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Chauvin Could Be Acquitted Page 16
Vol. 56, No. 26 • April 15 - 21, 2021
CDC Director Labels Racism a Serious Public Health Threat Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer
For the first time in America, a federal government agency has declared racism a serious public health threat. Dr. Rochelle P. Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and administrator of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), made the declaration that racism a serious threat to public health in an official statement released April 8. “What we know is this: racism
is a serious public health threat that directly affects the well-being of millions of Americans,” Dr. Walensky, an infectious disease physician, declared. “Over generations, these structural inequities have resulted in stark racial and ethnic health disparities that are severe, far-reaching and unacceptable.” In an article published by the Pew Research Center in June 2020, the writer concluded, “Being Black is bad for your health. And pervasive racism is
RACISM Page 5
5 Elementary school students were welcomed back to Tulip Grove Elementary School on April 8, and middle and high school students in Prince George’s County returned on April 15. See story Prince George’s Reopens Schools on Page 12. (Robert R. Roberts/The Washington Informer)
Equitable Internet Access Remains a Hot Button Issue
School Librarians and Teachers Bemoan Staffing Cuts
Sam P.K. Collins WI Staff Writer In the race to get as many District residents as possible fully vaccinat-
Sam P.K. Collins WI Staff Writer D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) recently announced an increase in per-pupil funding for public and public charter schools and the infusion of several millions of dollars of federal relief funds, both of which would give District schools greater latitude in addressing academic gaps exacerbated by the pandemic.
5 DCPS librarian K.C. Boyd (Courtesy photo)
The degree to which these additional funds would slow down or reverse what has been described as the rapid removal of school librarians, however, has yet to be determined. Some school librarians, like K.C. Boyd, say that given the rules currently in place and what has trans-
pired over the last year, D.C. Public Schools (DCPS) will more than likely not change course. “Some of the people downtown are not well-versed on the benefits of having a librarian on staff,” said
STUDENTS Page 38
ed, the Health Alliance Network recently collaborated with D.C. Councilmember Vincent Gray’s office to manually schedule appointments for seniors living in Ward 7. It was upon executing this endeavor that organizers saw, not only the need for computer literacy, but access to affordable, high-speed internet. They said without it, the elders living in a retirement community wouldn’t have been able to access the online vaccination portal on their own. “We knew that all the seniors didn’t have computers and internet access, but not to what extent. The resident council president
TECH Page 23
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COMPILED BY WI STAFF WRITER JAMES WRIGHT AND D.R. BARNES
An Carol emergency bill authored by D.C. Councilmember By Tia Jones law enforcement. SheAnita saidBonds they (D-At threat,” she said. that would WILarge) Staff Writer
allow the eviction of tenants who havetoengaged had come together bring ina violent Among the programs Marlow behavior passed the D.C. Council bysense a voteofofuniformity 12-1 on April in6.the way wants to see implemented are When Marlow's 23-yearThe L.Y. District has existed under a public health emergency declared domestic violence victims andby D.C. stricter restraining order policies, oldMayor daughter toldBowser her the father Muriel since mid-March due toare thetreated. start of the coronavirus pansurvivors more rights for victim's families of demic. her daughter threatened No evictions can takeher place while the public emergency “She's using health her own personalexists.to intervene on behalf of a viclife, and the life of their child,would story, own personal painexception to tim, However, Bonds’ legislation allowher a narrow public safety to a domestic violence assessshethe knew something had to based be on push forward,” Davis-Nickens ment unit coupled with further public health emergency the actions of a violent tenant. done.“We Out oftoher said training for Bonds law serves enforcement want makefrustration sure individuals canabout be safeMarlow. in their homes,” Bonds said at 5 Anita as an at-large member with law enforcement's handling Davis-Nickens said won’t anyone agencies, a Child's Proteca news conference on April 12. “We want to make sure people be intimiof the D.C. Council.Life (WI File Photo) of dated the situation, she assaults decidedfrom to others whoinreads Marlow's book will tion Act and mandatory counseland suffering their homes.” start Bowser the Saving it.” she Shewill said the legislation, ing for batterers. has notPromise publicly camindicated“get whether signshe the“puts emergency which doesn’t need a second Council paign. casetheinRental such Housing a way, the average “If she we assembled are ever going to eradi- the public vote and goes straight to her. However, Strike Task Force that recommended “It seems to be for a vicious cycle can get it.” She said at the cate domestic violence, we must safety exception the public healthperson emergency. that D.C. won't turn my family endGeorge of the(D-Ward day, the book against will Bonds’ look bill, at both of the that coin.proper legal Councilmember Janeese Lewis 4) voted sayingsides she doubted loose,” Marlow said. Marlow help people begin to have a diaWe need to address both the vic- and “that and social services representation could be afforded to the offending tenant within the defined 30-day period shared her story with the audi- logue about domestic violence. tim and the batterer,” Marlow evictions impact entire families or groups of people who live in a home with one lease, so not just one person who is alleged ence at the District Heights at the of event was said.City Paper. to be a threat to public safety, accordingAlso to thepresent April 7 edition the Washington Domestic Violence Symposium Mildred Muhammad, the exMarlow alsotheir like homes to see during the “I am worried that children, elderly family members, people with disabilities, and otherswould could lose on May 7 at the District Heights wife of John Allen Muhammad, programs designed to raise pandemicCenter. as a resultThe of the actions of someone else in their household,” George said, according to the Washington City Paper. Municipal sympowho was sentenced to six consec- awareness among children in The bill will take effect after signs it and will end 60 days after the public health emergency expires. WI sium was sponsored by thethe mayor utive life terms without parole public and private schools. She Family and Youth Services by a Maryland jury for his role in feels children need to be educatCenter of the city of District the Beltway Sniper attacks in ed about domestic violence. Heights and the National Hook- 2002. Mildred Muhammad is “We have to stop being pasUp of Black Women. the founder of After the Trauma, sive-aggressive with poor chilMarlow has written a book, an organization that helps the dren about domestic violence,” “Color Me Butterfly,” which is a survivors of domestic violence Marlow said. storyProtests about continued four generations Attorney GeneralMarlow Karl A. Racine (D-DC) to erupt of in Minneapolis and their followchildren. has worked tois leading break a bipartidomestic violence. Theof book is Wright, sanyears. coalition ing the fatal shooting Daunte 20, Sunday, “I lived in fear for six Sixof 22 theattorneys cycle ofgeneral abuseurging in herCongress family,to provide inspired her own and technology upgrades during by a traffic stopexperiences, by a Minnesota police officer. years in fear is a longfederal time.funds It isfor state andsystems is confident the policies she needed to and those ofa her grandmother, and expunge justicefor records. not officer an easy thing toseal come out iscriminal Kim Potter, veteran white female police of the pushing will start that herBrooklyn motherCenter and Police her daughter. she said. Nearly 70 million Americans – one third of U.S. adults – process. Department,of,” in Minneapolis, She said she every time for sheher reads Mildred Muhammad planortoexpunge take these policies would besaid eligible to“Iclear their recordstoof arrest or claimed reached taser to restrain Wright excerpts herbut book, she still who want conviction to help ifa theCongress implore them to toa press refunding is and approved. According during from an arrest, grabbed her gunpeople and “accidentalcan the words came domestic violence victim must shows that change automatic our laws,”record Marlow said. lease, research clearing could regain ly”not shotbelieve him instead. fromPotter her. “Color Butterfly” officer be careful of how they go in into “I will not stopforuntil these poli-by clearing billions lost economic activity eligible people and theMeaccompanying reportedly won the Wright’s 2007 National “Best and thedecided victim's life, and the understand cies are passed.” way for secondary education, job opportunities, professional claimed tags were expired to take Books” Award. she may “survival Carol ItJones canalso be help reached licensing, and stableTia housing. would children and him into custody after discovering anthat outstanding mis- be in “I was justwarrant 16-years-old whenWright’s mode”. at tiacaroljones@sbcglobal.net families as 30 million U.S. children—almost one in two kids— demeanor for his arrest. mother, said mysheeye first blackened andson myduring “Before youtellget tohave 'I'matgoing least one parent with a criminal record. received a call from her the stop to lips bled,” Marlow said. to kill you,' it started asRacine a verbal describedWI criminal records as a “life sentence, especialher he was allegedly pulled over for having an air freshElaine Davis-Nickens, presily for those who have turned their lives around.” ener hanging from his rear-view-mirror, an offense in dent of the National Hook-Up “Unfortunately, far too many Americans remain cut off from Minnesota. of Black Women, said there is no job opportunities, education, and housing long after their arrests The case is currently under investigation, and Potconsistency in the way domestic or convictions, preventing them from rebuilding their lives and ter, 48,issues who served on with the department for 26 years violence are dealt by supporting their families. We desperately need to modernize our resigned. Brooklyn Center Police Chief Tim Gannon justice systems. Implementing thoughtful ways to clear records resigned, as well. Meanwhile, the prosecution rested its would make the criminal justice system more efficient, more case, and the defense began calling witnesses Tuesday cost-effective, and most importantly, more just, helping expand in the trial against Derek Chauvin, the Minneapolis opportunities for millions of Americans and their families.” police officer, charged with the murder of George WI Floyd. WI
Protests Erupt Over Shooting of Another Black Man in Minneapolis
In Memoriam Dr. Calvin W. Rolark, Sr. Wilhelmina J. Rolark THE WASHINGTON INFORMER PUBLISHER NEWSPAPER (ISSN#0741-9414) is pubDenise Rolark Barnes lished weekly on each Thursday. Periodicals postage paid at Washington, D.C. and additional mailing offices. News and adSTAFF vertising deadline is Monday prior to pubD. Kevin McNeir, Editor lication. Announcements must be receivedIn Memoriam Burke, two weeks prior to event. CopyrightDr. 2016 Calvin Ron W. Rolark, Sr.Advertising/ Marketing Director Shevry Lassiter, Photo Editor by The Washington Informer. All rights Wilhelmina J. Rolark reserved. POSTMASTER: Send change Lafayette Barnes, IV, Assistant Photo Editor of addresses to The Washington Inform- NEWSPAPER (ISSN#0741-9414) is published THE WASHINGTON INFORMER Dorothy Rowley, Online Editor er, 3117 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave., S.E. weekly on Thursday. Periodicals postageZebraDesigns.net, paid at Washington, Design D.C. and additional & Layout Washington, D.C. 20032. No part of this mailing News and without advertising Mable deadlineNeville, is Monday prior to publication. publication mayoffices. be reproduced Bookkeeper be received to event. Copyright 2000 by The writtenAnnouncements permission frommust the publisher. Thetwo weeks Ronprior Taylor, Copy Editor Washington Informer. All rights the reserved. POST MASTER: Send change of addressInformer Newspaper cannot guarantee Tatiana Moten, Social Media Specialist return esoftophotographs. Subscription rates The Washington Informer, 3117 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave., S.E. Washington, Angie Johnson, Circulation are $45D.C. per year, two years $60. Papers will 20032. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permisbe received not more than a week after pubsion from the payable publisher. Newspaper cannot guarantee the return of lication. Make checks to: The Informer REPORTERS
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AG Racine Leads Bi-Partisan Call Congress to Modernize Justice Systems
“
We have to stop being passive-aggressive with poor children about domestic violence. I plan to take these D.C. Emancipation Day Virtual Concert Set for April 16 policies to Congress and DC Statehood will be the main event for this year’s celebration of D.C. Emancipation Day, a local public holiday on April 16. A virtual concert will be held with several groups including Backyard, The implore them to change New Soul Searchers, and the Experience Unlimited Band and live-streamed via Facebookour at Make Go-Go Forever DC on Friday, April 16 at 6 PM. This year marks 159 year since 1862 when President Abraham Lincoln signed the D.C. Compensated Emancipation freeing over 3,000stop enslaveduntil people in the Dislaws. Act I will not trict of Columbia. The annual parade and other in-person festivities will not be held again this year due to COVID-19. WI these policies are passed.
“
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Women the Cycle of wi hotBreak topics Domestic Violence Council Passes Bill Allowing Evictions of Violent Tenants
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L.Y. Marlow
RACISM from Page 1 the cause.” It also included “stark” research data showing, Black women are up to four times more likely to die of pregnancy-related complications than white women. Black men are more than twice as likely to be killed by police as white men. And the average life expectancy of African Americans is four years lower than the rest of the U.S. population. According to the PEW report, the CDC now joins 20 cities and counties and at least three states, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin, to declare racism a public health crisis. Dr. Walensky highlighted several new efforts the CDC is leading to accelerate its work to address racism as a fundamental driver of racial and ethnic health inequities in the United States. A new website called “Racism and Health” will serve as a hub for the agency’s efforts and a catalyst for greater education and dialogue around these critical issues. “It [racism] affects the health of our entire nation. Racism is not just the discrimination against one group based on the color of their skin or their race or ethnicity, but the structural barriers that impact racial and ethnic groups differently to influence where a person lives, where they work, where their children play, and where they worship and gather in community,” Dr. Walensky wrote in a statement. Since the pandemic outbreak more than one year ago, the United States has recorded more than 31 million cases of the coronavirus and a death toll exceeding 560,000 deaths. African Americans and other communities of color have adversely been affected. “Importantly, these painful experiences and the impact of COVID-19 are felt, most severely, in communities of color – communities that have experienced disproportionate case counts and deaths, and where the social impact of the pandemic has been most extreme,” Dr. Walensky said. “Yet, the disparities seen over
AROUND THE REGION the past year were not a result of COVID-19. Instead, the pandemic illuminated inequities that have existed for generations and revealed for all of America a known but often unaddressed epidemic impacting public health: racism. “These social determinants of health have life-long negative effects on the mental and physical health of individuals in communities of color.” The director unveiled a list of actions the CDC plans to take, including: • Continuing to study the impact of social determinants on health outcomes, expand the body of evidence on how racism affects health, and propose and implement solutions to address this. • With COVID-19 funding, the CDC is making new and expanded investments in racial and ethnic minority communities and other disproportionately affected communities around the country, establishing a durable infrastructure that will provide the foundation and resources to address disparities related to COVID-19 and other health conditions. • The CDC also is expanding its internal agency efforts to foster greater diversity and create an inclusive and affirming environment for all. “Confronting the impact of racism will not be easy. I know that we can meet this challenge,” Dr. Walensky stated. “I know that we can create an America where all people have the opportunity to live a healthy life when we each take responsibility and work together. I am committed to this work. I certainly hope you will lean in and join me,” she said. Dr. Walensky will be a guest at 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday, April 21, on the National Newspaper Publishers Association’s daily morning livestream program “Let It Be Known.” Viewers can watch the show at Facebook.com/BlackPressUSA/ Videos, YouTube.com/c/BlackPressUSATV, and on Twitter @ BlackPressUSA. WI @StacyBrownMedia
5 The Centers for Disease Control recently declared racism a public health threat. (Courtesy photo)
D.C. Council, Health Educators: Racism is a National Health Threat Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is not alone in viewing racism as a public health threat. The D.C. Council has been chewing on that issue since 2020 a council member introduced a resolution declaring racism as a barrier, not just a menace. “The notion that, with hard work, everyone born in the United States has an equal opportunity to succeed and achieve the American Dream is sadly not the case,” Ward
5 Councilman Kenyan McDuffie stated. “We do not live in a post racial society, and racial equality has not been achieved. If ever we are going to achieve racial equity in this country, it will require official recognition of the role of government–sanctioned slavery, segregation, and other actions in denying wealth-building opportunities to Black Americans.” Vicki Girard, Georgetown University’s Health Justice Alliance director, applauded the D.C. Council and supports the declaration that racism is a public health crisis. “When these issues go unrec-
5 Ward 5 Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie and Vicki Girard, director, Georgetown University Health Justice Alliance (Courtesy photo)
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ognized, they perpetuate poor health outcomes that disproportionately harm Black D.C. residents,” Girard announced. A recent Georgetown University study listed a series of 18 recommendations in two categories to fix disparities affecting African Americans. “One sector cannot fix the problem,” wrote the authors of the Georgetown report titled, “Health Disparities in the Black Community: An Imperative for Racial Equity in the District of Columbia.” “The journey to racial equity requires an explicit and cross-sector approach to eliminate social, economic, and environmental conditions that stymie upward mobility and compromise well-being across the lifespan,” the school’s authors wrote. “As the city continues to experience growth and economic progress, proactive efforts are needed to address policies, practices, and norms that perpetuate segregation and inequitable distribution of resources.” WI @StacyBrownMedia
APRIL 15 - 21, 2021 5
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1889 – Social and civil activist A. Philip Randolph, who organized and led the first predominantly Black labor union, is born in Crescent City, Florida. 1896 – Booker T. Washington receives an honorary degree from Harvard University. 1915 – Walter Washington, the first mayor of Washington, D.C., is born in Dawson, Georgia.
APRIL 16
1862 – The District of Columbia Compensated Emancipation Act, or simply Compensated Emancipation Act, a law that ended slavery in D.C. by paying slave owners for releasing their slaves, is signed by President Abraham Lincoln. 1864 – Internationally known singer Flora Batson, known as "The Double-Voiced Queen of Song," is born in Washington, D.C. 1947 – Basketball Hall of Fame center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (right) is born in New York City. 1994 – Ralph Ellison, author of "Invisible Man," dies in New York City at 81 of pancreatic cancer.
APRIL 17
1983 – Alice Walker wins the Pulitzer Prize for fiction for her novel "The Color Purple."
APRIL 18
1966 – Basketball great Bill Russell is named player-coach of the Boston Celtics, becoming the first African American head coach in NBA history.
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1977 – Author Alex Haley is awarded the Pulitzer Prize in journalism for his novel "Roots: The Saga of an American Family."
APRIL 19
1837 – Cheyney University, one of the nation's oldest Black colleges, is founded in Cheyney, Pennsylvania. 1971 – Walter Fauntroy is sworn in as the first elected Congressional representative from the District of Columbia since Reconstruction. 1978 – Journalist Max Robinson is named as an anchor for ABC's "World News Tonight," becoming the first Black to anchor a network news broadcast.
APRIL 20
1853 – Harriet Tubman begins her work with the Underground Railroad, a network of antislavery activists who helped slaves escape from the South. 1971 – The Supreme Court rules that busing can be used to integrate schools. 1984 – Influential cabaret singer Mabel Mercer dies in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, at 84. 1986 – Michael Jordan sets the single-game playoff scoring record with 63 points in a double-overtime loss to the Boston Celtics.
APRIL 21
ALICE WALKER
6 APRIL 15 - 21, 2021
1966 – Milton Lee Olive III, a U.S. Army soldier who sacrificed himself to save others by smothering a live grenade, posthumously becomes the first African American Medal of Honor recipient of the Vietnam War. 1974 – Lee Elder becomes the first African American professional golfer to qualify for the Masters tournament. 2003 – Singer/songwriter and civil rights activist Nina Simone (top) dies of breast cancer at her home in the south of France at 70. WI
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DMX's music is the soundtrack to many of our lives. I pray he finds the peace that he never found here.
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AROUND THE REGION A Tale of Two Princes By Ron Taylor WI Staff Writer
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When global attention zeroes in on St. George’s Chapel for Prince Phillip’s royal funeral April 17, a quiet corner of Northeast Washington will be the focus of attention for the funeral of a local squire. John Tatum, who learned to swim as a boy in Foggy Bottom in the 1920s and, after becoming a father, grandfather and great-grandfather, won swimming medals so often that he became a leading performer in “Age of Champions,” a 2011 film about aged athletes. He died March 31, four days shy of 102nd birthday. A D.C. native, he was best known as a civic spirit who mentored scores of young men, teaching life skills built around athletics, hard work, competitiveness, perseverance and honesty in his neighborhood in Woodridge near the D.C.-Maryland border. For at least 30 years, he orchestrated an annual Father’s Day father/ son baseball game and cookout. The event grew out of the aftermath of a wake when one of his sons complained that the only time folks in the community gathered was over death. The result was an annual early summer event to which all were invited and visitors showed up from as far away as the West Coast. Typically, there was 60 pounds of ribs,
John Tatum, who learned to swim as a boy in Foggy Bottom in the 1920s and, after becoming a father, grandfather and great-grandfather, won swimming medals so often that he became a leading performer in “Age of Champions,” a 2011 film about aged athletes. 240 pounds of fish, 80 pounds of chicken and enough hot dogs and hamburgers to feed an entire neighborhood on a Sunday afternoon. He grew up in Foggy Bottom, learned to get comfortable in the water in the Reflecting Pool at the foot of the Lincoln Memorial, taught himself to swim and swam at the pool at Francis Jr. High. He graduated from Armstrong High and attended Virginia State University where he studied industrial engineering. He joined the Navy, where the itch to become a frogman slammed up against racism. After two years of Navy duty during World War II, he came to work as a digital systems analyst at what was then known as the Navy Yard, later known as the Naval Gun Factory. After retiring from the Navy Yard, he took up skiing. But in his 70s, he engaged in competitive swimming with the D.C. Water Wizards, a D.C. Recreation Department swim team for senior citizens. “He was a remarkable man,” said
Audrey Hipkins, Water Wizards, co-chairman. According to her, Tatum was the oldest of the 90 or so members of the team but was one of the most competitive. And he was and among the fastest. He began competing in the Senior National Games in 2006 and went on to win medals for nine years. In 2011, for example, after losing his younger brother Bradford to colon cancer, he pushed himself to compete and won two gold medals in the 100-yard freestyle and 50yard breaststroke and a silver medal in the 50-yard freestyle in the men's 90-94 age division. Friends and family will gather to say farewell at a private service at New Smyrna Missionary Baptist Church, 4417 Douglas Street, N.E. on Saturday, April 17 at 9:30 a.m. The virtual service can be viewed at www.newsmyrnambc.org. Tatum is survived by three of his children, Joyce Wilkinson Brown, John Franklin Tatum Jr (Carol) and Krista Tatum Benjamin (Anthony), ten grandchildren - Marilynn Scott, Gaye Wilkinson, Candace Pinn (Greg), Erica Dottin (Howard), Alison Stanley, John Tatum III (JoMika), Mark Tatum (Sunaria), Courtney Benjamin (Casey), Paige Benson (Corey) and Evan Benjamin (Alicyn); 24 great-grandchildren, Kevin Johnson (Lisa), Mia Scott, Gabriel Scott, Tatum Wallace (Tyrone), Michael Ricardo, Wynton Marsalis, Simeon Marsalis, Sydney Pinn, Cameron Pinn, Austin Dottin, Jett Dottin, John Tatum IV, Justin Tatum, Jacob Tatum, Jaye Lynn Tatum, Marieke Tatum, Markai Tatum, Sureina Tatum, Camden Fraser, Maisey Fraser, Briana Benjamin, Quentin Benjamin, Anthony Benson, and Vivian Benson; and 5 great-great grandchildren, Tehya Johnson, Alana Johnson, Aiden Johnson, Marilynn Tirado, and Winter Tirado. WI
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Virginia Follows New York and Legalizes Marijuana
AROUND THE REGION
“Marijuana laws were explicitly designed to target communities of color.”
