by Peter J. Smith

BOSTON (NNPA)—Dr. Mildred Jefferson, a civil rights pioneer who aggressively dedicated her life and talents to defending the rights of unborn children, has died at age 84.

Anne Fox, the president of Massachusetts Citizens for Life, said Jefferson died Oct. 15 in Cambridge. She says Jefferson recently became ill.

DR. MILDRED JEFFERSON

Jefferson was an important figure for her accomplishments both as a Black American and as a woman during the civil rights era. She broke barriers when in 1951 she became the first Black woman to graduate from Harvard Medical School and then the first female surgical intern at Boston City Hospital. She later became the first female doctor at Boston University Medical Center.

(NNPA)—The International Association of Black Professional Fire Fighters launched the “No Child Left Alone Fire Safety Campaign” during Fire Prevention Week, in order to educate Black people everywhere about the risk of fire in their communities. Of all children killed in home fires, 38 percent were Black according to a 2008 report by the U.S. Fire Administration. According to the Black Firefighters Association:

•Black Americans face a risk of fire death almost twice that of individuals of another race;

by Brian W. Carter

LOS ANGELES (NNPA)—Janet MacLachlan, star of the stage and small screen, passed on October 11, at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Los Angeles. She had suffered cardiovascular issues recently at her Silver Lake home according to media sources. MacLachlan was 77.

JANET MACLACHLAN

Her life was a successful one filled with roles both on and off the stage. MacLachlan had worked with numerous actors and actresses, including Bill Cosby, Jim Brown, James Earl Jones and Maya Angelou.

MacLachlan’s story began on Aug. 8, 1933 in Harlem, New York. She was born to Iris South (MacLachlan) and James MacLachlan. She attended P.S. 170 and schools in the 1950s and later earned her B.S. degree in psychology from Hunter College in 1955.

The applicants applied in 2002 for sales support positions at the company’s Black Satchel Road distribution facility in Charlotte. The settlement follows an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs.