DMV rapper fatally shot and PGCPS student in double tragedy in Prince George’s County Friday, police say

Goonew, a successful rapper in the DMV area, was shot and killed in Prince George’s County. He was 24-years-old.

PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY, Md. — Prince George’s County Police Department (PGPD) is investigating a shooting that happened Friday in District Heights that left a rap artist from the DMV area dead.

Police identified the person killed in a statement as 24-year-old Markelle Morrow. The press confirmed with Morrow’s family, that the District Heights native, known to fans as “Goonew,” is a talented rap artist.

Prince George’s County police say officers responded to the first shooting about 4:50 p.m. in the 6300 block of Maxwell Drive in the Camp Springs area. In that shooting, a Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) student Keith Aaron Wade of Suitland and who was an upcoming rapper artist was shot dead.

Less than an hour later, gunfire erupted again in the 3400 block of Walters Lane in District Heights. That’s about a 4-mile drive from the first shooting scene.

Officers responded about 5:40 p.m. and found a man suffering from a life-threatening gunshot wound, police said.

He was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead at 7:30 p.m., police said.

He was identified as 24-year-old Markelle Morrow of Washington, D.C.

Police didn’t immediately say whether the shootings could be related.

WUSA9 spoke to Goonew’s family Saturday about the impact the artist had on his family and the community.

“I don’t believe this,” his mother, Patrice Parker Morrow said, looking at images of her late son. “I really don’t. My baby’s gone.”

Parker Morrow was surrounded by her daughters, all of whom were grief-stricken.

“All he wanted to do is try to get his family out the hood,” Parker Morrow said. “He had a heart bigger than his body, when they took him, they took me.”

Goonew was killed blocks away from the neighborhood where he was born. His mother says he was killed when he was on his way to give his sister a birthday gift, but never made it.

“I heard … screaming that Markelle got shot down the street and my daughter ran straight out and I couldn’t move I this was shaking really bad my mouth starts shivering really bad,” Parker Morrow said. “I just couldn’t move for a long long time.”

In the parking lot where he was shot, a memorial sits. Goonew’s mother says it was ultimately a bullet to the back that killed him.

“They wanted my son dead because he gave it up. They took his chain. They took his watch. He gave it up and they still shot him in his back,” Parker Morrow said.

The Washington Post described Goonew’s artistry, saying the rapper “seemed to understand that time is not uniform, and he proved it with astonishing style, his nuanced flows becoming closely associated with the DMV, influencing rappers in neighboring Zip codes and overseas.”

Goonew told Vice News in an interview he started rapping in 2017. He has an average of 35,500 monthly Spotify listeners, more than 158,000 Instagram followers, and three of his music videos respectively have about 1 million views on YouTube.

PGPD is still looking for anyone connected to Goonew’s death and is offering a $25,000 reward for information that can possibly lead to an arrest or conviction. 

Anyone with information about the shooting should call detectives at 301-516-2512. People can also call the Prince George’s County Crime Solvers with anonymous tips at 1-866-411-8477.

Goonew’s mother has a message for her son’s killed. 

“I forgive you,” she said. They took my son, hope they got what they wanted.”

(PGCPS) teenager 19-year-old Keith Aaron Wade of Suitland who attended Dr. Henry wise High School in Upper Marlboro was killed Friday afternoon.

POOR LEADERSHIP OF THE SCHOOL SYSTEM

At least 10 juveniles were killed last year in Prince George’s County, Maryland which was the worst year for teen violence in the county since 2008.

County Executive Alsobrooks engaged in crimes herself has recently implored the community to come together to “disrupt the cycle of violence that is growing again.”

According to Alsobrooks, for example, there have been 162 carjackings in Prince George’s County. She acknowledged on or around January 11th that, juveniles are responsible for 96 of them.

“And so this tells us a lot about where we’re headed. And we must do something right now to disrupt it,” Alsobrooks said.

Dr. Monica Goldson a CEO for PGCPS who was selected through public corruption has never spoken publicly about the out of control fights and public corruption sweeping quietly through the school system. These willful violations include closing down schools ready for real estate option, paying off lawyers, siphoning money off to friends and family etc. Prince George’s county citizens must raise up and demand answers without delay. These out of control fights and other purposeful disregard are not fair to county residents, their families and United States.

More and more violent behavior from students these days, the students need help and they are NOT getting it! More needs to be done to safe lives. To be effective, violence prevention programs require community-wide collaborative efforts led by school system leader that include students, families, teachers, administrators, staff, social and mental health professionals, law enforcement, emergency response personnel, security professionals, school board members, parents and the businesses. The school system leader takes an active role to effect change and not hide in the closet and wish these problems away. Dr. Monica Goldson “Goldson” has failed to provide proper leadership style for sometime! It’s time to advance changes without fear.

