Baltimore Afro American Newspaper April 25 2015

www.afro.com

Volume 123 No. 38

A1 $1.00

April 25, 2015 - April 25, 2015, The Afro-American

APRIL 25, 2015 - MAY 1, 2015

Justice Dept. Opens Inquiry into Death of Freddie Gray

By Roberto Alejandro Special to the AFRO The U.S. Department of Justice has opened up an investigation into the death of Freddie Carlos Gray, the Sandtown-Winchester man who suffered a broken neck while in police custody on April 12, and died one week later on April 19.

After news broke that the Justice Department would be investigating the death to see whether Baltimore police violated Gray’s civil rights on April 21—one day after the Baltimore Police Department named and suspended (with pay) six of the officers involved in Freddie Gray’s death—Baltimore City Mayor

Join the more than 435, 000 Facebook fans who follow the AFRO, the Black newspaper with the largest digital reach in the country.

INSERT • Walmart

Listen to “First Edition”

afro.com

Your History • Your Community • Your News

Join Host Sean Yoes Monday-Friday 5-7 p.m. on 88.9 WEAA FM, the Voice of the Community.

Join the AFRO on Twitter and Facebook

Stephanie Rawlings-Blake issued the following statement in a press release.

“From the outset of our investigation, I have repeatedly affirmed my support for an outside review into the death of Mr Gray.

Whenever a police force conducts an internal investigation, there are always appropriate questions of transparency and impartiality.

My goal has always been to get answers to the questions so many of us are still asking with regards to Mr. Gray’s death. Any effort that adds additional transparency and builds community trust in this process is welcomed. This outside review will assist us in getting to the bottom of what happened to Mr. Gray in the most objective and transparent way possible,”

read the release.

The Justice Department’s announcement comes at a time when the mayor is facing heavy criticism related to her handling of policing related issues in Baltimore, as well as other issues affecting many of Baltimore’s poor Black residents, such as the city’s decision to move forward with the water shut-offs of over 22,000 delinquent residential accounts.

Less than a week before the Justice Department’s announcement, its office of Community Oriented Policing Services held a public forum at Coppin State University on April 16 as part of a collaborative review of the Baltimore Police Department’s community policing strategies. At the forum, designed to give the office a

sense of how the community perceived the Baltimore police, many persons singled out the mayor for criticism.

“We want this mayor out of office,” said Leo Burroughs, chair of Baltimore’s Committee of Concerned Citizens, at the forum to roaring approval from the crowd, “because she’s the face, and she’s not doing her job to represent our interests.”

At a protest on April 20 in front of City Hall, Elder CD Witherspoon, president of the Baltimore City chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Coalition, criticized the mayor for failing to fire the officers involved in the death of Gray, contrasting her to the White male mayor Witherspoon says fired Officer Michael Slager for the killing of Walter Scott in South Carolina.

Witherspoon’s critique speaks to a broader frustration with RawlingsBlake, commonly expressed Continued on A4

Family Members Share Stories At National Action Network Convention

By Corinne Hollis Special to the AFRO Walter Scott, of South Caroline, was shot and killed April 4, but the video detailing his murder didn’t go viral until days before the National Action Network’s (NAN) 17th annual convention, held April 8-11 in New York City. Widespread Continued on A4

Courtesy Amsterdam News

The Rev. Al Sharpton and Lesley McSpadden, the mother of police shooting victim Michael Brown, at the 16th National Action Network’s (NAN) annual national convention.

Loretta Lynch Set for Senate Floor Vote

By James Wright Special to the AFRO The vote on the nomination of Loretta Lynch as the U.S. attorney general took a huge leap forward on April 21, when U.S. Senate leaders agreed to terms on an anti-human trafficking bill.

The bill, “The Justice for Victims of Trafficking,” had abortion restrictions that the Democrats thought were unacceptable but those issues were resolved when a compromise, negotiated by Sens. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and John Cornyn (R-Texas), was reached.

The anti-trafficking bill had nothing to do with the Lynch nomination but Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said several weeks ago that her confirmation process won’t move forward until there was an agreement on the legislation. Lynch, who would be the first Black woman to be the nation’s chief law enforcement officer, has had to wait more than five months-a record-

for a Senate floor vote on that position.

McConnell said that her process will proceed.

“As soon as we finish the trafficking bill, as I’ve indicated for some time now, we’ll move to the president’s nominee for attorney general-hopefully in the next day or so,” the senator said.

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) concurred with McConnell.

“So let’s get rid of this quickly,” Reid said.

“Let’s get Loretta Lynch confirmed quickly and move on to other matters.”

President Obama, who selected Lynch to -Sen. Harry Reid replace U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder late last year, chastised the Senate for the holdup.

“Enough. Enough,” Obama said on April 17. “Call Loretta Lynch for a vote, get her confirmed, put her in place, let her do her job. This is embarrassing.”

“Let’s get Loretta Lynch confirmed quickly and move on to other matters.”

Demonstrators Demand Halt to Water Shut-Offs

By Roberto Alejandro Special to the AFRO City officials attempted to preempt a demonstration on April 16 against the city’s practice of turning off water to residential customers who have fallen behind on their bills, holding a press conference to highlight assistance programs for vulnerable residents and arguing the city’s shutoff policy is simply designed to target those who can pay what they owe but choose not to.

“Our focus is not as [the demonstrators] portray, as [though] we are going after the little citizens that don’t have enough money to pay and all that, that’s what the assistance program is there [for], to help them, and [the Department of Public Works is] very confident we have those programs,” said Rudy Chow, director of the Department of Public works during a press conference held on short notice at City Hall a half hour

before a scheduled demonstration against the city’s policy to turn off water service was to be held. “But these turn-offs are really targeting those that . . . can afford to pay but choose not to pay.”

Chow argued that it is not fair for paying customers to subsidize those who refuse to do so, and said that the city provides multiple notices to delinquent account holders, as well as financial assistance grants and other forms of aid to help vulnerable residents remain current on their accounts or pay off past due bills in manageable installments.

Shortly after the press conference, the One Baltimore United coalition began its scheduled demonstration over the city’s residential water shutoff policy, strategically positioned in front of a number of gushing water fountains that adorn the War Memorial Plaza outside City Hall.

“Access to water is a bare

Continued on A4

Annapolis Wrap-up: Bills that Survived the 2015 Legislative Session

By Roberto Alejandro Special to the AFRO The recently concluded 2015 legislative session was notable both for the bills that passed (expanded felon voting rights, the Maryland Second Chance Act) and those that did not (law enforcement officers bill of rights reform).

The AFRO has covered many of these bills over the course of these past three months, but below are some of the other bills with direct relevance to Baltimore City that made it out of the General Assembly this session and are heading to Gov. Larry Hogan’s desk to await his signature (or veto).

Law Enforcement Reforms

While the 2015 legislative session was not particularly friendly to attempts to reform law enforcement practices in Maryland, two smaller measures sponsored

by Del. Jill Carter (D-Baltimore City) did manage to pass the General Assembly.

House Bill 339 will require the Maryland State Police to continue reporting demographic and other data related to traffic stops as a means to ensure that the agency is not engaged in racially disparate traffic enforcement.

House Bill 771 will require the Baltimore Police Department to report certain information annually to the mayor and city council, as well as to the Baltimore

Continued on A6

Copyright © 2015 by the Afro-American Company

Continued on A6

A2

The Afro-American, April 25, 2015 - May 1, 2015

NATION & WORLD

Hamline University, an institution that values social justice, equity, inclusion, and civic engagement through its servicelearning opportunities for students, curriculum offerings, and innocence initiative,” Miller said in a statement. “I am looking forward to working together with board members, students, faculty, staff, and the community in enhancing Hamline University’s strong commitment to high academic standards and developing students who understand and appreciate their

Minn. Man Charged With Murder of 10-Year-Old Son

A Minnesota man faces a murder charge in the death of his 10-year-old son, according to reports.

Pierre Collins of Crystal, Minn. was charged April 14 with second-degree murder in connection with the death of 10-yearold Barway Collins.

Barway Collins had been missing since March 18. His body was found floating in the Mississippi River on April 11 by a volunteer searcher.

Your History • Your Community • Your News

The Afro-American Newspapers

Baltimore Office • Corporate Headquarters 2519 N. Charles Street Baltimore, Maryland 21218-4602 410-554-8200 • Fax: 1-877-570-9297 www.afro.com Founded by John Henry Murphy Sr., August 13, 1892 Washington Publisher Emerita - Frances L. Murphy II Chairman of the Board/Publisher - John J. Oliver, Jr. President - Benjamin M. Phillips IV Executive Assistant - Sallie Brown - 410-554-8222 Receptionist - Wanda Pearson - 410-554-8200 Director of Advertising Lenora Howze - 410-554-8271 - lhowze@afro.com Baltimore Advertising Manager Robert Blount - 410-554-8246 - rblount@afro.com Director of Finance - Jack Leister - 410-554-8242 Archivist - Ja-Zette Marshburn - 410-554-8265 Director, Community & Public Relations Diane W. Hocker - 410-554-8243 Editorial Editor - Dorothy Boulware News Editor - Gregory Dale Washington D.C. Editor - LaTrina Antoine Production Department - 410-554-8288 Baltimore Circulation/Distribution Manager Sammy Graham - 410-554-8266

Washington Office 1917 Benning Road, N.E. Washington, D.C. 20002-4723 202-332-0080 • Fax: 1-877-570-9297 General Manager Washington Circulation/Distribution Manager Edgar Brookins - 202-332-0080, ext. 106 Director of Advertising Lenora Howze - ext. 119 - lhowze@afro.com Business Solutions Consultant Elaine Fuller - ext. 115 - efuller@afro.com Advertising Account Executive Vetta Ridgeway - ext. 1104 - vridgeway@afro.com Office Administrator - Mia Hayes-Hawkins - ext. 100

Customer Service, Home Delivery and Subscriptions: 410-554-8234 • Customer Service@afro.com Billing Inquiries: 410-554-8226 Nights and Weekends: 410-554-8282

AP and Courtesy Photos

The father Pierre Collins (left), and his son 10-year-old Barway Collins.

A video showed the youth exiting his school bus and entering an apartment with his uncle and father, according to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. The newspaper reported that Collins had taken out two insurance policies on his son’s life, and that his family faced severe financial difficulties.

“I work with the law enforcement,” Pierre Collins told Minneapolis CBS affiliate WCCO at the time of his son’s disappearance. “I bend my back from the day my son went missing. I gave them my car, I gave them my home computer, I gave them my iPad, I gave them my cell phone.”

That cell phone, as it turned out, helped provide police with key evidence.

“We have electronic evidence that Pierre Collins was in the immediate vicinity of where Barway’s body was found at the time of his disappearance,” Crystal, Minn. Police Chief Stephanie Revering said in a statement.

Collins has maintained his innocence; he is being held in Hennepin County jail on $2 million bail. An autopsy is scheduled to provide additional information on the cause of the boy’s death.

“I feel really sad right now,” Pastor Harding Smith, a spokesperson for the Collins family, told NewsOne. “Really sad.”

Courtesy Photo

Fayneese Miller will begin her term as the 20th President of Hamline University on July 1. role as members of a civil society.”

Before taking on her professional role at the University of Vermont, Miller was at Brown University. She served at Brown University for 10 years, and became the first nativeborn African American woman to be given tenure as an associate professor.

Miller is a graduate of Hampton University in Virginia where she majored in psychology. She earned her master’s degree and Ph.D in experimental psychology from Texas Christian University. As a social psychologist, Miller specializes in the psychosocial development of adolescents.

Music Stars Gather for Gospel Performance at White House

Fayneese Miller Named First Black President of Minnesota’s Hamline University

A landmark will occur on July 1 when Fayneese Miller begins her term as the 20th president of Hamline University, in St. Paul, Minn. Miller is the first African American and second woman to ever be appointed to the position by the university’s board of trustees.

Currently, Miller serves as the dean of the College of Education and Social Services at the University of Vermont, where she is charged with developing both graduate and undergraduate curriculum, fund development, budget management, professional development of faculty and more.

She is also a professor of leadership and developmental sciences at the school.

“I am honored to be selected as the 20th president of

Official White House Photo by Amanda Lucidon

Shirley Caesar and the Morgan State University Choir perform during “The Gospel Tradition: In Performance at the White House” in the East Room of the White House, April 14, 2015.

Musical heavy-hitters were “In Performance at the White House” as part of a celebration of gospel music on April 14.

Pastor Shirley Caesar, Darlene Love, Rhiannon Giddens, Rance Allen, Emmylou Harris, Rodney Crowell, Tamela Mann, Lyle Lovett and the Morgan State University Choir were among the performers who participated in the latest of a series of concerts in the White House’s East Room.

“Tonight, we continue one of my favorite traditions here at the White House by celebrating the music that has helped to shape our nation,” President Barack Obama said in remarks at the event. “Over the years, we’ve had the quintessential sounds of America fill this room, from jazz to Motown, to blues, to country. So it is fitting that, tonight, we honor the music that influenced all those genres—gospel.”

Earlier that day, Michelle Obama and some of the gospel artists addressed students during a workshop on the history of gospel music that was arranged by the White House along with the Grammy Museum.

The first lady said she was “thrilled” that they were finally focusing on gospel, citing the important role it has played in U.S. history.

“It really has—from the spirituals sung by slaves to the anthems that became the soundtrack of the Civil Rights Movement, and to the hymns that millions of Americans sing every single day in churches all across the country,” she said.

Obama said that, beyond its historical importance, gospel music has personal significance for her and many around the world. Gospel was her introduction to music and is what “fuels my love of music, in general,” she said.

“And I know that for many folks across the country and around the world, there’s nothing like hearing a choir sing an old gospel classic. When you hear that music, it gets your feet tapping and your heart pumping,” she said. “It’s what helps connect us to God, to that Higher Power.”

“And for so many, when times are dark and when you’re struggling, gospel music is that ray of hope and it gives you that strength,” she added.

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

April 25, 2015 - May 1, 2015, The Afro-American

A3

HEALTH Catching Zzzzs for Optimum Health and the busiest bedtime routines, resulting in fewer sleep hours, more frequent interruptions in sleep, and the need for occasional medications to help produce sound sleep. Several neurologists spoke exclusively with the AFRO to discuss the importance of sleep and ways to get the necessary amount of sleep for good brain and body health.

Marian Emr, of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, said that sleep deprivation may be less about race than living in urban areas where people are driven to put a premium on work, play, and entertainment, but little on sleep.

“The amount of sleep you get, the amount of water you drink and the amount of food (nutrients) in the body all have a strong impact on the health of your brain. We’re starting to see where blood pressure is impacted negatively by lack of sleep, and also that chronic high blood pressure is leading to memory loss. Sleep is vital to controlling blood pressure and overall brain health,” Emr said.

Chandra Jackson, postdoctoral research fellow at Harvard School of Public Health, said, “With increasing numbers of Blacks entering professional and management roles in numerous industries, it is important to investigate and address the social factors contributing to short sleep disparities in Blacks, compared with Whites in general, and particularly in professional settings,” said Jack¬son.

Robert Cowan, Director of Neurology and Neurological Science at Stanford University Medical Center, said that in addition to impacting performance and memory, lack of sleep impedes the body’s natural ability to heal itself and contributes to chronic pain. “People really do get mood variability when they do not get enough sleep, but by exposing patients to preventative care and helping them understand the importance of quality sleep, keeps health concerns from becoming chronic. Diet, daily exercise, water intake and sleep are lifestyle changes that make a difference in overall brain health,” said Cowan.

Photo by Shantella Y. Sherman

Connie Womack and her daughter Najwa get a lesson in sleep, memory, and blood pressure from one of the thousands of neurologists providing volunteer tutorials and demonstrations during the Brain Health Fair.

By Shantella Y. Sherman Special to the AFRO Most adults have heard the adage: “Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise,” but many African Americans continue to burn the midnight oil and often to the detriment of their health. Neurologists are finding new correlations between a host of chronic conditions – including diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease – and the body’s inability to heal itself due to lack of proper sleep. Lack of sleep can also alter memory, cause accidents, cause weight gain, and impact mood stability.

The American Academy of Neurology recently kicked off its annual convention with a daylong Brain Health Fair highlighting new advances in treating brain ailments and offering free health screenings and consults with neurologists to the public.

According to a National Sleep Foundation study, Blacks reported the least amount of sleep

Sleep Repair: Tips to Better Sleep Hygiene

By Shantella Y. Sherman Special to the AFRO Pediatric neurologist Raquel Bernier offered {AFRO} readers a number of ways to improve sleep hygiene in children that transition well into adulthood and ward off chronic illness. Good sleep hygiene requires a commitment to getting both a consistent number of hours’ rest and maintaining a regular sleep schedule.

“Routines are necessary for young people and anything that is mentally stimulating should be shut off an hour or two before bedtime to allow your child’s mind and body a chance to relax. We should think of the bedroom as a space for quiet and sleep, only,” Bernier said.

Bernier recommends regulating room temperature and in cases where a bedroom is shared by more than one child who have different bedtimes, consider staggering bedtimes to ensure that one person does not keep the other from falling asleep.

Additionally, the Mayo Clinic offers the following: • Cut out the caffeine at least six hours before bedtime • Be easy on the liquor before bed – it will wake you up in the morning • Rest before bedtime in to attempt to reduce your stress level • Keep your bedroom dark and comfortable • Try not to go to bed hungry, but avoid heavy meals before bedtime.

• Don’t let pets sleep in the bed with you –they may be the reason behind why you keep waking up.

• No television-watching, eating or talking about major issues – the bed is for sleep and sex only.

• Limit daytime naps to between 10 and 30 minutes • Include exercise in daily activities.

An attendee participates in one of the Health Fair’s brain activities.

A2 A4

The Afro-American, Afro-American, April April 25, 25, 2015 2015 -- May April1, 25, 2015 2015

Friends Remember Freddie Gray as ‘the Life of the Neighborhood’

By Roberto Alejandro Special to the AFRO “He was the life of the neighborhood,” said William Stewart outside the Baltimore Police headquarters as a protest over the incustody killing of his life-long friend Freddie Carlos Gray was drawing to a close on April 20.

