prince george's county afro-american newspaper, january 29, 2011
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January 29, 2011 - January 29, 2011, The Afro-American A1
By Hazel Trice Edney
Editor-in-Chie, Trice Edney News Wire
WASHINGTON (TEWire) It was an
evening marked by thunderous applause,
Republicans and Democrats symbolically
sitting together instead of across the aisles, and
a message from the president of the United
States that soared with hope for economic
recovery, health care, education and jobs.
Still, President Obama fell slightly short of
10 points in the view of most Congressional
Black Caucus members and Black leaders
interviewed by the Trice Edney News Wire
after the Tuesday night speech when they were
asked to grade the State of the Union on a
scale of 1-10.
I give it a nine-and-a-half, says CBC
Chairman Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.). He
says the president got an A for giving the
inspiration that was needed as the economy
appears to be generally turning around. But,
Cleaver expressed concern about a void in
Justice Thomas AdmitsInadvertant Error, CommonCause Responds: Implausible
By George Barnette
AFRO Staf Writer
The murders in Prince Georges County
highlight another striking issue within the
county - the divide between inner and outer
beltway communities.
All 15 murders so far this year were inside
the beltway, proving that while wealth and
pride reign in communities like Bowie, Upper
Marlboro and Mitchellville, there are still
communities where residents dont enjoy that
level of comfort.
Being realistic, you have more activities
in areas that border Washington, D.C., said
Earle Gumbs, Hillcrest/Marlow Heights
Civic Association president. We do border
Washington, D.C. just like Seat Pleasant and
some of those other places so you have more
people committing crimes and some of those
other things.
While Gumbs didnt attribute the statistics
to a disparity in resources between inner
and outer beltway communities, he did say
there was a different mindset when it comes
to people taking ownership of their own
neighborhoods.
I know for a fact that you always put
police where you get the most calls for
service, he said. Sometimes people in the
inner beltway areas may see something going
on, but they wont call. Those in Bowie,
Laurel or some of these other places, as soon
as a drop of a hat happens, they call.
The divide is not just seen in the violence
in the communities, its seen in the shopping
options and schools as well.
Woodmore Towne Center and Bowie Town
Center both lie outside of the beltway and
provide some of the countys best grocer and
retail shopping options.
Then there are schools such as Dr. Henry
Wise High School, Charles H. Flowers,
Eleanor Roosevelt, and Oxon Hill, where
much of the countys elite send their kids
standardized test scores are markedly better
there than at schools like Fairmont Heights,
Central and Potomac - schools in shooting
distance of the District border.
Copyright 2011 by the Afro-American Company
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Volume 119 No. 25
JANUARY 29, 2011 - FEBRUARY 4, 2011
B1
PRINCE GEORGES COUNTY EDITION
Continued on A6
Hear theAFRO on The DailyDrum, Wednesday at 7 p.m.
Continued on A4
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Phil Ade: The NewestFace of HipHop B3
Michelle Obama & WalmartTeam for Health A2
By AFRO Sta
Supreme Court Justice Clarence
Thomas has acknowledged that he
erred in not disclosing his wifes
income on his nancial statements
in the wake of complaints raised by
liberal advocacy group Common
Cause.
In lings dated Jan. 21, Thomas
sent seven similarly-worded letters to
the Federal Committee on Financial
Disclosure asking to amend his
disclosure forms. In the letters,
Thomas said he inadvertently
omitted the information due to
a misunderstanding of the ling
instructions.
However Common Cause, a
watchdog group that monitors
government and industry, is still
crying foul as ofcials question his
explanation.
Justice Thomas sits on the
highest court of the land, is called
upon daily to understand and
interpret the most complicated
legal issues of our day and makes
decisions that affect millions. It
is hard to see how he could have
misunderstood the simple directions
of a federal disclosure form, said
Common Cause President Bob Edgar
in a statement. We nd his excuse is
implausible.
AP Photo
Supreme Court Justice ClarenceThomas has admitted that he
failed to disclose his wife Virginias
income on his nancial statements.
Courtesy Photo/Prince Georges County Council
Council Chair Ingrid Turner is preparedto lead the new county council.
By AFRO Sta
The Prince Georges County
Council is gearing up for its next
legislative session with some
unique challenges ahead. The
Council will have to work througha budget decit, which threatens
to cripple the county, while coping
with a member with muted power.
The Council concluded a
three-day retreat on Jan. 12 in
Cambridge, Md., where they
discussed several key issues and
did teambuilding exercises. The
Council members left the retreat
feeling theyd gained something
positive.
I am condent that the entire
Council left the retreat better
equipped to help foster more
economic growth, create jobs,
and provide efcient services
to our residents, and more
collaboration for the good ofthe County, Council Chair
Ingrid Turner, D.-Dist. 4,
said in a prepared statement.
The retreat was necessary
as with ve new council
members, each from
different backgrounds,
a sense of camaraderie
needed to be built. However,
another reason could be the
Council has to work really
with eight members instead of nine
as they stripped Councilwoman
Leslie Johnson, D.-Dist. 6, of any
committee powers.
After Johnsons arrest in
November in a FBI sting that
targeted her husband, former PrinceGeorges County Executive Jack
Johnson, the Council didnt think it
was appropriate to have her serving
on any committee while being
Prince Georges County CouncilGears up for New Session
Murders in Prince GeorgesHighlight Divide
Photo by Rob Roberts
Prince Georges County Executive Rushern
Baker is working to unite the countythrough improved transportation and
economic development.AP Photo
President Obama, seen here giving the annual State of the Union Address in 2010,struck a tone of unity in Tuesday nights speech.
Black Lawmakers, LeadersRate Obama Near 10
on State of the UnionPresident Gets High Marks on Inspiration, but Poverty,Plight of Black Economics Still a Question
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Wal-Mart, First Lady
Unveil Healthy Food
Campaign
Meeting at a
Southeast Washington,
D.C., community
center THEARC last
week, executives from
Wal-Mart, the nations
largest grocer, and rst
lady Michelle Obama unveiled the powerhouse retailers new
campaign, which aims to provide customers with healthier and
more affordable food choices.
According to Wal-Mart, the initiative will do the following:
1. Reformulate thousands of everyday packaged food items
by 2015 by reducing sodium 25 percent and added sugars 10
percent, and by removing all remaining industrially produced
trans-fats.
2. Make healthier choices more affordable, saving customers
approximately $1 billion per year on fresh fruits and vegetables
through a variety of sourcing, pricing, and transportation and
logistics initiatives that will drive unnecessary costs out of the
supply chain.
3. Develop strong criteria for a simple front-of-package
seal that will help consumers instantly identify truly healthier
food options such as whole grain cereal, whole wheat pasta orunsweetened canned fruit.
4. Provide solutions to address food deserts by building
stores in underserved communities that are in need of fresh and
affordable groceries; and
5. Increasing charitable support for nutrition programs that
help educate consumers about healthier food solutions and
choices.
No family should have to choose between food that
is healthier for them and food they can afford, said Bill
Simon, president and CEO of Wal-Mart U.S., in a prepared
statement. With more than 140 million customer visits each
week, Wal-Mart is uniquely positioned to make a difference
by making food healthier and more affordable to everyone.
We are committed to working with suppliers, government and
non-governmental organizations to provide solutions that help
Americans eat healthier and live a better life.
Former Chicago Ocer Jailed for Torture of 100 Black Men
For years, a growing number of young Black men in
Chicago complained of a White policeman who used various
forms of physical abuse burning, suffocating, shocking to
force crime confessions. That ofcer, former Chicago Police
Department Commander Jon Burge, 63, vehemently denied the
allegations during a civil case involving allegations of torture at
the hands of Chicago police ofcers.
