Baltimore Afro-American Newspaper, February 06, 2010

8/14/2019 Baltimore Afro-American Newspaper, February 06, 2010

1/24

www.afro.comVolume 118 No. 26

FEBRUARY 6, 2010 - FEBRUARY 12, 2010

75 CENTS

Copyright 2010 by the Afro-American Company

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YourHistoryYourCommunity

YourNews

Join theAFROonTwitter and Facebook A6A8

Black Virginia WomanSnags Coveted Crown

Business

A11People Need Jobs

Continued on A4Continued on A5

Continued on A7

Continued on A6

B1

Opinion

Listen to First Edition

Join Host Sean YoesSunday @ 8 p.m. on

88.9 WEAA FM, the Voiceof the Community.

By Dorothy Rowley

AFRO Staf Writer

Regional efforts to curbviolent crime in Washington,

D.C., and Maryland have

been effective and bothjurisdictions have the

numbers to prove it.

Those were the sentimentsexpressed this week in a

meeting led by District of

Columbia Mayor AdrianFenty and Maryland Gov.

Martin OMalley, as the pair

launched into the next phaseof their joint commitment to

ght crime and improve the

quality of life for citizens.

Prior to assuming a

beefed-up approach that

utilizes law enforcementresources around them, police

ofcers for the District,

Maryland and Northern

Virginia often ran into

problems arresting criminals

who would quickly ee across

geographical boundaries to

avoid arrest.Just a few years ago,

the problem had escalated,

prompting Fenty, OMalleyand then-Virginia Gov. Tim

Kaine to come together last

spring, when they agreed to

convene on a regular basisto share information aimed

at crime reduction in three

jurisdictions. The information

included updates on high -riskoffenders, the expedition of

warrants and monitoring themovements of repeat violent

offenders.

Our most solemn

obligation as public servantsis the protection of public

safety for working familiesthroughout our region,

OMalley said in a statement

issued prior to the Feb.1 meeting in Annapolis.

Violent criminals cross

borders, and therefore,

so should our ability andwillingness to enforce

our laws, he said, adding

that these cross-border

partnerships are built oneffective principles that

enhance public safety andstop violent offenders in their

Crime-Fighting PartnershipYields Results

Violent criminals cross borders, andtherefore, so should our ability andwillingness to enforce our laws.

By Melanie R. Holmes

AFRO S ta Writer

Elected ofcials and local leaders

in Baltimore City say they are working

diligently to get the word out about the

April 1 census distribution. They dont wanta reoccurrence of the poor participation

rate that dismissed 12 delegates and a

state senator from Annapolis 10 yearsago. According to the Complete Count

Committee, the city collected the second

least number of surveys throughout the EastCoast in 2000. And, NAACP

president Marvin Cheathamsaid, Baltimore is preparing

to experience dj vu.

Cheatham believes thecity failed in one key area

regarding the previous

censuscommunity outreach and said the same mistake

is currently being repeated.

Facilities for recovering addicts, homelessresidents, immigrants and newly released

prisoners also form a dense population thatis highly underrepresented by the census,

he said. In order to reach those groups,

Cheatham said it is imperative that trustedmembers of those communities encourage

others to complete the census and mail it in.

What you have to do is connect with thecommunityevery barbershop, hair salon,

nail salon, every place that sells chicken,

Photo Courtesy Public Inormation Ofce/Census Bureau

The 2010 census consists o just 10 questions and ocials say answering those

questions can afect the city or decades.

By AFRO Staf

A missing man who won

$30 million in the Floridalottery in 2006 was found

dead on Jan. 28 after a three-

month search.Abraham Shakespeare

had not been seen by friends

or relatives since April andwas ofcially declared a

missing person in November.

Authorities found his bodyburied under a concrete

slab in the backyard of aFlorida home belonging to

the boyfriend of a woman

who befriended him in 2007,according to BBC News.

Police were led to the

Missing Fla. Lottery

Winner Found Dead

Continued on A7

City Prepares for 2010 Census

S.C. Lt. Gov. Faces

Backlash for StrayAnimals CommentBy AFRO Staf

South Carolina Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer (R) has set off a round

of controversy with his comparison of providing government

assistances to individuals in Greenville, S.C., to feeding strayanimals.

According to Columbia, S.C. newspaper The State, Bauers

remarks came during a Jan. 22 town hall meeting whichincluded both lawmakers and residents.

My grandmother was not a highly educated woman, butshe told me as a small child to quit feeding stray animals.

You know why? Because they breed, Bauer said. Youre

facilitating the problem if you give an animal or a person amplefood supply. They will reproduce, especially ones that dont

think too much further than that. And so what youve got to dois youve got to curtail that type of behavior. They dont knowany better.

In his speech, Bauer said the government should take away

BWX CelebratesFirst Year

LeToya Luckett inPreachers Kid B2

By Rev. Dorothy S.

Boulware

Special to the AFRO

Dr. John L. Wrightwas what could be called

a persistent advocate; heseized every opportunity

to make his voice heard.

He even turned hisAFROchurch directory ad into a

personal billboard, decrying

injustice, encouragingprotest, signifying that

which had been determined

to be insignicant.

Dr. John L. Wright

Pastors Voice Rangin the Key of Justice

Continued on A5

By Talibah ChikwenduAFRO Executive Editor

... [F]or such a time asthis.

Those words offered

by the Rev. Bruce Haskinsduring the welcome and

opening prayer at the

swearing in of BaltimoreCitys new mayor, Stephanie

Rawlings-Blake, echoed the

truth of this moment in thehistory of the city. In a quiet,

somber ceremony Feb. 4in the Ceremony Room atCity Hall, Mayor Rawlings-

Blake took the oath of ofce,

administered by Clerk of the

Circuit Court for BaltimoreCity the Hon. Frank M.Conaway.

The intimate setting of

Baltimores new mayor

Rawlings-Blake Sworn In

Stephanie Rawlings-Blake takes the oath o oce administered by the Hon. Frank M.Conaway, clerk o t he Circuit Court or Baltimore City, right, while her husband and daughter,Kent and Sophia, look on and her mother, Nina, holds the Bible. The Rev. Bruce Haskins, arlet, a cousin o the mayor who delivered the ceremonys welcome and prayer, watches aswell.

Character Ed/Black History

INSERT

PhotobyTalibahChikwendu

Rev. Wright was a wellloved minister in the

Baltimore area.

CourtesyPhoto


2/24

A2 The Baltimore Afro-American, February 6, 2010 - February 12, 2010

Black Stars, Films Earn

Top Oscar NodsAfrican-American

celebrities and lms were

ubiquitous at the Feb. 2announcement of this years

Oscar nominations.

Among the top contenderswere the movie Precious,

its cast members, MoNique

and Gabourey Sidibe anddirector Lee Daniels; and The

Princess and the Frog.Sidibe, who starred in her

breakout role as Precious, an

illiterate teenager, is up forbest actress in a category that

includes established actresses

such as Sandra Bullock(The Blind Side) and Meryl

Streep (Julie and Julia.) Also

receiving her rst Oscar nodis Baltimore-born actress

MoNique, whose emotionalrole in Precious landed her

a Golden Globe in 2009 for

Best Supporting Actress. Thelms director, Lee Daniels,

has been nominated for best

director.Joining lms The Secret of

Kells, Coraline and Fantastic

Mr. Fox in the best animatedfeature lm category is

The Princess and the Frog,Disneys rst movie featuring

a Black heroine.

The 82nd AcademyAwards airs March 7, 8 p.m.

EST.