By Sarafina Wright WI Contributing Writer Recreational marijuana is now legal in Virginia — making it the 16th state in the nation and the first southern state to do so. A report of the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission issued in Nov. 2020 found that Black Virginians were more than three times as likely to be arrested for simple possession of marijuana. Data from Virginia courts show that trend has continued since the simple possession of marijuana was decriminalized on July 1, 2020 — punishable with a $25 civil fine. Governor Ralph Northam said this fact drove his proposal to advance legalization by three years, and that he remains committed to working with legislators and advocates to repair past harm. “We made history as the first state in the south to legalize the simple possession of marijuana. I am pleased that the General Assembly accepted my proposal to make this change on July 1, 2021 nearly three years earlier than planned,” Gov. Northam said on April 7. “Marijuana laws were explicitly designed to target communities of color, and Black Virginians are disproportionately likely to be stopped, charged, and convicted. Today, Virginia took a critical step to right these wrongs and restore justice to those harmed by decades of over-criminalization.” The law now also allows for home cultivation of marijuana of up to four plants per household. The amendment requires plants
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be labeled with identification information, out of sight from public view, and out of range of individuals under the age of 21. Virginia follows states like New York who’ve legalized recreational marijuana in early April for reasons similar to the commonwealth: over policing and targeting of communities of color, who make up the majority of possession of marijuana cases. The National Cannabis Industry Association [NCIA] says nearly 60,000 people – the majority of whom are people of color – are arrested for marijuana violations in New York every year, the effects of which can permanently damage their ability to obtain employment, housing, and education, among other collateral consequences. “We commend Empire State lawmakers for aligning state law with the will of the vast majority of voters who support legal and regulated cannabis markets as an alternative to failed prohibition,” said Aaron Smith, co-founder and chief executive officer of the NCIA. “We are rapidly approaching a point where a majority of Americans will be living in states that have passed laws to regulate cannabis for adults, and we’re count-
ing on Congress and the White House to finally harmonize federal law with these successful state programs.” The latest annual Gallup poll from Nov. 2020 tracking support of marijuana legalization showed a record level of national support for legalization. The poll, which Gallup has conducted every year since 1969, shows 68% of Americans are in favor of legalization. In the last election voters in New Jersey approved a legalization measure and states like Connecticut, Delaware, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island have prioritized comprehensive cannabis policy says NCIA. “It should come as no surprise that support for making cannabis legal continues to climb as more states regulate the substance and voters are able to see the benefits of legal cannabis markets,” said Smith. “When more than two thirds of Americans support legalization and now more than one third live in legal states, we are quickly approaching a tipping point for cannabis policy. Federal lawmakers need to listen to their constituents and support sensible comprehensive reforms now.” WI
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AROUND THE REGION CAPTURE THE MOMENT
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WORDS TO LIVE BY “Salvation for a race, nation or class must come from within. Freedom is never granted; it is won. Justice is never given; it is exacted.” – A. Philip Randolph April 15, 1889 - May 16, 1979
10 APRIL 15 - 21, 2021
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District-Based Singer Terri Lee Taylor Releases Debut Single ‘Waiting’ Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer Marcia Griffiths is considered the standard-bearer of female singers from Jamaica and its most consistent hitmaker. Griffiths’ enduring presence is an inspiration to Terri Lee Taylor, a Jamaica native who now lives in the District and who just released her debut single, “Waiting.” Taylor, a singer and songwriter, has her hooks in modern dance hall, R&B and soul. At the age of 20, she is not shy about stating her goal to dominate the Caribbean, American and world music industries. “Bob Marley definitely paved the way for all of us,” Taylor notes of the reggae legend whose distinctive voice and groundbreaking songwriting has inspired multiple generations of fans and artists.
“He is one I listen to every day,” Taylor added. She is quick to note that Jamaica gave birth to many other hitmakers who continue to inspire her and many others. “There is Koffee, Shenseea, Leila Okay,” Taylor remarked, listing the names of other successful Jamaican songstresses she is inspired by and perhaps one day may duet alongside. Taylor’s “Waiting” is as direct as it is smooth. “Are you on me, as I’m on you?” Taylor croons on the track with a catchy beat serving as part of the draw. “Do you know what’s good? Trying to see if you follow through. What you want from me, I can give it to you … Waiting, waiting, waiting,” she demands. Taylor said she wrote the lyrics, which she called easy to do after coming up with the melody.
AROUND THE REGION
“The song is me looking for a confirmation about what this person wants to do,” Taylor explained. “I’m into him; he says he’s into me, so….” With a distribution deal with Anthony Tilghman, who also works with the Washington Informer, Taylor said she’s ready for the world with her music. “I’ve received a lot of positive feedback,” stated Taylor, who shouted out the three “beautiful black women” who she grew up with – her mother, grandmother, and aunt. “Every since I started singer, this [releasing a record] has been a dream,” Taylor exclaimed. “But, this is the year I finally stepped out of my comfort zone.” The single can be purchased on several platforms, including Amazon.com. WI @StacyBrownMedia
5 (Photos of Terri Lee Taylor Courtesy of Anthony Tilghman)
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APRIL 15 - 21, 2021 11
PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY Prince George’s Reopens Schools
More Students Return April 15 William J. Ford WI Staff Writer Bobbie Hoye and her husband praised the Tulip Grove Elementary staff for informing parents on hybrid instruction, social distancing in the classrooms, and other safety measures. The couple from Bowie still chose
to keep their nine-year-old son, Noah, a third-grader, at home to continue virtual learning on a computer for the final two months of the school year. Also, Noah’s five-year-old sister, Riley, doesn’t attend daycare and remains home with the family. “With [school] being two days a week and we equated it to 22 days be-
ing in school, Noah’s in a groove,” said Hoye, the school’s parent-teacher organization president and an attorney who works from home. “We have him on a schedule to keep some consistency. He is doing well and feels comfortable with the Zoom process, with the distance learning. While he doesn’t have many in-person visits with friends, he still has social connections with his friends through Zoom,” Hoye said. The Hoye family is among thousands of Prince George’s County parents who chose to keep their children home as the county reopens school while continuing to battle the coronavirus pandemic. Nearly 30,000 students in prekindergarten through sixth grade, high school seniors, and those enrolled in special education programs returned Thursday, April 8. The remaining 10,500 students in seventh through 11th-grade plan to come back Thursday, April 15. The school system has about 131,000 students enrolled this school year. Although Noah isn’t physically in class, his teacher will record his atten-
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5 Tulip Grove Elementary Principal Jaime Coffen kneels down to chat with a student April 8 on the first day of hybrid learning in Prince George’s County. (Robert R. Roberts/ The Washington Informer)
dance and watch and listen to him and his classmates through a computer screen in the classroom. Teachers have the flexibility to conduct lessons with students in the classroom while the rest of the students are doing independent work. Tulip Grove physical education teacher Michelle Wilson did both with a fifth-grade class that joined her while jogging-in-place, doing jumping jacks, and other exercises. “Everybody that’s there [at home], can you hear me? Raise your hand if you can hear me? Ok, good,” Wilson said, looking at a screen inside the gymnasium. Mia Linton, a six-year-old kindergartner, shared Thursday’s excitement of P.E. and a reading
teacher visiting her classroom. “I was concerned about what the hybrid model might look like, but as vaccinations ramped up and more and more people got vaccinated, I became more comfortable about the idea,” said Mia’s mother, Christina Linton, a parttime bar instructor whose husband works for the U.S. Secret Service. “This is the most positive experience I could hope for given the circumstances.” Bobbie Hoye said her son, Noah, has been doing well at home. “He didn’t know how to multiply before third grade. He does now,” she said. “He made gains, and we look to build on his gains when he gets into fourth grade.”
STUDENTS Page 13
Maryland Police Bills Clear Legislature Overriding Hogan Vetoes Sweeping Reforms Include Repeal of Officer’s Bill of Rights William J. Ford WI Staff Writer ANNAPOLIS – Maryland lawmakers passed police reform legislation, against the governor’s objections, that they claim is the best way, in attempts that date back 50 years, to improve law enforcement accountability and transparency.
The package includes a new statewide use-of-force standard, allows the public to review certain police records that deal with police misconduct and a new disciplinary process that features civilian committees, versus trial boards with fellow officers, to assess and decide the discipline of
VETO Page 31
4/12/21 11:03INFORMER AM THE WASHINGTON / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM
PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY
Rushern Baker Contemplates Maryland Governor Seat, Again William J. Ford WI Staff Writer After an unsuccessful run for the Maryland gubernatorial seat in 2018, former Prince George’s County Executive Rushern L. Baker III contemplates a run for a second time. Baker, 62, said Monday, April 12 no official announcement has been made, but said the coronavirus pandemic highlighted disparities in education, the economy and health care as part of his reason to assess running in the 2022 gubernatorial election. “All of these things started to come to me,” he said. “During the pandemic and dealing with loved ones, the disparity just became blatant. What are the resources you could put toward people? Government can work toward everybody.” The Cheverly resident said he and his wife, Christa, recently received their COVID-19 vaccines. Because she continues to battle Alzheimer’s,
STUDENTS from Page 12 Hoye and her husband plan to have their son and daughter, who will be in the kindergarten, in the classroom next school year at Tulip Grove, whether it’s “two days or five days.”
SAFETY MEASURES
One day before hybrid learning began last week, some parents and community leaders marched and rallied outside Roosevelt High School in Greenbelt, expressing concerns about adequate ventilation systems, vaccination of teachers, and students’ overall health. The message for school officials: only open schools “when it is safe.” One main reason stems from Prince George’s leading the state of Maryland in confirmed coronavirus cases, with more than 80,000 positive cases reported to date. About half of the 22,000 employees have been vaccinated. PGCPS CEO Monica Goldson, who communicates with the county health officer every other day, said each school has hand sanitizer stations, new air infiltration systems, and desks spaced apart. A question Goldson often receives from the school community: “Why conduct hybrid learning now instead of waiting until the fall?”
Baker said a health care worker had to come to their home and administer the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine. He received the two-dose Moderna vaccine. When the pandemic hit the state, she couldn’t go outside for six months to a year “because if she got COVID, that was it.” “People thought because I was in government that we already had ours. No, this was a recent occurrence,” said Baker, who served in the House of Delegates from 1994 to 2003. “This is another thing that shows how unprepared we were as a state to give [vaccines] in people’s homes. In nursing homes, yeah, you got it. If you are at home like we are, we were searching around.” Another reason Baker said he’s still wavering about his run for the governor’s seat remains money. According to campaign figures from January, he has about $8,715 cash on hand. “Any amount of time in front of a teacher, no matter when it starts, is going to be a great experience,” Goldson said. “While it may seem late, it’s never too late for our students who are excited to be with their classmates and teachers in person today.”
FUTURE PLANS
School officials haven’t produced specific plans for the future of the 2021-22 school year. Results from a survey will be released at Thursday’s school board meeting on next school year’s proposed calendar. One of the questions to be addressed is when to start the school year: Aug. 30 or after Labor Day. Sept. 7. The school board plans to conduct a final vote April 29. Neighboring school systems such as Montgomery County in Maryland, Arlington County in Virginia, and the District approved their school calendars to begin the first day of school Aug. 30. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said last week she expects all the city’s public schools to conduct in-person instruction five days a week next school year. School officials in Arlington County continue to work on plans to offer in-person and virtual learning for summer and fall. WI @jabariwill
5 Rushern Baker (Courtesy photo)
“We’re starting from the ground floor,” he said, adding he continues to talk with supporters and make fundraising calls. Baker served as Prince George’s
leader for two four-year terms until 2018. That same year he sought the governor’s seat, but lost in the Democratic primary to former NAACP president Ben Jealous, who captured nearly 40 percent of the votes among nine candidates. Baker came in second with about 30 percent. Baker, who serves on the University of Maryland Medical System board and is a member of the Alzheimer’s Association National Capital Area chapter, will join several Democrats who either plan to run, or have announced intentions to seek the office. He also works with the University of Maryland School of Public Policy helping to train government leaders. Gov. Larry Hogan’s second, fouryear term expires in January 2023. One of those candidates will not be close friend County Executive Angela Alsobrooks, who said March 19 on WAMU’s radio show, “The Kojo Nnamdi Show,” she plans to remain in office. “I love my job and I love Prince
Georgians. It is true every day of the week,” she said. “I am so excited about the vision of Prince George’s County. In this moment, I am running for re-election for county executive.” Comptroller Peter Franchot, the first person to declare for governor, raised about $790,430. According to campaign documents, reported Jan. 20, Franchot’s cash balance: $2.2 million. In January, Ashwani K. Jain, a 31-year-old former Obama administration official, said in a video he will seek the Democratic nomination. He ran an unsuccessful campaign for Montgomery County Council three years ago. Other possible Democratic candidates to run in the 2022 primary on June 28 include Baltimore County Executive John “Johnny O” Olszewski with $1.6 million cash on hand; former state attorney general Douglas F. Gansler with $428,241 cash on hand; and former Democratic National Committee chair Tom Perez. WI @jabariwill
End the Discord! The Prince George’s County School Board has engaged in acrimonious and discordant meetings that have left many to wonder whether the business of educating our youth is a priority. Fault is immaterial, what is needed is a system focused on supporting the dreams and aspirations of the County’s children. The County is fortunate to have a strong, effective CEO in Dr. Monica Goldson who has decades of executive public-school leadership and, with support, is fully capable of driving this school system to be one of the highest performing in the state and the region. Dr. Goldson’s leadership along with having an innovative, public private partnership for school construction, make the future of Prince George’s public education extremely bright. With a health crisis that has locked our children out from school, parents trying to manage through uncertainty and teachers making sure a return is safe, this is not the time for petty, power politics! When potential residents ponder where to live, schools’ matter! In this highly competitive region, when businesses survey the best place to land, schools’ matter! So, a slow-moving economy or stagnant home equity is directly connected to seeing school controversy after controversy being played out on medial outlets. Whatever the by line, consumers of these stories are left wondering whether the system can govern its most crucial asset. As the school board engages in an important budget, curricular and school opening decisions- what must be left at the door are vindictive and inconsequential discord where the media is the referee. Instead, the citizens and business community in Prince George’s County demand reasonable and adaptive dialogue that is centered on the best interest of our children. After all, “Isn’t this why you serve?” Not a member? Please visit our website, www.pgcoc.org to get started! Membership is good for a full calendar year, so it’s always a good time to join*
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APRIL 15 - 21, 2021 13
BUSINESS U.S. Leads the World in Screen Time Usage During the Pandemic Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the dramatic rise in screen time is raising alarms about the impact on eye health for people around the world. The United States had the highest screen time use with nearly 45 percent more usage than the global median. With more adults and children spending time in front of screens for work, school, and social gatherings, concerns are rising about the long-term impact apart from eye fatigue, dry and irritated eyes, and retinal damage prolonged screen time can cause. “Since the beginning of the pandemic, lockdown measures have meant that excessive screen time has only escalated,” wrote Pablo Martinez, a public relations manager, in an email releasing the Mister Spex Screen Time Index. The index offers figures on the minutes per
day spent looking at TV, streaming, video games, and social media. According to a Harvard research study, macular degeneration, cataracts, eye cancer, myopia, and increased eye-pressure build-up are some of the permanently damaging factors to the eyes. “Associated with lower physical and mental wellbeing, as well as eye-related issues, this study aims to bring attention to the important topic and how it may be impacting our long-term health,” Martinez wrote. Residents of Finland had the lowest social media use, averaging about 57 minutes each day. Ireland residents spent the most time playing video games at 74 minutes per day, followed by Mexico at 73 minutes and the United States at 69 minutes. “As a basis for this data analysis, we have selected 25 countries from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
5 Screen time usage has surged during the pandemic. (Courtesy Rawpixel.com, via Wikimedia Commons)
(OECD), which collected extensive, comparable data on-screen time in leisure time outside of school and work,” researchers wrote. “The results show how many minutes per capita are spent on average in front of screens outside of work and learning. With the global Covid-19 pandemic, the total time people spend in front of screens will be significantly higher again.” The data revealed how many minutes per day the average person in these countries spent watching television and streaming services, playing video games, and looking at social media. Mister Spex collected data to calculate how far each country deviated from the median for leisure screen time.
Phone screen time was also included to explain how much time people in each country spend looking at their smartphones. John Reichert of Boulder, Colo., told the New York Times that he had a heated argument with his 14-year-old son, James, about screen time. “I’ve failed you as a father,” he told the boy. The Times reported that “during the long months of lockdowns and shuttered schools, Reichert, like many parents, overlooked the vastly increasing time that his son was spending on video games and social media. “Now, James, who used to focus his free time on mountain biking and playing basketball, devotes
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14 APRIL 15 - 21, 2021
nearly all of his leisure hours — about 40 a week — to Xbox and his phone.” He pleaded with his father during their argument not to restrict access, calling his phone his “whole life.” Reichert, a technical administrator in the local sheriff’s office, remarked that it was the tipping point. “His whole life?” Reichert questioned. “I’m not losing my son to this,” he told the newspaper, which noted that when the outbreak hit, many parents relaxed restrictions on screens as a stopgap way to keep frustrated, restless children entertained and engaged. “But, often, remaining limits have vaporized as computers, tablets and phones became the centerpiece of school and social life, and weeks of stay-at-home rules bled into nearly a year,” the paper reported. “To ensure that you’re taking the best care of your eyes possible, we would recommend keeping your eyes moist with the conscious use of an appropriate eyedrop frequency,” offered Benny Bendt, an optician with Mister Spex. “Engage in eye relaxation techniques such as palming, and consider blue filter glasses, especially if you have heavy screen time in the evenings.” WI @StacyBrownMedia
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New Stimulus Checks Contain ‘Plus-Up’ Payments for Some People By James Wright WI Staff Writer A third round of $1,400 stimulus checks have been received by tens of millions of Americans and some contain “plus-up” payments for people who can get more money presently due to the IRS processing their 2020 tax return. The new checks received gained congressional authorization in March through President Biden’s $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, designed to lift the economy out of the adverse effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Specifics of the stimulus payments include $1,400 payments to individual Americans who largely earned under $75,000 a year plus $1,400 per
dependent or $5,600 per family. The third round processed brings the total number of checks issued to more than 130 million to a monetary total of $335 billion doled out, CNBC reported IRS officials saying on April 6. People who are due the additional money, or “plus-up” payments are among those in the third batch. The criteria for a “plus-up” payment includes those who received a stimulus check based on their 2019 tax return but qualify for more money now that their 2020 returns have been processed. An example of this is a decline in income in 2020 compared to 2019 or the addition of a new dependent, CNBC reported. The current checks have been
issued to people who also recently filed tax returns in order to qualify for the stimulus because the IRS didn’t have their information on file. The “plus-up” payments and checks to people who previously didn’t have their information on file will continue on a weekly basis going forward, according to CNBC. WI @JamesDCWrighter
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BUSINESS
(Stock photo/The Washington Informer)
APRIL 15 - 21, 2021 15
NATIONAL Damning Testimony Aside, Chauvin Could Be Acquitted, Experts Say
History, Police-Prosecutor Relationship Pose Hurdles to Justice Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer As Derek Chauvin listens to fellow officers, EMT workers, and civilian witnesses repeatedly issue damaging testimony, the former Minneapolis cop knows he still has more than just a fighting chance at an acquittal in the death of George Floyd. On his side are U.S. history and a boatload of statistics suggesting he may enjoy a favorable outcome despite what the witnesses have said. And, despite irrefutable video ev-
idence that shows he alone caused Floyd’s death. Recent data made public by a Bowling Green State University criminologist revealed that police officers who are charged with committing murder or manslaughter are more likely to win an acquittal – if they are prosecuted at all. According to statistics provided to the Washington Post this month by Philip M. Stinson at Bowling Green, between 2005 and 2015, more than 1,400 officers were arrested for a violence-related crime committed on duty.
