NJG-Volume-124_No-03_January_18_2024

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Vol. 124, No. 3 | $1.50

January 18, 2024 - January 24, 2024

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Honoring

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

JAN. 15, 1929 - APR. 4, 1968

Va.’s AG Says Insurances Should Cover Treatments At HU Proton Therapy Inst.

By Hazel Trice Edney (TRICEEDNEYWIRE.COM) The announcement that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is being treated for prostate cancer has hit home with millions of families across the nation. But in Virginia, the announcement is particularly relevant as the state’s legislature is gathering on the heels of an opinion by the state attorney general that said insurances should be covering a specific prostate cancer treatment that could save more lives.

Proton beam cancer therapy, administered by the Hampton University Proton Therapy Institute, was casted front and center just before Christmas as Attorney General Jason

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III Miyares issued the opinion, which clarified that those insurance companies that cover radiation as a cancer therapy should not deny coverage for proton beam therapy when a patient meets the clinical standards in the policy for coverage,

SECDEF Austin is being treated for prostate cancer draws attention to the relevancy of proton treatment at nearby HU Proton Therapy Institute.

TOP PHOTO: On January 15, 2024, citizens across the world observed the 95th birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King. Jr. Here they march in Norfolk, led by Norfolk Mayor Kenneth Alexander and city officials.

Praying for .... ... Peace and Unity

an issue that has raged in the state due to repeated insurance denials.

Miyares clarified in the three-page opinion that a section of the Virginia code that covers the topic. ...see Proton, page 2A Photo: Randy Singleton

State’s Top Legislative Leaders

NORFOLK (L-R) Norfolk Chief of Police Mark Talbot, Norfolk City Councilwoman Mamie Johnson and President of Norfolk State University Dr. Javaune Adams-Gaston bow in prayer with others at the foot of the MLK Monument following a Unity March from the Attucks Theater on King Day.

CIVIL RIGHTS LEADERS OFFER 2024 INSIGHTS ON DR. KING’S COURAGE

By Stacy M. Brown

King never lost sight of the fact that civil rights were inextricable from NNPA NEWSWIRE During his short life, liberation, freedom, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. stepped on all kinds equality, and world peace.

Senior National Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia

Photo: Courtesy

(L-R) In the state Senate, Lt. Gov.Winsome Earle-Sears, a Republican, presides over the chamber, as Don Scott, D-Portsmouth, becomes the first Black person chosen to lead the 405-year-old Virginia House of Delegates; and Sen. Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth, remains Senate president pro tempore, and is the new chair of the powerful Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee.

Virginia Beach Delegates Are Sworn In RICHMOND –Delegates-Elect Alex Askew and Michael Feggans of Virginia Beach were sworn into their newly elected positions on January 13, 2024. ...see ... see page 3B

of powerful toes in his fight for civil rights, and he was a courageous and determined leader who refused to let prison or violence sway his end mission. He also never lost sight of the fact that civil right – addressing racial and economic injustice – were inextricable from liberation, freedom, equality, and world peace.

As the founding leader of the Southern Christian

Leadership Conference (SCLC), Dr. King led a nonviolent movement to abolish the triple evils crippling American society: racism, poverty, and militarism. Associates said he believed those forces were contrary to God’s will for humanity and that they could only be effectively opposed by a interfaith-inspired nonviolent, multiracial social change movement.

On April 4, 1967, King spoke publicly and eloquently against the tragedies of the U.S.led war in Vietnam. On January 15, as the nation observed Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, civil rights leaders, including those

who knew the slain leader, offered their thoughts on what his position might be on conflicts in the Middle East and Russia and on the twice-impeached and four-times indicted former President Donald Trump.

“At the March on Washington in 1964, Dr. King talked about Alabama Gov. George Wallace having his lips dripping with interposition and nullification,” said the Rev. Peter Johnson, who began working for the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) in Plaquemine, La., and later was recruited by Andrew Young to work for King in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in Atlanta. ...see King, page 8A

New Journal and Guide

2A | January 18, 2024 - January 24, 2024

Proton Continued from page 1A It “prohibits an insurance carrier that provides coverage for cancer therapy from denying a patient coverage for proton radiation therapy when the coverage determination is based on the carrier’s application of a higher standard of clinical evidence to such treatment than it uses for treatments it otherwise approves.”

The recent announcement from the Pentagon concerning Austin’s diagnoses did not include the type of treatment he is receiving. However, the fact that Austin is Black draws new attention to the health disparity between Black and White men with a prostate cancer diagnosis.

According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the risk of Black men dying from low-grade prostate cancer is “double that of men of other races” and Black men are slightly more likely than White men to be diagnosed with prostate cancer.

In Virginia, the city of Portsmouth has the highest African-American cancer death rates in the state and the city of Petersburg, Virginia, leads the nation with Black men dying from prostate cancer. Both Portsmouth and Petersburg are less than an hour from Hampton University.

Miyares pointed to the Hampton center, at a historically Black university, as being crucial to saving lives.

“The Hampton University Proton Cancer Institute is a world-class academic and research institution that not only serves Virginians, but also treats people from around the world. They save precious lives. It’s essential that the prior authorization process is streamlined and patient access to proton radiation therapy is expanded and made accessible so that every patient can get the treatment that is right for them,” he wrote.

The opinion came as welcome news to families who have been repeatedly denied by insurance companies that have refused to pay for the treatment simply because it may cost more than other therapies and for reasons that many say are unexplained when their carriers provide coverage for other types of radiation treatment.

Mary Lambert of Richmond whose 52-yearold husband died of prostate cancer in 2019 after his insurance refused to pay for the proton beam therapy, applauded the attorney general’s opinion.

“I am elated to know that the state’s attorney has written a formal opinion,” she said. “No one’s family

NEW JOURNAL AND GUIDE P.O. Box 209, Norfolk,VA 23501 Phone: (757) 543-6531 Fax: (757) 543-7620 PUBLISHER AND EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Brenda H. Andrews ASSISTANT TO THE PUBLISHER: Desmond Perkins ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Rosaland Tyler CHIEF REPORTER EMERITUS: Leonard E. Colvin STAFF REPORTER: Melissa Spellman PRODUCTION: Tony Holobyte New Journal and Guide (USPS 0277560/ISSN 8096) is published weekly on Thursday for $50 per year, $30 per year for six months by New Journal and Guide Publishing, Incorporated,5127 East Va. Beach Blvd., Suite 100, Norfolk, VA 23510. Periodicals Postage Paid at Norfolk, VA 23501. Postmaster: Send address changes to New Journal and Guide, P.O. Box 209, Norfolk, VA 23501. The New Journal and Guide is not responsible for any unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or related materials.

should have to go through what my husband and what our family went through. Our children were 9 and 12 when he passed.”

Ironically, the Virginia Legislature had already passed HB #1656 into law in 2017 stating that “each policy, contract or plan issued or provided by a carrier that provides coverage for cancer therapy shall not hold proton radiation therapy to a higher clinical standard of clinical evidence for decisions regarding coverage under the policy, contract, or plan than is applied for decisions regarding coverage of other types of radiation therapy treatment.”

Yet patients continue to report that the insurance companies are denying access. In some states, patients and patient families have successfully sued their insurance carriers in court to get them to cover proton

for coverage. This Mom, Dad, and other family During the current session of the standard will simplify insurance members from the horrible determinations and disease that wreaks havoc Virginia General Assembly, legislators coverage make them faster for patients in the Black community. To have no time to fight help save one life from death will have a choice whether to further who cancer and no time to fight or human suffering is worth define and clarify clinical evidence that their insurance company all the fight in me. over coverage.

“For an insurance company can be used to make determinations Bill Thomas, associate vice not to cover proton radiation president of governmental therapy when they cover for proton treatment with HB #987. relations at Hampton other forms is plain wrong. therapy for their cancer.

Mary Lambert went on to stress the sad story of Congressman Donald McEachin (D-Va.), who recently died after beating his cancer, but his family highlighted that he died from the terrible side effects from other forms of treatment that are far more invasive than proton therapy.

“It’s been law for five years.

So why are people still going through this? And I’m hoping that this administration can do what they’re supposed to

do. I would not wish this on anyone,” Lambert said.

During the current session of the Virginia General Assembly, legislators will have a choice whether to further define and clarify clinical evidence that can be used to make determinations for proton treatment with HB #987.

The legislators can clarify the law to assure that when proton treatment is recommended by a patient’s physician or oncologist, it may be an acceptable clinical

University and a national advocate for proton therapy puts it this way: “No one wants cancer. No one wants to be radiated. No one wants side effects from any form of cancer treatment. But if you are diagnosed with cancer, if you must have treatment and the doctor prescribes proton radiation therapy, shouldn’t you be allowed to follow the doctor’s orders?”

Thomas continues, “I am advocating for people all across – not only in Virginia – but, the country because it is painful to see people suffer or die unnecessarily. I lost my

People are dying while companies – not medical doctors – are choosing what form of treatment they will pay for,” Thomas says.

“It is just a shame that Hampton University has invested over $225 million in developing the Hampton University Proton Cancer Institute with little to no financial support from the State or local community. It is time that Virginia invests in its HBCUs and other institutions that provide life-saving modern medical treatment to the most vulnerable among us.”

VA. BILL WOULD BAR JAN. 6 ATTACKERS FROM HOLDING OFFICE RICHMOND Del. Dan Helmer (D – Fairfax) recently filed a bill that will bar Jan. 6 participants from holding public office.

Helmer filed his bill before the 2024 legislative session began, and one day before the third anniversary of Jan. 6, 2021, when more than 2,000 people broke into the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., in an attempt to stop the certification of the

2020 presidential election. At least four GOP candidates who participated in the Jan. 6 insurrection are currently running for office.

“Political violence has no place in our society, and the perpetrators of that violence should not serve in positions of leadership in our Commonwealth,” Helmer recently told reporters.

Chuck Smith, a candidate for Virginia Attorney General who lost the Republican

primary in 2021, said in a Jan. 7, 2023 Facebook post that he “condemned the violence that occurred the prior day, and perpetuated former President Donald Trump’s lie that the election was stolen.”