Democrats Not Giving

Up on Health Care

ReformThough their hopes of

achieving health care reform

took a hit with the election

of Republican Scott Brownto the Senate in a special

Massachusetts election in

mid-January, Democrats havevowed to keep ghting until a

reform bill is passed.

You go through thegate. If the gates closed,

you go over the fence,House Speaker Nancy Pelosi

(D-Calif.) told reporters.

If that doesnt work, well

parachute in, but were goingto get health reform passed.

Meanwhile, in his Stateof the Union address on Jan.

27, President Obama said that

passing health care reformwas still a priority and urged

Congress not to walk awayfrom the issue.

By the time Im nished

speaking tonight, more

Americans will have lost theirhealth insurance. Millions

will lose it this year. Our

decit will grow. Premiumswill go up. Patients will be

denied the care they need.Small business owners will

continue to drop coveragealtogether, Obama said inhis address. I will not walk

away from these Americans,

and neither should the peoplein this chamber.

Democrats said that they

must now strategize andapproach health care reform a

different way.

Were going to do healthcare reform this year, Senate

Majority Leader Harry Reid(D-Nev.) told reporters. The

question is, at this stage,

procedurally, how do we getwhere we need to go?

NAACP SupportsPittsburgh Teen in

Police BeatingThe Pittsburgh branch of

the NAACP is calling for thering of city police ofcers

who allegedly beat Black

teenager Jordan Miles during

an arrest. The Pittsburgh

branch is also calling for

charges against Miles to bedropped.

He had robbed no one

no bank, no establishment,hijacked no car or caused

anyone any harm. He wassimply walking while Black,

Pittsburgh NAACP PresidentM. Gayle Moss said.

According to Black news

Web site NewsOne.com,

Miles mother is considering

ling a lawsuit in connection

with the beating, which

occurred Jan. 12.The 18-year-old was

walking to his grandmothers

house around 11 p.m. Ashe walked up the block, he

observed three men sittingin a white car. However, a

police criminal complaint

described Miles as standing

against a building as if hewas trying to avoid being

seen.

As he continued up theblock, the ofcers shouted,

Wheres the money?

Wheres the gun, Wheresthe drugs, according to

Miles. At that point, Milesattempted to run to hismothers house, but slipped on

a patch of ice on the sidewalk.Before he could stand back

up again, Miles said the men

were already on his back.Thats when they started

beating me, punching, kicking

me, choking me, he said.The beating left his face

covered with raw bruises, a

swollen lip and his right eyeswollen shut, and left bald

patches on his head where hesaid the ofcers ripped out

his dreadlocks.

S.C. School DistrictGets Long-Awaited

AssistanceDillon County, S.C., has

some of the worst publiceducation facilities in the

nation, facilities so bad thatthey caught the eye of then-

candidate Barack Obama in

2008. Now, President Obamahas decided to do something

about the horrid state of the

buildings, some of which arenearly 115 years old.

The countys schools will

receive nearly $40 millionin federal stimulus funding

from the U.S. Departmentof Agriculture, including a

$4 million grant and a $35.8

million loan, the departmentannounced Jan. 26.

During his campaign,

Obama visited Dillon twice tohighlight his message that the

federal government should

assist local school districtswith construction costs.

Nearly $25 million of

the funds will go to the re-construction of J.V. Martin

Junior High. The school

gained public attention aftereighth-grader Tysheoma

Bethea wrote a letter toObama asking for help for theschool and, subsequently, was

invited to attend Obamasrst address to Congress last

year.

The $40 million is stillshort of the amount school

ofcials had hoped for.

According to The Washington

Post, architects designed

plans for a new $55 million

facility, plans which will haveto be scaled back.

AFRO National Briefs

Paid for by U.S. Census Bureau.

QUESTIONSMAKE BETTERSCHOOLS?

CAN

YES! By taking just 10 minutes to answer 10 simple questions, you canhelp improve education, public transportation, and even healthcare in ourcommunity. So please, fill out your Census form and mail it back when itarrives in March. Responses are confidential by law and will not be sharedwith third parties, including immigration or law enforcement.

2010CENSUS.GOV

WE CANT MOVE FORWARD UNTIL YOU MAIL IT BACK.

Fledgling actress Gabourey Sidibe, seen here in a scenefrom her debut lm, Precious, has been nominated for

Best Actress among this years Oscar contenders.

Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada leads a press conference on

Jan. 28.

AP Photo

Courtesy Photo


3/24

February 6, 2010 - February 12, 2010, The Baltimore Afro-American A3

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By Zenitha Prince

Washington Bureau Chief

United States residents

who donated to the relief

effort in Haiti will be

rewarded this spring when

they le their income taxes.

A measure recentlyapproved by Congress and

signed by President Obama

will allow them to write offthose charitable donations

on their 2009 taxes. Under

current law, those donationswould have had to be led

under the 2010 return.Since the Jan. 12 quake,

Americans have donated

millions to the humanitarianeffort, including $203 million

collected so far by the

American Red Cross.Its clear the people of

Haiti need our help and

millions upon millions of

dollars are rolling in; fromBillings to Buffalo, even

though times are tough athome. Its at the heart of what

makes us American and itmake me very proud. I know

Americans will continue to

open their hearts and their

wallets to help ease suffering

in Haiti, said Sen. MaxBaucus, D-Mont., chairman

of the Senate Finance

Committee and co-sponsor ofthe legislation in a statement

after the bill was passed.In an e-mailed comment,

the senator said this type

of incentive has beensuccessfully used before to

encourage giving in the wake

of a tragedy.This bill is a clear

signal Americans want to

help Haiti battle back fromcrisis, Baucus said. This

tax provision, which wassuccessful following the

tsunami tragedy in Indonesia,

makes it easier for folks to

give to designated relief

efforts in Haiti and deduct

those contributions on thisyears tax return. This small

but important step will help

the people of Haiti in the

rescue and rebuilding of theirstruggling nation.

Specically, the HaitiAssistance Income Tax

Incentive Act allowstaxpayers to count cash

donations to Haitian relief

efforts made between Jan. 11and March 1 as if they made

by Dec. 31 of lastyear.

The Act is among

a suite of measuresmeant to ease the

nations suffering.

And California

Democrat Rep.

Maxine Waterswould add one

morecomplete

forgiveness of

Haitis international

debt. Waters,

like many of herCongressional Black

Caucus colleagues,

has been a leader

of efforts to help

Haiti both before

the earthquake and

since.

What has reallyresonated with me

since returning

home is the need

for the internationalcommunity to

engage in robust andsustained recovery

and rebuildingefforts for Haiti, said

Congresswoman Waters in a

recent statement following atrip to Haiti.

I plan to double my

efforts to assist Haiti in

Washington, she added.

In addition to introducinglegislation to completely

cancel Haitis debt from

multilateral nancialinstitutions and other

international creditors, I will

work closely with formerPresident and UN Special

Envoy to Haiti Bill Clinton,

Secretary of State HillaryClinton, and my colleagues

in Congress to continueto pursue creative andsubstantive ways to assist the

country during its immediatetime of need and in the

months and years ahead.

In her three-daymission to the country, the

congresswoman visited a

number of the makeshifthospitals and refugee camps

circling Port-au-Prince andmet with Haitian President

Ren Prval; ofcials from

the United States Agency forInternational Development

(USAID), the U.S. Embassy

and the U.S. Department ofDefense; representatives from

the United Nations (UN) and

the World Food Programme(WFP) and staff from

numerous nongovernmentalorganizations (NGOs). Shesaid the level of destruction

made the situation alogistical nightmare.