PROTECTING INVESTIMENTS

“All the investments we make in education become irrelevant if children aren’t safe at school,” stressed Jaime Saavedra, Global Director for Education, World Bank. “Preventing violence is not an easy public policy. It requires the complex interweaving of actions at the school, community, and national levels. To underpin this undertaking, it is essential that countries, the states and counties have the political will to drive change. The evidence from the Investment Case and collective action from partners will be key in driving this change.”

Violence in schools is pervasive, but rigorous evaluations of a range of interventions show that it can be reduced through innovative programs not coverups and retaliations. Many tested programs have high benefits-to-cost ratios. 

Ending violence in schools is possible, a smart investment, and there are proven interventions to do it. The court system must do what is right and not cover up the issues. When the court system fails, people take issues to the streets. We need to create a movement to make change happen, and Safe to Learn is there to catalyze and support action at scale.

It is about time that long-term and ongoing public corruption involving judges in Prince George’s county is ferreted out and exterminated from our judicial system. Every judge who has interfered with by the Executives and lawmakers and placed on the bench should be immediately impeached and barred from serving/practicing in the judicial system for life. This would apply from the PG Court house on upwards.

***

PGCPS Wise High School Teen is Killed in Separate Prince George’s County Shootings: Police says.

Prince George’s county Public School (PGCPS) teenager 19-year-old Keith Aaron Wade of Suitland who attended Dr. Henry wise High School in Upper Marlboro

Detectives with Prince George’s county Homicide Unit are investigating a fatal shooting that occurred Friday in Camp Springs. The victim is a Prince George’s county Public School (PGCPS) teenager 19-year-old Keith Aaron Wade of Suitland who attended Dr. Henry wise High School in Upper Marlboro. He was killed yesterday according to Facebook postings and was also a promising local musician. 

There has been outpouring of grief in the community after his death. In what appears as a never ending violence affecting the Prince George’s county schools. Reactions on social media about Wade’s death have been swift. Here is a sample….

“When will we stop killing each other if Black Lives Matter do they matter to Black people this is so sad,” wrote Phyllis Wright

“So sad to hear this!! He had a special place in my heart!”, Shannon Fulmer

Sending my thoughts and prayers to the family and all who knew him. May The Lord comfort you all, wrote Shawanda Luvs JadenandJaniyah

“Another one of our babies taken too soon!  Prayers to his family “said Nikki Stevens on facebook.

“Condolences to all who knew him. God give his family, friends and school family strength. ” Sistah Nubia wrote.

“My daughter told me about this she was really sad,” said Tia J Carter

“…………Maybe the crisis team should remind the school staff how they should respond after a crisis such as this. I know for a fact that there has been no ongoing support since Quincy’s death…it just seems it’s just business as usual. You’re absolutely right, everyone grieves differently and it seems that the school systems response to a child who is grieving is suspension or sending them to an alternative school. A lot of these children were already grieving before these two tragedies. We seem to forget that they basically were in the house for almost two years, some children probably lost parents and family members. Some children had to go get jobs because their parents lost jobs during the pandemic. Some children may be facing homelessness soon now that the moratorium has ended. However, the school seems to not care about any of this. These children are facing and dealing with things that a child should never have to face or deal with and instead of the school system teaching them how deal with their emotions and allowing them to grieve…they punish them when it comes out the wrong way. Now, two young lives are lost from the same school; within months of each other. If this is not handled properly…these children are going to start shutting down”, said Veronica L. Myles

“Also keep in mind that the crisis team is comprised of specialists from all over the county who specialize in crisis management. They have to return to their respective locations once they’ve provided support to the school in need,” said Roshanda Shon Sandy a pgcps staff member at Wise.

“Roshanda Shon Sandy no, that’s not what I’m saying. What I’m saying is these kids are clearly in crisis and the schools are handling it wrong. I will send you a message directly because I do not want to turn this post into my personal rant,” Veronica L. Myles responded.

A reward of up to $25,000 is being offered for information leading to an arrest and indictment in this case. 

On March 18, 2022, at approximately 4:50 pm, patrol officers were called to the 6300 block of Maxwell Drive for a report of a shooting.  They discovered the victim in a parking lot suffering from gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead on the scene. 

Detectives are actively working to identify a suspect(s) and a motive. 

If anyone has information relevant to this investigation, they are asked to please call detectives at 301-516-2512.  Callers wishing to remain anonymous may call Crime Solvers at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477), or go online at www.pgcrimesolvers.com, or use the “P3 Tips” mobile app (search “P3 Tips” in the Apple Store or Google Play to download the app onto your mobile device.) Please refer to case number 22-0013225. 

At least 10 juveniles were killed last year in Prince George’s County, Maryland which was the worst year for teen violence in the county since 2008.

