Vol. 81 - No. 22

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OMAHA STAR

THE

Proudly Serving Our Community for Over 80 Years Dedicated to the Service of the People that NO Good Cause Shall Lack a Champion and that Evil Shall Not Go Unopposed

Nebraska’s Only Black Owned Newspaper Vol. 81 - No. 22 Omaha, Nebraska

Friday, November 1, 2019

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Douglas County Protecting Democracy – An Interview with Sen. Nina Turner Election

By Terri L. Crawford, JD Commission “Moreover, he shall speak for you to the people; and he will be as a mouth for you …” – Exodus 4:16 Moves to New As the voice of the people, the Nebraska Democratic Party Black Caucus’ mission is to promote the involvement of Blacks in the Location political process and the activities of the party at the local, state, The Douglas County Election Commission is now available to serve voters at its relocated office.

After being near 114th and Dodge for 20 years, the office moved to 12220 W. Center Road earlier this week.

The Election Commission is now located at the northwest corner of 120th and Center in Bel Air Plaza, just northwest of Nobbies Parties.

A map of the area is available on the Election Commission website at www.votedouglascounty.com.

Telephone numbers and email addresses are unaffected by the move.

“This is the result of months and years of planning,” stated Brian W. Kruse, Douglas County Election Commissioner. “We are grateful for the support of everyone who made this possible, especially the Board of Commissioners.”

The new location will provide voters a better experience when visiting the Douglas County Election Commission through easier access, additional parking, and more square footage for staff to serve voters.

and national level. The Caucus advocates for public policies which promote the needs of the Black community and the state at large.

It recognizes the need for inclusive representation throughout the Democratic Party and seeks to advance political participation among Blacks throughout the state.

On the evening of October 25 at Omaha’s downtown Hilton Hotel, the Caucus held its annual fundraiser and presented the prestigious Danner Awards to Senator Justin Wayne and Schmeeka Grayer-Simpson, two well-deserving community leaders. The guest speaker for the event was Ohio Senator Nina Turner, national co-chair of Senator Bernie Sanders’ 2020 presidential campaign and CNN contributor. It was a spectacular event! The Omaha Star was honored with an exclusive interview with Senator Turner. The following is our conversation about what’s at stake in the 2020 election cycle.

OS: Senator Turner, thank you so much for taking time from your busy schedule to interview with the Omaha Star. North Omaha and North East Omaha are the parts of the city where our predominantly black population resides. According to polls, North Omaha, similar to other black communities, statistically has low voter turnout for local elections and larger voter turnout for presidential elections. We have some challenges with the rhetoric from Washington that has disillusioned voters. As the “Political Awareness and Involvement Chair” of my sorority and policy director for the League of Women Voters Greater Omaha, I am always looking for innovative ways to get people reignited about voting. What has been your personal experience in getting people excited about the vote and translating that excitement into large number at the polls?

NT: People are tired and have become apathetic with political candidates who continuously fail to deliver on campaign promises

Tech’s Russell Harrison to be Inducted into OPS Athletic Hall of Fame Technical High School’s Russell Harrison is one of nine new members selected for the Omaha Public Schools’ Athletic Hall of Fame. The 14th annual induction ceremony will be held Nov. 23 at Metro Community College’s Fort Omaha Campus, 5370 N. 30th St., at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are available by phoning the OPS Athletic Office at 531-2999890.

Harrison was born in Harlem, N.Y., but his family moved to Omaha shortly after he completed sixth grade. Harrison was enrolled at Horace Mann Junior High School where he began his outstanding football career as the starting running back. Harrison attended Omaha Technical High School and although he started at fullback every

Harrison

Don’t forget to fall back!

year, he played other positions as needed.

As a freshman, Harrison broke track records, setting the National AAU Jr. Olympic 100-yard dash record. This record held for over 20 years until the race was formally changed to the 100meter dash. His senior year truly set him apart.

Harrison was selected Offensive Player of the Week multiple times, Offensive Player of the Year, and was selected to the All-City, All-State and All-American teams for his performance on the football field. In track, he led in triple jump, anchored the 4x400 and 4x800 relay teams, and won second place in both the high and low hurdles.

He set the 180-yard low hurdles record at the Council Bluff Relays, which still holds today.

After graduation, Harrison attended Kansas State University where he started at fullback for the Wildcats from 1968-70. Despite suffering carbon monoxide poisoning which halted his time at KSU, Harrison was selected in the 13th round of the NFL draft by the Los Angeles Rams. Due to a devastating injury to his left knee, Harrison was forced to leave the NFL. After physical therapy, he quickly signed with the Toronto Argonauts, but sustained the same injury in his opposite knee.

Harrison officially retired from football in 1975.

Harrison was inducted into the Nebraska Black Sports Hall of Fame in 2010. He is now a business owner and founder of Russell Herbal Company in Los Angeles. Harrison is a father of five and has two grandchildren.

Other OPS honorees include: Jane SplittgerberElam (Benson), Mike Bahun (Bryan), Alex Henery (Burke), Pat Venditte (Central), Charlie Rush (Northwest), Chris Bober (South), John Huebscher (King Science Middle), and North’s 1997 Girls’ Swim Team.

Photos by Abiola Kosoko DemoLives.com

that directly address the unique issues of the Black community and marginalized citizens.

Another part of the issue is that we are in a generation that is several generations removed from the Civil Rights struggle in the trenches. So, many of today’s voters did not experience the overt racist tactics, the marches, lunch counters, and Supreme Court decisions, it is not in the forefront of their psyche and they have become detached in some ways from the original Civil Rights struggle.

See Sen. Turner continued on page 3

Postal Service Honors Gwen Ifill’s Legacy with Forever Stamp Throughout her entire career, late legendary journalist Gwen Ifill broke several barriers for women of color in the realm of media. Nearly three years after her death, Ifill will receive a major posthumous honor for her contributions to journalism. According to CBS News, she will be featured in the United Ifill States Postal Service’s latest collection of Forever stamps.

The Queens, N.Y. native will be included in the Black Heritage series. The USPS stamp will feature a photo taken by Robert Severi and will be designed by Derry Noyes. From the moderation of America’s most memorable presidential debates to her insightful commentary surrounding the country’s political and social landscape, Ifill trailblazed a unique path. In 1999, she made history as the first Black woman to host a national television program focused on U.S. public affairs. She lent her voice to several shows centered on politics including Meet the Press, Inside Washington, and Face the Nation. She moderated the vice-presidential debates in 2004 and 2008. In 2016, she moderated the Democratic presidential debate alongside broadcast journalist Judy Woodruff; making them the first pair of women to do so.

Ifill released a book titled The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama in 2009 which explored the journeys of Black politicians on the rise. She served on several boards and has received many accolades for her work. Ifill succumbed to her battle with cancer in 2016 at the age of 61. “Among the first African Americans to hold prominent positions in both broadcast and print journalism, Ifill was a trailblazer in the profession,” read a statement from the USPS. Other 2020 Forever stamp designs include images of individuals who shaped the Harlem Renaissance and a stamp that is celebratory of hip-hop culture.

Ally Insurance Daylight Welcome to the Omaha saving ends Star Business Connection Sunday, Nov. 3.

Page Two

LOCAL NEWS

THE OMAHA STAR

November 1, 2019

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Member of the National Newspaper Publishers Association Mildred D. Brown: Founder, July 9, 1938 Dr. Marguerita L. Washington: Publisher, 1989 - 2016 Phyllis Hicks: Publisher/Managing Editor, 2016 - 2019 Frankie Jean Williams: Interim Publisher/Editor Tanya Cooper: Advertising Director/Business Manager Debra Shaw: Social Media Administrator Barbara Reeves: Retail Distributor THE OMAHA STAR believes that America can best lead the world away from racial and national antagonism when it accords every man, regardless of race, color or creed, his human and legal rights. Hating no man, fearing no man in the firm belief that all are hurt as long as one is held back.

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United Way of the Midlands is proud to announce the local launch of Ride United, an initiative that provides free rides and other transportation resources to those in need.

Limited access to safe, reliable transportation is a barrier to health, education, employment, food and other basic needs for people across the country. To address this need, United Way Worldwide developed Ride United in partnership with Lyft, a rideshare company. Through Ride United, individuals in need can secure free rides from Lyft drivers by calling United Way’s 2-1-1 Helpline. United Way of the Midlands is one of 25 United Ways across the United States that are participating in the initiative.

Here in the Omaha-Council Bluffs metro, Lyft rides will be available for individuals who need assistance

getting to and from locations related to health, employment or food access. Not only are rides to medical appointments, job interviews and food some of the most requested, but they also align with United Way of the Midlands’ mission to provide basic needs, education and financial stability supports.

“We receive hundreds of calls each year related to transportation needs,” said Fratina McCraney, the 2-1-1 Helpline call room supervisor. “By partnering with Lyft, we will be able to meet those needs more seamlessly, and that will have a big impact on the people in this community who need help getting to places like their doctor’s office.”

To schedule a ride, interested persons should call 2-1-1 or text their zip code to 898211. A caller does not

need access to a smartphone or Lyft app to use a free ride. If they have a text-enabled cell phone, callers will receive an SMS text message with information about the ride. If callers cannot receive text messages, the 2-1-1 Helpline Specialist will provide them with information about the ride verbally.

If you are a Lyft customer, you can support Ride United by selecting United Way of the Midlands as your Round Up & Donate partner in the Lyft app. Just visit the Lyft menu and select “Donate.” You can also empower United Way of the Midlands to provide basic needs, education and financial stability supports to those who need them most by donating at https://www.unitedwaymidlands.org/ give.

Program Creates ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ Opportunities for Productive Will Play Omaha’s and Civil Dialogue Inclusive Communities is proud to partner with the Orpheum Theater University of Nebraska Omaha to present the UNO Dialogue Project, formerly known as Sustained Dialogue.

Dec. 10-15 The goal of this project is to create a space for the UNO Following critically acclaimed, sold-out engagements in the UK, the reimagined 50th Anniversary tour of “Jesus Christ Superstar” will come to Omaha Dec. 10-15.

The 2017 Olivier Awarding-winning production from Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre are now on sale to the general public.

Tickets are available at TicketOmaha.com, in person at the Ticket Omaha Box Office located inside the Holland Performing Arts Center, 1200 Douglas St., or by phone at 402-345-0606.

Featuring award-winning music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice, the North American tour of this iconic musical will be helmed by acclaimed director Timothy Sheader and cutting-edge choreographer Drew McOnie. Rounding out the creative team is set and costume design by 2016 Tony Award nominee, Tom Scutt, lighting design by Lee Curran, and music supervision by Tom Deering.

“Jesus Christ Superstar” is set against the backdrop of an extraordinary series of events during the final weeks in the life of Jesus Christ, as seen through the eyes of Judas. Reflecting the rock roots that defined a generation, the legendary score includes ‘I Don’t Know How to Love Him,’ ‘Gethsemane’ and ‘Superstar.’

“Jesus Christ Superstar” is a proven musical phenomenon with a world-wide fan base. As demonstrated

by NBC’s “Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert,” this epic work attracted over 9.6 million viewers, earned the highest ratings in its time period, and received the highest critical ranking of any live musical event on network TV. Now, almost 10 years after the last major tour in the US, this award-winning Regent’s Park production will play over 50 markets throughout North America.

Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre production of “Jesus Christ Superstar” won the 2017 Olivier Award for Best Musical Revival, selling out two consecutive engagements in 2016 and 2017. The production opened for a limited engagement on West End, this past summer at the Barbican.

The North American tour of “Jesus Christ Superstar” is produced by Stephen Gabriel and Work Light Productions. The original production was produced by London’s Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre.

For additional information about this production, please visit OmahaPerformingArts.org, TicketOmaha. com or ustour.JesusChristSuperstar.com Facebook & Instagram: @JesusChristSuperstar | Twitter: @JCSTheMusical Submissions to Express Yourself must include the writer’s first and last names as well as the writer’s address and telephone number. (Addresses and phone numbers are not published.) Submissions written anonymously will not be printed. Submissions may be edited at the publisher’s discretion. Submissions to Express Yourself or the commentary page may also appear on the Omaha Star Facebook page.

Email submissions must be typed in a Word document and sent to the publisher at: fwilliams@omahastarinc.com

Omaha Star Philosophy: At the Star we look at ourselves as the documentarians of African-American news in Omaha. We strive to make our readers and our advertisers proud they support a publication that portrays the AfricanAmerican as a multidimensional person capable of excelling in areas other than sports, entertainment and politics.

Omaha Star Publishing dates November Friday Friday

November 15, 2019 November 29, 2019

December Friday Friday

December 13, 2019 December 27, 2019

January Friday Friday

January 10, 2020 January 24, 2020

community to engage in productive and civil dialogue around uncomfortable or somewhat controversial topics.

The program is a space where all points of view are heard and respected, and where UNO students, faculty and staff can develop the skills needed to become thought leaders in the community.

UNO Dialogue Project is a combination of Inclusive Communities’ well-respected Lozier Omaha Table Talk and UNO’s Sustained Dialogue programs and features a panel of speakers followed by small group discussions led by trained facilitators. The facilitators help guide safe, honest and open conversations around a highlighted theme or topic. The UNO Dialogue Project is exclusively reserved for the UNO community and sessions are free to attend, but advanced reservations are recommended.

“We are so excited to be merging the energies of two long-standing community conversation series to create this unique dialogue opportunity for UNO students, staff and faculty!” said Inclusive Communities Executive Director Maggie Wood.

Dr. Jessi Hitchins, Director of the UNO Gender and Sexuality Resource Center concurs: “UNO is excited to be partnering with Inclusive Communities to engage the campus in critical, complex discussions toward building a stronger civil discourse on campus and beyond.”

Four events and facilitator trainings have been scheduled for the upcoming year: Nov. 8, 9 a.m. – Noon, Facilitator Training Nov. 12, 4-6 p.m., Event: Civil Discourse on Campus (see description below) Jan. 17, 9 a.m. – Noon, Facilitator Training Jan. 22, 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m., Event (Topic TBD) Feb. 28, 9 a.m. – Noon, Facilitator Training March 5, 4-6 p.m., Event (Topic TBD) July 17, 9 a.m. – Noon, Facilitator Training Aug. 28, 4-6 p.m., Event (Topic TBD)

The first discussion, titled Don’t Be a Troll: Civil Discourse on Campus, is jointly presented by Inclusive Communities and the UNO GSRC and will be held on Nov. 12 at the Milo Bail Student Center: Fake News! Disinformation, misinformation, what is information anymore? With trolls lurking on all social media channels ready to fight, insult and argue simply just to argue, what is the point of civil discourse in 2019? Does it still exist? It is critical to the advancement of society that we learn how to dialogue with each other to share and develop the ideas that shape our politics and our lives.

To register for Civil Discourse on Campus on Nov. 12, go to https://www.eventbrite.com/e/uno-dialogue- projectregistration-78120912753. To register for Facilitator Training on Nov. 8 or for more information on the UNO Dialogue Project, contact Katherine MacHolmes at katherine@inclusive-communities.org.

Omaha Performing Arts Introduces New Look Omaha Performing Arts has changed its logo and look as part of an organization-wide branding process.

The new branding system is designed to inspire a bold, artistic and flexible approach while providing a uniform method of identification.

“The design was inspired by key themes generated through interviews with the Omaha Performing Arts Board, staff, volunteers, donors and patrons,” Joan Squires, O-pa president said. “Our new name and O-pa logo are less traditional, more friendly and welcoming, and are designed to generate excitement,” Squires said.

“Over the past 14 years, we’ve grown from a startup to now reaching broad audiences through our programs and education activities in Omaha and across Nebraska. We’ve never taken a comprehensive approach to our identity, and it is now time to ensure our many programs share the same image,” said Squires. “This branding system will bring our programs, sponsors and venues together visually and make them more easily recognized.”

Pentagram, the world’s largest independent design studio, created the new system. They reviewed processes and materials of the organization’s four core entities: Omaha Performing Arts, Ticket Omaha, Holland Performing Arts Center and the Orpheum Theater.

Each entity name contains an integral piece to the new brand – the letter “o”, a circular letter that represents community relationships and signals community as the heart of O-pa.

“The collaboration with the Omaha Performing Arts team was enlightening and energizing. Pentagram was excited to create a new brand identity for O-pa,” said Eddie Opara, Pentagram Partner. “The creation of a harmonious and dynamic visual and strategic framework that is bold, fresh and vibrant are recognizable and represent the O-pa community, its performances, and the City of Omaha as a connective force.”

“We’re excited to unveil our new identity, look and logo that helps demonstrate our continued commitment to the performing arts in the Omaha community and the state of Nebraska,” Squires said.

LOCAL NEWS

November 1, 2019

THE OMAHA STAR

Page Three

Sen. Turner continued from page 1

Many don’t know what it’s like to get on the bus, drop in your money and get back off and go to the back to take your seat; they don’t know what it’s like to drink from a “colored fountain;” and they haven’t been attacked by police dogs or sprayed with high-powered firehoses.

We lost a civil rights icon this week in Elijah Cummings, he was a soldier in the Civil Rights Movement and translated that passion into policy and legislative action.

We must remember that voters are not only looking for candidates that understand the problems and issues of their constituents, but they are looking for candidates that are conscious-minded. That candidate for 2020 is Bernie Sanders who is not new to the struggle but has a 40-year track record of “consciousness” and having a platform that addresses the issues of the people. There’s only one candidate who has been marching with working-class people not because he’s running for president, but because it’s right. Just ask Marriott workers, Amazon workers, and - hello! - Verizon workers, and don’t forget about the teachers; Bernie Sanders is the one candidate who has a track record of doing the right thing because he is led by conscience and not by special interests.

OS: As you know, Black women turned electoral power into political power in 2018. There was a tidal wave of Black female candidates who showed that “when we run we win.” Political analysts and polls show that Black women voted 98% for Democratic candidates. What is your take on the power of the Black female vote and the candidate you support in 2020?

NT: The Black women who ran and won in 2018 are significant not only for who they are, but also for how they ran their campaigns. From a congressional standpoint, many of the Black women on the ballot, myself included, speak about expanding access to health care and improving public education, focusing on “economic inequality, the wealth and wage gap, structural racism, and gun violence.” We live in a country where Black women continue to have higher rates of infant mortality and die during delivery themselves. When Black women

Photos by Abiola Kosoko DemoLives.com

benefit through addressing these systemic issues, the entire nation benefits with access to better healthcare, being paid a living wage and breaking glass ceilings.

With Black women as the grassroots and community organizers and candidates in communities across America, a win for candidates who are conscious of systemic and structural racism is a win for families, and a win for policy change and reform in the legal system from the White House to the Supreme Court. We know what’s at stake, we cannot afford to continue to allow a divisive fear monger agenda to make decisions that affect everything from our families to our jobs. Dr. Maya Angelou once said that we must have the courage to stand up for ourselves and the courage to stand up for somebody else. Black women are no strangers to standing up for ourselves and for others. We raise our hands to protect our families, communities and schools. And with these hands we will have Medicare for All. With these hands we will cancel student debt. With these hands we will cancel medical debt. With these hands we will make an investment on Main Street, and tell Wall Street where to go! With these hands we will make sure that every baby in this country can aspire to live a good life, in Nebraska and across the country, because it is for everybody! Bernie Sanders is the candidate that knows these issues and has a specific plan to address them all.

OS: Criminal justice reform is on the minds of every voter for the 2020 election, and the adage that “all politics are local” is universally true. In Nebraska, there have been efforts to introduce legislation to eliminate the cash bond system where hundreds of individuals at any given time are being housed in county jails due to their financial inability to pay bail bonds or court-ordered fines and fees. This system penalizes individuals for being poor.

What is the Sanders campaign position on criminal justice reform to address the issue of inequity in the system and the intersection of poverty and justice?

NT: First let’s call it what it is. The legal system has been inherently unjust for Black people since its inception in this country. The Sanders campaign supports “Ban the Box” initiatives, restorative justice and assuring (that) disenfranchised convicted felons have their voting rights restored when they have completed their time. Senator Sanders is someone who understands that there are disparities within the disparities. . . if you are black, if you are brown, if you are indigenous, and if you are poor, this system is rigged. It is rotten to the core, and we’re going to unrig it so that “justice for all” is not just an ideal but is practiced. That’s it and that’s all.

Senator Sanders is from Vermont where there is a strong stance on permitting felons to vote while in prison unlike most states which prohibit inmate voting, some for a lifetime. In talking to people across this country, the Sanders campaign wants what everyone wants -- to have a justice system that doesn’t gun down Black folks in their houses. We are at a place in this country where you can’t read while Black, sleep while Black, play your music while Black, and just exist while Black. We’re going to clean up this criminal injustice system.

What the people want is very simple. We need to have some truth and reconciliation about the ravages of racism in the United States of America in the legal system. That’s it and that’s all. Bernie Sanders proposes better education and counseling, including mental health, opportunities for prisoners

Salvation Army Seeking Volunteers for Walmart Toy Drive Nov. 9 The Salvation Army is collaborating with Walmart on a nationwide Toy Drive that is set for Nov. 9. It will be held at Walmart stores around America – including 11 here in the metro area.

The drive will go from 8:30 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 9, and is dedicated to helping children in need. As part of this event, Walmart is also giving The Salvation Army the opportunity to “ring the bells” at its iconic red kettles, so we will be both collecting toys and ringing bells at kettles at participating locations on that day. (Volunteers who sign up may end up doing one or the other.)

Volunteers for the Toy Drive are needed at each of the following stores: • 3201 Manawa Center Dr. in Council Bluffs • 1800 N. 16th St. in Council Bluffs • 10504 S. 15th St. in Bellevue • 11350 Wickersham Blvd. in Gretna • 16960 W. Maple Rd. in Omaha • 12850 L St. in Omaha • 6304 N. 99th St. in Omaha • 5018 Ames Ave. in Omaha • 18201 Wright St. in Omaha • 1606 S. 72nd St. in Omaha • 8525 S. 71st Plz. in Papillion This is a great volunteering opportunity for both individuals and groups. People interested in volunteering for the Toy Drive can sign up by going to salarmyvolunteers. com.

Toys collected during the drive will be distributed at our Toyland events in December at our Council Bluffs and Omaha-area corps.

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to reduce recidivism rates and effectively spend less money on incarceration. More training is needed for law enforcement’s ability to handle mental illness situations.

The Sanders campaign believes what most Americans want to see. . . . police departments all over this country whose memberships reflect the demographics of the community they serve. We also need to address the fact that racial bias exists in law enforcement as it relates to traffic stops, arrests, and those agencies should represent the demographics of the communities they serve. Bernie Sanders is a visionary and has a strategic plan to address these issues for communities across America to assure the legal system lives up to the creed of justice for all its citizens.

OS: Healthcare is an issue that concerns all Americans. In 2018, the voters of Nebraska took a giant step toward addressing healthcare disparity outcomes by passing an initiative “by the people” to allow for expansion of Medicaid for certain individuals ages 19-26 years old who meet certain poverty thresholds under federal regulations. Nebraska followed the lead of voters in Maine who approved Medicaid expansion by public referendum.

The governor of Nebraska has yet to honor the “will of the people” of Nebraska. Talk some about the importance of coverage for all and what the Sanders plan is for universal healthcare to address healthcare disparities and outcomes for those who cannot afford premiums or do not have an employer-provided plan.

NT: We are the only industrialized nation that does not have a universal healthcare plan that provides healthcare coverage for all citizens. The United States pays the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs because Congress has done nothing to regulate the price of medicine. If we would join the rest of the industrialized world and negotiate with the pharmaceutical companies to lower prices, our country could save billions of dollars per year.

As the wealthiest country in the world, we have a variety of options available to support a Medicare for All single-payer healthcare system that guarantees high quality, affordable healthcare as a right, not a privilege, to every man, woman, and child in this country.

A Bernie Sanders presidency means an America where folks don’t die because they’ve got to rotate out their insulin to make sure it lasts. We are looking for an America where hospitals are not closing, but are expanding services to vulnerable communities. We want a healthcare system that is not commodified. That’s it and that’s all. We live in a country where our veterans are living on the streets without treatment for service-related mental health issues; we have people who are too afraid to go out and see a doctor because they can’t afford it; and we have Black women dying in childbirth in the 21st century. This is America and this is not acceptable! Bernie Sanders has a plan that will assure all Americans have a right to healthcare and not just the privileged or those who can afford to pay.

OS: With the 2020 presidential election looming, there is no shortage of candidates vying for votes across America. The mantra “Feel the Bern!” is back again for 2020, and Bernie Sanders is ranked the number three Democrat by pollsters. He is what many have called a Democratic “socialistleaning” candidate campaigning on a platform that calls for “Medicare For All” (a policy which would effectively eliminate private health care insurance), extra taxes

on the wealthy and free college tuition. Tell us why Bernie Sanders is the candidate we should vote for.

NT: Bernie Sanders is the only candidate that does not accept donations from corporate dollars. In terms of campaign finance, Sanders is one of the most outspoken politicians in his opposition to the Citizens United decision, PACs and “dark money” in politics. He rejected corporate PAC donations in 2016, inspiring most of the 2020 Democratic field to declare the same. The Sanders campaign has received contributions from one million everyday donors. Our strength is in numbers, and that is why Bernie Sanders is the only candidate who is able to say his campaign will rely only on grassroots funding in both the primary and the race against Donald Trump. Like all campaigns we are obliged to our donors, and we’re proud to stand with millions of working people who have contributed $27 at a time to the Sanders campaign.

His political platform includes breaking up big banks, higher taxes on the wealthy, $15 minimum wage, marijuana legalization and decriminalization and the Green New Deal, among other progressive changes.

Bernie Sanders is the leader of the pack on these issues, as many of Sanders’ fellow 2020 candidates have adopted similar policies.

If every major industrialized nation on Earth can make healthcare a right, provide universal coverage to all, achieve far better health outcomes in terms of life expectancy and infant mortality, while spending far less per capita than we do, it is absurd to suggest the United States of America, the wealthiest nation in the history of the world, cannot do the same. Don’t let anybody tell you any different! Bernie Sanders has a plan for Medicare For All and a way to pay for it.

Look, people are tired of empty promises made on the campaign trail. The people want to create a system in this country that is geared toward helping people live out their greatness. Senator Bernie Sanders is the candidate that can deliver on his promises because he has a plan to do it. He has substantive policy initiatives that will deliver on issues like the $15 minimum wage, and certainly Medicare For All. We need a living wage; people need tangible things in their lives to help them get closer to that, and solving the medical crisis that we have in this country will go a long way. We need to make sure we have policymakers who understand that men and women should be paid equally for the work that they do; that the public education system we have needs to be shored up; that we have to invest our tax dollars to ensure that a child will not be discriminated against or treated differently because of the zip code they live in. All these things are part of the Bernie Sanders economic package to lift folks in this country. That is why America should support candidates who are committed to pushing for working people and Senator Bernie Sanders is that candidate!

OS: Thank you Senator Nina Turner, the City of Omaha is certainly blessed by your presence and I appreciate you taking time from your very busy schedule to interview with the Omaha Star!

Terri L. Crawford, J.D ; Omaha Star – Staff Writer; University of Nebraska Omaha, Department of Black Studies Adjunct Professor; Political Awareness and Involvement Chair, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. (OAC ); Policy Director League of Women Voter Greater Omaha.

Traffic Restriction – ORBT Platform Construction Westbound Dodge Street at 33rd Street is restricted due to closure of the outside curb lane for Metro Transit’s ORBT platform construction. This restriction will be in effect till early December.

Stay up to date on ORBT construction at rideORBT.

November 22 7:30 PM

ticketomaha.com 402.345.0606

com/construction, by signing up for the ORBT Dispatch Newsletter, or by following ORBT on Twitter. If you have any comments or questions, contact Jason Rose with Metro Transit at jrose@ometro.com or 402-3417560 x 2618.

Page Four THE OMAHA STAR

PRAISE, WORSHIP, DEVOTION, OBITUARIES & INSPIRATION

Miriam Blair to be Ordained at First Lutheran Church Miriam Blair will be ordained and installed at First Lutheran Church Omaha, 542 S. 31st St., Sunday at 3 p.m. FLC is a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Nebraska Synod. The synod is comprised of 240 churches and worshipping communities.

Miriam will be the only African American pastor serving a synod congregation at this time. Miriam and her husband Melvin served as ministry leaders of Fontenelle Community Church, an African American congregation in North Omaha, from 2008 thru 2018.

FCC successfully merged with FLC, a predominantly Caucasian congregation, with the Blairs’ leadership.

Miriam’s journey to ordination began at the age of 45, which included three years of seminary education and one year of internship.

During this time, she continued to work full-time as the Administrative Coordinator for the Office of the Chair at a national law firm, adopted two teenaged daughters with her husband, and assisted congregants.

The community is invited to attend the ordination service.

November 1, 2019

John Conyers Dies at 90

By Stacy Brown NNPA Newswire Senior Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia Former U.S. Congressman John Conyers, who championed the 15-year fight to pass legislation that would make Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday a federal holiday, has died. He was 90.

The longtime Michigan Conyers Democrat represented what (Photo: United States Congress now the state’s 13th Official Photo / Wikimedia Commons) is Congressional District (which includes parts of western Detroit) for more than 50 years before resigning in 2017.

Conyers was born in Detroit in 1929. He was elected to Congress in 1965 and immediately became a forceful voice in the Civil Rights Movement, co-sponsoring the Voting Rights Act of that same year. He was the first African American to chair the powerful House Judiciary Committee and helped spearhead the 1994 Violence against Women Act. Conyers and 12 other African American members of the House of Representatives founded the Congressional Black Caucus in 1971.

“We always knew where he stood on issues of equality and

civil rights in the fight for the people,” Rep. Rashida Tlaib, who now represents Conyers’ district, tweeted.

“Sad to hear of the passing of former Congressman John Conyers,” the Rev. Al Sharpton stated. “He worked with us on many civil rights cases as Chair of the House Judiciary Committee and helped lead the fight for the Martin Luther King [Jr.] Holiday.”

“Most of us from Michigan loved our congressman. He was idolized and was absolutely an icon. Not only was he an icon of the civil rights movement but we looked to him for leadership. This is a massive loss. All of us in business, the clergy, the community, respected, admired and aspired to be like John Conyers,” Said Hiram Jackson, President and CEO of Real Times Media.

“Congressman John Conyers, decades ago, held the first U.S. Congressional Hearings on Racially-Motivated Police Brutality; led the House Judiciary Hearings on Criminal Justice and Prison Reform in America; was co-founder of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC); and was a leading congressional advocate for the freedom of Angela Davis, the Wilmington Ten, and all political prisoners in the United States,” remarked Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., the president and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association.

“Conyers was a constitutional scholar and political visionary whose longstanding vision for freedom, justice and equality was unparalleled in the Congress of the United States,” Chavis continued. “May God bless the freedom-fighting memory and legacy of The Honorable John Conyers.” Chavis stated.

RIP John Witherspoon

By Bruce C.T. Wright We’ve lost another legend. John Witherspoon, the popular actor and comedian who singlehandedly carved out an inimitable niche for himself as the deliveryman for classic one-liners on stage, film and TV, has died. The star of the “Friday” movie franchise who played dozens of other amazing roles, died at the age of 77.

His family announced the death on Witherspoon’s verified Instagram account.

“It is with deepest sorrow that we can confirm our beloved husband and father, John Witherspoon, one of the hardest working men in show business, died today at his home in Sherman Oaks at the age of 77,” Witherspoon’s family said in a statement. “He is survived by his wife Angela, and his sons JD, Alexander, and a large family.

We are all in shock, please give us a minute for a moment in privacy and we will celebrate his life and his work together. John used to say ‘I’m no big deal,’ but he was huge deal to us.”

There was no indication of his cause of death.

The news of Witherspoon’s death sent an immediate ripple effect across social media that was reverberating especially among his core fans, who remembered him for any number of the roles he played that all had one thing in common: They were absolutely hilarious.

Witherspoon’s ability to create memorable lines (“Bang, bang, bang.”) that have stood the test of time over decades is a testament to his true talent that lit up any screen or stage he performed on.

Some of his timeless roles include playing Mr. Jones

in the movie “Friday,” which went on to spawn two sequels that Witherspoon also starred in. IMDB listed that Witherspoon had signed on to be in “Last Friday,” which was in its pre-production stages at the time of his death.

Witherspoon, who was also remembered for playing the role of Pops in the sitcom, “The Wayans Brothers,” was a frequent collaborator with the Wayans family, including Keenan Ivory Wayans, who cast Witherspoon in several of his movies, including the Blaxploitation spoof, “I’m Gonna Git You Sucka,” in 1988.

One of the long-standing phrases coined by (or at least popularized by) Witherspoon came during the filming of “Hollywood Shuffle,” a comedy starring Robert Townsend. Witherspoon played Townsend’s boss, the proprietor of Winky-Dinky Dog, a hot dog restaurant. He owned the scene where he introduced Winky-Dinky Dog’s latest addition to its menu: the Ho Cake. “Ho’s gotta eat too,” Mr. Jones, Witherspoon’s character, explained in the timeless moment on the big screen.

Witherspoon commanded attention anytime he was on the stage or screen, as shown in Eddie Murphy’s movie, “Boomerang,” when the phrase, “You’ve got to coordinate,” was born.

But Witherspoon was also a talented stand-up comedian whose career got its start on the stage. His success led him to land a prominent role on “The Richard Pryor Show,” a sketch comedy show, in 1977.

That helped pave the way for an enviable career in Hollywood that spanned more than four decades, as Witherspoon was performing and working up until his death. He starred in and had guest appearances on dozens

Kids Talk About God What Does It Mean to Be Born Again?

By Carey Kinsolving And Friends “Well, being born again doesn’t mean to go back into your mother’s stomach,” says Taylor, 11. “It means being born into the family of God.” Unlike Taylor, the religious leader (Nicodemus) who came by night to talk with Jesus missed the point entirely.

Jesus spoke of being born again spiritually. Nicodemus thought Jesus spoke of a physical birth when he said, “How can a man be born when he is old?” (John 3:4a).

“To be born again means you have to trust God as your savior,” says Hannah, 10. “What that means is: 1) Believe that Jesus is God’s son. 2) Believe that He died on the cross for your sins. 3) Believe that He rose again.”

Hannah’s clear presentation sounds like the Apostle Paul’s description of the gospel in his letter to the Corinthians (I Corinthians 15:3-4). Don’t get sidetracked on superfluous issues. Present the gospel clearly and concisely.

“Being born again means being born or adopted into the Lord’s family and becoming one of his children,” says Maranatha, 12. “You must first believe that Jesus died and rose again.

“In I Peter 1:23, it says, ‘having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever.’ This means you are saved by the Word of God, and its work is eternal, never perishing.”

God’s Word is God’s agent in spiritual birthing. The Bible has a lot to say about the power of God’s Word.

Don’t ever underestimate the power of God’s Word to change lives: your own and others’. The longest Psalm in the Bible is entirely devoted to the importance of God’s Word (Psalm 119).

“Probably the most important thing about being born

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again is that the Holy Spirit is living in you,” says Anna, 10. “He came, cleaned you out and is now living in you.”

We live in a time that the Old Testament prophets could only dream about. Some foretold of a time when God would dwell in the hearts of his people instead of a Jerusalem temple. That time is now! Yet, many Christians remain unaware of this spiritual reality. They don’t take time to listen to the promptings, guidings and teachings of God’s Spirit.

The Spirit-filled life is not living in Weirdsville. It’s productive. The Apostle Paul describes it as fruitful: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, selfcontrol. Against such there is no law.” (Galatians 5:2223).

Being born again not only secures your eternal destiny with God in heaven, it gives you the possibility of living a truly productive and satisfying life. However, it’s not automatic. The same Apostle Paul who encouraged Christians to live productive lives also warned them to not grieve the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30).

At the moment people trust the Lord Jesus Christ as their savior, they are delivered forever from the penalty of sin. Through the indwelling Holy Spirit, they now possess the power to live productive lives free from sin’s destructive power. Jesus wants to live though his people in a way that involves their willful submission to him.

When they fail to submit, God tries to get their attention through loving discipline (Hebrews 12:6).

Think about this: Being delivered from the penalty of sin is called justification. Being delivered from the power of sin is called sanctification. Memorize this truth: “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). Ask this question: Are you born again?

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of movies and TV shows and headlined plenty of comedy shows, as well.

Witherspoon was born in Detroit on Jan. 27, 1942. While it is indeed sad news that Witherspoon has died, luckily for his fans he left us a treasure trove of timeless material to watch at any time.

Releasing God’s Power through Obedience

By Dr. William Holland Obedience includes the humble and sincere acceptance of the authority and will of God. It’s not only conforming, but also demonstrating our devotion through our thoughts, words, and deeds. The general concept of compliance both in the Old and the New Testament is based upon us yielding our will in order to do God’s will and if we choose to advance in our spiritual relationship with Christ, we can understand a lot more about personal accountability. One of the Greek terms for obedience conveys the idea of positioning oneself under someone by submitting to their authority and command. Another Greek word for obey in the New Testament means “to trust.” According to Holman’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Christian obedience means, “to hear God’s Word and act accordingly.” Eerdman’s Bible Dictionary also states, “Obedience involves physical hearing that inspires the listener to believe and in turn this motivates the hearer to act in accordance with the speaker’s desires.”

Some might believe it does not really matter what we do in this life, but nothing could be further from the truth. Whether we are a follower of Christ or not, disobedience is caused by rebellion toward divine truth and choosing to follow our own desires instead of seeing God’s will accomplished. We realize that we cannot earn our salvation by our works, however, if we are serious about our relationship with Him, we will always have a strong desire to please Him. Luke 6:46 Jesus says, “Why do you call me Lord, Lord, and do not what I say?” We can always ask God to forgive our past, and today we can also make the choice to develop a determination to obey Him in all things.