Words cannot adequately

describe the ongoinghumanitarian disaster that

is unfolding in Haiti, said

Waters. The earthquake hasleft behind untold levels of

death, despair, and outrightdestitution.

But the outpouring of

aid has been a balm to abeleaguered people, she

added.

The outpouring of initialsupport from the international

community has been so

heartfelt and overwhelming,and I know that the Haitian

people are extremely grateful.I am pleading with everyindividual, NGO, corporation,

and government worldwideto continue to look into their

hearts, into their schedules

and into their wallets to ndout how they can help.

Tax Write-of or Haiti Donations

Haitian Red Cross volunteer Sheila Gabriel visits with Neley Forestal. The injured children suferrom emotional as well as physical trauma. Hospital General, Port-au-Prince.

By AFRO Staf

Retired Air Force Lt.Col. Lee Archer, a former

Tuskegee Airman during

World War II, died Jan.27 at Cornell University

Medical Center in New

York City. He was 90.Archer was born on

Sept. 6, 1919, in Yonkers,N.Y., and raised in Harlem.

He attended New York

University before dropping

out and enlisting in the

Army Air Corps.

At that time, African-American men were not allowed to y in

combat missions, and so his enlistment in

the Air Corps was rejected. That led Archerto the Tuskegee Airmen, the rst Black

ghter pilot group. In his duty with theairmen during World War II, Archer downed

ve enemy planes, making him the rst

Black pilot to achieve an ace rating.Archer retired from the military in 1970

and became vice president of General

Foods. The job made him one of the rstBlacks to be in such a position in a major

U.S. company.

Archer ran North Street Capital

Corp., one of General

Foods investment arms,

which funded EssenceCommunications andBlackEnterprise magazine.

During his time there, healso helped create another

company, TLC Beatrice,

which was the nationslargest company to be

owned and operated by

African Americans at that

time.

Archer retired fromGeneral Foods in 1987

and started Archer Asset

Management, a venturecapital rm.

In January 2009, Archer was invited

to attend President Obamas inaugurationalong with other surviving members of the

Tuskegee Airmen. Respected by many forhis talents and contributions, Archer leaves a

lasting legacy.

He had a heart of gold and treated

people with respect, fellow Tuskegee

Airman, Dr. Roscoe Brown Jr., told the AP.

He demanded respect by the way he carriedhimself.

Archer is survived by three sons and a

daughter.

Widline Sanon receives clean drinking water rom the French Red Cross in Camp

Diahatsu, an internally displaced persons camp in Port-au-Prince.

AP Photo

Lee Archer is considered

the only Black ace pilot.

Tuskegee Ace Pilot Dies at 90

PhotosbyTalia

Frenkel/AmericanRedCross.


4/24


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By Melanie R. HolmesAFRO Staf Writer

Over 5,000 kids will be

off the streets this summer.Multiply that by 35 years and

youll get the approximate

number of high school and

college students YouthWorkshas employed since it rst

began in Baltimore City.Evolving from a summer

program that organized youth

into beautication crews

which cleaned up the city for

minimum wage, YouthWorkshas adopted Summer Jobs

Launch Careers as its

2010 theme and is currentlyregistering youth and young

adults between 14 and 24

years old for thousands ofpublic and private sector

summer opportunities.

The program allows youthto explore careers and helps

them appreciate the value

of education. Director Alice

Cole said participants develop

their career interests while

gaining essential work skillsthat employers require.

We want them to beactive engaged in positive

activity in the summer, Cole

said. We want to make sure

that as many youth as possiblehave the opportunity to work

this summer. For the pastcouple of years, weve been

offering jobs to everyone who

registers. We hopefully willbe able to do the same thing,

pending funding.Three focal points for this

summer are business and

nance, travel and tourism,

and health and bio science,

which Cole said are the fastest

growing career elds. As

long as students t the age

criterion, they will be placed

and will receive a minimumwage job in the vicinity of

where they live. Job training

is provided at each site, so

students are prepared for their

work environment. Young

adults will be employed thisyear, like they were for the

rst time last year, as team

leaders for the teens. Students

will also be introduced to

nancial literature.They good get work

ethic based on the fact that

they get real life, hands-on

experience, said Jannie

Williams, a YouthWorksassessment specialist. In

the public sector, it could bea school, recreation center,

or daycare center. On the

private end, it could be Johns

Hopkins. We partner with anumber of businesses.

While assessmentspecialist Theresa Mack

said YouthWorks is a good

program for all participants,she said those who benet

the most are disadvantagedyouth including children

in foster care, those who

have run away from homeor come from low-income

backgrounds.

It keeps the kids off

the streets and gives them a

positive attitude toward life,

Mack said. They learn more.Its gets them ready for the

real world.Students are encouraged

to ll out an application for

YouthWorks at one of several

recreation centers, and areasked to bring their social

security number, identication

and birth certicate with them

Registration ends March

12, which is around the timestudents will be matched

with their work site. Jobsrun from June 21 to July

30. Contact the YouthWorks

ofce at 410-396-5627 or

[email protected]

for more information or a list

of registration sites.

Summer Jobs Put Youth to Work

Courtesy Photo

A local youth flls out a job application at a job air held

recently by YouthWorks.

the Ceremony Room seemed barely large enough to hold the

family of the mayor, the Baltimore City Council and the press,

but it was just right and set the proper tone for the occasion.After swearing to uphold the Constitution of the United

States, the Constitution and laws of the state of Maryland and

to diligently and faithfully execute the ofce of the mayor of

Baltimore, Rawlings-Blake signed the ofcial books and took

her place in history as the second African-American woman

and 49th ofcial to become mayor.

Taking a moment for hugs from Conaway and her daughter,

the mayor made a brief speech. After thanking those inattendance, she acknowledged this new beginning hadnt come

after a high note of victory, but was a result of undesirable

circumstances. But she encouraged everyone to remember thatthe challenges need to be accepted and faced.

She expressed gratitude to those whove come forward tohelp the city during the transition in the coming days. Now,today, she said, it is time to come together, in unity, to

confront our challenges as one united city. Trust, leadership and

open dialogue will guide us in this process.She mentioned the enormous task of the city budget and

the looming of an over $100 million shortfall that must beaddressed. We will keep what works and x what doesnt in

city government so that our people emerge stronger, she said.

Together, we can, and will build a better, safer, strongerBaltimore.

The ceremony served its ofcial purpose providing for the

continuity of city leadership and setting the stage for the hardwork to be done. Councilwoman Mary Pat Clarke said, This

very ceremony was in the proper tone for the seriousness of the

occasion. Good taste.Clarke has a long history with Mayor Rawlings-Blake and

said shes looking forward to working with her. She noted that

perhaps for the rst time in the history of the city, the mayorhas a child attending the Baltimore City Public Schools and

thought that gave her important insight for dealing with thataspect of her job.

She made a good transition, said Clarke. She kept a lot of

good people on board.Only a few of the retentions and appointments have been

made public so far and those include Andrew Frank staying on

as rst deputy mayor and Sophie Dagenais serving as chief of

staff.

In her remarks, the mayor made it clear the transition wasnot over and that theres still a lot of work to be done. This

includes the vote, scheduled for the Feb. 8 meeting of the City

Council, to elect a new Council president.

Rawlings-BlakeContinued from A1


5/24

By Talibah Chikwendu

AFRO Executive Editor

At 9 a.m. Feb. 4, Sheila Dixon was once

again before Judge Dennis M. Sweeney in theCircuit Court for Baltimore City. This time, it

was to receive her sentence.

