75 CENTS
OMAHA STAR
THE
Celebrating 80 Years
1938 2018
Dedicated to the Service of the People that NO Good Cause Shall Lack a Champion and that Evil Shall Not Go Unopposed
- Rainer Maria Rilke
Nebraska’s Only Black Owned Newspaper Vol. 81 - No. 1 Omaha, Nebraska
Friday, January 11, 2019
UNMC/Nebraska Medicine to host Martin Luther King Jr. Event Jan. 21 On Jan. 21, the University of Nebraska Medical Center and Nebraska Medicine will once again honor the life and work of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. with the keynote presentation, “All Life is Inter-related,” by Ben Gray, president of the Omaha City Council. The event, which is free and open to the public, will be held from noon to 1 p.m. in Clarkson Tower, Lower Storz Pavilion. Gray’s presentation is sponsored by UNMC and Nebraska Medicine. Gray was elected to the Omaha City Council in 2009 and was re-elected in 2013 and 2017. He is a council member for District 2, located in the northeast quadrant of Omaha. During his time on the council, Gray has championed a number of social and political issues, which include requiring a more level playing field for small contractors and securing funds to create the “Step Up” summer jobs program. He worked to push a master plan for north Omaha, fought for the civil rights of the LGBTQ+ community, worked with council colleagues to pass legislation in an effort to help those chronically unemployed, and supported and helped create the “Good Neighbor” ordinance that addresses problem liquor establishments. Omaha City Council President Gray also championed the newly formed Land Ben Gray is featured speaker. Bank in an effort to address problem properties and the numerous empty lots across the city, but specifically in his council district. Prior to being elected to the city council, Gray was a photojournalist for the ABC affiliate, KETV Ch. 7. While in television, he produced and hosted the longest running public affairs show in the history of Omaha television, “Kaleidoscope,” which was on the air for 30 years. He has won numerous local, regional and national awards as a journalist, talk show host and photographer. He also has won numerous awards for his ongoing work with “at risk” youth as well as hardcore gang members. Food and beverages are available for the first 150 people. Keyboardist Nate Asad and drummer Billy Foeman Quartey will provide musical accompaniment. Parking for off-campus visitors is available in Lot 63, at 40th and Marcy streets, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. A shuttle will run between Clarkson Tower and Lot 63 from 11 a.m. to noon and again from 1 -2 p.m.
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Cyntoia Brown granted Clemency, has Life Sentence Commuted By NewsOne Staff A Black woman serving life in prison in Tennessee for fatally defending herself as a teenager has had her sentence commuted, according to a new report. Cyntoia Brown, who was 16 years old in 2004 when she shot and killed Johnny Mitchell Allen, 43, in self-defense, was on Monday granted clemency by Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam, the Associated Press reported. The 30-year-old was reportedly expected to be released from prison in August of this year. “Haslam said Monday that he would show mercy to the now 30-year-old,” the AP wrote. “She will remain on parole for 10 years.” The AP continued: “Brown said in a statement that she Cyntoia Brown will do everything to justify Haslam’s faith in her and thanked her family for their support.” It should be noted that Haslam commuted Brown’s sentence and didn’t pardon her, which means she will still have a criminal record. The Tennessean published Brown’s full statement about being granted clemency: “Thank you, Governor Haslam, for your act of mercy in giving me a second chance. I will do everything I can to justify your faith in me. “I want to thank those at the Tennessee Department of Corrections who saw something in me worth salvaging, especially Ms. Connie Seabrooks for allowing me to participate in the Lipscomb LIFE Program. It changed my life. I am also grateful to those at the Tennessee Department of Corrections who will work with me over the next several months to help me in the transition from prison to the free world. “Thank you to Dr. Richard Goode and Dr. Kate Watkins and all of you at Lipscomb University for opening up a whole new world for me. I have one course left to finish my Bachelor’s degree, which I will complete in May 2019.” Brown was arrested in 2004 after she thought Allen was reaching for a gun when he tried to solicit her for sex. Prosecutors argued she wanted to rob him and was not defending herself. After being tried as an adult, Brown was convicted of first-degree murder in 2006. Due in part to outrage on social media and attention from celebrities including Rihanna and Kim Kardashian, Brown’s story went viral. Her case went all the way to the Tennessee Supreme Court, which ruled last month that she couldn’t become eligible for parole until she served at least 50 years in prison. She had already served more than a decade behind bars as of Monday’s ruling. The jubilant reactions from Monday’s decision reverberated across social media and underscored how big of a legal win this was for social justice advocates who have been fighting for Brown’s freedom for years.
