The Washington Informer - August 24 2017 by The Washington Informer

VOL. 52, NO. 45 • AUGUST 24 - 30, 2017

Statues, Monuments and Memorials - Page 27

Trump Reverses Position on Afghanistan

DCPS's 'Every Day' Initiative Addresses Absenteeism

Strategy Vague but Insists Goal is ‘Killing Terrorists’

By Tatyana Hopkins WI Staff Writer D.C. Public Schools (DCPS) welcomed students back to class for the traditional 20172018 school year, Monday, Aug. 21. With positive outcomes in various elements of the DCPS experience, city officials are going into the new year with a new focus: attendance. Mayor Muriel Bowser kicked off the first day of the school year with students and city administrators with a visit to the newly modernized Marie Reed

SCHOOL Page 5

Back To School Page 30

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

5 Students at Marie Reed Elementary School in Northwest race to class on the first day of the 2017-18 school year. /Photo by Roy Lewis

Terrorists who slaughter innocent people will find no joy in this life and any other life, President Donald Trump said in an address to the nation on Monday night at Fort Myer, Va. Calling terrorists thugs, criminals, predators and losers, Trump, while unveiling his “path forward” message, said the U.S. will keep under wraps timetables,

ADDRESS Page 11

Dick Gregory - Gone But Not Forgotten By Stacy M Brown WI Senior Writer

5 Students at C.W. Harris Elementary School in Southeast get a glimpse of the solar eclipse on the field of their school on Aug. 21. /Photo by Shevry Lassiter

Tributes continue to pour in on via various medias in honor of the legendary civil rights activist and comedian Dick Gregory, who died Saturday, Aug. 19 at the age of 84. “A true legend and barrier breaker,” TV One's Roland Martin noted. Singer John Legend said Gregory lived an amazing, revolutionary life and Ava DuVernay said Gregory “taught us and loved us.” “RIP, Dick Gregory, the world needs more like you,” sports writer Dave Schilling tweeted while basketball writer Myron Met-

GREGORY Page 13

5 Dick Gregory during an evening performance several years ago where he opened for his talented daughter Ayanna. /Photo by Shevry Lassiter

Celebrating 52 Years of Service / Serving More Than 50,000 African American Readers Throughout The Metropolitan Area

Now Published by Dr. Charles Vincent

Her Legacy Continues.

In memory of Mickey Thompson Vincent, Founder and Publisher.

Dr. Charles & “Mickey” Vincent

Art on the Vine 2017

Sponsored by Agora Culture Held its second annual exhibition on Martha’s Vineyard Art on the Vine Founder Jessica Stafford Davis with her father Earl Stafford

rt on the Vine Art (AOTV), a nonprofit subsidiary of The Agora Culture, educates and showcases a diverse array of artists through a four-week residency program and annual art exhibition in Martha’s Vineyard. Launched in 2016, the Artist in Residency program provides emerging artists with an opportunity to gain exposure for their work and engage with the communities where their residency takes place. Nate Lewis is the first Artist in Residence: “Nate is an example of ingenious artists who are out here on the rise but need spaces where they can continue to cultivate their practice,” said Jessica Stafford Davis, founder of Art on the Vine and The Agora Culture For further Information: Carita Parks (571) 403-1596 carita@ theagoraculture.com Also visit www.artonthevinemv.com

Artist Elia Alba: With mediums as disparate as the very subject matter she pursues, Alba’s work centers on notions of multiplicity.

Artist Sheldon Scott: Multidisciplinary artist Sheldon Scott initially began his professional career as a psychotherapist, but pursued fine art through a myriad of mediums including storytelling via the spoken and written word, immersive installation, performance, and photography.

Art on the Vine Attendees: Kate Goodall and Dale Mott

ANNOUNCING AN ESTATE SALE to benefit the Mickey Thompson Vincent Scholarship Fund at Howard University. The sale will be held at the office of the Northern Virginia Urban League at 1315 Duke St. In Alexandria, Va. Designer Wear/Formal Wear/St. Johns Knits/Classic clothing and accessories. For further information: 703 836 2858

Artist Nate Lewis: Art on the Vine’s first residency artist Inspired by notions of vulnerability and tragedy, Lewis creates multidimensional sculptures through sheets of paper featuring precise and intricate cuts along musculature lines.

Kevin Franklin (AOTV Marketing Team), Artist Nate Lewis, and Amanda Stafford

Artist Juana Valdes: Cuban-born multidisciplinary artist Juana Valdes shifts from photography to installation to sculpture to blur conventional distinctions between fine art and the quotidian.

Kobe King (Singer and TV Producer)

Catering by Chef Deon Thomas and his Team

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

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

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around the region

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

SOMETHING NEW EVERYDAY

COMPILED BY D. KEVIN MCNEIR / WI EDITOR AND WILLIAM J. FORD / STAFF WRITER

Prince George’s Residents Can She Meet, Greetthreat,” Women Candidates law enforcement. said they she said.

By Tia Carol Jones

www.washingtoninformer.com

WI Staff Writer

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

had come together to bring a Among the programs Marlow Democratic of Maryland’s sense of uniformity in theThe wayUnited wants to see Women implemented are Prince branch celebrate When L.Y. Marlow's 23-year- domestic violence victims andGeorge’s stricterCounty restraining orderwill policies, Day”foronvictim's Thursday, Aug. 24 old daughter told her the father survivors are treated. “Women’s Equality more rights families of her daughter threatened her at the Lake Presidential Upper Marl“She's using her own personal to interveneGolf on Club behalfin of a viclife, and the life of their child, story, her own personal boro. pain For to a donation tim, a domestic violencecanassessof $20, residents meet and she knew something had to be push forward,” Davis-Nickens mentwomen unit coupled with greet perspective candidates whofurther seek state, done. Out of her frustration said about Marlow. training lawCassandra enforcement county or school boardfor offices. Freeman, with law enforcement's handling Davis-Nickens said who anyone agencies, Child's Aug. Life 19 Protecserved her last dayaSaturday, as regionof the situation, she decided to who reads Marlow's book will tionforAct mandatory counselal coordinator theand county’s branch, said up to start the Saving Promise cam- “get it.” She said she “puts the ing for batterers. 18 women may run for public office representing paign. case in such a way, the average “If we are ever going to eradiPrince George’s in next year’s primary. “It seems to be a vicious cycle person can get it.” She said at the cate domestic violence, we must outing whichsides begins p.m., the that won't turn my family end of the day, the bookDuring will the look at both of at the5 coin. Rev. Jacqueline will serve as the guest speaker. loose,” MarlowNorris said.Baker Marlow help people begin to have a dia- We need to address both the vic“Thisher is astory bit unusual to have women butviolence. I think that’stim phenomenal the county,” Freeman shared with the audi-so many logue aboutrunning domestic and thefor batterer,” Marlow said. “It giving the county an opportunity show that women do and offer a lot more to serve this county.” ence at isthe District Heights Also to present at the eventcan was said. Domestic Violence Symposium Mildred Muhammad, the exMarlow would also like to see on May 7 at the District Heights wife of John Allen Muhammad, programs designed to raise Municipal Center. The sympo- who was sentenced to six consec- awareness among children in sium was sponsored by the utive life terms without parole public and private schools. She Family and Youth Services by a Maryland for his role in feels children need to be educatOn Monday, Aug. 21, former Prince George’s jury County Public Center the cityaide of and District theDeonte BeltwayCarraway, Sniper attacks Schoolsofteacher’s volunteer, receivedin ed about domestic violence. Heights and of the75 National 2002. Mildred Muhammad “We have to stop being pasa sentence years inHookprison in federal court for producing is Up of Black Women. the founder of After the Trauma, sive-aggressive with poor chilchild pornography in an elementary school, a community center Marlow has written a book, an organization that helps the dren about domestic violence,” and other locations. Police also charged Carraway, 23, with sexu“Color Me Butterfly,” which is a survivors of domestic violence Marlow said. al assault other charges after persuaded a dozen children, story aboutand four generations of he and their children. Marlow has worked to break ages 9 toviolence. 13, to perform various acts which he recorded domestic The book is sexual “I lived in fear for six years. Six the cycle of abuse in her family, at JudgebySylvania Elementary and time. various inspired her ownWoods experiences, yearsininGlenarden fear is a long It is and is confident the policies she homes between October 2015 and February 2016. He was and those of her grandmother, not an easy thing to comearout is pushing for will start that rested Feb. 5,and 2016 an uncle of a 9-year-old her mother herafter daughter. of,” she said. boy saw a nude process. photo the child’s a KIK messenger app. She saidonevery timecell shephone readssent through Mildred Muhammad said “I plan to take these policies to excerpts from book, still filed Carraway stillher faces stateshe charges last year Princeto George’s people whoin want help a Congress and implore them to can not believe words County Circuitthe Court. Thecame case is scheduled for Sept. 28. domestic violence victim must change our laws,” Marlow said. from her. “Color Me Butterfly” be careful of how they go into “I will not stop until these poliwon the 2007 National “Best the victim's life, and understand cies are passed.” Books” Award. that she may be in “survival Tia Carol Jones can be reached “I was just 16-years-old when mode”. at tiacaroljones@sbcglobal.net Maryland Larry Hogan (R) wants to remove a statue my eye first blackened and my “Before you getGovernor to 'I'm going lips bled,” Marlow said. Roger Taney, Supreme WI Court justice who defended slavto killofyou,' it B. started as the a verbal Elaine Davis-Nickens, presiery and wrote the 1857 “Dred Scott” decision that determined dent of the National Hook-Up that Blacks could not be full American citizens, from the State of Black Women, said there is no House grounds. consistency in the way domestic Hogan’s decision, counter to his assertion last year that he had violence issues are dealt with by “no interest” in removing the statue, comes after Charlottesville was overcome by white nationalists who held a rally recently in support of the Confederate General Robert E. Lee which turned violent and deadly. Hogan now says removing the statue of Taney is the “right thing to do.” Many cities throughout the U.S. are debating whether similar statues which may now have become focal points for white nationalists and other like-minded citizens should be removed or destroyed.

Carraway Sentenced to 75 Years on Federal Charges

Wilhelmina J. Rolark In Memoriam Dr. Calvin W. Rolark, Sr. Wilhelmina J. Rolark THE WASHINGTON INFORMER PUBLISHER NEWSPAPER (ISSN#0741-9414) is NEWSPAPER (ISSN#0741-9414) is published THE WASHINGTON INFORMER Denise Barnes published on each Thursday.postage paid at Washington, D.C. and additional weeklyweekly on Thursday. Periodicals Periodicals Washingmailing postage offices. paid Newsat and advertising deadline is Monday prior to publication. ton,Announcements D.C. and additional mailing of- twoSTAFF must be received weeks prior to event. Copyright 2000 by The fices.Washington News andInformer. advertising All deadline rights reserved. POST McNeir, MASTER:Editor Send change of addressD. Kevin is Monday to publication. Anes to Theprior Washington Informer, 3117 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave., S.E. Washington, Ron Burke, Advertising/ Marketing Director D.C. 20032. Nobe partreceived of this publication may be reproduced without written permisnouncements must two Shevry Lassiter, Photo Editor the return of sionprior fromto the publisher. The2016 Informer Newspaper cannot guarantee weeks event. Copyright Barnes, IV, Papers Assistant Editor Subscription rates All are $30Lafayette per year, two years $45. willPhoto be received by photographs. The Washington Informer. notreserved. more than a week after publication. MakeE. checks payable to:Sports Photo Editor rights POSTMASTER: Send John De Freitas, change of addresses to The WashDorothy Rowley, Online Editor THE WASHINGTON INFORMER ington Informer, 3117 Martin Luther ZebraDesigns.net, Design & Layout 3117 Luther King, King, Jr. Ave., S.E.Martin Washington, D.C. Jr. Ave., S.E. • Washington, D.C. 20032 Mable Neville, Bookkeeper Phone: 202 • Fax: 202 574-3785 20032. No part of this publication may561-4100 E-mail: news@washingtoninformer.com Dr. Charles Vincent, Social Sightings columnist be reproduced without written permiswww.washingtoninformer.com sion from the publisher. The Informer Tatiana Moten, Social Media Specialist Newspaper cannot guarantee the return Angie Johnson, Circulation of photographs. Subscription rates are PUBLISHER $45 per year, two years $60. Papers will Denise Rolark Barnes REPORTERS be received not more than a week after STAFF REPORTERS publication. Make checks payable to: Stacy Brown (Senior Writer), Sam P.K. Collins, Brooke N. Garner Managing Editor Tia C. Jones, Ed Laiscell, Timothy Cox, FordLarry (Prince George’s Carla Peay Assistant Managing Editor Odell Will B. Ruffin, Saxton, THE WASHINGTON INFORMER Ron Burke Advertising and Marketing Mary Wells, Young County Writer), EveJoseph M. Ferguson, Hamil 3117Mable Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave., S.E Whittaker Bookkeeper Harris, Tatyana Hopkins, Jade James-Gist, D. Washington, D.C. 20032 LaNita Wrenn Administration PHOTOGRAPHERS Kevin McNeir, Lauren Poteat, Martell Pegues, Phone: 202De561-4100 John E. Freitas Sports Editor Lafayette Barnes, IV, Fax:Victor 202 Holt 574-3785 Photo Editor Dorothy Rowley, Sarafina Wright Fitzgerald, (General John E. De Freitas, Maurice news@washingtoninformer.com Zebra Designs, Inc. Layout & Graphic Design Joanne Jackson, Roy Lewis, Robert Assignment Writer) Ken Harris /www.scsworks.com Webmaster www.washingtoninformer.com Ridley, Victor Holt

Maryland Governor Calls for Removal of Justice Taney Statue

“

We have to stop being passive-aggressive with poor children about domestic violence. I plan to take these policies to Congress and Feds Agree to $900 Mwillion Metro’s Line imploreforthem to Purple change our Maryland’s Purple Line received a vital infusion of funds laws. -- $900 million in federal dollars – in what officials have I will not stop until described as a critical step forward for the project which has these policies are passed. encountered numerous delays.

The deal, according to an official with the Department of Transportation and secured following intense negotiation Paul Trantham between Maryland Governor Larry Hogan and TransportaJohn E. DeFreitas, Shevry Lassiter, tion Secretary Elaine Chao, will be signed next week. Roy Lewis, Demetrious Kinney, Mark Construction of the 16-mile light-rail line will begin in Mahonny, Lateef Mangum, Travis Riddick the next few weeks and will link Montgomery and Prince George’s counties. Democrats have applauded Hogan for 4 / May 15 - 21, 2008 The Washington Informer / www.washingtoninformer.com seeing the project through despite his having once criticized it for being too expensive during his run for governor in 2014. CIRCULATION PHOTOGRAPHERS

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In Memoriam The Washington Informer Dr. CalvinNewspaper W. Rolark, Sr.

L.Y. Marlow

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AROUND THE REGION SCHOOL from Page 1 Elementary School in Ward 1. Marie Reed is a diverse dual-language school which shares space with several community partners including a Department of Parks and Recreation pool, Community of Hope dental clinic and a United Planning Organization child care center. The original building, constructed in 1977, began modernization in June 2016. The now complete renovation includes green roofing, water efficient fixtures, community and teaching gardens and other energy efficient features. Just before the school visit, Bowser and other city officials stood at the intersection of Florida Avenue and 18th Street NW to remind motorists to slow down and use caution while school is in session. She held a similar campaign after school at the intersection of Wisconsin Avenue and Albemarle Street Northwest. The modernizations of schools, "slow down" campaigns and additional investments to school activities all support the Every Day Counts campaign, which Bowser launched Friday, Aug. 17. The Every Day Counts campaign is an effort spearheaded by the Deputy Mayor for Education Jennifer Niles. "Every school day is a new opportunity for students to learn and grow — to build on what they learned the day before and to prepare for the next day," Bowser said. "Throughout the year, our educators put a tremendous amount of effort into ensuring that every day

counts, but that effort only benefits the students who are in class and ready to learn. This year, we are doubling down on ensuring that all our families and students are connected to the resources they need to make it to school every day, on time." Bowser released Friday the results of the 2017 Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Career (PARCC), showing the second year of citywide growth in student performance across almost all grade levels and among almost all student groups. After decades of decline, enrollment at DCPS has been gradually on the rise since 2011, and this year, city officials would like to address chronic absenteeism. Though in-seat attendance averages have increased steadily since 2010 from 85.1 percent to 89.9 percent through the 2015- 2016 school year, attendance remains an issue for DCPS schools. "We need our kids in seats every single day," Bowser said. "Consistent student attendance is a citywide challenge that touches every grade, every ward and every school." By sixth grade, missing 10 percent of the school year is strongly linked to dropping out of high school. More than 18,000 students, about one in four, are chronically absent in D.C, which means they miss 10 percent of more of all school days. "Just missing one or two days a month can set our students back academically," said Deputy Mayor for Education Jennifer Niles. "I’m excited to partner with our government

agencies, schools, and community partners to empower students and families to overcome barriers to attendance. Every Day Counts is about getting out the right messages, rewarding progress, and working together to support every child and family in the District." Chronic absence affects every grade level and can have a longterm effect on preschool students, particularly. Missing just two days a month can put a student at risk of academic failure. The Every Day Counts initiative will increase coordination across public agencies, raise awareness about the importance of attendance as it relates to student achievement, invest in data-driven strategies to increase attendance rates and reward students and schools that improve attendance throughout the school year. WI

5 Mayor Muriel Bowser and school officials tour the modernized Marie Reed Elementary School in Northwest during the start of the 2017-18 school year August 21. /Photo by Roy Lewise

"Every school day is a new opportunity for students to learn and grow — to build on what they learned the day before and to prepare for the next day." MURIEL BOWSER / Mayor WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

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AUGUST 24 - 30, 2017 5

AROUND THE REGION

WEEK OF AUGUST 24 - 30, 2017

Source: Black America Web

AUG. 24

becomes the first African-American to be nominated for 1950 – Edith Sampson, a lawyer and judge, becomes the president by a major national party. first black U.S. delegate appointed to the United Nations. 1987 – Civil rights leader Bayard Rustin, chief organizer AUG. 29 of the 1963 March on Washington, dies in Manhattan. 1920 – Jazz saxophone virtuoso Charlie "Bird" Parker is born in Kansas City, Kansas. 1958 – Michael Jackson, the legendary "King of Pop," is AUG. 25 1925 – A. Philip Randolph becomes head of the Broth- born in Gary, Indiana. erhood of Sleeping Car Porters and Maids, the first pre- 1962 – Malvin Goode becomes the first African-American television news commentator when he begins broaddominantly African-American labor union. 1927 – Althea Gibson, the first African-American on the casting on ABC as a United Nations correspondent.

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U.S. tennis tour and first to win a Grand Slam title, is AUG. 30 born in Silver, South Carolina. 2001 – Music star and actress Aaliyah and eight others 1966 – Constance Baker Motley becomes the the are killed in a plane crash in the Bahamas after filming a first African-American woman federal judge when she is appointed to the United States District Court for the music video. She was 22. Southern District of New York. 1967 – Thurgood Marshall is confirmed by the SenAUG. 26 1946 – Singer/songwriter Valerie Simpson, half of leg- ate as the first-ever black endary husband-wife duo Ashford & Simpson, is born in Supreme Court justice. the Bronx, New York. 1947 – Brooklyn Dodgers' Dan Bankhead becomes the 1980 – Gublack pitcher in Major League Baseball history in a game ion Bluford, former against the Pittsburgh Pirates, also hitting a home run in a NASA ashis first at-bat. t r o n a u t, 1960 – Grammy-winning jazz saxophonist Branford becomes Marsalis is born in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana. the first African-AmerAUG. 27 1949 – A concert by famed singer and civil rights activist ican in space. WI Paul Robeson in Peekskill, New York, is called off when concertgoers are attacked by locals screaming racist and anti-Semitic slurs. Robeson is lynched in effigy and a cross is set ablaze during the riot, which resulted in more than a dozen people being seriously injured. 1963 – Famed author, scholar and NAACP co-founder W. E. B. Du Bois dies in Accra, Ghana, at 95. 1975 – Haile Selassie, former emperor of Ethiopia, dies in Addis Ababa at 83. 2008 – Barack Obama officially receives the Democratic presidential nomination at the DNC convention, becoming the party's first African-American nominee.

1955 – Emmett Till, a 14-year-old African-American boy, is lynched in Mississippi at the age of 14 after he was accused of flirting with a white woman. 1963 – Martin Luther King Jr. delivers his iconic "I Have a Dream" speech during the March on Washington. 1968 – Rev. Channing E. Philips of Washington, D.C.,

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VIEW P INT By Sarafina Wright

Legendary comedian and activist Dick Gregory died Aug. 19 at the age of 84. How will you remember him? TAWANDA DENT /

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA

I actually got to hear Dick Gregory speak at a book signing. He signed my book and then we ran into him inside of Five Guys [restaurant]. I was having such a star moment, as he was a living legend. Rest in peace, Dick Gregory.

MARY HOWARD /

TERRE HAUTE, INDIANA

Rest in peace, Dick Gregory. A civil rights and social activist we should all emulate. Your courage inspired me.

LINDA TAYLOR /

MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE

I remember being a student at Tennessee State University in 1968-69 endorsing Dick Gregory for president. I can remember him fasting for a cause he truly believed in. Rest in peace — you will be missed.

DEBORAH WILLIAMS /

GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA

A legend. My condolences to the family. Proud of how gutsy and real he was. He was widely respected and will be well missed.

