Prince Georges Afro-American Newspaper July 6 2013

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PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY EDITION

Volume 121 No. 48

JULY 6, 2013 - JULY 12, 2013

Voting Rights Advocates Face Uphill Battle By Freddie Allen NNPA Washington Correspondent WASHINGTON (NNPA) – In the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s 5-4 ruling in Shelby County v. Holder, striking down section 4 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, civil rights organizations and voting rights advocates are preparing to battle against an expected avalanche of new voting laws to wipe out the incredible gains generated by the 1965 Voting Rights Act. The ruling effectively ended voting rights protections under section 5, forcing Congress to update the coverage formula that required nine states and the counties and jurisdictions in six other states to preclear any changes to state and local voting laws with the Justice Department or a federal court. Writing the majority opinion for the Supreme Court’s decision, Justice Anthony Kennedy acknowledged that “voting

INSIDE A7

A Shameful Decision on Voting by the Supreme Court

A8

Book review: “O say can you see” may not mean the same for Blacks

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Hilary Shelton, D.C. bureau chief of the NAACP discrimination still exists,” but challenged the relevancy of the section 4 coverage formula originally crafted nearly 50 years ago. However, Congress has extended the law, saying it is still needed. Hours after the Supreme Court decision, state officials in Texas and South Carolina announced that they were moving forward with new voting regulations that civil rights groups say will disproportionately disenfranchise Black, Latino and poor voters.

“All the states and jurisdictions that were covered by section 5 utilizing the section 4 formula have now been released,” said Hilary Shelton, Washington, D.C. bureau chief of the NAACP. In a June 2013 study released a few weeks before the Shelby County v. Holder decision, a Brennan Center for Justice report stated, “In the most recent legislative session and as of April 29, 2013, 28 restrictive voting bills were introduced in the states that are covered, wholly or in part, by Section 5. Two have already passed, and 17 are still pending as of June 10, 2013. The bills introduced include, for example, a strict photo identification requirement in Virginia, restrictions on early voting and same-day registration in North Carolina, and a South Carolina bill requiring documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote.” Kimberlé Crenshaw, co-founder of the African Continued on A4

Delta Centennial Convention

The Deltas are Coming! By Zenitha Prince Special to the AFRO

The lighting of an Olympic-style torch at Howard University on July 11 will launch the 51st National Convention of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, part of a yearlong celebration of the group’s 100-year legacy of Black sisterhood, advocacy and service. Beginning Jan. 1, the group has memorialized its founding with a historic participation in the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, Calif.; a Delta Torch Tour across 22 cities; a Hollywood gala; Centennial Founders Day Weekend and a reenactment of the Women’s Suffrage March, among other activities. From July 11-17, Washington, D.C., and the surrounding areas will be awash in hues of crimson and cream as thousands of the sorority’s 250,000 initiated members, who represent over 900 chapters in the United States, the Bahamas, Bermuda, Germany, Jamaica, Japan, the Republic of Korea and the U.S. Virgin Islands, join with invited guests and other well-wishers for the centennial festivities. “This is not only a momentous occasion for our organization, but a testament to the power of all women determined to change the world for the better and be a voice for the underprivileged and underserved,” said National President Cynthia M.A. Butler-McIntyre in a statement. “The accomplishments of Delta Sigma Theta over the past 100 years give us many reasons to be thankful and require us to pause to pay tribute to our founders, past leadership, and all those who have helped us along our journey.” “One year of celebrating those successes may not be long enough to honor those who came before us,” she added. “It will take a lifetime to truly give them and our founders the honor they deserve.” The biennial conference will convene under the sorority’s theme of the past two years, “Delta Sigma Theta- A Sisterhood Called to Serve: Transforming Lives, Impacting Communities.” Continued on A4

Former UNCF Head, ex-Congressman and Pastor William H. Gray, Dies at 71 By AFRO Staff William H. Gray III, pastor, former United Negro College Fund chief and a member of Congress who was the first Black to chair the House Budget Committee, died July 1 in London at the age of 71. “Bill Gray was a trailblazer, proudly representing his beloved Philadelphia in Congress for over a decade as the first African-American to chair the Budget Committee and

to serve as the Majority Whip,” President Obama said July 2 in remarks noting Gray’s death and legislative legacy. “Bill’s extraordinary leadership, on issues from housing to transportation to supporting efforts that ended Apartheid in South Africa, made our communities, our country and our world a more just place.” The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation issued a statement calling Gray a ‘man of integrity” who would

Our Mother of Africa Chapel

National Shrine Jewel Depicts Powerful History By CeLillianne Green Special to the AFRO Many visitors have difficulty describing the emotion the chapel evokes. Some describe the peace they feel there, others the connection to history. For some, it is the most profound religious experience they can recall. Though the responses vary, each visitor seems to have one thing in common: They leave the Our Mother of Africa chapel at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, in Northeast Washington, deeply moved. The experience begins before visitors even enter the chapel, at the threshold, where the marble floor is inlaid with an abstract image of the 17th century slave

surely be missed. “His dedicated leadership benefitted the African diaspora,” said CBCF Chairman Rep. Chaka Fattah (D-Pa.). The statement went on to say that in addition to “serving with distinction as pastor at Bright Hope Baptist Church for 36 years in Philadelphia… Rep. Gray founded Gray Global Advisors following his work at UNCF. His life’s work Continued on A4

Maxwell’s Career Path Takes Him Back Home By Courtney Jacobs AFRO Staff Writer For Kevin Maxwell, the recent call from County Executive Rushern Baker III was both a summons to run Prince George’s County’s public school system and an

invitation to come home. “This is my home,” said Maxwell, the newly appointed superintendent for Prince George’s County Schools. “I never left because this is my home.” Although he was born in Northern Virginia,

Photos by Courtney Jacobs

Kevin Maxwell speaks at his announcement ceremony on June 28 at Northwestern High School in Hyattsville, Md.

Continued on A3

Chapel alcove featuring a shrine of Our Mother of Africa and Her Divine Son

Our Mother of Africa and Her Divine Son

Maxwell speaks with attendees at the ceremony.

Copyright © 2013 by the Afro-American Company

Maxwell has always lived in the Maryland suburb of Washington, D.C. He attended Kentland Elementary, Kent Junior High and Bladensburg High School, all in Prince George’s Continued on A4


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