Freddie Carlos Gray, whose age had been misreported in media accounts (Gray was 25 at the time of his death, not 27 as initially reported, according to friends), died on April 19, one week after an arrest by Baltimore Police near his home in West Baltimore left Gray with a broken neck and in critical condition. Gray is remembered by friends who grew up with him in the Gilmore Homes housing project as someone who was always laughing, brightening the day of those around him.

“He was a good kid, a loving kid,” said Stewart, who says he has known Gray for over 20 years. “He was the type of person, say you were coming out of your house and you’d had a bad day. You’d see him, he would light your day up because he was always laughing, smiling, playing, trying to make everybody feel up.”

“If you knew Freddie, there was never no down-side,” said David Reid, who says he has known Gray for almost 26 years (according to Stewart, Gray would have been 26 in August).

“He was a laugh, joke type of person. I mean if he’s not rapping a song, he’s dancing to it.

If he’s not telling a joke, he’s taking a joke. If he’s not throwing a play punch, he’s catching a play punch. It was all love.”

Davon Johnson also grew up with Gray, and says the two played Pop Warner Football

Freddie Gray Continued from A1

throughout Baltimore City, that she seems more concerned with serving wealthier, and generally Whiter interests in places like the Inner Harbor than the poor Black residents who constitute so much of Baltimore. The critique of Rawlings-Blake’s failure to fire any of the officers involved, however, ignores that the mayor does not have hiring and firing authority over any officer in the department, which is a state agency under Maryland law.

Further, it fails to acknowledge that Maryland’s law enforcement officers bill of rights (LEOBR), which David Rocah, senior staff attorney for the ACLU Maryland, has called one of the most extreme in the country, protects officers from such immediate firings under these

Photo by Roberto Alejandro

From Left, Troy Kernes, Davon Johnson, William Stewart, Adrian Muldrow (vice president Baltimore City NAACP), and David Reid. Johnson, Stewart, and Reid grew up with Freddie Gray in West Baltimore’s Gilmore Homes and remember Gray as “the life of the neighborhood.” together as kids.

“Every time you saw him, the man always had a smile on his face,” said Johnson. “He wouldn’t hurt a fly. And that just kills me to see how the police just did that man like that.

He didn’t deserve that, because there’s some cruddy guys in the world, but Freddie wasn’t one of them. He was loved by everybody.”

At a moment when ‘Black lives matter’ has become something of a national refrain, Gray’s friends expressed pain at the callous fact that the media had not even managed to learn and report basic facts about Gray (like

circumstances (and is the reason that the six officers involved in the death of Gray who are currently suspended are serving those suspensions with pay).

Rawlings-Blake did submit legislation (House Bill 363) to the Maryland General Assembly to reform aspects of the LEOBR for the 2015 legislative session, and though she testified in favor of the bill, it faced a generally hostile state legislature that ensured RawlingsBlake’s efforts went nowhere (not to mention other attempts to reform the LEOBR this session, most notably Del. Jill Carter’s House Bill 968).

While reform of the LEOBR would not necessarily have prevented the death of Gray, the mayor’s effort to amend the law, in particular (and to the extent it had any chance in Maryland’s legislature anyways), was undermined by

the failure of Baltimore Police Commissioner Anthony Batts to testify in favor of House Bill 363, which would have given the commissioner broader powers to discipline officers for misconduct.

Rawlings-Blake has said publicly that Batts’s not testifying was simply a matter of the legislative strategy adopted by her administration as they prepared for the 2015 legislative session in Annapolis. But back on March 12, Herbert Weiner, general counsel of the Maryland State Lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police, testified before the House Judiciary Committee that Batts had assured Weiner that he was not in favor of amending the LEOBR. “There’s a statement that said that the police commissioner of Baltimore City made mention to the delegate (Carter) that he felt his hands were tied with discipline,”

National Action Network Continued from A1

attention to the clip caused previously planned conference sessions to be even more emotional and relevant, symbolizing ongoing issues in communities of color nationwide and amplifying the need for racial healing and police accountability.

“You can’t watch that as a human being and not feel pain,” New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said standing next to the Rev. Al Sharpton, founder of NAN, at the convention’s opening ribboncutting event. “It makes no sense, according to what our core notions of humanity and decency and justice are.”

Following Mayor de Blasio’s comments, NAN held two panel sessions further highlighting the commonly felt perception: The “Police Brutality Panel – The Impact of Police Brutality – The Victims Speak” and the “Police Policy Panel – Fighting Crime Without Suspending Rights.”

In the sessions, the pain alluded to by de Blasio was both expressed from victims of recent acts of police violence in one panel, and addressed by current law enforcement officers and community activists in the other.

“Sometimes I just feel so lost,” widow to slain

Eric Garner, Esaw Snipes, exclaimed to a crowd of hundreds. “It’s been nine months and I haven’t been able to shake it, sometimes I just want to give up.”

his age) accurately, ostensibly relying on official accounts from the same police force that presided over Gray’s death and apparently did not care enough to get his age right either. “[The media] has their tricks of the trade to do everything,” said Reid. “If you’re arresting a guy, and you all know his name and that he’s going down to Western District, why are you [telling] the whole world his name is Freddie Gray, G-R-A-Y, when his name is Freddie Grey, G-R-E-Y? Freddie Carlos Gray, wrong age and everything.”

Reid expressed pain at the fact that media

“Stand with me to have the governor sign an executive order to have a special prosecutor for these types of cases,” Ms. Bell told attendees. “During my

said Weiner that day. “That may have been a correct statement when he said it, but subsequent to that, myself and the union president of Baltimore City [Gene Ryan] had an hour-and-a-half meeting with Commissioner Batts, and at the conclusion of that meeting, after he listened to what we had to say, he said, ‘I will not support any legislation that seeks to modify the law enforcement officers bill of rights, and nor will I appear in Annapolis for any committee in support of that.’”

When the AFRO reached out to the Baltimore Police Department for confirmation of Weiner’s claims on March 16, Cpt. Eric Kowalczyk, director of the Baltimore Police Department’s media relations section, declined to comment on Weiner’s characterization of his alleged meeting with Batts, but said

NAN conference was the main topic of a 1982 article

by Kelling and James Wilson.

The two professors postulated that addressing minor disorders in communities is key to deterring major crime.

Naysayers – including those on NAN’s panel – attribute this theory to a drive toward

“We have to make sure that what is on paper is actually applied in the community and we hold them accountable for that.”

– Iesha Sekou

Snipes was not alone in her feelings of despair and anguish. Also on the panel to share their stories were mother to slain Sean Bell, Valerie Bell; father to slain Sean Bell, William Bell; mother to slain Eric Garner, Gwen Carr; father to John Crawford, III, John Crawford, Jr; mother to slain Michael Brown, Lesley McSpadden; and mother to slain Tamir Rice, Samaria Rice.

As celebrity life coach and inspirational speaker, IyanlaVanzant moderated the conversation, each victim’s family member explained how life has unfolded following the tragic incidents.

Some provided anecdotal stories about the past few months and year(s), and others implored the crowd to join them in advocacy efforts for more police accountability.

son’s trial I watched what was happening. They were badgering witnesses. We need a special prosecutor.”

A panel of law enforcement officers and community activists spoke after the victim’s family.

Many topics were discussed, but special focus was placed on the “broken window theory.”

One of the authors of that theory, George Kelling was also on the panel. He defended it saying, “I’ve learned my lessons sitting in living rooms and church basements, talking to citizens, many of them AfricanAmerican or Hispanic, many poor Whites as well. And they wanted order. They didn’t want somebody peeing on their front steps. They wanted that taken care of.”

The broken windows theory debated on during the

reports had accurately reported on Gray’s past criminal convictions, but less accurately on basic information about him. However, with respect to Gray’s name at least, Reid appears to be mistaken.

Court documents and the spelling used by the Gray family attorney Billy Murphy indicate that the correct spelling is indeed with an ‘a’. Grey with an ‘e’ is listed as one of Freddie Gray’s aliases on court documents, and was the initial spelling used by Baltimore police processing the arrest that resulted in Gray’s death, suggesting Gray himself may have used this spelling at times.

Accuracy in reporting aside, Stewart expressed dismay that his friend’s criminal record had become part of the conversation in the first place.

“For [the media] to bring up his criminal record when he was clearly being beaten— I’m saying incapacitated, he’s saying ‘ah’, he’s hollering in agony, saying that he’s hurt, ‘I can’t move my legs’—and for y’all to bring up his criminal record, what does that have to do with him as a human being?”

All three men noted that, whatever mistakes Gray had made in his lifetime, he had never been a violent person—a fact that now stands in stark contrast to the way he died. More than anything, however, Stewart, Reid, and Johnson have lost a life-long friend, the person they relied on to brighten up a neighborhood whose most striking architectural feature are the rows of police cameras that adorn the roofs, constantly monitoring those struggling just to find a reason to smile below.

Today, in West Baltimore, that smile is a little harder to come by. ralejandro@afro.com

numbers and to the increase in incarceration of Black men, instances of police brutality, and discriminatory practices.

that the commissioner has been “very consistent in his stance that LEOBR is a legislative issue,” upon which the commissioner would take no stance.

And herein lies one of the principal sources of friction between many residents in Baltimore and the city’s elected and police officials.

The latter, at times, speak of a law that allows officers involved in the death of a person to be suspended only with pay as a ‘legislative issue,’ but for many Baltimore residents it is a law that codifies the idea that police may abuse citizens with impunity, informing a policing culture that has taken yet another Black life in Baltimore City, and at least the lives of 109 others between 2010 and 2014, according to a recent briefing paper released by the ACLU Maryland. ralejandro@afro.com

“One of the things that we know is that the police are operating out of production goals and most of those production goals are negative,” said founder and CEO of Street Corner Resources, and panelist, Iesha Sekou.

Sekou continued, “We can’t just talk about what’s on paper and there is no real application in the community.

You talk to officers about what should be done, but they get in the community and they do what they want to do. We have to make sure that what is on paper is actually applied in the community and we hold them accountable for that.”

Throughout the conference, Sharpton was critical of law enforcement while maintaining that collaboration is necessary to prohibit instances of injustice.

He said his focus is also on expanding civil rights (including the right to vote), access to education for all students, and criminal justice reform. As an organization, NAN is pushing for police officers to wear body cameras nationwide, and recently launched a hunger strike campaign in support of Loretta Lynch, President Barack Obama’s nominee for U.S. Attorney General who awaits confirmation.

Loretta Lynch Continued from A1

Judiciary Committee by a 12-8 vote. All of the Democrats on the committee supported her nomination and three Republicans, Sens. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) voted for her also.

Lynch has also gained the support of Sens.

Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Mark Kirk (R-Ill.). Former Republican New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, a harsh critic of Obama, supports Lynch also.

It is believed by civil rights groups and political observers that Lynch has enough votes to win confirmation.

Hilary O. Shelton, the NAACP Washington Bureau director and senior vice president for advocacy, sent out an action alert on April 21 to its members stating that a vote on Lynch is tentatively set for April 23. Shelton advised NAACP members to call their senators to demand they vote “yes” on Lynch.

On April 22, member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity marched to the Senate office buildings to visit senators in support of Lynch. The fraternity members made it a point to go to the office of Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), the only Black Republican in that body who, according to his spokesman, has not announced his decision on Lynch’s nomination.

Later that day, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) was joined by members of the Congressional Black Caucus and leaders of civil rights organizations called for a quick vote on Lynch. Even D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) weighed in on the matter responding to a tweet from House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.).

“My friend Steny Hoyer has it right,” the mayor tweeted on April 21. “It is time for the Senate to confirm Lynch.”

April 25, 2015 - May 1, 2015, The Afro-American

A5

PEOPLE Forest Park Grad Inducted into Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society Natalie Janae Wright, a Forest Park High School graduate has been inducted into Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society and National Society of Collegiate Scholars (NSCS) of Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA). Natalie has a 3.5 GPA at NOVA and was recently accepted into James Madison University, where she will major in finance.

Less than 20 percent of students at Northern Virginia Community College qualify for membership in the National Society of Collegiate Scholars each year. Students must have a GPA of 3.4 or higher to be eligible for NSCS membership. Membership is conferred by invitation only after careful review by the NSCS Admissions Committee.

Phi Theta Kappa is the world’s largest and most prestigious honor society for two-year college students.

Natalie Janae Wright Students must have a 3.5 or higher cumulative GPA and completed at least 12 hours of associate degree course work to be eligible for Phi Theta Kappa membership. Membership is by invitation only.

Natalie also played Women’s Basketball for NOVA. She led the team in rebounding with 9 rebounds per game and second in points per game with 9. She also led the team in field goal percent at 44%.

New 2015 RAV4 Limited Shown

New 2015 Corolla S Shown

††

New 2015 Camry XSE Shown

NEW 2015 COROLLA

NEW 2015 CAMRY

0

179 750 $750 1999

% APR

Lease An LE For

(Excludes Hybrids)

$

FINANCING

FOR 48 MONTHS *

A Month

500

$

$

Tax, registration, insurance and dealer fees are extra.

FINANCING

FOR 60 MONTHS *

1000

$

TOYOTA FINANCE CASH**

159

$

A Month

NEW 2015 RAV4

Due At Signing ***

NEW 2015 PRIUS LIFTBACK, 2014 v AND 2014 c

0

CASH BACK FROM TOYOTA †

36 Months

TOYOTA FINANCE CASH **

% APR

$

Lease An LE For

CASH BACK FROM TOYOTA †

0

36 Months $

At 2399 Due Signing***

Tax, registration, insurance and dealer fees are extra.

% APR

FINANCING* FOR 60 MONTHS

NEW 2015 SIENNA

1000

$

CASH BACK FROM TOYOTA†

*0% APR FINANCING UP TO 48 MONTHS ON CAMRY AND 60 MONTHS ON RAV4, PRIUS LIFTBACK, V AND C AVAILABLE TO QUALIFIED BUYERS THRU TOYOTA FINANCIAL SERVICES. TOTAL FINANCED CANNOT EXCEED MSRP PLUS OPTIONS, TAX AND LICENSE FEES. 48 MONTHLY PAYMENTS OF $20.83 FOR EACH $1000 BORROWED ON CAMRY AND $16.67 FOR EACH $1000 BORROWED ON RAV4, PRIUS LIFTBACK, V AND C. NOT ALL BUYERS WILL QUALIFY. **FINANCE CASH INCENTIVE FROM TOYOTA IN ADDITION TO SPECIAL APR FINANCING IF VEHICLE IS PURCHASED AND FINANCED THROUGH TOYOTA FINANCIAL SERVICES. INCENTIVE WILL BE APPLIED TO THE DOWN PAYMENT. ONE INCENTIVE PER FINANCE TRANSACTION. FINANCE INCENTIVE IS AVAILABLE ON APPROVED CREDIT TO QUALIFIED CUSTOMERS THROUGH TOYOTA FINANCIAL SERVICES. NOT ALL BUYERS WILL QUALIFY. SEE DEALER FOR DETAILS. ***ALL LEASE OFFERS: CUSTOMER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR EXCESSIVE WEAR AND EXCESS MILEAGE CHARGES OF $.15 PER MILE IN EXCESS OF 36,000 MILES. YOUR PAYMENT MAY VARY BASED ON DEALER PARTICIPATION AND FINAL NEGOTIATED PRICE. DOES NOT INCLUDE $350 DISPOSITION FEE DUE AT LEASE END. OFFER AVAILABLE ON APPROVED CREDIT TO QUALIFIED CUSTOMERS FROM TOYOTA FINANCIAL SERVICES. NOT ALL CUSTOMERS WILL QUALIFY. LEASE A CAMRY LE FOR $179 PER MONTH FOR 36 MONTHS WITH $1999 DUE AT SIGNING. DUE AT SIGNING INCLUDES $1820 DOWN (AFTER APPLICATION OF $750 TOYOTA LEASE CASH INCENTIVE FROM TOYOTA FINANCIAL SERVICES). FIRST $179 PAYMENT, AND NO SECURITY DEPOSIT. 2015 CAMRY LE 4 CYLINDER AUTOMATIC MODEL 2532, MSRP $23,795. SEE DEALER FOR DETAILS. LEASE A COROLLA LE FOR $159 PER MONTH FOR 36 MONTHS WITH $2399 DUE AT SIGNING. DUE AT SIGNING INCLUDES $2240 DOWN. FIRST $159 PAYMENT, AND NO SECURITY DEPOSIT. 2015 COROLLA LE 4 CYLINDER AUTOMATIC MODEL 1852, MSRP $19,340. †CUSTOMERS CAN RECEIVE $750 CASH BACK COROLLA AND RAV4, $1000 CASH BACK ON SIENNA OR CAN APPLY CASH BACK TO DOWN PAYMENT. ††TOYOTACARE COVERS NORMAL FACTORY SCHEDULED SERVICE. PLAN IS 2 YEARS OR 25K MILES, WHICHEVER COMES FIRST. THE NEW VEHICLE CANNOT BE PART OF A RENTAL OR COMMERCIAL FLEET, OR A LIVERY/TAXI VEHICLE. SEE PARTICIPATING TOYOTA DEALER FOR PLAN DETAILS. VALID ONLY IN THE CONTINENTAL U.S. AND ALASKA. ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE DOES NOT INCLUDE PARTS AND FLUIDS. PRIUS PLUG-IN HYBRID COMES WITH AN EXTRA YEAR OF ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE, FOR A TOTAL OF THREE (3) YEARS FROM DATE OF PURCHASE. OFFERS DO NOT INCLUDE DEALER FEES. LEASE, APR AND CASH BACK OFFERS MAY NOT BE COMBINED. SEE DEALER FOR DETAILS. OFFERS END 5/4/15.

A6

The Afro-American, April 25, 2015 - May 1, 2015

April 25, 2015 - April 25, 2015, The Afro-American

Fundraiser Helps Keep Sisters Academy of Baltimore for Girls Tuition-Free Lisa Snowden-McCray Special to the AFRO Ask Sister Debra Liesen, principal of the Sisters Academy of Baltimore, what it’s like to be in charge of a school full of teens and preteens and she begins to laugh.

“Drama!” she said. “We call them our drama mamas.”