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5 Tayl Governm

AROUND THE REGION

By D. Kevin McNeir / WI Editor @dkevinmcneir

The World According to Dominic

I Chose to Focus on Dick Gregory, a Wise Mentor, Not the Eclipse Over the last several days and through Monday afternoon, I’ve watched with amazement as millions of Americans got caught up in “eclipse mania” – rushing to obtain those special glasses, securing a spot from which they could witness the solar eclipse and participating in clearly absurd notions about how this rare, celestial phenomenon would impact their lives. In truth, I too initially considered joining in the hub-bub, forgoing more important tasks so I could one day brag about being among the number of those who observed the miracles of the universe at one of D.C.’s most coveted locations – the National Air and Space Museum. But after remembering that the legendary civil rights activist and comedian, Dick Gregory, had died over the weekend, I decided to focus on the life-changing words he shared with me several times during my decades-long career as a journalist for the Black press which continues today.

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We first swapped pleasantries when I was a beat reporter in Chicago, very early in my career, after being assigned to sit with him at the conclusion of a comedy show in which he starred that would later be edited and televised on HBO. The weather was horrendous as a winter storm had taken control of the Windy City, dumping several feet of snow on the city and making travel all but impossible. I wanted to impress Gregory, so I opened my queries by asking him how he got started in the comedy world. Holding nothing back, he exploded in a round of expletives that almost knocked me out of my seat. In summary, he advised me to refrain from wasting time seeking information that I could easily obtain by simply doing my job – researching my subject like any competent reporter would have done. He continued: “Ask me about things that no one has ever explored so your story becomes the one to which all others must refer.” It was

a lesson that I would never forget and a methodology which I would employ during every subsequent interview. Many years later, while speaking with both Gregory and the son of Dr. M.L. King, Jr., Martin III, Gregory helped me to understand why King’s sacrifice and lessons remain such an integral part of our country’s centuries-old quest to eliminate that which has been America’s greatest obstacle in realizing what King routinely referred to as the “Beloved Community” – racism. I thought I understood the relevance of King, particularly because I had earlier completed advanced studies in theology, ethics and philosophy at two highly-esteemed institutions. Gregory showed me that I still had more to learn. But he did not speak to me in a condescending manner. He did not degrade me. He did not embarrass me nor did he belittle the beliefs I had developed after years of intellectual pursuit. Gregory spoke to me lovingly, as a Black elder would to a young warrior attempting to walk in the footsteps and shadows of the ancestors. Sometime later, I realized that I had been allowed to sit at the feet of a teacher empowered by God – one who willingly blessed me with both his time and his talents. So, as millions focused on the solar eclipse this week, I had other things more important on my mind – lessons and insights that could help bring about the beginning of the Beloved Community and the end of man-made conflagrations based on the petty, inconsequential differences of race, class, religion and gender that mankind has allowed to separate, rather than unite, those who inhabit planet Earth. Bless you Dick Gregory. And thank you for your obedience to the Spirit. WI

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AROUND THE REGION Gray Leads Surprise Inspections at Ward 7 Safeway Stores By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer D.C. Council member Vincent C. Gray, chairman of the council's Committee on Health, conducted unannounced site visits and inspections at the two Safeway Grocery Stores in Ward 7 on Thursday, Aug. 17. Gray said the stores have received numerous customer complaints including poor sanitation, expired "Sell By/Use By" dates on product labels including meat, dairy, canned goods, deficient merchandise inventory and selection, excessively long checkout lines, empty shelves, reduced store hours without notification to the community and other issues. "Ward 7 is a grocery, health care and retail desert and the existing grocery stores serving this community provide unacceptable substandard products and services, thereby holding low-income residents without transportation options hostage," Gray said. The council member announced that he's introduced legislation to bring more grocery stores into Ward 7 and the East End, but in the meantime, he said Safeway must address and correct these substandard conditions.

In April, Gray met with Safeway Eastern Region executive management including operations, marketing, community relations, human resources. He requested an action plan and timetable to address customer complaints. Safeway management said they planned to upgrade service after community frustrations were raised in March regarding the chain's two Ward 7 stores; however, Gray said he continues to receive emails, calls and social media posts on customer gripes and has not been satisfied with the action plan outcomes and timetable. A Safeway spokesperson declined to comment. "The Benning Road Safeway and the Good Hope at Alabama Avenue are the two Safeway stores that Gray wanted to see for himself because some of the concerns that constituents and residents have been raising on social media, in emails and in meetings with him at these stores have been anywhere from poor sanitation, expired produce meat and dairy and other problems," said Janis Hazel, Gray's director of communications. Hazel also lives in Ward 7 and serves as commissioner of the 7D Advisory Neighborhood Commission.

"Council member Gray had been out of the country and just got back on Wednesday, a day before the surprise inspections, and people had been calling and he said, 'let's go out there ourselves,'" Hazel said. "We met with Safeway back in April and asked for an action plan and we're not pleased with it. We've gotten tweets of empty shelves and the Benning Road store recently reduced its hours, closing earlier than any other store in the District." The reduction in hours arrived with little-to-no notice, Gray said. Hazel noted that during the inspections, Gray's team would live tweet to provide District residents and others a firsthand look at the situation. Although she lives nearby, Hazel said she hasn't been to her local Safeway in 11 years. "I refuse to go to my Safeway, which is the Benning Road store. I haven't been there," she said. "I've lived in D.C. for 32 years and I have not been in that store because of poor sanitation, the floors are sticky and the meat and produce are rotten and it's just horrible. "It's not the experience I got when I lived on Capitol Hill and it's not the experience you get in Southwest," she said. WI

"Ward 7 is a grocery, health care and retail desert and the existing grocery stores serving this community provide unacceptable substandard products and services, thereby holding low-income residents without transportation options hostage." VINCENT GRAY

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CAN’T GET ENOUGH WI NEWS? 5 Ward 7 Council member Vincent Gray, talks with a Safeway employee during a surprise inspection of the Safeway

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store in Southeast on Aug. 17. /Photo by Lateef Mangum

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AUGUST 24 - 30, 2017 9

AROUND THE REGION CAPTURE THE MOMENT

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Charlottesville residents comfort one another on the day of the funeral for Heather Meyer, murdered by a member of the alt-right hate group during a protest on August 12. A make-shift memorial of flowers, candles and notes pay tribute to Meyer. /Photo by Michael A. McCoy

Who’s Reading the Informer? D.C. City Council Chair Phil Mendelson reads the Washington Informer. /Photo by Roy Lewis

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ADDRESS from Page 1 strategies and the number of troops that will be sent to engage in military attacks. Trump, who as a candidate promised his supporters that his “America First” campaign would avoid foreign entanglements focusing instead on issues on American soil, said his reversal, even with conditions, was a result of the reality he has faced since taking over the White House. He emphasized that unlike George W. Bush who first sent troops to invade Afghanistan after 9/11, which continued under Barack Obama in the country’s longest war of 16 years, “Our commitment is not unlimited and is not a blank check.” He went on to say, “the American people expect to see real reforms and real results.” He said America’s strategy in Afghanistan and throughout the world will change. “We are not nation building again. We are killing terrorists,” Trump said, vowing to break from what he has described as a dumb practice of announcing when military action would take place. “I will not say when we’re going to attack, but attack we will,” Trump said. The U.S. will also approach differently how to deal with Pakistan, whom he said represents a safe-haven for terrorists. “Pakistan in the past has been a valued partner; the Pakistani people have suffered greatly from

AROUND THE REGION terrorists, but also they’ve sheltered the same organizations that try to kill our people every single day,” he said. No country can survive a harbor of enemies who attack the U.S. and that changes now, the president asserted. “Pakistan has much to lose if they continue to harbor terrorists and criminals,” he said, as numerous military personnel made up the overwhelming majority of the audience at the Army’s Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall located across the Potomac River from the District. Trump also pledged not to use military might to construct democracies – a major shift from past presidents. However, his policy appears to mirror that adopted by the Obama administration which discontinued a direct U.S. combat mission but held back on a total withdrawal. The president, who has justifiably taken a major hit in the polls and around the world for his controversial statements regarding the Charlottesville violence led by white supremacists and Neo-Nazi’s, opened his speech by indirectly addressing that situation. He spoke about bigotry, hate and tolerance.

“Pakistan in the past has been a valued partner; the Pakistani people have suffered greatly from terrorists, but also they’ve sheltered the same organizations that try to kill our people every single day.” DONALD TRUMP

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“A wound inflicted upon a single member of our community is a wound inflicted upon us all,” he said, coming as close as he ever before the public in ramping back his previous comments when he said there was enough blame for everyone and refused to condemn the racists who incited the uprising. “When one part of America hurts, we all hurt,” Trump said. “And, when one citizen suffers an injustice, we all

suffer together.” Returning to the Afghanistan threat, the president noted that his original instinct had been to pull the troops out. “I [have] concluded that the security threats we face in Afghanistan and the broader region are immense,” Trump said. He offered few specifics and declined from providing the number of additional troops that will be sent to the war, though the Associated Press reported that U.S. officials said they expect him to go along with a Pentagon recommendation for nearly 4,000 new troops. The president has given Defense Secretary Jim Mattis the authority to determine how many more troops to deploy – evidence of a recent shift in

which Trump has yielded more authority to uniformed leaders. “We will not talk about numbers of troops or our plans for further military activities,” Trump said. “Conditions on the ground, not arbitrary timetables, will guide our strategy from now on.” There are roughly 8,400 American forces currently in Afghanistan. At its peak, the U.S. had roughly 100,000 forces there, under the Obama administration in 2010-2011. Trump said the American people are “weary of war without victory.” “I share the America people’s frustration,” Trump said. “In the end, we will win.” WI Editor D. Kevin McNeir contributed to this article. WI

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AUGUST 24 - 30, 2017 11

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY Housing Discrimination Still Exists, Study Finds By William J. Ford WI Staff Writer @jabariwill In light of racial violence from Charlottesville, Virginia, earlier this month at a white nationalist rally, a nonprofit organization seeks to combat another form of discrimination: housing. The Equal Rights Center, a nonprofit organization based in Northwest that seeks to eliminate prejudice in the D.C. area and nationwide, recently launched an online advice column for those

PGCPS BRIEFS

Compiled by Dorothy Rowley WI Staff Writer

KEY DATES FOR BACK TO SCHOOL

Saturday, Aug. 26 - Back to School Fair at the Prince George's Stadium Thursday, Aug. 31 - Systemic Orientation Day: Pre-K and Kindergarten Students Tuesday, Sept. 5 - Systemic Orientation Day: New 6th- and 7th-Grade Middle-Schoolers and New 9th-Graders: This is a full day activity. The referenced students are the only students that will start the school year on Sept.

12 AUGUST 24 - 30, 2017

who face inequity in pursuit of affordable housing. Those who experience a hate crime or other forms of discrimination and may not feel comfortable calling local authorities can fill out a form at https://communitiesagainsthate.org/report to have it catalogued. A representative with Communities of Hate, a coalition of organizations led by the Leadership Conference Education Fund and the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, would respond. It doesn't state how long a response 5. All other students will start on Wednesday, Sept. 6. Registrations and Student Schedules Registrations bus transportation after Aug. 23 will have transportation in place on Sept. 11. Registrations completed after Aug. 28 will result in students receiving a temporary grade level schedule with selected general classes until Sept. 15. Transportation For help with transportation, call the Transportation Phone Bank daily at: 301-952-6570.

SCHOOL BUS APP

PGCPS encourages parents to try out the new Bb District by Blackboard mobile app prior to the first day of school on Sept. 6 for bus stop locations and transportation updates. "In today's technology-driven and increasingly mobile world, we want to provide parents more information at their fingertips," said schools CEO Kevin Maxwell. "This school year, if you're

would take. "The testing we do is to show discrimination and white supremacy is often times more subtle than what we saw in Charlottesville," said Kate Scott, deputy director for the center who oversees its fair housing program. "It's just a manifestation of that same sort of problem." The center released a report, "Unlocking Discrimination" (http://bit.ly/2if1JUp), conducted last year where a white woman and black woman posed as single women in search of a one-bedroom or studio apartment. Both had similar criminal backgrounds and either called or visited a leasing or housing agent. According to the document and out of 47 evaluations completed, 47 percent of agents gave preferential treatment to the white woman and only 11 percent for the black woman. Another 42 percent showed no significant difference between how each woman faired. The tests were conducted in the District and Northern Virginia, but Scott said tests are currently being done in those jurisdictions and Maryland with results to be published next year. Although the federal and state laws prohibit housing discrimination based on race, age and sexual orientation, local laws known as "protected classes" help strengthen regulations. For instance, if District residents meet application requirements for rental housing, they can't be wondering when the bus will arrive, there's an app for that." In addition to transportation updates, the app provides convenient access to school lunch balances, homework assignments, grades and more.

SAVE THE DATE!

The 7th annual Back-to-School Fair will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 26 at Prince George's Stadium. The event comes under sponsorship of @ComcastBeltway @ ESFCU @BowieBaysox.

IMMUNIZATION UPDATES

Current 6th-grade students will need the Tdap and Meningitis vaccines to enter 7th-grade when classes begin Sept. 6. Enrolling-kindergarten students will need two doses of Varicella (chicken pox vaccine). But there's no need to wait and get caught in the summer rush if parents aren't able to get an ap-

BRIEFS Page 13

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5 Some tips on how to recognize housing discrimination /Courtesy of Equal Rights Center

refused rental housing based on source of income. The city has the most protected classes with 18 among jurisdictions in the Washington metropolitan area. Those designations include family responsibilities, matriculation and "status as a victim of an intra-family offense," which means a person who's a family member, spouse, or significant other shares a residence with someone and is later charged with a crime. Joel Cohn, legislative director for the city's Tenant Advocate office, said the District's diverse range of identifiable classes enables residents to have a better chance to obtain housing. "Our tenants have seen discrimination, but these protected classes make it harder to incur discrimination," Cohn said. The District and at least four other jurisdictions in Maryland — Frederick, Howard and Montgomery counties and the city of Frederick — also include source of income protection that ensure landlords can't turn those away with housing vouchers, or other legal tender to pay for rent. However, Prince George's County doesn't. Eric Brown, director of the county's Department of Housing

and Community Development, said landlords have turned away some who don't meet a private owner's financial requirements. "I think any tool that can increase opportunities for housing for people of modest means is definitely warranted," Brown said. That's why, he said, a comprehensive housing strategy will assess not only assess housing needs in the county, but also policies and procedures. It won't be completed until October 2018. In the meantime, Equal Rights Center provides a brochure for residents to recognize possible housing infractions: • Make an appointment to view a property and agent tells you it's no longer available; • You're discouraged from applying for an apartment or home loan event though you qualify; and • Agent charges you a fee for animal assistance, or provide proof the animal received specific training. "Housing is one of the most important issues in our country. It provides stability in a community," Scott said. "Why it is not at the forefront of the conversation is baffling to me." WI

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PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY GREGORY from Page 1 calf wrote, “Dick Gregory was the greatest and he was the first. Somebody had to break down that door.” Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, president and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association, also paid homage on Saturday. “We salute and honor the living legacy of freedom fighter Dick Gregory. RIP,” Chavis wrote on Twitter. Gregory had been in a Washington, D.C. area hospital battling an undisclosed illness. However, as late as Thursday, family members were said to have been upbeat about his recovery. In fact, he even had plans to appear at a show Saturday in the District. Born Richard Claxton “Dick” Gregory in St. Louis on Oct. 12, 1932, Gregory became a comedian and civil rights activist whose social satire changed the way whites perceived African-American comedians.

EARLY YEARS OF HIS COMEDY CAREER

He burst onto the national comedy scene in 1961 when Chicago’s Playboy Club (as a direct request from publisher Hugh Hefner) booked him as a replacement

for white comedian, “Professor” Irwin Corey. Before then, Gregory had worked mostly at small clubs with predominantly Black audiences. In his biography, he says he met his wife, Lillian Smith, at one such club. However, such clubs paid comedians an average of five dollars per night so Gregory also held a day job as a postal employee. His tenure as a replacement for Corey was so successful – at one performance he won over an audience that included southern white convention goers – that the Playboy Club offered him a contract extension from several weeks to three years, Gregory’s biography said. By 1962, Gregory had become a nationally-known headline performer, selling out nightclubs, making numerous national television appearances and recording popular comedy albums. It’s important to note that no biography of Gregory would be complete without mentioning that he and his beloved wife, Lil, had 10 children all of whom have become highly-respected members of the national community in a variety of fields. They are: Michele, Lynne, Pamela, Paula, Stephanie (aka Xenobia), Gregory, Christian, Miss, Ayanna and Yohance. The Gregory's had

one child who died at birth but they have shared 49 years of historic moments, selfless dedication and tremendous personal love. Gregory began performing comedy in the mid-1950s while serving in the army. Drafted in 1954 while attending Southern Illinois University at Carbondale on a track scholarship, Gregory briefly returned to the university after his discharge in 1956, but left without a degree because he felt that the university “didn’t want me to study, they wanted me to run.” In the hopes of performing comedy professionally, he moved to Chicago where he became part of a new generation of Black comedians that included Nipsey Russell, Bill Cosby and Godfrey Cambridge. These comedians broke with the minstrel tradition, which presented stereotypical Black characters. Gregory, whose style was detached, ironic and satirical, came to be called the “Black Mort Sahl” after the popular white social satirist. Friends of Gregory have always referred to Mort Sahl as the “White Dick Gregory.”

RACISM DRAWS HIM INTO CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT

5 Activist Dick Gregory with Washington Informer Publisher Denise Rolark Barnes and Howard University journalism students in 2014 during a visit to the Washington Informer office in Southeast where Gregory shared some of his philosophies. /WI File Photo by Shevry Lassiter

Gregory drew on current events, especially the racial issues, for much of his material. In one of his jokes he said, “Segregation is not all bad. Have you ever heard of a collision where the people in the back of the bus got hurt?” While a student at Sumner High

School in St. Louis, he led a march protesting segregated schools. Later, inspired by the work of leaders such as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and organizations that included the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee [SNCC], Gregory took part in the Civil

GREGORY Page 19

BRIEFS from Page 12

pointment before the school year begins, which would hinder their child from being in school on the first day. Parents can go to their primary care provider now to get their child immunized for the 2017-18 school year. Other options include going to the local health department clinics, local pharmacies, grocery stores and urgent care centers.

EARLY CHILDHOOD REGISTRATION

PGCPS' prekindergarten program provides early childhood education to 4-year-olds to help prepare them for kindergarten. As mandated by the state, children admitted to the prekindergarten program in the public schools shall be 4 years old on or before Sept. 1 of the school year in which they are applying. Early entrance will be considered for children turning four years of age between Sept. 2 and Oct. 15 of the school year for which they are requesting early entrance. For detailed information on prekindergarten admission pro-

5 Parents are urged to use the school bus app prior to the first day of school for bus stop locations. /Courtesy of PGCPS

cedures or to apply for early entrance, contact your boundary school. Students who meet age requirements and who are homeless will receive top priority. Parents can contact the Early Childhood Office in Oxon Hill at (240) 724-1924.

BACK-TO-SCHOOL BBQ

The #FatherhoodForum and #MenOfPGCPS will celebrate their 3rd annual "Back-To-School

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BBQ" and Fathers vs Male Educators Basketball Game as they welcome the public to join them Sunday at Oxon Hill Middle School from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. PGCPS fathers or male educators who would be interested in playing in the basketball game either on #TeamFatherhood or #TeamMaleEducator; should contact Curtis Valentine office 301952-6115 to RSVP by Aug. 25.

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AUGUST 24 - 30, 2017 13

BUSINESS D.C. Seeks Volunteers to Inspire Black Men By William J. Ford WI Staff Writer @jabariwill D.C. held its third annual My Brother's Keeper DC Volunteer Recruitment Fair at the National Press Club in Northwest on Thursday, Aug. 17, as officials with 53 agencies and nonprofit organizations stressed the importance of engaging in activities that support young men of color. Delano Hunter, chief service officer for Serve DC, which promotes volunteerism through the mayor's office, said supporting youth and young men of color ensures they help their community and beyond.

Among the suggested activities for volunteers: playing with and reading to less fortunate children, teaching young men public speaking skills and showing the proper use of social media. "Any degree of success â&#x20AC;Ś we got was because someone took the time impart wisdom and show us the way to provide some form of support," said Hunter, who added the agency hopes to register 500 volunteers. "I may not have an impact on what goes on in the national level, but I can control what goes on in my community." Hunter said the recruitment fair ensures companies are all at one site and people can speak

with officials about volunteer activities based on need. DC Levee's New Orleans and Back Community Action program enters its 11th year working with high school students to become more engaged in civic activities. Besides its request for volunteers to assist students in leadership skills, art and other talents, the program needs another home after being stationed at Idea Public Charter School in Northeast for a year and the first nine years at Cesar Chavez Public Charter School in Southeast. Jennifer Sonkin, founder and director of the DC Levee project, said students travel to New Orleans once a year to help residents in the Louisiana city after Hurricane Katrina destroyed the levee system in 2005 and caused massive floods. Earlier this month, part of the city and St. Bernard Parish flooded after heavy rains. "We have no money and we have no home, but we have a wonderful program," she said. The Homeless Children's Playtime Project, housed at St. Stephen's Church in Northwest, seeks volunteers for its "Play Rangers" program, which services at least 750 disadvantaged children annually. People are needed one night per week from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday for at least six months. Those interested must attend volunteer training, complete an application, submit a background check and attend child sexual abuse prevention instruction.

