The Washington Informer - April 26, 2018 by The Washington Informer

The District Running Collective Motivates Black Runners

VOL. 53, NO. 28 • APRIL 26 - MAY 2, 2018 Backyard Band Brings Go--Go Vibes to West Africa

DC Funk Parade Overcomes Financial Adversity

Boss Up: Tara Marshall Social Hospitality Expert

Don’t Miss the WI Bridge Center Section APRIL - MAY 2018 | VOLUME 4 | ISSUE 4

Let’s Protect our Planet - Do Something Honoring Earth Day 2018

Black Men’s Conference Focuses on New Strategies, Empowerment

D.C. Council Advances Student Discipline Bill

By Barrington M. Salmon Special to The Informer A common theme and a unifying thread that tied together almost a week of lectures, forums and workshops at the 10,000 Black Men’s Conference this month was the assertion that African Americans must do for self. Regardless of the topic — whether it was business, education, finances or politics — lecturers, speakers and presenters such as Dr. Cornel West, Professor Griff, Dr. Tony Browder, D.C. Attorney Malik Zulu Shabazz, Professor James Small and Ilayasah Shabazz, author, community activist and daughter of slain human rights activist Malcolm X, stressed the importance of nation building, independence and self-sufficiency. African Americans are confronted with a mélange of issues, including the widespread killing of primarily unarmed Black men, women and children by law enforcement; the troubling rise of bigotry, whte privilege and nativism; racial profiling; police brutality; an increasingly hostile president and administration; and self-destructive behavior that impedes or stunts Black people’s progress.’ These realities are what prompted organizers to create a vehicle for change. Jauhar Abraham, one of the conference organizers, characterized the week’s activities a success, adding that

MEN’S MARCH Page 34

5 Attorney Malik Zulu Shabazz (center) speaks to those gathered at the White House during the 10,000 Black Men’s March on April 21. /Photo by Mark Mahoney

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer District Councilmembers have taken a big step to reduce suspensions and expulsions, particularly as African American and other students of color are often the primary targets of such discipline. The Council voted unanimously to advance the “Student Fair Access to School Act,” which would reduce the use of exclusionary discipline practices, including suspensions and expulsions. “The full Council has taken the first step to protect every student’s right to an education, of which suspensions and expulsions deprive them,” said At-Large Councilmember David Grosso, who introduced

STUDENTS Page 38

Cosby Witness: Accuser’s Edict was No Blacks and No Women By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer Jurors on Tuesday began deliberating the fate of comedian Bill Cosby in his sexual assault retrial after closing arguments were made. Cosby could face up to 30 years in prison if convicted on the three counts of aggravated indecent assault he’s been charged with. Defense attorneys rested after presenting evidence from a Federal Aviation Administration expert, who confirmed the authenticity of records that show the icon could not have been in

Pennsylvania when prosecutors said he assaulted Andrea Constand in January 2004. Ironically, it appeared from records that Cosby may have been in Toronto — Constand’s hometown. In the initial trial last year, jurors failed to reach a unanimous verdict on any of the three counts alleged against the funnyman, whose lawyers didn’t call any witnesses during that trial. This year, his team led by famed defense attorney Tom Mesereau, called six witnesses and the judge

COSBY Page 38

5 Comedian Bill Cosby exits a Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, courtroom on April 20. /Pool photo

Celebrating 53 Years of Service / Serving More Than 50,000 African American Readers Throughout The Metropolitan Area

Now Published by Dr. Charles Vincent Wa shi ngt on DC

Hal l of Fam e Soc

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recognizes nization that ct on the (c) (3) orga anding impa Fame is a 501 ce had an outst n DC Hall of plary servi The Washingto bia residents who have ed decades of exem cy Award ribut Colum The Lega en have cont District of and region. men and wom to our city city. These areas in many have and support Inductees, d in 1998. lishe onal Regi estab that resulted including program was e projects inductees, of of Fame led innovativ the quality programs, enhanced Many Hall is neighborhood and communities that Hall of Fame established ington DC ols ents in scho into the Wash of history. in improvem ents. The induction e cours the and resid s, (Founder have changed life for our ), Hoston Harri persons who surer tte to te (Trea Jane a tribu bers are: Dr. Carson Wise Secretary) Board mem dent), Rev. ncial Presi utive (Fina Exec (Vice e ms The amor Stanley Willia Olivia Black Maureen Young, Esq. Secretary), President), , Orlando in (Executive esponding Secretary) lph Harris, Nancy Harv (Corr Esq., Dr. Rudo r, James Taglieri, my, tt Brown Jessa Wya Lelia Ronald Damian Mille Ida Blake, da LaValle, (Counselor), Kinard, Belin McCrady. n, Alberta eler and Jason Xavier Hixo , Patricia Whe Dr. Toby Horn rams that several prog of ty supports our District of Fame Socie benefit students in n DC Hall the history tly ingto direc The Wash ram preserves it. adults and Legacy prog ry and a digital toolk youth and Our Living uplift the are video histo ol Systems. seniors and an oral and Columbia Scho graduating with rs through upon ved Fame of wed invol ng are besto of our Hall e of getti which was scholarships importanc Our annual rship academy, mentoring ding the Understan ide lished a leade renewable. emy to prov lly, the Hall ge, we estab Acad colle p to der Leadershi . Additiona provides students prior Jack H. Olen high school students ssionals and and renamed The d young profe for middle Probe Awar vements of our Capitol and programs nizes the achie rs through of Fame recog s to our Hall of Fame acces them with Program. and Forward

Dr. Janette Hoston Harris (President of Hall of Fame Society), Arthur Linder and Joy Ford Austin.

18 A

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of Office

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and the present

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In memory of Mickey Thompson Vincent, Founder and Publisher.

RecognizingL

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ASHINGTO L HILL | W SON CAPITO 018 | LIAI APRIL 15, 2

Dr. Charles & “Mickey” Vincent

The 2018 DC Hall of Fame Recipients

N, DC

The 18th Annual District of Columbia Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Awards

Dr. Toby Horn

The DC Hall of Fame, led by Dr. Janette Hoston Harris (City Historian for DC and President of J H Harris and Associates), inducted 12 outstanding Washingtonians into their ranks. Mistress of Ceremonies- Honorable Sharon Pratt former Mayor of DC • Induction Officer- Attorney General of DC Honorable Karl Racine • Invocation - Reverend Dr. Bernard Richardson, Howard University Rankin Chapel • President of Hall of Fame Society- Dr. Janette Hoston Harris

For further Info: www.dchalloffame.org Dr. Janette Hoston Harris, Erwin Tudose (Scholarship winner from DC Public Schools) and Belinda Lavalle

Dr. Rudolph Harris and Atty. James Taglieri

Former DC Councilwoman Carol Schwartz and Karl Racine (Attorney General of the District of Columbia)

Dr. Janette Hoston Harris, Jonathan Burns, Stanley Williams (VP DC Hall of Fame)

Mayor Muriel Bowser and the Saymendy Lloyd Family Dr. Janette Hoston Harris (President Hall of Fame Society), Gina Adams (VP Govt. Affairs FedEx), Sharon Pratt (Former Mayor of DC) / Photos Credit: Lateef Mangum

2 APRIL 26 - MAY 2, 2018

Board of Directors of the DC Hall of Fame

Social Sightings - THE MAGAZINE Subscribe www.SocialSightings.com Kendra Handy/Editor Dr. Charles Vincent/Photographer Brian Young/Graphic Designer l

Social Sightings-The Column is published in the Hill Rag, DC Mid-City, East of the River Journals, The Washington Informer Newspaper and in the Fairfax, Alexandria, Arlingnton, Loudoun Woman Magazines 2003 © SOCIAL SIGHTINGS ALL RIGHTS RESERVED — DUPLICATION IN ANY FORM REQUIRES WRITTEN PERMISSION | E-mail SocialSightings@aol.com

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around the region

W I HBreak O T the T OCycle P I C Sof Women Domestic Violence

SOMETHING NEW EVERYDAY

COMPILED BY WI EDITOR D. KEVIN MCNEIR AND WI STAFF WRITER

enforcement. She said they threat,” she said. Baker Wins Straw law Poll in Western Maryland had come together to bring a Among the programs Marlow

By Tia Carol Jones

www.washingtoninformer.com

WI Staff Writer

Visit our updated Web site and give us your comments for a chance to win a gift from The Washington Informer Email comments to: rburke@ washingtoninformer.com

sense ofL.uniformity ina the to see implemented are Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker III won strawway poll forwants governor When L.Y. Marlow's 23-year- domestic violence victims and stricter restraining order policies, Saturday, April 21 at the annual Western Maryland Democratic Summit. Baker received old daughter told her the father survivors are treated. more Ben rights for victim's families votes with Krish Vignarajah a close second with 57. Former NAACP president of62her daughter threatened her “She's using her own personal to intervene on behalf of a vicJealous third 50 votes. Sen. Richard Madaleno of Montgomery County life, andcame the inlife of attheir child,Statestory, her own personal pain to tim, a domestic violence assesspicked up 48 votes and Baltimore County Kevin Kamenetz received 45 votes. she knew something had to be pushExecutive forward,” Davis-Nickens ment unit coupled with further “The Maryland Democratic Party is strong and energized, will once done. Out of her frustration said about Marlow. and together, wetraining for law enforcement again make Maryland a model of Democratic values for the nation,” Baker said in a with law enforcement's handling Davis-Nickens said anyone agencies, a Child's Life Protecstatement.she Thedecided other twotocandidates, Baltimore attorney Jim Shea techAct en-and mandatory counselofwritten the situation, who reads Marlow's book will and tion trepreneur Alec Ross, receivedcam36 and “get 29 votes, respectively. start the Saving Promise it.” She said sheCandidates “puts theparticipated ing for in batterers. a forum in Prince George’s County on Wednesday, April 25 with another slated forare ever going to eradipaign. case in such a way, the average “If we Sunday, Aprilto29beinaCharles “It seems viciousCounty. cycle person can get it.” She said at the cate domestic violence, we must that won't turn my family end of the day, the book will look at both sides of the coin. loose,” Marlow said. Marlow help people begin to have a dia- We need to address both the vicshared her story with the audi- logue about domestic violence. tim and the batterer,” Marlow Mayor Muriel Bowser Heights recently kickedAlso off the Summer Crime coordinated effort to reduce ence at the District present at the eventInitiative [SCI] – a was said. Domestic Violence violent crime throughSymposium strategic prevention and focused enforcement specific areas acrosswould the District. Fortonearly Mildred Muhammad, theinexMarlow also like see 10 on May at the District Heights years, the7 Metropolitan Police Department identified areas that haveprograms experienceddesigned a high density violence wife has of John Allenfocus Muhammad, to ofraise Municipal The sympo-collaborative and utilizedCenter. resources, including to to prevent violent crime in thoseamong areas during the summer who wasoutreach, sentenced six consecawareness children in sium was sponsored by the utive life terms without parole public and private schools. She months. Family and that Youth Services by a Maryland jury for than his role feels children need “We know crime and violence prevention is about more justinpolicing,” said Bowser whotoledbea educatcommunity Center of the of District thesiteBeltway Sniper attacksfamily in housing ed about domestic violence. public safety walkcity in Ward 8 at the future of the ward’s short-term (4225 6th Street, SE) at the conHeights National Hook2002.builds Mildred Muhammad is “We have toaccess stop to being pasclusion ofand thethe press conference. “The [SCI] safer, stronger neighborhoods by expanding opportunities Up of Black Women. the founder of After the Trauma, sive-aggressive with poor chilthat keep our young people safe and engaged, connecting residents to employment opportunities and ensuring more Marlow has get written a book, an organization helps the dren about domestic violence,” neighborhoods the attention and support they need tothat thrive.” “Color Butterfly,” is a survivors of domestic violence MPDMe Chief of Policewhich Peter Newsham added, “Our goal is to build upon theMarlow successessaid. of the past SCI’s and develop story about four generations of and their children. Marlow has worked to break thriving relationships with community members in these areas.” domestic TheMPD bookwill is implement “I lived fear for at sixselected years. Six thePolice cycleService of abuse her family, Duringviolence. the summer, theininitiative priority Areasinwhose neighborinspired by her own experiences, years in fear is a long time. It is and is confident the policies she hoods encompass: Langston Carver, Trinidad, Grant Park NE Boundary, Greenway, Greater Anacostia, Woodland, and those of her grandmother, not an easy thing to come out is pushing for will start that Congress Heights, Douglass, Shipley and Washington Highlands. MPD also holds multiple outreach events and proher mother and her daughter. of,” she said. grams throughout the summer including National Night Out, Beat the Streetsprocess. and the STARS Teen Camp Program. She said every time she reads Mildred Muhammad said “I plan to take these policies to excerpts from her book, she still people who want to help a Congress and implore them to can not believe the words came domestic violence victim must change our laws,” Marlow said. from her. “Color Me Butterfly” be careful of how they go into “I will not stop until these poliwonDistrict the Attorney 2007 National “Best General Karl A. Racine the success of studentscies whoare participated the recently victim'stouted life, and understand passed.” in “I Belong Here,” an Books” Award. she may be in School “survival anti-truancy program piloted at Ward 7’s that John Philip Sousa Middle this year. The serves can as anbe effort to reduce Tiaprogram Carol Jones reached “I wasand just 16-years-old mode”. at tiacaroljones@sbcglobal.net truancy encourage studentwhen attendance at an early age through a year-long attendance competition between classrooms. my eyeMiddle first blackened and recognized my “Before you get to 'I'm going attendance rates in the District, reducing its Sousa School has been for achieving the most improved lips bled,” Marlow said. to kill you,' it started as a verbal WI truancy rate by 75 percent over the previous year. Elaine Davis-Nickens, “Kids have a better shot at apresisuccessful future when they are in the classroom learning . . . the program has shown great sucdent the National cess atofencouraging kids toHook-Up invest in their education and we hope to expand this program to benefit more District students.” of Black Women, said there is no Inspired by a program in Prince George’s County, Racine’s office piloted “I Belong Here” at Sousa Middle School because consistency in the way domestic it had the highest truancy rate of all D.C. Public Schools middle schools in the 2016 – 2017 school year. Sousa’s truancy rate violence issues are dealt dramatically improved over with the lastbyyear, dropping from 23.7 percent to 5.9 percent to date. Incentives for the attendance competition are provided by program partner, Howard University [HU], which hosts midand end-of-year pep rallies for participating students. This year’s final rally featured performances from Howard University cheerleaders, Greek organizations and other student groups. Sousa students also got an opportunity to tour the Howard campus, allowing them to witness college life firsthand and hopefully encouraging them to invest in their education.

D.C. Mayor Kicks Off Summer 2018 Crime Initiative

In Memoriam Dr. Calvin W. Rolark, Sr. Wilhelmina J. Rolark

‘I Belong Here’ Reduces Ward 7 Truancy by 75 Percent

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“

We have to stop being passive-aggressive with poor children about domestic Prince George’s Native Preps for Boxing Showdown violence. I Championship plan to take these The WBC Featherweight World Champion, Prince George’s County native policies toandCongress and Gary Russell, Jr., the titleholder since 2015 a former U.S. Olympian, will defend against his mandatory challenger and unbeaten No. 1 contender Joseph “JoJo” Diaz, Jr. Saturday, May 19. The bout will air live MGM Nationalour Harbor on implore them tofromchange SHOWTIME. The SHOWTIME Championship Boxing telecast will also feature WBC Light laws. I will not stop until Heavyweight World Champion Adonis Stevenson defending his title against two-division world champion Badou Jack in a main event from Toronto presented by Prethese policies are passed. mier Boxing Champions.

“

The Washington Informer Newspaper

Russell says the fight will be a massacre. “I’m one of the most dangerous fighters on the planet. Speed, L.Y. power,Marlow ring IQ, we Paul Trantham can get ugly if we need to. I don’t plan on going 12 rounds. I’m not going the distance with anybody for the remainder of my career. Mark my words. My last fight will be against (Vasyl) Lomachenko. I want to break my foot off of him. That will be the conclusion of it. I’m willing to wait, though. Right now, we’re good.” In response to Russell’s prediction about the upcoming battle, Diaz said, “I’m very confident – 100 percent confident I’ll beat him. I think we’re both not going to back down and we’re going to brawl it out, and let the best man win.” 4 / May 15 - 21, 2008 The Washington Informer / www.washingtoninformer.com Roy Lewis, Demetrious Kinney, Daniel Kucin, Jr., Mark Mahonny, CIRCULATION Lateef Mangum

4 APRIL 26 - MAY 2, 2018

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Affordable Housing Complex Slated for Renovation

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5 The NHP Foundation (NHPF), a national not-for-profit dedicated to preserving and creating sustainable, multifamily housing, has acquired the 176-unit Woodmont Crossing Apartments. /Courtesy photo

By Tatyana Hopkins WI Staff Writer A nonprofit will grow its affordable housing portfolio by preserving affordable units near Anacostia in Southeast. The NHP Foundation (NHPF) has acquired Woodmont Crossing, a 176-unit apartment complex for low-income residents, and will invest $42,000 per unit to renovate and upgrade the kitchens and bathrooms in every apartment. Once the renovations are complete, the two- and three-bedroom units will be reserved for households earning up to 60 percent of the area median income, with 5 percent of the units being totally accessible for those with disabilities. This is will the first time since 2002 that Woodmont Crossing, a complex on Good Hope Road in Southeast, will have been renovated. NHPF partnered with the Woodmont Crossing United Tenants Association to purchase the building under the city’s Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act, commonly known as TOPA. The D.C. Housing Finance Agency financed the purchase. Of the $44.6 million transaction, DCHFA provided $25.5 million in financing, while Royal Bank of Canada provided another $12.1 million. NHPF is a national nonprofit dedicated to preserving and creating affordable multifamily

housing. Through partnerships with major financial institutions, the public sector, faith-based initiatives, and other not-forprofit organizations, NHPF has 46 properties, including 7,969 units, in 15 states and the District of Columbia. “We were selected by the tenants because of willingness to jointly create a vision of the future of Woodmont Crossing, our mission of providing service enriched housing, and our track record of getting developments done,” said Neal Drobenare, NHPF’s senior vice president of acquisitions. Woodmont Crossing will be NHPF’s fifth TOPA project in the District. “We had a tight deadline on this project and DCHFA and RBC got us closed in six months from start to closing,” Drobenare said. “As a TOPA purchase, if we had not closed on time, the property would have gone back to the original contract purchaser.” The NHP Foundation’s four previous TOPA projects in the D.C. area are Takoma Place, Parkchester, Benning Heights and Anacostia Gardens. “In NHPF we found a partner who understands our community and what is needed to provide long term benefits to our residents,” said Chaiko Lewis, president of the Woodmont Crossing United Tenants Association. “NHPF will maintain our rents and perform in-place renovations that work with our schedules.” WI

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APRIL 26 - MAY 2, 2018 5 THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

AROUND THE REGION

WEEK OF APRIL 26 - MAY 2, 2018 MAY 1

APRIL 26

1892 – Inventor Sarah Boone patents an improved version of the ironing board. 1984 – Renowned jazz bandleader and pianist Count Basie dies of pancreatic cancer at 79 in Hollywood, Florida.

APRIL 27

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1967 – Boxing champion Muhammad Ali refuses to be inducted into the U.S. Army and is immediately stripped of his heavyweight title. Ali, a Muslim, cited religious reasons for his decision.

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APRIL 29

1867 – Howard University opens its doors to the first students. 1939 – Max Robinson, the first African-American broadcast network news anchor in the United States, is born in Richmond, Virginia. 1946 – Emma Clarissa Clement, an African-American theological educator, becomes the first Black woman to be named National Mother of the Year. 1950 – Gwendolyn Brooks wins the Pulitzer Prize for “Annie Allen,” a book of poetry, making her the first African-American to receive the award.

MAY 2

1762 – James Durham, also known as James Derham, the first African-American to formally practice medicine in the United States, is born in Philadelphia. 1844 – Elijah McCoy, an inventor and engineer best known for his 57 U.S. patents, most having to do with the lubrication of steam engines, is born in Ontario, Canada. 1920 – The Negro National League, the first financially successful all-Black baseball league, holds its first game. WI

1899 – Famed jazz pianist and composer Duke Ellington is born in Washington, D.C. 1983 – Harold Washington is sworn in as the first Black mayor of Chicago. 1992 – Four white Los Angeles Police Department officers are acquitted of excessive force in the videotaped beating of Black motorist Rodney King, touching off six days of violent rioting throughout South Central Los Angeles that caused more than $1 billion in damages.

APRIL 30

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1903 – Maggie L. Walker is named president of Richmond’s St. Luke Bank and Trust Company, becoming the first Black woman to head a bank. 1927 – Coretta Scott King, civil rights leader and wife of Martin Luther King Jr., is born in Heiberger, Alabama. 1945 – Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright August Wilson is born in Pittsburgh. 1971 – Samuel Lee Gravely Jr. becomes the first Black American to be selected as an admiral in the U.S. Navy.

APRIL 28

Professional VISUAL BRANDING

Source: Black America Web

1983 – Journalist and publisher Robert C. Maynard buys The Oakland Tribune newspaper from Gannett Company Inc., becoming the first African-American to gain a controlling interest in a major daily newspaper. 1992 – The final episode of top-rated sitcom “The Cosby Show” airs on NBC, concluding a successful eight-year run for the show.

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VIEW P INT By Sarafina Wright

Tennessee State University alumnus James Shaw, Jr. was lauded for wresting an assault rifle from a gunman who had already killed four people at a Nashville Waffle House last weekend. What are your thoughts?

SOPHIA LEWIS /

BRIDGETOWN, BARBADOS

Mr. Shaw is lucky to be alive on so many counts it isn’t funny. Waffle House versus Starbucks. Very proud of him. He says he is no hero, but he will allow that his action was heroic. … I hope America truly appreciates the good people that make up their country. Evil cannot take root while one good man stands.

