Washington Afro-American Newspaper February 1 2014

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Volume 122 No. 26

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FEBRUARY 1, 2014 - FEBRUARY 7, 2014

Victims Identified in Execution Style Double Murders Near Howard U.

Obama Hopes to Sidestep Congress to have ‘a Year of Action’

By Zachary Lester and Ariel Medley AFRO Staff Writers

By George E. Curry NNPA Editor-in-Chief WASHINGTON (NNPA) – With a largely uncooperative, highlypartisan Congress headed into a mid-term election, President

AP Photo

President Obama gives his State of the Union address on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tues. Jan. 28.

INSIDE A3

D.C. Police Chief Lanier: How Cops Police Cops

Obama declared in his State of the Union speech Tuesday night that he will have ‘a year of action’ by expanding economic opportunity through executive orders and other action that do not require

legislative approval.

“I’m eager to work with all of you,” Obama said in a speech that lasted a little longer than an hour. “But America does not stand still Continued on A4

Days have passed since the killing of two people whose bodies were discovered in a row house across the street from Howard University in Washington, D.C., but police have yet to make an arrest in the case.

The slayings occurred on Jan. 20 in the 700 block of Girard Street NW as the national celebration of Martin Luther King Jr.’s 85th birthday came to a close in the District. Police said they were called to the home at approximately 11 p.m. by a relative who discovered the grisly death scene.

Upon arrival, officers found the bodies of Keyonna Proctor, 24, of Southeast Washington D.C., and Oluremi K. Thomas, 36. Both had been killed execution style, and were lying face down with a gunshot to the back of the head. Thomas was on a bed while Proctor was lying on the floor, according to news reports.

Court records show that Thomas pleaded guilty in December to a misdemeanor charge of possession of marijuana in D.C. Superior Court. He entered into a deferred sentencing agreement, which allows defendants charged with misdemeanor drug offenses to eventually have their records cleared if

they meet certain conditions within six months of entering into the agreement. Thomas was Continued on A3

Two people were slain in the bottom floor apartment at this row house near Howard University.

Warming Stations Activated for D.C.’s Homeless

Special Insert Character Education • Black History Month 2014 INSERTS • Character Education • Walmart

Virginia E. Hayes Williams, D.C.’s “First Mother,” Dead at 87

Hear the AFRO on The Daily Drum, Wednesday at 7 p.m.

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Your History • Your Community • Your News

Roben Riddick and Kevin Williams

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47105 21847

By Zachary Lester AFRO Staff Writer

Photos by Travis Riddick

By Maria Adebola AFRO Staff Writer As temperatures dropped to frigid, D.C. Mayor Vincent C. Gray (D) took extra measures to protect the city’s vulnerable residents Jan. 23, activating four D.C. Department of Parks and

Recreations sites to serve as overflow shelters and warming stations in buses at four more locations.

The city worked with the District’s Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency (HSEMA); the Department of Human Services (DHS); and the

Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) to provide the buses, where homeless residents were provided hand warmers, blankets and a meal of fried chicken, cole slaw and a roll. The buses, called warming stations, were located at 5th and C streets

NW, outside of Union Station; 17th and H NW; 23rd and L NW; 27th and K NW. The buses opened from 3:00 p.m. until 9:00 a.m.

The warming stations were activated because the temperatures dropped below freezing.

Continued on A3

Abuse, Wrongful Death Lawsuits Filed Against Metropolitan Police Officers

By Zenitha Prince Special to the AFRO

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Photo by Ariel Medley

Three lawsuits totaling $11 million were filed in D.C. Superior Court Jan. 24 against the District of Columbia and several Metropolitan Police Department officers, alleging wrongful death, police abuse and discrimination.

“The bottom line here is this: The Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia is violating the constitutional rights of citizens in the District, is violating the rights of those persons who come to visit in the District and, in many instances, is violating the constitutional rights of young African-American men and even outright engaging in racial profiling,” Malik Shabazz, an attorney for the plaintiffs and a member of Black Lawyers for Justice, said at a press

conference Monday.

“As a result,” he added, “persons here who are beloved to our community and their family have been killed, they have been injured, they have been embarrassed.”

The first complaint was filed by Carolyn Bell, the mother of 34-year-old Cleman Sweptson Jr., who was shot multiple times and killed by an unidentified officer from the department’s Seventh District in the early morning hours of April 9.

Authorities said the African-American father of two was carrying a gun, but his family members dispute the claim and said that the same officer had stopped Sweptson earlier without cause while he sat outside his mother’s apartment.

Jubri Richardson-Bell, another plaintiff, filed suit over a Jan. 30, 2013 incident when, on his way home from school, Continued on A4

Copyright © 2014 by the Afro-American Company

Virginia E. Hayes Williams, the much-loved mother of former D.C. Mayor Anthony A. Williams, has died after a brief illness. She was 87.

Williams worked as a professional singer, but also spent time as a postal worker.

She was extremely popular during her son’s time at the helm of the city, frequently attending official functions, weddings and social events where she delighted audiences by breaking into song and became affectionately referred to as the city’s “First Mother.”

According to a statement released Jan. 23 by Tony Bullock, the former spokesman for Anthony Williams, Virginia Williams died in Los Angeles. She moved to the District from Los Angeles to help her son in his first bid for mayor, and loved the city so much that she stayed for many years.

Continued on A4

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The Afro-American, February 1, 2014 - February 7, 2014

NATION & WORLD

Hundreds of Female Inmates Sexually Abused at Ala. Prison

More than 900 female inmates at an Alabama women’s prison claimed male officers forced them to perform sexual acts in exchange for basic sanitary products, the Justice Department said in a recent report.

According to the Jan. 22 report, inmates at the Julia Tutwiler Prison for Women in central Alabama were forced to shower or use the bathroom while the male officers watched, were organized into “strip shows” and were often spoken to in a sexually offensive manner.

“Officials have been on notice for over eighteen years of the risks to women prisoners and, for over eighteen years, have chosen to ignore them,” the head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, Acting Assistant Attorney General Jocelyn Samuels, said in a statement to ABC News. “In that time, inmates have been raped, sodomized and fondled by prison staff.”

The Justice Department began its investigation in February 2013.

The women in the Alabama prison “feared for their safety”

Report: Black Teens Hit Hard in Economic Downturn

Black teens were the worst hit by the recent Great Recession in the labor market, the capstone to a decade of plummeting employment rates among young workers, according to a recent report by the Alternative Schools Network.

According to “Trends in Teen Employment in Chicago, Illinois and the United States,” any gains made by the “War on Poverty” on the rate of employment among AfricanAmerican teenagers were Official White House Photo by Amanda Lucidon erased over the past decade.

First Lady Michelle Obama orders a Subway sub made by Olympic gymnast Nastia Liukin Teens and young and National Football League player Justin Tuck, during an event at a Subway restaurant adults across the United in Washington, D.C. States “have encountered extraordinarily severe declines in their employment trend also feeds high rates of violence and delinquency, all of rates—unmatched by any which limit the socioeconomic development of their communities. other age group,” the report stated.

Michelle Obama, Subway Team Up for Healthy Eating Campaign

Julia Tutwiler Prison for Women

and investigators found a pattern of sexual abuse at the facility dating back to 1942.

Commissioner Kim Thomas, director of the Alabama Department of Corrections, said her department has “never downplayed the significant and serious nature of these allegations.”

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Black teens were the worst hit by the recent Great Recession in the labor market.

Nationally, the teen employment rate fell from 36 percent in pre-recession 2006 to just 27 percent in 2012, the lowest employment rate among that group since World War II, the report found.

But according to the most recent jobs report from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, in December the employment rate among teens spiraled even farther, to 20.2 percent.

Among African-American teens, and particularly among those from low-income households earning less than $20,000 annually, the prospects were even more dismal. In 2006, 25 percent of young Blacks were employed, compared to 18 percent in 2012. Across the nation in 2012, only 13 percent of Black teens from low-income households were employed.

Advocacy groups have long argued that high rates of unemployment among teenagers and young adults decrease their future employability and darkens their economic prospects. That

First lady Michelle Obama was in good company when she visited a Subway restaurant in the nation’s capital on Jan. 24 to announce a joint venture with the nationwide chain.

Accompanied by Olympic gold medalists Michael Phelps and Nastia Liukin and New York Giants defensive end Justin Tuck, the first lady announced a three-year deal with Subway and the Partnership for a Healthier America to promote healthy eating among kids.

As part of the initiative, which is tied into Obama’s “Let’s Move!” campaign against childhood obesity, the restaurant has agreed to align its kids’ menus with the federal standards of the national school lunch program.

A $41 million media campaign will also push healthier options to children with a strong focus on fruits and vegetables.

“I’m excited about these initiatives not just as a First Lady, but also as a mom,” Obama said in a statement. “Subway’s kids’ menu makes life easier for parents, because they know that no matter what their kids order, it’s going to be a healthy choice.”

As part of the new partnership, advertising in Subway locations targeting children will be solely focused on the healthier options available.

According to the National Institutes of Health, being obese is not the same thing as being overweight according to height.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention claim that the consequences of childhood obesity can be severe and far-reaching. According to the CDC, approximately 35 percent of adults and 17 percent, or 12.5 million, children are obese.

Of the children who present signs of obesity, 70 percent also exhibit signs of cardiovascular disease such as high cholesterol and high blood pressure.

“With this partnership with the Partnership for a Healthier America, we will now reach millions of kids as part of a healthier eating education campaign, making it our largest outreach campaign to date,” Suzanne Greco, vice president of R&D and Operations for Subway, said in a statement. “From a sign on each restaurant’s door that says ‘Playtime Powered by Veggies’ to a video collaboration with Disney’s The Muppets, we will build upon our ongoing efforts to create even better choices for families.”

February 1, 2014 - February 7, 2014, The Afro-American

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D.C. Police Chief Lanier: How Cops Police Cops

By Zachary Lester AFRO Staff Writer Metropolitan Police Department Chief Cathy Lanier appeared before the Washington D.C. Council’s Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety on Jan. 24 to address concerns about police misconduct.

According to a statement from Council member Tommy Wells, who chairs the committee, 47 D.C. police officers have been convicted of committing crimes in the last five years.

The hearing was called after the police department has faced embarrassing questions about police misconduct in recent months.

“Today we are holding a public oversight hearing to review and discuss how the Metropolitan Police Department polices its own,” Wells said in an opening statement. “In the last several months, several high-profile cases involving allegations of police misconduct have emerged, including an officer accused of taking pictures of a naked 15-year-old runaway; another charged with running a prostitution operation involving teenagers; and an officer indicted on the attempted murder of his wife.”

Wells said the misconduct has “caused great concern” among D.C. residents.

“The police wield immense power and responsibility and we count on them to keep us safe. The abuse of that power by even one officer hurts the reputation of all our officers, and harms the trust the public has in the force,” he said. “It does a profound disservice to the thousands of men and women who risk their lives each day to protect our communities and keep

Victims Identified Continued from A1

scheduled to return to court in June.

As the police investigation continued, one unusual incident occurred on the evening of Jan. 24. At approximately 6 p.m. that night, a black sedan drove slowly down the street and paused near the murder scene. A D.C. police cruiser sped toward the car and two officers jumped out. One unholstered his gun and held it by his side as the two officers talked to the driver. A few seconds later, the black car drove away. The officers refused to comment on why they had stopped the car.

Meanwhile, residents of the area have attempted to come to terms with the slaying, the second murder in the area just over six months. On July 4, Howard University junior Omar Sykes, who was majoring in marketing, was fatally shot after he and a friend were accosted by two men who police believe planned to rob them. The incident occurred at approximately 11:30 p.m. at the intersection of Georgia Avenue and Fairmont Street NW. Rasdavid Lagarde, 26, is being held on suspicion of first-degree murder in the case.

While out walking his dog on Jan. 24, one local resident said he had not seen any problems since moving to the neighborhood in October. Another man said he believed the neighborhood was secure despite the shootings.

“I feel safe,” the man said.

In the row house next to the scene of the double homicide, a young man who answered the door said he knew the man who died.

“But I don’t want to talk about it anymore,” said the man, who gave several interviews the day after the murders. “I just don’t want to say anything else.”

Warming Stations Continued from A1

The recreation centers were opened to serve as overflow for the city’s homeless shelters from 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. The centers include, Kennedy Homeless residents Recreation were provided hand Center, warmers, blankets Columbia and a meal on the Heights buses.

Recreation Center, Banneker Recreation Center, and Emory Recreation Center.

The warming buses initiative was initiated by Gray in early January. They will be activated every time there is a cold weather emergency alert, when temperatures drop below 20 degrees, city officials said.

“I have never experienced something like this before, but I like this better than staying outside,” said Kevin Williams, 40, who was among 208 homeless people

Photo by Travis Riddick

us safe—and who do so with the utmost integrity and care.”

Lanier has been very visible as chief of police, regularly going to crime scenes and holding public announcements, and has gotten high marks for addressing crime problems and reducing the city’s crime Cathy Lanier rate. But as her popularity has surged, some believe she has gone unchecked by city leaders on issues such as police misconduct and the continued high rate of violence in some neighborhoods. Some long-time Black residents feel her officers unfairly side with new, younger and White residents on concerns such as parking in areas around churches.