5 Michelle Smith (left), Jubilee Housing director of youth and family services, chats with prospective volunteers and mentors during the third annual My Brother's Keeper volunteer fair at the National Press Club in D.C. on Aug. 17. /Photo by William J. Ford

"We usually have one volunteer for every three kids," said Deborah Sherman, volunteer coordinator with the project. "These are children who need love and support." Although the fair's main focus sought to help young men of color, Kathleen Scott wants to provide assistance to adult women. Behavioral and social services are offered by the Hillcrest Children and Family Center. "Women who had children early in their lives need a boost later in life [which] helps everyone," said Scott, who moved to the District in 2006 from Guyana in South America and received a doctorate in sociology last year

from Howard University. "Volunteerism is one way to get off the fence [and] be a part of the process to really do work and have a commitment to change." Because a three-year federal grant expires this year, Serve DC plans to reapply for another grant so community organizations continue to receive a variety of services and volunteerism remains constant. "We do so much more than just the fair. This is like the cherry on top," Hunter said. "We want to keep this going for the city." For more information, go to www.serve.dc.gov, or Twitter at #IAMMBKDC. WI

Vigil Honors 'Perfect' Teen Killed by Stray Bullet By Tatyana Hopkins WI Staff Writer

5 Jamahri Sydnor /Facebook Photo

14 AUGUST 24 - 30, 2017

Hundreds of people gathered Thursday, Aug. 17 for a candlelight vigil in Northeast to mourn the life of Jamahri Sydnor, a teen who died in the crossfire of midday shooting. The vigil was held near the site of the shooting where family and friends remembered the victim, known to them as "Jammi." The 17-year-old died in the hospital Aug. 12, two days after being shot in the head at the intersection of Montana and Saratoga avenues by a stray bullet while driving. "Jamahri was a good girl," said her mother Q Wallace, a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) detective. "She was perfect. She was perfect, and I know in the real big scheme of things that she had her flaws because we all do, but she was perfect for us. She was perfect for her family.

"The day that this tragedy stepped into [our lives], the way that somebody just shot at my baby's head and snatched the breath out of her, she was on her way taking my grandson, her nephew, [to get] getting prepared for my daughter's wedding the next day," she said. Police do not believe Jamahri was the shooter's intended target and they are looking for two other people in connection with the shooting, which also left another man wounded. Philip Carlos McDaniel, 21, of Northeast, was arrested Thursday and charged with assault with intent to kill. Jamahri, a recent graduate of Woodrow Wilson High School in Northwest, was set to start college at Florida A&M University within days of her shooting. She had visited with family just weeks before. The teen led her high school's cheerleading team, sang in the choir and served as a peer counsel-

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or to struggling classmates. "She loved life, and she was so excited to start the next chapter," Cmdr. Chanel Dickerson, who heads MPD's Youth and Family Services Division, said of Jamahri at the vigil. "This young girl had everything going for her. We have heard stories that her parents didn't even know existed. She gave rides to help people get jobs. She was a remarkable young woman, and her life ended too soon. "The community should be outraged," Dickerson said. "The persons responsible [for the shooting] deliberately tried to kill someone that afternoon, and at that moment they decided that our lives didn't matter." The vigil ended with the release of pink balloons as attendees yelled, "We love you, Jammi!" But not before officers from the Upper Darby Township Police Department in Pennsylvania thanked the girl's family for donating her organs, a gesture that saved one of

their own, Officer Arty Erle. Erle, who battled with colon cancer, had been waiting for a liver transplant. He is one of six people saved by the donation of the teen's organs. Upper Darby Sargent Scott Lewis said the act was "an incredible gift at an incredible time of grief and sorrow." MPD seeks the public's assistance in gathering information related to this homicide and currently offers up to $25,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the people responsible. "Someone out there knows who killed my baby," Wallace said. "Somebody out there knows who did it. I've been a member of [MPD] for almost 30 years, and I promise you that the great men and women I've worked with are not going to stop until they get the person who killed my baby." Anonymous tips can be made at 202-727-9099 or texted to 50411.WI

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BUSINESS

Business Exchange

Blacks Resign from Trump's Business Councils

by William Reed The state of race relations in America today is toxic. Will blacks participate in anything economic that President Donald Trump heads? President Donald Trump had said there will be "a tremendous positive impact on race relations" from millions of jobs from companies moving back into our country. That was the plan for the President's American Manufacturing Council to form the

basis for the country's economic development. But Trump's relationship with the American business community suffered a major setback as he was forced to shut down his major business advisory councils after corporate leaders repudiated his comments on the violence in Charlottesville. Trump has announced disbanding of the Strategy & Policy Forum and the Manufacturing Council, amid a growing uproar by chief executives furious over Trump's equating actions of white supremacists and protesters. African-American Ken Frazier of the pharmaceutical Merck led the resignations, followed by Brian Krzanich of Intel, Kevin Plank of Under Armour and Scott Paul of Alliance for American Manufacturing, Richard Trumka and Thea Lee, AFL-CIO, Inge Thulin of 3M and Denise Morrison of Campbell Soup. After these executives took their leave, Trump disbanded all his business advisory councils. Executives who had planned to staying before the groups were disbanded include Mary Barra of

General Motors, Nigerian-born billionaire Adebayo "Bayo" Ogunlesi of Global Infrastructure Partners and Doug McMillon of retailer Wal-Mart. In a statement posted on Merck's Twitter page, Frazier announced his resignation: "America's leaders must honor our fundamental values by clearly rejecting expressions of hatred, bigotry and group supremacy, which run counter to the American ideal that all people are created equal," Frazier said. "As CEO of Merck and as a matter of personal conscience, I feel a responsibility to take a stand against intolerance and extremism." A lawyer by trade, Frazier joined Merck in 1992 and became CEO in 2011. The 63-year-old Frazier also serves as chairman and president. Frazier earns $1.5 million in salary, $3.28 million in stock and $3.8 million worth of options. He also gets $2.5 million in incentive pay, $4.32 million in pension growth and deferred compensation, plus $57,850 in perks. The New York Times ranked Frazier

Safety Concerns Linger After Fatal Shooting By Tatyana Hopkins WI Staff Writer Thirty minutes before a teen was fatally struck by a stray bullet while driving through Northeast, a neighbor made a 911 call warning police of a gunman attempting to fire a gun at a group of young men just feet from where the teen would later be hit. Driving her nephew home from her sister's wedding rehearsal, 17-year-old Jamahri Sydnor found herself in the middle of a shootout on Aug. 10, at the intersection of Saratoga and Montana avenues. Just minutes before, police responded to a call reporting a gunman in the vicinity of 14th Street and Montana Avenue, where according to notes, nothing was found. Family and friends within the Brookland Manor community met Thursday evening near the site of the shooting to hold a candlelight vigil for the teen many recall as energetic with a prom-

ising future, and to seek justice for the "angel" who perished as the unintended target of gun violence. But some residents attended seeking healing for their violence-plagued community. Brenda Morning, 63, attended the vigil hoping to send a message to city officials that her neighborhood took note of such tragedies and wanted safer streets. "We have repeat shootings," Morning said. She also said the neighborhood sees heavy foot traffic from loitering residents that seem to be engaging in drug deals. "I love where I live and I am not moving," Morning said, adding that she wants city officials to address crime in her neighborhood. Ward 5 Council member Kenyan McDuffie said he shares the concerns regarding safety with his residents. "I share your fears that our children can't be safe being children here in [D.C.]," McDuffie

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said. "Our current circumstance is unacceptable and I will do everything in my power to make sure the people responsible for the [Jamahri's death] are brought to justice." He said the Brentwood/Montana area is "known to law enforcement" and he pushed for it to be included in the Metropolitan Police Department's (MPD) summer crime initiative that targets high-crime areas. In 2016, McDuffie also worked with the council to fund the NEAR Act, which he drafted to adopt a public health approach to crime prevention that would include collaboration between law enforcement, workforce development and social service agencies to address "the root causes of crime." "Despite these efforts, it is obvious that more has to be done to disrupt the culture of gun violence that exists in the District and particularly in those high crime neighborhoods," McDuffie said. "I firmly believe that we

66th in a 2015 list of 200 highest-paid CEOs of large publicly traded companies and seventh in the list of biopharmaceutical executives with the highest total compensation. While they have an antagonistic relationship, surely Trump has the business acumen blacks need to lead them to success in business. He started his administration with one of the most heavily business-oriented Cabinets in U.S. history. The president's councils were designed to provide forums for buyers and sellers to build relationships and exchange information through various programs at the senior management and merchant level. In Trump's attempts at business diversity a number of blacks held senior positions. Oguniest has the flair and chutzpah Trump admires. "Bayo," as those close to him call him, is one of the most powerful and successful Africans in business, driving major acquisitions, deals and investments in New York City and around the world. A Nigerian-born lawyer and in-

vestment banker that was on Mr. Trump's Strategic and Policy Forum, the 59-year-old industrialist is chairman and managing partner of Global Infrastructure Partners, a $5.64 billion New Yorkbased private equity firm, which invests in infrastructure assets. Ogunlesi, from Sagamu, Ogun State, Nigeria, is the son of Nigeria's first professor of medicine. From 1980 to 1981, Ogunlesi served as a law clerk to Associate Justice Thurgood Marshall of the U.S. Supreme Court. He was the first non-American to clerk at the nation's highest court. In July 2006, Ogunlesi started the private equity firm Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), a joint venture whose initial investors included Credit Suisse and General Electric. He currently serves as GIP chairman and managing partner. In 2006, GIP bought London City Airport. In 2009, GIP acquired the majority share in London Gatwick Airport in a deal worth £1.455 billion ($2.39 billion). GIP also owns Edinburgh Airport. WI

must better engage the residents in the impacted communities to actively participate in the solution." According to police, resources in the area have primarily been focused on violent crime patterns. In the Fifth District, resources have been allocated from various patrol services, including

the citywide Narcotics and Special Investigations Division. "These efforts produced a reduction in overall violent crime of 36 percent in the Fifth District," said an MPD representative, adding that the department will continue to build a bond with the community to "pursue additional reductions." WI

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AUGUST 24 - 30, 2017 15

NATIONAL Black Chamber CEO Backs Trump on Charlottesville Says Enough Blame to Go Around

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer Harry Alford is a man who might just be an island unto himself. The president and CEO of the National Black Chamber of Commerce in northwest D.C. said he's standing by President Donald Trump despite the racially-charged and insensitive remarks the commander in chief made about the white supremacists and neo-Nazi rallies in Charlottesville that's sparked outrage even from Republicans.

Alford even backed Trump's controversial stand that more than the white supremacists and neo-Nazis are to blame for the deadly incident near the University of Virginia last weekend. "Let those fickle CEOs go," Alford told The Washington Informer in an email Thursday. "They weren't loyal to begin with," he said of the many CEOs who have jumped ship from positions within various councils Trump had formed. "The president made a mistake in what he has said. There are no good or fine people in the Klan,

5 Harry Alford, president and CEO of the National Black Chamber of Commerce /Photo by the NBCC

neo-Nazi or any other race-haters," Alford said. "He needs some black representation amongst his advisers. Alphonso Jackson or Herman Cain would keep him out of trouble. There is a void here." He echoed Trump's comments that there's enough blame to go around. "The issue may be, why did rival groups come with baseball bats and helmets?" Alford said. "The Virginia governor and local

police did not handle it well. We should return to nonviolence." With corporate chieftains fleeing, Trump responded by abruptly abolishing two of his White House business councils. The president announced the action via tweet, though only after one of the panels had already agreed to disband earlier in the day. "Rather than putting pressure on the businesspeople of the Manufacturing Council & Strategy & Policy Forum, I am ending both. Thank you all!" Trump tweeted from New York. The decision came as the White House tried to manage the repercussions from Trump's earlier defiant remarks. Presidential advisers hunkered down, offering no public defense while privately expressing frustration with his comments. A growing number of business leaders on the councils have openly criticized his remarks laying blame for the violence at a white supremacists' rally on "both sides." The president also equated white supremacists on the right to the "alt-left." "There are two sides to a story. I thought what took place was a horrible moment for the country, but there are two sides to a story," Trump said, raising the ire of many in his own party. Some Republicans and scores of Democrats denounced

Cosby Unveils New Team at Court Hearing By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer Bill Cosby unveiled his new defense team on Tuesday, Aug. 22 during a hearing in his sexual assault case in Norristown, Pennsylvania. The comedian arrived at the Montgomery County Courthouse flanked by publicists Andrew Wyatt and Ebonee Benson, but it was the flowing white locks of attorney Tom Mesereau that brought the dramatics to an otherwise procedural and excitement-less day. “I think you can say we went from a Mercedes Benz to a Rolls Royce,” Wyatt said of Mesereau, the star trial attorney who successfully represented “Baretta” star Robert Blake when the actor stood trial for the murder of his wife. Mesereau, who arguably does more pro bono work for underserved individuals than any other celebrity lawyer, has also represented Suge Knight and Mike Tyson. But, it was Mesereau’s Perry Mason-like defense of pop king Michael Jackson in 2005 that may

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have earned him the reputation as the best criminal defense lawyer on the planet. Jackson faced 13 counts of child molestation and other charges involving a young cancer patient whose brother allegedly witnessed the assault. After the “Thriller” singer fired high-profile attorneys Mark Geragos and Benjamin Brafman during the trial, he hired Mesereau who tore through prosecution witnesses with sharp and cutting cross-examinations. On Tuesday, Mesereau was joined by Nevada attorney Kathleen Bliss and Philadelphia lawyer Sam Silver, who represented former U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah on corruption charges in 2016. The new team replaced Brian McMonagle and Angela Agrusa, both of whom represented Cosby during the first trial in June. Judge Steven O’Neill praised the attorneys but appeared to be in awe of Mesereau, commenting several times on his stellar reputation. The attorney’s addition to the team appears to have already

paid dividends as O’Neill granted Mesereau’s request to delay the start of the planned Nov. 6 re-trial, postponing it until “sometime between March 15 and April 1 of 2018.” Cosby, 80, faces three counts of aggravated sexual assault that stemmed from an encounter with former Temple University employee Andrea Constand more than a dozen years ago. He has maintained his innocence and Wyatt said the comedian “is sleeping pretty good these days,” with the hiring of Mesereau and the new team. Cosby went to trial in June, but the jury, brought in from Allegheny County, could not move beyond a deadlock after 52 hours of deliberations, leading O’Neill to declare a mistrial. Immediately, prosecutor Kevin Steele said he would retry the case. After the nearly two-hour proceeding on Tuesday, Cosby and his attorneys said nothing as they left the courthouse. Steele, however, made a few brief comments, saying it's unfortunate that the case has been delayed.

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5 Bill Cosby with one of his attorneys arrives at the courthouse. /Photo by Stacy M. Brown

“We’re ready to proceed … we are confident in our case and the evidence and we’ll be ready when we get a trial date from the judge,” Steele told reporters after the hearing. “This is a case that deserves a verdict and we intend to get there,” he said. WI

Trump's statements as putting white supremacists on equal moral footing with counterprotesters in Charlottesville and called for an apology. The fallout from the president's apparent tolerance of racism has been underscored by reports that so many Americans are suffering from political anxiety that doctors have coined a term for it: President Trump Stress Disorder. Patients are turning up in therapists' offices across the country reporting symptoms including insomnia, hypervigilance, and the inability to pull themselves away from the 24-hour news cycle, according to research by the New York Daily News. Therapists report that their practices are more robust than ever. Deborah Cooper, a California-based therapist, said she can hardly accommodate all of her patients. "I have people I have not seen in literally 30 years that have called me to come back in because of trauma," she said. "I am more than full. I am overworking." She cited Trump's lackluster condemnation of the white supremacist rally in Charlottesville as one in a string of anxiety-inducing events that are "coming too fast and furious" for her patients — and her practice — to handle. Clinical psychologist Scott Christnelly said Trump's remarks Tuesday serve as confirmation that his patients' anxiety is well founded. "This is more evidence they should be anxious. There is evidence the anxiety is real, and it's not just something they are making up," he said. Worry over America's future under Trump is so pervasive that therapists say most of their clients have brought it up while in session. "I don't think I have a patient that has never mentioned it. It's remarkable," said Sue Elias, a New York-based psychotherapist. Elias described a patient raised in a dysfunctional, alcoholic household whose past traumas have been brought to the surface by Trump. Her worries and fears now interfere with her day-to-day functioning. "This is so triggering for her, the feeling of every day, what is going to happen next," Elias said. "It has interfered with her work and she is really struggling." An American Psychology Association study conducted after

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NATIONAL

Prison Phone Call Rates Still Hot-Button Issue By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

Reesy Floyd-Thompson, a self-described digital wonder woman, experienced the ignominy of a significant other being incarcerated. The jailing of her husband also meant talking to him on the telephone would be limited — if not quite expensive. "I used to maintain a side-hustle to take care of thee calls alone. My husband and I used to endure monthly bills as high as $500 just to stay connected," said Floyd-Thompson, who now runs an organization called "Prisoner's Wives, Girlfriends and Partners," a support group for spouses and partners of those incarcerated. Exorbitant telephone call rates have made it almost impossible for loved ones to keep in touch with family and friends behind bars. With rates as high as $20 per call in some areas, several lawmakers joined the Obama administration two years ago in convincing the Federal Communications Commission to cap those charges. However, in June, a federal court struck down new regulations that cap the rates at 25 cents per minute. While acknowledging that the rates charged for instate prison calls were exceedingly high, a three-judge panel for United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia said the FCC exceeded its authority when it created rate caps. The in-state calls have been reported as high as $10 per minute, while long-distance calls far exceed that. "This actually undermines a key goal of prisons which is to foster rehabilitation to foster successful reentry," said Dr. Melissa Hamilton, a senior lecturer of law and criminal justice at the University of Houston Law Center. "Charging much money for phone calls deters communications between prisoners and those who might best be able to keep them calm and focused while in prison, and who may be able to provide opportunities to prisoners upon release. "These are friends, family, and religious connections," Hamilton said. "What we know from decades of correctional research studies is that prosocial contacts and prosocial opportunities are important mechanisms for re-

habilitation and reentry. To the extent that the programs reduce these interpersonal contacts, not only are prisoners worse off. It can be detrimental to family members themselves, particularly children." Having a strong social support network counts as an important tool in reducing recidivism, particularly for drug-related crimes, said Matt C. Pinsker, a former prosecutor and magistrate who's an adjunct professor of criminal justice at Virginia Commonwealth University. "I find the high costs of phone calls concerning," Pinsker said. "Anything which limits one's opportunity to be better connected with family is cause for concern. I have had numerous cases where clients, especially indigent ones, were unable to talk to loved ones because they had no money on their accounts." FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn called the high rates a civil rights issue which prevents inmates from being able to connect with the nearly 3 million children in America who have at least one parent in prison. "It's the greatest form of regulatory injustice I have seen in my 18 years as a regulator in the communications space," Clyburn said in a statement. D.C. resident Ulandis Forte said staying in contact with his grandmother, Martha Wright, helped him survive his 18-year incarceration. "The calls were everything. It was what I looked forward to all of the time," he said. "My grandmother is a special woman, she was my support system and she gave me love." Wright often couldn't afford to take the collect calls from prison and sometimes she'd just pick up the phone to hear Forte's voice before declining the charges. Wright would file a petition in 2003 with the FCC and then again in 2007. She began a class-action lawsuit with inmates and former inmates against private prison phone companies regarding the services and the charges. Her efforts were backed by Congressional Black Caucus Members Marcia Fudge, D-Ohio, and Eleanor Holmes Norton of D.C., both of whom noted that while African-Americans comprise of about 13 percent of the U.S. population, they

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also make up 35 percent of inmates. Approximately 37 percent of the 2.2 million male inmates are black, according to the most recent U.S. Department of Justice report. "The astronomical fees are predatory and are being perpetuated by the phone companies and prisons, creating a mini-monopoly," Norton said. The profits from the calls are sometimes shared with sheriff offices who say they use the money for security needs, she said. "Frequently, these kinds of fees force many families to make difficult decisions on whether to forgo contact with their family or loved ones because the cost becomes prohibitive," Fudge said. This summer's ruling by the FCC proved disappointing for many and it also fell in line with most Trump administration policies that hurt the poor and disenfranchised. "Basically, after FCC Chairman Ajit Pai was appointed by

5 Reesy Floyd-Thompson and her husband, Nivens Thompson, who's serving a 12½-to-25-year prison sentence. /Courtesy photo

the Trump administration, the FCC abandoned its defense of jurisdiction over intrastate prison phone rates," said Alex Friedman, the managing editor of Prison Legal News, a project of the Human Rights Defense Center and an independent monthly magazine that reviews and analyzes prisoners' rights, court rulings and criminal justice-related

issues. "Pai had opposed most if not all prison phone reforms while he served on the FCC during the Obama presidency," Friedman said. "Following the DC Circuit ruling, prison phone rate caps remain on interstate calls, but intrastate calls are now completely unregulated on the federal level." WI

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INTERNATIONAL Compiled by Lauren Poteat / WI Contributing Writer

Ghana, Equatorial Guinea to Sign Major Oil Deal On Monday, Ghanian President Nana Akufo-Addo began his three-day visit to the Gulf of Guinea with plans to sign an agreement to import liquefied natural gas from Equatorial Guinea. Though Ghana still proves to be a heavy competitor in the distribution of petroleum, the country has struggled in the past to ensure reliable power production needed for a strong domestic market. "The execution of this agreement is intended to augment domestic supply over the period, and improve further the power situation in the country, both for local consumers and industry," Ghana officials said in a statement. The deal is reportedly part of a bigger strategy through Ghana's government to increase supplies to fuel power plants. In June, the acting head of Ghana National Petroleum Corporation said it was in the market for between 250 million and 500 million cubic feet of gas per day and expected to begin importing early next year, Reuters reported.