BURLEY DRUMMOND /

TUSCALOOSA, ALABAMA

This is really sad, but it could have been worse [if not for] this young man. I was visiting my son [in Tennessee] this weekend and we was right down the street from all of this madness. I just want to thank God that we wasn’t involved in this. I’m praying for the families and this young hero

AROUND THE REGION

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When I was a little boy, I remember there always being someone, like my cousin (his name will be withheld for his protection), a few aunts and uncles and even a couple of our neighbors, who my parents would refer to as “touched” – and I don’t mean touched by an angel. It wasn’t uncommon for them to go up and down the streets shouting bizarre messages about doom and gloom or about someone who’d done them wrong. You could count on seeing these “touched” folks wearing wigs on backwards, sporting jackets that should have long been donated to the local shelter or holding and sipping on a 40-ounce bottle of the cheapest beer they could find. Somehow, these unfortunate victims of mental disorders managed to survive, mainly because we looked out for them,

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wrapped our arms around them in the midst of their confusion and acted, as best we could, that what they did or said were normal. At least, my parents instructed me to treat them and to view these infrequent outbursts as things that just happened – things that should cause me no alarm. Looking back at those situations, I realize that what was really needed if we wanted to truly help our friends and relatives, was mental healthcare. In those days, Blacks didn’t talk about going to see a therapist, a psychologist or a psychiatrist. In fact, I distinctly remember some of my elders saying those kinds of doctors were “for white people.” And you know what? I believed them – then. But now, with one man entering a Tennessee Waffle House and shooting innocent people for no apparent reason, with another man in Toronto driving down a popular thoroughfare striking pedestrians as if they were bowling pins, not to mention previous examples of the mentally-deranged expressing their confusion in Las Vegas and Orlando, it clear

that America has a real problem with insufficient care for those with mental illnesses. Ironically, as I recall, it was Ronald Reagan who closed down many of the country’s institutions that had provided help, comfort and care for the mentally ill. Reagan would one day fall victim to Alzheimer’s disease – itself a form of mental illness that erodes one’s memories, one abilities to function, until the person that remains is but a shell of their former self. Now, those who have nowhere to go for help, wonder the streets of America. They purchase guns and kill innocent men, women and children. They sit behind the wheel of their vehicle, put the metal to the pedal and use their vehicle like a battering ram – leaving no one standing in their wake. My summation – they aren’t the crazy ones, we are. We’re crazy because we know that our communities are peppered with those suffering from mental illnesses and disorders and we pretend there’s nothing wrong. What’s wrong with that picture? Everything!! WI

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District’s AG Racine Sole Candidate Endorsed by Ward 8 Democrats By Tatyana Hopkins WI Staff Writer Ward 8 Democrats are overwhelmingly endorsing D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine’s re-election bid in the upcoming 2018 primary. Racine, who is the District’s first elected attorney general, has thus far run unopposed to in the Democratic primary. He became the first candidate for the position to receive and endorsement from the Ward 8 Democrats at the group’s candidates’ forum on Saturday, April 21. Residents heard from incumbent and challenging candidates for the D.C. Council chairman and at-large city council seats. A candidate had to receive 60 percent of the total votes to garner an endorsement from the group. Racine was the only candidate to do so, with 66 votes. A total of 81 ballots were cast in a straw poll by Ward 8 Democratic voters to support the candidate of their choice — 78 counted and 3 marked provisional, those of which will be verified by the D.C. Board of Elections before being added to the final count. Votes were cast before the end of the forum. “We would like to congratulate Attorney General Karl Racine on receiving this historic endorsement of the Ward 8 Democrats,” said Ward 8 Democrats Presidents Charles Wilson. Wilson also thanked the forum’s other participants which included incumbent Council Chairman Phil Mendelson, fiscal activist Ed Lazere and accountant Calvin Gurley. At-large Council member Anita Bonds squared off with progressive community activist Jerimiah Lowery, real estate developer Marcus Goodwin and management consultant and Ward 8 resident Aaron Holmes.

“We hope many hope many of the issues discussed with voters will remain at the top of his list as we work as we work to make our ward great,” he said of Racine. Racine held a question-and-answer segment with the Ward 8 voters after making a brief presentation on his record of reducing recidivism among the city’s youth, expanding consumer protections and enforcing housing code violations against District landlords. He assured that senior issues would top his priorities in his next term. Mendelson came close to an endorsement, earning 43 votes, while opponents Lazere and Gurley earned 20 and 8 votes, respectively. Similarly, Bonds gathered the most votes in her race with 33 voters favoring her. Holmes, Goodwin and Lowery received 21, 12 and eight votes, respectively. Gurley was denied access to the ballot Tuesday, April 24, after the D.C. Board of Elections found only 837 of 1,030 challenged signatures to be valid. He was left with a total of 1,840 signatures, 160 less than the number required for ballot access. Votes during Saturday’s forum did not come easily. In the first round, chairman candidates gave timed responses to audience questions selected by forum moderator, Andrew Lightman, managing editor of Capital Community News. Pressed for time, at-large candidates gave brief introductory statements and a round of direct audience questions. Ward 8 residents pressed the candidates on matters concerning affordable housing and bettering the city’s struggling school system. At times, the forum grew contentious, as Rowena Joyce Scott took jabs at Bonds for not holding a hearing on the District seizure of the subsidized Park Southern Apartments. Discover the world’s best walk-in bathtub from 5 Reasons American Standard Walk-In Tubs are Your Best Choice 1 2

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5 Candidates for the At-Large seat on the DC Council, (L-R) Aaron Holmes, Jeremiah Lowery, and Marcus Goodwin, face the current At-Large Member, Anita Bonds (standing) during a forum held in the Taxi Cab Commission Hearing Room in Southeast on Saturday, April 21. /Photo by Mark Mahoney

“We need people who are going to be honest and who are going to stand up on the side of the residents,” Scott said. Other times, candidates received applause for their views, like Lowery’s position not to take donation from corporations. The Ward 8 Democrats is the first political organization to hold an endorsement forum during the

upcoming election season. The event was held at the Department of For-Hire Vehicles in the Anacostia neighborhood. The Ward 8 Democrats say its goal is to engage residents to participate in actions that advance equality, accountability and transparency in the ward. The group has hosted several community meetings and events to engage residents

on issues such as the proposed changes to the city’s Comprehensive Plan and student attendance. The group will hold its next forum for mayor, congressional delegate and shadow representatives candidates Saturday, May 19. The primary election will be held June 19. WI

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APRIL 26 - MAY 2, 2018 9 THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

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Meek Mill Released from Pennsylvania Prison By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer After spending five months in prison, hip hop star Meek Mill has been granted his freedom. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ordered Mill’s immediate release on Tuesday, April 24. The 30-year-old rapper, whose real name is Robert Williams, tweeted thanking his family and public advocates – who included Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney and New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft – and said he looks forward to returning to his music career, according to CBS News. Michael Rubin, co-owner of the Philadelphia 76ers basketball team and the New Jersey Devils hockey team, reportedly picked Mill up from prison. Rubin has been one of Mill’s many supporters and visited him several times in jail. Comedian Kevin Hart arrived early Tuesday just before Mill’s release. Mill wrote that the past five months in jail “have been a nightmare” and that he’d been working with his legal team to “overturn this unwarranted conviction.” “I’d like to thank God, my family, and all my public advocates for their love, support and encouragement during this difficult time,” he said in a statement. “The prayers, visits, calls, letters and rallies have helped me stay positive,” he added. Mill even thanked the Philadelphia District Attorney’s office. “I’m grateful for your commit-

ment to justice. I understand that many people of color across the country don’t have that luxury and I plan to use my platform to shine a light on those issues,” Mill said, further emphasizing that he anticipated “reuniting with my family and resuming my music career,” he said. Mill’s attorney, Joe Tacopina, thanked the high court. “Meek was unjustly convicted and should not have spent a single day in jail,” Tacopina said. Mill’s sentencing occurred in November and he faced two to four years in prison for violating probation on a nearly decade-old gun and drug case. Judge Genece Brinkley, who sentenced Mill for the probation violation, said he had wasted several chances to clean up his act after a 2009 gun and drug case. But the sentence which Brinkley handed down stood in direct opposite to the recommendation of the prosecutor who said Mill had matured since his original

5 Meek Mill /Courtesy photo

crime. Brinkley, further supporting his decision, said the prosecutor did not know the case as well as she did and that Mill just “does what he wants.” Protestors demonstrated often on behalf of Mill; his supporters have included athletes like Julius Ervin, LeBron James, and Joel Embiid and rap stars like Jay Z and even Mill’s former flame Nikki Minaj. WI

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APRIL 26 - MAY 2, 2018 11 THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY County Exec. Baker Highlights Commercial Development in Final Economy Address By William J. Ford WI Staff Writer @jabariwill A packed ballroom filled with Prince George’s County officials, business representatives and supporters of Rushern L. Baker III listened April 18 as the 59-year-old county executive gave his final assessment of Prince George’s economy. For about 40 minutes, Baker focused on how his administration

12 APRIL 26 - MAY 2, 2018

helped make the majority-Black jurisdiction an economic engine with several projects such as a $1 billion resident and business development at the New Carrollton Metro station, the $543 million regional medical center in Largo and a $265 million U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services headquarters in Camp Spring. “Throughout my administration, my commitment has been to keep our money in the county,” he said during his address at The Ho-

5Rushern L. Baker III gives his final State of the County address at The Hotel in College Park on April 18 noting the accomplishments achieved during his eight years as County Executive. /Photo by Shevry Lassiter

tel at the University of Maryland in College Park. “Our economic development strategy was investing in ourselves. If we don’t believe in ourselves, why would anybody else?”

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He also injected some levity by recognizing a rare appearance by his two daughters, who were in attendance Wednesday. “You can tell when it’s really important [when] two of my daughters show up,” he said. “They say, ‘Why don’t you say that about your son [Rushern L. Baker IV]?’ He’s required to show up at every function I go.” Baker defended the recently-maligned school system, pointing out that enrollment has increased since 2012 from 125,000 students to more than 132,000. Some county and state officials and the teachers’ union have publicly criticized school leadership for a grade-fixing scandal, the firing of several employees at DuVal High School and the Maryland General Assembly’s rejection this month of legislation to revamp the county’s school board. Baker instead chose to highlight some of the county’s achievements, such as the region’s only arts integration office, the opening of several new schools and an academic program that allows students to receive college credit and even earn an associate’s degree during high school. “Do we have challenges? Heck, yeah,” he said. “Are we making progress? Absolutely.” Some of the more than 650 people in attendance, including State’s Attorney Angela Alsobrooks, praised Baker on how he focused on the county’s priorities such as education and public safety. In Baker’s fiscal 2019 budget proposal, more than $2 billion

would fund education, a nearly 4 percent increase from the current budget. About $754 million, an almost 7 percent more from this fiscal year, would help improve public safety to add 125 more police officers, a new fire station in Oxon Hill and two new positions in the sheriff department to support the domestic violence unit. “In spite of our challenges, we have made a lot of progress,” Alsobrooks said. “We’ve invested in our priorities. … I think that was clear from the budget of the county.” Seat Pleasant Mayor Eugene W. Grant gave Baker’s speech a “B.” The grade could’ve increased to an “A,” but Grant said no words mentioned at least one of the county’s 27 municipalities. “Representing a small community, we would have liked to have heard investments into the small municipalities,” Grant said. “They are economic engines and should always be mentioned. There should be greater partnerships with municipalities. We hire people. We have businesses. We contribute to the economy.” Before Baker began his remarks, a video showed late former County Executive Wayne K. Curry endorsing Baker for the same position. Some of Curry’s words seemed to foreshadow the future of Baker, who’s seeking the Democratic nomination for Maryland governor. “He’s prepared. He’s frank,” Curry said of Baker in the undated video. “He has proven he cares about all of us.” WI

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PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY

Prince George’s Community College Opens New Culinary Center By Tatyana Hopkins WI Staff Writer The culinary and hospitality program at Prince George’s Community College (PGCC) finally has its own home. School officials and students held the grand opening Thursday, April 19 of the culinary program’s new center, ending the program’s reliance on various facilities such as churches, community centers and schools since its start just over a decade ago. Students will no longer have to compete with others for instruction space and will be able to access all their classes on the Metro-accessible campus at the college’s main site in Largo. “It’s been a dream since the program started 11 years ago,” said Natalie Webb, chair of the school’s Wellness, Culinary Arts and Hospitality Department. The 21,000-square-foot learning center includes three instructional restaurant-scale kitchens, several classrooms, an event space and a community kitchen where community residents can practice their cooking skills in a less intimidating space. School officials said development of National Harbor, the MGM National Harbor casino resort and several other new hotels, restaurants, retail and entertainment venues has transformed the county into a major tourist destination with growing opportunities for their culinary graduates. They said the multiple kitchens will allow the program to offer additional class sections and graduate more students into the workforce. “The county has invested 100 percent of the dollars going into this facility,” said County Executive Rushern L. Baker III. “If you think about commitment in these times, it’s based on the leadership here at the college to provide continuing education and to provide people an opportunity to find themselves a new career.” According to the National Restaurant Association, restaurants in Maryland are a $12.1 billion industry. More than 246,000 jobs are currently in the state, and the number is expected to grow by nearly 10 percent in the next 10 years. MGM National Harbor Executive Chef Jason Johnston partners with the school to help staff the massive National Harbor resort.

5 The Prince George’s County Community College Culinary Arts Center Chef Edward Whitfield, County Executive Rushern L. Baker III, Prince George’s Community College President Charlene Dukes and MGM National Harbor Executive Chef Jason Johnston prepare a meal in the kitchen of the new center during the grand opening on Thursday, April 19. /Photo by Shevry Lassiter

The new building took more than three years of planning, one year of construction and a $20 million investment form Prince George’s County. “I purposefully held a few of my classes behind to learn in this new building,” said Ama Hammah, a student in the PGCC culinary program. “These kitchens have [equipment] many of us have never seen before.” Hammah began taking classes in 2016, just after opening her business, Ama’s Catering Experience, where she reimagines African and Caribbean cuisine through extravagant presentation. She said though she had already started her business, she

found value in pursuing a degree to refine her skills and grow her professional network. Now she looks forward to using the facility’s state-of-the-art industrial kitchens in the instruction of her final classes. The first classes in the new facility will meet in June. Course options range from continuing education classes to associate degrees in areas such as baking and food production. Beverage management, grill master classes and authentic Chinese cooking classes will also be offered. “I want to take one of the beverage courses so that I can offer those services at my business,” Hammah said. WI

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APRIL 26 - MAY 2, 2018 13 THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

BUSINESS D.C. Students Vie for NASA Tech Funds

National Competition Winners Will Receive $4K By Brenda C. Siler WI Contributing Writer Three students from Benjamin Banneker Academic High School in the District are finalists in a national NASA competition, thanks

14 APRIL 26 - MAY 2, 2018

5 From left: Banneker High School students Bria Snell, India Skinner and Mikayla Sharrieff, finalists in a national NASA competition, hug each other. /Photo courtesy of In3

to a filter they designed to ensure clean drinking water in schools. The NASA Optimus Prime Spinoff Promotion and Research (OPSPARC) Challenge is a youth competition for students in grades 3-12. The event encourages stu-

dents to use imagination and creativity to create spinoff technology that makes life easier. On the Banneker team are 11th-graders Bria Snell, India Skinner and Mikayla Sharrieff, who have been selected as one of

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eight national high school teams. The team, who call themselves “S3 Trio,” are the only East Coast team among the national high school finalist, as well as the only all-female and all-African American team. “This is not a competition,” Mikayla said. “It’s an opportunity to highlight our talents.” NASA describes spinoff technology as devices use in day-today life. Items such as memory foam, invisible braces, firefighting equipment, artificial limbs, scratch-resistant lenses, aircraft anti-icing systems, shoe insoles, water filters/purification, cochlear implants, satellite television, and long-distance telecommunications were first developed for NASA missions and then reworked to make everyday existence easier. National winning teams are invited to NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., for two days of in-depth, behind the scenes, hands-on workshops with scientists and astronauts. Additionally, each winning team receives an award stipend of $4,000, provided by the Foundation for Technology and Privacy Outreach. To win in their category, S3 Trio requires votes to be submitted from the public by April 30. An individual can vote once every 24 hours. Voting is open to anyone in the U.S. and U.S. territories. The three girls are varsity cheerleaders who volunteer at the Inclusive Innovation Incubator (In3), the year-old initiative supported by D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s tech inclusion initiative, located in the Howard/Shaw community. Over the past year, the three have immersed themselves in learning all aspects of the tech industry, including coding, community problem-solving

through design, social networking, entrepreneurship and mobile App development. The team felt ready to pursue a project to meet NASA’s spinoff technology criteria. They chose to design a community project titled “H2NO-to-H2O,” which seeks to address urban lead issues by engineering a filter that cleans drinking water in schools. “In older structured homes and buildings, lead pipes have been an issue in the media. In D.C. they’re currently renovating many public schools,” India said. “As a result, we have a mission to be a part of community activism and history in the making. Our water filtration system can help aid in that mission.” “We are no longer ‘Hidden Figures,’” said team member Bria. The “H2NO-to-H2O” project design and voting process can be accessed on the NASA website. The S3 Trio Glog, a multimedia poster, describes how the filtration system will work. In3 founder and CEO Aaron Saunders, who has been coaching the three girls from the beginning, said he sees the far-reaching impact they will have. “We are extremely excited to see these young talented students take a problem in their community and find an innovative solution,” Saunders said. “Their progress is an example of what In3 envisioned when we opened our doors a year ago.” Skinner, Snell and Sharrieff, the three members of S3 Trio, will be inducted into the National Honor Society this week. Additionally, Skinner and Snell will be inducted into the National Math Honor Society. Skinner will be inducted into the National Spanish Honor Society. Congratulations to each of them. WI

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BUSINESS

‘Real Life’ According to CJ

Music, social media star to address youth at Scholastic Olympics Special to the Washington Informer In an age when half-truths, fake news, spin and misrepresentation flourish, CJ Blair fights to saturate today’s young people with facts and truths that keep them out of jail and fixed on the road to success. “The Bible says there’s ‘nothing new under the sun’, and it really isn’t,” Blair said in an interview. “Young people today are being consumed by the same lies that consumed me. I don’t like to blame rap music but we have to lay responsibility where it belongs.” Blair is fast becoming a popular motivational speaker who melds biblical truths with the common sense he’s gleaned from the streets of Washington, D.C., juvenile facilities and a long haul in the penitentiary. He’ll address youth attending the 2018 Scholastic Olympics at the University of Maryland on May 5. “I am a strong believer in that you are what you hear,” he continued. “Then whatever it is that you hear the most is ultimately what you are going to act out. So, if we look at the actors of this current generation and we look at what they hear the most, then we have to leave some of the responsibility to the culture and hip-hop music.” The No. 1 genre of music in urban areas is a type of hip-hop called “trap” music, which has double or triple-time sub-divided beats of kick drums and layered synthesizers. Described by some as having an “overall dark, ominous, or bleak atmosphere,” the music originated in the late 1990s and early 2000s, taken from a term, “trap,” that referred to places where drug deals take place. “So, my job, I believe, is to – not so much blame rappers but to - make young people aware that it is entertainment. It is not life,” said Blair, who dons a street persona complete with ripped jeans, skull cap, trendy eyewear and Timberlands. To Blair, hip-hop and rap music deceive students because the lyrics offer bogus strategies for earning cash, winning fol-

lowers and gaining prestige. In reality, he said, “It’s actually going to put you in a place where you don’t want to be.” “I speak that from a position of strength because I believed the same stuff,” he said. “I come from the emergence of hip-hop. I watched it come in.” Blair, now 45, spent his youth adoring groups like the infamous Los Angeles hip hop team N.W.A. (Niggaz Wit Attitudes). In 1986, group members such as Ice Cube and Dr. Dre bellowed urban youth anger with such songs as “Straight Outta Compton,” “Gangsta Gangsta” and “Alwayz into Somethin.” “Their message for us who were suffering was ‘pick up guns, sell drugs,’ etc. etc.,” he said. “And because we identified with them, we did what they said to do, which did not land us platinum records or a big mansion or a Mercedes Benz. It put us in penitentiaries. It put us in the grave.” Today’s hip-hop artists, who Blair described as the sons and grandsons of earlier rappers, use similar strategies to entice mainly urban youth. “And we see young people eating that same message, as if it’s truth,” said Blair. “But, we see what it’s doing to add to the decay and detriment of our young people. So, who better than me or those of us who have come from that lifestyle that they rap about to come back and tell these young people, ‘it don’t work like that.’” Blair’s weariness of hip-hop extends to social media, “the medium through which the message gets carried out.” “It’s a troubling time right now when you look at the content of the artists, and you look at [how] easy it is to get that message out via social media,” he said. “You see the change. You see how young, young people start getting involved in things, in criminal activity, sexual promiscuity. They have no regard for life. They are desensitized to the things around them. You lay it flat on the shoulders of what they are listening to. What’s programming them?” Blair, whose given name is

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Chauncey Blair, Jr., was born in Pittsburgh. His pregnant mother, Francine, had traveled from Washington, D.C. to “Steel City” to visit her mother, Audrey, when he arrived earlier than planned. Francine Blair returned to the District as soon as Chauncey was able to travel. He spent most of his childhood moving around the Northwest area, watching his mother, who he thought was actually his sister, slowly become consumed by street life. His grandmother moved to Alexandria but had little time for him because she worked three jobs. “I jumped on the corner to get my mother off the corner,” said Blair who attended Truesdale Elementary School and attended middle school in Alexandria. “In doing that, it just caused me a lot of hardship, death – literally and figuratively. “I wasn’t afforded the luxury to be a kid. I had to be an adult. I was paying rent at 14, making sure groceries were there. So, I really couldn’t focus on Shakespeare’s ‘Midsummer’s Night Dream, algebra or things of that nature.” Blair dropped out of school in eighth grade, embraced street activities that opened a revolving door with juvenile facilities and then “caught my charge that landed me in the penitentiary for a long time.” Eventually, he said, “I came to a place where I wanted more.” He became a Christian and studied the Holy Bible as vigorously as he did rap lyrics and street life at the C.H. Mason School of Theology in Kentucky. If Blair were to prioritize his messages to the youth, he says it would be: have a goal; have a strategy; and be consistent in that strategy. “You can be proactive in how you set up your tomorrow,” said Blair who now lives in Laurel with his wife and three children. “Take advantage of opportunities today and they will bless you tomorrow. If you don’t take advantage, you might not even make it to tomorrow. That’s the reality of the situation.” WI

5 CJ Blair /Courtesy photo

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APRIL 26 - MAY 2, 2018 15 THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

NATIONAL NNPA’s Journalism Fellowship Now Open to All HBCUs By Freddie Allen Editor in Chief, NNPA Newswire The NNPA 2018 Discover The Unexpected Journalism Fellowship, presented by Chevrolet, is a paid internship opportunity designed for HBCU students majoring in communications and journalism. The National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), in partnership with Chevrolet, recently announced that the

2018 Discover The Unexpected (DTU) Journalism Fellowship will now accept applications from communications and journalism students attending any one of the historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) across the country. In 2016, the DTU Journalism Fellowship launched at Howard University. The following year, the program expanded to include Morehouse College, Spelman College and Clark Atlanta Uni-

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5NNPA 2017 DTU Fellows. /Photo courtesy NNPA

versity. Now communications and journalism students at more than 100 HBCUs can apply. “This year’s program also provides an opportunity for the aspiring, young journalists to look beyond the newsroom for story ideas,” said Michelle Alexander, the diversity marketing manager for Chevrolet. “They will have an opportunity to travel across several states in the all-new 2018 Chevrolet Equinox to discover inspiring stories along the way.” Hip-hop legend MC Lyte will also return as the program’s ambassador. For the third consecutive year, The Washington Informer and The Atlanta Voice will participate in the program. The New York Amsterdam News in New York City and The New Journal & Guide in Norfolk, Va., will also host DTU journalism fellows. “DTU fellows will be assigned to write stories that spotlight positive and powerful people and events,” stated a media advisory for the program. “The fellows will be responsible for all aspects of storytelling: writing, videography, photography, research, on-camera reporting and social media posting.” This year, the fellows will be placed in two three-person teams.

