Baltimore Afro American Newspaper January 31 2015

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Volume 123 No. 26

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JANUARY 31, 2015 - FEBRUARY 6, 2015

Four Black Men Wrestle With America’s Question of Blackness

AFRO Series–Part Three

Fed Funding for STEM Ed Could Be More Robust, but Which Programs Work Best Is Unclear

By Roberto Alejandro Special to the AFRO With the nation facing a serious diversity gap in science,

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technology, engineering and math (STEM) education and employment, federal funding for STEM education is increasing, but still playing catch-up. While experts say this funding in low-income and minority communities could be more robust, the greatest need resides in the informal learning sector (e.g. summer camps), where limited evidence is available about which programs are most effective, making increased investment a blind gambit.

In his budget for 2015, President Barack Obama sought $2.9 billion for STEM education efforts, a 3.7 percent increase over the 2014 funding levels. According to James Brown, executive director of the STEM Education Coalition, an alliance of business

Continued on A4

Photo © Richard Anderson/Center Stage

One Night in Miami: Jim Brown, Cassius Clay, Sam Cooke and Malcolm X confer, debate, fight about the question.

By Roberto Alejandro Special to the AFRO “It’s been a long, a long time coming, but I know a change gon’ come,” sings music legend Sam Cooke, played by Grasan Kingsberry, at one point during One Night in Miami. This is a play that bends Cooke’s hopeful assertion into a

poignant question about the optimism present in that famous phrase.

One Night in Miami, directed by Kwame Kwei-Armah and currently playing at Center Stage, finds Cooke, freshly anointed heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali (still Cassius Clay), civil rights icon Malcolm X, and NFL legend Jim Brown wrestling with the

responsibilities that often adhere to Blackness in a racist context. Following Ali’s first defeat of Sonny Liston for the heavyweight title on Feb. 25, 1964, the four men gather in a hotel room in Miami to celebrate Ali’s victory and wind up having a discussion about what it means Continued on A3

Caret Appointment as Chancellor of U of Md Encounters Strong Objections over Past Role in Violating HBCUs’ Constitutional Rights

By Zenitha Prince Senior AFRO Correspondent A new bill that would derail the controversial appointment of Robert Caret, now president of the University of Massachusetts System, as chancellor of the University System of Maryland has become the next chapter in an ongoing battle

to fight duplication of programs offered by the state’s HBCUs and other vestiges of segregation.

State Sen. Joan Carter Conway, chair of the Maryland General Assembly’s Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee, recently introduced SB

19, which would require the legislature to approve whomever the Board of Regents chooses to run the University System of Maryland. Currently, the ultimate authority lies with the Board.

The Board’s recent appointment of Caret as the next chancellor of the Continued on A3

Men Meet Need for Big Brothers Mayor Rawlings-Blake Discusses in Baltimore City Reducing Fees on Small Businesses,

By Lisa Snowden-McCray Special to the AFRO

Fifty-year-old Ray Carter said he had it rough as a child, growing up in Brooklyn. He made a good life for himself – he has served in the military, as a deputy sheriff, and currently works at Morgan State as an academic advisor – but he thinks if he’d had a

role model as a child, he could have gone even further.

That is why he is a “big” in the Greater Chesapeake branch of the nationwide program Big Brothers Big Sisters. The program pairs up boys and girls with adult mentors. Carter has been with the group four years, but has been mentoring for about 20. He says Continued on A4

Leon Henry, Derrick, Jaeden and Sean Yoes, host of AFRO First Edition

Economic Development

By Roberto Alejandro Special to the AFRO Baltimore must become more of a pedestrian city if it is to grow and attract investment, according to Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake.

In pursuit of that aim, RawlingsBlake recently moved to reduce or eliminate a number of fees on small businesses, that not only exact an economic cost but also stand in the way of business owners making improvements to their facades and sidewalk areas (like installing bike racks) that can attract more foot and bike traffic to the city.

“I think if Baltimore is going to be a growing city we have to become a more pedestrian

city,” Rawlings-Blake told the AFRO during an interview on the fee reduction and her views on developing Baltimore economically.

“Cities across the world that are vibrant and thriving aren’t carcentered cities. They are focused on strengthening their neighborhoods, neighborhoods that have multiple modes of transportation options, that are walkable, that encourage cycling. And if we want to fit that model and continue to attract people to move in the city, and, quite frankly, keep people in the city, we have to try to create those amenities that make people want to stay.”

Keeping people in the city, as well as attracting new residents, Continued on A4

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The Afro-American, January 31, 2015 - February 6, 2015

NATION & WORLD

Black Former Cop Shot 28 Times When Arrested, Freed from Prison

A former Chicago cop who was shot 28 times by a group of White officers was released from prison after his clemency petition for a 40-year sentence was accepted.

The petition of Howard Morgan, 63, along with that of 43 others, was granted by outgoing Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn.

On Feb. 21, 2005, Morgan was pulled over by police for driving the wrong way on a one-way street. Morgan was off duty at the time from his job as a detective for the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad line; Morgan had previously worked for the Chicago Police Department for eight years.

According to The Chicago Sun-Times, prosecutors said

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Morgan became uncooperative and fired his service weapon at police; The Huffington Post reported that Morgan claimed he never fired his weapon, a claim backed by up the testimony of the lone independent witness in the case. Morgan was shot 28 times, with 21 of those Photo courtesy of Freehowardmorgan. bullets hitting him in the back, com according to MSNBC. Howard Morgan was A jury subsequently found released from prison after Morgan not guilty on three his clemency petition for charges, including discharging a 40-year sentence was his weapon, and deadlocked accepted. on a charge of attempted murder. In a 2012 retrial, a second jury found him guilty of attempted murder; he was later sentenced to 40 years in prison.

“What I really believe this is, is an example of driving while Black,” Morgan’s attorney, Benjamin Crump, told MSNBC. “And we don’t need to go much further than that.”

Despite Morgan’s release, his conviction on the charge still stands.

“Right now I’m just concentrating on clearing my name, dealing with this conviction,” Morgan told Chicago CW affiliate WGN. “Clearing it because I’m absolutely innocent of those charges.”

Pennsylvania Female Basketball Star Dies After Choking on Chewing Gum in Sleep

A California University of Pennsylvania senior and basketball star was found dead in her apartment after she apparently choked on chewing gum while sleeping.

Shanice Clark, 21, was found unresponsive in her California, Pa. dorm room at 3 a.m. on Jan. 19, according to The Toronto Sun. Attempts to revive her through CPR were unsuccessful, and she was pronounced dead at a local hospital about an hour later.

According to The Associated Photo courtesy of the California University of Press, California Pennsylvania borough police Police officers said Shanice Clark’s said Clark’s death death was the accidental result of was the accidental having aspirated chewing gum. result of having aspirated chewing gum into her lungs. Aspiration can occur from inhaling objects such as liquid, food, or stomach contents through the windpipe.

In a statement, California University of Pennsylvania athletics director Karen Hjerpe said, “Shanice was a bright student and talented player. Her smile and personality will be missed.”

Clark was a Toronto native and a communications major.

Photo courtesy of Twitter

A restaurant in the Borgata casino drew ire after featuring fried chicken on its MLK Day menu.

She transferred to the western Pennsylvania school after attending Santa Fe College in Gainesville, Fla. For two years.

Atlantic City Casino Offers Fried Chicken, Collard Greens on Martin Luther King Day— Was this Racist?

An intended tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King went awry when an Atlantic City casino offered fried chicken, collard greens and macaroni and cheese on its menu.

Professional poker player Shaun Deeb was at the Borgata Casino on Jan. 19 when he saw one of its restaurants advertising an Martin Luther King Day menu that included fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, collard greens, sweet potato casserole and a slice of pecan pie for $24, according to Philadelphia magazine. He took a picture of the oversized menu and posted it to his Twitter page with the hashtag #isitracist.

The image garnered thousands of comments. Some Twitter users felt it reflected racist stereotypes. Others felt critics were being overly sensitive and were taking political correctness too far.

The Borgata responded to Deeb’s tweet, saying: “We intended to honor the weekend by offering some of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s favorite foods as reported by many sources.”

Borgata senior vice-president Joe Lupo also issued an official statement amid the uproar.

“Our general manager of the restaurant is an African American female who wanted to come up with the menu to celebrate and honor Dr. King,” Lupo said, as quoted by the magazine. “We allow our managers to run their restaurants. She did research and came up with an authentic recipe. It’s very clear that these were his favorite foods.”

Lupo added that the menu followed the Borgata restaurants’ tradition of offering other holiday-specific menus, including Mexican food on Cinco de Mayo, Irish food for St. Patrick’s Day and Chinese food for Chinese New Year.

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The Afro-American, January 31, 2015 - January 31, 2015

January 31, 2015 - February 6, 2015, The Afro-American

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ACLU MD and MD Restorative Justice Initiative Report Calls for Changes to Parole Process

By Roberto Alejandro Special to the AFRO Of prisoners serving life sentences in Maryland, 77 percent are Black, though Blacks only make up a third of the state’s population. Maryland leads the nation in the percentage of lifers who committed crimes as juveniles, at 15 percent, and is tied with Alabama for the highest percentage of juvenile lifers who are Black, at 84 percent.

These statistics are from a recent American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Maryland and Maryland Restorative Justice Initiative (MRJI) report entitled {Still Blocking the Exit.} The report calls for changes to the parole granting process, arguing the current process politicizes parole decisions, causing persons deemed eligible for parole to remain incarcerated at substantial costs to the state, legitimizing a racial approach to incarceration.

“The politics have become so much a part of the release, that it tends to govern decisions,” said Walter Lomax, founder and director of MRJI, and a co-author of the report.

Under Maryland’s current system, a parole commission, whose members the governor appoints, makes parole recommendations. The governor must sign off on the commission’s recommendations before a prisoner deemed eligible for parole is released.

In 2011, the Maryland General Assembly passed a law requiring the governor to act on all Parole Commission recommendations

tenure, according to the report. No lifers have been paroled since, says the report, though a small number have seen their sentences commuted, including by O’Malley.

This lack of paroles imposes a substantial human, as well as economic toll, says Sonia Kumar, a staff attorney with the ACLU MD and the other co-author of the report.

“We have people who have fully paid their debt, are ready to come home, ready to be successful, that we are spending thousands – it adds up to millions – Sonia Kumar of dollars every year that we’re spending – to continue to incarcerate them, which obviously has a significant financial impact but also has a huge human cost that extends not only to them but to their families and their communities,” Kumar said.

It costs about $38,000 a year to incarcerate someone in Maryland, says Kumar, a number closer to $60,000 for elderly persons who are generally more expensive to incarcerate.

According to the report, the average age of Maryland lifers who have been recommended,

“The state could be saving millions of dollars by having a meaningful opportunity for parole.” within 180 days. When the law went into effect in 2012, Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) rejected the approximately 50 parole recommendations before his office, says Lomax, “which was a clear indication to us that it was politically motivated.”

O’Malley’s rejections continued a trend that stretched back to 1995, when Gov. Parris Glendening (D) declared that “life means life” and that no parole would be granted to prisoners serving life sentences during his

Caret Appointment Continued from A1

university system, effective July 1, prompted the legislation, Conway said. While president of Towson University, Caret oversaw the creation of the university’s joint MBA program with the University of Baltimore, which duplicated an already existing MBA program at Morgan State University, a nearby HBCU. The approval of that program in 2005 was among the reasons for a lawsuit filed by students and alumni of the state’s HBCUs and a resulting federal court ruling that Maryland had violated its constitutional commitment to dissolve vestiges of segregation in higher education.

The bill has stirred division among state lawmakers, education officials and activists, drawing sometimes-contentious debate at a Jan. 22 hearing.

Robert Caret Joan Carter Conway

‘One Night in Miami’ Continued from A1

to be fully engaged in the struggle for Black progress.