Most of us remember a man in the Bible by the name of Elijah and we see that he was a person who knew something about the power of obeying God. I want us to look at a time in his life where God told him to do something and even though it seemed impossible, he did not hesitate to follow God’s instructions. In I Kings 17:1, he had just prophesied to King Ahab, that it would not rain for the next three years. The Lord then told Elijah to hide in the mountains by a stream of water and that God would send ravens to bring him meat and bread – and they did. This shows us that if we will simply listen and obey, God will take care of our needs. In the following verses, we find that the brook finally dried up from the lack of rain, so the Lord told him to go to a certain city and there he would find a poor widow who would supply him with food. When he entered the town gate, he found the woman and asked her to bring him a drink of water and a piece of bread. We pick up the story in verses 12-14, “‘As surely as the Lord your God lives,’ she replied, ‘I don’t have any bread, only a handful of meal in a barrel and a little olive oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it and die.’ Elijah said to her, ‘Do not be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first, make a small loaf of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: The barrel of meal will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the land.’” Remarkably, she did as Elijah said and even though no meal or oil was ever added to the containers, there was an endless supply. This was an amazing miracle, however, it’s also not the end of the story. After a while, the widow’s son became very sick and eventually died. Of course, the mother felt like God’s judgment had for some reason fallen upon her and she was very upset. Elijah had compassion and asked God to please heal the child and the boy came back to life!

In James the first chapter we are reminded there is no substitute for obedience and that possessing knowledge about what the Lord wants us to do is not the same as doing it.

(Learn about Billy’s brand new book at billyhollandministries.com.)

PRAISE & WORSHIP DIRECTORY

November 1, 2019

ALLEN CHAPEL A.M.E.

Rev. Benjamin R. Finnell

Rev. Benjamin R. Finnell, Presiding Elder and Pastor Tammi Tate, Public Relations Chairperson 2842 Monroe St. Ph: (402) 502-8003 Fx: 934-8581 Sunday School...........................9:00 a.m.

Sunday Worship......................10:00 a.m.

Thursday Bible Study..............8:00 p.m. via teleconference, dial-in number 563-999-2090 and access code 576989

MOUNT CALVARY COMMUNITY CHURCH

Page Five

ST. MARK BAPTIST CHURCH

“Jesus is the Light of the World” Bishop Kevin Chambers, Senior Pastor (Elect) www.m3comaha.org 5112 Ames Avenue Omaha, NE 68104 (402) 457-4216 Church Phone (402) 453-4084 Pastor’s Office

THE OMAHA STAR

Pastor Jarrod S. Parker 3616 Spaulding Street, Omaha, NE 68111 Phone: 402-451-0307 Email: smbcsecretary@ stmarkbaptist.org Bishop Kevin Chambers

Pastor Jarrod S. Parker

Sunday School – Sunday 9:00 a.m.

Services: Sunday School .................................................... 9:30 a.m.

Sunday Morning Worship Experience ......... 11:00 a.m.

Word On Wednesday (WOW) ........................ 7:00 p.m.

Worship Service – Sunday 10:15 a.m.

Children’s Church (except 2nd Sunday) Holy Communion every 1st Sunday Prayer and Bible Doctrine Study Midday - 12:00 noon; Evening – 7:00 p.m.

MT. MORIAH MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH

“Where Life is for Everyone”

Dr. Ralph B. Lassiter, Pastor 2602 N. 24th St. Off: (402) 451-8800 Fax: (402) 451-8522 mtmoriahomaha.net pastorlassiter@gmail.com

Drs. Mar n & Lynnell Williams Founders & Lead Pastors SUNDAYS Prayer 9:00 AM Worship 10:00 AM

WEDNESDAYS Prayer 6:00 PM Worship 7:00 PM

www.ambassadorswc.com 402-341-1866 5417 N 103rd St. Omaha, NE 68134

Televised Broadcast – Sundays at 6:00 p.m., KPAO Cox Channel 22 & CenturyLink Channel 89 Our Mission: “To exalt the Savior, edify saints, evangelize sinners and elevate society.”

SACRED HEART CATHOLIC CHURCH

Rev. Ralph Lassiter, Sr.

Fr. Dave Korth

Sunday School .............................................. 9:30 a.m.

Sunday Worship ..........................................10:45 a.m.

Overcomers in Christ......................Sunday 7:00 p.m.

2207 Wirt Street Omaha, NE 68110 Phone: 402-451-5755

Wednesday Bible-Prayer Service 11:30 a.m. & 6:30 p.m Fr. Dave Korth

CLAIR MEMORIAL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH “Come Get Your Hilltop Experience” Rev. Portia A. Cavitt, Pastor 5544 Ames Avenue, Omaha, NE 68104 Telephone: 402-451-8322 • Website: www.cmumc.net Email: clairumc@cumc.omhcoxmail.com Rev. Portia A. Cavitt, Pastor

Sunday School………………………8:45 a.m.

Sunday Worship Experience………...10:00 a.m.

Wednesday Bible Study….…….…….6:00 p.m.

Mass Schedule: Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday - 8:00 am in Rectory (2218 Binney)

MT. NEBO MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH

Thursday - School Mass 8:10 am in Church

“The Church Where Fellowship is Real”

Saturday - 5:00 pm Sunday - 8:15 am and 10:30 am

Pastor Terry L. Arvie 5501 N. 50th Street Ph: 402-451-4245 Fx: 402-451-2130 office@mtneboomaha.org www.mtneboomaha.org Pastor Terry L. Arvie

Sunday Morning Worship ...................................9:00 a.m.

Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting .....................7:00 p.m.

Wednesday Night Church School ......................7:30 p.m.

Youth/Children Ministry Focus (Wed.) ............7:30 p.m.

FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

SALEM BAPTIST CHURCH Serving God and One Another in the Spirit of Excellence Rev. Dr. Selwyn Q. Bachus Senior Pastor 3131 Lake Street Omaha, NE 68111 402-455-1000 www.salembc.org

Rev. Dr. Selwyn Q. Bachus

Rev. Kent H. Little, Lead Pastor Services on Sundays at 8:30 am & 10:50 am

PLEASANT GREEN BAPTIST CHURCH

7020 Cass Street, Omaha, NE 68132 402.556.6262 www.fumcomaha.org First United Methodist Church is a welcoming and inclusive community, inspired to grow with and in God.

Weekly Services Sunday Morning Worship Service .....................8:30 a.m. & 11:30 a.m.

Children’s Church (2nd & 4th Sunday) ................8:30 a.m. & 11:30 a.m.

Life Development (Sunday School) .........................................10:15 a.m.

Wednesday Word and Worship (WWW) ................................ 6:30 p.m.

“Where CHRIST is Preeminent and the Word Prevails!”

Rev. Kent H. Little

Pastor Brian Page 5555 Larimore Avenue Church: 402-346-8427 www.pleasantgreenomaha.org

TABERNACLE OF FAITH CHURCH

Pastor Brian Page

Pastor Barbara Mitchell 2404 Fort Street, Omaha, NE 68111 402-455-1800 Church 402-455-3390 Fax

Wednesday: Prayer Power Hour ......................................12:00 p.m Thursday: Youth For Christ ............................................6:00 p.m Prayer & Bible Study ....................................6:30 p.m Sunday: Sunday School.................................................9:00 a.m.

Morning Worship..........................................10:15 a.m.

Televised Broadcast Sunday @ 10pm on KPAO Cox Communication channel 22 & Century Link channel 89

Charles Galloway - President, Rev John Deang - Pastor, Dr John Beasley - Elder

Pastor Barbara Mitchell

8:30 am Early Sunday Morning Worship 9:30 - 10:15 am Sunday Morning Breakfast 10:15 - 11:15 am Sunday School 11:30 am Sunday Morning Worship 6:30 pm Wednesday Bible Study 8:00 pm Friday Night Service Noon day prayer Thursday - Saturday

HOPE LUTHERAN CHURCH Missouri Synod 2721 N. 30th Street 402-453-1583 Sunday School................................10:00 a.m.

Church Service...............................11:00 a.m.

YOU ARE ALWAYS WELCOME

Rev. Vitalis Anyanike

ST. BENEDICT THE MOOR CATHOLIC CHURCH

ZION BAPTIST CHURCH

2423 Grant St. Omaha, NE 68111 Ph: 402-348-0631 • Fax 402-342-4451 Sunday Mass: 9:00 a.m.

Reconciliation: Sunday after Mass or by appointment

Rev. Kenneth A. Allen, Pastor

&

JOY OF LIFE MINISTRIES COGIC

HOLY NAME CATHOLIC CHURCH

Pastors Eric and Cynthia Butler

2901 Fontenelle Blvd. 68104 Ph: 402-451-6622 • Fax 402-457-6901 Mass Schedule: Mon. - Fri. 8:30 a.m., Sat. 8:30 a.m. & 5:00 p.m.

Sun. 8:00 a.m., 10:30 a.m. & Noon (Spanish) Reconciliation: Sat. 4:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. or by appointment

6401 N. 56th Street Omaha, NE 68104 Ph: 402-399-9628 E-Mail: Jolpastor@aol.com Sunday School..........................9:30 a.m.

Sunday Worship......................10:30 a.m.

Sunday Evening Worship.......6:00 p.m.

Wednesday Night ....................7:00 p.m.

Bible Study and Youth Ministries

Pastor: Rev. Vitalis Anyanike

Pastor Eric Butler and Co-Pastor Cynthia Butler

2215 Grant Street Omaha, NE 68110 Ph: 402-346-1502 Fax: 402-344-2720

Pastor Kenneth A. Allen

SUNDAY Sunday Morning Worship……………9:00 A.M. Sunday School……………………...11:15 A.M. WEDNESDAY 11:00 A.M. ~ Hour of Power Bible Study Wednesday is Family Night!

6:00 P.M. ~ Prayer & Praise Service 6:30 P.M. ~ Feast & Fellowship (Light Meal) 7:15 P.M. ~ Discipleship Academy (Classes for ages 5 & up)

THE WORSHIP CENTER North 24th Street Church of God “Presenting the Never-Changing GOD to an ever-changing World!”

MORNING STAR BAPTIST CHURCH

“Where Christ Jesus Is the Center of Attention” Rev. Dr. Leroy E. Adams, Jr. Senior Pastor 2019 Burdette Street Omaha, NE 68110 Ph: 402-342-0018 Fx: 402-346-9300 Rev. Dr. Leroy E. Adams, Jr.

Radio Broadcast: 101.3 fm 9:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. each Sunday Worship Service .............10:00 a.m.

Sunday School .................8:45 a.m.

Excluding First Sunday Tuesday Evening Service.........7:00 p.m.

Dr. Stan Rone - Senior Pastor 2021 N. 24th Street • Omaha, NE 68110 (402) 341-4297 Dr. Stan Rone Senior Pastor

Sunday Kingdom Academy 9:00 a.m.

Worship Celebration 10:15 a.m.

Tuesday Prayer Hour 7:00 a.m. & 12:00 noon Wednesday Power Hour (Prayer/Bible Study) 6:30 p.m.

Youth and Children 6:30 p.m. www.theworshipcenter24cog.org

Page Six THE OMAHA STAR

DEVELOPMENT & GENTRIFICATION

November 1, 2019

North Omaha, Down for the Cause, Not Down for the Count Anatomy of a Development Deal

By Lynn Sanchez If “Development” were a game, it would honestly be the worst game ever.

Development is played by hundreds of self-serving players with a labyrinth of rules and regulations. It Frankensteins together the strategy of Chess, the ruthlessness of Monopoly, the unexpected consequences of SimCity and the mind-numbing confusion of playing “Settlers of Catan” when you don’t really understand the rules.

The game can go on for years, though many people would likely quit in disgust after the first 10 minutes.

The term “development” is tossed around constantly in this series, but unless you work in city planning, real estate or have fought city hall, you probably don’t know the particulars of how the sausage gets made. This admittedly highly simplified step-by-step is designed for non-professionals to clarify the players, process and financial realities development brings.

THE PLAYERS The Community North Omaha residents come to the table with the most to lose. The history of segregation in Omaha and apparent lack of will by city government to properly reinvest in the neighborhood has left us discouraged and questioning whether we really have a voice in the process. (Exhibit A: The North Freeway) Because of

Glossary of Terms These definitions are related to stories in this week’s publication.

TAX INCREMENT FINANCING (TIF) is a public financing subsidy for redevelopment, infrastructure, and other communityimprovement projects. How it works: Municipalities typically divert future property tax revenue increases from a defined area or district toward an economic development or public improvement project. TIF subsidies are not appropriated directly from a city’s budget, but the city incurs loss through foregone tax revenue C O M M U N I T Y DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM (CDBG) A flexible HUD program designed to provide resources to address a wide range of unique community development needs, such as ensuring decent affordable housing, providing services to the most vulnerable, and creating jobs through the expansion and retention of businesses.

How it works: HUD determines the amount of each grant via a formula designed to measure community need, including the extent of poverty, population, housing overcrowding, age of housing, and population growth lag in relationship to other metropolitan areas. A grantee must develop and follow a detailed plan that provides for and encourages citizen participation.

