Category: news/local

Phildelphia— Comcast Corporation announced that Dalila Wilson-Scott has been promoted to Executive Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer of Comcast Corporation, reporting to Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Brian L. Roberts.

Wilson-Scott will oversee all Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion activities for the corporation. She will also continue to lead the Comcast NBCUniversal Foundation and the company’s community impact work.

“Dalila is a fantastic leader and passionate advocate and supporter of our corporate social responsibility efforts, which have been at the heart of our company for decades,” said Roberts. “In her new role, she will build on our strong foundation, partnering with leadership teams across our organization to continue to make our company and culture more inclusive, and to help us drive substantive change.”

Since joining Comcast, Wilson-Scott has led the Comcast NBCUniversal Foundation and community impact work and will continue to spearhead our charitable giving and philanthropic strategy, including Comcast NBCUniversal’s $100 million commitment to advance social justice and equality. Wilson-Scott also has been deeply involved in the company’s digital equity efforts. She will continue to be instrumental in helping identify and build partnerships with organizations to provide the skills training and resources needed for under-resourced communities to succeed in an increasingly digital world.

Prior to joining Comcast, Wilson-Scott spent over 16 years at JPMorgan Chase, where she served as Head of Global Philanthropy and President of the JPMorgan Chase Foundation. In this role, she led the firm’s corporate social responsibility strategy, philanthropic initiatives, and employee engagement and volunteerism, while helping to set the company’s overall corporate responsibility strategy. Prior to joining the Office of Corporate Responsibility, she served in the firm’s Corporate Merger Office as an integral member of the team managing the integration of JPMorgan Chase and Bank One.

In addition to serving on the boards of Welcome America, Inc. and Box.org, Wilson-Scott is a member of the Executive Leadership Council. She previously served as a member of the Committee for Economic Development and the Advisory Council of My Brother’s Keeper Alliance. She has been named one of the “Most Powerful Women in Cable” by Cablefax Magazine, one of the “Most Powerful Women in Business” by Black Enterprise, and an “Innovative Rising Star: Building Communities” by Forbes. She has been a featured speaker at several forums highlighting impact and innovation in philanthropy, including at the Aspen Ideas Festival, Social Innovation Summit, USC Center on Philanthropy and Public Policy, and the Women’s Philanthropy Institute’s Annual Symposium.

Wilson-Scott earned an MBA in Finance and Management from New York University’s Leonard N. Stern School of Business and a B.A. in Economics from New York University’s College of Arts and Science.

Monday night’s contest against the Kansas City Chiefs was supposed to be a coming out party for the Baltimore Ravens. They welcomed the defending Super Bowl Champions to M&T Bank Stadium for a clash of top teams on the AFC.

The Chiefs came out firing on all cylinders, putting 27 points on the board in the first half and won the game 34-20. Patrick Mahomes led an orchestrated attack that had Baltimore’s defense on their heels for most of the game.

“We got beat just about every way you can get beat, and we understand that. We have a long way to go to get better. This will be a beginning for us,” Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said. “We just have to take this situation as we find it and find our way through it and build as a football team.”

The Ravens have to regroup quickly as they get ready to play the Washington Football Team on Sunday. The players were back in the team facility on Tuesday to dissect the frustrating loss and move forward. Veteran defensive lineman Calais Campbell said he will apply the 24-hour rule to the loss just the same as he does to wins.“You have 24 hours to grieve or celebrate. Then you study the film and move on,” Campbell said after the game.

The convincing loss would send a weak team on a downward spiral. The Ravens are determined not to let it snowball into a losing streak. No player is ever happy with a loss, but veteran defensive back Jimmy Smith is making the best of the situation.

“I’m not discouraged. I don’t think we’re discouraged at all. I think the good thing about playing a team like that—that is just hitting on all cylinders right now—is they can show you where we’re weak at, and they did. So, we get the chance to go back and fix it. So, I don’t think our team is discouraged by any means. I think it’s just an opportunity to go see what happened, look at it, fix it up, tweak some things, maybe add some new things and go out and play,” Smith said.

“Get back in the book get right back to the grind. You don’t want to sit and sulk. You don’t sit and sulk about anything in life; it’ll just weigh on you too much. Just get in there and correct it. Let’s fix it, because we have a game in six days, so we don’t have time to sit there and sulk about anything.”