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“Over the course of the internship, each team’s road trip will take them to two different cities where they will spend four-week intervals working alongside experienced staffers at NNPA member newspapers,” the advisory said. Alexa Imani Spencer, a journalism student at Howard University, participated in the program last summer, working at The Informer. “Working for a historically Black publication helped me to understand the full worth of our institutions as Black people,” Spencer said. “[The fellowship] helped me to understand that there has always been a voice throughout history that has advocated for us and there will always be somewhere, where we can advocate for ourselves, so long as we continue the legacies of these publications. “The Black Press is an institution that the next generation of young, Black journalists has to preserve,” she said. Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., NNPA president and CEO, said that the third year of the DTU Journalism Fellowship represents significant progress in the NNPA’s ability to tap into the rising genius of African-American mil-

lennials, exposing them to the power of the pen. “Journalism has experienced renewed interest in the Black community,” Chavis said. “There has always been a need to not only report the news of Black America to the world at large, but also to be an advocate for the empowerment of African and African-American communities across the United States and around the world.” Chavis said that the partnership between the NNPA and Chevrolet is setting a standard for the rest of corporate America. “This is not about philanthropy, this is more about engaging the African-American community through the contributions of Chevrolet to the NNPA,” he said. “It really strengthens one of the fundamental institutions in the Black community, which is the Black Press.” Spencer said the 2018 DTU fellows will not only experience personal growth, but will also gain a family by completing the program, adding that the Black Press represents another avenue where HBCU students can help the Black community thrive. Chavis agreed. “There are tremendous opportunities [in the Black Press] for HBCU journalism and communications students to not only to make their mark in the profession, but to also provide an invaluable service in the Black community,” he said. The deadline to submit applications is April 30. Learn more about the NNPA’s Discover The Unexpected Journalism Fellowship at www.nnpa.org/dtu. This article was originally published on BlackPressUSA.com. WI

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NATIONAL

Trump’s Plan to Fire Mueller on Many Minds By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer A bipartisan bill that would require President Donald Trump to give a fired special counsel a chance to challenge the dismissal in court is making its way through a Senate Judiciary Committee. The bill, crafted in part by Republican Sens. Lindsay Graham and Thom Tillis and Democratic colleagues Chris Coons and Cory Booker, seeks to protect special counsel Robert Mueller from being fired by Trump. However, published reports suggests that limiting the president’s firing powers is unconstitutional. “It’s appropriate for members of the Judiciary Committee to discuss constitutional issues with potential legislation,” said Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa). “But it’s also important to acknowledge the fact that we are senators, not judges or presidents, though some in this room might like to be one day.” However, others still said they were determined to push ahead. “I’m not a constitutional scholar, I’m not an attorney. That’s what we have a court system for,” said Tillis, of North Carolina. “Shame on everybody who wants to make a point, not make a difference.” As the Mueller probe continues and the potentially new legal problems the president faces with his longtime personal attorney Michael Cohen under investigation, a growing number of reports have suggested an increasingly agitated Trump desperate to find the right combination of lawyers. A month after his personal legal team imploded over whether Trump should consent to be interviewed for Mueller’s Russia investigation, the president is finally rebuilding his defense. Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani is the most high-profile addition to the president’s legal team, but two other lawyers joined as well, according to Vox, which documented each of Trump’s new hires. And unlike many of the attorneys working with Trump, they have substantial — and recent — criminal courtroom experience, according to Vox. Jane and Martin Raskin, a wife-and-husband criminal defense duo based in Florida, will

be working on Trump’s personal legal team. The two have long histories working for the Justice Department and as white-collar criminal defense lawyers. The first big question they’ll have to grapple with is whether the president should agree to a Mueller interview, Vox reported. John Dowd, Trump’s top personal lawyer, quit in March after repeatedly telling the president that he shouldn’t talk to Mueller as part of the ongoing investigation of Russian meddling in the 2016 election and possible collusion with the Trump campaign. That left Jay Sekulow — a lawyer and radio host best known for defending conservative and evangelical Christian causes — as the only lawyer on Trump’s personal team. Trump has White House lawyers, but their job is to protect the institution of the presidency, not Trump himself, against potential criminal accusations. Trump’s attempts to hire new personal lawyers haven’t gone smoothly, Vox reported. After Dowd left, several well-known Washington criminal defense attorneys turned Trump down. And in a bizarre week, Sekulow announced that Joseph diGenova and Victoria Toensing would join the legal team, only to say days later that they wouldn’t. Sol Wisenberg, a white-collar criminal defense lawyer who worked on the Ken Starr investigation, told Vox that a lot of D.C. law firms are scared of working with Trump. But Giuliani hasn’t been taking on legal clients in recent years. And the Raskins might have an easier time avoiding some of the conflicts that would prevent a lawyer from taking on Trump, partially because they have their own small practice. “If you’ve got a small firm and you’re primarily handling criminal defense matters, you really don’t have to worry about [angering] clients,” Wisenberg told Vox. Trump is still toying with the idea of sitting down for an interview with Mueller. Despite reports that the recent raid on Trump confidant and longtime personal attorney Michael Cohen’s office demolished negotiations for an interview, one of Trump’s White House lawyers, Ty Cobb, said the president still wants to do it. Despite their decadeslong relationship, Cohen

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has not joined Trump’s personal defense team. “The support from the GOP has begun to crack,” political watcher and columnist Juan Williams said. WI

A bipartisan bill that would require President Donald Trump to give a fired special counsel a chance to challenge the dismissal in court is making its way through a Senate Judiciary Committee.

5President Donald Trump /Courtesy of whitehouse.gov

APRIL 26 - MAY 2, 2018 17 THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

INTERNATIONAL

AFRICA/CARIBBEAN NOW Compiled by Oswald T. Brown / WI Contributing Writer AFRICA NOW

Black Panther Paves Way for Investment in South Africa

In an open letter to the president of South Africa, MK Malefane, chairman of Highlands Investment & Development Consortium, argues that the monumental success of the “Black Panther” movie is the “perfect opportunity” for South Africa and Africa’s film industry “to take advantage of the trillion-dollar Hollywood-driven movie, entertainment and merchandising industry and market.” “In response to your appointment of envoys to travel around the globe to seek investment for South Africa, one sector with immense cultural and educational enrichment, as well as the power to generate revenue, stands out for your consideration -- the movie industry,” Malefane wrote in the letter, which was published Sunday in the Kenya Star. He notes that within a month of being released, “Black Panther” grossed well over $1 billion and ticket sales are still climbing. “This is a major record in the history of the movie industry and a major record for African imagery,” he wrote.

ANC Leaders Split on KZN, North West

The ANC’s fragile unity is being tested once again after claims surfaced that officials in the party’s “Top Six” are divided on how to handle issues in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) and the North West, the Durban Sunday Tribune reported. This is as the ANC provincial conference was postponed indefinitely and pressure mounted on North West Premier Supra Mahumapelo, to step down over corruption allegations against him. Both Sihle Zikalala and Mahumapelo were staunch backers of Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma before the December conference. She lost to President Cyril Ramaphosa. A national executive committee member, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said those who supported Dlamini Zuma were being targeted with the intention of removing them from their positions. Zikalala was the ANC provincial chairperson until January, when the NEC suspended the province’s leadership after the Pietermaritzburg High Court found that the November 2015 elective conference was null and void.

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The Zambia Land Alliance (ZLA) has called on the government to guard against foreigners buying huge tracts of land at cheap prices and reselling it to Zambians at inflated cost. ZLA Executive Director Nsama Chikolwa said foreigners were buying land from government cheaply and reselling it for huge profits at the expense of nationals, the Times of Zambia reported Sunday. She described the development as “a scam” and “sad,” as it had put the price of land beyond many ordinary Zambians. She said that foreigners had taken advantage of Zambia’s flexible land policies and weak land administration which did not protect locals. “Whenever land is advertised, it is being sold at an expensive price,” Chikolwa said. “I don’t think we are making land available to the average Zambians. It is now only available to the elite.”

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The controversial National Social Responsibility Levy (NSRL) has fulfilled its aim of dampening the importation of pricey goods into Barbados, but it hasn’t boosted local spending by Barbadians. As a result, the Barbados Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) is reporting a major decrease in retail sales in the first three and a half months of 2018, The Barbados Nation reported. And Eddy Abed, president of the BCCI, fears it could get worse heading into the rest of the year. “We have been told by our members that general retail sales are down by as much as 40 percent, depending on if there is a large ticket item or normal items,” Abed said. Charles Herbert, head of the Barbados Private Sector Association, isn’t surprised Barbadians are staying away from business houses and choosing to spend only on essentials.

Delinquency Plagues Aid Bank

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The Agricultural Industrial and Development (AID) Bank has been plagued by the nonpayment of loans, prompting Deputy Prime Minister Reginald Austrie to appeal to clients to meet their obligations to the institution. Speaking at the annual general meeting of the bank, he said reports show that delinquency has climbed to about 50 percent in the last financial year, Dominica News reported. “It is with dismay, however, that your report shows an increase in nonperforming loans of somewhere in the region of 50 percent during the fiscal year 2106-2017,” he said. According to Austrie, the industrial sector took the largest chunk of nonperforming loans at 42.5 percent, followed by tourism at 35.1 percent.

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

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Outreach to Black Press Readers Critical to Wells Fargo’s Black Homeownership Campaign By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer Wells Fargo’s $60 billion pledge to African-American homebuyers is a major part of the company’s dedication to a community that’s grown accustomed to being shut out from the American dream. In addition to the $60 billion in lending for home purchases, the company committed to increasing the diversity of its sales team and providing $15 million toward initiatives focused on homebuyer education and counseling. Wells Fargo was proactive in making a commitment to the African-American community because, as the nation’s leading mortgage lender, they wanted to be out front in addressing and positively affecting the declining homeownership rate of African-Americans. “Homeownership is vitally important because homes are the building blocks of the American dream and a proven sustainable vehicle for building individual and family wealth that can be passed down from generation to generation,” said Cerita Battles, senior vice president and head of retail diverse segments for Wells Fargo Home Mortgage. “Homes make up our neighborhoods and our communities and are a stabilizing force for families, making homeownership a key driver of our nation’s economic and cultural well-being.” With that understanding, bank officials know that their commitment and helpful information to those interested in becoming homeowners must be communicated to the African-American community. To that end, sharing news with the Black Press is also important for Wells Fargo, Battles said. “Being present in the communities we serve is one of our key strategies for reaching our goals,” she said. “And African-American newspapers are a trusted vehicle for news and information in those communities. So having information about being a homeowner and sustaining homeownership is critical to reaching the goals of the commitment and helping more African-American families become homeowners. It’s important for aspiring

Wells Fargo has made a $60 billion pledge to African-American homebuyers. /Courtesy of Defender Network

homeowners to have as much knowledge as possible about the homeownership process, which helps to dispel myths many African-Americans have about homeownership, Battles said. “There are many myths that cause a lot of potential African-American homebuyers to assume that getting a home mortgage is something beyond their reach,” she said. “But many times, this is completely untrue, and that message needs to get out. “African-Americans need to have the confidence and knowledge to recognize that they can be homeowners, and that a lender like Wells Fargo truly wants to help them meet their home-financing needs,” she said. “The Black Press — and other media, for that matter — helps us share these messages to those who desire to obtain and sustain homeownership.” Battles stressed that Wells Fargo’s African-American homeownership commitment is not a separate loan program, but an effort by the company to increase homeowners in the community. All programs, products and services that Wells

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Fargo offers are available to all customers who qualify. She said it’s not really about what the bank is doing differently for African Americans, but more about how Wells Fargo is showing up for them. “It’s more about getting the messages to them, meeting them where, when, and how they want to interact with us so that we can leverage all that we have to offer,” she said. “It’s about education, counseling, and being present in their communities.” Wells Fargo’s commitment to the African-American community extends beyond the homeownership commitment. In 2016 the company committed to offering $75 million in grants and lending to help diverse-owned small businesses access capital and technical assistance by the end of 2020. “In fact, by the end of 2016, the Wells Fargo Works for Small Business: Diverse Community Capital program had distributed $38 million in grants and lending capital to 30 Community Development Financial Institutions serving diverse small businesses, placing us more

than halfway to our goal,” Battles said. Battles said the goals of the homeownership commitment will not be easy to reach, but Wells Fargo is committed to doing what it takes to help increase African-American homeowners. “This commitment is not a sprint, but a long journey that will require the focus of our team and collaboration with industry influencers, nonprofits and other organizations,” she said.

“If this were just a public relations campaign, we would not have made the goals so lofty. Making this commitment holds us accountable to ourselves, our customers, our communities, and the organizations that joined us in this effort. But by pushing ourselves, stretching ourselves, and then delivering on our commitments in a responsible manner, we are ensuring true meaningful progress for African-American homeownership across America.” WI

APRIL 26 - MAY 2, 2018 19 THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

HEALTH Schumer Floats Sweeping Marijuana Reform By Tatyana Hopkins WI Staff Writer The Senate’s top Democrat announced he is introducing legislation to decriminalize marijuana nationwide. It is the first time that a leader of either party in Congress has en-

dorsed repealing one of the country’s oldest drug laws. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) called for sweeping rollback of the nation’s federal laws concerning marijuana on Friday, April 20, the unofficial day to celebrate marijuana use and its culture.

5Members of Smart Approaches to Marijuana participating in a news conference opposing legalization of marijuana. /Courtesy photo

“The time has come to decriminalize marijuana,” Schumer said in a statement. The legislation would decriminalize marijuana at the federal level by rescheduling it, meaning it would remove the plant from the list of scheduled substances on the Drug Enforcement Administra-

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tion’s list of controlled substances. “It’s simply the right thing to do,” Schumer said. “My thinking — as well as the general population’s views — on the issue has evolved, and so I believe there’s no better time than the present to get this done.” In January, the Pew Research Center found that 61 percent of Americans support the legalization of marijuana, with 70 percent of millennials supporting legalization. Last year, Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) introduced the Marijuana Justice Act, a bill that would legalize weed across the country. It received the support of Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), whose state legalized marijuana in 2015, and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) who endorsed legalization during his 2016 presidential campaign. The same day Schumer announced his plan, D.C. Congressional Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) announced she would introduce a bill that would allow residents to use medical marijuana in states where it is legal in federally-assisted housing, including public housing and the Section 8 housing program. Under current law, the users of drugs illegal under federal law, including medical marijuana, are prohibited from being admitted to federally assisted housing and landlords are permitted to evict current residents based on drug use. Under Norton’s bill, a person may not be denied federally assisted housing for the use of medical marijuana in jurisdictions where medical marijuana has been legalized. However, Schumer’s legislation would not legalize marijuana outright. It would simply allow states to decide whether to make the drug available commercially, putting an end to U.S. Attorney

General Jeff Sessions’ recension of federal laws that prevented federal law enforcement agencies from interfering with marijuana businesses in states that legalized it. But the legislation would maintain federal law enforcement’s authority to prevent trafficking of substance from states that have legalized marijuana to those that have not. Meantime, a group called Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) held a news conference to argue that politicians should not rush to support legalization of marijuana amid a national opioid epidemic. “Our country loves to self-medicate, and now more than ever before,” said former U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy, a recovering addict. “A new addiction industry driven by profits will be putting more people in jeopardy.” Other members of SAM said the organization has been fighting legalization because it believes increased access will lead to increased use. The group supports increased access to drug treatment and reduction and elimination of minor marijuana-related criminal penalties but opposes its broad legalization. “We need to slow this train down,” said SAM President Kevin Sabet. “Today marijuana is more Wall Street than Woodstock. We need to put people before profit.” Sabet said more science is needed to determine the potential harm of marijuana, despite numerous claims that the drug is relatively safe. Schumer’s proposed bill would also ensure that woman- and minority-owned businesses have a fair shot in the marijuana industry, invest in critical research on THC in public safety and health, and prevent advertisers from targeting children. WI

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HEALTH

35th Annual DC Senior Games Opens Registration

Olympics-Style Competition for Citizens 50 and Over

5Seniors keep fit and compete in sporting events. /Photo courtesy of PR Web.

By Sarafina Wright WI Contributing Writer The DC Department of Parks and Recreation [DPR] announced open registration for the 35th Annual DC Senior Games [DCSG] presented by Aetna. Aetna will sponsor the first 300 senior athletes to register by waiving the entry fee and providing participants with a commemorative 2018 DCSGT-shirt. The games will kick off on Monday, April 30 at Kenilworth Recreation Center in Northeast, concluding on Monday, May 14 at various locations throughout the District.

Touted as a senior’s version of the Olympics complete with a grandiose opening ceremony, DCSG will showcase District residents age 50 and older as they compete and medal in a variety of sports competitions. “D.C. seniors matter and this event is one of the highlights of the year; to see over 300 seniors compete is amazing and inspiring,” DPR Director Keith A. Anderson said. “It feels good to give seniors this platform to showcase their talents and get recognized in a major way.” The DC Senior Games is a yearly competition, hosted by DPR and sanctioned by the Na-

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tional Senior Games Association [NSGA] that pushes Mayor Muriel Bowser’s FIT DC initiative and features activities including: basketball, bowling, horseshoe toss, pickleball, softball, swimming, tennis and track and field. Sixty DC seniors are set to qualify in NSGA’s National Senior Games. Senior athletes that fare well in regional games get to compete against other seniors from across the country at the national competition, which takes place every two years. The 2019 National Senior Games will be held June 14 June 25, 2019 in Albuquerque, N.M. WI

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APRIL 26 - MAY 2, 2018 21 THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

EDUCATION High School Students Seek Help, Discuss Mental Health By William J. Ford WI Staff Writer @jabariwill Vanessa Agoucha-Sam never met her guidance counselor at Charles H. Flowers High School, but later found out from another school administrator the counselor plans to retire this year. In a more serious incident, Annette Moukoury recalled when she witnessed a stabbing at Eleanor Roosevelt High School, but received no mental health services from the school on how to cope after a tragic situation. “I was affected. I was traumatized,” Moukoury said before more than three dozen people April 14 at Bowie High School. Agoucha-Sam and Moukoury spoke on a six-person student panel on how to eliminate the school-toprison pipeline. Besides more mental health and guidance counselors in the Prince George’s County public schools, other recommendations included the elimination of student

lunch duty and trash pickup, as well as the end of in-school suspensions. According to a summary on the public schools system’s website, in-school suspension “is when the administrator determines that a student’s conduct warrants removal from class but not the school building. Removing the student within the school building from the student’s educational program for up to but not more than 10 days in a school year for disciplinary reasons by the school principal. The school principal will provide the parent with a written notification of the inschool suspension.” Sometimes students aren’t notified, the students said. “You can’t sleep. You just sit there,” said Osato Charles-Omoregbee, a Flowers junior. The other three students on the all-female panel are Ukamake Aneke, Victoria Lanier and Marie Moukoury, Annette Mourkory’s twin sister. Teenage boys received an invitation to participate in the discussion,

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5 Qiana Johnson (right), a mass liberation fellow with Progressive Maryland, asks a student panel a question about in-school and out-of-school suspensions. The group includes (from left) Marie Moukoury, Annette Moukoury, Osato Charles-Omoregbee, Vanessa Agoucha-Sam, Ukamaka Aneke and Victoria Lanier. /Photo by Brigette White

5 Annette Moukoury (center) participates in an April 14 discussion on the school-to-prison pipeline at Bowie High School. Beside Moukoury are Marie Moukoury (left) and Osato Charles-Omoregbee. /Photo by Brigette White but refused when mentioned to express their feelings, said Anuoluwapo Adepegba, 16, who helped organized the chat. Qiana Davis, a mass liberation fellow with Progressive Maryland who moderated the discussion, asked her son to join-in but he also declined. The voices of high school students have become amplified since the Feb. 14 school shooting in Parkland, Florida, which spurred nationwide student-led walkouts to combat gun violence. On March 20, a 17-year-old student at Great Mills High School in St. Mary’s County shot two other students inside the school. A school resource officer is credited with subduing the gunman, who later died of a self-inflicted gunshot. Four days later, hundreds of thousands joined the student-led March for Our Lives rally in downtown D.C. to force politicians change current gun laws. The high school students in Bowie said without more mental health services, students will become unproductive adults and possibly future prisoners. Raheela Ahmed, a school board member who co-hosted the discussion with Progressive Maryland, said her colleagues discussed ways

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to find money for additional school psychologists and counselors, “but we didn’t do anything about it.” “The big thing is to make sure these students were empowered to speak about their lived experience and translate that to policy and systemic systemwide change,” said Ahmed, 24. “Our schools aren’t like what they used to be. In today’s time and age, we need to address the social issues that are affecting our students today.”

