News Bites From Across South Carolina And The Nation

**Anti-Violence Efforts Center On Providing Youth With Economic Opportunities**

Community members who engage in discussions about young people and violent crime often fall into two categories: those calling for more parental and community accountability and others who demand an expansion of government services and job opportunities.
In recent weeks, the latter group has received much criticism from some people who’ve described Prince George’s County Executive Angela D. Alsobrooks’ 30-day curfew order as long overdue. While some local organizers haven’t disregarded parental involvement as essential, they remain adamant about providing teenagers with viable alternatives to street life.

A group of young people recently explored these ideas during a panel discussion that allowed them to converse with local leaders and highlight their vision for the District.

The panel discussion on Saturday counted as part of the “Flip the Trap Kick-Off” anti-violence event hosted by Don’t Mute DC, DC Department of Employment Services, 202ForPeace, Black Coalition against COVID, The Rev. Tony Lee’s Hope in Action and the Go-Go Museum.

The youth involved in the project, also known as Hoodz Starz, spent more than a month in a training program where they learned about financial literacy and the effects of trauma. They also explored various career opportunities within the entertainment industry, including DJing, producing positive hip-hop content and event planning.

In the coming weeks, they will each receive a card that guarantees them discounts on clothing and access to exclusive events in the D.C. area.

“It was a great opportunity to learn [about] the things I want to do in life. So far, I’ve learned and talked to a ton of people about how to better yourself,” said Justus Williams, a 16-year-old Southeast resident and one of more than a dozen young people who organized the “Flip the Trap Kick Off.”

Justus, along with several community members and go-go aficionados, gathered at the Check-It Secret Garden in Southeast to party with TOB and Backyard Band.

**African American Museum Lays Out September Events**

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture plans to have an active September for visitors celebrating its sixth anniversary.

The museum will relaunch its “Living History Community Curation” program which was suspended because of the coronavirus pandemic. The program is housed in the Robert F. Smith Family History Center for the Digitization and Curation of African American History.

During the fall, the community curation project will travel to diverse communities bringing its digitization services to preserve and share community history and culture through its Explore Your Family History Center team. Through the FHC, people can upload their personal and community histories.

The museum also has its “Visitor Voices” series that articulate the experiences of people who have visited the facility during its first year of operation. Plus, the museum will host a book discussion this month with actress Jenifer Lewis, affectionately known as “The Mother of Black Hollywood,” focusing on her latest collection of essays, “Walking in My Joy,” which chronicles the journey she undertook to experience happiness around the world.

The video conversation series “Through the Window and into the Mirror: Narratives of African American STEM Professionals” returns this month with a conversation with Geraldine Ezeka, a fellow at the venture creation from Flagship Pioneering in Cambridge, Mass., which ideates and conceptualizes novel biotech companies such as Moderna. The museum will also feature “Big Objects, Big Stories” in-person tours will occur in September. The tours will be led by docents and take 15-minutes throughout the day and invite visitors to hear compelling stories about signature objects acquired by the museum.

Objects include the Harriet Tubman Quilt by Bisa Butler, Angola Prison Guard Tower, and the Southern Rail Car 1200.

**Fifty Years Later, Sweet Honey In The Rock Remains An Inspiration**

Awareness heightened, backs straightened and motivation to march onward count as some of the inspirational qualities attributed to the music of Sweet Honey in the Rock. Bernice Johnson Reagon began working with vocalists in the early ’70s in D.C. who became known as Sweet Honey.

Reagon, an activist, toured with groups of “freedom singers” during the civil rights movement and in November 1973, Sweet Honey gave their debut performance in a Howard University classroom.

On Friday, Sept. 16, at Strathmore Hall in North Bethesda, the group will kick off a three-year, 50th-anniversary tour, “Sweet Honey in The Rock: Road To 50.”

Current members of Sweet Honey include: Carol Maillard and Louise Robinson, both original members of the group; Nitanju Bolade Casel; Aisha Kahlil, former Strathmore Artists in Residence Christie Dashiell and Rochelle Rice; and featured musician Romeir Mendez, upright acoustic bass and electric bass. Hosting the Strathmore event will be Kiki Shepard, former host of “Showtime at the Apollo.”

Beginning as an a cappella vocal group, the multi-Grammy Award-winning group has played to sellout audiences around the world. The original four-member ensemble expanded to five-part harmonies, with a sixth member acting as a sign-language interpreter. On many occasions, Sweet Honey has performed with instruments. During this anniversary tour, which continues through 2025, the sounds of both an upright acoustic and electric bass will be heard. In past performances, the group has been accompanied by the piano and conga drums.

In their impressive past, Sweet Honey has performed with groups and solo artists including the Morgan State University Choir, the National Symphony, Abbey Lincoln, Nina Simone, Odetta and Miriam Makeba.