Prince Georges Afro American Newspaper December 12 2015

December 12, 2015 - December 12, 2015, The Afro-American A1 PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY EDITION

Volume 124 No. 19

DECEMBER 12, 2015 - DECEMBER 18, 2015

Inside

Chicago Chaos

Washington • How to Find the Best D.C. Public School

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Cops Need More Military Training Not More Weapons

Baltimore

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Reliving the ‘Motown Sound’

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AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato

Protesters blocked the interstate highway traffic coming into downtown Chicago after Mayor Rahm Emanuel apologized for the 2014 shooting of a Black teenager during a special City Council meeting.

Chicago Mayor Apologizes for Laquan 570k McDonald’s Death As City Protests

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By The Associated Press Mayor Rahm Emanuel, known for keeping vise-like control over Chicago and his own political image, finds himself in the weakest position of his long public career as he struggles to respond to a police scandal, claims of cover-ups at City Hall and calls for his resignation.

The former White House chief of staff on Dec. 9 used a special meeting of the Chicago City Council to try to calm the firestorm, apologizing for the fatal shooting of a Black teen by a white

officer and promising “complete and total” reform.

“I take responsibility for what happened because it happened on my watch. And if we’re going to fix it, I want you to understand it’s my responsibility with you,” Emanuel said during a sometimes-emotional speech that lasted nearly 45 minutes. “But if we’re also going to begin the healing process, the first step in that journey is my step.

“And I’m sorry.”

The remarks were Emanuel’s lengthiest and seemingly most heartfelt since the public got its first look last

month at the squad car video that showed 17-year-old Laquan McDonald veering away from officer Jason Van Dyke before he began shooting, hitting McDonald 16 times. Van Dyke is charged with firstdegree murder.

Critics have repeatedly accused him of keeping the footage under wraps until after he won a tougher-than-expected spring election for a second term.

The mayor has denied the claim and acknowledged Dec. 9 that he should have pressed for prosecutors to wrap up their investigation more quickly so the video Continued on A3

2016 Election

Bernie Sanders Compares Sandtown to Third World Country

By AFRO Staff Ian Duncan/The Baltimore Sun via AP

Jurors inspected the van Freddie Gray was transported in on the day of his arrest.

Officer Testifies in His Own Defense at Freddie Gray Trial

By The Associated Press Officer William Porter was poised and calm as he testified in his own defense on Dec. 9, telling jurors that he didn’t call an ambulance for Freddie Gray because the man was alert, appeared uninjured and didn’t complain of any pain or wounds in the back of a police van.

Instead, Gray only said “yes” when Porter offered to get him medical aid, the officer testified. Porter said he did tell his colleague, the van driver, to take Gray to the hospital after the man said he needed medical attention.

Porter, a patrolman, responded to calls for assistance at some of the van stops. During the fourth stop, Porter went inside the back of the van and lifted Gray, who was handcuffed and shackled, from the floor onto the bench.

The fourth stop is crucial in Porter’s case because Continued on A4

Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Democratic presidential contender, expressed disbelief on Dec. 9 as he toured a portion of Sandtown and declared that it seemed like a Third World country rather than part of a city so close to the nation’s capital.

“Anyone who took the walk that we took around this neighborhood would not think you’re in a wealthy nation, you would think you’re in a third-world country, where unemployment is over 50 percent, a community that does not even have decentquality grocery stores,” Sanders told reporters.

“Bottom line is in the last 30 years we have seen a

massive transfer of wealth from working families to the top one-tenth of one percent,” he told reporters. “What this

• ‘Little Melvin’

Williams, Notorious Drug Lord, Dies

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New Doc. Explores Rep. John Lewis’ Civil Rights Struggle

By James Wright Special to the AFRO jwright@afro.com U.S. Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) is the subject of a new documentary that explores his role in the Civil Rights Movement and his political career.

Lewis, who represents the city of Atlanta and some of its suburbs, is featured in a 65-minute film, “Get in the Way: The Journey of John Lewis.”

The film debuted on Dec. 3 at the Newseum in Northwest D.C. and the film writer and director, Kathleen Dowdy, said it was a labor of love to work on the project.

“Wherever John Lewis would go, people would ask him to tell his life story and he would,” Dowdy

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AP Photo/Patrick Semansky

Democratic presidential candidate, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., right, follows the Rev. Jamal Bryant as they begin a tour of the Sandtown-Winchester neighborhood in West Baltimore.

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The Afro-American, December 12, 2015 - December 18, 2015

NATION & WORLD

Fox Suspends 2 Analysts for Language Against Obama

By The Associated Press

Two Fox News contributors were suspended on Dec. 7 for using inappropriate language about President Barack Obama

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Fox Analysts, former U.S. Army Lt. Col. Ralph Peters and actress Stacey Dash. while discussing his speech on terrorism the night before in two separate episodes.

The analysts, former U.S. Army Lt. Col. Ralph Peters and actress Stacey Dash, were each ordered off the air for two weeks.

Peters was appearing on a Fox Business Channel program hosted by Stuart Varney when he was asked his reaction to the president’s speech. He didn’t like it.

“This guy is such a total pussy, it’s stunning,” Peters said.

After he spoke some more, Varney said that while he could tell Peters was “super angry,” he shouldn’t use such language.

Dash, who appeared in the movie “Clueless” and has been a Fox contributor since 2014, said on Fox News Channel’s noontime program “Outnumbered” that Obama’s speech was an epic fail and followed up with an obscenity. “I felt like he could give a s—, excuse me, like he could care less.”

Bill Shine, senior executive vice president of programming at Fox, said in both cases the language “was completely inappropriate and unacceptable for our air.”

Delaware White Officer Says He Didn’t Intend to Kick Black Suspect in Head

By The Associated Press

A White police officer charged with assault after breaking a Black suspect’s jaw with a kick said Thursday that he was aiming for the man’s upper body, not his head.

Dover police officer Thomas Webster IV testified, as other witnesses have, that Lateef Dickerson was slow to comply with repeated police commands to get on (Jennifer Corbett/The News Journal the ground. He also said he via AP) In this Nov. 30, 2015 photo, was scared and feared for the safety of himself and others Thomas Webster, left, an because officers were told officer in the Dover Police that Dickerson was armed Department, walks with with a gun. his wife Suzanne into Kent “I’m extremely, extremely County Courthouse for concerned for my safety…. jury selection in his trial in At no point did he give me Dover, Del. the impression that he was complying,” Webster said in his trial on a felony assault charge.

“I wasn’t intending to kick him in the head,” Webster explained under questioning from his defense attorney, James Liguori. “I was trying to connect with his upper body.”

But prosecutor Danielle Brennan pointed out that Webster didn’t mention in his use-of-force report or in a supplemental crime report that he did not intend to kick Dickerson in the head.

“The use-of-force report is the time to explain what was going on in your mind,” she said.

Webster stood by his account.

“The fact that I kicked him in the head was much more specific, and I thought that was what should be included,” he said.

Dashcam video from another officer’s car shows that Dickerson had placed his hands on the ground but wasn’t fully prone on the ground when Webster kicked him.

Nielsen: ‘The Wiz’ Gets 11 Million Viewers, Doubles Typical Thursday Audience

By The Associated Press

(Virginia Sherwood/NBC via AP)

This Nov. 30, image released by NBC shows Ne-Yo as TinMan, from left, Shanice Williams as Dorothy and Elijah Kelley as Scarecrow during a dress rehearsal of “The Wiz Live!’ in New York.

NBC’s new holiday tradition of presenting a live musical production seems on firmer ground after an estimated 11.5 million people watched “The Wiz,” with interest rebounding from last year’s “Peter Pan.” The production more than doubled NBC’s typical audience for a Thursday night despite CBS airing a down-to-the-wire NFL game as competition. NBC said it had the network’s highest rating among children aged 11 and under since 2004.

“The Wiz” featured a cast including Elijah Kelley, Ne-Yo, David Alan Grier, Mary J. Blige, Queen Latifah, Uzo Aduba, Common and newcomer Shanice Williams as Dorothy. It drew strong reviews, with the AP’s Mark Kennedy writing that the exuberant, inventive production “breathed new life into the notion of full-scale musicals on live TV.” The musical delivered the highest-rated Thursday night for any network since ABC’s premiere of “How to Get Away With Murder” last year, with the exception of sports programming.

NBC has scheduled a repeat showing of “The Wiz” for Saturday, Dec. 19.

Malia Obama Reportedly Narrows College Choices to Two NY Schools

By Zenitha Prince Senior AFRO Correspondent

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President Barack Obama, center, waves to the crowd as he walks off stage with his daughter Malia, left, during the National Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony on Dec. 3 at the Ellipse in Washington.

First daughter Malia Obama has reportedly narrowed her college choices to two New York schools.

According to New York’s WNBC-TV, the 17-year-old has whittled down her list of prospective schools to Barnard College and New York University. The list supposedly also named Wesleyan, Yale, Tufts, Brown and Stanford universities, as well as the University of Pennsylvania and the University of California at Berkeley as frontrunners.

Like thousands of other American families, the Obamas have been pondering over the next steps for their eldest daughter, who has sent out applications, taken standardized tests and even visited more than a dozen campuses in preparation for college.

“I have a senior who is in this process of figuring out what to do with the rest of her life,” Mrs. Obama told students gathered at the Howard County Community College, Sept. 17.

“We are talking about this in my household every night, every night. And there’s really no magic formula. I mean, it is a very individual decision.”

Malia Obama’s choice is likely guided by her interest in filmmaking. The teen did a summer internship on the New York City set of HBO’s comedy-drama “Girls,” which stars Lena Denham. She also gained experience as a production assistant on “Extant,” a CBS sci-fi drama featuring Halle Berry.

That interest seemingly would make NYU the top choice, as its venerated Tisch School of the Arts has churned out filmmaking giants such as directors Martin Scorsese and Spike Lee.

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December 12, 2015 - December 18, 2015, The Afro-American

Chicago

Lewis

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could be made public.

But his contrition did little to ease the anger in the streets. Hours after the speech, protesters overflowed an intersection in front of City Hall, then marched through the financial district and blocked a major intersection for a short time as police directed traffic around them.

Officers guarded the doors to the Chicago Board of Trade as demonstrators approached.

Outside City Hall, retired schoolteacher Audrey Davis carried a sign reading, “Mayor Emanuel is morally corrupt!”

Calling the speech “politically expedient,” Davis said, “I don’t want to hear anything from him except, ‘I tender my resignation.’”

Davis, who is Black, said she fears for her 25-year-old grandson when he comes home from college.

“Each time he comes home, my heart is in my throat in case he meets up with a racist cop,” Davis said.

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“We shouldn’t have to live like this.”

Since the video emerged, Emanuel has scrambled to contain the crisis. He fired his police superintendent after days of insisting the chief had his support. He also reversed course on whether the Justice Department should launch a civil-rights investigation, saying he would welcome it only after presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and other top Democrats endorsed the idea.

In news conferences, he has appeared worn down, fumbling answers to reporters’ questions or avoiding them entirely by walking away, with cameras rolling.

Emanuel has repeatedly said he will not step down, and the next election — should he seek another term — isn’t until 2019.

Chicago has no statute or process in place for a mayor to be recalled, and most of the cries for Emanuel to resign have come from grassroots

activists and residents, not from the city’s political powerbrokers.

The most likely impact will come in the form of pushback from aldermen, who have long been considered a rubber stamp for the mayor’s initiatives, said political consultant Delmarie Cobb.

She said the Black community “has been awakened,” and Emanuel can expect a tougher re-election if he tries again.

“He definitely won’t run unopposed, and it will be a viable candidate,” said Cobb, who is black.

The mayor won re-election in April by a healthy margin, but only after suffering the embarrassment of not getting a majority in a five-candidate February election, forcing the first mayoral runoff in decades.

At the time, he pledged to listen more and to “bridge the gaps between the things that divide us.”

In the months that followed, his public schools

Sanders

Continued from A1 campaign is about and what my presidency is about is transferring that wealth back into the hands of working families, back into our cities, back into our communities. It is the wealthiest country in the history of the world. We can create a society in which all of our people have a decent standard of living – not a society in which almost all new income and wealth goes to the top one percent. That’s what I’m dedicated to changing.”

The senator was followed by media representatives and a crowd of curious onlookers that grew with each block as he walked in what the Rev. Jamal Bryant of Empowerment Temple called “the heartbeat of where Black Baltimore is trying to find itself” – from the intersection of Pennsylvania and North avenues to a mural near where Freddie Gray was arrested in April, at Presbury and North Mount.

What he saw included evidence of high unemployment, predatory lending practices, a dearth of grocery stores and too many dilapidated buildings. Bryant, who organized the senator’s visit, noted that while much media attention has focused on the CVS at Penn and North that is being rebuilt after having been destroyed during rioting in April, little attention has been paid to the 20 black businesses that have not been able to reopen because of insurance issues.

Sanders, who describes himself as a democratic socialist, said he had rarely been asked to address the kinds of urban issues that the group assembled by Bryant posed to him, including mass incarceration, aggressive policing, public schools, historically black colleges, student debt, economic development and home ownership.

Of approximately 20 people sitting around the table in the Freddie Gray Empowerment Center on Eutaw Street in Bolton Hill were pastors and seminarians of Baltimore area churches, as well as Ferguson, Mo., Tallahassee, Fl., Brooklyn, N.Y. , Chicago, Los Angeles and Washington DC. Non-ministers included Lezli Baskerville, president of the National Association for Equal opportunity in Higher Education; Mike Chandler, president of a gospel music radio network; and the senator’s wife, Dr. Jane O’Meara Sanders, a former college president.

“This is not just a Baltimore problem. It is

a Black America problem,” observed Bryant.

“It was so important for us that the Senator did not just hear statistics and testimony without seeing the face of a community that is urgent need of assistance.”

In a closed roundtable discussion that lasted nearly an hour and in a news conference afterward, Sanders discussed a wide range of issues, including banking practices, access to higher education, the re-entry of formerly incarcerated men and women, obstacles to neighborhood development and police brutality. His proposals included police reform; free tuition to public colleges and universities; creation of 13 million “decentpaying jobs”; raising the minimum wage to $15; and trade policies that entice corporate America to reinvest in this country. He would also create jobs for 1 million teenagers. “It makes a lot more sense to me to be getting kids jobs rather than seeing them hang out on street corners and end up in jail,” Sanders said.

During the news conference after the closed meeting, a reporter asked Sanders to comment on terrorism. But Sanders said he was in Baltimore to discuss other matters.

“Obviously ISIS and terrorism are a huge national issue, and we’ve got to address that,” he told reporters. “But so is poverty,

“If the community is going to be stronger, if the country is going to be stronger, then we have to place a greater emphasis on and attentiveness to the community of the disenfranchised and the disadvantaged; and it appeared to me that he feels that and that he gets that.”

–The Rev. Donte Hickman so is unemployment, so is education, so is health care, so is the need to protect working families. And I will continue to talk about those issues.”

The Rev. Donte Hickman of Southern Baptist Church in East Baltimore, found the Vermont senator “very impressive.”

“If the community is going to be stronger, if the country is going to be stronger, then we have to place a greater emphasis on and attentiveness to the community of the disenfranchised and the disadvantaged; and it appeared to me that he feels that and that he gets that.”

Bryant said that it is too soon to talk about endorsements and noted that Sen. Rand Paul, a Republican candidate, and former Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, the Democratic frontrunner, are expected to meet with black ministers and civic leaders in coming days. As for Sanders, Bryant said: “He spoke a very strong argument and raised a very high standard for those who come behind him.”

CEO, who oversaw closings of about 50 schools that angered many residents, was indicted on corruption charges. Emanuel also pushed through the largest tax increase in city history to deal with a budget crisis.

His administration has warned of massive mid-year layoffs in the public schools, and is in the midst of rocky contract negotiations with the Chicago Teachers Union.

This week, union members are voting on whether to authorize a strike. They could hit the picket lines as early as March.

After the video was made public, other flashpoints kept coming. Footage was released of another police shooting — this one deemed justified by prosecutors — and of another man who died in police custody. A review by the city’s quasi-independent police watchdog agency showed that of 409 shootings involving police since 2007, the agency found only two with credible allegations against an officer.

Police reports from the McDonald shooting included officer accounts that differed dramatically from the video.

In his speech, Emanuel noted the problems are ones that have plagued Chicago for decades, and that there are no simple solutions.

“We have to be honest with ourselves about this issue. Each time when we confronted it in the past, Chicago only went far enough to clear our consciences so we could move on,” he said.

“This time will and must be different.”

said. “His stories spoke to me and they moved me to do something. The passion for this project was so strong that each person that got involved in the film became very, very deeply committed to it.”

Charles Floyd Johnson served as the film’s producer.

Prominent participants in the project included former UN Ambassador Andrew Young, Rep. Emanuel Cleaver III (D-Mo.), D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D) and Juanita Abernathy, the wife of civil rights icon Rev. Ralph Abernathy.

The film is supported by the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation and the National Association of Black Journalist. It covers Lewis’s early life in rural Alabama, his involvement in the Civil Rights Movement as a college student and chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, his post-civil rights era career as the director of the Voter Education Project, an Atlanta city council member’ and member of the U.S. House of Representatives. The film also goes into detail about the strategies for the sit-in demonstrations at segregated lunch counters in Nashville, Tennessee, his participation in the Freedom Rides of the early 1960s in which he was beaten by White mobs and police officers while traveling in the deep South, the 1963 March on Washington where he was the youngest speaker on the program, and the Selma, Alabama march on March 7, 1965, where he and other participants were beaten by state troopers for

advocating for voting rights for Blacks.

The motion picture shares Lewis’ surprise victory over Julian Bond in the 1986 Democratic Party primary for the congressional seat he presently holds. The film also talks about Lewis’ support for the Affordable Care Act, immigration reform, gay rights, and his fight for those in poverty.

