MLK Supplement - January 2017

2017 MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. SUPPLEMENT

“We Are One”

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

PUBLISHER Denise Rolark Barnes STAFF D. Kevin McNeir, Editor Ron Burke, Advertising/ Marketing Director Shevry Lassiter, Photo Editor Lafayette Barnes, IV, Assistant Photo Editor John E. De Freitas, Sports Photo Editor Dorothy Rowley, Online Editor ZebraDesigns.net, Design & Layout Mable Neville, Bookkeeper Dr. Charles Vincent, Social Sightings columnist Tatiana Moten, Social Media Specialist Angie Johnson, Circulation REPORTERS Stacy Brown (Senior Writer), Will Ford (Prince George’s County Writer), Hamil Harris, Tatyana Hopkins, D. Kevin McNeir, Lauren Poteat, Dorothy Rowley, Sarafina Wright (General Assignment Writer) PHOTOGRAPHERS John E. DeFreitas, Shevry Lassiter, Roy Lewis, Travis Riddick

Looking for Another Dr. King? Just Welcome the Next Generation I was just a little boy with typical childhood concerns during the 1960s when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and other leaders of the Civil Rights Movement were putting their very lives on the line in the fight for equality for all in a country whose lofty rhetoric remained light years away from its reality. Still, I remember how Dr. King inspired hope and instilled a needed sense of pride in the hearts and minds of my parents, our relatives, our friends – even in me. His “I Have a Dream” speech, delivered before a throng of men, women and children during the historical March on Washington, summarized the hopes of Blacks who had grown weary of being relegated to second class citizenship in a land built on the backs of their ancestors. As we do each January, the Washington Informer looks at the life of the “Dreamer” and how he has continued to influence generation after generation of Americans of all colors and walks of life – even tugging on the heartstrings of those in countries far away. We share photographs from the 11th MLK Peace Walk and Parade – an annual event held in the District’s Southeast community along the very street named in his honor. One writer reflects on the hurdles that had to be overcome in order to make King’s birthday a national holiday and yearly observance. Another writer invites those of different faiths to share how Dr. King’s message resonates and influences their own lives and relationship with “the Great I Am.” We include a conversation between our publisher and the eldest son of Dr. King, Martin Luther King III in a candid exchange of reflections about the relevance of his message – almost 50 years after his untimely death. Amidst marches, peace walks, parades and memorials, his words signaling his refusal to “wait” any longer for rights promised centuries ago but given only to a select few serves as a clarion call for millions of citizens who today find themselves pushed to the margins of society and holding on for dear life. In his 1963 “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” Dr. King eloquently explained why waiting was no longer an option for Black Americans. “Perhaps it is easy for those who have never felt the stinging darts of segregation to say, ‘wait.’ But when . . . you are fighting a degenerating sense of ‘nobodiness’ – then you will understand why we find it difficult to wait. There comes a time when the cup of endurance runs over and men [and women] are no longer willing to be plunged into the abyss of despair.” Dr. King stood firmly in his demand for our beloved “land of the free and home of the brave” to make good on the “check” that it had long promised to all of its children without concern for race, religion, gender, economic status – even sexual orientation. Today, as our first Black president exits the White House, America appears more divided than we have in decades. Today we hear talk of “making America great again,” wondering if this goal is little more than code words for winding back the clock to an era when white was “right” and Blacks were deemed three-fifths of a person. We have not overcome – not yet – not all of us. But we will. The movement continues.

D. Kevin McNeir WI Editor THE WASHINGTON INFORMER 2017 MARTIN LUTER KING JR SUPPLEMENT

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By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

