The Washington Informer - August 6, 2020

WINNER OF FIVE SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISTS D.C. AWARDS

‘Buy Black’ Capture the Moment Page 42 Vol. 55, No. 43 • August 6 - 12, 2020

District Schools to Go All-Virtual for Fall Classes that’s infected thousands of people and stoked the fears of instructors, especially those with underlying conditions that place them in greater danger of contracting the coronavirus.

“Our top priority in planning for this school year is the well-being of our students, staff, families and community,” Kihn told reporters on July 30. “We’re moving forward with an all-virtual school year for pre-kindergarten to grade 12 for Term One, up until Nov. 6.”

The announcement came just two weeks after Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) and D.C. Public Schools (DCPS) Chancellor Lewis Ferebee revealed a bevy of instructional plans they were

By Sam P.K. Collins WI Contributing Writer @SamPKCollins Amid a national resurgence in COVID-19 cases and nonstop protests among teachers and other community members, D.C. officials announced that the 20202021 school year will commence online, as requested by a sizable amount of people who participated in a survey earlier this month.

While some officials, including Deputy Mayor for Education Paul Kihn, raised concerns about socioeconomic inequity and access to technology, Kihn assured community members that this decision spoke to the severity of a pandemic

VIRTUAL Page 52

5 Virtual classrooms will be the method of learning in DCPS for the 2020-2021 school year. (Courtesy photo)

Commemorative March to Center on Voting Rights, Police Accountability

CBC Chair Bass Now Seen as Favorite for Biden Running Mate

National Action Network Poised to Advance Agenda of Historic March on Washington

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer @StacyBrownMedia

By Sam P.K. Collins WI Contributing Writer @SamPKCollins

The Democratic vice presidential sweepstakes have heated to a boil with Congressional Black Caucus Chair Karen Bass (D-Calif.), former U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice, and Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) presumably the front-runners.

Even in the midst of a global pandemic, masses of people from across the country are expected to converge on the National Mall at the end of this month to commemorate the historic March on Washington, promote the 2020 Census and advocate for the passage of federal legislation that pro-

BIDEN Page 46

5 Rep. Karen Bass (Photo courtesy BlackPressUSA)

tects voting rights and strengthens police accountability.

The Rev. Al Sharpton, whose organization has taken the lead in hosting what’s been called an intergenerational and inclusive day of action, recently reflected on the significance of this event, particularly as it relates to the Voting Rights Act which he described as a target of conservatives at-

MARCH Page 52

Celebrating 55 Years of Service / Serving More Than 50,000 Readers Throughout The Metropolitan Area

2 - AUGUST 6 - 12, 2020

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

Around the Region................4-11 PG County...........................12-13 Business................................14-15 National............................... 16-18 International........................... 20 Health ................................ 22-24 Education .......................... 26-27 OpEd.................................... 29-31

5Food Giveaway

Lifestyle.............................. 32-41

Around the Region / Page 5

5Book Review

Lifestyle / Page 41

Capture the Moment ............ 42 Sports ..................................... 44 Religion.................................... 47

3Battle for Burial Ground

FOLLOW US ON

5Whitney Houston

Business / Page 14

Black Facts / Page 6

Doesn’t it feel good to know where your food comes from?

At O Organics®, we carefully select producers who meet organic farming standards and share our commitment to sustainable agriculture.

Organic from the Source

Delicious food, purely grown.

That’s our promise.

Exclusively sold at

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

O_Organics_2019_WashInformer_1/2page_9.5x6.1_ad.indd 1

AUGUST 6 - 12, 2020 3

12/2/19 1:18 PM

around the region

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

In Memoriam Dr. Calvin W. Rolark, Sr. Wilhelmina J. Rolark THE WASHINGTON INFORMER PUBLISHER NEWSPAPER (ISSN#0741-9414) is pubDenise Rolark Barnes lished weekly on each Thursday. Periodicals postage paid at Washington, D.C. and STAFF additional mailing offices. News and adD. Kevin McNeir, Editor vertising deadline is Monday prior to publication. Announcements must be receivedIn Memoriam Ron Burke, Advertising/ Marketing Director two weeks prior to event. CopyrightDr. 2016 Calvin Shevry W. Rolark, Sr. Lassiter, Photo Editor

by The Washington Informer. All rights Wilhelmina J. RolarkBarnes, IV, Assistant Photo Editor Lafayette reserved. POSTMASTER: Send change John E. De Freitas, Sports Photo Editor of addresses to The Washington Inform- NEWSPAPER (ISSN#0741-9414) is published THE WASHINGTON INFORMER Dorothy Rowley, Online Editor er, 3117 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave., S.E. weekly on Thursday. Periodicals postageZebraDesigns.net, paid at Washington, Design D.C. and additional & Layout Washington, D.C. 20032. No part of this mailing News and without advertising Mable deadlineNeville, is Monday prior to publication.

Bookkeeper publication mayoffices. be reproduced be received prior to event.

Copyright

by The writtenAnnouncements permission frommust the publisher.

Thetwo weeks Dr. Charles Vincent, Social 2000 Sightings Washington Informer.

All rights the reserved.columnist POST MASTER: Send change of addressInformer Newspaper cannot guarantee return esoftophotographs.

Subscription The Washington Informer,rates 3117 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave.,Media S.E. Washington, Tatiana Moten, Social Specialist are $45D.C. per year, twoNo years $60. will 20032. part of Papers this publication may beJohnson, reproducedCirculation without written permisAngie be received not more than a week after pubsion from the payable publisher. lication.

Make checks to: The Informer Newspaper cannot guarantee the return of

The Washington Informer Newspaper

REPORTERS photographs. Subscription rates are $30 per year, two years $45. Papers will be received Stacychecks Brown (Senior not more than a week after publication. Make payable to: Writer), Sam P.K. THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

Collins, Timothy Cox, Will Ford (Prince 3117 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave., S.E Washington, D.C. 20032 George’s County Writer), Jacqueline Fuller, THE WASHINGTON INFORMER Phone: 202 561-4100 Hamil Daniel D.C. Kucin, D. Kevin 3117 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave., S.E. Harris, • Washington, 20032 Fax: 202 574-3785 Phone: 202 561-4100 • Fax: Kui 202 Mwai, 574-3785 McNeir, Dorothy Rowley, news@washingtoninformer.com Brenda Siler, Lindiwe Vilakazi, Sarafina www.washingtoninformer.comE-mail: news@washingtoninformer.com Wright, James Wright, www.washingtoninformer.com

PHOTOGRAPHERS PUBLISHER Ulrich Fonou, Ja’Mon Jackson, Shevry Denise Rolark Barnes Lassiter, Roy Lewis, Jr., Robert R. Roberts, Anthony Tilghman REPORTERS

STAFF Brooke N. Garner Managing Editor Carla Peay Assistant Managing Editor Ron Burke Advertising and Marketing Mable Whittaker Bookkeeper LaNita Wrenn Administration John E. De Freitas Sports Editor Victor Holt Photo Editor Zebra Designs, Inc. Layout & Graphic Design Ken Harris /www.scsworks.com Webmaster

4 - AUGUST 6 - 12, 2020

Tia C. Jones, Ed Laiscell, Odell B. Ruffin, Larry Saxton, Mary Wells, Joseph Young PHOTOGRAPHERS Lafayette Barnes, IV, John E. De Freitas, Maurice Fitzgerald, Joanne Jackson, Roy Lewis, Robert Ridley, Victor Holt CIRCULATION Paul Trantham

Women the Cycle of wi hotBreak topics Domestic Violence MD Public Schools Cancels Summit Honors John

Fall and Winter Sports Voting law enforcement. She saidLewis, they threat,” she said.Rights Act

By Tia Carol Jones WI Staff Writer

had come together to bring a Among the programs Marlow Maryland public

by The Washington Insense of uniformity in the As waypreviously wants reported to see implemented are Whenschool L.Y. Marlow's high students23-year- domestic violence victims former, national summit order on voting rights and and a stricter restraining policies, old daughter her the father survivors are treated. who plannedtold to particideas to defeat voterfor suppression ahead of the more rights victim's families ofipate her daughter threatened her “She's using her own personal to intervene behalf a vic-Aug. 6-8. in athletic comNov. 3 general electiononwill takeofplace life, and theduring life of their tim, aevent domestic violence assess- Ameripetition the child, story, her own personal pain The to three-day entitled “Protecting she had to be push forward,” Davis-Nickens unit coupled fallknew and something winter won’t ca’s Vote: ment Our March to the with Ballotfurther Box” will bedone. of her frustration said about Marlow. training for law enforcement have Out the opportunity gin honoring the 55th anniversary of the Voting with enforcement's Davis-Nickens said anyone a Child's Protecfor law at least the first se-handling Rights Actagencies, on Thursday, Aug. Life 6. On the same day, ofmester the situation, she decided to who reads Marlow's book will along tion Act and mandatory counselof the 2020-21 speakers with a video tribute will pay homstart theyear.

Saving Promise cam- “get it.” She said she “puts batterers. school The Maryage the to the ing latefor Rep. John Lewis (D-Georgia). Later paign. case in such a way, the average “If we are ever going to eradiland Public Secondin the evening, a march is scheduled to Black Lives “It seems to beAthletic a vicious cycle person can get it.” She saidMatter at the Plaza cateindomestic violence, weworkshops must ary Schools Northwest.

Virtual are that won't turn my family end of the day, the book will look both the coin.

Association (MPSSA) scheduled Aug.at7-8 on sides topicsofsuch as organizing loose,” Marlow said. Marlow help people begin to have a dia- We need to address both the vicannounced the decivoter registration during COVID-19, recruiting shared her story with the audi- logue about domestic violence. tim and andfighting the batterer,” Marlow sion Monday, Aug. 3 as poll workers deceptive practices and ence at the District Heights Also present at the event was said. several local school sysvoter intimidation.

Information and how to regisDomestic Violence Symposium Mildred Muhammad, the exMarlow wouldsummit also likeled toby see tems including Prince ter for the free, three-day on May 7 at the District Heights wife of John Allen Muhammad, programs designed to raiseRainbow George’s Center.

County The will sympoPush Coalition, Transformative Justice Coalition, Municipal who was sentenced to six consec- awareness among children in begin the 2021 school year through virtual and online Election Defense Coalition and others sium was sponsored by the utive life terms without National parole public and private schools. She instruction through Jan. 29 amid the coronavirus outcan be found at https://bit.ly/2DgG21H. Family and Youth Services by a Maryland jury for his role in feelsout children need to be educatbreak.

Fall sports include football, field hockey and volCenter of the city of District the Beltway Sniper attacks in ed about domestic violence. leyball.and Winter sports include track Heights the National Hook-basketball, 2002. indoor Mildred Muhammad is “We have to stop being pasand Officials with MPSSA consulted Up of wrestling.

Black Women. the founder ofwith After the Trauma, sive-aggressive with poor chilthe state superintendent’s office, state Department ofthat helps the dren about domestic violence,” Marlow has written a book, an organization HealthMe andButterfly,” Public School Association.

“Color whichSuperintendent is a survivors of domestic violence Marlow said.

“This decision comes in light of the recent story about four generations of and theirannouncechildren.

Marlow has worked to break ments ofviolence. local school education domestic Thesystems book isto begin “I lived in fearvirfor six years. Six the cycle of abuse in her family, tually and provides each school system with inspired by her own experiences, years in fearoptions is a long time. It is and is confident the policies she for those the gradual of student engagement the to come out is pushing for will start that and of herincrease grandmother, not an easy for thing her mother her daughter.health physical andand social-emotional students,” of,”ofshe said. acprocess.

She said to every time she reads cording a statement from MPSSA.Mildred “The healthMuhammad and said “I plan to take these policies to excerpts her participants, book, she still safety offrom student coaches, and officials is a to help a Congress and implore them to people who want can not believe theforwords cameof interscholastic domestic violence primary concern the return athlet- victim must change our laws,” Marlow said. from her.activities.”

“Color Me Butterfly” be careful of how they go into “I will not stop until these poliics and won the 2007 National “Best the victim's life, and understand cies are passed.”

Books” Award. that she may be in “survival Tia Carol Jones can be reached “I was just 16-years-old when mode”. at tiacaroljones@sbcglobal.net my eye first blackened and my “Before you get to 'I'm going lips bled,” Marlow said. to kill you,' it started as a verbal WI Elaine Davis-Nickens, president of the National Hook-Up Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) and Congressman Jamie of Black Women, said there is no Raskin (D-MD) recently announced they will introduce a bill to remove the name consistency in the way domestic of Francis G. Newlands, a late U.S. senator from Nevada who held racist views, from violence issues are dealt with by Chevy Chase Circle. The name appears on the fountain and a plaque in the circle.

The circle lies partly in D.C. and partly in Maryland’s 8th Congressional District which Raskin represents and is managed by the National Park Service.

“I have long called for removing statues to Confederates and segregationists and placing them in museums to help give a more complete history of our country,” Norton said. “However, there is no redeeming value in preserving an honorific to an avowed and unreconstructed racist. This plaque and fountain tell no story. They are meant only to honor Francis Newlands, a segregationist who argued that voting rights won for African Americans as a result of the Civil War should be repealed. Newlands belongs in the dust bins of history, not preserved on a traffic circle that symbolizes the unity between the nation’s capital and the state of Maryland.”

“Francis Newlands was a segregationist and white supremacist, and the time is long overdue to retire his name and the plaque honoring him at Chevy Chase Circle,” Raskin said. “This former Senator from Nevada has received more honor and attention from us than he deserves, and surely we can find a more appropriate person to honor at this heavily traveled crossroads between Maryland and Washington, D.C., two communities that pride themselves on equality, diversity and strong democracy. him. But the people of Maryland and Washington can move on. We should stop rewarding racist ideology and politics with a public memorial on public property. It is time to write a new story for the new century.”

Norton/Raskin Bill Seeks to Remove Segregationist’s Name from Chevy Chase

“

We have to stop being passive-aggressive with poor children about domestic violence. I plan to take these policies to Congress and implore them to change our laws. I will not stop until these policies are passed.

“

SOMETHING NEW EVERYDAY

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

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

L.Y. Marlow

AROUND THE REGION

D.C. Dream Grant Recipient Gives Back To Ward 7 Coleman’s Kitchen Owner Sponsors Food Giveaway

By Lindiwe Vilakazi WI Contributing Writer Janae Coleman, a District resident and recipient of the Department of Small and Local Business Development (DSLBD) 2019 Dream Grant, hosts community food giveaways for Ward 7 residents at the doors of Coleman’s Kitchen, her soon-to-open carryout establishment.

Previously set to open prior to the coronavirus pandemic, Coleman’s Kitchen is the first femaleand minority-owned carryout of its kind east of the Anacostia River, and arguably throughout the District.

Coleman held a community food giveaway aimed to feed 400 people in Ward 7 as a helping hand to neighboring food banks wiped out by the pandemic.

“We had more people than I could count. We didn’t hit the 400 goal, but we were close to it,” Coleman said.

The brick-and-mortar carryout spawned from Coleman’s small catering business, serving paying clientele, along with neighborhood residents in need.

The Capital Area Food Bank recently reported the potential of nearly a quarter-million people in the Washington area at high risk of hunger amid the pandemic.

Due to food pantry building closures, coupled with the mass reduction of volunteer workers, the pandemic has blunted the District’s ability to service the rising demand of hungry families in need.

On Saturday, July 18, Coleman’s Kitchen held its first summer food giveaway at its Mississippi Avenue location, handing out ice cream, hot dogs, burgers and various side items.

“I can’t even explain to people how good I felt handing out food,” Coleman said. “It’s not up to us to judge how people have gotten in the streets. People lose their homes, their cars, their mar-

riages. We don’t know, and it’s not our place to judge them, it’s our place to help.”

Coleman’s soul food carryout menu, comprising a plethora of community favorites, highlights the unique feature of “Grandma’s Plate,” offering affordable, quality food in dollar-menu proportions to those customers in severe need prior to and because of the current health emergency.

The dollar-priced options became an instant selling point in Coleman’s Dream grant package, enamoring DSLBD advisers while simultaneously honoring her with the available funding of up to $10,000 per recipient.

Attributing her creation of “Grandma’s Plate” to a personal journey of hardship, Coleman recalls her fast financial downfall after losing a six-figure job in 2017.

“One day I was able to sit in the fanciest of restaurants, treating 20 or 30 people, and the next day I was unemployed and could barely find change around the house,” she said. “There’s no way that I can open up and forget these people in similar circumstances that are sitting right outside of my door.”

Coleman’s Dream Grant funding provides economic support to business operation needs, as she additionally scored her restaurant building space by way of Dr. Margaret Labat, a former D.C. Public Schools administrator who believed in Colman’s service in helping the Ward 7 community.

Coleman is currently convening with local chefs to facilitate a breakfast giveaway during the holiday season of 2020, a twist from the usual turkey dinners available at most holiday food giveaways.

Coleman’s Kitchen now holds a tentative opening date of spring 2021, with additional food events preceding the date.

WI

5 Local residents crowd the entrance of Janae Coleman’s new restaurant during her premier food giveaway for COVID-19 relief.

(WI photo)

CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19)

NEED A TEST? GET A TEST. CALL:

1-855-363-0333

VISIT:

NeedATestGetATest.com

CORONAVIRUS.DC.GOV

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

AUGUST 6 - 12, 2020 5

AROUND THE REGION

black facts

AUG 6 -12, 2020 SOURCE: BLACK AMERICA WEB

AUG. 6

1962 – Jamaica gains independence from the United Kingdom.

1965 – President Lyndon Johnson signs the Voting Rights Act into law amid the height of the civil rights movement.

AUG. 7

1904 – Ralph Bunche, the first African American to win the Nobel Peace Prize, is born in Detroit.

1930 – James Cameron, civil rights activist and founder of America’s Black Holocaust Museum in Milwaukee, survives a mob’s lynching attempt after he is arrested for a fatal robbery in Indiana — a crime for which he is eventually pardoned.

1948 – High jumper Alice Coachman became the first Black woman to win an Olympic gold medal at the 1948 Games.

2007 – Barry Bonds hits his 756th career home run, breaking Hank Aaron’s major-league record.

FULL-SERVICE SIGN & ADVERTISING SOLUTIONS Professional VISUAL BRANDING INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS to help grow your business

...because image matters “Chief Image Builder”

stacey@signarama-silverspring.com

AUG. 9

1936 – Track and field athlete Jesse Owens wins his fourth AUG. 8 gold medal of the 1936 Berlin 1866 – Explorer Matthew Henson, widely Olympics, the Games also credited with being the first to reach the North known for Adolf Hitler’s Pole, is born in claims of “Aryan racial superiority.”

1961 – James B. Parsons is nominated by President John F. Kennedy as the first Black federal judge.

1963 – Music icon and actress Whitney Houston is born in East Orange, New Jersey.

AUG. 10

1989 – President George H.W. Bush nominates Colin Powell (top) as the first African American chairman of the joint chiefs of staff.

Call Today! 301-273-3462

Stacey Brown

Nanjemoy, Maryland.

1975 – Jazz saxophonist Cannonball Adderley dies in Gary, Indiana, at 46.

8930 Brookville Rd Silver Spring, MD 20910 signarama-silverspring.com

AUG. 11

MBE/DBE Certified | Woman-Owned Business

1868 – Thaddeus Stevens, one of the leaders of the Radical Republicans who opposed slavery, dies in Washington, D.C. 1873 – J. Rosamond Johnson, African American composer and brother of James Weldon Johnson, is born. He is best known for composing “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” written by his brother and regarded as the “Negro National Anthem.”

1921 – Famed writer Alex Haley, who authored “Roots: The Saga of an American Family” and “The Autobiography of Malcolm X,” is born in Ithaca, New York.

1965 – The Watts riots begin in Los Angeles after the traffic stop and arrest of an African American man. The riots lasted seven days and resulted in 34 deaths and $40 million in property damage.

AUG. 12 WHITNEY HOUSTON 6 - AUGUST 6 - 12, 2020

1890 – Lillian Evanti, an internationally renowned African American opera singer, is born in Washington, D.C. WI

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

AROUND THE REGION

view P INT

IF YOU WANT QUALITY WORK, JUST CALL!

Quality Assurance Home Improvement, Inc.

BY SARAFINA WRIGHT

“We Stand By Our Name”

The anticipation for presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s vice president pick is building, with the choice widely expected to be a woman and African American. Who do you think the choice will be?

FREE ESTIMATES! / Office: 301-248-3325

FINISHED BASEMENT

DECK

Kitchens • Bathrooms • Room additions • Retaining walls • • Carports Screen rooms Sun rooms • Carports • • Porches • Roofing • Siding Decks • Complete renovations • Enclosed porches • Basements Solid virgin virginfinal vinylreplacement replacement windows • Bay and bow windows Financing Available 90-day Deferment Payment

DAVID CRAWFORD / ATLANTA, GEORGIA

Pick Liz Warren and get a guaranteed victory. This is not the time to be chasing history and gambling.

ADDITION & 4 SEASON SUN ROOM

DE’ANDRE LONG / WASHINGTON, D.C.

I’m personally leaning on Susan Rice. I just feel like she’s got the juice. I just want to see heads roll.

SIONAL PROFES LERS INSTAL home g in A+ Ratinment from improve r Business the Bette r 175 years Bureau fo ight stra

KITCHEN

CINCINNATI, OHIO

Leave those folks alone and let him choose the Latina governor from New Mexico. Black women can be appointed to Supreme Court justice, secretary of state, UN ambassador and attorney general.

KITCHEN

Visit our website today at: www.fortwashingtonhomecontractors.com Did you know if you invest in a Room Addition installed properly on your home it will increase the value of your home up to 100% Up to or more? At Quality Assurance Home Improvement, we do the job right. We recently installed (2) two-story Room Additions that increased Sunrooms & Additions the value of our client’s home from $289,000 to $589,000. Every addition we installed including Sun Rooms and Renovations have always todayvalue andwhich receive FREEincable ForinSenior Citizens increased thePurchase home owner’s resulted a greatoutlet return on their investment. Invest your home todayExtra and let5% theOff professionals at and FREE A/C & Heating Unit With this coupon. Not valid with other offers or prior purchases.

QualityWith Assurance Home Improvement expand your living area and increase the value of your home.

We stand by our name “Quality Assurance” this coupon. Not valid with other offers or prior purchases.

$2500 off

DWIGHT KYLES /

ADDITION

Bonded / Insured / Licensed MHCI#86727 / D.C. License #53005449 Lead Paint Removal Certified

15% off Any Service

Call us today at 301-248-3325 to schedule an appointment for a free estimate.

All Work is Done in Compliance to DC and MD Codes

Homeowners are you in need of a new roof, kitchen, bathroom?

If so, take advantage of our 90 days or 6 months deferred payment plan now for as low as $199 a month.

MICHELE LEFFALL, / MANSFIELD, TEXAS

Stacey Abrams or Elizabeth Warren would be a great choice!

PAUL KLYACHMAN / CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

Kamala Harris or Val Demings. The rest are either party stooges or lightweights.

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

AUGUST 6 - 12, 2020 7

The World According to Dominic

BY D. KEVIN MCNEIR / WI EDITOR / @DKEVINMCNEIR

Virtual Learning will Force Blacks to Choose Between Achievement and Survival

(301) 864-6070

EMPLOYMENT LAWYERS MCCOLLUM & ASSOCIATES, LLC ADA, Age Discrimination, Benefits, Civil Rights, COBRA, Contracts, Deaf Law, Defamation, Disability Law, Discipline, Discrimination, FMLA, FLSA, FOIA, Family Responsibility, Harassment, HIPPA, OSHA, National Origin Discrimination, Non-Compete, Race Discrimination, Rehabilitation Act, Retaliation, Severance Agreements, Sexual Harassment, Torts, Whistleblowing, Wage-and-Hour, Wrongful Discharge SERVING MARYLAND, DC, & NORTH CAROLINA

www.jmlaw.net

(301) 864-6070

8 - AUGUST 6 - 12, 2020

jmccollum@jmlaw.net

As schools across the country begin to open or finalize plans for reopening in the fall, an unfamiliar terrain shaped by COVID-19 will be defined by family economics and social status.

And for youth already struggling to keep up given a playing field and achievement gap that have long been uneven due to racial and economic disparities, those who stand to lose the most will inevitably be African Americans.

Despite the president’s tweets, threats to withhold funding and repeated demands for schools to open their doors as if the pandemic has suddenly disappeared, virtual learning will be the only way to safely educate children until scientists have discovered a way to defeat coronavirus and eradicate its deadly grip.

Experts say we now face a generational catastrophe, derailing the academic growth of millions of youth from pre-K and early elementary grades to high school and college.

Meanwhile and tragically, we find our nation’s leaders, both at the federal and local levels, digging in even more to reduce the situation to one based on politics rather than science, health concerns and – need I say – common sense.

Despite the president’s tweets, threats to withhold funding and repeated demands for schools to open their doors as if the pandemic has suddenly disappeared, virtual learning will be the only way to safely educate children until scientists have discovered a way to defeat coronavirus and eradicate its deadly grip.

Because more Black parents hold jobs deemed as non-essential, they do not have the option to telework – at least not to the extent that white parents can. Further, many Black parents rely upon grandparents to assist with childcare duties including picking up, dropping off, assisting with homework – even putting children to bed and providing meals.

For my youngest grandson who is just entering first grade, my concern is that learning the rubrics of community, playing with others and discovering the norms of societal interaction will be lessons he’ll be forced to acquire later in life – if at all.

As for my oldest grandson, a senior in high school with a promising future in athletics, the cancellation of fall sports does not bode well for him as a football and basketball standout. Still, given his academic abilities, college and career opportunities should not allude him. We’ll be sure of that. But what about youth who cannot expand their horizons and secure a ticket out of poverty or the ghetto because

of cancelled sports programs? What options will be available for them?

Returning to virtual learning, it’s important to note that homes in which high tech gadgets, computer and software upgrades and highspeed internet service are commonplace only further exacerbate the differences between youth whose parents claim membership as the haves or the have nots.

As New York Governor Cuomo shared on Monday during his daily press conference, no matter what school districts or the president may say, parents will not sacrifice the health of their children in order to acquiesce to misguided policies.

And who can blame them? School bells may be ringing and doors may be swinging open widely but how many will actually show up?

Recent cases in Gwinnett County in Georgia, Alcoa City Schools in Tennessee and Corinth High School in Mississippi, as reported in The Washington Post, point to the dangers of opening schools too soon, ignoring the fact that doing so puts hundreds of thousands of lives unnecessarily at risk.

Whether youth attend public or private schools, teachers, staff and children equally face the threat of being infected by COVID-19 and upon their return to their homes, whether they know it or not, they put their own families in harm’s way.

I wonder what kind of memories our children will have when they’re adults about their school days. I wonder if those memories will be worth holding on to or sharing with their own children one day. I wonder if those who lead our nation will ever wake up and stop playing political shenanigans at the expense of children who look to adults to do the right thing – the logical thing.

For now, my hopes and musings don’t seem be on the nearby horizon. And that’s the real tragedy – for all of us.

WI

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

One-Third of U.S. Museums May Not Survive Coronavirus Pandemic

AROUND THE REGION

Local Institutions Pivot to Virtual Programming to Maintain Operations

AMAZING iPHONE® 11 FOR $0 WHEN YOU SWITCH TO AT&T Find out how to get our most popular phones, call now!

877-370-2155 © 2020 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. AT&T and the Globe logo are registered trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

By Sarafina Wright WI Contributing Writer One out of three U.S. museums may not survive the year due to the financial crisis brought on by the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new survey.

More than 750 museum directors in the survey reported funding sources and financial reserves running dry with a decline in assistance from the government and private donors, the survey conducted by the American Alliance of Museums.

“Museum revenue disappeared overnight when the pandemic closed all cultural institutions, and sadly, many will never recover,” said Laura Lott, the alliance’s president and CEO. “Even with a partial reopening in the coming months, costs will outweigh revenue and there is no financial safety net for many museums.”

