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A2 The Afro-American, November 12, 2016 - November 12, 2016 November 19, 2016 - November 25, 2016, The Afro-American A3 Trump Continued from A1 “A well-educated Black has a tremendous advantage over a well-educated White in terms of the job market…if I was starting off today, I would love to be a well-educated Black, because I really do believe they have the actual advantage today.” That same year, Trump was a chief instigator in fanning the lynch mob mentality that led to the wrongful imprisonment of five Black and Hispanic teens in the notorious “Central Park Five” case, in which a White woman was attacked while jogging in the park. Even when DNA evidence exonerated the teens, the real estate mogul remained unrepentant, saying, “These young men do not exactly have the past of angels.” Then, in 1991, former Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino President John R. O’Donnell, in his book Trumped, claimed that Trump once pulled out the old tropes about Jews and greed and Blacks and laziness during a discussion about a finance employee with whom O’Donnell was displeased: “Yeah, I never liked the guy,” Trump allegedly said. “I don’t think he knows what the f––– he’s doing. My accountants up in New York are always complaining about him. He’s not responsive. And isn’t it funny, I’ve got Black accountants at the Trump Castle and at Trump Plaza. Black guys counting my money! I hate it. The only kind of people I want counting my money are short guys that wear yarmulkes every day. Those are the kind of people I want counting my money. No one else.” Trump allegedly added, “Besides that, I’ve got to tell you something else. I think that the guy is lazy. And it’s probably not his fault because laziness is a trait in Blacks. It really is, I believe that. It’s not something they can control. … Don’t you agree?” In a 1997 interview with Playboy, Trump acknowledged O’Donnell’s book was “probably true.” But, he backpedaled a couple years later when seeking the reform party’s nomination for president. With the popularization of social media, specifically Twitter, Trump’s unvarnished prejudice was given room to breathe, as he trafficked in fear of non-Whites. And, the election of the nation’s first African-American president seemed to provide rich fodder, giving rise to the racist “birther movement” – a tide that would eventually sweep Trump into the White House – which sought to delegitimize Barack Obama’s presidency. Beginning in 2011, the self-proclaimed Tea Partier began publicly questioning Obama’s citizenship—perhaps prompted by his own aspirations toward the White House, which he publicly mulled over at the time. “I have people that have been studying [Obama’s birth certificate] and they cannot believe what they’re finding ... I would like to have him show his birth certificate, and can I be honest with you, I hope he can. Because if he can’t, if he can’t, if he wasn’t born in this country, which is a real possibility ... then he has pulled one of the great cons in the history of politics,” he saidon NBC’s “Today” show. Trump only publicly declared he was wrong in a brusque “According to Bill O’Reilly, 80% of all the shootings in New York City are Blacks-if you add Hispanics, that figure goes to 98%. 1% White.” – Donald Trump tweet statement this September, after years of denying evidence of the president’s birth. In June 2013, he let loose with stereotypes equating people of color with violent crime. “According to Bill O’Reilly, 80% of all the shootings in New York City are Blacks-if you add Hispanics, that figure goes to 98%. 1% White,” Trump tweeted. He later added, “Sadly, the overwhelming amount of violent crime in our major cities is committed by Blacks and Hispanics - a tough subject - must be discussed.” That November, he followed up by retweeting a post which over-inflated statistics related to crime, making it appear that Blacks were responsible for most of the murders in the U.S. Trump’s racist vitriol did not abate with his candidacy for the nation’s highest office—in fact, it got worse. And, he launched his campaign by smearing Mexican immigrants, calling them “rapists” and “killers.” In addition, Trump continues to use the definite article “the” when referring to ethnic and racial groups—“the Blacks,” “the Hispanics,” “the Muslims”.... “The” in such cases often acts as a separatist term that erases individuality and paints all members of a racial or ethnic group as one monolithic entity, essentially, “The Other.” Similarly, Trump often used broad strokes to describe communities of color, often in negative terms. During a Sept. 20, 2016, stump speech in North Carolina, for example, Trump described what he saw as the dire state of all Black communities. “We’re going to rebuild our inner cities because our African- American communities are absolutely in the worst shape that they’ve ever been in before. Ever. Ever. Ever,” Trump said , totally overlooking the historical atrocities of slavery, Jim Crow and the like. He piled on the ignorance, saying, “You take a look at the inner cities, you get no education, you get no jobs, you get shot walking down the street. They’re worse -- I mean, honestly, places like Afghanistan are safer than some of our inner cities.” In a November 2015 interview with Yahoo.com, the president-elect said he would deport any Syrian refugees allowed to enter the country under President Obama. The reality TV star also called for increased surveillance of Muslims and mosques in the United States, and did not rule out tactics such as warrantless searches, creating a database of Muslims and giving them special IDs that identify their religion. “We’re going to have to look at the mosques. We’re going to have to look very, very carefully,” he said, adding, “We’re going to have to do certain things that were frankly unthinkable a year ago…. And some people are going to be upset about it, but I think that now everybody is feeling that security is going to rule.” To be fair, Trump has been an equal opportunity offender, also wielding anti-Semitic tropes and furthering anti-Semitic conspiracy theories. During an address to the Republican Jewish Coalition last December, for example, Trump drew on the common stereotype that paints Jews as money-loving “Shylocks.” “You’re not going to support me because I don’t want your money,” he told the Jewish audience. He also said, “Is there anybody that doesn’t renegotiate deals in this room? Perhaps more than any other room I’ve ever spoken in.” Just as damaging as the deluge of hateful language Trump has spewed is what he has not said, such as his unwillingness to quickly and firmly repudiate supporters at his rallies who physically attacked people of color or White supremacists who co-opted his campaign. Gwen Ifill Continued from A1 and Race in the Age of Obama,” a book published the day President Obama was inaugurated in 2009. Ifill was not the first African-American television anchor – Max Robinson on ABC and Bernard Shaw on CNN beat her to that job – she was the first Black woman to anchor a weekly news show when she was appointed in 1999 to moderate PBS’ thennamed “Washington Week in Review.” She also was the first African American woman to moderate a vice presidential debate and to co-anchor a network newscast, when she joined Judy Woodruff on the PBS “NewsHour” in 2013. She also left a rich legacy of mentoring young journalists, bringing diverse groups together and consistently exuding calm professionalism. “This is a devastating loss for our family and for me personally,” Sherrilyn Ifill, president and director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund and Gwen Ifill’s cousin, said in a statement. “Gwen was a shining light in our family and a true and dear friend. She was well known to Baltimoreans from her years as a tough and tenacious reporter at The Evening Sun. “We have lost her voice at a time when we desperately need sober, tenacious, truthful journalism to help guide us through the challenging days ahead in this country. Identification Statements Fortunately Gwen believed in serving as a mentor. And so there are scores of young, African American women journalists who are her professional daughters.” One of those mentored by Ifill was Sonya Ross, race and ethnicity editor for The Associated Press. She recalled Ifill’s warmth and grace when they first met at the northwest gate of the White House around 1993 while Ifill was a Times reporter and Ross was covering the urban affairs beat for the AP. “I had been to a news conference at the (National) Press Club and decided to walk back to our offices and I saw Gwen talking to a colleague. I went up and introduced myself, told her who I was and that I admired her work. “She said, ‘Thank you. Now who are you again?’ and flipped the conversation over to be about me. She said, ‘You can do this, too, you know. It’s easy.’” “One word that comes immediately to mind when I think of Gwen is ‘class,’” said Michael K. Frisby, a media strategist based in Washington, D.C., and a former White House correspondent for The Wall Street Journal, who competed against Ifill when they covered presidential campaigns. Frisby admitted he caught a lot of flack in his reporting days for having a little too much swagger and pushing boundaries, but he accepted Baltimore Afro-American – (USPS 040-800) is published weekly by The Afro-American Newspapers, 2519 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218-4602. Subscription Rate: Baltimore - 1 Year - $70.00(Price includes tax.) Checks for subscriptions should be made payable to: The Afro-American Newspaper Company, 2519 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218-4602. Periodicals postage paid at Baltimore, MD. POSTMASTER: Send addresses changes to: The Afro-American Newspapers Company, 2519 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218-4602. The Washington Afro-American & Washington Tribune – (0276-6523) is published weekly by the Afro-American Newspapers at 1816 12th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20009-4422. Subscription Rate: Washington - 1 Year - $70.00(Price includes tax.) Periodicals postage paid at Washington, D.C. POSTMASTER: Send addresses changes to: The Washington Afro-American & Washington Tribune, 2519 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218-4602. gentle chiding from Ifill who, he said, was one of the few people whose advice he actually took to heart. “I was always getting the Gwen Look or the ‘Frisby, what are you doing?’ talk,” Frisby said. “She played by the rules. I pushed the rules to the limit.” “I never saw her ruffled; she never responded with the anger you’d expect to hear in some situations. She was always classy in everything she did,” Frisby said. “She had this radiant smile and it always affected people.” After distinguishing herself as moderator of vice presidential debates in 2004 and 2008, Ifill was not invited to moderate a presidential debate in 2012, when President Obama ran for re-election. While many of her colleagues were angered, Ifill never addressed the perceived snub, publicly or privately. “We were like, ‘How many times are you supposed to be the vice presidential moderator when you certainly are qualified to moderate a presidential debate?” said AP’s Ross. “Gwen just didn’t address it. She said, ‘we can talk about it over drinks,’ but it never happened. She never talked about it,” Ross said. “In the grand scheme of things, she decided not to make a big deal out of it.” Ross recalled another time, during the mid-90s, when she and Ifill were covering the Clinton White House and Ifill’s legendary poise – and pointed sense of humor – were on display. The two were among a group of journalists traveling with first lady Hillary Clinton on a tour of Africa. “We were out in some rural part of Tanzania and they called a press briefing at 10 o’clock at night. We didn’t feel like going, but there was nowhere to go. The hotel didn’t have a lot of amenities and it was so rural that you couldn’t go out and walk around outside the lodge because there were lions at night. Hillary Clinton came out, urging us to come to the briefing, and she said to Gwen, ‘C’mon, these are your people.’ We looked at Gwen and she just smiled and said, ‘Now some people get to Africa and get just a little too comfortable.’” Her graciousness was especially apparent every New Year’s Day at her home when she hosted a daylong, sumptuous buffet, where people from all walks of life gathered for food, conversation and laughter. For many, it became the mandatory kickoff to the year. “She created an environment where everyone Petersen Continued from A1 Burke-class destroyer, DDG 121, will be named Frank E. Petersen Jr., in honor of the Marine Corps lieutenant general who was the first Black Marine Corps aviator and the first Black Marine Corps general officer. Mabus said during the announcement “The courage and perseverance of Lt. Gen. Petersen throughout his distinguished and ground-breaking career make him especially deserving of this honor.” He continued, “Those could be together and get along,” said A’Lelia Bundles, former Washington deputy bureau chief for ABC News, an award winning producer and biographer of her greatgreat-grandmother Madam C.J. Walker. “The genius and beauty of Gwen was she could be friends with people across ideologies,” Bundles said. “She took journalism seriously and didn’t want to be seen as partisan, so much so that those who tried to accuse her of it were quickly set straight. She was so graceful about it. She just never flinched.” Bundles also noted Ifill’s steadfast devotion to women friends, showing up for major events, dinners, get-togethers despite a hectic schedule. “She was the busiest among us; had the highest profile, carried the biggest burden of all of us, but she showed up for her girls.” In addition to cousin Sherrilyn Ifill, survivors include her brothers Roberto Ifill of Silver Spring and the Rev. Earle Ifill of Atlanta, and a sister Maria Ifill Phillip, also of Silver Spring. Jackie Jones is chair of the Dept. of Multimedia Journalism at Morgan State University’s School of Global Journalism & Communication and a former colleague of Gwen Ifill’s at ‘The Evening Sun.’ Courtesy photo A graphic representation of the future USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. who serve aboard DDG 121 will, for decades, carry on the storied legacy of this Marine Corps hero.” Construction began on the future USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. (DDG 121) April 27 at the Huntington Ingalls Industries shipyard in Pascagoula, Miss. In 1950, two years after President Harry S. Truman desegregated the armed forces, Petersen enlisted in the Navy. Two years later, in 1952, Petersen was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps. He would go on to fly 350 combat missions during the Korean and Vietnam Wars. Petersen also went on to become the first Black in the Marine Corps to command a fighter squadron, an air group and a major base. Petersen retired from the Marine Corps in 1988 after 38 years of service. At the time of his retirement he was the senior-ranking aviator in the Marine Corps and the United States Navy. “It’s a tremendous honor, said Dana Moore, Petersen’s second of five children. “It’s a destroyer but in its description it will have a peacekeeping mission as well as being prepared for battle. It was only as a last resort that he would want to do battle and I think it’s the perfect embodiment of him. It’s a tremendous honor and we’re thankful to the Navy,” said Moore, owner and founder of Baltimore based law firm Petersen Moore.
November 12, 19, 2016 - November 12, 25, 2016, The Afro-American A3 A5 Continued from A1 hit the vote-getting trail again for St. Paul, Minn,: Pittsburgh and several other cities. From all appearances and other indications, the Governor was well-pleased with his crosscountry hop. He did not even seem tired as he shook hands with reporters and friends as they parted. A poll conducted by the AFRO-AMERICAN in 15 cities and towns reveals that it is generally believed that Dewey will replace Truman in the White House Jan. 20. However, most colored persons contacted admitted that they were going to cast “sympathy ballots” for Truman or Wallace. “I do not believe that Truman will be re-elected,” I was told “but if he thought enough of us to stick his neck out on his civil rights program, the least we can do is to show our appreciation by voting for him in November.” 83% SEE DEWEY IN THE WHITE HOUSE I asked three questions of the 181 persons polled: “Who do you think will win the Presidential Election? For whom do you plan to vote? Why?” To the first question, 83 percent of the persons answered, Congress Continued from A1 “Since 1971, the CBC has consistently been the voice for people of color and vulnerable communities, and we remain committed to our work to ensure that all U.S. citizens have an opportunity to achieve the American dream.” The CBC will have the highest number in its history with 48 House members and two of the three Black U.S. senators, Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Kamala Harris (D-Calif.). Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and Rep. Will Hurd (R-Texas) have chosen not to join the CBC. The new members of the CBC include Harris, the first Black woman elected to her body since Carol Moseley Braun of Illinois served from 1993-1999; Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), a former Delaware secretary of labor; Val Demings (D-Fla.), who served as Orlando’s first Black female police chief; Al Lawson (D-Fla.), who replaces Rep. Corrine Brown (D-Fla.); Donald McEachin (D-Va.), represents a newly created district in the Old Dominion; Dwight Evans (D-Pa.) takes the place of former Rep. Chaka Fattah; and Anthony Brown (D-Md.), the former lieutenant governor of the Free State. “Dewey.” They gave as their reason: “President Truman has divorced himself from many white voters, North and South, because they are afraid that he will put the colored man on equality with them, therefore, Dewey will be put into office by a white-bloc vote.” 47 percent of the voters stated unconditionally that they were casting their ballot for President Truman, giving as their grounds of course, his civil rights program. YOUTH FOR WALLACE Backed mostly by younger voters, Wallace pooled 21 percent of the total, these being convinced that “his recent stand against segregation in the South is enough to wipe out all his unfavorable past.” They admitted that he could not win, but that he was headed in the right direction and should be encouraged by the colored peoples ballot. Dewey ran third with 16 percent of the promised ballots. His supporters would vote on his record on racial issues in New York. Brown told the AFRO in a voice message that he thanked his supporters on Election Day and “pledged to work hard for “The great thing about these new members is that they just don’t represent African- American communities.” – Paul Brathwaite the people of the Fourth Congressional District in Maryland.” Brown will replace Rep. Donna Edwards, who didn’t run for re-election to her seat and lost her bid to replace Sen. Barbara TO MAKE STAND KNOWN Many colored persons admitted a complete ignorance of Dewey’s performance in New York. They felt that if he could promise the people of the West favorable legislation, he should take a stand on the civil rights issue. A spokesman on Dewey’s staff stated that Dewey would make an address on civil rights later in the campaign. 16 percent of the voters had not made up their minds. ONE INCIDENT MARS TRIP The tour aboard the “Dewey Victory Special” was quite successful with only one incident to mar an otherwise perfect trip. In Cheyenne, Wyo., Lem Graves, Pittsburgh Courier correspondent, and I were refused service in the dining room of the Hotel Plains, where Dewey and all the party were putting up. We were told by the manager, after waiting for about one hour, that “we would not be served as colored persons had never been served there.” Otherwise we were permitted free-run of the hotel. Mikulski. Mikulski’s seat was won by Chris Van Hollen, a Democrat. Rochester, on her Facebook page, talked about her historymaking election and pledged to work hard for her constituents when sworn into office. “I’m honored to be the first woman and person of color to represent Delaware in the halls of Congress,” she said. “This is only the beginning of our journey and I cannot do it alone. I am looking forward to working with you to create a better world for our children.” Evans said that the upcoming Trump administration will not stop him from working on a bipartisan basis to get things done. “The results of the presidential election isn’t defeat, it’s a call to keep fighting because the best work that we’ve done – we’ve done together,” he said. “While we try to stomach this new landscape in our government, rest assured we will keep making our communities stronger together, block by block. Because democracy demands that we listen to each other – and when we do so, we can make great strides for all Philadelphians, all Pennsylvanians, and all Americans.”
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