“Our officers are dedicated to protecting the residents and visitors of the District of Columbia,” Lanier said in her statement. “Every time they put on the uniform, they are willing to risk their lives to protect us. I am proud of their service and expect each officer and Department employee to live up to our high standards of integrity and trust.

At the hearing, Lanier told council members that some of the problems with police misconduct resulted from the department being restricted in its ability to weed out problem officers. She asked the committee to revamp a law that allows officers who lose their jobs to appeal to independent arbitrators who can overturn the firings, even on technicalities.

She said the department is considering placing “on body” cameras on police officers to keep track of their actions on the streets. According to the Associated Press, Los Angeles police officers walking beats in that city began wearing the cameras on Jan. 22.

In the statement Lanier provided to council members, she praised the hiring practices now used to bring in new officers, calling them “the most stringent they’ve been in decades.” She also credited the department’s Internal Affairs Division for holding officers to a high standard and helping administrators to weed out and address problems.

She also outlined methods to identify and address allegations of misconduct and even to identify problem officers before they commit an offense. She said she initiated a program called “Integrity Check” in 2010 to identify officers engaging in inappropriate behavior. She said some of the arrests and prosecutions of bad officers occurred because the department is working to identify officers who may be abusing sick leave, “malingering” or getting involved in behavior that leads to criminal misconduct.

She said a “Supervisory Support Program,” which the department began utilizing in 2006 as part of an agreement on its use of force it entered into with the Department of Justice, helps supervisors to watch for inappropriate behaviors.

The system tracks and assigns a point value to reports of incidents involving officers. When the points against an officer total 100, supervisors can meet with the officer involved to decide if intervention is warranted.

Lanier said the program also works to detect problems with substance abuse and domestic violence.

Application Process Underway for D.C. Summer Jobs Program

By Zachary Lester AFRO Staff Writer The enrollment process for young D.C. residents interested in securing jobs through the city’s 2014 Summer Youth Employment Program began Jan. 24, and will run through Feb. 15.

Under the program, operated by the city’s Department of Employment Services, young people aged 14 to 21 will receive six weeks of work experience from June 30 to Aug. 8.

“The Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) continues to serve as a cornerstone of the District’s effort to ensure that our young people have productive, healthy options for summer activities,” Mayor Vincent C. Gray said in a statement.

Gray said that “management of the program and the opportunities it offers participants” has improved in the last three years. He said the program increased the number of tech-related opportunities for youths by 50 percent last year.

“We also saw a major spike in youth being hired into permanent, full-time positions in both the government and private sectors as a result of their SYEP experience,” Gray said.

The program was started by current D.C. Councilmember Marion Barry when he was mayor in the 1980s as a way to provide work experience for D.C. youths and to teach skills and workplace etiquette while allowing them to earn money.

But it has often been the source of controversy. Barry was criticized by some who said he used the program to curry favor with voters. Last year, he criticized Gray for cutting its funding. According to the website dcist.com, Gray reduced the program’s budget from the $34 million it received during Adrian Fenty’s administration to $11.7 million.

Youths may apply for the program at www.summerjobs.dc.gov. A “Midnight Madness” event to kick off the application process was scheduled from noon to midnight on Jan. 24 at the Department of Employment Services office community room at 4058 Minnesota Avenue NE. Young people in need of assistance completing the application and their parents were welcomed to attend.

Authorities said applications will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis and must be received by Feb. 15.

“Space is limited, so youth should apply early,” the statement said.

Department of Employment Services Interim Director Tom Luparello said more than 14,000 young people participated in the program last year.

“We are geared up and looking forward to the start of the upcoming Summer Youth Employment Program,” he said in a statement. “This year we are excited to introduce technological innovations to minimize the time it takes to process returning youth participants.” who used the buses to stay warm on Jan. 23. “They feed us here, and I like the idea of coming in and out of the bus when I want to.”

A report by the National Alliance to End Homelessness estimates that 13,205 homeless people live in the D.C. area, making it the fifth largest homeless population in the country among large metro areas.

According to DHS spokeswoman Dora Taylor, the city’s homeless people are very resourceful about finding shelter and have a network that they share among each other.

“We spread word among our service providers and all our shelters, to look out for homeless individuals during

this time,” she said. “There is a winter plan that is already in place for hypothermia emergencies.”

Orock Ojog, 32, who emigrated from Cameroon to Maryland four years ago. Sitting in one of three warming buses parked in front of Union Station, Ojog said after living with her parents, she finally got a rude awakening that she needed to be independent. She moved from her parents’ house three years ago into a shelter because she could not afford a

place with her limited income from working doing odd jobs with a temporary agency in D.C. Although Ojog goes to the shelter to take a shower and to eat breakfast and lunch, she never sleeps there at night.

“I see the women from the shelter in the daytime when I go there, and I don’t want to see them all day long,” she said. “I sleep in a friend’s car at night and spend most of my evenings at Union Station.

Last time I went to Union Station, it was so crowded

with people I had to leave. I found out about the bus from a friend so I came here.”

She praised the warming bus. “This is great, it’s warm in here, they have food for us, blankets and hand warmers.

Yesterday, like I said Union Station was really packed.

There was nowhere to sit down. At night in the car, it gets cold sometimes. Even though I have the key [and] I can turn on the ignition to keep warm, when I turn it off and fall asleep, it gets cold.”

Celebrating the Centennial Birthday of Gertrude C. Marshburn September 15, 1913 – March 25, 2000 In each passing moment, you cross our hearts and minds but this year we want to celebrate what would have been your centennial birthday. Born 50 years after the Emancipation Proclamation and 50 years before the March on Washington, you instilled in us the importance of education and possessing pride in yourself and your community. As an educator and later a highly decorated federal

and county government employee, you exuded an unmatched fortitude and determination to excel in all that you do. We were blessed to have been in your presence for the time we were given and we celebrate the centennial of your birth on this day. We want to wish you a Happy Birthday from your beloved daughter, Jo-Ann and your loving grandchildren, Ja-Zette and Antonio.

To place an Announcement or Obit, call 410-554-8200 and ask for an advertising representative.

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The Afro-American, February 1, 2014 - February 7, 2014

D.C. Board of Elections Prepares for Earlier-Than-Usual Primary

By LaTrina Antoine Special to the AFRO The District of Columbia Board of Elections released a list on Jan. 27 naming all candidates running for public office, part of its preparation for the earlier-than-usual primaries on April 1.

“This year is a little different because it is one of the earlier primaries that we have had compared to [previous] years,” board spokeswoman Tamara Robinson said. Primary elections previously occurred in September or October, but were moved to April this year to comply with a federal law requiring local governments to allow time for overseas voters and service personnel stationed around the world to cast absentee ballots, she said.

The 2014 general elections will be held on Nov. 11.

Candidates running in the 2014 primary for delegate in the House of Representatives include U.S. Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), a 12-term congresswoman; Republican Nelson F. Rimensnyder, a retired Army veteran and director of research for the House Committee on the District; D.C. Statehood Green party member Natale “Lino” Stracuzzi, a sales representative for the furniture industry; and Libertarian Sara Jane Panfil, a paralegal.

Candidates running for U.S. Representative include Democrat Franklin Garcia, president and founder of the D.C. Latino Caucus; and Libertarian Martin Moulton, an education

advocate who works in the tech sector.

Candidates running for shadow U.S. Senator include Democrats Pete Ross, an Army veteran; Paul Strauss, thirdterm senator and chairperson on the Board of Real Property Assessment and Appeals for the District; and Libertarian entrepreneur John Daniel.

Candidates for Chairman of the Council include Democrats Calvin H. Gurley, a former accountant and auditor for the federal government; and D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson.

“We want to give people as many opportunities to get out and vote this year.”

– Tamara Robinson There are eight Democrats running for mayor: Mayor Vincent C. Gray; Council member Muriel E. Bowser (Ward 4); Council member Jack Evans (Ward 2); Council member Vincent C. Orange (At Large); Council member Tommy Wells (Ward 6); Carlos Allen, a military veteran and entrepreneur; Reta Lewis, an attorney; and Andy Shallal, owner of the Busboys and Poets franchise. Libertarian Bruce Majors, a real estate agent, is also running.

Also up for grabs in the primary elections are other public offices, such as the council seats for wards 1, 3, 5 and 6.

Citizens have until 30 days prior to the election to register to vote with the Board of Elections. Registration deadline for the primary is March 1 and for the general election is Oct. 11.

“The District of Columbia Board of Elections believes that every single election is important, whether it’s the primary elections, general elections or special elections, because we want to make sure that every single person who is eligible has the right to vote,” Robinson said.

She said the board will open 13 voting centers from March 24 to March 29 to give residents more opportunities to vote early.

“We want to give people as many opportunities to get out and vote this year,” she said.

Individuals registering to vote for the first time may be required to submit current and valid photo identification or a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck or other government document that shows their name and address with the application. Those voters should also bring this information with them the first time they vote in a federal election.

Voters choosing to submit an absentee ballot must return it on or before Election Day. Voters may deliver ballots to any polling place or the Board of Elections office at 441 4th street NW, suite 250 North by 8 p.m. on Election Day.

Obama

Continued from A1 – and neither will I. So wherever and whenever I can take steps without legislation to expand opportunity for more American families, that’s what I’m going to do.”

Repeating many of the themes he sounded in his State of the Union speech a year ago – and having seen congressional inaction on most of them – a frustrated Barack Obama promised to be more aggressive in using the power of the presidency.

In glowing review of his first five years in office, Obama said, “Here are the results of your efforts: The lowest unemployment rate in over five years. A rebounding housing market. A manufacturing sector that’s adding jobs for the first time since the 1990s. More oil produced at home than we buy from the rest of the world – the first time that’s happened in nearly twenty years. Our deficits – cut by more than half. And for the first time in over a decade, business leaders around the world have declared that China is no longer the world’s number one place to invest; America is.”

He continued, “…The question for everyone in this chamber, running through every decision we make this year, is whether we are going to help or hinder this progress. For several years now, this town has been consumed by a rancorous argument over the proper size of the federal government. It’s an important debate – one that dates back to our very founding.

But when that debate prevents us from carrying out even the most basic functions of our democracy – when our differences shut down government or threaten the full faith and credit of the United States – then we are not doing right by the American people.”

A major theme of the president’s speech was providing expanded opportunity for all Americans – an opportunity to get a job, to earn fair wages, to get an education and to have access to affordable health care.

“Today, after four years of economic growth, corporate

profits and stock prices have rarely been higher, and those at the top have never done better. But average wages have barely budged. Inequality has deepened. Upward mobility has stalled.

The cold, hard fact is that even in the midst of recovery, too many Americans are working more than ever just to get by – let alone get ahead. And too many still aren’t working at all.”

Unlike past State of the Union speeches, Obama did not call for higher tax rates on high-income earners. He also toned down his rhetoric on income inequality from a month ago when he called it “the defining challenge of our time” and referred to a “dangerous and growing inequality and lack of upward mobility.”

A recent report by Oxfam, a London based organization that seeks to eradicate poverty, found that the wealth of 1 percent of the richest people in the world ($110 trillion) is 65 times the total wealth of the bottom half of the world’s population.

The Tax Policy Center, a joint venture of the Urban Institute and the Brookings Institution, collected data that shows the top fifth of the U.S. population receives 66 percent of taxexpenditure benefits, the middle 60 percent of the population receives slightly more than 31 percent and the bottom fifth receives just 2.8 percent of tax-expenditure benefits. The top 1 percent of the population alone receives 23.9 percent of taxexpenditure benefits.

According to a recent Pew Research Center poll, 60 percent of Americans believe the “economic system in this country unfairly favors the wealthy.” And even larger margin – 65 percent – believe the gap between the rich and everyone else has increased over the past 10 years.

But instead of getting into what his Republican critics like to call a class war, the president framed the issue Tuesday night through the lens of a lack of progress for working-class Americans.

“Let’s make this a year of action,” President Obama said.

“That’s what most Americans want – for all of us in this chamber to focus on their lives, their hopes, their aspirations.

And what I believe unites the people of this nation, regardless of race or region or party, young or old, rich or poor, is the simple, profound belief in opportunity for all – the notion that if you work hard and take responsibility, you can get ahead.”

In an action on Tuesday, President Obama issued an executive order raising the minimum wage for federal contract workers from $7.25 an hour to $10.10.

To raise the minimum wage beyond federal contractors, as Obama has been urging for more than a year, he will need the support of Congress. He will also need cooperation from the House and Senate to act on other issues such as immigration, extending unemployment benefits, tax reform and expanding pre-K education.

Although White House officials are predicting some progress on farm legislation and immigration, they recognize that partisan politics traditionally grow even more partisan in a mid-term election, especially during a president’s second term. Consequently, the administration is advancing a series of modest initiatives, including: • Directing the Treasury Department to create a starter retirement savings account, called “myRA”; • Hosting a White House summit on working families; • Having Vice President Joe Biden lead a review of the federal job training system; • Streamlining federal regulations covering construction of manufacturing factories that rely on natural gas and • Convening a group of CEOs to solicit their ideas on how best to get unemployed workers back into the job market.

