The Washington Informer - August 28, 2025

As Federal Takeover Continues, Conversation Shifts to Curriculum, REAL IDs, and Metro Safety

By Sam P.K. Collins WI Staff Writer

Public and public charter school students in the District have returned to the classroom amid concerns about the heavy presence of federal law enforcement personnel in their neighborhoods and around their Metro stops.

That’s why, with the District’s new social studies standards currently in effect, some teachers, like Donroy Ferdinand, are embracing the opportunity to speak with young people about

the forces that have paved the way for President Donald J. Trump’s latest action against the District.

“Across the city, especially when we see this new curriculum in the eighth grade, I would not be surprised if there was activity in the space of advocating for change, specifically from students,”

FIRST DAY Page 33

and community

By James Wright WI Staff Writer

The Rev. Willie F. Wilson achieved national recognition for his Christian ministry that stresses Black liberation themes and his political and spiritual activities on behalf of the Pan-African diaspora as the senior pastor of Union

Temple Baptist Church in Southeast Washington, D.C. for nearly 50 years.

Wilson, the pastor emeritus at Union Temple, having passed the leadership mantle to his daughter the Rev. Anika Wilson Brown in

By James Wright WI Staff Writer

While August is Black Business Month in the United States, many political and business leaders work to encourage African American entrepreneurship and economic development, particularly at a time when the District and nation are facing obstacles from a federal government that has eliminated diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and pushed toward erasing parts of Black history.

“August is Black Business

By Stacy M. Brown and Mya Trujillo WI Senior Writer and WI Contributing Writer

Not even a full week into the first day of classes, which started Aug. 18, Howard University announced President Ben Vinson III, who has served as the 18th leader of the historically Black institution since September 2023, will leave his post on Aug. 31.

“On behalf of the Howard University Board of Trustees, we extend our sincere gratitude to Dr. Vinson for his service and leadership as president,” said Leslie D. Hale

5Multitudes of African American boys and men gather on the National Mall on October 16, 1995 for the Million Man March. The Rev. Willie E. Wilson plans to bring back The Million Man March and Unifest, to promote unity among Black Washingtonians. (Courtesy Photo/Nation of Islam)

5 The D.C. Chamber of Commerce honors the Ali family of Ben’s Chili Bowl in 2023. (WI File Photo/ Washington Informer)

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Kamala Harris to Bring Book Tour to D.C. in October

The nation’s capital will be among the featured stops on Kamala Harris’ 15-city book tour as part of the release of her new memoir “107 Days.”

The Warner Theatre, in partnership with Mahogany Books, will host Harris on Oct. 9 as she shares her reflections on her historic but brief presidential campaign.

The book, set for release on Sept. 23, details Harris’ experience as the first Black woman to lead a major-party presidential ticket. She describes the challenges and lessons learned during what she has called “the shortest presidential campaign in modern history.”

“Since leaving office, I’ve spent a lot of time reflecting on those days, and with candor and reflection, I’ve written a behind-the-scenes account of that journey,” Harris said. “I believe there’s value in sharing what I saw, what I learned, and what it will take to move forward.”

The tour will stretch across the United States, Canada,

and England, with conversations centered not only on her campaign but also on what she describes as “how we collectively chart a blueprint that sets an alternative vision for our country now.” Each ticket includes a copy of “107 Days,” with premium packages offering a signed edition and a photo opportunity.

Stops on the tour begin in New York on Sept. 24 and will include Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Houston, San Francisco, Atlanta, Chicago, Durham, Birmingham, London, Portland, Toronto, Nashville, and Miami before concluding in late November.

“107 Days may have been the shortest campaign, but the lessons and the movement are built to last,” social media user Theopilus M commented on Harris’ post on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Looking forward to hearing the stories and what comes next.”

Tickets go on sale today through 107daysbook.com WI

Commanders Trade Brian Robinson Jr.

To 49ers Ahead Of

Ravens Week

3 Preseason Matchup

The Washington Commanders have traded running back Brian Robinson Jr. to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for a 2026 sixth-round draft pick, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

The move comes just one day before the Commanders last preseason matchup against the Baltimore Ravens.

“Appreciate all your great work in D.C., B. Rob,” social media user Alex Price wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Good luck with the Niners.”

Robinson’s departure adds to a reshaping of the Commanders’ crowded backfield, which featured seven running backs ahead of the final roster cuts.

WI

Wide Receiver Terry McLaurin Signs Three-Year Extension Up to $96 Million

Ve Wright, Summer Intern

Will Armstead, Summer Intern

5 Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin speaks to students before unveiling Terry’s Locker, which provides basic hygiene products for young people in school, in November 2024. (WI File Photo/ Jonae Guest)

The wait is finally over. The Washington Commanders and wide receiver Terry McLaurin have officially reached a deal.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapport, McLaurin has agreed to a three-year $96 million contract extension, keeping him in Washington through the 2028 NFL season.

The contract decision comes just

days after Washington wrapped up their 2025 NFL preseason, hosting the Baltimore Ravens at Northwest Stadium on Saturday, Aug. 23. The Ravens traveled down I-95 to clinch their 30-3 victory in another year of The Battle of The Beltway.

McLaurin was in attendance for the first time this year, showing support to his teammates and giving fans a glimpse of hope for a major comeback to his longtime team.

“It was awesome to have him here today,” said Commanders Head Coach Dan Quinn.

On Saturday Aug. 16, the team announced they activated the All-Pro wide receiver from the Physically Unable To Perform (PUP) list, marking a key step in his return from an ankle injury looming from late last season.

“I’m so excited, I mean shoot I didn’t even know

MCLAURIN Page 36

3 Washington Commanders fans are wishing Brian Robinson Jr. well after the team traded him to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for a 2026 sixthround draft pick.

(WI File Photo/ Marcus Relacion)

Trump Administration Ends Rifle Prosecutions, D.C. Black Residents Fear Impact

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro has announced that her office will no longer pursue felony charges against individuals in Washington, D.C. solely for carrying registered rifles or shotguns.

While the decision is supposed to direct focus away for legal gun carriers, for African Americans and other minorities in the District, the policy shift has sparked unease.

The U.S. attorney’s announcement, revealed on Aug. 19, comes in response to Supreme Court rulings that expanded Second Amendment protections and linked firearm regulations to historical precedent.

Pirro said prosecutors would continue to target violent crime and illegal gun trafficking but would not move forward with stand-alone charges for registered long guns.

That means residents who legally own rifles or shotguns will not face felony prosecution simply for carrying them in public.

“Criminal culpability is not determined by the instruments people employ but by the intent and conduct of the actor,” Pirro said in a statement.

Concerns in Black Communities

For African Americans and other minorities in the District, the policy shift has sparked unease. D.C. is a majority-Black city where gun violence disproportionately impacts Black residents, and many fear that loosening enforcement will create new dangers.

“Every time they change the rules,

it feels like our neighborhoods pay the price,” said Marcus Hill, a lifelong Southeast resident. “We already deal with more guns on our blocks than anywhere else. Now they’re telling people it’s fine to carry long rifles around? That doesn’t make me feel safer.”

Others worry that while registered gun owners may avoid prosecution, Black men remain far more likely to be arrested for unregistered possession or prior convictions.

“They say it’s about rights, but those rights don’t seem to apply equally,” said Michelle Dodson, a single mother in Northeast. “My son gets stopped for walking home at night, and I’m supposed to believe this won’t just give police another excuse to hassle us?”

A City on Edge

The announcement also comes during a period of heightened federal enforcement across the District.

Union Station has several members of the National Guard stationed out front, while outside of Nationals Park, Humvees and other military vehicles and soldiers join MPD and federal officers eyeballing spectators this week.

Restaurants and small businesses report steep drops in customers since the crackdown began, while many Black and Latino residents say they feel singled out during mass police sweeps.

“I don’t know anyone who feels safer,” said community activist Sincere Thomas. “What I hear from people is fear — fear that more guns in public will make disputes deadlier, and fear that federal

TWO RIVERS PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL

INTENT TO AWARD A SOLE SOURCE CONTRACT Data Analysis

Two Rivers Public Charter School intends to enter into a sole source contract with EmpowerK12 to provide data analysis. We need this service in order to have access to comparative data, which informs decision-making. The cost of this contract will be approximately $44,000. The decision to sole source was made because EmpowerK12 has unique access, through a shared data source and through OSSE, to the data of a cooperative network of schools in the District, allowing us to compare data with these schools.

Please contact Aqueelha James at procurement@tworiverspcs.org with any questions.

AROUND THE REGION

agents in our neighborhoods will only mean more arrests for us.”

What Comes Next

The effect of Pirro’s decision will depend on how the policy is carried out on the ground and whether it deepens racial disparities in enforcement.

For many in D.C., the question is not about abstract constitutional rights but about survival in neighborhoods where the consequences of gun policy are lived daily.

“They can say this is about freedom, but for us it feels like a setup,” Thomas stated. “We’re the ones who always end up paying the cost.” WI

5 U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro says her office will no longer pursue felony charges against individuals in Washington, D.C. solely for carrying registered rifles or shotguns. (Courtesy

Photo/Jeanine Pirro, X)

AROUND THE REGION

AUG. 28

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., becomes the first African American to be nominated for president by a major national party.

AUG. 29

1920 – Jazz saxophone virtuoso Charlie “Bird” Parker is born in Kansas City, Kansas.

1958 – Michael Jackson, the legendary “King of Pop,” is born in Gary, Indiana.

1962 – Malvin Goode becomes the first African American television news commentator when he begins broadcasting on ABC as a United Nations correspondent.

AUG. 30

1966 – Constance Baker Motley becomes the first African American woman federal judge when she is appointed to the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.

1967 – Thurgood Marshall is confirmed by the Senate as the first-ever Black Supreme Court justice.

1980 – Guion Bluford, a former NASA astronaut, becomes the first African American in space.

AUG. 31

1935 – Former Black Panther Eldridge Cleaver, author of “Soul on Ice,” is born in Wabbaseka, Arkansas.

1935 – Hall of Fame baseball player Frank Robinson, who was also the first-ever African American hired to manage a Major League Baseball team, is born in

AUG.28-SEPT. 3, 2025

Beaumont, Texas.

1962 – The nation of Trinidad and Tobago declares its independence from the United Kingdom.

SEPT. 1

1904 – George C. Poage becomes the first African American to win a medal in the Olympic Games by taking the bronze in the 200-yard and 400-yard hurdles.

1979 – Hazel Johnson-Brown becomes the U.S. Army’s first Black female general when she assumed command of the Army Nurse Corps.

SEPT. 2

1946 – Grammy-winning singer and musician Billy Preston is born in Houston.

1958 – African American inventor Frederick M. Jones is issued a patent for a control device for the internal combustion engine.

1965 – Boxing great Lennox Lewis is born in London.

SEPT. 3

1838 – Abolitionist Frederick Douglass escapes from slavery in Maryland by disguising himself as a sailor and boarding a Pennsylvania-bound train.

1846 – The American Missionary Association, an abolitionist group that helped educate freed slaves, is founded in Albany, New York.

1919 – The film “A Man’s Duty” is released by Lincoln Motion Picture Company, an African American-owned company, marking the first feature-length film by a Black filmmaker.

1990 – Jonathan A. Rodgers is named president of CBS’s television stations division, becoming the highest-ranking African American in network television at the time.

WI

MICHAEL JACKSON (LEFT)

EMMETT TILL (CENTER)

LENNOX LEWIS (RIGHT)

P INT

BY MICHA GREEN AND JADA INGLETON

With parents and students navigating tensions and heightened law enforcement in D.C., what are some of your concerns going into the school year?

ARIEL CADWELL / DETROIT, MICHIGAN

“As an educator, I’m worried about the students’ mental health, and them just being able to navigate their emotions with all this going on. They already have so much to worry about and now this. Especially for Black and Brown kids, the heightened police puts them in a hard place. I can’t imagine passing the National Guard, tanks and tons of police. It makes your anxiety go up and could make anyone— kids or adults— feel discombobulated.”

ROGER GLASS / NORTHWEST, D.C.

“My granddaughter attends an elementary school in Northwest, D.C., with a large Latino and Ethiopian population. I’m concerned that these families might be afraid to bring their kids to school because of the indiscriminate arrests and detention of immigrants, especially Latinos. It’s wrong!”

LYNETTE MONROE-WILSON / NORTHEAST, D.C.

“Heightened law enforcement in the District does not keep the majority of our children safer. Instead it increases student anxiety and I believe will have a lasting impact on their already fragile self efficacy. My daughter, who is attending Kindergarten this year, was singing a song that she made up about police being ‘all around, everywhere.’ We must never forget that the argument for Brown vs. Board of Education was that the feelings of second class citizenry, created by a segregated school system, was psychologically damaging enough to Black children that it violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th amendment that requires states to provide the same level of protection under the law to all people within their jurisdiction. My concern as a parent is that instead of students returning to schools within the usual friendly bustle that accompanies the season, they are returning to school in a city that is eerily quiet and crawling with armed strangers in military uniforms. As American citizens, safety and happiness is chief amongst our goals. While adults debate “safety” measures, children are denied happiness.”

This View Point was so popular, several community members weighed in on the subject. We will publish a second round of answers to this question next week. Thank you to everyone who shared their insights.

Our staff is made up of writers, just like you. We are dedicated to making publishing dreams come true. Trusted by authors for nearly 100 years, Dorrance has made countless authors’ dreams come true.

AROUND THE REGION

Trump’s Crackdown on D.C. Homelessness Targets Black Residents Despite Declining

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

Washington, D.C., is one of only six places in the United States where homelessness has fallen since 2019.

Alongside its neighbor, Maryland, as well as Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Mississippi, and Wyoming, the District posted reductions while most of the nation saw increases. Since 2015, homelessness in D.C. has dropped more than 20%, compared to a nearly 40% jump nationwide.

Yet the Trump administration has singled out the city for a militarized crackdown, sending the National Guard into the streets and ordering homeless encampments to be dismantled.

The move follows President Donald Trump’s inflammatory claims that the city is “overtaken by violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals, roving mobs of wild youth, drugged out maniacs and homeless people,” even as both crime and homelessness rates sit at or near decade lows.

While Trump is making it about homelessness and crime, many say the president is targeting the District’s Black residents, who make up 41% of D.C.’s population, but account for 82.5 % of those unhoused.

White residents comprise 39.6% of the population, yet only 6.6% of those without shelter. Sixty percent of the homeless population is male.

“While we don’t yet know the full

Numbers

5 A homeless encampment in McPherson Square in February 2023. While homelessness is declining in Washington, D.C., the Trump administration has singled out the city for a militarized crackdown, sending the National Guard into the streets and ordering homeless encampments to be dismantled. (WI File Photo/Ja’Mon Jackson)

impact this decision will have on D.C. and the Black and minority communities Trump has suggested he may target next, we do know this: militarized over-policing will inevitably lead to increased fear and mistrust among communities that have too often been treated as occupied populations, rather than as citizens who deserve to be served and protected,” said Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Chair Rep. Yvette Clark (D-N.Y.) and members of the CBC in a statement.

The Numbers Behind the Targeting

According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s point-in-time count, about 5,000 people were homeless in D.C. in 2025 — a 9% drop from 2024. The national total that year exceeded 770,000, the highest since at least 2007.

NBC News reported that, in 2016, more than 8,000 D.C. residents were unhoused. The number fell sharply by 2022 after the Biden administration provided emergency housing vouchers, including rooms in vacant hotels.

When the funding ended, the count rose from 4,922 in 2023 to 5,615 in 2024, before declining again this year.

Most of the city’s homeless live in central, high-visibility areas — downtown, Union Station, Georgetown, and Foggy Bottom.

Under Trump’s order, encampments in these areas have been cleared, including one near the Kennedy Center where he serves as chairman, with workers dumping belongings into garbage trucks.

To be clear, bulldozing homeless encampments will not fix the problem in D.C., or anywhere. I don’t expect Trump (who has absolutely no interior life at all) to understand this,” one social media user wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, “out of sight, out of mind is not a strategy-it’s heartless cruelty.”

Age and Vulnerability

The city’s homeless population includes 7.9% senior citizens — higher than the 5.5% national share — and 18.6% are under 18.

High housing costs, more than double the national average, and a cost-of-living 40% above the U.S. average put stable housing out of reach for many.

“The recent news about the displacement of homeless individuals in Washington, DC, raises serious concerns about the treatment of vulnerable populations. Simply moving individuals out of sight does not address the root causes of homelessness or provide sustainable solutions,” Lived Experienced Advisors, an organization where 100% of the experts have experienced homelessness, wrote on X. “While the intention may be framed as a public safety measure, we must prioritize the human rights of those affected. Displacement can lead to further trauma and instability. Instead of punitive actions, we should focus on comprehensive strategies that include affordable housing, mental health support, and community resources.”

CRACKDOWN Page 9

AROUND THE REGION

Norton Pushes Bill Requiring Body Cameras for Troops Deployed in D.C.

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

District of Columbia Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D) has introduced legislation that would require members of the armed forces, including the National Guard, deployed in the District of Columbia at the president’s direction to wear body cameras similar to those used by the city’s Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

Under the bill, all active-duty forces sent to the nation’s capital in response to crime or civil disturbances would be subject to a bodyworn camera program modeled after MPD’s system, which stores video for defined periods based on the type of incident and provides public access.

“The Trump administration has

CRACKDOWN from Page 8

What Was Working Before Trump’s

Order

D.C. had been making progress through targeted initiatives:

• D.C. Flex, offering low-income working families $8,400 annually for up to five years.

• The Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act gives tenants the right to buy their buildings when sold.

• An above-average number of housing vouchers to address chronic homelessness and assist vulnerable groups like homeless youth.

“D.C. had considerably more housing vouchers than other communities,” said Donald Whitehead Jr., executive director of the National Coalition for the Homeless. “There has been a lot of work around making sure people were protected within the system.”

The Consequences of Sweeps

Experts say Trump’s tactics undermine years of progress.

