Prince Georgians Work to Combat Domestic Violence
People around Prince George’s County are working to combat domestic violence through partnerships, protocols, programming and engagement.
“Family violence is where we’ve seen a rise. Whether it’s parents, children, stepfamilies, or even grandparents: we want to bring attention to this issue,” Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy (D) told WUSA9 in an interview.
Braveboy, who hosted events throughout October for Domestic Violence Awareness Month, announced a collaborative effort to address domestic violence in the county by creating new protocols for 911 operators and local and county police to assist victims of domestic violence with resources.
Working to address challenges has proven beneficial, Braveboy said.
“We have seen a decrease in intimate partner homicides. We went to the legislature to make strangulation a first-degree felony offense, the most heinous offense committed against intimate partners,” she said.
In addition, Braveboy’s office is promoting the #SayHelp Initiative alongside Sheriff John D.B. Carr (D) to reduce the stigma of reaching out for assistance.
“The Prince George’s Collaborative to End Family Violence is focused on bringing awareness to family violence and will delve into family units to see what issues exist with a strong focus on mental health support and counseling, substance abuse recovery, housing, employment opportunities and advocacy,” We want to encourage families in need to reach out to our resource partners for assistance, including the Family Justice Center, House of Ruth and Mettle Works,” said Chauka K. Reid, the State’s Attorney’s Director of Public Affairs.
Glenarden Mayor Dr. Cashenna A. Cross and Patricia Watts, CEO of WeModel USA and Connect2Protect are partnering up to raise awareness about important issues in the county, that have remained particularly prevalent since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic.
“Increasing violence and trafficking is not yet solved following the COVID-19 pandemic but we are breaking the cycle and silence on both,” said Watts.
The WeModel USA CEO recommends that legislators advocate for the rights of victims, attend to the vulnerable, protect at-risk communities, and work to break down victim stigma via community education.
Mayor Cross has lobbied delegates and state senators to enhance residency opportunities, expand social services, and advocate for child trafficking awareness.
“I am proud to support the launching of the #SayHelp campaign alongside State’s Attorney Braveboy and Sheriff Carr,” said Cross.
She is inviting Prince Georgians to attend the Dec. 8 fashion show: “When Beauty Meets Purpose – Stop The Traffick and Walk The Runway.” The event kicks off WEModel USA’s 2025 national campaign working to protect children from the horrors of trafficking.
“I have also been working to address the challenges facing our survivors of domestic abuse and human trafficking to our local, county, state and national legislators,” Cross said.
WeModel USA is hosting a fashion show at the MGM Grand on Dec. 8 to raise awareness; read more here.
Rutherford Hayes Jones Collection of Baseball Memorabilia Goes to Auction
Dwayne Renal Sims, founder of the Negro League Legends Hall of Fame and noted archivist of the Colored Professional League, has announced that a historic collection of century-old memorabilia was put up for auction in at the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory Live Auction on Nov. 16.
“The Rutherford Hayes Jones collection, which pre-dates the Negro Leagues of 1920, had rested undiscovered within a suitcase from 1960 to 2001,” said Sims, who organizes the annual East-West Negro League All Star Game at Prince George’s Stadium.
Jones served as the business manager for the Washington Giants Baseball Club, one of the earliest Black teams of its type and a precursor to the well-known Negro Leagues. At the Kentucky-based museum, Jones’ collection was auctioned alongside memorabilia from Hall of Famer Ted Williams.
Some of the auctioned items include:
- 1907 “History of Colored Base Ball” by Sol White with scarce supplemental pages
- Brooklyn Royal Giants team cabinet photograph circa 1908-10
- 1910 Bruce Petway autographed letter with important content incl. Rube Foster
- 1906 Nat Strong autographed Philadelphia Stars letter
- 1910 Nat Strong autographed Cuban Giants letter
- Washington Giants team cabinet photograph circa 1910
Nearly all of the posted items sold for above the projected value, including one of the rarest books in baseball history, showing a clear market for the preservation and promotion of an unsung era of Black baseball.
“By volume, the collection is not necessarily notable because there’s only maybe 20-30 pieces in total, but for that period of time as it relates to African Americans in the game of baseball, it’s extremely significant to find that type of previously undiscovered or unknown cachet in one collection,” a representative from the Louisville, Kentucky business Hunt Actions said in a Facebook post about the event in collaboration with the museum.
One photo, estimated at a value of roughly $3,000 sold for $8,500. The Kansas City Negro League Baseball Museum purchased a photograph of the Brooklyn Royal Giants for $10,000.
“I am elated to see this unknown archive of historic objects to be unveiled and shared with the public for the first time within the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory Live Auction event,” Sims, who also hosted a ceremony to commemorate a forever stamp for baseball legend Hank “Henry” Aaron earlier this year, told The Informer. “The Negro League Legends Hall of Fame, Inc. is proud to be a part of such an exclusive baseball history related to the nation’s capital— District of Columbia— the Washington Giants as incorporated in 1909.”
We previously covered Dwayne Sims’ efforts to preserve Black baseball history. Read more here and here.