‘LISTEN TO US’

Adepegba said a main focus on the discussion pushed for more mental health services and counselors in the schools. For example, students experience stress on how many honors classes to take which help boost a GPA and in turn, spruces up a college application. She found out a month ago her school, Charles Flowers, incorporates a school psychologist, but that person rotates services at another school. “Yes, I may get the highest score on an exam, but if I can’t mentally function as an adult, then how successful will I become?” said Adepebga, an 11th-grader. Attendees saw a video from Howard University law students

that explained how Prince George’s police deployed swat teams almost once a day for misdemeanor offenses. The incidents are based on data from 2015 and the People’s Coalition for Police Accountability. According to an analysis from Education Week last year, Maryland ranked 10th in the nation among with nearly 22 percent of students arrested during the 201314 school year. Annette Moukoury, a junior at Eleanor Roosevelt who turns 18 in October, disagrees with state lawmakers who approved school safety legislation this month that requires all high schools have a school resource officer. “It’s unnecessary for students to be around an officer making students feel like convicts,” she said. “We are still minors. It doesn’t help anyone and make more students fearful.” In regard to student-led protests and speaking up on certain subjects, the student panel urged for adults who implement policy and have “the power” to make change to just simply listen. “If you aren’t going to listen to us, then how effective is me marching or protesting going to be?” Adepebga said. WI

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EDUCATION

UDC Students Push D.C. Council for Criminal-Justice Reform By Tatyana Hopkins WI Staff Writer Almost half of the elderly women in Japan are living in poverty and depend on prison as a means of care, with many purposely committing crimes in hopes of getting caught and jailed. Edwina Dorch, a professor of crime, justice and securities at the University of the District of Columbia (UDC), presses her students to picture such a situation befalling the nation’s capital. “That’s an unusual theory to view criminality, [to say] that because there is no housing or jobs, people turn to crime,” she said. But for Dorch, who leads a series of research and methodology classes for seniors in UDC’s criminal justice department, taking unique approaches to addressing the District’s criminal-justice problems is right up her alley. Each year, as a final undergraduate project, Dorch’s students collectively formulate solutions to the city’s high arrest rates, crime trends and recidivism based on their class research. Each student completes an individual study of a single city agency to assess its current and best practices, then they unite their research into one presentation with one solution. For the past four years, the group has presented their senior projects to city officials. This year, a group of 10 students proposed to D.C. Council member Robert C. White Jr. (D-At Large) that city programs centered around education, housing and employment set aside 10 percent of their slots to the re-entry population to reduce recidivism and dollars spent on jailing residents. Armed with charts and statistics, the students presented and defended their plan, pointing out that re-entering citizens make up nearly 10 percent of the city’s population and a great portion of the need for housing, education and employment programs. They argued that 9,000

returning citizens must get in line for employment opportunities behind the city’s 21,000 other unemployed residents, as well as jockey for spots in the city’s GED program, which is capped at 8,000 slots. Additionally, the returning citizens join countless numbers of residents looking for affordable housing. The students argued the returning citizens’ criminal past would not make them a first choice for most opportunities in the city. They called for the 10 percent set aside in the city’s apprenticeship program, UDC’s job-training and career pathway program, the city’s GED program and housing. “Each year for the past four years, we have presented, and [city officials] have ignored us,” Dorch said. “And sometimes we’ve gone out and done it ourselves.” In 2016, the class suggested that the city’s criminal-justice program incorporate the Justice Reinvestment Initiative, a program developed by an arm of the U.S. Justice Department that is used by 27 states. The program helps states fund data studies of arrests and factors that drive rates of incarceration and look at diversion programs to keep nonviolent offenders out of prison. When the state determines how much money can be saved using the methods, the federal government matches the amount in grants to the state. The class made the presentation to the city’s deputy mayor on public safety and chair of the council, but to no avail. So they went out and did the work themselves. Last year, the class successfully helped a nonprofit author a proposal for a federal $1 million second-chance grant, a suggestion they said the city failed to make note of. But they said the grant will not be enough to take care of the number of people in the city’s criminal-justice system. “It’s about a new system,” said LaToya Evans, a senior in the class. “There has been some inclusion of the re-entry community [in recent

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District policy], but they need more.” Evans pressed White to consider becoming a legislative ally to the group as they push for their proposal to become law in the District. White said he would consider. “I think the proposal is really wonderful,” he said. “I think a proposal like this will meet some real resistance in the beginning … and you will really need to hone in on the public safety aspect so that people understand why we are creating the investment.” Two of White’s proposed bills focus on the re-entry population. One bill would require the D.C. Mayor’s Office on Returning Citizen Affairs to contact incarcerated residents at least six months before they return home to help them identify housing and employment, provide a transportation stipend and to help them get government identification using their identification information from the federal Bureau of Prisons. The other would require background-check companies to provide accurate criminal records to potential landlords and employers. “It helps them to get adjusted,” White said. He said he hopes to have the elements of his bills funded and passed with the Council’s upcoming close to the 2019 fiscal budget cycle as write into the budget to fund and pass the bills at the same time. He told the group to consider partnering with other organizations to push their legislation. WI

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APRIL 26 - MAY 2, 2018 23 THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

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Washington Informer Ad_APRIL-2018.indd 1 24 APRIL 26 - MAY 2, 2018

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The District Running Collective Motivates Black Runners

Backyard Band Brings Go--Go Vibes to West Africa

DC Funk Parade Overcomes Financial Adversity APRIL - MAY 2018 | VOLUME 4 | ISSUE 4

Boss Up: Tara Marshall Social Hospitality Expert

Editor’s Letter So much has changed about D.C. in the last few years with real estate prices, demographics, and culture topping the list. Nevertheless, individuals and groups from all over the city often compete to claim, maintain and create an audience for an array of cultural events and experiences targeting the District's growing millennial community. For this issue, we are pleased to partner with Broccoli City Music Festival, a homegrown week-long affair, designed to “grow thriving urban communities” and to promote sustainability through health, food, music, panel discussions and other “cool” events. This year's festival will take place at the RFK Stadium Grounds on Saturday, April 28. In this edition of The Bridge, we will share information to get you prepared for the festival, and invite you to join us for The Bridge Live Video Podcast to be held during BCAllNight, April 27 at Union Market. It is our mission to keep you abreast of relevant D.C. cultural activities, and in doing so, Claudia has compiled a list of some of the most influential artistic groups you need to know in our area. Akil spent time with the District Running Club to discuss diversifying and redefining fitness culture in the city, and I spoke with the U Street Funk Parade team about the community-funded revival of their fifth-year anniversary event on May 12. With our first issue under my direction as editor, and Lafayette Barnes, IV, as managing editor, we want to thank Sarafina Wright, the former Bridge Editor-in-Chief for her excellent work. As we enter our third year, we know we could not have made it this far without her. We also commend the writers, editors, and photographers who have assisted us since the Bridge’s inception. We look forward to this journey of providing our community relevant, valuable, entertaining and thought-provoking information as we seek to create the best D.C., bridging all eight wards and beyond. @Ra_JahDC IG: @ShamwellDC

Ra-Jah S. Kelly Co-Editor

Web : WashingtonInformer.com/news/wibridge Email : WIBridge@washingtoninformer.com

Facebook : WIBridgeCommunity Twitter : @InformerBridge Instagram : WashInformerBridge

Publisher : Denise Rolark Barnes Editor : Ra-Jah Kelly Photography & Layout : Lafayette Barnes Contributing Writers : Akil Wilson & Ra-Jah Kelly

Photo by Marco Kay

BOSS UP

Tara Marshall Event Planner, Bartender, & Entrepreneur

By Akil Wilson | @blvckbroadway The Bridge Contributing Writer It’s event season in D.C. and everything is a go! In order to pull of a successful function you need to plan well and roll with the winners like Tara Marshall, one of the cities best when it comes to event planning. “Hospitality is just ju a big part of who I am,” Marshall said. In the District, successful event planning is built on attention to detail, relationships and experience in the industry. Marshall is among the experts when it comes to executing some of the most popular and undoubtedly impactful events in the area. From Louisville, Kentucky via Atlanta, Marshall moved to D.C. where she had opportunities to learn the logistics of the nightlife/hospitality industry in a town known for its party scene. In addition to managing Big Chief [@bigchiefdc] she bartends at Maydan, a James Beard Award nominee and a top 10 restaurant in America according to Food & Wine magazine located in the 14th street corridor in Northwest. This spring she will debut her latest endeavor, a new lounge, bar, restaurant concept named Caged Bird (@cagedbirddc) on Connecticut Ave in DuPont Circle, which she is the co-owner of. As the general manager of Big Chief, a bar/event space in the revitalized Ivy City section of Northeast, Marshall has brought value to a once remote and rarely visited part of town.

Big Chief, located in NE, DC.

Big Chief is home to some of the cities largest events, where she frequently works with national brands such as Jack Daniels to local charities such as ‘Feed The DMV.’ When asked the key to throwing a great event, she said “the details are always important…as they say the devil is in the details.” Spending years reﬁning her knowledge of the hospitality industry has paid dividends. “I’ve always liked to see things through from start to ﬁnish,” Marshall said. “It’s important to gather as much information as possible when attempting to organize an event.” Summers in D.C. are particularly active from day parties downtown to large outdoor gatherings, so if you’re looking for an activity to attend or planning your own, Tara Marshall can help you navigate the scene like a pro. Follow Tara on Instagram at @freckledhippie.

Big Chief, Interior

BLACK & EDUCATED.

WHERE’S THE PARTY? By Claudia Watts | @callmeclaud The Bridge Contributor The District’s vibrant arts and culture scene offers a lot in terms of experience and opportunities in the once renowned Chocolate City. However, spaces attractive to the young, Black and educated can be hard to come by. Where does one go to experience culture or find art that resonates? Here’s some direction to get you started.

HATCH

Hatch The Hatch bills itself as curatorial, consulting and artist advocacy firm that also serves as a bridge between artists, event venues and galleries domestic and abroad. Founder Che’ Nembhard, fills a unique niche within the art industry by choosing to work exclusively with artists of color and immigrant backgrounds. Nembhard believes, “Artists should be free to create and expand their bodies of work without sacrificing passion for livelihood.” Nembhard sources artists from galleries and spaces, seeking original work and finding venues for artists looking to expand and engage new audiences. His recent curatorial project can be seen on display at ShopKeepers Gallery, 1231 Florida Avenue N.E., featuring the work of photographer Ahad Subzwari until April 27. Follow Nembhard’s projects on IG @mindofmymind.

Arts ‘N Beats Founded by Iven King and Yvonne Lawson, ‘Arts ‘N Beats’ highlights up and coming visual and performing artists in the metropolitan area. The series includes live paintings, animated visuals and DJ sets paired with rappers and singers. Arts ‘N Beats will open this spring season by celebrating its one-year anniversary at Union Stage located at the Wharf in Southwest. The event has grown beyond the capacity of its original home at Smith Public Trust. Iven and Yvonne have plans of expansion -- taking the series to Brooklyn and Philadelphia later this summer. Find them on IG @ArtNBeats for the summer line up.

The Wave USA The Wave USA is an event production company that feels more like a movement. Responsible for the Enter Wakanda pop-up bar and exhibition, The Wave focuses on creating unique experiences while supporting black owned businesses. Their black bar crawls and trivia nights are a great way to meet fun like-minded professionals. Serving as a hub for event information using group chats, The Wave USA has connected over 25,000 users in 25 cities across the country. They also partnered with The Creative School in Southeast which works to connect young men with positive role models through a weekly reading program. Follow them at @thewaveusa [on every platform] to learn more.

Pinkstone A high-end social club created around cannabis culture, Pink Stone focuses on aesthetics, entertainment and public health. As advocates for the legalization, and medicinal and recreational uses of marijuana, the club attracts an array of career driven women who host several social events including infused dinners, salon conversations, marketplaces and elevated yoga. Find them on IG at @PinkStoneDC.

While this list barely scratches the surface, it provides an entry point into the larger network of uniquely targeted arts and culture experiences for the young, Black and educated.

Backyard Band Brings Go-Go to West Africa Anwan Glover speaks to a crowd in Ghana.

“Sauce” & Anwan Glover in Ghana.

By Ra-Jah Kelly | @shamwelldc The Bridge Editor D.C.’s renowned go-go band ‘Backyard Band’ completed its ﬁrst West African tour to Ghana, titled “BACK2Africa.” Hosted by the Ghana Tourism Authority and promoted by Diallo Sumbry, Ho leader of the Adinkra Group, the two-week tour included visits to local schools and cultural centers, performances with local musicians, television and radio appearances. From February 26 – March 5, 2018, they spread the famous D.C. go-go sound. “I’ “I’ve been going to the go-go as a fan for at least 15 or 20 years,” said Sumbry. “I grew up playing West African drums from the time that I was three years old.”

Backyard Band poses together in Ghana.

“I always had an orientation that all music can ﬁt inside of African music in the same way that all people are from Africa”. With three concerts in tow, the tour from February 26 through March 5, was modeled on The Adinkra Group’s ‘BIRTHRIGHT Journeys,’ an annual series of trips designed to facilitate a connection to Africa through cultural immersion. Producer and Director, J. Kevin Swain was enlisted to handle the production of a documentary that will chronicle the band’s experiences. Anwan Glover, aka ‘Big G,’ has maintained his role as the leader of Backyard Band and his roots in D.C. despite achieving success in Hollywood with roles in several dramas and movies including HBO‘s The Wire, The Deuce and Golden Globe winner “12 Years a Slave.” “It was always a dream to go to Africa as a kid,” Glover said. “Once you get to see the documentary you will see how the people there accepted us with open arms, they danced, they partied. It was an experience that you have to see and feel because it was amazing.” “Weensy,” Backyard Band’s lead singer agreed about the fantastic reception. “They really got down with it,” he said. “It was like a party at home.” The release date for the upcoming documentary will be announced soon.

Anwan Glover & Diallo Sumbry greeting the camera.

For more information about BIRTHRIGHT trips visit: theadinkragroup.com.

Photo by Marco Kay Matt Green roars in the center of the crowd at one of the District Running Collectives night runs.

The District Running Collective Motivates Black Runners By Akil Wilson | @blvckbroadway The Bridge Contributing Writer Known as one of America’s most fit cities for several years, Washington, DC has emerged as a place where fun and fitness go hand-in-hand, unfortunately, the images that come to mind are often white residents and not dozens of young, black women and men running through Capitol Hill. The District Running Collective [DRC] wants to change the way minority communities views running and “social sports” in the city. “We just wanted to create a welcoming space for all levels of runners,” Matt Green, a product of Prince George’s County’s DeMatha Catholic High School said. Green started the DRC with friends Taylor Blake, Chaz Dawson and Carlin Myrick whom he met while attending North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro, N.C. They noticed the shift in the popularity of running culture and the formation of running clubs all over the world, which led to the decision of bringing the concept to their circle in 2013. The spark that led to the founding of the DRC was the unconventional decision to have a 5k race instead of a party for Green’s 26th birthday. Fast-forward to today, they have organized their signature event, the ‘Weekly Run’ series every Wednesday, 6:30 p.m. meeting at Capital Fringe on Florida Avenue in Northeast. Runners of all levels meet, greet, warm-up and stretch together before hitting the streets with a group of their choice for the evening run. The captains typically decide on a two to four mile pre-planned route for the weekly run, which consists of a three-level system that separates runners into groups called cruisers, movers and flyers. The flyers are the fastest most advanced runners, and they run the longer routes. The movers are composed of more casual runners and the newcomers to the group take the less aggressive routes with the cruisers. Since those first few runs in 2014, DRC has become a prominent fixture on the health and wellness scene in the District. “The group really represents what D.C. is for us,” Green said. “The transient nature of the city allows DRC events to be great opportunities to network and grow one's social circle in D.C.” “People come to make friends and some make lifelong friends. We’ve had people get married, it’s crazy!” Recently the core members and captains of the DRC took part in “The Speed Project” an endurance challenge, where teams run 344 miles from Los Angeles to Las Vegas. The DRC was the only all-black team to participate in the remarkable, but grueling run. “We went out there to one, represent D.C. and two to give a window into what’s possible for folks who never saw someone who looks like me doing something like this,” Green said. The camaraderie and support the group provides participants is a large part of DRC’s appeal. They are on a mission to make running while black a thing here in Washington. DC, according to the group. Paul Robinson, a member since 2015, said, “it’s a real community, we all have each other's backs out there.”

DC Funk Parade Overcomes Financial Adversity By Ra-Jah Kelly | @shamwelldc The Bridge Editor Justin Rood had a dream. He envisioned a parade that travelled through U Street in Northwest that celebrated D.C. music. Seeking to make his dream a reality, Rood enlisted the help of Chris Naoum, the founder of Listen Local First, a non-profit organization that supports collaboratives between musicians and businesses. “He pitched the idea to me,” Naoum said. He said the realized there hadn’t been a festival in the U Street community since the Georgia Avenue Day Parade and Festival and the Caribbean Day Festival were held several years ago. Naoum said, “Every other neighborhood has events. U Street was Black Broadway, and there wasn’t an event that focused on the musicians and the music community.” Aside from his non-profit work, Chris is an attorney focusing on music policy. “My interest in working with musicians, I thought, was a perfect opportunity to create an event that focuses on D.C. music and that gives a home to D.C. musicians to perform in and around the neighborhood that is the historic home of music in the city.” Despi Despite several years of success, this year’s Funk Parade faced financial difficulty. A last-minute fundraising effort raised over $60,000 in just a few weeks, enough to ensure the parade plans could proceed. Since its inception five years ago, the Funk Parade also included among its priorities efforts to ensure artists are paid fairly, that businesses on U Street are engaged, and that they are provide educational resources to the community. Evan Bonham, a long-time supporter of the Funk Parade and an event volunteer, began working with D.C. Music Download last year. He also helped create a Virtual Reality Lab for last year’s festival. For the upcoming festival Bonham is leading a partnership with Knowledge Commons to host a panel discussion featuring journalists and educators. It will be moderated by Dr. Dwandalyn Reece, curator of Music and Performing Arts at the Smithsonian's National Museum of African-American History and Culture. “In previous years there have been panels and discussions but this year we are really trying to make it clear that there is a historical relevance to having a funk parade. We want to discuss funk music’s influence on the history of D.C.,” Bonham said. “It’s bridged the culture from 1968 to now where we have go-go music. DC has been a breeding ground for jazz music, and funk music, and for so many artists today, Bonham said.”

Shamain on the main stage at Funk Parade 2017 Photo by Jeffrey Morris. Courtesy of Funk Parade.

This year’s theme is “The History of Funk” and coincidentally marks the 50th year anniversary of the historic 1968 riots prompted by the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. The Chuck Levin Music store--which at the time was located on the northeast corridor of h st was tragically aﬀected by the riots. “Our store was burned to the ground in the riots and there was nothing left”, said Adam Levin. Sin Since relocating to SIlver Spring they have continued to be active in the DC music community. Levin--a third generation owner said his interest in the Funk Parade was interested by their commitment to artists support. “They were doing the event right from the beginning which i found inspiring.”, said Levin. “They were putting a lot of their eﬀorts into making sure the musicians got paid accordingly which is a really awesome thing that a lot of festivals would not do.”

Singer, Reesa Renee at Funk Parade 2017. Photo by Nana Gyesie. Courtesy of Funk Parade.

The Chuck Levin Music store matched personal donations which in addition to D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s pledge of an additional $25,000 organizers said was essential to make the event happen this year. “This year when we heard they were going through hard times, to see that the event would disappear, it didn’t seem right. Said Levin “I see[the event] it at the embodiment of really authentic DC music culture and arts culture in DC brought to life.”

BCALLNIGHT P R E - P A R T Y PRESENTED BY JAMESON & MARTELL

EVENT MAP

DOCK 5 & Rock Creek Social Club FREE with RSVP 4th x Neal: with the #TheBrowniesPresents Women DJ's, and more FREE with RSVP R Neal St. Space: WI Bridge Live Video Podcast PUBLIC PARTICIPATION WELCOME DO

DC has a rich history of incubating arts and cultural ecosystem that has made the city not only a more interesting, livable place to live but has helped shape the narrative of the various communities. Join us at various locations throughout Union Market, where #BCAllNight will showcase interactive experiences featuring unique installations, and dance parties. Broccoli City, a non-proďŹ t organization committed to educating, equipping and mobilizing millennials to build thriving urban communities, partners with Union Market to host #BCAllNight Presented by Jameson. The Bridge will host a live video podcast throughout the night. Visit the Neal St. Space to join the podcast. Public participation is welcome.

OPINIONS/EDITORIALS

EDITORIAL Face Up to Our Differences With Purpose and Resolve For the past month, the big news coming from the D.C. City Council has been some member’s reaction to the allegation that Ward 8 Councilmember Trayon White is an anti-Semite and that both his accusation of the Rothschilds controlling the weather and his donation to the Nation of Islam require a council reprimand. We are not accusing the council of neglecting its other legislative duties but what has led the news in local media, we believe, has caused the council to bleed with responses calling for disciplinary action in return. While we concur that all forms of discrimination are both unacceptable and offensive, as a Black-owned newspaper that has covered racism and discrimination’s impact on African Americans throughout history, our ears are keenly sensitive to discrimination when we hear or see it. Thus, we cannot agree with those who accuse White of disliking Jewish people. We accept his apology as sincere and we believe that the visit to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum by White, accompanied by his staff, should have unfolded as a private moment where questions could be asked without the fear or possibility of judgment or criticism. We are inspired by the response of At-Large Councilmember Elissa Silverman whose words rang truthfully in a statement she released last week: “The Nation of Islam does needed anti-violence and economic empowerment work in communities like Ward 8.” Further, she acknowledged the “challenge” she and others of her faith face: that Minister Farrakhan, the leader of the Nation of Islam, espouses “anti-Semitic rhetoric which in no way can be tolerated or condoned.” But Silverman didn’t end there. The former reporter who traversed the city for many years on behalf of the Washington City Paper and The Washington Post, knows first-hand that D.C. is a divided city. She spoke of it in terms of, “… a lack of understanding about Judaism and the history of anti-Semitism not only in Ward 8 but throughout our city.” We would go further to say, but for events like the recent observance of the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., understanding life from the lens of a Black man, woman or child and the history of slavery, Jim Crow and civil rights are equally misunderstood. Silverman issued a challenge to the Jewish community to become “more a part of the civic discussion we are having about inequity in our city that particularly impacts Black residents and work collectively toward solutions.” We agree and accept our role to ensure that Councilmember White and others, including us, support that effort in order to make this city a model worthy of others to emulate.

Our Future Depends on Our Children – So, Treasure, Not Abuse Them Within the history of African Americans and the tales handed down in our own families, most of us can point to examples where the elders – that means our grandparents, parents, older siblings, aunts, uncles and the rest, have made personal sacrifices – even putting their very lives on the line – in order to protect their children. That’s because we have always understood that our children are the future – that they carry a bit of each of their ancestors with them – and hopefully they are able to achieve greater success than those who came before them and prepared the path upon which they would travel. But sometimes we fail in our duties to protect our children, to love them and gently nudge them as they begin to explore the world. We forget, or perhaps ignore the fact that they are special gifts – treasures of unimaginable worth. Earlier this week, a two-year-old boy, Aceyson Aizim Ahmad, who lived in Southeast with his mother and her live-in boyfriend, died from injuries sustained during a severe beating. The boyfriend has since been charged with WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

TO THE EDITOR Deconstructing Systemic Racism

Fair Elections Reform Needed

Throughout much of the 20th century, the Federal Housing Authority’s Redlining Policy kept people of color out of the emerging suburbs while undermining growth in inner cities. Redlining yielded disastrous results. Today, African Americans experience homelessness at a much higher rate than other groups. Some figures estimate that African Americans make up 40 percent of the U.S. homeless population, despite being only 13 percent of the overall population. With real estate an important part of wealth accrual in this country, the impact of housing policies has been significant through generations, resulting in a disproportionate number of African Americans living in poverty. Redlining constitutes a form of social engineering that changed the social fabric of our society through the separation of neighborhoods. To end systemic racism, we need to understand our history better. We need to decrypt ideologies, make courageous moves and undo the injustices of the past.

The Prince George’s County Council recently introduced an important bill that would eliminate the influence of money in our local politics through a Fair Elections Fund. Currently, our county has many capable community leaders working to improve their communities for years and would make excellent candidates on the council. Often what stops these candidates from winning is the financial ability to fund their campaigns to compete with campaigns financed by wealthy donors. Election after election, this weakens the representation of every day residents in local government. The Fair Elections Fund corrects this disadvantage by amplifying humble constituent donations, giving community-based candidates equal footing with well-heeled candidates, and providing a realistic chance at winning elections. Residents of Prince George’s County are eager to regain the power to elect candidates who will authentically represent their communities on the council and are qualified to make decisions that create lasting impacts on future generations.