“These sweeps demonize people and minimize their humanity,” Whitehead said. “When there’s negative talk about people experiencing homelessness, we see an increase in violence against them.”

Hilary Silver, a George Washington University professor of sociology and public policy, warns that encampment

deployed more than 2,000 troops to D.C. who are wholly unaccountable to D.C. residents. Even the D.C. National Guard troops are under the president’s control and do not report to the D.C. government,” Norton said. “This unwarranted deployment politicizes the military and does a disservice to members of the National Guard, who are being taken from their own families and jobs, and to D.C. residents, who neither requested nor consented to it. Body cameras would promote transparency and protect both the National Guard troops and D.C. residents from allegations of inappropriate or unlawful behavior.”

Norton argued that the use of body cameras would help safeguard both the public and the service members themselves, ensuring transparen-

removals make it harder for outreach teams to find and assist people.

She told NBC News that she advocates for the “Housing First” model, which prioritizes permanent housing as the starting point for stability and services.

“When people have a stable place to stay,” she said, “it’s easier for them to receive the services that are available.”

Manufactured Crisis for Political Gain

The data shows D.C.’s homelessness problem is declining, not exploding. But with a homeless population that is overwhelmingly Black, the city has become an “easy pick” for a show of force.

Silver noted that challenges particular to D.C.’s Black homeless population include higher rates of disability, eviction, and poverty, along with experiencing racial discrimination.

The George Washington University professor explained that sweeps make it difficult for outreach teams to track and help homeless individuals. She and other experts said more funding from the federal government, higher wages, more affordable housing, and methods such as the “Housing First” approach should be employed instead of the sweeps.

“We promote Housing First in the District, because when people have a place — a stable place to stay — then it’s easier for them to receive the services that are available,” she said. WI

cy during troop interactions.

Her announcement came as concerns continue to flare over President Trump’s expanded use of National Guard forces. On Monday, Trump signed an executive order directing that each state’s Guard units be “resourced, trained, organized and available to assist federal, state and local law enforcement in quelling civil disturbances.” The order also called for the creation of a standing National Guard “quick reaction force” prepared for rapid deployment across the country.

Retired Army Major General Randy Manner, former acting vice chief of the National Guard Bureau, told PBS NewsHour that Trump’s directive was “unneeded and also very dangerous” and warned that it represented a troubling new precedent.

Manner added that the Guard’s principal role has been to serve in overseas operations and respond

to domestic disasters, not to police American citizens.

“We should not be using the military against our own people in any capacity,” he said.

Norton, who has consistently pressed for full voting rights and statehood for the District’s more than

700,000 residents, emphasized that the president’s ability to control the D.C. National Guard without local oversight further illustrates the city’s lack of self-determination.

“I urge my colleagues to support this bill,” Norton said. WI

5D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton is urging her colleagues to pass legislation requiring members of the armed forces, including the National Guard, to wear body cameras similar to those used by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). (WI File Photo)

AROUND THE REGION

Award-winning chef, restaurateur and author Marcus Samuelsson reads The Washington Informer at his new restaurant Marcus DC in Northeast, D.C.. (Brenda Siler/ The Washington Informer)

Union Wesley AME Zion Church hosted an engaging day of worship, fellowship, and fun on Sunday, Aug. 24. After service, Unity in the Community served as a space for children and parents to receive back-to-school backpacks, grab food, and make meaningful connections. (Ja’Mon Jackson/The Washington Informer)

Retired Judge, Family Historian, Rohulamin Quander Dies at 81

Remembering a Family and Omega Psi Phi Man

By James Wright WI Staff Writer

Rohulamin Quander, a family historian, enthusiastic member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc., and native Washingtonian, died on Aug. 16 at the age of 81, due to natural causes according to his wife, Carmen Torruella-Quander.

“He was a wonderful, kind man,” Carmen Torruella-Quander told The Informer. “He was a gentle, patient man. He was always a gentleman and was a 60-year member of Omega Psi Phi.”

A retired judge, Quander was known nationally as the historian of his legendary family, whose legacy can be traced back to the 1670s.

The Quander family includes members who were enslaved at Mount Vernon Plantation in Mount Vernon, Virginia under George Washington— who became the first U.S. president— and a founder of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc.

A celebration of Quander’s life will be held Sept. 6 at St. Augustine Catholic Church in Northwest, with the viewing of the body from 10 a.m.-noon and the service occurring from noon-2 p.m.

“We were married for 48 years but had 75 years of friendship,” she said. “He respected my Dominican culture. The one thing I will always remember about him is that he never tried to change me, and therefore I did not try to change him.”

The Life and Legacy of Rohulman Quander

Quander was a native of the District and met his wife when they were toddlers at a birthday party, when he was 6 years old and she was 5. They bonded and soon afterwards were among the four Black children who integrated Sacred Heart School in September 1950.

“My husband was a staunch Catholic,” Torruella-Quander said. “After we attended Sacred Heart, we ended up at St. Augustine. Through the years, even though we regularly attended services at St. Augustine, we would sometimes go

to Sacred Heart.”

Former D.C. Mayor Sharon Pratt remembered Quander’s early life and his legacy.

“I have known him since junior high school,” Pratt, 81, told The Informer. “I would see him at house parties. He was a fun guy. When I heard that he died, that felt like such a blow. He meant so much to so many for elevating the narrative of African descent.”

Both Quander and Pratt attended Howard University and the Howard University School of Law, with the former mayor one year behind him at both schools.

Quander would use his legal training to become an administrative law judge in the District, later taking on senior status.

He further achieved notoriety as a historian of his huge family. He is descended from Washington-owned slaves Sukey Bay, Nancy Carter Quander and West Ford.

Quander was also a founder of the League of Enslaved Mount Vernon Descendants, an organization that gathers, tells, shares, and preserves the stories of the formerly enslaved ancestors and free people of color who served the George Washington family at the Mount Vernon Plantation.

“That was a main interest of Ro-

hulmin,” said William Marshall, 66, a communications professional in the District, who was Quander’s longtime friend and a fellow Omega man. “He spent a lot of time at George Washington’s estate at Mount Vernon. The history there was fascinating to him.”

The historian is also directly related to Nellie Quander, a founder of Alpha Kappa Alpha, in which he penned a book on her life: “Nellie Quander, An Alpha Kappa Alpha Pearl: The Story of the Woman Who Saved an International Organization.”

Other books by Quander are: “The Quanders: Since 1684, An Enduring African American Legacy,” “50-Plus Omega Inspired Years: Tracing an Omega Legacy to 1931,” and “The Quander Quality: The True Story of a Trailblazing Diabetic.”

In addition to writing books, Quander has served as an advisor to Mount Vernon, and of late, its exhibit “Lives Bound Together, Slavery at George Washington’s Mount Vernon.” In 1985, he founded the Quander Historical and Educational Society, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to document, preserve, protect, and share his family’s history as an educational tool.

Additionally, Quander served as a licensed tour guide in the District and spoke to various groups about his family’s history.

Sylvia Cyrus, executive director of the Association for the Study of American Life and History (ASLAH), said Quander was a respected member of the association.

Cyrus said that ASLAH will honor Quander at its next Black History Month luncheon that will take place on February 28, 2026 at the JW Marriott in Northwest.

“He was a life member,” she said. “He wrote and studied family history and fraternity history. He worked closely with our annual Black History Month luncheon. He will be sorely missed by the members of the association. His loss is a shock.”

WI @JamesWrightJr10

5Rohulamin Quander poses with a portrait of himself. (Courtesy Photo/ Quander Quality)

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY

Excel Academy Announces Closure, New Schools Break

Ground, Durant Center Hosts Event

By Richard Elliott WI Contributing Reporter

Excel Academy Announces Closure

As parents, students, and teachers geared up to return to classrooms across Prince George’s County on Aug. 26, hundreds of families were caught off-guard as Landover’s Excel Academy Public Charter School announced their closure after nearly 20 years on Aug. 21— less than a week before the start of the school year.

“This is such a terrible situation to be in at the start of the school year,” said Councilmember Shayla Adams-Stafford (D- District 5), who has years of experience as an educator and previously served on the Board of Education.

The school’s governing board voted to surrender their charter, citing enrollment declines and financial

difficulties. Prince George’s County Education Association (PGCEA), Association of Supervisory and Administrative School Personnel (ASASP) and the Association of Classified Employees, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 2250 staff will be transferred to other public schools. Roughly 500 students will have to change schools as a result of the closure.

“I just cannot imagine how stressed out those parents must be trying to find a placement for their child right now and then also for the students who I know were excited about being reunited with their classmates at the beginning of the year,” Adams-Stafford continued. “I’m sure that this is very unfortunate and stressful for them right now.”

Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) Superintendent

Dr. Shawn Joseph pledged support for impacted families and surrounding schools.

“Our goal is always to support all of our charter schools to be successful. EXCEL has been a strong partner and served families well for nearly two decades,” said Interim Superintendent Dr. Shawn Joseph in a press release announcing the closure on Aug. 22. “Unfortunately, despite their best efforts, they could not overcome the financial challenges they faced. While this is a deeply unfortunate situation, closing now prevents greater disruption for students. PGCPS will continue to stand with families and staff to make this transition as smooth as possible.”

Lawyer and advocate Tonya Sweat questioned the lack of foresight in preparing the families of students.

“I am saddened by the news, disappointed that it comes this close to the first day of school, and hope this does not cause too much inconvenience to the affected families and students. My greatest concern is about the oversight from the County Board of Education. The BOE should have been aware of this possibility mid-summer,” she said in an interview.

Hyattsville Elementary and Brandywine 3rd-8th Grade Groundbreaking

Leading up to the start of school, Prince George’s County leaders, teachers, families and alike celebrated in the groundbreaking of two new schools, both built under a new public-private partnership: Hyattsville Elementary School and Brandywine 3-8 School.

Hyattsville Elementary is expected

to reopen in the 2027-2028 school year and is operating out of St. Mark’s School in the interim.

With a total capacity of 197,976 square feet, the new Brandywine 3-8 school is designed to accommodate 1,544 students from third through eighth grades.

Attendees included County Executive Aisha Braveboy (D), Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) Superintendent Dr. Shawn Joseph and County Councilmember Calvin Hawkins (D).

“Located at the Gwynn Park Middle School site in the Brandywine neighborhood of Prince George’s County, the school design features flexible learning environments, specialized classrooms for science, art, and music, a modern media center, a fullsize gymnasium, and dedicated wings for elementary and middle school students,” according to Prince George’s County Public Schools.

The school is being designed by Perkins Eastman Architects and will be built by MCN Build, with an expected completion in 2028.

“Outdoor learning areas, age-appropriate play spaces, and athletic fields provide students with various opportunities to learn and play,” PGCPS continued.

Hawkins emphasized the importance of neighborhood schools in helping support students and families.“For me, growing up in Glassman-

or, where hope often died,” said Hawkins, “I would go to Forest Heights Elementary, [and] it was the educators there who inspired and encouraged us to understand that despite our social and economic realities, we can go anywhere in the world. This moment tells this.”

Community Supports Students with Local Events

Several local politicians, community leaders and organizations hosted events to help students prepare to go back to school.

The Durant Center gave away hundreds of backpacks in Suitland, Maryland, while Councilmember Calvin Hawkins partnered with WPGC 95.5 to offer free haircuts and school supplies at the Springhill Lake Recreation Center.

In addition, The Solid Foundation held a block party alongside District 5 Councilmember Shayla Adams-Stafford (D) at the Kentland Community Center.

“We are grateful for the opportunity to serve our community with love. Over 400 students received bookbags filled with supplies, families enjoyed a hot meal, and the fun activities brought big smiles to the children’s faces,” said Solid Foundation Director LaTasha Ward. We are praying and believing in God for a successful 2025–2026 school year for every student and parent we touched.” WI

5 The Durant Family Foundation’s James Williams, who serves as site director, and CEO Wanda Durant, pose during the organization’s 2025 back-to-school backpack giveaway in Suitland, Maryland on Aug. 23. (Anthony Tilghman/The Washington Informer)

5Youth enjoy the 26th annual Suitland Fest. The event included a peace walk, auto show, and live entertainment. (Anthony Tilghman/The Washington Informer)

PRINCE GEORGE’S GOES BACK TO SCHOOL

PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY

Former Gov. Hogan Teases Run Amid Moore’s Polling Downturn

By Richard Elliott WI Contributing Writer

As recent polling has shown decreasing support for Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, Larry Hogan, the state’s former Republican governor, has hinted at a potential candidacy in the 2026 gubernatorial race.

“Slightly used 2024 RV, only 15,000 all Maryland miles. Never slept in. Could make a good deal. Or … I guess we could always rewrap it and get back out on the road again,” said the former governor in a Facebook post, displaying an RV used during his unsuccessful 2024 Senate campaign against now-Sen. Angela Alsobrooks (D).

While half of voters approve of the current governor’s work, Moore’s polling numbers have been declining since January, with an increasing percentage of voters identifying as “dissatisfied.” Six percent less survey respondents viewed Moore’s performance as “excellent,” while 8% more survey respondents viewed his performance as “poor” in the most recent polling.

A January poll noted a 61% approval and 28% disapproval rate, while the March poll held a 55% approval and 36% disapproval rate.

Moore strongly supported Alsobrooks during her Senate campaign, and both leaders spoke at the Democratic National Convention to support the presidential campaign of Vice President Kamala Harris.

Amid the efforts by Texas Republicans to redraw their congressional maps to add to Republican majorities in Congress, passed on

Aug. 18, former Governor Hogan decried gerrymandering and touted work toward nonpartisan maps under his gubernatorial administration. Moore has said “all options are on the table” regarding redistricting following the passage of Texas’ new maps.

“When I first took office, Maryland was the national poster child for gerrymandering. As governor, I called gerrymandering a cancer on our democracy. I still believe that it is. It corrodes trust in government and pushes both parties further towards the fringes,” said Hogan in a social media post on Aug. 8.

The declining statistics for the current governor among Maryland voters contrast growing national support for Moore. Wes Moore registered 2% support in an August poll of North Carolina Democrats.

Earlier this year, actor George Clooney said he was so impressed with Moore he could see him as a future presidential contender.

“There’s one person in particular I think is spectacular,” Clooney said in April, in an interview promoting his Broadway portrayal of legendary journalist Edward R. Murrow. “I think [Moore] is a guy that has handled this tragedy in Baltimore beautifully. He does two tours of duty in Afghanistan — active duty. He speaks beau tifully. He’s smart. He ran a hedge fund — the Robin Hood Foun dation. He’s a proper leader.”

WI

5 Larry Hogan, Maryland’s former Republican governor, is hinting at a potential candidacy in the 2026 gubernatorial race, amid decreasing support for current Gov. Wes Moore according to recent polls. (WI File Photo/Robert R. Roberts)

Wala Blegay

e George’s County ouncilmember

BUSINESS

Month,” D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Aug. 2. “D.C.’s Blackowned businesses create opportunities, reflect our values, and fuel the economy. D.C., we encourage you to support a Black-owned business this month and all year long.”

The mayor and other leaders are looking to bolster Black businesses year long as the Trump administration has made it clear its intention to dismantle programs favoring African American entrepreneurs. Further with the president’s policies, some corporations are backing away from DEI programs designed to help companies owned by people of color.

The president’s attacks toward programs that benefit Black entrepreneurs is especially impactful in the Washington metropolitan area because of the large number of African Americans businesses.

Nevertheless, Washington area Black business leaders are undeterred by the present presidential administration and are working to continue their mission of advocacy.

“Black Business Month reminds us that supporting Black entrepreneurship is critical to strengthening D.C.’s economy as our city, creating jobs and ensuring equity as our city navigates significant political and economic challenges,” said Corey Griffin, the chairman of the board of directors of the Greater Washington

Black Chamber of Commerce. The Genesis and Purpose of Black Business Month

Historian John William Templeton and engineer Frederick E. Jordan founded National Black Business Month in 2004 and selected August as its month of recognition.

The thrust of the observance is to acknowledge and address the systemic barriers faced by Black businesses and to trumpet the contributions of African American owned firms to the nation’s economy.

Presently, Black-owned businesses represent 2.4% of the nation’s businesses, despite the fact African Americans represent 12.8% of the population, according to the latest census. In contrast, white-owned businesses account for 86.5% of the country’s businesses even though non-Hispanic whites make up 57.1% of the national population, according to the American Community Survey in 2023.

In the District, while exact numbers are different based on the source of data, Black-owned businesses have a strong presence with percentages ranging from 15% to 35% of all firms depending on whose report one considers and the particular year. The District leads the nation in the per capita rate of Black-owned businesses.

The Washington region, which includes the suburbs of Maryland and Northern Virginia, has 8,649 Blackowned businesses, according to a 2022 survey by Lending Tree.

The Bowser administration, through its Department of Small and Local Business Development (DSLBD) serves as a conduit for Black businesses.

“DSLBD remains focused on making it easier for D.C. entrepreneurs to access resources that fuel growth and create jobs,” said Rosemary Suggs-Evans, the director of DSLBD in an Aug. 4 statement.

D.C. Area Chamber Leaders Press Onward

Tonya Poindexter is the chair of the Northern Virginia Black Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. Poindexter said presently, her organization embraces Black Business Month as a stimulant to promote their African American membership.

“This year, for Black Business

3 Tonya Poindexter is the board chair of the Northern Virginia Black Chamber of Commerce. (Courtesy Photo/ Northern Virginia Black Chamber of Commerce)

Month, the Northern Virginia Black Chamber of Commerce wanted to go beyond simply highlighting our members on social media,” said Pointdexter to the Informer. “At a time when policy decisions in Washington carry significant consequences for Black businesses, it’s important that our community feels heard and represented where those decisions are being made. That is why we convened a roundtable discussion with Congressman (Eugene) Vindman, bringing our members into the room to speak candidly about the challenges and opportunities they face. The Congressman left with their voices, concerns, and priorities to carry back to Congress.”

The Virginia Black Chamber of Commerce, which encompasses Black-owned businesses throughout the Commonwealth, said it celebrates Black Business Month with intentionality.

