New York Trend NYC: January 24-30, 2019

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HONORED WITH LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT OF D R . MA RTIN LUTHER AWARDS KING, JR.

C E L E BRATING THE L I F E

York and a former chancellor of the New York public schools system.

The Black Stars News 2015 Annual Awards Dinner will honor Mayor David Dinkins, Rep. Charles Rangel, Rep. Yvette Clarke, R. Donahue Peebles, Barbara Arnwine, Inez Barron, Sabrina Lamb, Dr. Rudy Crew, Stephen Byrd, Alia Jones, and the Central Park Five survivors of gross injustice onPeople’s December 18 on from 6:00pm – The Poor March 10:00pm atofMIST Washington in May 1968,Harlem, planned 46 West

by Dr. Martin 116th Luther Street.King and the

50 Years Later

Pioneering producers Stephen Byrd and Alia Jones, through their company Front Row Production, brought “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” and “A Streetcar Named Desire” with a multi-ethnic cast to Broadway. In 2016 they bring “Eclipsed” with Oscar Winner Lupita Nyong ’O to Broadway.

“If you can’t fly, RUN; if you

A Look Back at Dr. King’s Demands For Justice 

can’t run, WALK; if you can’t walk, CRAWL; but by all means KEEP MOVING.

”

Honorees, the so-called Central Park 5, are collectively and individually heroes. They are survivors of one of the ugliest David Dinkins Charles Rangel miscarriage of justice in New York’s history; having been railroaded majority.

She now leads The was a member of the New York measure has contributed towards But before the march, Reverend Ralph and unjustly convicted for a crime Transformative Justice Coalition.

City Council, representing the creating a more society in this th Abernathy visited the USjust Department they did not commit and for which Arnwine was for 26 years executive 40 council district in Brooklyn, country,” says Black Star News of Agriculture (USDA) to advocate on they served long prison sentences director of the Lawyers’ Committee succeeding her mother, Una S. publisher Milton behalf founder of farmersand denied land, families th ranging from seven years to 13 years for Civil Rights Under the Law. T. Clarke. In the current 114 “Obviously deniedAllimadi. food, and people denied much dignity.work before being exonerated when the Congress Clarke serves on Inez Barron, honoree, formerly a Abernathy called very existence of needs to the be done here and actual rapist confessed. They are: the Energy and Commerce hungeraround in the U.S. “a world.” national disgrace” State Assembly member, is now the Yusef Abdus Salaam; Raymond Committee, responsible for and demanded the USDA provide Thanks to advocacy by Abernathy and look. a New York City council membertheir relatives.

The gala starts at 6:00pm with a Santana Jr., Antron McCray, Kevin consumer food stamps for those who couldn’t many others, food protection, stamps—nowfood the and astill champion of education for And agribusiness still reigns supreme.

However, we have a long way to go cocktail hour to be followed by the Richardson, and Kharey Wise. safety, energy development, afford them (at the time, people had to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance publicbefore our youth. Dr. King’s vision for Farm policy in the 1970s directed we achieve dinner and awards ceremonies.

There health, communications, the purchase them for use) and free and Program (SNAP)—are free for The Black News, which focuses farmers to “get bigStar or get out,”widening economic and racial justice.

One in eight Honoree Imhotep Gary Byrd is will be lunches musical for entertainment reduced-price every school by participants. environment, and interstate We also have a strong and households on investigative journalism, don’t consistently thehost the gulf between small and large farmshas a legendary radio talkhave show Cassandra child inopera need. singer The Reverend also Douglas urged international commerce.

National School Lunch Program, which been featured as a result of some if keep foodproducer, on the table— andtoexecutive radio DJ,and increasingly diverting federal the USDA support black- and Mexican provides 22 million students in 100,000 resources andtofrom harmonica phenomenon subsidies the biggest its to news scoops,and on most CNN, The New of color experience R. Donahue Peebles, honoree, is and households American-owned farms; highlighted poet, songwriter, music recordingprofitable operations.

William Galison.

David Dinkins is schools with free or reduced-price York Daily News, The New York hunger at twice the rate of white leading developer and founder of widespread discrimination in how artist The andcurrent producer, rapper, writer lunchesa daily. honored for Lifetime Achievement households. administration Post, The Village Voice, The Peebles Co., the nation’s largest and community activist. He beganThe last 50 years haven’t brought alland Brill’s the agency implemented agricultural — he was New York City’s first attacking federal nutrition Content magazine.

African American-owned real is also his programs; and criticized USDA subsidies career as a radio DJthat in Buffalothe policy changes needed for a food African American mayor and also programs, now proposing a rule ”…. we still have a long way to that Black meetsStar the needs all for agribusiness. estate firm with $3.5 billion worth News of honorees at ageit 15.

Forforover 30 years, he’s systemPast welcomed Nelson Mandela to the go before we achieve Dr. King’s would make harder unemployed people.have Not by a long shot.