While the details of Dixons sentencewere set in the plea agreement announced

last month which included her resignation,effective noon on Feb. 4 both prosecutor

Robert A. Rohrbaugh and Judge Sweeney

expounded on the case. Each wanted thepublic to understand that the cases against

Dixon were strong and that her punishment is

deserved.In his sentencing memorandum,

Rohrbaugh took Dixon to task. The recent

pronouncements by Ms. Dixon to the pressonly reinforce the need for this Court to

impose the agreed upon sentence, he wrote.It seems Ms. Dixon's unrepentant position

is that the people of Baltimore should be

willing to tolerate some corruption from their

political leaders. Such deant arrogance by a

political leader is simply unacceptable.

Judge Sweeney had a similar view,especially related to how the defenses spin

on the case that Ron Lipscomb could

not be considered under ethics laws to bedoing business with or regulated by the

city was supported by an afdavit from

the city solicitor of Baltimore and not metwith disdain or protest from other elected

city ofcial when made public. I hope that

the new and welcomed dedication to higher

ethical standards is genuine and will have a

shelf life that lasts beyond the next election,

Sweeney wrote in his sentencing statement.If not, then the City will be doomed to repeat

the cycle of petty and tawdry corruption andspecial entitlement that ends badly not only

for the people directly involved but more

importantly for the citizens of Baltimore thatdepend on fair and honest governance by its

ofcials.

According to the plea deal,

Dixon is on probation for

up to four and no less thantwo years, and cannot seek

ofce or employment with

Baltimore City or the state of Maryland. Shemust do 500 hours of community service,

surrender interest in a variety of items that

will be sold at auction with the proceedsdonated, make a charitable donation of

$45,000 and appear and participate in any

court proceedings the state requests. She isalso required to pay her own legal fees.

Rohrbaugh said this end, despite Dixonbeing able to receive her life-long pension,

is best for the city saving them from

ongoing uncertainty about its leadership and

the money required to continue this matter incourt.

Ms. Dixon leaves the ofce in total

disgrace, wrote Sweeney, after a career that

saw her become the rst woman elected to

that ofce. That result, in this courts view,

is a heavy penalty a badge of dishonor that

she will live with the rest of her life.

racks.

Virginias new governor,Bob McDonnell, did not

attend this weeks gathering.

However, with a focusmostly on the District and

Maryland, the meeting

measured the attainmentof regional goals through

Marylands StateStat Ofce

and the Districts CapStat

program. Both programs are

committed to improving theperformance of high priority

concerns, including the

protection of vulnerable andat-risk youth. The Districts

program, which launched

in 2008, was modeled afterthe similar CitiStat, which is

based in Baltimore.

Among majorimprovements are that

murders in both the Districtand Maryland have sharply

reduced in the past year.

While the reductionrate for both jurisdictions

was at least 25 percent, the

Districts decrease markedits lowest in 45 years. (The

District is reportedly trying to

obtain a court order to shareinformation with Maryland

on juvenile suspects. Butaccording to a 2008 report by

the Justice Policy Institute,

juveniles account for only22 percent of crimes in the

District.)

Meanwhile, Maryland hasseen a 46 percent reduction

in juvenile homicides in the

past three years; and overall,last year, the state had the

fewest homicides since 1986,according to OMalleys

ofce. The ofce also

reported a signicant drop

in regional crime, including

a 7.3 percent decrease in

robbery and a nearly 32percent drop in car theft.

Corrine Geller,

spokeswoman for the VirginiaState Police, said that when

it comes to ghting crime,

collaborative partnerships

with the District andMaryland have proven to be

very benecial.

Law enforcement ofcials

from Northern Virginia work

with the Metropolitan Police

Department in D.C. and ourcolleagues over in Maryland,

Geller said. Unfortunately,its not uncommon that we

have pursuits that carry over

into different boundaries.She said that from a

highway safety standpoint,

collaborations are particularlygood and allow for different

resources to be brought to the

table.A request for comment

from Fenty was not met

byAFRO press time. Butaccording to OMalleys

statement, Fenty praised thepartnership, saying, This

year, our strong regional

partnership led to decreasesin homicides and violent

crime throughout the national

capital area.In addition, a

spokeswoman for the

Baltimore States AttorneyOfce said the collaboration

between the District andMaryland has yielded major

indictments involving gang

violence and the trafcking of

cell phones in prison.

We also have a

partnership with the localpolice department to identify

violent repeat offenders

and believe that has helpedto reduce violent crime as

well, said Margaret Burns.Our partnerships are [in

conjunction with] with local,

state and federal [authorities],and involve Baltimore City

prosecutors working with

[those [branches of] lawenforcement for an exchange

of information that allows us

to all agree on who is themost dangerous in our

community.


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T . :

Crime-FightingContinued from A1

Continued from A1

On Jan. 28, Wright apastor, preacher, husband

and father - died fromcomplications of a melanoma

at St. Agnes Hospital. He was

73.The Rev. Dr. Alvin

Hathaway called him anauthentic Christian.

Dr. Wright uniquely

understood how to keep his

eyes on God and his feet onthe ground, Rev. Hathaway

said. He understood thatones worship of God was

expressed in how one lived

and served, as well as howone preached.

Rev. Hathaway said

Rev. Wright was a tirelessadvocate for those without

voice.

Relentless is a wordthat comes to mind. His

determination was to serve in

as many ways as possible sohe would not be limited by the

connes of the church he so

lovingly led for 22 years, First

Baptist Church of Guilford, inColumbia.

He made his voice heard in

the NAACP. He encouragedvoter participation and

claried elections whennecessary.

He could be found at local

community gatherings as well

as at the Oxford UniversityRoundtable at St. Annes

College in England withreligious leaders from around

the world.

Despite his internationaltravels, Wrights roots were

rmly planted in Baltimore.

The child of a homemakerand a Bethlehem Steel Corp.

employee, Wright grew

up on N. Calhoun Streetand graduated from Carver

Vocational-Technical High

school before serving in theArmy for two years.

After serving his countryin Italy, Wright returned to

Baltimore where he workedas a home improvement

contractor until 1966, when

he began work as a buildingoperations mechanic at City

Hall. Two years later, hebegan a 13-year tenure asmaintenance supervisor at

the Western District police

station.It was during this time

that Wright, who served as aBible studies teacher at New

Union Baptist Church, met

the woman whod become hiswife, the former Ida Mitchell.

A lover of learning,

Wrights education wasongoing throughout his

marriage and various

vocational endeavors. Hereceived theological degrees

from the National Theological

Seminary and College,Eastern Theological Seminary

and the Virginia TheologicalSeminary and College in

Lynchburg, Va. He is also a

graduate of the FBI CitizensAcademy and completed

Mini-Med School classes at

the University of MarylandSchool of Medicine.

He served as president

of the Baptist PastorsConference of Baltimore

and Vicinity and mostrecently as president of the

United Baptist Missionary

Convention of Maryland.A citizen of the world, Dr.

Wright was named a chiefin the village of Asiaskwaoutside of Accra, Ghana,

being crowned Chief Nanna

Appiah Atu III. He has alsobeen robed an African chief

of the village, Bong County,Liberia, according to First

Baptists website.

He shared his life andministry with his wife, Ida

Mitchell Wright and their

daughter, Dr. Sheila Wright.

Pastors Voice Rang for Justice

Photo by Anderson Ward

Sheila Dixon exits her own farewell party

at The Milan in good spirits.

