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In Memoriam Dr. Calvin W. Rolark, Sr. Wilhelmina J. Rolark THE WASHINGTON INFORMER NEWSPAPER (ISSN#0741-9414) is published weekly on each Thursday. Periodicals postage paid at Washington, D.C. and additional mailing offices. News and advertising deadline is Monday prior to publication. Announcements must be received two weeks prior to event. Copyright 2016 by The Washington Informer. All rights reserved. POSTMASTER: Send change of addresses to The Washington Informer, 3117 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave., S.E. Washington, D.C. 20032. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. The Informer Newspaper cannot guarantee the return of photographs. Subscription rates are $45 per year, two years $60. Papers will be received not more than a week after publication. Make checks payable to: THE WASHINGTON INFORMER 3117 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave., S.E Washington, D.C. 20032 Phone: 202 561-4100 Fax: 202 574-3785 news@washingtoninformer.com www.washingtoninformer.com

PUBLISHER Denise Rolark Barnes STAFF D. Kevin McNeir, Editor Ron Burke, Advertising/ Marketing Director Shevry Lassiter, Photo Editor Lafayette Barnes, IV, Assistant Photo Editor John E. De Freitas, Sports Photo Editor Dorothy Rowley, Online Editor ZebraDesigns.net, Design & Layout Mable Neville, Bookkeeper Mickey Thompson, Social Sightings columnist Stacey Palmer, Social Media Specialist Angie Johnson, Circulation REPORTERS Stacy Brown (Senior Writer), Sam P.K. Collins, Eve Ferguson, Will Ford (Prince George’s County Writer), D. Kevin McNeir, Lauren Poteat, Dorothy Rowley, Rachel Sudduth, Sarafina Wright (General Assignment Writer) PHOTOGRAPHERS John E. DeFreitas, Shevry Lassiter, Roy Lewis, Patricia Little, Corey Parrish, Travis Riddick SUMMER INTERNS Victoria Jones Rushawn Walters

It is with great excitement and heightened expectations that I welcome you to the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s 2019 Annual Legislative Conference (ALC). As CBCF’s newly appointed president and CEO, I look forward to meeting you

and sharing the electrifying experience of ALC! As you enter the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, you will hear stimulating conversations, witness lively debates, and feel the historical significance of our theme — ‘400 Years: Our Legacy, Our Possibilities’ — which commemorates the 400-year anniversary of the arrival of the first enslaved Africans in 1619. During our five-day conference, we will examine the challenges we face individually and as a community, and consider programs and strategies to produce change. You will engage the 55 members of the Congressional Black Caucus, African American state and local leaders, influential entrepreneurs and business owners, community advocates, religious leaders, educators, health professionals, environmentalists, and many others who have proven that we can change the world! At ALC, your voice will be heard in motivational sessions with our nation’s prominent thought leaders and during our two National Town Hall meetings. You will interact with our outstanding CBCF Fellows and interns, and will also have the opportunity to experience our most gifted contributors to the arts including American Ballet Theatre principal dancer Misty Copeland and Grammy Award-winning artists Maxwell, Yolanda Adams and Anthony Hamilton. You made the right decision to join us for the 2019 Annual YOU WILL ENGAGE THE 55 Legislative Conference. We are grateful for your presence and MEMBERS OF THE CONGRESSIONAL I look forward to engaging you BLACK CAUCUS, AFRICAN during ALC and throughout the AMERICAN STATE AND LOCAL year. Yours in Restoration,

LEADERS, INFLUENTIAL ENTREPRENEURS AND BUSINESS OWNERS, COMMUNITY ADVOCATES, RELIGIOUS LEADERS, EDUCATORS,

David A. Hinson President and CEO Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Inc. Photo by Anthony Tilghman /The Washington Informer

HEALTH PROFESSIONALS, ENVIRONMENTALISTS, AND MANY OTHERS WHO HAVE PROVEN THAT WE CAN CHANGE THE WORLD!

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / 2019 CBCF ANNUAL LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE / SPECIAL ISSUE / SEPTEMBER 2019

Grandfather’s Battle Engaging through CBCF to Ensure the Rights of Citizenship & Suffrage

Dr. Shantella Y. Sherman WI Special Editions Editor A June 2018 study conducted jointly by The Atlantic and the Public Religion Research Institute found that an increased number of racially-biased election laws, such as voter-ID legislation, threaten to disenfranchise African American and Latinx communities and effectively, erode the protections afforded them under full citizenship. With an estimated 21 million voters deprived of their Constitutional right to vote as the result of voter ID restrictions, roughly 14 million voters with disabilities were unable to cast a vote because voting centers were ill-equipped to accommodate their access; and an additional 16 million voters that live below the poverty line and identify as Democrat were unable to cast a vote because of polling closures, lack of alternatives to in-person voting, an inability to afford time off from work to vote, and a lack of transportation to polling locations. However unconstitutional and unpatriotic these efforts appear, they represent a persistent attack against suffrage and citizenship – with origins birthed alongside the nation itself. In fact, the open of this year’s Congressional Black Caucus Annual Legislative Conference comes just days removed from the historic anniversary of the implementation of The

Grandfather Clause, September 1, 1898. This dealt a crushing blow to African-American suffrage with the institution of literacy tests and poll taxes as a requirement to register to vote. It included an added addendum that restricted voting rights to those citizens whose grandfathers could not vote before 1867. The law, initially adopted in Louisiana, grew in popularity among eight other Southern states -- Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Tennessee, and Virginia – until they were struck down with the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. With the specific lilt of the “Grandfather Clause,” even those African Americans who were literate and had funds to pay exorbitant poll fees, could still be denied access to the ballot. Simultaneously, this language provided illiterate and poor white men the means to legitimize their citizenship. The spirit of the Grandfather Clause was alive and well in Ruleville, Mississippi in the 1960s when sharecropper and civil rights icon Fannie Lou Hamer attempted to register to vote and was viciously assaulted and jailed by white law enforcement – an attack which damaged one kidney, caused a blood clot in her left eye and left her with a permanent limp. Speaking August 22, 1964, before the Democratic National Convention, Hamer described an atmosphere of intimidation

and violence against those who registered to vote, including being thrown off of sharecropping farms, effectively rendering Blacks homeless and jobless for exercising their rights. Hamer testified: “On the 10th of September 1962, sixteen bullets was fired into the home of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Tucker. That same night two girls were shot in Ruleville, Mississippi. Also, Mr. Joe McDonald's house was shot in… All of this is on account of us wanting to register to become first-class citizens… Is this America, the land of the free and the home of the brave? Where we have to sleep with our telephones off

Dr. Shantella Y. Sherman the hooks because our lives be threatened daily? Because we want to live as decent human beings, in America?” The CBCF works tirelessly to ensure African Americans are able to access and fully embrace their citizenship through the voting process. Let us,

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� � F�TION "' I AL Congressional Black Caucus

SEPTEMBER11-15

REV. DR. HOWARD-JOHN WESLEY Keynote Speaker

For nearly three decades, the Prayer Breakfast presented by the The Coca Cola Company, has inspired thousands during CBCF's Annual Legislative Conference. Join us September 14, 2019 as we welcome Rev. Dr. Howard-John Wesley, Senior Pastor, Alfred Street Baptist Church, Alexandria, VA, and enjoy a special performance by Grammy Award-winning artist Yolanda Adams.