Lewis attended the screening of the film along with U.S. Reps. G.K. Butterfield (D-N.C.), who serves as chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, and Karen Bass (D-Calif.).

Butterfield said the movie inspired him. “John Lewis is an absolute living legend,” he said. “He is a champion of human rights and an agent for change. I have traveled with him around the world and he is recognized everywhere he goes.”

Lewis spoke briefly, saying that the film production team “did a superb job.” He said that the film brought back memories on why he got involved in the Civil Rights Movement. “I remember growing up where you had those ‘Colored’ and ‘White’ signs and I kept asking my mother why they were there,” he said. “My mother said that was the way it is and advised me not to get into trouble. I didn’t listen and I got into good trouble.

“There are forces that truly want to take us back,” he said, “ . . . if you see something that’s not right, you have an obligation to speak up and speak out.”

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News Analysis

Affirmative Action Back Before Supreme Court

By George E. Curry George Curry Media Affirmative action is back on the frontburner at the U.S. Supreme Court, with the justices hearing oral arguments on Dec. 9 in Fisher v. University of Texas-Austin for the second time in two years.

At issue is whether Texas’ affirmative action admission program - which uses a variety of factors including leadership, extracurricular activities, work experience, socio-economic status and race - is unconstitutional because it unlawfully denied a White woman admission to the state’s flagship university.

Lawyers for Abigail Fisher argue that she was denied admission to the University of Texas because of her race. However, the university has argued at both the appellate and Supreme Court level that Fischer wouldn’t have been accepted even if there were no affirmative action programs.

The case is being closely watched because it could have an impact on public and private employment and higher education in particular. Affirmative action supporters are hoping, at worse, the court will limit its ruling to the “strict scrutiny” issue and not overturn precedents upholding affirmative action.

When Fisher applied for 2008 fall admission to the University of Texas, it filled nearly 90 percent of its openings with automatic admissions for Texas residents who were in the top 10 percent of their high school graduating class. The remaining 10 percent of the seats were filled with individualized consideration of applicants based on demonstrated leadership qualities, awards and honors, work experience, extracurricular activities, socioeconomic status, family status and responsibilities, standardized test scores and race.

AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite

Abigail Fisher’s case before the Supreme Court could cut back on or even eliminate affirmative action in higher education.

Because she did not finish in the top 10 percent of her high school class in Sugarland, Texas, Fisher’s only opportunity to gain admission was through the individualized assessment.

Though no quantifiable score was assigned to any category, including race, Fisher decided to challenge the consideration of race.

In its “Brief of Opposition,” the university stated: “The undisputed evidence demonstrated that Fisher would not have been offered fall admission in 2008 even if she had scored a perfect ‘6’ on her PAI - the portion of the admissions process where race is considered” along other factors.

Fisher enrolled in Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge and returned to Austin, Texas after graduation to work as a financial analyst. Even after graduating from LSU, she pursued her claim against the University of Texas.

Two years ago, the Supreme Court sidestepped ruling on the merits of Fisher’s case, opting to rule more narrowly by a vote of 7-1 to send the case back to the Fifth Circuit with instructions to consider the case in light of the court’s strict scrutiny requirement.

Educators thought the issue of affirmative action had been settled in a pair of University of Michigan affirmative action rulings in 2003

- one upholding the law school admissions program (Grutter v. Bollinger) and one striking down the undergraduate admissions process (Gratz v. Bollinger). In each case, the court declared that state universities have a compelling interest that could justify the consideration of race in college admissions because of the benefits that flow to all students from having a diverse student body.

It was only after the court’s ruling in Grutter that the University of Texas expanded its affirmative action plan beyond the 10 Percent Plan.

If there is any upside to Fisher’s challenge, it is she is not asking the court to overturn the Michigan decision affirming the constitutionality of affirmative action. Rather, she seems to focus on whether the appeals court properly applied “strict scrutiny” per the Supreme Court’s guidance.

Texas created its Top 10 percent program as a conservative way of increasing diversity in higher education. However, as many predicted at the time, it was not sufficient to increase Black enrollment. As Justice Stephen Breyer noted, “Before Hopwood [another affirmative action court case] and the 10 percent plan, it looked on the African American side that it averaged about 5 percent per year, really, pretty steadily. Then after Hopwood and 10 percent it went down a little bit, not a lot, but it went down to about 3 and a half percent, 4 percent, maybe. And then they introduced Grutter, and it’s back up to 5 percent.”

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in New Orleans has twice upheld the Texas affirmative action program. Each time, the Fifth Circuit ruled that the program makes only limited use of race, and serves the university’s interest in a racially and culturally diverse student body in a way that complies with Supreme Court mandates.

White House

Cost of Justice System Unfairly Targets Minorities

By LaTrina Antoine Washington D.C. Editor lantoine@afro.com Even though the Criminal Justice system has recently come under heavy scrutiny with the unlawful shootings of unarmed Blacks in various areas of the country, the system is also unfairly targeting lower income individuals through excessive fees, fines and bails, according to the White House and the U.S. Department of Justice.

U.S. Attorney General Lorretta Lynch addressed the need for Criminal Justice Reform along more monetary means to correct a system that unfairly targets men and women of color solely based on their income threshold at the White House Dec. 3.

“What is the price of justice?” Lynch asked the audience composed of law makers, judges, criminal

justice advocates and experts.

“It has become painfully clear that in so many incidences an individual’s access to justice has become predicated on their ability to literally pay for it.”

Lynch said the cost of the justice system are creating a larger level of mistrust and disbelief from the community on the criminal justice system. She likened the system to multibillion dollar corporations such as WalMart.

“This is not the criminal justice system for which those of us who are working for fairness and equality will be pursuing,” Lynch said, referencing that money collections are methods of criminalizing poverty.

“A debt must be capable of being paid, if it is not a lifetime guilt of servitude,” she said.

White House staff and

representatives from DOJ, Domestic Policy Council, institutions of higher education, Americans for Tax Reform, charity organizations, and My Brother’s Keeper Task Force along with actor Michael B. Jordan and journalist David Simon

opportunities and luxuries that were not afforded to several of the characters he has played, including Oscar Grant in Fruitvale Station (2013) and Wallace in TV series the Wire (2002-2008).

The day consisted of several panels with experts in

“We have a lot to talk about and we have a lot to do. We have a lot going on.”

– Loretta Lynch

convened in a conversations throughout the day on the ills of the country’s correctional system, to take steps forward to fix it.

“I shouldn’t be here,” Jordan said, acknowledging that, as a young Black man, he was afforded several

various judicial, educational and social fields. The first panel consisted of Jordan, Simon and Cynthia Jones, a law professor at American University in D.C. The panel reviewed police officer, community interactions in Baltimore and New Jersey

– Jordan’s home town – and bail discrepancies amongst the poor.

According to a December 2015 issues brief by the Council of Economic Advisors, a recent study found judicial discretion in bail amounts leads to higher levels of bail for Black defendants as opposed to their White counterparts.

“Crime imposes real costs on society in terms of both the harm done to victims and in resources that must be allocated to policing, prosecution and incarceration,” the brief said.

“Increases in criminal justice spending have put a strain on local criminal justice budgets and led to the broader use of fine penalties and itemized criminal justice fees in an effort to support budgets.”

However, the report found that excessive fines and fees, especially those that have

Officer Testifies Continued from A1

prosecutors say Gray was already injured by the time he arrived there, and Porter’s failure to call a medic to the scene contributed the Gray’s death.

Defense attorneys say Gray was injured later in the ride.

Prosecutors also say by not buckling Gray into a seat belt during that stop, Porter was criminally negligent. The department requires detainees to be buckled up and the policy was updated just days before Gray’s arrest, leaving no ambiguity about whether a prisoner should be belted in.

As Porter spoke, jurors listened intently, some leaning forward and scribbling notes as he spoke.

Porter, the first of six officers to go on trial, said he only realized Gray was hurt when the van reached the police station. Porter said Gray was unresponsive “with mucus around his nose and mouth.”

He called Gray’s name — as he’d done at previous stops, which elicited responses — but this time Gray was silent. Porter told jurors the experience was “a very traumatic thing for me.”

Porter faces manslaughter, assault, misconduct

in office and reckless endangerment charges. If convicted on all of the charges, the maximum penalty he faces is about 25 years.

Defense attorneys have suggested that the van driver was responsible for Gray’s safety and indicated the officer may have thought Gray was faking an injury to avoid going to jail.

Porter said during the fourth stop, Gray made eye contact with him and spoke “in a regular tone of voice.”

“He never made a complaint of pain or an injury,” Porter said. “In order to call for an ambo I need age, sex, location and complaint of injury. He wouldn’t give me a complaint of injury.”

Gray was a 25-year-old Black man who died a week after suffering a spinal injury at some point during a 45-minute ride in the back of the van.

His death set off protests and a riot in the city, and became a rallying cry for the Black Lives Matter movement.

Porter, who is also Black, told jurors that when Gray was arrested, he overheard him screaming and mentioning something about needing an inhaler.

When asked if Gray said he couldn’t breathe at the van’s fourth stop, Porter said, “absolutely not.”

One of the prosecution’s witnesses, an internal affairs investigator, said Porter told her that Gray said during the van’s journey that he couldn’t breathe. But Porter explained on Dec. 9 that the investigator was mistaken, and he only heard Gray say that when he was arrested, not when he was in the van.

As for why he didn’t buckle Gray into a seat belt, Porter told the jury that the wagon is “pretty tight” and said that of his 200 arrests involving the transport van, he has never belted in a prisoner.

Porter added that he left the scene after lifting Gray from the floor of the wagon to the bench, and it was Caesar Goodson, the driver, who closed the wagon’s doors.

It would have been his responsibility, Porter said, to buckle Gray into a seatbelt and he didn’t know if he did.

Goodson faces the most serious charge stemming from Gray’s death: second-degree “depraved-heart” murder. His trial is next month.

not been or are yet to be paid are not helping the system mitigate cost, nor is it saving tax payers money.

A few suggestions included changing the way in which bail is assessed, switching the system from a fixed amount based on crime to a more fluid amount that is based on each individual’s personal income. Also, according to the report, some jurisdictions across the county, have begun to get rid of correctional fees and fines, which have been shown to be inefficient burdens on several municipalities.

“We have a lot to talk about and we have a lot to do. We have a lot going on,” Lynch said.

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The Afro-American, December 12, 2015 - December 12, 2015

December 12, 2015 - December 18, 2015, The Afro-American

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Trump’s Muslim Ban Idea Pushes GOP Toward Chaos

By The Associated Press Donald Trump’s plan to ban Muslims from entering the United States is shoving the Republican Party to the edge of chaos, abruptly pitting GOP leaders against their own presidential front-runner and jeopardizing the party’s longtime drive to attract minorities.

Unbowed, Trump fired a searing warning on Dec. 8 via Twitter to fellow Republicans carping about his proposal. A majority of his supporters, he tweeted, “would vote for me if I departed the GOP & ran as an independent.”

The crossfire between Trump and frustrated Republicans became a media blur the day after the billionaire businessman announced his plan.

Beleaguered 2016 rivals condemned his proposal and complained that his divisive positions were dominating attention in the crowded Republican contest. Party elders, meanwhile, warned that too much criticism might indeed push him to launch a third-party bid that could hand the presidential election to the Democrats.

And Republicans up for re-election in the Senate grew terse in the Capitol hallways as they were asked again and again to respond to Trump’s remarks — a glimpse of their political futures if the former reality show star captures the GOP nomination.

“This is not conservatism,”

declared House Speaker Paul Ryan, the Republican Party’s top elected leader. “What was proposed yesterday is not what this party stands for.

And more importantly, it’s not what this country stands for.”

Meanwhile, Secretary of State John Kerry said on Dec. 9 that Trump’s rhetoric is complicating U.S. diplomacy.

“I stay out of politics,” he told reporters in Paris.

“But on this one I have to say something because it involves my job, it involves our country.”

He said that IS, also known as ISIS or Daesh, “is not Islam and there are courageous Muslims around the world in the Middle East and elsewhere standing up to it.”

Kerry said that “what Mr. Trump has said runs contrary” to U.S. values of religious tolerance “and makes our job of reaching out to people and sharing America just that much more complicated and that much more difficult. And that’s about as diplomatic as I can be about it.”

One by one, Republican officials across the country lashed out at Trump’s plan, which calls for a “total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States” to help quell the threat of terrorism.

But party leaders are well aware that he could leave the GOP, run as an independent and challenge the party’s presidential nominee next year. It’s a threat they have

long feared.

The Republican Party, said Jeb Bush adviser Ana Navarro, is stuck between “a rock and a jerk” less than eight weeks before the first primary-season votes are cast in Iowa.

In Mississippi, Republican National Committee member Henry Barbour said Trump’s comments “aren’t worthy of someone who wants to occupy 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.” He said Trump would be a “disaster politically for the GOP if he won the nomination.”

Barbour helped author the Republican National Committee’s “Growth and Opportunity Project” after a painful 2012 presidential election that forced party leaders to re-evaluate their strategy in presidential contests to reflect the nation’s demographic shifts. Among other things, the report cited an urgent need for GOP leaders to adopt an inclusive and welcoming tone on issues such as immigration.

Yet Trump has vaulted to the top of the Republican 2016 field by attacking immigrants in many cases.

His continued popularity underscores the deep divide between Republican leaders and the party’s conservative base, which holds outsized influence in the presidential nomination process.

Indeed, Trump’s plan was cheered during a South Carolina rally on Dec. 7, and vocal supporters across the

AP Photo/Mic Smith

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump defended his plan for a “total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States” by comparing it with President Franklin Roosevelt’s decision to inter Japanese Americans during World War II. country defended the Muslim ban as necessary for national security. Polling suggests the sentiment is likely fueled by sharp strain of xenophobia: A new AP-GfK poll found 8 in 10 Republicans think there are too many immigrants coming from the Middle East.

Trump showed little concern for critics on Dec. 8.

“I don’t care about them,” he told CNN. “I’m doing what’s right.”

The debate left his Republican presidential

competitors struggling for attention. Former technology executive Carly Fiorina flashed her frustration when asked repeatedly about Trump’s comments as she campaigned in Iowa.

“Maybe you should quit focusing on Donald Trump so much,” she told reporters.

Trump’s position has also forced vulnerable Republicans facing re-election next year into an awkward position.

Those who weighed in at all condemned his plan but also

stepped carefully.

New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R) said she opposes any “religious-based test for our immigration standards,” but she declined to criticize Trump directly when pressed by reporters.

Some Republicans not facing election next year were less cautious.

“It does not reflect serious thought. It’s not our party.

It’s not our country,” Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), told reporters.

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The Afro-American, December 12, 2015 - December 18, 2015

COMMENTARY

Murder Cover-Up in Chicago

George E. Curry

As more information emerges in connection with Chicago Police Officer Jason Van Dyke’s fatal shooting of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald on October 20, 2014, the more it appears that not only was an unjustified murder committed by a person who had sworn to uphold the law, there was a cover-up at every level.

Even worse, the coverup seems to be still in effect today as Mayor Rahm Emanuel and other officials

scramble to cover their tracks.

Let’s start with the videotaped incident itself.

Perhaps the most illuminating public account of the shooting thus far was provided by Stephen Patton, head of the city’s law department, when he appeared at the City Council’s Finance Committee hearing on April 13, 2015. In urging the city to settle the case out of court for $5 million, he noted that Van Dyke, referred to in his testimony as Officer A, was culpable because: • McDonald did not pose an immediate threat to Van Dyke; • McDonald was walking away from Van Dyke at the time he was fatally shot; • None of the other five officers on the scene saw fit to fire their weapons at McDonald, including Van Dyke’s partner; • No other people were ever placed in danger and • The use of deadly force in this case was unwarranted.

For the past year, Illinois and federal authorities have supervised a joint grand jury. As proceedings dragged on, Mayor Rahm Emanuel doggedly resisted all calls to release dash-camera video of the shooting.

After privately viewing the video, however, city officials acted quickly when attorneys representing the estate of the dead teen approached the mayor’s office about reaching a financial settlement. The city was in deep negotiations with attorneys for McDonald’s estate while the mayor was facing a tough re-election fight and eventual run-off with Jesus Garcia.

A final deal was struck April 8, a day after Emanuel’s re-election. Five days later, the proposed settlement was

presented to the Chicago City Council Finance Committee. Relying on the testimony of corporation counsel Patton, the City Council agreed to a $5 million settlement without a lawsuit being filed or members of City Council looking at the incriminating tape.

There is little doubt that if the videotape had surfaced during the height of Emanuel’s re-election campaign, he would not have won a second term. So, it seems he directed his corporate counsel to fight all efforts to have the tape released.

Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez, who is up for re-election next year, said City Hall made the decision to withhold the videotape from the public.

“They asked us our position in telephone calls - we said it was not our preference to release it, but it was ultimately their decision because of the FOIA,” Alvarez spokeswoman Sally Daly told POLITICO. “We’re not party to the litigation on the FOIA.” But nothing prevented Alvarez from releasing the incriminating tape.

More than a dozen Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests had been filed seeking release of the tape, but it took a lawsuit by Brandon Smith, a freelance journalist, to compel its disclosure under public records laws.

Cook County Judge Franklin Valderrama ruled that the police department could not use an ongoing investigation as a reason to lawfully withhold the video because other law enforcement agencies, not the department itself, were conducting the investigation.

The dramatic footage shows McDonald walking away from Van Dyke when the policeman opened fire, striking the teen at least 16 times, including after his motionless body was already sprawled on the ground.

Just before release of the videotape, Alvarez hurriedly did what she could have done all along - she charged Van Dyke independent of the grand jury with first-degree murder.

A separate Cook County grand jury has been convened and is expected to formally charge Van Dyke with first-degree murder, which carries a punishment of 20 years to life.