Smith said, “The reality is that government is in for a shock if anyone thinks these elected officials can simply install a nonelected person as President of the United States.”

From The Guide’s Archives Archives taken from the pages of the (New) Journal and Guide January 18, 1964 Edition of the Guide Lin Holloway, Guide City Editor, Succumbs NORFOLK Funeral Services for Burke Linwood Holoway, 38, the city editor of the Journal and Guide, will be held Friday at 2 p.m. at Shiloh Baptist Church. The interment will be in his native Durham, NC, on Saturday at 2 p.m.

The popular journalist whose “Lin Holloway” byline appeared on the Guide’s “Looking On In Norfolk” column was well known to thousands of readers died recently from lung cancer.

He had been hospitalized for two months at a local hospital.

Although only 38, Holloway’s career in newspaper work spanned nearly 25 years. As a youth, he worked in various capacities on papers in North Carolina and, in 1942, became managing editor of the Carolina Times in Durham.

Holloway was first employed as a reporter for the Guide in 1947. He resigned a year later to become city editor of the old New York Age, now defunct. He later was employed by the Carolinian as managing editor. In 1953, he joined the staff of the Atlanta Daily World as a general reporter.

His second tenure with the Guide began on January 4, 1954, and he was promoted to editor the following year.

Warnings Received

By Riddicks SUFFOLK Nansemond County Supervisor Moses A. Riddick and his brother John R. Riddick went ahead Thursday with their campaign of protests against the firing of John Riddick as a Deputy Sheriff.

Meanwhile, telephone threats have been received by both men, their wives, and children.

The brothers were scheduled to go to Richmond Thursday to confer with officials of the State Compensation Board about John Riddick’s complaint that Sheriff James C. Knight disobeyed commission orders by requiring his deputies to run constant patrols.

Sheriff Knight fired John Riddick last month, charging him with neglect of duty, a charge the deputy denied.

The firing came on the heels of the ouster of John Riddick from the Nansemond County Democratic Executive Committee on charges of

party disloyalty.

The Riddicks, the independent Voters League of which the supervisor is executive secretary, the NAACP, and other county groups are up in arms because the committee expulsion resulted from John Riddick’s support of his brother’s successful independent election to endorse H.T. Poach Board Chairman, then Democratic candidate for re-election.turmoil she was experiencing.

ONE GAVE UP $240, ONE NOTHING

Slim Chance For Two Bills Aimed At Poll Tax RICHMOND Two bills aimed at Virginia’s ancient poll tax laws were dropped into the General Assembly’s legislative hopper recently.

One resolution called for outright repeal of the poll tax requirements, while another asked in an advisory referendum on abolition in the November general elections.

Political observers, however, have taken a dim view of the future of the bills. They point out that the legislature is still dominated by the Byrd organization’s perennial opposition to such “liberal” legislation.

The repeal resolution was started by the Northern Virginia 10th District delegation in the House of Delegates with Norfolk Henry E. Howell, Jr., among the sponsors.

Voter Registration Contest Closes NORFOLK The Voter Registration Project (TVRP) deadline is this Friday. Reports should be made at the TVRP office in the Hunton YMCA, 312 Wood Street, on January 20 until 7 p.m.

Prizes will be awarded to winners on January 26 at 6 p.m. The Teens Corps sponsors the program. Marvin Gay is President, and the Guest Speaker will be Miss T. Ione Diggs, Norfolk’s lawyer.

January 18, 1975 Edition of the Guide King’s Birthday: Trouble In Ranks ATLANTA (UPI) Ceremonies and demonstrations around the country marked the 46th birthday of the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. But there was something less than peace in the ranks of the slain civil rights leader’s followers.

A rift is growing between his widow and the King-

Miss Fannie M. Williams (left), a Berkley Citizens Mutual Savings and Loan Association cashier, attempts to simulate the shock and surprise she sustained Tuesday when a teenage bandit produced a pistol and demanded “the money.” She gave him $240. Miss Bertha Beamon, a cashier and the only other employee on duty, was in the association’s vault where more significant sums were kept. The bandit was told Williams was the only employee present. Miss Beamon gave up nothing.

The cashier, an association employee for four months, said that the bandit, who appeared to be about 17, backed up the demand on the note, pointing a pistol at her head. She complied by taking the money from a drawer on her counter. founded Southern Christian Leadership Conference. King led the SCLC in massive civil rights demonstrations before his death by a sniper on April 4, 1968. However, the SCLC was not included in activities scheduled in Atlanta on January 15 by the Martin Luther King Jr Center for Social Change headed by King’s widow Coretta Scott King, including groundbreaking ceremonies for the $10 million center.

Other activities sponsored by the center in King’s hometown included a dedication of King’s restored Birthplace, a wreath at his crypt, and a benefit concert featuring Harry Belafonte and Marvin Gaye. Earlier, a conference was held on the need to extend the Voting Rights Act. Meanwhile, the SCLC staged a march from King’s grave to the Chamber of Commerce City and State capital to protest unemployment, hunger, and inflation.

“SCLC is not going just to hold benefits for conferences to commemorate the birthday of Dr. King but to hold demonstrations to benefit the people of the country who are being oppressed and left hungry, not just sitting in a room talking about it.”

Rev. Ralph David Abernathy, who succeeded King as head of the SCLC, led a march in Alexandria, Virginia, recently.

Operation PUSH, headed by the Rev. Jesse Jackson, staged a march down Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House to

call for full employment.

King’s birthday is a legal holiday in Kentucky, but Governor Julian Carroll said state employees were obligated to work.

1st Black In City Law Post NORFOLK The city council unanimously confirmed the appointment of prominent Norfolk lawyer Hilary H. Jones, Jr. as a Deputy City Attorney. Jones, 50, will become the first Black to join the City Attorney’s office staff.

When asked what prompted him to seek the position after 25 years of private law practice in the city, Jones replied, “It offered a new challenge and different approach to legal practice.

Jones became the only Black member of the State Board of Education and the first Black to serve on the Norfolk School Board in July 1963. During his six years on the school board, Jones played a crucial role in the desegregation of the city’s public schools, working closely with the school’s administration and the NAACP. He frequently cast the lone dissenting vote on issues such as pupil assignment plans, which resulted in lengthy public school integration procedures.

Jones is also the first Black to be admitted to the NorfolkPortsmouth Bar Associations.

institution for the social set in the Tidewater area. They are the gentlemen who sit in clubs spinning the latest records.

Until now, the wonderful world of the D.J. has been controlled by men. Let everyone be alerted; there is a woman on the scene. Barbara Hamm, who descended quietly from “Chocolate City” went unnoticed, at least to you, my captive audience.

Born in Baltimore, she came to South Norfolk at an early age. After graduating from Carver High, she hit the road and returned to Baltimore. There, she kicked around for six years but only by studying what people were listening to in the music world. Music was her forte in high school, and she got straight As. That does not mean that she is a good D.J. “Music is important,” she says, “I have felt people should hear the music and not me.”

That is why she feels that she will make it. The D.J.s on the circuit are popular because they talk. They always talk, even when you might want to listen to the music.

In A Man’s World, Barbara Has A Place The Disc Jockey (D.J.) is an

Barbara Hamm

New Journal and Guide

January 18, 2024 - January 24, 2024 | 3A

New Journal and Guide

4A | January 18, 2024 - January 24, 2024

Still Remembering Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. PROFESSOR EMERITUS OF SOCIOLOGY VIRGINIA TECH

MLK WAS A DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST A democratic socialist knows that our society needs restructuring. As We often misremember Martin Luther King – so Dr. King preached, “The Movement much that we celebrate fictional pablum, not the must address itself to the question of real MLK. Politicians and others restructuring the whole of American who oppose the sociopolitical arguments society.”

By Wornie Reed, Ph.D.

of Bernie Sanders are essentially opposing Martin Luther King.

Senator Bernie Sanders, probably the best-known democratic socialist today, is living up to MLK’s legacy. At the time of his death, King was a democratic socialist – a position not widely accepted. He understood that the term was problematic and tended not to say it publicly, although he pushed the principles of democratic socialism.

Leaders of the Congressional Black Caucus were so opposed to the idea of democratic socialism that they pulled out all the stops in opposing AfricanAmerican Nina Turner in her bid for Congress in 2020. Nina Turner, a self-described democratic socialist, was co-chair of Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign in 2020. When she ran for Congress from Cleveland, Ohio, top Black Caucus figures came to town and campaigned against her, causing her to be defeated by a relatively unknown person.

A critical difference between a liberal and a progressive, or democratic socialist, is how they see society. A liberal reformer believes that the fundamental structures of American society are sound but need some adjustment here and there.

A democratic socialist knows that our society needs restructuring. As Dr. King preached, “The Movement must address itself to the question of restructuring the whole of American society.”

Bernie Sanders, a leader of CORE and SNCC as a

student at the University of Chicago in the 1960s and arrested for his activism, carries the torch for democratic socialism – as a legacy of MLK. For him, democratic socialism is the fight for economic freedom that ensures health care, a living wage, education, housing, and a clean environment.

In a major speech in 2020, Sanders said, “We must recognize that in the 21st century, in the wealthiest country in the history of the world, economic rights are human rights. That is what I mean by democratic socialism…as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, ‘Call it democracy or call it democratic socialism, but there must be a better distribution of wealth within this country for all of God’s children.’”

In early 1968, King told journalist David Halberstam, “For years I labored with the idea of reforming the existing institutions of society, a little change here, a little change there. Now I feel quite differently. I think you’ve got to have a reconstruction of the entire society, a revolution of values.”

In 1966, King told his staff: “You can’t talk about solving the economic problem of the Negro without talking about billions of dollars. You can’t talk about ending the slums without first saying profit must be taken out of slums. You’re really tampering and getting on dangerous ground because you are messing with folk then. You are messing with captains of

industry. Now this means that we are treading in difficult water because it really means that we are saying that something is wrong with capitalism.