TABLE PRICE $650 Includes 10 Tickets

TO PURCHASE VISIT, CBCFINC.ORG/ALC

please utilize this conference as a think-tank, center of dialogue, and site of engagement to fight the resurrected spirits of the Grandfathers Clause – and finally sound its necessary death knell. CBCF

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / 2019 CBCF ANNUAL LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE / SPECIAL ISSUE / SEPTEMBER 2019

YOLANDA ADAMS

Preliminary Conference Schedule as of 9/2/19 / Schedule is subject to change

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2019

LOCATION

7:00 AM – 7:00 PM

Registration / Ticketing

WCC (East Salon)

8:00 AM – 4:30 PM

CBCF Professional Development Series in

WCC (201; 202AB)

Partnership with the National Medical Association

9:00 AM – 3:30 PM

CBCF Professional Development Series for Educators

WCC (145AB; 146A; 147A)

11:00 AM – 11:30 AM

Opening Press Conference

WCC (L-Street Bridge)

11:30 AM – 1:00 PM

Corporate Lounge Opening

WCC (204B)

12:00 PM – 2:30 PM

Health and Wellness Luncheon

WCC (207AB)

12:00 PM – 6:30 PM

Policy Sessions

WCC

4:30 PM – 6:30 PM

Sojourner Truth Legacy Project Town Hall

WCC (206)

8:00 PM – 9:30 PM

CBC Spouses 23rd Annual Celebration of

Sidney Harman Hall

Leadership in the Fine Arts*

610 F St NW

8:00 PM – 10:00 PM

Alumni Association Network Reception

Apple Carnegie Library

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2019

LOCATION

7:00 AM – 10:30 AM

Henry C. Gregory III Family Life Center

CBC Spouses Community Breakfast and Health Fair

1500 Ninth Street NW

8:00 AM – 7:00 PM

Registration / Ticketing

WCC (East Salon)

8:00 AM – 9:00 AM

New Attendee Welcome Reception

WCC (207A)

9:00 AM – 11:30 AM

National Town Hall Meeting

WCC (Ballroom A)

11:30 AM – 7:00 PM

Exhibit Hall Grand Opening

WCC (Hall E)

11:30 AM – 1:00 PM

General Session Luncheon (LC)

WCC (Ballroom BC)

12:00 PM – 2:00 PM

EMERGING LEADERS Power Luncheon (LC)

WCC (202A)

12:00 PM – 2:00 PM

AVOICE: Student Workshop

WCC (201)

12:00 PM – 5:00 PM

CPAR Future Focus Series

WCC

1:30 PM – 6:00 PM

Policy Sessions

WCC

2:00 PM – 3:00 PM

CBC Spouses Essay Contest and Issue Forum

WCC (Exhibit Hall)

2:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Commission on Black Men and Boys

WCC (Ballroom A)

2:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Health Policy Session (CBCF Programs)

WCC (145A)

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / 2019 CBCF ANNUAL LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE / SPECIAL ISSUE / SEPTEMBER 2019

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2019 (CON'T)

LOCATION

7:00 PM – 9:30 PM

LEADERSHIP RECEPTION (IO)

WCC (Ballroom A)

8:00 PM – 10:30 PM

Gospel Extravaganza

TBD

8:00 PM – 12:00 AM

The Sojourner Truth Women’s Leadership Reception (IO)

National Museum of Women

1250 New York Avenue NW

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2019

LOCATION

8:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Registration / Ticketing

WCC (East Salon)

9:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Policy Sessions

WCC

9:00 AM – 11:00 AM

Emerging Leaders Town Hall: Investing in Early Stage Tech Business WCC (202B)

9:00 AM – 7:00 PM

Exhibit Showcase

WCC (Hall E)

2:00 PM – 4:00 PM

CBCF Meet/Match Procurement Forum

WCC (146ABC)

6:30 PM – 8:30 PM

Legacy Reception (IO)

WCC (Ballroom AB)

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2019

LOCATION

7:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Registration / Ticketing

WCC (East Salon)

7:30 AM – 10:00 AM

Prayer Breakfast* (doors open at 7:00 am)

WCC (Hall D)

8:00 AM – 1:00 PM

Exhibits Showcase

WCC (Hall E)

10:30 AM – 2:30 PM

Policy Sessions

WCC

5:00 PM – 6:00 PM

Pre-Dinner Reception (IO)

WCC (146ABC; 209ABC: 103AB)

6:00 PM – 9:30 PM

Annual Phoenix Awards Dinner*

WCC (Hall D)

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2019 10:45 AM – 2:30 PM

* * *

LOCATION

Donald M. Payne Fellowship Cruise (IO)

Ticketed Event Tickets available for sale at the ticket counter in the registration area (until capacity is reached). (LC) Limited Capacity Attendees must declare on the registration form their intention to attend this event. (IO) Invitation Only Event A printed invitation will be provided to guests.

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / 2019 CBCF ANNUAL LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE / SPECIAL ISSUE / SEPTEMBER 2019

CBCF President: ‘2020 Census Count and Election is Most Important in History’ In Informer Exclusive, David Hinson Talks Legislative Conference and Voting By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer @StacyBrownMedia

CBCF President David Hinson /Photo by Anthony Tilghman/The Washington Informer

David A. Hinson has enjoyed a strong background in finance, spending a significant part of his career raising capital and assisting people in expanding their wealth base.

David A. Hinson has enjoyed a strong background in finance, spending a significant part of his career raising capital and assisting people in expanding their wealth base. Hinson also served under President Barack Obama, where he led the U.S. Department of Commerce's Minority Business Development Agency. He helped to raise approximately $19 billion in capital and contracts for minority-owned firms. Hinson helped to restructure the agency, and those efforts led to the creation of tens of thousands of jobs. "It was there that the opportunity was presented to me to come and take the helm of this organization," said Hinson, who in July was named the president and CEO of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF). The CBCF will hold its Annual Legislative Conference (ALC) from Wednesday, Sept. 11 to Sunday, Sept. 15, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Northwest, D.C. "It's been an interesting year and I'm so happy to have joined this organization," Hinson said in an exclusive interview with the Washington Informer. Diversity and inclusion for minorities across the globe have been a hallmark of Hinson's career, and he identified several motivators for him going forward as president and CEO of the CBCF. "There's a lot that motivates me. We are in a very challenging time for our community and a challenging time for the world," said Hinson, who earned an MBA in Finance from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and a bachelor's in business administration from Howard University in D.C. "Our grandparents and great grandparents fought long and hard, and our parents fought long and hard to create an environment for us to flourish. And many of the gains that they fought so hard for are under attack."

"So, one of the things that motivate me is to accept the role of a leader. To support turning back this effort to eliminate the opportunities that our parents and grandparents and great grandparents fought so hard. I'm motivated by the fact that I had a chance to work with the most powerful group of black legislators in the history of America," Hinson added. In 2019, 55 members of the Congressional Black Congress come from districts all around the country. Hinson said each is a national leader. And, they are some of the most talented and capable professionals he's ever had a chance to engage. "They've done amazing work, and many people in our community have no idea. So, I'm motivated to have the opportunity to work with them. We have, and we manage probably the most elite Capitol Hill internship program in the country,” Hinson said. "We also have fellows that are subject matter experts in different areas ranging from environmental protection to transportation and mobility, and we have several that are foreign policy experts.” He also has an inherent desire to see the African American community achieve the breadth and depth of its potential. As the CBCF prepares for its ALC, the focus for all involved will be on social, political and economic issues influencing African Americans and all individuals of African descent, Hinson said. This year, CBCF will host two national town hall meetings which include the Commission on the Social Status of Black Boys and Men -- legislation that's being pushed by Frederica Wilson. This is an important platform, Hinson said to place the nation’s focus on the circumstances of Black boys and men. "A lot of times when you hear people talk, they talk about this 'plight.' It's as if there's something inherently wrong with Black boys and men. If you get beyond the inequities that exist within our society, if you take that away, African American boys and men have proven to be some of the most pro-

ductive people in this country, and we have to look no further than Barack Obama and many of the people that served in his administration," Hinson said. "You have African American business owners that have some of the largest businesses in this country across industry sectors. You have African American historians who are challenging the nation to think differently about the circumstance of slavery. This year is very interesting, because our theme for this year, '400 Years: Our Legacy, Our Possibilities,' allows us to see the fact that African Americans have changed this nation from the time the first 20 people of African descent landed in this country.” Hinson said the New York Times' celebrated 1619 Project is fascinating on many levels. "It's changing the narrative. And I bring that up because it's not somebody changing the narrative for us. It's us changing the narrative for the nation," Hinson said. "Every day, you have black men and black boys who wake up, who strap on their armor and go about the business of making this nation better. They and we and you operate on an unlevel playing field," Hinson said. This year's CBCF Annual Legislative Conference is expected to include all of the candidates for president, Hinson said. "They are going to be engaging us on issues and policies that affect our community and the nation," he said. And, Hinson said the 2020 Census goes hand-in-hand with the 2020 election – both are incredibly urgent. "Every Black household must fill out the Census form. And, as you know, Black women are going to choose the next president of the United States. So, we must focus on voting, that every person of voting age stands up, and, you know, takes their rightful place in the voting booth,” Hinson said. “So, we have to have our voices heard, and the best way to do that is through the voting booth. Getting people to vote is a top priority, and it'll be a heavy focus for 2020.” CBCF

