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BOOK SPOTLIGHTS THE BLACK COOKS BEHIND SOUL FOOD 8
City leaders reeling from Walmart’s desertion of Ward 7 store plans Page 4 January 28 - February 3, 2016
Vemulpalli heads D.C. Open Data initiaitive Page 12 www.districtchronicles.com
Volume 15 Issue 22
Freddie Allen/AMG
6
Editorial
Flint water crisis shows true colors of city, state leaders By James Clingman via George Curry Media
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“Water, water, everywhere, and not a drop to drink.” -Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge I can hear the backroom discussion now: “We can save money if we stop taking our drinking water from Lake Huron and start using water from the Flint River instead.” Those may not be the exact words, but the leaders of Flint, Michigan, including the two recent emergency managers, city council, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the governor, have caused a catastrophe. Money is the common theme among the perpetrators in Flint; it is always lurking in the shadows of the many problems facing Black and poor people. Now, in a city that is nearly 60 percent Black and has a 40 percent-plus poverty rate, money trumps life again. Money trumps the long-term effects on more than 8,000 children, many of whom will grow up suffering from the physical, cognitive, and emotional illnesses caused by lead poisoning. As one person said, “Everybody in the city has been poisoned, everybody.” Sophia A. McClennen wrote, on Salon.com, “The story of Flint is the story of what happens when profits are more important than people. What Michael Moore captured in his movie, ‘Roger and Me,’ was a clear prelude to what is happening [in Flint] today. First, Flint residents lost their jobs. Twentyfive years later they have lost their water and their health. There are [10] dead ... from Legionnaire’s disease in Flint and countless others with serious illnesses from contaminated water.” Politicians are playing games with this emergency, and trying to garner votes from it. Remember Rahm Emmanuel’s quote? “You never let a serious crisis go to waste. And what I mean by that is it’s an opportunity to do things you think you could not do before.” Where is the “opportunity” in this crisis? Was the slow response to this crisis really just an opportunity to get more money? Many people have marshalled
Flint water crisis reveals how little Michigan leaders value lives of the poor.
their forces to assist the people of Flint, first, by bringing water. The feds have granted a measly $5 million to help but President Obama, who went to nearby Detroit but did not go to Flint, denied the request by the governor to declare the situation a “major disaster,” which under law applies to natural disasters and “certain other situations.” Isn’t this a “certain other situation?” Isn’t it just as important as getting water to Katrina victims and providing health care for Flint’s citizens? It would be great to see our doctors, psychologists, attorneys, scientists, engineers, and technical personnel lend their talents to help, like we do in other countries. In light of this terrible situation, Flint is in need of all the services, assistance, contributions, and prayers that we can muster. By the way, so are the folks in Ft. Walton Beach, Florida, where the citizens are suffering from all sorts of diseases and untimely deaths because of the still lingering effects of the BP oil spill. Beginning with Idlewild in 1912, Michigan has had issues with Black/White relationships, social/ environmental justice, and economic progress, which provides a context from which to view Michigan’s current predicament, Detroit and its recent economic woes notwithstanding.
In Benton Harbor, with a 90 percent Black population, Edward Pinkney was imprisoned for fighting for social and economic justice, another example of money trumping what is right. The NAACP abandoned brother Pinkney and opted, by its silence and lack of advocacy on his behalf, chose the path of least resistance, and who knows what they received from the Whirlpool Corporation in return for their silence? Once again, as it has throughout the nation, the NAACP manipulated the local election to get rid of Pinkney as president. He went to prison and Whirlpool got an NAACP award. Three of the five great lakes – Michigan, Huron, and Erie – virtually surround Michigan. For folks in Flint to have to drink water from the Flint River in order to save money is reprehensible. “Water, water, everywhere, and not a drop to drink.” To all of you “civil rights” advocates: what could be a greater “civil right” than having clean water to drink? Jim Clingman, founder of the Greater Cincinnati African American Chamber of Commerce can be reached through his website, blackonomics. com. He is the author of “Black Dollars Matter: Teach Your Dollars How to Make More Sense,” available on Amazon Kindle eBooks.
Economic inequality at home and abroad
Finance Really?
Katie Couric, Co-Founder EIF’s National Colorectal Cancer Research Alliance
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(TriceEdneyWire.com) – Days before the opening of the World Economic Forum, Oxfam, the international organization that works on world poverty issues, released a report that addressed inequality. They found the international wealth gap growing rapidly. Last year, just 62 individuals had the same wealth as the 3.6 billion people who make up the bottom half of the world population. Wealth has become much more concentrated – in 2010, more than five times as many people shared the same amount of wealth as the bottom half. While the top 62 people saw their wealth grow by 44 percent in five years, the bottom half saw their wealth drop by about the same amount: 41 percent. And world incomes reflect increasingly concentrated wealth inequality. Nearly half of the world’s population lives on less than $2 a day. One in five people – 1.2 billion – live on less than a dollar a day. Oxfam says that “growing economic inequality is bad for us all – it undermines growth and social cohesion … the consequences for the world’s poorest people are particularly severe.” While the Oxfam world inequality data is jarring, we don’t have to go global to witness the “particularly severe” consequences of domestic income and wealth inequality. Consider Flint, Michigan, the small (population 100,000) Rust Belt city that has made national (if not international) news because of the quality of its drinking water. Republican Gov. Rick Snyder appointed an emergency manager who recommended switching the city’s water source from Lake Huron to the Flint River. The river water was so foul that General Motors refused to use it, saying it would rust auto parts. If it would rust parts, what about kids? More than 40 percent of the people in Flint are poor. Fifty-six percent are African American. The city’s median income is about $23,000 a year, compared to $48,000 for the rest of the state. Clearly, the people of Flint can’t afford to purchase politicians or to force them to be responsive to their needs. In-
Screening tests help find polyps so they can be removed before they turn into cancer.
The effects of global economic inequality can be seen clearly in Flint, Michigan.
stead, like a billion people worldwide, the people of Flint have been deprived of the human right to clean and safe water. We in the United States like to brag about how much better off we are than the rest of the world. But we can’t seem to provide our citizens with something the United Nations (U.N.) has declared a basic human right. In 2010, the UN General Assembly said that access to clean and safe water is a human right, noting, “Everyone has the right to water, no matter where s/ he lives.” The U.N. has said that they will monitor the progress of nations in providing water and sanitation. Maybe the U.N. should come and monitor Flint. While the U.N. has said that water is a human right, some industrialists disagree. In 2013, Nestlé’s chairman Peter BrabeckLetmathe said he wanted to privatize the water supply. While he has been vocal in talking about the fair distribution of water, he also leads a company that is the world’s top seller of water, and is charged with returning value to shareholders no matter how water is distributed. It would be good to see Nestle and Brabeck-Letmathe weighing in on the Flint situation, perhaps providing some donated water to make underscore the need for fair water
access. Certainly, capitalism minimizes the possibility of fair access when proposals to privatize water are considered. Cher has donated 180,000 bottles of Icelandic Global water to Flint. She is paying for half of the bottles of water, and the water bottlers are donating the other half. She has shared her outrage about the Flint situation in cyberspace, calling out Gov. Snyder for his callous indifference to the people of Flint. Gov. Snyder says he hopes the issue does not become “political.” Really? If politics is the practice of dividing resources, then this clean water matter is intrinsically political. Who gets clean water? Why? When the demographics of Flint are compared with those in the rest of the state of Michigan, it is clear that the poorer, blacker residents of Flint get far less attention from the governor than wealthier, whiter residents. The citizens of Flint have been forced to accept a deficient water quality, for political reasons. Julianne Malveaux is an author, economist and Founder of Economic Education. Her latest book “Are We Better Off? Race, Obama and Public Policy” is available for pre-order at www.juliannemalveaux.com.