Baltimore is 0-3 against the Chiefs with Lamar Jackson as quarterback. Jackson called Kansas City his kryptonite after the lopsided loss in which he finished with 97 passing yards.

The Ravens still sit on top of the AFC North with a 2-1 record and they still have one of the leagues top-rated defenses. It’s not time to throw in the towel.

Baltimore has to shift focus to the next game in front of them and take steps each week of the season to lone themselves up with a rematch against the Chiefs in the playoffs. Tight end Nick Boyle who scored a touchdown on Monday firmly believes the Ravens will bounce back.

“I’m not worried,” Boyle noted. “Because I know what kind of people that are in this locker room. I know the relationships we have, and I think that will carry us forward. It will drive us to do better and hold each other accountable.”

The Community Action Agency of Anne Arundel County has appointed Dr. Lenny Howard as the agency’s Director of Youth Development Services.

The agency’s CEO, Dr. Charlestine Fairley, says Dr. Howard brings vast experience in helping youth and young adults achieve academic goals, learn coping strategies for social and emotional management, build life skills, and foster character development.

Noting Dr. Howard’s previous stints as a school counselor and principal, executive coach and mental health counselor, and his career as a college administrator and professor, Dr. Fairley said the new appointee is the right person for the job.

“Dr. Howard has a demonstrated passion for helping young people achieve success,” Dr. Fairley stated in a news release.

The anti-poverty agency for all of Anne Arundel County, the nonprofit Community Action Agency began in 1965 and serves more than 10,000 county residents each year.

In 1968, the agency was designated the anti-poverty agency by the Anne Arundel County Council. It serves local residents through its programs developed to offer homelessness prevention, free mental health services for children and their families, Early Head Start for pregnant women and infants and toddlers, Maryland Energy Assistance, and programs to prepare youth for education success and workforce preparation.

The agency’s mission is to empower people in reducing poverty and building resilient communities. Its vision includes being recognized as the leader in addressing poverty and improving the quality of life in Anne Arundel County communities.

“Dr. Howard is providing full-time direction and leadership to the Agency’s comprehensive treatment, prevention, and education services for youth,” the agency said in the news release.“He will oversee the addition of new and innovative programming developed to help youth navigate the challenges they face.”

The Community Action Agency’s Youth Development Services has been serving children and youth, ages five to 24, since 1972. The Agency’s Youth Development Services office is located at the Stanton Center, at 92 West Washington Street in Annapolis.

“Dr. Howard is the right person to guide Youth Development Services as we expand our programming to benefit children and youth living in Anne Arundel County,” Dr. Fairley said.

WORLD Channel recently hosted a virtual discussion, screening, and Q&A with filmmaker Stanley Nelson and Madame C.J. Walker biographer, A’lelia Bundles. The host of WORLD Channel’s Local USA, Tina Martin, led the Q&A and discussion of Nelson’s timeless 1981 documentary on Madame C.J. Walker’s life, “Two Dollars And A Dream,” now streaming on WORLD’s YouTube channel.

Walker has become more popular as a historical figure over the past decade; known to many as the woman who pioneered the Black hair care industry.

The film showcases the promotional slides Walker used to market her products, clips of marketing films made by the Walker company, interviews with former employees, and rare archival photos including those of her palatial estate in New York, and of Walker with luminaries such as Booker T Washington and WEB DuBois, further broadening understanding of all Walker was and did.

Nelson made “Two Dollars And A Dream” when very few were aware of Walker’s contributions to American business. His friendship with Bundles goes all the way back to the making of the film. Bundles revealed during the discussion that she helped do the audio for some of the interviews.

Much of the discussion focused on the 2020 Netflix limited series, “Self Made,” about Walker’s life, starring Octavia Spencer; with Bundles and Nelson parsing what the series got right and what it didn’t. Bundles lauded Ocatvia Spencer’s depiction enthusing, “I thought Octavia Spencer was perfectly cast as Madame Walker. Every time she came on screen, I could see the pages of my book coming alive.” Bundles also expressed her pleasure at the show’s depiction of successful early twentieth century Blacks. “I think there are a lot of people, both Black and white, who don’t know anything about that. They don’t know that there were prosperous, educated Black people back then.”

