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The Pri nce Ge orge’s Pos t A C OMMUNITY NEWSPAPER FOR PRINCE GEORGE ’S COUNTY Since 1932 Vol. 77, No. 3 January 15 — January 21, 2009 Prince George’s County, Maryland Newspaper of Record Phone: 301-627-0900 25 cents “I Have a Dream that one day...” “my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” - Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. BY STAFF WRITER In the spring of 1963, King Prince George’s Post and SCLC lead mass demonstra - tions in Birmingham, Alabama, On the 45th anniversary of where local white police officials the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King were known for their violent Jr.’s most memorable “I Have a opposition to integration. Dream” speech, another African- Clashes between unarmed black American leader, Barak Obama demonstrators and police armed made a historic speech of his with dogs and fire hoses generat - own. He accepted the ed newspaper headlines through - Democratic Party's nomination out the world. President to become the first African Kennedy responded to the American president of the Birmingham protests by submit - United States in a speech that ting broad civil rights legislation promised change in the direction to Congress, which led to the of the country. Barack Obama passage of the Civil Rights Act was 2 years old when Dr. King of 1964. shared his dream. Subsequent mass demonstra - In 2004, Obama burst on to tions culminated in the March on the national scene with a speech Washington for Jobs and that paid homage to King and Freedom on August 28, 1963, in those who came before him. “I which more than 250,000 pro - stand here knowing that my story testers gathered in Washington, is part of the larger American D. C. It was on the steps of the (DEXTER AVENUE BAPTIST CHURCH TO WHITE HOUSE) PHOTO BY STAFF story. That I owe a debt to all of Lincoln Memorial that King “...I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over , and I've seen the Promised those who came before me, and delivered his famous "I Have a Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the Promised Land. And so that no other country on Earth is Dream" speech. I'm happy tonight; I'm not worried about anything; I'm not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the my story even possible.” A century after the Lord.” - Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. King’s 'I Have A Dream" Emancipation Proclamation speech given at the Lincoln ended slavery, King looked out the Negro lives on a lonely Poor People's Campaign while supporting striking sanita - assassinated. Memorial on August 28, 1963 over a quarter million Americans island of poverty in the midst of designed to confront economic tion workers in Memphis, he The Country may hail the followed a long struggle to gain who'd gathered before the a vast ocean of material prosper - problems that had not been delivered his final address "I've justice for African Americans in Lincoln Memorial, and told ity." addressed by earlier civil rights Been to the Mountaintop." The this country. them: "One hundred years later, In late 1967, King initiated a reforms. The following year, next day, 4 April 1968, King was See KING, Page A 7 Upton Community’s Decay Heritage Crossing Fails Preceded by Housing Boom BY L EONARD SPARKS Just as in New York's Harlem, to Make Upton Bloom Capital News Service housing segregation laid the founda - BY LEONARD SPARKS AND BEN in the area surrounding the new com - tion for what would become one of SLIVNICK munity. BALTIMORE - On a Saturday the country's most vibrant black Capital News Service The city, state and federal govern - afternoon, Gordon Garrett runs a rag communities after World War I. ment spent $61 million to replace the dilapidated Murphy Homes public- across the surface of a Ford parked Bordered by Biddle Street on the BALTIMORE - When April Johnson housing project with Heritage Crossing, outside a block of houses on West south, Bloom Street on the north, looks out the front window of her house confident that the creation of a subur - Lanvale Street in west Baltimore’s Fremont Street on the west and in Heritage Crossing, she sees rows of ban-style neighborhood would bring Upton community. McCulloh Street on the east, Upton red-brick townhouses and neat lawns new investment into the beleaguered He pointed to 802 Lanvale, began drawing black residents as that define the five-year-old develop - community of Upton. where his parents moved in 1943. whites migrated to Baltimore's new ment in West Baltimore. She sees "Our housing plan was