“The distress museums are facing will not happen in isolation. The permanent closure of 12,000 museums will be devastating for communities, economies, education systems, and our cultural history.”

The survey found that the vast majority (87%) of museums have only 12 months or less of financial operating reserves remaining, with 56% having less than six months left to cover operations.

Additionally, two-thirds (64%) of directors predicted cuts in education, programming or other public services due to significant budget shortfalls.

“On average, museums receive less than 25% of their total funding from government sources,” Lott said. “Money from public and private sources is crucial to saving the museum field.”

While many museums are in jeopardy of shuttering forever, local institutions are maintaining by pivoting in new ways amid the pandemic.

ASK US HOW TO GET THE

5 The Prince George’s African American Museum and Cultural Center (Anthony Tilghman/The Washington Informer)

DESIGNER EYEWEAR

PHONE: 202-526-0300 FAX: 202-526-0233

4 Jessica Hebron, interim executive director of Prince George’s African American Museum and Cultural Center in North Brentwood, Md. (Courtesy of PGAAMCC)

Jessica Hebron, interim executive director of Prince George’s African American Museum and Cultural Center in North Brentwood, Md., said bringing their programming online has kept patrons engaged.

“With the onslaught of COVID-19, we have stepped into the world of virtual programming,” she said. “With most of our programs in-person and onsite, you would think that would cause a stir, but, in fact, thanks to the magic of social media, we’ve had more traction on our virtual programs.”

Hebron said the museum’s engagement online is more than the number of people they could have fit into their building.

“That has been really exciting for us. It has opened up a whole new world for us,” she said. “It’s encouraged us to create new virtual programs to keep our audience engaged and informed.”

Though many institutions have had to furlough workers or get rid of staff altogether, Hebron said the museum has been fortunate in that regard.

“The staff that we had before the pandemic is the same now,” she said. “We are proud to not have to furlough or let anyone go.”

EYE EXAMS: Tues, Thurs & Fri: 11am-3:30pm walk ins available

STORE HOURS: Mon - Fri: 9am - 5:30pm Closed for lunch: 12:30pm - 1:10pm

25% OFF

OF SELECT FRAMES WITH MENTION OF THIS AD FAMILY OWNED & OPERATED AT YOUR SERVICE FOR OVER 40 YEARS

Accepting United Health PPO, HSCSN & DC Medicaid (Straight only) 3610 12th Street, NE - Washington, DC 20017 Hebron said a big part of the museum being able to stay afloat has been the support of the community and its donors.

“I’m excited about the fact that people are still interested,” she said. “We had to close for just a second but that didn’t stop them from sending their love. We had a Juneteenth fundraiser where we not only reached our goal but exceeded our goal in 72 hours. People just kept donating.”

Hebron said that even with its recent fundraiser, the museum can always use more financial support from the community.

“We are a Black history museum, not only in the middle of a pandemic but a museum in the middle of a revolution,” she said.

“COVID-19 has given us an opportunity to pause and reflect about how do we make sure our museum stays culturally relevant in these times.”

WI

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

New Life Wellness Center featuring

Colon Hydrotherapy & Aqua Chi Detox System Where Have You Been?

It’s Time for Your HEALING &

202.544.9595

426 8th St. SE – 2nd Floor WDC 20003 www.newlifewellnesscenter.com Email: carmelvoice@aol.com

Hours: 7am – 7pm M - F / 7am – 12pm SAT. Walk Ins Welcome

SPECIAL $59 OFFER – CALL FOR DETAILS AUGUST 6 - 12, 2020 9

AROUND THE REGION CAPTURE THE MOMENT RAINBOW IN THE SKY A double rainbow appeared over the Lincoln Memorial on the final day of tributes as the late Congressman John Lewis lay in state in the U.S. Capitol Building.

(Anthony Tilghman/The Washington Informer)

Denise Rolark Barnes Independent Beauty Consultant www.marykay/drolark-barnes.com 202-236-8831

Who’s Reading the Informer?

net

Rasafik Weusi and Teresa Price look over the shoulder of Lorne Cress Love while they read the latest Washington Informer. (Roy Lewis/The Washington Informer)

in upper and lowercase, flush left as indicated on artwork at these point sizes: Consultant name in 11-point Helvetica Neue Bold; Independent in 9-point Helvetica Neue Light; Web site or e-mail address in 9-point Helvetica Neue Light; phone number in 9-point Helvetica Neue Light. nt Beauty Consultant: Only Company-approved Web sites obtained through the Mary Kay® Personal Web Site program may be utilized.

WORDS TO LIVE BY

Need Help Getting Social Security Disability Benefits?

We Can Help! $ Steady monthly income depending on your paid in amount

A lump sum payment of benefits owed from back-pay

• We simplify the process & strive for quick claim approval • Starting the process is easy and takes only minutes to complete

Annual cost of living increases

855-549-3119

Helping thousands get the benefits they deserve

Bill Gordon & Associates, a nationwide practice, represents clients before the Social Security Administration.

Member of the TX & NM Bar Associations. Mail: 1420 NW St Washington D.C. Office: Broward County Florida.

Services may be provided by associated attorneys licensed in other states.

Bill Gordon & Associates, a nationwide practice, represents clients before the Social Security Administration. Member of the TX & NM Bar Associations. Mail: 1420 N W St Washington D.C. Office: Broward County, FL. Services may be provided by associated attorneys licensed in other states.

10 - AUGUST 6 - 12, 2020

“We will join hands with you as women of this country . . . We will kneel-in, we will sit in until we can eat at any counter in the U.S. We will walk until we are free, until we can walk to any school and take our children to any school in the U.S. And we will sit-in and we will kneel-in and we will lie-in if necessary until every Negro in America can vote.”

– Daisy Bates

Speech as the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, Aug. 28, 1963 THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

AROUND THE REGION

Civil Rights Group Wages War Against Voter Suppression

By Hamil R. Harris WI Contributing Writer Stacey Abrams is so convinced that she lost in her 2018 bid to become the first African-American governor of Georgia because of “voter suppression,” she has devoted much of the past two years fighting for voter rights.

“I want us to do what we know works, which is same-day registration, universal automatic registration, the elimination of prison disenfranchisement,” Abrams said in the online publication Aspen Ideas. “We need to ensure that at the age of 17, you are automatically pre-enrolled to become a voter.”

Since the election of President Donald Trump, Democratic candidates and civil rights groups have waged a political from states houses to the courts to arrest voter suppression across the country and now, with less than 100 days before the general election the political storm clouds of looming because many are concerned that the coronavirus will affect the number of people who can vote on Nov. 3.

In 2016, Trump received Florida’s 29 electoral votes after defeating Hillary Clinton by 112,911 votes out of more than 9.1 million votes cast. Trump also won 20 electoral votes in Pennsylvania by defeating Clinton by just 44,292 votes. In Michigan, Trump won 16 electoral votes by a margin of .23 percent.

With such razor-thin margins,

political scholars say that a drop in people voting can have a big impact and is why so much focus has been on voter suppression.

In June, several civil rights groups filed suit in the United States Court in the Western District of Pennsylvania, charging voter suppression. The groups involved included the American Civil Liberties Union, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Public Interest Law Center, the NAACP Pennsylvania State Conference, Common Cause Pennsylvania, the League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania and others.

The civil rights groups challenged the Trump presidential campaign and the Republican Party that had filed a lawsuit on June 29 to block voters in Pennsylvania from depositing their mail-in ballots in drop boxes instead of mailboxes, a secure and streamlined process often used by states that conduct all-mail elections.

“The only reason the Trump campaign is trying to limit the use of mail voting is to make it more difficult for Pennsylvanians to vote. Drop boxes are a safe and efficient option for people who want to participate in our democracy, particularly in the midst of a highly contagious and deadly pandemic,” said Sarah Brannon, managing director of the ACLU’s Voting Rights Project, in a statement.

VOTING Page 38

BID INVITATION FOR CONSTRUCTION OF ALEXANDRIA RENEW ENTERPRISES RIVERRENEW TUNNEL SYSTEM PROJECT CONTRACT NO. 19-09 RiverRenew is the largest infrastructure initiative in the history of Alexandria, addressing a 2017 Virginia law to achieve healthier waterways by July 1, 2025. The Work consists of the construction of 4 deep, large diameter shafts, a waterfront tunnel approximately 2 miles long, a near surface interceptor along Hooff’s Run, and a tunnel dewatering and wet weather pumping station. The tunnel system will capture millions of gallons of combined sewage from four outfalls for transport to the Tunnel Dewatering and Wet Weather Pumping Station at AlexRenew, where it will be treated and cleaned prior to being returned to the Potomac River. The project’s objective is to separate the existing combined water & sewage system which sends storm/sewer overflow into the Potomac River polluting it during heavy rainfall.

The major elements of the project include tunneling, earthwork, concrete, trucking, miscellaneous metals, asphalt and concrete paving, striping, landscaping and wetland restoration, as well as numerous finish trades within the Tunnel Dewatering and Wet Weather Pumping Station.

Please contact the following estimators for questions and documents related to your trade: Todd McQuinn - (301) 272-8344, Todd.Mcquinn@clarkconstruction.com – Chief Estimator (Clark Civil) Jon Aceto – (802) 318-7960, Jonathan.Aceto@clarkfoundationsllc.com – Chief Estimator (Clark Water), Agtek,

Post-Tensioned Concrete, Hooff’s Run SOE, Storm Drains, Bypass Pumping, Division 40, Cranes, Hoists & Winches,

and Process Mechanical Stuart Sullivan – (512) 480-2731, Stuart.Sullivan@atkn.com – Waterproofing Gina Ross- (262) 814-0100, GRoss@michels.us – Lead Estimator (Michels), Precast Tunnel Liner Alissa Varghese – (301) 272-6841, Alissa.Varghese@clarkconstruction.com – CIP Concrete Structures,

Precast Building Façade, Misc Precast, and Site Concrete Ari Goldstein – (240) 841-3047 - Ari.Goldstein@clarkconstruction.com – Division 5 (Furnish), Div 48 Solar Panels Dan Page – (301) 272-8173, Daniel.Page@clarkconstruction.com – Geotechnical Instrumentation Kara Trimpin - Kara.Trimpin@clarkfoundationsllc.com – Selective Demolition, CIP Concrete -Shafts, CIP

Concrete-Hooff’s Run, Ready Mix Supply, Reinforcing Bar, Earthwork, and Earthwork Disposal Lasya Komaragiri - (301) 956-6571, Lasya.Komaragiri@clarkfoundationsllc.com – CIP Concrete Formwork/Shoring (Furnish) Mark Orebiyi – (301) 272-8338, Mark.Orebiyi@clarkconstruction.com – Division 8 and Division 10 Narom Louis – Narom.Louis@clarkfoundationsllc.com – Fire Suppression Systems, Division 22, Division 23, and Division 26 Scott Kaufman - Scott.Kaufman@clarkfoundationsllc.com – Traffic Control/MOT, Masonry, Division 5,

Rough Carpentry, and Division 33 Terek Green - Terek.Green@atkn.com – Support of Excavation, Slurry Walls, Deep Foundations,

Dewatering, and Water Treatment Trevor McCarney – Trevor.McCarney@clarkfoundationsllc.com – Division 7 Trip Rohling – (301) 272-6843, Trip.Rohling@clarkfoundationsllc.com – Division 1, Division 9, Fences & Gates,

Asphalt Paving, Pavement Markings, Planting/Landscaping, and Wetland Restoration Will Miller – (301) 272-6725, William.Miller@clarkconstruction.com – Elevators BID DATE: TBM Manufacturer, Precast Lining Supplier, Shaft SOE Subcontractor, Process Mechanical and Electrical Subcontractors – August 26th, 2020 @ 5pm (EST) BID DATE: All other Trades - September 9th, 2020 @ 5:00PM (EST) THIS CONTRACT INCLUDES REQUIREMENTS RELATED TO DISADVANTAGED BUSINESS ENTERPRISE (DBE) PARTICIPATION INCLUDING MINORITY BUSINESS ENTITY ELEMENTS (MBE) AND WOMEN’S BUSINESS ENTERPRISES (WBE). WE ARE SPECIFICALLY REQUESTING BIDS FROM MINORITY BUSINESS ENTERPRISES (MBE’s) AND FOR WOMEN BUSINESS ENTERPRISES (WBEs). OUR GOALS ARE AS FOLLOWS:

5 A vigil held at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in Southwest last August on the anniversary of the Voting Rights Act. (Courtesy photo/theglobepost.com)

Construction Equipment Services Supplies

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

MBE% WBE% 7.4 4.8 5.0 3.2 7.7 3.6 1.6 2.5

AUGUST 6 - 12, 2020 11

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY Child Advocates Pushing for Legislative Reform in Md.

By William J. Ford WI Staff Writer @jabariwill Grace worked as a stay-at-home mom to care for her children as her husband provided financial stability for the family working as a high-wage career.

The couple divorced amid child abuse allegations made by her ex-husband.

Grace, who asked her real name be withheld due to the ongoing legal proceedings in Maryland that have lasted for five years, has 50 percent custody of the children. However, her ex-husband maintains legal standing with the children, which means “he can choose to change their doctors. Can choose to change their

schools,” she said.

“The court system is absolutely, completely failing kids. It is punishing moms for doing the right thing,” she said. “If you are a mom and your child’s abused and you report it, you lose custody. If your child is abused [and the child] tells someone else about it, you also lose custody for failure to protect.

We desperately need legislation to fix this problem to actually act in the best interest of the kid.”

That’s why a work group researched and outlined several recommendations to improve Maryland’s court system as it pertains to child custody proceedings that involve child abuse and domestic violence.

A full report with the recommendations are scheduled to be

5 Members of child-custody work group in Maryland holds its final meeting on July 28. (Courtesy photo)

sent to the governor and General Assembly by September.

One suggestion outlines specific training for judges, child custody evaluators and “best interest attorneys,” who are appointed by the courts to analyze and conduct independent investigations to come up with a solution best-suited for a child.

The proposed instruction includes weighing the impact on children who are exposed to domestic violence, reducing traumatization of a child without repeating testimony in court, and

considering the child’s safety before any other factors.

Another major component in child custody cases is money. In Grace’s situation, she was charged half of $360,000 (exactly $180,000) in legal fees assessed by a best interest attorney.

Grace said she earns between $50,000 to $65,000 at her job with her wages garnished to pay the legal debt, but her ex-husband receives a seven-figure salary and can afford high-priced attorneys.

“Litigation abuse…really allows one party to completely obliterate

MD Casinos Report Good News as Revenue Begins to Rise

By William J. Ford WI Staff Writer @jabariwill

When the coronavirus pandem-

ic affected Maryland’s six casinos in March, sales decreased as low as 30 percent with a possible decrease in revenue of $50 million in fiscal year 2020.

5 A patron plays a slot machine game June 29 at MGM National Harbor Casino and Resort. (Anthony Tilghman/The Washington Informer)

12 - AUGUST 6 - 12, 2020

Casinos generated no revenue because they closed in April and May due to stay-at-home orders instituted by Gov. Larry Hogan.

However, the casino industry slowly started to recover when casinos reopened in June as sales increased slightly above 20 percent and brought in about $35 million.

Casino revenue generated from the state’s six casinos for the month of July are scheduled to be released this week.

“Our theory at this point is that there really is just no place else for people to spend discretionary entertainment dollars,” said Gordon Medenica, director of the state’s Lottery and Gaming Control Agency. “There are no movies.

There are no sports. There are no concerts. It has obviously been to our benefit.”

Medenica said estimates show

the casino industry could receive $583 million from fiscal year 2020 that ended June 30. The figure represents about $12 million than in December 2019, he said.

He spoked before the House of Delegates Ways and Means Committee which held a virtual briefing July 28.

The committee also heard from the state’s casino representatives at Hollywood Casino in Cecil County; Ocean Downs in Worchester County; Live! Casino and Hotel in Anne Arundel County; Rocky Gap Casino Resort in Allegheny County; Horseshoe Casino in Baltimore; and MGM National Harbor in Prince George’s County.

Besides casino table and card games and slot machines, people purchased scratch and other lot-

CASINO Page 14

the other one,” she said. “There’s no way I can come up with the resources to even present my case fairly, even when I have the facts and truth on my side. I can’t afford to sit in front of a judge with the evidence to present it because I can’t call all these experts. I can’t subpoena all these people.”

Anne Hoyer, one of the most passionate child advocates in the state, summarized the price tags parents, often single mothers, are subjected to pay as “criminal.”

“Some of these people who want to protect their children just financially can’t because it’s the dollar that speaks,” said Hoyer, a member of the work group and director of a state Safe at Home address confidentiality program. “This is some of the most important pieces of work that we can do. It can change how people will react to one another. It can change communities.”

One idea to limit the high legal fees assessed in court would be placing a cap on the amount charged.

Del. Jazz Lewis (D-District 24) of Glenarden, also a member of the work group, said that will be a topic for the legislature to discuss.

“Now the level of cost is outrageous, but it’s hard to place a consistent cost until you have consistent accreditation across the board,” he said. “Once we get that, then we can have that conversation on how much people should be charged to make sure they’re not being gauged and kind of preyed upon.”

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY Police Reform Policies Move to the Forefront in Maryland

By William J. Ford WI Staff Writer @jabariwill Maryland state lawmakers plan to focus their attention this month on what continues to be a hot button topic nationwide: police reform.

Members of the House of Delegates who serve on a police reform and accountability work group are scheduled to host its first public hearing Thursday, Aug. 6.

Another public hearing scheduled for next week will highlight police body cameras. According to legislation approved this year and sponsored by Delegates Jazz Lewis (D-District 24) of Glenarden and David Moon (D-Montgomery County), a task force will study options to store audio and video recordings and make budgetary recommendations for state, county, local and campus law enforcement departments.

A report must be completed with recommendations to the General Assembly by Dec. 1.

“I think we can put our money where our mouth is,” Lewis said.

Members of the House of Delegates who serve on a police reform and accountability work group are scheduled to host its first public hearing Thursday, Aug. 6.

“The American public is on our side to get reform done.”

The lawmakers’ police reform legislation was spurred by the May 25 death of George Floyd when a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes.

Five years ago in Baltimore, Freddie Gray died while in police custody in Baltimore. Two years later in 2017, the U.S. Department of Justice chose to not bring federal

charges against the five police officers.

Across the state on the Eastern Shore, 19-year-old Anton Black died in September 2018 during an altercation with police. Del. Gabriel Acevero (D-Montgomery County) will reintroduce police reform legislation named after Black during next year’s General Assembly session.

Locally, a former Prince George’s County police officer fatally shot William Green of Southeast in January in Temple Hills. Two months later in March, a grand jury indicted the officer, Cpl. Michael Owen, of second-degree murder, manslaughter and other charges.

The county police department continues to deal with an ongoing lawsuit alleging racial and retaliatory practices.

A report released this summer by Michael E. Graham, a former 33year veteran with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, shows Prince George’s police training has been “deficient.” It also shows Black and Latino officers are twice as likely to receive disciplinary charges compared to their white counterparts

5 Enacted legislation on body cameras in certain states. (Courtesy of National Conference of State Legislatures)

and senior officers failed to keep track of disciplinary actions.

Police Chief Hank Stawinski resigned hours after the report was made public.

Graham’s report, filed in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt, comes in connection to the lawsuit filed in December 2018 led by former county police officer and retired Capt.

Joe Perez, president of the Hispanic National Law Enforcement Officers.

Another dozen Prince George’s Black and Latino police officers, not affiliated with the suit, request the interim police Chief Hector Velez

Fish Market Co-Owner Speaks Out After Allegations of Racism

By William J. Ford WI Staff Writer @jabariwill

The co-owner of The Fish Market in Clinton continued to offer apologies for her husband’s actions following an incident at the restaurant that some people claim was racially motivated.

Sherry Giovannoni said her husband Rick isn’t part of the business currently and seeking treatment for mental health issues.

She emphasized her husband doesn’t “have a filter and at times can be insensitive” in reference to his conservative political views, but has no “racist” sentiments and values.

“We are sorry for the hurt and pain people feel from this incident,” Sherry Giovannoni said Wednesday, July 29 while speaking on behalf of her husband. “We definitely want to remain someplace for the people to be a part of it.”

Protests have been held outside the restaurant for about a month after a June 26 incident when Black customer Daryl Rollins wore an “I can’t breathe” T-shirt and Rick Giovannoni told Rollins he couldn’t wear it inside the restaurant. The incident has been characterized as a “misunderstanding.

However, Black patrons and residents viewed the incidents as “the straw the broke the camel’s back” in a history of alleged racial and insensitive remarks by Rick Giovannoni.

Some demonstrators, who caused the store to shut its doors for about a month, also wore T-shirts bearing the words “I can’t breathe.” The phrase has become a rallying cry for Blacks protesting police brutality in the wake of the death of George Floyd, who said those words repeatedly to Minneapolis police before his May 25 death as an officer knelt on his neck.

Meanwhile, Sherry Giovanni there remains no timetable on when The Fish Market will reopen. Although a

5 The exterior of The Fish Market in Clinton. (WI file photo)

meeting took place with a few community leaders last month, there hasn’t been another scheduled since.

Ashley Hunter, a shift manager and one of 48 employees at The Fish Market, offered her support for the business.

Hunter, an 11-year employee, said “absolutely not” to whether she had ever heard racial or inappropriate

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

comments from Rick Giovannoni.

She said rumors aren’t true about him using the N-word after former President Barack Obama was reelected in 2012. Hunter recalled the incident because she worked that day after the restaurant closed.

“The only comment that Rick made is, ‘I can’t believe he made it

MARKET Page 52

to promote those qualified ranked officers to positions either vacant or currently with acting personnel.

The officers, represented by Greenbelt attorney Lawrence Holzman, sent a letter July 13 to Velez to request a meeting with him and other police leadership. They claim department policy for officers on a list eligible to be promoted as a lieutenant, sergeant, or captain expire several months before the next oral or written exam takes place.

That allows senior leadership to promote white officers ahead of Black and Latino officers.

Another test was scheduled in April, but was canceled due to the coronavirus outbreak.

After no response, one of the officers, Sgt. Lynn Grant, and the officer’s attorney, Lawrence Holzman, spoke during a virtual press conference on July 28. Grant has been with the department for more than 20 years and on the promotion list.

“We’re not at the bottom of the barrel. We’re very capable of stepping into our position and moving the county forward,” Grant said. “I’m here because a lot of the members that stand with me are afraid of retaliation. It’s just a shame in 2020 we still have to hide and be afraid to speak up.”

In regard to the ongoing suit filed during her second week in office as county executive, Angela Alsbrooks said at a press conference Thursday, July 30 discussion of the suit must remain in court.

“It was filed in the court of law and that’s where it should be resolved,” she said. “I think what people are tired of is press conferences every week to hash out the details of a lawsuit, when the lawsuit should be resolved in court.” WI

AUGUST 6 - 12, 2020 13

BUSINESS GOP, Democrats Attempt to Reach Consensus on New Stimulus Plan

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer @StacyBrownMedia

The GOP presented its $1 trillion plan that includes another round of $1,200 stimulus checks for roughly the same group of residents who received direct payments earlier this year.

But Republicans also want to cut unemployment benefits and, incredibly, they’ve placed $1.75 billion in the proposed new coronavirus stimulus package to build a new FBI headquarters.

“Somewhere, somehow we’ve lost our way,” said Rep. Brenda Lawrence (D-Mich.). “While we may need a new FBI building, this has no place in a stimulus bill that’s supposed to help the economy and the American people.”

House Democrats in June passed the HEROES Act, a $3.4 trillion spending plan that pro-

vides direct payments to citizens and cash-strapped states and local governments. The Democrats’ bill also allows for billions of dollars for food and housing assistance.

After nearly two months of delay, Republicans in the Senate countered with the HEALS Act. This $1.1 trillion package also includes direct payments but no federal aid for housing, food or state and local governments.

The bill hasn’t come up for a vote in the Senate because Republicans have remained split on the measure.

Democrats have insisted that their counterparts act fast to negotiate a deal because the federal $600-per-week unemployment benefits paid out during the pandemic have ended. Democrats want to extend that benefit to Americans through the end of the year.

Republicans want to reduce that

Stay Informed! www.washingtoninformer.com

14 - AUGUST 6 - 12, 2020

amount to $200, ending the federal bonus in September and limiting the maximum combined state and federal benefit to 70 percent of a beneficiary’s pay.

Both sides of the aisle have included another stimulus check to millions of Americans under the same rules as the CARES Act: $1,200 for individuals earning up to $75,000 (phasing out at $99,000) and $2,400 for married couples earning up to $150,000 (phasing out at $198,000).

While the Democrats’ bill seeks $1,200 for dependents, the GOP’s bill caps stimulus payments for dependents at $500.

President Donald Trump recently suggested that he would like the final bill to include stimulus payments that are “much more than the $1,200.”

In their measure, the Democrats provide about $60 billion to reopen schools, compared to $70 billion offered up by Republicans.

Each also provides about $30 billion to assist colleges.

However, Democrats want about $1 trillion in aid for state and local governments to use toward education funding. The GOP bill mandates that a portion of the education aid must go to help private schools reopen.

“The Republican proposal is insufficient and comes months too late for people who need it,” said Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), a leading contender for running

CASINOS from Page 12 tery tickets at grocery and convention stores, played three- and four-digit number games and virtual horse racing games.

After each casino closed March 16, the same day as public schools closed, casino officials began to work on reopening plans such as assessing capacity limits, cleaning of buildings and reduced hours.

Since July 2019, casinos generated about $60 million per month that contribute to local taxes, public schools and community projects where casinos are located.

When they reopened in the middle of June, they generated about $15 million. Hogan ordered each casino must open at only 50 percent capacity. In addition, casinos needed to implement social distancing guidelines, hand sanitizer or other hand-washing measures.

5 Sen. Kamala Harris (File photo)

mate of presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.

Harris has proposed the Monthly Economic Crisis Support Act, which would provide $2,000 each month for anyone with an income below $120,000 during coronavirus pandemic and three months following the end of the crisis.

Under Harris’ plan, parents would receive an additional $2,000 per child for up to three children, and payments would be retroactive to March.

“Bills come in every single month during the pandemic, and so should help from the government,” Harris said. WI

Due to the pandemic and casinos closed for several months, the industry isn’t expected to bring in estimated figures contributed to the state economy. Medenica said at least 50 percent of casino revenue could be generated.

MGM casino and resort, the state’s most profitable casino, generated slightly more $8 million in June from slot machines and table games, according to state gaming figure. The resort opened for invited guests June 26 and then for the public June 29.

In comparison, Hollywood, Ocean Downs and Rocky Gap all reopened June 19 and generated a total of more than $8.3 million.

Horseshoe reopened June 26 for invited guests and June 28 to the public at generated nearly $2.6 million in June.

Live! Casino received the most in June with $15.8 million from slots and table games after it re-

opened June 19-28 for special guests and to the general public June 29.

Jorge Perez, president of MGM National Harbor and regional chief operation officer for MGM, said the company furloughed 96 percent of its more than 60,000 employees during the pandemic.

At National Harbor, about 3,200 of the 3,400 employees got furloughed.

Although patrons and employees at MGM National Harbor can use hand sanitizer at various table game, plexiglass separated between each player and employee and a decrease in seats at tables, Perez said the company has open positions still available.

“We’ve got a lot of open positions and it’s been a challenge to get employees to come back,” he said. “It is more difficult. It is more challenging for them.”

WI

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

BUSINESS

As SEC Relaxes Rules, Small Businesses Find Raising Money Easier

By Donna Fuscaldo Zenger News Honeycomb Credit is a small crowdfunding company in Pittsburgh. It typically handles 10 inquiries a day from business owners seeking loans from the community.

Since the pandemic hit, it is averaging 30 to 40 daily.

“We’ve completed about a dozen live campaigns already and recently closed our first tranche of relief loans,” said Chip Homer, director of growth at Honeycomb Credit.