SLUM/BLIGHT Prevention or elimination of areas of Slum/ Blight is a CDBG national objective. What it means: Grant recipients must officially designate areas as meeting these criteria: Deteriorated or deteriorating; abandoned; experiencing chronic high occupancy turnover rates or chronic vacancy rates in commercial or industrial buildings; experiencing significant declines in property values or abnormally low property values relative to other areas in the community; or known or suspected of environmental contamination.

higher poverty rates, as a group we have less access to capital and less ability to borrow than any of the other players. There is also disagreement on the best way forward. The risk we face: Balance thoughtful development and community wealth with gentrification and displacement that would irrevocably erase an essential part of North Omaha.

Private Developers Private Developers borrow and/or put up the money to buy land, finance real estate deals and build projects, orchestrating the process of development from beginning to end. Their goal is profit, and although they may take it upon themselves, there is no specific requirement for civic responsibility.

Typical projects include commercial and retail buildings, rehabbing historic structures, single family homes or apartments.

Private developers share the burden of financial risk, but also may profit handsomely.

Nonprofit Organizations Local nonprofits such as the Omaha Municipal Land Bank, Holy Name Housing, Habitat for Humanity, Seventy Five North, Notre Dame Housing, and Gesu Housing have been instrumental in increasing the affordable housing stock in east Omaha. Nonprofits are eligible to receive federal funding such as Community Development Block Grants. However, with federal funding comes burdensome regulation requirements such as

monitoring long term benefit to the community which can strain staffing resources.

City of Omaha The City is a huge system of interdependent departments. A few of the departments involved in development include: The Planning Department Staff analyzes and guides proposed developments in alignment with the City Master Plan (a document showing community as it is today and priorities for future development) and the Consolidated Plan (development relating to federal funding). Sub-departments of the Planning Department include: • Code administration • Permitting • Inspections • Occupational Licensing • Planning Board The City Council This is a board of elected officials who vote to adopt, amend or repeal ordinances to enforce the city charter. They approve the budget, make or confirm appointments, provide for an independent audit and other necessary actions consistent with the charter. Their meetings are open to the public and livestreamed on the city website.

THE PROCESS Permitting Each project is unique and goes through a development review process to make sure it meets zoning and code requirements.

Permits may cost up to several

hundred dollars apiece.

Public Input Citizens are invited to give input before the Planning Board, Zoning Board of Appeals and City Council.

Financing Once a project is approved by the City, private, for-profit developers generally apply for a bank loan to cover 60-70% of project costs, and pay for the remainder themselves.

Some of the costs of typical development where everything has been approved and zoned: • Acquiring the site • Hiring engineers and architects to design • Construction costs • Profit The lender compares comparable units and lease rates in an area before approving the loan.

Non-profit developers Non-profits generally use some federal grant dollars to fund projects. Some sources commonly used for Omaha development include: Housing and Urban Development (HUD) • Tax Increment Financing (TIF) • HOME Program • Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) Because of its population size, the City of Omaha qualifies as an “Entitlement Community,” entitled to receive annual grants. (In this case, the word “entitlement” does not refer to protected classes of people but only to the size of the

city or county.) Smaller cities and counties are categorized as “Nonentitlement.”

Another caveat: Federal money attaches regulations to the ENTIRE pot of money for development, even if it makes up only a small percentage of the total. Regulations may include: • Environmental review, umbrella and site-specific • Historical review • Davis-Bacon wage rates which add 30% to costs • Ongoing monitoring such as income and rent limits in housing • Fair Housing regulations U.S. Department of Treasury The Department of Treasury administers its own incentives for developers through the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund • New Markets Tax Credit New Markets Tax Credit was designed to increase the flow of capital to businesses and low income communities by providing a modest tax incentive to private investors.

U.S. Department of Housing and Community Development • Low Income Housing Tax Credit The Low-Income Housing Tax Credit goes to real estate developers and investors. Created by the Tax Reform Act of 1986, the LIHTC program is designed to encourage the private sector to invest in the construction and rehabilitation of housing for low and moderate-income individuals and families.

Brenda Council: North Omaha is ‘Where I Want to Be’ Since graduating from Creighton law school in 1977, Brenda Council’s life has been a well-chronicled, over-achieving whirlwind of law career, election to local and state government and participation in community and civic organizations. Somehow she also found time for marriage and family.

Council’s trademark large glasses, large smile and unbelievable work ethic became recognizable to most Omahans when she emerged as a public figure during the ‘90s.

She ran for mayor seeking to “Make Omaha the Best Neighborhood in the Nation.” “I really wanted to invest in neighborhoods, building neighborhoods and building a thriving community,” she says. The North 24th Street of her childhood had made an indelible imprint.

Brenda Council still loves North Omaha.

“I’ve lived here almost my entire life, and I have no desire to live in any other portion of the city,” she declares. She loves the tight-knit community of hard-working neighbors “whose values I share, whose dreams and aspirations I share. I love the people, the history, the culture. It’s where I want to be.” But her love is not blind. She acknowledges North Omaha has historically lacked opportunity. Her career and life have been singularly dedicated to correcting this.

“When I was a kid, there were storefronts on both sides of 24th Street from Cuming to Lake. After the riots of ‘68, ‘69, when many of those buildings were destroyed, they were not rebuilt. No reinvestment whatsoever.

Many of those lots remain vacant to this day, 50 years later.” In contrast she says. “Look at Midtown Crossing, Benson, Dundee. What’s making those vibrant areas? Those things that we used to have on North 24th Street that were lost and not restored.” It’s still painful, she says, “Particularly for people who grew up there and knew what it was like.”

Council has had years to consider the question why North Omaha hasn’t rebuilt and recovered from those traumas. “You look at the redlining issue. It plays itself out in various forms today,” she says. “So much of it is economics, but inherent in that economic issue is the political issue. Not having the will to demonstrate to the citizens the need to invest! The political mantra is ‘I won’t raise taxes.’ Well, if you don’t have a stream of income, you’re not going to be able to provide essential services ...You have to be willing to invest.”

Council ran for mayor twice in the 90s, hoping to lead the city to a better future. In her second attempt, Hal Daub edged her out by less than 800 votes, in part because of low voter turnout in North Omaha. Looking at how subsequent administrations have treated North Omaha since then, Council observes, “I can’t say they’ve done nothing, but I think they’ve missed some opportunities in terms of incentives for investment in neglected areas.

I have a concern that the tools developed for

those purposes either aren’t being utilized or were misappropriated.”

The tools she is talking about are meant to encourage investment in low-income areas.

These include Tax Increment Financing (TIF) and Community Development Block Grants (CDBG).

“TIF’s terms have been changed so much, (they’re) available for developers in areas where the need for that kind of incentive isn’t apparent, the classic example being Aksarben Village and TD Ameritrade,” Council says. It is frustrating to see funding going towards such projects while basic needs in her neighborhood go wanting.

Council She applauds the Conestoga development (22nd and Grace Streets) for making good use of Block Grants, but they also illustrate some of the challenges of development. The neighborhood is on the site where Logan Fontenelle projects once stood.

“These were brand new homes being constructed. The average construction cost was $55,000 but the financial institutions would lend no more than $25,000. So what low to moderate income person do you know who can cover that gap?” she asks. Entitlement funding in the form of Block Grants helped supply the answer. “We were fortunate to convince at least one financial institution to re-evaluate how they were appraising these properties. Then there was an appropriate use of (Block Grant) dollars, providing second mortgages, forgivable 10 year (loans).” That investment in the area spurred more market rate housing, she says.

Block Grant monies also fund general economic development projects throughout the state. One of Omaha’s largest was the Central Park Mall, a controversial project when Mayor Eugene Leahy began advocating for Riverfront development in the mid-70s.

“The original development was funded in part with Block Grant dollars,” Council says. “It improved the look of downtown, but what does it do for the residents whose economic conditions were the basis for receiving those funds? We haven’t been as strategic as we should have been with investing those incentives.”

North Omaha development is often at the mercy of competing interests, and historically the community has been excluded from decision-making processes. Council mentions the Highlander project, now becoming a reality thanks to collaboration between the city and many community partners. Omaha was awarded a $25 million “Choice Neighborhoods Initiative” grant from HUD, in part because $157 million in funding for the project was

raised from philanthropists, private businesses and local government. Seventy Five North spearheaded the project. Council says, “Their board of directors is fairly diverse from my understanding. And some of the folks on that board grew up in this community.” Still, she says, some in the community have been critical of the project.

Practically speaking, development depends on wealth. In North Omaha, Council says, “having access to that kind of capital is rare…. My objective is to see this community grow. Until we can generate that kind of capital internally, we need to engage with those who can.”

“I reflect on the development of the (TD Ameritrade) ballpark and the (CHI Health Center) arena. Why couldn’t residents of North Omaha or developers with roots in North Omaha been the ones that developed those hotels around there? Again, it’s the whole issue of access to capital (does not allow us) to be able to take advantage of that. That’s why we need this community to understand how important it is to retain control (of) the land in this community.” In her law practice, she says, she saw countless families lose homes when property taxes went unpaid, often after a death. “Next thing you know, (the home) is foreclosed and some outside investor has bought it. We need to understand the importance of holding onto our land and seeking to develop our own resources.”

North Omahans “want to take care of their families, raise their children in a safe environment and they want them to be educated and to have opportunities.” Council encourages the community to, “Be actively involved, form neighborhood associations, be knowledgeable of what’s going on in your neighborhood.”

And please vote. “I’ve been singing that chorus for 40 years,” she sighs. “We’ve had a pattern of low voter turnout and it’s almost like a self-fulfilling prophecy. It’s like, “My vote doesn’t matter and I don’t vote, and nothing happens.” Even if your candidate loses, she says, those in office pay attention to areas of high voter turnout.

She tells this story: “When Ben Nelson first ran for governor, he was in a contested Democratic primary. His campaign manager was from North Omaha, so that campaign invested a lot of time mobilizing the North Omaha vote. Ben Nelson won that primary by 25 votes and went on to become governor. And what did he do? As governor, he appointed the most Black judges in the state of Nebraska.

That’s how I tell people about how their vote matters.”

Brenda Council rests her case.

LOCAL NEWS

November 1, 2019

Salvation Army Turkeyfest Registration Begins Nov. 6 The Omaha Salvation Army will soon take reservations for its 28th annual TurkeyFest, which is set for Thanksgiving Day. TurkeyFest is a citywide feeding effort that provides complimentary Thanksgiving dinners to older adults.

TurkeyFest registration runs from Nov. 6-21.

The Salvation Army will have approximately 1,400 dinners available for those who qualify (about 200 more than were available last year).

Recipients must be 60 years of age or older. To register, phone 402-8986023; phone lines are open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Registrations will be accepted until 3 p.m. Nov. 21 or until all meals have been reserved. Please note that you must speak with one of our representatives on the phone to register; no voice mails will be accepted. Furthermore, you must be home on Thanksgiving morning in order to receive your meal.

Recipients will enjoy a warm Thanksgiving meal featuring turkey, potatoes, stuffing, gravy, green beans, cranberry sauce, dinner roll, fruit and cookies – all delivered by community volunteers.

Volunteers are still needed to deliver TurkeyFest Thanksgiving dinners the morning of Nov. 28. Also, volunteers are still needed for Christmas Assistance Sign-Up events on Nov. 4, from noon - 3 p.m. and again from 4-7 p.m.

Contact Kay at 402-8986000 for more information or to sign up to volunteer.

THE OMAHA STAR

Page Seven

‘Tell Martha Not to Moan’ New Play at The Union Explores Racial Divide and Destruction of a Detroit Community

By Andre Sessions Jr “The strongest survives, Martha, if anybody goin’ anywhere, it’s them. Not us. We ain’t let no riot drive us away, and I’ll be damn if I let thugs run me off my block – out my house,� says the elderly character Leroy in a new play opening Nov. 8 at The Union for Contemporary Art. “Tell Martha Not to Moan� chronicles the story of Leroy and his family who claimed residency for more than forty years in a home that withstood the “long, hot summer of 1967� in Detroit, Michigan. The riots Leroy mentioned happened to be one of the bloodiest incidents in the history of the United States, resulting in forty-three casualties, 1,189 injuries, and over 7,200 arrests.

This fall, The Union for Contemporary Art’s Performing Arts Collective presents the play, written by Clinnesha D. Sibley.

The bulk of the play’s action takes place in Detroit in 2007, forty years after the bloody ‘67 riots. As the presidential election campaign

plays out on the national stage and the 40th commemoration of the riot is marked, a series of memories take us on a unique and personal journey with a devoted, though desolate, elderly couple. With compelling dialogue and complex relationships, “Tell Martha Not to Moan� is a glimpse into the changing world as viewed from one African American home.

For playwright Clinnesha D. Sibley, social activism and artistic practice must intersect in order to fully tell stories of the human condition viewed through the lens of black people. Her plays have been called feminist, protest, and political.

Omaha’s Kathy Tyree who directs the play, speaks to its larger social implications: “The story telling of the riots is important as it demonstrates the oppression and denial of basic human rights that people of color have been fighting for and denied for years.�

People can take away how such tragic events in life impact individuals not just for that moment in time but throughout life, both

Performances: Opening Nov. 8 individually and collectively throughout families and at 7 p.m. with 10 performances communities. through Nov. 24.

