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Volume 123 No. 16
$1.00 Nation’s #1 African American Newspaper 2014 Nielsen-Essence Consumer Report
NOVEMBER 22, 2014 - NOVEMBER 28, 2014
Ferguson Waits
The Impact of Mid-term Elections on Statehood
By Zenitha Prince Senior AFRO Correspondent A pall has blanketed the city of Ferguson and the surrounding St. Louis area in Missouri as the community awaits the grand jury’s decision in the Michael Brown case. “It is very quiet, very eerie,” said the Rev. Dr. Jamal Bryant, of Baltimore’s Empowerment Temple, who is on the ground in Ferguson. “There’s a very somber mood, almost like that of a family in the waiting room of a hospital awaiting word of a loved one.” Or, perhaps, it is the eye of the storm—which is what many predict would be unleashed in Ferguson if the
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By James Wright Special to the AFRO Leaders and activists of the District of Columbia statehood movement met recently to discuss strategy in the wake of the 2014 mid-term elections. The DC Statehood Coalition convened a summit to address how the movement will continue advancing the cause of full political rights for District residents with a Republicancontrolled U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate AP Photo
A high school graduation photo of Michael Brown rests on top of a snow-covered memorial Nov. 17. grand jury does not indict Darren Wilson, the White police officer who shot and killed Brown, an unarmed Black teenager, back in August. Ferguson was buffeted by a wave of unrest after the killing, but protestors settled into peaceful demonstrations over the past couple of months. Still, residents’
frustrations have simmered over the long wait. Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon, this week, declared a state of emergency in anticipation of the grand jury decision and signed an executive order activating the Missouri National Guard to support law enforcement during any period of unrest. “All people in the St.
Louis region deserve to feel safe in their communities and to make their voices heard without fear of violence or intimidation,” said Gov. Nixon. “Public safety demands that we are fully prepared for any contingency, regardless of what the St. Louis County grand jury or the U.S. Department of Continued on A3
“This movement is about statehood and statehood only.” –Jerry Clark
in January 2015. Jerry Clark, the chairman of the coalition, clarified the goal of the summit and the movement. “This movement is about statehood and statehood only,” Clark said to the 30 people who attended the event. “Some
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National Collegiate Prep Boasts Perfect Graduation Rate By Natascha Saunders Special to the AFRO
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National Collegiate Preparatory Public Charter School (National Prep) hosted their Invention Convention in conjunction with the Metro Warriors STEM Organization (MWSO) and IT Computer Wiz Kids in Southeast D.C. on Nov. 12. The school was very proud to open its doors this year to the community at large to come out and see their students’ inventions. National Prep offers disadvantaged youth in D.C. the opportunity to excel above their circumstances and environments. The program is focused on providing a solution to the urgent need of closing the achievement gap for students in science, technology, engineering, and math
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Kim Keenan, MMTC Director has Diversity in Her Sights
Ben Phillips Elected President of Regional Press Assoc. MDDC’s immediate past president when her term ends at the end of 2014. Her successor praised Fischer-Huettner and expressed gratitude for the excellent working relationship they established during the Association’s transitional year. The current president was also given an award for her dedicated service on behalf of the Association.
Karen Acton, CEO of Post Community Media, was reBenjamin M. Phillips elected as secretary. IV, president of The AfroSeveral persons were American Newspapers, was re-elected to three-year elected the new president of terms, including Ed Dulin, the Maryland-Delaware-D.C. president /CEO of Independent Press Association’s Board of Newsmedia Inc. USA and Directors at the group’s annual David Fike, president of meeting Nov. 13. APG Chesapeake. Current In his first address to the immediate past president, Paul Association’s membership, Milton, assistant managing Phillips said editor, targeted he is looking media of the forward to Baltimore Sun “working Media Group, with the staff was also and board, elected to a to figure out three-year term. common Founded ground for in 1908, the growth.” An MDDC Press area that offers Association that potential counts all of the Photo courtesy of the MDDC Press Association daily and most and the focus Ben Phillips (center) was elected president of the MDDC of his oneof the non-daily Press Association’s Board of Directors. Here, he stands year term newspapers with MDDC board members Geordie Wilson, Karen Acton, in Maryland, as president would be Delaware and Mike Kilian and Suzanne Fischer-Huettner. digital D.C. among its products and active members. using technology to attract and Also newly elected to The Association serves sustain readership, he said. one-year terms were Geordie its diverse membership in Phillips accepted the mantle Wilson, publisher of The areas of common concern, of leadership—or in this case a Frederick News-Post, as including, professional training gavel—from Suzanne Fischervice-president, and Mike and development, legislative Huettner, publisher of The Kilian, executive editor of representation, and First Daily Record, who will become The Daily Times, as treasurer. Amendment issues. By AFRO Staff
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Keimare, Brittany, Iyanna and Donte are students at National Prep.
(STEM). The school’s environment provides students with a world-class, hands-on education. Many students have expressed that National Prep makes them feel like they are cared for and that they belong to something bigger than themselves. “It feels like a family at my school,” students said. The staff, teacher and student partnerships have resulted in the National Prep achieving a 100 percent high school graduation and college acceptance rate. National Prep also boasts that they offer an International Baccalaureate (IB) program that provides students with an international studies component. Instead of a regular high school diploma, students can receive an advanced degree with a more rigorous Continued on A4
By Lenore T. Adkins Special to the AFRO Kim Keenan, new president and chief executive officer of the Minority Media and Kim Keenan is the new Telecommunications Council president and chief (MMTC), is intent on doing executive officer of the her part to close the digital Minority Media and divide for people of color, an Telecommunications issue she said keeps her up at Council. night. Keenan, 52, who previously held positions as general counsel and secretary of the NAACP plans on meeting with civil rights leaders to raise awareness about the gap. She also plans on developing a strategy that inspires Silicon Valley startups to diversify their ranks to better reflect America. “We need to bring Silicon Valley to new college graduates of color,” Keenan told the AFRO. “This isn’t an unreasonable request that these high-tech companies have diversity.” The council, a nonprofit based in Washington, D.C., promotes and preserves equal opportunity and civil rights in mass media, telecommunications and broadband industries, according to its website. Its goals involve expanding minority ownership and equal opportunity employment in those industries to bridge the digital divide. For example, MMTC recently sold Detroit radio station WDTW-AM to Pedro
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