Meanwhile, the mayor forced and accepted the resignation of Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy, citing a loss of public confidence. The mayor has appointed a new police accountability task force to examine the McDonald case and other department issues.

The mayor said in a statement, “First and foremost, we need answers as to what happened in the Laquan McDonald case, which is why the United States attorney should swiftly conclude his year-long investigation and shed light on what happened that night, and the actions of everyone involved.”

We already know what happened that fatal night. And we also know that Rahm Emanuel fought every step of the way to keep the video of what happened that night out of public view.

Now that he has forced his top cop to resign, citizens should force Emanuel to leave office as well.

George E. Curry is President and CEO of George Curry Media, LLC. He is the former editor-in-chief of Emerge magazine and the National Newspaper Publishers Association News Service (NNPA). He is a keynote speaker, moderator, and media coach. Curry can be reached through his Web site, georgecurry.com.

The Pepco/Exelon Merger Will Be Good for D.C.

Recently more than 100 District residents flooded a Robert G. Childs community hearing at the Public Service Commission to urge them to approve the Pepco - Exelon merger settlement.

Residents from across the District came wearing buttons and carrying signs praising the “affordability, reliability and sustainability” the merger would bring.

The purpose of the hearing was to solicit public comment on the merger settlement endorsed last month by Mayor Bowser, the Department of Energy and Environment, the Attorney General for the District of Columbia, the Office of the People’s Counsel and other organizations. A majority of the D.C. Council also has called on the Commission to approve the settlement.

Some may ask why care about the merger of two utility companies? For me the reason is clear. I, like so many residents, understand much is at stake for the District if it does not go forward. As DC residents, we all rely on our local utility – for affordable and reliable electricity, for partnership with our communities, and as a driver of jobs and economic development in DC. The settlement has firm commitments by Pepco and

its merger partner, Exelon, that will make electricity more affordable, from millions of additional dollars and debt forgiveness to help low-income customers pay their bills to a more than $50 bill credit for every residential customer.

Millions will also be invested to offset distribution rate increases for residential customers through March 2019.

That is real money in the pockets of DC families. Other commitments raise the bar for reliability, setting new and higher standards that reduce how often power outages occur and how long they last. And the merger promises easier access to resources and crews from Exelon’s utilities to help restore power quickly after major storms.

As the District’s economy continues to grow, I’m encouraged the merger settlement will bolster the ability of our utility to promote local employment and develop our future workforce. This includes commitments to add jobs in the District and hire new union workers, plus millions of dollars for workforce development programs.

DC has ambitious goals for moving toward more renewable and sustainable energy sources; fortunately, the merger settlement supports this effort. Exelon will be required to develop new solar energy in the District and to purchase wind energy – enough combined to power as many as 24,000

households or more. Another $7 million is earmarked for renewable energy and energy efficiency programs in the District.

Finally, Pepco’s support for local charities that help take care of those in need will increase by guaranteeing $19 million over 10 years in contributions to nonprofit agencies in D.C. District of Columbia residents need the benefits that have been promised from the Pepco - Exelon merger. Some say that DC residents can’t trust Exelon to deliver. I disagree – but there is something more that we can do.

As a former member of the District of Columbia Board of Education, my first appointment was Chair of the Committee on Education. In that role, I had the responsibility of holding charter schools accountable for educating our children. I invite the residents, political and community leaders, and the Public Service Commission of the District to hold Exelon accountable to do what they say they will do.

The Reverend Robert G. Childs is the Senior Pastor at Berean Baptist Church of Washington, D.C. He is also the former President of the District of Columbia Board of Education.

Cops Need More Military Training Not More Weapons Many Black and other United States leaders believe the transfer of large amounts of military equipment to local police forces is ill advised and needs to be lessened since the violence in Ferguson, Missouri and places like it. The public was bombarded with images of armored M-113 military trucks with machine guns facing unarmed protesters who, if armed, possibly had rocks or bottles.

The underlying actions of the police during events such as the shooting of Michael Brown and Chicago police shooting of Laquan McDonald 16 times seems to be the bigger issue. If there is any problem with police departments having superior fire power than those they must arrest, it is not the presence of such equipment but the use of the equipment. Remember, the shooting was done by a “bad cop” with a service pistol, not by a crew served weapon on an armored vehicle. Further, clearly, what is termed in the military “…showing the enemy a sea of green”, as a way to frighten adversaries is not the proper way for local police to deal with unarmed civil protesters.

Given the improper use by local police officers of transferred military equipment, what is needed from the military is not less equipment but more from the military in the form of training; particularly training in when not to use military equipment that may tend to heighten civil disobedience.

I am sure that we all appreciate the need for local police to have military type equipment given the recent terrorist caused

John R. Hawkins III

violence in Paris and San Bernardino. There is a place for the over $450 million in military transferred equipment to local police forces. There is, however, a need for better training in the use of all equipment and, more importantly, better training of local police in proper behavior in when and how to use force. Training such as that used to condition the behavior of military personnel and particularly in the training of military police warrants close consideration.

In military police training, as in most institutional training, what comes first and comprises a substantial percentage of the training connotes what is most important. In the US Army Military Police Operations Law and Order Course which is required of all military police, the first 3 blocks of instruction are: “Military Law, Interpersonal Communication Skills and Determine the Level of Force.” All of these are before and longer in duration than the section on operating crew served weapons. The emphasis on all military training centers on the principles of selfless service, duty, honor and accountability. It is made clear to all from the first day of training that all will be held accountable for their actions and that severe consequences await violators with open, notorious and transparent reporting of disciplinary actions.

Local police departments could benefit from this type of behavior emphasized training and discipline. The emphasis throughout is on the need to best determine how to use force, only using lethal weapons as a last resort. The building of self-confidence and reliance on training over fear is at the core of such training, while fear of those confronted seems to be a

constant issue in recent shootings by local police.

As an example of what is different for local police officer issues involving behavior, the Maryland “Law Enforcement Officers’ Bill of Rights” review board of police actions consists only of police officers and outcomes can be classified as “personnel actions” and are hence not public records.

Further it seems improper when police do not act in keeping with the Department of Justice recommended “Use of Force Continuum.” Among other provisions, the “continuum” method of determining the level of force needed to perform police duties is the general principle that the level of force used should be tailored to the nature of the threat that prompted its use.

It is not lost on me having served in the streets of Kabul Afghanistan and Bosnia, that we often walked the streets and interacted with the people to garner their trust and to help them understand we were present to protect them – not harm them; another lesson local police can learn from the military.

More from the military can be helpful to local police.

However, it should not be hardware, but good training with transparent discipline.

Maj Gen US Army (ret) John R. Hawkins III, JD, MPA is President and CEO of Hawkins Solutions Intl., a government relations and lobby company. His last military assignment as a “two star” was Dir., Human Resources Directorate for the Army world-wide and prior to that Deputy Chief Public Affairs for the Army, world-wide.

December 12, 2015 - December 18, 2015, The Afro-American

More Reliable Electric Service for DC

“Our business depends on reliable electric service.”

Boo Kim

Director of Operations Acadiana Restaurant

“The merger means better reliability so businesses like Acadiana can thrive.”

Kathy Hollinger

President Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington

The Pepco Holdings-Exelon Merger: Affordability, Reliability and Sustainability for DC. Reliable electric service is critical to businesses and residents in a growing DC. The Pepco Holdings-Exelon merger sets higher requirements for Pepco to increase reliability of electric service, which means fewer and shorter power outages.

That’s good news for small businesses like Acadiana Restaurant. In fact, Pepco’s reliability performance must exceed regulatory standards or the company will have to pay significant financial penalties.

Improved reliability is one of many benefits of the merger. We signed the petition to show our support. Join over 35,000 District residents and go to PHITomorrow.com, where you can sign the online petition and send a letter to voice your support for the merger.

For more information or to show your support, visit PHITomorrow.com.

Paid for by Exelon Corporation.

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The Afro-American, December 12, 2015 - December 18, 2015

Bernadette Curtis-Lambert (standing), Amari Crowders-Green, Joan Coleman, Portia Booker and Lelia Crowders; Gloria Ward-Lewis (seated), Lynne Tyler, Patryce Stubbs, Tiffany Crowders and Tyna Hepburn

NOVA AKAs Present New Dimensions of Style & Pearl-fection The Ivy Foundation of Northern Virginia, the charitable affiliate of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Zeta Chi Omega Chapter hosted its 57th Annual Cooley-

Lula Hicks and Edgar Brookins, AFRO D.C. general manager

Violet Parker, Maryland State Del. Carolyn J.B. Howard and Edgar Brookins

Holiday Celebration with Delta Foundation

Morris and Norma Hatot-King

Sid and Deidre Ricks

Rev. Franchettia Payne

Joyce Henderson, AKA mid-Atlantic regional director, Hazel Cameron, chair, Ivy Foundation of NOVA and Kendra Gillespie, president, Zeta Chi Omega Chapter

Sylvia Cyrus, Bernadette CurtisLambert and Aretha Cunningham

Jamella Berry, chair, Luncheon Fashion Show Committee, Melody Berry and Juliette McNeil

Angela Alsobrooks, Miriam Brewer and Kathi Driver, event co-chairs

Marva and Benjamin Ginyard

The Board of Directors of the Prince George’s County Delta Alumnae Foundation Yeneisha Johnson, Jemima Inglade, Kathenne Tapp welcomed the and Erica Rooks community to its Annual Holiday Splendor Gala on Dec. 5, held at Camelot in Upper Marlboro, Md. Angela Alsobrooks, States’ Attorney for Prince George’s County was Mistress of Ceremonies for the gala. The annual gala supports the Delta Cultural Center located in Lanham, Md. and provides grant making resources for the foundation.

Derrick Leon Photos by Rob Roberts

Photos

by Rob Roberts

Emcee Melanie Mickie, scholarship recipient Derrick Adjei and Jamella Berry

Starr Garrett, Hazel Cameron, Doretta Davis and Beverly Anderson

Diann Burns, Catherine Miller, Tiley Blanding and Bonnie Kelley

Moore Scholarship Luncheon Fashion Show Nov. 15 at the Hilton McLean in Tysons Corner, Virginia. The program was capped with a fashion show presented by Ida’s Idea, Ida Lewis-Polite, producer.

1st place raffle winner, Jessie Williams

Kathi Driver, Angela Alsobrooks, Gina Ford, Edgar Brookins and Ros Hoover

The Just Friends Band

Damon Marshall, Marcia Milton, Judy Marshall and Dr. Charlene Dukes, president, PGCC

Davis, chair, Prince George’s Council

Ellen White, Sandra Thompson, Sheila Marshall, Karen Battle, Miriam Brewer and Ava Morton; Marc Ellington (seated)

Diane Venable, Greta WigginsLewis, Edna Pleasants and Harryette Irving

Send your news tips to tips@afro.com.

December 12,2015 - December 18, 2015, The Afro-American

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PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY-AREA Prince George’s County

Rep. Edwards Backs Black Lives Matter

UDC Alum Gives Back by Building New Student Center

By James Wright Special to the AFRO jwright@afro.com

A bridge inside the newly constructed student center at UDC leads to a room that will serve as office space for student organizations. The carpet and wooden storage lockers were made from reclaimed and recycled materials. Left: A clock tower that overlooks Connecticut Avenue is one of the most prominent features of the new student center at UDC.

Photos by Jamaal Abdul-alim

By Jamaal Abdul-Alim Special to the AFRO

Courtesy Photo

recruitment of young activists into the professional political arena.

Edwards said criticism of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement, calling it ineffective because it doesn’t have an explicit political party agenda is not right. “I don’t buy that at all,” the representative said. “Many movements were started by young people and started in

“Many movements were started by young people and started in the streets…”

– Donna Edwards the streets and then dialogue on social change started.”

Edwards is locked into a tight race for the Democratic nomination with Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) for the April 26 primary. Millennials, Americans that are 18-34 years old, are expected to play a key role in the 2016 election, across all races, including the presidency and both houses of Congress.

The voting strength of millennials has made a difference in recent elections.

In 2012, the millennial turnout was 45 percent and much of that vote went to President Obama and Democratic candidates, according to statistics from the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning Continued on B2

Decision May Not Arrive Until 2016

By James Wright Special to the AFRO jwright@afro.com

U.S. Rep. Donna Edwards (D-Md., running in 2016 for a U.S. Senate seat being vacated by U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), was the primary speaker for the, “Democratic Gain: Black Lives Matter” program. The event was held Dec. 3 at the headquarters of the National Education Association and was sponsored by Democratic Gain, a millennial-based organization that deals with

U.S. Rep. Donna Edwards (D-Md.) spoke about the ways Black Lives Matter can influence the upcoming election.

Pepco/Exelon Merger

When Michael Marshall was as an architecture student at the University of the District of Columbia in 1975, the school was still under construction. Now as a graduate, one of his greatest feats was being able to give back to his alma mater, he said.

“It’s great to be able to come back both professionally and personally to be a part of the legacy of this university,” Marshall said during a recent tour of the $63 million, 83,000 square foot student center, he designed and built, that sits on Connecticut Avenue and serves as what Marshall calls the new “gateway” to UDC.

“This building really is a symbol of where we want to be and what we want to represent in terms of our role with the district.”

– Ronald Mason The facility’s key design features include “green” construction materials, such as reclaimed wood and steel beams made from recycled metal, and a water treatment system that Continued on B2

Black-Owned Business Prince George’s County

New Mount Rainer Restaurant Brings Growth to Community

By Micha Green Special to the AFRO Chef Lenny Robinson’s Bird Kitchen & Cocktails, a long-awaited, Southernstyle restaurant, located in Mount Rainier, Maryland has finally opened for business.

The restaurant, which has a rotating menu, specializes in Southern comfort food with a modern twist, including chicken liver mousse, and shrimp and grits. All foods and drinks served at the restaurant are organic and locally sourced.

“We’re real big on the non-GMOs,” Robinson said, referring to food that is not genetically modified. “We are very conscious about where we get our goods, alcohol as well. We don’t have any rotgut liquor. It’s all handcraft or small batch.”

The bar manager, Maoti Gborkorquelli, said the cocktails have fresh ingredients with his personal craftsmanship of syrups, bitters, and shrubs.

“I’m taking ingredients from the kitchen and bringing them to the bar,” he said. “I think there should be a kind of melding of the two.”

The restaurant also offers Courtesy Photos seasonal beers with two rotating taps.

The interior of the Bird Kitchen & Cocktails restaurant in Bird Kitchen & Cocktails Mt. Rainer, Md. The restaurant opened for full service on has had a sign in the window Dec. 8. for months, and residents have been anxiously waiting for the restaurant and bar to open. Lydia Watts attended the opening with her son, Sifa.

“I’ve been waiting for weeks for the grand opening and it was just amazing,” Watts said. “Food was delicious, service was good, drinks were wonderful, and [Sifa] had a – Lydia Watts great time.”

She said the establishment could be a true asset to the community. “It’s really exciting to have a nice sit down restaurant with a nice full bar,” Watts said. “It’s something that I’ve missed and often go into D.C. for, so it’s really nice to have it close to home and to be a few blocks away.”

Rebecca Sheff, who has lived in Mount Rainier for over a year with her husband, also said she thinks Bird Kitchen & Cocktails is a positive sign for the area. “I believe this is really going to become a community hub,” Sheff said. “It has so much potential to bring people, not only from Mount Rainier, but from the whole area.”

The restaurant will begin their weekend brunches on Dec. 12 from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. and opened for a full service of breakfast, lunch, and dinner on Dec. 8.

“It’s something that I’ve missed and often go into D.C. for, so it’s really nice to have it close to home and to be a few blocks away.”

A decision on the merger appeal and settlement may not be made until early 2016, according to the D.C. Public Service Commission.

If the merger appeal with settlement is approved, it will be the final piece to enable the Exelon, Pepco merger to go through, making Exelon the nation’s largest electric utility. The merger has already been approved by The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the U.S. Justice Department and the states of Maryland, Delaware and New Jersey. However, if it is not, the merger will not happen, despite other jurisdictions approval.

Key executives for Pepco and Exelon recently sponsored a town hall meeting to discuss the benefits of the proposed merger.

Dave Velazquez, the executive vice president of Pepco and Bill Von Hoene, the senior vice president and chief strategy officer of Exelon conducted the meeting on Dec. 8 with Denise Rolark Barnes, publisher

“The merger will not cause rates to immediately increase.”

–Dave Velazquez of the Washington Informer Newspaper and chairman of the National Newspaper Publishers Association board, acting as the moderator.

Velazquez told the Howard Theatre audience of 150 people that the merger is in the best interest of District ratepayers and residents.

“The merger will not cause rates to immediately increase,” Velazquez said.

“Sixty days after the merger, customers will get a one-time $50 credit on their bill and we have set up a program of $16 million to assist low-income and senior residents and for energy assistance programs.”

On Aug. 25, the District of Columbia Public Service Commission rejected Exelon’s $6.4 billion bid to acquire Pepco.

The commission said that Exelon hadn’t proven, for a number of reasons that the merger was in the best interest of District residents and rate payers.

Shortly after the vote, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s administration officials quietly worked on a settlement package that was announced by the mayor on Oct. 6. The package included the onetime credit for ratepayers, assistance in various forms for low-income and senior citizen ratepayers and no rate increases until 2019.

After the settlement was announced, D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine and Continued on B2

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The Afro-American, December 12, 2015 - December 18, 2015

UDC Alum Continued from B1

reduces the amount of water entering the city’s drainage system. A vegetated “green roof” helps reduce the heat emanating from the building and manages stormwater runoff. The three-story structure will house administrative offices, a student lounge, a ballroom, a fitness center, and offices for student government and student organizations.

“This building really is a symbol of where we want to be and what we want to represent in terms of our role with the District,” UDC president Ronald Mason Jr. said. “It’s state of the art. It’s attractive. It’s sustainable.

