Vol. 80 - No. 2

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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

“History has shown us that courage can be contagious and hope can take on a life of its own.” Michelle Obama

Nebraska’s Only Black Owned Newspaper Vol. 80 - No. 2 Omaha, Nebraska

Friday, January 26, 2018

GoFundMe: Thousands Across the Country Participate in #BlackPantherChallenge

Redwood City, Calif. – After raising over $40,000 on GoFundMe to take Harlem children to see “Black Panther” in theaters next month, New York resident Frederick Joseph launched the #BlackPantherChallenge. He called on others to start a GoFundMe in their community to take more kids to watch Black Panther in the theater. In just a few days, the #BlackPantherChallenge has received support from thousands of people across the country including Jemele Hill, Snoop Dogg, Chelsea Clinton, Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Chris Baker, J.J. Abrams, and Katie McGrath. Additionally, The Omaha Star, Nebraska’s largest African American newspaper, started a GoFundMe for kids in Omaha. Thousands of people have donated to a GoFundMe, created a campaign in their community, or shared the #BlackPantherChallenge online. To date, 70 campaigns have raised nearly $75,000, helping thousands of kids see the movie next month. Donations have come in from all 50 states and 15 countries around the world. In response to the #BlackPantherChallenge, GoFundMe created a centralized location to allow anyone to start or donate to a GoFundMe to help more kids watch Black Panther. GoFundMe also donated $100 to 10 campaigns participating in the #BlackPantherChallenge. “All children deserve to believe they can save the world, go on exciting adventures, or accomplish the impossible. I am grateful that all of you have answered the call and are taking action to help more kids watch their heroes on the big screen,” said Frederick Joseph. “Let’s keep pushing forward. If you’re a teacher, buy tickets for your entire classroom. If you’re a coach, take your team. If you’re a community leader, do some organizing and get the kids and parents in your community to the theater.” To donate to the Omaha Star #BlackPantherChallenge, please visit: www.theomahastar.com or our facebook page Omaha Star Inc.

Omaha Native Serves Navy Role in Pentagon

Emilio Carter

Navy Chief Petty Officer Emilio H. Carter, from Omaha, has arrived for a three-year tour of duty as a Chief Security Administrator / Security Manager with Joint Staff, Pentagon, District of Columbia. He was previously serving under Explosive Ordnance Disposal Expeditionary Support Unit (EODESU) One, San Diego Calif. Carter is the son of Mitchell Washington of Omaha, and Darlene Carter of San Antonio, Texas. He graduated in 1999 from Omaha North High School, and earned a bachelor’s degree in 2013 from Wayland Baptist University, Plainview, Texas.

‘If You See It – Hear About It – Report It!’ A campaign to put your voice to use and make a difference in the community gets a boost at 4 p.m. Sunday at Immanuel Community Church, 2761 Lake St. The community is invited to attend this important event with the family of Kyle Leflore, a soldier fatally shot during an apparent robbery while home on leave, and the families of other homicide victims. Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer, City Council President Ben Gray, Commissioners Chris Rodgers and Mary Ann Borgeson and other community leaders are expected to be on hand to launch “If You See It – Hear About It – Report It!” The “If You See It – Hear About It – Report It” campaign relaunches a city-wide effort to raise public awareness of the importance of reporting criminal activity to law enforcement. It was developed by Pastor Bobby Loud, Kyle Leflore’s uncle, and other family

members in response to his killing. “Somebody spoke out and two people were arrested in Kyle’s death,” Pastor Loud said. “But we know many families still wait for their cases to be solved.” While the campaign acknowledges the success of previous efforts to encourage people to come forward and report crime, more is needed, and it’s needed in every corner of the city. Campaign organizers hope to stress that an informed, alert, and engaged community willing to report crime not only plays a critical role in helping solve crime, but also in helping stop crime. People may be less likely to commit a crime if they know they will no longer be protected by silence. During the coming week, the campaign message will be widely distributed from bus benches to billboards and posters in local businesses.