The Majority of All U.S. Children are Those of Color By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer In 2019, there were more than 73 million children in the United States – making up 22 percent of the nation’s population. Children of color made up 49.8 percent of all children, and more than half of the 19.6 million children under five in America were individuals of color. The statistics are part of the nonprofit Children’s Defense Fund’s “The State of America’s Children 2021 report.” It dovetails with the U.S. Census Bureau’s latest report that changing the United States’ racial makeup is most visible among children. The Census Bureau found that most children are projected to be
16 APRIL 15 - 21, 2021
of a race other than non-Hispanic white. “These changes mirror a broader transition in the United States to a more pluralistic population,” Census Bureau officials reported. The Children’s Defense Fund’s comprehensive report also noted that most children under 18 were children of color in 14 states, including Alaska, California, Georgia, Maryland, New York, Texas, and the District of Columbia. In 2019 – the latest statistics available, 36.7 million children were white (50.2 percent); 18.7 million were Hispanic (25.6 percent); 10 million were Black (13.7 percent). Approximately 3.7 million were Asian (5.0 percent), 615,950 were American Indian/Alaska Native
CHILDREN Page 17
5 Police officers and their relationships with district attorneys appear to be one reason why some in law enforcement are infrequently charged and rarely convicted of serious crimes. (Photo by Fibonacci Blue, via Wikimedia Commons).
“In 187 of those cases, victims were fatally injured in shootings or from other causes. The officers charged represent a fraction of the hundreds of thousands of police officers working for about 18,000 departments nationwide,” Stinson reported. “Police charged with committing violent crimes while on duty were convicted more than half the time during that period. In the most serious cases — those involving murder or manslaughter — the conviction rate was lower, hovering around 50 percent,” the report continued.
FINANCIAL LIABILITY IMMUNITY
What’s more, although half of the people shot and killed by police are white, African Americans are shot at a disproportionate rate – accounting for less than 13 percent of the population. Police kill black people at more than twice the rate of white Americans. “The public has witnessed case after case where an officer is recorded brazenly shooting and killing an unarmed Black person and is not arrested or charged for these crimes,” Johnathan Spencer Perkins, a public academic, higher education attorney, lecturer, and podcast host, told The Informer. “In most states, police are immune from financial liability. This means they can behave however they’d like, without fear of an outside lawsuit,” Perkins remarked, noting that “study after respected study has found that Black people are 3-to-5 times more
likely to be stopped, arrested, hurt and killed by police.” Chauvin did not shoot Floyd, but his actions are in line with most confrontations between African Americans and law enforcement. Troubling is that police work closely with prosecutors who are reluctant to upset the relationship by prosecuting officers, some experts said. “On a daily basis, police officers are prosecution witnesses in nearly every criminal case. Prosecutors and police rely upon and collaborate,” April Preyar, a criminal defense and civil rights attorney in Chicago, told The Informer. “Prosecutors are reluctant to try to secure a conviction against someone who has essentially been their partner in the criminal courts. Further, prosecutors know that judges and jurors alike favor cops,” Preyar observed. “Potential jurors often admit during voir dire that they will believe an officer who they have never met before over any civilian witness who may hit the stand,” she added. “Further, the Fraternal Order of Police carries a great deal of clout in the political process. “Judges often don’t want to get bad press from the FOP by convicting one of its own. Lastly, prosecutors often have difficulty finding an appropriate statute to charge an officer who committed a crime while on duty. The laws are written with civilians in mind. Often this gives dirty cops a loophole which they can avoid prosecution and subsequent conviction, regardless of how egregious their actions were.”
AN INHERENT CONFLICT OF INTEREST
There is an inherent conflict of interest in a prosecutor working to convict a law enforcement officer because these are the same law enforcement officers whom the prosecutors work with daily, added Kris Parker, a criminal defense attorney and former Tampa Bay, Florida prosecutor. “Law enforcement officers and prosecutors have working and personal relationships that require trust. When a District or State Attorney prosecutes a police officer, one has to wonder if the prosecutor is doing so with the same zeal that they would any other defendant,” Parker weighed. “Are they showing the same passion in making their argument to a grand jury? Are they prosecuting tenaciously or merely going through the motions, granting their co-workers the benefit of the doubt? “In theory, a prosecutor seeks justice on behalf of the people whom they represent, regardless of the identity of the defendant. In reality, prosecutors are humans who possess emotion and possess established loyalties. “And these human characteristics can make a prosecutor feel compassion for someone he or she shares a common bond. This compassion can lead to a weaker level of prosecution that another defendant might experience when facing criminal charges.” WI @StacyBrownMedia
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NATIONAL
CHILDREN from Page 16
America needs to better look after its children. “Our children have lost the (less than 1 percent), and 147,057 were Native Hawaiian/Other Pa- health coverage they need to surcific Islander (less than 1 percent). vive and thrive at an alarming Previous estimates suggest that rate,” he stated. Dr. Wilson noted that the Children’s most U.S. children are children of color as of 2020, and the U.S. Defense Fund’s new report revealed population will continue to be- that an estimated 4.4 million children come more racially and ethnically under age 19 were uninsured—an increase of 320,000 more children withdiverse. “The U.S. – and especially our out health insurance since 2018. “The rates of uninsured children youngest generation – is reaching a critical moment in racial and are especially high among Hispanic ethnic diversity,” Dr. Starsky Wil- children, undocumented children, son, president, and CEO of the children living in the South, and Children’s Defense Fund, told the children in families with lower incomes,” Dr. Wilson added from the Black Press in a live interview. “We need policies and programs report. Medicaid and CHIP are the that recognize and celebrate this foundation of the nation’s health insurance system for children. growing diversity,” Wilson said. In 2019, nearly 36 million The State of America’s Children 2021 summarizes the status children under 19 received comof America’s children in 12 areas prehensive, pediatric-appropriate, – child population, child pover- and affordable health coverage ty, income and wealth inequal- through Medicaid and CHIP. “While more than 3 million ity, housing and homelessness, child hunger and nutrition, child children and youth have contracthealth, early childhood, educa- ed the novel coronavirus in the tion, child welfare, youth justice, United States, all 73 million are impacted by the sense of uncergun violence, and immigration. Dr. Wilson remarked that tainty and disruption of routine it
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5 According to a recent study, as of 2020 most U.S. children are children of color and the U.S. population is becoming more racially and ethnically diverse. (Courtesy photo/Children’s Defense Fund)
has caused,” Dr. Wilson insisted. “Even the improvements in the second school year of online learning have not resolved concerns of social isolation and the loss of important life milestones, like graduation and the high school prom. This loss of certainty, consistent routine, and the connection is
leading to increased levels of depression and despair among our children and youth.” The fight for social justice and criminal justice reform could not be accomplished without considering children, Dr. Wilson insisted. “The protracted struggle for democracy led to a change in partisan
control of the federal government and a first in executive leadership for women, Black, and South Asian Americans,” Dr. Wilson exclaimed. “But, it can’t be that we forget about the future generation, where now children of color make up the majority.” WI @StacyBrownMedia
Legal Counsel for the Elderly (LCE) is operating remotely during the pandemic, and remains committed to the legal needs of DC elders 60 and older. For information about our services visit aarp.org/LCE or call the LCE Legal Hotline at 202-434-2120. LCEinDC
@LCEinDC
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APRIL 15 - 21, 2021 17
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africa now
COMPILED BY OSWALD T. BROWN, WI CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Djibouti President Guelleh Wins Election Fifth Term Djibouti’s President Ismail Omar Guelleh won a fifth five-year term on Saturday after an election boycotted by most of the opposition, securing over 97 percent of the votes cast, official data from the Interior Ministry showed on Saturday, April 10. Friday's vote pitted only one challenger against the incumbent -- relative newcomer Zakaria Ismail Farah. The Interior Ministry data showed that he came second with 2.48 percent of the 177,391 votes cast. Some 5,447 ballots were declared invalid. Farah said the results were "far from reality." "This outcome is undoubtedly the result of ballot-box stuffing, (which) occurred in the absence of my delegates," Farah told Reuters, adding they were barred from accessing polling stations to monitor the process. Alexis Mohamed, the president's chief advisor, denied the allegations of fraud and said Farah had abstained from casting his vote. "Allegations of ballot-box stuffing are absolutely false, the gentleman who raises them didn't even vote and in doing so attacked our democracy," Mohamed told Reuters over the phone. Farah told Reuters in a text message he abstained from voting as he had been victimized from the beginning of his campaign until election day. The Horn of Africa country, with a population of less than one million, is relatively stable, especially compared with its regional neighbors Somalia, Ethiopia and Eritrea. It hosts U.S., Chinese, and French military bases and is located along one of the world’s busiest trade routes, the Gulf of Aden, making it a strategic post. Ethiopia and Somalia's leaders congratulated Guelleh on his victory. One of Africa’s longest-ruling leaders, Guelleh, 73, has been in power since 1999 when he was handpicked by his uncle Hassan Gouled Aptidon, the country’s first president after it gained independence from France in 1977. WI
caribbean now Massive Volcano Erupts on Caribbean Island The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) mobilized to support St. Vincent and the Grenadines, where the La Soufrière volcano on the island’s northern tip erupted at least twice on Friday, April 9, shooting ash 33,000 feet in the air, and again on Sunday. Following an evacuation order of the immediate area around the volcano by Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, CARICOM member states offered support to house evacuees from the affected area. The scientific team from the University of the West Indies (UWI) Seismic Research Centre (SRC) has been in the country constantly monitoring the volcano and rendering scientific advice to the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) has been working alongside the St. Vincent National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO), the SRC and the Regional Security System (RSS). CDEMA has activated its regional support operation including the deployment of a specialist to St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The Agency is providing technical assistance to NEMO with Evacuation and Logistics Planning. In an address broadcast by local radio station, Prime Minister Gonsalves urged people to “save water”, warning that supplies are “limited”. Mr. Gonsalves also encouraged people to wear face masks as it’s “difficult to breathe” because of the amount of ash blanketing the island. WI
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The Bluerock Care Patient Experience • 24/7 Access to our team • More time with your doctor • Same or next-day appointments • Less time waiting during office visits • Coordination with your medical specialists • Free devices to manage chronic conditions • Home Visits when you need them
Walk-ins Welcome until 3 pm
You're Invited Wednesday April 21st 11:00 AM
We are cutting the ribbon for our brand new health center for adults on Medicare.
Office Grand Opening
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Watch on Facebook Live @bluerockcaredc
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APRIL 15 - 21, 2021 19
HEALTH Fewer Johnson & Johnson Vaccines Coming to Maryland William J. Ford WI Staff Writer Marylanders will see a 250,000 decrease in doses of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine that could slow down vaccination efforts over the next two weeks. The decrease includes 78,000 fewer doses from what the state expects to receive this week from the federal government. In total, the state could receive a 33 percent reduction this week not only from Johnson & Johnson, which requires one dose but also from Pfizer and Moderna that requires two doses. “We’ve built this incredible infrastructure that can handle way more vaccines, but the last thing we wanted to hear about was we’re getting less vaccines,” Gov. Larry Hogan said during a news conference Friday, April 9 in Annapolis. “We were hoping they would continue to ramp up as they have been promising. It’s going to be a little slower in April. Hopefully we can catch up in May.” With limited information from federal officials, Hogan said the shortages may be linked to a disaster at Emergency BioSolutions manufacturing plant in Baltimore that produced vaccines for Johnson & Johnson, potentially ruining up to 15 million doses. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration hadn’t approved the plant to produce and distribute vaccines. Still, state officials anticipate possible approval to supply millions of other doses sitting in the plant.
20 APRIL 15 - 21, 2021
Hogan said “whatever the screwup was” appears to not involve those doses. “If the FDA issues an [emergency use authorization] for that facility, then they potentially have millions of doses to ship out immediately,” he said. A possible fourth vaccine could come from Novavax of Gaithersburg in Montgomery County, he said, and “is very close” to undergoing the third phase clinical trial as soon as next month. The limited numbers in vaccines are unfortunately happening with a more contagious variant circulating throughout Maryland and nationwide. According to the Mayo Clinic (www.mayoclinic.org/coronavirus-covid-19/map), the hot spots last week, based on confirmed cases per 100,000 people, are in Baltimore and Harford counties that border Pennsylvania. That state and most of the Northeast part of the country are designated hot spots. After Maryland reached a milestone in administering 82,000 shots Thursday, April 8, the state Health Department reported a new daily record of 94,773 on Friday. The goal for state officials is to deliver 100,000 shots per day. About 3.5 million Marylanders have received the vaccine, which equates to about 21 percent of the population. According to an automated message last week, Prince George’s County Health Officer Ernest Carter said 217,000 residents have been vaccinated.
Prince George’s continues to lead the state’s counties with over 80,000 confirmed coronavirus cases and over 1.400 deaths. “We can’t let our guard down yet,” he said. “COVID-19 is still spreading in Prince George’s County and is making a lot of people sick.” Residents who still haven’t pre-registered can do so at https://covid19vaccination. princegeorgescountymd.gov, or call the county’s 311 hotline. To register at one of the mass vaccination sites that include Six Flags America in Upper Marlboro and Greenbelt Metro station, go to https://coronavirus.maryland. gov/pages/vaccine, or call 1-855634-6892. WI @jabariwill
5 A woman receives a COVID-19 vaccine on April 7 at a vaccination clinic at the Greenbelt Metro station operated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. (Photo courtesy of FEMA)
500,000 Enroll in Health Insurance During Special Period
Gains Registered Among African American, Traditionally Unsigned Groups Sarafina Wright WI Contributing Writer The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says more than 500,000 Americans have enrolled in health insurance through HealthCare.gov as a result of the Biden Administration’s Special Enrollment Period [SEP] for the COVID-19 public health emergency. The department added that this has been the largest increase in enrollment among Black consumers and among Americans near the poverty level in two years. “Access to quality, affordable health care is essential – especially as we tackle the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath,” said
(Photo courtesy of Pexels.)
HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. “Since the beginning of this Special Enrollment Period’s availability on HealthCare.gov, more than 500,000 Americans have already signed up for coverage on HealthCare.gov. Now, thanks to the American Rescue Plan, health care coverage is more affordable and millions of Americans are seeing their premiums reduced.” “At HHS, we are going to build on the Affordable Care Act [ACA] and work tirelessly to ensure Americans have the chance to sign up for quality, affordable health care coverage that meets their needs.” A report issued on Wednesday, April 7 from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services [CMS], which covers plan selections from Feb. 15 to March 31, shows gains in enrollment among historically uninsured communities.
Of applicants who identified a race, 17 percent identified as Black – compared to about 11 percent in both 2020 and 2019 during the same period. Among consumers requesting financial assistance, 41 percent report being at or slightly above the federal poverty level, compared to 38 percent in 2020 and 33 percent in 2019. The HHS says nearly 15 million Americans who currently lack health insurance, and many current enrollees, are eligible to receive additional financial support in obtaining Marketplace coverage as part of the American Rescue Plan [ARP]. As of April, premiums are expected to decrease by an average of $50-per-person, per month – and $85-per-policy, per month due to the financial assistance available under the ARP. An average of four out of five consumers currently enrolled in Marketplace coverage can now find a plan for $10 or less per month after financial assistance says the HHS. The 2021 SEP is available to consumers in the 36 states with Marketplaces that use the HealthCare.gov platform through Aug. 15, 2021. WI
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HEALTH
Bluerock Care Responds to Health Needs in Wards 7, 8 By James Wright WI Staff Writer A new medical firm has opened in the District to meet the medical needs of seniors who primarily reside east of the Anacostia River in the District and in central Prince George’s County. Bluerock Care, starting operations in March, functions as a for profit company located on the second floor of The Shops at Penn Branch off of Pennsylvania Avenue., S.E. Dr. Marc Berg, the CEO and founder of Bluerock, stated why setting up in a neighborhood east of the Anacostia River was intentional. “Seniors who live in this area are a market that is untapped,” Berg said. “We saw an opportunity because no one is rushing to provide medical services over here. But there is a need here. Many times, people who live here have to go to places like the George Washington University for medical services but that is difficult because some seniors have to get on three buses to get there and other hospitals in other parts of town.” Berg said most of his patients are in the Medicare program, the federal comprehensive health care program for people 65 years-old and older. Bluerock has emerged at a time when Wards 7 and 8 have only one full-service hospital, the United Medical Center, a population of about 150,000 people. The Health
Equity Report for the District of Columbia 2018 reported the life expectancy of a Ward 3 resident comes out to 87.6 years in contrasts to a Ward 8 dweller who lives 72.8 years. Berg said setting up east of the river will give his firm the chance to improve the health outcomes of African American seniors who tend to suffer higher rates of diabetes and hypertension than whites and often have to travel farther to go visit a physician due to the lack of a strong transportation network compared to the city’s neighborhoods west of the river. Berg said Bluerock patients won’t have to come to their offices to be served. “We will come to you,” he said. “We offer telehealth which is talking with our patients by teleconference while they are at home. Also, we offer home visits to patients so they can be served and not have to come to our waiting room. When you make an appointment to come to our office, we will honor it.” Dr. Alka Gupta, co-founder and chief medical officer of Bluerock, said her firm uses technology to treat patients so they won’t have to leave their homes. “Working with a patient, we can get their blood pressure, glucose and sugar readings through the technology we give them,” she said. “When the patients perform the tests, the information comes to our system and we can analyze it and advise them on what’s next.” Lamont Mitchell, chairman of the
Lung Association Tackles Asthma in Communities of Color
ALA Wants to Reduce Asthma-related Hospital Visits
Sarafina Wright WI Contributing Writer In the U.S., 24.8 million people are living with asthma, including 5.5 million children. While asthma affects all people, groups like children and low-income individuals are most likely to have asthma and suffer from severe asthma attacks, hospitalization and even death says the American Lung Association. Asthma morbidity and mortality also disproportionately impacts Black and Hispanic individuals.
To improve health and prevent asthma-related emergency hospital visits, the ALA is expanding its asthma intervention work with support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC]. The lung association received a five-year, $1 million cooperative agreement from the CDC last week where they will support the health agency’s objective of preventing 500,000 emergency department and hospital visits by Aug. 31, 2024.
HEALTH Page 45
Anacostia Coordinating Council, said his organization has been working with Bluerock since the fall of 2020. He said Bluerock has worked with ACC on coronavirus testing, administering flu shots and supplying PPEs. Mitchell, a patient of Bluerock, said the firm has the chance to make a difference where it is needed. “They have a proactive approach to medicine,” Mitchell said. “This is a good thing for many people in this area where often the emergency room becomes the first appointment they have had.” WI @JamesDCWrighter
5 Ward 7 resident Lamont Mitchell is the first patient to receive care at the newlyopened Bluerock Care facility in Southeast. (Ja’Mon Jackson/The Washington Informer)
EDUCARE OF WASHINGTON DC REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS School Food Service Educare of Washington DC (Educare DC) is seeking a food service management company to furnish and deliver 728 meals/day (in bulk – unless otherwise requested) to Two (2) location participating in the Child Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), established by the United States Department of Agriculture Code of Federal Regulations (7 CFR 226), which set forth the terms and conditions applicable to the proposed procurement. The complete RFP packet can be obtained by visiting our school website – www.educaredc.org. Proposals are due no later than 5:00PM, Thursday April 15, 2021. Questions and proposals may be emailed to: Barbara Ledyard Vice President-Finance and Administration bledyard@educaredc.org Requested Services Educare DC is seeking competitive proposals to provide meals (breakfast, lunch, PM snack and dinner) in support of our school food service program. The successful proposing company shall deliver in accordance with the menu requirements for the Child Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). Educare DC is based in a state-of-the-art facility in the Parkside-Kenilworth neighborhood of Ward 7. The school serves 160 low-income children (ages 6 weeks to 5 years) and their families with a high quality, research-based early childhood program. Educare Idea is based in a state-of-the-art facility in the Deanwood area of Ward 7. The school serves 80 low-income children (ages 6 weeks to 3 years) and their families with a high quality, research-based early childhood program. Assumptions and Agreements Proposals will not be returned. Educare DC reserves the right to dismiss a proposal without providing a reason. Educare DC reserves the right to terminate a contract with written notice. Submission Information Proposals must include all requested information indicated in the official RFP. Please send final proposals to bledyard@ educaredc.org. Basis for Award of Contract Educare DC reserves the right to award a contract as it determines to be in the best interest of the school. Locally Owned, Minority-Owned, Female-Owned and Small Businesses are encouraged to apply. PROPOSALS MUST BE RECEIVED BY 5:00pm Thursday April 15, 2021 EST. Late proposals will not be accepted.
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APRIL 15 - 21, 2021 21
EDUCATION DCPS
BRIEFS Compiled by Dorothy Rowley WI Staff Writer
APRIL 19 - BOARD MEETING
The Public Charter School Board will hold its virtual monthly meeting at 6:30 p.m., April 19. At this meeting, the board will hold a public hearing with the five groups seeking to open a public charter school. More information will be avail-
PGCPS BRIEFS
Compiled by Dorothy Rowley WI Staff Writer
FAMILY SURVEY
After more than a year of virtual learning, students who opted-in to hybrid learning transitioned to classrooms with a schedule that splits learning between school and home. Meanwhile, PGCPS surveyed families during the summer to determine their plans this month to either continue virtual learning or
22 APRIL 15 - 21, 2021
able on our website. To receive an update in your inbox, contact Aliya Drake at adrake@dcpcsb.org.
APRIL 21 - 22: ‘TEACHER RECRUITMENT FAIR’
The DC Public Charter School Board, along with other education partners, will be hosting a free two-day, citywide “D.C. Virtual Teacher Recruitment Fair” from 3 p.m., to 6 p.m., Wednesday, April 21 and from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday, April 22. Your organization is invited to participate in the second fair to support their 2021-22 recruitment and hiring needs. The fair is geared toward both current and prospective teachers.
REMEMBERING WTU PRESIDENT ELIZABETH DAVIS
District public school teach-
ers and local education advocates continue to mourn the loss of Washington Teachers’ Union President Elizabeth Davis – one of two victims in a fatal car crash on Easter Sunday. Reports from the Maryland State Police said Davis, who was driving along Route 301 in Bowie, Md., and another driver collided. The other driver, a man in his late 60s, died on the scene while Davis, 70, succumbed to her injuries at Prince George’s County Hospital. The WTU released a statement on Monday morning confirming the news. “President Davis has been at the forefront of public education advocacy and reform, leading the WTU’s transformation into a social justice, solution-driven organization dedicated to advancing and promoting quality education for all children, irrespective of their zip codes or results of the school lottery, improving teaching and learning conditions and aggressively amplifying the voice of teachers in the dialogue around issues of teaching and learning,” the statement read. “We are confident that her legacy will continue to shape the WTU as well as education across the District. (from The Washington Informer) Upon learning of Davis’ demise,
5 District public school teachers and local education advocates continue to mourn the loss of Washington Teachers’ Union President Elizabeth Davis – one of two victims in a fatal car crash on Easter Sunday. (Photo by Shevry Lassiter)
DCPS Chancellor Lewis Ferebee tweeted that he was devastated to hear the news. “As president of the @WTU, Teacher, and an esteemed educator whose career spanned four decades, she was a dedicated leader and fierce advocate for DCPS.”
real-world experience in the engineering and computer science fields. The program also features an aviation and aeronautics lab. Learn about @CardozoEC's feeder pattern, enroll, or re-enroll at http://enrolldcps.dc.gov .
TRANSSTEM ACADEMY
DCPS ENROLLMENT
Through @CardozoEC's TransSTEM Academy, students gain
begin hybrid instruction two days a week until the end of the school year.
ACADEMIC SKILL BUILDING
STUDENT MEALS
Student meal services have resumed and during hybrid learning, meals will be served at schools Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Students who are continuing with distance learning may pick up meal packages on Monday and Wednesday between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. at any school.
EFFECTS OF DISTANCE LEARNING
The PG13 film crew showcases the grit and determination of students, teachers and administrators during distance learning for a revealing look at just how difficult distance learning can be, and how the school community perseveres together.
Do you have a plan to enroll your student next year at DCPS? Visit http://enrolldcps.dc.gov for more information and enrollment support, including how to electronically submit forms for the next school year.
5 As students gradually returned to in-classs learning, in many cases so did their recollections of knowledge as PGCPS prodigies. (Photo courtewsy PGCPS)
VIRTUAL FESTIVAL AWARDS SHOW WEDNESDAY, MAY 12
The “PGCPS Film Festival Awards” show will be streamed live and on-demand on May 12. To see all of the “People's Choice Award” winners and the Academy and Emmy Award winners, please
tune in to this exciting event. Most importantly, hear acceptance speeches from students as they receive their awards, as you wouldn’t want to miss this awesome showcase and celebration of student contributions.
PG BRIEFS Page 23
Build the skills to excel in algebra in middle school. Develop a love of reading together as a family or participate in hands-on learning projects that combine math, science, and the arts. As DCPS works to recover from the COVID-19 learning slide, the school system is focused on enhancing the student experience and accelerating student learning. While most programs are designed to help eligible students have a strong start for the next year, we will also offer virtual enrichment courses that any student in grades K-8 can register online to attend. Program offerings by grade are listed below and see more about district-wide summer programs at https://dcps.dc.gov/summer. WI
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TECHNOLOGY from Page 1 didn’t find out until she knocked on each door and seniors told her they wouldn’t be able to sign up,” Ambrose Lane, Jr., founder and chair of the Health Alliance Network, told The Informer.”
THE D.C. COUNCIL ATTEMPTS TO RESPOND
In response to what’s been described as the technological divide, D.C. Councilmember Charles Allen (D-Ward 6) recently introduced legislation to expand access to highspeed, reliable and affordable internet service to District residents, regardless of where they live. Nine council members have signed on as co-introducers, including Gray, and Councilmembers Robert White (D- At large), Janeese Lewis George (D-Ward 4) and Brianne Nadeau (D-Ward 1). If passed, the bill, touted as “The Internet Equity Amendment Act,”
PG BRIEFS from Page 22
LANGUAGE COMMUNICATION SEMINAR
Language communication experts Dr. Paula Schauer and Pauline Dunn are preparing to offer a general “Language and Communication” seminar. The live and recorded session, which will focus on the education setting, will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., April19 as a Zoom presentation for families of
would create a Digital Equity Division within the Office of the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO). Within the first year of the division’s existence, OCTO would have to set and identify the minimum internet speed that would allow D.C. residents to work and take classes from home. OCTO would also be obligated to identify households lacking internet access and devise a plan to upgrade the current infrastructure so that all residents receive a high-quality connection, whether it be through partnerships with private internet service providers or the creation of a municipal provider. As outlined in the bill, OCTO would host engagement sessions, at least one of which takes place east of the Anacostia River, throughout the course of this project. Ward 7 State Board of Education (SBOE) Representative Eboni-Rose Thompson lauded the effort, telling The Informer that inequitable internet access has plagued her neighborhood and other parts of Wards 7 and students who are deaf and hard of hearing. To register, please visit https:// pgcps-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEr
PGCPS CALENDAR
Two calendar options are being planned for Board of Education presentations later this year: While one option entails an Aug. 30 start date for students, another offers a Sept. 7 back-toschool start-up date for students.
8 for several years, well beyond the realm of education. “If we want to best position people coming out of this pandemic, our city needs to invest in a citywide Wi-Fi infrastructure. It would absolutely serve communities like mine,” Thompson said. “Literally everything you need is online. It shouldn’t be on the shoulders of the school district. We need high-quality internet for all.”
STUDENTS AND TEACHERS STRUGGLE
EDUCATION
5 Some households in the District of Columbia lack devices to access the internet which was brought to light when students had to turn to virtual learning and seniors needed to sign up for vaccinations. (Courtesy photo)
In February, the D.C. Policy Center found that 9,000 young people obtained internet access through the Internet-for-All initiative, a $3.3 million investment made by the Office of the State Superintendent for Education for up to 25,000 for SNAP and TANF-eligible families in the public and public charter school systems. A month later, an SBOE all-teachers survey found that three out of
four teachers designated their students’ slow internet connectivity as an impediment to virtual learning. Those conditions, in part, contributed to difficulties that one-third of the teachers experienced in attempting to navigate the curriculum. As Andrew Green, a music teacher at Phelps ACE High School recounted, jumping over the hurdle of poor internet connectivity often drained the spirit of learning out of
students eager to succeed under unprecedented circumstances. “Most of the time [when the connection was spotty], they would just ask me to say [something] again,” said Green. “Those were the ones who said something. I don’t know how many more might have been turned off from the experience and frustrated.” WI @SamPKCollins
IMPORTANT CHECK MARKS FOR 2012-22 ACADEMIC TERM
• No Shots, No School means students returning to school are required to be up-to-date on all vaccinations; • Check SchoolMax: Make sure students’ contact information — address, phone and email — are current in the SchoolMax portal to avoid missing critical back-to-school
information; • No Dress Stress: Uniforms are not required this school year; however, be sure to • Sign-up for warnings that will include important news and updates by subscribing to school system email and text alerts. WI
• Mandatory Masks: Encourage your child to practice properly wearing a mask at home, as they are mandatory on school buses and at school;
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA HOUSING AUTHORITY INVITATION FOR BID (IFB) SOLICITATION NO.: 0007-2021 LANDSCAPING AND GARDENING SUPPLIES DISTRICT of Columbia Housing Authority (DCHA) requires Landscaping and Gardening Supplies. SOLICITATION DOCUMENTS will be available beginning April 12, 2021 on DCHA’s website at www.dchousing.org under “Business” and “Solicitations”. SEALED PROPOSAL RESPONSES ARE DUE ON OR BEFORE Wednesday, May 12, 2021 at 11:00 AM.
5 The PG13 film crew showcases the grit and determination of students, teachers and administrators during distance learning. (Photo courtewsy PGCPS)
Email Lolita Washington, Contract Specialist at lwashing@dchousing.org with copy to business@dchousing.org for additional information.
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APRIL 15 - 21, 2021 23
Lakeview Terrace
Jumping the Broom
Death at a Funeral
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3/31/21 12:26 AM
OPINIONS/EDITORIALS
EDITORIAL
Remembering Liz Davis, Honoring Bill Simons
Condolences continue to pour in over the passing of Washington Teacher’s Union President Elizabeth Davis, who died April 6 – Easter Sunday – in a car crash on Route 301 in Bowie, Maryland. Davis, 70, was a firebrand, and a no-nonsense advocate for D.C. public school children, their teachers, and their parents. The union she was first elected to serve in 2013, and reelected in 2019, credited Davis for the WTU’s “transformation into a social justice, solution-driven organization.” Her passion for “advancing and promoting quality education for all children,” irrespective of their zip codes or test scores, drew admiration from a broad range of individuals across all sectors. Before Davis, the WTU experienced ongoing turmoil within its leadership, repeatedly challenged for not providing educational opportunities and access for all students. A former classroom teacher for more than four decades and as a member of the WTU before becoming president, she proved her mettle by challenging the school system’s chancellors for actions she believed would result in inequitable treatment of Black teachers and students. Originally from North Carolina, Davis moved with her family to D.C. when she was in the third grade. In high school, she was an activist. She organized a school walkout at Eastern High School, where she attended, over the curriculum’s lack of African American History and culture. But it is no wonder she took the path of resistance as a school leader following in the footsteps of another WTU firebrand, William Simons, WTU’s first president, who served for more than 25 years. Simons was known for his “militant” stand on issues, and he would threaten and carry through on plans to organize teachers’ strikes and marches to demand better pay for D.C. teachers. He fought policies that set teachers up for failure and initiatives that had a deleterious effect on students. Simons died December 7, 2016, in Atlanta. He was 92. Born in an era and growing up in another that leaves one no choice but to fight for educational equity are the choices both Simons and Davis made. And, for those who call themselves proud DCPS graduates, much is owed to these two who were dedicated firebrands on their behalf. WI
No Justice, No Peace
Reverend Al Sharpton and Attorney Ben Crump held a press conference in New York, this week to address the separate cases of the George Floyd and Duante Wright’s police-involved killings in Minneapolis. Floyd’s killer, former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin is currently on trial for first, second, and third-degree murder. The blue shield that too often protects cops from punishment for their wanton acts is no longer there as numerous of his former colleagues lined up over the past two weeks to testify against him. As for Wright, not only has the veteran female police officer resigned after shooting the 20-year-old by “accident,” as she called it but her boss, the chief of the Brooklyn Center Police Department, resigned, too. The investigations that will follow will more than likely result in a trial with another cop attempting to defend her acts, including multiple failures to follow police procedures as pointed out by former D.C. Police Chief Charles Ramsey, who reports regularly on the police shooting incidents on CNN. What Sharpton and Crump addressed does not heal the pain of the mothers and fathers, siblings, and friends who’ve lost a loved one by a policeman’s bullet. As Wright’s and Floyd’s family convey, they want justice, but they would rather have their loved ones alive instead. Not only are Black American’s debating the issue of justice, but others’ eyes are opening, and now they, too, are questioning if there is justice for the Black man or woman in America. Black Americans are on edge, and once again, just like in Minneapolis, cities across the country are powder kegs for protests and violence in reaction to these repeated injustices. The skills needed to manage a police-involved situation don’t exist for those who all too often end up with a gun in their face for minor infractions that they are not allowed to explain. Even a military uniform is no defense against a cop with a gun and a badge. President Biden called the killing of Duante Wright “tragic” but said, “I think we’ve got to wait and see what the investigation shows — the entire investigation.” It’s taken decades to get an investigation for the murder of Black people, and their patience is too thin to wait and see. A change has got to come now. WI
TO THE EDITOR Rest in Paradise
Soldier for Justice
I was heartbroken to read about the death of Washington Teachers' Union President Elizabeth Davis. What a force she was. Every time she spoke, she always had something poignant and touching to say. She was a fighter, warrior and a powerful voice for education that will be cherished and missed.
I'm proud of the work Tony Lewis Jr. is doing to bring attention to his father's clemency plight. I pray that the work pays off. It's truly an injustice to sit behind bars for life for a nonviolent crime. He has paid his debt to society! Free Tony Lewis.
Debra Cunningham Bowie, Md.
Readers' Mailbox
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Hadiya Jackson Washington, D.C.
The Washington Informer welcomes letters to the editor about articles we publish or issues affecting the community. Write to: lsaxton@washingtoninformer. com or send to: 3117 Martin Luther King Jr Ave., SE, Washington, D.C. 20032. Please note that we are unable to publish letters that do not include a full name, address and phone number. We look forward to hearing from you. APRIL 15 - 21, 2021 25
OPINIONS/EDITORIALS Guest Columnist
E. Faye Williams
Knock at the Door
There's no doubt that there are faults and flaws in the American system of democracy. When I taught, my students learned that American democracy was established under the principle of one-man-one-vote/majority rules. Indigenous people, Black people, women and other groups weren't allowed to vote. Whichever white man got the most votes "ran the show." There were, and always have been, schemes to unfairly
shift the balance of political power. My students also learned that our political model was established under a two-party system where compromise was ostensibly sought to achieve consensus. Today, rather than seeking compromise, legislating is tantamount to combat. Data tells us that nationally the Republican Party stands in the minority, yet rather than adhering to founding principles, they use every available tactic to ensure the "rule of the minority." Recently, the Republican legislature sent a bill to Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp which he signed en-
Guest Columnist
acting voting restrictions aimed at communities of color. Objective observers view this new law as a "revenge law" for Democratic success in the 2020 general elections designed to prevent future election successes of non-Republican candidates. Analysts attempt to justify the Georgia law by comparing it to laws of more progressive states. This is a false narrative. The history of discriminatory voting practices in southern states in general, and Georgia specifically, is proof. My friend Dick Gregory often said, "Just
because it's legal doesn't make it right." Commonly, objection to the new law is that it was enacted in response to "Trump's Big Lie" of a stolen election. The length of the 98-page law prevents a complete review, but research by Georgia Public Broadcasting reporter Stephen Fowler condensed the law and I will attempt to condense it further. The new law provides for:
A FOOD-AND-DRINK RESTRICTION
The Atlanta Journal-Constitu-
tion reported an average wait time for an African American voter in Georgia was 51 minutes, in contrast to the average wait time of seven minutes for a white voter. Criminalizing the distribution of food and beverages to waiting voters has an obvious and irrefutable disparate impact upon African American voters.
INCREASED STATE POWER OVER COUNTIES WILLIAMS Page 45
Marc H. Morial
HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge Will Put Racial Equity at the Forefront
"We need to make the dream of homeownership — and the security and wealth creation that comes with it — a reality for more Americans. That will require us to end discriminatory practices in the housing market, and ensure that our fair housing rules are doing what they are supposed to do: opening the door for families, especially families of color
who have been systematically kept out in the cold across generations, to buy homes and punch their ticket to the middle class. There are so many issues we need to come together to address — everything from bringing capital back to disinvested communities, to increasing energy efficiency in housing, to dealing with the dangers of lead-based paint, to taking on our crisis of homelessness with compassion and resolve. These are only some of the challenges — and I know that many of you have addi-
Guest Columnist
tional priorities as well. These problems are urgent, but they are not beyond our capacity to solve." — U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Marcia Fudge Video of the exchange went viral on social media. Veteran correspondent April Ryan of The Grio, a fellow Delta Sigma Theta sister, wrote on social media, "Soror Madam Secretary @repmarciafudge had me feeling like I was back in church during announcements." Aaron Thomas of Raleigh's
WRAL-TV News wrote, "If speak when you're spoken to were a person…" It was an apt introduction to the nation for Secretary Fudge, described by those who know her best as "down-to-earth" and "a straight shooter." Immediately following her lighthearted moment in White House Briefing Room, she called on Congress to add up to $100 billion to her agency's budget, saying it does not have the resources to serve the more
than a half-million homeless people in the country, repair crumbling public housing buildings and eliminate lead in subsidized homes. Most of the housing measures that lawmakers have passed to address the pandemic crisis should be made permanent, she said. "This past year has reminded us just how important it is to have access to safe and stable housing," she said. "But too many Americans are
tracking data compiled by some cities, Blacks in the U.S. are dying from COVID-19 at dis-proportionately higher rates than other populations. People who contracted COVID-19 and live in areas with high levels of air pollution before the pandemic are more likely to die from the virus than those living in less polluted areas. A study points out that this could be connected to longterm exposure to air pollution based on living near polluting coal plants, refineries, and other places emitting
fine particulate matter – the tiny pollution particles linked to lung disease, heart disease, and premature death. Blacks are ex-posed to 1.54 times more of this form of pollution than the population at large. There is little to celebrate. In fact, one rural town in the center of “Cancer Alley” has the highest per capita COVID-19 death rate in the country. Residents of St. John the Baptist, a majority Black parish
MORIAL Page 45
Michelle Mabson
Eric Garner, Earth Day and the EPA at 50
Eric Garner, Earth Day, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) share common bonds. Each was born in 1970. Each are examples of how the power of pollution can destroy our environment, endanger public health, dirty our air, or kill African Americans. Each will mark 50 years this year, except Eric Garner.
26 APRIL 15 - 21, 2021
When Eric Garner, face down in a chokehold, pleaded, “I can’t breathe,” eleven times to the po-lice, they ignored him. But Black communities heard him. Almost five years after his death, the doctor who performed Garner’s autopsy testified that the police choked him with a force that triggered a “lethal cascade” of events resulting in a fatal asthma attack. Eric Garner suffered from chronic asthma, a disease which African-Americans are nearly three times as likely to die of than whites.
Earth Day now 50 necessitates a closer look at the air we breathe. The air may be cleaner than it was fifty years ago, but it’s still not clean enough in all communities. In too many African Amer-ican communities, the air breathed is polluted. With COVID-19, the world is finally seeing what our communities have been saying forever: the combination of deep-rooted environmental injus-tices, bad public health policies, and pollution are deadly to Black lives. According to prelimi-nary
MABSON Page 45
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OPINIONS/EDITORIALS Guest Columnist
Kristine A. Kippins
Recent Attacks on Voting Rights Underscore the Need for a Black Woman Supreme Court Justice
With voting rights under attack, we need Supreme Court justices who will follow the clear commands of our Constitution’s voting rights amendments now more than ever. Across the country, Black women are leading the charge to protect our democracy — in our communities, in Congress, and in our courtrooms. It is time for America to have its first Black woman justice of
the U.S. Supreme Court. Attacks on voting rights in the wake of the 2020 election are so numerous that it’s easy to lose track. Right now, the Supreme Court is considering a case that the conservative justices are likely to use either to strike down a key provision of the Voting Rights Act or to narrow its enforcement so much that states will be able to get away with even more voter suppression than they already do. There is a long history of voter suppression coming from the conservative majority on the Su-
Guest Columnist
preme Court. Many of the worst abuses that target Black Americans’ ability to vote today follow from a 2013 Supreme Court decision that ignored the plain text of the Fifteenth Amendment and gutted the Voting Rights Act, opening the floodgates for politicians to employ tactics that would have previously been blocked. Racist voter roll purges, voter ID laws, and poll closures are just some examples of the kinds of abuses that have been sanctioned or enabled by the conservative justices on the Supreme Court.
Attacks on protections for voting rights are not the only anti-democracy rulings from the conservative justices that disproportionately hurt communities of color. In decision after decision, they swept aside the Constitution’s text and history, and Supreme Court precedent, to lift limits on spending in elections, giving an outsized voice to the overwhelmingly white and male group of ultra-wealthy Americans with the means to spend big influencing elections. We need a plan to fight back, and that plan needs to include
Black women in decision making positions throughout our constitutional democracy, both federal and state, in legislative, executive, and judicial branches. Black women have been at the forefront of the fight to outsmart and out organize the Republican voter suppression machine. That’s not surprising; Black women have led the fight for a real democracy for centuries, and we have a unique position from which to understand the intersecting forms of oppres-
her the first Black judge ever to serve on the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals. These brilliant women will also bring other perspectives that are sorely lacking on the courts. Judge Jackson was vice chair and commissioner on the U.S. Sentencing Commission, where she advocated for ending the brutally unjust and anti-Black discrepancy between sentences for crack cocaine and powder cocaine. As a public defender, Candace Jackson-Akiwumi represented
more than 400 people who could not afford a lawyer. Tiffany Cunningham has been nominated to the specialized federal circuit, which needs judges familiar with science and technology issues. Cunningham not only has a law degree from Harvard, but a degree in chemical engineering from MIT. She has been repeatedly named to legal publications' lists of the country's best lawyers. She is impressive.
illegally vote against racist tyrants masquerading as patriots. Yes. Black folks were packed into boats and transported to this country, but not so they could illegally vote in some jive elections where wicked White folks are being removed from governing positions. Naw. Naw. Naw. Voter fraud is a myth. The conservative Heritage Foundation has unearthed a total of 1,285 voter fraud cases, dating back to the 1980s, a timespan
when hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of millions of ballots were cast. On the other hand, there were 20,000 gun deaths in this country in 2020 alone, and not a single measure to tighten ID requirements for gun ownership has even a snowball's chance in hell of making it into law. But the Big White Lie persists. In Texas, a leaked video reveals a Harris County Republican offi-
KIPPINS Page 46
Ben Jealous
Biden's Promise to Diversify the Courts
People who care about equal justice under the law should be very happy about President Joe Biden's first set of judicial nominees. I am especially excited about the three outstanding Black women that President Biden nominated to the circuit courts—the appeals court level just below the U.S. Supreme Court.
