opinions you disagree with. And while I would never use a product that changed the author’s intent in a book, song, or film, I have blocked people on Facebook and Twitter whose opinion on politics, religion, or even video games I find tiresome. It is not just people I disagree with. Some people I follow are particularly passionate about certain topics and while I agree with them, sometimes I don’t want to read several diatribes on it.

What do you think? Would you use a product that censors words for yourself or your child? Let me know at kamauhigh@yahoo.com.

Kamau High is a journalist living in Baltimore. He can be reached at kamauhigh@yahoo.com.

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The Afro-American, April 4, 2015 - April 10, 2015

HEALTH

Endometriosis: More than Just Painful Cycles

By Shantella Y. Sherman Special to the AFRO Cassandra Nivens has experienced painful periods since age 14. To cope with being mostly incapacitated for some time each month, Nivens learned to manage what she believed were normal hormonal shifts, often scheduling time away from school and work around a 28-day cycle. It wasn’t until a routine ultrasound during her first pregnancy that her painful periods were diagnosed as endometriosis.

Defined as a condition where tissue that normally grows inside the uterus grows outside of it, endometriosis impacts 176 million women. Each month as the lining of the uterus sheds and the blood and tissue is released, the same thing happens to the tissue outside the uterus. But with no way for the released tissues to leave the body, inflammation and scar tissue develop. While endometriosis affects White women 33 percent more often, deaths from undiagnosed endometrial cancer is roughly 80 percent higher among African-American women.

“I was relieved to be able to put a name to what felt like some type of torture I endured every month, but was scared and concerned for the health of my baby. My system felt out of whack because of the pregnancy, and I was afraid that after

Treatments for Endometriosis

Treatment for endometriosis generally consist of medications or surgery. The approach depends on the severity of signs and symptoms, and if one desires children.

Pain medications Doctors may recommend an over-the-counter pain reliever, such as the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) or naproxen (Aleve, others), to help ease painful menstrual cramps. If you find that taking the maximum dose doesn’t provide full relief, you may need to try another approach to manage your signs and symptoms.

my son was born, my hormones would go into high-gear, and it would be even more painful,” said Nivens, who found some relief in breastfeeding her healthy child.

Once her cycle resumed, Nivens she sought treatment from a naturopath. After two years of progressive yoga (from BandhaKonasana poses to hot yoga), acupuncture, and change in diet, she and her husband were able to welcome a second son.

According to research from the Mayo Clinic, Nivens is among the fortunate able to conceive with endometriosis, as an estimated 30-40 percent of infertile women have endometriosis. Because the disorder can only be definitely diagnosed through visual inspection inside of the pelvis and abdomen (as well as tissue biopsy of the implants), even ultrasounds can only hint at its presence.

General symptoms of endometriosis include: extremely painful or disabling menstrual cramps; pain increasing in severity over time; chronic pelvic pain including lower back and pelvic pain; pain during or after sex; intestinal pain; painful bowel movements; or painful urination during menstrual periods.

As more women become aware that endometriosis is more than just painful periods, the hope among physicians is that more women will note their symptoms and seek professional

advice.

The Howard University Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology recently served as local sponsors of the 2015 Worldwide EndoMarch for Endometriosis to raise awareness among African Americans. The second annual march took place at Upper Senate Park in Northwest, March 28, and simultaneously in more than 56 cities worldwide.

Chandelis Duster, a Virginia precinct manager of the EndoMarch diagnosed six years ago with the condition, took part in the march to help raise awareness. “It has been a rough six years during which I have had three surgeries. Initially there was a big cyst on an ovary that needed to be drained and that was how they found endometriosis. No one had ever talked to me about it and as a freshman in college, it was scary to be told I had a disease with no cure,” Duster said.

Following a laparoscopic surgery to remove the tissue, more endometriosis was found. “It’s been tough dealing with the pain constantly and everyday… a heating pad is [my] best friend. It has gotten better since the last surgery, but emotionally, it is a lot to deal with and it is a financial strain,” Duster said.

Among African-American women, endometriosis is one of the most common indications for major gynecological surgery and hysterectomy.

Hormone therapy Supplemental hormones are sometimes effective in reducing or eliminating the pain of endometriosis. This is because the rise and fall of hormones during the menstrual cycle causes endometrial implants to thicken, break down and bleed. Hormone medication may slow the growth and prevent new implants of endometrial tissue. However, hormonal therapy isn’t a permanent fix for endometriosis. It’s possible that sufferers could experience a recurrence of symptoms after stopping treatment.

Hormonal therapies used to treat endometriosis include: birth control pills, patches and vaginal rings to control the hormones responsible for the buildup of endometrial tissue each month. Most women have lighter and shorter menstrual flow when they’re using a hormonal contraceptive. Using hormonal contraceptives – especially continuous cycle regimens – may reduce or eliminate the pain of mild to moderate endometriosis.

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (Gn-RH) block the production of ovarian-stimulating hormones, lowering estrogen levels and preventing menstruation. This causes endometrial tissue to shrink.

Conservative surgery For fertile women who wish to have babies, surgery to remove as much endometriosis as possible while preserving the uterus and ovaries (conservative surgery) may increase the chances of success. Laparoscopic or traditional abdominal surgery may be recommended.

Hysterectomy In severe cases of endometriosis, surgery to remove the uterus and cervix (total hysterectomy) as well as both ovaries may be the best treatment. Hysterectomy alone is not effective – the estrogen your ovaries produce can stimulate any remaining endometriosis and cause pain to persist.

Chandelis Duster’s Battle with Endometriosis

Chandelis Duster outside the Capitol

By Jonathan Hunter Special to the AFRO Chandelis Duster, a graduate student at American University, stood before a packed crowd on March 28 at the Holiday Inn near Capitol Hill to share her endometriosis, commonly known as endo, story. “I remember being scared to death and feeling lost because I was told I had a disease that was not curable. But as I reflect on my experience, I think about how much stronger of a young woman I’ve become because of it,” Duster said while fighting back tears.

Duster words inspired the crowd at the second annual worldwide Endo March In D.C. Duster was just one of many women with Endo who came from all over the country to march on Capitol Hill to raise awareness about the disease.

In an exclusive interview with the AFRO, Duster spoke about raising awareness of the disease with African Americans.

“I really just feel like Black women don’t have access to the right health care sometimes,” said Duster. “A lot of my Black friends I talk to [say], ‘Endo what, what’s that?’,’Is that what they call bad cramps.’ Nobody knows what it is. I had somebody tell me a long time ago that endometriosis was a White women’s disease. And I was like, ‘Excuse me ,what are you trying to say because I’m not White.’”

According to Pubmed.gov, the common view is that endo rarely affects women of color and results in many cases not being reported. Duster, now 26, was diagnosed with endo at age 18 and has had three surgeries to date. Duster says having endo has taken its toll on her physically.

“All throughout high school and middle school I would faint and pass out because my period pain was so bad, said Duster. “ I went to [the] gynecologist to regulate my period

Photos by Jonathan Hunter

Chandelis marching with Team Virginia at the Endo march on Capitol Hill. and I remember specifically an emergency room doctor at one point told me that maybe there was an underlying trauma from your childhood that needs to be addressed to figure out what’s causing your pain.”

Once Duster was diagnosed with endo, she knew there needed to be something done to address the lack of knowledge about endo.

Duster is currently a precinct manger in Richmond, Va. for the World Wide Endo March organization. Along with being a precinct manger for a year, she has been an advocate for pushing legislation about educating the public.

Duster met with Virginia Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam at a disability caucus about endo and submitted a proclamation to Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe that he signed.

Duster says she enjoys being a precinct manager with team Virginia of the Endo March not only because she likes spreading awareness, but also because she has a family of sisters. Duster says she came to the Endo March last year in 2014, and met a support group of women that she was lacking.

“At first I thought these women were crazy, out here in all that yellow and wearing ribbons, but then I was like wow these are some of the nicest women I’ve met in my life. They gave me that extra push,” said Duster. “In a way Endo was a gift to me. Looking at it from a positive perspective because I’ve become so stronger and gained so many friendships and a sisterhood from having Endometriosis that I wouldn’t gotten from anywhere else.

Prior to joining the Endo March, Duster went through a tough time of being a laid off from a radio station and being in a bad relationship. The physical and emotional pain drove Duster to becoming suicidal. “I thought about (suicide) driving

Chandelis Duster and her sister outside the Capitol down the road on the interstate and putting my car in cruise at 95 miles and wanting to end my life. I thought about that several times. But then one day, I was just like I had enough and I went downstairs, got the kitchen knife, sat on my bedroom floor and I was crying and crying and I was going to do it,” said Duster.

Duster said she believes it is by the grace of God that she did not end her life. Duster has shared her story and now wants to help girls just like her. Duster is pursuing her master’s degree in broadcast journalism and one day aspires to be a TV reporter and anchor.

To find out more about endometriosis visit endomarch.org.

April 4, 2015 - April 10, 2015 The Afro-American

COMMENTARY

A9

The State of Black America – Part 1, Education

“What the people want is very simple: they want an America as good as its promise.” - Texas Congresswoman Barbara C. Jordan There’s no other way to say it. Black America is in crisis.

Over the past year, we have been bombarded with headlines that continue to drive home the longstanding challenges faced by Black and Brown communities in our nation. From the killings of unarmed Black males at the hands of police officers to the introduction of new voter suppression laws that make it more difficult for people of color to exercise their constitutional right to vote, it is clear that for many in our nation, equality under the law remains dangerously out of reach.

But beyond the headlines, anecdotes and agenda-fueled debates lie the real numbers – all facts, no chaser.

Last week, the National Urban League released the 2015 State of Black America report – “Save our Cities: Education, Jobs + Justice.”

Marc H. Morial The report is the 39th edition of the National Urban League’s annual analysis of Black and Latino equality in America, and for the first time, this year’s report is available in an all-digital format available at www.stateofblackamerica.org, where visitors can find the e-book, Web Series, select data, videos, articles and other frequently updated features (as well as download a free copy of the 2015 State of Black America report until March 31).

This year’s report again includes the Equality Index™, in its 11th year for the Black-White Index and its sixth year for the Hispanic-White Index – measuring how well Blacks and Latinos are doing in comparison to their White peers in five categories: economics, education, health, social justice and civic engagement.

What we’ve found is that while strides have been made in our communities, tremendous gaps continue to leave us with a crisis in education, jobs and justice.

There are tremendous challenges before us, but the good news is that they are not insurmountable. For the next few weeks – and beginning with education, I will explore the findings of the 2015 State of Black America, and better still, suggest solutions to these challenges.

As our nation enjoys historically low dropout rates, the highest high school graduation rates in history and more students of color studying on college campuses, we must also contend with the reality that school districts serving the highest percentage of low-income households spend fewer state and local dollars in those districts than ones that have fewer students in poverty.

In addition, a lack of consistent education standards and equity and excellence at scale means that the quality of education that our children receive is far too often dependent on their zip code or how much money their parents make. Without a new formula for school funding that puts the dollars where the need is greatest, the education achievement gap will grow to the detriment of our nation as we educate a workforce incapable of meeting the challenges of tomorrow.

To underscore the National Urban League’s commitment to education and our belief that quality education is a key driver to opportunity, for the first time in the report’s history, we have included a state-by-state Education Equality Index™ and ranking. This index examines state-level racial and ethnic disparities in K-12 education, documenting Black and Hispanic achievement gaps in all 50 states and the District of Columbia in comparison to White students.

Key findings from the Education Index include: • The smallest gaps were commonly found in states with relatively small minority populations and

Is Democracy Overrated?

Lekan Oguntoyinbo

Long before China and India became the economic wonders of Asia, there was Singapore, a small, diverse country with no natural resources that took the audacious step of breaking away from the Malaysian federation in 1965 to become an independent nation.

Lee Kuan Yew, the new country’s founding father, knew that the odds of survival were clearly against them when they decided to go it alone 50 years ago.

“To understand Singapore and why it is what it is, you’ve got to start off with the fact that it’s not supposed to exist and cannot exist,” Lee said in a 2007 interview with the New York Times. “To begin with, we don’t have the ingredients of a nation, the elementary factors: a homogeneous population, common language, common culture and common destiny.”

Still, Lee played the odds. By the time he stepped down as prime minister in 2000, he had transformed Singapore into an economic powerhouse, one of the world’s most efficient countries and, arguably,

the least corrupt.

Due largely to Lee’s efforts, the World Bank now lists Singapore as the world’s fourth wealthiest country based on per capita income – ahead of other powerhouses such as Brunei, Norway, Saudi Arabia and the United States. Singapore is the cultural and recreational hub of Asia. It is a major destination for shoppers and affluent medical tourists from nearby countries like Vietnam and Malaysia.

But in propelling Singapore into the club of the world’s wealthiest nations, Lee took some steps that made leaders of many traditional western democracies uncomfortable. He practiced a form of authoritarianism that included jailing some opposition politicians, intimidating the press, and suppressing dissent and some forms of free speech. Singapore is largely a one-party state.

Lee died last week at age 91, spawning many western news outlets – including the New York Times – to comment on Lee’s “mixed legacy.”

“As Singapore reflects on Mr. Lee’s legacy, in seven days of national mourning, many people will focus on the country’s economic growth under his rule,” the Times opined in an editorial. “But a leader’s accomplishments should not be measured by material achievements alone. The next generation of leaders should make Singapore a political model, not just an economic one.”

where test scores were relatively low for each group – White, Black or Hispanic.

• Higher graduation rates for Black and Latino students were also found in states where these groups are a smaller share of the population.

• On average, larger gaps were found in states with large urban areas home to large populations of people of color living in highly segregated neighborhoods with high rates of concentrated high poverty.

• With inequitable resourcing and the disproportionate impact of factors such as poverty and teacher quality, African American and Latino children consistently fair worse in reading/math proficiency.

We have also included essays that feature commentary from leading figures and thought leaders in politics, the corporate arena, NGOs, academia and popular culture. This year’s contributing authors who highlight education include Sacramento Mayor and President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors Kevin Johnson, NEA President Lily Eskelsen García and best-selling authors “The Three Doctors” (Dr. Sampson Davis, Dr. Rameck Hunt and Dr. George Jenkins).

This report is more important than ever. It is important because armed with data, we can all go back to our cities and create relevant plans to address stubborn problems. It is important because we, as a nation, cannot expect to sustain growth and compete globally while millions of our citizens are denied the opportunity to become productive citizens because of misguided policies or neglect. It is important because America can only be as good as its promise if that promise is kept to all Americans.

Marc H. Morial, former mayor of New Orleans, is president and CEO of the National Urban League.

Says who? Singapore’s political model has been studied by many Asian countries, including China.

The Times’ editors added that now is a good time to rethink the order of things in Singapore, particularly given rising economic inequality there. Hmmm! I wonder if that same lesson of reflection could apply to some other country like, say, the United States.

Singapore’s story of prosperity also has some observers pondering another crucial question: Is democracy overrated?

Since the fall of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, we’ve seen a staggering rise in the number of democratic countries around, especially in third world regions, particularly in Africa and the Americas.

Some countries have remained unmoved by this trend. For example: • China, which has the world’s largest economy and has shifted more than 300 million people into the middle class in the last 20 years, remains stubbornly authoritarian.

• Vietnam remains a communist country, but its people are enjoying a degree of affluence and economic prosperity unknown since independence from France more than 60 years ago.

• Although Cuba has loosened some economic and political restrictions in recent years, it is still an authoritarian country. Yet, the island nation’s literacy rate is one of the world’s highest, its doctors are among the best on the planet and its first-rate health system is accessible to all Cubans.

In contrast, Nigeria, which had elections this weekend, returned to democratic rule in 1999. But it is rated one of the most corrupt countries in the world. Moreover, its public education system is in the toilet, more than half of its young people are unemployed, and nearly three of every four of its people live in poverty. Nigeria’s story is, in some respects, that of many African countries experimenting with democracy.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once spoke about an America in which Blacks in the south don’t have the vote and Blacks in the north have no reason to vote.

Given a choice, then, would you rather live in a safe, clean and mildly authoritarian society that is economically prosperous and ensures that all citizens benefit from the wealth or in a democratic society where most people are mired in economic struggle and the government has no concrete plans to lift them out of it?

Talk about a no-brainer.

Lekan Oguntoyinbo is an independent journalist. Contact him at oguntoyinbo@gmail.com

Letter to the Editor

“Discussion Continues on Bill to Remove Governor from Parole Process,” March 3, AFRO Referenced AFRO articles and others report it minimally costs $60,000 annually to house 465 elderly lifers due to expensive medical conditions. Yet, as one of the identified 465 elderly lifers, these articles barely touched on taxpayer losses when governors fail to sign lifer paroles.

In the past few months, in just Jessup Correctional Institution, lifer Dean Pantazes had open heart surgery for a triple bypass operation, at a University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) estimated cost in excess of $300,000. Life James Hill had a stent placed to resolve his heart problems, at an unknown cost. Finally, I received an implanted pacemaker-defibrillator, at a UMMC estimated cost of $100,000+.

In each case taxpayer’s spent another $50,000+ for preliminary costs associated with these operationsthe physical cost of hospital housing us for one-two weeks for a wide assortment of preliminary X-rays, CT scans, MRIs, sonograms, surgical catheter procedures, pulmonary tests, etc. In addition, while in UMMC the Division of Correction pays for two correctional officers, for each of three shifts, 24- hours a day, seven-days a week to watch us even as we are too weak to walk, anesthetized, under the surgical knife, etc. And each officer, for each day, for each shift, also receives multiple hours of overtime, as they must first report to prison, receive their hospital assignment, check-in an hour later to relieve the previous two shift officers, who then have to perform the reverse process to return back to Jessup prison and hit their time clock an hour late!

I was one of the 134 lifers who were removed from work release on June 2, 1993, and I had Blue Cross/Blue Shield from my employer when I worked at Tate Access Floors, but of course lost that insurance when removed from work release, It was Governor’s Schaefer’s egregious error to terminate the work release program when we 134 lifers had not violated a single rule; the prisoner who violated the rules committed suicide and therefore could not be punished, so in frustration the governors just changed policies for the 134 lifers who had never even violated any work release rules, and put this insurance cost on taxpayers!

As it is, since my own return from work release, I have had laser surgery twice, once on each eye, for detached retinas from the hard bedding, and hernia operation, in addition to implanted pacemakerdefibrillator. But this is not the end the story, I have an aortic aneurysm which is now 5 centimeters wide, and this has led to leaking heart valve due to distension of the artery! Accordingly, even as I write I am I am being evaluated for another heart operation, open heart surgery which may even require replacement of the heart valve and adjacent aorta. This, of course, may well lead to another $300,000 heart operation, meaning state taxpayers will easily spend more than a half million dollars just for my medical care in just six months!