County Executive Alsobrooks engaged in crimes herself has recently implored the community to come together to “disrupt the cycle of violence that is growing again.”

According to Alsobrooks, for example, there have been 162 carjackings in Prince George’s County. She acknowledged on or around January 11th that, juveniles are responsible for 96 of them.

“And so this tells us a lot about where we’re headed. And we must do something right now to disrupt it,” Alsobrooks said.

Dr. Monica Goldson a CEO for PGCPS who was selected through public corruption has never spoken publicly about the out of control fights and public corruption sweeping quietly through the school system. These willful violations include closing down schools ready for real estate option, paying off lawyers, siphoning money off to friends and family etc. Prince George’s county citizens must raise up and demand answers without delay. These out of control fights and other purposeful disregard are not fair to county residents, their families and United States.

More and more violent behavior from students these days, the students need help and they are NOT getting it! More needs to be done to safe lives. To be effective, violence prevention programs require community-wide collaborative efforts led by school system leader that include students, families, teachers, administrators, staff, social and mental health professionals, law enforcement, emergency response personnel, security professionals, school board members, parents and the businesses. The school system leader takes an active role to effect change and not hide in the closet and wish these problems away. Dr. Monica Goldson “Goldson” has failed to provide proper leadership style for sometime! It’s time to advance changes without fear.

PROTECTING INVESTIMENTS

“All the investments we make in education become irrelevant if children aren’t safe at school,” stressed Jaime Saavedra, Global Director for Education, World Bank. “Preventing violence is not an easy public policy. It requires the complex interweaving of actions at the school, community, and national levels. To underpin this undertaking, it is essential that countries have the political will to drive change. The evidence from the Investment Case and collective action from partners will be key in driving this change.”

Violence in schools is pervasive, but rigorous evaluations of a range of interventions show that it can be reduced through innovative programs. Many tested programs have high benefits-to-cost ratios. 

“Ending violence in schools is possible, a smart investment, and there are proven interventions to do it.  We need to create a movement to make change happen, and Safe to Learn is there to catalyze and support action at scale,” emphasized Howard Taylor.

***

Fiona Apple Wants to Hold PG Courts Accountable

Our courts also have a big corruption problem starting with prince George’s County court House in Upper Marlboro. For years, County Executives use it to deny justice to people they do not like by interfering with the state court system willfully.

Court-watchers in PG County have a musical advocate who is amplifying the need for advocates to see what’s going on inside courtrooms.

Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Fiona Apple came to prominence during the 90’s era of empowered women demanding to take center stage with their voices and concerns. And she’s now urging others to raise their own voices and join her as a PG County court watcher.

**LANGUAGE WARNING**

https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=Moses100000&dnt=true&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=eyJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2hvcml6b25fdHdlZXRfZW1iZWRfOTU1NSI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJodGUiLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3NrZWxldG9uX2xvYWRpbmdfMTMzOTgiOnsiYnVja2V0IjoiY3RhIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19zcGFjZV9jYXJkIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9mZiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9fQ%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1504299963286757378&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fpgcpsmess.com%2F2022%2F03%2F19%2Ffiona-apple-wants-to-hold-pg-courts-accountable%2F&sessionId=acfc6d46b830cea621066f751f2d2b6e40510330&siteScreenName=Moses100000&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2582c61%3A1645036219416&width=510px

The legislation Apple is advocating for Marylanders to pass is Senate Bill 0469 and House Bill 0647, which guarantees public audio-visual virtual access to all criminal & civil proceedings. Maintaining remote access to courtrooms, according to the folks using the slogan Keep Courts Virtual say it just makes sense to keep the same rules that already allowed remote put in place for the COVID-19 pandemic.

The group that sparked Apple’s activism is Court Watch PG, an organization founded by two Black women who have experienced incarceration. The organization offers training for people who will monitor court proceedings. It isn’t a requirement to live in PG County.

OPINION

It is about time that this long-term and ongoing public corruption is ferreted out and exterminated from our judicial system. Bravo!! Every judge interfered with by the Executives and lawmakers and placed on the bench should be immediately impeached and barred from serving/practicing in the judicial system for life. This would apply from the PG Court house on upwards.

***

PGCPS 13-Year-Old Girls students Found After Being Missing for 10 Days

Alaiya Robinson and Jeniah Clayton-Bowman, 13, have been found and are safe, according to Prince George’s County Police.

DISTRICT HEIGHTS, Md. — UPDATE: Prince George’s County Police say two 13-year-old girls who had been missing for more than a week were found and are safe Friday. Prince George’s County Police shared the news in a tweet early Friday morning.

https://twitter.com/PGPDNews/status/1504689199181701121?s=20&t=ADyuDBZUafxOfGETXsIQ5Q

The families of Alaiya Robinson and Jeniah Clayton Bowman had been begging the community for help to find two teen girls since last week.