Various Faiths Remember MLK

“And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual: “Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last.” When Martin Luther King Jr. spoke those words more than a half-century ago, not many could envision that America would become that familial-like society. And while it hasn’t yet, even as Barack Obama finishes his second term as the nation’s first African-American president, King’s words still resonated with those of other faiths. Jews, Muslims and even those in the LGBT community all relate that the civil rights icon had a monumental effect on their lives despite religious, ethnic, race and other differences. “The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s worldview was very much coincident with that of Islam,” said Wardella Doschek, the secretary of The Muslim Women’s Association of Washington, D.C. “Allah Almighty tells us in the Holy Quran that the best person is neither the Black person nor the white person, but the person who is best in his or her decisions.” Peter Morgan of the DC Center for the LGBT Community said King’s struggle for equal rights extended to the LGBT community, an assertion seconded by Michael Long, author of “I Must Resist: Bayard Rustin’s Life in Letters.” “King would have been a champion of gay rights today because of his view of Christianity,” Long said.” Dr. King never publicly welcomed gays at the front gate of his beloved community. But he did leave behind a key for them — his belief that each person is sacred, free and equal to all to others.” Amid the celebration of King’s birthday, American Jews should reflect anew upon the epic struggle he led to free African-Americans from the shackles of bigotry and take pride in the singular role played by the Jewish community in support of King and African-Americans, Rabbi Marc Schneier, the president of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding, wrote an editorial. “As we await the advent of the new Trump administration, it is more important than ever for our community to reconnect with that uplifting chapter in American history half a century ago,” wrote Schnei-

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er, the author of “Shared Dreams: Martin Luther King Jr. and the Jewish Community.” Franz Afraim Katzir, the founding director of Sephardic Heritage in DC, concurred with Schneier. “Dr. King’s struggle and vision resonates in very particular ways with our faith and the Sephardic experience,” said Katzir, who’s among the local Jewish leaders calling on unity in King’s name. “Just as many Jews risked their very lives to go to the South in the 1960s in support of our African-Americans brothers and sisters, we must show similar courage and fortitude today and stand up for American Muslims, who’s civil and human rights are under attack.” The history of the civil rights movement of the 1960s shows vividly that when the civil rights of any community are compromised, Jews feel the responsibility to speak out and take a stand of moral conscience, he said, before referencing King’s own comments regarding 16 rabbis who were arrested in St. Augustine, Florida in 1964 at a protest of Jim Crow segregation. “Our Jewish friends have demonstrated their commitment to the principle of tolerance and brotherhood, not only in the form of sizable contributions, but in many other tangible ways and often at great personal sacrifice,” King said at the time. “Can we ever express our appreciation to the rabbis who chose to give moral witness with us in St. Augustine?” King went on to describe the “awful beating” of Rabbi Arthur Lelyveld of Cleveland by segregationists in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, that same year and the deaths of two Jewish activists, Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner, who along with the black civil rights worker James Cheney were abducted and murdered in Mississippi. “It would be impossible to record the contribution that the Jewish people have made toward the Negro’s struggle for freedom — it has been so great,” King said. King’s work and message transcends faith traditions, and his life is a reminder of the sacrifice, struggle and courage required in pursuit of racial equality, religious freedom and human rights, said Engy Abdelkader, a senior fellow and adjunct professor at the Bridge Initiative, Alwaleed Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding in the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. “While President Obama’s ascension to the White House represented a historical milestone, there’s still much work to be done to realize Dr. King’s dream,” Abdelkader said. “For too many members of marginalized communities, it remains a dream

frustrated. “While many of our local and national news headlines often focus on police brutality, and rightfully so, other inequalities — such as in housing, income, education and health care — are often overlooked,” she said. “These realities are American Muslim realities, too.” Approximately one in three Muslims in the U.S. are African-American, some with ancestors who were brought to U.S. shores in slave ships, Abdelkader said. Many Muslims confront challenges at work, in school and on the street because of and often exacerbated by multiple aspects of their identities, she said, noting that they also worry about Islamophobic bullying in schools and police brutality while driving. “And those injustices impact all of us,” Abdelkader said. “It compromises who we are as a nation. It also opens up a psychological space to perpetuate similar, if not worse, infractions against other minorities. “In the Quran, Muslims are taught that God judges us not by the color of our skin but the condition of our hearts,” she said. “And that’s very much in sync with Dr. King’s life, work and message, too.” MLK

Dr. Engy Abdelkader, professor at Georgetown University / Courtesy photo

Sharpton Leads March

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER 2017 MARTIN LUTER KING JR SUPPLEMENT

The Rev.Al Sharpton, who heads up the National Action Network, leads a small but determined group in an annual march to pay tribute to the memory of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on Saturday, Jan. 14 in Northwest. / Top photo by Roy Lewis Bottom photo by Shevry Lassiter