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / 2019 CBCF ANNUAL LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE / SPECIAL ISSUE / SEPTEMBER 2019

Lilly salutes the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation in its work to develop leaders, enable economic empowerment, and encourage civic engagement at the 2019 Annual Legislative Conference and throughout the year.

www.lilly.com

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / 2019 CBCF ANNUAL LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE / SPECIAL ISSUE / SEPTEMBER 2019

400 Years of Brilliance

Little and Lesser Known Facts About Africans in America By Lee Ross WI Staff Writer

INOULATION WAS INTRODUCED TO AMERICA BY AN ENSLAVED MAN – ONESIMUS

people were inoculated. Onesimus’ traditional African practice was used to inoculate American soldiers during the Revolutionary War and eventually became a staple in American public health.

A QUARTER OF ALL Onesimus introduced the COWBOYS WERE centuries-old tradition of inoc- AFRICAN AMERICAN

The processes and methods of inoculation that continue to save billions of lives each year in the U.S. were introduced to the nation through an enslaved man, named Onesimus. / Courtesy photo Rus

ulation practiced in Africa to Boston physician Dr. Dabdiel Bolyston. By extracting the material from an infected person and scratching it into the skin of an uninfected person, you could deliberately introduce smallpox to the healthy individual making them immune. Boylston experimented with the procedure when a smallpox epidemic hit Boston in 1721 and over 240

In the 19th century, the Wild West drew enslaved Blacks with the hope of freedom and wages. When the Civil War ended, freedmen came West with the hope of a better life where the demand for skilled labor was high. These African Americans made up at least a quarter of the legendary cowboys who lived dangerous lives facing weather, rattlesnakes, and outlaws while they slept under the stars driving cattle herds to market. the real “Lone Ranger” was inspired by an African American man named Bass Reeves. He eventually became a Deputy U.S. Marshal, was a master of disguise, an expert marksman, had a Native American companion, and rode a silver horse.

JACK DANIELS WHISKEY AIDED BY TRADITIONAL AFRICAN, AFRICAN TECHNIQUES

In the late 1850's, Nathan “Nearest” Green — a farm owner's slave — started working with a young orphan named Jack Daniel at a local distillery. In short order, he introduced the burgeoning company to that would become Jack Daniel’s Whiskey an ancient African technique that fil-

tered liquor through a charcoal mellowing system. This technique is what gives Jack Daniel’s Whiskey its rich flavor and taste and make it a household name among drinkers to this day.

FEMALE BUFFALO SOLDIER – CATHAY WILLIAMS

Cathay Williams was the first and only known female Buffalo Soldier. Despite the prohibition against women serving in the military, Williams enlisted in the U.S. Regular Army under the false name of "William Cathay" on November 15, 1866. She enlisted for a three-year engagement, passing herself off as a man. Williams was assigned to the 38th U.S. Infantry Regiment after she passed the cursory medical examination.

PONY EXPRESS’ “KNIGHT OF THE SIERRAS”

George Monroe is thought to be one of the first African Americans to work as Pony Express riders. Monroe was also a highly skilled stagecoach driver for U.S. presidents Ulysses S. Grant, James Garfield and Rutherford B. Hayes. Monroe, who was known as "Knight of the Sierras," frequently navigated passengers through the curving Wanona Trail in the Yosemite Valley. As a result, Monroe Meadows in Yosemite National Park is named after him. CBCF

Nearest Green introduced the coal distillery techniques of ancient African cultures to Jack Daniels in the creation of his famed whiskey. / Courtesy photo THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / 2019 CBCF ANNUAL LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE / SPECIAL ISSUE / SEPTEMBER 2019

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / 2019 CBCF ANNUAL LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE / SPECIAL ISSUE / SEPTEMBER 2019

NAREB Urges Black Americans not to Defer their Dream of Homeownership

Donnell Williams NAREB President According to the National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB) wealth building usually begins with that first investment in owning your own home. Whether you purchase a first-time “starter” home, inherit a property or residence you start down the road to building wealth. But something has changed in the Black community. The U.S. Census Bureau’s latest statistics indicate that the Black homeownership rate has dropped once again. Now at 40.6%, the rate starkly signals a continual loss of wealth for Black Americans. In comparison, the non-Hispanic White homeownership rate for the same period was reported to be 73.1%, a nearly 30% difference. There’s a problem and NAREB is on point to stop the loss and return Black Americans

to wealth building through homeownership of real estate investment. NAREB is aware that the Black community, particularly its local and national leaders, may need a clear, strong wake-up call to reverse this daunting downward trend. What are the causes? But more important, what are the solutions? What can the community of concern do to prompt home purchase and therefore, wealth building? These and other questions are slated to be addressed at NAREB’s annual “State of Black America” forum to be convened at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s 2019 Annual Legislative Conference, Thursday, Sept. 12, 2019, 2:00p.m.- 4:00p.m. Expert panelists, steeped in the issues, the disparities and likely solutions to raising Black homeownership are committed to working with NAREB on its mission to restore confidence in the real estate market, identify critical systemic blockages, and outline the concerted advocacy strategies that lawmakers at every level of government need to keep in mind to improve Black homeownership outcomes. During the forum, Donnell Williams, the newly installed president of NAREB, will announce an aggressive program to reach out

and encourage Black millennials to consider, or re-consider, homeownership as a wealth building tool. “Statistics show that there are 1.7 million Black millennials making $100,000 or more and could improve their financial futures with homeownership or participation in real estate investment opportunities. NAREB is determined to reach

them with messages that rebut, yet improve, some of their current lifestyle choices,” he says. What’s more, he adds, homeownership is critical. “One clear message to millennials: Think about a house before you buy the car.” As he explains, wealth building is all about smart choices. Dreams need not be deferred. Homeown-

ership is possible and still desirable as a wealth building tool. NAREB, with its nationwide network of predominantly Black American real estate professionals are here to help find the wealth building pathways that best suit lifestyles and incomes. “Join me at NAREB’s Forum for the answers,” Williams concluded. CBCF

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / 2019 CBCF ANNUAL LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE / SPECIAL ISSUE / SEPTEMBER 2019

Personhood, Rebellion and the Drive of Youth Activism By Lee Ross WI Staff Writer

Chanice Lee, like Colvin, makes fighting for social equity a life’s passion that includes educating other young people on their rights and responsibilities as good Americans. / Courtesy photo

