District Chronicles V15 Issue 7 by District Chronicles

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Health officials and District residents talk smoke free initiatives and policy Page 4 October 8 - October 14, 2015

Diversity draws attention of Tech leaders, educators Page 8 www.districtchronicles.com

Volume 15 Issue 7

Brandon Best/DCPS

Editorial

Economics – The proper response By James Clingman

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MPRNews

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(TriceEdneyWire.com) – When Donald Trump first spoke about his intentions to run for President and called out Mexicans and Hispanics in general, here’s what happened. Yes, there were protests in the streets by Latinos who felt they had been insulted by Trump, but further action was taken, not by Latinos but by corporations. According to an article by Sarah Berger, with the International Business Times, “[Macy’s] said they would no longer carry Trump’s menswear collection, which featured shirts, ties and watches.” Further, “Macy’s is not alone: NBCUniversal, Univision, mattress maker Serta and other companies have also cut ties with Trump … The broken deals point to the growing influence of Hispanic consumers in the United States. As the Latino demographic in the U.S. rapidly increases, so does their buying power, and businesses are starting to realize that value.” Economics raises its head again, doesn’t it? Macy’s was not boycotted; it was not targeted by Latinos in any way. Why did they feel obliged to cut ties with Trump when he dissed Hispanics? A better question is: “Why haven’t we seen companies take any corresponding action on behalf of Black people? Remember the Indianapolis incident earlier this year, when corporations threatened to move their companies out of that city if the law that “discriminated” against gay people was not changed? It took about 24 hours for it to be changed. John Crawford was killed in a Walmart for holding a BB gun, 12 year-old Tamir Rice was killed in two seconds for holding a toy gun, Eric Garner was choked to death on national and TV for saying “Why do you keep bothering me?” and Sandra Bland was arrested and died three days later because she was smoking in her own car. Did any corporations make threats against anyone on their behalf? Macy’s and the others punished Trump without being asked

Major companies do not value Black customers as much as other groups.

to do so, because they respect the $1.5 billion buying power of Hispanics. That’s it, plain and simple. “But Black buying power is $1.2 trillion, Jim; why are we ignored?” Major corps with whom we spend much of that $1.2 trillion each year have, a “depraved indifference” to our plight, as Bob Law says. They do not respond to our issues in the same way because there is no price to pay for not doing so. We get slapped upside the head by politicians and our big bad NAACP tells us to take a 1,000-mile walk. One of our children gets shot down or beat down and NAN says “Let’s ‘maach’ on Washington.” A young Black man is killed in a Walmart and our “leaders” rally in front of that store – for a day. Our unemployment is at an all-time high, despite the “great economy” they say we are in, and the Urban League writes a report telling us how bad things are for Black America. Our voting rights are being discarded, our HBCU’s are losing millions due to ParentPlus Loan legislation, we are ignored and taken for granted by both political parties, and Black politicians like John Lewis tell us to vote our way out of our problems. It’s no wonder we don’t get

the same respect and support as other groups. The ways we respond to negative issues allow the mistreatment we get from others. Carlos Santiago, president and chief strategist of Santiago Solutions Group said, “Latino customers represent an opportunity for Macy’s to grow its business model … Macy’s Hispanic base of buyers is significant and growing while the ‘non-Hispanic’ is declining slowly. They (Macy’s) have to protect their growing loyal base just as their competitors like Nordstrom, JC Penney’s, Target and Walmart are. In this race to capture the new growth, a change in public image is worth millions of dollars in goodwill and loyalty.” The appropriate response to those who transgress against us must be grounded in economics. We spend money at Macy’s, as well as many other corporations. Why have they not spoken and acted on our behalf? As I have written many times, until we are serious about gaining the support of those with whom we do business, they will ignore our plight and take our dollars for granted. Our economic response must be “Black Dollars Matter!” And we must teach our dollars how to make more sense.