The school is preparing for their biggest fundraiser yet. The cowboy-themed Downtown Hoedown will be held April 25 at Montgomery Park in Baltimore. The event will feature food, a live band, line dance instruction, and even a trick roper. Former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Regina Benjamin will receive an award.

The event, two years in the making, is important for the school. School administrators say that since they don’t charge students tuition, they depend on events like the

Photo by D’ana Downing

Students and faculty members are getting ready for their upcoming fundraiser.

Hoedown to keep the school’s doors open.

Sisters Academy has been educating low-income Baltimore girls since 2004.

It is the only all-girls tuition-free middle school in Baltimore. Most of their students come from southwest

and west Baltimore. The school is the result of the combined efforts of four Catholic organizations – The School Sisters of Notre Dame, Sisters of Bon Secours, Sisters of Mercy and Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur.

Annapolis Wrap-up Continued from A1

City delegation to the General Assembly. Among the information the department will be required to report is the number of African American, Latino, and women officers in the department, as well as the number of civilian use of force complaints received against officers, and the number of officers suspended by the department with and without pay.

House Bill 533, sponsored by Del. Charles Sydnor III (D-Baltimore County), creates an exemption from Maryland’s wiretap statute for the recording of oral communications by a policeworn body camera used in the course of a police officer’s official duties.

While courts have consistently held that our wiretap statute only applies to private communications, according to David Rocah, senior staff attorney for the ACLU Maryland, some jurisdictions in the state were nonetheless worried that a court might one day rule that body cameras record audio in violation of Maryland law. This bill removes that concern and may help lead to greater adoption of body cameras across the state.

House Bill 533 also requires the Maryland Police Training Commission to develop basic uniform policies for the use and operation of police-worn body cameras, which jurisdictions adopting the technology will have to conform to as of Jan. 1, 2016, according to Sydnor.

House Bill 926, also sponsored by Sydnor, creates a pilot program for behavioral health police units in both Baltimore City and County. These units will be specially trained to handle and deescalate situations involving persons suffering from mental health issues, deemphasizing arrests and engagement in the criminal justice system for such persons.

House Bill 954, sponsored by Del. Alonzo Washington (D-Baltimore City), will require all local law enforcement agencies to report annually on officer-involved deaths, as well as deaths suffered by officers in the line of duty. In the case of officer-involved deaths, agencies must include the age, gender, ethnicity, and race of both the deceased individual and the officer involved.

House Bill 368, sponsored by Del. Pamela Beidle (D-Anne Arundel County), provides exemption from civil liability for police or first responders who administer anti-opiate drugs to persons suspected of having overdosed on heroin or other opiates. The bill provides exemption from liability for negligence by the first responder, but not gross negligence, according to Anderson, one of the bill’s co-sponsors. The exemption was asked for by both police agencies and first responders worried that their use of anti-opiate drugs could result in lawsuits in certain cases.

Criminal Justice

Senate Bill 517, sponsored by chair of the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee Sen. Bobby Zirkin, strengthens the marijuana decriminalization law passed in 2014 by removing criminal penalties for the possession of drug paraphernalia related to the use or possession of marijuana. While possession of marijuana in amounts under 10 grams was already decriminalized (carrying only a civil fine) last year, possession of paraphernalia related to the use of marijuana could still serve as grounds for criminal charges. That will change if Hogan signs the bill into law.

House Bill 121, sponsored by Del. Curt Anderson (D-Baltimore City), gives judges in the state the discretion to ignore mandatory minimum sentencing laws for subsequent convictions of felony drug possession (currently, a second such offense carries a 10 year minimum, while a third carries a 25 year minimum) in favor of enrolling someone convicted of felony drug possession in a drug treatment program if the judge finds such treatment in the interest of justice and that the defendant at issue does not otherwise pose a threat to public safety.

“Freddie Gray, the guy that was killed, he had three or four different convictions for possession with intent to distribute, and was never ever really given a chance to get into drug treatment. Maybe drug treatment would have had him off the streets and doings something positive with his life other than being subjected to scrutiny by the police which ultimately resulted in his death. I think [House Bill 121] is an extremely important bill for Baltimore,” said Anderson.

See more on afro.com

Water Shut-offs Continued from A1

minimum requirement for healthy families and communities,” said Charly Carter, executive director of Maryland Working Families, after calling on Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake to place a moratorium on the announced water shutoffs of nearly 23,000 residential customers.

“And it’s not lost on us that we can have a water feature out here in front of City Hall when so many families are facing essential water from their taps being turned off.”

Advocates have been criticizing the city for weeks now over what they see as disparate treatment by the Department of Public Works of delinquent residential and commercial customers. Though the city has announced that delinquent commercial clients will face water shut-offs just like residential customers, Chow admitted at the press conference that while 350 residential customers have seen their water

shut-off by the city so far this year (as of April 16), no commercial customers had received the same treatment. Of the 350 residential shut-offs, Chow said 132 accounts had been restored within one week, ostensibly because the customer either paid off her delinquent bill or made some sort of arrangement to do so.

At the demonstration, Fr. Ty Hollinger of Interfaith Worker Justice of Maryland, pressed the city for its failure to go after commercial accounts with the same zeal that residential customers face.

“Our mayor says that everyone must pay their fair share for water, and so we ask, ‘really?’ ‘Everybody paying their fair share?’ How can our mayor say it is fair for hard working Baltimore families to have their water shut off to their homes for being as little as $250 behind on their water bills, while billionaires like Ira Rennert and his R.G. Steel Plant could run up an unpaid water bill of over $5.4 million?”

Liesen said the middle school years are precarious ones, especially for young women. “It’s very exciting for them, but it’s also very scary.”

She said that to tackle this problem, administrators try to be firm but fair, helping the girls navigate both academics and personal issues. “They come in as fifth graders. They are so young,” she said. “You see them evolve over time.”

“The goal is to provide a top-quality private school faith-based education for families that couldn’t afford it otherwise,” said school president Sister Delia Dowling.

She said in order to keep classes small, they accept about 20 girls a year. The girls start at fifth grade and leave after the eighth.

Downing said staff members and administration work hard to make sure that the girls have the well-rounded education they need to be

A3

successful in high school and later on in college.

So far, seven classes of girls have graduated from the Academy. Four of those classes are in high school right now and three are in college. Downing said 85 percent of the girls in the first three classes are in college.

Frostburg University, The College of Notre Dame in Maryland, and St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia are some of the places now educating Sisters Academy alumnus.

To ensure the girls do well, the school has an employee who tracks each girl through high school and periodically checks up on them. “They have come so far here that we want to be sure that they are successful,” Downing said.

AFRO Business Profile With Makeup School and Cosmetics Line, Roshé Anthony is Baltimore’s Makeup Expert

By Roberto Alejandro Special to the AFRO

its students for employment, the state recently approved the school as an official occupational training provider under the federal Workforce Investment Act, making students who enroll eligible for assistance with the cost of the program, says Anthony. Interested applicants can get more information at their Local Workforce Investment Board One Stop Center, according to the Maryland Higher Education

Anyone looking to enter the field of makeup artistry, or simply on the market for some great cosmetics, may want to look up Roshé Anthony.

Anthony is the owner and director of the BEAT, or Beauty Expert Artistry Team, School of Makeup Artistry, located in Baltimore’s Charles Village neighborhood Roshé Anthony, for the last nine years. owner and Harnessing an extensive director of the career in makeup artistry BEAT School and sales, Anthony is of Makeup helping to fill a vacancy Artistry as well left behind when the state as founder of Maryland stopped of the Roshé regulating makeup artists, Cosmetics line. and stopped issuing state certification licenses about seven years ago.

“That sort of upset a lot of people in the industry because it basically took away our credential,” said AFRO/Photo Roberto Alejandro Anthony.

That credential was important because it indicated to clients or Commission website. employers that a makeup artist was properly In addition to the school, Anthony has trained. also developed her own line of cosmetics “At that time, we were administering and skincare products, Roshé Cosmetics. licenses, but when they decided to stop Anthony has been doing this for 12 years, regulating the makeup artistry, our and her line includes your standard items certificate pretty much took the place of the like shadows, lip glosses, and pencils. license, and gained as much notoriety, or “With our skincare line, it’s a botanical importance, or credibility as that [former] skincare line. It’s really the heart of my license,” said Anthony. brand because skincare is so important. . . .

BEAT offers a 40 hour program that ends And once you care for [the skin] and help in a makeup artistry certification. Because that client to be healthy in that way, then the space at the school is limited, BEAT enrolls makeup is more of an accessory as opposed classes of six students at a time. to something that they need to cover up a “It’s a very intimate setting and within problem that they may have,” said Anthony, that setting they’re learning sanitation, whose products include cleansers, toners, they’re learning color theory, how to do moisturizers, special treatments for dead basic facials so that they’re not just makeup skin removal, masks, and scrubs. artists, they also know how to consult the The Roshé Cosmetics line also contains client as far as what they need to do to keep products for men and teenagers interested in their skin healthy, and also to make proper improving their skincare. recommendations for their skin,” Anthony Anyone interested in learning more said. about Roshé Cosmetics can do so at www.

Students learn about the different tools roshecosmetics.com, or by emailing and techniques for applying makeup as well. Anthony at roshe@roshecosmetics.com.

The school also partners with fashion shows Anyone interested in learning more in the region so students can get some real about the BEAT School of Makeup Artistry world experience to put on their resumes as can call (443) 837-5609, or visit www. they head into the workforce. beatmakeupschool.com.

Because of BEAT’s success in preparing ralejandro@afro.com The city only recently began targeting commercial customers for shut-offs over delinquent accounts, announcing the new policy on March 27. The failure to do so in the past, and the acknowledgment by city officials that delinquent commercial customers account for $15 million of the nearly $40 million in past due payments owed Public Works, has given advocates ammunition in attacking the shut-off policy, especially in a city with a history of problems where the accuracy of its billing for water usage is concerned.

Among the demands made by demonstrators on April 16, was that the city attempt to collect all the outstanding debt owed by commercial customers first before targeting any residents for collection.

“We’ll keep coming back, Mayor Rawlings-Blake, until the (residential) turnoffs stop,” declared Carter towards the end of the demonstration. “We want to keep the water on.”

“Keep the water on,” chanted those present in response. ralejandro@afro.com

April 25, 2015 - May 1, 2015, The Afro-American

A7

TECHNOLOGY What’s the What: De La Soul Comes Back with the Help of the Internet Enter De La Soul. The group hasn’t put out a proper album since 2004’s Grind Date. Part of the reason for the drought is the expense of clearing samples, and De La Soul has always been a sample heavy band.

To pay for their new independent album—because we all know the major label system is, in addition to being broken beyond repair, generally a terrible deal for musicians—the group turned to Kickstarter.com at the end of March. The site lets people pledge to give money to products and projects.

Everything from video games to books to new tech products to albums can be funded in return for rewards. Kickstarter is not an investment vehicle, you don’t get shares in the new product. It’s more of a donation that, if whatever you’re backing, reaches its goals, then you get something out of it.

In their Kickstarter video announcing the project the group, Posdnuos, Dave and Maseo, talk openly about their place in the music industry and how the game has changed.

“Sometimes we set out to make history,” says Posdnous.

“Sometimes history sets out to make us.”

Over the past couple of years the group recorded over 200 hours jam sessions with various musicians. That music will make up the majority of the samples heard in the new album called and the Anonymous Nobody. Although, for a group as famous for its sampling as its rapping, there will be a few in there. “There might be three or four things,” Dave tells Facebook photo.

Billboard. “Maybe a certain snare that we didn’t capture [with De La Soul recently turned to Kickstarter.com to push their new project. the live band], or a sampled voice. I mean, James Brown always sounds great.” Artists like 2 Chainz, Damon Albarn

By Kamau High and David Byrne are expected to be on the album.

The album, with an initial goal of $110,00, hit $200,000 within 24 hours of going up. As Few things are as pleasurable as track 2 from De La Soul’s first album 3 Feet High and of Monday afternoon, it sits at $348,630. Part of what likely drew people to give money to the Rising. Better known as Three Is The Magic Number the sample heavy track manages to be a group—besides wanting to support something awesome—is that people who give certain levels head nodder, as well as funny and out there (What’s with Johnny Cash asking “How high’s the of money get increasingly great rewards. Here are just a few of the rewards offered: water, mama”?)

Hang out on Skype with the boys The whole album is great and perfectly encapsulates 1989 for me—a weird a fantastic time Go to the studio and be in a skit on the album where hip-hop could be more than just neighborhood braggadocio. De La Soul, and their peers A pair of De La Soul SB Dunks A Tribe Called Quest and The Jungle Brothers represented a more conscious style of hip-hop Go toy, record or sneaker shopping with your favorite member of the band that wasn’t afraid to be different and funny.

And while De La Soul isn’t the first group that was big in the 90s to turn to Kickstarter—the Hip-hop has changed drastically over the past 26 years. While it blew up and became a surviving members of TLC raised $430, 000 in February for a new album—this feels different. billion dollar industry, the things that are at the top of the charts often consists of the same tired Could this be the start of a new D.A.I.S.Y. Age? talk about how much weed you smoke, how you’re going to steal my girl and your crew is tougher than mine. And, sure, there’s a place for that—Biggie and Nas managed to become two Kamau High is a journalist living in Baltimore and can be reached a kamauhigh@yahoo. of the greatest M.C.’s ever with just that subject matter—a little variety never hurts. com.

TEXT “CPN” TO 62297 TO GET COUPONS, SALES ALERTS & MORE! MAX 3 MSGS/WK. MSG & DATA RATES MAY APPLY. BY TEXTING CPN FROM MY MOBILE NUMBER, I AGREE TO RECEIVE

MARKETING TEXT MESSAGES GENERATED BY AN AUTOMATED DIALER FROM MACY’S TO THIS NUMBER. I UNDERSTAND THAT CONSENT IS NOT REQUIRED TO MAKE A PURCHASE. TEXT STOP TO 62297 TO CANCEL. TEXT HELP TO 62297 FOR HELP. TERMS & CONDITIONS AT MACYS.COM/MOBILEHELP PRIVACY POLICY AT MACYS.COM/PRIVACYPOLICY

STOCK-UP SUPER SAVINGS ON

SPRING’S ESSENTIALS

R

WITH YOUR M A OFF % WOW! PASS CY’S 5 1 EXTRA SAVINGS ON SELECT SALE & CLEARANCE APPAREL & SELECT REGULAR-PRICED ITEMS (EXCEPT SPECIALS & SUPER BUYS)

EXTRA 2O% OFF

SELECT REGULAR, SALE & CLEARANCE APPAREL FOR HIM, HER & KIDS EXTRA 15% OFF SELECT SALE & CLEARANCE WATCHES, FINE & FASHION JEWELRY, SHOES, COATS, SUITS, DRESSES, INTIMATES, SWIM FOR HER, MEN’S SUIT SEPARATES & SPORTCOATS & HOME ITEMS; PLUS, SELECT REGULAR-PRICED ITEMS MACYS.COM PROMO CODE: STOCK EXCLUSIONS MAY DIFFER ON MACYS.COM Excludes: Deals of the Day, Doorbusters, Everyday Values (EDV), specials, super buys, athletic apparel, shoes & accessories, cosmetics/fragrances, electrics/electronics, floor coverings, furniture, mattresses, rugs. Also excludes: all regular-priced: bridge & designer handbags & shoes, All-Clad,products offered by vendors who operate leased departments in any of our stores including: Burberry, Dallas Cowboys merchandise, Gucci, Longchamp, Louis Vuitton, New Era, Nike on Field; Breitling, Coach, designer sportswear, Dooney & Bourke, Dyson, Eileen Fisher, Emporio Armani, Ghurka, Henckels, Impulse, Juicy, kate spade, Lacoste, Lalique, Lauren/Polo/Ralph Lauren/Denim & Supply, Le Creuset, Levi’s, Lladro, Locker Room by Lids, Marchesa, Michael Aram, MICHAEL Michael Kors/Michael Kors, Not Your Daughter’s Jeans, Oval Room, selected Licensed Depts., Sperry, Spanx, sterling flatware, Swarovski, Tommy Bahama, Tumi, 28 Shop, Vera Wang, Wacoal, watches, Waterford China/Crystal/Silver, Wüsthof. Not valid on: bridal salons, gift cards, gourmet foods, jewelry trunk shows, payment on credit accounts, previous purchases, restaurants, services, special orders, special purchases, wine.Cannot be combined with any savings pass/coupon, extra discount or credit offer, except opening a new Macy’s account. EXTRA SAVINGS % APPLIED TO REDUCED PRICES.

FREE SHIPPING WITH $99 PURCHASE. FREE RETURNS BY MAIL OR IN-STORE. U.S. ONLY. EXCLUSIONS APPLY; SEE MACYS. COM FOR DETAILS.

C SS R PA DO AR

SALE

O

SUPER

SPECIALS! LAST 2 DAYS! FRI, APRIL 24 & SAT, APRIL 25 EXTRA 2O %

NOW-SAT, APRIL 25

VALID 4/22-4/25/2015

3O%75% OFF SPRING

UPDATES STOREWIDE!

SUPER STOCK-UP SALE PRICES IN EFFECT 4/22-4/25/2015.

OPEN A MACY’S ACCOUNT FOR EXTRA 20% SAVINGS THE FIRST 2 DAYS, UP TO $100, WITH MORE REWARDS TO COME. Macy’s credit card is available subject to credit approval; new account savings valid the day your account is opened and the next day; excludes services, selected licensed departments, gift cards, restaurants, gourmet food & wine. The new account savings are limited to a total of $100; application must qualify for immediate approval to receive extra savings; employees not eligible.

N5030176A.indd 1

4/13/15 12:46 PM

A8

The Afro-American, April 25, 2015 - May 1, 2015

COMMUNITY CONNECTION Heroin Treatment and Prevention Taskforce

Mayor Stephanie Rawlings Blake and Baltimore Health Commissioner Dr. Leana Wen will be holding the second community forum for the Heroin Treatment and Prevention Taskforce, 6:30 to 9 p.m., April 23, at East Baltimore Development, 1731 E. Chase Street. The taskforce was convened last fall by Mayor Rawlings-Blake to address the critical problem of opioid addiction. Its goal was to study the problem of heroin addiction and propose solutions for improving access to effective treatment and neighborhood compatibility. This is the second of two community meetings to hear from community stakeholders regarding overdose issues. The meeting will include community conversation around three issues: preventing fatal heroin overdoses; increasing access to quality treatment; and improving neighborhood compatibility.

