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Volume Volume 129 123 No. No.21 20–22

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THE BLACK MEDIA AUTHORITY • AFRO.COM www.afro.com

DECEMBER 26, 2020 - JANUARY 1, 2021

AFRO Review

‘Ma Rainey’ Masterpiece

David Lee/Netflix via AP

Academy Award winner Viola Davis portrays the trailblazing Blues diva Ma Rainey, also starring the late Chadwick Boseman in his final performance. Boseman, far left, died on Aug. 28 at the age of 43, after a long battle with colon cancer. Netflix’s television adaptation of August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, is now available. By Sean Yoes AFRO Senior Reporter syoes@afro.com Viola Davis is a tour de force as the trailblazing Blues Diva. August Wilson’s masterpiece, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, was the legendary playwright’s first Broadway production in 1984, his first of many Broadway triumphs depicting the depths and the heights of the Black American

odyssey. Thirty-six years later, Academy Award winning actor and producer Denzel Washington brings Ma Rainey to television via Netflix in a production that is literally setting the dramatic world ablaze. Wilson’s work, relevant as ever, vibrates even higher perhaps in the context of our current 21st century Black experience and America’s catastrophic racial reckoning. Academy Award winner Viola Davis, arguably the greatest actor on earth right now,

My personal experience with COVID By James Brown Special to the AFRO

afro.com

I woke up on Dec. 4 with a scratchy sore throat, which is not unusual for the winter months. But this was very different, as you can imagine. I hopped out of the bed. I did not have a cough or fever, but

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I was being very cautious. I immediately called to find out if I could get a test ASAP. Urgent Care had tests available right away. Needless to say, it was positive, which these days is like a death sentence. But it was time to live by faith. The doctor told me to isolate for 10 days, push fluids in the same way as if you had a cold or flu. After the first day, a fever kicked in. The first night it was 100.8, and it was the same for the next couple of nights. The fourth day it jumped to 103.8. And I had no taste or smell whatsoever for eight days. The fever did not break for 10 days. I did a 14-day

bring’s Rainey to life in all her glory, as she navigated the inglorious racist music industry of the 1920’s. And the late Chadwick Boseman delivers an incomparable (in the literal sense of the word) performance as he channeled the raging musical genius Levee. It is a virtuoso performance sure to garner him every dramatic prize imaginable posthumously. There have been myriad reviews of Ma Rainey on stages across the country and there will be many more for the television

Season’s greetings to our loyal readers, subscribers and advertisers

his year has been, as Charles Dickens eloquently wrote over 160 years ago, “the best of times and the worst of times.” A deadly pandemic, massive protests, and a contentious presidential election will forever be etched in our collective memories as defining moments of 2020. We mourn with the families of the nearly two million people worldwide who have died from COVID-19. We continue to say the names of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and so many others who were wrongfully murdered this year. We recognize the young and not so young who locked arms to definitively declare that Black Lives Matter. This year also will go down in history as the year Americans overwhelmingly elected Joe Biden president and Kamala Harris as the first African-American vice president of the United States of America. We relentlessly reported on these and so many other history making events in our legacy product, the AFRO-American Newspaper, on afro.com and across our very robust social media platforms.

Even though the pandemic is still raging, and many of us cannot be with our loved ones this holiday season, there is light at the end of the proverbial tunnel. We celebrate the thousands of front line and essential workers who tirelessly serve our communities, the scientists and pharmaceutical companies who worked around the clock to produce a COVID vaccine in record time, and the governmental agencies and private philanthropic organizations (including our own 501 C-3, Afro Charities) who are still providing much needed assistance to individuals and businesses. What a year! On behalf of the entire AFRO Team, we extend a sincere and heartfelt Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you and your loved ones. Thank you for your support and partnership. Praying for a healthy and prosperous 2021! Kind regards,

Frances Murphy Draper (Toni) CEO and Publisher

Continued on A2

Courtesy photo

James Brown is a healthy young man of 44, who woke up one morning to COVID.

incarnation of Wilson’s work produced by Washington (who also produced and starred in Wilson’s Fences for the big screen) and brought to life by the otherworldly ensemble cast. But, I would like to focus on Boseman’s transcendent performance as Levee; 19 years ago I had to grapple with the tortured jazz musician on the stage at Baltimore’s Arena Players. When Levee enters that recording studio in Chicago with his older bandmates and Rainey, Continued on A2

The AFRO team celebrated Christmas together live on Facebook.

The Afro-American, December 26, 2020 - January 1, 2021

Facebook encourages buying Black this holiday season By Micha Green D.C. Editor mgreen@afro.com Even though the lastminute holiday rush still exists, with COVID-19 restrictions requiring some stores to operate differently or close their doors in order to stop the spread of the infectious disease, many small businesses are feeling the painful symptoms of the pandemic and are working to stay afloat-- particularly Black-owned businesses due to the virus’ disproportionate

effect on African American communities. As cities shut down again, COVID cases increase and African Americans suffer with the insidious effects of the pandemic, Facebook and the United States Black Chamber of Commerce are working to empower Black entrepreneurs during the holiday season. In July, despite the improving summer numbers and optimism some possessed for the future of COVID-19, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce conducted a Small Business Coronavirus

WASHINGTON EDITION STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP MANAGEMENT AND CIRCULATION (Required by 39 U.S.C. 3685) 1. Title of Publication — THE WASHINGTON AFRO-AMERICAN & THE WASHINGTON TRIBUNE, Publication No. 0276-6523 2. Date of Filing — November 11, 2020 3. Frequency of issue — Published weekly, 52 issues annually with annual subscription price of $100.00 4. Location of known office of publication is 1140 3rd Street, 2nd Floor, Washington, DC 20002-6723 5. Location of the headquarters and general business offices of the publisher, AFRO-AMERICAN Company of Baltimore City, 145 W. Ostend St., Ste. 600 Ofc. #536, Baltimore, Maryland 21230 6. Names and complete addresses of Publisher and Editor are: Publisher: Dr. Francis M. Draper Afro-American Newspapers 145 W. Ostend St., Ste. 600 Ofc. #536 Baltimore, Maryland 21230 Editor: Micha Green Afro-American Newspapers 1140 3rd Street, 2nd Floor Washington, D.C. 20002-6723 Managing Editor: Dorothy Boulware Afro-American Newspapers 145 W. Ostend St., Ste. 600 Ofc. #536 Baltimore, Maryland 21230 7. The owner is a Corporation: The AFRO-American Company of Baltimore City, 145 W. Ostend St., Ste. 600 Ofc. #536, Baltimore, Maryland 21230. The following Stockholders own one (1) percent or more of the total amount of stock and their mailing address is above: John J. Oliver, Jr., Trustees of Carl Murphy Estate, Frances L. Murphy and Carlita Jones; Madeline W. Murphy, Arthur Murphy, Camay Murphy, Eleanor Louise Gee Murphy, David V. Lottier, Shawn P. Lottier, Sadie Smith, Virginia L. Parham, June L. Powell, Deborah Stafford, James and Robin Wood, all of Baltimore, MD; Leeland A.M. Jones, Jr, of Buffalo, NY; Charles Perkins, Carlita CMJ Perkins, of Gaithersburg, MD; George Lottier, Daniel H. Murphy, Christopher Lottier, of Atlanta, GA; Laurence Young, Grace Bruce, Madeline M. Rabb of Chicago, IL; Susan M. Barnes of Biloxi, MS; Sharon M. Smith of Oakland, CA; and Benjamin M. Phillips IV of Alanta, GA. 8. Known bondholders, mortgagees, and other security holders owning or holding 1 percent or more of total amount of bonds, mortgages or other securities — None 9. EXTENT AND NATURE OF CIRCULATION

a. Total Number of Copies (Net press run) b. Paid Circulation (By Mail and Outside the Mail) (1) Mailed Outside-County Paid Subscriptions Stated on PS Form 3541 (Include paid distribution above nominal rate, advertiser’s proof copies, and, and exchange copies) (2) Mailed In-County Paid Subscriptions Stated on PS Form 3541 (Include paid distribution above nominal rate, advertiser’s proof copies, and exchange copies) (3) Paid Distribution Outside the Mails Including Sales Through Dealers and Carriers, Street Vendors, Counter Sales, and Other Paid Distribution Outside USPS® (4) Paid Distribution by Other Classes of Mail Through the USPS (e.g. First-Class Mail®) c. Total Paid Distribution (Sum of 15b (1), (2), (3), and (4) d. Free or Nominal Rate Distribution (By Mail and Outside the Mail) (1) Free or Nominal Rate Outside-County. Copies included on POS Form 3541 (2) Free or Nominal Rate In-CountyCopies Included on PS Form 3541 (3) Free or Nominal Rate CopiesMailed at other Classes Through the USPS (e.g. First-Class Mail) (4) Free or Nominal Rate Distribution Outside the Mail (Carriers or other means) e. Total Free or Nominal Rate Distribution (Sum of 15d (1(, (2),(3) and (4) f. Total Distribution (Sum of 15c and 15e) g. Copies not Distributed (See Instructions to Publishers #4 (page #3) h. Total (Sum of 15f and g) j. Percent Paid (15c divided by 15f times 100) 16. Electronic Copy Circulation a. Paid Electronic Copies b. Total Paid Print Copies (Line 15c) + Paid Electronic Copies (Line 16a) c. Total Print Distribution (Line 15f) + Paid Electronic Copies (Line 16a) d. Percent Paid (Both Print & Electronic Copies) (16b divided by 16c x 100)

Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months

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Courtesy Photo

The Gill brothers of Frères Branchiaux are some of the local entrepreneurs featured in Facebook’s #BuyBlackFriday Gift Guide, which encourages supporting Black businesses during the holiday season. Impact Poll that showed that 70 percent of small business owners were concerned about prolonged financial hardship due to pandemic restrictions, and about 58 percent were worried about permanently closing. Five months later, with many places across the United States, including in the nation’s capital, tightening restrictions and shutting down as a means to lower the rising rates of COVID cases, small business owners are finding ways to pivot, partner and provide for the community even with heightened concerns about the financial future and fate of their businesses Facebook launched the #BuyBlackFriday program as a means of redirecting energy from Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, and encouraging others to support Black-owned businesses throughout the entire holiday season. Through the program, Facebook is featuring their #BuyBlack Friday Gift Guide, which includes products from 60 Black-owned businesses, from home, to beauty, to fashion in the United States.

The Gift Guide can be found on about.fb.come/giftguide/ or in the Facebook app as part of the Lift Black Voices Hub, and is curated in partnership with the U.S. Black Chamber. “Facebook and the U.S.

By AFRO Staff It is the consensus of family and friends that John Jeffrey Wood did it ‘his way.’ How could he not have with the unique upbringing he received? How could he not have been affected by having been a world traveler? How could he not, having been the son of world renown entertainers? When John Jeffrey Wood died, Nov. 10, in Oakland, Calif. after a protracted illness, this son of Jazz singer, Damita Jo LeBlanc and James “Biddy” Wood, had lived a full life enriched by the people he’d met, the experiences he’d had and his openness to engaging with

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Your History • Your Community • Your News Baltimore Office • Corporate Headquarters 145 W. Ostend Street Suite 600, Office #536 Baltimore, Maryland 21230 410-554-8200 • Fax: 1-877-570-9297 afro.com Founded by John Henry Murphy Sr., August 13, 1892 Chairman of the Board/Publisher - Frances Murphy Draper (Publisher Emeritus - John J. Oliver Jr.)