And all of this is occurring at a time when my thirteen-year-old case for exoneration by DNA testing of the physical evidence is still active, leading to two reversals by the Court of Appeals (in 2007 and 2011) and over two dozen court hearings investigating the failure of the State to look for the physical evidence for DNA testing. I also have fifteen-year old “advisory jury instruction” Unger claim of an unconstitutional conviction pending, and last year it was discovered that Montgomery County Circuit Court Judge James Pugh wrote an October 1, 1969 Affidavit at the request of then Attorney General Francis Bill Burch, which that the prime state witness in my case, Dennis Moon, committed perjury in the courtroom and thus it was an egregious Brady/Bagley violation for the prosecution to give Moon immunity for “truthful testimony” when the prosecutor Carroll Holzer and Timothy Doory already knew it was impossible for Moon to ever speak the truth! SO the Maryland taxpayers are incurring these exorbitant expenses at a time prosecutors know I should have already been released as exonerated of the purported crime!

Accordingly, it will be interesting to see if Gov. Hogan actually institutes any change to lifer policies to benefit both elderly lifers and taxpayers during his era of promised stringent “cost containment” Douglas Scott Arey Jessup, MD

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The Afro-American, April 4, 2015 - April 10, 2015

April 4, 2015 - April 4, 2015, The Afro-American

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Failure of Restaurant Grading Bill Leaves Baltimore With Few Options

By Kamau High Special to the AFRO Following last week’s defeat of a bill requiring restaurants to publicly post grades they receive` from the Health Department, Councilman Brandon Scott, the lead sponsor of the bill, is vowing to fight on.

“I’m going to fight for transparency whether another bill is introduced or not. I’m going to continue to post restaurant closures on my Twitter feed,” Scott said in an interview with the AFRO. “The next step is to re-group.

I have had an outpouring of support from the citizens of Baltimore. It will be almost immediate. There’s a back up plan.”

The bill would have required restaurants to be inspected and have the resulting letter grades posted where the public could see them.

The Health Department would have had to set up a searchable database of restaurant grades and another database of restaurants with

suspended licenses or closures.

And while all 15 members of the Council were listed as sponsors of the original bill, introduced over two years ago, ultimately only seven voted for the bill in its final form.

Several Council members, including Eric T. Costello, James B. Kraft, and William Welch, voiced a variety of concerns including that health inspectors might give low grades based on whether they liked the owner or not, and that restaurants would suffer while waiting to appeal their low grades. Right before the final vote, Costello attempted to introduce an amendment that would allow restaurants with low grades to pay $200 to be re-inspected.

That amendment failed.

One of the council members to vote for the bill, Mary Pat Clarke, said during the hearing, “We’re a 21st-century town. This lets the public know where this restaurant stands.”

Many major metropolitan cities, such as San Francisco, New York, and Chicago have

Finally!

restaurant grades. Even Charlotte, N.C., has them.

After the bill failed Casey Jenkens, the owner of Birdland Sports Bar & Grill on Belair Road, stood up in the back of the city council chambers and applauded loudly. Later, he told a group of reporters, “It’s not something that I necessarily oppose, but what I do oppose is the way it’s being conducted, so I think that there are other ways in which it can be handled.

I’m more than happy to let any customer walk through my kitchen, and they can see what I do instead of having some scarlet letter posted on my door.”

The Restaurant Association of Maryland lobbied several Council members against the bill. “In the end there were a lot of questions that remain with regards to the ability of the

health department to do re-inspections because of their limited staff,” Melvin R. Thompson, the lobbyist for the association, told the Baltimore Sun. “We think the council made the right decision. However, we still fully support posting full inspection reports online. We hope to work with the health department to provide that information on the health department website as soon as possible.”

Baltimore Mayor Stephanie RawlingsBlake supported the original bill. In a statement to the AFRO, Sean Naron, deputy press secretary for the mayor, said, “. . . the Mayor will be directing the Health Department to move forward with the planned launch of an independent electronic restaurant inspection database. The Health Department is coordinating this program and will finalize a public launch in the coming weeks. This is a separate, preexisting project, not a replacement for the Council’s bill. The Mayor looks forward to working with the Council if similar legislation gets reintroduced.”

It is not currently easy for the public to find out how a restaurant did on its most recent inspection. The City employs 22 people, called sanitarians, to do the inspections. In a February blog post, Dr. Oxiris Barbot, commissioner of health, said the department was working to make the restaurant inspection data available publicly in the future. At the moment, the best way to know what is going on with restaurants is to follow Scott on Twitter where he posts recent closings.

The Links Continued from A1

Photo by Greg Dale

Steam rollers put finishing touches on 26th Street that collapsed April 30, 2014.

semester juniors.

She explains, “These are young people who are about to graduate, and this little impediment has shown its head. We want to erase it, so that they can go on to graduate. Sometimes it pays for books, sometimes it pays for other things.”

Then, she elaborates, saying, “It relieves them of the stress of this financial burden. Often times, it’s just a small amount of money, but they don’t know where it’s going to come from.”

Jessamy says that the ultimate goal is to have other organizations like sororities, fraternities and Big Brothers Big Sisters create GRASP fund partnerships with their local HBCUs. “We started this, but any organization can do it. And, what we’re trying to do is to really motivate people to help their local HBCUs. We want this to travel all across the country, and we’ve had inquiries, already, from other Links chapters. But, anybody can do it. It doesn’t have to be Links,” she reiterates.

When asked about receiving the AFRO’s support, by way of the upcoming salute, Jessamy responds, “We’re really very happy, and we’re honored. We know that the AFRO is an organization that also supports our local HBCUs. Well, supports HBCUs, in general.”

“They’re acknowledging us and saluting us for something that they’re doing themselves. So we feel honored.”

Individuals interested in making direct donations, locally, can send a check to the Morgan State University Foundation or Coppin State University Foundation, with the notation “Baltimore Links GRASP” written on the memo line.

For additional information about the Salute, contact Diane W. Hocker, the AFRO’s Director, Community and Public Relations, at 410-554-8243.

Thursday, April 30, 2015, Power Plant Live!

Featuring keynote speaker Robin Quivers of “The Howard Stern Show” 5:30PM - VIP Reception in Mosaic / Open bar, hors d’oeuvres, mingling, meet & greet with Robin Quivers

Robin Quivers

6:00PM - Main Event / Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres in Leinenkugel’s Beer Garden, Dinner & Program in the Atrium

Complimentary valet parking. Funds raised at Be A Hero will support the mission and work of Baltimore Child Abuse Center.

Tickets are

SOLD OUT, but you can still make a difference.

To donate in honor of Be A Hero or to add your name to the waitlist, visit bcaci.org or call 443-984-3013 today!

Thank you Be A Hero Sponsors!

Guardian

Champion

Protector

Advocate

Media

2300 North Charles Street, 4th Floor | Baltimore, MD 21218 | 410.396.6147 BaltimoreChildAbuseCenter.org | Facebook.com/4BCAC

April 4, 2015 - April 10, 2015, The Afro-American

T Michelle Wilson, The Honorable Pamila Brown, The Honorable Kurt Schmoke, president, University of Baltimore, Alicia Wilson

he Maryland State Bar Association was established in 1896, and was the last state bar association in this country to admit women. Rose Zetzer became its first female member in 1946, but it took 69 years before an African- American female would be elected president.

The Alliance of Black Women Attorneys honored Pamila

J. Brown, associate judge, District Court of Maryland, District 10, Howard County as the first African-American woman to be elected president of the Maryland State Bar Association.

Judges, attorneys, students from the University of Maryland Law School, the Howard County Bar Association, The Bar Association of Baltimore City, and members from Howard County Council took part in the Feb. 27 event.

The Alliance of Black Women Attorneys of Maryland sponsored the reception, and the Honorable Kurt Schmoke, president, the University of Baltimore served as host.

Son, Matthew and daughter, Marissa with honoree Judge Pamila J. Brown

Mary J. Pizzo, president, Howard County Bar Association

Erica LeMon, president, The Waring Mitchell Law Society of Howard County Maryland

Jernita Hines, Karen Williforce, Natalie T. Collins

Judge Lynn Stewart Mays, organizer, Judge Vicki Ballou-Watts, Debra Shubert, president, Maryland State Bar Association

Beverly Carter

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The Honorable Kurt Schmoke, president, University of Baltimore

The Honorable Calvin B. Ball, member, Howard County Council

Taren Stanton Butcher, president, The Alliance of Black Women Attorneys of Maryland

Nicole Barmore, Shahrazad Abdelmeyuad, Tierra Gregory Sierra Solomon and Courtney Thomas The Honorables Aaron DeGraffenreidt, Sidney Butcher, Kraig Long, Emerson Dorsey

Past presidents, Alliance of Black Women Attorneys, Alicia Wilson, Myshala Middleton, Tara Barnes, president-elect, Teri Holt-Charles The Honorable Marcella Holland, Honoree Judge Pamila Brown, The Honorable Kevin Wiggins,The Honorable Shirley Watts

Waring Mitchell Law Society of Howard County, Maryland

The Alliance of Black Women Attorneys of Maryland The Honorables Cornelia Bright-Gordon, Ajoke Agboola, Nancy Tinch

Photos by Dr. A. Lois De Laine

Carol Spencer Carter, John Berkley, Eva Watts

Alice Pinderhughes, Myrna Pugh, Fenton Pugh, Lydia McCargo-Redd

Deborah Brown, Lee Brown, Jackie Brock, Freddie Vaughn

Eric and Carolyn Morris, Pittsburgh, PA and Carolyn and Howard Tutman Jr., 29th International Grand Polemarch

Nicole Scarborough, Desmond Mackall, 2nd Vice Polemarch, Silver Springs Alumni, Kappa Alpha Psi, Kim Scarborough

Yolanda Finney-Brooks, Derek Brooks, Erin Brooks

Dr. Phillip and Paula Byrd, Jean and Dr. Rogers Lewis

Gene and Roslyn Noble, Ronald Tool, Kisha Hammond

The Baltimore Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity did it again! The 44th Annual Nite in Kappa Vegas was another successful event with the evidence of a packed room of over a thousand partygoers enjoying the camaraderie of each other with a variety of great food and plenty of dancing.

