Easton committee searching for information, feedback on plans for African American cemetery

EASTON, Pa. – The City of Easton is asking the community how they’d like to memorialize a forgotten African American burial ground.

It was recently discovered there are nine sets of human remains on the property that most recently was a pocket park, and there may be more remains on neighboring land.

“There’s definitely Easton names here,” said Easton Mayor Sal Panto. “We owe them.”

Panto is referring to the people buried in an African American cemetery turned basketball court.

“At the time, we understood it was only three there,” said John Pitts, the post commander of the Bethlehem Buffalo Soldiers. “Now, we know it is nine.”

Bethlehem Buffalo Soldiers meet with officials at Easton City Hall

Bethlehem Buffalo Soldiers meet with officials at Easton City Hall

Nine sets of remains are reportedly still at the site on Nesquehoning Street.

“We are trying to solidify the fact…who they are. There may be some children in there also,” said Easton City Councilman Ken Brown.

“If we need to add names we’ll add names, if we need to subtract names, we’ll subtract,” said Panto. “Originally it was thought by the city that everyone was moved.”

How the cemetery was paved over is unclear, though we know years ago, the land was sold from a church to the city, which turned it into a pocket park.

When the property’s history became apparent, the city paid for sonar technology to figure out what was underground. The Buffalo Solders got involved in April, since it’s believed the people were buried there during the Civil War era.

A public committee formed by the city has spent the last six months researching and looking into what to do with the cemetery. Now, it has created a website to ask the community for input.

“There may be some family members out there that will like to even give us more information than we have already, and/or if we miss something, this is opportunity,” said Brown.

Brown says a photo from the Henley family may spark some memories, since it’s believed some people in the picture may be buried at the site.

Photo from the Henley family

Photo from the Henley family 

As of now, the plan is to keep the remains on property and add a memorial.

“Somewhere where people can come back and give homage to them as a place of peace.”

“Whatever the city needs to do, it will do,” said Panto.

The basketball hoops have been uninstalled since all of this came to light.

In the meantime, there’s a small flag to show honor and respect to those buried there.

Keke Palmer, Jermaine Dupri and the Late Clarence Avant to Be Honored by Black Music Action Coalition 

The Black Music Action Coalition will honor Keke Palmer, Jermaine Dupri and the late Clarence Avant at its 2023 gala.

The fete, presented by Live Nation, is a yearly celebration honoring those in Black music who have exemplified positivity and helped promote equity in the community. The coalition was started in 2020 to help fight systemic racism in the music business on behalf of Black artists, producers, lawyers and many Black professionals in the music industry. 

Avant, known as “The Godfather of Black Music,” will be honored with a special tribute from the coalition. The legendary music executive was also a member of the BMAC board along with Quincy Jones and Irving Azoff, among others.

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“BMAC will always be honored to have had him on our Advisory Board,” coalition co-founder Shawn Holiday said in a statement. “His life, and contributions to the industry, are unparalleled, his legacy will live on forever.” 

The famed music executive who discovered “Ain’t No Sunshine” singer Bill Withers in the ’70s and also worked with artists such as L.A Reid, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and Jones, died earlier this month at age 92 at his home in Los Angeles.

Dupri will receive the Clarence Avant Trailblazer Award, named after the music giant, with past honorees including Motown Records CEO Ethiopia Habtemariam and Sony Music CEO Jon “Big Jon” Platt. 

“As we come together at this year’s BMAC Gala, we celebrate the passion, artistry and activism that burns bright in the hearts of our honorees,” BMAC co-founder/chair Willie “Prophet” Stiggers said in a statement. “They all have fearlessly embraced the power of music and entertainment to drive change and transcend boundaries.” 

Some of this year’s honorees also include Nope actress Keke Palmer, who will be honored with the BMAC Social Impact Award; rapper Trae The Truth, who will be presented with the BMAC Change Agent Award; and Rolling Loud co-founders Tariq Cherif and Matt Zingler, will receive the BMAC 365 Award. Past BMAC honorees include H.E.R., Lil’ Baby, The Weeknd, Rep. Maxine Waters and the Recording Academy.