But if we’re of properties under development included: Gil Noble (Like It been a talk show at WBLS city after his release in 1990. and underemployed adultshost to qualify for and on the legacy of Dr. Martin or management — he was one SNAP. WLIB radio in New York City. Hereflecting vision for economic and racial “The Poor People’s March Is), Rep. Maxine Waters, Soledad Luther King, we should also mirror Rep. Charles Rangel, also honored of the pioneering developerswho justice. “ Meanwhile, (CNN), Ms. Cosby, also has a farmers Friday night radio talk his faithO’Brien on Washington in May in humanity—in theCamille arc of the black currently for Lifetime Achievement, has helped turn around and revitalize Voza Rivers (New Heritage Theatre), show WBAI. moral universe—and acknowledge the make up less on than 2 percent of all of 1968, bysince Dr. 1971. He The servedplanned in Congress is recently the once-blighted Anacostia approved 2018 farm bill Errol Louis (NY1 News), Amel progress we’ve made. As Dr. King said farmersHonoree in the US,Sabrina down from aboutfounder 14 Lamb, a recipient The Bronze Martin LutherofKing and medal for funds programs for beginning and neighborhood in Washington, D.C. Larrieux (Entertainer), William to Spelman College faculty and Dr. students percent in 1920.

And discriminatory of World of Money, is a champion helping saveChristian soldiers behind enemysociallyAdisadvantaged and champion of farmers African-American the Southern Pollard (Medgar Evers College), federalliteracy agencies of by financial forgreatly youth-- shein 1960: ranchers and smallempowerment farms and localPeebles’ practices line during the Korean War. economic is Herm Edwards (NY Jets), Nayaba worsened before they got better: the Leadership Conference, economies, which help alow-income teaches knowledge about handling contemplating possible run for NYC Rep. Yvette Clarke is a Democratic 1999 Pigford v.

Glickman lawsuit Arinde (Amsterdam News), La-Verna familiesmayor purchase more fresh produce. drewmember attention to the deep money, budgeting and planning. “If you can’t fly, run; if you in 2017. found that the USDA had systematically of the US House of (Columbia can’tFountain run, walk; if youUniversity), can’t And farmers of color such as Soul denied loans and disaster payments economic injustices…”

Dr. Rudy Crew, honoree, is one of Representatives from New Lillian Roberts (DC37), Desiree Dancy Honoree Fire Farm’s Leah Barbara PennimanArnwine, and Rise civil walk, crawl; but by all means to blackthe farmers from 1981 to 1996, nation’s leading educators.

He’s York whose 9th district covers (New York Times), Greg Floyd (Local rightsKaren lawyer, is a champion and Root’s Washington have of keep moving.” resulting in more than $1 billion in So howmuch much of hascentral food and farm policy Brooklyn. Before continued 237), Rev. Al Sharpton (National president of Medgar Evers College Dr. King’s legacy by providing protecting voting rights of ethnic damages being awarded to farmers and changed since 1968? entering Congress in 2007, she a visionminority of how our food systems could Action Network), and many others. of The City University of New groups — the emerging Southern Christian Leadership “Each drew honoree chosen for Conference, attention to the recognition has demonstrated deep economic injustices that plagued exceptional and vision in communities of colorleadership despite civil rights her and or his respective profession advances, presented Congress with or endeavor and in some significant an economic bill of rights.

INSIDE T HIS ISSUE: IS SUE : INSIDE THIS

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PAGE 11 CELEBRATING A LEGACY

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NE WS “Honoring Our Legacy: Constructing Social Policy that Shapes Our Future” Black Social Workers Annual Conference ATLANTA, APRIL 23-27, 2019

The National Association of Black Social Workers is proud to announce that registration is open for the 51st Annual Conference, April 23-27, 2019 at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis Hotel. This year’s theme is “Honoring Our Legacy: Constructing Social Policy that Shapes Our Future.”

Join us and take part in a broad array of workshops, institutes and symposiums and celebrate 51 years of advocacy and service in the interest of the Black

AN

community.

This is an educational conference that will feature prominent keynote speakers, and inspiring and motivational institutes.

Instructional workshops will be conducted on practice, social policy and social justice issues that affect the everyday lives and destiny of Black individuals, Black families and Black communities.

Make plans to join the historical cultural heritage tour of the Atlanta

community. Chapter presidents will be able to participate in the presidential leadership roundtable hosted by the NABSW national president. The national finance committee has designed a special finance workshop for chapter representatives who have fiscal responsibilities for their chapter.

Atlanta has numerous attractions outside of the conference. Make your travel arrangements soon, to take full advantage of conference discounts.

In our 51st year, we invite you to join us in celebrating the beginning of our new decade in the interest of NABSW’s sustainability and as warriors for social justice and civil liberties for people of Black African ancestry.

For more information and to register, visit the National Association of Black Social Workers website at www.nabsw. org or call (202) 678-4570.

E X T R AO R D I N A RY Y E A R FOR CIVIL RIGHTS

This was an extraordinary year for the NAACP. From building more political power in communities of color to fighting to protect the federal bench from those who have a record of purposefully harming our communities, we’ve had great successes—and it was your support that made it all happen.

Here’s a look at what we did this year: In January , the NAACP kicked off a civil rights economic and environmental justice initiative to connect 30+ communities of color and low income communities across the nation with solar energy infrastructure for homes and community centers, as well as skills training for solar jobs, all supported by strengthened solar equity policies.

In February , NAACP signed a partnership agreement with UN Women, the global champion for gender equality.

The strategic partnership will enhance both organizations’ commitment to empower women by creating an environment of equity in which all women can exercise their human and civil rights. The partnership will further NAACP’s dedication to engaging with Africans and the African Diaspora.

In March , our participation at the March for Our Lives rally went viral when national Youth & College Director, Tiffany Dena Loftin, passionately spoke about the underrepresentation of Black and brown voices in the gun violence and gun control debate.

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In April , NAACP leadership, current

and former faith, labor and Civil Rights leaders, branch and youth members, activists, supporters and citizens alike went to Memphis, Tennessee by bus, plane, train, automobile and other means, committed to fittingly honor the sacrifice of the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and salute the dignity of the 1968 Memphis sanitation workers, each of which ascended to history in that city five decades ago.