Because the public is still just learning about Walker, however, there are things, Bundles feels could have been done differently. “It’s one thing if you’re George Washington or Marilyn Monroe and there are 52 films out there about you, you can take more creative license. But with a first pass, it’s helpful if we don’t distort people too much.”

Bundles would also have preferred that Walker’s romantic relationships reflected reality more. In “Self Made,” Walker’s daughter A’lelia (played by Tiffany Haddish) had a relationship with a woman named Esther. “Esther was not a real person,” explained Bundles. “A’lelia Walker’s real life conflict was over two men, both of them doctors and both of whom she married.”

FB Ransom, played by Kevin Carroll, was also overly distorted. Ransom worked at The Walker Company from 1910 until it dissolved in the 1940s. He oversaw many developments including the Walker Building in Indianapolis, a precursor to the modern day shopping mall. Ransom, who is also Nelson’s grandfather, Bundles shared, “was a much stronger character and was really a straight arrow. As a young man he made an oath to never drink, smoke, or gamble.”

She explained she has voiced her concerns during the series’ development. “I objected very strongly to the way that they depicted Ransom. He was central to the day to day operations of the business. It was made to seem as if he, or a Black business, would do something illegal. That didn’t happen.”

To this Nelson added, “That generation coming out of enslavement, were strivers. They believed that if you walked the straight and narrow, and you strove and pushed, good things would happen. There were Blacks who might have gone to juke joints but the ones associated with the company, were very strict.”

Bundles also found the handling of the Madame C.J. Walker and Addie Munro relationship problematic. She admitted that the two businesswomen became adversaries. However, she clarified that the colorist dynamic applied to the Addie Munro character was totally fabricated. “I would not have done the Addie Munro character,” Bundles stated. “She was a stand-in for Annie Maloney, who was a successful entrepreneur and philanthropist who didn’t have a colorism issue.”

Perhaps the most exciting reveal was that Bundles is working on a new book. “There’s a lot I’ve learned in the past ten years. There’s certainly more than Stanley knew when he was making “Two Dollars and A Dream,” so we have more dimensions for the A’lelia Walker story and I’m really eager to tell that story.”

In wanting to move towards more in- clusiveness, Hotel Revival threw out the reel hoping to hook a big catch. They got one – Jason Bass.

An award-winning entrepreneur, Bass is co-founder of “The Night Brunch,” a group that coordinates monthly gather- ings for the community at different restaurants in Baltimore City. He is former CEO of the Baltimore-based Treason Toting Company. Bass’s work and mission is centered around Baltimore and its people, and has earned him a reputation as one of the area’s most talented businessman.

Bass, 40, recently joined Hotel Revival as its first Director of Culture and Impact. In his new post, Bass will build brand loyalty through engaging the community, guests, neighbors, and partners and curating cultural programming and events at the hotel and its food and beverage establishments. In addition, he will coordinate and lead an employee en- gagement program where employees are presented with regular opportunities to volunteer and be involved with the community.

“I am responsible for a bit of the internal culture, but connecting the company with the community and developing a stronger relationship between the two,” said Bass. “I am doing that through partnerships and relationships that may have pre-existed, but were not nurtured. I am looking at those, amplifying them, and looking at new opportunities. The goal is to make the hotel as inclusive and diverse as possible.”

Hotel Revival is a 107-room, 14-story boutique hotel located at 101 West Monument Street, in Baltimore’s historic Mount Vernon neighborhood. Since 2019, Bass had been serving in a con- sultant role.

“I am humbled and very appreciative,” said Bass. “Working with Hotel Revival in a consulting capacity was just one step, but for it to go in this direction so quickly and during a pandemic and looming recession is amazing. I am full of gratitude for the opportunity.” At his most recent venture, Kiss Tomorrow Hello, a marketing and events agency, Bass worked with brands including Hotel Revival, to culminate impactful and impressionable events by identifying key audiences and coordinating partnerships.

“What sold me was that Donte Johnson, General Manager of Hotel Revival, had a vision of creating commerce-free spaces,” said Bass. “He wanted to get people to interact in the space, but not have it limited to just hotel guests. He wanted it open to the community. I had never really seen hotels attempt to do that. I thought commerce-free space was a great concept. No one is pressuring you to purchase anything. All you have to do is enjoy the space, be inspired, and do your work.” Johnson talked about the ‘Bass’ Hotel Revival caught.