2nd Annual Man Up Symposium

The Symposium will be held, 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., April 25, at the Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC) and will feature guest speaker, author, Dr. LaMarr Darnell Shields and a host of others who will help moderate discussions on topics including: Boyhood to manhood, Emotional intelligence, What to do if stopped by the police, Raising children in the new millennium, as well as separate workshops for both mothers and fathers. The 2nd Annual “Man Up Symposium” is hosted by the EMBODI Committee of the Baltimore County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.

Girls of Color: Town Hall Meeting

Please Join Morgan State University, in partnership with the African American Policy Forum, for the next National Town Hall Meeting on Women and Girls of Color , 12 p.m., April 25, at Morgan State University Student Theater, 1700 East Cold Spring Lane, Baltimore. Contact Anika Simpson anika. simpson@morgan.edu for more information.

‘She is’

Medine Kande, Francuna Smith and Emon Washington will present the senior project collaboration of SHE is, 6 p.m., April 25 in the Carl J. Murphy Fine Arts Center.

The production gives a face and name to all women, about life through artistic expression. It seeks to empower and uplift people. It is free admission. For more information send an email to TheatreMorganMSU@gmail.com .

A Scholarship Fund

The Frank R. Williams Scholarship Fund’s Sixth Annual Two-Mile Run Walk on April 25. The annual community event, which supports the Frank R. Williams Scholarship at Calvin Coolidge Senior High School, will make an excellent story for your news, education, high school sports and/or community sections.

For more information about the Fund, please visit www. frwfund.com.

Catholic Charities’ SHARE Food Network turns 25

affordable access to one of the country’s top aquariums, the National Aquarium offers numerous programs throughout the year including Maryland Mornings, which provides Maryland residents who visit before noon Sunday to Friday $10 off adult tickets and $5 off children tickets; Dollar Days, where visitors can enjoy a $1 admission fee for two days every December; and, new in 2015, Pay What You Want Days, where guests donate an amount of their choice for admittance. For more information on the National Aquarium’s community programs, visit aqua.org/youraquarium.

Spring Dance Concert

Montgomery College will host its Spring Dance Concert May 1 and 2 at 8 p.m. and May 3 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $10 for regular admission, $8 for seniors and $5 for students. Contact the box office at 240-567-5301.

The SHARE Food Network marked 25 years of providing healthy and affordable food to the local community the only way it knew how – by eating delicious cake in a warehouse full of vegetables. Several hundred volunteers and local community leaders gathered at the Hyattsville warehouse to celebrate the program, which has provided affordable groceries to tens of thousands of families in its history. Started in 1990, the SHARE Food Network follows a model of bulk purchasing food from the same wholesale sellers who work with major grocery chain stores. The typical SHARE Food Network package costs $20 and includes meats, fresh and frozen vegetables, fruits, starches and sometimes a dessert, typically worth $40-50 from a traditional grocery store. To order a package or view the menu, please visit: www.sharedc.org

Community Food Pantry

Kingdom Celebration center is open every Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m . to feed the hungry. The center is located at 1350 Blair Drive, suite H, Odenton, Maryland 21133. Open to all Anne Arundel County Residents. Contact 410-672-2003 for more information.

Half Price Friday Nights

The National Aquarium announced the launch of Half-Price Friday Nights, an evolution of the long-standing and popular Fridays After Five program that will now provide visitors halfoff admission pricing year-round on Friday evenings after 5 p.m. As part of its continuing effort to ensure that visitors have

Poetry Slam

Baltimore’s largest youth poetry slam festival movement, Louder Than A Bomb Baltimore, finals are, 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., April 26, at the Maryland Institute College of Art, Falvey Hall in Brown Center Building, 1301 West Mount Royal Avenue, Baltimore. Many youth poets from middle schools, high schools and colleges will come together to share a space and a stage for this 4-day festival from April 23rd-26th at The Maryland Institute College of Art. Contact Nakia Brown at 410-258-2083 for more information.

Nation’s #1 African American Newspaper

2014 Nielsen-Essence Consumer Report

2015 Tuesday, May 19, 2015 830 E. Pratt St. • Baltimore, Md. 10:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. REGISTRATION & PAYMENT DEADLINE: Wed., May 13th EDUCATORS & EMPLOYERS: For exhibitor rates and information, visit www.afro.com or call 410-554-8200.

April 25, 2015 - May 1, 2015 The Afro-American

COMMENTARY

A9

Transforming Our Wish For Healing Into Action April is National Minority Health Month, a time each year when Americans of Color are encouraged to give special consideration to preserving our families’ health — and the health of our nation.

As a call to action, we are reminded of former Surgeon General David Satcher’s finding that more than 886,000 premature deaths could have been prevented during the 1990s if African Americans had received the same health care as White Americans.

We have made some progress Elijah Cummings in challenging minority health disparities since then, especially during the Administrations of Presidents Clinton and Obama. However, in the final analysis, health is more than a relative goal.

Life or death is not a relative matter. It is an absolute.

We either make our health a top priority — or we do not.

National policies either help us to sustain our lives and the lives of those we love — or they do not.

These are the core messages of National Minority Health Month.

Here in our home town of Baltimore, widely acknowledged as one of the world’s great medical centers, our continued struggle for better health has even greater poignancy this year as we remember the accomplishments of two of our community’s most prominent healers.

The medical careers of two renowned African American physicians, Dr. Elijah Saunders of the University of Maryland and Dr. Levi Watkins of Johns Hopkins, exemplified the vision for better health attributed to the Roman philosopher, Seneca the Younger.

“The wish for healing has always been half of health.”

The wish for healing was central to the mission of these departed giants of medicine — but only part of their legacy. The more important half of their gifts to us was their well-informed and effective actions on our behalf.

Dr. Elijah Saunders gained international acclaim for his groundbreaking efforts to inform us about the impact of hypertension on African Americans’ survival and the interaction of diabetes, heart attacks and stroke.

Dr. Saunders is also remembered, however, for his extraordinary efforts to reach out to patients in medically-underserved neighborhoods – bringing world-class healing into the inner, inner city.

Dr. Levi Watkins made history as the first African American to serve as chief resident of cardiac surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital – and in 1980, he became the first surgeon to install an automatic defibrillator in a human heart.

Less well known were his tireless efforts to expand the number of minority medical students at Johns Hopkins and help them succeed.

I was grateful to have Elijah Saunders and Levi Watkins as friends — and as my teachers in public health policy. During our many conversations over the years, I learned from them that improving our nation’s public health must be driven by three major forces.

First, we must expand access to affordable, high-quality health care. This is the mission of our Affordable Care Act (“ObamaCare”).

Second, we must sustain and increase our public investment in medical research. We doubled our public commitment nearly a decade ago, but since that time, public funding has remained flat – a critical issue in our current national budgetary debates.

Finally, we must lead and sustain a national movement toward healthier lifestyles on the part of the American people.

When our First Lady encourages us to eat healthy foods, exercise regularly and show up for the doctor’s appointments that can detect dangerous conditions early, she is not playing a game. Michelle Obama is doing everything she can to help us prolong our lives.

Consider this.

Since the 1990s of Dr. Hatcher’s report, we have made important progress toward helping Americans live longer and more vital lives — especially, in combatting the two most deadly health challenges: heart disease and cancer.

Yet, it is far too soon to declare victory.

Despite all of our advances, more than 69,000 African Americans will die prematurely of heart disease this year; and more than 64,000 of us will die of cancer.

In Washington, I remind my Republican colleagues of these harsh facts, asking them why they continue to attack our expansion of health insurance and why they are not willing to invest more public funds in the medical research that will save lives.

I try to drive home the fact that their constituents are dying prematurely as well: nearly a million White Americans die each year from heart disease and cancer combined.

To be fair, some Republicans do understand the economics of life and death. To their credit, Representatives Matt Salmon of Arizona and Kevin Yoder of Kansas have both called for significant funding increases for the National Cancer Institute. The Republicans’ budget proposals, however, do not.

They should take a lesson from my teachers, Dr. Elijah Saunders and Dr. Levi Watkins, and their own more enlightened members.

Our wish for healing is important, but only constructive actions save lives.

Congressman Elijah Cummings represents Maryland’s 7th Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives.

A Young Sister ‘Hashtagged’ Me Out of My Silo When a colleague dropped the line, “You can’t hashtag your way to freedom,” I loved it! I laughed out loud, and promised that I’d not borrow the line, but steal it because I was so enamored of it. I’ve used it quite a few times since then, and gotten my share of grins and guffaws. So I used it again and again, always getting the same reaction.

Imagine my surprise, then, when Frenchie Davis, 35, the Howard University alumna who burst onto the music scene with her 2003 turn on “American Idol,” took me to school by Julianne Malveaux telling me she thought my remark was “condescending.” I didn’t mean to be condescending, just to make the point that there is a difference between tweeting and fighting for change. Hashtags are not votes. Even if a million people hashtagged #bringbackourgirls, the hundreds of Nigerian young women abducted by Boko Haram are still missing.

Frenchie Davis thought my glib remark dismissed a form of communication that young people find effective, a form of communication that raises their awareness. She is right to point out that electronic and social media is far more consequential today than it was just a decade ago, and that her generation relies on social media more heavily than it does traditional media. While many people of my Baby Boomer generation use electronic media, we are not as

immersed in it as younger folks are.

Reality check. The median age of the African American recorded in the 2000 Census was 30.4, compared to the national mean of 34.4.

As of 2013, the mean age of U.S. born Blacks was 29, compared to a national mean of 37. That means the average African American is closer in age to Frenchie Davis than to to me.

Members of that generation – too often disdained by their elders for their work ethic, commitment to civil rights, or style of dress – are the ones who will propel the Civil Rights Movement into the future. So Sister Frenchie was right to call me on my snarly/funny remark about hashtagging to freedom. If the hashtag takes you to a conversation, and that takes you to action, then the hashtag may be a step in the right direction.

My conversation with Frenchie Davis took place when I moderated a panel on “Race, Justice, and Change,” as part of the Washington, D.C. Emancipation Day commemoration. By way of background, the Compensated Emancipation Act of 1862 paid the owners of 3,100 slaves $300 each to emancipate them; for the past decade D.C. commemorates this day with an official holiday.

The other panelists, Malik Yoba, Doug E. Fresh, and Mali Music, are, like Davis, socially and politically active artists, who are also concerned with ways to increase involvement in civil rights matters. Mali Music, 27, was the youngest member of the panel. His comments about young Black male alienation offered an important perspective in a conversation structured to address voting, policing, and organizing. I’d not heard of the Grammy Award nominee before, which perhaps reveals the generational silo I occupy.

I’m uncomfortable in my silo. Uncomfortable with how easy it is to join a conversation about generational differences without embracing generational similarities. “Back in the day,” a phrase I

probably should use much less, many of our radio shows or stations were called “The Drum,” after the drumbeat form of communication.

Hashtag can rightly be seen as another word for drum. And getting out of my silo, it’s important that drummers (or hashtaggers) both teach and learn.

How do we get young people involved in the Civil Rights Movement? Many already are involved – check them out at #Blacklivesmatter. More than conversation, this communication has galvanized tens of thousands to stay focused on continued police violence and the attacks on Black life. The hashtag has connected people planning marches and protests. That’s involvement.

Are we insisting that young people be involved in the movement as we know it? New organizations and movements are emerging, and some younger folks won’t embrace or engage in organizations they consider irrelevant. Has anyone marketed the contemporary Civil Rights Movement to younger African Americans? Do we feel that we need to? Do we expect people to show up (where?) and roll their sleeves up, task undefined?

How do we get young people involved? Ask them. Sit back and listen, really listen, to their reply. And understand that there are some, not so young, who may also need a nudge to get involved.

I am energized, enlightened, and privileged when I am pushed out of my silo. I am grateful to Frenchie Davis, Malik Yoba, Mali Music and Doug E. Fresh for helping me connect the drums with the hashtags. The generational conversation is engaging, frustrating, and effervescent. It is an essential part of our movement for social and economic justices, and its many definitions and experiences.

Julianne Malveaux is a Washington-based writer and economist.

She can be reached at www.juliannemalveaux.com.

Proof that the Supreme Court Got it Wrong in Shelby When the Supreme Court gutted a key provision of the 1965 Voting Rights Act nearly two years ago in Shelby County v. Holder, many of us suspected that Chief Justice John Roberts in particular was distorting the severity of voting violations in jurisdictions covered by the act.

As a popular GEICO commercial says, now we know.

We now know because of extensive research conducted by William R. Kenan Jr., a professor at the California Institute of Technology, titled, “Do the Facts George E. Curry of Voting Rights Support Chief Justice Roberts’ Opinion in Shelby County?”

By a vote of 5-4, the Supreme Court struck down as unconstitutional Section 4 of the law that requires certain jurisdictions with a proven history of racial discrimination to pre-clear any changes in their elections – such as redistricting, annexations and switching to at-large elections – with either the Justice Department or the federal District Court in Washington, D.C. Despite renewals of the Voting Rights Act by Congress in 1970, 1975, 1982 and a 25-year extension in 2006, Roberts contended that the preclearance provision was no longer needed.

Writing for the majority, Roberts said, “…. But history did not end in 1965. By the time the Act was reauthorized in 2006, there had been 40 more years of it. In assessing the ‘current need’ for a preclearance system that treats States differently from one another today, that history cannot be ignored. During that time, largely because of the Voting Rights Act, voting tests were abolished, disparities in voter registration and turnout due to race were erased, and African-Americans attained political office in record numbers.

And yet the coverage formula that Congress reauthorized in 2006 ignores these developments, keeping the focus on decades-old data relevant to decades-old problems, rather than current data reflecting current needs.”

However, as Kenan points out in his research, “Neither the Chief Justice nor any scholars or civil rights proponents or opponents have systematically examined the evidence on the entire pattern of proven voting rights violations over time and space.”

Kenan examined the issue by compiling what he called the largest such database in existence, including numerous maps to make his point.

“Congress in 2006 was not presented with maps or other documents that laid out the pattern of proven voting rights infractions so starkly, but it received plentiful evidence in the form of lists and discussions of cases that showed that the problems were still overwhelmingly concentrated in the South and that discrimination continued to be widespread,” he wrote.

“And the map would have shown that the number of voting rights infractions had increased, not decreased, compared to the earlier

period.”

Kenan explained, “An objective observer in 2006 comparing the number and location of all successful voting rights events in the period since the last renewal in 1982 with the events of the years from 1957 to 1981 would conclude that Section 5 needed to be renewed, and that the coverage scheme still fit the problem remarkably well, hitting the target about 94% of the time. Even among Section 2 cases, which could be filed anywhere in the country, 83.2% of the successful cases from 1982 through 2005 originated in covered jurisdictions.”

Roberts was joined by the court’s conservative majority, including Clarence Thomas. As usual, Thomas asked no questions during the proceedings. In his concurring opinion, he stated, “I join the Court’s opinion in full but write separately to explain that I would find Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act unconstitutional as well.”

That comes as no surprise. But what did come as a surprise, as I have written here, was that the National Black Chamber of Commerce (not to be confused with the U.S. Black Chambers, Inc.), established by Harry C. Alford and his wife, Kay, filed a brief in support of Shelby County mirroring the objections raised by John Roberts.

George E. Curry, former editor-in-chief of Emerge magazine, is editor-in-chief of the National Newspaper Publishers Association News Service (NNPA) and can be reached through www.georgecurry. com, or on Twitter and Facebook.

(See more on Afro.com)

A10

The Afro-American, April 25, 2015 - May 1, 2015

INTERNATIONAL

Anniversary of Nigerian School-girl Kidnappings Brings Renewed Conviction to Fight

By Shantella Y. Sherman Special to the AFRO “When I came to America, I [found] that American people say ‘Give me liberty or give me death.’ When I heard that, I remember the time I decided to jump out of the truck that I’d rather die than live,” said Saa, one of roughly 50 Nigerian schoolgirls able to escape Boko Haram militants who had taken siege of her school and forced over 267 of her classmates

into bondage.

Saa stood courageously alongside her fellow classmate, Patience, U.S. Rep. Frederica S. Wilson (Fla-24), and a small group of politicians and supporters dressed in red and holding placards of protest to acknowledge the one-year anniversary of the kidnappings, and encourage the world to continue the fight to bring the remaining girls home to their families.

Though outpourings of concerns and

demands for justice have yet to yield the desired results, Wilson said she hopes to reinvigorate the call to justice that made the #BringBackOurGirls campaign a global effort.

“My colleagues and I have convened this press conference along with advocates committed to this movement to send a clear message: We have not forgotten the girls and the world must not forget about them,” Wilson said. “I will Photo by Shantella Sherman continue to call attention to the A group of politicians led by U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson atrocities committed by Boko and Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee vowed to help the Boko Haram, call for the return of Haram schoolgirls who wish to continue their education the kidnapped girls, and hold in America.

Nigeria’s leaders accountable.”

Opposed to Western have to choose between their education and the education that includes instruction for girls, threat of violence or modern day slavery. We the militant group reportedly took siege of must recommit ourselves to ensuring access the Chibok Government Girls Secondary to an education for all and ending human school, and forced the girls into waiting trucks. trafficking in all its forms,” Lee said. “Not only “This crime has rightly caused outrage both is this a Nigerian problem, it is a world crisis.” in Nigeria and across the world. Today is a Boko Haram’s reign of terror has impacted time to reflect on the pain and suffering of nearly 1.5 million people, displacing them the victims, their friends and families. Our from their homes and separating thousands of thoughts and prayers, and that of the whole school children from their families. Still, those Nigerian nation, are with you,” Nigeria’s like U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney, (D-N.Y.) President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari said in a insists the fight against Boko Haram continue statement. as a human rights imperative.