In June , we filed a lawsuit against the state of Connecticut to challenge the practice of counting prisoners as residents of the state legislative districts where they are incarcerated rather than in their home districts—a practice known as “prison gerrymandering.”

In July , NAACP hosted its 109th Annual National Convention in San Antonio, TX. The convention drew thousands of people to the Alamo City including members, celebrities, elected officials and faith leaders to discuss the critical issues affecting commuities of color, and strategize for the 2018 midterm elections and beyond.

In August , we secured victory for DREAMers when a judge sided with us in a lawsuit against the Trump Administration. The district court ruled that the Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) violated the Administrative Procedure Act by rescinding the DACA program without sufficient explanation.

In September , NAACP, the nation’s

foremost civil rights organization joined forces with 13 leading social justice organizations to release a Call to Action issued by singer-songwriter and actor, John Legend, urging senators to #StopKavanaugh.

In October , NAACP partnered with its allies in the faith community to ensure the Black community is mobilized and ready to vote. Compelling public service announcements were a critical part of the campaign, and in the series of videos, faith leaders tell viewers that respecting the Black community should be a top priority for elected officials and that we all need to vote because our lives depend on it.

In November , after months of advocacy

January 24, 2019 - January 30, 2019

against Thomas Farr’s nomination to a lifetime appointment in the Eastern District of North Carolina, we were able to stop the confirmation. Notorious for his aversion to civil rights, NAACP opposed his nomination from the start and sponsored several delegations of North Carolinians to travel to North Carolina and oppose his nomination.

In December , we led a digital protest, #LogOutFacebook in response to the tech company’s history of data hacks which unfairly target its users of color. We were joined by thousands of advocates, celebrities, elected officials and partners to take a stand, to let Facebook know that they need to do better. They made it known that you will no longer tolerate privacy breaches, hate speech, bias, and misinformation.

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NEWS TOWN OF BABYLON COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT HOME IMPROVEMENT FUNDING Now Ava i l a ble to To wn o f Ba by lo n R e s i de n ts

Funding for Home Improvements is now available to residents of the Town of Babylon through the Town of Babylon Community Development Block Grant Home Improvement Program.

Community Development Corporation of Long Island (CDCLI) will be administering the Town’s Home Improvement Program, a program that provides no-interest, deferred payment loans to qualified low to moderate income homeowners.

The maximum permitted gross annual household income for Town of Babylon residents applying for the program must be at or below 80% of the median household income, adjusted by household size, (see program guidelines at www.cdcli. org). Applications (along with supporting documentation) may be completed on-line at CDCLI’s website at www.cdcli.org, faxed to CDCLI at 631-471-5341, or delivered to CDCLI either inperson or by mail to CDCLI’s offices located at 2100 Middle Country Road, Centereach, NY 11720 ATTN: Town of Babylon.

Applications may be obtained by downloading from www.cdcli. org, calling CDCLI at 631-4711215 x222, emailing CDCLI at homeimprovement@cdcli. org, or by picking up at CDCLI’s offices at 2100 Middle Country Road, Centereach, NY 11720.

The deadline for all received applications is 5:00 pm on February 28, 2019.

The CDBG program is one of the longest-running programs of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and funding has been critical in addressing the most vulnerable populations on Long Island. For many low and moderate-income families, the services are life-changing.

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“This program is one of the most outstanding things the Town of Babylon does each year. Offering assistance to residents to make improvements to their home is an investment in our community.

On behalf of the rest of the Town Board, I thank CDCLI for being our partners for this important initiative,” said Rich Schaffer, Town of Babylon Supervisor.

According to An Equity Profile of Long Island by PolicyLink and USC PERE, nearly 42% of owneroccupied households on Long Island are cost-burdened, paying more than 30% of their incomes on housing costs. “No one should live in an unsafe or unhealthy housing situation because of financial constraints. CDCLI is proud to partner with the Town of Babylon in addressing the critical housing needs of residents.

Supporting, individuals, families and communities is the core of what we do,” said Gwen O’Shea, President & CEO of CDCLI. CDCLI remains committed to supporting both renters and homeowners in attaining and sustaining homes that are healthy, safe, energy efficient, and affordable. In 2018 alone, CDCLI’s weatherization and home improvement efforts assisted nearly 250 households.

1,142 windows were installed, 152,049 square feet of insulation was conducted in addition to other services, such as accessibility modifications, fall prevention adaptations and health focused improvements.

About Community Development Corporation of Long Island Community Development Corporation of Long Island (CDCLI) invests its resources, talents, and knowledge in the people of Long Island, helping

them to achieve their dreams of an affordable home in a vibrant community. Since its inception 49 years ago, CDCLI has assisted more than 220,000 Long Islanders and invested $1.45 billion into the communities in which they live. CDCLI is part of the NeighborWorks network, an affiliation of more than 240 nonprofit organizations located in every state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

The NeighborWorks network was founded and is supported

by NeighborWorks America,

January 24, 2019 - January 30, 2019

which creates opportunities for people to live in affordable homes, improve their lives and strengthen their communities.

For more information, please visit www.cdcli.org, like us on Facebook at www.facebook. com/cdcoflongisland, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram @cdcoflongisland.

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NEWS

FERGUSON BLACK LIVES MATTERS & NAACP DEMAND ANSWERS The St. Louis County NAACP and national NAACP are calling for transparency and justice amid allegations the St. Louis County Medical Examiner’s Office is preparing to destroy evidence related to the hanging death of Danye Jones -son of Fergusonbased activist Melissa McKinnies.

dangerous.

Over nine weeks ago Melissa found her son Danye hanging dead from a tree in her yard. The St. Louis County Medical Examiner’s Office she says promised her a report within eight weeks but as of yet there has been no regarding the cause of death, which McKinnies believe was “murder.”

While reports from police say the death was reported as a “suicide,” McKinnies believes it was a “lynching.” She is one of numerous activists from Ferguson, Freddie Gray protests in Baltimore and around the nation who believe they have been targeted and tracked by law enforcement, hate groups and others who see their protests against police brutality as

According to a report in the Washington Post several deaths of Ferguson Activists since 2014 have “inspired speculation that Ferguson protesters are being systematically murdered…” While the reports suggests there is no evidence yet regarding this, numerous media reports have confirmed the surveillance of Black activists by Federal agencies.

The St. Louis County NAACP is also monitoring the investigation of Danye Jones’s death. “We are calling for justice and transparency,” said John Gaskin III, St. Louis County NAACP President.

Earlier this year groups Color of Change and the Center for Constitutional Rights filed a lawsuit against DHS and the FBI regarding information on the government’s tracking of activists involved in the Movement for Black Lives.

AN UNCONSCIONABLE SHUTDOWN

Owner/Publisher Executive Editor Editor-In-Chief Dr. Teresa Taylor Williams Assistant to Publisher, Administrative Zoie A. Williams International Correspondent Ann Brown Travel Editor Jim Weaver Contributing Editor Justin Williams Circulation Manager Robert L. Taylor

Online Editorial Director Rachel Breton Hamlett Art Director Jessica R. Doughty Emeritus Office & Subscription Manager Sophie Taylor Social Media Zoie A. Williams Writers Ezra Mechaber Deardra Shuler Jim Weaver Anastasia Williams Justin Williams Teresa Williams

Today marks day 14 of the partial government shutdown and importantly, it also marks the second week without pay for the 800,000 government workers and millions of others who depend on government agencies.

It’s unconscionable that Americans are forced to suffer the brunt and being held as political hostages because of President Trump’s unreasonable pursuit for a border wall we simply can’t afford and don’t need. As we have seen historically from Berlin to China, walls don’t work and not an effective way to remedy our broken immigration system.

Many government workers have shared their #ShutdownStories. It’s clear that this shutdown has put them in an

untenable position. Both Trump and Congress have a duty to the American people that exceed whatever political leanings they may have. This shutdown is a disservice and a disgrace to our nation.

NAACP is calling on the White House and Congress to work swiftly and put an end to this shutdown in a way that does not compromise the integrity of our country.

Sign petition to end the government shutdown.  http://support.naacp. org/onlineactions/ CAgEmrM0G0WETAX0irXV-g2

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THE AR T S

Seven- Year-Old’s Book is Accepted into the LIBRARY OF CONGRESS Nicholas Buamah is a typical second grader who loves playing chess, tennis, and basketball.

However, when he’s not playing sports or cheering for his favorite team, The Golden State Warriors, he’s busy autographing and selling his book.

The 7-year-old Georgia native is the author of Kayla & Kyle The Walking Dictionaries: Election Day, an animated book that helps elementary-aged school children build their vocabularies. In addition to being sold at Barnes & Noble and on Amazon, the book has been added to the Library of Congress catalog.

Buamah’s mother, Danielle, says the concept for the book sparked from an idea she had to help her son build his own vocabulary. “I developed the character of Kayla

when Nicholas was younger to help teach him expanded vocabulary,” she said in a statement. “After being praised by his first-grade teacher for using the word ‘collaborate’ during his first week of school, I asked Nicholas what he thought about writing a book to help his friends expand their vocabularies. He thought it was a great idea, as long as one of the main characters could be a male figure, and that’s when he created Kyle.”

Nobles invited him back,” she added.

A BRIGHT FUTURE AHEAD The book is just the first edition in The Walking Dictionaries series. Volume 2 is scheduled to be released in Summer 2019.

Ultimately, the young author

wants to have his book available in every elementary school library in the country. He also aspires to one day attend the prestigious Massachusetts’s Institute of Technology (MIT) and become a mechanical engineer.

Buamah made his first public appearance at a book signing on Dec. 15 at the Barnes & Noble in Snellville, a suburb of Atlanta, which he said was a “phenomenal” experience, his mother told BLACK ENTERPRISE. “He sold out in one hour and people kept coming in the store afterward, requesting a copy so much that Barnes &

VIRGINIA FESTIVAL OF THE BOOK Announces 2019 Speakers The Virginia Festival of the Book — a program of Virginia

Humanities celebrating its 25th year of bringing writers and readers together to promote and celebrate books, reading, literacy, and literary culture—today announced the line-up of speakers for the 2019 Festival, including more than 250 authors, illustrators, and publishing professionals. Highlights of the Festival, which will be held March 20-24, 2019, include:  Elliot Ackerman, author of Waiting for Eden, and a past finalist for the National Book Award  Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, author of Friday Black, a National Book Foundation “5 Under 35” honoree, and a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle's John Leonard Award for Best First Book  Laurie Halse Anderson,* a twotime National Book Award finalist and author of SHOUT (forthcoming)  Raymond Arsenault, one of the nation’s leading civil rights historians and author of Arthur Ashe: A Life, the first comprehensive, authoritative biography of the American icon  David W. Blight, author of Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedoms, featured as a “Top 10 Book of the Year” for 2018 in the New York Times, Wall Street

