Prince Georges Afro-American Newspaper March 1 2014

PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY EDITION

Volume 122 No. 30

MARCH 1, 2014 - MARCH 7, 2014

Advocates Say Minority Communities Subject to Chemical Contamination

The AFRO Congratulates Young Entrepreneur Daryll Ana Selden

By Zenitha Prince Senior AFRO Correspondent

“People of color and the poor have borne the brunt of exposure to toxins…”

– Michele Roberts

Voter registration deadline June 3 INSIDE A4

Md. Health Exchange Severs Ties with Noridian

As the nation ruminates on the legacy of the Civil Rights Movement this Black History Month, environmental justice activists are calling attention to what they say is the new frontline of the human rights struggle: chemical contamination of communities of color.

“When corporations decide where to build chemical plants, landfills, or water treatment plants where chemicals leach, they most often choose low income communities of color,” Richard Moore, a long-time civil rights and environmental justice leader with the Environmental Justice and Health Alliance for Chemical Policy Reform, said in a statement.

“This is the next frontier of the Civil Rights Movement,” Michele Roberts, co-coordinator for the alliance, told the AFRO. “People of color and the Continued on A3

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Whitaker’s Wonderful Wit and Wisdom AP File Photo

Chokwe Lumumba

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Jackson Miss.

Mayor Chokwe Lumumba Dies at 66

By Emily Wagster Pettus and Jeff Amy Associated Press JACKSON, Miss. (AP) —Jackson Mayor Chokwe Lumumba (SHOW-kway LuMOOM-bah), a prominent attorney and former human rights activist who persuaded local voters into accepting a sales tax to fix crumbling roads and infrastructure in Mississippi’s capital city, died Tuesday, authorities said. He was 66.

City officials said Lumumba died at St. Dominic Hospital. A cause of death was not immediately clear, though City Council president Charles Tillman, who was sworn in as acting mayor, said he had met

Continued on A4

Daryll Ana Selden has knitted close to 100 scarves.

Bowie teenager and Elizabeth Seton High School sophomore Daryll Ana Selden, 15, can now add entrepreneur to her list of accomplishments.

After being invited to travel to Europe with the People to People Student Ambassadors program, she needed to raise $7,000 to pay for the trip. Her parents, Angelina and Daryl Selden, told her they would pay half. Daryll Ana accepted the challenge to raise $3,500 for her part.

Searching the Internet for ideas for fundraisers, she came across a knitted scarf. Working with her mother and older sister Angelyna, 17, Daryll Ana came up with a business plan. She estimated that she could fashion the designer accessories for about $9 each. She decided to show her appreciation by writing a note to thank each buyer. She purchased yarn and knitting needles and pretty pink bags in which to place the finished scarves for delivery. She priced her handmade accessories at $14, allowing her to make $5 in profit on each piece.

Daryll Ana’s marketing campaign included reaching out to relatives, friends and people in the neighborhood. A mother of Continued on A5

Courtesy Photo

Prince George’s NAACP Chapter Travels Benjamin M. Phillips IV to Annapolis for Foreclosure Rally

By Maria Adebola Elected AFRO Special to the AFRO President Members of Maryland NAACP chapters, including representatives of the Prince George’s chapter, converged on the Maryland statehouse Feb. 24 to urge Gov. Martin J. O’Malley and statewide legislators to place a moratorium on foreclosures until a top-to-bottom investigation is conducted into practices that are leading thousands of homeowners to lose their property.

About 15 members of the Prince George’s County chapter of the NAACP, volunteers and homeowners traveled to Annapolis on a

By AFRO Staff

bus together. There, they met up with the Rev. Lennox Abrigo of the D.C. National Action Network and NAACP and NAACP officials from the Maryland state chapter.

Continued on A3

Jake Oliver, chairman of the board and CEO of the AFRO-American Newspapers, announced the election of Benjamin Murphy Phillips IV as president of the company.

As president, Phillips will be the chief operational officer of the company reporting directly

49th Anniversary of the Assassination of Malcolm X Draws Little Attention

By Zachary Lester AFRO Staff Writer It’s been 49 years since Muslim Black rights activist Malcolm X was gunned down as he spoke before hundreds at the Audubon Ballroom in Manhattan.

In the years since his death, Malcolm X’s role as a freedom fighter has solidified, though he is not heralded to the same degree as civil rights martyrs such as Martin Luther King, Jr. and Medgar Evers, civil rights leaders said.

Even as he was preaching self-defense and self-reliance in New York City, many of the leaders of the civil rights movement in the South were unfamiliar with him.

As the anniversary of his death approached, there was little of the fanfare attached to celebrations for other slain civil rights heroes.

In a 2012 column posted on MSNBC. com, commentator Melissa Harris-Perry

Benjamin Phillips to Oliver, overseeing a myriad of operational responsibilities that may from time to time be assigned to him.

Since 2007, Phillips has been the director of Global Markets responsible for the marketing, web technical management, circulation and distribution of the company’s electronic and print products.

Prior to that time he had been involved in many different capacities. Phillips is a member of the AFRO board

Continued on A5

grand opening sunday march 2, 8am • richie station marketplace Copyright © 2014 by the Afro-American Company

Continued on A5

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The Afro-American, March 1, 2014 - March 7, 2014

NATION & WORLD

Jordan Davis Case Shows Lack of Respect for Young Black Men’s Lives, Young Men Say To many young Black men in the WashingtonBaltimore area, the failure of a Florida jury to convict a White man who fatally shot unarmed 17 year-old Jordan Davis for murder said a lot about the way the nation thinks about the value of the lives of its young Black men.

To several young Black men interviewed by the AFRO in the District and

Baltimore, the failure of the jury to convict White computer programmer Michael Dunn of Jordan’s murder means a young black man’s life is not to be protected. Dunn was convicted of three counts of attempted second degree murder, but the jury deadlocked on the first degree murder charge in Jordan’s killing.

“The thing that people aren’t hearing is he isn’t going to jail for murder,” said Kamaal Stewart, 20, of Baltimore. “When I first saw it I was upset, but I

Jordan Davis Your History • Your Community • Your News

The Afro-American Newspapers

Baltimore Office • Corporate Headquarters 2519 N. Charles Street Baltimore, Maryland 21218-4602 410-554-8200 • Fax: 1-877-570-9297 www.afro.com Founded by John Henry Murphy Sr., August 13, 1892 Washington Publisher Emerita - Frances L. Murphy II Chairman of the Board/Publisher - John J. Oliver, Jr. Executive Assistant - Takiea Hinton - 410-554-8222 Receptionist - Wanda Pearson - 410-554-8200 Director of Advertising Lenora Howze - 410-554-8271 - lhowze@afro.com Baltimore Advertising Manager Robert Blount - 410-554-8246 - rblount@afro.com Director of Finance - Jack Leister - 410-554-8242 Archivist - Ja-Zette Marshburn - 410-554-8265 Director, Community & Public Relations Diane W. Hocker - 410-554-8243 Editorial Executive Editor - Avis Thomas-Lester Editor - Dorothy Boulware Production Department - 410-554-8288 Global Markets Director - Benjamin M. Phillips IV - 410-554-8220 - bphillips@afro.com Baltimore Circulation/Distribution Manager Sammy Graham - 410-554-8266

Washington Office 1917 Benning Road, N.E. Washington, D.C. 20002-4723 202-332-0080 • Fax: 1-877-570-9297 General Manager Washington Circulation/Distribution Manager Edgar Brookins - 202-332-0080, ext. 106 Director of Advertising Lenora Howze - ext. 119 - lhowze@afro.com Business Solutions Consultant Elaine Fuller - ext. 115 - efuller@afro.com Office Administrator - Mia Hayes-Hawkins - ext. 100

Customer Service, Home Delivery and Subscriptions: 410-554-8234 • Customer Service@afro.com Billing Inquiries: 410-554-8226 Nights and Weekends: 410-554-8282

was numb to it.”

Jordan Davis was riding in a car with three of his friends, spending his weekend like most teenage males. They went to the Town Center Mall in Jacksonville, Fla., to hang out and eat. On the way back to Jordan’s house, they stopped by a gas station so one of his friends could get a pack of cigarettes.

While one ran inside the convenience store, the remaining boys listened to music and talked. That’s when trouble started. Dunn protested against their music and an argument ensued. When it was over, unarmed Jordan was dead, killed in a barrage from Dunn’s gun.

Dunn said he fired because he felt he was in danger, invoking the state’s Stand Your Ground

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fixation on gospel singer Marvin Sapp and erroneous reports of her being found at a Wal-Mart.

Teleka Patrick, 30, is an African-American medical resident at Borgess Medical Center in Kalamazoo, Mich. She was reported missing on Dec. 6.

In the weeks since her disappearance, investigators determined that Patrick had a romantic obsession with Sapp, a Grand Rapids, Mich. resident. According to The Kalamazoo Gazette, Patrick discussed Sapp at length on her Twitter account, and her focus on the singer was intense enough that he received a judicial personal protection order against her in September.

Despite speculation that Sapp played a role in Patrick’s disappearance, police said in late January that he was not a suspect in the case.

According to an FBI missing person report,

Law. He said he believed someone in the vehicle had a gun, though he did not tell anyone that until after his arrest.

Stand Your Ground is the same law that was widely discussed after George Zimmerman killed unarmed Black teenager Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Fla., and claimed it was self-defense in 2012. He was acquitted.

For Howard students Jarvis Hooper, Kendall Williams, and Joseph Wilson, all of whom are Black and about the same age as Jordan and Trayvon, the Dunn verdict said that juries are looking for a reason to let Whites go who kill young Black men.

Courtesy Photo “I think White people Teleka Patrick commit these crimes because they are protected by these laws that have Patrick was last seen on the been in place for years evening of Dec. 5 at about before the movement by 8:00 p.m. after her shift people of color. Some at work. The report stated of these laws are like that she unsuccessfully scapegoats and crutches tried to rent a hotel room in for them to use against us. downtown Kalamazoo, and I feel like some of them was then dropped off by break the law because they the hotel’s shuttle driver at know they can and get away her vehicle in the parking with it, and that’s the sickest lot of the medical center. thing about it” Hooper said.

Her car, a gold 1997 Lexus ES300, was found Marvin Sapp’s Stalker abandoned by an Indiana Remains Missing After State Police trooper later 11 Weeks that night on Interstate 94 The whereabouts of a in Indiana. The Associated Michigan doctor missing Press reported that for nearly three months Patrick’s wallet, cash and remain unknown, despite identification were in the the revelation of her car, but her keys were not.

At a news conference, Kalamazoo County Sheriff Richard Fuller said Patrick told colleagues she was going to Chicago to visit a relative. She told another colleague that she needed money and a ride to a nearby hotel, the AP reported.

Facebook Acquires WhatsApp for $19 Billion

Facebook has reached an agreement to buy online messaging service WhatsApp in a deal worth $19 billion to the small startup.

Under the terms of the deal, Facebook will pay $4 billion in cash, $12 billion in stock and $3 billion in restricted stock to WhatsApp’s founders and employees.

According to its website, the WhatsApp messenger is a crossplatform mobile messaging app that allows people to exchange messages without having to pay for text messages.

The app allows users to exchange unlimited free text messages, including recorded voice messages, and boasts nearly 450 million users per month and nearly 1 million signups daily. The app is free to download, and is available for iPhone, BlackBerry, Android, Windows phone and Nokia.

There is no cost to download the app itself; the messaging service offers a free trial year, followed by a subscription cost of 99 cents per year.

Zuckerberg said the app will continue to operate independently within Facebook, and will complement the social network’s existing chat and messaging service.

WhatsApp co-founder and CEO Jan Kaum will also join Facebook’s board.

March 1, 2014 - March 7, 2014, The Afro-American

A3

Prince George’s County Officials Undertake Pothole Repair Project the water seeps into holes and cracks in the asphalt caused by traffic. As temperatures drop, the water freezes and expands, “forcing the pavement to rise.

As the weight of the traffic continues to pound on this raised section…a shallow divot occurs under the surface and the pavement breaks, forming a pothole,” the website said.

By Zachary Lester AFRO Staff Writer

After this winter’s episodes of snow and ice, county roads are marked with potholes deep enough to damage tires and, in some places, possibly cause or contribute to accidents.

To correct the problem, the Department of Public Works & Transportation Feb. 20 began a pothole repair project. Dozens of repair teams converged on county roads to fill holes in the asphalt caused by the cold weather.

“Through this concentrated effort, Prince George’s County roadways will be safer, more accessible and easier to travel,” The governments of the District, said Acting DPW&T Director Maryland and Virginia, as well as many Darrell Mobley on the county website. local jurisdictions, allow motorists Statistics from AAA Midwhose vehicles have been damaged by Atlantic show that pothole damage costs drivers about $6.4 potholes to file a “claim for damages.” billion per year, according to the agency’s website.

“For safety’s sake, motorists should avoid hitting potholes, Townsend said state and but that’s not always possible because even a puddle of water federal governments will can camouflage or conceal a deep pothole. Even worse, sometimes pay motorists potholes are seemingly omnipresent this winter,” said John for damage that results from B. Townsend II, AAA Mid-Atlantic’s manager of public and potholes. Repair costs can government affairs. range from $50 for a simple wheel alignment to upwards of According to Michigan.gov, potholes form when snow and $500 to replace a wheel, he said. The cost can increase even ice converge with asphalt on roads. When snow and ice melt, more if a vehicle’s suspension system is damaged, he said.

AAA Mid-Atlantic suggests that motorists whose cars are damaged provide photos and details of the pothole location and vehicle damage.

Motorists file about a half million claims for pothole-related damage annually, AAA Mid-Atlantic stats show. The governments of the District, Maryland and Virginia, as well as many local jurisdictions, allow motorists whose vehicles have been damaged by potholes to file a “claim for damages” The repair work Prince George’s County is doing is in addition to pothole repair being done by the Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA). State roads are identified by numbers, such as Route 214 and Route 450. DPW&T is responsible for county roads.

Authorities are asking for the public’s help. Motorists are asked to drive cautiously in areas where pothole repair is being conducted.

Residents are asked to call 301-952-0555 to report potholes on state roads and 301-499-8520 to notify county officials of a pothole that needs repairing.

