July 18, 2015 - July 18, 2015, The Afro-American A1 PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY EDITION
Volume 123 No. 51
JULY 25, 2015 - JULY 31, 2015
Baltimore
Washington • D.C. Kids Need to Learn How to Swim B1
• Balto. Laundromat Cleans Up D1
• Rambling Rose
D3
• D.C. Lobbyists Honor
Congressmen at Awards Ceremony B1
• Black Woman Opens First Cigar Lounge in Laurel B1
• George Clinton
Brings the P-Funk to Balto.’s Artscape D4
• Balto. Latest
Crime Tweets D1
Sandra Bland 1987-2015 AP photo
Jeanette Williams places a bouquet of roses at a memorial for Sandra Bland near Prairie View A&M University. A newly released dashcam video documents how a routine traffic stop escalated into a shouting confrontation between a Texas state trooper and Bland, which led to her arrest. Bland was found hanging in her jail cell three days after the incident.
• Carson Wins D.C. Straw
Poll, Iffy on Statehood B1
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Rep. Edwards Takes on Gun Violence in Senate Bid
AFRO File Photo
U.S. Rep. Donna Edwards is a 2016 candidate for the U.S. Senate.
By James Wright Special to the AFRO jwright@afro.com U.S. Rep. Donna Edwards (D-Md.) is running for the Democratic nomination to become her state’s next U.S. senator. She has made fighting gun violence and restricting the easy availability of firearms integral parts of her platform. “I was very frustrated that when the horrible murders that took place in Charleston in June, the House of Representatives gathered together only for
a moment of silence in recognition of it,” Edwards said in reference to the June 17th killing of nine Blacks at the Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, S.C. “We, in the House, need to do something real like pass gun control legislation instead of just having a moment of silence when something happens.” Statistics on the website of Heeding God’s Call (heedinggodscall.org), a national anti-gun violence organization, report that more than 30,000 people are killed each year by gun violence and that 30 people are shot and murdered
throughout the country each day. The website also states that 50 percent of those shot or murdered are between the ages of 18 and 35 and that homicide is the chief cause of death for people between the ages of 15 and 24. The website said homicide by gun violence is the chief cause of death among Blacks 15-24 years old. Edwards believes there should be an extensive, law enforcement-based background check for anyone who wants
Continued on A3
Reps. Chris Smith, Maxine Waters Promote Alzheimer’s Awareness By Shantella Y. Sherman Special to the AFRO ssherman@afro.com Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) and Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.) recently introduced Alzheimer’s Action Now, a package of four bills that will help Alzheimer’s patients and their families. The legislation aims to
promote public awareness of Alzheimer’s disease and encourage voluntary contributions to research efforts. The package offers provisions to address every aspect of diagnosing, treating, and living with Alzheimer’s. The Alzheimer’s Caregiver Support Act (H.R. 3090) authorizes grants
Dr. George Cooper, HBCU Icon, Dies at 70 By AFRO Staff The Obama administration, U.S. Department of Education, and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) across the United States, including schools in the D.C. and Baltimore metropolitan areas are in mourning over the passing of Dr. George Cooper. Dr. Cooper served as the executive director of the White House Initiative on HBCUs. According to news reports, he died suddenly on July 19 following an illness. A cause Continued on A4
to public and non-profit organizations to expand training and support services for families and caregivers of Alzheimer’s patients. The Missing Alzheimer’s
Disease Patient Alert Program Reauthorization Act (H.R. 3091) reauthorizes a Department of Justice program that helps local communities and law
enforcement officials quickly identify persons with Alzheimer’s disease who wander away from their homes and reunite them with their families. The Alzheimer’s Continued on A3
Courtesy photo
CBC Warrior Fighting for Life Patrons of local casinos admonished to take note of their surroundings and suspicious characters in lieu of recent robberies.
Concerns Grow over Robberies of Maryland Live! Casino Patrons By Shantella Y. Sherman Special to the AFRO ssherman@afro.com
Courtesy photo
Dr. George Cooper
Since December, roughly a dozen robberies have occurred in which casino patrons at Maryland casinos were surveilled as they exited with winnings and followed to their homes before being robbed by armed suspects, according to police and court reports in several and Maryland and Virginia jurisdictions. The most recent incident involved a 66-year-old woman followed from Maryland Live! Casino and robbed of her $1000-winnings at gunpoint in front of her Fairfax home. Shot in the arm attempting to hold on to Continued on A3
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Retired Congressman Louis Stokes has been diagnosed with brain and lung cancer. The founder of the CBC Health Braintrust is 90 years old. AFRO editorial: Congressman Louis Stokes Is a Political Giant A5