T
he Washington Informer began sponsor- Krattenmaker, who attended Mann Elementary competition to take place in the District of Columing the D.C. Wide Spelling Bee during the School. Unbeknownst to Dr. Rolark, John was not bia until the court ruled on the merits of the case 1981-82 school years. The late Dr. Mary permitted to participate in the Scripps Howard Na- alleging discrimination. Scripps complied, and E. White, supervising director, D.C. Public tional Spelling Bee held the following May because changed its rules to allow weekly newspaper sponSchools Division of Instructional Services, Depart- The Washington Informer was not a daily newspa- sorship in the national competition. That year, the ment of English, sought participation for D.C. Public per, a requirement of the Scripps National Spelling. Loudon County Times, a weekly newspaper based Schools students in the Scripps National Spelling Dr. Rolark, who was a member of the board of the in Loudon County, Virginia and the only other weekly Bee held annually in Washington, D.C. National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), newspaper to participate along with the Informer in Dr. White solicited support from the Washington a trade organization of nearly 200 African American- the national spelling bee that year, produced the naPost, hopeful that the publisher would agree to be- owned newspapers across the country, concluded tional spelling bee winner. come the District’s official sponsor. According to that the national spelling bee was maintaining an inEach year, more than 2,000 students enrolled in Dr. White, Post officials told her that since the daily herently discriminatory policy the prohibited African nearly 200 D.C. schools participate in The Washingnewspaper was a regional publication; their spon- American newspapers from participating in the Na- ton Informer City-Wide Spelling Bee. For the past sorship would have to include not only the District tional Spelling Bee since there are no African Amer- 30 years, the City-Wide Spelling Bee has been held of Columbia, but suburban Maryland and Virginia, ican-owned daily newspapers in the U.S. In urban at the studios of NBC4, where it is taped and later as well. However, at that time, the Journal newspa- school districts, where the majority of the student aired for general viewership throughout the Washper chain had served as the suburban sponsor for population is African American, students who might ington metropolitan area. several years, resulting in the Post’s refusal to spon- otherwise be eligible to participate in the spelling sor the bee solely for students enrolled in District bee would be precluded from doing so if the white- Purpose schools. owned daily newspaper elected not to sponsor the Scripps, a diversified multi-media company, esDr. White then appealed to Dr. Calvin W. Rolark, local bee. tablished the National Spelling Bee to help students a friend and supporter of the D.C. Public Schools, Dr. Rolark called in his legal counsel and wife, improve their spelling, increase their vocabulary, president and founder of the United Black Fund, Inc. Wilhelmina J. Rolark, who threatened Scripps learn concepts, and develop correct English that and publisher of The Washington Informer news- with an injunction that would forbid the national will help them all their lives. Spellers experience the paper, to exercise his satisfaction of learninfluence over the Post ing language not only officials and persuade for the sake of corthem to agree to sponrect spelling but also sor the spelling bee. for the sake of culHowever, as publisher tural and intellectual of a weekly newspaliteracy. per, which served more The Washington Inthan 25,000 readers in former’s participation the District of Columbia, in Scripps National Maryland and Virginia, Spelling Bee helps Dr. Rolark volunteered to further the goals his publication to serve of Scripps in the Disas the sponsor. With trict of Columbia and that, he brought in his to address the issue daughter, Denise Roof illiteracy, particulark, managing editor of larly among African The Washington InformAmerican youth. “If er, to assist in coordiwe want to improve nating the District’s first the quality of life for spelling bee along with all Americans,” said Dr. White and other D.C. the late Dr. Calvin Public Schools officials. W. Rolark, publisher, The first city-wide “then we must begin spelling bee was held Aisha Karimah, Director of Community Affairs for Denise Rolark Barnes, publisher of the Washington by teaching our chilat Backus Junior High NBC 4 has been one of the driving forces of the dren to read, which Informer is flanked by Gwen Lofton who was the School in March, 1982. spelling for each of the 31 years that it has been they will not be able consoler for the bee this year. The consoler’s job The winner was a sixth taped and shown on air by NBC 4. to achieve until they is to help escort the students from the stage and comfort them if they misspell a word grade student, John can learn to spell.” SB
THE WASHINGTON INFORMER
History of the City-Wide
SB-2
SpellingBee
APRIL 2014 32ND ANNUAL WASHINGTON INFORMER SPELLING BEE SUPPLEMENT