5 Courtesy of gbcghana.com

Zimbabwe's First Lady Faces Legal Action After Fight

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After being accused of assaulting a young model with an extension cord, Zimbabwe first lady Grace Mugabe recently returned home to Harare on Sunday after being granted diplomatic immunity by South Africa. The decision came as a shock to many after South Africa's foreign minister, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, signed the notice granting diplomatic immunity, stating that she was "acting in the interest" of South Africa in recognizing "the immunities and privileges" of Mugabe. The legal team for 20 year-old model Gabriella Engels, who claims to have been struck by Mugabe, said last week she had rejected a proposed settlement. The incident is not Mugabe's first alleged assault, nor her first time receiving diplomatic immunity. In 2009, Hong Kong's Department of Justice granted her immunity after she was accused of repeatedly punching a British photographer who tried to take photos of her.

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Mudslides Terrorize Villagers in Sierra Leone

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An epic mudslide last week sparked by heavy rains devastated many villages in the severely deforested areas of Sierra Leone. According the latest death toll, 499 people, including more than 150 children, were killed in the Aug. 14 mudslide, with hundreds more still missing. "We saw the hill coming down and we ran away," said Wuiatu Kondeh, whose husband went missing, CNN reported. "Someone carried my child. I didn't have my slippers. … Later, I looked for my husband and I didn't see him. I didn't see my uncle ... my sister, she lost two of her children. I didn't see her again." The country now has an estimated 20,000 displaced people, including 5,000 children, as relief continues to dig through mud and dirt for victims.

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5 A Sierra Leone mudslide. /Courtesy of globaliv-

ing.com

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HEALTH Hearing for Suspect in Girls' Deaths Canceled After Courtroom Outbursts By William J. Ford WI Staff Writer @jabariwill A Monday bond review hearing and a competency evaluation for a defendant accused of murdering of three young girls, including his 6-year-old sister, turned bit chaotic inside a Prince George's County courtroom. Flanked by three sheriff's deputies, Antonio Williams, who turned 25 Saturday, didn't come inside the courtroom quietly. "I'm not the one you are looking for," he said while onlookers, including more than a dozen of the victims' family members, gasped and stared in shock.

Judge Patrice Lewis asked for calm inside the courtroom, already fraught with tension because of faulty air conditioning. But as Williams continued his outbursts, the judge canceled the proceeding and ordered him to be evaluated for an Aug. 29 competency hearing. The behavioral assessment will determine Williams' mental health and whether he's fit to stand trial. Maryland's mental health procedures allow for a judge to require a defendant to receive a "competency evaluation" seven days after a court order. However, the court may extend the time. If a judge rules that Williams is dangerous and cannot comprehend the court proceedings due to a men-

tal disorder, then the court will commit him to the state Department of Mental Health and Hygiene. But Christopher Garrett, a spokesman for the Maryland Department of Health, said mental illness alone "is not a predictor of violent crime." "Mental illness can impact a person's ability to function within family and community," Garrett told The Informer. "However, with appropriate treatment, individuals with mental illness are able to function effectively at home, on their jobs and within the community." Prince George's County State's Attorney Angela Alsobrooks said she anticipates Williams will be found competent. "He cooperated in the interrogation process," she said Monday outside the courthouse. "We have every reason to believe he is competent, but that is up for a medical professional to make the determination." According to court documents, Williams' mother, Andrena Kelley of Clinton, came home from work about 7:30 a.m. Friday and discovered the bodies of her daughter, Nadira Janae' Withers, 6, and her two cousins, Ariana Elizabeth DeCree, 9, and Ajayah Royale DeCree, 6. The cousins were visiting from Newark, New Jersey, for the summer. The girls were pronounced dead at the scene, according to court records. Williams, who was arrested at the scene, confessed to the murders, police said. He remains in the county jail with no-bond status. Police charged Williams with first-degree murder and labeled the

5 Dick Gregory with Martin Luther King III during the R.I.S.E. awards in Southeast on January 9. /WI File Photo by Travis Riddick several tons of food. 1 best-selling book in the U.S., GREGORY from Page 13 He participated in SNCC’s selling more than seven million Rights Movement and used his voter registration drives and in copies over the decades that folcelebrity status to draw attention sit-ins to protest segregation, most lowed. He explained his choice for the to a host of issues including segre- notably at a restaurant franchise in downtown Atlanta. Only later did title in the forward where he wrote gation and disfranchisement. When local Mississippi govern- Gregory disclose that he held stock to his mother. “Whenever you hear the word ments stopped distributing federal in the chain. Gregory’s autobiography, “Nig- ‘Nigger,’ you’ll know they’re adfood surpluses to poor Blacks in areas where SNCC had been en- ger,” published in 1963 prior to vertising my book,” he wrote. Through the 1960s, Gregory couraging voter registration, Greg- the assassination of President John ory chartered a plane to bring in F. Kennedy, would become a No. spent more time on social issues

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5 Prince George's County State's Attorney Angela Alsobrooks speaks to

reporters outside the county courthouse on Aug. 21 after a judge canceled a hearing for Antonio Williams, who is charged with murdering three children, including his 6-year-old sister. /Photo by William J. Ford crime as domestic violence, an offense committed the most in Prince George's among all jurisdictions statewide. In court Monday, Williams couldn't contain himself as he sat at the defendant's table. "He's here. No, no, no, no!" he said. Kelley yelled to Williams, "Mommy loves you," which caused some family members on the other side of the courtroom to explode in anger. One person replied, "You should have been there in the beginning." When Kelley began to leave the courtroom, the deputies stood between her and the fathers of the victims as they cursed at her. Alsobrooks

spokeswoman Gina Ford said Nadira was her father's only child. Alsobrooks admitted the hearing was one of the most heart-wrenching she's observed. "It was so excruciating," she said. "You have two fathers in the courtroom grieving for their daughters expected to start first grade and the other starting third grade. They spent time school shopping for [them] last week. Instead, they we're here determining how to bury their children. "Be careful who you leave your children with," Alsobrooks said. "Our children are all we have. Any individual who seems unfit in any way to be in the presence of a child, you cannot care for that child." WI

and less time on performing, participating in marches and parades to support a range of causes, including opposition to the Vietnam War. Chavis called him one of America’s greatest luminaries. “Dick Gregory epitomized the rare combination of being an intellectual genius and one of our greatest social visionaries,” he said. “The National Newspapers Publishers Association deeply mourns the passing of freedom fighter Dick Gregory.”

became a dedicated activist for social change. As a participant in the Civil Rights Movement, he not only put his livelihood – but his life – at risk. At the height of his popularity, he left the clubs to fully commit to his role as a relentless change agent but not before creating the blueprint for a new arc of politically astute, biting satire that remains a standard for comedy at its best. A St. Louis native, Dick Gregory moved away but he never left. He was always generous and accessible in lending his time and talent to his friends and family in St. Louis in varied capacities – from headlining benefit performances to the front lines of Ferguson. His life should serve as an example of how to effectively use one's platform in the ongoing struggle for justice.” Marc H. Morial, National Urban League, president and CEO: “Dick Gregory was both a personal friend and a strong supporter of the Urban League movement. He was a guest at my wedding and spent two weeks campaigning for me in New Orleans neighbor-

MORE WORDS OF TRIBUTE

Donald M. Suggs, St. Louis American, publisher and executive editor: “Dick Gregory used his razor-sharp wit to slice open and expose the racial injustices that are a continuing reality for people of color in America – and he forever changed the landscape of Black comedy in the process. He became a national sensation in the early 1960s but after he joined a demonstration for Black voting rights in Mississippi in 1962, he

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GREGORY Page 38

AUGUST 24 - 30, 2017 19

HEALTH Residents East of the River Team With Hospital Sibley Memorial Launches Community Health Innovators By Sarafina Wright WI Staff Writer

5 Sibley Memorial Hospital in

Washington, D.C.

Residents in Wards 7 and 8 will get the opportunity to design and implement potential solutions to improve health and wellness in their community. The Sibley Memorial Hospital, a member of Johns Hopkins Medicine, announced Aug. 15 the launch of its Community Health Innovators in Residence Program. The new initiative aims to improve the health status of underserved communities in the District of Columbia in months rather than the typical years of traditional health improvement projects.Â "Sibley is 100 percent committed to improving lives of all

residents in the District," said Richard O. Davis, president and CEO of Sibley Memorial Hospital. "And what makes our commitment unique is Sibley's culture of human-centered design, which is based on listening and understanding. "We use design every day here at Sibley with our patients and families. I'm excited to partner with our community to be agents of change," Davis said. Under the program, up to four teams composed of residents and organizations in Wards 7 and 8 will be accepted into the first cohort, which will work alongside Sibley's Innovation Hub to learn, design and implement solutions. The community health innovators will learn human-centered design from some of the leading

innovators in health care. Together, they will collaboratively test creative prototypes in the community to see which ideas are most effective, according to Sibley. "The process is the same energetic and imaginative methods taught at Stanford and used by some of Silicon Valley's most successful tech firms," Sibley said in a statement. "Sibley's efforts are among the first to bring this work to community health and well-being. The hospital's Innovation Hub was the first such community hospital-based innovation hub in the nation." To inform and drive the work of the Community Health Innovators in Residence Program, Sibley will engage an advisory board of key stakeholders, including residents, organizations, health care, elected officials and Sibley leadership in an advisory and decision-making capacity. The advisory board will be charged with informing community health focus areas, eval-

uating proposed prevention and wellness initiatives, building capacity within the community and engaging community residents around these efforts. Earlier this year, Sibley convened a series of listening sessions with faith leaders, students, senior citizens and community leaders to discuss the health and wellness priorities of Wards 7 and 8 residents. They said the common themes that emerged ranged from access to healthy fruits and vegetables to the impact that isolation has on an individual's well-being. Sibley invites residents and qualifying non-profit organizations serving Wards 7 and 8 to apply to the first cohort. In addition to receiving coaching and guidance from leading industry designers and entrepreneurs, each resident-led cohort will receive up to $25,000 to help develop solutions and tackle projects related to health and wellness in their community.Â For detailed information about the Community Health Innovators in Residence Program, including the application, visitÂ wardinfinity. com. WI

Closed: United Medical Center's Obstetrics Ward By Tatyana Hopkins WI Staff Writer

The D.C Department of Health issued a notice to United Medical Center in Southeast that required it to stop delivery babies and operating its nursery. The obstetric and related newborn services will remain closed for the next 90 days so that hospital officials can work on improving these services. If the hospital makes the required changes and passes a health department inspection, the restriction could be lifter earlier than the 90-day period. Health department officials declined to stay why the services were suspended. United Medical currently stands as the only full-service hospital in Southeast. A letter from health department Director LaQuandra Nesbitt, obtained by The Washington Post, explains the lapses in the patience care that led the agency to impose the closure on the facility's obstetric ward. The letter cites a case where United Medical staff did not properly monitor and treat a 35-week preg-

20 AUGUST 24 - 30, 2017

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

nant obsess woman with a history of blood pressure problems. It also stated the hospital failed to screen a newborn at the correct time after birth, and also revealed a case where United Medical Staff did not take the proper steps to prevent transmission of HIV from a mother to her baby by not delivering via Caesarian section or providing antiretroviral medical to the newborn. A United Medical statement said three separate cases involving "deficiencies in screening, clinical assessment and delivery protocols" led to the closure, but privacy regulations preclude sharing specific details. "[United Medical] had already initiated the process of transitioning from a Level III neonatal intensive care center and we will be working to ensure that all physicians and nursing staff have appropriate training in policy and procedures," said the statement. Some residents and even city officials seemed to be caught off-guard by the ward's closure. "My community was blindsided," said Ward 8 Council member

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HEALTH

Providence Health System Plans Innovative 'Health Village' By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer Providence Health System in northeast D.C. plans what officials call an innovative approach to best serve the health care needs of the District and beyond. The centerpiece will transform the hospital campus into an integrated "Health Village" to encompass more than traditional health care services, officials said in a news release. The Health Village will count as a multi-use, walkable community inclusive of both health and non-health services and the vision includes a continued focus on providing compassionate, personalized care to the community — when, where and how it is needed, according to the news release. "We have begun to see the impact of a changing health

care landscape both locally and nationally," said Darcy K. Burthay, president and CEO of Providence, which is a part of Ascension, the nation's largest nonprofit and Catholic health system. "That's why over the past several months, we engaged in discussions to thoughtfully explore how Providence can best contribute to meeting the variety of health needs of our community in a sustainable way. "With a continued commitment to our mission and recognizing the gaps in services that impact our community's overall well-being, we considered the current and future availability of health services in the region in the context of significant income and health disparities, high population growth, and the continuing shift to outpatient and ambulatory care, along with continued economic pressures from pay-

5 The entrance way of Providence Hospital. /Courtesy photo

ers and ongoing uncertainty related to health care reform. The outcome was an inspiring and exciting vision for Providence and those we serve," Burthay said. Participants in the discussions, led by Providence and Ascension leadership, included civic leaders, representatives of the District of Columbia Hospital Association, the D.C. Department of Health and Department of Behavioral Health, leaders of other health care providers, physician leaders, board members and members of the Daughters of Charity, the historical religious sponsors of Providence. "Transforming our Washington, D.C., health facility into a Health Village will enable us to sustain our mission of serving all with special attention to persons living in poverty and those most vulnerable," said Steve Strazzella, chair of the Providence Hospital board of directors. "The new approach will create a campus that is better able to meet the needs of a changing and growing community, working in partnership with other community organizations and service providers to serve people's needs in the ways that are most convenient and best for them as individuals." Working with civic and community leaders, as well as community members, the Health Village concept will develop over time with a vision of creating an innovative plan consistent with the needs of the District, ensuring the health and overall wellbeing of the community continues to grow,

according to the news release. Elements of the Health Village could include a transformed approach to acute care delivery incorporating right-sizing of emergency care capabilities paired with the addition of urgent care services along with focusing on select medical and surgical services. Further plans include primary care, specialty care, ambulatory surgery, telehealth/virtual care, diagnostic services and pharmacy services and expanded post-acute care working with Carroll Manor, Providence's

5 A pa

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HEALTH Page 44

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AUGUST 24 - 30, 2017 21

EDUCATION Oldest HBCU, Cheyney, May Close in September By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

The oldest historically black college and university in the country could be the first to fold. After years of heartbreaking financial and enrollment trouble, Cheyney University in Pennsylvania is on the verge of collapse and in danger of losing its accreditation. The situation has sparked rallies, protests and an outpouring of sentiment and outrage from state senators, alumni and others. "On the one hand, it's trag-

ic. On the flip side, this didn't happen overnight," said Johnny Taylor Jr., president and CEO of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. "While there were all sorts of other factors — including a bad economy in 2008 [and] state and federal funding that failed to help — this still reflects badly on the Cheyney board of trustees and the university's president." Founded in 1837 as the nation's first institution of higher learning for African-Americans, Cheyney represents more than just a place of learning, said Pennsylvania

5 Cheyney University in Pennsylvania /Courtesy photo

state Rep. Stephen Kinsey, who recently joined students and others at a rally for the school. "Cheyney represents the struggle of being black in America, fighting to be recognized, speaking up to be supported, and a never-ending struggle to be treated equally," Kinsey said. A report issued by the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights not-

Stevens School Reopens for Child Care

5 Thaddeus Stevens School /Courtesy of Thaddeus Stevens Society

By Sarafina Wright WI Staff Writer The Bowser administration announced the reopening of the historic Thaddeus Stevens School and an expansion of School Without Walls at Francis-Stevens in Northwest, part of its quest to expand child care options in the District. Mayor Muriel Bowser, Deputy Mayor for Education Jennifer Niles and District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) Chancellor Antwan Wilson made the announcement Wednesday, Aug. 16 that

22 AUGUST 24 - 30, 2017

there will be a multiagency plan to reopen Stevens as a child development center for infants and toddlers. "We know that, starting at a very young age, every day counts when it comes to setting young people up for success," Bowser said. "By reopening Thaddeus Stevens, we will be able to provide more child care options for D.C. families while expanding access to one of our most sought after elementary and middle schools. "My administration is all in for kids and families, and whether

they're toddlers or teens, we want all our young people to have access to the care and educational opportunities that will help them succeed in school and in life," she said. Earlier this year, as part of the mayor's commitment to increasing access to high-quality child care in the District, she announced that her administration would make space available for care providers in three government-owned buildings. This goes along with the proposed $15.3 million in the fiscal 2018 budget for the creation of 1,300 infant and toddler seats over the next three years. However, the D.C. Council instead allotted $11 million for nearly 1,000 seats. "Throughout the District of Columbia, we see a growing demand not only for pre-K-12 seats, but also for infant and toddler care," Niles said. "We know every day counts in early childhood development, so I'm thrilled we will be able to make a portion of this historic building available to provide more seats for infant and toddler care." The Thaddeus Stevens School, named in honor of a Pennsylvania congressman and prominent

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ed that although HBCUs only make up 3 percent of today's colleges and universities, more than 20 percent of African-American college graduates attended an HBCU. "For years, these historic institutions have produced amazing leaders that not only contribute to their respective fields, but who also pride themselves on abolitionist, was built in 1868 as one of D.C.'s first publicly-funded schools for African-American children. The school closed in 2008, but community members are thrilled that it will reopen and serve a new purpose. "Much as the original Stevens School represented a pioneering achievement for African-Americans looking to build a better life for their children, we believe that the uses outlined for the ‘new' Stevens will make quality educational opportunities available to more students from all eight wards — including, uniquely, infants and toddlers. This reflects the best of the Stevens tradition," said Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Patrick Kennedy (ANC 2A01). Fellow ANC Mike Silverstein (2B06) said that his community has high hopes for School Without Walls at Francis-Stevens. "Those hopes have been met and exceeded, with an ungraded curriculum, academic progress, an active and engaged HSA, and a huge waiting list for all eight wards," Silverstein said. "The Francis campus is operating at full capacity, and there is a clear need for more space to accommodate more students. The Stevens campus will help fill that need." WI

their lifting while they climb attitudes," said U.S. Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pennsylvania). Cheyney has faced a myriad of financial struggles as funding to the school decreased and tuition rose. Since 2010, enrollment dropped 50 percent from over 1,500 students to an estimated 746. Since 2013, Cheyney has borrowed over $30.5 billion to stay solvent and, if a solution isn't formulated by Sept. 1, the university could lose its accreditation. If that happens, students would no longer be eligible for federal aid, a devastating blow since nearly three-quarters of students are from low-income households and qualify for Pell Grants. Pennsylvania state Sen. Vincent Hughes, a Cheyney trustee, said work continues to prevent the loss of accreditation. "We've been working with the governor and others," Hughes said. "I wish I can guarantee things, but I also can't allow myself to think negatively." Notables Cheyney alumni include former "60 Minutes" journalist Ed Bradley, charismatic educator Marcus Foster, former Chicago Bears lineman James Williams, Emmy-winning anchorman Jim Vance, retired ambassador Joseph M. Segars and Philadelphia Tribune Publisher Robert Bogle. "Cheyney University of Pennsylvania has been an important contributor to the education of African-Americans since before the Civil War, and the data shows that we need every HBCU in the country to continue their legacy of contributing to its education

CHENEY Page 44

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DCPS

BRIEFS Compiled by Dorothy Rowley WI Staff Writer

CHANCELLOR EXCITED ABOUT NEW YEAR, PARCC SCORES

On Monday, 102 schools opened their doors for the first day of school, following 13 extended-year schools that opened earlier this month. In the new school year, DCPS will focus on excellence and equity in the classroom by better preparing students for success in college and career, expanding opportunities for middle school students, providing additional supports to Opportunity Academies and investing more in students of color. Data from the Office of the State Superintendent of Education for the last school term shows the schools system making record gains on the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness in College and Careers [PARCC] assessment, increasing by 6.4 percentage points in English language arts and 3.5 percentage points in math in 2017. "I'm thrilled that our students are already off to a strong start this school year. DCPS' 2017 PARCC scores show that students made tremendous progress," said Chancellor Antwan Wilson. "As we turn to this upcoming school year, we're even more focused on ensuring that each one of our students has the necessary supports they need to succeed. From embracing social emotional learning to developing our talented educators to engaging families, we know we have a great school year ahead of us to continue this trend of improvement."

MAYOR CELEBRATES 2017-18 ACADEMIC YEAR

Mayor Muriel Bowser joins

EDUCATION school officials in welcoming students back to school, and according to Bowser, the DCPS family has a lot to look forward to as the 2017-18 year begins: • School officials recently announced a tentative contract with the Washington Teachers' Union that includes a significant salary increase for our DCPS educators; • Chancellor Wilson is beginning his first full school year leading DCPS; and • Through investments DCPS made earlier this year, course offerings and extracurricular options will expand at middle and high schools in every ward. In addition, Bower's administration has launched a new academic initiative, "Every Day Counts," which works through a multi-agency public awareness campaign to address chronic absenteeism and give all families access to resources to ensure that students get to school every day on time.

5 Mayor Muriel Bowser and D.C. Public Schools Chancellor Antwan Wilson both expressed excitement as they greeted student and led D.C. officials on a tour of the modernized Marie Reed Elementary School in Northwest on Aug. 21 opening of the 2017-18 school year. /Photo by Roy Lewis

PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOLS EXCEL ON PARCC

Students in D.C. Public Charter Schools have continued to improve on the nationwide PARCC test. This is the 10th consecutive year public charter school students have shown steady improvement on the statewide assessment, first on the DCCAS and more recently the PARCC. According to data released by the Office of the State Superintendent of Education, 30 percent of public charter school students achieved 4 or 5 on the English Language Arts assessment in grades 3-8 and 22 percent in high school. On the Math assessment, 28 percent achieved 4 or 5 in grades 3-8 and 14 percent in high school. "This is good news for families in the District of Columbia," said Scott Pearson, executive director of the DC Public Charter School Board. "While these PARCC results show steady improvement from year to year, we still have more work to do to ensure every student is getting the best education. We will keep improving the educational options available to DC students and their families." WI

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AUGUST 24 - 30, 2017 23

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WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM 6/14/2017 10:58:23 AM

EDITORIAL

OPINIONS/EDITORIALS

As School Bells Resound for DCPS, Can Ground Be Gained on ‘Racial Gaps?’

School doors swung open once again this week here in the District with the anticipated visits to selected student bodies by both Mayor Muriel Bowser and DCPS Chancellor Antwan Wilson, who took over in February. And while Wilson points to a list of improvements as a “testament to the tremendous work of our educators, tremendous leadership and the support of the community,” the results of a recent student test suggest that achievement gaps remain – and in some cases, have even grown wider. The scores, released last week, come from a computerized exam, the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers [PARCC], which uses a five-point scale in English language and mathematics. It’s required for students in grades three through eight and then taken once in high school. Those who score a four or five on the test are said to be “college and career ready.” There are a few reasons for Wilson and Bowser to celebrate. DCPS showed gains in both subjects, increasing by four points in English language to 31 percent and rising by two points in math to 27 percent, meeting the desired benchmark, respectively. DCPS also fared slightly better than charter schools on both math and English language. But on a less positive note, fewer than a third of the District’s public-school students achieved scores that translate to their being “college and career ready.” Meanwhile, the ominous achievement gap, which the Department of Education first began to review in 1964, examining inequality of educational opportunities in elementary and secondary schools and gauging differences between schools attended by white and black students, has barely narrowed more than 50 years later. For example, the PARCC results for DCPS revealed a gap of more than 50 percent between students in the more affluent Ward 3 in Northwest and Ward 7 where the majority of the students Black and from low-income households. Somehow, Wilson must find ways to bring more seasoned, creative teachers to schools located in poorer communities as well as providing programs that help students shore up reading and mathematics skills like preschool and afterschool mini-classes and tutoring opportunities. Academic success should not rest on the income of a student’s parents. We trust that where those differences are apparent, DCPS will find innovative, cost-effective ways to make up the difference and provide all students with a greater and therefore more chance to excel. WI

Trump Is ‘His’ Worst Enemy If there is anything that tires us more than Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan, it is his frequent reference to those who disagree with him as “anti-American.” From the time he won the presidency, before, and now, Trump acts as if he is the sole arbiter on who is pro- or anti-American. If you oppose him, then you must be anti-America. Trump has declared a divide between Americans who love America; between those who all happen to think America is already great. If you don’t support his effort to repeal the American Health Act, you are against making America great again. If you don’t support his plans for veterans, you are against making America great again. If you don’t support politicians who support him, then you support “the liars” who are against making America great again; if you oppose his position on climate change, then you are against making America great again. And, if you read magazines, listen to radio or television networks or read the daily newspapers, then you support the “fake media” all of whom are against making America Great again. During Trump’s campaign-style speech delivered on Tuesday from Phoenix, Arizona, he described what began to sound like an agenda that stressed inclusiveness of all Americans. He kept referring to “our AmeriWWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

TO THE EDITOR WI a Needed Source for Prince George's

Minor League Football a Major Coup

The name of your newspaper is The Washington Informer, but I am so happy you cover so many events in Prince George's County. Without the coverage from The Informer, I wouldn't be aware of most of the things happening in the county. For instance, William J. Ford's article "Prince George's Breaks Ground on New Training Complex;" if I hadn't read it in The Informer, I wouldn't have known anything about it. This is real important to me, and frankly speaking, it should be to everyone who lives in this area. The people being trained at this facility are folks that we in the community may very well encounter someday, and if that happens, hopefully the training they received will help them make the right decisions on how to appropriately deal with us in the community. To me, the $46 million will be well worth it.

I am writing you in reference to an article I read in your July 27 edition of The Washington Informer by Martell Pegues, "Minor Football League Seeks to Develop Future NFL Players." All I can say is, "it's about time." There are so many young men who finish playing college football who don't make the NFL, and they need a place to continue playing a sport that they have probably played most of their lives. A minor football league is a perfect. I hope the NFL gets fully behind this league. The one thing that concerns me is that without the full support of the NFL, the medical and injury issues may not be fully addressed. If that happens, I say, "go for it." There are probably hundreds of young men waiting to get a chance to play organized football once again.

Mark Wright Prince George's County

ca” and “our movement.” A movement, he said, “built on love for our fellow citizens” and love for every American child “that deserves to have all of their dreams come true.” He stressed the commonality of his supporters but in doing so, he continued to spew language

Randy Hines Washington, D.C.

that was divisive and hostile against Americans who don’t support him or his agenda. Trump is his own worst enemy. He says enough to make Americans question his loyalty to America, and if he can bring an America he helped to divide, back together

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again. As long as he continues to label his opponents as “evil,” “liars,” “dishonest” and “anti-American,” the more he will drive a greater divide between all Americans. He is as guilty as the “fake media” he loves to hate. WI

AUGUST 24 - 30, 2017 25

OPINIONS/EDITORIALS Guest Columnist

By Julianne Malveaux

Confederate Statues Fall, But Economic Racism Lingers Cheers to New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, one of the first mayors to take Confederate statues down and to make the strong point that these statues represent nothing but oppression. You should check out the speech he delivered in May at MarketWatch. com. More cheers to Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh who had statues removed in the dead of night to avoid Charlottesville-type con-

frontations between racist white supremacists (also known as "good people," according to "45") and those who oppose them. And though he does little that I agree with, in the interest of equal praise, I must lift up Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, who had the statue of Roger Taney removed from the Maryland State House. Taney was an especially vile racist who authored the Dred Scott decision in 1857. He wrote that black people had no rights that whites were bound to respect, and provided justification for enslavement, even as many in the rest of the nation were clamor-

Guest Columnist

ing against the unjust institution. As the statues are falling, economic racism is not fading. African-Americans still earn just 60 percent of what whites earn. We have just 7 percent of the wealth that whites have. The unemployment rate for black workers is double the unemployment rate of white workers. Even with equal incomes, blacks find it more challenging to get mortgages or other access to capital and our economic rights are being challenged every day. It is important to note that these statues were not erected immedi-

ately after the Civil War. Of course, Southern Confederates — a bunch of losers — were too broke to build statues. They were still trying to recover from the devastation of the Civil War. How did they plan to recover? They needed a captive labor force to work their fields, just as enslaved people had before the war. So they ensured quasi-captivity through intimidation. That need was partially responsible for the emergence of the KKK. They inspired fear, suppressed resistance, and, through Black Codes and Jim Crow, engineered the near-re-enslavement of black people.

Black people who wanted to leave the South after the end of Reconstruction had to do it in the dead of night. Black people who had land were often forced to concede it or be killed. The Emergency Land Fund, a now-defunct organization that documented the black loss of land, indicated that black folks lost as much as 90 percent of their accumulated land by 1970, at least partially due to trickery and intimidation. The origins of the wealth gap lie in this loss of land, and in

MALVEAUX Page 45

By Austin R. Cooper Jr.

Mr. President, Convince Me You Are Not a Racist

Several years ago, I had the pleasure of chatting with Maya Angelou in her kitchen. My favorite quote by her remains, "The first time someone shows you who they are, believe them." For a moral person, it is not hard to condemn bigotry in any shape or form. Raised in a home where racism is condemned and not encouraged, one will not feel uneasy as an adult to condemn anyone promoting the KKK. Anyone with an appreciation of

world history will never appear pained and regretful in calling out neo-Nazis. A person with integrity will condemn white supremacists at the top of his or her lungs. President Trump, last week you had three occasions to disprove what I have always, frankly, felt: that you are a racist. Two years ago, you started dropping crumbs when you said, "When Mexico sends its people, they're not sending their best. They're bringing drugs. They're bringing crime. They're rapists." You have repeatedly proven that you have the capacity

Guest Columnist

to show righteous indignation. However, you are very selective in putting it on display. For example, you impressively disposed of your political opponents in the primaries with insults. Who can forget how you claimed that Sen. Ted Cruz's father plotted with Lee Harvey Oswald to assassinate JFK? Hillary Clinton remains a favorite punching bag, despite the fact that you won the election. You have ridiculed your own attorney general, insulted immigrants seeking better lives in America, harassed Muslims around the world and tried to

bully the former director of the FBI. You have even insulted congressional Republicans, despite slim majorities to pass your legislative agenda. In a recent conversation with my mother about the events in Charlottesville, she said, "Looking at the television coverage brought back painful memories from the civil rights movement." It pained me to hear my 81-yearold mother say that. It also disheartened me to hear another mother, Susan Bro, say after the tragic death of her daughter, Heather Heyer, "I'm not talking to the president now; I'm sorry.

Not after what he said about my child." For the first time, you were called upon to calm and heal a nation in pain. Yet, unlike any other president in recent history, you failed this test miserably. Whereas, President Obama displayed dignity by leading the country in singing "Amazing Grace" in the aftermath of Charleston, you led a racist American choir in singing "Dixie." You made no attempt at moral leadership whatsoever. Regarding private or public expressions of racism and oppres-

COOPER Page 45

By Raynard Jackson

NABJ Should Consider a Name Change Earlier this month, I was scheduled to attend the annual convention of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) in New Orleans, but after receiving a copy of the agenda with the list of speakers, I decided to cancel my trip. I think the NABJ should change its name to the National Association of "Liberal" Black Journalists, because that is truly what they are, as an organization.

26 AUGUST 24 - 30, 2017

I have for years told their leadership that they are perceived by Republicans to be closely allied with the Democratic National Committee (DNC). I have even offered to personally arrange for them to meet with leaders of the Republican Party, so that they could begin to cultivate the necessary relationships to be viewed credibly by Republicans, but NABJ leadership has absolutely no interest in being a "professional" group — they would rather be a "partisan" group instead. Check out the list of speakers

from this month's convention. There is not one noted Black Republican or conservative speaker anywhere to be found on the NABJ's speaker list. Not one. And hell no, Omarosa Manigault Newman does not count. She is the director of communications for the Office of Public Liaison for the Trump administration. She's a liberal Democrat, not a Republican, and based on what I've read, her appearance at the convention was an absolute mess. And no, Eboni Williams from Fox News doesn't count, either.

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She is a Democrat/independent. When you view the list of speakers, it's a who's who of very liberal Democrats. And NABJ's leaders wonder why the Republicans don't take them seriously? Need more proof that the NABJ is in the tank for the DNC? Check out the list of panelists for their "NABJ Newsmaker Plenary": Moderator: Byron Pitts, ABC's "Nightline" Speakers: Shani Hilton, head of U.S.

News, BuzzFeed News Rashida Jones, senior vice president, Specials, NBC News/ MSNBC April Ryan, White House correspondent for American Urban Radio Networks; author of "At Mama's Knee: Mothers and Race in Black and White" Arthur Sulzberger Jr., publisher and chairman, The New York Times Lauren Williams, executive editor, VOX News

JACKSON Page 45

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OPINIONS/EDITORIALS Guest Columnist

By James Clingman

Statues, Monuments and Memorials Many people are highly insulted by confederate statues and monuments, and they want them taken down and/or destroyed. Since the latest movement in New Orleans to eliminate these relics that commemorate folks who tried to secede from the Union, which resulted in a war that cost 700,000 lives, some black people have been asking the questions: "Is it worth it?" "Should we be spending our time on other things?" "If all of the statues and monuments were

eliminated tomorrow, would that help propel black folks to a higher level in this country?" Because I have never been involved in any protest or action to remove a statue, a flag, or a memorial that celebrates the Confederacy, I will not attempt to answer those questions for anyone who has or is engaged in protesting them. But, I will offer my personal take on the matter. Unless I was terrified by these inanimate objects, or they made me physically sick when I saw them, I wouldn't care about them at all. And so, I don't care about them. But I remember how my mother hated, I mean hated,

the "lawn jockeys" we would see when as we rode in our car. She always said if she had an axe she would stop and destroy the little black-faced man holding the horse's ring. (Many stories abound on its origin and purpose, too numerous to recite in this article) I guess my mother grew up seeing those little statues in West Virginia and was told they denoted hatred for black people. Having lived in the South during my teenage years, I experienced separate public accommodations. I went from a majority-white school in Ohio to an all-black school in North Carolina, in 1960 no less, and I liked

Guest Columnist

it; those two years were the best of my life at that time. I "grew up" there and realized many positive things about black people in the South when it came to ownership, education, and self-determination. I was inspired by what I saw in black people—not discouraged. I live in South Carolina now, and I see confederate flags on trucks, hats, shirts, and other paraphernalia—it doesn't bother me a bit. As long as the person wearing that stuff leaves me and mine alone, I'm fine. I am not suggesting everyone be like me; I am just sharing my experience. Practically speaking, black

folks could spend the better part of the next decade or two removing icons of the Confederacy, and upon our victory of doing so we would still be at the bottom of all economic indices in this nation. According to FiveThirtyEight. com, "The Southern Poverty Law Center began collecting data on public displays of the Confederacy throughout the United States. … They found more than 1,500 places or things commemorating the Confederacy, including more than a hundred schools and more than 700 monuments. The SPLC's list of symbols also in-

CLINGMAN Page 46

By Dorothy Rowley

Back to School — and Those Great Expectations As parents prepare to send their children back off to school, I'm reminded of my household all those many years ago when my own parents scurried to get us ready for the first day of school. There were five of us, two girls and three boys, so that meant my parents had to do some fine-

tuned planning — especially Mom, since she also had to go to work on the first day back to school. In anticipation of that particular day, Mom began anew planning breakfasts, lunches, buying and preparing clothes. On that first day back to school, she also had to figure out what time all of us would be out of classes and back home. Mind you, there were

five of us — five different ages, grades and personalities. But that first day back didn't relieve us of the chores we'd normally have. With Mom being smart enough to realize there was usually no homework that day, there was no change in the game. So when we arrived home, we had to immediately change out of those new clothes and shoes and carefully put them away, fully

Askia-At-Large

aware that we'd have to wear the same outfit again in two or three days. Then we had to call Mom to let her know we'd all arrived. After that, my sister or I had to take the meat out of the refrigerator that Mom planned for dinner to let it thaw in the two hours before she got home. We'd check the mailbox for mail, clean up here and there, make sure the trash was taken out — and

then watch TV or play our board games until Mom arrived. We couldn't go outside until Mom came home. When she did, there would be a thousand questions about what went on the first day back to school: who's your new teacher, do you like her, do I know her, where's your school supplies list,

ROWLEY Page 46

By Askia Muhammad

Farewell, Dick Gregory Even at age 84, Dick Gregory was such a vigorous, health-conscious man, it's hard for me to imagine him ever dying. But the genius Dick Gregory joined his ancestors August 19 with his family by his side. As a comedian, when he broke through in the 1960s he literally "cracked your sides." He was brainy, bawdy and so socially conscious. He broke the ceiling at the Playboy Club. He was featured on the "Tonight Show," back when Jack Paar hosted it. He was featured in movies, and he stood by the civil rights move-

ment like a champ. And then Dr. King was murdered and a new, even more militant Richard Claxton Gregory emerged, reciting the Declaration of Independence in his college speeches, and evoking tears instead of laughter. He was the 1968 presidential nominee of the Peace and Freedom Party, at the time when the "freedom" movement and the "peace" movement — the anti-war movement — were at their height. That's when I first met this incredible man, when he appeared at San Jose State. He wrote a book that year. He titled it "Nigger." He sent a copy

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to Richard Nixon, he said, "so there'd be a nigger in the White House." A few years later in Chicago, I came to really get acquainted with this world-renowned entertainer, humanitarian. I would frequently encounter him around Hyde Park, where he lived. He would jet about in his Citroen automobile. That was a time when European cars were distinctly different from the American gas-guzzlers. His daughter Ayanna, one of the younger of Dick and Lillian Gregory's 10 children, told me she remembers only that it was a cool car that could be raised and lowered.

In Chicago, Dick Gregory encountered his diet guru, Dr. Alvenia Fulton, who offered a version of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad's "How To Eat To Live," for diet-conscious black Chicagoans, not affiliated with Mr. Muhammad. Gregory let his hair grow out of that 1960s Quo Vadis style into bearded and bushy. He dropped 60 pounds. He was a new, Dick Gregory. Adding his profound sense of social consciousness to his diet awareness, he often went on fasts protesting injustices. At first he consumed only Dr. Fulton's juices, then the fasts were water only. Some lasted for months.

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In high school in St. Louis, Dick Gregory had excelled in track and field. He was a runner, so it's no wonder that this "new man" might then set out from Chicago, literally running. With the help of retired marketing executive George O'Hare as his publicist, he set out on numerous coast-to-coast runs, to raise attention for always vitally important causes. He was a crusader. He never met a plausible conspiracy theory he did not like. Even some that were not plausible, could be made to seem reasonable when Dick Grego-

ASKIA Page 46 AUGUST 24 - 30, 2017 27

LIFESTYLE TV One Movie Shines Light on Domestic Violence By Sarafina Wright WI Staff Writer Actor and Howard University alumnus Lance Gross goes to the dark side in TV One's latest movie exploring domestic violence, trauma and tragedy. TV One premiered "When Love Kills: The Falicia Blakely Story" on Aug. 14 at the Newton White Mansion in Mitchellville, Maryland. The movie tells the true story of Falicia Blakely, once profiled in the network's "Fatal Attraction" series. Blakely, a teen mom growing up without guidance in Atlan-

ta, becomes an exotic dancer, attracting the attention of many men. One man in particular, Dino, fills a void of love she's looking for. She eventually discovers that he's a pimp, but love makes her stay with the man who takes from and abuses her. His empty promises of a life together turn Falicia into a pawn in his dangerous games, and she's forced to prove her love for him at the expense of innocent lives. Actress Tasha Smith, who made her feature-length directorial debut, challenged the hundreds in attendance at the premiere to examine how Falicia's

5 Actresses Tasha Smith, Niatia “Lil’ Mama” Kirkland, and Tami Roman on the red carpet at TV One’s pre-

miere of “When Love Kills” starring Kirkland and Roman at Newton White Mansion in Mitchellville, Md. on Aug. 14. /Photo by Shevry Lassiter life could've been different had she received the mothering and love she needed at home. Niatia "Lil' Mama" Kirkland stars as Falicia, Tami Roman stars as her mother, while Lance Gross makes a departure from his usual roles by playing the villainous pimp. The movie also features guest spots by Floyd Mayweather, Big Freedia and Lil Zane. After the success of its original

TV movies "Ruth: "I Just Want What's Mine!" and "Love Under New Management: The Miki Howard Story," TV One wanted to continue to create movies that give black actors an opportunity to show their chops. "So many people have got their start on TV One and it's led them to bigger roles and more opportunities," said D'Angela Proctor, TV One's senior vice president of original program-

ming and production. "Right now Lance isn't here at this screening because Lee Daniels saw him in 'When Love Kills' and was blown away, so now he's on set working with him. "That's what we do at TV One," Proctor said. "We give opportunities." "When Love Kills: The Falicia Blakely Story" premieres on TV One Monday, Aug. 28 at 9 p.m. EST. WI

3RD ANNUAL CHUCK BROWN DAY

5 L-R: Ishamel Niang, Mohamed Niang, and Mohamed Traore select

backpacks from the Chuck Brown Foundation, Aug 20. The foundation offered free backpacks and school supplies to students as part of the 3rd annual Chuck Brown Day in Northeast. /Photo by E Watson/EDI

5 Lavinia Samuel of Laurel, Md., and her fiance, Carlos Garrett, enjoy live stage performances at the 3rd annu-

al Chuck Brown Day, Aug 20 in Northeast. The couple personified DJ Chris Paul’s statement on Chuck Brown’s true legacy: “The people here dancing and celebrating him—that’s the true monument.” /Photo by E Watson/EDI

28 AUGUST 24 - 30, 2017

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5 Event organizers were hoping for a much larger crowd at the 3rd an-

nual Chuck Brown Day, but those in attendance were energetic, willing to overlook the organizational mishaps, and happy to pay tribute to the legacy and memory of Chuck Brown. /Photo by E Watson/EDI WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

LIFESTYLE

O'Jays, Maze Featuring Frankie Beverly Do it for DMV's Grown Folks By Timothy Cox Special to The Informer Friday's bill featuring two of the '70s premier soul acts — The O'Jays and Maze Featuring Frankie Beverly — nearly didn't happen. Some strong storms rolled through the region a couple hours before showtime, threatening to put a kibosh on the event at the beautiful Wolf Trap Filene Center Thankfully, the rain held up and the show commenced on time, with a slight breeze helping to ease the triple-digit temperatures that ruled earlier in the day. What developed was a flat-out, old-school battle of the bands. The O'Jays serving as opening act, and the trio of Eddie Levert, Walter Williams Sr. and Eric Nolan Grant were up for the task at hand, nearly stealing the show in their cool, baby-blue tuxedos and sounding and acting with their expected professional class depicting their — count 'em — seven-decade career. Fortunately, all three members showed up for the D.C.-area gig, considering just two months ago, the group played a Pittsburgh venue minus Williams, who was under the weather. It's always been a treat to witness The O'Jays' unique dance moves, and Williams, like always, played it cool with a choreographic style that still reflects who he calls the "old man," late hoofer and Motown legend Cholly Atkins. During a medley of past hits, "Use ta Be My Girl" garnered the highest crowd response, while "You Got Your Hooks in Me," was a surprise add to the playlist. Walt shined on "Cry Together" and the gospel-flavored "Stairway to Heaven." Eddie, as always, was the main man throughout the evening with his humorous comments and funky dance moves. Levert has never taken himself too seriously with his fans, and was this way again. Despite the loss of his two sons within two years of each other about a decade ago, he remains very humble and light-hearted onstage. They ended the 90-minute set with "For the Love of Money," penned by famed songwriting duo Gamble and Huff and bassist Anthony Jackson.