Plea Finalized

Dixon Sentenced; NoLonger Mayor

The Salvation Army, GreaterBaltimore Area Command

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 3, 2010

11:00 am

Networking and Silent Auction

12:00 noon

Luncheon with Guest Speaker,

Dr. Levi Watkins, Jr.,Associate Dean

of Johns Hopkins University School of

Medicine Professor of Cardiac Surgery

Martins West

6817 Dogwood Road

Baltimore, MD 21244

For sponsorship packages,

tickets or other information,

call 443-573-3292 or

visit www.tsabaltimore.org.

compassion in

Acti nluncheon

United Way

of Central Maryland

Impact Partner

Baltimore City | Baltimore County | Carroll County

Howard County | North Anne Arundel County

1880 | CELEBRATING 130 YEARS | 2010

Rev. Wright ledthe First Baptist

Church of Guilford,

in Columbia,Md.,for 22 years.

CourtesyPhoto


6/24


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Black Virginia WomanSnags Coveted CrownBy AFRO Staf

Caressa Cameron, 22, a broadcast journalism student enrolled at

Virginia Commonwealth University, beat out 53 contestants in the

annual Miss America pageant held at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas,Nev., on Jan. 30. She is the rst Black Miss America since Ericka

Dunlap won the title in 2005.I hope to gain inspiration, I hope to gain momentum so that when

this 365 days is over, I can shoot through the moon, Cameron said in

an interview with The Associated Press.The fourth time was the charm for Cameron, who nished as the

rst runner-up in 2008 and second runner-up in 2007 and 2006 for the

Miss Virginia crown before winning it in June of last year. Cameronalso nished as second runner-up in both the Miss Virginia Teen USA

contest in 2005 and the Miss Virginia USA pageant in 2006.Cameron is the daughter of a government researcher and

contractor and told the AP she was inspired to participate in the Miss

America program after Miss Virginia 2003 Nancy Redd came to herschool.

Wowed by Miss Virginias charisma, beauty and talent, Cameron

told the AP that she auditioned for a school musical, which led toother opportunities in the arts. It was those same musical talents that

allowed Cameron to capture the crowd with her rendition of Listenfrom the hit movieDreamgirls.

More doors and more doors continued to open, she said in the

interview. Its so important that we reach our young people, becausethere are so many young people that are at the very same crossroads

that I was at.

Cameron continued, We need those people to let them know that

just because your circumstances are a certain way, you dont have to

succumb to them, she said. You can do something amazing, like

become Miss America.Its been an amazing 2010 for Cameron, who was awarded with a

$50,000 scholarship in addition to her crown and $2,000 scholarship

for winning the preliminary talent competition in vocal pop on Jan.27.

The Massaponax High School graduate has hinted that she would

like to venture into television and pursue a career as an anchorwoman

when her duties as Miss America are completed.

With the victory, Cameron became just the eighth AfricanAmerican to win the crown since the pageant was established in

1921.

I hope to gain momentum so that when

this 365 days is over, I can shoot throughthe moon.

he said. Youve got to put

them where people will nd

liquor. Thats where you

advertise.The census only consists

of 10 questions, but if they

are not answered, Baltimore

City could lose millions ofdollars and more power at

the capital. Once thelargest jurisdiction in

the state of Maryland,

Baltimore City lost

three delegates and a

state senator in 2000because all residents

were not counted.

When you loserepresentation in

Annapolis, that means

you lose power,Cheatham said. If

youre not one of thebig boys that go down

there, your chances

are not that good. Allof the funds that come from

the federal government that

go into cities we lose out onbecause were not counting

everyone.

Pushing the census earlierthis year than in 2000, Sen.

Nathaniel McFadden warnsthat the fewer the number

of persons that turn in the

surveys, the less resourcesthe city receives. Schools,

health programs, libraries

and other public facilities areall determined by the census

count. Prince Georges and

Montgomery counties picked

up a larger number of peoplein 2000 and therefore gained

representation at the capital,but the opposite happened in

Baltimore City.

This is very important,

McFadden said. Everybody

is counted. If we dont

get an accurate count, that

power shift will work to the

disadvantage of the City of

Baltimore.

He believes the city

was undercounted in

2000 due to census takers

being unfamiliar with thecommunities they were in.

We think its absolutely

essential that the indigenous

people in the communitygo out and collect surveys,

McFadden said.

Cheatham contributeslack of census participation

to residents fear that theirprivacy is being invaded,

which is another reason why

he says community outreachis vital this year.

On paper, [Baltimore

City has ] an excellentprogram, Cheatham said.

They know where they need

to go and I commended them

for that. But you better getthe right people to carry out

the plan, and Im not seeingthe people on the ground at

this point. The same thingthat happened 10 years ago,

Im sad to say, is about to

happen again.

2010 Census

AP Photo/Eric Jamison

Caressa Cameron became the eighth AricanAmerican to win the coveted Miss America title

earlier this week.

Continued from A1


7/24


If youre HIV+ and think you cant afford the medication you

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Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene

according to BBC News.

Police were led to the

Plant City, Fla,. homeby an anonymous tip,

according to local television

station WFTV. A ruling onShakespeares cause of death

is expected Monday, but

authorities said they believedhe was murdered even before

the tip came in and his body

was located.As our investigation

continued, the informationwe developed led us to

believe he may very well

have ended up with anuntimely death, Polk

County, Fla., Sheriff Grady

Judd told CNN. Itspainfully obvious he didnt

get there by himself.According to a CNN

report, the Polk County

Sheriffs Department hasnamed Dorice DeeDee

Moore as a person of interest.

Moores boyfriend owns thehome where Shakespeares

body was discovered underrecently-poured concrete.

According to the

Lakeland, Fla.Ledger,Moore claimed to have been

helping Shakespeare manage

his fnances and said she was

offering a $10,000 reward to

anyone who fnds him. She

has not been charged withany crime in connection with

his death.

However, detectives saidMoore paid people large

sums of money to say

theyd seen Shakespeare,including a $5,000 payment

to Shakespeares cousin.The lotto winners cousin, in

return, sent to Shakespearesmother a birthday cardwith Shakespeares forged

signature.

In addition, authorities sayall of Shakespeares bank

accounts and properties

have been transferred intoMoores name and that

she was sending messagesfrom Shakespeares phone,

claiming to be him.

Shakespeare, a truckersassistant, found himself

in several legal battles

throughout his adult life,according to media reports.

Among his troubles, he hasowed child support, been

charged with assault, andhas been sued by MichaelFord, the truck driver he

was working with on the

day he won the lottery, whoclaimed that Shakespeare

stole the ticket. Shakespeare

won that law suit prior to hisdisappearance.

S.C. Lt. Gov. Faces Backlash for Stray Animals Commentassistance if any recipientfails a drug test or fails toattend PTA meetings while

their children are receiving

free and reduced-price lunches

at school.

Approximately 58 percent

of students in South Carolinaare enrolled in the free and

reduced-price lunch program.

Despite the comparison,

he told The Greenville News

that he wasnt saying people

on government assistance

were animals or anything

else. Rather, he was trying

to explain that people have tobecome more engaged with

government.

Shortly after his speech,

offended at the comparison of

our school children to stray

animals, House Democratic

Leader Harry Ott said in astatement. Mr. Bauer should

immediately apologize to thepeople of South Carolina for

these remarks.Bauers remarks raised

a legitimate argument,

Bruce Ransom, a ClemsonUniversity political science

professor told Fox News, buthe didnt need to compare

those individuals to strayanimals. The way he framedhis points was terrible.

Bauer later wrote that

he will continue to pushhis views on government

handouts even if they are

perceived as politicallyincorrect by the media.

