September 7, 2013 - September 13, 2013, The Afro-American
Members of the 75th Airborne Rangers
Army Veteran Edgar Brookins and Col. La’Tonya Lynn with some of the famed Tuskegee Airmen
Lt. Col. Wendy Rivers, Col. Anita Dixon, Chap. (Lt. Col.) Myrtle Bowen, Col. La’Tonya Lynn and Lt. Col. Priscilla Smalls
Cadets from Bowie State University
Dr. Bernard Watson, coexecutive producer of the documentary and Marine Corps Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Clifford Stanley, MD
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WUSA9 News Noonday Anchor, JC Hayward interviewing Tuskegee Airmen
Marines in attendance
One Solution Founder Cathy Hughes and Walmart hosted a special reception and film screening of the documentary Veterans of Color on Aug 21, at the AFI Theater in Silver James Winbush and Mel Forbes, National Col. Fern Sumpter, Spring, Md. Over 300 veterans including members of the Chairman, Army Commander, Advisory Board and famed Tuskegee Airmen, active duty service members Joint Base Myerhis daughter with and national and local dignitaries came to witness the Henderson Hall Darnell Lee screening of the documentary chronicling the oftenuntold patriotic stories of Blacks in the military during World War II, the Korean War and Vietnam. Guests included Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.); Dr. Bernard Watson, the film’s coSharonda Britton of Wal-Mart, Dr. AKAs: Dr. Allena Willis, Col. Tia executive producer; Bernard Watson and Alfred Liggins Johnson and Stacey Mangham Sharonda Britton III, CEO/President, Radio One of Walmart; Tanya Bradshers of the White House; Sylvia Cyrus of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History and Dr. Bernard Watson, Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), Cathy Hughes, Sylvia Cyrus and Tanya Marine Corps retired Maj. Bradshers Gen. Clifford Stanley, MD.
Robert and Jackie Griffin, Joe and Gwen Howze, Renee Allen and Walter Kirkland with Lt. Col. (Ret.) Tyree Webster in the back row
Tanya Henman, Chap(Lt. Col.), Myrtle Bowen, Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker, Col. La’Tonya Lynn and Lt. Col. Priscilla Smalls
A standing room only retirement ceremony July 26 heard high praise for Col. M. Tia Johnson, the first AfricanAmerican female to attain the rank of colonel in the U.S. Army’s Judge Advocate General’s Corps. Much of the praise of Johnson came from Robert S. Taylor, Defense Department acting general counsel and former general counsel Jeh C. Johnson. “Tia was the lawyer advising the top lawyer in the Department of Defense,” Johnson said, praising her intellect and moral courage. The retiree thanked “those who came before, on whose shoulders l stand,” and concluded her remarks by presenting to her mother the Congressional Gold Medal awarded posthumously to her father, Russell W. Johnson, recognizing his service as an “original Montford Point Marine.”
Col. Johnson’s family members, who came to celebrate her retirement
Cathy Hughes (center) with friends and guests
Col. Johnson presents her mother, Mrs. Edith W. Johnson, the Certificate of Recognition from the U.S. Congress awarding the Congressional Gold Medal to her father, Russell W. Johnson (posthumously) identifying him as an Original Montford Point Marine.
Photos by Rob Roberts
Col. Tia Johnson provides remarks
Jeh C. Johnson, former General Counsel, Department of Defense, provided comments summarizing Col. Johnson’s illustrious career
Lt. Gen. Dana Chipman, the Judge Advocate General, U.S. Army, and Vice Adm. Nanette DeRenzi, the Judge Advocate General, U.S. Navy, congratulate Mrs. Edith Johnson after the presentation. Lt. Col C. Wayne Brittian (Chaplain) gave the Invocation
Edgar Brookins, Brig. Gen. (Ret) Belinda Pinckney and her husband, Lt. Col. (Ret) Quinn Pinckney
Joanne Adetayo (center) congratulates Col. Johnson and her husband, Alvin K. Phillips
Robert S. Taylor, acting general counsel, Department of Defense, hosted the ceremony Photos by Rob Roberts
September 7, 2013 - September 13, 2013, The Afro-American
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Soloist Tymeka Howard
Annapolis Mayor Josh Cohen
Many were on hand for the Aug. 28 official unveiling of the Civil Rights Foot Soldiers Memorial at the Whitmore Park in Annapolis. The event, hosted by the Dr. Martin
Sen. Ben Cardin
Luther King Jr. Committee, commemorated the golden anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington by honoring the “Foot Soldiers” who attended the original March fifty years ago.
The Civil Rights Foot Soldiers Memorial lists the names of over 500 foot soldiers from around the nation and is the first memorial in the nation to the participants who attended the March.