BMW to pay $1.6 million in discrimination suit settlement

Medicare covers revolutionary new device that gives seniors freedom from lower back pain Easy-to-use high-tech back brace is now covered by Medicare. Specialists are manning the phones for the next 48 hours to assist seniors in qualifying to get the new Verta Loc back brace and regain their youth. The revolutionary new Verta Loc Back Brace is helping seniors everywhere re-discover an active and pain-free lifestyle. But even better news is that recently approved Medicare coverage means that most seniors with lower back pain can get the amazing Verta Loc – and much-needed relief – at little or no cost. Qualifying is fast and easy with a free phone call within the next 48 hours to the trained Medicare specialists at The Back Pain Resource Center.

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BMW fined 1.6 million in a recent court hearing for excluding African Americans logistic workers from employment.

(TriceEdneyWire.com) – The U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina last week entered a consent decree ordering BMW Manufacturing Co., LLC (BMW) to pay $1.6 million and provide job opportunities to alleged victims of race discrimination as part of the resolution of a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The lawsuit, filed by EEOC’s Charlotte District Office, alleged that BMW excluded AfricanAmerican logistics workers from employment at a disproportionate rate when the company’s new logistics contractor applied BMW’s criminal conviction records guidelines to incumbent logistics employees. More specifically, the complaint alleged that when BMW switched contractors handling the company’s logistics at its production facility in Spartanburg, South Carolina, in the summer of 2008, it required the new contractor to perform a criminal background screen on all existing logistics employees who re-applied to continue working in their positions at BMW. At that time, BMW’s criminal conviction records guidelines excluded from employment all persons with convictions in certain categories of crime, regard-

less of how long ago the employee had been convicted or whether the conviction was for a misdemeanor or felony. According to the complaint, after the criminal background checks were performed, BMW learned that approximately 100 incumbent logistics workers at the facility, including employees who had worked at there for several years, did not pass the screen. EEOC alleged that 80 percent of the incumbent workers disqualified from employment as a result of applying BMW’s guidelines were black. Following an investigation, EEOC filed suit alleging that blacks were disproportionately disqualified from employment as a result of the criminal conviction records guidelines. EEOC sought relief for 56 African Americans who were discharged. BMW has since voluntarily changed its guidelines. BMW will pay a total of $1.6 million to resolve the litigation and two pending charges related to the company’s previous criminal conviction records guidelines that had been filed with EEOC. In addition to monetary relief, BMW will offer employment opportunities to the discharged workers in the suit and up to 90

African-American applicants who BMW’s contractor refused to hire based on BMW’s previous conviction records guidelines. BMW also will provide training on using criminal history screening in a manner consistent with Title VII. Additionally, BMW will be subject to reporting and monitoring requirements for the term of the consent decree. “EEOC has been clear that while a company may choose to use criminal history as a screening device in employment, Title VII requires that when a criminal background screen results in the disproportionate exclusion of African Americans from job opportunities, the employer must evaluate whether the policy is job related and consistent with a business necessity,” said P. David Lopez, EEOC’s General Counsel. “We are pleased with BMW’s agreement to resolve this disputed matter by providing both monetary relief and employment opportunities to the logistic workers who lost their jobs at the facility,” said Lynette Barnes, regional attorney for the Charlotte District Office. “We commend BMW for re-evaluating its criminal conviction records guidelines that resulted in the discharge of these workers.”

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one at little to no cost out-of-pocket. The specialists handle all the paperwork in a matter of minutes. Pain relief and financial relief too Many people find themselves wearing their Verta Loc for only part of the day to experience relief. Plus, when the pain subsides, many are able to reduce or even eliminate their use of pain medications, which not only eliminates unwanted side effects but also saves money. Recommended by doctors and back pain specialists Physicians agree that using a high-quality back brace like Verta Loc helps encourage safe movement, teaches good body mechanics, and restricts the motions that cause pain in the first place. Patients are able to maintain their daily activities and learn better back health practices. Medicare coverage specialists are available by phone for the next 48 hours only. Call today! Since Medicare is now covering the Verta Loc, the phone lines are expected to be flooded, but if lines are busy, callers are encouraged to keep trying. For the next 48 hours, the goal of the Back Pain Resource Center is to make sure every senior is able to experience the relief and freedom provided by having their own Verta Loc.

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District Chronicles | Oct. 8 - Oct. 14, 2015 | 3

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Studies show smoke, second-hand smoke lead to more deaths in the Black community than any other illness.

