02 20 2019

VOL. 16 ISSUE 8

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Grateful for a recreation center at Crummell School, Ivy City residents fear gentrification STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG

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The Street Sense Media Story, #MoreThanANewspaper

Ward 5 Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie hosts a community meeting about the Crummell School redevelopment plan.

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NEWS IN BRIEF Report suggests policy changes to state laws regarding homeless youth

BY GRACE COLLINS grace.collins@streetsensemedia.org

Devising Hope! Intergenerational Theatre March 12th @7:00 pm - 8:00 pm Busboys and Poets 14th and V (Langston Room) March 13th @ 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm The Sycamore School, The Arlington Center, Suite 300, 4600 North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22203 Street Sense Media is partnering with the Educational Theatre Company for a show performing a series of scenes and monologues that touch on some of the most integral aspects of the human experience: family, love, negative misconceptions, reaching one’s dreams, and the definition of ‘home’. This 75-minute staged reading is the product of theatre exercises and conversations shared between students and persons experiencing homelessness SATURDAY, FEB. 23

UPDATES ONLINE AT ICH.DC.GOV

MONDAY, FEB 25

Sing Out For Shelter

D.C. Interagency Council on Homelessness Meetings

Downtown Day Services Center Ribbon Cutting

Strategic Planning Committee Feb 26, 2:30 pm // TBD (likely 441 4th St NW) Shelter Operations Committee Feb 27, 1 pm // TBD likely 441 4th St NW Housing Solutions Committee March 6, 1:30 pm // TBD (likely 1800 MLK Jr Ave SE)

11 a.m. - 12 p.m.

NY Ave. Presbyterian Church 1313 New York Avenue, NW

8 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.

National United Methodist 3401 Nebraska Ave., NW For more than 25 years, a cappella singers have joined together to help D.C.’s homeless. The Sing Out for Shelter (“SOS”) concert, organized

by D.C.’s own Augmented 8, has brought together the best of contemporary a cappella singing and raised more than $250,000.

TICKETS: tinyurl.com/SOS-ticket

*Committee schedules only.

For issue-focused working groups, contact ich.info@dc.gov.

The Center will offer services for people experiencing homelessness Monday - Friday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

It is operated by the DowntownDC Business Improvement District.

Services will including housing, employment, healthcare, food, laundry, restrooms and more.

Submit your event for publication by e-mailing editor@streetsensemedia.org

AUDIENCE EXCHANGE Charlie’s Place

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Writing is cathartic! We’ve been working with @streetsensedc to provide a weekly #writing workshop for our clients each Wednesday. Thanks to our friends at Street Sense! (And thanks to the meme creator for putting this song in my head all day.)

11:13 AM - 6 FEB 2019

A new joint-report from The National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty and the National Network for Youth claims that some of our nation’s laws regarding homeless and runaway youth focus on punishing youth, while failing to take into consideration the circumstances that cause young adults to flee their homes initially.

The groups reviewed the laws that currently affect the estimated 700,000 homeless unaccompanied minors in the U.S. and its territories, and made recommendations for policy changes to lower legal barriers for runaway youth seeking resources.

The report found that Washington, D.C. is one of only 14 U.S. jurisdictions to waive fees for youth to obtain nondriver identification, needed to complete tax forms and access many services. However, the District requires two items for proof of residency, such as a utility bill or lease, to receive an ID, in addition to a guardian’s signature for youth under 18. The report recommends waiving these requirements for youth that cannot contact their guardians or receive these items in the mail.

In D.C., as in most jurisdictions, it is illegal to harbor a runaway. Most states mandate that runaways be reported by those sheltering them immediately or within a few hours, even if there are signs of abuse or neglect by guardians. In D.C. this law applies only to youth who run away from the child welfare system.

Although these laws are well-intentioned, they discourage youth from seeking shelter for fear of being reported. The report suggests allowing a longer wait period for reporting runaways so that youth will seek help in emergency situations. It also recommends preventing authorities from transporting youth without their consent and providing services, such as parenting classes and family mediation, that help to alleviate many of the family issues that cause youth to run away.

D.C.’s policies regarding healthcare for homeless youth already follow many of the recommendations given by the report. D.C. law allows youth and minors to consent to a wide range of health services without parental consent. It is one of 28 jurisdictions that allow youth to seek mental health treatment without notifying a guardian and one of only 14 to allow minors to consent to terminating pregnancies without restrictions. For homeless youth in D.C., healthcare is covered by the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), an extension of Medicaid. Minors can apply for healthcare on their own in 36 territories.

Many jurisdictions, including D.C., still have a long journey ahead to end youth homelessness, according to the report. The National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty and the National Network for Youth say they aim to “recommend steps that can protect the safety, development, health, and dignity of youth experiencing homelessness, and thus increase their prospects for positive future outcomes.”

Follow more headlines at StreetSenseMedia.org/news

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NEWS

Adult literacy app competition awards $3M to teams with most progress for users

BY GRACE COLLINS grace.collins@streetsensemedia.org

F

ormer governor Jeb Bush announced the winners of the first phase of the $7 Million Barbara Bush Foundation Adult Literacy XPRIZE competition at the annual Florida Celebration of Reading on Feb. 7. Two teams split the $3 million grand prize for overall performance of the mobile applications they developed to improve literacy among adult learners. The competition began on former first lady Barbara Bush’s birthday in 2015 and included 109 development teams from 15 countries. Both winning teams also received a $1 million “achievement prize” for the best performance among native English speakers and English learners, the competition’s two key demographics.

Competing apps needed to be measurable, easy to use, and engaging. They also needed to target three main factors of literacy: access, retention, and scale.

Apps were considered successful based on how many “We know that it’s times they were downloaded, lack of opportunity how often they were used, how easy they were to navigate, – not lack of how much growth users motivation – that and accomplished. Growth was prevents millions measured by pre- and post-tests of our country’s given a year apart to 12,000 participants who initially read adult learners at a third-grade level or below. from gaining vital Participants included both native English speakers and literacy skills,” English learners in Los Angeles, Dallas and Philadelphia. The two winning apps, Learning Shlomy Kattan Upgrade and PeopleForWords, saw equal growth.

The competition was started by the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy and the Dollar General Literacy Foundation, two organizations devoted to promoting literacy in the United States. There are more than 36 million adults in the U.S. who lack basic English literacy, according to XPRIZE, a nonprofit that designs competitions to solve the world’s problems. Increasing literacy rates would save the U.S. up to $230 billion and increase labor productivity by 2.5 percent.

“We know that it’s lack of opportunity – not lack of motivation – that prevents millions of our country’s adult learners from gaining vital literacy skills,” said XPRIZE Executive Director Shlomy Kattan.

People experiencing homelessness face some of the highest barriers to equal learning opportunities. According to a 2014 report by the Learning and Work Institute, many

homeless people have had negative experiences with school, often in connection with traumatic childhood events. Struggles related to poverty and homelessness, such as health issues, the need to work, or the inability to remain in permanent housing, can also make regular school attendance unrealistic. According to the Annie E. Casey Foundation, homeless students perform 75 percent below gradelevel in reading. Low literacy skills make finding jobs, understanding paperwork, and communicating effectively more difficult, perpetuating a vicious cycle that puts some people experiencing homelessness at a disadvantage in the job market.

Literacy apps that are easy to access help to eliminate some barriers to equal learning opportunity. According to Pew Research Center, about 77 percent of Americans have smartphones and 90 percent have access to the internet. Apps that can be used on mobile devices or computers are far more accessible to most people than tutors or GED classes because they are free or inexpensive and can adapt to a learner’s own schedule.

Winner Learning Upgrade has 21 courses for kindergarteners up through adult learners, including those with special needs. Its emphasis is on English literacy, but the app also has math, English as a Second Language, and GED prep courses which integrate videos, music, and games. It can be used on mobile devices or computers and, in a classroom setting, teachers can use the app to track and reward the progress of individual students.

The other winning app, PeopleForWords, takes the form of an archaeological adventure game called “Codex: The Lost City of Atlantis.”

Though targeted toward adults, it is suitable for all ages and for English learners as well as native English speakers. In the game, learners must solve spelling and reading puzzles to “decode the lost language of Atlantis.” Along the way, they help characters solve problems and learn about real-world locations, such as the Great Sphinx of Giza. Both winning apps are free and can be used on Android or iOS devices.

These two winning teams, along with finalists AmritaCREATE and Cell-Ed, received $125,000 to go on and compete in the Communities Competition. In this second phase of the project, communities, educational institutions, nonprofits, and NGOs will compete to recruit learners to use each of the four teams’ apps over the course of 15 months.

There will be a $500,000 prize for teams with the most feasible, innovative, and scalable plan to get their app in the hands of people who could benefit from it, and a $500,000 prize for teams who recruit the most learners.

Users test a mobile literacy application on a tablet. PHOTO COURTESY OF XPRIZE FOUNDATION

STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG

Tweaks to Crummell School redevelopment plan trade 32 apartments for .16 acres of green space

BY JENNY-LIN SMITH Editorial Volunteer

M

ore than 50 Ivy City residents and other community members gathered at Bethesda Baptist Church on Feb. 11 to hear the latest proposed developments for the historic Crummell School site. A bill introduced in late 2017 that received a hearing in June would lease an approximately 100,000 square foot plot of city land to a development team for 99 years at the rate of $1 per year. The disposition agreement hinges on a $14 million dollar investment by the development team, Ivy City Partners, to renovate the school building, a national historic landmark that has been vacant since the ‘80s, which will remain under the city’s control and be turned into a recreation center. Retail, residential and industrial space is planned for the land being leased.

