(Washington, DC) — President Biden is canceling some federal student loan debt. Speaking at the White House, Biden noted college costs have gone up significantly in recent years. He said student loans have led to “unsustainable debt” for too many Americans. The forgiveness offers ten-thousand dollars of debt relief for those earning less than 125-thousand dollars per year.
Those who went to college on low-income Pell Grants qualify for 20-thousand dollars of debt relief on federal student loans. Biden is also extending the pause on federal student loan payments through the end of the year. He noted this will be the final pause in the payments, first implemented due to the COVID economic crisis.
More ways for you to enjoy some good entertainment and support the Arts. The Dance Institute of Washington has a great performance of “Encore” this evening and there’s still time for you to get in. My guest is Kahina Haynes – Executive Director of Dance Institute of Washington
Dance Institute of Washington “Encore” at the Hillwood Estate Museum and Gardens is August 24thfrom 5:30pm to 8:30pm. For more information go here:
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Seventeen years ago, Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans. It was particularly damaging to the Black community there. Most impacted may have been the children. “Katrina Babies”, a new documentary gives voice to those children, now adults, about what happened then and how they are still impacted by the aftermath of the storm.
Edward Buckles, Jr., Filmmaker, “Katrina Babies”
Prosecutors in Georgia say two officers accused of murdering a Black man during a traffic stop in 2020 had reasonable cause. Rayshard Brooks fell asleep in the drive thru of a Wendy’s in Atlanta. When officers arrived, the situation led to Brooks resisting arrest, which resulted in Officer Garrett Rolfe shooting and killing Brooks. Prosecutor Pete Skandalakis said Officer Rolfe and Officer Devin Brosnan acted in the best way they could and were protecting themselves from harm. Skandalakis said the decision to not charge the officers is “the right one.”
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A former Louisville police detective who helped write the warrant that led to the deadly police raid at Breonna Taylor’s apartment has pleaded guilty to a federal conspiracy charge.
Federal investigators said Kelly Goodlett added a false line to the warrant and later conspired with another detective to create a cover story when Taylor’s March 13, 2020, shooting death by police began gaining national attention.
Taylor, a 26-year-old Black woman, was shot to death by officers who knocked down her door while executing a drug search warrant. Taylor’s boyfriend fired a shot that hit one of the officers as they came through the door and they returned fire, striking Taylor multiple times.
Goodlett, 35, appeared in a federal courtroom in Louisville on Tuesday afternoon and admitted to conspiring with another Louisville police officer to falsify the warrant.
This morning we are spreading awareness about the seriousness of addiction and the impact on those experiencing homeless. My guest today runs an organization addressing the issue of addiction and mental health on the homeless population. My guest is Andre Gore – Executive Director of 14-41 Inc.
It’s called the Pan African Family Reunion. The event this Saturday in Prince George’s County is billed as “Connecting to God and One Another”. But does this family-friendly event suggest deeper, more serious issues, maybe even divisions within the African and African American community in our area?
(Germantown, MD) — The slow and tedious process of recounting the ballots in the Montgomery County Primary for County Executive continues. While a slim majority separates Incumbent Democrat Marc Elrich from his Democratic challenger David Blair, the process started over the weekend at the Germantown Community Center gym. The first day of the recount turned up a possible mistake which is expected to slow the recount down. Elrich’s 42 vote lead has been narrowed to 35 votes in the recount. The weekend problem centers on placing counted ballots in an incorrect pile of ballots. Election officials say they do not believe the incident was intentional.
Get ready for a hand clapping – foot stomping good time. The 39thAnnual KanKouran National African Dance and World Music event is coming up and I have the details. My guest is Eurica Huggins – KanKouran West African Dance Company
KanKouran 39thAnnual National African Dance and World Music Labor Day Weekend is September 2nd– 4th
It’s bold, beautiful and it’s back! The Ubiquitous Women’s Expo, “Unmasking The Possibilities” is coming to the Washington Convention Center… starting one week from today and through the weekend. It’s a head to toe, inside and out event for women.