By Savannah Harris Howard University News Service

4 | Oct. 8 - Oct. 14, 2015 | District Chronicles

Nearly 45,000 African Americans die per year from smoke-related diseases such as heart disease, strokes and lung cancer. More Black lives are lost to these illnesses than to homicide, diabetes, AIDS and accidents combined, experts say. Additionally, nearly 68 percent of African-American children between the ages of three and 11 are exposed to secondhand smoke, which can lead to a host of respiratory issues, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Armed with those numbers, Washington health experts are calling for more smoke-free public spaces, specifically housing, in the District as a tool to tackle smokingrelated death disparities for African Americans. The health officials were part of a panel at Howard University discussing smoke-free initiatives during a weeklong series geared towards smoking cessation. DC Tobacco Free Coalition and the D.C. Department of Health sponsored the series. The panelists said they hope to transform homes in the District into safe places for people to raise children without the threat of second and third-hand smoke. Smoke-free policies may be an inconvenience to smokers, es-

pecially those who don’t intend to quit, but the group argued that most residents are in favor of a smoke-free environment. “The majority of residents tend to favor the new policies,” said Charles M. Sutton, project coordinator of Breathe DC’s Smoke Free Places, Home Healthy Home project.“But, there is a small minority that feels like its being imposed on them.” Rochelle, 60, who declined to provide her last name, said the managers of her building in southeast Washington sprang the smokefree policy on its residents without warning. “One day we were in a meeting and the man who owned the property said, ‘We’re going to have no smoking,’” said Rochelle. “The next day there was a paper posted on our doors saying you can’t smoke in the building. I don’t think that was right.” Rochelle said she has lived in her building for 28 years and has been smoking in her unit up until this year. The new policy states that residents cannot smoke anywhere on the property. This forces the elderly and disabled residents who smoke to leave the premises every time they want a cigarette. “I have to go from the third floor, downstairs, across the street, then down the street to go smoke,” said Rochelle. “And I’m 60-yearsold, so that’s a walk for me.”

The goal is for longtime smokers to eventually quit, but it is a difficult road. Statistics from a National Health Interview survey show only 3.3 percent of African Americans who attempted to quit did not relapse after six months, compared to 6 percent of Whites. Avoiding smoke-related diseases and keeping residents safe from second and third-hand smoke is a priority for property management companies, but not the only benefit. Kayla Robinson, a panelist at the conference and an assistant manager at R Street Apartments, said preparing a unit for a new tenant after a smoker has inhabited it is expensive. “We made the smoke-free decision first for residents’ health, but the turnover expense is very high,” said Robinson. “It costs five to six times as much to fully rehab a unit after a heavy smoker has lived there,” said Alexandra Nassau-Brownstone of Somerset Development Companies. Residents who smoke inside have little control over where the smoke travels. It can be smelled in hallways and leaves residue throughout the unit. Leftover smoke residue found in the home of a smoker permeates the walls, carpet, flooring, clothing and curtains, according to health experts.

Divine Intervention

Pope’s visit warmed some Black catholics, chilled others By Avis Thomas Lester Urban News Service

Stephanie Keith-Pool/Getty Images

While Donna M. Moore was eager to see Pope Francis, Martina Callum decided to stay away. Moore, of Glenn Dale, Maryland, and Callum, of Baltimore, both were born into Catholicism and raised in families close to the faith. Both still attend the churches where they were baptized, took their first communions, and celebrated confirmation. Moore worships at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in southeast Washington and Callum at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Charm City, the nation’s oldest African-American Catholic congregation. Moore believes Pope Francis covered the themes relevant to Black Catholics during his recent visit to the United States; Callum believes Blacks largely have been locked out of the church, an issue she believes the pope failed to address. “I didn’t look at his trip as the time for him to address issues about Blacks. I looked at it as he was coming to see us all as Christians,” said Moore. “He talked about us looking out for each other. He talked about poverty, homelessness, and the environment. He talked about Dr. Martin Luther King’s dream. He didn’t speak specifically to African Americans, but he touched on a lot of our concerns.” As the pontiff was feted by legions of the faithful during visits to Washington, New York City, and Philadelphia last week, many African Americans were among the throngs. During his Sept. 24, speech to a joint session of Congress, Pope Francis cited Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech and the 1965 march from Selma to Montgomery, which, the pontiff observed, King led to “fulfill his dream of [attaining] full civil and political rights for African Americans.” Michael P. Davenport, 53, a security expert from Bowie, Maryland, was among 28 honor-guard members who led the procession for the Papal Mass at Washington’s Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.