But on Jan. 21, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ)
announced that Burge, who now lives in Florida, was guilty
of abusing at least 100 Black men and he was sentenced to 54
months in prison followed by three years of supervised release
for lying in a deposition.
According to the DOJ, Burge was convicted of two counts of
obstruction of justice and one count of perjury last June. Those
charges came from lies he told during a civil case in 2003, when
Burge denied using, or being aware of other ofcers using,
any type of improper coercion, physical abuse or torture with
suspects in custody at Chicagos Area Two police department.
But evidence showed Burge suffocated multiple victims with
plastic bags, threatened suspects with a gun and shocked them
with electrical equipment.
Burge abused his power and betrayed the public trust by
abusing suspects in his custody, and then by lying under oath to
cover up what he and other ofcers had done, said Thomas E.
Perez, assistant attorney general for the Civil Rights Division, in
a press release. The department will aggressively prosecute any
ofcer who violates the Constitution.
Pregnancy Rate Soars at Memphis High School
The pregnancy
rate among students
at a Memphis highschool has reached
alarming proportions,
as more than 90 girls at
Frayser High School, in
predominantly Black Shelby County, Tenn., have already given
birth this year or are pregnant, according to reports.
One of the girls, mother of a 2-month-old daughter, told
WMC-TV in Memphis that more needs to be done by school
ofcials to teach students about pregnancy prevention.
Tericka Sutton, 16, said she discovered she was having a
baby in her fth month of pregnancy.
Its a shame that all of these girls are pregnant, but its
nothing new, Sutton said. Referring to her own pregnancy she
said that although it just happened, family and friends were
aghast at the revelation.
Asked if there might have been a pact among others to get
pregnant, Sutton told the TV station that it was possible, butthose she knew who got pregnant did so because they thought it
was cute, or conceived by accident.
Frayser High School enrolls 800 students, and the Tennessee
Education Department claims pregnant girls make up 20 percent
of the schools female population.
Alicia Williamson, who graduated from Frayser in 2004,
told WMC-TV that adults are just beginning to catch on to the
problem. When we would come back from summer break,
there would be a thousand people pregnant, she was quoted as
saying. We were like, Whats going on? There were a whole
lot of bellies.
According to the online publication,Black Spin, teens
that give birth are usually unprepared for the challenges of
parenthood and often drop out of school. They also end up
taking low-paying jobs and never complete their education.
Children born to teen moms are also often sicker, poorer and
less educated as a group.
Meanwhile, school ofcials are scrambling to curb the
pregnancy trend by working on a pregnancy prevention
initiative expected to go into effect by the end of January
Wheres the Beef?Law rm sues Taco Bell
for false advertising on
meat products
A Montgomery,
Ala., law rm is suing
popular fast food eatery
Taco Bell, claiming
the company uses
false advertising when
referring to its seasoned
ground beef and seasoned beef on commercials and product
labels.
The law rm Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles
led the suit in California federal court on Jan. 21. In a press
release, the law rm said Taco Bells products do not meet the
U.S. Department of Agricultures (USDA) standards and claims
the majority of the lling is comprised of substances other than
beef.
Instead, Taco Bells labels and other advertisements
should say taco meat lling, according to the law rm. Our
government, through the USDA and FDA, provides denitions,
standards and labeling guidelines for ground beef. What Taco
Bell is representing on their restaurant menu as ground beef
does not meet any of those denitions, standards and labeling
guidelines, said Beasley Allen attorney Dee Miles in a prepared
statement. This product does not qualify to be considered
ground beef and many of the seasoning ingredients are in
fact binders, llers and coloring. These ingredients increase
the overall volume of this product, reducing the actual beef
content per serving. It is against the law in this country to take
someones money for a product that is misrepresented. This
lawsuit seeks to put a stop to that type of conduct and practice.
According to The Associated Press, Taco Bell spokesman
Rob Poetsch said the company denies any wrongdoing and
plans to defend the lawsuit.
AFRO National Briefs
50 years ago they boarded a busand risked their lives for freedom.
today we celebrate their courage.University of Mary Washington
Freedom Rides 50th Anniversary Celebration
Fbay 7, 2011
Freedom Rides Celebration Kickoff,featuring James Farmer and the FreedomRides exhibit unveiling
James Farmer Visiting Professor Lecture:Eric Etheridge, author ofBreach of
Peace, Portraits of the 1961 MississippiFreedom Riders
Mach 30, 2011
Freedom Riderslm event in cooperationwith PBS
Mach 30-31, 2011
James Farmer Visiting Professor Lectures:Andy Lewis, author ofThe Shadows ofYouth: The Remarkable Journey of theCivil Rights Generation
Mach 31, 2011
Chappell Great Lives Lecture Series:Raymond Arsenault, author ofFreedom
Riders: 1961 and the Struggle forRacial Justice
May 7, 2011
UMW Commencement Speaker:Former Freedom Rider and GeorgiaCongressman John Lewis
May 8, 2011
The Bus Stops Here: PBS 2011 StudentFreedom Ride event
All events will be held on the UMW
campus, and are free and open to
the public.
For times and locations of events:
freedomrides.umw.edu
FRRCUR, VRA
James Farmer, architect of the Freedom Rides and a key leader of the civil rights movement,
was a distinguished professor of history and American studies at UMW from 1985-98.
F . . :
Ofcial White House Photo
Courtesy Photo
Courtesy Photo
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January 29, 2011 - February 4, 2011 The Afro-American A3
. . , . .
Identification StatementsBaltimore Afro-American (USPS 040-800) is published weekly by The Afro-AmericanNewspapers, 2519 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218-4602. Subscription Rate:Baltimore - 1 Year - $30.00 (Price includes tax.) Checks for subscriptions should be madepayable to: TheAfro-American Newspaper Company, 2519 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD21218-4602. Periodicals postage paid at Baltimore, MD.
POSTMASTER: Send addresses changes to: TheAfro-American Newspaper Company, 2519N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218-4602.
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POSTMASTER: Send addresses changes to: The Washington Afro-American& Washington Tribune, 2519 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218-4602.
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My banker helped
me plan for 23
new employees.
And one new
freshman.
, . 2011 , . . . , .
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The Afro-American NewspapersBaltimore Ofce Corporate Headquarters
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By George Barnette
AFRO Staf Writer
If Maryland state ofcials have their way, wineries in
Maryland will begin to enjoy some of the same benets asthose in Virginia and other states. Ofcials want to enact
legislation that would make direct wine shipments legal in
Maryland.If you live in [Washington,] D.C., youre able to have a
winery send you a case of wine, said Del. Jolene Ivey, D.-Dist.47. Whether that winery is in California or in Maryland, you
can have the wine shipped to you. If you live in Maryland,
what you end up doing is having a friend in D.C. accept theshipment for you.
The State Comptrollers Ofce released a study last month
highlighting the benets of changing the law. It looked at someof the best practices of direct wine shipping from across the
country and came up with some key ideas on how it should be
done in Maryland:*Establish a Direct Wine Shippers Permit that would be
$100 to receive and $100 to renew;*Limit annual shipments to a dozen 9-liter cases per
consumer;
*Prohibit direct wine shipment on Sundays and*Require common carriers to have an adult signature upon
direct delivery to a consumer.
The Comptrollers Ofce expects direct-to-consumer sales
to be state wineries fastest growing sales channel and it alsoprovided gures to back up its case. The report stated an
average U.S. winery sold $1 million worth of wine directly toconsumers with 66 percent of wineries producing fewer than
4,000 cases annually.Meanwhile, several bills in support of this measure are
moving through the Maryland General Assembly. Ivey has
sponsored a bill that would legalize direct wine shipments inMaryland. She thinks not having this in place is a nuisance
to consumers and puts
Marylands wineries at adisadvantage.
If you live on the Eastern
Shore youre not going todrive to Western Maryland
to get a bottle of wine, Ivey
said. So the local wineriesare suffering and this is
something that we can dosomething about.