Through the Kappa Alpha Psi Foundation, the fundraising arm of the fraternity, the members are able to provide scholarships to deserving college bound seniors, support the development of the Guide-Rite mentoring program, and to meet the needs of the Baltimore community.

The major event sponsors were BGE and the AFRO.

LaKeisha S. Coleman, Dana Davison, Jenica Bowler

Robin and Shaune Allen, Audrey Bennett, Charmeil Hodge

Steward and Pamela Beckham, Corliss and Ben Alston

Karenthia Barber, Tracee Strum-Gilliam, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, City of Baltimore, Erica Scott

Charles Thomas Jr.,Angie Gibson,Grace and Steve Gibson, Herb and Diana Brown, Dr. Walter Brown Jr.

Freddie and Emile Wilson, Loretta and Stan Mitchell. Standing, left, Alonzo and Dale Griffin, Tahlea McNeil Photos by Dr. A. Lois De Laine

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The Afro-American, April 4, 2015 - April 10, 2015

“LADY SINGS THE BLUES AT ARCH SOCIAL CLUB” Hello everyone! I am back from vacation and hoping everything is well with you. Yes, I had a wonderful vacation, my Boo-Boo and I had a very enjoyable time. Now I’m home and ready to get to work.

As you see my headline this week is “Lady Sings the Blues at Arch Social Club.” I believe this is going to be an exciting weekend.

The historic Arch Social Club is celebrating Billie Holiday’s 100th birthday in a very special way. They are doing a fundraiser for this event. They will have two shows, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., April 4, featuring Denyse Pearson as “Lady Day,” with Phil Butts Arch Social Club Big Band; DJ & dancing on the 2nd floor.

Light refreshments, cash bar and semi-formal attire. The purpose of the fundraiser is to renovate downstairs, promote live entertainment on the Avenue and educate people about the life of Baltimore’s own Billie Holiday. Arch Social Club is located 2426 Pennsylvania Avenue in Baltimore. For ticket Marva D’s Good Friday information, call Tshamba at Flashback Party Fish Fry 410-728-6808 or use their Pay with DJ KennyD is 8 p.m.

Pal donation online at www. to midnight, April 3, at archsocialclub.com. the Parkville American Billie Holiday “Lady Legion Post, 2301 Putty Hill Day” is still singing the Avenue. blues as the Renaissance Productions and Tours and the Greater Baltimore Urban League host the 100th Birthday celebration of Billie Holiday, “God Bless the Child,” 7 to 11 p.m., April 7, at the Orchard Street Church, 512 Orchard Street in Baltimore featuring Musical Tributes by Baltimore’s top vocalists such as; Sheila Ford, Marlene Ross, Larzine, Kermit Golden, Sasshay, Irene Jalenti and much more. All accompanied by Dr. Phillip L. Butts’ Big 17 piece Band. VIP seating includes; light buffet, champagne and birthday cake.

Beer and wine will be on sale and you can BYOB. Yours truly,

Just Being Blessed Gospel Singers, will perform for the Rosa Pryor Music Scholarship Fund Gospel Prayer Breakfast Fundraiser, April 18, at the Forest Park Senior Center.

“Rambling Rose” will be signing her new book and her first book, “African American Entertainment in Baltimore” (the pictorial book about Baltimore’s Pennsylvania). For more information, call Tom Saunders at 410-728-3837. Or email him at: Renaissance2222@cs.com MarvaD Events and DJ KennyD are hosting “Good Friday Flashback Party Fish Fry,” 8 p.m. to midnight, April 3, at the Parkville American Legion Post, 2301 Putty Hill Avenue.

Food is served from 8:15 until 10:15. They have open bar and BYOB, door prizes dancing and “Yours truly” will also be there for a book signing. For more information call 410-599-9159.

The Meritocrats cordially invite you to their “Spring Fling Cabaret,” 9 p.m., April 4, at the Pikesville Community Center 40 E. Sudbrook Lane, Pikesville, Md. It is BYOB with complimentary beverage chasers, chips, pretzels, cups and ice.

My goodness! One of my favorite things to do is back this week and that is Baltimore Farmers’ Market & Bazaar. Yes! They are back as of 7 a.m., April 5, until they sell out about 12

Heavenly Blessed Gospel Group will perform for the Rosa Pryor Music Scholarship Fund Gospel Prayer Breakfast Fundraiser, 8 a.m. to noon, April 18, at the Forest Park Senior Center, 4801 Liberty Heights Avenue. noon. Oh mannnnnnnnnn! What a pleasant way to do grocery shopping. Open market with fresh veggies and meats at the same time seeing cooking demos from area chefs, live music entertainment, great place to get the freshest local produce, meats, dairy, spices, preserves, fresh baked breads, and delicious cooked meals prepared by on the spot vendors. This open market is located on Saratoga Street between Holliday and Gay streets, under the Jones Falls Expressway. You can’t miss it; just follow the aroma of the food.

Nina Dennard, renowned gospel soloist will perform at the RPMSF Gospel Prayer Breakfast, April 18, at the Forest Park Senior Center. For more information, call 410833-9474.

Fullwood Travel Unlimited, with Stella and Everett Fullwood, is hosting a trip for an evening with The Temptations & the Four Tops, April 24 in Lancaster, Pa. Ticket includes motor coach transportation and dinner on your own at Cracker Barrel prior to the show and a lot of fun. For more information about this trip, call 410-542-2530.

More about my fundraiser; the Rosa Pryor Music Scholarship Fund Gospel Prayer Breakfast next week. Or you can call me for tickets or go to: www.rosapryormusic.com and pay by PayPal. Well, my dear friends, it is about that time, I have to go.

If you need me, just call me at 410-833-9474 or email me at rosapryor@aol.com . UNTIL THE NEXT TIME, I’M MUSICALLY YOURS.

April 4, 2015 - April 10, 2015, The Afro-American

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ARTS & CULTURE

Beverly Rocks!

The â&#x20AC;&#x153;Black Girls Rock!â&#x20AC;? Interview

By Kam Williams Special to the AFRO A dynamo in true form, Beverly Bond, has blazed trails in the music, entertainment and social entrepreneurship industries. Her body of work, across sectors, has made her one of the most celebrated DJs and social innovators of our time.

A true music connoisseur, Beverlyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s passion for music and her uncanny ability to read the crowd has solidified her as one of the premier DJs in the world. Over the last decade, the former Wilhelmina model has brought her versatile talents to the most highly exclusive events and to a myriad of celebrity clients including Prince, Alicia Keys, Sarah Jessica Parker, Erykah Badu, Sean â&#x20AC;&#x153;Diddyâ&#x20AC;? Combs, Derrick Jeter, Jessica and Jerry Seinfeld, Jay Z, Martha Stewart and others.

In 2006, she founded BLACK GIRLS ROCK!, a youth empowerment mentoring organization. Bond simultaneously created the annual BLACK GIRLS ROCK! Awards to celebrate the accomplishments of exceptional women of color who have made outstanding contributions in their careers and stand as inspirational and positive role models in the community.

In 2010, Beverly first partnered with BET to air BLACK GIRLS ROCK! On network television. The Awards show went on to receive an NAACP Image Award for outstanding Variety Series or Special.

Here, she talks about this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s BLACK GIRLS ROCK! Awards which is set to air on BET on Sunday, April 5th at 7 pm ET/PT. Among the many luminaries appearing on the show is First Lady Michelle Obama.

Kam Williams: Hi Beverly, thanks for the interview.

Beverly Bond: Thank you, Kam. KW: Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be mixing my questions in with some sent in by readers. You just taped the

BLACK GIRLS ROCK! awards show last night.

Are you still on a high from the event?

BB: Omigosh! Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m still taking it in and trying to process it all.

blackgirlsrockinc.com

KW: Environmental activist Grace Sinden asks: What was your strongest or most surprising impression of First Lady Michelle Obama?

BB: I think I always knew this about her, although Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d never met her in person until now, but sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s so authentic and genuine. And sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s so sincere and committed to making a difference in the lives of others. Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a real humanitarian.

KW: How did you come to pick this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s honorees: director Ava DuVernay, actresses Jada Pinkett Smith and Cicely Tyson, singer Erykah Badu, CARE CEO Dr. Helene D. Gayle and middle school principal Nadia Lopez?

BB: Well, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s never a shortage of incredible black women who have made major contributions each year. So, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re constantly monitoring whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s happening in Black Girlsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; World, so to speak, and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re aware that thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s always an abundance of worthy individuals to choose from. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a matter of each personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s accomplishments and how current they are. Part of the process has to do with production, and part of it just comes down to who is available and how things fall in place based on the time period youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re looking at. So, yes, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a process, but the truth is there are so many amazing black women who have contributed to society who donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t always get a chance to shine.

Our mission is to make sure we acknowledge them on our stages.

betpressroom.com

over how many years did it take you to create BLACK GIRLS ROCK! and make it into a social force?