“The BMAC Gala has come to be regarded as a night where our music industry family isn’t celebrating the standard accolades: the number of streams on a hit song, or how many tickets have sold on a world tour, or who has the most No. 1s,” BMAC co-founder Caron Veazey said in a statement. “The BMAC Gala has become synonymous with the importance of centering awareness on equality and equity. It’s an evening where we come together to shine a light on the incredible contributions of the honorees and to celebrate the impact they’ve made on the journey towards social justice.” 

The gala is set to take place Sept. 21 at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles.

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County honors Sheriff Young – The Gadsden County Board of County Commissioner recognizes Sheriff Morris A. Young for the impact he has made on the community and for being the longest tenured African-American sheriff in the state.

Sheriff Morris A. Young was recently recognized by the Gadsden Board of County Commissioners for being the longest serving African-American sheriff in Florida. Before presenting

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N.C. unveils first park honoring African American history

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina state officials joined historians and Black community leaders Wednesday under a sprawling oak tree in the heart of downtown Raleigh for the long-anticipated unveiling of the state’s first park honoring the African American struggle for freedom.


What You Need To Know

  • The 1-acre North Carolina Freedom Park is between the state Legislative Building and the Executive Mansion in downtown Raleigh
  • Gov. Roy Cooper, state officials, historians and leaders of the Black community gathered at a ceremony Wednesday to open the park
  • The park was designed by the late Phil Freelon and his firm, Perkins + Will, and built by Holt Brothers Construction

Located between the state Legislative Building and the governor’s Executive Mansion, the new North Carolina Freedom Park stands as a beacon of hope for Black North Carolinians and a reminder of their contributions in the fight for freedom and equality, said park project co-chair Goldie Frinks Wells.

A large beacon stands in the center of the new North Carolina Freedom Park in Raleigh, N.C., Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2023. (AP Photo/Hannah Schoenbaum)

Twenty quotes about freedom line the clay-colored walkways of the 1-acre green space, leading to a towering “Beacon of Freedom” sculpture at the park’s center that beckons passers-by. The metallic sculpture will be lit at dusk each night, illuminating the walls of quotes from Black historical figures and leaders from across the Tar Heel state.

Board members who helped create the park, including retired UNC history professor Reginald Hildebrand, said they hope it will spark civic conversations and encourage the state to face all of its history.

“This park is a village of wisdom and courage and strength,” Hildebrand said. “When you come here, you enter and honor the souls of Black folk who are speaking to you, whatever your background and identity may be, whatever challenges you may face.”

The walls of quotes, he said, serve as reminders for the Black community that the battle for freedom and equality is ongoing and “begins every morning.”

Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper said at the ceremony Wednesday that he was most excited for North Carolina students and tourists visiting the capital city to have an interactive learning environment that displays “the brutal truth and extraordinary accomplishment” found in Black history. He encouraged the crowd to applaud legislators from both parties who had supported the project.

Cooper, who is term-limited and cannot run for reelection in 2024, has also played a key role in removing Confederate monuments from Capitol grounds during his six years as governor.

“The Executive Mansion is here,” he gestured. “The legislature is there. The Capitol is there. The courts are right over there. Now, nestled here among the branches of government, amidst the sound and the fury, shines North Carolina Freedom Park.”

The park was designed by the late Phil Freelon and his firm, Perkins + Will, and was built by the Raleigh-based construction company Holt Brothers Construction. Before Wednesday, it had been under construction for three years. But the concept was decades in the making.


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The idea for North Carolina Freedom Park arose in 2000 when a group assembled by the Paul Green Foundation, a local humanitarian organization, first brainstormed ways to celebrate emancipation and freedom in North Carolina. Those discussions led to the formation of a nonprofit tasked with planning and building a commemorative park in downtown Raleigh, according to the park website.