When asked about Tickets can connections she sees be purchased between the 1967 at The Union, Detroit and more 2423 N. 24th recent demonstrations St., or online at of racial unrest www.u-ca.org. across the country, Tyree notes: “In this *** country justice still As part of The is not ‘justice.’ The Union’s broad color of your skin in commitment to this ‘great country’ making the arts still many times accessible to all, is the leading and regardless of determining factor financial means, in legal outcomes; their theatre D. Kevin Williams and Camille oppression and the productions effects thereof are Metoyer. follow a Radical (Photo by Lend Frison III) both very real!�

Hospitality Ultimately, the ticketing model. spirit of “Tell Martha Not to Moan� aspires to rise above forces of $20 General Admission tickets can systemic injustice and desecrated be reserved in advance. If this cost communities such as these. Though is prohibitive, a limited number of this may be a story of destruction, cost-free tickets are also available it’s also a story of impenetrable at The Union box office on a firstrelationships, vibrancy within the come-first-served basis on the day dark, and the resilience of roots. of the performance.

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Page Eight

YOUTH/EDUCATION NEWS November 1, 2019 Sacred Heart Introduces Teachers Encouraged to Register After-School Chess Club Classes for Science Festival Expos THE OMAHA STAR

Students are learning the fundamentals of chess in an after-school club recently started at Sacred Heart School. The club is a collaborative effort between the school and parent committee known as PAC. Families were polled at the end of the 2019 spring school year to determine if there was an interest in after-school programming on campus. The feedback was great, with several interests identified, including chess.

As a part of a campaign to increase family and community engagement, the clubs were launched with teachers and parents working together after school. “I am excited for chess and all of our clubs this year,” says principal, Mike Jensen. “The after-school clubs allow our students and teachers to develop positive interactions outside of traditional subject areas.”

According to the Youth.gov website, whose goal is to help create, maintain and strengthen effective youth programs, “after-school programs can boost academic performance, reduce risky behaviors, promote physical health, and provide a safe, structured environment for the children of working parents.”

Ed Butler, volunteers as the staff instructor for the chess club. “Chess is beneficial because it helps students develop patience and problem solving techniques.”

In addition to the chess club, students can participate in other activities, including arts and crafts, books, cooking, cupcake decorating, dance, math, robotics, and yearbook.

The 2020 Nebraska Science Festival may be months away, but organizers are encouraging teachers to register their classes now for the free science expos.

Registration is now open for the student expos, which provide engaging, handson learning opportunities geared toward second-through fifth-grade students.

Last year, more than 1,600 students were introduced to animals through Wildlife Encounters, created DNA bracelets, viewed sun spots and magnified chicken embryos and strolled through an inflatable colon.

Student expos will be held at the Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum in Ashland and The Durham Museum in Omaha.

Space is limited and registration – on a first-come, first-served basis – fills quickly.

Teachers should visit www.nescifest.com to register their classes (expos are geared toward second- through fifth-graders and may not be appropriate for younger/older ages) for either an 8:45-11:15 a.m. slot, or an 11:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. slot. Student expo dates are as follows: April 16 – The Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum April 24 – The Durham Museum In addition to the student expos, the eighth annual Nebraska Science Festival – scheduled throughout the month of April – will feature an array of scienceand technology-related activities in

communities across the state. The public is encouraged to mark their calendars for the free science expo on April 25 from 9 a.m. till noon at The Durham Museum in Omaha. A variety of hands-on science booths will be available for people of all ages to broaden their knowledge on different science topics.

Registration is also open at www. nescifest.com for: • Anyone interested in having a handson booth at the student and/or public expo; • Community sites that want to schedule (or already have planned) a sciencerelated activity open to the public: • Individuals who want to volunteer during the festival.

Sponsorship opportunities also are available. Visit the website for information on how to showcase your organization’s commitment to science and play a vital role in making the festival accessible and affordable to the entire community.

Presented by the University of Nebraska Medical Center, the Nebraska Science Festival is a collaboration of organizations and individuals interested in the advancement of science literacy.

The science festival is designed to make science accessible, interactive, relevant and fun for kids and adults alike.

SciFest updates and information can be found on NeSciFest.com, as well as on Twitter (@NESciFest) and Facebook (NE SciFest).

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COMMENTARY THE OMAHA STAR Impeachment 101 Mentoring Matters

By Preston Love Jr.

With the complexity and ever-present dialogue throughout media, as it relates to the almost Rubik’s Cube status of our government and country, and with the passing of each day, the national, regional, and local dialogue is focused on the impeachment of the President of the United States. It is both constant and compelling.

So, for the benefit of the Omaha Star readers, I write this short article on the elements known and unknown about an impeachment of the President of the United States. This article serves to give the readers a framework, not to evaluate the merits or demerits of impeachment of this president, but to provide a basis for evaluating the process with knowledge. So, with that said, the following is in fact, Impeachment 101.

There have been two impeachments in United States history, and one resignation which was caused by the threat of impeachment: Andrew Johnson in 1868, (not to be confused with President Andrew Jackson); Bill Clinton in 1998; and Richard Nixon, threatened with impeachment in 1973, resigned from the presidency.

Let’s start with fact number 1: The word impeachment can be misinterpreted. Said simply, impeachment is a two-part process.

One, to impeach the president, and two, to remove the president.

Fact number 2: the impeachment of the president is conducted in the United States House of Representatives. It requires a 2/3 vote of the members of the House of Representatives, that number is 218, to impeach. The removal of an impeached president is done in the United States Senate, and it is in effect, a trial to convict the president, and to remove him if convicted. It is required that 2/3 of the United States Senate, that number is 67, must vote to have the president removed as unfit to hold the office.

It should be noted that prior to the House of Representatives having a vote for impeachment, that an impeachment inquiry is needed. It has to be accomplished in order to develop the articles of impeachment based on what is found in the inquiry. To say it another way, the sequence is a House of Representatives impeachment inquiry, followed by a House of Representatives vote to impeach, followed by the United States Senate trial, to determine whether or not to remove the president.

Let us take a short look at the political numbers as they relate to the House and

the Senate. The House of Representatives have 435 members, notwithstanding a few independents and vacancies. The Democrats have a majority of 235 vs 197 for the Republicans. And so, 2/3 of the house is 218 votes needed to impeach. The point to be made here is, with a majority of 235, you only need 218 votes. The chances of a House vote, to impeach, is very, very high. In the United States Senate, the Republicans have the majority of 53, the Democrats 47. As you can see, it would take 67 votes to remove the president. The Democrats need 20 Republicans to vote with them to remove the president. It is unlikely, at this juncture, that 20 Republicans would vote with the Democrats, to remove the president from office. That is the fact of the matter. It should be noted with quick historical reflection, Andrew Johnson was impeached, but not removed, Clinton was impeached but not removed, that Nixon was going to be impeached, but resigned prior to the vote. Also, it should be noted that if President Trump is impeached and removed, it appears that constitutionally, he can run in 2020, in spite of that. It appears that dilemma has never been reached. It should also be noted that a sitting president has never been impeached and removed.

So, as an average citizen, at this particular junction, and with the knowledge of the reality of impeachment, what should we be doing now? I suggest at least these actions: 1. To challenge our Representatives in the House and Senate to vote what is best for our country, not what is best for their careers.

2. To prepare for the 2020 election assuming that the president will not be removed. That means to activate yourself, family, friends, your block and community to vote like crazy. Vote, not only for president, but to remove those representatives in the House and Senate who helped keep President Trump in office.

3. To understand what’s needed is to make phone calls, get early votes, reach out to all sectors in our community, knock on doors, and provide additional block captains and more. There will be intense efforts to provide rides to the polls, early voting assistance, outreach to our public housing residents, our seniors and our youth, to monitor voting places, and to focus on invalid use of provisional ballots.

You need to be part of one (or more) of those efforts or you will be part of reelecting Donald Trump, (impeached or not). There will be high efforts to confuse and corrupt the voting process in all communities, including ours. Efforts to divide us are underway … I’m watching them every day in our own community.

Importance of Educators of Color

By Ron Rice I have been a Black student, education policymaker, and now an advocate for providing the best educational opportunities for all our children. One reality that I’ve had to face and embrace through each of these stages in my life and career is that the prevalence of leaders of color like me is a major contributor to educational success and whose lack thereof stifles that potential. As a student of color, those examples helped me thrive; and today they inform my advocacy.

This month, my organization, the National Alliance of Public Charter Schools, released its highly-anticipated report, “Identity and Charter School Leadership: Profiles of Leaders of Color Building an Effective Staff,” which examined the ways that experiences and perspectives, of school leaders of color, influence how they build school culture, parent and community relationships, and effective staff. This needed report affirmed what I and many fellow school leaders of color have witnessed first-hand in schools from New Jersey (where I advised the state Department of Education) to Massachusetts, California, Louisiana, Missouri, Wisconsin, and North Carolina, where school leaders of color were studied.

The report’s finding is clear: our children of color thrive with diverse and experienced teachers who understand their challenges and have a personal, unwavering dedication to their success.

Most importantly, our report is instructive as well because it sheds light – through the profiles of three public charter school leaders of color from Louisiana, North Carolina, and California – on the principles that can help match our best current and future teachers with our nation’s students.

Three of those principles that resonated with my two decades in education policy are: First, fill our school leadership pipeline with talented educators of color who come from nontraditional backgrounds and fields of study. But how do we dispel the myth that there are not enough qualified and passionate people of color who can and want to fill this educational pipeline? One

way to do this comes from Eric Sanchez, co-founder of Henderson Collegiate – a network of three schools serving elementary, middle and high schools in Henderson, North Carolina. Instead of only recruiting future educators from traditional education programs, Eric also recruits graduates from university programs focusing on social justice and ethnic studies. And this encouragement doesn’t end once the teachers reach the classroom – we must provide clear pathways for these teachers to pursue school leadership.

Second, school leaders and education policymakers of all colors must be committed to seeing and promoting diversity as an asset, not a deficit; an opportunity, not an obstacle. Imagine how better prepared our children will be for the world of tomorrow if they have been taught the history behind their identity, the language behind their culture, and the geography behind their journey. While nearly all schools struggle with activating this principle for the benefit of our students, our report demonstrates that public charter schools are making substantial progress where traditional public schools haven’t.

Third, achievement and demonstrated success – not myths, preconceptions, and inherited political biases – must be the basis upon which we support the best educational opportunities for all our children. For example, by their design, public charter schools have the flexibility to create and fine-tune curricula, teaching methods, and optimal outcomes that traditional public schools do not. So, why would we ever consider putting obstacles in any educational paths that are showing real achievement?

Race and identity of both our educators and students is only one factor in the holistic successes we are all working toward. However, it’s also true that all schools across our country in every community have historically not valued students’ diversity and identity as assets to enrich the education they receive. Public charter schools are making real progress to expose this blind spot and make the needed course corrections to ensure the success we’ve seen for some students is the norm for all.

(Ron Rice Jr. is Senior Director, Government Relations, at the National Alliance of Public Charter Schools.)

Page Nine

Faith-Based Mentoring Agency

By Debra L. Shaw It is a wonderful blessing to connect your faith with the option to mentor youth. This site https:// w w w. r e l e a s e i n c . org/what-we-do/ provides information on how faith and mentoring can work together. With 20 years of service in the Greater Omaha Community, Release has matched over 800 at-risk youth, ages 10-18, with a caring Christian adult for the purpose of developing a trusting relationship which is the foundation for bringing hope and empowerment to young lives.

The Release Juvenile Justice Mentoring Program is designed to help youth lay a spiritual foundation upon which they can build toward success in every aspect of life. This foundation is the launching point that empowers them to reach beyond themselves and their negative circumstances. The mentor comes along beside a youth in a one to one relationship, becoming a trusted friend and guide.

The relationship building may take place within a detention center, treatment facility, group, foster care or family home and continue as youth transition into the community. The mentor and the youth meet once a week for 1 to 4 hours. Over time, this relationship provides the youth with the tools needed to overcome the obstacles they face in their life. The

mission of Release is to offer youth the promise of HOPE and a FUTURE through the power of a relationship with God and with a loving adult. The vision of the organization is to match youth with adult Christian role models in order to use the power of relationships to change their hearts and redirect their lives towards God’s full purposes for them, their family and society.

Release is looking for Christian mentors over the age of 18 who have a heart for struggling/at-risk youth. You will be their friend, guide, and advocate. These youth simply need someone to listen to them and be an example of what it means to live in relationship with the Lord. As a Release mentor, volunteers simply and powerfully express care for the youth; they offer activities to challenge them to grow personally; they provide support and help the youth discover how to expand their possibilities to succeed. The impact of a Release mentor’s relationship to a mentee includes the following components: Empowerment; Positive Values; Social Competencies; Positive Identity; Responsibility and Control; Constructive use of time; Commitment to learning and Willingness to Trust God. Release some goodness into the world and feel incredible. Visit https://www. releaseinc.org/how-to-help/volunteer/ to learn how to volunteer your time and how to spread God’s love.

