June 8, 2013 - June 8, 2013, The Afro-American A1 $1.00
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Volume 121 No. 44
JUNE 8, 2013 - JUNE 14, 2013
Supreme Court OK’s DNA Sampling During Arrests
Celebration of a ‘Determined’ Life
Critics Say May Adversely Impact Minorities of color. Meredith Curtis, a spokesperson for American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland, agreed. “There is a disproportionately high number of minorities who are arrested and you would have a database full of minorities,” said Curtis. “There is something intrinsically wrong with that.” Over the first three years of implementation, the state has extracted DNA samples from more than 33,000 men in Maryland; 61 percent of those men are African American. The Supreme Court ruling reverses a Maryland Court of Appeals ruling in Maryland v.
By Krishana Davis AFRO Staff Writer Civil rights experts and privacy advocates say the U.S. Supreme Court’s 5-4 decision to approve DNA sampling during arrests for “serious” crimes will disproportionately impact minorities. Larry Gibson, a professor at the University of Maryland School of Law, said he was disappointed with the Supreme Court’s decision in the ruling on Maryland’s DNA collection law. He said minorities could be negatively impacted by the ruling based on the continued use of racial profiling by law enforcement officers against people
INSIDE A3
Washington View
The Supreme Court and Privacy Violation
A4
Guilty Verdict Upheld in Robocall Case
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Members of New Shiloh Baptist Church, and pastors around the country, are celebrating the life of Rev. Dr. Harold A. Carter, Sr.
Continued on A3
See tribute on AFRO Faith page, B5.
Construction Officially Underway on Baltimore’s First Casino By Zenitha Prince Special to the AFRO With the official groundbreaking on May 29, construction of the $400 million Baltimore Horseshoe casino is moving “full steam ahead,” said casino official Alex Dixon. “The groundbreaking is a tremendous first step in bringing the physical building to fruition,” the 32-year-old said. “It’s ceremonial in nature but provides a lot of motivation to the team.” Looming legal challenges alleging potential environmental risks briefly halted construction of the 335,000-square-foot complex, but such delays are not unexpected, Dixon said, and the project is on track for its grand opening in the summer of 2014. “Every project of this size is going to have stepping stones and so it’s par for the course to have road blocks,” he said. But, for the most part, “the people we can identify in the community have been warm and accepting and have been rooting
for us.” Dixon, who was recently named vice president and assistant general manager of the new facility, played an integral role in courting investors to finance the project. Dixon first visited Charm City as a 15-yearold on a college tour of Morgan State University. And, as a student athlete at Howard University in nearby Washington, D.C., he often came to the city to play against the MSU football team, so he was familiar with the city. “In that process, we were very much cheerleaders of the growth prospects in Baltimore and that resonated with investors,” he told the AFRO. But even as Baltimore’s prospects lured investors, the casino’s potential benefits also lured local
Lt. Gov. Brown Taps Howard County Exec. Ulman for Running Mate By Ariel Medley Special to the AFRO Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown, who hopes to move into the state’s top executive post after next year’s election, has named Howard County Executive Ken Ulman as his running mate. Brown (D), who hails from Prince George’s County, made the announcement June 4 in Columbia. “Ken has proven to be an extraordinary, energetic, experienced and accomplished county executive,” Brown said. “He is focused on results and under his leadership, residents of Howard County have benefited and enjoyed success.” Elected county executive in 2006, Ulman has worked to ensure that Howard County remains, as Money magazine puts it, one of the “Best Places to Live” in America. Continued on A3
Howard County Executive Ken Ulman
Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown
supporters. Those cheerleaders include state and city officials such as Mayor Stephanie RawlingsBlake, who was on site for the groundbreaking on Russell Street. Among those expected benefits is the development of South Baltimore, the entryway to the city for visitors coming from Washington, D.C., Virginia and other southern states. “Where we’re located gives us the opportunity to provide a new gateway to Baltimore,” Dixon said. “We are literally at the doorstep of opportunity.” Horseshoe Baltimore is expected to generate more than $275 million annually in gaming and revenue and taxes for the state coffers, and $32 million annually Alex Dixon Continued on A4
Mentoring Program Targets African-American Males By Blair Adams Special to the AFRO
For 17 years, Cameron Miles has been leading the Mentoring Male Teens in the Hood program in Baltimore to target troubled males. Miles, who grew up West Baltimore, started the program after he saw an alarming number of young African-American men headed in the wrong direction. “The neighborhood is completely different today than it was then, but you still had your occasional stabbings,” said Miles of his old neighborhood. Working at the city’s Department of Social Services, Miles saw men coming in daily. “I began to notice there were young African-American men who were angry, disrespectful and who were just crying out for love,” he said. “I wanted to do something. I wanted to push men to do the right thing and to do better.” Miles knew that boys who have alternatives have the best chance of resisting the temptations of the streets. “Often, these young boys are immersing themselves in negative outlets, whether it’s drugs, gangs, alcohol or disrespecting women,” he said, adding that he wanted to “create an avenue where young men felt that someone believed in them.” Mentoring Male Teens in the Hood was
Copyright © 2013 by the Afro-American Company
Miles’ strategy for success for young men. He started the program in 1996 with just five young boys and one goal; to save young lives. Today, it is credited for providing an positive alternative to negative behavior. Miles recently hosted his fifth annual fundraiser at the New Shiloh Family Life Center in Baltimore. He said “a good chunk” of the money raised funds their summer
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Dr. Charles Ogletree, Harvard law professor