BB: I founded it in 2006, and it was an instant success. I was so driven and so passionate about the necessity of this message that I worked 24 hours a day to make it happen.

But it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t feel difficult when itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s your mission and your vision. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been a lot of work, but I knew that many people would be into it. Honestly, by 2007, we had the mediaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attention already, BET, VH-1 and others, so I knew it was going to be televised. If you believe in something enough, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to make it work. And to me, this was so important because it was about the message to the girls, especially the young girls.

KW: How do you respond to the Twitter trend #WhiteGirlsRock which claimed that BLACK GIRLS ROCK! is racist?

BB: I think that when you tune into Black Entertainment Television and you are complaining about black people lifting up black women and celebrating their wonderful accomplishments, your racism is showing all over your face. Did they call in when the images were less than stellar? It is fascinating to me how thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an uproar whenever it comes to black people celebrating themselves. So, I

pay them no attention, although I did respond once by writing a little article making the point that just because we say that black girls rock doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mean that you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t rock, too. But I wonder whether this was really just an attempt to punish us for having the audacity to celebrate ourselves. Everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s so used to putting us at the bottom of the barrel that they feel entitled to find our simply saying â&#x20AC;&#x153;We rock!â&#x20AC;? offensive.

I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t give it too much attention, because itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s really silly, but it does show the privilege and the racism that exists in some circles.

KW: What do you want viewers to take away from BLACK GIRLS ROCK!?

BB: BLACK GIRLS ROCK! really focuses on helping to raise the bar for our kids, because weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got to change our culture and make black excellence important again. Literacy should not be a problem for us in 2015. The education gap continues to widen for black kids, and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s telling. So, we have to figure out how to help our kids to survive and thrive and become trailblazers themselves.

KW: Thanks again for the time, Beverly, and best of luck with BLACK GIRLS ROCK! BB: Thanks, Kam, and I must say this has been an awesome interview. Thank you so much.

KW: Grace also asks: How difficult and

Book Review

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Rising Up from the Blood â&#x20AC;&#x201C; A Legacy Reclaimed, a Bridge Forwardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

By Kam Williams Special to the AFRO

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I am proud and honored to be the great-granddaughter of Booker T. Washington. The day I went to my first Washington family reunion, I had no idea how dramatically my reality was about to changeâ&#x20AC;Ś When I first stepped foot on the campus of the renowned Tuskegee University, something magical happenedâ&#x20AC;Ś I had an epiphany and was immediately inspired to improve my life.

Prior to the reunion, I was going in the wrong directionâ&#x20AC;Ś I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t realize from whence I cameâ&#x20AC;Ś By the time I was 16, I had become a lost soul, confused about life.

It wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t until I arrived in Tuskegee for the first time in my life that I would bear witness to my foundationâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;a foundation that was there all along. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s when I began to live on purpose. It is also why I now feel a burning obligation to share my storyâ&#x20AC;Ś It is my hope that this book will empower others to change unhealthy mindsets, increase levels of self-worth, and instill a healthy sense of self-love and self-respect within.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201C;Excerpted from the Preface (pages 1-3) Despite being a direct descendant of Booker T. Washington, Sarah Washington Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Neal wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t born with a silver spoon in her mouth.

Quite the contrary, she and her big brother James were raised on a rough side of Oakland, California by a single-mother who never mentioned their

famous forbear. Perhaps she was ashamed by her relativelylowly station and having to hold two jobs just to keep a roof over their heads after being abandoned by her husband.

The absence of a father figure would have a profound effect on Sarah, who ended up involved with a series of inappropriate partners. This was reflected in her picking bad boys who abused, cheated on, exploited, beat and/or

raped her. That futile search for male validation started when she was molested at the age of 9, an event triggering a rapid descent leading to an unplanned pregnancy by the time she was 15.

Sarahâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s baby-daddy neither stuck around to raise Mario, Jr., nor paid much in terms of child support, which meant the financial burden of the baby first fell squarely on the shoulders of her already cash-strapped mom. And when that responsibility proved too much for the beleaguered grandmother, the troubled teen

was forced to fend for herself and the infant on her own.

Consequently, she soon became dependent on government subsidies like welfare, food stamps, public housing and Social Security benefits (after her father turned 65). Meanwhile, between her substance abuse problems (alcohol, weed, coke) and poor choice of men, it was little wonder that she had another child out-of-wedlock just a half-dozen years later.

Sarah got her act together after attending a Booker T. Washington family reunion, but not before having been tested in more ways than the Biblical character Job. Thanks to a combination of Christianity and psychotherapy, she finally found a righteous path once and for all.

A faith-based resolve has served Sarah well ever since, and she and husband Anthony Rush are happily married and raising a beautiful blended family. Her triumph over the odds is recounted in revealing fashion in Rising Up from the Blood, a mesmerizing memoir that reads like the literary equivalent of a TV soap opera.

Besides Sarahâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s personal story, this riveting autobiography includes a family photo album containing snapshots of Booker T. and the rest of her relatives, as well as snippets of sound advice for other lost souls looking to turn their lives around. An empowering opus by a thriving survivor who has ultimately proven herself deserving of her very impressive family pedigree.

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B4

The Afro-American, April 4, 2015 - April 10, 2015

FAITH

Meet the Pastor The Rev. Reginald Adams

Who inspires you most in the community?

The individuals who get up daily, come from their homes to work in the community at their jobs to make sure tomorrow is there for the next generation. The bankers, cooks, mail deliverers, and sales clerks, those who catch the bus determined to make it. These are the individuals who inspire me.

Life Bridge Church, five years Hometown: Danville, Va. Education: Bachelorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in Pastoral Counseling

How did you hear your call to ministry?

I heard the call to ministry while traveling extensively throughout the continental U.S. While living in Raleigh, N.C. I submitted to the call to accept the assignment in Maryland and so I went.

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s your favorite form of recreation or self care?

I love to spend time with my family, dinner with my lovely wife and children. Or vacationing and taking in a great movie.

What has been the biggest surprise about ministry?

The people factor. School prepares you well for the technical aspects of your assignment, like biblical studies, theology and church history. However it really doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t prepare you for the onslaught of problems you face in the lives of people, and how those problems will affect you.

Life Bridge Church is located at 2601 N. Rolling Road, #104 in Windsor Mill, Md. Follow the church on Facebook or 1lifebridgechurch.org.

Of what aspect are you most proud?

Jesus in his earthly walk did everything he could to duplicate himself through his disciples that his ministry would carry on and expand after his departure. The aspect of ministry I am most proud of is duplicating a great collection of people that come to our ministry to do the work of the ministry.

What excites you about ministry?

The most exciting thing about my ministry is empowering ordinary people to live extraordinary lives; to build the structure of family and watch them become fruitful and multiply.

Who are you s(h)eroes?

Those who have shared in the various seasons of my life and helped me develop and walk in my purpose. To name a few would be Bishop Major L. Hairston, Bishop R.D. Graves, Bishop Joby and Sheryl Brady and Bishop Joseph A. McCargo.

Isaac Newton said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants.â&#x20AC;?

Are you a PK? I did in fact grow up in church as an adolescent reared in Bible Way Church World Wide for 12 years, before transitioning with my parents to New Hope Apostolic Church in Danville. So yes I have a rich heritage of coming up in the church that extends far more than what is listed here before I came into Maryland.

Rev. Reginald Adams How has social media enhanced your ministry?

Social media has allowed our ministry to reach into the lives of more individuals in multiple places. Our social media influence spans across Maryland but also has reached multiple cities and even across the seas. This has all been a great tool to spread the gospel of Christ Jesus and encourage people daily in their walk and inform them of our worship facility right in their backyard.

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s next for you in ministry?

The next thing is impacting our community and surrounding area with empowering classes on economic development and entrepreneurship. When things begin to align, you appropriate because we want to have synchronicity.

When things come together things work better!

afro.com Psalms 34:1

RISING ZION BAPTIST CHURCH Email Address: risingzionbaptistchurch@verizon.net

2300 Llewelyn Avenue â&#x20AC;˘ Baltimore, Maryland 21213 Church: (410) 276-6306 â&#x20AC;˘ Home: (410) 435-5695

The Rising Zion BapTisT ChuRCh CoRdially inviTes you To join us on This joyous oCCasion:

Church and Pastor, Reverend Dr. Theodore D. Addison Sr.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 37th Anniversary Celebration! â&#x20AC;&#x153;A Church and Pastor Standing Steadfast On The Word of God Consistently Holding Onto His Precious Promises Living, Loving And Laboring In Christ For 37 Years To The Glory Of God.â&#x20AC;?

Rev. Theodore D. Addison, Sr., Pastor

â&#x20AC;&#x153;A Church fulfilling its call by faith: living, loving, and laboring in Christâ&#x20AC;?

Celebration Service are as follows: Wednesday, April 8th, 2015 - 7:00 p.m.

Concert Presenting The Music Ministry of Rising Zion Baptist Church Thursday, April 9th, 2015 - 7:00 p.m.

Reverend Dr. Gregory B. Perkins - St. Paul Community Baptist Church Friday, April 10th, 2015 - 7:00 p.m.

Reverend Dr. H. Walden Wilson, II, Pastor â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Isreal Baptist Church Morning Worship Sunday, April 12th, 2015 - 11:00 a.m.

Reverend Dr. Ernest Gillspie, III, Pastor Pearly Gate Missionary Baptist Church, Memphis, TN

Church and Pastorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 37th Anniversary Committee Chairpersons:

Reverend Kenneth Gaines â&#x20AC;˘ Sister Telecia Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Neal Assistant Chairpersons:

Sister Danita Long â&#x20AC;˘ Deaconess Cynthia McCown

Rev. and Mrs. Reginald Adams

â&#x20AC;˘ Your History â&#x20AC;˘ Your Community â&#x20AC;˘ Your News ' & (*, $'$ $) ,. , !.- #*0 +,$'

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April 4, 2015 - April 10, 2015, The Afro-American

B5

PEOPLE A Doctor in the Making

Courtesy photo

Ruby B. Nelson, second from left, will receive her PhD in social work from Morgan State University in May. With her are Dr. Cecelia Snowden, Dr. Michael Sinclair and Dr. Halaevalu Vakalahi, committee chair.

Naomi B Sings the Power of Faith through Adversity with ‘Holding On’ Growing up on Baltimore’s rough East side, singer Naomi B and her friends used to knock on every door in their neighborhood to sing to anyone who would listen. As a young girl, she knew music was her calling, but it was also her refuge from the many negative elements that surrounded her. Now, years later, her musical journey takes a major leap with the release of her inspirational debut single, “Holding On,” available now on iTunes, CD Baby and Amazon.com.

Transparency has never been a challenge for Naomi B. Raised in the church, she was an extrovert who sang in the choir, and took the lead in establishing ministries and singing groups. That is why when she recorded her song, it was easy to open up about her real

experiences and share them with others.

“Holding On is a very transparent song that talks about being in that place of struggle where you honestly don’t know what the end looks like,” Naomi B. said. “Sometimes as Christians we believe that standing in faith means you only acknowledge where you want to be rather than the journey – but it’s important to recognize where you are right here and right now – because it’s in that moment that God can reach you and give you what you need. That is the message I wanted to relay with this song.”

Naomi B began singing professionally at the age of 21, shortly after graduating from college. Desiring to be an R&B singer, she looked up to artists such as Brandy, Monica

McKoy Honored for Educational Leadership A Baltimore educator who decided to give back to his hometown by overseeing effective after-school and summer learning programs for low-income kids has been honored with his organization’s highest award for educational leadership.

Maurice McKoy, a product himself of the Baltimore City Public Schools, joined the nonprofit group BELL (Building Educated Leaders for Life) in 2007. For the last two years, he has led BELL’s after-school and summer programs at Harlem Park Elementary & Middle Schools and now has earned the organization’s Robert B. Peterkin Award for Educational Leadership.

McKoy’s colleagues describe him as fiercely dedicated to his students’ success, both in and out of the classroom.

“Maurice is the type of leader who puts his hand to the plow,” said Damon Johnson, BELL’s Director of Program Operations in Baltimore. “I’ve watched him do everything from clean the cafeteria to serve dinner to step into a classroom and participate in a lesson with a teacher. He has rightfully earned the respect of his staff, the school, parents and peers.”

When asked what makes a great program leader, McKoy emphasized personal engagement with students and the community, something with which he is quite familiar.

“Be a part of scholars’ lives,” said McKoy. “Provide resources that meet their needs and the needs of their parents. For example, we have partnered with the Maryland Food Bank to ensure that Harlem Park kids get breakfast, lunch and dinner every day and also go home on Friday with groceries to cover their weekend meals.”

This is the second consecutive year a Baltimore educator has received the Peterkin Award; Johnson was honored last year for his summer program leadership. Each winner receive an award and a check for $1,000.

The Peterkin Award is named for a long-time BELL board member and former director of the Urban Superintendents Program at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Winners are chosen based on BELL staff nominations, student assessments, parent and teacher surveys and data on the success of their programs. and Toni Braxton. However, in 2006, that all changed.

“I felt that I was being called to sing for God,” she said. “I told Him if you give me the songs, I will sing them. Since then, I committed to use my voice as an instrument through which God could reach people. This has been several years in the making.”

Moving forward as an inspirational singer, Naomi B desires to touch the lives of people from all walks of life. Thus far, the reception to her music has been tremendous. She recently wowed an audience of thousands during a performance at her home church in Baltimore -

Church of the Redeemed of the Lord. Her first album, “Break Free,” is scheduled for release at the end of the summer, and for her, that time cannot come soon enough.

“There is no greater feeling than when you are doing what you feel you have been put on this earth to do,” Naomi B said. “I am so overwhelmed and to hear the responses from people that I get about how my music encourages them and inspires them, there is no greater feeling.”

To hear more music from Naomi B, visit her official website at www.naomibmusic.com and www.reverbnation.com/naomibmusic.

B6

The Afro-American, April 4, 2015 - April 10, 2015

SPORTS

Should the Wizards Fire Randy Wittman?

AFRO Sports Desk Faceoff

and off the bench consistently hurt the team. Wittman is a good coach but even the best coaches of all time needed an abundance of toys to play with.

By Stephen D. Riley and Perry Green AFRO Sports Desk The Washington Wizards have floundered in the second half of the 2014-2015 NBA season and unless a magical postseason run happens, the campaign will be an average one.

Washington continues to fumble double-digit leads, collapse defensively and lose games that stronger teams win with ease.

Head coach Randy Wittman has done a good job of getting the Wizards’ play up to a competent level but major concerns still remain. Some fear that Wittman may have already lost the locker room after the coach walked off the court before the game ended in a home bout with the Indiana Pacers.

Washington soared as high as second place in the Eastern Conference in the first quarter of the season behind the Atlanta Hawks. Washington (41-32) is fresh off a 4-13 stretch but has looked much worse since jumping to a 19-6 start. With a 12-26 record since December, confidence and patience are starting to waver. Obviously the talent is there for Washington to be a solid team, but is the coach? Perry Green and Stephen D. Riley of the AFRO Sports Desk debate the issue Green: If you would have asked me this question two years ago, I would have told you emphatically that Wittman needs to go. I remember former Denver Nuggets head coach George Karl was on the market, too, and he would have made a great fit in Washington. But things have changed dramatically since then. Karl is no longer available. And, from what Wittman has done for the team and where he’s pulled them from since his coaching tenure started, he has done an admirable job. I remember when Washington was fresh off the Gilbert Arenas fiasco that rocked the franchise and shifted future plans. For the Wizards to be playing high level basketball again is still something worth bragging about despite their recent stretch of sour play. Although critics will point fingers at Wittman for falling off, the talent level of the team still continues to be a

‘Saga of Sam’ As I continue my journey through the life of Hall of Fame sportswriter Sam Lacy, I find myself taking nostalgic looks at my own life. I was visiting with my deceased cousin’s wife, Sheila and her brother, Doug when a topic popped out of the conversation. Doug had quite a colorful life which led him to a choice between the military or a visit to the house of slamming doors. However, his indiscretions were more on side of mischief than crime.

The story that prompted this memory took place when Doug was a young teen. After school he joined a huckster (vendor with a horse drawn wagon) and worked with him to make a little cash. After their day’s work, Doug was tasked with taking the horse back to the barn. Shirley and their older sister Amelia were often embarrassed when they emerged

Riley: Back-to-back playoff campaigns should definitely receive approval from supporters, but the fact of the matter is the Wizards franchise hasn’t made any serious noise in decades and they won’t as long as Wittman is running the ship.

For where the team is trying to go, they need a coach who can take them there, and Wittman just simply isn’t that. He’s a defensive-minded coach whose team struggles often on the offensive side of the ball. I agree that the Wizards could use some more talent, but they could also use a coach to attract better free agent prospects and a figurehead that the players can believe in. Wittman quit on the team when he left the court early. It’s only a matter of time before things get chaotic in D.C.

Wikimedia Commons

Head coach Randy Wittman has done a good job of getting the Wizards’ play up to a competent level but, major concerns still remain. work in progress. John Wall is a legitimate star, and Bradley Beal is a nice development piece, but holes in the front court

from school to the sight of Doug holding court from the back of this flea-bitten horse.

One of Sam’s escapades immediately came to mind. Sam had an after school job with a huckster with a horse. Sam kept the fruits and veggies rotated, and helped the customers with their selections. It was customary at the end of the day to return the wagon to a shed and take the horse to the barn.

This was the job of the huckster, and Sam would sometimes ride along on the back of the horse. Came the day when after putting the wagon away, the boss told Sam he had business elsewhere and Sam would have to return the horse. This was supposedly no big deal, but as soon as the horse realized that his rider was inexperienced, he broke into a full tilt gallop heading home. Sam described this as a white knuckle moment, and had to resist the urge to check his shorts to make sure all was well. The next encounter Sam had with horses was behind the rail at the race track.

As did quite a few of his stories, this story tickled my memory of an episode with a horse. During the summer I would go away to camp. A lot of kids would get homesick at this experience, but I took to it like a duck to water. I gained “junior counsellor” status and enjoyed some privileges other

Green: He had a weak moment, but all coaches do.

Wittman’s been coaching hard for the last few years and has gotten this team farther than most coaches would have. The team isn’t where they predicted themselves to be but all of that is not on the coach. The real person who should be in question is general manager Ernie Grunfeld. He hasn’t exactly made Wittman’s job easy. He drafted Otto Porter with a top-five pick, and that still hasn’t panned out to be a success. Grunfeld also let former Wizard Trevor Ariza walk, taking away one of Washington’s best “glue players.” And I don’t know what he was thinking when he traded away veteran point guard Andre Miller, one of the best backup floor generals in the NBA. These players were major contributors when Washington was at its best in recent history. Now they’re gone and the team is suffering. So, let’s be clear here: If we’re going to blame anyone for the Wizards’ demise, let’s make sure the buck stops at Grunfeld, not Witt.

campers could only envy. I was a junior lifeguard at the pool, a supervisor at the boating facility and a road guard (who insured the safety of campers crossing the road that ran through the middle of the camp). I even had a short stint as bugler. This turned out to be a nightmare, so I moved on.