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Journal, and Time  Tressie McMillan Cottom, author of Lower Ed: The Troubling Rise of For-Profit Colleges in the New Economy and the forthcoming Thick, a Bustle pick for “Books Coming Out In 2019 That Will Make The Perfect Book Club Picks”  Esi Edugyan, author of Washington Black featured as a “Top 10 Book of the Year” for 2018 in the New York Times,

& Lead Lunch  Jarrett Krosoczka,* author of Hey, Kiddo, a finalist for the 2018 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature, and the 2019 Carol Troxell Reader in the Festival  Beth Macy, author of Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company That Addicted America, an instant New York Times bestseller that gives voice to the devastating opioid crisis in America

and Newbery Award, Printz Award, and National Book Award honoree, and author of Lu, the fourth book in the bestselling Track series  V.E. Schwab, author of Vengeful, winner of the 2018 Goodreads Choice Award for Science Fiction  Lisa See,* author of The Island of Sea Women (forthcoming) and speaker for the Literary Luncheon  Don Winslow,* author of The Border (forthcoming) and speaker for the Crime Wave Brunch The list of 2019 speakers is available at VaBook.org and searchable by genre (fiction, nonfiction, poetry, children/youth, and crime fiction). The complete 2019 Festival schedule, including times and locations for Festival programs, will be announced on January 14, 2019. *Connotes previously announced speaker.

Washington Post, Time, and Entertainment Weekly; recipient of the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award and the Scotiabank Giller Prize  Barbara Ehrenreich,* author of Natural Causes: An Epidemic of Wellness, the Certainty of Dying, and Killing Ourselves to Live Longer and speaker for the Read

 Brian Noyes, author of Red Truck Bakery Cookbook: GoldStandard Recipes from America’s Favorite Rural Bakery, described

by Garden & Gun as “nostalgic and forward-thinking at the same time”  Jason Reynolds,* a two-time Walter Dean Myers Award winner

January 24, 2019 - January 30, 2019

The Virginia Festival of the Book is proud of its record of accessibility, affordability, and inclusivity. However, while nearly all Festival programs are free and open to the public without reservations, some will require tickets. Tickets for the Read & Lead Lunch with Barbara Ehrenreich, the Literary Lunch with Lisa See, and the Crime Wave Brunch with Don Winslow are currently available at VaBook. org.

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ENTER TAINMENT BLACK WOMEN IN HOLLYWOOD AWARDS Honors

A M A N D L A S T E N B E RG , K I K I L AY N E , J E N I F E R L E W I S & R E G I N A H A L L ESSENCE , the number

one media, technology and commerce company serving Black women, today revealed the four extraordinary honorees for its annual Black Women in Hollywood Awards, celebrating the global influence of Hollywood’s leading female artist-activists— both in front of the camera and behind-the-scenes. The highlyanticipated Oscar-week luncheon will be held on Thursday, February 21, 2019 at the Beverly Wilshire in Beverly Hills, CA. This year’s brilliant Black Women in Hollywood honorees include actress Amandla Stenberg (“The Hate U Give”), actress/singer and author Jenifer Lewis (“Black-ish”), actress Kiki Layne (“If Beale Street Could Talk”) and actress/ comedian Regina Hall (“Support The Girls”).

“We are proud to salute the marvelous work and stunning achievements of our 2019 Black

Women in Hollywood awardees, who as a collective presence are challenging perceptions and impacting social change,” says MoAna Luu, Chief Creative and Content Officer for ESSENCE. “Through their craft and their commitment to causes, Amandla, Jenifer, Kiki and Regina represent the dynamic intersection of art and activism that is influencing how we shape our own destiny.”

ESSENCE’s Film Noir-themed content throughout Awards season will feature each Black Women in Hollywood honoree, including digital profiles and the debut of four customized magazine covers.

Stay tuned to Essence.com for highlights and behind-thescenes access to the Essence Black Women in Hollywood Awards. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @essence #BlackWomeninHollywood. Join in the discussion on Facebook.

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BUSINE S S

WOMEN Are Changing the Face of the Funeral Industry For many, when there’s mention of singer Monica Brown, her hit songs like “The Boy is Mine,” and “Miss Thang,” might come to mind first.

For others, her stellar acting career with small and big roles in “New York Undercover,” “Living Single,” and the 2018 reality television show “T.I. and Tiny Family and Friends Hustle,” also come to mind.

But, it’s Brown’s other profession that – until recently – received little fanfare. “When I’m there, I’m not ‘Monica the artist,’” Brown said on a recent broadcast of her reality show.

“I’m a mortician.”

The 38-year-old Grammy and Billboard Award winner is among a growing number of women who are beginning to overshadow the typical “man in the black suit” funeral director. “It’s far more than a job, it’s all-day, it’s emotional and it’s far more than you just go to work and come home and that’s it,” said Alyssa George, who just finished her internship on her way to becoming a funeral director.

George works under Patricia Marchesani, the funeral director, owner and supervisor at McCausland, Garrity, Marchesani in Glenolden, Pennsylvania.

She’s one of several in Delaware County. “I definitely think the profession is changing. It’s more female than it’s ever been, and I really can’t tell you why; maybe it’s because we didn’t have a way in earlier, but it seems like we’re doing a lot of good work now,” George said.

