VOL. 53, NO. 8 • DECEMBER 7 - 13, 2017
The Washington Informer Salutes America’s Pearl Harbor Veterans
John Conyers, Jr. Resigns from Congress
Holiday Pop Up Bar Opens Page 30
Williams Sisters Fund New Resource Center in SE
Retires Over Sexual Harassment Allegations
Tennis Star Siblings Employ Education to Honor Slain Sister
By D. Kevin McNeir WI Editor
By Hamil R. Harris WI Contributing Writer
In the face of mounting allegations of sexual harassment, the longest-serving member of Congress, John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.), abruptly resigned on Tuesday, Dec. 5, ending a career that has spanned 52 years.
5 Ben’s Chili Bowl Foundation (BCBF) Chair Bernard Demczuk, introduces (L-R) Karis Douglas 6, Sarah Ramsun 8, and Sienna Douglas 8, all part of Chess Girls DC during BCBF’s “Holiday Thank You Social” held at Ben’s Next Door in Northwest. BCBF honored organizations that make a difference in the Greater Washington area. The honorees were: PEPCO, The Washington Informer and The Afro Newspaper. /Photo by Shevry Lassiter
Scores of young girls wielding over-sized tennis rackets and dreams of stardom filled the Southeast Tennis and Learning Center [SETLC] on Saturday, Dec. 2, eager to get a glimpse of two women whose prowess on the courts allowed them and their family to eventually escape their crime-plagued community. But for Venus and Serena Williams, their return to the Center had a somewhat somber purpose: the launch of the Yetunde Price Resource
TENNIS Page 11
Sixth Woman Adds Name to HU Sexual-Assault Suit 5 John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) /Courtesy photo
Conyers, 88, who represented the Detroit area, relented to growing pressure from Democratic leaders and stepped aside as an increasing number of female former aides accused him of mistreatment and undesired advances. He has denied any wrongdoing. The revered politician, and a
CONYERS Page 38
By Tatyana Hopkins WI Staff Writer A sixth woman has joined a federal lawsuit accusing Howard University of mismanagement in the investigation of sexual assault allegations. Her allegations are detailed in the lawsuit, which includes the cases of five other women. In May, those five women sued Howard, accusing the university of a “discriminatory and retaliatory response to multiple complaints of sexual assault and harassment.” The lawsuit alleges that five former or current students were raped or sex-
ually assaulted on campus between 2014 and 2016 by fellow students and university employees, and that the school did little or nothing to help them. “Howard is deliberately indifferent to students’ Title IX rights,” the suit said, referring to a federal law prohibiting discrimination based on sex. It accuses Howard of failing to follow its own policies of timely investigations of such matters and investigating sexual assault claims within 60 days, failing to communicate the status of pending investigations regard-
HOWARD Page 31
5 President of the Congress Heights Community Association Monica T. Ray (left) at the Anacostia Toy Drive Holiday Celebration at the Anacostia Playhouse in Southeast on Tuesday, Dec 5. /Photo by Mark Mahoney
Celebrating 53 Years of Service / Serving More Than 50,000 African American Readers Throughout The Metropolitan Area