Ask Alma: My brother’s non-breakup breakup

— Dear Alma,

My brother and his fiancée broke off their engagement, which was a surprise to my whole family. Nobody totally knows the story, but she moved out of his house, unfriended him on Facebook, the whole shebang. Over the holidays, we all got together, and everyone started trashing the girl. My brother got really awkward and left, saying he didn’t feel up for hanging out.

Fine, right? Except I just found out he and his girlfriend have still been talking, and they haven’t told the rest of my family yet. The problem is, my family’s still badmouthing this girl at every opportunity, but it’s starting to look like they might get back together. My brother doesn’t want me to say anything, so how can I tell my family to cool it without spilling the beans?

Name withheld

Dear Name Withheld,

Your brother asked you not to say anything because this is his issue, not yours. He knows the hardest part of this debacle is going back to family members, face-to-face, asking for grace. Not for himself, because as a family member, he understands he gets a pass. It’s the outsider, his unrelated other half he’s pleading a case for. Yep, the one that hurt him. The one that everybody knows, or at least think they know, hurt him.

Indulge me for a minute. This takes me back to a time when I was bad-mouthing my first husband. My Mama was like, ahhh, no, rule #1: What happens in your house, stays in your house, I don’t wanna hear it. I was like whaaat? Really?? You gotta be kidding me. Then she said to me, keep it to yourself until it’s over. You’ll be back on his pillow in the morning and I’ll still be sipping on a glass of wanna kick a – well, you know what I’m sayin, LOL. I was ticked at first, but over time, I totally understood where she was coming from. I stand firm to that same rule with my family members to this day. Some relationships are like beach water, back and forth. One minute they’re breaking up, no making up – throw your hands up – who really knows for sure?

Nonetheless, it happens, this isn’t that unusual at all. So here’s my suggestion of what you can do to help. Like an All-Pro left tackle, safeguard your brother. When the family’s on the sideline having a field day, rooting against his fiancé, you say, “She’s not all bad” (bob ‘n weave, here come the side-eye, LOL). Follow up with “I like her and I hope they get back together.” Whaaaat, you just scored a touchdown! I betcha over time, this, my friend, will set your brother up for win-win. Remind him to take it slow, your Mama’s still sipping on her glass of – you know. Just make sure your bro knows you’ve got his back. That’s the best way you can help him right now. If he and his fi’ decide to weather this storm and get married, Mr. & Mrs. must, under any and all situations, stick to, adhere, follow and abide by rule #1.

Alma

Alma Gill’s newsroom experience spans more than 25 years, including various roles at USA Today, Newsday and the Washington Post. Email questions to: alwaysaskalma@gmail.com. Follow her on Facebook at “Ask Alma” and twitter @almaaskalma.

BJ Penn to be inducted to UFC® HALL of FAME

The final 2015 inductee for the reinvigorated UFC® Hall of Fame will be legendary two-time, two-division UFC world champion BJ Penn. Known as “The Prodigy” throughout his amazing 13-year, 16-10-2 professional mixed martial arts career, Penn takes his place in the Modern Era category of the UFC Hall of Fame.

The Modern Era category recognizes great fighters who turned professional on or after November 17, 2000, when the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) were created and widely adopted. Penn turned professional on May 4, 2001, at UFC 31.

The announcement was made moments ago on the UFC 187 Prelims broadcast on FOX Sports 1. Penn’s formal induction will take place at a gala event on Saturday, July 11, at the UFC Fan Expo®, during the UFC’s annual International Fight Week™ in Las Vegas.

UFC President Dana White said: “It is our honor to induct BJ Penn into the UFC Hall of Fame. He was one of those stars who helped build the UFC. When we bought this company, we were told no-one cared about lightweights. BJ Penn not only made people care, he was one of the biggest draws in UFC history. And what he accomplished inside the Octagon speaks for itself – he is one of only two people to win two UFC titles in two different divisions and he beat a who’s who of his era. He is a legend and a no-brainer for the UFC Hall of Fame.”