U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) said that “[The Schoolgirls] have spent the last year the year since the Chibok kidnapping has been in horrific conditions, married off to their long and heartbreaking and it is important for captors. We must seek to bring these terrorists the world to know that – even a year later – the to justice so that other women cannot be girls have not been forgotten. hurt by their savage acts. We cannot accept “These girls were abducted from their a world where horrific acts are carried out school because they were seeking an against young girls just because they want an education. No girl or young woman should education,” Maloney said.

April 25, 2015 - May 1, 2015, The Afro-American

B1

Host Derrick J. Taliaferro Award winner Nikita Haysbert

Host Derrick J. Taliaferro and Jr. ROTC Honor Guard in Ceremonial display for the playing of the National Anthem

Taia Collins sang “Lift Every Voice and Sing”

Award winner Joan M. Hairston

Bill Carson, Dr.L.Akilah Karima McDaniel and Ashley Battle

Margarita “Maggie” Anderson the founder of The Empowerment Experiment (EE), creator of Maggie’s List, as well as author of “Our Black Year,” was the guest speaker for the March 22, “2015 Trailblazing Women Award- Women Who Mean Business.”

The event, set to honor new era women making a difference in today’s world, was held at The Forum Caterers, 4210 Primrose Avenue.

Dr. Mel Butler, master consultant of the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of E3 was one of the awards presenters along with Darryl Stokes. Derrick Taliaferro, executive director of the 100 Black Men of Maryland, served as emcee.

Dr. Mel Butler, Dr. Lydia McDaniel, Kim R. Waite, Dr. Morgan, Deborah StewartAkdes, Darlene Wade Moss, Cailah Brock, Lolita Kelson, Lorrain Pierre Roach, Nikita Haysbert, Patricia Smith, Linda Jackson, Joan M. Hairston, A. Marlene Cox, Cassandra White, Annette Hale, Dr. Joanne Martin, Pat Burgess, Derrick J. Taliaferro, Tia Latrell, keynote speaker Maggie Anderson seated

Photos by Da’Rrell L. Privott

Carol Foreman, Donna Price

Robin Steele, president, Columbia MD Links, Candice Sims, president, Harbor City MD Links

Patapsco River Chapter, The Links Incorporated

Jacqueline Hrabowski, National Philanthropy gives a toast

Unveiling of the 25th Anniversary 3-D painting

Links Tonia Lee, Donna Price, Anita Jackson, Kimberleigh De Laine, immediate past president

Dr. A. Lois De Laine, chair, 25th Anniversary, Dr. Kimberly Jeffries Leonard, National vice president, Alice Cole, president, Patapsco River Chapter

Geanelle Griffith-Herring, Christie Ileto, WJZ-TV, emcee

Link Carolyn Cole with daughter Kelley Cole

Nostalgia was running rampant on March 28 as the members of the Patapsco River (MD) Chapter of The Links reflected on the exciting weekend of March 30-March 31, 1990 when the 42 enthusiastic ladies of the Patapsco River Chapter-Elect interest group became members of the illustrious organization, The Links.

The Charter members, alumnae members, daughters of Links, husbands of Links and past presidents were recognized at the 25th Anniversary Celebration.

The elegant luncheon with exquisite banquet decorations that included touches of silver on the tables, white covered chairs, a receiving line with a violinist playing harmoniously in the background while friendly chatter swelled the banquet hall with hugs and kisses as lifelong friends renewed friendships and met new ones.

Honorees were Sen. Delores Kelley, 10 Legislative District, Baltimore County and Dr. Freeman Hrabowski, president, University of Maryland, Baltimore County who were both instrumental in providing resources and friendship during the infancy stages of The Patapsco River (MD) Chapter of the Links.

The theme of the 25th Anniversary luncheon was “Celebrating 25 Years of Friendship and Service in Baltimore County.” Christie Ileto, WJZ TV served as emcee. Dr. A. Lois De Laine was chairperson; Geanelle Griffith Herring was vice chair of the event.

Alice Pinderhughes, Roslyn Smith Flossie Johnson, Doris Holmes

Robin Ott, Dr. Gina McKnightSmith, Ivy GatesSmith Alumnae and Charter Links Barbara Bess, Dr. Freeda Thompson, Sylvia Rogers

Dr. Freeman Hrabowski, president, University of Maryland Baltimore County accepts his plaque

Patapsco River Links Shelonda Stokes, Judge Vicki Ballou-Watts, Anita Hunter and Lisa Settles

Scholarship student Desji Hamilton at Coppin State University with her mother, Renetta Hamilton

Councilwoman Helen Holton and Sen. Delores Kelley, 10th Legislative District

Charter members Grace Coffey, Dr. Gretchen Styles, Marlene Downs, Shirley T. Hill Photos by Dr. A. Lois DeLaine

B2

The Afro-American, April 25, 2015 - May 1, 2015

HBCU NEWS

Lincoln University Senior Katrina Springer Earns Prestigious Rangel Fellowship Lincoln University senior Katrina Springer was awarded a 2015 Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Fellowship last month following a highly competitive nationwide contest.

The Rangel Fellowship, funded by the U.S. Department of State and managed by the Ralph J. Bunche International Affairs Center at Howard University, supports extraordinary individuals who want to pursue a career in the U.S. Foreign Service.

“I am really excited to have been selected as a Rangel Fellow,” Springer said. “I have been working toward a career in the U.S. Foreign Service since my freshman year at Lincoln, and receiving the

fellowship affirms that my efforts have paid off.”

Springer, a Syracuse, New York native and a first-generation American of Barbadian and Panamanian heritage, is the daughter of Joyce and Roberto Springer. The political science major, who is completing a minor in international relations, has participated in student government as a class senator, and executive board member of the Horace Mann Bond Honors Program and Thurgood Marshall Pre-Law Society.

“We are thrilled that Katrina will be joining the Rangel Program,” said Patricia Scroggs, Rangel Program Director. “During her

time at the Lincoln University, she demonstrated outstanding scholarship, leadership and commitment to service. These experiences bode well for her success in graduate school and in the Foreign Service. I look forward to seeing all that she will accomplish in her career.”

An aspiring Foreign Services officer, Springer has focused on international travel and exposure to foreign culture through participation in Semester at Sea, the 2014 U.S.-China Student Summit, the Middlebury Language Schools’ Summer Arabic Language Program, and a World Affairs Council of Philadelphia internship while at Lincoln. She plans to

pursue graduate studies in public diplomacy at Syracuse University.

The Rangel Fellowship, which will provide Springer with approximately $95,000 in benefits over a two-year period to pursue a master’s degree in international affairs, also affords the opportunity to work for a member of Congress on foreign affairs issues this summer.

The following summer in 2016, the U.S. Department of State will send her overseas to work in a U.S. Embassy to get hands-on experience with U.S. foreign policy and the work of the Foreign Service. After completing her master’s degree, Springer will become a U.S. diplomat.

Courtesy photo

The Rangel Fellowship will provide Katrina Springer with approximately $95,000 in benefits over a two-year period to pursue a master’s degree in international affairs.

Hampton University Receives Grant for Professional Development Program The Hampton University Department of Chemistry has been awarded a $225,728 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for a project designed to assist science teachers in the Hampton City School system to develop laboratory activities.

The one-year pilot project titled “Inquirybased learning using cultural heritage materials and other locally accessible resources: A professional development program for public school science teachers.” The project is designed to assist science teachers in the Hampton City School system to develop student-centered laboratory activities for their science curriculum. Six science teachers selected from three high schools in the city of Hampton will attend a series of monthly workshops during the school year, and a two-

week summer institute where the teachers will design and test inquiry-based laboratory activities.

The pilot project is under the direction of principal investigator Dr. Isai T. Urasa, Professor and Chair of Chemistry and coprincipal investigators Dr. Vanessa ThaxtonWard HU Museum curator, and Mrs. Valinda Carroll, Manager of HU Preservation Department.

“The idea is to interject in laboratory instruction the critical elements of personal identity, relevance, and practical applications,” said Urasa.

The development of inquiry-based activities will be guided by the State of Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) for Science. These activities will also incorporate

Introducing the Berman Brain & Spine Institute at Northwest Hospital

World-Class Brain and Spine Care

Is Now Close to Home.

The fellowship-trained physicians of LifeBridge Health’s Sandra and Malcolm Berman Brain & Spine Institute at Northwest Hospital provide comprehensive care for patients with disorders of the brain and spine. They treat the full spectrum of neurological conditions, including neuromuscular disorders, tumors of the central nervous system and chronic pain. They use minimally invasive surgery to provide patients with faster recoveries. And team neuropsychologists assess patients’ memory and Gurdeep S. James L. Ahluwalia, M.D. Frazier III, M.D. thinking skills to develop Neurologist Neurosurgeon individual treatment plans.

For more information or to make an appointment at the Berman Brain & Spine Institute at Northwest Hospital,

call 866-404-DOCS (3627).

Photo courtesy of Hampton University News.

Dr. Isai T. Urasa, chair of the Chemistry Department, Dr. Vanessa Thaxton-Ward Hampton Museum curator, and Valinda Carroll, manager of the Hampton Preservation Department. local resources including materials from the HU Museum and the preservation department; the Chesapeake Bay watershed; and faculty research programs.

“We are using examples from the library to show how we use science in our work,” said Carroll. “For example, we measure pH to detect acetic acid vapors from deteriorating photographic film. We also measure pH when we use alkaline solutions to preserve paper documents. Chemistry is an essential part of preservation, and this project provides an opportunity to explain real-world applications of science in a cultural heritage context.”

The teachers will return to their schools with one-to-two inquiry-based laboratory

activities ready for implementation. Working together with their respective science curriculum leaders, the participating teachers will facilitate the adoption of inquiry-based laboratory activities at their respective schools. They will receive continual support, mentoring, and collaboration from HU science faculty. They will also be provided opportunities to pursue research interests in collaboration with HU faculty researchers.

“The long term goal is to establish a multi-year professional development program for local precollege science teachers that will serve as a vehicle for promoting and supporting STEM education in precollege schools,” said Urasa.

N.C. A&T to Lead $5 Million Project on Unmanned Vehicles A research team led by North Carolina A&T State University will develop control systems for a new dimension in battlefield strategy: large teams of unmanned vehicles.

The five-year project will expand the use of autonomous vehicles, such as drones, to a larger scale and more diverse missions. It will be funded by a $5 million grant from the U.S. Air Force.

The vision is to manage future battlefields with autonomous vehicles working together in the air, on the ground, on the water and/or underwater. The vehicles could be controlled remotely by human operators or they could maneuver autonomously in complex environments. Teams of autonomous vehicles working in concert with soldiers, sailors and fliers would be capable of a variety of cooperative missions, such as surveillance and reconnaissance.

“The concept of systems of vehicles is new,” says Dr. Abdollah Homaifar, Duke Energy Eminent Professor of computer engineering at N.C. A&T and leader of the project. “It’s about teaming and cooperation among the autonomous vehicles.

“Teams of these vehicles could provide an advantage on the battlefield, but we need to learn how to move beyond controlling, for example, one drone at a time, and how they can work together. These are complex systems that will operate together in extreme conditions.”

The funding will allow N.C. A&T to establish a multi-disciplinary Center for Testing, Evaluation and Control of Heterogeneous Large-Scale Autonomous Vehicles. A&T’s partners on the project will be the University of Texas at San Antonio and Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute, a national tribal community college, in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

April 25, 2015 - May 1, 2015, The Afro-American

B3

ARTS & CULTURE Queen Latifah and Keke Palmer

Heavenly Sistahs Expound on Brotherly Love The “Brotherly Love” Interview

By Kam Williams Keke Palmer is a multi-talented actress, singer, songwriter and talk show host who made her screen debut at the age of 10 in Barbershop 2 before landing a breakout role a couple of years later as the title character in Akeelah and the Bee. The emerging ingenue has since embarked on an enviable showbiz career in film, on TV and in music while also finding time to give back to the community.

By contrast Oscar-nominee Queen Latifah (for Chicago) started out as a hip-hop artist before adding acting to her repertoire. She’s also proved to be a popular spokesperson for everything from Jenny Craig to Pizza hut to CoverGirl cosmetics.

Here, the two talk about Brotherly Love, a hip-hop driven drama starring Keke which was produced by Latifah.

Kam Williams: Hi Queen and Keke, I’m so honored to have this opportunity to speak with both of you.

Keke Palmer: So are we.

Queen Latifah: Thanks, Kam. KW: Queen, Professor/Filmmaker/Author Hisani DuBose has a question for you: With all that you’ve accomplished, was it still difficult for you to get this project greenlit?

QL: Well, it wasn’t hard to get it greenlit, because we greenlit it. [Laughs] It’s easy when you’re the greenlighter.

Really, it was more about lining up the financing. It always comes back to the dollars and cents, and finding the money to be able to fund the project and make it happen. That’s what we went on immediately, and I’m fortunate to work with a tiger who doesn’t rest until it all happens. He and I really jumped in on it until and worked with some other partners to help create the finances, and they came through for us. So, we all put it together, collectively, and made it happen.

KW: Hisani has one for Keke, too: Did you feel a lot of pressure having to grow from a child star into a woman under the bright lights of Hollywood?

KP: I definitely, at times, felt the pressures of life similar to the pressures anyone would feel growing up. The only difference was that maybe more people were aware of mine. But, if anything, I changed the pressure from negative to positive. So, instead of thinking everybody wanted to see me fail, I decided everybody wanted to see me win, since I wanted to see myself win. I’m glad and appreciate having people on my team who are watching and looking out for me. Let me continue to make them proud and continue to give away the gift that was given to me.

KW: Editor/Legist Patricia Turnier asks: Keke, how did you prepare to play Jackie?

KP: I thought it was really awesome that I got a chance to be in a movie being made right in Philadelphia. Being around a lot of kids, walking around the streets of Overbrook and actually getting to know the neighborhood helped give me an idea of what their reality was like. It was nice to discover that it wasn’t that much different from where I grew up. And then I also got to spend time with the rest of the cast, because this was an independent film. That meant we had

so much more creative control and creative liberties, as well as a lot of time to spend with one another while we were trying to get everything going. I think the chemistry among the cast is what really makes the film feel so good to me. We got to work with each other long enough to get a feel for each other and that really made the characters come to life.

KW: Children’s book author Irene Smalls asks: What message do you want people to take away Brotherly Love?

KP: I want them to get whatever they honestly get from it. I don’t want to tell them what they should be receiving from it, ‘cause that would kill the experience. But what I took away from the film was the importance of choices. Sometimes, when you grow up in one of these poverty-stricken neighborhoods where the educational system isn’t the best, you don’t realize that you have any choices.

Often, kids don’t appreciate the choices available, as if it’s either the street or nothing. I want them to understand that reality is what’s relative to you, and that you can make choices that allow you to create a new reality for yourself.

KW: Bobby Shenker says: I was so excited to hear that you’re starring as Bessie Smith. Years ago, when I saw you in Living Out Loud [with Holly Hunter and Danny DeVito], I said, “This woman needs to play Bessie Smith in a biopic.” And I’m sure I’ve posted numerous suggestions of this over the years. So I’m ecstatic! I think I revisited that thought when you did Chicago.

My only wish would have been that it was on the big screen.

Love from Philly to the Queen!

QL: Thanks Bobby!

KW: Marcia Evans says: Share that we sistahs are proud of the Queen. And tell her that not only myself but my mother and my aunt adore her work. So she must keep her film projects coming because we will be watching. We can’t wait to see her upcoming new biopic about the iconic blues singer Bessie Smith. She asks: Do you have another biopic planned?

QL: Thanks, Marcia. There are actually a couple floating around, but the scripts aren’t quite where they need to be for me to pull the trigger on them yet. And I’m working on three scripts that are really close to me featuring three completely different characters from totally different time periods. So, I’m going to have a lot of fun once I decide which one’s going to go first. And I can’t wait! [Chuckles] KW: Reverend Florine Thompson asks: What advice do you have to offer young girls hoping to emulate your success?

KP: To be true to your heart, and if you’re passionate about your dream, work towards it but don’t allow your idea of how you think it should manifest prevent what’s actually unfolding from happening. You know what I mean? Be present in the moment and allow yourself to be guided by it by God. Allow Him to guide you and just embrace every situation, good or bad, since you’re experiencing it because you’re meant to go through it.

KW: Thanks again for the time, and best of luck with Brotherly Love.

QL: Thanks, Kam. KP: Bye. To see a trailer for Brotherly Love, visit: http://brotherlylovethemovie.com/#trailer

Corruption Officer

From Jail Guard to Perpetrator inside Rikers Island Book Review by Kam Williams “This shocking memoir from a former corrections officer… shares an eye-opening, gritty, and devastating account of his descent into criminal life, smuggling contraband inside the infamous Rikers Island jails. Gary Heyward… was warned of the temptations he’d encounter as a new officer, but when faced with financial hardship, he suddenly found himself unable to resist the income generated from selling contraband to inmates.

In his distinctive voice, Heyward takes you on a journey inside the walls of Rikers Island, showing how he teamed up with various inmates and other officers to develop a system that allowed him to profit from selling drugs inside the jail.

Corruption Officer is… a rare insider’s look at a corrupt city jail.”

-- Excerpted from the back cover After being honorably discharged from the Marines, Gary Heyward had a hard time finding a decent paying job. That took a toll on his marriage, so he ended up moving back in with his mother in Harlem, while his childhood sweetheart took custody of their two kids and returned home to stay with her own mom.

Gary’s fortunes changed for the better the fateful day in 1997 that he received a letter from the New York City Department of Corrections offering him a position as a prison guard. During basic training, he was warned by instructors that he could jeopardize his career by fraternizing with inmates.

And upon graduating from the Academy, he was assigned to

afro.com

work at the infamous facility on Rikers Island. Unfortunately, Gary didn’t keep his nose clean very long.

His descent into depraved behavior began with sleeping around with female officers, even going so far as to record the act. He would subsequently pass his cell around the locker room to impress his male colleagues with proof of each conquest. Next, he started smuggling contraband behind bars: coke, booze, telephones and whatever else convicts’ friends and relatives were willing to pay a pretty penny for.