5 The O'Jays serenade the crowd. /Photo by Timothy Cox

After a brief 30-minute intermission, the stage was set for the headliners, and the raspyvoiced Beverly aka "silky soul singer" was in rare form, considering his recent bout with throat cancer. During an Atlanta New Year's Eve show in 2009, it appeared as if his career was in jeopardy, but Friday's show was evidence that Beverly is indeed "back in stride." Though his vocals weakened toward the end of his performance, you have to give the 71-year-old performer his props for a spectacular performance. In a brief banter with the audience, Beverly addressed the nation's current racial tensions, adding "I love everybody, no matter what color they are." His comments evoked memories of the group's '77 hit, "Color Blind," though it was not part of their playlist on this evening. Guitarist John "Jubu" Smith again shined during "Golden Time of Day." Smith's extended, melodically sweet solo has become an expected part of the Maze act, based on his modernistic approach to the lead guitar — very similar in bluesy style-riffs to the legendary BB King. Speaking of guitar, though Frankie's patented acoustic guitar was displayed on front-center stage, he never picked it up. His funky rhythm guitar riffs were always notable on "You" and "Color Blind." Maze's dedicated fan base obviously missed the late percussionist/vocalist McKinley "Bug" Williams and the funky original bassist Robin Duhe, a cancer survivor and born-

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again Christian now living in the Oakland-San Francisco area. Ronald "Roame" Lowery, a percussionist, still shares the stage with his Philadelphia homeboy, however.

"Too Many Games," "Southern Girl" and "Back In Stride" were welcome, though conspicuously missing was "Joy and Pain." Fans valiantly called for an encore — which would

have provided a perfect time for a brief version of "Joy and Pain" — but to no avail. But nobody complained. Definitely an unforgettable night! WI

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WAR LOS LONELY BOYS THE AMBASSADOR: JIMI HENDRIX A 50TH ANNIVERSARY AND 75TH BIRTHDAY CONCERT EVENT FEATURING FISHBONE, ERNIE ISLEY, AND SPECIAL GUESTS DADDY YANKEE

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AUGUST 24 - 30, 2017 29

CAPTURE THE MOMENT Back-to-School Festival Targets Northwest Families By Sam P.K. Collins WI Contributing Writer This week marked the beginning of Samuel Griffiths’ daughter's first year in elementary school and he wanted her to look the part as she embarked on her academic journey. On Saturday, the father-daughter pair left their home and walked around the corner to the Thurgood Marshall Center in historic Shaw where, upon walking in its main auditorium, a hair stylist braided the young girl’s hair, free of charge. For the rest of the afternoon, the father and daughter enjoyed the sights and sounds of the center's inaugural back-to-school festival that featured live karaoke, a Tae

kwon do demonstration, a book bag giveaway, a portrait artist and more. "My daughter is an overachiever. She’s going to the first grade and has already had a lot of accomplishments since she was two or three,” said Griffiths, a 10-year resident of the Shaw community. “Things like this event in the community show a lot of concern for the kids and [community partners] help them start school on the right foot.” Griffith counted among hundreds of parents, children, and community members, who attended the festival on Saturday, Aug. 19 where they enjoyed a smorgasbord of activities and took advantage of community resources. In the auditorium, parents sat and talked

5 Families line up at the ice-cream truck at the Back to School Festival held

at the Thurgood Marshall Center in Northwest on Aug. 19. /Photo by Mark Mahoney

30 AUGUST 24 - 30, 2017

CHARLOTTESVILLE from Page 16

5 D.C. resident, Samuela Griffiths, dances in front of a small audience

during a back to school festival held at the Thurgood Marshall Center in Northwest on Aug. 19. /Photo by Mark Mahoney among one another as children of various ages frolicked and danced to the latest trap-pop tunes emanating through jumbo speakers. Hair stylists and barbers braided and shaped up children’s hair throughout the day. Down the hall, a resident chef gave a healthy eating demonstration. The Thurgood Marshall Center also coordinated on-site HIV testing. Outside, festival organizers transformed the parking lot into a kiddie wonderland, equipped with an icicle vendor, moon bounce and fire truck. Vendors sold African fabrics and health products. Throughout much of the afternoon, artist, musician and local favorite Reesa Renee walked with mic in hand to keep the mood upbeat. Ward 1 D.C. Council member Brianne Nadeau also stopped by to listen to District residents. LaSalle D. Leffall Jr., MD, FACS of Howard University Cancer Center served as the festival’s presenting sponsor. “The best part of the festival was the haircuts for kids,” said Shavon Collier, referring to Darnell Palmer, a local barber who trimmed young men’s hair well into the evening. Collier, a Southeast resident, spent much of the afternoon watching her children play in the auditorium. “We have a lot of low-income families that can’t afford school supplies and other things for their children. This year, I want my children to do what they’re supposed to do academically and get to the level they’re supposed to,” added Collier, a mother of three. John El-Badr, curator at the Thurgood Marshall Center, who brought his daughter and grandchildren, chatted with community

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members and enjoyed an icicle under the shade. For the historian, the back-to-school festival, located just two blocks from the U Street corridor, conjured memories of what Washingtonians once called Black Broadway. “Anything that’s positive for our youth, we need to do as many times as possible,” El-Badr said. “Marcus Garvey came to this area. John Thompson came here to play ball. Langston Hughes was here. We have to fight for Shaw, Howard [University] and our institutions like Ben’s Chili Bowl, Industrial Bank and others that are still here. It’s still Black Broadway, even with the new stakeholders. Events like this are important to show that Black people still live in the community.” This year, the Thurgood Marshall Center solely launched the back-to-school festival for the first time after hosting it on its premises for the two consecutive years with the Greater Washington Urban League (GWUL). After GWUL announced it would move the festival to its 14th Street headquarters earlier this year, Thomasina Yearwood, president/CEO of the Thurgood Marshall Center Trust, as part of an effort to meet community demand for the annual gathering, decided to continue the project. “The kids are prepared, looking good and ready to learn. That’s the first step,” said Stacey Palmer, lead coordinator of the festival. “I know the burden school shopping places on your pocketbook. This is why we do it.” For more information about the Thurgood Marshall Center, visit tmcsh.org. This article originally appeared on AllEyesOnDC.com. WI

Trump was elected showed that 66 percent of adults, including Democrats and Republicans, said the future of the nation was causing them significant stress. Fifty-seven percent of adults identified the current political climate as a significant source of stress. The APA reports that stress has, over the past 10 years, been trending downward among American adults. But stress levels spiked for the first time in January, when Trump's inauguration took place. Perhaps no one summed up the fury over Trump's Charlottesville stand better than Pennsylvania state Rep. Jordan Harris. "Sadly, many of us African-Americans aren't shocked or dismayed. For many, it's far too common," the Philadelphia Democrat said, slowly allowing his emotions to stir and apparently realizing he wouldn't be able to keep them in check totally. "What is not common is a racist and bigoted president," he said. "For this president not to understand the deep hurt of having a statue of Robert E. Lee is significantly sadder to me and it should be to us as a nation. What other country in the world would celebrate the conquered? Robert E. Lee was a traitor, he committed treason. "We talk in the historical context," said Harris, clearly riled by this point. "The Confederates lost. They rebelled, they committed treason and the United States won. You don't go to Germany and see a statue of Adolph Hitler. We have to stop with this 'historical society' b.s. Let Robert E. Lee be in the history books, but a statue to revere a traitor, a man who had my ancestors in chains? This is not a heritage, this is hypocrisy. "We can't allow people to get away with this 'historical society' stuff," he said. "What heritage are we celebrating? America conquered the Confederacy and no other nation would celebrate the conquered." Among the top Republicans to speak out against Trump were Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, South Carolina Sens. Lindsey Graham and Tim Scott, Ohio Gov. John Kasich, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, both former Presidents Bush and even his own Chief of Staff John Kelly, who appeared to roll his eyes in disgust at the president's comments. Most of America shared in Harris' anger. "This president is a joke," he said. "This Robert E. Lee thing is sad. WI

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Thank you for celebrating FAME’s 13th Anniversary and the esteemed 2017 awardees who make significant contributions to improving the lives of our youth and communities.

AWA R D E E S Government Leadership Award (State) Erek L. Barron, Esq.

Educator Award Precious D. Carter

Community & Nonprofit Champion Award Manuel (Manny) Geraldo, Esq.

Government Leadership Award (Local) Angela Alsobrooks, Esq.

Outstanding Community Partner Award Wells Fargo Bank

Corporate Leadership Award Dennis Brownlee

FAME Award of Honor Judith Hawkins

Education Leadership Award Theresa Mitchell Dudley

Unsung Hero Award Nell Johnson

Educator Award Brian Hollar

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FAME’s 13th Anniversary & Awards Celebration Thank you for sharing the musical arts and creating a lifelong impact on young people throughout our community.

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AUGUST 24 - 30, 2017 31

LIFESTYLE Documentary Looks at Racial Issues in Black Community By Eve M. Ferguson WI Contributing Writer

5 A scene from the documentary "Not Black Enough." /Photo courtesy African Diaspora Film Festival

32 AUGUST 24 - 30, 2017

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Tracey Annarella's 2017 documentary "Not Black Enough" takes on what many in the black community worldwide consider a taboo topic: intra-racial prejudices and colorism. The filmmaker embarked on this project as a matter of personal inquiry. She had dealt with the concept of "acting white" all of her life, and was curious to get the perspective of others ranging from African purists to pageant queens. It started from a casual statement from a friend, who said in an off-the-cuff manner that she was "trying to be white" when she moved from ethnic Brooklyn to Manhattan. "I thought it was just about getting a better apartment," she commented, but it gave her the topic and the impetus to make the 83-minute film that includes some well-known faces such as actress/singer Vanessa Williams, singer Florence LaRue and scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. But it also records the voices of people who pass judgment on those who use proper English, wear hair weaves and other unnatural accessories that make them appear to be trying to be less black. "Not Black Enough" addresses class warfare and the crosstides that African-Americans are dealing with within the black community every day. The concept that those who resemble either in physical appearance or behavior are given greater opportunities in the wider American society is also a theme that runs deeply throughout the film. The interviewees are educated, economically comfortable or well-off and successful in their careers. Sometimes using humor and other times true distress, "Not Black Enough" reveals the present-day wounds that still prevail among people of African descent in the United States. And in a stretch Annarella brings in other cultures that also deal with colorism, or the stratification of society based on skin color, through an old joke about crabs in a barrel in the words and language of Hispanics, Filipinos, Indians and Caribbean people. What is evident is that there is still a great deal of ambivalence,

fear and self-hatred that manifests itself through the ways African-Americans interact based on skin color and economic privilege; the legacy of slavery. "When I was approached about participating in the film, as I said in the film, a lot of it comes from being black, our history and what we have gone through as a result of slavery," said Marlon Saunders, a musician who has worked with major artists such as Stevie Wonder and a co-producer of the film. Being very dark-skinned and formally trained in all genres of music, he was ostracized within the community for "acting white." "Our history is rooted in trauma," he added. "And often times in our communities, we talk and we have wonderful healing balms that we use. But we rarely have conversations openly and honestly that say we have trauma. We have trauma that has hit us spiritually, emotionally, mentally and physically. Given where we are right now and what we are seeing come back around, we have to start to have those conversations." "They're going to give us ways and means to heal," he said. "To heal ourselves as black people, let's start there. Heal ourselves individually, in our families then move that out to our friends and to our communities. That trauma is in every relationship that we take, every thought that we think, every reaction that we have whether based in reality or not." But the wisest words in the film are spoken by the children, whose angst at being a target of the criticism for acting too white is palpable and moving. They were also quick to point out the senselessness and wasted energy that results from that form of self-hatred that makes one turn on their brother based on the lightness or darkness of their skin. "Not Black Enough" is currently making the rounds on the film festival circuit, and was shown as a part of the 11th annual African Diaspora Film Festival produced by Artmattan Productions, a distributor of African and diaspora films, which has for the past two years shared partnership with George Washington University. WI

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HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGE & UNIVERSITY JOURNALISTS DISCOVER THE UNEXPECTED AND MORE!

SEE UNTOLD STORIES THAT CELEBRATE OUR CULTURE AND HISTORY

Congratulations to our Discover the Unexpected (DTU) Fellows! Discover the Unexpected, presented by the all-new 2018 Chevrolet Equinox in partnership with the National Newspaper Publishers Association, celebrates the impressive achievements of our HBCU student journalists. Because of our DTU Fellows, summer ’17 was full of important stories that inform, inspire, and shatter perceptions about African American culture as well as our community. Don’t miss their stories and videos from this road trip of a lifetime.

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DISCOVER MORE OF THEIR STORIES AT NNPA.ORG/DTU

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AUGUST 24 - 30, 2017 33

LIFESTYLE

Soul Funk Jazz Festival, Crab Feast Coming to Fort Washington D.C.’s Be’la Dona and Marcus Johnson join Klymaxx and Lakeside

By D. Kevin McNeir WI Editor Sizzling temperatures in the Greater Washington Area continue to add the perfect touch for outdoor activities that throughout the summer have featured a plethora of talented singers and

musicians along with local delicacies fit for your favorite king or queen. Thus, it should come as no surprise that yet another entertainment-focused company located here in the DMV, DC Nitelife [DCN], will be hosting an all-day festival this weekend

featuring performers from several musical genres along with the option to gobble up some of the region’s delicious, mouth-watering crabs. The Soul Funk Jazz Summer Festival & Crab Feast will be held Saturday, Aug. 26 at the Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Wash-

5 Be'la Dona (above) and Klymaxx (right) /Courtesy photos

ington with non-stop entertainment taking to the stage from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Co-hosts for the festival, comedian Timmy Hall and TV and radio celebrity Cortney Hicks, will keep the party going along with a stellar lineup of local favorites, old school legends and those hoping to one day make it big. The lineup includes: PFunk Connection featuring Kid Funkadelic and Mike Hampton; The Raydio Show; Columbus, Ohioborn and D.C. transplant and jazz keyboardist Marcus Johnson, a graduate of Howard and Georgetown who fuses rap and R&B rhythms with his music; Be’la Dona, the high-energy all-female band formed in D.C. whose musical skills and showmanship have resulted in their receiving multiple nominations for Best Go-Go Duo or Group; the legendary all-female band Klymaxx, best known for “I Miss You,” “The Men All Pause” and “Meeting in the Ladies Room” and the only female self-contained R&B/pop band to achieve platinum status; The Original Lakeside, a band whose members also sang, wrote and produced

HBCU Grad Behind NOAA Total Solar Eclipse Imagery By Tiffany Hoyd Howard University News Service Well before the nation’s first total solar eclipse dominated the headlines of every news organization in America, it was affixed to the mind of Jamese Sims. Sims, a native of Meridian, Miss., graduate of two historically black universities and one of the few African-American women in the field of scientific engineering and meteorology, is part of the reason you and millions of Americans could see the stunning images of the eclipse on broadcast news stations, web pages, Facebook and Twitter feeds. A graduate of Jackson State University in Jackson, Miss., and Howard University in the District, Sims is the product manager for the groundbreaking GOES-16 Satellite that provided the images of the eclipse millions of Americans saw. Sims worked on developing the satellite imagery with a team of scientists at the National

34 AUGUST 24 - 30, 2017

Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, where she works on the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite, commonly referred to as GOES. Sims came to the world of weather and satellites almost by happenstance. She recalls how growing up as a young girl in Mississippi, her grandmother would predict the weather based on how she felt. As for Sims, she says she marveled at how the weather was so different from her hometown when she visited her family in Indiana. Initially, however, weather and science was not a career choice. Sims began college with plans of becoming an accountant, but a persistent algebra teacher at Jackson State, “Ms. Brookins,” started her into the lane that would essentially set her life on a different track. “One day, she called me up to her desk and she said, ‘Sims, what’s you major again?’ And so, I said, ‘Ms. Brookins, my major is accounting.’ She said, ‘No, you need to go across the hall to

the physics department because I can tell by the way that you think and the way that you answer your questions, that you are a scientist and that’s what your major needs to be.’” It wasn’t long afterwards that Sims worked as an intern at NOAA during her undergraduate years as part of a NOAA’s scholarship program. Later, while working on her doctorate degree at Howard, Sims did another NOAA internship, this time in Miami, at the Hurricane Research Division. Her internship led to a fulltime position at NOAA studying the Gulf Stream that runs through the Atlantic from the Caribbean past Africa. She also studied hurricane patterns. In 2016, she joined the GOES team. Sims was recently named a NOAA 2017 employee of the quarter. According to NOAA, she “champions and supports the development and implementation of weather satellite products to meet customer needs within cost and schedule of project

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plans.” Sims said her education at historically black universities was important to her success. “I have two HBCUs under

many of their hits like “It’s All the Way Live” and “Fantastic Voyage,” often dressing like pirates, 1920s police officers, cowboys and even Arabian Knights; and “Chico” DeBarge, a younger brother of Motown’s family act, DeBarge, whose distinctive voice and onstage persona have long been the keys to his success. DCN, a credible source for up-to-date entertainment in the DMV, also highlights some of the area’s notable musical artists, charitable, fashion and sports events in the area and across the U.S. with an online digital media magazine that garners in excess of 310,000 hits per month. A portion of the festival’s proceeds will assist “Concert for Causes,” a nonprofit that utilizes major symphony orchestras and organizes groundbreaking events for children in need and “The Wounded Warrior Project,” another nonprofit dedicated to honoring and empowering injured warriors, caregivers and family members. For more information or tickets, visit www.soulfunkjazzsummerfest.com WI my belt and I am definitely a promoter of HBCUs,” she said. “I gained not just academic expertise, but HBCUs go the extra mile in teaching our students about professional development and pushing the students to pursue internships.” WI

5 Jamese Sims. /Photo courtesy of Jamese Sims

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LIFESTYLE

wi book reviewA

Horoscopes

AUG 24 - 30, 2017

ARIES If you’ve doubted yourself, events this week could encourage you to have con-

fidence and move forward with a can-do attitude. You’ll find it easier to create a step-bystep plan that can help you reach your goal. Involving other people might work well for you, as you could achieve so much more with their help. Lucky Numbers: 13, 24, 50

"Truth Doesn't Have a Side"

TAURUS Whatever decisions you need to make occur quite naturally this week. Changes on the domestic front could leave you excited about the potential for a new beginning. This could relate to a move, buying or selling real estate, or redecorating yourhome. The important point is to take the first step. You’ll also be looking for leisure options to relax and unwind, which can be a restorative. Lucky Numbers: 6, 7, 36

by Dr. Bennet Omalu (with Mark Tabb) c.2017, Zondervan $24.99 ($31 Canada) 304 pages

GEMINI Collaborating with others on a dynamic idea could work out well for you over the coming weeks. There is the potential for a fresh start that evolves over time and leads to success. You might also find that relationships begin to lighten up over the weeks ahead as Saturn turns direct after many months in its retrograde phase. Interacting should become much easier from now on. Lucky Numbers: 4, 27, 30 CANCER The coming week could see a moneymaking idea taking off and becoming a money tree. There’s the possibility of a new beginning that could enhance your income considerably. But if it’s to succeed, you’ll need to apply some elbow grease. Indeed, attention to detail and a desire to work harder could appeal to you greatly and lead to success. Lucky Numbers: 5, 9, 21

Truth Doesn't Have a Side

LEO The weeks ahead could see you shaking off your old image and adopting a newer,