The search for a suspect in the deadly shooting at the Mall at Prince George’s continues. 20-year-old Darrion Herring of Hyattsville was shot to death inside the food court around 4:00 PM. The sound of gunfire found shoppers running for the nearest exits to avoid the scene. Police say they believe the incident was not a random act and that there was never an active threat to the public. There is no immediate word on what sparked the shooting. Prince George’s County Police have released a photograph of person they believe may have been involved. Investigators are trying to identify him.
(Los Angeles, CA) — Vanessa Bryant is taking the stand in her lawsuit against Los Angeles County. Bryant says she’s still suffering from panic attacks after losing her husband, basketball star Kobe Bryant, and their daughter in a helicopter crash. She and Chris Chester are suing the county for millions of dollars over photos taken at the crash site. Bryant is accusing first responders of invasion of privacy after she claims they took cellphone pictures of human remains from the scene to share with the public. The defense was set to start presenting its case today.
Connecting communities together. The Pan African Family Reunion is coming up and it will be a day filled with cultural exhibits, music, displays, and fun for the kids. My guest is Reverend John Weaver – Pastor at Mt Nebo AME Church in Bowie and Leader of the Pan African Collective
The Pan African Family Reunion is Saturday, August 27thfrom 12pm to 4pm at Greater Mt. Nebo AME Church in Bowie Maryland. For more information go here:
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They say love don’t cost a thing but dating certainly does. The swelling inflation of 2022 is putting a damper on the affordability of courting. (Are we still using that term?)
Everything is costing more this year and taking your heart’s desire out on the town is no exception. If you’re the one paying for dates, are they becoming more difficult to afford?
(Cleveland, OH) — The NFL and its players association are in agreement on an eleven-game suspension for Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson. He was suspended for six games by a retired judge for violations of the NFL personal conduct policy related to sexual misconduct or assault allegations made by many women. He’ll be fined five-million-dollars for violating the league’s policy on top of the eleven games he’ll be forced to sit out. This comes after Watson reportedly settled with 23 of the women bringing allegations against him in recent months. The star QB will be eligible to return during week 13 against his former team, the Houston Texans.
Have you looked around your home lately and realized it needs some sprucing up or maybe some serious attention? I have details this morning on a one-stop-shop event for everything inside and outside your home. It’s the Annual Great Big Home Show in Waldorf and it’s taking place this weekend. My guests are Eddie Clobber and Karen Berry – Great Big Home Show
The Great Big Home Show is August 20thand 21st at the Capital Club House in Waldorf Market Place. For information go here:
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Across the country… children will be back in the classroom in just a few days or weeks. In addition to reading, writing and arithmetic, parents of young Black boys also need to be aware of how their children are being treated. Some black boys are being identified as trouble in class as early as preschool. Why is this happening and what can parents and educators do about it?
Dr. Kathrine Norris, Chair, Dept. of Curriculum and Instruction, Howard University School of Education
Dr. Ivory Toldson, Author, Educator, Professor of Counseling Psychology, Howard University
(Atlanta, GA) — The CDC is admitting it failed in its response to COVID-19. CDC Director Rochelle Walensky slammed her agency’s public guidance during the pandemic, calling it “confusing and overwhelming,” while calling for an overhaul. She met with her senior staff to plan out a reorganization of the CDC’s structure, with public health and containing outbreaks top of mind.
Dr. Rochelle Walensky, Director, CDC
It’s that time of year again. The time parents love and kids not so much. Those school bells will be ringing in a matter of days and I have details to make sure your youngsters are back to school ready courtesy of WHUR and Prince George’s County Public Schools. My guest is Barbara Holt Streeter – Prince George’s County Public Schools Partnerships Officer and Back2School Drive and Dash Manager
Prince George’s County Public Schools and WHUR are teaming up to host the Back2School Drive and Dash event Saturday, August 20thfrom 9am to 1pm to handout thousands of school supplies and bookbags at three locations. Flowers High School, Oxon Hill High School, and High Point High School. For more information go here:
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August is Black Business Month and we’re talking about the resources that are available to help new entrepreneurs get their business off the ground. Some of the money coming from the federal government.