Carl Snowden, emcee and chairman, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Committee Rev. Lewis Boston, pastor of First Baptist Church, Annapolis
Honorees and Foot Soldiers
Josiah Robert Anthony Fisher, Germantown Elementary School
Gerald Stansbury, president State NAACP
Del. Michael E. Busch, speaker of the Md. House of Delegates
Beatrice P. Smith
Doug Gansler, attorney general; Gerald Stansbury, president State NAACP and Sen. Ben Cardin
Josiah Fisher and his mother Annapolis Drum and Bugle Corps, John Bryant trumpet soloist
Photos by J.D. Howard
George Arnold Honoree Crystal Berger
Equality Maryland is also recognized as a Freedom Fighter
Hassan Giordano, emcee
In recognition of the 50th Anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington, the Baltimore branch of the NAACP held its awards breakfast, Passing the Torch, Aug. 17, to honor the “old and the new” in the community. Author, activist, also honoree, Wes Moore served as the keynote speaker. Tessa Hill-Aston is president of the award-winning branch.
Wanda Watts, honoree Kweisi Mfume and Tessa Aston-Hill, NAACP president
Honoree Ellsworth Johnson-Bey with family members and friends
Honoree, State Sen. Allan Kittleman Honoree Sheryl Wood Honoree, Rep. Donna Edwards
Wesley Wood, honoree Sheryl Wood, Wesley Wood Jr. and Chandler Wood
Honoree, Judge Wanda KeyesHeard, Tessa Hill-Aston, NAACP president and Doug Gansler, Md. State's Attorney Mother of honoree Chris Brown and Tessa Hill-Aston Honorees Adam Jackson and Dayvon Love with Hill-Aston Nylyn Mosby, Councilman Nick Mosby, Marilyn Mosby and Aniyah Mosby
Honoree Thomas Mike Miller, president Md. State Senate, Barbara Pettit and A. Dwight Pettit, also honored
Wes Moore, keynote speaker
Tessa Hill-Aston and Dr. Salima Siler Marriott
Zeta Phi Beta Sorority members, from left, Karen Wynn-Diouf, Paulete McCoy, Judge Wanda Keyes-Heard, Natalie and Tezhra Tucker Photos by Anderson Ward
August 31, 2013 - September 6, 2013, The Afro-American
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Thomas “Tex” Dean
Memorabilia
Members of the Iota Phi Theta Fraternity recently celebrated their legacy with a Founders’ Day Banquet. Aug. 14, at the Baltimore Hilton. The organization was founded, Sept. 19, 1963 on the campus of Morgan State University and currently encompasses more than 30,000 members on campuses nationwide. Karl Price serves as the Grand Polaris.
Barron Willis and Janet Wong Daniel and Del Henson
Jerry Pittman
Standing: Frank Coakley, Barron Willis, Lonnie Spruill Jr., Seated: Deborah Slade and John Slade
Applause for the speaker
A proud pose of brotherhood.
Dan Henson, Prof. Larry Gibson, Lonnie Spruill Jr., Karl Price, Thomas “Tex” Dean, Gary “Bird” Burgess and Frank Coakley
Karen Wyatt, Lonnie Spruill Jr. and Pat Roselle
Dr. Paula Burgess and Gary “Bird” Burgess
Kevin Briscoe and Prof. Larry Gibson
Thelma Wainwright, Dr. Charlene CooperBoston and Steven Wainwright
Mildred Long-Harper and Barbara Banks
Frank Coakley, Marcia Coakley, Humphrey White, Joan Stokes, Rod Armstrong and Gloria Armstrong
Marsha Taylor, Lonnie Spruill Jr. and Renee Spruill
Karl Price, Grand Polaris Photos by Anderson Ward
Yvonne Butler recently celebrated her retirement from Internal Revenue Services with family, friends and former co-workers at Chef Paolino Restaurant.
Butler and her brother, Rodger Matthews
Betty Schuler and James Holding
Yvonne Butler and Henry Powell
Butler with IRS co-workers
Getting it going Dancing with family members Yvonne Butler and Paula Brooks
Yvonne Butler with James and Margret Hedges
Yvonne Butler and Kathleen M. Matthew
Michelle Blackledge, Fred Baier and Mary Bailey
Crystal Curtis, Lisa Richard, Lavonne Smith, Sandra Hamilton, Cynthia Bolden and Andrea Forrester Photos by Anderson Ward
August 31, 2013 - September 6, 2013, The Afro-American
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U.S. Rep. John Lewis
Washington Wizards player Etan Thomas and his family Trayvon Martin’s father Tracy Martin and mother, Sybrina Fulton
Dick Gregory
Photos by Alexis Taylor, Zack Lester, Avis Thomas-Lester, Gregory Dale, Blair Adams and Imani Dennison