“Inclusivity and community are two leading values that have been and are engrained in who we are as a brand and what we are continually striving to accomplish,” said Johnson. “Jason has spearheaded a number of successful, inclusive, community-focused efforts at the hotel, including our weekly lunch and produce distributions that we started at the beginning of the pandemic, as well as several in-person and virtual events and conversations surrounding timely topics. His creativity, connections and character are an asset to Baltimore, and we feel fortunate to have him as part of our family.”

The property offers four event spaces, and embraces Mount Vernon’s notable history of art and culture by featuring an extensive array of local artists and artisans. It also embodies Baltimore by showcasing local products, the city’s history, and native cuisine.

“Donte Johnson and the supporting staff are incredible,” said Bass, also highlighting the efforts of Yoga instructor Justin Timothy Temple, and deejays Sean Johnson and Jason Medina who he said have provided services free of charge to support the hotel’s outreach services.

He added, “Michael Haskins of Currency Studios designed our Revival community t-shirts, and Bashir Joba did the coloring books for us to help people cope with COVID-19 that could be downloaded online.”

In addition to Joba, Bass said companies have donated produce and other goods to support the hotel in its COVID- 19 relief efforts. The Baltimore native talked about what the name of the hotel conveys.

“Hotel Revival is poetic and also speaks to what we are taking on in the community,” said Bass. “The definition of revival deals with improving the con- dition or strength of something. With COVID-19, we have come into a time when the entire world is being impacted in the areas of health and wellness. We are in a city that has been known to deal with tough issues in the past. We want to revive and help restore the hope that has been lost over the years.” He added, “I want to continue to do my best and be a gate opener, not a gate keeper and continue to be involved in the community whenever possible.”

courtesy Photo

Located at 101 West Monument Street in Mount Vernon, Hotel Revival offers beautiful, cozy ‘commerce-free’ space that can also be utilized by the community.

Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service (MVLS), the largest provider of probono civil legal services to Marylanders in need, and the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) created the “ My Home, My Deed, My Legacy” program to help Marylanders experiencing financial hardships understand the importance of estate planning and ways to ensure their one wealth-building asset— their home— can pass to future generations.

MVLS’s remote “My Home, My Deed, My Legacy” clinic will be conducted via telephone on Tuesday, August 18, 2020 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. to help homeowners:

*Confirm their name is on the deed to their home

*Create estate plans

*Identify structures for avoiding pro- bate

*Navigate estate administration issues

Volunteer and staff attorneys will provide full representation for estate planning and other deed-related issues. This virtual clinic is produced in collaboration with Fight Blight Bmore, Parity Homes and Robinson Group.

Pre-registration is required. To register for free, contact John Kern at jkern@mvlslaw.org or call 443-451- 4082.

Maryland residents have access to estate planning resources, including online information (www.myhomemydeed.org), a “Homeowner” hotline 443-451-4066 and support from volunteer and staff attorneys through clinics.

Annapolis— Governor Larry Hogan announced that based on the state’s data-driven approach, the expansion of the statewide masking order and a public health advisory for all out-of-state travel. The governor also unveiled contact trac- ing data showing that family gatherings are the most common high-risk gathering and working outside the home is the most common high-risk location for COVID- 19.

“We find ourselves at a fork in the road— a critical turning point where we could either continue making progress and continue heading in the right direc- tion, or we could ignore the warnings and spike back up like much of the rest of the country,” said Governor Hogan. “We are doing much better on our health metrics than most of the rest of the country, and we are doing much better on our economic recovery than most of the rest of the country, and we want to do what it takes to keep it that way. We have come too far together to lose the progress that we have made on the road to health and economic recovery here in Maryland.” Expanded Masking Order— With the unanimous support of the Maryland Coronavirus Recovery Team, Governor Hogan is expanding the statewide mask- ing order.

Under this order, which takes effect Friday, July 31 at 5 p.m., all Marylanders over the age of five are required to wear face coverings in the public spaces of all businesses across the state.

Face coverings will also be required in outdoor public areas, whenever it is not possible to maintain physical distancing.

Out-of-State Travel Advisory— Gov- ernor Hogan has directed the Maryland Department of Health (MDH) to issue a public health advisory for out-of-state travel. Under this advisory, Marylanders are strongly advised against traveling to states with positivity rates of 10 percent or higher. Anyone traveling from these states should get tested and self-quaran- tine while awaiting results.

Marylanders are advised to postpone or cancel travel to these areas until their positivity rates decline. As of July 29, this advisory applies to Florida, Texas, Georgia, Louisiana, Arizona, Alabama, South Carolina, Nebraska, and Idaho.

Those living in our nation’s poor and minority communities have historically gone undercounted in the U.S. Census. For instance, nearly one million Black Americans went uncounted nationwide in the 2010 Census.

Fortunately, there’s an easy step you can take that will go a long way towards ensur- ing everyone in our communities gets the representation and resources they deserve. By completing the 2020 census questionnaire— online, over the phone, or by mail— you can add your voice to the conversation and make yourself and your family heard. Here are five ways your census response will help you and your fellow Americans.

1. It advances racial equity— In recent months, millions have taken to the streets to call for racial equity and justice. These protests have helped amplify the voices of under- served communities. But real change will only take place when these demands become public policy. For that to happen, our government needs to see you. And that can only happen if you stand up to be counted. The racial inequities that undermine our nation can never be addressed unless you fill out the census and join the fight for social justice.

2. It directs funding to programs that save lives— As the COVID-19 outbreak continues to ravage the country, it’s critical that we direct our emergency resources to those who need them the most. Black and Latinx Americans are disproportionately impacted by the virus and are twice as likely to die from COVID-19. Wealth also factors into the survivability of COVID-19. Adults with an annual household income below $15,000 are nearly 15 percent more likely to contract a serious illness follow- ing infection compared to those with annual incomes over $50,000. Your census response helps essential workers identify at-risk communities and directs resources to these vulnerable populations.

The coronavirus won’t be the last time certain communities are disproportionately impacted by a natural disaster. Accurate census data will prepare first responders, nonprofit relief organizations, and government officials to respond to future crises.

1. It funds everything from public housing to school breakfasts— This year’s census will determine how trillions of dollars in federal spending are allocated over the next decade. In 2017 alone, over 300 federal programs relied on 2010 census data to allocate $1.5 trillion of funds. That money pays for everything from public hous- ing to school breakfast programs, new roads to trash and recycling schedules. Federal dollars won’t reach the communities that need them most unless the govern- ment has a precise picture of your local population. You must paint that picture by letting them know you are there.

2. It ensures fair political representation— Ever wonder why Ohio has 16 seats in the House of Representatives, while Georgia has only 14? The number of repre- sentatives a state gets increases with its population— and the census determines its population. You pay taxes, right? Well, don’t you want to be fairly represented?

The results of the 2020 census will shape the Congressional map for the next decade. If you want a Congress that represents your community and serves your interests, make sure the government accounts for you and your family.

1. It creates jobs— Census data doesn’t just help government officials. Businesses consult the census when making hiring and payroll decisions, or where to locate a new office, or when determining how best to serve their communities.

For instance, understanding the demographic of a particular neighborhood can help a local grocer determine which items to stock. This knowledge helps her business grow and creates jobs in your neighborhood, while delivering needed items to the marketplace.

At United Way, we fight for every person in every community to be seen and heard. But we can’t do it alone. Join us and help stand up for your community by being counted. You have until October 31st to fill out the 2020 U.S. census. Change doesn’t happen without you.

Suzanne McCormick is U.S. President of United Way.

I had the distinct honor and privilege to speak with the late Honorable United States Congressman John Lewis. The date was October 5, 1992— I was one of seven honorees to receive an award, “A Salute to Perseverance,” at which time, the Congressman was an honoree. My fondest memory was during the reception, Congressman Lewis recognized my accent and proceeded to ask me, “What island are you from?” I said the Island of Antigua in the Caribbean.

He further asked, “You live in Baltimore?” I said “Yes,” and he then mentioned, “I have some friends in Baltimore,Parren Mitchell and State Senator Clarence Mitchell, do you know them?” I told him that in 1976, I started my community involvement in Congressman Parren’s office as a volunteer. The gist of that conversation resonated in my mind 28 years later— he appeared to be in awe of me. He then said in an admirable tone of voice, “You understand the struggle.” Since then, every time that I saw him on television, those words always echoed in my thoughts.Rest in eternal peace, “warrior United States Congressman John Lewis.”