B. Doyle Mitchell, Jr., President/CEO, Industrial Bank
It is the start of the work week and you dread going back to work. Little excites you about your job. Your simply going through the motions, doing the minimum required and longing for the moment when it is time to go home. You may be one of those workers labeled a “quite quitter.” You’re not bad, but you’re not the best either. You’re simply just “there.” How did you get to this point and what can employers do to motivate such workers?
AUDIO:
Guest:
Dr. Venessa Weaver – Career Advisor and CEO Alignment Strategies
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden signed Democrats’ landmark climate change and health care bill into law on Tuesday, delivering what he has called the “final piece” of his pared-down domestic agenda, as he aims to boost his party’s standing with voters less than three months before the midterm elections.
The legislation includes the most substantial federal investment in history to fight climate change — some $375 billion over the decade — and would cap prescription drug costs at $2,000 out-of-pocket annually for Medicare recipients. It also would help an estimated 13 million Americans pay for health care insurance by extending subsidies provided during the coronavirus pandemic.
The measure is paid for by new taxes on large companies and stepped-up IRS enforcement of wealthy individuals and entities, with additional funds going to reduce the federal deficit.
In a triumphant signing event at the White House, Biden pointed to the law as proof that democracy — no matter how long or messy the process — can still deliver for voters in America as he road-tested a line he will likely repeat later this fall ahead of the midterms: “The American people won, and the special interests lost.”
Maryland is expanding its Smart-Buy initiative. It helps people looking to buy a home through the Maryland Mortgage Program by either eliminating up to 50-thousand dollars in student debt or providing 15-percent of their home purchase, depending on which is lower. Governor Hogan says the program will also offer help to low-income borrowers by offering them an additional down payment and closing cost loan option. Marylanders can learn more by visiting Maryland Smart-Buy Housing Program
August is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and Giant Food has a major effort underway on how you can help kids and their families fight back against cancer. Giant’s 18thAnnual Pediatric Cancer Fundraising Program is underway and the goal is to raise $2 million dollars by October. My guest is Daniel Wolk – External Communications and Community Relations Manager for Giant Food
Giant Food’s 18thAnnual Pediatric Cancer Fundraising Program is underway and the goal is to raise 2 million dollars by October 13th. All funds raised will be donated to Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center and the Children’s Cancer Foundation, Inc. For more information go here:
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It only seems like yesterday that you were changing their diapers and wiping their noses. Now your children are young adults. They’re in their 20’s… even early 30 and you… the parent… want to still have your say. But hold your horses, cowpokes. Tell your adult children what to do, is out. Even giving them advice… that you know is right… may not be easy. So how do you parent your adult children?
Dr. Robert Evans, Licenced Clinical Professional Counselor
WASHINGTON (AP) — The FBI recovered documents that were labeled “top secret” from former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, according to court papers released Friday after a federal judge unsealed the warrant that authorized the unprecedented search this week.
A property receipt unsealed by the court shows FBI agents took 11 sets of classified records from the estate during a search on Monday.
The seized records include some that were marked classified as top secret and also “sensitive compartmented information,” a special category meant to protect the nation’s most important secrets and those that if revealed publicly would harm U.S. interests. The court records did not provide specific details about the documents or what information they might contain.
The warrant details that federal agents were investigating potential violations of three different federal laws, including one that governs gathering, transmitting or losing defense information under the Espionage Act. The other statutes address the concealment, mutilation or removal of records and the destruction, alteration, or falsification of records in federal investigations.
