District Chronicles V14 Issue 47

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MILLENNIALS ENTER WORKFORCE WITH RETIREMENT WOES 3

Donaldson, DHCD hold expo, seek solution for housing for all District residents Page 4

jalexartis/Creative Commons

July 16 - July 22, 2015

MD folks swing to rhythms at Lake Arbor Jazz Fest Page 12 www.districtchronicles.com

Volume 14 Issue 47

6

Editorial

An action plan for when they don’t care about us

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2 | Jul. 16 - Jul. 22, 2015 | District Chronicles

By Jineea Butler NNPA Columnist

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am sick of hearing about how the media is misrepresenting our community and not fairly reporting issues. Why are you depending on them to tailor messages that are palatable to your liking? What type of entitlement program have you been subscribing to?

Michael Jackson told you in 1996: “ … They don’t really care about us!”

But you’re still trying to force a square peg into a circle hole. Is it because they lured you out and drained you of all your talent, then told you to go home? Home, where you realized you weren’t watering the grass, taking out the trash and raising your own babies instead of theirs?

Is it because you got so drunk on the idea of being “accepted” into the mainstream that you didn’t think twice about nurturing the businesses in your own community?

Now you’re sitting at the TV, flipping through the newspapers, searching the Internet for someone to tell your truth from your perspective. You gave your power

away when you didn’t support the Black Press, an institution that has been carrying the torch of justice for 188 years. You give your power away everyday when you freely spend money without questioning whom it’s benefiting.

Don’t tell me that they are supposed to care about what we want.

We were kidnapped, enslaved, lynched, beaten and killed before they pretended to care about us.

The only reason they changed their tune was because of votes.

Now you’re sitting on the sidelines, wondering how 2015 turned into 1964 and wondering why LGBT legislation matters more than Black lives. They matter more to politicians because they vote and contribute to their campaigns.

The 2016 presidential election is just around the corner and there is going to be an unprecedented amount of money being spent on obtaining votes. Guess who is going to be left out again?

President Obama just delivered an impassioned eulogy of

1964 consolidated our transition from Republicans to Democrats.

Meanwhile, our struggle for civil rights, which resonated around the world, has been used to advance other causes – at a faster rate than our own progress. They swing on the hinges of the doors we opened.

We are still waiting for someone to tell us that our lives matter. Why is no one else making the same claim when it is evident that they, too, are not properly represented in society? It’s because they are quietly carrying out an effective agenda to make the system work for them.

Black churches are burning to the ground and you dare ask why the media isn’t covering it. Do the people that own the media have a vested interest in learning who is burning our churches?

If they don’t cover it, are you going to turn off the TV? Do you have another channel to turn to?

The Hispanics do, the Asians do, but when you had a chance to support the “Black Ted Turner,” you turned your nose up and said you’d rather not.

Look at what just happened to Donald Trump. He insulted the Mexican community and the entire Latino community immediately shut him down.

They petitioned where they spend their money and dared those outlets to support him.

All we have to do to make Black Lives Matter is vote and care about how and where we spend our money. Stop wasting time asking them to care about us, because they don’t.

They care about our money.

All we have to do to make Black Lives Matter is to vote and care about how and where we spend our money Clementa C. Pinckney in Charleston, South Carolina. Why do you think it took him seven years to sing “Amazing Grace” and speak the truth we’ve been waiting for?

Now that the Confederate flag is an issue, the Democrats know we are going to line up behind Hillary. We haven’t forgotten that her husband went on the Arsenio Hall show when he was campaigning and played the saxophone for votes.

The election of John F. Kennedy in 1960 and Lyndon B. Johnson signing the Civil Rights Act in

Jineea Butler, founder of the Social Services of Hip Hop and the Hip Hop Union, can be reached at jineea@ gmail.com or via Twitter at @flygirlladyjay.

A third of millennials are not saving for retirement

Finance

The survey revealed a large portion of young people entering the workforce want to save for retirement but are not doing so.

(BPT) – Nearly one in three millennials have no money saved for retirement, and a quarter of millennials – people between the ages of 18 and 34 – report owing more money than they have currently saved, according to a survey released by the Indexed Annuity Leadership Council (IALC).

“This year, millennials finally surpassed all other generations and now make up the largest share of our workforce, which makes it so concerning that such a large portion of these young people are astoundingly unprepared for retirement,” said IALC executive director Jim Poolman.

Still, out of all generations, millennials are also the most open to retirement savings options that protect against stock market fluctuations and offer the opportunity for growth. According to the survey, 52 percent of millennials showed interest in products like fixed indexed annuities that provide guaranteed lifetime income while ensuring the principal investment is never lost.

“It’s no surprise that millennials, who entered the workforce after the tumultuous 2008 economic

recession, are showing the most interest in products that can provide certainty against the unpredictability of the stock market,” said Poolman. “This certainty becomes even more important as our retirement landscape continues shifting to a more pay-for-yourself era.”

So, how can millennials with nothing saved for retirement get started? Poolman has some basic tips: 1. Remember, every penny counts When you’re young, you have time on your side, so put as much money aside as you can. This might mean skipping a night or two on the town or packing your lunch more often. While this doesn’t seem like much, making one or two small changes can add up to considerable savings.

2. Take free money Consider contributing to your company’s 401(k) plan or any employer-sponsored available plan. Think of any plan your employer is willing to match as “free money.”

3. Balance your portfolio As a young professional, you have the luxury to put some of your money into high-risk investments since your retirement is seemingly far away. However, for the safety of your future, it’s important to also consider adding more conservative savings products like health savings accounts or fixed indexed annuities that can provide muchneeded balance to your retirement portfolio.

4. Start now Don’t wait. It’s crucial to start saving for retirement as early as you can. The earlier you start saving, the more likely you are to meet your retirement goals. Even if you can only contribute 1 percent of your salary, anything is better than nothing, and it can add up quickly.

The IALC offers online calculators that can help you see how much you should be saving (taking into account your age and your retirement goal) and whether your current retirement savings will be sufficient.

24 hours a day. 7 days a week. 52 weeks a year. Visit www.districtchronicles.com.

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District Chronicles | Jul. 16 - Jul. 22, 2015 | 3

Neighborhood

From renter to homeowner, DHCD changing lives

By Freddie Allen Contributing Writer

4 | Jul. 16 - Jul. 22, 2015 | District Chronicles

Freddie Allen/District Chronicles

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early seven years after the housing crisis that crippled the economy and the Great Recession that followed, Clarice Ulu, 49, is back on the path to homeownership, a daunting journey made easier by the recent 7th Annual D.C. Housing Expo and Home Show hosted by the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.

After losing her home in Upper Marlboro, Md., following a divorce that left her “in a bag of debt,” Ulu returned to Washington, D.C. as a renter in 2010.

The transition was hard, she said, partly because her extended family often gathered at her home to celebrate milestones and holidays.

“We always have celebrations and now there’s not a house in my family,” said Ulu. “I was the homeowner in Upper Marlboro, Md.” Past, present and future District residents walked the halls of the convention center like Ulu, visiting information booths and attending seminars taking the opportunity to meet with housing advocates and community stakeholders one-onone.

The expo featured general workshops for renters and homeowners on topics ranging from free credit reports and credit counseling to affordable homeownership opportunities, lead awareness and how to make a home energy efficient and safe.

Polly Donaldson, the director of the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) said that a lack of supply continues to present challenges in the D.C. housing market.

“There are a lot of demands on the housing stock here in the District,” Donaldson said. “That’s why we, in the Bowser administration want to preserve the affordable housing that we have and also produce more, so that we can help more families and individuals stay in the District, even with the higher cost and with many neighborhoods changing in terms of new people coming in and prices rising.”

DHCD staffer greets participants at the Seventh Annual D.C. Housing Expo and Home Show at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C.

Donaldson said that developers understand that the city just can’t have one type of housing that is only for extremely wealthy people.

George Lambert, the president of the Greater Washington Urban League (GWUL), a group that advocates for the economic and social empowerment of the Black community and other minorities, said that GWUL partnered with DHCD to place 208 families in homes last year.

“This city is large enough and this city has a mayor that really cares about trying to ensure that all the residents of this city will have the opportunity to be a part of this city”, said Lambert.

Representative Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) said that even though residents are saddened by the disappearance of inexpensive housing in the District of Columbia she was pleased to see that government agencies were working together to help people find affordable housing.

“What residents need now is not despair, they need hope,” Norton said.

Norton said that District residents are still climbing out of the recession and that people who lost their homes are now looking in the rental market But residents may not find much relief there either.

According to a 2014 report by the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC), a group that advocates for affordable housing for low-income earners, a full-time worker must earn $18.92 “to afford a decent two-bedroom rental home at HUD-estimated Fair Market Rent (FMR) while spending no more than 30% of income on housing costs.”

The report continued: “This

national average is more than twoand-a-half times the federal minimum wage, and 52 percent higher than it was in 2000. In no state can a full-time minimum wage worker afford a one-bedroom or a twobedroom rental unit at Fair Market Rent.”

Even though District lawmakers raised the minimum wage to $10.50 on July 1, it’s still far below the “annual housing wage” calculated by the NLIHC. Norton said that the housing crisis is really not a D.C problem, but the federal government has handed it off to the localities to do whatever they can with it.

In an article for CNN.com, Julián Castro, the secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development wrote that, “Our entire nation is in the midst of an affordable housing crisis,” and cited a HUD report that estimated “that that 7.7 million low-income households live in substandard housing, spend more than half their incomes on rent or both.”

Norton said that this nationwide housing crisis cannot continue.

Ulu’s goal is to own a home again by 2018, possibly in Ward 4, where she currently rents, or Ward 5. Ulu attended the expo with Orie, one of her three daughters, because she said that it’s important for them to understand what it takes to own a home in the District. Ulu said that she walked away from the event knowing that homeownership won’t be easy, but it is possible. Orie shares a bedroom with her younger sister and said that she would love to have her own room.

“Even though I’m struggling, we’re still moving forward,” said Ulu. “We’re still moving upwards and onwards.”

Divine Intervention Black churches consider options for protection

By Adelle M. Banks Religion News Service

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(RNS) – The leader of the National Baptist Convention, USA, says his member churches should “do everything that is humanly possible” to protect themselves – even if it means hiring armed guards.

However, the head of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion denomination would rather churches call 911 if necessary.

After nine people were fatally shot at an African-American church in Charleston, South Carolina, and more than half a dozen Black churches have burned, officials of mostly Black denominations are taking different — and sometimes contradictory — approaches as they try to prepare for a safer future.

On July 1, More than 1,000 people took part in a Department of Homeland Security webinar that emphasized measures to prepare for a range of crises.

The Rev. Barbara WilliamsSkinner, co-chair of the National African American Clergy Network, tuned in to the webinar and heard advice on how congregations should connect with first responders.

“Some churches are doing that,” said Williams-Skinner.

“Others had not been, and I think the Charleston church massacre helped people to understand that houses of worship that welcome strangers also have to be ready for strangers that mean harm.”

Leaders of the African Methodist Episcopal Church said the denomination is preparing congregations to “set up safety watches and take preventative measures to protect human life and physical assets.”

The Rev. Jerry Young, president of the National Baptist Convention, USA, said he will be advising members of his predominantly Black denomination to take new measures, from installing interior and exterior video cameras to having office security systems buzz in visitors.

“We are in consultation even now with the experts to assist us in making sure we get to all of our constituent churches instruction,

AME Zion Church’s Bishop Battle insists that armed security should not be an option.

advice and suggestions as to how they can actually beef up security around the worship centers,” said Young.

In his opinion, that can include armed guards.

But Bishop George Battle Jr., the senior bishop of the AME Zion Church, doesn’t think guns should be an option.

“We’re not going to have any guns on our property to deal with that,” said Battle.

Referring to a verse from the Book of Isaiah that says “no weapon formed against you shall prosper,” Battle added: “We can’t preach one thing and do another.”

Authorities have not linked the Emanuel AME attack to the church fires or confirmed that the fires are racially motivated. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is investigating five June fires across the South at predominantly Black churches.

ATF’s Bomb Arson Tracking System shows there were 127 incidents at houses of worship in 2014, compared to 146 in 2013 and the same number in 2012. Last year, 42 were deliberately set, 26 were ruled accidental and 54 were labeled “undetermined.”

Still, the recent spate of Black church fires, which remind many of attacks in the 1960s and 1990s,

has prompted widespread concern.

Anthea Butler, a professor of religious and Africana studies at the University of Pennsylvania, said the government webinar should only be the beginning of efforts to address the attacks on Black houses of worship.

“While this is important, it focuses on prevention — not cure or eradication of racism or religionbased hate crimes,” said Butler, writing in Religion Dispatches.

“What needs to happen is a concerted effort by all churches, Black and White alike, to confront the issue of racism in America with fervor.”

There has been some response across racial lines to the recent incidents.

Christ Church Cathedral in St. Louis started a fundraising campaign to rebuild recently burned churches that were victims of arson with a goal of $25,000. It has raised more than $113,000.

Carl Chinn, a ministry security expert, said prevention is a worthy goal but it cannot eliminate evildoers.

“There have been many wolves, and there will be more,” said Chinn. “Some will hate Blacks, some will hate Christians, Whites, Israelis or Sikhs — but they will come.”

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District Chronicles | Jul. 16 - Jul. 22, 2015 | 5

Cover

Removal of confederate flag is far from enough

By Jane A. Kennedy

an insult to their late colleague, Democratic state Sen. Clementa Pinkney, who was one of the nine people slain by Roof.

“I cannot believe that we do not have the heart in this body to do something meaningful – such as take a symbol of hate off these grounds on Friday – and if any of you vote to amend, you are ensuring that this flag will fly beyond Friday,” said a visibly emotional Anderson Horne. “And for the widow of Sen. Pinckney and his two young daughters, that would be adding insult to injury – and I will not be a part of it.”

Following a House vote of 9420 on July 9, surrounded by relatives of the shooting victims and Republican and Democratic lawmakers, the governor signed the legislation using 13 pens, nine of which she gave to the families.

Rep. Ken Clavert (R-Calif.), however, added a late-hour amendment to the Department of the Interior funding bill that would overturn a measure easily passed a few days earlier prohibiting the display and sale of Confederate symbols at national parks

jalexartis/Creative Commons

(TriceEdneyWire.com) – If Dylann Storm Roof had not massacred nine African Americans who’d gathered for Bible study at Charleston’s historic Emmanuel A.M.E. Church on July 17, the Confederate flag would no doubt still be flying on the grounds of the South Carolina State Capitol.

But weeks after Roof, a White man who has been photographed with the racist symbol, committed what has been charged as a hate crime, the flag was taken down on July 10, and is now permanently archived at the Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum.

The historic moment took place after weeks of protest and intense pressure on lawmakers that also sparked debates in other states where the flag is still revered as a symbol of the Civil War and Southern pride. It first flew above the South Carolina statehouse in 1961 to mark the 100th anniversary of the Civil War and stayed there as an official expression of opposition to the civil rights movement.

“It felt like a massive weight

had been lifted off South Carolina,” said Gov. Nikki Haley on Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

“We can truly say it’s a new day in South Carolina.”

But that day did not come easily. A few days after Roof fatally shot the nine church members, Haley called for the flag’s removal from the capitol grounds, although she has in the past defended its presence. Taking it down, however, required a two-thirds majority vote in both the state’s House and Senate.

The bill passed easily in the upper chamber by 37-3, but faced stiff opposition in the House. In an attempt to block it, Republican representatives attached to it more than 60 amendments. They argued that the flag is an emblem through which they honor their ancestors who fought for the Confederacy and has nothing to do with slavery or racism.

Rep. Jenny Anderson Horne, a Republican and descendant of Jefferson Davis, said it was time to stop using heritage to justify something that to so many people represents hate. It was, Horne said,

A member of an honor guard from the South Carolina Highway patrol hands over the Confederate battle flag as thousands look on at the South Carolina Capitol grounds July 10.

and cemeteries.

Democrats were outraged and delivered blistering indictments of Republicans’ defense of the flag and what they called a shady move made in the “dark of night.”

“When I was marching across that bridge in Selma in 1965, I saw some of the law officers, sheriff’s deputies, wearing on their helmet the Confederate flag,” recalled Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), an icon of the civil rights movement. “I don’t want to go back, and as a country we cannot go back.”

In Alabama, Gov. Robert Bentley ordered four Confederate flags removed from a monument on

the State Capitol grounds. Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal stopped the use of specialty license plates that featured the Confederate flag as did Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe.

And some lawmakers in Mississippi are calling for the state’s flag, which features the Confederate stars and bars, to be changed. Still, large swaths of people continue to support the Confederacy and the flag and other symbols are littered throughout the South.

“South Carolina taking down the confederate flag – a signal of good will and healing, and a meaningful step towards a better future,” tweeted Obama.

Disability is hidden variable in many police brutality cases

By Rebecca Cokley and Lawrence Carter-Long Freddie Gray, Eric Garner, Kajieme Powell, James Boyd, and Ethan Saylor were all killed in controversial and ultimately tragic interactions with law enforcement. Odds are, the first four names are more familiar to most people, but what these individuals share in addition to the troubling ways they died might come as a surprise.

It’s not race.

All five individuals were disabled.

Gray, who died in the custody of Baltimore police was reported to have an intellectual disability due to lead poisoning. Garner, died at the hands of Staten Island police, and was asthmatic. Powell, fatally shot by the St Louis Police Department, had a history of mental illness. Boyd, shot and killed

by Albuquerque Police, also had a history of mental illness. Saylor, who had Down syndrome, died of asphyxia after an incident with off duty officers moonlighting as secu-

rity guards in Frederick, Maryland.

The medical examiner ruled Saylor’s death a homicide though no charges were filed.

“Disability is the hidden variable in so many of both the day-today and worst-case violent interactions between citizens and law enforcement in the United States.

Looking at disability allows us to see the intersections among incidents otherwise divided by race, class, gender, weapons used, and outcomes,” said David M. Perry, who has dropped more words on the topic of police violence and disability than any other journalist.

“If we don’t get a handle on disability issues,” Perry continued, “we will not make meaningful headway in solving the problems of police violence and lack of trust in law enforcement in America.”

A September 2014 review of San Francisco officer-involved shootings between 2005 and 2013

by KQED, found that a whopping 58 percent of people killed by law enforcement had “mental illness as a contributing factor.”

6 | Jul. 16 - Jul. 22, 2015 | District Chronicles

A year before the Bay area investigation, a 2013 report by the Treatment Advocacy Center and National Sheriffs’ Association estimates that half of the people shot and killed by police in the U.S. “have mental health problems.”

Much like how racial disparities in educational discipline reveal implicit biases that show how disability discrimination contributes to the school to prison pipeline, it is critical that we look deeply into disability issues within communities of color as they relate to law enforcement.

There’s much to do, but we can begin by addressing these factors: < Obtain accurate and up-to-date information. Currently, those monitoring police incidents with disabled people are largely restricted to using media reports for details which are often sketchy and incomplete at best. One way to correct this is to include disability data in the Death in Custody Act and track disabilities that have been acquired while in police custody. Gaining ac-

cess to information being collected identifying race and gender, while adding disability and related subcategories would go a long way toward giving us an accurate accounting of the situation. < Non-compliance isn’t automatically criminal. If law enforcement understood that, and acted accordingly, we could minimize the occurrence of police-related violence in all communities. The issues go beyond mental health. Diabetics experiencing insulin reactions have been mistakenly perceived as threatening or intoxicated. Deaf individuals have been pepper sprayed, tasered or worse because police officers didn’t know American Sign Language.

People with cerebral palsy, which often causes speech difficulties and involuntary muscle tremors, have been inaccurately arrested for drunk driving. Some might assume mandatory CIT or Crisis Intervention Training would address these concerns, but there is precious little accountability or even agreed upon standards for assessing the

long-term value of these programs.

Community involvement can positively influence the CIT experience for all concerned, but to date, there remains no agreed-on standard for gauging or assessing what works. < We need to end the use of solitary confinement as punishment and practice in detaining youth and people with disabilities. The ACLU contends that “solitary confinement can cause extreme psychological, physical, and developmental harm. For children, who are still developing and more vulnerable to irreparable harm, the risks are magnified – particularly for kids with disabilities or histories of trauma and abuse.”

This is the third of a 25-part weekly op-ed series by members of the Civil Rights Coalition on Police Reform, led by the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. Rebecca Cokley is the Executive Director of the National Council on Disability (NCD). Lawrence Carter-Long is NCD’s Public Affairs Specialist.

Politics Supreme Court preserves fair housing tool

By Charlene Crowell NNPA Columnist

A

long-awaited decision by the United States Supreme Court led to a June 25 ruling that preserves the usage of “disparate impact,” an important legal principle sometimes known as the discriminatory effects standard.

The majority opinion held that housing discrimination under the nation’s 1968 Fair Housing Act (FHA) occurs by effect – as well as by intent.

Writing the decision, Justice Anthony Kennedy concluded, “[S] ince the passage of the Fair Housing Act in 1968 and against the backdrop of disparate impact liability in nearly every jurisdiction, many cities have become more diverse … The Court acknowledges the Fair Housing Act’s continued role in moving the Nation toward a more integrated society.”

Joining Kennedy to form a 5-4 majority were Justices Stephen G. Breyer, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor.

Although the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) codified the use of disparate impact in 2012 through its rule-making process, the case of Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs v. The Inclusive Communities Project, Inc., had its oral arguments on January 21. Among civil rights and housing advocates, the decision was as widely applauded as the number of amicus or “friend of the court” briefs that were filed. The lengthy list of briefs came from diverse organizations, including AARP, Hope Enterprise Corporation, Howard University School of Law

Housing Clinic and the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. “When Americans are denied equal opportunity to housing, they are denied access to good jobs, quality education, safe streets, transit, and a clean and healthy environment, all of which are critical to leading healthy and prosperous lives,” said Wade Henderson, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, a coalition of more than 200 organizations.

“We have observed, documented, and reported on disparate impact in mortgage lending, auto lending, student lending, and a suite of other financial services,” said Mike Calhoun, Center for Responsible Lending president. “We have witnessed what happens when a single community cannot access such credit – and we know that these consequences are indicative of deeper, more systemic, more troubling realities in lending practices.”

Calhoun’s claims are strongly substantiated by the recently released 2015 “State of the Nation’s Housing” from Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies. In part, the report states, “And despite the [housing] rebound in much of the nation, a number of minority and low-income neighborhoods remain severely distressed.”

The report’s data points further illustrate the disproportionate problems faced by consumers of color: “As of 2014, the homeownership rate for minorities remains 25.5 percentage points lower than that of Whites; “More than 40 percent of La-

The Supreme Court upheld the Fair Housing Act’s discriminatory effects standard that helps protect minorities from discrimination in housing.

tino and Black households with mortgages report paying interest rates above 5 percent, compared to less than a third of White and Asian/other minority households; “Housing wealth represents a much larger share of the net worth of the typical Black or Hispanic homeowner – 58 percent, than of the typical White homeowner – 37 percent; and negative equity – borrowers owing more than their homes are actually worth – is highly-concentrated in minority and low-income neighborhoods.”

Beyond this report and the Supreme Court’s decision, joint action by the Department of Justice and the Consumer Financial

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Protection Bureau brought a $9 million settlement against Provident Funding Associates, a private mortgage lender found to have discriminated against 14,000 Black and Latino borrows.

Terms of the settlement include the appointment of an independent administrator who will contact affected consumers and distribute restitution payments.

“Bolstered by this important ruling, the Department of Justice will continue to vigorously enforce the Fair Housing Act with every tool at its disposal – including challenges based on unfair and unacceptable discriminatory effects,” said Attorney General Lo-

retta Lynch.

HUD Secretary Julian Castro said: “The Supreme Court has made it clear that HUD can continue to use this critical tool to eliminate the unfair barriers that have deferred and derailed too many dreams. Working with our partners on the ground, we will continue to do all we can to build a housing market that treats all Americans with basic dignity and respect.”

Charlene Crowell is a communications manager with the Center for Responsible Lending. She can be reached at Charlene.crowell@responsiblelending.org.

District Chronicles | Jul. 16 - Jul. 22, 2015 | 7

Student Life

U. S. Senate education bill betrays law’s civil rights legacy

By Wade Henderson

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8 | Jul. 16 - Jul. 22, 2015 | District Chronicles

(TriceEdneyWire.com) – Congress is currently debating a long overdue reauthorization of the nation’s preeminent civil rights education law – the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Without major fixes to the bill, Congress should just go back to the drawing board.

Since its passage in the wake of Brown v. Board of Education, ESEA has been our nation’s driving force for educational equity. For students of color, students with disabilities, native students, English learners, and low-income students, a strong ESEA is vital to ensuring that states and school districts are living up to their obligation to provide a quality education to all on an equal basis – not just for the most privileged or wealthy.

The current Senate ESEA bill, the Every Child Achieves Act, betrays the law’s rich legacy and would actually weaken protections for students. And the House’s proposal is abhorrent and would be an unmitigated disaster for vulnerable students.

But we think that the Every Child Achieves Act can be improved on the Senate floor with four fixes that would expand opportunities, resources, and outcomes for all students.

First, the bill must hold schools and districts accountable for educating all students. The current Senate proposal lets schools and districts off the hook from narrowing the massive gaps in opportunity and achievement for students of color, students with disabilities, Native students, low-income students, and English learners. Ensuring a level playing field in education should be America’s number one priority to ensure a strong and vibrant future. Allowing schools to avoid responsibility for properly educating all students is effectively gutting the ESEA and undermining the law’s very purpose.

Second, ESEA must provide the transparency and data that families

The ESEA bill needs major work to avoid adverse impact on minority students.

and communities need to advocate for their children. The current Senate proposal would deny us the ability to know how girls and boys of color or with disabilities are faring in schools. It also fails to adapt to the diversity of our nation’s children by grouping all Asian-American students together.

Third, ESEA must require states to intervene to correct the massive resource disparities that plague our nation’s schools. Districts that pre-

enough to correct these disparities.

And, finally, there must be proper oversight from the U.S. Department of Education to make sure that federal funds are used to protect vulnerable students and the law is implemented well. The Senate proposal strips the Department of Education of its authority to hold states and districts accountable for the federal money they receive. There must be accountability to make sure that funds serve the students who most need it and that the law is executed consistent with Congress’ in– Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga) tent.

Wi t h out these fixes, dominately serve students of color this reauthorization would be a receive approximately $2,000 less betrayal of ESEA’s legacy as a civil per student than districts that pre- rights education bill, and it will be dominately serve White students. opposed by the civil rights and disThis leads to our students being ability rights communities. Ensurtaught in substandard facilities by ing a strong ESEA is our number underqualified teachers using old one priority and we will not accept textbooks and outdated technol- any reauthorization that turns back ogy. the clock on 50 years of progress.

Many states have even underresourced these schools and dis- Wade Henderson is president and CEO tricts in defiance of their own state of The Leadership Conference on Civil courts and constitutions. The cur- and Human Rights, a coalition of more rent iteration of ESEA doesn’t do than 200 national civil rights groups.

The bill would weaken protections for students.

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District Chronicles | Jul. 16 - Jul. 22, 2015 | 9

Classifieds Legal Notice

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SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 766 Doris L. Davenport Name of decedent Carl E. Snead 1300 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., #190316 Washington, D.C. 20004 Name and Address of Attorney Notice of Appointment, Notice to Creditors and Notice to Unknown Heirs Celestine Smith, whose address is 1837 9th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20001, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Doris L. Davenport who died on May 15, 2015, 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 shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor, Washington D.C. 20001, on or before 1.16.2016.

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 1.16.2016, 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 publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship.

Date of first publication 7.16.2015 Personal Representative Celestine Smith 202-667-2162 TRUE TEST COPY Anne Meister Register of Wills

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www.districtchronicles.com 10 | Jul. 16 - Jul. 22, 2015 | District Chronicles

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In the Neighborhood

Metro Briefs: Notable news in and around Washington Montgomery County Building in Montgomery County is getting easier.

The Department of Permitting Services’ (DPS) new building permit fee structure is going to be simpler, more predictable per-square-foot rate.

The new rates are part of the continuing effort by DPS to improve the permitting process and ensure fees are fairly applied. Last year, DPS launched its online eServices, which now includes commercial building permits and accepts ACH payments.

Building permit fees will be a per-square-foot rate rather than based on construction types and multiple fee zone calculations. This makes calculations clear and predictable.

The new traffic management fee was added to fund a traffic management coordinator to oversee safe pedestrian, vehicle and businessfriendly traffic management plans for road closures during construction.

DPS is working with the Montgomery County Department of

Prince George’s MD minimum wage rises to $8.25 this month BALTIMORE – On July 1, Maryland’s lowest paid workers got a 25 cent raise as the state’s minimum wage rises to $8.25, a full dollar higher than the federal rate of $7.25 per hour. This increase is part of the Maryland Minimum Wage Act of 2014 passed by the Maryland General Assembly that will gradually increase the state’s basement wage to $10.10 per hour by 2018.

In January, 77,000 Maryland workers got a raise as the minimum wage in the state rose to $8 per hour.

An additional 94,000 workers were indirectly affected as higher wages at the bottom of pay scale will push up salaries for those who earn slightly more than the minimum. January’s raise affected 6.5 percent of Mary-

Transportation and the State Highway Administration to minimize the impact of road and sidewalk closures and increase pedestrian safety during construction.

As a result of the new fees, building permit revenues for DPS will decrease by $5 million in FY16 based on FY14 volumes.

A summary chart of all the fees is available online at www.montgomerycountymd.gov\permittingservices.

Montgomery College has been awarded more than $4 million for the creation of two nursing education programs from the Maryland Higher Education Commission in conjunction with the Maryland Health Services Cost Review Commission.

The college will receive over $3 million to develop a Clinical Simulation Resource Consortium (CSRC). The project will provide simulation and training equipment to the 25 pre-licensure nursing programs in the state of Maryland.

A second grant of approximate-

ly $1 million will support a dual and innovative admission strategy with the University of Maryland School of Nursing. Students will be able to move seamlessly from Montgomery College with their associate degree in nursing (ADN) to the University of Maryland School of Nursing at Shady Grove for completion of bachelor’s degree in nursing (BSN).

“These projects provide our students with amazing resources to promote their learning and continued education,” said Barbara Nubile, associate dean and director of nursing. “In today’s healthcare environment, academic progression is essential and the dual admission project will make the [C]ollege’s nursing graduates more competitive for employment in acute care settings. And simulation has become essential to give new nurses the skills to identify and respond to changes in a patient’s status.”

The projects are scheduled to run from 2016-2020. They are part of the Nurse Support II program.

The program was established to provide funding for expanding and improving nurse education in the state of Maryland to meet an anticipated nursing shortage.

land’s workforce, creating $84 million in increased wages for the state’s lowest paid workers and is expected to boost consumer spending by $55 million, according to research from the Economic Policy Institute.

“This increase is another positive step for Maryland’s working families,” said Charly Carter, executive director of Maryland Working Families. “At the same time, we recognize that the state’s lowest wage workers will not earn the full $10.10 until more than three years from now and that tipped workers will not benefit from this increase because legislators permanently froze their wages at $3.63 per hour.”

Maryland Working Families built the massive Raise Maryland campaign that included more than 60 organizations united to raise the wage. A full-time canvass knocked on more than 40,000 doors, gathered 8,000 personal letters from voters, and generated more than 25,000

petition signatures, phone calls and emails to legislators. Grassroots activity was complemented by a vigorous social media presence, overwhelmingly positive polling, support from more than 180 businesses statewide, several high profile events with state and federal elected officials that generated positive media coverage, radio ads, and a steady drumbeat of support in the media for a higher wage.

Advocates beat back a broad training wage proposal but a narrower measure was established, allowing employers to pay workers 19 and under a subminimum wage of 85 percent of the minimum wage for the first six months of employment.

Restaurants with a gross income of $400,000 are exempted from the higher rate, up from the previous amount of $250,000. Finally, an exemption for amusement parks will permit employers to pay workers 85 percent of the state minimum wage.

Montgomery College wins $4 million grant for Nursing Program

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Finding Senior Housing can be complex, but it doesn’t have to be.

“You can trust A Place for Mom to help you.”

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(800) 967-8641 A Place for Mom is the nation’s largest senior living referral information service.

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District Chronicles | Jul. 16 - Jul. 22, 2015 | 11

In the Neighborhood Metro Briefs: Notable news in and around Washington District of Columbia

“I’m giving fair warning to my businesses in Ward 7, I’m coming out to get you ... because I know where you are,” proclaimed Councilmember Yvette M. Alexander

lence of synthetic drugs.

Gathered in the small courtyard outside of Sasha Bruce Youthwork, Mayor Bowser made it clear that her emergency legislation to the Council, The Sale of Synthetic Drugs Emergency Amendment Act of 2015, would fine businesses $10,000 for their first offense and shut down their establishment for up to 96 hours.

The business owner would

also have to submit a remediation plan outlining how the business will move forward in preventing the sale of synthetic drugs on their premises.

If a business is found violating for a second time, the establishment can be shut down for up to 30 days and be fined $20,000 and DCRA will begin the process of permanently revoking its business license.

yvettealexander.org

City officials crack down on sale of synthetic drugs

during the mayor’s press conference announcing a new strategy to give stiff penalties to business owners found selling synthetic drugs.

Representatives of the Department of Housing, DC Regulation Affairs, Police Chief Cathy Lanier, and other city officials, including Mayor Muriel Bowser, unveiled a comprehensive drug enforcement strategy in response to the preva-

Ward 7 Councilwoman Alexander gave a stiff warning to business owners in new strategy to combat synthetic drugs.

Local residents enjoy Lake Arbor Jazz Festival.

Robert Eubanks/District Chronicles Robert Eubanks/District Chronicles

Robert Eubanks/DistrictChronicles

Robert Eubanks/District Chronicles

12 | Jul. 16 - Jul. 22, 2015 | District Chronicles