“Eleven people in Pittsburgh are helping thousands of businesses reach out to the community to access capital.”

Honeycomb Credit’s business model differs from traditional crowdfunding sites like Kickstarter. Instead of letting people invest in return for merchandise, Honeycomb enables individuals to crowdfund loans for local businesses. It’s running 12 relief loan campaigns and has deployed $1.5 million in community capital

since launching in 2017.

Government deregulation eases the process The demand Honeycomb and other crowdfunding platforms are seeing is the result of the federal government’s well-intentioned moves that help and hurt small businesses. At the onset of the pandemic, Congress released $350 billion in small business aid but that ran out in days. Small businesses were forced to look for alternatives.

That’s where crowdfunding came in.

To help spur lending, the Securities and Exchange Commission is relaxing some of the crowdfunding rules to make it easier for small businesses to launch campaigns.

The new rules require companies to file an independent audit only if they are raising $250,000 or more.

The limit was $107,000 before the pandemic. Small businesses can also launch offerings without all the documentation traditionally required.

When announcing the SEC

would temporarily ease reporting requirements, chairman Jay Clayton said he was responding to feedback from Small Business Capital Formation Advisory Committee and others who expressed difficulty in conducting an offering quickly enough to survive the pandemic-induced slowdown. “In the current environment, many established small businesses are facing challenges accessing urgently needed capital in a timely and cost-effective manner,” Clayton said.

When the pandemic hit, Justin Strong, owner of Strong II Dry Cleaners in Pittsburgh, quickly took advantage of any aid available to small businesses. Even though dry cleaners were classified as essential businesses, shelter-in-place orders decreased the need for service.

Like other business owners, Strong found it difficult to wait for funding. Instead of remaining idle, he sought alternatives, including Honeycomb Credit. “I wasn’t really excited about putting my energy into crowdfunding. I was

one foot in and one foot out,” said Strong who says he did not need the crowdfunding as government loans came through during the application process.

A little over a week after Strong launched his campaign, he raised $25,000 for the 90-year-old blackowned dry cleaning business. The campaign yielded $15,000 more than his borrowing goal. Generally it takes 40 days for a campaign to fund. “It was surprising. A lot of people I didn’t know, random people, started investing,” said Strong.

Strong isn’t a stranger to borrowing money as a business owner. In the past he would pay much more for the access whether it was through a predatory loan or an equipment leasing arrangement.

Many business owners are turning to crowdfunding to raise capital. Ever since the Jumpstart Our Business Startups or JOBS Act made it possible for individuals to act as investors, crowdfunding has been taking off.

“It’s here to stay,” said Ken

5 Chip Homer (Courtesy photo/Facebook grab)

Alozie, a certified SCORE mentor and principal at Greenwood Capital Advisors. “We’ve been seeing more and more activity in the crowdfunding market even prior to the pandemic.” WI

Service. Convenience. Personal Touch.

From the convenience of making a deposit from your mobile device to the personal touch of a one-on-one discussion, we’re proud to offer a wide array of quality banking products and services to help you reach your goals. We take pride in knowing the communities and people we serve, and tailoring our services to meet their needs.

Personal Banking Checking I Savings I Credit Cards I Lending

For more information, visit your local United Bank or reach us at 800.327.9862.

BankWithUnited.com

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

AUGUST 6 - 12, 2020 15

NATIONAL Biden Unveils Economic Racial Equity Plan Small Biz, Housing and Free Tuition for HBCUs Among Items

By Sarafina Wright WI Contributing Writer Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has unveiled the fourth part of his “Build Back Better” agenda, which aims to advance racial equity through an investment in infrastructure, innovation, manufacturing, housing, education and small business.

Crafted in response to the coronavirus pandemic, Biden said his plan is imperative as the country deals with

multiple, overlapping crises.

“The pandemic has shone a bright light on racial disparities in health and health care — as Black and brown Americans have suffered and died from the coronavirus at rates far higher than white Americans,” the campaign proposal said. “The economic crisis has hit Black and Brown communities especially hard, with Black unemployment at 15.4 percent, Latino unemployment at 14.5 percent, and businesses owned by Black, Latino, and Asian American people closing down

Satellite Internet That is Unlimited With No Hard Data Limits!

2

25 Mbps Download Speed 25mbps download and 3mbps upload1

No Hard Data Limits Wi-Fi Built-In Connect your wireless devices at home

2

at alarming rates.

“We are also seeing a national reckoning on racial justice and the tragic human costs of systemic racism in the murder of George Floyd and so many other Black men, women, and children,” the campaign said.

“And through it all, the climate crisis mounts, with air and water pollution, superstorms and extreme weather, disproportionately impacting Black and brown communities.”

The plan outlines specifically how Biden plans to address longstanding inequities in agriculture, ensure equity in clean energy investments, boost retirement security for people of color, equalize federal procurement, reform opportunity zones, and spur public/ private investment through a new small-business opportunity plan.

“To address the racial wealth gap, the opportunity gap, and the jobs gap for Black and brown people, Biden will launch a historic effort to empower small business creation and expansion in economically disadvantaged areas — and particularly for Black-, Latino-, AAPI- and Native American-owned businesses,” the proposal said.

Collectively, Biden said he will leverage more than $150 billion in new capital and opportunities for small businesses that have been structurally excluded for generations.

Biden also said to help families build wealth, and ensure equal access to all aspects of the housing market he will create a new refundable tax credit up to $15,000.

“The First Down Payment Tax Credit will help low and middle income families offset the costs of home buying and help millions of families lay down roots for the first time,” the proposal said.

The plan will also spur the construc-

5 Joe Biden (File photo)

tion of 1.5 million homes and public housing units to address the affordable housing crisis, increase energy efficiency and reduce the racial wealth gap.

The economic recovery agenda further addresses disparities in education where Black graduates are disproportionately burdened by student loan debt compared to white graduates.

“The inequitable burden of student loan debt contributes to the stark racial wealth gap that exists in society,” the proposal said.

In response, the former vice president wants to forgive all undergraduate tuition-related federal student debt from two- and four-year public schools and private, historically Black colleges and universities for debt-holders earning up to $125,000 and make said institutions tuition-free for all

families with annual incomes below $125,000.

Biden’s education plan to advance racial equity additionally calls for an immediate cancellation of a minimum of $10,000 of federal student loan debt in response to COVID-19; a doubling of the maximum value of Pell Grants and a crack down on private lenders profiteering off students.

At a campaign stop last week in his hometown of Wilmington, Del., Biden spoke about why this plan is sorely needed.

“In good times, communities of color still lag,” Biden said. “In bad times, they get hit first, and the hardest. And in recovery, they take the longest to bounce back. This is about justice.”

WI

Call For Special Offers In Your Area Pricing varies by region

CALL TODAY - LIMITED SPECIAL OFFERS IN YOUR AREA!

1-855-973-9254

HughesNet is a registered trademark of Hughes Network Systems, LLC, an EchoStar Company.

2 If you exceed your monthly plan data, you will experience reduced data speeds until the start of your next billing period. Reduced speeds will typically be in the range of 1 – 3 Mbps and may cause Web sites to load more slowly or affect the performance of certain activities, such as video streaming or large downloads/uploads.

16 - AUGUST 6 - 12, 2020

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

NATIONAL Dispelling the Myths about the Gallant Role of Black Women Suffragists

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer @StacyBrownMedia This is part of an ongoing Washington Informer series about the Women’s Suffrage Movement and an initiative that includes Informer Publisher Denise Rolark Barnes that will use the lens of history, the fabric of art and culture and the venue of the public square to shine a light into dark places, equipping all with a compass to chart the way forward.

The initiative lives in the institutional home of the Washington Informer Charities.

On Aug. 18, 1920, lawmakers ratified the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution.

In just a couple of short weeks, many will observe the centennial of that historical moment and reminisce about its importance.

Over the past year, as the date drew near, African American wom-

en of the suffrage movement began to receive overdue praise for their gallant and self-sacrificing efforts to achieve voting and civil rights.

NBC News correctly noted that while the 19th Amendment nationalized suffrage of women, allowing most American women to vote, all across the West, women were voting by the millions before 1920.

Wyoming Territory granted women the right to vote in its 1869 constitution, followed by Utah in 1870, Nevada in 1871, and Colorado in 1893, historians told NBC News.

“Laws included barriers keeping non-white and Native American women from voting,” Lisa Tetrault, a historian, and professor at Carnegie Mellon University, told NBC News.

“If you were a woman of color, you would find that states still had some prohibitions in terms of literacy tests and poll taxes — which were disproportionately applied to women of color. So if you were a Latinx

woman living in New Mexico, you might find yourself subject to a literacy test.”

Until recently, the role of African American women in the suffrage movement was significantly downplayed or outright denied even though the Delta Sigma Theta sorority’s founding members participated in the Women’s Suffrage March in Washington before the inauguration of President Woodrow Wilson.

The founders placed their education and lives on the line, daring to have their voices heard in the battle for women’s suffrage.

Even before the Deltas’ courageous act, Black suffragists such as Frances Ellen Watkins Harper and Mary Ann Shadd Cary were active during the Reconstruction era.

“Harper was an incredible civil rights and gender activist. She says we are all bound up together in our struggles,” said Tetrault, adding that Harper particularly focused on the

5 Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. reenact suffrage march. (File photo)

racism she experienced as a Black woman living in the North during the 1850s and 1860s.

In Tetrault’s view, it is more accurate to view the 19th Amendment’s ratification as the middle of the suffrage movement rather than the end, according to NBC News.

“The movement continued after 1920 for all of the women who didn’t get the right to vote then — the movement is alive and well in

some ways,” she said.

While many Black women in the North were voting after the 19th Amendment was ratified, she added it would be decades until most Black American women in the South obtained the right to vote.

“It is really the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that finally eliminated lots of those obstacles for women of color,” Tetrault said.

WI

receive up to $25,000 to pay delinquent property taxes, homeowner’s insurance, condominium fees, homeowners association fees and certain property related expenses paid by your Servicer.

• Must be a District resident/homeowner • Residence must be secured by a Reverse Mortgage in borrower’s name • Subject property must be a primary residence located in the District • Have an annual income not to exceed $77,450 • Be ”at risk” of foreclosure due to unpaid property taxes, homeowner’s insurance, condo/HOA fees • Must demonstrate ability to sustain future tax and insurance payments, as required.

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

how to apply:

Housing Counseling Services (202) 265-2255

additional information remit@dchfa.org

AUGUST 6 - 12, 2020 17

NATIONAL Obama Eulogizes Rep. John Lewis as a ‘Founding Father of that Better America’

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia A loud shout of cheers went up outside of Ebenezer Baptist Church, where crowds watching on a big screen television Thursday rose from their lawn chairs and makeshift seats as former President Barack Obama approached the famous pulpit to deliver the eulogy for Georgia Congressman John Lewis.

Inside the historic building where mourners observed social distance guidelines that prevented an above capacity gathering, the crowd rose in unison as Obama declared Lewis a “founding father of that fuller, fairer, better America.”

The former president spoke fervently about Lewis’ battle to secure rights – including voting rights – for African Americans and, by extension, all United States citizens. “Congressman John Lewis devoted his time on this Earth fighting the very attacks on democracy we’re seeing circulate right now,” Obama said.

Though he didn’t call him out

by name, Obama blasted President Donald Trump, who has decried mailin voting and who earlier in the day tweeted his desire to postpone the November election because voting by mail would allow for “foreign interference.”

“The fate of this democracy depends on how we use it. It isn’t automatic,” Obama demanded. “It has to be nurtured; it has to be tended to. We have to work at it. It’s hard.”

Lewis died earlier in the month after a long bout with pancreatic cancer.

He was 80.

Gospel legend BeBe Winans performed “Good Trouble,” a song he wrote in honor of Lewis, who called his activism and other civil rights leaders “good trouble.”

Sheila Lewis O’Brien, the late congressman’s niece, told the gathering that her uncle enjoyed sharing laughter and love with his family.

“While we knew how important he and his work was to the world when we were with him, we saw uncle Robert,” O’Brien stated.

“We saw the man who enjoyed spending time with his family, ribbing us about days gone by, catching up

on family dynamics, enjoying a good meal, and sharing laughter and love.”

Former Atlanta Mayor Bill Campbell also spoke at the more than 3-hour long funeral honoring Lewis.

“They say that the victors write history, and so I declare today that the history of the 20th century as it is written, John Lewis will stand beside Gandhi and King and Mandela, as one of the great transformative freedom fighters of humankind,” Campbell declared.

All eyes were on Obama.

The former president noted that he owed a great debt to Lewis and the late congressman’s “forceful vision of freedom.”

He said Lewis was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr’s “greatest disciple” and Obama called on lawmakers to pass a new federal voting rights act that House democrats recently renamed in honor of Rep. John Lewis.

“Someday when we do finish that long journey towards freedom, when we do form a more perfect union — whether it’s years from now or decades or even if it takes another two centuries — John Lewis will be a founding father of that fuller, fairer, better America,” Obama said.

“What a gift John Lewis was. We are all so lucky to have had him walk with

5 President Barack Obama hugs Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) after his introduction during the event to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of Bloody Sunday and the Selma to Montgomery civil rights marches, at the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, March 7, 2015. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

us for a while — and show us the way.”

As an honor guard led Lewis’ casket out of the church, those inside paid a final tribute to the civil rights icon by dancing to Pharrell Williams’s song,

“Happy,” one of the late congressman’s favorite tunes.

Lewis was buried at Southview Cemetery next to his wife of more than 40 years, Lillian. WI

Dr. Fauci Stresses COVID-19 Disparities in African Americans

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer @StacyBrownMedia

Dr. Anthony Fauci has embarked on somewhat of a media

tour in recent weeks.

However, during a live interview with BlackPressUSA, the nation’s foremost infectious disease expert delivered a chock-full of breaking news.

The director of the National Insti-

5 Dr. Anthony Fauci (Photo courtesy of PBS)

18 - AUGUST 6 - 12, 2020

tute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the nation’s leading medical expert, Dr. Fauci, said a vaccine for the coronavirus is likely a few months away.

He noted that school re-openings should be tied to what the coronavirus pandemic looks like in a specific area.

“The fundamental principle is that we should try as best as we possibly can to get children back to school because we know the psychological aspect of that and the unintended consequences for mothers and fathers who may need to stop working, so we should try to get back to school,” Dr. Fauci said.

“However, paramount needs to be the safety, health, and welfare of children, teachers, and families,” Dr. Fauci added.

“We live in a big country. Some places have low incidents and can open schools while some are high. Some areas rate of infection is so high where

it’s not prudent to open schools. You don’t want to endanger their health.”

A member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, Dr. Fauci has at times found himself at odds with President Donald Trump. This year, the president announced that he would withdraw U.S. funding and support for the World Health Organization (WHO). Despite Trump’s decision, Dr. Fauci told BlackPressUSA that he maintains a close relationship with the organization.

“I still work closely with the World Health Organization,” Dr. Fauci declared. “I’m on a weekly phone call with them, and I signed a memorandum of understanding. We’re all in with the WHO.” During the 30-minute interview that streamed live over Facebook, YouTube, and www.BlackPressUSA.com, Dr. Fauci spoke of the importance of convincing African Americans to participate in clinical trials and said school

re-openings should depend mainly upon the location and the infection rate in a given area.

During the interview, which included National Newspaper Publishers Association President and CEO, Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., Dr. Fauci also demonstrated the proper way to wear a facemask.

“Early on, there was a shortage of masks because we didn’t want to take masks away from health providers who needed them,” Dr. Fauci remarked. “It’s easy to get a cloth mask now.”

Dr. Fauci explained further that, “when there are droplets when someone sneezes or coughs, you [are protected]. You can take it and wash it with soap and water or stick it in the washing machine.”

Addressing the disparities surrounding COVID-19 and other

FAUCI Page 51

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

Everything you love and more.

The next time someone asks what you’re watching, tell them Xfinity. Tell them you can watch your favorite networks live. Tell them you get Black Film & TV with an all-star collection of Black movies, directors, and more.

Tell them you can easily find it all with the Voice Remote. Tell them your favorite streaming apps are right on your TV. Plus, tell them the Xfinity Sports Zone is bringing the thrill of the game back to your living room. Tell them Xfinity is simple, easy, awesome.

Internet | TV | Voice

$

89

99 / month

DVR SERVICE INCLUDED FOR 1 YEAR

Xfinity xFi Gateway Speed, coverage and security with Xfinity xFi Gateway

for 2 years with 2-year agreement Equip., taxes and other charges extra and subj. to change. See details below.

This incredible offer ends September 8.

Go to xfinity.com, call 1-800-xfinity, or visit an Xfinity Store today.

Restrictions apply. Not available in all areas. New residential customers only. Limited to Standard+ More Triple Play with Performance Pro 200 Mbps Internet. Early termination fee applies if all Xfinity services are cancelled during the agreement term. Equipment, installation, taxes and fees, including Broadcast TV Fee (up to $14.95/mo.) and Regional Sports Fee (up to $8.75/mo.), and other applicable charges extra, and subject to change during and after agreement term or promo. May not be combined with other offers. TV: Limited Basic TV service required to receive other levels of service. Internet: Actual speeds vary and are not guaranteed. For factors affecting speed visit xfinity.com/networkmanagement. Voice: If there is a power outage or network issue, calling, including calls to 911 may be unavailable. All devices must be returned when service ends. Call for restrictions and complete details. Š 2020 Comcast. All rights reserved. Individual programs and marks are property of their respective owners. NPA231981-0002 NED AA SS V3

137898_NPA231981-0002 JulySale 9.875x10.935 WashInformer.indd 1

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

7/27/20 4:51 PM

AUGUST 6 - 12, 2020 19

INTERNATIONAL PETWORTH PRINTING Your Quality Printers

301 Kennedy Street, NW

n

Washington, DC

202-291-6565

PRINTING & DESIGN

WASHABLE

FACE MASKS FOR SALE Reusable & Surgical Face Masks Also Available Custom Imprint Also Available

WEAR MASKS TO STAY SAFE

BANNERS POSTERS & SIGNS

FAST TURNAROUND

SEE OUR ONLINE STORE: www.QualityPrintersDC.com

Traditional Help Buttons

At Home In the Car On a Walk On Vacation At the Park Shopping

A Help Button Should Go Where You Go! To be truly independent your personal emergency device needs to work on the go.

Order Now & Receive a FREE Lockbox!

1-800-681-0667

Service availability and access/coverage on the AT&T network is not available everywhere and at all times. Current GPS location may not always be available in every situation.

View

Sports Photos

by John De Freitas

at:

 20 - AUGUST 6 - 12, 2020

africa now

COMPILED BY OSWALD T. BROWN

Nigerian Transportation Chief Under Fire The Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) has demanded that Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi should immediately step aside.

The body based its call on the probe of the alleged lethal clauses in Article 8(1) of the commercial loan agreement signed between Nigeria and Export-Import Bank of China, The Daily Post reported Aug. 2.

The agreement allegedly “wills the sovereignty of Nigeria” in the $400 million loan for the Nigeria National Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Infrastructure Backbone Phase II Project, signed in 2018.

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has raised the alarm over the loan.

On Sunday, CNPP Secretary General Willy Ezugwu commended Nicholas Ossai, chairman of the House Committee on Treaties and Agreements, “for observing the anomaly and not succumbing to the Minister’s antics aimed at truncating the probe.”

He frowned at the attempt by the minister to stop the investigative hearing into some of the agreements signed between Nigeria and China while responding to various questions on the ongoing modernization of railway projects being implemented by his ministry.

“We are aware that the Minister is expected to appear again before the House of Representatives on 17th August, 2020, over the ongoing investigation into the commercial loan agreement signed between Nigeria and Export-Import Bank of China to the tune of $5.3 billion,” the statement said.

It added, “For us, for Mr. Rotimi Amaechi to urge the House Committee not to investigate the terms of the loans being received by the federal government because he believed that the probe will jeopardize the chances of the country getting further loans is nothing but a cover up attempt that must be strongly resisted. The Minister’s further argument that China was monitoring happenings in Nigeria and the probe will send a negative message to the Asian country about Nigeria is clearly an affront on the intelligence of the Nigerian people.

“We believe that the real fear of the Minister of Transportation is that if the probe continues, at the end of the day, his deeds against the Nigerian people will come to the open. The CNPP hereby called on the minister to step aside for proper investigation as he has proven that, by his defence in favour of the defective loan agreement, he has something to hide. The CNPP is keeping track of the Minister’s ongoing argument in the media and is currently consulting with relevant civil society organizations on the next line of action on the matter.” WI

caribbean now Historian Wants History to be Compulsory Subject in Schools As Jamaica marked 182 years since Emancipation on Aug. 1, Verene Shepherd, a professor and social historian and director of the Centre for Reparation Research at the University of the West Indies in Mona, called for the teaching of history to be made compulsory at all levels of the education system.

“We must teach the children the truth and to balance the knowledge that they have been getting about the people who are their [forefathers],” she said. “Stop allowing our children to grow up as disconnected people without root.”

Shepherd, speaking at a Jamaica Information Service (JIS) Think Tank on Thursday, July 30, noted that the number of students pursuing history in high school and at UWI has been “sliding down.”

The historian, who is also a member of the National Council on Reparation under the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, said she hopes that the new Education Transformation Commission will take on the issue.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness recently named the 14-member commission, chaired by noted historical and cultural sociologist professor Orlando Patterson, which will be responsible for conducting a comprehensive review and assessment of Jamaica’s education system, including its structure and operations.

WI

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

Coping With Social Isolation Submitted by AmeriHealth Caritas District of Columbia Connecting with others is good for us. Getting in touch with those you trust is one of the best ways to reduce loneliness, boredom, anxiety, and depression. During times when we’re unable to see others in person, we can often connect in other ways.1

WAYS TO KEEPIN TOUCH

You can reach out to friends, family, and others who are meaningful to you, such as spiritual leaders or mentors. Talk about your experiences and feelings, and listen to theirs. You may also feel in touch with the world through keeping up with community and global events.

Knowing about the same things that others know may help you feel connected. However, if learning about any events or news mostly adds to your stress, try to limit your time with it.

Try these ways to get in touch.

See which ways work best for you:1 • Text message,* email, call, or use social media to hear from loved ones • Use a video chat service, such as Skype or FaceTime, to hang out with friends and family “face to face”* • Use online news, radio, and TV to keep aware of current events • Sign up for emergency alerts by text* or email. In this way, you can get updates as they come out.

• The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration offers a free 24-hour Disaster Distress Helpline. If you feel lonely or need support, call the Helpline at 1-800-985-5990.

WAYS TO RELAX AND ENJOY THE MOMENT

Finding ways to relax can also help us cope with being on our own:1 • Relax your body. Set aside a regular time to take deep breaths, stretch, meditate or pray, or do something else that calms you.

• Lift up your mind. Focus on positive moments and feelings of hope. Try keeping a journal. Each day, you can write down something that went well

or that you appreciate.

• Pace yourself. If you do something stressful, see if you can do something more fun after it. Reward yourself for hard tasks. * Standard messaging and data fees may apply.

Sources: 1. “Taking Care of Your Behavioral Health,” Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, https:// www.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/ tips-social-distancing-quarantine-isolation-031620.pdf.

“Stress and Coping,” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, https:// www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/ prepare/managing-stress-anxiety.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fw w w. c d c . g o v % 2 F c o r o n a v i rus%2F2019-ncov%2Fabout%2Fcoping.html All images are used under license for illustrative purposes only. Any individual depicted is a model

#BestMe

Keeping calm for kids

In stressful times, kids and teens often look to adults for clues on how to respond. When parents and caregivers react to stress with calm and confidence, they may help children do the same.2 Here are some ways to reassure your child or teen during a troubled time:2 • Talk with them about what’s going on. Answer their questions. Share facts in a way they can relate to.

• Let them know it’s OK if they feel upset. Share with them how you deal with your own emotions. This way, they

can learn how to cope from you.

• Stick to routines. Create some structure for house chores and other tasks. Give your child or teen some time outside that structure for fun.

• Limit the time they spend with the news. This includes news stories on social media. Children may not understand what they hear, and this can be frightening.

• Set an example. Kids may learn how to be their #BestMe by watching you be your best possible self. Treat yourself and your family in a healthy way. Eat well, exercise, take breaks, and get needed sleep. Connect with your loved ones. This shows youth how to handle stress.

Find us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/amerihealthdc. / Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/amerihealthcaritasdc. / Find us on Instagram at www.instagram.com/amerihealthcaritasdc.

#BestMe

Rewards Program

I got a gift card for getting my postpartum checkup. You can too.

You can get a $25 gift card if you: • Are an AmeriHealth Caritas District of Columbia member • See a midwife or OB/GYN within three to eight weeks (21 – 56 days) after giving birth

Visit www.amerihealthcaritasdc.com/giftcard to learn more.

Note: A member cannot get more than $50 in incentives each year.

ACDC-19433327-6

www.amerihealthcaritasdc.com

All images are used under license for illustrative purposes only.

Any individual depicted is a model.

AmeriHealth Caritas District of Columbia complies with applicable federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex.

English: ATTENTION: If you speak English, language assistance services, at no cost, are available to you. Call 1-800-408-7511 (TTY/TDD: 202-216-9885 or 1-800-570-1190).

Spanish: ATENCIÓN: si habla español, tiene a su disposición servicios gratuitos de asistencia lingüística. Llame al 1-800-408-7511 (TTY/TDD: 202-216-9885 o 1-800-570-1190).

Amharic: ማሳሰቢያ፡ አማርኛ መናገር የሚችሉ ከሆነ፣ ከከፍያ ነጻ የሆነ የቋንቋ ድጋፍ አገልግሎት ይቀርብልዎታል፡፡ በስልክ ቁጥር 1-800-408-7511 (TTY/TDD: 202-216-9885 ወይም 1-800-570-1190) ይደውሉ.

1-800-408-7511 ‫ اﺗﺼﻞ ﺑﺮﻗﻢ‬.‫ﺎن‬‫ ﻓﺈن ﺧﺪﻣﺎت اﳌﺴﺎﻋﺪة اﻟﻠﻐﻮﻳﺔ ﺗﺘﻮاﻓﺮ ﻟﻚ ﺑﺎ‬،‫ إذا ﻛﻨﺖ ﺗﺘﺤﺪث اﻟﻠﻐﺔ اﻟﻌﺮﺑﻴﺔ‬:‫ ﻣﻠﺤﻮﻇﺔ‬: Arabic .(1-800-570-1190 ‫ أو‬TTY/TDD: 202-216-9885 ‫)رﻗﻢ ﻫﺎﺗﻒ اﻟﺼﻢ واﻟﺒﻜﻢ‬

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

AUGUST 6 - 12, 2020 21

HEALTH A CONTINUING SERIES

COVID 19 UPDATE Strategies to Survive, Sustain and Succeed

5 People on the boardwalk in Ocean City will be required to wear masks in public to stem the rise in COVID-19 diagnosis.

(Courtesy photo/delmarvanow.com)

Local Leaders Admonish Citizens: Stop Partying while Health Pandemic Rages

By Hamil R. Harris WI Contributing Writer Whether it is a backyard BBQ or an outdoor concert, Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser are admonishing people for hosting unauthorized gatherings that have led to an increase in the spread of the coronavirus.

Alsobrooks said people who host gatherings of 100 people or more face a $5,000 fine and up to one year in jail.

Alsobrooks’ threats came at the end of a month in which county health officials saw an increase in COVID-19 cases and less than 100 days before the Nov. 3 presidential election, amid national concern that the dangerous virus could lead to a massive decrease in people going to the polls.

“There’s one in every crowd,” Alsobrooks said during a press conference Thursday, July 30. “Some who are trying to circumvent the order by holding large house parties with hundreds of people in attendance and these parties are unsafe.”

According to data from the Prince George’s County Health Department, during the week of

22 - AUGUST 6 - 12, 2020

July 4, the county reported 581 positive cases. But between July 12-18, the number of positive cases increased to 909.