Greg Milhouse, the father of one of the lead builders, Jordan Milhouse, said he was proud to finally see the product of his son’s hard work and to celebrate his important role in preserving their history. Milhouse said he could not wait to bring his grandsons, friends and other family members to explore the park.

“Instead of wasting idle time, let’s go learn a little bit about our history, let’s go learn a little bit about our struggle, let’s go learn about where we’re going and where we came from,” he said in an interview before the ceremony. “And this is a great place to start.”

99-year-old WWII veteran was on Normandy beaches during D-Day, now lives in Farmington

His birthplace is named after a fictional Native American heroine from an early-19th century novel. However, William Henry Micou grew up to have many adventures of his own — all of them real — on his way to becoming an American hero.

And Wednesday, Micou, a veteran of World War II, is celebrating his 99th birthday. 

“I’m almost 100 years old,” the native of Attala County, Mississippi said with a hint of amazement in his voice on Monday afternoon from his home in Farmington Hills. “God is keeping me here for some reason. I don’t know what it is, but I’m still here.”

William Henry Micou, a military veteran and Red Ball Express driver during World War II, just a few days before his 99th birthday, at American House Senior Living in Farmington Hills on Monday, August 21, 2023.

Micou’s life was filled with meaning and a heightened sense of purpose when he was drafted at the age of 18. A reading of his “draft card” on Tuesday showed that when Micou registered with his local draft board, he stood about 5 feet, 10 inches tall and weighed approximately 134 pounds, which proved to be more than big enough to serve his country admirably. Micou was on the beaches of Normandy during D-Day, as more than 150,000 Allied forces staged an assault on German troops during the largest seaborne invasion in history on June 6, 1944.     

In the months following, there was still important work to do as the Allied forces moved through Europe after breaking out from the Normandy beaches. Micou made a vital contribution to the effort as part of the famous Red Ball Express, a truck convoy that carried supplies to Allied forces daily.  

A photograph of a platoon that Corporal William Henry Micou, 99, served with during World War II hangs above his bed at American House Senior Living in Farmington Hills on Monday, August 21, 2023.

According to an article posted on the National World War II Museum’s website titled “Keep‘em rolling: 82 Days on the Red Ball Express,” 75% of the Red Ball Express drivers were African American servicemen like Corporal Micou. And while most of the men did not have experience driving trucks before the war, from Aug. 21, 1944, through the end of November of that year, more than 412,000 tons of fuel, ammunition and equipment had been transported to 28 different divisions. Once precious supplies were delivered, the Red Ball Express also was tasked with bringing back dead and wounded soldiers, including German prisoners.    

TIME magazine hailed the Red Ball Express as part of “The Miracle of Supply” that sustained American forces stationed thousands of miles from North America. But on Monday, Micou made it clear that he and his fellow Black servicemen fought another type of battle — against discrimination — in the military, which still pains him. 

“We were treated differently,” Micou repeated a few times as he explained the segregation he experienced while serving his country in France. 

A photograph honoring William Henry Micou, now 99, a military veteran and Red Ball Express driver during World War II, hangs in the hallway at American House Senior Living in Farmington Hills on Monday, August 21, 2023.

As Micou spoke, it slowly became apparent that much of his pain from what he described as “rough” treatment has been absorbed by his son Herb, who through social media and face-to-face interactions, has done his best to make people aware of the contributions of his father and other Black soldiers. Herb Micou also revealed that his father faced discrimination after the war while seeking employment in Michigan.

“When my father and uncle left Mississippi, they went to Chicago and they both went to trade school,” the 76-year-old Herb Micou, a retired school administrator, said. “My dad went to school to learn bumping and painting and my uncle went to school as a tradesman. They both got their certificates and were guaranteed jobs here in the state of Michigan, in either Garden City or Livonia. But when they got here, there were no jobs for Mr. (James) Adams and Mr. Micou. You know why? They weren’t white.”