Jean-Michel Giraud President and CEO, Friendship Place

first-degree murder but maintains that he is innocent. We believe that the real story and the truth behind what happened to this little boy will become known as the court proceedings continue. But for now, in a home where anger, frustration and domestic violence have allegedly been part of the normal routine, adults riding on a ten-

Diana Torres Beltsville, Maryland

uous, emotional rollercoaster, have allowed their challenges to harm the child whose life and future rested in their hands. They failed that child. Perhaps in a sense we have all failed that child. Someone knew that things weren’t going well in that home – as in many other homes – and yet they said nothing, they did nothing. And

so, a child who could have been our next Dr. King, Langston Hughes or Barack Obama, will never have the chance to realize his fullest potential. Children are our most precious treasures – greater than silver and gold. Our future rests in their small, innocent hands. We must end the abuse – now. WI

APRIL 26 - MAY 2, 2018 25 THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

OPINIONS/EDITORIALS Guest Columnist

By Julianne Malveaux

Predatory Lending Just the Tip of Iceberg The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is supposed to “protect” consumers from fraud and predatory lending. But since 45 has ruled the roost, he has empowered exploiters to extract too much money from consumers. And he has exposed himself to implicit bribes, which is why the Consumer Financial Services Association of America was meeting at the Trump National Doral Golf Club from April 17-19. The

payday lenders, who describe themselves as the “small-dollar credit industry,” offer loans at an annualized interest rate of as high as 600 percent, and have been lobbying to loosen regulations against their industry. As they met in Florida, they focused on the fact that the Florida state legislature had planned to allow them to lend more, at higher interest rates, in the interest of exploiting more poor people, mostly Black and brown folks. I went to Orlando and Miami as the guest of the National Faith and Credit Roundtable, a

Guest Columnist

group of religious leaders who are disturbed about the many ways payday lenders are able to exploit poor people. The stories they tell are harrowing: a woman who borrowed $500 to fix her car so that she could go to medical appointments and then found herself paying more than $6,000 — 12 times the amount she borrowed — over two years and still needing intervention to stop her enormous payment. I went to hear ministers use the Bible to talk about the many ways that usury is seen as an abject sin. I went to Orlando and Miami

because I wanted to bear witness to the work “woke” pastors are doing to forward the agenda of social and economic justice. If this were only about Florida, it might not merit my attention. But Florida is Missouri, is New Mexico, is Nevada, is California, is Wisconsin, is Michigan. Each of these states have very loose regulations for payday lenders, which means that folks are charging as much as 600 percent for these “small-dollar” loans. The challenge is that desperate people go “small-dollar” but offer their car, their next paycheck,

or even their home, as collateral. If the payday lender can go into your bank account to get payment, all your other bills stand in the back of the line. How to close the gap? Take out another payday loan, and another, and another. Your small $500 loan grows exponentially. And nobody is looking out for you. So the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau offered a rule to curb in payday lenders. And now, with the 45-inspired leadership, CBFB is considering re-

MALVEAUX Page 45

By Jeremy Orr

Earth Day Not Just for Rich, White People

For most of my life, Earth Day has been a stark reminder of yet another American tradition in which the basis was formed without people of color in mind. In 1970, the first Earth Day, like the passage of the National Environmental Policy Act and the founding of the United States Environmental

Protection Agency that same year, was held in response to series oil spills throughout the 1960s. Earth Day in particular was prompted by an oil spill off the Pacific coast of Santa Barbara — a predominantly White, affluent beachfront community. To me, Earth Day has been less about promoting the public health and well-being of all individuals through conservation and environmental protection and more about protecting the

Guest Columnist

pristine land owned and occupied by wealthy, White people. The shift toward intentional inclusion of frontline communities in the environmental movement over the past few years makes this Earth Day different for me; it will be different, because when I look around the country and see oppressed populations rising up and staking their claim in this movement. One prominent example of this has been the increased national capacity

and presence of NAACP’s Environmental and Climate Justice Program. That will be evidenced this Earth Day as NAACP chapters around the country are hosting activities to engage communities of color in ways tied to deeper social justice and civil rights efforts that are taking place year-round. Needless to say, you won’t just see us planting trees on Earth Day 2018 and going on hiatus until the Earth Day 2019.

As we wrestle with various environmental issues in Michigan, we enter Earth Day with our eyes on the prize: clean air to breathe and safe water to drink. As local oil refineries, trash incinerators, and corporate and municipal utility companies continue to pollute our air with toxic emissions, the Michigan NAACP continues to challenge coal-based permits to install, permits to

ORR Page 45

By Jeffrey L. Boney

Non-Voting Blacks Ignore Bloody War for Voting Rights

“I’m just one vote.” “My vote won’t matter.” “Them White folks gone do what they wanna do anyway.” These are some of the many excuses given by some African Americans when it comes to exercising their right to vote — a right fought for by many people in this country, both Black and White, that has cost so many people so much, even their very lives. Obtaining the right to vote was a major part of the civil rights history of African Americans in this

26 APRIL 26 - MAY 2, 2018

country. However, many Black people have turned a blind eye to the struggle that it took to obtain the right to vote, flippantly taking it for granted today. From 1880-1965, there was an all-out assault on preventing African Americans from voting by having their right to vote deemed invalid. Those who sought to disenfranchise Black people knew the importance of voting. They knew that voting had a profound impact on representation, political outcomes and critical decisions that needed to be made concerning major issues. Many southern states knew that the Fifteenth Amendment prohibited blatant disenfranchise-

ment on the basis of race or prior enslavement, those states came up with a slew of new and innovative alternative techniques to disenfranchise African Americans. The traditional techniques of violence, such as with the Ku Klux Klan, and voter fraud relative to vote counting, welcomed new friends to the game as these new methods were introduced to American politics. After the ability to vote was extended to all races by the enactment of the 15th Amendment, many southern states enacted a poll tax as a means of restricting Black people from voting. A poll tax was a flat-rate tax levied on all members of a population, often as

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a prerequisite to voting, which often included a grandfather clause. This grandfather clause allowed any adult male whose father or grandfather had voted in a specific year prior to the abolition of slavery to vote without paying the tax. Of course, this was problematic for Black people, because no Black person had the right to vote prior to the abolition of slavery and, therefore no Black person could qualify. The first formal voter literacy tests were introduced in 1890. Literacy tests were used to keep Black people from voting and were administered at the discretion of the officials in charge of voter registration. Whites did

not have to take the literacy test, if they could meet the alternate requirements that systematically excluded Blacks. These included demonstrating political competence in person, which Black people tried to adhere to, or falling under the Grandfather Clause. If the official wanted a person to pass, he could ask the easiest question on the test. The same official would require a Black person to answer every single question correctly, in an unrealistic timeframe, in order to pass. Southern states abandoned the literacy test only when forced to do so by federal legislation. The

BONEY Page 45

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OPINIONS/EDITORIALS Guest Columnists

By Ron Harris and Matthew Horace

‘It Does Happen. All the Time. Just Not to You and Me’ The first time we met Howard Schulz, the founder and chairman of Starbucks, he was speaking to more than 200 of the nation’s highest ranking Black law enforcement officers during their conference in Seattle. He was explaining his company’s efforts to promote better relationships between Black and Latino communities and police through a program he initiated called “Coffee with a Cop.” It was early last year, and Schulz told the group how two years earlier, following riots and protests in the wake of a spate of high-profile killings of Black men by police, he and then

Seattle Police Chief Kathleen O’Toole had begun inviting residents and local cops to meet in his Seattle coffeehouses, so both could hear the others’ points of view. It was effective, Schultz said. About 70 percent of the participants walked away from the events feeling better about the other side. Schulz’s audience that day was the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE), which is made up of the highest levels of African-American leaders of local police and sheriff’s departments, state troopers, the FBI, the Bureau of

Guest Columnists

Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, U.S. Marshals, Secret Service, Drug Enforcement Administration and other federal agencies. We were there doing research for our upcoming book, “The Black and The Blue: A Cop Reveals the Crimes, Racism, and Injustice in America’s Law Enforcement.” We thought the conference would be a good first stop on our year-long book project to examine police and race. We wanted to understand how and why those relationships play out in continual shootings of unarmed Black men, racial profiling and disparate rates of arrest

and incarceration. Matt had been a member of the organization for much of his 24 years as a special agent with the ATF and knew many of the officers. Despite having covered law enforcement issues as one of my jobs as a local and national newspaper reporter for more than 20 years, I was a novice to the group. Starbucks’ “Coffee with a Cop” meetings had spread to other cities, Schultz explained, and he announced plans to host 100 more events that year. He would hold the first events in five cities in partnership with NO-

BLE and two other police organizations, the International Association of Chiefs of Police and the Major Cities Chiefs Association. “We are pleased to host meetings in our stores ... where police and the community can meet and share experiences to foster greater understanding and empathy,” he said. And then came the embarrassing arrest just days ago of two Black men in Philadelphia, hauled off by police in handcuffs for doing nothing more than sitting and waiting to meet

HORACE Page 46

By William Reed

Use Starbucks Incident to Spur Conversation on Race

While many Blacks are takin’ it to the streets, Donte Robinson and Rashon Nelson went to the suites at Starbucks and are nearing the fruition of a real estate opportunity they’d come to a Philadelphia Starbucks to discuss with White business partner Andrew Yaffe. The treatment Robinson and

Nelson received at the coffeehouse prompted outrage and accusations of racism against both the coffee chain and city police and galvanized people around the country who saw the exchange as modern-day racism. Rather than pretending it was an isolated event and sweeping it under the rug, the people at Starbucks are drawing awareness to the thorny issues that underlie the incident. The incident shows “America’s problem” as the store’s

Askia-At-Large

White female manager called police on Robinson and Nelson, claiming they were loitering. Her actions sparked outrage and protests that closed the Rittenhouse Square Starbucks down. Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson issued a public apology and met with the two, who were detained but ultimately not charged. “The video is very hard to watch and the actions in it are not representative of our Starbucks mission and values … to

create an environment that is safe and welcoming for everyone,” Johnson said in a statement. “Regretfully, our practices and training led to a bad outcome — the basis for the call to the Philadelphia police department was wrong. Our store manager never intended for these men to be arrested and this should never have escalated as it did.” Johnson has ordered company managers to undergo training on “unconscious bias.”

Under Johnson and company founder Howard Schultz, Starbucks is setting an unusually good example. Polls consistently show “unconscious biases” run rampant, yet more than three-quarter of Americans don’t believe America has any race problem. Fewer Americans admit that they’re racist and need leadership to overcome the issue.

REED Page 46

By Askia Muhammad

No Warm Reception for Pompeo on Capitol Hill

You’d think that someone who formerly served in Congress would have his or her confirmation to a top executive branch job pretty much assured. But not Mike Pompeo, current CIA director and nominee to be the next secretary of state. Democratic Sens. Chris Murphy of Connecticut Tim Kaine of Virginia and Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire have all said they will vote in committee against recommending Pompeo to the full Senate (Republican Sen. Rand Paul had also voiced his opposition before

coming out Monday in favor of Pompeo). Last year the Senate confirmed Pompeo to head the CIA by a vote of 66 to 32, but the vote is expected to be far closer this time. Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) said on Twitter: “I voted YES on Pompeo for CIA on the theory that he would be the ‘adult in the room.’ I was wrong. I am voting NO on Pompeo for Secretary of State because our top diplomat should believe in diplomacy. He has an alarming tendency towards military provocation and brinkmanship.” You’d think a guy who graduated first in his class from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, as Pompeo did, would have it made

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in the shade on Capitol Hill, what with all those chickenhawks in the Senate who love to fawn over military heroes and who are quick to vote to send other people’s children to war. Why, just look at the popularity of Sen. John McCain, who finished sixth from last in his class from the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis. But no. Pompeo could become the first secretary of state to not be recommended to the full Senate by the Foreign Relations Committee since 1925! Pompeo served in Congress from Kansas, where he was widely rumored to be “the Koch brothers’ favorite lawmaker.” He once wrote

an article for Politico titled “Stop harassing the Koch brothers.” Act for America, which is considered the largest anti-Muslim group in the U.S., awarded dude its highest honor, the National Security Eagle Award, in 2016. “Pompeo has a history of his work in the Congress,” Medea Benjamin, co-founder of CODEPINK Women for Peace, told this writer. “There he was known as an Islamophobe, and he was known as a hawk. He was also known by his close relationship with people who are known Islamophobes. So I think all of that has come back to bite him, because, maybe as director of the CIA he’s been more in

the background, but his record as a member of Congress is very clear, and it certainly isn’t one that reflects the kind of skill that our chief diplomat should have.” Pompeo has a long history of supporting the right-wing agenda, including the Iraq invasion and the use of torture, and he has strong ties to many Islamophobic organizations. “So I think the place to look for real danger as far as Popmeo is concerned is Iran,” Benjamin said. The concern is heightened because Pompeo joins ultra-hawkish National Security Adviser John

ASKIA Page 46

APRIL 26 - MAY 2, 2018 27 THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

LIFESTYLE DC Bill Attempts to Level Field for Subcontractors By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer The D.C. Council has passed Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie’s legislation to make it easier for vendors to work with District government. The legislation will create a single web page to link all District government contracting opportunities, bring vendor invoicing and payments online, and ease dispute resolution between prime and subcontractors, McDuffie said in a news release. McDuffie, the chair of the Committee on Business and Economic Development, earlier introduced the legislation and titled it, “The Accessible

28 APRIL 26 - MAY 2, 2018

and Transparent Procurement Amendment Act of 2018. It incorporates parts of two other bills that he introduced last year, “The Quick Payment Amendment Act of 2017,” and the “Government Contractor-Subcontractor Dispute Resolution Amendment Act of 2017.” “The District of Columbia should be intentional in how it spends taxpayer money,” McDuffie said. “These bills will help smaller businesses in the District compete for contracts by making it easier for firms to find business opportunities; taking invoicing and payments online and into the 21st century,” he said. The bill also will provide dispute resolution options for small-

The D.C. Council has passed Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie’s legislation to make it easier for vendors to work with District government.

5DC Councilman Kenyan McDuffie /Courtesy KenyanMcDuffie.com

er businesses who often participate as subcontractors, McDuffie said. The bill requires the District’s chief procurement officer – or CPO – to create a single web page that contains links to all the procurement solicitation websites for all city agencies. While most contracts are so-

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licited through a central online system, currently at least 12 agencies are independent of the CPO’s authority and do not use its central solicitation system. “This bill requires those disparate systems to be linked by a single web page. Furthermore, the bill moves the District toward one searchable procurement sys-

tem by instructing those agencies with independent solicitation systems to not renew or upgrade their current systems, and instead migrate to the central system,” McDuffie said. The components of the bill that draw from the Quick Payment Amendment Act of 2017 would create a more advanced vendor payment portal that will allow anyone to view payments by the District and would provide for future functionality with electronic invoicing and electronic vendor payments, he said. Currently, the District only accepts hard copy invoices and cannot make electronic payments to vendors. McDuffie said he also introduced the Government Contractor-Subcontractor Dispute Resolution Amendment last year in response to concerns from the subcontractor community, whom he said often feels beholden to prime contractors. “As passed, this legislation provides subcontractors the option to include a new common contract clause in contracts between the District and a prime contractor, requiring that the prime contractor include in its contract with a subcontractor a dispute resolution clause,” McDuffie said. “The clause requires that the contractor, at the election of a subcontractor, to participate in negotiation and mediation before seeking administrative or judicial resolution,” he said. WI

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Contest Targets Older Entrepreneurs

LIFESTYLE

Start-up Funds to be awarded for Best Ideas By Brenda C. Siler WI Contributing Writer An upcoming contest will allow entrepreneurs 45 and older to pitch their business ideas for a chance to win $5,000 to make that idea become a reality. The deadline to pitch an idea for the competition, sponsored by the 2018 Boom Conference in partnership with AARP, is April 30. Two prizes of $5,000 each, compliments of AARP, will be awarded to a startup/early-stage company and to a growth company. The competition rules define startup/early-stage companies as those that are pre-revenue and have a product or service still in the testing or development stage, but isn’t market-ready. Growth companies are defined as a post-revenue company. Pitch competitions for startup entrepreneurs are plentiful in re-

cent years, largely influenced by the popular ABC reality TV show “Shark Tank.” However, they are often geared toward millennials and usually focus on the tech industry. “I did not see a lot of pitch events targeting the seasoned entrepreneur,” said Angela Heath, a career development coach, successful author and creator of the annual Boom Conference. “Data shows that mature people are starting businesses and are more often successful because they bring life experience and connections to business development ideas.” Heath said she is excited about AARP’s involvement with the competition. “The public knows that AARP is the premier organization for older people,” she said. “The association is now in the forefront to support older people with a variety of resources to grow business ideas.” Proposals for the competition

will be evaluated by a panel of successful entrepreneurs, and finalists will present their business ideas before the panel at the 2018 Boom Conference on June 7. Two winners will be selected by a scoring system in which 75 percent of the score will come from the panel and 25 percent will come from conference attendees. In addition to the cash prizes, winners will receive guidance to refine their business ideas. “Winners also will have access to business coaching from successful entrepreneurs,” Heath said. “You can’t put a dollar amount on that kind of business advice.” The conference, now in its second year, will take place at the Silver Spring Civic Center in downtown Silver Spring, Md. Contest semifinalists will be notified by May 3 and finalists by May 31. Criteria for entering the competition along with other conference information can be found at TheBoomConference.com. WI

5Angela Heath, creator of the Boom Conference /Courtesy of TKCIncorporated

Now Playing! Through May 12 book by William F. Brown; music and lyrics by Charlie Smalls; from the story The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum; choreographed by Dell Howlett; directed by Kent Gash

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Lead Sponsor: Altria Group Production Sponsors: ConocoPhillips; Lockheed Martin Corporation; Fluor Corporation; United Technologies Corporation Season Sponsors: The Home Depot; Chevron Photo of Christopher Michael Richardson, Ines Nassara, Hasani Allen and Kevin McAllister by Carol Rosegg.

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APRIL 26 - MAY 2, 2018 29 THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

LIFESTYLE

Benefit Concert ‘We Are One’ Uplifts Spirits, Hearts By Eunice Moseley WI Contributing Writer The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) held a benefit concert called “We Are One” featuring performances by students, famous alumni and Grammy winning entertainers. “We Are One” was held at The Music Center’s Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, which is also a presenter of the event. It began with a red carpeted arrival of some of the notable alumni such as Academy Award winning Patricia Arquette (“CSI”) and her brother David Arquette (Scream), actress Mindy Cohn (“Facts of Life”) and actor Richard Lawson (“All My Children”). All were hosts of the benefit concert. “I have been giving back ever since I was a kid . . . I’ve run a drug program for the NBA. My wife (Tina Knowles) and I have our own foundation,” said Lawson (Dirty Harry), a Vietnam veteran, when asked about how he gives back to the community.

“I’ve been doing theater in the community all over the country, so it’s really been my life’s work.” The benefit concert had students from different school perform what seemed to be cultural style dances including African, Mexican and Asian. Professional performers included Grammy nominated drummer Sheila E with Grammy winning Pete Escovedo, Grammy winning Judith Hill, known for singing with Michael Jackson on “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You” and Grammy winning Siedah Garrett who wrote the MJ hit “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You.” Watching the kids perform so passionately in their cultures’ style was so inspiring to me and I know it was to the audience made up of different races. Judith performed with Los Angeles students backing her which always had my about to cry. Siedah was so funny when telling the details of how and why she wrote the two selections she performed – uplifting us all in love.

The “We Are One” benefit concert funds will go to benefit the Arts Education Branch to expand its arts efforts. “I’ve struggled with bullying all of my life,” said LAUSD student Nandi Hildebrand. “I feel kids need to be encouraged especially by our fellow classmates. We should be supporting each other; we should be building each other.” WI

5Richard Lawson and Tina Knowles /Courtesy photo

5Judith Hill /Courtesy photo

DANCE PLACE PRESENTS THE 31ST ANNUAL

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May 29 June 3 THRU

Celebrate the dance, music and culture of the African Diaspora Featuring Griot Mama Sylvia Soumah, Artistic Director of Coyaba Dance Theater

• Mainstage Performances

Usuthu Arts Production (from South Africa) Bambara Drum and Dance Ensemble (from NYC) African Heritage Dancers & Drummers Ezibu Muntu African Dance and Cultural Foundation Farafina Kan KanKouran West African Dance Company Sankofa Dance Theater Soul in Motion Players Urban Virtuosos

• Master Classes • Free Outdoor Shows • African Marketplace

30 APRIL 26 - MAY 2, 2018

5Sheila E /Courtesy photo

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LIFESTYLE

Jeffrey Osborne Makes ‘Soulful’ Return For his first album in 13 years in the realm of soul music for which he has indelibly inscribed his mark, singer/songwriter/producer Jeffrey Osborne has returned to the scene much to the delight of his many fans. His 12-song album, “Worth It All,” will be released on May 25 on Artistry Music. The album promises to be a vibrant and thoughtfully romantic project in which Osborne, now 70, reflects on his 35-plus years of marriage, sharing his reflections to a richly robust and diversified palate of sumptuous, soulful tunes. The album features special guests Gerald Albright on saxophone, Rick Braun on trumpet and includes a sexy, rainy night scenario song entitled “Work It,” co-written by his son, Jeffrey Osborne, Jr. Other songs range from edgy up-tempos such as “Let a Brotha Know,” “Just Can’t Stand It” and “Stay the Way You Are” as well as signature ballads that include “The Greatest Night” and “Your Lover” – all written by Osborne. The centerpiece of the album is its tutorial title track, “Worth it All,” a song that speaks to the challenges of weathering the storms of a long-term relationship to reach even greater rewards once the clouds have cleared away. Osborne says, “I believe people actually become closer working through trials and tribulations. It’s about communication and not allowing that fire to slip away. Love is worth going through the little fires you have to put out from time to time.” Jeffrey Osborne will speak with Washington Informer Editor D. Kevin McNeir later this week. The interview will be part of a feature about Osborne and his career that will be published in our May 3rd edition. Stay tuned! WI

“Arresting and distinctive… a riveting ride” —The Times (London)

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LIFESTYLE

Ricardo Bacelar Broadens World View; Marenikae Lasode Charts New Territory By Eunice Moseley Special to The Informer Jazz keyboardist and Brazilian native Ricardo Bacelar said his latest album, “Sebastiana,” is a mixture of American of Latin cultures. “Latin Americans play Brazilian music differently,” he said. “They mix the cultures [of ] Argentina, Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil, Peru and Cuba. We have musicians from each culture.