Courtesy Photo

Jet Magazine

It is unlikely to find a longtime Annapolitan who has never met, seen or heard of an Annapolis legend named Carlester “Buckwheat” Smith. According to sightings, which span decades, Smith stayed armed with a constant supply of plastic bags and a fast walk.

Smith had a disability which did not did stop him from faithfully appearing to pick up trash on West Street. The “Walking Man” didn’t just keep the city debris-free, he also inspired people to smile and feel upbeat. Although illness now prevents Smith from continuing his environmentally conscious tradition, fans can now view a representation of his cheerful face on a mural located at Pinkey’s West Street Liquors at 1100 West Street.

Even though many murals have been popping up in public places all over Annapolis—paying homage to individuals such as Breonna Taylor and George Floyd— this particular artistic representation differs because Smith’s mural is not tied to police brutality.

  Kevin Lebling, who is also known by the stage name, “Hurricane Kevin,” performs blues and folk-oriented music, while singing and playing the guitar and harmonica. On June 22, 2020, the experienced musician hosted a virtual Facebook benefit concert for Smith called “Walk With Me.”

Lebling says he met Smith in the late seventies and described him as “a beautifully-spirited guy.” Musicians volunteered to perform, during the five-hour live streamed fundraiser. An overwhelming number of Smith’s fans thanked “The Walking Man” for his work and inspiration. Lebling estimated that thousands of supporters stepped up to contribute to Smith’s mural. Lebling added that a core group of six individuals led the charge to do something for Smith, after the question was posed online, about Smith’s whereabouts.

Courtesy Photo/Brian White

Comacell Brown, Jr. remembered seeing Carlester “Buckwheat” Smith, picking up trash, when he was a child. He along with other artists had the opportunity to lead the charge to celebrate the Annapolis icon by painting a mural, which was completed on July 12, 2020.

  “We were able to raise over $5,000, just from that (online music) show, and people continued to contribute,” Lebling said, explaining that musicians volunteered to raise money to cover expenses related to creating the mural and producing the show. “One of the real main points of this project— and it is over and about Buckwheat— but it brings the community together. We are seeing all of these murals of people, who were murdered, but with this one, Carlester is still alive, and we’re celebrating him because of his smile, because of the way he did what Cal Ripken did. He showed up to work everyday. He brightened people’s lives, and I think he brought the community, which is a diverse community, I think he brings us all a little more together.”

Lebling added that although Smith’s in-person presence is missed, people will still have the joy of seeing his likeness on West Street.

Comacell Brown, Jr. is the mural’s lead artist who brought the vision to life, along with other artists. Brown, who is the owner of Cell Spitfire Paintings and Designs, LLC, came up with the art work which was approved by Smith’s family.

  Brown explained that the creation of the mural was sparked after someone posting an inquiry on Facebook— had anyone seen Smith? A family member of eSmith responded that he was no longer able to get around, due to a back problems and failing health. A collective idea to do something to honor Smith emerged. Brown, also a teaching artist got to work.

  “It (painting the mural) was important to me, because he (Smith) was a legend in my eyes for all of the work that he continuously did day in and day out in Annapolis,” Brown said. “And, he was also one of the rare people who could connect black and white people together, through his hard work, with no bias. You really saw that [while] painting the mural, and hearing the stories— I think that he was pivotal in Annapolis.”

  Brown has been a part of six local mural projects. Over 75 people suggested that he should be the one to lead the mural project of Smith.

The artist said that Smith’s family reached out to him and said that they would be honored if he painted the mural.

The masterpiece was painted July 11-12, 2020. Now, an artistic representation allows individuals who still love Annapolis’s special hometown hero to celebrate fond memories.

  “I believe the mural is very important for people who didn’t get a chance to say their goodbyes, being that he is not able to come out anymore,” Brown said. “It gives that same drive and happiness to see this mural of him, right on the same street where they were introduced to him…”

  Funds are still being raised for two more murals and Smith’s care. For more information or updates or to make a donation, visit https://www.facebook.com/CarlesterSmithAnnapolis.