Yolanda Woodlee, who profiled Virginia Williams as a reporter for The Washington Post. “She was a very gracious and elegant woman who really adopted D.C. as her home.”

Woodlee said that, while researching Virginia Williams, she went to see her perform in a play at the Carter Barron Amphitheater. She was the most visible mother of a

the Shaw neighborhood of Northwest Washington, said she met Virginia Williams in 2007 when she attended a program there. The organization honored her the next year with their “Model of Excellence” Award. She said Virginia Williams served as a tutor for a year for one of the boys in the program.

“Mrs. Williams was just a jewel,” Woods said. “They

Read more on afro.com.

Virginia E. Hayes Williams Continued from A1

“My mother was a great joy in my life, and she had a huge impact on the District,” Anthony Williams, now CEO and executive director of the Federal City Council, said in a statement. “She was an incomparable performer on stage, but her real performance was in service to the children and the families of our city.”

Former Mayor Williams

was the adopted son of Virginia and one of her eight children. They were extremely close and she was often by his side during his two terms.

She was much more visible during his years as mayor than his wife, Diane Simmons Williams.

“She was really proud of her son and the fact that he was elected mayor of the nation’s capital,” said

D.C. elected official in recent history.

“People really loved Virginia Williams. She assimilated into the community and became one of the city’s own,” Woodlee said Sherry Woods, executive director of the Unique Learning Center, a nonprofit Christian academic enrollment program for children in

are not cut like her anymore...

She had this ability to connect with the little person to an elder. She had that capacity to move in any circle with such grace and poise. U wanted to know her. You wanted to be around her.”

The family requests that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Covenant House of the District of Columbia, www.covenanthousedc.org.

Abuse, Wrongful Death Lawsuits Continued from A1

he was allegedly stopped, mishandled and frisked by police without just cause.

“I told them, ‘You can’t do this; this is wrong; you’re violating my rights’ several times,” said Richardson-Bell, who was 16 at the time. He paused, eyes downcast as he visibly fought to control his emotions before adding, “I asked for a ‘white shirt’ (supervisor) to come out to the scene and they

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refused.”

O’Chauncey Maddux had a similar story, claiming that on Nov. 14 he was detained and “roughed up” over false allegations of truancy, he said. The then-19-year-old did not have any identification on him at the time, but his father, who was sitting in his car nearby, verified his age to the officers.

Still, the younger man said, an officer proceeded to force his hands into handcuffs.

“He took my right hand and bent it into a position where I felt and I heard it snap…. He actually broke bones in my hands,” Maddux said.

The complaints are just a few of the “widespread” instances of police abuse occurring in the District’s Black community, the plaintiffs’ attorneys said, and are symbolic of a “systemic” problem of police misconduct within the Metropolitan Police Department—despite authorities’ claims to the contrary.

The police department recently came under sharp public scrutiny when two officers—both from the Seventh District— were charged respectively with running a prostitution ring involving minors and taking pictures of a nude teenager. The public outcry prompted a Jan 24 hearing before the D.C. Council’s Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety, during which Police Chief Cathy Lanier said that there is not the “widespread police corruption that the public may imagine when looking at the headlines.”

“The city is trying to describe these incidents as the actions of a ‘few bad apples’ but this is not a surface problem, it is a deep-rooted problem,” Shabazz told the AFRO. The problem is particularly pervasive in the MPD’s Seventh District, where two of the officers named in the lawsuits serve, said Greg Lattimer, the other attorney involved in the cases.

“In the last year the Seventh District has basically been out of control. They have had incident after incident; they have refused to conform their actions; [its officers] treat the rights of individuals as if they are discretionary instead of mandatory,” said Lattimer.

“Chief Lanier has failed to do anything about it,” he added.

“She has failed to properly train these officers. She has failed to properly discipline these officers. And as a result of that failure we feel that the only way we’re going to get their attention is to come back at them with a lawsuit for every right [they] violated.

Shabazz, who founded Black Lawyers for Justice, said the legal complaints are the first step in their campaign to protect the constitutional rights of District citizens from the excesses of law enforcement.

“Unless we organize, advocate and litigate as a community we will continue see these problems,” he said. “So we are trying to raise awareness of the problems so we as a community will not have to suffer from a police force that is largely becoming lawless by the day.”

February 1, 2014 - February 7, 2014, The Afro-American

A5

BUSINESS

STEM Conference Focused on Minorities Nears Opening Day remain successful.

Discussions on climate change, cyber security, green businesses, social media, engineering licensure, and employee management will all be held, as well as seminars on obtaining security clearances.

engineering, and math.

“There is a deficit of minorities in these fields,” said Carter.

“A lot of people stray away from STEM fields because they African American engineers, mathematicians, and members don’t see the opportunities.” of the science and technology community will converge on the According to Myron L. Hardiman, executive director of the nation’s capital in less than two weeks for the Advancing Minorities’ Interests in Engineering annual Becoming Everything You Are STEM program at Morgan State University, improving Conference. diversity in STEM fields can bring secondary The conference includes training, mentorship benefits to minority communities. opportunities, workshops, and career fairs for “Hopefully, as more minorities go into professionals already in the science, technology, these fields they are able to establish careers engineering, and math fields, and also aims to and they, in turn, will reach back and assist entice minority students onto education tracks other young minorities get into those fields,” he that lead to STEM careers. said. “From an economic standpoint, as more “This conference is very important because minorities get better paying jobs that should it’s about the promotion of STEMs within have a positive economic impact on their the minority community,” said Imani Carter, neighborhoods.” corporate communications specialist for Career Hardiman said his program works to Communications Group, the company that develop partnerships between corporate organizes the conference each year. government agencies and historically black The conference, now in its’ 28th year, will colleges and universities. Past participants have be held at the Washington Marriott Wardman taken their work as far as Afghanistan, helping Park from Feb. 6 to Feb. 8. to rebuild the country as members of the U.S. “There will be career fairs open to the public Army Corps of Engineers. on during specific times, and career fairs that “The STEM areas really form the basis for are geared towards veterans and students,” everything that gets done from a technology Photo by Rob Roberts said Carter. “That’s a really huge part of the and science standpoint,” Hardiman said.

Attendees at last year’s BEYA STEM conference. conference because people can come in network According to the U.S. Department of Education, by the year 2020, jobs within and talk with top STEM companies and try to system software development are expected to increase by 32 get a job with them.”

“There will be a ‘Stars and Stripes’ mentoring program Seminars will be held on topics including professionalism where people from different military services come and mentor percent. Professions dealing with medical science will increase by 36 percent, while careers within computer systems analysis in the technology workplace, luncheons and dinners will students, and we also have a new veterans program called will increase as much as 22 percent. recognize top achievers in the STEM fields, and small the veterans transition initiative where they can learn about Statistics released by the Department of Education show businesses will find helpful discussions on how to become and education and business opportunities,” Carter said.

Carter said the conference that “only 16 percent of American high school seniors are proficient in mathematics and interested in a STEM career,” will feature a host of but professions within the mathematics field are expected to activities for students, rise by 16 percent. veterans, members of the Biomedical engineers stand to see the most gain within the armed forces, and those next six years, as the Department of Education expects jobs currently contributing to within that field to increase by 62 percent. areas of science, technology,

By Alexis Taylor Special to the AFRO

Women Forging Ahead in STEM Fields

By Alexis Taylor AFRO Staff Writer Glennae Williams is still months away from her May 17 graduation, but is already on the path to making her Southwest Baltimore community of Mt. Winans proud.

Not only is she set to graduate with a baccalaureate degree from Morgan State University, but she is doing so as an industrial engineering major—adding her name to the short list of African-American women scientists making headway for other minorities.

“I always liked math, so engineering wasn’t so far from what I thought I would be able to possibly do,” said Williams, who comes from a family of civil engineers.

With a job already lined up for her at the Johns Hopkins University Physics Lab, Williams is just one example of what it means to exhibit grace under pressure.

Aside from balancing her own difficult courses with the academic and personal challenges that come with entering the workforce, Williams has also helped her mother battle multiple sclerosis and breast cancer, the latter diagnosis coming during Williams’ senior year.

“She was leaving class to help me get up in the morning—doing homework and helping me when I was in pain,” said mother, DaVeeta White. “She wasn’t always successful, sometimes she failed a class for not getting all her work in, or because she missed a major test when I was having surgery.”

Williams eventually learned to balance her caregiver duties with the rigorous challenges she faced at Morgan State.

“She worked for me for about three years and she has led our student organization, the Pre-freshman Accelerated Curriculum in Engineering, or PACE,” said Dr. Carl White, no relation, the associate dean of the School of Engineering at Morgan State. “Glennae has done very well, and she has been very influential in running the tutoring program during the semester.”

Upon receiving her degree, Williams will join the ranks of African American women scientists, which according to the U.S. Department of Commerce, are few in number.

Though women of all races make up 48 percent of the Americans clocking into work everyday, only 24 percent of those women are checking into jobs in a STEM-related

field. According to information from the U.S. Census, though African American women make up 10 percent of the workforce, only 6.7 percent are actively employed in a STEM field.

Whether these women are working in hospitals or universities, their numbers are limited but growing thanks to programs such as the HBCU-Undergrad Program, an organization focused on increasing the number of African Americans in STEM fields.

“Women of our backgrounds do not move up in the professional ladder like men do,” said Claudia Rankins, a program officer for the National Science Foundation. “In academia, they sort of fall off between the associate and full professor level.”

“I always liked math, so engineering wasn’t so far from what I thought I would be able to possibly do.”

– Glennae Williams

“HBCU-UP is designed to make sure that HBCUs are competitive with other institutions that have bigger resources,” she said. “We also help them continue to stay current and continue to move forward by funding individual projects or institutions, upgrading equipment, employing new teaching strategies, and involve undergraduates in research.”

As the semester winds down, Williams said her goal is all the more clear—especially after seeing how few and far between her peers are.

“It’s such a great accomplishment, but it’s hard for me to see because I’m at an HBCUnot only do I see a lot of African Americans but I see a lot of women,” Williams said.

“When we go outside of the realm of the HBCU, to events at different companies, it’s a shock. I can’t believe we’re not out there. I can’t believe we are not represented.”

Williams said she is looking forward to starting her work at Johns Hopkins as a process improvement specialist, a contract position through Grove Resource Solutions, Inc. “I just hope to leave a good impression,” she said, “not only for Morgan State University’s School of Engineering, but for African Americans and for my age group.

We are intelligent, we can be professional and we can get the job done.”

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A6

The Afro-American, February 1, 2014 - February 7, 2014

COMMUNITY CONNECTION UDC’s Director of Athletics Selected to Serve on NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball Committee

University of the District of Columbia Director of Athletics, Patricia Thomas has been selected to serve on the NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball Committee representing the East Region.

“This appointment is a great honor for our Director of Athletics and for the University,” Interim President Dr. James E. Lyons said. “The NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball Committee will benefit tremendously from Patricia Thomas’ significant experience in athletics.”

As a member of the committee, Thomas will work alongside seven other regional representatives to evaluate and select sites to host the national tournament, provide oversight over the periodic NCAA regional rankings, and conduct the national tournament which includes the selection and seeding of participants.

Dr. Robert Dranoff, East Coast Conference Commissioner, said the conference was very pleased to hear of Thomas’ appointment. Thomas takes the place of Ms. Shantey Hill, who was formerly a Senior Associate Director of Athletics at LIU Post before recently taking on the job as the Athletic Director at St. Joseph’s College (NY).

Thomas became the first female African American Director of Athletics in the university’s history when she was appointed to the position in December, 2008. As Director of Athletics, she oversees all department operations, specifically the university’s 10 Division II teams which include: men’s and women’s basketball, Patricia Thomas men’s and women’s tennis, men’s and women’s lacrosse, men’s soccer, women’s cross country and women’s indoor and outdoor track & field.

Thomas came to the University of the District of Columbia with over 30 years of experience in NCAA athletics. Prior to accepting the post at UDC, she served as the Senior Associate Athletic Director at Georgetown University and as a member of the NCAA Division I Management Council.

“It is a privilege to represent the East Region on this important committee,” Thomas said. “I look forward to working with an outstanding group of administrators and coaches.”

Thomas’ appointment is for the unexpired portion of her predecessor’s term. She will serve on the committee from now through September 1st, 2016.

Renowned Singer Julia Bullock to Make Kennedy Center Debut

Acclaimed vocalist Julia Bullock will make her Kennedy Center debut at the Terrace Theater on March 2.

A prize winner of Bard Conservatory’s Concerto Competition, Bullock was the first recipient of the Mimi Levitt Scholarship at Bard College’s Graduate Vocal Arts Program, where she earned her master’s Julia Bullock degree. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the Eastman School of Music and is currently in the graduate diploma program at Julliard where she studied Edith Bers.

Bullock won First Prize in the 2012 Young Concert Artists International Auditions.