(New York, NY) — Former President Trump is pleading the Fifth in a probe carried out by the New York Attorney General. He refused to answer questions at a deposition in New York City as part of a civil investigation into his business. In a statement, Trump said he once asked why people would plead the Fifth if they’re innocent, but says he now understands. The New York A-G is looking into whether the Trump Organization improperly reported real estate assets. This comes two days after the FBI raided his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida in search of White House documents he allegedly took when leaving office.
(Columbia, MD) — Howard County Police are investigating a series of flyers that were found in two communities and appear racist in nature. Howard County Executive Calvin Ball said the flyers were discovered in Lake Kittamaqundi and Columbia. Ball said the flyers appeared days after an incident was reported in Lake Kittamaqundi and appear connected to other flyers that were distributed throughout the county and in other states. Ball said incidents of hate and discrimination will not be tolerated in Howard County as officials work to investigate the source of the racist flyers.
Lake Kittamaqundi, Howard County
You want to get a credit card. Maybe you want to buy a car or even a home. Before you can… you have to apply for the card or a loan. Those financial institutions are looking at your credit, including something called your FICO score. What is it? Why do we have it and why is it so important? We have consumer information tonight and experts to break it all down.
(Washington, DC) — The D.C. region continues to bake in the hot temperatures and humidity prompting officials to declare a Heat Advisory until this evening. Weather forecasters say parts of the region will experience temperatures in the upper 90s, and combined with the humidity, it will feel more like 105 degrees. Health officials are once again advising residents to stay indoors as a way to beat the heat. Officials say if you have to go out, you should get out the door early or later in the day once the sun begins to set. Residents are being asked to check in on elderly neighbors to make sure they are coping with the heat and make certain they are keeping cool with air-conditioning or a fan. Officials caution if you are using a fan, windows should remain open in order to help circulate air in the home.
A grand jury in Mississippi has declined to indict the white woman whose accusation set off the lynching of Black teenager Emmett Till nearly 70 years ago, despite revelations about an unserved arrest warrant and an unpublished memoir by the woman, a prosecutor said Tuesday.
Carolyn Bryant Donham
After hearing more than seven hours of testimony from investigators and witnesses, a Leflore County grand jury last week determined there was insufficient evidence to indict Carolyn Bryant Donham on charges of kidnapping and manslaughter.
It is now increasingly unlikely that Donham, who is now in her 80s, will ever be prosecuted for her role in the events that led to Till’s lynching.
The Rev. Wheeler Parker, Jr., Emmett Till’s cousin and the last living witness to Till’s 1955 abduction, said Tuesday’s news is unfortunate, but predictable.
“The fact remains that the people who abducted, tortured, and murdered Emmett did so in plain sight, and our American justice system was and continues to be set up in such a way that they could not be brought to justice for their heinous crimes,” Parker said.
An email and voicemail seeking comment from Donham’s son Tom Bryant weren’t immediately returned Tuesday.
A group searching the basement of the Leflore County Courthouse in June discovered the unserved arrest warrant charging Donham, then-husband Roy Bryant and brother-in-law J.W. Milam in Till’s abduction in 1955. While the men were arrested and acquitted on murder charges in Till’s subsequent slaying, Donham, 21 at the time and 87 now, was never taken into custody.
In an unpublished memoir obtained last month by The Associated Press, Donham said she was unaware of what would happen to the 14-year-old Till, who lived in Chicago and was visiting relatives in Mississippi when he was abducted, killed and tossed in a river. She accused him of making lewd comments and grabbing her while she worked alone at a family store in Money, Mississippi.
Emmett Till
Donham said in the manuscript that the men brought Till to her in the middle of the night for identification but that she tried to help the youth by denying it was him. Despite being abducted at gunpoint from a family home by Roy Bryant and Milam, the 14-year-old identified himself to the men, she claimed.