Pope Francis kisses a child inside Our Lady Queen of Angels School in the East Harlem neighborhood of New York City during his U.S. visit last month.

“I thought things should be colorblind and positive,” said Davenport, who was confirmed while attending boarding school in England. “I’m an optimist. My dad was a postal worker in one of the richest parts of D.C. He told us all about segregation. We heard it from our grandparents, too ... King said: ‘We shall overcome.’ We have overcome – knowing and not forgetting that we have a way to go.” Although Black contributions to the Catholic Church often have been “silenced, forgotten, overlooked, or ignored,” Blacks were excited about the arrival of Pope Francis, said C. Vanessa White, director of the Tolton Pastoral Ministry Program at Chicago’s Catholic Theological Union. Vera Patterson, former chair of the Black Catholic Advisory Circle at the Archdiocese of Seattle, said she believes the Catholic Church has done a poor job of retaining Blacks and recruiting AfricanAmerican priests. “And for the few who come, there is little support for them,” said Patterson, whose own son, after growing up Catholic, became a minister in the Church of Christ. However, Francis is supported by many Blacks, Patterson observed. “He said in one of his speeches in Washington that the

church’s relationship, historically, with people of color, has not been one of respect. That was a positive message for African Americans to hear.” According to the National Black Catholic Congress’ website, the late Father Cyprian Davis, author of The History of Black Catholics in the United States, wrote that slavery “touched every part of the Catholic Church.” In 1839, Pope Gregory XVI condemned slavery, although “Catholic slaveholders did not consider slavery immoral, since the Bible did not forbid it,” concluded Davis. “Many priests and religious sisters owned slaves. So did some bishops. Even some African-American Catholics had slaves.” Pope John Paul II apologized for Christians’ involvement in the slave trade during a 1985 stop in Cameroon. “ ... We ask pardon from our African brothers who suffered so much because of the trade in Blacks,” reported The New York Times. Today, Xavier has fewer than 1,000 members, and she attributes that decline partly to a lack of connection that many Blacks feel with the Catholic Church. “We are still on the sidelines as African-American Catholics,” said Callum.

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District Chronicles | Oct. 8 - Oct. 14, 2015 | 5

Cover DCPS Chancellor gives upbeat schools address By Sope Aluko Howard University News Service

Politics By Eric Easter Urban News Service

News anchor Jim Vance receives questions from parents, teachers for Chancellor Kaya Henderson at the State of the Schools address in Dunbar HIgh School.

are,” responded Henderson. “That’s not always the case. We have had a number of people who go on to other jobs, some have been promoted or we told them that DCPS was not the right fit for them.” Henderson said the school keeps the vast majority of the teachers it wants to retain, and is working on ways to keep more principals, including the Mary J. Patterson Fellowship, an intense 18-month leadership training program specifically meant for principals. “We tap our own high-performing principals and put them

through a rigorous training program that teaches them what principal preparation programs don’t,” said Henderson. “It teaches them about teacher retention … how to support their staff and the DCPS way to excellence. We hold principals accountable.” Henderson said she is pleased with the changes in the district under her tenure. “The citizens can say they have a school district that if not already worthy of them, is on its way to be, and that people loved working in DCPS,” she said.

Which had greater impact – Million March, O.J. Simpson that captured the nation with a highly controversial outcome. Yet, of those two events that took place within a two-week period in 1995, it is the latter that had the most lasting and significant impact on American politics and culture, both good and bad. For all its “Trial of the Century” hoopla and celebrity salaciousness, the Simpson trial and verdict became a powerful symbol for race, justice and fairness in America – even if the person embodying that symbol was undeserving of the pedestal on which he stood. After decades of cases, from the Foxboro Boys to Emmett Till, Black people had deep memories of trumped up charges, homegrown “justice” without juries and the guilty gone free, especially when the victim was Black and powerless. That Simpson. was being vilified before being found guilty got to the heart of what Black America had always suspected: That, no matter