Her 2013-2014 season includes the title role in Henry Purcell’s The Indian Queen, directed by Peter Sellars at the Teatro Real in Madrid and at the Perm Opera and Ballet House in Russia; the title role in Jules Massenet’s Cendrillon presented by Juilliard Opera; debut recitals in the Young Concert Artists Series in New York at Merkin Hall, and appearances at the Falany Performing Arts Center, Saint Vincent College, the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, and the Marlboro Music Festival. She recently made her San Francisco Symphony debut in West Side Story in Concert, conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas; an album of the concert will be released in 2014.

Bullock’s busy 2012-13 season included the title role in Janacek’s The Cunning Little Vixen, with Juilliard Opera.

Howard University Health Sciences Officially Launches Medical Simulation Center

The Howard University Health Sciences (HUHS) officially marked the launch of its state-of-the art Simulation Center with a grand opening ceremony on Jan. 23.

The 6,000-square foot facility, the first-of-its-kind with cuttingedge-cross-disciplinary design in the United States, will provide top training to more than 800 health sciences students and postgraduate trainees across 20 programs including medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, nursing and allied health. Students and health care trainees will experience simulated medical scenarios in a hospital environment that will replicate real patient experiences.

The new state-of-theart Simulation Center at Howard University

Photo Courtesy of Howard University

Key features of the Center include: • An operating room suite, an intensive care/emergency room suite and a task training/surgical skills suite with two dedicated debriefing rooms.

• Five human patient simulators including a mannequin that delivers a baby.

• Life-sized, interactive mannequins that breathe, have pulses and can be programmed to sweat and bleed. They can also produce an electrocardiogram and respond to medications.

Rep. Donna Edwards Visits UMES for HBCU STEM Tour

U.S. Rep. Donna F. Edwards (D-Md.) continued her “2014 HBCU STEM Tour” Jan. 27 with a visit to the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES). Edwards met with University President Juliette B. Bell, and toured UMES’s Solar Energy Facility, Child and Family Development Center, and Flight Simulation Lab. As a senior member of the Science, Space, and Technology Committee, Edwards is visiting Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) to tour their facilities and gain additional insight on how best to engage women and minorities in the Science, Technology, Edwards in the Flight Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Simulation Lab. Photos courtesy of UMES fields.

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February 1, 2014 - February 7, 2014, The Afro-American

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OPINION

Standing Up for Women at the Brink

During a January 12 Meet the Press segment, Maria Shriver unveiled “The Shriver Report: A Woman’s Nation Pushes Back from the Brink.” Her analysis outlined in graphic detail how dramatically American families, the workplace, and the role of women have changed during recent decades.

We all have a personal stake in the challenges that Congressman working women face.

Elijah Cummings For President Obama and congressional Democrats, our rallying cry has become “When Women Succeed, America Succeeds.” Assuring that every working woman receives the fair pay, adequate pay and family-friendly workplace that will help her and her children succeed are our core objectives.

Paycheck Fairness American women are now nearly half of all American workers outside the home. That is why I was deeply gratified to join Maryland Senator Barbara Mikulski, Connecticut Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, and our Democratic colleagues as an original co-sponsor of the Paycheck Fairness Act (S. 84 / H.R. 377).

The average working woman continues to be paid only 77 cents for every dollar the average man earns for the same work (only 64 cents if she is African American and 55 cents for Latinas).

Those disparities are unacceptable. We must reform the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to provide more effective remedies to those who are victims of wage discrimination.

Nearly three out of every four Americans surveyed have expressed support for measures that would better assure equal pay for equal work. Yet, in the year since our legislation to further that goal was first introduced, not a single Republican has signed on in support.

America’s working women – and our nation – need reform now.

Perhaps the Shriver Report will help our Republican colleagues better understand the contradiction between platitudes about reducing poverty and their failure to act.

Raising the Minimum Wage Second, we must face the reality that, in recent decades, it has become far more difficult for women to escape poverty.

The value of the minimum wage (adjusted for inflation) has fallen by nearly one-third since 1968. That fact is why raising the minimum wage is a key component of Democrats’ “When Women Succeed, America Succeeds” initiatives.

In March of last year, I signed on as an original co-sponsor when Rep. George Miller and Sen. Tom Harkin introduced the Fair Minimum Wage Act (H.R. 1010/S. 460).

Our legislation would increase the minimum wage in three steps over three years – from $7.25 per hour to $10.10 per hour.

We would index future annual increases to inflation – and, thanks to the leadership of Maryland Congresswoman Donna Edwards, we also would raise the tipped minimum wage from $2.13 per hour to $7.07 per hour.

Here is why raising the minimum wage is a key issue for working women, their families and, ultimately, for our entire country.

Women comprise nearly two-thirds of minimum-wage workers in this country. Contrary to popular belief, most are 20 years old or older; and they come from every ethnic group (61.1% white, 18.5% Hispanic, 14.8% black, and 5.6% Asian).

We must act decisively to help them in their struggle to survive.

A single mother with two children, working full-time at the current federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour earns only $15,080 each year. That annual pay is $4,450 below the federal poverty line for a family of three.

Yet, if and when our legislation becomes law, that same single mother’s annual earnings would increase to roughly $21,000 per year – an increase of more than $5,900. Her family would still be struggling economically, but they no

longer would be in poverty.

It is time for Congress to recognize the increasingly important role working women play in our economy and ensure that all women are adequately and fairly compensated for their work.

Increasing the minimum wage to $10.10 per hour would be an important first step.

Paid Sick Leave & Family Medical Leave In a recent nationwide poll, single mothers reported that paid sick days were the number-one policy that could help them. Yet, more than 70 percent of low-wage workers do not receive any paid sick leave – and 96 percent do not have access to paid family leave.

As a moral and practical society, we must minimize these conflicts between employment and parenting. America should move toward assuring paid leave that allows working mothers to care for their families.

Congressman Elijah Cummings represents Maryland’s 7th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.

When Black Men Flex, Society Gets Scared

By chance I watched the NFC Championship football NNPA Guest Columnist game at the home of a friend and former college football player, Vaughn McKoy. Of course, it was Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman who stole the show.

Sherman’s infamously aggressive post-game interview triggered a debate over the appropriateness of his comments. For two Black men watching the game, few words needed to be spoken.

I can’t express how much I loved Sherman’s passion and defiance. Here was a young Black man who takes extreme pride in his craft and is unafraid to proclaim himself the best at what he does. Sherman’s post-game proclamation was vintage Muhammad Ali. And like the boxing legend, the young Seattle defensive star is taking hits because he has enough self-confidence to proclaim himself the best. When Donald Trump does it, he’s called confident, or a genius. When Richard Sherman does it he is belittled as an arrogant n----r.

What a different nation we would be if more Black men felt free enough to claim their greatness; free enough to speak their mind; and bold enough to care less what others thought.

The criticism of Sherman has been patently racist and in some instances, simply ignorant. Here is a professional athlete, at the top of his game, who warned that the opposition could not make a play on him. In his interview with ESPN’s Erin

Walter Fields

Andrews, who eventually defended Sherman, he did not use foul language or use an obscene gesture, but simply made it clear that he was better than his opponent. I thought that’s what athletic competition was about. Channeling “the Greatest,” the Seahawk did not back down from his prior proclamations that the receiver in question, San Francisco’s Michael Crabtree, was mediocre. Whether that charge is legitimate or not, you can’t dispute the fact that Sherman lived up to his bravado.

This episode is just another reminder that society likes its Black men docile, silent and intimidated. Sherman’s real offense is that he violated the social norm in America. How dare this young Black man proclaim himself the best? How arrogant that Sherman did not act more “gracefully” in victory and more diplomatically in his response. There would have been no “chatter” about Sherman had he responded in a more subdued manner. In fact, he would have been hailed as a “model” athlete, as someone worthy of adulation and emulation by youth.

Instead, this bright, articulate and intelligent Stanford grad is attacked because he wasn’t Negro enough.

When Black men flex society, gets scared. We are not supposed to be intelligent and confident enough to recognize our own value. We are expected to be subservient and to show deference to everyone, particularly those who theoretically exercise political or economic control over us. It is the residual

residue of an era when we had to walk with heads lowered at the sight of a White person and dared not make eye contact.

Sherman held his head high and let the country know he knows how good he is. It was one of the most refreshing moments of television I have viewed in ages.

Black men who flex have always upset the nation’s equilibrium. It was the defiance of Robeson, King, Malcolm, Huey, Elijah and Stokely that frightened America, more so than their actions against the nation. It is one thing to be great, it is quite another to know it and to not be diminished in your greatness by the insecurities of others. Black boys are demoralized in school buildings and scarce in the classroom. Black boys are emboldened by criminality and are disproportionately behind prison bars. Society takes great pleasure in emasculating Black males. I have seen it in the way Black men in executive positions in corporations and not-forprofit organizations cower and meekly subscribe to actions that further marginalize the masses. Many Black men have accepted their role to be barely seen and not heard.

In one glorious unrehearsed moment of defiance, Sherman exhaled for many of us. What a different nation we would be if more Black men felt free enough to claim their greatness, free enough to speak their mind, and bold enough to care less what others thought. I’ll take Richard Sherman on my team any day.

Walter Fields is Executive Editor of NorthStarNews.com.

To Be Equal: The Life and Legacy of Amiri Baraka Marc H. Morial NNPA Columnist

“Art is a weapon in the struggle of ideas, the class struggle.” —Amiri Baraka

With the Jan. 9 passing of the prolific poet, playwright, essayist, and critic Amiri Baraka, one of the literary giants of the 20th century was called home. Along with offering condolences to his wife, children and family, we remember the 79-year-old Baraka not only for his bold, inventive and iconoclastic literary voice, but as a courageous social justice activist. His ideas and work had a powerful impact on both the Black Arts and Civil Rights movements beginning in the 1960s.

Baraka was best known for his eclectic writings on race and class. He extended many of the themes and ideals of the 1960s Black Power movement into the realm of art, which he saw as a potent weapon of change. And like many good revolutionary artists, he sometimes went out of his way to offend the status quo. He has been variously described as a beatnik, a Black nationalist and a Marxist. But he was first and foremost a writer and social commentator of uncommon skill and insight.

His 1963 masterpiece, “Blues People,” which explored the historical roots and sociological significance of the blues and jazz, has become a classic that is still taught in college classrooms today. Almost every Black and progressive writer and thinker of the 20th century shared a kinship, friendship or feud with Baraka. But, undergirding everything he wrote and stood for was his desire to lift up the downtrodden and disenfranchised, especially in his hometown of Newark, N.J. As a testament to his broad influence, more than 3,000 people attended his funeral at Newark Symphony Hall. The actor Danny Glover officiated and noted Baraka’s influence on his career.

Cornel West called Baraka “a literary genius.” Sonia Sanchez read a poem for him written by Maya Angelou. Speaking at the wake the night before, Jesse Jackson honored Baraka as “a creative activist and change agent who never stopped fighting or working for the formula to create social justice.”

Born Everett LeRoi Jones, the writer changed his name to Amiri Baraka in 1968 to reflect his embrace of Islam and the philosophy of Malcolm X. He attended Rutgers, Howard and Columbia, served in the Air Force and began his literary career

in the 1950s in the Beat poet scene of New York’s Greenwich Village. His one-act play, “Dutchman,” won the Obie Award as the best off-Broadway production of 1964. In 1965, he co-founded the Black Arts Movement in Harlem, infusing the Black Power movement with powerful artistic voices. His numerous awards and honors include his selection as the Poet Laureate of New Jersey in 2002 and his 1995 induction into the exclusive American Academy of Arts and Letters.

Controversy was a mainstay of Amiri Baraka’s career.

“Amiri Baraka was controversial because his was a perspective that was considered out of fashion during this post-race ghost dance, the attitude that says that because we have a Black president, racism is no longer an issue, when the acrimonious near psychotic reaction to [Barack Obama’s] election only shows the depth of it,” Ishmael Reed, another provocative poet and contemporary of Baraka recently noted.

Amiri Baraka always challenged us to face such uncomfortable truths—and we are better because of it.

Marc H. Morial, former mayor of New Orleans, is president and CEO of the National Urban League.

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The Afro-American, February 1, 2014 - February 7, 2014

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February 1, 2014 - February 7, 2014, The Afro-American

B1

Keynote address by Dr. Gregory Carr, director of African American Studies at Howard University The Rev. Dr. Wallace Smith, pastor, Shiloh Baptist Church gives the Invocation

Men of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity who are strong supporters of the Woodson Birthday Celebration

Dr. Joy Kinard(far right), National Capital Parks-East makes presentation to the Bowie State University Carter G. Woodson Scholars Program.