County Health Director Ernest Carter said that data shows that residents younger than 50 make up slightly more than 65% of the total confirmed cases, while people over 50 make up 90% of the virus-related deaths.

Alsobrooks and Carter say it is critical that county residents need to keep up social distancing and other protective actions and that it’s too early to suggest a rollback on any reopening measures.

“This is evident that physical distancing and other protective measures, both in the county and nationwide, have not been as robust as we should have had them,” Carter said.

Bowser also addressed a large gathering of people gathering for a concert at Oxon Run Park in Southeast, where few people were seen wearing face masks. Even though city police flashed their lights to remind people of social distancing, community leaders say many people continued to violate distancing laws, which

COVID-19 Page 23

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

COVID-19 from Page 22 Bowser said is unacceptable.

“Our communities have to take some responsibility, including ANC commissioners, in saying this behavior is anti-public health and anti- us getting back on our feet, and we have to bond together to put an end to it,” Bowser said at a news conference Wednesday morning.

In some good news, Gov. Larry Hogan announced that all 24 of Maryland’s jurisdictions have met the goal of testing 10 percent of their populations, as the state’s COVID-19 positivity rate has dropped to 4.47 percent. Hogan said this represented another milestone for the state’s long-term testing strategy.

“Our aggressive statewide testing strategy is helping us to under-

stand, identify and stop the spread of this virus, and I want to commend all of our local jurisdictions for stepping up to meet our goal of testing 10 percent of their populations,” Hogan said in a statement.

“The state of Maryland continues to make unlimited quantities of tests available to any jurisdiction that needs them.”

While outdoor activity and gatherings have been largely restricted during the pandemic, Ken Roberts, 58, a resident of Ellicott City, said, “I am just maintaining.”

“Every day I try to encourage people and send out text messages since I have retired,” he said. “I thank God that I don’t have any financial issues. And on Friday, we had a small dinner for about eight people and we had a good time and great fellowship.”

WI

Whether it is a backyard BBQ or an outdoor concert, Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser are admonishing people for hosting unauthorized gatherings that have led to an increase in the spread of the coronavirus.

HEALTH

When it’s important, we plan for it ahead of time.

Planning your life celebration now will give you and your family valuable peace of mind. Our guaranteed, pre-paid funeral plans protect everyone from hard financial and emotional decisions at a time of loss. Speak with us today and we’ll help you take care of every detail, including affordable payment plans.

FREE planning guide:

DignityMemorial.com

11 LOCAL PROVIDERS TO SERVE YOU, INCLUDING:

NATIONAL FUNERAL HOME & MEMORIAL PARK | FALLS CHURCH

703-560-4400

DEMAINE

MURPHY

FUNERAL HOMES ALEXANDRIA | FAIRFAX | SPRINGFIELD

FUNERAL HOMES ARLINGTON | FALLS CHURCH

703-549-0074

703-920-4800

National Funeral Home | National Memorial Park

Stay Informed! www.washingtoninformer.com

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

AUGUST 6 - 12, 2020 23

HEALTH

Musicians Push for Dispatch of Cuban Medical Brigade to U.S.

By Sam P.K. Collins WI Contributing Writer @SamPKCollins

5 Eric Roberson, singer-songwriter and one of several participants in the “Get Out of Cuba’s Way!” virtual benefit concert during the weekend of July 25. (Courtesy photo)

Renowned singer-songwriter Eric Roberson says he’s no stranger to the severity of the coronavirus pandemic, especially after learning about its global impact in conversations with his international students at Berklee College of Music in Boston, and later losing a couple of friends to COVID-19-related complications.

In the months since reports of the first domestic COVID-19 case surfaced, Roberson continued to produce music, not for his financial well-being, but to raise the spirits of those confined to their homes during a public health emergency.

Amid ongoing efforts to curb COVID-19’s spread, Roberson has also used his talents in support of a campaign to bring a well-known

Homeownership more affordable.

M&T has options to help you achieve homeownership.

You may be eligible for solutions to help: • • • •

Reduce the cash needed at closing Lower monthly payments Save thousands by paying less interest Qualify with a less-than-perfect credit history

Get started with one of our mortgage specialists by calling 1-888-253-0993 or visit us at mtb.com.

Equal Housing Lender.

Certain restrictions apply. Subject to credit and property approval. ©2020 M&T Bank. Member FDIC. NMLS# 381076. 43771-A 200519 VF Washington Informer: 5.85” x 5.5”

24 - AUGUST 6 - 12, 2020

Cuban medical brigade to the U.S. “For Black people, music has been the soundtrack and motivation between every movement we had,” Roberson told The Informer.

“As a musician and artist, I learned early on that I’m fortunate to make a living doing this, but it’s a service first and foremost.

“When I create music, it brings me peace and I share it [with the hopes] it brings others peace,” he said. “It’s one of the most powerful tools I know we have, and we should always encourage our musicians and artists to look at it that way.”

Roberson counted among a bevy of vocalists and instrumentalists from across the African diaspora who performed during an online benefit concert on the weekend of July 25 as part of the “Get Out of Cuba’s Way!” campaign, launched earlier this year at the height of the coronavirus pandemic.

The two-day virtual event counted as the third stage in a highly organized attempt to shed light on the work of Cuba’s Henry Reeve International Medical Brigade in combating COVID-19 in various countries, particularly those with whom the nation has shaky or nonexistent diplomatic ties.

In April, campaign organizers demanded in a two-page letter that the U.S. government allow contingents of the 7,400-member volunteer corp an opportunity to assist domestic hospitals and clinics, train health care workers and collaborate with the American Medical Association, National Medical Association and Black Nurses Association, and authorize the use of Interferon Alpha 2B, a treatment developed by Cuba’s Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology that’s been deemed effective against COVID-19.

At the campaign’s inception, COVID-19 cases in the U.S, numbering in the thousands, had already surpassed figures reported by other countries, including Cuba which only had 650 positive cases and 20 deaths. Communities for which the coronavirus posed a significant danger included people of color, a significant number of

who suffered from preexisting conditions that placed them at higher risk of contracting the virus.

The deadly virus nearly claimed the life of Ignacio “Nachito” Herrera, a Cuban-born jazz pianist who would later become a proponent of tightening safety measures and key supporter of the “Get Out of Cuba’s Way!” campaign.

In late March, Herrera spent nearly two weeks fighting the illness under the supervision of doctors at the University of Minnesota who implemented life-saving measures in collaboration with Cuban medical professionals.

“Thanks to Cuban Ambassador Jose Ramon Cabañas in D.C., my wife/manager Aurora was able to get in contact with Dr. Tania Crombet, a specialist of epidemiology in Cuba,” Herrera, a U.S. resident of two decades, told The Informer in his account of a lengthy battle during which he experienced organ failure and temporarily lost movement of his hands.

In the months leading up to his July 25 performance at the online benefit concert, Herrera continued promoting the U.S.-Cuba collaboration as a key reason for what he described as a miraculous recovery.

“Dr. Crombet and other doctors in Cuba worked with Dr. Melisa Brunsvold of the Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation program in Minnesota to take care of my lungs and replace it with fresh oxygen,” he said. “In between the whole team of cardiologists and doctors in Cuba, I was able to be brought back to life. It’s imperative to let the people know that two health programs can work together [for the benefit] of the whole community.”

Cuba’s Henry Reeve International Medical Brigade — a brainchild of the late Fidel Castro that was later named for a soldier in the Cuban war for independence — has assisted more than 60 foreign nations on medical missions, even as U.S. officials attempted to circumvent such collaborations with

MUSICIANS Page 26

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

SYSTEMIC RACISM IS AS REAL AS ANY DISEASE. OUR INDUSTRY IS NOT IMMUNE. Diversity is essential to a robust innovation ecosystem that can create new medicines for those who need them. America’s biopharmaceutical companies are pushing for necessary, positive and long-term change to better meet the needs of Black and Brown America. That means: •

Open, honest, real conversations about racial equity and what it means to have a culture of inclusion.

•

Expanding opportunities to work and succeed in our industry.

•

Advancing policy solutions and research to better address health disparities.

•

Diversifying our business practices to better invest in Black and Brown America.

•

Earning trust and addressing systemic issues that deter Black and Brown communities from participating in clinical trials, so that people who want to participate, can.

Follow our progress at phrma.org/equity

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

AUGUST 6 - 12, 2020 25

EDUCATION Union Band Historic Memorial Park during the final class held at the Cemetery (2501 Mill Road Northwest on July 30.

Nana Malaya Rucker led a Libation Ceremony on behalf of the Mt. Zion - Female Union Band Society Historic Memorial Park after which students told the stories they uncovered while demonstrating that still today Black lives matter.

A vibrant community in historic 18th, 19th and 20th-century Georgetown, African Americans led varied lives as physicians, real estate tycoons, business proprietors, artisans, chefs, draymen, coachmen, and general laborers. One, Jesuit priest Patrick Fran-

cis Healy, was the 29th president of Georgetown University. They raised families, played, laughed, grieved, and loved before, during and after the Revolutionary War, the Civil War and World Wars I and II. Their stories have largely been ignored, forgotten and covered up.

In June 2020, the Initial Class of the Project met at the Mt. Zion - Female Union Band Cemetery, a site of memory associated with the UNESCO Slave Route Project and listed on the National Registry of Historic Places. Located in a secluded, forgotten corner in the Herring Hill section of Georgetown, the cemetery is the final resting place of the thousands of African Americans who were buried there between 1809 to 1950 and who are the focus of the Project. Using just the names and dates extracted from crumbling, cracked, and broken tombstones or surviving burial records, students were challenged to reconstruct the lives of at least five individuals.

During Zoom sessions led by avocational genealogists and historians Garrett Lowe of Eagle Eye Tutoring, Inc. and Tom Duckenfield of TDB Communications, Inc., students learned how to use and evaluate primary documents (e.g., birth, marriage, and death records; will and probate records; “free negro” registrations; emancipation compensation petitions; and Freedmen’s Bureau records); documents digitized in online digital genealogy platforms such as www.ancestry. com ; and original documents archived in state, local and federal

“When it comes to defending Cuba’s territorial sovereignty, we too often overlook the cultural assault, this primarily because of the Bay of Pigs invasion, the 635 assassination attempts on the life of Commandante Fidel Castro and the illegal racist blockade,” Egbuna said. “We must not forget that films like ‘The Godfather Part II’ and the 1984 remake of ‘Scarface’ were Hollywood’s contribution to Cold War propaganda.

“This includes the boxing match in the 1980s involving Aaron Pryor and Alexis Arguello,” Egbuna said. “It was a pleasure to rally artists all over the African world to show their love and appreciation for the Cuban People and their revolution.” WI

5 Eric Roberson (Courtesy photo)

Students Honor Lives of Free, Enslaved Blacks Buried in Georgetown

Summer Program Concludes as Local Youth Learn a Vital Lesson in History WI Staff Report The Mt. Zion Female Union Band Society Historic Memorial Park, Inc. and Eagle Eye Tutoring, Inc. jointly celebrated the successful completion of a fourweek summer study program, “The Project,” that provided unique opportunities for 30 middle school, high school and college students to conduct original historical research to uncover and memorialize some of the hidden history of Georgetown’s African Americans.

The resultant database of vital statistics, biographies, interviews, photos, audio and video were donated to the Mt. Zion - Female

MUSICIANS from Page 24 assertions that the Cuban government exploits its doctors.

When the coronavirus pandemic first hit, 28,000 Cuban doctors, nurses and medical personnel were already dispatched to other countries. Much to the chagrin of the Trump administration, the brigade would later provide services in more than two dozen countries, including Italy and the United Kingdom.

These acts of service continue what “Get Out of Cuba’s Way!” campaign organizer Obi Egbuna Jr. described as a tradition that the U.S. continues to disregard, and attempt to sabotage, for overtly political reasons.

26 - AUGUST 6 - 12, 2020

5 Students participating in the Eagle Eye Tutoring program conducted original historical research to uncover and memorialize some of the hidden history at the Mt. Zion – Female Union Band Society Cemetery in Northwest. (Anthony Tilghman/The Washington Informer)

repositories. Students also reviewed several secondary sources, including contemporary newspapers, city directories, and scholarly books, journals and articles.

For more information about Mt. Zion /Female Union Band Historic Memorial Park, visit https:// www.BlackGeorgetown.com or contact Lisa Fager, executive director at LFager@MtZion-FUBS.org.

(202) 253-0435.

For more about Eagle Eye Tutoring, visit https://www.eagleeyetutoring.com or Adelaide S. Barrett, Adelaide@eagleeyetutoring.com, (202) 302-1252.

The Mount Zion/Female Union Band Historic Memorial Park, Inc. (Foundation), incorporated in 2005 in the District, jointly manages the preservation and commemoration of the Mt. Zion and Female Union Band Society Cemeteries. Historically called the Old Methodist Burying Ground, the cemetery originated as a churchyard burial ground and subsequently evolved in terms of changing ownership and frequency of use. It was established by the Montgomery Street Methodist Church in 1808, which gathered at the Montgomery Street Meeting House, formerly located on Twenty-Eighth Street between M and Olive Streets, Northwest, formerly Montgomery Street between Bridge and Olive Streets, approx-

imately one-half mile southwest of the cemetery. For more, visit www.

BlackGeorgetown.com.

Tom Duckenfield, CEO of TDB Communications, Inc., was born in 1964 at historic Freedmen’s Hospital, established a century earlier in the District by the Medical Division of the Freedmen’s Bureau to provide care to former enslaved persons freed following the Civil War. His maternal and paternal roots are firmly entrenched in the Commonwealth of Virginia, including Westmoreland County, Richmond County, Northumberland County, Caroline County, Hanover County, Greensville County and Richmond City. Through his mother, Evelyn Newman Duckenfield, he is both a double-descendant of the Thompson and Newman families of Westmoreland County, manumitted in 1791 by Councillor Robert Carter III’s Deed of Gift, as well as a descendant of James McCoy, a Westmoreland County free Black patriot of the American Revolutionary War. Through his late father, Thomas A. Duckenfield, Sr., he is a descendant of free Black indentured servant Penelope Pugh (b. 1748, Bertie, NC) and Sir Nathaniel Duckenfield, Jr. (b.

1746, Cheshire, England), a British Loyalist during the American Revolutionary War and 5th Baron of Dukinfield, England. WI

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

African-American Families Suffer Greater Challenges During Day Care Shutdowns Many Essential Working Parents Face Strenuous Child Care Battles

AARP AUTO INSURANCE FROM THE HARTFORD TO SPEAK WITH AN AGENT AND REQUEST A FREE QUOTE CALL THE HARTFORD TO SEE HOW MUCH YOU COULD SAVE:

By Lindiwe Vilakazi WI Contributing Writer Substantial numbers of Black and minority families across the District are working essential careers at disproportionate rates in comparison to their counterparts, leaving parents struggling to maintain work and day care options for their children amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

While the District government has built initiatives to ensure child care services for essential government and health care employees, a vast number of lower-income residents do not occupy job vacancies allowing flexibility to work while supervising their children at home.

“I’m barely managing it. I mostly work mornings, during my son’s school time. My work schedule usually conflicts with his learning hours, making it hard to work and assist him with virtual classes at the same time,” said Metropolitan resident, and essential retail worker, Tiffani Butler.

Parents and child care providers alike toil with the future of their children’s adaptability to virtual learning amidst the circumstance that they cannot immediately return to their usual day care curriculum.

“We want the kids to be able to learn, but myself as a parent, I see that virtual learning is not the same. I believe being in front of a physical teacher while learning is the best way,” said Joy Addison, Co-management of the Woodbridge Day Care Center.

Local day care facilities are also grappling to find balance upon reopening to their communities. Although licensed child care centers were granted permission to operate amid the pandemic, many have been shut down due to the high risk of COVID-19 infections.

Woodbridge Daycare Center, located in the Northeast neighborhood of Brookland, closed its doors in March with a projected

EDUCATION

1-877-579-9788

Do you or a loved one struggle on the stairs?

AN ACORN STAIRLIFT IS A PERFECT SOLUTION FOR:

ü Arthritis and COPD sufferers ü Those with mobility issues ü Anyone who struggles on the stairs

THE PURCHASE OF A NEW STAIRLIFT!

CALL NOW FOR YOUR FREE INFORMATION KIT AND DVD!

1-855-841-2971

*Not valid on previous purchases. Not valid with any other offers or discounts. Not valid on refurbished models. Only valid towards purchase of a NEW Acorn Stairlift directly from the manufacturer. $250 discount will be applied to new orders.

Please mention this ad when calling. AZ ROC 278722, CA 942619, MN LC670698, OK 50110, OR CCB 198506, RI 88, WA ACORNSI894OB, WV WV049654, MA HIC169936, NJ 13VH07752300, PA PA101967, CT ELV 0425003-R5.

5 A daycare lies empty as parents struggle to find options for their children amid the COVID-19 pandemic. (Courtesy photo)

reopening in October of this year.

District child care subsidies have helped to make ends meet while day care providers arrange plans to welcome families back into their facilities.

“The subsidy funding is still coming in, so we’re still able to cover things like the mortgage, the water — the main bills. So that’s a large part of how we’re able to stay afloat,” Addison said.

But despite financial assistance helping to keep local facilities open, temporary closures have forced essential working parents deemed unqualified under the Emergency Child Care Initiative requirements, to choose between working or supervising their children.

The city currently sustains 468 licensed child care facilities, with only over roughly ⅓ of these centers operating with either limited or full reopening standards at this time.

Since the citywide shutdown beginning in March of this year, the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) has coordinated weekly calls averaging 350360 weekly participants, providing updates and exchanging dialogue with all District child care providers of the broader early child care community.

“We have meetings every Mon-

day with OSSE. They give us updates, information on PPE’s, and advice for our centers whether they’re currently opened or closed.

They’ve been doing their part,” Addison said.

The District continues to provide child care subsidies to qualifying families, regardless of their habitual provider’s status. The emergency funding affords parents the ability to reserve child care services while working in essential positions that prohibit options for telework.

Allocated stipends cover a portion and, in many cases, full child care service costs contingent on each family’s earning bracket.

OSSE maintains a contracted partnership with the DC Child Care Connections, who focuses efforts to connect families with available care options, now being more essential than ever.

“The public health emergency even further underscores the critical status of early childhood care and education in D.C. and across the country,” said Hanseul Kang, the District’s superintendent for education. “We are working incredibly hard to provide the necessary guidance, support, and technical assistance to all of our child care providers during this really challenging time.”

WI

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

DENTAL Insurance Physicians Mutual Insurance Company

A less expensive way to help get the dental care you deserve If you’re over 50, you can get coverage for about

$1 a day*

Keep your own dentist! NO networks to worry about NO annual or lifetime cap on the cash benefits

No wait for preventive care and no deductibles – you could get a checkup tomorrow Coverage for over 350 procedures including cleanings, exams, fillings, crowns…even dentures

you can receive

FREE Information Kit

1-877-308-2834

www.dental50plus.com/cadnet *Individual plan. Product not available in MN, MT, NH, RI, VT, WA. Acceptance guaranteed for one insurance policy/certificate of this type. Contact us for complete details about this insurance solicitation. This specific offer is not available in CO, NY; call 1-800-969-4781 or respond for similar offer. Certificate C250A (ID: C250E; PA: C250Q); Insurance Policy P150(GA: P150GA; NY: P150NY; OK: P150OK; TN: P150TN) 6096C MB16-NM001Gc

AUGUST 6 - 12, 2020 27

You’ll be ready when your dream home is.

With a SureStart Pre-approval , you’ll benefit from: ®

1

• Confidence throughout your home search • A competitive advantage over other homebuyers without a pre-approval • The ability to act quickly with a complimentary pre-approval letter

Ask us how you can get ahead in the home buying process.

Mike Kidwell Home Lending Officer 301-370-0738 m.kidwell@citi.com citi.com/mkidwell NMLS# 431321

Anthony Ogun Home Lending Officer 301-332-6017 anthony.ogun@citi.com citi.com/anthonyogun NMLS# 132153

Terms, conditions and fees for accounts, programs, products and services are subject to change. This is not a commitment to lend. All loans are subject to credit and property approval. Certain restrictions may apply on all programs. This offer contains information about U.S. domestic financial services provided by Citibank, N.A. and is intended for use domestically in the U.S. 1

Final commitment is subject to verification of information, receipt of a satisfactory sales contract on the home you wish to purchase, appraisal and title report, and meeting our customary closing conditions. There is no charge to receive a SureStart Pre-approval. However, standard application and commitment fees will apply for the mortgage loan application. ©2020 Citibank, N.A. NMLS# 412915. Member FDIC and Equal Housing Lender. Citi, Citi and Arc Design and other marks used herein are service marks of Citigroup Inc. or its affiliates, used and registered throughout the world.

275802 - Washington Informer Ad - Campbell.indd 1

28 - AUGUST 6 - 12, 2020

7/13/2020 12:14:51 PM

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

OPINIONS/EDITORIALS

EDITORIAL COVID-19 is America’s Greatest Threat, Even with #45’s Sleight of Hand President Trump recently spoke with a reporter about the impact of the coronavirus on the lives, health and welfare of the American population. Most people heard the interview which probably didn’t say much that we already know.

But for those who weren’t listening carefully, the skillful method which Trump employed to downplay the number of deaths may have been overlooked. That’s why it’s important to consider the “facts” and then do your own homework and analysis before agreeing with his, or anyone else’s conclusions given the deadly results that COVID-19 has had on our nation.

As Trump pulled out his charts and graphs, he asserted that the U.S. is faring far better than a slew of other countries around the globe including several European nations, Korea and China when it comes to the number of those who have died due to the virus.

But when pushed by the reporter, he used a trick made famous by performing artists in different art forms to entertain their audience or manipulate what appears to be obvious.

This fine motor skill, also called “sleight of hand,” is more often associated with close-up magic, card magic, card flourishing and stealing.

In this case, Trump chose to emphasize the total number of deaths recorded due to COVID-19 while refusing to comment on the reporter’s nuanced inquiry about the relationship between the number of deaths compared to the overall percentage of the American population.

In other words, while the number of deaths may “seem” to suggest that we’re on the right track in efforts to ebb the flow of recently surging deaths or infections, that conclusion can only be truthfully stated if one uses statistics in a creative way.

As far as we’re concerned, it doesn’t matter whether he’s talking about raw numbers or numbers compared to the overall American population. America is losing the battle against this insidious virus and unless a national strategy based on science becomes the norm, we’re going to keep recording deaths and infections at unprecedented numbers.

We deserve the truth! WI

Black Women Leaders are ‘Not Your Aunt Jemima!’

In less than two-weeks, Democratic hopeful Joseph Biden will announce his choice, most likely a woman, to run with him on the Democratic ticket. It’s not the first time a woman was considered. Over the past 116 years, 10 women have reportedly made it onto the ballot as a VP nominee, which is far less than the women who’ve sought the U.S. presidency, including Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm who ran in 1972. Women listed among the Vice Presidential nominees have come from diverse backgrounds, including Charlotta Spears Bass, the first Black woman nominee for vice president in the U.S., who ran on the Progressive Party ticket in 1952. Others include LaDonna Harris, the first Native American woman nominee who ran on the Citizens Party ticket in 1980 and Emma Wong Mar, the first Asian American woman nominee, who ran on the Peace and Freedom Party ticket in 1984.

The list of potential women candidates is long, with an impressive number of Black women among those who voters are privately selecting as their choice and recommendation to Biden.

Of the possible candidates named, in every interview they’ve given, they provided a unified conclusion that Biden is the person to beat Donald Trump in November, and, regardless of who is selected, they will support the party ticket to ensure Trump is defeated.

Yet, Black women are refusing to be disrespected. This week, a highly prestigious and representative group issued an Open Letter boldly denouncing Barry Presgraves, mayor of Luray, Virginia, for commenting on Facebook, “Joe Biden has just announced Aunt Jemima as his VP pick.”

“Barry, we are not your Aunt Jemima,” a list of more than 100 Black women leaders wrote.

“Make no mistake,” the letter went on, “we are servant leaders – motivated by a desire to uplift and advance our communities and nation. And we will not tolerate racist or sexist tropes consistently utilized in an effort to undermine our power!”

Please make no mistake about it. Black women have the power to birth, nurture and elect leaders. Let the record show how they plan to exercise their influence and power this November. WI

TO THE EDITOR True Sigma Loved seeing the photos of the brothers of Phi Beta Sigma honoring John Lewis. What a sight to see in person and in the paper. Rest well, Mr. Lewis.

Gary Fleming Washington, D.C.

Masking Truth About Mail-In Voting I’m not sure how I feel about voting by mail. That sounds like a disaster waiting to happen. If we can wear face masks to the grocery store, public transportation and everything else, surely we can wear a mask and social distance to vote.

Cathey Guy Washington, D.C.

Readers' Mailbox

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

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

AUGUST 6 - 12, 2020 29

OPINIONS/EDITORIALS Guest Columnist

By Julianne Malveaux

Both the Economy and the Senate Stumbling

On the same day we learned that the U.S. economy contracted by 9.5 percent in the second quarter of this year, the U.S. Senate adjourned and went home, even though the economic contraction is the largest since growth data has been collected. They left without passing the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES)

Act. They left without continuing the $600-per-week emergency assistance for those out of work because of COVID-19. They left without meaningful action, although another 1.434 million people had filed unemployment claims, an announcement that was made the same day that they fled Washington. Hopefully, if they help constituent service hours in their home states, they will be greeted with resounding boos.

The economic bad news is stag-

gering. According to the Census, more than a third of all low-income households did not have enough food in July. The number was higher for Black and brown families, at about 40 percent.

Hundreds of thousands of businesses have closed — with more than 40 percent of black-owned businesses being shuttered, some permanently. And there is still no coronavirus vaccine.

One is expected sometime in 2021. Until then, the economy will continue to be a mess,

Guest Columnists

and the Senate is taking a break.

They took off Friday, July 31, and planned to reconvene on Tuesday, Aug. 4. But in the face of an emergency, they might have foregone a long weekend to pass the HEROES Act in some form or another.

That’s the rub, though. Republicans think the $3 trillion relief is too much. They don’t want unemployed people to get a federal subsidy of $600 per week. They want people to waive their right to sue

employers. They don’t think the federal government should help reopen schools. And rather than sit down with Democrats and work toward a compromise, they stumbled home.

While too many people are hungry, broke, and out of work, the Senate is short on solutions, mainly because Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell refuses to work amicably with the House

MALVEAUX Page 53

By Marc H. Morial

Looming Wave of Evictions Will Deepen the Economic Crisis

“The issue of inability to pay, poverty, and unemployment – that existed pre-COVID-19. The difference between now and then is that the pandemic has shifted the line of poverty. There are more people at risk than before.” — Attorney Raphael Ramos of Wisconsin’s Eviction Defense Project In his Pulitzer Prize-winning

book “Evicted,” Matthew Desmond quotes a woman he calls Arleen describing the profound exhaustion of trying to keep a roof over her children’s heads. She says, “Just my soul is messed up.”

Her children are so defined by the experience of being evicted, over and over again, that one of them vows to become a carpenter so he can build her a house.

The moratorium on evictions that was imposed by the CARES Act in March expired last week.

Guest Columnist

The estimates on the number of Americans on the brink of eviction range from 10 million to 28 million.

With the nation foundering in the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression and poised to plunge even further, more than 12.5 million renters were unable to make their most recent rent payment. Almost twice as many fear they won’t be able to pay next month’s rent. About 56% of those renters are Black or Latino. More

than 3 out of every 10 Black renters is behind on rent, and 46% of Black renters have no confidence they can make their next rent payment.

Even before the pandemic, nine of the 10 highest-evicting large U.S. cities had populations that were at least 30% Black.

Among the eviction cases filed since the pandemic began, nearly two-thirds were in communities with above-average populations of color. With evictions clustered

in lower-income Black neighborhoods, entire communities already struggling with massive job loss and business closures are disrupted by a churn of people moving in and out that severs close-knit social networks.

