Washington Informer

The Rev. Lennox Yearwood, president of the Hip Hop Caucus, was one of many speakers and voting rights activist demonstrating in front of the U. S. Supreme Court in D.C., as arguments were heard in the in the Shelby County, Ala., v. Holder voting rights case on Wednesday, Feb. 27./ Photo by Khalid Naji-Allah

Telling Our Story!

What a wonderful surprise to read about James Meredith in one of the Washington Informer's most recent editions. A lot of what people know about civil rights leaders and just average citizens who stood up against racism and injustice is very limited.

The writer, Shantella Sherman did a fabulous job of introducing this icon to many readers and reacquainting him with others who may have forgotten his plight during the civil right era. It's great that Mr. Meredith is still fighting the good fight and looking wonderful at 79. I cannot wait to read Mr. Meredith's new book. I wish him all the best in taking up the cause of our young people. He's a true hero.

Mike Higginbotham

Alexandria, Va.

A Pleasant Surprise!

My family and I recently relocated to the District of Columbia from the Midwest. On several occasions I've had the opportunity to pick up a copy of the Washington Informer at various subway stations and read it on my way to work. I would like to commend the paper and the writers for providing what I find to be insightful news coverage of the community in which we live.

I've read other community newspapers in other regions, but none cover the types of stories and community events quite the same way the Informer does. It's refreshing to read your paper each and every week after being bombarded with all of the horrific news reported by mainstream media. Your paper redirects our attention away from the negative aspects of our community to the positive.

Tony Brown

Washington, D.C.

It's time for some Blacks leaders to end their narrow thinking about the issue of sustainability and the green economy.

Mayor Vincent Gray is not among them. He recently released a forward-thinking plan, which he calls the Sustainable DC Plan (www.sustainable.dc.gov) which includes 32 goals, 31 targets, and 143 specific action items in the areas of the environment, energy, food, nature, transportation, waste and water. In the end, Gray hopes to make the District of Columbia the healthiest, greenest and most livable city in the nation over the next 20 years.

It's a plan that allows the District to catch up with many cities on the west coast that lead the nation on environmental issues, and it puts the District on par with the environmental movement that's sweeping the country.

President Barack Obama talked about a national plan for sustainability in his State of the Union Address. In the next 20 years, he wants to end the wasteful use of energy and create new sources of energy that are cheaper and more environmentally friendly, as well.

But Gray has his critics. Chief among them is Ward 8 Council member Marion Barry who was quoted in a Washington Post article written by Tim Craig as saying, "Black folks are concerned about the environment, but they are also concerned about jobs. Gardens on roofs are fine, but if you are hungry, it's not enough. You might have clean air to breathe, but it doesn't matter if you are also broke."

Mr. Barry's point is well taken, but it's not well thought through. Gray's plan, as does the president's, calls for jobs and job training which is essential to the success of this drastic environmental overhaul. And, while we respect and acknowledge the role Mr. Barry played in filling hundreds of jobs during his tenure as mayor, the jobs he filled no longer exist. The future for job seekers, including "Black folks" will hinge on the creation of a new green economy.

The focus of any sustainable plan should be in neighborhoods like the ones Mr. Barry represents. Poorer neighborhoods are the ones in which environmental and civil rights advocates have identified as sites where environmental racism is predominant. They tend to be the closest to hazardous waste facilities and other "toxic spots" and where children have the greatest exposure to lead – the areas where asthma among children and adults is rampant.

We encourage Mr. Barry to get on board with this new movement and begin to plant seeds in the schools and communities he serves. His constituents deserve a healthy, green and livable community. They also deserve the jobs it will take to build it.

Ward 1 Council member Jim Graham received a reprimand from his colleagues on the D.C. Council last week. As a result, he was stripped of his authority to oversee the issuance of liquor licenses after it was discovered that he had improperly intervened in a D.C. Lottery contract dispute nearly four years ago.

The bomb that dropped on Graham had been hanging over his head for quite some time. District residents had become frustrated by Graham's apparent escape from justice, unlike his counterparts who include former Ward 5 Council member Harry Thomas and At-Large Council member Kwame Brown. Thomas is currently serving 38 months in prison for misusing city funds, and Brown has been sentenced to six months of house arrest for lying on a mortgage application.