Each has their own way to weave the song.” Bacelar’s new album — the title of which means “she knows” — features fellow Brazilian Cesar Lemos on bass; American Steve Hinson on guitar; Venezuelan Anderson Quintero on drums; Cuba’s Yoel del Sol on percussion; Colombians Channo Tierra and Jose Sibaja on accordion and trumpet, respectively; Jesus Rodriguez (Peru) on percussion; and vocalists Maye Osorio of the

U.S., Andrea Mangiamarchi of Venezuela and Brazilians Rose Max and Ramatis Moraes. Lemos is also producer of the project, for which Bacelar also used a sample of his daughters’ percussion playing. “[My daughters] started classical piano [but] were playing percussions when we were in Miami last year,” Bacelar said. “I put it on the record. They loved it.” The mixture of Latin cultures make for a very different sound

and Bacelar had the keyboard popping all through the project. Choice selections from the album include “Nothing Will Be As It Was” with Hobson’s smooth guitar playing, “Menina Baiana” for its traditional Latin sound and crazy-good accompanying piano, and the deceptively simple, horn-heavy “Partido Alto” (I also love how the piano keys are popping). “Sambadouro” is reminiscent of an African chant (especially if, like me, you can’t understand the words of the vocalist), and this one has the keys popping, too. “Oh Mana Deixa Eu Ir” features outstanding piano playing that gives a smooth jazz feel, and the title track makes me want to dance — and I love to dance! “There are 45 cultures on the planet,” Bacelar said. “It’s a big job for distribution, but it’s important to Brazil.” Nigeria, birthplace of the iconic Sade, has also birthed vocalist Marenikae Lasode, who just released her debut album “Ajebutter.” Her vocals and style is unmatched — so much so that she had to invent her own genre. “My style is influenced by many people ... so I had to give it a name. I call it Afro-Merge,” Lasode said. “I come from a musical family. My father owns a record label. The first group my father turned out is the biggest African artists.” Lasode said initially she stepped away from her calling because she did not want to sing traditional African music. “The stigma around artists wasn’t really what I wanted ... so I went to college for criminology,” she said. “After a while, I decided that [singing and songwriting] is what I want to do.” Lasode said it was the urging by a friend that prompted her to

5 Ricardo Bacelar /Courtesy photo

write a song, which got her natural creative juices flowing. “My friend gave me a challenge ... to write a song,” she said. “I was 12 years old. I wrote my first song — the first verse, the bridge and chorus, everything — and I was like, ‘Wow, I can do this.’” Lasode said African artists were not conforming to the contemporary world, sticking with traditional African music that didn’t appeal to younger generations. She went to college in Boston, which had a significant influence on her style of music. “North and South cultures are more into soul,” she said. “I recorded a song but went back to Nigeria for four or five years. Things had changed for me as an adult.” Her view of her African culture had changed, however, as she no longer saw Nigeria through a child’s eyes. “I started to fuse together social issues ... after talking to my mother and grandmother,” she said. “Everything they told me I took and poured that into my music.” She has already released three singles from her debut album — “Rose,” “Smooth Operator” and “Remember.” WI

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32 APRIL 26 - MAY 2, 2018

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APRIL 26 - MAY 2, 2018 33 THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

LIFESTYLE MEN’S MARCH from Page 1 the event allowed a diverse cross-section of D.C. residents, Pan Africanists, activists, professionals, people of African descent from abroad and other African Americans to come together, organize and mobilize under one umbrella. “I think it went well,” said Jauhar, a community organizer and chair of the Ward 8 Business Advisory Committee. “It allowed people with different ideologies to come together and strategize. Black people coming together and working towards common goals is very difficult but very necessary. Some brothers came from South Africa. Everyone had different ideas and points of view. It was enlightening.” Jauhar said African Americans have the power, tools and resources to transform and build the spaces in which they live. “The power is in the people,” he said. “White people don’t hold the power but the trick is to [let you] think someone has power over you. We need to have forums to educate

the community and we have to be responsible for the education of our children. Nowhere else in the world is the curriculum left to the oppressors to teach children of the oppressed.” The conference and related activities have sought to replicate an idea first expressed by Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, who in 2015 called for “10,000 fearless Black men” to secure Black communities across America. A number of organizations and groups nationally have taken up Farrakhan’s clarion call. One such organization is Black Lawyers for Justice founded and headed by D.C.-based organizer attorney Malik Zulu Shabazz. On Oct. 5, he, West and other luminaries held a kickoff rally to announce the 10,000 Black Men’s Convention/March. The conference took place at the historic Shiloh Baptist Church in D.C. from April 18-22. “We must have a Black men’s movement,” said Shabazz, a Howard University grad and former chairman of the New Black Panther Party. “At a time when the president of

Mars Urban Arts Initiative presents

CHELSEY GREEN & THE GREEN PROJECT

the United Snakes of America, who has a long litany and train of abuses, out of his filthy and foul mouth steps up and calls Black men — our brothers, who are acting in a spirit of tradition and defiance and protest that we have had to engage in since we were first dragged to the hells of America — ‘sons of bitches,’ I say we must have a Black men’s movement. “Those who are here love the Black man. This movement isn’t just for Black men but it’s focused on Black men … We need a movement that will rise up and crush the opponents of Black people’s rise.” On Thursday night, a stellar group of economists and businessmen and businesswomen, including Watkins, Baltimore-based “Success Scholar” Haki Shakur Ammi, Greg Harris and David Anderson Sr., unveiled a Black National Economic Program. Watkins, a respected economist, political analyst and social commentator, told the audience that money must be thought of at all times and not pushed off the table. He said African Americans have to change the way they think about money and adopt habits that will put them on the road to economic success. “I probably [wouldn’t] tell my children to work for another person,” he said. “You have to be a boss. I tell my children how to be a boss. The way a tree grows is how we make money. You have to plan seed and give them time to grow. You can set the bar really low.”

SAT, MAY 12, 8pm SIXTH & I

D.C.-based violinist/violist and Washington Performing Arts Artist-in-Residence Chelsey Green fuses jazz, classical music, gospel, and more in a concert made possible by our Mars Urban Arts Initiative. Special thanks: Daimler; Jacqueline Badger Mars and Mars, Incorporated; The Abramson Family Foundation

JAZZ AT LINCOLN CENTER with WYNTON MARSALIS SUN, MAY 20, 7pm KENNEDY CENTER

Concluding our centenary tribute to Leonard Bernstein, trumpet maestro Marsalis leads the eminent, hard-swinging JLCO in selections from West Side Story, Candide, and more. Special thanks: Reginald Van Lee; Stillwater LLC; The Van Auken Private Foundation/Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation

34 APRIL 26 - MAY 2, 2018

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

5 Panelists discuss challenges facing Black men. /Photo by Mark Mahoney

Watkins — who has said on his Financial Juneteenth lectures that wealth-building is the new civil rights movement — encouraged listeners to invest $5 a day in the stock market or save $5 daily. Compound interest, he said, will multiple that investment to the tune of $102,000 after 20 years and $750,000 after 40 years. Investing $20 a day would yield a $1 million return. “You must invest in your own future, not in fast food, not in rent, not in the hair salon and not in the White man’s future,” he said. “Everyone should save at least 10 percent of their income. Millions have no money saved and people are living paycheck to paycheck. When it comes to money, ‘get it, keep it, grow it.’”

Watkins said Americans historically are poor savers but said that’s no reason for African Americans to be a part of that trend. Blacks must become economic soldiers and planning is the key, he said. He offered 10 ways for African Americans to become wealth creators. These include investing $5 a day in stocks; supporting Black businesses; ensuring that every child learns how to start a business by age 10; families studying the basics of real estate for 20 hours a week; and hold weekly family business meetings to brainstorm and discuss wealth building, business, money and developing an economic empire. “Economic intelligence is critical for this economy,” he said. “And ownership is where the game is at. We don’t need more jobs from White people. What we need are economics in our community. We must develop markets for capital by investing in businesses, develop markets for contractors to trade labor and develop and share a customer base. I’m not just pulling things from the air. If you follow this plan, you will see success. The 40-for-40 plan will literally reverse the wealth gap.” Watkins said adults in every African-American household need to have life insurance and a will, using the case of superstar musician Prince to drive home his point. “Prince died without a will and now his life and body of work belongs to someone else,” he said. “Who benefits from his death? Attorneys and bankers who already have made more than $8 million and the Internal Revenue Service which will get half of Prince’s $200 million estate. “They’re gonna keep on eating off his body like dead crows,” Watkins said. “He could have saved himself a lot of trouble if he had a will. Make sure you have a good life insurance policy and a good will. You can’t go through life acting as if you’re never gonna die.” WI

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LIFESTYLE

wi A book review

Horoscopes

ARIES Matters could get intense over this week. When fiery Mars, your ruler, links with powerful Pluto in your career sector, you could have a driving urge to push ahead with a plan. And with both planets linking to jovial Jupiter, the thought of taking a big step forward might seem like the natural thing to do. But is it? It might be wiser to get a second opinion before you make your move. Lucky Numbers: 6, 24, 31

“Harriet Gets Carried Away”

TAURUS A desire to enjoy novel experiences or travel could take on new intensity this week, pushing you to do something about it. You could feel quite emotional about going ahead to the point where your involvement could be a little obsessive. If someone wants to join you, this might be a good thing because he or she may have some words of wisdom for you. While encouraging, it could also put things in perspective so that you can relax and see the bigger picture. Lucky Numbers: 16, 19, 45

by Eric Jerome Dickey c.2018, Dutton $27 ($36 Canada) 371 pages

GEMINI The idea of pushing ahead with something that is very important to you could move to a new level this week. With dynamic Mars aligning with powerful Pluto over the days ahead, and both linking to expansive Jupiter, thoughts of how you might benefit could fill your mind and intensify your desire. However, with so much at stake, it might be just as well to make sure that you’ve done your research. Lucky Numbers: 11, 14, 25

Harriet Gets Carried Away

CANCER There seems to be a lot going on concerning your relationships this week, with the potential for certain matters to generate intense emotions. However, with lively Mars aligning with jovial Jupiter on Monday, you may not realize quite how deeply someone feels until you start talking with him or her. Keep the communication going because this can be invaluable in smoothing out any difficulties and allowing matters to proceed at a more measured pace. Lucky Numbers: 14, 17, 23

By Terri Schlichenmeyer WI Contributing Writer You love wearing your Daddy’s shoes. You wear Mommy’s shoes, too. You love that clomping around, the wiggly-wobbly feel, and the fun of pretending that you’re someone else. Dressing up is great but be careful. As in the new book, “Harriet Gets Carried Away by Jessie Sima, things could quickly get out of hand. More than almost anything in the world, Harriet loved playing dress-up. She had a whole trunk full of costumes and she didn’t need a reason to wear them. She just did, as often as possible and everywhere she went. Every dentist appointment, every day in the park, every birthday party. And so, on the day of her own birthday party, Harriet was dressed as a “busy bee” and she certainly was busy helping her dads with the decorations. But before their guests arrived, they would need to buy snacks and party hats, so Harriet changed into her “extra-special errand-running costume.” It was her penguin outfit and when she was done, they took the subway to the store. Once they were there, Harriet’s dads hurried to the deli counter, so Harriet waddled off to find the best party hats. She knew where they were but between deli and derby, she found “something else.” There were penguins! Dozens of them that looked just like Harriet in her black and white penguin costume, and they were apparently getting ready for a party of their own! They barely noticed that a little girl was in their idst; they just kept buying ice and taking it to a big balloon outside in the park. One of them told Harriet that they were going “back home” because the city was “a nice place to visit” but penguins didn’t want to live there — and they took her with them! Or, well, they tried, anyway, but Harriet didn’t want to live the rest of her life on ice, she missed her dads, and she didn’t want to miss her birthday party. But there was a problem: how would a little girl in a penguin costume ever manage to get home? There are two ways of looking at “Harriet Gets Carried Away.” Only one is good. On one hand, this is a cute book that will appeal to a preschooler’s imagination, with its theme of dress-up and make-believe. Harriet is a confident little girl who isn’t one bit fazed by the adventure that her costume causes, and kids will get a kick out of the places she goes because she was mistaken as someone she isn’t. That kind of pretending is what preschoolers do best, and that makes this book relatable. On the other hand, parents may have to take a deep breath and put aside their reservations about unsupervised kids in big-city stores, and the issues of them going somewhere with someone they don’t know. The takeaway here is to beware of your audience: for some kids, the caution may be warranted and the book postponed. For other 4- to 8-year-olds, “Harriet Gets Carried Away” may be an enjoyment shooin. WI WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

APRIL 26 - MAY 2, 2018

LEO Feelings about work issues could be very potent this week, and this could be due to a strong and assertive blend of energies. You might be eager to overcome an obstacle or see a certain result. With expansive Jupiter involved, you might even feel exhilarated at the thought of it. However, if you’re trying too hard, you may be preventing things from flowing as they naturally should. Lucky Numbers: 12, 57, 59 VIRGO With the sun continuing its journey through your sector of of travel, you could be ready to book a vacation or perhaps think about how a short break could help you unwind. This could be a marked contrast to the intensity you feel concerning a creative project or even romance. In this regard, pressure could begin to build this week, and you may feel that it will be a disaster if things don’t go as planned. Would it really? Try to take a step back, especially around Thursday. Lucky Numbers: 13, 36, 38 LIBRA Tension could seem to rise on the home front over this week, which could be due to a merger of fiery Mars and potent Pluto. Someone might be determined to push through an idea or plan regardless of others’ feelings. However, there is also a chance that this might involve finances or a potential purchase. From your perspective, it could seem like a good idea. But with lively Jupiter in your money zone, you’re currently more optimistic about all aspects of money and spending. Lucky Numbers: 40, 41, 47 SCORPIO You could be quite forceful in the way you put things this week even though you try to be casual about a certain issue. As upbeat Mars aligns with expansive Jupiter in Scorpio, your urge to share information could be strong. The problem might arise if you become too enthusiastic to the point of pushing others and attempting to convert them to your cause. If you want them to listen, the way to proceed is to give them the space to make their own choice. Lucky Numbers: 17, 21, 39 SAGITTARIUS You might feel like gambling on a purchase this week. Whether you go ahead or not depends on how much you have to lose. Much as you may want this item or experience, it helps to listen to common sense and see how it fits into your budget. If there are likely to be difficulties, perhaps saving for it would be the better way to go. If your emotions get the better of you and you buy it, keep the paperwork and receipts so you can get your money back if necessary. Lucky Numbers: 13, 45, 50 CAPRICORN If you’re looking for support for a bold idea, friends may be only too willing to assist. However, it could seem like your attitude is very driven and a tad obsessive this week. This could be due to the presence of dominant Mars aligning with passionate Pluto in your sign. Certain people may be put off by your intensity. If you can tone it down and adopt a more relaxed approach, others may find it easier to connect with and work alongside you. Lucky Numbers: 2, 10, 57 AQUARIUS Although you may have a lot you’d like to accomplish, an intense lineup in a more secluded sector of your chart could see you feeling quite emotional and perhaps restless. If you have something important to attend to, give yourself plenty of time. If it can be put off until next week, it might be a good idea to do so. Lucky Numbers: 22, 33, 40 PISCES If you don’t have firm boundaries in place regarding a certain friend, you could be persuaded to do something you don’t really want to do. Even if it does seem like a good idea at the time, the novelty could soon wear off and you may end up feeling disappointed. Trust your instincts if someone offers you an invitation, asks you to help them out, or wants to date you. If you get a clear message to keep away, do so. You might want to keep your distance on Thursday, when the person could seem particularly demanding. Lucky Numbers: 9, 20, 29

APRIL 26 - MAY 2, 2018 35 THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

SPORTS Wizards Make it a Series Against Raptors

5 Washington Wizards forward Kelly Oubre Jr. drives against Toronto Raptors center Jakob Poeltl during the Wizards’ 106-98 win in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference first-round playoff series at Capital One Arena in Northwest on April 22. /Photo by John E. De Freitas 3 Washington Wizards center Marcin Gortat squares up against Toronto Raptors center Jonas Valanciunas during the Wizards’ 106-98 win in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference first-round playoff series at Capital One Arena in Northwest on April 22. /Photo by John E. De Freitas (Far Left) Washington Wizards guard John Wall shoots a leaner as Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry looks on during the Wizards’ 106-98 win in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference first-round playoff series at Capital One Arena in Northwest on April 22. /Photo by John E. De Freitas

Wofford Stomps Lady Bison in Lacrosse

5 Howard University goalkeeper Amerra Sheckles make a save during a 17-5 loss to Wofford College at William H. Greene Stadium in Northwest on April 22. /Photo by John E. De Freitas 4 Howard University attacker Terie Young drives past Wofford College midfielder Ava Alvarez during Woffords’ 17-5 win at William H. Greene Stadium in Northwest on April 22. /Photo by John E. De Freitas

36 APRIL 26 - MAY 2, 2018

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

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CAPTURE THE MOMENT

Powerful ‘Sistahs’ 6 The Links Incorporated 7th annual Women’s Recognition High Tea Committee Co- Chair Marilyn Gail Charity (left) with Links Capital City DC Chapter president Phyllis Caudle-Green presents the Leadership Award for Services to Youth to Washington Informer publisher Denise Rolark Barnes on April 22. /Photo by Shevry Lassiter

5 From left: Michelle Bernard, Willa Renee Burroughs Wallace, Denise Rolark Barnes, Lauren Wesley Wilson, Anita Hill, Janaye Ingram, April Ryan, Phyllis Caudle-Green, and Glenda Newell Harris at the Seventh annual Women’s Recognition High Tea held in the Grand Ballroom of the Fairmont Georgetown in Northwest on April 22. /Photo by Shevry Lassiter

5 Janaye Ingram (left), director of National Partnerships for AirBnB is presented the Leadership Award for National Trends and Services by Angela Rye with host Phyllis Caudle Green, president of the Capital City (DC) Chapter and mistress of ceremony Symone Sanders on April 22 at the The Links Incorporated 7th annual Women’s Recognition High Tea held in the Grand Ballroom of the Fairmont Georgetown in Northwest. /Photo by Shevry Lassiter

5 Political strategist Symone Sanders and President and Founder of the Bernard Center for Women Michelle Bernard mistresses of ceremonies at the 7th annual Women’s Recognition High Tea, pose for a photo before beginning their duties in the Grand Ballroom of the Fairmont Georgetown in Northwest on April 22. /Photo by Shevry Lassiter

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5 Debbi Jarvis, vice president of corporate relations at Pepco with jazz artist Marcus Johnson and Washington Informer Publisher Denise Rolark Barnes at the Links Incorporated 7th annual Women’s Recognition High Tea Tea held on April 22 in the Grand Ballroom of the Fairmont Georgetown in Northwest. /Photo by Shevry Lassiter

APRIL 26 - MAY 2, 2018 37 THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

STUDENTS from Page 1

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the bill. “We know how negatively suspensions and expulsions affect the students pushed out of school – they are more likely to fail academically, to drop out, and to end up involved in the criminal justice system,” Grosso said in a news release this week. One of Grosso’s first acts as a councilmember was to require the collection and reporting of data on suspensions and expulsions, he said. “The latest data demonstrates that Black students are nearly eight times more likely to receive an out-ofschool suspension than White students. Students with disabilities are nearly twice as likely to receive at least one out-of-school suspension; at-risk students 1.5 times more likely,” Grosso said. “Moreover, we are seeing an increase in the use of disciplinary actions for subjective reasons. It is unacceptable and, if we seek to close the racial achievement gap, we must end it,” he said. The Student Fair Access to School Act limits out-of-school suspension of students in kindergarten through eighth grade to serious safety incidents and bans its utilization in high school for minor offenses. If exclusion becomes necessary, the bill protects a child’s right to an education while they are off premises and requires a plan for the student to successfully return to the classroom. The bill promotes more teacher training, mental health support and resources to clarify and improve school discipline practices. It calls for changes to be phased in over the next three years. It also increases data requirements and reporting, which lawmakers say is especially important after it was

COSBY from Page 1 refused to allow testimony from a woman named Sheri Williams, who was close friends with Constand but, in a deposition, appeared to cast doubt on Constand’s claims against Cosby. For Samad Barkley, a southeast D.C. resident who drove 145 miles to Norristown on Friday to witness the trial, everything seemed odd. “I got here at 7 a.m. because I thought I would have a hard time getting in, but it turned out that the courtroom was mostly empty, with just media people,” the self-employed landscaper said. However, it wasn’t the size of the gathering that made the proceedings odd, Barkley said. It was the argument between attorneys and the delay in between the tes-

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

5 Black children are suspended or expelled from school much more often than whites. /Courtesy Blackparents.org

revealed some D.C. public schools were sending kids home without documenting it as a suspension. But the biggest change for the bill moving forward is its ban on out-ofschool suspensions for Kindergarten through Eighth grade except in serious cases, and in high school for minor offenses like uniform violations or talking back to a teacher, according to a WAMU report. The bill follows a trend across the country to ban suspensions, especially in lower grades, to address the disproportionate suspensions of students of color. Last year, 60 percent of suspensions in the District were for non-violent offenses. Grosso said that subjectivity is partially to blame. “What I might think is a violation of the dress code or someone talking back to me disrespectfully might not be true of someone else,” Grosso said. “And because of that difference, it was important we put that into the law.” This bill also limits how many days a student can be suspended, and it requires schools to provide work to suspended students – something that doesn’t always happen. Child advocates who represent

students and families say too many schools rely heavily on suspensions. “We have many parents who are called at 11 o’clock every morning: ‘Come and get your child,” Judith Sandalow, Executive Director of the Children’s Law Center, told WAMU. Both public and charter school leaders have pushed back against the legislation, saying they need suspensions to remain on the table to address unique situations. The school suspension overhaul bill will get a final vote in the D.C. Council this spring. “This collaborative legislation is the result of over a year of work, which included input from students, parents, teachers, school leaders, student and family advocates, researchers, mental health practitioners, government agency heads, and my colleagues,” Grosso said. “I look forward to working with my colleagues before the final vote and working through the Council budget process to provide significant investment in school-based behavioral health supports for our students and other resources to help schools.” WI

timony of a key defense witness that stood out. Alleged victim Andrea Constand had previously testified that she lived a “holistic and clean life.” She claimed she didn’t know what the pills were that Cosby had offered her on the night of the alleged incident, which itself has been thrown into serious doubt because the comedian’s flight records and the itinerary kept by his assistant show Cosby could not have been in Pennsylvania on the night in question. Constand had also said she was gay and her mother, Gianna Constand, testified how supportive she was of her daughter. But a defense witness, a man named Robert Russell, was prepared to punch a gigantic hole into that testimony. In a sworn statement, Russell said he and Constand popped

hallucinogens “like candy” and regularly smoked marijuana. He said they were “more than just close friends” and that their physical relationship had been forged by none other than Gianna Constand. “The Constands had one main rule at the house after Andrea came out, no Blacks and no women allowed over,” Russell said. “They set Bill Cosby up. … It was her mother’s chance to get revenge on Black people.” He also said in a sworn statement that Constand left Canada looking to “become a millionaire,” which plays at the heart of the defense’s case that she was a con artists looking for a major score that she got when Cosby paid her $3.4 million to rid him-

COSBY Page 45

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RELIGION THE RELIGION CORNER

Avoid Telling People What to Do!

with Lyndia Grant Each person must be responsible for himself. — Galatians 6:5 This is part five of my “forgiveness” series. Avoid thoughts and activities that involve telling people who are perfectly capable of making their own choices what to do. In your own family especially, you don’t own any one of them. The poet Kahlil Gibran reminds you: “Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself. They come through you but not from you...” This is always true, and not just for your children — this quote is true for every person in your life. In fact, disregard all thoughts you may have of dominating folks in any of your relationships. Listen rather than have court, when you talk more than you listen. You definitely don’t know what that sibling, spouse or friend was sent to this earth to achieve. To discontinue that lifelong habit, you may have of running someone business, you must pay close attention to yourself when you’re having judgmental opinions and see where self-attention takes you, you will catch yourself if you’re looking for your own faults. When you replace that attitude of running someone else’s life with one of allowing them

Mt. Zion Baptist Church Reverend John W. Davis Pastor 5101 14th Street, NW Washington, DC 20011 Phone: 202-726-2220 Fax: 202-726-9089 Service and Times Sunday Worship Service - 8:00 a.m. & 11:00 a.m. Children’s Church - 11:00 a.m. (1st & 3rd Sundays) Communion - 10 a.m. 4th Sunday Sunday School - 9:15 a.m. (4th Sunday 8:15 a.m.) Prayer Meeting & Bible Study - Wednesday 7:00 p.m. “A Church with a past to remember – and a future to mold”

to think for themselves, to make their own mistakes, which is how we fail our way to success. How can someone learn life’s lessons if they avoid making mistakes? Pencils have erasers, and we all learn from the errors of our ways. If not, you are foolish. As the famous saying goes, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Listening on to God is just as important as breathing your next breath. If you are not sure that it is God that is speaking to you, ask Him to provide two or three scripture verses that will confirm His message, such as 2 Corinthians 13:1. Do not worry as it is His pleasure to confirm everything with His Word! Or Hebrews 6:17, which says: “Remember, God never, never, never does or asks you to do anything contrary to His Word.” Furthermore, God does not and cannot lie — ever! (Titus 1:2. Hebrews 6:18) Let’s be clear what is meant by not telling someone what to do. Many parents have tried to shape the future of their children, and in some cases it has worked. A perfect example would be the Williams sisters. Their dad began to teach them tennis when they were only young girls in elementary school, living in Compton, California. He had a dream for them that worked! But that’s not always going to be the case. Thusly, as you teach your children, it would be great to expose them to various types of activities.

Why? There is no sign written on our faces at birth that says “the world’s best baseball player” or “the world’s best ballet dancer”! No, the child won’t know, and neither will you as parents. But once you begin to expose your child or children to so many different activities, they possibly will excel in one of those areas. It would behoove you as parent to notice the talents your children have as they move through this experience called life! My life was destined to become one with event planning. As I look back, I recognize when that talent first blossomed. It was during my wedding planning 48 years ago. Wow! At age 19, my wedding was fantastic. Every detail mattered, and this was decades ahead of the super-expensive weddings of today. Twelve years later, I found myself coordinating major events, and am still going today. WI Historic St. Mary’s Episcopal Church The Rev. E. Bernard Anderson Priest Foggy Bottom - Founded in 1867 728 23rd Street, NW - Washington, DC 20037 Church office: 202-333-3985 - Fax : 202-338-4958 Service and Times Sundays: 10 a.m. Holy Eucharist with Music and Hymns Wednesdays: 12:10 p.m. - Holy Eucharist www.stmarysfoggybottom.org Email: stmarysoffice@stmarysfoggybottom.org All are welcome to St. Mary’s to Learn, Worship, and Grow.

(301) 864-6070

jmccollum@jmlaw.net

Mount Olivet Lutheran Church

John F. Johnson Reverend Dr. 1306 Vermont Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20005 Service and Times Divine Worship, Sunday 10:00 a.m. Communion 1st and 3rd Sunday “Friendliest Church in the City” Website: mountolivetdc.org Email: mtolivedc@gmail.com

www.mtzbcdc.org

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APRIL 26 - MAY 2, 2018 39 THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

RELIGION The Miracle Center of Faith Missionary Baptist Church

Pilgrim Baptist Church Rev. Louis B. Jones II Pastor

Bishop Michael C. Turner, Sr. Senior Pastor 9161 Hampton Overlook Capitol Heights, MD 20743 Phone: 301-350-2200 Fax: 301-499-8724

Service and Times Sunday Worship Times : 7:30 a.m. 7 10:00 a.m. Communion: 1st Sunday Sunday School: 9:00 a.m. Bible Study: Wednesday, 12 Noon Bible Study in homes: Tuesday 7:00 p.m. Website: www.themiraclecenterFMBC.com Email: Miraclecenterfmbs@gmail.com Motto: “We Walk by Faith, Not by Sight”

700 I Street, N.E. Washington, D.C. 20002 (202) 547-8849 Service and Times Worship Sundays: 7:30 & 11:00am 5th Sundays: 9:30am 3rd Sundays: Baptism & Holy Communion Prayer & Praise: Wednesdays @ Noon & 6:30pm www.pilgrimbaptistdc.org

Church of Living Waters

Allen Chapel A.M.E. Church

Rev. Paul Carrette Senior Pastor

Rev. Dr. Michael E. Bell, Sr., Pastor

Rev. Dr. Alton W. Jordan Pastor

Reverend Dr. Calvin L. Matthews Senior Pastor

Harold Andrew Assistant Pastor

2498 Alabama Ave., SE - Washington D.C. 20020 Office: (202) 889-7296 Fax: (202) 889-2198 - www.acamec.org

800 I Street, NE - Washington, DC 20002 202-548-0707 - Fax No. 202-548-0703

4915 Wheeler Road Oxon Hill, MD 20745 301-894-6464

Service and Times Sunday Worship Services: 8:00am and 11:00am Sunday Church School - 9:15am & Sunday Adult Forum Bible Study - 10:30am 2nd & 4th Monday Women’s Bible Study: 6:30pm Tuesday Jr./Sr. Bible Study: 10:00am Tuesday Topical Bible Study: 6:30pm Tuesday New Beginnings Bible Study: 6:30pm Wednesday Pastoral Bible Study: 6:30pm Wednesday Children’s Bible Study: 6:30pm Thursday Men’s Bible Study: 6:30pm Friday before 1st Sunday Praise & Worship Service: 6:30pm Saturday Adult Bible Study: 10:00am “The Amazing, Awesome, Audacious Allen Chapel A.M.E. Church”

Service and Times Sunday Morning Worship: 11:00am Holy Communion: 1st Sunday Sunday School: 9:45am Men’s Monday Bible Study: 7:00pm Wednesday Night Bible Study: 7:00pm Women’s Ministry Bible Study: 3rd Friday -7:00pm Computer Classes: Announced Family and Marital Counseling by appointment

1200 Isle of Patmos Plaza, Northeast Washington, DC 20018 Office: (202) 529-6767 - Fax: (202) 526-1661

Service and Times Sunday Service: 8:30am& 11:00am Bible Study: Wednesday 7:30pm Communion Service: First Sunday www.livingwatersmd.org

Crusader Baptist Church

E-mail: Crusadersbaptistchurch@verizon.net www.CrusadersBaptistChurch.org “God is Love”

Covenant Baptist United Church of Christ

St. Stephen Baptist Church

Third Street Church of God

Dr. Dekontee L. & Dr. Ayele A. Johnson Pastors

Drs. Dennis W. & Christine Y. Wiley Pastors

Bishop Lanier C. Twyman, Sr. Senior Pastor

Rev. Cheryl J. Sanders, Th.D. Senior Pastor

Bishop Alfred A. Owens, Jr.; Senior Bishop & Evangelist Susie C. Owens – Co-Pastor

4001 14th Street, NW Washington, DC 20011 (202) 265-6147 Office 1-800 576-1047 Voicemail/Fax

3845 South Capitol Street Washington, DC 20032 (202) 562-5576 (Office) (202) 562-4219 (Fax)

5757 Temple Hill Road, Temple Hills, MD 20748 Office 301-899-8885 – fax 301-899-2555

1204 Third Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 202-347-5889 office 202-638-1803 fax

610 Rhode Island Avenue, NE Washington, DC 20002 (202) 529-4547 office • (202) 529-4495 fax

Service and Times Sunday School: 9:30am Sunday Morning Worship Service: 11:00am Communion Service: First Sunday Prayer Service/Bible Study: Tuesday, 6:30pm

Services and Times Sundays: 10:00am Worship Services Bible Study: Wonderful Wednesdays in Worship and the Word Bible Study Wednesdays 12:00 Noon; 6:30pm (dinner @ 5:30pm) Sunday School: 9:00am – Hour of Power

Blessed Word of Life Church

www.blessedwordoflifechurch.org E-mail: church@blessedwordoflifechurch.org

“An inclusive ministry where all are welcomed and affirmed.” www.covenantbaptistdc.org

Campbell AME Church

Service and Times Sunday Worship Service: 10:00 am Sunday Church School: 8:45 am Bible Study Wednesday: 12:00 Noon Wednesday: 7:00 pm Thursday: 7: pm “Reaching Up To Reach Out” Mailing Address Campbell AME Church 2502 Stanton Road SE - Washington, DC 20020

Motto : “A Great Commitment to the Great Commandment” Website: www.turningheartschurchdc.org Email: faithdefender@verizon.net

www.thirdstreet.org Live Stream Sunday Worship Service begins @ 12:00 noon www.thirdstreet.org

Dr. Raymond T. Matthews Pastor and First Lady Marcia Matthews St. Mark's Baptist Church 624 Underwood Street, NW Washington, dc 20011 Services and Times Sunday School: 9:00am Worship Service: 10:00am Wed. Noon Day prayer service Thur. Prayer service: 6:45pm Thur. Bible Study: 7:15pm

(Disciples of Christ) 1812 12th Street, NW - Washington, DC 20009 Phone: 202-265-4494 Fax: 202 265 4340 Service and Times Sunday Worship Service: 11:00 am Communion every Sunday: 11:00 am Sunday School: 10:00 am Bible Study Tuesday: 12 Noon Pastor’s Bible Study Tuesday: 6:30 pm Motto: “Discover Something Wonderful” Website: 12thscc.org Email: Twelfthstcc@aol.com

Mount Carmel Baptist Church Joseph N. Evans, Ph.D Senior Pastor

Virgil K. Thomas, Sr. Senior Pastor/ Teacher

Service and Times Sunday School 8 – 9 AM Worship Service 9 – 11 AM Tuesday Night Bible Study 6:30 – 8:00 PM Wednesday Daytime Bible Study 11 AM – 12:30 PM

“Ambassadors for Christ to the Nation’s Capital”

St Marks Baptist Come Worship with us...

Reverend Dr. Paul H. Saddler Senior Pastor

Turning Hearts Church

4275 4th Street, S.E. Washington, DC 20034 Phone: 202-746-0113 Fax: 301-843-2445

“We are one in the Spirit” www.ssbc5757.org E-mail: ssbc5757@verizon.net

Services and Times Sunday School: 9:30am Sunday Worship: 11:00am Sunday Community Worship Service: 8:30 am

Sunday Worship Service: 8 AM and 10:45am Sunday Youth Worship Services: 1st & 4th 10:45am; 804 R.I. Ave., NE 5th 8 AM & 10:45am; Main Church Prayer Services Tuesday – Noon, Wednesday 6am & 6:30pm Calvary Bible Institute: Year-Round Contact Church Communion Every 3rd Sunday The Church in The Hood that will do you Good! www.gmchc.org emailus@gmchc.org

Service and Times Sunday Worship Services: 7:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Holy Communion: 2nd Sunday at 7:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Sunday Church School: 9:20 a.m. Seniors Bible Study: Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m. Noon Day Prayer Service: Tuesdays at Noon Bible Study: Tuesdays at 7 p.m. Motto: “A Ministry of Reconciliation Where Everybody is Somebody!” Website: http://isleofpatmosbc.org Church Email: ipbcsecretary@verizon.net

Twelfth Street Christian Church

Rev. Dr. Henry Y. White 2562 MLK Jr. Ave., SE - Washington, DC 20020 Adm. Office 202-678-2263 Email: Campbell@mycame.org

Services and Times Sunday Early Morning Worship: 7:45am Church School: 9:30am Sunday Morning Worship: 10:45am Tuesday: 7:00pm/Kingdom Building Bible Institute Wednesday: Prayer/Praise/Bible Study-7:30 pm Baptism & Communion Service: 4th Sunday – 10:30am

Greater Mt. Calvary Holy Church

Isle of Patmos Baptist Church

901 Third Street N.W. Washington, DC. 20001 Phone (202) 842-3411 Fax (202) 682-9423 Service and Times Sunday Church School : 9:00am Sunday Morning Worship: 10:10am Bible Study Tuesday: 6: 00pm Prayer Service Tuesday: 7:00pm Holy Communion: 3rd Sunday 10:10am

40 APRIL 26 - MAY 2, 2018

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RELIGION Shabbath Commandment Church

All Nations Baptist Church

King Emmanuel Baptist Church

Bishop Adrian A. Taylor, Sr. Pastor

Rev. Dr. James Coleman Pastor

Rev. Daryl F. Bell Pastor

7801 Livingston Road Oxon Hill, MD 20745 301-534-5471

2001 North Capitol St, N.E. - Washington, DC 20002 Phone (202) 832-9591

2324 Ontario Road, NW Washington, DC 20009 (202) 232-1730

Service and Times Sabbath School 9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Service 11:00 a.m. Praise & Worship Preaching 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Motto: “A Church Keeping It Real for Real.” Website: Shabbathcommandmentchruch.org Email: Praisebetoyhwh@gmail.com

Zion Baptist Church Rev. Keith W. Byrd, Sr. Pastor 4850 Blagdon Ave, NW - Washington D.C 20011 Phone (202) 722-4940 - Fax (202) 291-3773 Service and Times Sunday Worship Service: 10:15AM Sunday School: 9:00am Monday: Noon Bible School Wednesday: Noon & 7PM: Pastor’s Bible Study Ordinance of Baptism 2nd Holy Communion 4th Sunday Mission Zion Baptist Church Shall; Enlist Sinners, Educate Students, Empower the Suffering, Encourage the Saints, and Exalt Our Savior. (Acts 2:41-47) www.zionbaptistchurchdc.org

St. Luke Baptist Church Rev. Aubrey C. Lewis Pastor 1415 Gallatin Street, NW Washington, DC 20011-3851 P: (202) 726-5940 Service and Times Sunday Worship: 11:00 a.m. Sunday School: 9:15 a.m. Holy Communion: 11:00 a.m., 3rd Sun. Bible Institute: Wednesday - 1:30 pm Prayer Meeting: Wednesday - 12:00 Noon

Service and Times Sunday Church School – 9:30 AM Sunday Worship Service – 11:00 AM Holy Communion – 1st Sunday at 11:00 AM Prayer – Wednesdays, 6:00 PM Bible Study – Wednesdays, 7:00 PM Christian Education School of Biblical Knowledge Saturdays, 9:30 AM – 11:00 AM, Call for Registration Website: www.allnationsbaptistchurch.com All Nations Baptist Church – A Church of Standards

Israel Baptist Church

Dr. Earl D. Trent Senior Pastor

Rev. Dr. George C. Gilbert Senior Pastor

2409 Ainger Pl.,SE – WDC 20020 (202) 678-0884 – Office • (202) 678-0885 – Fax “Moving Faith Forward” 0% Perfect . . . 100% Forgiven!

623 Florida Ave.. NW - WDC. 20001 Church (202) 667-3409 Study (202) 265-0836 Home Study (301) 464-8211 Fax (202) 483-4009

4504 Gault Place, N.E. Washington, D.C 20019 202-397-7775 – 7184

Service and Times Sunday Worship: 8:00am & 10:45am Baptism/Holy Communion: 3rd Sunday Family Bible Study Tuesdays – 6:30pm Prayer Service: Tuesdays – 8:00pm www.emmanuelbaptistchurchdc.org

“Where Jesus is the King”

Lincoln Park United Methodist Church

Sermon On The Mount Temple Of Joy Apostolic Faith

Rev. Richard B. Black Pastor

Elder Herman L. Simms Pastor

1251 Saratoga Ave., NE Washington, DC 20018 (202) 269-0288

1301 North Carolina Ave. N E Washington, D C 20002 202 543 1318 - lincolnpark@lpumcdc.org www.lpumcdc.org

5606 Marlboro Pike District Heights, MD 20747 301-735-6005

Service and Times Sunday Worship Service: 10:00 A.M. Sunday School: 8:30 A.M. Holy Communion1st Sunday: 10:00 A.M. Prayer Service: Wednesday at 6:30 P.M. Bible Study: Wednesday at 7:00 P.M.

Service and Times Sunday Worship: 10: am Holy Communion: First Sunday 10: am Sunday School: 9: am Bible Study: Wednesday @ 12 noon and 6:30pm Motto: "Faith On The Hill"

Mount Moriah Baptist Church

Eastern Community Baptist Church

Service and Times Sunday Apostolic Worship Services 11:00 A.M and 5:00 P.M Communion and Feet Wash 4th Sunday at 5:00 P.M Prayer/Seeking: Wednesday at 8:00 P.M. Apostolic in Doctrine, Pentecostal in Experience, Holiness in Living, Uncompromised and Unchanged. The Apostolic Faith is still alive –Acts 2:42

New Commandment Baptist Church

Dr. Lucius M. Dalton Senior Pastor

Damion M. Briggs Pastor

Rev. Stephen E. Tucker Senior Pastor

1636 East Capitol Street, NE Washington, DC 20003 Telephone: 202-544-5588 - Fax: 202-544-2964

8213 Manson Street Landover, MD 20785 Tel: (301) 322-9787 Fax: (301) 322-9240

13701 Old Jericho Park Road Bowie, MD. 20720 (301) 262-0560

Service and Times Sunday Worship Services: 7:45 am and 10:45 am Holy Communion: 1st Sundays at 7:45 am & 10:45 am Sunday School: 9:30 am Prayer & Praise Service: Tuesdays at 12 noon & 6:30 pm Bible Study: Tuesdays at 1 pm and 7 pm Youth Bible Study: Fridays at 7 pm

Service and Times Early Morning Message: 7:30 AM Sunday Morning Worship Service: 10:00 AM Sunday Church School: 9:00 AM Holy Communion: 1st Sunday 7:30 AM & 10:00 AM Prayer, Praise and Testimony: Wednesday 7:00 PM Bible Study: Wednesday 7:30 PM

Service and Times Sunday Worship: 11 AM Sunday School: 10 AM Wednesday Mid-Week Worship, Prayer & Bible Study: Wed. 7 PM

Rehoboth Baptist Church

“Real Worship for Real People” Website: www.easterncommunity.org Email: ecc@easterncommunity.org

Salem Baptist Church

Holy Trinity United Baptist Church

Florida Avenue Baptist Church

Reverend Christopher L. Nichols Pastor

Rev. Dr. Morris L Shearin, Sr. Pastor

Web: www.mountmoriahchurch.org Email: mtmoriah@mountmoriahchurch.org

St. Matthews Baptist Church

Service and Times Sunday School: 9:30 am Sunday Worship Service: 11:00 am Baptismal Service: 1st Sunday – 9:30 am Holy Communion: 1st Sunday – 11:00 am Prayer Meeting & Bible Study: Wednesday -7:30 pm

Emmanuel Baptist Church

“A Church Where Love Is Essential and Praise is Intentional”

Service and Times Sunday Worship Services: 10:00 a.m. Sunday Church School: 8:45 – 9:45 a.m. Holy Communion: Every First Sunday Intercessory Prayer: Monday – 7:00-8:00 p.m. Pastor’s Bible Study: Wednesday –7:45 p.m. Midweek Prayer: Wednesday – 7:00 p.m. Noonday Prayer Every Thursday

Matthews Memorial Baptist Church Rev. Joan E. Buchanan Executive Pastor 2616 MLK Ave., SE - Washington, DC 20020 Office 202-889-3709 - Fax 202-678-3304 Service and Times Early Worship Service: 7:30am Worship Service: 11:00am New Member’s Class: 9:45am Holy Communion: 1st Sunday, 11:00am Church School: 9:45am Wednesday 12:00pm Bible Study Prayer, Praise and Bible Study: 7:00pm Saturday Bible Study: 11:00am Baptism 4th Sunday: 11:00am

Service and Times 9:30AM. Sunday Church School 11:00 Am. Sunday Worship Service The Lord’s Supper 1st Sunday Wednesday 7:00pm Prayer & Praise Services 7:30pm. Bible Study Saturday before 4th Sunday Men, Women, Youth Discipleship Ministries 10:30am A Christ Centered Church htubc@comcast.net

Christ Embassy DC

Kelechi Ajieren Coordinator 6839 Eastern Avenue, R1 Takoma Park, MD 20912 (202) 556-7065 Service and Times Sunday Worship Service: 10:00 A.M. Wednesday Bible Study: 7:00 P.M. Friday Evening Service: 7:00 P.M. ; Last Friday “…Giving Your Life a Meaning” www.Christembassydc.org Christ.embassy.dc@hotmail.com

“Empowered to love and Challenged to Lead a Multitude of Souls to Christ”

Peace Baptist Church Rev. Dr. Michael T. Bell 712 18th Street, NE Washington, DC 20002 Phone 202-399-3450/ Fax 202-398-8836 Service and Times Sunday Early Morning Prayer & Bible Study Class 8:00 am Sunday School 9:00 am Sunday Morning Worship Service 10:00 am Wednesday Service 12:00 pm

Pennsylvania Ave. Baptist Church Rev. Dr. Kendrick E. Curry Pastor 3000 Pennsylvania Ave.. S.E Washington, DC 20020 202 581-1500 Service and Times Sunday Church School: 9:30 A.M. Sunday Worship Service: 11:00 A.M. Monday Adult Bible Study: 7:00 P.M. Wednesday Youth & Adult Activities: 6:30 P.M. Prayer Service Bible Study

“The Loving Church of the living lord “ Email Address: admin@pbc712.org

Shiloh Baptist Church

First Rising Mt. Zion Baptist Church

Mt. Horeb Baptist Church

Rev. Dr. Maxwell M. Washington Pastor

Rev. Curtis l. Staley Pastor

Rev. Alonzo Hart Pastor

Rev. Dr. Wallace Charles Smith Pastor

Rev. Oran W. Young Pastor

Rev. Dr. H. B. Sampson, III Pastor

Worshiping Location Knights of Columbus - 1633 Tucker Road Fort Washington, MD 20744 (240) 838-7074

621 Alabama Ave., S.E.- Washington, D.C. 20032 P: (202) 561-1111 - F: (202) 561-1112

917 N St. NW - Washington, DC 20001 (202) 232-4294

9th & P Street, N.W. - W. D.C. 20001 (202) 232-4288

Service and Times Sunday Service: 10 am Sunday School for all ages: 8:30 am 1st Sunday Baptism: 10: am 2nd Sunday Holy Communion:10 am Tuesday: Bible Study: 6:30 pm Prayer Meeting: 7:45 pm

Service and Times Sunday Morning Prayer Service: 8:00 a.m. Sunday Church School: 9:15 a.m. Sunday Morning Worship: 10:40 a.m. Third Sunday Baptismal & Holy Communion:10:30 a.m. Tuesday Church At Study Prayer & Praise: 6:30 p.m.

Service and Times First Sunday Worship Service (one service): 10:00 a.m. Second, Third, Fourth, and Fifth Sunday Worship service: 7:45 a.m. and 10:55 a.m. Sunday Church School/Bible Study: 9:30 a.m. Thursday Prayer Service: 6:30 p.m.

602 N Street NW - Washington, D.C. 20001 Office:(202) 289-4480 Fax: (202) 289-4595

2914 Bladensburg Road, NE Wash., DC 20018 Office: (202) 529-3180 - Fax: (202) 529-7738 Service and Times Worship Service: 7:30 a.m. Sunday School: 9:00 a.m. Worship Service: 10:30 a.m. Holy Communion: 4th Sunday 7:30 a.m. & 10:30a.m. Prayer Services:Tuesday 7:30 p.m. Wednesday 12 Noon

Motto: “Where God is First and Where Friendly People Worship”

The Church Where GOD Is Working.... And We Are Working With GOD

Service and Times Sunday Worship Services: 10:00 am Sunday School: 9:00 am Holy Communion 3rd Sunday Morning Prayer / Bible Study: 6:15 pm - 7:20 pm (Tuesday) Theme: “The Kingdom Focused Church” Matthew 6:33 and Mathew 28:18-20, KJV Email: stmatthewsbaptist@msn.com Website: www.stmatthewsbaptist.org

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Email: sbc@shilohbaptist.org Website: shilohbaptist.org

Service and Times Sunday School for All Ages: 8:00 a.m. Sunday Worship Services: 9:30 a.m. Midday Prayer & Bible Study: Wednesday 11:30 a.m. Evening Prayer & Bible Study: Wednesday 7:00 p.m. Laymen's League: Thursday 7:00 p.m. Email: Froffice@firstrising.org Website: www.firstrising.org “Changing Lives On Purpose “

Email:mthoreb@mthoreb.org Website:www.mthoreb.org For further information, please contact me at (202) 529-3180.