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WASHINGTON -- City officials and the Skyland Town Center developer told frustrated Southeast residents Thursday they will continue to search for a retailer to replace Walmart after the company announced it will not be building a store in Ward 7. Gary Rappaport, CEO of Rappaport Companies, the development company handling the Skyland Town Center, told residents during an Advisory Neighborhood Commission meeting that his company has been talking with other big box retailers, but he was unwilling to discuss which companies. “There’s not a retailer that is in Washington, D.C., or ever wants to be in Washington, D.C., that doesn’t know about Skyland, because we’ve been working on this project for 15 years,” Rappaport said. “It’s not going to happen in a couple of weeks, but at least everyone knows the project.” Rappaport said his company does have a signed lease with Walmart as of December 2014, but said it can’t force Walmart to open. “You could look at the liabilities, and we can go down that road, with the District’s help, but at the same time, we can’t wait,” he said. “So, what we do is we list every kind of retail tenant that could possibly fit in this space. We have put together that list and we have started calling that list.” The city and developers learned Jan. 15 that Walmart was pulling out of a project to build two superstores in Ward 7 east of the Anacostia River, citing disappointing performances at the three stores it has opened in the District since 2013. The other store was to be built at Capitol Gateway Marketplace on East Capitol Street in northeast Washington, another property owned and managed by Rappaport. The Skyland Town Center is a property that was sold to Rappaport in Dec. 2014, a decade after the city seized the property. Sitting on the intersection of Good Hope Road, Naylor Road and Alabama
City leaders, developers scramble to find big box retailer replacement.
Avenue in southeast Washington, the 18.5 acres of land is to be home to 340,000 square feet of retail space and 480 residential units. The retail space was to be anchored by Walmart. As of early December, Skyland Town Center was still under construction. Rappaport said Walmart’s decision has made it unclear whether construction for the Skyland property will continue. CVS will be moving into the temporary trailers in the parking lot of the property in the first week of February. They will continue to operate until Skyland is built. “I can’t answer anything else after four or five days other than we are out there as fast we can, trying to build our anchor tenants again,” Rappaport said. “We were under construction and we’re actually as of today still under construction. But we can’t continue to build unless we have some interest [from retailers] at some point.” Deputy Mayor Brian T. Kenner told residents city officials were as disappointed as they were. “To say that it’s disappointing, not only in terms of us getting Skyland shopping center to a point where we all felt it was ready to move forward, disappointment does not describe the perspective,” Kenner said. Councilmember Yvette Alexander of Ward 7 tried to assure residents, the city is working with Rappaport to finish the Skyland Town Center project. “What we can do on the council and working with the executive [office] is to offer whatever incentives that we can for any retailers that are interested in coming,” Alexander said, “and that’s something that I definitely want to do and that’s something that the mayor is willing to do at this point,
because we have to get these projects done. “So, I just want to say it’s not over. We’re definitely committed to getting it done and it will get done.” Despite Alexander’s reassurances, some residents were frustrated that the city never had a written contract with Walmart that required it to build in Southeast. Kenner said the city had what he described as a “pledge” from Walmart to build in neighborhoods throughout the city, but no official contract. Tiffany Brown, an Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner for Ward 7, said that many residents were under the impression that there was a signed agreement between Walmart and the District. “I just wonder who does business like that,” Brown said. “[The District is] dealing with people’s lives and livelihoods. There’s no place to shop. There’s no place to work. There’s no place to eat. There’s no place to live.” Residents also express concern that while the city and developer attempts to find a new retail tenant, the Skyland Town Center property will become troublesome for those who live near it. “When I look at other construction sites in other places, when there is a hole, immediately [developers] will put up walls,” Brown said. Gary Butler, another Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, said he thinks the city should start the Skyland Town Center project over in its entirety after 15 years of development. “We really need to stop dealing with big developers and start trying to nurture some of small midsize developers that actually serve the city,” Butler said.