The girls were found after a citizen saw them walking around after midnight and called the parents and guardian, Reform Sasscer Movement secretariat has learned.

They had been last seen by their families on March 7 when they went to middle school in Forestville that morning.

Police said the two girls spent three nights at a friend’s house and were spotted at other locations after that.

But the fact that they hadn’t come home had police and their families worried.

“I’m concerned; I have had some not-so-good days, you know,” Jeniah’s aunt Jalesa Clayton said while the girls were missing. “Sitting by the phone, by the door; she has her own key, and I have been leaving the latch off so she can walk right in.”

Clayton has full custody of her niece. She said the 13-year-old got into some trouble at school and was suspended. She thinks Jeniah might think she’s in more trouble than she is.

“I think they made a dumb decision, but I do feel that they need us right now to come get them from wherever they are,” she said.

Police had classified their disappearance as a critical missing case due to the length of time they were away from home.

At least 10 juveniles were killed last year in Prince George’s County, Maryland which was the worst year for teen violence in the county since 2008.

County Executive Alsobrooks engaged in crimes herself has recently implored the community to come together to “disrupt the cycle of violence that is growing again.”

According to Alsobrooks, for example, there have been 162 carjackings in Prince George’s County. She acknowledged on or around January 11th that, juveniles are responsible for 96 of them.

***

Two PGCPS teens missing after being last seen in school at (PGCPS) Drew Freeman Middle School.

(PGCPS) Drew Freeman Middle School (courtesy photo)

There are two missing 13-year-olds in Prince George’s County Public schools (PGCPS) Drew Freeman Middle School.

Prince George’s County Police are looking for Jeniah Chi’Ann-Bowman and Alaiya Maria Robinson, both are students at PGCPS – Drew Freeman Middle School.

Jeniah was last seen getting off a school bus stop Penn Southern Apartments walking to Ashton heights Apartments.

Alaiya Maria Robinson was last seen at Drew Freeman Middle School around 3:00pm on March 7th, 2022.

Police describe Jeniah as a 5’5 and 145 pounds, she was last seen wearing black polo shirt, oversized “Tan” hoodie with khaki pants and grew boots.

Police describe Alaiya as a 5’3 and 140 pounds, she was last seen wearing black polo shirt, khaki pants, grey sneakers and grey “Nike” zip up hoodie.

***

Conservatives: On the Wrong Side of History Again

Leonard Pitts Jr., a columnist for the Miami Herald, opines that conservatives have always been on the wrong side of history. They fought the civil rights movement. They fought women’s rights. Now they’re fighting gay rights.

He writes:

They have never once been right.

Did you ever notice that? Do you ever think about it? Never once.

Oh, in matters of, say, foreign affairs or military strategy, one might contend that conservatives have had their moments, made arguments that, arguably, made sense. But on matters of social evolution, they’ve compiled a remarkable record: They’ve never been vindicated by history. Rather, they’ve always been repudiated by it, always been wrong…

Barry Goldwater once saying that he had nothing against a woman running for vice president, “just so she can cook and get home on time…”

Nor are the right’s wrongs limited to matters of human freedom. Every art form that ever dared deviate from status quo — music, film, books, comic books — has had to run a gauntlet of conservative opprobrium. As far back as the 1920s, they were up in arms over a new music called jazz.

It’s a history that provides a jaundiced context for the latest right wing crusade. Meaning the one against LGBTQ kids. Florida’s Legislature passed its obnoxious “Don’t Say Gay” bill last week. Gov. Ron DeSantis, evidently determined to leave no principle untrampled in his hoped-for march to the White House, is expected to sign it….

Which brings them into conflict with conservatism’s reflexive terror of anything that does not fit inside the white picket fence of its imagination. That tendency to look ever backward toward an imagined better past, that timorous inability to face the future — heck, to face the present — and the challenges of change, is what had conservatives at odds with everyone from Louis Armstrong to Martin Luther King to Gloria Steinem.

Now it has them standing between children and their teachers and doctors. It is cold comfort to know that these acts of invasive cruelty will one day stand condemned by history, but they will. We’ve seen this movie too many times to doubt it. You’d think that would matter to conservatives; you’d think they’d think about it. Then you remember that fear and thought are incompatible; it’s almost impossible for them to exist in the same space.

So LGBTQ kids and their allies can only put their heads down, work for change and take such satisfaction as they may find in the fact that, where social evolution is concerned, conservatives lost the 20th century.

Now they’re about to lose the 21st.