6 | Oct. 8 - Oct. 14, 2015 | District Chronicles

NBC News

This month, the nation will recognize the 20th anniversary of two cultural touch points, but in very different ways. On October 10, the Million Man March will be both celebrated as a milestone on the road to fairness and justice, then refashioned anew to capture a new generation of activists and a new generation of issues. The new march will be covered live, tweeted, Facebooked and analyzed for days, as the old one will be thrust into perspective on how far, or not, Black America has progressed since. Meanwhile, a California jury’s decision to acquit Orenthal James “O.J.” Simpson of the murder of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman, and the resulting tempest it caused, was just a blip on the radar of the news cycle on its anniversary last Saturday. It will be seen for what it was: a media circus

students to achieve and be successful despite the huge gaps in wealth that plague the city. “In this Metro area, there are some of the largest wealth gaps,” she said. “So, it is no surprise there are some of the largest achievement gaps. School is one of the best opportunities to close that gap.” She pointed to Dunbar, named after poet, novelist, and playwright Paul Laurence Dunbar, as an example of achievement beyond economic station. “There is this narrative that young people who are poor don’t have the resources needed to achieve,” she said Henderson. “Dunbar teaches us that when we did not have textbooks that others did, we still held people to high expectations. Our young people still graduated and went out to change the world.” Henderson also responded to questions of principal and teacher retention. Vance noted that one in four D.C. public schools got a new principal at the beginning of the year and DCPS hired 750 new teachers, replacing 500 just this year. “There is a paradigm where everyone works and stays where they

Brandon Best/DCPS

peaking to smattering of the tens of thousands of Washington school system’s parents and teachers, District of Columbia Public Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson gave an upbeat assessment of the system in her third annual “State of Schools” address last week, pointing to progress in graduation rates and teacher satisfaction. Henderson, who addressed nearly 400 parents and teachers at Dunbar High School, noted reports that say graduation rates have risen to 64 percent in 2015, up from 53 percent in 2011. The system still lags behind the national average of 81 percent, but Henderson said the kind of success the District needs will not happen overnight. “One of the challenges that comes with leading DCPS from where it was to where it is, is that people want us to have instant success,” said Henderson. “You don’t get to the goal from jumping from where you are to where you want to be. Slow and steady progress wins the race.”

News Channel 4 anchor Jim Vance acted as the moderator, offering questions for Henderson’s response. Henderson pointed to teacher satisfaction rates as a sign of success in the school system. Teacher satisfaction rates have increased from 63 percent to 80 percent between 2014 and 2015, she said. “I think we are demonstrating a commitment in how we pay our teachers to how we recognize our teachers,” she said. “We want DCPS to be where the best teachers come, but where they stay because they feel developed in their craft and respected as a part of our community.” Monica Rajan, a teacher at Stanton Elementary School in Southeast D.C, works for City Year – an education-based organization that helps at students stay on track to graduation. She said she feels appreciated working for DCPS. “Events like this shows that higher-ups care about the opinions of students, faculty, and staff,” said Rajan. “It helps me feel that we are all on the same page and just trying to help our students have a better future.” Henderson said she expects all

O.J. Simpson at his trial for murder 20 years ago. He was acquitted.

how wealthy, connected and powerful you were as a Black man, you would never be fully accepted, especially when you were up against a wall. By contrast, the Million Man March, which was regarded broadly

as successful in tone and spirit, is glass-encased as a moment to remember – but its results are tougher to quantify. According to historian and writer William Jelani Cobb: “We could trace a direct line from that case to the modern sense among whites that they are the primary victims of racial discrimination, and the enmity of the Obama era. Certainly, we don’t see contrition and atonement as major themes in Black politics currently. The affirmative action debate in California was likely shaped or at least influenced by the post-O.J. racial climate. It would be hard to point to legislative or social impact from the Million Man March.” On some level, as a case that unfolded on television, Simpson’s trial could be seen as the spark that more greatly attuned Black America to the workings of the justice system. If the Rodney King verdict left people confused, the Simpson trial provided every small detail, turning

Americans into armchair attorneys and analysts. From Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown to Freddie Gray, Black people have grown highly sophisticated in vague issues of case law and, more importantly, their rights. Oddly enough, the two events are interconnected. The call for the Million Man March was fueled by tension from the trial and the sense that justice was also on trial. Later, what was reported to be lackluster planned attendance to the march was kick-started in large part by the verdict and a renewed sense that, Black people could fight authority and win, if only temporarily. So much so that there was high anticipation that both lawyer Johnnie Cochran and Simpson might attend. As Cobb recalls: “At the march, they were passing out a poll asking people who they thought were the most the effective Black leaders. The poll included the usual suspects – and Johnny Cochran.”