Till’s battered, disfigured body was found days later in a river, where it was weighted down with a heavy metal fan. The decision by his mother, Mamie Till Mobley, to open Till’s casket for his funeral in Chicago demonstrated the horror of what had happened and added fuel to the civil rights movement.
The U.S. Justice Department last year said it was ending its investigation into Till’s killing.
Lots of concern and confusion over Monkeypox. Prince George’s County Health officials are moving to educate residents about the virus by hosting a Town Hall meeting on the issue coming up this Wednesday. My guest is Sona – Associate Director Prince George’s County Health Department
Prince George’s County Health Department is having a Monkeypox Town Hall Wednesday, August 10th@ 6:30pm. For more information go here:
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WASHINGTON (AP) — Former President Donald Trump said in a lengthy statement Monday that the FBI was conducting a search of his Mar-a-Lago estate and asserted that agents had broken open a safe. A person familiar with the matter said the action was related to a probe of whether Trump had taken classified records from his White House tenure to his Florida residence.
The action, which the FBI and Justice Department did not immediately confirm, marks a dramatic escalation in law enforcement scrutiny of Trump and comes as he has been laying the groundwork to make another bid for president. Though a search warrant does not suggest that criminal charges are near or even expected, federal officials looking to obtain one must demonstrate that they have probable cause that a crime occurred.
“After working and cooperating with the relevant Government agencies, this unannounced raid on my home was not necessary or appropriate,” Trump said in his statement.
He added: “These are dark times for our Nation, as my beautiful home, Mar-A-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, is currently under siege, raided, and occupied by a large group of FBI agents. Nothing like this has ever happened to a President of the United States before.”
Justice Department spokesperson Dena Iverson declined to comment on the search, including about whether Attorney General Merrick Garland had personally authorized the search.
A person familiar with the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation, said the search happened earlier Monday and agents were also looking to see if Trump had additional presidential records or any classified documents at the estate.
The Justice Department has been investigating the presence of classified records inside 15 boxes that were retrieved from Mar-a-Lago by the National Archives and Records Administration earlier this year. The Archives then referred the matter to the Justice Department.
Federal law bars the removal of classified documents to unauthorized locations, though it is possible that Trump could try to argue that, as president, he was the ultimate declassification authority.
There are multiple statutes governing classified information, including a law punishable by up to five years in prison that makes it a crime to remove such records and retain them at an unauthorized location. Another statute makes it a crime to mishandle classified records either intentionally or in a grossly negligent manner.
The probe is hardly the only legal headache confronting Trump. A separate investigation related to efforts by Trump and his allies to undo the results of the 2020 presidential election and the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol has also been intensifying in Washington.
And a district attorney in Fulton County, Georgia is investigation whether Trump and his close associates sought to interfere in that state’s election, which was won by Democrat Joe Biden.
Just last week, the Biden Administration declared the Monkeypox outbreak a public health emergency in the U.S. Leaders from cities big and small are calling for more vaccine to combat the growing rate of infection. We tell you what you need to know about the painful and unsightly disease. We also have information about how to protect yourself and who should be vaccinated.
Dr. Lisa Fitzpatrick, MD., Infectious Disease Expert, Founder/CEO, Grapevine Health
BRUNSWICK, Ga. (AP) — The white father and son convicted of murder in Ahmaud Arbery’s fatal shooting after they chased the 25-year-old Black man through a Georgia neighborhood were sentenced Monday to life in prison for committing a federal hate crime.
U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood handed down the sentences against Travis McMichael, 36, and his father, Greg McMichael, 66, reiterating the gravity of the killing that shattered their Brunswick community and became part of a larger national reckoning over racial injustice.
“A young man is dead. Ahmaud Arbery will be forever 25. And what happened a jury found happened because he’s Black,” Wood said.
Greg McMichael, (L), Travis McMichael (R)
Both men were previously sentenced to life without parole in state court for Arbery’s murder and had asked the judge to divert them to a federal prison to serve their sentences, saying they were worried about their safety in the state prison system. Wood declined their request.