Is it necessary to be the fully committed, impassioned preacher that is X, addressing racism with no holds barred rhetoric? Is it enough to be outspoken like Brown? Is a more silent effort, like Cooke’s economic selfsufficiency and success in a White-dominated business, a victory or an abdication of responsibility?

tension while touching on a number of historical events from the era: Ali’s conversion to Islam; the British invasion of American pop culture by groups like the Beatles and Rolling Stones; Jim Brown’s transition from football to acting and his first film, Rio Concho; the assassination of President John Kennedy and X’s being silenced by Nation of Islam founder Elijah Muhammad after he referred

The inescapable experience of race has clearly shaped the lives and views of the men in the play, forcing them to constantly orient themselves towards the question of Blackness.

“It’s brothers like [Cooke], you, and Cassius, you all are our greatest weapons,” says X, played by Tory Andrus, to Brown.

“We’re not anybody’s weapons Malcolm, we’re men,” replies Brown, played

by Esau Pritchett.

The play explores this

to the slaying as ‘the chickens coming home to roost;’ X working with Alex Haley on his autobiography; X’s pilgrimage to Mecca, which had a profound effect on the minister prior to his death in 1965; and Sam Cooke’s composition of ‘A Change Is Gonna Come.’

The play avoids any monolithic interpretations of the relationship of these men to the question of ‘Blackness.’ Each character brings a unique perspective to the issue, informed by their unique experiences.

At the same time, each perspective shared is itself a wrestling. All of these men have clearly spent a lot time thinking about their role and responsibility in America’s racial dynamic, and their views are not so much conclusions as they are a window into where each character finds himself as he continues to weigh the problem and his proper response to it.

The continuing nature of the problem – seemingly perpetual in America – is the current that runs throughout the play, culminating in the powerful final moment (spoiler alert) which juxtaposes Cooke’s famous chorus from ‘A Change is Gonna Come’, released in 1964, with images of Black men (and boys) like Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, and Eric Garner, killed extrajudiciously in recent memory.

Do we still know that a change is going to come?

The inescapable experience of race has clearly shaped the lives and views of the men in the play, forcing them to constantly orient themselves towards the question of Blackness. Has America wrestled with the problem the way these men were forced to do?

These are some of the questions explored in One Night in Miami.

“This is not about fairness. This is not about what Joan Carter Conway wants. This is not about [what’s] right. This is about law,” Conway said in the hearing.

The fact that the regents hired someone who contributed to the state’s violation of the Constitution, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and Supreme Court rulings on the eradication of a dual system of education is highly troubling, Conway told the AFRO in a later interview.

“We entrusted them with the responsibility to weigh all the facts and do the right thing,” she said. “It is unconscionable to allow the person who was the impetus for the lawsuit to be chosen as the next chancellor of USM.” Dr. Marvin Cheatham, president of the Matthew A. Henson Neighborhood Association, praised Conway’s efforts.

“I am elated to hear that at least one

but denied parole, is 60.

“The state could be saving millions of dollars by having a meaningful opportunity for parole,” said Kumar. “And that is just in the explicit cost of incarcerating that person, that is not even accounting for all the other costs of having people not be productive members of society when they can be.”

The report also highlights studies finding that paroled lifers have lower recidivism rates than other prisoners, including a longterm study of paroled lifers in California that showed less than one percent were ever incarcerated again for new felony convictions.

Lomax said the policy goal is for final approval of parole decisions to be removed from the governor and resting solely in the hands of the Parole Commission, mitigating the political burden.

“Even though [the governor] has an investigative unit, he’s really not in any better position to assess whether [an] individual should be released than the people who actually make the initial decision which is the parole commission, whom he appoints to do that job,” said Lomax. ralejandro@afro.com member of the Baltimore City Delegation, especially the purported Maryland Black Legislative Caucus has decided to continue fighting this issue,” he said. “I really think it is an injustice and it’s a slap in the face to the Baltimore City community, especially those of us who attended HBCUs that the Board of Regents would have the audacity to appoint someone who was in the middle of a lawsuit.

We shouldn’t have to fight this in the General Assembly.”

Board Chairman James Shea defended the Regents’ choice and also Caret’s actions, saying the then-Towson president had approached Morgan to create a joint program but was rejected, leading him to partner with the University of Baltimore.

“In short, he didn’t create a new program; he latched onto an existing program. Of course, it is a program that in some sense is similar to what Sen. Conway has described.

But Mr. Caret didn’t create it, he didn’t start a new program. He was looking out for the best interest of its students by creating an MBA program that [they] needed,” Shea said. “And we felt that, in the end, his many fine qualities and superb leadership in the University of Massachusetts System meant that he was the right choice for chancellor.”

Opponents also questioned the feasibility of the legislation, given that the General Assembly meets for only three months in the year; the lack of precedent for this law; and expressed concerns over a potentially chilling effect on future candidates, among other objections.

“I do believe there will be a narrowing of the list of candidates if you do this,” testified M. Peter McPherson, president of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities.

But Conway was undeterred.

“Everything they say is wrong with the bill can be corrected with regulation,” she said.

Raymond Gray, Long-time East Baltimore Dentist, Dies at 88

By Roberto Alejandro Special to the AFRO Raymond Gray, long-time dentist, sportsman and avid Baltimore sports fan, passed away in hospice, Jan. 25, after a lengthy struggle with his health due to strokes.

Gray was born on Aug. 19, 1926, and practiced dentistry for 40 years at his office in East Baltimore. Active in promoting the importance of preventative dentistry, he would serve children at local elementary schools in conjunction with efforts by the health department, according to his wife, Sara Gray, who remembers a man who endeared himself to those around him with his sense of humor.

“He would tell jokes to his patients and friends when they came in the office, and they obviously enjoyed it because they would come by often. Just a fun loving guy,” Sara Gray said of her husband.

He was also an avid sports fan, playing golf

whenever he had a chance, and holding tickets to the Colts, Ravens and Bullets’ games.

Gray also possessed a love of reading.

“He would take us to New York for Thanksgiving or any other time; we’d think we were going shopping and he’d take us to the book stacks downtown, and he would stay in there for hours,” said Sara Gray.

Raymond Gray is survived by his wife, Sara; their two daughters Gina Gray Granger and Julie Gray Manley; and his sister Shirley West.

Services for Dr. Raymond Gray begin with a wake, 5 p.m., Jan. 30 at Wylie Funeral Home, 9200 Liberty Road. The funeral will be held 11 a.m., Jan. 31 at Metropolitan U.M. Church, 1121 W. Lanvale Street, preceded by the family hour at 10 a.m. and the Kappa Alpha Psi burial service at 10:30 a.m. Interment will follow immediately at Arbutus Memorial Park, 1101 Sulphur Spring Road in Arbutus, Md. ralejandro@afro.com

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The Afro-American, January 31, 2015 - February 6, 2015

Stem

Continued from A1

education professional groups that works to raise awareness about the importance of STEM education, that figure of almost $3 billion is spread across some 220 federal STEM education programs, about a third of which are diversity focused.

“From just a big picture perspective, the biggest challenge we have within that pool of STEM resources, is that it’s really, really diffuse,” said Brown. “If you take $3 billion and you divide it by 220, that means most of those programs are relatively small.”

The single largest program solely focused on STEM, says Brown, is the Math and Science Partnership Program at the U.S. Department of Education, which has an annual budget of about $150 million and was established by the No Child Left Behind Act under the George W. Bush administration.

“For a lot of states, that program is the only source of dedicated funding for the STEM subjects,” said Brown. He noted that most states do not have specific earmarks for STEM education in their education budgets.

Considering that the Math and Science Partnership Program only dates back to the previous administration, this means many states have a limited pool of dedicated resources to address STEM education priorities for less than 15 years.

According to Nick Greer, director of science for the Baltimore City Public School System (BCPSS), the city has been able to take advantage of what is known as the Investing in Innovation grant (or I-3) to help improve its STEM education efforts, but they are relatively new resources.

January 31, 2015 - January 31, 2015, The Afro-American

“The Investing in Innovation grant, and other grants that exist from the United States Department of Education federally are fairly new. I3 was an innovative grant brought to the [U.S. Department of Education] . . . and I think the first year of it was in 2010, when it was released.”

Michael Thomas, director of BCPSS’s Office of Learning to Work, which includes career and technology education, says the city has also been able to take advantage of Carl Perkins Act grants, and while these grants have been around for some time, STEM specific reserve grants are a more recent phenomenon. “Within the past, maybe, four to five years,” Thomas said.

While there could always be more federal funding available for such efforts, the problem of how to address the digital divide through education funding is muddled by the nature of some of the educational challenges driving the diversity gap in the first place.

“There’s a massive opportunity gap that a lot of people talk about, and what that usually means is parents in low socioeconomic status sometimes don’t have the wherewithal or the ability to provide or allow their students to get into programs in the summer or after school that actually help to hone [STEM skills], that our students’ counterparts five miles away in [neighboring suburban counties] have access to very quickly and easily,” said Greer. He added that BCPSS strives to change the balance of that equation by providing more robust informal programming.

Summer and afterschool programs are known as informal learning spaces, according to Brown. He would like to see overall funding for STEM education efforts increased. There is, however, little information on which informal learning programs are effective, making a solution more complicated than simply increasing funding.

“It’s not so much that we don’t spend enough on STEM education as an aggregate – I mean, that’s a challenge for every education sector. We can always be spending more on education, [but] it’s a matter of how to spend it effectively,” said Brown.

“Do we have enough money to do everything we ever wanted to do, the answer is [no]. But I think that, at a certain level, we’re leveraging the dollars that are available to us in the best possible ways and making more [out] of those dollars by other

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partnerships,” said Greer.

Those partnerships range from collaborations with institutions of higher learning like Johns Hopkins, non-profits like the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, as well as employers operating in the area such as Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin.

“With the partnerships, it’s not just about money and assets, it’s also about opportunities for students,” said Thomas. “Because at the end of the day, when we graduate students, we need to have very robust post-secondary opportunities for them to where they can support themselves and support a family. So partnerships also allow us to understand the opportunities that are available to students and hopefully develop the pipelines that get students into those opportunities.”

For Brown, that sort of focus on the practical application of STEM skills to the economy is key, as most middle-class jobs today, and certainly those that will be created in the future, require STEM skills. Brown says this means we can no longer think in terms of STEM jobs versus non-STEM jobs, but have to think of all jobs fitting somewhere along a spectrum of STEM skills.

“STEM skills are part of a new literacy, almost,” said Brown.

“They’re essential to be a good citizen, they’re essential to be a participant in the modern economy. We don’t, in absolute terms, need more rocket scientists necessarily, we just need a lot more people to be educated in the STEM subjects generally so that they’re prepared for the vast variety of jobs that are going to be created in the future.”

In Baltimore, Thomas says, the school system has partnered with Code.org, a non-profit organization that works to bring coding into school curricula and increase the number of women and persons of color involved in coding, to make sure their students are learning economically viable skills.

In struggling communities, efforts like these, says Brown, are among the best uses of federal and state dollars because of their immediate relevance to current and future economic opportunities.

“If you’re looking at this from an equity standpoint, if I’m going to a school and I’m not going to get STEM literacy as a component of my school, then that’s a failed school in terms of elevating my community,” said Brown.

Big Brother

Continued from A1 he has always felt the need to give back.

“Innately, I was born to help somebody,” Carter said. He said his grandmother told him that when it comes to your time on earth, the day you are born and the day you die are the least important parts. “Celebrate your dash,” is a mantra he attributes to her. “What did you do while you were here? Who did you help?”

Carter’s “little” is 13-year-old Vernon. He says the young man is shy, loves sports, loves to draw, and, surprisingly, likes the R&B group New Edition. Carter took him to see them perform in Baltimore recently. He has also taken Vernon with him to work on Morgan’s campus, to sporting events, and the circus. It is not all fun and games, though. Carter says Vernon knows that he can call any time for help with homework or life advice.

“I try to keep it one hundred. You have

choices. I’m not trying to stop you,” Carter said. He said that Vernon often sees drug dealers in his Baltimore neighborhood. He tells him that they may look like they are doing well, but their success is short-lived.

“Understand the consequences. There is no retirement in drug dealing. I ask him, ‘do you know any retired drug dealers?’ There’s always another path.”

