First African American woman to command a navy ship serves as inspiration to the next generation

Los Angeles— United States Navy Vice Admiral Michelle Janine Howard will receive the NAACP Chairman’s Award during the 44th NAACP Image Awards, broadcast live on Friday, February 1, 2013 from 8:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. on NBC.

The Chairman’s Award, chosen by NAACP Chairman Roslyn M. Brock, is bestowed in recognition of special achievement and distinguished public service. Past honorees include TV One Founder and President Cathy Hughes, US. Surgeon General Dr. Regina Benjamin, Tyler Perry, Former Vice President Al Gore and Dr. Wangari Muta Maathai, Aretha Franklin, Bono, then-Senator Barack Obama, The Dave Matthews Band, and Danny Glover.

“Vice Admiral Howard is an inspiration for me and women of color across our country,” stated Roslyn M. Brock, Chairman of the NAACP National Board of Directors. “Her service and achievements as a top-ranking officer in the U.S. Navy have paved the way for girls and young women to know their dreams can become their reality.”

“I am sincerely touched and honored that the NAACP would choose to recognize me with the Chairman’s Award,” stated Vice Admiral Howard. “I have been privileged to serve with our Nation’s sons and daughters who remain my greatest inspiration. NAACP Image Awards remind us that even when we can’t find role models who look like us, television and the movies allow us to dream and believe that anything is possible. From belief comes faith and from faith the possibilities become real.”

Howard, who currently serves as deputy commander for the U.S. Fleet Forces Command, is a 1978 graduate of Gateway High School in Aurora, Colorado. In 1982, she graduated from the United States Naval Academy and in 1998 from the Army’s Command and General Staff with a Masters in Military Arts and Sciences.

Howard’s initial sea tours were aboard USS Hunley and USS Lexington. In 1990, she reported to USS Mount Hood as chief engineer and served in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. By July 1992, Howard had assumed duties as first lieutenant on board the USS Flint.

On March 12, 1999, Howard became the first African American woman to command a ship in the U.S. Navy.

From May 2004 to September 2005, Howard was the commander of Amphibious Squadron Seven. Deploying with Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) 5, operations included tsunami relief efforts in Indonesia and maritime security operations in the North Arabian Gulf.

Vice Admiral Howard is the recipient of several awards for her service, most recently the 2011 USO Military Woman of the Year.

The NAACP Image Awards is the premier multicultural awards show. It celebrates the accomplishments of people of color in the fields of television, music, literature and film, and also honors individuals or groups who promote social justice through creative endeavors.

For all information, visit the official NAACP Image Awards website at: http://www.naacpimageawards.net.

Michael J. Astrue, Commissioner of Social Security, announced that the agency is expanding the services available with a “my Social Security” account, a personalized online account that people can use beginning in their working years and continuing throughout the time they receive Social Security benefits. More than 60 million Social Security beneficiaries and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients can now access their benefit verification letter, payment history, and earnings record instantly using their online account. Social Security beneficiaries also can change their address and start or change direct deposit information online.

“We are making it even easier for people to do their business with us from the comfort of their home, office or library,” Commissioner Astrue said. “I encourage people of all ages to take advantage of our award-winning online services and check out the new features available through an online my Social Security account.”

Social Security beneficiaries and SSI recipients with a “my Social Security” account can go online and get an official benefit verification letter instantly. The benefit verification letter serves as proof of income to secure loans, mortgages and other housing, and state or local benefits. Additionally, people use the letter to prove current Medicare health insurance coverage, retirement or disability status, and age. People can print or save a customized letter.

Social Security processed nearly nine million requests for benefit verification letters in the past year. This new online service allows people to conduct business with Social Security without having to visit an office or make a phone call, and very often wait for a letter to arrive in the mail. It also will reduce the time spent by employees completing these requests and free them to focus on other workloads.