According to Fox News,

U.S. Census data shows thatapproximately 15 percent

of South Carolinians livebelow the poverty line. As of

October 2009, approximately

20,648 South Carolinafamilies were listed as

welfare recipientstotaling$3,979,701 in government

assistance.

The Associated Pressreported that Bauer, who is

a product of a working classfamily and grew up in a single

parent household, benefted

from subsidized schoollunches himself.

Continued from A1

Courtesy photo

Abraham Shakespeare with family after winning the

lottery in 2006.

Missing Fla. Lottery WinnerContinued from A1


8/24


Courtesy Image

By George Barnette

AFRO Staf Writer

To boost business

interaction between America

and Africa, United States

ofcials must nd an

answer to China, which has

been making signicant

inroads into the continent,

representatives from Prince

Georges County and African

businesses concluded at a

recent meeting in the county.

The entire government

of China is working in lock

step with its private sector,

said Sharon T. Freeman,

president of the All American

Small Business Exporters

Association. That involves

nancing, insurance, or

guarantees. Obviously theyre

playing by a different rule

book.

That rule book, many

believe, makes it very difcult

for American companies

to compete because the

U.S. government takes a

more hands-off approach to

business.

There isnt a strong

feeling that the United

States government needs to

coordinate all these efforts

Countering China Key to U.S.

Africa Business Relations

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and pull together all these

different initiatives and, in a

comprehensive, coordinated

fashion, gure out how

to make an advantage for

our companies in foreign

markets, said Florizelle

Liser, assistant U.S. trade

representative for Africa in

the Ofce of the United States

Trade Representative (USTR).

We just dont do that.

On the surface, thatmakes American success in

Africa seem like a long-shot.

However, those whove been

to Africa believe theres a

desire to have American

companies on the continent.

Theres a strong

willingness and desire to

work with American rms

because theres a transparency

aspect that you dont have

with the Chinese rms,

said Patrick Dean Coleman,

director of African Affairs

for the Executive Ofce of

the President. Its some

bad blood growing on the

continent and theres a strong

desire to move away from [the

Chinese] and urgency to try

to work with us. There are

some advantages to being an

American rm -- playing on a

level playing eld and being

upright and honest.

What many people believe

the Chinese are doing is

bidding for contracts with

government loans at very

low interest rates. Americansmall businesses dont think

theyre able to compete with

that. However, they believe

they can compete with better

products, goods, and services.

The Chinese, we just

cannot compete with because

theyre subsidizing theyre

development, said Thomas

F. Matthias, president of Imex

Financing. We have better

products and better goods and

services. We have things that

they want and that they need.

Like Chinese companies,

however, American companies

need to reach out to Africa,

do the research and nd

innovative ways to make

business connections.

We have trade agreement

with countries, including the

AGOA (African Growth and

Opportunity Act) agreement,

where we have Africans in the

Diaspora that we need to reach

out to more, said Freeman.

We need to facilitate business

linkages between Africans in

the Diaspora here and theirhome countries.

I think we should go

to cities where we have the

largest African-American

and African diaspora

business ownership and

convene these roundtables to

specically look for business

opportunities.

Other people think the

work should go a bit further

than that.

First we need to know

specically what the deals

are, said Liser. We need to

be able delineate exactly what

these deals are.

By Stephen D. Riley

AFRO Staf Writer

It pays to be a good

driver. While auto insurance

commercials cant stress this

enough, the adage reigns

especially true in the pockets

of high- risk drivers. Speeding

tickets, fender benders and

moving violations are enough

to disqualify even the safest

of drivers from reasonable

rates. But Maryland laws

make it illegal to operate any

vehicle without registered

insurance, so what is a high

risk driver to do?

When all else fails, the

Maryland Auto Insurance

Fund (MAIF) provides

the last line of defense

for drivers. Established in

1972, MAIF provides every

level of car insurance for

Maryland drivers who havebeen turned down twice by

other insurance companies or

cancelled.

The company recently

broke ground when Derrick

L. Davis became the rst

African American to be

elected chairman of the

board last December. Davis

history in Prince Georges

County politics began in the

early 90s when he worked

alongside the County Council

and was involved in the local

Democratic community.

The owner of an extensive

and impressive rsum,

Davis election came as nosurprise to anyone involved

in the selection process, but

becoming the rst Black man

to hold the title of chairman

was an accomplishment that

even Davis had to think twice

about.

When I was elected, I

was unaware of the history

that MAIF hadnt had an

African American as the chair

person so once I was told,

my rst feeling was a bit of

surprise, Davis admitted.

In a time of change when

many things are changing and

you have the CEO of the free

world, the president of theUnited States, the rst African

American, its a historical

time and its due time.

Although more popular

conglomerates such as

Geico, State Farm and

Allstate typically top the

list of rst thought of

insurance providers, the

need for insurers such as

MAIF is one that often gets

taken for granted. Judging

from statistics, citizens in

Maryland value the third-

party insurer highly. MAIF

currently insures close to

65,000 Maryland drivers with

30 percent residing in PrinceGeorges County.

Shaking the stereotypes

associated with MAIF for

the fact that it serves as an

insurer for people with poor

driving record is one of the

things that Davis is trying

correct. As the last resort for

uninsurable drivers, the image

of MAIF is one that may take

a while to turn positive but

its a challenge that Davis

recognizes and is ready to

help change.

I think that theres a

stigma in the general public

because MAIF is what it

isthe insurer of last resort

that the people we represent

are less thans, Davis added.

Theres a stigma around that

whole concept that, I think its

kind of a classism thing where

they look at our rate payers

as less thans and ultimately

its what creates the discord

in the community around the

Maryland Auto Insurance

Fund.

One of the things I

really want to do in my short

tenure is to try create a little

more transparency around

the concept and denitely

raise the peoples awareness

that MAIF is really a model

organization in the state of

Maryland and throughout the

country.

Aside from his personal

goal of improving MAIFs

identity, Davis primary

duties as chairman will be to

conduct the boards quarterly

meetings and speak on behalf

of MAIF within the Maryland

General Assembly. For the

Maryland Eastern Shore

graduate, its nothing he cant

handle.

Appointed to the MAIF

Board in 2007 by Gov. Martin

O Malley, Davis has always

had a knack for being a

leader and as the rst African

American to hold the title

of chairman for MAIF, its

just a title that Davis will

have to juggle while he runs

for Prince Georges County

Council. After losing 2002s

election by 1,000 votes,

the quest to serve people is

something that Davis will

never give up on.

Its an honor to serve the

people of Maryland, its an

honor to serve the rate payers

of MAIF and try to insure

that the dignity that I found

on the internal operations of

the company also transcends

onto the dignity of the people

that we serve. You never stop

ghting for people when god

gives you the ability to do it.

MAIF Elects First Black Chairman

Derrick L. Davis


9/24


Upcoming NAACP Events

Feb. 23

The Baltimore City

Branch NAACP will hold

its 2010 Yes We Count

Mobilization and Community

Information Discussion, a

national movement organized

to increase awareness about

the 2010 census. The event

takes place from 6:30-8 p.m.

at Union Baptist Church,

1219 Druid Hill Ave. For

more information: 410-366-

3300.

Feb. 6

Nickel & Dime Your Way to

Wealth

Reginald F. Lewis

Museum of Maryland AA

History & Culture, 830 E.

Pratt St., Baltimore. 1 p.m.

Author and wealth coach

Deborah Owens shares

seven principles to achievepersonal nancial goals. Free

with museum admission.

For more information: 443-

263-1800 or visit www.

africanamericanculture.org.