And it’s in a location that gives us a face into the broader community.”

Marshall credits the “supportive” environment at UDC, where he earned an associate’s degree, with giving him the foundation for a career in architecture.

He later earned a bachelor’s in architecture from Catholic University, and a master’s degree in architecture from Yale University.

He said the ideal time to introduce students to architecture is around 10 or 11, “before they get wrapped up in sports, because sports can be a distraction.”

Marshall’s own interest in architecture began at age 11 when a childhood friend had to take some blueprints to his father, who was a carpenter. Once Marshall discovered what blueprints were, he thought about how much he liked to draw and concluded that he should be an architect.

His firm, Marshall Moya Design, has a diverse portfolio of projects that include redesigning the Howard Theater. He also has an upcoming project to design the new D.C. United Soccer Stadium.

UDC president Ronald Mason, Jr. and architect Michael Marshall, design director and principal at Marshall Moya Design, stand near the newly constructed $63 million student center.

Photo by Jamaal Abdul-alim

Pepco/Exelon Merger Continued from B1

Sandra Matavous-Frye of the Office of the People’s Counsel, who initially opposed the merger, supported it. Nevertheless, there is strong sentiment in the District that the merger will benefit shareholders and high-level employees of the merged company but Hoene said that’s not true.

“We want to be citizens of Washington, D.C.,” Hoene said. “The package that we

negotiated is in response to what the commission said.”

Hoene said that merger customers will have the benefit of the resources that Exelon possesses. Exelon owns energy companies ConEd, Baltimore Gas & Electric (BG&E) and PECO and Hoene said that merger customers will have access to those utilities ideas and resources to carry out its mission.

Hoene said that since ConEd and PECO joined Exelon, there is has been a 37 percent decrease in outage frequency, 40 percent decrease in outage duration and customer satisfaction has gone up 30 percent. He said that under Exelon leadership, BG&E has risen from being one of the worst utilities in the country to the top 25.

Some residents expressed concerns about a huge rate

increase that will not take place until March 2019.

Velazquez said that there are mechanisms designed to make sure that while the increase will take place, customers will not be adversely affected by it.

“Remember, in 2019, under the merger, there will not have been an increase in rates for five years,” he said. “The last rate increase that took place was in March

2014. We don’t approve rate increases, the public service commission does.”

Reginald Vinson asked Hoene about jobs for District residents. Hoene said that Exelon will within two years of the merger hire 102 union employees and set up a $5.2 million workforce training program for District residents.

In addition, Hoene said that a major Exelon office will be located in the District, with

top level executives working and living in the Washington area.

Both Velazquez and Hoene said that they were sensitive to the contracting needs of small businesses.

Hoene said that BG&E’s small business contracting program is a success, noting that $182 million has gone to those businesses and Exelon itself has given $1.3 billion in contracting opportunities.

Edwards

Continued from B1 and Engagement.

However, in 2014, roughly only 20 percent of millennials voted in the November general election that produced stronger Republican majorities in the U.S. Congress and in some gubernatorial contests in Maryland and Illinois, normally Democratic strongholds. The Baltimore and Washington, D.C. suburbs have large populations of millennials and Edwards and Van Hollen are campaigning for those votes.

Edwards said that BLM’s job is to drive policy makers to make the change that they want.

She encouraged the young people not to become cynical about the political process. “If you listen to the Washington political establishment, they will tell you that the work of BLM can’t be done,” she said. “Despite that talk, you must be fearless as you carry on your work especially when you are dealing with law enforcement.”

Edwards talked briefly about her 27-year-old son, Jared Edwards, and the fears that she has

when he is driving. She told him that when pulled over by a police officer to keep his hands on the steering wheel, don’t reach into the glove compartment for driving documents until the officer tells you to do so and be respectful.

Nevertheless, she said, “law enforcement has to be respectful in our community” too.

Edwards said that BLM has elevated the country’s conversation on race and racism. “That’s good because even the presidential candidates are paying attention to those types of issues because of BLM,” she said.

Edwards has long been an opponent of easy access to guns and earlier this year took the NRA to task for its reluctance to embrace universal background checks for firearm purchases. “We need to challenge the NRA to get guns off of our streets,” she said. “Baltimore has lost more than 300 lives to gun violence.”

Continued on B3

December 12,2015 - December 18, 2015, The Afro-American

Suspects Wanted

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WASHINGTON AREA

COMMUNITY CONNECTION Send your upcoming events to tips@afro.com. For more community events go to afro.com/DC Events.

Washington, D.C.

Luce Center Hosts Local Artist Series

The Luce Foundation Center For American Art is hosting an event that showcases local performers from the D.C. metro area. The Luce Center will host the Nag Champa electronic jazz band for a night of art, community discussion, and a live performance at the Smithsonian American Art Museum located, 800 G street NW, from 5:30 p. m.

– 7 p. m. on Dec. 10. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, visit americanart.si.edu/luce/interact, or call museum at 202- 633-5435.

Gallery, 702 8th St NW, from 6 p. m. – 9 p. m. on Dec. 10. The event will focus on developing healthy communities by creating jobs and implementing agriculture. Natasha Bowens, author of “The Color of Food: Stories of Race, Resilience, and Farming”, will be a featured speaker Tickets start at $21.99. For more information, visit dreamingoutloud. org, or purchase tickets at eventbrite.com/e/ when-dreams-emerge-growing-economicopportunity-tickets-19158492567.

Justice For Zo Community Rally

Community members of Ward 8 are organizing a rally Dec. 12 at Marbury Plaza, 2300 Good Hope Rd SE, to protest the death of Alonzo Fiero Smith, a District man who died while in the custody of the building’s Special Police last month. Residents are seeking answers for the cause of Smith’s death from the Metropolitan Police Department, which has launched an investigation into his demise. The rally will occur from 3 p. m. – 6 p. m. For more information, visit facebook. com/events/962533667127810.

EdFest 2015

Homicide Count

71

Courtesy Photo

The Luce Center will host the Nag Champa electronic jazz band Dec. 10.

Data as of Dec. 9

Edwards

Dreaming Out Loud Hosts Annual Fundraiser The Dreaming Out Loud group will host its fourth annual fundraising event “When Dreams Emerge” at the Pepco Edison Place

Continued from B2 She made an indirect reference to the San Bernardino, Calif., killings by saying that in the Black community “they don’t die 14 at a time they die one at a time.”

Kouri Marshall, the executive director of Democratic Gain, said that the representative’s speech made a lot of sense. “Those of us in this room have done the right things, gone to high school, gone to college, and got a degree,” Marshall said. “But it doesn’t matter how educated and committed we are, we are still subject to police brutality and that is why

My School DC will host EdFest 2015, D.C.’s only citywide public school fair on Dec. 12 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.. Parents, guardians and students can explore the city’s many public school options from PreKindergarten 3-12th grade. Representatives from more than 180 D.C. public (DCPS) and D.C. public charter schools will showcase their programs. The event will be held at the D.C. Amory, 2001 East Capitol Street SE at noon.

For more information, visit myschooldc.org.

we proudly proclaim that Black lives matter.”

In other news, Edwards recently picked up the endorsement of three members of the Congressional Black Caucus. U.S. Reps.

Hank Johnson (D-Ga.), Robin Kelly (D-Ill.) and Lacy Clay (D-Mo.) support her Senate bid. “I am thrilled to receive the endorsement of these three leaders and members of the Congressional Black Caucus,” Edwards said.

“These members embody the fighting spirit of my campaign and I look forward to continuing our work together.”

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For more information on the DC College Savings Plan, please go to DCCollegeSavings.com, call 800.987.4859 (800.541.1524 for Telecommunications Device for the Deaf), or contact your financial advisor. An investor should consider the objectives, risks, charges, and expenses of an investment carefully before investing. The District of Columbia College Savings Trust Program Disclosure Booklet contains this and other information. Read it carefully before you invest or send money. An investor should also consider, before investing, whether the investor’s or designated beneficiary’s home state offers any state tax or other benefits that are only available to residents of that state. An investment in another state’s 529 college savings plan may not offer comparable benefits. The government of the District of Columbia does not guarantee investments in the program. Investment involves risk, including possible loss of principal. The DC College Savings Program is underwritten and distributed by Calvert Investment Distributors, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC, and subsidiary of Calvert Investments, Inc. AD10068-201510B

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The Afro-American, December 12, 2015 - December 18, 2015

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December 12, 2015 - December 18, 2015, The Afro-American

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ARTS & CULTURE Interview

Nick Cannon Hopes ‘Chi-Raq’ Saves Lives

By Kam Williams Special to the AFRO Nick Cannon is a multi-faceted entertainer who wears many hats: comedian, executive producer and host for television, film star, director, entrepreneur, philanthropist and author of children’s books. Cannon made his first appearance on the big screen alongside Will Smith in “Men in Black II,” and was later seen in “Drumline” and “Bobby.”

More recently, he wrote, directed and produced his first studio film, “School Dance,” and produced the sequel, “Drumline: A New Beat.” And he is currently in production on the reboot of the TV-series, “Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous.”

The San Diego native began performing at the age of 8 after his grandfather left him several instruments as a gift. Shortly thereafter, he took to the stage to perform his music along with stand-up comedy.

Cannon currently hosts NBC’s “America’s Got Talent,” which kicked off its 10th season last May. While his professional endeavors keep him busy, Cannon has always made the time to use his resources and his voice as a philanthropist to giveback to the community and those in need, working with such charitable organizations as Feeding America, Boys and Girls Clubs, Do Something, Toys for Tots, Stomp Out Bullying, the Lupus Foundation of America and the National Kidney Foundation, to name a few. He is also an active member on the Board of Directors of New York’s St. Mary’s Children’s Hospital and he runs the Nicholas Scott Cannon Foundation.

Here, Nick talks about playing the title character in Spike Lee’s new film, “Chi-Raq,” a modernized adaptation of Aristophanes’ classic Greek comedy, “Lysistrata” which is in theaters now.

KW: Were you aware of Lysistrata before making this movie?

NC: Yeah, I was definitely familiar with Lysistrata and other works of Aristophanes, and had heard the play’s plot referenced in various ways over the years.

KW: What did you think about all the rhyme in the

Courtesy photo

“I say we’re responsible for everything in our community. We have to take responsibility for us, and for our own.”

KW: I told my readers I’d be interviewing you, so I’ll be mixing their questions in with mine. What interested you in “Chi-Raq?” NC: Even before I read a script, Spike Lee came to me and said, “I want to save lives in Chicago, on the South Side.”

And I was like, “I’m in! I don’t know what that is, but I’m in.”

Then, when I saw how he made the brave artistic choice to take Aristophanes’ 2,500 year-old play, “Lysistrata,” and set it in modern times, I thought that was brilliant and I felt honored to be able to be a a part of the project.

AFRO Sports Desk Faceoff

– Nick Cannon dialogue?

NC: I thought it was outstanding that this film was in verse.

I love how Spike remained faithful to that original format while mixing in spoken word and hip-hop and conveying an emotional message.

KW: To what extent do you think we blacks are responsible for the violence in our communities?

NC: I say we’re responsible for everything in our community. We have to take responsibility for us, and for our own. Right now, I feel like it’s about reconditioning the community. We let this generation down, so we have to step back in and do whatever we can to be the real pillars and the real leaders. Ultimately, these young people are hurt. They’re in pain. And instead of pointing a finger at them, we need to get

involved and do something about the situation.

KW: How did you prepare to play Chi-Raq? NC: I really got to be a part of the community through Spike and [longtime Chicago political activist] Father Michael Pfleger who introduced me to some young peacekeepers, some reformed gang members turned leaders in the South side of Chicago. I lived with them. They came to my hotel and said, “Yo, let’s go!. Let’s rock! We going! We have to show you every aspect of who we are and what we do.” I was able to jump in in a big way, and that’s what it was all about.

KW: That’s quite a cast Spike assembled for “Chi-Raq.” NC: Yeah, that just shows the power of Spike. People love him, and will come out for him to be a part of one of his projects. He always puts together a phenomenal cast, especially when the film is designed to deliver such an important, positive message. That made everybody jump in wholeheartedly.

KW: How would you describe that message?

NC: We want people to appreciate the value of life. A life is a life, and, like Spike says, “If we save one life with this film, then we’ve done our job.”

KW: You are involved in the music industry as an entertainer, host and show producer. I really think there is a need for another TV show like “Soul Train.” Are you interested in developing, producing and hosting a program like that which would give aspiring musical artists a chance to be showcased?

NC: Yes. In fact, for the last couple of years, I’ve been developing with the “Soul Train” brand a show that could be very powerful for our culture. We’re putting something together that’s been in the works for quite a while.

KW: “America’s Got Talent” is enjoying great ratings, while “American Idol” continues to decline and is preparing for its final season. How do you explain the success of your show?

NC: It’s a family show you can watch with your children and your grandparents. At its core, it’s just true to what entertainment’s all about. It’s simply watching people display their talents in front of an audience.

KW: Did you feel any heavy burden playing the title character in a Spike Lee film?

NC: I didn’t see it as a burden. I welcomed it as a challenge. I also saw it as an honor for Spike to choose me for the role and to afford me a opportunity not only to display my skills as an actor but to be a part of a movement which really cares about people.

SPORTS

After a Crushing Loss, Can Washington Still Win the NFC East?

By Perry Green and Stephen D. Riley AFRO Sports Desk Currently sitting atop the NFC East with a 5-7 record, the Washington NFL Club is exactly where it wants to be after benching incumbent quarterback Robert Griffin III back in August.

New starting QB Kirk Cousins has taken the reins of the team and powered them to the top spot inside the division. Cousins hasn’t been spectacular but he hasn’t been a spectacle either, and the team has capitalized on some fortunate breaks around the division to gain some advantages.

With a favorable schedule facing them over the last month of the season, the conditions are ripe for Washington to storm their way into the postseason.

But can they do it? Perry Green and Stephen D. Riley of the AFRO Sports Desk debate this question.

Riley: Washington has four games left in the season and doesn’t have a team in sight with a winning record.

The schedule isn’t too made to the team by new Philadelphia Eagles aren’t Washington. They’ve lost daunting, and the team has General Manager Scot completely out of it either. their last three road games by been playing some of the best McCloughan; he’s turned And although the remaining a combined 59 points. football in the league over the the team into a tough schedule is favorable, three Riley: Washington’s road last few weeks of record has been the season. Key flat out insulting 2014 acquisition but so has the DeSean Jackson opponents’. Three is finally back of Washington’s from a nagging last four road hamstring injury, opponents were and the offense undefeated at the appears to have time of play but finally settled in their next three with the entire road opponents all team clicking. The host losing records. defense is playing The team took fast and most their lumps early importantly, the on but now appear rest of the division to be getting some is in shambles. breaks as the Washington schedule softens. should breeze into Washington’s the postseason. finally settled in Green: We’ve on a quarterback learned over the and coach Jay AP Photo/Patrick Semansky Gruden appears to last few seasons Washington Redskins wide receiver DeSean Jackson (11) pulls in a touchdown to never expect have full control. pass while defended by Dallas Cowboys cornerback Morris Claiborne (24) during Washington’s too much from the second half of an NFL football game in Landover, MD on Dec. 7. the Washington going to make bunch. The the playoffs; the division is horrible, sure, but group that wins battles up of Washington’s last four real question is what the team I’m not completely blown front in the trenches. But games are on the road where should do with the free-agentaway with Washington’s I still believe in the New they haven’t won a game all to-be signal caller that’s leading roster. I do like the additions York Giants’ roster and the season. Be wary of trusting them there.

Green: The Giants also sit at 5-7 and while they don’t have the same auspicious remaining schedule, they are the more talented team between the two and could possibly finish with the same record. Sometimes a weak schedule isn’t the best way to crawl into the playoffs.

Every team needs a challenge and they have a home game against the currently undefeated Carolina Panthers in a few weeks that could give them enough momentum to finish the season strongly. The Giants are the more battletested bunch and as long as they continue to hover near the .500 mark they have just as good of a chance as anybody to make the playoffs as well.

Washington currently owns a tie-breaker over New York, but remember how the trend of this division has been all year—as soon as a team takes the division lead, instead of pulling away, they’ve blown the opportunity. The Giants did it a week ago and now it may be Washington’s turn to give it all away.

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The Afro-American, December 12, 2015 - December 18, 2015

High School Football

Maryland Crab Bowl Prepares Kids For More Than Just Football Maryland’s high school football all star game.

What’s most important to Kennedy, however, is that over 500 student athletes who have played in the Crab Bowl have Football was the carrot but the college education was key left the field with a college education. While the blue chip for Tony Kennedy when the final whistle blew on his career recruits garner most of the attention from major college at Virginia Tech. As the Crab Bowl celebrates its eighth programs, the stage for the red, pink, white, or purple chips to anniversary this year, Maryland’s high school football all star perform have opened the doors to pursue degrees that may not game has become more than just a platform for the state’s best have been available without an athletic scholarship. high school football players to showcase their talent.

“Ninety nine percent of all student athletes won’t play Since 2013, 25 alumni of the annual game were NFL Draft professional sports, said Kennedy. “The Crab Bowl is a chance picks and three were drafted in the first round. Kyle Fuller of to set yourself apart. This is not a four year decision this is a 40 the Chicago Bears played at Mt. St. Joseph’s and was selected year decision.”

14th in the 2014 draft from Virginia Tech. The Houston Texans Kennedy was a two sport athlete playing football and also drafted River Hill’s Kevin Johnson with the 16th pick in basketball at Bladensburg High in Prince George’s County. the 2015 draft following his career at Wake Forest.

However, the academic support network was not set up to prepare Perhaps the most noteworthy alumnus of the Crab Bowl him for life as a student athlete. Part of his motivation to bring the alumni is Dunbar’s Tavon Austin. Austin, who left the Poets Crab Bowl to life was his high school counselor who was less than and became a star at West Virginia, was the top pick of the comforting when trying to prepare him for college life.

St. Louis Rams in 2013. As the eighth player selected in that “My high school counselor basically told me the best year’s draft, Austin is the highest draft choice in the history of options were either the military or a government job,” said Kennedy. “But my old coach [Pat Murphy] changed the way the school dealt with student athletes after that”.

Kennedy and his former Hokies teammate Lamar Smith formed the Mid Athletic Sports Foundation in Dr. Everett McCorvey, founder & music director 2007. Smith was also a two sport athlete at Gilman who met Kennedy in Blacksburg as the duo played for legendary coach Frank Beamer.

Washington Performing Arts’ Art of the Spiritual series Their mission has been continues with the soaring and ever-inspiring sound of to serve student athletes and the American Spiritual Ensemble, a critically acclaimed their families in the Midchorus that has dazzled audiences around the world with Atlantic region with events majestic performances of classic spirituals (“Balm in and programs beyond just Gilead,” “Steal Away,” “Go Down Moses”), favorites the Crab Bowl. During from the Great American Songbook, and more. the year the Mid Atlantic

By Mark F. Gray Special to the AFRO

AMERICAN SPIRITUAL ENSEMBLE Sat, Jan 9, 8pm Sixth & I Historic Synagogue

Don’t miss this opportunity to experience the ensemble’s power and precision in this intimate setting.

Made possible by the Abramson Family Foundation and BB&T Wealth.

TICKETS: WashingtonPerformingArts.org (202) 785-9727

Courtesy Photo

The Maryland Crab Bowl will feature the best High School football players from Baltimore and D.C. at McDaniel College in Westminister, Md. on December 19.

Youth Foundation stages talent combines throughout the state where players are introduced to scouts who monitor their development that may lead to scholarship offers. They also provide workshops and information regarding NCAA academic eligibility requirements for incoming student athletes to help develop strategy for college success in class and on the field.

“I want to make sure that these kids don’t make the same mistakes I did [in college], said Kennedy. My sole focus was trying to play pro football. Getting the education wasn’t even on my radar screen”.

Each player receives a Super Bowl size ring for participating in the Crab Bowl that will be played at McDaniel College in Westminster on December 19. However, the size of the heirloom is designed to make a greater impact and serve as a reminder when they embark on a professional career.

“When you show up at a job interview it sends a message,” Kennedy said. “If a prospective employer sees the ring it says success and may be the difference in landing the job”.

This year’s game will be televised almost a week after it is played on Comcast Sportsnet on Christmas Day.

Personal Essay

Believing In ‘Motown the Musical’

By Andrea “Aunni” Young Special to the AFRO Euphoria comes over you when Diana Ross walks down the aisle, stands next to you and sings “Reach Out and Touch (Somebody’s Hand).” Not to mention you have the best seat in the house, right next to this phenomenon of a lady. Then she says what a great Las Vegas audience it is.

Joyously laughing while being entertained, you look again at Diana and realize you have been listening to

actress Allison Semmes sing.

You are caught up in the moment, enjoying the second act of “Motown the Musical” at the National Theatre in Washington, D.C. The musical, produced by Berry Gordy and directed by Charles RandolphWright, runs through Jan. 3.

The musical reveals a love affair between Motown and The Howard Theatre in Northwest D.C. At the height of the Motown Sound in the 1960s artists such as Marvin Gaye, The Supremes and the Vandellas regularly performed

INVITES YOU AND A GUEST TO AN ADVANCE SCREENING OF

at The Howard Theatre, one of the earliest theaters for Blacks.

“Howard has meant so much to Motown from the early days,” Gordy told the AFRO. “It was a place we knew we could go where people understood us.

And where people loved us, and [there were] people we loved. It was a great love affair between the Howard audiences and Motown.”

In the musical, D.C. native, Marvin Gaye, played by Jarron “Jae” Muse, wins the audience over as they sing along to some of Gaye’s greatest hits. Muse creates a theatrical space that honors Gaye, a Black man that changed our world with “What’s Going On.” Speaking of Gay, Gordy said. He “was one of the great geniuses of our time.”

The musical company boasts a cast of 35 members that have performed in more

“It was a great love affair between the Howard audiences and Motown.”

– Berry Gordy

UNIVERSAL PICTURES PRESENTS A LITTLE STRANGER/EVERYMAN PICTURES PRODUCTION “SISTERS” TINA FEY AMY POEHLER MAYA RUDOLPHEXECUTIVE IKE BARINHOLTZ JAMES BROLIN JOHN CENAPRODUCEDJOHN LEGUIZAMO AND DIANNE WIEST MUSIC

BY CHRISTOPHE BECK PRODUCERS AMY POEHLER JEFF RICHMOND BRIAN BELL BY TINA FEY p.g.a. JAY ROACH p.g.a. JOHN LYONS p.g.a.

WRITTEN DIRECTED

BY PAULA PELL BY JASON MOORE A UNIVERSAL PICTURE © 2015 UNIVERSAL STUDIOS

LOCAL LISTINGS FOR STARTS FRIDAY, DECEMBER 18 CHECK THEATERS AND SHOWTIMES

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

IN THEATERS DECEMBER 18

than 600 shows all over the country. The tour started in Chicago and returns to Broadway in July 2016.

“It’s like the Motortown Revue,” Randolph-Wright said. “’The Motortown Revue’ went all over the country.

It’s very reminiscent of what [Gordy] did back in the day.”

“The Motortown Revue” was a travelling show of Motown artists in the 1960s that played on the East Coast and in the South. Due to the prevailing segregation laws of the time, many times the show would be attended by Blacks one night and Whites the next.

Audiences can look forward to seeing versions of Diana Ross, Berry Gordy, Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Michael Jackson and the Jackson Five, and Martha Reeves in this excellent musical production. The musical goes to London in Spring 2016.

December 12, 2015 - December 18, 2015, The Afro-American

C3

ARTS & CULTURE

Kanye and Kim Name Baby Boy Saint West

By Briana Thomas Special to the AFRO

(Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

Rapper Kanye West and reality TV star Kim Kardashian welcomed their new baby Saint on Dec. 5.

Kanye West and Kim Kardashian West name new baby boy Saint West, two days after his birth.

North West, the 2-year-old daughter of superstar parents Kanye and Kim, now has a sibling. The Wests welcomed a baby boy on Dec. 5. Kim revealed the news to her fans through her website, “KANYE AND I WELCOME OUR BABY BOY!” The shout out included a photo of Kim and Kanye holding hands.

For a while the baby boy did not have a name, which sent Twitter into a frenzy as fans offered suggestions. The name “Easton West,” which relates to the couple choosing the directional name, North, for their daughter in 2013, trended briefly on Twitter.

“Am I the only one that’s in love with the names North and Easton West for sibling names?” one fan tweeted on Dec. 5. “It’s cute and creative.”

As the days went by, many projected that the stars would not name their baby for as much as seven days, the time it took them to name their girl North.

“It’s like the last thing Kanye and I did when North was born,” Kim told People prior to having her daughter in 2013.

“We didn’t name her for like seven days. I feel like it will just come to us.”

Mother and son are doing well, even though Kim faced some complications leading up to the birth.

E news reported that Kim underwent a procedure over Thanksgiving weekend to have the baby turned in the correct direction.

The 35-year-old Kardashian feared she would have to have a C-section but the procedure allowed her to have a natural birth, E News reported.

“They don’t give you any pain medication, and let me tell you: This was soooooo painful,” she said about her Dec. 1procedure in a blogpost on her website. “Probably more painful than childbirth. BUT it worked!!!”

D.C. Impressionist Breaks Barriers Against Race, Gender

By Lauren Poteat Special to the AFRO Longtime D.C. entertainer Sylvia Traymore Morrison knew as a child that she was destined to leave her mark in the pages of history. Endearing racial, gender and social obstacles, she still continues to push past boundaries delivering a spotlight for Black entertainers.

Morrison, 63, chronicles the rise and fall of her career , explaining why she never fully reached her “big break,” in her self-published autobiography, “Almost There, Almost.

The Many Faces of Sylvia Traymore Morrison,” which also inspired a documentary on her life that she says is currently filming.

“They had never seen a Black female doing impressions before, no one had and I was good,” said Morrison.

She said, that even though she was able to perform for celebrities including Ali and Whitney Houston, she believes that gender and race were two main obstacles that prevented her from reaching her full potential.

Though diligent at her craft, Morrison found difficulty in being taken seriously as a Black female impressionist, facing discrimination at local nightclubs that rejected both her race and gender. She said that it was difficult to book consistent gigs.

Although Morrison said she has submitted her autobiography to several universities in the D.C. area, she said only Georgetown University, The George Washington University and American University actually carry her book in their libraries. She said that Howard University and Spelman College, in Atlanta, have declined to put her book in their libraries.

“Georgetown, George Washington and American University have put my book into their library, but Spelman College and Howard University won’t but they will never give me a straight answer as to why,” Morrison said. The AFRO’s requests for comment were not returned, from either institution, before deadline.

Morrison’s career began after she enrolled in Spelman and entered the Miss Black America pageant in 1973, where she

(Courtesy photo)

Sylvia Traymore Morrison will be performing in Lanham, Maryland on Dec. 19. won 2nd runner up at the national competition and gained notoriety as a female impressionist.

“I knew that all I needed to do was to get on that stage to perform and my career would take off,” she said. “I was so good at what I do.”

Even though Morrison did not win first place, her abilities

to sing, dance and impersonate famous people gave her the opportunity to perform for the American troops in Germany that same year.

“When I found out that there was a possibility of going to Europe, that was honestly way more important to me than going to college,” she said.

According to Morrison, she was asked by the manager of the music group “A Taste of Honey,” who also managed the Germany tour, to audition for comedian Redd Foxx and his management team in Los Angeles, California. Foxx signed her to his team.

“I would address myself as a comedian/impressionist but actually, I never really had to. There were so few people doing it, let alone a Black female, so the industry labeled me themselves as just an impressionist and the title stuck,” she said.

The breadth of her talent soon afforded her the opportunity to host a roast in honor of Muhammad Ali, at the Apollo Theatre in New York City in 1979, during the prime of his boxing career.

“I was so nervous because I didn’t have a script, but Ali was so pleasantly shocked that a female was going to be impersonating him...and they loved me,” Morrison said.

After performing as Muhammad Ali, Morrison began working with “Saturday Night Live” as an associate writer, a position that, at the time, had not been held by many black women.

“Nobody knew who Jay Leno, Robin Williams, David Letterman and Jerry Seinfeld were,” Morrison said. “ I worked with all these guys before they made it and they just thought I’d be the biggest thing ever.” Morrison performed at the same time Black female comics such as Loretta “Moms Mabley” Aiken and LaWanda “Aunt Esther” Page were finding success.

“I don’t believe I was put here as the first black female impressionist to just die out,” Morrison said. “So, I’ll just keep going.”

Sylvia Traymore Morrison will host the Maryland Night in Disguise: A Masquerade Ball & Roast in Lanham, Maryland at The Club House, 5901 Forbes Blvd. on Dec. 19.

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

Superior Court of the District of District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2015ADM1351 Leon S. Wingo Decedent Randy McRae, Esq 10640 Campus Way So., #110 Largo, MD 20774 NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Mary Studevant, whose, address is 3515 Jay Street, NE, #203, Washington, DC 20019, was appointed personal representative of the estate of Leon S. Wingo, who died on May 10, 2014 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 May 27, 2016. 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 May 27, 2016, 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: November 27, 2015 Name of newspaper: Afro-American Washington Law Reporter Mary Studevant Personal Representative

17:16:43 EST 2015

TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS

TYPESET: Tue Dec 01 11/27, 12/4, 12/11/15 Superior Court of the District of District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2015ADM1365 Oscar Chalman Holmes Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Wanda Leigh Holmes , whose address is 6182 Willd Valley Court, Alexandria, VA 22310, was appointed personal representative of the estate of Oscar Chalman Holmes, who died on September 24, 2015 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 4, 2016. 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, 2016, 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, 2015 Name of newspaper: Afro-American Washington Law Reporter Wanda Leigh Holmes Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS 12/4, 12/11, 12/1815

Superior Court of the District of District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2015ADM1422 David Proctor Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Theresa Joyner , whose address is 646 1/2 I Street, SE, Washington, DC 20003, was appointed personal representative of the estate of David Proctor , who died on October 9, 2015 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 6, 2016 . 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 6, 2016, 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, 2015 Name of newspaper: Afro-American Washington Law Reporter David Proctor Personal Representative

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1 Col. Inch Up to TYPESET: Tue Nov 24 11:07:26 EST TYPESET: Tue2015 Nov 24 11:06:49 ESTTue 2015 TYPESET: Dec 01 17:18:04 EST 2015 LEGAL NOTICES 20 Words

Superior Court of the District of District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2015ADM1370 Marjorie R. Buchanan Decedent WANTED TO NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, BUY NOTICE TO WANTED: Old MerCREDITORS AND NOTICE TO cedes 190SL, 280SL. UNKNOWN HEIRS Jaguar XKE, ANY John M. Buchanan, Jr., Porsche or pre-1972 whose, address is 4635 49th Street, NW, Sportscar/Convertible!

Washington, DC 20016ANY CONDITION! 4320, was appointed Collector picks-up & personal representative of the estate of Marjorie pays cash. FAIR OFR. Buchanan, who died FERS! Mike call/text on October 28, 2015 with 520-977-1110. a will, and will serve without Court EST supervision.

TYPESET: Wed Dec 09 16:21:34 2015 All unknown heirs and heirs LEGAL NOTICES whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their Superior Court of appearance in this the District of proceeding. Objections District of Columbia to such appointment (or PROBATE DIVISION to the probate of deWashington, D.C. cedent´s will) shall be 20001-2131 filed with the Register of Administration No. Wills, D.C., 515 5th 2015ADM1346 Street, N.W., 3rd Floor MaryElla Walker Wa s h i n g t o n , D . C .

Banner 20001, on or before May Decedent 27, 2016. Claims against John F. Mowery the decedent shall be 1629 K. Street, NW, Ste presented to the under300 signed with a copy to the Washington, DC 20006 Register of Wills or filed NOTICE OF with the Register of Wills APPOINTMENT, with a copy to the underNOTICE TO signed, on or before May CREDITORS 27, 2016, or be forever AND NOTICE TO barred. Persons believed UNKNOWN HEIRS to be heirs or legatees of Alma L. Banner the decedent who do not McPherson, whose receive a copy of this noaddress is 1906 C Street, tice by mail within 25 NE, Washington, DC days of its first publica20002, was appointed tion shall so inform the personal representative Register of Wills, includof the estate of MaryElla ing name, address and Walker Banner, who died relationship. on April 17, 1995 without Date of Publication: a will, and will serve with November 27, 2015 Court supervision. All unName of newspaper: known heirs and heirs Afro-American whose whereabouts are Washington unknown shall enter their Law Reporter appearance in this John M. Buchanan, Jr proceeding. Objections Personal to such appointment (or Representative to the probate of decedent´s will) shall be TRUE TEST COPY filed with the Register of REGISTER OF WILLS Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor 11/27, 12/4, 12/11/15 TYPESET: Tue Dec 01 Wa s h i n g t o n , D . C .

20001, on or before May 27, 2016. Claims against Superior Court of the decedent shall be the District of presented to the underDistrict of Columbia signed with a copy to the PROBATE DIVISION Register of Wills or filed Washington, D.C. with the Register of Wills 20001-2131 with a copy to the underAdministration No. signed, on or before May 2015ADM1353 27, 2016, or be forever Pearle Elizabeth barred. Persons believed Thompson to be heirs or legatees of Decedent the decedent who do not NOTICE OF receive a copy of this noAPPOINTMENT, tice by mail within 25 NOTICE TO days of its first publicaCREDITORS tion shall so inform the AND NOTICE TO Register of Wills, includUNKNOWN HEIRS ing name, address and Rita S Thompsonrelationship.

Joyner, whose address is Date of Publication: 3812 Alta Vista Drive, November 27, 2015 Mitchellville, MD 20721, Name of newspaper: was appointed personal Afro-American representative of the Washington estate of Pearle Law Reporter Elizabeth Thompson, Alma L. Banner who died on September McPherson 16, 2015 without a will, Personal and will serve without Representative Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs TRUE TEST COPY whose whereabouts are REGISTER OF WILLS unknown shall enter their appearance in this 11/27, 12/4, 12/11/15 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, 2016. 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, 2016, 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, 2015 Name of newspaper: Afro-American Washington Law Reporter Rita S Thompson-Joyner Personal Representative

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NAME: ________________________________________________ TYPESET: Tue Dec 08 10:33:30 EST 2015 ADDRESS: _____________________________________________ PHONE NO.:____________________________________________ SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF CLASSIFICATION: ______________________________________ COLUMBIA (Room, Apt., House, etc.) DIVISION PROBATE Washington, D.C. INSERTION DATE:_________________ 20001-2131

Foreign No. 2015FEP118 Date of Death January 11, 2015 Thomas L. Abbott Decedent Legal NOTICE OFAdvertising Rates APPOINTMENT Effective October 1, 2008 OF FOREIGN PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE PROBATE DIVISION AND NOTICE TO (Estates) CREDITORS 202-332-0080 Paul Abbott whose address is 301 Atlantic PROBATE NOTICES Ave#205 POB66 Ocean City, MD 21843 was appointed personal reprea. Order Nisi $ 60 $180.00 per 3 weeks sentative of the estate of per insertion Thomas L. Abbott, b. Small Estates (single publication $ 60 per insertion by the Regisc. Notice to Creditorsdeceasedy ter of Wills/Orphans Court for Anne Arundel 1. Domestic $ 60 per insertion $180.00 per 3 weeks C o u n t y, S t a t e o f 2. Foreign $ 60 per insertion $180.00 per 3 weeks Maryland., on February 18, 2015. d. Escheated Estates $ 60 per insertion $360.00 per 6 weeks Service of process may e. Standard Probates $125.00 be made upon Mary A Dews, 2816 31st Street SE #A709, Washington, CIVIL DC 20020 whose des-NOTICES ignation as District of a. Name Changes 202-879-1133 $ 80.00 Columbia agent has TRUE TEST COPY b. Real Property $ 200.00 been filed with the RegisREGISTER OF WILLS ter of Wills, D.C. The decedent owned the 12/4, 12/11, 12/18 f o l l o w i n g D iFAMILY s t r i c t o f COURT Colombia real property: 202-879-1212 2716 29th Street SE, TYPESET: Tue Nov 24 11:08:01 EST 2015 B196, Washington, DC RELATIONS DOMESTIC 20020 Claims against the de202-879-0157 17:17:43 ESTCOURT 2015 OF SUPERIOR cedent may be preTHE DISTRICT OF sented to the underCOLUMBIA signed and filed with the PROBATE DIVISION a. Absent Defendant $ 150.00 Register of Wills for the Washington, D.C. District of Columbia, 515 b.

Absolute Divorce $ 150.00 20001-2131 5th Street, NW., 3rd Foreign No. c.

Custody Divorce $150.00 FloorWashington, D.C. 2015FEP130 20001 within 6 months Date of Death from the date of first pubJuly 19, 2010 To place your ad,lication call 1-800-237-6892, ext. 262, Public Notices $50.00 & up of this notice.

Ina Osberga Mullings Decedent depending on size, Baltimore Legal Notices are $24.84 per inch.

Paul Abbott NOTICE OF Personal 1-800 (AFRO) 892 APPOINTMENT Representative(s) OF FOREIGN For Proof of Publication, please call 1-800-237-6892, ext. 244 TRUE TEST COPY PERSONAL REGISTER OF WILLS REPRESENTATIVE Date of first publication: AND TYPESET: Tue Dec 08 10:33:30 2015 NovemberEST 13, 2015 NOTICE TO LEGAL NOTICES Name of newspapers CREDITORS and/or periodical: Peter George Mullings SUPERIOR COURT OF The Daily Washington whose address is 6325 Law Reporter THE DISTRICT OF Cornfield Rd., Matteson, The Afro-American COLUMBIA IL 60443 was appointed PROBATE DIVISION personal representative 11/13, 11/20, 11/27/15 Washington, D.C. of the estate of Ina 20001-2131 Osberga Mullings , deForeign No. ceased by the Clerk of 2015FEP118 the Curcuit Court for Date of Death Flagler County, State of January 11, 2015 Florida., on November Thomas L. Abbott 22, 2013.

Service of process may Decedent NOTICE OF be made upon Fannie APPOINTMENT Barksdale, 4519 7th St., OF FOREIGN NE, Washington, DC PERSONAL 20017 whose designaREPRESENTATIVE tion as District of ColumAND bia agent has been filed NOTICE TO with the Register of Wills, CREDITORS D.C. The decedent owned the Paul Abbott whose adf o l l o w i n g D i s t r i c t o f dress is 301 Atlantic Colombia real property: Ave#205 POB66 Ocean 1223 18th Place, NE, City, MD 21843 was appointed personal repreWashington, 20001 Claims against the de- sentative of the estate of Thomas L. Abbott, cedent may be presented to the under- deceasedy by the Regissigned and filed with the ter of Wills/Orphans Register of Wills for the Court for Anne Arundel C o u n t y, S t a t e o f District of Columbia, Maryland., on February Building A, 515 5th Street, NW., 3Rd Floor- 18, 2015.

Washington, D.C. 20001 Service of process may within 6 months from the be made upon Mary A date of first publication of Dews, 2816 31st Street SE #A709, Washington, this notice. (Strike preceding sentence if no DC 20020 whose designation as District of real estate.)

Columbia agent has Peter George Mullings been filed with the RegisPersonal ter of Wills, D.C. Representative(s) The decedent owned the TRUE TEST COPY f o l l o w i n g D i s t r i c t o f REGISTER OF WILLS Colombia real property: 2716 29th Street SE, Date of first publication: B196, Washington, DC November 27, 2015 Name of newspapers 20020 Claims against the deand/or periodical: The Daily Washington cedent may be presented to the underLaw Reporter signed and filed with the The Afro-American Register of Wills for the District of Columbia, 515 11/27, 12/4, 12/1115 5th Street, NW., 3rd FloorWashington, D.C. 20001 within 6 months from the date of first publication of this notice.

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C4 The Afro-American,December 12, 2015 - December 18, 2015

Paul Abbott Personal Representative(s) TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS Date of first publication: November 13, 2015 Name of newspapers and/or periodical: The Daily Washington Law Reporter The Afro-American 11/13, 11/20, 11/27/15

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TYPESET: Wed Dec 09 16:13:04 EST 2015 TYPESET: Tue Nov 24 11:05:33 2015 TYPESET: Tue Nov 24 11:28:31 2015 11:06:12 2015 LEGALEST NOTICES LEGALEST NOTICES LEGALEST NOTICES Superior Court of the District of District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2015ADM921 Earl Toles Decedent Darrel S. Parker, Esq 1822 11th Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Tia Staton aka Tia TolesStaton and Venus Buggie aka Venus Franklin, whose address is 6907 Pine Valley Drive., Glenn Dale, MD 20769; 3352 6 St. SE. Apt 103, Washington, DC, was appointed personal representatives of the estate of Earl Toles, who died on April 24, 2015 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 4, 2016. 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, 2016, 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, 2015 Name of newspaper: Afro-American Washington Law Reporter Tia Staton AKA Tia Staton-Toles TRUE TEST COPY Venus Buggie 11:06:28 ESTCOPY 2015 TRUE TEST REGISTER OF WILLS AKA REGISTER OF WILLS Venus Franklin 11/27, 12/4, 12/11/15 TYPESET: Tue Nov 24 11:34:59 EST 2015 Personal TYPESET: Tue Nov 24 11:07:07 EST 2015 11/27, 12/4, 12/11/15 Representative Superior Court of the District of District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2015ADM1312 Beatrice C. Jackson Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Gloria Joseph, whose address is 11301 Peacock Hill Way, Great Falls, VA 22066, was appointed personal representative of the estate of Beatrice C. Jackson, who died on June 15, 2015 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 May 27, 2016. 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 May 27, 2016, 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: November 27, 2015 Name of newspaper: Afro-American Washington Law Reporter Gloria Joseph Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS 11/27, 12/4, 12/11/15

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Superior Court of the District of District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2015ADM1384 Emily Hambrick Decedent Christopher M. Guest, Esq 888 16th Street, NW, Ste 800 Washington, DC 20006 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Sharlette Hambrick, whose address is 916 Masselin Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90036, was appointed personal representative of the estate of Emily Hambrick, who died on September 21, 2015 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 May 27, 2016. 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 May 27, 2016, 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: November 27, 2015 Name of newspaper: Afro-American Washington Law Reporter Sharlette Hambrick Personal Representative

Superior Court of the District of District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2015ADM1347 Selvyn Banner Decedent John F. Mowery 1629 K. Street, NW, Ste 300 Washington, DC 20006 NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Michael T. Banner, Sr., whose address is 11720 Capstan Dr., Upper Marlboro, MD 20772, was appointed personal representative of the estate of Selvyn Banner, who died on April 27, 2002 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 May 27, 2016. 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 May 27, 2016, 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: November 27, 2015 Name of newspaper: Afro-American Washington Law Reporter Michael T. Banner, Sr. Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS 11/27, 12/4, 12/11/15

TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS

TYPESET: Wed Dec 09 16:21:34 EST 2015

12/4, 12/11, 12/18/15

Superior Court of the District of District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2015ADM1346 MaryElla Walker Banner Decedent John F. Mowery 1629 K. Street, NW, Ste 300 Washington, DC 20006 NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Alma L. Banner McPherson, whose address is 1906 C Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002, was appointed personal representative of the estate of MaryElla Walker Banner, who died on April 17, 1995 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 May 27, 2016. 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 May 27, 2016, 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: November 27, 2015 Name of newspaper: Afro-American Washington Law Reporter Alma L. Banner McPherson Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS 11/27, 12/4, 12/11/15

SUBSCRIBE TODAY

Superior Court of the District of District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2012ADM215 Matthew Mark Nesmith Sr. Decedent Kathy Brissette-Minus, Esquire Law Office Of Kathy Brissette-Minus, LLC 9701 Apollo Drive Largo, MD 20770 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Ross Edward Ford, III whose address is 3216 Alabama Ave SE, Washington, DC 20020, was appointed personal representative of the estate of Matthew Mark Nesmith, Sr., who died on April 1, 1989 without a will, 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 May 27, 2016. 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 May 27, 2016, 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: November 27, 2015 Name of newspaper: Afro-American Washington Law Reporter Ross Edward Ford III Personal Representative

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son, who died on March 15, 2013 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 EST TYPESET: Tue Nov 24 11:07:42 2015 TYPESET: Tue Nov 24 LEGAL NOTICES LEGAL appointment NOTICES LEGAL NOTICES shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Superior Court of Superior Court of Floor Washington, D.C. the District of the District of 20001, on or before June District of Columbia District of Columbia 4, 2016.

Claims against PROBATE DIVISION PROBATE DIVISION the decedent shall be Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C. presented to the under20001-2131 20001-2131 signed with a copy to the Administration No. Administration No. Register of Wills or filed 2015ADM1322 2015ADM1311 with the Register of Wills Virginia L. Young with a copy to the under- Lancelot A Holder, Sr Decedent signed, on or before June Decedent NOTICE OF 4, 2016, or be forever Tina Smith Nelson APPOINTMENT, barred. Persons believed 601 E Street NW NOTICE TO to be heirs or legatees of Washington, DC 20049 CREDITORS the decedent who do not Attorney AND NOTICE TO NOTICE OF receive a copy of this noUNKNOWN HEIRS APPOINTMENT, tice by mail within 25 Darrell A Young Sr., NOTICE TO days of its first publicawhose address is 2513 tion shall so inform the CREDITORS Gaither St., Temple Hills, Register of Wills, includAND NOTICE TO MD 20748, was ap- ing name, address and UNKNOWN HEIRS pointed personal repre- relationship.

Lancelot Holder Jr., sentative of the estate of Date of Publication: whose address is 429 Virginia L Young, who December 4, 2015 Quackenbos Street, NW, died on July 16, 2015 Name of newspaper: Washington, DC 20011, without a will, and will Afro-American was appointed personal serve without Court su- Washington representative of the pervision. All unknown Law Reporter estate of Lancelot A heirs and heirs whose Dorothy Robinson Holder Sr., who died on where-abouts are unPersonal April 18, 1994 without a known shall enter their Representative will, and will serve with appearance in this Court supervision. All unproceeding. Objections TRUE TEST COPY known heirs and heirs to such appointment (or REGISTER OF WILLS whose whereabouts are to the probate of deunknown shall enter their cedent´s will) shall be 12/4, 12/11, 12/18/15 appearance in this filed with the Register of TYPESET: Tue Dec 01 17:16:23 proceeding.

EST Objections 2015 Wills, D.C., 515 5th to such appointment (or Street, N.W., 3rd Floor to the probate of deWa s h i n g t o n , D . C . cedent´s will) shall be Superior Court of 20001, on or before May filed with the Register of the District of 27, 2016. Claims against Wills, D.C., 515 5th District of Columbia the decedent shall be Street, N.W., 3rd Floor PROBATE DIVISION presented to the underWa s h i n g t o n , D . C .

Washington, D.C. signed with a copy to the 20001, on or before May 20001-2131 Register of Wills or filed 27, 2016. Claims against Administration No. with the Register of Wills the decedent shall be 2015ADM1390 with a copy to the under- Ethel M White presented to the undersigned, on or before May AKA signed with a copy to the 27, 2016, or be forever Ethel Mae White Register of Wills or filed barred. Persons believed Decedent with the Register of Wills to be heirs or legatees of Michael S Rosier with a copy to the underthe decedent who do not 4550 Forbes signed, on or before May receive a copy of this no- Boulevard, Suite 140 27, 2016, or be forever tice by mail within 25 Lanham, MD 20706 barred. Persons believed days of its first publica- Attorney to be heirs or legatees of tion shall so inform the the decedent who do not NOTICE OF Register of Wills, includreceive a copy of this noAPPOINTMENT, ing name, address and tice by mail within 25 NOTICE TO relationship. days of its first publicaCREDITORS Date of Publication: tion shall so inform the AND NOTICE TO November 27, 2015 Register of Wills, includUNKNOWN HEIRS Name of newspaper: William E White. Jr., ing name, address and Afro-American whose address is 1501 relationship.

Washington Date of Publication: Hamlin St., NE, Law Reporter Washington, DC 20017, November 27, 2015 Darrell A Young Sr. was appointed personal Name of newspaper: Personal representative of the Afro-American Representative estate of Ethel M White Washington AKA Ethel Mae White , Law Reporter TRUE TEST COPY Lancelot Holder, Jr. who diedEST on March TYPESET: OF TueWILLS Dec 01 17:17:23 2015 15, REGISTER Personal 2015 with a will, and will Representative serve without Court supervision. All unknown Superior Court of heirs and heirs whose TRUE TEST COPY the District of whereabouts are un- REGISTER OF WILLS District of Columbia known shall enter their TYPESET: Tue Nov 24 PROBATE DIVISION 11/27, 12/4, 12/11/15 appearance in this Washington, D.C. proceeding. Objections 20001-2131 to such appointment (or Superior Court of Administration No. to the probate of dethe District of 2015ADM1407 cedent´s will) shall be District of Columbia EB King filed with the Register of PROBATE DIVISION AKA Wills, D.C., 515 5th Washington, D.C. Esteen B King Street, N.W., 3rd Floor 20001-2131 Decedent Wa s h i n g t o n , D . C .

Administration No. Attorney 20001, on or before June 2015ADM1214 NOTICE OF 4, 2016. Claims against APPOINTMENT, the decedent shall be Erma P Gross NOTICE TO presented to the under- Decedent CREDITORS signed with a copy to the Joshua D Headley AND NOTICE TO Register of Wills or filed 1401 H Street, Suite 500 UNKNOWN HEIRS with the Register of Wills Washington, DC 20005 M a r c u s S B o y e t t e , with a copy to the under- Attorney NOTICE OF whose address is 74 R St signed, on or before June APPOINTMENT, NW Washington, 20001, 4, 2016, or be forever NOTICE TO was appointed personal barred. Persons believed CREDITORS representative of the to be heirs or legatees of AND NOTICE TO estate of EB King AKA the decedent who do not UNKNOWN HEIRS Esteen B King, who died receive a copy of this noon September 13, 2014 tice by mail within 25 E d w i n A W i l l i a m s , with a will, and will serve days of its first publica- whose, address is 5078 without Court supervi- tion shall so inform the 1 0 t h S t r e e t , N E , sion. All unknown heirs Register of Wills, includ- Washington, DC 20017, a n d h e i r s w h o s e ing name, address and was appointed personal representative of the whereabouts are un- relationship. estate of Erma P Gross, known shall enter their Date of Publication: who died on April 21, appearance in this December 4, 2015 2015 witha will, and will proceeding. Objections Name of newspaper: serve without Court suto such appointment (or Afro-American pervision. All unknown to the probate of de- Washington heirs and heirs whose cedent´s will) shall be Law Reporter filed with the Register of William E White, Jr whereabouts are unWills, D.C., 515 5th Personal known shall enter their Street, N.W., 3rd Floor Representative a p p e a r a n c e i n t h i s proceeding. Objections Wa s h i n g t o n , D . C . to such appointment (or 20001, on or before June TRUE TEST COPY to the probate of de4, 2016. Claims against REGISTER OF WILLS cedent´s will) shall be the decedent shall be filed with the Register of presented to the underWills, D.C., 515 5th signed with a copy to the 12/4, 12/11, 12/18 Street, N.W., 3rd Floor Register of Wills or filed TYPESET: Tue Dec 01 17:18:22 EST 2015 Wa s h i n g t o n , D . C . with the Register of Wills 20001, on or before May with a copy to the under27, 2016. Claims against signed, on or before June SUPERIOR COURT OF the decedent shall be 4, 2016 , or be forever THE DISTRICT OF presented to the underbarred. Persons believed COLUMBIA signed with a copy to the to be heirs or legatees of Register of Wills or filed the decedent who do not PROBATE DIVISION with the Register of Wills receive a copy of this noWashington, D.C. with a copy to the undertice by mail within 25 20001-2131 signed, on or before May days of its first publicaAdministration No. 27, 2016, or be forever tion shall so inform the 2015ADM1428 barred. Persons believed Register of Wills, includto be heirs or legatees of ing name, address and Estate of Joan Perry the decedent who do not relationship. receive a copy of this noDeceased Date of Publication: tice by mail within 25 December 4, 2015 NOTICE OF days of its first publicaName of newspaper: STANDARD tion shall so inform the Afro-American PROBATE Register of Wills, includWashington Notice is hereby given ing name, address and Law Reporter that a petition has been relationship.

Marcus S Boyette filed in this Court by DaDate of Publication: Personal Representative vid Shelton for standard November 27, 2015 probate, including the Name of newspaper: TRUE TEST COPY appointment of one or Afro-American REGISTER OF WILLS more personal repre- Washington TYPESET: Wed Dec 02 17:11:24 2015 sentative. EST Unless a com- Law Reporter Edwin A Williams 12/4, 12/11, 12/18 plaint or an objection in Personal accordance with SuperRepresentative Superior Court of ior Court Probate Dithe District of vision Rule 407 is filed in TRUE TEST COPY District of Columbia this Court within 30 days REGISTER OF WILLS PROBATE DIVISION from the date of first pubWashington, D.C. lication of this notice, the 11/27, 12/4, 12/11/15 20001-2131 Court may take the acAdministration No. 2015ADM1368 tion hereinafter set forth.

