Winner of more than 20 MDDC Press Association Awards for 2025
Serving Our Community in the DMV
Vol 61 No 43
One Year Later, the Federal Surge Still a Tool of Racist Prosecution
By Sam Plo Kwia Collins, Jr. WI Senior Staff Writer
This year, Black August provides an opportunity to recognize one year of police federalization under the Trump administration— a phenomenon where local and federal law enforcement have collaboratively harassed and detained tens of thousands of people, all with the support of the D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser who extended that relationship beyond the 30-day limit. Local entrepreneur and now-former Bowser ally Darrell Gaston counted among the policy’s most recent casualties. “What should have been a, ‘Hey, you cannot double park, this is a citation’ resulted in a white officer at Third District planting a white powder substance in my car while having a body-worn camera,” Gaston said. “It made me realize that no matter how many degrees or levels I have behind my name, for the first time I realized be- 5 Terome Hinkle counts among those who stood outside of D.C. Superior Court with signs in hand against U.S. Attorney for the District of Colum-
PROSECUTION Page 9 bia Jeanine Pirro. (Sam Plo Kwia Collins, Jr./Washington Informer)
A New Canvas for the Capital
DCPS Students Paint Their Vision of Tomorrow at CareFirst Arena By Jada Ingleton WI Content Editor
MURALS Page 28
A Closer Look at the Restaurant Closure that Rocked Deanwood Restaurateur Cites Rent Dispute, While Employees Reel from Job Loss
By Sam Plo Kwia Collins, Jr. WI Senior Staff Writer
At the age of 15, Jordynn Perry can confidently say that the District played a pivotal role in her outlook on the value of community. The native Washingtonian reflected on a shy childhood shaped by the versatility of D.C.’s arts and culture, which fostered her own creative outlet and a deeper connection to the city that raised her.
August 6 - 12, 2026
Washington Commanders Page 36
5 CareFirst Arena in Southeast D.C. is sporting a new mural that features the work of students from DC Public Schools (DCPS), done in partnership with Events DC, DCPS, and CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield. (Courtesy Photo)
WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER
Since the sudden closure of Smokehouse at The Strand, Marctre Freeman has spent much of his time helping the dozens of residents who worked in their neighborhood’s only sit-down restaurant find employment elsewhere. As Freeman explained, he’s also taken several moments to reflect on what the venue many know as The Strand DC meant to Dean-
wood community members who are, once again, without a proximate dining and entertainment space. “They don’t want to go all the way to Maryland. They don't want to go all the way downtown,” said Freeman, who served as The Strand DC’s general manager. “They treated us with open arms. We never had any violent incidents at all. It was the first sit-down place in that area in a long, long time and they
RESTAURANT Page 14
From Pulpits to Pavements: Faith Leaders Rally Ahead of Midterms 61 Years After the Voting Rights Act, America Is Still ‘Securing Democracy’
By Jada Ingleton WI Content Editor Less than 100 days out from midterm elections, faith leaders across the nation are hitting the pavement with their own campaigns to mobilize ahead of what many consider far more than a political vote. As the nation marks a series of grassroots efforts through Election Day, and 61 years of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 on Aug. 6, the fall election season is unfolding with various approaches to chart the path to the ballot box this November. “It really is about strategizing how to use our strength in this particular moment,” the Rev. Dr. William J. Barber, founder of Repairers of the Breach, told The Informer. “This mo-
FAITH LEADERS Page 16
5 The Rev. Dr. William J. Barber, founder of Repairers of the Breach and co-chair of the Poor People’s Campaign, is calling for state-focused action from now through Election Day on Nov. 3. (Robert R. Roberts/The Washington Informer)
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