“We proudly recognize National Black Business Month with intentional programming that uplifts and empowers,” said Ernisha M. Hall, president of the chamber.

However, Hall made it clear that the work continues into September and beyond.

“But our work doesn’t stop in August,” she said. “We celebrate and support Black-owned businesses year-round. Our mission is rooted in equitable access to opportunity, capital, and community—not just in August or February. Black business excellence isn’t seasonal. It’s essential.”

The D.C. Chamber of Commerce said “(it) is working with DDC (Public Affairs) and the DMPED (D.C. Department of Planning and Economic Development) to gather data and work on coordinating a plan for efforts (regarding Black businesses).”

Griffin emphasized Black businesses must persevere and remain dedicated to their missions not only to thrive, but to strengthen the nation’s capital overall.

“The Greater Washington Black Chamber of Commerce remains committed to making sure Black businesses have the tools and opportunities they need to thrive and help lead the District forward,” he said. WI

Read more on washingtoninformer.com. @JamesWrightJr10

BLACK BUSINESS from Page 1

Businessbrief

Howard University is the No. 1 HBCU on LinkedIn

By James Wright WI Staff Writer

LinkedIn recently unveiled its inaugural Top College rankings of higher education institutions in the U.S., naming Howard University as the number one historically Black college and university (HBCU).

According to LinkedIn, the list identifies the schools that “set graduates up for long-term success.” The rankings used LinkedIn data to gauge the career outcomes of alumni through an analysis of job placement rates, senior-level roles, undergraduate internships,

and alumni entrepreneurship.

LinkedIn also evaluated how quickly a recent alumnus finds a job or enters graduate school after graduating with an undergraduate degree. The company points out that the return on investment in a degree from a top program includes higher earnings and more rapid career progression.

“Howard University’s recognition as the top-ranked HBCU by LinkedIn is a powerful testament to the strength of our academic community and the global readiness of our graduates,” said Ben Vinson III, Ph.D., the outgoing president of Howard University.

“It reflects the intentionality behind our holistic model of education — one that combines academic rigor, faculty excellence, and real-world engagement. At Howard, we are cultivating leaders who are not only prepared to meet the challenges of today but are poised to shape the future across industries and around the world.”

In addition to Howard, Morehouse College, Spelman College, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, and Hampton University rounded out the top five HBCUs in the rankings.

The top LinkedIn ranking is the latest acknowledgement of Howard’s reputation for excellence in education, research, and career development. Earlier this year, Howard was recognized with a Research One R1 designation reserved for institutions with the highest levels of research activity among American universities.

Forbes’ most recent colleges and university rankings also named Howard as the top HBCU. Earli-

er this year, U.S. News and World Report ranked Howard as the #1 HBCU for undergraduate programs in business, computer science, economics, engineering, and psychology and the top HBCU for graduate programs in criminal law, constitutional law, dispute resolution, intellectual property law, healthcare law trial advocacy law, economics, English, fine arts, history, political science, and speech pathology.

Among all graduate programs, Howard placed #12 in Social Work, the highest ranking among colleges and universities in the Washington area as well as among other HBCUs.

“Graduates of top programs often land jobs sooner, build strong professional networks and advance into leadership faster,” LinkedIn noted in its website announcement on the rankings. “That’s why it’s so important for prospective students to know which programs are worth the investment.”

WI @JamesWrightJr10

5 Ben Vinson III, Ph.D., is the outgoing president of Howard University. (Courtesy Photo/Howard University)

NATIONAL

White House Campaign to Whitewash America’s Past Targets Smithsonian

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

The Trump White House has declared war on history itself. In an official article published Friday, Aug. 22, on the White House website, the administration blasted the Smithsonian Institution for telling the truth about slavery, systemic racism, and inequality in America.

The White House mocked exhibits at the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) for daring to explain that America privileges whiteness. It dismissed scholarship on the legacies of slavery in the Texas Revolution, ridiculed art that reckons with the Mid-

dle Passage, and condemned programs that document systemic exclusion in immigration and housing.

It went further, painting the Smithsonian as “anti-American propaganda” for highlighting the ways colonization, racism, and oppression shaped the very foundations of the nation.

“This plan aims to remove any exhibit or artifact that does not align with [Trump’s] definition of American exceptionalism,” Karsonya “Kaye” Whitehead, president of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), said in a statement.

From Slavery to Jim Crow Slavery was not just an econom-

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ic system—it was a regime of terror. Families were ripped apart, women were violated, men were chained, and entire generations were forced into labor that built the wealth of this nation. When emancipation finally came, Reconstruction briefly promised equality. Black men held office, built schools, and claimed rights once denied. But white supremacy roared back with violence and legal restrictions. Reconstruction collapsed, and Jim Crow rose in its place.

For nearly a century, Jim Crow laws ensured Black Americans could not vote freely, attend equal schools, or live without fear of lynching.

Critics note the White House’s at-

The Washington Convention and Sports Authority t/a Events DC is soliciting proposals from qualified firms to manage and operate a network of digital and non-digital displays and signs throughout the Walter E. Washington Convention Center (the “Convention Center”).

This Request for Proposal (“RFP”) has a thirty-five percent (35%) set-aside for a Certified Business Enterprise (CBE) as required under the provisions of “The Small and Certified Business Enterprise Development and Assistance Amendment Act of 2014” (the “Act”), effective June 10, 2014.

Interested parties can view a copy of the RFP by accessing Events DC’s e-procurement website at https://eventsdc.com/about/procurement.

Key Dates

RFP Release Date:  Thursday, August 28, 2025

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Primary Contact

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tempt to dismiss museums for teaching about this reality is nothing less than an attempt to silence that history.

“These steps are veiled attempts to rewrite and distort the narrative by removing any mention of the racist actions, words, and deeds that have shaped American history,” added the president of ASALH– the organization that founded Black History Month. “This regime is actively seeking to erase the lived experiences of Black people.”

Redlining and the War on Drugs, Civil Rights Gains Under Siege

When Jim Crow ended, systemic racism mutated. The federal government backed redlining policies that locked Black families out of home ownership, while white families accumulated wealth through suburban expansion.

Gentrification decades later uprooted Black communities in cities, pushing families out of neighborhoods they had called home for generations.

Then came the war on drugs. Entire communities were criminalized. Harsh sentencing laws and targeted policing filled prisons with Black and brown bodies, devastating families and stripping away economic and political power.

Further, the Civil Rights Movement forced America to confront its hypocrisy. Through marches, sit-ins, and court victories, Black Americans dismantled legal segregation, but every gain came with backlash.

The Smithsonian’s exhibits on democracy document this truth, however, the White House calls it subversive.

“Our history is both brutal and ugly and poignant and beautiful—from the forced arrival of our ancestors to these shores to the Black men who fought,” Whitehead said, “to the work

3 Activists and community leaders including Melanie Campbell of the National Coalition on Black and Civic Participation (NCBCP) and Pastor Tony Lee at the Hands off Our History March in May. The Trump administration is blasting the Smithsonian Institution for telling the truth about slavery, systemic racism and inequality in America. (WI File Photo/ Ja’Mon Jackson)

that was done during Black Lives Matter to reform community policing.”

The Fight for Memory

The attempt to rewrite history is part of a wider campaign. This White House has moved to criminalize protest, weaken civil rights protections, and silence Black leaders. Attacking the Smithsonian is about controlling the narrative—deciding whose story matters and whose story gets erased. The truth is this: America’s history is not just one of freedom and triumph. It is also one of bondage, violence, exclusion, and systemic theft of opportunity. To erase that truth is to dishonor every enslaved man, every woman denied her humanity, every family displaced by redlining, every child funneled into mass incarceration.

The Smithsonian was created to tell America’s story in full. Today, that mission is under direct assault from a White House that has chosen denial over truth.

“ASALH stands in fierce opposition to this latest directive and all efforts to erase or destroy our history, to silence our voices, and minimize our story,” said Whitehead. “These are our stories and our stories, both individual and collective, matter. Our voices and our sacrifices matter.”

The Organization of American Historians (OAH) released a statement after President Donald Trump’s threats, posted to Truth Social, calling the Smithsonian too “woke” earlier this month.

“No president has the legitimate authority to impose such a review,” OAH wrote. “Established by Congress in 1846 as a unique and independent agency, the Smithsonian Institution is not, and has never been, under the authority of the Executive Branch. It is an independent statutory agency, led by the Secretary and governed by a bipartisan Board of Regents as established by law.” WI

Helping Neighbors Stay Warm: Washington Gas Continues Mission of Giving Through WAFF

Submitted by Washington Gas

For over 177 years, Washington Gas has provided the DMV with safe, reliable, and affordable energy. Throughout all that time, our mission has evolved. We’re not here just to provide gas. We’re here to help the community grow and to be a helping hand to those in need.

Tough times do not discriminate. Whether it’s an unexpected illness, job loss, or unknown expense, things happen that might make it hard, or nearly impossible, to pay the bills. It is during these tough times where Washington Gas rises from just being a utility, to a community partner.

One of our proudest examples of this is our ongoing partnership with The Salvation Army through the Washington Area Fuel Fund (WAFF). Created in 1983, WAFF provides funds to families in need for their monthly gas bills. This simple, yet powerful mission helps ensure that no one has to choose between staying warm and other necessities like putting food on the table.

The health risks from low temperatures are real. The World Health Organization recommends a minimum safe indoor temperature of 64.4°F in winter. Exposure to lower temperatures puts seniors, infants, and people with chronic illnesses at risk.

Over the past four decades, WAFF has distributed nearly $34 million to more than 320,000 local homes, helping our neighbors stay safe with their heat on while they get back on their feet.

WAFF Thrive65 Campaign

You may not think of summer as the time when people need donations, but the reality is that WAFF must constantly fundraise to meet community needs.

That’s why WAFF launched the Thrive65 Campaign, which seeks to raise $32,500 by September 30, enough to help 65 families across the DMV this winter. This proactive fundraising campaign will ensure that WAFF has the necessary funding to support families for the upcoming winter.

True to the community we serve, Washington Gas employees have been at the heart of this campaign, which has raised over $12,800 so far. This includes a $5,600 donation from Washington Gas President, Blue Jenkins.

Join WAFF in Making a Difference

While this is a great start, time is running out to reach WAFF’s fundraising goal. We need your help. You can donate to the Thrive365 Campaign at givebutter.com/thrive65 or by scanning the QR code below. Every dollar makes a difference, and 100% of your donation goes directly to WAFF’s programs. Together, we can ensure that warmth, safety, and dignity are within reach for every neighbor.

Learn More

Would you like to know more about WAFF? Check out washingtonareafuelfund.org/ to learn about eligibility, resources, and energy saving tips. You can also follow WAFF on Facebook, X, and LinkedIn for the latest program updates.

4 Washington Gas President Blue Jenkins discusses WAFF Thrive65 Campaign with Marissa Mitchell of Fox 5 at a recent zip trip.

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Millions Displaced, Thousands Dead: Gaza’s Reality Ignites Global Action

By Mya Trujillo WI Contributing Writer

As death tolls, displacement rates and risk of famine increase in the Gaza Strip as a result of the ongoing violence against Palestinians from Israeli forces since October 7, 2023, activists continue to work toward change, including humanitarian aid initiatives, economic boycotts and protests.

“If you’re not speaking and doing everything right now to stop the occupation of Gaza City right now, then everything you’ve done in the past two years to stop the genocide has gone in vain and is useless,” said Palestinian journalist and activist Bisan Owda via Instagram. “Close the world, close the streets, block the streets, block the embassies.”

For the last 22 months, at least 61,722 Palestinians have been killed, 154,525 have been injured and approximately 1.9 million have been displaced, according to the most recent report on the crisis published by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). The humanitarian relief agency, alongside other organizations, has not been able to send aid to at-risk Palestinians since March due to Israeli restrictions on international non-governmental organizations’ registration.

This lack of humanitarian assistance has affected not only Palestinian access to medical supplies, but also their access to food. As a result, food insecurity has reached an all-time high in Gaza, as reported by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) in a July 29 alert, stating that famine, or stage five of the IPC’s Acute Food Insecurity Scale, is unfolding and affecting most areas of the Gaza Strip.

“Food consumption has largely deteriorated, with one in three individuals going without food for days at a time,” the IPC reported. “Immediate action must be taken to alleviate the catastrophic suffer-

ing of people in Gaza.”

Legacy of Black Support for Palestine Continues in Gaza Solidarity Mission

The Black community has historically stood in solidarity with the Palestinians, activism that has sometimes been met with racism, harassment and violence.

Prominent leaders like Malcolm X regularly spoke out against the Israeli occupation, and the Black Panther Party shared accounts of Palestinians’ struggle in their official newspaper, acknowledging that both communities suffer at the hands of colonialism and imperialism.

Since 2007, Israeli forces have limited Palestinians’ movement, isolating the Gaza Strip’s population from the rest of the occupied Palestinian territories. As this relentless blockade of land, sea, and air has historically and severely restricted the people and goods allowed in and out of the region, campaigns and initiatives have been launched to take action.

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) is a grassroots global solidarity movement that organizes aid missions by sea in an attempt to break through Israel’s naval blockade on Gaza.

The coalition was formed in 2010 after 10 activists participating in the Gaza Freedom Flotilla

were killed by Israeli forces in international waters. Since then, the FFC has sent multiple boats with humanitarian aid to Gaza, all of which were seized by Israel.

In July, the FFC sent a group of 21 activists, journalists, lawyers and medics aboard the Handala, embarking from Syracuse, Italy, to try and deliver aid to Palestinians in need.

Activist Chris Smalls, who is most known for his work in unionizing Amazon warehouse workers in Staten Island, was one of the many people who participated in this particular mission.

“I had to make a decision to go out there in less than 24 hours, and I didn’t hesitate,” Smalls told The Informer. “I knew that it’s important that as a labor leader I go and spread awareness, but also as an American citizen and definitely as a Black man… connecting the struggle was important.”

The 37-year-old said he was the only Black man and one of two people of color on the ship, which he believes fueled Israeli forces to single him out and treat him more aggressively than the rest of the crew when the Handala was seized.

After being detained, Smalls was separated from the rest of the ship’s crew members and brought to another room, where he says he was thrown against the wall face-

5 Pro-Palestinian activists protest genocide during the 10th Annual FITDC Fresh Start 5K in January 2024. (WI File Photo/The Washington Informer)

Stay Safe from Scams: Pause. Reflect. Protect.

Keep these simple steps in mind — and share them with family and friends — to fight back against today’s sophisticated fraud criminals

AARP DC Staff Report

Have you heard of the tech support scam? What about the toll road scam? The grandparent scam? Do you know what the red flags are for each of these scams? Keeping up with all of the latest scams and the thousands of red flags associated with them is exhausting. But there are a few general warning signs that apply to a wide range of scams.

In 2024, AARP’s Fraud Watch Network embarked on a project to produce a near-universal message to help consumers recognize and avoid fraud attempts. We collaborated with dozens of people worldwide, including educators, fraud specialists, law enforcement, fraud victims, relevant federal agencies and even a linguist to arrive at a singular message that would resonate widely: Pause. Reflect. Protect.

The Trigger

First, we need to define a “trigger” to signal when fraud comes knocking. Think of learning in grade school to “stop, drop and roll” in the event of a fire. It’s the same idea, but fire is a mighty strong trigger. We’ve defined three elements common to most scams. Once we understand them as a “trigger” for the desired response, we can educate about that desired response. We call it the “Active Pause.”

The Active Pause

This is no ordinary pause. Rather, it is an intentional act to step back and reflect on what you might know about the situation confronting you. For example, is your grandson calling you late at night (1. unexpected contact), saying he’s in jail across the country and needs your help (2. surge of emotion: I must help him!)? Does he say he needs you to send money right away (3. urgency)? These are the three triggers to elicit an “Active Pause.”

In this scenario, you might consider whether it makes sense that your grandson is calling you and not his parents, or that he’s in jail 2,000 miles away when you just had dinner with him yesterday. This intentional step back allows your brain to move out of emotion and engage with logic. You use the active pause to end communication and call your grandson directly. He was at home and asleep. You protect yourself and your money from a fraud attempt.

The Active Pause is taught across high-pressure fields like aviation, emergency medicine, and military operations. Now we can apply it to the high-pressure situation of a fraud attempt.

The Safe Response: Pause. Reflect. Protect.

Taking the pause when triggered can help us regain control of the situation. It gives us time to reflect on what we may know about the scenario and to determine if it makes sense. When it doesn’t make sense, you protect yourself by ending communication.

All the red flags are important to understand, but when narrowed to just three, we think it can stop many scams in their tracks. Know the triggers, know the safe response: Pause. Reflect. Protect.

To learn more, visit aarp.org/FraudWatchNetwork.

HEALTH

D.C.’s Mental Health Progress Collides with Trump Rollbacks

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

The nation’s capital is caught between local progress and federal retreat when it comes to mental health care. While community programs in Washington, D.C. are showing results, the Trump administration’s decision to pause key rules surrounding mental health coverage threatens to undercut that momentum.

According to the 2024 Senior Report, drug deaths among District residents age 65 and older more than doubled in recent years— climbing from 40.6 deaths per 100,000 between 2017-2019 to 89.4 between 2020-2022.

Black seniors in D.C. face an ear-

ly death rate more than four times higher than their white peers. Add to that a poverty rate of nearly 16% among older adults and a housing cost burden consuming more than 40% of income, and the city is staring at a full-scale behavioral health crisis.

“The range of behavioral health conditions out there includes everything from sadness and hopelessness to substance abuse disorder, anxiety and depression,” a leader of CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield’s Social Impact work told WTOP in February 2023.

Local leaders have not stood still.

CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield reported that it has poured nearly $8 million into behavioral health grants across D.C., Maryland, and Vir-

ginia. In the District, organizations such as Pathways to Housing, Sasha Bruce Youthwork, Whitman-Walker Health, and the Young Women’s Project are putting that money to work. In the first year, more than 3,300 young people were screened for unmet behavioral health needs, thousands received clinical or peer support, and dozens of new providers were trained or licensed. The effort has already exceeded its initial goals.