Foreclosure Rally Continued from A1

In a meeting in a third floor hearing room, the volunteers and homeowners met with members of both houses of the General Assembly, imploring passage of SB755 and HB1322, which would freeze foreclosures in the state for at least six months. Legislators who attended the meeting included Sen. C. Anthony Muse (D-Prince George’s), Sen. Victor Ramirez (D-Prince George’s) and Del. Aisha Braveboy (D-Prince George’s), Del. Doyle Niemann (D-Prince George’s) and Del. Anne M. Healey (D-Prince George’s). , Patrice Johnson, 53 a retired police officer from Prince George’s, told the legislators that she is struggling to stay in her home.

“My house is in foreclosure and it should not be in foreclosure. I never defaulted,” said Johnson. “I am fighting for my home because my house was passed down to me from my ancestors and I want to pass it down to my children and my grandchildren.”

Muse, who is also pastor of Ark of Safety Christian in Upper Marlboro, said he supports the moratorium. He said political leaders have attempted to protect homeowners from fraudulent foreclosures, but more needs to be done.

“Money has been paid by big banks because they have

admitted that they’ve broken the law,” said Muse. “The money should go into the banks of the victims who are homeowners.”

Niemann, told the volunteers and homeowners that he does not support the moratorium. He said homeowners have options, such as mediation, to protect their homes in disputes with lenders.

“It will do more harm to more people than it will help people,” he said.“If there was a moratorium on foreclosures, the banks will stop lending money, then nobody could buy a house or sell a house.”

Doyle’s comments sparked the ire of several of the volunteers and homeowners, who countered that mediation is not enough to protect homeowners.

“There needs to be an investigation [into] why there [are] so many foreclosures in Prince George’s County,” said Donna Freeman, 66, whose home is in foreclosure. “And you have mediation. That mediation is a joke and I am a victim of it.”

Freeman challenged Doyle to attend a mediation to witness firsthand how ineffective they are.

But even with the passionate statements from the homeowners, Doyle stood firm in his stance. He said Johnson and Freeman had “an ideological view of the world that

unfortunately has no foundation in law.”

At that point, several people shouted at Niemann and Carmen Johnson, chair of the Maryland NAACP housing committee, one of the organizers of the event, urged calm.

Home foreclosure wasn’t the only item on agenda for the volunteers and homeowners. The NAACP statewide conference joined forces with CASA de Maryland, a Silver Spring-based immigrants’ rights organization, to ask legislators to support raising the minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10 per hour.

After the meeting, the Prince George’s NAACP contingent participated in a rally at the Lawyer’s Mall.

The NAACP’s Johnson said there has been an increase in the number of complaints from homeowners claiming they were swindled out of their homes.

According to Realtytrac, in January, the number of properties that received foreclosure filings in Prince George’s County was 42 percent higher than the previous month and 86 percent higher than the same time last year.

In Baltimore, the number of properties was 44 percent higher in January than the previous month and 98 percent higher than the same time last year.

counties, leaving 300,000 people without drinking water. On Dec. 20, an explosion at the Axiall plant near Mossville, La., sent several people to the hospital.

In August, an explosion at a West, Texas fertilizer plant killed 15 people. On June 13, a chemical explosion in Geismar, La., killed one person, injured at least 75 others and released a plume of toxic fumes across the area.

President Obama’s Executive Order 13650, “Improving Chemical Safety and Security,” mandates “listening sessions” across the country, with the next scheduled for Feb. 27 in Newark, N.J. At the meetings, stakeholders who live and work near chemical plants have the chance to express their concerns.

Roberts said the move signals new momentum in the thrust for chemical policy reform and the environmental justice movement.

“I really believe we have a very strong chance because we’re getting more and more people involved” including

collectively together, especially in the waning years of this administration,

Chemical Contamination Continued from A1

poor have borne the brunt of exposure to toxins and have a disproportionate share of health issues because of the prevalence of chemical sites in their communities. You even have people migrating because they are losing their communities.”

Roberts pointed to Mossville, a town just outside Lake Charles, La. that was built by Black freedmen in the late 1700s, and now faces a corporate buyout because “they are surrounded by 14 of the most toxic facilities ever.”

The environmental justice movement began in the 1960s when farm workers organized

by Cesar Chavez fought for workplace rights, including protection from toxic pesticides in California fields, and when African-American students took to the streets of Houston to oppose a city dump that claimed the lives of two children.

But the movement truly took off in 1982 when residents from Warren County, N.C., a poor, rural and overwhelmingly Black jurisdiction, fought to block the dumping of 6,000 truckloads of soil laced with toxic PCBs in their community.

“For us, environmental justice is about protecting where we live, play, work and pray,” Roberts said.

She added of the history, “Grassroots communities came together to form the environmental justice movement. They looked at what Dr. [Martin Luther] King said about creating the ‘Beloved Community’ and honed in on that to say that

we must have environmental remediation and policies in those communities.”

Those early efforts led President Bill Clinton to issue Executive Order 12898, “Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations,” in 1994.

But activists complain that Clinton’s executive order and other laws, such as the General Duty Clause of the Clean Air Act which requires facilities that produce, process, handle or store hazardous substances to take proactive measures to prevent accidental releases, are not being implemented.

Despite strides in legislation and executive actions, “communities continue to experience disasters,” Roberts said.

“What we now need are standards and regulations to enforce these laws and protect these communities now and for future generations.”

On Jan. 9, a West Virginia chemical spill contaminated the water supply of nine

the United Steelworkers, health advocates and more, Roberts said. “If we work

we would be able to get the reforms we need to protect our communities.”

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The Afro-American, March 1, 2014 - March 7, 2014

Md. Health Exchange Severs Ties with Noridian The health secretary said Optum/QSSI will bring additional IT expertise to the project. He also said the company will contract with key existing subcontractors to improve and maintain the current technology underlying the Maryland Health Connection in the short term.

“The exchange is preserving all rights to seek damages against Noridian and its subcontractors for problems with the IT system,” Sharfstein said.

Tom McGraw, president and CEO of Noridian, said in a statement that the company and the state are negotiating a mutual agreement regarding the transition of Noridian’s role as prime contractor.

“Throughout the past four months, Noridian has complied with its contractural obligations under tremendous pressure and constant changes by the state,” McGraw said in a statement, adding that Noridian has implemented 163 infrastructure fixes and performance-tuning activities.

McGraw also said the company completed 445 enhancements and bug fixes, including nine critical incidents identified by Gov. Martin O’Malley’s administration.

Isabel FitzGerald, the state’s secretary of information technology, told the Joint Oversight Committee on the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange that she set clear benchmarks in December for the Noridian team to meet, and they were not achieved. She said Optum will assume responsibilities for the development work and the maintenance and operation of the existing system. FitzGerald said the

decision was effective Monday.

“The majority of that core work is done by subcontractors today, and those subcontracts will be assigned to Optum,” FitzGerald said.

Maryland is one of 14 states that is running its own health exchange.

FitzGerald also provided an update on the current state of the information technology system. Since Oct. 1, there have been a total of 1,538 defects. She said 1,072 of them have been closed. A total of 382 remain open, and 24 of those are currently in progress.

The state continues to evaluate alternatives to the present IT structure for after the close of open enrollment March 31, with an eye toward the next enrollment period that begins in November. The state is considering adopting technology developed by another state, joining a consortium of other states, partnering with the federal exchange or making major fixes to overhaul Maryland’s existing system.

Asked for a timeframe for a decision on how to move forward, Sharfstein said it would be “weeks, not days, not months.” Sharfstein also said “it is quite possible” the decision will be made before the current open enrollment period ends.

Sen. Thomas “Mac” Middleton, D-Charles, said he believes the Legislature should be informed about how officials decide the next step before a decision is made.

Monday with Lumumba, who had a cold.

Security guards escorted her away in tears. Omari made “He kind of joked around about it,” Tillman said. the announcement under Lumumba’s portrait inside Jackson’s Lumumba served one term on the City Council and was antebellum city hall and surrounded by the seven members sworn in as mayor last July. He was one of two candidates who of the City Council. The building was crowded with city defeated then-Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. in the Democratic employees, politicians, ministers and other residents of primary in early June. Lumumba then defeated businessman Mississippi’s largest city.

Jonathan Lee in the general election.

State law says the council will set a special election for As mayor, Lumumba persuaded Jackson voters to pass a voters to choose a new mayor. The council has up to 10 days to referendum in January to add a 1-cent local sales tax to help meet about taking that action, then the election must be 30 to 45 pay for improvements to an aging and crumbling roads and days later water and sewer system. He said then that the city needed an After the City Council adjourned its brief meeting, Bishop estimated $1.2 billion to completely fix its infrastructure, and Ronnie Crudup, one of Jackson’s most prominent ministers, led raising sales tax by 1 percent would bring in at least $15 million the crowd in prayer. a year until the tax expires in 20 years. Lumumba said the local “Lord, he was a good man, a man who had vision, vision for tax will improve infrastructure, create jobs and increase public the city,” Crudup prayed. safety.

City Council member Melvin Priester Jr. credited Lumumba “It is with a heavy heart that we inform you that our beloved for bringing a spirit of openness to city government. brother, human rights activist and mayor of this great city, “He has done a great deal in the last couple of months to Mayor Chokwe Lumumba, passed away this afternoon,” SafiyaT:7.446”change the culture of government in Jackson,” said Priester, Omari, Lumumba’s chief of staff, said Tuesday night. who was elected earlier this year to Lumumba’s former seat on

the City Council.

In 2011, Lumumba persuaded then-Gov. Haley Barbour, a Republican, to release sisters Jamie Scott and Gladys Scott from a Mississippi prison after they had served 16 years for an armed robbery they said they didn’t commit. Barbour suspended their life sentences and released them. The sisters did not receive a pardon from Barbour when he left office in early 2012, although he granted pardons and other reprieves to more than 200 people during his final days as governor.

Barbour released the women on the condition that Gladys give a kidney to Jamie.

Mississippi Democratic Party Chairman Rickey Cole issued a statement Tuesday saying Democrats are “deeply saddened by the loss of the promising new Mayor of our Capital City, the Honorable Chokwe Lumumba.

“His young administration has been a great beacon of hope for so many of us,” Cole said. “He was just beginning to make an effective start tackling the long-neglected challenges faced by our capital city.”

Republican Gov. Phil Bryant issued a statement Tuesday saying he and his wife, Deborah, “are shocked and saddened by the news of Mayor Lumumba’s passing and are praying for his loved ones.

“Just a short time ago, I had the opportunity to join the mayor in a church pew as we welcomed a new development to the city,” Bryant said. “His enthusiasm for Jackson will be deeply missed.”

Lumumba was born in Detroit as Edwin Taliaferro, and changed his name in 1969, when he was in his early 20s. He said he took his new first name from an African tribe that resisted slavery centuries ago and his last name from African independence leader Patrice Lumumba.

He moved to Jackson in 1971 as a human rights activist. He went to law school in Michigan in the mid-1970s and returned to Jackson in 1988.

Lumumba was involved with the Republic of New Afrika in the 1970s and ‘80s. He said in 2013 that the group had advocated “an independent predominantly black government” in the southeastern U.S. Lumumba was vice president of the group during part of his stint. The group also advocated reparations for slavery, and was watched by an FBI counterintelligence operation.

“The provisional government of Republic of New Afrika was always a group that believed in human rights for human beings,” Lumumba told The Associated Press in a 2013 interview. “I think it has been miscast in many ways. It has never been any kind of racist group or ‘hate white’ group in any way.... It was a group which was fighting for human rights for black people in this country and at the same time supporting the human rights around the globe.”

Lumumba said during the 2013 mayoral campaign that he has shown he can lead across racial lines. In 1990, when the Ku Klux Klan planned to march through Jackson, he said he organized counterdemonstrators, including a predominantly white group of Millsaps College students. He also said he wants to empower people who have been left out of the economic system.

“We have to talk about equitable development,” Lumumba said. “Each portion of the population should be able to develop, and no portion of the population should be given any preferential treatment.”

By Brian Witte Associated Press ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Maryland’s health-exchange board voted to fire the state’s prime information technology contractor for Maryland’s defective health care exchange, the state’s health secretary told lawmakers Monday.

Dr. Joshua Sharfstein told a legislative oversight panel that the board voted during a meeting Sunday night to end the role Noridian Healthcare Solutions has served as the prime contractor.

Maryland’s exchange has been plagued by computer problems that have made it difficult for people to enroll through the online exchange. While state officials say many improvements have been made since its Oct. 1 debut, problems were so rampant that lawmakers passed emergency legislation last month to create a backup plan for people who tried to enroll for coverage Jan. 1 but couldn’t through no fault of their own.

Maryland has paid Noridian about $65 million to build the troubled exchange.

The state will transition the role of prime IT contractor to Optum/QSSI, the general contractor that the exchange hired in December, Sharfstein said.

“This transition will support the exchange’s goal of enrolling as many Marylanders as possible in quality, affordable health care by the close of open enrollment on March 31,” Sharfstein said.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Chokwe Lumumba

© 2013 McDonald’s

Continued from A1

T:10”

From left: Leanna Archer, Beverly Johnson, Roland Parrish, Gladys Knight, Dr. Steve Perry, Kenny Williams, and Charles Orgbon III.

We applaud the few that inspire the many.

For this year’s 365Black® Award recipients, each day is exceptional. They stand for greatness and bow with selessness. Through their dedication and service, they inspire a world of change. We’re proud to honor them all for staying Deeply Rooted in the Community,® 365 days a year. To learn more about this year’s honorees, go to 365Black.com.

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March 1, 2014 - March 7, 2014, The Afro-American

A5

Grant Awarded to Examine Employment Gaps in Region’s Healthcare Industry

By AFRO Staff

Associated Black Charities of Maryland (ABC-MD) announced its award of a planning grant by the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (DLLR) under the EARN Maryland Program to convene healthcare corporations, administrators and providers in drafting a comprehensive and “employer-led” healthcare workforce development plan for Prince George’s and Charles Counties.

The grant was awarded by the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (DLLR) under the EARN Maryland Program.

The planning effort is being spearheaded by the Healthcare Partnership of Prince George’s and Charles Counties (The Partnership), a collaborative that currently includes Agape Health Group, Arc Prince George’s County and Associated Black Charities, Charles County Economic Development Council, Charles County Department of Health Core Service Agency, Dimensions in Health, Forestville Health and Rehabilitation, Fort Washington Health and Rehabilitation, Fort Medical Center, itWorks Learning Center, MedChi of Maryland, Mid-Atlantic Health Care, Patuxent River Health & Rehabilitation Center, Prince George’s Community College, Prince George’s County Department of Family Services, ROC Consultants and The Training Source.