0 0 2,594

0 0 3,199

President - Benjamin Murphy Phillips IV Vice President of Advertising - Kevin E. Peck Receptionist - Wanda Pearson - 410-554-8200 Director of Operations Andrè Draper - 410-554-8200 Director of Finance Bonnie Deanes - 410-554-8242

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336 2,930

26 3,225

179 3,109 88.5%

150 3,375 99.2%

1,529

1,673

4,123

4,872

4,459

4,898

92.5%

99.5%

10. I certify that the statements made by me above are correct and complete. (Signed) Bonnie Deanes Director of Finance

Identification Statement The Afro-American Newspapers – (USPS 040-800) is published weekly by The AfroAmerican Company, 145 W. Ostend St., Suite 600, Office #536, Baltimore, MD 21230. Subscription Rate: 1 Year - $100.00 Print & Digital ($40 Digital Only) (Price includes tax). Checks for subscriptions should be made payable to: The Afro-American Company, 145 W. Ostend St., Suite 600, Office #536, Baltimore, MD 21230. Periodicals postage paid at Baltimore, MD and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send addresses changes to: The Afro-American Company, 145 W. Ostend St., Suite 600, Office #536, Baltimore, MD 21230.

Photo courtesy of the Wood family

John Jeffrey Wood

people from all walks of life. And he found great joy in sharing his life with everyone he met. Right up until the end of his life, he was still entertaining family members and friends who surrounded him. The 56-year-old John Wood, better known as JJ, was named after his uncle, John “Junky” Wood and his great aunt Jeffrey Plummer. He was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., and spent his early years in Carpinteria, Calif. outside of Santa Barbara. He later moved with his parents to Baltimore. See more on afro.com

‘Ma Rainey’

Continued from A1

The Afro-American Newspapers

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Maryland businesses Frères Branchiaux and Drama Mama Bookshop, talked to Robinson about their ventures and gift ideas for the holiday season. “Facebook is encouraging people to shop at local businesses, like Frères Branchiaux and Drama Mama Bookshop, showcased in the #BuyBlackFriday Gift Guide, throughout the holiday season,” Wood said. Honored to be part of the #BuyBlackFriday extended holiday programming, Alisa Brock, owner of Drama Mama Bookshop, explained how helpful participating in Facebook’s Gift Guide has been as a local entrepreneur, but further, the positive ramifications such programming can have towards addressing the institutional challenges of racism in the United States. See more on afro.com

John J. Wood did it ‘his way’

No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date

1,662

Black Chambers teamed up to launch the #BuyBlackFriday campaign to harness the energy of the biggest retail day of year and support Black small businesses across the country,” Erica Wood said in a statement submitted to the AFRO. With the pandemic limiting personal interaction and shopping, Facebook’s new Live Shopping features allows for shoppers to browse store products and make purchases online from the safety and comfort of their homes. Further, though the pandemic restricted personally meeting and interfacing with small business owners, some of the entrepreneurs from the Gift Guide were featured on Facebook’s #BuyBlack Friday show hosted by Phoebe Robinson of 2 Dope Queens. Local Black entrepreneurs, such as the owners of

Executive Director/Director of Advertising Lenora Howze - 410-554-8271 - lhowze@afro.com Director of Community & Public Relations Diane W. Hocker - 410-554-8243 Editorial Managing Editor - Dorothy Boulware - 410-554-8231 News Editor - Jessica A. Dortch - 443-253-2579 AFRO Senior Reporter - Sean Yoes - 410-554-8289 Washington, D.C. Editor - Micha Green - 202-332-0080, ext. 1119 Archivist - Savannah Wood- 443-885-4627 Baltimore Circulation/Distribution Manager Andrè Draper - 410-554-8200 Production Department - 410-554-8200 Advertising Account Executive Washington, D.C. - Vetta Ridgeway - 202-332-0080-ext. 1104 vridgeway@afro.com

he carries with him both a satchel and a head full of elaborate demons born of a monstrous history in the Deep South; a history that saw his mother brutalized by a gang of White men and his father murdered for defending her honor. Levee’s psyche and spirit remained brutalized from his hellish childhood and he takes it out on God in a way that shocks and scorches the senses of so many who witness his blasphemous venom. During our editorial planning meeting this week, AFRO managing editor, Rev. Dorothy Boulware asked how a man of faith navigated the spiritual minefield Wilson wrought in his first Broadway play. Short answer: it wasn’t easy. But, I clung to the glimmer of light I saw in Levee; it wasn’t that he didn’t believe in God, he was just enraged with Him for in his mind, turning His back on his mother. And that reality I believe gave me the path to approach Levee with love because I understood his rage. Being born and raised in West Baltimore that was much easier for me to tap into. Our offering of Ma Rainey at Arena was received well in February 2002. “Also like the blues, the play needs performers who have the “chops,” to borrow a bit of musicians’ lingo. Arena Players’ production could use an occasional boost in tempo, but director Amini Johari-Courts’ cast has the dramatic chops,” wrote Baltimore Sun theater critic J. Wynn Rousuck. And apparently I didn’t do too bad. “Portrayed by Sean Yoes as dashing, headstrong and blinded by anger, Levee is unwilling to follow the examples of his elders, and unable to constructively channel his anger,” Rousuck wrote. Yet, it is Boseman who has delivered the definitive Levee and I couldn’t touch the hem of his garment. Frankly, I don’t know if any actor could. There were several moments in his portrayal of the mercurial musician where it seemed the actor tapped into his own imminent demise as he transversed the spaces between heaven and hell to bring Levee to life. We will all miss Boseman dearly. Thank God we have his work and because of it, he lives.

My personal experience

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Washington Circulation/Distribution Manager Edgar Brookins - 202-332-0080, ext. 1108

quarantine just to be safe for my household. I could breathe the whole time with some chest congestion, but nothing severe. It was kind of rough with the fever and loss of taste and smell, but I thank God my symptoms were not that bad compared to the stories of people who had to be hospitalized. Many of them are suffering complications. I’m blessed and very thankful. I just took another test Dec. 19, which was 16 days for me, and my results were negative!

Customer Service, Home Delivery and Subscriptions: 410-554-8200

What has your experience been? If you’d like to share, send your story to editor@afro.com.

Washington Office 1140 3rd Street, N.E., 2nd Floor Washington, D.C. 20002-6723 202-332-0080 • Fax: 1-877-570-9297

(Washington Publisher Emerita - Frances L. Murphy II)

December 26, 2020 - January 1, 2021, The Afro-American A3

COMMENTARY

National Urban League helping to shape Biden-Harris

“You shape the lives of millions of Americans, as well as American history and all for the better. I really mean it when I say the country needs you more than any time in the past. The Urban League has stared down some tough, tough periods in American history, and the Urban League has never backed down. You stuck to your core mission: a fight for economic justice and social justice. You’ve done it in good times and bad times. You have boosted millions of Americans out of poverty into the middle class. You’ve kept your mission.” — Joe Biden, 2019 National Urban League Conference, Indianapolis In the days since the Electoral College officially elevated Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to President-elect and Vice President-elect, announcements of the new administration’s chosen Cabinet, senior advisors and policy initiatives has crowded baseless claims of election fraud from the headlines. I’m proud to say these vitally important decisions are being made with the input and guidance of the National Urban League. The Most Important Factor in Your Child’s Education is You Last week, I was part of a group of civil rights leaders who met with the president-elect and vice president-elect to discuss the critical issues of racial equity and diversity in their administration. The meeting was positive and encouraging. The president-elect reaffirmed his commitment to racial justice. We underscored that our job as historical civil rights leaders is first, to help him and secondly, to hold him accountable for the commitments that were made. It is essential that the incoming administration assemble a cabinet and advisors that reflect the nation’s diversity. The consent of the governed is conferred not only by an election, but by the people seeing themselves among those who govern. Almost half of nominees for cabinet and cabinet-level positions announced so far are people of color, including General Lloyd Austin as secretary of Defense and Representative Marcia Fudge as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. Among the selections for cabinet-level positions and senior staff, President-elect Biden has nominated four prominent women of color: Neera Tanden to direct the Office of Management and Budget; Katherine Tai as U.S. trade representative, Linda Thomas -Greenfield as United Nations Ambassador and Cecilia Rouse to chair the Council of Economic Advisors. This is a welcome and encouraging development following the least diverse administration since Ronald Reagan’s first term. But during the meeting with the president-elect and vice president-elect, we made it clear that appointing a diverse cabinet and advisors is not a substitute for a policy agenda that promotes racial justice and opportunity. In the first 100 days of the Biden Harris administration, we would like to see action on voting rights, action on criminal justice reform and an equitable distribution plan for the COVID vaccine. We also would like to see an economic framework that makes a down payment toward reducing and eliminating the racial wealth gap. Both Attorneys General under the current administration have refused to investigate misconduct among police departments, either individual misconduct or patterns of conduct. That should be reversed on day one: put the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division back in business and allow them to do their job. Both President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris have been longtime allies of the National Urban League. We honored the Vice President-elect as one of the first recipients of our “Woman of Power” awards in 2004, just after she was elected District Attorney of San Francisco. In 2017, when she assumed

Marc H. Morial

office as California’s third female U.S. Senator, and the first of Jamaican or Indian ancestry, we honored her with the Hiram Revels Award for Achievement, named for the first African American to serve in the U.S. Congress. Both she and President-elect Biden have been frequent speakers at the National Urban League Conference and our Legislative Policy Conference. The National Urban League is prepared to work closely with the Biden-Harris Administration to make sure they follow through on their commitments and to help them achieve these goals. Marc H. Morial is the president and CEO of the National Urban League.

Commentary

Godfather movies and the 2020 presidential election My favorite movie(s) of all-time is the Godfather (I & II). I remember a well-known actor saying that every question in life can be answered by a scene in the Godfather. But can it apply to the recent, never seen before 2020 presidential election? A stretch? Fuhgeddaboudit. Here we go. One of the most moving, shocking and gruesome scenes in the Godfather was when the movie producer woke up to find the head of his prized horse in bed with him dripping in blood. Trump-Biden? This scene goes along with the not as surprising scene of the Godfather being shot several times in his backside. Sometimes you need your Luca Brasi, a street fighter. The opposition was able to take Trump’s Luca Brasi away due to their troubles with the law. This left Trump vulnerable to the “street politics” he was to engage in. Sometimes you need a Paul Manafort, Roger Stone and Steve Bannon working to help you get re-elected as they played an integral role to the dismay of your foes in your upset election. They would have made sure the debates did not have rule changes at the last minute, no questions on foreign affairs? They would have made certain that there would have been no late rule changes on voting without extreme verification measures being applied. Basic stuff, but life threatening as in the Godfather. Second Godfather moment, the funeral. Funerals are for the living not the dead. One of the most powerful moments in the Godfather was

Former Cong. Gary Franks

when the heads of the other top mob families all showed up for Don Corleone’s (the Godfather) funeral. Many in attendance hated the Don in fact at least one tried to kill him in the aforementioned scene. Yet, they were all there to offer their condolences to the Corleone family. Yet, even at the funeral the Don’s enemies were laying the groundwork for another attack against the Don’s family (Michael the son). Trump vs Biden? Of course! Funerals played a key role in this election. We had three prominent funerals all monopolized the media, and rightfully so. The deaths of Senator John McCain, Congressman John Lewis and George Floyd all played a role in the election. Does anyone not believe that Trump would not have carried Arizona without the McCain family joining forces with Biden? The margin of victory for Biden was razor thin and McCain was an Arizona legend. Speaking of legends, the snubbing of John Lewis hurt many in the Black community. Do you not think that some folks worked extra hard in Atlanta (where he was a congressman for 30 years) to defeat Trump in another razor thin election? George Floyd’s death in the Midwest, Detroit and Milwaukee played key roles in razor thin elections. We will come back to that later. In none of these cases would a speech be expected or desired, just your presence. The third and last scene that ties to the Trump-Biden election is subtle but pivotal to Michael Corleone’s triumph. When driving down Havana street during the rise of Fidel Castro Michael sees rebels struggling, fighting, resisting arrest from the military police. Instead