Several children accompanied their parents to the meeting at Bethesda Baptist Church.

BY RODNEY CHOICE // CHOICEPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

In a prior community meeting, Ivy City residents expressed the desire for more public and green space. The revised development plan accommodates that request by including an additional 6,800 square feet of green space, or .16 acres. Whether that space will remain under city control or transfer as part of the lease is undetermined. According to a spokesperson for the Deputy Mayor on Planning and Economic Development, “Ivy City Partners has contemplated changes to the program but none have been finalized.” To accommodate the community’s request for more green space, initially .5 acres, the residential plan was adjusted to develop 343 apartments instead of the original number of 375.

Many people asked questions concerning how space would be utilized, but Ward 5 Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie

and Ivy City Partners — comprised of StonebridgeCarras Management, Oceanpro Industries and the Jarvis Company — affirmed that the city and the community will determine the programming for both the recreation center and the green space.

“This project is going to remain as D.C. government property,” McDuffie said. “But I also see [the programming] as an opportunity for the community to help to shape what happens.” The developers have budgeted one million dollars for the programming of the green space and the Crummell School.

All apartment units are available for rent only. According to the deputy mayor’s office, “this was what the developer proposed and it maximizes deeply affordable housing on the site.” 240 units will be rented at market rate and 103 units will be rented as affordable housing. Of those 103 affordable units, 75 percent of those units will be available for renters who earn up to 50 percent of the area median income, up to $58,600 for a 4-person household. The remaining 25 percent of the units will be available for renters who earn up to 30 percent of the AMI. “My biggest thing is affordable housing.

You know, I was homeless not too long ago, and I really am concerned about the people in D.C. having a place to live,” said Sabrina, an Ivy City resident. “If they’re going to bombard us with all of this construction and want to build stuff, it should be for us to be able to live comfortably and not just shoved in a matchbox.”

In addition to housing, the plan calls for 10,000 square feet of ground floor retail and 40,000 square feet of below-grade industrial spaces. Bill Jarvis, a representative from the development team, told attendees there will be retail and restaurant commercial spaces on the ground level. Profish will move from its current location at the end of the block and reside on the first floor. There will also be 290 parking spaces below ground. The retail spaces will be leased at market rates.

“If it’s all luxury development and at luxury prices, are these actual retail spaces that people in the community can rent and start their business out of?” asked one woman.

A common theme of concern from community members regarded the effects of gentrification. Attendees asked for rent estimates, how jobs and hiring will be handled, and about how the road infrastructure will handle the influx of people.

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Bill Jarvis of The Jarvis Company, one of three business that make up the Ivy City Partners development team.

BY RODNEY CHOICE // CHOICEPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

“Residents should be seen as the first viable source for hiring, both in terms of jobs, construction or otherwise, but also business that might compete throughout the construction process,” McDuffie said.

Contractors involved in the project would be subject to the District’s “first source” law, which mandates hiring at least 51 percent of employees from the District.

Some residents had hoped for much more public space. A group of youth, supported by their neighbors and the community organizing group Empower D.C., partnered with an architecture firm to draft their own plan for the space, which included a library, community garden, gymnasium, playground, and outdoor recreation space — in addition to green space and a community center in the school building.

That plan was one of the final three considered by the the city, but ultimately not selected.

The District’s solicitations for proposals came after residents worked with Empower D.C. to resist the property being turned into a bus lot by the Union Station Redevelopment Corporation, which leased the property in 2012. During a preliminary injunction and a series of appeals, Empower D.C. argued that asthma rates were already disproportionately high in the neighborhood and the property was surrounded by a school bus lot, industrial plants and busy New York Avenue. The site had previously been considered for a charter school in 2011.

“I’m very happy that the residents have had an impact on the project in terms that the plan has been revised, there is more green space,” said Parisa Norouzi, executive director of Empower D.C. “However, the reality is, this is still a for-

profit, high-end development that will contribute to the gentrification of this neighborhood.”

One woman asked how equity plays into the decisions being made for this development.

McDuffie responded by saying he prioritizes the communities where development is occurring first. He envisions Ivy City residents being hired for construction of the project and hired by businesses that move into the new space, along with support for local entrepreneurs who would go on to hire more residents. “To me, that is the model we should be doing more.”

Matt Baker, the owner of the restaurant Gravitas, was positive about the development plan. Although it has not been a perfect process, he said his restaurant’s business is struggling to keep the doors open and he believes more residents and retail will help his business thrive.

Two women, also supportive of the revised development plan, said the community needed a place where they felt safe to walk around and that the minute details will fall into place as the project moves forward.

Brenda, a resident in Ivy City since 1965, said she has some concerns but ultimately would just would like to see something done with the place.

Next steps for the project will require the mayor’s office to review the legislation. If the executive office alters it significantly, there will be another community meeting. If not, the project will continue to move forward. When the bill was introduced in 2017, closure of the surrounding land was not expected until the first half of fiscal year 2024, but the school’s renovation could occur prior to that.

LEFT: Ward 5 Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie answered questions from the community.

RIGHT: Brenda has lived in Ivy City since she was 9 years old. BY RODNEY CHOICE // CHOICEPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

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NEWS

Council considers increased oversight for housing authority and housing production trust fund

BY NOAH TELERSKI noah.telerski@streetsensemedia.org

T

hree bills were introduced at the Feb. 5 D.C. Council meeting that are aimed at increasing transparency in the city’s public housing authority and within the awarding of funds for the development of more affordable housing.

One would revoke the D.C. Housing Authority’s status as an independent agency and place it under the jurisdiction of the mayor’s office and another would allow the council to appoint two members to the authority’s board. The third bill would mandate public reporting of who is awarded Housing Production Trust Fund grants and who else applied for the funding.

The D.C. Housing Authority Amendment Act of 2019 was introduced by eight councilmembers, a majority, including Chairman Phil Mendelson. The legislation was referred to the Committee on Housing and Neighborhood Revitalization.

Thomas Fazzini, a spokesperson for Ward 1 Councilmember Brianne Nadeau, who spearheaded the bill, wrote in a statement to Street Sense Media that the proposal was about increasing transparency within DCHA so it can better focus on its mission of housing those who need it.

“Bringing the agency under mayoral control will make it easier for Council to shed light on the Housing Authority’s practices, procedures and budget priorities and will allow Council to conduct more thorough oversight,” the statement read. “It will also make it easier to ensure DCHA and all the District’s other housing agencies and programs are working together from a shared set of goals and priorities to address the affordable housing crisis in the District.”

The Housing Authority Board of Commissioners Qualifications and Expansion Amendment Act of 2019, introduced by at-large Councilmember Anita Bonds, would allow the council to appoint two members to DCHA’s board, increasing its size from 11 to 13 members. The bill also adds the requirement that all members of the board have “knowledge of, and competence in” fields relating to public housing, development, or social services. The bill was sent to the Committee on Housing and Neighborhood Revitalization, chaired by Bonds.

Christine Goodman, spokesperson for DCHA, wrote in an email to Street Sense Media that the housing authority is open to the dialogue that will take place around these proposals. “DCHA has identified capital needs within its portfolio and is vigorously working toward a strategy that will improve the quality of life for our residents. While this proposed legislation is still in the early stages, we welcome the opportunity for an open discussion with all stakeholders,” Goodman wrote.

DCHA was first established by the District of Columbia Housing Authority Act of 1994 to replace the Department of Public and Assisted Housing, which was plagued by poor conditions and long waiting

lists and was eventually placed under third-party receivership by court order. A Washington Post report on the court’s decision from August 1994 includes the figure that only 19 percent of public housing units passed quality standard inspections in 1992.

D.C. Council replaced the department with DCHA in 1999. The authority’s board held an emergency meeting on Jan. 17 to address the poor conditions in their properties. The resolution they adopted notes that of the over 8,000 units under their management, 2,500 are in need of “extremely urgent” action and “further delay could imperil the health and safety of residents.” Over 4,000 more units are considered in “critical condition.”

At the same meeting, another piece of legislation aimed at increasing transparency was introduced, and would require the HPTF, which is managed by the Department of Housing and Community Development, to release information on the recipients of grants, as well as the others who applied for the funds.

After deciding who would receive a grant, DHCD would have five days to publicly identify the other applicants, the proposed location of the project, the number of proposed units and the income levels the project would serve, and the funds awarded. They would also need to include the underwriting and prioritization scores, which are based on a number of factors relating to the necessity and feasibility of a project. Competitive underwriting and prioritization scores are not currently reported by DHCD when a grant is awarded.

At-Large Councilmember Elissa Silverman introduced the bill. According to a press release on her website, Silverman hopes the bill will provide residents and District government a way to better assess where money is being spent.

“The legislation ensures District residents have transparency about how significant tax dollars are being spent, improves accountability for the Department of Housing and Community Development, and helps developers, advocates, and the D.C. Council better understand the funding decisions being made,” the release says.