“There is a growing demand for skilled workers in health care. This strategic alliance will serve as a valuable resource, by training individuals for specialized careers in the healthcare field,” said Verna S. Meacham, president and chief executive officer of Nexus Health, the parent company of Fort

“There is a growing demand for skilled workers in health care.

This strategic alliance will serve as a valuable resource…”

– Verna S. Meacham

Washington Medical Center.

“We are excited about working with Associated Black Charities on what I’m sure will be another, successful program aimed at addressing real world healthcare workforce issues.”

Morton Lapides, president of itWorks Learning Center, said.

The group will explore and examine a broad range of

issues related to the demand for skilled and trained healthcare workers in Prince George’s and Charles Counties. This region is projected to see a significant and steady growth in such demand over the next six years (2014-2020) which represents viable career opportunities for qualified area residents. Both employers and consumers are greatly affected by the worker shortage as it impacts the quality and level of access to care available in the region’s marketplace.

A series of facilitated planning sessions will be conducted over the next several weeks to obtain practical insights and relevant feedback to shape a workforce training plan to address the current critical shortage of skilled health workers and to craft cost-effective solutions.

“Our collective efforts is aimed at supporting economic stability for families and contributing to the overall economic health of Prince George’s and Charles counties,” said Diane Bell McKoy, Associated Black Charities CEO. The Partnership is seeking input and active participation from companies, institutions, groups and individuals with backgrounds in healthcare delivery, policy or workforce training to offer their expertise to this effort.

The group hopes to conclude its work by March and will submit its recommendations to DLLR in the form of a work plan to implement its strategy.

For more information: 443-524-7727.

Daryll Ana Selden Continued from A1

two of her close friends agreed to allow her to sell them at her hair salon. Daryll Ana designed a poster, purchased a basket to display the scarves at the salon and even placed a mannequin dressed in a tee and draped with a scarf to show off her masterpieces.

Several weeks into the endeavor, she has raised about $1,500! The scarves are so popular that several of her customers have purchased two or three and have given them as gifts. Daryll Ana, who aspires to be a pediatric oncologist, said she is considering expanding her business as a summer job when school is out, but will soon close down shop to focus on her studies for the rest of the semester.

“I’m really proud of myself and I really thank all the people who supported me by buying my scarves,” she said. “I am thinking about maybe making scarves this summer or for the holidays so that people can give them as gifts.”

The AFRO salutes Daryll Ana and other Baltimore-Washington area young people who are doing fantastic things!

If a child you love has accomplished a feat that made you proud, send an email to editor@ afro.com and they may be featured in the AFRO. Put the words ‘AFRO Kids’ in the subject field.

Benjamin Philips Continued from A1

of directors, executive committee, and prior to his election as president, served as secretary of the company.

Phillips’ team was responsible for the successful 2009 launch of the Prince Georges County Edition of the AFRO as part of the company’s hyper-localism initiative.

In 2013, Phillips was elected vice president of the Maryland – Delaware - DC Press Association whose mission is to “serve the diverse needs” of its newspaper members in areas of common concern. Phillips is a 2009 graduate of the Greater Baltimore Committee (GBC) “The Leadership” and Leadership of

Baltimore County (LBC).

Phillips has more than 25 years of corporate experience at IBM and Xerox Corporation where he held a number of technical sales and management positions. His successful career in the corporate arena was

Malcolm X

lauded by multiple Presidents Club honors.

A native of Baltimore, he holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Morgan State University and numerous continuing education and professional development certificates.

Efficient by Nature.

Continued from A1

said Malcolm X “rarely receives the kind of mainstream press attention that his betterknown counterpart, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. does. And perhaps that is best. Unlike King, Malcolm has not been subjected to the historical nostalgia machine of American hero making. His radicalism remains intact.”

Some activists who worked in the same era as Malcolm X believe that radicalism is the reason why he has not been treated as reverently in history.

While King told his followers to resist reacting with violence when they were beaten and battered, Malcolm X urged followers to defend themselves and their families. While King said to embrace White people and often referred to them as “brothers and sisters,” Malcolm X said he did not want to be with people who did not want to be with him. He told Blacks to build up their own communities, support their own businesses and protect and value their Black families.

Dorie Ladner, a resident of Northwest Washington who was active in the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee in the 1960s, said Malcolm X’s view that Blacks should empower themselves, instead of focusing on getting along with Whites, made him more threatening than King to the White establishment at the time.

She said history has treated Malcolm X the same way it did others whose approach to fighting for freedom was considered aggressive, though Whites who fought to keep Blacks oppressed are treated with respect in history.

“I heard an analogy being done on WPFW where the speaker compared [abolitionist] John Brown and [Confederate Gen.] Robert E. Lee, who were both crusaders out to help their side,” she said. “In history, John Brown is portrayed as a wild-eyed, crazy wild person, whereas Lee is revered and still held in a certain amount of esteem.”

She said Malcolm never received the same national focus even in his own time because of his views and the message he presented for Blacks to concentrate on themselves.

“I had never met Malcolm X when we got word down in Mississippi that he had died,” said Ladner, who grew up in the segregated South and moved to D.C. after working in the civil rights movement. “There was a girl who was working with us who had grown up in the Bronx. She said, ‘Oh, my God! Malcolm X is dead!’ I said ‘Who?’ I didn’t know his history. I

later learned who he was and the work that he had done.”

Margaret Kibbee, of Greenwood, Miss., who was also active in the movement in the South, said she learned much about him from his autobiography, written by the late Alex Haley and published in 1965.

“I didn’t know about how much he had struggled until after I read his [autobiography],” Kibbee said. “It says right on the cover that he thought he would not live to see it published and he didn’t. I remember thinking it was a tragedy. When I read it, I really took to heart and understood what he had gone through.”

The activists said that while history has treated Martin Luther King Jr. appropriately, Malcolm X has been misunderstood.

“My impression was that he was very similar to Martin Luther King Jr. He did two things that were similar. The first was to surround himself with [very capable] people.

Like Dr. King, he liked to work with people who had a lot on the ball,” said Kibbee.

“The other thing was that he could examine himself and rethink things,” she said.

“Like Martin Luther King, he could look at something and examine it objectively and see it for what it was. He was a mature enough person and confident enough in himself and his own ability that he could change his mind or reexamine his position on something …I had the utmost respect for him.”

Malcolm X was 39 when he died. He came from a loving family, but had a troubled childhood after he became a ward of the court as a teenager. He ended up in prison, where he became a Black Muslim and follower of Nation of Islam Leader Elijah Muhammad.

He grew to become a leader in the movement, known for his stand that Blacks should defend themselves against oppression “By Any Means Necessary.” He later parted with the Nation of Islam and began receiving death threats. A week before his died, his house was firebombed.

“You don’t get that much information about Malcolm X, compared to Dr. King,” said Ladner, who speaks frequently on civil rights issues. “Young people don’t know about Malcolm because he’s not in the mainstream media. Dr. King is in the history books. He’s pulled out every year for the holiday for his birthday. Malcolm is unknown to a lot of people.”

Enjoy greater comfort and energy savings this winter.

Some people call it nesting—the simple act of enjoying your home. When winter comes, you want that nest, your home, to be warm and cozy. But you also want to keep energy costs in line.

Washington Gas has a few simple things you can do that can help save money on your winter heating bills, without giving up the comfort you want.

• Have a licensed natural gas contractor perform a complete inspection of your heating and water heater systems • Set your thermostat comfortably low in winter and consider installing a programmable thermostat. Setting your thermostat set just one degree lower can save you as much as 3 percent.

• Install proper insulation in your home.

• When you’re not using a fireplace, close the flue.

• Replace your furnace filter once a month.

• Turn your hot water heater down to warm or low, never more than 120 degrees.

• Replace all cracked or broken window glass, consider adding storm windows, caulk and weatherstrip doors and windows.

• Wash full loads of laundry and dishes.

For more information and additional energy saving tips visit washingtongas.com.

Take advantage of our Budget Plan.

With the Washington Gas Budget Plan, you’ll be able to spread the higher cost of winter heating into the warmer months. You’ll pay the same amount each month for natural gas. It costs nothing to enroll. To sign up for The Budget Payment Plan, call 703-750-1000 or log on to washingtongas.com.

A WGL Company

A6

The Afro-American, March 1, 2014 - March 7, 2014

COMMUNITY CONNECTION The Washington Capitals to Host Annual Spring Blood Drive

The Washington Capitals and Inova Blood Donor Services will host the Capitals’ annual spring blood drive on March 1, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Kettler Capitals Iceplex in Arlington, Va. Donors will receive a Nicklas Backstrom bobblehead as well as a Capitals T-shirt.

More than 250 units of blood and blood products are needed every day, year-round, for patients in area hospitals.

One blood donation can save up to three lives, and there is a continual need for all blood types. There is no substitute for human blood. It only comes from volunteer blood donors. It is used to help trauma patients, surgery patients, newborn babies, cancer patients and transplant patients.

Appointments are required. Donors can make an appointment now by calling 1-866-BLOODSAVES (1-866256-6372) or by signing up online on the Inova Blood Donor Services Website<http://www.inovabloodsaves/org/index.cf m?group=op&step=2&opid=10845>. All donors are asked to arrive at their scheduled appointment time.

To give blood, donors must be feeling generally well on the day of their donation, be at least 16 years old (with parental consent), weigh at least 110 pounds and not have donated blood in the past eight weeks (56 days) for whole blood or 112 days for double red cells. For more information about eligibility requirements call 1-866-BLOODSAVES or visit

inova.org/donateblood.

Aspects of each potential donor’s health history are discussed as part of the donation process before any blood is collected. Each donor receives a brief examination during which temperature, blood pressure and hemoglobin (iron level) are measured.

Inova Blood Donor Services is the major supplier of blood products in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area.

Landover, Md.

African American Heroes & Advocates Costume Contest

The Prince George’s Sports & Learning Complex will host a costume contest to celebrate Black History Month on Feb. 28. Dress as one of your favorite African-American heroes and recite a speech pertaining to the Civil Rights Movement. The best presentation will win a prize.

For more information: www.pgparks.com.

Laurel, Md.

Montpelier Mansion to Honor Maryland’s Historic Black Scientists

On Feb. 25, Montpelier Mansion staffers will honor the contributions made by Maryland African-American scientists during a special ceremony at the Deerfield Run Community Center in Laurel.

For more information: Pgparks.com.

District Heights, Md. Cupcakes & Cocktails

On March 22, the fourth annual Cupcakes & Cocktails Diva Soiree will be hosted at the SPX Event Hall in District Heights, Md. The event, which showcases womenowned businesses and organizations, will feature numerous activities, workshops, giveaways, vendors and more.

For more information: Eventbrite.com.

Deltas to Host Distinguished Men Cookin’ 2014 The Washington D.C. Alumnae chapter of Delta Sigma Theta will host their annual “Distinguished Men Cookin’” fundraiser on March 22. The annual event features the city’s finest skilled chefs and benefit the chapter’s community outreach programs and special initiatives.

For more information: Wdac.org.

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March 1, 2014 - March 7, 2014, The Afro-American

A7

COMMENTARY

Hard-working Americans deserve a raise

No working American should be forced to survive in poverty. That is why I am proud to be an original co-sponsor of the proposed “Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2013,” (H.R.1010) introduced by U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-Calif). Our bill would increase the federal minimum wage to $10.10 per hour over three years, increase the minimum wage for tipped workers, and adjust America’s basic wage level for future increases in the cost of living.

H.R. 1010 has gained 189 Elijah Cummings co-sponsors in the House of Representatives, including six of my seven Maryland colleagues. The companion legislation in the Senate (S.460), introduced by Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin, now has 33 co-sponsors, including Maryland senators Barbara Mikulski and Ben Cardin. Yet, despite this substantial body of supporters in Washington, not a single Republican has demonstrated the foresight to co-sponsor this reform legislation – or allowed a House floor vote on this critically important measure.

This month, the national minimum wage debate gained heightened energy when the Congressional Budget Office offered its projections.

Increasing the minimum wage, the CBO estimated, would expand earnings for 16.5 million low-wage Americans who currently earn less than $10.10 per hour. With this straightforward legislative action, the CBO projected, 900,000 Americans will be lifted out of poverty.

However, there is less unanimity among economists about the impact of a minimum wage raise upon overall employment. The CBO estimated that raising the minimum wage could reduce employment nationally by about three-tenths of a percent (or 500,000 jobs), a viewpoint trumpeted by Republican opponents. It acknowledged, however, that actual job losses could be somewhat more OR “very slight.”

White House Chief Economist Jason Furman and Jared Bernstein of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, among others, have advanced a more optimistic viewpoint, declaring that “the overall consensus of economists [is that] raising the minimum wage

would have little or no impact on employment.”

In light of the high proportion of minimum wage jobs in the service and retail sectors, I believe any reduction in overall employment should be slight. Even if there are some temporary minimum wage job losses, that challenge will be dwarfed by the positive gains – more than 16 million working Americans with more resources to support their families.

That is why I joined Maryland Gov. O’Malley, Lt. Gov. Brown, and the 66 Senate and House co-sponsors in support of Maryland’s minimum wage initiatives (SB 331 / HB 295). Assuring a fair day’s pay for every Marylander who is willing to work hard is long overdue – and, after considering the facts, I believe most Marylanders will agree.

As a moral society, we must face this central economic reality. A neighbor working full-time at minimum wage earns only $14,500 per year – less than the poverty line. Nationally, nearly two-thirds of these minimum wage workers are women – and a raise in their pay would lift more than 8 million children up in life.

The majority of minimum wage workers are Caucasian (57 percent), but it should surprise no one that minorities are disproportionately represented: one out of every six is African American, and one out of five is Latino. Most minimum wage workers are not teenagers earning spending money. Eighty-four percent of these workers are older than 20.

There is a strong social justice element to our cause. Yet, all of us have a very practical stake in raising the minimum wage.

Since minimum wage workers have limited income to spend in our consumer-driven economy, poverty wage jobs continue to be a substantial drag upon the expanded economic growth ALL of us need. Experts like the Economic Policy Institute have concluded that raising Maryland’s basic wage would directly benefit 455,000 working neighbors and generate $456 million in new economic activity.