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WI Publisher Engages Martin Luther King III in Candid Conversation

Martin Luther King III, the oldest son of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., visits the R.I.S.E.Center in Southeast on Monday, Jan. 9 and shares thoughts about his father with Denise Rolark Barnes,publisher of The Washington Informer. / Photo by Travis Riddick

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Only 10 years old when an assassin’s bullet ended his father’s life, Martin Luther King III has endured both the burden and joy of bearing the name of one of the world’s most revered and committed leaders to peace, justice and equality. But in a recent conversation with Washington Informer Publisher Denise Rolark Barnes just days before the King Holiday, he said he views the journey he’s taken in continuing his father’s mission, not as a burden but as a calling which he has come to accept with great humility. “It’s interesting how many people ask my opinion on what my father would say about the current state of affairs in America,” he said in response to a question posed by Barnes. “Despite being his son, I would not presume to be able to speak for Dad. Still, I think that if we refer to his writings – his sermons, his speeches and his essays – we can come closer to understanding his position on many of the world’s most significant and still prevalent evils: poverty, racism, militarism and violence.” “For example, why does America profit from such an enormous amount of trade dollars yet have so many of its citizens struggling under the weight of poverty? My

father clearly objected to this example of injustice and remained committed to bringing about its end until his death,” said King III, the oldest son and oldest living child of Dr. King and Coretta Scott King. “I can confidently say that had he lived, America would have followed a totally different trajectory – even up to our most recent presidential election,” he said. King, 59 and a longtime Atlanta resident, has become an American human rights advocate and community activist, in many ways following in his father’s footsteps. His visit to the District on Monday, Jan. 9 occurred after he accepted an invitation from Jimmy Kemp, president of the Jack Kemp Foundation. King III referred to the Kemps and Kings as “longtime family friends.” Kemp, under the auspices of the foundation named in honor of his father, and in partnership with several event sponsors including D.C. Councilwoman Anita Bonds, held the Martin Luther King, Jr. “Hidden Champions Award Luncheon” at the R.I.S.E. Demonstration Center in Southeast. Other Southeast citizens who participated in the afternoon’s festivities included native son and newly-sworn-in Ward 8 Councilman Trayon White and Ronald Moten, a well-regarded Ward 8

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THE WASHINGTON INFORMER 2017 MARTIN LUTER KING JR SUPPLEMENT

New MLK Parade Route a Boom for SE Businesses

By Tatyana Hopkins WI Contributing Writer

Many attending the 11th annual MLK Parade in Southeast crowded both floors of the neighborhood bar Cheers @ the Big Chair, nestled in the downtown Anacostia corridor. Dionne Bussey-Reeder, co-managing partner of the bar, scrambled to fill 25 orders for a private event being held on the second floor while also trying to manage the 30-minute wait on the first floor. “It is overwhelmingly busy,” she said. It’s the first time the parade has come their way. After several route changes taking place since its inception, the parade finally headed north along Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue Southeast, rather than south. The decision to change the route occurred, in part, due to the influence of Mayor Muriel Bowser and her ongoing initiatives to highlight the development of downtown Anacostia. The windows of the bar, offered a prime viewing spot for hungry parade spectators. “It seems like they should have always been doing it this way. This is the business district of this area,” Bussey-Reeder said. The Anacostia River has historically created significant physical and socioeconomic divides among the city’s east and west sides. A recent D.C. Fiscal Policy Institute [DCFPI]) report found that the District’s poor and African-American residents overwhelmingly reside east of the Anacostia River and suggested that the area has been alienated from the rest of the city’s post-recession growth. Poverty rates decreased west of the river after the recession and increased in Wards 7 and 8 where they remain three time higher than the rest of the District. Meanwhile, post-recession incomes have remained the same and significantly lower than the rest of the city in households east of the river though they have grown west of the river. But a growing number of local businesses and proposals for new developments slated for the area’s commercial corridors suggest the Southeast community now stands on the cusp of economic change. A Busboy and Poets restaurant is scheduled to move into the area in the summer, the proposed 11th Street Bridge Park would transform the freeway bridge over the river into an elevated park and civic space and the D.C. government has released a Request for Proposals for several vacant storefronts in the downtown Anacostia corridor. “I think it’s better this way. The parade used to start at the Big Chair,” said Dionne White, a Ward 8 resident. White attended the parade with her friend, Chanel Icyes Jackson. The two have marched in previous parades with their community-based organization Wonder Woman of Cattleya. This year they participated as “slightly perturbed” onlookers. “They should have forewarned us. I’m from out of town and if I wasn’t with the organiza-

