VOL. 53, NO. 14 • JANUARY 18 - 24, 2018
We Remain Committed to Making Dr. King’s Dream a Reality
MLK Message of Peace Echoes Five Decades Later in SE’s Annual Parade By Hamil R. Harris WI Contributing Writer Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue in Southeast was filled Monday with politicians, military units, marching bands and people of many races and colors who came out to honor the legacy of the drum major for justice and social equality whose message is needed now more than ever. The 12th annual Martin Luther King Parade and Peace Walk began early Monday, Jan. 15, which the MLK holiday fell on this year. Ward 8 leaders and community activists gathered in a field next to the office of the United Black Fund, where people were reminded of how King gave his life for the prosperity that so many enjoy today.
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ANNAPOLIS — The Maryland Senate voted Friday, Jan. 12 to override Larry Hogan’s veto last year of a bill approving paid sick leave for workers in the state. The 30-17 vote in the Senate chamber, which came a day after the House also voted to override Hogan’s veto, will require employers with 15 or more employees to offer workers five sick days. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures,
Center Section
Black Lives Matter Founder Releases New Book By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer
5 D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser along with more the 150 organizations, bands
and city officials march in Martin Luther King Jr. Peacewalk and Parade on Jan. 15 in Southeast. /Photo by Shevry Lassiter
Md. Senate Approves Sick-Leave Bill, Rejects Hogan Veto By William J. Ford WI Staff Writer @jabariwill
WI MLK Supplement
Maryland became the ninth state in the nation to approve paid sick-leave legislation. Locally, D.C. and Montgomery County also passed sick-leave laws. Delegate Luke Clippinger of Baltimore, who’s credited with spearheading the effort for sick leave, said the law was six years in the making and was a joint effort between lawmakers, employers and nonprofit organizations, among others. “It’s an extraordinary accomplishment. I’m thrilled to have been a part of and thrilled to have helped in some way,” said Clip-
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5 Maryland Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller speaks to reporters Jan. 12 after the Senate voted to override Gov. Larry Hogan’s veto of a paid sick-leave bill. /Photo by William J. Ford
When Patrisse Cullors co-founded Black Lives Matter in 2013, she and those with her promised to work for a world where Black lives were no longer systematically targeted for demise. Led by Cullors, an artist, organizer and performance artist from Los Angeles, the group boldly affirmed the humanity of African Americans and their contributions to society — all while demonstrating a remarkable resilience in the face of deadly oppression. Perhaps unplanned, but certainly timely, is Cullors’ new book, “When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir.” Even prior to its Jan. 16 release date, the memoir is listed on Amazon.com as the No. 1 new release in African-American and Black biographies. “This remarkable book reveals what inspired Patrisse’s visionary and courageous activism and forces us to face the consequence of the choices our nation made when we criminalized a generation,” said Michelle Alexander, a New York Times bestselling author. “This book is a must-read for all of us.” The book arrives on shelves coincidentally just after a 2017 Police Violence Report revealed that Black lives still appear to
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Celebrating 53 Years of Service / Serving More Than 50,000 African American Readers Throughout The Metropolitan Area