Born Jay Dee Penn on December 13, 1978, “Baby Jay” is believed to have earned a legitimate Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt faster than any practitioner of the martial art. He was awarded the honor by André Pederneiras in 2000, aged 20, less than three years after taking his first lesson. Penn validated his black belt status just weeks later, when he became the first American to ever win the black belt division of the World Jiu-Jitsu Championships.

Because of the speed of Penn’s achievements in BJJ, he was dubbed “The Prodigy” – a moniker which he carried into his MMA – and UFC – debut vs Joey Gilbert at UFC 31 on May 4, 2001.

“Nothing personal, I just want the belt,” Penn said after scoring a first round knockout.

The first UFC championship came at welterweight, when he choked out the previously unstoppable Matt Hughes in the opening round of their UFC 46, January 2004, clash. However, Penn never defended the title, spending the next two years competing outside of the UFC organization.

A truly fearless competitor who’s self-belief knew few boarders, Penn defeated both Renzo Gracie and Rodrigo Gracie in middleweight bouts outside of the UFC; he even took a 225lbs Lyoto Machida the distance in a heavyweight fight.

Whether inside or outside the Octagon®, Penn fought the best of the best and his scalp list includes luminaries like Caol Uno, Matt Serra and Takanori Gomi.

But it was his achievements in the UFC lightweight classes that Penn cemented his legacy as one of the very best of all time.

Upon returning to the division in 2007, Penn embarked on a three year reign of terror. He swiftly avenged his first career loss to Jens Pulver before winning the vacant 155lbs title with a one-sided beatdown of Joe Stevenson at UFC 80. In winning the title, Penn became only the second man to hold two UFC titles in two weight divisions. He then defended the belt against former champion Sean Sherk, and surging contenders Kenny Florian and Diego Sanchez in impressive fashion before finally losing the title to Frankie Edgar in 2010.

Along the way Penn also attempted to win back the UFC welterweight title, in a rematch of a very close and controversial fight vs Georges St-Pierre. The UFC 94, January 2009, main event was a rare UFC champion vs UFC champion superfight and one of the biggest fights of the decade.

Penn’s final win came in November 2010, at UFC 123, when he knocked out his great rival turned friend Matt Hughes in 21-seconds, winning their trilogy 2-1. Penn last competed one year ago, losing a somber fight against nemesis Frankie Edgar at International Fight Week 2014.

Now, 12 months later, Penn will be given the send-off his legendary career deserves.

What made Penn a perpetual pound-for-pounder was his unique combination of high-level BJJ, takedown defense, remarkable balance plus his supreme boxing skills. Even the most experience fight commentators marveled at the Hawaiian’s skill set; UFC broadcaster Joe Rogan once opinioned that Penn had more flexibility and dexterity in his legs than most good fighters had in their arms and, in 2008, famed boxing trainer Freddie Roach said Penn was the best boxer in MMA “by far.”

According to FightMetric, the official statistics provider to the UFC, Penn spent a total of 5-hours, 18-minues and 7-seconds in the UFC Octagon, the second most of any UFC fighter. He landed 1,736 strikes in the UFC, the fourth most in organization history, with 1215 of them setting a lightweight division record. He landed with over half of his power shots and his takedown completion rate of 66.7% remains the most accurate in the UFC lightweight division.

Penn joins Pioneer Era inductee Bas Rutten, Fight inductee Matt Hughes vs. Frank Trigg II and Contributor Jeff Blatnick to complete to 2015 UFC Hall of Fame class.

To visit the UFC Hall of Fame fight library – which includes the induction speeches for the first 12 UFC Hall of Famers – go to www.ufc.tv/category/ufc-hall-of-fame-library.

For additional information please visit UFC.com, and follow UFC on Twitter @ufc.

Car Review: 2016 Kia Sorento

— Although it should be sunny by the time you read this, we ran into real world conditions while here to test drive the new 2016 Kia Sorento. Wind gusts were up to 50 mph and sometimes more; precipitation varied between rain and sleet and a bunch of snow was expected that night.