APRIL 26 - MAY 2, 2018 41 THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

LEGAL NOTICES

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

Administration No. 2018 ADM 000266

Administration No. 2018 ADM 000312

Administration No. 2018 ADM 000299

Administration No. 2018 ADM 000330

Administration No. 2018 ADM 000280

Halima S. Stevens Decedent

Mary Maxine Jacobs Decedent

Thomas I. Meriedy Decedent

George C. Holley aka George Holley Decedent

Mary E. Johnson Decedent

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

James Larry Frazier, Esq. 918 Maryland Avenue, NE Washington, DC 20002 Attorney

Edward G. Varrone, Esq. 910 17th Street, NW, Suite 800 Washington, DC 20006 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Mary R. Smith, whose address is 2301 Good Hope Court, SE, apt. 101, Washington, DC 20020, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Halima S. Stevens who died on August 28, 2017 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 10/12/2018. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 10/12/2018, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship. Date of first publication: 4/12/2018 Mary R. Smith Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY Anne Meister Register of Wills

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Mary Ann McCoy, whose address is 107 Brandywine Place, SW, Washington, DC 20032 was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Mary Maxine Jacobs who died on December 27, 2017 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 10/12/2018. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 10/12/2018, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship. Date of first publication: 4/12/2018

James Larry Frazier, Esq. 918 Maryland Avenue, NE Washington, DC 20002 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Barbara Meriedy, whose address is 3745 Donnell Drive, Apt. 202, Forestville, MD 20747, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Thomas I. Meriedy who died on February 10, 2016 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 10/12/2018. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 10/12/2018, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship. Date of first publication: 4/12/2018

Mary Ann McCoy Personal Representative

Barbara Meriedy Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY Anne Meister Register of Wills

TRUE TEST COPY

Washington Informer

Ronald G. Holley, whose address is 710 Delafield Street, NE, Washington, DC 20017, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of George C. Holley aka George Holley who died on January 24, 2016 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 10/12/2018. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 10/12/2018, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship. Date of first publication: 4/12/2018 Ronald G. Holley Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY Anne Meister Register of Wills Washington Informer

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Apryl Johnson, whose address is 5120 5th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20011, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Mary E. Johnson who died on March 26, 2017 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 10/12/2018. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 10/12/2018, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship. Date of first publication: 4/12/2018 Apryl Johnson Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY

Anne Meister Register of Wills

Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

Administration No. 2018 ADM 000275

Administration No. 2018 ADM 000346

Administration No. 2018 ADM 247

Administration No. 2018 ADM 000281

Administration No. 2017 ADM 001368

Nezzie Lloyd aka Nezzie L. Lloyd Decedent

Wanda Williams Decedent

Zefferine G. Wheeler Decedent

James Larry Frazier, Esq. 917 Maryland Avenue, NE Washington, DC 20002 Attorney

James Larry Frazier, Esq. 918 Maryland Avenue, NE Washington, DC 20002 Attorney

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Deborah D. Boddie, Esq. 1308 Ninth Street, NW Suite 300 Washington, DC 20001 Attorney

Lizzie Mae Ferguson, whose address is 419 Kettering Drive, Upper Marlboro, MD 20774, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Nezzie Lloyd aka Nezzie L. Lloyd who died on January 23, 2018 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 10/12/2018. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 10/12/2018, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.

Jerry Cannady, whose address is 1620 17th Place, SE, Apt 3, Washington, DC 20020, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Wanda Williams who died on October 2, 2015 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 10/12/2018. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 10/12/2018, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.

Date of first publication: 4/12/2018

Lizzie Mae Ferguson Personal Representative

Jerry Cannady Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Anne Meister Register of Wills

Washington Informer

Willie N. Hewett Decedent

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Sage B. Hewett, whose address is 9520 Long Creek Green Drive, Apt 203, Charlotte, NC 28216, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Willie N. Hewett who died on December 26, 2017 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 10/12/2018. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 10/12/2018, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship. Date of first publication: 4/12/2018 Sage B. Hewett Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY Anne Meister Register of Wills

Peter Alcantara Davidson Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Linda Reese Davidson, whose address is 2210 Sudbury Rd., NW, Washington, DC 20012, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Peter Alcantara Davidson who died on December 6, 2015 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 10/19/2018. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 10/19/2018, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship. Date of first publication: 4/19/2018 Linda Reese Davidson Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY Anne Meister Register of Wills Washington Informer

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Deborah D. Boddie, whose address is 1308 Ninth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Zefferine G. Wheeler who died on November 7, 2014 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 10/12/2018. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 10/12/2018, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship. Date of first publication: 4/12/2018 Deborah D. Boddie Personal Representative

Washington Informer

42 APRIL 26 - MAY 2, 2018

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

LEGAL NOTICES

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

Administration No. 2018 ADM 000323

Foreign No. 2018 FEP 000056

Administration Number 2018 ADM 000388

Earl Donald Larsen Decedent

July 5, 2016 Date of Death

Estate of Juanita N. Gonzalez aka Juanita Gonzalez

Brian L. Kass, Esquire 4301 Connecticut Ave., NW, Suite 434 Washington, DC 20008 Attorney

Philip J. Nowlin Name of Decedent

NOTICE OF STANDARD PROBATE

Administration No. 2018 ADM 000328 Linda S. James Decedent

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Tara Barnes-Darby, whose address is 3800 Spring Terrace, Temple Hills MD 20748, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Linda S. James who died on February 18, 2018 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 10/19/2018. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 10/19/2018, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship. Date of first publication: 4/19/2018 Tara Barnes-Darby Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Bernard Carl, whose address is 2340 Wyoming Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20008, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Earl Donald Larsen who died on January 15, 2018 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 10/19/2018. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 10/19/2018, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship. Date of first publication: 4/19/2018

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF FOREIGN PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS Susie Nowlin whose address is 609 Sisalbed Court, Capitol Heights, MD 20743 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Philip J. Nowlin, deceased, by the Probate Court for Prince Georges County, State of Maryland on February 14, 2018. Service of process may be made upon Joan M. Wilbon, Esq, 1120 Connecticut Ave., NW suite 1020, Washington, DC 20036 whose designation as District of Columbia agent has been filed with the Register of Wills, D.C. The decedent owned the following District of Columbia real property: (1) 4829 1st St. SW, Washington, DC 20032 (SSL 6277 30). (2) 4829 1st ST, SW, Washington, DC 20032 (SSL 6277 29) Claims against the decedent may be presented to the undersigned and filed with the Register of Wills of the District of Columbia, 515 5th Street, NW, Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001 within 6 months from the date of first publication of this notice. Date of first publication: 4/19/2018 Susie Nowlin Personal Representative

Bernard Carl Personal Representative

Notice is hereby given that a petition has been filed in this Court by Amelia C. Govan for standard probate, including the appointment of one or more personal representatives. Unless a responsive pleading in the form of a complaint or an objection in accordance with Superior Court Probate Division Rule 407 is filed in this Court within 30 days from the date of first publication of this notice, the Court may take the action hereinafter set forth. Admit to probate the will dated July 19, 2007 exhibited with the petition upon proof satisfactory to the Court of due execution by affidavit of witnesses or otherwise Date of first publication: 4/19/2018 Deborah D. Boddie Esq. 1308 9th Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 Personal Representative: TRUE TEST COPY Anne Meister Register of Wills Washington Informer

This is to certify that Kevin L Thomas is bringing the Land Patent forward for 4805 Tangier Place, Suitland, Maryland

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2017 ADM 001485 Luvenia Best Nash Decedent

NOTICE OF AFTER DISCOVERED WILL AND NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT Magalene Best McKay, whose address is 10911-Dubs Ct., Largo MD, 20774, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Luvenia Best Nash, who died on November 1, 2017 with a Will. Objections to such appointment or to the probate of decedent’s Will shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 10-19-2018. Date of first publication: 4/19/2018 Magalene Best McKay Personal Representative

Anne Meister Register of Wills

TRUE TEST COPY Anne Meister Register of Wills

Washington Informer

TRUE TEST COPY

LEGAL NOTICES

Anne Meister Register of Wills

Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

Administration No. 2018 ADM 356

Administration No. 2018 ADM 000387

Administration No. 2018 ADM 000381

Administration No. 2017 ADM 779

Claretha W. Jones Decedent

Joye E. Frost Decedent

Mary E. Arrington aka Mary Esther Arrington Decedent

Rubye Mae Queen Decedent

COLUMBIA

Probate Division

Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration Number 2016 ADM 000974 Estate of

Washington Informer

Sallie R. Luther NOTICE OF STANDARD PROBATE Notice is hereby given that a petition has been

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Deborah D. Boddie 1308 9th Street, NW Suite 300 Washington, DC 20001 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Kisha L. Woolen, Esquire 5335 Wisconsin Avenue, NW #700 Washington, DC 20015 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

4/26/2018

Emma W. Barnes, whose address is 5009 Quincy Street, Apt. 5, Bladensburg, MD 20710, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Claretha W. Jones who died on January 10, 2018 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 10/26/2018. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 10/26/2018, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.

Derrek Reese

Date of first publication: 4/26/2018

Merrie Frost, whose address is 2522 Princeton Road, Cleveland Heights, Ohio 44118, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Joye E. Frost who died on March 12, 2018 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 10/26/2018. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 10/26/2018, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.

Emma W. Barnes Personal Representative

Date of first publication: 4/26/2018

TRUE TEST COPY

Merrie Frost Personal Representative

Anne Meister Register of Wills

TRUE TEST COPY

Anne Meister Register of Wills

Washington Informer

filed in this Court by Derrek Reese for standard probate, including the appointment of one or more personal representatives. Unless a re-

sponsive pleading in the form of a complaint or

an objection in accordance with Superior Court Probate Division Rule 407 is filed in this Court

within 30 days from the date of first publication of this notice, the Court may take the action hereinafter set forth.

Admit to probate the will dated 07/24/2008 ex-

hibited with the petition upon proof satisfactory to the Court of due execution by affidavit of witnesses or otherwise.

Date of first publication:

532 4th St. NE

Washington, DC 20002

Personal Representative:

TRUE TEST COPY Anne Meister

Washington Informer

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

Cyreste Arrington, whose address is 251 Anacostia Ave NE, Washington, DC 20019, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Mary E. Arrington aka Mary Esther Arrington who died on February 16, 2018 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 10/26/2018. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 10/26/2018, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship. Date of first publication: 4/26/2018 Cyreste Arrington Personal Representative

Jennifer C. Concino, Esq., whose address is 5335 Wisconsin Ave. NW, #700, Washington, DC 20015 was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Rubye Mae Queen who died on January 20, 1999 without a Will, and will serve with Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 10/26/2018. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 10/26/2018, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship. Date of first publication: 4/26/2018 Jennifer C. Concino, Esq. Personal Representative

APRIL 26 - MAY 2, 2018 43 THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

LEGAL NOTICES SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2017 ADM 001337 Roberta Greene McCarthy Decedent Valerie J. Edwards, Esq Antonoplos & Associates, Attorneys at Law 1725 DeSales Street, NW Suite 600 Washington, DC 20036 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Patrick McCarthy, Jr., whose address is 5851 Potomac Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20016, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Roberta Greene McCarthy who died on June 29, 2017 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 10/26/2018. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 10/26/2018, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship. Date of first publication: 4/26/2018 Patrick McCarthy, Jr. Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY Anne Meister Register of Wills Washington Informer SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2018 ADM 000392 Hoover Singletary Decedent

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Janice Linder, whose address is 6207 5th Street, NW Washington, DC 20011, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Hoover Singletary who died on January 16, 2018 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 10/26/2018. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 10/26/2018, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship. Date of first publication: 4/26/2018 Janice Linder Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY Anne Meister Register of Wills Washington Informer

44 APRIL 26 - MAY 2, 2018

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MALVEAUX from Page 26

■ Executive Presentation Coaching ■ Media Training ■ Image Branding ■ On-Camera Coaching Doris McMillon President

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parts per billion, because we know that no level of such a contaminant in our drinking water is safe. Learn more about the NAACP’s environmental justice initiatives at NAACP.org. WI

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increase toxic emissions, and the expansion of facilities who already have unchecked violations. Recently, we also undertook efforts to protect our

drinking water sources by providing substantive written public comments on Michigan’s proposed revisions to the Lead and Copper Rule, lifting up our most vulnerable communities and calling for the standard to be zero

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ORR from Page 26

Consumer Financial Protection Agency has been pressured to relax payday-lending rules. Several states have bowed to the pressure to support the payday lender that exploit low-income, mostly Black and brown communities. In Florida, Michigan and other states, there are harrowing stories of people being exploited because payday lenders have a legislative pass. This flies in the face of the notion that the poor should be protected from extreme usury, but it is perfectly consistent with the focus of this corrupt administration. So who will take care of consumers who face discriminatory interest rates, predatory lending and more? Perhaps voters will throng to the polls in November to elect a Congress dedicated to providing protection for consumers! WI

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scinding the consumer-protective rule. This isn’t the only way that CPFB has been curtailed from protecting consumers. In 2013, CPFB issued guidance about the legal risks of dealer markups and the ways that discrimination pushed Black and Hispanic folks into higher interest rate loans than their White counterparts. Toyota, Honda, Ally Financial and others were sued because borrowers of color paid much higher interest rates than their White counterparts. Now, there is a move to repeal the 2013 rule, just like the move to repeal the predatory lending rule. It will take the Senate to repeal the consumer protecting rules, but the sentiment is not to protect consumers. In state after state, there is a sentiment to make it easier for payday lend-

ers to exploit. And in state after state, there are those who would make it easier for the CPFB to relax rules against discrimination in lending. These payday lenders are tricksters. They call themselves the “Consumer Financial Services Association,” wording amazingly close to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. They push themselves out as an industry association that manages “best practices” in “small-dollar lending.” They engage in the most pernicious form of lobbying, even purchasing the support of “civil rights leaders” who argue that people have “the right” to enter into financial enslavement. And their high-rolling golf games at a Trump resort is a wink and a nod to the many ways this administration is ripping off poor people. The new leadership of the

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BONEY from Page 26 Voting Rights Act of 1965 suspended the use of literacy tests in all states in which less than 50 percent of voting-age residents were registered as of Nov. 1, 1964, or had voted in the 1964 presidential election. After the passage of the Voting Rights Act, Black voter registration in the South increased significantly. The names of individuals who lost their lives in the struggle for freedom during the modern civil rights movement from 1954 to 1968 are inscribed on the Civil Rights Memorial in Montgomery,

COSBY from Page 38 self of a nuisance lawsuit she filed against him. However, Montgomery County Judge Steven T. O’Neill, as he has done often throughout the case, ruled against the defense, prohibiting Russell from testifying about his and Constand’s drug use or their love affair. “How could he do that?” Barkley said of the judge’s ruling. “Just in this little bit, I realize that Bill Cosby can’t get a fair trial.” Cosby’s telephone, flight and business records have shown that the comedian could not have been in Pennsylvania when prosecutors claim he assaulted Constand.

Ala. Those unsuspecting victims became martyrs, killed because of their focus on securing voting rights and fighting for the civil rights of Black people in this country. There is so much at stake in this country for Black people during this upcoming midterm election. As things continue to play out in the news concerning issues like the highly-argued Affordable Care Act, voter ID laws and criminal justice reform, African Americans have a real opportunity to let their voices be heard at the ballot box so that all issues impacting the Black community are thrust to the forefront of America’s conscience.

So many other groups in this country have taken the civil rights movement playbook, crafted by Black activists, and used it to advance their causes and improve their situations. The question now is, will Black non-voters continue to take their precious voting rights for granted, or will they embrace the unwritten obligation that each Black person has to “pay it forward”? Time will tell. November will be here before we know it. But Black non-voters need to register to vote now. There are no excuses. Time to stop being ungrateful Negroes. WI

Also, testimony from Cosby’s former personal chef — perhaps the most credible person to testify in the entire case — said that he left the comedian’s employ in May or June 2003, or six to seven months before the time prosecutors contend the incident happened. The problem with the prosecution’s theory lies in that the chef was the only one to have served dinner to Constand. Further, in what Assistant District Attorney Stuart Ryan thought may have been a great cross-examination of a Temple University employee who thought she had roomed with Constand on Feb. 1, 2004, he produced records that revealed they probably

shared a room on Feb. 1, 2003, which falls outside of the 12-year statute of limitations for the case. “With the latest development in the Bill Cosby trial, it now should definitely be dismissed,” said observer Micah Coleman. “If Andrea ‘Con Artist’ is saying the incident occurred on a specific date but Cosby’s itinerary proves he wasn’t there, stop the trial pronto or change the name of this country.” Barkley agreed. “It’s so odd, but I am going back home because if they find him guilty, I would have witnessed a real-life lynching,” he said. “I’m just not in the right frame of mind to witness this.”

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someone in Starbucks, the place where millions of Americans sit every day and wait for other people. The company immediately recognized the “reprehensible” mistake its employee had made by calling the police. It refused to press charges, issued an apology, met with the men who were arrested and promised company-wide bias training. Not the Philadelphia police. Instead, they did what we found police departments do incident after incident. They hunker down and back their officers at all costs. We saw it following police incidents in Chicago and Ferguson, Missouri, and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and New York. “Don’t back down,” seemingly is their mantra. Find policy that will justify your officers’ actions. And that is exactly what Philadelphia Police Commissioner Richard Ross did. In a Facebook video, Ross said his officers “had legal standing to make an arrest. In short, these officers did absolutely nothing wrong. They followed policy. They did what they are supposed to do.” He never asked whether just because his officers could do something, should they do it? Was there a better way? Was it good police policy for six officers to arrest two men for doing what virtually everybody in the same space was doing? Do you really want a policy that will enforce discriminatory policies or actions without exception

REED from Page 27 It’s time Americans recognize and acknowledge what happened in Starbucks isn’t really about Starbucks as much it’s about American racism and Blacks’ and Whites’ continual denials of need for dialogue. Nearly every White in America carries an implicit racial bias that subconsciously prefers White people over Blacks in social, professional and educational settings. The nation needs a national conversation about race as soon as possible. It will take a leader like Schultz to help move Americans toward genuinely talking about issues of racial bias in the

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HORACE from Page 27

ASKIA from Page 27 Bolton in what Trump is constructing that resembles a “war cabinet.” “This is not just a vote for Pompeo,” Trita Parsi, president of the National Iranian American Council, said in a broadcast interview. “This would be to enable Donald Trump to have a Cabinet in which you have no longer these mythical ‘adults in the room’ any longer, but rather almost exclusively ‘yes men.’

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as they did in the Jim Crow South? As we interviewed hundreds of police, government officials and victims of police abuse across the nation, we found that police actions are driven daily by the stereotypes and biases too many Americans hold of Black people, Black men in particular. Their mere presence incites anxiety and fear in many. Consequently, for people of color, the Starbucks incident is just part of the continuous nightmare of racial profiling by America that often ends with tragic results. The same day the two Black men were being arrested in Philadelphia, a 14-year-old Black teenager was shot at and nearly killed by white residents in Rochester Hills, Michigan. Brennan Walker overslept and missed his bus and then got lost while he walked to school. So he knocked on a family’s door that morning to ask for directions to his high school. The wife saw a Black face and accused him of trying to break him into the family’s house. The incident was caught on the family’s doorbell video. She yelled, and her husband came running, picked up with his shotgun and fired, but missed. Walker ran and hid in some bushes. And then he cried. Just 34 minutes away in Dearborn Heights, Michigan, Theodore Wafer five years earlier shot an unarmed 19-year-old in the face with a 12-gauge shotgun and killed her. Renisha McBride had knocked on his front door in the early morning hours

to ask for help after wrecking her car nearby. He was sentenced to 17 years. Meanwhile, the list of unarmed Black men killed by police continues to climb; the most recent is Stephon Clark, 22, shot by police eight times in the back, according to the family coroner, in his grandmother’s backyard in Sacramento, California. These incidents continue to happen, we found, because America usually condones or excuses them. The most common excuse for police is “I feared for my life,” and there is the ongoing supposition by many that there was something the Black person did to cause whatever happened to him or her. Even when African Americans tell our white friends who know us well, who respect us, who we work with or supervise, we can see that look in their faces that says, “No, police don’t do that. The person did something wrong to cause the officer to react that way.” Melissa DePino, whose online video post of the arrests in Philadelphia has been viewed seven million times, got her lesson on the breadth of America’s bias as much from the incident she recorded as from the reactions to her post. Now, she knows what most people of color know. “Ever since I posted this, I’ve had white strangers AND friends say, ‘there must be something more to this story,’” she wrote in a tweet. “That assumption is a big part of the problem. It does happen. All the time. Just not to you and me. Believe it ...” WI

country’s criminal justice system, educational settings and workplace hiring. Schultz has my permission to fill the breach on racial leadership as he works to better his brand’s position in the marketplace. Schultz has faced this sort of drama before. In 2015, the former CEO took on race relations with a full page ad in the New York Times with a tiny caption “Shall We Overcome?” in the middle, and the words “RaceTogether” on the bottom right. The ad was an initiative Starbucks can use again to stabilize market position and stimulate conversation and debate about race in America. We invite Starbucks execu-

tives to “come this way” again. But Schultz should be cautious about primarily trying to sell the “dialogue” concept though mainstream media. By utilizing Black Media platforms this time at national and local levels, “conversations” on race could move forward. Schultz says Starbucks “is committed to making it right” and has called in the NAACP Legal Defense Fund’s Sherrilyn Ifill and Bryan Stevenson of the Equal Justice Initiative to guide efforts to reduce unconscious bias. Johnson’s meeting Robinson and Nelson could yield jobs for both, or result in the two getting their real estate deal. WI

“And as a result, I think what is emerging on Capitol Hill is a understanding that a vote for Pompeo is essentially a vote for John Bolton, and a vote for John Bolton is a vote for war,” Parsi said. “And I think that we are very likely to see the death of the Iran nuclear deal, which then, once again, will open up the pathway for a war between the United States and Iran. His rejection of the Iran deal is part of the reason why he’s being nominated by Donald

Trump to be secretary of state.” All of this and much more confirms my theory that Trump has the opposite of the Midas Touch, the ability a mythical ruler possessed which turned everything he touched into gold. This president has the “Manure Touch,” in my opinion. Everything he touches turns to fertilizer — which is a good reason to stay as far away from him as possible, lest his stench get into your clothes. WI

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