People age 18 and older can sign up for an account at: www.socialsecurity.gov/myaccount. Once there, they must be able to provide information about themselves and answers to questions that only they are likely to know.  After completing the secure verification process, people can create a “my Social Security” account with a unique user name and password to access their information.

People age 18 and older who are not receiving benefits can sign up for a “my Social Security” account to get a personalized online Social Security Statement. The online Statement provides eligible workers with secure and convenient access to their Social Security earnings and benefit information, and estimates of future benefits they can use to plan for their retirement. In addition, the portal also includes links to information about other online services, such as applications for retirement, disability and Medicare.

“Given our significantly reduced funding, we have to find innovative ways to continue to meet the needs of the American people without compromising service,” said Commissioner Astrue. “These new enhancements will allow us to provide faster service to more people in more places.”

For more information, visit: www.socialsecurity.gov/myaccount.

New York— Random House Children’s Books announces the publication of the highly anticipated picture book,” I Have A Dream,” Martin Luther King, Jr.’s celebrated speech illustrated with exquisite paintings by celebrated artist and Caldecott Honor winner Kadir Nelson. Published by the Schwartz & Wade Books imprint, the package includes an audio CD of King’s original speech as given on August 28, 1963 at the Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington.

"My father’s dream continues to live on from generation to generation,” said Dr. Bernice A. King. “This beautiful and powerful illustrated edition of his world-changing “I Have a Dream” speech brings his inspiring message of freedom, equality, and peace to the youngest among us—those who will one day carry his dream forward for everyone.”

Nelson’s oil paintings magnificently capture the power and emotion of Dr. King’s words, resulting in a poignant depiction of that memorable occasion. Publishers Weekly raves in a starred review, “There’s something exhilarating about viewing Nelson’s paintings of Dr. King and the March on Washington while reading the words of the speech King gave that day; it’s hard to imagine a better representation of their historical significance.” Nelson selected the most iconic passage of Dr. King’s speech to illustrate in “I Have A Dream.” The full text is provided at the end of the book.

“I Have A Dream” will join Dr. King’s legacy and help lay the groundwork for teaching a new generation of young children about one of our nation’s most celebrated historical figures.

As we approach the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s iconic speech on August 28, 2013, “I Have A Dream” will be part of conversations throughout 2013 at multiple milestones leading up to it, including King’s birthday in January; Black History Month in February and the Letter from Birmingham Jail anniversary in April.

Cuba will allow a Norwegian platform to begin offshore drilling off the north-central coast in the coming days, part of an effort to build income from the subsea oil industry. State-run oil company CubaPetroleo announced that the platform Songa Mercur had arrived in the area and would create the country’s deepest offshore oil well as a part of 

exploratory drilling. The statement was given via state-run newspaper Ganma, and detailed a partnership with Russian state oil company Zarubezhneft, who leased four blocks of Cuban land for drilling in 2009.

“The new well has the objective to determine the oil and gas potential of that sector in our country,” CubaPetroleo wrote. “Its results must contribute to the knowledge of the area where it will be drilled, as well as all of North-Central Cuba.”

In November, a Russian official confirmed that the country would spend around $126 million on offshore drilling in Cuba. The Norwegian company Songa Offshore AS will handle the drilling, with initial results expected in May. Successful drilling would prove extremely profitable for Cuba, a country with well-documented energy struggles. Divided into 59 blocks, Cuba has leased out 22 to foreign companies. If exploratory drilling goes well the struggling communist state could see a sudden reversal of fortune.

United States officials have expressed concern over the environmental safety of the drilling exercises, due to Cuba’s inexperience in the oil drilling industry. In its announcement, CubaPetroleo said that the Songa Mercur had been inspected for safety, and that international firm ModuSpec had inspected it to ensure that less than 10 percent of the parts used on the platform are American a testament to the 50-year US Embargo.

Becoming energy independent would release Cuba from strained relationships with Venezuela, and falls inline with new president Raul Castro’s plans to reduce the amount of money spent on imports.