But that progress is colliding with a federal retreat. According to ProPublica, the Trump administration has frozen Biden-era rules that required insurers to disclose how they restrict or deny mental health claims and fix inequities when compared to physical health coverage. Those rules, finalized in 2024, were considered the strongest protections ever for

mental health parity.

Their suspension leaves families in D.C. and across the country vulnerable when insurers decide to deny coverage.

Researchers noted that oversight is also shrinking. ProPublica reported that the Employee Benefits Security Administration, the small Labor Department agency that enforces parity, is facing steep staff losses. Its workforce is expected to fall by nearly 20% from 2024 to 2026, while investigative staff in some regions have already dropped almost 40%. That means fewer investigations, longer delays, and more families forced to battle insurers on their own.

Experts said the consequences are not abstract.

ProPublica recounted how one Massachusetts family saw their insurer deny coverage for a teenage

3 A mental health display as part of the 2024 “Can We Talk? Symposium,” sponsored by the Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation. As organizations work to address mental health challenges in the District, the Trump administration’s decision to pause key rules surrounding mental health coverage threatens to undercut the momentum. (WI File Photo/ Robert R. Roberts)

daughter in crisis, leaving them with more than $80,000 in bills. Only after two years and intervention from a federal investigator was the decision reversed.

In D.C., where Black seniors and low-income families already face staggering health disparities, losing those protections could be devastating.

Local grants are stretching resources and showing what can be done, but they cannot make up for a federal system unwilling to enforce equal treatment for mental health care.

“The expectation was that these rules would be incredibly significant in driving better compliance,” former EBSA deputy Ali Khawar told ProPublica. “So now that it is on hold, it is a significant benefit that will never be realized.”

WI

The Washington Convention and Sports Authority t/a Events DC is soliciting proposals from qualified firms to provide Community Engagement Services for Events DC’s projects and/or initiatives.

This RFP is designated for District of Columbia Department of Small, Local, and Business Development (DSLBD) small, certified business enterprises only.

Interested parties can view a copy of the RFP by accessing Event DC’s e-procurement website at https://eventsdc.com/about/procurement.

Key Dates

RFP Release Date:   August 28, 2025

RFP Questions Due Dat: Thursday, September 11, 2025, 5:00PM, EST

RFP Response Due Date: Monday, September 29, 2025, 5:00PM, EST

Primary Contact

Gerald Green, Deputy Director, Contracts and Procurement    Email: ggreen@eventsdc.com   / Phone: (202) 249-3028

HEALTH

Extra-Virgin Olive Oil Shown to Boost Good Cholesterol in New Research

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

A peer-reviewed study in Nutrients, an international open-access nutrition science journal, and reported by Eating Well magazine, finds that daily consumption of extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)—especially varieties rich in antioxidants—can improve cholesterol levels and support heart health.

While heart disease is the No. 1 killer of Americans, experts stress it is preventable. The American Heart Association promotes its “Life’s Essential 8,” which outlines four health behaviors—eating a heart-healthy diet, engaging in regular physical activity, quitting tobacco, and getting adequate sleep—and four measurable health factors: managing weight, cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure.

“Clinical, epidemiological, and experimental evidence shows that the Mediterranean diet, including extra virgin olive oil, reduces the risk of diseases linked to oxidative stress, chronic inflammation, and immune system issues like cancer, atherosclerosis, and cardiovascular disease (CVD), helps to improve chronic liver diseases, like Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD) and liver fibrosis, reducing the likelihood of liver cancer,” according to the Nutrients study: “Exploring the Benefits of Extra Virgin Olive Oil on Cardiovascular Health Enhancement and Disease Prevention: A Systematic Review.”

Olive oil’s heart benefits are well documented, due mainly to its monounsaturated fats. But polyphenols— potent plant-based antioxidants found in EVOO—may also play a significant role. To examine this, scientists in Greece compared the effects of two EVOOs with different polyphenol levels.

The study recruited 50 participants with hyperlipidemia (high blood lipids, including LDL cholesterol) and 20 without. Participants with hyperlipidemia were split into two groups: one consumed high-polyphenol EVOO, the other low-polyphenol EVOO at a higher dose to equalize total daily polyphenol intake. The healthy group was matched by gen der and given the same EVOO types and dosages. All participants took the olive oil on an empty stomach for four weeks while maintaining their usual diets and lifestyles.

Results showed that those with hyperlipidemia experienced greater improvements in blood lipids than the healthy group. HDL, the “good” cholesterol, increased, and lipoprotein (a)—similar to LDL cholesterol—de creased slightly in the high-risk group. Importantly, the high-polyphenol EVOO group saw significant im provements in total cholesterol com pared to the low-polyphenol group, despite equal polyphenol intake over all.

WI

Read more on washingtoninformer.com.

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 20, 2025

Anacostia Park 8 am-11am

5 A new study reveals daily consumption of extra-virgin olive oil can improve cholesterol levels and support heart health. (Courtesy Photo)

EARTH OUR

Hurricane Katrina 20th Anniversary Highlights Growing Risks as FEMA Funding Declines

Federal Disaster Relief Programs Face Deep Cuts as Storm Protections Weaken in New Orleans

By Mya Trujillo WI Contributing Writer

Hurricane Katrina was one of the worst storms Louisiana has seen, claiming the lives of nearly 1,400 people, displacing millions and caus-

ing about $125 billion worth of damage.

Now, 20 years after the catastrophe devastated New Orleans and the surrounding areas, representatives, scientists and those directly affected by the storm are concerned about how fu-

Buy one or more eligible produce items at participating Healthy Corners stores using your SUN Bucks or SNAP/EBT benefits, and receive a $5 coupon to buy more produce!

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ture storms will affect Louisiana and other states amid recent funding cuts to agencies like the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

“Katrina was not just a storm; it was a test of our humanity, our infrastructure and our government’s commitment to its people,” said

District Director of Louisiana’s Second Congressional District Demetric Mercadel on behalf of Representative Troy Carter (D-LA). “It showed us the consequences of when federal support fails us.”

Winds that reached 140 miles per hour raised sea levels 25 to 28 feet above normal along the Mississippi coast and 10 to 20 feet along the Louisiana coast, causing 80% of New Orleans to be severely flooded two days after Katrina’s landfall. The extreme flooding was also partly due to and exacerbated by the poor maintenance of the area’s levees and pump stations, for which many federal, state, local and parish agencies were responsible.

The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Hurricane Katrina External Review Panel stated in a report following the storm that, due to the utilization of incorrect information during construction, the area’s levees were built one to two feet lower than needed to effectively protect

Other factors that led to such severe submergence included: weak pump stations that couldn’t endure the storm, the piecemeal construction of the area’s hurricane protection system and a lack of meticulous inspection of said system.

“No single agency was in charge of hurricane protection in New Orleans,” the ASCE reported. “This lack of inter-agency coordination led to many adverse consequences from Hurricane Katrina.”

As FEMA Pulls Back, Katrina Survivors Face Renewed Uncertainty

Since the onset of his second term, President Donald Trump has

announced that his administration plans to dismantle FEMA following the 2025 hurricane season, which concludes on Nov. 30, stating that the agency has not been successful thus far. Programs crucial to safeguarding vulnerable areas from inclement weather have been cut, which could increase the risks of hurricane season.

“The agency’s current trajectory reflects a clear departure from the intent of the PKEMRA (Post-Katrina Emergency Reform Act),” former and current FEMA staffers wrote in a public letter to Congress on Aug. 25. “Our shared commitment to our country, our oaths of office, and our mission of helping people before, during, and after disasters compel us to warn Congress and the American people of the cascading effects of decisions made by the current administration.”

In April, FEMA announced it would cut the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program, which provided states, local and territorial governments and Tribal Nations with grants necessary to help initiatives aimed toward mitigating the risks of natural disasters. The agency also cut programs like the Youth Preparedness Council (YPC), which engaged young leaders who wanted to be involved in protecting their communities by supporting disaster preparedness.

The cessation of these precautionary measures frustrates not only scientists but New Orleans natives as well.

“We have a very deep and rich culture, and we deserve to be protected

5 A house in New Orleans damaged by Hurricane Katrina in August 2005. Twenty years later, scientists are concerned about how future storms will affect Louisiana and other states with recent funding cuts to agencies like FEMA. (Courtesy Photo/ National Guard Bureau)

KATRINAPage 36

EDUCATION

(BBA ’94), Howard University Board of Trustees chair, in a statement submitted to The Washington Informer.

The Board of Trustees announced that Wayne A.I. Frederick, the university’s 17th president from 2014 to 2023, will return as interim president on Sept. 1.

Frederick, also president emeritus, is credited with record fundraising and expanding Howard’s academic programs and facilities.

“As we move forward, the Board of Trustees and university leadership remain steadfast in our commitment to maintaining Howard’s mission of excellence, truth, and service and a vibrant, welcoming, and innovative academic environment where students continue to succeed,” Hale continued. “Given our focus and commitment, the board has selected an interim president who is uniquely equipped to serve the university during this time of transition.”

Some students told The Washington Informer they were caught off guard and disappointed by the announcement.

“My initial reaction was frustration,” said Tamia Thompson, a graduate student at Howard University’s School of Law. “Any-

one who was at Howard during Wayne’s presidency remembers his treatment and negligence of staff, professors, and students. Vinson was an improvement, for sure, albeit not much, but I wish he’d gotten enough time to make more of a change in a positive direction.”

Jocelyn Walsh, a senior and political science major, admitted to being confused by the move.

“He’s only been here a year, and with the school year just starting, the timing feels unusual,” Walsh remarked. “It raises questions about why the decision wasn’t made over the summer. I don’t trust the Board of Trustees.”

Vinson is departing the institution with the shortest tenure since Edward Parmelee Smith, who served just six months from 1875 to 1876. Touting his work to advance Howard’s strategic vision in areas such as artificial intelligence, data analytics, and diasporic engagement, the president said his decision was guided by family and research priorities.

“My foremost priority has always been the well-being and success of this community, and I remain committed to ensuring a smooth and constructive transition,” said Vinson. “I am grateful to the Board, faculty, staff, students, and partners who have sup-

Still, Walsh said Vinson never appeared connected to anyone at the university.

“From what I observed, he never seemed to be involved and visible

ported the work we’ve undertaken together. It has been an honor to serve Howard. At this point, I will be taking some time to be with my family and continue my research activities. I look forward to using my experiences as president to continue to serve higher education in the future.”

on campus,” she told The Informer. “I think the constant turnover in leadership is concerning. It creates instability, and it feels like there are important issues students aren’t being told about.”

5 Howard University President Ben Vinson III is stepping down as the 18th leader of the historically Black institution on Aug. 31, while Wayne A.I. Frederick, the university’s 17th president, will return as interim president on Sept. 1. (WI File

Photo/Robert R. Roberts)

VINSON from Page 1

5 Howard University President Emeritus Wayne A.I. Frederick, the historically Black institution’s 17th leader from 2014-2023, is returning as the university’s interim president beginning Sept. 1. (WI File Photo/Robert R. Roberts)

Trump’s Obsession with Winning a Nobel Peace Prize

Obsession Driven by the Mind Space Obama Has in His Head

President Donald J. Trump’s fixation on the Nobel Peace Prize has become one of the strangest footnotes of his political career.

While most presidents aim to leave a legacy through policies or by establishing institutions, Trump appears fixated on a prize former President Barack Obama received in 2009.

Obama received the award less than a year into his presidency. On October 9, 2009, the Norwegian Nobel Committee announced that Obama was the recipient, citing his promotion of nuclear nonproliferation and a “new climate” in America’s international engagement. It recognized potential, not a victory celebration. Critics thought it was premature, but it underscored how deeply Obama’s election transformed global expectations. In accepting the award, Obama acknowledged that his “accomplishments are slight.”

For nearly 10 years, Trump has both publicly and privately com-

Prince

plained that he still hasn’t won the prestigious award. Last October, Trump, the same man who has openly criticized the former president and questioned his citizenship, said: “If I were named Obama, I would have had the Nobel Prize given to me in 10 seconds,”

Trump, in contrast, has aimed for the prize as a symbol, openly and secretly lobbying for recognition. He has highlighted symbolic diplomatic achievements, like talks with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un or the Abraham Accords in the Middle East, as reasons. However, the Nobel Committee has consistently refused to be swayed, emphasizing that the prize is awarded through independent decision-making, not self-promotion.

Hillary Clinton, who has debated with Trump for years, summarized the issue with Trump’s desire for the prestigious award, particularly considering his relation with

George’s County

Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“Honestly, if he could bring about the end to this terrible war, where Putin is the aggressor,” she said, “if he could end it without putting Ukraine in a position where it had to concede territory to the aggressor – to make it clear there must be a ceasefire – if we could pull that off, if President Trump were the architect, I’d nominate him for a Nobel Peace Prize.”

However, the irony is that Trump’s pursuit of the Nobel Peace Prize only emphasizes the difference with Obama. While Obama’s award represented a global sigh of relief, Trump’s bid shows a bruised ego craving validation. Ultimately, his obsession matters less for world peace and more for the insecurity of a 34-time convicted felon, who is anti-diversity, equity and inclusion, and cannot accept that Obama— a Black man— has what he likely never will: history’s respect. WI

Homeowners

Warned: Seek Help Before It’s Too Late

Elected leaders are honing their attention on Prince George’s County, where the loss of federal jobs and contracts is hitting hardest in the wealthiest majority-Black communities in the nation.

Rising home foreclosures are raising major concerns, and county officials are working to prevent Prince George’s from once again becoming ground zero, as it was during the 2008 subprime lending crisis.

District 6 Councilmember Wala Blegay (D) hopes to draw national attention to the issue during a town hall at the upcoming 54th Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Annual Legislative Conference. She is inviting federal workers and contractors in Prince George’s who “are facing attacks from the Trump administration, leading to layoffs that are affecting families in our community” to attend and share their stories.

Blegay said she and her col-

leagues are working with nonprofit partners to provide support, and she has launched a questionnaire for residents to share their experiences with layoffs and request needed services.

County Council Chair Edward Burroughs III (District 8) scheduled a workshop this week in partnership with Strategic Housing Solutions to “help keep residents in their homes.” According to Burroughs, Prince George’s County led Maryland in foreclosure filings in the first quarter of 2025, with 836—over 25% of the state’s total.

In July, Maryland ranked third in the nation in foreclosure activity, with one in every 2,566 homes impacted, according to ATTOM. Further, District 8 communities, such as Oxon Hill, Temple Hills, and Fort Washington, remain foreclosure hotspots, according to the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development.

“These figures are nothing short of alarming,” Burroughs said. “With our county feeling the brunt of the Trump administration’s federal workforce reduction, more Prince Georgians are in danger of losing their homes.”

Leaders from Prince George’s County— which used to be first in the U.S. for the wealthiest majority Black locale until Charles County surpassed it in 2022— are right to sound the alarm.

If Prince George’s is to avoid repeating the devastation of 2008, homeowners must act quickly.

We commend Blegay, Burroughs, and others for organizing town halls and workshops to confront this crisis.

Help is available, but it starts with reaching out before foreclosure begins.

Protecting homes means protecting families, neighborhoods, and the legacy of one the nation’s wealthiest majority-Black counties. WI

TO THE EDITOR

“I agree with teachers like Ferdinand [in the article: As Federal Takeover Continues, Conversation Shifts to Curriculum, REAL IDs, and Metro Safety], that empowering students to understand and engage with real issues is vital.”

– Desain

“Excellent article [Packing With Purpose: How REUZE is Reinventing the Way We Move] and very informative. Projecting the company will expand on to several states!”

– Nikkie Harris Garcia

Readers’ Mailbox The Washington Informer welcomes letters to the editor about articles we publish or issues affecting the community. Write to news@washingtoninformer.com. or send to: 3117 Martin Luther King Jr Ave., SE, Washington, D.C. 20032. Please note that we are unable to publish letters that do not include a full name, address and phone number. We look forward to hearing from you.

OPINIONS/EDITORIALS

Guest Columnist

‘The America That Is Yet to Come’

by his side.

This month marked the 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the historic legislation President Lyndon B. Johnson signed into law at the U.S. Capitol with many of the Democratic and Republican lawmakers who had helped secure its large bipartisan victory and civil rights leaders, including the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., John Lewis and Rosa Parks,

In his remarks President Johnson was very clear as he shared his views about the truth of American history that began in 1619 and led up to that moment:

“Today is a triumph for freedom as huge as any victory that has ever been won on any battlefield. Yet to seize the meaning of this day, we must recall darker times. Three and a half centuries ago the first Negroes arrived at Jamestown. They did not arrive in brave ships in search of a home for freedom. They did not mingle fear

Marian Wright Edelman

and joy, in expectation that in this New World anything would be possible to a man strong enough to reach for it. They came in darkness and they came in chains. And today we strike away the last major shackle of those fierce and ancient bonds. Today the Negro story and the American story fuse and blend.”

President Johnson continued: “The stories of our Nation and of the American Negro are like two great rivers. Welling up from that tiny Jamestown spring they flow through the centuries along divided channels. When pio-

A. Scott Bolden

neers subdued a continent to the need of man, they did not tame it for the Negro. When the Liberty Bell rang out in Philadelphia, it did not toll for the Negro. When Andrew Jackson threw open the doors of democracy, they did not open for the Negro. It was only at Appomattox, a century ago, that an American victory was also a Negro victory. And the two rivers — one shining with promise, the other dark-stained with oppression — began to move toward one another. Yet, for almost a century the promise of that day was not fulfilled. Today is

Trump Wrong to Federalize Policing in Washington, D.C.

President Donald Trump sounded like a 19th-century European colonialist justifying the subjugation of “savage natives” in “darkest Africa” when he recently ordered a federal takeover of the police force in Washington, D.C., and deployed 800 National Guard troops in the city.

This followed Trump’s order assigning 500 federal law enforcement

officers — including FBI agents who should be protecting the nation against major threats — to combat D.C. street crime.