He has stern words for anyone who complains about kids today. “If you have a complaint about anything in youth society, if you’re not part of the solution, you are part of the problem. If you’re looking at it and not trying to help it, you’re part of the problem too,” he said. “You see these kids, they are lost. I’m not asking you to save the world, I’m asking you to save this child. Don’t tell them not to do something, show it.”

Leon Henry, the director of Outreach for Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Greater Chesapeake, says the group is always looking for adults to serve as mentors, especially Black men. He said the group works with children all over, but there is a desperate need in Baltimore City.

“Last year we matched over 200 Black boys in the city. What I want to get across is there are hundreds more. That’s just chipping away at a larger number.”

He says that anyone can volunteer. “It’s a fairly easy process. It’s everything from a doctor to someone who sweeps the streets, everyone is involved. All of our mentors are trained. All the boys are kids who want to be in the program.”

Derrick Peoples is another Black man who decided to help fill the gap. The 38-year-old

Columbia resident has been “big” to Jaeden for about a year now. He had been looking for somewhere to volunteer his time and his sister told him about Big Brothers Big Sisters.

“Amazing, that’s the only word I can use to describe it. My little and I have a great relationship. It feels like he’s my son. We’re very comfortable with each other.”

Peoples says Jaeden is 10-years-old, incredibly funny, and wise beyond his years.

“It’s more of a spiritual thing for me. I wanted to do something where I could pour my life into someone else,” Peoples said. “Before it got into this I never thought I would have anything to give. The things that come at you on a daily basis, you really don’t see what you can give someone else.”

Learn more about Big Brothers Big Sisters here: http://goo.gl/ZJ0xlq

Economic Development

Continued from A1 are long-standing challenges for Baltimore. According to the mayor’s comprehensive economic development strategy report, released in 2014, about 200,000 people work in the city but live elsewhere, taking wealth generated within the city outside of its boundaries.

The report also notes that many city residents, and particularly African Americans, have not been able to “benefit economically” in the city, and calls for more job training programs as well as a greater commitment to minority- and female-owned businesses.

There are also challenges imposed by the federal government, says the mayor, such as the failure of Congress to fund infrastructure projects or EPA mandates that cities must abide by but which are unfunded, imposing costs on already cash-strapped budgets in many places.

“Cities across the country, whether in old cities like

Obituary

Carl Merton Adair

Once hailed as an “Outstanding Young Man in America,” Dr. Carl Merton Adair died Jan. 20. Dr. Adair paved the way for excellence in industrial arts in public school and on a college level, having chaired departments at Patterson Junior High School and Coppin State College.

His hard work earned for him an honorary degree from Liberia’s Monrovia College Training and Industrial School.

Many also remember his leadership as an entrepreneur, having owned one of the largest

Baltimore or younger cities, are facing very tough infrastructure challenges, and where I believe that the Congress has a chance to act and to move our country forward by creating jobs that can’t be outsourced, and that would strengthen our communities for years to come, they find ways to do nothing,” said Rawlings-Blake. “And while that happens our cities suffer, and our communities suffer.”

Overcoming such challenges involves taking some risks, and the reduction in fees on small businesses is expected to cost the city about $800,000 in revenue in the first year, with the idea being that the increased growth it will help spur will resolve the revenue loss over time.

The mayor says she has also overseen the greatest reductions in Baltimore’s property tax in four decades, another measure that bets on its ability to spur growth by stanching the flow of wealth into neighboring jurisdictions who can offer lower property tax rates.

“My commitment is to do even more,” said Rawlings-Blake. “We have gas stations in the state, and in to put ourselves in a more the political arena through the competitive position with our Republican Central Committee. surrounding jurisdictions. We Dr. Adair’s death leaves yet are not going to get a property another void in the foundation of tax rate that is equal to the Black leadership in this city. surrounding jurisdictions, but the property tax is only a part Services for Dr. Adair begin with of a larger picture, and if we public viewing, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., can critically evaluate the fees Feb. 1 at March Funeral Home,

4300 Wabash Avenue with a family time 3 to 5 p.m. The wake begins 11 a.m., Feb. 2 at Douglas Memorial Community Church, 1325 Madison Avenue with the funeral service following at noon.

January 4, 1917 – January 15, 2015 Ardis Ocelia Watkins, daughter of the late Thomas and Dora Buckson, was born in Chester, South Carolina, one of seven sisters and brothers.

Ardis Buckson moved to Baltimore City to start her adult life. Here she met and married the late Norbon Lafond in 1939 and from this union they were blessed with three children: Gladys, Melvin and Yvonne.

Throughout her adult life, she worked at John Hopkins Hospital and what was Baltimore City Hospital. Following her retirement from Baltimore City Hospital, she volunteered at Bon Secours Hospital for seven years, earning many awards.

“I know that if I don’t continue to make the city safer – and it’s made a lot of progress – I won’t see the amount of growth that I’d like to see, and whatever growth that we see won’t be sustained.”

– Stephanie Rawlings-Blake “I know that if I don’t continue to make the city safer – and it’s made a lot of progress – I won’t see the amount of growth that I’d like to see, and whatever growth that we see won’t be sustained,” said Rawlings-Blake. “So, you have to continue to push on the public safety front, and at the same time work to spur development, investment, and create jobs. You have to do that, you have to work to make the city cleaner . . . we have to look for how to deliver potable water in a more efficient, effective way. You have to do all of those things.” ralejandro@afro.com

Obituary

Thomas Christopher Jones July 10, 1920 – January 23, 2015

Obituary

Ardis Ocelia Watkins

and other things that we impose, there might be a way to level that playing field and create a more strategic advantage for investment in Baltimore.”

Creating that advantage also requires making gains in public safety, efforts the mayor says must run alongside the city’s efforts to attract more residents and businesses.

She spent her life making the lives of others easier and more comfortable.

Perhaps she will best be remembered for her big heart and outgoing personality. In every sense of the word, Ardis Watkins lived life and she lived it full of gratitude.

Sister Watkins gave her life to Christ and joined Mt. Visit Methodist Church at an early age. In the later years, she joined New Pilgrim Baptist. After moving to Turner’s Station, she joined Greater St. John Baptist Church.

In 1988, she joined Village Baptist Church and became involved in various committees. In 1999, she received an Unsung Hero Award.

Her family said she told them she was tired so “God decided to come down and take her away.” She peacefully slipped away from us on Thursday.”

Thomas Christopher Jones was born in Columbus, Ohio, the second of four children.

In 1948, Thomas met and married Lillian Campbell, his wife of 66 years and had four children.

Jones’ early years were spent working on his family’s farm and attending school in Grove City, Ohio. With the help of a four-year football scholarship, he attended Florida A&M College, when it was one of the top Black football programs in the nation. While there, he joined the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity and remained an active member. He then attended Meharry Medical School, during which he was commissioned into the Army where he received the rank of Captain.

Although Jones had been denied privileges at hospitals in other states, when he moved his family to Baltimore, he found a place at six hospitals, including GBMC and Sinai and eventually joined a group of physicians who built and practiced at the Garwyn Medical Center.

Tom is survived by his wife, Lillian and his four children, David, Jahari, Daryl and Wendell, nine grandchildren, Ayana, Omari, Laila, Shani, Kamara, Ava, Kayli, Kayin and TJ, and two great grandchildren, Demi and Amari.

A memorial will be held, 11 a.m., Jan. 31, at March Life Tribute Center, 7601 Sandy Spring Road Laurel, Md.

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The Afro-American, January 31, 2015 - January 31, 2015

January 31, 2015 - February 6, 2015, The Afro-American

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AFRO Holds First ‘Black Lives Matter’ Town Hall, Community Discussion

By AFRO Staff Race conditions have transformed throughout the years from the exuberance of great leaders, protests and marches, but have they changed enough? Does society hold African American lives as equal to other ethnicities and races?

In its first Black History Month event, the Afro-American Newspapers will host a “Black Lives Matter” Town Hall meeting and community discussion on Feb. 10 to explore the facets of life for Black people in the District, Maryland and Northern Virginia. The event will take place at The Howard Theatre, 620 T Street, NW from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. It is free and open to the public. Community partners for the event include Radio One, The Howard Theatre and the Association for the Study of African American Life and History.

“The AFRO has always highlighted important issues in the Black community,” Jake Oliver, the newspaper’s publisher, said. “With this event, we’re taking a huge,

advisory neighborhood commissioner, Ward 1; Jeff Johnson, award-winning journalist; Dr. E. Faye Williams, president and CEO for the National Congress of Black Women; and Dante Barry, executive director for the Million Hoodies Movement for Justice, will discuss topics ranging from police brutality to gentrification. Award-winning social entrepreneur and civil rights advocate April Yvonne Garrett will moderate the – Jake Oliver event.

The town hall discussion comes after the contested deaths of unarmed Black men and children, proactive step forward, by facilitating a including Michael Brown, Eric Garner and discussion that addresses how the Black Tamir Rice among others, by White police community can be safe and trust the officers. The district attorney’s failure to police.” secure an indictment for the officers sparked Panelists, including Allyson Carpenter,

“…we’re taking a huge, proactive step forward, by facilitating a discussion that addresses how the Black community can be safe and trust the police.”

national outrage and an analysis of race relations in the country.

“When compared with the adjudication of events involving the recent homicides of Michael Brown, Eric Garner and Tamir Rice, the outcomes suggest that, in the operational minds of Law Enforcement, the Judicial System and the Media, Black Lives Don’t Matter,” Williams said, in a white paper published on Jan. 16.

The discussion also comes at a time when the area’s economy and race demographics are changing. The discussion will include additional issues that seem to remove Black people from the American dream.

For more information about the event, contact 202-332-0080.

Business Profile Tresses Owner Untangles Black Hair Politics

By Ajoya Long Special to the Afro Like fashion, the hair industry evolves every day. What’s in vogue today, could be out the next day. But Kim McCargo Dukes, 42, owner of Tresses hair salon is no stranger to change.

“I’ve been in the industry since 91’. I started working in different salons and I started my own salon with a partner about ten years ago.”

It was in her last year of high school that she, “really started to do hair and I just kinda decided at the last moment that I would just go ahead and pursue a career in it. That was the best decision I ever made,” said Dukes.

Since that time, much has changed within the hair industry. In particular, the natural hair movement, that has impacted Black hair salons.

“It has definitely affected our business, for sure,” said the mother of two.

The movement was partly pushed by the notion that relaxers are bad for the hair. She stresses that with proper hair maintenance such as shampooing and conditioning, one can achieve healthy hair.

“I think it’s a lack of education as it pertains to relaxers; that’s where my issue

comes. It has hurt the industry because a lot people aren’t going to the salons anymore.

You can still get it done, even if you’re natural without putting chemicals in it,” said Dukes.

With this major shift and an ensuing separation from a former business partner, Dukes proves she is in it for the long haul. “I try to keep my self educated and my clients as well. I’m timely, I have good customer service,

“Whether you’re relaxed or natural, I say go to a professional, if at all possible.”

– Kim McCargo Dukes and the skills to back it up,” said Dukes.

“Whether you’re relaxed or natural, I say go to a professional, if at all possible,” Dukes said.

“If your budget is the problem, then at least bi weekly and have your hair treated. The best hair care is to go to a licensed professional.”

Find Kim McCargo Dukes on Facebook or at Tresses, 20 W. 25th Street, Baltimore, or call 443-803-3897.

Courtesy Photo

Kim McCargo Dukes stands outside her shop, Tresses.

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The Afro-American, January 31, 2015 - February 6, 2015

HBCU NEWS Morehouse Becomes First HBCU to Claim Moot Court Title

By Zenitha Prince Senior AFRO Correspondent The Morehouse College Moot Court team beat out hundreds of contenders to become the first historically Black institution to earn a national title in the law skills competition.

