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21, 2024 - December 27, 2024 The Afro-American A5 Senior Guide December • A5 & A6

Volume 133 No. 22

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THE BLACKwww.afro.com MEDIA AUTHORITY • AFRO.COM

Volume 123 No. 20–22

DECEMBER 28, 2024 - JANUARY 3, 2025

Grace Beahm /The Post And Courier via AP, File)

AP Photo

President Joe Biden (left) stands by his Dec. 23 decision to commute 37 federal death row sentences. Though most of the 40 federal death row inmates will now serve life without parole, three will still face execution, including the man responsible for killing nine congregates inside of Charleston, South Carolina’s Mother Emanuel AME Church in 2015. Members of the Black community have praised the decision, while others have said it sends the wrong message. Shown here, on right, Tyrone Sanders and Felicia Sanders comforting each other at the graveside of their son, Tywanza Sanders, on June 27, 2015, at Emanuel AME Cemetery in Charleston.

Relief, defiance, anger: Families and advocates react to Biden’s death row commutations By Jeffrey Collins and Ali Swenson AP News Victims’ families and others affected by crimes that resulted in federal death row convictions shared a range of emotions on Sept. 23, from relief to anger, after President Joe Biden commuted dozens of the sentences. Biden converted the sentences

of 37 federal death row inmates to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. The inmates include people convicted in the slayings of police and military officers, as well as federal prisoners and guards. Others were involved in deadly robberies and drug deals. Three inmates will remain on federal death row: Dylann Roof, convicted of the 2015 racist slayings of nine Black members of

Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina; the 2013 Boston Marathon Bomber, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, and Robert Bowers, who fatally shot 11 congregants at Pittsburgh’s Tree of life Synagogue in 2018, the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history. Opponents of the death penalty lauded Biden for a decision they’d long sought. Supporters of Donald Trump, a vocal advocate of ex-

panding capital punishment, criticized the move weeks before the president-elect takes office. The commutations for federal death row come about a week and a half after Biden’s Dec. 12 decision to commute roughly 1,500 sentences for people released from prison and placed on home confinement during the coronavirus pandemic, according to previous AP News reporting. On the same day, 39

Americans convicted of nonviolent crimes were also pardoned. Notably absent from the list was former Baltimore City State’s Attorney, Marily Mosby, who was sentenced to one year home confinement, community service and three years of supervised release after being convicted of perjury and fraud. Now, Americans across the country are waiting to see what will

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‘Our friend Ben’ reflects on his life, legacy and plans for retirement By Tashi McQueen AFRO Staff Writer tmcqueen@afro.com

afro.com

U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin’s (D-Md.) office walls are now bare, signifying the end of an era. The longtime politician announced last year that he would not seek reelection to

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serve another term, set to begin in 2025. Cardin sat down with the AFRO to discuss highlights of his work in politics and his plans after retirement. When Cardin spoke of his early life, he described the community he grew up in, Ashburton, in Northwest Baltimore as “closely knit” and “very safe.” “We walked wherever we wanted to go,” said Cardin, now 81. Cardin announced his retirement on May 1, 2023, in a video-recorded statement with his wife, Myrna, alongside him. During the interview, he recalled that he met his wife of 60 years at Liberty Elementary School and “started dating in middle school.” They married in 1964 and had two kids. After graduating from Baltimore City College in 1961, Cardin went on to get his B.A. at the University of Pittsburgh in 1964, and his J.D. at the University of Maryland in 1967. Cardin comes from a family of public servants. “My parents both were very active in the community,” he said. “My father, before he was married, served in the Maryland General Assembly. He became a circuit

“I’m proud of my work on the Senate Finance Committee to provide trails in Baltimore and to help provide alternatives to highways so that communities can be connected,” said Cardin. “I was responsible for expanding our Women’s Business Centers in Maryland from one to

Courtesy Photo

U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) remains proud of what he’s accomplished in his 58 years of public service. court judge.” His father was Meyer Cardin and his mother, Dora. While studying at the University of Maryland, he ran to become a state delegate and won. He served as a delegate from 1967 to 1986 and as the youngest House Speaker in the Maryland General Assembly from 1979 to 1986. “I’ve been really blessed,” said Cardin. “[I’m] proud of what I was able to do in the state legislature, in the House of Representatives, and now in the United States Senate.” During the interview, Car-

din gave crucial advice to the next generation aspiring to serve in a political office. “My advice to younger people who want to run for office–run. [If] you get elected…don’t worry about re-election. Just do what you can while you’re there,” said Cardin. “Don’t waste any time, because the term goes faster than you think.” Cardin has championed and accomplished much throughout his years of service. He took a moment to reflect on some of his top career accomplishments.

four. One is at Morgan State University, one is at Bowie State University–two of our HBCUs.” “I took a tragedy that happened in Maryland in 2007 when a youngster Deamonte Driver lost his life through tooth decay, and turned that Continued on A3

The BEYA STEM Conference to return to Baltimore in 2025 By Career Communications Group The BEYA STEM Conference, now in its 39th year, will take place in Baltimore Feb 13, 2025 to Feb 15, 2025 at the Baltimore Convention Center. The event will feature inspiring keynote speakers, innovative workshops and networking opportunities designed to advance diversity in STEM fields. With AFRO-American Newspapers as the official media sponsor, the conference is poised to expand its reach, showcasing the importance of technology and STEM education to an even broader audience. “The support of AFRO-American Newspapers is a perfect way to bring thousands of people under the digital sky and show why technology is so important to them,” said Tyrone Taborn, founder of the BEYA STEM Conference. “Together, we can highlight how STEM is transforming lives, communities and industries.” The partnership underscores a shared commitment to celebrating excellence in STEM and amplifying diverse

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