In February, a federal jury convicted the McMichaels and neighbor William “Roddie” Bryan of violating Arbery’s civil rights, concluding they targeted him because of his race. All three were also found guilty of attempted kidnapping, and the McMichaels were convicted of using guns in the commission of a violent crime.
The McMichaels armed themselves with guns and used a pickup truck to chase Arbery after he ran past their home on Feb. 23, 2020. Bryan joined the pursuit in his own truck and recorded cellphone video of Travis McMichael shooting Arbery with a shotgun. The McMichaels told police they suspected Arbery was a burglar, but investigators determined he was unarmed and had committed no crimes.
It’s all about making sure your home is energy efficient. There’s a big convention coming up in DC later this month and it’s the perfect opportunity to get the knowledge and understanding you need to make informed decisions about Solar energy. My guest is Terry Salmon – Co-Owner of Soleil (So-lay) Energy
Soliel Solar Energy event is Saturday August 20th. For more information go here:
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President Frederick talks with Lauren Bush, editor-in-chief of the Howard University Undergraduate research journal and Trisha Lal, co-founder of Howard University College of Medicine Research Digest.
In 2020, the battle against the coronavirus pandemic coincided with a reckoning of systemic racism in our country. The cries of racial injustice took hold of our society, in part, because there was data to validate them. The fight against systemic racism leans on research to identify the problems and propose forward-thinking solutions, just as our efforts to end the pandemic depended on the medical research establishment and the individual researchers. As we work to correct health care disparities, economic inequality and more, research is an essential tool that we must continue to leverage and sharpen. Howard University students, alumni and all play an important role in bettering our society by conducting research needed to diagnose problems and prescribe much-needed remedies. On today’s episode of “The Journey,” President Frederick talks with Lauren Bush, editor-in-chief of the Howard University Undergraduate Research Journal and Trisha Lal, co-founder of Howard University College of Medicine Research Digest.
You may have a badly-needed vacation on the books very soon. It’s time to kick back, relax and forget about the 9-to-5. But can you do it? So many people can’t, even while they’re supposed to take a break. Calling, emailing, texting and more. Why can’t some people give work a rest and disconnect?
Dr. Nicole Cutts, Clinical PsychologistStephanie Bolton-James, Founder, Women of Prince George’s
With the high cost of produce in the grocery store, a lot of people are thinking about growing their own at home.
But how do you start? What do you need to know to be a successful do-it-yourself home gardener. We have help for those with or without a green thumb.
(Washington, DC) — The Justice Department is filing criminal charges over the death of Breonna Taylor in 2020. The Black woman was sleeping when police raided her apartment and was fatally shot. Attorney General Merrick Garland told reporters four current and former Louisville Metro Police Department officers are being charged. Garland said an affidavit used to obtain a search warrant was falsified. He noted that federal civil rights laws were violated, resulting in the young woman’s death.
BREAKING – A Russian judge has sentenced Brittney Griner to 9 years behind bars. This after a Moscow court found her guilty of an attempt to smuggle illegal narcotics into Russia. The trial has been closely watched around the world. Many experts say the verdict now puts in place the opportunity for perhaps a political swap of prisoners between the United States and Russia. The WNBA star has been in jail for six months after being arrested in February at a Russian airport on accusations that she was smuggling vape cartridges with cannabis oil. Continue reading “Brittney Griner Sentenced to 9 Years”
My guest this morning is tired of the crime and violence and wants to do more to provide unity, hope and love. They are hosting a Stop the Violence Rally coming up this weekend he’s calling on more community members to join him in becoming “HOPE DEALERS.” My guest is Aje Hill – Founder and Executive Director of I Believe In Me
The Stop the Violence Be A Hope Activist Rally is Saturday, August 6that 12pm at Baker Park Bandshell in Frederick, Maryland. For more information go here:
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We’re at the reporters’ roundtable tonight as we talk about the top stories of the week. Today was the biggest news about abortion rights since the overturning of Roe v. Wade earlier this summer. President Biden signed a new executive order and Kansans defeated a referendum that would have restricted abortion in the state. Also on deck tonight… gun violence in the DC metro continues unabated. President Biden catches a rebound case of COVID. Climate change and flooding in Kentucky and finally… filling up your gas tank is just a little less painful.
(Washington, DC) — An investigation is underway into who is responsible for slashing the tires on dozens of cars in one District neighborhood. Residents in Mount Pleasant say over the last couple of weeks dozens of cars in their community have been the target of vandals who have slashed vehicle tires. Investigators say more than two dozen vehicles have suffered damage along stretches of Kenyon and Harvard Streets. District Police say they continue to investigate the vandalism but say they have no strong leads in their probe. In 2015, the same neighborhood was targeted with dozens of car tires slashed. Police are offering a reward for information leading to an arrest in the case.
Vision, Legacy, and Culture. That’s the theme of a big celebration marking the 130thAnniversary of the Afro American Newspapers. My guest is Lenora Howze – Executive Director of Afro News
Celebrating 130 years with Vision, Legacy and Culture. The Afro Gala is Saturday, August 13that 7:30pm at Martin’s Crosswinds – 7400 Greenway Center Drive in Greenbelt. For more information go here:
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Four black female fire-fighters with DC Fire and EMS say the department discriminates against black women. Now the four have filed a 10 million dollar lawsuit claiming that they’ve faced racial and gender discrimination in pay and promotions, and harsher discipline than their white co-workers, along with a hostile work environment. DC Fire and EMS says it cannot comment on pending lawsuits.
Bringing communities together to tackle crime and violence. Today is National Night Out and it’s your chance to take a stand to make your neighborhood safer. I have details about National Night Out festivities taking place this evening in Prince George’s County. My guest is Cynthia Miller – Mayor of District Heights
WHUR is joining with the community of District Heights to host National Night Out Tuesday, August 2nd from 5pm to 8pm at St. Paul Towne Center on Marlboro Pike. At 7pm, there will be a special live in the community edition of the Daily Drum with Harold Fisher.
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If you are pregnant or want to be, this is a Medical Monday conversation for you. Why has there been an increase in the number of cesarean section procedures in the delivery room? In a new report, the CDC says every three out of five women who have a given birth by C-section have not had one before.
This increase has been happening over the past 25 years.
Dr. Kerry Lewis, OBGYN, Director, Woman & Infant Services, University of Maryland Capital Regional Health
Nichelle Nichols, who broke barriers for Black women in Hollywood as communications officer Lt. Uhura on the original “Star Trek” television series, has died at the age of 89.
Her son Kyle Johnson said Nichols died Saturday in Silver City, New Mexico.
“Last night, my mother, Nichelle Nichols, succumbed to natural causes and passed away. Her light however, like the ancient galaxies now being seen for the first time, will remain for us and future generations to enjoy, learn from, and draw inspiration,” Johnson wrote on her official Facebook page Sunday. “Hers was a life well lived and as such a model for us all.”
Star Trek Actress Nichelle Nichols
Her role in the 1966-69 series earned Nichols a lifelong position of honor with the series’ rabid fans, known as Trekkers and Trekkies. It also earned her accolades for breaking stereotypes that had limited Black women to acting roles as servants and included an interracial onscreen kiss with co-star William Shatner that was unheard of at the time.
Shatner tweeted Sunday: “I am so sorry to hear about the passing of Nichelle. She was a beautiful woman & played an admirable character that did so much for redefining social issues both here in the US & throughout the world.”
George Takei, who shared the bridge of the USS Enterprise with her as Sulu in the original “Star Trek” series, called her trailblazing and incomparable. “For today, my heart is heavy, my eyes shining like the stars you now rest among, my dearest friend,” he tweeted.