Morehouse defeated seven-time champion Patrick Henry College, 3-2, to claim top honors at the American Collegiate Moot Court Association’s 2014-2015 Rodje Malcolm, Professor Winfield Murray and Emanuel national championship Jan. 16 Waddell and 17 at Florida International University in Miami. unnecessary medical procedure as a preThe fledgling Morehouse team, comprised of condition to procuring an abortion. She was Rodje Malcolm and Emmanuel Waddell, was the joined in the complaint by her physician, Dr only HBCU squad in the competition. They were DeNolf, who claimed the law violates the also the only team in the nation that earned a First Amendment because it compels him to perfect win record for the entire academic year. express political, moral, medical, and scientific “Rodje and Emanuel are stellar students sentiments that are not his own. who worked extremely hard to win this Murray, the Morehouse coach, said the competition,” the team’s coach, Winfield moot court is a wonderful training opportunity.

Murray, said in a statement. “They represented “Schools across the country have Morehouse superbly and without fault.” recognized that moot court better prepares The championship was decided by students for law school and law careers arguments presented in the imaginary case than any other forensic program,” he said. of Andrea Sommerville and William DeNolf “Students have to understand judicial v. State of Olympus, in which the plaintiffs precedent, how to brief case law, how to argue challenged a law, “Proposition 417” that appellate matters before the U.S. Supreme mandated women to take a trans-vaginal Court and how to address a tribunal en banc. ultrasound and doctors to offer individual These skills are normally taught in law school, scripted counselling before having an abortion. so we are well ahead of the curve in preparing Sommerville, who was one of those our lawyers of tomorrow.” patients, challenged the law, saying it For more information about the American violates the Due Process Clause of the Collegiate Moot Court Association and its 14th Amendment because it requires an tournaments, visit: http://www.acmamootcourt.org/

WEEKEND

Norfolk State University will take part in the five-year initiative.

By Maria Adebola AFRO Staff Writer Norfolk State University will lead 12 other historically Black college and universities in participating in a $25 million, five-year initiative established by the White House to foster education and training in cybersecurity for aspiring minority students.

CEO, Eddie N. Moore Jr. called the grant a prime example of how NSU plans to forge ahead in a world where information technology has become an indemand field.

“As the world becomes more dependent on technology and information is shared digitally, the threat of online hackers and data breaches are daily realities,” Moore said in

“Norfolk State is poised to provide the expertise in cybersecurity sought by many employers…”

– Eddie N. Moore Jr. As one of the leading institutions for the program, announced on its campus on Jan. 15, Norfolk State will use its share of the funds to train faculty and students; build course development in cybersecurity; and expand research and programs in cybersecurity fields.

Norfolk’s President and

a statement. “Norfolk State is poised to provide the expertise in cybersecurity sought by many employers in the private and public sectors, such as business, banking, healthcare and the military.”

The White House said the program will supplement the president’s plan to focus on “on the critical need to fill the

Select HBCU’s Receive $25 Million Grant for Cybersecurity Education

growing demand for skilled cybersecurity professionals in the U.S. job market, while also diversifying the pipeline of talent in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields.”

“The grant is not just about cybersecurity, it is also about developing a workforce pipeline in a very critical area,” Norfolk State Provost Dr. Sandra J. DeLoatch said. “Welltrained cybersecurity workers are needed and our goal is to be a leading institution in that field. We, along with our partners, plan to educate a new generation of cybersecurity workers who will help keep our country safe from cyberattacks.”

In addition to Norfolk State, also participating in the government program are: Allen University, Benedict College, Bowie State University, Claflin University, Clark Atlanta University, Denmark Technical College, Morris College, North Carolina A&T State University, Paine College, South Carolina State University, the University of the Virgin Islands, and Voorhees College,

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January 31, 2015 - February 6, 2015, The Afro-American

COMMENTARY

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Advancing Dr. King’s Dream in 2015 This year, we celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. King amid a nationwide discussion about the work that remains to be done.

Five decades after Selma and passage of the federal Voting Rights Act, many current challenges mirror those Dr. King confronted – economic inequality, disparities throughout the criminal justice system and challenges to our voting rights.

Elijah Cummings In my youth, Dr. King taught us that change never comes from the actions of a single person. Today, President Obama, together with those of us who are the President’s allies in the Congress, is acutely aware that we cannot achieve the changes we seek without massive and determined public support.

Today, in 2015, we must continue to raise our voices and exercise our voting power to transform an American vision of human rights into civil rights protected by law.

Our calling — Dr. King’s Dream in our time — is clear. If America is to remain a guardian of human rights, our civic culture must become more humane and more engaged.

Consider three of the priorities that President Obama addressed in his State of the Union speech last week: ensuring broadly enjoyed economic opportunity, criminal justice reform and revitalizing our voting rights.

Economic Opportunity Economic opportunity was a central priority for Dr. King.

Yet, half-a-century later, we are still struggling to overcome growing inequality and the lack of upward mobility — what President Obama has termed “the defining challenge of our time.”

The belief that if we work hard, we will have the chance to get ahead has not come true for millions of Americans. Rather, in today’s economy, the rich are getting richer, the middle class is shrinking, and the poor are getting poorer.

Sadly, we are seeing far too many hardworking Americans juggling two and three jobs in their struggles to make ends meet. Meanwhile, the top 10 percent of earners in our society now receive more than 50 percent of all income, a share that has been growing steadily since the 1980s.

President Obama challenged us to moderate these inequities in the State of the Union. He spoke of “middle class economics” that would restore the linkage between hard work

and economic opportunity.

He called upon the Congress to reduce the cost of higher education and make it more relevant to economic opportunity, to provide more support for families who are balancing parenting and work, and to reform our taxation system to make it more equitable.

His specific proposals were far from being radical.

Rather, they are a call for changes that speak to the center of people’s daily lives — and he can continue to count upon my support.

Criminal Justice Reform An equally important focal point in advancing Dr. King’s legacy is the need to restore trust and cooperation between law enforcement officers and the communities they serve. At the national level, the new Presidential Task Force is a promising beginning.

We must take a hard look at some of the racial disparities in police encounters — and the practices that led to the killings of unarmed African Americans in Staten Island, Ferguson and elsewhere.

We can make this a transformative moment worthy of Dr. King’s memory, but only if we are able to translate the lessons we’ve learned into broad improvements in policing across the country.

This is the moment for change, and we must seize that opportunity.

Voting Rights Since the 2010 elections, more than 22 states have passed laws restricting voting access. It’s now been well over a year since a slim 5-4 Supreme Court majority acted in Shelby v.

Holder to invalidate Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act. As the President has observed, “surely we can agree that the right to vote is sacred.” Yet, the Republican congressional leadership has failed to take action upon our proposals to restore this fundamental civil rights law to full force and effect.

We best honor Dr. King by defending and advancing his

legacy. The protection of our right to vote is a moral and practical imperative for us all.

A Civil Rights Movement for All Americans As we continue our struggle to achieve Dr. King’s vision of a “beloved community,” we must not forget that he understood the fight would be long and arduous. He reminded those around him that, “we must accept finite disappointment, but we must never lose infinite hope.”

In our own time, the compelling need for hope and change calls for action. These goals are symbolized on our National Mall where the Memorial for Martin Luther King Jr. stands, carved out of a stone that is two stories tall.

Some have remarked that the statue appears to be unfinished, the carving incomplete. Yet, the design of the statue is a conscious one, representing the battle for Dr. King’s values that remains ongoing today.

As a nation, let this be our Resolution for the New Year: We shall never — ever — forget Dr. King, nor cease in our struggle for universal civil rights.

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

The Four-Letter Word Politicians Avoid: Poor In his State of the Union address on Jan. 20, President Barack Obama never used the word “poor” and only used the word “poverty” once, which was in the context of fighting “extreme poverty” globally, in emphasizing the recent Ebola outbreak in West Africa.

The previous week, most Americans were shocked by a report from the Southern Education Foundation suggesting that low-income students were now the majority in America’s public schools. What the report actually found was that the majority of America’s school children were eligible to receive free or reduced price lunches at their schools. Some of the eligible poor students are living in poverty, others are at near-poverty levels and the rest go to schools with high concentrations of poor students. So, maybe that explains why this report didn’t influence the president to change his State of the Union to mention the word poor, or poverty.

Nonetheless, the dire situation of America’s children means we must move to a new accounting framework. Economists have favored real gross domestic product (GDP) per capita-the value of all goods and services produced by a country adjusted for population size and inflation. For economists, this figure marks what is possible for a nation, since it measures the resources available to address problems-whether an outbreak of Ebola or the need to build roads and bridges or educate a nation.

In January 1964, the real GDP per capita of the United States stood at $19,233, when President Lyndon B. Johnson, in

William Spriggs

his State of the Union address, told America that: This administration today, here and now, declares unconditional war on poverty in America. I urge this Congress and all Americans to join with me in that effort. It will not be a short or easy struggle, no single weapon or strategy will suffice, but we shall not rest until that war is won. The richest nation on earth [emphasis added] can afford to win it. We cannot afford to lose it.

I added emphasis to the “richest nation on earth,” because the United States real GDP per capita was the largest at the time. And, so, as President Johnson said, “we can afford” to defeat poverty.

This January, the real GDP per capita for the United States is more than $50,805. Given the poverty level for a family of four is $23,850, it is a real puzzle how, with output per person growing by $31,572, poverty was not eradicated. Clearly the fruits of growth didn’t spread very wide.

Instead, we began 2013 with 19.9 percent of America’s children living in poverty. Sadly, 7.6 percent of America’s children live in a household below the poverty line, where at least one family member works year-round full-time; a clear testament to the effects of falling and stagnant wages for all workers. Falling wages have pushed the rings of the middle-income ladder on top of the collapsing rungs of the falling minimum wage and the working poor. But there was no mention of the word “poor” or ending poverty, though clearly “we can afford” to end it.

The silver lining in the story on the high share of American

children getting subsidized lunches is that it is a sign we can get it: that the wealth of the United States can solve some problems-it can help feed our children. And it shows a use of the “commons,” in the sense that many of our states are “commonwealths”-as the U.S. Constitution puts it to “promote the general welfare.”

But with so many of our children poor, near poor and in school systems with high concentrations of poor children, the “general welfare” becomes even more important. Unless we act, too many of our children will be priced out of the education our nation needs them to attain to sustain our economy and run our complex defense systems, or add to our cultural riches or cure our sick.

We need a national accounting that measures what the nation needs. And with so many poor children, the deficits we face if we let people be “priced out” will not be close.

Instead, what we are now hearing from Congress is that the richest nation on earth that sent people safely into outer space, launched the interstate highway system and found the vaccine to polio when its per capita GDP was less than half its current size, cannot now afford to educate its children.

My paternal grandmother grew up in Fayette County, Iowa, at the turn of the past century. The motto of West Union High of Fayette in 1919 was: Impossible is un-American. Maybe that is why Congress has such a low rating?

Follow Spriggs on Twitter: @WSpriggs or call 202-6375142.

Letter to the Editor Black History Month

February is Black History Month, when we focus on the many contributions African Americans have made to our nation. African-American men have participated in every war and conflict the United States fought here and abroad since the earliest inception of our nation. In 1643, Abraham Pearse was listed on the rolls of men capable of bearing arms in the Plymouth Colony. Crispus Attucks, a former slave, was the first casualty of the Revolutionary War, killed during the Boston Massacre. Lemuel Haynes, an indentured servant and the first AfricanAmerican Minuteman, enlisted in the Revolutionary War after earning his freedom. African Americans have worn the cloth of the nation in all wars and conflicts throughout our history, bravely fighting enemies abroad and racism at home.

Fifty years ago, no one could have envisioned an African-American President of the United States. Today, thanks to the Civil Rights Movement and the work of civil rights activists whose struggle brought about a seismic change in race relations throughout the country, AfricanAmerican children can pursue opportunities denied to their parents and grandparents.

Despite these seismic changes, health disparities continue to plague people of color.

Culturally, African Americans struggle with higher rates of hypertension, high cholesterol and diabetes, the trifecta of risk factors for heart disease and stroke. African Americans are also disproportionately affected by obesity. Additionally, African-American women are more than twice as likely to die of cervical cancer than are white women, and they are more likely to die of breast cancer than women of any other racial group, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Office of Minority Health & Health Disparities. While African Americans comprise nearly 26 percent of the population, they account for 66 percent of adult HIV-AIDS

cases. These issues are much bigger than genetics, and they cost the nation almost $1.24 trillion every four years.