Black people make up the largest racial group in Washington — about 43% — and the city’s mayor, police chief and nonvoting delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives are all Black. The president seems to believe they are incapable of fighting crime.

Trump falsely claimed in an Aug. 11 news conference that D.C. “has been overtaken by violent gangs

Guest

For those of us who are not living in poverty, we may not fully understand the plight suffered by those who are poor. Unless we have been there ourselves, we cannot understand life and survival totally from their perspective. This is true despite having degrees of empathy and compassion. It takes a lasting moral commitment to become sensitive to recognizing and addressing

a towering and certain mark that, in this generation, that promise will be kept. In our time the two currents will finally mingle and rush as one great stream across the uncertain and the marvelous years of the America that is yet to come.”

After outlining concrete steps his administration would take next to do its part to fulfill this promise and enforce the law, President Johnson ended his remarks by returning to the American ideals the Voting Rights Act

and bloodthirsty criminals, roving mobs of wild youth, drugged out maniacs and homeless people.” Not coincidentally, Trump used his news conference to also attack other cities run by Black mayors: Baltimore, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and Oakland.

I’ve lived in Washington for decades. It is a beautiful city, drawing visitors for safe and enjoyable trips from around the world — not the nightmarish hellhole Trump described. We have some of the world’s

It Harder to Help Families Back Home

the systemic barriers that keep people impoverished. However, we can never intimately relate to the hardships without experiencing them.

Breaking the cycle of poverty means that discrimination and racism need to be discerned and confronted at every turn. Breaking the cycle of poverty means addressing the root causes, such as lack of access to housing, education, health care, transportation and economic opportunities.

Insight into these challenges will enable fair-minded policymakers to propose effective social programs and

economic policies that will provide a reliable safety net, reducing suffering. In doing so, these lawmakers are fulfilling a moral and social responsibility by addressing the root causes of poverty. Unfortunately, not all policymakers are fair-minded and moral. While immoral lawmakers may also have a degree of insight, they have proven to be strategic and proactive in crafting ways to cut the social safety net.

Many of us are not in a situation where we have to deal with the issue of family remittances. Millions of migrants support their families and com-

finest museums, monuments, parks, neighborhoods and public spaces.

Trump notably failed to mention that crime in Washington fell 35% to its lowest level in 30 years in 2024, and violent crime has plummeted an additional 26% so far this year. Some people may not feel safe in Washington, but the significant drop in crime in the capital city hardly qualifies as the “public safety emergency” Trump said existed.

Alarmingly, Trump said that under his orders, police “are allowed to do

whatever the hell they want.” What does that mean?

Does the president claim police can violate the constitutional rights of anyone and break any laws they want in their zeal to somehow reduce crime? Is he giving himself the power to allow police to beat or even kill suspected criminals without accountability? Under Trump’s order, will we see more Black people murdered by police, as George Floyd was in Min-

munities of origin through the money they send back home (remittances).

Remittances impact one in eight people worldwide. About 200 million immigrant workers support 800 million family members in their home countries each year.

While Haitian immigrants face economic challenges, they continue to send a significant portion of their earnings home, often at a personal sacrifice by working multiple jobs or foregoing their own needs to support relatives abroad.

“Haiti is literally being held togeth-

er by those of us who are outside of the country and sending money back home,” said Guerline Jozef, co-founder of Haitian Bridge Alliance. Haiti’s decades-long humanitarian crisis deepens each day, forcing immigrants to send record-high payments back home in recent years. Each Haitian immigrant living abroad supports a dozen or so friends, family or community members in their home country, many of whom rely on those payments to survive, Jozef says.

David W. Marshall

EDELMAN Page 45

Guest Columnist

Columnist

Guest

My Humble Advice for Dealing with Trump’s Threats

our children to save their lives through this madness! Let’s take the responsibility for at least offering some guidance to our young people.

It’s amazing that we have to deal with someone with 34 criminal convictions telling us about law and order — a person who plays games with the lives of innocent people like President Obama and Attorney General Letitia James — now taking over Washington, D.C., with all kinds of threats. But we have to at least advise

1. Ask your children to leave the streets and be home before dark.

2. Tell them to be extremely cautious and most respectful to everybody while outside the home and especially to police officers (most are on our side because they’ve been disrespected with this takeover of our city, too), Nation-

al Guard, FBI, CIA, ICE, Homeland Security, Park Police, Metro Police, Coast Guard, Military Police (all branches), Amtrak and anyone with a gun or authority to police our nation. Be obedient.

3. Don’t congregate on any streets — not even in your neighborhood.

4. Go straight home, or to the library, Boys and Girls Clubs or any place you have authorized your children to go.

5. Refrain from responding to rudeness from any adult.

6. Be patient with everybody.

7. Raise your hands immediately if an adult threatens you with a gun.

8. Be sure to stay within speed limits if you are driving.

9. Be careful when riding a bicycle. Ride slowly and observe traffic lights. Do not crisscross the street against the light. When walking, obey all traffic lights.

10. If you see someone being brutalized, do not intervene, but go to the nearest place you can to inform an adult you trust.

Student Loan Crisis Devastates Credit Scores for Millions

At least 2.2 million delinquent student loan borrowers have seen their credit scores drop by 100 points or more since loan servicers resumed reporting to credit bureaus in the first quarter of this year.

The end of pandemic relief measures will further reduce affordable credit options for federal student loan borrowers already struggling

with rising prices and stagnant wages, making new credit more expensive, if attainable at all. Affected borrowers also will become more susceptible to predatory lenders who exploit their financial difficulties with debt trap business models that worsen — not improve — their financial lives.

According to the New York Federal Reserve’s student loan update, delinquency rates surged to a fiveyear high in early 2025. Further, during the second quarter of this year, one in 10 borrowers were 90

days or more delinquent on their loans. These numbers are likely to rise as more delinquencies are recorded on a rolling basis.

Among newly delinquent borrowers, 2.4 million previously had scores above 620, strong enough for many to qualify for new autos, mortgages and credit cards. But now, missed federal student loan payments between 2020Q2 and 2024Q4 are now appearing in credit reports.

Of the estimated 2.2 million borrowers who experienced credit

score drops of at least 100 points, 1 million saw their credit score drop by 150 points or more. More interesting — the highest percentages of delinquency by age was among older borrowers: 18% by borrowers aged 50 and over and 14% by borrowers between 40-49.

Consumer advocates and economists warned of the negative impact of rising delinquencies on consumer finances and national economic activity.

“Being delinquent on student loan debt is difficult for people who

11. When walking in groups, keep your voices down, and do not get into fights.

12. Don’t give anybody an excuse to threaten you or try to arrest you.

13. Parents, add your own rules for your children during this difficult process, and don’t forget to pray the devil back to hell every day! Also, remind your neighbors to talk with their children about these recommendations so their

are approaching their retirement years,” said Lori Trawinski, director of finance and employment at AARP. “People end up having to make extremely difficult choices.”

The Treasury Department recently restarted collection efforts for defaulted loans — including garnishment of wages and tax returns. Legally, officials can garner up to 15% of the Social Security benefits of older and defaulted student loan borrowers. A recent CNBC news

The Quiet Tsunami: AI’s Unseen Impact on Our Most Vulnerable Communities

we can’t afford to ignore.

A quiet but powerful change is happening all around us, and it’s being driven by artificial intelligence. While we often hear about all the exciting new possibilities AI brings, we need to focus on a far more serious issue: the serious threat it poses to communities that are already struggling. This isn’t a problem for the future; it’s a reality we’re living in right now, and it’s a shift

The signs of this shift often begin subtly, appearing as small changes at work. Yet, these seemingly minor adjustments can quickly escalate, leading to significant disruption for individuals and families. Just think about Debbie, a single mother in her late 40s. For years, her administrative assistant job provided a steady income, enough to cover rent and put food on the table for her two kids. Then, a few months ago, her company introduced new AI software. Suddenly, her workload shrank. Her hours were cut, and

before she knew it, her position was eliminated. Now, she stares at grocery receipts, the numbers climbing higher each week, and the stack of bills on the counter feels like a mountain. The fear isn’t just about losing her job; it’s about not being able to provide in an economy where every dollar is stretched thin. Debbie’s story is becoming increasingly common, a stark reminder of the quiet tsunami of job displacement already hitting our homes.

Discussions about AI have largely been dominated by tech giants and futurists. The voices of those most

vulnerable to its disruptive power have been largely absent. We’re talking about individuals in jobs that form the backbone of our local economies: administrative assistants, customer service representatives, data entry clerks, and even those in transportation facing the advent of autonomous vehicles. These are roles that often employ women and people of color, communities already grappling with systemic inequalities.

A seemingly helpful chatbot on a website might seem convenient, but it’s also a powerful sign that a human

job is on the line. The truth is, AI is a powerful tool, and companies are using it to automate routine tasks, boost efficiency, and cut costs. While we don’t know the full extent of the coming job losses, the direction is clear: our workforce is changing in a big way.

This isn’t just about a few jobs disappearing; it’s about a fundamental shift in the very structure of our economy. People who don’t have the skills to adapt will be left behind. This shift

Dr. Denise Turley

Guest Columnist

E. Faye Williams

Columnist

Charlene Crowell

Guest Columnist

LIFESTYLE

Things To Do, DMV!

By Jada Ingleton WI Content Editor

Check out a handful of the many events happening in the DMV this weekend, from iconic music tributes and sporting events, to recognition for Black Business Month and annual festivals held locally.

To learn more about what’s happening, don’t forget to check out the Washington Informer Calendar, and remember, there’s al-

ways something happening in the DMV to keep your spirit — and social life — lit.

THURSDAY, AUG. 28

DC Jazzfest Downtown 4 p.m. | Free Anthem Row, 800 K St NW, Washington, D.C., 20001

Watch as Anthem Row comes alive with DC JazzFest Downtown–a free evening of live music, culture, and community in the

heart of Downtown D.C.

Immerse yourself in art, culture, and community just steps away from Gallery Place - Chinatown, amplified by the silky sounds of live jazz and smooth performances from Brass-A-Holics, Be’La Dona, Benjie Porecki, and Langston Hughes II.

Come early for prizes, free merchandise, and ticket contests to attend DC JazzFest at the Anthem featuring Lalah Hathaway and

DC JazzFest at The Wharf.

Black Business Month Soiree

5:30 p.m.- 8 p.m. | $28.52

Newton White Mansion, 2708 Enterprise Rd, Mitchellville, MD 20721

3With a weekly music concert series and monthly fun-filled children’s festivals, the Art Place at Fort Totten is celebrating the summer season with family, creativity, and community engagement at the forefront—running now through Sept. 5. (Courtesy Photo)

prizes and delicious bites, there’s something for everyone at Art Place this summer!

Bring your own chair (or borrow one from the venue) and sit back to enjoy live tunes, food options, beverages, vendors, games, and community vibes, as the Aug. 29 slot brings the sounds of The Joe Baione Vibraphone Experience to The Modern at Art Place.

2025 DC Festival of Magic 7 p.m.- 8 p.m. | $55.00+

Recognizing the vital contributions of Black-owned businesses to the local economy, the Prince George’s County Economic Development Corporation is proud to host the Black Business Month Summer Soiree–a signature event presented in collaboration with the Maryland Black Chamber of Commerce, Prince George’s County Chamber of Commerce, and the Bi-County Business Roundtable.

The Summer Soiree, held during August’s National Black Business Month, will spotlight the resilience, creativity, and entrepreneurial spirit of Black business owners throughout the County and beyond. Attendees can look forward to robust networking opportunities, engaging with local Black-owned businesses, and gaining access to valuable resources designed to help entrepreneurs grow and succeed.

FRIDAY, AUG. 29

Art Place at Fort Totten

6 p.m.- 8 p.m. | Free

The Modern at Art Place, 400 Galloway St NE, Washington, D.C., 20011

Through Sept. 5, Art Place at Fort Totten invites the community to enjoy a season of free, outdoor summer fun in partnership with DC Fray. From live music every Friday evening to monthly children’s festivals packed with games,

The Capital Hilton, 1001 16th St NW, Washington, D.C., 20036

Kicking off the fifth annual DC Festival of Magic is Andi Gladwin with his performance “Shuffled.”

This is a one-of-a-kind magic show where the audience brings their own shuffled decks, making each performance completely unique. Andi takes chaos and turns it into pure astonishment, proving that true magic happens in the unexpected.

Looking for more magic after the show? Enjoy complimentary strolling magic from local magicians in Capital Hilton’s lobby bar, The Statler Lounge, from 8 p.m.9 p.m.

Don’t miss this groundbreaking experience!

SATURDAY, AUG. 30

African Art and Fashion Fusion 10 a.m. | Free Hilton, 1750 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852

With its DMV first edition, African Art and Fashion Fusion is bringing exposure to art and fashion in Africa through trade fairs

THINGS TO DO Page 29

THINGS TO DO from Page 28

and exhibitions in a global yet refined environment.

In line with becoming a recognizable brand across Africa, the Americas, and Europe, this event showcases partnerships with great African brands that align with the organization’s vision of championing African creativity in art.

2025 NLLHOF East-West Vintage Baseball Game Gates open at Noon | Free Prince George’s Stadium, 4101 Crain Hwy, Bowie, MD 20716

This historical NLLHOF East/ West All-star Vintage Baseball Game is being played in observance of Negro League Legends Hall of Fame week, saluting the 91st anniversary of the Negro EastWest All Star game that took place in 1933 founded by Gus Greenlee.

The game is played by former Major League Baseball (MLB), Tri-State Leagues, Collegiate, and 2023-24 high school graduates dressed in vintage attire appropriately representing the diversity of players–Black, white, hispanics, and others–who “played for the Love of the Game” in the early to mid 1900’s.

The ninth annual Auto Showcase will be in the east parking lot of the entrance to the stadium, free and open to the public at 10:00 a.m. before the game.

SUNDAY, AUG. 31

A King and A Prince Day Party ft. Mad Skillz

3 p.m. | $33.14+

The Howard Theatre, 620 T St NW, Washington, D.C., 20001

Calling the grown and nostalgic crowd to Howard Theatre: time to celebrate the music and legacy of global icons Michael Jackson and Prince.

The vibes return on Aug. 31, powered by Gold Coast Ent with the sounds of two-time Grammy-nominated musician, Mad Skillz.

Enjoy classics, cocktails, and unmatched energy in another unforgettable experience — all day long.

Jeezy Presents TM:101 Live with The Color of Noize Orchestra

8 p.m. | $557.00+

DAR Constitution Hall, 18th St

NW & C St NW, Washington, D.C., 20006

One album, one orchestra, one unforgettable night.

Join DAR Constitution Hall in what promises to be a legendary evening, as hip-hop icon Young Jeezy commemorates the 20th anniversary of his groundbreaking debut album, “Let’s Get It: Thug Motivation 101.”

This nostalgic experience brings the raw energy of Jeezy’s Street anthems to the grand stage, reimagined with the power and elegance of a full symphony orchestra.

With an elevated black-tie experience, this historic fusion of hip-hop and classical music pays tribute to the legacy of an album that redefined a genre and inspired a generation. WI

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

By Light Professional IT Services LLC seeks an Analyst, Telecommunications Lead in Mclean, VA, to design and lead the organizations’ telecommunications function. May work at various unanticipated clients’ locations throughout the U.S. Telecommuting is permitted. Apply at https://bylight.com/careers/

Pictured: Brandon Carter. Photo by Erika Nizborski

LIFESTYLE

Chris Barnes: DMV Hometown Virtuoso and Grammy-Nominated Visionary

By Andrea “Aunni” Young WI Contributing Writer

From the heart of Mitchellville, Maryland, emerges an artist whose nimble fingers and vast musical imagination have quietly shaped the soundscape of contemporary R&B and soul.

Chris Barnes, a Charles Herbert Flowers High School graduate, is a two-time Grammy nominated, artist, producer, and pianist. Barnes embodies the kind of brilliance that both honors legacy and inspires future generations. When hearing Barnes’ music it melts in

the listeners’ spirit, releasing smooth and beautiful sounds to the soul.

A proud graduate of Bethune-Cookman University, a private HBCU in Florida, with a degree in Music (Piano) Performance, Charles launched his journey into the entertainment industry by trusting his instincts—and it paid off.

“It was a beautiful and magical experience,” said Barnes.“The hours I spent in the practice room on piano and voice, under the direction of Dr. Shawn Hundley, prepared me for Bethune’s

Friday Seminar performance. I enjoyed how they cultivated my stage presence. I evolved into a strong contender in the music industry.”

The artist shared how he quickly ascended from budding artist to respected collaborator, landing roles with heavyweight producers Carvin Haggins and Ivan Barias in Philadelphia. His contributions to the duo’s work as co-producer and orchestrator helped elevate tracks for celebrated artists such as Ledisi and Tamia.

BARNES Page 32

THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA HOUSING AUTHORITY

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) / SOLICITATION NO.: 83-2025 Mold Remediation Services

The District of Columbia Housing Authority (DCHA) requires qualified and certified companies to assist with the identification and remediation of the mold.

SOLICITATION DOCUMENTS will be available Monday, August 25, 2025, full solicitation documents will be posted to our e-procurement system Housing Agency Marketplace at: https://ha.internationaleprocurement.com/requests.html?company_id=506

PROPOSAL RESPONSES ARE DUE ON OR BEFORE Friday, September 19, 2025, at 12:00 NOON

email LaShawn Mizzell-McLeod, Contract Specialist at LMMCLEOD@dchousing.org for additional information.

THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA HOUSING AUTHORITY

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) / SOLICITATION NO.: 84-2025 Asbestos Remediation Services

The District of Columbia Housing Authority (DCHA) requires a qualified licensed and insured entity to provide Asbestos Remediation Services.