William Henry Micou, left, a military veteran and Red Ball Express driver during World War II, and his son Herb Micou, 76, pose together for a photo days before Micou's 99th birthday at American House Senior Living in Farmington Hills on Monday, August 21, 2023.

In need of work in a new locale, Herb Micou says his father and uncle first found railroad jobs before landing jobs with Kaiser-Frazer, which made cars at Willow Run. Ultimately, the two men would find long-term employment with another automaker, Ford Motor Company, where William Micou worked for 30 years, first in the welding department at the Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne and then as a welding inspector at the Ford Wixom plant.                  

While working in the plants, Herb Micou says his father took great pride in all the vehicles his employer produced, particularly the 1955 Ford, which he owned. Along with taking care of cars, Herb Micou said gardening and fishing have been other activities that have brought his father joy through the years.  

And it is Corporal Micou, the total man — which has also included being a devoted husband to his late wife Mable and father to Gerald Gaston and Herb and Robert Micou — that Raeda Dabaja, executive director of the Michigan Veterans Foundation, said she would be honored to celebrate in the near future. Like the servicemen that were behind the Red Ball Express, Dabaja and her team take pride in the unsung service they offer, including providing transitional housing, meals, clothing, health care services, life skills, employment training and more to veterans in need. 

Birthday cards and photographs sit on the dresser of William Henry Micou, now 99, a military veteran and Red Ball Express driver during World War II, inside his room at American House Senior Living in Farmington Hills on Monday, August 21, 2023.

“It would be awesome if his family could bring Corporal Micou to our facility (4626 Grand River) on Veterans Day, so we can honor him and present him with a special plaque and learn more about his life,” an enthusiastic Dabaja said Tuesday afternoon. “But for now, we say ‘Happy birthday from the Michigan Veteran Foundation and all of the troops we represent.’ And we sincerely thank him for his service.”        

How lifestyle choices are harming the cardiometabolic health of…

Three younger male friends with backpacks walk togetherShare on Pinterest
Experts say regular exercise and a balanced diet can help younger adults improve their cardiometabolic health. Smile/Getty Images
  • Researchers say poor lifestyle choices among younger people in the United States are leading to increased risks of cardiometabolic disease.
  • Younger Black and Hispanic people reportedly have higher rates of obesity, prediabetes, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease.
  • People with higher education, higher income, higher food security level, and health insurance coverage had lower rates of lifestyle risk factors and cardiometabolic disease rates.

A new study seems to confirm that the lifestyle choices younger adults in the United States make don’t necessarily equate to good health.

The research was published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

In it, researchers say many younger adults make poor lifestyle decisions that can lead to cardiometabolic diseases, such as diabetes, obesity, and hypertension, with rates varying depending on race and ethnicity.

Researchers looked at 10,405 individuals between the ages of 18 and 44 whose information was available through the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2011 to 2018.

Five different lifestyle risk factors were evaluated. They were:

  • Current smoking
  • Excessive drinking
  • Poor diet quality
  • Inadequate physical activity
  • Inappropriate sleep duration

The prevalence of these lifestyle risk factors were calculated, ranging from about 16% for excessive drinking to about 49% for poor diet quality.

Increased prevalence of cardiometabolic diseases ranged from about 4% for diabetes to about 37% for high cholesterol. In addition, the prevalence of having two or more lifestyle risk factors was about 45% and having two or more cardiometabolic diseases was 22%.

Researchers reported that white people had higher rates of smoking and excessive drinking than Hispanic and Asian Americans. White people also had a lower prevalence of poor diet quality, inadequate physical activity, and inappropriate sleep duration than Black Americans. Asian people had the lowest prevalence of all lifestyle risk factors except for inadequate physical activity.

Rates of obesity, prediabetes, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease were lower in white people than Black and Hispanic people. Black individuals had a higher rate of hypertension but lower rates of elevated cholesterol and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease than white and Hispanic individuals.

Hispanic people had the highest prevalence of metabolic syndrome among all racial and ethnic subgroups.

