Prince George's County Afro-American Newspaper, January 29, 2011

8/7/2019 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

Join theAFROon

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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

Continued on A4

Continued on A4

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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A2 The Afro-American, January 29, 2011 - February 4, 2011

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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A2 The Afro-American, January 29, 2011 - January 29, 2011

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.

The Washington Afro-American & Washington Tribune (0276-6523) is publishedweekly by theAfro-American Newspapers at 1917 Benning Road, N.E., Washington, D.C.20002-4723. Subscription Rate: Washington - 1 Year - $30.00. Periodical Postage paidat Washington, D.C.

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 , . . . , .

Your History Your Community Your News

The Afro-American NewspapersBaltimore Ofce Corporate Headquarters

2519 N. Charles Street

Baltimore, Maryland 21218-4602410-554-8200 Fax: 1-877-570-9297

www.afro.com

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

Director of Advertising/Sponsorship Development & Sales

Susan Gould - 410-554-8289

[email protected]

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Sr. Advertising Account Executive - Annie Russ - 410-554-8235

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Director, Community & Public Relations

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Editorial

Executive Editor - Talibah Chikwendu - 410-554-8251

E-mail: [email protected]

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Director - Benjamin M. Phillips IV - 410-554-8220

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

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

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Customer Service, Home Delivery and Subscriptions:

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Customer [email protected]

Billing Inquiries: 410-554-8226

Nights and Weekends: 410-554-8282

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


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


5/20

January 29, 2011 - February 4, 2011, The Afro-American A5

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


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.


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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


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.


8/20

B2 SENIORGUIDE The Afro-American, Winter2011

7175137

Were shaking uphow you feelabout winter.

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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.


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

JEANNE

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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

Prince George's County Afro-American Newspaper, January 29, 2011

Documents

Transcript of Prince George's County Afro-American Newspaper, January 29, 2011