Moreover, when a neighbor is working at poverty wages, we

all must pick up the cost of their food stamps, subsidized housing, healthcare, and related social welfare costs. What that means is that through our tax dollars, we all are subsidizing employers who pay only the current minimum wage.

There is a better, more humane, way – legislation that affirms our work ethic as a society. Increasing the minimum wage in stages to $10.10 per hour – and lifting more of our neighbors above the poverty line – should result in additional taxes paid by low-wage workers and reduce the upward pressure on social welfare costs.

To their credit, many business owners agree. The Economic Policy Institute reports that 65 percent of business owners polled in April 2013 believe a higher minimum wage will result in an increased demand for their products and will help to reduce dependence on taxpayer-funded programs focused on assisting lower wage earners.

It is time to move beyond an economy increasingly devoted to poverty-level wages. Hard-working Americans deserve a raise.

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

Valuing Black Life Six months after George Zimmerman was acquitted for shooting and killing 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, a trial involving similar circumstances concluded.

This time the defendant, Michael Dunn, was convicted on three counts of attempted murder for shooting into a car occupied by four Black teenagers.

Jurors could not agree on the most serious charge of firstdegree murder, which requires establishing a premeditated intent to kill. Since the shots killed Jordan Davis after Dunn told F. Michael Davis and the other teenagers Higginbotham to turn down the radio in their car, since Dunn remained in the parking lot for several minuåtes after the argument occurred, and since Dunn failed to call 911 and left the scene once his passenger returned, both a murder charge and an attempted murder charge were filed. At trial, Dunn claimed he saw a gun in the teenagers’ car and felt threatened, invoking the stand your ground law to justify deadly force.

No gun was found, and testimony by the three surviving teenagers, and other witnesses, undermined Dunn’s claim of feeling threatened.

While an attempted murder conviction related to the three surviving teenagers seems appropriate, the jury’s failure to convict on the murder charge is perplexing. This failure raises long held concerns that race continues to infect perceptions by some jurors, resulting in decisions conveying the message that Black life is not equal to White life.

While the prosecutor has indicated she will seek a retrial on the first-degree murder charge, it is important to recognize that racial inequality in the administration of justice today is an unfortunate reality. America is not post-racial. While the causes of inequality are more complex than they were under the discriminatory criminal laws of the Jim Crow Era, inequity through racial profiling, prosecutorial discretion, and disparate sentencing remains.

Death penalty cases reveal attorneys general seek capital punishment at much higher rates when the victim is White. White federal defendants are more likely to have death sentences reduced to life through plea-bargaining. Almost 80 percent of persons on death row have been convicted of crimes against White victims, despite the fact that Blacks are more likely to be victims of homicide.

How can one explain disparate sentencing in the cases of Tim Carter and Richard Thomas without pointing to race? Tim Carter and Richard Thomas were arrested, in separate incidents, three months apart, in 2004, in nearly the same Florida location.

Police found one rock of cocaine on Carter, who is White, and a crack pipe with cocaine residue on Thomas, who is Black. Both men claimed drug addictions. Neither had prior felony arrests or convictions, and both potentially faced five years in prison. Carter had his prosecution withheld, and the judge sent him to drug rehabilitation.

Thomas was prosecuted, convicted and sent to prison. The only other apparent difference was race.

The statistics on New York City’s stop-and-frisk practices, where Blacks and Latinos make up 50 percent of the population but 83 percent of the stops, are a result of America’s long, and recent, history of inequality. Of the over 4 million stops during the last decade, only 6 percentå resulted in further action, of which 2 percent involved weapons violations. Stop-and-frisk allows police wide discretion to detain minorities who have demonstrated little (if any) indication of wrongdoing.

We must not ignore the role race continues to play. Race continues to be significant in creating suspicion of crime. Fear of Black teenagers is accepted as normal. In some cases, it appears murder is an acceptable response.

While many may look at Dunn’s potential 60-year sentence as adequate justice, the underlying message of the failure to convict on the first-degree murder charge reaffirms notions of racial hierarchy present in the criminal justice system since slavery.

In 1855, a Black slave woman named Celia killed her White owner, Robert Newsom, after he had repeatedly raped her for several years. Celia was convicted of murder and hanged. Her defense of justification, based on resisting an attempted rape, was rejected by the Missouri trial court because she was a slave. Four years earlier, in Virginia, a slave owner had been convicted of second-degree murder for killing his slave, Sam, after whipping and torturing him. While punishing a slave owner for killing his slave was rare, the sentence of five years imprisonment is revealing. The inconsequential sentence for such a brutal crime indicates how little value was placed on Sam’s humanity.

The disparate sentencing treatment between Black and White defendants in 1855 continues to be reflected today. Although White Americans use marijuana at roughly the same rate as Blacks, African Americans are four times more likely to be arrested on charges of marijuana possession. White defendants in stand your ground states such as Florida, where self-defense laws do not require retreat when one feels threatened, are four times more likely to be acquitted when the victim is Black than when the victim is White, evidencing that Black life is not equally valued within our criminal justice system.

F. Michael Higginbotham, a professor of law at the University of Baltimore, is the author of Ghosts of Jim Crow: Ending Racism in Post Racial America.

Carrying the Torch for Freedom, Justice and Equality The best way to recognize and celebrate African-American History Month is make more history. We need to look at our new generation of young, committed, and talented freedom fighters and usher them to their rightful place in AfricanAmerican history.

There are valid and urgent reasons why we need the Civil Rights Movement revitalized by a vibrant cadre of skillful and productive hip-hop artists.

We need their God-given gifts and talents to arouse the Benjamin F. consciousness of millions of Chavis Jr. young people to take action in the interests of freedom, justice, equality and empowerment. With the systematic right-wing attack on voting rights, growing income inequality, persistent poverty and unemployment, and the critical need to rebuild sustainable economic development in the African-American community, no one should be exempt from active participation in today’s ongoing freedom and

empowerment movement.

Both Hip-Hop and the Civil Rights Movement have at their core the notion of irrepressible perseverance. There is a steadfast hope that change will come as a result of consistently standing up to injustice even when the odds are not in your favor. When we sang “We Shall Overcome,” it was a song to overcome fear and hopelessness.

In the wake of the Trayvon Martin and Jordan Davis murders in Florida, we cannot permit fear and cynicism to overtake selfdetermination or our responsibility to continue demanding equal justice. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. eloquently explained, “Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle. So we must straighten our backs and work for our freedom. A man can’t ride you unless your back is bent.”

The prophetic utterances of Tupac Shakur strike a similar note.

Tupac said, “I know it seems hard sometimes but remember one thing.

Through every dark night, there’s a bright day after that. So no matter how hard it gets, stick your chest out, keep ya’ head up . . . handle it!”

Rosa Parks was fearless in her determination to reject the indignity of racial injustice and inequity. She said, “I have learned over the years that when one’s mind is made up, this diminishes fear; knowing what must be done does away fear.”

Erykah Badu echoes these sentiments when she sings, “This pain to remain the same outweighs the pain to change… When you get tired enough is when you begin to want to sacrifice everything inside of you

– the fear just leaves.”

Public Enemy and Run DMC, two Hip-Hop giants, were trailblazers of the music genre that “spit truth to power” by lyrically representing the aspirations of millions of youth throughout the world. They understood the strategic importance of not accepting or submitting to the injustices of the status quo. Hip-Hop culture became the culture of resistance to racial prejudice, yet pushed for a new world order and for “flipping the script” on global inequity and poverty.

My argument is not that the Civil Rights Movement or Hip-Hop is without contradictions. Simply, it is that our long struggle for freedom, justice, and equality is at its best when we understand that all people and all genres of music and culture should strive to make our society and world not a perfect place, but a better place.

Fannie Lou Hamer, one of the Civil Rights Movement’s most effective grassroots organizers, said, “I am sick and tired of being sick and tired.” Today, when we witness the penetrating lyrics, dance, and music of Beyonce, it reminds me of Hamer. Beyonce extolled, “I worked hard and sacrificed to get what I get. Ladies it ain’t easy being independent.” Fighting for freedom and liberation are not easy, but are necessary for human progress.

Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. is president of Education Online Services Corporation and the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network and can be reached at http://drbenjaminfchavisjr.wix.com/drbfc.

A8

The Afro-American, March 1, 2014 - March 7, 2014

Why the Environmental Community Should Support Cove Point An open letter from Dominion’s Chief Environmentalist The environment is my profession and my passion. Because of that, I am acutely aware that producing life’s essentials is never free or without impact on our world. That is true of everything from food and housing to transportation and energy. The key is finding the right balance.

Dominion’s project to add natural gas liquefaction and export capabilities to our Cove Point facility in Calvert County is based on just such a balance. There is no question it would bring thousands of construction jobs and tens of millions of dollars in annual tax revenues to Maryland. It also has important implications for the nation’s balance of trade and international relations. And counter to what some may say, it has long-term, quantifiable environmental benefits.

Here is why.

Exporting liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Cove Point to replace coal abroad would help reduce global greenhouse gas emissions. Even project critics admit this is true based on estimates from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

This takes into account both CO2 emissions from burning the natural gas and the effects of producing, processing and shipping it. In the case of Cove Point, it could mean avoiding millions of tons of CO2 emissions every year.

The design of the Cove Point project also makes it good for the environment. It will have one of the smallest environmental footprints of all the LNG export projects proposed in the United States and will be built within the confines of existing facilities. There is no need to construct a new pipeline, storage tanks or a pier to load ships.

And it will recycle heat from the liquefaction process to generate electricity, thus avoiding as much as another 300,000 tons of CO2 equivalent each year.

Moving forward with the Cove Point project also means keeping a good corporate citizen on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay. In the dozen years since Dominion has owned the facility, we have led the rescue and restoration of the largest freshwater marsh on the bay’s western shore and funded one of the bay’s largest oyster restoration projects. We also built the first LEED-certified building in Calvert County. And Dominion has donated more than $2.3 million to charitable endeavors in the state while supporting our employees in their thousands of hours of volunteer time.

This is not a question of either building the Cove Point project or pursuing renewable energy. Dominion is proof you can do both. Our company has enough renewable generation in production, construction or planning to power more than 800,000 homes. Thanks in part to $1.2 billion in investments and the ongoing closing, sale or conversion of 11 coal-fired power stations, we have one of the cleanest generating fleets in the country. Our carbon emissions compared with the amount of electricity we produce is among the lowest of the nation’s major utilities.

Cove Point also is not a proxy for the debate on “fracking.” If natural gas does not come to Cove Point, all indications are it will still be produced and go elsewhere. In fact, some of it already is. New pipelines are being built, and the flows of existing ones are being reversed to take Marcellus and Utica shale gas to the south, northeast and west. Some of these pipelines ultimately will connect to LNG export projects in other states.

The global market for LNG is real and growing. Nations without sufficient resources look to LNG imports as a cleaner, dependable alternative to coal. India, one of the markets for Cove Point’s gas, today produces about 60 percent of its electricity from coal and is poised to eclipse China as the world’s largest importer of coal used for power generation.

The United States should and will participate in that global LNG marketplace. We have enough natural gas to meet our needs and sell some to allies overseas without significantly affecting domestic prices. For that reason, President Obama made it a pillar of his Climate Action Plan, alongside renewable generation and energy conservation. Support also comes from countless working men and women, labor and business leaders, elected officials on both sides of the aisle and many, many others.

Separate the hyperbole and histrionics from the facts, and the answer is clear. Moving forward with Dominion’s Cove Point project strikes the right balance. It is good for the economy. It is good for international relations. It is good for the environment. Added together, it is good for Maryland and the United States.

Pamela F. Faggert Chief Environmental Officer & Vice President-Corporate Compliance Dominion

@Dom_CovePoint

To learn more visit dom.com/covepoint

March 1, 2014 - March 7, 2014, The Afro-American

MLK Support Group Celebrates Our History The Martin Luther King Jr. DC Support Group hosted its Annual Scholarship Luncheon and Fashion Show, Jan. 20, at Martin’s Crosswinds, Greenbelt, Md. While celebrating the life and legacy of Dr. King, on a larger scale, they celebrated the history of an inspiring people, African Americans. In so doing, the Honorable Sterling Tucker was presented the 2014 Humanitarian Award and several students were presented with academic scholarships. Andrea Roane, CH-9 TV served as the emcee. The afternoon was capped off with a fast tempo, New York styled fashion show presented by Lovely Lady Boutique. The Rev. Lewis Anthony, Episcopal Director for Ecumenical Affairs, AME Zion Church gave the benediction.

Courtesy photos

Anita Bonds, D.C. City Council; President Beverly H. Griggs, founder, the Honorable Sterling Tucker, 2014 Humanitarian Award recipient; Andrea Roane WUSA 9, Anthony W. Frederick Sr., chairman of the board The fashions were the highlight

Rev. John S. Barckley, former president of the MLK Support Group and treasurer with Sheila Barckley

Joan Douglas Jordan, recording secretary Dr. Helen V. Tate, founder and Julia Marshall

The Harrison sisters: Minnie McDonald, Beverly Griggs and Yvonne Whitmon

Anthony W. Frederick Sr., Dorothy S. Fauntroy, Dr. Helen V. Tate, Beverly Harrison Griggs, Carmen H. Frederick, Ron Magnus, Phyllis Ballenger, Yvonne “Ms. Butterfly” Harris, Rev. Dr. George E. Holmes, Yvonne Brown, Rev. Lewis Anthony, Joan Douglas-Jordan

Gwend Johnson, CBTU; Caiya Hawkins, Roosevelt SHS; President Beverly H. Griggs, Anthony W. Frederick Sr, chairman of the board; Jelard Aquino, Oxon Hill HS, Joyce Feaster, Andrea Rowan

Ruth, the fashion show commentator and Gregory, one of the male models

Wyonette Brown, first vice president

Hospitality committee, first row: Carmen H. Frederick, Local 657; Wyonette Brown, first vice president; Dr. Helen V. Tate, founder and former president; Beverly Harrison Griggs, president; Joan Douglas- Jordan, recording secretary; Shirley Lambert, chaplain; Gwend Johnson, CBTU. Second row: Anthony W. Frederick Sr., chairman of the board; Phyllis Ballenger, Yvonne Harris, financial sec.; Yvonne Brown, treasurer; Eula Lee Clark, Carolyn Bledsoe, Rev. John S. Barckley, past president and treasurer, Alonzo Brown

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The NEA Foundation Board of Directors with Phylica Rashad, host and Tony Award-winning actress

Host Phylicia Rashad, Tony Award-winning actress best known as Claire Huxtable on “The Cosby Show”

Dean E. Vogel, left, president of California Teachers Association (CTA); Gary Phoebus, president and CEO of NEA Member Benefits; Kimberley Gilles, teacher from Danville, Calif., and recipient of NEA Member Benefits Awards for Teaching Excellence (with husband and daughter); Mark Chichester, chair of the NEA Foundation board; Harriet Sanford, president and CEO, NEA Foundation; Dennis Van Roekel, NEA president

Tony-award winning actress Phylicia Rashad hosted the NEA Foundation’s Salute to Excellence in Education Gala Feb. 7, in Washington, D.C., to honor 36 exceptional public school educators. Known as the Academy Awards of public education, the NEA Foundation’s gala is an annual celebration of the men and women who work in America’s public schools. Nearly 80 student Harriet Sanford, performers from Montgomery County Public Schools, president and CEO of entertained with talent as huge as the world they the NEA Foundation presented through music, song, dance, and poetry.