You will soon be hearing more about all these highly credentialed and accomplished women: Ketanji Brown Jackson, Candace Jackson-Akiwumi and Tiffany Cunningham. Biden is fulfilling his promise to bring professional diversity to courts that are dominated by former prosecutors and corporate lawyers. Ketanji Brown Jackson and Candace Jackson-Akiwumi both have experience as public defenders. Jackson is now a federal district judge who was unani-
Askia-At-Large
mously confirmed by the Senate in 2013. Biden has pledged to nominate the first Black woman to the U.S. Supreme Court. These nominees are a good sign that he intends to keep that promise, too. It is shameful that the Seventh Circuit, which has jurisdiction over diverse cities like Chicago, Milwaukee and Indianapolis, currently has only white judges. The confirmation of Jackson-Akiwumi will change that. The confirmation of Tiffany Cunningham will make
JEALOUS Page 46
Askia Muhammad
Voter 'Integrity' Another Word for Race Hate
Let me be perfectly clear. The recent national wave of state laws to ensure "accountability" in the voting process has absolutely nothing to do with the integrity of the electoral process and everything to do with maintaining white supremacy in the country's governance. Period. Never mind the 300 or so laws
proposed in statehouses around the country, just remember this incident from a couple of elections ago, even before Donald J. Trump and the Republikkkans in Georgia were decisively routed from power. An elderly Black woman, in Alabama I think it was, had worked as a maid in the state capitol building, literally for decades, but was not permitted to vote because she didn't have a driver's license. That's unbelievable. She had ID sufficient to permit her to clean
the filthy chambers of the legislature, but was not permitted to vote?! Election officials wanted to defend against "voter fraud?" She's like the millions of Black people in particular who are in danger of being challenged and prevented from voting by the new wave of voter ID requirements. These Black souls didn't pack themselves into boats to cross the Atlantic so they could sneak into practically every state in the union, learn English, get jobs and residences just so they could
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ASKIA Page 46 APRIL 15 - 21, 2021 27
LIFESTYLE Campaign Organizers Engage African Leaders in Support of Cuban Medical Brigade
Throughout the pandemic, a global coalition of organizers, musicians, medical professionals, and academics have coalesced around encouraging the U.S. government’s collaboration with a Cuban medical brigade that has helped other countries around the world combat the coronavirus. This endeavor, touted as the “Get Out of Cuba’s Way” campaign, recently entered a new stage centered on strengthening the Henry Reeve International Medical Brigade’s presence on the African continent, some parts of which have been ravaged by
COVID-19 and the ebola virus. As lead organizer Obi Egbuna, Jr. explained to The Informer, the campaign strategy involves engaging African leaders and reminding them of the diplomatic relationships forged between Cuba and African countries during the 20th century. “We will engage the Southern African Development Community (SADC) because it’s become the driving force of Cuban solidarity on the African continent,” Egbuna said. “We’re anticipating an eager response in the east and west, and
For New Carrollton Mayor, COVID-19 Food Assistance is Par for the Course Hamil R. Harris WI Contributing Writer It was fierce storm, but New Carrollton Mayor Phelicia Nembhard was unconcerned as she stood in the middle of Lamont drive and directed an endless line of cars into the parking lot of Charles Carroll Middle School. The line of people picking up boxes that contained gallons of milk, juice, corn dogs, and cans of vegetables stretched four blocks as city workers, from trash collectors to office clerks, put boxes of food into cars in this Prince George’s County City of nearly 13,000 residents. “We feed 1,200 people on
28 APRIL 15 - 21, 2021
Wednesdays and another 600 on Fridays. It is just the pandemic,” said Nembhard, who was feeding and finding clothing for families in New Carrolton long before COVID-19 came to America, killing hundreds of thousands and gutting the assets of people from all walks of life. From Charles Carroll Middle to Lamont Elementary to Parkdale High School, Nembhard was known as “the PTA lady” from the Moravia church who trolled around with a van filled with food and essential items. On one occasion, this writer was standing at a bus stop, and she
MAYOR Page 44
“We will engage the Southern African Development Community (SADC) because it’s become the driving force of Cuban solidarity on the African continent.”
5 Obi Egbuna (Courtesy photo/Facebook grab)
we will include the north. We will also engage the Cuba Friendship Associations on the African continent,” Egbuna added. “We need them to provide for us a compositional breakdown on the African continent. After that we’ll engage different organizations who frequent these places.”
Cuba’s Way” campaign hosted its second artistic tribute that featured performances from artists from across the African diaspora and recorded grassroots organizations’ endorsements. That event, themed “Assisting and Elevating Cuba’s Medical Efforts on African Soil,” signified the start of conversations about establishing memorandums of understanding with the African Union, SADC, Economic Community of West African States, Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, and New Partnership for Africa’s Development. Supporters said these documents would espouse support for the Henry Reeve International Medical Brigade and align with ongoing efforts to pressure the U.S. to allow Cuban doctors within its borders. Weeks before the campaign’s February 27th event, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that he would nominate the Henry Reeve International Medical Brigade for its assistance at the height of the pandemic. Last year, the brigade dispatched more than 200 Cuban doctors to South Africa who helped quell the spread of coronavirus. In total, the brigade reportedly treated more than 38,000 people living in Cape Verde, Angola, Kenya, and several other African countries.
Out of Cuba’s Way” campaign last spring, more than 100 individuals and organizations have elicited support, including the Sankofa Homeschool Collective, Marc Lamont Hill of Temple University in Philadelphia, Samia Nkumah of the Kwame Nkrumah Pan African Center in Accra, Ghana, and veteran activist Dorie Ladner, formerly of the Student NonvioSUPPORTING THE lent Coordinating Committee. CUBAN MEDICAL However, the U.S. government BRIGADE hasn't shown any signs of embracIn February, the “Get Out of ing the Henry Reeve International Medical Brigade or lifting a trade embargo against Cuba. Even so, the ‘Get Out of Cuba’s Way” campaign has also found a supporter in Dr. Lucy Perez, a pediatrician who has traveled to the island nation on numerous occasions and developed an affinity for the medical brigade’s work. “Cuba has offered their doctors during Hurricane Katrina [and] in some of the other hurricanes or natural disasters we’ve had in this country,” said Perez, a specialist in adolescent medicine, and HIV and substance abuse. “They’ve offered their support in the arena of primary care for communities that have been underserved and unserved,” Perez continued. “Cuba feels a global oneness to make sure that humanitarian services get to everyone. This has been very refreshing and it speaks to the Hippocratic Oath that all 5 New Carrollton Mayor Phelecia A YEAR IN physicians take.” Nembhard has been feeding and cloth WI ing those in need. (Courtesy photo/ THE MAKING @SamPKCollins Facebook grab) Since the launch of the “Get THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM
LIFESTYLE
Cherry Blossom Festival Concludes with Stars on Made-for-TV Event
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Hamil R. Harris WI Contributing Writer
Even though COVID-19 stood in the way of a parade down Constitution Avenue, the National Cherry Blossom Festival captured a national television audience in a big way on ABC with plenty of stars and local events brought into living rooms all over. Co-hosted by Drew Barrymore and ABC’s Alison Starling, there were appearances from Amy Grant, CeCe Winans, LeAnn Rimes, Norm Lewis, Lindsey Stirling, Samantha Diaz, and Olympian Kristi Yamaguchi. Diana Mayhew, executive director of the National Cherry Blossom Festival, made sure that the 2021 Cherry Blossom Festival took place with events beginning on March 20 and ending Sunday, April 11. “In keeping with the festival tradition, we will unite the city and the region, engaging local businesses and restaurants,” Mayhew said at the start of the virtual festival this year. “And, we will be in bloom with pink lighting and blossom decor, including neighborhood portraits this year.” Japanese Ambassador Tomita Koji characterized the Cherry blossoms as “the symbol of the unshakeable friendship between Japan and the United States,” and he hailed District officials for “keeping the spirit (of the festival) alive despite the pandemic.” But there might not be a Cherry Blossom festival without Eliza Ruhamah Scidmore’s tenacity, a world class photographer and travel writer who called the trees, "the most beautiful thing in the world." At a time when the grounds around the Tidal Basin were a muddy swamp, Scidmore, the first female writer and photographer for National Geographic, developed a vision while visiting Japan to use that country’s Cherry Blossom trees beautify land in Washington D.C. In 1890, she joined the National Geographic Society for even a higher platform. She developed a relationship with First Lady Helen Taft, wife of President William Howard Taft. In
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5 CeCe Winans was one of the featured performers during the virtual Cherry Blossom celebration show presented by EventsDC on April 9. (Courtesy photo/ Screen grab)
1912 she attended the small private ceremony at which Mrs. Taft planted the first Japanese cherry tree in Potomac Park. "It was only after my return from a first visit to Japan after seeing the old cherry trees, in their glory, that any idea moved me," Scidmore wrote, and in another story she said, "Except Fujiyama and the moon, no other object has been the theme and inspiration of so many millions of Japanese poems as the cherry blossoms.” Jokichi Takamine, a chemist and a friend of Tokyo Mayor Yukio Ozaki, came to Washington to tell Mrs. Taft formally that a gift of 1,000 trees from the city of Tokyo were on their way. The first 2,000 trees, shipped in 1910, were infested with scale, insects, larvae "and what not," according to Scidmore, who added that the trees were burned. On March 27, 1912, Helen Taft and the Japanese ambassador's wife, Viscountess Chinda, planted the first trees between the drive and the Tidal Basin. Fairchild and Scidmore attended the ceremony. Scidmore said she "got a word in for having a row of Yoshino, the earliest blooming variety, planted along the Tidal Basin where they might be reflected in the water, as becomes certain Sakuras. A whole 1,200 of the 1,800 Yoshino were put there. A few cherry trees were planted on the White House grounds, one in Lafayette Square, and some giv-
en to Rock Creek Park. Some 1,500 trees were crowded in rows in sort of a nursery reserve at the corner of 17th and B Streets. Two hundred Legacy Cherry Blossom trees were planted in Oxon Run Park in Southeast in the early 2000s. And around the Tidal Basin the trees flourished, both in the ground and in the hearts of Washingtonians. They were so cherished that when, in 1938, Congress voted to remove some of the trees to build the Jefferson Memorial, men and women representing D.C. clubs marched on the White House in protest. "Clubwomen who molest workmen transplanting Japanese cherry trees to make way for the Jefferson Memorial may be transplanted themselves," wrote the New York Times, reporting the demonstration with a touch of levity. According to the article, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt said in response to the protest, "the cherry trees, the women and their chains would be gently but firmly transplanted in some other part of Potomac Park." Scidmore died in Geneva, Switzerland on Nov. 3, 1928, at the age of 72. Her grave is at the Yokohama Foreign Cemetery, Yokohama, Japan next to the graves of her mother and brother. While Scidmore is buried in Japan, the Cherry Blossom festivals are still going and remain in the hearts of District residents who cherish the blossoms as much as the Washington monument. WI
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Black Archives to Uncover Rare Photos of Black Life from Getty Images Sarafina Wright WI Contributing Writer
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Getty Images and Black Archives --a multimedia platform that brings a spotlight to the Black experience—are partnering to provide Black Archives access to Getty’s expansive photo and video bank. In the spirit of its mission to give voice to rarely told stories about the Black Experience, Black Archives Founder Renata Cherlise will curate rarely seen historical imagery of more than 11 million digitized and analog photographs and videos housed in Getty Images archives that document centuries of American history. “We are excited to partner with Getty Images as we continue to give full dimension to the lived experiences of Black people around the world,” Cherlise said. Founded in 2015, Black Archives boasts more than 400,000 followers on Instagram, examines the nuances of Black life from rural to city, young to old, and celebratory to challenging times of both well-known figures and everyday people. The Getty Images archive is the largest privately held archive with access to over 130 million images dating back to the beginning of photography. From historical images created in the early 1800s to more contemporary 1990s imagery, the archive houses a wealth of socially significant, historical photos, footage, and prints. In addition to this pairing, Getty
5 Photo by Charles ‘Teenie’ Harris/Carnegie Museum of Art/Getty Images
Images recently announced partnerships with the NAACP and entertainer FKA Twigs to empower Black content creators to tell their story. It also aims to elevate the work
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5 Photo courtesy of BlackArchives.co/Instagram.
of photographers, videographers, and illustrators who are helping expand the visual narrative of the Black experience. “For too long, the visual narrative of the Black experience has been lost or distorted, and to move forward, we must shine a light on previously under-told stories,” said Cassandra Illidge, global head of content partnerships at Getty Images. “Accurate and representative visual storytelling is key to our mission at Getty Images, and we are thrilled to partner with Black Archives to enable new stories to be told with iconic archival content.” These curated collections will be available to view and license on gettyimages.com. WI
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VETO from Page 12 officers. It also repeals a police officers’ Bill of Rights that established due process for officers accused of wrongdoing. The action makes Maryland the first state in the nation to scrub the measure. “I knew there were a lot of people all across the state looking at what we were going to do because this is just so important for so many communities, especially when you talk about Black and brown communities,” said Del. Nicole A. Williams (D-District 22) of Greenbelt, who serves on the House of Delegates Judiciary Committee that worked on the police legislation. “One of my good friends is a Capitol Hill Police Officer. I’m not anti-police. There are groups of people who feel law enforcement isn’t there to protect them. That’s why these police reforms in Maryland are needed.” The legislature with an overwhelming Democratic majority outnumbers Republicans by about a 2 to 1 ratio, enabling lawmakers to override Gov. Larry Hogan’s vetoes on Saturday, April 10. “These bills would undermine the goal that I believe we share of building transparent, accountable and effective law enforcement institutions and instead further erode police morale, community relations and public confidence,” Hogan, a Republican, wrote in a letter Friday, April 9. Maryland lawmakers formed work groups last summer after the death of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis, Minn. police officer that sparked nationwide protests against racism and police brutality. House Speaker Adrienne Jones and Senate President Bill Ferguson made police reform a major priority in this year’s 90-day session. Advocates and family members with loved ones killed by police held a rally in March in front of the State House in Annapolis demanding stronger police measures. A few lawmakers posted comments last week on social media toward their colleagues who didn’t support police reform. Ferguson said police reform legislation has been the “hardest and most challenging and most emotional” in his 11 years as a lawmaker.
5 Marion Gray-Hopkins, mother of Gary Hopkins, Jr., killed by Prince George’s County police in 1999, speaks at a rally March 4 in Annapolis. (FILE: Robert R. Roberts/The Washington Informer)
“If we don’t get this right, nothing else matters, he said. “This is the product of years and decades of challenges. We are taking a step to create greater public safety. With this framework, we can get there.” Dawn Dalton of Upper Marlboro, whose son continues to feel the mental effects of an attack from Prince George’s County police in 2010, praised lawmakers for making police records more publicly available. Although civilians are part of the process to recommend discipline for an officer’s alleged misconduct, a police chief can still make the final decision. The chief, however, cannot impose a discipline lower than the one recommended. “I feel like the community should have more control of the process,” she said. “You still can’t make any decision and have citizens handpicked to serve on an\ oversight committee. This police reform was not a victory. The legislation could’ve been bolder.”
lice officer or to another person.” If officers don’t follow that and other regulations, they face up to 10 years in prison. That aspect of the law is
scheduled to go into effect June 1. No-knock warrants can still be obtained by police, but except during emergencies, must be executed between 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Besides the owner of the residence, the warrant must list any additional occupants that includes age, gender and whether anyone has “cognitive or physical disabilities or pets.” According to the bill, it’s scheduled to take effect Oct. 1. All county police departments would be required to have body cameras by July 2025. Four larger police agencies without a major body-camera program – Maryland State Police, Harford County Sheriff’s Office and the county police departments in Anne Arundel and Howard counties – must have them in use by 2023. Prince George’s County allocated $2.6 million in the current budget to purchase body cameras for officers in the Police Department’s Bureau of Patrol. Those are the officers who mainly interact with the community. Current police officers and those interested in the profession can ob-
tain scholarships that would pay for 50 percent of the tuition and fees. The legislation requires the governor to budget $8.5 million in scholarships – $6 million for those pursuing a law enforcement profession and $2.5 million for current officers. After graduation, a person must work for a law enforcement agency in Maryland for at least five years. This would take effect July 1, 2022. If these laws would’ve been implemented sooner, Blacks such as Anton Black, 19, would be alive today. One of the bills to allow a public request for disciplinary records and complaints against police officers is named after Black, who died in September 2018 in police custody in Greensboro on the Eastern Shore. “His death is another example to take the necessary steps to bring about police reform,” said Hayes, whose younger brother works in law enforcement. “We can root out bad [police] officers who give good officers a bad name.” WI @jabariwill
POLICE PACKAGE
Here’s a summary on parts of the massive police reform package. A new statute that requires a police officer to stop use of force when a person “is under the police officer's control” and a person “no longer poses an imminent threat of physical injury or death to the po-
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APRIL 15 - 21, 2021 31
Better Starts for All: Ensuring DC Moms and Babies Get the Best Possible Start
Learn why breastfeeding is best at marchofdimes.org/breastfeeding
By Stacey D. Stewart Every 12 hours in the U.S., a woman dies due to complications resulting from pregnancy and every two hours, we lose a baby. Our country is one of the most dangerous places in the developed world to give birth and DC, in particular, has a maternal mortality rate that is significantly higher than the national rate. We must recognize and urgently address the reality that too many moms are dying or facing serious health complications, too many babies are born too soon or not living to see their first birthday, and far too many of those impacted are moms and babies of color. Through the Better Starts for All program, March of Dimes is working to ensure all moms and babies nationwide are empowered with tools and resources to have the best start in life. Together in partnership with Reckitt’s Enfa portfolio of brands, March of Dimes is implementing the following programs for families in Wards 7 and 8, which have limited access to quality obstetrics services or birthing sites: • Becoming a Mom: Free, online prenatal education classes for expecting D.C. moms with topics including prenatal care, healthy foods, how to manage stress, things to avoid during pregnancy, preparing for labor and caring for you and your baby. • Supportive Pregnancy Care: Moms-to-be meet for prenatal care, education and support throughout their pregnancies. Group prenatal care is associated with improved maternal and infant health outcomes, including lower preterm birth rates. • Mobile Health Care: The Mama and Baby Bus provides healthcare services including prenatal care, postpartum care and well-woman care provided at the Marshall Heights Community Development Organization, Far Southeast Family Strengthening Collaborative and University of Maryland Capital Region Health • Community Coalition: Partner organizations and community members come together to help support the development of culturally and socially appropriate interventions to increase services for women in hard-to-reach areas. Stacey D. Stewart, President and CEO, March of Dimes
Black women are 3 times more likely than White women to die from such causes and their babies are more than twice as likely as White babies to die before their first birthday. In D.C., the preterm birth rate is 74 percent higher for Black women than the rate among all other women.
32 APRIL 15 - 21, 2021
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These are the solutions to prevent, eliminate, or manage challenges that may come up in pregnancy. Women can access the Better Starts for All services by visiting betterstartsforall. com/dc, including signing up for the next session of Becoming a Mom on April 29 and to make an appointment on the Mama and Baby Bus. The CDC reports that of the 700 women who die each year from pregnancy-related causes, 60 percent of these deaths are preventable. Black women are 3 times more likely than White women to die from such causes and their babies are more than twice as likely as White babies to die before their first birthday. In D.C., the preterm birth rate is 74 percent higher for Black women than the rate among all other women. That is simply unacceptable, and we must address the systematic racism that puts the lives of Black moms and babies at risk. All moms deserve access to respectful, quality care. Lack of access is not simply a matter of geography. Many structural, systemic and environmental factors influence the health of moms and babies, especially for families of color. Through Better Starts for All, we’re knocking down the barriers that prevent DC moms and babies from getting the critical care they need and deserve.