Nichols’ impact was felt far beyond her immediate co-stars, and many others in the “Star Trek” world also tweeted their condolences.
Cast of Star Trek, Actor Nichelle Nichols, (far right)
Celia Rose Gooding, who currently plays Uhura in “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds,” tweeted that Nichols “made room for so many of us. She was the reminder that not only can we reach the stars, but our influence is essential to their survival. Forget shaking the table, she built it.”
“Star Trek: Voyager” alum Kate Mulgrew tweeted, “Nichelle Nichols was The First. She was a trailblazer who navigated a very challenging trail with grit, grace, and a gorgeous fire we are not likely to see again.”
Like other original cast members, Nichols also appeared in six big-screen spinoffs starting in 1979 with “Star Trek: The Motion Picture” and frequented “Star Trek” fan conventions. She also served for many years as a NASA recruiter, helping bring minorities and women into the astronaut corps.
The original “Star Trek” premiered on NBC on Sept. 8, 1966. Its multicultural, multiracial cast was creator Gene Roddenberry’s message to viewers that in the far-off future — the 23rd century — human diversity would be fully accepted.
She often recalled how Martin Luther King Jr. was a fan of the show and praised her role. She met him at a civil rights gathering in 1967, at a time when she had decided not to return for the show’s second season.
“When I told him I was going to miss my co-stars and I was leaving the show, he became very serious and said, ‘You cannot do that,’” she told The Tulsa (Okla.) World in a 2008 interview.
“‘You’ve changed the face of television forever, and therefore, you’ve changed the minds of people,’” she said the civil rights leader told her.
“That foresight Dr. King had was a lightning bolt in my life,” Nichols said.
During the show’s third season, Nichols’ character and Shatner’s Capt. James Kirk shared what was described as the first interracial kiss to be broadcast on a U.S. television series. In the episode, “Plato’s Stepchildren,” their characters, who always maintained a platonic relationship, were forced into the kiss by aliens who were controlling their actions.
The kiss “suggested that there was a future where these issues were not such a big deal,” Eric Deggans, a television critic for National Public Radio, told The Associated Press in 2018. “The characters themselves were not freaking out because a Black woman was kissing a white man … In this Utopian-like future, we solved this issue. We’re beyond it. That was a wonderful message to send.”
Nichols first worked professionally as a singer and dancer in Chicago at age 14, moving on to New York nightclubs and working for a time with the Duke Ellington and Lionel Hampton bands before coming to Hollywood for her film debut in 1959’s “Porgy and Bess,” the first of several small film and TV roles that led up to her “Star Trek” stardom. Nichols was known as being unafraid to stand up to Shatner on the set when others complained that he was stealing scenes and camera time. They later learned she had a strong supporter in the show’s creator.
In her 1994 book, “Beyond Uhura,” she said she met Roddenberry when she guest starred on his show “The Lieutenant,” and the two had an affair a couple of years before “Star Trek” began. The two remained lifelong close friends.
Another fan of Nichols and the show was future astronaut Mae Jemison, who became the first black woman in space when she flew aboard the shuttle Endeavour in 1992.
In an AP interview before her flight, Jemison said she watched Nichols on “Star Trek” all the time, adding she loved the show. Jemison eventually got to meet Nichols.
Nichols was a regular at “Star Trek” conventions and events into her 80s, but her schedule became limited starting in 2018 when her son announced that she was suffering from advanced dementia.
This morning a chance to get in a few rounds of golf and help combat domestic violence. The Prince George’s County Family Justice Center Foundation is hosting its Annual Golf Tournament coming up this Friday. My guest is Mandrell Birks – President of the Prince George’s County Family Justice Center Foundation
The Prince George’s County Family Justice Foundation Golf Tournament is Friday, August 5that Lake Presidential Golf Club in Upper Marlboro, MD. For more information go here:
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