Photos by NEA and Fotobriceno An eleventh-grader and award-winning poet, Blessed Sheriff, inspired with her original poem, “This is what my teachers said” and the show’s finale, “On the definition of hope,” which she performed with Rashad.

The top honor, the NEA Member Benefits Award for Teaching Harriet Sanford, left, president and CEO of the NEA Foundation; Horace Excellence, went to Mann Award recipients Christopher Stone (Conn.), Kathleen Sims (Minn.), Kimberley Gilles, an Kimberley Gilles (Calif.), Marita Zuraitis, president and CEO of Horace English teacher at Monte Mann Educators Corporation, Horace Mann Award recipients Eileen Vista School in Danville, Sheehy (Mont.), Brian Sites (Wash.), Dennis Van Roekel, NEA president Calif., nominated by the California Teachers Association.

The NEA Foundation also honored the transformational work of Special Olympics, the recipient of our Security Benefit Award for Outstanding Service Phylicia Rashad with Mark Chichester, left, chair of the to Public Education, student performer, NEA Foundation Board of Directors; accepted by Chairman Blessed Sheriff, an Harriet Sanford, president and CEO of Dr. Timothy Shriver. eleventh-grader at the NEA Foundation; Phylica Rashad, Richard Montgomery The entire show was host, Tony Award-winning actress; High School in also seen by awardees’ John Stocks, NEA executive director; Rockville, Md. and students, colleagues, and Dennis Van Roekel, NEA president award-winning poet communities via a live webcast.

Mark Chichester, left, chair of the NEA Foundation Board of Directors; Harriet Sanford, president and CEO of the NEA Foundation; Horace Mann Award recipients Christopher Stone (Conn.); Eileen Sheehy (Mont.), Kathleen Sims (Minn.); Michael P. Kiley, CEO of Security Benefit Corporation; Horace Mann Award recipients Kimberley Gilles (Calif.) and Brian Sites (Wash.)

Performance by “Titanes Salseros,” a Latin dance group from Albert Einstein High School in Kensington, Md.

African drumming performance by Montgomery County

Dr. Timothy Shriver, chairman of Special Olympics, accepting the Security Benefit Awards for Outstanding Service to Public Education on its behalf

Phylicia Rashad, Beau Brown, chairman and CEO of California Casualty; Harriet Sanford, president and CEO of the NEA Foundation

Mark Chichester, left, chair of the NEA Foundation board; host and Tony Award-winning actress Phylicia Rashad; Jerry L. Johnson, member of the NEA Foundation board

Student performers from Montgomery County Public Schools

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The Afro-American, March 1, 2014 - March 7, 2014

March 1, 2014 - March 7, 2014, The Afro-American

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ARTS & CULTURE

Whitaker’s Wonderful Wit and Wisdom

By Kam Williams

Forest Whitaker is a distinguished artist and humanist. He is the founder of PeaceEarth Foundation, co-founder and chair of the International Institute for Peace and since 2011 served as UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Peace and Reconciliation.

He is also a talented, versatile performer and one of Hollywood’s most accomplished figures. He has received prestigious artistic (Photo by Patti Perrett/Courtesy of RottenTomatoes) distinctions including the Forest Whitaker, in a scene from his new film Repentance, 2006 Academy Award for Best portrays the grief of his character, Angel Sanchez.

Actor for his performance in The Last King of Scotland as Ugandan dictator Idi Amin.

Forest has dedicated most of his time the past decade to extensive humanitarian work. His social awareness has compelled him to seek ways of using the film medium as a means to raise peoples’ consciousness. To that end, he produced the award-winning documentary Kassim the Dream, which tells the poignant story of a Ugandan child soldier turned world championship boxer; Rising From Ashes, which profiles genocide survivors of the Rwandan war who have risen from wooden bicycles to competing in the Olympics; Serving Life, which focuses on hospice care for prisoners at Louisiana’s Angola Prison; and the Emmy-nominated and Peabody Award-winning Brick City, which takes a look at life in inner-city Newark, New Jersey.

In 2007, he received the Cinema for Peace Award for his selfless and ongoing advocacy for child soldiers, as well as for his work with inner-city youth. The following year, he served as a member of the Urban Policy Committee and currently sits on the board of the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities (PCAH).

In 2013, Boston University’s Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center appointed Forest as a Martin Luther King Jr. Fellow. In addition, he currently serves as a Senior Research Scholar at Rutgers University, and as a Visiting Professor at Ringling College of Art and Design.

Here, he talks about his latest movie, Repentance, a psychological thriller co-starring Anthony Mackie, Sanaa Lathan, Nicole Ari Parker, and Mike Epps.

KW: I really enjoyed this new movie, Repentance. Although it is a little different, for some reason it reminded me of an art house film of yours many people might have missed called Ripple Effect.

FW: It’s very different, in a way, because my character in Ripple Effect was very actualized.

In that case, he totally forgave the lead character played by Philippe Caland, who happens to be the director of this movie.

KW: I didn’t realize that.

FW: Yeah, Philippe’s character in Ripple Effect was tormented and unable to move past the things he’d done in his past. So, it’s a similar thematic.

KW: I have a lot of questions from fans. Let’s start with Editor/Legist Patricia Turnier who asks: What interested you in producing and starring in Repentance?

FW: I’d say the fact that it’s a movie that talks about dealing with your past issues and past pain, and being able to move forward in the future from that. I think that’s a lesson that we all have to deal with and learn from. In addition, the film offered me a great opportunity to do a really interesting character with an amazing cast of actors, and to be directed by a friend and associate, one of my partners. We own a company together. So, a lot of things came together to make this happen for us.

KW: What message do you think people will take away from Repentance?

FW: Understanding and searching for the truth by dealing with issues from the past, by taking them out and allowing them to be present so that you can move past them or with them into your future. I think this film suggests it’s possible to address even those hidden secrets that we keep sequestered under the rug of our minds.

KW: Vassar Film Professor Mia Mask asks: How do you prepare for a role? What steps do you take to understand and become Angel Sanchez?

FW: I read a number of different books and articles on mental illness… about schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, medications and issues surrounding those topics. And I also did some interviews with people dealing with those things. So, that helped shaped part of Angel. For the rest of it, I tried to look at grief and pain. I wanted to understand the stages of grief, and the escalation that might happen if this person was in deep pursuit of the truth about the loss of his mother, and then you put the other stuff on top of that. So, I just kept piling it on until it started to leak out in the movie.

KW: Harriet Pakula-Teweles says: Thank you for The Butler -- your performance and that of the great ensemble cast made the movie truly memorable. What consideration enters into your decision to take on a role?

FW: I think every character bears it, but I’d like to know that the movie’s going to shed some more light on our humanity, and open up another door for me. I think the biggest thing that motivates me when I’m choosing a part is a role that will help me continue to grow as a person and as an artist, and a role that will deepen my understanding of humanity, and my connection to it.

KW: Environmental activist Grace Sinden says: I loved you in The Butler. Is there a particular role that you would like to do next, if you could choose any one you want?

FW: Well, I’ve been playing around and toying with doing the Louie Armstrong story.

I’ve developed a script we’ve been working on. It still may happen. That’s interesting to me.

Otherwise, I’m just looking for characters that continue to make me stretch and grow and learn more about the human condition.

(See more on afro.com)

Oscar Predictions 2014

FRANCE

Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord

The Envelope Please: Who Will Win, Who Deserves to Win, Who Was Snubbed

The Suit

Based on The Suit by Can Themba, Mothobi Mutloatse, and Barney Simon Direction, adaptation, and musical direction by Peter Brook, Marie-Hélène Estienne, and Franck Krawczyk

By Kam Williams 12 Years a Slave is benefiting from the most Best Picture buzz as we approach Oscar night, although this is shaping up as one of those rare years when the award for Best Director will probably go to a different film, Gravity. Look for 12 Years to net only a trio of statuettes overall, with Gravity likely landing seven.

12 Years a Slave is the sort of elaborate historical drama the voters just love to recognize, as reflected in such past picks as The King’s Speech, Gladiator, Shakespeare in Love, Titanic, The English Patient, Schindler’s List, Driving Miss Daisy, The Last Emperor, Amadeus and Out of Africa, to name a few. And since the Anglophilic Academy ostensibly is impressed by English accents, it will also help that 12 Years is a British production.

Besides forecasting the winners, I also suggest which nominees in each category is actually the most deserving. Furthermore, because some great performances are invariably overlooked by the Academy entirely, I also point out some who should’ve at least been nominated.

The 86th Academy Awards will air live on ABC, 8:30 p.m., March 2 and will be hosted by Ellen DeGeneres.

“Witty inventiveness… a world that brims with juicy, appetizing life.

Everyone on stage is pretty close to perfect.”

—The New York Times

When Philomen, a middle-class lawyer, catches his wife Matilda having an affair, he forces her to treat her lover’s left-behind suit as an honored guest—feeding it, entertaining it, and taking it for walks as a constant reminder of her adultery. But the setting of Sophiatown, a teeming South African township that was erased under apartheid soon after Can Themba wrote his classic short story The Suit, is as much a character in the story as his unfortunate couple. Renowned director Peter Brook’s French stage adaptation is now given new life by returning to the source language of English. Working with his long-time collaborator Marie-Hélène Estienne and composer Franck Krawczyk, they have adapted the play and set it to music from sources as diverse as Franz Schubert and Miriam Makeba.

Brook and Estienne’s work was last seen at the Kennedy Center in Samuel Beckett’s Fragments in 2011.

Free Explore the Arts Post-Performance Discussion: March 11 In English. Recommended for mature audiences.

March 11–13 at 7:30 p.m.

Terrace Theater SOUTH AFRICA

Baxter Theatre Centre

Best Picture

(U.S. PREMIERE)

Solomon and Marion

Will Win: 12 Years a Slave Deserves to Win: 12 Years a Slave Overlooked: The Butler

Written and directed by Lara Foot with Dame Janet Suzman and Khayalethu Anthony

Best Director Will Win: Alphonso Cuaron (Gravity) Deserves to Win: Steve McQueen (12 Years a Slave) Overlooked: Lee Daniels (The Butler) “Janet Suzman is quietly moving…Khayalethu Anthony is hugely engaging.”

Best Actor Will Win: Matthew McConaughey (Dallas Buyers Club) Deserves to Win: Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave) Overlooked: Forest Whitaker (The Butler)

—The Guardian (UK)

Featuring Dame Janet Suzman, one of the world’s most revered actresses of stage and screen (famed for her work with the Royal Shakespeare Company, a two-time Olivier Award nominee, and an Academy Award® nominee for Nicholas and Alexandra), Solomon and Marion is the story of two injured souls searching for redemption in the fragile, post-apartheid South Africa. Marion has watched her life drain away. Children and husband gone, she ekes out an existence in a country utterly transformed.

But it’s the only home she has. As the new South Africa prepares for the World Cup finals, old divisions and suspicions seem as deep as ever, and the intruder she has been expecting, dreading, and needing arrives.

Free Explore the Arts Post-Performance Discussion: March 28 In English. Recommended for mature audiences.

March 28 & 29 at 7:30 p.m. | Mar. 30 at 2 p.m.

Terrace Theater Presenting Underwriter HRH Foundation

Best Actress

Major support is provided by David and Alice Rubenstein.

Additional support is provided by A. Huda and Samia Farouki, The Florence Gould Foundation, The Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation,

Will Win: Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine) Deserves to Win: Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine) Overlooked: Sharni Vinson (You’re Next)

Amalia Perea Mahoney and William Mahoney, The Laura Pels International Foundation for Theater, and the State Plaza Hotel.

International government support is provided by the Ministry of Culture of the People’s Republic of China, the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the United States, the Embassy of Israel in the United States, the Canada Council for the Arts, The National Theatre of Iceland, and the Japan Foundation.

Major support for education and related artistic programming is provided by David and Alice Rubenstein through the Rubenstein Arts Access Program, the National Committee for the Performing Arts, and the President’s Advisory Committee on the Arts.

Best Supporting Actor Will Win: Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club) Deserves to Win: Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club) Overlooked: Harrison Ford (42)

International Programming at the Kennedy Center is made possible through the generosity of the Kennedy Center International Committee on the Arts.

Tickets & more info (202) 467-4600 kennedy-center.org/worldstages Tickets also available at the Box Office | Groups (202) 416-8400 (See more on afro.com)

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The Afro-American, March 1, 2014 - March 7, 2014

The ‘Greatest Show on Earth’ Has a Black Ringmaster

By Linda Armstrong Special to the NNPA from the New York Amsterdam News Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus ringmaster Johnathan Lee Iverson “Legends” is the name of the 144th edition of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, and it is coming to the Barclays Center on Feb. 20. The circus stars Harlem-raised African-American Johnathan Lee Iverson as its ringmaster and has had him in this role for over a decade. Although the show is currently on tour in other cities, Iverson took the time to do an interview with the AmNews. The Q&A follows.

Amsterdam News: How does it feel being the youngest and the first Black ringmaster in the history of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus?

Johnathan Lee Iverson: Recently during our engagement in Birmingham, Ala., two grandmothers approached me with grins as wide as the state: “We couldn’t even go to a circus when we were young … seeing you out there just gives me goose bumps.”