There are concerns
about legalizing direct wineshipments such as whether
it would become easier for
underage drinkers to purchasewine over the Internet. The
report cites a study done
by the National Center onAddiction and Substance
Abuse at Columbia University(CASA) on the economic impact of underage drinking on the
alcohol industry. In the study, breakdowns of just how much
money underage drinkers infuse into the industry and at whatexact percentage of underage drinkers contribute are given. The
study states that the number of underage wine consumers is
only 7.7 percent and it is a concern if this legislation is enacted.
Even though wine may be the least likely type of alcoholimbibed by minors, and may not present additional risks if
direct wine shipment became legal, it is clear that any underageaccess to wine is undesirable, the report states.
However, it countered, safeguards would be put in place to
combat that issue.And, other supporters said, the benet to the state is too great
to pass up. It will bring in more revenue for the state, itssomething thats business friendly for consumers and will help
the wineries, Ivey said. Theres no reason right now for
Maryland not to have a vigorous wine industry like Virginia.
State Ofcials: Direct Wine Sales Could Provide Economic BoostThe Maryland
General
Assembly will
be looking at
making direct
wine sales
possible in the
state.
Courtesy Photo
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January 29, 2011 - January 29, 2011, The Afro-American A3
Divide Highlighted
A4 The Afro-American, January 29, 2011 - February 4, 2011
Nordstrom scholarship program aWard WiNNErs
At Nordstrom, we believe helping young people in the pursuit o their academic goals is an exciting investment in our uture. With this in mind,
we are proud to present this years winners o the Nordstrom Scholarship program. These ve remarkable students rom area school districts
have been chosen to receive scholarships based on academic achievements, community service, school involvement and fnancial need.
Each will receive a $10,000 scholarship to a our-year accredited college o their choice. More information for the 2011 school year
is available at nordstrom.com/scholarship.
I still cant believe I won!
this only happenedI defnitely thoughtin movies.
Madhavi Phuyel,Wheaton High School Taylor Collins,
South River High School
Emmanuel Abebrese,Freedom High School
Cassandra Tulloh,Colonial Forge High School ChelseaKraatz,
Watkins MillHighSchool
Nordstrom Scholarship Recipient
The divide is even seen in politics, as many of the most
powerful people in the county have lived in outer-beltwaycommunities. Former Prince Georges County Executive Jack
Johnson and wife Leslie live in Mitchellville, one of the more
afuent neighborhoods in the county. The Johnsons, like otherhigh-ranking ofcials, live in these neighborhoods, which tend
to have better shopping, dining and education options.
However, things are changing, as current County ExecutiveRushern Baker lives in Cheverly, an inner-beltway community,
while his kids attend Suitland High School. Baker spoke of
that divide between ofcials in those communities in relationto ofcials in outer-beltway communities and the need to erase
that gap.I think people are frustrated with the non-inclusion of the
elected ofcials and the inability to work together to get things
done, Baker told theAFRO.The county seems to be putting its money where its mouth
is. Its already made a commitment to upgrade areas around
metro stations such as New Carrollton, Naylor Road, andBranch Avenue. The county may nally be looking to give
inside the beltway communities the same options as outer
communities.
Common Cause pointed out to the
Judicial Conference of the UnitedStates, the regulator for the judicial
branch of government, that VirginiaThomas earnings while at the Heritage
Foundation, a conservative advocacy
organization, were not reported from
2003 to 2007. During that period,Common Cause indicates that Thomas
earned $686,589, a salary of $120,000or greater each year.
Common Cause indicates that she
left Heritage in 2008; but in 2009Liberty Central, an organization with
strong ties to the Tea Party Movement,which she co-founded, paid Thomas for
services, according to its chief operating
ofcer Sarah Field.Neglecting to disclose this
information would violate theEthics
in Government Act of 1978, whichrequires all federal ofcials, including
Supreme Court justices, to disclose their
spouses income. Thomas indicatednone under the latter category on his
disclosure forms from 2003 to 2009.
Common Cause on Jan. 20 alsorequested the Justice Department
investigate the apparent involvementof both Thomas and Justice Antonin
Scalia in what it calls strategy
sessions hosted by Koch Industries
in January 2010. Koch Industries, oneof the nations largest privately-held
companies owned by the Koch brothers,conservative magnates, is the umbrella
for such companies as Georgia-Pacic.
Koch sent out a description for itsnext program in Palm Springs, Calif.,
entitled Understanding and AddressingThreats to American Free Enterprise
and Prosperity which states:
This action-oriented program bringstogether top experts and leaders to
discuss and offer solutions to counter
the most critical threats to our freesociety. Past meetings have featured
such notable leaders as Supreme Court
Justices Antonin Scalia and ClarenceThomas; Governors Bobby Jindal and
Haley Barbour; commentators John
Stossel, Charles Krauthammer, GlennBeck, and Rush Limbaugh; Senators
Jim DeMint and Tom Coburn; andRepresentatives Paul Ryan, Mike Pence,
and Tom Price.
Common Cause claimed that sitting
justices meeting with the second largestprivate corporation in the U.S. raises
questions about whether the two juristsshould back away from upcoming
cases involving campaign nancing by
corporations.Common Cause is asking the
Judicial Conference to probe thesematters and, if warranted, refer the
issue to the Justice Department for
enforcement under theEthics in
Government Act.
If found guilty, Thomas would
become only the second justice inmodern times to encounter ethics
problems. Liberal Associate Justice
Abe Fortas resigned in 1969 underpressure over nancial and ethics issues.
under investigation.
While Mrs. Johnson is under federal
charges the Council is proceeding withan abundance of caution by taking
the following measures to ensure
the effectiveness of this body and toavoid any appearance of impropriety,
Turner said. Mrs. Johnson will have
no committee assignments; the fullCouncil will take a more active role
in development projects in District 6and throughout all of Prince Georges
County; and she will not ofcially
represent the County Council to anyexternal bodies.
That isnt stopping Johnson from
doing the things she thinks are importantthough. Johnson, who had stayed clear
of the public eye since her arrest, hosted
a District 6 community leaders forum
recently that drew over 100 people
and was attended by county board ofeducation members as well as police and
re ofcials.
This meeting, the rst of many forDistrict 6, offered a great opportunity
to come together around the issues
that impact our quality of life in theCountythe economy and jobs, access
to quality healthcare, and education-to name a few, Johnson said in a
statement. I appreciate the active
participation of District 6 communityleaders who are so willing to collaborate
to determine District 6 priorities and
share valuable information aboutresources and solutions.
Given the cloud over Prince Georges
government, council members have
decided to try to make their process - in
new legislation and meetings - moreopen and honest than ever before.
The council plans to take more of
its meetings on the road so that thecommunity can be more involved in its
government.
Moving some of the Councilcommittee meetings outside Upper
Marlboro and into our communitiessupports opportunities for greater public
participation in the legislative process,
said Councilman Eric Olson, D.-Dist.3,in a statement. The need for making
government more open and accessible to
our citizens becomes even more apparentas we look to build strong, green
community development projects.
Council Gears up for New SessionContinued from A1
Continued from A1
Thomas Admits Inadvertant ErrorContinued from A1
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Opinion
(TEWire) - In the wake
of the State of the Union
Address there is likely to bemuch partisan conversation
about the direction of our
nation. President Obama willaddress the economy and
jobs, and Republicans will
talk about the health of theeconomy, and about cutting
budgets in their rebuttal.Citing growing decits, both
parties are concerned that
spending is out of control.Yet some spending is
absolutely needed to create
jobs, just as $700 billion ofspending was needed to bail out banks. It intrigues me that the
same folk who eagerly bailed banks out have now suddenly
discovered the concept of budget cuts and are pushing them,even as they have added to the decit by insisting on extending
Bush tax cuts.