Photos by Shevry Lassiter

tion, I wouldn’t know where I was going,” said Jackson, who is a Virginia resident. Some parade attendees struggled on the south end of the street to find the new route but were assisted by police. The parade kicked off at the R.I.S.E. Center at St. Elizabeth’s, proceeded through downtown Anacostia and disbanded on Good Hope Road Southeast at Anacostia Park. Stuart Anderson, co-chair of the MLK Steering Committee, said the committee distributed flyers and released public service announcements about the change in route on radio, television and social media. “We want [the businesses] to appreciate the economic impact of the MLK parade,” said Denise Rolark Barnes, chair of the MLK Steering Committee. She said the businesses along the new path were better suited to take advantage of the business opportunities that a tourist attraction like the parade could offer. “Most of the businesses up that way were closed on the holiday,” Barnes said of the former route which typically ended at the south end of MLK Avenue. Michael Sterling, owner of Caribbean Citations, said he was pleased with the route change and the business it attracted to his restaurant in downtown Anacostia. “I’ve seen a lot of new faces. I knew a lot of people would be out today and I wanted to be a part of it, Sterling said, adding that he hopes the parade comes his way again next year. MLK

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER 2017 MARTIN LUTER KING JR SUPPLEMENT

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MLK Parade Tradition Continues in Historic Anacostia By Tatyana Hopkins WI Contributing Writer On Monday, January 16, the 11th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Peace Walk and Parade with the theme “We are One,” honored the life and legacy of the Civil Rights leader as hundreds marched through the streets of Southeast. The peace walk preceded the parade and assembled at 2500 MLK Ave SE and ended at the R.I.S.E Center at 2730 MLK Ave SE. The parade which followed moved along a new route this year aimed at assisting businesses located in downtown Anacostia. King was the main proponent for nonviolent activism during the Civil Rights Movement and successfully protested racial discrimination on both the national and state levels. “We do this to educate our people about the life and legacy of Dr. King,” said Stuart Anderson, co-chair of the MLK Steering Committee. The march and parade can both be traced to a tradition that began more than 30 years ago commemorating Dr. King’s life and work that also included the fight to have his birthday recognized as federal holiday. Six years before King’s birthday became a federal holiday, Washington Informer publisher and philanthropist Dr. Calvin W. Rolark, former Ward 8 Councilmember Wilhelmina J. Rolark and talk show host and community activist Ralph Waldo “Petey” Greene organized the first parade in 1979. The road to securing King’s birthday as a federal holiday didn’t proceed without struggle. It began shortly after his assignation in 1968 but wasn’t signed into law until 1983 under President Ronald Reagan, first being observed by the country three years later. It would not be observed in all 50 states until 2000 as several states resisted observation of the holiday by giving it alternative names and combining it with other holidays. Organizers and participants say they’re committed to continuing the local tradition. “I’ve come every year for as long as I can remember, even with the gaps,” said Tasha Y., a Ward 7 resident. “Dr. King was an important person and this parade shows how far we’ve come and I want my children to see that.” In years past, the parade has been canceled or moved. From 2007 to 2011, the Peace Walk organized by the Coalition for Peace replaced the parade, though it followed the same route along Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue. Then in 2012, the parade was resurrected, replaced again by the peace walk from 2015 to 2016. This year the parade and walk took place as complimentary events. Notable figures have participated in the parade and peace walk including singer Stevie Wonder and Dick Gregory. At this year’s parade, the Ballou High School marching band played a rendition of Wonder’s “Happy Birthday,” a song he composed decades ago while advocating for a national acknowledgement of King’s sacrifices with a federal holiday. Mayor Muriel Bowser, former mayor Vince Gray and WPGC radio personality Joe Clair joined nearly 70 community organizations and over a dozen bands in the parade procession. “The entire city is participating in this parade and I’m excited about that,” said Denise Rolark Barnes, co-founder of the peace walk and chair of the MLK Steering Committee. Representatives from all over the city participated in the parade. “I think [the parade] is a great way to bring people together,” said Ward 8 Councilman Trayon White who added that he’s been coming out to the parade since he was seven or eight years old. Walk participants included The Alliance of Concerned Men, 100 Fathers and Cease Fire Don’t Smoke the Brothers and Sisters. “I’m loving it. This is my first year here,” said Amina Salami. Salami handed out free coffee and hot chocolate to parade spectators with the Islamic Relief USA organization who set up several stations along the parade path to distribute free refreshments and fresh produce. She said serving refreshments at the parade was a “nice and handy” gesture and a way to give back to the community. “I will definitely be back,” Salami said. MLK