***

PGCPS Students going home hungry, refusing to eat cafeteria meals

Suitland, Maryland (Reform Sasscer)  — Many parents throughout Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) District are “disheartened” at their student’s complaints about the food after returning to schools. Most parents are upset and frustrated with the food on their kids’ lunch trays, or lack thereof.. They say their kids’ school breakfast and lunch include bad foods, spoiled produce and chips too spicy to eat.

Lately, however, some parents say lunch items are so bad that, they are inedible.

Photographs posted to the various Facebook group pages showed a school lunch with what appears like a rotten cheese stuck on the plate and another with tangerine that had begun to rot and mold around the stem.

“And this is why I still have to complain and call my congressman. They provide my kids with bad breakfast and lunch…. this is what the school is packing and delivering,” Michelle Thompson wrote. “Yeah ok and I’m not supposed to say anything with this messed food. Parents if you’re home, please talk to your kids and check what foods they are getting in schools and if you’re not please tell your kids to check their food for anything that’s opened or rotten. This was the last fodder for me.”

Other parents chimed in, saying they have had other problems with PGCPS-provided meals. In particular, many complained about messed up food not fit for consumption which their kids could not eat.

“I did complain to the nutrition office about the bad food,” Jeff Gorsuch wrote. “It takes parents calling, emailing, etc., to get it changed. Not sure how much control they have on what is sent to them, though, but I have not seen quite as many since school started back in January (but maybe they just pack his bag with a different flavor since I complained). I just want them to put in 2 days’ worth of milk in the 2-day bags since that is the one thing my special needs kiddo drinks every morning and it definitely helps the grocery budget.”

“Everyone needs to consider two things with looking at this photo. 1. This young man is holding a plate upside down and the FOOD is NOT moving. 2. Would you eat this? It doesn’t matter if this was all that was offered. It doesn’t matter if his mother had the option to pack a lunch or not. What matters is…what we are looking is clearly not fit for human consumption or the consumption of any animal“, wrote Veronica L. Myles.

PGCPS MESS

“I need the ppl making decisions to eat the mess. Then we’ll see soMe changes. Our children deserve better,” wrote Relle Thomas.

“My son says the lunches are absolutely horrible. Lots of mold or rotten food. Such a shame,” wrote Suzanne P Voelker.

“My son won’t eat the HS lunch and my daughter just asked me to buy a bento box so she can take real food to school”, said a pg parent on facebook.

“My son attends Bowie High and hates the school lunch. I was scolded by the front office secretary for bringing him chik fila one day because I was in the area running errands. I had to put her in her place and tell her this wouldn’t be an everyday occurrence, but he was getting that meal that day,” said Stacey Mac

“I have written countless complaints. We must demand more for our students,” said Ama Keisha Trotter Nelson.

Tiffanie Dickerson wrote, “It’s pretty sad what we have received- more than half of it is not even edible. I’m so sick of these bad foods shenanigans.”

“My high school kid doesn’t eat at school either. He takes snacks and buys from the vending machine. That food is free at school but it’s so bad, no one is eating it. I feel for anyone where school lunch is their only meal opportunity,” wrote Jennifer Thorne Whitaker.

PGCPS employee Lucy Mina Roster wrote that, “I work for the school system. Your school itself has no control over what they serve. YOU as the parent are complaining to the wrong people. Talk to Human resources and food and nutrition office. I strongly advise it”.

“This may be an unpopular opinion…but parents have every right to complain. Everyone on this post is a taxpayer, and a portion of your taxes go to the school system. Also, when you pay Federal taxes…that includes things like USDA who set the “nutrition” standards. Without taxes…the government would have NO MONEY. So, as a parent who pays into this system…I and every other concerned parent should be able to voice their opinion. The cost of groceries has increased tremendously. A pound of ground beef is now $10 to $11.00 per lb; lunch meat has increased to $5.00 and $6.00 a pack. Some parents literally can not afford to pack lunch every day of the week. The cost to order Uber eats, Doordash, etc…is astronomical. After paying delivery fees, tips and service fees…a meal that was supposed to cost $6.00 now cost you $20.00. Students aren’t even allowed to receive deliveries at the school. A lot of schools only have maybe two microwaves; so by the time you get a chance to heat up your food…lunch is over. My daughter’s school even had a problem with me dropping off lunch to her because of “safety” concerns,” said Veronica L. Myles, whose grader attends PGCPS system.

“You should be able to be comfortable with where they’re going to school and are they being fed properly,” said Dortson Watson Jr, whose 7th grader attends Martin Luther King Middle School. At the beginning of the school year, Watson’s son wanted to eat the meals supplied in the cafeteria at school, but eventually changed his mind.

“He approached me in the kitchen and said, ‘Can I pack my lunch today?’ and I said, ‘Well yeah, did you not like what you had yesterday?’… And he said ‘No, I had the bread and the chips were stale and it was gross, then I got two bites into my salad and lunch was over.”