President Obama has furthered the notion that there is abudget crisis by appointing Erskine Bowles and Alan Simpson
to make suggestions to manage the federal budget decit. TheBowles/Simpson commission would trim about $4 trillion
from the federal budget in the next decade by increasing the
Social Security retirement age, freezing federal pay, levelingPentagon spending, and making other cost-cutting suggestions.
There were 18 people on the National Commission on
Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, and 14 had to approve thesuggestions for them to be accepted. Only 11, however, went
along with some of the draconian plans that were announced,
so the suggestions are only suggestions.It is important to raise questions about the nature of the
decit crisis. Is this a cyclical crisis, connected to the economicdownturn? Is it more structural, something that would have
occurred with our without the downturn? How
should it be managed, and will there be equal pain
around curtailing the decit, or will only one or twosectors pay for the challenges the decit creates?
For example, there has been talk of raising
the social security retirement age for years, andalways we have looked at an across the board age
increase, whether workers are high income or low,
whether they have pensions or not, whether theirwork is physical or not. Its entirely different to
ask a professor to work until 70 than it is to ask awaitress to do so, but these plans increase the social
security retirement age do not seem to take these
things into consideration, thus continuing a classbased economic inequality that also creates racial
inequality. Is this our goal? To widen gaps instead
of narrowing them? Increasing the social securityretirement age indiscriminately will do this.
Similarly, the attack on federal employees is an
attack that has a differential impact by race and gender. Womenand people of color are both more likely to be employed by the
federal government, but also more likely to get more equal pay
in the public sector than in the private sector. United for a FairEconomy released their annual State of the Dream report last
week. Entitled, Austerity for Whom, the report explores theways that so-called budget cutting measures actually hit women
and people of color more severely.
White women earn 82 cents for every $1 White men earn inthe public sector, compared to 71 cents in the private sector. Black
men earn 80 cents to the White male dollar in the public sector, but
a scant 57 cents for every dollar in the private sector. Black womenearn 73 cents to the White male dollar in the public sector, but 56
cents in the private sector. Latino men earn 86 cents to the White
male dollar in the public sector but just 48 cents to the dollar, whileLatina women earn 71 cents to the dollar in the public sector, but
just 46 to the White male dollar in the private sector.The solution may not be to maintain a large public
workforce, but any solution will include an awareness of
these differences and, perhaps, a strong Equal EmploymentOpportunity Commission (EEOC) to enforce anti-
discrimination laws. Who wants to bet that the EEOC will be
another of the budget cutting casualties? In an anti-regulatory
climate, the combination of federal employment cuts, andan indifference to enforcement of anti-discrimination laws is
designed to increase the racial unemployment gap.It makes sense that the decit should rise during an
employment crisis. While we should be careful with our
resources, we should certainly not budget and employmentsignicantly in a recession. The so-called decit crisis could be
a more complex crisis if we dont put people back to work, nomatter what it costs.
Dr. Julianne Malveaux is president of Bennett College
for Women in Greensboro, N.C . Her latest book, Surviving
and Thriving: 365 Facts in Black Economic History can be
ordered at www.lastwordprod.com.
Is There Really a Defcit Crisis?
Freedom has alwaysbeen an expensive thing.
History is a t testimony to
the fact that freedom is rarely
gained without sacrice and
self-denial. Dr. Martin
Luther King Jr.
Last Monday, the nationcelebrated what would have
been the 82nd birthday of the
20th centurys great drummajor for justice Dr. Martin
Luther King Jr. Dr. King
understood that economicjustice was the most crucial
question confronting Black
people, as well as poor and middle class people generally
throughout America. In fact, at his death, he was on the brink oflaunching a nationwide campaign for jobs and income.
As, America enters the second decade of a new millennium,
and the National Urban League begins its second century, our
organization is introducing a new blueprint for achieving thatgoal.
The nation remains mired in a great recession. The National
Urban League has seen the impact of this crisis rst hand. Our
more than 100 local afliates across the country are economicrst-responders in the ongoing effort to help ease the burden of
those most profoundly affected by this recession, serving some
2.1 million citizens in 2010 alone.Over the past two years, much of the work of the Obama
administration and the 111th Congress has been nothing short
of heroic. From theAmerican Recovery and Reinvestment Act,to the passage of theDodd-Frank Consumer Protection Act, the
Affordable Healthcare Act, and the extension of middle classtax relief and unemployment benets, the administration has
taken historic actions to restore Americas economic vitality.
But the persistent nature of the recession has broughtlittle relief to families either out of work or stretching part-
time wages to meet full-time nancial commitments. Record
numbers of Americans were forced into foreclosure in 2010,and many urban families in communities already long beset by
economic stagnation are enduring unemployment rates as high
as 20 percent.
That is why the National Urban League is proposing a new12-point Blueprint for Quality Job Creation. Our plan offers adozen dynamic and imaginative measures to both rescue those
most profoundly affected by the ongoing economic emergency,
while also remedying many of the underlying causes behind therecessions inordinate and seemingly-amplied impact on the
communities we serve:
1. Restore the Summer Youth Jobs Program as a stand-
alone program employing 5 million teens in summer 2011.2. Create 100 urban jobs academies to implement an
expansion of the Urban Youth Empowerment Program.
3. Develop a dynamic national public-private jobs initiativeto create jobs and train urban residents and stimulate economic
growth in the areas of technology and broadband, health care,
manufacturing, transportation and public infrastructure andclean energy.
4. Boost minority participation in information andcommunication technology (ICT) industries.
5. Reform, revise and reauthorize Workforce Investment Act
to prepare and retrain workers for 21st century jobs.6. Create green empowerment zones.
7. Expand small business lending.
8. Initiate tax reform that reduces rates across the board andeliminates tax loopholes.
9. Establish and promote multilateral international trade
policies that expand the market for American goods and services.
10. Enact the Urban Jobs Act(H.R. 5708).11. Expand the hiring of housing counselors nationwide.12. Fund direct job creation in cities and states.
We urge the Congress and the White House to adopt these
measures without delay.
Marc H. Morial is president and CEO of the National
Urban League.
National Urban Leagues 12-Point Blueprint or Job Creation
In the early morninghours of Oct. 15, 2010, Ali
Mohammed was chased
from a U Street bar by anowner and four employees,
allegedly because he threw
a brick through a window a window that had been
punched in 90 minutes before
by someone else. They caughtAli in the middle of a busy
intersection, threw him to theground, and kicked him for
several minutes until he lost
consciousness or until thepolice arrived its not clear
which. It took the ambulance
only ve minutes to reach Howard University HospitalsEmergency Room, but Ali was pronounced dead a mere nine
minutes after arriving there. It was ve days past his 27th
birthday.By all accounts, Ali Ahmed Mohammed was a gentle and
generous man. He was tall, good looking, and had a boyish
playfulness about him. Ali immigrated to the United States
from Ethiopia as a young child and took his rst job, as anursing home assistant, when he was 15 years old. A former co-worker remembers him talking endlessly with the residents and
always nding ways to make them smile. It was not surprising
then that nearly 600 of his friends and neighbors held acandlelight vigil on the street where he was killed to remember
him and to demand justice.
The ofcial investigation into Alis death yielded fewanswers, however, the manner in which it was conducted
speaks volumes about law enforcement in the District of
Columbia. As a starting point for my analysis, I reviewed policereports, 911 logs, Fire & EMS event chronologies, hearing
transcripts, and Alcoholic Beverage Control Board orders.Several questions emerged:
1. What happened inside the bar that night?The almost
identical natures of the two crimes allegedly committed that
night suggest a connection between the two. Both appear to beacts of retaliation by persons who felt powerless instances of
lashing out similar to keying a car or slashing a persons tires.