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Photo by Travis Riddick

Photo by Shevry Lassiter

Photo by Travis Riddick

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER 2017 MARTIN LUTER KING JR SUPPLEMENT

SON OF MLK from Page 8

DARKNESS CANNOT DRIVE OUT DARKNESS; ONLY LIGHT CAN DO THAT. HATE CANNOT DRIVE OUT HATE; ONLY LOVE CAN DO THAT.

The DC Lottery honors Martin Luther King, Jr. and the countless African-American heroes who’ve contributed in our journey toward civil rights, equality and freedom.

activist whose focus includes those inequities that Black youth and returning citizens continue to face. King gave opening remarks at the luncheon, also presenting awards to six area residents who once lived in public housing or similar impoverished communities before beating overwhelming odds – eventually returning to their childhood neighborhoods where they have led by example in empowering others and investing in their futures. Rolark Barnes then led the discussion toward our country’s future and the impact that President-elect Donald Trump will have on America and the world. “My father challenged this country’s presidents throughout his life including Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy and Johnson. I know he would want us to do the same today. Trump has vowed to work for positive changes that will benefit the Black community. We must hold his feet to the fire,” King III said, making reference to Trump’s campaign challenge to Blacks when he said, after asking for the Black vote, “What do you have to lose?” “I have my own concerns about some of Trump’s choices for those who will join him in leading our country including his choice for the Department of Justice,” he said. “The president sets the tone – that’s for certain. But remember [the Bible tells us] that God is just waiting for a few good men to do a lot of great things, helping us to overcome future conflicts and crises.” King III said his father’s ability to organize the disenfranchised would benefit the Black community today adding that even the elders must master the technology associated with current forms of social media. Rolark Barnes then asked him what it feels like to know that people from around the world observe the King Holiday as well as honoring Dr. King in other ways. “During a trip to Eastern Europe, I saw my father’s name, my name. It was the name of a street on which the town hall of a Bosnian city was located – a city in which not one Black person lived. That was amazing in itself. But it made me remember something my mother would often say to us [King and his siblings]. That Dad’s name was recognized and respected around the world and that we needed to see it to really believe it, to feel it and to understand the significance of his work and message for so many.” King III said. King III, who like his father, became a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., has worn a plethora of hats after completing his degree from Morehouse College – the same institution of higher learning where his father, grandfather and great-grandfather matriculated. He’s served as an elected official, representing the citizens of Fulton County as their county commissioner, lead the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, a civil rights organization founded by his father, as its fourth president and in 2006 founded a non-profit group dedicated to eliminating poverty, “Realizing the Dream,” which has since been absorbed into the King Center under King III who formerly served as the Center’s president. More recently he resurrected the Drum Major Foundation which his father co-founded in the early 60s and is now referred to as the Drum Major Institute. He travels the globe as its leading spokesperson initiating projects that promote peace. “We’ve traveled to Israel as well as several African nations where political unrest has impacted their elections and the daily lives of their citizens – Zambia, Kenya and soon Zimbabwe are just a few of the countries where we’ve offered our assistance,” he said. “And in the U.S., we recently traveled to 40 impoverished communities, reaching out to Native Americans in the Dakotas, rural whites in Appalachia and folks living on Skid Row in New York City. Many of these American citizens all face similar problems with intense poverty being their number one challenge. I’m convinced that when [good] will and ability meet, then we’re able to achieve even the loftiest of results.” But for all of his travels, his awards and his opportunities to represent his father, the eldest living child of Dr. King says becoming a father has been his most treasured experience. “My daughter [Yolanda Renee King] has been my greatest responsibility and life’s work – she’s my whole life and she is truly a daddy’s girl,” he said with exuberance and joy. “Sometimes she even travels with me and she loves it. I have to admit I do too.” Rolark Barnes, who continues to spearhead a parade and peace walk honoring Dr. King each year in the Southeast community where her father first founded the Washington Informer and where she and her family reside, asked King III if marches served as the best way to celebrate his father’s life. “As I said earlier, while parades and festivals are fine, I would prefer that people observe my father’s birth and his contributions to society in other ways too,” King III said. “Since President Reagan signed the legislation in 1984 making his birthday a national holiday, and since the country first began to observe the day of his birth in 1986, we’ve still seen many ‘isms’ remain unaddressed,” he said. “Women are still paid less than their male counterparts. Racism and sexism continue to divide our nation. Until these and other hurdles to equality, including militarism, poverty and violence are adequately addressed and eliminated, I believe the King Holiday should first be a day where we not only remember how far we’ve come but consider taking a fresh start in achieving our goals.” “Next year will mark the 50th anniversary of my father’s death and it will actually fall on his birthday, January 15th. We already have a group that’s making plans for that landmark day. It will serve as a tremendous opportunity to evaluate where we are as a nation. But more than that, I’m hoping it will serve as a time where we can look to the future, making sure that America continues to evolve into the kind of country that will allow the next generation, my daughter included, to dream big and then see those dreams come true.” MLK