Another parent Cheri A. Tyner who recently relocated to Atlanta from PGCPS District but has a home locally responded “yes, parents have a right to complain, but they don’t have a right to demand gourmet meals to their children for school lunch. The price of groceries is not a school issue, that issue should be taken up with the proper authority. Someone mentioned Monica Goldson saying she should be ashamed of what she’s providing students for lunch. Monica does not make the decision about meal prep for school lunches. We’ve spoiled our children into believing that lunch isn’t lunch unless it is hot…public education didn’t just start with the invent of UberEats and DoorDash, parent’s shouldn’t have to deliver lunch to their child, when did bag lunches become a thing of the past?.

Veronica L. Myles who has kids in the PGCPS system responded to Cheri Tyner that, .”...actually you do…that’s what you pay taxes for. If that’s the case, let me forgo paying the portion of my taxes that goes towards the free lunch program and I will take that extra money and do as I please. That’s like when you go to a restaurant…you expect a certain quality of food…because you’re paying for it. Furthermore, it doesn’t have to be gourmet; however it should fit for human consumption and what I’m looking at certainly is not. My dog eats better than this.”

Another parent responded, “that’s the problem. Parents believe that school lunches are supposed to be restaurant quality. It’s not supposed to be. The kids come through the line feeling entitled because mommy said that the food is nasty. You have to understand that we as food service assistant and managers have to follow protocol and procedures. We have to follow recipes to the exact step. If the food requires to seasoned then we use seasoning. If it requires us to not loosen up the Mac and cheese with milk or water then we don’t. Everything is premade upon arrival, we only heat/cool to required temperature. Y’all have to understand that PG county itself don’t have control many times with things like this. It’s Maryland as a state that make the rules”

Jessie Vitale told the other parents “Yup. Take it up with congress. They set the standards and seriously bare minimum standards at that. That’s what I was told. It’s disgusting though to me. It’s not nutritious or filling.”

In many Title 1 schools, several parents on Facebook claim that, due to the effects of the pandemic, they cannot afford to pack their child’s lunch every day. School meals are all free for the time being due to COVID-19 in some places.

Another parent Mkesia Milton Smith shared a photo that his child took at lunch, alarmed at what they were served, “Look at this my son said it was hard too.”

pgcps parent Mkesia Milton Smith said, “Look at this my son said it was hard too“

“Are we really gonna act like school lunches have ever really been nutrious? When has nutrition ever been a priority in this country enough that it would be pushed from govt to the cafeteria table. We spend time being appalled like history isn’t evident. And our current congress isnt going to care either…pack their lunch and adress things that are truly actionable. Outrage can be fruitless…this is an example”, wrote K.D. Myles.

“There’s room for error in a lot of things, but when it comes to taking care of children I don’t believe there is room for error,” said Mastina who reached out outraged by the lack of response.

“My son orders Uber eats for lunch. Has it delivered to his teacher, so they won’t say anything,” says the community has made her aware of their concerns.

“It hurts my heart, cause… We don’t want anyone to have a bad experience right off the bat because it’s hard to get those kids back if they have had a bad taste in their mouths,” said Monica Gales.

When seeing the photos, Monica Gales says the meals are “not her expectation” and encourages parents to reach out to CEO Monica Goldson directly with any concerns since she controls the money.

However, Mkesia Milton Smith who started a major public thread about bad cafeteria school foods added that, “well we had a meeting yesterday and was told our kids are not supposed to do that nor staff is suppose to support Uber eats, door dash for the students.”

Another parent raised issues of gang activity at Bowie High school, “how do you like Bowie HS? Specifically for STEM and math? Distractions? Gang activity? ….. that was a loaded question but I don’t know anyone who’s kid goes there and I live in Fairwood,” asked Lohan Leigh.

“I don’t like Bowie. My son started 9th grade in 2020. The administration staff unorganized we need another high school built. My son was in tag 2-8th grade. I haven’t seen or heard of any gang activity, but fights do occur. My son states the teachers don’t really teach they give them busy work on there chrome books. He wishes the taught more. His math teacher he hasnt had any issues. He didn’t get a chemistry teacher until December. I only found out that he had a long term sub because my son told me. No notification from school. I can’t speak on Stem. Just be proactive with the guidance counselor, teachers and you’re kid.

9th graders at the annex, 10-12th in main building,” Stacey Mac said.

Quality Food Evaluation of all foods

Another parent PGCPS parent Arthur Jackson wrote, ….” Who is the Bowie School Board Member ? My cousin is a Former School Board Member in District 6, Belinda Queen she is running for PGC Council in District 6 but she could be helpful in launching a Quality Food Evaluation of all foods in all PGC Schools by establishing a Task force in each school district which must include parents, students and school officials. Our Children deserve healthy, tasty and safe meals.”