There must be a better distribution of wealth, and maybe America must move toward a democratic socialism.”

While he did not use the term “democratic socialism” publicly, MLK did propose changes to society as informed by that orientation. As Michael Eric Dyson put it in his book, I May Not Get There with You, published in 2000, King’s “demands for a ‘revolution of values’ and society-wide economic change were driven in part by his democratic socialist principles.”

King’s Poor People’s Campaign, in which I was involved, was an expression of democratic socialism. Complaining that poverty was too high in this the wealthiest nation in the world, Dr. King announced the Poor People’s Campaign on December 4, 1967, “The Southern Christian Leadership Conference will lead waves of the nation’s poor and disinherited to Washington, D. C., next spring to demand redress of their grievances by the United States government and to secure at least jobs or income for all.”

An essential aspect of the campaign was petitioning the government to pass an Economic Bill of Rights to ease the poverty burden.

This was democratic socialism.

By Dr. E. Faye Williams, Esq. (Ret.)

I’ll be the first to admit we still (TRICEEDNEYWIRE.COM) have a long way For those who rejoiced when Dr. Martin Luther to go to realize King, Jr. died, they must be disappointed to know Dr. King’s dream, that we still celebrate the work Dr. King did to make but for those this a better world. Some who loved and thought that killing the Dreamer would kill his dream of a better world for Dr. E. Faye Williams, Esq. (Ret.) admired him, all of us. I’ll be the first to admit we still have a have the same rights. That we’re still on long way to go to realize didn’t cause him to hate the battlefield his dream, but for those white people who held who loved and admired the view that it was okay to make this a him, we’re still on the to have it that way. He battlefield to make this a worked for change. better world. better world.

Every year on January 15th, people brave the ice, wind, and snow to hear somebody talk about this man all over the world.

It’s funny that Dr. King was a paper boy when he was a child and at that time, he wanted to be a fireman. In his young life, he knew that Black people and white people did not

Thankfully, there were and still are people other than Black people who continue to work for justice and equal rights and opportunities for all.

We also honor them when we honor Dr. King.

We still have a lot of work to do. Many of our people who live better today than they did while Dr. King was with us,

don’t understand that it is because of the work Dr. King and other civil and human rights workers did, that made their lives better.

It’s a tragedy that so many see January 15th, the day of Dr. King’s birth, as a day off work and nothing more. ...see MLK, page 5A

Can We Glimpse A New American Economy?

... America can (TRICEEDNEYWIRE.COM) reassert its global What if the answer to undoing the harm wrought leadership in by the demise of America’s manufacturing the manufacturing sector was right in front of us? technologies on An economic boom waiting to happen, to rebuild which the world communities and revitalize our beaten-down working runs. It will mean class ...

And, this time, without the an explosion of rampant industrial pollution Ben Jealous that fuels climate change and new American sickens our people ...

It is not too good to be true. – by expanding the energy jobs and a windfall But we must seize the moment market and domesticating if we do not want it to pass us the solar supply chain. The for American by. new green economy should Last week, I visited the mean an American century consumers ...

By Ben Jealous

Qcells solar panel plant in Georgia. It is the largest facility of its kind in the Western Hemisphere. And as the world transitions away from fossil fuels and to renewable energy sources, it represents the opportunity we have in front of us.

Solar manufacturing jobs in the U.S. are already on pace to more than triple from about 35,000 in 2023 to 120,000 by 2033. We can do even better

that rivals or even surpasses America’s global success in the 20th century. The BidenHarris administration’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) gives us the tools to turn this dream into reality. But the private sector needs to do its part, with investments that are both patriotic and profitable – not to mention planet-saving.

My visit came one day after Qcells announced a massive deal to supply Microsoft with

12 gigawatts of solar modules and Engineering, Procurement and Construction services over eight years. That’s enough energy to power more than 1.8 million homes annually. And it will help Microsoft meet its goal of being carbon negative, water positive and zero waste by 2030.

More than that, it’s an investment in America. ...see Economy, page 5A

WHAT DOES DR. CLAUDINE GAY MEAN TO ME?

By Julianne Malveaux When Dr. Claudine Gay was named the first Black President of Harvard Univrsity, and only the second women, I was pleased.

Familiar with her record as Dean of the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences, and aware of the rigorous process that narrowed more than 600 applicants or nominees to Dr. Gay, I felt that Harvard could not have selected someone more qualified.

Still, I was aware of the pitfall possibilities that Dr. Gay faced. Even before she assumed the Harvard Presidency, rabid racists questioned everything about her, from her research record, to her attitude.

Following her inauguration closely, I was buoyed by her wide smile. Despite the racist invective, she was enjoying her job!

That didn’t last long. The witch hunt that had three female college presidents squirming under the hostile questioning of Dr. Gay’s disastrous testimony to Congress attracted even more criticism.

And as the criticism reached a crescendo, Dr. Gay succumbed to the inevitable and resigned.

with so-called plagiarism not gone after her with the

than so-called antisemitism. same vitriol that they’ve The attacks on Dr. Gay make me gone after Dr. Gay. It’s really about racism. want to surround her with support, The campaign to topple The attacks on Dr. Gay Gay was led by Christopher make me want to surround to fight the injustice of everything, Rufo, an anti-affirmative her with support, to fight anti-critical race the injustice of everything, including racial invective, that she action, theory, anti-Black activist. including racial invective, He was joined by Bill that she has experienced. has experienced.

Ackman, a billionaire This is not about Claudine

Julianne Malveaux Would she have been able to do anything else?

Her detractors had trashed her reputation. How could she possibly fundraise under those circumstances.

Many talk of “presidential leadership” in the higher education context, but college presidents are also judged by their fundraising acumen.

Many get a great boost in their first year when their support is greatest and enthusiasm for them is high. By year two, they will be judged for what they’ve done “lately.”

She didn’t get a clear first year, not even a clear few months. The attacks on her started as soon as she was selected and accusations of “antisemitism” were simply fodder in the culture wars.

The Presidents of

Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) could have handled Congressional questions more deftly. Or could they have? With the rabidly hostile Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY) bellowing “yes are no” at people accustomed to nuance, it seems that rising above the multisyllabic would have been too complex for Stefanik, chasing TV instead of answers, to comprehend.

Of course, Gay should have begun her testimony by condemning the Hamas action of October 7. For the likes of Stefanik it is irrelevant that more than 25,000 Palestinians have been murdered, including as many as 8000 children.

Israelis are celebrating the fact that a major Hamas leader is among the victims.

Netantu and his cronies say they will eliminate Hamas by whatever means

necessary, no matter how many civilians are killed, starved, or displaced. Their lack of humanity, with their random airstrikes, is astounding.

Dr. Gay defended student free speech, even when it includes terms like “from the river to the sea,” which does not mean the elimination of Israel, but rather freedom for Palestine.

It does not exclude the two-state solution, as Netanyahu has. Failing to condemn Palestinian free speech is not antisemetic. Criticizing Israel is not antisemetic.

Because she stood up for her students, her prior academic work was scrutinized and while Harvard found only “minor” errors in citations, the conservative press has chosen to blow them into academic malfeasance. Dr. Gay is guilty of nothing other than attempting to balance an uncomfortable tightrope that has less to do

hedge fund manager, and Harvard graduate and Congresswoman Elise Stefanik. Ackman described Claudine Gay as “a diversity hire,” a stigma that too many Black men and women face when they are selected from a large pool.

Ironically, Ackman’s wife, former MIT Professor Neri Oxamn, is accused of plagiarism charges for more serious than Dr. Gay. Oxman lifted whole paragraphs from Wikipedia.

Gay didn’t lift anyone’s work, she improperly cited some work.

The Harvard investigation charged her with “academic malfeasance,” not quite grounds for sanctions.

Lifting someone’s words is far more serious ground for sanctions or more. Oxman should be viewed askance, especially given her husband’s stance against Dr. Gay. But Oxman is under the protection of her billionaire husband. The media has

Gay or about Harvard.

It’s about the culture wars and about anti-Blackness.

Malcolm X once said “The most disrespected person in America is the Black woman. The most unprotected person in America is the Black woman. The most neglected person in America is the Black woman.”

Malcolm made this statement in the 1960s.

Fifty years later, little has changed.

Perhaps Dr. Gay had to leave her presidency. But she didn’t have to have the racist invective. And she didn’t have to be attacked with hostility. Dr. Gay’s outster is personal to me and to many other Black women who experienced joy at her appointment, then horror and sorrow at the way she was treated.

Dr. Julianne Malveaux, a former college president, is an economist, author, and commentator. juliannemalveaux@aol. com.

New Journal and Guide

MLK Continued from page 4A While we honor Dr. King, let us take the time to honor other soldiers who worked along with him, and some in their own movements, at a more dangerous time than we have today. Let us remember Dr. C.T. Vivian, Dr. Joseph Lowery, Dr. Ralph Abernathy, Ms. Coretta Scott-King, Dick Gregory, Amelia Boynton, Fannie Lou Hamer, Medgar and Charles Evers, Viola Liuzzo, Malcolm X, Rosa Parks, Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth, Myrlie Evers and more. Let us not forget them as we honor Dr. King.

Like Dr. King, these people risked their lives for us.

Advancements were made in civil and human rights because of their struggles and commitment.

They worked to end white supremacy and various forms of discrimination.

Later there were younger people like Eleanor Holmes Norton, Johnny Ford, Jesse Jackson, A.J. Cooper, Julian Bond, Deacons for Defense and so many more. Where are soldiers like them today working to honor Dr. King and others who gave their

Economy Continued from page 4A According to the energy research firm Wood Mackenzie, China will control more than 80 percent of the world’s solar manufacturing capacity through 2026. This is the future of energy. And the United States needs to catch up.

The goal should be to scale up investments like Microsoft’s as rapidly as possible, and bring the entire manufacturing lifecycle for solar technology to the US. And to do it in a way that pushes the energy utilities that power the factories towards clean fuel sources.