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Join The Women’s March on Washington

On January 21st, people from across the United States will come to our city to march together in solidarity and the spirit of democracy to protect our rights, our safety, our health and our families. The Women’s March on Washington will bring together volunteer organizers and residents from all 50 states, and I am proud to be a leader of DC’s local chapter. But this march is about more than one day or one person. The Women’s March on Washington is the start of a movement. A

movement that begins on a local level and must include all voices from DC’s diverse community. This past weekend, January 7th and 8th, I was one of approximately 300 volunteers braving snowy weather and frigid temperatures to encourage local businesses and community members to join us. Those volunteers, along with more than 700 businesses across the city who agreed to share information on the march with their customers, are making a loud and clear statement – that women’s rights are

human rights, and that we will continue to advocate for policies that reflect our entire community. On January 21st thousands of DC residents are planning to march and hundreds more are contributing their time, expertise and even their homes and businesses to support this opportunity. And make no bones about it - this March is a vital opportunity to pull together our shared capital, experiences, perspectives, skills, and motivations. Our growing DC Local group is

reaching out across our city to find ways to connect and pull in the diverse voices of our community. We are hosting events at local businesses. We are walking in the 11th Annual MLK Holiday Parade. We are engaging local community leaders and houses of worship. We are contacting our local government officials. We are having uncomfortable and necessary conversations about race and privilege. DC, we need you to join this local movement. We need to pull together, talk together,

understand together and figure out what comes after the Women’s March on Washington TOGETHER. We need your voice. Visit www.wmwdclocal.com and get connected. Spread the word about our efforts. And join us at 10:00 a.m. on January 21st, at the intersection of Independence Avenue and 3rd Street, SW to send a message to the world that cannot be ignored. Jackie Savage DC Regional Leadership wmwdclocal.com

January 21, 2017 10 AM • US CAPITOL Independence ave & 3rd street sw

IN Solidarity and the Spirit of Democracy FOR Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion TO Protect Our Rights www.wmwdclocal.com • www.womensmarch.com womensmarchdc@gmail.com THE WASHINGTON INFORMER 2017 MARTIN LUTER KING JR SUPPLEMENT