Honor guard presenting the Colors

In honor of Black History Month 2014, the Association for the Study of African American Life and History(ASALH), hosted the 138th birthday celebration of Dr. Carter G. Woodson at the Shiloh Baptist Church in Northwest, Washington, DC. Lloyd Jordan, 36th Grand Basileus of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, who, as emcee, introduced speakers who talked about the occasion that included: Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton, Dr. Daryl Scott, president, ASALH; Gopaul

Paul Wells, great grand-nephew of Dr. Carter G. Woodson Greetings from Lorraine Miller, left, interim national president, NAACP

Noojibail, acting superintendent, National Capital park-West and Paul Wells, great grand-nephew of Dr. Carter. The celebration was capped off with a keynote address by Dr. Gregory Carr, director of African Studies, Howard University. Sylvia Cyrus, executive director, ASALH, gave closing remarks and acknowledged the event co-sponsors: Omega Psi Phi Fraternity; Dr. Gregory Carr, Melissa Green, Mooreland Spingarn Research Center and the Rev. Dr. Vernon Shannon and NETWAR DEFENSE CORP. For more information on Lloyd Jordan the 2014 Black History luncheon, 12:30 p.m., Feb. 22 at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel and more, visit asalh.org.

ASALH leadership team, branch members and event sponsors Joint Color Guard

Emcee John Ridley with Hall of Fame inductee, former CNN anchor, Bernard Shaw

NABJ 2014 Hall of Fame inductee, Moses Newson and his wife Lucille

Remarks by Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.)

Opening musical selection by Gregory Watkins, musical director, Washington Youth Choir, Eastern Senior High School Photos by Rob Roberts

Ambassador H.E. Michael Mossa-Adamo, Ambassador Cyrill Oguin, Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), Maurice Foster, NABJ and Ambassador Rachad Bouhlal

Leon Harris, CH-7 news anchor, Doug Hill, CH-7 meteorologist and Jake Oliver

Edgar Brookins, Shannon Cross, TV One “News One Now” anchor and Ray Baker, Politic 365.com/Capitol Hill Correspondent

Army Spec.

Christopher Solomon and his wife, Vee and son, Linwood

Gopaul Noojibail, National Park Service, Dr. Daryl Scott, president, ASALH and Sylvia Cyrus, executive director, ASALH

WJLA/CH-7 General assignment reporter Sam Ford and his wife

TV One news commentator, Roland Martin, Sheila Brooks, Jake Oliver, publisher, Afro American Newspaper and Moses Newson

Six media giants were inducted into the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) Hall of Fame at a ceremony held at The Newseum in Washington, D.C., Jan. 16. Under the global theme, “Honoring the Past. Building the Future,” the following pioneering journalists were honored: Herb Boyd, author, documentarian and educator; Bernard Shaw, former CNN Anchor; Sheila Solomon, Ida B. Wells Award Winner; Moses Newson, Tri-State Defender and the Afro-American Newspaper; Jay Bob Butler, president, NABJ and Harris, founding director of the Center for the Study of Journalism and Rep. Nancy Pelosi, minority leader in the House of Representatives Democracy; and Maureen Bunyan, WUSA-TV and WJLA-TV and founder, NABJ. Posthumously, Ernest Dunbar, Zelda Ormes and Dr. Lee Thornton were also inducted. Joy-Ann Reid, managing editor of the Grio.com and John Ridley, an Emmy Award-winning commentator, award-winning screenwriter and producer served as the emcees. Special guests in attendance included Rep. Nancy Pelosi; Rep. Elijah Cummings(D-MD); Vernon Jordan; NABJ Hall of Famer, Simeon Booker and news commentator Roland Martin. Bob Butler is president of the NABJ.

WJLA/CH-7 news team with Hall of Fame inductee, Maureen Bunyan (2nd from right)

Icons in journalism: Simeon Booker and Moses Newson Photos by Rob Roberts

B2

The Afro-American, February 1, 2014 - February 7, 2014

My Take

Opinion: Where is the Spirit of Mandela?

By Thomas Mambande Special to the AFRO As I watched President Obama deliver his stirring eulogy for Dr. Nelson Mandela during the former president’s memorial service here in Johannesburg, I was struck by a mélange of competing emotions—each one battling for supremacy, each one struggling to anchor me within its reality. Pride and nostalgia, but also a profound sense of loss, disappointment and anger at the dismal state of Black affairs, fought stubbornly for the upper hand.

As it was for millions around the world who were watching that day when Obama took the stage to rapturous applause, the symbolism of the moment was as poignant for me as it was powerful: America’s first Black president paying eloquent homage to the world’s greatest and most beloved statesman, himself a Black man and South Africa’s first democratically-elected president. For those who understood just how intertwined and interconnected were the struggles for civil rights in the U.S. and against apartheid in South Africa, the moment was profoundly bittersweet, a metaphoric crossing of paths for two long walks to freedom, walks steeped as much in tragedy as in triumph—and walks that are far from over.

Praising the humility, courage and tenacity of the man who helped the world better grasp the true riches of the human spirit, Obama’s eulogy sought to remind the world of how much Mandela has meant to America. How, far beyond his own shores, his example has inspired us, bracing the spines of generations of Americans who have yearned for justice and equality as he did.

But for many here in South Africa and abroad, the powerful symbolism surrounding Obama’s eulogy and presence at the memorial, where the groundbreaking legacies of two Black men of global stature converged briefly, stood in stark and glaring contrast to the grim realities which stalk the masses of Black men, particularly in the U.S.

questions to pose, but we need to pose them. Almost 50 years after the end of our own “apartheid,” nearly 1 million AfricanAmericans reside in jail, most of them men. Nearly half of all Black males are arrested by the time they turn 23. Two out of three Black children grow up without a father in the home.

Black males comprise just 5 percent of America’s college students and, with a graduation rate of 33 percent, are the least likely of all racial and gender groups to complete their education. More ominously, young Black males suffer rates of violence comparable to war zones in Iraq or Syria, and are

more likely to be housed in the penal system than in a college dorm.

Thanks to the international media, these grim realities have become well-known and are relayed around the world on an ongoing, steady basis.

As an African-American living overseas who travels regularly to different countries, I can bear painful witness to this fact. While the people in the various places I visit may not always be familiar with the statistics, conversations with them invariably reveal their perceptions of African-American men

“How many of us have taken his legacy beyond our lips and into our homes, communities, jobs and businesses?”

On a day when a truly great Black man was being honored, I found myself questioning how deeply his example has forged itself into our collective consciousness, and whether many of us as Black men in America have really drawn from the well of Mandela’s spirit.

How many of us have taken his legacy beyond our lips and into our homes, communities, jobs and businesses?

How many of us can truly claim that we have championed the ongoing struggle for the dignity and advancement of a people that, nearly 50 years after the civil rights movement, lag behind in nearly all areas of American life?

How many of us are genuinely seeking to emulate the courage, tenacity and humility that were the hallmarks of Mandela’s character?

Admittedly, these may be awkward and Black men in general: in a word, “useless.”

African-Americans are the most globally-recognized and profiled Blacks on the planet. More than any other people of African descent, what happens among Blacks in America has a profound influence on not only upon how the world views Blacks as a whole, but how Blacks around the world view themselves.

Ironically, the achievements of Nelson Mandela and Barack Obama, while tremendously significant, tend to be viewed on the global stage as exceptions to the rule for Black men. They are seen as special, unique, and far cries from the general character and aptitude of Black males. As a whole, we are viewed as a bastion of failure, men who have abdicated our roles as strong, capable and committed agents of society, perpetually tossed aside by the tides of life.

Triumphs on football fields and basketball courts do little to dispel this notion, nor do hit songs or movie roles.

Worldwide, people understand all too well that the power of a people and its men must extend beyond their ability to entertain. Communities and businesses must be built. Societal cohesion, health and harmony must be maintained.

Black men, with our disappearing acts from the home, from responsibility and from the front lines of society, are plunging our people into the depths of disintegration and selfdestruction.

Brothers, where among us is the spirit of Mandela?

Thomas Mambande is a Philadelphia-born social entrepreneur and corporate consultant who lives in Johannesburg, South Africa.

February 1, 2014 - February 7, 2014, The Afro-American

B3

ARTS & CULTURE

Enthusiastic Crowd Greets Opening of ‘Ella: First Lady of Song’

By Ariel Medley Special to the AFRO

A star-studded evening bursting with jazz, scat, bebop and blues took place inside MetroStage for the opening night performance of legendary actor, singer and choreographer Maurice Hines’ latest musical, “Ella: First Lady of Song.”

Starring the talented actress and singer Freda Payne as Ella Fitzgerald, Hines’ musical highlights the pivotal moments in Fitzgerald’s life that transformed her into a world-

renowned legend.

The musical gives insight into Fitzgerald’s private and often publicized love life, her personal struggles as an African-American singer in a segregated nation, and her intimate battles with family, motherhood, and stardom. Beginning with her early years as an amateur performing at Apollo Stage, the story follows her to her grand performance alongside Duke Ellington, Ray Brown, and Joe Pass at the Côte d’Azur in the south of France.

“Freda Payne was my first choice for this role,” Hines

Ayanna Gregory and Maurice Hines

told the AFRO. “I wouldn’t have chosen anyone else.

Ella and Freda, they are so great, so lovely and purely authentic. You just don’t see that kind of authenticity anymore.”

Payne’s sharp and sultry vocals soared throughout the theatre, captivating audiences with songs such as “Sing Me a Swing Song,” “A TisketA-Tasket,” “Sweet Georgia Brown,” The Lady is a Tramp,” and “Mackie’s Back in Town.” Payne’s ability to scat, bebop, and sing in the same key as Fitzgerald brought the songs to life, much to the enjoyment of the audience, who clapped, sang, and danced in their seats to the music.

“Ella Fitzgerald affected me a lot,” Payne said. “She got me to appreciate jazz, jazz singers, and good singers, like Sarah Vaughan, Carmen McRae, Betty Carter and Dinah Washington.”

Payne urged aspiring singers and performers, to “listen to the songs of the past… I had the advantage of growing up and being around these iconic ladies and seeing

Photos by Travis Riddick

Roz White, Maurice Hines, Carolyn Griffin, Dick Gregory, Freda Payne and Wynonna Smith them as role models. The key is to listen to the songs of the past.”

Payne was accompanied by a five-member jazz band featuring the talents of William Knowles on piano, Greg Holloway on drums, Grant Langford on sax, Doug Pierce on trumpet, and Yusef Chisholm on bass. In addition to giving a phenomenal performance, the musicians also doubled as Chick Webb and his Orchestra, each portraying members of Fitzgerald’s longtime band.

Joined on stage by a purely dynamic cast, the musical features the rich and soulful vocals of actress/singer Roz White as Fitzgerald’s cousin, assistant, and traveling companion Georgiana; the soft and sensuous voice of Wynonna Smith, who gave a lively and comedic performance as a young Fitzgerald, and later on played the part of Fitzgerald’s sister Frances; and a wonderfully energetic performance by Tom Wiggin as Fitzgerald’s longtime friend and manager,

Norman Granz, who was determined to produce a show in a club that permitted Black audiences.

Together, Hines and MetroStage’s producing artistic director, Carolyn Griffin, put on a phenomenal show which brought out enthusiastic patrons and celebrity support: Dick Gregory and his daughter, Ayanna, Debbie Morgan of “Eve’s Bayou,” and brothers John and Leo Manzari, stars of Hines’ hit production, “Tappin’ Thru Life.”

Line Dancers Celebrate Creativity at Annual Awards Ceremony

to mixed versions of classic soul and 1990s R&B songs, younger participants chose hip hop beats from artists such as Lil Wayne, 2 Chainz and As Hollywood was gearing up for the 56th Drake, with the expletives removed.

Annual Grammy Awards during the weekend of A Gospelcise program by Cleveland Jan. 24-26, nearly 1,000 Baltimore line dancers resident Belinda Haywood focused converged on the Marriott in Linthicum, for on faith-based fitness. Haywood the 7th Annual UC Star Awards, dubbed “the started her program in 1993 and was Academy Awards of Line Dancers” by event considered one of the most innovative founder Mike Womack. choreographer/instructors at the “Folks from all the major cities, Puerto Rico convention. and Ireland, are here to celebrate what we do all Womack said his line dancers are year,” said Womack, UC Star Awards founder, Mike Womack, center, greets anything but typical of the genre. who, along with his dance participants Janet Shipp, left, Upper Marlboro, “We’re aware of and respect the wife Trish Womack, Md. and Kiwanna Jones of Dover, Del. original L.A. and N.Y. hustles, the Bus helped form the Stop, Monarail, Baltimore-based Electric Slide Union Crew (UC) and country Line Dancers in line dancing.

2005. Womack, of Ours is slightly Baltimore, is the more technical, cousin of Rock complicated and and Roll Hall of very challenging,” Fame singer Bobby said Womack, Womack. adding that Gloria Stevens, The Madison of Silver Spring, (circa 1950s), said participating is generally in dance troupes considered the has been a healthy original line lifestyle choice since dance. she retired after a Womack also 30-year career as a credited the late special education Dave Bush, of administrator.

Cessily Greene of Baltimore received the The New Enkgans Soul Line Dancers traveled from Boston to the awards show.

Philadelphia, “It keeps your 2014 Choreographers Award. for being the mind sharp, in Godfather of addition to the urban line dancers. obvious health Bush, who died benefits,” she said.

Photos by Timothy Cox last May, is also Wilma Wright, known as the creator of the recently dance 58, of Cerritos, Cal., flew in with her group, the craze, the Wobble.

J&J Soulful Steppers of Los Angeles.