Funeral directors, also sometimes referred to as undertakers or morticians, help families plan funeral services. They then carry out those services, according to a job description on study.com. Most funeral directors are practicing embalmers, which means that they prepare and preserve the body before internment. Common duties of funeral directors include meeting with families, helping families plan services, embalming and preparing bodies, planning and organizing wakes and memorial services, placing obituary notices in newspapers and handling paperwork.

To become a funeral director, individuals need to complete a 2- or 4-year program in mortuary science.

Typical courses in such a program include physiology, anatomy, embalming techniques, pathology, restorative art, accounting and client services.

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All 50 states also require funeral directors to be licensed, which generally requires at least two years of education, one year of apprenticeship and a passing score on a state examination, according to study.com, which notes that the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment to grow in that field by 7 percent through 2024.

Because funeral directors, whose median income is $48,490 annually, interact with the families of the deceased, it’s important that they are compassionate and empathetic.

“You have to be able to put yourself out there and understand that you have to put other people’s needs before your own,” George said. “It’s not to be taken lightly where you can just jump into the profession just because it might be a steady career or a good job because there’s so much more. “You have to understand your community and be a huge part of that community and you have to be giving by nature because that’s what you’re doing, giving.”

In a published interview earlier this year, Jan Smith, a funeral director in Indianapolis and a spokeswoman with the National Funeral Directors Association, said she’s been in the business 20 years and recalled that there were just a few women then.

“Today… more than 60 percent of students are female,” Smith said.

“Women bring a level of compassion.

For me to sit down with a mother who lost her child, I can connect on a different level than a man can, just being a mother myself,” she said.

Elizabeth Fournier of Cornerstone Funeral Services in Boring, Oregon, has served as the one-woman funeral service in that town for 13 years although she started in the industry nearly 30 years ago.

“When I first stepped into this industry, I was a 22-year old

woman and no one else in the place resembled me. It was very uncommon to find a young woman in this profession as it was primarily men or sons of funeral home owners who followed in the footsteps of their father,” Fournier said.

“As you are aware, this has changed throughout the years. Our local mortuary college had nearly every seat filled by a female student. And it is the females who are getting a hold of me to apprentice or to learn from a woman who has been in this industry since the old boy network,” she said. The reason for the shift is because of where we are as a culture, Fournier continued.

“I happen to be in Oregon where the cremation rate is 80 percent. This means a woman doesn’t have to go to school to become an embalmer; she can just meet with families and stay in the funeral home,” she said.

“Also, a lot of funeral homes are no longer the large homes owned and ran by families. The business has morphed into small lease-owned spots inside strip malls, as well as licensed funeral directors working out of their own homes because they can outsource most items needed. This also allows a lot of women to be involved because this industry is no longer a business handed down from fathers to sons.

“It’s very rare to see that lineage in a funeral home any longer.”

Further, Baby Boomers are gravitating away from traditional funerals, favoring cremations and celebrations of life, said Alison Johnston, the CEO and co-founder of Ever Loved, a website where individuals can plan funerals and memorials. “This shifts the role of the funeral directors away from body preparation tasks, like embalming, and more toward event planning and family support, two areas that women have traditionally gravitated

January 24, 2019 - January 30, 2019

toward,” Johnston said.

Women are also finding themselves drawn to this world as something that may at first seem natural to them, and finding that there is now space for them to get into it, said Amber Carvaly of Undertaking L.A., a funeral home in Los Angeles.

“They have taken care of children or parents and see funeral directing as something they may be good at because of their past experience.

However, after running my own business I can tell you that the women that succeed do so because they are marvelous women of determination and are healthy whole humans with good boundaries and the ability to not take grief personally,” Carvaly said.

Finally, Funeral Celebrant Pam Vetter said the days of expensive cookie cutter rent-a-minister and insert-a-name funeral services are hopefully nearly over as families are demanding more personal, caring service from funeral homes.

“If funeral homes want to stay in business, they’ve realized that they need to diversify their staff.

They’ve also realized that they’ve needed to diversify funeral service offerings by making the experience of saying farewell to a loved one both personal and honorable,” Vetter said. Spending time with a family, listening to stories, playing favorite music, and adding an overall personal theme that connects to the deceased makes all the difference in the world to grieving families, she said.

“Families will remember a funeral service for decades to come because you never forget the day you say goodbye. The funeral service needs to be memorable and part of that effort is connecting with your families. That need is being met by bringing in and training a more diverse staff.”

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HE ALTH

NATIONAL BLACK HIV/AIDS AWARENESS DAY

National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NBHAAD) is February 7. Now in its 18th year, NBHAAD is a day to increase awareness about HIV among blacks/ African Americans and encourage people to get involved in prevention efforts, get tested, and get treatment if they are living with HIV. HIV diagnoses have fallen in recent years among African American women—declining 20% from 2011 to 2015. Diagnoses among young African American gay and bisexual men (aged 13 to 24) are now stable, after years of increases. This good news shows that the nation’s HIV prevention efforts are helping to reduce HIV infections among African Americans.

But there is still much work to do. In 2016, African Americans accounted for 44% of HIV diagnoses, despite making up 12% of the U.S. population. Also, HIV diagnoses are up among African American gay and bisexual men aged 25-34— increasing 30% from 2011 to 2015.

We need your help to make more progress in reducing HIV among African Americans. Join us on NBHAAD to promote HIV testing, prevention, and treatment and fight stigma around HIV.

What Can African Americans Do? Get educated and get involved.

Learn the facts about HIV and share this lifesaving information with others.

Get tested. Knowing your HIV status gives you important information to help keep you and your partner healthy. CDC recommends that every American get tested for HIV

at least once and those at high risk get tested at least once a year.