I didn’t have to march countless and treacherous miles to gain rights already guaranteed me as a citizen of the United States. I didn’t have to bear the brunt of brutality, indignities and government–endorsed policies designed to oppress me. As James Baldwin would say, “[My] crown has already been bought and paid for. All [I] have to do is wear it.” Well, I wear a top hat, and every time I put it on, I thank my Heavenly Father and my glorious ancestors, and then I get to work.

AmNews: What part of New York are you from?

J.L.I.: I am a native of the Upper West Side by Central Park West, but I was raised in Harlem.

AmNews: When you were a child growing up, what was it about the circus that you enjoyed the most?

J.L.I.: The circus, particularly Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey, which was the circus (still is), was otherworldly to me. It was like entering “a living dream,” as Ernest Hemingway once quipped. I loved everything, from the scent of cotton candy to the famous menagerie, to my all –time favorite act, the “Globe of Steel.”

AmNews: When you are performing your duties as a ringmaster, how does it make you feel?

J.L.I.: Responsible! Tens of thousands of strangers have entrusted us with their time, money and imaginations.

AmNews: What are the challenges that you face as a ringmaster?

J.L.I.: Endurance! I perform well over 400 live shows annually, which require me to sing

My Take

Celebrating the American Ambassador in Black History

By Carlton McLellan, Ph.D. Special to the AFRO Black history studies are about celebrating, elevating, and even critiquing Black leadership in every field of human endeavor. However, other than Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice, the first two Black Secretaries of State, or Ralph Bunch, the first Black American to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his leadership in Arab-Israeli conflict negotiations, many are unaware of the contributions of other Black leaders in diplomacy/international affairs.

Black American U.S. ambassadors are one such group. Since 1893 when the rank “ambassador” was first used to describe the highest ranking U.S. official in a country, there have only been 139 Black Americans to hold this rank.

These 139 ambassadors have served 197 times in over 100 postings and have included 90 men and 49 women. Sub-Saharan Africa has hosted a Black American ambassador 125 times, with Liberia topping the list with eight. The Caribbean has been equally active with 12 Black American ambassadorial appointments; while the United Nations has also hosted eight. Politically, Republican presidents have successfully deployed a Black American ambassador 99 times and Democrats 98. Seventy-nine have chosen the U.S. Foreign Service as their profession, while 60, called non-career or political appointees, have come from other professions.

Of particular note are Edward Dudley (Liberia, 1949), the 1st Black American

ambassador; Clifton Wharton Sr. (Norway, 1961), the 1st Black American to be appointed ambassador to a non-African country; Patricia Roberts Harris (Luxemburg, 1965), the 1st Black American woman ambassador; Terrence Todman (Chad, 1969; Guinea, 1972; Costa Rica, 1974; Spain, 1978; Denmark, 1983, and, Argentina, 1989) appointed the most of any Black American; or the three most powerful Americans within the United Nation’s system during the period around 2010, Ambassadors Susan Rice (USUN/New York, 2009), Betty King (USUN/Geneva, 2010), and Ertharin Cousin (USUN/Rome, 2010). Furthermore, Ulric St. Clair Haynes Jr., while ambassador to Algeria, was instrumental in the negotiations leading to the 1981 release of American hostages in Iran. James Joseph was the only U.S. ambassador (South Africa, 1995) who had the honor of presenting his diplomatic credentials to President Nelson Mandela, South Africa’s global human rights icon.

Their professional diversity, capacity for leadership, accomplishments, and varying personal characteristics suggest that the stories of these Black leaders will be valuable to those interested in diplomacy/ international affairs and leadership. The lives and professional experiences are full of inspirational stories of achievement and overcoming obstacles. This is a challenge to further explore the influences of these Black leaders. What better time to start than right now – Black History Month!

Ringmaster Johnathan Lee Iverson and announce in addition to promoting the show via the press and speaking at schools. The ringmaster is not only a performer—he’s an ambassador.

AmNews: How many years have you been a ringmaster with Ringling Bros.?

J.L.I.: This is my 16th year. I began my career in 1998. I took a hiatus from 2004-2009, but I was still working with the “Greatest Show on Earth” during that time, so I include those years.

It’s like the Sawdust Mafia—once you’re in, you’re in.

AmNews: How do you enjoy traveling the country, touring with your wife, who is employed by the circus, and your young children?

J.L.I.: I couldn’t ask for anything better. We live, work and play together. The “Greatest Show on Earth” provides both a nursery and school, and as parents, we use our travels as a means of educating our children as well.

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Call today and let us help build your business, promote your organization or market your products and services.

Carlton McLellan, Ph.D. can be reached at carlton@myinternational.org.

UNIVERSAL PICTURES AND STUDIOCANAL PRESENT A SILVER PICTURES PRODUCTION IN ASSOCIATION WITH ANTON CAPITAL ENTERTAINMENT S.C.A. AND LOVEFILM A JAUME COLLET-SERRA FILM LIAM NEESON “NON-STOP” JULIANNE MOORE SCOOT MCNAIRY MICHELLE DOCKERY NATE PARKER JASON BUTLER HARNER EXECUTIVE STEVE RICHARDS RON HALPERN OLIVIER COURSON HERBERT W. GAINS JEFF WADLOW AND ANSON MOUNT MUSICBY JOHN OTTMAN PRODUCERS STORY SCREENPLAY PRODUCED

BY JOHN W. RICHARDSON & CHRIS ROACH AND RYAN ENGLE

BY JOEL SILVER ANDREW RONA ALEX HEINEMAN BY JOHN W. RICHARDSON & CHRIS ROACH DIRECTED A UNIVERSAL RELEASE

BY JAUME COLLET-SERRA THIS FILM CONTAINS DEPICTIONS OF TOBACCO CONSUMPTION

© 2013 UNIVERSAL STUDIOS

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March 1, 2014 - March 7, 2014, The Afro-American

AFRO Sports Desk Faceoff

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SPORTS

With Win over OKC, Did LeBron Surpass Durant in Race for NBA MVP?

By Perry Green and Stephen D. Riley AFRO Sports Desk Oklahoma City Thunder star Kevin Durant was so dominant during the first half of the season that many basketball pundits were ready to name him this year’s NBA MVP. The Prince Georges County, Md. native averages a leaguehigh 31 points and went on an unprecedented 12-game streak during January in which he scored at least 30 points or more, so it’s understandable why Durant was widely considered the front-runner for MVP honors.

But that may have changed on Feb. 20 when LeBron James reminded the world of who was MVP in each of the last two seasons, and why this year’s MVP race is far from over. James completely dominated Durant and the Thunder, scoring a game-high 33 points in a commanding 103-81 win over OKC. Durant scored 28 points, but he was invisible early in the game, allowing James to take control of the game and perhaps of the MVP race, too. Did LeBron prove he’s still the NBA’s MVP? The AFRO Sports Desk debates the question: Wikimedia Commons

Riley: Sorry, Durant.

It was fun while it lasted, but the thought of another player besides King James winning MVP is now over. Deep down inside, we all knew LeBron was still the best basketball player on the planet. He started out a little relaxed during the first half of the season, but that’s probably because he was just bored with dominating the competition and wanted to make things interesting. But the AllStar break has come and gone and the second half of the season is always the time to turn it up a notch. Well, James definitely turned up on Durant, scoring the first 12 points of the game while Durant went scoreless in the first 16 minutes of action.

LeBron probably would have ended with more than 40 points, but OKC’s Serge Ibaka broke James’ nose and ended the fun.

Too bad Ibaka didn’t end it sooner, because LeBron did enough to prove why he should win his third-straight MVP, and the fifth of his illustrious career.

Oklahoma City Thunder star Kevin Durant

Green: It’s amazing just how short a memory people can have. I understand this is a “what have you done for me lately” league, but come on. Are we really going to let one game completely erase a half season worth of production? LeBron has one dominant game, and he automatically leaps ahead of a player who has led his team to the top record in the Western Wikimedia Commons Conference, easily the Miami Heat’s LeBron James more difficult conference to compete in compared to the weak Eastern Conference. By the way, LeBron’s Miami is only in second place in that lesser conference.

It’s just plain stupid to glorify LeBron’s performance last week and totally ignore how Durant embarrassed LeBron the first time they faced off on Jan. 29. The only difference between the two games is OKC star point guard Russell Westbrook, who returned from an injury in the second matchup and was so rusty after missing nearly 30 games that he naturally disrupted the offensive rhythm of his team. So while LeBron came out gunning to redeem himself from Jan. 29, Durant was more focused on getting his running mate into the flow of the offense.

Riley: Are we in the business of making excuses for superstar players, or are we sports journalists that tell it how we see it? Because what I saw out there was LeBron stepping up to the challenge and Durant disappearing, almost the same way he disappeared in the 2012 Finals. In fact, Durant’s performance—or lack thereof—was so ugly that I’m really hoping the Thunder don’t make it back to the Finals this year, just so we don’t have to see a repeat of that earlier beat down.

Nobody wants to watch that kind of Finals series. We want to see a tightly contested series that will go to seven games. I don’t think Durant and OKC will challenge the King enough to

AP Photo

Women’s bobsleigh silver medalists Elana Meyers, left, and Lauryn Williams celebrate during their medals ceremony at the 2014 Winter Olympics.

Black Olympians at Sochi

Williams, Myers Make American Olympic History in Bobsled Event

By Perry Green AFRO Sports Editor American bobsledders Elana Myers and Lauryn Williams made Olympic history for their home country on Feb. 19, winning silver in the two-woman bobsled event at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

Williams, 30, won a gold medal in the 100-meter sprint relay race during the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. She hoped to

become the first American woman to win a gold medal in both the Summer and Winter Olympic Games, but came up just a bit short.

However, winning silver as the driver in the two-woman race still put her in the history books as the first American woman to win any medal in both seasons.

“I didn’t come here to make history,” Williams said after the event, according to Fox Sports. “I came here to help Team USA and I feel like I did. It wasn’t about history

for me. It wasn’t about the medal for me. It’s all about the journey.”

Williams’ teammate Meyers also etched her place in history by becoming the first U.S. woman to win multiple Olympic medals in a bobsled event. Meyers, 29, won a bronze medal as the brakeman in the twowoman bobsled event during the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver.

Fellow Americans Jamie Greubel and Aja Evans also placed in the event, earning

the bronze medal. American hurdler Lolo Jones, who switched to the bobsled event in hopes of winning her first Olympic medal, paired up with American Jasmine Fenlator but finished in 11th place.

Kaillie Humphries and Heather Moyse of Canada took home the gold medal.

Brazilians Sally Mayara Da Silva and Fabiana Santos, who survived a horrific accident during a practice run on Feb. 16, finished in 19th place.

Roosevelt Defeats Coolidge, Advances to Fourth-Straight DCIAA Title Game

By Breana Pitts Special to the AFRO Roosevelt Roughriders junior forward Deion Haynes scored 21 points with 13 rebounds off the bench to lead his team to a 96-84 victory over the Coolidge Colts in a District of Columbia Interscholastic Athletic Association(DCIAA) semifinal playoff game on Feb. 22 in Washington, D.C. The top-seeded Roosevelt established itself as the team to beat in the DCIAA, but they also have a long history with rival Coolidge. Last year, a late free throw gave Coolidge a 62-61 victory in its second straight DCIAA title game against Roosevelt.

There was no way Roosevelt was going to lose to Coolidge again. Senior forward Jibreel Faulkner set the tone early, putting the first points on the board with a slam dunk.

“For the returning players, we had a momentum to come back to beat them, because we lost by one,” said Faulkner. “To have the other guys come in and be as focused as we were...it was amazing to bring it all together.”

“They have a tremendous program over there at Coolidge. [Head coach] Vaughn Jones does a great job. We knew it would be a challenge trying to beat them on their floor, but our kids believed,” said Roosevelt head coach Rob Nickens.

Without their star player, high-flying senior forward Jamall Gregory, Coolidge failed to create shots on offense. Led by senior guard and La Salle commit Johnnie Shuler, Roosevelt came out strong on both ends of the court, and had a 15-point lead by halftime.

In the second half, Coolidge finally found their rhythm, but Roosevelt had an answer for every point. Coolidge senior forward Doug Farley scored a game-high 33 points, but it wasn’t enough to upset Roosevelt.

Senior guard Jarrell Allen added 15 points, while junior forward Anthony Whitney contributed 16 points for Roosevelt.

“Earlier in the season, we were playing a lot of slow basketball. We just conditioned the second half of the season, we picked the pace up. As you can see, now it’s pedal to the medal. We’re pressing all out,” said Coach Nickens.

Roosevelt will face the H.D. Woodson Warriors in the DCIAA Championship Game on Feb. 25 at Coolidge High School in Washington, D.C. The last time these teams met, senior guard and Roosevelt transfer Devin Smith scored the game-winning shot to give Woodson a 54-53 victory. offer us that.

Green: It’s not an excuse; it’s an analytical breakdown of exactly what happened on the court. You said it yourself: Durant didn’t score a point during the first 16 minutes of the game. But it wasn’t because he was missing shots. Durant didn’t score early because he didn’t take a single shot attempt in the first 16 minutes of the game. LeBron came out firing, taking the first eight shots for Miami. He had something to prove to the world. I think it’s a telling sign that Durant didn’t even try to go back-and-forth with LeBron during that moment.

As I previously explained, Durant wasn’t interested in an ego

contest with James. He was focused on getting Westbrook in a rhythm. That obviously hurt OKC’s chances of winning the game and I believe that, from a fan’s perspective, it wasn’t the right game for Westbrook to make his return. We wanted to see Durant vs. LeBron, one on one, in a battle of the two best players, just as we saw on Jan. 29 when Westbrook was still sidelined. We didn’t get the anticipated showdown because Durant was focused on being a great teammate. But don’t get it twisted. I still believe Durant, when he wants to, can outplay any player in the game, including the great LeBron James. And he’s still well on his way to winning the first MVP honor of his career.

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Superior Court of the District of District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2014ADM123 Margareta Roberts NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Maurice Roberts whose address is 7425 Norwalk Court, Manassas, VA. 20112 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Margareta Roberts, who died on June 22, 2013 with a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose where-abouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent´s will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor Wa s h i n g t o n , D . C .