Questions about Graham's judgment and involvement in this current debacle, coupled with concerns over another incident involving a payment received by his chief of staff, and whether or not Graham accepted [the money] as a "bribe" continues to circulate throughout the District.

The action the council has taken raises the respect of a collective community frustrated over the lapse in ethical decision making on the part of each council member, and it helps to improve the confidence District residents have for their city leaders.

However, there's reason to celebrate.

Voters have lost faith in their elected officials. Even the willingness by some to police others, comes too late to eliminate the damage done in part by Graham, and others. Without defending himself, Graham essentially said, that he's relieved that it's over but in fact, that's far from the truth. It's not over until voters decide. That day is quickly approaching.

United Way of the National Capital Area (United Way NCA) is awarding 22 grants totaling $185,000 to 22 member organizations serving Prince George's County.

The funds came through designations to the Prince George's County Community Impact Fund in United Way NCA's annual workplace giving campaign. Each of the grants directly addresses United Way NCA's focus areas of education, health and financial stability.

In total, nearly $1.65 million was raised through Community Impact Funds in United Way NCA's eight regions thanks to the support of employees from over 800 workplaces with more than 3,000 locations throughout the Washington region.

Specifically, the Prince George's County grantees are: Adoptions Together, American Red Cross, Arts for the Aging, Ayuda, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the National Capital Area, Campfire, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington, Class Acts Arts, Community Support Systems Inc., End Time Harvest Ministries, Inc., FAME - Foundation for the Advancement of Music & Education, Inc., Family Crisis Center of Prince George's County, Inc., Forestville Pregnancy Center, House of Ruth Maryland, Inc., KEYS for the Homeless Foundation, Inc., Latin American Youth Center, Lt. Joseph Kennedy Institute, Inc., Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area, Neediest Kids, Prince George's Child Resource Center, SHARE Food Network, and St. Ann's Center for Children, Youth, and Families.

The community impact grant awarded to FAME - Foundation for the Advancement of Music and Education will support the Music Technology Program which "provides middle and high school students living and attending school in underserved areas with a comprehensive modern, technology-rich, creativity-based learning environment that they otherwise would not have access to," said A. Toni Lewis, FAME founder and executive director. "Classes are hosted in a university setting – which encourages students to 'see' the possibilities of getting a higher education – and are taught by college professors and professional musicians with state-of-the-art software, equipment and materials found in professional recording studios."

At the end of the program students receive a Certificate in Music Technology which enables them to apply for internships, advance placement in school, and jobs in music studios and stores.

The grant awarded to End Time Harvest Ministries will be used to help fund the Wellness Ambassadors FIT 4 Success program, a health advocacy program where students learn in non-traditional academic ways how to make healthy eating and active living choices for themselves and how to teach their families and others in their community to do the same.

"Thanks to this grant, we can enroll 67 students in our Youth Wellness Leadership Institute," said Rev. Gail Addison, president, End Time Harvest Ministries. "As part of their wellness ambassador training, the students' experiential learning activities include visiting a local urban farm to learn about growing organic foods, learning about local fish and plant life, and working as a team to develop recommendations to improve the health and safety of their community."

Each year, United Way NCA solicits funding proposals from its member nonprofit organizations for specific programs and work in these communities. This year, Prince George's County member organizations submitted 79 proposals totaling $1,543,500. Funding decisions are made by a volunteer, citizen-led task force that works together with area nonprofits, governments, and business leaders to determine where there are gaps in services and where the funds will do the most good.

Mary Dade, President/CEO of Personal Finance Solutions, LLC, served on the Prince George's Community Impact grants selection committee as the team leader for the financial stability focus area.

"This was a great way for me to be involved with health, education and financial stability efforts, as all three are very important to economic development in the county and there is a slice of our population who require services beyond what the government is able to provide," said Dade. "United Way NCA is one funding source that does more than provide funding. I was impressed with the length and breadth of the help provided to the nonprofits including grant writing boot camps and other development and capacity building help."

"The generous contributions from the Prince George's County community, the teamwork of the selection committee volunteers, and the localized, collective power of the Community Impact Fund showcase what Living United is all about," said Bill Hanbury, President and CEO, United Way NCA.

Mary J. Corey, whose personal warmth was matched by a drive that led her to become the first woman in The Baltimore Sun's 176-year history to head its newsroom, died Tuesday of breast cancer.