Unfortunately, too many people live with HIV for years before they know it, which means they aren’t getting the benefits of early treatment.

If people living with HIV take HIV medicine as prescribed, they can stay healthy for many years.

HIV medicine also helps prevent transmission to others.

To find a testing site near you, visit Get Tested, text your ZIP code to KNOWIT (566948), or call 1-800-CDC-INFO. You can also use a home testing kit, available in drugstores or online. More resources on testing are available from CDC’s Act Against AIDS campaign Doing It.

Protect yourself and your partner.

Today, we have powerful tools to prevent HIV and help people living with HIV stay healthy . If you are living with HIV, start treatment as soon as possible after you get a diagnosis. The most important thing you can do is take HIV medicine as

prescribed by your doctor.

HIV medicine lowers the amount of virus (viral load) in your body, and taking it every day can make your viral load undetectable. If you stay undetectable, you can stay healthy for many years, and you have effectively no risk of transmitting HIV to an HIV-negative partner through sex. To make sure you stay undetectable, take your medicine as prescribed, and see your provider regularly to get a viral load test.

There are many other actions you can take to prevent getting or transmitting HIV: Use condoms the right way every time you have sex. Learn the right way to use a male condom or a

female condom. If you are HIV-negative but at high risk for HIV, take daily medicine to prevent HIV, called pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). Talk to your doctor about postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) if you think you have been exposed to HIV in the last 72 hours and are not on PrEP. Choose less risky sexual behaviors. Limit your number of sexual partners. Get tested and treated for other sexually transmitted diseases. Never share needles or other equipment to inject drugs (works). Remember, abstinence (not having sex) and not sharing needles or works are the only 100% effective ways to prevent HIV. Learn more about how to protect yourself and your partners and get information tailored to meet your needs from CDC’s HIV Risk Reduction Tool (BETA).

What Can CDC Partners Do?

Health departments, communitybased organizations, and other partners can address stigma and discrimination, extend the reach of their HIV prevention and testing services that focus on African Americans, and link those who are HIV-positive to care. Learn how CDC can help you.

Clear, Beautiful Skin in 4 Simple Steps Reveal Your Natural Beaut y with The Spa Dr .

If you’re concerned about the stuff you put in your body, you should be just as concerned as what you put on it. Chemicals in your skincare routine can wreak as much havoc as the chemicals you ingest. That’s why naturopathic physician, Dr. Trevor Cates has come out with a skincare system that is both clean and effective.

The Spa Dr.’s line is powerful, yet gentle and packed with natural, plant-based ingredients that leave your skin clean, nourished, protected and simply beautiful. Whether you’re struggling with fine lines, redness, bumps or discoloration, The Spa Dr. works to heal your skin naturally.

The Spa Dr. is vegan and never tested on animals. What’s not in this line is just as important as what is. You’ll never find never find fragrance, heavy metals, triclosan, petrochemicals, sd alcohol, parabens, sulfates, hydroquinone, artificial colors, formaldehyde releasers, phthalates, mineral oils, propylene glycol, silicone or

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ethanolamine in any of the Spa Dr.’s products. Say goodbye to toxic chemicals and say hello to gorgeous skin!

The Spa Dr.’s 4 Easy Steps to Gorgeous Skin: Step 1 | Clear  Cleanse and clear your skin without disrupting its natural barrier with this gentle cleanser. Helps remove build up from surface of skin. Balances natural oils for younger looking, sensual skin.

Step 2 | Nourish  Smooth the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles for younger-looking skin with this antioxidant serum. Lifts and firms skin for a youthful bounce. Minimizes discoloration for more even-toned and elegant skin.

Step 3 | Renew  Rehydrate tired, dry skin with this enriched moisturizer.

Leaves your skin feeling silky, hydrated and smooth. Protects skin from elements. Gives skin essential fatty acids it needs to stay hydrated and soft.

Step 4 | Enhance  Revitalize dull

skin. Nourishes your skin back to looking fresh, healthy and radiant.

Replenish, restore, and renew your skin so it’s beautiful and glowing throughout the day.

Another reason to love this line: it’s verified by the Environmental Working Group so you can be confident the products are clean.

Dr. Trevor Cates is a naturopathic physician, author, speaker and

January 24, 2019 - January 30, 2019

founder of her 4-step skincare system. She's been featured on The Doctors, PBS, CNN, Extra and more.

She authored the best-selling book on skincare Clean Skin from Within and has her own line of supplements along with her skincare line which is popular with celebrities like Zooey Deschanel, makeup artist Jorjee Douglass and everyday folks around the world. For more on The Spa Dr. please visit www.thespadr.com or contact jennifer@chicexecs.com.

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EDUCAT ION NCRF Giving Millions in Scholarships

Dr. Theresa Price founded the National College Resources Foundation (NCRF), a 501c3 non-profit organization in 1999 in a direct response to the passing of California's proposition 209 that banned affirmation action programs in California colleges. Since its inception, the organization has helped students secure more than $500 million in scholarships & grants and has helped over 500,000 students (over 300,000 first generation students) get into college, through 130 College Expos produced by NCRF.

With a heart to help and having no idea of the magnitude of what she was about to embark upon, Dr. Price launched the Black College Expo™ , a portal providing college resources for as many as would come. Now, 20 years later NCRF is a fully staffed educational enhancement agency based in Diamond Bar, California providing educational services to underserved and underrepresented students, schools and groups around the country.

scholarships, acceptance to colleges, application fees are waived, plus students can get help from experts filling out their financial aid forms. Students attend seminars on "Booming Careers", "The 411 for the Student Athlete", "How to Find Money for College", and even Hip Hop artist YoYo teaches students "How to get A's in English."