Mentoring Matters!

A Matter of Life and Death

By Oscar Blayton All oppressed people know this feeling. Tevye expressed it best in “Fiddler on the Roof” when he said there are times “when our hearts lie panting on the floor.”

Atatiana Jefferson’s murder by Aaron Dean, a white police officer, in Fort Worth, Texas, on Oct. 11 has created one of those times. It is clear from the cries of outrage that many Americans, particularly people of color, feel this way. After watching video footage of the shooting from Dean’s body camera, there is no doubt that this was murder.

Initial media reports stated that roughly four seconds passed between the time Dean shouted “Put your hands up” at Ms. Jefferson as she stood by the window in her own home and the moment when he fired the fatal shot. However, video cam timers show that less than two seconds elapsed.

One video time tracker showed that Dean shouted his command at time-lapse 0:32 and pulled the trigger at 0:33. That was little more than one second. We can only assume that the media obtained the four second time frame from the Fort Worth Police Department.

The Fort Worth police also quickly released information that Ms. Jefferson had a gun in the house. This information tended to bend the narrative in favor of Dean, even though Texas is an open-carry state where countless law-abiding citizens have guns in their homes.

As shocking as this murder was, what made it worse was the way the Fort Worth police initially recited the facts in a way that favored the murderer.

It is obvious that Dean shot and killed Ms. Jefferson before giving her a chance to respond to his shouts and without identifying himself as a police officer. And it is not disputed that Ms. Jefferson had every right to protect herself and her home from an unidentified and suspicious person outside.

Because this was a PR battle the Fort Worth police could not win, the chief has taken the position that Ms. Jefferson was within her rights, and Dean has been charged with murder.

This case, however, is an “outlier” even though there is no certainty that Dean will be convicted and punished for his crime.

It is impossible to have faith in the ability of law enforcement at any level to mete out justice fairly when we are constantly bombarded with news of police misconduct. When we learn of innocent citizens being gunned down in their homes by police officers in Texas, or of a Virginia law enforcement officer who was also a recruiter for a white nationalist group, or that a Pennsylvania policeman arrested two Black men and charged them with loitering in their own front yard, there is no rationalizing this behavior. Constantly faced with these types of events, we must acknowledge that there is still something

very wrong with this country.

While white people worry about being killed by home-grown terrorists, people of color must also worry about being killed by the police.

People of color are being gunned down in the streets and in their homes by law enforcement officers who do not value our lives. And this will continue until we address the root cause of this problem.

Murderous police officers are on our streets because too many police chiefs do not care enough to properly vet them before they are hired or properly supervise them once they are on the job. We have incompetent police chiefs because too many politicians who hire them do not care enough to ensure that they carry out their jobs properly.

The way to be rid of these killer cops is to remove incompetent and uncaring chiefs.

And the way to be rid of those chiefs is by removing from office the politicians who hire and support them.

People of color will never be able to live a life in America free from fear of being killed indiscriminately by police until we find people committed to making us safe, support their political campaigns, vote them into office and support them while they are in office. By doing this, we maximize our ability to vote out of office those people whose policies and decisions result in killer cops murdering us.

We must drive out of office those policymakers whose indifference to the continued murder of people of color results in more of those murders time and again.

It is a step in the right direction that Dean has been charged with murder.

However, that does not restore life to Atatiana Jefferson. Dean should never have been given a badge and a gun, and the police officials who hired him must be held accountable. We cannot make public officials answer for their egregious behavior and poor decisions until we register and vote for the type of politicians who see us as human beings deserving of their respect and who have concern for our welfare.

Putting the right people in office will not be easy. The forces of white supremacy are hard at work to make it more difficult for people of color to participate in free and fair elections. Roadblocks to the ballot box have been thrown up in front of people of color in every state of the former Confederacy and in some states that fought for the Union. But we cannot let these obstacles stop us. We must vote and see to it that our friends, relatives and co-workers vote as well. We must also support our candidates to the best of our abilities, and once they are elected, we must continue to support them, watch their performance and hold them accountable if they make missteps.

We must march to the polling places in great numbers for each election, and stay engaged in the politics of our communities, our states and our nation. It is a matter of life and death.

(Oscar H. Blayton is a former Marine Corps combat pilot and human rights activist who practices law in Virginia.)

Subscribe To The Omaha Star 402-346-4041 opt. 5 • theomahastar.com

Page Ten THE OMAHA STAR

LIFE & STYLE/HEALTH & WELLNESS

Adjust Your Finances As Life Happens A spending plan is a well-thoughtout strategy that turns a budget into a manageable part of everyday life. If you already have a plan, what’s next? Most people understand the importance of sticking to a plan, but as your life changes and you work toward new goals, your spending habits will likely shift as well.

When you don’t account for these changes, it’s easy to fall short of your goals.

Learning to adapt to changes is key to creating a healthy relationship with your finances. Taking control of your money means customizing your plans to your needs, so it’s important to remember to be flexible and open to change.

To make sure your spending plan works, track and adjust your spending on a regular basis. Here’s what that might look like.

Know when to adjust your spending plan 1. Your income changes. This includes both increases and decreases: events like a promotion, a job loss, a raise, or other changes.

2. Your situation changes. This includes moving, getting married, having a child, or having a loved one pass away.

3. Your financial goals change. Maybe you’re ready to start saving for a wedding or a down payment on a house. Or, maybe you want to pay off student loans or credit card debt in the near future.

Adjust expenses in your spending plan Look for opportunities within your expenses to make changes. Here’s how to do so: 1. Re-examine where your money is going. It’s valuable to keep regular tabs on how you are spending money. Keep an eye out for “lifestyle creep” – these are small changes you’ve gradually made, such as going out to eat more, or making slightly more expensive purchases. Perhaps you’ve been promoted at work and want to splurge a little on yourself with new clothes. It’s OK to enjoy your accomplishments, but be sure to think about how this may affect the rest of your spending plan in the longterm. Look for balance: if you want to start spending 10% of your income on clothing or entertainment when you used to spend 5%, then look for ways to cut in other areas.

To make sure your spending plan works, track and adjust your spending on a regular basis.

(Photo: iStockphoto / NNPA)

2. Find opportunities to reduce spending. As you re-evaluate your plan, look for things you continue to pay for but don’t actually use. This might be a subscription or service that doesn’t offer what you need anymore. For example, if you recently got married, you and your spouse may want to consider consolidating your subscriptions to help cut costs. Be sure to review expenses that are coming out of your account automatically that you may have forgotten about.

3. Find opportunities for discounts and deals. Every year or so, take another look at what you’re paying for items like insurance, internet, or other utilities. You could benefit from finding a new service provider or negotiating a lower rate. Perhaps you’ve even shopped at a store enough that you’re eligible for discounts. Being aware of these opportunities can help with your financial goals. Small changes like this can add up and make a big difference when you’re working toward a goal such as saving up for a down payment on a house or paying off student loans debts.

Don’t forget to make adjustments to your plan as you go through these steps.

To be valuable, your spending plan needs to be flexible. By both meeting current financial goals and knowing when it’s time to adjust, you can make sure you’re getting the most out of your resources. © 2019 Wells Fargo Bank, N.A All rights reserved.

Colorist Incidents Lead to Negative Effects on Health, Relationships COLUMBIA, Mo. – As the country continues to grapple with racism, one University of Missouri professor suggests that bias related to skin tone can lead to negative health and relationships for African Americans. Antoinette Landor, assistant professor of human development and family science, and a leading expert on colorism, says discrimination based on skin tone plays a significant role in the lives of African Americans.

“For a long time, colorism has been considered a ‘dirty little secret,’” Landor said. “Our recent research illustrates the need to unmask skin-tone wounds and promote healing for individuals, families and communities that suffer from skin-tone trauma.”

Landor’s study looked at the historical context of skin tone to create the first model for understanding skintone trauma. Through this model, she found that colorist incidents might directly and Landor indirectly lead to negative effects on the health and interpersonal relationships of African Americans. This is due to colorist incidents eliciting traumatic stress reactions.

The model looks at both the historical and contemporary role of colorism and how it impacts African Americans. While colorism has roots in slavery and colonialism, it has carried over into mainstream popular culture as well. Landor points to several examples in popular culture that illustrate colorism such as; casting of fair-skinned Zoe Saldana to portray dark-skinned Nina Simone; and magazines photoshopping pictures of Beyoncé, Kerry Washington and others to make them appear lighter.

Landor points to differing portrayals of Steph Curry and LeBron James in sports media as an example of how bias about skin tone can impact how individuals are discussed. Landor noted that James has often been described in the media as “the villain and a braggart,” while the lighter-skinned Curry was often described as “likable and approachable.”

“When a phenomenon is nameless, individuals might doubt what they are experiencing,” Landor said. “Naming these experiences as skin-tone trauma gives them a voice to speak about their experiences. Understanding skin-tone trauma also will help counselors or health providers develop tools to help heal these wounds.”

Landor offers the following advice to help people heal from skin-tone trauma: • Acknowledge that colorism exists through individual, institutional and cultural encounters and that it occurs across races.

• Have difficult conversations about the implications of colorism.

• Identify and define words that might cause skin-tone trauma and be aware of how those words might affect others.

• Believe others when they are open about trauma implications of colorism they are experiencing.

“Skin-tone trauma: historical and contemporary influences on the health and interpersonal outcomes of African Americans,” was published in Perspectives on Psychological Science, a flagship journal of the Association of Psychological Science. It is one of the top five journals in psychology. Shardé McNeil Smith, assistant professor of African American studies at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, served as co-author for the study.

The Department of Human Development and Family Science is in the MU College of Human Environmental Sciences.

November 1, 2019

Wanda Sykes to Host 28th Annual Bounce Trumpet Awards

ATLANTA – Emmy Award-winning comedian, actress and writer Wanda Sykes will host the 28th Annual Bounce Trumpet Awards, an exciting night of inspiration, history and crowd-rousing performances celebrating African-American achievements and contributions.

For the first time in its history, the Bounce Trumpet Awards will be held in Hollywood, taking place at the Dolby Theatre.

It will tape Dec. 4 and will world premiere nationwide on Bounce on Feb. 23 at 9 p.m. ET for Black History Month.

Bounce, the fastest-growing African-American network on television, exclusively owns, produces and telecasts the event. Visit www.trumpetawards.com for more information.

“Relocating the Bounce Trumpet Awards to Hollywood gives us an opportunity to build upon the show’s enormous entertainment value by tapping into Hollywood’s talent resources,” said Bounce’s Executive Vice President of Original Programming David Hudson. “Wanda Sykes is the perfect person to helm this year’s Trumpets. Not only is she hilarious and brilliant, she has broken many barriers in her career from being the first African-American woman to host the White House Correspondents’ Dinner to conceiving and Wanda Sykes starring in her own prime-time sitcom. She truly personifies the spirit of the Trumpet Awards - an inspirational celebration of Black excellence.”

Sykes has been called “one of the funniest stand-up comics” by her peers and ranks among Entertainment Weekly’s 25 Funniest People in America. Her smart-witted stand-up has sent her career in many different directions. She can be seen in her first Netflix comedy special Wanda Sykes: Not Normal which was nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awards. She also was seen in the Emmy-winning reboot of Norman Lear’s The Jeffersons. She is currently in production for two shows she is producing and writing through her Push It Productions banner.

Hudson will serve as Executive Producer of the 2020 Bounce Trumpet Awards, along with Rikki Hughes, CEO of Magic Lemonade Productions. Hughes is an Emmy and Grammy-winning producer of award shows, comedy specials and independent features. Her credits include four comedy specials with Dave Chappelle for Netflix, HBO’s upcoming comedy special All Def Comedy, The BET 25th Anniversary Special, The BET Comedy Awards and more.

The Bounce Trumpet Awards were conceived to recognize the outstanding accomplishments of African Americans and those who have succeeded against great odds and inspired success in others. Founded in 1992 by American Civil Rights leader Xernona Clayton, The Trumpet Awards were acquired by Bounce in 2016. The list of prestigious honorees includes Muhammad Ali, Beyoncé, Jamie Foxx, Halle Berry, Stevie Wonder, The African-American Women of the United States Congress, Steve Harvey, Martin Luther King, III, Janelle Monáe and Spike Lee. Bounce (@bouncetv) is the first and only multi-platform entertainment network targeting African Americans, with programming seen over-the-air, on cable, on DISH channel 359, over-the-top on Roku, on mobile devices via the Bounce and Brown Sugar apps and on the web via BounceTV. com. Bounce features a programming mix of original series and movies, off-network series, theatrical motion pictures, specials, live sports and events and more. Bounce is part of The E.W. Scripps Co. Rikki Hughes

UNMC College of Nursing to Enhance Nursing Care of Veterans The University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Nursing has received a grant designed to improve the health and well-being of military veterans.