Gary eventually escalated to pimping in an attempt to cater to his captive clienteles’ carnal needs, too. He referred to his whores as “copstitutes” since they were fellow corrections officers secretly supplementing their modest civil service salaries by fellating and fornicating with felons in Rikers’ utility closets.

All of the above is recounted in riveting fashion in Corruption Officer: From Jail Guard to Perpetrator inside Rikers Island, a jaw-dropping memoir that’s as demoralizing as it is shocking. After finishing this eye-opening pageturner, one can’t help but wonder how much hope there can be for a country where the cops are just as crooked and as degenerate as the outlaws they’re supposed to be protecting society from.

A brutally-honest confessional exposing the ugly underbelly of an American incarceration system that nobody really wants to take a long, hard look at.

To order a copy of Corruption Officer, visit: http:// www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1476794324/ ref%3dnosim/thslfofire-20

Your History • Your Community • Your News

afro.com

B4

The Afro-American, April 25, 2015 - May 1, 2015

‘Blackbird’ Film Chronicles LGBT Coming-of-Age Tale

By Shantella Y. Sherman Special to the AFRO Coming-of-age stories remain the little darlings of Hollywood dramas. Highlighting teen angsts, peer pressure and the general insecurities associated with growing from childhood to adulthood, audiences easily relate to and embrace them. Few of Tinsel town’s

efforts, however, have focused on the trials faced by African-American LGBT youth.

Director Patrik-Ian Polk’s Blackbird, offers a compassionate, often painful exploration of the sexual and religious identity confusion experienced by 17-year-old Randy Rousseau.

The story of a choirboy whose sexual desires for a fellow classmate cause him to question his spirituality, Blackbird opens wide

Baltimore/Washington International Airport (BWI) Rail Station Improvements and Fourth Track Project

OPEN HOUSE Tuesday, May 12, 2015 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM Seven Oaks Elementary School 1905 Town Center Blvd Odenton, MD 21113

the dialogue on youth sexuality and maps out the undocumented narratives of countless members of the LGBT community.

Newcomer Julian Walker is powerful in his performance as Rousseau, demonstrating a level of compassion for both the execution and nuances of the script.

“There were a lot of things that I could relate to with Randy.

Coming out to my family and religious issues that I dealt with when I was a child … I thought I was over it. I thought I wasn’t still holding on to memories or feelings of how I felt. But doing the film, it was like therapy

sexual identity.

“It’s a story that will resonate profoundly in the hearts of many, and a story that I knew, if told correctly, would create a movement and bring about change to the lives of so many people, especially within the African-American and LGBT communities,” Mo’Nique said.

Mo’Nique plays Rousseau’s mother, Claire, a devout Christian, whose mental health is compromised following the disappearance of her daughter and estrangement of her husband, Lance, played by former Grey’s Anatomy actor Isaiah Washington.

“Blackbird is a film about the choices people are forced to make as they struggle to figure out how to be themselves. And why should just being who you are be a struggle?” asked Hicks.

Based on Larry Duplechan’s 1986 novel by the same name, Blackbird was filmed in Hattiesburg, Miss., and takes on a type of Southern-gothic tone, using the Bible belt, its

“‘Blackbird’ is a film about the choices people are forced to make as they struggle to figure out how to be themselves.”

Come to the Open House anytime between 5PM and 8PM to look at project displays, ask questions and provide comments.

– Sidney Hicks

The Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) is studying improvements to the BWI Rail Station including construction of an additional boarding platform and larger, modern station building, and the addition of a fourth track along the Northeast Corridor (Penn Line) between Odenton and Halethorpe Stations.

At the Open House you can: ■ Review and comment on the Environmental

Assessment and Section 4(f) Evaluation ■ See improvement plans ■ Meet representatives from the project team

The meeting is accessible to persons with disabilities. To request an interpreter for the hearing impaired or other ADA accommodations, please call 410-767-3999. http://mta.maryland.gov/bwi-amtrak-rail-improvement

Nation’s #1 African American Newspaper 2014 Nielsen-Essence Consumer Report

Facebook photo

Academy Award-winning actress Mo’Nique plays Claire in ‘Blackbird.’ getting over it,” Walker said.

Academy Award-winning actress Mo’Nique serves as the films’ executive producer with her husband Sidney Hicks, and said the story will have a monumental impact on the lives of young people struggling with

2015

conservative core, and the ideological shaping of taboo sex as grotesque to reimagine what it means to go from child to adult, virginal to sexual. Rousseau’s sexuality is fashioned as much by what he feels as where he is, who society tells him he is, and the rejection he believes he will incur.

Rousseau offers a multidimensional characterization by negotiating sexual discovery outside of common stereotypes.

Most importantly, Walker’s Rousseau is likeable.

Audiences will want him to find love and happiness.

“No matter who you are or no matter what you choose to be with your life, you deserve love,” said Walker. “I hope everyone enjoys this beautiful film of love, understanding and the many trials teens face while figuring out who they really are.”

Tuesday, May 19, 2015 830 E. Pratt St. • Baltimore, Md. 10:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. REGISTRATION & PAYMENT DEADLINE: Wed., May 13th EDUCATORS & EMPLOYERS: For exhibitor rates and information, visit www.afro.com or call 410-554-8200.

April 25, 2015 - May 1, 2015, The Afro-American

Nationals Fighting to Recover from Slow Start

SPORTS

O’s Take Two Games From Yankees, Split First Two Against Boston Baltimore Orioles Weekly – 2

By Perry Green AFRO Sports Editor

Washington Nationals Weekly – 2

By Dion Johnson Special to the AFRO

The Washington Nationals continued to recover from their slow opening week, winning four of seven games in their next two series. Washington beat the Philadelphia Phillies on April 12 to avoid a series sweep, but lost two of three against the Boston Red Sox from April 13 to April 15. Matched up with the Phillies again, Washington won two of three games from April 15 to April 18.

April 12: Nats Avoid Sweep by Phillies After losing the first two games of the series, Washington, in 10 innings of Game Three of the series, pulled out a 4-3 win to deny the Phillies a sweep. Bryce Harper homered, Clint Robinson had three hits and Wilson Ramos delivered the go-ahead RBI in the 10th. Max Scherzer wasn’t as sharp as he was in his first start of the season, but left the game with the lead after giving up one run in six innings with six strikeouts. Drew Storen got into a little trouble, but earned his second save in as many chances.

April 13-15: Nationals Lose Two of Three at Boston Opening Day at Fenway Park is always one of the most picturesque scenes in baseball, and this year was no different, providing a perfect backdrop for the emergence of Red Sox rookie Mookie Betts. In Game One of a three-game series, Betts robbed Harper of a homer, stole two bases on the same play as the Nats continued their shoddy early season defense, and hit a three-run homer as the Sox dominated in a 9-4 victory. The only solace for the Nats was the return of Jayson Werth to the lineup.

Game Two looked to be the breakthrough fans have been looking for, but more defensive miscues in the seventh inning, including two errors by pitcher Blake Treinen on one play and another by Ian Desmond, virtually guaranteed Washington’s fifth loss in six games. Stephen Strasburg gave up five runs as he pitched into the sixth inning, but was off the hook for the loss thanks to a six-run rally by the Nationals in the fifth inning. Michael Taylor had a bases clearing triple to lead the team with three RBIs in a losing effort.

B5

The offense continued the momentum from the night before with a dominating performance in Game Three, plating 10 runs and once again avoiding a sweep with a 10-5 victory. Ian Desmond blasted a solo shot over the Green Monster and Wilson Ramos had a bases clearing double to support Gio Gonzalez (1-1), who gave up five runs, four of them earned, in six innings.

April 16-18: Washington Takes Two of Three Over Phillies Back home after the week-long road trip, the Nats welcomed the Phillies for their first visit to Nationals Park this season. In Game One, Doug Fister pitched solidly into the seventh inning, allowing two runs on just four hits as home runs by Michael Taylor and Yunel Escobar and a two-run double by Ryan Zimmerman powered a 5-2 victory. Drew Storen pitched the ninth inning to pick up his third save.

Game Two marked Washington’s most complete game of the season so far, as Bryce Harper hit his third home run to pace the offense and Max Scherzer secured his first victory as a Nat in a 7-2 win. Scherzer has been as good as advertised since signing a seven year, $210 million dollar contract, allowing only two earned runs and striking out 25 in 21 innings this season. This win marked the team’s first three-game winning streak of the young season.

In Game Three, Ian Desmond’s physical issues in the field may have become a mental hurdle as well. Desmond committed another error, and his dropping of a ball while trying to complete a routine double play in the third inning enabled the Phillies to score two unearned runs off starter Jordan Zimmermann (1-2). The Nationals were unable to overcome the gaffes, falling 5-3 to end the winning streak. The error was Desmond’s majorleague worst eighth in 12 games. Bryce Harper absolutely crushed his fourth homer to dead center field, a blast estimated at 461 feet and the longest home run to dead center in Nationals Park history.

Next: Washington completes its four-game

The Baltimore Orioles won three of five games between April 13 and April 18, taking two games from the division rival New York Yankees before splitting wins with the Boston Red Sox in a weekend series. Baltimore carries a 6-5 record and sits in second place in the American League East.

April 13-15: Baltimore Claims Two Wins over Yankees at Home Wei-Yin Chen got the start for the Orioles in Game One of a three-game home series against New York on April 13 and pitched a solid game, allowing just four hits and two runs through six innings of work. But Tommy Hunter relieved Chen in the seventh inning and immediately gave up four runs, setting New York up for a 6-5 victory. O’s center fielder Adam Jones hit his third home run of the season and had a team-high three hits with two RBI in the loss.

Baltimore flipped the script in Game Two on April 14, beating the Yankees, 4-3. Starter Miguel Gonzalez pitched a beautiful game, tossing 10 strikeouts while surrendering only four hits and one run in seven innings. Kevin Gausman came in for Gonzales in the eighth inning but was pulled after giving up two quick runs. Zach Britton closed out the game for his second save of the season. Baltimore had success hitting against Yankees starter C.C. Sabathia; Adam Jones nailed a home run for the second straight game, marking his fourth of the season. Everth Cabrera and Caleb Joseph both also came up with big RBIs off Sabathia.

Game Three on April 15 fell on the leaguewide celebration of Jackie Robinson Day, and saw the Orioles pull off a 7-5 win. Following a modest start, Baltimore’s bats got red hot in the sixth inning as the O’s scored five runs.

Jonathan Schoop hit his third homer of the season and Manny Machado also went the yard for his first homer of the year. Starting pitcher Bud Norris threw seven strikeouts while giving up three runs in five innings.

Britton earned his third save of the year. home series with the Phillies on April 19, and then hosts the St. Louis Cardinals in a threegame series from April 21 to 23. The Nationals then head to Miami to face the Marlins in a three-game series from April 24 to 26.

April 17-18: O’s Split First Two Weekend Games in Boston Traveling to Fenway Park for a four-game

series against the Boston Red Sox, Baltimore lost Game One on April 17. 3-2. Starting pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez and the O’s bullpen had a strong performance, holding the Red Sox to just four hits and three runs. But the Orioles struggled offensively, recording just five hits.

Joseph had the only RBI of the game for Baltimore, a home run in the fifth inning.

Oriole ace Chris Tillman took the mound for Game Two on April 18 and led Baltimore to a dominant 4-1 win. Tillman pitched five scoreless innings and didn’t give up his first earned run until the sixth inning. Brad Brach and Darren O’Day both came out of the bullpen in relief before Britton eventually closed out the game for his fourth save of the season. Jones led all batters with three hits and Chris Davis picked up his second home run of the season with a ninth inning blast that helped seal the win for the Orioles.

Next: The Orioles will complete their fourgame road series against Boston with Game Three on April 19 and Game Four on April 20.

The O’s then head to Toronto for a three game series with the Blue Jays from April 21 to 23, before returning to Baltimore to host the Red Sox in a three-game set from April 24 to 26.

Baseball is a marathon, so being overly critical after one or two weeks really isn’t fair.

But if their defense does not improve, this team with postseason aspirations will have a hard time even making the playoffs.

You are invited to attend a

Public Open House

Tuesday, May 5, 2015 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM Mt. Royal Elementary/ Middle School 121 McMechen Street Baltimore, MD 21217 The Federal Railroad Administration, Maryland Department of Transportation, Amtrak and the Baltimore City Department of Transportation are working closely together on a federally-funded engineering and environmental study to develop various alternatives to the Baltimore and Potomac (B&P) Tunnel.

The study involves developing and evaluating various alternatives that address the tunnel structure and improve capacity, reliability and travel time for commuter, freight and intercity passenger rail service on the Northeast Corridor.

The open house will provide updated information on the alternatives moving forward and new engineering and environmental information.

Did you know?

The B&P Tunnel, which opened in 1873, is located between the West Baltimore MARC Station and Penn Station in Baltimore City and is used by 85 Amtrak trains, 57 MARC trains and 1-2 Norfolk Southern trains each day.

We want to hear from you! The meeting will include identical presentations at 5:30 pm, 6:15 pm and 7 pm. Come at a time that is convenient for you.

Can’t attend? Meeting materials also will be posted on our website: www.bptunnel.com.

The meeting location is accessible to persons with disabilities. If you require special accommodations, please contact info@bptunnel.com at least one week in advance of the meeting.

Si necesita traducción por favor póngase en contacto: info@bptunnel.com

B6

The Afro-American, April 25, 2015 - May 1, 2015

FAITH

Bishop Walter S. Thomas Reflects on 40-year Ministry amazing things we have been permitted to see. It is so strange to stand and see those who were not even born when I became pastor working hard to plan this celebration. I must admit I give God the glory for doing something so great with people that it inspires so many.

AFRO: What ingredients were key to helping you thrive in—what many people may not realize is—one of the toughest vocations?

Bishop Thomas: My parents taught me to be both idealistic and realistic. My mother taught us to have an indefatigable faith and my father taught us to work with the reality that you have.

Over these 40 years I have learned to trust God for the impossible. I have learned that God is beyond faithful and true. I have also taken into account the realities that I face and I have learned to manage in light of their brutal truth. Secondly, I have found a life anchored in Christ.

That anchor has held in the difficult moments and has given inspiration to take challenges that have seemed so improbable. Thirdly, I have worked and still do work with the best people in the world. I work with others. No success ever belongs solely to me. The evidences of this ministry are indeed joint ventures. I have been so blessed to work with hard workers, deep thinkers, and truly Christ filled people. Finally, I have had the unquestioned support of my loving family. My family has been a pearl of great price for me. I love them more than words can describe.

AFRO: How did you get into ministry?

Bishop Thomas: I was a graduate from college working in a supervisory position for a major corporation when a friend, the now Rev. Darrell Greene, asked to me visit the church he had recently joined. I said “yes” but meant “no.” On the appointed Sunday, however, I went to the New Shiloh Baptist Church pastored by the late Dr. Harold A. Carter Sr. I planned to be a Ph.D. in economics, but my stay at Shiloh caused that dream to fade day by day. I learned the real problem of life was the connection and lack of connection persons had with God. They missed God’s grace and greatness. After sitting there for months and involving myself in the ministry I felt the urging of God to enter the ministry. I accepted and have never looked back. bing.com

Bishop Walter S. Thomas

By Zenitha Prince Senior AFRO Correspondent New Psalmist Baptist Church on April 19 launched a year-long celebration to commemorate their pastor, the Rt. Rev. Walter Scott Thomas’ 40 years in ministry. Bishop Thomas was called to pastor the Baltimore congregation in 1975 and, since then, has overseen the growth of its membership from a couple hundred to several thousand; the development of various ministries that serve the Baltimore community; the building of and movement to a new sanctuary; and the nurturing of several sons and daughters in ministry. Bishop Thomas took time to answer a few of the AFRO’s questions on this auspicious season in his ministry.

AFRO: How does it feel to be celebrating 40 years in ministry?

Bishop Thomas: This is an exciting time. I had no idea 40 years ago that God would do the

When great trees fall, rocks on distant hills shudder, lions hunker down in tall grasses, and even elephants slumber after safety. When great trees fall in forests, small things recoil into silence, their senses eroded beyond fear. When great souls die, the air around us becomes light, rare, sterile. We breathe, briefly. Our eyes briefly see with a hurtful clarity. Our memory, suddenly sharpened, examines, gnaws on kind words unsaid, promised walks never taken. Great souls die and our reality, bound to them, takes leave of us. Our souls, dependent upon their nurture, now shrink, wizened. Our minds formed and informed by their radiance fall away.

We are not so much maddened as reduced to the unutterable ignorance of dark, cold caves. And, when great souls die, after a period peace blooms, slowly and always irregularly. Spaces fill with a kind of soothing electric vibration. Our senses, restored, never to be the same, whisper to us.They existed. They existed.

We can be. Be and be better. For they existed.” Maya Angelou Union Baptist Church under the leadership of Rev. Hathaway was full to the rafters on a breezy Tuesday morning as Rev. Hathaway and Dr. A.C.D Vaughn eulogized their friend. The Unified Voices of Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions conducted by Dr. Gregory Branch lifted their voice in adulation to a fallen warrior. They came from Tennessee State, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Alabama, Washington D.C., California, Tennessee, Kansas and Baltimore to say good-bye to a quintessential man. “A man for all seasons” whose friends like his Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity brothers, Dr. Johnnetta Coles, Dick Gregory, Sammie, Ellis, Mayor Stephanie RawlingsBlake, City Council President Jack Young, state Del. Nathaniel Oaks, Hospital CEOs, Lou Fields, Ronald Flamer, Myra Queen, Eleanor Matthews, Frances Gaines, JoAnne Jolivet, his coworkers and “everyday people” took time to pay tribute and celebrate the life of our longtime friend Dr. Levi Watkins, a son of the Civil Rights Movement, friend of Martin Luther King; a man who met Nelson Mandela and counted Maya Angelou as his personal friend, yet loved spending Sunday mornings with his local friends. To talk with Levi or Doc was like a history lesson. Oh, how I loved to hear him say Val I talked to Maya yesterday and I mentioned your name or see the joy on his face when he talked about the new African-American students he recruited for Hopkins medical program and to hear his laughter as his eyes crinkled into slits when telling a joke. He shared his love and talents to save the life of countless people who live today because Levi lived. Sundays will never be the same for Nathaniel, Goose, Mike, Fred, Bruce, Mark and Jack because as he always did when it was time to leave Doc just slipped quietly away.