The Black College Expo™ 2019 Schedules takes place:  1st Annual

BLACK COLLEGE EXPO SACRAMENTO January 26, 2019  2nd Annual

BLACK COLLEGE EXPO

 14th Annual

BLACK COLLEGE EXPO ATLANTA March 9, 2019  15th Annual

BLACK COLLEGE EXPO DC/MARYLAND March 16, 2019  1st Annual

BLACK COLLEGE EXPO DALLAS March 30, 2019 Dr. Price's passion and concern for the future of our youth transcends color, religion, socioeconomic status and gender. Dr. Price's outreach

stretches beyond the educational system by also hosting exclusive events for athletes, HBCU Football Combine and HBCU Basketball Showcase to helps student athlete connect with athletic scholarships to pay for college.

"With over 55 million jobs available in 2020 and the educational system not producing enough workers to fill these jobs, we all have to come together to create more future leaders. NCRF is on a mission to change the world and we create programs to give every student an opportunity to be successful," says Dr. Price.

SAN DIEGO January 29, 2019  20th Annual

BLACK COLLEGE EXPO LOS ANGELES February 2, 2019  16th Annual

BLACK COLLEGE EXPO OAKLAND February 9, 2019

In addition, her staff provides the production support, marketing and outreach for the Black College Expo™ , a eleven-city tour with a presence in Los Angeles, San Diego, Sacramento, Oakland, Seattle, Atlanta, DC/ Maryland, Houston, Miami, Dallas, New York, along with several other California based education driven events including the Latino College Expo™ , All Sports Expo, and Students Think S.T.E.A.M. Expo.

The College Expo is for all students, all backgrounds.

Students get to meet one-onone with over 200 colleges, Ivy League, private, public, independent, military colleges and community colleges.

Students receive on the spot 10 | NewYorkTrendnyc

January 24, 2019 - January 30, 2019

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END NO TE S SUGAR HILL CHILDREN’S MUSEUM Celebrates the Legacy of

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The Sugar Hill Children’s Museum of Art & Storytelling hosts its next PLAYDATE on Sunday, January 20th from 10:00AM – 5:00PM, inspired by the legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This free day at the Museum will feature artmaking, storytelling, music and more celebrating and honoring the life and legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Art-making activities for children in the spirit of Dr. King will be focused on “creating a just world.” Portions of visual artist icon and author Faith Ringgold’s book “My Dream of Martin

Luther King” will be featured throughout the day, concluding with the inter-generational community conversation, Neighborhood Narratives, led by Rev Malika Lee Whitney. Rev. Whitney and special guests will use the inspiring words from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s book “Where Do We Go From Here” as the basis to share oral histories, storytelling, poetry, music and hands on activity that demonstrate the human rights vision of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The Sugar Hill Children’s Museum of Art & Storytelling

hours are Thursday – Sunday, 10am until 5pm. Normal admission is free for children up to 8 years of age, $4.00 for children age 9 – 17, students with ID and Seniors (65+) and $7.00 for adults. However, Admission for this and all PLAYDATE events are FREE for all.

The Sugar Hill Children's Museum of Art & Storytelling is a contemporary art museum for children rooted in principles of social justice. We strive to strengthen our culturally rich neighborhood with a space where children and their families grow and learn about Sugar

Hill, and the world at large, through dialogue with artists, art and storytelling. Designed by internationally acclaimed architect David Adjaye, the Museum opened in October of 2015 as the cultural capstone of the Sugar Hill Project, a multi-use building developed by Broadway Housing Communities (BHC) which includes permanent affordable housing for individuals and families, and the Sugar Hill Museum Preschool.

For more information, please visit www.sugarhillmuseum.org.

The Town of Smithtown Affordable Housing Program

COUNTRY POINTE WOODS, Smithtown, New York 7 BRAND NEW 2 BEDROOM, 1 BATH AFFORDABLE CONDOMINIUMS 2 Bedroom/1 Bath priced at $350,100

APPLICATION DEADLINE FOR LOTTERY IS FEBRUARY 15, 2019

APPLICATIONS AND PROGRAM GUIDELINES CAN BE OBTAINED AT http://www.lihp.org/developments.html or by calling (631) 435-4710

Artist Rendering

The Sugar Hill Children’s Museum of Art & Storytelling hosts its next PLAYDATE on Sunday, January 20th from 10:00AM – 5:00PM, inspired by the legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. NewYorkTrendnyc

January 24, 2019 - January 30, 2019

THIS ADVERTISEMENT DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER TO SELL. PRICING AND REQUIREMENTS OF THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROGRAM MAY BE SUBJECT TO CHANGE. APPROVAL IS SUBJECT TO ASSET AND INCOME RESTRICTIONS. The complete terms are in an offering plan available from

the Sponsor. File no. CD17-0227. SPONSOR: 347 Building Company LLC. Country Pointe Woods, 1 Country Pointe Drive in Smithtown , New York.

ALL FAIR HOUSING LAWS WILL BE FOLLOWED

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NO ONE GETS A DIPLOMA ALONE.

If you’re thinking of finishing your high school diploma, you have more support than you realize. Find free adult education classes near you by texting FINISH to 97779 or by visiting FinishYourDiploma.org.

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January 24, 2019 - January 30, 2019

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