How we power the supply chain is as important as where it lives. Manufacturing clean energy tech domestically can create a virtuous cycle in which grids are increasingly powered by clean sources.

That means lower energy bills and cleaner air to breathe.

The IRA ensures it is not just corporations and utilities that are in the game. Billions of dollars are available for local community organizations, cities, schools, and homeowners to spur growth in our domestic clean energy industry.

Despite the “drill, baby, drill” political rhetoric from the oil and gas industry and the politicians in its pockets, elected representatives of both parties understand damn well what these jobs mean for their states and districts. Trust that most lawmakers from Georgia and the other states now

January 18, 2024 - January 24, 2024 | 5A all for our benefit? Once in a while, we see somebody who understands that while we honor Dr. King, his work is not finished.

I look at people who’re gung-ho about Trump. Some are saying they’re not voting and my heart bleeds that they do not honor those who came before them--some who gave their lives because they cared more about future generations than about their personal safety.

Few people are still giving their all to make things better for all of us, but where are the great numbers of our people that we so need? Wherever you are, you need to come home, stop fighting each other, and fighting for each other.

You need to work for Unity in our Community as Rev. Oliver Buie reminds us.

You need to join the work of people like Bishop William Barber, Dr. Franklyn Malone, William McMurray (founder of the RAC for gun security) and Tuskegee’s long-time Mayor Johnny Ford. It’s time to step up to convince our people if they do nothing else, they must vote in 2024!

Dr. E. Faye Williams, President of The Dick Gregory Society. President Emerita of the National Congress of Black Women. being referred to as the “Battery Belt” are eager to reap the IRA’s economic benefits when it comes to clean energy manufacturing.

New Years Day marked the 30th anniversary of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which contributed to the obliteration of America’s manufacturing sector throughout the ‘90s and early 2000s. What ensued in the wake of those lost jobs, and the devastation of the communities that relied on them, was much of the social, economic, and political strife plaguing our country today.

In this post-NAFTA moment, America can reassert its global leadership in manufacturing the technologies on which the world runs. It will mean an explosion of new American jobs and a windfall for American consumers – who will save money and get other benefits from domesticating supply chains.

It will also accelerate the end of fossil fuels. And the protections and incentives in the IRA that focus on equity will help ensure this new energy economy reflects our values, and that marginalized communities do not get left behind.

Another industry that uniquely helped establish America’s pride, identity, and economic might in the last century – the automobile industry – should also be paying attention. Because they have some catching up to do as well. But that is a topic for another column.

Watch this space.

Ben Jealous is the Executive Director of the Sierra Club and a Professor of Practice at the University of Pennsylvania.

GUEST OPINION

WOMEN AND THE ABORTION ISSUE WILL DECIDE THE 2024 ELECTION OUTCOME Dr. Glenn Mollette A woman has never told me she felt good about her abortion. For 39 years I served in pastoral roles in different places. I had numerous women tell me they felt like they had no choice. Some said they felt pressured to abort. Many were medical emergency situations and it was life or death for the mother.

A dear family I’ve known for a few years lost their daughter and the baby in what was supposed to be a delightful day of bringing a new baby into the world. Things went terribly wrong and they both died. Twenty-five years after that event the family still grieves that day. They would give anything to have their daughter and her baby back.

My late wife was very sick when she gave birth to our second son. She and he made it but it was a very treacherous night. Thankfully we had good medical care.

On too many occasions to count, we lost numerous babies. The pregnancy would start failing often times about two to three months into the pregnancy and the doctor would have to do a D and C. The babies had stopped growing or there was some other kind of internal malfunction.

One of the hardest days of my life was when we had a full-term baby who apparently died about a day before the scheduled birth. There was some kind of kink in the umbilical cord that had cut off oxygen to the baby. I was on cloud nine watching the birth of my two prior sons. I walked through hell the day I watched them deliver our dead son. For hours I sat in a room holding him and weeping like I had never wept before.

I put my hand on that baby’s face and

Dr. Glenn Mollette begged God to let him wake and start breathing. What I wouldn’t do today or give to have that child Jesse Caleb Mollette in my life.

The pain of losing that child was devastating to my wife.

The point of all this is most women and men are not crazed baby killers, although abortion statistics indicate we have had a problem in this nation. In 2020 there were 639,898 abortions in America according to Pew Research org. Were all of those performed to save the life of the mother? Were many of them performed because rape or incest had taken place? I do not have the statistics to answer that question, if really good statistics are even available.

The hard reality is that sometimes a medically necessary abortion has to take place to save the life of the mother.

Often, the fetus stops developing or begins to abort on its own and medical care is necessary. Women should never have to leave their state to obtain the care they need. Our local and federal government should never put women’s health in these kinds of dangerous

situations.

Federal and state governments must take a realistic look at what they are expecting of women and try to put themselves in their places. I think we have too many 75-year-old men determining what should or shouldn’t be for young adult women. Or, maybe we have some older women politicians who have never been through a traumatic pregnancy.

If I go to my doctor for an appendicitis procedure, I don’t what him having to involve the Attorney General or state supreme court in my healthcare. It should be between my doctor and me.

The same should be so for pregnant women. Their care should be between them and their doctors. Keep the politicians out of it.

If one of these old politicians is going to have their hemorrhoids cut out, they most likely don’t want the county attorney or judge up there too.

It’s a touch issue. I’m for life all the way. I’m also for common sense.

Something to keep in mind is that regardless of your party affiliation, religious beliefs, or who you know the best person for the job is, women and the abortion issue will decide the 2024 election outcome.

Find books by Glenn Mollette at Amazon.com Learn more about his books, columns and music at glennmollette.com.

Dr. Glenn Mollette is a national syndicated columnist whose column appears in all fifty states and over 500 media outlets. He is the author of 13 books and President of Newburgh Theological Seminary, Newburgh, Indiana.

Learn more at newburghseminary.com and glennmollette.com

NEW INITIATIVE JOINS MLK FOUNDATION AND NFL TO STRENGTHEN COMMUNITIES NEW YORK/PRNEWSWIRE A five-year initiative was introduced on the King Holiday with support from the NFL that is designed to realize Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream for America.

Realizing the Dream is a monumental movement to unite and uplift communities across America by calling for 100 million hours of service by the 100th anniversary of Dr. King’s birth.

It’s an ambitious five-year initiative to mobilize and inspire youth, educators, and entire communities to take action on local issues and make a meaningful difference through acts of service.

Realizing the Dream is a collaboration between the Martin Luther King III Foundation and Legacy+, with a fiveyear commitment of support from the National Football League.

Realizing the Dream also joined with another Legacy+ initiative, Education+ (a free learning platform designed to support educators) to deliver service-learning resources and professional development for educators looking to empower their students.

The multi-year initiative will also work with corporate partners to support employee engagement through volunteer opportunities.

“The NFL’s partnership with Realizing the Dream aligns with our dedication to serving communities, the values that underpin our Inspire Change efforts and our desire to further Dr. King’s legacy,” said Anna Isaacson, NFL senior vice president of social responsibility. “As we build upon an existing movement, we’re excited to

the NFL as well as partners and NGOs across America to reach Realizing the Dream’s ambitious goal.”

“We are fortunate to have the support of strategic educational partners across the U.S. and a network of more than 130,000 teachers in all 50 states,” Legacy+ co-founder Craig Kielburger added. “Working together, we can make this remarkable dream come true.”

Sign up to get updates at realizethedream.org!

– Martin Luther King III

Arndrea, Yolanda, and I are excited to join hands with the NFL in commemorating my father’s vision of a beloved community.”

answer Realizing the Dream’s call to action through facilitating and celebrating acts of service and social change around the country.”

“Arndrea, Yolanda, and I are excited to join hands with the NFL in commemorating my father’s vision of a beloved community. The Realizing the Dream initiative underscores the importance of service, collective responsibility, and how service empowers individuals and strengthens communities,” said Martin Luther King III. “When we come together in service, realizing Dr. King’s dream is well within our grasp,” Arndrea Waters King added. “By working together and each of us using our unique gifts, the Realizing the Dream initiative will cultivate strong communities across the country.”

“Building a movement takes extraordinary partnerships,” explained Legacy+ co-founder Marc Kielburger.

“We’re proud to be working with the Martin Luther King III Foundation,

ABOUT THE MARTIN LUTHER KING III FOUNDATION The Martin Luther King III Foundation is an organization dedicated to building up to a new culture of compassion, trust, dignity, acceptance and love through ideas, words and insights. Leading the way in representing the three values: justice, equity and peace.

About Legacy+ Legacy+ is a foundry of strategists, designers, creators, storytellers and innovators that brings purpose to life for companies, foundations and individuals by building real movements and legacy projects with life-changing impacts for people and communities around the world. They have partnered with globally renowned thought leaders, activists, CEOs, entertainers, athletes, celebrities and more to inspire millions of youths, educators, companies, and communities to give back through service.

New Journal and Guide

6A | January 18, 2024 - January 24, 2024

WELLNESS AND FITNESS

TOPS CLUB EXPLAINS HOW TO MAKE WELLNESS A WAY OF LIFE FOR 2024 MILWAUKEE, WI Now that we’ve kicked off the new year, 40 percent of us have made New Year’s Resolutions — and many people have vowed to lose weight or know someone with the same goal.

TOPS Club, Inc. (Take Off Pounds SensiblySM), the nonprofit weight-loss support organization, with a “Real People.

Real Weight Loss.®” philosophy, knows it’s a challenge to lose weight – especially with the short days, grey skies, and colder weather that comes with the month of January. That’s why the organization is a proponent of National Healthy Weight Week, celebrated this year January 21-27. National Healthy Weight Week encourages those trying to lose weight to stay off fad diets, and instead take steps to eat well and live actively, not only to shed pounds now but also to sustain a wellness lifestyle for years to come.

Today, more than 42 percent of American adults are obese. Obesity can cause an array of medical conditions including heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer. By committing to a healthier lifestyle, people can achieve weight loss and overall wellness.

