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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
Nebraska’s Only Black Owned Newspaper Vol. 80 - No. 3 Omaha, Nebraska
“ In recognizing the humanity of our fellow beings, we pay ourselves the highest tribute. ”
Friday, February 9, 2018
~ Thurgood Marshall, first African American U.S. Supreme Court member
February is Black History Month
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100 Black Men of Omaha hold African-American History Challenge The 18th African-American History Challenge (AAHC) was held on Feb. 3 at North High STEM Magnet School. The History Challenge, a collaboration between the 100 Black Men of Omaha and Omaha Public Schools, was sponsored in part by Cox Communications and the University of Nebraska-Omaha. This year’s winners were Beveridge Magnet Middle School in the Junior Division and Creighton Prep High School in the Senior Division. The National competition will be held at the 100 Black Men of America annual conference in Hollywood, Fla., which will take place June 14-17. Alfonzo Davis Middle School and Morton Magnet Middle School earned second and third place in the junior division. South High School and Burke High School earned second and third place in the senior division. This education reading program, designed by the 100 Black Men of America, Inc., is used to enhance the study of African-American history and culture among middle and high school students.
Eric L. Ewing and Edgar Hicks, served as co-chairs; Bill Alexander and Sherman P. Willis served as moderators, all of whom are members of the 100 Black Men of Omaha. Judges for the event were Granville Welch, Vice President and Treasurer of Human Resources, Incorporated and Jennifer Harbour, Ph.D., Assistant Professor Black Studies Department, University of Nebraska-Omaha. Since 2001, the African American History Challenge has provided over $350,000 in awards and prizes to deserving Omaha area middle and high school students. The AAHC is the result of months of intense preparation each year by dedicated 100 Black Men of Omaha members, Omaha Public School staff and students. Today, the 100 Black Men of Omaha is one of over 100 chapters nationally and internationally that make up the 100 Black Men of America Inc., an alliance of leading African-American men representing a myriad of professions. For more information about the 100 Black Men of Omaha, please phone 402-934-7065 or visit www.100blackmenomaha.org.
Winner of the 2018 AAHC Junior Division: First Place – Beveridge Magnet Middle School
Winner of the 2018 AAHC Senior Division: First Place – Creighton Prep High School
Board of Education Names Dr. Cheryl Logan as Next Superintendent of OPS The Omaha Public Schools Board of Education has selected Dr. Cheryl Logan as the next leader of the largest school district in Nebraska. The decision was made during a special board meeting held Jan. 30. Logan comes to OPS from the School District of Philadelphia, in Philadelphia, Pa., where she currently serves as Chief Academic Officer, responsible for the academic achievement of more than 135,000 students. “I am honored to be selected as the next leader of the largest school district in Nebraska and I am committed to promoting and sustaining student achievement, equity and access to educational programming for all students,” said Logan. Logan has spent her career in education working in school districts with large immigrant populations from around the world, including with students from significant English language learner populations. She has previously served in the following roles: Dr. Cheryl Logan • Assistant Superintendent – Philadelphia Public Schools • Elementary Principal – Prince George’s Public Schools and Howard County Public Schools, Maryland • High School Principal – Prince George’s Public Schools, Maryland • Foreign Language Instructor – Prince George’s Public Schools, Maryland • English for Speakers of Other Languages Instructor – Prince George’s Public Schools, Maryland She holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Maryland, a Master of Education Degree from John Hopkins University and a Doctorate of Education Degree from the University of Pennsylvania.