TM
Learn why breastfeeding is best at marchofdimes.org/breastfeeding
BECOMING A MOM Join us for Becoming a Mom—a series of free, live online prenatal education sessions with other moms-to-be here in D.C. Wards 7 and 8. Facilitated by a trained health educator, you’ll be able to ask questions about pregnancy and your baby. Topics include: Æ Æ Æ Æ Æ Æ
Prenatal care Nutrition for you and your baby Managing stress Things to avoid during pregnancy Preparing for labor and birth Caring for yourself and your baby, before and after their arrival
Classes start on April 29 and participants will receive a Visa gift card. Sign up at BetterStartsforAll.com/DC Questions? Call us at 800-670-3339 or email betterstartsforalldc@marchofdimes.org
© 2021 March of Dimes
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Washington Performing Arts Streaming Concert with Damien Sneed Begins April 16
Event Coincides with New CD Release Brenda C. Siler WI Contributing Writer The performing arts have suffered greatly during the pandemic. Closed venues meant little-to-no work for artists. Production crews who managed sound, lighting, staging, every aspect of a production also struggled. Some artists figured out a way to make it through the storm. Damien Sneed has been one of those who kept his eye on several options. Beginning April 16 through April 22, 2021, “Damien Sneed and Friends” will perform a streaming concert presented by Washington Performing Arts on their Home Delivery Plus platform. The concert was pre-recorded at the historic Lincoln Theatre on U Street in northwest Washington, DC. Joining Sneed, a Dove and NAACP Image Award-winning producer and recording artist is special guest Tasha Page-Lockhart. Page-Lockhart is one of the top singers in Christian R&B and urban contemporary gospel. She comes from a family of gospel music artists, but Page-Lockhart may be best known as the season six winner of “Sunday Best” on BET. Backing up Sneed are her “Friends” -- vocalists Tiffany Stevenson, Matia Washington, Linny Smith and Chenee Campbell—who enjoy high demand individually as top vocalists who have worked other singers.
THE MAKING OF A CD AND A CONCERT
On April 16, Sneed’s “Unplugged” CD will also be released. Page-Lockhart is not on the CD. The CD was created from a session Sneed was working on last year with his “Friends,” the same group performing in the Washington Performing Arts concert. According to Sneed, the CD recording session was a spontaneous happening. “It felt good. Something just started happening in the recording,” said Sneed about the unexpected recording. “I said you know what, let’s keep going and see what happens. We had not rehearsed any of the songs. I just said follow me.” For the CD and the concert,
Sneed delivers gentle, beautiful piano chords. His arrangements allow the vocals to be heard to ultimate fullness. Listeners will approve. “Unplugged” is not Sneed’s first CD. The most recent CDs are on Sneed’s boutique label, LeChateau Earl Records. “Classically Harlem,” his debut classical CD, and “We Shall Overcome Deluxe” are both on his music label.
WORKING WITH THE BEST TO DELIVER THE BEST
Sneed has worked across many music genres including jazz, classical, pop and R&B. For the “Damien and Friends” concert and CD, he describes his style as a cross between jazz, inspirational, and sacred. This multi-talented musician is a pianist, vocalist, organist, composer, conductor, arranger, producer, and arts educator. Before the U.S. was locked down during the pandemic, Sneed was in rehearsal for a national Aretha Franklin tribute tour. For Sneed, the list of performers he has worked in his career represents a “who’s who” in music including Franklin, Wynton Marsalis, Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross, Ashford & Simpson, J’Nai Bridges, Lawrence Brownlee, Brandie Inez Sutton, Donnie McClurkin, Hezekiah Walker and Marvin Sapp. He also has worked with fellow Howard University alumni Richard Smallwood and operatic soprano Jessye Norman. When not preparing for performances or producing other artists Sneed is a respected music educator. He is currently on the faculty at the Manhattan School of Music, the conservatory where he teaches graduate-level courses in conducting and African American Music History. He works with the conservatory’s singer/ songwriter ensemble, gospel music ensemble and gives private lessons in piano, voice and composition. In 2020, he joined the faculty of Michigan State University as artist-in-residence.
5 “Damien and Friends” perform through the Washington Performing Arts Home Deliver Plus steaming platform, April 16-22. Seated is Damien Sneed. Standing from left: Tiffany Stevenson, Matia Washington, Linny Smith and Chenee Campbell. (Courtesy photo)
On Twitter Damien Sneed: @DamienSneed Washington Performing Arts: @ WashPerformArts WI
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APRIL 15 - 21, 2021 33
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Hip-Hop Superstar DMX Dead at 50 Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer DMX, the sensationally talented and gruff-voiced rap artist and actor who rose from the hardscrabble streets of Yonkers, New York, to become one of hip-hop’s most prolific stars, died Friday after suffering a heart attack last week. He was 50. The Grammy-nominated rapper, whose real name is Earl Simmons, had been at White Plains Hospital since suffering the heart attack at his New York home on April 2. He was in a coma and on life support for several days as doctors attempted to him, but reportedly never regained brain function. “We are deeply saddened to announce today that our loved one, DMX, birth name of Earl Simmons, passed away at 50 years old at White Plains Hospital with his family by his side after being placed on life support for the past
few days,” his family said in a statement. “Earl was a warrior who fought till the very end. He loved his family with all of his heart and we cherish the times we spent with him,” the family wrote. “Earl’s music inspired countless fans across the world and his iconic legacy will live on forever. We appreciate all of the love and support during this incredibly difficult time. Please respect our privacy as we grieve the loss of our brother, father, uncle and the man the world knew as DMX. We will share information about his memorial service once details are finalized.” The superstar had struggled with drug addiction for decades and recently explained his long battle to stay sober. He said someone who served as his mentor tricked him into smoking crack cocaine when he was 14. “I later found out that he laced the blunt with crack,” DMX told fellow rapper Talib Kweli. “Why
would you do that to a child?” Raised by his aunt, DMX took hip-hop by storm in the late 1990s following a false start to his career. After being featured in The Source magazine’s Unsigned Hype column in January 1991, he signed to Columbia Records and released a relatively unsuccessful single “Born Loser.”* Following a yearslong hiatus, DMX reemerged on the New York mixtape scene, creating a major buzz with a slew of guest appearances, including on LL Cool J’s “4, 3, 2, 1” in 1997. After signing a contract with Ruff Ryders/Def Jam Records, DMX recorded his hit “Get At Me Dog,” which quickly rose up the rap and pop music charts. His seminal 1998 debut album “It’s Dark and Hell is Hot” cemented his legacy as a rap music genius. The website AllMusic.com noted that, following the deaths of Tupac Shakur and The Notorious
Memorial Service Scheduled for Mama Nia Kuumba Well Known Elder and longtime Community Activist Mama Nia Kuumba transitioned on Monday, April 5, 2021 in Washington, D.C. A native Washingtonian and a graduate of Old Cardozo High, class of 1948. She worked for the DC Department of Maternal and Child Health, and Concerned Citizens of Central Cardozo. The urban renewal program of the 1960’s. Sister Nia served as a board member of the 14th Street Project Area Committee, Columbia Heights Village Resident Association and the board of Church and Society (UMC) among others. She worked with many organizations such as: UNIA (The United Negro Improvement Association), National Caucus of Black Aged, Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, Black United Front, Bread for the Soul, African Liberation Committee, South African Support Committee, D.C. CISPES, Washington Office on Haiti, Church and Laity Concerned, NOBC (National Office of Black Catholics), FREE DC, Community for Creative Nonviolence, Voices for Change. She cherished her work with N’COBRA (National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations in America, MOMS, Inc. (Mothers on the move Spirituality), Ward 1 Action Team and the Black Christ/Black Church Project. She was the founder of the Interfaith Ministry Council, as a part of her civic activism. A public viewing is scheduled for Mama Nia on Tuesday, April 20, 2021 from 10:00 A.M. – 12:00 Noon at Stewart Funeral Home, 4001 Benning Road, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20019. A Citywide Community Memorial Service is scheduled for Saturday, April 24, 2021 from 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. at Roots Public Charter School, 15 Kennedy Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. Followed by a Repass at the same location from 4:00 P.M. – 6:00 P.M. The celebration of life will feature speakers, African drumming and dancing and a special video of Mama Nia’s pilgrimage to West Africa. The community is welcome to share in all the events.
34 APRIL 15 - 21, 2021
5 DMX (Courtesy photo)
The GrammyB.I.G., DMX took over as the undisputed king of hardcore rap. “He was that rare commodity: a commercial powerhouse with artistic and street credibility to spare,” editors at AllMusic.com wrote. “His rapid ascent to stardom was actually almost a decade in the making, which gave him a chance to develop the theatrical image that made him one of rap’s most distinctive personalities during his heyday.” Hype Williams’ motion picture “Belly” was among the first to cast DMX in leading roles. The 1998 film also included Nas, Taral Hicks, Method Man, R&B singer T-Boz, and National Newspaper Publishers Association President and CEO Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. Before the end of 1998, DMX completed his second album, and a pending buyout of Def Jam pushed the record into stores that December. Featuring a controversial cover photo of the rapper covered in blood, “Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood” entered the charts at number one and eventually went triple platinum. Though his legal issues dominated the headlines in the later years, DMX was one of the most successful recording artists ever, selling millions of albums and winning several awards. His first
nominated rapper, whose real name is Earl Simmons, had been at White Plains Hospital since suffering the heart attack at his New York home on April 2. five albums all debuted atop the Billboard 200, the first artist in history ever to do so. He also went on to star in a myriad of motion pictures and television shows, including “Any Given Sunday,” “Gone in 60 Seconds” and “Cradle 2 the Grave.” DMX reportedly is survived by a fiancée, his mother and 15 children. WI
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wi book review "We Are Each Other's Harvest: Celebrating African American Farmers, Land, and Legacy" By Natalie Baszile c.2021, Amistad $29.99 / $36.99 Canada 368 pages By Terri Schlichenmeyer WI Contributing Writer One little hole in the ground. That’s all it takes, as big around as your little finger, a pencil eraser, a coffee stirrer. A tiny fissure in the Earth, that’s what you need to grow dinner next week or next winter, flowers for your table, sustenance for your animals or, as in the new book “We Are Each Other’s Harvest” by Natalie Baszile, a tie to your past. Years ago, while taking weekly provisions to an elderly relative, Natalie Baszile learned that the presence of food in a neighborhood (or its lack) could be a racial issue. Shortly afterward, she discovered that her ancestors had been involved in farming long before she was born. That's not unusual: as we learn in the introduction here, nearly all African Americans today can claim that farming is in their genes. It's never been a smooth thing, though. Over and over in previous decades, Black farmers paid faithfully each month to buy farms from white landowners, only to ultimately, cruelly be denied ownership. Others persevered, and then lost their land through lack of financial literacy, or problems with banks, the USDA or the Farm Service Administration (FSA), the latter which, suggested one farmer, seemed to have been created to make problems. And yet, there were bright spots: like folks a century ago, Black farmers know that sticking together is best for all. They're speaking up and persevering, in planting and paperwork. Black farmers have learned to think around bigger issues by forming Black-owned co-ops, teaching new farmers, making sure the next generation wants ownership of the business, and ignoring old myths that say women don't farm. Black farmers are mentoring. They're redefining the word "farm." They're doing what it takes to keep possession of their land because for them, there just isn't any better way to live. So, you know where your food comes from? Bonus points if you grew it yourself. Even better, when you read "We Are Each Other's Harvest" after you're done weeding. Using a little of this (fiction excerpts, poetry, and quotations), along with a little of that (essays, interviews, first-person tales, and history), author Natalie Baszile gives praise to Black farmers and ranchers, showing that what may seem like a newly-discovered connection to the land goes way back. It is, in fact, a slice of the past that's rich as a fertile field, but also loaded with rocks that crushed many dreams. And yet, while the stories Baszile lets loose need a wider audience today – they can't be silent anymore – anger at the past isn't the reason for this book. No, this is much more of a prayer for the Black stewards of the land, and for those who've listened to their hearts and stood, one hand filled with dirt and the other with seeds. Whether you are a farmer, know one or accept the fruits of one's labor, this book is the perfect meditation. Lush as a spring morning but sharp as barbed wire, "We Are Each Other's Harvest" is a book for the well-grounded. WI
horoscopes
APRIL 15 - 21, 2021
ARIES Hard to know how the great pioneers of the modern world felt after they accomplished something great, but on Monday you have an inkling. And your recent successes are only going to beget even more success, but not necessarily overnight. Tuesday and Wednesday, for example, you find yourself in an unlikely slump — the problem is simply, once you've accomplished something great, where do you go from there? Overseas, maybe? Is a trip in order? Lucky Numbers: 31, 38, 53 TAURUS Nothing makes sense on Monday. So, relax. Take everything with a grain of salt. If it really starts to bug you, find a good friend (someone steady and normal-seeming) to vent to, but chances are by the end of the week you'll see that none of it had anything to do with you anyway. Lucky Numbers: 11, 17, 23 GEMINI Strong as your opinions are, you're smart enough to be receptive to new ideas. A new idea comes your way on Monday and totally flattens you — in a terrific way. It changes everything. It's not every day that this happens, and it won't happen again for a while. Tuesday and Wednesday have nothing new to offer you (career worries are on your mind), and Thursday is spent in the company of people very familiar to you (good friends, maybe some coworkers). Lucky Numbers: 12, 13, 23 CANCER If you were running the lemonade stand all by yourself, you could set all the prices; but you're in this thing with someone else, and maintaining this relationship is just as important as making money. You and you-know-who are more in tune with one another, and this may be a result of your willingness to be chill. Try to be chill this week, you'll feel like hurrying, but that will only rattle you. Responding in emotional ways on Saturday won't solve much. Practice poise this week. Lucky Numbers: 11, 17, 28 LEO There's a difference between being loyal and being clingy — and it's a crucial difference on Monday. Be inventive about your solutions to the problems at hand. Thursday through Saturday you should be bold about placing yourself in the path of people who know more than you do, and then do your best impression of a sponge. Lucky Numbers: 14, 18, 27 VIRGO It's far more generous of you to offer what you would do if you were in you-know-who's shoes than to offer a critique of said shoes — anyone can be a critic. Also, what you say is just as important as how you say it. The details of this person's situation are certainly more complicated than you realize, and coming on too strong will only diminish your position from where you can dispense advice (and it is certainly a position you enjoy). Lucky Numbers: 1, 31, 41 LIBRA Enough with the standard fare, you need something fresh and new — an acquaintance you haven't invested much time in, a band you've never heard before, a book you've always meant to read. Tuesday and Wednesday have you maxed out and with little time for experimental pursuits, but Thursday and Friday offer plenty of social time. Lucky Numbers: 27, 42, 47 SCORPIO Change is good, and this change will be great. Meanwhile, on Tuesday and Wednesday, your love life is great — for whatever reason you are drawing heavily on your imagination these days. You haven't felt so engaged in a while. Thursday and Friday find you avoiding conflict and staying fit, and Saturday is a fine time to start something. Lucky Numbers: 23, 37, 52 SAGITTARIUS Connections come easily to you on Monday — you're able to finish the sentences of perfect strangers. This says something about your chemistry with these people, but it is also an indication of alertness on your part. Some of this alertness will be obscured by the metaphorical turn your thoughts take. On Thursday through Saturday, you aren't thinking abstractly at all. You're doing somersaults down slopes and throwing snowballs at someone with whom you're smitten. Lucky Numbers: 7, 8, 36 CAPRICORN Your routine's starting to blend and blur and become sort of dull to you, but this is a routine that's treated you pretty well, all things considered. Consider a change in style — a different approach to the same game. This is wise. Draw on a resourceful solution to a family problem. Sunday returns you happily to your personal priorities (your love life, for instance). Lucky Numbers: 25, 26, 40 AQUARIUS It's amazing when you notice — when you can really see — the effect you have on other people. Your inspiration in turn inspires you to go on being inspiring. You are part of a happy loop of good feeling. Thursday through Saturday are likewise marked by advanced ideas, thrilling discoveries and interpersonal electricity. Sunday, check up on a relative. Lucky Numbers: 21, 26, 34 PISCES The pressure of everyone else's problems weighs on you on Monday. Yes, it's good of you to spend so much time concocting solutions for quandaries that have little to do with you, but some days you need to give yourself a break. Go to the movies! Unwind! Thursday through Saturday will puzzle you. Lucky Numbers: 11, 30, 34
WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER
APRIL 15 - 21, 2021 35
CAPTURE the moment
For more photos, visit www.washingtoninformer.com
ART TO GOGO
The Anacostia Business Improvement District and partners debuted the first of six Art to GoGo public art projects in Southeast on April 7. The partners include the Art, Culture, Entertainment, and Education (ACEE) Council, DC Office of Cable Television, Film, Music, and Entertainment (OCTFME), Project Create, Lyft and the DC Department of Transportation. This public art project will provide the community and visitors a way to explore public art around Ward 8 via scooter corral ground murals dedicated to D.C.'s official sound of the city - GoGo. (Photos by Ja’Mon Jackson/The Washington Informer)
5 A mural created by DC artist Luis Peralta of Chuck Brown on display.
5 Wiley Brown, son of the famed father of GoGo, the late Chuck Brown, and Luis Peralta cut the ribbon on the new ground mural at the intersection of ML King Jr Avenue and U Streets, S.E.
5 Wiley Brown, son of the famed father of GoGo, the late Chuck Brown, speaks during the ribbon cutting ceremony for the Art to GoGo ground mural.
5 A masked crowd listens to speakers and watch the ribbon cutting for one of six new Art to GoGo ground murals coming to Ward 8. 4 Wiley Brown and the artist, Luis Peralta pose on the newly created ground mural.
36 APRIL 15 - 21, 2021
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Because Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. has more stories to tell.
Get vaccinated when it’s your turn.
Overcoming obstacles isn’t just part of our history, it’s our heritage. It’s why the story of COVID vaccines has Black doctors and scientists at its center. And one of the reasons Dr. Gates got vaccinated. Learn more at cdc.gov/coronavirus
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APRIL 15 - 21, 2021 37
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38 APRIL 15 - 21, 2021
STUDENTS from Page 1 Boyd, who works in Ward 6. “When you don’t have that experience or lens, or you haven’t worked with an experienced librarian, it’s easy to say that we don’t need one,” she added. Boyd, a librarian of several decades. counted among those who’ve criticized the removal of public school librarians since last March, when schools transitioned from in-person learning to virtual. She said that school officials have disregarded librarians’ value, even as they’ve connected teachers and students with additional resources to mitigate their struggles in the virtual realm. Additional cuts to librarian jobs, Boyd said, would place the District along the same path of Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and other urban school districts that experienced a decline in student progress after the reduction of staff members. “This is not about saving jobs. It’s about children growing up with a school librarian from kindergarten to grade 12,” Boyd told The Informer. “Librarians connect students with resources to make them well-rounded. I feel like they’re being dis-serviced.”
5 Educators are concerned that DCPS budget cuts will reduce library staff and services for students and their families. (Stock photo/The Washington Informer)
Not even Ferebee’s acknowledgment that DCPS received an additional $60 million in budget assistance quelled concerns among some council members that staff members wouldn’t lose jobs. Angela Falkenberg, the assistant director of the DC Library Association School Library Section, said D.C. COUNCILMEMthis scenario has played out for several years, often at the expense of BERS, OTHERS SEEK librarians who school leaders have POLICY CHANGE Earlier this month, several teach- often considered expendable. “There needs to be a policy ers testified during a hearing where D.C. Council Chairman Phil Men- change [so that] school librarians delson (D), D.C. Councilmember are required in schools in all eight Brianne Nadeau (D-Ward 1) and wards,” said Falkenberg, a school liother officials espoused a need for brarian in Ward 1. “DCPS is looking for short-term measures that would prevent the solutions like aides or non-certified probable loss of DCPS staff memstaff,” she continued. bers. “When school librarians are Weeks prior, during an oversight cut, that means students won’t hearing, DCPS Chancellor Lewis be learning media literacy and Ferebee said that a decline in overall essential skills for college and caenrollment, along with the loss of reer readiness, which is what the computers and other devices placed district encourages and promotes. additional strain on principals who’ve had to consider budget cuts. You’re losing someone who proBecome a Published Author with Dorrance. We want to read your book! Our staff is made up of writers, just like you. We are dedicated to making publishing dreams come true. Trusted by authors for nearly 100 years, Dorrance has made countless authors’ dreams come true.
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vides several different roles within a school.”