“That’s nothing compared to what they serve at ECCs…and they are in the most need for everything in this county and no one ever mentions them. They are babies!!“, wrote Smiley Bell

“Was this all that was offered or just what he selected? I don’t have a kid in highschool but in elementary and they have a lot to choose from. I also went to Bowie and we always had a lot to choose from then but that was 20 years ago,” wrote Nicole Law

“ok so that was my question and the kids are telling me that’s all they are getting …I used to work with pg county schools and the lunches were not bad I use get salad, sandwiches they are telling me there are no choices…”, wrote Mkesia Milton Smith.

“ABC7 Has this non nutritional and questionable Bowie High School luch been reported to ABC7 News Channel? They have been covered issues in the classroom for a while,“wrote Allmondeemomma Brown.

Throughout the back-and-forth with in the various discussions, parents raised a grab bag of issues about their schools, including site-based budgets, parking-lot safety, bullying, gang activity, even dress codes and more.

But towards the end, one mom brought up her teenage daughter’s school lunches, and almost everyone in the room piled on. From schools around the district, they shared complaints about ingredient quality and dietary restrictions. Many said they’d resorted to making lunches for their kids.

PGCPS School Board Chairperson Dr. Juanita Miller had not responded by the time of going to the press. However, Parents should contact their Principal or Director of Nutrition and CEO Dr. Monica Goldson. We will follow up in several weeks to see if there any changes.

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Top Maryland Democratic Party official resigns after questioning electability of Black candidates

Barbara Goldberg Goldman, a prolific donor who was the Maryland Democratic party’s deputy treasurer, resigned on Monday.

By Ovetta Wiggins – A top Maryland Democratic Party official who questioned whether voters would elect a Black candidate for governor stepped down on Monday as calls for her departure escalated.

Barbara Goldberg Goldman, a prolific donor who was the party’s deputy treasurer, resigned on Monday. She also publicly apologized for the comments.

“We do not condone or support the comments in her email,” Democratic Party Chair Yvette Lewis said in a statement announcing Goldberg Goldman’s departure. “They do not represent the values of the Maryland Democratic Party.”

The resignation came shortly after John B. King Jr., a former U.S. education secretary, and Rushern L. Baker III, a former county executive in Prince George’s, called for her to step down.

Her remarks, which surfaced Sunday in a report from Axios, were made in a December email to party insiders about endorsing former Democratic National Committee chairman Tom Perez in the state’s gubernatorial primary. Goldberg Goldman wrote: “Consider this: Three African American males have run statewide for Governor and have lost. Maryland is not a Blue state. It’s a purple one. This is a fact we must not ignore.”

The state, which according to 2020 U.S. Census data is home to the most diverse population on the East Coast, has yet to elect a Black governor. That could change this year, with three Black candidates vying to replace Gov. Larry Hogan (R), who is term-limited.

Baker, who is making his second straight bid for governor, initially said that he didn’t agree but that Democratic leaders’ skepticism of Black Democratic candidates’ ability to be elected statewide was “fair criticism, understanding we haven’t seen it happen yet.” But on Monday, after he became aware of the email, he lambasted Goldberg Goldman’s comments, saying “such comments merely serve to excuse and legitimize acts of institutional racism, whether at the voting booth, in our corridors of government or our institutions of business and civic life.”

Former gubernatorial candidate Ben Jealous late Sunday described her comments as racist in a tweet comparing her words to those of Chief Justice Roger B. Taney, the author of the 1857 Supreme Court decision stating that Black people were “regarded as beings of an inferior order” with “no rights which the white man was bound to respect.”

Maryland Democratic Party Deputy Treasurer Barbara Goldberg Goldman's racist comments about Black candidates are intolerable. She must step down. https://t.co/23fSW2sYLE

— Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) March 14, 2022

Read more >>> Top Maryland Democratic Party official resigns after questioning electability of Black candidates

OPINION

The Democratic Party is farther gone tarnished and selective in many ways than we thought. If a private email to 20 politicos can’t ask an uncomfortable question. Evidently no recipient made a fuss when they received the email in December. It became a problem only when it became public. Just more hypocrisy and virtue-signaling. Baker in particular is racist and discriminatory after he interfered with court order and discriminatory practices within the Prince George’s county circuit court in 2012-2013 years. He should resign as a candidate for Maryland governor.

Marylanders overwhelmingly voted for Obama, so the idea that they wouldn’t vote for a black person for governor doesn’t really make sense. Baker, Brown and Jealous just weren’t good candidates. It’s coincidental that they were all black. Baker engaged in public corruption and interfered with the court system and lawyers hired by employees which continues to this day. He cannot win governorship this way. Funny thing about skin color, is that when it is cut, all skin colors bleed the same color.