0 John A Robinson In the absence of a will Decedent or proof satisfactory to D Greer the Court of due execu1350 Leegate Road, tion , enter an order NW determining that deWashington, DC 20012 cedent died intestate Attorney 0 appoint an unsuNOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, pervised personal repNOTICE TO resentive CREDITORS Register of Wills AND NOTICE TO Clerk of the UNKNOWN HEIRS Probate Division Dorothy Robinson, whose address is 420 Date of First Publication Farragut Street, NW; Washington, DC 20011, Names of Newspapers: was appointed personal Washington representative of the Law Reporter estate of John A Robin- Washington son, who died on March 15, 2013 without a will, AFRO-AMERICAN and will serve without David Shelton Court supervision. All un- 4405 East West Highknown heirs and heirs way, Suite 201 whose whereabouts are Bethesda, MD 20814 unknown shall enter their Signature of appearance in this Petitioners/Attorney proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the 12/4, 12/11 Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before June 4, 2016. Claims against the decedent shall be

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C6 The Afro-American,December 12, 2015 - December 18, 2015

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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.

TYPESET: Wed Dec 09 13:40:15 2015 LEGALEST NOTICES CITY OF BALTIMORE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS OFFICE OF ENGINEERING AND CONSTRUCITON NOTICE OF LETTING Sealed Bids or Proposals, in duplicate addressed to the Board of Estimates of the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore and marked for Water Contract No. 1342-AMI/R Urgent Metering Infrastructure Repair and Replacement, Various Locations will be received at the Office of the Comptroller, Room 204, City Hall, Baltimore, Maryland until 11:00 A.M. on Wednesday, December 23, 2015. Positively no bids will be received after 11:00 A.M. Bids will be publicly opened by the Board of Estimates in Room 215, City Hall at Noon.The Contract Documents may be examined, without charge, in Room 6 located on the first floor of the Abel Wolman Municipal Building, 200 N. Holliday Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21202 as of Friday, December 11, 2015 and copies may be purchased for a non-refundable cost of $100.00.

Conditions and requirements of the Bid are found in the bid package.

All contractors bidding on this Contract must first be prequalified by the City of Baltimore Contractors Qualification Committee. Interested parties should call 410-396-6883 or contact the Committee at 4 South Frederick Street, 4th Floor, Baltimore, Maryland 21202. If a bid is submitted by a joint venture (”JV”), then in that event, the document that established the JV shall be submitted with the bid for verification purposes. The Prequalification Category required for bidding on this project is B02551Water MainsCost Qualification Range for this work shall be $5,000,000.01 to $10,000,000.00 A ”Pre-Bidding Information” session will be conducted in the 3rd Floor Large Conference Room of the Bureau of Water & Wastewater, Abel Wolman Municipal Building on December 15, 2015 at 10:00 A.M. Principal Item of work for this project are: Remove dirt/trash/debris from existing small meter vaults, replace/install meter settings and meter vaults, renew/replace existing water supply services, remove and replace top slab, replace/install shutoff valve on existing meter settings, install/replace small/large sectional vault, temporary and permanent pavement and sidewalk restoration, as required.

SAMPLE

Baltimore

TYPESET: Wed Nov 11 13:45:02 EST 2015

1 Col. Inch Up to 20 Words

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

INSERTION DATE:_________________

BALTIMORE AFRO-AMERICAN NEWSPAPER Legal Advertising Rates Effective October 1, 2008 PROBATE DIVISION (Estates) 202-332-0080 PROBATE NOTICES

The MBE goal is 15% The WBE goal is 5% TYPESET: Wed Dec 09 13:40:51 EST 2015 LEGAL NOTICES WATER CONTRACT NO. 1342

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR BALTIMORE CITY Case No.: 24D15003465 IN THE MATTER OF Wayne Timothy Lang FOR CHANGE OF NAME TO Wayne Timothy FelderORDER FOR NOTICE BY PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to officially change the name of the petitioner from Wayne Timothy Lang to Wayne Timothy Felder

It is this 24th day of November , 2015 by the Circuit Court for Baltimore City, ORDERED, that publication be given one time in a newspaper of general circulation in Baltimore City on or before the 9th day of D e c e m b e r, 2 0 1 5 , which shall warn all interested persons to file an affidavit in opposition to the relief requested on or before the 28th day of December 28, 2015

APPROVED: Bernice H. Taylor Clerk, Board of Estimates

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

APPROVED: Rudolph S. Chow, P.E. Director of Public Works

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

To advertise in the AFRO

410-554-8200

a. Absent Defendant b. Absolute Divorce c. Custody Divorce

Alston ORDER FOR NOTICE BY PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to officially change the name of the petitioner from Desmond Tyrese Dennis to Desmond Tyrese Alston It is this 24th day of November , 2015 by the Circuit Court for Baltimore City, ORDERED, that publication be given one time in a newspaper of general circulation in Baltimore City on or before the 9th day of December 2015, which shall warn all interested persons to file an affidavit in opposition to the relief requested on or before the 28th day of December, 2015 Lavinia G., Alexander Clerk 12/12/15

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$180.00 per 3 weeks $180.00 per 3 weeks $360.00 per 6 weeks $125.00

$ 80.00 $ 200.00

$ 150.00 $ 150.00 $150.00

To place your ad, call 1-800-237-6892, ext. 262, Public Notices $50.00 & up depending on size, Baltimore Legal Notices are $24.84 per inch.

1-800 (AFRO) 892 For Proof of Publication, please call 1-800-237-6892, ext. 244

LEGAL NOTICES

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FOR CHANGE OF NAME TO Desmond Tyrese

$180.00 per 3 weeks

FAMILY COURT 202-879-1212 DOMESTIC RELATIONS 202-879-0157

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Frank M. Conaway Clerk 12/12/15 TYPESET: Wed Dec 09 13:40:34 EST 2015 IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR BALTIMORE CITY Case No.: 24D15003464 IN THE MATTER OF Desmond Tyrese Dennis

AFRO Classified minimum ad rate is $26.54 per col. inch (an inch consists of up to 20 words). Mail in your ad on form below along with CHECK or MONEY ORDER to: BALTIMORE AFRO-AMERICAN CO. 2519 N. Charles Street Baltimore, Md. 21218-4602 Attn: Clsf. Adv. Dept.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS NUMBER: B-1804-15 FOR CONSTRUCTION SERVICES UNDER JOB ORDER CONTRACTS EJ44-HAE2800 AND EJ45-HAE2801

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Affordable Rental Communities for Seniors

(800) 362-0548 TDD 800-348-7011

For 70 years as a mission-driven non-profit, we exist solely to provide the highest quality, affordable housing communities possible for seniors.

The Housing Authority of Baltimore City (“HABC”) will receive proposals on two (2) General Construction Job Order Contracts under this Request for Proposals (the “RFP”): EJ44HAE2800 and EJ45-HAE2801 on Friday, February 5, 2016. Proposals are due no later than 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time in Room 414, 417 East Fayette Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21202.

A Job Order Contract *”JOC” or “Contract”) is a competitively awarded, firm, fixed priced, indefinite quantity contract for a collection of tasks and related specifications that have established unit prices. The Contract is to be used for the accomplishment of a repair, alteration, modernization, maintenance, rehabilitation, demolition and construction of infrastructure, buildings and structure by means of Job Orders issues under the Contract.

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The Contracts awarded under this RFP will have the following values:

Contract Number

EJ44-HAE2800 EJ45-HAE2801

Trade

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Maximum Contract Term Value

$5,000,000 $1,000,000

Maximum Number of Contract Terms

5 5

Applicants must income qualify.

The waitlists are ordered by date and time of initial application.

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$25,000,000 $5,000,000

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TYPESET: Wed Dec 09 13:41:25 EST 2015

The Authority reserves the right to award multiple contracts under a single Contract Number.

If more than one award is made, each contract will be at the Maximum Contract Term Value.

The RFP and Proposal Documents may be examined and purchased at Housing Authority of Baltimore City, Division of Fiscal Operations, Room 414, 417 East Fayette Street, Baltimore, Maryland, 21202, on or after Monday, January 4, 2016. Inquiries regarding the purchaser of the RFP and Proposal Documents may be made by calling (410) 396-3261.

The RFP and Proposal Documents may only be obtained upon registration and payment of a non-refundable fee of One Hundred and Fifty Dollars ($150.00). NO CASH ACCEPTED. A non-mandatory pre-proposal conference will be held at 10:00 a.m., Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at 417 E. Fayette Street, Baltimore, Maryland, Room 346. All prospective Responders are strongly encouraged to attend.

Award of any contract will be subject to the Responder’s compliance with HABC’s policies for minority business enterprise utilization and providing economic opportunities to low income persons and businesses pursuant to Section 3 of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968, and the Responder’s submission of required payment and performance bonds.

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY CAREER OPPORTUNITIES Automotive Mechanic I Code Enforcement Administrator Detention Officer Emergency Management Director Facilities Attendant Foster Care Worker Grading & Sediment Control Supervisor Management Aide Utility Construction Inspector Utility Systems Technician I Visit our website at www.aacounty.org for additional information and to apply on-line. You may use the Internet at any Anne Arundel County library, or visit our office at 2660 Riva Road in Annapolis. Deadlines to apply posted on website.

AEO/DF/SFE

December 12, 2015 - December 18, 2015, The Afro-American

YOU’RE ALWAYS A WINNER WHEN YOU PLAY RESPONSIBLY. Playing the Maryland Lottery is fun, but please play within your limits. For confidential help with gambling problems, please visit mdgamblinghelp.org or call 1-800-GAMBLER. You must be 18 to play.

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For these pictures and more go to afro.com/slideshows.

The Afro-American, December 12, 2015 - December 18, 2015

The Alpha Alpha Sigma Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority held its 75th Founders’ Day Anniversary Celebration on Nov. 14 at the Forum Caterers in Baltimore, Maryland.

Celebrating 75 Years of

Excellence: A Legacy of Community Service, Scholarship and Leadership Development was the theme for the celebration which was exemplified with a tribute to the Founders,

Special honors were presented to Jake Oliver, chairman of the board, CEO and publisher of the AFROAmerican Newspapers; the

Patelle Harris is congratulated

by Bonita Herring on receiving the Cultured Pearl Award

guest speaker was Bonita M. Herring, 23rd International Grand Basileus of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority.

Nancy Jordan-Howard, Denise Rollins and Rochelle Sanders

Elizabeth Sutton, mother with daughter Karen Sutton

Guest soloist Sherry Hun Angie McClain Lynch, Karen Sutton and Dr. E. Fran Johnson

Bonita M. Herring, International Grand Basileus, Jake Oliver, CEO, publisher, AFRO American Newspapers, Nathalia J. Martin, president, Alpha Alpha Sigma Chapter

Valerie Bell-Thomas, assistant chair, Bonita M. Herring, 23rd International Grand Basileus, Nathalia J. Martin, president, Alpha Alpha Sigma Chapter, Alice Sue CooperLee, chair

Stephanie Forbes, Ingrid Williams, Michele Pierson, Tiffany Dow and Tiffany Smith

Ann Pettijohn, Yvonne Jackson, Sonia Lynch and Donna M. Williamson

Sammy and Darlene Graham, Baltimore AFRO American Newspapers

Alana Williams, Dr. Cheryl Simmons Gray, Sandre Mitchell and Vanetta Cheeks Reeder

Joyce Lee, Dornita McKinnon, Bryna Stonte and Jamie Adams

Seated (L-R), Patelle Harris, Wanda McAfee-Randell, Barbara Sawyer, Nathalia Martin, Alice Sue Cooper-Lee, Valerie Bell-Thomas. Standing, Dr. Katina Webster, Antoynica Ryan, Gina Anthony, Veronica Moore, Natina Bennett, Elizabeth Parker, Landa McLaurin, Shamija Jackson and Veronica Henry

Photos by Dr. A. Lois De Laine

Water Hill Jr., Walter Hill Sr. and Ryder Hill

Harry W. Holt Jr., V.P. Operations and Robert L. Wallace, CEO, BithGroup Technologies

Frederick Cager, Angela Evans, Sabrina High and Corey Culbreath, Director Energy Information Systems

Photos by Anderson R. Ward

Carolyn Green, Irene Lam, Evelyn Pachigalla, Chandan Vanja, Chris and Ethan Vanja

BithGroup Technologies held their holiday party on Dec. 3 at their Baltimore office. BithGroup was formed in 1999 as an IT company, but over the years has expanded to work in solar generation, wind generation, energy information systems and energy consulting. One of those companies, Bithenergy, was recently named the fastest growing inner city company by the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City as published in Fortune Magazine.

Robert L. Wallace, CEO, is the author of several books, including “Black Wealth Through Black Entrepreneurship.”

Around 8:00 pm the guest went outside to watch the Washington Monument Lighting and fireworks.

Robert L. Wallace and guests watching the lighting of the Washington Monument Armentha “Mike” Cruise, Frederick Cager and Carolyn Green

Armentha “Mike” Cruise, Robert L. Wallace (CEO) and Walter Hill Sr.

Guests enjoying the festivities

Marvin Bennett, Metro Energy Sys. and Darrell Peterson, Jones and Assoc.

Ryder Hill, Lindsey Hill and Walter Hill Jr.

To see more of these photos and purchase them visit afro.com/slideshows. To purchase this digital photo page contact Takiea Hinton: thinton@afro.com or 410.554.8277.

December 12, 2015 - December 18, 2015, The Afro-American

Interview

BALTIMORE-AREA

Black B’Way Star Brings Holiday Cheer with BSO

‘Little Melvin’ Williams, Infamous Baltimore Drug Lord, Dies at 73

By Lisa Snowden-McCray Special to the AFRO Tony Award-winning singer and actor Brian Stokes Mitchell is a busy man. He’s currently rehearsing for an upcoming Broadway jazz musical based on the making of “Shuffle Along,” a Black musical revue. He also has television appearances and an upcoming CD. But that won’t stop him from performing in Baltimore and Rockville along with the BSO SuperPops, for a series of concerts titled “‘Tis the Season with Brian Stokes Mitchell.”

Mitchell has done this

“To be able to perform with an African American conductor is pretty exciting.”

– Brian Stokes Mitchell holiday performance for the last few years. He said one of the reasons he keeps coming back to Maryland is that it gives him the chance to work with Baltimore Symphony Orchestra conductor Damon Gupton, who is Black.

“There are too few of us doing this,” Mitchell said. “Damon is a very accomplished renaissance man. He’s got an extensive

AFRO Archives

‘Little Melvin’ Williams as he was depicted in the pages of the AFRO over the years.

By Zenitha Prince Senior AFRO Correspondent zprince@afro.com It was April 1968 and Baltimore was ablaze. Revered civil rights leader the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was dead, killed by an assassin’s bullet on April 4, and the city’s Black residents released their anger in a flood of looting, vandalism and fire.

Into that maelstrom, an unlikely hero stepped up to stem the tide of unrest—notorious drug kingpin Melvin Williams. “Little Melvin (as he was best known) had talked to some of the guys to come together,” Clarence Mitchell recalled in an April 2008 AFRO article.

“The hustlers of the day came from East Baltimore, they came from South Baltimore and they came from West Baltimore and they made appeals to the communities that they came from to stop the riots. The next day the riots had stopped.”

The incident would become another highpoint in the urban legend of Little Melvin, a saga that ended Dec. 3, when he died at the age of 73 at the University of Maryland Medical Center.

Friends said he suffered from cancer, The Baltimore Sun reported.

Williams was known as the heroin king of Baltimore,

Courtesy of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra

Brian Stokes Mitchell will be performing with the BSO SuperPops this weekend.

bio. To be able to perform with an African American conductor is pretty exciting.”

Over the last year,

Baltimore has had plenty to feel down about, but Mitchell said he wants his concert to lift people’s sprits.

“There’s a whole lot

of stuff going on in the world that isn’t pretty,” he said. “That’s not the way it should be. It’s important to reconnect people to the joy in their lives. The thing that makes us feel love for our fellow human beings.”

He said that because of this, he tries to approach his shows in a thoughtful manner.

“The theater is like church. When you go to a good church you should feel a whole lot better when you leave than when you walked in. I want people to leave the concert elated and excited and joyful.”

I’ve learned to design a show that the audience will respond to,” he added.

“I’m all over the stage, I’m having a good time. It’s about channeling a spirit and that’s really what I try to do. Great art has a spirit about it.”

Mitchell said that he has lots of holiday favorites planned for the concerts – but with his own special twists.

He will also have a local boy playing the drum onstage for a performance of “The Little Drummer Boy.” “One of the things I’ve been able to learn about being an artist: nobody gets hurt. Generally, it opens them Continued on D2

who amassed a fortune while building a drug enterprise that stretched across West Baltimore in the 1960s. His rise to infamy inspired parts of HBO’s “The Wire” and was chronicled in documentaries such as the BET series “American Gangster.”

“Melvin Williams is a Baltimore 20th century legend,” said the Rev. Frank Reid III, pastor of Bethel AME Church in Baltimore, on “American Gangster.” Born in Baltimore’s City Hospital on Dec. 14, 1941, Williams was raised by his parents, a cab driver and nurse’s aide, on Madison Avenue. He attended Garnet Elementary School but dropped out of high school in the 11th grade. By that time, the boy with a genius I.Q. had already proven to be a prodigy in the gambling dens that littered Pennsylvania Avenue during its hey-day, winning thousands from gang members and crime bosses by the time he was 12, according to several documentaries.

He then transitioned to a full life of crime under the auspices of Jewish gangster Julius Salisbury. By the time Williams was 15, he was already a millionaire, according to “Life in the Game,” a documentary on his life.