The Sun's senior vice president and director of content, who was 49, essentially grew up at her hometown paper, joining it as a college intern and rising through its reporting and editing ranks. She led The Sun to regional Newspaper of the Year honors during the past two years and spearheaded new print and digital sections while building on its tradition of investigative journalism.

"Mary was an outstanding colleague and a wonderful person," said Timothy E. Ryan, publisher, president and CEO of The Baltimore Sun. "When I had the opportunity to select her as editor in 2010, I knew she would be an extraordinary leader for our team. Amid an unprecedented information revolution, Mary used her leadership and creativity to position The Sun for the future. She was exceptionally adept at driving the vital work of the newsroom while embracing opportunities for growth in the digital age.

"She was a friend and mentor to many here, and I will miss her both as a colleague and a friend."

(The Baltimore Sun)

See more at: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/obituaries/bs-md-corey-obituary-20130226,0,4878616,full.story#sthash.puXCEr70.dpuf

Under leadership of the Rev. Dr. Frank D. Tucker, First Baptist Church in Northwest hosted a 150th anniversary celebration featuring iconic gospel article Shirley Caesar. The event was held Saturday Feb. 23 at the Lincoln Theatre on historic U Street.

Pastor Shirley Caesar has traveled the world spreading the Word and breaking down barriers for other gospel artists. The 11-time Grammy Award winner has truly exemplified gospel music to the core. She has performed for U.S. presidents and world leaders, yet is also at home pastoring to a thriving church in Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina.

Shirley Caesar started out in the early 1960s singing with the gospel group "The Caravans," before going on to become a solo artist in 1966. During her stellar career, Caesar has released more than 30 solo albums.

After 150 years of holding up the banner of Christ, the congregation at First Baptist Church in Northwest paused to celebrate the great things God has done.

The desire was to make known the struggles and blessings of our amazing "Journey of Faith" that began in 1861, when a group of former slaves from Caroline, Spotsylvania, Louisa and Orange counties, Va., assembled on the government camp grounds at 6th and B Streets in Southwest Washington.

Aided by white ministers from the Freedmen's Bureau, the group held meetings and prayed. A council of white and colored ministers was called to recognize this body of Christians as a church.

As the first organized Baptist church in Southwest, we were named the "First Baptist Church of Southwest Washington" in1863. Throughout the years, the church has grown tremendously in membership and ministries. There have been 13 pastors and three church homes in our history.

In 1958, the First Baptist Church of Southwest moved to its present location at 712 Randolph St. in Northwest.

In addition to the beautiful edifice of worship, the church has acquired four properties and extended their ministries to include a Child Development Center, Senior Center, and Community Health and Outreach Services (Church Association for Community Services, Alcoholic Anonymous meetings, and the AIDS Conversation Center), to name a few.

The church began 2013 with a season of praying and fasting. The year-long celebration will feature concerts, fashions from different periods, gospel proclamations, and reflections on the journey.

They will also publish the history of the fellowship and a pictorial directory of current members and highlight First Baptist's worldwide influence through a foreign mission conference and support service.

DIASPORA CHALLENGE

1. Between 1500 and 1807, how many Black Britons were believed to have lived in England?

a) Between 5,000 – 10,000

b) Between 10,000 – 20,000

c) More than 50,000

2. The Nigerian film industry is the second largest in the world. What is it affectionately known as?

a) Nigerialand

b) Dream Cinema

c) Bollywood

3. In 1948, first generation of migrant workers from the Caribbean traveled to England, and played an integral part in the origins of multi-cultural Britain. What was the name of the steamship upon which they traveled?

a) SS Empire Windrush

b) SS Queen Elizabeth II

c) SS Southampton

4. Haiti's Founding Fathers are made up of four legendary men: Francois Dominique Toussaint Louverture, Henri Christophe, Alexandre Petion and _______________?

a) Michel Jacques

b) Jean Jacques Dessalines

c) Etienne Joseph

5. Under the system of South African apartheid, white landowners moved the Khosian people from their homes into shantytowns and took possession of what percentage of the land?

a) 60 percent

b) 72 percent

c) 87 percent

Answers:

1. 10,000 – 20,000

2. Bollywood

3. SS Empire Windrush

4. Jean Jacques Dessalines

5. 87 percent