Dear Editor, On December 2, the Black Lives Matter banner on Corpus Christi Catholic Church at the corner of Mount Royal and W. Lafayette Avenues in Baltimore was set on fire under cover of night. This was the second time someone had vandalized our banner. Just last week, Black Lives Matter signs and banners were pulled down and destroyed at churches in Washington DC. As Baltimoreans and as people of God, how will we respond to these acts of racism and denigration to our sacred spaces? At Corpus Christi, we will start by replacing our sign. But that is only a start. As people of God, we must go far beyond simply proclaiming that Black Lives Matter and work harder to demonstrate it. In a recent article titled “How Church Teaching Can Help Explain Why ‘Black Lives Matter,’” published in America magazine, Baltimore’s Archbishop William Lori stated “racism remains manifest in our society and in our church. The words, ‘Black Lives Matter,’ should prompt us to examine our own consciences with regard to racism and spur us on to advocate and work for racial justice.” In these tumultuous times, we must redouble our efforts to affirm the dignity and worth of Black lives by working to eradicate our own individual biases and by working collectively to build a society based on truth and love. Working for racial justice means standing in solidarity with African American leaders to support important criminal justice and police reform legislation in the upcoming Maryland General Assembly. It means calling on legislators to override Governor Hogan’s veto of the Kirwan Commission’s Blueprint for Maryland’s Future in order to ensure that all children have access to world-class education. It means insisting on racial equity in our workplaces, our neighborhoods, and our places of worship. And ultimately, it means truth-telling about the horrors of anti-Black racism and reparations for those hurt by it.

of being arrested the rebel uses a hidden grenade to blow up the military police as he died himself, turning it into a suicide mission. What Michael realizes in this unscripted event was that the rebels in Cuba hated their existence and wanted to fight perceived injustice to the point of death if need be. Michael understood from that example that the rebels could win. He hedged his bet and had an exit plan from Cuba unbeknownst to friends and foes. Trump - Biden? Exactly! Trump missed his Michael Corleone street example because he never went to see the Blacks families who were in pain over the death of an unarmed Black man, George Floyd or any of the other families, Kenosha, Wis., which he lost by a very slim margin as well. An unscripted visit to either family, welcomed or unwelcomed by Black leaders, would have melted the Black community a little more and with the closeness of the election, that “little more” would have been enough. You would have understood the degree of pain all Blacks were feelings. You would have altered your strategy, just like Michael did in the Godfather. This change along with the other two changes and the election would have been different. Gary A. Franks served three-terms as U.S. representative for Connecticut’s 5th District. First Black Republican elected to the House in nearly 60 years & New England’s first Black Member of the House. Taught at Georgetown, UVA and Hampton University. He is host of the podcast We Speak Frankly. Follow him @GaryFranks.

During this Advent season, as we await the return of the light and the birth of a child, let us continue to say Black Lives Matter. And, as one of our Catholic hymns proclaims, “Let us build the City of God. May our tears be turned into dancing!” Denise Duval is a Baltimore attorney, a parishioner at Corpus Christi Church, a member of the Racial Justice Circle and a board member of Reconcile Baltimore.

The opinions on this page are those of the writers and not necessarily those of the AFRO. Send letters to The Afro-American • 145 W. Ostend Street Ste 600, Office #536 Baltimore, MD 21230 or fax to 1-877-570-9297 or e-mail to editor@afro.com

A4 The Afro-American, December 26, 2020 - January 1, 2021

Baltimore Dr. Clara I. Adams 87. Aug. 5

Bishop Aggie L. Brown 76. May 24 Lloyd T. Bowser Sr. 82. Oct. 8.

Dr. Lloyd T. Bowser Jr. 56. Nov. 13 Jordan Cofield 20. Aug. 22

Vernon “Tim” Conway

Dr. Shirley Basfield Dunlap 67. June 15 Archbishop Naomi Durant 80. June 5 Dr. Anne O. Emery 93. Aug. 19

Dr. Earl Gilbert Graves Sr. 85. April 6 Pernel Jones Sr. 78. Oct. 6

Esther E. McCready 89. Sept. 2 George E. Mitchell 65. July 14

James C. Morant 71. Jan. 11

Dr. Patricia Newton 75. Sept. 28 George Nock 74. Nov. 22 Wes Unseld 74. June 2

Rev. Carl Washington Sr. 89. July 20 Mary Wilson 83. May 21

Carroll Asbury Watkins 77. Dec. 16

District of Columbia Edna Adams 105. April 21

Luevella Jackson 87. May 30

William Roosevelt Jerman 91. May 16* Florence Pendleton 94. Sept. 10 John Thompson 79. Aug. 30

See more on afro.com

God has gained an angel By Joseph Green-Bishop Special to the AFRO

The Rev. Mamie Althea Williams was an angelic servant of God who during nearly a half century of ministry profoundly and selflessly improved the lives of people throughout the world. A powerful orator and effective church and civic leader, Rev. Williams, who died recently in her Baltimore County home, performed a major role in progressive social change movements in the United States, Africa, Europe and in the Caribbean. A graduate of Claflin University in her native South Carolina, and the Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C., there was little Rev. Williams did not do to help others during her lifetime. It almost seemed as if she never slept. Her energy and her compassion were boundless. At the root of her work were faith, prayer and an intense belief in the goodness of people. Annually, she organized a reception for the widows of ministers who had pastored United

Methodist churches in the Baltimore-Washington area. While some had forgotten these women, Rev. Williams insisted on acknowledging the roles they played in ministry. She helped raise money to build and open Africa University in Zimbabwe, recognized as one of the finest academic institutions on the African continent. When the AIDS epidemic first arrived in this country she worked closely with health organizations, and with medical professionals such as Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Levi Watkins to educate members of the public about the disease. Among her friends and mentors were Bishop Desmond Tutu, Reverend Joseph Lowery, Mrs. Coretta Scott King, Dr. Dorothy Height, the Rev. Frank L. Williams, the Rev. Alfreda Wiggins, Dr. Benjamin Hooks, Congressman Parren J. Mitchell and others too numerous to list in this writing. courtesy photo Rev. Mamie Althea Williams

DONATION FORM We all find ourselves in unprecedented and troubling times with the ongoing pandemic caused by COVID-19. The AFRO is happy to provide an opportunity for you to give as much as your heart will bear to bring joy to the more vulnerable families in our community. Please join the AFRO and Afro Charities Mrs. Santa Program by sending your checks payable to Afro Charities Inc. to the address listed below or feel free to donate through PayPal.

I want to join the AFRO’s spirit of giving. Please accept my contribution of $_________ to benefit a family in our community.

Name_______________________________________ Organization_________________________________ Address______________________________________ City/State/Zip________________________________ Phone_______________________________________ Email________________________________________ Please send all donations to: Afro Charities, Attn: Diane Hocker 145 W. Ostend Street, Ste. 600, Office #536 Baltimore, MD 21230 Or visit AfroCharities.org/Donate

Thank You! $1,000 Steppin' Out Bunch Mildred L. Harper, President

$825 Baltimore Chapter Kappa Silhouettes $500 Beautiful Hats Society of Maryland Dubois Circle • Denise Norman $300 AFSCMEMD Local 3655 M. Womble, President $250 Robin and James Wood $150 Rod Armstrong $100 Mildred Bradshaw • William S. Dorsey Family Amy Dunlap • In Memory of Phillip P. Green Elizabeth Koopman • Fergal Mullaly • Rodney A. Orange Carol A. Rogers • Vernon L. Simms • Marsha Taylor Elva E. Tillman • Cynthia M. Winkler $60 Alana Brown $50 Lavone Grant • Randy and Brenda Jews Dorothy Johns • Pearl Kirby • Alonzo W. Thornton Sr. Margaret Wells • Mary Windhaus • Anonymous $30 Dorothea Jordan • Irma C Reeder $25 Maria Massey • Lisa Simeon $20 Geraldine Bates

Total:

$5,815

As of 12/23/20

She was born into a Godcentered family in Sumter, South Carolina. She and her surviving sister, Mary Mayhan, spoke by phone each evening. “Mamie was my rock,” said Mrs. Mayhan, a resident of Georgia who like others said the world will miss Rev. Williams immensely. Nearly two hundred people viewed a memorial service in Baltimore at the Howell Funeral Home honoring the life and deeds of Rev. Williams. Written tributes were presented to the family by Sen. Benjamin Cardin, Rep. Kweisi Mfume and the city of Baltimore. Numerous faith organizations and individuals also presented tributes. “Her life was a sermon,” said the honorable Robert M. Bell, former Chief Judge of the Maryland Court of Appeals. “Rev. Williams was a true servant of God who took her religion seriously,” said Judge Bell, whose mother and brothers had been eulogized by Rev. Williams. “She helped those she encountered in life,” Judge Bell said. “The life and work of Rev. Mamie Williams will be forever celebrated in the hearts and minds of those she touched. She shall live on.”

December 26, 2020 - January 1, 2021, The Afro-American

Race and Politics

BALTIMORE-AREA

A year after Harrison murder, murder of women rising

Dec. 21, marked one year since Destiny Da’sha Harrison, the charismatic Sean and Yoes indefatigable AFRO hair stylist Senior and salon Reporter owner was syoes@afro. murdered. Her com slaying sent shockwaves through a city traumatized by yet another year of virulent violence. Harrison, 21, was shot in the head just after 6 p.m. that evening in 2019, at her salon, Madame D Beauty Bar, on N. Milton Avenue., in East Baltimore. She was gunned down in front of witnesses, including her 1-year-old daughter Dream. Her homicide happened less than two weeks after she was beaten and robbed by a man and woman, who were allegedly dating. Harrison filed a police complaint against the two individuals that robbed and assaulted her. In the complaint she said “I’m scared for my life and business.” According to police records, she was murdered just two days after a restraining order was filed against the man who robbed her salon and assaulted her. A year later her killer has not been caught. As 2020 finally comes to a close, it appears violence and murder against women in Baltimore may be ticking upward significantly. According to a report by FOX 45, in Baltimore there were seven women killed in the month of June alone. Further, their reporting indicates 33 women were the victims of homicide in 2018. In 2019, that number increased to 37. But, in 2020 unofficially 48 females have been murdered in Baltimore so far, a significant increase. The end of the year has also been particularly deadly for women in the city. On Dec. 20 and Dec. 21, there were a total of seven people murdered in the city, four of those homicide victims were female. Of the four women murdered, three were unidentified perhaps fueling a rumor that a serial killer has been targeting women in Baltimore. It’s an assertion the Baltimore Police Department denies. A report by NBC News in October indicated domestic violence homicides are on the rise around cities across the nation, according to preliminary data gathered by local law enforcement agencies. Experts attribute much of the increase to the social and economic strains produced by the onslaught of the coronavirus pandemic.