The Health Resources Services Administration three-year grant for $1.36 million, will focus on recruiting more military veterans into the college’s bachelor’s degree in nursing program, provide preadmission, as well as resources to facilitate student success. The grant also will educate nursing students and practicing nurses on the unique health needs of veterans and military members.

The grant, which began July 1, is focused on primary care nursing for chronic disease prevention and management, including mental health and substance use disorders.

“Military veterans and those who continue to serve have unique health care needs. Some of those needs are due to exposures, experiences, and injuries while serving,” said Louise LaFramboise, Ph.D., grant project director and associate professor of

the UNMC College of Nursing.

“They’ve done so much for us. This grant is about making their health a priority and addressing their unique needs.”

“We know there is a special bond, a camaraderie between those who’ve served in the military,” Dr. LaFramboise said. “There’s a belief that veteran nurses caring for veterans may be able to establish a quicker rapport of trust to address not just physical health issues, but mental health issues as well.”

Grant objectives include: • Partner with University of Nebraska campuses to develop early admission programs • Partner with the Veterans Administration of Nebraska and Western Iowa Health Care System to provide clinical opportunities that address issues unique to veterans • Create infrastructure at the college’s campuses in Omaha, Lincoln, Kearney, Scottsbluff and Norfolk to provide veteran nursing students with physical, emotional and environmental resources

to facilitate successful program completion.

• Develop a statewide pool of registered nurses and nursing faculty interested in learning more about caring for veterans through a continuing education program.

• Expose undergraduate nursing students to a revised undergraduate curriculum that includes content about the unique health care needs of veterans in primary care settings.

The college’s early admission program will give student veterans enrolled in undergraduate colleges or universities who meet and maintain requirements a guaranteed spot in the UNMC College of Nursing.

Traditionally, students apply only after completing a majority of the 58 credit hours of required prerequisite course work at an accredited university, college or community college.

Those eligible are military veterans and those currently serving in the military – active, reserve, or National Guard.

Study Shows High Incidence of Brain Injury in Survivors of Domestic Violence More than half the victims of domestic violence suffer from brain injury, according to a recent study conducted for the Brain Injury Alliance-Nebraska in partnership with the University of Nebraska and community organizations. Findings suggest that cognitive functioning is negatively affected by domestic-violence related brain injury, which often goes unidentified.

The Brain Injury Alliance of Nebraska led the twoyear Brain Injury and Domestic Violence: Making the Connection and Improving Care project, which was funded by an $85,000 grant from the Women Investing in Nebraska and the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services Office of Injury Prevention.

In the three-pronged study, researchers trained 900 people who work in or with domestic violence programs to recognize and manage brain injuries, used a modified screening tool to identify women with brain injuries, and then referred those who tested positive to a neuropsychologist for assessment.

The study group included Peggy Reisher, executive director of the Brain Injury Alliance of Nebraska; Shireen Rajaram, Ph.D., University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Public Health; Matthew Garlinghouse, Ph.D., UNMC College of Medicine Department of Neurological Sciences; and Kathy Chiou, Ph.D., Department of Psychology and Kathryn Higgins, Ph.D., Nebraska Athletic Department at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The group worked with the Friendship Home in Lincoln and the Women’s Center for Advancement in Omaha to complete the project.

Of the 171 women screened, the study found that 58% tested positive for brain injuries while 91% indicated that they had been hit in the head or strangled.

Additionally, Dr. Rajaram interviewed 10 women regarding their experience with the screening and the assessment. The women had various reactions when they learned that they might have a brain injury from the trauma of their domestic violence, Dr. Rajaram said.

“Despite being angry, scared and embarrassed, they were thankful that they now had an explanation for some of the cognitive symptoms they were experiencing,” Dr. Rajaram said. “Most of them experienced memory loss and had problems with their concentration. These symptoms disrupted their daily activities, social relationships with family and friends and their overall quality of life.”

The 900 training participants included nurses, lawyers, law enforcement personnel, probation officers, social workers and advocates. They were trained in 20 different sessions that lasted from 60 minutes to six hours, depending on the organization coordinating the training. The two largest sessions were held in partnership with the University of Nebraska at Omaha schools of criminal justice and criminology and social work.

The study found that: • 58% of the 171 women who were screened, tested positive for brain injury.

• Among women who were screened, 91% indicated that they had been hit in the head or strangled; 65% of the women received no medical treatment.

• 31% of women reported that this happened more than six times in their life.

• 64% reported losing consciousness or experienced a period of being dazed and confused.

• 43% believed their cognitive problems were due to the head injury.

• 33% of those screened also completed the neuropsychological assessment which demonstrated notable weaknesses in the areas of verbal memory and clinically significant impairments in the areas of visual reasoning and visual memory.

• The women most commonly experienced symptoms related to brain injury: anxiety, depression, headaches, insomnia, changes in relationships and difficulty concentrating.

The study recommends that an established tool be used for brain injury screenings for all people who experience gender-based violence and a thorough follow-up plan, which includes assessment services and intervention programs, be provided.

EVENTS/CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING THE OMAHA STAR Page Eleven ‘This Is How We Do It’

November 1, 2019

In The Village!

Things to do, people to see, places to go.

Happening Now – The Union for Contemporary Art, 2423 N. 24th St., is hosting “sometimes.we.cannot.be.with. our.bodies” by Vanessa German. The artist says in her own words, “This work is a dimensional reckoning.” The exhibit runs through Nov. 30. For times or more information, phone 402-933-3161 or visit info@u-ca.org Happening Now – The Great Plains Black History Museum, 2221 N. 24th St., hosts the “Will Brown and Lynchings Throughout the Great Plains of America” Exhibit. This Exhibit commemorates the 100th anniversary of the lynching of Will Brown and will map out all Terror Lynchings throughout the Great Plains. The exhibit is on display from 1-5 p.m., Thursday - Saturday through Dec. 31.

Happening Now – Race: Are We So Different? We all know people look different. Throughout history, those differences have been a source of strength, community and personal identity. They have also been the basis for discrimination and oppression. RACE: Are We So Different? gives visitors tools to recognize racial ideas and practices in contemporary American life. The exhibit runs through Jan. 5, 2020 at the Durham Museum. For more info, visit www. durhammuseum.org Nov. 3 – Time to fall back. Daylight saving ends.

Nov. 5 – Matthew Garlinghouse, Ph.D., an assistant professor of neurological sciences at UNO, will discuss the medical science findings surrounding the use of cannabis and CBD at the Omaha Science Café at 7 p.m., at the Slowdown, 729 N. 14th St. Pizza will be provided for the first 50 people. For more info, visit www. unmc.edu/sciencecafe.

Nov. 6 – Salvation Army Turkeyfest applications are being accepted now through 3 p.m. on Nov. 21. To register, phone 402-898-6023 Nov. 8 – The Union for Contemporary Art premieres Tell Martha Not to Moan.

This is a new play by Clinnesha D. Sibley and directed by Kathy Tyree. The Union is located at 2423 N.24th St. Tickets are available on evenbrite.com. For more info, see the article on page 7 of this issue.

Nov. 9 – Soccer International invites male soccer players, age 19 and older, to Union Omaha open tryouts for Omaha’s new professional soccer team.

Tryouts will take place at the Tranquility Soccer Complex, 4006 N. 120th St., from 11:30 a.m. - 6 p.m. For more info, go to tryout@unionomaha.com or eventbrite. com.

Nov. 9 – Join women as they pitch

their entrepreneur businesses in hopes of receiving a financial investment from Bank of the West at the I Be Black Girl Business Pitch. The free event will be held at UNO’s Mammel Hall, 6708 Pine St., from 5-7 p.m. Register on Eventbrite. com. For more info, email ibeblackgirl@ gmail.com.

Nov. 9 – Creighton University at Highlander, 2112 N. 30th St., will host a free Fall Family Festival from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. Come see healthy foods cooking demos, learn conflict resolution techniques, and enjoy fun activities for kids. Register on Eventbrite.com. For more info, phone 402-280-5875 or email highlander@creighton.edu.

Nov. 11 – Veterans Day! Bless a veteran with lunch, dinner or a simple thank-you.

Nov. 12 – First United Methodist Church, 7020 Cass St., will host a Race Relations discussion from 6-8 p.m.

Attendees will eat together and have an open discussion on the book “How to be AntiRacist” by author Ibram Kendi. For more info, phone 402-556-6262.

Nov. 15 – 402 Art Collective, 6051 Maple, will host Family Fun Night from 6-8 p.m. This event is for anyone interested in seeing a variety of artists and musicians perform and also learn from them. There will be food and prizes also. Register on Eventbrite.com. For more info, visit howeryart.com.

Nov. 16 – Midwest Pizza Festival, hosted by Omaha Design Center, 1502 Cuming St., from 1-6 p.m. Enjoy a day full of food and music featuring pizza parlors from all over the Midwest. For more info or tickets go to Eventbrite.com Nov. 16 – Omaha Holiday Expo hosted by Girlfriends Candle Co. from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Come spend this holiday season shopping local Omaha exhibitors featuring holiday decor and crafts at Baxter Arena, 2425 S. 67th St. For more info, go to girlfriendscandleco.com.

Nov. 17 – The Acton Academy Omaha will host Omaha’s Children’s Business Fair at the Omaha Design Center, 1502 Cuming St. This is a powerful opportunity to ignite entrepreneurship in youth. Kids will develop a brand, create a product, and market their product. For more info, email Rachel@actonomaha.org or phone 402-547-8188.

Nov. 23 – A Night of Praise sponsored

by North Omaha Foundation will take place at Joslyn Museum, 2200 Dodge St., from 7-10 p.m. Performers include: The William Singers; Tasha Page-Lockhart; Leandria Johnson and more. For more info, or tickets, phone 402-707-8915 or visit Eventbrite.com.

Honoring Heroes Veterans can enjoy a free lunch and special program as part of a Veterans Day event at the Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum on Nov. 11.

AARP Nebraska is cosponsoring the event, which will feature the posting of the colors and a keynote speaker. Nebraska is home to more than 62,000 veterans age 65 or older.

The program is from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m.; the museum is at 28210 West Park

Highway in Ashland.

Vets and active military members are encouraged to wear their uniforms and will receive free admission and lunch. The admission fee for the public is minimal for children, adults and seniors.

Registration is required. Find more information or register by visiting sacmuseum.org/event/veterans-day or by phoning 402-944-3100.

First Omaha Screening of Sex Trafficking Documentary Nov. 12 Creighton University and Union Pacific’s LEAD organization invite community members to Omaha’s first screening of the documentary Gridshock, at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 12 in the Harper Center auditorium on the Creighton campus.

The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required as seating is limited. Visit https:// omahagridshockscreening. eventbrite.com/ to register.

The documentary, by filmmaker Vanessa McNeal, looks at the hidden and disturbing reality behind the sex trafficking demand in the Midwest. It is focused on the buyers who create the demand for sex trafficking and the culture of impunity that hides and protects them. The screening will be followed by a panel discussion about sex trafficking with local advocacy groups and organizations providing community education and resources for victims.

More information about the event can be found at http://creighton.edu/ gridshock.

Living in the Information Age, one may assume that on a local level our communities would be connected and well informed. Unfortunately, due to an overabundance of information, sometimes important news gets lost in the email and text notification shuffle. North Omaha Area Health (NOAH) Free Clinic has been active for almost two decades, serving the North Omaha community at no cost. While many people in our community have heard of NOAH Free Clinic and its services,

information about why and how they serve may not be clear. On Nov. 12 from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m., NOAH Free Clinic will host “This is how we do it,” an informational community luncheon. The luncheon will be held at 5190 Sprague Plaza. Free lunch will be provided for the first 20 registered guests. To register, email noahclinic@cox. net and put “This is how we do it” in the subject line. You can also phone 402-9330737 for more details or to RSVP.

MCC to Host Veterans Day Celebration on Nov. 11 Metropolitan Community College will host its Veterans Day Celebration on Nov. 11 at 10 a.m. in room 120 of the Industrial Training Center on the College’s South Omaha Campus, 2909 Edward Babe Gomez Ave. The celebration will feature keynote speaker Lt. Col. Michael A. Ingram and a posting of the colors by the Omaha South Color Guard.

Following the program, there will be a reception and tours of the new Veterans Center, part of the South Omaha Campus renovation project. The Veterans Day Celebration is free and open to the public.

About Lt. Col. Ingram Lt. Col. Michael A. Ingram is the commander of the 55th Force Support Squadron at Offutt Air Force Base in Bellevue. He oversees 70 facilities and more than 600 employees. Ingram enlisted in the USAF in 1991 and served nine years as an aerospace physiology technician.

He attended and commissioned through Texas State University ROTC in 2001.

Ingram is married to Sherry Susi, who has also served in the USAF and retired from active duty following 21 years of service as a master sergeant in the medical administration field.

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Page Twelve THE OMAHA STAR

LOCAL NEWS

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November 1, 2019