Maryland African American Pride Magazine

From the March - April 2005 Issue

Be sure to read our special on Blacks in Housing on The Shore.

Outstanding Achiever: William L. Jews
Cambridge native & President/CEO of CareFirst
(Blue Cross Blue Shield for DE, MD & DC)

Our Outstanding Achiever for this issue is William L. Jews, a native of Cambridge and the President & Chief Executive Officer of CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield of Delaware, Maryland, and Washington, DC. In 2004, CareFirst had revenues of $4.7 billion and paid out nearly $4 billion to doctors, hospitals and other medical professionals to cover the health care and medical expenses of its members, making it one of Maryland's largest business operations.

The leading health care company in the Mid-Atlantic region, CareFirst serves nearly 3.3 million members. Jews also serves as President and CEO of two CareFirst operating companies -- CareFirst of Maryland, Inc. and Group Hospitalization and Medical Services, Inc. in Washington, D.C. - and he is Chief Executive Officer of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Delaware.

A Cambridge public schools graduate, Bill Jews earned a bachelor's degree in social and behavioral sciences from Johns Hopkins University and a master's in urban planning and policy analysis with an emphasis on health administration from Morgan State University's Graduate School of Urban Studies. In 1999, Morgan State U. recognized his achievements with an honorary doctoral degree.

Mr. Jews, now 53, lives in Pikesville, MD and is active in numerous community and civic organizations, including a recently completed term as Governor in the Baltimore Office of the Federal Reserve Bank. He serves on the board of directors of MBNA Corporation, The Ryland Group, and the Baltimore County Revenue Authority, among others. He is also a member of the Federal City Council; three Blue Cross Blue Shield Association Committees, Signal 13 Foundation, Inc., and the University of Maryland Baltimore County President's Advisory Board.

Unsung Hero - Constance M. Stewart Sojourner-Douglass College Site Manager & Wicomico School Administrator

Our Unsung Heroine for this issue is Constance M. Stewart, Salisbury site manager of Sojourner-Douglass College and Wicomico Supervisor of Elementary Education. She is the 2004 recipient of the Omega citizen of the Year award.

Ms. Stewart migrated to the Shore in 1974 after earning a Masters of Art Degree in Administration and Supervision from Loyola College in Baltimore. Since then, what Baltimore loss was the Shore's gain. She has proven to be an invaluable asset to the Wicomico Board of Education, her community, and her church.

Stewart brought 17 years of elementary school teaching experience with her when she became the supervisor of elementary and early childhood instruction for Wicomico County in 1975. Her work with parents, helping them achieve their GED, encouraged her to find a higher education alternative for them and others. She helped locate a Sojourner-Douglass College site in Salisbury in 1998 and has directed it since then. It now has a Masters Degree program and some 140 undergrad and grad students enrolled. She was hon-ored by Beacon Bible College of north Carolina with a Doctor of Human Letters Degree in 2002 for her work in promoting services to families and child-ren in the school community.

Connie, as she is affectionately known, resides in Hebron, MD and has attracted her son back home to teach. She received her BS Degree from Coppin State College in Early Childhood Education and is studying for her PhD at Nova University in Florida.

Outstanding Young Achiever - Shaketta Monae' Hayes
2005 MD State VFW Loyalty Day Queen Contest Winner

Our Outstanding Young Achiever this issue is Shaketta Monae' Hayes of Salisbury who won the Maryland State VFW Loyalty Day Competition for 2005 held in Edgemere, MD and now reigns as Loyalty Day Queen. She will represent Veterans of Foreign Wars Posts across the State at conventions, parades, and other activities. A Wicomico High School eleventh grader, Shaketta has competed in Loyalty Day Contests for three years. She has won the Wicomico Memorial VFW Post #10159 contest and the VFW District #16 contest in prior years. This year she won the Post, Dist., and State titles.

Shaketta is the daughter of Frank, Jr. & Antoinette Hayes. She maintains a 3.5 g.p.a. at Wi High where she is also involved in numerous activities. She is involved on the student govern-ment association and a member of the indoor and outdoor track teams. A mentor for students at Salisbury Middle and Glen Ave. Elementary School, she recently joined a new program for girls called "Camp Charity". This program helps girls experience life through the performing arts.

Recent News:

Former NAACP President To Run For US Senate

Former NAACP President Kweisi Mfume has announced that he will run for the US Senate seat from Maryland being vacated by Sen. Paul Sarbanes. The fifth term Democratic Senator announced recently that he will retire at the end of his current term. Mfume was the first Democrat to officially announce his intention to run. There is speculation that he could find himself in a race against another African American. MD Lt. Governor Michael Steele is also rumored to be considering running as the Republican candidate.

Kwanzaa Founder Visits Home For Black History Month

Kwanzaa founder Maulana Karenga is from Parsonsburg. Dr. Maulana Karenga spoke for the African American History Month Lecture at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore on February 19th. The appearance is a return home for the Parsonsburg native born Ronald Everett. He took the opportunity to visit and speak at churches in the area while here.

The title of his lecture at UMES was "Meaning and Mission in Black History: Freedom Social Justice and Common Good."

Dr. Karenga is widely known as a Civil Rights activist and the creator of Kwanzaa, an African American and Pan American Holiday celebrated around the World. He is currently a professor in the Dept. of Black studies and chair of the President's Task force on Multicultural Education and Campus Diversity at California State University, Long Beach. He holds two PhD Degrees and is director of the Kawaida Institute of Pan-African Studies in LA and national chairman of The Organization Us for cultural and social change.

Harriet Tubman Day Celebration Held March 10

The African American Tourism Council of MD, Inc, held its all day 5th Annual Harriet Tubman Remembrance Day tribute on March 10, 2005 in Annapolis, MD. Harriet Tubman Remembrance Day was passed by the Maryland General Assembly in March 2000 and tributes are held around the State.

The Harriet Tubman Organization held its Harriet Tubman Day Celebration and dinner Saturday, March 12th in the Dorchester Elks Lodge #223.

The Memorial Luncheon held as a part of the Annapolis tribute included guest speakers, members of Harriet Tubman Family, a reenactment of Harriet and presentations by Senator Richard Colburn, Delegate Rudolph Cane, government officials. The luncheon was sponsored by the Maryland Office of Tourism Development.

Renowned Poet Nikki Giovanni Visits SU

In celebration of Black History Month and Women's History Month, Salisbury U hosted acclaimed poet Nikki Giovanni in Holloway Hall Auditorium. The topic of her lecture was "Art is Diversity: Diversity is Art." A reception and photo op was also held.

The lecture was free to the public and sponsored by the SU Student Office of activity Planning, Office of the VP of Student Affairs, Union of African American Students, SU Chapter of the NAACP, and Office of Multiethnic Student Services.

Giovanni became an icon during the '60's Civil Rights Movement through her poetry and social commentary. She is still a prominent speaker around the country and holds 21 honorary doctorates. A University Distinguished Pro-fessor, has taught at Virginia Tech and VPI since 1986. She has written over 24 books, including illustrated children's literature, essays, and poems. Her numerous awards include the NAACP Image Award, Woman of the Year, and Governor's Awards in the Arts from Tennessee and Virginia.

UMES President Thompson Honored by Howard U.

UMES President Dr. Thelma B. Thompson was honored with the Distinguished Alumni Award from Howard University on March 5th at its annual Charter Day ceremony, celebrating the 138th year of the school's founding, held in Washington, D.C. Thompson, a Phi Beta Kappa who is a three-time graduate earning her B.A., M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from Howard, was the recipient of the award in the field of education. She was one of four honorees. The other honorees at Howard's Charter Day. The others were: Dr. Walter J. Leonard, J.D., 1968, for education and civil rights; Dr. Charles J. McDonald, M..D., 1960, for medicine and community service; and Wendy Raquel Robinson, B.F.A., 1989, for entertainment.

Jazz Trumpeter Wynton Marsalis Visits UMES

The UMES Department of Fine Arts presents the UMES Jazz Ensemble in concert, featuring legendary jazz musician and trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, on March 10, at 7 p.m. in the Ella Fitzgerald Center for the Performing Arts. He will perform with the UMES Jazz Ensemble under the direction of Dr. John Lamkin II, performer and UMES instructor of fine arts.

Marsalis has produced 33 jazz and 11 classical records and sold over seven million records including three Gold Records. He has won nine Grammy Awards and earned the distinction of being the only artist ever to have won Grammys for five consecutive years and to win Grammys for both jazz and classical records. Marsalis was bestowed the Grand Prix Du Disque of France, the Louis Armstrong Memorial, the Netherlands' Edison Award and the Algur H. Meadows Award for Excellence in the Arts. He has been given the key to over 50 cities.

UMES Sponsors The '05 Art Shell Celebrity Golf Classic

One of the most prestigious and entertaining golf events to be played on the Eastern Shore returns June 16, 2005. UMES has brought back the Art Shell Celebrity Golf Classic and this year it will be hosted by the Ocean City Yacht & Country Club in Ocean City, MD. The event, sponsored by the UMES Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, is held to benefit the UMES scholarship fund and the newly founded UMES Golf Academy.

"Art Shell is our Hall of Fame Captain and most prestigious athletic alumnus." said Nelson E. Townsend, Director of Athletics. "This event used to be a fixture here on the Eastern Shore in the 90's. We are very pleased to work with Art to bring it back to The Shore,"

The Classic will be played in a foursome format with individual costs marked at 250.00 per person. Each foursome will include three paid golfers and one celebrity. This year's celebrities include Carl Eller, a recent NFL Hall of Famer, Mack Alston, Otis Sistrunk, Johnny Grier, Elvin Bethea, Charlie Taylor, Jimmy Jones, Bobby Mitchell and Jim Wallace. More celebrities are still confirming.

Art Shell is most recently known for his new job, that as Senior Vice President NFL Football Operations & Development. Prior to his front office day Shell is known as the first African-American Head Coach to coach in the NFL when he took over the Oakland Raiders job. He of course was also known as a player, and an NFL Hall of Famer, playing 15 seasons, including two Super Bowl wins. He earned a third ring as a coach with the Raiders. Shell was drafted out of then Maryland State, now UMES, in the third round in 1968 and was a two-time All-American.

UMES is seeking corporate sponsors for the event. Businesses and organizations interested in helping should contact Gail Aiken at 410-651-7908.