By Terri Schlichenmeyer WI Contributing Writer Everyone you meet has an effect on your life. Somehow, in some way, others change you: a stranger's smile lifts your mood. Kindness makes you happy. An injustice spurs you to action, making you someone else's change. Clearly, as in the new memoir "Truth Doesn't Have a Side" by Dr. Bennet Omalu (with Mark Tabb), a chance meeting could alter your path. Sometime toward the end of 2002, Bennett Omalu met Mike Webster. More specifically, Omalu met Autopsy A02-5214. That was Webster. It was a meeting that Omalu later said he wished had never happened… Omalu was born in the midst of a bombing raid on the small Nigerian town in which his parents had taken refuge. Civil war didn't last long but it left its mark: Omalu says he was always physically small for his age, due to wartime malnutrition, but it didn't affect his mental abilities. Omalu's father, a self-made man with a college degree, insisted that his children become educated; Omalu started school at age 3. He was an introverted child, a dreamer, and "lazy," but Omalu knew he could get good grades if he wanted them. The problem was, he didn't want them, until an older sister enticed him with money. His grades rose and he became a star student who dreamed of becoming a pilot — but Omalu's father had other ideas. He wanted another doctor in the family. Unwilling to disappoint his father, Omalu entered medical school at age 16, with an eye toward going to America. Med school revealed to him that he was uncomfortable with caring for living patients so, by the time he emigrated, he'd shifted his focus to a career in research. Later, he reached for a fellowship in pathology. His first autopsy was unsettling, he says, until he recognized the humanity of the remains before him. As he does even today, he asked the deceased to help him understand. And then he met Mike Webster… So you've seen the movie "Concussion." You may have even read the book. So why read this one, written by the guy the other book and film are about? If you've always felt that the book is better than the movie, you know why: in "Truth Doesn't Have a Side," author Bennet Omalu (with Mark Tabb) offers his own tale, firsthand, with a different focus. Omalu tells readers more about himself, explaining how faith protects and drives him, and laying his success at God's feet. This, along with his detailed story, gives a clearer picture of the man who confronted the NFL. And that's where the second half of this book takes you: to Omalu's discovery, uncovery, his opinions and conclusions, and his battle for recognition, both in findings and out. It's this second half that may disturb football fans. It may shock parents. It could change your weekends. If you can handle that, then grab this elegantly graceful, informative bio-wrapped-in-science and have a seat. "Truth Doesn't Have a Side" is good, so settle in and meet your next favorite book. For another side of the subject, check out "Playing Hurt: My Journey from Despair to Hope" by John Saunders. It's a story of football and depression — something, coincidentally, that Omalu says he suffered from, too. Together, these books will have you glued to your seat. WI WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

more charismatic approach to life. It could seem like anything is possible. All you need to do is set your plan in motion. In addition, your confidence can begin to build, especially in self-expression and romance. A special dream could be realized soon! Lucky Numbers: 5, 9, 22

VIRGO A new beginning may be possible due to a powerful influence in your spiritual sector. And with the Sun moving into your sign on Tuesday, you’ll feel more energized and vital over the coming weeks. Focusing on projects that have special meaning for you could be very rewarding. Lucky Numbers: 11, 51, 55 LIBRA An encounter or social event could have a profound effect on your life and mark a turning point for you. Because of this, you may make a key choice or perhaps decide to follow a new path that could turn out to be especially fruitful. Quiet reflection could be particularly rewarding over the coming four weeks. Lucky Numbers: 4, 20, 23 SCORPIO This week brings an opportunity that may not be repeated for some time. Decisions made now could be crucial. Don’t feel you must make a choice on the spot, though. With a more practical influence showing up, the cosmos suggests getting advice from knowledgeable others. It might best to take each day as it comes. You might need to factor change into your plans. Lucky Numbers: 15, 36, 43 SAGITTARIUS An opportunity to explore new territory could be a turning point for you, one you may embrace with great enthusiasm. The coming weeks could lead to fresh options that you may never have considered before. This might be an opportunity to take stock and consider whether you’re making the best use of your skills and abilities. If not, it might be time to showcase your talents. Lucky Numbers: 2, 14, 47 CAPRICORN You might decide to make a radical change that could have a major effect on your life. Events could act as a catalyst that pushes you to do something. At the same time, you could explore new opportunities for development and growth. Over the coming weeks, ideas could shape your thinking and lead you in a direction that proves enriching. Lucky Numbers: 6, 19, 36 AQUARIUS A relationship could take a new turn, particularly if you’re eager for it to move to a new level of intimacy. A dynamic influence could encourage you to commit to a deeper connection with a loved one, business partner, or collaborator. If your instincts tell you that a relationship has run its natural course, it might be wise to listen. Lucky Numbers: 12, 15, 16 PISCES A conversation or encounter could act as a catalyst that encourages you to get fit or deal with a health issue. Your mindset could change over the weeks ahead and become much more positive. If you have felt disheartened by your progress over recent weeks, this could now change. Relationships will also be in focus, encouraging you to take stock and consider how you might improve them. Lucky Numbers: 9, 11, 39

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

AUGUST 24 - 30, 2017 35

SPORTS Kevin Durant Comes Home for Seat Pleasant Parade By Martell Pegues WI Contributing Writer A horde of starry-eyed youths and proud area residents flocked to Oakcrest Elementary School in Seat Pleasant last week to greet hometown hero Kevin Durant as the NBA champion was honored with the inaugural Kevin Durant Day parade. In front of a raucous crowd chanting his name seemingly loud enough to be heard from miles away, Durant, flanked by his parents Wanda Durant and Wayne Pratt, was led through the parade

route on Thursday, Aug. 17 as he clutched his beloved championship trophy. Durant, who earlier this year helped lift the Golden State Warriors to its second title in the past three seasons, simply said, "it feels good to be home." With a fun-loving atmosphere inspired by success and admiration, Durant greeted children and invited some for autographs of shoes and other paraphernalia. As he rode through his old stomping grounds in an elegant Corvette with the top down, it was almost reminiscent of royalty.

Durant's mother stressed the impact of a parade in her son's honor in their hometown and the prospects for his future visits to the city. "It's rewarding, the parade shows that the hard work has paid off," she said. "Seat Pleasant is the genesis, Seat Pleasant is where it all began, so we must show appreciation to our town." The event was attended by a sea of area youth, as well as several local dignitaries. Durant's AAU organization, "Team Durant," which host both boys' and girls' basketball teams in the area ranging from ages 8-16, were also there in support. The 2017 Finals MVP doesn't come home often as some would like, but not in the eyes of his support group who still have ties to the region. "He's not Kevin Durant, he's not KD â&#x20AC;&#x201D; when he's home, he is Kevin, and that's what we want people to know," his mother said. "He's grateful for the community here and the people should know that." As young children wearing Durant's shoes and jersey chanted his name, one local hoopster hailed the superstar as someone he patterns his game after. "It's exciting to be here today," said Darren Lucas-White of Fairmont Heights High School, who led his team to the Maryland 1A state championship last winter. "He's from Seat Pleasant and so am I, so we have something in com-

5 Kevin Durant acknowledges the crowd. /Photo by Martrell Pegues mon." He also lauded the impact that the newly renovated basketball courts in Seat Pleasant have had on the area. "The courts have given the city a new energy," Lucas-White said. "Nobody wants to mess them up, so it's all positivity in that area." The festivities also were scheduled to include a basketball tournament, concert, and special guest appearances, but unfortunately did not occur. Monica Biscoe, a city spokes-

John Wall on Charlottesville: 'We Are All Family'

5 Washington Wizards point guard John Wall, hands out backpacks to children at the Rosedale Community Center on Aug. 18 in Northeast. /Photo by Roy Lewis By William J. Ford WI Staff Writer @jabariwill John Wall posed for pictures, shook hands and distributed backpacks to 250 students Friday during his fourth "Back to School" event in northeast D.C. But the Washington Wizards All-Star point guard had a more pressing issue to discuss. "I know this week has been tough on our country with

36 AUGUST 24 - 30, 2017

things not going the way we want them to, but the most important thing is you can't use that as retaliation," the superstar told the crowd during his John Wall Family Foundation's annual event at Rosedale Community Center and Library. "No matter what color you are, we are all family." Wall was addressing the violence at an Aug. 12 white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, which resulted

in three deaths and dozens injured. Police have charged James Alex Fields Jr., 20, of Maumee, Ohio, with second-degree murder, accusing him of driving his car through a crowd of counter-protesters and killing Heather Heyer, 32. Wall is one of several professional athletes in recent weeks to speak out against racism, injustice and the Trump administration, including Philadelphia Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins, who raised his fist in the air during the national anthem before an Aug. 10 preseason game in support of people of color. And Thursday, NBA champion and Seat Pleasant, Maryland, native Kevin Durant told ESPN he won't visit the White House if his Golden State Warriors are invited by President Trump, who has polarized the nation with his response to the Charlottesville incident. Wall spoke about how the recent unrest has affected him. "I want the kids to understand that we â&#x20AC;Ś can't use that [as reason] to target anybody

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

else," he told reporters after distributing $50 packages of backpacks and school supplies. "We have to work and try to get things as best as we can and keep it positive. "I want them to understand no matter where they're coming from, having money or not having money, you can always try to be something," he added. "If you want to be a teacher, a doctor, firefighter or basketball player, you got to strive and dedicate education to it and work hard every day." Wall, 26, will conduct his foundation activities Saturday in his hometown of Raleigh, North Carolina. But Wall calls the District his second home and Washingtonians treat him as their native son. Mziwandile T. Masimini, deputy director of recreation services for the city, read a proclamation for Wall from Mayor Muriel Bowser. "We really want to say, 'Thank you, John,'" Masimini said. "You're an inspiration. As a son

woman and vice president of communications for Mayson-Dixon Strategic Consulting, told WPGC (95.5 FM) that the scheduled festival was canceled due to "unforeseen circumstances and scheduling conflicts." But that did not interrupt a great time had by the public and Durant himself. As he hoisted the championship trophy, many "SliMVP" shirts flashed through the air in affection for the native superstar, who evidently is always welcome in the city that made him. WI of the city, I know you have embraced us, as well." Before the youth shook hands and posed for pictures with Wall, they picked up other goodies at various tables and played inside a moon bounce outside on the turf field behind the community center. After Wall strapped a black backpack on Carl Russell's back, the 11-year-old walked a few feet away and knelt on the field to examine the items inside, which included notebook paper, a folder and a John Wall bobblehead doll. "It took a load off my pockets," said Carl's mother, Kyra Russell, whose other son also attended the event. "It's given them something to do instead of posting up on video games all day." Carl began the sixth grade Monday at Sousa Middle School in Southeast. "Honestly, I'm pretty surprised that he would actually come out here," Carl said as he handed his mom a Wizards baseball cap stashed inside the bag. "I'm kind of glad I came out and got to take a picture." WI

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SPORTS Packers Beat Redskins in Preseason Contest

5 Washington Redskins running back Chris Thompson is tackled by Green Bay Packers safety

Jermaine Whitehead during Green Bay's 21-17 win at FedEx Field in Landover, Md., on Saturday, Aug. 19. /Photo by John E. De Freitas

5 Washington Redskins tight end Vernon Davis is tackled by Green Bay Packers safety Marwin Evans during Green Bay's 21-17 win at FedEx Field in Landover, Md., on Saturday, Aug. 19. /Photo by John E. De Freitas

5 Green Bay Packers cornerback LaDarius Gunter breaks up a pass intended for Washington Redskins wide receiver Brian

Quick during Green Bay's 21-17 win at FedEx Field in Landover, Md., on Saturday, Aug. 19. /Photo by John E. De Freitas

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5 Washington Redskins running back Samaje Perine is tackled by Green Bay Packers cornerback

Lenzy Pipkins during Green Bay's 21-17 win at FedEx Field in Landover, Md., on Saturday, Aug. 19. /Photo by John E. De Freitas

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

AUGUST 24 - 30, 2017 37

Iconic Comedian Jerry Lewis Dead at 91 By Sarafina Wright WI Staff Writer Legendary comedian Jerry Lewis died on Sunday, Aug. 20 in Las Vegas, Nevada at the age of 91. The Clark County Nevada Coroner determined cardiac disease as the cause of death, the New York Daily News reports. Lewis enjoyed an illustrious career over the span of seven decades as an actor, singer, producer, director, writer and humanitarian. Known for his slapstick comedy in the 1940s, 50s and 60s, Lewis became a star with his comedic partner and friend Dean Martin. Their success as “Martin and Lewis” led to Lewis’ further stardom as a solo act in music, movies and television. Born in Newark, New Jersey on March 16, 1926, Lewis came from a family of performers – his father a vaudeville entertainer and his mother a pianist. Lewis began performing at the age of five alongside his parents throughout the Catskill Mountains in New

York according to biography.com. As a teenager, Lewis forged a career for himself as a comedian eventually teaming up with Martin in 1946. The iconic duo quickly rose to national prominence as a popular nightclub act then becoming the stars of their own program. In the course of their 10-year partnership they starred in dozens of movies and programs on network television. After the two split up the act, their strained relationship kept them apart for decades until finally ‘water under the bridge’ and family tragedy brought them back together for Lewis’ Muscular Dystrophy Association [MDA] Telethon in 1976. A true humanitarian, suffering from his own illnesses such as diabetes, prostate cancer, pulmonary fibrosis and heart disease, Lewis dedicated his life to fundraising for research for the MDA. He served as the national chairman for 44 years before stepping down in 2011. Starring in well over 50 movies and numerous TV shows through-

5 Jerry Lewis, circa 1960s. /Photo courtesy of biography.com.

out his career, Lewis helped build Hollywood, which remains evident in his several awards for lifetime achievement including from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. He also has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Survived by his second wife SanDee Pitnick, Lewis leaves six sons, one deceased, and a daughter to continue his legacy. WI

GREGORY from Page 19 hoods during my 1994 runoff campaign for mayor. He was a frequent speaker at Urban League events and his sharp-witted insight will be sorely missed. With the nation facing a crisis of racial hostility, we would do well to be guided by his unwavering dedication to justice.” Rushern L. Baker, III, Prince George’s County Executive: “Today, Prince George’s County and our nation mourn the loss of Dick Gregory, one of the most prominent, effective and engaged civil rights leaders and activists. Before it was commonplace to use comedy and satire to speak truth to power, Dick Gregory was a pioneer in not only how he entertained but in the manner that he utilized his talents and beliefs to the benefit of millions of oppressed individuals around the world. He helped us find our voice, our confidence and our compassion for others. He enabled generations of Americans to stand up for their rights and to pursue progress and change and understand that we all must fight for it personally. As we remember Dick Gregory,

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we need to share his contributions with our youth. who may not know how important he is to our history. And, in his memory, we all should continue his lifelong commitment to justice, progress, civil rights and humanity.” Keith Silver, special assistant to Dick Gregory: “The one thing I know 100 percent for a fact is Dick Gregory daily walked with God and . . . God walked with him.” WI Editor D. Kevin McNeir contributed to this article. WI

HOSPITAL from Page 20 Trayon White. "Without question, there are serious issues at the [United Medical Center] that demand our immediate attention. However, I am also concerned there was no advance warning from the mayor that this suspension was under consideration, much less imminent." United Medical Center serves some of the poorest residents in the city. Ward 7 Council member Vincent Gray, who heads the council's health committee, called the closure a "health equity" issue and said it "finally shines the spotlight on the inadequacy of health care services for East End residents." Like White, Gray expressed concerned about the health department's lack of briefing on what led to the closure and the repercussions it would have on the affected community. "The East End continues to face health disparities that would be unacceptable anywhere else in the District," Gray said. "Now, the only hospital on the East End can no longer deliver babies and we have no timeline as to when it will be able to again." Gray, who has pushed for a new hospital east of the river and worked to have $300 million dedicated during the most recent budget process to the cause, called for the 2023 funding timeline to be advanced. He has also ordered a council hearing on Sept. 22 to discuss the closure. United Medical encourages residents requiring emergency obstetric treatment to use other D.C. facilities such as Providence Hospital, which is thought to be the next-most accessible alternative facility to Ward 7 and 8 patients. United Medical holds that the use of other regional medical facilities should not overwhelm the city's health care system. "Based on [the health department's] Health Systems Plan, the District currently is well below capacity with regard to hospital beds and should be more than capable of accommodating [United Medical] patients in the interim at these other facilities," said a United Medical statement. WI

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RELIGION

THE RELIGION CORNER

The Griffin Firm, PLLC

The Pursuit of Knowledge Principles I'm sharing have worked for me the past 35 years. Sharing them with you feels as though it is my obligation. Hopefully, someone reading this column will decide to take steps to reprogram their thinking to create a better life. This article is written to help readers understand the necessity of pursuing knowledge. You who want to become more professionally competent, more confident; and you who want to be more likely to succeed at whatever it is you've set your hand to do now or after retirement. Finally, to you want to become a specialist. What is your specialized field? As you continue your professional education, training, or tutelage. Some though, need to evaluate yourselves by taking a close look at your exact stock of general knowledge before deciding to specialize in your field. How are you operating in your day-to-day activities, an element essential for the proper functions of life? We must pay attention, we've got to read directions, we must read instructions and we must get complete details before purchasing tickets and other big-ticket items. Let me give you an example. It may seem simple to you, but it is a true story. There is a lady who was a writer for a newspaper in Texas. She was a volunteer, but she didn't care, continuing to write about health issues, in particular. She wrote about how to care for your health when you have heart disease. Friends and family tried to convince her to quit, since everyone else was getting paid, and she Mt. Zion Baptist Church

wasn't. The woman felt certain that her writing ability was a gift from God. She enjoyed helping others, and money wasn't important. After writing more than 12 years, a corporate executive read her column about how to live a better life to prevent heart disease, and she got a contract working for that company, making more than a half-million dollars each year. This is a true story. It shows how she followed her desire to share her specialized knowledge to write; she had gotten her master's degree in journalism and she felt really good about her work. It paid off! The point of this story is to remind you all to learn your skill, and be sure to enjoy doing it. Les Brown taught us to "enjoy doing what you do so well, that you're willing to do it for free!" This story may not sound like something you would do, but in changing the course of your life, your unpreparedness could be just as devastating. The word reminds us in the scripture according to Hosea. It says, "My people perish from the lack of knowledge." True knowledge means not only learning details of the path God has put in your life, it also means you must always show love, one for another. Never act as if you know so much that you feel you're better than others. Continue to learn for the rest of your life, and remain humble! Paul himself had profound knowledge of the scriptures, but he understood that intellectual knowledge on its own is

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with Lyndia Grant meaningless. Worse, it can be a dangerous source of pride that prevents discovery of a much deeper form of knowledge: Love. "Knowledge puffs up, love builds up" (1 Corinthians 8:1). Puffedup knowledge also shuts out vast realms of mystery. As you continue to live your life, keep gaining knowledge, become the best at what you do, it's called specialized knowledge, it works. Finally, only choose to invest your time and training in doing something you really enjoy doing, whether you get paid or not. In Proverbs 18:16, it says, "A man's gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men." Visit the website of Lyndia Grant at www.lyndiagrantshow. com, send comments to lyndiagrant@gmail.com, or call 240602-6295. WI

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Historic St. Mary’s Episcopal Church

Reverend John W. Davis Pastor

The Rev. E. Bernard Anderson Priest

5101 14th Street, NW Washington, DC 20011 Phone: 202-726-2220 Fax: 202-726-9089

Foggy Bottom - Founded in 1867 728 23rd Street, NW - Washington, DC 20037 Church office: 202-333-3985 - Fax : 202-338-4958 Service and Times Sundays: 10 a.m. Holy Eucharist with Music and Hymns Wednesdays: 12:10 p.m. - Holy Eucharist

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.

www.stmarysfoggybottom.org Email: stmarysoffice@stmarysfoggybottom.org

“A Church with a past to remember – and a future to mold”

All are welcome to St. Mary’s to Learn, Worship, and Grow.

www.mtzbcdc.org

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AUGUST 24 - 30, 2017 39

RELIGION The Miracle Center of Faith Missionary Baptist Church

Pilgrim Baptist Church Rev. Louis B. Jones II Pastor

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

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

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

www.pilgrimbaptistdc.org

Church of Living Waters

Allen Chapel A.M.E. Church

Crusader Baptist Church

Rev. Paul Carrette Senior Pastor

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

Rev. Dr. Alton W. Jordan Pastor

Reverend Dr. Calvin L. Matthews Senior Pastor

Harold Andrew Assistant Pastor

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Covenant Baptist United Church of Christ

St. Stephen Baptist Church

Third Street Church of God

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

Drs. Dennis W. & Christine Y. Wiley Pastors

Bishop Lanier C. Twyman, Sr. Senior Pastor

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Blessed Word of Life Church

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

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

Campbell AME Church

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

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

“Ambassadors for Christ to the Nation’s Capital” www.thirdstreet.org Live Stream Sunday Worship Service begins @ 12:00 noon www.thirdstreet.org

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

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

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

Virgil K. Thomas, Sr. Senior Pastor/ Teacher

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

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

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

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

St Marks Baptist Come Worship with us...

Reverend Dr. Paul H. Saddler Senior Pastor

Turning Hearts Church

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

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

Greater Mt. Calvary Holy Church

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

Twelfth Street Christian Church

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

Isle of Patmos Baptist Church

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

40 AUGUST 24 - 30, 2017

themcbc.org

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

RELIGION Shabbath Commandment Church

All Nations Baptist Church

King Emmanuel Baptist Church

Bishop Adrian A. Taylor, Sr. Pastor

Rev. Dr. James Coleman Pastor

Rev. Daryl F. Bell Pastor

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

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

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

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

Zion Baptist Church

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

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

Emmanuel Baptist Church Reverend Christopher L. Nichols Interim Pastor

Dr. Earl D. Trent Senior Pastor

Rev. Dr. George C. Gilbert Senior Pastor

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

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

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

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

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

www.emmanuelbaptistchurchdc.org

“Where Jesus is the King”

Lincoln Park United Methodist Church

Holy Trinity United Baptist Church

Florida Avenue Baptist Church

Sermon On The Mount Temple Of " Joy Apostolic Faith

Matthews Memorial Baptist Church

Christ Embassy DC

Matthews

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

Rev. Dr. Morris L Shearin, Sr. Pastor

Rev. Dr. Diane Dixon Proctor 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 - lpumconthegrow@gmail.com www.lpumcdc.org

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

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

Service and Times Sunday Worship: 10: am Holy Communion: First Sunday 10: am Sunday School: 9: am Bible Study: Wednesday @ 12 noon and 6:30pm Motto: “A CHURCH ON THE GROW”.