With supplemental unemployment insurance payments expiring and Congress nowhere near a deal to extend them, the nation is

SCOTUS’ 2013 dissolution of Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act. In her dissent, she wrote: “The sad irony of today’s decision lies in its utter failure to grasp why the [Voting Rights Act] has proven effective Throwing out preclearance when it has worked and is continuing to work to stop discriminatory changes is like throwing away your umbrella in a rainstorm because you are not getting wet.”

Justice Ginsberg looms large. Notably, she is one-fourth of the liberal wing of the Supreme Court. She’s reliable in her support for liberal positions of juris prudence. Her decisions have always been based upon protections and greater inclusiveness for individuals without regard to race, gender or gender identification.

Current administration and Senate dispositions guarantee that any replacement for her would hold a judicial philosophy that was diametrical-

MORIAL Page 53

By E. Faye Williams

One More Reason

By the time you read this, it will no longer be breaking news that one of the cancers which has plagued Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg has returned. Thankfully, she has declared her intention to remain on the court and, prayerfully, her longevity will extend well beyond the January 2021 presidential inauguration. I have no doubt that if, before then, she should no longer be

30 - AUGUST 6 - 12, 2020

able to fulfill her responsibilities as an associate justice, Mitch McConnell would attempt to push a Supreme Court nominee through Senate confirmation with mercurial speed.

Justice Ginsberg has proven herself to be a woman of character, strength, integrity and endurance. Her judicial decisions have identified her as a champion of the people and a staunch proponent of real justice.

“The Notorious RBG” has been a force for equal rights and justice for decades — long before her confirmation to the Supreme Court. I can

only assume that her commitment to women’s rights, civil rights and rights for the LGBQT community is based upon her experiences as a victim of discrimination. For all citizens of conscience, the news of the recidivism of her cancer should be met with deep regret and, especially for political progressives, provides one more reason to vote against #45!

Justice Ginsberg’s decisions and declarations from the bench have commonly met the test of practicality and good judgment. For me, her most notable quote referenced

With the 2020 election and the prospect of a new administration in 2021, the health and well-being of

WILLIAMS Page 53

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

OPINIONS/EDITORIALS Guest Columnist

By Barrington M. Salmon

Why We Must Support Plans for a New Reentry Center in D.C.

Advocates, faith leaders and members of the community in D.C. have long called for the nation’s capital to build a more compassionate, holistic and effective model for providing social services to the men, women and young people transitioning back into society after incarceration.

Yet, despite a shared goal of pro-

viding better support to individuals making that daunting transition, the thorny question of how, exactly, to move forward has been the subject of much debate and sometimes, rancorous disagreements over the particulars.

This has clouded the considerable consensus that something must be done and, as a result, stalled whatever progress was made.

In 2018, the Federal Bureau of Prisons awarded a contract to a nonprofit organization to replace the city’s

Guest Columnist

finds itself at a critical moment. As an unflinching advocate for real criminal justice reform, I am determined to do all I can to help the community come together to bring about real change on this issue.

I have long followed efforts aimed at reforming D.C.’s criminal justice system, and have spent many years giving voice to returning citizens, their families and the varied challenges they face. Often those of us in the wider community forget that we’re dealing

incumbent reentry provider, Hope Village, and manage a new program at an existing location in northeast Washington. But some in the neighborhood resisted the idea of such a facility in their backyard, prompting the owner of the building to abruptly back out of the deal, leaving the city back at square one.

Now, after the BOP tapped the same organization — CORE DC — in June to start up a new reentry center in Ward 7, the city once again

with our brothers and sisters, human beings who made a mistake but paid their debt to society. Unfortunately, the stigma of their incarceration follows them and they’re often not afforded the opportunity to get a second chance. I articulated the need for the District of Columbia to move on from Hope Village if it was really committed to assisting returning citizens and providing them with the crucial sup-

SALMON Page 54

By Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Sr.

We Don’t Need Trump’s Thugs in Chicago

“Hitler had his Brown shirts and Mussolini had his Black shirts, now Donald Trump has his camouflage shirts.” Thus began a statement signed by 15 distinguished interdenominational religious leaders in Chicago that I joined, including ministers, priests and rabbis.

Comparisons to Hitler are always explosive, but the comparison is apt.

“Hitler’s bullyboys,” the statement continues, “operated on the fringes or

outside of the law to violently intimidate Germany’s leftists and finally to exterminate Jews. Trump’s bullyboys are operating on the fringes or outside the law to violently intimidate America’s progressives and people of color who are exercising their First Amendment right to protest racial injustice.”

Portland, Oregon, provides the model. Trump dispatched untrained, unidentified, camouflage-wearing, military-uniformed, no name-tagged bullyboys who are literally kidnapping protesters, stuffing them in unidentified vans, taking them to unknown locations without charges — and

Askia-At-Large

against the wishes of local law enforcement officers the mayor of Portland and the governor of Oregon.

Trump has announced that he will send similar teams to Chicago, New York, Detroit, Atlanta, Baltimore and other “liberal Democrat-run cities,” to use his phrase. The excuse is to defend federal property. The reality is that this is a cynical re-election ploy. As Portland shows, Trump’s gambit will spark a large, hostile reaction which he hopes to use to scare suburban voters into supporting this law-and-disorder president.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has

warned Trump not to try this in Chicago. “[N]o troops, no agents that are coming in outside of our knowledge, notification, and control that are violating people’s constitutional rights.”

Lightfoot told CNN’s Jake Tapper on Sunday during an appearance on “State of the Union. “We can’t just allow anyone to come into Chicago, play police in our streets, in our neighborhoods, when they don’t know the first thing about our city. That’s a recipe for disaster. And that’s what you’re seeing playing out in Portland on a nightly basis.”

We support her resistance — and

the opposition expressed by the Pentagon, members of Congress, former U.S. military officials, historians and constitutional scholars — to Trump’s effrontery.

We don’t need the president’s thugs in Chicago, but we would like real federal assistance. While overall crime has decreased compared to last year, violent crime — particularly murders and shootings — has soared.

Chicago has no gun shop and no gun range. The guns come from outside of Chicago, generally across

JACKSON Page 54

By Askia Muhammad

Stokely Carmichael, John Lewis Deserve Better

I am grossly offended that an impeached president would disrespect civil rights legend John Lewis and everything the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) stood for after his death. No, not the incumbent. No. 45 did order White House flags to be briefly flown at half-staff when Lewis died. I’m talking about #42, that other shamed

and impeached White House grifter, Bill Clinton.

Bubba, as he was known, had the unmitigated gall to stand up and fix his mouth to damn Lewis with faint praise in the form of an insult aimed at Kwame Ture, formerly known as Stokely Carmichael: “I say there were two or three years there, where the movement went a little too far towards Stokely, but in the end John Lewis prevailed.”

In other words, John was a “good Negro.” He was not like the unruly

Stokely character who co-authored the book “Black Power.” Unfortunately, Lewis, who remained friends with his successor in the SNCC leadership, even publicly praising him, was not able to respond to the insult.

Besides, Bubba was wrong about the history and direction of SNCC. Kwame was succeeded in the chairmanship by H. Rap Brown — now known as Jamil Al-Amin — who was even more militant, and the SNCC, the Black Panthers and the Black movement rejoiced in the change.

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

How dare Bubba offer his revisionist, white, neo-liberal interpretation of the history of the civil rights movement before a Black audience, at the funeral of one of its icons? I’ll tell you how. He stood on the authority he derived when he slapped activist and recording artist Sister Souljah around, comparing her to former Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard David Duke at a 1992 campaign rally — also, by the way in front of a Black audience — the Rev. Jesse Jackson’s Rainbow Coalition.

Bubba liked to clown in front of Black folks. He once appeared on Arsenio Hall’s television show, playing the saxophone, wearing dark glasses like he was some sort of a Cool Breeze. His skinning behavior and popularity with Black voters earned him the sobriquet: The First Black President. Not. Me, I fell in love with Stokely, long before I ever met him. He spoke to my heart, to my generation, in the

ASKIA Page 54 AUGUST 6 - 12, 2020 31

LIFESTYLE New Ledisi Album is the Right Summer Find

Vocalist Taps Many Musical Influences

By Brenda C. Siler WI Contributing Writer Thank goodness for Ledisi, who takes us through the remainder of the summer with her new album “The Wild Card.” I get the impression that the title reflects the vocalist’s ability to make herself available to her diverse fan base. “Wild Card” drops on Aug. 28. The date is auspicious for many historic reasons.

It was the day that Dr. Martin Lu-

ther King Jr. delivered his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech during the March on Washington. In 2008, then-Sen. Barack Obama accepted the Democratic nomination for the presidency. It is the anniversary date when slavery was abolished in the U.K. The time is now for Ledisi’s latest creation “The Wild Card.”

The first single from the album, “Anything for You,” a duet with P.J. Horton, has received airplay

for the past few months.

“The prayer was to always release it at this time. I just didn’t know it would be so needed right now,” Ledisi said in an interview about the single.

“Anything for You,” was produced with one of Ledisi’s longtime collaborator Rex Rideout, one of the industry’s best-kept secrets who has been responsible for many hits since the early ‘90s and has worked with artists such as Al Jarreau, Brian Culbertson, India.Irie, Angie Stone, Will Downing, Lalah Hathaway and many others.

“Next Time” is a selection on the album with opening guitar chords that took me back to a late ‘60s to early ‘70s songs from male R&B singers like Bobby Womack, Johnny Taylor or Willie Hutch. The guitar chords lead to a build up of drumming with Ledisi’s voice soaring above it all.

A soft start on the cut “Now or Never” is reminiscent of the Deniece Williams 5 Ledisi (Courtesy of East 2 West Collective) 3 Ledisi’s “The Wild Card” is set for an Aug. 28 release. (Courtesy of East 2 West Collective)

hit “Free.” Again, drums come in strong, leading Ledisi’s vocals to a style that sound like singing scales that go higher and stronger with each note. Her voice takes you comfortably up those scales. You want to see where the trek takes you. The lyrics are about love choices, wrestling with “to be or not to be,” a recurring theme on the album.

“On this album, I got to play around with background vocals more,” Ledisi said. “I’ve always produced my projects, but this time I had a lot of control over how I wanted it to be produced.”

The longing of loss is what we hear in “Same Love.” The lyrics take listeners through questions around trying to get “past the past” with love choices. There is a wonderful shift in tempo that feels like going from walking to skipping with this lyric, “I’m never too far, but you won’t let me closer. We’re better apart but we just can’t find closure … isn’t quite what we remember, but it’s the same love.” That would

32 - AUGUST 6 - 12, 2020

Thank goodness for Ledisi, who takes us through the remainder of the summer with her new album “The Wild Card.” be the “reality check, snap out of it” line. The delivery is effective.

Ledisi’s other co-producer on “The Wild Card” is Robert Glasper, another musician, composer, and producer who has been recognized with many awards in the past few years. He also is in that contemporary jazz, R&B, neo-soul range, but add pop and rock to his list.

With their expertise, both Glasper and Rideout capture Ledisi’s ability to stroll effortlessly through multiple music genres. Adding “Wild Card,” released on the BMG label from the multi-talented, award nominated Ledisi is worthy of adding to your collection of summer sounds.

WI

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

LIFESTYLE ‘I. AM. BACK.’: Mike Tyson Announces His Return to the Ring Former Champion, 54, Set for Eight Rounds with Roy Jones, Jr.

By Joseph Hammond Zenger News The most significant event in sports this year may be a boxing battle between two former champions in their 50s.

Once described as the “Baddest Man on the Planet,” former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson is returning to the ring at age 54. Tyson is planning to make a stunning return to the ring on Sept. 12, he announced Thursday.

“Iron Mike” will fight an eightround exhibition against another former heavyweight champion, Roy Jones Jr. — who is himself 51. The fighters will not use protective headgear, as is typical for exhibition bouts, but will use 20-ounce gloves, heavier than is typical for even heavyweight fighters, who weigh more than 200 lbs. and usually contest fights with 12-once gloves. Added padding is meant to meant to provide better protection. Fighters older than 40 usually use 16-ounce gloves in competitive contests, though in his prime, Mike Tyson’s partners insisted the champion wear 18-ounce gloves so they would be better protected from his punches.

The fight will take place behind closed doors at Dignity Health Sports Park in California and be broadcast on pay-per-view.

“You all still want to see these hands go? You all know I don’t know how to say, no,” said Roy Jones Jr. in a video posted on Twitter.

In the footage, Roy Jones, Jr., who like Tyson is considered one of the alltime greats of the sports, suggests he would have preferred to fight Tyson in 2003. Earlier this year, another former boxing champion, Andre Ward, said Jones turned down $40 million for a world title contest between the two in 2003. Jones first expressed interest in facing Tyson last month.

At the time, Roy Jones Jr. had made history by capturing the World Boxing Association heavyweight title from John Ruiz Jr. Only one other former middleweight world champion, Bob Fitzsimmons, had successfully challenged for a heavyweight title—in 1897. Roy Jones Jr. won world titles in four different weight classes from middleweight to heavyweight during his career.

Then, Tyson was in the closing stages of his career, having lost to British heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis in a title fight in 2002. Instead, Jones returned to the light heavyweight division, losing two of three matches in a memorable trilogy with Antonio Tarver before his career cooled.

Tyson took to social media to post a series of videos showing off a renewed hunger for the sport with a series of training videos that suggest the 54-year-old still has much of the explosive punching power that brought 44 of his 54 wins by knockout. A promotional video released by Tyson to promote the fight also shows that Tyson and Jones both appear to have some gas left in the tank. The fight will be broadcast on pay-per-view and on the multimedia platform Triller, which is producing a ten-part docuseries about the fight.

The bout comes as several other former boxing greats have teased comebacks in recent months. Former British world champion Nigel Benn announced that he would be returning to boxing at the age of 55 last year, more than 23 years since his last fight.

Benn’s return was called off due to a sparring injury.

Tyson’s apparent return to the ring has also prompted former multi-division boxing champion turned promoter Oscar De La Hoya, 47, to suggest he may launch his ring return.

Besides the financial motivation, many of these former boxing stars seem inspired to end their boxing careers on a high note. Like Tyson, Oscar De La Hoya’s final fight was a stoppage loss. Tyson retired in 2005 following two back-to-back losses.

“Human beings are not meant to be humbled,” Tyson said in a promotional video released today to promote the fight.

Tyson appears to hope that many other former stars feel the same. His fight with Roy Jones Jr. will be the first event for a new “Legends Only League” series Tyson announced he is co-founding in another video released on social media Thursday. Legends Only League will pit nominally retired sports stars including boxers, soccer, basketball and baseball players in undisclosed competitive matches within their respective sports. WI

3 The 54-year-old is set for eight rounds with Roy Jones, Jr. (Courtesy photo)

ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY! America’s #1 Best seller!

JUST US!

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

by Walt Carr

173 pages of political cartoons with a black point of view about the black condition in America

$19 95 Now available on Amazon

CARRtoonsPlus.com

Stay Informed! www.washingtoninformer.com

AUGUST 6 - 12, 2020 33

LIFESTYLE

Bernell Trammell, Advocate for Black Lives Matter and Donald Trump, Murdered Well-known Milwaukee Resident, Street Preacher Beloved by Community

By Troy Schulz Zenger News

5 Bernell Trammell speaks his truth. (Courtesy photo)

34 - AUGUST 6 - 12, 2020

Bernell Trammell, a local personality of Milwaukee’s Riverwest neighborhood who was known for his political activism and religious proselytizing, was shot and killed in broad daylight.

Trammell, a vocal Rastafarian sometimes nicknamed “Ras,” was known to his neighbors as a “Rasta street preacher” who would frequently quote Biblical scripture to passersby. He said in one video interview that his support of Donald Trump was a result of religious prophecy and a “sign of the times.”

And Wisconsin Republican Party chairman Andrew Hitt has called for an investigation into whether Trammell’s murder was politically motivated. Trammell was well-known for his support of President Donald Trump, frequently carrying and displaying signs reading “Vote Donald Trump 2020.” But he was also a supporter of Black Lives Matter and Democratic mayoral candidate Lena Taylor.

“Because of Trammell’s well known political activism and the possibility that his murder could be politically motivated, I respectfully request that United States Attorney Matthew Krueger open an investigation into this heinous crime,” Hitt said in a statement. “No American should fear for their personal safety because of where they live or their political affiliation.”

The 60-year-old was killed at 12:30 p.m. last Thursday outside the office of eXpressions Journal, a business he owned and ran that published political and religious materials. Police described the suspected shooter, who was captured on closed-circuit video, as a man in his 30s, approximately 6 feet tall and weighing roughly 200 pounds.

Screen captures released by police showed the suspect wearing a black mask that covered part of his face, a red-and-white baseball cap, a black-

and-red long sleeve shirt with white text on the front, light-colored pants and black shoes.

Despite his eccentric politics and presentation, Trammell was respected and liked by many in his community.

Vaun Mayes, a community activist who has been involved in recent anti-racism and anti-police brutality protests, called Trammell “a community elder and beloved figure” and organized a vigil for him outside the eXpressions office.

Kevan Penvose, a local pastor and activist, wrote on his Facebook page: At the community vigil today I didn’t see any of these GOP officials who are now trying to use my neighbor’s tragic death as a wedge issue. But black community leaders were there to pay respects to the man known as Ras and Halo, because Black Lives Matter means All Black Lives Matter, which has nothing to do with partisanship as we strive for justice in unity. … Ras Trammell was a man with whom I hardly ever agreed about anything he wrote on his signs, but also, as a Rasta street preacher, he was one of the people that make my neighborhood so uniquely wonderful.

Sgt. Sheronda Grant, a spokesperson for the Milwaukee Police Department, said the department has yet to identify a motive and is still seeking a suspect. WI

Despite his eccentric politics and presentation, Trammell was respected and liked by many in his community.

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

BE READY TO SAVE A LIFE.

Text “LiveLongDC” to 888-111 to find Naloxone locations near you.

Naloxone (aka NARCAN®) is a medication that reverses an opioid overdose and can save the life of your friend, your loved one, even yourself.

NO COST. NO PRESCRIPTION.

LIVE

LONG

DC

Saving lives from the opioid epidemic

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

AUGUST 6 - 12, 2020 35

LIFESTYLE

New ALPHA PAC Formed to Raise Ranks of Blacks, People of Color at Federal Level Dr. Cameron Webb, the Rev. Raphael Warnock Among First Slate of Endorsements WI Staff Report

Alpha Political Action Committee [ALPHA PAC)] recently announced its formation along with an initial slate of endorsed candidates ahead of the November 2020 election.

ALPHA PAC, independently formed by members of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. the nation’s oldest Black intercollegiate fraternity, has pledged its goal to increase the number of African Americans and people of color in the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate.

“ALPHA PAC will help elect Black Americans and people of color who are committed to ensuring justice for all in health, housing and our criminal justice system,” said Isaac Fordjour, an ALPHA PAC spokesperson. “At a time when issues of racial injustice and threats to our

democracy abound, ALPHA PAC stands ready to boost a generation of leaders and voters committed to perfecting our union through service and advocacy in our communities.”

ALPHA PAC’s initial slate of endorsed candidates includes the Democratic Nominee for Congress in Virginia’s Fifth Congressional District, Dr. Cameron Webb. If elected in November, he’ll become the first Black physician to be a voting member of Congress.

“Our nation has a tough road in front of us. We need to focus on recovery but at the same time focus on equity and justice. More than that, we need to proceed in this work with a focus on service and thoughtful leadership” Webb said.

“I am running for Congress to bring so many of those values and qualities to Washington on behalf of

my district – values that have been nurtured and sharpened over the past 17 years through the bonds of our fraternity. I’m honored to have the support of ALPHA PAC in this campaign, and together, I know that we will transcend all.”

The Rev. Raphael Warnock, pastor of the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, has also earned ALPHA PAC’s support. Warnock is a Democrat running for U.S. Senate in Georgia’s Special Election. There are two Senate elections in Georgia this year.

“We’re in a fight to ensure all Georgians voices are heard,” Warnock said.

“The men of Alpha Phi Alpha have always lifted me and pushed our communities forward. I’m grateful for ALPHA PAC’s support as we set out on a mission to make this country work for all Americans.”

Show your school spirit!

5 Dr. Cameron Webb (Courtesy photo)

Both Webb and Warnock are members of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. In addition to directing financial support to its candidates, ALPHA PAC will mobilize communities of color to GOTV in endorsed candidate’s races across the country and

.

bring attention to critical legislation impacting communities of color.

In this most critical election of our lifetime, ALPHA PAC says it will ensure the voices and concerns of people of color are well-represented in elected office and at the ballot box.

WI

Count Down to the Commitment March “Get Your Knee Off Our Necks” Friday, August 28, 2020

Support our local schools and help fight hunger

Momentum for the Commitment March Friday, August 28, 2020 is gaining steam. Meet National Action Network in Washington, D.C. to call for police accountability reform on the heels of the 2020 presidential election.

Announced by Rev. Al Sharpton and co-convened by the eldest son of Dr. King, Martin Luther King, III.

Register you and your family today. www.nationalactionnetwork.net For any concerns call (202) 819-7143 This campaign is managed by Albertsons Companies Foundation, doing business as Safeway Foundation, a 501(C)(3) organization.

36 - AUGUST 6 - 12, 2020

No Justice No Peace

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

Ready for Anything.

Since 2011, Internet Essentials from Comcast has connected millions of people from low-income homes to the internet so they can be ready for anything.

We recently announced we will continue to provide 60 days of free internet to new Internet Essentials customers.

Learn more at comcast.com/internetessentials

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

AUGUST 6 - 12, 2020 37

LIFESTYLE

Churches Being Vandalized, Desecrated Surge across America Catholic League President: ‘Every last bit of it is driven by hatred’

By Caitlin Yilek Zenger News A rash of vandalism at churches has left a statue of Jesus Christ headless and some set ablaze.

The reports come amid a national debate over what to do about offensive and controversial statues.

President Trump signed in executive order in June vowing criminal prosecution for anyone who damages a monument or memorial, including religious property.

The incidents could be considered a hate crime, Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami said. He said he’s not surprised to see a wave of attacks on places of worship.

“When we see acts of vandalism around the country, those acts of vandalism can result in more acts

VOTING from Page 11 “The campaign is attempting to limit Pennsylvanians’ constitutionally protected right to vote by preventing the use of ballot dropoff locations,” the filing charges.

“A limit on the use of mail-in ballots would place unlawful and unwarranted restrictions on the time, place, and manner of voting in the November 3 elections.”

Further, it would “primarily affect people of color and medically vulnerable individuals, who experience disproportionately higher rates of infection, illness, and death due to the pandemic and face grave risks to their health and the health of their communities if they vote in person.”

“Our democracy works when all voters can exercise their fundamental right and cast a ballot that counts,” said Kenneth Huston, president of the NAACP Pennsylvania State Conference. “Accessing the ballot box is particularly challenging for many Pennsylvanians during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Reducing access to the vote-bymail process risks disenfranchising eligible voters. The NAACP has stood with Pennsylvania voters who seek to vote safely and will continue to do so here.”

“Election officials in some counties have tried to make it easier

38 - AUGUST 6 - 12, 2020

of vandalism,” Wenski said.

“Just as our Jewish brothers and sisters are always very concerned about any incident of anti-Semitism, even if it instigated by someone who is mentally unbalanced, they immediately become very vigilant,” he said. “Catholics, we have to be vigilant also.”

More than a dozen churches across the U.S. has been vandalized in recent weeks, including a Florida church set ablaze by a man who crashed his vehicle into the building.

“This white van came towards me, did a U-turn, jumped the pavement and crashed into the, broke into the two front doors of the church. He’d gotten inside the narthex, put 10 gallons of gasoline on the floor, set it on fire and came for people to vote in the middle of a pandemic, and the Trump campaign is cynically trying to undercut that effort,” said Reggie Shuford, executive director of the ACLU of Pennsylvania. “No matter who people want to vote for, there should be as few hurdles as possible to exercise that right.

John Powers, counsel at the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, said, “At a time of a public health crisis, when every reasonable step should be taken to make voting more accessible, the Trump campaign has filed this suit to make it less accessible.”

When it comes to voter suppression, one can find many examples across the country. In Denton County, Texas, close to half of Denton’s voting machines were inoperable because the wrong machines had been delivered to early voting locations, creating confusion and long lines.

In July 2016, the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that HB 589, often referred to as North Carolina’s “monster voter suppression law,” found that the legislation, which introduced a restrictive voter ID law, reduced early voting opportunities, and eliminated same-day registration, outof-precinct voting and preregistration, targeted African American voters with”surgical precision.” WI

out. And I was face to face with him like this. And he jumped into his car and off he sped,” the Rev. Patrick O’Doherty said in a video shared on the Queen of Peace Catholic Church’s website.

Police arrested 24-year-old Steven Anthony Shields and charged him with attempted murder and arson, among other charges.

Shields has previously faced assault and drug possession charges. He is being held without bond.

No one was hurt in the attack, according to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.

Artwork hanging on the walls was “severely damaged” and needed to be replaced, but relics were “one of the few things that didn’t burn,” O’Doherty said in the video.

“I take the attack on the church as a sign we’re doing the right thing here,” he said.

Since then, a statue of Jesus Christ was decapitated in Miami.

An antiabortion memorial was damaged in New York. Virgin Mary statues in Colorado, Massachusetts and Tennessee were desecrated. The doors of a church in Connecticut were painted with “anarchist and satanic symbols,” the Archdiocese of Hartford said in a Facebook post. A crucifix in Illinois was also vandalized in early July.

Other places of worship were vandalized during the protests following George Floyd’s death, including St. John’s Episcopal Church near the White House and St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City.

Members of Murph-Emmanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, a predominately Black church in North Highlands, California, found racial slurs and threats of violence carved into an air conditioning unit.

“Everything started with George Floyd, and then of course it spun out of control,” said Catholic League President Bill Donahue, pointing to the police killing of an unarmed Black man in Minneapolis and the ensuing calls for the removals of statues that are seen as racially insensitive as a possible

5 A rash of vandalism at churches continues across U.S. (Courtesy photo)

motive.

“It’s all driven by hatred. Every last bit of it is driven by hatred,” Donahue said.

In California, several statues of St. Junipero Serra, an 18th-century Spanish missionary, were removed by protesters or local authorities amid a reexamination of the missionary’s treatment of indigenous people. Pope Francis canonized St. Junipero during a visit to the U.S. in 2015.

“There is no question that California’s indigenous people endured great suffering during the colonial period and then later faced the horror of government-sanctioned genocide under the nascent State of California,” Bishop Jaime Soto, of the Roman Catholic Diocese in Sacramento, said in a July 5 statement. “This legacy is heartbreaking. Yet, it is also true that while Fr. Serra worked under this colonial system, he denounced its evils and worked to protect the dignity of native peoples. His holiness as a missionary should not be mea-

sured by his own failures to stop the exploitation or even his own personal faults.”

It’s not always those who have been critical of places of worship who are accused of desecrating them. Sometimes it’s an inside job.

An organist at St. David’s Episcopal Church in Indiana was arrested after an anti-gay slur, swastika and “Heil Trump” was graffitied on the exterior of the building after Trump’s election.

A member of Hopewell Missionary Baptist in Mississippi was charged with setting fire to the church before Election Day in 2016.

The issue is not exclusive to the U.S. It’s happening in Europe, too.

France recorded 1,052 incidents in 2019 it described as anti-Christian. Of those, 996 were actions and 56 were threats.

A January news release from the French Ministry of the Interior said “the actions counted mainly consist of attacks on religious property.” WI

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

Taking action on our commitment to Greater Washington, D.C. We know we must do more to address the very real consequences of systemic racism that exist in society today.

The impact on communities across the country is clear, including where our teammates live and serve our clients.