Continued on B3

Visionary friends create eyewear company

Lights without limits

Kennedy Kreiger creates ‘winter wonderland’ By Michelle Richardson Special to the AFRO

Courtesy photo

Morgan State Alumni Tracy Vontélle Green and Nancey Harris launched their Vontelle Eyewear line as the first AfricanAmerican owned and operated eyewear company to offer ethnic and cultural patterns in October.

By Mark F. Gray AFRO Staff Writer mgray@AFRO.com Tracy Vontélle Green and Nancey Harris are Morgan State graduates whose vision for corporate success is to pursue their passion for statement making eyewear. Green and Harris are partners in a $22 billion industry where Black-owned companies generate only $3 million annually. These surrogate sisters met on their first day of college and shared the bond that many New Yorkers build when venturing south for a Black college education. They immediately bonded while living in adjacent dormitories, Tubman and Harper, and their friendship became family, which ultimately led to their business partnership. “Trust and belief in each other is what fuels our relationship,” Harris said to the {AFRO}. In October they launched Vontélle LLC as a startup eyewear manufacturer launching a unique brand into the luxury eyewear space, company offering ethnic patterns reflecting African, Caribbean and Latin cultures. Green is the co-founder and CEO, who set the direction on the overall

vision of the company. Harris serves as COO, with a focus on operations and product design. The two offer a highlyeffective balance of leadership and executive skills. “Our eyewear is original, authentic, distinctive and invites a conversation,” Green said. “Vontélle will add a cultural richness to the marketplace.” The vision for the sassy designs began during the early 1980s thanks to Green’s interest in the Sally Jessy Raphael syndicated TV talk show. Raphael became synonymous with her oversized red frames, some would argue, even more than the guests or topics during her 19-year run on daytime TV. That talk show caught Green’s eye as a

“Our eyewear is original, authentic, distinctive, and invites a conversation.”

Continued on B3

Rockefeller selects Baltimore for foundation’s opportunity collective, invests in local businesses ByJessica Dortch AFRO News Editor

The Rockefeller Foundation recently added the City of Baltimore to its list of hotspots for economic empowerment. The foundation conducted a deep analysis of the racial wealth gap, environment and local leadership throughout the country and out of hundreds of cities, Baltimore was selected. The foundation launched its equity and economic opportunity initiative in February, with a primary focus of providing aid and support to low-wage workers and people of color. In June, that vision gave birth to the Rockefeller Foundation Opportunity Collective (ROC), made up of 12 cities around the country including Baltimore, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, El Paso, Jackson, Miami-Dade County, Houston, Louisville, Newark, Norfolk, and Oakland. Although the coronavirus pandemic has caused many nonprofits and social organizations to focus primarily on assisting families, the Rockefeller Foundation has stayed the course. “For us, we didn’t need to pivot or create a racial justice fund, we just needed to double down in the work that we were doing and try to make sure that we were being unapologetic. The data supported the fact that the communities, our cities, our state or our nation cannot prosper if we continue to cut off a significant portion of our population, particularly African Americans, from access to capital and credit,” Otis Rolley, senior vice president of the Rockefeller Foundation’s Equity and Economic Opportunity Initiative, told the AFRO. The ROC will invest a total of $12 million, including $7 million in specific grants for those hit hardest by COVID-19, to these 12 locations to promote inclusive growth. Nonprofit organizations and businesses in Baltimore won’t be receiving grants directly, but rather through community organizations like CLLCTIVLY. “We trust the leadership within the communities we are in to know those communities best,” said Rolley. Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott expressed his gratitude in a statement saying that small businesses are the “heart of the city.” “This opportunity is another step in the right direction to ensure that our businesses are developed and operated through a lens xadded. Rolley said that the ROC will not expand beyond the 12 cities they selected. Instead, they will continue working with local organizations to support and invest in the community. “We started doing this work before COVID-19 and we plan to continue this work after COVID-19,” Rolley added. For more information, visit www. rockefellerfoundation.org.

“This opportunity is another step in the right direction to ensure that our businesses are developed and operated through a lens of equity, ensuring economic growth and equal opportunity for all in Baltimore City.”

On Dec. 21, the Kennedy Krieger Institute created a “winter wonderland” in an effort to bring holiday cheer to the patients and families of the Pediatric Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit. Kennedy Krieger’s Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit provides comprehensive and interdisciplinary treatment, evaluation and followup services for patients with decreased function due to a variety of causes, including brain injury, spinal cord injury, chronic pain, orthopedic surgery or other complex medical conditions. The winter wonderland

“This light garden is our way of bringing that to the kids this year, while keeping it safe.” consisted of a light display at the institute located at 801 N. Broadway St. Children were be able to walk through the light display, see Santa and Mrs. Claus and enjoy favorite holiday songs. Severs doctors and staff participated in the evening by dressing up and escorting patients through the display entitled ‘Lights Without Limits: A Holiday Roll & Stroll.’ Mr. and Mrs. Claus were brought to life by George Thomas, director of Facilities at Kennedy Krieger, and Dr. Michelle Melicosta, medical director of the Pediatric Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit. “It’s been traditional to have all sorts of guests at the holidays, and other performances, including concerts for the patients who are here during Christmas,” said Dr. Melicosta. “This light garden is our way of bringing that to the kids this year, while keeping it safe.” The institute made it a priority to adhere to COVID-19 guidelines such as wearing masks in public and staying six feet apart. The program ended with hot cocoa and cookies for the patients. For more information visit www. kennedykrieger.org. See more on Baltimore Lifestyle

Continued on B3

11 328

Past Seven Days

2020 Total Date as of Dec. 23

The Afro-American, December 26, 2020 - January 1, 2021

2020: the year from hell By Dr. Kaye Whitehead 2020 has changed us. It has broken us, transmogrified us and challenged us. It has been a year where we have learned who we are and what we are willing to do to survive. There are days when I wake up, and I am so disappointed with my elected officials, fellow Americans and myself. How have we allowed this to become our here and now? I used to laugh when people talked about making America great again, and now I find myself just wanting us to aspire to be mediocre. Greatness, at least in the near future, is no longer within our reach. Any country that would put a man in office and support him as he lied, obfuscated and deceived people and then watched as millions of them tested positive for COVID-19 and thousands of them died from it, cannot lay claim to greatness again. America is tragically flawed because of our long history of classism and racism, because of White supremacy and White privilege and because we dare to ask God to bless us while we curse one another. In 1967, in a speech to the Hungry Club Forum in Atlanta, Dr. King talked about how America was wrestling with three major evils: racism, poverty and war. He urged us to confront these evils and dismantle them. He said we must continue to fight to keep the pressure on until America changes. One year later, in Memphis, Tenn., one day before he would be assassinated, Dr. King sent ahead the title of his Sunday sermon, “Why America May Go to Hell.” Fifty-two years later, I believe that the dark days that Dr. King had tried to warn us about have finally come to pass. 2020 has been the year, under this president, while we are in a global pandemic and national, racial awakening, that America has gone to hell. We are in the Ninth Circle, screaming and crying out for relief. We are watching as our elected officials, many of whom are millionaires in their own right and all of whom are making more than three times the average salary, fail to get over themselves and their petty politics so that they can come together and provide us with some relief. Every country seems to be leaning in to help their citizens except us. We have received one stimulus check as an eviction crisis is happening, as small businesses are closing, as our children are being educated from our kitchen tables, as our positive case numbers are rising, and as incomes are falling. Our politicians are playing politics as millions of us struggle to pay our bills. I have never been so disgusted and frankly embarrassed to be an American. My father says that there have been moments when he thought America was standing on the edge of the abyss, and he watched as it slowly redeemed itself. He

believes that the swinging pendulum always finds a way to level off. “The 16th Street Baptist, the assassination of Dr. King, the 1968 riots, Reaganomics, the Three Strikes Rule,” he slowly ticked through a list, “All moments when I thought we were not going to be able to come back, but we did because America, as racist and classist as she is, just keeps surviving.” My father, I realized, is more hopeful than I am. Perhaps it is because he is a Baptist minister, or maybe it is because he has seen this country at its worst and was still able to pray for it to be better. I used to have a lot of hope for and in America. I believed that the moral arc of the universe, as Dr. King would say, was bending toward justice and that it was my responsibility to keep bending it until it got there. I thought it would get there and that justice would soon come. 2020 has shown me differently. I have watched the battle over mask-wearing, voter suppression tactics, killing of Black men and women and blatant disregard for our pain and suffering, and I am not convinced that we are moving toward anything better. I recognize that we are in the last days of the Trump era, but the damage that he and his supporters have done to the soul of our nation will not be healed for years to come. President-elect Joe Biden and Madame VicePresident-elect Kamala Harris will spend the next four years trying to get us out of this abyss, trying to stop the bleeding, trying to end the suffering, trying to get us out of hell. 2020 has been that year: the one that nightmares and scary movies are made of, the one that feels like it will never end. Dr. King said there are times when you must take a stand simply because it is right. It may not be political or safe or popular, but it is the one that is right. In this moment, as I look out across the landscape of America, the only thing that feels right is making a decision to survive, to get up, throw my shoulders back, put on my facemask, lean into the wind that is sure to come, and just survive. After 11 months of COVID-19, four years of Donald Trump and 401 years of racism and White supremacy, making the decision to survive the best that I can do at this moment. Karsonya Wise Whitehead (todaywithdrkaye@gmail.com; Twitter: @ kayewhitehead) is an associate professor of African and African American studies at Loyola University Maryland. She is the Founding Director of The Karson Institute for Race, Peace, and Social Justice and the award-winning host of “Today With Dr. Kaye” on WEAA 88.9 FM. She lives in Baltimore City with her husband and their two sons. Her book, Letters to My Black Sons: Raising Boys in a Post-Racial America, was just re-released.

Ravens inch closer to a playoff spot By Demetrius Dillard Special to the AFRO In one of their least challenging matchups this season, the Baltimore Ravens staged an offensive flurry to cruise past the Jacksonville Jaguars, 40-14, at M&T Bank Stadium on Dec. 20. Throughout the season, Baltimore has established itself as the most lethal rushing team in the league. However against the Jaguars, the Ravens relied more on their passing game, which of course was steered by quarterback Lamar Jackson. Though he started the afternoon with an interception to Jaguars safety Josh Jones, Jackson bounced back and finished with 17 of 22 completions for 243 yards and three passing touchdowns to lead the Ravens to their third consecutive win. He also scored his seventh rushing touchdown of the season. Jackson’s ability to get everyone involved on offense: running backs, receivers and tight ends, will prove especially pivotal in the coming weeks, and to a greater extent if the Ravens secure a wild card spot in the postseason. The Ravens were expected to win big over Jacksonville, one of the worst defenses in the NFL. However, they approached this game no differently than any other, as seen by their intensity in the first half when they built a 26-0 lead, quickly putting the game out of reach for their opponent. Ravens Coach John Harbuagh was pleased to see his club follow the game plan all afternoon. “We talked about playing a clean game. We talked about playing a fundamentallysound game and we talked about playing a physical game, and they did that. Our players did that,” Harbaugh said after the win. “They responded in a big way, and that’s to be commendable.” Offensively, the Ravens recorded 409 total yards, 159 yards of which came from rushes. Since Jackson’s return from sitting out the Pittsburgh Steelers game, the Ravens have been on a roll. Picking up a sizable home win over Jacksonville was a much-needed confidence booster as they strive to clinch a playoff spot for the third straight year. In his first game back from being on the COVID-19/Injured Reserve list, receiver Dez Bryant caught his first touchdown pass in more than three years on an 11-yard reception in the second quarter. Prior to Dec. 20, the last touchdown Bryant scored was on Dec. 10, 2017, when he played for the Dallas Cowboys. “Like I said, it’s always been my duty to just do my job to the best of my ability, especially for Lamar and the rest of the guys on that offense,” the 32-year-old said. “One thing that I do love about this team is that it’s real team ball. When one succeeds, we all succeed.” A well-rounded, efficient afternoon on offense, defense and special teams is an encouraging sign for the Ravens, a club that perhaps didn’t foresee themselves fighting for a playoff spot early on in the season. With the win, Baltimore improves to 9-5 overall. Because the Cleveland Browns also won that evening, over the New York Giants to improve to 10-4, the Ravens still hold a No. 3 ranking in the AFC North. The divisional top-ranked Pittsburgh Steelers clinched a playoff spot, along with the Kansas City Chiefs (13-1) and the Buffalo Bills (11-3). As of now, the Ravens are tied with the Miami Dolphins for the No. 7 seed in the AFC. With two weeks remaining on the regular season schedule, this is what must happen for Baltimore: it must win against the New York Giants next Sunday and the Cincinnati Bengals on Jan. 3 to conclude the regular season, and another higher ranked team that hasn’t clinched a playoff spot - being the Titans, Colts, Dolphins, Browns - has to lose either one of both of the next two games. But for now the Ravens will set their focus on the Giants, who are on a two-game losing streak, scheduled for Dec. 27 at 1 p.m. at M&T Bank Stadium.

