Volume Volume 123 123 No. No. 49 20â22
July 11, 2015 - July 11, 2015, The Afro-American A1 $1.00
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JULY 11, 2015 - JULY 17, 2015
Baltimore
Washington
Chicagoâs Violent Weekend
⢠Batts Fired Over
⢠U.S., Cuba Relations
⢠What Can Baltimore
⢠Mayorâs Allies Respond
Good for D.C. B1
Spike in Violence D1 Learn From Ferguson? D1
to Criticism B1
AP Photo
Amari Brown, 7, was celebrating the Fourth of July with his family when he became a victim of gun violence. Chicago area mourners constructed a memorial in the boyâs honor. A3
Incarcerated Women, Girls Suffer Abuse and Neglect in Criminal Justice System
⢠Sheila Dixon Talks to The AFRO D1
⢠Morgan State
University Awarded $500,000 Grant D1
By Shantella Y. Sherman Special to the AFRO ssherman@afro.com
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U.S. Rep. Karen Bass leads a panel on females formerly incarcerated to help legislators understand how best to provide intervention services. that the best policy is done when the people who are most immediately impacted
are involved in telling the policymakers what the policy should be,â Bass
Lupus Disproportionately Affects Black Women
$32 Billion in Funding Could Raise Awareness By Shantella Y. Sherman Special to the AFRO ssherman@afro.com
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U.S. Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.) recently held a panel of juvenile court judges and young women to discuss how Congress should address the specific needs of women and girls in the judicial system. The panel, on June 26, focused on issues impacting women and young girls in prison, including abuse and neglect during incarceration. The panel also addressed the disproportionate number of female prisoners formerly in the foster care system and who have suffered childhood physical abuse, sexual molestation, and abandonment. âFundamentally, I believe
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Lupus, or systemic lupus erythematosus, is a chronic and often debilitating autoimmune disease that impacts more than 1.5 million Americans. Characterized by intense fatigue, exhaustion, joint pain, and memory problems, lupus is three times more common among the Black female populations than any other group. And, while lupus affects women in their childbearing years, the onset of lupus in Black women is earlier and more likely to develop into severe organ problems. Among health officials lupus has been termed everything from âunpredictable,â to âmisunderstood,â and is difficult to diagnose.
Additionally, lupus remains a challenge to treat, according to the Lupus Foundation of America, existing outside of the national health dialogue with few awareness efforts in place. The exact cause of lupus is not known, though researchers believe that there are hereditary genetic markers that keep the immune system from functioning properly. Additionally, a number of factors can trigger lupus attacks, including viral infections, such as mononucleosis. No two cases of lupus are alike. Some people develop kidney problems, for example, while others get premature heart disease, and others suffer from strokes or develop lung inflammation. In recent weeks, lupus activists from around the country visited Capitol Hill, where they successfully
said. âJuvenile justice is an absolutely critical issue for us and while weâre engaging
⢠Camp Provides New Experiences for Area Kids B1
⢠Housing Authority
Expands âMove to Workâ Program B1 in this discussion in this country girls and women must be included in the discussion because our needs are different in the criminal justice system.â According to data released by the Bureau of Justice Statistics in 2007, the most recently available data, more than 50 percent of the women in jail reported having been physically or sexually abused before their imprisonment. Coming from an abusive environment directly impacts how young women see themselves, and therefore the decisions they make. According to the American Continued on A3
Baltimoreâs Outdated Models Leave Some Wondering if Homelessness is a Priority By Roberto Alejandro Special to the AFRO ralejandro@afro.com âIf Mrs. Blake would go ahead and give us an opportunity, give us a building, let us go ahead and work on it â because we have skills â we could fix that building up and we could live in there. Charge a certain amount of
rent, which is reasonable because we are homeless, but help us out.â Warren Bell, a homeless resident of an encampment along Fallsway, made this request of Baltimore City Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake. But as members of the homeless services community are increasingly emboldened to point out, it is a request Continued on A3
âAmong health officials lupus has been termed everything from âunpredictable,â to âmisunderstood,â and is difficult to diagnose. â
Continued on A3
Photo by Roberto Alejandro
(L to R) Kay-Kay, Archie Williams, and Warren Bell pose for a picture before a tent at a homeless encampment along Fallsway in downtown Baltimore. All three are current or former residents of the encampment who are still navigating homelessness.
Copyright Š 2015 by the Afro-American Company