We felt some relief when we were told that Kia had brought all-wheel-drive versions of the 2016 Sorento utility vehicle, front-wheel-drive versions are available. Although we were at altitudes that ranged from 5,000 to 7,000 feet, the roads were not narrow two-lane affairs. Still, driving at those altitudes with not much room for error kept us more alert than usual.

Kia has completely revamped the Sorento. The utility had a longer wheelbase by three-inches; it was slightly wider and a bit lower. Overall, it looked sleeker, the hood looked longer and it looked a lot lower than the one half-inch that Kia said it was.

The front end was more aggressive and narrower, while the tiger grille seemed taller. Its quad diode fog lamps were very distinctive and they are becoming the face of the brand, never mind the grille.

New for the third generation of the Sorento was a turbocharged four-cylinder engine that made 240 horsepower. Thus, there are now three engine choices: a 2.0-liter turbocharged four cylinder engine that made 240 horsepower, a 2.4 liter normally aspirated four-cylinder that made 185 horsepower and the 3.3-liter V6 that made 290 horsepower.

Kia brought the V6 and the four-cylinder turbo. We sampled the turbo first. It ran smoothly, the engine was quiet and the six-speed transmission was sure. The torque was the secret at these altitudes.

The turbo made 260 pound-feet of torque at 1,450 rpm while the V6 that we sampled after lunch made 252 pound-feet of torque at 5,300 rpm. It made a difference. The Sorento’s six cylinder engine, though it made 30 horsepower more than the four-cylinder turbo, worked harder to get up and over the mountains here and the transmission downshifted often searching for gear induced torque.

The turbo on the other hand was a more effortless drive. By adding the four-cylinder equipped with a blower to the lineup, Kia has given the Sorento a model choice for just about any terrain in the U.S.

With the base four-cylinder engine, the Sorento can tow 2,000 pounds, the turbo can pull 3,500 pounds and the V6 can pull 5,000 pounds. The towing figures are for all-wheel-drive version of the utility vehicle.

The ride attributes of both Sorentos here were identical as well they should have been. The suspension had been revised, steering was relatively quick, for a utility vehicle the Sorento was fairly nimble, and a new “H” shaped subframe gave it a solid ride.

Overall, the Sorento was quiet, really quiet. That was surprising since the vehicle sat a bit higher than the average car. We felt the wind gusts more than we heard them. The Sorento was so quiet we kept eyes on the tree limbs and branches to gauge how hard the wind was blowing.

Improved too was the interior of the 2016 Sorento as Kia tries to uplift it into the ranks of premium utility vehicles. Occupants could have a tactile experience with the soft touch surfaces, especially the instrument panel, center console and door panels. The door grips were so soft they felt padded.

The Sorento had a 50-50 folding third row seat that was standard on the V6 and optional of the 2.4-liter four-cylinder. It is not available on the turbo. The second row was a 40-20-40 folding seat and the front row seats were heated and cooled, the second row seats were heated and the front row can have a 14-way power driver seat and an eight-way power passenger seat.

There was a stretch of California 70 East that was lined with wood frame houses, each sitting on a half-acre or more of land that looked like they were populated by a no-nonsense crew of people. This is where we got a chance to test the Sorento’s Clari-Fi audio technology.

It rebuilds sounds that are lost as music is compressed for digital storage. In other words, it will read the sound that is there and reconstruct the sound that got lost. The first application in a motor vehicle, Kia said the sound was cleaner, crisper, wider and more dynamic. We found it to be different and to sound better.

The Sorento’s UVO system continues to be improved. Apps can be downloaded from iTunes and Google Play. Content can include Soundhound, Pandora and iHeart radio. For sure, there was satellite radio, voice controls and features such as local weather, fuel prices and sport scores in our test vehicle. The Sorento, like other contemporary vehicles, can operate as a semi lap top computer on four wheels.