“One thing that I do love about this team is that it’s real team ball. When one succeeds, we all succeed.”

Book Review

SNCC founder’s parting words on racial justice By J. K. Schmid Special to the AFRO Where is the Civil Rights Movement? It’s a tricky question as politicians and activists, police and the oppressed struggle now in the aftermath of this year’s police shooting of Breonna Taylor and the suffocation of George Floyd. It gets trickier still looking back at the murders of Trayvon Martin, Tyrone West and Freddie Gray. Looking back at the arc of U.S. history is an even longer line of brutality. Julian Bond’s Time to Teach: A History of the Southern Civil Rights Movement does not offer a precise location, politically or geographically, but it does offer a trajectory. Bond, a civil rights leader, Georgia state senator, house representative and professor, taught civil rights history at the University of Virginia (UVA) to thousands of students via newsreel, film and lecture. “Time to Teach” is a compilation of Bond’s lectures covering the southern Civil Rights Movement from the Niagara Movement to the assassination of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Editing over 20 years of lectures was Pamela Horowitz, Bond’s widow, and Jeanne Theoharis, a distinguished professor at

AP Photo/Nick Wass

With the win against the Jaguars, the Ravens still hold a No. 3 ranking in the AFC North. Next, the Ravens return to their backyard to face off with the Giants on Dec. 27 at 1 p.m. at M&T Bank Stadium. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York and a former student, teaching assistant and mentee. Bond’s lectures were constantly updated with new thought, research and literature up until the moment of his retirement from UVA in 2012. Bond died in 2015. “Civil rights scholarship over the last decades has changed radically from an emphasis on ‘great men,’ Martin Luther King, Presidents Kennedy or Johnson, and a top-down narrative to state and community studies where the efforts of individuals and local groups are prominent,” Bond says by way of introduction. Bond helped found the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) in 1960 with then-Southern Christian Leadership Council (SCLC) Director Ella Baker. Baker was a longtime skeptic and critic of top-down charismatic leadership. “Strong people don’t need strong leaders,” Baker said at the time. It was SNCC that organized Cambridge Nonviolent Action Committee (CNAC), in Cambridge, Md., and local ground-up CNAC leadership that turned MLK away as it built its own struggle for fair housing, full employment and equal access to medicine. The Kennedy administration had been cool towards King and SCLC when it came to demands for support or even just protection. But John F. Kennedy Jr. singled out SNCC as “sons of b******.” President Jimmy Carter, a private opponent of segregation since serving in a desegregated US Navy, flinched and shrank before public questions on his views when he first entered politics. See more on afro.com

December 26, 2020 - January 1, 2021, The Afro-American

Race and Politics Continued from B1

A year ago, just prior to when COVID-19 began to ravage the nation, Harrison’s murder devastated her family who still seek justice. “It’s unbelievable some evil soul would do something like this,” said Harrison’s uncle Dewine McQueen at the time of his niece’s murder. “I just can’t believe it. Somebody’s got to know something, please come forward. We need to get these demonic souls. They need to pay for their crime, there’s no doubt about that in the name of Jesus. There’s no doubt,” McQueen added. Bro. McQueen also talked about how his niece built her salon from the ground up, that she was “a go-getter and “an entrepreneur.” Indeed, she was a sparkling example of a young woman determined to break so many foul stereotypes so many of her peers have been unfairly anointed with. Harrison established an on-line beauty business at age 18. She worked multiple jobs as she paid her way through Bowie State University. By March of 2018, she announced she was pregnant with her beloved daughter Dream and one year later she opened her salon on N. Milton Ave. Less than a year later she was savagely murdered in that salon. Her homicide shook many residents to the core. As I wrote last year in the wake of her murder, instead of being inspired by her talent and prodigious work ethic, there were those who were consumed with jealousy and envy as they witnessed the legend of the East Baltimore hair wizard burgeon before their very eyes. For them Harrison was not a reflection of the best and brightest among us, for them she was only a reminder of everything that they are not. And her brilliance was too much for them to bear. Sean Yoes is the AFRO’s senior reporter and the author of Baltimore After Freddie Gray: Real Stories From One of America’s Great Imperiled Cities.

Lights without limits Continued from B1

courtesy of James Fields

The Kennedy Krieger Institute hosted “Lights without Limits: A Holiday Roll & Stroll” for its patients and their families to enjoy.

Photo courtesy

One year ago, Destiny Harrison, the dynamic East Baltimore hair stylist, was gunned down in the N. Milton Street salon she owned. Her killer is still at large.

MSU eyewear Continued from B1

teenager, when she was dealing with her own eyewear worries. “I’ve been wearing glasses, frames, specs, eyewear since age 13. I remember how upset I was to have to wear them. I said okay if I’ve got to wear them, I want them to make a statement,” Green said. “I begged my mom to buy me a pair. So I started my journey of wearing glasses, not only to see the chalkboard, but to be fashionable.” Meanwhile, Harris didn’t get her first pair of prescription glasses until after college. She was working for an optometrist as a public relations coordinator and began having difficulty with night glare while driving. Once she learned she was nearsighted, another bond was formed because they each now needed an extra pair of eyes. They also shared the frustration of keeping up with their glasses that often didn’t fit and lacked design diversity, which allowed for urban expressive eyewear. In 2019, after they conversed about their issues, Harris and Green went to fashion week in Paris to learn where their most fashionable ethnic contemporary designs were and the idea for their company was born. Nearly one year to the day later, Vontélle launched in the throws of the COVID-19 pandemic. While their style makes a fashion statement, the impact goes beyond just accessorizing the look. The unisex eyewear is priced under the high end retail markup and they offer flexible replacement options in case of loss or broken frames. Vontélle is also partnering with WIN (Women In Need) a New York City organization with 11 shelters to provide proceeds and eyewear to women and families in need. For more information, visit www.vontelle.com.

The Afro-American, December 26, 2020 - January 1, 2021

Patient Kayden Eleko, center, with her mother and her aid

March 16, 2019 - March 16, 2019, The Afro-American

Sharon Borshay, director of the Kennedy Krieger Institute

Patient Donavan Bryant and his mother Sherrie

Santa in the garden

Lights in the garden

Patient Kayden Eleko with Santa and Mrs.Claus Mrs.Claus

n Dec. 21, the Kennedy Krieger Institute of Baltimore spread the holiday cheer with its first outdoor light display and music for patients and families of the Pediatric Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit. The patients were treated to a tour through the garden of lights to meet Santa and Mrs. Claus to get a gift and make a wish. The first time event was a great success.

Mrs. Claus Dr. Michelle Melicosta, medical director of the Pediatric Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit at Kennedy Krieger and Santa Claus, George Thomas, director of facilities at Kennedy Krieger

Patient Krystian Porras, center, and his Mom Chantel with Santa. Krystianâ€™s wish was for the coronavirus to go away

Visitors and patients arriving Photos by James Fields

To purchase this digital photo page or photos contact editor@afro.com

December 26, 2020 - January 1, 2021, The Afro-American

A1 C1

Word in Black receives $300,000 in funding from Google News Initiative Innovation Challenge By AFRO Staff Amazing things happen when great companies join forces in new ways. That sums up the short history of the Word in Black news collaborative — freshly funded with $300,000 from the Google News Initiative and launching as a national news brand in 2021. Word in Black is made up of 10 of the leading Black newspapers in America. From New York to Atlanta, Houston, Washington, D.C., Dallas, St. Louis, Detroit, Baltimore, Seattle and Sacramento, the group covers a considerable part of the U.S. population. “Word in Black has come so far in such a short period of time,” said Elinor Tatum, publisher, New York Amsterdam News and the inspiration behind the collaborative. “We will launch a national brand focused on solutions to racial inequities in America thanks to the funding from Google. Our 10 publishers have deep histories and connections in their markets — coming together to launch this initiative at this moment in time is an exciting next step for all of us.” The funding from Google will allow the collaborative to build out WordinBlack.com as a full-featured, consumer-facing website powered by Newspack and hosted by Automattic. Several industry experts will consult with Word in Black to guide strategy for building an audience for newsletters and growing a community contribution portal/membership model. Funding from Google will also cover engineering and software costs associated with building out and marketing the site. “The GNI Innovation Challenge is honored to support the Word in Black collaborative,” said Chrissy Towle, head of news, Americas Partnerships Solutions at Google. “Now, as much as ever, it’s important that Google continues to support media covering and telling the stories of underrepresented audiences.” Local Media Foundation, which has served via its Fund for Black Journalism as manager and fiscal sponsor of Word in Black since its launch, will oversee the project. “We are thrilled for the founding publishers of Word in Black,” said Nancy Lane, CEO, Local Media Association/Local Media Foundation. “This project accomplishes two very important tasks: to be the leading national voice in Black America, proposing solutions and impacting change, and to diversify the revenue of the 10 publishers who will own this joint venture together, ensuring long-term sustainability for their businesses.” The long-term goal is to build Word in Black into a freestanding, for-profit business co-owned by the 10 founding publishers and supported by a mix of membership revenue, advertising, sponsorships, and philanthropic funding. With new funding and lofty goals, such as building an email subscriber base of 500,000 in the next two years, Word in Black has intentions to take an essential spot on the U.S. media

landscape. LMA and other funders such as Facebook, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and Walton Family Foundation have also contributed to this project. With the added funding, noted journalist Nick Charles will join Local Media Foundation in a full-time role managing content for Word in Black and leading the journalism efforts of the collaborative. Charles has spent the last few months working with the group on coverage of the effect of COVID-19 on education in Black communities and will now expand his role. Word in Black seeks additional funding to support a full-time data journalist and resources for all 10 publishers to increase their coverage of racial inequities in areas such as healthcare, education, financial and more. Contact Nancy Lane to learn more or donate directly to the Fund for Black Journalism to support this effort. Word in Black is the news collaborative arm of the Fund for Black Journalism. The mission is to tackle issues of importance to Black Americans including education in light of COVID-19, voter suppression, redesigning public safety in America, equity, closing the wealth gap and healthcare disparities. Partners include 10 of the nation’s leading Black publishers: New York Amsterdam News, The Atlanta Voice, Houston Defender, The Washington Informer, The Dallas Weekly, Sacramento Observer, Seattle Medium, St. Louis American, Michigan Chronicle and The AFRO-American. Local Media Association is a thriving and innovative organization serving more than 3,000 newspapers, TV stations, digital news sites, radio stations and research & development partners. Local Media Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable trust that supports the mission of LMA and the essential role of local news and information in a healthy democracy. 2020 projects include: Lab for Journalism Funding, COVID-19 Local News Fund, The Fund for Local Journalism, Fund for Black Journalism/Word in Black, Oklahoma Media Center, Solving for Chicago, The Branded Content Project and much more.

