Baltimore Afro-American Newspaper June 28 2014

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Volume 122 No. 47

June 21, 2014 - June 21, 2014, The Afro-American A1 $1.00

JUNE 28, 2014 -JULY 4, 2014

Freedom Summer 1964:

Remembering Fannie Lou Hamer – Part II By Marsha Rose Joyner Special to the AFRO It seems that all of my life I have been infected with the participatory democracy bug. In segregated schools and being a daughter of the Afro-American Newspapers, I was taught the United States was my government and I had a right to participate in the direction and operation of political systems. So I did, and still do. Therefore, to protest Senator Douglass from Illinois over a project that had nothing to do with the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (MFDP),

I drove from Highlands, Air Force Base, N.J. to the Democratic Convention on the boardwalk in Atlantic City. Being nearly nine months pregnant, with a toddler in the stroller, my husband objected to my daring exploit, saying, “Do not even call me if you have

this baby down there.” Armed with baby and protest signs, I was off. Not having a clue what to expect, and with the sudden realization that I would never locate the other Air Force Wives who were also driving from various parts of New Jersey loaded down with children and with protest signs, I arrived on the Boardwalk to immense crowds. I walked among the picketers, on-lookers, the hordes of police and media everywhere; even my own mother, Elizabeth Murphy Oliver from the AfroAmerican Newspapers was a part of Wikimedia Commons Continued on A3

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Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown and supporters cheer at his election watch party.

Facebook photo

Early MD Primary Yields Wins, Losses and Surprises By Roberto Alejandro Special to the AFRO One of the biggest upsets of the June 24 Maryland Gubernatorial Primary, a total shock for some, was the victory of relative newcomer, Marilyn Mosby, over one-term City State’s Attorney Gregg Bernstein. Mosby was ahead with 54.7 percent of the vote at press time. Not many were surprised that Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown prevailed in the Democratic primary race for the governor’s seat, defeating principal rivals Attorney General Doug Gansler and Delegate Heather Mizeur by wide margins. Sen. Brian Frosh, in something of an upset, won the Democratic primary for Attorney General over Delegates Jon Cardin and Aisha Braveboy. Continued on A4

Black Fire Chief Suing BWI for Retaliatory Firing By Roberto Alejandro Special to the AFRO In March, acting Fire Chief Gregory Lawrence was fired from the BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport Fire Department. The termination came after a state audit found irregularities with items such as the mileage reported on fuel reimbursement forms and Lawrence’s use of his identification badge to swipe in and out of work. Lawrence has sued the

department over his termination, the second time he has sued the department, and his supporters allege his firing was in retaliation for his efforts to increase the representation of African-Americans in the fire service. Lawrence, a Salisbury, Md. native, is a retired Marine Corps airfield service officer, who at one point headed both Kona International Airport and Hilo International Airport in Hawaii. In 2001, hoping to find work closer to his mother who had fallen – Alan Legum Continued on A5

“They say he swiped in, or he used his state vehicle, on a day that he was supposed to be off. But he worked days that he was off, he’s the fire chief.”

Photos by Roberto Alejandro

Chief Gregory Lawrence is suing the BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport Fire Department for the second time. He alleges he was wrongfully terminated by the department in March.

Florida Reignites Voter Suppression By Zenitha Prince AFRO Senior Correspondent

Seventh in a series detailing states’ effort to keep citizens from voting. The root of modern-day voter suppression is buried in Florida, and it grew and blossomed during the 2000 presidential elections. “Florida is the state where awareness of how serious flaws in elections administration could result in voters being disenfranchised developed,” said Marcia Johnson-Blanco, coordinator, Voting Rights Project, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. The critical role of Florida in deciding the presidential

contest between Republican candidate George W. Bush and Democrat Al Gore, 88 percent of the eligible and the narrow margin voters removed were Africanby which the outcome American. was decided shined a global-sized spotlight on American. the state, revealing several “A lot of their data was election irregularities. Before inaccurate,” said political the elections, state officials analyst David Bositis, an decided to purge the voter expert on Black politics. “And list of duplicate registrations, it [the purging process] was deceased voters, and people not carefully done to avoid believed to be ex-felons – making mistakes.” the state is distinguished In addition, there was an by its permanent felon unusually high number of disenfranchisement policy. “overvotes,” or choices of However, thousands of more than one candidate for eligible voters’ names were the same position, especially scrubbed in the process, and 88 percent of the voters Continued on A3 removed were African-

2014 Maryland Primary

Mosby Wins Big Over Bernstein 55% to 45% By Sean Yoes Special to the AFRO

University of Maryland Law Professor Larry Gibson working his magic at Mosby headquarters on Election Day.

A little after five o’clock Tuesday afternoon it was clear to me former Baltimore City assistant prosecutor Marilyn Mosby was going to defeat incumbent state’s attorney Gregg Bernstein, her old boss. Because it was right around

Continued on A5


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