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Black Clergy Propose Improve- 150 Years Since Lincoln ment Plan for Cities Page 9 Changed History Page 16
Vol. 51, No. 10 Dec. 17 - Dec. 23 , 2015
Capture the Moment Celebrates the Holiday! - Page 36
2016 Voter Guide for Black Women Revealed Page 21
Mothers of Slain Children Speak Out Page 32
Jurors Deadlocked in Baltimore Police Trial By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer
“This would be a game changer,” CNN legal analyst Sunny Hostin said. A hung jury may result in a decision to change the venue of the trial, she said, and could affect the cases of the other five officers who have yet to be tried. Earlier, defense attorneys for Porter moved for a mistrial, citing a letter about the case that Baltimore City Public Schools sent to parents a day earlier. The defense argued that the non-sequestered jurors could have received Monday’s letter, in which school district CEO Gregory Thornton addressed the possibility of civil unrest after a verdict is reached and the school system’s preparations for the verdict. The defense also asked that the trial’s venue be changed. The judge rejected the requests.
from where he was arrested. / Photo by Cheriss May, Howard University News Service.
The jury in the trial of Baltimore Police Officer William Porter told the court on Tuesday, Dec. 15, that they were deadlocked. And, after a day in which the defense asked for a mistrial and police from several jurisdictions descended upon Baltimore in preparation for any after verdict unrest, the judge ordered jurors to sleep on their decision for at least one more night. Porter is the first of six police officers to be tried in Freddie Gray’s death from a neck injury sustained while in police custody in April. The jury began deliberating on Monday and had deliberated for nearly 11 hours before coming to an impasse. If the trial ends with a hung jury, prosecutors would have the opportunity to try the case again.
Fighting Back Against Anti-Muslim Rhetoric
‘Probably Feels Good to Be Vincent Gray’
5A Freddie Gray memorial mural, recently completed by several local artists, seen on the side of a house across the street
Politicians, Clergy, Convene at ‘Nation’s Mosque’ for Discussion
By D. Kevin McNeir WI Editor Faith communities have long been associated with helping the less fortunate, contributing to charitable organizations and often serving as the glue that keeps neighborhoods together. But as more places of worship, specifically mosques, face attacks, including the desecration of buildings and bombings, many faith leaders have stepped up their efforts to counter anti-Muslim rhetoric and the unfortunate acts of violence that can often
be linked to those vehement words. In the U.S., the number of attacks against Muslim mosques have reached a level not seen since 9/11. Some believe that more mosques and their members will continue to be targeted as Islamophobia, sparked in part by the recent tragedy in Paris, gains a foothold in places that now include America, Canada and Europe. On Wednesday, Dec. 16, Imam Talib Shareef hosted an interfaith roundtable at Masjid Muhammad, often referred to as “The Nation’s
MUSLIMS Page 8
TRIAL Page 8
Former Mayor’s Campaign Manager Lashes out at Prosecutors By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer
5 Former D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray,
who was under investigation for close to five years, has been cleared of any crimes or conspiracies related to his 2010 mayoral campaign. / Photo courtesy of kojonnamdishow.org
Celebrating 51 Years of Service / Serving More Than 50,000 African American Readers Throughout The Metropolitan Area
If Vincent Gray wants to run for office again, he certainly has the support of thousands of local residents, according to his former campaign manager. “Right now, it’s a huge cloud that has been lifted and he needs to rest and enjoy the holidays before making any decision, but if his name is on the ballot, I’m vot-
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ing for him,” said Chuck Thies, Gray’s former campaign manager. Thies was at the helm of what was shaping up to be a successful re-election campaign for the former D.C. mayor until it was derailed by allegations launched by the U.S. Attorney for District of Columbia. Just three weeks before the primary election in 2014 in which
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Dec. 17 - Dec. 23, 2015
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