“Welcome back, your dreams were your ticket out. Welcome back, to that same old place that you laughed about. Well the names have all changed since you hung around, but those dreams have remained and they’re turned around.

Who’d have thought they’d lead ya back here where we need ya. Yeah we

AFRO: What legacy do you believe you have created as pastor of New Psalmist—and not just within the walls of the church?

Bishop Thomas: As I reach this special milestone I cannot help but think of legacy. I hope that the joy of the Lord and the all sufficiency of Christ have radiated from my life in such a way to inspire others in the same pursuit. I want to leave a legacy of excellence and effectiveness. I have sought to make God real in human experience and to help others know God as the God of everyday life. I have sons and daughters in ministry who make me proud everyday as they take these themes to the people and places they serve and make them come alive once again.

AFRO: What is your hope/vision for the second half of your ministry?

Bishop Thomas: The second half? Well, I hope to empower persons to see beyond the horizons of their living and dream the dreams of God for their lives. I see new involvements as we follow God’s leading to transform lives. We are working more and more with the community, showing them the power of God’s collective people. I see young people becoming empowered and the church paving a way for that to happen.

tease him a lot cause we’ve got him on the spot, welcome back, welcome back, welcome back, welcome back.” John Sebastian Hundreds gathered on a rainy day in Baltimore to witness the investiture of former Mayor Kurt Schmoke as the eighth president of University of Baltimore at the Lyric Opera House. Members of the legal, judicial and political community were among the invited guests who witnessed Baltimore’s favorite son return home. The elegant reception and investiture guests included his lovely wife Dr. Pat Schmoke and children Gregory and Katherine, Marsha Jews, Dan and Delle Henson, Frank and Marcia Coakley, Reginald Thomas, Cheryl Hitchcock, Kenneth Thompson, Judge Yvonne Holt-Stone, Lydia and Sam Redd, Marion Patterson, Del. Charles Sydnor, Sean Burns, Dr. Frankie Martin, Jesola Jones, Dr. Ann Emery, Vernon Green, Rev. Frank and Marlaa Reid, former Mayor Sheila Dixon, Sylvia and Eddie Brown and Dr. James Wood.

Music was provided by Baltimore City College Jazz Band accompanied by Patrick Alston who delighted the audience with jazz standard Dat Der and other classic jazz pieces that had us patting our feet.

“Find a beautiful piece of art. If you fall in love with Van Gogh or Matisse or John Oliver Killens, or if you fall in love with the music of Coltrane, the music of Aretha Franklin, or the music of Chopin - find some beautiful art and admire it, and realize that that was created by human beings just like you, no more human, no less.” Maya Angelou Friends and coworkers from Living Classrooms celebrated Talib Horne’s appointment as the executive director of Bon Secours Community Works at Max’s of Broadway. The standing room only crowd included Marsha Jews, James Bond, Alexis Coates and Granville Templeton.

“Some enchanted evening” includes a night of gaming, entertainment, gourmet food and a fashion show at the Lyric to benefit “Suited to Succeed” an organization dedicated to helping women dress for success. For tickets www. suitedtosucceed.org or to donate slightly worn clothing call 410-528-1799.

A toast to John Lee and Marama Nengel of BAHA on hosting a fantastic evening at Azumi “ sitting on the dock of the bay” in Harbor East. The overflow crowd networked with their contemporaries in the hospitality industry while dining on sushi, ribs and other Japanese delicacies. Seen enjoying the night were Mayor Rawlings-Blake, Renita Mingo, Angela Burnett, Bernard Simms, Denise McKoy-Bell, Dr. Charlene Cooper-Boston, Yvonne West, Cereta Spence, Pat Roselle, Everlon Moulton, Don McCafferty, Brenda Lee, Libby Massey and Wanetah Wilkins.

“I’ll be seeing you” Valerie and the Friday Night Bunch

April 25, 2015 - May 1, 2015, The Afro-American

B7

City of Baltimore Department of Public Works Annual Water Quality Report Reporting Period: January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2014

BALTIMORE CITY WATER QUALITY REPORT FOR 2014 In the year 2014, the City performed approximately 150,000 water quality analyses as part of a continuous effort to assure the water you drink meets or exceeds regulatory standards. The water is analyzed for over 90 different drinking water contaminants. A summary of the finished water quality results is provided below. The data represents the most recent testing done in accordance with the requirements of EPA’s Water Testing Regulations and were the only regulated substances found in your drinking water. Baltimore City’s excellent drinking water meets or exceeds all these standards.

TERMS AND ABBREVIATIONS — What They Mean in Plain English Term / Abbreviation

Definition

What it Means

PPM

Parts per million

1 ppm is the same as one drop in 10 gallons of water.

PPB

Parts per billion

1 ppb is the same as one drop in 10,000 gallons of water.

HLD

Highest Level Detected

Same as defined.

MCL

Maximum Contaminant Level

The highest level of a contaminant allowed by health regulations established by the Environmental Protection Agency.

MCLG

Maximum Contaminant Level Goal

Health related goals. The MCL is set as close to this “goal” as possible but with consideration to achievability and cost.

NTU

Nephelometric Turbidity Units

Units of measurement used to report the level of turbidity or “cloudiness” in the water.

AL

Action Level

TT

Treatment Technique

If the “Action Level” for a particular contaminant is exceeded, a response that may include additional treatment steps and/or public education may have to be initiated by the water system.

A “Treatment Technique” is a required process that is intended to reduce the amount of a specific contaminant in drinking water.

pCi/L

picoCuries per Liter

A measure of the level of radioactivity in the water.

TURBIDITY

Relates to a condition where suspended Turbidity measurements are a way to describe the level of “cloudiness” of the water. particles are present in the water.

TOTAL/FECAL COLIFORMS

Indicator Bacteria

Type of bacteriological tests routinely used to determine if contamination has occurred in a drinking water system.

MRDL

Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level

Disinfectant level beyond which some people may experience irritating effects. Based on running annual average of monthly averages of distribution system samples computed quarterly.

MICROBIOLOGICAL CONTAMINANTS SUBSTANCE

MCLG

MCL

ASHBURTON PLANT

MONTEBELLO PLANTS

MAJOR SOURCES

TOTAL COLIFORMS

0

The presence of coliform bacteria in more than 5% of monthly samples will exceed the MCL.

Highest monthly percentage of positive samples: 4.66%* *Not a violation.

All repeat samples were negative

Highest monthly percentage of positive samples: 4.66%* *Not a violation All repeat samples were negative

Naturally present in the environment.

FECAL COLIFORMS and E. COLI

0

A routine sample and a repeat sample are total coliform positive, and one is also fecal coliform or E. Coli positive.

Highest monthly percentage of positive samples: 0%

Highest monthly percentage of positive samples: 0%

Human and animal fecal waste.

TURBIDITY SUBSTANCE

MCLG

MCL

TURBIDITY

None

Treatment Technique (TT)

HLD

LOWEST %

HLD

LOWEST %

Filtration

0.8 NTU

100

0.32 NTU

97%

1

ASHBURTON PLANT

MONTEBELLO PLANTS

MAJOR SOURCES

Soil run-off.

1. Turbidity cannot exceed 1 NTU and must be less than or equal to 0.3 NTU in at least 95% of measurements taken each month. Lowest % is the lowest percentage of monthly filtered water turbidity samples less than 0.3 NTU.

ARSENIC RESULTS SUBSTANCE

MCL

ASHBURTON PLANT

MONTEBELLO PLANTS

MAJOR SOURCES

ARSENIC

0.010 ppm

<0.003 ppm

<0.003ppm

Erosion of natural deposits.

LEAD AND COPPER TESTING Lead and copper testing was last required by regulatory standards in 2012. During that year, the testing involved 52 “tier 1” or high risks homes. To determine compliance, the 52 test results were arranged from the lowest value to the highest. The 90th percentile value is identified by: 52 x 0.9 = 46.8. Therefore, the 47th value, arranged from lowest to highest, must be below the “action level” for lead and copper. Our system met this compliance standard. Testing will be required again in 2015.

LEAD AND COPPER TESTING RESULTS (2012) SUBSTANCE

ACTION LEVEL

90TH PERCENTILE

SAMPLE RESULTS GREATER THAN ACTION LEVEL

15 ppb

5.38 ppb

0

1,300 ppb

256 ppb

0

LEAD COPPER

If present, elevated levels of lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and young children. Lead in drinking water is primarily from materials and components associated with service lines and home plumbing. The City of Baltimore is responsible for providing high quality drinking water, but cannot control the variety of materials used in plumbing components. When your water has been sitting for several hours, you can minimize the potential for lead exposure by flushing your tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before using water for drinking or cooking. If you are concerned about lead in your drinking water, you may wish to have your water tested. Information on lead in drinking water, testing methods, and steps you can take to minimize exposure is available from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-4264791 or at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.

INORGANIC CONTAMINANTS SUBSTANCE

MCLG

MCL

ASHBURTON PLANT

MONTEBELLO PLANTS

MAJOR SOURCES

HLD

RANGE

HLD

RANGE

BARIUM

2 ppm

2 ppm

0.02ppm

0.02 ppm

0.03ppm

0.03 ppm

Discharge of drilling wastes & metal refineries; erosion of natural deposits.

NITRATE (AS NITROGEN)

10 ppm

10 ppm

2.30 ppm

1.63 - 2.30 ppm

2.53 ppm

1.68 -2.53 ppm

Run-off from fertilizer use; leaching from septic tanks; erosion of natural deposits.

FLUORIDE SUBSTANCE FLUORIDE

MCLG 4 ppm

MCL 4 ppm

ASHBURTON PLANT

MONTEBELLO PLANTS

MAJOR SOURCES

HLD

RANGE

AVERAGE

HLD

RANGE

AVERAGE

0.76ppm

0.61 - 0.76 ppm

0.68 ppm

1.29 ppm

0.14 - 1.29ppm

0.70 ppm

Water additive that promotes strong teeth.

CHLORINE SUBSTANCE CHLORINE

MRDLG

MRDL

RUNNING ANNUAL AVG. OF MONTHLY SAMPLES COMPUTED QUARTERLY

4 ppm

4 ppm

0.49 ppm (Based on 4,787 distribution system samples collected in 2014)

MAJOR SOURCE Water treatment additive to disinfect supply.

RADIOACTIVE CONTAMINANTS SUBSTANCE

MCLG

MCL

ASHBURTON PLANT

MONTEBELLO PLANTS

BETA PHOTON EMITTERS

0 mrem/yr

50 pCi/L*

1.5 pCi/L

4 pCi/L

Erosion of natural deposits.

0 pCi/L

15 pCi/L

1 pCi/L

2 pCi/L

Erosion of natural deposits.

ALPHA EMITTERS

MAJOR SOURCES

*The MCL for Beta Photon Emitters is 4 millirems per year (a measure of radiation absorbed by the body). The EPA considers 50 pCi/l to be a level of concern for this contaminant.

VOLATILE ORGANIC CHEMICALS SUBSTANCE

MCLG

MCL

ASHBURTON PLANT

MONTEBELLO PLANTS

HLD (LRAA)

RANGE (LRAA)

*AVERAGE (LRAA)

HLD (LRAA)

MAJOR SOURCES

RANGE (LRAA)

*AVERAGE (LRAA)

TOTAL THM’S

N/A1

80 ppb

82 ppb

17 - 82 ppb

40 ppb

69 ppb

16 - 69 ppb

45 ppb

By-product of drinking water chlorination.

HAA(5)

N/A1

60 ppb

78 ppb

5 - 78 ppb

40 ppb

73 ppb

<0.5 - 73 ppb

31 ppb

By-product of drinking water chlorination.

1. Not applicable because there are individual MCLG’s for individual THM’s and HAA(5)’s. *The averages listed are running annual averages. Compliance is based on these values

Cryptosporidium (crip-toe-spor-ID-ee-um) is a protozoan, a single-celled parasite that can invade and reside in the intestines of animals and people. This organism is found in some surface water (lakes, reservoirs, rivers, etc.) And also

groundwater under the influence of surface water. Infection of healthy individuals by this organism can cause a gastrointestinal illness referred to as cryptosporidiosis (crip-toe-spor-id-ee-o-sis), which may produce symptoms including diarrhea, headache, abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting and low-grade fever. The symptoms usually last one to two weeks.

For immunocompromised people, however, the infection can continue and last for several months. Because there are no effective medical treatments, prolonged infection can be fatal for severely immunocompromised individuals. Human transmission routes include ingestion of contaminated food or drinking water or through direct contact with fecal matter.

The City monitors its raw water sources for the presence of Cryptosporidium using the services of environmental laboratories employing the latest available and approved analytical methods.

CRYPTOSPORIDIUM RESULTS RANGE Liberty: 0.0 Oocyst/Liter Loch Raven: 0.0 Oocyst/Liter Susquehanna River: 0.0 Oocyst/Liter

Microscopic view of Cryptosporidium oocysts

SECONDARY CONTAMINANTS Sodium levels in the water supply are often of concern to consumers who contact our facilities. Sodium naturally occurs in raw waters but the concentration can be increased due to the influence of run-off from road surfaces treated with rock salt during snow and ice removal efforts. During the year 2014, the average sodium concentrations measured in the finished water from the Ashburton and Montebello Water Treatment Plants were 19.6 ppm and 21.8 ppm respectively.

CLASSIFIED

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

TYPESET: Wed Aug 06 14:33:16 EDT 2014

FOSTER PARENT

Become a Foster Parent!

Treatment Foster Parents work from home, receive a tax-free stipend and professional 24 hour on-call support for providing shelter for a young person who has suffered abuse or neglect. For more information, call the CHOSEN Treatment Foster Care Program at 1-800-621-8834.

AD NETWORK ANTIQUES & COLLECTIBLES DC BIG FLEA MAY 2-3 Metro DC’s Largest Antique Event!

Dulles Expo-Chantilly, VA AFFORDABLE BOOTH RENTS FOR DEALERS!INFO: 757-430-4735 www. thebigfleamarket.com

AUCTIONS AUCTION - Construction Equipment & Trucks, Excavators, Dozers, Dumps & More!

April 23rd, 9 AM, Catlett, VA. Accepting Items Daily thru 4/17.

Motleys Asset Disposition Group, 804-2323300x.4, www.motleys. com/industrial, VAAL #16.

AUTOMOBILE DONATIONS DONATE AUTOS, TRUCKS, RV’S. LUTHERAN MISSION SOCIETY. Your donation helps local families with food, clothing, shelter, counseling.

Tax deductible. MVA License #W1044.

410-636-0123 or www.

LutheranMissionSociety. org A-1 DONATE YOUR CAR FOR BREAST CANCER! Help United Breast Foundation education, prevention, & support programs. FAST FREE PICKUP - 24 HR RESPONSE - TAX DEDUCTION 888-4447514

BUSINESS SERVICES Drive traffic to your business and reach 4.1 million readers with just one phone call & one bill. See your business ad in 104 newspapers in Maryland, Delaware and the District of Columbia for just $495.00 per ad placement. The value of newspapers advertising HAS NEVER BEEN STRONGER....call 1-855-721-6332 x 6 today to place your ad before 4.1 million readers. Email Wanda Smith @ wsmith@mddcpress. com or visit our website at www.mddcpress.com.

AD NETWORK

com or visit our website at www.mddcpress.com

EDUCATION TRAINING AVIATION Grads work with JetBlue, Boeing, Delta and othersstart here with hands on training for FAA certification. Financial aid if qualified. Call Aviation Institute of Maintenance 866-823-6729

EDUCATION TRAINING GET YOUR COMPUTER CERTIFICATION ONLINE! Train at home to become a Help Desk Professional!

NO EXPERIENCE NEEDED! Call CTI for details! 1-888-407-7173 AskCTI.com

MEDICAL SUPPLIES Need Interior/Exterior Stairlifts! Raymond Maule & Son offers STRAIGHT or Curved ACORN Stairlifts; Call Angel & Kathy TODAY 888-353-8878; Also available Exterior Porchlifts; Avoid Unsightly Long Ramps; Save $200.00.

LAND FOR SALE MOUNTAIN CABIN BARGIN 2 STATE VIEWS $69,900 CLOSE TO TOWN Park like hardwoods is the perfect spot This log sided shell. Easy access to 23,000 acres of public land all Utilities on large acreage parcel. Financing CALL OWNER 800-888-1262

REAL ESTATE Delaware’s Resort Living Without Resort Pricing! Low taxes! Gated Community, Close to Beaches, Amazing Amenities, Olympic Pool. New Homes from $80’s. Brochures Available 1-866-629-0770 or www.coolbranch.com

SERVS./MISC.

Want a larger footprint in the marketplace consider advertising Place your ad today in the MDDC Display in both The Baltimore 2x2 or 2x4 Advertising Sun and The Washington Network. Reach 3.6 Post newspapers, along million readers every with 10 other daily newspapers five days per week by placing your ad in 82 newspapers in week. For just pennies on the dollar reach 2.5 Maryland, Delaware and million readers through the District of Columbia. the Daily Classified With just one phone Connection Network in call, your business and/ 3 states: CALL TODAY; or product will be seen SPACE is VERY LIMby 3.6 million readers ITED; CALL 1-855HURRY....space is lim721-6332 x 6 or email ited, CALL TODAY!! wsmith@mddcpress. com or visit our website Call 1-855-721-6332 at www.mddcpress.com x 6 or email wsmith@ mddcpress.com or visit our website at www.

BUSINESS mddcpress.com

OPPORTUNITY

Place your ad today in both The Baltimore Sun and The Washington Post newspapers, along with 10 other daily newspapers five days per week. For just pennies on the dollar reach 2.5 million readers through the Daily Classified Connection Network in 3 states: CALL TODAY; SPACE is VERY LIMITED; CALL 1-855-721-6332 x 6 or 301-852-8933 email wsmith@mddcpress.

VACATION RENTALS OCEAN CITY, MARYLAND. Best selection of affordable rentals.