20001, on or before August 21, 2014. 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 August 21, 2014, 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: February 21, 2014 Name of newspaper: Afro-American Washington Law Reporter Maurice G. Roberts Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS 02/21, 02/28, 03/07/14

Superior Court of the District of District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2014ADM102 Tumie C.. Hurd A.K.A. Tumie C. Hurd Sr. Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Evelyn E.C. Turner, whose address is 5127 South Dakota Avenue, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20017 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Tumie C. Hurd A.K.A. Tumie C. Hurd Sr. who died on January 14, 2014 with a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose where-abouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent´s will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor Wa s h i n g t o n , D . C .

20001, on or before August 21, 2014. 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 August 21, 2014, 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: February 21, 2014 Name of newspaper: Afro-American Washington Law Reporter Evelyn E.C. Turner Personal Representative

TYPESET: Tue Feb 25 13:00:16 EST 2014 Superior Court of the District of District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2014ADM85 Jerome White Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Lorraine Saunders, whose address is 8830 Piney Branch Rd #1201, Silver Spring, MD 20903 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Jerome White who died on September 29, 1985 with 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 August 28, 2014. 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 August 28, 2014, 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: February 28, 2014 Name of newspaper: Afro-American Washington Law Reporter Lorraine Saunders Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS 02/28, 03/07, 03/14/14

Superior Court of the District of District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2014ADM77 Thelma Spivey Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Beverly Shorts, whose address is 2510 22nd Street, NE, Washington, D.C. 20018 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Thelma Spivey, who died on September 25, 2013 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 August 21, 2014. 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 August 21, 2014, 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: February 21, 2014 Name of newspaper: Afro-American Washington Law Reporter Beverly Shorts Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS

TYPESET: Tue Feb 18

02/21, 02/28, 03/07/14 TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS TYPESET: Tue Feb 18 11:46:03 EST 2014 Superior Court of 02/21, 02/28, 03/07/14 the District of District of Columbia Superior Court of the District of PROBATE DIVISION District of Columbia Washington, D.C. PROBATE DIVISION 20001-2131 Washington, D.C. Administration No. 20001-2131 2013ADM423 Administration No. Eula Mae Andrews 2014ADM96 Decedent James M. Minor NOTICE OF Decedent APPOINTMENT, Thomas H. Queen, Esq. NOTICE TO 530 Eighth Street, SE CREDITORS Washington, DC 20003 AND NOTICE TO Attorney UNKNOWN HEIRS NOTICE OF Wa n d a Yv o n n e A n APPOINTMENT, drews, whose address is NOTICE TO 908 Castlewood Drive, CREDITORS Upper Marlboro, MD AND NOTICE TO 20774 was appointed UNKNOWN HEIRS Eunice Jackson, whose personal representative address is 1014 Peconic of the estate of Eula Mae Lane, Upper Marlboro, Andrews, who died on MD 20774 was apSeptember 3, 2012 with pointed personal repre- a Will, and will serve withsentative of the estate of James M. Minor who out Court supervision. All died on September 11, unknown heirs and heirs 2013 without a Will and whose whereabouts are will serve without Court unknown shall enter their supervision. All unknown a p p e a r a n c e i n t h i s heirs and heirs whose proceeding. Objections whereabouts are un- to such appointment (or known shall enter their to the probate of deappearance in this cedent´s will) shall be proceeding. Objections to such appointment filed with the Register of shall be filed with the Wills, D.C., 515 5th Register of Wills, D.C., Street, N.W., 3rd Floor 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd W a s h i n g t o n , D . C .

Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before Au20001, on or before Au- gust 21, 2014. Claims gust 21, 2014. Claims against the decedent against the decedent shall be presented to the shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or be- undersigned, on or before August 21, 2014, or fore August 21, 2014, or be forever barred. Per- be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs sons believed to be heirs or legatees of the de- or legatees of the decedent who do not re- cedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of ceive a copy of this notice its first publication shall by mail within 25 days of so inform the Register of its first publication shall Wills, including name, so inform the Register of address and relation- Wills, including name, ship. address and relationDate of Publication: ship.

February 21, 2014 Date of Publication: Name of newspaper: February 21, 2014 Afro-American Name of newspaper: Washington Afro-American Law Reporter Washington Eunice Jackson Law Reporter Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS 02/21, 02/28, 03/07/14

TYPESET: Tue Feb 18 12:36:55 EST 2014

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Wanda Yvonne Andrews Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS 02/21, 02/28, 03/07/14

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TYPESET: Tue Feb 18 11:39:54 EST 2014 TYPESET: Feb 18 11:37:00 EST 2014 TYPESET: Tue Feb 18 11:38:36 ESTTue 2014 LEGAL NOTICES LEGAL NOTICES

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

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WASHINGTON AFRO-AMERICAN NEWSPAPER Legal Advertising RatesCourt of Superior the District of Effective October 1, 2008 District of Columbia

PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C.

PROBATE DIVISION 20001-2131 No. (Estates)Administration 2013ADM785 John William 202-332-0080 McMullen PROBATE NOTICES Decedent

TYPESET: Tue Feb 25 13:01:07

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF NOTICE OF COLUMBIA APPOINTMENT, PROBATE a. Order Nisi $ 60 per insertion $180.00 per 3DIVISION NOTICE TO Washington, D.C. CREDITORS weeks 20001-2131 AND NOTICE TO Administration No. b. Small Estates (single publication $ 60 per insertion UNKNOWN HEIRS 2014ADM165 C a r menlita Williams c. Notice to Creditors whose address is 12869 Estate of 1. Domestic $ 60 perClimbing insertion per 3 Adele Sawicki Ivy Drive, Ger- $180.00 mantown MD 20874 was A.K.A. weeks Adele M. Sawicki appointed personal re2. Foreign $ 60 perpresentative insertion per 3 Deceased of the estate $180.00 NOTICE OF of John William McMulweeks STANDARD len, who died on Septemd. Escheated Estates $ 60 perberinsertion per 6 7, 2012 without a $360.00PROBATE Will, and will serve with- Notice is hereby given weeksEST 2014 11:41:31 that a petition has been out Court supervision. All e. Standard Probates filed in this Court by unknown heirs and heirs $125.00 whose where-abouts are Barbara Lunney for stanunknown shall enter their dard probate, including CIVIL NOTICES a p p e a r a n c e i n t h i s the appoint-ment of one more personal proceeding. Objections $ o r80.00 a. Name Changes 202-879-1133 to such appointment represen-tative. Unless a shall be filed with the $ complaint b. Real Property 200.00 or an objection Register of Wills, D.C., i n a c c o r d a n c e w i t h 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Superior Court Probate Floor Washington, D.C. Division Rule 407 is filed FAMILY COURT 20001, on or before Au- in this Court within 30 gust 14, 2014. Claims days from the date of first 202-879-1212 against the decedent publication of this notice, DOMESTIC RELATIONS shall be presented to the the Court may take the undersigned with a copy action hereinafter set 202-879-0157 to the Register of Wills or 0forth.

Admit to probate the will filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the dated February 17, 1996 a. Absent Defendant 150.00 with the petition undersigned, on or be- $ exhibited proof satisfactory to fore August 14, 2014, or $ upon b. Absolute Divorce 150.00 be forever barred. Per- the Court of due execution by affidavit of the witc. Custody Divorce sons believed to be heirs $150.00 or otherwise or legatees of the de- nesses 0 Ordered any interested cedent who do not reperson to show ceive262, a copy of this notice To place your ad, call 1-800-237-6892, ext.

Public Notices $50.00 & upcause by mail within 25 days of why the provisions of the destroyed will depending on size, Baltimore Legal are $24.84 per or inch. its Notices first publication shall lost so inform the Register of dated February 17, 1996 1-800 (AFRO) 892 should not be admitted to Wills, including name, as expressed in and relation- probate For Proof of Publication, please address call 1-800-237-6892, ext. 244 the petition ship.

0 Appoint an unDate of Publication: superivised peronal reFebruary 14, 2014 presentative TYPESET: Feb 25 12:58:40 2014 TYPESET: Tue Feb 11 12:26:05 ESTTue 2014 Name ofEST LEGAL NOTICES LEGAL NOTICES LEGALnewspaper: NOTICES LEGAL NOTICES Register of Wills Afro-American Clerk of the Probate DiWashington vision SUPERIOR COURT OF Law Reporter Superior Court of THE DISTRICT OF Carmenlita Williams Date of First Publication the District of COLUMBIA Personal February 28, 2014 District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Representative Names of Newspapers: PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. Washington Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Law Reporter TRUE TEST COPY 20001-2131 Foreign No. Washington REGISTER OF WILLS Administration No. 2014FEP16 AFRO-AMERICAN TYPESET: Tue Feb 25 13:01:07 EST 2014 2013ADM785 Date of Death 02/14, 02/21, 02/28/14 John William July 5,2013 Alan B. Frankie Bar McMullen Laura W. Blake Decedent SUPERIOR COURT OF #251173 Decedent 751 Rockville Pike, #7 NOTICE OF THE DISTRICT OF NOTICE OF Rockville, MD 20852 APPOINTMENT APPOINTMENT, COLUMBIA Signature of OF FOREIGN NOTICE TO PROBATE DIVISION Petitioners/Attorney PERSONAL CREDITORS Washington, D.C. REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO 20001-2131 02/28, 03/07/14 AND UNKNOWN HEIRS Administration No. NOTICE TO Carmenlita Williams 2014ADM165 CREDITORS whose address is 12869 Estate of Brenda A.Lockley whose Climbing Ivy Drive, Ger- Adele Sawicki address is 700 Grand mantown MD 20874 was A.K.A. Canal Drive, Kissimee, appointed personal re- Adele M. Sawicki FL 34759 was appointed presentative of the estate Deceased personal representative NOTICE OF of John William McMulof the estate of Laura W. STANDARD len, who died on SeptemBlake, deceased, on PROBATE ber 7, 2012 without a September 3, 2013, by Will, and will serve with- Notice is hereby given the Circuit Court for Osceola County, State of out Court supervision. All that a petition has been Florida. unknown heirs and heirs filed in this Court by Service of process may whose where-abouts are Barbara Lunney for stanbe made upon Beverly L. unknown shall enter their dard probate, including Harris 2637 Patricia Robthe appoint-ment of one appearance in this erts Harris Place, N.E., proceeding. Objections o r m o r e p e r s o n a l Washington, D.C. 20018 to such appointment represen-tative. Unless a whose designation as shall be filed with the complaint or an objection District of Columbia Register of Wills, D.C., i n a c c o r d a n c e w i t h agent has been filed with 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Superior Court Probate the Register of Wills, Floor Washington, D.C. Division Rule 407 is filed D.C. 20001, on or before Au- in this Court within 30 Claims against the gust 14, 2014. Claims days from the date of first decendent may be preagainst the decedent publication of this notice, sented to the undershall be presented to the the Court may take the signed and filed with the Register of Wills for the undersigned with a copy action hereinafter set District of Columbia, to the Register of Wills or forth.

Building A, 515 5th filed with the Register of 0 Admit to probate the will street, N.W., 3rd Floor, Wills with a copy to the dated February 17, 1996 Washington, D.C. 20001 undersigned, on or be- exhibited with the petition within 6 months from the fore August 14, 2014, or upon proof satisfactory to date of first publication of be forever barred. Per- the Court of due executhis notice. sons believed to be heirs tion by affidavit of the witor legatees of the de- nesses or otherwise Brenda A. Lockley cedent who do not re- 0 Ordered any interested Personal ceive a copy of this notice person to show cause Representative by mail within 25 days of why the provisions of the TRUE TEST COPY its first publication shall lost or destroyed will REGISTER OF WILLS so inform the Register of dated February 17, 1996 Date of first publication: Wills, including name, should not be admitted to February 14, 2014 Name of newspapers address and relation- probate as expressed in and/or periodical: the petition ship.

0 The Daily Washington Appoint an unDate of Publication: Law Reporter superivised peronal reFebruary 14, 2014 The Afro-American presentative Name of newspaper: Register of Wills Afro-American 02/14, 02/21, 02/28/14 Clerk of the Probate DiWashington vision Law Reporter Carmenlita Williams Date of First Publication Personal February 28, 2014 Representative Names of Newspapers: Washington

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shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before August 28, 2014. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy LEGAL NOTICES LEGAL NOTICES toLEGAL the Register of Wills or TYPESET: NOTICES TYPESET: Feb 18 11:47:51 EST 2014 12:54:10 ESTTue 2014 Tue Feb 18 15:37:01 filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or beSuperior Court of Superior Court of fore August 28, 2014, or the District of the District of be forever barred. PerDistrict of Columbia District of Columbia sons believed to be heirs PROBATE DIVISION PROBATE DIVISION or legatees of the deWashington, D.C. Washington, D.C. cedent who do not re20001-2131 20001-2131 ceive a copy of this notice Administration No. Administration No. by mail within 25 days of 2014ADM125 2012ADM286 its first publication shall Lawrence Clarke Denise Arlyn so inform the Register of Decedent Dickerson Wills, including name, William A. Bland, Decedent address and relation- Esquire NOTICE OF ship.

APPOINTMENT, 1140 Connecticut Ave, NOTICE TO Date of Publication: NW #1100 CREDITORS February 28, 2014 Washington, DC 20036 AND NOTICE TO Name of newspaper: NOTICE OF UNKNOWN HEIRS Afro-American APPOINTMENT, Bruce Dickerson, whose Washington NOTICE TO address is 530 Cedar Law Reporter CREDITORS Street NW, Washington, AND NOTICE TO DC 20012 was appointed UNKNOWN HEIRS Joyce Ann Brentley personal representative Personal Monica V. Jones, whose of the estate of Denise Representative address is 7814 Berry Arlyn Dickerson, who Place, District Heights, died on August 13, 2011 TRUE TEST COPY MD 20747 was apwithout a Will and will REGISTER OF WILLS pointed personal represerve without Court su- TYPESET: Tue Feb 25 12:50:36 sentativeEST of the2014 estate of pervision. All unknown 02/28, 03/07, 03/14/14 Lawrence Clarke, who heirs and heirs whose died on May 6, 2011 withwhereabouts are unout a Will and will serve Superior Court of known shall enter their without Court supervithe District of appearance in this sion. All unknown heirs District of Columbia proceeding. Objections and heirs whose PROBATE DIVISION to such appointment (or whereabouts are unWashington, D.C. to the probate of deknown shall enter their 20001-2131 cedent´s will) shall be appearance in this Administration No. filed with the Register of proceeding. Objections 2009ADM275 Wills, D.C., 515 5th to such appointment Street, N.W., 3rd Floor Jessie W. Littleford shall be filed with the A.K.A. Wa s h i n g t o n , D . C .