The one thing I needed to round out my résumé was that of being a pony boy. We had a stable of ponies and a JC was assigned to each horse. Mouse (one of the pony boys) was feeling a little poorly and asked me if I would take his horse for the day. “Yes sir, buddy,” I enthusiastically replied.

I went to the stable with an ear-to-ear grin on my face.

As I was saddling the horse there was a clue staring me in the face which I either ignored or didn’t notice: the horse’s name was Dynamite. He had the name and the personality to match. We got along quite well for most of the morning, and then I decided to take a page from my favorite TV cowboy’s book. As I was about to mount the horse to take him to the next station, I grabbed the saddle horn and tried to do a swing up mount like they do in the movies. The horse sidestepped, and as I lay in the dirt gazing up, the horse was looking down at me as if to say, “What the hell is wrong with you?”

From that day on, I joined Sam at the rail at the track.

April 4, 2015 - April 10, 2015, The Afro-American

B7

Meet the Author Encourage Your Soul: It’s Not As Bad As It Seems

By Vel Humbert Vel Humbert grew up in Baltimore and has an earned master’s in rehabilitation counseling from Coppin State University. She’s working in the human services industry for 10 years.

The publication of her first book, Encourage Your Soul: It’s Not As Bad As It Seems, has allowed her to reach out to other Christians who may be experiencing difficult times. She loves sharing that staying focused is the key to getting through the “go throughs” of life. She maintains that there are times when we look to others to get us through when all we need to do is keep our faith in God, trust in His word and be confident in who we are in the Lord.

In her spare time, she enjoys crabbing, cooking on the grill getting together with her family. She mostly enjoys her two granddaughters who she adores.

What was the impetus for writing this book?

The book was inspired by God. It was written to help Christian believers understand that even in their darkest moments, God is always there.

What’s the overall theme?

How to encourage yourself.

What one thing do you most want the reader to learn?

As you are going through the rough times, know that you are not alone.

Stay focused on God, no matter what it looks like.

What did you learn during the writing process?

I was able to deal with some unresolved issues in my personal life.

Vel Humbert will sign copies of her book at a meet and greet, 6 p.m., May 20 at the Northwood, 4420 Loch Raven Blvd. @ Cold Spring Lane in Baltimore.

Books can be purchased at Amazon, Barnes & Noble.com, westbowpress.com.

Vel Humbert is the author of ‘Encourage Your Soul: It’s Not As Bad As It Seems.’

Baltimore Dance Students to Perform at Cherry Blossom Festival Parade

By Lisa Snowden-McCray Special to the AFRO When this year’s National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade winds its way down Constitution Avenue in Washington D.C. on April 11, some of Baltimore’s best dancers will be there.

They will have learned their craft from Flair Studio of Dance and Modeling, the over 40-year-old dance

children will never see. It’s an exposure.”

Flair’s students have been performing in the parade for the past four years.

They receive a video of the choreography and then teach it to the dancers who will be performing it.

The parade is not their only big-time gig, either.

Travis said they are often asked to perform all over the country, and have even

Courtesy photo

Andrea Travis of Flair Studio of Dance & Modeling and etiquette school in Catonsville.

The Flair students will join hundreds of dancers from all over the country to perform in the parade. The event helps welcome spring to the area and highlights the cherry trees gifted to the United States from Japan as a mark of friendship.

Andrea Travis helps run the Flair along with her mother Willia Bland, who is the school’s founder. Travis said it is a horizon-expanding experience for the school’s young people.

“They are meeting students from as far away as Alaska and Hawaii,” she said.

“It broadens their horizon.

It’s just that simple. They see things they’ve never seen before, may never see again.

They see things that other

performed in the Miss America parade.

The school has come a long way from where it started, when Travis’ mother and a friend founded Flair in 1968 in the friend’s living room.

“On Harlem Avenue, on the 2500 block,” she said.

The friend was a professional model and Willia Bland was a commentator, fashion consultant and beauty queen. At first, they specialized in things like etiquette and poise. They added dance several years later.

Travis said she was eight or nine-years old when the two women started. She didn’t take classes herself, but that doesn’t mean she missed out on a proper education in etiquette.

“My classes were daily with my mother. That was the perk of being her daughter,” she said. “She actually had me teaching when I was about 15, 16. I was actually teaching teenagers and adults her program.”

Their studio was at Mondawmin Mall for 16 years before they moved to

nationalcherryblossomfestival.org

This year’s National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade winds its way down Constitution Avenue in Washington D.C. on April 11.

their Catonsville location.

Travis said they were known for the fashion shows they would put on there.

Travis said they have had many girls go on to great success after being trained

at Flair. Her own daughter, Willia-Noel Montague who attended the Baltimore School of the Arts before dancing all over the world. She spent 10 years performing in the Lion King on Broadway before

returning back to Maryland recently to help run Flair with her mother and grandmother.

“Noel had it in her spirit that she wanted to be a dancer. We kept supporting her,” Travis said.

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CITY OF BALTIMORE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 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 BALTIMORE CITY NO.TR15014; RESURFACING HIGHWAYS SOUTHEAST SECTOR IV will be received at the Office of the Comptroller, Room 204 City Hall, Baltimore, Maryland until 11:00 A.M April 22, 2015. 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 March 27, 2015 and copies may be purchased for a non-refundable cost of $75.00. 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 Room 634, Charles L. Benton Bldg., 417 E. Fayette St., 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 A02602 Bituminous Concrete Paving and D02620 Curbs, Gutters, & Sidewalks. Cost Qualification Range for this work shall be $1,000,000.00 to $3,000,000.00. A ”Pre-Bidding Information” session will be conducted at 10:00 A.M. onApril 10, 2015 at 417 East Fayette Street, Room 724, Baltimore, Maryland 21202. Principal Items of work for this project are Removal of HMA 0-3” 54,360 SY and Hot Mix Asphalt Superpave Surface Various Types 7,900 TON. The MBE goal is 21%; WBE goal is 7% APPROVED: Bernice H. Taylor, Clerk Board of Estimates TYPESET: Wed Mar 25 13:23:58 EDT 2015 CITY OF BALTIMORE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 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 BALTIMORE CITY NO.TR15013; RESURFACING HIGHWAYS AT VARIOUS LOCATIONS SOUTHWEST SECTOR III will be received at the Office of the Comptroller, Room 204 City Hall, Baltimore, Maryland until 11:00 A.M. April 15, 2015. 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 March 20, 2015 and copies may be purchased for a nonrefundable cost of $75.00. 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 3000 Druid Park Drive, Baltimore, Maryland 21215. 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 A02602 - Bituminous Concrete Paving and D02620 Curbs, Gutters & Sidewalk. Cost Qualification Range for this work shall be $1,000,000.00 to $3,000,000.00. A ?Pre-Bidding Information? session will be conducted at 10:00 A.M. on April 1, 2015 at 417 East Fayette Street, Room 724, Baltimore, Maryland 21202. Principal Items of work for this project are -HMA Superpave 12.5 mm PG64S-22 for Surface Level-2 5,970 TON and Paving Removal - Bituminous Material 0” to 3” depth 40,957 S.Y. The MBE goal is 20%; WBE goal is 7% APPROVED: Bernice H. Taylor, Clerk TYPESET: Wed Apr 01 12:48:28 EDT 2015 Board of Estimates

HOUSING AUTHORITY OF BALTIMORE CITY REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS PROFESSIONAL SERVICES TO UPDATE AND COMPLETE PHYSICAL NEEDS ASSESSMENTS AND ENERGY AUDITS FOR HABC’S PUBLIC AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS RFP NUMBER: B-1787-15 / HAE-2745 The Housing Authority of Baltimore City (”HABC”) requests proposals from qualified firms to provide professional services to complete and update, as necessary, a comprehensive green physical needs assessment and energy audit in a form and manner prescribed by HUD that incorporates the life-cycle repair and replacement costs of project systems and components for a 20 year period, for each public and affordable housing development in its inventory.

PROPOSALS WILL BE DUE no later than 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Monday, May 11, 2015.

A non-mandatory pre-proposal conference will be held on Tuesday, April 21, 2015 at 10:00 a.m. in the Charles L. Benton Building, 417 E. Fayette Street, Room 416, Baltimore, Maryland, 21202.

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TYPESET: Wed Mar 25 13:24:18 2015 LEGAL EDT NOTICES

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 businesses proposing to provide the requested services as the prime contractor. No threshold has been established for participation of Womenowned 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 RFP and all supporting documents may be examined and obtained on or after Monday, April 13, 2015, at 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) 396-3261Fax: (410) 962-1586 Questions regarding the RFP should be directed in writing to the address and individual indicated above, and must include the reference: HABC RFP Number B-1787-15 TYPESET: Wed Apr/ HAE-2745.

01 12:48:49 EDT 2015 CITY OF BALTIMORE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 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 BALTIMORE CITY NO. TR15018; CONDUIT SYSTEM NEW CONSTRUCTION AT VARIOUS LOCATIONS CITYWIDE (JOC) will be received at the Office of the Comptroller, Room 204 City Hall, Baltimore, Maryland until 11:00 A.M. May 13, 2015. 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 April 6, 2015 and copies may be purchased for a non-refundable cost of $75.00. 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 3000 Druid Park Drive, 1st Floor, Baltimore, Maryland 21215.