Listen to My Story – Jan. 31 See In the Village for Details

February is Black History Month

75 cents

Symone D. Sanders Appointed Spring 2018 Resident Fellow Cambridge, MA – The Institute of Politics (IOP) at Harvard Kennedy School recently announced the appointment of its Spring Resident Fellows. Native Omahan Symone D. Sanders is one of the six 2018 Spring Fellows. Symone is a strategist and CNN political commentator who rose to prominence during her tenure as the national press secretary for U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign. At 25, she became the youngest presidential press secretary on record and was named to Rolling Stone Magazine’s list of 16 young Americans shaping the 2016 election. Currently she is a strategist for Communications and Political Outreach at Priorities USA. She also serves as principal of the 360 Group LLC where she provides strategic communications guidance to organizations, businesses, individuals, campaigns and candidates and helps clients find sound solutions to tough political and social problems. A communicator with a passion for juvenile justice, Sanders is the former chair of the Coalition of Juvenile Justice

Emerging Leaders Committee and former member of the Federal Advisory Committee on Juvenile Justice, where she worked to raise the profile of young voices in the fight for juvenile justice reform and bring millennial perspectives to policy conversations. She has been featured on multiple news networks and profiled in national newspapers and magazines. For more than half a century, Fellows participating in the semester-long program have shared views on civic engagement, and their knowledge and experience on a range of topics. Spring Fellows will lead discussions on U.S. trade policy, racial equality, policing, and local governance, the impact of technology on politics, social activism, the development of public policy from conservative and progressive frameworks, and the future of the two-party system. The Resident Fellows program is central to the IOP’s commitment to inspire student engagement in public life and to increase interaction between academic and political communities. Over the course of

Symone Sanders

the semester, Fellows regularly interact with students, develop and lead weekly study groups, collaborate with other IOP programs, and participate in the intellectual and social life of the Harvard community. “We are very excited for the contributions that this diverse and inspiring class of Fellows will make to students at the IOP and Harvard. Not only will they engage the campus in the most relevant political conversations of today, but they will also provide invaluable guidance and mentorship to students,” said Fellows program student co-chairs Abby Bloomfield, ‘20 and Shreeya Panigrahi, ‘19.

Norfolk Takes ‘Baby Steps’ at MLK Breakfast By Mike Buhler mbuhler@norfolkdailynews.com Fifty years after the death of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Norfolkans continue to make progress toward seeing his dream of an America where people are not judged “by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” That was a major theme of the city’s inaugural Martin Luther King Jr. Day breakfast at Northeast Community College. About 100 people attended the breakfast at the college’s Lifelong Learning Center, which featured speeches by Norfolk Mayor Josh Moenning, Northeast president Dr. Michael Chipps and Vickie Young, the keynote speaker and president of the Omaha branch of the NAACP. “It was a day that we could all come together and celebrate and honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and talk about how we build a stronger community – one that encourages engagement and enhances diversity and inclusion effort,” Moenning said. “It’s a new beginning and this is a great start.” Three and a half years after Norfolk gained notoriety for a Fourth of July parade float depicting an outhouse as the “Obama Presidential Library,” Monday’s breakfast represents a major step forward on race relations in Northeast Nebraska – which Young acknowledged in her speech. “We do have a long way to go – but at the same time, we’ve come a long way,” Young said. “It takes baby steps, and those baby steps may come over a period of a couple of days to a couple of years. I was here in 2014 when things were not as great for the city of Norfolk or for the state of Nebraska – but those who have an interest and/or a desire for the greater good, we came together and said that we would work together to improve the situation. “To have an event such as the Martin Luther King breakfast honoring Dr. King – and what he stood for on his birthday – to be able to do that, it palpitates my heart. It makes me proud to be affiliated with people who have that desire.” While Young said she is pleased that the city and the nation have made strides on racial issues over the past 50 years, she believes that the work is not completed yet. “We have to be intentional if we want to eliminate

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Vickie R. Young Norfolk Daily News/Jake Wragge

racism, if we want to shine a light on discrimination and police brutality – we have to be intentional,” Young said. “We have to work together to make that happen and not be afraid.” Young encouraged those in attendance – the majority of whom were white – to do more for race relations than having “one black friend” or “one Latino friend.” “We have to do a better job of establishing race relations here,” Young said. “Not just at this college, not just in this city, but in the state of Nebraska.” Dr. Chipps told those in attendance Monday morning that Northeast has a student body consisting of students from 20 countries. He also added that His Excellency Edward Yakob Sawerengera – Malawi’s ambassador to the United States – and Wild Ndipo, the mayor of Malawi’s secondlargest city, have talked of sending their children to college at Northeast. “It is the first step of a long journey, but it’s going to be a good journey,” Chipps said. “The beauty is that people are open to really making change. I think change is not easy in any of our lives – I don’t care who we are – but we really need to be open to it, especially a college. Of all places, it needs to be the place of free thought, of expression and of changing people’s lives.”

Take Time for Yourself – Feb. 10 See In the Village for Details


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Vol. 80 - No. 2 by The Omaha Star - Issuu