Word in Black is a reimagining of the Black Press, a journey initially adopted by 10 publishers of independently owned Black media companies. Articles found under this banner are companion pieces to those of fellow publishers and are also located on WordinBlack.com.

How I Won in 2020

I kept the faith, continued fighting

I bet on me in 2020 and look to cash in 2021

By Micha Green D.C. Editor mgreen@afro.com

For a go-getter reporter, ultimate extrovert there was nothing more challenging than being ordered to stay-at-home. Then add instances of racism and police brutality, heightened responsibilities, family and friends passing, broken romantic and friendly relationships, severe IBS (referred to by some doctors as mild Crohn’s disease), germaphobia and reporting in the COVID-covered streets and you have the anxiety and trials that plagued my 2020- but God. As cliche as the saying, “but God,” may be for some people, Biblically and theologically the phrase is a sign of God’s glory shining in the midst of storms, and despite 2020’s extreme devastation, I witnessed the beauty and gift of The Creator’s grace and abundant blessings. Although for the most time the thoughts were fleeting, there were times I wanted to give up, but experiences far beyond my own cunning crafting happened that showed me God’s mercy and love and kept me going. I won in 2020, because I kept the faith and continued fighting. Not that any discussion of challenges should turn into a truma party, but I am quite aware that I did not have it nearly as bad as many others did in 2020. More than three-hundred thousand Americans have died from COVID-19, many people lost close family members suddenly, or could not properly bury them because of the pandemic’s threat. Millions lost their jobs and semblances of stability, others were displaced, some learned the truth about lies in long marriages and parents became full-time teachers. The world witnessed several instances of racism and police brutality play out on camera and in racist courts, and lost cultural icons such as actor Chadwick Boseman, politician and Civil Rights leader John Lewis and basketball star Kobe Bryant. It’s been a tough year. As an empath it was easy to take on the pain of 2020’s trials and just give up- lose all the motivation to work hard,or fight for respect as a Black woman in a country that I felt cared nothing about me. However the dark despair and gloom that sometimes shrouded my thoughts, were always cleared by the positivity of witnessing blessings in my life and in others’. There was always encouragement to keep fighting..

“But God”

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By Mark Gray Staff Writer mgray@afro.com When my friend, mentor, renaissance man and accomplished author Ralph Wiley passed away his obituary read, “The Key To Life Is The Ability To Adjust. You Must Do So Until You Die.” These words have come to personify survival of 2020. Persistence, resilience, creativity and multiple revenue streams are what helped those who survived the most trying year of this century. Those who were able to remain steadfast to their ideals and creative enough to develop innovative personal and professional approaches to what has become known as the new normal, are those who are left standing as the world tries to throw its knockout blows throughout one of the toughest years of my life. I did realize, however, that during the darkest of times, there is the promise of hope. Often when you establish the precedence of excellence and despite being undervalued and marginalized in social or professional environments, your game will speak for itself and that is priceless. Prior to 2020 the world was driven by social relationships leading to professional opportunities where many got paid, but their jobs were phased out. Having watched many who played the game by pushing paperwork and counting beans lose their jobs, strengthened my personal resilience to create my own opportunities. My students at Prince George’s Community College taught me how the daunting task of being a technologybased content creator will lead to my sustainability as an effective communicator. The lessons learned through the adversity of this year have brought moments of clarity. There was a time when you could ride or follow the curve and remain viable in the “game.” Now you have to play from ahead. Riding the curve is now the equivalent to being a hamster on a treadmill. You’ll find yourself running very hard and going nowhere fast, ultimately never being noticed despite the effort. When Steph Curry donated $6 million to Howard University I had a conversation with Roland Martin. Martin, who may be the most influential Black journalist in America, shared the story with me of how he ventured into the world of entrepreneurial journalism. When he left Urban One Martin said, “I knew I would succeed because I bet on me.” So I launched my podcast “The SportsGroove 2.0” on Heritage Sports Radio Network banking on me. I created the “Gray Area” segments to deal with news and other important issues. I now also have created a platform called “HBCU Conversations” where we talk to the movers and shakers in the Black College community about issues relevant to them. On a $0.00 investment I was able to launch, thanks to three Black businessmen who took a chance - and said “I believe in Mark Gray so make it happen.” Another offered me free office space allowing a place to create my virtual studio for production purposes.

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D.C. Editor Micha Green, seen speaking at a rally at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in June 2020, discusses how blessings and signs of grace kept her fighting despite the challenges of 2020.

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Staff Writer Mark Gray, also host of “The SportsGroove 2.0,” along with other shows, shared how 2020 taught him to bet on himself and step out on faith.

The Afro-American, December 26, 2020 - January 1, 2021

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Superior Court of the District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2020ADM000525 Joyce C. Wells Decedent Billy L. Ponds, The Ponds Law Firm 1025 Connecticut Ave. NW Suite 1000 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Tanya Michelle Wells, whose address is 2413 North Capitol Street, NE, Washington DC, 20002 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Joyce S. Wells, who died on March 18, 2020 without a will, and will serve with Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent´s will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor Wa s h i n g t o n , D . C . 20001, on or before April 30, 2021. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before April 30, 2021, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship. Date of Publication: October 20, 2020 Name of newspaper: Afro-American Washington Law Reporter Tanya Michelle Wells Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS

10/30, 11/6, 11/13/20

Superior Court of the District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2020ADM000590 Wilbur Vernon Hightower Jr. Decedent Billy L. Ponds, The Ponds Law Firm 1025 Connecticut Ave. NW Suite 1000 Washington, DC Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Blanche B. Hightower, whose address is 4318 10th Street, NE, Washington, DC 20017 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Wilbur Vernon Hightower Jr., who died on May 2, 2019 without a will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent´s will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor Wa s h i n g t o n , D . C . 20001, on or before June 4, 2021. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before June 4, 2021, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship. Date of Publication: December 4, 2020 Name of newspaper: Afro-American Washington Law Reporter Judy Clark-Qualls Personal Representative

Superior Court of the District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2020ADM000587 Annette Veronica Smith Decedent Daniel Kim Esq 2702 Wisconsin Ave., NW 803 Washington, DC 20007 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Antoine Octavus Smith, whose address is 3154 Cherry Road, NE, Washington, DC 20018, was appointed personal representative of the estate of Anette Veronica Smith, who died on April 9, 2020 without a will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before June 11, 2021. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before June 11,2021 or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship. Date of Publication: December 11, 2020 Name of newspaper: Afro-American Washington Law Reporter Antoine O. Smith Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS

TYPESET: Wed Dec 16 14:55:33 EST 2020 TYPESET: Wed Dec 09 14:11:00 EST 2020

Wed Dec 02 15:08:12 EST 2020 TYPESET: Wed Dec 16 TYPESET: 14:54:03 EST 2020

12/4, 12/11, 12/18/20

Superior Court of the District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2020ADM000313 Marqueese Alston Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Karen Ashton Walden, whose address is 9417 Merkel Road, Bowie, MD 20715 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Ellen T. Ashton, who died on December 30, 2019 witha will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent´s will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor Wa s h i n g t o n , D . C . 20001, on or before June 18, 2021. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before June 18, 2021, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship. Date of Publication: December 18, 2020 Name of newspaper: Afro-American Washington Law Reporter Karen Ashton Walden Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS 12/18, 12/25/20, 1/1/21

Superior Court of the District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2020ADM000698 Neal F. Qualls Decedent Shraga Kawior Esq 8630 Fenton Street Suite 822 Silver Spring, MD 20910 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Judy Clark Qualls, whose address is 7613 Morningside Drive, NW, Washington, DC 20012, was appointed personal representative of the estate of Neal F. Qualls, who died on June 30, 2019 without a will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before June 4, 2021. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before June 4, 2021, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship. Date of Publication: December 4, 2020 Name of newspaper: Afro-American Washington Law Reporter Judy Clark-Qualls Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS 12/4, 12/11, 12/18/20

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1 Col. Inch Up to 20 Words LEGAL NOTICES LEGALEST NOTICES LEGALEST NOTICES LEGALEST NOTICES LEGALEST NOTICES TYPESET: Wed Dec 09 TYPESET: 14:11:22 2020 TYPESET: Wed Dec 02 13:42:59 2020 TYPESET: Wed Dec 02 11:36:16 2020 Wed Dec 09 14:10:17 EST 2020 TYPESET: Wed Dec 02 13:44:13 2020 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.

TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS

TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS 12/4, 12/11, 12/18/20

TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS 12/11, 12/18, 12/25/20

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Superior Court of

TYPESET: Wed Dec 02 13:42:21 EST the 2020 Superior Court of the District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2020ADM000591 Jane N. Haslem Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS John Haslem Jr., whose address is 982 N. Academy Street,Galesburg, IL 61401 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Jane N. Haslem, who died on January 13, 2020 with a will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose where-abouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent´s will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor Wa s h i n g t o n , D . C . 20001, on or before June 4, 2021. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before June 4, 2021 or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship. Date of Publication: December 4, 2020 Name of newspaper: Afro-American Washington Law Reporter John Haslem Jr. Personal Representative

Superior Court of the District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2020ADM000737 Vera G. Hunter Decedent Marilyn Cain Gordon Esq 7603 Georgia Ave NW Ste 304 Washington, DC 20012 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Freida Hunter, whose address is 5511 1st Street, NE, Washington, DC 20011 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Vera G. Hunter, who died on July 6, 2020 without a will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before June 11, 2021. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before June 11, 2021, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship. Date of Publication: December 11, 2020 Name of newspaper: Afro-American Washington Law Reporter Freida Hunter Personal Representative

District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2020ADM000736 Wanda Franklin Decedent Izu I Ahaghoto Esq 3724 12th Street NE Washington, DC 20017 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS H o w a r d C u e C o l e y, whose address is 4818 Eastern Ave., NE, Washington, DC 20017 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Wanda Franklin, who died on August 10, 2020 without) a will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before June 11, 2021. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before June 11, 2021, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship. Date of Publication: December 11, 2020 Name of newspaper: Afro-American Washington Law Reporter Howard Cue Coley Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS 12/11, 12/18, 12/25/20

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Foreign No. 2020ADM00069 Date of Death January 27, 2018 Bobbie J. Kimble Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF FOREIGN PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS Wendy Kimble whose address is 3220 Dunbratton Court, Waldorf MD, 20601 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Bobbie J. Kimble, deceased by the Orphanʼs Court for Charles County, State of Maryland, on August 7, 2019, Service of process may be made upon Cecilia R. Jones ,5335 Wisconson Ave., Suite 440, Washington, DC 20015 whose designation as District of Columbia agent has been filed with the Register of Wills, D.C. The decedent owned the following District of Colombia real property:3150 Buena Vista Terrace, Washington, DC Claims against the decedent may be presented to the undersigned and filed with the Register of Wills for the District of Columbia, 500 Indiana Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20001 within 6 months from the date of first publication of this notice. Wendy Kimble Personal Representative(s) TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS Date of first publication: December 18, 2020 Name of newspapers and/or periodical: The Daily Washington Law Reporter The Afro-American 12/18, 12/25/20, 1/1.21

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

WASHINGNTON AFRO-AMERICAN NEWSPAPER Legal Advertising Rates

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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

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LEGAL NOTICES LEGALEST NOTICES TYPESET: Wed Dec 16 14:55:05 EST 2020 TYPESET: Wed Dec 09 14:11:43 2020 Superior Court of the District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2020ADM000719 Ellen T. Ashton Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Karen Ashton Walden, whose address is 9417 Merkel Rd., Bowie, MD 20715 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Ellen T. Ashton, who died on December 30, 2019 with a will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent´s will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor Wa s h i n g t o n , D . C . 20001, on or before June 18, 2021. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before June 18, 2021, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship. Date of Publication: December 18, 2020 Name of newspaper: Afro-American Washington Law Reporter Karen Ashton Walden Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS 12/18, 12/28/20, 1/1/21

MBE/WBE Subcontractors and Suppliers Ulliman Schutte Construction, LLC, Chantilly,VA is interested in receiving quotes from qualified MBE/WBE subcontractors and suppliers for the Reclaimed Final Effluent Pump Systems Upgrades bidding on January 13, 2021. Opportunities are available for Specifications Divisions 1 thru 43. Please Fax quotes to 937-910-9910. Contact Phone : 937-910-9900. Ulliman Schutte Construction, LLC 9111 Springboro Pike Miamisburg, OH 45342 www.ullimanschutte.com Equal Opportunity Employer

AD NETWORK BUSINESS SERVICES Let the Multimedia Specialists of MDDC Ad Services assist you in growing your business and increase your customer base by connecting your brand with 433,927 readers located in the District of Columbia, PG, Montgomery, Howard and Anne Arundel Counties. Call today at 410-212-0616 and start seeing results NOW.

SERVICES -MISCELLANEOUS Save loads of money with your advertising budgets! CONNECT with the Multimedia Specialists of MDDC Ad Services. Expand your brand’s reach in our Bulk Advertising Network - CALL TODAY! With one call, one placement, one bill, you’ll reach over 1,000,000 readers in the entire MidAtlantic region. Call

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LEGAL NOTICES

TYPESET: Wed Dec 23 14:46:10 EST 2020

CITY OF BALTIMORE DEPARTMENT OF GENERAL SERVICES NOTICE OF LETTING

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

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.

Sealed Bids or Proposals, in duplicate, addressed to the Board of Estimates of the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore and marked for GS 19817R - Baltimore Street Garage Restoration, will be received at the Office of the Comptroller, Room 204, City Hall, Baltimore, Maryland until 11:00 A.M. on WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 03, 2021. Board of Estimates employees will be stationed at the Security Unit Counter just inside the Holliday Street entrance to City Hall from 10:45 A.M. to 11:00 A.M. every Wednesday to receive Bids. Positively no bids will be received after 11:00 A.M. The bids will be publicly opened by the Board of Estimates in Room 215, City Hall at Noon. Bid opening proceedings can be viewed live at https://www.charmtvbaltimore.com/live-stream at 12:00 noon. The Contract Documents may be purchased for a non-refundable cost of $50.00 by sending a letter to the Department of General Services, Capital and Energy Projects Division, Suite 204, 200 Holliday Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21202, Att. Ms. Azza Rizkallah as of MONDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2020. In the letter, include a $50 check addressed to the Director of Finance, and a Fedex Acc. No. in order to ship the documents to your office. Conditions and requirements of the Bid are found in the bid package. All contractors bidding on this Contract must first be pre-qualified by the City of Baltimore Boards and Commissions. Interested contractors should call 410 396-6883 or contact the Office of Boards and Commissions at 4 South Frederick Street, 4th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21202. If a bid is submitted by a Joint Venture (”JV”), then in that event, the documents that establish the JV shall be submitted with the bid for verification purposes. The Prequalification Category required for bidding on this project is E13004 -Rehabilitation of Structures.The Cost Qualification Range for this work shall be $500,000.01 to $1,000,000.00 A” Pre-Bidding information” session will be conducted at the site: 15 Guilford Ave, Baltimore, MD 21202 on TUESDAY, JANUARY 05, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. All attendees are required to wear a face mask and maintain social distancing at all times during the pre-bid meeting. Principal Items of work for this project are: 1.Lining and Sealcoating of Parking Lots 2.Rehabilitation of Structures 3.Concrete Construction The MBE goal is 6% The WBE goal is 3% CONTRACT NO. GS 19817R APPROVED: Erika McClammy Clerk, Board of Estimates APPROVED: Chichi Nyagah-Nash Director, Department ofGeneral Services

BALTIMORE TYPESET: Wed Dec 23 14:45:48 EST 2020 CAREER CORNER ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY CAREER OPPORTUNITIES Assistant County Attorney Budget Officer Customer Service Deputy Sheriff I, Lateral Entry Environmental Health Equity & Racial Justice Program Manager Manager Mechanical Technician I/II Police Officer, Entry Level Senior Latent Print Examiner Superintendent Detention Center Utilities Repair Crew Leader Utility Systems Technician III

Visit our website at www.aacounty.org for additional information and to apply on-line. You may access the Internet at any Anne Arundel County library, or visit our office at 2660 Riva Road in Annapolis, MD. Deadlines to apply posted on the website.

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December 26, 2020 - January 1, 2021, The Afro-American

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Effective October 1, 2008

CIVIL NOTICES a. Name Changes 410-554-8235 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 per 2 weeks

$ 80.00 $ 245.00

FAMILY COURT • 202-879-1212 DOMESTIC RELATIONS • 202-879-0157 a. Absent Defendant $ 220.00 b. Absolute Divorce $ 220.00 c. Custody Divorce $ 220.00

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December 26, 2020 - January 1, 2021, The Afro-American

WASHINGTON-AREA

AFRO Exclusive

‘Full Circle Moment’

Chef Huda spices up our kitchen, talks healthy eating, shares tips By Micha Green D.C. Editor mgreen@afro.com Local entrepreneur, caterer and Food Network recordsetting champion Chef Huda has spent years mastering and sharing her culinary expertise, however with the restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic, she is using her platform to sell specially crafted spices and educate the everyday at-home cook on how to heighten their personal eating experiences and habits. “My life has been like anyone else’s. I am a business owner. Before COVID, I had a thriving catering company doing large events, and COVID came in and said, ‘Hey sit down, restructure and pivot.’ So we’ve been trying to do that and by the grace of God it’s been working,” Chef Huda said in an exclusive AFRO Live interview. “We relaunched our spice line, Just Savor spices, which is at www.justsavor.com, and that’s been doing really great because everyone’s cooking at home, everyone’s home now, hopefully being safe,” the entrepreneur who offers a selection of more than 20 seasonings explained. Although she is a culinary enthusiast and entrepreneur, Chef Huda’s Just Savor Spices is not only a means of making money, but also a way to educate the community. An ambassador

Continued on D2

Burgundy & Gold Breakdown

Washington falls to Seattle with new look

Native Washingtonian Contee appointed MPD Police Chief

By Mark Gray Staff Writer mgray@afro.com

Courtesy Photo

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser named Robert Contee the new Chief of Police for the Metropolitan Police Department. By Micha Green D.C. Editor mgreen@afro.com When native Washingtonian Robert Contee became a fulltime cadet in 1989, his first assignment was as an assistant to then Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Chief Isaac Fullwood, Jr. On Dec. 22, 31 years later, Mayor Muriel Bowser appointed Contee Chief of Police. “So in a full circle moment, he is now before us, he is being appointed Chief of that very Department,” said Bowser proudly at a press conference on Dec. 22. “His dedication and his mix then, of both talent and energy and love of the city, made him the Cadet of the Year [in 1991].” In his over three decades with MPD, Contee has climbed the ranks, serving as commander of three of the seven police districts and led three of the Department’s five bureaus, a resume, Bowser said, makes the new Chief of Police prepared to lead the nation’s capital into the next phase of protecting and serving the community. “With all that he has seen, he is confident that MPD can lead the way and serve as a blueprint for a modern day police department- a department that can be used for new and better ways to reduce violent crime and continue to engage the

community,” the Mayor explained. However, when Contee spoke, his resume was not as important as his story- the trials he overcame as a young boy from 21st Forward Street \N.E that led him to serving as D.C.’s new Chief of Police. “To really understand the man before you, you must appreciate the boy from whence he came,” Contee said before going into a passionate and transparent speech recounting his childhood. “Back then, especially in the 1980s and 90s, life was not easy in my neighborhood. Many of the challenges and traumas experienced by so many young people today, were very real and present in my community, but also in my home. Shootings, murders, crime, poverty, joblessness, hopelessness, domestic violence, education and health disparities were all very present in the community. More closely in my home, I recall the mental impact of drug use and abuse. You see my father was 17 years old when I was born, and he not only sold drugs, but he was sick with addiction before I was born into this world. I knew the smell of marijuana as a young kid, I remember the smell of PCP packaged in aluminum foil for sale and stored in a mayonnaise jar in the freezer in our home. I remember seeing powdered

“I really think that the men and women of the Metropolitan Police Department have to recognize how we are viewed in our communities.”

Continued on D2

NFL players truly believe that you play better when you look good. Players routinely spend thousands of dollars in fines for breaking league wardrobe protocols to feel special and in their minds play better. It was the reason the Washington Football Team wore their white on white ensemble after beating Pittsburgh when they went to Arizona to win their fourth straight game- because the players felt it was a “clean” look. So with their burgundy on burgundy uniforms, the Washington Football Team went the OutKast route when the Seattle Seahawks visited FedEx Field- they were “so fresh and so clean,” but their game wasn’t. Washington trailed by 17 points heading into the fourth quarter and had it not been for another Dustin Hopkins missed extra point, they may have forced overtime and stolen a game from defeat. However, another furious fourth quarter rally fell short as the football team saw its four-game win streak snapped with a 20-15 loss. Despite having to travel across the country and kickoff at what would’ve been a 10 a.m. home start, Seattle played like a veteran team with a chance to clinch a playoff spot, which they did by leaving FedEx Field with a win. They forced Washington into two interceptions on deflected passes that led to Seahawks

Continued on D2

Howard beats Hampton for second straight win By Mark Gray Staff Writer mgray@afro.com Even without an entirely healthy roster, Head Coach Kenny Blakeney’s Howard Bison basketball team delivered, in what may be, a program changing victory with an 81-76 win over the Hampton Pirates. Blakeney has already established a dominance over Hampton in the “Battle For The Real HU” rivalry by winning for the second consecutive season in a matchup that had previously been dominated by the Pirates. “This was a total team win,” Blakeney said. “I’m so proud of the team and I’m happy for the Howard University community because this game means so much to a lot of people.” Howard trailed by 10 points halftime and played without their marquee attraction, Makur Maker, and reigning MidEastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Rookie of the Year, Wayne Bristol. However, it was a trio of Howard’s players from the D.M.V. who paced their comeback after the intermission by scoring in double figures and rebounds and helping win the battle on the glass. Howard’s comeback started with a critical run at the end of the first half. A layup from Davion Warren capped off an 8-0 run by Hampton and gave the Pirates their largest lead of the contest, 21-38, with less than three minutes before intermission.

Down by 17 late in the half, they finished on an 8-1 run and sliced the margin down to 10 at the break. Howard trailed only 39-29 halftime despite Hampton blistering the nets- shooting 60 percent from the floor to open the game. “It was really important to go into the half on some momentum,” Blakeney continued. “We were able to push the tempo Screenshot and put pressure on their Staff Writer Mark Gray, also host of “The SportsGroove 2.0,” along with other shows, shared defense.” how 2020 taught him to bet on himself and step out on faith. Steve Settle, III, “I think we’re a really good offensive team,” said a redshirt Blakeney. “I told the team it’s going to click for us and when freshman from Glenarden, MD who leads the it does, we’re going to build on that momentum and take squad in scoring (13.3 PPG), made his presence felt in this rivalry. After serving as an understudy, control of the game.” Howard capitalized on the momentum in the second half, Settle finished with 18 points and a game-high 12 where they cut the double-digit deficit within a matter of rebounds. He had already earned MEAC Rookie minutes. of the Week on Dec. 8 after scoring a career-high With under 12 minutes remaining, Robinson converted a 23 points in their loss to Bellarmine. three-point play to give the Bison their first lead since making Meanwhile, Sam Green, a graduate student the game’s first basket. During Howard’s decisive 19-6 run, from Bowie, made a huge contribution with 13 redshirt freshman Cam Timmons shot a jumper to cap off points and 10 boards. Another Bowie native, another run to lead 48-45. junior Deven Richmond, made his first start as a Bison in With less than two minutes remaining, Robinson made place of senior guard Kyle Foster, who was a late scratch due to injury. Richmond finished with 18 points and five rebounds two critical free throws to give Howard a 73-72 edge they wouldn’t lose. Down the stretch, Howard made 10-of-12 free in the win. Sophomore guard Khalil Robinson almost throws in the final two minutes to secure their first win of the notched a triple-double, after finishing with a career-high 19 season. points, nine assists, and seven rebounds.

“I’m so proud of the team and I’m happy for the Howard University community because this game means so much to a lot of people.”

The Afro-American, December 26, 2020 - January 1, 2021

Burgundy & gold breakdown

Chef Huda

Continued from D1

AP Photo by Daniel Kucin Jr.

The Washington Football Team lost to the Seattle Seahaws 20-15 on Dec. 20. scores. Hopkins missed an extra point after Washington scored their first touchdown in the game’s final stanza. With the exception of tight end Logan Thomas, Washington’s offense was basically inept until the fourth quarter. Dwayne Haskins had the chance to stake his claim as the future of the franchise quarterback. He buckled, but didn’t break. Haskins returned as the starter after getting benched following a 1-3 start to the season and looked like an inexperienced QB in the first half. Haskins finished 38/55 for 295 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions against the NFL’s worst passing defense. “There were some plays I’d want back, for sure,” Haskins said. “It was definitely a hard fought game.” Those two picks were drive killing mistakes neither Kyle Allen nor Alex Smith made during the win streak. However, those interceptions that led to 14 Seahawks points were the result of tipped passes that should’ve been caught by Washington receivers. Tight end Thomas had 13 receptions for 101 yards and Terry McClaurin caught seven passes for 70 yards though neither scored. “I feel like he tried to do the best that he could after turnovers,” receiver McLaurin said. “We have to make some of those bang-bang plays to help the quarterback.” Seattle capitalized on Haskins’ mistakes and the suddenly vaunted Washington defense was shredded by an offense that is not one of the league’s best in the first half. Russell Wilson, a Super Bowl champion and NFL Most Valuable Player award candidate played with poise and the swag of a leader. Wilson threw for only 121 yards and a 10-yard touchdown pass to Jacob Hollister, while rushing for 52 on six carries. However, his 38-yard run from the shadows of his endzone deep into Washington territory, flipped the field and led to their second touchdown and a 13-3 halftime lead. Carlos Hyde, who played at Ohio State with Haskins, McLaurin and Chase Young, had a 50-yard touchdown run-their longest run of the year- which proved to be the difference in the game. The Football Team outgained Seattle 353 - 302, but the defense - without two starting linebackers - gave up 181 yards rushing. Washington can clinch the NFC East Sunday with a win over the Carolina Panthers in Landover and a loss by the New York Giants in Baltimore. Nonetheless, if Washington (6-8) can win their last two games they could still meet the Seahawks in Landover for a rematch in the NFC Playoffs on wildcard weekend in three weeks as champions of the East division.

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Culinary influencer and entrepreneur Chef Huda spoke to the AFRO about her Just Savor Spices collection, healthy eating and shared tips for the everyday cook and aspiring chef. for the American Heart Association (AHA), Just Savor, initially offered unsalted spices for a healthier approach to seasoning food. “This year we extended to having salted, more traditional seasonings, just to give people a variety, but we also still sell our, and they’re the most popular, our salt-free spices. The way we got there was just using herbs and spices and things like garlic, bell peppers. I always tell people, with cooking, we always kind of default to salt, and I know everyone has a family member or friend who salts something way before they taste it, it’s like you didn’t even get a chance, you just assumed it needed that… How does that happen,” the chef and AHA ambassador told the AFRO. Chef Huda said that Just Savor offers her a way to teach others about preparing food and its impact on the body, while also encouraging self-love. “One of the reasons I did the spice line was to get people thinking about what they’re putting in their bodies, what they’re putting in their dishes, how they use herbs and spices, how they use vegetables, how they use garlic, onions, peppers, all of those things, because all of those things add flavor. So I think it’s really important that people just start paying more attention-- a little self-care and self-love in each dish.” No stranger to the delight associated with fatty foods, Chef Huda said the key to health eating is about moderation, not sacrificing all the delicious dishes and flavors. “It’s really more about people being conscious about what they’re putting in their bodies. I always tell people that eating healthy isn’t giving up everything you love. It’s about moderation and it’s about balance. So if you know you’re going to go crazy and eat a double cheeseburger, with the extra bacon, and a milkshake and some fries at the beginning of the week, balance it out. Eat your greens the rest of the week, drink your water, make

sure you’re not eating anything super sweet or super salty. So just balance it, because we all fail at diets, and the reason why we fail at diets is because we just don’t want to do them, and we feel like everything is being taken away,” Chef Huda explained. The entrepreneur’s educational efforts does not end at healthy eating though, as Chef Huda is also teaching cooking classes as a means to give back during the quarantine, such as with her #KitcheQuarantineParty which happens on Instagram, and as part of the special Spice Holiday Boxes. “We have our spice holiday boxes, which includes three spices- there’s four different categories of them- and you get a cooking class with that as well, that we’ll be doing virtually, and recipes as well. We’ll have more recipes and more cooking classes coming up later in the year and next year as well, and we’re really excited about that because that should help people,” Chef Huda said. “We hope that the cooking classes, once they launch, will be a resource and also a fun time for people to really explore different spices and dishes.” Before she wrapped the show, Chef Huda also shared tips, including on how to properly prepare one dish that often becomes a point of contention or celebration at Black family gatherings- potato salad. No fruit in the potato salad. No raisins, don’t make it sweet and weird. It’s potato salad. Paprika’s necessary,” Chef Huda said passionately. The chef and business owner also offered some inspiration for aspiring or current entrepreneurs, particularly as they face the plight and financial burdens of the pandemic. “I think it’s important when you’re an entrepreneur, whether it’s your side hustle or your main hustle, is that you hustle. You make it a priority, you approach it with a positive attitude and believe in what you’re doing.”

New Police Chief Continued from D1

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cocaine stashed in my father’s favorite hiding places as well as syringes he used to put poison into his veins. If that was not bad enough, I remember when crack/ cocaine ravaged our neighborhood, my home was not spared. My dad was no longer selling drugs at that time, he was totally addicted to crack/ cocaine. I can recall the homemade crack pipes that replaced the syringes as his addiction intensified over the years. That addiction would last into my adulthood and well into my rise in the Metropolitan Police Department,” Contee explained. Despite his father’s challenges, which affected the entire family, the new Chief of Police explained that his mother was the contrast and a huge part of where he is today. “My mother did the best for us despite her limited resources and physical capacity. She was my first example of a strong, Black woman. She was tough on us, but it was her way of showing her love. She sacrificed and tolerated so that her children would grow up knowing their father, despite his sickness,” Contee said passionately. As a native Washingtonian who had to overcome battles, Contee said that he is aware that there is definitely work to be done to build trust between MPD and District residents. If national distrust of police had not spread to D.C. communities after viral videos of the many instances of racism and brutality from officers, MPD had a couple instances in the past couple months that heightened uneasiness about law enforcement in the nation’s capital. Local misgivings built after an MPD officer fatally shot Deon Kay less than a month after his 18th birthday in September 2020.

The mistrust reached, what seemed to be, a peak when MPD chased 20-year-old Karon Hylton-Brown on a moped, leading to his death and then weeks of continued protests and demonstrations demanding answers and justice. “I really think that the men and women of the Metropolitan Police Department have to recognize how we are viewed in our communities,” Contee said frankly. “Chief Contee knows from growing up in the District and serving in the Metropolitan Police Department for 30 years that community trust is critical to reducing crime,” D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine wrote in a statement. “He cares about strengthening ties between MPD and the District’s communities. To that end, I am confident that he will directly engage with District residents to learn about their hopes and needs.” One of the ways Contee hopes to address challenges between MPD and Washingtonians is by examining how the officers truly protect and serve the community- specifically as it relates to stopping violent crime and looking at a public health approach. “I do not believe it’s an either, or concept, I think you have to have both. I think that there are some people in our community that need to go to jail. I also think that there are some people, in our communities, like my father for example, who are sick, who have issues that are not violent in nature and need treatment really to resolve those issues, not incarceration. So I think that this is a big city, that is resource rich and I think it’s enough space to accomplish both of those things,” the new Chief of Police said confidently.

December 26, 2020 - January 1, 2021, The Afro-American

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser at a protest in Washington, D.C. in June

T-shirts carried the messages

Demonstrators marched from the Lincoln Memorial to the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial as part of the 2020 March on Washington

Marchers celebrate at Black Lives Matter Plaza once the BidenHarris ticket was announced the victors of 2020 presidential election.

While 2020 has had several challenges that have directly affected the African American community, throughout it all, Black people have displayed resilience and ultimate excellence even with life’s trials. As this is the last edition of 2020, the {AFRO} is showcasing some of the activism displayed around the nation’s capital in 2020. From the summer protests on what became Black Lives Matter Plaza after the killing of George Floyd, or the “Get Your Knee Off My Neck March on Washington,” to those who celebrated in front of the White House after President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris were announced as the winners of 2020 presidential election. People took to the streets, displaying African-American empowerment gear and put up the Black power fists throughout much of 2020. Despite some of the nation’s lack of respect for African-American bodies, the Washington Metropolitan area was filled throughout 2020 with people who proudly proclaimed “Black Lives Matter.”

A sign that reads, “No Justice, No Peace,” at the 2020 March on Washington in August

Euniqueca Jenkins poses at the 2020 March on Washington

A happy marcher wears Biden-Harris paraphernalia at Black Lives Matter Plaza

This sign is a reminder that queer Black lives matter

Shirts raise the distinction of Black-owned businesses.

Groups of officers stand with weapons drawn to block protesters from getting too close to the White House.

The Afro-American, December 26, 2020 - January 1, 2021

March 16, 2019 - March 16, 2019, The Afro-American

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