Womack said he was inspired to honor “We wouldn’t miss this for the world. It line dancers after watching the Academy gives us a chance to reunite with our brothers wards, the BET Awards and the Grammys. and sisters of dance,” said Wright, a Hamilton, The event honored dancers, choreographers Ohio, native and former classmate of the late and instructors. music legend Roger Troutman of the Zapp band. “[I] realized that our line dancing should “Really, it’s like a family reunion, a love-fest for be considered as more than just a way for dancing. People are so friendly and warm.” people to dance and party,” he said. “Just LeMetia Butler, 29, joined fellow like the awards shows on TV, we figured it Houstonians, adding that their Texas-style flavor. was time to organize and award our people “We all learn from each other,” said the social for their skills, talents and commitment.” services administrator. “That’s the beauty of this Line dancers from around the country came to Baltimore for the 7th annual For more information, call 443-766-9369 event.”

UC Star Awards 2014. or email UCStarts@hotmail.com.

Though many dancers primarily dance

By Timothy Cox Special to the AFRO

B4

The Afro-American, February 1, 2014 - February 7, 2014

SPORTS

Local Boxing Hero Lamont Peterson Defends Title at Packed D.C. Armory

By Talib I. Karim Special to the AFRO

date, Lamont and Anthony are Hunter’s biggest successes.

According to Harris, Hunter literally raised the boys as his own sons and under his tutelage they became Golden Glove champs, nearly making the 2004 Olympics Boxing Team.

On Saturday night, Anthony Peterson was sitting ringside, helping his brother.

“Body! Body! Focus on his body!” he yelled, at one point, jumping to his feet as he tried to direct Lamont to score points with his punches.

The advice was enough. Peterson won on all three judges’ scorecards: 115-113, 116-112 and 118-111.

Hunter, the trainer, gave his fighter high praise.

Welterweight boxing champion Lamont Peterson turned 30 on Jan. 24, but he opted to delay celebrating, according to his camp.

Instead, he spent the time preparing for his fight the next night. Then, on Jan. 25, the son of Southeast Washington delighted a crowd of 5,700, including many of his loved ones and supporters, by soundly defeating Haitian-born Canadian Dierry Jean to hold onto the championship.

The fight went a full 12 rounds, lasting past 11 p.m., with Peterson winning a unanimous decision.

Then it was time to celebrate.

By beating Jean, Peterson defended his International Boxing Federation (IBF) light welterweight title. With a record now of 322-1 (16 KOs), Peterson shares championship titles for his weight class (140 lbs) with Danny Oscar García, who holds the World Boxing Association (WBA) and World Boxing Council (WBC) titles and Russian Ruslan Provodnikov, the World Boxing Organization (WBO) champ.

All three men have 16 knock outs and two losses. However, while Garcia has more titles, Peterson has the most experience with 35 fights, followed by Garcia (27) and Prodnikov (25).

Saturday night’s bout was held at the D.C. Armory, blocks from where Peterson grew up with his 11 siblings including brother, Anthony Peterson, who is also a lightweight boxing professional. Anthony Peterson has only one professional career loss.

The story of the Peterson brothers is a phenomenal tale of achievement, according to the pair’s assistant trainer Patrick Harris, who is also married to one of Peterson’s sisters, Takisha Peterson Harris.

As Harris recounts, with a father incarcerated, the Peterson brothers spent their early years living with their mother, who had faced several personal struggles. The boys were later placed in the District’s foster care system. Over the course of their childhood, Lamont and Anthony confronted drugs, violence, and even homelessness.

Ultimately, Harris brought the Peterson brothers to the Headbangers Boxing Gym where they met trainer Barry Hunter. Located in the Southwest D.C. Bald Eagle Recreation Center, Hunter’s Headbangers program is credited with producing 100 national amateur Courtesy photos championships, two professional world Lamont Peterson remains IBF Junior Welterweight Champ, despite the titlists, and steering in the right direction fact his opponent Dierry Jean entered the ring Jan. 25 wearing a hockey countless youth like the Peterson brothers. To jersey emblazoned with the words “And the New…”

Courtesy Photo

Lamont Peterson “Lamont took it to him,” he said of Jean. “He was good but Lamont was on another level.”

Peterson credited Jean for fighting a good fight.

“You can tell he came to fight,” Peterson said of his opponent, “not give up.”

Peterson said he was also impressed by the small but vocal group of Jean supporters, many of whom traveled hundreds of miles from Canada for the matchup. At one point, the Canadians outshouted the larger group of D.C. fans as the locals chanted “D.C.! D.C.! D.C.!” at deafening levels.

Following the bout, Jean expressed appreciation for the chance to fight Peterson. He also thanked his supporters, tweeting on Dierry Jean @DierryJean5h “Thank you for your incredible support. I am proud of my performance and experience that this combat brought me. I will come back stronger!”

Peterson now has his sights fixed on uniting all the boxing federation titles by beating the other junior welterweight champs, starting with Garcia.

And with five of his victories won in D.C., he looks forward to one day bringing all the championship belts home.

The writer is a former junior welterweight All American Team boxer, now lawyer in the District of Columbia and can be reached at Talib@talibkarim.com.

AFRO Sports Desk Faceoff

What Should the New York Knicks Do with Carmelo Anthony?

get invited into that special group, he needs to win and win big. Maybe he joins up with the Los Angeles Clippers or the Lakers, who knows? But wherever he winds up, it’ll be a place he knows the clear-cut plans of the organization and how they expect to win immediately. New York won’t be in that position next year so an enticing trade makes sense. Did I mention that the Knicks don’t even have a first round pick in this summer’s loaded draft?

By Perry Green and Stephen D. Riley AFRO Sports Desk Fresh off his 62-point performance against the Charlotte Bobcats on Jan. 24, Carmelo Anthony is the talk of New York City basketball right now. He’s also a free agent at the end of the season, thanks to a player option in his contract, and his team has been dreadful and dysfunctional this season to say the least.

With the Knicks (16-27) sputtering, there’s been chatter that the team should trade Anthony and receive some type of compensation in case he opts to leave for greener pastures in the summer and they get nothing. But how do you trade a talented scorer such as Anthony and find equal compensation?

That’s the situation the Knicks find themselves in. Perry Green and Stephen D. Riley of the AFRO Sports Desk debate the question.

Riley: If I’m New York then I’m trying my best to keep Anthony. Simple. He’s a talented contributor who obviously needs pieces around him to help out. He’ll never be a LeBron/ Durant-type leader, but he could easily be the co-star of a team with another dominant player as the lead dog. The Knicks’ big-city attraction, with Anthony attached, could and should entice other players to sign up. With Amar’e Stoudemire’s sizable contract coming off the books in 2015, New York could be ready to go free agent shopping again. If New York can convince Anthony to bite the bullet for another season, then both parties will be in line for something a lot better than what’s going now.

Green: You can’t take that risk if you’re the Knicks.

Trading Anthony is never going to return full value, but it might be best to take what they can and run. You can’t ask

Riley: The Knicks sold the farm to land Anthony a few years ago, so they need to sell the farm again to romance him to stay. Anthony is just entering his prime at age 29, and another four to five years of top-shelf play is clearly in the cards. It doesn’t matter who they have to fire or hire, doing whatever they can to keep the Brooklyn-born Anthony at Madison Square Garden should be top priority. Roughly $40 million is scheduled to come off the Knicks’ books in 2015, giving New York a few expiring contracts that they could flip for a stronger supporting cast, or position for a 2015 free agent class headlined by Kevin Love, LaMarcus Aldridge and Kyrie Irving for starters. Help is on the way for New York, but can Anthony be patient enough to wait?

Carmelo Anthony a 10-plus year perennial All Star to stomach another season of mediocrity. Anthony knows his time to win is right now.

Obviously, we all know he’s a great scorer and fantastic player but LeBron and Kobe are still tiers above him. For him to

Green: At this point in his career, Anthony can’t sit around and wait to see if the Knicks get better. He wants to win now and he’s already given New York three years of his best play— now it’s time he gets what he wants. There’s no way he resigns in New York this summer unless the Knicks can flip the roster this offseason, which will be a tough task for a front office that’s made several regretful moves over the last few seasons.

This season has gone belly up for the Knickerbockers, and the front office can’t just let their most valuable asset leave without getting something in return. The smart move and only move at this point is to trade Carmelo Anthony.

February 1, 2014 - February 7, 2014, The Afro-American

B5

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TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS

Superior Court of the District of District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2014ADM45 Pauline A. Dufresne Decedent W. Alton Lewis 1450 Mercantile Lane, Suite 155, Largo, MD 20774 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Richard J. Gable, whose address is 4515 Willard Ave, Chevy Chase, MD 20815 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Pauline A. Dufresne, who died on December 1, 2013 with a Will, and will serve without) Court supervision.

All unknown heirs and h e i r s w h o s e whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent´s will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor Wa s h i n g t o n , D . C .

20001, on or before July 31, 2014. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before July 31, 2014, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship.

Date of Publication: January 31, 2014 Name of newspaper: Afro-American Washington Law Reporter Richard J. Gable Personal Representative

TRUE TEST TYPESET: Mon Jan 27 16:44:32 ESTCOPY 2014 01/31, 02/07, 02/14/14

REGISTER OF WILLS

Superior Court of the District of District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2014ADM16 Sylvester Roy Woodfork Jr. Decedent Julius P. Terrell 1455 Pennsylvania Ave., NW Ste 400 Washington, DC 20004 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Marion Woodfrok Simmons, whose address is 4110 Swiss Stone Dr., Burtonsville, MD 20866 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Sylvester Roy Woodfork Jr., who died on November 26, 2013 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding.

Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor Wa s h i n g t o n , D . C .

20001, on or before July 31, 2014. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before July 31, 2014, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship.

Date of Publication: January 31, 2014 Name of newspaper: Afro-American Washington Law Reporter

01/31, 02/07, 02/14/14

Marion Woodfork Simmons Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS 01/31, 02/07, 02/14/14

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Foreign No. 2014FEP1 Date of Death April 8, 2009 Lloyd Dickerson Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF FOREIGN PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS Edith Dickerson whose address is 4837 67th Avenue, Hyattsville, MD 20784 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Lloyd Dickerson, deceased by The Register of Wills Court for Prince George’s County, State of Maryland, on December 18, 2013.

Service of process may be made upon Barbara G. Whitaker, 635 Dahlia Street, NW, Washington, DC 20012-1841 whose designation as District of Columbia agent has been filed with the Register of Wills, D.C. The decedent owned the following District of Colombia real property: one-sixth interest in real property located at 1326 Corbin Place, NE, Washington, DC 20002 Claims against the decedent may be presented to the undersigned and filed with the Register of Wills for the District of Columbia, 500 Indiana Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20001 within 6 months from the date of first publication of this notice.

Edith Dickerson Personal Representative(s) TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS Date of first publication: January 17, 2014 Name of newspapers and/or periodical: The Daily Washington Law Reporter The Afro-American

TYPESET: Mon Jan 13 01/17, 01/24 & 01/31/14

Superior TYPESET: Mon Jan 13 17:49:49 ESTCourt 2014of

Superior Court of the District of District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Washington,D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2013ADM1307 Helen E. Clarke Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Teresa A. Howie whose address is P.O. Box 55100, Washington, DC 20040 was appointed personal representatives of the estate of Helen E. Clarke, who died on October 17, 2013 with a will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent´s will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor Wa s h i n g t o n , D . C .

20001, on or before July 17, 2014. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before July 17, 2014 , or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship.

Date of Publication: January 17, 2014 Name of newspaper: Afro-American Newspaper Washington Law Reporter Teresa A. Howie Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS 01/17, 01/24 & 01/31/14

the District of District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Washington,D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2013ADM1331 Anne C. Carpenter Decedent David Booth Beers, Esquire Goodwin Procter LLP 901 New York Ave, NW, 9E Washington, DC 20001 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS David Booth Beers whose address is c/o Goodwin Procter, LLP, 901 NY Ave, NW, 9E, Washington, DC 20001 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Anne C. Carpenter, who died on November 5, 2013 with a will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent´s will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor Wa s h i n g t o n , D . C .

20001, on or before July 17, 2014. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before July 17, 2014 , or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship.

Date of Publication: January 17, 2014 Name of newspaper: Afro-American Newspaper Washington Law Reporter David Booth Beers Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS 01/17, 01/24 & 01/31/14

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TYPESET: Mon Jan 27 16:45:25 ESTMon 2014 Jan 27 16:44:51 2014Jan 13 17:51:23 EST 2014 TYPESET: Mon LEGAL NOTICES TYPESET: LEGALEST NOTICES LEGAL NOTICES Superior Court of the District of District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2013ADM1326 Robert Gilliam Decedent Robert M. McCarthy 4405 East West Hwy, Suite 201 Bethesda MD 20814 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Dorothy Harvey , whose address is, 904 Delran Place, Upper Marlboro, MD 20774 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Robert Gilliam, who died on September 26, 2013 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before July 31, 2014. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before July 31, 2014, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship.