Safety features on our turbo four-cylinder as well as the V6 included an electronic parking brake, smart cruise control, surround view monitor, lane departure warning, forward collision warning, a rearview camera, a backup warning system and Bluetooth.

New does not necessarily mean improved. But in the case of the 2016 Kia Sorento both meanings apply. Prices start at $24,900 and range up to $43,100.

Frank S. Washington is editor of AboutThatCar.com

VIDEO: Indicted ex-FIFA official Jack Warner cites ‘Onion’ article to defend himself

— An embattled former FIFA official has scored a spectacular public relations own-goal by citing an article by satirical news outlet The Onion in an attempt to counter criminal charges against him.

CNN Video

Ex-FIFA official cites ‘Onion’ article in defense

A former FIFA official is ridiculed after citing an article by satirical news outlet The Onion in an attempt to defend himself against criminal charges.

Jack Warner, FIFA’s former vice-president and a member of parliament in Trinidad and Tobago, was among those arrested last week in a U.S.-led investigation into corruption in world football. He was released on bail Thursday and is facing an extradition request from the U.S. government.

In a video statement posted Sunday to his own warnertv.net website and social media accounts, Warner brandished a copy of a bogus news report by the satirical news website as he launched a broadside against the ongoing U.S. Justice Department investigation into alleged bribe-taking and racketeering at football’s governing body.

The faux news report, titled “FIFA Frantically Announces 2015 Summer World Cup in the United States,” jokingly suggested the sporting body had created an alternative tournament to appease U.S. officials.

Warner accused the U.S. of “double standards” for agreeing to host the fictional tournament in cooperation with an organization it had accused of corruption.

“If FIFA is so bad, why is it the U.S.A. wants to keep the FIFA World Cup?” he asks, pointing to a print-out of the report.

He went on to elaborate his theory: “Why is it the U.S. authorities sought to embarrass FIFA in Zurich? Something has to be wrong. I made the point to you over and over that all this… has stemmed from the failed U.S. bid to host the World Cup.”

After Warner’s blunder was ridiculed online, the video was removed from his social media accounts, only to be later replaced with an edited version, shorn of the reference to the Onion article. But a version of the original was reposted by a YouTube user.

Charges denied

Warner, head of Trinidad and Tobago’s Independent Liberal Party, declared his innocence in the wake of last week’s indictments and said in a statement that he had not been interviewed and “the actions of FIFA no longer concern me.”

In May 2011, Warner and fellow FIFA member Mohammed bin Hammam of Qatar were suspended by FIFA’s Ethics Committee, pending the outcome of an investigation of corruption allegations against them.

Warner resigned from his position the following month, and FIFA announced that “all Ethics Committee procedures against him have been closed and the presumption of innocence is maintained.”

On Wednesday, the U.S. Justice Department unsealed information on people who had pleaded guilty to various charges relating to FIFA in recent years.

They included Warner’s sons Daryll, a former FIFA development officer who pleaded guilty in 2013 to two counts related to wire fraud and structuring of financial transactions, and Daryan, who has forfeited $1.1 million as part of his plea and will forfeit an undisclosed sum when he is sentenced for wire fraud conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy and the structuring of financial transactions.

CNN’s Eliott C. McLaughlin and Greg Botelho contributed to this report.

Latimore wins it with walk-off Grand Slam

— Quincy Latimore was the hero for the Baysox Sunday afternoon as his walk-off grand slam with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning propelled the Baysox to a 6-4 win over Harrisburg. It was the Baysox second walk-off grand slam of the season as catcher Chris O’Brien also hit a two-out, pinch-hit, walk-off grand slam against the Senators on May 3.

The Baysox entered the inning trailing 4-1 before loading the bases with no outs against Senators reliever Hector Ambriz to begin the rally. After Brian Dupra entered the game for Harrisburg, Brandon Snyder drove home the first run with a single to left field and two outs later Latimore homered to win the game.

Washington Nationals infielder Anthony Rendon was in Bowie for the day on an MLB Rehab Assignment with the Washington Nationals. As the designated hitter, he went 1-for-4 with a double.

Harrisburg got on the board first in the top of the second inning against Baysox starter Jhonathan Ramos with a two-out rally. With two outs, Shawn Pleffner and Ricky Hague singled and Brian Jeroloman brought both of them home with a double to center field to make the score 2-0.

The Baysox got one run back in the bottom of the third inning against Harrisburg starter Joe Ross. Quincy Latimore was hit-by-a-pitch to lead-off the inning and moved to second base on an Ozzie Martinez sacrifice bunt. With two outs, Glynn Davis brought Latimore home with a single to left field that made the score 2-1.

Adrian Sanchez gave the Senators a 3-1 lead with a solo homer to left field in the top of the fifth inning.

The Senators added another insurance run in the top of the sixth inning. Tony Renda hit a lead-off single to left field and moved to third base when Mario Lisson reached on a fielding error by Martinez at shortstop. Kevin Keyes brought Renda home with a sacrifice fly to center field to give Harrisburg a 4-1 lead.

Ramos threw 5.1 innings and allowed four runs (three earned) on seven hits while striking out one and walking two in the no decision. Making his Baysox debut, Dennis Torres threw 1.2 scoreless innings, striking out two batters. Reliever Ashur Tolliver threw a scoreless eighth inning, allowing one hit and striking out one batter. Also making his Baysox debut, Mikey O’Brien threw a scoreless ninth inning, allowing one hit and striking out one in the win.

Ross took a no decision for Harrisburg despite throwing seven innings and allowing one run on three hits while striking out seven batters. Dupra was tagged with the loss and the blown save though only two of the five runs scored by the Baysox in the ninth inning were his responsibility.

After an off day Monday, the Baysox fly to New Hampshire Tuesday to begin a six day roadtrip that also includes a stop in Portland. The Baysox return home for a six-game homestand on Tuesday, June 9.

VIDEO: O’Malley jumps into presidential race, offers progressive alternative to Clinton

— Martin O’Malley launched his presidential campaign Saturday with an appeal to the party’s progressive base that he hopes will upend the conventional wisdom that Hillary Clinton is destined to clinch the Democratic nomination.

CNN Video

Martin O’Malley announces presidential run

Former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley announces that he is running for President in Baltimore.

The former Maryland governor unveiled his campaign in Baltimore, the city where he was once mayor — a role that is central to his political persona. But his Baltimore credentials could become more of a challenge than he initially thought after a riot erupted in the city in April.

Speaking in rolled-up sleeves, O’Malley began with a call for economic fairness and closing the gap between rich and poor in America.

“This is the urgent work calling us forward today: to rebuild the truth of the American Dream for all Americans,” O’Malley said. “And to begin right now.”

He touched upon last month’s unrest in Baltimore, saying the aftermath of Freddie Gray’s death was about more than race or policing in America, but about “the scourge of hopelessness” in the nation’s cities.

“There is something to be learned from that night, and there is something to be offered to our country from those flames,” he said.

A small group of protesters tried to interrupt his speech, shouting remarks like “black lives matter” and blowing on whistles. As O’Malley discussed the problem of income inequality and concentration of wealth, one protester angrily yelled out: “You did that! It was you!”

But the protesters largely failed to be a disruptive presence at the launch event, where O’Malley’s supporters reacted enthusiastically to his speech.

O’Malley also took a shot at Clinton and Republican Jeb Bush, using an attack on Goldman Sachs to suggest they were too close to Wall Street to be advocates for the less fortunate in America.

“Recently, the CEO of Goldman Saches let his employees know that he’d be just fine with either Bush or Clinton. I bet he would,” O’Malley said. “Well, I’ve got news for the bullies of Wall Street: The presidency is not a crown to be passed back and forth by you between two royal families. It is a sacred trust to be earned from the people of the United States, and exercised on behalf of the people of the United States.”