Researchers found that those with a more favorable social risk factor profile — higher education, higher income, higher food security level, and health insurance — had lower rates of lifestyle risk factors and cardiometabolic diseases.

Racial and ethnic disparities in many cardiometabolic diseases persisted but lessened after adjusting for social risk factors and lifestyle factors.

“Given that cardiometabolic diseases are largely preventable and lifestyle behaviors are theoretically modifiable, devising effective and targeted interventions to improve cardiometabolic health in young adults would deliver long-term health benefits,” said Nannan Feng, a study co-author and a faculty member at the Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine in China.

Dr. Krista Gonzales, an endocrinologist and educator at Pritikin Longevity Center in Miami, Florida, told Medical News Today that obesity is an epidemic with implications more severe than illustrated by the study.

“As impressive as these statistics are, with nearly half of individuals aged 18 to 44 with self-reported poor diet quality, I am sure this is still a gross underestimation of individuals with poor diet quality nationwide,” Gonzales said.

“According to data from 2017-2020 in the National Diabetes Statistics Report the prevalence of diabetes among those aged 18-44 was higher in more recent years at 4.8% than the survey estimation of 4.3%. Our focus on preventative medicine and basic dietary education is appallingly lacking nationwide with more than one in three individuals reporting high cholesterol within this young age group,” Gonzales added.

Dr. Rigved Tadwalkar, a cardiologist at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in California, told Medical News Today the study should be a “wake-up call” to medical professionals.

“These findings also suggest that healthcare providers need to pay special attention to young adults during routine check-ups,” Tadwalkar said. “It is not enough to assume that youth equates to good health. This age group may be more vulnerable than previously thought and clinicians should be vigilant in screening for lifestyle risk factors and early signs of cardiometabolic diseases.

“This is a critical window of opportunity for early intervention,” Tadwalkar added. “For example, regular blood pressure checks should be part of routine care for young adults, especially those from communities with higher prevalence of hypertension.

Tadwalkar also found the study’s insights into racial and ethnic disparities “particularly concerning.”

“For example, Black individuals had a higher rate of hypertension, but lower rates of elevated cholesterol compared to white individuals,” he said. “This suggests that tailored interventions targeting specific risk factors within different racial and ethnic groups are warranted. Clinicians must recognize these disparities and work towards equitable healthcare by providing culturally sensitive guidance.”

Kelsey Costa, a registered dietitian and nutrition consultant for the National Coalition on Healthcare, told Medical News Today the study’s findings emphasize the importance of understanding the world in which young adults live.

“Young adults today live in a fast-paced, high-stress environment, often resulting in suboptimal lifestyle choices,” Costa explained. “Factors such as lack of time, limited access to healthy food options, high levels of stress, and sedentary habits contribute to this situation.”

“This demographic is often targeted by marketing for unhealthy food and beverage options, further exacerbating the issue,” she added. “It’s crucial to foster health-promoting environments where healthy choices are the easy choices. Strategies could include increasing access to and affordability of nutritious foods, promoting the benefits of regular physical activity, and implementing public health policies that reduce unhealthy influences.”

“Understanding these unique challenges faced by young adults will assist healthcare professionals in designing targeted interventions to promote healthier lifestyle habits and reduce the risk of cardiometabolic diseases,” Costa noted.

Gonzales said younger people can improve their overall health with better lifestyle choices.

“Remaining active lifelong through exercise (both cardio and strength training), maintaining a diet rich in whole foods, low in salt, low in saturated fats, and minimizing processed foods and trans fats are key,” she said. “Closing the gap in education, food security, and health care access could largely reduce health disparities found amongst individuals of varying races, ethnic backgrounds, and socioeconomic status.”

Unveiling “Torn Between Two Worlds: Modern Medicine and Spiritual Healing” by Shawn T. Murphy

Unveiling “Torn Between Two Worlds: Modern Medicine and Spiritual Healing” by Shawn T. Murphy – African American News Today – EIN Presswire

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