2. Why did the assailants beat Mohammed so
brutally?Ali Mohammed was no stranger to Ninth Street.
Tall and gregarious, he was known in all the Ethiopian
restaurants and cafes, so it seems unlikely that none of hisassailants recognized him as a local. None of the assailants
have public records of violence and by all accounts were
nice guys. So how could they commit such a brutal act onanother human being? An employee who was in the bar but
not involved in the assault told a Channel 8 reporter that theonly people that hang out [on Ninth Street] are you know,
no offense crackheads, you know, drug addicts, homeless
people. A lot of the time we have to shoo them away. Theypanhandle and such, you know. A videotape of the interview
was introduced as exculpatory evidence by the bars owners at
the liquor board hearing held after the incident. Ninth Street ishome to a dozen Ethiopian restaurants and cafs and the center
of the areas Ethiopian community. If the assailants could not
distinguish them from crackheads, it might explain (butcertainly not excuse) the inhumane nature of the beating they
administered. Did the assailants know their victim?3. Does the medical examiners cause of death
statement tell the whole story or is it necessary to review thefull autopsy report?The Medical Examiners cause of deathstatement suggests that Mohammed died from an underlying
heart ailment, but it makes no mention of the signicant
bruising on the forearms, that the police observed. Anyonewho watches TV knows those were defensive wounds the
kind that would be received by a person on the ground in a fetal
position who was trying to protect his head and face from beingkicked. The autopsy should be independently reviewed.
4. Why did the ABC Board deviate so far from its own
rules?The ABC Board seemed to bend over backwardsto reopen the bar. Despite being statutorily prohibited from
engaging in criminal investigations, it conducted one anywayand then relied upon the results to absolve the bar owner of any
serious offense so it could give him back its license.
The 28 year-old investigator assigned to the case had been
with the Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration foronly two-and-a-half years and, other than holding a masters
degree in forensic psychology, there is no evidence she has
any training or experience related to criminal investigationsnot related to violations of ABC regulations. Perhaps that is
why the rst person she called after hearing of the incident was
to another co-owner of the bar rather than to police ofcials.Most tellingly, perhaps is the fact that although MPD notied
her of the earlier window-punching incident just one hour
after it occurred, she did not nd out about the killing until thefollowing morning.
5. Why arent the witness statements sufcient to
establish probable cause to charge the assailants with
homicide or at least aggravated assault?It is black letter
law that an assailant takes his victim as he nds him. If acriminal assault leads to the victims death, he can be found
guilty of felony murder. Here, however, the assailants have
avoided prosecution, and the bar has been allowed to reopen,simply by them telling the liquor board: Were not going to do
it again, installing a few video cameras and putting the staff
through sensitivity training.
The questions surrounding Ali Mohammeds death could
be answered if the Justice Department (not the U.S. Attorneys
Ofce) were to conduct a bona de investigation. But theycannot answer the most important one: After years of failingto hold public ofcials Black and White accountable for
turning a blind eye when Black men are killed (Sean Bell,
DeOnt Rawlings, Ronny White, Oscar Grant, Trey Joyner, andnow Ali Mohammed) have we, as Black people, come to accept
that the unlawful killing of a Black man by respectable
people is no longer a punishable offense?
Roger Gordon is a third-year law student at Georgetown
and a former member of Human Rights Watchs California
Committee North. He has clerked for the U.S. Attorneys
Ofce for the District of Columbia and the U.S. House of
Representatives Committee on the Judiciary. He was a member
of Chairman Conyerss Braintrust Panel on Racial Proling at
the 2008 CBC Weekend Conference.
The Curious Death o Ali Mohammed
Marc H. Morial
Roger Gordon
Julianne Malveaux
-
8/7/2019 Prince George's County Afro-American Newspaper, January 29, 2011
6/20
A4 The Afro-American, January 29, 2011 - January 29, 2011
specicity on what programs
might be cut in order to make
up for a $400 billion freeze onannual domestic spending that
the president proposed to start
this year and extend for thenext ve years.
This freeze will requirepainful cuts, President
Obama said. Already,weve frozen the salariesof hardworking federal
employees for the next two
years. Ive proposed cuts tothings I care deeply about, like
community action programs.
The secretary of Defense
has also agreed to cut tens ofbillions of dollars in spending
that he and his generalsbelieve our military can do
without.
That one phrase,community action programs
or CAPs, as they are formally
known in cities across thenation, appears to be the
wrench that caused concern
among CBC members,including Cleaver.
Community ActionPrograms, founded in the
mid-1970s, help thousand of
elderly and low income with
basic needs, such as food,
nancial literacy, and job
search assistance.The stuff that he said
about cuts kind of worriesme, said Rep. Keith Ellison
(D-Minn.), who gave the
speech a six-and-a-half, givinghigh marks for Obamas
discussion about increasing
jobs by rebuilding Americasinfrastructure. [CAPS] are
lifeline programs. Those are
not luxury programs. Theseare programs that keep people
subsisting. So what is hetalking about?
The presidents speech, at
the mid-term of his rst four-
year term, was also watched
closely by Black civil rights
leaders.We applaud the
President for his foresight inrecognizing that we need to
prepare our workforce for the
jobs of the future and to beable to compete with the rest
of the world, said National
Urban League President MarcMorial said in a statement.
He said he would continue
to urge Congress to sendour limited resources to
those youth and adults whohave been disproportionately
impacted by the recession
- especially in our urban
communities - by adopting the
NULs proposals on summer
jobs, reforming our workforcedevelopment system, and
enacting the Urban YouthEmpowerment Program.
Rev. Jesse Jackson, whose
Rainbow/PUSH Coalitionhas historically focused on
strengthening the poor, said
in an interview that he wouldgive the speech high marks
for inspiration, but it was
missing a key element, hesaid.
He didnt mention theword poverty and poverty is
growing, said Rev. Jackson.
Still, some CBC members
praised the President for
simply making hard decisions.
I think the president hit ahome run because hes really
talking about the future. If nota 10, maybe a 10 plus, said
Rep. Donna Edwards. This is
about the 21st century.Edwards quickly pointed
out that the President stressed
his willingness to makesacricial cuts but only of
those programs that are not
necessary.But lets make sure that
were not doing it on thebacks of our most vulnerable
citizens, Obama said to
applause.
A6 The Afro-American, January 29, 2011 - February 4, 2011
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By David Saleh Rauf
Capital News Service
ANNAPOLIS Gov. Martin
OMalley is proposing nearly $1
billion in spending cuts, shufinghundreds of millions of dollars from
state funds and slashing aid to local
governments to close the statesnearly $1.4 billion budget shortfall
in his scal 2012 budget unveiled
Friday.OMalley, who has called this his
most challenging budget to balance,stayed true to his pledge to present a
spending plan that does not include
tax hikes, though lawmakers couldtake steps to change that in the
coming months.
Under the proposed budget, stateworkers will avoid furloughs for the
rst time in three years and funding
for K-12 education will remain atat $5.7 billion two bright spots in
an otherwise grim spending planthat makes cuts to almost all state
programs.
This will be the rst word on thebudget, not the last, said OMalley,
a theme hes reiterated over the last
couple of weeks. None of this is
going to be easy.
OMalleys budget includescuts of $264 million in Medicaid
payments to hospitals, $104 millionfrom the state employee retirement
system and $52 million in aid for
local governments. Another $40million in annual savings will come
through buyouts of about 1,000 stateworkers, OMalley said.The budget also proposes
transferring $285 million from state
accounts. That includes diverting
$60 million from the statesTransportation Trust Fund, a move
that could prove to be unpopular withlawmakers.
Transportation projects are
already severely underfunded, saidDel. Heather Mizeur, D-Montgomery
County.
During a budget brieng,OMalley lamented the need to cut
into the states fund that helps pay
for roads, bridges and constructionof transit systems, saying he would
have rather not cut any moneyfrom the fund.