Taking on Hillary

Perhaps O’Malley’s biggest challenge is finding a way to dent the Clinton political machine while also proving that he’s a competitive candidate in his own right — not just a backup for progressives who would rather see Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts in the White House. A Quinnipiac University poll released this week places Clinton 56 percentage points ahead of O’Malley.

Saturday’s announcement was not a surprise. Over the past year, the 52-year-old traveled repeatedly to the early nominating states of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina to spark voters’ attention to his likely bid.

On the road, O’Malley touts a string of progressive actions he oversaw as governor of Maryland. Under his leadership, the state tightened gun laws, implemented a progressive tax code and legalized same-sex marriage. He also expanded the state’s health care rolls, championed Obamacare and signed a bill raising the state’s minimum wage to $10.10 an hour.

Yet O’Malley found himself defending that Maryland record recently when riots broke out in Baltimore over the death of a 25-year-old African-American man under police custody.

The treatment of Freddie Gray, which sparked a national dialogue about police conduct toward racial minorities, drew renewed scrutiny to the controversial zero-tolerance policing strategy that O’Malley advocated for as mayor — part of an aggressive strategy to crack down on crime.

In an interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper last month, O’Malley declared that Baltimore saw a “record reduction in violent crime” under his watch.

There are “probably now 1,000 mostly young, poor African-American men who did not die violent deaths in our city” because of these policies, O’Malley said.

O’Malley may also face questions about his popularity in his home state. His standing took a hit last year when Maryland voters rejected his handpicked successor in the governor’s race, Democrat Anthony Brown. Brown lost the statehouse to Republican Larry Hogan.

“I can tell you my feelings were hurt,” O’Malley said about the loss. “We had done a lot of really good things in Maryland, and in the end you did not hear much about it during the campaign.”

But he added, “I was not on the ballot.”

A fresh voice for the party

O’Malley is aiming to present himself as a fresh voice for the party — one who speaks for a different generation than Washington heavy hitters such as the 67-year-old Clinton. The former governor plays guitar in his Celtic rock band O’Malley’s March, and at some gigs he has occasionally bared his biceps in sleeveless shirts.

Beyond Clinton and O’Malley, Bernie Sanders is the only other Democrat who has announced a 2016 presidential bid. Sanders is also popular among liberals and garnered 15% in the Quinnipiac poll.

O’Malley has remained optimistic about his own prospects, telling CNN in March he could turn around his low numbers by outworking the competition.

“When you start off as potential candidate for president and your name recognition is low, you have to just go from county to county, from town to town and engage people in order to change that around,” O’Malley said then. “I guess another way to say it is this: Look, it is not unusual for there to be an inevitable frontrunner early in a contest who has fantastic name recognition, and is therefore inevitable right up until he or she is no longer inevitable.”

CNN’s Dan Merica contributed to this report.

Racist Dr. Seuss drawing up for auction

— A California auction house is selling an early drawing by Dr. Seuss that’s sure to disappoint the parents and children who adore his later work.

The 1929 color illustration for “Judge” magazine depicts a blatantly racist scenario and uses a slur to describe black people. It’s being auctioned for a minimum bid of $20,000.

In the four-panel drawing titled ”Cross-Section of The World’s Most Prosperous Department Store,” the artist depicts scenarios in which rich men can purchase items to make their lives more difficult.

These include a fly for your ointment and a monkey wrench for your machinery. The final and largest panel features a crowd of men rendered in classic blackface caricature, with dark skin and pronounced red lips, being presented to a white shopper. A sign reads: “A n—- for your woodpile.”

Merriam-Webster’s dictionary defines the expression “A n—- for your woodpile” as “dated now offensive: something (as a concealed motive or obscure factor) contrary to appearances in a situation.”

A request for comment from Seuss’ publisher has not yet been answered. Bill Dreyer, the director and curator of The Art of Dr. Seuss, declined to comment.