The VA Maryland Health Care System is committed to delivering safe, quality and compassionate health care to all Veterans, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, education, or disability. We strive to address the internal barriers to health and wellness in ways that encourage Veterans to participate in their treatment plan by focusing on prevention and patient education to confront denial, increase health literacy, and help change cultural norms that enable patients to change eating habits, increase activity levels and quit smoking.

Dr. Martin Luther King’s boldly shared dream envisioned everyone being treated with dignity and respect. By embracing and celebrating his dream, we can lead the world, as King said, “rising above the narrow confines of individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.”

All Marylanders can salute and honor the men and women who served in the armed forces by making sure that they are receiving the services they need and deserve. If you know a Veteran who needs assistance, please encourage them to enroll for VA health care by visiting any VA Maryland Health Care System facility throughout the state, by contacting our Enrollment Center at 1-800-463-6295, ext. 7324, or by visiting our website at www.maryland.va.gov and clicking on “Become a Patient.” Our Veterans served, and it is now our turn to serve them. As a U.S. Navy Veteran, I can attest this is a duty we take very seriously.

Dr. Adam M. Robinson Jr., acting director, VA Maryland Health Care System

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The Afro-American, January 31, 2015 - February 6, 2015

COMMUNITY CONNECTION Upcoming Rally to Register Voters

A massive city-wide coalition is being formed to add more than 25,000 to the existing roll of voters in Baltimore, bringing the total to at least 400,000 registered voters.

The meeting to be held, 11 a.m., Jan. 31 at 1200 W. Baltimore Street, is free and open to the public, but a response is requested at 410669-V064 (8683).

Community volunteers, faith based organizations, labor representatives, political groups, civil clubs, fraternal organization, athletic clubs, along with college students and young adults will be brought together to form this massive voter registration entity. The goal is to acquire voters for the 2016 United States Presidential Election along with the Baltimore City Mayoral Election.

“It’s been more than 50 years since any attempt to register this many voters during one political election year cycle,” says Dr. Marvin L. “Doc” Cheatham Sr. one of the coalition organizers, who is touted to have probably registered more voters in the State of Maryland, since 1971, than anyone. “This is the 50th anniversary year of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and we owe it to our ancestors, both Black and White, to place special emphasis on registering to vote and voting.”

Cheatham is also requesting every see the movie “Selma” and the free power-point documentary entitled “1963 - One of the most tumultuous years in civil rights,” to acquire a little more insight and history about the importance of voting and voting rights.

Jack and Jill Encourages Literacy and Parental Involvement

Jack and Jill of America, a national organization of mothers focused on helping African-American youth reach their full potential, is taking its Bedtime Stories program to the next level with a call to action prompted

by the children’s book No Cell Phone Day, written by Delfeayo Marsalis and illustrated by Reginald William Butler.

“We are excited to introduce children to this award winning book through our national Bedtime Stories webinar series,” said Jack and Jill of America National President Tammy King. “Not only is this a great story to support early childhood literacy, but it’s a wonderful call to action for parents to spend time with their children reading and experiencing life.”

Bedtime Stories is an early childhood literacy initiative that provides a unique resource of children’s books that entertain, promote self-esteem, support language development and simply make reading fun for pre-k through 3rd grade children. The program also taps into the organization’s focus on science, technology, engineering, arts and math by inviting children from across the nation to participate in a live webinar with the author of a children’s book. The author reads a story while children are logged in from the comfort of their homes or wherever they may be.

To kick off 2015, the organization presented two webinars with the author reading No Cell Phone Day to children across the nation. In addition, the organization encouraged parents and other adults to put their cell phones aside, Jan. 25, to dedicate focused time with children.

According to a Highlights magazine survey of 1,500 children, the use of cell phones is the number one source of parental distraction.

Sixty-two percent of those surveyed believe parents are too distracted to listen.

“As busy moms and dads, we often are as tied to our cell phones as our children are,” King added. “This wonderfully written story reminds us of the value of spending quality time with our children. We encourage parents to take the day to experience what it’s like to really enjoy each other without the interruption of texting, tweeting and cell phone conversations that take you away from being fully present with loved ones.”

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presents an important Community Discussion and Town Hall Meeting

Allyson Carpenter

Jeff Johnson

Feb. 10, 2015 • 7 p.m.

• Allyson Carpenter, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, Ward 1 • Jeff Johnson, award-winning journalist • Dr. E. Faye Williams, President/CEO, National Congress of Black Women, Inc. • Dante Barry, Executive Director of the Million Hoodies Movement for Justice • April Yvonne Garrett, award-winning action advocate (moderator)

Community Partners:

jackandjillinc.org .

Baltimorean Jonathan Nelson to Present Live Album Recording

Embark on a fearless journey with charttopping recording artist Jonathan Nelson, as his upcoming live recording for his new album FEARLESS, takes over his church, The Faith Center, Feb. 20, in Sunrise, Fla. Recently signing to award-winning record label Entertainment One Music (eOne Music), Nelson’s live album FEARLESS is expected to be released under eOne Music in Fall 2015.

Acclaimed among peers for his gifted talents in penning hit songs, the audience will get a first listen at what are sure to become new hits from Nelson at this new album recording – as the multiple Stellar Award-winning singer, songwriter and worship leader leads a soaring live FEARLESS experience – and welcomes award-winning artists Dorinda Clark-Cole, Tye Tribbett, Kim Burrell, and African gospel star Sonnie Badu, to join him for special guest performances.

Growing up in Baltimore, Jonathan Nelson comes from a family that is steeped in ministry and music, and studied at the Baltimore School for the Arts, furthering his vocal training at Morgan State University.

Named the minister of music at The Faith Center in 2009, Nelson continues to reach more through music and worship at the Ft. Lauderdale-area church. Joining eOne Music’s award-winning roster, Nelson is part of a diverse lineup that encompasses the sounds of contemporary gospel, and praise and worship, to urban inspiration, traditional gospel and

more, including Gospel Hall of Fame legend Shirley Caesar, Gospel icon Dorinda ClarkCole, Erica Campbell, Michelle Williams, Donald Lawrence, Ricky Dillard, and William McDowell.

To connect with Jonathan Nelson, visit: www.jonathannelson.us; Facebook @ jonathannelsonandpurpose and Twitter/ Instagram @NelsonJonathan

Black History Tours Sets Special Celebration

In commemoration of the 150th Anniversary of the passing of the 13th Amendment Abolishing Slavery in America, the 100th anniversary of Billie Holiday’s birthday, the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Malcolm X and Lou Fields 24th anniversary hosting Black History Programs, BAATC/BDX/BBH Tours presents the 3rd Annual LANGSTON HUGHES LITERARY FORUM & BOOK FAIR, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Feb. 21, at the Forest Park Senior Center, 4801 Liberty Heights Avenue, Baltimore. The event is free and open to everyone.

In addition to over one dozen authors reading, signing and selling their fantastic books, activities include Lou Fields’ annual BHM lecture, sculptor James Earl Reid’s tribute to Billie Holiday, story-teller Grandmother Edna, gospel music and a message by Minister Steve Turner, a tribute to Malcolm X, Harriet Tubman exhibit and children’s activities.

Admission is free. Vendors/exhibitors are invited. Sponsors and program book advertisers are welcome to call Lou Fields at 443-983-7974 or email: loucfields@gmail.com.

No longer a smoker

Howard Theatre, 620 T St. NW, Washington, DC Distinguished panelists include:

Jonathan Nelson is a chart-topping gospel recording artist and Baltimore native.

Dr. E. Faye Williams

Still smoking. So what?

Want to quit asap

Whatever you check, you’re welcome here.

Dante Barry

April Yvonne Garrett • Open to the general public • Call 202-332-0080 for more information.

Research participants needed.

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Smokers and ex-smokers are invited to take part in research studies by the National Institutes of Health that seek a better understanding of nicotine dependence.

Monday through Friday 8:30 am to 6:30 pm

– Participants paid for time and travel—between $380 and $1,700* – Individualized counseling and medication or e-cigarettes available at no cost to those seeking to quit smoking – Flexible/weekend appointments available – Conducted on the Johns Hopkins Bayview campus

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January 31, 2015 - February 6, 2015, The Afro-American

B1

Guest speaker Jesse Wineberry, CEO Broadcast Urban Film Works, Inc.

Kevin Kamenetz, Baltimore County Executive extends greetings

Recipients of Awards presented by the Kings Landing Women’s Service Club: Apostle Stanley M. Butler, Dr. Marco Merrick, Shalita O’Neale, Dr. Warren C. Hayman, Annette R. March-Grier, Tyesha White and Stephanie Poplar-Best

Photos by Dr. A. Lois DeLaine

Rev. Peggy Mercer and Kim Tucker

The Kings Landing Women’s Service Club celebrated its 40th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Breakfast with a sold-out crowd on Jan. 19 at Martin’s West. The program theme was “Preserving the Legacy.”

Legacy Award recipients were Annette March-Grier, president and co-founder Roberta’s House; Apostle Stanley M. Butler, founder Temple House; Shalita O’Neale, founder & CEO, Fostering Change Network; Dr. Warren C. Hayman, co-chair, Baltimore City Public Schools Basketball Academy and Stephanie Poplar-Best, co-founder Kevin Cares Foundation.

Karen S. Kalu, Barbara Dr. Marco Merrick was presented Members of St. Crasby, Patricia Bradley, the “Man of the Year Award;” Bernadine Church are Deloris Tammy N. Mays Tyesha White was presented the Hawthorne, Barbara Faw, Joseph Faw, Sharon Winchester, Queen Holt Youth Achievement Award.

Christine Williams, Geraldine Cross-White, Sallie Chapman

Collette Schroeder, Flora Johnson, Olivia Carroll, Yvonne Lawrence

Centenarian Idell Evans Green, seated, with club president, Marge Green, daughter Mary Johnson-Smith and grandson, Kinte Jones

The Boys Choir of Powhatan under the direction of JoAnn Oatis sang freedom/civil rights songs.

Natalie Preston, Tiffany Willis

Baltimore City Public Schools Junior ROTC

Baltimore Go Getters Buffalo Soldiers Flag Detail

Police Commissioner Anthony Batts

The Zetas and Sigmas

CVT Marching Band

Delta Sigma Theta Sorority

MLK Float Celebrating 50th Anniversary of the Civil Rights Movement

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Epsilon Omega Chapter

Larry Young, WOLB talk show host

Old Timers/AFSCME members Isaiah Forman Jr., Frank McMiller, Walter Straiten

Shriners Lodge No. 213 Accokeek, Md.

Reviewing stand

Baltimore Entertainers Marching Band

The Baltimore community always turns out and up, according to the young people, to show their reverence for the life and work of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., whose birthday is celebrated nationally on the third Monday of January.

Amid cooperative weather, groups, clubs, marching organizations and bands walked the strand of Martin Luther King Boulevard to greet neighbors, share their vision for the continuation of his vision and to generally stride in pride.

BCFD Honor Guard Dunbar High School Marching Band

Kai Jackson, Fox 45 news anchor

Photos by J.D. Howard

B2

The Afro-American, January 31, 2015 - February 6, 2015

“Throughout history, it has been the inaction of those who could have acted; the indifference of those who should have known better; the silence of the voice of justice when it mattered most; that has made it possible for evil to triumph.” Haile Selassie “Every woman is a queen, and we all have different things to offer.” Queen Latifah Family and friends travelled from Detroit, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania to celebrate the 85th birthday of Dorothy “The Queen” Williams at the fabulous home of daughter and son-in-law Diane and Frank Hocker. The weekend celebration concluded at Colin’s Restaurant where the Queen held court as well wishers stopped to toast the Queen with her favorite Grand Marnier. The guests enjoying the scrumptious menu of crab dip, Asian salmon, string beans, Caesar salad, macaroni and cheese, champagne and other delectable dishes prepared by Class Act Caterers. In attendance were daughters Doreen Frazier and Denise Deleaver and guests Sam and Sheila Manigault, Nathan and Joanne Rollins, William and Arlene Day, Von Triplin, Phyllis Reese, Sammy and Darlene Graham, Bernice Copeland, Joy Savage, Jimmy and Marcine Britton, James Bentley II, Adam Hocker, Timothy Hocker, Ashlyn Hocker, Nasja Frazier Griffin, Monique Johnson, Donald and Judy Rainey and her friends Elsie and Olivia from the Forest Park Senior Center. The highlight was the specialty cakes created by Tiffany Connor, owner of T&R Cakes and Cookies Galore, representing the Queen’s passion of sipping Grand Marnier, her penchant for wearing hats and her love of playing pinochle. The cakes designed as a bottle of grand Marnier, a black jeweled hat and a deck of pinochle cards.