SOLICITATION DOCUMENTS will be available Friday, August 22, 2025, full solicitation documents will be posted to our e-procurement system Housing Agency Marketplace at: https://ha.internationaleprocurement.com/requests.html?company_id=506

PROPOSAL RESPONSES ARE DUE ON OR BEFORE Friday, September 19, 2025, at 12:00 NOON

email LaShawn Mizzell-McLeod, Contract Specialist at LMMCLEOD@dchousing.org for additional information

PUBLIC NOTICE

Proposed Limited Access Control Change Washington Boulevard Improvements at Entrance to Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall (Hatfield Gate) Arlington County Willingness for Public Comment

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) invite you to review information about a proposed change in limited access control to Washington Boulevard (Route 27) along the east side of the 2nd Street South interchange

FHWA in cooperation with the U.S. Army Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, proposes to construct operational and safety improvements to the Hatfield Gate intersection at 2nd Street South and Washington Boulevard, requiring the existing Washington Boulevard limited access lines to be adjusted to accommodate the proposed additional lane with shoulder on the westbound Washington Boulevard exit ramp to the gate. This project will involve changes in limited access control.

Materials are available for review online at https://www.vdot.virginia.gov/Hatfield or by contacting the FHWA Project Manager, Ms Eden Jemal, at 202-924-8897 or TTY/TDD 711.

The Commonwealth Transportation Board will consider the proposed limited access change at a future meeting.

If your concerns cannot be satisfied, VDOT is willing to hold a public hearing You may request that a public hearing be held by sending a written request to Ms Eden Jemal, Eastern Federal Lands Highway Division, 22001 Loudoun County Parkway, Building E2, Suite 200, Ashburn, VA 20147 on or prior to September 9, 2025. If upon receiving public comments it is deemed necessary to hold a public hearing, notice of date, time and place of the hearing will be posted.

VDOT ensures nondiscrimination and equal employment in all programs and activities in accordance with Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended. If you need more information or special assistance for persons with disabilities or limited English proficiency, contact VDOT Civil Rights at 703-259-1775 or TTY/TDD 711

5Chris Barnes of Mitchellville, Maryland is a two-time Grammy nominee and composer who works to inspire through his music. (Courtesy Photo)

EDDIE PALMIERI TRIBUTE • BRANFORD MARSALIS QUARTET

MARCUS MILLER • LALAH HATHAWAY • RON CARTER QUARTET • THE STRING QUEENS

THE JOHN SCOFIELD TRIO • THE BAYLOR PROJECT • CECILE MCLORIN SALVANT

EMMET COHEN TRIO • GARY BARTZ NTU TROOP • SUN RA ARKESTRA

KEYON HARROLD • CORCORAN HOLT SUPERGROUP FEAT. GEORGE CABLES, STEVE TURRE, SEAN JONES, BILLY HARPER, & JEFF "TAIN" WATTS • THE JAZZDC ALL-STAR

ORCHESTRA DIRECTED BY ALLYN JOHNSON • DADO MORONI • MAKOTO OZONE & GREGOIRE MARET• JONGKUK KIM • THE JAZZMEIA HORN QUARTET • STEVE WILSON

MATTHEW WHITAKER • BIRCKHEAD • CORCORAN HOLT QUINTET

PAUL CARR & VANESSA RUBIN • CHRISTIE DASHIELL • BRANDEE YOUNGER

ERIC BYRD TRIO • TONY MARTUCCI EARTH TONES • HIRUY TIRFE QUARTET

AKUA ALLRICH & THE TRIBE! • BRASS-A-HOLICS • NEXT JAZZ LEGACY • BENJIE PORECKI

TODD MARCUS QUARTET • LYLE LINK • ALLAN HARRIS • HERB SCOTT

LEIGH PILZER STARTET • JOSHUA BAYER • ORGAN SUMMIT FEAT. CHARLES COVINGTON & ALLYN JOHNSON • HEIDI MARTIN • REGGIE BOWENS • LANGSTON HUGHES II

BEʼLA DONA • ELIJAH EASTON • IMANI-GRACE COOPER • JAHARI STAMPLEY FAMILY TRIO DC JAZZPRIX FINALS: FRIENDSHIP, THE SMOOGIES, JOSÉ LUIZ MARTINS, DAVE MEDER 'NEW AMERICAN HYMNAL' QUARTET • AND MORE

LIFESTYLE

BARNES from Page 30

Ledisi’s “Pieces of Me” album and Tamia’s “Beautiful Surprise” album both earned Grammy nods for “Best R&B Album” consecutively two years in a row for 2011 and 2012.

Extensive teaming up with Haggins and Barias led to Barnes producing for other award-winning and top selling artists including Musiq Soulchild, Mario, New Edition, Chris Brown, Estelle, Stokely Carmichael (Mint Condition) and the new boy band WanMor, the sons of Boyz II Men’s Wanya Morris.

“Resilient, loyal, and creative,” said Barias, who has been a cornerstone of Philadelphia’s neo-soul movement since the mid-1990s, working with artists DJ Jazzy Jeff, Jill Scott, and Musiq Soulchild.

A professor at Drexel University touting a 12-year tenure with the Recording Academy, Barias praised Barnes persistence, musical

talent, and unwavering support in songwriting and production.

“No task was too small or too big,” Barias told The Informer, “[Barnes is] going to get to the shore, no matter how deep you drop him in the ocean.”

No Stopping Barnes

After building a studio in his home, Barnes continued to craft industry placements from his living room and has proved that greatness doesn’t require relocation–only determination.

“Once I produced a record for Raheem DeVaughn from my parents home. It showed me the power of understanding systems and knowing how to work music software,” Barnes continued. “It proved I could be anywhere in the world, and still be successful. I like to create really great records.”

Today, Barnes, like Barias, is also a voting member of the Recording Academy, using his role to advocate for genre accuracy and artist

equity. Whether speaking on the nuanced beauty of Black music or scoring films like “A Nashville Legacy,” he is focused on creating “proper art placement” – respecting the roots while pushing sonic boundaries.

In this current season, Barnes is working on new film scores for Hallmark movies as he continues to perform across the East Coast. The instrumentalist remains grounded in community and craft.

“I pray that the good Lord blesses me for many years to come,” he told The Informer.

This DMV super-talent is not only shaping how audiences hear music; he is changing the definition of excellence.

From Washington, D.C. to Philly and beyond, Barnes’ legacy is playing out in real time, one soulful chord at a time.

“I want to be groundbreaking and innovative,” Barnes said, “and cause a massive shift musically.” WI

5 As a voting member of the Recording Academy, Chris Barnes uses his role and platform to advocate for genre accuracy and artist equity. (Courtesy Photo)

FIRST DAY from Page 1

said Ferdinand, a D.C. Public Schools (DCPS) teacher in his third year as a middle school social studies instructor.

Last week, Ferdinand counted among several public school teachers who heard, and reacted to, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s insistence that only she, not D.C. teachers and administrators, focus on politics this school year.

While he said he interpreted Bowser’s imperative as well meaning, Ferdinand said it’s impossible, especially with what youth have seen and experienced this summer.

“We don’t have the civil rights movement of the middle of the 20th century were it not for young people really advocating for their rights and their communities,” Ferdinand said.

In recent years, the Office of the State Superintendent of Education has been equipping teachers with the tools to facilitate an inquiry-based model of instruction that focuses on deciphering and scrutinizing information sources. As outlined in the revamped standards, students will be able to participate in activities centered on increasing civic engagement by the eighth grade. From that point, high school instruction will provide more opportunity for historic and social studies-based analysis of global, U.S. and District history, with a focus on historically marginalized groups.

With such parameters in place, Ferdinand said it’s hard to ignore his responsibility, in this moment, as a teacher.

“In terms of what my role is this year, I want it to be as much facilitating what students care about as possible,” Ferdinand told The Informer. “If the students care about what is going on and we need to give the background information on what is going on, we’re going to share that background information with them.”

For Ferdinand, failing to do so leaves students at risk of being harmed by local and federal law enforcement, and not understanding the historic, cultural, and socioeconomic underpinnings of such interactions.

“That does not mean that we are indoctrinating them. It does not mean that we have an agenda walking into that classroom,” Ferdinand told The Informer. “My agenda walking into the classroom is that my students walk away informed and empowered as young people and as members of society.”

Questions about Campus Climate and What Teachers Can Do

5Students compare schedules on their first day of school at Eastern High School.

(Ja’Mon Jackson/The Washington Informer)

Last week, Bowser visited Phelps Agriculture, Construction and Engineering High School in Northeast as hundreds of teachers and staff members from that school and neighboring public schools marked the end of pre-service week with an annual rally.

After a couple sets by the Metropolitan Police Department’s (MPD) Side By Side Band, teachers’ remarks, and a moment of recognition for veteran educators, Bowser took to the podium and encouraged school personnel to treat the new school year like any other.

“Now this is not the same time… that we experienced an opening school last year,” Bowser said on the morning of Aug. 20. “But I want everybody to know whose job politics is in this room. It’s not yours. All right? Your job is to love all the kids, teach them, and make sure that they are prepared and to trust that I’m going to do the right thing for all of us.”

Later, while speaking to reporters, Bowser doubled down on her message that, despite anxiety around the federalization of law enforcement, teachers focus solely on their role in the classroom.

“They have the same latitude to instruct as they always have,” Bowser said. “There’s no change to their curriculum.”

Laura Fuchs, the Washington Teachers’ Union’s newly elected president, told The Informer that, while preparations are underway to combat federal-level challenges to social studies curriculum that may come down the pike, there’s little indication that teachers will immediately face pressure to water down their instruction.

“They made it clear that things have not changed from their perspective,” Fuchs said about DCPS central office leadership. “I think in some ways I can see why they’re saying that as a good thing, because we are allowed to dis-

tied up in a continuing resolution advanced by House Republicans. A contingent of young people also launched a 40-day campaign that culminated in the compilation of policy suggestions for local leaders.

Well before Trump intensified federal control of the District’s public safety ecosystems, many parents and community members also advocated for a stronger response to altercations that broke out on school campuses and nearby metro stations.

Ferebee said staff will utilize training to act as the first line of defense during such situations.

“Educators, school administrators have been working hard over the summer to create an environment that is welcoming,” Ferebee said last week. “And we equip students with tools to deal with issues as they come up. We’ve had a big emphasis on, for example, restorative justice strategies that have been proven to be effective.”

cuss current events and we are allowed, especially as a social studies teacher, to utilize our curriculum to address the needs of the moment.”

Fuchs, a former DCPS social studies teacher, recounted meetings during which central office leaders pledged to uphold guidance issued by Attorney General Brian Schwalb’s office that District schools don’t cooperate, or share information, with federal law enforcement agencies, particularly Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

However, Fuchs said she would like to see more.

While she acknowledges some school-level support for teachers’ dissemination of know-your-rights pamphlets and other informational material of use to students, she told The Informer that conversations are underway with the goal of better solidifying the practice as a system-wide policy.

“I have asked the chancellor for some clarity as well as saying that we would appreciate just a clear statement that, at the very least, that the WTU members, should they wish to, can distribute material…in compliance with…what’s already written in the guidance from the D.C. Office of the Attorney General,” Fuchs said, “which says that discussing this is permissible in our classes, that we can share resources and other groups that can provide support. Like we can share that information with our families.”

The Informer unsuccessfully attempted to gather comment from DCPS about its policy involving teachers doling out such information to students.

Earlier this year, students participated in real-life social studies lessons as they practiced civic engagement via at least two trips to Capitol Hill in demand of the District’s $1.1 billion

While many residents have embraced Bowser’s emergency curfew legislation, MPD’s weekly designation of curfew zones— and even the federalization of MPD, to some degree— tense interactions between youth and law enforcement in recent weeks has raised concerns about how, or if, police officers will act if called to quell conflicts occurring on school grounds.

DCPS Chancellor Dr. Lewis D.

INTERNATIONAL

from Page 18

first. The labor leader was heavily guarded and assaulted, forced to experience the conditions of the Israeli prison away from the comrades he had sailed there with.

“Obviously, the way they treat Palestinians is no comparison to what I experienced, which was just a fraction of that,” Smalls told The Informer. “The amount of hatred and racism I experienced in a few days in Israel, I’ve never experienced in my 37 years in America.”

Although Smalls was aware that his joining the flotilla mission was a dangerous situation that put his life at risk, he wanted to continue the fight toward a more equitable world where everyone, regardless of classification, can live. In so adamantly encouraging global solidarity between marginalized people, Smalls continues the work of leaders before him.

“For me, going on the boat was for a number of reasons, but also to lead by example and show the Black community that this fight is our fight as well,” Smalls told The Informer.

Activists Call for Weekly Economic Shutdowns

Aside from the FFC missions, other initiatives to support Palestinians have transpired, such as economic strikes.

On Aug. 18, Owda posted a call to action on Instagram, urging viewers to refrain from any

Ferebee said that school campuses have become safer in recent years.

“If you look at violent acts among students in schools, in DCPS specifically, we’ve seen a decline in those events that are happening on our campuses,” he told The Informer. “So we anticipate the response from administrators will be the same and they’ll be prepared for day one on Monday.” WI

Read more on washingtoninformer.com.

commercial activity on Aug. 21 in hopes of causing an economic disturbance that cannot be overlooked.

She called for no transactions to be made, a halt to public transportation and for people to close down major streets, especially those that lead to embassies and other government buildings. In response to her call-to-action, the Humanti Project, a coalition of independent activists, declared on social media that every Thursday will be dedicated to a global economic strike in solidarity with Palestine.

“We do what hurts them most–stop the economy,” Owda said in an Instagram reel. “It’s time for us to be loud to the amount that no news outlets or news media can neglect or ignore anything we’re doing.”

Smalls acknowledges that demonstrations like this may not yet have the density needed to create the desired impact, but hopes these boycotts will soon grow to influence people with economic power to join the fight for justice. Until then, he fully supports these initiatives that further raise awareness for the humanitarian crisis Palestinians are facing.

“Despite everything we’re witnessing, we know that inevitably, these people are going to stay and die for their land, and if we don’t do anything about it,” Smalls said, “we’re all going to really suffer the results from dark times in humanity.” WI

review wi book

“Mounted:

On Horses, Blackness, and Liberation”

By Bitter Kalli

c.2025, Amistad

$22

192 pages

Terri Schlichenmeyer WI Contributing Writer

One thousand, two hundred pounds and four legs.

Put that between your knees and you’ll find out what real horsepower is. You’re five feet off the ground, moving as fast as a car on a downtown street, hooves pounding as hard as your heart. Dangerous? Maybe. But as you’ll see in “Mounted” by Bitter Kalli, your ancestors did it and so can you.

When they were a young child, “around the age of 6 or 7,” someone gave Bitter Kalli a set of “pony books,” the kind that appeal to young girls, mostly white ones. Kalli wasn’t entirely comfortable identifying as a girl then but they adored the books, in part because the stories featured the kinds of friendships and acceptance Kalli wanted. After devouring those stories, they begged their parents for riding lessons from a nearby Brooklyn stable.

Fast forward to 2014, when Kalli was 17 years old, an experienced equestrian, a trans individual, and a protester at college. During that protest, they watched the horses that carried the police, and wondered what those animals saw in the crowd.

For that matter, what did horses see throughout Black history?

In times of slavery, it was not uncommon for fleeing slaves to steal a horse or two to get away faster. Kalli shares heart-pounding tales of escape, sharing examples of how human chattel was often compared to that of equines in newspaper ads, as slaveholders mourned the latter loss much deeper than the former.

Many Americans are unaware of the rich contributions that African Americans made to the settling of the West. Kalli examines a popular movie, deconstructing it and adding real history to the Hollywood tale.

“What we know as the Wild West would not exist without the 182,000 enslaved people living in Texas in 1860 …” they say.

Horses are featured in many of the world’s religions. Horsey language lends itself to the erotic. Even, says Kalli, “Black and brown youth in Brooklyn” understood the appeal of a good-looking Polo pony…

Take a good study of the cover of “Mounted.” Appreciate the artwork, notice the design. Then add this book to your “Things I Never Really Thought About” list, because you’ll think about it now. And you’re going to want to read every delicious word.

Horses have been hiding in plain sight in Black history for centuries, but author Bitter Kalli pulls them to the forefront, turning each facet of the subject over for deeper examination and additional thought. Happily, you won’t feel forced to do that; their writing comes across like an invitation to a warm, intimate conversation, the kind you get while casually hanging out with a new group of friends on the patio. What you learn is highly intriguing, and you won’t ever see horses in the same way again.

Beware that this book has one explicit chapter inside, but it fits the narrative and you won’t mind. You’ll be too busy enjoying what you read and wanting more. For horse lovers and history lovers alike, “Mounted” is the perfect ride.

WI

horoscopes

LIFESTYLE

AUG. 28 - SEPT. 3, 2025

ARIES D Pioneering energy catalyzes breakthrough innovations as Mars ignites your transformation sector, bringing revolutionary advancement when bold experimentation challenges conventional limitations through fearless exploration. Technology integration accelerates when competitive advantage emerges from unexpected combinations creating market disruption. Lucky Numbers: 19, 34, 52

TAURUS Financial wisdom creates lasting prosperity as Venus stabilizes your resource sector, bringing abundance through conservative expansion honoring traditional values while embracing selective modernization. Investment portfolios strengthen when patient observation identifies undervalued assets positioned for gradual appreciation. Lucky Numbers: 16, 31, 47

GEMINI Communication mastery opens international opportunities bringing connections through versatile adaptation enabling seamless interaction across cultural boundaries while maintaining personal authenticity. Publishing ventures thrive when research depth combines with accessible presentation creating educational content serving diverse audiences. Lucky Numbers: 11, 28, 43

CANCER Domestic innovation generates sustainable income as lunar insight illuminates your creativity sector, bringing prosperity through nurturing environments fostering development while preserving family values. Home-based enterprises expand when emotional intelligence creates supportive atmospheres encouraging long-term relationships building loyal customer foundations. Lucky Numbers: 8, 24, 39

LEO Artistic leadership commands industry recognition as solar authority magnifies your expression sector, bringing influence through generous collaboration inspiring creative communities while building sustainable platforms. Entertainment projects flourish when authentic vision combines with business sophistication creating profitable ventures reaching broader audiences without compromising artistic integrity. Lucky Numbers: 14, 29, 45

VIRGO Analytical precision optimizes operational excellence as earth energy perfects your service sector, bringing advancement through methodical improvement demonstrating consistent reliability inspiring expanded responsibilities. Healthcare innovation develops when scientific methodology integrates with practical observation creating evidence-based protocols serving diverse populations. Lucky Numbers: 3, 18, 41

LIBRA Partnership diplomacy creates mutually beneficial ventures as Venus harmonizes your collaboration sector, bringing prosperity through balanced negotiation honoring individual expertise while achieving collective objectives. Design consulting expands when aesthetic sensibility enhances functional efficiency creating environments encouraging productive collaboration. Lucky Numbers: 7, 22, 38

SCORPIO Transformative research unveils hidden market potential as Pluto intensifies your investigation sector, bringing breakthrough insights when persistent exploration uncovers overlooked opportunities within complex systems. Psychological consulting develops when intuitive perception guides systematic observation revealing unconscious patterns affecting organizational performance. Lucky Numbers: 12, 27, 50

SAGITTARIUS Cross-cultural expertise guides strategic expansion as Jupiter broadens your wisdom sector, bringing international success through adaptive learning applying global methodologies while respecting local customs. Educational technology advances when advanced knowledge creates practical training applications serving multiple industries. Lucky Numbers: 6, 25, 46

CAPRICORN Institutional leadership builds permanent achievement as Saturn reinforces your structure sector, bringing recognition through disciplined construction creating enduring infrastructure supporting long-term growth. Executive coaching expands when proven competence demonstrates capacity for managing increased complexity while preserving quality standards. Lucky Numbers: 15, 32, 48

AQUARIUS Social innovation serves community advancement as Uranus revolutionizes your humanitarian sector, bringing progress through unconventional solutions addressing collective needs while honoring individual contributions. Sustainable technology emerges when environmental consciousness inspires efficient alternatives demonstrating responsible innovation principles. Lucky Numbers: 10, 26, 42

PISCES Intuitive guidance enhances practical effectiveness as Neptune clarifies your compassion sector, bringing fulfillment through healing practices strengthening community connections while maintaining engagement with material responsibilities. Creative therapy achieves profound impact when artistic expression supports authentic intervention respecting natural healing processes. Lucky Numbers: 4, 20, 44

SPORTS

that,” said center Tyler Biadasz after he was removed from the PUP list.

McLaurin, who is entering the final year of a three-year 68.4 million extension signed in 2022, had been pushing for a new deal that reflected his player production and the surging wide receiver market in the NFL. His current contract carries an annual value of $22.8 million.

The recent signings of a fouryear $130 million extension (with $90 million guaranteed) signed by New York Jet’s Garrett Wilson and fellow 2019 draftee DK Metcalf, who signed a five-year, $165 million deal with the Steelers, averaging $33 million annually, only makes the Commanders’ response more grueling.

The 29-year-old who turns 30 next month, skipped spring practices and mandatory minicamp before staging his hold-in during the opening week of training

KATRINA from Page 22

just as much as anyone else, and so having that funding cut means that lives are at risk,” Reaux Peters-Roussell told The Informer. “So many people died or were traumatized… by Hurricane Katrina, by other natural disasters that have hit our area, so to cut that funding is just like another punch to the gut.”

camp. It was reported that McLaurin was fined $200,000 for his four-day absence from camp until finally reporting to camp on Sunday July. 27.

“What Terry means to this organization and this city, and what he’s done is his career that means a lot,” Biadasz. “But also just what I’ve got to experience last year playing with him in regards of how he plays and what his play style is, you know and how he approaches his game and devotes his time to it. That’s super exciting to get back on the field right but super excited.”

Since entering the league in 2019, McLaurin has been one of the NFL’s most consistent and reliable receivers. The star wide receiver is coming off a standout season with 82 receptions, 1,096 yards, and a franchise-record 13 touchdowns. McLaurin was a driving force behind Washington’s dramatic turnaround from a 4-13 finish to an NFC Champi-

Although Peters-Roussell, 21, was only a baby when the storm devastated her hometown, she can still see the effects of the trauma of losing loved ones, homes and valuables has had on the community around her. She told The Informer the catastrophe’s aftermath still affects how people parent and move around their houses.

“When you’re growing up, they’re always holding onto things, always

onship appearance. With McLaurin set to return to practice this week, the team hopes to regain its synergy and keep the momentum pumping in preparation for their regular season opener against the New York Giants on

clinging onto things– even hoarding– because they’re scared that they might lose those memories,” she recounted.

Peters-Roussell’s family evacuated to Spring, Texas, when the storm hit, alongside 250,000 other people who fled to Houston and the neighboring areas. Young, her sibling, grandmother, and family friends left together, determined to survive. Most of Young’s family returned to New Orleans, but others decided to remain in Houston.

Afterwards, she and her family moved to Baton Rouge, but approximately 100,000 evacuees stayed in Houston permanently, including Young’s family.

Even though Young, 23, doesn’t remember everything surrounding the storm, she does remember leaving New Orleans and the chaos of evacuation.

“It was really about survival and then trying to rebuild life from

3 Wide receiver Terry

With McLaurin set to return to practice this week, the team hopes to regain its synergy and keep the momentum pumping in preparation for their regular season opener against the New York Giants on Sept. 7.

Sept. 7.

“As a teammate they love him so that’s a big deal to get the guys back together,” said Quinn. “They loved him. They love Brandon [Coleman], and Marcus [Mariota] and like all these guys. This is a really tight and connected team and Terry is very much right in the middle of that as well so we’re taking good steps.” WI

scratch once we got to Houston,” Young told The Informer. “For many, it was about finding a way to start over, get back into a routine and regain a sense of stability.”

Communities at Risk Again as Storm Defenses Deteriorate

Following Katrina and its aftermath, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Flood Protection Authority-East enhanced the preventative structures like floodwalls, floodgates and levees in New Orleans and surrounding areas. These enhancements should have brought the structures up to a standard of protection from a 100-year storm, but a recent study from Tulane University found that New Orleans and its floodwalls are sinking.

Per the analysis, certain neighborhoods and sections of floodwalls sink more than one inch per year, and some areas go down by nearly two inches. This loss of elevation puts New Orleans and its residents even

more at risk of severe flooding than they already are. Without proper funding, these risks could become more intense.

“Not enough has substantially changed regarding building the city back up or giving people resources,” Peters-Roussell told The Informer. “We’re just continuing to denigrate as a city because we’re not receiving the actual support and care we need.”

Young believes the funding cuts to storm-preparedness initiatives are a disservice to the communities vulnerable to severe weather, and that without these precautionary programs, people will be forced into chaos again if a storm as bad as Katrina hits.

“Katrina already showed what can happen when infrastructure fails and people aren’t prepared,” she told The Informer. “Reducing funding for disaster prevention and environmental monitoring only increases the risk of future storms being just as deadly or even worse.” WI

McLaurin showing major excitement after the Washington Commanders 18-15 Hail Mary win against the Chicago Bears in October 2024. (Abdullah Konte/The Washington Informer)

MCLAURIN from Page 4

5 A damaged house in flood waters after Hurricane Katrina in August 2005. Since the onset of his second term, President Donald Trump has announced that his administration plans to dismantle FEMA following the 2025 hurricane season, which concludes on Nov. 30. (Courtesy Photo/DoSomething.org)

CAPTURE the moment

The Greater Washington Urban League is one of several organizations working to ensure families are equipped for a healthy school year, including hosting their 13th Annual Health and Wellness Back 2 School Festival on Aug. 23. While supplies lasted, K-12 student participants received a notebook, paper, pencils, pens, rulers, composition books, calculator, an anxiety coping toy, a best-selling book and more. (Robert R. Roberts/The Washington Informer)

RELIGION

Power of the Pulpit: Preachers Use Influence and Gospel to Fight Trump

By Rev. Dorothy Boulware Word in Black

This article was originally published online with Word In Black, a collaboration of the nation’s leading Black news publishers (of which this publication is a member), and has been edited by The Washington Informer with additional information for updating and clarity.

It’s a tradition as old as the Black church itself: preachers using their influence, bolstered by scripture, to speak out against injustice, motivating their congregations into action.

The dynamic powered seminal civil rights events like the Montgomery bus boycott and the March on Washington.

It follows the instruction of Swiss Reformed theologian Karl Barth, who instructed pastors to “preach with the Bible in one hand and the newspaper in the other.”

Now, as President Donald Trump and Republican politicians continue their assault on hard-won civil

rights gains — Trump, by sending federal troops to police the streets of Washington, D.C., and Republicans, who are scraping away at voting rights — ministers of different faiths nationwide are using the power of the pulpit to fight back, with democracy hanging in the balance.

“As religious leaders, we remain firm in our commitment to serve those in need and to work collaboratively toward solutions to our city’s most pressing problems,” said Christian and Jewish faith leaders from the nation’s capital in a group statement, after the president announced the federal takeover of D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) on Aug. 11. “We call on our political and civic leaders to reject fear-based governance and work together in a spirit of dignity and respect—so that safety, justice, and compassion prevail in our city.”

Activism from the Pulpit

Senior Pastor Otis Moss III of Trinity United Church of Christ in

Chicago asked for “five more minutes” at the end of his sermon on Aug. 10-- his personal tradition.

He used the extra time to slam Texas Republicans trying to help Trump increase his House majority by gerrymandering voting districts, at Black and brown voters’ expense.

“Racialized gerrymandering is set up specifically to dilute the power of people of African descent,” Moss said, noting that recent decisions from the Supreme Court’s conservative supermajority have diluted the Voting Rights Act of 1965. He praised visiting Texas Democratic lawmakers — a portion of whom fled the state to deny majority Re-

publicans a quorum — for “fighting for democracy, standing on the shoulders of our ancestors.”

Two days later, the District’s faith leaders released the statement condemning Trump’s takeover of law enforcement in Washington — a move the administration justified by describing the city as overrun with “violent gangs” and “roving mobs.”

The description, however, ignores law enforcement data showing crime has fallen significantly in recent years, and Mayor Muriel Bowser didn’t ask for federal help to control the streets.

The president’s authority stems from D.C.’s constitutional status and the 1973 Home Rule Act.

“From the White House, the president sees a lawless wasteland. We beg to differ. We see fellow human beings … each made in the image of God,” the interfaith statement read.

The group said safety “cannot be achieved through political theater and military force” and criticized cuts of more than $1 billion to programs that reduce crime, including addiction treatment, youth initiatives, and affordable housing.

Meanwhile in Baltimore, the Rev. Dr. Kevin Slayton, pastor of Northwood Appold United Methodist Church, compared the move to the racial fearmongering of the notori-

“We call on our political and civic leaders to reject fear-based governance and work together in a spirit of dignity and respect—so that safety, justice, and compassion prevail in our city.”

ous 1915 film, “Birth of a Nation” — a racist epic which helped justify white backlash during the Reconstruction era.

“Fear is the emotion being unnecessarily stoked,” Slayton told the church. “This move by Trump is overtly racist, and those who sit on the sidelines … are equally guilty.”

On social media, the Rev. Melech E.M. Thomas of Payne Memorial AME in Baltimore drew parallels to global authoritarian tactics, likening Trump’s rhetoric to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s actions in Gaza.

“White supremacy is a global proxy project,” Thomas wrote. “We are only as safe/unsafe as we allow others to be. The only thing left to do now is resist.”

WI

5The Rev. Otis Moss III of Trinity Church in Chicago is among ministers nationwide using the power of the pulpit to speak out against President Donald Trump’s actions, from sending federal officers into Washington, D.C. to rolling back voting rights and promoting gerrymandering in Texas. (WI File Photo/Robert R. Roberts)

Jazz lovers, mark your calendars! On Saturday, Sept. 13, from 2-5 p.m., the Project Create Garden will come alive with smooth sounds during Jazz in the Garden: A Tribute to Dick Morgan.

Hosted by T.H.O.S, this special afternoon celebrates the legacy of jazz great Dick Morgan in a serene garden setting at 2210 MLK Ave. SE, Washington, D.C.

Registration is required to attend — secure your spot by calling 202-867-0956. Don’t miss an unforgettable afternoon of music, community and celebration.

The House of Sharon and Mariah’s Wish, joined by a coalition of community partners, will present Jazz in the Garden: A Tribute to Dick Morgan on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025, from 2-5 p.m. The event will honor the life and legacy of the late Dick Morgan, a renowned jazz musician, composer, entrepreneur and lawyer. Dick Morgan, who began his professional musical career as a child and spent decades as one of Washington’s leading jazz pianists, died Oct. 20, 2013, in hospice care at the Village at Rockville retirement facility. He was 84 and resided in Silver Spring.

Held at Project Create (2210 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE), the afternoon will feature a special dedication ceremony for Morgan’s piano, made possible

WITH LYNDIA GRANT

From Piano Keys to Community Dreams: Honoring Dick Morgan the religion corner

by the Morgan family and Andy Shallal, owner of Busboys & Poets. Andy Shallal is my friend, and we all admire the marvelous work he has done in creating such an enormous franchise showcasing his brand — Busboys & Poets locations are popping up all over!

The Rhamat Shabazz Jazz Trio will perform, and attendees can participate in a silent auction. Organizers will also recognize 10 outstanding community leaders who have made significant contributions to the world of jazz and blues.

“I don’t make any claims to be a first-class jazz pianist,” Mr. Morgan told the Richmond Times-Dispatch. “I’m somebody who will immediately get immersed in the audience and get them to pay attention. That has carried me through the years.”

Students from Duke Ellington School of the Arts have been invited to this vibrant cultural gath-

ering that promises to be both uplifting and inspiring.

The celebration is more than just a tribute; it’s a call to action. Organizers will be highlighting House Resolution 57, which seeks to recognize jazz as a national American treasure, and promoting the House of Sharon’s mission to keep jazz and blues alive for future generations.

The tribute is also a poignant gesture in memory of Mariah, Dick Morgan’s great-granddaughter, who was tragically killed in a 2022 automobile accident. Mariah, a Bowie High School graduate and talented figure skater, was a student at Bowie State University at the time of her death. The event embodies the family’s desire to honor her memory through kindness and community service, inspired by her last act of singing for the homeless in 2021.

WI

RELIGION

1st Sunday

School: 9:00 AM Bible Study: Wednesday,

Church with a past to remember – and a future to mold” www.mtzbcdc.org

- Founded in 1867 728 23rd Street, NW - Washington, DC 20037 Church office: 202-333-3985 Fax : 202-338-4958

Service and Times Sundays: 10 a.m. Holy Eucharist with Music and Hymns Wednesdays: 12:10 p.m. - Holy Eucharist www.stmarysfoggybottom.org Email: stmarysoffice@stmarysfoggybottom.org

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

Rev Kevin A. O'Bryant

401 Van Buren St., NW, Washington D.C. 20012 Office (202)-882-8331

Service and Times Sunday Worship 10:30 am Zoom: zoom.us/;/2028828331 Bible Study: Wednesday 7:00pm Communion Every First Sunday "Serve, teach and Live by precept and example the saving grace of Jesus Christ."

Website: Theplbc.org Email: churchclerk@theplbc.org

Purpose

Mt. Horeb Baptist Church

Rehoboth Baptist Church

First Rising Mt. Zion Baptist Church

Historic St. Mary’s Episcopal Church

Promised

Baptist Church

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2025 ADM 000622

James Henry Smith, Sr. Decedent

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

Terry Smith, whose address is 5814 Cheryl Lane, District Heights, MD 20747, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of James Henry Smith, Sr. who died on June 18, 2015 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 2/14/2026. 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 2/14/2026, 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: 8/14/2025

Terry Smith Personal Representative

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2025 ADM 000516

Ayesha Bakarr Decedent

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

Mariatu Alghali, whose address is 4704 Halloran Ct., Upper Marlboro Md 20772, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Ayesha Bakarr who died on 3/4/2024 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 2/21/2026. 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 2/21/2026, 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: 8/21/2025

Mariatu Alghali Personal Representative

TRUE

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2024 ADM 001469

Isabella V. Farrell aka Isabella Farrell aka Isabella Vashita Jefferson Farrell Decedent

Stephanie L. Royal, Esq. The Royal Legal Group. PLLC 5335 Wisconsin Ave., NW, Suite 440 Washington, DC 20015 Attorney

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

Shena Marie Thompson-Jones and Gregory Douglass Farrell, whose addresses are 3436 Sugarloaf Pkwy., Frederick MD 21704 and 4405 Silverbrook LN, #G303, Owings Mill MD 21115, were appointed Personal Representatives of the estate of Isabella V. Farrell aka Isabella Farrell aka Isabella Vashita Jefferson Farrell who died on 1/10/2020 with a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 2/14/2026. 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 2/14/2026, 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: 8/14/2025

Shena Marie Thompson-Jones Gregory Douglass Farrell

Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

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

2025 ADM 000769

Denise Johnson Adams Decedent

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

Patricia A. Johnson, whose address is 136 Thomas St., NW, Washington DC 20001, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Denise Johnson Adams who died on April 14, 2022 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 2/21/2026. 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 2/21/2026, 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: 8/21/2025

Patricia A. Johnson Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2025 ADM 000815

Estelle Elizabeth President Decedent

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

Eric President, whose address is 820 Macalister Drive, Leesburg VA 20175, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Estelle Elizabeth President who died on 11/24/2022 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 2/21/2026. 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 2/21/2026, 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: 8/21/2025

Eric President Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

PROBATE DIVISION

Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2025 FEP 000105

December 13, 2023

Date of Death

Fantu Getaneh Kasaye Name of Decedent

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF FOREIGN PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Tesfamichael Nahusenay Mitiku whose address is 2206 Predelia Drive, Silver Spring, MD 20902 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Fantu Getaneh Kasaye, deceased, by the High Court of Justice England and Wales Court, on March 2nd 2025.

Service of process may be made upon Cecilia Fabian Kadeha 1939 12th Street NW, Apt. 301, Washington, DC 20009 whose designation as District of Columbia agent has been filed with the Register of Wills, D.C.

The decedent owned District of Columbia personal property. Claims against the decedent may be presented to the undersigned and filed with the Register of Wills of the District of Columbia, 515 5th Street, NW, Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001 within 6 months from the date of first publication of this notice.

Date of first publication: 8/28/2025

Tesfamichael Nahusenay Mitiku Personal Representative

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2025 FEP 000099

March 9, 2012

Date of Death

Ernest F. Horn

Name of Decedent

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF FOREIGN PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Toi Jvhann Horn, whose address is 1113 Mount Olivet Road, NE, #4, Washington, DC 20002 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Ernest F. Horn, deceased, by the Register of Wills Court for Prince Georges County, State of Maryland, on July 30, 2012.

Service of process may be made upon Toi Jvhann – 1113 Mount Olivet Rd., NE, #4, Washington DC 20002 whose designation as District of Columbia agent has been filed with the Register of Wills, D.C.

The decedent owned the following District of Columbia real property: 3315 20th Street, NE, Washington DC 20018. Claims against the decedent may be presented to the undersigned and filed with the Register of Wills of the District of Columbia, 515 5th Street, NW, Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001 within 6 months from the date of first publication of this notice.

Date of first publication: 8/21/2025

Toi Jvhann Horn

Personal Representative

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

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

2025 ADM 177

Howard Fleming Decedent

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

J. Anthony Concino III, Esq., whose address is 5335 Wisconsin Avenue, NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20015, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Howard Fleming who died on June 6, 2024 without a Will. 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 2/28/2026. 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 2/28/2026, 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: 8/28/2025

J. Anthony Concino II, Esq. Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

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

2025 ADM 000788

Kolyn D. Mincey Decedent

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

Jada Johnson, whose address is 5305 Charles Hill Blvd, Upper Marlboro, MD 20772, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Kolyn D. Mincey who died on 11/24/2024 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 2/21/2026. 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 2/21/2026, 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: 8/21/2025

Jada Johnson Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

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

2025 ADM 000836

Joe Nathan Shell Decedent

Ethel Mitchell 8403 Colesville Road, Suite 1100 Silver Spring, MD 20910 Attorney

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

Jaison Shell, whose address is 13204 Marlton Center Drive, Upper Marlboro, MD 20772, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Joe Nathan Shell who died on September 13, 2024 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 2/28/2026. 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 2/28/2026, 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: 8/28/2025

Jaison Shell Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2025 ADM 000833

John Johnson Decedent

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

Luella Johnson, whose address is 4007 Blakney Lane SE, Washington DC 20032, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of John Johnson who died on June 25, 2024 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 2/28/2026. 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 2/28/2026, 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:

8/28/2025

Luella Johnson Personal Representative

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2025 ADM 000826

Karol Diane Freeman Decedent

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

Cheyenne Glenn, whose address is 5052 12th Street NE, Washington, DC 20017, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Karol Diane Freeman who died on July 16th 2024 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 2/28/2026. 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 2/28/2026, 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: 8/28/2025

Cheyene Glenn

Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 2024 ADM 1201

Mary Ann Savoy Decedent

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

Emanuel Savoy, whose address is 4402 23rd Place Temple Hills, MD 20748, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Mary Ann Savoy who died on 11/26/2021 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 2/28/2026. 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 2/28/2026, 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: 8/28/2025

Emanuel Savoy Personal Representative

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

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

2025 ADM 000804

Michael Holland Decedent

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

Angelia Smith, whose address is 1209 South View Drive, #203, Oxon Hill MD 20745, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Michael Holland who died on March 13, 2025 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 2/28/2026. 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 2/28/2026, 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: 8/28/2025

Angelia Smith Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

2022, is presently embarking on two activities that defined his tenure as an activist minister with a deep concern for Ward 8 and the larger African American population.

In mid-October, Wilson will lead the effort to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Million Man March that was held on the National Mall and bring back Unifest, an annual Black cultural event sponsored by Union Temple.

“The Million Man March and Unifest are two iconic legacies,” said Wilson in an exclusive interview with The Informer. “Both of those activities created a lot of hope and unity. I visualize the two iconic legacy events together in the month of October.”

Behind the Million Man

March 30 Years Ago: Wilson, Barry

On October 16, 1995, multitudes of African American boys and men— with estimates as low as 400,000 and as high as 1.1 million— congregated on the National Mall to listen to speeches from Pan-African, civil and human rights, fraternal, political and religious leaders. Nation of Islam leader Minis-

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 2025 ADM 000801

Wesley T. Stevenson Decedent

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

Peggy A. Joyner, whose address is 738 Quincy St., NW, Washington, DC 20011, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Wesley T. Stevenson who died on 9/30/2024 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 2/28/2026. 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 2/28/2026, 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: 8/28/2025

Peggy A. Joyner Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

ter Louis Farrakhan served as the keynote speaker.

Leading up to the historic 1995 day, Wilson volunteered as an advisor to the event and Union Temple served as an organizing point for the march’s leadership, along with the national headquarters of Phi Beta Sigma in the weeks and days leading up to the event.

“This was a significant experience at Union Temple,” said Wilson. “We want to re-live the spirit of the rally that happened on that day among Black men. During that day, no incidents of violence were reported then.”

Cora Masters Barry, the founder and chief executive officer of the Recreation Wishlist Committee that shepherds the Southeast Tennis and Learning Center in Ward 8, was the first lady of the District when the Million Man March took place.

In January 1995, when her husband, the late Marion S. Barry, was sworn in to his fourth term as the District’s mayor, the former first lady said Farrakhan approached her and her husband about whether the city would support a Million Man March.

“Marion said ‘yes,’ and Farrakhan agreed to hold it,” she said, “and I went right to work.”

Barry said she worked on getting support for the march “because there was a lot of resistance.”

“There were some ministers who initially did not endorse it because it was led by Louis Farrakhan, who was not a Christian minister,” she said.

“And then there were some women who were opposed because they did not like the idea of an all-male event.

However, Dr. Dorothy Height and I put a lot of those concerns to rest, and we had some influence with the event also. The original theme was for Black men to atone for what they were not doing for the Black community. With the help of the Rev. Barbara Skinner, we convinced Minister Farrakhan to change the theme from atonement, to atonement and reconciliation.”

Affectionately called D.C.’s “Forever First Lady,” Barry has been credited for leading the voter registration drive associated with the Million Man March, registering one million Black men nationally.

“It was reported in the media that there was a voter uptick in the 1996 elections (because of the Million Man March),” she told The Informer.

Reviving the March 30 Years

Later: Set in Ward 8, Celebrating Women, Involving Youth

Three decades later, Barry is sup-

porting the 30th anniversary march, noting that the celebration will be in Ward 8.

“This will give people a chance to patronize our businesses,” she said.

Ronald Moten, founder of the GoGo Museum and Café located in Ward 8’s Anacostia neighborhood, attended the Million Man March 30 years ago, a moment that has spurred his activism.

“I came home from prison in October 1994, and I was working with Cease Fire Don’t Smoke the Brothers Inc.,” Moten, 53, said. “It was from the Million Man March that my activism started. I learned how to do things the right way.”

Wilson said the Million Man March encouraged others to become leaders in the community.

“We Act Radio was founded due to the Million Man March,” he said.

For the 30th anniversary, Wilson said he is working in concert with people in Baltimore, Annapolis and Prince George’s County, as well as stakeholders in the District, for the celebration that is set to take place east of the Anacostia River. He said plans are in the works to honor the late Black women leaders who supported the march such as Rosa Parks, Betty Shabazz, Maya Angelou and Height.

Wilson emphasized that young people would play a key role in the celebration with an essay contest planned and other youth-oriented activities. He understands that many of today’s young adults are not fully aware of the importance of the Million Man March, and that is why he wants their participation.

“We want them to understand that the march brought about a spirit of unity,” he said. “That is difficult for them to fully grasp and that is why we want them to be involved. There will be youth speakers at the celebration. There will be parents speaking. It will not just be the men.”

Dr. Bernard Richardson, dean of Howard University’s Andrew Rankin Memorial Chapel, recalls the role he played in the activities leading up to the Million Man March.

“It was at Rankin Chapel on the campus that Minister Farrakhan met with various faith leaders from all denominations to gain their support for the march,” Richardson told The Informer, adding that he was not aware of Wilson’s 30th anniversary plans and doesn’t know of any activities that university will have to commemorate the event.

WI

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EDELMAN from Page 26

embodied: “The central fact of American civilization — one so hard for others to understand — is that freedom and justice and the dignity of man are not just words to us. We believe in them. Under all the growth and the tumult and abundance, we believe. And so, as long as some among us are oppressed — and we are part of that oppression — it must blunt our faith and sap the strength of our high purpose. Thus, this is a victory for the freedom of the American Negro. But it is also a victory for the freedom of the American Nation. And every family across this great, entire, searching land will live stronger in liberty, will live more splendid in expectation, and will be prouder to be American because of the act that you have passed that I will sign today.”

The contrast between that moment and this one is abundantly clear.

When the Voting Rights Act was first enacted, I was in the trenches as

BOLDEN from Page 26

neapolis in 2020?

Trump has no power to violate the Constitution and laws, no matter how much he wishes he did.

The president’s action overriding the powers of the local government in D.C. constitutes a brazen power grab and a desperate publicity stunt designed to distract attention from his years-long friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. He also wants to portray himself falsely — the first convicted felon to serve

MARSHALL from Page 26

Remittances make up a significant portion of Haiti’s economy, representing more than 22% of its GDP. For many families, it determines whether children can attend school.

While the pain resulting from the gutting of foreign aid from USAID is still fresh, the recently enacted 1% U.S. tax on cash remittances as part of the “One Big Beautiful Bill” hurts even more. Typically, remittances increase when foreign aid is cut, but that will not be as easy since many countries are hit by cuts in foreign aid and taxes on money transfers. A 1% tax may appear small, but the consequences are massive.

In this case, the specific target of this surcharge will inflict additional emotional and financial pain on people who are already suffering and can least afford another deliberate hit to

a young civil rights lawyer directing the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund office in Jackson, Mississippi.

As LDF and its current President and Director-Counsel Janai Nelson say, that battle has a new front today: “We again find ourselves at a moment where Black people’s political power is under severe threat, and the legitimacy of our democracy is undermined as a result. In recent years, the legislative intent of the VRA was severely undercut by two Supreme Court decisions, rendering the law unable to fully protect those it was designed to empower. When coupled with the passage of regressive voting rights laws at the state level, it’s abundantly clear that American democracy is in crisis. States with a history of race discrimination in voting are continuing to suppress the votes of our country’s most marginalized groups in a concerted effort to consolidate power and further entrench white supremacy with sanction from a majority in Congress that re-

as president — as a tough-on-crime supporter of police.

The truth is that Trump is the best friend criminals have — as long as they break the law in support of him. He proved this by pardoning about 1,500 people — most of them white — accused or already convicted of crimes in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot that was designed to keep him in power after he was defeated in the 2020 presidential election. Rioters violently attacked and injured about 140 police officers, including five officers

the safety net, which will disproportionately impact poor families. Most low-income and undocumented migrants use cash-based services such as Western Union, which are subject to the tax, while wealthier individuals who use bank transfers are exempt. Haiti is not alone. In over 60 countries, remittances make up more than 3% of the GDP. In some places, remittances make up over a quarter of the entire economy. Haitians could lose about $61 million annually in direct payments for food, shelter and health care, according to the Center for Global Development. Globally, the losses will amount to approximately $4.5 billion.

Lawmakers and lobbyists who developed the details of the “One Big Beautiful Bill” are fully aware of how cash remittances serve as a vital financial lifeline and safety net for many of the world’s poorest families.

fuses to act. ... If we are to continue the pursuit of the multiracial democracy that the VRA set in motion 60 years ago and if we are to honor our republican form of government founded on representation by the people, we must be unwavering in our commitment to fulfill the promise of Selma, refuse to cede any further ground, and mobilize in support of equal voting rights and fair elections.”

Today LDF and Children’s Defense Fund are both among the more than 200 coalition members of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights calling on Congress to renew the commitment to protecting the freedom to vote by passing the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, and inviting Americans everywhere to join the same call.

It is a reaffirmation of the fundamental American belief that freedom and justice and dignity are not just words and the unceded determination to fulfill the complete promise of the America that is yet to come.

who later died.

Washington already has more police officers per capita than any state or large U.S. city. Turning over the police department to federal officials without local knowledge and no hands-on policing experience — assisted by National Guardsmen without law enforcement training — won’t improve the police department’s performance. It will make things worse.

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Read more on washingtoninformer.com.

“The purpose is not to be mean,” said Ira Mehlman, who works at the anti-immigrant Federation for American Immigration Reform. The group lobbied hard for the 1% tax, which Mehlman hopes will encourage immigrants to self-deport.

Actually, this is being mean-spirited and another way of waging war against people experiencing poverty and immigrants. The wealthy receive their tax cut while the poor receive a tax increase that will have little impact on the budget over the next decade.

“It’s really a drop in the bucket for this country, but elsewhere, that kind of money is transformative,” said Dulce Guzman, executive director of Alianza Americas, a network of immigrant-serving groups based in Chicago. Again, another hit from the party that believes in “family values and cohesion.”

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AIRLINE CAREERS

WILLIAMS from Page 27

children can stay safe.

14. I took the time to make these suggestions because I care about our children’s safety — and

CROWELL from Page 27

article reported the Department of Education said it has “paused” that option for now.

“Discussions around wage garnishment could further reduce disposable income, creating additional headwinds for consumer spending,” noted Eugenio J. Alemán, chief economist for Raymond James Financial, a leading investment firm.

“Although the direct economic impact of student loan defaults may be limited in the short term, the longterm effects, such as weakened credit profiles and reduced consumer activity, could modestly slow overall economic growth.”

These efforts likely will have a disproportionate impact on Black and Latino borrowers, who already suffer from racial disparities in wealth and income. Fewer family financial resources lead to a need for more student loans to finance their education, and then decades of repayment and financial stress.

According to updated data from the Education Data Initiative report, “Student Loan Debt by Race”:

TURLEY from Page 27

isn’t just a threat to entry-level jobs. Even traditionally secure careers like engineering and coding are at risk, as AI can now automate parts of their work. AI’s reach is far wider than many of us ever imagined, and its impact is something we can no longer ignore.

This is not a call for despair, however. Within this disruption lies immense opportunity. AI, while a force for change, is also a tool — a powerful one that can be used for progress. New jobs are being created in fields related to AI development, data analysis, and the ethical oversight of these very systems. The demand for individuals with AI-related skills is already soaring. The key is proactive engagement, and it starts with learning. We cannot afford to be passive bystanders in this technological revolution. Our communities must equip themselves with the knowledge to understand AI, to work alongside it, and even to build with it.

The good news is that access to AI education is becoming increasingly

about you! Let’s be kind to one another so we can all get through this invasion safely.

15. Just remember who was standing all around Trump during his press conference while claim-

• Among bachelor’s degree holders, 82.9% of Black students are the most likely to borrow federal loans.

• Four years after graduation with a bachelor’s degree, Black student borrowers owe $25,000 more than white borrowers.

• Four years after graduation, Black borrowers owe an average of 188% more than whites.

• Black borrowers are most likely to struggle financially due to student loan debt, with average monthly payments of $258 for undergraduate studies.

The Aug. 1 resumption of interest accrual for the 7.9 million borrowers enrolled in the SAVE repayment program begun under President Joe Biden added to financial stress. This program proposed to shorten the number of years borrower repayments to only 10 years, instead of the 20 or 25 years required under other and earlier plans.

Despite SAVE’s borrower benefits, it was challenged in two lawsuits still pending that together opposed its implementation. These lawsuits were led by Missouri and Kansas officials, and 18 other states

available. Organizations like Microsoft, Google and DET Impact Academy offer a wealth of free introductory courses and resources on AI fundamentals. Organizations like DET Impact Academy and Black Women for Positive Change are also stepping up to provide accessible training and pathways into AI careers for underserved communities. Readers are welcome to join a 90-minute “Understanding Artificial Intelligence” class I am teaching, in coordination with Black Women for Positive Change. The class is for youth and adults, on Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025, at 6 p.m. EDT; 5 p.m. CDT; 4 p.m. MDT and 3 p.m. PDT. You can sign up at www. blackwomenforpositivechange.org.

The Call to Action: Start Learning Now

This is a critical moment, and taking action today is essential. We must begin to build the bridges that connect our communities to the knowledge and skills they need to feel empowered by technology, not intimidated by it.

ing he was invading our city to liberate us! Did you notice how some of them were giggling at Trump’s every word! They believe in sending people of color back to slavery. WI

joined the legal challenges — many of which have significant Black populations including Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Ohio, South Carolina and Texas. According to the Department of Education, when forbearance ends and monthly payments resume, the additional interest from Aug. 1 forward will be added to the resumed payments.

Jennifer Zhang, a research associate at the Student Borrower Protection Center, aptly summarized the growing dilemma:

“Borrowers are in a uniquely impossible situation — they must repay their loans with money they do not have, but because of actions by this administration, they are unable to switch to a more affordable repayment plan. Meanwhile, borrowers’ access to credit, rental housing and key necessities of life will become increasingly expensive to nonexistent the further they fall behind — leaving them more desperate and vulnerable to predatory lenders and, ultimately, creating ripple effects across the economy.”

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— Explore free resources: Visit the AI learning platforms offered by Microsoft (Microsoft Learn), Google (Google AI), and DET Impact Academy to find introductory courses. — Focus on “human” skills: While learning AI is crucial, remember that skills like critical thinking, creativity, and empathy will be even more valuable in an AI-driven world.

— Advocate for responsible AI: Engage in conversations about the ethical implications of AI. We must show up and be present to ensure these new systems are built with guardrails to prevent harm, especially in critical areas like resume scoring or loan processing. How we handle this new technology will decide the future of our communities. We need to make sure we and our neighbors have the skills to not just cope with these changes, but to build a strong future. This is how we can safeguard our incomes, protect our family’s lifestyle, and create a secure foundation for ourselves and the next generation. The time to act is now.

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