LOSS OF SUPPORT SYSTEMS
Last year, 70 percent of the District’s 118 public schools had fulltime librarians, while librarians at schools serving a student population of fewer than 300 students work part-time. In the charter school sector, half of the schools have libraries curated by either a librarian or reading specialist. School libraries have been credited with increasing access to print and digital materials that support reading. Some educators, including Michael Grier of the Ward 8 Education Council, also tout them as incubators of literacy, not only for students, but families. Grier told The Informer that with so much emphasis on the core subjects, students, especially those attending schools east of the Anacostia River, will be disadvantaged without a well-rounded education while their teachers, as has been the case throughout the pandemic, juggle the increasing workload. “This is not maximizing instruction or looking at the whole child. It’s putting so much responsibility on the math, English, science, and social studies teachers,” Grier said. “It’s not engaging the students. If we don’t have an equitable amount of extracurricular activities and electives, the students won’t be engaged. They’ll find somewhere else to go.” WI
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RELIGION the religion corner WITH LYNDIA GRANT
As the World Turns
Back in the day, there was a soap opera called "As The World Turns." Well, I watched it until it finally went off the air. Last week, the Lord placed that title in my spirit as a Religion Corner article. He was speaking into my spirit about all of the changes that are going on down here on earth right now, and in every country too! We have the pandemic, where nearly 3 million people worldwide have lost their lives, businesses have been shut down, and food lines have become miles-long in some major cities. Churches had to close their doors due to the fact that we are not allowed to be in proximity with one another, so we are all using Zoom and other sources for worship. My company contract was canceled, and I had to let all of my staff go. Thank God I hadn't spent every dime of my money and had a savings account! Just notice that as the world turns, we are losing more lives daily. You say, "That's not new, we have always lost people daily!" True. However, of course, it's now even more noticeable — our death rates have
grown exponentially, and in many cities, there are hardly any beds left in hospitals! As the world turns, there are some who have made deadly decisions to skip the vaccines, yet they have chosen to participate in family gathering, or even try to make some extra money as they had done previously by driving Uber or Lyft without taking the necessary precautions, and lost their lives early by catching a severe case of COVID-19, as someone in my family did. My relative lost her husband to COVID-19, because he did not take the necessary precautions and they thought his condition was not severe enough to be in the hospital. Yet he died right in his bed, at home, last week. The couple were both sick with COVID-19 but chose to not take the shots. The world, however, is still turning, even though her husband is gone, and it appears she will be fine now. Some folks just have to get off planet Earth during this pandemic. Obviously, this was his stop! I'm very grateful that I have gotten both of my Moderna vaccines, and I'm still taking the necessary precautions. There is no one left here from more than 100 years ago to remind us what happened back then, but history books and videos are doing a sufficient job. We must also listen to our top doctors like Dr. Anthony Fauci, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention team leaders and other
Mt. Zion Baptist Church
experts, which is why I have decided to say something. Hopefully it will encourage anyone who may be reading this column but refuses to get the vaccine. Think again! I'm reminded of a Scripture in Exodus 12:13 KJV, which says, "Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt. Praise the Lord, Saints, for I can feel the power of our Lord and Savior, protecting me and my family and loved ones. I have walked by faith and not by sight, and will continue to do so." Let us stay vigilant, get your vaccines against COVID-19, and continue to follow the doctors' orders. Once you get your vaccine, you will be protected, but most importantly, you will also be protecting others. Don't hold grudges and animosity against anyone, go to sleep with a clear conscious; God is love! Scripture also says in Matthew 22:37-40 KJV, "Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." When we follow these simple steps, it won't matter when your name is called, because you will be ye also ready, at all times. Then once you're gone, the world will continue to keep right on turning! WI
John F. Johnson Reverend Dr.
5101 14th Street, NW / Washington, DC 20011 Phone: 202-726-2220 Fax: 202-726-9089
1306 Vermont Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20005
“A Church with a past to remember – and a future to mold” www.mtzbcdc.org
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Mount Olivet Lutheran Church
Reverend John W. Davis Pastor
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.
(301) 864-6070
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
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APRIL 15 - 21, 2021 39
RELIGION The Miracle Center of Faith Missionary Baptist Church
Pilgrim Baptist Church
Bishop Michael C. Turner, Sr. Senior Pastor
Rev. Louis B. Jones II Pastor
9161 Hampton Overlook Capitol Heights, MD 20743 Phone: 301-350-2200 / Fax: 301-499-8724
700 I Street, N.E. Washington, D.C. 20002 (202) 547-8849
Service and Times Sunday Worship Times : 7:30 AM 7 10:00 AM Communion: 1st Sunday Sunday School: 9:00 AM Bible Study: Wednesday, 12 Noon Bible Study in homes: Tuesday 7:00 PM Website: www.themiraclecenterFMBC.com Email: Miraclecenterfmbs@gmail.com Motto: “We Walk by Faith, Not by Sight”
Blessed Word of Life Church
Service and Times Worship Sundays: 7:30 & 11:00 AM 5th Sundays: 9:30 AM 3rd Sundays: Baptism & Holy Communion Prayer & Praise: Wednesdays @ Noon & 6:30 PM www.pilgrimbaptistdc.org
Covenant Baptist United Church of Christ
Church of Living Waters
Allen Chapel A.M.E. Church
Rev. Paul Carrette Senior Pastor Harold Andrew Assistant Pastor 4915 Wheeler Road Oxon Hill, MD 20745 301-894-6464 Service and Times Sunday Service: 8:30am& 11:00 AM Bible Study: Wednesday 7:30 PM Communion Service: First Sunday www.livingwatersmd.org
St. Stephen Baptist Church
Rev. Dr. Michael E. Bell, Sr., / Pastor 2498 Alabama Ave., SE - Washington D.C. 20020 Office: (202) 889-7296 / Fax: (202) 889-2198 - www.acamec.org Service and Times Sunday Worship Services: 8:00am and 11:00 AM Sunday Church School - 9:15am & Sunday Adult Forum Bible Study - 10:30 AM 2nd & 4th Monday Women’s Bible Study: 6:30 PM Tuesday Jr./Sr. Bible Study: 10:00 AM Tuesday Topical Bible Study: 6:30 PM Tuesday New Beginnings Bible Study: 6:30 PM Wednesday Pastoral Bible Study: 6:30 PM Wednesday Children’s Bible Study: 6:30 PM Thursday Men’s Bible Study: 6:30 PM Friday before 1st Sunday Praise & Worship Service: 6:30 PM Saturday Adult Bible Study: 10:00 AM “The Amazing, Awesome, Audacious Allen Chapel A.M.E. Church”
Third Street Church of God
Dr. Dekontee L. & Dr. Ayele A. Johnson Pastors
Reverend William Young IV Pastor
Bishop Lanier C. Twyman, Sr. Senior Pastor
Rev. Cheryl J. Sanders, Th.D. Senior 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 Services and Times Sunday Early Morning Worship: 7:45 AM Church School: 9:30 AM Sunday Morning Worship: 10:45 AM Tuesday: 7:00pm/Kingdom Building Bible Institute Wednesday , 12:30 PM Mid-Day Bible Study Wednesday: Prayer/Praise/Bible Study-7:30 PM Baptism & Communion Service: 4th Sunday – 10:30 AM
1204 Third Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 202-347-5889 office / 202-638-1803 fax
Service and Times Sunday School: 9:30 AM Sunday Morning Worship Service: 11:00 AM Communion Service: First Sunday Prayer Service/Bible Study: Tuesday, 6:30 PM www.blessedwordoflifechurch.org E-mail: church@blessedwordoflifechurch.org
Campbell AME Church Rev. Dr. Henry Y. White 2562 MLK Jr. Ave., SE - Washington, DC 20020 Adm. Office 202-678-2263 Email: Campbell@mycame.org 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: 7:00 PM “Reaching Up To Reach Out” Mailing Address : Campbell AME Church 2502 Stanton Road SE - Washington, DC 20020
Turning Hearts Church Virgil K. Thomas, Sr. Senior Pastor/ Teacher 421 Alabama Ave. SE Washington, DC 20032 Phone: 202-746-0113 Fax: 301-843-2445 Service and Times Sunday School: 10:15 AM Sunday Worship Service: 11;15 AM Children’s Church: 11:15 AM Tuesday Bible Study: 6:30 PM Motto : “A Great Commitment to the Great Commandment” Website: www.turningheartschurchdc.org Email: gr8luv4u2@gmail.com
40 APRIL 15 - 21, 2021
Services and Times Sundays: 10:00am Worship Services Bible Study: Wonderful Wednesdays in Worship and the Word Bible Study Wednesdays 12:00 Noon; 6:30 PM (dinner @ 5:30 PM) Sunday School: 9:00 AM – Hour of Power “An inclusive ministry where all are welcomed and affirmed.” www.covenantdc.org
“We are one in the Spirit” www.ssbc5757.org / E-mail: ssbc5757@verizon.net
Services and Times Sunday School: 9:30 AM Sunday Worship: 11:00 AM Sunday Community Worship Service: 8:30 AM “Ambassadors for Christ to the Nation’s Capital” www.thirdstreet.org Live Stream Sunday Worship Service begins @ 12:00 noon www.thirdstreet.org
Crusader Baptist Church Rev. Dr. Alton W. Jordan Pastor 800 I Street, NE - Washington, DC 20002 202-548-0707 - Fax No. 202-548-0703 Service and Times Sunday Morning Worship: 11:00 AM Holy Communion: 1st Sunday Sunday School: 9:45 AM Men’s Monday Bible Study: 7:00 PM Wednesday Night Bible Study: 7:00 PM Women’s Ministry Bible Study: 3rd Friday -7:00 PM Computer Classes: Announced Family and Marital Counseling by appointment E-mail: Crusadersbaptistchurch@verizon.net www.CrusadersBaptistChurch.org / “God is Love”
Greater Mt. Calvary Holy Church Bishop Alfred A. Owens, Jr.; Senior Bishop & Evangelist Susie C. Owens – Co-Pastor 610 Rhode Island Avenue, NE Washington, DC 20002 (202) 529-4547 office • (202) 529-4495 fax
Sunday Worship Service: 8:00 AM and 10:45 AM Sunday Youth Worship Services: 1st & 4th 10:45 AM; 804 R.I. Ave., NE 5th 8 AM & 10:45 AM; Main Church Prayer Services Tuesday – Noon, Wednesday 6:00 AM & 6:30 PM 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
Isle of Patmos Baptist Church Reverend Dr. Calvin L. Matthews Senior Pastor 1200 Isle of Patmos Plaza, Northeast Washington, DC 20018 Office: (202) 529-6767 - Fax: (202) 526-1661 Service and Times Sunday Worship Services: 7:30 AM and 10:30 AM Holy Communion: 2nd Sunday at 7:30 AM and 10:30 AM Sunday Church School: 9:20 AM Seniors Bible Study: Tuesdays at 10:30 AM Noon Day Prayer Service: Tuesdays at Noon Bible Study: Tuesdays at 7 PM Motto: “A Ministry of Reconciliation Where Everybody is Somebody!” Website: http://isleofpatmosbc.org Church Email: ipbcsecretary@verizon.net
St Marks Baptist Come Worship with us... 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: 9:00 AM Worship Service: 10:00 AM Wed. Noon Day prayer service Thur. Prayer service: 6:45 PM Thur. Bible Study: 7:15 PM
Twelfth Street Christian Church Reverend Dr. Paul H. Saddler Senior Pastor (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 Reverend Dr. Paris L Smith, Sr. Senior Pastor 901 Third Street N.W. Washington, DC. 20001 Phone (202) 842-3411 Fax (202) 682-9423 Service and Times Sunday Church School : 9:00 AM Sunday Morning Worship: 10:10 AM Bible Study Tuesday: 6: 00 PM Prayer Service Tuesday: 7:00 PM Holy Communion: 3rd Sunday 10:10 AM themcbc.org
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RELIGION Shabbath Commandment Church Bishop Adrian A. Taylor, Sr. Pastor 7801 Livingston Road Oxon Hill, MD 20745 301-534-5471 Service and Times Sabbath School 9:30 a.m. – 10:30 AM Service 11:00 AM Praise & Worship Preaching 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM 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 9:00 a.m. – Sunday School 10:15 a.m. – Worship Service Wed. Noon: Dea. Robert Owens Bible Study 7 PM Pastor’s Bible Study Ordinance of Baptism 2nd Sunday, Holy Communion 4th Sunday Mission: Zion 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 AM Sunday School: 9:15 AM Holy Communion: 11:00 a.m., 3rd Sun. Bible Institute: Wednesday - 1:30 PM Prayer Meeting: Wednesday - 12:00 Noon
All Nations Baptist Church Rev. Dr. James Coleman Pastor 2001 North Capitol St, N.E. - Washington, DC 20002 Phone (202) 832-9591 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
Rev. Daryl F. Bell Pastor 2324 Ontario Road, NW Washington, DC 20009 (202) 232-1730 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 “Where Jesus is the King”
Dr. Earl D. Trent 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
Service and Times Sunday Worship: 8:00 AM & 10:45 AM Baptism/Holy Communion: 3rd Sunday Family Bible Study Tuesdays – 6:30 PM Prayer Service: Tuesdays – 8:00 PM www.emmanuelbaptistchurchdc.org
Sermon On The Mount Temple Of Joy Apostolic Faith
Lincoln Park United Methodist Church 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: 10:45 AM Sunday School: 9:15 AM Holy Communion1st Sunday: 10:45 AM Prayer Service: Wednesday at 6:30 PM Bible Study: Wednesday at 7:00 PM Bible Study: Tuesday at 10:30 AM
Mount Moriah Baptist Church Dr. Lucius M. Dalton Senior Pastor
Service and Times Sunday Worship: 10:00 AM Holy Communion: First Sunday 10:00 AM Sunday School: 9:00 AM Bible Study: Wednesday @ 12 noon and 6:30 PM Motto: "Faith On The Hill"
Service and Times Sunday Apostolic Worship Services 11:00 A.M and 5:00 PM Communion and Feet Wash 4th Sunday at 5:00 PM Prayer/Seeking: Wednesday at 8:00 PM 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
Eastern Community Baptist Church 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
Reverend Peter R. Blue Sr. Pastor
Rev. Curtis l. Staley Pastor
2001 Brooks Drive District Heights MD. 20744 240.838.7074
621 Alabama Ave., S.E.- Washington, D.C. 20032 P: (202) 561-1111 - F: (202) 561-1112
Service and Times Sunday Worship Experience: 10:15am Sunday School: 9:00am Holy Communion: 3rd Sunday Morning Noontime Bible Study: Tuesday @ 12:00pm Prayer Meeting/Bible Study: Tuesday @7:00pm Theme: "Building On A Firm Foundation"
Service and Times Sunday Service: 10:00 AM Sunday School for all ages: 8:30 AM 1st Sunday Baptism: 10:00 AM 2nd Sunday Holy Communion:10:00 AM Tuesday: Bible Study: 6:30 PM Prayer Meeting: 7:45 PM
Email: revprbstmbc@gmail.com Website: www.stmatthewsbaptist.org
Motto: “Where God is First and Where Friendly People Worship”
“Real Worship for Real People” Website: www.easterncommunity.org Email: ecc@easterncommunity.org
“A Church Where Love Is Essential and Praise is Intentional”
Foggy Bottom - Founded in 1867 728 23rd Street, NW - Washington, DC 20037 Church office: 202-333-3985 - Fax : 202-338-4958
Shiloh Baptist Church
Matthews Memorial Baptist Church Dr. Joseph D. Turner / Senior Pastor 2616 MLK Ave., SE - Washington, DC 20020 Office 202-889-3709 - Fax 202-678-3304 Service and Times Early Worship Service: 8:00 AM Worship Service: 11:00 AM New Member’s Class: 9:45 AM Holy Communion: 1st Sunday, 11:00 AM Church School: 9:45 AM Wednesday 12:00pm Bible Study Prayer, Praise and Bible Study: 7:00 PM Saturday Bible Study: 11:00 AM Baptism 4th Sunday: 11:00 AM “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 “The Loving Church of the living lord “
4504 Gault Place, N.E. / Washington, D.C 20019 202-397-7775 – 7184 Service and Times Sunday Church School: 9:30 AM Sunday Worship Service : 11:00 AM The Lord’s Supper 1st Sunday Prayer & Praise Services: Wednesday 7:00 PM Bible Study: 7:30 PM Saturday before 4th Sunday Men, Women, Youth Discipleship Ministries: 10:30 AM 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 AM Wednesday Bible Study: 7:00 PM Friday Evening Service: 7:00 PM ; Last Friday “…Giving Your Life a Meaning” www.Christembassydc.org Christ.embassy.dc@hotmail.com
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 AM Sunday Worship Service: 11:00 AM Monday Adult Bible Study: 7:00 PM Wednesday Youth & Adult Activities: 6:30 PM Prayer Service Bible Study
First Rising Mt. Zion Baptist Church
Mt. Horeb Baptist Church
Rev. Dr. Wallace Charles Smith Pastor
Rev. Oran W. Young Pastor
Rev. Dr. H. B. Sampson, III Pastor
9th & P Street, N.W. - W. D.C. 20001 (202) 232-4288
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 AM Sunday School: 9:00 AM Worship Service: 10:30 AM Holy Communion: 4th Sunday 7:30AM & 10:30 AM Prayer Services:Tuesday 7:30 PM. Wednesday 12 Noon
www.stmarysfoggybottom.org Email: stmarysoffice@stmarysfoggybottom.org
Service and Times First Sunday Worship Service (one service): 10:00 AM Second, Third, Fourth, and Fifth Sunday Worship service: 7:45 AM and 10:55 AM Sunday Church School/Bible Study: 9:30 AM Thursday Prayer Service: 6:30 PM
All are welcome to St. Mary’s to Learn, Worship, and Grow.
Email: sbc@shilohbaptist.org Website: shilohbaptist.org
Service and Times Sundays: 10 a.m. Holy Eucharist with Music and Hymns Wednesdays: 12:10 p.m. - Holy Eucharist
Service and Times Sunday Worship Services: 10:00 AM Sunday Church School: 8:45 – 9:45 AM Holy Communion: Every First Sunday Intercessory Prayer: Monday – 7:00-8:00 PM Pastor’s Bible Study: Wednesday –7:45 PM Midweek Prayer: Wednesday – 7:00 PM Noonday Prayer Every Thursday
Rev. Dr. George C. Gilbert Senior Pastor
Email Address: admin@pbc712.org
Historic St. Mary’s Episcopal Church The Rev. E. Bernard Anderson Priest
Holy Trinity United Baptist Church
Florida Avenue Baptist Church
Reverend Christopher L. Nichols Pastor
Rev. Dr. Jerryl V. Moody Pastor-Elect
Web: www.mountmoriahchurch.org Email: mtmoriah@mountmoriahchurch.org
St. Matthews Baptist Church
Emmanuel Baptist Church
King Emmanuel Baptist Church
WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER
Service and Times Sunday School for All Ages: 8:00 AM Sunday Worship Services: 9:30 AM Midday Prayer & Bible Study: Wednesday 11:30AM Evening Prayer & Bible Study: Wednesday 7:00 PM Laymen's League: Thursday 7:00 PM 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 15 - 21, 2021 41
LEGAL NOTICES
LEGAL NOTICES
LEGAL NOTICES
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
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
2021 FEP 000015
2020 ADM 000795
2021 FEP 000017
2021 FEP 000020
April 27, 2019 Date of Death
Jacqueline Green Hayden Decedent
November 11, 2020 Date of Death
February 28, 2020 Date of Death
Marianne B. Lawrence Name of Decedent
Perez A. Walker Name of Decedent
Antoinette Cecilia Brown Name of Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF FOREIGN PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS T. Reone Brown and Ivan K. Brown, whose addresses are 1425 4th Street., SW, #8, Washington, DC 20024 & 2101 34th St., NE, Washington, DC 20020 were appointed personal representatives of the estate of Antoinette Cecilia Brown, deceased, by the Orphans Court for Prince Georges County, State of Maryland, on June 26, 2019. Service of process may be made upon T. Reone Brown, 1425 4th Street, SW, #8, Washington, DC 20024 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 estate. 4922 Just Street, NE, Washington, DC 20019. 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.
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Jeffrey K. Gordon, Esq., whose address is 5335 Wisconsin Avenue, NW, #700, Washington, DC 20015, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Jacqueline Green Hayden who died on May 17, 2020 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 10/1/2021. 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 10/1/2021, 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.
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF FOREIGN PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF FOREIGN PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS
LEGAL NOTICES SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 2021 ADM 204 Victoria Adella Sweetland Decedent Donovan Anderson Law Office of Donovan Anderson PC 1231-B Good Hope Rd. SE Washington, DC 20020 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS
Carly Allysa Blake, whose address is 349 L Street, SE, Washington, DC 20003, was appointed personal representative of the estate of Marianne B. Lawrence, deceased, by the Superior Court for King County, State of Washington, on December 18, 2020. Service of process may be made upon Patrick Blake, 349 L Street, SE, Washington, DC 20003 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 estate. 310 I Street, SE, Washington, DC 20003. 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.
Lolita M. Anthony, whose address is 9115 Banleigh Lane, Clinton, MD 20735 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Perez A. Walker, deceased, by the Orphans Court for Prince Georges County, State of Maryland, on 10/16/2020. Service of process may be made upon Evelyn Bowles, 1573 41st Street, SE, Washington, DC 20020 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 estate. 2238 16th Street, NE, Washington, DC 20018. 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: 4/1/2021
Date of first publication: 4/1/2021
TRUE TEST COPY
Carly Allysa Blake Personal Representative
Lolita M. Anthony Personal Representative
Nicole Stevens Register of Wills
Nicole Stevens Register of Wills
Nicole Stevens Register of Wills
Washington Informer
Washington Informer
Washington Informer
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
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
2021 ADM 000220
2021 ADM 000141
2021 ADM 178
2021 ADM 000112
2021 ADM 210
Ernest F. Bailey aka Ernest Franklin Bailey Decedent
Michael Smith Decedent
George R. Fulginiti Decedent
Blaine Arthur Sheffer Decedent
Ethel Mitchell 8403 Colesville Rd., Suite 1100 Silver Spring, MD 20910 Attorney
Edward G. Varrone, Esq. 1825 K Street, NW Suite 1150 Washington, DC 20006 Attorney
Date of first publication: 4/1/2021 T. Reone Brown Ivan K. Brown Personal Representatives
Attorney Ethel Mitchell 8403 Colesville Road, Suite 1100 Washington, MD 20910 Attorney
Date of first publication: 4/1/2021 Jaffrey K. Gordon, Esq. Personal Representative
Reginald Harris 1775 I Street, NW Suite 1150 Washington, DC 20006 Attorney
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS
Joyce E. Henderson, whose address is 71 Eagle Bluff Drive, Claremont, VA 23899, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Ernest F. Bailey aka Ernest Franklin Bailey who died on December 1, 2020 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 10/8/2021. 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 10/8/2021, 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.