MemorialRev. Joan E. Buchanan

Executive Pastor

Baptist Church

2616 MLK Ave., SE - Washington, DC 20020 Office 202-889-3709 - Fax 202-678-3304

Rev. Joan E. Buchanan Service and Times Executive Early PastorWorship Service:

7:30am Worship Service: 11:00am New Member’s Class: 9:45am 1st Sunday, 11:00am ServiceHoly andCommunion: Times Church School: 9:45am Early Worship Service: 7:30am Wednesday 12:00pm Bible Study Prayer,11:00am Praise and Bible Study: 7:00pm Worship Service: Saturday Bible Study: 11:00am Apostolic in Doctrine, Pentecostal in Experience, New Member’s Class: 9:45am Baptism 4th Sunday: 11:00am Holiness in Living, Uncompromised and Unchanged. st 1 Sunday, 11:00am The Apostolic Faith is still alive –Acts 2:42Holy Communion: “Empowered to love and Challenged to Lead a Service and Times Sunday Apostolic Worship Services 11:00 A.M and 5:00 P.M Communion and Feet Wash 4th Sunday at 5:00 P.M Prayer/Seeking: Wednesday at 8:00 P.M.

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

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

Church School: Multitude 9:45am of Souls to Christ”

Wednesday 12:00pm Bible Study

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

Mount Moriah Baptist Church Dr. Lucius M. Dalton Senior Pastor

Damion M. Briggs Pastor

Rev. Stephen E. Tucker Senior Pastor

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

St. Matthews Baptist Church

Eastern Community Baptist Church

New Commandment Baptist Church

Rehoboth Baptist Church

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

Salem Baptist Church

Prayer, Praise and Bible Study: 7:00pm Saturday Bible Study: 11:00am

Peace Baptist Church

Pennsylvania Ave. Baptist Church

Baptism 4th Sunday: 11:00am

“Empowered to Love and Challenged

Rev. Dr. Michael T. Bell

to Lead a Multitude of Souls to Christ”

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

712 18th Street, NE Washington, DC 20002 Phone 202-399-3450/ Fax 202-398-8836 Service and Times Sunday Morning Worship Service: 7:15 am & 10:50 am Sunday School: 9:30am Wednesday Prayer & Testimonies Service: 7:30pm Wednesday School of the Bible: 8:00pm Wednesday - Midweek Prayer Service: 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

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

“The Loving Church of the living lord “ Email Address pbcexec@verizon.net

Shiloh Baptist Church

First Rising Mt. Zion Baptist Church

Mt. Horeb Baptist Church

Rev. Dr. Maxwell M. Washington Pastor

Rev. Curtis l. Staley Pastor

Rev. Alonzo Hart Pastor

Rev. Dr. Wallace Charles Smith Pastor

Rev. Oran W. Young Pastor

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

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

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

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

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

AUGUST 24 - 30, 2017 41

LEGAL NOTICES SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2007 ADM 222 Johnnie Mae Gardner Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Mary Gardner-Jenkins, whose address is 3374 Highwood Dr., SE, Washington, DC 20020, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Johnnie Mae Gardner who died on May 18, 1998 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., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before February 10, 2018. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before February 10, 2018, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship. Date of first publication: August 10, 2017 Mary Gardner-Jenkins Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY Anne Meister Register of Wills Washington Informer SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2017 ADM 866 Leamon Farrior Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Dwayne Farrior, whose address is 3533 Glenmore Ave., Baltimore, MD 21206, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Leamon Farrior who died on March 21, 2017 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before February 10, 2018. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before February 10, 2018, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.

LEGAL NOTICES

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

Administration No. 2017 ADM 876

Administration No. 2017 ADM 922

Administration No. 2017 ADM 901

Administration No. 2017 ADM 875

John McKelly aka John McKelley Decedent

Olivia W. Green Decedent

Arthur Lee Harris Decedent

Matthew F. Shannon 1420 N Street, NW #102 Washington, DC 20005 Attorney

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

Larry C. Williams, Esquire 7600 Georgia Avenue, NW, Suite 405 Washington, DC 20012 Attorney

Sylvia E. Whitfield Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Coretta L. Tilman and Timothy Johnson, whose addresses are 640 L St., NE, Washington, DC 20002 and 14504 Danube St., Bowie, MD 20721, were appointed Personal Representatives of the estate of Sylvia E. Whitfield who died on March 28, 2013 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., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before February 10, 2018. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before February 10, 2018, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship. Date of first publication: August 10, 2017

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Lucas G. Wilson, whose address is 5801 Carlyle Street, Cheverly, MD 20785-2928, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of John McKelly aka John Mckelley who died on June 24, 2017 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before February 17, 2018. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before February 17, 2018, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship. Date of first publication: August 17, 2017

Coretta L. Tillman Timothy Johnson Personal Representatives

Lucas G. Wilson Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Anne Meister Register of Wills

Octavia Green-Wesley, whose address is1521 Beaver heights Lane, Capitol Heights, MD 20743, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Olivia W. Green who died on April 14, 2017 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before February 17, 2018. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before February 17, 2018, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship. Date of first publication: August 17, 2017 Octavia Green-Wesley Personal Representative

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Martha Lea Harris, whose address is 1604 Lee Rd. Ft. Washington, MD 20744, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Arthur Lee Harris who died on May 29, 2017 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before February 17, 2018. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before February 17, 2018, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship. Date of first publication: August 17, 2017 Martha Lea Harris Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY Anne Meister Register of Wills

TRUE TEST COPY

Washington Informer

Anne Meister Register of Wills Washington Informer

Washington Informer

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

Administration No. 2017 ADM 867

Administration No. 2017 ADM 917

Administration No. 2017 ADM 909

Administration No. 2017 ADM 937

Tommie DeWayne Gardner Decedent

Christine McCall Decedent

Evelyn G. Brooks Decedent

Norma Kennerly Decedent

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

Lisa Renee Davis, whose address is 3008 Curtis Drive, Temple Hills, MD 20748, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Tommie DeWayne Gardner who died on November 16, 2016 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before February 10, 2018. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before February 10, 2018, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.

Cenetia McCall-Guy and Janet Coyle, whose addresses are 6005 King Arthur Way. Glenn Dale, MD 20769 and 9801 Good Luck Rd. Apt#6, Lanham, MD 20706 were appointed Personal Representatives of the estate of Christine McCall who died on May 29, 2017 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before February 17, 2018. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before February 17, 2018, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.

Paul “Tony” Mensah Mensah Law Office, PLLC 5335 Wisconsin Avenue, NW, Suite 440 Washington, DC 20015 Attorney

Joan M. Wilbon 1120 Connecticut Ave., NW, Suite 1020 Washington, DC 20036 Attorney

Date of first publication: August 10, 2017

Dwayne Farrior Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY Anne Meister Register of Wills Washington Informer

Date of first publication: August 17, 2017 Cenetia McCall-Guy Janet Coyle Personal Representatives

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

Canary Monts, whose address is 2806 Kernal Lane, Temple Hills, MD 20748, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Evelyn G. Brooks who died on September 16, 1998 without a Will, and will serve with Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before February 24, 2018. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before February 24, 2018, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.

Linda Coleman, whose address is 10006 Quiet Brook Lane, Clinton, MD 20735, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Norma Kennerly who died on May 10, 2017 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before February 24, 2018. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before February 24, 2018, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.

Date of first publication: August 24, 2017

Canary Monts Personal Representative

Linda Coleman Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Anne Meister Register of Wills

Washington Informer

TRUE TEST COPY Anne Meister Register of Wills Washington Informer

Washington Informer

42 AUGUST 24 - 30, 2017

LEGAL NOTICES

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

Lisa Renee Davis Personal Representative

Anne Meister Register of Wills

LEGAL NOTICES

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

Date of first publication: August 10, 2017

TRUE TEST COPY

LEGAL NOTICES

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

LEGAL NOTICES

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

Administration No. 2010 ADM 707

Administration No. 2017 ADM 942

Willie Mae Simmons Decedent James Larry Frazier, Esq. 918 Maryland Avenue, NE Washington, DC 20002 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Allen E. Simmons, Sr., whose address is 4701 Kansas Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20011, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Willie Mae Simmons who died on July 28, 2010 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 shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before February 24, 2018. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before February 24, 2018, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship. Date of first publication: August 24, 2017 Allen E. Simmons, Sr. Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Angela Rani Bansal Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Rajeev Kumar Bansal, whose address is4607 Western Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20016, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Angela Rani Bansal who died on June 21, 2017 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before February 24, 2018. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before February 24, 2018, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship. Date of first publication: August 24, 2017 Rajeev Kumar Bansal Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY Anne Meister Register of Wills

Anne Meister Register of Wills Washington Informer

Washington Informer

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

Administration Number 2017 ADM 1004

Administration No. 2017 ADM 933 George Davis, Jr. aka George J. Davis aka George Junior Davis Decedent

Estate of Joyce R. Williams Deceased NOTICE OF STANDARD PROBATE Notice is hereby given that a petition has been filed in this Court by Martin H. Schreiber, II, for George Mason Mortgage, LLC for standard probate, including the appointment of one or more personal representative. Unless a complaint or an objection in accordance with Superior Court Probate Division Rule 407 is filed in this Court within 30 days from the date of first publication of this notice, the Court may take the action hereinafter set forth. In the absence of a will or proof satisfactory to the Court of due execution, enter an order determining that the decedent died intestate appoint an unsupervised personal representative. Date of first publication: August 24, 2017 Martin H. Schreiber, II 3600 Clipper Mill Road, Suite 201 Baltimore, MD 21211 Petitioner/Attorney

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Chiquita Garris, whose address is 468 Burbank Street, SE, Washington, DC 20019 was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of George Davis, Jr. aka George J. Davis aka George Junior Davis who died on June 1, 2017 with a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, NW, 3rd Floor, Washington, DC 20001, on or before February 24, 2018. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy of the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before February 24, 2108, 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 publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship. Date of first publication: August 24, 2107

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HEALTH from Page 21 ing trails. "Ascension and the Daughters of Charity have served residents of Washington, D.C., for more than 150 years, with a legacy that dates back to the presidency of Abraham Lincoln," said Dr. Patricia A. Maryland, the executive vice president of Ascension and the president and CEO of Ascension Healthcare. "Through the years, Providence has adapted to the changing needs of the community. "Our transformation to this Health Village concept is a continuation of that legacy and

CHENEY from Page 22 outcomes," said Dr. Michael L. Lomax, president and CEO of the United Negro College Fund. "HBCUs continue to show their outsized impact, representing 3 percent of all two and four-year nonprofit colleges and universities, enrolling 10 percent of African-American undergraduates, producing 18 percent of all African-American bachelor's degrees and generating 25 percent of all bachelor's degrees in STEM fields earned by African-Americans annually." State and federal governments, alumni, corporations, philanthropists, and others need to invest more heavily in institutions such as Cheyney University, he said. JJ Abbott, a spokesman for Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf, said the governor "has been working closely with the state system and its board to create a path forward for Cheyney that allows it to build off its history, continue as a degree granting institution, and address its financial struggles." Pennsylvania Democratic state Rep. Jordan Harris, a member of a task force formed to redesign Cheney, said the university has been underfunded for years and without permanent leadership. That's resulted in being told by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education that Cheyney must show cause or lose its accreditation in September. "The task force's job is not to tell the university what to do, but to make recommendations," Harris said. "I think Harris said Cheyney's debt should be eliminated. "For the past two years, the state system has provided a line of credit to Cheyney University to be sustained financially. The State System of Higher Education needs to forgive that debt immediately and put it on the state sys-

our commitment to serve the community where and how we are most needed. As the Health Village evolves, this innovative approach could serve as a model for care delivery in communities Ascension serves across the country," she said. Burthay added that everyone has expressed excitement about the planned Health Village. "We're looking forward to continuing discussions with our physician partners, community organizations, local government leaders, philanthropists and donors to bring this important development project to life," Burthay said. WI tem's books," Harris said. Cheyney's standing remains tenuous in part because performance-based funding formulas resulted in repeated decreasing of funds and the State System of Higher Education took a handsoff approach despite observing ineffective leadership, said Junious R. Stanton, a past president of the Cheyney National Alumni Association and co-founder of Heeding Cheyney's Call, a coalition of alumni and education advocates. Stanton claims Pennsylvania has a long history of racial discrimination, neglect and underfunding regarding Cheyney, citing a successful federal lawsuit in 1983 brought by faculty and students which sought to remedy decades of systemic, willful neglect and discrimination. "Even though they won the lawsuit outright, the settlement did not include monitoring or oversight — the Commonwealth soon returned to its former pattern," Stanton said. "In 1999, the U.S Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights brought another suit and the Commonwealth entered into a Consent Decree agreement to provide funding, new programs and refurbish the campus. But again, over time, the Commonwealth reneged." Heeding Cheyney's Call, a coalition of advocates for the university, filed another federal lawsuit in October 2014 to prevent a state-caused existential implosion, Stanton said. "The new governor, Tom Wolf, inherited the lawsuit and once he was sworn in he indicated he was willing to negotiate to remedy the situation," he said. "But a fiscal and budgetary crisis brought on by partisan infighting prevented the needed funding and programs from materializing." WI

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timates, it will take more than 200 years to close the wealth gap. The statues may be falling, but economic racism is alive and well. While I commend Republicans Lindsey Graham, Tim Scott, John McCain and so many others for condemning their president for his abject and ugly racism, I wonder if any of them would be so forceful in condemning economic racism, or in advocating for reparations. Absent their willingness to do that, they can earn style points for their remarks, but they do not seem prepared to change the harsh realities of black life in our country today. I challenge those who would tear down the statues and take down the flags to show equal zeal in tearing down the walls of economic racism. WI

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look in the mirror and remember who put you where you are," does not help. Candidate Trump asked African-Americans, " What the hell do you have to lose by supporting me?" Eight months into your presidency, my answer remains the same: every damn thing. President Trump, you are offensive, insulting and hurtful to many, including me. Last spring, Pope Francis presented you with a set of writings by Martin Luther King Jr. Dust them off and begin reading his teaching. Then, do as Heather's mother suggested: "Think before you speak." Dr. King also wanted to "Make America Great Again." Not like you, though. WI

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the intimidation that kept African-American people in near-slave status in the South. Confederate statues, flags, and Klan activity appeared wherever there was resistance — during and after the reconstructions, in the 1920s, after the Red Summer of 1919 and the return of black men from World War I. Again, we saw the rise of this activity, these statues and these flags, in the 1950s as the civil rights movement pushed hard for equality. When people talk about taking "their" streets back, what they really mean is they want black people (and other people of color) in their place — in their economic place, and that place, for them, is

subordinate. So while Confederate statues are falling (not quickly enough — there are more than 700 of these odious symbols still standing), and Confederate flags are waving less frequently, the economic racism the Confederacy established is alive and well. Just ask the young black couple redlined away from a banking opportunity, or the innocent arrested person who can't pay bail. Ask the black student whose loan burden is nearly twice that of her white counterpart, or the black woman who pays more, and at a higher interest rate, for a car loan. Sure, we have come a long way since those ugly days of enslavement or stark segregation, but some power comes from the Benjamins. And, according to some es-

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COOPER from Page 26 sion, there is only one right side: that of the oppressed. There are no "very, very fine people" who are neo-Nazis, Klansmen and white nationalists. Perhaps had your father not discriminated against African-Americans who tried to rent his apartments in the seventies, you would have a better understanding of what constitutes racism and oppression. It is time for you to govern for all Americans, and not only those in your political base. The real question is can you? Do you want to? Hell, does you even care? Do you, who expresses support for groups that call for the extermination of many, in-

cluding your own daughter and son-in-law, even have a soul that can be saved? I am an eternal optimist. As a child and well into adulthood, my father used to say, "Son, you only want to see the good in people. Not everyone is good or has your best interests at heart. I have no doubt that if given the chance, you would find something good to say about the devil himself." Mr. President, my father was right. I still only want to see the good in everyone. So I've got to be brutally honest with you: Right now, I am struggling to identify any semblance of goodness, decency or basic humanity in you. Your refusing to repudiate comments like those of David Duke, who stated, "You'd better

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JACKSON from Page 26 Cheryl Boone Isaacs, immediate past president, Academy Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Marc Morial, president, National Urban League Symone Sanders, CNN political commentator; Priorities USA strategist Nina Turner, president, Our Revolution; Former Ohio state senator and CNN contributor Every single one of these panelists works for an organization that leans left or is straight-up radically liberal. Obviously, no black Republicans fit the NABJ's "Newsmaker" description. I have told the leadership of NABJ, in no uncertain terms, that I would be happy to provide them a list of people who they could call upon, if they were interested. As usual, there continues to be absolutely no interest from the group. NABJ's bias is so great that

they even had a panel on diversity with absolutely no "diversity" — ideologically speaking. Every person was a liberal. They even had several speakers from the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, but obviously they are incapable of finding any speakers who are pro-life, or maybe they are just uninterested in doing so. I couldn't make this stuff up if you paid me. Diversity of thought is nowhere to be found within NABJ. Aren't they doing the same thing that they and other liberal groups accuse corporate America of doing? As a dues-paying member of NABJ, I find their lack of diversity of thought and their conscious willingness to ignore the issue very offensive and hypocritical. How can they constantly harp on the lack of diversity in media newsrooms and other institutions and not see that they are guilty of the same thing?

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The group is supposed to be about improving opportunities for blacks in journalism, media, and public relations. It's worth noting that Republican members of Congress hire professionals in communication, journalism and media for their official staffs and campaigns. Republican members of Congress also hire college interns from across the country. By mandate of their own bylaws, they are obligated to expose their membership to the wide array of opportunities that exist in the marketplace and not to serve as a farm system or pipeline for all things liberal. If the NABJ wants to serve as a surrogate for the DNC and other liberal organizations, then they should formally amend their bylaws to indicate that. But if they are going to hold themselves up as a professional organization, then maybe they should start acting like a professional organization. WI

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cludes street and county names, as well as parks, military bases and a broad range of other public works or spaces. The vast majority are located in states that once made up the Confederacy, though they extend north and west as well." All of those monuments and memorials, in addition to the personal relics owned by Confederate supporters, would occupy our time and energy for a very long time. Besides, to be diverted from the existential issues affecting blacks would be hazardous to say the least. Sure we can multitask; we've always been good at that, but we must

ROWLEY from Page 27 where do you sit in class (and it had better be somewhere between the middle and the front of the class), did you behave yourself, etc. Of course, we always answered in the affirmative. By the time Dad arrived home about 6 p.m., dinner was ready, with the mouth-watering aroma of something like meatloaf, mashed potatoes, string beans and hot rolls filling the house. At the dinner table was where

ASKIA from Page 27 ry recited web of intrigue. He co-authored, with attorney Mark Lane, "Code Name Zorro," which argues that James Earl Ray did not assassinate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Then in Washington, D.C., in the '80s, '90s and beyond, I came to know him better, as did many, many thousands of people who lived in the DMV. On radio station WPFW (89.3 FM)

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not abdicate our responsibility to achieve real power, socially, politically, and economically. We must be more concerned and active around substance rather than symbolism. For those who want to protest monuments, please consider Selma, Alabama, where in March of every year black folks walk across a bridge named after a staunch racist. Where's the call to change the name of the bridge from Edmund Pettus to, let's say, the John R. Lewis Bridge, since he is the icon of the Selma march? As a matter of fact, why don't black folks just make the change themselves in that 80 percent majority-black city with a black Mayor? Do you see the irony here?

Also consider the "monumental" problem that exists in Atlanta, the "black Mecca." It's called Stone Mountain and features Lee, Davis, and Stonewall. The carving is so large that a grown man can stand inside the ear of one of the horses and is the largest Confederate monument in the U.S. Pardon the pun, but folks in the "ATL" have their work cut out for them. Klan Associates, William and Samuel Venable, bought Stone Mountain in 1887 for $48,000 and granted permission to Helen Plane to create her vision of a Confederate memorial carved in stone. As I always say, "Ownership is key." WI

we also had our first family meeting of the new school year. Mom and Dad let it be known that they had high expectations of us — study hard, no goofing around in class, no talking back to the teacher, start homework soon after arriving home and have it all ready for them to check over after dinner. Finally, although we were still in the last days of summer and it was somewhat light outside, we had to prepare for bed. That meant choosing that last TV show of the evening that every-

one could enjoy together. Afterward, we'd help Mom with our lunches for the next day, lay out new sets of school clothes, and line up for our baths. When all was still and quiet and we were securely tucked in, Mom and Dad would come into our rooms to help with our prayers and to remind us of how proud they were of us. They had great expectations for us in the new school year, and we knew we had to step up to the plate and deliver. WI

he was a frequent voice. And on WOL-AM (1450) he was a fixture with Radio One founder Cathy Hughes. Back when there used to be late-night newsstands or magazine stores, I would sometimes catch up with Greg stocking up for a session of binge reading … but he was always a binge reader. Dick Gregory was often so serious and thought-provoking; I had forgotten how funny he could be. Then, in the past 10

years or so, his comedy career made a comeback. He did smalltime gigs — like a benefit for Brother Bey at the Roots Activity Learning Center — and brightlights sets at the newly remodeled Howard Theatre, and like the Greg of old, he always made us "crack our sides," by being bawdy and brilliant. He was bold, courageous, fun to be around, funny, and now, sadly, he's gone. WI

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