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District Chronicles | Oct. 8 - Oct. 14, 2015 | 7

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Leaders in tech industry discuss digital diversity

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8 | Oct. 8 - Oct. 14, 2015 | District Chronicles

As hundreds of educators and industry leaders from across America gathered in Washington last month for the 2015 National Historically Black Colleges and Universities Week Conference, one of the topics of discussion was the lack of diversity in the burgeoning field of technology. They only needed to look at the numbers to know there is a problem. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, th e American workforce is 47 percent female, 16 percent Hispanic, 12 percent Black. At tech companies like Google and eBay, African Americans and Hispanics make up just 2 percent of the workforce, and only a smattering of the tech employees are women. Remington Holt, a senior at Howard University, has seen the situation up close during his past two summers as an intern at Google. “There was not a lot of diversity at my particular office,” said Holt, who wrote code and developed software. “I was the only person of African-American descent out of 15 people. There were five women. Diversity in tech is incredibly poor.” Google and other technology companies have said they hope to reverse the tide of diversity in technology, as did representatives from companies last week during a

workshop on the subject at the annual HBCU conference. Lisa Lee, senior diversity manager at music streaming company Pandora, said having a more inclusive work force is in the best interest of the companies. “Tons of research shows that diverse teams produce better results,” said Lee. The panelists from Walmart, Uber and eBay also agreed with her assessment. “If you look at the data it is pretty clear that we are not getting the results that we want, and I think most of the companies would say the same thing in the Valley and other tech companies around the country,” said Ben-Saba Hasan, senior vice president chief culture, diversity and inclusion officer for Walmart. “So, you have to accept the fact that there is something systemic going on.” The companies proposed various strategies to rectify the problem. Solutions included technology internships for non-technology majors, partnering with Historically Black Colleges and Universities and considering nontraditional candidates for internships. Kelly Minton, chief information officer for communications and engagement strategy at eBay, told the group about Yearup, a Bostonbased nonprofit that works to offer more opportunities for disadvantaged workers.

“At Yearup, they train young adults from underserved communities, mostly minorities, in entry level tech jobs and then they place them at Silicon Valley companies like Facebook and Ebay for another six months,” said Minton. “If the internship goes well, they will hire them. Out of 70 plus interns, we hired about 35 of them.” The panelist agreed that much of the culture of Silicon Valley is founded on meritocracy, in which the best idea wins. This ideology has largely been responsible for keeping the status quo, according to Damien Hooper-Campbell, the global leader for diversity and inclusion at Uber, the ride-share company that employees residents using their own cars. “At Uber, we talk about best idea wins, which sounds really good,” said Hooper-Campbell. “You know meritocracy. But part of the conversion we are getting into is, ‘Yes best ideas win, but are you sure you have all the best ideas in the room.’ “We all know when you refer somebody from your network nine times out of 10, they come from the same place you come from and in many cases look like you,” he continued. “We have to correct for that and one of the ways we say best ideas win, let’s say we have all the best ideas at the table first, and as you can look across the industry I don’t believe we have all the best ideas.”

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In the Neighborhood Southeast residents wary of Guardian Angels Finding Senior Housing can be complex, but it doesn’t have to be. “You can trust A Place for Mom to help you.”