Octavia Spencer Buys Out Theater for Kids to See ‘Black Panther’ By Rebecah Jacobs While Black Panther certainly won’t have any problems selling at the box office, not everyone who wants to see this landmark film can afford to buy their own ticket. Octavia Spencer understands that, and she’s doing her part to make sure some kids who might not be able to see the movie on their own will have a chance. The actress, known for her roles in The Help and Hidden Figures, announced via Instagram last Wednesday that she is planning to buy out a movie theater in Mississippi
Octavia Spencer
View the “Arc of Justice” – Feb. 15 See In the Village for Details
– where she will be watching the film when it premieres Feb. 16 – to offer screenings to those from communities who might not be able to afford tickets. Spencer announced to her fans in an Instagram post that she would be doing the good deed saying, “I will be in MS when this movie opens. I think I will buy out a theater in an underserved community there to ensure that all our brown children can see themselves as a superhero. I will let you know where and when Mississippi. Stay tuned. #KingsAndQueensWillRise.” Octavia is no stranger to helping people in low-income neighborhoods get out to the movie theater. In January of last year, she bought out screenings of her film Hidden Figures in impoverished neighborhoods throughout Los Angeles. Some of her costars including Taraji P. Henson and Jim Parsons followed Spencer’s lead and helped out similarly. The Omaha Star accepted Frederick Joseph’s Facebook challenge to provide an experience for inner city youth to view the movie. A Go Fund Me account was created with a $5,000 goal. Reaching that goal will enable them to provide admission, snacks, movie posters and door prizes for 190 young people from various youth serving organizations, including The Boys & Girls Club of the Midlands, Girls Inc., 100 Black Men, the Delta G.E.M.S., Sacred Heart School, K.N.O.S.E. and Partnership for Kids. The movie event will be held at The Marcus Majestic Cinema on February 17. At press time, the total donated is $4,336. People wanting to help meet the goal, should visit the Omaha Star Facebook page or www. theomahastar.com.
Logan’s full career profile is available at: superintendentsearch.ops.org “This is a historic time in OPS history,” said OPS board President Marque Snow. “Dr. Logan brings a wealth of knowledge and experience, and we look forward to working with her to continue moving the district forward.” Superintendent Search Background: The search was led by the national search firm and OPS Board of Education partner, Ray and Associates. The application for Superintendent closed Jan. 5. Following an extensive review of the qualifications and work experiences of the 74 candidates who applied for the position, the most qualified candidates were thoroughly screened and recommended to the board. The top two finalists were recommended to the Board of Education by Ray and Associates on Jan. 23. Next steps in the process included a public meet and greet session and public interviews by the Board of Education. The Board will immediately enter negotiations with Logan and work to finalize the details of the contract within the next few weeks. The details of the contract will be shared once they are available. The transition period will commence once the contract is finalized. Current Superintendent Mark Evans’ contract runs through June 30, 2018. For additional information regarding the Superintendent Search process, please visit the website at: superintendentsearch.ops.org. Members of the public who have questions about the search are encouraged to send an email to: superintendentsearch@ops.org.
Kenneth Chenault Joins Facebook By Tom Huskerson
American Express CEO Kenneth Chenault has joined Facebook as its first African-American Board member. Chenault spent 16 years as AmEx CEO. Chenault, described by the Wall Street Journal as “one of the country’s most prominent African-American corporate leaders,” is the first nonwhite member of Facebook’s board of Kenneth Chenault directors. This move by Facebook is an effort to address the diversity issues that face Silicon Valley. Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook’s chief operating officer, told the Congressional Black Caucus in October that Facebook would hire a black board member “in the foreseeable future.” Chenault has been a recruiting target for Facebook for years according to Mark Zuckerberg. In a Facebook post Zuckerberg wrote that Chenault “has unique expertise in areas I believe Facebook needs to learn and improve, customer service, direct commerce, and building a trusted brand. Ken also has a strong sense of social mission and the perspective that comes from running an important public company for decades.” Facebook, the world’s largest social network, is fighting to clean up its image when it comes to race. The company has faced withering criticism around its ethnic affinity marketing technology that allowed marketers to exclude minorities from ads related to housing. It is unclear how the Chenault hiring will impact this area.
Saturday, Feb. 10, 2-4 p.m. get FREE tickets to see Marvel’s Black Panther for youth 13-18 Visit our Facebook page or website for details
Jean Bell Soul Food Luncheon – Feb. 23 See In the Village for Details