Full/ partial weeks. Call for FREE brochure.

Open daily. Holiday Resort Services. 1-800638-2102. Online reservations: www. holidayoc.com

TYPESET: Wed AprMISC. 22 13:43:53 EDT 2015 Butchers Hill Flea Market and Craft Fair May 9th 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

On the northwest corner of Patterson Park Baltimore St. at Patterson Park Ave near the Pagoda.

175+ vendors. Largest Flea Market in Baltimore.

All kinds of clothing, toys, sporting goods, pottery, photography, music, food & mellow jazz.

l

Sma

A F R O

SAMPLE

B8 The Afro-American, April 25, 2015 - May 1, 2015

l ad

s

410-554-8200

Buy it • Sell it Swap it • Lease it Rent it • Hire it

results

1 Col. Inch Up to 20 Words

AFRO Classified minimum ad rate is $26.54 per col. inch (an inch consists of up to 20 words).

Mail in your ad on form below along with CHECK or MONEY ORDER to: WASHINGTON AFRO-AMERICAN CO. 1917 Benning Road, N.E. Washington, D.C. 20002-4723 Attn: Clsf. Adv. Dept.

SUPPORT OUR ADVERTISERS

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

SUBSCRIBE TODAY

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

18.

19.

20.

LEGAL NOTICES

TYPESET: Wed Apr 22 13:57:42 EDT 2015

MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION MARYLAND AVIATION ADMINISTRATION INVITATION FOR BIDS FOR THE NON-EXCLUSIVE RIGHT TO OPERATE ON-DEMAND SHARED-RIDE GROUND TRANSPORTATION SERVICE AT BALTIMORE/WASHINGTON INTERNATIONAL THURGOOD MARSHALL AIRPORT The Maryland Aviation Administration (MAA) is issuing Invitation For Bids (IFB) No. MAA-IFB-15-002 For the Non-Exclusive Right to Operate OnDemand Shared-Ride Ground Transportation Service at Baltimore/ Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI Marshall) for a period not to exceed five (5) years.

NAME: ________________________________________________ ADDRESS: _____________________________________________ PHONE NO.:____________________________________________ CLASSIFICATION: ______________________________________ (Room, Apt., House, etc.)

INSERTION DATE:_________________

BALTIMORE AFRO-AMERICAN NEWSPAPER Legal Advertising Rates Effective October 1, 2008

All parties are invited to attend a Pre-Bid Conference at 10 a.m. (Eastern Daylight Savings Time), May 5, 2015, in BWI Marshall’s Assembly Rooms A & B, Third Floor Terminal Building, BWI Airport MD 21240-0766. Attendance is recommended as a source of information; however, attendance is not mandatory. MAA encourages Airport Concession Disadvantaged Business Enterprises to respond to this solicitation.

Interested bidders are encouraged to register for this opportunity at MAA?s website at: http://www.marylandaviation.com/bids.html. Failure to register may waive bidder’s right to receive direct notification of addenda and other information released regarding the IFB. As of April 22, 2015, the IFB may be downloaded at MAA’s website at: http://www.marylandaviation.com/bids. html. Bidders may also arrange to pick-up IFB No. MAA-IFB-15-002 by contacting Mr. Norman E. Hunt, Contracting Officer, Division of Business Activities, Office of Commercial Management at 410-859-7846.

Respondents should prepare responses in accordance with the requirement for submission set forth in the IFB under Article IX, Technical Information to be Submitted. IFB technical submissions must be delivered in person, by regular mail or by express mail and received by: Director Office of Commercial Management Maryland Aviation Administration P.O. Box 8766 Third Floor, Terminal Building BWI Airport, MD 21240-0766

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

CITY OF BALTIMORE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS OFFICE OF ENGINEERING & CONSTRUCTION

$180.00 per 3 weeks $180.00 per 3 weeks $360.00 per 6 weeks $125.00

$ 80.00 $ 200.00

FAMILY COURT 202-879-1212 DOMESTIC RELATIONS 202-879-0157

Note:For IFB Technical Submissions sent by overnight mail (e.g.

FedEx, UPS, etc.), omit the P.O. Box in the above address.

All responses must be received by no later than 4:00 p.m. (EDST), June 9, 2015. IFB technical submissions received after 4:00 p.m. on June 9, 2015 TYPESET: Wed part Apr of 22the 12:50:31 EDT 2015 may not become IFB process.

$180.00 per 3 weeks

a. Absent Defendant b. Absolute Divorce c. Custody Divorce

$ 150.00 $ 150.00 $150.00

NOTICE OF LETTING To place your ad, call 1-800-237-6892, ext. 262, Public Notices $50.00 & up Sealed Bids or Proposals, in duplicate addressed to the Board of Estimates depending on size, Baltimore Legal Notices are $24.84 per inch. of the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore and marked for Water Contract No. 1228R-Ashburton Washwater Lake Dam Stream Stabilization will 1-800 (AFRO) 892 be received at the Office of the Comptroller, Room 204, City Hall, Baltimore, For Proof of Publication, please call 1-800-237-6892, ext. 244 Maryland until 11:00 A.M. on Wednesday, June 17, 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, in Room 6 located on the 2015 first floor of the Abel Wolman Municipal Building, 200 N. Holliday Street, TYPESET: Wed Apr 22 12:50:51 EDT LEGAL TYPESET: Wed Apr 22 12:51:37 NOTICES Baltimore, Maryland 21202 as of Friday, April 24, 2015 and copies may be purchased for a non-refundable cost of $50.00.

CITY OF BALTIMORE IN THE CIRCUIT DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS Conditions and requirements of the Bid are found in the bid package.

COURT FOR OFFICE OF ENGINEERING & CONSTRUCTION BALTIMORE CITY All contractors bidding on this Contract must first be prequalified by the City Case No.: NOTICE OF LETTING of Baltimore Contractors Qualification Committee. Interested parties 24D15001039 should call 410-396-6883 or contact the Committee at 3000 Druid Park Sealed Bids or Proposals, in duplicate addressed to the Board of Estimates IN THE MATTER OF Drive, Baltimore, Maryland 21215. If a bid is submitted by a joint venture of the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore and marked for Water Contract Timothy Wayne (”JV”), then in that event, the document that established the JV shall No. 1336-Sidewalk Restoration will be received at the Office of the Williams be submitted with the bid for verification purposes. The Comptroller, Room 204, City Hall, Baltimore, Maryland until 11:00 A.M. on Prequalification Category required for bidding on this project is G90128 Wednesday, May 27, 2015. Positively no bids will be received after 11:00 FOR CHANGE OF A.M. Bids will be publicly opened by the Board of Estimates in Room 215, NAME TO Urban Stream Restoration.

Cost Qualification Range for this work shall be $500,000.01 to City Hall at Noon.

Ishaka-Ra-HannibalThe Contract Documents may be examined, without charge, in Room 6 El $1,000,000.00 A ”Pre-Bidding Information” session will be conducted at 3rd Floor Con- located on the first floor of the Abel Wolman Municipal Building, 200 N. Holliday Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21202 as of Friday, April 24, 2015 and ference Abel Wolman Municipal Building on May 8, 2015 at 10:00 A.M. ORDER FOR copies may be purchased for a non-refundable cost of $100.00.

Principal Item of work for this project are: NOTICE BY Installation of erosion and sedimentation control measures; installation of Conditions and requirements of the Bid are found in the bid package.

PUBLICATION tree protection measures; provision of a stabilized construction entrance; All contractors bidding on this Contract must first be prequalified by the City The object of this suit is provision, operation and maintenance of a bypass pumping system to divert of Baltimore Contractors Qualification Committee. Interested parties to officially change the streamflow; excavation and construction of scour hole; construction of should call 410-396-6883 or contact the Committee at 3000 Druid Park name of the petitioner cut-off wall; construction of cross-vane; construction of armored bank and Drive, Baltimore, Maryland 21215. If a bid is submitted by a joint venture from bench; provision and installation of rock, boulders, rip-rap and stabilization (”JV”), then in that event, the document that established the JV shall Timothy Wayne matting; structural modification of the cast-in-place concrete valve vault; be submitted with the bid for verification purposes. The Williams provision and installation of fencing; removal and planting of trees; grading, Prequalification Category required for bidding on this project is D02620: to Curbs, Gutters, Sidewalks. planting, site restoration and stabilization.

Ishaka-Ra-HannibalCost Qualification Range for this work shall be $500,000.01 to El $1,000,000.00 The MBE goal is 3% A ”Pre-Bidding Information” session will be conducted at 3rd Floor Con- It is this 9th day of April, The WBE goal is 10% ference Abel Wolman Municipal Building on May 5, 2015 at 10:00 A.M. 2015 by the Circuit WATER CONTRACT 1228R Court for Baltimore Principal Item of work for this project are: City, APPROVED: ORDERED, that pubPrincipal items of work for this project consist of restoration of various size lication be given one Bernice H. Taylor and types of concrete and masonry sidewalks, replacement of concrete time in a newspaper of Clerk, curb, combination curb and gutter, and monolithic medians, at various general circulation in Board of Estimates locations in Baltimore City.

Baltimore City on or APPROVED: before the 8th day of The MBE goal is 14% Rudolph S. Chow, P.E. May, 2015, which shall The WBE goal is 3% Director of Public Works warn all interested persons to file an affidavit WATER CONTRACT 1336 in opposition to the reAPPROVED: lief requested on or beBernice H. Taylor fore the 25th day of Clerk, Board of Estimates May, 2015

, e t a t s a k c i P any state!

APPROVED: Rudolph S. Chow, P.E. Director of Public Works

MDDC Press works with fellow press associations across the country to give you the best possible buys on advertising wherever you need it. We take care of scheduling and placement at no extra cost to you, and you save time and money. Call Wanda Smith at ext. 6 today.

Press Service 2000 Capital Drive, Annapolis, MD 21401

1-855-721-6332 www.mddcpress.com

Frank M. Conaway Clerk 4/24/15

April 25, 2015 - May 1, 2015, The Afro-American TYPESET: Wed Apr 22 12:51:12 2015 LEGALEDT NOTICES HOUSING AUTHORITY OF BALTIMORE CITY INVITATION FOR BIDS BROOKLYN HOMES ASPHALT SHINGLE INSTALLATION IFB NUMBER: B-1794-15 The Housing Authority of Baltimore City (”HABC”) will issue an Invitation for Bids (”IFB”) for interested and qualified vendors to submit sealed bids to overlay a shingle roofing system with new 25-year shingles at 80 one-story residential apartment buildings.

BIDS WILL BE DUE no later than 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Friday, May 22, 2015.

A non-mandatory pre-bid meeting will be held on Monday, May 11, 2015 at 10:00 a.m., at the Charles L. Benton Building, 417 E. Fayette Street, Room 416, Baltimore, Maryland, 21202.

HABC has established a minimum goal of twenty percent (20%) of the total dollar amount of the proposed contract for Minority Business Enterprise (”MBE”) utilization, applicable to all minority and non-minority businesses proposing to provide the requested services as the prime contractor. No goal has been established for participation of Women-owned businesses (”WBEs”), however, HABC strongly encourages and affirmatively promotes the use of WBEs in all HABC contracts.

Responders shall also comply with all applicable requirements of Section 3 of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968, 12 U.S.C. Section 1701u.

The IFB may be obtained on or after Monday, May 4, 2015, at the following location: Housing Authority of Baltimore City Division of Fiscal Operations, Purchasing Department 417 E. Fayette Street, Room 414 Baltimore, Maryland 21202 Attention: John Airey, Chief of Contracting Services Tel: (410) 396-3261 Fax: (410) 962-1586 Questions regarding the IFB should be directed in writing to the address and individual indicated above, and must include the reference: HABC IFB Number B-1794-15.

CAREER CORNER TYPESET: Wed Apr 22 12:53:18 EDT 2015

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY CAREER OPPORTUNITIES Automotive Mechanic I Custodial Worker Deputy Sheriff I, Entry Level Detention Officer Management Assistant II Office Support Assistant II Receptionist, Detention Center Visit our website at www. aacounty.org for additional information and to apply on-line.

You may use the Internet at any Anne Arundel County library, or visit our office at 2660 Riva Road in Annapolis. Deadlines to apply posted on website.

AEO/DF/SFE

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

You know you’re in the know...

When you read the AFRO!

B9

‘Black Panther Party’ Film Seeks Wider Audience

By Jazelle Hunt NNPA Washington Correspondent WASHINGTON (NNPA) – The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution, the first feature-length film to focus on the origin and downfall of the Black Panther Party for SelfDefense is making waves in the film community. It’s been a breakout entry at the Sundance Film Festival, and has already won an award at the Pan African Film & Arts Festival in Los Angeles.

But for acclaimed director Stanley Nelson, the real triumph will be in getting the film to the masses.

“We’re going to film festivals…and getting great, great, great responses. But one of the things that we feel is that film festivals reach a certain segment of the population,” says Nelson, the filmmaker behind Freedom Riders, The Murder of Emmett Till, and other notable documentaries on the African American experience.

“Another segment of the population doesn’t go to film festivals, and those people are the people we want to reach in the theatrical release.”

Thanks to financial backing from PBS, the film will have a theatrical release in more than a dozen cities across the country this September. Still, the documentary team hopes to raise additional funds through donations website, Kickstarter (kck.st/1IjSI1V).

These funds will support the film’s expansion via broad advertising, and public appearances and events with the filmmakers and Black Panther Party leaders.

“Our hope is that if we raise a bit more money…as we go through these [13] cities, if we’re successful and recoup our investment, then we’ll just put that money into going to more cities,” Nelson explains. “Our goal is not to make a profit, our goal is to get people out and have as many people see it as we possibly can.”

Other documentaries and movies have either focused on Black Panther figures such as Kwame Toure and Assata Shakur, or have explored the Panthers as one part of a larger picture. The Black Panther Party focuses solely on the organization in its entirety and weaves together a variety of voices, from Party martyrs to those tasked with their destruction. The film also boasts original content from notables such as Kathleen Cleaver, Elaine Brown, Henry Douglas, Elbert “Big Man” Howard, and more.

“One of the things we tried to do in this film is make sure it’s exciting and we tell a new story to everybody,” both the well-informed and the newcomers, Nelson says. “Some of the

great things that have happened in the screenings is, people who were Panthers themselves come up to us and say, ‘You know, I was in the middle of it. I didn’t know half the stuff that was in the film.’ There’s a lot of new information.”

Donations through the Kickstarter come with interesting perks, ranging from social media shout-outs for donations as small as $5, to T-shirts, tickets to screenings, autographed photos, and more. For those who cannot donate, Nelson recommends sharing the Kickstarter link with others.

New York, Los Angeles, Oakland, San Francisco, Berkeley, Chicago, Boston, Portland, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Atlanta, Seattle and Washington, D.C. are the 13 initial cities slated for wide release this fall. The film will also be screened at several film festivals around the country throughout the summer.

More information on these screenings can be found on www.

TheBlackPanthers.com.

Most schools teach little to nothing about the political and social movement launched by the Black Panthers. And in the midst of today’s movements against injustice and discrimination – from police violence to reproductive rights – the film is well timed.

“We want a lot of people to see the film, especially young people. It’s not only a film about the Black Panthers, but the Black Panthers represent young people who really became involved in changing the world,” Nelson says. “Right or wrong, they did feel like they were changing the world. And we want young people to get that message.”

B10

The Afro-American, April 25, 2015 - May 1, 2015

Author’s Corner Title: Attributes of an Aquarius Author: Ashly E. Smith Release Date: Feb. 18

can relate to despite their zodiac signs, race or gender.

Ashly E. Smith, a writer and poet from Baltimore, graduated from the Broadcasting Institute of Maryland, and also attended Towson University. She belongs to the Academy of American Poets and The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ). With her strong pop culture background, she is a regular contributor to various publications including the Examiner and Graffiti on the Wall magazine where she creates articles that inspire, as well as entertain.

What’s next on the horizon for you?

Definitely more books! I have much more inspiration to share since I’m still learning every day.

What was the impetus for writing this book?

My goal is to be one who inspires and uplifts, through sharing numerous experiences that we all deal with from tests of faith, to personal sorrow and triumph. While serving as a guide for those who have lost the way, I also wanted to paint a lyrical picture of the cogent heart that it takes to attain the gold at rainbow’s end.

What’s the overall theme? The theme of my book is poetry with elements of inspiration and self help.

What surprised you about the development of the book? I was surprised at how much I have grown both mentally and spiritually. The experiences from which my words were created have made me realize that I would have been incapable of releasing my book 5 or 10 years ago.

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

The importance of empowering yourself

when others refuse to do so.

What one thing do you want the reader to remember forever?

That no matter how bleak things seem, quitting is not an option when it comes to pursuing your dreams.

What did you learn during the writing process?

Ashly E. Smith

I found a plethora of attributes within myself that many others

Your Primary Care is Our Primary Concern

Downtown Personal Physicians

Dr. Chintan Desai (l-r) Drs. Thomas Lynch, Francis “Skip” Strain, Paul Sabundayo and Arnel Tagle The Mercy 907 Group

Dr. Rosemary Olivo

Dr. Navara Malayaman

Dr. Seema Rao

Dr. Kay Nwe

Drs. Chintan Desai and Sebastian John Canton Personal Physicians

Drs. Jonathan Rich and Samyra Sealy

Top Primary Care Physicians located on the Mercy Medical Center campus and in Canton Offer patients expertise and medical treatment for everyday aches and pains as well as long-term health conditions Dr. Janet O’Mahony

Conveniently located minutes from the Inner Harbor, Federal Hill, Canton, Baltimore Metro Center, Fells Point, Mt. Vernon, Locust Point and McHenry Row

Dr. Theresa Lorch The Bose Medical Group

DOWNTOWN

One-stop access to Mercy’s renowned surgeons, medical experts and specialists Mercy on-site Diagnostic Testing and Screening Services

Dr. Ernestine Wright

On-site Parking and Front Door Valet Services

301 St. Paul Place Baltimore, MD mercydowntowndocs.com

Dial a Downtown Doctor 1-800-MD-Mercy Now Accepting New Patients 2015_AA_ DPPad.indd 1

2/9/15 3:03 PM