Feb. 10

Lemonade Film Screening

Windup Space, Station

North Arts and Entertaining

District, 12 W. North Ave.,

Baltimore. 7 p.m. The

Contemporary Museum

and Slant Six Creative will

launch the Second Shore

lm series with the screening

ofLemonade. For more

information: visit www.contemporary.org.

Feb. 11

Haiti Beneft Concert

Joseph Meyerhoff

Symphony Hall, 1212

Cathedral St., Baltimore.

7:30 p.m. The evening will

feature multimedia tributes

to local organizations aiding

Haitis recovery such as the

USNS Comfort hospital

ship, University of Maryland

Shock Trauma and Johns

Hopkins institutions. For

tickets and more information:

443-469-8460 or visit www.baltimoreacts.org.

The Science o Love

Maryland Science Center,

601 Light St., Baltimore.

7:30 p.m. Dr. Fisher,

chief scientic advisor at

Chemistry.com, will explain

the science behind attraction

and the personality traits that

help us choose who to love.

Free. For more information:

410-545-5980 or visit www.

marylandsciencecenter.org.

Feb. 12

A Mini-Film Festival

Reginald F. LewisMuseum of Maryland AA

History & Culture, 830

E. Pratt St., Baltimore.

1 4 p.m. Event features

two award-winning

documentaries about

historical leaders Adam

Clayton Powell Jr. and

Shirley Chisholm. Free

with museum admission.

For more information: 443-



Floetic Fridays

Reginald F. Lewis

Museum of Maryland AAHistory & Culture, 830

E. Pratt St., Baltimore. 8

p.m. Enjoy an evening of

poetry and music with the

Black Diamond band, an

open mic and more. For

more information: 443-



Feb. 13

Youthworks Summer Job

Registration

Various locations in

Baltimore. Jan. 11 March

12. For ages 14-24. Baltimore

youth will develop the

essential work skills that

todays employers require.

For more information:

410-396-5627 or e-mail

[email protected].

Tomorrows Entrepreneurs

Reginald F. Lewis

Museum of Maryland AA

History & Culture, 830 E.

Pratt St., Baltimore. 11 a.m.

1 p.m. Children will meet

young entrepreneurs and

learn essential components

of running a business. For

more information: 443-



Kiss the Runway

Tremont Grand, fth oor,

Edinburgh Hall, 225 North

Charles St., Baltimore. 6:30

p.m. Giveaways courtesy

of Coors Light,Hype Hair

magazine, Todays Black

Woman magazine andBlack

Men magazine. $25 - $50

tickets. For more information:

visit www.kisstherunway.

eventbrite.com.

Pi Omega Chapter-Omega

Psi Phi Fraternity Mardi

Gras Celebration

Martins West, 6817

Dogwood Road, Baltimore.

8 p.m. 2 a.m. The. The Pi

Omega Foundation of Omega

Psi Phi Fraternity will host its

59th consecutive Mardi Gras

masked ball. $85 tickets. For

more information: 410-960-

0741 or visit www.piomega.

org.

Community Calendar

MACYS IS APROUD NATIONALSPONSOR.

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EXCLUDES: specials, super buys, furniture, mattresses, floor coverings, rugs, electrics/electronics, previous purchases, special orders, selected licensed depts., special purchases, jewelry trunkshows, cosmetics/fragrances, services. Cannot be combined with any savings pass/coupon, extra discount or credit offer except opening a new Macys account. EXTRA SAVINGS % APPLIEDTO REDUCED PRICES. EXTRA SAVINGS VALID THROUGH 2/7/2010.

Go Red trademark of AHA, Red Dress trademark of DHHS

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Macys will donate all Red DressPin proceeds to AHAs Go RedFor Women movement.

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10/24


SPEAK OUT!Send letters to The Afro-American Newspaper Co.

2519 N. Charles Street, Baltimore Maryland 21218-4602e-mail to: [email protected]

In the centuries since African Americans

rst arrived on our shores, they have known

the bitterness of slavery and oppression,

the hope of progress, and the triumph of

the American Dream. African-American

history is an essential thread of the American

narrative that traces our nations enduring

struggle to perfect itself. Each February, werecognize African American History Month

as a moment to reect upon how far we

have come as a nation, and what challenges

remain. This years theme, The History

of Black Economic Empowerment, calls

upon us to honor the African Americans who

overcame injustice and inequality to achieve

nancial independence and the security of self

empowerment that comes with it.

Nearly 100 years after the Civil War,

African Americans still faced daunting

challenges and indignities. Widespread racial

prejudice inhibited their opportunities, and

institutional discrimination such as Black

codes and Jim Crow laws denied them full

citizenship rights. Despite these seemingly

impossible barriers, pioneering African

Americans blazed trails for themselves and

their children. They became skilled workers

and professionals. They purchased land, and

a new generation of Black entrepreneurs

founded banks, educational institutions,newspapers, hospitals, and businesses of all

kinds.

This month, we recognize the courage and

tenacity of so many hard-working Americans

whose legacies are woven into the fabric of

our Nation. We are heirs to their extraordinary

progress. Racial prejudice is no longer the

steepest barrier to opportunity for most

African Americans, yet substantial obstacles

remain in the remnants of past discrimination.

Structural inequalities from disparities in

education and health care to the vicious cycle

of poverty still pose enormous hurdles for

Black communities across America.

Overcoming todays challenges will

require the same dedication and sense of

urgency that enabled past generations of

African Americans to rise above the injustices

of their time.

That is why my administration is laying

a new foundation for long-term economic

growth that helps more than just a privilegedfew. We are working hard to give small

businesses much-needed more credit, to

slash tax breaks for companies that ship jobs

overseas, and to give those same breaks to

companies that create jobs here at home. We

are also reinvesting in our schools and making

college more affordable, because a world class

education is our countrys best roadmap to

prosperity.

These initiatives will expand opportunities

for African Americans, and for all Americans,

but parents and community leaders must

also be partners in this effort. We must push

our children to reach for the full measure of

their potential, just as the innovators who

succeeded in previous generations pushed

their children to achieve something greater. In

the volumes of black history, much remains

unwritten. Let us add our own chapter, full of

progress and ambition, so that our childrens

children will know that we, too, did our part

to erase an unjust past and build a brighter

future.Now, therefore, I, Barack Obama,

president of the United States of America,

by virtue of the authority vested in me by the

Constitution and the laws of the United States,

do hereby proclaim February 2010 as National

African American History Month. I call upon

public ofcials, educators, librarians, and all

the people of the United States to observe this

month with appropriate programs, ceremonies,

and activities.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set

my hand this rst day of February, in the

year of our Lord two thousand ten, and of the

Independence of the United States of America

the two hundred and thirty-fourth.

By the president of the United States

National African American History Month Proclaimed

On Thursday morning, Feb. 4, Baltimore Mayor Sheila

Dixon resigned as a result of being found guilty of fraudulent

misappropriation of gift cards intended for Baltimores needy

families. At 12:05 p.m., Stephanie Rawlings-Blake was

sworn in as the citys new mayor. Thus, the drama which has

distracted and occupied too much public attentionwhether

the former mayor could withstand the accusations arisingfrom her various indictments over the past 12 monthswas

nally put to rest.

We are relieved Baltimore can nally get down to

the serious business presently confronting its future. We

are pleased and encouraged with the initial steps Mayor

Rawlings-Blake has taken to rebuild the condence of

the citizens in a leadership that values ethics. We are also

pleased that Mayor Rawlings-Blake has taken the smart

step toward recognizing the valuable contribution of many

members of Dixons team by retaining their services. The

Dixon administration, in spite of its unfortunate downfall,

made many improvements during its tenure; crime reduction

and an improved public school system being a few examplesof how Baltimore has indeed become a better place to live in

the past two years.

