14 The Hampton Roads Messenger


Volume 7 Number 2


U.S. Education Department Awards Nearly $228 Million to 97 HBCUs


Historically Black Colleges and


Universities (HBCUs) in 19 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands will be able to strengthen their academic resources, financial management systems, endowment- building capacity, and physical plants as a result of a $227.9 million grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Education.


The five-year grants—Strength-


ening Historically Black Colleges and Universities— will include activities such as curriculum reform; counseling and student service programs; establishing teacher education programs designed to qualify students to teach; acquiring real-estate property in connection with


construction, renovations, or additions that may improve campus facilities; and funding faculty and staff development. In addition, funds may be used for the purchase, rental, or lease of scientific or laboratory equipment and the development of academic instruction in disciplines in which African Americans are underrepresented.


“HBCUs have made enduring,


even staggering contributions to American life despite the steep financial challenges many have faced,” U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said. “The grants will help these important institutions continue to provide their students with the quality education they need to compete in the global economy.”


Remembering Mayor Holley FROM PAGE 2


as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I wasn’t living in Virginia during Mayor Holley’s pioneering efforts in furthering civil rights, but later read and heard about them respectfully.


I’ll always remember the many


times Mayor Holley visited Norfolk Naval Shipyard—for both work-related and social events. During these visits he was warmly welcomed by Navy personnel and civilians alike. It seemed everyone greeted him as an old friend, and vice versa.


Another aspect of Mayor Holley’s


life was his charitable contributions, typically performed quietly and without fanfare. I recall when he helped raise


funds for the then West Haven Crisis Center for troubled youths. He did this by autographing copies of his famous fashion photo that


appeared in Esquire magazine. One of his longtime community-minded friends, Margaret Lordi, coordinated this activity that raised much-needed money for the Center.


And on a personal note, Mayor


Holley always had a kind word for me, whether we were attending a formal event or having a one-on-one conversation at a downtown Portsmouth establishment. Rest well, dear sir--your accomplishments and historical stories filled more than one lifetime, and provided the material that made your noted bromides household words. You helped to unite diversified communities into, as you always said proudly, “the Portsmouth family.”


I Pray That A Remnant Will Be Saved By Rev. Dr. Gregory Headen Knowledge of his-


Our Faith


tory teaches us some painful lessons. It verifies the old prov- erb that “righteous- ness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people” (Prov- erbs 14:34). More than one time in his-


tory have nations got so filled up with sin that God could no longer tolerate them, and they were destroyed. Some were destroyed as God poured


out His wrath upon them and used other nations to wipe them out. Others self- destructed from within. We have to be afraid when sin becomes so familiar to us and at home with us that we no longer despise it. When God’s laws and com- mandments are no longer what we em- brace, we can rest assured that we are in deep trouble. When the executors of justice be-


come the largest perpetrators of crime and injustice, when citizens are literally afraid and distrustful of the ones they pay to protect them, we have to know that we are in trouble. When the Christian churches have organized themselves into large national and international ecclesias- tical bodies, and those at the highest lev- els of leadership embrace and endorse be- haviors that are abominations in the eyes of God, then we know we are in trouble. This means that the Church has taken on the image of the culture that she was sent to redeem. But let us not be so con-


fused about “Church”. It may be that a very small percentage of the members of churches today have really be born again of the Spirit. Congregations and denomi- nations have become so institutionalized and structured that the overriding con- cerns are budgets, staff and properties. A passion for souls may have gotten


greatly diminished, if not lost, in our com- petition to be the biggest and the richest. But I thank God for the biblical concept of “remnant”. Creative minorities have served as the catalysts for the significant turns in history more than a few times. Jesus warns us not to be surprised if the right way is the road less traveled. He said, “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14 Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Mat- thew 7:13-14). The remnant here refers to the few


that are left after the overwhelming ma- jority have proved to be unfit for the mis- sion. Sometimes they are just the ones who survived the storm of destruction. God leaves for Himself a remnant. My elders used to take the remnants of gar- ments and other fabrics and sow them together to make beautiful quilts. The left over pieces are not to be despised. Perhaps our great society will fall due to greed, immorality, perversion, and injus- tice. Let’s pray that God has a remnant even in the USA.


October 2012


NFL Supports Breast Cancer Awareness With Annual Campaign


The National Football League and


NFL Players Association will support October’s National Breast Cancer Awareness Month with their fourth-annual national breast cancer screening initiative and fundraising campaign. In collaboration with the American Cancer Society, the initiative, called “A Crucial Catch: Annual Screening Saves Lives,” reminds women 40 and older about the importance of having an annual mammogram.


To date, the


partnership has raised more than $3 million for the American Cancer Society, with the majority of the donation coming from the sale of pink items at retail and on NFL Auction. Beginning this year, money raised through A Crucial Catch will support the American Cancer Society’s Community Health Advocates National Grants for Empowerment (CHANGE) program. This program provides outreach and breast cancer screenings to women who need them. The NFL markets being supported in the first year of the program are Atlanta, Baltimore, New England, Charlotte, Chicago, Cleveland, Denver, Detroit, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Kansas City, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Seattle, and Washington, DC.


Throughout the month, NFL


breast cancer awareness games will feature: Game balls with pink ribbon decals used for every down and pink kicking tees Pink equipment for players including: cleats, wristbands, gloves, sideline caps, helmet decals, captains’ patches, chin straps, shoe laces, skull caps, sideline towels, eye shield decals and quarterback towels Pink coins used for the coin toss Pink sideline caps for coaches and sideline personnel and pink ribbon pins for coaches and team executives Pink caps, wristbands, whistles and pins for game officials On-field pink ribbon stencils and A Crucial Catch wall banners Pink goal post padding in end zones Breast cancer awareness pompoms, shirts and wristbands for cheerleaders. Game-worn pink merchandise and footballs will be autographed post-game and auctioned at NFL Auction (www.nfl.com/auction). All NFL Auction proceeds from the sale of breast cancer awareness items during the month of October will benefit the American Cancer Society. Special pink merchandise will also be available at www.NFLShop.com, www.neweracap. com, www.nike.com, in stadium retail stores, at Dick’s Sporting Goods, Hatworld and Lids, with a portion


of proceeds going to breast cancer charities.


In 2011 alone, the


NFL’s A Crucial Catch campaign reached more than 151 million viewers, including 58 million women age 18 and older. The campaign’s message is making a real impact—64% of NFL female fans and 61% of all NFL fans identify the importance of annual screenings, especially for women over 40, as the key message of the A Crucial Catch campaign.


Tanya Snyder, wife of Redskins


owner Dan Snyder, Susie Spanos, wife of Chargers president Dean Spanos, and players including Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, Panthers tight end Greg Olsen and running back Deangelo Williams have all embraced A Crucial Catch—each has been touched by breast cancer. In addition, Saints quarterback DREW BREES recently filmed a breast cancer awareness PSA with the American Cancer Society to show his support for A Crucial Catch.


NFL Network’s A Football Life


series will feature former player Chris Spielman on October 31. Spielman’s wife Stefanie, lost her battle with breast cancer in 2009. Spielman has devoted much of his post-football life to breast cancer awareness and fundraising.


The NFL and the American Cancer


Society will extend A Crucial Catch to the youth and high school level again this year. With help from USA Football, ANDY REID, head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles, sent a note to every youth and high school football coach across the country offering suggestions and ideas for how schools and teams can “go pink” along with the NFL and the American Cancer Society to show support for the cause.


Coach Reid’s late mother,


Elizabeth, was a radiologist who treated many breast cancer patients, and his mother-in-law, Virginia Garrett, passed away from breast cancer. Interested schools and youth programs can visit cancer.org/coachestoolkit to get involved.


From cleats to gloves, towels to


caps, NFL partners including Gatorade, Longaberger, Nike, Pro Specialties Group, Riddell, Under Armour and Wilson are creating pink merchandise for Breast Cancer Awareness games. Many other partners and licensees including, EA Sports, Panini and Topps will support A Crucial Catch through various products and promotions.


Important Dates for the


November 2012 Election Voter Registration Deadline: October 15, 2012


Last Day to Vote Absentee: November 3, 2012


Election Day: November 6, 2012


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16