Author: Carma Henry

“Bold, Brilliant, and Beautiful” are words that rightfully describe the personality and life journey of Ernestine Ma’at Ray. Fueled by her intrigue about her African roots and childhood labels that she fought to dispel, Ernestine traveled to multiple countries on the continent of Africa, 44 countries globally, and worked in 33.

       Willie Mays, the iconic Hall of Famer often hailed as the greatest player in baseball history, has died at 93. The news broke on Tuesday, June 18, during a Mets and Rangers game in Arlington, Virginia, evoking emotional tributes from the baseball community.

Miami-Dade County Commissioner (District 9) Kionne L. McGhee proudly hosted the second annual District 9 Senior Prom: A Night to Remember, celebrating the vibrant senior community in Miami-Dade County. Held at Joe and Ingrid Demps Park in Goulds, Florida, the sold-out event welcomed over 400 enthusiastic participants, offering them an evening of networking, dancing, and fine dining.

    Big Brothers Big Sisters of Broward County awarded $434,000 in scholarships to 71 high school graduates who are participants in the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Broward County mentoring program at its second annual BIG Futures Scholars Celebration.

       Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is next in line, having recently announced it’s changing the names of three elementary schools named after three white men — U.S. President James Monroe, Supreme Court Justice Melville Fuller and Christopher Columbus — according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

It was a signal of honor to place the Honorable Commissioner Yvette Colbourne of Miramar into the Congressional Record as she assumes the position of Chair of the Broward County Metropolitan Planning Organization.

       The program is crucial in addressing the ongoing housing crisis in Miami-Dade, where over 5,115 evictions have been filed between 2020 and 2023. Currently, there are over 9,000 pending evictions in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties. The county has spent 80% of its allocation, exceeding federal requirements, and will seek additional funding to address the skyrocketing rental rates.

       Baltimore, MD, June 22, 2024:   The Biden-Harris Campaign announced an immediate commitment to a $1.5 Million advertising-buy with the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) representing the Black Press of America across the United States.  The Biden-Harris Campaign also helped to sponsor the NNPA’s 2024 Annual National Convention in Baltimore, Maryland, June 19-22, 2024.

     At age 13, Thomas worked at a sawmill company in Abbeville, GA. Several years later he was drafted into the US. Army at age 18 in 1943. He also completed his education while in the army. Thomas fought in World War II in the 784th Battalion as a PFC. His main job was the Ammunition Handler on a half-track. Thomas received an Honorable discharge on April 8, 1946. Later he married Valley Brown in 1948, and they moved into their new home in Durrs at 957 Northwest  16th Terrace. Thomas and his wife lived in this beautiful community until her untimely death in 1964.

       State university system officials could soon replace physics on a list of degree programs whose courses are eligible for tuition and fee waivers. The waivers essentially function as buy-one-get-one tuition and fee breaks for students in 12-degree programs that the university system’s Board of Governors describes as aligning with “economic and workforce needs” of the state. The waivers only apply to upper-level courses in the programs. Physics has been among eight science, technology, engineering and mathematics-related degrees that have been part of the list. But in November, the Board of Governors made revisions, omitting physics.