to use He recalls "Mr. Mitchell," the northern suburbs around World War homes with small gardens and doors Heritage Crossing as an anchor and start schoolteacher who lived next door I. decorated with wreaths. redeveloping the blocks all around it," and gave him money to sweep side - Restrictive housing opportunities But her back window opens to said William Cole IV, the area's city walks and cut grass. Two doors meant that black doctors, lawyers another view: shells of gutted houses, councilman. down, "Miss Robinson" lived with and teachers lived alongside blue- boarded-up doorways, smashed win - But that hasn't happened. her preacher husband and filled her collar workers. And with blacks dows. One house, three doors down Despite the efforts of active, vocal front and back yards with flowers. unable to shop and eat at downtown from her backyard, is missing an entire neighborhood associations, Upton is "People brought their houses stores and restaurants, businesses wall. still rife with vacant properties. The fail - here because they looked for a good followed them to Upton. PHOTO BY CAPITAL NEWS SERVICE When she was deciding whether to neighborhood. And in 1943 and Mikulski decried wage discrimination. buy a house in Heritage Crossing, built 1942 and 1941, you couldn't move "Let's start with equal pay for equal along Martin Luther King Boulevard, but certain places," Garrett, 75, said. See UPTON, Page A 7 work," Johnson said the city promised renewal See CROSSING, Page A 5 INSIDE Murphy Homes Neighbors Columns: Morningside-Skyline, Brandywine- Aquasco, Clinton, Suitland and 24th Are Gone, But Annual Christmas Food Basket Campaign Not Forgotten Neighbors , Page A2 BY DYLAN WAUGH and MEGAN MILLER Capital News Service Financial Super Bowl As it does every year, Super Bowl mania is sweeping the nation. In a BALTIMORE - For 20 years, Mary Holmes recent survey of Visa Inc. cardholders, lived on the third floor of 1058 Argyle Ave., one of more than 60 percent said they would the high-rises in West Baltimore's notorious George be inviting family and friends over to B. Murphy Homes. Then, one hot, hazy July morn - watch the game, spending an average ing in 1999, she blew it up. of about $170 on refreshments. How "The man told me, he said, 'One, two, three,' and do your plans and budget stack up? I pushed the button, but . .I don't think I blowed it up. I think I just pushed a button and it looked like PHOTO BY CAPITAL NEWS SERVICE Community , Page A3 I did." Holmes laughs at the memory but says there Mikulski decried wage discrimination. "Let's start with equal pay for equal work," were tears in her eyes as the buildings crumbled. Eartha Kitt and Freddie Hubbard "I'm glad they (demolished Murphy Homes)," Much has been written about the giant she said. "But I just think about all the good times. Let It Snow, Let It Snow In Maryland shoulders Barack Obama stands on as he prepares to become America's first We had some good times." BY CHRISTOPHER CAREY and clear of snow and ice. Highway Administration. Murphy Homes, a public housing complex, Capital News Service That much salt has not been But weather forecasters dis - Black President. But with the recent comprised 15 acres of low-rise townhouses, play - needed since 2002-2003, an agree about whether this winter passing of Eartha Kitt and Freddie Hubbard over the holidays, we were grounds and basketball courts, centered on four 14- ANNAPOLIS - The State exceptionally snowy winter will be a bit warmer than usual, reminded that Obama's path to the story high rises. The towers contained one-, two- Highway Administration is pre - season. or significantly colder. And White House was also paved by the and three-bedroom apartments, strung along central pared for anything the winter "Since October, we have nobody seems to know how courageous lives of the transformative hallways. season throws its way, with been in winter weather mode," powers of iconic artists and entertainers. more than 336,000 tons of salt said Charlie Gischlar, a Neighbors, Page A4 at the ready to keep roads safe spokesman for the State See MURPHY, Page A 3 See SNOW, Page A 7 A2 — January 15 — January 21, 2009 — The Prince George’s Post Towns and N EIGHBORS In and Around Morningside-Skyline Fire/EMS Department Promotions Prince George’s County by Mary McHale301 735 3451 Fire Chief Lawrence H. “Senior Moments” author, Bowie, graduated from St. Pius Sedgwick, Jr. recently com - Elder Law attorney to speak X elementary, Bowie High May they rest in peace pleted a round of promotions on senior citizen issues School and the University of Valaree M.