The following are some tips to commit to a healthier lifestyle during National Healthy Weight Week and beyond: Enjoy exercise: A new year is a perfect time to try something new and find out what exercise activity excites you. After all, the CDC recommends 150 minutes of exercise a week – you might as well spend that time doing something you like. Give dancing, swimming, lifting weights, walking,

Exercising, eating well, and sleeping will help lower your stress level.

When you find yourself frustrated, pause, and take a deep breath. playing sports, or joining a fitness class a chance.

You might find yourself looking forward to moving your body.

You don’t have to go out and run a marathon tomorrow or spend 150 minutes on a treadmill each week. Start small by taking the stairs instead of the elevator or walking/ biking short distances instead of driving them. Make it a habit to incorporate movement into your day.

Eat fruits & veggies: What your mother told you as a kid still holds true today. Eating 2.5 cups of fruits and vegetables each day gives your body the nutrients and the vitamins it needs. Keep a bowl of fruit on the counter that you can grab when you get hungry. Roast vegetables to bring out their flavor and include them in soups, stews, salads, and pasta.

Catch some Z’s: Sleeping well has several health benefits. Those who sleep for 6-8 hours at night have lower blood pressure, less stress, and a reduced risk of disease. Get the most out of your time in bed by going to bed and waking up around the same time each morning.

Hydrate: When you’re thirsty, your body can mistake it as hunger, which can lead to overeating. Ensuring you’re drinking enough water or low-calorie juice – and cutting back on your alcohol intake – will help you maintain a healthy

body weight.

Take a beat: Constant stress makes it impossible for you to maintain your healthy figure. Exercising, eating well, and sleeping will help lower your stress level. When you find yourself frustrated, pause, and take a deep breath.

You could even try yoga or meditation to establish a sense of calm.

Find a support system: Life is better with friends. Grab some pals and establish a healthy routine together. Tell each other your goals, hold one another accountable, exercise together, share healthy recipes, and encourage each other along the way. Better yet, find a TOPS chapter in your area and attend a meeting together – you’ll meet others who are supporting their neighbors in living their healthiest lives now and into the future.

About TOPS®: TOPS Club Inc. (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) is the original weight-loss support and wellness education organization.

Founded in 1948, TOPS is the only non-profit, noncommercial weightloss organization of its kind. TOPS promotes successful weight management with a “Real People.

Real Weight Loss.®” philosophy that combines support from others at weekly chapter meetings, healthy eating, regular exercise, and wellness information.

Today there are

YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH

UVa Program Aims To Prepare, Place More School Psychologists

By Rosaland Tyler

In Virginia and across the country, we are facing a tremendous The number of certified shortage of school psychologists, school psychologists may increase in years to come, while at the same time youth mental thanks to a new University of Virginia program that is health needs are rising.”

Associate Editor New Journal and Guide

accepting new students.

The deadline to file for the new three-year degree program is Feb. 1.

Graduates who finish the University of Virginia’s program called education specialists in school psychology will earn a bachelor’s degree and also participate in a oneyear internship during the final year of training.

Graduates will be qualified to apply for state and national certification as school psychologists in preK-12 schools. Classes will begin in August.

Graduates will receive specialized training in evidence-based assessment and interventions, as well as how to collaborate closely with youth, families, school staff, administrators and community partners to create safe and supportive environments and address the most pressing mental

– Michael Lyons, UVa School of Education and Human Development

health challenges facing youth today.

The new degree program aims to train and place more individuals in this in-demand field.

“In Virginia and across the country, we are facing a tremendous shortage of school psychologists, while at the same time youth mental health needs are rising,” said Michael Lyons, associate professor and director of clinical and school psychology at UVa’s School of Education and Human Development, speaking in UVa Today.

“This program is designed to develop not just more school psychologists, but to develop critical thinkers who will integrate research findings into their daily work and advocate for equitable, effective

programming,” Lyons said.

The program will help ease a current nationwide shortage of school psychologists, education experts say. The National Association of School Psychologists recommends one school psychologist for every 500 students.

“We have had openings for several years that we cannot fill because there simply are not enough qualified applicants,” said Lori Knitter, supervisor of School Psychological Services for Henrico County Public Schools, who served as a school psychologist for 17 years.

“Existing psychologists would almost be ‘walking on air’ if we could do this job with ratios closer to the recommended 1-to-500.”

about 65,000 members, including men, women, and international members who join chapter meetings in-person or online, with thousands of chapters in all 50 states and across Canada. Online resources include, news and information from the health and inspirational community, meal planning ideas, workouts, chapter resources, and more.

Visitors are welcome to attend their first TOPS meeting free of charge.

Membership is affordable, starting at $49 per year in the U.S. and $59 annually in Canada, plus nominal chapter fees. Join TOPS, visit www.tops.org, or call (800) 932-8677 to learn more about TOPS and to find a local chapter.

WHO Cites Uptick In COVID Among Global Health Crises

By Stacy M. Brown

percent rise in ICU admissions.

Ghebreyeus urged Senior National Correspondent governments to maintain @StacyBrownMedia surveillance and sequencing and ensure access to tests, NNPA NEWSWIRE The World Health treatments, and vaccines.

He said Gaza continues Organization (WHO) reported a staggering total of to face an unprecedented nearly 10,000 global deaths humanitarian catastrophe to in December, raising alarm go along with rising health bells about a worsening concerns borne out from worldwide health crisis the pandemic. He said only stemming from the continued 15 hospitals are partially threat of COVID-19. WHO operational, and the absence Director-General Tedros of clean water and sanitation Adhanom Ghebreyesus also creates a breeding ground for noted pressing humanitarian diseases.

Ghebreyeus said crises in Gaza, Sudan, and Ethiopia that exacerbates the Sudan residents have also ongoing challenges related to experienced the rampant spread of diseases, including COVID-19.

Meanwhile, in While COVID-19 is no cholera. longer classified as a global Ethiopia, the north-western health emergency, the virus region of Amhara is in the remains a formidable threat, grip of a severe health crisis Ghebreyeus warned. He due to ongoing conflict said newer cases, driven by since April 2023, he said. holiday gatherings and the Communication challenges, prevalence of the JN.1 variant, damaged health facilities, and led to a 42 percent increase restricted movement impede in hospitalizations and a 62 humanitarian assistance.

New Journal and Guide

January 18, 2024 - January 24, 2024 | 7A

‘Sanctuary Road’ Opera Tells Stories of Underground Railroad; Has Portsmouth Connections

By New Journal and Guide Staff HAMPTON ROADS An opera at the Harrison Opera House on January 26 and January 28 will pay tribute to the life and work of William Still, the “Forgotten Father of the Underground Railroad.”

Still, who was a Black abolitionist and writer, helped some 800 enslaved people escape to freedom while serving as a Philadelphia, Pa., conductor of the Underground Railroad.

“Sanctuary Road” will make its Virginia premiere in Norfolk and then move on to Richmond and Northern Virginia in early February. The Friday night performance will be preceded by a discussion

by Dr. Cassandra NewbyAlexander, noted Historian, Author and Norfolk State University professor.

William Still’s name isn’t as well-known as Harriet Tubman, Frederick

William Still Douglass or John Brown.

However, it is his writings in his 1871 book, The Underground Railroad Records that documented a staggering 745 accounts of the men and

women fleeing slavery in the South for freedom in the North. Approximately thirty percent, or 242 accounts, were provided by escapees from Virginia, including Clarissa

Where was abolitionist William Still headquartered?

The answer is.... Philadelphia PA

Davis, who fled Portsmouth, Va., and Henry “Box” Brown, who fled Richmond, Va. Still’s stories form the basis for the opera Sanctuary Road which is composed by Pulitzer Prize-winner Paul Moravex.

The words of “Sanctuary Road” are delivered entirely in song and are a haunting reminder of the dangerous journeys of the enslaved Black men and women as they sought to be free from slavery in America.

Sanctuary Road premiered in 2022 by North Carolina Opera. Virginia Opera’s performances of Sanctuary Road mark not only the Commonwealth of Virginia Premiere, but also only the third production of the opera in the United States.

“At Virginia Opera, we are committed to bringing stories that resonate with the heart and soul of our community.

Sanctuary Road is not only a tribute to our region’s rich history, but a testament to the enduring power of opera to connect us to our shared past and inspire our future,” said Virginia Opera’s Artistic Director Adam Turner.

He continued, “The final words of the opera could

not be more powerful and resonant, evoking such a jubilant expression of freedom – ‘Shout from every rooftop.

Loud as can be: free.’”

The production will be conducted by Dr. Everett McCorvey, the founder and music director of the American Spiritual Ensemble, the director and executive producer of University of Kentucky Opera Theatre, and the president of Global Creative Connections. PBS has produced six documentaries featuring Dr. McCorvey’s work. This appearance marks Dr. McCorvey’s conducting debut at Virginia Opera.

Kimille Howard is at the helm of this visionary landmark production in her Virginia Opera directorial debut.

The New Yorkbased director, deviser, writer, and filmmaker has earned recognition at the Metropolitan Opera, the Washington National Opera, Wolf Trap Opera, and the Glimmerglass Festival.

Sanctuary Road presents a collection of songs that artfully weave together the themes and stories of the Underground Railroad. The production is a moving mosaic of narratives,

paying homage to the countless brave individuals who sought freedom through this clandestine network.

The production features a stellar cast, all making their Virginia Opera mainstage debuts, including Virginia native Damien Geter as William Still, Laquita Mitchell as soprano soloist, Terrence Chin-Loy as tenor soloist, Virginia native Adam Richardson as baritone soloist, and Tesia Kwarteng, graduate of Virginia Opera’s Herndon Foundation Emerging Artists Program, as mezzo-soprano soloist. Commenting on and participating in the dramatic action, the Virginia Opera Chorus of over 40 performers promises to provide a powerfully dynamic contribution.

This poignant production, just over an hour in duration, is produced in partnership with the Virginia Symphony Orchestra, promising an unforgettable and deeply moving experience for all who attend.

For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit Virginia Opera’s website at https://vaopera.org/ sanctuary-road.