Date of Publication: January 31, 2014 Name of newspaper: Afro-American Washington Law Reporter Dorothy C. Harvey Personal Representative

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NAME: ________________________________________________ ADDRESS: _____________________________________________ PHONE NO.:____________________________________________ CLASSIFICATION: ______________________________________ (Room, Apt., House, etc.)

INSERTION DATE:_________________ TYPESET: Mon Jan 13 17:51:06 EST 2014

WASHINGTON AFRO-AMERICAN NEWSPAPER SUPERIOR Legal Advertising RatesCOURT OF THE DISTRICT OF Effective October 1, 2008 COLUMBIA

PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 PROBATE DIVISION Foreign No. (Estates) 2014FEP2 Date of Death 202-332-0080 September 5, 2006 Jan M. Javins PROBATE NOTICES Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT a. Order Nisi $ 60 per insertion $180.00 per 3 OF FOREIGN weeks PERSONAL b. Small Estates (single publication $ 60 per REPRESENTATIVE insertion AND c. Notice to Creditors NOTICE TO CREDITORS 1. Domestic $ 60 per insertion $180.00 per 3 Maurice F. Javins whose weeks address is 10410 Triple Crown Court, Hughsville, $180.00 per 3 2. Foreign $ 60 per insertion MD 20637 was apweeks pointed personal repred. Escheated Estates $ 60 per insertion sentative of the estate of $360.00 per 6 17:48:26 EST 2014 Jan M, Javins, deceased weeks

by The Register of Wills e. Standard Probates C o u r t f o r P r i n c e $125.00 George’s County, State of Maryland, on January CIVIL NOTICES 22, 2009.

Service of process may a. Name Changes 202-879-1133 be made upon Barbara $ 80.00 G. Whitaker, 635 Dahlia $ 200.00 b. Real Property Street, NW, Washington, DC 20012-1841 whose designation as District of FAMILY COURT Columbia agent has been filed with the Regis202-879-1212 ter of Wills, D.C. DOMESTIC RELATIONS The decedent owned the following District of 202-879-0157 Colombia real property: one-sixth interest in real property located at 1326 a. Absent Defendant C o r b i n P l a c e , N E , $ 150.00 W a s h i n g t o n , D C $ 150.00 b. Absolute Divorce 20002XXXX c. Custody Divorce Claims against the de- $150.00 cedent may be presented to the undersigned and Public filed withNotices the To place your ad, call 1-800-237-6892, ext.

262, $50.00 & Register of Wills for the depending on size, Baltimore Legal Notices are $24.84 per inch.

District of Columbia, 500 Indiana Avenue, N.W., 1-800 (AFRO) 892 Washington, D.C. 20001 6 months from the For Proof of Publication, pleasewithin call 1-800-237-6892, ext. 244 date of first publication of this notice.

TYPESET: Mon Jan 27 16:45:41 ESTMon 2014 F. Javins Jan 13 17:51:06Maurice EST 2014 LEGAL NOTICES TYPESET: LEGAL NOTICES SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2014ADM39 Estate of Mary F. Cooke Deceased NOTICE OF STANDARD PROBATE Notice is hereby given that a petition has been filed in this Court by George L. Wheeler, Sr. for standard probate including the appointment of one or more personal representative.

Unless a complaint or an objection in accordance with Superior Court Probate Division Rule 407 is filed in this Court within 30 days from the date of first publication of this notice, the Court may take the action hereinafter set forth.

0 Admit to probate the will dated August 5, 1999 exhibited with the petition upon proof satisfactory to the Court of due execution by affidavit of witnesses Register of Wills Clerk of the Probate Division Date of First Publication January 31, 2014 Names of Newspapers: Washington Law Reporter Washington AFRO-AMERICAN Geroge L. Wheeler Sr. 35 U Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20001 Signature of Petitioners/Attorney 01/31 & 02/07/2014

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Foreign No. 2014FEP2 Date of Death September 5, 2006 Jan M. Javins Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF FOREIGN PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS Maurice F. Javins whose address is 10410 Triple Crown Court, Hughsville, MD 20637 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Jan M, Javins, deceased

by The Register of Wills Court for Prince George’s County, State of Maryland, on January 22, 2009.

Service of process may be made upon Barbara G. Whitaker, 635 Dahlia Street, NW, Washington, DC 20012-1841 whose designation as District of Columbia agent has been filed with the Register of Wills, D.C. The decedent owned the following District of Colombia real property: one-sixth interest in real property located at 1326 Corbin Place, NE, Washington, DC 20002XXXX Claims against the decedent may be presented to the undersigned and filed with the Register of Wills for the District of Columbia, 500 Indiana Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20001 within 6 months from the date of first publication of this notice.

Maurice F. Javins Personal Representative(s) TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS Date of first publication: January 17, 2014

LEGAL NOTICES Personal Representative(s) TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS Date of first publication: January 17, 2014 Name of newspapers and/or periodical: The Daily Washington Law Reporter The Afro-American 01/17, 01/24 & 01/31/14

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The Afro-American, February 1, 2014 - February 7, 2014

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515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd NOTICE OF be made upon Eloise Floor Washington, D.C. APPOINTMENT, Jones 521 Lomont St., 20001, on or before July NOTICE TO NW, Washington, DC 31,2014. Claims against CREDITORS 20010 whose designathe decedent shall be AND NOTICE TO tion as District of Columpresented to the underUNKNOWN HEIRS bia agent has been filed signed with a copy to the Sterling Gaston, whose with the Register of Wills, address is, 1406 Law- Register of Wills or filed D.C. rence St, N. E., Washing- with the Register of Wills The decedent owned the 17:48:10 TYPESET: Tue2014 Jan 21 12:38:24 Tue Jan 21 12:39:24 EST 2014 a copyNOTICES to the underton D.C.EST 20017 was ap- with fo l l o w i nEST g NOTICES D 2014 i s t r i c t o f TYPESET: LEGALEST NOTICES LEGAL LEGAL NOTICES TYPESET: Tue Jan 21 12:41:38 2014 LEGAL NOTICES LEGAL NOTICES LEGAL signed, on or before July pointed personal Colombia real property: 31, 2014, or be forever representative of the 1616 Potomac Ave, SE, estate of Joyce Gaston, barred. Persons believed Washington, DC 20003 Superior Court of Superior Court of Superior Court of who died on November to be heirs or legatees of Claims against the dethe District of the District of the District of 8, 2013 without a Will, the decedent who do not cedent may be preDistrict of Columbia District of Columbia District of Columbia and will serve without receive a copy of this nosented to the underPROBATE DIVISION PROBATE DIVISION PROBATE DIVISION Court supervision. All un- tice by mail within 25 Washington, D.C. signed and filed with the Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C. known heirs and heirs days of its first publicaRegister of Wills for the 20001-2131 20001-2131 20001-2131 whose whereabouts are tion shall so inform the District of Columbia, Administration No. Administration No. Administration No. unknown shall enter their Register of Wills, includBuilding A, 515 5th 2013ADM1202 2013ADM1132 2013ADM1279 ing name, address and appearance in this Street, NW, 3rd Floor, James R.Mcbee Cynthia Randolph Sarah W. Carter proceeding. Objections relationship.

Washington, DC 20001 Decedent Decedent Decedent to such appointment Date of Publication: within 6 months from the Wesley L.Clarke NOTICE OF Steve-Larsonshall be filed with the January 31, 2014 date of first publication of 1629 K Street, Ste. 300 APPOINTMENT, Jackson,Esq. Register of Wills, D.C., Name of newspaper: this notice.

NOTICE TO Washington, DC 20006 P.O.Box 11530 , 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Afro-American CREDITORS Attorney Washington, DC 20011 Floor Washington, D.C. Washington Law Andre L. Mealy, Jr AND NOTICE TO NOTICE OF Attorney 20001, on or before July Reporter Personal UNKNOWN HEIRS APPOINTMENT, NOTICE OF Sterling Gaston 31,2014. Claims against Representative Leonard Randolph , NOTICE TO APPOINTMENT, Personal the decedent shall be TRUE TEST COPY whose address is 9888 CREDITORS NOTICE TO Representative presented to the underREGISTER OF WILLS Leigland Ct., Waldorf, AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS signed with a copy to the Date of first publication: MD 20603, was apUNKNOWN HEIRS AND NOTICE TO Register of Wills or filed TRUE TEST COPY pointed personal repre- January 24, 2014 Wesley L.Clarke, whose UNKNOWN HEIRS sentative of the estate of Name of newspapers address is 1629 K Street, Michael L. Willis, whose with the Register of Wills REGISTER OF WILLS Cynthia Randolph, who and/or periodical: NW, Ste 300, Washing- addressis 14607 Turner with a copy to the underdied on March 12, 2013 The Daily Washington ton, DC 20006 ,was ap- Wootton Parkway, Up- signed, on or before July 01/31, 02/07, 02/14/14 without a Will, and will Law Reporter pointed personal repre- pper Marlboro, Maryland 31, 2014, or be forever serve without Court su- The Afro-American sentative of the estate of 20774 was appointed barred. Persons believed pervision. All unknown TYPESET: Tue Jan 21 12:39:00 James R. ESTMcbee, 2014 who personal representative to be heirs or legatees of heirs and heirs whose 01/24, 01/31, 02/07/14 died on October 8, 2013 of the estate of Sarah the decedent who do not whereabouts are unwithout a will, and will W.Carter, who died on receive a copy of this noknown shall enter their serve without Court su- November 21, 2013 with tice by mail within 25 Superior Court of appearance in this pervision. All unknown a will, and will serve with- days of its first publicathe District of proceeding. Objections heirs and heirs whose out Court supervision. All tion shall so inform the District of Columbia to such appointment whereabouts are un- unknown heirs and heirs Register of Wills, includPROBATE DIVISION shall be filed with the known shall enter their whose whereabouts are ing name, address and Washington, D.C. Register of Wills, D.C., appearance in this 20001-2131 unknown shall enter their relationship.

Date of Publication: 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd proceeding. Objections a p p e a r a n c e i n t h i s Administration No. Floor Washington, D.C. to such appointment proceeding. Objections January 31, 2014 2013ADM1336 20001, on or before July Gregory Hinton shall be filed with the to such appointment (or Name of newspaper: 24, 2014. Claims against Decedent Register of Wills, D.C., to the probate of de- Afro-American the decedent shall be 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd cedent´s will) shall be Washington Law NOTICE OF presented to the underFloor Washington, D.C. filed with the Register of Reporter APPOINTMENT, Sterling Gaston signed with a copy to the 20001, on or before July Wills, D.C., 515 5th NOTICE TO Personal Register of Wills or filed 24,2014. Claims against Street, N.W., 3rd Floor CREDITORS Representative with the Register of Wills the decedent shall be W a s h i n g t o n , D . C .

AND NOTICE TO with a copy to the underpresented to the under- 20001, on or before July UNKNOWN HEIRS signed, on or before July Deshanta Nicole Hinton, signed with a copy to the 24, 2014. Claims against TRUE TEST COPY 24, 2014, or be forever whose address is 157 Register of Wills or filed the decedent shall be REGISTER OF WILLS barred. Persons believed 5 7 t h P l a c e S . E . with the Register of Wills presented to the underto be heirs or legatees of Washington DC 20019, with a copy to the under- signed with a copy to the 01/31, 02/07, 02/14/14 the decedent who do not was, appointed personal signed, on or before July Register of Wills or filed receive a copy of this no- representative of the 24, 2014, or be forever with the Register of Wills tice by mail within 25 estate of Gregory Hinton, barred. Persons believed with a copy to the underdays of its first publica- who died on January 1, to be heirs or legatees of signed, on or before July The AFRO-AMERICAN Newspapers is looking to hire tion shall so inform the 2012 without a will, and the decedent who do not 24, 2014, or be forever Register of Wills, includ- will serve without Court receive a copy of this no- barred. Persons believed a part-time Sales Assistant to join our DC office team ing name, address and supervision. All unknown tice by mail within 25 to be heirs or legatees of located on Benning Road, NE in Washington, DC. This relationship. heirs and heirs whose days of its first publica- the decedent who do not Date of Publication whereabouts are un- tion shall so inform the receive a copy of this noentry-level position has advancement opportunity and January 24, 2014 Register of Wills, includknown shall enter their tice by mail within 25 Name of newspaper: ing name, address an days of its first publicawill provide administrative support for our Advertising appearance in this Afro-American proceeding. Objections relationship. tion shall so inform the Sales Department. Duties will include the following: Washington to such appointment (or Date of Publication: Register of Wills, includLaw Reporter to the probate of de- January 24, 2014 ing name, address and Leonard Randolph cedent´s will) shall be Name of newspaper: Create master lists of media buyers, advertising relationship.

Personal filed with the Register of Afro-American Date of Publication: agencies, government agencies, etc... to generate leads Representative Wills, D.C., 515 5th Washington Law January 24, 2014 Street, N.W., 3rd Floor Reporter Name of newspaper: & interest in The AFRO TRUE TEST COPY Wesley L Clarke Afro-American Wa s h i n g t o n , D . C .

REGISTER OF WILLS Personal Washington Law Re20001, on or before July Create messages for e-blasts; do mail outs of media Representative porter 24, 2014.EST Claims against TYPESET: Tue Jan 21 12:38:42 2014 01/24, 01/31, 02/07/14 the decedent shall be kits and other advertising information presented to the under- TRUE TEST COPY Michael L. Willis REGISTER OF WILLS signed with a copy to the Personal Superior Court of Provide standard administrative and office support Register of Wills or filed TYPESET: Tue Jan 21 12:40:56 EST Representative the District of 2014 01/24, 01/31, 02/07/14 with the Register of Wills District of Columbia Provide exemplary customer service with a copy to the underTRUE TEST COPY PROBATE DIVISION signed, on or before July REGISTER OF WILLS Washington, D.C. Superior Court of 24, 2014, or be forever 20001-2131 the District of TYPESET: Tue Jan 28 11:49:36 EST 2014 barred. Persons believed 01/24, 01/31, 02/07/14 Administration No. District of Columbia to be heirs or legatees of 2014ADM19 PROBATE DIVISION the decedent who do not 17:50:05 EST 2014 Barbara LorraIne Strong computer skills with proficiency in MS Office Washington, D.C. receive a copy of this noSuperior Court of Husaw 20001-2131 Suite tice by mail within 25 the District of Decedent Administration No. days of its first publicaDistrict of Columbia NOTICE OF 2014ADM17 tion shall so inform the PROBATE DIVISION Knowledge of the Greater DC Metro area APPOINTMENT, Beatrice Manis Register of Wills, includWashington, D.C. NOTICE TO aka ing name, address and 20001-2131 CREDITORS Beatrice R. Manis Ability to perform well both independently and as team relationship.

Administration No. AND NOTICE TO Decedent Date of Publication: 2014ADM26 member UNKNOWN HEIRS National Law Offices of Joyce Gaston Karen Mack, whose ad- January 24, 2014 Julius P. Terell, PLLC Name of newspaper: Decedent dressis 913 Newington Ambitious & quick learner with great time1455 Pennsylvania Wesley L.Clarke Court, Capital Heights, Afro-American Ave., NW Suite 400 Washington Law 1629 K Street, Ste. 300 management, organizational skills, detail oriented MD 20743 was apWashington, DC 20004 Washington, D.C. pointed personal repre- Reporter Attorney 20006 sentative of the estate of Previous administrative or sales support experience NOTICE OF DeShanta Nicole Hinton Attorney Barbara Lorraine Husaw, APPOINTMENT, Personal NOTICE OF who died on October 26, NOTICE TO Representative APPOINTMENT, 2011 without a Will, and CREDITORS Please send your resume to:lhowze@afro.com NOTICE TO will serve without Court AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS supervision. All unknown TRUE TEST COPY UNKNOWN HEIRS Or mail to: Diane W. Hocker AND NOTICE TO heirs and heirs whose REGISTER OF WILLS LucretiaEST Kirkpatrick, 2014 UNKNOWN HEIRS whereabouts are un- TYPESET: Tue Jan 21 12:40:34 whose address is 154 U

Director of Human Resources 01/24, 01/31, 02/07/14 known shall enter their Street NE Washington, Sterling Gaston, whose appearance in this DC 20002 was appointed address is, 1406 Law 2519 N. Charles St., proceeding. Objections Superior Court of personal representative rence St, N. E., Washington D.C. 20017 was apto such appointment

Baltimore, MD 21218 the District of of the estate of Beatrice shall be filed with the District of Columbia Manis aka Beatrice R. p o i n t e d p e r s o n a l Register of Wills, D.C., PROBATE DIVISION Manis, who died on representative of the 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd January 25, 2013 without estate of Joyce Gaston, Washington, D.C. Floor Washington, D.C. a will, and will serve with- who died on November 20001-2131 20001, on or before July out Court supervision. All 8, 2013 without a Will, Administration No. 24, 2014. Claims against unknown heirs and heirs and will serve without 2014ADM25 the decedent shall be whose whereabouts are Court supervision. All unIra R. Mitzner presented to the underunknown shall enter their known heirs and heirs aka whose whereabouts are signed with a copy to the appearance in this unknown shall enter their Register of Wills or filed Robert Mitzner proceeding.

Objections appearance in this with the Register of Wills Decedent to such appointment with a copy to the under- Jennifer O. Schiffer shall be filed with the proceeding. Objections 4845 Rugby Ave, signed, on or before July Register of Wills, D.C., to such appointment 24, 2014, or be forever Bethesda MD 20814 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd shall be filed with the Attorney barred. Persons believed Floor Washington, D.C. Register of Wills, D.C., NOTICE OF to be heirs or legatees of 20001, on or before July 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd APPOINTMENT, the decedent who do not 24, 2014. Claims against Floor Washington, D.C. receive a copy of this noNOTICE TO the decedent shall be 20001, on or before July tice by mail within 25 CREDITORS presented to the under- 31,2014. Claims against days of its first publicaAND NOTICE TO signed with a copy to the the decedent shall be tion shall so inform the UNKNOWN HEIRS Registerof Wills or filed presented to the underRegister of Wills, includ- E. Rachael Mitzner, with theRegister of Wills signed with a copy to the ing name, address and whose address is 2600 with a copy to the under- Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills relationship.

Pennsylvania Ave NW signed, on or before July with a copy to the underDate of Publication: #2D, Washington DC 24,2014, or be forever signed, on or before July January 24, 2014 20037 was appointed barred. Persons believed 31, 2014, or be forever Name of newspaper: personal representative to be heirs or legatees of barred. Persons believed Afro-American of the estate of Ira R. the decedent who do not to be heirs or legatees of Washington M i t z n e r a k a R o b e r t receive a copy of this no- the decedent who do not Law Reporter tice by mail within 25 Karen Mack Mitzner, who died on days of its first publica- receive a copy of this noNovember 6, 2013 with a Personal tion shall so inform the tice by mail within 25 Representative Will, and will serve with- Register of Wills, includ- days of its first publicaout Court supervision. All ing name, address and tion shall so inform the Register of Wills, includunknown heirs and heirs relationship.

TRUE TEST COPY ing name, address and REGISTER OF WILLS whose whereabouts are Date of Publication: relationship. unknownEST shall2014 enter their January 24, 2014 TYPESET: Tue Jan 21 12:38:09 Date of Publication: 01/24, 01/31, 02/07/14 a p p e a r a n c e i n t h i s Name of newspaper: January 31, 2014 proceeding. Objections Afro-American Name of newspaper: SUPERIOR COURT OF to such appointment (or Wa s h i n g t o n L a w Afro-American to the probate of de- Reporter THE DISTRICT OF Lucretia Kirkpatrick Washington Law COLUMBIA cedent´s will) shall be Personal Reporter PROBATE DIVISION filed with the Register of Sterling Gaston Representative W a s h i n g t o n , D . C . Wills, D.C., 515 5th Personal 20001-2131 Street, N.W., 3rd Floor Representative TRUE TEST COPY Foreign No. Wa s h i n g t o n , D . C .

2014FEP9 20001, on or before July REGISTER OF WILLS TRUE TEST COPY Date of Death 24, 2014. Claims against REGISTER OF WILLS 01/24, 01/31, 02/07/14 May 10, 2013 the decedent shall be Andrew L. Mealy, Jr. presented to the under01/31, 02/07, 02/14/14 Decedent signed with a copy to the NOTICE OF Register of Wills or filed APPOINTMENT O F F O R E I G N P E R - with the Register of Wills with a copy to the underSONAL R E P R E S E N TAT I V E signed, on or before July 24, 2014, or be forever AND barred. Persons believed NOTICE TO to be heirs or legatees of CREDITORS Victor G. Mealy whose the decedent who do not address is 8309 Duck receive a copy of this noHawk Way, Lorton, VA, tice by mail within 25 22079 was appointed days of its first publicapersonal representative tion shall so inform the of the estate of Andrew L. Register of Wills, includMealy, Jr., deceased, on ing name, address and September 3, 2013 by relationship. the Orphan’s Court for Date of Publication: Prince George’s County, January 24, 2014 State of Maryland.

Service of process may Name of newspaper: be made upon Eloise Afro-American Jones 521 Lomont St., Washington Law ReNW, Washington, DC porter E. Rachel Mitzner 20010 whose designaPersonal tion as District of ColumRepresentative bia agent has been filed with the Register of Wills, D.C. TRUE TEST COPY The decedent owned the REGISTER OF WILLS following District of Colombia real property: 01/24, 01/31, 02/07/14 1616 Potomac Ave, SE, Washington, DC 20003 Claims against the decedent may be presented to the undersigned and filed with the

February 1, 2014 - February 7, 2014 The Afro-American

Superior Court of the District of District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Washington,D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2013ADM1336 Gregory Hinton Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS DeShanta Nicole Hinton whose address is 157 57th Place, SE, Washington, DC 20019 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Gregory Hinton, who died on January 1, 2012 with a will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent´s will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor Wa s h i n g t o n , D . C .

20001, on or before July 17, 2014. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before July 17, 2014 , or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship.

Date of Publication: January 17, 2014 Name of newspaper: Afro-American Newspaper Washington Law Reporter DeShanta Nicole Hinton Personal Representative

Superior Court of the District of District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Washington,D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2014ADM4 Thomas Michael Diggs Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Dionna L. Diggs, Thomas M. Diggs & Renard Thomas Diggs, Jr whose addresses are 3625 Broadwater Lane, Chester, VA 23831, 1571 Cedar Mountain Drive, Fort Lee, VA 23801 & 6707 22nd Place, Hyattsville, MD 20782 were appointed personal representatives of the estate of Thomas Michael Diggs, who died on August 22, 2013 without a will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent´s will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor Wa s h i n g t o n , D . C .

20001, on or before July 17, 2014. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before July 17, 2014 , or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship.

Date of Publication: January 17, 2014 Name of newspaper: Afro-American Newspaper TRUE TEST COPY Washington REGISTER OF WILLS Law Reporter TYPESET: Mon Jan 13 17:48:41 Dionna EST 2014 L. Diggs 01/17, 01/24 & 01/31/14 Thomas M. Diggs Renard Thomas Diggs Personal Representative SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF TRUE TEST COPY COLUMBIA REGISTER OF WILLS PROBATE DIVISION W a s h i n g t o n , D . C . TYPESET: Mon Jan 13 01/17, 01/24 & 01/31/14 20001-2131 Foreign No. 1998FEP22 Superior Court of Date of Death the District of June 25, 1995 District of Columbia Ellaleen C. Williams Decedent PROBATE DIVISION NOTICE OF Washington,D.C. APPOINTMENT 20001-2131 OF FOREIGN Administration No. PERSONAL 2013ADM898 REPRESENTATIVE Gerald D. Moye, Sr. AND Decedent NOTICE TO APPOINTMENT, CREDITORS NOTICE TO Arthur W. Williams and CREDITORS Rubye Jane Williams AND NOTICE TO whose addresses are 94 UNKNOWN HEIRS Spir Road, Scarsdale, NY 10583 & 34 W. 96th Terry L. Moye whose adS t r e e t , N Y , N Y dress is 800 Kenilworth 10025were appointed Avenue, N.E. Washingpersonal representatives ton, DC 20019, was apof the estate of Ellaleen pointed personal repreC. Williams, deceased by sentative of the estate of The Surrogates Court for Gerald D. Moye,Sr., who New York County, State died on September 24, o f N e w Y o r k , o n 2008 without a will and December 4, 1995. will serve without Court Service of process may be made upon David Wil- supervision. All unknown l o u g h b y , 8 0 9 heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unMassachussetts Ave, NE, Washington, DC known shall enter their 20002whose designa- a p p e a r a n c e i n t h i s tion as District of Colum- proceeding. Objections bia agent has been filed to such appointment with the Register of Wills, shall be filed with the D.C. Register of Wills, D.C., The decedent owned the 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd f o l l o w i n g D i s t r i c t o f Floor Washington, D.C. Colombia real property: 20001, on or before July 1925 Alabama Ave, SE, 17, 2014. Claims against Washington, DC 20020, the decedent shall be 1917 I Street, NW, presented to the underWashington, DC 20036, signed with a copy to the 2400 Alabama Ave, SE Register of Wills or filed Washington, DC 20020 with the Register of Wills 724 8Th Street, NE with a copy to the underWashington, DC 20002 Claims against the de- signed, on or before July cedent may be pre- 17, 2014, or be forever sented to the under- barred. Persons believed signed and filed with the to be heirs or legatees of Register of Wills for the the decedent who do not District of Columbia, 500 receive a copy of this noIndiana Avenue, N.W., tice by mail within 25 Washington, D.C. 20001 days of its first publicawithin 6 months from the tion shall so inform the date of first publication of Register of Wills, includthis notice.

Arthur W. Williams Rubye Jane Williams Personal Representative(s) TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS Date of first publication: January 17, 2014 Name of newspapers and/or periodical: The Daily Washington Law Reporter The Afro-American

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Date of Publication: January 17, 2014 Name of newspaper: Afro-American Washington Law Reporter Terry L. Moye Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS

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The Afro-American, February 1, 2014 - February 7, 2014