Tony Browder on Egypt, Tyler Perry and Will Smith

Tony Browder, who is spending much of his time uncovering the tomb of two 25th dynasty Egyptians, was in Washington at Sankofa Bookstore over the Memorial Day Weekend to garner support for his anthropological study with Dr. Elena Pischikova, who discovered the tombs in Luxor, Egypt in 2006. Browder has about 100 donors from the 400 he seeks to pledge $120 ($10 per month) to fund the historic work. "We have to pay for every thing from scaffolders to limestone," he says.

He spoke on an array of subjects from the living conditions in Egypt to Tyler Perry. The Chicago native says despite the January uprisings in Egypt he feels safer there than he does in many parts of the United States, but that there has been a 97% drop in tourists coming to Egypt since the revolution. And with many of the laborers he hires for the excavation living in "4th world" conditions, they have become more dependent on working with him since the uprisings. The work is hard he explained, "we work in 100 to120 degree temperatures and in pits 20 feet below the surface."

Browder is still baffled, however, on how much Black Americans have remained passive to serious work and questioned how a people can still spend countless money "to see a Negro wearing a dress playing Medea." However, Browder is looking forward to Will Smith's movie on the Egyptian Pharaoh Tahraka, though he is not hopeful that it will be historically accurate. "Its success will show that we have matured beyond Medea," he continued.

Photo: (top) Anthony Browder and his daughter Atlantis in the recently discovered burial chamber of a 25th Dynasty priest named Karakhamun. Browder is director of the ASA Restoration Project which is funding the excavation of Karakhamun's tomb in Luxor, Egypt. (right) Tahraka.

Make a Contribution to the ASA Restoration Project

All contributions are tax-deductible. Those who contribute $120 or more will get a quarterly newsletter and discounts on all DVDs.

Let Port of Harlem know if you make a contribution and how much. We hope that our readers will donate at least $240 by July 26.

Events in Which You Can Enjoy

Egypt on the Potomac Field Trips
the field trips reveal the ancient Egyptian influence
on the architecture, numerology and the design of
Washington, D.C.
Saturdays, Sep 10, Oct 01, and Nov 05

Nile Valley Scholars Conference II:
From the Nile, to the Niger, to the Mississippi
September 21 - 24, 2011
Morehouse College
Atlanta, GA

New Movie by Will Smith on Tahraka
Scheduled Release - September 2012

Join the ASA Excavation Team
for a minimum of two weeks between
May and September 2012 and 2017

Travel

By Catherine Abrams

Cape May, New Jersey

Cape May, at the southern tip of New Jersey, is a National Historic Landmark City. I visited Cape May during the Christmas season and was delighted by the sparkling holiday decorations and the friendliness of the residents. Perfect for the busy single professional seeking respite from work, Cape May is also a haven for families seeking an ocean side spot to relax and unwind. It has a vibrant, artistic environment, featuring theater, jazz spots, art galleries and shopping galore.

What struck me most about Cape May is the beautiful Victorian architecture - large, stately homes in a myriad of colors. You won't find any hotel chains here. Bed and Breakfasts are the standard.

I stayed at Cape May's premiere bed and breakfast, the award winning Queen Victoria Inn. The Queen Victoria comprises three main buildings, located in the heart of Cape May. The owners welcomed me warmly, served family style meals, yummy desserts and even a ghost story. I awoke daily to the smell of hot muffins, sausage and other breakfast items awaiting me in the downstairs dining room. If you enjoy biking, you are in luck because the Queen Victoria has plenty of bicycles for their guests to use during their stay.

Any visit to Cape May should include a stop at The Cape May Winery and Vineyard. It is one of several wineries in Cape May. They offer an informative tour, featuring plenty of wine tastings. I enjoyed a particularly delicious apple wine and brought some home, too!

Cape May is a year round vacation destination. In September, there is the Food and Wine Festival, in April and November, the Cape May Jazz Festival, and in November, the Cape May Film Festival. Oh, and if you decide to drive to Cape May, don't let your GPS fool you - - it may not alert you that the route you are taking may require you to travel across some water - - be prepared to a take a quaint ferry ride, you and your car.

Things to Do

Juneteenth Celebrations

Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. It began in Galveston, Texas in 1865 and was observed around June 19th as African American Emancipation Day.
(the enslaved could not remember what 'teenth day they first heard the news of their freedom, some say)

Washington, D.C.
C.R. Gibbs Lecture
The Secret History of Juneteenth
Wednesday, June 15, 7p
Woodridge Public Library
1801 Hamlin St NE
free

Mitchellville, MD
Juneteenth Diasporan Festival
Sat, Jun 18, 12p - 6p
St. Michael's Truth Church
700 St. Michael's Church
free

San Francisco, CA
61st Annual Juneteenth Parade and Festival
Fillmore Street, Geary to Fulton
Sat, Jun 18 parade 11a-1p, festival 11a - 7p

Sun Jun 19 (festival only)
11a-7p
Free

Lexington Park, Maryland
Freedom Park
Sat, Jun 18, noon to 8p

Miscellaneous

Jared Ball
I Mix What I Like!:
A MixTape Manifesto
(Ball analyzes the colonization and
control of popular music and posits
it as an emancipatory tool)
Sankofa Bookstore
2714 Georgia Avenue
Sat, June 11, 4:30p

Saint Elizabeth's East Campus Walking Tour
Learn what revitalization is in store for Congress Heights
Meet at 1100 Alabama Ave. SE (Near Congress Heights Metro)
RSVPs Required
Sat, Jun 11, 10a-noon

CNN Anchor Don Lemon
Signs Transparent
Hue-Man Bookstore
2319 Frederick Douglass Blvd.
Harlem
June 17, 6p

Dramatic Stage Reading of "Greens"
DC Black Theatre Festival
Studio Theatre
1501 14th Street, NW
Washington, D.C.
Jun 19, 7

Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's
41st Annual Legislative Conference
September 21-24, 2011
Walter E. Washington Convention Center
Washington, D.C.
Registration is open now

The Edward G. Njie Scholarship Fund is now accepting applications from eligible Gambian students. Please visit the web site for more information. You must submit an application with the required documents by Wednesday, August 31, 2011. (The Fund is also accepting donations).

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30th Anniversary of AIDS

Sunday, June 5 was the 30th anniversary of AIDS. On that day in 1981 the U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) first reported on symptoms of the virus in its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). While much progress has been made in combating the epidemic over the last three decades, much work remains. It continues to infect 56,000 and kill 18,000 people in the U.S. every year.

According to the CDC, new HIV infections among Blacks have been roughly stable since the early 1990s, but compared to other races and ethnicities we continue to account for a higher proportion of cases at all stages of HIV - from new infections to deaths.

Us Helping Us is accepting donations to help fight the disease.

Arnold Schwarzenegger, John Edwards, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, Mahmoud Abdel Salam Omar, and maybe now - - Anthony Weiner will all have their day in court, so far. However, according to CBS -Atlanta Bishop Eddie Long, also charged with sexual misconduct, will not.

Instead, the public will never know the details of the allegations against him or his side of the story since the anti-gay megapreacher has settled out of court. The secret settlement includes Long paying four males who accused him of using his power to influence them into having sexual relationships with him. Subsequently, Bernice King, the daughter of Dr. Martin Luther King, announced on a radio program that she is leaving Long's church. King said her decision to leave the church is unrelated to Long's recent settlement with the men.