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 B02553 (Duct Line Construction). Cost Qualification Range for this work shall be $1,000,000.00 to $2,000,000.00. A ”PreBidding Information” session will be conducted at 10:00 A.M. on April 17, 2015 at 417 East Fayette Street, Room 724, Baltimore, Maryland 21202.

Principal Items of work for this project are Concrete Encased Ducts 3,100 LF +/-, Cast in Place Electrical Manholes 40 CY, and Precast Line and Junction Manholes 4 EA. The MBE goal is 9%; WBE goal is 2%APPROVED: Bernice H. Taylor, Clerk Board of Estimates

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BALTIMORE AFRO-AMERICAN NEWSPAPER Legal Advertising Rates Effective October 1, 2008 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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To place your ad, call 1-800-237-6892, ext. 262, Public Notices $50.00 & up depending on size, Baltimore Legal Notices are $24.84 per inch.

1-800 (AFRO) 892 For Proof of Publication, please call 1-800-237-6892, ext. 244 TYPESET: Wed Apr 01 12:51:00 EDT 2015

LEGAL NOTICES

City of Baltimore Department of Finance Bureau of Purchases Sealed proposals addressed to the Board of Estimates of Baltimore will be received until, but not later than 11:00a.m. local time on the following date(s) for the stated requirements: April 15, 2015 *BALTIMORE CONVENTION CENTER REMOVAL AND REINSTALLATION OF PAVERS B50004007 April 29, 2015 *INTERIOR/EXTERIOR DOOR INSTALLATION AND REPAIR B50003976 THE ENTIRE SOLICITATION DOCUMENT CAN BE VIEWED AND DOWN LOADED BY VISITING THE CITY’S WEB SITE: www.baltimorecitibuy.org

To advertise in the AFRO Call 410-554-8200

afro.com • Your History • Your Community • Your News

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April 4, 2015 - April 10, 2015, The Afro-American LEGAL NOTICES

ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS Water System Improvements, Contract WTP-15-01 Sealed bids for the construction of Water System Improvements for the Town of St. Michaels under Contract WTP-15-01, will be received by 2:00 p.m. local time, on April 29, 2015 at the Town’s offices, located at 300 Mill Street St. Michaels Maryland, and then at said office publicly opened and read aloud.

The project generally comprises water treatment plant upgrades to two (2) water treatment plants, masonry building, water mains, electrical controls and related equipment, and site work.

The CONTRACT DOCUMENTS may be examined at the following locations: St. Michaels Town Office 300 Mill Street St Michaels, Maryland 21663 AECOM Sabre Building 4051 Ogletown Road, Suite 300 Newark, DE 19713 Copies of the Bidding Documents (Project Manual and Drawings) may be purchased at the Engineer's office (Issuing Office) as paper copies or as electronic files on compact disc for $125.00. The costs for Bidding Documents are non-refundable. There will be an additional $30.00 fee if you wish to have the Bidding Documents mailed. Copies will not be sent electronically. Checks should be made payable to AECOM. This project will be funded with State of Maryland Water Supply Grant and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) loan and comply with Federal requirements including most current Davis Bacon Wage Rates (see Maryland Water Quality Revolving Loan insert dated January 21, 2015). If the town decides to not apply for DWSRF loan, the State requirements including most current Prevailing Wage Rates will therefore apply (see attached State Grant insert, January 2015).

Bidders shall request materials and/or equipment to be recognized as “or equal” 15 days before bid opening. If there are questions about the Bidding Documents (Project Manual and Drawings), please contact the Engineer.

A pre-bid meeting will be held on April 9, 2015 at 10:00 AM at the Town’s offices. A tour of the sites will follow. Bidders are encouraged to attend.

The Town reserves the right to waive any informalities and to reject any or all bids. All bids must be accompanied by a bid bond or certified check in the amount of a least 5% of the base bid total payable to the, Town of St. Michaels, MD.

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The Afro-American, April 4, 2015 - April 10, 2015

HBCU NEWS

Tiger Woods’ gift launches a new UMES golf management scholarship fund Tiger Woods is the first individual donor to a new University of Maryland Eastern Shore scholarship fund that will honor the memory of Dr. Charlie Sifford, the late professional golfer.

Woods is joining with the university to pay tribute to the man who broke the color barrier on the PGA Tour in the early 1960s.

Woods’ personal gift of $10,000 will launch the Sifford Fund, which UMES is creating to “provide need-based scholarships to Tiger Woods highly talented students who demonstrate a passion for the game of golf … and who are from populations underrepresented in the golf industry.”

UMES is the nation’s lone historically black university that offers a bachelor’s degree in professional golf management accredited by the PGA of America.

“The University of Maryland Eastern Shore is honored to accept this generous gift from Tiger Woods to support our professional golf management program and to partner with us in acknowledging Dr. Sifford’s role as a sports pioneer,” UMES President Juliette B. Bell said.

Sifford died Feb. 3 at the age of 92, a passing that

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prompted the golf and sports worlds to pause and reflect on what he accomplished.

Many looked to Woods, who called Sifford “the grandpa I never had.”

“Without Charlie Sifford, and the other pioneers who fought to play, I may not be playing golf,” Woods said. “My Pop may not have picked up the game, and maybe I wouldn’t have either.”

UMES paid tribute to Sifford with a Capitol Hill reception Nov. 24, the day he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama in a White House ceremony.

Sifford joined Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus as the only golfers to receive the nation’s highest civilian honor.

Sifford and his extended family expressed delight that evening in meeting UMES students, many of them African-Americans, pursuing careers in the golf industry.

Billy Dillon, UMES golf management program director, said the feeling was mutual among his students.

“It was a special moment for a lot of them,” Dillon said. “Some knew about what Mr. Sifford accomplished, and when others learned why he was being recognized, I think they realized the importance of the moment.”

Back in the limelight just weeks before his passing refocused attention on Sifford’s difficult journey as a 20th century athlete of color attempting to play a sport professionally that was segregated.

Encouraged by the turnout at its tribute reception for Sifford, UMES immediately began exploring ways it might “honor the life and legacy of Dr. Sifford, and further his aspirations for the sport that he loved.”

In Sifford’s autobiography, “Just Let Me Play,” he wrote: “I want golf to reach out to people from all walks of life and to be the sport that puts itself above issues of race and class and economic levels,” Sifford wrote. “We should give everybody equal access to the game, with equal facilities to play and we should give them the same opportunities to pursue the game throughout their lives.”

Using Sifford’s words as inspiration and its distinctive platform, UMES is not only preparing diverse leaders for careers in the golf profession, but is also expanding involvement in golf among populations currently underrepresented in the industry, including women and minorities.

UMES’ professional golf management program currently enrolls 44 students, more than half of whom are women and minorities. Upon graduation, they will be positioned for careers in recreational or competitive golf, business, marketing, media and hospitality.

On Woods’s Twitter account after learning of Sifford’s death, Woods wrote: “We all lost a brave, decent and honorable man. I’ll miss (you) Charlie.”

UMES names new Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management Dr. D. Jason DeSousa is the University of Maryland Eastern Shore’s next Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management.

DeSousa’s first day at UMES will be April 20.

He currently works at Fayetteville (N.C.) State University, where he has been assistant vice chancellor for student retention since January 2012.

“Dr. DeSousa is the right person at the right time to fill this important leadership post at UMES,” President Juliette B. Bell said. “I know our campus community will make him feel welcome.”

“He brings a wealth of experience and success in the challenging field of college enrollment, and I am confident he will help us achieve our goals in that critical area,” Bell said.

A 1987 Morgan State University graduate, DeSousa’s twodecade career in higher education has included administrator positions at his alma mater as well as Tuskegee University, Alabama State University, Savannah State University, HustonTillotson University in Texas and Clark Atlanta University.

“UMES is known as the kind of institution genuinely concerned about providing an educational experience that is compelling, innovative and transformative,” he said. “And that approach is very exciting to me.”

DeSousa holds a master’s degree in college student personnel from Bowling Green State University in Ohio and a doctorate in higher education administration from Indiana University, where he was a Ford Foundation Fellow.

He has brought in some $3 million in grants to institutions where he has worked to support projects focusing on “student retention, student leadership and enriching educational

experiences,” including a $1 million award from the North Carolina GlaxoSmithKline Foundation announced just last month.

That grant will support a program that provides learning resources, tutoring and mentors targeting students capable of doing college work but who are Dr. D. Jason DeSousa struggling to keep pace with classmates.

He has testified before a U.S. Senate committee in May 2014 on “Strengthening Minority Serving Institutions,” and shared his expertise with the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities on strategies to attract more minority men to those institutions and keep them motivated to graduate.

Inspire magazine in 2013 named DeSousa one on its “Top 40 Inspirers” and Morgan State honored him with its 2003 Distinguished Male alumnus award. He is also a former president of the National Association of Student Affairs Professionals.

DeSousa says he envisions UMES aggressively using cuttingedge technology to bolster traditional recruiting methods as well as enlisting outgoing students to work alongside admissions counselors to help “sell” the university as “the right choice.”

“I see my role as being the person responsible for ensuring campus life is robust, interesting and that students have access to a spectrum of co-curricular experiences that enriches their time at UMES,” DeSousa said.

And when UMES plays his alma mater, Morgan State, in basketball, who will he root for?

“I’ll be sitting at half court,” DeSousa diplomatically said with a laugh.