Tough decisions, he said, had
to be made. Were trying to getthrough this recession and keep intact
as much as we can, he said.
Legislative analysts estimated thestates shortfall at $1.6 billion, but
OMalley presented a decit closer
to $1.35 billion. OMalleys budgetwill now go to the General Assembly,
where lawmakers can make cuts butnot add to it.
On the rst day of the budget
its a fools errand to makeprognostications about what will and
wont stand, said Mizeur. There are
nuggets of ideas in here that will help
us close the gap in interesting waysand there are other proposals we
will probably part ways with from alegislative perspective.
Among the discussions
lawmakers are expected to have thissession regarding the budget is one
about raising taxes.
A proposed dime-a-drinkincrease on the states alcohol tax is
being considered again this session.
Lawmakers are also talking aboutraising the states gas tax, and
OMalley appeared receptive duringa radio interview Friday to the idea
of reinstating the states millionaire
tax that expired Dec. 31.We have to keep an open mind
to all things, he said.
Sen. David Brinkley, R-Frederick,said OMalleys budget could leave
some lawmakers wanting to make
changes. He may make somesevere reductions to programs some
legislators feel near and dear aboutwith the expectation that if you want
to restore this funding, raise some
taxes, Brinkley said. Hes leavingany of that up to the legislature.
OMalleys budget proposes a
series of consolidations estimated to
save the state $4 million, includingmerging the Higher Education
Commission with the StateDepartment of Education.
The budget also calls for closing
Brandenburg Center, a state-run,residential center for adults with
disabilities near Cumberland.
OMalley also outlined plansto revamp the states pension and
retirement program by increasing
employee contributions and raisingthe retirement age for new hires. The
plan is estimated to reduce the statesunfunded retiree health liability by
about $7 billion.
OMalley and the AmericanFederation of State, County and
Municipal Employees, the largest
union for state employees, recentlyreached a tentative three-year
contract that includes the guarantee
of no furloughs. The deal isscheduled to be ratied later this
month.But OMalleys plan to revamp
pensions and health benets for state
workers is likely to draw strongunion opposition. Were going to
ght like hell against it, said Patrick
Moran, the unions state director.
OMalley Budget Includes $949 Million in Spending Cuts
Photo by Webster Phillips III
Maryland Gov. Martin OMalleys
proposed budget cuts nearly $1
billion in spending and shuesfunding to address the states
huge budget shortfall.
ObamaContinued from A1
-
8/7/2019 Prince George's County Afro-American Newspaper, January 29, 2011
7/20
By Kyle TaylorSpecial to the AFRO
Although it is currently
in a state of recovery, the
economy has had a drastic
nancial effect in many
areas, especially the real
estate market. Americans
across the country have had
to make minor and major
adjustments to get by,including seniors who have
had to put off settling into
their golden years.
Considered by some asan unnoticed consequence
of the recession, seniors
who would rather sell their
houses so they can move
into smaller lodgings,
retirement communitiesor other assisted-living
housing facilities have
essentially become
prisoners in their own
homes.
It is a mixed issue,
said Rawle Andrews,
senior state director of the
AARP in Maryland. When
we do surveys, peopleoverwhelmingly tell us ifthey have a choice, they
would prefer coming home
at the end of the day to
their homes. Many people,
if they can, will stay at
home. But at some point,
you reach the point where
you cant do it alone.
Either youre going to
move or someone is goingto move you. However,
were certainly anticipating
that this is something that
were going to be lookingvery closely at.
With the economy
expected to improve,
analysts have predicted that
it would eventually lead to
an improvement in home
sales as well. While it is
still very early in the year,
those expectations have
remained guarded amongwould-be buyers and
sellers, including seniors
who have not been able to
sell their homes.Were denitely
hearing that this is a
problem and people are
trying to be creative
solving it, said Lauren
Shaham, vice president ofcommunications for the
American Association of
Homes and Services for the
Aging (AAHSA).
According to Shaham,
some of those creative
solutions include
facilities, which are facing
depopulated waiting lists
and rising vacancy rates,establishing relationshipswith real estate agents to
assist prospective residents
in selling their homes.
Some communities have
deferred their entry and
up-front feesranging
from $100,000 to
$500,000and others have
collaborated with banks to
develop programs to helphomeowners secure loans.
According to AAHSA,
there are currently 39,500
assisted living facilitiesand 1,900 continuing care
retirement communities in
the United States. Close
to 1 million people live
in those residences with
approximately 745,000
living in the retirement
communities.
Shaham noted that
occupancy numbers inretirement communities
and assisted living
communities have gone
up in 2010, which maybe a sign of good things
to come. According to
the National Investment
Center for the Seniors
Housing and Care Industry
(NIC), occupancy rates forindependent and assisted-
living facilities remained
steady during the second
and third quarters of 2010
at 87.7 percent, suggesting
some stability.
Everyday life stressors,
such as trying to sell a
home, are exactly what
seniors seek to avoid bymoving into a retirementhome Shaham explained.
Retirement
communities are much
more of a lifestyle choice
than a health care choice,
Shaham said. They offer
people freedoms from a
lot of the hassles of daily
living. A lot of the people
there decide they dontwant to take care of a
home anymore and like
how the amenities are
consolidated.Before nalizing the
move to a retirement or
assisted-living community,
Shaham suggested seniors
examine the resources they
need in order to make the
change by understanding
the living costs where they
want to live. Once that
conclusion is reached, thencomes the hard part.
To boost the chances of
nding a buyer, the AARP
suggests owners create aclever marketing plan and
hire an experienced agent
who is savvy at pushing
property online. They also
recommend inexpensive
xes to help the housesell such as a new paint
in a neutral color, carpet
cleaning and fresh
landscaping. Paramount
among those, however, is
setting a realistic price and
accepting the reality that
it may be lower than what
youd like. The sooner
this is accepted, the better,Shaham said.
People need to realize
that home values are never
going to be what they were
before, she said. Even if
they dont reach that level,
you can still sell your home
for a prot and still have a
nice nest egg. It might not
be what it was ve years
ago, but it will probably bemore than it was 40 years
ago.
SENIORGUIDEa g u i d e t o s e n i o r l i v i n g f o r t h e a c t i v e a f r i c a n a m e r i c a n
Lasting LoveMaking relationships work for the long haulBy Joi-Marie McKenzieSpecial to the AFRO
After years of marriage, you know exactly how he
likes his coffee. You know that shes more of a night
owl than a morning person. Youve raised kids and now
grandchildren together. You have even endured changesin nances because of retirement. You are together...but
are you happy?
As you mature in age, your love also matures. Long-
lasting relationships require creativity and commitment
in order to remain fresh and fun. While unhappy couplesare often left bitter because of indiscretions or issues that
occurred earlier in the marriage, happier couples know
how to let it go. They also know how to reinvent what
makes their relationship so special. TheAFRO reached
out to younger married couples, who have been married
11 years or less, to uncover a novel perspective and nd
out how these couples keep their union fresh, new and
strong.
And did I
mention shes really
pretty? askedReginald Pickett,
38, when describing
what attracted him to
his wife. Reggie met
his wife Natalie, 33,
while working at the
Washington Postin
2000. Their friendship
evolved one nightwhen the two hung
out with a few
coworkers at Dave
& Busters in White Flint, Md. Chemistrysparked that night...it just started
happening, recalled Reginald. While on
his way home from the outing, he called
his future bride, who just so happened to be
calling him at the same time. The two knew
it wasnt just any coincidence and theytalked all the way home.
After nearly eight years of marriage and
two children, Natalie and Reggie, who pen a relationship
blog called Love Notes by Reggie and Natalie, have
already gured out the secret to keeping their spark.Every now and then you have to make a commitment
to re-court and get to know your mate all over again,
explains Reggie. You
change. What you
thought you wanted
to do 10 years ago is
not the same thing
anymore.