The Queen received congratulatory letters and citations from Sen. Barbara Mikulski, Sen. Ben Cardin, Rep. Elijah Cummings, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and a proclamation from Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz designating Jan. 20 Dorothy Williams Day in Baltimore County.

Who’s that lady? Who’s that lady? Beautiful lady, who’s that lady? Lovely lady, who’s that lady?

Real fine lady, who’s that lady.” The Isley Brothers Our state Sen. Catherine Pugh had Washington asking who’s that lady at the White House for a reception with fashion icon First Lady Michele Obama before the President’s State of the Union address. Later sitting in the First Lady’s box during the State of the Union, people

including Dr. Jill Biden complimented her on her aquamarine colored dress. Washingtonians are finding out what we already know. As one of the sponsors for the Baltimore Design School, Cathy is a fashionista.

“The best clubs in the world are always the clubs where you have a variety of people. Like, you have the crazy people, you have the nicely dressed people, you have the office people, you have the regular guys that make it fun.” Tiesto “Downtown, things will be great when you’re downtown, no finer place for sure downtown, everything’s waiting for you downtown” Petula Clark Travel downtown to The Place Lounge 315 W. Franklin Street where Donel Warfield and Ann Winder have something for you each night with 2-4-1 drinks, Network Tuesdays, Wind down Wednesday with Spades, Thursday open microphone with Spice Band and on Friday, Donel is spinning R&B sounds in addition to house music. Call 410-547-2722 to book private events.

There is no crueler tyranny than that which is perpetuated under the shield of law and in the name of justice. Charles de Montesquieu Oh Freedom! Justice after 50 plus years has come to the Friendship 9 convicted of trespassing during a sit in demonstration in Rock Hill. The irony is that the nephew of the judge who convicted them many years ago, is now a judge and he has vacated the conviction.

It’s a family affair. Enjoying a birthday dinner for Carman Lashley at Horseshoe Casino’s Jack Binion’s Steakhouse were JoAnn Day, Sierra Myers, Renee Day. Erica Day, Ivy Sweetwine and Deneen Sweetwine.

Happy birthday to you Father Gerald Collins, Reginald Haysbert, Gloria Siler, Carolyn Richardson, Arthur Peterson, Sam Redd Jr., Alice Torriente, Virginia Vauls, Monica BlountHart, Jeanine Turner, Beverly Carter, Michele Brown, Del. Talmadge Brown and Pam Holt.

“There’s a sweet sweet spirit in this place and I know that it’s the presence of the Lord” Elvis Presley Condolences to Stephanie Lee and family on the death of their aunt Olivia Fearon. As a young girl growing up in Sharp Street Memorial Church, I remember Miss Olivia, as the adult that the young people would seek out when they needed guidance and assistance. We were comfortable with her and as adults, she was our friend. She never hesitated to call to check on you or just to say we missed seeing you in church today. Miss Olivia, you exemplified a Christian woman; you led by example.

Our condolences and prayers to Calvin and Tina Tyler on the death of their son Calvin Tyler; to Betsy Gardner on the death of her father Joel Gardner; to Sara Gray and family on the death of her husband Dr. Raymond Gray; to June Brown on the death of her father Russell Dorsey; to Toni Colvin on the death of her husband Dr. Ernest Colvin; to Merle Adair on the death of her husband Carl Adair and Wanda Watts on the death of her mother Mervyn Robertson.

I’m for truth, no matter who tells it. I’m for justice, no matter who it’s for or against.

Malcolm X Congratulations to Del. Barbara Robinson, chair of the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland; Del. Alonzo Washington, first vice chair and Del. Cheryl D. Glenn, second vice chair, as they take the oath of office from retired Chief Judge Robert Bell, Feb. 1 at Bethel AME Church.

© 2014 UNIVERSAL STUDIOS

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January 31, 2015 - February 6, 2015, The Afro-American

B3

ARTS & CULTURE

Travis Winkey Ruled the Runway Once Again

By Da’Rrell Privott Special to the AFRO Two world famous entities united in downtown Baltimore, Dec. 13, 2014, when Lexington Market, a vending and culinary institution since 1782, hosted the producer and choreographer, Travis Winkey for the Annual Lexington Market Holiday Fashion Show.

The anticipation of this event has become a holiday mainstay in Baltimore, like coming home for the holidays.

The venue is huge and for anyone else it could have been overwhelming, with the exception of the amazingly talented Winkey.

Three hours before the 2 p.m. show time, the area had already become super packed with hundreds of anxious spectators on the upper level and the main floor. They had become as tightly packed as an economy rental car on a family road trip.

The scene was exhilarating! In the middle of the main lobby of the market stood a catwalk over 75 feet long, roped off as a buffer, separating the audience from the press, dignitaries and security. On the upper level off to the right of the stairs above the runway were the dressing rooms and the staging area for Travis Winkey and Company.

well-oiled machine working at full tilt.

The male models brought exhilaration to the crowd as they revealed their bare upper bodies, but from the waist down were adorned with colorful print fabrics by Kelly Ward and Winkey.

The guys did not disappoint as their suits by Mr. Carlyle fit as if they had been made exclusively for each model.

Models bounded out in numerous ensembles by designers such as: M’ Brouje’, Mr. Carlyle, Lip Gloss N Stilettos Rogue Couture,

INVITES YOU AND A GUEST TO A SPECIAL ADVANCE SCREENING

Winkey had an impressive team of makeup artists and facilitators working in concert to assist over 40 models coming from various parts of the east coast as well as the designers to make wardrobe tweaks to ensure that all pieces would be visually stunning on stage. Winkey walked through, as he readied his own classic look, a red scarf, shoes, and trousers, topped with a white crisp sweater.

He quickly resumed his work as he snapped his fingers and rallied everyone with a little pep talk and prompted the count down to show time.

He reacted to the rise of roars from the awaiting audience as he calmly affixed his signature black round glasses, black dress hat, and a long sultry Black Diamond full-length mink coat. Finally, it was show time, as the host, Larry Young of WBOL 1010 Radio and Nares Davis the master of ceremonies made their introductions. Winkey then made his way from the dressing rooms to the hallway above what seemed like an airport runway. From the catwalk stage, his adoring supporters got a glimpse of him for the first time before the show. Pandemonium! The crowd went nuts with cheers, hand clapping, shouts and screaming; this literally made the glass in the upper atrium of the building vibrate. The volume was so great you could no longer hear the voice of announcer, as Winkey was greeted by his supporters.

He gracefully sauntered his way down the staircase and stepped onto the stage, hoards of onlookers caught a chance to take in the electrifying, vogue sharp signature “Travis Strut”!

He ended with a flip of the tail of his Diamond mink coat; it was on!

The crowd of onlookers continued to cheer as the procession of the first group of models, the children, well rehearsed, poured down from the upper level to the runway with very colorful day ware. Next, the teens followed in line strutting more colorful wears.

What followed were some of the most statuesque women strutting, with power and perfection in form fitting fabrics that clung to their torsos; making the show’s music simmer. The look of Winkey‘s excellent choreography came together like a

Trisheea, Angelias Couture, Vixon Collection/ Boutique, Xavier Furs, Michael Carter, and a special scene by Chief Von. A special note to chef Von an eatery in Lexington Market.

I loved the show’s youthful verve, boundless energy, and swag that exuded from the quality of the clothes, rather than styling gimmicks.

This show was not a skimpy fashion event by any means; in fact this was high fashion. I like what I saw from my lens.

You expect certain things from a Travis Winkey show. You expect pulsating music by Tony of Tony’s World Sounds, a statement accessory, a senior model, (Ms. Salley,) National Rap Artist Beau Bostic, singers which there were a few (Tina Camara, and Kiki Michelle) as well as a hot dance act (Dimitri Reeves a Michael Jackson Impersonator).

The finale was a serious parade of fashion going by in a double loop of exquisiteness and talent. This annual event it was like Christmas, an early gift. The cost was totally free for one and all.

EMAIL: CUSTOMERSERVICE@AFRO.COM TO REGISTER TO WIN TICKETS! NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Supplies are limited. One pass per winner. Each pass admits two. Seating is not guaranteed and is on a first-come, first-served basis. Employees of all promotional partners and The Afro American are not eligible. All decisions are final.

IN THEATERS FEBRUARY 6

B4

The Afro-American, January 31, 2015 - February 6, 2015

EDUCATION

New Education Official Wants to Reform ‘No Child Left Behind’ Act

By Freddie Allen NNPA Senior Washington Correspondent WASHINGTON (NNPA) – John King, Jr., a highlyrespected educator from New York City, says that teachers saved his life and in his new post as the deputy secretary at the Department of Education, he wants all children to have the support in school that he had growing up.

Both of King’s parents were life-long educators. His father, John King, Sr., was the first Black principal at an integrated school in Brooklyn, N.Y. and also served as a the deputy superintendent for New York City schools after the Supreme Court ruling in Brown v. Board of Education banned “separate, but equal” practices in public schools.

In elementary school, King used to ride to work with his mother, Adalinda, who worked as guidance counselor at the middle school. When King was in the fourth grade, his mother suffered a heart attack at work. That night he went to the hospital with his father and the next morning, his father broke the news to him. His mother was gone. She was just 48. It was hard for the younger King to understand at 8 years old.

“Losing my mom in a lot of ways was the moment when school took on this much larger importance in my life,” said King. School became the safe harbor from the turmoil in his home life that slowly deteriorated after his mother passed away.

His father, then in his 70s, started to forget things.

“I didn’t know why he would forget things,” King recalled, though he later learned that his father suffered from Alzheimer’s disease. “I didn’t know why he would be upset one moment and not upset the next.”

In an environment where there was a lot of instability, King said school was a source of stability, structure and support and for three years, from the fourth grade to the sixth grade, Alan Osterweil’s classroom anchored that stability.

In that class, King read the New York Times every day, memorized the capital and leader for every country in the world and performed Shakespeare. King said he felt free to be a kid.

“He set very high expectations for us,” said King.

“Sometimes people think that kids will be overwhelmed by higher expectations, but I think that kids rise to higher expectations and one of the things that I experienced in his classroom was that his high expectations were motivating and encouraging to all of us. He also paid a lot of attention to a full range of subjects.”

King said that Osterweil saw his role as a teacher wasn’t just about conveying knowledge, but it was also about mentoring and supporting students.

John, Sr. died at 79, when John Jr., was 12 years old. He then lived with a half brother on Long Island and later, an

uncle and aunt in Cherry Hill, N.J. King said that he carried the lessons he learned in Osterweil’s class with him when he taught his own social studies class and cofounded a charter school in Boston, Mass., after attending Harvard University and earning a master’s degree at the Teachers College at Columbia University in New York.

Following in his parents’ footsteps, King dedicated his life to education, rising through ranks to become (Freddie Allen/NNPA) the first New York State John King Jr., the new deputy secretary for the Department of Education, wants to education commissioner of reform the No Child Left Behind Act. African American and Puerto Rican descent in 2011. King just on absolute performance,” said King. “What we’ve tried was recently selected to become the deputy secretary of the to do at the department with the ‘waiver process’ is to focus on Department of Education. growth.”