In March 2018, the Office of the District of Columbia Auditor released a report recommending stronger oversight of the Housing Production Trust Fund and finding a number of issues with the handling of HPTF money.

“DHCD made inefficient use of the HPTF and federal funds by using uncertified developers, paying for ineligible activities, and lacking effective policies and procedures, which did not comply with HUD requirements,” the report says.

Ashley Fox, a spokesperson for Silverman, said the bill was intended to be an “accountability measure” so that taxpayers could see where city funds were being spent and to generally increase the transparency of the HPTF process.

Like the other two proposals, this bill was referred to the Committee on Housing and Neighborhood Revitalization to await a public hearing.

The Street Sense Media photography group set out to cover a weekend of demostrations on Jan. 18-20, including the March for Life, an Indigenous People’s Day march, and the Womens March

Protesters from the Womens March on Jan. 19 PHOTO BY: MARION HARRIS

March For Life Protesters Help a Homeless Man on Jan. 18 PHOTO BY: ANGIE WHITEHURST

A protester at the Womens March on Jan. 19 PHOTO BY: MARION HARRIS

STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG

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OUR VENDORS

The District ranks third in U.S. overdose deaths as D.C. council discusses plans to prevent more

BY JORDAN TOBIAS jordan.tobias@streetsensemedia.org

T

he National Institute on Drug Abuse reported in Bowser’s announcement comes after initial resistance from January that more than 130 people in the United both her office and MPD officials. MPD argued that naloxone States die every day due to an opioid overdose. training would be too expensive to justify.

Washington, D.C., ranks third in the country with “We need to talk about the District’s alarmingly slow response the highest rates of overdose deaths, according to to the opioid epidemic that has resulted in over 700 deaths since Ward 7 Councilmember Vincent Gray. On Jan. 28, it began in 2014,” Gray said at the hearing.

Gray, along with Ward 6 Councilmember Charles In 2017, the number of fatal opioid overdoses in the District Allen, held a joint hearing to discuss efforts to combat the city’s more than tripled from the past three years, to 279 deaths. Nearly opioid epidemic.

81 percent of deaths were among older African-American males The Committee on Health and the Committee on the Judiciary and roughly 20 percent had used heroin for more than 40 years, and Public Safety’s hearing came almost a month after Mayor according to city records.

Muriel Bowser and the D.C. Department of Behavioral Health The joint committee requested the presence of Bowser, announced a strategic plan aimed at halving opioid usage and Newsham, City Administrator Rashad Young, former Director of the deaths by 2020.

Department of Behavioral A group of 40 Health Tonya Royster, stakeholders organized by and former Deputy Mayor Bowser started working of Health and Human on the plan in October Services HyeSook Chung.

2017 after the Committee During his introduction, on Health introduced the Gray expressed his “Opioid Abuse Treatment disappointment in the Act of 2018” and the executives as none of them “Opioid Abuse Prevention attended the hearing. and Treatment Omnibus In addition to government Amendment Act of 2018” leadership, much of the in September 2017. The discussion at the roundtable draft plan was finalized by centered around the the end of February 2018. relationship between healthThe mayor’s proposal based providers in D.C. and includes strategies centered the city’s health and public around prevention, safety agencies. treatment, and recovery.

“A number of prominent The goals are to reduce core service agencies that legislative barriers to create offered substance abuse Witnesses testify about oioid addiction before the D.C. Council on Jan. 28. solutions to substance use services closed over the PHOTO BY JORDAN TOBIAS disorder, educate District past few years and there residents on opioid use disorders and treatment options, engage seems to be no urgency to fill that gap,” At-large Councilmember health professionals in the prevention and intervention of substance David Grosso said before testimonies were given. use, support the availability of harm reduction services in D.C., To achieve the goals of Long. Live. D.C., the plan relies on ensure timely access to recovery support services, develop a culture health care providers in the District. However, lawmakers at the of empathy for residents who encounter the criminal justice system, hearing called attention to providers being put out of business and developing law enforcement strategies that reduce the supply after not receiving timely payments from the Department of of illegal opioids in D.C. Behavioral Health.

Small focus groups were formed in March 2018 to spend a month Many people who showed up to testify requested funding developing how each of the seven goals would be implemented. for the Addiction Recovery Fund, which finances treatment Gray, chair of the council’s Committee on Health and Allen, services. Former Director of Addiction Prevention and Recovery chair of the Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety, Administration Tori Whitney noted that over the past few years both found fault with the plan, as it does not include equipping investment in the fund has declined.

Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) patrol officers with “The current opioid crisis is a symptom of a much larger naloxone, medication that can reverse opioid overdoses. problem that requires bold action and collective leadership.

However, Bowser announced a public health plan on Jan. 18 I recommend the council establishes a stand alone services that includes a purchase of 50,000 naloxone kits to give to MPD agency with a cabinet-level director,” Whitney said. “This would officers. Each kit will have two doses of naloxone nasal spray. strengthen the accountability of the system and would ensure Under the plan, patrol officers will be equipped with naloxone a singularly focused agency that provides leadership, zealous kits by the end of 2019. The kits will first be given to officers advocacy, and unconditional empathy for residents and their assigned to downtown D.C. and Ward 7 and 8, where opioid families coping with opioid addiction.” overdoses are most prevalent.

Carlton Johnson.

PHOTO BY ANN HERZOG

A recent outing to the National Gallery of Art.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS Sasha Williams

Featured in a “HEARTTHREADS” for her journey through homelessness and her work with the Street Sense Media film co-op.

ARTIST/VENDOR

Our stories, straight to your inbox Street Sense Media provides a vehicle through which all of us can learn about homelessness from those who have experienced it. Sign up for our newsletter to get our vendors' stories in your inbox.

www.StreetSenseMedia.org/newsletter

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NEWS

Longstanding local school is “homeless” and “on the Go-Go”

BY SARAH TASCONE Editorial Volunteer

W

hile seeking a new home, the acclaimed Children’s Studio School has been taking its innovative classes on location so low-income and homeless children can learn in their own neighborhoods. Founder Marcia McDonell refers to the current state of the engagement as “Studio School on the Go-Go,” in celebration of D.C.’s cultural history embodied by musician Chuck Brown.

McDonell started the school 42 years ago to empower disadvantaged children, using a curriculum where they develop their minds by solving problems. Because homeless children are particularly at risk for underperforming and dropping out of school, the persistence of this program, which has had to change locations a few times over the years, is a blessing, according to one parent.

The school has been recognized for the accomplishments of its students. After the BP oil spill in 2010, a group of students created a prototype for a machine that would separate oil from water, with the second purpose of generating fresh water for Haiti, which was suffering a cholera outbreak from water contaminated as a result of after an earthquake. They presented the invention to the D.C. Council to gain support for the school, an exchange that was videotaped for public record.

The kids were impressively articulate and self-confident when describing it to councilmembers, who gushed with praise.

And in 1993, National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Livingston Biddle lauded the school for providing “such experimentation, such critical selective thought so evident in both process and product.”

Parents attested to their children’s progress. Molly Bryant, the mother of a boy labeled a “problem child,” wrote in a letter to the editor of Washington City Paper in 2001 that in the

Students get the chance to be involved in projects unavailable to them at other schools. PHOTOS COURTESY STUDIO SCHOOL

three years her son was enrolled, he had grown academically, emotionally and artistically. “At Studio School, every child can succeed because every child is an artist,” she wrote.

McDonell’s “Arts as Education” pedagogy has been nationally-recognized for creative excellence since the 1970s.

The approach is designed to engage a child’s intuition when it is most unfettered — around age two or three — to develop an analytical thought process. On a practical level, this means children are presented with a real-life problem, national or local, encouraged to brainstorm a solution, apply the solution, critique its feasibility and conduct an analysis. In 1996, the Washington, D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities found the students at the Studio School were “achieving academically at a much higher level than children at other schools,” and were more engaged and self-disciplined. In the 1990s the school partnered with the D.C. Public School System.

Brandi Redo, mother to Solomon, one of the boys who presented the BP oil spill project to D.C. Council, also taught health and wellness at the school for 10 years.

“It was a very magical place. I was in love with the studio philosophy. I wish I had a school like that when I was growing up,” Redo said.

Redo said she would have benefi ted from the school’s hands-on approach, saying that, like some children, she was always doodling or sketching to stay “present.” Because the program channeled children’s energy, she felt it could be ideal for children with ADD. She and her students developed the Bathtub Garden, an ecofriendly project made of painted antique tubs inspired by a child’s suggestion on how to avoid rotting wooden planters — “bathtubs have drains.” Redo said that merging science and art accelerated the learning process.

Students at Studio School spend much of their time learning through hands-on activities designed to enagge their curiosity and encourage critical thinking. PHOTO COURTESY STUDIO SCHOOL

Solomon, now 16, transferred to public school in third grade.

He had difficulty taking tests so he had to retake the entrance exam. The Studio School prepared him over a few weeks and the teacher was amazed at how much his scores improved.

Redo also said that presenting to D.C. Council developed his talent for public speaking. This year he is taking courses in calculus and biomedical engineering in preparation for college.

McDonell said she has always been amazed at what the students and artist-teachers were able to accomplish together. Many were volunteers recruited from universities, yet had the ability to engage 3-year-olds about inquiry and investigative research.