Teens and young adults have always taken a formidable place in the fight for human and civil rights in America. Whether the fearless grassroots-led teens who walked away from fields and classrooms to integrate interstate bus lines and lunch counters, or the 1980s protests calling for divestment in Apartheid South Africa, youth figured prominently bringing about change. Only in recent years have historians moved to formally document the fierce activism of young women in the fight – including Claudette Colvin, who was recently featured in a Teen Vogue edition. Colvin, was a mere 11th-grader, listening to lectures from history teachers celebrating 1955’s Negro History Week, when she refused to give her Montgomery

bus seat up to a white woman. In an era of socially-enforced public brutality against those seeking equal rights, the 15-yearold would beat the odds — surviving and making history. “When the bus driver asked for the four seats and three of the students got up. I remained seated. History had me glued to the seat. Harriet Tubman’s hands were pushing down on one shoulder and Sojourner Truth’s hand were pushing down on the other shoulder. I was paralyzed between these two women, I couldn’t move. We were still on our best behavior taking all of the insults from the white passengers.” Colvin was subsequently manhandled off the bus, placed in a squad car and taken to the city jail – rather than the juvenile detention center. Charged with disorderly conduct and violating segregation law, Colvin was also charged with assault and battery of a police officer – a felony for causing the police officer to scratch his arm while forcing her into the car. Colvin was convicted of the felony charge (which carried an indefinite probation); ironically, the segregation and disorderly conduct indictments, were dismissed. There were, however, immediate and lasting repercussions to Colvin’s activism, she said. “That arrest changed my whole life. I was ostracized by people in my community and professional people also. Some people, the students, were sympathetic at first. They knew my mindset and what I was thinking, but their parents persuaded them not to be involved with me because I was a troublemaker and ‘this wasn’t the right thing to do. They already thought I was crazy,” Colvin told Teen Vogue. “I lost a lot of friends because of that. Because their mothers and fathers, the only work they had was working for white people, and they didn’t want to lose their jobs. That’s the main thing.” That same fighting spirit seems to rest on Chanice Lee, a 16-year-old activist, speaker, and blogger, who recently penned the book, I’m the author of Young Revolutionary: A Teen’s Guide to Activism. Lee said she wants to create a global platform for social justice, history, politics, and more, written entirely from the Black teen’s perspective through her blog Melanin Diary. “Being politically involved wasn’t activism to me, it was just me doing what I felt was right

and what I was passionate about. I always like to say that instead of demanding a seat at any table, I just decided to build my own, which is the message I want to give other teenagers,” Lee said. “If I spent my time demanding for popular media companies to display a positive and accurate representation of Black youth, then The Melanin Diary would have never been created. If I waited for someone else to publish an activism guide for teens, Young Revolutionary would have never been written. I’ve learned not to spend my time demanding others to do things. If you want to create change, don’t spend your time demanding things of others when you can just do it yourself.” In addition to taking to the streets for marches, protests, and calls to action, in the past year, 34 percent of Americans have taken part in a group on social media that shares an interest in an issue or cause, while a similar share (32 percent) says they have encouraged others to take action on an issue that is important to them. The vast majority of these numbers are teens and young adults, making the work of activism among young, Black teen females, a generational power imperative. CBCF

Claudette Colvin, then 15, was among a nation of young activists defying segregation by refusing to give up her seat on a city bus in March 1955. She faced a felony charge and indefinite probation for resisting arrest. / Courtesy photo

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / 2019 CBCF ANNUAL LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE / SPECIAL ISSUE / SEPTEMBER 2019

Why would HUD Gut its own Disparate Impact Rule? By Charlene Crowell Whatever happened to the American Dream of owning a home and giving your children a better life than you experienced as a child? Is this ‘dream’ being deferred or denied? In 2019, these questions are as timely as they are timeless. Beyond rising housing costs for would-be buyers and renters alike, serious doubts are emerging about the nation’s commitment to the letter and spirit of fair housing laws, related enforcement, and regulations supporting both. Today’s Black homeownership rate is 41.1% -- lower than it was when the 1970 census showed this same data point at 42%. Since 2013, the disparate impact rule has objectively examined the effects of business practices with lenders, landlords, insurers, and real estate professionals against the provisions of the 1968 Fair Housing Act. The rule required that first a plaintiff must establish a discriminatory effect in policies and/or practices, before the defendant(s) would bear the responsibility of proving their own practices were nondiscriminatory. But in the August 19 Federal Register, HUD proposed a new rule that would expand the disparate impact rule into a five-step process that would shift the burden of proving discrimination nearly exclusively to plaintiffs. By proposing that third parties test practices against algorithms to determine fairness, defendants in fair housing cases could later move for dismissal and/or be shielded from liability. “Secretary Carson has proposed a rule that represents yet another egregious step by this Administration toward the dismantling of key civil rights protections in America,” said Congresswoman Maxine Waters in reaction. The veteran lawmaker is also the Chair of the Housing Financial Services Committee. “The proposed rule would make it substantially more difficult for victims of housing discrimination, including persons with disabilities, families with children, and racial minorities, to prove their case in a court of law and thereby hold bad actors accountable for their actions.” New York Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney was even more direct in a Twitter post. “What is wrong with Ben Carson. You can’t expand housing rights by limiting civil protections. The ’D’ in HUD doesn’t stand for ‘Discrimination’.” During delivery of Capitol Hill testimony earlier this spring, Nikitra Bailey, an EVP with the Center for Responsible Lending (CRL)

also underscored the importance of disparate impact in fair housing. “Disparate impact analysis encourages creative approaches that both increase effectiveness and inclusion,” testified Bailey. “This process and the value of disparate impact analysis was recently pointed out and endorsed by the largest personal loan company in the country, Lending Club.” Other organizations actively engaged in opposing HUD’s proposed rule reversal include the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under the Law, the Leadership Conference for Civil and Human Rights, NAACP Legal Defense Fund, and the National Fair Housing Alliance. Between now and October 18, concerned citizens, advocates, organizations and others have a brief opportunity to stand up and speak out against the Carson proposal. Once this 60-day public comment period concludes, HUD will have the green light to move forward as planned or modify its proposal. How long the remainder of the rulemaking process lasts will be a HUD decision. Before the Fair Housing Act’s enactment, local zoning laws across the country supported segregation along with redlining Black communities to exclude borrowers from mortgage and home improvement loans along with a litany of real estate practices that denied Blacks and other people of color opportunities to build family wealth. Particularly by omitting Black neighborhoods from multiple listing services, door-to-door block-busting practices inflamed racial tensions with warnings of lost property values if integration was to occur. Additionally, many neighborhoods enforced restricted covenants that explicitly excluded families of color from ever buying property in designated areas. The irony is that despite more than 50 years of fair housing being federal law, not only does housing discrimination persist, the federal agency charged to defend it seems to have forgotten its own mission. “HUD is looking for a problem that does not need a fix,” added Bailey, speaking directly to the proposed disparate impact revision. “Even the lending industry supports disparate impact and uses it as a tool to create fairer and more profitable lending.” So exactly whom is HUD serving? Charlene Crowell is the Center for Responsible Lending’s communications deputy director. She can be reached at Charlene.crowell@responsiblelending.org. CBCF

“SECRETARY CARSON HAS

Nikitra Bailey and Keith Corbett of CRL with Fair Housing Sign after testifying on Capitol Hill

PROPOSED A RULE THAT

REPRESENTS YET ANOTHER EGREGIOUS STEP BY THIS

ADMINISTRATION TOWARD THE

DISMANTLING OF KEY CIVIL RIGHTS PROTECTIONS IN AMERICA.”

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / 2019 CBCF ANNUAL LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE / SPECIAL ISSUE / SEPTEMBER 2019

– CONGRESSWOMAN MAXINE WATERS

CBCF Hosts 5th Annual Professional Development Series for Educators During 2019 Annual Legislative Conference Series Aims to Build Relationships with Multilingual Learners at Start of Academic Year On September 11, 2019 at the Washington Convention Center, the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Inc. (CBCF) in partnership with the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the Delta Research and Educational Foundation (DREF), will kick off the school year from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. with the CBCF Professional Development Series (PDS) for Educators. This year’s series entitled, “Growing, Learning, Advocating,” will bring together educators to openly

discuss supporting multilingual learners, their parents and the communities in which they live. “We are purposeful in giving platforms to real-time scenarios that are occurring in schools,” explained David Hinson, CBCF’s president and CEO. “As a trusted convener of information, CBCF has been able to construct a broad and diverse coalition of educators around shared outcomes. The solutions can have a large impact on empowering communities, strengthening families and producing world class, competitive employment opportunities.” Now in its fifth year, the PDS for Educators offers six hours of certified instruction and is available to K-12 educators from the private, public, community-based, homebased, and charter school systems. This year’s series will cover: • Supporting Multi Language Learners in Their Education Process • Self-Care: Establishing Attitudes & Habits of Wellbeing and Restoration • Social Emotional Learning & Literacy: Prioritizing Literacy “We are keeping up with the times to equip our educators, particularly the more than 200 African American educators who are headed to DC to attend our professional development series, on ways to engage multilingual learners,” said Dr. Santiago Wood, executive director of the National Association for Bilingual Education. Educators who participate during CBCF’s 2019 Annual Legislative Conference (ALC) will

participate in courageous conversations that correlate the impact that collective action and advocacy have on legislators. “The PDS for Educators has permitted educators nationwide to employ CBCF as a medium to directly engage elected officials on federal and state levels about what is needed in public, private and charter schools,” said Hinson. “What began as a pilot program to address educators’ needs to acquire specific certification training while attending ALC is now a leading source of professional development and civic engagement for more than 1,000 educators from across the country.” In commemorating the fifth anniversary, three of the original strategist team members will be honored. LaToia A. Jones, Tiffany D. Cross, and David J. Johns will be recognized for their vision and leadership in the development of the Professional Development Series for Educators to foster more impactful educational environments. Engaging more than 30,000 people, the ALC is one of the most important public policy gatherings of African Americans in the nation. During the five-day conference, attendees have an opportunity to interface with educators, industry executives, community leaders, lawmakers and celebrities who are actively engaged in issues affecting the diverse African American community. Muriel Cooper is the senior manager for stakeholder relations and event management at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation and a co-creator of the Professional Development Series. CBCF

Engaging more than 30,000 people, the ALC is one of the most important public policy gatherings of African Americans in the nation. THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / 2019 CBCF ANNUAL LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE / SPECIAL ISSUE / SEPTEMBER 2019

WHY DO WE PAY THE HIGHEST DRUG PRICES IN THE WORLD? While too many Americans struggle to make ends meet, the big drug companies continue to rake in billions. It’s no wonder, considering that they make us pay the highest prescription drug prices in the world. If they can afford to spend nearly $175 million for lobbying, and more than $6 billion for advertising, then surely they can find some way to lower prices and stop gouging Americans. People shouldn’t have to choose between buying medication and buying food for our families.

Congress, it’s time to act. Stop the greed. Cut drug prices now. Take Action at aarp.org/Rx

Facebook.com/AARPDC @AARPDC aarp.org/DC

Paid For by AARP THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / 2019 CBCF ANNUAL LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE / SPECIAL ISSUE / SEPTEMBER 2019

YOUR STORY IS OUR STORY, WASHINGTON DC, THE 51ST STATE

Welcome to the 2019 Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Annual Legislative Conference and Washington DC! Beyond our historical attractions, Washington DC is a community of people and culture, much like the one youâ€™re from! Our city is made up of more than 702,000 people. From veterans and active military personnel to teachers, students and doctors, everyone has a place in Washington DC, the 51st state.

Muriel Bowser Mayor, Washington DC

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / 2019 CBCF ANNUAL LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE / SPECIAL ISSUE / SEPTEMBER 2019

statehood.dc.gov Celebrating a victory with#DCSTATEHOOD NY Mayor David Dinkins and Rev Jesse Jackson during Rev Jacksonâ€™s run for President 17

Rangel published his memoirs in 2007

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / 2019 CBCF ANNUAL LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE / SPECIAL ISSUE / SEPTEMBER 2019

Recent & Recommended Books on Activism By Lee Ross WI Staff Writer

YOUNG REVOLUTIONARY: A TEEN'S GUIDE TO ACTIVISM Chanice Lee

Chris Suggs started Kinston Teens when he noticed gun vi-

olence rising in his hometown. Sawyer Taylor-Arnold created her own nationwide awareness campaign by making stickers, to empower girls and women. Both of these people have one thing in common: they're teenagers! Are you a teenager aspiring to make a change in your community or beyond? Young Revolutionary will give you the confidence, tools, and resources you need to be a successful activist. Written by a teenager, for teenagers. This guide is a mixture of personal experiences from the author herself and real-life stories of several teen activists. Whether you are new to activism or if you are already experienced, youâ€™ll learn everything from how to organize events, reaching out to your local officials, and spreading the word on your cause. Young people have always been at the forefront of movements, so now itâ€™s your turn.

MARLEY DIAS GETS IT DONE: AND SO CAN YOU! Marley Dias

dreams come true! In this accessible guide with an introduction by Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Ava DuVernay, Marley Dias explores activism, social justice, volunteerism, equity and inclusion, and using social media for good. Drawing from her experience, Marley shows kids how they can galvanize their strengths to make positive changes in their communities, while getting support from parents, teachers, and friends to turn dreams into reality. Focusing on the importance of literacy and diversity, Marley offers suggestions on book selection, and delivers hands-on strategies for becoming a lifelong reader.

Black activists sought to formulate an effective response to their unequal freedom. Examining Black newspapers, speeches, and organizational records, this study documents the creation of mutual relief, religious, and political associations, which Black men and women infused with African cultural traditions and values.

Marley Dias, the powerhouse girl-wonder who started the #1000blackgirlbooks campaign, speaks to kids about her passion for making our world a better place, and how to make their

BEAUTY SHOP POLITICS: AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN'S ACTIVISM IN THE BEAUTY INDUSTRY AFRICAN OR AMERICAN? BLACK IDENTITY AND POLITICAL ACTIVISM IN NEW YORK CITY, 1784-1861 Leslie M. Alexander

During the early national and antebellum eras, Black leaders in New York City confronted the tenuous nature of Northern emancipation. Despite the hope of freedom, black New Yorkers faced a series of sociopolitical issues including the persistence of Southern slavery, the threat of forced removal, racial violence, and the denial of American citizenship. Even efforts to create community space within the urban landscape, such as the African Burial Ground and Seneca Village, were eventually demolished to make way for the city's rapid development. In this illuminating history, Leslie M. Alexander chronicles the growth and development of Black activism in New York from the formation of the first Black organization, the African Society, in 1784 to the eve of the Civil War in 1861. In this critical period,

Tiffany M. Gill

Looking through the lens of black business history, Beauty Shop Politics shows how black beauticians in the Jim Crow era parlayed their economic independence and access to a public community space into platforms for activism. Tiffany M. Gill argues that the beauty industry played a crucial role in the creation of the modern black female identity and that the seemingly frivolous space of a beauty salon actually has stimulated social, political, and economic change. From the founding of the National Negro Business League in 1900 and onward, African Americans have embraced the entrepreneurial spirit by starting their own businesses, but black women's forays into the business world were overshadowed by those of black men. With a broad scope that encompasses the role of gossip in salons, ethnic beauty products, and the social meanings of African American hair textures, Gill shows how African American beauty entrepreneurs built and sustained a vibrant culture of activism in beauty salons and schools. CBCF

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / 2019 CBCF ANNUAL LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE / SPECIAL ISSUE / SEPTEMBER 2019

POWERING CHANGE IN OUR COMMUNITIES We are proud to support the Congressional Black Caucus for making a difference in the communities we serve.

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/ 2019 CBCF ANNUAL LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE / SPECIAL ISSUE / SEPTEMBER 2019

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Captured!

Artist Ted Ellis Documents and Preserves 400 Years of African American History duced to the baptist church at and early age, the Black Church influenced much of who I am today. I learned that all life is sacred, and that being a christian is to care for humanity. I've experience the struggles of the South,both poverty and racism. I knew my belief in God, having faith, and a desire for excellence through education and work would provide me opportunity to be better and to do better.

Artist Ted Ellis. / Photo courtesy of Ted Ellis Art

By Lee Ross WI Staff Writer New Orleans-born artist Ted Ellis has captured and created over 5,000 paintings of the life of African Americans for more than 25 years. Each painting unravels a mystery, tells a story, illustrates hidden meaning, or pays homage to forebearers by placing Black experiences front and center. Ellis captures scents from Southern churches, courtrooms, families, and everyday life over Black Americaâ€™s 400-year journey. Ellis, 56, sat down with The Informer to discuss his craft, the support of God and his loving wife Erania Ellis, and his artistic dreams as a historical artist to ensure Black history remains vibrant. WI: Your work has helped shape the past by documenting the everyday experiences of Black Americans. Of all the subjects and areas of interests, you could have gravitated towards, what inspires you to chronicle Black life on American shores? TE: I feel it is important that when you have a gift it should be used with purpose and with good intentions. One of the gifts I've been blessed with is to paint. It is a passion of mine to tell stories of my history, culture and lifestyle. My paint gives me the opportunity to inform and educate. A visual narrative African American history is timeless. For more than 30 years I have been unapologetic in documenting the story of African Americans than span over 400 years in America. I paint who I am and where I have come from, a story, a journey of triumph over struggle. To provide a visual of our resiliency as a people compels me to paint.

WI: Would you consider yourself a visual historian? TE: Yes, I do. I am a creative visual historian. One who researches and interprets through images. An artist who is a scribe, creating paintings that convey an important historical account of activities of African Americans over a period of time. WI: Some of your most visually arresting works involve scenes from the rural South and those of the Black Church. How important has it been for you to honor the cultural traditions of both? TE: I was born in the South, the city of New Orleans, LA. I grew up there, stimulated by its unique culture, I was also intro-

WI: This year marks the 400th anniversary of Africans arriving on Virginia shores and you have had an amazing place in its commemoration. Discuss what taking part in that commemoration has been like for you and what how your artwork informs it. TE: As one of the federally appointed commissioners by the Dept. of Interior for the 400 Years African American History Commission my greatest since of purpose has been in developing plans and programs commemorating African Americans for the 50 contiguous states. I am proud of two major important outcomes, one of which I was the oversight Chair for our 400 Legislative program Let's Talk about Our Dream, held at the Congressional auditorium in Washington, DC on June 12, 2019. In the audience were 250 high school students. Secondly, suggesting and implementing the 400 Distinguished Service Award.

This award was given to individuals during the 400th Anniversary 0f 1619-2019 in Hampton, VA, at Fort Monroe. I was also honored to create both the official seal and the official commemorative poster for the 400 Years of African American Commission. These activities will become part of the U.S. National Archives. History will recognize that for the first time an African American artist serve as a federal commission for the sole purpose of commemorating African-American history. That is making history.

visit schools, K-12, colleges and university because students respond more aggressively to images, and engage in discussions about what they see and what they interpret from the art. It is a great stimulus for learning, the art gets the brain to start thinking. Schools and museums are two of the best places where students participate in visual learning. My graduate Studies in Museums demonstrate the best way to gain students attention is through art, objects and artifacts.

WI: How important is it for Black people to see themselves framed within the history of this nation in high art? TE: It is critically importance, the art acts as an agent in preserving the history and culture of Black people, it is a visual document. When Black folk see constructive images of themselves it reinforces their value of worth, builds self-esteem and empowers. The art becomes a national treasure that is shared and provides enlightenment.

WI: What do you want people to know about Ted Ellis and Ted Ellis Art. TE: That I, Ted T. Ellis believe in myself, that I have a passion for humanity, That I realize the importance of education, history and culture and how that impacts our lives. I want the next generation of influencers, historians, educators and politicians in our community to realize the valuable role that visual artists play in preserving our culture. We need to place a higher value our visual artists, as much value as we place on actors, entertainers, and professional athletes. More about Ted Ellis visit, www. tellisfineart.com Follow him on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tellisfineart/?hl=en, and on Facebook at https://www. facebook.com/TEllisFineArt/ Website: http://tellisfineart.com/ CBCF

WI: In the same way that a picture speaks 1,000 words -- a painting can yield unlimited words, especially when viewed by children. Tell me a bit about the impact your work has as educational art. TE: Educating through art is what I've been doing full-time for past 25 years. I continue to

Ted Ellis paintings continue to explore the grit and resilience of Africans in America from enslavement and self-identity formation to the present. / Photos courtesy of Ted Ellis Art THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / 2019 CBCF ANNUAL LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE / SPECIAL ISSUE / SEPTEMBER 2019

First to tomorrow. First to 5G. Learn more at improveyourwireless.com/dc

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / 2019 CBCF ANNUAL LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE / SPECIAL ISSUE / SEPTEMBER 2019

By Sophia Sparks WI Staff Writer

first slaves to arrive into what would become the United States 150 years later.

Historians continue to debate the official moment Africans set foot on American soil with some like Ivan van Sertima, (They Came Before Columbus) and Clyde A. Winters (African Empires in Ancient America), logging dates into early antiquity. Others, including most U.S. history teachers, offer 1619, when a ship with 20 African captives landed at Point Comfort, Virginia, as the open of American slavery and the African presence in America. Using the 1619 timeline, here are some pivotal points of the 400-year journey.

1661

1619

As John Rolfe noted in a letter in 1619, “20 and odd negroes” were brought by a Dutch ship to the nascent British colonies, arriving at what is now Fort Hampton, then Point Comfort, in Virginia. Though enslaved Africans had been part of Portuguese, Spanish, French and British history across the Americas since the 16th century, the captives who landed in Virginia were probably the

The first anti-miscegenation statute – prohibiting marriage between races – was written into law in Maryland in 1661, shortly after enslaved people were brought to the colonies. This law would not be set aside until 1967 when the Supreme Court ruled in Loving v. Virginia successfully challenged laws against miscegenation.

1776

The Declaration of Independence, which embraced in its first lines “that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights”, did not extend that right to slaves, Africans or African Americans, with the final version scrapping a reference to the denunciation of slavery.

1808

The British-operated slave trade across the Atlantic was one of the biggest businesses of the 18th cen-

tury. Approximately 600,000 of 10 million African slaves made their way into the American colonies before the slave trade – not slavery – was banned by Congress in 1808.

1857

In the Dred Scott ruling, (Dred Scott v. Sandford), the Supreme Court announced that the letter of the Constitution was not meant to include Africans or their descendants in America as they were never intended as “citizens.” The Court concluded that “We think ... that [black people] were at that time [of America's founding] considered as a subordinate and inferior class of beings who had been subjugated by the dominant race, and, whether emancipated or not, yet remained subject to their authority, and had no rights or privileges but such as those who held the power and the Government might choose to grant them. — Dred Scott, 60 U.S. at 404–05.

1865

Slavery abolished in the U.S. Following its ratification by the requisite

1896

Plessy v. Ferguson, 163 U.S. 537, was a landmark decision of the U.S. Supreme Court that upheld the constitutionality of racial segregation laws for public facilities as long as the segregated facilities were equal. It created a doctrine that came to be known as Jim Crow or “separate but equal.”

1954

Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, 347 U.S. 483 (1954),[1] was a landmark decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in which the Court ruled that American state laws establishing racial segregation in public schools are unconstitutional, even if the segregated schools are otherwise equal in quality.

1965

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was signed, prohibiting racial discrimination in voting and placing restrictions

on a number of Southern states if they attempted to usurp voting rights laws. Those restrictions were recently overturned in a 2013 supreme court ruling.

1971

The Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) was established in 1971 by 13 founding members. The founding members include: Rep. Shirley A. Chisholm (D-N.Y.), Rep. William L. Clay, Sr. (D-Mo.), Rep. George W. Collins (D-Ill.), Rep. John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.), Rep. Ronald V. Dellums (D-Calif.), Rep. Charles C. Diggs, Jr. (D-Mich.), Rep. Augustus F. Hawkins (D-Calif.), Rep. Ralph H. Metcalfe (D-Ill.), Rep. Parren J. Mitchell (D-Md.), Rep. Robert N.C. Nix, Sr. (D-Pa.), Rep. Charles B. Rangel (D-N.Y.), Rep. Louis Stokes (D-Ohio), and Del. Walter E. Fauntroy (D-D.C.)

2008

Barack Obama became the first African American to be elected President of the United States, sparking many celebrations in the United States and around the world. He gained almost 53% of the popular vote and 365 electoral votes. CBCF

A 400-Year Journey

three-quarters of the states earlier in the month, the 13th Amendment is formally adopted into the U.S. Constitution, ensuring that “neither slavery nor involuntary servitude… shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.”

NATURAL GAS & OIL: RESPONSIBLY MEETING AMERICA’S ENERGY NEEDS

2⁄3 SUPPLYING

OF AMERICAN ENERGY

NATURAL GAS PRODUCTION IS UP

MORE THAN

57%

(1990–2017)

14%

DECREASE IN CARBON DIOXIDE EMISSIONS (2007–2017)

MORE ENERGY – LESS ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / 2019 CBCF ANNUAL LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE / SPECIAL ISSUE / SEPTEMBER 2019

“THE BLACK PRESS OF AMERICA IS MORE RELEVANT THAN EVER” The NNPA Salutes the 2019 Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Annual Legislative Conference The NNPA is a trade association representing the Black Press with 209 African American-owned member newspapers in 40 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Since its inception, over three quarters of a century, the NNPA publishers have provided excellent reporting from the Black perspective.

Celebrating 192 years of Black Press Publishing in America

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / 2019 CBCF ANNUAL LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE / SPECIAL ISSUE / SEPTEMBER 2019

MEMBERS REP. JOHN LEWIS

D-GA-05 Serving since 1987

REP. BOBBY L. RUSH

DEL. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON D-DC Serving since 1991

D-CA-43 Serving since 1991

REP. SANFORD D. BISHOP D-GA-02 Serving since 1993

Assistant Democratic Leader D-SC-06 Serving since 1993

REP. BOBBY SCOTT

REP. BENNIE THOMPSON

REP. SHEILA JACKSON LEE

REP. ELIJAH E. CUMMINGS

REP. EMANUEL CLEAVER, II

D-IL-01 Serving since 1993

D-VA-03Serving since 1993

REP. BARBARA LEE

REP. WM. LACY CLAY, JR.

D-CA-13 Serving since 1998

REP. YVETTE D. CLARKE

REP. DAVID SCOTT

REP. G. K. BUTTERFIELD

REP. HANK JOHNSON

REP. ANDRÃ‰ CARSON

REP. MARCIA L. FUDGE

REP. FREDERICA S. WILSON

REP. DONALD M. PAYNE, JR. D-NJ-10 Serving since 2012

REP. BRENDA LAWRENCE

D-NC-12 Serving since 2014

D-MI-14 Serving since 2015

REP. ANTHONY BROWN

REP. VAL BUTLER DEMINGS

D-MD-04 Serving since 2017

D-TX-18 Serving since 1995

D-GA-13 Serving since 2003

D-GA-04 Serving since 2007

REP. ALMA ADAMS

D-MS-02 Serving since 1993

D-MO-01 Serving since 2001

D-NY-09 Serving since 2007

D-FL-24 Serving since 2011

REP. JAMES E. CLYBURN

REP. MAXINE WATERS

D-FL-10 Serving since 2017

REP. JAHANA HAYES

D-CT-05 Serving since 2018

D-IN-07Serving since 2007

REP. JOYCE BEATTY

D-NC-01 Serving since 2004

D-OH-11 Serving since 2008

REP. HAKEEM JEFFRIES

D-OH-03 Serving since 2012

D-NY-08 Serving since 2013

DEL. STACEY PLASKETT

REP. BONNIE WATSON COLEMAN

REP. AL LAWSON

REP. A. DONALD MCEACHIN

D-VI Serving since 2015

D-FL-05 Serving since 2017

REP. LUCY MCBATH

D-GA-06 Serving since 2018

D-NJ-12 Serving since 2015

D-VA-04 Serving since 2017

REP. JOE NEGUSE

D-CO-02 Serving since 2018

D-MD-07 Serving since 1996

REP. ALCEE L. HASTINGS

REP. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON

REP. DANNY K. DAVIS

REP. GREGORY W. MEEKS

D-FL-20Serving since 1993

D-IL-07 Serving since 1997

REP. AL GREEN

D-MO-05 Serving since 2005

D-TX-09 Serving since 2005

REP. KAREN BASS

REP. CEDRIC L. RICHMOND

D-CA-37 Serving since 2011

REP. MARC VEASEY

D-LA-02 Serving since 2011

REP. ROBIN KELLY

D-TX-30 Serving since 1993

D-NY-05 Serving since 1998

REP. GWEN MOORE

D-WI-04 Serving since 2005

REP. TERRI SEWELL

D-AL-07 Serving since 2011

SEN. CORY BOOKER

D-TX-33 Serving since 2013

D-IL-02 Serving since 2013

D-NJ Serving since 2013

REP. DWIGHT EVANS

SEN. KAMALA D. HARRIS

REP. LISA BLUNT ROCHESTER

D-PA-02 Serving since 2016

REP. STEVEN HORSFORD

D-NV-04 Serving since 2018

REP. ILHAN OMAR

D-MN-05 Serving since 2018

D-CA Serving since 2017

REP. COLIN ALLRED

D-TX-32 Serving since 2018

REP. AYANNA PRESSLEY

D-MA-07Serving since 2018

D-DE Serving since 2017

REP. ANTONIO DELGADO

D-NY-19 Serving since 2018

REP. LAUREN UNDERWOOD D-IL-14 Serving since 2018

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / 2019 CBCF ANNUAL LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE / SPECIAL ISSUE / SEPTEMBER 2019

Elizabeth, Aniya & Kya

Ready for homework. Ready for class. Ready for anything. Through Internet Essentials, Comcast has connected more than 8 million people from low-income households to low-cost, high-speed internet at home, most for the first time. So theyâ€™re ready for anything. Learn more at ComcastCorporation.com/InternetEssentials

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / 2019 CBCF ANNUAL LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE / SPECIAL ISSUE / SEPTEMBER 2019

Scenes from CBCF ALC 2018 Photos courtesy of CBCF

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / 2019 CBCF ANNUAL LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE / SPECIAL ISSUE / SEPTEMBER 2019

Seizure First Aid

What to do in the event of a seizure

More than 20,000 African Americans are diagnosed with seizures or epilepsy each year. Learn Seizure First Aid Today By Visiting Epilepsy.com!

with the person and start timing the seizure. Remain 1 STAY calm and check for medical ID. the person SAFE. Move or guide away 2 Keep from harmful objects. the person onto their SIDE if they are not awake and 3 Turn aware. Don’t block airway, put something small and soft under the head, loosen tight clothes around neck.

4 Do NOT restrain. 5 STAY with them until they are awake and alert after 6 the seizure. Most seizures end in a few minutes.

Do NOT put anything in their mouth. Don’t give water, pills or food until the person is awake.

Call 911: 4 Seizure lasts longer than 5 minutes 4 Repeated seizures 4 Difficulty breathing 4 Seizure occurs in water

4 Person is injured, pregnant, or sick 4 Person does not return to their usual state 4 First time seizure

This publication is made possible with funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) under cooperative grant agreement number 1NU58DP006256-02-00. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the Epilepsy Foundation and do not necessarily represent the views of the CDC.

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / 2019 CBCF ANNUAL LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE / SPECIAL ISSUE / SEPTEMBER 2019

KEY THINGS I’VE LEARNED…

The Takeaway Each year the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s Annual Legislative Conference provides days of innovative sessions, enriching dialogue, and necessary calls to action for attendees. Most amazing events generate goals lists and provide opportunities to network that bring about real, lasting positive change. To ensure you keep track of your goals, new friends (and potential colleagues) and points of inspiration, here is a handy page for your notes. –WI

I WILL APPLY THIS INFORMATION TO DAILY LIFE BY…

LARGE GOALS:

SMALL GOALS TO MOVE TOWARDS MY LARGE GOAL BASED ON WHAT I’VE LEARNED…

METHODS TO ACHIEVING THOSE GOALS…

THOSE I MET AT CBCF ALC 2019 NAME

CONTACT INFORMATION

HOW WE WILL INTERACT

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / 2019 CBCF ANNUAL LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE / SPECIAL ISSUE / SEPTEMBER 2019

Before your next f light, visit some of our African American owned or franchised businesses.

And many more!

The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority’s Department of Supplier Diversity’s mission is to promote regional economic development through the maximum utilization of small, local, minority and women-owned businesses. For more information, contact their office at 703-417-8660.

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THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / 2019 CBCF ANNUAL LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE / SPECIAL ISSUE / SEPTEMBER 2019

1/21/19 12:16 PM

Your guide to the millennial community in the District.

Available monthly on newstands throughout the DMV.

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / 2019 CBCF ANNUAL LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE / SPECIAL ISSUE / SEPTEMBER 2019

I READ THE WASHINGTON INFORMER BECAUSE… PROVIDING POSITIVE NEWS FOR, BY AND ABOUT AFRICAN AMERICANS SINCE 1964 On October 16, 1964, The Washington Informer began publishing vitally needed perspectives on local and national news from an African American perspective. “We will cover the positive news about Black folk,” Founder and Publisher Dr. Calvin W. Rolark said, “because we need to educate the entire community about the contributions Black folks are making to this city every day.” For 54 years, The Washington Informer has stayed true to its mission. Now, under the leadership of Denise Rolark Barnes, a second-generation publisher, the Informer has emerged as a multi-media company by continuing to offer its flagship newspaper weekly on Thursdays and adding an online edition – www.washingtoninformer. com. Throughout the year, the Informer distributes special sections focusing on issues including Financial Literacy, Homeownership, Sustainability, Health, and Education, each one offering a laser-like focus on the needs, concerns, and interests, of its expanding and diverse readership.

I N S I D E

Benjamin Chavis Believes It’s Time to Reclaim King’s Legacy, Page 27

I N S I D E

In the 1980’s, Dr. Rolark labeled the Informer “The Involved Weekly.” The Informer stays involved and values the community it serves. Its strong commitment is demonstrated through the sponsorship of the Annual Washington Informer City-Wide Spelling Bee, the Prince George’s Spelling Bee, the African American Heritage Tour, and Washington Informer Charities, a non-profit promoting 21st-century literacy among child and adults in the D.C. area. From the March on Washington to coverage of beats including the White House, the U.S. Congress, and local government, to the political fights for social justice and the global push for equity and equality, the Informer has been front and center. We invite you to join us on the road to commemorating our 55th year of dedicated service. Let us know how the Informer has impacted your life and those in the community where you live. We want to hear from you!

“DemoCraCy is noT jusT The righT To VoTe, iT is The righT To liVe in DigniTy.”–naomi Klein

New Council Members Set to Lead District, Page 4

The Informer Wins Court Battle Page 4

Haiti’s Earthquake Revisited on Fifth Anniversary, Page 14

• Ward 4 Council Race Wide Open, Page 5

With more than 50,000 readers of its print and online editions and the addition of thousands of social media fans and followers, the Informer sees an even brighter future under the direction of Lafayette Barnes IV, representing the third-generation. He is the managing editor of the WI Bridge, a monthly news magazine launched in 2016 for, by and about DC’s millennials.

C e l e b r a t i n g 4 8 Ye a r s o f S e r v i c e

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Serving More Than 50,000 African American Readers Throughout The Metropolitan Area / Vol. 48, No. 4 Nov. 8 - Nov. 14, 2012

“Selma” Called Film of the Year, Page 28

Vol. 50, No. 13 Jan. 8 - Jan. 14 2015

President Barack Obama, first lady Michelle Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and Jill Biden acknowledge the crowd at his election night party Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2012, in Chicago. PresiMuriel E. Bowser, Mayor of the District of Columbia, is congratulated by Chief Judge Eric T. Washington, after taking the Oath of Office during the Inauguration Ceremony held on Friday, Jan. 2 at dent Obama defeated Republican challenger former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson) the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Northwest. /Photo by Shevry Lassiter

The Bowser Era Begins Obama Coasts to Second Term By Barrington M. Salmon WI Staff Writer

Mayor, AG, Council Proclaim Fresh Start By Barrington M. Salmon WI Staff Writer@bsalmondc In a poignant ceremony brimming with the promise of renewal, Muriel Elizabeth Bowser became the second woman to serve as the chief executive of the nation’s capital. Bowser, 42, pledged as may-

or to make the city of 660,000 residents safer, vowed to protect the middle class and assured an appreciative audience of close to 1,000 that she would use creativity, risk-taking and innovation to confront the many problems the city faces. In a passionate and upbeat speech, Bowser, the seventh

and second-youngest mayor since the establishment of Home Rule, said she’s ready to work. “I am your voice,” she said during the Nov. 2 ceremony at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. “I ran for mayor not for the kicks or to see my name in lights but be-

cause I understand the great responsibility of leading this city at this time – a time both rich with prosperity and rife with inequality…. “I am accountable to you, the people who voted for me and all those whose support I have yet to earn. It’s my honor to wake up early, go to bed late and lay

was unable to run the table on the swing states needed to take

one percentage point separated Romney and Obama in Florida

Avis Jones DeWeever never had any doubt about the out-

come. him above the 270 Electoral Col- and Virginia. “I do believe that the presilege votes needed to claim victoObama campaign honchos President Barack Obama won ry. He had to capture all or most were confidence, saying they dent will win on Tuesday,” said it all on the line in the 16 hoursre-election to a second term by of the 13 battleground states, expected the “ground game” to DeWeever during an interview handily beating Republican chalin between to serve you.” including Florida, Ohio, Iowa take care of business. Ultimately, two days before the election. lenger Mitt Romney on Tuesday. Bowser, a fifth-generation Obama’s win ends a long and and Wisconsin but fell short. He the nation’s 44th president swept “Substantial shenanigans would Washingtonian, succeeds May-nasty race that up until the end managed to grab North Carolina 11 of those states as well as the be the only reason he wouldn’t or Vincent C. Gray, whom shewas too close to call. Romney win. I’m American and a political and Indiana. Well past midnight, popular vote. defeated in the April 1 Democratic primary. Bowser, who Visit us online for daily updates and much more @ www.washingtoninformer.com. Follow represented Ward 4 on the D.C.

scientist and I don’t understand why it’s this close. If Romney wins, given him holding back information and blatantly lying and answering both sides of an issue, it would provide a tremendous blow to the body politic.” Ordinary Washingtonians

us on

See INAUGURATION on Page 8

Celebrating 50 Years of Service / Serving More Than 50,000 African American Readers Throughout The Metropolitan Area

Racism and the Election Page 11

Go-Go Mickey Joins New Band Page 30

See ELECTION on Page 8 and on DCTV 95 & 96

One-on-One with Boxer Seth Mitchell Page 32

I read The Washington Informer because… #WashInformer55

Facebook: @washinformer Twitter: @WashInformer Instagram: @WashInformer

www.washingtoninformer.com

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / 2019 CBCF ANNUAL LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE / SPECIAL ISSUE / SEPTEMBER 2019