Baltimores new mayor, nevertheless, has a tough

job facing her. Baltimores looming budget decit seems

to multiply weekly, causing increasing pressure on the

Baltimore City delegation in Annapolis to battle even harder

for badly needed allocations from the already empty state

coffers. To preserve the citys political ability to secure

federal and state funding and to effectively organize a

credible response to Census 2010 in April, Mayor Rawlings-

Blake will need the assistance of every able person in the city

to help assure a positive future for Baltimore.

We are looking at Mayor Rawlings-Blake to provide the

strong leadership we believe her background, experience and

heritage suggests. We nevertheless understand that in order

to succeed, such leadership will require an exceptional level

of support, volunteerism and commitment from the citizens

of Baltimore. Thus, Baltimores next step lies at the feet of

not just this promising new mayor, but at the feet of us all.

Our View

The Next Step

Baltimores looming budget defcitseems to multiply weekly...

Director of Advertising/Sponsorship Development & SalesSusan Gould - 410-554-8289

[email protected]

Advertising Manager

Robert Blount - 410-554-8246

Senior Advertising Account Executive

Annie Russ - 410-554-8235

Advertising Account Executives

Marquise Goodwin - 410-554-8274 Vetta Ridgeway - 410-554-8223

Director of FinanceJack Leister - 410-554-8242

Archivist - John Gartrell - 410-554-8265

Community & Public Relations ManagerDiane W. Hocker - 410-554-8243

EditorialExecutive Editor - Talibah Chikwendu - 410-554-8251

E-mail: [email protected]

Baltimore Bureau Chief- Tiffany Ginyard - 410-554-8269

Managing Editor - Kristin Gray - 410-554-8277

Washington Bureau Chief- Zenitha Prince - 202-332-0080, ext. 119

Your History Your Community Your News

The Afro-American NewspapersBaltimore Ofce Corporate Headquarters

2519 N. Charles Street

Baltimore, Maryland 21218-4602

410-554-8200

www.afro.com

Fax: 1-877-570-9297

Founded by John Henry Murphy Sr., August 13, 1892

Washington Publisher Emerita

Frances L. Murphy II

Chairman of the Board/Publisher

John J. Oliver, Jr.Executive Assistant - Takiea Hinton - 410-554-8222

Receptionist - Wanda Pearson - 410-554-8200

Global MarketsDirector - Benjamin M. Phillips IV - 410-554-8220

[email protected]

Washington Circulation/Distribution Manager

Edgar Brookins - 202-332-0080, ext. 116

Baltimore Circulation/Distribution Manager

Sammy Graham - 410-554-8266

Production Department - 410-554-8288

Washington Ofce1917 Benning Road, N.E. Washington, D.C. 20002-4723

202-332-0080Fax: 1-877-570-9297

General ManagerEdgar Brookins - ext. 116

Ofce Administrator - Mia Hayes-Hawkins - ext. 112

Customer Service, Home Delivery and Subscriptions:410-554-8234

Customer [email protected] Inquiries:

410-554-8240Nights and Weekends:

410-554-8282


11/24


Last week aBaltimoreSun story titled, A behind-

the-scenes push for Cole,sparked a small restorm

among some members of the

Baltimore City delegation inAnnapolis and dimmed the

aura of unity they presentedjust a few weeks ago during

the opening of the 2010

General Assembly.

The Sun claimed, a

majority of council members

have declared their supportfor a colleague, veteran

Councilman Bernard C.

Jack Young, to ll thepresidents ofce. But, behind

the scenes, developers,

business leaders and politicalleaders including Rawlings-

Blake herself have launcheda broad effort to persuade

council members to back

Councilman William H. ColeIV instead

However, about a week

before the Sun story waspublished, all six members

of the Baltimore City Senate

Delegation drafted and

distributed a letter in support

of Young for City Councilpresident.

As members of the

Baltimore City Senatedelegation, we write to

support your transition toMayor of our City, the

senators wrote.

In the aggregate,we represent every voter,

community and constituency

in Baltimore City. Ourcollective experience

exceeds a century of service

for BaltimoreWe offerwhatever insight experience

creates. Such insight can

help to minimize the impactof Baltimores transition of

leadership. As a delegation,we support Bernard Jack

Young as your successor for

President of the BaltimoreCity Council.

So, the Suns assertion that

Stephanie Rawlings-Blake(SRB) is supporting Cole,

behind-the scenes, was met

with to put it mildly some

consternation.

One source close to thesituation who would only

comment under the condition

of anonymity told me SRBalong with her spokesman

Ryan ODoherty lobbied atleast one of the city senators

in their Annapolis ofce

and pushed for Cole asCouncil president despite the

delegations public support of

Young.Both SRB and ODoherty

have publicly denied the new

mayor would prefer to workwith Cole.

Bull----, was the one-

word response to SRBsclaim of neutrality during a

conversation on backgroundI had with one of the city

senators the day the {Sun}

story broke.I dont know why she

would take this on in the

midst of this transition, thesenator added.

Although the senate

delegation may be hesitant tocomment on the record about

SRBs alleged preference

of Cole for City Councilpresident, several city

delegates werent so shy.

To me, Jack has paid hisdues, OK? And he deserves

the opportunity, said Del.Melvin Stukes, who also

served with Young on the

Council for several years.Bill is serving his rst

term. Can he [Cole] do the

job? I dont have any doubtthat he can do the job, but I

have no doubt that Bernard

Jack Young can do thejob also. He told me had he

the votes, so as far as Imconcerned go ahead and get it

over with.

According to who youtalk to Young has the solid

support of 10 or 11 of the

14-member City Councilin his bid to be Council

president. Stukes asserts

SRBs alleged backing ofCole is a precarious position

for the new mayor.

If the senators arethrowing their full support,

their unanimous support[behind Young]I dont

think thats a wise decision.

Del. Jill Carters take onSRBs alleged support of

Cole over Young was less

nuanced.I dont think it makes

sense, but its also not very

surprising, Carter said from

the oor of the House ofDelegates.

Ive said before that

the soon to be mayor hasnever taken any position in

opposition of the current

governor. And thats clearlythe choice. You know, I think

theres been some denialsbut, everybody knows theres

history in the relationship

between the governor andBill Cole and thats who hes

[OMalley] advocating for.

Carter added, I think theconcern for people should

be her lack of independence,

even at this very earlystage and on an issue that is

probably not even in her ownbest interest. Its a judgment

call, its lack of leadership its

lack of independence and itsvery troubling.

Del. Frank Conaway Jr.,

had a different take.With her getting ready

to be leader of the delegation

basically, leader of the cityshes showing what direction

the vision is going in,

Conaway said.Shes demonstrating

political wisdom and loyaltyby showing them right up

front which way shes going.

And theyre going to saythat we have our own power

and were going to show you

our power and therefore youhave to consider what we

want to do and I think its

a good thing that they are

displaying conict right fromthe beginning so, therefore

you know that you have

independent thinkers.Many of the political

ballers from Baltimore

to Annapolis argue theupcoming races for mayor

and City Council presidentwill play out something like

this: SRB is lobbying for

Cole, because Kweisi Mfume,former City Council member,

former congressman, former

president of the NAACPand perennial fantasy

league contender for mayor

of Baltimore is stronglyconsidering running for

mayoragain. His allegedpreference for city council

president is SRBs former

nemesis during her successfulrun for council president

Michael S

Documents

Baltimore Afro-American Newspaper, February 06, 2010