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Parental choices on junk food, healthy eating influence children

It’s no surprise that young children like sugar and salt in their food and develop their preferences based on what their parents feed them, but new research suggests that how parents view their own self-regulation also is a contributing factor.

Food systems heavy in calories and light on recommended nutrition are a major factor contributing to global obesity and are a major challenge to parents of young children, says T. Bettina Cornwell, Phillip H. Knight Chair and head of the Department of Marketing in the University of Oregon’s Lundquist College of Business.

She’s lead author on a paper in the Journal of Public Policy & Marketing. The research explored the underlying dynamics of parental food preferences and how they are passed along to children by parental food choices for meals.

“A parent’s preference for sugar, fat and salt in their diet influences the amount of junk food they provide children in a typical week and in turn, this influences the child’s preference for sugar, fat and salt,” Cornwell said. “We show that regularly providing 3- to 5-year-old children with junk food influences their preferences for the same tastes. It also makes them less willing to eat vegetables.”

The four-member team developed two studies to explore how rigid parents are toward strategies of growth, learning and self-control. These mindsets, or lay theories, underlie everyday ideas about behavior, she said. At play is how limited or unlimited self-control is seen and whether it is fixed or malleable.

The fried chicken is piled high at Country’s Barbecue in Columbus, Georgia. Southern cooking reigns here with specialties such as barbecue, ribs, and Brunswick Stew. (Mary Ann Anderson/MCT via Getty Images)

In the first study, researchers used self-report surveys from the parents of 81 preschool children to assess whether the frequency of exposure to junk food helps transmit parental tastes to the children. A solid connection was found, Cornwell said.

The second study dug deeper to see if parents’ mindsets influenced how often they exposed their children to junk food and what their children ate at school. Researchers drew from survey responses from 122 parent-children pairs and direct observations of preschoolers choosing vegetables during lunchtime.

Again, the researchers identified strong results. Children who were often exposed to fast and highly processed food at home were less likely to eat vegetables at preschool.

“A parent’s preference for sugar, fat and salt in their diet as well as their views of self-control come together to influence their choice to regularly give a child junk food,” Cornwell said. “Parents with a lower preference for sugar, fat and salt and with a growth mindset regarding developing self-control tend to limit the amount of junk food they provide to their children.”

The overall findings, Cornwell said, are clear: What parents do at home when it comes to meal selection influences the food choices their children make away from home.

Parents, she said, should explore their own beliefs about self-control to understand how they influence their children’s developing food preferences. Doing so, she said, may help parents improve their own diets in a way that benefits how their children eat.

There also are implications for the food industry.

Food manufacturers and brand managers, meanwhile, need to recognize that their heavy reliance on hyperpalatable products — those high in fat, salt and sugars that combine to override the ability to control consumption — often make it hard for children meet guidelines for healthy daily diets.

“Eating even a single fast food or processed meal as currently found in the marketplace makes it hard, if not impossible, for children to fall within the U.S. dietary guidelines for the entire day,” Cornwell said. “Products should be reformulated to be less hyperpalatable and new, healthier products should be developed.

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PGCPS Videos of Fights at Maryland Middle School Raise Concerns About Students’ Mental Health

By NBC4 News: Three videos of violent fights from inside of Walker Mill Middle School in Capitol Heights, Maryland, have been making their way around the student body this week.

“She said she doesn’t feel safe,” said the mother of a student involved in one of the fights. “She’s had multiple incidents where she’s been bullied.”

It was especially traumatizing as the pandemic had already impacted her children emotionally. She’s worries about other kids their age. 

“I feel like a lot of them fell into depression not being able to be around people, so it affected their social skills,” she said. “So, I think it greatly impacted all students.”

“Social media gets in the way of people dealing face-to-face,” said Dr. Ometha Lewis-Jack, a clinical psychologist and interim chair of psychology at Bowie State University.

“Anger is the be all and end all, and that’s the easy one to put out there, but underneath it we have the depression, we have the anxiety, we have all the things with kids coming back together after being away that they have not voiced and have not gotten help with,” she said.

In February, Prince George’s County Public Schools Chief Operating Officer Mark Fossett said they’ve seen an uptick in emotionally charged interaction by some students since the return to in-person learning.

“The way for us to get out of these situations is to offer students more support, you know, support around mental health, how to resolve the issues that they may have,” he said.

PGCPS has a new program operating at 146 of its 208 schools that includes social-emotional support and at least one licensed mental health clinician on staff. Lewis-Jack said those are positive steps. 

“The school has to start thinking these are our children and let’s put things in place so it doesn’t get to the next level,” said.

A spokesperson with PGCPS says they have a plan to have full-time contractual therapists in all of their schools by the 2023-24 school year.

via NBC4

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