HU’S CONFERENCE TO ADDRESS MENTAL HEALTH IN BLACK COMMUNITY

By Rosaland Tyler

CONTEST WINNERS Carrie Snead | James Fox | Yve Wil | Chester Williams JoAn Chever | Yvette Simmons | Martha Williams Robert Goodrum | Diana Chappell | B. Smith THANK YOU ALL WHO PARTICIPATED AND CONGRATS TO OUR SANCTUARY ROAD WINNERS

Associate Editor New Journal and Guide HAMPTON Hampton University’s first Black Decolonial Conference will be held Jan. 26-27.

The theme for the two-day conference is “Decolonizing, Liberating and Healing the Black Pyche-Soul.” This groundbreaking event aims to foster meaningful discussions, research, and discussion on decolonial psychology, specifically centered

around the experiences and perspectives of the Black community.

“We are excited to host the first Black Decolonial Psychology Conference, providing a platform for scholars, practitioners, and students to come together and explore innovative approaches to understanding and addressing mental health within the Black community,” said Dr. O’Shan Gadsden, chair, HU Department of Psychology.

The conference kicks

off with a meet and greet, followed by an interactive workshop facilitated by Dr. Steven D. Kniffley, senior associate dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine.

“The HU Department of Psychology looks forward to fostering a dynamic and impactful dialogue and space of reflection that contributes to the advancement of decolonial psychology and healing,” said Gadsden.

Register at Eventbrite.

New Journal and Guide

8A | January 18, 2024 - January 24, 2024

58TH ANNUAL PRAYER BREAKFAST KICKS OFF 2024 GENERAL ASSEMBLY

King Continued from page 1A “What’s the difference between George Wallace and Donald Trump? You’re not going to hear Trump publicly say the n-word, that’s the only difference,” Johnson remarked. “King would easily have seen that Trump is a bigot in the true sense of the word who actually believes he is superior to people of color.”

Johnson, Rev. Dr. Jesse Jackson Sr., Rev. Dr. Benjamin Chavis Jr., and others said that the wars between Israel and Hamas and Russia and Ukraine would have stirred Dr. King courageously to declare in King’s own words that “An injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

Dr. King would again say, “Peace is not just the absence of war; it is the presence of peace.”

Rev. Jesse Jackson noted that King spoke of a deeper malady in American society. His view was that presidential administrations have been embroiling themselves in conflicts across the globe for the wrong reasons.

“Dr. King was outspokenly anti-war and anti-racism,” said Rev. Mark Thompson, a civil rights leader who recently joined the National Newspaper Publishers Association as the trade association’s global digital transformation director.

“There’s no question King would oppose the war in Ukraine and seek diplomatic solutions. I believe he would also call for a ceasefire in Gaza.”

“I believe his posture on Congress’s dysfunction would be consistent with the words he used to describe segregationist intransigence in his ‘I Have a Dream’ speech

By Melissa Spellman Staff Reporter New Journal and Guide

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. – interposition and nullification,” Thompson declared.

NNPA President and CEO Rev. Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., also an SCLC youth coordinator alum back in the 1960s, concurred. “Dr. King was a nonviolent freedom fighter who believed that we all members of one humanity. His concept of the ‘beloved community’ was all-inclusive and not discriminatory to anyone,” Chavis insisted. “Today’s world realities of racism, antisemitism, Islamophobia, oppression, war, hatred, and bigotry are void of love for one another. We need Dr. King’s wisdom, inclusive theology, and leadership courage today more than ever before.”

Johnson said there’s little doubt about where King would stand on today’s issues because the icon never wavered.

“I don’t think he would have changed his position fundamentally,” Johnson determined.

“The Black Press of America, through the NNPA, salutes and pays an eternal salute to the wisdom, vision, and courage of The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.,” Chavis declared.

“May the 2024 Martin Luther King National Holiday be a day of reflection, action, freedom movement building, and constructive social change for all people in America and throughout the world.”

The 58th Annual Commonwealth Prayer Breakfast was held on Wednesday, January 10, 2024, at The Greater Richmond Convention Center in Richmond, Virginia. This event is held at the beginning of the legislative session where Virginians, citizens, and public servants gather to pray for the Commonwealth of Virginia.

In attendance was the organization YOURS – Youth Outreach Urban Resources and Services Ministry where Robert Goodman serves as Director. YOURS provides mentoring and programs to the youth of Norfolk, Virginia. They invited me as their guest to attend the 2024 Governor’s prayer breakfast.

The Prayer Breakfast was presided over by Senator Mamie Locke of the 23rd District. Governor Glenn Youngkin gave the welcome stating, “Can there possibly be a better way for us to not just start a day but to start our work together than in prayer.” Youngkin recognized newly elected Speaker of the House Don Scott. Scott takes his place in history as the first Black Speaker of the House of Delegates.

“This is a time to pray for our commonwealth and a time to reach across the commonwealth and bring people together from all corners from Southwest Virginia to Virginia Beach from Emporia to Leesburg and all walks of life,” said Youngkin. He shared that his collective prayer was for those who serve our country and serve our citizens every day.

Photo: Courtesy

(Seated left) Robert Goodman, Director,YOURS (Youth Outreach Urban Resources and Services) Ministry and his Norfolk guests.

A series of prayers followed for the state’s agencies, its office holders and directors, and its citizens, young and old.

Among those delivering prayers were Attorney General Jason Miyares, and Avi Hopkins of Chesterfield and a member of The Commission on Youth.

Delegates Vivian Watts of the 39th District in Fairfax County, VA and Bobby Orrock of the 54th district of Spotsylvania County and Caroline County, VA offered prayers for the state’s legislators.

Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears said the prayer for the executive branch and for advocates, judges, and justices. “I pray for them each wisdom and understanding like Solomon, discernment like Samuel, confidence like Debra, and courage like that of Esther. I pray that each judge and justice be humbled and tempered by the weight of the

responsibility which you tasked us,” she said.

The Prayer Breakfast message was presented by Ambassador John Cotton Richmond. Richmond is the Ambassador-At-Large for the Office To Monitor And Combat Trafficking In Persons. Using narratives, he shared three ideas about starting, leading, and loving like Jesus.

Richmond explained that “When we start something new, failure is an option.” He shared that, “Jesus reminded us that not all the people that started following him would finish. He reminded us that sometimes we start building a project and it’s not finished. He never tells us not to start. He doesn’t tell us not to build.”

Richmond said, “as we start to build that we should have a plan that we should count the cost.”

Ambassador Richmond closed the day out recalling the story of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. when his

home was bombed with his family inside. He described how success for King was not guaranteed but King responded to the tragedy with love, clarity and dignity and urged everyone to love one another.

Richmond stated that the King family paid a huge cost for leading with love.

The Ambassador regarded leadership as a sacred trust.

He stated, “No matter how important you think you are today, one day someone else will have your seat, your chair, your gavel, your robe, your badges, and your houses. But in this season, you have them and while you have them lead well.”

Reflections were given

by Mark Rubin, Esquire, Reverend Benjamin Campbell, Former Delegate David Ramadan, and State Senator Mamie Locke. The Prayer Breakfast concluded with a musical benediction

by Mount Gilead Full Gospel International Ministries praise team.

New Journal and Guide

January 18, 2024 - January 24, 2024 | Section B

SECTION B MLK HOLIDAY SCENES

“I Have ULHR Awards 7 Citizens, One Agency A Dream” HAMPTON ROADS The Urban League of Hampton Roads presented eight awards during its 40th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Community Leaders Breakfast on Monday, January 15 at 8 AM at the Virginia Beach Convention Center. The Keynote Speaker was Clint Smith, a staff writer for The Atlantic and #1 New York Times bestselling author of How the Word Is Passed. Smith’s message centered around the theme of the

importance of understanding our history not only to understand our world, but also to be empowered to fight for racial justice.

The ULHR Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Governor Douglas Wilder. Others honoured were Charlie Hill, Peter Blake, Harry Lester, Alexis Swann, Norfolk Redevelopment Housing Authority (NRHA), Nykita Doggette, and Lisa Wise Chapman.

Photo: Ken Sutton

NORFOLK Eric Labat mesmerizes the crowd assembled at the foot of the MLK Monument on Church Street with his rendition of Dr. King’s speech,“ Have A Dream.”

It was a fitting addition to the city’s annual King program at the Attucks where the city honored the Montford Point Marines, the nation’s first Black men to desegregate the U.S. Marines during World War II.

Photo: Diana Chapell

(L-R) Gil Bland; Clint Smith; Gov. L. Douglas Wilder; Ed Hamm.

Zetas Join In Norfolk March NORFOLK Members of Zeta Phi Beta pose with Norfolk Mayor Kenneth Alexander at that city’s annual King March following a capacityroom filled program at the Attucks Theater.

Photo: Ernest Lowery

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New Journal and Guide

2B | January 18, 2024 - January 24, 2024

A 4-PART SERIES

Health Living Center Diabetes Prevention:

Plant-Based Cooking Class Eats Their First Meal

By Melissa Spellman Staff Reporter New Journal and Guide

On January 10, 2024, The Healthy Living Center (HLC) located at 930 Majestic Avenue in Norfolk, VA began the first class of the four-week Diabetes Prevention: Plant Based Cooking Class.

HLC launched this course in November of 2022. This course, Healthy Education & Cooking Class: A Plant-Based Approach Lifestyle, is a part of the National Diabetes Prevention program.

HLC is partnering with Sentara Cares to offer the community techniques on how to prepare and cook healthy meals for individuals and their families.

The class is led by the Co-founder and President of HLC, Certified Diabetes Educator and Diabetes Lifestyle Coach Dr. Olivia Newby. Dr. Newby, her husband, Dr. James Newby and their daughter, Marcia N. Newby-Goodman, operate the Primary Care Specialists medical practice on Majestic Avenue where most of their clientele is African-American.

HLC is committed to increasing health awareness in the city of Norfolk through collaborative interacting with the community and offering self-care management skills to citizens to modify and improve their quality of life through education. The course is an introduction to plant-based cooking that offers a holistic approach

Dr. Olivia Newby to diabetes education and prevention.

Dr. Newby’s class provides an illustration of Diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and the effects of obesity.

She discusses these health topics in a non-medical way using common language that allows the information to resonate with everyone.

For example, in explaining high cholesterol Newby states, “I look at high cholesterol as how often we use butter, cheese, mayonnaise, and eggs. Anything that has a momma and a daddy.

Anything walking on the ground.”

This class erupts in laughter as the doctor does a little two step to emphasize “walking on the ground.” The group understands her message that when you look at your plate and there are more things four legged and more things with a momma and a daddy this equals more prescriptions.

The class also teaches participants about reading nutrition labels, the social determinants of health, and how to eat better to

live better and longer.

When participants arrive, they check in and get their vitals taken. This includes height, weight, blood pressure, and waist measurements which will determine their body mass index or BMI. Next participants have a brief group session with Dr. Newby where she discusses the nature of the class, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and health risk factors based on gender and race.

Dr. Newby poses questions and gets feedback from guests that gauges their thoughts and feelings about health and food.

Newby shared with the class that a plantbased approach avoids meat, dairy, and eggs. In this stage of the process the participants are in the approach phase and are deciding to change.

“Approach means you are thinking about it, you’re planning, and you’re making a decision,” said Newby. She notes that this transition is not an overnight process and often takes years for individuals to make a complete lifestyle change.

The educator explained that a plant-based diet includes vegetables, fruit, grains, and beans or things that come out of the ground and it’s about making them taste good.

After Dr. Newby got the class motivated for change the participants began the cooking portion of the course led by Chef Patricia Louis. On the menu for the day was a vegetable stir fry with onions, broccoli,

Photos: Melissa Spellman

Cooking class set up for participants carrots, and mushrooms using no oil.

The dish was seasoned with a spice blend called 21 seasoning salute that included no salt. The class made their own sauce with lemon juice, low sodium soy sauce, minced garlic, and honey. The dish was accompanied by brown rice

and vegan/veggie nuggets.

The class was allowed to take home their leftovers and gifted a bottle of low sodium soy sauce and a bottle of 21 seasoning salute.

Three classes remain in the session and participants can’t wait to see what’s on the menu for the next week.

The class is free and open to the public. If you are interested in attending the Diabetes Prevention: Plant-Based cooking class you can register for the next session at www.hlcnorfolk.com, call (757) 622-0542, or email hlcnorfolk@gmail.com for more information.

New Journal and Guide

January 18, 2024 - January 24, 2024 | 3B

Feeding 5000’s Meals & VIRGINIA BEACH’S DELEGATES ARE SWORN IN Gospel Concert Honor Dr. King

By New Journal and Guide Staff RICHMOND Delegates-Elect Alex Askew and Michael Feggans of Virginia Beach were sworn into their newly elected positions as members of the Virginia House of Delegates representing Virginia Beach legislative districts. The ceremony took place on January 13 in the House Chambers.

Both Askew, who represents HD-95, and Feggans, who represents HD-97, are Virginia Beach natives and attended and graduated from Virginia Beach City Schools.

Both Delegates had large supportive families and guests in attendance.

The new General Assembly Leader, Del. Don Scott of Portsmouth, also attended both swearings-in.

NEWPORT NEWS The Andrew Shannon FEEDING 5000 Honoring Dr. Martn Luther King, Jr. and the Andrew Shannon Gospel Music Celebration were held on Sunday, January 14, 2024 at New Beech Grove Baptist Church where Dr. Willard Maxwell, Pastor, served as Host.

FEEDING 5000 included Photo: Ken Sutton the attendance and Judge Jamilah D. LeCruise, Norfolk District Court, participation of “Celebrity swears in Del. Alex Askew.

Servers” Newport News Mayor Phillip Jones, Newport News City Council Member Marcellus L. Harris III, Virginia State Senator Danny Diggs, Newport News Chief of Police Steve Drew, Dr. Michelle Boone-Thornton, Lisha Bryant-Shannon, Edna V. Davis, Dr. Tremayne

Johnson, Pastor of Zion Baptist Church, Dr. Floyd A. Miles, Virgil Thornton, Sr., Virgil Thornton Jr., Lionel T. Hines, Sr., Clyde Brown, Keith Mills, Frank Duff, and Dr. Willard Maxwell Jr. The event was free and open to the public and provided the largest gathering of families and individuals in one setting for Food Distribution of Pre-packaged meals served To Go Sunday afternoon at 4 p.m. the Andrew Shannon Gospel Music Celebration concert featuring nationally recording artist Maurice Yancey and One Accord in concert at New Beech Grove Baptist Church was full to capacity with uplifting, toe tapping, inspirational gospel music.

The program began with a historic joyous musical tribute honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. that was provided by the United House of Prayer for All People Shout Band and Robert Walker, Band Director which bought the audience to their feet with their solemn rendition of “The Blood” and “Precious Lord.”

Special Guests included Bishop Ray Bynum and Pentecostal Followers of Christ Church Choir; Stokes & Company, The Jones Singers and Cynthia Johnson. The concert also honored Inez Shannon Overton, “Mother Overton,” Evangelist Brenda Bynum, Missionary Alisha Bynum and Elder Leroy Jones with a special tribute.

Photo: Ken Sutton

Del. Alex Askew swears in Del. Michael Feggans.

Photo: Daphne Simmons

City leaders were on hand as “Celebrity Servers.”

LOCAL VOICES

Photo: Ken Sutton

Well-wishers traveled from Virginia Beach and other parts to witness the swearings-in.

Not Trapped In Another Man’s Dream

By Sean C. Bowers

HUNGER READS THE MORNING PAPER, TOO. 1 IN 6 AMERICANS STRUGGLES WITH HUNGER.

TOGETHER WE’RE

Hunger is closer than you think. Reach out to your local food bank for ways to do your part. Visit FeedingAmerica.org today.

A recent conversation led me to a place of inner unfamiliar selfcontemplation that I did not recognize or even have constructed the perspective to clearly process. It’s true we can learn something in learning about others and ourselves every daily interaction.

Are we trapped in Dr. King’s dream state, all of us trying to live out his most magnificent dreams of equality?

My answer: “I am not living anyone’s else’s dream. I have my own V1ZUAL1Zations, I am trying to own up to. I’m trying to contribute my version of helpfulness and peace to the larger ideal of world peace. Finding and creating the tangible paths to equitable equality empowering everyone is what I would have continued to say, and have relentlessly stood for over my life.

Because I would not admit I was only living Dr. King’s dream, another man’s dream, I was in some way discounting MLK’s superb dream articulation.

Would I become something of a narcissist because I would dare to say I’m not living another man’s dream?

MLK’s dream, certainly parts of it, are in all our consciousnesses. Are we only limited to certain dreams, or can everyone pick and choose the best of another’s vision, clarity, and foresight and add it to our own dreams?

Are not our dreams the collective kaleidoscope of the best and worst that has been put into us over our life time?

One dream seems shortsighted. I want women to control their own bodies.

Many women who share that same dream, also have dreams of equal pay, and equal rights.

Sometimes we listen to respond, to defend, to justify, or to simply reply to the perceived incoming proposition.

Through that deciphering, our process becomes shortened, shorted-out, short-circuited, shortsighted, short-changing us of our best contemplative

My life goal is to help establish a world where the dreamers, the poets, and the socalled “average” men and women Sean C. Bowers can have all the dreams their reasoned phrase-parsing.

Listening is truly hearing! hearts desire, as It is not configuring your comeback. I find myself we empower the guilty all the time of breaking that golden rule paths that take “you have two ears to us all higher. listen, and one mouth.”

It is my sincere hope everyone else is living “their” dream life. It may be a struggle, and have many pitfalls and unnecessary obstacles; racism, sexism, classism, and religious persecution.

But our dreams can also have grandchildren, a sweet wife, sunsets, bike rides, peace, and amazing grace of Divine Providence no matter your religious belief structure.

All the words coming out of my mouth or off this page into your brain may be triggering you. What is triggering you, Is it really my origin’s origination point? What triggers you, metaphorically? When we understand we can either “trigger” others in ways that can be abusive, we can take steps to rein in that behavior. We now see examples of triggering others in order to film their response, and then broadcast it to the world on the web.

“Trigger happy” people may or may not ever know the total triggerings, misfires, missed synapses, or firings they may be causing because during the “firings,” the forest becomes the trees that we can’t see or detect.

My life goal is to help establish a world where the dreamers, the poets, and the so-called “average” men and women can have all the dreams their hearts desire, as we empower the paths that take us all higher. Because everyone gets hungry, on just desire.

What’s worse is burning it

all down for the sake of, playing with fire, that’s our pathetic funeral Pire, piled high NOT to God’s empire.

We either listen better or all of us will be “all hands on deck” to put out the fire, of that nightmare. Prayers are only the first part of the prevention, the next level requires our input and output to take on the deeper darker under layers.

Losing sight’s first symptoms is losing the ability to see the humanity in others.

Listening, hearing, seeing their dreaming opens the Heaven’s flood gate doors. We all have to become better listeners; it begins with each of us. Then we can own our own multifaceted dreams, beyond just in our dream states on our way towards heaven’s gates.

Sean C. Bowers has written the last 26 years, as a White Quaker Southern man, for the nation’s third oldest Black Newspaper, The New Journal and Guide, of Norfolk, Virginia, about overcoming racism, sexism, classism, and religious persecution.

Some of his latest NJ&G articles detailing the issues can found by searching “Sean C. Bowers” on the NJ&G website. Contact him directly on social media at Linkedin.com or by e-mail V1ZUAL1ZE@ aol.com NNPA 2019 Publisher of the Year, Brenda H. Andrews (NJ&G 36 years) has always been his publisher.

New Journal and Guide

4B | January 18, 2024 - January 24, 2024

MOMENTS of MEDITATION

By Rev. Dr. Archie L. Edwards, Sr.

WALKING IN THE TRUTH Read: 1 John In John’s first letter he repeatedly contrasted falsehood with the truth. He warned against self-deception, which would indicate the absence of inward truth. He regarded loving actions as demonstrations of allegiance to the truth. He referred to the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of truth. This emphasis on truth, both in doctrine and in life, continues in the two smaller letters that we know as 2 John and 3 John. Actually, John uses the term “truth” more often in these two letters combined (11 times) than he does in the longer first letter (10 times).

Adherence to truth was very important to this Apostle.

In the brief letter we are studying in this lesson, John begins with a salutation (2 John 1-3). He then writes about the joy of walking in the truth (vv. 4-6) and the peril of running ahead of the truth (vv. 7 – 11), after which he concludes the letter with a farewell (vv. 12-13).

SALUTATION. We do not know why John called himself “the elder.” Evidently he was so well known by this title that no other identification was needed. Originally, before the Apostolic church developed an organizational pattern, the term “elder,” taken from

Judaism, meant a respected older person. Later it came to reflect a church official.

In John’s case, it may be that these ideas were combined, and that he was an official of a local church (possibly, but not necessarily, the one to which the “chosen lady” belonged), and that his venerable age and long experience had earned him general recognition as “the elder.”

As to the identity of the “chosen lady” (v. 1), the favorable view is that she and her children were individuals to and about whom John was writing, and that this letter was intended for her guidance.

This does not rule out the likelihood that his instructions were also meant for the guidance of the congregation of which she was a part. Nor does it deny the possibility that “the chosen lady” and “other children” may have been a figurative way of referring to a church and its members.

At the beginning of this letter, John establishes the basis for the loving fellowship that welds together the members of the Christian community – namely, adherence to the truth. John loves the lady and her children “in the truth,” as do “all who know the truth” (v. 1). The

reason for this is “the truth, which lives in us and will be with us forever” (v. 2).

Clearly, the foundation for Christian love is truth and apart from truth there cannot be the self-giving love that is the hallmark of Christian commitment. The stress on love based on truth is important for Christians today. Eternal truth, as it is found in Jesus Christ, who is truth incarnate (John 14:6), must not be sacrificed on the altar of love. Christians are to love one another and to love their neighbors, both saved and unsaved, but they are to love God first and foremost.

Genuine Christian love must be founded on God’s revealed truth about the person and work of His Son, our Savior.

THE JOY OF WALKING IN THE TRUTH. At some point in his travels, John has come across children of “the chosen lady” and has found them “walking in the truth” (2 John 4) i.e., living in accord with God the Father’s commands. This was a source of great joy to the Apostle.

John renews a theme that he had sounded in his first letter.

We who are believers should love one another and we should demonstrate that love by obeying God’s commands (vv. 5-6a see 1 John 5:2-3).

What does God command us to do? “Walk in love” (2 John 6b).

THE PERIL OF RUNNING AHEAD OF THE TRUTH. John is concerned lest “the chosen lady and her children” be led astray by deceivers (v.

7). Evidently he feared that believers might be deceived by false teaching about the person of Christ to the point that they would compromise their witness, and their life’s work would be burned up like wood, hay or straw at the

judgment seat of Christ (v. 8; 1 Corinthians 3:11-15).

John also feared that some professing Christians might become so enamored of the alleged spiritual insights and philosophical sophistication of these teachers that they would “run ahead” of the teaching that John and the other apostles had given them about Christ and fail to continue in that teaching.

Finally, John instructs “the chosen lady” regarding the treatment that should be accorded a false teacher of 2 John (10-11). Such a person should not be given

the hospitality that would be extended to Christian brothers and sisters (see 1 Peter 4:9), or even to strangers (Hebrews 13:2). This is not to say that believers should be rude or hostile, even to false teachers, for rudeness and hostility only turn people away from our witness. We are not to love the godless world system around us, but we are to love the people who live in this world, as God did when He gave His only Son that they might be saved.

FAREWELL. The Apostle had more on his heart that he wanted to share with “the

chosen lady,” but it would be much better to do so face to face, rather than by using paper and ink (2 John 12).

He concludes by sending greetings to “the chosen lady” from her nieces and nephew, as assuming that the letter was written to an individual. If “the chosen lady” was a church, then the “chosen sister” and her children were doubtless another church and its members. In either case, the bond of Christian love united them as, together, they continued to walk in the truth.

Grants To Preserve Historic U.S. Black Churches Announced On King Holiday (RNS) Thirty-one Black churches have received a total of $4 million to help preserve their buildings and the Black history they represent.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation announced the second round of Preserving Black Churches grants from its African-American Cultural Heritage Action Fund on Monday (Jan. 15), the national holiday honoring the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Along with the funds provided last year, the Action Fund has supported more than 70 historic churches with $8.7 million in grants.

“We created the Preserving Black Churches program to ensure the historic Black church’s legacy is told and secured,” said Brent Leggs, executive director of the fund, in a statement, adding that “these cultural assets can continue to foster community resilience and drive meaningful change in

our society.”

This year’s grants, which range from $50,000 to $200,000, will allow congregations to address issues such as mold contamination, demolition, water filtration and deferred maintenance.

Among the recipients this year is Town Clock Church in New Albany, Indiana, which was constructed in 1852 and then named Second Presbyterian Church. It was a station on the Underground Railroad, providing shelter to enslaved people who were fugitives. Funds earmarked for endowment and financial sustainability will be used to maintain 2014 preservation and restoration efforts.

Others include African Methodist Episcopal churches that received capital project grants. For example, Atlanta’s Big Bethel AME Church was the birthplace of Morris Brown College, the first educational institution in

Georgia owned completely

by African-Americans. New Orleans’ St. James AME Church was a gathering site for marchers of the Civil Rights Movement and the headquarters of the Louisiana Native Guards, Black Union soldiers who fought in the Civil War. Historian Henry Louis Gates Jr., an adviser to the fund, which is supported

by Lilly Endowment Inc., welcomed the decisions on the new grant recipients, some of which currently have facilities that are closed due to structural damage.

“The heart of our spiritual world is the Black church,” said Gates in the announcement.

“These places of worship, these sacred cultural centers, must exist for future generations to understand who we were as a people.”

This article was written

by Adelle M Banks at http:// religionnews.com

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New Journal and Guide

January 18, 2024 - January 24, 2024 | 5B

New Journal and Guide

6B | January 18, 2024 - January 24, 2024

RADIO ICON DONNIE SIMPSON TAKES FINAL BOW AFTER 55 YEARS IN BROADCASTING

By Stacy M. Brown Legendary radio and media personality Donnie Simpson signed off, possibly for the last time, on Friday, January 12.

The illustrious career that spanned an incredible 55 years ended with a heartfelt message from the iconic DJ himself.

“Today’s the day,” Simpson posted on X. “Please make sure you tune into my last day ...

Let’s celebrate together as I thank each & every one of you for your support during my 55 years in radio.”

An icon, trailblazer, and media legend, Simpson held a commanding presence in Washington, D.C. He gained international fame as a television and movie personality. From his

Donnie Simpson early beginnings in Detroit to his stints at WKYS and WMMJ in Washington, he etched his name in the history of radio.

A true industry pioneer, Simpson was one of America’s first video jockeys, hosting iconic shows like BET’s “Video Soul.” His achievements

reached new heights when, in 1988, Billboard Magazine recognized him as both the best top radio personality and top program director in the nation.

After retiring in 2010, Simpson triumphantly returned to the airwaves and television screens in 2015.

As the afternoon drive host on WMMJ, Majic 102.3 in Washington D.C., and the face of TV-One’s “Donnie After Dark,” he continued to captivate audiences with his signature style.

As noted in his bio, Simpson started in Detroit as the “Love Bug.” Simpson’s passion for music, nurtured in his mother’s record shop, laid the groundwork for an extraordinary career. He connected with the biggest stars globally throughout

the years, showcasing his talent and versatility.

Simpson’s television career soared as he anchored sports and hosted “Video Soul” on BET. In 2021, he announced the revival of “Video Soul.”

Honored with inductions into the BET Walk of Fame (2004) and the R&B Hall of Fame of Class of 2020, Simpson’s legacy is cemented in the annals of entertainment history.

“I’m going to miss doing the show, Donnie’s going to miss it, too, but he’s got some great things planned,” wrote News4 anchor Tony Perkins, who joined “The Donnie Simpson Show” in the 3 p.m. slot six years ago. “We loved doing the show. Thank you for all the responses on social media.”

CLASSIFIEDS REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

Chesapeake Public Schools RFP: #01-2324 Title: Music Instruments, Supplies, and Repair Services Closing Date/Time: February 16, 2024 @ 4:00 PM More Info: https://www.cpschools.com/o/cps/page/purchasing

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

The Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority (NRHA) will receive proposals for 2153-153-24: Project Based Vouchers (PBV) for Projects within the Boundaries of the City of Norfolk from property owners and developers for new housing developments in Norfolk, Virginia and neighboring jurisdictions. The PBV program is a tool to promote the expansion of quality, affordable and accountable housing opportunities to low income families, homeless persons, elderly persons and person with disabilities, in order to meet mixed-income community objectives. The PBV shall be deployed in new construction, rehabilitated housing, or adaptive reuse of existing structures for residential housing developments or mixed income rental communities.

Multiple, resultant contracts may be offered up to 20 year terms.

Proposals will be received at NRHA, 555 E. Main Street (17th Floor drop Box) Norfolk, VA 23510 no later than 3:00 p.m. local prevailing time, on February 8, 2024. Solicitation documents are available for review at www.nrha.us and the E-Virginia Procurement website (www.eva.virginia.gov).

NRHA does not discriminate against individuals because of race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status or national origin. Small businesses owned by women and minorities, and Section 3 certified businesses are encouraged to submit proposals.

FUN PUZZLE FOR YOUR LEISURE

... answers to this week’s puzzle.

New Journal and Guide

January 18, 2024 - January 24, 2024 | 7B

8B | January 11, 2024 - January 17, 2024

New Journal and Guide