Kids use the same process of hypothesis, experimentation, critique and analysis as grad students, McDonell said.

Some of the more celebrated guest artist-teachers have been painter Sam Gilliam, whose work hangs on McDonell’s walls, and actor Danny Glover. The local architects who taught there were especially influential, because the hands-on process of building things in three-dimensional space is easily transferable to children.

An architectural magazine published through the University of Illinois, CRIT, included a feature on the school in Fall of 1993.

Guests at the school also include local artists such as spoken word poet Uptown Shayne, who performed during a recent school session in Southeast, D.C. Shayne was moved when she performed a poem about Harriet Tubman and a little girl spontaneously stepped up and collaborated with her.

“There was this energy of just being yourself and it was on fire,” Shayne said. “You didn’t have to put on a mask because the kids can see through that anyway.”

Another part of the Children’s Studio’s mission is to raise social awareness in kids, including the experience of homelessness. Last fall Children’s Studio on the Go-Go partnered with the Housing On Merit program at Fort Chaplin Park, an affordable housing community in Maryland, to bring afterschool art sessions to children that dealt with the experience of homelessness.

The pop-up program has also partnered with Children of Mine in the Anacostia neighborhood.

According to a 2016 study by the Institute for Children, Poverty and Homelessness, 16 percent of middle school students who didn’t score proficient on state achievement tests eventually dropped out of school, compared with 4 percent who did score proficient. Among homeless children, 24 percent who did not score proficient would drop out.

McDonell is concerned that the gentrification affecting neighborhoods like Shaw could spread to Anacostia, increasing displacement and homelessness. For this reason, she prefers Anacostia for a permanent site, and is optimistic about bringing a positive outcome to families there .

“Homelessness is one of Marcia’s big passions, so that is one issue that kids would focus on solving,” Redo said.

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ART

Artist/Vendor Ron Dudley poses for a photo in front of the Trader Joe’s at 14th and U streets NW. PHOTO BY BENJAMIN BURGESS KSTREETPHOTGRAPHYDC.COM

Trader Joe’s

BY RONALD DUDLEY, a.k.a. “POOKANU” Artist/Vendor

I'm by the number one store With the craziest doors I'm by the number one store With the craziest doors Trader joe's is the number one store Food for thought: Bread and water fed the whole village Soap and water gave us clean children God gave us light Then he gave us Trader Joe’s

COLLAGES BY SYBIL TAYLOR

Four years remembering my father

BY SYBIL TAYLOR Artist/Vendor

On Feb. 20, 2015, my father passed away peacefully in the morning. My two sisters and mom had fixed him breakfast before he took his last breath.

He was the best husband to my mom, the best father, the best grandpa. He always worked hard to earn his money and he never backed down from helping anybody.

Even as a child, he helped support his family by working as a newsboy for The Washington Daily News. He loved real estate, gardening, sports, and cooking.

He was so good at all things.

We all miss you, Dad. One day, we will see you again. All loving memories.

The pain he suffered was so upsetting and hard to go through. He prayed and said to God that he was ready to come home. He was tired of the cancer pain, day and night. Nobody knew how badly he felt except for God, who heard his cries for help every day.

Dad had something to look forward to: He was going home, forever. No pain ever again. He looked very good at the funeral, and I believe he was guided by all the angels on the way to Heaven. He has been resting in peace ever since.

He will remain special to us, always. We visit his grave site every year on that day he finally left us, and on his birthday, July 22.

We all love you and cherish you and miss you, Dad. Glad you got your wings!

Who else you know With famous people on the payroll?

Got celebrities loving their job It don’t matter what you do Just keep working hard Stay true as you can Never let this world Define you as a man Stay humble, keep speakin’ Say “good morning” — You could be dead by this evening

I just wanna say thanks For the love I receive And that hug that you gave me Made me wanna breathe Made me wanna believe.

God, I wish we had a Trader Joe’s on my street But for now I'm sure I'm by the number one store With the craziest door I was out there on the coldest day ever Can't underestimate the weather I saw the wind lift a house and a truck I'mma layer up But that could never be enough I got courage, I'm brave But before I get to brave, here I pray That every ray from the sun keep me warm Keep me warm, keep me warm ‘til I'm done Thanks for the hot chocolate, coffee, and tea Thanks for food and water you've given to me Thanks for your support I love the government Still the shutdown let me know That the government real I hope Trump and Pelosi Can meet in the middle Not a wall but a border, what is the issue?

That's why we love Trader Joe’s So many positive people They got a positive flow We don't even shop at Yes! Organic no more And Whole Foods is too expensive for the poor

Even when the government close We still go to Traders Joe’s Street politics keep us up on our toes Thanks for the info; What's the 4-1-1?

Yes, I am the one that told you, “Put down the guns” We building up communities now Ain't no racism in this town

I need a positive place Where everybody working With a smile on their face Where everybody care About each other at work Keep each other safe And put the customers first

1914 14th St. NW, that's the location When you feel stress and need a street vacation Take you a walk to the nearest Traders A hug is what she needed, so a hug I gave her Cause I be outside on the coldest days But they show me love in the warmest ways At Trader Joe's

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OPINION

The Cleanup Zone: NoMa’s encampments and the battle over public space

BY AARON HOWE

When asked why the tent encampments in NoMa are evicted every two weeks, Sean Berry, communications director for the Office of the Deputy Mayor of Health and Human Services (DMHHS) said that the District does not evict the homeless but rather promotes the “health and safety of all District residents, especially those experiencing homelessness.” As part of my Ph.D. research, I have been visiting D.C. encampments since the summer of 2018 and have observed 14 “cleanups” in the NoMa area alone.

Cleanups, from what I have observed, are not for the health and safety of all D.C. residents; instead, they are violent. Not only do these evictions cost the city thousands of dollars, they also disrupt the daily lives of homeless individuals which makes it harder for them to take the steps needed to exit homelessness.

On Jan. 3, the residents of NoMa’s tent encampments were once again forced to move all their belongings outside the cleanup “zone.” I went to help and observe.

The zone is marked by dozens of white and red signs that state the date and time of the next eviction.

Belongings left in the zone, regardless of an individual’s mental or physical health, or prior commitments such as

work or court appearances, are subject to disposal. For the homeless, whose entire material possessions are often stored in these zones, this reoccurring process is a source of mental and physical stress.

Evictions generally begin at 10 a.m., but by 9:20 a.m., many homeless residents were already moving their belongings outside the cleanup zone at the K Street NE underpass or “the tunnel.” The zone’s boundaries had expanded, too. After we had moved two large bags of clothing and blankets to a ledge on the corner of K and 2nd Street, a representative from DMHHS told us we could not put our stuff there, pointing to a recently posted sign that indicated we were in a nowlarger cleanup zone.

“I used to feel ashamed about all this,” a friend who lives at the encampment told me, as we passed police stationed for the eviction, “then, intimidated.”

They continued, “Now I don’t feel nothing man, this is harassment, plain and simple.” Although I did not feel the same level of emotional distress as my friend, I was exhausted from moving encampment belongings and constantly avoiding stepping into the traffic so close by.

At 9:50 a.m., people began to get tense, trying to figure

Not only do these evictions cost the city thousands of dollars, they also disrupt the daily lives of homeless individuals which makes it harder for them to take the steps needed to exit homelessness.

out what to move and what to abandon. At 10:03 a.m., we made our last trip. My arms, legs, back, neck, fingers and head ached. As we sat and waited for the cleanup to be over, the exhaustion and pain intensified.

The cleanup crew left at 12:45 p.m. and the tents were set back up. I noticed that the area didn’t look much different than when I’d arrived that morning.

“It’s not like we come to their homes and force them to move all their stuff to the sidewalk,” my friend said before I left. “It’s just ridiculous, it don’t make sense.

They say they is helping us, but all they are doing is making us mad and wearing us out. I just don’t get it.”

Later, the Jan. 17 eviction, as well as the one rescheduled for Jan. 24, would both be canceled due to the weather.

Without forcing people to move their stuff, city workers simply came through and collected trash, showing that less destructive alternatives are possible. Indeed, my fieldnotes contain numerous observations of encampment residents sweeping their areas and removing trash, a sign that they too desire clean and safe living spaces.

Clean and safe public spaces ought to be a priority, but must it come with such a heavy price tag? It’s not only the thousands of dollars spent, but also the mental, social and physical health of our homeless residents that suggest we can do better. More trash cans or public restrooms make more sense than cleanups. Affordable apartments would be even better.

Aaron Howe is a PhD candidate at American University in the Anthropology Department. Their research focuses on homelessness, housing, and development in Washington D.C. They can be reached at ah3399a@american.edu

Empty streets

BY GWYNETTE SMITH

During the government shutdown, the streets seemed empty. Many government employees stayed inside, trying to figure out how to pay their bills since their checks would not be issued. I did not sell any papers.

The shutdown caused a lot of concern for business and government employees. The federal workers, who might not get paid on time, thought they would have to pay late fees for bills that would become overdue. Many may have feared eviction. Their confidence in the government was substantially shaken.

The reason for the shutdown is probably sound. No one is going to respect a country that can be illegally manipulated. American citizens must be protected, knowing who is living here and for what reason.