Register of Wills, D.C., Jessie Wiggins Little20001, on or before Au515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd gust 21, 2014. Claims ford Floor Washington, D.C. against the decedent Decedent 20001, on or before Aushall be presented to the David W. Kestner gust 21, 2014. Claims undersigned with a copy 5849 Allentown Road against the decedent Camp Springs, MD to the Register of Wills or shall be presented to the filed with the Register of 20746 undersigned with a copy Wills with a copy to the Attorney to the Register of Wills or NOTICE OF undersigned, on or befiled with the Register of APPOINTMENT, fore August 21, 2014, or Wills with a copy to the NOTICE TO be forever barred. Perundersigned, on or beCREDITORS sons believed to be heirs fore August 21, 2014, or AND NOTICE TO or legatees of the debe forever barred. PerUNKNOWN HEIRS cedent who do not resons believed to be heirs ceive a copy of this notice Phillip Littleford, whose or legatees of the deby mail within 25 days of address is 11703 Thrift cedent who do not reits first publication shall Road, Clinton, MD 20735 ceive a copy of this notice so inform the Register of wasappointed personal by mail within 25 days of Wills, including name, representative of the its first publication shall address and relation- estate of Jessie W. so inform the Register of Littleford A.K.A. Jessie ship.

Wiggins Littleford, who Wills, including name, Date of Publication: died on March 3, 2009 address and relationFebruary 21, 2014 without a Will and will ship.

Name of newspaper: serve without Court su- Date of Publication: Afro-American pervision. All unknown February 21, 2014 Washington heirs and heirs whose Name of newspaper: Law Reporter whereabouts are un- Afro-American Washington Bruce Dickerson known shall enter their Law Reporter Personal a p p e a r a n c e i n t h i s Representative proceeding. Objections Monica V. Jones to such appointment Personal shall be filed with the TRUE TEST COPY Representative Register of Wills, D.C., REGISTER OF WILLS 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd TYPESET: Tue Feb 25 12:51:09 EST 2014 Floor Washington, D.C. TRUE TEST COPY 02/21, 02/28, 03/07/14 20001, on or before Au- REGISTER OF WILLS gust 28, 2014. Claims 12:53:28 ESTCourt 2014 of Superior against the decedent 02/21, 02/28, 03/07/14 the District of shall be presented to the District of Columbia undersigned with a copy PROBATE DIVISION to the Register of Wills or Washington, D.C. filed with the Register of 20001-2131 Wills with a copy to the Administration No. undersigned, on or be2014ADM116 fore August 28, 2014, or Benjamin B. Joyce, Jr. be forever barred. PerDecedent sons believed to be heirs Brian W. Thompson, or legatees of the deEsq. cedent who do not re4530 Wisconsin Ave, ceive a copy of this notice NW, Suite 200 by mail within 25 days of Washington, DC 20016 its first publication shall Attorney so inform the Register of NOTICE OF Wills, including name, APPOINTMENT, address and relationNOTICE TO ship.

CREDITORS Date of Publication: AND NOTICE TO 02/28/2014 UNKNOWN HEIRS Name of newspaper: Joyce Ann Brentley, Afro-American whose address is 1604 Washington Timberline Road, Silver Law Reporter Spring, MD, 20904 was appointed personal rePhilip Littleford presentative of the estate Personal of Benjamin B. Joyce, Jr., Representative who died on March 17, 1995 without a Will and TRUE TEST COPY will serve without Court REGISTER OF WILLS supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose 02/28, 03/07, 03/14/14 whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment YOU KNOW shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., YOU’RE IN THE 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor Washington, D.C. KNOW...

20001, on or before AuWHEN YOU gust 28, 2014. Claims against the decedent READ THE shall be presented to the AFRO undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with theTue Register of 12:48:47 EST 2014 TYPESET: Feb 25 Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before August 28, 2014, DISTRICT OFor COLUMBIA WATERAND SEWER AUTHORITY be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs INVITATION TO BID or legatees of the decedent who do not re- INVITATION NO. 130030 ceive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of Thefirst District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority (DC Water) is soliciting bids for its publication shall Invitation Local Sewer Rehabilitation 1. so informNo. the 130030: RegisterG100: of Wills, including name, Work on this Contract comprises rehabilitation of storm, combined and sewer pipes address and relationand manholes. Work shall include the following: ship.

Date of Publication: 1.Install approximately 15,000 LF of CIPP in various sizes and located throughout February 28, 2014 the District.

Name of newspaper: Afro-American 2.Rehabilitation of laterals.

Washington Law Reporter 3.Complete various rehabilitation methods on approximately 140 manholes located throughout the District.

Joyce Ann Brentley Personal 4.Installation of about 10 new manholes.

Representative All parts of the Work and all fixtures, equipment, apparatus and other items indicated TRUE TEST COPY on the Drawings and not mentioned in the Specifications, or vice versa, and all work REGISTER WILLS and material OF usual and necessary to make the Work complete and satisfactory and ready for use and operation, whether or not they are indicated on the drawings or 02/28, 03/07, 03/14/14 mentioned in the Specifications, shall be furnished and executed as if both indicated on the Drawings and mentioned in the Specifications.

March 1, 2014 - March 7, 2014 The Afro-American LEGAL NOTICES LEGALEST NOTICES LEGALEST NOTICES LEGAL NOTICES LEGAL NOTICES TYPESET: Tue Feb 11 12:24:14 EST 2014 TYPESET: Tue Feb 11 12:25:29 EST 2014 LEGAL NOTICES TYPESET: Tue Feb 11 12:24:50 EST 2014 TYPESET: Tue Feb 25 12:59:33 2014 TYPESET: Tue Feb 25 12:57:01 2014 TYPESET: Tue Feb 25

Shirley E. Parker Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS

TYPESET: Tue Feb 25 02/28, 03/07, 03/14/14

Superior Court of the District of District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2014ADM126 Charles A. Stinger Jr. Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Sara E. Stinger, whose address is 2145 Suitland Terrace SE, Unit B, Washington, DC, 20020 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Charles A. Stinger Jr., who died on January 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 shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before August 21, 2014. 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 August 21, 2014, 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: February 21, 2014 Name of newspaper: Afro-American Washington Law Reporter Sara E. Stinger Personal Representative

Superior Court of the District of District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2014ADM130 Ray Vaughn Pyle, Sr Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Vincent J Pyle, whose address is 4601 17th Street, NW Washington, DC 20011, was, appointed personal representative of the estate of Ray Vaughn Pyle, Sr, who died on April 14, 2011 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 August 28, 2014. 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 August 28, 2014, 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: February 28, 2014 Name of newspaper: Afro-American Washington Law Reporter Vincent J Pyle Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER WILLS 12:57:35 ESTOF2014

TYPESET: Tue Feb 25 02/28, 03/07, 03/14/14

Superior Court of the District of District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2014ADM115 Donald H. McLaughlin Decedent Anthony P. Interdonato 12604 Glen Rd Potomac, MD 20854 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Anthony P. Interdonato, whose address is 12604 Glen Road, MD 20854 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Donald H. Mclaughlin, who died on November 1 ,2013 with a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose where-abouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent´s will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor Wa s h i n g t o n , D . C .

20001, on or before August 28, 2014. 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 August 28, 2014, 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: February 28, 2014 Name of newspaper: Afro-American Washington Law Reporter Anthony P. Interdonato Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS

TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS

02/21, 02/28, 03/07/14

02/28, 03/07, 03/14/14

To Subscribe to the AFRO Call 202-3320080

Superior Court of the District of District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2013ADM809 Audley Ricardo Hawkins A.K.A. A. Ricardo Hawkins Decedent Thomas L. Campbell, Esq. 3807 Minnesota Avenue, NE Washington. DC 20019 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Shawn S. Hawkins, whose address is 1646 First Ave., #5D, New York, NY 10028 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Audley Ricardo Hawkins a.k.a. A. Ricardo Hawkins, who died on June 26, 2013 with 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 August 14, 2014. 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 August 14, 2014, 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: February 14, 2014 Name of newspaper: Afro-American 12:56:10 EST 2014 Washington Law Reporter Shawn S. Hawkins Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS

TYPESET: Tue Feb 11 02/14, 02/21, 02/28/14

Superior Court of the District of District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2013ADM000955 Edward L. Gray, A.K.A. Edward L. Graye Decedent Larry C. Williams, Esq. 7600 Georgia Avenue, NW, Ste. 405 Washingtin, DC 20012-1616 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Roma L. Gray, whose address is 1200 N Street, NW, Apt. 403, Washington, DC 20005 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Edward L. Gray a.k.a.

Edward L. Graye, who died on May 17, 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 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 August 14, 2014. 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 August 14, 2014, 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: February 14, 2014 Name of newspaper: Afro-American Washington Law Reporter

Superior Court of the District of District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2014ADM97 Doris W. Carter Decedent W. Alton Lewis 1450 Mercantile Lane, #155 Largo, MD 20774 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Derek A. Carter, whose address is 10113 Bignonia Drive, Laurel, MD 20708 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Doris W. Cater, who died on June 30th, 2013 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose where-abouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before August 14, 2014. 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 August 14, 2014, 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: 02/14/14 Name of newspaper: Afro-American Washington Law Reporter Derek A. Carter Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS

Superior Court of the District of District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2013ADM1329 John P. Hill Decedent Glenn R. Bonard c/o Whiteford Taylor & Preston 1025 Connecticut Ave., NW, Ste 400 Washington, DC 20035 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Darrell T. Hill Sr., whose address is 13402 Overbrook Lane, Bowie, MD 20715 was appointed personal representative of the estate of John P. Hill, who died on January 25, 2008 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose where-abouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before August 14, 2014. 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 August 14, 2014, 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: February 14, 2014 Name of newspaper: Afro-American Washington Law Reporter Darrell T. Hill Sr. Personal Representative

TRUE TEST TYPESET: Tue Feb 25 14:54:59 ESTCOPY 2014 02/14, 02/21, 02/28/14

Superior Court of the District of District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 12:24:31 EST 2014 20001-2131 Administration No. 2014ADM61 Weldon S. Jenkins A.K.A. Weldon Stanley Jenkins Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Gail P. Headen, whose address is 1330 Hemlock St. NW, Washington DC 20012, was appointed personal representative of the estate of Weldon S. Jenkins A.K.A. Weldon Stanley Jenkins, who died on September 28, 2013 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 August 14, 2014. 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 August 14, 2014, 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: February 14, 2014 Name of newspaper: Afro-American Washington Law Reporter Gail P. Headen Personal Representative

REGISTER OF WILLS

Superior Court of the District of District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2014ADM131 Esther L. Barnes A.K.A. Esther Louise Barnes Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Belinda Pauls-Anderson, whose address is 1653 38th Street S.E., Washington, D.C. 20020 was appointed personal representative(s) of the estate of Esther L. Barnes A.K.A. Esther Louise Barnes, who died on September 1, 2013 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 Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before August 28, 2014. 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 August 28, 2014, 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: February 28, 2014 Name of newspaper: Afro-American Washington Law Reporter Belinda Pauls-Anderson Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS

TYPESET: Feb 25 02/28, 03/07,Tue TYPESET: Feb 11 12:25:46 EST 03/14/14 2014 02/14, 02/21,Tue 02/28/14 Superior Court of the District of District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2014ADM75 Norma Elizabeth Freeman Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Rhonda S. Jackson, whose address is 2404 Spencer Road, Silver Spring, MD 20910 was, were appointed personal representative of the estate of Norma Elizabeth Freeman, who died on December 10, 2013 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 August 14, 2014. 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 August 14, 2014, 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: February 14, 2014 Name of newspaper: Afro-American Washington Law Reporter

Superior Court of the District of District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2014ADM122 Dewitt Clinton Littlejohn Sr. A.K.A. Dewitt C. Littlejohn Sr. Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Gola M. Littlejohn, whose address is 120 Madison Street, N.W. Washington, DC 20011 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Dewitt Clinton Littlejohn Sr. A.K.A. Dewitt C. Littlejohn Sr., who died on January 11, 2014 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 August 28, 2014. 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 August 28, 2014, 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: 02/28/2014 Name of newspaper: Afro-American Washington Law Reporter

Rhonda S. Jackson Personal Representative

Gola M. Littlejohn Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS

TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS

TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS

02/14, 02/21, 02/28/14

02/14, 02/21, 02/28/14

02/28, 03/07, 03/14/14

Roma L. Gray Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS 02/14, 02/21, 02/28/14

SUPPORT OUR ADVERTISERS

Superior Court of the District of District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2014ADM138 Hattie Ann Morgan Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Shirley E. Parker, whose address is 3207 Vickers Rd, Baltimore, MD 21216 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Hattie Ann Morgan, who died on October 23, 2013 with a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose where-abouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent´s will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor Wa s h i n g t o n , D . C .

20001, on or before August 28, 2014. 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 August 24, 2014, 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: February 28, 2014 Name of newspaper: Afro-American Washington Law Reporter

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The project requires completion within 730 consecutive calendar days.

This project is estimated to cost between $12,000,000 and $14,000,000.

DC Water will receive Bids until 2:00 p.m., local standard time on March 26, 2014.

Bid for this project will be procured in the open market with preference given for the utilization of local and local small business enterprises. See Instructions to Bidders for additional information.

The Davis-Bacon wage determinations shall apply.

DC Water Owner Controlled Insurance Program will provide insurance.

Bid documents are available at the Department of Procurement, 5000 Overlook Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20032. Sets of Bidding Documents can be procured for a non-refundable fee payable to DC Water (see Paragraph 3.1 of Section 00 20 00 - Instructions to Bidders). Payment must be in the form of a money order, certified check or a company check. Documents can be shipped to Bidders providing a Federal Express account number.

The DC Water Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant is a secured facility. Persons intending to pick-up Bidding Documents are to contact the Department of Procurement at 202 787 2020 for access authorization.

For procurement information contact De’Nerika Johnson; email djohnson1@dcwater.com, (voice 202 787 2113).

For technical information contact: DETS-Construction.Bid.Inquiry@dcwater.com View DC Water website at www.dcwater.com for current and up coming solicitations.

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The Afro-American, March 1, 2014 - March 7, 2014