By Brelaun Douglas Howard University News Service

hings got heated recently at a Ward 8 Advisory Neighborhood Meeting. The southeast Washington residents were discussing ways to build their community on a recent Thursday when the Washington chapter of the Guardian Angels stopped by to explain its organization and to try and recruit members. The Guardian Angels, founded in New York City in 1979, are a controversial volunteer-based organization that patrols neighborhood streets to thwart crime They recruit youth from local communities and train them in how to combat crime. Members don’t carry weapons and can be identified by red berets and a red logo of an eye inside a pyramid on a winged shied. The group announced recently that some of its members will patrol the NoMa-Gallaudet University and Rhode Island Metro stations, as well as the Metropolitan Branch Trail. Aaron Thompson, the commander for the Angels D.C. chapter, told the community members why he felt they needed his organization and how they would operate. “One of the biggest problems is you got the gangs that are out here, and they’re recruiting the kids,” said Thompson. “They’re influencing your kids to do the things that’s wrong.” Thompson said how the organization goes about its efforts to clean up crime in communities. “We arrest, handcuff and the police come and get them,” he said. “We kick in doors. If we know it’s a drug house and we know it’s a lot of drugs and we can prove it, we do exactly what the police do.” But with this information caused concerns from those at the meeting. “You say you bust down doors?” asked ANC 8D chairperson Theresa Jones. “The FBI has to announce and knock so how can you do it? Tell me how you can do it.” Thompson, who some community members saw as evasive and combative in his responses ex-

– Joan Lunden

(800) 967-8641 A Place for Mom is the nation’s largest senior living referral information service. We do not own, operate, endorse or recommend any senior living community. We are paid by partner communities, so our services are completely free to families.

D.C. Chapter Guardian Angel’s Aaron Thompson addresses community and commission members at a Ward 8 Advisory Neighborhood meeting.

plained. “We’ve built the reputation of doing it,” he said. “And not only that, because we’ve done it so much and so well, we now work with the local authority.” Still residents wanted more information about how exactly the Guardian Angels worked and how they would work in the community. “I would like to see what the Guardian Angels can do for the situation in Wingate,” said one concerned Ward 8 resident. “I live in a high-rise, and we have a state of the art recreation center, but the youth are too scared to go to the youth center because they have to pass a nearby apartment complex and there is a turf problem.” Thompson said it was all about recruiting. “The first thing is we want to recruit young people 18-, 19-, 20years-old that’s doing something positive,” he said. “Then once they come on board, believe me, we will assist in every way.” Another resident expressed her concerns that the Guardian Angels would not be effective, because they did not seem so in the areas they already serve in. “I happen to know that the Guardian Angels are working on Elvans and Staten Road and the re-

views have been mixed,” she said. “Although the Guardian Angels are there and they’ve done a good job, relatively, we have still had some issues in that area. “People still get robbed there every night coming home from work. But I have a problem when you couldn’t tell them specifically where you’re working in ward 8.” Thompson said he did not hear the question and would answer anything asked, but many felt that he was avoiding their questions and being too combative with his answers. “You can keep it real and tone it down a little a bit,” ANC member Thea Dyson told him. Still, many were interested in the idea of having a chapter in Ward 8 and took Thompson’s card in order to have people sign up for recruitment. While Thompson said that they are not effectively working much in Ward 8 at the moment, he hoped to change that through recruiting youth for the organization. ANC co-chair Olivia Henderson told Thompson that she would get him some recruits, because she felt their presence would make a difference. “Just down at Anacostia Metro station, your presence would make a huge difference.”

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District Chronicles | Oct. 8 - Oct. 14, 2015 | 11

In the Neighborhood

Metro Briefs: Notable news in and around Washington Montgomery County

Bilingual voters needed to serve at 2016 presidential primaries polls centers

for training and for Early Voting or Election Day service. Those interested in taking this leadership position can 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 Gilberto Zelaya at gilberto.zelaya@ montgomerycountymd.gov. For more election information, call 240.777.VOTE, visit www.777vote.org, the Maryland State Board of Electionsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; website at www.elections.maryland.gov, or follow the Montgomery County Board of Elections on Facebook or Twitter.

mymcmedia.org

he 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

Montgomery County Board of Elections is seeking bilingual election judges.

Robert Eubanks/DistrictChronicles

Robert Eubanks/District Chronicles

Robert Eubanks/DistrictChronicles

Bald Eagles take on Fort Stanton at Pop Warner 55 pounds game at Deanwood Recreation center

Robert Eubanks/District Chronicles

12 | Oct. 8 - Oct. 14, 2015 | District Chronicles