“Not only am I here doing this today because of that Through the waiver process, the Obama administration teacher, but I’m alive, because [Osterweil] provided stability freed more than 30 states and Washington, D.C. from NCLB’s during that period in my life,” said King. stringent testing requirements, which often faced sharp In his new role, King will manage the agency’s major criticism from educators and school administrators. Exempt initiatives that includes working to revise President George W. school districts tracked the individual progress of students Bush’s 2002 “No Child Left Behind” (NCLB) law. independent of how they ranked against other students on a King noted that, by some measures, student achievement standardized test. has improved since NCLB updated the Elementary and More than a decade since NCLB was enacted, civil rights Secondary Education Act (ESEA), originally signed into law groups and Washington lawmakers are now focused on in 1965. improving it.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), chairman of the high school graduation rates for Black students (measured United States Senate Committee on Health, Education, as the average freshman graduation rates) increased from 59 Labor and Pensions, recently issued a draft proposal aimed at percent in 2006 to 68 percent in 2012, compared to White reforming NCLB. students who saw their graduation rates rise from 80 percent to He suggested shifting more responsibility for designing 85 percent over the same time period. programs that measure student achievement to state and The 2014 study “Building a Grad Nation” reported that local jurisdictions and also proposed limiting the Education when researchers began analyzing the effects of “dropout Secretary’s ability to craft guidelines that direct instructional factories,” defined as schools where less than 60 percent of material, evaluation systems and “definitions of teacher, the students were graduating, almost half of all Black students principal, or school leader effectiveness.’’ attended one of them. By 2012, the report said, the number of While Senator Alexander’s proposal shifts responsibility Black students attended one of those schools had been slashed for targeted funding for at-risk students and teacher evaluation in half to 23 percent. tools back to the states, civil rights groups want more federal King said ESEA is really a civil rights law that was oversight. intended to ensure equity for all students across the country Nearly 30 civil rights and education advocacy groups and there is still a lot of work to do. united to express their concerns about the reauthorization of “One of the problems with the NCLB law is that it focused the ESEA in a joint statement.

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The coalition recommended that each state provide annual assessments for all students in the third grade through the eighth grade and high school and that targeted funding be used to meet the needs of the most vulnerable children in our nation’s schools including youth in juvenile and criminal justice system. The group also said that states should expand data collection and reporting to parents and the public on student achievement, course-completion and graduation rates.

Marc H. Morial, president and CEO of the National Urban League, said his organization is deeply opposed to Senator Alexander’s approach to reauthorize ESEA. “When President Johnson signed ESEA into law he said that the bill represented ‘the commitment of the federal government to quality and equality in the schooling we offer our young people,’” said Morial in a statement. “Yet, with this draft, Chairman Alexander moves our nation in the opposite direction and strikes at our most cherished civil rights principle: that every child has fair and equal access to a quality education regardless of family income, ZIP code, disability, language or race.”

Morial said that lawmakers must rewrite the bill and commit to strong federal oversight in education and equity in access to high quality instruction and resources for all students.

Morial continued: “This partisan bill, drafted with little input from civil rights partners, cannot be tweaked to meet the needs of the communities in which we serve. We believe that Chairman Alexander’s ESEA draft moves us backwards—it ignores equity, guts federal accountability and Advertiser: BGE shifts resources away from children in most need.”

King echoed Morial’s and said that the fear Publication: Afro concerns American is that some of what has been proposed would be a step backwards andFeb. opportunity.

Insertion from Date:equity Sat., 1, 2014 “We know that for our kids, their best shot is if they have Size: 7.28” 8” aAd high quality education thatx prepares them to be successful after they graduate from high school,” said King. “We Title:no future as a country Chill/Ice have if we don’t ensure that African American students get a high quality education, that Latino If you have received this publication material students high any quality education, that our English in error,get or ahave questions about it please language learners get a high quality education.

Our future contact the traffic dept. at Weber Shandwick depends on ensuring that every student has the full range of at (410) 558 2100. opportunities.”

January 31, 2015 - February 6, 2015, The Afro-American

AFRO Sports Desk Faceoff

B5

SPORTS

After Latest Injury, is Kobe Bryant’s Career Over?

Riley: Bryant’s competitiveness won’t let him retire on an injury or a losing team. Given how glorified his career has been, it will be even harder for him to finally hang up his shoelaces without going down with a fight. The Lakers are one of the worst teams in the NBA right now, and Bryant won’t retire peacefully knowing he went out on a failing squad. The Lakers have been in the limelight for the bulk of his career, and he’s clearly focusing on the team getting back to that status before he’s done. A torn rotator cuff won’t be too difficult to rehab for the veteran and in Bryant’s eyes, there’s still more work to do.

Green: The only way Bryant is going to finish his career on a winning team is if he’s traded.

With his mindset already locked on retiring as a Laker, he would just be wasting time trying to push this unit back into contention. His body is breaking down, and it’s clear. At some point he has to factor in his future health and whether he’ll be able to move around and see his daughters grow up once his playing days are done. He’s done everything you can ask in a career, and he still returned this year as one of the leading scorers in the league. There’s no doubt that his critics acknowledge his greatness, so what is left to prove? The Lakers’ roster is painfully thin on talent and the team is playing for a new coach. It’s going to be a slow rebuild in Los Angeles and there’s no point for Bryant in going back.

Kobe Bryant

By Perry Green and Stephen D. Riley AFRO Sports Desk After suffering another season-ending injury, Kobe Bryant will once again finish the year on the shelf for the Los Angeles Lakers. A torn rotator cuff sustained in a Jan. 21 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans prematurely ended a frustrating season for Bryant, and the Lakers haven’t been up to par this year. With talent scarce among the Lakers’ roster and no promising news on the horizon, another rehab and return might be worthless for the future Hall of Famer—unless he just wants the extra workout. Bryant has delivered a great career for the Lakers, and even if he returns in full health next season, he won’t be coming back to a worthwhile team. With his Hall of Fame status already primed and championship rings in hand, should Kobe Bryant retire?

Perry Green and Stephen D. Riley of the AFRO Sports Desk debate the question.

Riley: That’s even more reason to go back. Helping bridge the gap between new talent and expiring talent would be a great ending for any player. The Lakers are one of those teams that can really turn it around in the off-season. One or two prized free agents, and any team can be an instant contender in today’s NBA. Bryant was averaging close to 22 points per game, so surrounding him with any kind of formidable talent would be an ideal situation. We already know he’s trying to tie Michael Jordan with six championship rings. Having the rest of the season off is probably a blessing in disguise, because the Lakers aren’t going anywhere this year. Bryant will be back in force next year, and the team should be a lot better than this season.

Green: I don’t see how, Riley. Another draft pick will help, but the team was banking on having Dwight Howard in his prime to throw three-pointers around. When Howard opted for Houston, it set the Lakers back a matter of years. The Lakers might be in the worst shape of any team in the NBA when it comes to young assets. There are no promising young players on the roster to build around, and Bryant still has to do too much on the court for the Lakers to win games. Shifting the load on his shoulders will just keep him frustrated and injured. He should definitely go out on his own terms, but after injuries to his knee, Achilles tendon, and now his shoulder, the weight of the Lakers’ franchise is finally crippling the longtime superstar. It might be time for Bryant to reconsider continuing his career. I thought he was done when he tore his Achilles two years ago. I didn’t expect him to return from that, so Kobe may prove me wrong again. But I’ll continue to doubt until there’s reason to believe otherwise.

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9/11/15 - 11/15/15

11/20/15 - 1/10/16

5900 Symphony Woods Road • 410-730-8311 Based on availability. Due to the nature of theatre bookings, all shows, dates and times are subject to change.

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B6 The Afro-American, January 31, 2015 - February 6, 2015

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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.

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ANTIQUES & COLLECTIBLES

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Wanted To Purchase Antiques & Fine Art, 1 item Or Entire Estate Or Collection, Gold, Silver, Coins, Jewelry, Toys, Oriental Glass, China, Lamps, Textiles, Paintings, Prints almost anything old Evergreen Auctions 973-818-1100.

Email evergreenauction@hotmail.com DC BIG FLEA JAN 10-11 An Amazing Treasure Hunt! Metro DC’s Largest Antique Event!

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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.

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AUTOS WANTED *CASH TODAY* We’ll Buy Any Car (Any Condition) + Free SameDay Pick-Up. Best Cash Offer Guaranteed! Call For FREE Quote: 1-888841-2110

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.

BUSINESS 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 1-855721-6332 x 6 or email wsmith@mddcpress. com or visit our website at www.mddcpress.com

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Custom Homes www. oldemillpointe.com 757-824-0808

REAL ESTATE

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.

VACATION

FULLWOOD TRAVEL, LLC 2015 CALENDAR - 410-542-2530 April 24 - Temptations & Four Tops April 27 - Las Vegas / Caesars Palace June 13 - Crab Claw / Live Casino July 12 - Memphis & Tunica Casinos Aug 22 - Gospel Lunch Cruise Oct 15 - Rehoboth Jazz Festival Nov 01 - Dubai (10 days) Go to: www.fullwoodtravel.com TYPESET: Wed Jan 28 15:38:57 EST 2015 LEGAL NOTICES MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION MARYLAND AVIATION ADMINISTRATION INVITATION FOR BIDS TO OPERATE AND MANAGE A SELF-SERVICE AIRPORT BAGGAGE CART CONCESSION AT BALTIMORE/WASHINGTON INTERNATIONAL THURGOOD MARSHALL AIRPORT The Maryland Aviation Administration (MAA) is issuing Invitation For Bids (IFB) No. MAA-IFB-15-001 To Operate and Manage a Self-Service Baggage Cart Concession at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI Marshall) for a period not to exceed five (5) years.

All parties are invited to attend a Pre-Bid Conference at 10 a.m. (Eastern Standard Time), February 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. On January 27, 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-15-001 on or after January 27, 2015 by contacting Mr. Morris E. Williams, III, Manager, Division of Business Activities, Office of Commercial Management at 410-859-7036.

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 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. (EST), March 12, 2015. IFB technical submissions received after 4:00 p.m. on March 12, 2015 not 15:23:15 become part the IFB process.

TYPESET: Wed may Jan 14 EST of2015 ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, MARYLAND Annapolis, Maryland ANNOUNCEMENT

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Gated Community with amazing amenities! New Homes $80’s. Brochures available 1-866-6290770 www.coolbranch. com

On or after December 29, 2014, Plans and Specifications may be obtained from the Anne Arundel County Web Page at the following address: http:// www.aacounty.org/CentServ/Purchasing/index.cfm Bids will be received until time/date shown below, at the Purchasing Office, Heritage Office Complex, 2660 Riva Road, 3rd Floor, Annapolis, MD 21401. Bids received after the date and time set will be rejected.

REAL ESTATE RENTALS

Project: Sands Road Bridge Replacement over Wilson Owens BranchProject No.: H428001Contact: Dennis Fretz 410 222-7345

Retire on Rentals In this market you can obtain financial independence with the acquisition of the right properties. With my help, get cash flow and equity immediately. LPP 202-391-4609 SERVS./MISC. Want a larger footprint in the marketplace consider advertising in the MDDC Display 2x2 or 2x4 Advertising Network. Reach 3.6 million readers every week by placing your ad in 82 newspapers in Maryland, Delaware and the District of Columbia.

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Call 1-855-721-6332 x 6 or email wsmith@ mddcpress.com or visit our website at www. mddcpress.com

REQUEST FOR BIDS

Due by 1:30 p.m. Local Time, Tuesday, February 3, 2015

William L. Schull, C.P.M., CPPB Purchasing Agent TYPESET: Wed Jan 28 15:41:24 EST 2015 CITY OF BALTIMORE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC NOTICE COMMUNITY MEETING Curtis and Pennington Avenue Street Conversion Study In an effort to educate the community about the upcoming project, a community meeting will be held.

Monday, February 9, 2015 6:00 PM to 7:30 PMCurtis Bay Recreation Center 1630 Filbert Street Curtis Bay, Maryland 21226 If you have any questions, comments or need special accommodations please contact: Ms. Grishae Blackette Southeast Transportation Liaison 443-984-4095 or at Grishae.blackette@baltimorecity.gov Receive regular updates via Facebook At Baltimore City, Department of Transportation Or on Twitter at Baltimore City, Department of Transportation WILLIAM TYPESET:JOHNSON, Wed Jan 28 15:41:52 EST 2015 DIRECTORDEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION CERTIFICATION OF PUBLICATION CITY OF BALTIMORE OFFICE OF BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS PUBLIC NOTICE PROJECT NO. 1231 ON-CALL ENVIRONMENTAL AND ENGINEERING SERVICES FOR HAZARDOUS WASTE HANDLING FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

SUPPORT OUR ADVERTISERS

This project was previously advertised in the local newspapers on Friday, January 16, 2015. The submittal due has been changed to February 17, 2015.

Should you have any questions regarding the scope of the Project, please contact Mr. Suresh M. Kshirsagar at (410) 396-3512 or by e-mail at suresh. kshirsagar@baltimorecity.gov.

Michael L. Augins Office of Boards and Commissions

1 Col. Inch Up to 20 Words

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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.

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

INSERTION DATE:_________________

BALTIMORE AFRO-AMERICAN NEWSPAPER Legal Advertising Rates Effective October 1, 2008 PROBATE DIVISION (Estates) 202-332-0080 PROBATE NOTICES a. Order Nisi $ 60 per insertion b. Small Estates (single publication $ 60 per insertion c. Notice to Creditors 1. Domestic $ 60 per insertion 2. Foreign $ 60 per insertion d. Escheated Estates $ 60 per insertion e. Standard Probates

CIVIL NOTICES a. Name Changes 202-879-1133 b. Real Property

$180.00 per 3 weeks $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 a. Absent Defendant b. Absolute Divorce c. Custody Divorce

$ 150.00 $ 150.00 $150.00

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1-800 (AFRO) 892 For Proof of Publication, please call 1-800-237-6892, ext. 244 TYPESET: Wed Jan 28 15:42:17 EST 2015

LEGAL NOTICES

BALTIMORE CITY COUNCIL PUBLIC HEARING ON BILL NO. 14-0444 The Land Use and Transportation Committee of the Baltimore City Council will meet on Wednesday, February 4, 2015 at 1:10 p.m. in the City Council Chambers, 4th floor, City Hall, 100 N. Holliday Street to conduct a public hearing on City Council Bill No. 14-0444.

CC 14-0444 ORDINANCE- Zoning - Sign Regulations - ”Sponsor-aRoad” Signs For the purpose of exempting from the Zoning Code’s sign regulations certainsigns posted by or on behalf of the City to acknowledge business entities or otherpersons sponsoring a street maintenance - services program.

BY repealing and reordaining, with amendments Article- Zoning Section (s) 11-103 Baltimore City Revised Code (Edition 2000)

YOU KNOW YOUR’E IN THE KNOW...WHEN YOU READ THE AFRO

FOSTER PARENT

SAMPLE

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

NOTE: This bill is subject to amendment by the Baltimore City Council EDWARD REISINGER Chairman TYPESET: Wed Jan 28 15:58:52 EST 2015 TYPESET: Wed Jan 28 15:49:01 EST 2015 City of Baltimore Department of Finance Bureau of Purchases Sealed proposals addressed to the Board of Estimates of Baltimore will be received until, but not later than 11:00a.m. local time on the following date(s) for the stated requirements: February 25, 2015 *PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION, CREMATION AND DISPOSAL OF ANIMAL CARCASSES B50003950 THE ENTIRE SOLICITATION DOCUMENT CAN BE VIEWED AND DOWN LOADER BY VISITING THE CITY’S WEB SITE: www.baltimorecitibuy.org

City of Baltimore Department of Finance Bureau of Purchases Sealed proposals addressed to the Board of Estimates of Baltimore will be received until, but not later than 11:00a.m. local time on the following date(s) for the stated requirements: *FUEL AND LUBE TRUCK B50003937 THE ENTIRE SOLICITATION DOCUMENT CAN BE VIEWED AND DOWN LOADER BY VISITING THE CITY’S WEB SITE: www.baltimorecitibuy.org

To advertise in the AFRO Call

410-554-8200

January 31, 2015 - February 6, 2015, The Afro-American

CAREER CORNER

B7

Author’s Corner

Mistaken Identity

Melinda Robertson • Release Date: Dec. 19, 2014

TYPESET: Wed Jan 28 15:59:46 EST 2015

Melinda Robertson is an author, empowerment speaker and former teen mother. Her experience as a teen mother compelled her to write her first novel, Motherhood . . . What You Don’t Know! in an attempt to combat the teen pregnancy issue that plagues communities nationwide. Motherhood . . .

What You Don’t Know! was featured in various newspapers, and two nationally syndicated radio shows, the “ Russ Parr Morning Show” and the “Wendy Williams Experience.”

Robertson’s second novel, Fatherhood . . . What You Ought to Know for teen boys was written to educate boys about the responsibilities they have to do to prevent unwanted pregnancies.

In her latest novel, Mistaken Identity, Robertson ventures into new territory targeting a more mature audience. This fast paced story takes you into the life of a modern day single woman who plays by her own rules and ultimately changes the dating game.

SCIENCE INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNICIAN I - SCIENCE CARROLL COMMUNITY COLLEGE has a full-time, 12 month position available as an Instructional Technician I Science. Additional information may be obtained at www.carrollcc.edu.

EOE/M/F

TYPESET: Wed Jan 28 16:00:13 EST 2015

EDUCATION CYBER TECHNOLOGY COORDINATOR CARROLL COMMUNITY COLLEGE has a full-time, 12 month position as Cyber Technology Coordinator. Additional information may be obtained at www.carrollcc.edu

What was the impetus for writing this book?

My passion for writing.

EOE/M/F

What’s the overall theme?

The complexities of living the single life.

What surprised you about the development of the book?

How relatable it is.

Melinda Robertson

ADVERTISING ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE INSIDE SALES ADVERTISING ACCOUNT Advertising SalesEXECUTIVE Professional needed for the AFRO-American Newspapers, Washington, D.C. or Baltimore office.

Entry-Level Advertising Sales Rep needed for the AFRO-American Position provides: Newspapers, Baltimore, M.D. • Competitive compensation package • Salary andprovides: commission plan Position • Full benefits after trial period • Competitive compensation package • • Opportunity Salary and commission plan for fast track advancement • Full benefits after trial period • Candidates Opportunity for fast track should be: advancement • Self starters

• Money motivated Candidates • Goal-oriented should possess: • Good typing/data entry skills • Experienced in online/digital sales

• Excellent customer service skills • Confident in ability to build strong territory • Previous telephone sales experience sales experience preferred • • Previous Excellent written and verbal

communication skills

Please email your resume to: Pleasedhocker@afro.com email your resume to: lhowze@afro.com or mail to or mail to AFRO-American Newspapers, Afro-American Newspapers Diane W. Hocker, Director of Human Resources, Diane W. Hocker, 2519 N. Charles Street, Director of Human Resources Baltimore, MD 21218 2519 N. Charles Street Baltimore, MD 21218

Looking for Interesting Work?

Interested in Public Policy?

The Baltimore City Law Department is seeking an experienced, independent and wise lawyer who is passionate about MBE/WBE programs to serve as the Chief of the Minority and Women’s Business Opportunity Office. The Chief supervises a staff of six and directs the City’s MBE/WBE Program including certifying businesses; investigating violations of the law; monitoring contractors; and certifying compliance with the Program. The Chief has frequent interaction with the Board of Estimates.

Candidates must be licensed to practice law in Maryland and should have at least 10 years of legal experience. Experience with MBE/ WBE programs is highly desirable.

Salary range: $90,000 -$115,000. Actual salary based on experience.

Send resume and cover letter to: Cecilia.Januszkiewicz@baltimorecity.gov Please use “Chief MWBOO” as the subject reference of your email.

Applications should be received by January 30, 2015.

Which character excites you most?

Morgan, the main character.

For what audience is your book written?

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

Life happens but how we respond is key.

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

To not judge others.

What did you learn during the writing process?

That we all have a story to tell.

Any advice for aspiring writers?

To stay focused and see it through.

What’s next on the horizon for you?

To see where this thing called life takes me from here.

Yale Professor Named University’s First Endowed Professor of Poetry

By Courtney Jacobs AFRO Staff Writer Elizabeth Alexander, known for writing and reading her original poem “Praise Song for the Day” at President Obama’s inauguration in 2009, was appointed the first Frederick Iseman Professor of Poetry at Yale University.

The position is the first endowed professorship at Yale dedicated entirely to the field of poetry.

Alexander has taught courses on African-American poetry, drama, and 20thcentury literature and culture at Yale since 2000. She also served as the chair of the African American Studies Department for four years.

Alexander previously taught at the University of Chicago.

Alexander is the author of six collections of poetry; a new memoir entitled ‘The Light of the World” is due in April.

Alexander earned her undergraduate degree from Yale before earning a master’s degree at Boston University and a Ph.D. at the University of Pennsylvania.

Among Alexander’s achievements, awards, and titles including being named Chancellor of the Academy of American Poets; the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award for

Elizabeth Alexander

Lifetime Achievement in Poetry, the first Jackson Prize for Poetry; a National Endowment for the Arts Creative Writing Fellowship; three Pushcart Prizes; the George Kent Prize for Poetry; a Guggenheim Fellowship; the Quantrell Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching at the University of Chicago; and being the first recipient of the Alphonse Fletcher Sr. Fellowship for work that “contributes to improving race relations in American society and furthers the broad social goals of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education decision of 1954.”

B8

The Afro-American, January 31, 2015 - February 6, 2015

Book Review

‘Dark Girls’ Celebrates the Beauty of Black Women styling, the supportive mom asserts that “90% of beauty is between the ears. It’s an inside job.”

Another contributor is Camille Winbush, best known for playing niece Vanessa on The Bernie Mac Show. She admits that her feelings were hurt at the age of 12 while participating in a fashion show, when she was asked “What’s wrong with you?” backstage by a white girl pointing out her pigmentation. Fortunately, the gorgeous child actress had already been taught that “dark was normal and beautiful.”

Among the other luminaries weighing-in, here, are the comedienne Sommore, TV Judge Mablean Ephraim, Hip-Hop star Missy Elliott, actress Loretta Devine, Olympic gold medalist Dawn Harper-Nelson, and actress Sheryl Lee Ralph, to name a few.

Artist/communications strategist Floydetta McAfee probably sums it all up best when she says, “I know and understand my history as an African-American. I come from the bloodline of many proud and self-assured people who are dark like me. I embrace that bloodline and our skin tone. In this dark skin I was born, grew up, traveled the

By Kam Williams Special to the AFRO “In today’s society, dark skin has become linked to longer prison time, higher unemployment rates, low selfesteem, lower standards of beauty, and higher psychological distress. The skin bleaching industry is a multimilliondollar business. Women go to great lengths to lighten their skin in an attempt to be more attractive in the eyes of male partners and society as a whole…

Studies have also found that young girls… feel as if they are not as ‘pretty’ or ‘desirable’ as their friends with lighter skin. That is one of the reasons why this project is so important. It is showcasing dark girls from all over the world…

This book will be an inspiration to [help] people... realize that our dark skin tone makes us unique and beautiful as opposed to viewing it as a constraint that needs to be altered or avoided.”

-- Excerpted from the Postscript by Dr. Tenika Jackson (page 172) Last year, the documentary Dark Girls was nominated for an NAACP Image Award. Now, the film’s director, Bill Duke, has published an equally-valuable companion piece celebrating the beauty of ebony-hued black women.

The classy coffee table book is comprised of over 80 full-page portraits of sepia-skinned sisters of every age and from every walk of life. Besides breathtaking photographs by Barron Claiborne, the opus includes the heartfelt reflections of each of the subjects about her coloring.

Retha Powers recalls being teased in grammar school by a mean classmate, before she expresses her concern about the welfare of her 6 year-old daughter, Isa. Sensitively answering her curious child’s questions about hair texture and

world, and live proudly.”

An uplifting collection capturing both the intelligence and elegance of darker-skinned sisters.

To order a copy of Dark Girls, visit: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ ASIN/006233168X/ref%3dnosim/thslfofire-20

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