The couple, who
live in Largo, Md.,
enjoy frequent datenights, watching chick
icks and enjoying
each others company
without their children.
Adrienne Watson
Carver, 41, met her
husband Stacey, 40, at
a local gym. The two noticed each other while grooving
in a hip-hop aerobics class. When Stacey approachedAdrienne after class to say, Good work out, she
recognized him. Adrienne, a model and dance coach,
had just seen the comedian onstage opening up for
MoNique at a club in Laurel, Md.
From right then I fell in love because she knew my
jokes, Stacey said when Adrienne replayed some of his
performance. No one had knew my jokes before. ...I
fell in love right there.
The two laughed their way into each others hearts andafter 11 years, the two have gured out what makes their
marriage tick. Doing things together, said Adrienne.
Of course we both have our own interests but were
very supportive. I always say its us against the
world.
Their supportive nature paired with their ability to
accept each other for their strengths and weaknesses has
made a happy home for the Carvers. Stacey stressed that
an important value in their relationship is acceptance.He accepts his wife for who she is and who she isnt.Adrienne is not the come home and Baby, your
dinner is ready type of woman. And I accept that.
Instead of creating an argument, Stacey cooks meals for
their family and tends to the house when he can. Both
Adrienne and Stacey take a shared approach to creating
a home for their three children, which has put less stress
on them individually and less stress on their marriage.
Relationship expert Paul Carrick Brunson met
his wife of 10 years, Jill, while the two attended Old
Dominion University in Virginia. While taking a test in
Winter2011
Continued on B3
Stock Photos
Homebound: Senior Sellers Stuck at Home
Natalie and Reggie Pickett
Courtesy Photo
Stacey and Adrienne Carver
Courtesy Photo
AFRO Illustration/V. Johnson
Younger couples oer advice to their elders
on how to re-ignite the relationship ames.
Some seniors would rather give up the burden of their
homes but have not been able to do so due to a laggingreal estate market.
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8/7/2019 Prince George's County Afro-American Newspaper, January 29, 2011
8/20
B2 SENIORGUIDE The Afro-American, Winter2011
7175137
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By Jessica HarperSpecial to the AFRO
A 2009 study conducted by the Centers for Disease
Control (CDC) revealed that Black teens and young
adults are more prone to violence than their White
counterparts. Despite that alarming fact, mentoring and
counseling groups like the District-based Evolutionary
Elders (EE) continue to inspire African-American youth
to excel personally and professionally.
Co-founder and author, Eugene Williams Sr., said the
organization ghts the odds by maintaining a positive
outlook about the future of Black youth.We dont want
to be bothered with defeatist attitudes, Williams, 68,
said. Our goal is to work with mentors, counselors and
organizations who have not given up on our children.
Evolutionary Elders seeks to heal social ills that plague
African-American young men and women by bridging
generational gaps. Members close these gaps by using
education and positive reinforcement to reach Black
youth.
We came together to forge this conceptsoon-
to-become-movementbecause we were really upset
at some of the things we saw in families and also in
schools, William said.The Clinton, Md., resident established Evolutionary
Elders in spring 2010 with his long-time friend Wetzel
Witten, a 67-year-old community organizer from
Washington, D.C.
The two men bring together men and women that were
born in the 1930s and 1940s, grew up in the 1950s and
became social revolutionaries in the 1960s, to mentor and
counsel young people and their families. These elders
forfeit vacations in Miami to liberate and elevate the
thinking and actions of Black youth.
We are an African people, and Negritude represents
our attitude, Witten said. Therefore, we will never be
senior citizens because senior citizens retire; Evolutionary
Elders inspire.
Members inspire by venturing into schools, recreation
centers and churches across the D.C. metro area with atwo-pronged mission: to work with parents, guardians
and educators to improve education (academics and
athletics) and to teach Black youth about their history and
respect for their elders.
Whether anybody accepts it or not, our schools and
families are in crisis and our children are caught up in
this, Williams said. As we see it, if something is not
done soon, we will see our schools dissolve and become
worse off than they are now.
Now 10 members strong, the groups counselors
include an eclectic mix of doctoral degree holders and
activists; mathematicians and wordsmiths; athletes and
musicians--each of whom share their knowledge with
young mentees.
Mary H. Johnson, a member of Evolutionary Elders,
said psychological counseling warrants as much attention
as academic tutoring.
The highest compliment I have received since I
began working with EE came from a student who was
asked, Why do you go to the math center so often? Do
you know what he said in response to that? Because Dr.
Johnson makes me fee l like Im somebody, Johnson
said.
Johnson holds a doctorate in mathematics education
from University of Maryland-College Park and is married
to Williams. The two founded Academic Resources
Unlimited (ARU) in 2008. ARU is a non-prot that
provides tutorial and communication services to high
school students and educators.
Johnson said because many of the organizationsmentees receive little encouragement at home, it is
incumbent on the mentors to remind them of their worth.
Our children ght so hard to feel accepted, Johnson
said. Sometimes all it takes is for them to meet someone
who says, You can do it!
Ed Brown, c reator of YouTubes social commentary
program The Ed Brown Show, echoed Johnsons
sentiment.
Environment affects development, Brown said.
Some of these kids have no one who cares whether or
not they succeed.
Browns program covers topics ranging from politics
to education, and featured guests include university
presidents and local lawmakers. He said the elders
experience is their greatest asset. A child might pay
more attention to someone who is much older, Brownsaid. An elder brings knowledge that other people dont
have. So when an elder says, Study hard, they listen.
Williams and Witten said several students have
changed their behavior since coming under their tutelage.
We mentored a 15-year-old boy, a very smart kid,
who sold drugs. He told me, I never thought about the
consequences. So, I decided to give him a job designing
our books, Williams said. Now, he tells me hes staying
out of trouble. On top of that, the work he produces for us
is outstanding.
Evolutionary Elders collaborates with non-prot
group Wise Educators.com and the Success and Learning
Math Center in Upper Marlboro, Md., to provide quality
tutoring and counseling services to their mentees.
We dont want volunteers looking to benet from the
name, Evolutionary Elders. They must have a history of
doing good things and want to continue to do that work,
Williams said.
Elders interested in mentoring or counseling for
Evolutionary Elders should contact Eugene Williams Sr.
at (301) 768-8316 or [email protected], or
Wetzel Witten at [email protected].
Bridging Generation Gaps to Inspire African-American Youth
Courtesy Photo
Eugene Wiliams Sr. has started a senior mentoring
program to inspire and guide African-American youth.
Our goal is to work with mentors,counselors and organizations who have
not given up on our children.
-
8/7/2019 Prince George's County Afro-American Newspaper, January 29, 2011
9/20
complicated.
The other two
guides support the
process of changing
your life. These
give details on small
changes that make a
difference and waysto track what you do
and how you feel. These
tools keep you conscious of
the process and motivated
by the accomplished
milestones.
Equally emphasized by
the program is getting your
body moving. Body Gospel
comes with a piece of
resistance equipment
called the Body
Gospel Band.
Its easy to
assemble
and is used in some of the
workouts.
The three disks
of workouts each
have a focus area:
strength, power
and core. There are
multiple 30-minute
workouts on
each disk. The
fourth disk is
an audio that can be played
while walking and running,
to help you keep a steady
pace and stay motivated.
The workouts
are sound and as
with any program,
will work if you
work them. The
music was good
and there was
always someonedemonstrating the
low-impact version
on an exercise (in
case your
knees are
not up to
the pounding
of high impact moves).