Ronald Smith, whose address is 7210 Wingstone Ln., Charlotte, NC 28262, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Michael Smith who died on August 5, 2020 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 10/8/2021. 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 10/8/2021, 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: 4/8/2021
Date of first publication: 4/8/2021
Joyce E. Henderson Personal Representative
Ronald Smith Personal Representative
TRUE TEST COPY
TRUE TEST COPY
Nicole Stevens Register of Wills
Nicole Stevens Register of Wills
Washington Informer
Washington Informer
Laura B. Jackson Decedent
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Kimble Byrd, whose address is 415 27th Street, West Palm Beach, FL 33407, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Laura B. Jackson who died on May 18, 2020 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 10/8/2021. 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 10/8/2021, 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: 4/8/2021 Kimble Byrd Personal Representative
TRUE TEST COPY
42 APRIL 15 - 21, 2021
Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Otis Ramsey-Zoe, whose address is 1601 Irving Street, NW, Washington, DC 20009, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of George R. Fulginiti who died on June 21, 2020 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 10/8/2021. 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 10/8/2021, 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: 4/8/2021 Otis Ramsey-Zoe Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY
Nicole Stevens Register of Wills
Nicole Stevens Register of Wills
Washington Informer
Washington Informer
Belva Milson, whose address is 430 Quackenbos Street, NW, Washington, DC 20011, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Victoria Adella Sweetland who died on May 23, 2020 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 10/8/2021. 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 10/8/2021, 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: 4/8/2021 Belva Milson Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Robert B. Sheffer, whose address is 5635 Valleyview Drive, Bethel, PA 15102, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Blaine Arthur Sheffer who died on January 8, 2020 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 10/8/2021. 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 10/8/2021, 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: 4/8/2021 Robert B. Sheffer Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer
THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM
LEGAL NOTICES
LEGAL NOTICES
LEGAL NOTICES
LEGAL NOTICES
LEGAL NOTICES
STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA IN THE FAMILY COURT OF THE FIFTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT COUNTY OF RICHLAND DOCKET NO.: 2020-DR-40-2270 Notice of Adoption ProceedingS TO THE DEFENDANT: John Doe, Birth Father YOU ARE HEREBY GIVEN THE FOLLOWING NOTICE: 1. That an adoption proceeding was filed in the Family Court of Richland County on August 31, 2020, and in this Complaint you are alleged to be the father of an African-American, female child born in Washington, DC on August 23, 2020. 2. That the Plaintiffs in the above captioned Notice are not named for the purpose of confidentiality; however, the Court knows the true identity of the Plaintiffs and in responding to this notice, you are required to use the caption and the number 2020-DR-40-2270. 3. That if Notice to Contest, Intervene or otherwise Respond is filed by you with the Court within thirty (30) days of the receipt of this Notice of Adoption Proceedings, you will be given an opportunity to appear and be heard on the merits of the adoption. To file notice to Contest, Intervene or otherwise Respond in this action, you must notify the above named Court at Richland County Courthouse, Clerk of Court Richland County Family Court, 1701 Main Street, Columbia, South Carolina 29201 in writing of your intention to Contest, Intervene or otherwise Respond. The above named Court must be informed of your current address and any changes of your address during the adoption proceedings. 4. That your failure to respond within thirty (30) days of receipt of this Notice of Adoption Proceedings constitutes your consent to the adoption and forfeiture of all of your rights and obligations to the above identified child. It is further alleged that your consent to this adoption is not required under S.C. Code Ann. Section 63-9-310 and that your parental rights should be terminated pursuant to S.C. Code Ann. Section 63-7-2570 (7). This notice is given pursuant to S.C. Code Ann. Section 63-9-730 (E). Raymond W. Godwin, Esq. (SC Bar #2162) PO Box 354 Greenville, SC 29602 PH (864) 241-2883 FAX: (864) 255-4342 ATTORNEY FOR PLAINTIFFS Date: March 24, 2021
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
2021 ADM 000219
2021 ADM 164
2021 ADM 259
William L. Woods aka William Lewis Woods Decedent
Sandra K. Anglade Lucas aka Sandra Mernadette Anglade Lucas aka Sandra Kelly Anglade Lucas aka Sandra Kelly Anglade Decedent
Nannie Louise Hemphill Decedent
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
2021 ADM 163
2021 ADM 000134
2021 ADM 267
Natha L. Swinton Decedent
Clara F. Luter aka Clara Luter aka Clara Floreen Smith Luter Decedent
Elizabeth M. Hight aka Elizabeth H. Hight Decedent
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 2021 ADM 000124 Elbert Walker Decedent Ethel Mitchell 8403 Colesville Rd. Suite 1100 Silver Spring, MD 20910 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Jerome Walker, whose address is 1527 Spring Place, NW, Washington, DC 20010, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Elbert Walker who died on December 1, 2006 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 10/8/2021. 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 10/8/2021, 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: 4/8/2021 Jerome Walker Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Michael Lee Woods, whose address is 11300 Marlboro Ridge Rd., Upper Marlboro, MD 20772, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of William L. Woods aka William Lewis Woods who died on October 25, 2020 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 10/15/2021. 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 10/15/2021, 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: 4/15/2021 Michael Lee Woods Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer
Chidinma Iwuji 419 7th Street, NW, Suite 405 Washington, DC 20004 Attorney
Jeffrey S. Glaser Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr LLP 500 E. Pratt Street, Suite 900 Baltimore, MD 21202 Attorney
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS
Janet L. Simpson, whose address is 200 Longhouse Dr., West Milford, NJ 07421, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Natha L. Swinton who died on 1/24/2021 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 10/15/2021. 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 10/15/2021, 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.
Walter E. Smith, whose address is 1270 Elliot Farm Road, Fayetteville, NC 28311, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Clara F. Luter aka Clara Luter aka Clara Floreen Smith Luter who died on January 25, 2020 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 10/15/2021. 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 10/15/2021, 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.
Alfred H. Harf, whose address is 6624 32nd Place, NW, Washington, DC 20015, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Elizabeth M. Hight aka Elizabeth H. Hight who died on March 18, 2020 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 10/15/2021. 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 10/15/2021, 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: 4/15/2021
Date of first publication: 4/15/2021
Date of first publication: 4/15/2021
Janet L. Simpson Personal Representative
Walter E. Smith Personal Representative
TRUE TEST COPY
TRUE TEST COPY
Nicole Stevens Register of Wills
Nicole Stevens Register of Wills
Johnny M. Howard Houston & Howard 1001 Connecticut Ave., NW Suite 402 Washington, DC 20036 Attorney
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS
Washington Informer
Washington Informer
Alfred H. Harf Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer
WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER
Robert P. Newman,Esq. Law Office of Robert P. Newman 801 Wayne Ave., Suite 400 Silver Spring, MD 20910 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Derrick A. Lucas, Sr., whose address is 23 Tuckerman St., Washington, DC 20011, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Sandra K. Anglade Lucas aka Sandra Mernadette Anglade Lucas aka Sandra Kelly Anglade aka Sandra Kelly Anglade Lucas who died on 4/12/2020 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 10/15/2021. 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 10/15/2021, 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.
James Larry Frazier, Esq. 918 Maryland Avenue, NE Washington, DC 20002 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Docia Randolph and Patricia Lowery, whose addresses are 15029 Whitegate Rd., Silver Spring, MD 20904 & 5133 Parkline Dr., Columbus, OH 43232, were appointed Personal Representatives of the estate of Nannie Louise Hemphill who died on December 9, 2020 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 10/15/2021. 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 10/15/2021, 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: 4/15/2021
Date of first publication: 4/15/2021
Docia Randolph Patricia Lowery Personal Representative
Derrick A. Lucas, Sr. Personal Representative
TRUE TEST COPY
TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer
Nicole Stevens Register of Wills
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
2021 FEP 000029 May 20, 2019 Date of Death Barbara E. Gordon Name of Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF FOREIGN PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS Carl W. Gordon whose address is 9135 Creekstone Lake Dr., Houston, TX 77054 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Barbara E. Gordon, deceased, by the Orphans Court for Montgomery County, State of Maryland, on July 16, 2020. Service of process may be made upon Jason Gordon, 6615 Georgia Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20012 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 estate. 7301 Georgia Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20012; 7303 Georgia Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20012; 6615 Georgia Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20012. 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: 4/15/2021 Carl W. Gordon Personal Representative Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer
Washington Informer
2021 ADM 244 Charles Brown, Jr. Decedent Iris McCollum Green, Esq. 1730 M Street, NW Suite 609 Washington, DC 20036 Attorney
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Mauryce Johnson, whose address is 1023 31st Street, SE, Washington, DC 20019, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Charles Brown, Jr. who died on April 27, 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 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 10/15/2021. 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 10/15/2021, 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: 4/15/2021 Mauryce Johnson Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer
APRIL 15 - 21, 2021 43
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MAYOR from Page 28 rolled down her van window and said, “take this hat man,” with her Jamaican accent. In 2018 Nembhard was drafted into public office after 55 voters wrote in her name and elected her to the New Carrollton City Council. But what has once considered a political fluke in a local city election became very serious after longtime Mayor Andy Hanko died. In June of 2020, this 51 -year-old mother became the first African American to serve as the mayor of New Carrollton. Nembhard, a licensed realtor, is a lawmaker who has come at the right time, say her supporters. But instead of hobnobbing in business suites, most people know her for her presence in the streets. “Some people don’t have good jobs, and with the kids being home, many are short on food,” said Nembhard, who is a wise lawmaker, has quietly cleaned house in city hall as well, looking to install officials, black and white, who are loyal to her plan. In addition to serving the community she is revamping the local government, looking to fill positions that include deputy city administrator and director of finance. Nembhard, who doesn’t run for re-election until 2023, said she never dreamed of being mayor, said she now gets calls from would-be politicians who want to emulate her. “My goal is to reduce our taxes for city residents, stamping out our food shortage, and renovate an abandoned pool into a community center,” Nembhard said, adding. “We also want to develop a new community arts district.” While there are many activities in New Carrolton, Nembhard admits she can’t do everything by herself. She is now recruiting community partners as well as members of the faith community to bring families closer. “We are also partnering with United Baptist Church, Ebenezer Church of God, and Trinity Moravia to get our churches involved in the community because domestic violence is on the rise.” WI
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WILLIAMS from Page 26 The new law removes the Georgia secretary of state as the chair of the state elections board and allows the state legislature to appoint a "nonpartisan" chair of the board. Accordingly, this board is empowered to determine whether county elections have been properly executed, and, if not, the legislature could use administrative remedy to correct them. This supports the likelihood that a recurrence of
MORIAL from Page 26 struggling to keep or find an affordable home." Demonstrating her commitment to racial equity, her first meeting following her confirmation was with myself and other civil rights leaders, where we discussed fair and affordable housing, access to capital for Black and brown people, and resources for those at risk of being evicted due the pandemic. The meeting reinforced my confidence that the Department of Housing and Urban Development is in the hands of a seasoned, experienced and knowledgeable leader. Secretary Fudge and I held the toughest job in America at the same — she was the first woman and first Black person to serve as mayor of Warrensville Heights, and I was
MABSON from Page 26 just 30 miles from New Orleans, LA, have been calling for the shutdown of a massive petrochemical facility that has been polluting the air at unsafe levels for decades. Local activists are sounding the alarm and link the high COVID-19 related deaths to autoimmune diseases and respiratory ailments associated with exposure to the pollution. Under the Trump administration and EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler, a former coal lobbyist, climate change is denied, science and evidence-based facts are ignored, and polluters can pol-lute. While medical professionals focus on treating COVID-19 patients and the sick fight for their lives, the administration is focused on dismantling clean air protections and weakening pollution standards desperately needed to protect health during and after this pandemic. In the midst of the pandemic, the Trump administration announced a
Trump's baseless claims about the 2020 election could be successful. This provision concerns officials and activists in large Democrat-ran counties such as Atlanta's Fulton County.
GUARANTEED — LIMITED — DROP BOXES
The new law also limits ballot drop boxes in each county, as well as their hours of availability and loca-
tion. Fulton County would go from 38 drop boxes to eight in the future. The law states that drop boxes need to be located at elections offices or inside early voting locations. Additionally, the law alters or gives options for procedures to early and absentee voting. I encourage readers to familiarize and understand the new law and what it means to our communities. We already know that Texas and Arizona are considering similar legislation.
Secretary Fudge and I held the toughest job in America at the same — she was the first woman and first Black person to serve as mayor of Warrensville Heights, and I was serving my second term as mayor of New Orleans. serving my second term as mayor of New Orleans. As mayor, she was guided by the same commitment to economic justice that she has brought to President Biden's cabinet, expanding affordable housing opportunities and confronting the foreclosure crisis with a local partnership that helped residents maintain the financial security they needed to buy or keep a home.
She served as chief of staff to U.S. Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones, and was elected to her seat following the congresswoman's death in 2008. During her 13 years in Congress, she is best known for her role as Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus from 2013 to 2015, where she tackled issues such as job creation and protecting voting rights. Lesser known is her role in founding the bipartisan Rock
In the midst of the pandemic, the Trump administration announced a polluters’ wish list of roll-backs that will increase air pollution and harm public health. polluters’ wish list of roll-backs that will increase air pollution and harm public health. EPA suspended policy enforcement actions – allowing big corporations to pollute at will. Standards for cars and trucks have been weakened despite EPA indications that doing so would increase premature deaths from air pol-lution. Protections from mercury, soot, and arsenic pollution from power plants have also been undermined. Wheeler ignored advice from his EPA staff and outside scientists and decided not to change the current federal air quality standards, which inade-
quately protects public health from fine particle pollution from burning fossil fuels. I’m an activist scientist. Science matters. It is the key to help improve health, find cures for diseases, and save lives. As a scientist, I believe in facts over fiction and research over rumors. I also believe in putting my scientific knowledge and environmental activism to work addressing environmental injustices, fighting for clean water in Flint, highlighting social determinants rooted in American racism, and advocating for just environmental policies.
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Brian Kemp is a self-serving politician who will discriminate to maintain his power. True to his discriminatory self-interests, the signing was done behind closed doors with six white cronies observing. When Georgia state Rep. Park Cannon knocked on Kemp's door to bear witness to this modern jelly bean jar, she did it for us! We must likewise be willing to open the doors of racism and expose its ugly face to all. Keep on knocking, Park! WI and Roll Caucus. Secretary Fudge's hometown of Cleveland is known as the birthplace of rock and roll, and her former district is home to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. "So many people look at what they call 'politicians' as such a dirty word," she said during a speech to honor the 100th anniversary of the National Urban League. "I am a public servant. I get up every day, and every morning when I leave my apartment, I say, I am going to do the people's work. That is my job. That is what I was brought here to do. I hope there is someone out there who recognizes what we do, who understands the significance of who we are, and they will feel the same sense of pride we feel today talking about all of the people on whose shoulders we stand today." WI These are challenging times. To move forward, we need to join the Congressional Black Caucus and others in demanding that the Trump administration require that federal agencies track and report race-specific data around COVID-19. Race-specific data collected is crucial to provide transparency and understanding of the coronavirus pandemic’s impact on African Americans. The data can be used to address underlying health disparities and develop solutions. Eric Garner won’t celebrate 50, but to honor his life, do what communities did when he died. Communities came together using “I can’t breathe” as the protest cry against police brutality. With social distancing, we can come together through social media. We can use “I can’t breathe” as the protest cry for environmental brutality. We can use our voices, our fight, and our resilience to reduce pollution, increase environmental justice, and live healthier futures. WI
HEALTH from Page 21
Through this project, the ALA says it will help increase knowledge and adoption of evidence-based strategies to control asthma in communities most impacted through its broad network of established partners, proven programs and effective policies. In turn the effort will create asthma-friendly environments where people live, work, learn and play. “Millions of Americans are living with asthma. And while it's a chronic condition, with the right support symptoms can be managed and controlled. No one should have to go to the emergency department or be hospitalized multiple times a year, or even lose their life to this disease,” said American Lung Association President and CEO Harold Wimmer. “Everyone deserves the opportunity to lead a full and active life. We're proud to help bring proven strategies to trusted community organizations and partners to ensure that everyone gets the support they need not just to survive with asthma, but to thrive. And this is especially important for groups and individuals disproportionately impacted by asthma.” The ALA adds controlling asthma and asthma-related hospital visits is even more important during the coronavirus pandemic where COVID-19, a respiratory disease caused by the virus attacks the lungs. A new survey from the group finds Americans are most concerned about loved ones’ lung health since the pandemic began, as well as protecting their personal lung health, including quitting smoking or vaping. Most survey respondents were also open to annual vaccination if recommended, but a third of parents were unwilling to have their kids under 16 vaccinated, an approach the ALA disagrees with. “The pandemic has laid bare the critical importance of lung health,” Wimmer said. “Americans’ willingness for annual vaccinations is promising, and would help avoid additional illnesses, however it’s concerning that more than a third of parents would not vaccinate their child if recommended. “As clinical trials proceed and more information is available, the American Lung Association will work to ensure that Americans have fact-based, trusted information about the vaccine for kids, to help families make informed decisions for themselves.” WI
APRIL 15 - 21, 2021 45
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KIPPINS from Page 27 sion that can shut people out of the democratic process. Now we need a Black woman on the Supreme Court who will champion our rights and our experiences. As we strategize about the future of voting rights, we have to remember the courts as a key part of that strategy, and that means we need a pro-democracy Black woman in the room when the courts are making decisions
JEALOUS from Page 27 This is history in the making, not just for these judges but for all the people who will be influenced by their decisions. Legendary civil rights advocate Mary Frances Berry recently wrote, "When the American people voted in November, we chose a new Congress and administration that we believed would deliver change. That means passing legislation that actually helps everyday people, not just the rich and powerful. It also means having the right people in key positions to bring that 'real people' focus to policymaking and to upholding the law." As Berry pointed out, the success of these trailblazing women will also create new opportunities for the women and girls who follow them. Former President Donald
ASKIA from Page 27 cial urged his party to create an "army" of poll watchers made up of 10,000 people from Houston's majority-white suburbs. The unnamed official says the poll watchers should mobilize on Election Day in predominantly Black and brown communities in Houston. For what? To suppress legitimate votes, that's what! "We've got to get folks in these suburbs out here that have, you know, a lot of Republican folks that got to have the courage. If we don't do that, you know, this fraud down in here is really going to continue," the unnamed Harris County Repugnikkkan said on the secretly recorded video obtained by Common Cause Texas. Fraud? These guys don't give a hoot about electoral fraud. They certainly don't care about democracy in this society. What they really care about is maintaining control
about our voting rights. In the entire history of our judicial system, no Black woman has ever been nominated to the U.S. Supreme Court. For this country’s entire history, the Court’s decisions about cases critical to our rights and our freedoms have been decided without a single Black woman in the room. We’re making sure Black women everywhere know how important it is to have a Black
woman justice to stand up for our democracy and our rights. I’m proud to be a part of the SheWillRise campaign to raise awareness about the need for a Black woman justice and build a movement of Americans ready to demand her confirmation, because the democracy we leave the next generation depends on all of us fighting back against the assault on our democracy now. WI
Trump's judicial nominees were overwhelmingly white — around four percent of his judges are Black —and mostly picked for their loyalty to a right-wing judicial ideology that sacrifices individual rights and the common good to states' rights and the power of corpora-
tions. Trump appointed no Black women to the circuit courts. Confirming Biden's judicial nominees will begin the process of repairing the damage done to our courts during the Trump administration and restoring faith in our courts. Unfortunately, we have seen that being extremely well qualified does not prevent women of color from being unfairly attacked. Rightwing groups have spent millions of dollars to smear women of color nominated to Biden's cabinet and to high-level positions at the U.S. Justice Department. People For the American Way has launched the Her Fight Our Fight campaign to support the women of color who are ready to help lead the way to a more just, more inclusive, multiethnic and multiracial democratic society. WI
of the political system in the hands of trustworthy white officials who will put the interests of the White Tribe before everything else. And if you don't understand that, reread the first paragraph of this article. The underlying meaning of this debate is not unlike the contempt in the arguments against a higher minimum wage, especially when CEO pay is skyrocketing through the roof, even as worker productivity increases and some CEOs cause their companies to lose value rather than gain it. What they mean when they oppose the minimum wage is: "If I could get away with paying my workers LESS, I would do just that." In the voting discussion, if the ruling elite could preserve the image of a democratic society by allowing even fewer citizens to choose the leaders, hardly anyone would be allowed to vote. These scoundrels have done
the arithmetic. They've figured out that if all the eligible voters cast ballots, their wicked policies would be defeated, so they're not waiting until it's too late, they're cheating now, before they have to use troops, guns, mace, water canons and SWAT teams to suppress mass uprisings of the people. They enjoy being able to boast of their nonexistent electoral "freedom." But no one perpetrating these tactics would dare call it "voter suppression." No. they are protecting the system against "fraud." After the 2020 election and all of his baseless claims of "fraud" which "stole" his electoral victory from him, The Donald's tricks and ploys prove that white folks are committed to staying in power, even if they shred all the pretense of fairness and simply have to cheat in order to maintain their power. Their power. WI
People who care about equal justice under the law should be very happy about President Joe Biden's first set of judicial nominees.
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