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Photo by Roy Lewis

The History of the MLK Holiday By The Rev. Dennis W. Wiley Pastor, Covenant Baptist United Church of Christ, D.C. Four days after the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968, Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) introduced a bill in the House of Representatives to make King’s birthday a national holiday. Through the efforts of King’s widow, Coretta Scott King, the King Center in Atlanta and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, a petition supporting the holiday was submitted to Congress in 1971, and a few states, beginning with Illinois under the leadership of Harold Washington, then a member of the Illinois House of Representatives, passed King holiday bills. However, Conyers’s federal bill sat in Congress for eight years after he first introduced it, even though he and Rep. Shirley Chisolm reintroduced it every year. In the meantime, instead of dying down as the years passed by, the memory of Dr. King and the enthusiasm for a holiday in his honor, especially on the local and state levels, grew stronger and stronger. In fact, Ward 8, including Covenant Baptist Church (now known as Covenant Baptist United Church of Christ), played a critical role in helping to make Martin Luther King’s birthday not only a local holiday, but also a national holiday. Along with her husband, Dr. ​ Calvin Rolark, a Ward 8 activist, newspaper publisher and founder/president of the Black United Fund, Attorney Wilhelmina Rolark, who had been elected to represent Ward 8 on the D.C. Council in 1976, began to advocate for a

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Martin Luther King holiday. From her Constituent Services Office located at Covenant, she did three significant things: First, she led the City Council in making King’s birthday a local holiday. Second, she led the effort to rename the street at the intersection on which Covenant sits from Nichols Avenue to Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue. And third, she, along with her husband and legendary radio announcer Petey Greene, took the initiative in organizing the very first Martin Luther King Day Parade that was held on Monday, Jan. 15, 1979. As a result of these and other events, the momentum for a national King holiday continued to build and in November 1979, a bill supporting the idea was finally voted on and defeated in the House of Representatives by only five votes. But as more states, trade unions, civil rights organizations, and other advocates got on board, a key turning point occurred when Conyers asked his friend and fellow Detroit resident Stevie Wonder to lend his voice and influence to the movement. It is no coincidence, then, that when Stevie, who gladly accepted Conyers’s invitation, was looking for an early platform to express his support for the national King holiday, he came to Ward 8 in D.C. to become the Grand Marshall of the second annual Martin Luther King Day parade in January 1980. When the parade concluded with a children’s program and an overflow crowd crammed into the Covenant sanctuary, Wonder, along with comedian Dick Gregory, Congressman Ron Dellums and other national and local celebrities and dignitaries, stood in the pulpit to address an enthusiastic, intergenerational

audience composed primarily of Ward 8 residents. ​Later that same year, Stevie appeared on the cover of the April edition of Ebony magazine that featured an article titled, “The Se-

cret Life of Stevie Wonder.” The article included pictures of him viewing the parade from the steps of Covenant and speaking from the pulpit during the program. 1980 also marked the release of his

album, “Hotter Than July,” that carried his new hit song, “Happy Birthday,” calling for a national holiday in honor of King’s birthday. In January 1981, Stevie performed the song at a King holiday rally on the National Mall before a huge crowd. ​In 1982, Coretta Scott King and Stevie Wonder presented petitions containing more than 6 million signatures in support of a King holiday to House Speaker Tip O’Neil. In August 1983, just before the 20th anniversary celebration of the 1963 March on Washington, the House of Representatives passed the King holiday bill and the Senate followed suit in October. On Nov. 3, 1983, President Reagan signed a bill establishing the third Monday of every January as the Martin Luther King Jr. national holiday, with the first official celebration scheduled for Jan. 20, 1986. Almost 18 years after King’s assassination, through lots of hard work, unity and determination, the dream of a national King holiday became a reality. For the full version of this article, go to washingtoninformer.com. MLK

Association for the Study of African American Life and History

91st Annual

BLACK HISTORY LUNCHEON 2017 National Black History Theme

The Crisis in Black Education

Saturday, February 25, 2017 Washington Renaissance Hotel 999 Ninth Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20001 Emcee Andrea Roane WUSA9

Keynote Speaker The Honorable James E. Clyburn, U.S. House of Representatives

Featured Authors’ Event: 10 a.m. - 12 noon Annual Luncheon: 12:15 p.m.

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THE WASHINGTON INFORMER 2017 MARTIN LUTER KING JR SUPPLEMENT

CELEBRATE the life and the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER 2017 MARTIN LUTER KING JR SUPPLEMENT

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