Divine Intervention
Pope renews call to welcome refugees, ensure security By Rosie Scammell Religion News Service
P
pixabay.com
ope Francis has called on European leaders not to turn their back on refugees and migrants despite the cultural and security challenges associated with the arrival of 1 million people this past year. Francis has made concern for migrants a centerpiece of his papacy, and two Mondays ago, in his annual address to diplomats accredited to the Holy See, he again urged governments to “overcome the inevitable fears associated with this massive and formidable phenomenon.” In the wide-ranging, 45-minute address, the pope said the refugee crisis recalls the epic stories of mass migrations in the Bible with people fleeing powerful forces to seek safety and freedom, often at a terrible cost. “Now as then, we hear Rachel weeping for her children who are no more,” said the pope, a reference to passages from both the Book of Jeremiah and the Gospel of Matthew. “Hers is the plea of thousands of people who weep as they flee horrific wars, persecutions and human rights violations, or political or social instability, which often make it impossible for them to live in their native lands,” Francis told the diplomats. “It is the outcry of those forced to flee in order to escape unspeakable acts of cruelty towards vulnerable persons, such as children and the disabled, or martyrdom solely on account of their religion.” More than 1 million people arrived in Europe by sea last year, the vast majority from the world’s top 10 refugee-producing countries. An estimated 3,771 people died or went missing attempting the crossing. In his speech, which one Vatican observer characterized as the “geopolitics of mercy and realism,” Francis highlighted “the inevitable problems” such an influx creates, as countries struggle to accommodate newcomers to new cultural and social norms. “Equally significant are fears about security, further exacer-
Home. Cooked.
Pope Francis urges European governments to welcome refugees despite fears.
bated by the growing threat of international terrorism,” said the pope, nodding at powerful antiimmigrant sentiments that have inflamed debates in Europe and North America. Francis noted that next month he would be visiting Mexico and Ciudad Juarez, on the border with Texas, to draw attention to the immigration issue, which has become a focal point of the U.S. presidential campaign. Such questions have been especially prominent in Germany this month following attacks on women in German cities on New Year’s Eve believed to have been carried out by asylum seekers or migrants. On Sunday, a group of Pakistanis and a Syrian were attacked in separate incidents in Cologne apparently in retaliation. While not addressing these incidents specifically, Francis said governments have a “two-fold moral responsibility” to protect both citizens and migrants. The pontiff said those societies hosting migrants must also acknowledge the “beneficial contribution” a migrant can bring to a community. Francis praised a number of countries for their acceptance of refugees, particularly Lebanon and Jordan, which have given haven to 1.7 million Syrians. He also high-
lighted the efforts made by Turkey, Greece and Italy, telling diplomats that nations in the forefront of the current crisis should not be left alone. The pope directed strong criticism to states for failing to address the multiple causes of migration, which he said led to disasters that could have been prevented. “Before it is too late, much could be done to end these tragedies and to build peace,” said the pope. “But that would mean rethinking entrenched habits and practices, beginning with issues involving the arms trade, the provision of raw materials and energy, investment, policies of financing and sustainable development, and even the grave scourge of corruption.” Describing the dangerous and traumatic experiences suffered by migrants, Francis said governments must act to put a stop to the human smuggling trade: “I once more appeal for an end to trafficking in persons, which turns human beings, especially the weakest and most defenseless, into commodities. “The image of all those children who died at sea, victims of human callousness and harsh weather, will remain forever imprinted on our minds and hearts.” Rosie Scammell covers the Vatican for RNS.
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District Chronicles | Jan. 28 - Feb. 3, 2016 | 5
Cover African-American designer shines at Toyota
they are a signature, they are the eyes of the vehicle, and with the 2016 Toyota Avalon, we refined the daytime running lights.” McConnell said that when you see the 2016 Toyota Avalon coming down the road or in your review mirror, you know exactly what it is and his goal was to create a memorable experience for Toyota customers. “Your eyes can tell a story and the eyes of the vehicle can tell a story,” said McConnell. “They
The National Newspaper Publishers Association Foundation (NNPAF) will harness the genius of scientist, engineer and inventor, Dr. Thomas Mensah, to launch STEM Reach 2020. The program seeks to increase the percentage of blacks and women within science, technology, engineering and math arenas by inspiring the K-12 age group to pursue education and careers in STEM. A chemical engineer and fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, Dr. Mensah is an innovator in the areas of Nanotechnology and Fiber Optics. He was awarded 7 U.S. and worldwide patents within six years. Ghanaian born, Dr. Mensah currently serves as President of Georgia Aerospace Systems Manufacturing, Incorporated in Atlanta, Georgia. “It is exciting to support and lead the vision of the NNPA Foun-
dation for STEM Reach 2020. This is the only newspaper association in the country that has launched a STEM initiative to reach the K-12 age group who are easily influenced by their environment”, says Dr. Mensah. “The program will identify role models and present youth with alternative paths to success rather than what they see on television. We hope to introduce robotics and science to kids in a way that inspires them and prepares them to compete in the 21st Century.” Also, on board as a program sponsor is the American Petroleum Institute, a DC based trade association for the oil and gas industry. “API is an ideal partner for us because they bring a wealth of experience and longevity in their industry”, says Kimberly Johnson, Executive Director of the NNPA Foundation. “They understand
the education and outreach efforts that are needed to achieve the desired outcomes for this program. We are happy to have Dr. Mensah and API on board.” The National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) will hold its Mid-Winter Conference in Coconut Grove, Florida on January 27-30, 2016 where the initiative will be launched during a press luncheon. Dr. Mensah will present on STEM and take questions from the media. The launch in Florida will serve as the precursor to Black Press Week, the organization’s conference in DC in March, where Dr. Mensah will return to host students and STEM industry leaders for a STEM exposition and presentation. The National Newspaper Publishers Association Foundation’s (NNPAF) mission is to exemplify and advance the highest standards
R
Freddie Allen/AMG
ob McConnell, the manager for body engineering at the Toyota Technical Center said that he often draws inspiration from the fashion industry. “A little secret, hopefully no one is recording, but me and my wife sit and watch ‘Project Runway,’” McConnell said joking with a small group of Black journalists at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. “Yeah, I’ll admit it.” McConnell said that, in a lot of ways, fashion designers are engineers. “It’s all connected. You gotta’ pull from a lot of different places to get your inspiration, your ideas,” said McConnell. “You gotta’ come up with something new. That means you have to look outside the box.” McConnell said that he gets excited about the fashion industry and how we can marry the fashion industry to the development and design of the vehicle and how we can execute it through engineering. McConnell discovered that he was passionate about design at an early age as he played with Matchbox cars, Hot Wheels and
Legos. He also competed in the Boy Scouts’ pinewood derby. “That’s engineering and that’s design,” said McConnell. “That’s the biggest challenge that we have when we’re kids, realizing that this excitement may actually lead to bigger and better things.” For McConnell, those bigger and better things included a 15year (and counting) professional career at the Japanese automaker and a number of United States patents related to his work. According to a company biography, McConnell served as the “project design lead for multiple North America Production vehicles including the dramatically restyled 2013 Toyota Avalon.” McConnell was also the team leader for the body and exterior for the 2014 Toyota Camry, Toyota Sienna, Toyota Venza, and Toyota Tundra. Now he manages exterior lighting development for vehicles like the Toyota Camry and Toyota Avalon. McConnell noted that eyewear has risen as a fashion statement in recent years. “A lot of people have turned what’s functional into a fashion element and that’s something that you can execute in a car. How do we do that? We do that in the headlights,” said McConnell. “The headlights are a statement,
By Freddie Allen NNPA News Wire Senior Correspondent
McConnell talks to a group of journalists about the 2016 Toyota Avalon at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
speak to the depths of the vehicle and the soul of the vehicle and that’s what I hope to accomplish with the future vehicles that I work on.” McConnell suggested that young people who are interested in going into engineering or automotive design should sharpen their critical thinking skills, get involved in team projects, or even work on cars in an effort to expose themselves to the opportunities that are out there. He said that
students in middle school and high school need to think about college and their careers as early as they can. McConnell continued: “The key point is that you gotta’ open your mind and it’s really about understanding the opportunities that are out there. You may get into it and decide that you don’t want to go into engineering, but it might spawn your thought to go in a different direction, which is really the push.”
NNPA Foundation launches STEM Reach 2020
6 | Jan. 28 - Feb. 3, 2016 | District Chronicles
Renowned engineer, inventor Thomas Mensah among scientists driving the program.
in media by influencing education, technology, health & wellness, business & economic empowerment and cultural & civic engagement. The National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) is the trade association for the more than 200 African American-owned
community newspapers across the United States, delivering news, information and commentary to more than 20 million people each week. Since its founding 75 years ago, NNPA has consistently been the voice of the black community by reporting news that makes history and impacts our country.
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Attorney General Loretta Lynch tells a Department of Justice audience what it would take to reach the “Promised Land.
By Hazel Trice Edney
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ttorney General Loretta Lynch tells a Department of Justice audience how America must reach “the Promised Land.” Lynch, giving one of the thousands of speeches commemorating the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., said last week that when it comes to racial justice, America has a “long way to go to reach the Promised Land.” Pulling from Dr. King’s “I See the Promised Land” speech, delivered in Memphis April 3, the day before he was assassinated, Lynch – America’s chief law enforcement officer – told an audience at the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) salute to King what the DOJ is doing to bring racial progress. She called for everyone to “recommit ourselves” to do their part. “This is all vital work and the scope and the pace of our efforts on behalf of justice and civil rights demonstrate how far we’ve come in the last half-century. But it is clear, even now, that we still have a long way to go to reach the promised land that Dr. King described,” said Lynch. “And that every one of us must be committed to do our part. After all, as Dr. King knew well – and as all of you here in this room understand – there is nothing inevitable about progress. There is nothing foreordained about our advancement.” Honoring Dr. King, Lynch
listed actions by the Justice Department, dating back to the beginning of the Obama administration, that have been aimed to further Dr. King’s vision for justice. She said: 1. We are vigorously defending every citizen’s right to vote, using every legal tool available to us to enforce the Voting Rights Act in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision in Shelby County. 2. Since 2009, our Civil Rights Division has filed more criminal civil rights cases and prosecuted and convicted more defendants on hate crimes charges, than at any other point in the department’s history. 3. We’re working to ensure civil rights in criminal justice, in part by promoting trust and strengthening relationships between law enforcement and the communities we serve. 4. We’re playing a leading role in this administration’s drive to reform our criminal justice system, especially through our ongoing work to reduce recidivism and improve reentry outcomes. 5. We’ve joined with the Departments of Education, Labor and Housing and Urban Development to launch innovative programs in a number of areas, from making Pell grants available to some in-
carcerated individuals to helping local jurisdictions with recordcleaning and expungement, so that every American returning home has the chance to contribute to their communities and make a new life for themselves. But, the DOJ is only building on the successes of others, Lynch pointed out. A guest of the attorney general and stalwart in the Freedom Riders and SNCC, civil rights pillar Dorie Ann Ladner – who helped to organize the March on Washington and marched from Selma to Montgomery – looked on as she spoke. She concluded that in order to truly honor the legacy of King all year long, their example must be followed by never giving up until the “Promised Land” is realized. “We must recognize that their words and their deeds are not relics of history, but living challenges – calls to action that still echo in our hearts, urging us to continue their journey, to extend their cause and to realize their vision of a more just society – and a more beloved community,” said Lynch. “His challenge – a challenge to a nation to live up to its defining principles – still echoes today. Indeed, it is the challenge of every generation to realize that the price of freedom is constant vigilance; to understand that while we cannot erase every dark prejudice from the heart of man, we can work to ensure that the angels of our better selves win the day.”
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District Chronicles | Jan. 28 - Feb. 3, 2016 | 7
Arts and Entertainment
The Jemima Code offers lessons, legacy through food
By Terri Schlichenmeyer
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8 | Jan. 28 - Feb. 3, 2016 | District Chronicles
ou woke up this morning with a craving. So is breakfast time too early to think about dinner? Is it bad to want to sneak home for lunch, just to make your favorite comfort food? No, because nothing else tastes good when you’re hankering for something specific. Your stomach won’t give up until you¹ve satisfied that craving, so you might as well give in a little and read “The Jemima Code” by Toni Tipton-Martin. Though her upbringing in California was sprinkled with foods reminiscent of her family¹s origins in the South, Toni Tipton-Martin said that “precious few” of her favorite foods “qualified as southern. That made her,” said TiptonMartin, “a casualty of the Jemima code,” which she defines as something that classifies the “character and life’s work of our nation’s Black cooks as insignificant.” She set out to change that. In many libraries, cookbooks by African-American authors are lacking. “Even the southern cookbooks were silent on the subject” said Tipton-Martin; so she began to specifically collect cookbooks written by Black authors, containing the knowledge and recipes of Black cooks. As her collection grew, so did her understanding and she began seeing how “cooking changed, and cooks changed with it.” From an obscure 1827 cookbook – the first one published by an African-American author (and a man!) – TiptonMartin realized that many Black cooks “existed in the culinary shadows as far as cookbook writers were concerned.” Much of their work was probably credited to white owners or employers. Technological advances in the early 20th century altered how meals were made; science entered the picture, too, as did household worker’s unions the latter, to the frustration of white employers, which is something African-American cookbooks quietly reflected.
history is a surprising one. Reading her discoveries of cookbook subtleties and social mores alongside recipes through the years feels like opening a multi-layered gift, and her evolution of the Mammy figure is also fascinating. Those recipes she found? Though there aren’t a lot of them here, the ones that peek out through the – Toni Tipton-Martin, Author pages are classic and By the 1980s, African-American easy to follow. And finally, there’s a treasurecookbooks were penned by football stars, gardeners, and experts trove of pictures inside, of cooks at alike. Says Tipton-Martin, “it was work and of the cookbook covers the cooks’ time to shine” although, themselves, making this large-sized even in today¹s kitchen, “the times book one that readers will want to carry with them from kitchen to livare not yet post-racial.” There are, as I see it, three main ing room, countertop to easy chair. reasons why you’d want “The You’ll scarcely know what to look Jemima Code” on your kitchen at first, or what to cook next, making “The Jemima Code” a book you bookshelf. First, author Tipton-Martin’s will crave. By mid-century, the early Civil Rights Movement could be spotted in Black cookbooks of the day. Soul food enjoyed new appreciation in the 1960s from hippies, flower children, “feisty Black cooks,” and people of all races.
It was the [Black] cooks’ time to shine
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In the Neighborhood
Metro Briefs: Notable news in and around Washington
youtube.com/DC Mayor’s Office
Muriel Bowser announces robbery intervention task force at Eastern Market metro station in southeast D.C.
District of Columbia D.C. Mayor makes effort to crack down on citywide robberies
M
ayor Muriel Bowser, Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Chief Cathy Lanier, Councilmember Charles Allen and public safety officials last week announced the creation of a Robbery Intervention Task Force. “We know that a small number of repeat offenders target our neighborhoods and commit robberies” said Mayor Bowser. “This task force will help focus our efforts to find these criminals, prosecute them and get them off our streets.” The Task Force, comprised of MPD, the Metro Transit Police Department, the Office of the Attorney General (OAG), and the United States Attorney’s Office (USAO), will ensure maximum coordination between different parts of the criminal justice system. Their efforts will focus on quickly identifying and responding to patterns of a robbery spree. They will also work together to develop the stron-
ent it in ways that enable successful prosecutions.” As part of the new effort, MPD has assigned Criminal Research Specialists within MPD’s Crime Information Center to identify robbery patterns in real-time, as they emerge. In addition, MPD has embedded an MPD officer within the Metro Transit Police Department. The officer will quickly identify any crimes where suspects are moving between the Metro and MPD jurisdiction. “While Metro crime rates remain relatively low overall, we have seen an increase in robbery offenses in recent months,” said Metro Transit Police Chief Ronald A. Pavlik. “Metro operates with the philosophy that any crime is one too many, and our partnership in the mayor’s Task Force is step – Mayor Muriel Bowser, District of Columbia another to proactively past cases in which they evaded address the issue and ensure a safe prosecution, and revive previous ride for everyone.” The District experienced a 5 perprosecutions where appropriate.” “Nobody in any neighborhood cent increase in robberies in 2015. of our city should feel afraid to However, that number is below the walk down the sidewalk at night,” historical average. The city experisaid Attorney General Karl Racine. enced 22 percent fewer robberies in “We are focused on ensuring that 2015 than in 2007 – despite the fact we and our public-safety partners that the population grew 12 percent gather robbery evidence and pres- during that time. gest cases possible to prosecute repeat offenders. The OAG and USAO have assigned prosecutors to ensure that arrests related to such robberies will be prioritized. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to working with the task force to identify and effectively react to robbery patterns through the coordinated use of criminal intelligence and law enforcement resources,” said Richard Tischner, Chief of the Office’s Superior Court Division. “When coordinated law enforcement efforts have identified repeat robbery offenders, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will mount comprehensive investigations into their criminal histories, locate and review
This task force will help ... get [criminals] off our streets.
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In the Neighborhood
Metro Briefs: Notable news in and around Washington District of Columbia
Mayor Bowser announces Open Data Initiative
M
ayor Muriel Bowser announced a groundbreaking new Open Data initiative and named Archana Vemulapalli new Chief Technology Officer for the District. “The District has become a mecca for social innovation and technology – and the Office of Chief Technology Officer is instrumental in building that capacity within our government,” said Mayor Bowser. “Archana Vemulapalli is the person to keep the District on the cutting edge of technology and enhance the service delivery for District agencies and residents.” The District’s Open Data push delivers on the Mayor’s commitment to utilize technology to innovate, increase transparency and improve accountability across government. As part of the push, the Office of the Chief Technology
Officer (OCTO) has created drafts. dc.gov which includes a draft Open Data Policy that the public, tech activists and government officials can provide their feedback on for the next four weeks. The policy will be updated yearly. The new draft policy calls for: Hiring a new Chief Data Officer at OCTO Partnering with the community to launch an Independent, Regional Data Catalog Launching an Open Source Program Reviving the Open Government Advisory Board Once adopted, the Data Policy will modernize and significantly expand the District’s central data catalog allowing the public, media, entrepreneurs and academics greater access data, from information on traffic patterns to invaluable health statistics. For the first time, DC Government will also have a centralized home where agencies can share code openly and proactively encourage public participation in the development of its technology, paving that new path for collaboration and innovation.
“The information we gather collectively with the input from residents and stakeholders helps us learn from our successes and shortcomings, and plan for the future,” said Mayor Bowser. “When we share our knowledge with District residents, we are more effective – and more powerful. With this policy, we will make the District one of the most open jurisdictions in the country.” At the announcement, Mayor Bowser revived the DC Open Government Advisory Group, which will be a forum for direct feedback from stakeholders. Advisory committee will include representatives from eight District agencies and eight Public Members, which are Robert Becker, Kathryn Pettit, Justin Grimes, Shannon Turner, Aliya Rahman, Joshua Tauberer, Clarence Wardell and Sandra Moscoso. The announcement is part of a Bowser Administration effort to expand the use and accessibility of data throughout government. This includes the Metropolitan Police Department publishing of topline crime stats every business day and the Deputy Mayor for Planning and
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Economic Development launching an Economic Intelligence Dashboard, an open-source economic data tool to drive positive change and build good government for DC residents, particularly on DC’s economic development priorities.
Montgomery County Bilingual voters needed to serve at the polls for the 2016 presidential primary elections The Montgomery County Board of Elections is seeking bilingual voters to work at early voting centers and at polling places on Election Day. Because of the diversity within the county, the Montgomery County Board of Elections recruits workers who speak numerous languages. Voters who are fluent in both English and Spanish are especially needed in each polling place to meet Federal requirements of Section 203 of the 1975 Voting Rights Act which stipulates that bilingual Spanish speakers be available at the polls. Spanish speaking
election judges are needed for both Early Voting, April 14 through 21, and Election Day, Tuesday, April 26, 2016. The Election Law of Maryland requires that election judges are registered to vote in the State of Maryland, 17 years of age or older, and a U.S. citizen. Bilingual judges must also be able to speak, read, and write English. All election judges will be compensated for training and for Early Voting or Election Day service. If you are interested in taking this leadership position in your community, please contact the Montgomery County Board of Elections at 240-777-8532, download an election judge questionnaire from our website at www.777vote.org, or e-mail Dr. Gilberto Zelaya at gilberto.zelaya@montgomerycountymd.gov. For more election information, call 240-777-VOTE, visit www.777vote.org, the Maryland State Board of Elections’ website at http://elections.state.md.us, or follow the Montgomery County Board of Elections on Facebook or Twitter.