There will always be illegal aliens here, but fences could keep the country from being overrun with them and thereby protect the jobs of those who are here legally.

Even with fences, people who really wanted to come to the United States could come through Canada, use false identification to board a plane or ship, or dig a tunnel. People who were determined would still come, but a wall could reduce the problem.

A lot of positive things are happening here in the United States. Women and minorities are getting jobs. Our economy is strong and there are programs to help the elderly with mortgage payments and credit card debt.

Still, future shutdowns should include a budget for the period of the projected shutdown.

It would have been better to have extended the budget through March so that all employees could have been secure, knowing that they would have money for their needs--including food and medicines--during the shutdown.

Gwynette Smith is an artist and vendor with Street Sense Media.

Capital Area Food Bank lends a hand during the shutdown. PHOTO BY ANTHONY CARNEY

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The mayor and park police are mishandling homeless encampments

BY PATRICK GEIGER

Homeless encampments have been a contentious issue in D.C. ever since Mayor Muriel Bowser’s administration began aggressively carrying out encampment “cleanups.” But these cleanups have done little to address the root causes of homelessness. Despite the city repeatedly forcing people experiencing homeless to vacate the temporary homes and communities they had created, encampments continue to pop up in the city, often in or near the same places they were before the cleanups.

People choose to encamp mainly because of their reluctance to use the city’s emergency shelter system. Ask any homeless individual in D.C. why they avoid the shelters, and the answers will be the same: theft, unsanitary conditions, a lack of privacy and dehumanizing rules that limit their personal freedom.

Th e F o g g y B o t t o m a n d N o M a neighborhoods in particular have been home to more or less permanent encampments since 2014. These neighborhoods offer several strategic advantages for the homeless populations that choose to live there: proximity to important services and public bathrooms; natural shelter provided by bridges and trees; and high levels of pedestrians, who provide donations to campers.

Both areas give D.C.’s homeless population their best chance at survival. There, on city land, encampment cleanups are carried out by the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services and are subject to the District’s Protocol for the Disposition of Property Found on Public Space and Outreach

Day of cleanup at NoMa encampment in Feb. 2019. PHOTO BY AARON RAUBVOGEL

to Displaced Persons. The protocol is certainly not perfect, and neither is the city’s compliance with it. Indeed, there is currently a class-action lawsuit against the District which alleges that encampment clearings have violated the Fourth Amendment and that the city has improperly destroyed essential personal belongings, including tents, identification documents, and medications during cleanups.

But it’s clear D.C.’s homeless would rather deal with the city than with the federal government.

The National Park Service, not the city, polices some of the city’s most centrally located, naturally sheltered, and bathroom-

accessible locations—i.e. prime encampment locations—like the National Mall. Park Service regulations state that camping is only permitted in designated areas, none of which are present on the Mall or in the myriad of other small National Park units scattered throughout the city, such as Farragut and McPherson Squares.

Park Police are not subject to the same protocol as the city; they can act quickly and without warning or oversight. Street Sense has documented examples of campers who’ve lost their property or had it discarded

by Park Police.

The National Mall, then, despite being a

symbol of freedom and democracy, cannot be used by people experiencing homelessness in an attempt to meet their basic survival needs.

Forcibly clearing encampments is counterproductive, costs the city thousands of dollars every year and is tantamount to the criminalization of homelessness. The National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty has identified more constructive ways of dealing with homeless encampments in reports like “Housing not Handcuffs: Ending the Criminalization of Homelessness in U.S. Cities” and “Tent City, USA.” At minimum, the city should develop policies that allow for the cleaning of public spaces without displacing the homeless population that lives there. One potential solution? The city could designate areas for lawful encampments and ensure those areas are serviced with appropriate toilets, trash removal and protection from harassment.

U.S. cities like Oakland, Seattle and Tacoma, Washington have already put in place sanctioned encampments.

Permanent housing, of course, is the ultimate goal. One study in central Florida found that providing chronically homeless people with permanent housing cost less than half of what the area spent on law enforcement and health care for its homeless population. Instead of playing a costly cat-and-mouse game with encampment residents, let’s find a solution— one that could save the city money, too.

Patrick Geiger is a graduate student in geography at The George Washington University. He can be reached at dcencampments@gmail.com

The moral crusaders and the lynch mob mentality

BY JEFFERY MCNEIL

I didn't favor calling for Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam to resign. Being African American, I was appalled seeing a sitting governor in a photo wearing blackface next to a person dressed up as a Klansman. However, the Christian in me didn't want to seek revenge or enact punishment but to forgive those that once engaged in white supremacy. This isn’t because I believe racism has in any way subsided but because I learned resentments make you just as vicious and ugly as the people you loathe.

It’s not good for my long-term sanity to be aggrieved about things that occured before I was born. My ancestors died so I can take advantage of the opportunities that are presented — not to relitigate Robert E. Lee. Slavery is America’s original sin and whether on earth or in heaven, those that engaged in evil will be judged by how they treated the less fortunate.

The reason Social Justice Warriors want Northam to resign is not because of these photos. They want Northam to resign because he isn’t virtue-signalling or having a flowery display of

white guilt over his past conduct. What equally enrages these crusaders is that the masses are not running around hysterical over Northam's past behavior.

While these crusaders want to purge everyone who's ever done something racist or made inflammatory statements, they can’t see their own hypocrisy. It’s an open secret in Democratic circles that no Democratic politician, white or black, can expect to win black support unless they kiss the ring of racial instigators such as Al Sharpton, who once referred to the Jews as “diamond merchants" and started a pogrom against them known as the Crown Heights riots. When he ran for president in 1984, Jesse Jackson called New York City “Hymie Town" and Louis Farrakhan claimed “Hitler was a great man”, referring to the Jews as termites.

For African Americans, it's drummed into you that the white man is the devil and conservatives are racist. However, recent polls show 60 percent

It’s not good for my long-term sanity to be aggrieved about things that occured before I was born.

of African Americans want Governor Northam to remain in office. Many African Americans see right through white progressives using race to keep America divided and polarized.

If Americans are supposed to be morally outraged over racist photos of Northam, then we should be equally outraged over our newest members of Congress who attacked Israel and made inflammatory statements against Jews.

If we keep going down this path of allowing social justice crusaders to purge people from office based on things they did before becoming elected, how can our government function? If any person from either party will be met with partisan investigations, lawsuits, and even face jail time, how can they govern?

Jeffery McNeil is a Street Sense Media vendor and artist who also writes for the Washington Examiner.

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ART

My Name is Moyo, Part 6: I bear witness to the shadow of the gallows

BY MOYO ONIBUJE // Artist/Vendor

In the tradition of one of the greatest storytellers and historians America has ever produced, Alex Haley, I continue this series retracing my life, by popular demand…

My mother was born in Germany in 1939, the year the war broke out. She once told me she remembered American soldiers handing out chocolates to her in 1945 as they liberated Hanover where her wealthy family lived.

She was worldly. By the time she was 16, she had already travelled over the majority of Europe. Fast forward to when I came along, and both her library and art collection were extensive. She had prints from the greatest artists that had lived over the last 500 years: a Rubens, all the Dutch masters, a famous Madonna (Virgin Mary), and what seemed like every other artistic depiction of the faith of the Europeans.

But none of this saved her from anti-German sentiment when she moved to Nigeria to be with my father, who she met in England. He was a Nigerian customs officer at the time and every Nigerian called her despicable names like “Hitler,” “Nazi,” “German,” or “White woman.”

I probably understood this dynamic earlier, but I have a very clear memory of being about12 years old and asking “Mamma, what’s with this jibe?” It really hurt me to witness how my mother was treated and to feel that harsh judgement from our community.

She told me then that Nigerians’ perception of Germans were shallowly influenced by the sale of World War II movies to Nigeria from Britain. Any German was called “Hitler.” I’ll never forget it.

However, as I’ve written about previously, there were a lot of wonderful things about growing up where I did.

One of them was our pet monkey, Rusty.

Dad went on to become an engineer. And in the late ‘70s, he was asked to do some work where Africa’s two greatest rivers meet, the Niger and the Benue. While there, he was approached by some boys with this tiny monkey, no more than two feet tall. It had a rusty face that looked almost human, and reminded Dad of Fela Kuti’s “Monkey Banana” record. “I’ll take it home to Moyo,” he thought.

Coincidentally it was this monkey that got me close to Fela’s son, Femi Kuti. Fela was a musician and human rights activist adored by many (except for those in power at the time) and his birth place is now a national landmark. Femi is his eldest son and a world-renowned musician in his own right. Back then, it didn’t take me and Femi long to compose a song for the monkey. “Rusty konkle, konkle little Rusty!”

He was a star. Everyone in our community called him, “Obo la gi do-,” (monkey that can jump). Rusty’s tricks were hanging off the roof by his tail, dancing, and walking.

He also clicked his tongue as a warning sign of danger, something I still do when I am around wildlife like squirrels, etc. Even the local paper had a story about the German woman who had a monkey that was the talk of the town.

Mum was an arts and crafts teacher at a Lebanese community school, the only school in the whole country that taught Caucasians at the time. She taught the likes of presidents’ children, including the only president on Nigerian currency today, Murtala Mohammed.

One day when she came home from teaching, our monkey was missing. She asked the neighbors if they had seen anything and one of them said Rusty was stolen by a hunter down the street who put him in a bag and

was going to cook him for supper!

Mum ran, hailed a taxi, and sped to the house the neighbor described. It was at the entrance of the forest. The way she told it, the hunter had cut patches in poor Rusty and was about to drop him in the pot. Cannibalism, I call it.

“No, not my favorite son Moyo’s pet monkey!” she yelled. “Give him back!”

The hunter pulled his gun, but Mum batted it out his hand with her handbag. She rescued Rusty and cuddled him with tears in her eyes. She called her friends at the German embassy and located a vet, as there were only a few in the country at the time.

The vet told Mum that Rusty was about dead. “How much?” was all she said. The vet said Rusty would need 14 bandages, crutches, antibiotics, and surgery. In today’s currency, she paid about $20,000 (rougly 1.5 million Nigerian naira). For the next three months, she bathed, cuddled, and nursed Rusty back to health. Every day she found him after work and rocked him in her lap, saying “You’ll make it, Rusty, just hold on.”

I’ll never forget seeing that kind of love and dedication. Nevertheless, I was deeply affected by what had happened. My grades and relationships suffered. Not that I connected these things at the time.

Decades later, while working on “The Green Bandit” truck disposing of declassified documents here in D.C., my boss said I had 20 boxes with thousands of files to pick up from the veterans department. Highly sensitive material. “Take them to the shredders and don’t leave till every document is shredded,” he said.

However, they hadn’t told the VA security we were coming. When I got there with my co-worker, security trained their guns on us on the loading dock. It was all I could do to pull out the letter I was told to give them for clearance to move the boxes. That satisfied the security folks whilst I thanked God for my life being saved.

I proceeded to open the boxes to make sure there were no flammable materials or poisons inside. They were full of applications for post-traumatic stress disorder benefits. This was not shocking, until I saw the multitude of causes listed as possibly contributing to this condition.

Sights and sounds, feeling deprecation, cultural identity, memory contradictions, witnessing horrific acts...

I was stunned. PTSD didn't necessarily have to be shell shock?

Some of the things I read on those lists described exactly what I’d been feeling throughout my life. From seeing my mother being called Hitler at a young age to my pet being cut open and almost cooked alive, to navigating homelessness, to being wrongfully imprisoned, to having a gun trained on me that very day. Those traumas and others affected me. My memories are still constantly battling my cultural identity.

And those feelings spiral. I’ve always been physically, emotionally, and spiritually sound. But when doubts or deficiencies in those areas came into play, it led me to further question myself and develop an inferiority complex. But now, by happenstance, I had learned it was okay to admit that. And you could get help.

To be continued. Next time I will be looking at my work with Voice of America, “The Black President,” Fela Kuti, moving in opposite my home, and the FBI citizenship academy.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CHON GOTTI

Take time for what you have

BY CHON GOTTI Artist/Vendor

As an entrepreneur, I have come to the realization that “some will, some won’t — so what?” The real fact of the matter is, we don’t know what tomorrow will bring. The only thing we really have is right now.

So, don’t stay mad too long. Learn to forgive and love with all your heart. Live everyday of your life the way you want to live it. Don’t worry about people who don’t like you. They have thier own troubles and battles to deal with. Just inhale and exhale the beautiful air that surrounds you, showing commitment and love to the ones who love you.

Help us weather the weather

BY HENRY JOHNSON Artist/Vendo

Make sure you know the weather before you go out in it! Many ways exist to receive alerts about severe conditions such as storms, tornado warnings and hurricanes.

But the homeless are less able to receive this information because we don't have the same access to the internet. So we need more places where we can learn about these important facts.

We know the District's hypothermia alert occurs when it is 32 degrees Fahrenheit and the summer equivalent for hyperthermia alerts is 95 degrees Fahrenheit. But we often have to wait for other valuable weather news. So maybe there is a way in which the District can put up more public information displays. If that happens, we won't be surprised by the next powerful storm.

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THE HOBO: Black Fields admits,

“I WAS BAKED BY PILLZbury!!!”

BY DUANE FOSTER // Artist/Vendor

T

he various plights of society had Black Fields overwhelmed and he was finding it hard to cope. “I CAN’T TAKE ‘DIS (bleep!) NO MORE!” he shrieked.

He dug into his pocket for the prescription bottle he carried around for occasions when he just couldn’t bear the pressures he perceived himself to be experiencing. “It’z time fo’a chill pill.”

The bottle rattled as he removed it from his jacket pocket. He noticed there were only three pills left. Medicaid would only cover one prescription a month.

“GOD(bleep!)” he huffed.

Black met monthly with his psychiatrist at an agency called Community Connections on Pennsylvania Ave., SE. He was involved with a program for returning citizens. With the help of Dr. Palazzo, Black had been able to experiment with a number of psychiatric medications.

The first one he was prescribed was Remeron. He enjoyed the mild sedation initially and was really pleased with the effects when he drank a 22 oz. Steel Reserve behind a couple of pills. “This ain’t half bad – especially fa’ free,” he thought.

However, Black noticed something wasn’t the same when he awakened the next day. He couldn’t remember much from the previous day or what he had planned for that day. He also felt much more anxiety and shame than normal.

It took him two days to get up the nerve to interact with others. If it wasn’t for his need to satisfy his habits and addictions, he’d still be hiding in the back of the library. The last thing he needed was agoraphobia.

“Doc’ – this here ain’t right!” Black pleaded.

So Dr. Palazzo took him off Remeron, and prescribed Seroquel.

That night he took a Seroquel, then drunk a 24oz. Bud Ice. Over the course of 20 minutes, he gradually slipped into sedation. He was all smiles as his body relaxed and his mind began to feel at ease.

Then, BAM! As if he had been hit by a Mack truck, Black’s vision suddenly blurred and he began to feel warm. His body stiffened and he couldn’t move. His breathing was constricted, and an eruption of stomach acid filled the back of his throat. He began to think death was imminent. “OH LAWD!” he squealed through clinched teeth.

Black had always envisioned dying in a flurry of bullets or by a blade to the heart. Overdosing on medication was not an honorable way to die.

“Please God – DON’T DO ME LIKE THIS!” he pleaded.

Eventually, the effects subsided and he fell into a coma-like sleep. When he awakened, he felt drugged. All day he was sluggish, irritable, and could barely keep his eyes open. Coffee

Hope and Pray

BY REGGIE JONES // Artist/Vendor

wasn’t strong enough to eradicate the effects fill. He tried to move for the restroom but couldn’t of Seroquel. In order to feel normal again, he steady his legs. He dropped back down on the turned to his usual drug of choice – PCP. sofa. Then, SPLASH! “Wat ‘da (bleep!) wuz ‘dat you gave me?!”

Cornbread jumped and hollered to Tim, “OH he challenged the psychiatrist upon their next (bleep!) MOE! ‘DA (bleep!) DONE PISSED meeting. “This (bleep!) like street drugs.

ALL OVER HISSELF AND YOUR COUCH! Maybe worse.”

HE GOT TO GO!” Dr. Palazzo just smiled. “Did you find the Black was unconscious when they drug him medication too strong?” out into the hallway. After a few minutes of They began to move from prescription to debate, the two decided to make an anonymous the next. Combined with alcohol, marijuana, 911 call. “We don’t live here ‘n we don’t kno’ and PCP, the side effects were vicious: blurred who he iz. The (bleep!) jus’ laid out like he vision, impotence, dizziness, confusion, dead. He need help. N’ we gonna be gone when constipation, irregular heartbeat, sweating and you git here.” CLICK! fevers, skin rashes, and white patches and sores When Black awakened, he was catheterized in his mouth and on his lips. and strapped to a gurney. “What the (bleep!)?”

“Doc – I don’t think medication can solve he asked himself. my problems. I got more problems now than Eventually, he was diagnosed with tardive before,” wailed Black. dyskinesia. The emergency room doctor strongly “You have to give the medication time. It admonished him when it was discovered he had doesn’t work overnight,” Palazzo replied. mixed PCP and Thorazine. “Are you crazy? You Black found the psychiatrist’s demeanor don’t do those two things together. You’re gonna suspicious. As he looked around the office, he kill yourself if you try that too many times,” the couldn’t help but to notice doctor frowned. all the promotional materials After this episode, Palazzo “Doc – I don’t from different pharmaceutical decided to prescribe Oxcarbazepine, think medication which quickly became Black’s companies. “’Dis killa’ on ‘da payroll,” he mused. psych-med of choice. To him, can solve my Palazzo pulled out his t h e e ff e c t s w e r e s i m i l a r t o notepad and asked, “So smoking high-grade marijuana. problems.” what’s going on with you?”

He was able to put all of his Black discussed his problems into perspective when thoughts of suicide, homicide, taking this medication. failure, being ostracized, the dark place he was The only drawback was the effects weren’t in, Revelation and the New Testament, and the long lasting – a few hours at best. So, he tended side effects he experienced from the various to take several a day, instead of just the one medications. The psychiatrist listened, took that he was prescribed. His ration rarely lasted notes, and offered a casual word here and there. beyond the second week of the month.

“Let’s try something different,” said Palazzo.

About a half-hour passed since he’d popped A prescription for Thorazine was written. Black a pill and his trepidation had subsided. He knew was instructed to stick close to a safe resting the Oxcarbazepine was working its magic. For place when taking this medication. a short while, he’d have no worries.

“Okay,” he nodded.

Then his phone rang. He pulled it from Later that day, he was hanging out over Tim’s his pocket and saw his mother’s number on apartment with another acquaintance, Cornbread. the screen. Midday was an awkward time for He began to feel antsy, so he figured he’d pop her to call and he felt inconvenienced by the a pill. “This a safe enough place,” he thought. timing. “What could she possibly want right Being that Thorazine is a sedative and PCP is a now?” he scowled. stimulant, he hoped they would cancel each other “Hello – wussup ma’?” out. This would turn out to be a bad decision.

He could hear her breathing deeply as she About 30 minutes later, the three of them had took a moment to gather her thoughts. “Baby, I almost finished smoking the second dipper and just got back from the doctor... The mammogram Black was telling them about the food at Ooh’s showed two tumors. I might have cancer...” & Aahh’s on U Street. Black was midsentence The effects of the pill totally vanished and when Cornbread interrupted, “Man, you full-scale panic set in. “WHAT THE (bleep!) smacked, ‘cause you slurrin’.”

AM I GONNA DO NOW?!” Black fretted.

Cornbread looked again and said, “You He knew that life would never be the same... droolin’ and (bleep!). Your face look stuck.

To be continued. This is an excerpt of LOOK LIKE YOU HAVIN’ STROKE!” Duane Foster’s manuscript “The Black Fields Black suddenly experienced cramping Chronicles: THE HOBO.” You can read the entire sensations in his limbs. Then he began trembling series at www.streetsensemedia.org/duane-foster uncontrollably and his bladder seemed to quickly

Hey world How you doing today?

Hope today be a good day, For us all Then in the evening, We may have a ball Just remember to never fall, As God depends upon us all Amen.

Celebrating Black history

BY EVELYN NNAM // Artist/Vendor

Black History is very special and vital to U.S. history. Recognition and acceptance of AfricanAmerican culture, heritage, people and leaders is something worth celebrating and enjoying.

Throughout history there have been so many people fighting for equal rights and leading the example of being anything the African American race can be.

Remembering and honoring the greats that changed history for all is wonderful. And having an entire museum full of Black culture and history on the National Mall is heart-warming. I hope the younger generation is looking up to the people memorialized by statues and plaques, to honor and remember what our great African-American people have done and to carry their legacy ever forward.

Having this history highlighted for an entire month is something that has come a long way from how Black people have been treated in this country. There may be a long way to go, but this shows that we fought, prayed and worked hard to come this far — to be heard and never be forgotten.

Thank you and Happy Black History Month!

1 4 // S T R E E T S E N S E M E D I A // F E B . 2 0 - M A R C H 5, 2019

FUN & GAMES Sudoku #2

Super-Tough Sudoku by KrazyDad, Volume 1, Book 1

6 7 2

2 8 1 3

5 7 8 scratch area

1 5 6 3

9

Answers

SUDOKU: Fill in the blank squares so that each row, each column and each 3-by-3 block contain all of the digits 1-9.

LAST EDITION’S PUZZLE SOLUTION >>

BY REV. JOHN LITTLEJOHN // Artist/Vendor

© 2013 KrazyDad.com

Sudoku #1 4 2 6 9 8 1 3 7 7 9 5 8 9 3 8 2 2 5 4 1 1 6 7 4 3 7 2 5 6 4 9 3 5 8 1 6

3 5 2 4 1 6 5 7 6 8 9 3 4 1 8 2 7 9

Sudoku #3 3 4 5 6 2 6 8 7 7 1 9 5 6 9 3 1 4 8 2 9 1 5 7 4 8 7 4 2 5 2 1 3 9 3 6 8

1 7 8 2 3 4 9 5 1 2 8 3 6 4 7 2 5 4 8 6 5 1 3 7 8 3 2 9 6 5 9 6 1 3 4 6 8 7 9 1 7 4 2 5

Sudoku #5 5 7 4 9 8 1 3 7 2 9 6 5 7 3 5 4 9 4 8 6 6 2 1 8

8 1 7 6 9 5 2 4 3 1 6 4 3 7 9 5 2 8 9 8 6 7 5 1 4 3 2

9

3 1 6 8 2 6 4 9 8 4 7 3 1 2 9 6 5 3 1 2 7 9 3 5 1 5 9 3 4 8 2 7 4 6 7 2 9 5 8 1 3 8 2 1 6 7 5 4

2 5 1 8

7 4 6 3 9

Sudoku #7 6 9 8 2 5 4 3 1 7 7 1 5 9 6 3 8 4 2

What is fear? One definition is an unpleasant, often strong whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life, of emotion caused by expectations or awareness of danger. whom shall I be afraid?” Psalm 27:3 says, “Though a host The Holy Bible talks about fear. The book of Timothy should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; Though 2-1:7 says, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, war arise against me, In spite of this I shall be confident.” but of power and of love, and of a sound mind.”

Nearly every time an angel appears in the Holy Bible, Fear comes in without permission. And when it comes the first words he says are, “Do not be afraid.” Little does, wit often comes “on the job.” It even comes into the wonder when the supernatural makes contact with the homeless shelters and outreach organizations. It comes planet earth, it usually leaves the human observer flat on into your and my mind and body and heart and strength. It their faces in catatonic fear. paints a picture of hopelessness and helplessness. It steals But the book of Luke talks of God making an appearance our joy, thankfulness, peace, caring and sharing, love and on earth in a form that does not frighten. This form that trust. It steals our togetherness. The list goes on and on. does not frighten is Jesus! Born in a barn and laid in a It even breaks our concentration. To conquer the fear of feeding trough, God finds at last a mode of approach that homeless issues, we must stay confident. We must have we need not fear. courage, trust, love, and unity to fight this fear.

What could be less scary than a newborn baby? Puzzled The Bible talks about fear once again. Psalm 23:4 says skeptics stalked Jesus throughout his ministry. How could “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of a baby in Bethlehem, a carpenter’s son, be the Messiah death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me; thy rod and from God? But a group of shepherds in a field had no thy staff, they comfort me.” doubt about who he was, for they heard the message of Super-Tough Sudoku KrazyDad, Volume 1, Book 1 omens straight from the angel.

What are we fearful about?by Usually “loss.” Afraid to lose a good job, to lose a sense of security.

Why did God take on a human form? The Bible gives Sudoku #2To lose people or possessions.

We are also fearful about the “past,” the “present,” and many reasons, some densely theological and some quite 4 9concerned 1 6 2 7 the5 safety 8 and the “future.” We 3 are even about practical. But the scene of Jesus as an adolescent, lecturing 3 countries, 4 7 2 the6 safety 9 and 8 5and1 other health of this country rabbis in the temple, gives one clue. For the first time, health of this planet and other planets. ordinary people could hold a conversation, a debate, with 2 7 6 8 5 9 1 3 4 We are concerned even once again about the safety God in visible form.

7 race, 1 8which 5 3 6 9 4 2 and health of this is Afro American, and Jesus could talk to anyone – his parents, a rabbi, a poor other “races!” 5 6 2 9 7 4 3 8 1 widow, a poor homeless organization — without first But have no fear, having to announce, “Don’t be afraid.” God incarnate is 3 4 John 2 8the Baptist 7 here!

6 Hear 9 because 1 5 is the name of a fearless preacher. He’s not afraid to knock the end of fear. out homeless sin!6 9 7 4 2 3 8 1 5 And as I close, the Bible says in Psalm 34:4, “I sought the 2 fears 8 in6Psalm 9 27-1 5 once 7 1again 3 The Bible talks4about and Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.”

3. Psalm 27-1 says Love, always.

1 “The 3 6is my9 light 5 and 4 my 2 salvation, 7 8 Lord

Every program has (at least) two purposes: the one for which it was written and another for which it wasn't.

8 1 2 7 8 5 6 9

5

Free from fear

Sudoku #4 3 6 5 1 1 2 4 9 7 8 9 6 4 9 7 3 6 3 2 4 8 5 1 7 9 4 8 5 2 1 6 8 5 7 3 2

2 9 8 8 7 3 5 3 5 1 2 5 8 2 6 9 1 8 7 2 6 4 3 6 3 7 1 7 4 5 9 1 9 6 4

Sudoku #6 8 5 9 6 1 3 6 4 4 2 7 3 3 1 5 2 6 7 2 1 9 8 4 7 5 9 3 8 2 6 8 9 7 4 1 5

7 2 8 9 5 1 4 8 9 5 3 6 2 7 1 4 6 3

4

4 1

7 6

4 1

5 9

2 3 8

3

7 8 9 6 6 7 9 3 4 8 5 2 1 1 6 4 7 3 5 9 8 2 2

5

Sudoku #8 7 1 9 3 4 5 8 6 2 2 5 4 8 6 1 7 9 3

Author Gene Weingarten is a college dropout and a nationally syndicated humor columnist for The Washington Post. Author Dan Weingarten is a former college dropout and a current college student majoring in information technology. Many thanks to Gene Weingarten and The Washington Post Writers Group for allowing Street Sense to run Barney & Clyde.

STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG

COMMUNITY SERVICES

SHELTER HOTLINE Línea directa de alojamiento

(202) 399-7093

YOUTH HOTLINE Línea de juventud

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HOTLINE Línea directa de violencia doméstica

(202) 547-7777

1-800-799-7233

Housing/Shelter Vivienda/alojamiento

Education Educación

Health Care Seguro

Clothing Ropa

Legal Assistance Assistencia Legal

Case Management Coordinación de Servicios

Food Comida

Employment Assistance Assitencia con Empleo

Transportation Transportación

Showers Duchas

All services listed are referral-free Academy of Hope Public Charter School 202-269-6623 // 2315 18th Place NE aohdc.org

Bread for the City 202-265-2400 (NW) // 561-8587 (SE) 1525 7th St., NW // 1640 Good Hope Rd., SE breadforthecity.org

Calvary Women’s Services // 202-678-2341 1217 Good Hope Rd., SE calvaryservices.org

Catholic Charities // 202-772-4300 catholiccharitiesdc.org/gethelp

Central Union Mission // 202-745-7118 65 Massachusetts Ave., NW missiondc.org

Charlie’s Place // 202-232-3066 1830 Connecticut Ave., NW charliesplacedc.org

Christ House // 202-328-1100 1717 Columbia Rd., NW christhouse.org

Father McKenna Center // 202-842-1112 19 Eye St., NW fathermckennacenter.org

Food and Friends // 202-269-2277 219 Riggs Rd., NE foodandfriends.org (home delivery for those suffering from HIV, cancer, etc)

Foundry Methodist Church // 202-332-4010 1500 16th St., NW ID (Friday 9am–12pm only) foundryumc.org/ministry-opportunities

Friendship Place // 202-364-1419 4713 Wisconsin Ave., NW friendshipplace.org

Georgetown Ministry Center // 202-338-8301 1041 Wisconsin Ave., NW georgetownministrycenter.org

Jobs Have Priority // 202-544-9128 425 2nd St., NW jobshavepriority.org

Loaves & Fishes // 202-232-0900 1525 Newton St., NW loavesandfishesdc.org

Church of the Pilgrims // 202-387-6612 2201 P St., NW food (1-1:30 on Sundays only) churchofthepilgrims.org/outreach

Martha’s Table // 202-328-6608 2114 14th St., NW marthastable.org

Community Family Life Services 202-347-0511 // 305 E St., NW cflsdc.org

Miriam’s Kitchen // 202-452-8926 2401 Virginia Ave., NW miriamskitchen.org

Community of Hope // 202-232-7356 communityofhopedc.org

Covenant House Washington 202-610-9600 // 2001 Mississippi Ave., SE covenanthousedc.org

D.C. Coalition for the Homeless 202-347-8870 // 1234 Massachusetts Ave., NW dccfh.org

Samaritan Inns // 202-667-8831 2523 14th St., NW samaritaninns.org

Samaritan Ministry 202-722-2280 // 1516 Hamilton St., NW // 202-889-7702 // 1345 U St., SE samaritanministry.org

Sasha Bruce Youthwork // 202-675-9340 741 8th St., SE sashabruce.org

So Others Might Eat (SOME) // 202-797-8806 71 O St., NW some.org

St. Luke’s Mission Center // 202-333-4949 3655 Calvert St., NW stlukesmissioncenter.org

Thrive DC // 202-737-9311 1525 Newton St., NW thrivedc.org

Unity Health Care // 202-745-4300 3020 14th St., NW unityhealthcare.org

Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless 1200 U St., NW // 202-328-5500 legalclinic.org

The Welcome Table // 202-347-2635 1317 G St., NW epiphanydc.org/thewelcometable

My Sister’s Place // 202-529-5991 (24-hr hotline) mysistersplacedc.org

N Street Village // 202-939-2060 1333 N St., NW nstreetvillage.org

New York Avenue Shelter // 202-832-2359 1355-57 New York Ave., NE

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH HOTLINE Línea de salud del comportamiento

1-888-793-4357

Laundry Lavandería

Patricia Handy Place for Women 202-733-5378 // 810 5th St., NW

Whitman-Walker Health 1701 14th St., NW // 202-745-7000 2301 MLK Jr. Ave., SE // 202-797-3567 whitman-walker.org

For further information and listings, visit our online service guide at StreetSenseMedia.org/service-guide

// 1 5

JOB BOARD Part-Time Branch Customer Service Associate NASA Federal Credit Union // Washington, DC

This position will deliver excellent customer service and make it easy for customers to use NASA FCU products. Additionally, this position will respond to questions from customers and manage various customer financial accounts.

BENEFITS: Paid leave, life insurance APPLY: tinyurl.com/nasa-credit

Metro Transit Police Officer WMATA/DC Metro // Washington, DC

This position ensures the safety, welfare, and wellbeing of riders of the D.C. Metro.

Has jurisdiction to arrest and apprehend any criminals on the D.C. Metro. Also investigates any crimes that may occur and prepares investigative and other reports about certain events that may occur within the WMATA system. REQUIRED: Valid Driver’s License, pass criminal background check APPLY: tinyurl.com/wmata-police

Residential/Commercial Cleaner MyClean // Washington, DC

This position cleans apartments, does the dishes, takes out the trash and acts as a general housecleaner for various apartments and houses in the DC area. REQUIRED: Smartphone with data plan, ability to stand and walk for long periods of time BENEFITS: Paid training, health insurance, opportunities for career advancement, 401(k) matching APPLY: tinyurl.com/my-clean-dc

Automotive Detailer Diamond Auto Services // Silver Spring, MD

This position is responsible for refurbishing vehicles to be displayed in the automotive showroom or delivered to a customer.

Responsibilities include: washing the vehicles, cleaning the engine, applying the dressing on the tires, and vacuuming the interior of the vehicle. BENEFITS: Paid training REQUIRED: Professional appearance, valid driver’s license, clean driving record APPLY: tinyurl.com/nasa-credit

McDonald’s Franchisee Cashier/ Team Member McDonald’s Franchisee // 4301 Nannie Helen

Burroughs Ave NE This position is responsible for greeting customers, taking accurate orders, and preparing those orders for customers. You will also be responsible for keeping the restaurant clean and ensuring items are well stocked.

APPLY: tinyurl.com/mcdonalds-franchisee Hiring? Send your job postings to editor@StreetSenseMedia.org

PHOTO BY GRACE COLLINS

Safe, secure, and positive: Moyo Onibuje on his new home in Columbia Heights

BY GRACE COLLINS grace.collins@streetsensemedia.org

S

treet Sense Media vendor, writer, and poet Moyo Onibuje found housing about a year ago, at the Argonne apartment building in Columbia Heights.

After completing college in England, Onibuje moved to D.C. in 2000 and became homeless after his housemate gambled away much of their rent money. A subsequent robbery left him with a broken jaw, unable to work for several weeks. Afterward, according to Onibuje, “I refused to go back to my old apartment in Southeast D.C. It was a dangerous environment.

I was so scared that I didn’t go back for my stuff.” The possessions he left behind were thrown away.

For Onibuje, homelessness was “fearful,” “dangerous,” and “very traumatic” to experience on an individual level, especially in a foreign country where he knew little about what services were available to help him. On a political level, Onibuje points out that D.C. has disproportionately high rates of homelessness, especially within the Black community. “If you look at the number of people who live in this city and you look at the percentage of homelessness and compare it to other industrialized nations, you’ll find that it’s quite high in Washington, D.C. You have a lot more Black people in Washington, D.C. die. A lot more Black people are homeless. Statistics prove a lot.”

According to Onibuje, only a small number of Argonne residents have housing vouchers. Going through background checks and rental history checks to be approved for a voucher was, for Onibuje, the hardest part of the housing process. Finding furnishings was difficult as well, since most of his belongings

were left behind in his old apartment. Spiritual and financial support were hard to come by, but Onibuje says he found both through a Street Sense Media case manager, and a social worker who works with many Street Sense Media vendors. They helped him fill out paperwork and pay deposits.

Onibuje’s new apartment is small but comfortable and has a kitchenette, balcony with a view, and plenty of room for his many books. The Argonne also has an outdoor pool, gym, comfortable lobby, and a lounge area where tenants can play board games or pool. Onibuje is happy with his new home, saying “I find the management here very nice. The Argonne is one of the top 100 places to live in the city.”

He also enjoys the surrounding neighborhood. “I like Adams Morgan.

Adams Morgan has been rated the second-best place to live in D.C. It’s got a good nightlife, lots of restaurants, lots of bookstores, lots of shops, lots of places where you can go and kill time. There’s a younger crowd.”

Onibuje still works with Street Sense as a vendor and contributor, and volunteers in his free time.

Looking back on where he was before finding housing, Onibuje says “If I had any advice, it would be, first and foremost, to get in touch with Street Sense, and get a good case manager. Try to find the best places to live in the city.”

In his new environment, Onibuje can spend more time doing what he loves: reading, writing, and being with his daughter. He has plans to write and publish a book, look after his health by getting surgery he has been “shying away from,” and work on being a better father. “I sleep better at night. I have a little more time to read. It’s definitely a new beginning.”

“I sleep better at night.”

Thank you for reading Street Sense!

From your vendor

FEB. 20 - MARCH 5, 2019 VOLUME 16 | ISSUE 8

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