The Heart & Soul of Chicago TM FEB . 2021 Celebrating CELEBRATING 25 Years of Service BLACK HISTORY to the Community MONTH FREE Donna Linder Northwestern Medicine Humanitarian Award Winner See story Page 7 See story on page 7 See Page 11 Page 2 Chicago People’s Voice February 2021 Congress. a person. John Wooden once said, “e true test “I will be with you”, Donald Trump of a man’s character is what he does when said with his lips. As soon as he finished no one is watching.” talking, his feet took him to a bullet proof I say that the true test of a man’s char - armored car that went in the opposite di - acter is what he does to another person rection, back to the security of the White whom he feels can do him no harm. House, in the opposite direction. To tell a lie on someone is trying to Some say that politicians lie. Some damage that person. It speaks more to say, that is what they are made of. But I your character than theirs. To tell a lie that the way it should be? about something as critical as an election Former Majority Leader Mitch Mc - outcome speaks more (in Trump’s case) Connell stated on January 19, 2021 the about his integrity, intent, and moral The E.Reed Report day before fiber than anything else. the inaugu - e great American ration that “e true test of a poet Maya Angelou this mob once said, “When was pro - man’s character is someone show you who L e t ’ s voked be - they are, believe them cause they what he does when the first time.” “had been It is our sentient duty Stop Lying feed lies by no one is watching.” to distinguish between a “Action speaks louder than words”. President person of good moral When I was a child, this is something Donald character and one that that we said to one another. en I un - Trump and - John Wooden does not. If we are wise, derstood the meaning of these words in a other pow - we will adhere to per - limited capacity, today, I really under - erful peo - sons of good moral stand them. Let me explain. ple”. fiber. It is our ethical It’s not what a person says with their Mitch Mc - duty to follow truth, mouths, it is what they do with their feet Connell for years had been a staunch ally wherever that leads. that matters. January 6, 2021, President of Trump. But when the lies led to near Spreading lies, by repeating lies, for the Donald Trump stood behind a bullet anarchy, McConnell decided that he, in cause of deception and harm is a greater proof glass, and spoke to a crowd of loyal - all honesty, could not continue the lie. sin in the cesspool of sins. In fact, if we ist and edged them on to march to the I have seen people lie. I have seen peo - really think about it, lies led to the origi - Capitol Building with out fear and to be ple lie from the local tavern to the pulpit. nal sin. ink to the biblical account of brave. We now know what that meant to Lies can be damning. I have seen people Adam and Eve and the Garden of Eden. them. It meant to storm and siege the lie for political reasons often in false and e fall of mankind had it’s origins in a Capitol Building( the seat of the Ameri - misleading advertising. I have seen peo - deception. at is just how damning a lie can government) in the worst insurrec - ple spread vicious rumors about others to can be. tion in American recorded history leaving damage their perceived character. Im - e appeal is then tierce yet singular. five dead and millions frighten out of pressionable people, often believe the Let’s stop lying on, to, and about each their mines. e plan was to interrupt lie(s), validating them within the context other. the certification of the election by the US of what they think that they know about Chicago Peoples Voice Chicago Peoples Voice ChicagoPeoplesVoice.com The Heart & Soul of Chicago tm Lake County, Illinois Edition PO Box 1038 • Waukegan, Illinois 60079 847-473-550E-mail1: [email protected] But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. - Matthew 6:33 February 2021 Chicago People’s Voice Page 3 Page 4 Chicago People’s Voice February 2021 Meet Jeanette Epps Astronaut American woman to have partici - Jeanette Jo Epps, 50, is an pated in CAVES. American aerospace engineer and Epps completed the ESA NASA astronaut. Epps received CAVES training program simulat - both her M. S. and Ph.D degrees in ing the demands of exploring un - aerospace engineering from the Uni - known terrains, such as to be versity of Maryland, where she was expected on the Moon and Mars. part of the rotor-craft research Epps is the second woman to partic - group and was a NASA GSRP Fel - ipate in CAVES, following fellow low. She was chosen for the 20th NASA astronaut, Jessica Meir. class of NASA astronauts in 2009, Epps overall training has in - graduating in 2011. Epps currently cluded learning extensive Russian, serves as a member of the ISS Oper - apacewalk, robotics, and geology. ations Branch and has completed She has also completed jet training. analog astronaut missions, including NEEMO 18 and CAVES 19. She is -A Peoples Voice Special Report the second woman and first African- Waukegan, Beach Park, Wadsworth, North Chicago & Gurnee February 2021 Chicago People’s Voice Page 5 Tia McWilliams First Black Woman Sheriff in Rural Georgia Community Tia McWilliams didn’t see many women in law enforcement roles growing in her rural Georgia community. Despite the odds, that didn’t stop her from pursuing the path. is week, she made history in her town alongside a huge career milestone. McWilliams became the first Black woman to become a sheriff in Taliaferro county, serving as chief deputy. With over 20 years working with the sheriff’s office, she says she didn’t choose to work in the field, but rather the profession came to her when she re - ceived a work referral from a friend for a position while she was unemployed. “I immediately went into a 21 day fast, and I cleaned out all distractions and anything that would allow me to be distracted from doing my absolute best,” she said in an interview with WBJF Augusta News. “When I found myself to be unemployed and looking for a job, it was by a friend who I had helped that I was able to be referred to this position.” McWilliams started her new role at the beginning of the month town’s 9-1-1 operations center and initiatives to help employees build after former sheriff Marc Richards retired on December 31, 2020. She necessary skills to excel in their roles serving the community. also mentioned that some of her goals for the role were to bring new de - -Black Enterprise Magazine velopments to enhance overall performance, including expanding the Page 6 Chicago People’s Voice February 2021 Actress Grace Byers Visits Zion Elementary Virtually By Elroy Reed Actress Grace Byers was featured in a live Zion call, January 14, 2021, with 2nd grade students at Zion Elementary School to discuss her children’s book titled” I Am Enough”, a book de - signed to empower children to love and accept themselves. About 12 students in the second grade participated in the call and had the opportunity to ask Ms. Byers questions. Questions ranged from “What Inspired you to write such an outstanding book? to “Why is that ring on your finger?”. To the latter, Byers explained that she wears a ring because it is a wedding ring and that she is married. e book, “I am Enough” is one in a series of books that students in Zion recently read and interacted with the authors on Zoom calls. ere was a zoom call experience for every grade level from first to eighth with a unique book and author. e reading program was inspired and facilitated by Dr. Tara omas, gifted and talented coordinator for Zion Elementary School District #6. Grace Byers More about Grace… Grace Byers is married to Trai Byers a gentleman that she Grace has performed in several off-Broadway shows such as met on the set of Empire where she was costarring in 2015. Rent, and some Chicago productions of e Misanthrope and Grace was born Grace Gealey in Butler, Pennsylvania in 1984 Tartuffe . She was cast as Anika Calhoun in the Fox prime time but raised in the Cayman Islands. One of her parents is deaf, drama, Empire opposite Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Hen - as a result she knows sign language. After moving to the son. She can also be seen on Chicago PD this season. United States, she received her bachelor's degree in eater In 2018, Gealey published a children’s book titled I Am Arts at the University of South Florida in Tampa. Gealey later Enough, based on her experiences being bullied as a child for attended the University of California, Irvine, where she re - having deaf parents. She wrote it to empower children to love ceived a Master’s of Fine Arts in acting. and accept themselves. February 2021 Chicago People’s Voice Page 7 Donna Linder Receives Humanitarian Award work that she does at the hospital.