To drive progress, Bank of America has committed to invest $1 billion over four years to advance racial equality and economic opportunity, building on work we’ve had underway for many years. We’re partnering with community and corporate leaders to create sustainable change. Our actions will help address critical issues and long-term gaps, including: •

connecting workers to new skills and enhanced job readiness

•

increasing medical response capacity and access to health care

•

powering minority-owned small businesses through access to capital

•

helping people find a place to call home they can both love and afford

We know there’s a lot of work to be done, but we promise to keep listening as we work together on this shared mission.

Lawrence Di Rita Greater Washington, D.C. Market President

Bank of America, N.A. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender

© 2020 Bank of America Corporation. All rights reserved.

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

AUGUST 6 - 12, 2020 39

LIFESTYLE

Herman Cain, 74, Former Presidential Candidate, Dies From COVID-19

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer @StacyBrownMedia

5 Herman Cain (William S. Saturn via Wikimedia Commons)

40 - AUGUST 6 - 12, 2020

Herman Cain, a business executive who rose to prominence during his failed bid for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination, died Thursday, July 30 from coronavirus-related complications. He was 74.

Cain was admitted last month to an Atlanta-area hospital after testing positive for the novel coronavirus, two weeks after attending President Donald Trump’s campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

“Herman Cain — our boss, our friend, like a father to so many of us — has passed away,”

said Dan Calabrese, the editor of Cain’s website. “We all prayed so hard every day. We knew the time would come when the Lord would call him home, but we really liked having him here with us, and we held out hope he’d have a full recovery.”

The former CEO of Godfather’s Pizza, who also once owned and operated more than 400 Burger King restaurants, briefly surged to the top tier of candidates during his White House bid with his “99-9” tax plan.

Cain, an avid Trump supporter who served as co-chair of Black Voices for Trump, attended the June 20 rally in Tulsa, where he

was one of the president’s surrogates. Photos from the event show little social distancing and many attendees, including Cain, not wearing masks.

The late businessman also had a history of cancer, a preexisting condition that makes one more susceptible to the coronavirus.

Born Dec. 13, 1945, Cain has served as a columnist and radio host. He also served as chairman of the board of directors for the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City.

Prior to a successful business and economics career, Cain worked as a mathematician in ballistics for the U.S. Navy. WI

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

LIFESTYLE

wi book review “White Too Long: The Legacy of White Supremacy in American Christianity”

By Robert P. Jones c.2020, Simon & Schuster $28 320 pages

By Terri Schlichenmeyer WI Contributing Writer Sundays just don’t seem to last.

You get up, attend church, attend fellowship, rush home for dinner, maybe more church in the evening. And before you know it, Sunday’s over and you’re left trying to remember what you learned, to get you through the week. But maybe, says Robert P. Jones in “White Too Long,” it’s time to examine what you learned that you don’t remember.

Nearly 180 years ago, at a convention of members of the Baptist church, the issue was raised about whether there was room in Christianity for slaveholding. In the days following the gathering, Reverend Basil Manly, former pastor of the First Baptist Church of Charleston, sent out a letter demanding confirmation that indeed, a Godly man could have slaves. When his group received a swift denial, Manley and other church leaders split and formed their own organization, a move that ultimately led to the formation of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), the country’s largest Christian denomination.

And until about 40 years ago, says Jones, this pro-slavery stance and the white supremacist roots went largely unexamined by white Baptists. Politics were not always mentioned with these issues then — at least, not like they are now.

Lest we point fingers unfairly, however, Jones says that racism is not just a Southern Baptist Convention notion: the same issues crop up in Catholicism and other denominations, as well as other areas of the U.S. Overall, he states that white Christianity has been the biggest, ‘til-now-unchallenged reason for the propagation of white power and dominance.

So what can be done?

Rather than merely removing or destroying statues honoring white supremacists, many cities are also placing markers honoring integration and Black leaders. We can pay attention to our histories, and recognize our own most complex truths. And, he says, time will also help — it has to, because our nation’s souls are at risk.

The first — perhaps only — thing you’ll need to know about “White Too Long” is that it’s deep. Bottom-of-the-ocean deep. Like, all-13-verses-of”Amazing Grace” deep. It’s not even close to what you might consider to be a casual read.

As the founder of Public Religion Research Institute and a man who grew up in the Southern Baptist church, author Robert P. Jones bases his material here on his own solid studies, as well as theology and personal background.

That’s all good, but the depth of the content and meaning of this information also results in ideas that circle back and back again, and that can make the mind reel in befuddlement. You may have to read a sentence (or a paragraph) two or three times to get the full impact of it, or to understand what’s before or after it. This can feel like a very long sermon on a very sleepy Sunday morning.

Beware that there’s controversy all over this book but in today’s world, it’s an absolute must-read — as long as you give yourself time for thought. If you are a theologian especially, or are fighting racism, “White Too Long” might not be long enough. WI

horoscopes

AUGUST 6 - 12, 2020

ARIES Today’s a good day to connect with your family over a good meal or around the outside fire pit in the evening. Younger relatives may want to tell you about their hopes and dreams and could even listen to your advice. This is also a good day to connect with siblings or cousins and their children. Today you draw strength from your family. Lucky Numbers: 5, 11, 31 TAURUS As much as you love your family sometimes, you have to go your own direction. It’s good to be upfront with your family about the direction you want to pursue and so a discussion may unfold. Taurus are slow to anger but you can be irritated when people around you seem to be stubbornly holding onto old ideas. Give them time to digest what you’re telling them. Lucky Numbers: 11, 13 28 GEMINI You probably heard the expression, “don’t poke the sleeping bear,” but it’s so tempting. In this case, the sleeping bear is a relative of yours—possibly a sibling—and your words are a very pointy stick. Today, you could get into an argument, and while it’s likely Geminis will win, it doesn’t really help you have a better relationship with your sibling. Save your energy and skip the conversation. Lucky Numbers: 4, 25, 56 CANCER For those who are dating, this aspect could make a casual connection more serious. This could be an engagement or deciding to live together. For those Cancer already in a love relationship, this is a good day to renew your commitment to each other. Recognize how much your sweetheart is contributing to the household and the success of the family. Lucky Numbers: 19, 20, 22 LEO This is the perfect opportunity to speak up and tell your beloved how you feel about a situation, but you may struggle to find the right words. Don’t let this slide when you have the opportunity to address it.

Mercury is in a position of strength for Leos now, and can give you the right words. Take a moment before you speak and convey thoughtfully. You’ll make more progress than you think. Lucky Numbers: 7, 33, 40 VIRGO Your interest may be peaked by a new topic, an article you read, or a video you saw, and now you want to jump in and explore this idea. And you should. With this much enthusiasm behind it, there is something you spiritually need from this experience. It doesn’t mean you’re going to spend the rest of your life mountain climbing, photographing architecture in Greece, or making cakes that look like sushi, but there is an important lesson that comes from indulging in this new interest. Lucky Numbers: 41, 44, 53 LIBRA Everybody seems to need you and your pocketbook. This may feel out of balance at the moment, but the scales will realign in a week or two. An application for a new job done online today could bring success over the next few weeks. For those Libras who own a business, this is a great day to announce when your prices will be going up. Lucky Numbers: 5, 13, 18 SCORPIO Business opportunities seem to fly at you from out of nowhere. And while you might not be looking for career change right now, your magnetism is strong and so you might as well see what this is all about. This energy can also affect love relationships taking your current partner and making them your betrothed. Lucky Numbers: 6, 9, 48 SAGITTARIUS If you’re looking for a new place to live, it will be challenging to stay on budget. The same goes for Sagittarius who are shopping for furniture or home decor items. You may skip IKEA and go right to Room & Board or some other high-end store. The plus is the house will end up looking great. But before you shop, check with family members to see if there are some hand-me-down that could work out just as well. Lucky Numbers: 11, 14, 54 CAPRICORN You may be getting ready for guests, or your house is for sale so you’re getting ready to show it. Either way, your talent for cleaning, organizing, and decorating will help you get ready for what’s ahead.

You might want to keep minimizing your number of possessions, as a peaceful environment really brings positive energy for you. Construction projects are also good at this time. You can look at getting permits or finding a good contractor. Lucky Numbers: 25, 26, 51 AQUARIUS Negotiations and agreements come your way. You can talk your way through a challenging situation. You can dispute points of a contract and win. There’s no reason to hold back what you think. It’s OK to speak your mind, as there is an aura of protection around you now. Your guardian angel is watching you and will step in to help you if you’re about to go too far. Lucky Numbers: 8, 9, 17 PISCES You are exuding pheromones and your magnetism is attracting looks and admiring glances. Today’s a good day to go out and meet new people. Consider saying “yes” to a coffee date, or if you’re feeling really bold say “yes” to more than one. Allow others to make you feel good by accepting their compliments and allowing them to be kind to you. Lucky Numbers: 3, 4, 27

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

AUGUST 6 - 12, 2020 41

CAPTURE the moment

For more photos, visit www.washingtoninformer.com

ENTREPRENEUR’S MESSAGE: ‘BUY BLACK’ Thomas Squire, Black chef and owner of Thomas Thyme Catering, held a safe outdoor event to support Black-owned businesses at Cabin John Park in Bethesda.

He gave his guests self-curated “swag bags” to raise awareness about brands African Americans should support. (Brigette Squire/The Washington Informer)

42 - AUGUST 6 - 12, 2020

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

this is what saving energy looks like Save money and help the environment this summer by powering down your devices on Pepco’s Peak Savings Days.

Learn more at pepco.com/Peak © Potomac Electric Power Company, 2020

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

AUGUST 6 - 12, 2020 43

SPORTS Sports World Reacts to Washington Football Team Moniker

Teammates Welcome Back Alex Smith, Bryce Love Following Injuries

By Daniel Kucin, Jr. WI Contributing Writer danielkucin88 After the Washington Redskins moniker was retired on July 13, owner Dan Snyder and company have searched for a new name regarding the Washington, D.C.based NFL franchise.

However, the new name was not what most expected to receive.

Moving into the 2020-2021 NFL regular season, the franchise will be known as the Washington Football team.

The decision was announced on July 23 and received strong reactions from the sports world for the unconventional name choice.

“Who you play for? The Wash-

ington football team . . . naw that ain’t it,” said former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant in a Twitter statement. “For some reason that alone makes me feel it won’t be a football season. I’m sad seriously.”

Even Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James couldn’t contain himself after hearing the new name.

“Just waking back up from my pregame nap to see about The Washington Football team???”

James said on social media. “Is that real?? No way! Oh man they had a thorough intense long board meeting about that one huh.”

In a statement from the team, Washington outlined that the decision to use the “Washington Football Team” name this season will allow the franchise to under-

take an in-depth branding process to include player, alumni, fan, and community accurately with sponsor input. It is essentially a placeholder name for the time being.

“To date, we have been pleased to see so many people putting forward their vision of what the new name and design should be on their social media channels, and we look forward to including their feedback as this process progresses,” Washington said in a statement.

Starting tomorrow and over the next 50 days, we will begin the process of retiring all Redskins branding from team properties, whether it be FedEx Field, Redskins Park, other physical and digital spaces.

We hope to complete this process in full by the team’s home opener against the Philadelphia Eagles on September 13.”

Though the name change has dominated the headlines over the past few weeks, the Washington Football Team is looking ahead as we inch closer to the regular season.

The quarterback room will welcome a familiar face as quarterback Alex Smith has been cleared by personal doctors to play this season after suffering a gruesome leg injury that almost cost him his life.

Smith took a massive hit from J.J. Watt and Kareem Jackson during a match against the Houston Texans on Nov. 18, 2018. Smith dealt with complications after surgery, but the 36-year-old bounced back and rehabbed since then.

“The thing that jumps right out at me is urgency to learn,” said Wash-

5 Washington Football Team quarterback Alex Smith looks to come back from an injury that nearly cost him his life. (Daniel Kucin, Jr./The Washington Informer)

ington Football Team quarterbacks coach Ken Zampese about Smith.”

“There is nothing about him that says, ‘I already got this, I know this, I did it like this before.’ It is, ‘How are we doing it here in Washington? How do you want me to do it?

These are the things and experiences that I have had.’”

When asked how Smith will be utilized, Zampese expressed concern about the former pro bowler without seeing him perform in practice.

“Well, physically, the first thing we have to find out is if he can protect himself and we’ll figure that out as we go and as he passes the certain criteria to get to the next level of getting himself back to the field,”

NFL Chief Doctor Says Teams, Players Must Be Educated About Coronavirus Risks

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer @StacyBrownMedia Following a disastrous reopening

by Major League Baseball, where as many as 17 Miami Marlins players and personnel have tested positive for the coronavirus, forcing the postponement of several games, the NFL remains cautiously optimistic as training camps open.

“It’s about education and understanding,” Dr. Allen Sills, the NFL’s chief medical officer, told BlackPressUSA. “I think people are trying to be really thoughtful about this, and I think people do look at risk and risk mitigation in different

44 - AUGUST 6 - 12, 2020

ways. But I feel like it’s the right thing to do, to try to learn to live with this virus.”

A big part of the challenge remains to find ways to carry on safely, Sills said.

Last week, the heavy-contact sport reopened camps, but officials have decided not to hold traditional preseason games to help keep risks at a minimum. All players were scheduled to report by Aug. 4, but as many as 22 already have opted out of the 2020 season.

The season is scheduled to kick off Thursday, Sept. 10.

“Players and coaches [and other personnel] have to make the best decisions for them,” Sills said.

5 Dr. Allen Sills (Courtesy of Duke University)

The league announced that it has put in place safety measures that include increased sanitizing. Social distancing would be enforced, including in player treatment rooms

and weight rooms, at mealtimes and on the playing field.

Reportedly, training camps are

MARLINS Page 51

Zampese said.

We will figure those things out as we go, and when it gets to the point where he gets to practice, we will find out. You don’t lose the experience that you have playing the position. Some of those things will be like riding a bike and others won’t be. We will jump through all those hoops when the time comes. I am really excited about that.”

Another player coming back from injury is former Stanford standout running back Bryce Love. Washington selected Love with the No. 112 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, but he was on the injured reserve list last season.

During his tenure at Stanford, the 5-foot-9, 200-pound playmaker was a First Team All-American and enjoyed a spectacular junior season rushing for more than 2,000 yards.

If healthy, this could be a breakout year for Love.

“I think the biggest thing is when you look at Bryce, he had a phenomenal career at Stanford, Washington Football Team running backs coach Randy Jordan said. “I have known Bryce for a long time.

I actually recruited him when I was at the University of North Carolina.

He has some of the same tools as his Stanford teammate, [Christian] McCaffery.

For him, it is just having confidence. Making that cut and getting hit. That is the thing with not having any preseason games. It hurts him as a player because he has not played. All the practices that we have lined up, we will get a clean evaluation of him. We are excited to have him back.” WI

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

Let’s power on.

At Pepco, we’re committed to maintaining a strong energy grid to deliver reliable service for our customers.

We want to make sure you have what you need to keep powering on, so if you’re facing financial challenges, we have programs to help you now and for the future.

Learn more at pepco.com/Help

© Potomac Electric Power Company, 2020

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

AUGUST 6 - 12, 2020 45

Blazing Fast Internet!

ADD TO YOUR PACKAGE FOR ONLY

19

$

.99 /mo.

where available

2-YEAR TV PRICE GUARANTEE America’s Top 120 Package

MO.

190 CHANNELS

Including Local Channels!

CALL TODAY - For $100 Gift Card Promo Code: DISH100 for 12 Mos.

1-855-402-3370

Offer ends 1/31/21.

All offers require credit qualification, 24-month commitment with early termination fee and eAutoPay. Prices include Hopper Duo for qualifying customers. Hopper, Hopper w/Sling or Hopper 3 $5/mo. more.

Upfront fees may apply based on credit qualification.

MOLD, MOLD, MILDEW & WATER LEAKAGE IN YOUR BASEMENT CAUSES HEALTH AND FOUNDATION DAMAGE.

WHAT CAN BE DONE TO FIX THE PROBLEM? WE WILL GIVE YOU A FREE EVALUATION, ESTIMATE & A FAIR PRICE.

CALL (800) 420-7783 FOR 20% OFF!!!

CALL NOW AND RECEIVE 20% DISCOUNT WITH YOUR FREE ESTIMATE OVER THOUSANDS OF BASEMENTS REPAIRED IN THIS AREA.

Expert Software Development Higher Quality Than In-House Lower Cost Than In-House Faster Than In-House

Ask us how!

TOLL FREE USA/CANADA

Experience the Difference

1-888-859-4853 itbgn.com/projects

LASER HAIR REMOVAL - IN A TUBE! NEW! Hairfree gets rid of unwanted hair and kills the root to stop new hair growth. Works like laser hair removal - in a tube - for a fraction of the cost!

Puts an end to non-stop shaving, plucking and waxing.

Be hair-free in 30 days! 100% money-back guarantee.

Order by phone: 323-405-3331 (lines open 24/7) Buy online: www.hair-free-hair-remover.com www.hair-f PROMO: 10% & FREE shipping with code: CN9

Are You Still Paying Too Much For Your Medications?

You can save up to 97% when you fill your prescriptions with our Canadian and International prescription service.

Their Price

Crestor

TM

914.18

$

Typical US Brand Price

for 40mg x 100

Our Price

Rosuvastatin* $

148

Generic equivalent of CrestorTM Generic price for for 40mg x 100

Get An Extra $15 Off & Free Shipping On Your 1st Order!

Call the number below and save an additional $15 plus get free shipping on your first prescription order with Canada Drug Center. Expires December 31, 2017.

Offer is valid for prescription orders only and can not be used in conjunction with any other offers. Valid for new customers only. One time use per household.

Use code 15FREE to receive this special offer.

Toll free: 855-541-5141

Please note that we do not carry controlled substances and a valid prescription is required for all prescription medication orders.

BIDEN from Page 1 Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden plans to announce his decision before the party’s convention on Aug. 17.

Biden has remained tight-lipped about which direction he’s leaning.

He initially stated he’d announce his choice by Aug. 1, but vetting, interviews, and reviews of candidates have taken longer than originally thought.

Further, Biden’s inner-circle appears split on who should join him at the top of the ticket. He has maintained that the individual “should be ready to step into the role of president from Day 1.”

It’s believed that a large field of nearly two dozen has narrowed to as few as three.

Reading the tea leaves — or various news publications — suggests that Bass, Rice and Harris have made the final round.

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump penned an op-ed on CNN.com pushing Harris, while The Washington Post questioned why Biden would consider Rice, and the New York Times and Fox News zeroed in on Bass. Incidentally, the BBC featured a significant article on Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth.

“This is a time for steely-eyed public servants who play no games and demand results,” Crump wrote. “It’s time for Sen. Kamala Harris to join Joe Biden’s ticket and, God willing, help him actualize the next phase of this movement from the White House.”

On Rice, Washington Post columinst Dana Milbank wrote: “If Biden is actually considering Rice for the job — I suspect the boomlet is more about building her profile for another future post — it would be a costly mistake.”

Regarding Bass, the New York Times wrote that “she, in particular, has moved rapidly toward the top of Mr. Biden’s list amid an intensive lobbying drive by her fellow House Democrats, and has impressed the former vice president’s search committee.”

Former CBC Chair Cedric Richmond (D-La.), one of Biden’s campaign chairs and a close ally of Bass, said, “There’s going to be an awful lot to do starting on Day 1, so I think

5 Joe Biden with attorney Benjamin Crump. (Courtesy photo)

it’s important to have somebody who can be focused on that task and not running for president as soon as we finish the inauguration.”

In March, Biden declared that he would select a woman as his running mate. After capturing South Carolina, a win that catapulted his campaign, Biden rolled up the delegate count by sweeping through Nevada and dominating Super Tuesday and Super Tuesday II. The list of potential running mates swelled to nearly two dozen, with Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar.

Because the African American vote counts as critical, Biden’s inclusion in the sweepstakes of Harris, former Georgia Rep. Stacey Abrams, Florida Rep. Val Demings and other Black women ramped up speculation that a Black woman would get the nod.

After the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, pressure for Biden to select an African American mounted. Klobuchar removed herself from consideration and declared the nod “should go to an African American woman.”

The Times reported that one Democrat close to Biden’s campaign said its polling indicated that Harris “has little allure with Black voters.” More telling, a Biden campaign official reached out to The New York Times, unprompted, to say that some of the former vice president’s staff members are not supportive of her.

The newspaper reported that Biden’s advisers have “guided him in the direction of Bass, who’s highly regarded in her home state.”

With Richmond holding a key position in the Biden camp, and several Democratic lawmakers pushing for Bass, the California representative now appears to have a leg up on the competition.

Rep. Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey, a centrist leader of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, called Bass “a bridge-builder” who “wants to figure out how to get to yes,” according to the Times.

Rep. Ro Khanna of California, an outspoken progressive, was equally succinct: “She’d be a pick that every part of the Democratic coalition would respect and be excited about.”

WI

Stay Informed! www.washingtoninformer.com

Use of these services is subject to the Terms of Use and accompanying policies at www.canadadrugcenter.com.

46 - AUGUST 6 - 12, 2020

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

RELIGION the religion corner WITH LYNDIA GRANT

Don’t Quit!

“Don’t Quit” is a lovely, inspirational poem that can truly help us get through these hard times.

Let’s take a look at what it is saying: “When things go wrong, as they sometimes will, When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill, When the funds are low and the debts are high, And you want to smile, but you have to sigh, When care is pressing you down a bit, Rest if you must, but don’t you quit.

Life is strange with its twists and turns As every one of us sometimes learns And many a failure comes about When he might have won had he stuck it out; Don’t give up though the pace seems slow— You may succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than it seems to a faint and faltering man.

Often the struggler has given up when he might have captured the victor’s cup.

And he learned too late when the night slipped down,

how close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out.

The silver tint of the clouds of doubt.

And you can never tell how close you are.

It may be near when it seems afar.

So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit.

It’s when things seem worst that you must not quit!”

This inspirational poem was sent to me by Geraldine Scott Jackson, a retired schoolteacher, thanking me for the inspiration she felt from reading my column. She said, “As a frequent reader of the excellent Washington Informer newspaper, I was most inspired by your article in the Sept. 14, 2017 ‘The Religious Corner’--’Keep Going Through Storms of Life.’ Your inspirational article motivated me to respond to you in a positive optimistic manner-actually rendering me ‘hope’ to believe and never give up in obtaining a financial victory! I am a senior citizen-age — 69 — and a longtime resident of D.C. I am also a retired D.C. Public School Teacher rendering 39 years of outstanding service to the school system. Please find below a poem that I keep in my bedroom as a means of inspiration in order for me to keep the faith and continue to trust in God! I pray daily which includes a plethora of prayers. Blessings to you and your family as well!”

In Scripture, His servant Job knew

Mt. Zion Baptist Church

there was no great hidden scandal in his life engendering his trials. Job lost everything, he was being tested, but he said “naked I came into the world, and naked I will return, all the days of my appointed time, I will wait until my change comes.” Even his wife suggested he should curse God and die, but he didn’t, and he was rewarded for enduring all that he was confronted with in his life.

In Job 42:10-17: “Job prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his prosperity and doubled his previous possessions. God blessed him in the latter part of his life more than the earlier. Though he has lost everything, in the end, he owned 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 yoke of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys. He also had seven sons and three daughters. No women were as beautiful as Job’s daughters could be found in all the land, and their father granted them an inheritance with their brothers. Job lived 140 years after this and saw his children and their children to the fourth generation. Then Job died, old and full of days.”

There are many whys that we will never know in this life, like why African Americans have been treated so poorly for more than 400 years, or why we have today a U.S. president who speaks racism from his bully pulpit. But “Don’t Quit” will forever remain an important virtue for each of us to possess.

WI

John F. Johnson Reverend Dr.

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

1306 Vermont Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20005

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

EMPLOYMENT LAWYERS MCCOLLUM & ASSOCIATES, LLC ADA, Age Discrimination, Benefits, Civil Rights, COBRA, Contracts, Deaf Law, Defamation, Disability Law, Discipline, Discrimination, FMLA, FLSA, FOIA, Family Responsibility, Harassment, HIPPA, OSHA, National Origin Discrimination, Non-Compete, Race Discrimination, Rehabilitation Act, Retaliation, Severance Agreements, Sexual Harassment, Torts, Whistleblowing, Wage-and-Hour, Wrongful Discharge SERVING MARYLAND, DC, & NORTH CAROLINA

www.jmlaw.net

(301) 864-6070

jmccollum@jmlaw.net

Mount Olivet Lutheran Church

Reverend John W. Davis Pastor

Service and Times Sunday Worship Service - 8:00 a.m. & 11:00 a.m.

Children’s Church - 11:00 a.m. (1st & 3rd Sundays) Communion - 10 a.m. 4th Sunday Sunday School - 9:15 a.m. (4th Sunday 8:15 a.m.)

Prayer Meeting & Bible Study - Wednesday 7:00 p.m.

(301) 864-6070

Service and Times Divine Worship, Sunday 10:00 a.m.

Communion 1st and 3rd Sunday “Friendliest Church in the City” Website: mountolivetdc.org Email: mtolivedc@gmail.com

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

AUGUST 6 - 12, 2020 47

RELIGION The Miracle Center of Faith Missionary Baptist Church

Pilgrim Baptist Church

Bishop Michael C. Turner, Sr. Senior Pastor

Rev. Louis B. Jones II Pastor

9161 Hampton Overlook Capitol Heights, MD 20743 Phone: 301-350-2200 / Fax: 301-499-8724

700 I Street, N.E. Washington, D.C. 20002 (202) 547-8849

Service and Times Sunday Worship Times : 7:30 AM 7 10:00 AM Communion: 1st Sunday Sunday School: 9:00 AM Bible Study: Wednesday, 12 Noon Bible Study in homes: Tuesday 7:00 PM

Service and Times Worship Sundays: 7:30 & 11:00 AM 5th Sundays: 9:30 AM 3rd Sundays: Baptism & Holy Communion Prayer & Praise: Wednesdays @ Noon & 6:30 PM

Website: www.themiraclecenterFMBC.com Email: Miraclecenterfmbs@gmail.com Motto: “We Walk by Faith, Not by Sight”

www.pilgrimbaptistdc.org

Covenant Baptist United Church of Christ

Blessed Word of Life Church

Church of Living Waters

Allen Chapel A.M.E. Church

Rev. Paul Carrette Senior Pastor Harold Andrew Assistant Pastor 4915 Wheeler Road Oxon Hill, MD 20745 301-894-6464 Service and Times Sunday Service: 8:30am& 11:00 AM Bible Study: Wednesday 7:30 PM Communion Service: First Sunday www.livingwatersmd.org

St. Stephen Baptist Church

Rev. Dr. Michael E. Bell, Sr., / Pastor 2498 Alabama Ave., SE - Washington D.C. 20020 Office: (202) 889-7296 / Fax: (202) 889-2198 - www.acamec.org Service and Times Sunday Worship Services: 8:00am and 11:00 AM Sunday Church School - 9:15am & Sunday Adult Forum Bible Study - 10:30 AM 2nd & 4th Monday Women’s Bible Study: 6:30 PM Tuesday Jr./Sr. Bible Study: 10:00 AM Tuesday Topical Bible Study: 6:30 PM Tuesday New Beginnings Bible Study: 6:30 PM Wednesday Pastoral Bible Study: 6:30 PM Wednesday Children’s Bible Study: 6:30 PM Thursday Men’s Bible Study: 6:30 PM Friday before 1st Sunday Praise & Worship Service: 6:30 PM Saturday Adult Bible Study: 10:00 AM “The Amazing, Awesome, Audacious Allen Chapel A.M.E. Church”

Third Street Church of God

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

Reverend William Young IV Interim Pastor

Bishop Lanier C. Twyman, Sr. Senior Pastor

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

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

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

5757 Temple Hill Road, Temple Hills, MD 20748 Office 301-899-8885 – fax 301-899-2555 Services and Times Sunday Early Morning Worship: 7:45 AM Church School: 9:30 AM Sunday Morning Worship: 10:45 AM Tuesday: 7:00pm/Kingdom Building Bible Institute Wednesday , 12:30 PM Mid-Day Bible Study Wednesday: Prayer/Praise/Bible Study-7:30 PM Baptism & Communion Service: 4th Sunday – 10:30 AM

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

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

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

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

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

Campbell AME Church

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

Rev. Dr. Alton W. Jordan Pastor 800 I Street, NE - Washington, DC 20002 202-548-0707 - Fax No. 202-548-0703 Service and Times Sunday Morning Worship: 11:00 AM Holy Communion: 1st Sunday Sunday School: 9:45 AM Men’s Monday Bible Study: 7:00 PM Wednesday Night Bible Study: 7:00 PM Women’s Ministry Bible Study: 3rd Friday -7:00 PM Computer Classes: Announced Family and Marital Counseling by appointment E-mail: Crusadersbaptistchurch@verizon.net www.CrusadersBaptistChurch.org / “God is Love”

Greater Mt. Calvary Holy Church Bishop Alfred A. Owens, Jr.; Senior Bishop & Evangelist Susie C. Owens – Co-Pastor 610 Rhode Island Avenue, NE Washington, DC 20002 (202) 529-4547 office • (202) 529-4495 fax

Sunday Worship Service: 8:00 AM and 10:45 AM Sunday Youth Worship Services: 1st & 4th 10:45 AM; 804 R.I. Ave., NE 5th 8 AM & 10:45 AM; Main Church Prayer Services Tuesday – Noon, Wednesday 6:00 AM & 6:30 PM Calvary Bible Institute: Year-Round Contact Church / Communion Every 3rd Sunday The Church in The Hood that will do you Good! www.gmchc.org / emailus@gmchc.org

Isle of Patmos Baptist Church Reverend Dr. Calvin L. Matthews Senior Pastor 1200 Isle of Patmos Plaza, Northeast Washington, DC 20018 Office: (202) 529-6767 - Fax: (202) 526-1661 Service and Times Sunday Worship Services: 7:30 AM and 10:30 AM Holy Communion: 2nd Sunday at 7:30 AM and 10:30 AM Sunday Church School: 9:20 AM Seniors Bible Study: Tuesdays at 10:30 AM Noon Day Prayer Service: Tuesdays at Noon Bible Study: Tuesdays at 7 PM Motto: “A Ministry of Reconciliation Where Everybody is Somebody!”

