September 29, 2012 - September 29, 2012, www.afro.com
Volume 121 No. 8
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The Afro-American
SEPTEMBER 29, 2012 - OCTOBER 5, 2012
CBCF Phoenix Dinner Awards 2012
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Md. voter registration ends Oct. 16
Congressional Lawmakers Battle Voter Suppression By Michelle B. PhippsEvans Special to the AFRO While advocates of voter identification laws say the goal is to prevent fraud at the polls, Rep. Elijah Cummings insists that what is really at work is voter suppression during a campaign that promises to be a tighter than ever race for the presidency. “As many as one in four AfricanAmerican voters, more than one in six Hispanic voters, and about one in ten eligible voters overall do not possess a current and valid governmentissued photo ID,” wrote Cummings in a press release Sept. 18, citing John a NYU School Lewis of Law Brennan Center for Justice
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Rep. Donna Edwards analysis of a voter rights bill he co-introduced with 13 House of Representatives members. Sheila The bill, Jackson Lee introduced as the America Votes Act of 2012 by Cummings and Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Wash.), targets the drive spearheaded by Republican opponents of President Obama to require voters to produce government issued identification at the time votes are cast. “The America Votes Act of 2012 is a commonsense bill that protects the ability of American citizens to exercise their democratic right to vote,” said Larsen. “Efforts to deny any voter the right to cast a ballot are offensive to us all,” said Rep. Elijah Cummings. “I am proud to join Rep. Larsen in supporting the America Votes Act of 2012 to help ensure that the Rep. Elijah E. restrictive voter ID Cummings (D-Md.) laws on the books Courtesy Photos Continued on A5
Md. early voting runs Oct. 27-Nov. 1
Risk of Disenfranchisement High for Ex-Felons By Alexis Taylor Special to the AFRO
Walter Lomax can still remember the day he cast his first vote in an election. The emotion in his voice changes as he takes a pause, attempting to put into words how it felt to exercise the right after serving 40 years, wrongly convicted, in a Maryland prison. “I felt empowered,” said Lomax, sitting inside the Park Avenue Baltimore office where he now operates the Maryland Restorative Justice Initiative (MJRI). “Being someone who spent two-thirds of my life in prison, being free and able to
participate was refreshing. I played a part in the process.” Not a hint of bitterness can be detected as the slender, tall, man, now in his early sixties, reflects on the day he entered a Baltimore booth in 2007, just one year after his release, to vote for a slew of offices from mayor to city council members. Continued on A4
Michelle Obama: An Ace in the Presidential Race
Continued on A4 Michelle Obama Facebook.com
By Alexis Taylor Special to the AFRO She’s a fitness enthusiast who has shined the light on the need to reduce the incidence of childhood obesity. She has single-handedly made it trendy to grow veggies and to eat green. She’s a fashion icon who had made it popular to mix a designer dress with an offthe-rack cardigan. And, supporters said, she may be the best thing her husband, President Obama, has going
for him on the campaign trail as he attempts to win a second term in the White House. Six weeks before the election, First Lady Michelle Obama made two high-profile appearances in the Baltimore-Washington region, both of them generating the kind of electric moments campaign managers dream of. She delivered the keynote address at the Congressional Black Caucus Annual Legislative Conference Phoenix Awards Continued on A5
Rev. Marcus Garvey Wood Celebrates 60 Years at Providence Baptist By Maria Morales Special to the AFRO BALTIMORE, Md. – “It’s five minutes to three,” Rev. Marcus Garvey Wood announced to the crowd of family and staff gathered in his office, in a nod to punctuality that has been among the hallmarks of six decades in the pulpit. “The concert’s about to start.” With that, the 92-year-old spiritual leader eased from behind the desk that used to belong to Dr. Martin D. Jenkins, AFRO file photo late Morgan State In a 1984 photo, the Rev. Marcus University president, Garvey Wood, pastor of Providence and walked with a Baptist Church, one of 20 Black slow but deliberate gait into the packed clergy, was on his way to worship in Russia. sanctuary at Providence Baptist Church. He was followed by his handpicked successor and co-pastor, the Rev. Dr. Douglas Summers, not wanting to miss a note of the jubilee that was being held in his honor.
The concert marked the finale of a weeklong celebration of Rev. Wood’s 60 years of service as pastor of Providence Baptist Church. Themed “The Man, The Mission and The Message,” events included a traditional prayer service on Sept. 21 and a celebration service, as well as the concert, on Sept. 23.
The week began on Sept. 16 with a Sunday afternoon tea honoring the first lady of the church, Mrs. Bessie Wood. The couple, who met at a church Rev. Wood pastored in West Virginia early in his ministry, has been married for 65 years. They have two children, four Continued on A6
Rocking the Vote
Photo by Alexis Taylor
Students, faculty, and staff young and old came out to participate in “Coppin’s Rocking the Vote,” a registration campaign aimed at informing and engaging the campus community. See Story on A6
Copyright © 2012 by the Afro-American Company