prince george's county afro newspaper, novemember 27, 2010

November 27, 2010 - November 27, 2010, The Afro-American A1 Copyright © 2010 by the Afro-American Company Join the AFRO on Twitter and Facebook Hear the AFRO on The Daily Drum, Wednesday at 7 p.m. Continued on A4 PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY EDITION Volume 119 No. 16 NOVEMBER 27, 2010 - DECEMBER 3, 2010 Congressman Rangel to Face More Public Humiliation See afro.com B1 By AFRO Sta Civil rights groups and Black ofcials are hailing the clearing of a $1.15 billion appropriations measure Nov. 19 to settle a decades-old discrimination suit by Black farmers that has languished for months in the Senate. The approval paves the way for one of the largest civil rights settlements in history, if the bill clears the House. “Black farmers now have access to the justice from which they have been so unfairly denied,” The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law- which has played an active role in seeking redress for wronged Black farmers-said in a statement. The group added, “The Senate agreeing to distribute funding under the Obama Administration’s additional settlement of $1.25 billion goes a long way in supporting the renewed commitment of turning the page on civil rights issues of the past.” The action stems from the settlement of Pigford v. Glickman, a class-action lawsuit named after Timothy Pigford, a Black farmer from North Carolina. Pigford’s suit claimed that Black farmers received little or no U.S. Department of Agriculture support in the form of loans and grants compared to their White counterparts. The case, which began in 1997, saw a settlement reached in 1999 that stated qualied farmers could receive $50,000 to settle claims of racial bias. However, many farmers missed the ling deadline to receive payment. A settlement reached in February allowed those farmers to resume pursuit of their claims. “The passage of this bill is long overdue,” said John Boyd, head of the National Black Farmers Association, in a statement. “Black farmers have already died at the plow waiting for justice,” Boyd told the Richmond Times- Dispatch. “I hope the ones who are living will see justice. The amount of money will not put farmers back into business.” The appropriations bill-for a $4.6 billion settlement to Black farmers and Native Americans-was stalled in the Senate for months while Democrats and Republicans fought over how to pay for the settlement. The By AFRO Sta A federal investigation into Jack Johnson and his wife, Leslie, has caused many to question whether she should take her oath on Dec. 6. Some District 6 residents want her gone, while others are willing to give her the benet of the doubt. One resident who wants her gone is Allen King. He started an online petition asking her to resign, which he plans on presenting to the Maryland General Assembly. King says that he and other residents of District 6 will protest outside of the county administrat ion building every day if she refuses to comply. “We are a proud people, a proud District 6 and a proud PG County,” King wrote. “Our District 6 Councilwoman-elect, Mrs. Leslie Johnson, has been arrested and charged with corruption and destruction of evidence. Although she has not been tried or convicted (all are innocent until proven guilty in court) the shame brought on our District 6 and PG county is mighty and devastating. Mrs. Leslie Johnson cannot represent us proudly and honestly on the PG County Council.” The people behind Prince George’s Monitor, a blog run by and for Prince George’s residents, agree. They ask that Johns on not take the oath as well. “Our great county does not need the continued distractions that will be caused by a selsh decision by you, Leslie, not to step aside,” a Nov. 14 post reads . “Concerned Prince Georgians implore you to make one nal decision that is not self- serving! Please step as ide now By George Barnette AFRO Staf Writer A new recreational center in Landover will open its doors on Dec. 1 in the hopes of c reating new avenues to reach the Prince George’s County community. Soccer Dome III, a facility on Ardwick-Ardmore Road, will provide a space where the area’s soccer players can play the game year round. The 50,000-square-foot Landover facility will be the third in Maryland as there’s one in Howard County’s Jessup and Harmans in Anne Arundel County. The placement of the facility has as much to do with geographic location as it does with the growing population of soccer fans in and around Prince George’s County. “The Landover building is very accessible for the soccer community,” said Jose Benitez, spokesman for the company. “From Landover to Silver Spring to D.C. to Bowie to Arlington, Va. it’s easy to access and on top of that, we were able to nd the right building that will t the elds that we feel will benet the community.” Black Farmers Finally Get Senate Action Should Leslie Johnson take Her Oath? AFRO File Photo/by Rob Roberts John Boyd, head of the National Black Farmers Association, shown in this September 2010 AFRO le photo with U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee, said the passage of bill to release the settlement “is long overdue.” Courtesy Photo/Soccer Dome A new Landover facility will provide an outlet for children and adults in Prince George’s County and the surrounding area. New Recreational Facility to Open for Prince George’s Soccer Fans Continued on A4 Capitol Heights Seeks New Police Chief Continued on A4 By George Barnette AFRO Staf Writer The Town of Capitol Heights is looking for a new police chief after Jeff Dahn was let go late last month. He was released due to a prolonged illness, which he says is still a mystery to his doctors. He’d been out on an extended leave due to the condition and had used up all leave available under the Family and Medical Leave Act. “I have some medical issues that the doctors can’t quite put their hands around yet and gure out what‘s wrong with me,” Dahn said. “It started impacting my ability to come to work and perform my job effectively in June. My condition quickly diminished from there.” Dahn said he’d been in and out of the hospital about 10 times since he’d gotten sick and asked the town’s council if he could stay on unpaid leave. The council expressed their desire to have someone who could fulll the town’s needs everyday and let him go. Dahn understood and took the news in stride. Before he left though, he put key initiatives in place that will be an advantage for the next chief. Dahn, only on the job for about eight months, believed community policing was the best strategic option. He’d created a twitter account, a website for the police department and an email subscription service for residents, used to share information regarding when and where crimes took place in the town. He also hosted a regular forum called “The Chief’s Coffee” where he discussed crime prevention and received community feedback on town happenings. “I really believe in establishing trust between the community and the police department,” he said. “The police department cannot do it alone so I placed my emphasis on accountability, responsibility and communication.” The town is now searching for an interim police chief. In a job posting on the town’s Courtesy Photo/Capitol Heights Police Capitol Heights Police have to replace Je Dahn, who can no longer fulll his duties due to illness. Continued on A4 Leslie Johnson, wife of current Prince George's County executive Jack Johnson and councilmember-elect for District 6, was arrested Nov. 12. Many residents are now questioning, based on the charges against her and the informatio n that has been released about the case, whether she should take oce. C o u r t e s y / S c r e e n p r i n t f r o m w e b s i t e H a p p y T Han k s g i v i n g !

prince george's county afro newspaper, novemember 27, 2010

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