In a 2012 video posted on YouTube, Williams claimed he had sold more than $1 billion worth of narcotics in his lifetime. And, at one time, his criminal organization was responsible for more than 25 percent of all murders in Baltimore, according to a 1987 Continued on D2

D1

Race and Politics

The Real Legacy of Henry Clifton “Curley” Byrd

Somewhere in heaven I suspect two great Baltimoreans and American icons of justice, Sean Yoes Thurgood Marshall Senior AFRO and Parren Contributor Mitchell, are looking down on us and smiling broadly.

The reason for their glee is University of Maryland President Wallace Loh’s (the first non-White president in the school’s history) announced push this week to remove the name of former president (1935-1954) Henry C. “Curley” Byrd, perhaps the most influential leader in the school’s history, from the University of Maryland’s stadium (Byrd Stadium) the home of Maryland Terrapin football since 1950.

This is part of Loh’s campus-wide email sent December 7: “He [Byrd] was an ardent proponent of “separate but equal” education, both as president and later in his campaign for governor of Maryland. At this time of intensified racial tension in the nation, “Byrd Stadium” stands as a symbol to many African-American alumni and students. It is a painful reminder that a generation ago they were unwelcome on this campus.”

Both Marshall and Mitchell fought mightily to break Byrd’s segregationist grip on the University of Maryland.

In 1935, when Byrd was acting president of UM, Marshall (who had passed the Bar just two years earlier) led the legal team that Continued on D2

UM President Says It’s Time Holiday Parties in to Change Stadium’s Name Baltimore

The Gift

Azikiwe and Penelope Deveaux invite you to party where the proceeds will go to benefit the friends and family of the Montebello School on Dec. 18 from 9:30 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. at the Inn at the Black Olive located at 803 South Caroline Street in Baltimore, Maryland.

For more information go to thegiftholidayparty. eventbrite.com.

Special Delivery

A holiday celebration and toy drive hosted by The Carpenter House, The Gardner Corporate & Entertainment Group, SuperGorge.com, The Flywire and The Finn Group. The event will be held on Dec. 17 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Horseshoe Casino located at 1525 Russell St. in Baltimore, Maryland. Admission is a $20 donation, unwrapped toy or new piece of clothing.

Continued on D2

By James Bentley AFRO Associate Editor jbentley@afro.com

University of Maryland at College Park President Wallace D. Loh recommended changing the name of the university’s football stadium from Byrd Stadium, which honors a longtime university president who was a staunch advocate against integration, to Maryland Stadium.

The recommendation was made to the University System of Maryland’s Board of Regents, which has oversight of building names. The Board of Regents will consider this request at a hearing on Dec. 11.

“This is a difficult and emotion-laden issue,” Loh said in a campus-wide email announcing his decision on Dec. 7. “Any outcome will likely please few.”

Harry C. “Curley” Byrd was a former football player who taught English and history and served as athletic director, eventually rising to university president. Byrd was president from 1935 until 1954, a time when the campus grew significantly.

President Loh states in his campus-wide email that “President Byrd is rightly regarded as ‘Father and Builder’ Continued on D2

10 322

past seven days

this year

Data as of Dec. 9

D2

The Afro-American, December 12, 2015 - December 18, 2015

Stadium

Continued from D1 of UMD over a 43-year career here, retiring in 1954.

He dramatically increased enrollment, faculty, funding, and the size of the campus.

He laid the foundation for today’s achievements. He earned his place in our University’s history.�

election to Congress in 1970, where he would lead the Congressional Black Caucus.

He died in 2007 at age 85.

In October, the Board of Regents unanimously approved renaming the Art-Sociology Building in his honor. On Dec. 3, the

â€œâ€Śno longer will you have to play the sport you love within the symbolic shadows of someone who would have hated you.â€? – activist Colin Byrd But he is also very well known for his opposition to racial integration in the beginning stages of the civil rights movement.

When Baltimore’s Parren J. Mitchell filed a lawsuit to be admitted to the university’s graduate school in 1950, Byrd issued an order to set up classes for him in Baltimore in hopes of thwarting the lawsuit. A court ordered that Mitchell be granted full status in College Park.

Mitchell went on to earn a master’s degree from College Park, teach at Morgan State, work in politics and win the

university held a ceremony to celebrate the newly renamed building in Mitchell’s honor.

On hand that day was senior sociology major and activist Colin Byrd, who is not related to the stadium’s namesake. Byrd, with the aid of a megaphone, challenged President Loh referencing that only 1 percent of the university’s contracts in 2014 were given to Black vendors with Minority Business Enterprise status, which he described as a form of economic injustice. “That’s not acceptable, and I know you’re not going to answer, but I have

to say this because you need to call this out for what it is, this is B.S.� Byrd said according to the Diamondback.

In an interview with the AFRO Byrd said “I think it [the campus-wide email] goes down in the history of the University of Maryland as a turning point.

Where we tell our athletes and recruits going forward that no longer will you have to play the sport you love within the symbolic shadows of someone who would have hated you.�

The outrage of buildings and monuments being named after pro-segregationist individuals on campuses is not isolated to the University of Maryland. On Nov. 18 the Black Justice League, a student organization at Princeton University, organized a 32 hour protest to improve race relations on campus which included occupying university president Christopher Eisgruber’s office. One of

their primary demands was the removal of the name of President Woodrow Wilson, one of the university’s most honored alumni and a former

university president, from buildings and schools on campus. Martin A. Mbugua, a spokesperson for Princeton, told the Washington Post that

Eisgruber is listening to the students demands and that, �The conversation about that [removing Wilson’s name from the building] will continue.�

BSO

Continued from D1

up -- to make them feel, to make them think, to open their minds, to open their hearts.

He said that his ultimate goal is to expand both his own mind and the minds of the people in the audience. “Art, I think, is the only thing that has the capability to give someone an epiphany experience that changes their life forever.�

‘Little Melvin’Williams

“Tis the Season with Brian Stokes Mitchell� will be performed on Thursday, December 10, at 8 p.m., at the Music Center at Strathmore, Friday, December 11, and Saturday, December 12, at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, and Sunday, December 13, at 3 p.m., at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall. For more information go to bsomusic.org.

Holiday Parties

Continued from D1

Continued from D1

newspaper series by David Simon, the creator of “The Wire.�

Williams was known for running a sophisticated enterprise. He himself cast a dapper figure. For example, for his 11th court appearance in his much delayed trial for drug and weapons charges stemming from a March 8, 1967 incident, the AFRO described Williams as wearing a “smartly tailored black summer suit and a rose-colored shirt and pink, beige, black and blue striped tie.�

Despite his smarts, however, he was not

for previously perjuring himself. Baltimore police officer Edward Burns—who would later become a writer for “The Wire,�—was able to conduct a successful investigation against, Williams, however.

According to a Dec. 1, 1984 AFRO article, Williams was arrested when federal and state law enforcement conducted a raid of his Park Avenue “fortress� and seized guns, a $54,000 Bugatti car, $250,000 worth of diamonds, furs and other jewelry and almost $300,000 in cash.

The drug kingpin spent several years in prison, and was released in 2003. Williams emerged a different man after “finding God,� in prison, according to The Sun. “Sometime in my fifties I became aware that there was a God in charge, and not a Melvin,� he was cited as saying in a 2003 court appearance before U.S. District Judge Marvin J. Garbis. Several persons, including Rev. Reid whose church Williams attended, said the reformed criminal spent his later years counselling gang members and other young people about staying away from drugs and violence and otherwise tried to uplift his community. Williams is survived by his wife, Mary Williams; and two daughters.

There will be a public viewing on Dec. 11 at Wylie Funeral Home, 701 N. Mount St., Baltimore, Maryland from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Funeral services will take place on Dec. 12 at Empowerment Temple, 4217 Primrose Ave., Baltimore, Maryland. The wake is at 10:30 a.m. and the funeral is at 11:30 a.m.

“Williams claimed he had sold more than $1 billion worth of narcotics in his lifetime.� able to elude the law. “I consider you a big fish in the nefarious traffic of slow death,�

Criminal Court Judge Anselm Sodaro told Williams in a July 1968 court appearance, before sentencing him to 12 years in prison for possession of narcotics, selling heroin and possession of a firearm in the March 1967 incident.

At the time, Williams told the AFRO he was framed by a narcotics detective known

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Courtesy photo

Wallace D. Loh says UM’s Byrd Stadium should be renamed.

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Holiday Gala

The Black Professional Men Inc. along with Over the Top are hosting their holiday charity event on Dec. 19 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Confetti’s Event Center located at 802 Glen Eagle Ct. in Towson, Maryland.

All proceeds from the holiday gala will go to benefit high risk children in need. For more information go to holidaygala.myevent.com.

Christmas for Christopher’s Place

The brothers of E.W.S. Peck Lodge #82 PHA F&AM will be collecting unwrapped nonviolent toys, games, books, hats, gloves, etc. for children ages 2-16 at their holiday event this year. It will be held on Dec. 16 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Phaze 10 located at 588 N. Howard St. in Baltimore, Maryland. For more information

contact Rhamel Tuller at 240-691-6399.

Christmas for Community Partnerships Service Project

The Christmas for Community Partnerships Service Project helps to support nonprofit organizations and underserved communities in the Greater Baltimore area by providing Christmas gifts to families in need. They will be accepting unwrapped nonviolent toys, games, books, hats, gloves, etc. from now until Dec. 18.

Gifts can be dropped off at the loading dock of the Reginald F. Lewis Museum located at 830 E. Pratt St. in Baltimore, Maryland.

Organizations benefitted by this event will be the Bea Gaddy Family Center, Baltimore Cares and Garwyn Medical Center among others.

Race and Politics Continued from D1

desegregated the University of Maryland at Baltimore School of Law, with the admission of Donald Gaines Murray in September of that year. A Baltimore City Court ruled in June of 1935 that Murray had to be admitted to the school and from July to September of 1935, Byrd engaged in a series of panicked communications with UM’s registrar Willard M. Hillegeist as Marshall marched Murray to the school’s front door.

It was the nation’s first school desegregation victory on the higher education level.

In a letter dated, July 15, 1935, Byrd scrawled a handwritten postscript at the bottom of the page that said, “Hille: Don’t register any negro students until I talk with you.�

After Byrd lost the battle in Baltimore, he began a nearly two-decade campaign to keep College Park White. In a letter dated March 19, 1937, Marshall wrote Byrd directly confronting him about his

clandestine political attempt to bar Blacks from Byrd’s beloved College Park campus.

It wasn’t until August of 1950 when Mitchell, a recipient of the Purple Heart in World War II and graduate of Morgan State College, entered the University of Maryland College Park for his

sense of profound isolation he experienced at College Park. “From the entrance of the campus to the back of the cafeteria it was a long walk,�

Mitchell said. “The cafeteria was a huge place and every table I passed just went quiet.

It was just very lonely.�

Mitchell’s experience is the embodiment of Loh’s observation about so many Black students who have been alienated at the school for generations.

At least Loh recognizes this history its impact on – Parren Mitchell and the school’s present.

Taking Byrd’s name Master’s degree in Sociology. off of UM’s stadium is a He would later become the nice symbolic gesture to first Black Congressman to his full biography and an represent Maryland. acknowledgement of the “I had no direct contact legions of Black students who with him, but all that I were forced to endure the heard was that he was a ferment of his racist ideology. terrible person, a bigot of the first order, no sympathy Sean Yoes is a senior no kindness in his heart,� contributor to the AFRO and Mitchell told me in an host and executive producer interview in 2004. of, “First Edition,� which During that interview, airs Monday through Friday, Mitchell also revealed the 5-7 p.m on WEAA 88.9.

“I had no direct contact with him, but all that I heard was that he was a terrible person‌â€?

December 12, 2015 - December 18, 2015, The Afro-American

“HAPPY HOLIDAY TO YOU ALL” Hello everyone! Well this is my last column for the year. My next column will be Jan. 8, 2016. I will also be on vacation for the next 4 weeks leaving on Dec. 18. “Shorty” and I will be traveling cross country by driving, going to Las Vegas and maybe up the coast. I think I am over-due and I know well earned. But, while I am away, I wish you all a safe and happy holiday.

I am also leaving you with a few things to do and places to go for the holidays. Before I leave, I would like you to join me for breakfast. I am talking about the “Jazz Expressways Foundation Jazz Breakfast” on Dec. 12 from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. at the Forest Park Senior Center, 4801 Liberty Heights Avenue, Baltimore, Maryland.

Let’s start the holiday off with the sounds of Dr. Phil Butts and the Sunset Band featuring, vocalist Tony Spencer. Buffet breakfast is served, but it is BYOB for anyone who wants a cocktail after breakfast. Well, it is the holidays.

For ticket information, call 410-323-7295.

Bilal Ali, concert and jazz promoter is hosting a night of smooth jazz with live entertainment featuring Vivian Owens, Marcus Mitchell, Marcus Young and Khymari. Dinner is included at Best Western Ballroom, 1800 Belmont Avenue, Woodlawn, Maryland on Dec. 12, starting at 7 p.m. For more information call 443-540-7797.

For my folks who like some down-home gospel music with quartets and groups, here

D3

is where you should go. On Dec. 13, Minister Robert Wilson, also known as the “Shouting MC” is celebrating his 31st Anniversary at 3 p.m. at the Miracle Deliverance Bilal Ali Center Church, presents his 3108 Walbrook at CD release Ellamont Street concert on in Baltimore.

Dec. 12 at The line-up the Best includes: The Western Wings of Praise Ballroom, of Baltimore, 1800 Belmont Maryland; James Ave. in Hillian & Hillian Windsor Mills, Ensemble of Washington, DC, Md. Dinner at 7 “Ministry”; New p.m.; Showtime, Ebony Gospel 8 p.m. For ticket Singers, The information, call Christianaires 443-540-7797. and the Beulah Choir. For ticket information, call 410-358-9661 or 410982-3345. Tell them “Rambling Rose” told you.

For my jazz lovers, “Charm City Jazz” will host an event featuring Eddie Baccus, Jr, backed by Fahrenheit, while they honor the music of Grover Washington Jr. on Dec. 19 at the Radisson, 2004 Greenspring Drive in Phil Butts and the Sunset Band featuring Timonium, vocalist, Tony Spencer will perform for the Jazz Maryland; Expressways Foundation Jazz Breakfast on Sat. show time 8 Dec. 12, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the Forest Park Senior p.m., there Center, 4801 Liberty Heights Ave., Baltimore, Md. will be a For ticket information, call Howard Easley at 410cash bar 323-7295. and food is available. For 31 from 9 p.m. until 3 a.m. at the Grandstand ticket information call Ballroom at Pimlico. The show includes the 443-858-9781. groups: Blue Magic, First Class, Spindles, the Join the Delfonics and Boo’Ne & Z. (I am not sure who Reginald F. this is, I never heard of them), but they must be Lewis Museum good, if these two guys are showcasing them. for the Annual Your ticket includes catered food, vendors, Community champagne, premier seating and Kwanzaa mingle with the artists, free parking, noisemakers & Marcus Mitchell will perform Celebration on Dec. 27 at 1 p.m. hats and cash bars. For at the Bilal Ali event on Enjoy a showcase more information, call Dec. 12 at the Best Western 443-525-2715 or go to Ballroom, 1800 Belmont Ave., of contemporary African ticketleap.com.

Woodlawn, Md. fashion, African Well, my dear musical performances and Sankofa Dance friends, again, MERRY Theater. View a candlelight Kwanzaa CHRISTMAS AND Ceremony, partake in craft activities HAPPY NEW YEAR! and storytelling by Maria Broom and If you need me call Jali D. While you are there, you can me at 410-833also visit the African Marketplace 9474 or email me at for Afrocentric art and to purchase rosapryor@aol.com. mementos. This event will be held Until next year, at the Museum, 830 E. Pratt Street, I’m musically yours.

Baltimore. For more information, call Eugene Brister, brother of Cleve Brister, and the 443-745-3502. father of Ebone Ashby and husband to Laverne HAPPY NEW YEAR! There Brister passed away last week. His passion was will be a festive New Year’s Eve catering and the restaurant business including Show hosted by Don Jones and Lolo 443-573-1700 or visit artbma. formerly of Magic 95.9 on Dec. the Governor’s Club. Condolences to the family. org.

BALTIMORE AREA

COMMUNITY CONNECTION Send your upcoming events to tips@afro.com. For more community events go to afro.com/Baltimore events.

Free Ice Cream Tasting

On Dec. 12 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dre’s Ice Cream will be giving out free samples of its sweet potato pie, banana pudding and strawberry shortcake flavored ice cream in Baltimore and Parkville, Maryland.

The distribution will take

Baltimore, Maryland 21202.

The gifts will be delivered to Christopher’s Place. Visit gblaimpact.org for more information.

BMA Presents Extraordinary Art Quilts on Display

The Baltimore Museum

Courtesy photo

Adrien Rothschild’s quilt, Purple Mountains, on display at the BMA place at Klein ShopRite Supermarkets located at 4601 Liberty Heights Road, Baltimore, Maryland 21207 and 2331 Clearleigh Drive, Parkville, Maryland 21234.

Call 410-668-1170 or visit dresicecream.com for more information.

Toy Drive

Greater Baltimore Leadership Association Young Professionals are collecting gifts at their general body meeting on Dec. 15 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum, 830 E. Pratt St.,

of Art (BMA) presents five striking late-20th century art quilts on view for the first time. On view Dec. 16, 2015– June 19, 2016, New Arrivals: Art Quilts is one of nine exhibitions in a series. The intricately designed, vibrant quilts were created for display on the wall, rather than a bed, by some of the nation’s most acclaimed textile artists, including Baltimore-native Adrien Rothschild, currently based in Pennsylvania, and the late Elizabeth Scott, who lived in Baltimore’s Sandtown-Winchester neighborhood. For general museum information, call

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The Afro-American, December 12, 2015 - December 18, 2015

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12/2/15 5:25 PM