The workouts include
some kind of commercial
for Shakeology the
antioxidant, vitamin,
probiotic shake connected
to the program. While the
commercials are annoying,
the shake is awful. After
several tries, mixing it
different ways with
juices and plain water not
even half a glass could be
consumed. Others tried the
various concoctions with
even less success. No onecould stomach enough
of this to make a
difference.
Over all, Body Gospel
is a good program, ideal
for someone who wants a
workout that acknowledges
the inuence of faith
on moving towards a
better life. But for the
best experience, stick
to the workouts and the
motivational/nutritional
guides and avoid
Shakeology.
Winter2011,The Afro-American SENIORGUIDE B3
By Talibah
Chikwendu
AFRO Executive Editor
Proper
nutrition,
exercise and
healthyliving are
important for
longevity and
a productive
life. Everyday people
are looking for new
ways to incorporate
these into their lives,
in meaningful and
sustainable ways. This has
made the exercise/tness
and nutrition industries big
businesses, with people of
all ages, ethnic groups and
income levels spending
into it.
For
many
people,
bringing
worship
into their
everyday
activities
is also
important.
So it
comes
as no surprise that faith
and tness are being
connected. Nor is it a bad
match. Is it really possible
for our physical being toreach its potential without
involving our spiritual
being? The creation of
Body Gospel seems to
indicate the answer is no.
Body Gospel is
an exercise/
nutrition program
surrounded
by Christian
principles and
religious music.
It combines
a variety ofexercises and
workouts
with
important
tools to
help
users
keep
on track,
motivated and
moving forward
toward their
weight loss and
tness goals.
Donna
Richardson
Joyner is at the
center of this
program, leading
the exercises and
reminding users
to put God rst in
their life because
that orientation
will make
improving their
health possible.
Out of the box, the most
useful of the tools are the
Nutrition Guide, the Total
Transformation Guide andthe Basic 10 Fitness Cards.
The nutrition guide has
simple, nutritious recipes
and details about managing
calories in a way that
makes losing weight less
Courtesy images
Body Gospel, the
newest tnessoering from
Donna Richardson
Joyner, is the onlytness program on the
market, according the
marketing materials,that combines tness
with faith.
Body Gospel: Mixing Fitness with Faith
Continued from B1Lasting Love
class, Paul began to notice
the girl with the highest
score in the class. Still, he
remembers his future wife
piqued his interest with her
smile.
Typically, if a male is
interested in having a long
term relationship, they are
gravitated toward the face,
the eyes or the smile, Paul
explained. It was funny
because Jill had braces at the time but her smile was still
on it.And although it was the smile that got his attention, it
was her curves that kept it. Im not going to deny that
at all, he adds. Brunson, along with other relationship
experts, stress the need for older couples to maintain
romance and intimacy throughout their marriage.
According to Brunson, men who are in long-lasting
relationships have an improved sex life. And in an
established marriage, its not only important to make
sure your partners sexual desires are met, but its also
important to create intimacy. Giggling, holding hands
and being physically close are ways to recreate that
spark. When its cold at night, its great to be able to
snuggle up and spoon somebody, Brunson adds.
Each married couple, the Picketts, the Carvers and the
Brunsons can remind older couples of whats important.
While the Picketts encourage couple to recreate their
relationship to keep it fresh, the Carvers stress that doing
activities together will keep a relationship strong. And
matchmaker and relationship expert Brunson pushes
intimacy, even in your golden years, to light the re in
your partnership.Ultimately, however, you know the nuances of your
relationship, so trust your instinct to know whats right
for you and your spouse. Regardless, dont be afraid
to try something new. You never know, a new hobby,
a change of scenery or a break from the grandchildren
may be the thing to kick you out of your marital plateau
and make you feel like young lovers again.
Paul and Jill Brunson
Courtesy Photo
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B4 SENIORGUIDE The Afro-American, Winter2011
More than 10,000 baby
boomers will turn 65 each day
during the next two decades,says AARP, the nations
leading organization on
elder issues. The generationthat grew up with changes
in social mores, music, and
more now faces a particularlychallenging time to leave the
workplace.
But whats a person todo with the rest of their
lives, if they were born
between the years of 1946and 1964? Especially when
current economic trends and
measures are more down thanup, who can really afford to
retire?Kiss goodbye the days
of secure pensions and gold
watches for decades ofservice. According to the
Employee Benet Research
Institute, only 15 percentof the workforce today has
a traditional pension plan.
Instead, 401(k)s in theprivate sector and 403(b)s
in public and not-for-prot
organizations are the likelyalternative plans. These
benets are tied to stockmarket performance. When
the market performs well,
benets boom; but conversely,benets diminish when the
market performs poorly.
Also gone are the dayswhen owning a house meant
sure-re wealth building.
Eleven million Americansnow owe more than their
home is worth. Boomers
hoping to downsize to smallerspaces may nd that while
unemployment hovers near10 percent, prospective
homebuyers may be waiting
for the job market to improvebefore making such a large
and long-term investment.
When disposable funds
are fewer than in workplaceyears, older consumers can
be particularly at-risk to incur
debts that tarnish the goldenyears. Or as the O-Jays sang,
its that almighty dollar thatcan change you especially
when theres not enough to
provide for yourself or yourfamily.
For example, long-time
homeowners with title to theirhomes or nearing the end of
mortgage payments might be
lured into a reverse mortgage.
As a loan against market
value, reverse mortgages can
be a transaction that enablesborrowers to turn that value
into ready cash without
selling the property.However, before signing
on the dotted line for a reversemortgage, borrowers should
clearly understand that they
are signing an end of life loan.Full repayment is required
when either the borrower
passes away or no longer livesin the residence for more than
a year. Any absence due to
year-long extended healthcare, such as rehab or assisted
living facilities will make theloan due.
Overdraft, another debt
trap, may offer a convenientway to pay for purchases;
but if there is no cushion
in the account or consumercheckbooks arent accurately
balanced, overdraft fees that
average $34 per transactioncan quickly siphon off
disposable income. Even
worse, consumers onlylearn of the charges after the
statement arrives. Rather thanincur the risk of overdraft
fees that each year strip $23.7
billion from checking accountholders, it is better to decline
overdraft than to accept it.
Unauthorized overdraftsstrip fees from Americans
55 and older at the level of
$4.5 billion per year. Nearly$1 billion of that comes
from people who are heavilydependent on Social Security
income.
Even worse than overdraftfees are payday loans that
promise quick and easy cashwithout credit checks. Inrecent months, many payday
lenders began accepting
unemployment checks ordisability benets as income.
Yet what the marketing andadvertising do not share is how
only a very small percentage
of payday borrowers areactually able to retire their
short-term loan in two weeks.
The vast majority of paydayborrowers 12 million each
year become trapped into
a turnstile of repeat loansand high-cost fees that
result in more money being
paid for interest and feesthan the amount borrowed.
Meanwhile, payday lendersreap $5 billion annually.
The sobering reality for
everyone is that there willalways be lenders that would
like to take away some of
your hard-earned incomeand savings, just as nancial
advisors have an array of
recommended strategies forpreparing for retirement in a
post-recession era.But, it is far wiser for
people regardless of age to
make regular savings a partof your nancial plan. With
every paycheck, start andkeep saving. Emergencies,unexpected expenses,
and vacations, can all be
managed, if dollars are setaside on a consistent basis. If
youre unable to begin savingright now, consider saving
a portion of any tax refund
received this year to offsetthe amount of money you
expect to need over the year.
Ideally, everyone should havea personal nancial cushion
that enables them to maintain
their lifestyles without goinginto debt.
A keen awareness
combined with a sensible andpractical personal strategy
can together chart a path tosustainable nancial growth in
spite of any market downturn.
To paraphrase the words of theOJays, dont let money or
lenders fool you.
Charlene Crowell is
the Center for Responsible
Lendings communications
manager for state policy and
outreach. She can be reached
at: Charlene.crowell@
responsiblelendin