California Congresswoman Maxine Waters makes History By Charlene Crowell As 2019 begins, there is also a new Congress with leadership in the House of Representatives that makes history for people of color and women alike. Long-time California Representative Nancy Pelosi returns as Speaker of the House – the first time in 50 years that a Member of Congress has achieved this feat. On a gender note, Speaker Pelosi becomes the most powerful woman on Capitol Hill and the only female in the nation’s history to do so. There’s also another key woman and legislator that is making history. Congresswoman Maxine Waters is now the first Black and the first woman to chair the powerful House Financial Services Committee. Having served on this committee since 1995, and its Ranking Member in the previous Congress, Waters will set the committee’s agenda in key areas affecting the economy, banking, housing, insurance and securities. The House Financial Services Committee oversees the activities and responsibilities for major financial regulators, agencies, and the nation’s central bank, the Federal Reserve. These agencies include but are not limited to the
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation – that insures monies in depository institutions, as well as the Securities and Exchange Commission that is charged with maintaining fair and efficient investment markets. In other words, the fiery and bold Black lawmaker who earned a reputation for challenging Wall Street and major lenders during the housing crisis will now set the direction for a range of financial players, regulators, and institutions. From monetary policy to the production and distribution of currency, and expanding financial access to affordable housing options, a progressive and principled committee chair is running the show. She is also expected to set standards of performance that level the financial playing field and hold lenders accountable when they take advantage of consumers or discriminate in their lending. With the right kind of regulation and committee oversight, the nation may be able to change financial trends that have worsened both racial and gender wealth gaps. For example, a December 2018 report by the Asset Funder’s Network analyzed racial and gender disparities in wealth and found that
Hip-hop dancers wanted. See article on the Events page.
And now we welcome the new year. Full of things that have never been.
Maxine Waters
Black and Latina women have “lost substantial amounts of wealth in the last two decades”. From 2007 to 2016, Black women ages 45-65 had a 74 percent drop in median wealth, compared to that of White women who experienced a 28 percent drop. Further, the Asset Funders Network concluded the median “quasi-liquid” savings for single Black and Latina women aged 45-50 was $0. Earlier in 2017 the Federal Reserve found that nearly 1 in 5 Black families have zero or negative net worth – twice the rate of white families. Additionally the median See Waters continued on page 3
MLK Jr. Celebration Week Events slated at Creighton Creighton University’s annual celebration of the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., will take place Jan. 18-23, featuring performances, recognition, education and food and faith-filled events throughout the week. Freedom & Famine is the theme for the 2019 MLK Jr. Celebration Week, focusing on the mission and hardship, the trials and the triumph that dotted Dr. King’s ministry and life. This year’s celebration begins with Cake and Choir, a beloved tradition often staged at the conclusion of the week, now taking the opening act, Jan. 18 at 11:30 a.m. at the fireplace in the Skutt Student Center. Also Jan. 18, the Creighton School of Law and the Black Law Students Association hosts a panel with city, county and state officials exploring challenges and opportunities faced by African American elected officials. Among those taking part in the panel are the Hon. Chris Rodgers, BA’92, MBA’99, of the Douglas County Commissioners, the Hon. Benjamin Gray of the Omaha City Council, and the Hon. Justin Wayne, BSBA’03, JD’05, of the Nebraska Legislature. The panel will convene between 4:30 and 5:30 p.m. in Room 124 of the Ahmanson Law Center. Sunday, Jan. 20, the Unity Worship Service will begin at 6 p.m. at Salem Baptist Church, 3131 Lake St., sponsored by the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance. The 2019 Martin Luther King Luncheon and Scholarship Ceremony will take place
January is National Mentoring Month. Support young people by becoming a mentor. To learn how, visit MENTORNebraska.org
between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., Monday, Jan. 21, at the Hilton Omaha, 1001 Cass St. Sponsored by the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance for more than 30 years, the luncheon and scholarship ceremony honors local and national civil rights leaders. This year’s keynote address will be delivered by Diane Nash, a veteran of the Freedom Rides and the Selma Voting Rights Campaign. Tickets for the luncheon can be ordered at Eventbrite. Later Jan. 21, Nash will sit down for a conversation with Creighton students, faculty and staff at 3 p.m., in the HixsonLied Auditorium at the Harper Center, 602 N. 20th St., on the Creighton campus. Register for the event at Eventbrite. Tuesday, Jan. 22, a student recognition ceremony will take place in the Ahmanson Ballroom of the Harper Center at 6 p.m. The week rounds out with the Jan. 23 Martin Luther King Jr. Unity Prayer Luncheon from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Ahmanson Ballroom of the Harper Center. The luncheon caps a celebratory week with a reminder of the call to inclusion and fellowship that was central to the message and teachings of Dr. King. The Drum Major Award, given to an individual who serves as an advocate for social justice, will be awarded at the luncheon. This year’s keynote speaker is Bishop Eric L. Butler, founder and pastor of Joy of Life Ministries in Omaha. Register at Eventbrite for the MLK Jr. Luncheon.
See MLK Holiday events throughout this issue.