Dr. Seuss, whose real name was Theodor Seuss Geisel, was 25 when the illustration was created. He would begin publishing his popular children’s books eight years later.

The Nate D. Sanders Fine Autographs and Memorabilia website states that the illustration contains “shockingly racist content.” As of 4 p.m. Pacific Time the drawing had no bids listed, though a representative said the item has drawn plenty of interest and is expected to sell. Bidding was to end end at 5 p.m. PT on Thursday.

The auction house will not reveal the seller or the buyer unless given permission.

Dr. Seuss’ history of creating offensive caricatures isn’t a secret.

His World War II depictions of Japanese people have drawn criticism for their portrayal of stereotypical physical features and behaviors. The National Education Association’s Asian Pacific Islander caucus objected to the use of Dr. Seuss as the figurehead for the “Read Across America” campaign in 2003.

Seuss went on to create children’s books such as “Horton Hears a Who!” and “The Sneetches” that espouse messages of tolerance, which some have interpreted as an apology for his WWII propaganda.

People who grew up clinging to Dr. Seuss’ wise words and singular artwork took to social media in light of the recently uncovered cartoon to express their disillusionment.

“Nooooooo!!! Not Dr Seuss?!?! Childhood retroactively blown…” wrote actress Gabrielle Union on Twitter.

Seuss, who died in 1991, is still releasing work posthumously, with his latest title coming out this summer. “What Pet Should I Get?” debuts July 28 and will be the first new, original Dr. Seuss book since “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” in 1990.

The-CNN-Wire

™ & © 2015 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.

Reginald F. Lewis Museum 10th Anniversary Month: Celebration includes Music, Dance, Awards to Educators and Open House June 18 – 25, 2015

— In June 2015, the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture turns 10 and celebrates the milestone throughout the month with music, dance and a focus on its core service of education. The museum was founded on June 25, 2005. Anniversary events take place from June 18 through 25, commemorating the founding date with a spirit of celebration and purpose:

A Night with Maysa

Special 10th Anniversary Concert

Thursday, June 18, 7:00 p.m. (Doors open at 6:00 p.m.)

In line with the museum’s mission to promote Maryland African American culture makers, Baltimore-born songstress Maysa provides a 10th anniversary performance. Her album Blue Velvet Soul was nominated for a Grammy in seven categories. She has sung in Stevie Wonder’s backup band and has appeared on Spike Lee’s Jungle Fever soundtrack. Maysa has toured as a solo artist and internationally with Incognito. Tickets are available for $35-45. Museum member discounts available.

For more information: http://bit.ly/1FqF7Cu

Dance Theatre of Harlem Performance

Co-presented with Murphy Fine Arts Center at Morgan State University

Saturday, June 20, 8:00 p.m.

Arthur Mitchell founded the Dance Theatre of Harlem in response to the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., to ignite positive social change. Its purpose is still poignantly relevant today. The company shares a connection with Maryland. Ballet Master Keith Saunders is from Baltimore and three current members hail from the free state. This performance is in conjunction with the museum’s current exhibition Dance Theatre of Harlem: 40 Years of Firsts. Tickets are available for $40-52. Museum members may purchase $60 package for performance and a reception with the dancers.

For more information: http://bit.ly/1JE7ZKu

Celebrating Educators of an African American Journey

Thursday, June 25, 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.

The museum presents a program to recognize the individuals who conceived, developed and implemented the curriculum An African American Journey: A Resource for Learning the History of African Americans in Maryland and the United States. The curriculum, a teacher’s resource guide for grades 4-12, provides educational lessons and activities about African American history as a vital and integral part of American history. It is the result of a unique partnership between the museum and the Maryland State Department of Education. The recognition program includes living history performances and musical performances by the Western High School Concert Choir and the Dunbar Jazz Ensemble.

For more information: http://bit.ly/1FFdKYB

10th Birthday Open House

Free admission

Thursday, June 25, 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

In celebration of the museum’s 10th birthday on June 25, 2015, free admission is offered all day with a birthday cake served at noon.