Website: http://isleofpatmosbc.org Church Email: ipbcsecretary@verizon.net

St Marks Baptist Come Worship with us...

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

Twelfth Street Christian Church

Rev. Dr. Henry Y. White

Reverend Dr. Paul H. Saddler Senior Pastor

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

(Disciples of Christ) 1812 12th Street, NW - Washington, DC 20009 Phone: 202-265-4494 Fax: 202 265 4340

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

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

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

Crusader Baptist Church

Service and Times Sunday Worship Service: 11:00 AM Communion every Sunday: 11:00 AM Sunday School: 10:00 AM Bible Study Tuesday: 12 Noon Pastor’s Bible Study Tuesday: 6:30 PM Motto: “Discover Something Wonderful” Website: 12thscc.org / Email: Twelfthstcc@aol.com

Turning Hearts Church Virgil K. Thomas, Sr. Senior Pastor/ Teacher 421 Alabama Ave. SE Washington, DC 20032 Phone: 202-746-0113 Fax: 301-843-2445 Service and Times Sunday School: 10:15 AM Sunday Worship Service: 11;15 AM Children’s Church: 11:15 AM Tuesday Bible Study: 6:30 PM Motto : “A Great Commitment to the Great Commandment” Website: www.turningheartschurchdc.org Email: gr8luv4u2@gmail.com

48 - AUGUST 6 - 12, 2020

Mount Carmel Baptist Church Reverend Dr. Paris L Smith, Sr. Senior Pastor 901 Third Street N.W. Washington, DC. 20001 Phone (202) 842-3411 Fax (202) 682-9423 Service and Times Sunday Church School : 9:00 AM Sunday Morning Worship: 10:10 AM Bible Study Tuesday: 6: 00 PM Prayer Service Tuesday: 7:00 PM Holy Communion: 3rd Sunday 10:10 AM themcbc.org

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

RELIGION Shabbath Commandment Church Bishop Adrian A. Taylor, Sr. Pastor 7801 Livingston Road Oxon Hill, MD 20745 301-534-5471 Service and Times Sabbath School 9:30 a.m. – 10:30 AM Service 11:00 AM Praise & Worship Preaching 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM Motto: “A Church Keeping It Real for Real.”

Website: Shabbathcommandmentchruch.org Email: Praisebetoyhwh@gmail.com

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

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

All Nations Baptist Church Rev. Dr. James Coleman Pastor 2001 North Capitol St, N.E. - Washington, DC 20002 Phone (202) 832-9591 Service and Times Sunday Church School – 9:30 AM Sunday Worship Service – 11:00 AM Holy Communion – 1st Sunday at 11:00 AM Prayer – Wednesdays, 6:00 PM Bible Study – Wednesdays, 7:00 PM Christian Education / School of Biblical Knowledge Saturdays, 9:30 AM – 11:00 AM, Call for Registration Website: www.allnationsbaptistchurch.com All Nations Baptist Church – A Church of Standards

Israel Baptist Church

Rev. Daryl F. Bell Pastor 2324 Ontario Road, NW Washington, DC 20009 (202) 232-1730 Service and Times Sunday School: 9:30 AM Sunday Worship Service: 11:00 AM Baptismal Service: 1st Sunday – 9:30 AM Holy Communion: 1st Sunday – 11:00 AM Prayer Meeting & Bible Study: Wednesday -7:30 PM “Where Jesus is the King”

Dr. Earl D. Trent Senior Pastor

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

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

Service and Times Sunday Worship: 8:00 AM & 10:45 AM Baptism/Holy Communion: 3rd Sunday Family Bible Study Tuesdays – 6:30 PM Prayer Service: Tuesdays – 8:00 PM www.emmanuelbaptistchurchdc.org

Sermon On The Mount Temple Of Joy Apostolic Faith

Lincoln Park United Methodist Church Rev. Richard B. Black Pastor

Elder Herman L. Simms Pastor

1251 Saratoga Ave., NE Washington, DC 20018 (202) 269-0288

1301 North Carolina Ave. N E Washington, D C 20002 202 543 1318 - lincolnpark@lpumcdc.org www.lpumcdc.org

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

Service and Times Sunday Worship Service: 10:45 AM Sunday School: 9:15 AM Holy Communion1st Sunday: 10:45 AM Prayer Service: Wednesday at 6:30 PM Bible Study: Wednesday at 7:00 PM Bible Study: Tuesday at 10:30 AM

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

Service and Times Sunday Worship: 10:00 AM Holy Communion: First Sunday 10:00 AM Sunday School: 9:00 AM Bible Study: Wednesday @ 12 noon and 6:30 PM Motto: "Faith On The Hill"

Service and Times Sunday Apostolic Worship Services 11:00 A.M and 5:00 PM Communion and Feet Wash 4th Sunday at 5:00 PM Prayer/Seeking: Wednesday at 8:00 PM Apostolic in Doctrine, Pentecostal in Experience, Holiness in Living, Uncompromised and Unchanged.

The Apostolic Faith is still alive –Acts 2:42

New Commandment Baptist Church

Eastern Community Baptist Church Damion M. Briggs Pastor

Rev. Stephen E. Tucker Senior Pastor

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rehoboth Baptist Church

Reverend Peter R. Blue Sr. Pastor

Rev. Curtis l. Staley Pastor

2001 Brooks Drive District Heights MD. 20744 240.838.7074

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

Service and Times Sunday Worship Experience: 10:15am Sunday School: 9:00am Holy Communion: 3rd Sunday Morning Noontime Bible Study: Tuesday @ 12:00pm Prayer Meeting/Bible Study: Tuesday @7:00pm Theme: "Building On A Firm Foundation"

Service and Times Sunday Service: 10:00 AM Sunday School for all ages: 8:30 AM 1st Sunday Baptism: 10:00 AM 2nd Sunday Holy Communion:10:00 AM Tuesday: Bible Study: 6:30 PM Prayer Meeting: 7:45 PM

Email: revprbstmbc@gmail.com Website: www.stmatthewsbaptist.org

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

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

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

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

Shiloh Baptist Church

Matthews Memorial Baptist Church Dr. Joseph D. Turner / Senior Pastor 2616 MLK Ave., SE - Washington, DC 20020 Office 202-889-3709 - Fax 202-678-3304 Service and Times Early Worship Service: 8:00 AM Worship Service: 11:00 AM New Member’s Class: 9:45 AM Holy Communion: 1st Sunday, 11:00 AM Church School: 9:45 AM Wednesday 12:00pm Bible Study Prayer, Praise and Bible Study: 7:00 PM Saturday Bible Study: 11:00 AM Baptism 4th Sunday: 11:00 AM “Empowered to love and Challenged to Lead a Multitude of Souls to Christ”

Peace Baptist Church Rev. Dr. Michael T. Bell 712 18th Street, NE Washington, DC 20002 Phone 202-399-3450/ Fax 202-398-8836 Service and Times Sunday Early Morning Prayer & Bible Study Class: 8:00 AM Sunday School: 9:00 AM Sunday Morning Worship Service: 10:00 AM Wednesday Service: 12:00 PM “The Loving Church of the living lord “

4504 Gault Place, N.E. / Washington, D.C 20019 202-397-7775 – 7184 Service and Times Sunday Church School: 9:30 AM Sunday Worship Service : 11:00 AM The Lord’s Supper 1st Sunday Prayer & Praise Services: Wednesday 7:00 PM Bible Study: 7:30 PM Saturday before 4th Sunday Men, Women, Youth Discipleship Ministries: 10:30 AM A Christ Centered Church htubc@comcast.net

Christ Embassy DC

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

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

First Rising Mt. Zion Baptist Church

Mt. Horeb Baptist Church

Rev. Dr. Wallace Charles Smith Pastor

Rev. Oran W. Young Pastor

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Service and Times Sundays: 10 a.m. Holy Eucharist with Music and Hymns Wednesdays: 12:10 p.m. - Holy Eucharist

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

Rev. Dr. George C. Gilbert Senior Pastor

Email Address: admin@pbc712.org

Historic St. Mary’s Episcopal Church The Rev. E. Bernard Anderson Priest

Holy Trinity United Baptist Church

Florida Avenue Baptist Church

Reverend Christopher L. Nichols Pastor

Rev. Dr. Jerryl V. Moody Pastor-Elect

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

St. Matthews Baptist Church

Emmanuel Baptist Church

King Emmanuel Baptist Church

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

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

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

AUGUST 6 - 12, 2020 49

LEGAL NOTICES

LEGAL NOTICES

LEGAL NOTICES

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

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

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

2020 ADM 000336

2020 ADM 000338

2019 ADM 001374

Benjamin F. Wims Decedent

William Eugene Giles aka William E. Giles Decedent

Leslie Reynolds Garner Decedent

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

Wilbert Baccus 11807 Lisborough Road Bowie, Maryland 20720-3423 Attorney

Nakia V. Gray, Esq. 9701 Apollo Drive, Suite 100 Largo, Maryland 20774 Attorney

CL ASSIFIEDS Reader Advisory: The National Trade Association we belong to has purchased the following classifieds. Determining the value of their service or product is advised by this publication.

In order to avoid misunderstandings, some advertisers do not offer employment but rather supply the readers with manuals, directories and other materials designed to help their clients establish mail order selling and other businesses at home. Under NO circumstance should you send any money in advance or give the client your checking, license ID, or credit card numbers. Also beware of ads that claim to guarantee loans regardless of credit and note that if a credit repair company does business only over the phone it s illegal to request any money before delivering its service.

All funds are based in US dollars. 800 numbers may or may not reach Canada.

MEDIABIDS MISCELLANEOUS

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

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

Juanita B. Wims, whose address is 1426 Sheridan Street, NW, Washington, DC 20011, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Benjamin F. Wims who died on September 14, 2009 with a Will, and will serve with Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 1/23/2021. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 1/23/2021, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.

Brenda F. Triplett, whose address is 329 Jefferson Street, NW, Washington, DC 20011, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of William Eugene Giles aka William E. Giles who died on April 7, 2020 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 1/30/2021. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 1/30/2021, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.

Date of first publication: 7/23/2020

Date of first publication: 7/30/2020

Date of first publication: 8/6/2020

Juanita B. Wims Personal Representative

Brenda F. Triplett Personal Representative

John M. Garner, II Personal Representative

Any laptop repaired just $79. Macs too. REALLY! FREE Fedex shipping! $69 extra for screen or motherboard replacement.

CALL Authorized Laptop Repair Specialists 1-866-437-6184

TRUE TEST COPY

TRUE TEST COPY

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Ever Consider a Reverse Mortgage? At least 62 years old?

Stay in your home & Increase cash flow! Safe & Effective! Call Now for your FREE DVD! Call Now 888-420-4716

Washington Informer

Washington Informer

Washington Informer

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

In God We Trust Declaration of Nationality Notice of Special Appearance : I am that I am: walker, dejon dwight© in full life, in propria persona, sui juris, in solo proprio, by natural issue, the beneficiary and heir of: WALKER, DEJON DWIGHT©, corp. sole Dba.: “ DEJON DWIGHT WALKER© “, having reached the age of majority, being aboriginal to the northwestern and southwestern shores of Africa, the Atlantic Islands, the continental Americas, being duly sworn, hereby affirms to declare my intention to be as my pedigree subscribes, as an: ani yun wiya Moorish American National, but not a citizen of the United States. I declare permanent, and inalienable, allegiance to the Moorish Empire, Societas Republicae Ea Al Maurikanuus Estados / United States Republic, The Constitution for the united States of America, Article III Section 2, The Barbary Treaties, International Law, United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and all Natural laws governing moors and hereby Declare and Proclaim my nationality as an: ani yun wiya Moorish American National. Any and all facts contained in this publication, are fully applicable to any and all private tribal issue offspring of: walker, dejon dwight©, & my wife by common-law marriage, castillo, alexis julianna©, Nunc pro tunc, not limited to but including : 1. walker, aleia skye©, the beneficiary and heir of: WALKER, ALEIA SKYE©, corp sole, Dba: ALEIA SKYE WALKER©. I am that I am: walker, dejon dwight© from this day forward, Nunc pro tunc, in harmony with my Nationality / Status / Jurisdiction, shall be known as: “walker-bey, dejon dwight©”. I am that I am: walker-bey, aleia skye© from this day forward, Nunc pro tunc, in harmony with my Nationality / Status / Jurisdiction, shall be known as: “walker-bey, aleia skye©”.

Notice of Merging of Legal Title with Equitable Title : This order is to preserve legal and equitable title, and to reserve all rights, title, and interest, in the property, Re: “ WALKER, DEJON DWIGHT© ”, corp.sole Dba.: DEJON DWIGHT WALKER©, Re: “CASTILLO, ALEXIS JULIANNA© ”, corp.sole Dba.: ALEXIS JULIANNA JULIANNA©, & Re: WALKER, ALEIA SKYE©, corp sole, Dba: ALEIA SKYE WALKER©, etc., to the depositor, and or in the capacity as Guardian/Chairman of the Board of Trustees: walker-bey, dejon dwight©, nom deguerre: walker, dejon dwight©.

All property, of the same issue and amount, in like kind and specie, is to be returned fully intact, as a Special Deposit order of the Depositor / Beneficiary / Bailor / Donor / Principal / Creditor: walker-bey, dejon dwight©, nom deguerre: walker, dejon dwight©, as a special deposit order in lawful money. This special deposit is to be used exclusively for the benefit of : DEJON DWIGHT WALKER BEY TRUST©, a private foreign islamism ecclesiastical trust. CASTILLO, ALEXIS JULIANNA©, corp.sole Dba.: ALEXIS JULIANNA JULIANNA© is hereby conveyed to ALEXIS JULIANNA CASTILLO TRUST© when the beneficiary reaches the age of majority. WALKER, ALEIA SKYE©, corp sole, Dba: ALEIA SKYE WALKER© is hereby conveyed to ALEIA SKYE WALKER TRUST© when the beneficiary reaches the age of majority. This deposit is not to be commingled with general assets of any bank , nor depositary / trustee / agent / bailee / donee / debtor. This deposit is not limited to, but including: discharge and set off, of any and all outstanding liabilities as accord and satisfaction.

All Rights Reserved.

Donnell H. McNeal, Esq. Law Office of Donnell H. McNeal, LLC Suite 136-F Upper Marlboro, MD 20774 Attorney

2020 ADM 000352 Margaret Dean Decedent Nakia Gray 800 Maine Ave., SW Suite 200 Washington, DC 20020 Attorney

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Lawrence Dean, whose address is 3512 Commodore Joshua Barney Drive, NE, Apt. 101, Washington, DC 20018, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Margaret Dean who died on March 18, 2020 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 1/30/2021. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 1/30/2021, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.

Date of first publication: 7/30/2020 Lawrence Dean Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

50 - AUGUST 6 - 12, 2020

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS John M. Garner, II, whose address is 1208 D Street NE, Washington, DC 20002, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Leslie Reynolds Garner who died on July 15, 2002 without a Will, and will serve with Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 2/6/2021. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 2/6/2021, or be forever barred.

Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS To all persons Interested in the estate of Thelma Baucum Estate No. 117189 Notice is given that: Donna Johnson Carter was on 7/15/2020 appointed Personal Representative of the estate of: Thelma Baucum who died on 3/14/2020 with a Will.

SAVE 67% PLUS 4 FREE BURGERS - The Favorite Feast - ONLY $49.99.

ORDER Today 1-888-318-1190 Use Code 48643VFW or www.

OmahaSteaks.com/ ffmb93

Do you know your Testosterone Levels? Call 888-692-5146 and ask about our test kits and get a FREE Trial of Progene All-Natural Testosterone Supplement Diabetes/Cholesterol/Weight Loss Bergamonte, a Natural Product for Cholesterol, Blood Sugar and weight. Physician recommended, backed by Human Clinical Studies with amazing results. Call today and save 15 percent off your first bottle! 866-640-5982 ATTENTION DIABETICS with Medicare. Get a FREE talking meter and diabetic testing supplies at NO COST, plus FREE home delivery! Best of all, this meter eliminates painful finger pricking! Call 888-421-1874 READERS & MUSIC LOVERS. 100 Greatest Novels (audio books) ONLY $99.00 (plus s h.)

Includes MP3 Player & Accessories. BONUS: 50 Classical Music Works & Money Back Guarantee. Call Today! 1-866-680-1822

READERS & MUSIC LOVERS. 100 Greatest Novels (audio books) ONLY $99.00 (plus s h.) Includes MP3 Player & Accessories. BONUS: 50 Classical Music Works & Money Back Guarantee. Call Today! 1-866-680-1822 Personalized holiday gifts for Everyone on your list! Save 20 percent off qualifying products from Personal Creations! To redeem this offer, visit www.PersonalCreations.com/Beauty or Call 1-888-732-0679 Diabetes/Cholesterol/Weight Loss Natural Product for Cholesterol, Blood Sugar and weight. Physician recommended, backed by Human Clinical Studies with fast acting results within 30 days. Call to hear about our special offer 866-640-5982 ATTENTION DIABETICS with Medicare. Get a FREE Talking Meter and diabetic testing supplies at NO COST, plus FREE home delivery! Best of all, this meter eliminates painful finger pricking! Call 888-421-1874 SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY BENEFITS. You WIN or Pay Us Nothing. Contact Disability Group, Inc. Today! BBB Accredited.

Call For Your FREE Book & Consultation. 888-649-5110

Further information can be obtained by reviewing the estate file in the office of the Register of Wills or by contacting the personal representative or the attorney.

Attention Joint & Muscle Pain Sufferers: Clinically proven all-natural supplement helps reduce pain and enhance mobility. Call 888-760-5952 to try Hydraflexin RISK-FREE for 90 days.

All persons having any objection to the appointment (or to the probate of the decedent’s will) shall file their objections with the Register of Wills on or before the 15th day of January, 2021.

HEAT YOUR HOME FOR 5¢ AN HOUR! Portable infrared iHeater heats 1000 sq. ft. Slashes your heating bills by 50%.

FREE Shipping too! Use claim code 6239 WAS $499 NOW $279 Call 1-866-784-5182

Any person having a claim against the decedent must present the claim to the undersigned personal representative or file it with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned on or before the earlier of the following dates: 1) Six months from the date of the decedent’s death, except if the decedent died before October 1, 1992, nine months from the date of the decedent’s death; or 2) Two months after the personal representative mails or otherwise delivers to the creditor a copy of this published notice or other written notice, notifying the creditor that the claim will be barred unless the creditor presents the claim within two months from the mailing or other delivery of the notice. A claim not presented or filed on or before that date, or any extension provided by law, is unenforceable thereafter.

Claim forms may be obtained from the Register of Wills.

Donna J. Carter Personal Representative The Washington Informer Cerita Lee Register of Wills For Prince George’s County

CADNET AUTOS WANTED CARS/TRUCKS WANTED!!! All Makes/Models 2002-2019!

Any Condition. Running or Not. Top $$$ Paid! Free Towing!

We’re Nationwide! Call Now: 1-888-985-1806 HEALTH & FITNESS GENERIC VIAGRA and CIALIS! 100 Pills $99.00 FREE Shipping! 100% guaranteed. 24/7 CALL NOW! 888-889-5515 MISCELLANEOUS Earthlink High Speed Internet. As Low As $14.95/month (for the first 3 months.) Reliable High Speed Fiber Optic Technology. Stream Videos, Music and More! Call Earthlink Today 1-855-520-7938 Applying for Social Security Disability or Appealing a Denied Claim? Call Bill Gordon & Assoc., Social Security Disability Attorneys, 1-855-498-6323! FREE Consultations. Local Attorneys Nationwide [Mail: 2420 N St NW, Washington DC. Office: Broward Co. FL (TX/NM Bar.)] Become a Published Author. We want to Read Your Book!

Dorrance Publishing-Trusted by Authors Since 1920 Book manuscript submissions currently being reviewed.

Comprehensive Services: Consultation, Production, Promotion and Distribution Call for Your Free Author’s Guide 1-877-626-2213

CL ASSIFIEDS Portable Oxygen Concentrator May Be Covered by Medicare!

Reclaim independence and mobility with the compact design and long-lasting battery of Inogen One. Free information kit!

Call 888-609-2189 DENTAL INSURANCE from Physicians Mutual Insurance Company. Coverage for [350+ ] procedures. Real dental insurance -NOT just a discount plan. [Don’t wait!] Call now! Get your FREE Dental Information Kit with all the details! 1-877-3082834 www.dental50plus.com/cadnet #6258 Two great new offers from AT&T Wireless! Ask how to get the Next Generation Samsung Galaxy S10e FREE. FREE iPhone with AT&T’s Buy one, Give One. While supplies last! CALL 1-866-565-8452 or www.freephonesnow.com//cadnet Stay in your home longer with an American Standard Walk-In Bathtub. Receive up to $1,500 off, including a free toilet, and a lifetime warranty on the tub and installation! Call us at 1-855-481-3969 or visit www.walkintubquote.com/national HughesNet Satellite Internet - 25mbps starting at $49.99/ mo! Get More Data FREE Off-Peak Data. FAST download speeds. WiFi built in! FREE Standard Installation for lease customers! Limited Time, Call 1-855-973-9254 Eliminate gutter cleaning forever! LeafFilter, the most advanced debris-blocking gutter protection. Schedule a FREE LeafFilter estimate today. 15% off Entire Purchase. 10% Senior & Military Discounts. Call 1-855-402-0373 Cross country Moving, Long distance Moving Company, out of state move $799 Long Distance Movers. Get Free quote on your Long distance move. 1-844-452-1706 Call Empire Today® to schedule a FREE in-home estimate on Carpeting & Flooring. Call Today! 1-855-404-2366 DIRECTV - Switch and Save! $39.99/month. Select All-Included Package. 155 Channels. 1000s of Shows/Movies On Demand. FREE Genie HD DVR Upgrade. Premium movie channels, FREE for 3 mos! Call 1-855-781-1565 DISH Network $59.99 For 190 Channels! Add High Speed Internet for ONLY $19.95/month. Call Today for $100 Gift Card! Best Value & Technology. FREE Installation. Call 1-855837-9146 (some restrictions apply) WANTED TO BUY Wants to purchase minerals and other oil and gas interests.

Send details to P.O. Box 13557 Denver, Co. 80201 MID ATLANTIC COMMUNITY PAPERS ASSOCIATION CLASSIFIED NETWORK (MACNET) ANNOUNCEMENTS SELL YOUR ANTIQUE OR CLASSIC CAR. Advertise with us. You choose where you want to advertise. 800-450-6631 visit macnetonline.com for details.

AUTOMOTIVE OR MISCELLANEOUS Get cash for your used or junk car today. We buy all cars, trucks, and SUVs. Free pick up. Call 888-368-1016.

AUTOS/CARS FOR SALE [CARS/TRUCKS WANTED!!!] All Makes/Models 2002-2019!

Any Condition. Running or Not. Competitive Offer! Free Towing! We’re Nationwide! Call Now: 1-888-368-1016 BUILDING MATERIALS/MISC. FOR SALE Metal Roofing, Siding for houses, barns, sheds. Close outs, returns, seconds, overruns, etc. at Discount Prices. Huge inventory in stock. Slate Rd Supply 717-445-5222 FARM ACREAGE FOR SALE FARM ACREAGE FOR SALE BY OWNER - 33+ acre and 24 +/acre rural parcels. $232,000 and $168,000. 412-699-8700 HEALTH/MEDICAL VIAGRA & CIALIS! 60 pills for $99. 100 pills for $150. FREE shipping. Money back guaranteed! 1-844-596-4376 MISCELLANEOUS FOR SALE DISH TV $59.99 FOR 190 Channels + $14.95 High Speed Internet. Free Installation, Smart HD DVR Included, Free Voice Remote. Some restrictions apply. 1-855-270-5098.

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE SELLING A FARM OR HOUSE? Advertise it here and neighboring publications. We can help you. Contact MACnet MEDIA @ 800-450-6631 or visit our site at MACnetOnline.com WANTED AMERICAN & FOREIGN CARS $$ PAYING CASH $$ For Classic & Collector Cars 717-577-8206 BUILDING MATERIALS/MISC. FOR SALE Metal Roofing, Siding & Interior. Barns, sheds etc. Use it yourself or resell. Huge selection. Low Prices. Slate Rd Supply 717 445-5222 MARYLAND STATEWIDE CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING NETWORK AUTOMOBILE DONATIONS DONATE AUTOS, TRUCKS, RVs Lutheran Mission Society of MD. Compassion Place ministries help local families with food, clothing, counseling Tax deductible. MVA licensed #W1044. 410-636-0123 www.CompassionPlace.org BUSINESS SERVICES Bulk advertising at its best: advertise in over 70 newspapers and reach millions of readers with ONE call. Broaden your reach and get results for pennies per reader. Call Wanda at 410-212-0616 or email wsmith@mddcpress.com.

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

CL ASSIFIEDS SERVICES-MISCELLANEOUS Increase your customer base and get great results by placing your ads in the MDDC – Classified Advertising network! Call today 410-212-0616 Ask for Multi-Media Specialist -Wanda & watch your results grow.

WANTED TO BUY FREON WANTED: We pay CA$H for cylinders and cans. R12 R500 R11 R113 R114. Convenient. Certified Professionals.

Call 312-500-8628 or visit RefrigerantFinders.com NATIONAL ADVERTISING NETWORK, INC. (NANI) AUTOMOTIVE CARS/TRUCKS WANTED!!! 2002 and Newer! Any Condition.

Running or Not. Competitive Offer! Free Towing! We’re Nationwide! Call Now: 1-888-416-2330.

EDUCATION/CAREER TRAINING AIRLINES ARE HIRING - Get FAA approved hands on Aviation mechanic training. Financial Aid for qualified students - Career placement assistance. CALL Aviation Institute of Maintenance 888-686-1704 TRAIN ONLINE TO DO MEDICAL BILLING! Become a Medical Office Professional online at CTI! Get Trained, Certified & ready to work in months! Call 888-572-6790. (M-F 8am-6pm ET) COMPUTER & IT TRAINING PROGRAM! Train ONLINE to get the skills to become a Computer & Help Desk Professional now!

Now offering a $10,000 scholarship qualified applicants. Call CTI for details! 888-449-1713 (M-F 8am-6pm ET) HEALTH/MEDICAL VIAGRA and CIALIS USERS! 100 Generic Pills SPECIAL $99.00 FREE Shipping! 100% guaranteed. 24/7 CALL NOW! 888445-5928 Hablamos Espanol DENTAL INSURANCE from Physicians Mutual Insurance Company. Coverage for 350 procedures. Real dental insurance.

NOT just a discount plan. [Don’t wait!] Call now! Get your FREE Dental Information Kit with all the details! 1-888-6233036 www.dental50plus.com/58 #6258 ATTENTION OXYGEN THERAPY USERS! Inogen One G4 is capable of full 24/7 oxygen delivery. Only 2.8 pounds. FREE information kit. Call 877-929-9587 MISCELLANEOUS CASH FOR CARS: We Buy Any Condition Vehicle, 2002 and Newer. Nationwide Free Pick Up! Call Now: 1-800-864-5960.

DIAGNOSED WITH LUNG CANCER? You may qualify for a substantial cash award - even with smoking history. NO obligation! We’ve recovered millions. Let us help!! Call 24/7, 833-518-0768 Wesley Financial Group, LLC Timeshare Cancellation Experts Over $50,000,000 in timeshare debt and fees cancelled in 2019. Get free informational package and learn how to get rid of your timeshare! Free consultations. Over 450 positive reviews. Call 844-909-3339 BOY SCOUT COMPENSATION FUND - Anyone that was inappropriately touched by a Scout leader deserves justice and financial compensation! Victims may be eligible for a significant cash settlement. Time to file is limited. Call Now! 833-729-0164 Need some cash? Sell us your unwanted gold, jewelry, watches & diamonds. Call GOLD GEEK 1-844-209-9872 or visit www.GetGoldGeek.com/nani BBB A+ Rated. Request your 100% FREE, no risk, no strings attached appraisal kit.

Call today!

Eliminate gutter cleaning forever! LeafFilter, the most advanced debris-blocking gutter protection. Schedule a FREE LeafFilter estimate today. 15% off Entire Purchase. 10% Senior & Military Discounts. Call 1-855-995-2490 Protect your home with home security monitored by ADT. Starting at $27.99/mo. Call now to get a Free equipment bundle including: Keypad, motion sensor, wireless door and windows sensors. Call 833-719-1073 Were you or a loved one diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer, Endometrial Cancer, Fallopian Tube Cancer or Peritoneal Cancer in 2010 or later and used Johnson & Johnson Baby Powder regularly in the genital area previous to diagnosis? If so, you may be entitled to compensation. Call 877-761-9069.

Stay in your home longer with an American Standard Walk-In Bathtub. Receive up to $1,500 off, including a free toilet, and a lifetime warranty on the tub and installation! Call us at 1-855-534-6198 AT&T Internet. Starting at $40/month w/12-mo agmt. Includes 1 TB of data per month. Get More For Your High-Speed Internet Thing. Ask us how to bundle and SAVE! Geo & svc restrictions apply. Call us today 1-888-796-8850 DIRECTV NOW. No Satellite Needed. $40/month. 65 Channels. Stream Breaking News, Live Events, Sports & On Demand Titles. No Annual Contract. No Commitment. CALL 1-866-825-6523 DISH TV $59.99 For 190 Channels + $14.95 High Speed Internet. Free Installation, Smart HD DVR Included, Free Voice Remote. Some restrictions apply. 1-833-872-2545.

NEW AUTHORS WANTED! Page Publishing will help you self-publish your own book. FREE author submission kit!

Limited offer! Why wait? Call now: 866-951-7214

MARLINS from Page 44 equipped with proximity tracking devices that will alert players or staff when they are too close to one other. The device also collects data, making contact tracing easier if someone does become infected with the coronavirus.

NFL players will live in and travel from their own homes, a contrast to the NBA, which has isolated all teams and personnel at one location in Orlando, Florida.

“If they’re around each other each day, they’re going to share risk,” Sills said. “They also share a responsibility to each other, which means that they’re each making good choices when they’re away from the facility.

“We’ve tracked the CDC risk guidelines, made decisions on which ones put our players at high risk, and players can rely on those risk factors to make decisions about whether they’re going to play or not,” he said.

Sills conceded that much is still unknown about the basics of COVID-19, so everyone has “to make the best decision for themselves.” WI

FAUCI from Page 18 illnesses, Dr. Fauci pointed to many African Americans, Latinx, and Native Americans occupying essential jobs that provide little protection.

“On the one hand, there’s a greater opportunity and risk of getting infected, but even as important is that once you get infected, you have prevalence and incidence of co-morbidities that make it more likely you’ll get a severe outcome from the infection,” Dr. Fauci noted.

“Those co-morbidities are like diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, chronic kidney disease, and lung disease. It’s very clear that African Americans have a higher incidence, and the reality is that you suffer more.”

The hospitalization rates per 100,000 people are stunning when comparing African Americans and Caucasians, Dr. Fauci proclaimed.

“In many respects, it’s unacceptable that it should be that way,” he said, noting that the hospitalization rate per 100,000 African Americans stands at 247, compared to 53 per 100,000 whites.

“In other words, that’s almost five times the chance of getting hospitalized even though African Americans comprise just 13 percent of the [U.S.] population,” Dr. Fauci observed.

“That’s more than something we need to deal with.”

Dr. Fauci added that there are five fundamental things everyone could do to help stop the spread of the coronavirus.

“Wear a mask, avoid crowds of more than 10, keep a distance of at least six feet, locations should seriously consider closing bars and getting people who go to bars to stop or do it outside, and wash hands frequently either with soap and water or alcohol Purell.”

Clinical trials are vital, Dr. Fauci said.

“We hope that we will have an effective vaccine by the end of the year, which means that as we get into 2021, we want to distribute it for those who could benefit,” he added.

“We need to spend extra effort to protect African Americans, and the way you find out if the vaccine is effective is the enrollment in a vaccine trial. It would be a terrible shame if African Americans stayed away from clinical trials, and they didn’t provide for themselves the vaccine that could protect them.”

Dr. Fauci suggested that he wears a mask everywhere goes and demanded that doing so shouldn’t be about politics.

“This is about protecting each other. We’re all in this together,” Dr. Fauci said.

“I’m pleased to see that we now have the president talking about wearing a mask where he didn’t before, and the vice president wears a mask everywhere he goes. We’ve got to pull together.”

Whether reinfection of the coronavirus can occur remains somewhat of a mystery, Dr. Fauci explained.

“When you get infected with any virus, generally, when you recover, your body has made a good immune response to recover,” Dr. Fauci noted.

“We know that happens in people who had COVID-19. We don’t know what the duration of that is. There are varying levels of antibodies in people who recover, and what we’re following is how long they last. Some people find that it doesn’t last very long.”

He continued: “There are other types of immunity that go beyond, and they’re called T-cells or cellular immunity, which may also play a role in protecting people from being infected. Likely a degree of protection is pretty good for a finite period.

“There are no well-documented cases of people actually being re-infected.

There have been some anecdotally stories of people recovering who seemed to have gotten infected, but we don’t know. There’s no real hard evidence that’s happening.” WI

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

Become a Published Author with Dorrance.

We want to read your book!

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

Complete Book Publishing Services FIVE EASY STEPS TO PUBLICATION: 1. Consultation

4. Distribution

2. Book Production 5. Merchandising and Fulfillment 3. Promotion

Call now to receive your FREE Author’s Guide

877-420-7280

or www.dorranceinfo.com/informer

Lung Cancer?

Asbestos exposure in industrial, construction, manufacturing jobs, or the military may be the cause. Family in the home were also exposed.

Call 1-866-795-3684 or email cancer@breakinginjurynews.com. $30 billion is set aside for asbestos victims with cancer. Valuable settlement monies may not require filing a lawsuit.

Real hot chat now.

30 MINUTES FREE TRIAL 866-728-3876

18+ AUGUST 6 - 12, 2020 51

VIRTUAL from Page 1

MARCH from Page 1

contemplating, including a hybrid plan in which students would report to school twice during the week.

Even with the all-virtual learning announcement, Kihn alluded to such plans.

“We will continue to plan for in-person options for Term Two. We understand the concerns that families have about access to technology,” he said during the press conference in the old D.C. Council chambers in Judiciary Square. “We understand the reality of inequality. In large part, that’s what makes me concerned about having students out of the classroom for months at a time. We’re committed to giving students the tools they need to participate in virtual learning.”

Earlier this month, the DCPS central office moved its Summer Bridge program online and halted the finalization of fall plans after the Washington Teachers’ Union (WTU) President Elizabeth Davis asked, in a letter to DCPS Chancellor Lewis Ferebee, that DCPS better engages teachers in dialogue about a safe reopening.

That communication transpired after the release of “Return-to-In-Person Work” guidelines that some teachers criticized as preemptive and coercive.

That document, accompanied by a questionnaire about instructors’ willingness to teach in their school building, incited protests across the D.C. area and a campaign centered on the safe reopening of schools.

Those developments coincided with the gradual reopening of the District and other U.S. cities and states that critics have since characterized as premature.

tempting to disenfranchise people of color.

“The Supreme Court wouldn’t change the whole thing, they would take out Section 4. That took out the map with the states and counties,” Sharpton, founder and president of the National Action Network (NAN), told an audience at the House of Justice Auditorium in New York City on August 1 as he explained the events surrounding Shelby County v. Holder.

The 2013 Supreme Court case between President Barack Obama’s Justice Department and the government of Shelby County, Alabama resulted in the removal of a key Voting Rights Act provision benefitting voters living in counties and states reported to have a pattern of voter discrimination.

“They threw it back to Congress to reenact with a map that was up-to-date. That’s the John Lewis bill,” Sharpton continued as he argued for the passage of the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. If passed, the legislation would protect not only voters in select states but throughout the nation.

Last year, the bill, which also allows the Justice Department to appoint election observers, passed the Democratic-controlled House.

In the days following Lewis’ pancreatic cancer-related death, a cohort of senators called on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to bring the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act to the Senate floor for a vote.

“If we had that bill, [state and county governments] wouldn’t be able to change things without clearing it through the Justice Department,” Sharpton said. “That means Brian Kemp couldn’t have moved all those voting sites and beat Stacey Abrams for governor of Georgia.”

“That means those tricks played in Florida couldn’t have happened. So we need that bill to be introduced [with] a new map.

That’s one of the reasons why we’re going to Washington. Don’t memorialize John Lewis and leave the Voting Rights Act not intact.”

NAN’s March on Washington, scheduled to take place on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on August 28, observes the 57th anniversary of the 1963 mass gathering during which the late Lewis and The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther

MARKET from Page 13 back in there,’” Hunter said. “It was coming from the standpoint of a Republican upset that a Democrat got back inside the office. Not that it was about race. He was mad because [he’s] a Republican.”

Hunter also said some protestors have called her racial slurs and other derogatory names while trying to go inside the restaurant. In addition, she said the windows have been boarded because of broken glass consistently on the property.

“It has not been peaceful as people have been trying to say that it is,” said Hunter, who resides in the county.

“I’ve been called coons and all kinds of other stuff. I understand the reason why people are upset…and want the best for the community. This is my community. If I felt in any way that

52 - AUGUST 6 - 12, 2020

5 A back-to-school scene before COVID-19. (Courtesy photo)

Since the District entered Phase 2 of its reopening in June, COVID-19 cases have surged in nearby states. In response, Bowser ordered that District residents returning from states with high levels of COVID-19 activity self-quarantine for two weeks. She also mandated the use of face masks, an order that carries a $1000 fine if violated. This transpired just as the District Department of Health expressed concerns about the possibility of COVID-19 clusters.

On July 29, the District reported 58 additional positive coronavirus cases, bringing the total number to more than 12,000. As of press time, more than 580 people have succumbed to the virus, a significant portion of which includes people of color and residents living east of the Anacostia River.

Given the current situation, some teachers such as James Israel say that the District should embrace a learning model that, long before COVID-19, had increased in popularity not only at the K-12 level but in other academic arenas as well.

“Some colleges have online courses and they do online masters and doctoral degrees. You’re preparing students to be 21st-century virtual learners,” said Israel, a teacher at Hart Middle School and WTU vice president for junior high schools. “For me, I’ve been [facilitating] synchronous and asynchronous [learning] for the last two years. If students are not in class, I would post my lessons on Google Classroom. Mayor Bowser and Chancellor Ferebee were trying to consider all of the variables to come to a reasonable outcome.” WI

the Fish Market or the people on the inside had anything negative or derogatory to say towards the community…why would I be there? It doesn’t make sense.”

Meanwhile, the protests will continue and allegations from Sherry Giovannoni about some protesters verbally harassing employees and patron upset those such as Rachel Sherman, who owns property in Clinton and resides in neighboring Charles County.

“Sherry [told] a bald-faced lie to say that any of the protesters or organizers have subjected any employees or patrons to any type of violence or name-calling because we don’t stand for that,” she said. “When we put this protest together, the very first thing I said this is a peaceful protest and if you aren’t coming to be peaceful, don’t come at all. Sherry decided to

close the business down because she got no business.”

As protests continue, Sherman said the next step will be collecting signatures and submit them to the county’s Board of License Commissioners or liquor control board. That’s because Sherry Giovannoni posted an apology on Facebook a few days after the incident and attributed her husband’s behavior to “drinking heavily.”

“We now have documented proof that the [co-owner] has mental health issues who continues to drink at this establishment to the point he can’t service the community in a proper way,” Sherman said. “It screams irresponsibility. We believe the Prince George’s County liquor board needs to revoke [The Fish Market’s] license. This is not a business that is responsible enough to sell alcohol to the community.”

WI

King, Jr. served as speakers.

This event will be co-convened

by Sharpton and Martin Luther King III with the theme “Get Your Knee Off Our Necks” – an allusion to George Floyd whose on-camera police-related death sparked protests across the globe going on more than eight weeks.

Partners include the NAACP, the National Urban League and the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation.

MORE ABOUT THE MARCH YET TO BE CONFIRMED

As of press time, the National Park Service has yet to issue a permit for the March on Washington. An NPS representative told The Informer that logistical and security concerns have to be addressed in the weeks leading up to the event.

Sharpton and others have spent an untold number of hours promoting these points as protests for racial justice continue to rage throughout the U.S., and protesters in Portland and other American cities go toe to toe with federal military personnel. Other pieces of legislation championed by march organizers would impose a federal ban on the police chokehold and make public the disciplinary records of officers who have a history of using excessive force.

In the District, a group of mothers affected by police brutality, including Marion Gray-Hopkins and Kenethia Alston, are reportedly gearing up to participate in the commemorative march, during which they would be allowed to highlight ongoing cases and on-the-ground advocacy unfolding in the nation’s capital.

While people involved with the march declined to speak about logistics, they did hint at collaboration going beyond August 28 that would align the work being done locally with national efforts.

“After the march is the real work,” Nia 2X, president of NAN’s D.C. chapter told The Informer.

“While the National Action Network’s D.C. chapter continues fighting for justice after the historic march, the national leadership is working to have federal legislation become law so that the problems we experience across the country with law enforcement are viewed better with a national law in place.” wwWI

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

MALVEAUX from Page 30 of Representatives, led by Speaker Nancy Pelosi. And if the economic bad news is not enough, the political news is equally dire. The president has gone on a mindless rampage, suggesting that elections should be postponed because he does not believe that mail ballots are secure. Thankfully, the usually spineless Republicans pushed back hard with even McConnell asserting that there will be an election on Nov. 3, 2020. This president considers the economy his strong suit, but with the economy stumbling, he needs to create some distraction.

His resistance to having an orderly election is such a distraction.

MORIAL from Page 30 facing an unprecedented wave of eviction that will drive the nation even further into economic crisis and despair.

Eviction doesn’t just mean the loss of a home. It means the loss of self-esteem, peace of mind, community and support systems, and physical and mental health.

Safe, affordable housing has always been at the heart of the National Urban League’s mission. As economic first responders, Urban League affiliates around the country are keeping people in their homes with emergency rental assistance, intervention and counseling. We are seeing the devastating economic effects of the pandemic firsthand.

WILLIAMS from Page 30 ly opposed to hers and would work to reverse many of the hard-won civil rights gains of the past 50 years.

Understanding this gives us one more reason to vote. Although we specifically vote for president and vice president in a national election, our vote for them means so much more.

This is demonstrated by the election of #45, and his supporting cast in the Senate.

Many, even his niece, Mary Trump, have labeled #45 a virulent racist, but he’s not the only one in the White House. Stephen Miller, the identified architect of the Muslim Ban and Family Separation/Border Detention, has been identified as a racist in the ilk of his president.

Over 20,000 times, #45 has been

The challenge is that the economy is likely to worsen before it gets better, and the coronavirus deaths, already at more than 150,000, are expected to grow.

Cities and states will continue to have budget challenges. Too many children will learn little since distance learning requires technology that many poor households lack.

Too many people will go hungry.

And our “leadership” engages in bombastic and divisive rhetoric.

Every reference to the “China virus” is racist and vituperative. Vintage Donald Trump!

These times are replete with contradictions. While the Senate does not want to pass the HEROES Act, it intends to restore the tax deduction for business lunches.

Guess who benefits from that? Undoubtedly not the working poor.

Concern for the poor is nearly nonexistent, even though the poor, especially the Black and brown poor, bear the brunt of the coronavirus.

Republicans tend to respond to recession, and one way to fight recession is to pump money into the economy. But their fear that a few poor people will get their hands on “extra” money is greater than their fear of economic recession. The economy is stumbling, and so is the Senate. And thanks to the recalcitrant Senate, too many Americans are stumbling, hungry, and broke. Things will inevitably get worse before they get better. November can’t come soon enough. WI

Last October, before anyone ever heard of the novel coronavirus, the National Urban League issued an urgent call to presidential candidates to address the affordable housing crisis. The following month, we went them a letter.

It wasn’t until late November, on the sixth night of debates, that the candidates finally were asked a question about the housing crisis.

Evictions are not just a result of poverty, they are a cause of poverty. It can result in job loss and make it hard to find a new job. It can make it almost impossible to secure decent housing. It leaves scars that can last a lifetime.

This week, I joined Sen. Kamala Harris, House Financial Services Committee Chairwoman Maxine Waters and Sherrilyn Ifill, pres-

ident and director counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, to announce the introduction of the Housing Emergencies Lifeline Program (HELP) Act, which will provide funding so those at risk of eviction can access legal representation and any evictions will do limited damage to renters’ credit. The bill would allocate $10 billion in Emergency Solutions Grants, which provide funding to states and localities for homelessness prevention and outreach and legal representation for those on the verge of being evicted.

The HELP Act can do more than save people’s homes. It can save entire communities. It can stop a cycle of poverty and hopelessness. For people like Arleen, it can even save their souls. WI

Over 20,000 times, #45 has been a documented liar. I have watched innumerable cabinet members and members of the executive staff, who serve on the inside of the administration’s revolving door, lie with the same vigor as their chief.

a documented liar. I have watched innumerable cabinet members and members of the executive staff, who serve on the inside of the administration’s revolving door, lie with the same vigor as their chief. In reflection, we have generously paid three consecutive press secretaries to lie to us whenever and however “the boss” determined it necessary. And they aren’t the only ones!

We should not need a reason to vote beyond our civic responsibility; but, with #45’s lies and self-promotion, his mismanagement of COVID-19, the growth and his promotion of racial injustice, and, now, the potential for molding the Supreme Court in his malignant image, we must vote. Voting must be a personal and collective imperative!

WI

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

FREE!

Savings Include an American Standard Right Height Toilet FREE! ($500 Value)

Walk-In Tubs

WALK-IN BATHTUB SALE! SAVE $1,500 ✔ Backed by American Standard’s 140 years of experience ✔ Ultra low entry for easy entering & exiting ✔ Patented Quick Drain® Technology ✔ Lifetime Warranty on the bath AND installation, INCLUDING labor backed by American Standard ✔ 44 Hydrotherapy jets for an invigorating massage Limited Time Offer! Call Today!

877-381-3271

Or visit: www.walkintubinfo.com/network

BE DEBT FREE in 24–48 months!

If you owe more than $10,000 in credit card or other debt, see how we can help.

Call today:

1-888-318-8155 ACCREDITED BUSINESS ®

AIRLINE CAREERS Get FAA approved maintenance training at campuses coast to coast. Job placement assistance.

Financial Aid for qualifying students. Military friendly.

Call Aviation Institute of Maintenance

800-481-7894

AUGUST 6 - 12, 2020 53

Lutheran Mission Society

Alan Amrhine, Communications Director Lutheran Mission Society

“MDDC has connected donors with the LMS Vehicle Donation Program for over six years! Great exposure, cost effective, and Wanda is so helpful.”

Attention: VIAGRA & CIALIS Users There’s a More Affordable & Effective Alternative to U.S. Pharmacy High Prices!

For discreet home delivery, CALL NOW!

800-995-1351

50 Pill Special:

Only $99 Plus Free Shipping!

Operators Available 24/7!

Pick a state! , any state MDDC Press works with fellow press associations across the country to give you the best possible buys on advertising wherever you need it. We take care of scheduling and placement at no extra cost to you, and you save time and money. Call Wanda Smith at ext. 6 today.

Press Service 2000 Capital Drive, Annapolis, MD 21401

Subscribe!

1-855-721-6332 www.mddcpress.com

There are many reasons to read The Washington Informer...

Each week you’ll get news from The District of Columbia, Prince George’s County, Montgomery County, and Northern Virginia.

You will discover Arts and Entertainment, Social Tidbits, Religion, Sports, People’s Viewpoints, Letters to the Editor, Classified Ads and more!

And best of all… No crime, no dirty gossip, just positive news and information each week, which is why…

The Washington Informer is all about you!

Name.......................................................................................................

Address...................................................................................................

City, State, Zip.........................................................................................

Phone number (daytime).........................................................................

Yes! I want to subscribe for: n1 year/$45.00 n 2years/$60.00 Method of payment: n Check Enclosed n Visa/MasterCard Credit card number..................................................................................

Signature........................................................................................

54 - AUGUST 6 - 12, 2020

SALMON from Page 31 port and range of services they need.

Today I launched a new website calling on D.C. to support plans for a new reentry center in Ward 7. The website will also focus on other criminal justice issues. I did this because it is imperative that we not let this process suffer the same fate it did last year.

Especially now that Hope Village has closed and there is not a single facility able to provide services to citizens returning to the community. Having no place for returning citizens to go for a safe place to sleep, to readjust to being in the community and get job training is not an option.

We should also take advantage of the profound social changes sparked by the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis in late May. It’s clear that we are at an inflection point in our nation’s history. Americans appear to

JACKSON from Page 31 the border from Indiana. We need common sense regulations on guns to stop the pipeline into Chicago. Trump could help because it is Republicans and the gun lobby that stands in the way.

Real federal assistance wouldn’t be dispatching bullyboys to terrorize citizens exercising their First Amendment rights. It would help with jobs and training for the young. It would help with rent and mortgage forgiveness during the pandemic lockdown when people can’t work. If Trump and Senate Republicans don’t act immediately, literally millions will be on the verge of eviction.

ASKIA from Page 31 words we were reciting in the 1960s in Black Student Union meetings on college campuses like San Jose State, where I was a student.

I was the editor of a campus “underground” newspaper called “The Son of Jabberwock,” and as a result, I fell in among the progressives, and radicals of the time, and I’ve never fallen out. The reporter in me led me to Lorna Smith, then a 60-something-year-old white lady who met Stokely, and fell madly in love with him during the Mississippi Freedom Summer of 1965, when she and so many others trekked down to the Delta — all around my hometown of Indianola.

Mrs. Smith then made it her passion, for the rest of her life, to collect every scrap of newsprint with

finally be ready to confront the reality of the insidiousness of racism and its corrosive effects on all of us. Young people have taken the reins, eschewed asking for permission and are driving this movement forward. They are determined to hold their parents, adults, elected officials, the police and others in authority to account.

Our nation is grappling with a racial and moral reckoning that if successful, will change the way we look at the criminal justice system and those entangled in it. Americans are trying to figure out how to navigate the treacherous but long overdue discourse about social and racial justice, inequities, disparities and privilege and what our country will look like going forward.

The District of Columbia has a unique opportunity at this moment to take one seemingly small but important step in the right direction and

set an example for other communities looking to take similar steps of their own.

We came together as a community to demand better services for those returning home from incarceration, and our efforts paid off. Hope Village — which became known as Hopeless Village in D.C. — is receding into our rearview mirror. Now, with a bold plan in place to provide services that will give returning citizens the support they need to transform their lives, we have an opportunity to demonstrate what real change looks like.

There is still a great deal of work to be done, and one reentry center alone will not nearly be enough to bring down recidivism rates that are still far too high, but the city’s plan for a new facility in Ward 7 is progress — not just progress on paper — and we should support it.

WI

We need real investment in our schools, so the savage inequality with suburban schools can be reduced. We need health care to be a right, not a privilege, and at the very least for the federal government to cover all medical expenses related to COVID-19.

In a pandemic, we all have a stake in ensuring that the sick can afford to get the treatment they need.

Our sons and daughters volunteer to serve in the military. When Vladimir Putin puts a bounty on the heads of our soldiers, we need Trump to defend them, not to ignore the attack.

Trump scorns real assistance to cities. He scorns meeting with our elected leaders before announcing that he plans to dispatch his thugs to our city.

And he disgraces our democracy with this cynical and dangerous campaign ploy.

Black Lives Matter Chicago and other organizations are going to court to get an injunction to prohibit Trump’s agents from “interfering in or otherwise policing lawful and peaceful assemblies and protests” in Chicago.

The religious leaders who issued the statement pledged that if Trump dispatched bullyboys to Chicago without the permission of the mayor, they would be met with a “massive, disciplined, nonviolent ... march of resistance.” We will not let the president trample our Constitution, suppress our rights or terrorize our citizens with impunity. WI

Stokely’s name on it, and pictures, and other mementos into dozens of scrapbooks that were all about Carmichael, which she donated to Stanford University. Those scrapbooks are among the most valuable first-hand accounts of his early career.

So, by the time I met him during an appearance at San Jose State, I was already a #1 Fan. I was Team Stokely/Team Lorna, and he took to liking me because I was so fond of his dear friend Lorna Smith.

In fact, he even gave me a wad of cash, and invited me to come to Washington to attend a conference in November, 1968 at Howard University called “Toward a Black University.” Stokely Carmichael was, and is, my all-time favorite civil rights leader.

Later, after serving as editor-in-chief of the Muhammad

Speaks newspaper, I learned that my boss, the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad, was also very fond of Stokely, and ordered the Fruit of Islam to help secure him!

Even later than that, when I went to work with the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, as he was establishing The Final Call newspaper, producing it out of his home in Chicago’s “Beverly Hills” neighborhood, there were two people who were always at the residence when I went to work there, who I love dearly— the Minister’s Mother, Maryum (nee Sarah Mae Manning), and my dear friend Kwame Ture.

So, Bubba, you have no standing with me. If I enter a room and you are in it, I’m walking to where you are not, and if necessary, I’ll turn my back on you! But Stokely Carmichael is forever my champion. WI

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

YOU’RE ALWAYS A WINNER WHEN YOU PLAY RESPONSIBLY. Playing the Maryland Lottery is fun, but please play within your limits.

For confidential help with gambling problems, please visit mdgamblinghelp.org or call 1-800-GAMBLER. You must be 18 to play.

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

AUGUST 6 - 12, 2020 55

56 - AUGUST 6 - 12, 2020

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM