The Washington Informer - February 11, 2021

WINNER OF FIVE SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISTS D.C. AWARDS ‘More Black History’ in Classical Music Page 39 Vol. 56, No. 17 • February 11 - 17, 2021

Vaccine Rollout Remains Slow More Doses Still Needed

William J. Ford WI Staff Writer

tinues to lead the state of Maryland with the highest number of confirmed coronavirus cases with about 70,000. However, state-managed sites such as Six Flags don’t have a residency requirement which would prohibit residents from any part of the state to schedule an appointment and receive a vaccine.

The majority Black jurisdiction has received the fewest doses in the state of Maryland with nearly 5 percent of the population vaccinated.

In Maryland, Blacks make up

5 Congressman Anthony Brown (D-MD) conducts a site visit at the new COVID-19 Vaccine Hub at Six Flags in Prince George’s County, Md. on Monday, Feb. 8. (Anthony Tilghman/The Washington Informer)

Marylanders traveling to Six Flags America in Upper Marlboro are not only receiving shots of COVID-19 vaccines in their arms but also hope society can return to some sort of normalcy.

However, one glaring problem remains as the COVID-19 vaccine rollout could take several months to complete, especially with only 250 doses administered on a daily basis at the theme park in Prince George’s County currently used as a mass vaccination site.

Prince George’s County con-

Murder Spike Prompts Call for State of Emergency

Cosby's Influence Revisited by Inmate, Pastor, Civil Rights Leader

Mayor, ANC Member Endorse Idea

Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

James Wright WI Staff Writer D.C. Councilmember Trayon White’s request nearly two weeks ago for a state of emergency to address a stubborn surge in homicides has drawn widespread support from city leaders and residents who now are wondering how to solve the problem.

“We have to declare a state of emergency when it comes to crime and violence,” White said on Jan. 29 to 30 people at a news conference at the R.I.S.E. Demonstration Center in Ward 8. “We are burying our children. Something has to be done about the record number of shootings and homicides in the District.”

White, a Democrat, wants D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser to declare a state of emergency and to create a commission to address gun violence in the District and how to put an end to it.

5 D.C. Councilmember Trayon White speaks about

VIOLENCE Page 17 crime and violence in the District. (Photo by Roy Lewis)

During a quiet Saturday evening on Feb. 6 behind the walls of SCI-Phoenix, the maximum-security prison in Pennsylvania where Bill Cosby has served two and a half years of a three-to-10-year sentence for indecent aggravated assault, Anthony “Benny-Do” Sutton reflected on the impact of the prison’s biggest celebrity.

On that same evening nearly 164 miles to the south in Alexandria, Va., Dr. Howard-John Wesley, senior pastor at Alfred Street Baptist

VACCINE Page 46

Church, devoted part of his sermon to the imprisoned comedian’s impact on popular culture.

Earlier in Chicago, civil rights legend the Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr. made a public plea to Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf to release Cosby, noting the 83-year-old comedian’s age and health as the pandemic rages.

And in New York City, the Brothers of Sh’ma Yisrael Hebrew Israelite Congregation also stood in support of Cosby.

In each case, the lasting legacy of

COSBY Page 52

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COMPILED BY D. KEVIN MCNEIR, WI EDITOR

Impeachment Trial law Begins enforcement. She saidMuseum they threat,”Announces BHM she said. had come together to bring a Among the programs Marlow Events sense President of uniformity The second impeachment trial of former Trump in the way wants to see implemented are

By Tia Carol Jones WI Staff Writer

WhenFeb. L.Y.9 Marlow's 23-yeardomestic violence stricter restraining began in the Senate after the House charged Trumpvictims and The Alexandria Black His- order policies, old daughter told of herinsurrection" the father forsurvivors more rights victim's families with "incitement his role inarethetreated. deadly tory Museum recentlyforanofJan. her6 daughter threatened “She's her 13 own personal intervene on in behalf of a vicCapitol riot and votedher to impeach himusing on Jan. nounced atoseries of events life, the lifeof of their an child, story,The herhistoric own personal pain to tim, a domestic on and one charge inciting insurrection. vote celebration of Black Historyviolence assessshe knew something had to be push forward,” Davis-Nickens ment unit coupled with further came one week before Trump left office, making him the Month 2021. They also indone. Out of her frustration said about Marlow. training law enforcement only president in U.S. history to be impeached twice. vite history buffs to for test their with law enforcement's handling Davis-Nickens said anyone agencies, a Child's Life ProtecTrump's lawyers the House managers knowledge of Alexandria’s of the situation, sheand decided to impeachment who reads Marlow's book will tion Act and mandatory counselexchanged anotherPromise round ofcampretrial legal briefs on Feb. 8 as Black History with a short start the Saving “get it.” She said she “puts the ing for batterers.

Democrats pushed back on the Trump team's claims that the quiz. paign. case in such a way, the average “If we are ever going to eraditrial unconstitutional.

Senate leaders reached an agreement “It is seems to be a vicious cycle person can get it.” She said at Events the include: cate domestic violence, we must that gives side up hours toend present Symposium: Ramsey that won'teachturn myto 16 family of their the cases day, and the book will look atThe both sides of the coin. the potential for a debate and voting on calling witnesses.

Homes, Feb. 11 with that feature loose,” Marlow said. Marlow help people begin to have a dia- We need to topics address both the the vic-history of And Trump has rejected a request in the trial.

Those public housing and Ramsey Homes; genealogy shared her story with the audi- to testify logue about domestic violence. tim and the batterer,” Marlow of early familiar conversations suggest that Trump remains residents; architecture and engineering; and the process ence at with the the District Heights Also present at the event was said. convincedViolence that thereSymposium won't be enough Republican senators theof documenting construction techniques.

Domestic Mildred Muhammad, exMarlow would also like to see him.

Lecture: Hidden Plain Sight: to Mossraise Kendrix and onwho'll May vote 7 at to theconvict District Heights wife of John Allen Muhammad, programsin designed However, since leaving office, Trump has been keen to the Enterprise to Sell Black Citizenship, Municipal Center. The sympo- who was sentenced to six consec- awareness among children Feb. in 17. Dr. punishwas Republican lawmakers who voted to impeach him Brenna Wynn Greer will trace how Black public relasium sponsored by the utive life terms without parole public and private schools. She in the House, Rep. Liz Cheney Wyoming.

Ten tionsingurufeels Moss Hyles Kendrix white corpoFamily and including Youth Services by a of Maryland jury for his role children need toenlisted be educatRepublicans, to impeach Center of theincluding city ofCheney, Districtvotedthe rate in America in a campaign redefine Black citizenBeltwayTrump.

Sniper attacks ed about domestictoviolence.

Heights and the National Allegedly, several TrumpHookadvisers believe former presiship isafter World II. to stop being pas2002.theMildred Muhammad “WeWar have Up of wants Black to Women. dent secure "accountability"the for Republican Concert: Washington Revels founder of House After the Trauma, sive-aggressive withJubilee poor Voices, chil- Feb. 20.

Marlow who has turned written"against a book, members the people" while he remains an organization that helpsThethe ensemble committed to the violence,” preservation of Afridrenisabout domestic “Color Me to Butterfly,” which is a see survivors of domestic unwilling accept what detractors as the more realistic violence Marlow said. can-American history and traditions, presenting songs story about that fourthe generations of and their children. to break perspective: former president actively sought to overand stories ofMarlow strugglehas and worked perseverance, trials, and tridomestic violence.

The book is “I lived in fear for six years.

Six asthe cycle of abuse aincappella her family, turn the will of the voters. umphs, expressed through music, drama, inspired by her experiences, years in fear is a long It dance. is and is confident the policies she Trump's legalown team said in a statement Feb. 8 that it is time.and and those of her grandmother, not an easy thing to come out is pushing forit will start that Safely pleased with the structure of the trial. The statement also Lecture: You Will Find Handy – Traveling her mother and her daughter. said. "a strucprocess. praised Senate Republican leadershipof,” for she securing in the Old Dominion with The Green Book, Feb. 24.

She time with she past reads Mildred Muhammad Assaid “I plan take these policies turesaid that isevery consistent precedent." automobile traveltoincreased in the 20th to century, reexcerpts herwill book, she us stillwithpeople who want Congress and threats implore them "Thisfrom process provide an opportunity to ex- to help fusal aof service and other made traveltoextremely can nottobelieve words domestic violence tovictim difficult must for change laws,” Marlow said.Victor H. plain Senatorsthewhy it is came absurd and unconstitutional Africanour Americans.

In response, from her.

“Color Me Butterfly” be careful of how they go into “I will not stop until these polihold an impeachment trial against a private citizen," the Green began publishing The Green Book, which prowon ciesnet arewith passed.” teamthe said.2007 National “Best the victim's life, and understand vided a safety its listings for services such as gaBooks” Award. that she may Tia Carol Jones can be and reached No matter the outcome, much remains at stake for be bothin “survival rages, barbers, beauty parlors, hotels guest houses, “I was just 16-years-old when mode”. at tiacaroljones@sbcglobal.net Democrats and Republicans. Democrats say they must tailors, restaurants, and drug stores that welcomed Afrimy eye first blackened and my “Before get to 'I'm going move forward in order to ensure that the formeryou president can Americans.

Susan Hellman, Principal Planner with lips bled,” Marlow said. to kill you,' it started as a verbal WI will be ineligible from ever running or public office again.

As the City of Alexandria Planning & Zoning Historic Elaine Davis-Nickens, presifor Republicans, theirs Hook-Up remains a party in shambles as some Preservation division, will explore Virginia businesses dent of the National want to salvage what’s left of a divided house while others listed in The Green Book during this lecture. of Black Women, said there is no fear backlash from Trump, who still has considerable leverage Visit the City of Alexandria, Virginia website for consistency in the way domestic within the party, his still more information. violence issues areand dealt withardent by supporters.

“

We have to stop being passive-aggressive with poor Norton to Introduce Bill Banning Permanent Fencing at U.S. Capitolabout Complex children domestic Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) recently announced that she will introduce legislationviolence. to prohibit the installation of new permanent fencing at the U.S. Capitol comI plan to take these plex. Norton has strongly opposed efforts to build permanent structures separating the Capitol complex from the rest of the nation’s capital in the wake of the Jan. 6 attack. and “I’ve been in touch withpolicies Acting U.S. Capitolto PoliceCongress Chief Yogananda Pittman over the phone and in writing strongly opposing her recommendation for permanent fencing,” Norton said.

“In the year 2021, we should not be relying on security theater based on 19th-century implore them to change our ideas when state-of-the-art options and old-fashioned preparation and cooperation among security forces could have prevented the events of January 6. My bill banning permanent fencing will help laws. will notwall stop until put the needed focus back on securityIoptions that don’t off the Capitol like a fortress that needs to be protected from the people we represent,” Norton said. these policies are passed.

“

SOMETHING NEW EVERYDAY

Women the Cycle of wi hotBreak topics Domestic Violence Trump's Second Alexandria Black History

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L.Y. Marlow

D.C. Teacher Dies of COVID-19, Fuels Union Battle Over Schools Reopening Sam P.K. Collins WI Contributing Writer The ongoing battle between D.C. Public Schools (DCPS) and the Washington Teachers’ Union (WTU) about reopening schools centers on whether protocols put in place could curb the spread of COVID-19.

A week into Term 3 in-person learning, WTU leaders say they remain resolute in expressing their misgivings, especially after the coronavirus-related death of Ballou STAY cosmetology teacher Helen M. White.

“What I’m concerned about is that some of the principals are taking liberty and playing with fire by denying teachers from continuing virtually and causing people to get sick,” WTU President Elizabeth Davis told The Informer on Monday.

White, a Ballou STAY teacher of 14 years and mother of five, died over the weekend. She contracted the coronavirus last month while teaching in a CARE classroom and spent her final weeks fighting the virus.

WTU leaders allege that administrators didn’t immediately notify the school about the positive coronavirus case.

“Why is it that we haven’t heard anything from that school about a case and the individuals who came into contact with her?” Davis said. “There are a number of principals who feel pressured to follow the directions of the chancellor and will do anything to make it work.

The process by which cases are reported [by DCPS] is slow and secretive. This puts everyone at risk.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE

DCPS guidelines stipulate that when students or personnel contract COVID-19, administrators have to notify community members and the D.C. Department of Health.

Positive individuals would have to work from home and contact their health care provider. At the same time, administrators disinfect the premises and guide people who’ve been in close contact through the quarantine process.

DCPS would also have to consult the health department about situations warranting the shutdown of school buildings.

In response to an Informer inquiry about the circumstances surrounding White’s death, DCPS cited a Jan. 22

letter from Ballou STAY Principal Cara Fuller notifying students, parents, and community members about a positive coronavirus case.

A Monday communique to the Ballou STAY community obtained by The Informer announced White’s death and encouraged grief-stricken students to seek school-sponsored support.

Over the past few weeks, COVID-19 cases among participants of in-person school activities have steadily increased.

As of Friday, the number of cases reported among DCPS personnel working on school campuses had reached 105, while the total number of students who have tested positive has surpassed 30.

In total, 100 DCPS students and personnel are in quarantine.

Despite reservations from some teachers and parents, most of the District’s public schools reopened earlier this month with varying student and teacher attendance levels in each building.

Capitol Hill Montessori, Coolidge High School, and Watkins Elementary School started in-person learning days later than planned after school administrators conducted a second safety walkthrough, as mandated by an arbitrator during a hearing in January.

Meanwhile, School-Within-School at Goding in Northeast and Johnson Middle School in Southeast also reopened later because of building repairs and a gas leak, respectively.

While DCPS survey data estimates student demand for in-person learning to stand among 6,000 and 9,000, WTU leadership says that attendance last week doesn’t reflect such a demand.

FOLLOWING PROTOCOL

Similar debates about when and how to reopen schools are taking place in other districts across the country.

Earlier this month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that school districts collaborate with local and state health officials to determine how to promote behaviors that reduce the spread of COVID-19. Other considerations focus on maintaining healthy environments and operations and preparing for when someone gets sick.

Health department guidelines require schools to conduct daily health screenings of students and staff members. They must also have a process

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in place to isolate those who feel sick during the school day. Additionally, schools must encourage hygienic practices and have sufficient amounts of soaps, disinfectants, alcohol-based sanitizer, paper towels, and tissues.

Students and staff with pre-existing medical conditions are urged to consult with their health care provider before participating in in-person activities.

Long before the pandemic, however, some students of White, including a woman named Ashley P., often questioned whether Ballou STAY could have been more sensitive to a medical condition that often required White to leave the campus early or take off some days.

Under White’s tutelage, legions of students, including Ashley, completed Ballou STAY’s Career & Technical Education program and acquired a cosmetology operator certification. Ashley, who asked that her full name not be used, said White cared deeply about her students’ academic, social and emotional well-being.

In the weeks before White’s death,

5 Washington Teachers' Union President Elizabeth Davis (on screen) speaks during a recent meeting regarding in-person learning in D.C. Public Schools. (Courtesy of WTU via Twitter)

Ashley recounted learning from a friend that White contracted COVID-19 and had been absent from the CARE classroom for more than two weeks. By that time, White’s students, including Ashley’s mother, completed their work independently during in-person sessions.

Ashley said her revelation not only angered her mother but compelled her and other students to demand a meeting with school administrators.

“Ballou STAY didn’t tell anyone that students were exposed to COVID,” said

Ashley, an alumna of Ballou STAY’s cosmetology program and a certified cosmetologist of one year.

“Not only is my mom in the school, but she watches my children,” Ashley said. “If the administration had let us know that a teacher got exposed to COVID, my mom would’ve gotten tested, but my children were exposed, and that’s a big problem for me. Ballou STAY put a lot of lives in jeopardy, and they haven’t told students to this day.”

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1920 – U.S. Air Force fighter pilot Daniel "Chappie" James Jr., the first African American to reach the rank of four-star general, is born in Pensacola, Florida.

1977 – Clifford Alexander Jr. is confirmed as the first Black secretary of the U.S. Army.

1990 – Human rights activist Nelson Mandela is released from a South African prison after serving 27 years.

FEB. 12

1909 – The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, or NAACP, is founded after race riots in Springfield, Illinois.

1926 – Historian Carter G. Woodson founds Negro History Week, the precursor to Black History Month.

1983 – Famed pianist Eubie Blake dies in New York City at 96.

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1867 – Morehouse College is founded in Georgia.

1946 – Actor, singer and dancer Gregory Hines is born in New York City.

1965 – The New York home of civil rights activist Malcolm X is firebombed with him and his family inside.

1965 – Famed singer Nat King Cole (top) dies in Santa Monica, California, of lung cancer at 45.

1968 – Henry Lewis becomes the first Black to head a major U.S. symphony orchestra when he takes over the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra.

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1923 – The New York Renaissance, an all-Black professional basketball team, is founded.

1970 – Joseph L. Searles III becomes the first Black floor member and floor broker in the New York Stock Exchange.

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1857 – Frederick Douglass is elected president of Freedman's Savings and Trust Company.

1923 – Blues singer Bessie Smith (above right) records her first single, "Down Hearted Blues," which was later included in the inaugural National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress.

1972 – Wilt Chamberlain becomes the first player in NBA history to score 30,000 points.

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1891 – Black inventor A.C. Richardson patents an improved butter churn.

1936 – Pro football great and civil rights advocate Jim Brown is born in St. Simons, Georgia.

1942 – Political activist and Black Panther Party co-founder Huey P. Newton is born in Monroe, Louisiana.

1963 – Basketball legend Michael Jordan is born in Brooklyn, New York.

1982 – Influential jazz pianist Thelonious Monk dies of a stroke in Englewood, New Jersey, at 64.

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It has been almost a year since life as we knew it, both here in the U.S. and across the glove, changed in dramatic proportions with the news that a mysterious health pandemic was within our midst: COVID-19.

As many recall, America’s leaders, most notably then President Donald Trump, assured us that our shining nation on the hill was immune to this virus.

We were told that this 21st century version of Edgar Allan Poe’s mysterious, contagious disease, as told to readers his masterful short story, “The Masque of the Red Death,” was something that could never extend its talons from China to the U.S. We were assured that we had nothing to fear and that things would return to normal in record time.

“Trust me” we were told.

Of course, history has shown that we were fed a quiver of lies, misstatements and conclusions based not on scientific evidence but on wishful thinking.

For me, as a father of two adult children and a grandfather of two Black boys, 6 and 18, I remember feeling powerless in ways that I had never felt before. While I could speak with my children and grandchildren on Facebook live or Zoom

Of course, history has shown that we were fed a quiver of lies, misstatements and conclusions based not on scientific evidence but on wishful thinking. teleconference calls, my plans to visit them in their respective cities of New York, Detroit and Atlanta were suddenly both impossible and improbable.

Still, given the reports from the White House in those early days, I, like many others, held fast to the rhetoric that this too would pass, as my mother used to say – and that it would pass swiftly.

As the days became weeks and weeks became months, I fought to avoid becoming like a growing number of Americans who began to allow depression, anxiety and fear to overwhelm them. As best I could, I put on a brave front for my children – but especially for my two grandsons.

But when left alone, I cried for them – for the experiences that would allude them and my opportunity to be with them as they took those traditional steps toward adulthood.

As my youngest grandson, Jackson, began first grade, I could only witness this significant step in his development by watching videos that my daughter had taken. Even then, he would not have the chance to forge a memory that I will never forget when I first started elementary school at Louis Pasteur on the Westside of Detroit more than 50 years ago.

His first day would be a virtual event without the heart-warming trappings of playing with new classmates, meeting his first-grade teacher and getting a warm hug, how to

stand in line before bathroom breaks or as lunchtime approached, writing his first poem for Daddy or drawing Valentines with his friends for their Moms and Grandmothers.

Further, I was not so naïve as to believe that after looking forward to finally starting his educational journey, that he wasn’t more than a little disappointed. I know I would have been devastated.

I then remembered my four years at a college preparatory, all-boys Catholic school in Detroit where I matriculated and received my high school diploma. Every day at the University of Detroit Jesuit High School & Academy was a day of discovery and wonder. I remember arriving early every morning for band practice and staying late each night for a plethora of extra-curricular activities.

Even without the joys or distractions, depending on how you looked at it, of our school being bereft of girls, we were kept so busy and required to work so hard that I cannot remember ever missing them – at least not much. (Still, I made up for lost time once I moved on to college).

Closing my eyes, I can see the Saturday night dances when our campus became coed for the evening and we danced away the hours to the sounds of Chicago, Stevie Wonder and Parliament/Funkadelic.

I remember the hay rides at apple orchards that took me and my classmates miles away from the city. I smile as I think about our basketball team taking the Catholic League title as the varsity team warmed up to “We Are the Champions.”

I recall how proud my parents, my sister and many other family members were as I crossed the stage with my classmates to accept my diploma with honors.

I want all of this and more for my oldest grandson, Jordon. But I don’t see how he’ll ever have the chance to celebrate in the numerous ways in

DOMINIC Page 9

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As part of weekly Moral Mondays initiated by the Poor People’s Campaign, on Monday, Feb. 8, essential workers across the country held socially distanced rallies in celebration of the Raise the Wage Act – legislation that would end the subminimum wage for tipped workers and raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour that’s included in President Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 package.

The event was organized by One Fair Wage, a national nonprofit organization representing subminimum wage workers, SEIU International and the Poor People’s Campaign.

The live programs celebrated the inclusion of the Raise the Wage Act in the COVID-19 relief package, thanked supportive U.S. senators for listening to the needs of millions of workers and supportive small businesses and called on their peers to do the same.

Supportive locally-based. small business restaurant owners provided free meals, musicians and bands who entertained participants.

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which I was so fortunate.

Somehow, he seems to be keeping a stiff upper lip – my young warrior. But I cannot help but wonder what thoughts are really pervading his young mind as he attends classes virtually or attempts to be slightly mannish while flirting with a young lassie on social media.

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5 D.C. workers protest for a higher minimum wage. (Anthony Tilghman/The Washington Infomrer)

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In the District, celebrity Chef Jose Andres provided 100 free meals to rally participants.

Speakers for the digital event, which included a brief live-stream from all local events, included: Mary Kay Henry, president, Service Employees International Union; Saru Jayaraman, president, One Fair Wage; the Rev. Dr. William J. Barber, II and The Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis, co-chairs, Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call For Moral Revival; and Andy Shallal, owner, Busboys & Poets in D.C. In the District, speakers were joined by two gigantic statues of “Elena the Essential Worker” and a local go-go band.

D.C. speakers included: Andy Hooper, president of &Pizza; Ifeoma Ezimako, an essential restau-

rant worker based out of D.C.; Tizoc Zarate, a Spanish-speaking 22-year-old Mexican-American man with aspirations of opening up his own taco stand and someday becoming a politician; Saba Tshibaka, an advocate for the socioeconomic empowerment of women and girls who spent a year as a manager at the College Park Black-owned business, Milk & Honey and who has worked at both the Department of Treasury and Google; Dia King, a native Washingtonian with nearly 30 years of hospitality service under his belt; and Veronica Tucker, another native Washingtonian who has worked most of her life in the District as a banquet waiter/bartender.

In the District, the event took place on the National Mall.

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DOMINIC from Page 8

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cold screen, can you?

When my parents were alive and I was just a teenager anxious to become an adult, my mother would often tell me that some experiences were better gained through vicarious means. In short, she wanted me to understand that we can get a sense of the joy or pain of the world by “witnessing” such events through the eyes of others instead of actually experiencing them and that sometimes it was for the best.

In many cases – most in fact, she

was far from wrong.

But for my little man and my young man-child, first grade and senior year in high school just aren’t meant to be experienced in any other way but live and in living color.

Somehow, with God’s grace and given my creative mind, I will discover ways to help them get a sense of what they have been unable to experience – what they have tragically been denied by no fault of their own.

Somehow! Some day! Some way!

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WORDS TO LIVE BY “The cost of liberty is less than the price of repression.”

“The problem of the 20th century is the problem of the color line.”

– W.E.B. DuBois John Brown [1909] (top quote) - To the Nations of the World. Address to Pan-African Conference, London [1900] (bottom quote)

In 1908, a deadly race riot rocked the city of Springfield, the capital of Illinois and resting place of President Abraham Lincoln. Such eruptions of anti-black violence, particularly lynching, were commonplace. But the Springfield riot was the final tipping point that led to the creation of the NAACP on Feb. 12, 1909. A group of appalled, white liberals that included Mary White Ovington and Oswald Garrison Villard (both the descendants of famous abolitionists), issued a call for a meeting to discuss racial justice. Some 60 people, seven of whom were African American (including W. E. B. Du Bois, Ida B. Wells-Barnett and Mary Church Terrell), signed the call, which was released on the centennial of Lincoln’s birth.

10 - FEBRUARY 11 - 17, 2021

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AROUND THE REGION

D.C. Statehood Passage Requires Complex Congressional Calculus Committees in Congress to Play Key Roles

James Wright WI Staff Writer

While congressional leaders of both chambers have indicated their support for D.C. statehood legislation passage of the bill will require key committee action within this session of Congress.

“It is at the committee level where the rubber hits the road,” Paul Brathwaite, a former executive director of the Congressional Black Caucus, said. “D.C. statehood legislation will need to get through very important, key committees. In the House, it will be the Oversight and Reform Committee, and in the Senate, Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. The key to any success D.C. statehood legislation has will start with those committees.”

D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D)--the author of “The Washington, D.C. Admission Act of 2021” legislation with 210 co-sponsors--ranks second in seniority on the House’s Oversight and Reform Committee that will consider her bill during this session of Congress. She also ranks second in seniority on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and on Feb. 3 won re-election as the chair of its Highways and Transit Subcommittee.

NORTON PLANS TO USE COMMITTEE SENIORITY TO ACCELERATE NATIONAL PROJECTS

The subcommittee deals with the nation’s transportation and infrastructure projects and the delegate expressed satisfaction serving at the helm of it once again.

“Transportation and infrastructure issues are among the most bipartisan in the House and the Senate,” Norton said. “I look forward to focusing particularly on rising issues, among them, reducing congestion, addressing climate change, and encouraging innovation, while continuing to prioritize investment in infrastructure for D.C., the national capital region and the country.”

Brathwaite said Norton will use her seniority on both committees and her chairmanship of the Highways and Transit subcommittee to assist members with projects in their districts and they in turn can support District transportation and

in seniority on the committee behind chairman, Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.), who supports D.C. statehood, too.

On the Republican side of the Homeland Security committee, Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) and Rob Portman (R-Ohio) have been identified by Josh Burch, organizer of the Neighbors United for D.C. Statehood, as being open to considering supporting Carper’s bill.

Dr. Ravi Perry, the chairman of the political science department at Howard University, said Republican support

will be needed for Carper’s legislation to get on the Senate floor.

“I don’t see a problem Carper’s bill getting out of committee now that the Democrats are in control,” Perry said.

“However, they will need 60 votes to kill a likely Republican filibuster and will need Republican votes to do that given the Democrats only have 50 votes. Right now, that’s a slim possibility.”

Both Brathwaite and Perry said District residents and statehood advocates need to pay attention to

the committee process.

“It is my opinion that a D.C. statehood bill needs to pass and be on President Biden’s desk within the next two years,” Perry said. “Who knows what will happen in the 2022 election? Statehood supporters should let their family and friends know about their cause and tell them to contact their lawmakers, especially those on the committees.

Emails, letter and phone calls have been known to make a difference in getting legislation passed.” WI @JamesDCWrighter

5 Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) is the new chairman of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs that has jurisdiction over D.C. statehood legislation. (Courtesy Photo)

infrastructure plans and statehood.

In the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Norton can count on all of the Democrats to support her statehood bill especially the chairwoman of the committee, Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) and her colleagues Kweisi Mfume (D-Md.), Cori Bush (D-Mo.), Danny Davis (D-Ill.), Robin Kelly (D-Ill.), Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) and District-born Hank Johnson (D-Ga.).

In addition, if Norton’s bill clears the Oversight and Reform committee, it will need to go to the House Rules Committee where the guidelines of the bill’s presentation on the floor will be considered, an aide to the delegate told the Informer. Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-Fla.), an African American and supporter of D.C. statehood, serves as the second highest ranking member of the Rules Committee.

While Norton won re-election to her subcommittee post, the Senate changed from being a Republican-run chamber to one managed by the Democrats that day. New Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) wants to bring Sen. Thomas Carper’s (D-Del.) D.C. statehood bill to the floor for a vote.

BILL NEEDS TO CLEAR HURDLES BY 2022

Democrats will chair the committees and Carper serves on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, where his D.C. statehood legislation will be considered. Carper ranks second

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PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY Police Reform Coming to Prince George’s County William J. Ford WI Staff Writer Prince George’s County residents such as Kema Hutchinson-Harris said some of the adopted police department reform policies are either “watered-down” or should already implemented.

Three policies would require new recruits to engage in community service, improve access and operations of body-worn cameras and incorpo-

rate comprehensive leadership and other forms of training. “[County officials] are transforming the police department by giving them extra training [and] giving them extra leeway,” said Hutchinson-Harris of Clinton, whose son was assaulted by a Prince George’s officer in May 2017. “We really aren’t getting any accountability.”

County Executive Angela Alsobrooks announced nearly four dozen recommendations for the police de-

partment to implement such as mental health programs, officer training to prevent racial profiling and not hire officers with a history of misconduct or disciplinary problems.

“We are working to ensure that our police department respects the dignity and values of every single member of our community,” Alsobrooks said during a press conference Friday, Feb. 5 at the Wayne K. Curry Administration Building in Largo. “We want to give our police officers every chance to succeed.”

One person who attended the press conference, interim police chief Hector Velez, received a few compliments for his work to help implement the new changes.

“You’re the leader that this county police department needs at this time as you’ve worked to ensure the men and women under your leadership understand that you’re not going to accept anything less than their professional best,” said County Council chair Calvin Hawkins II (D-AtLarge).

Alsobrooks said a decision could be made in the next few weeks on hiring a new police chief.

Dawn Dalton of Upper Marlboro said the new leader shouldn’t be Velez.

“Velez definitely shouldn’t be the

Maryland Legislation Proposed to Reform State's Unemployment Insurance System William J. Ford WI Staff Writer As the coronavirus pandemic continues to affect thousands of Marylanders in the job market, the state’s unemployment insurance claims could increase for a sixth straight week when weekly figures are released Thursday, Feb. 11.

The state Department of Labor reported more than 50,000 unemployment insurance claims filed the week ending Jan. 30, which marked the fifth straight week they increased in the state.

The majority Black jurisdiction of Prince George’s County recorded the highest number of claims filed with 2,000.

State lawmakers plan to present a legislative package this week on ways to enhance the state’s “broken” unemployment insurance system.

About 85 of the 4,000 active unemployment cases come from

12 - FEBRUARY 11 - 17, 2021

Senate President Bill Ferguson’s district in Baltimore City.

“This is not a partisan issue. This is about the people of Maryland who need help and we must do right by them,” he said during a virtual press conference Feb. 4. “Now that the legislature is in session, we are determined to do our part and provide the correct tools to ensure we do better.”

The legislative package would be filed through multiple bills to include: • Modernize the unemployment insurance system so people can receive benefits through direct deposit.

• Adequately staff the call center and require caller ID to show that a representative is calling from the state Department of Labor’s unemployment office.

• Require the department to undertake a study to analyze several items such as weekly benefits, longterm solvency and expanded eligi-

bility. Part of the requirement would be to provide monthly updates until completion of a final report at the end of the year.

Since the pandemic affected Maryland last year, the state’s unemployment office has received major criticism from thousands of residents who either received payments months later, or not at all.

The Senate approved an amendment this month to provide $1,000 for 39,000 residents who Ferguson said are “stuck in adjudication purgatory. Marylanders need help.”

In terms of additional staff, the Senate seeks to add one person from each of the 47 senatorial districts.

Sen. Kathy Klausmeier (D-Baltimore County) said the department hired about 300 people from a vendor.

The national goal to adjudicate claims stands at 87 percent in a three-week period. Last month, the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics ranked Maryland last at 37 percent.

5 Reforms are about to take shape in the Prince George’s County Police Department. (FILE: William J. Ford/The Washington Informer)

chief. He is a part of the problem,” she said. “How do we really think we are going to get any change with the same bad apples?”

A similar remark has been echoed by former and current Black and Latino officers who filed a lawsuit in December 2018 against the county and police department for alleged racial and retaliatory practices within Del. Dereck Davis (D-District 25) of Mitchellville said the legislature wants to work with the department to improve the unemployment service, but the department remains a function of the executive branch.

“It’s incumbent upon us to work with them [and] to work with Gov. Hogan to ensure that the department is living up to its responsibilities to the citizens of Maryland,” Davis said. “We know they’re trying . . . but at the end of the day, trying is not good enough. We have to deliver.” WI @jabariwill

5 William Ferguson (Courtesy photo)

the department.

According to the report, more than 6,800 use-of-force incidents occurred between 2016 to 2019. Black civilians accounted for 86 percent and Latinos at 8 percent.

Those incidents became highlighted in a 94-page report released in June by Michael E. Graham, a former 33-year veteran of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

Former Police Chief Hank Stawinski resigned hours after the report became public. The next day, Alsobrooks announced the appointment of Hector as interim chief during a national search for a new leader.

After the death of George Floyd while in police custody in Minneapolis on Memorial Day last year, state and county officials such as Alsobrooks established a police reform task force in July to review police department strategies, hiring and use of force policies.

A few of the county police department’s 46 changes mirror what Maryland lawmakers are working on in Annapolis such as eliminating all military-style equipment, investment in mental health and restorative practices to eliminate the school-to-prison pipeline.

Another major reform approved will overhaul the department’s crisis response system that includes the construction of a mental health and addiction center. Alsobrooks earlier last year, which County Council later approved, to use $20 million from the police budget to build a facility focused on mental health.

REFORM Page 51

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PGCPS BRIEFS Compiled by Dorothy Rowley WI Staff Writer

SCHOOL SCHEDULES

Feb. 15: All Schools and Offices Closed — Presidents' Day Holiday Feb. 16: Two-hour Delayed Opening — Parent-Teacher Conferences

LEADING BY EXAMPLE

More than 1,400 PGCPS teachers and staff were among the first to recently receive COVID-19 vaccines, kicking off the school system’s employee vaccination program.

Clinics are expected to run six to eight weeks to accommodate each of PGCPS’ thousands of team members wishing to receive vaccinations.

DCPS

BRIEFS

Compiled by Dorothy Rowley WI Staff Writer

SCHOOLS CLOSED

Monday, Feb.15 Presidents Day (No School for Students, Teachers, and Staff)

SCHOOL LOTTERY DEADLINE

The deadline to sign up for the 2021-22 lottery for PK3–8th grade applicants is March 1. Lottery results and waitlist positions will be available April 2. For instructions on accessing a short video about the lottery, email: info.myschooldc@dc.go.

FREE BILINGUAL WORKSHOP

The annual Estudios Universitarios bilingual event (A College Education is Within Your Reach) will be presented virtually from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 20 to assist students in grades 6-12 and their families on how to navigate the pathway to college.

CMIT SENIOR EARNS TOP ACADEMIC HONOR

Chesapeake Math & IT (CMIT) Academy North High School senior Logan Marshall Jackson has been named a candidate in the 2021 U.S. Presidential Scholars Program.

Candidates are selected based on superior academic and artistic achievements, leadership qualities, strong character, and involvement in community and school activities.

SECOND QUARTER GRADES POSTED

Second Quarter grades have been posted on the SchoolMax Parent Portal as of Feb. 8. Families should receive a mailed report card by Feb.17.

TEACHER OF THE YEAR FINALIST

Alejandro Diasgranados, D.C.’s 2021 “Teacher of the Year” has been named a finalist for the “National Teacher of the Year” award.

Diasgranados, who teaches at Aiton Elementary School, is one of four in the running for nation’s top teaching honor.

The last time a D.C. teacher was being considered for the national honor was in 2019 when Amidon-Bowen Elementary School teacher Kelly Harper was a finalist. Prior to that in 2005, Richmond (Va.) Schools Chief Jason Kamras, who went on to serve in several DCPS leadership roles, was named National Teacher of the Year.

“The District of Columbia is fortunate to have outstanding teachers like Alejandro Diasgranados in classrooms throughout the city and advocating for our students,” Bowser said in a statement. “Mr. Diasgranados is an inspiration to his students and a role model for all teachers seeking to make a difference in the lives of D.C. children. We are proud to have him representing Washington, D.C. and teachers nationwide.”

PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY

If not received, please email myreportcard@pgcps.org with the subject line "Missing Report Card" and the following information: student first and last name, ID number, school and grade, and mailing address.

During virtual learning, only Q2 and Q4 report cards will be mailed.

MEALS DURING DISTANCE LEARNING

All schools with the exceptions of Fort Foote and Tayac Elementary Schools and Robert Goddard Montessori, will serve as meal distribution sites.

As part of the service: • Breakfast and lunch offered.

• Meals can be picked up at the closest school in your community.

Students will need to provide Name, PIN#, and the school enrolled in if they pick up a meal from a school they do not regularly attend.

• Suppers will be available in eligible schools.

• Meals will be pre-packaged and distributed two days per week between 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. at school locations.

• Monday – meals for Monday

5 Logan Marshall Jackson has been named a candidate in the 2021 U.S. Presidential Scholars Program. (PGCPS Photo)

and Tuesday • Wednesday – meals for Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday • Meals will be distributed between 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. at designated community locations for students who live at least 1.5 miles from the nearest schools. For more information, please call the Department

of Transportation support telephone number at 301-952-6570.

Food & Nutrition Services will use school rosters to verify and record students who receive a meal.

Parents picking up meals must have the Student PIN# or show student ID or most recent report card to verify enrollment. WI

Prince George’s Chamber of Commerce February Message This month we celebrate the African American experience in making extraordinary accomplishments to global innovation. The invention of the traffic light, the founding of blood plasma that saved thousands of lives, the contributions to the arts: literature, film & theater, and in social justice- in every facet of our society African Americans have led and added to the enhancement of our quality of life.

We celebrate these luminaries as examples of excellence and mentorship. Many of us may never reach luminary heights, but all of us can contribute. When we vote or work to improve the lives of others; when we work in emergency rooms or show up to work to make sure that food gets on other people’s tables- we are making history. During this challenging pandemic, so-called ordinary people answered the call, risked their lives, and served their community. Without hesitation or reluctance, these champions fed us, nurtured us, and kept us safe. They are our postmodern history makers.

Afterall, Black History is about seizing the moment, taking a risk, and doing something that few have dared to do. Maybe your service is not highlighted in history books or mentioned in storytelling, but if your service is in lifting humanity, then you have made history. Take the humane action that you are called to do and you, too, are making Black History.

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

Not a member? Please visit our website, www.pgcoc.org to get started! Membership is good for a full calendar year, so it’s always a good time to join* David C. Harrington President & CEO

FEBRUARY 11 - 17, 2021 13

BUSINESS Black Investors Took Note of Reddit’s Rescue of the GameStop Stock Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer The story of 10-year-old Jaydyn Carr and his mother, Nina Carr, is the stuff that creates legends on Wall Street.

Their financial windfall came about as a result of the recent trading frenzy not before witnessed in the industry – and one that left even the most astute struggling to explain.

The band of amateur traders, influenced by the platform Reddit, encouraged whoever was listening to

buy shares of the flailing GameStop, AMC and Koss stocks because hedge funds had bet against them and were swooping in to make big profits.

In one day, because of the amateurs’ actions, the hedge funds lost over $14 billion. And, despite recent declines, GameStop shares remained well up at about 184 percent this year. AMC (up 200 percent) and Koss (more than 400 percent) also remain up in 2021.

African Americans and other minorities have generally shown little interest in stock trading, but the ex-

posure of how Wall Street works have intrigued many.

Jaydyn had been a GameStop customer when, in 2019, his mother decided to purchase ten shares of the company’s stock for a little over $6.

Nina Carr told the New York Times that her phone blew up during the recent trading frenzy, and she noticed the stock soaring to an eye-popping $351 per share. She consulted Jaydyn on what he wanted to do since she had purchased the stock for him.

“I was trying to explain to him that this was unusual,” the Times reported her saying. “I asked him, ‘Do you want to stay or sell?’”

Jaydyn decided to sell his shares, earning $3,200 — a return of more than 5,000 percent on an investment of about $60.

The development left the most seasoned puzzled. U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen admitted that she needed to understand what occurred.

The trading term to explain what happened is called a short squeeze.

But before the squeeze by the amateur traders, hedge fund giants attempted short sales.

A short sale is when someone borrows a share of a stock and then sells it. If the price falls, the purchaser can buy the stock at a lower price and

Six Flags America Hires New Park President Top Executive Arrives from the Company's North America Location

Brenda C. Siler WI Contributing Writer Richard Pretlow has been named park president of the Bowie, Md. - based Six Flags America theme park and Hurricane Harbor waterpark. Pretlow most recently served as director of in-park services at Six Flags Great Escape Resort, located in Lake George, N.Y. “It is an honor to join the innovative Six Flags America & Hurricane Harbor team,” said Richard Pretlow. “We have made major investments in this park in recent years and we are well-positioned for long-term growth.

Pretlow has worked at every level of the theme park industry.

A graduate of Hampton University, he began his theme park career in 2009, at Busch Gardens Williamsburg, in culinary operations, where he found his passion for the theme park industry. In 2010, he relocated to Langhorne, Pa. as culinary operations manag-

14 - FEBRUARY 11 - 17, 2021

er at Busch Gardens’ sister park, Sesame Place, before departing to become the revenue manager for the Crayola Experience, based in Easton, Pa. He joined the Six Flags team in 2018 as director of in-park services at Six Flags Great Escape Resort, prior to being promoted to this latest role. Pretlow also holds an MBA from Norwich University.

“Richard brings a fresh perspective, proven track record of success, an understanding of the market, and a collaborative leadership style that will serve him well as park president,” said Six Flags Regional Vice President of Park Operations Chris Thorpe. “I am confident he will make an immediate, positive impact as we continue our work to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic stronger than ever.”

Six Flags Entertainment Corporation is the world’s largest regional theme park company and the largest operator of waterparks in North America. WI

5 Richard Pretlow, new park president at Six Flags America and Hurricane Harbor waterpark in Bowie, Md. (Photo provided

by Six Flags Entertainment Corporation)

5 Christon “Truth” Jones (Courtesy Baltimore Times) 4 GameStop store/ Courtesy Grossmount Center

keep the difference.

In other words, as explained by CNBC, if you short a $7 stock and it slides in price, and you buy it at $2, your profit is $5.

“However, if the price goes up, at some point, you still would need to finish the transaction – that is, you’d have to buy that stock to repay the brokerage. So, if that $7 stock rises, and you have to buy it at $10 to cover your short position, you’ve lost $3.”

The GameStop situation has opened eyes – including that of Black investors.

“What this means for the African American investor is that it shows the power of unity and a united front,” Christon’ The Truth’ Jones, the 14-year-old African American wunderkind investor from Baltimore.

“Showing that it is possible to take back the power from the Institutional investors like the big banks, and hedge funds. Because for years, the Wall Street investors have bet against the struggling GameStop, which has been a failing business ever since gamers began buying directly from the consoles,” Christon added.

“With the big Institutional investors on Wall Street betting against GameStop they were sure the game retailer would fail, and they would receive big payouts from betting against the retailer. All in all, it represents our ability to come together as a people and use our numbers, resources, and intellect to our advantage to break down the systems that have been put in place to oppress us.”

Film producer Jimmy Philé-

mond-Montout of PHILEMOND LTD said the Reddit investors democratized World Street and Hedge Funds’ opaque world.

“What it means is that more African American investors will appear, thanks to the slew of information that is readily available online, not just the run-of-the-mill, textbook information but the gritty and dirty,” Philémond-Montout offered.

“We see this in many different avenues, and to me, that is the beauty of online message boards and the internet in general. Thorvald McGregor or Lawrence Lewis are credited with being the first registered African-American securities salesman in 1949.

“Harvey Thomas, Forrest Tomlinson, and George King were the first three African-American brokers to be hired by Merrill Lynch in 1965.

Travers Bell and Willie Daniels established Daniels & Bell, Inc. in 1971, making it the first African American firm on the New York Stock Exchange.

“Now, thanks to Robinhood, Etoro, and TD, among others, everyone can be an investor. We have to read and learn to understand how it works fully, the good and the bad stuff, but we have access to the market. I think wild times are ahead in general, and that the Afro-descendant community has to take part in this.” WI @StacyBrownMedia

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

What’s Cooking For Valentine’s Day?

BUSINESS

Restaurants, Chefs Transform Dining Amid Pandemic

Lindiwe Vilakazi WI Contributing Writer February marks yet another Valentine’s Day, however, this year, the national health pandemic is causing restaurants, and chefs alike to explore divergent celebratory dining options for local couples.

Community food favorites including Blue Dolphin, and various fine dining eateries are not able to present their annual entertainment for the love festivities per Maryland state, and District mandates.

“Our main concern is for our employees, and keeping them safe so they can stay employed,” said Blue Dolphin Seafood Bar and Grill Manager, Brian McCann. “I want people to feel safe and comfortable, as we will continue practicing safety protocols.”

Last year, the four-star restaurant presented a Valentine’s Day music special for guests, with an imitation of Luther Vandross singing classics for attending audiences. However, COVID operating restrictions have forced the business to cancel their scheduled plans, now accommodating only 50% capacity in respect to the latest mandates.

On Feb. 1, Gov. Larry Hogan lift-

ed the 10 p.m. closing ban on bars and restaurants, allowing couples longer dining availability, but with one-hour sitting windows.

“Nom.”, a food entertainment company founded by Maryland business owner Tyler Lassiter, is hosting a bevy of meal-centered events for clientele across the D.C. metropolitan area to shake up the mundanity of life under COVID-19.

While Igloo dining has served as a trendy eating option in a few fine dining establishments, the business looks to bring a more personable experience to customers, providing underrepresented chefs with direct access to consumers, and a high-quality kitchen space to operate.

For Valentine’s Day weekend, the group is hosting a series of events for those seeking a personal chef experience beyond private dining, inclusive of a 5-course meal in the form of cooking classes where couples can learn, and enjoy great meals, virtual cooking classes, and several other presentations.

“The feedback has been overwhelming. I feel like people are connecting more with in-person experiences versus virtual. Our in-person experiences are booked and sold out, and people have requested their own

Bowser Announces Program to Help Local Businesses Reduce Energy Costs

“District Buying Power” to Allow Opportunity to Leverage Purchasing Power by Joining Larger Groups

WI Staff Report Mayor Muriel Bowser and the Department of Energy & Environment [DOEE] recently announced “District Buying Power” – a new program to allow local businesses to aggregate into larger buying groups, enabling them to lower their energy costs by taking advantage of bulk purchase prices.

“There is power in numbers. By allowing our businesses to form larger purchasing groups, we can even the playing field and help

them save money on their energy costs,” Bowser said. “District Buying Power is another innovative solution that will provide much-needed financial relief to our small business community.”

By joining larger groups under District Buying Power, the D.C. business community will have access to a proven and effective way to get the best available pricing and contract terms, which typically are only available for large energy users.

BUSINESS Page 16

private events,” said Lassiter. “Mostly “Nom,” is invite only, so you can work with us to create your own, and people are wanting that personal experience in their homes, or for us to provide the facility.”

The newly emerging business just so happens to be launching on Valentine’s Day weekend, hosting their premier events throughout the holiday weekend.

Amid the health emergency, local Washingtonians debate best practices for this year’s Valentine’s Day in consideration of the safety protocols needed to keep safe while enjoying their weekend plans.

“Honestly, this year I don’t have a Valentine, so I decided to book a private chef to come to my parents

5 Tyler Davis (left) founder of NOM and Simone Clark share a laugh while participating in an in-person cooking class. (Photo courtesy Owen Hart)

house to cook for them,” said Ernest Cowan. “But for myself, if I liked someone I probably would have done the same, just because I don’t like to

go out for Valentine’s Day per se. I enjoy cooking, or booking a rental, or being out of town. Doing something different.” WI

THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA HOUSING AUTHORITY REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) SOLICITATION NO.: 0002-2021 GENERAL LEGAL SERVICES The District of Columbia Housing Authority (DCHA) requires qualified law firms to provide professional General Legal Services in connection with DCHA’s operations.

SOLICITATION DOCUMENTS will be available beginning Monday, February 8, 2021 on DCHA’s website at www.dchousing.org under “Business” and “Solicitations”.

SEALED PROPOSAL RESPONSES ARE DUE ON OR BEFORE Monday, March 8, 2021 at 11:00 AM. Email LaShawn Mizzell-McLeod, Contract Specialist at LMMCLEOD@dchousing.org with copy to business@dchousing.org for additional information.

INVITATION FOR BIDS Solicitation GAGA-2021-I-0015 DCIAA STUDENT ATHLETICS AND STAFF TRANSPORTATION SERVICES DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PUBLIC SCHOOLS OFFICE OF CONTRACTS AND ACQUISITIONS The District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS), Office of Contracts and Acquisitions (OCA), on behalf of the Athletics Department is soliciting bids from prospective bidders to provide transportation services for the students and staff of DCPS that are participating in a full range of organized athletics program through the District of Columbia Interscholastic Athletic Association (DCIAA).

Solicitations will be available to download on Friday, February 12, 2021 D.C. 20002, between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. This solicitation may also be downloaded from the OCA website delineating all the details of the solicitation at: http://dcps.dc.gov/DCPS/About+DCPS/Doing+Business+with+DCPS/Procurement.

Bids will be accepted at DCPS/OCBO on Thursday, February 25, 2021, no later than 1:00 p.m. at the address indicated above.

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

FEBRUARY 11 - 17, 2021 15

NATIONAL Lawmakers, Advocates Set Example for Biden on Reparations Sam P.K. Collins WI Contributing Writer Shortly after entering office, President Joe Biden reiterated his pledge to tackle systemic racism by increasing lending to Black entrepreneurs and launching infrastructure projects to spur employment.

For proponents of reparations however, few if any other options exist to reverse the long-term effects of chattel slavery, segregation, redlining and other institutional practices that have long placed Black people at the bottom of the American caste system.

“We have to be the ones who say this is what we want and why it’s necessary,” Kenniss Henry, the legislative

BUSINESS from Page 15 District Buying Power also will analyze customer data to provide energy tracking, budgeting and reporting so that small businesses can enjoy the same services as large businesses, without requiring any investment. The data analysis will allow District Buying Power to recommend renewable energy, energy efficiency efforts, benchmarking compliance and various other related services.

“I encourage the businesses inside and outside the District to join and start receiving these benefits immediately” said DOEE Director Tommy Wells. “Whether you are in a contract or not, you can sign up today and enroll your accounts into the buying group for the next available bulk purchase. Signing up requires just a few minutes and a copy of your energy bill.”

Albireo Energy, formerly Taylor Consulting, was chosen under a 2019 Request for Proposal to

16 - FEBRUARY 11 - 17, 2021

commission co-chair of the National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations [NCOBRA], told The Informer.

Henry said that time is of the essence for Black people, especially with House Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee’s reintroduction of H.R. 40 on the first day of the 117th congressional session in January. Days later, Sen. Corey Booker (D-N.J.) introduced a copy of H.R. 40, designated as S.B. 40, with 15 cosponsors.

Given these circumstances, NCOBRA’s leadership has organized around raising awareness about H.R. 40 and pressuring lawmakers to pass the bill. As part of an effort to meet this goal, NCOBRA has forged partnerships with the American Civil administer the program based on its unique suite of services and its considerable experience. Albireo Energy also runs Boston Buying Power and Philly Buying Power— District-endorsed programs that have been successfully operating for over a decade.

“Albireo Energy is excited to work with the District and DOEE to provide these valuable services during such difficult times,” said Albireo Energy General Manager Scott Stiner. “There is a lot of assistance we can offer, as participants in our other markets have realized substantial savings.”

Recent reports show that between 60 to 80 percent of all businesses use an energy supplier other than the utility. District Buying Power will optimize that purchasing process through targeted aggregations, expert market analyses, and a competitive bidding process.

For more information, visit www. districtbuyingpower.com.

WI

5 D.C. Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie (Courtesy photo)

Liberties Union, Movement for Black Lives, Color of Change, Center for American Progress and Institute of the Black World 21st Century.

Henry credited this collaborative strategic planning group with a compelling more than 170 lawmakers to cosponsor H.R. 40 during the previous legislative session and 157 congressmen and women doing the same this year.

“There are 230 years’ worth of wealth gaps between Blacks and whites,” she said.

“We have to make sure our legislators deliver; remember, our ancestors worked 256 years of forced free labor

5 DOEE Director Tommy Wells (Courtesy of DCWater)

and endured 100 years of Jim Crow treatment during which time we did not enjoy intergenerational wealth,” Henry continued.

“If reparations is not on the legislative agenda, it could come down to an executive order from the president that directs a commission to do what’s in the legislation itself. We have to be vigilant all the time,” she said.

SETTING THE TONE, LOCALLY

A study published in The Review of Black Political Economy in 2020 estimated that reparations for chattel slavery and other injustices committed against African Americans would cost more than $12 trillion.

Those findings would be derived from what researchers calculated as the value of lost freedom, lost opportunity and pain and suffering.

In the wake of protests that erupted after the police-involved deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, lawmakers in cities across the country either introduced or passed legislation for the payment of reparations to descendants of enslaved Africans in their jurisdiction.

This phenomenon transpired a year after the House Judiciary Committee conducted what had been described as an historic hearing on H.R. 40 that featured some of the foremost scholars and organizers on the subject.

Just blocks away from the White House, the D.C. Council has also been at work to redress the wrongs done against enslaved Africans and their descendants living in the nation’s capital.

Earlier this year, D.C. Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie (D-Ward 5) introduced the Repa-

rations Foundation Fund and Task Force Establishment Act of 2021.

If passed, this legislation, which goes a step further than a version introduced during the previous council session, would launch a reparations task force, establish a reparations fund and require the commissioner of the D.C. Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking to establish a database revealing insurance policies that provided coverage for injured or deceased enslaved people.

McDuffie, chair of the council’s Committee on Business and Economic Development, expressed plans to conduct a hearing on the Reparations Foundation Fund and Task Force Establishment Act sometime this year. He cited housing insecurity and a persistent wealth gap plaguing Black D.C. residents as key impetuses for this legislation.

While McDuffie remained confident that the Biden administration would do its part to advance racial equity on the federal level, he said that the D.C. Council must set the pace locally for such a mission.

“President Joe Biden was sworn in as senator in 1973 and the District has changed drastically since then. It has changed as well since Vice President Kamala Harris walked the yard at Howard University,” McDuffie told The Informer.

“Thousands of Black residents have been displaced over the decades and the racial wealth gap has only worsened, so it’s my hope that this administration will continue its efforts so that 20 years from now, we can all be proud that one’s race and zip code will no longer predict their success in Washington, D.C.,” he said. WI @SamPKCollins

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

VIOLENCE from Page 1 White credited the Bowser administration for appointing Linda Harllee Harper to be the city’s new director of gun violence prevention but said the escalating homicide rate should be handled by a commission consisting of representatives from various sections of the District “and would have no more than 30 days to develop a set of recommendations which can be quickly acted upon.”

Although the District’s homicide rate leveled off as of Feb. 5 according to Metropolitan Police Department statistics, the numbers compiled in January were grim. By Jan. 29, the police department recorded 16 homicides since the year began, an increase of 14 percent compared to the same date in 2020.

By Feb. 5, two additional murders police department data reported 18 homicides, posting a six percent increase as opposed to last year’s number of 17 as of that date.

White insists the community needs to step up efforts to fight the gun violence and not leave the problem to politicians, the mayor or the police department. The councilmember has already taken steps to address the problem, according to a White staff member who told the Informer the councilmember will push for $10 million in fiscal year 2021-2022 for violence intervention efforts.

At a Feb. 4 news conference, Bowser said she heard about White’s state of emergency request and complimented his interest in the issue but made no declaration.

MAYOR BOWSER AGREES WITH WHITE

“The councilmember is right to sound the alarm,” the mayor said. “There are too many senseless shootings in some parts of Ward 8 and many people are being tragically affected.”

Bowser noted Harper’s hiring and said her administration will support any effort to fight gun violence.

Ron Moten, a co-founder of the former anti-gang non-profit Peaceoholics, said White’s state of emergency call “was a good move” but said the District needs to “look at what worked in the past to see what we need to do in the future to get the results we want

and need so desperately.”

Moten said many young people to who partake in criminal activity have no solid male figures in their lives.

“There are no men encouraging them to do what they need to do in the community,” he said. “Plus, so many people are struggling with the coronavirus pandemic and the bad economy and many adults are barely surviving themselves. There is a sense of hopelessness in the community.”

Moten said young people, sensing tension in the community and feeling ignored are acting recklessly and are “willing to pick up a gun to get attention.”

“They use gun violence as a platform to get attention,” he said, “and that is the wrong way to do that.”

‘INVEST IN PEOPLE’

Regina Pixley, former Ward 8 advisory neighborhood commissioner, said she supports White’s state of emergency call “100 percent.”

“This should have been done before,” Pixley said. “The mayor needs a plan to address violence in the city. I do think hiring Harper is a good start but things seem to be getting worse.”

Pixley agreed with Moten that the pandemic has taken its toll on the District. She said while Ward 8 doesn’t have the highest number of coronavirus infections, it does have the highest death rate in the city due to the virus.

Pixley said White’s idea regarding the community getting more involved in fighting gun violence “makes sense.”

“The community needs to step up,” she said. “People can start at their front door. We know who the shooters and the hitters are and we can tell them to stop what they are doing.”

Like Pixley, former Ward 8 D.C. State Board of Education member Markus Batchelor favors White’s state of emergency call. However, he said one way to curtail the homicide rate “is to deeply invest in people.”

“People feel left behind,” Batchelor said. “There should be access to quality education, mental health services and we have got to get people back to work. We have got to retrain people for the jobs the

NATIONAL

Girls’ nights IN are gonna take COVID-19 OUT. We don’t get enough laughs these days.

But, wherever they are, our friends are as close as a click. Vaccines are coming.

But until enough of us are vaccinated, we still need to slow the spread. We can watch our distance, and not let COVID-19 keep us apart.

Learn more about vaccines and slowing the spread at cdc.gov/coronavirus Brought to you by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

new economy is producing, not for the old ones that just won’t come back. There is a state of emergency on crime and violence, along with the public health emergency on COVID-19 but we also have an economic emergency.”

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

Batchelor credits the success he has had in life with a strong family and friends’ network in Ward 8 that provided him a safe space.

“I had a family and teachers in school who cared about me,” he said. “Those are things that

make a difference in the life of a young person. If it wasn’t for that network, I wouldn’t have served a term on the school board but a sentence in prison.”

WI @JamesDCWrighter

FEBRUARY 11 - 17, 2021 17

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U.S. Backs Okonjo-Iweala, First Woman and African, to Head WTO The Biden administration declared its "strong support" for former Nigerian Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala Friday, Feb. 5 to serve as the World Trade Organization’s next director-general.

The decision breaks with the Trump administration's opposition to Okonjo-Iweala and brings the U.S. in line with much of the rest of the world. It will also allow the WTO to confirm its next leader after years of the organization's influence being diminished due to a lack of U.S. engagement.

The other candidate, South Korean Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee, withdrew her bid for the position on Friday. The Trump administration backed Yoo for director-general in October, but Okonjo-Iweala had support from almost all of the WTO’s 164 member countries.

Yoo’s withdrawal signaled the end of months of uncertainty over who will lead the WTO for at least the next four years. Yoo and Okonjo-Iweala were the last candidates from an initial field of eight and the first women to be seriously considered for the role. Roberto Azevêdo of Brazil stepped down as director-general in August, a year before his term

expired.

"It is particularly important to underscore that two highly qualified women made it to the final round of consideration for the position of WTO Director General — the first time that any woman has made it to this stage in the history of the institution," according to a statement issued Friday by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.

Late last month, the administration signaled its support for quickly installing a new director-general.

President Joe Biden spoke with South Korean leader Moon Jae-in on Wednesday, though neither country indicated that the WTO position was discussed.

Okonjo-Iweala, who became a U.S. citizen in 2019, would be the first woman and the first African to lead the WTO. A trained economist, she spent the bulk of her career at the World Bank, eventually holding its No. 2 post as managing director of operations. She twice served as Nigeria’s finance minister.

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Bahamas Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis announced on Friday, Feb. 5, that the government is currently completing legislation to legalise medicinal marijuana, bringing the country another step closer to marijuana reform, according to The Tribune, one of The Bahamas’ leading newspapers.

“The government is in the process of now completing legislation to bring to Parliament to legalize medicinal marijuana so that medical marijuana could be grown

by Bahamians here –- utilized and exported – medicinal marijuana,” Dr. Minnis said at an event at Abaco.

This comes after Bahamas National Commission on Marijuana Co- Chair Quinn McCartney told The Tribune last week that the body hoped to submit its final report surrounding the use of marijuana to the government in the first quarter of this year.

In 2018, the commission was mandated by Cabinet to comprehensively examine issues surrounding the use of marijuana to chart the way forward on the substance.

After several extensions, the commission presented its preliminary marijuana report to Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis early last year, making recommendations for the legalization of medicinal marijuana and the decriminalization for possession of up to one ounce of the drug, among other things.

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

February 2021 Message from Department of Aging and Community Living Message from Muriel Bowser Mayor, District of Columbia Dear Seniors: I want to start by saying how much I miss seeing you at events and gatherings across DC. I also want to thank you for the sacrifices you continue to make in order to protect yourselves and our community. While we must stay vigilant and continue to take measures to stop the spread of the virus – by wearing masks, social distancing, and practicing good hygiene – there is reason to have hope. We should have hope because, finally, we have a safe and effective vaccine that provides us a path out of this pandemic.

I know many of you are eager to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

You are eager to see your families, hug your grandchildren, and be out and about with friends and neighbors. And we are working hard to make that possible. Our goal is to make sure the vaccine is available promptly as supply comes in from the federal government and to ensure an equitable distribution of the vaccine across all eight wards. By now, it is clear that demand for the vaccine far outpaces the supply we are receiving from the federal government; so I continue to advocate for DC to receive more doses so that we can meet the demand for it and protect the lives of our most vulnerable residents.

At the moment, appointments are being released every Thursday at 9 a.m. to eligible residents in priority zip codes.

Priority zip codes include areas of our city where residents have been hit hardest by the virus.

We also release additional appointments every Friday at 9 a.m. that are open to anyone who is eligible, regardless of zip code. The best way to secure one of these appointments is through the website vaccinate. dc.gov (where you can also find a step-by-step guide on how to make an appointment). If you

do not have internet access, you can also call the District’s coronavirus hotline at 855-363-0333 at 9 a.m. on days when appointments open. In addition to these appointments, hospitals and health care centers across DC have limited doses of the vaccine and are working to vaccinate eligible patients.

If you are nervous to take the vaccine, I want to assure you that it is safe and effective. Scientists have been researching how to make vaccines like this one for years. Most of us weren’t talking about coronaviruses before 2020, but because of other coronaviruses like SARS and MERS, doctors and scientists had a head start on developing the COVID-19 vaccine. Furthermore, millions of Americans have already taken the vaccine – including myself, Dr. LaQuandra Nesbitt, and

members of our community like Mrs. Cora Masters Barry, former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, former Mayor Sharon Pratt, former Councilmember Carol Schwartz, and current Councilmembers Anita Bonds, Mary Cheh, Vince Gray, and Chairman Phil Mendelson. We each got vaccinated because we know that this is the best way to protect ourselves, our loved ones, and our city.

Once again, thank you for all you have done to keep our community safe during the pandemic.

With this vaccine, there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and a sense of hope that we will soon be able to come back together again.

Stay safe, and remember: we are in this together, and we will get through it together.

Mayor Muriel Bowser

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

SeniorSocialInfluencers, Councilmember Anita Bonds, Council Chairmain Phil Mendelson, and Former Attorney General Eric Holder take the COVID-19 vaccine for the first time.

FEBRUARY 11 - 17, 2021 19

HEALTH COVID-19 UPDATE

Md. Health Secretary: Register at Multiple Sites to Get COVID-19 Vaccine William J. Ford WI Staff Writer

With a limited supply of COVID-19 vaccines currently

20 - FEBRUARY 11 - 17, 2021

available in Maryland, residents have begun registering for multiple appointments with several providers.

That’s now the advice from

5 Vehicles park underneath an observation tent Feb. 5 at a mass COVID-19 vaccination site at Six Flags America in Upper Marlboro. (Anthony Tilghman/The Washington Informer)

Acting Health Secretary Dennis Schrader.

“We’re not trying to discourage

people from signing up on multiple waiting lists but once they get an appointment, we would like to encourage them to cancel the other waiting lists,” he said Monday, Feb. 8 during a virtual session before a Senate oversight vaccine work group.

Last week, when senators asked Schrader if residents should do this or not, he did not have an answer.

Several senators expressed their displeasure with his response Monday.

“I feel like we are in a time warp and this is survival of the fittest,” said Sen. Addie Eckardt, a Republican who represents part of the Eastern Shore. “Those who are health literate get access and those who aren’t can’t.”

Sen. Clarence Lam, a Democrat who represents parts of Baltimore and Howard counties, compared the situation to “The Hunger Games” where teenagers competed to the death based on a novel series that later became a movie franchise.

Lam, a physician, pointed to strategies employed by residents throughout the state as they sign on to local health department websites and pharmacies at places which include Walgreens, CVS and Giant.

“It’s not only inconvenient. I think it’s inadequate to not have a more unified way to sign up,” he said. “Why can’t there be a single line here in the state for people to sign up?”

Schrader said only four states – New Hampshire, New Mexico, Oklahoma and West Virginia – have organized a one-stop website.

“We believe what we are doing is more equitable,” he said. “A lot of this is about supply and not the technology. There’s a very high risk

to create a single point of failure.”

“Right now, you have a lot of different points of failure,” Lam said.

The state has currently administered about 700,000 doses produced by Pfizer and Moderna.

Gov. Larry Hogan has touted more vaccines will be become available as supplies increase which include a possibly third provider, Johnson & Johnson, that could receive approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Johnson & Johnson contracted with Emergent BioSolutions, Inc. of Gaithersburg to produce one billion doses of a one-shot vaccine.

But equity still remains a problem.

A mass vaccination at Six Flags America in Upper Marlboro currently receives about 250 daily doses in the state’s majority Black and second largest jurisdiction of Prince George’s County. The goal will be to distribute 2,000 doses weekly.

Further north at the state fairgrounds in Baltimore County, the state scheduled to administer 2,000 doses in about five hours Monday.

Sen. Jim Rosapepe (D-District 21), who represents parts of Prince George’s and Anne Arundel counties, asked Schrader, “What’s going on in Prince George’s?”

Shrader said some people want to take the vaccine but some are not.

“It’s not for a lack of doses. It’s for a lack of demand. We’ve got to get the demand up,” he said.

“It is not a lack of demand. It’s a mismatch of supply and demand,” Rosapepe replied. “I assure you there is enough demand in Prince George’s County for the doses that you have.”

WI @jabariwill

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

February is Cancer Prevention Month and Thankfully, There’s Some Good News Brandon Ross Men’s Health Network Special to The Washington Informer

February is Cancer Prevention Month, and with that comes the need to express how important it is to visit your doctor and get screened for this disease should you feel ill or are in pain.

While most people associate cancer for all the hard realities that come with it: chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, transplants, etc., there’s some hope that can be offered to those who are (understandably) nervous from getting screened, as well as survivors, from the disease.

Cancer death rates continue to decline, and according to the American Cancer Society [ACS] (https:// www.cancer.org/latest-news/factsand-figures-2021.html), the rate in death from this disease has dropped 31 percent from 1991-2018. Men’s Health Network [MHN], a national non-profit based in the District, will continue to advocate for early cancer detection, as well as educating men to learn and protect themselves from typical male cancers such as testicular and prostate cancer and how to protect their loved ones and families from cancer, according to Dr. Salvatore Giorgianni, Jr., a senior science advisor for MHN. “The continuing decline in deaths due to cancers in the US is very important and encouraging,” Dr. Giorgianni said. “These declines are for the most part due to two very important reasons – increases in early detection of cancer and investments from pharmaceutical and diagnostic companies in advanced treatments and more accurate testing technologies.”

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People will still unfortunately get this disease in 2021 and beyond.

ACS researchers estimate 1.9 million Americans will be diagnosed with cancer this year, and roughly 600,000 of them will die. However, progress continues to be seen in recent years, with cancer rates dropping an additional 2.4 percent from 2017 to 2018, which is the single biggest one-year drop in death rates (https://www.cancer.org/latest-news/facts-and-figures-2021. html).

The year 2020 (and the start of 2021) provided enough uncertainty due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and with that ACS does not and will not know the effect the COVID-19 pandemic will have on cancer diagnosis in general, but researchers say those with active cancer cases are more susceptible to being infected due to a weakened immune system.

MHN will continue to advocate for early cancer detection, as well as educating men to learn and protect themselves from typical male cancers such as testicular and prostate cancer and how to protect their

February is Cancer Prevention Month, and with that comes the need to express how important it is to visit your doctor and get screened for this disease should you feel ill or are in pain.

loved ones and families from cancer, according to Dr. Giorgianni.

“Early detection, which means regular medical checkups, is THE key,” Dr. Giorgianni said. “[Men’s Health Network] urges all men to become more knowledgeable about cancer and then ‘man-up’ by doing all you can to take responsibility for the health of yourself and those you care about.”

The biggest takeaway hopefully taken from this is very simple, and that’s to visit your doctor on a regular basis to encourage early detection. The worst thing we can all do is take our foot off the gas and neglect our own bodies.

As a survivor of Acute Myeloid Leukemia of 19 years and counting, let the author reiterate the importance of staying on top of your doctor’s visits. This article would not have ever been written if early cancer detection wasn’t a part of the equation.

Men's Health Network is an international non-profit organization whose mission is to reach men, boys, and their families where they live, work, play, and pray with health awareness messages and tools, screening programs, educational materials, advocacy opportunities and patient navigation.

Learn more about MHN at www.menshealthnetwork.org, follow them on Twitter @MensHlthNetwork and Facebook at www. facebook.com/menshealthnetwork.

WI

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FEBRUARY 11 - 17, 2021 21

EDUCATION Prince George’s High School Seniors Reflect on Turbulent Final Year William J. Ford WI Staff Writer

During this time of year, high school seniors usually prepare for milestones such as senior field trips, proms, graduation ceremonies and even a harmless prank or two.

Instead, the ongoing coronavirus pandemic forced Prince George’s County public school students to remain home and conduct remote learning for nearly a year.

The majority-Black jurisdiction leads the state of Maryland with the highest number of confirmed coronavirus cases, almost 70,000.

But COVID-19 vaccines have presented hope for students to come back to the buildings for some form of in-person instruction this year.

The school system began its vaccination rollout the weekend of Jan. 31 for about 1,500 of the nearly 22,000 Prince George’s teachers, administrators and other staff. Support staff and other

SunShine Youth Division (Specializing in Black History)

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The Voice of the People

employees can receive vaccines at the Kaiser Permanente Lanham Rehabilitation Center, but how many have received them remain unclear.

Before Maryland Superintendent Karen Salmon and a few other school employees received COVID-19 vaccines last month in Annapolis, Gov. Larry Hogan injected his voice requesting local school officials to bring students back in the buildings by March 1.

It’s doubtful the Prince George’s school board will make a decision on that topic when it meets Thursday, Feb. 11.

Member of the class of 2021, such as Asia Gray and Khalil Williams wouldn’t be in the buildings too long.

According to the school calendar, graduation ceremonies are scheduled beginning May 21 and the last day of school June 18.

Both students said they would like to return for the final few months and see friends and their teachers, but safety remains a higher priority.

“I don’t think it’s safe,” said Gray, 17, who attends Charles H. Flowers High School in Springdale. “In an ideal world, I would love to come back to my school. I really love my school.”

“A part of me wants to go just to see everyone once again, but the logic side of me knows that it would be completely dangerous because it’s still a pandemic,” said Williams, who turned 18 on Saturday, Feb. 6 and attends Potomac High School in Oxon Hill. “I’m mostly opposed to it, but I won’t be completely upset if [school officials] do implement that. I would just try to be as careful as possible.”

Although the first day of school began Aug. 31, Gray and Williams have gained virtual learning experience since school buildings closed March 16, 2020.

Besides typing, reading and watching educational videos on their laptops, they reflected on their senior year and advice for underclassmen in their own words.

ASIA GRAY

Activities: captain of debate team, student member of board of education’s advisory council, president of Math National Honor Society Future plans: attend college to major in biomedical engineering.

A few schools she’s been accepted

5 Asia Gray. (Courtesy of PGCPS)

to include University of Maryland in College Park, Howard University, Georgia Tech Institute of Technology and North Carolina A&T. It’s nothing like in-person learning. I haven’t gotten used to [virtual learning]. It’s really hard. My mom sees I’ve become more engaged with my school and learning since the pandemic. One thing I learned about myself is that if I really want to do something, to just go out there and do it. Sometimes I got nervous to really take charge and lead. During the pandemic, I really just started taking charge and really enjoyed doing it. I was always scared to be co-captain of the debate team, although I’ve been on it since ninth grade year.

When captain came up [for the debate team], I was like, ‘I don’t want to take it.’ They were like, ‘Girl, just take it. You’ve been on the team for so long.’ I was able to lead the team. I think someone won first place in our last tournament. I was really happy about that. I would tell [underclassmen] to stay locked in. It is very easy to get distracted and not want to do anything. I would tell them to keep pushing and be strong. If you get distracted and you don’t put in as much effort as you can in your underclassmen years, it’s going to affect you in your upperclassmen years. Try your best to stay locked

in and focus on your work and try to make the best out of it. It’s way harder than it seems. Take it step by step.

KHALIL WILLIAMS

Activities: National Honor Society, band, poetry club and helps with his stepmother’s business called “Nature’s Little Secret.”

Future plans: Will take online courses at a music school called “Beat Lab Academy.” In-person schooling based in Los Angeles.

Seeks to become a disc jockey and music producer.

The [school] year overall has been mostly good for me. Seeing my teachers…in these little boxes on Zoom is just weird. I like the comfort of it. I like being in bed for the same classes. I wake up, brush my teeth, wash my face and get back into bed and bring out my journals and whatever I need get and just go to class. A lot of people have been struggling to transition [from in-person to virtual learning]. There are some people who are just like, ‘I’m at home Why do I need to do anything?’ I know what I have to do so I can do that first so I can do whatever I want to do later. I don’t want to spend all day

EDUCATION Page 22

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EDUCATION

Attorney General Racine Welcomes 2021 Class of Charles F.C. Ruff Fellows Fellowships Allow Grads from Area Law Schools to Gain Valuable Experience in Public Service

D.C. Attorney General Karl A. Racine has welcomed 16 recent graduates from area law schools to join the Office of the Attorney General [OAG] as part of the 2021 Charles F.C. Ruff Fellowship. OAG established the year-long fellowship in 2012 to promote public interest legal work and give recent law school graduates the opportunity to practice law as Assistant Attorneys General for the District of Columbia. The fellowships are jointly funded by OAG and the graduates’ respective law schools. Many previous fellows have gone on to become full-time attorneys at OAG or at other prestigious public service institutions after their fellowships.

“The Ruff Fellowship allows recent law school graduates to begin their careers with hands-on experience in advancing the public interest,” Racine said. “District residents and OAG are fortunate to have this talented group of Ruff Fellows join our office. These Fellows contribute tremendously to the success of our work, and we hope that their time at OAG inspires them to pursue a career in public service.”

OAG awards these fellowships to stand-out applicants following a highly competitive selection process. The 2021 class includes graduates from Georgetown University Law Center, George Washington University Law School, George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School, Howard University School of Law, the University of Virginia School of Law and the University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law. The new Fellows and their assignments are: • Reshma Baig, Georgetown University, Public Safety Division • Andrew S. Boddie, University of Virginia, Civil Litigation Division • Kimberly Boyd, Howard University, Public Safety Division • Lily Bullitt, George Washington University, Public Advocacy Division • Alexis Byrd, University of the

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5 AG Karl Racine (WI File Photo)

District of Columbia, Legal Counsel Division • Ashley Carter, Georgetown University, Civil Litigation Division • Corey Fitzpatrick, Georgetown University, Public Interest Division • James P. Jordan, George Mason University, Public Interest Division • Janika J. Jordan, George Washington University, Public Interest Division • Amanda Pescovitz, George Washington University, Civil Litigation Division • Matthew Saliman, Georgetown University, Commercial Division • Griffin Simpson, George Washington University, Public Interest Division • Blake Sweat, Georgetown University, Public Advocacy Division • Daniel Thaler, George Mason University, Personnel, Labor and Employment Division

• Margaret Hope Ulle, George Washington University, Civil Litigation Division • Mark Wigley, Georgetown University, Office of the Solicitor General The Ruff Fellowship program is named in memory of Charles F.C. Ruff, who was the District of Columbia’s Corporation Counsel – the position now known as Attorney General – from 1995 to 1997. Ruff served as White House Counsel to President Bill Clinton after his service as Corporation Counsel, and Attorney General Racine worked under him as an Associate White House Counsel. Ruff also served as the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia and taught at area law schools. He died in 2000.

To learn more about the Ruff Fellowship program, visit https://oag. dc.gov.

WI

EDUCATION from Page 21

best. When you do the best, you generate results. It may not come instantly, but trust me, the results you get from trying your best is beyond words. Just try your best for whatever you want to do.

Don’t stress too much. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself.

Just relax, do your best and always work to improve yourself.

WI Twitter: @jabariwill

working on an assignment [and] last minute scrambling to finish something. I can just finish it and then do whatever I want for the rest of my free time. My advice to [future Class of 2022], I know it is hard. I know there are times where you want to say, ‘Ok, I’m not doing this anymore.’

Keep pushing yourself to do your

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FEBRUARY 11 - 17, 2021 23

Helping Our Neighbors Stay Warm in the D.C. Area Submitted by Washington Gas As the temperatures drop across our area every winter, the need for emergency heating assistance soars. Every winter, thousands in our community find themselves in a temporary financial crisis brought on by an illness, accident or job loss.

Unfortunately, energy assistance can be difficult to obtain.

That’s the inspiration behind the Washington Area Fuel Fund (WAFF). Created by Washington Gas with The Salvation Army over 37 years ago, the program fills this critical gap, providing essential funds so that our neighbors in need can stay warm during the frigid months of the season. Washington Gas proudly pays all costs of operating the program while The Salvation Army assists clients and manages the disbursement of the funds. Neighbors in need can receive heating assistance regardless of how they heat their home—whether it be electric, gas or some other fuel.

This partnership underscores the commitment of Washington Gas to help local neighbors in need with energy assistance so that they can stay warm during cold winter months. Families living in poverty spend more than 30 percent of their income on energy bills. Because Washington Gas pays all expenses to manage WAFF, 100 percent of every dollar donated goes to help families “The passion to help our neighbors with heating assistance has never been greater and that’s why we are so dedicated to raising awareness about this critical issue,” said Donald “Blue” Jenkins, President and Chief Executive Officer, Washington Gas. “As a company committed to caring for our community throughout our 171-year his-

24 - FEBRUARY 11 - 17, 2021

tory, we know our neighbors will always join us in helping those in need.”

Since WAFF’s inception in 1983, more than $30 million has helped 300,000 families in the Washington metropolitan area.

ELIGIBILITY

Utility assistance is available regardless of the type of fuel used to heat your home. That means residents do not have to be customers to receive assistance. In general, a family of four earning up to $75,050 could be eligible.

WAFF applications are accepted January 1 through May 31 at the nearest county or city where The Salvation Army maintains offices.

HOW TO GET INVOLVED WITH WAFF

It’s easy to get involved with WAFF. Sign up to become a monthly donor at waffhelp.org/ give-help, and for the price of a cup of coffee a day, you can help provide a month of heat to a neighbor in need.

If you want information about getting help from WAFF, visit waffhelp.org/eligibility to learn how to apply for WAFF help.

WASHINGTON, D.C.

Serving Wards 1 – 6 The Salvation Army Social Services Department 1434 Harvard St., NW, Washington, DC 20009 (202) 332-5000 Serving Wards 7 – 8 The Salvation Army Social Services Department 2300 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave., SE, Washington, DC 20020 (202) 678-9771

Washington Area Fuel Fund (WAFF)

HELPING OUR NEIGHBORS Washington Gas and The Salvation Army created the Washington Area Fuel Fund (WAFF) to help families in need pay their heating bills.

Utility assistance is available regardless of the type of fuel used to heat a home.

You do not have to be customers to receive assistance.

A family of four earning up to $75,050 could be eligible.

ANYONE seeking to RECEIVE FUNDS through WAFF can fill out the application at

SalvationArmyNCA.org/gethelp through May 31.

MARYLAND

Prince George’s County Salvation Army 4825 Edmonston Rd., Hyattsville, MD 20781 (301) 277-6103

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

OPINIONS/EDITORIALS

EDITORIAL

Will March 1 Mark the Start of Better Days or the Slide Over the Cliff?

Schools in the Greater Washington Area and across the U.S. continue to point to March 1 as “D-Day” – the proposed date when many school districts will pivot toward increased in-person learning for hundreds of thousands of students.

But March 1st will be “D-Day” for another reason which will undoubtedly be equally alarming for Americans, particularly those living in the DMV: the end of a months-long moratorium on evictions and protections from the shutoff of utilities.

In both cases, with the parents of students being urged to send their children back to class and with utility service providers, landlords and banks in control of mortgages allowed to kick start legal proceedings in search of past due balances, the results, we fear, may be catastrophic.

However, we’ve heard very little about what Americans can expect on March 1 as the last weeks of winter come to an end and spring begins to rear its normally beautiful head.

We have heard promises about more opportunities being readied for those who wish to take the vaccine for COVID-19. And we’ve heard that plans have been set in motion to assist taxpayers with early filing and, if appropriate, earlier tax refunds.

But we remain concerned about the coming weeks and the possibility that for millions of Americans, the long, inevitable slide into the abyss may begin in full force – like a fast-paced avalanche.

There’s no way that the average American family will be able to pull themselves out of this quagmire that impacts so many due to the coronavirus and the changes that we’ve been forced to endure. It will take time – weeks, months – for some even years.

Unfortunately, plans and strategies that might assist Americans with this difficult process of recovery remain vague at most – if they exist at all.

And that should cause all of us to fear the future.

WI

The Trust Blacks Won’t Give, but Need COVID-19 presents yet another case of Black America’s distrust in government institutions. Even though Black people reportedly represent the highest number of U.S. citizens to contract the deadly virus and the highest number who die from it for many reasons, they are also among the most astounding number by race that refuses to take the life-saving vaccine.

This is of no surprise to Black doctors or legislators. For months, they tried to prepare for the hard sell required to get the message into the heads and the vaccines into Black people’s arms. The horrible truth about the men who died in the Tuskegee experiment or Henrietta Lacks, whose cells were used for research without her consent, are commonly known among Black people. Why trust institutions responsible for denying them equal and affordable access to healthcare that also allows them to suffer and die more from preventable and curable diseases?

Yet, the resistance by Black people manifests the depth of their suspicions about government-related programs and policies. When banks were allowed to sell sub-prime loans and engage in other predatory lending practices, Blacks were the victims; and they were so distrustful that they resisted programs aimed to help. Consequently, the impact of the housing crisis lead to a profound Black loss of wealth and the impact continues.

With the COVID-19 moratorium on rental and utility payments, again, Black people represent the highest number of potential victims of evictions and utility shut-offs, yet they are not responding to programs that offer help.

When Black people don’t get a quick and positive response for aid, they most often decide it’s not meant for them. They are painfully accustomed to being discriminated against and treated unfairly. And, in many cases, their feelings are spot on. But now is not the time to distrust resources aimed at helping every American including housing and utility assistance programs, and a vaccine that save lives, including Black lives.

WI

TO THE EDITOR Pandemic Snow Just Not the Same While I love the snow days we've had, they don't quite feel the same during a pandemic. Snow days use to be a reprieve from the world, now it feels like even more of a chokehold. Aside from the scenic views, there are no upsides to snow these days, not even a day off.

Hilaire Bivens Washington, D.C.

Readers' Mailbox

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

Back to School I believe kids need to return to school! People want to talk about safety, but children are going everywhere else — the gas station, the mall, grocery stores, birthday parties, etc. Just like they wear a mask to those places, they can do the same to the most important place — SCHOOL! It's a must. The rich kids are just fine while the poor are suffering!

Vernon Gregory Washington, D.C.

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

FEBRUARY 11 - 17, 2021 25

OPINIONS/EDITORIALS Guest Columnist

Julianne Malveaux

What If Women Didn't Talk?

Patriarchy baffles me as much as white supremacy does. How do the men, birthed by women, consider us inferior? When we raise our voices, we are irrational or hysterical. When we are emphatic, we are hostile.

According to former Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori, we talk too much in meetings when we talk. Mori offered this weak excuse when questioned about the scarcity of women on the Tokyo Olympic Organizing Committee, which he chairs. Later,

the 83-year-old Mori apologized, citing criticism from his daughter and granddaughter.

That's Japan, not the United States, some might say. But show me a woman who has sat in an executive, civic or academic meeting, and I'll show you a woman who has confronted patriarchal attitudes in meetings. Listening to men restate her point, which was ignored when she made it. Interrupted.

Encountered the passive hostility that comes when men don't want to hear women's voices.

But in this Black History Month, I pondered the impact of Black women's voices and wondered what would hap-

Guest Columnist

pen if we were silent.

What if Maggie Lena Walker didn't encourage us to turn our pennies into dollars, as she formed the Penny Savings Bank in Richmond, Virginia?

What would have happened if Sojourner Truth did not proclaim that "ain't I a woman"? What would have happened if Harriet Tubman had not let hundreds out of enslavement by simply saying, "come on y'all" What would have happened if Maxine Waters had not reclaimed her time, or if now-Vice President Kamala Harris, as a senator, interrupted someone by saying, "I was speaking." What would have happened if Shirley Chisholm

had not proclaimed herself "unbought and unbossed," leading the way for congresswomen like Ayana Pressley (Mass.), Yvette Clarke (N.Y.), Joyce Beatty (Ohio) and Cori Bush (Mo.) to proclaim the same?

We appreciate former Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, the first African American to serve on the Supreme Court. How many of us know, though, of Julia Baxter Bates, the first Black woman to be admitted to Douglass College, the women's college of Rutgers. ‘Baxter Bates graduated in 1938, hoping to teach in New Jerse schools, but segregation laws prevented her from chasing her dream. She

earned a master's degree at Columbia University and taught at Dillard University in New Orleans. Then, she led the NAACP research component, working with Walter White, WEB Du Bois, and Thurgood Marshall. Many say that her research influenced the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court case. Did she talk too much, or just enough? Her nephew, Kevin Fields, a New Jerse entrepreneur, says that Justice Marshall considered her "a partner."

History belongs to she who holds the pen, and whether it is intentional

MALVEAUX Page 53

Charlette Strickland

At Hart Middle School, Heart is at the Center of In-person Learning

Beyond the headlines of DC Public Schools opening for in-person learning is the reality of what opening has meant to me, educators, students and families at my school.

I’m the principal at Hart Middle School in Ward 8, leading the school community for the past seven years.

Last week, my team proudly opened the school building for students to learn

in-person for the first time in nearly a year.

At Hart Middle School, more than 100 students can come for in-person learning one day per week. We prioritized special education students and general education students who need extra support. Our goal, by the end of the school year, is for all students to be given the opportunity to learn in-person and fully reopen in the fall.

The health and well-being of students and staff are our top priorities.

Last Wednesday, students and staff

Guest Columnist

arrived and followed our DC Health and CDC-aligned health protocols: wearing masks is mandatory; everyone completes a COVID-19 symptom check before coming into the building; and there is frequent hand washing and use of hand sanitizer, among other safety measures.

This is true at Hart Middle School and true at all other DCPS buildings across the District.

As we return from a lengthy time away from classroom-based instruction, we are working hard to meet

students where they are, being sure to give them the specific support that they require to thrive. To that end, students receive a special, personalized folder each Wednesday morning, created by their teachers. It outlines goals for the day, assignments they may have missed and what to look for the following days when they learn virtually.

With in-person learning, students can get individualized mini-lessons from their teacher or do the kinds of hands-on learning that they love, like science lab demonstrations, instead of

learning on a screen. Critically, students will have access to all of their teachers and build a deep engagement that has been missing for some. In just one day of in-person learning last week, we are already seeing those relationships flourish.

While, for good reason, we cannot hug students or give high fives when students come in the door — students were immediately happy to see their teachers and classmates. Some students

STRICKLAND Page 53

Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr

Race and Data Discrimination in America

Today there is a welcomed breath of fresh political air in Washington, D.C. even amidst the unprecedented spread of the global COVID-19 pandemic throughout the United States. According to the Biden-Harris Administration the issues of racial justice and equity are now top priorities in a “whole of government” commitment to all Americans, and in

26 - FEBRUARY 11 - 17, 2021

particular to African Americans and other people of color communities.

Most recently the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) had a special on-the-record briefing from the White House Office of Public Engagement directed

by The Honorable Cedric Richmond who is also Senior Advisor to President Joe Biden.

As we heard Richmond strongly reaffirm the administration’s urgent push to have the U.S. Congress to enact the $1.9 trillion American Res-

cue Plan that promises to respond to the nation’s pandemic and economic crisis respecting the principles of equity, I thought reflectively about all the various racial disparities, discriminations, and inequities that daily have a negative impact on Black America.

Yet, in 2021 we live in the age of data where the aggregation, control, and ownership of data continues to have enormous social and economic consequences for those who are poor and marginalized. One preexisting condition that has not gotten

enough public attention and debate is the issue of the intersection of race, data discrimination and inequity in America.

Data discrimination is a covert form of racism that is having a devastating impact on the quality for life of African Americans and others who continue to face systemic inequity.

It is relevant to note that the largest credit reporting agency in the U.S. is Equifax. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Equifax actually has become more profitable at the expense

of millions of Americans who are struggling to survive to make ends meet. As a consequence, we must begin to raise questions about the apparent linkage of the expanding credit reporting industry to the growing financial inequities especially in African American communities.

As credit reporting booms while most Americans are experiencing financial hardship, Equifax’s “Work Number” workforce division is turn-

CHAVIS Page 53

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

OPINIONS/EDITORIALS Guest Columnist

Marc H. Morial

The Fight Against Racially Motivated Voter Suppression Continues

"There are some politicians that are very concerned about the historic turnout that we saw in the 2020 election and are determined to put barriers in front of the ballot box to try and give themselves a job security play.

There are some politicians who are trying to manipulate the rules of the game so some people can participate and some people can't." — Myrna Pérez, director

of voting rights and elections, the Brennan Center No matter how many lies politicians tell about nonexistent voter fraud, someone always manages to blurt out the truth.

"They've got to change the major parts of them [voting laws] so that we at least have a shot at winning," said Alice O'Lenick, chair of the board of elections in Gwinnett County, Georgia.

Black Americans voted in record numbers in Georgia and other states in 2020. White politicians are hard at work to make sure it doesn't happen again.

Guest Columnist

Using "The Big Lie" of voter fraud as a pretext, state senators in Georgia this week introduced nine bills designed to make it harder for people to vote, eliminating automatic voter registration, no-excuse absentee voting, and mail ballot drop boxes, banning third-party groups from sending mail ballot applications, and prohibiting people who move to Georgia after the general election from voting in runoff elections.

Every one of these proposals would affect Black voters disproportionately.

In a bit of sad irony, the bills were introduced the very same day the news broke that voting rights advocate Stacey Abrams was nominated for this year's Nobel Peace Prize for her work to promote nonviolent change via the ballot box.

Georgia's avalanche of racially-motivated voter suppression legislation isn't even close to the worst in the nation. Of the 28 states where a total of 106 voter suppression bills have been introduced, pre-filed or carried over, Pennsylvania leads with 14.

Pennsylvania also is unique

in that it is the only state where legislators are trying to reverse voting reforms they themselves brought about. A bipartisan majority in the Pennsylvania General Assembly in October 2019 overwhelmingly voted to relax registration deadlines and make voting by mail available to all voters.

In Arizona, where a majority of voters have cast ballots early in a system that has existed for more than a decade, lawmakers are pushing several bills to cur-

MORIAL Page 54

Ben Jealous

For a Stronger America, We Must Protect Our Democracy and Hold Extremism Accountable

Nobody needs to tell Black Americans that progress toward an inclusive democracy is often met with brutal resistance. We've learned the hard way that we can't “let nobody turn us ‘round.” And right now, we need to send that message to the people we put in power in the White House and Congress.

Our democracy survived former President Donald Trump's attempt

to overturn the election. It survived the violent attack on Congress that Trump and his allies incited, which left five people dead and many more injured. We won great victories at the ballot box in Georgia, yet our progress — and our democracy — are still at risk.

We cannot let the forces of bigotry and backlash stop us from fixing the mess Trump left behind, giving people the help they need, and protecting our democracy itself.

Here's what's going on: After an election in which Black people's

Askia-At-Large

votes made the difference in so many races, state legislators have already introduced more than 100 bills to interfere with voter registration, limit mail-in voting, and make it harder to vote. They want to turn us around and shut us out.

That's why we need Congress to pass the For the People Act. It would strengthen and protect voting rights.

It would limit big money's ability to corrupt our politics. And it would stop state legislators from drawing lines on the map that give unfair power to the right wing and leave Black

people and progressive voters underrepresented.

The biggest barrier to passing protections for voting and democracy is the same barrier to getting relief money to hurting people, families, and small businesses: Senate Republicans and their intention to stop progress dead in its tracks.

And that's why we need Congress to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. It would put some teeth back into the Voting Rights Act that conservatives on the Supreme Court knocked out just after former

President Barack Obama's reelection.

One reason people were so motivated to elect Sens. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff was to keep Sen. Mitch McConnell from having the power to stop President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris from doing what they were elected to do.

When Georgia voters elected Warnock and Ossoff, it gave Democrats control of the Senate — 50 votes with Vice President Harris as

Her ancestors are Palestinians.

Many, many people in this country believe that having Muslims in Congress is “un-American.” But the U.S. Constitution does not permit such religious Islamophobic religious discrimination. Its wording, in Article VI Clause 3, is explicit and unambiguous.

“The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath

or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.” (emphasis mine) NO RELIGIOUS TEST! Period.

Before she was even sworn into office, Rep. Tlaib recalls that she was warned by the FBI of death threats against her, on the first day of her orientation! Such hatred! And those threats continue to this day for her

JEALOUS Page 54

Askia Muhammad

Muslims in Congress

More than 12,100 men and women have served in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives since the first gavel fell in 1789. Of those, 162 have been Black, a sorry one percent, especially considering that there are about 60 Black Democrats and Republicans now serving in the Congress. That attests to this country’s long history of black voter suppression.

When it comes to Muslim members, since 2007 there have been— count them—four. Three of the four are still in office, and three of the four are of African descent—Black Muslims, if you will.

In 2006, Keith Ellison, now attorney general of Minnesota was the first Muslim elected to Congress. He was sworn in with his hand on a Holy Quran—the book of Islamic scriptures— once owned by Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States and principal author of the Declara-

tion of Independence.

In 2007, when his grandmother Rep. Julia Carson (D-Ind.) died of cancer, Andre Carson, whose professional background had been in law-enforcement related fields won her seat and has been reelected ever since.

In 2018 Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), a refugee from war-torn Somalia in East Africa was elected to the seat formerly held by Ellison, and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) won the seat formerly held by Rep. John Conyers.

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ASKIA Page 54 FEBRUARY 11 - 17, 2021 27

Over the last decade, Comcast has connected 4 million students from low-income homes to low-cost, high-speed Internet.

And now we’re partnering with hundreds of school districts across the country to sponsor free Internet and laptops to help more students learn from home and be ready for anything.

Learn more at comcast.com/education ©2020 Comcast. All rights reserved.

28 - FEBRUARY 11 - 17, 2021

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MONTH

Legendary ‘Dreamgirl’ Mary Wilson Dead at 76 Co-Founder of Motown’s Top Female Group, The Supremes Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer Mary Wilson counted as a friend to the Black Press of America and a neighbor to the world with a radiance that seemed inextinguishable. But at 76, the flame of the legendary Supreme has finally gone out.

Wilson died suddenly late Monday, Feb. 8 at her home just outside of Las Vegas.

“I was extremely shocked and saddened to hear of the passing of a major member of the Motown family, Mary Wilson of the Supremes,” Motown founder Berry Gordy wrote in a statement emailed to NNPA Newswire shortly after 2 a.m. Tuesday. “The

5 The Supremes (Courtesy photo)

Supremes were always known as the ‘sweethearts of Motown.’ Mary, along with Diana Ross and Florence Ballard, came to Motown in the early 1960s.”

“After an unprecedented string of number one hits, television and nightclub bookings, they opened doors for themselves, the other Motown acts, and many, many others.”

“I was always proud of Mary. She was quite a star in her own right and continued to work hard to boost the legacy of the Supremes over the years.

Mary Wilson was extremely special to me. She was a trailblazer, a diva and will be deeply missed.”

In a 2020 interview on the Black Press of America’s “Fiyah!” livestream program, Wilson talked about her life and career and her long pursuit of hav-

ing Ballard memorialized with a U.S. Postal Service stamp.

“People forget that Florence Ballard not only gave us our name but she formed the group,” Wilson revealed on “Fiyah!”

“It was really Flo who formed us and I want people to know that. I am putting together a program to get Florence Ballard a U.S. stamp, hopefully, so I want people to send their request and say something about Florence.

All those hits were Florence, so when you’re listening to [The Supremes], it’s about Flo. So, I want people who listen to those songs that bring back memories; think about Flo.” A singer, best-selling author, motivational speaker, businesswoman, former U.S. cultural ambassador, mother, and grandmother, the legendary Mary Wilson made great strides on her inevitable journey to greatness.

As an original/founding member of The Supremes, she changed the face of popular music to become a trendsetter who broke down social, racial, and gender barriers, which all started with the wild success of their first number one song.

THE SUPREMES: HOW IT ALL BEGAN

Formed in Detroit as The Primettes in 1959, The Supremes were Motown’s most successful act of the 1960s, scoring 12 No. 1 singles.

They also continue to reign as America’s most successful vocal group to date. Their influence not only carries on in contemporary R&B, soul and pop, but they also helped pave the way for Black artists’ mainstream success across all genres.

The trio achieved an unprecedented 12 No.1 hits – five of them occurring consecutively from 1964 to 1965. The songs include: “Where Did Our Love Go,” “Baby Love,” “Come See About Me,” “Stop! In the Name of Love,” and “Back in My Arms Again,” according to Billboard Magazine.

In 2018, Billboard celebrated the 60th anniversary of Motown with a list of “The Hot 100’s Top Artists of All Time,” in which The Supremes ranked at No. 16 and remain the No. 1 female recording group of all time.

Jan. 21, 2021, marked the 60th anniversary of the day The Supremes signed with Motown in 1961. This year, Mary kicked off the historic celebration.

“With the same passion as she did singing with the original Supremes as well as with her solo career, the world-renowned performer was an advocate for social and economic

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5 Mary Wilson (Courtesy photo)

challenges in the United States and abroad,” Wilson’s longtime publicist and friend, Jay Schwartz, said.

“Ms. Wilson used her fame and flair to promote a diversity of humanitarian efforts, including ending hunger, raising HIV/AIDS awareness and encouraging world peace. Mary was working on getting a U.S. postage stamp of her fellow bandmate and original Supreme Florence Ballard who passed away in 1976,” Schwartz said.

In 2019, Wilson stretched her dancing muscles when she joined the cast of the 28th season of ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars,” Schwartz recalled.

He noted that in 2019 she also published her fourth book, “Supreme Glamour.”

“The coffee-table book showcased the gowns The Supremes were known for over the decades and delved into more history of the most successful female recording group of all time,” Schwartz wrote in an email.

He provided the following extensive recent bio of Wilson: She was honored at the Paley Center for Media in Beverly Hills, celebrating her work in music and her influence on young African Americans and entertainment.

Her conversation with Janice Littlejohn left the audience laughing with her unmatched humor and standing with applause displaying her graceful composure throughout the night.

Showing the same love she has always demonstrated to all her fans, Wilson gladly met and personally thanked every attendee that night for their support throughout her career.

WILSON’S INFLUENCE REACHED BEYOND MUSIC

In 2018, Wilson’s longtime fight in the passage of the Music Modernization Act came to fruition when the U.S. Congress signed the act into law on Oct. 11, 2018. The act aims to modernize copyright-related issues for new music and audio recordings due to new forms of technology like digital streaming, which did not protect music recorded before Feb. 15, 1972.

Her tireless advocacy for this legislation included trips to Washington, D.C. to personally meet with members of Congress to advocate for legacy artists gaining fair compensation when their songs are played on digital radio stations.

Mary’s last solo recording, her song “Time to Move On,” reached No. 23 on the Billboard Dance charts, which marked her first time on the charts with a solo recording since The Supremes.

She was working on new projects for 2021, including an album she recently teased on her YouTube channel.

Her primary love of preserving the legacy of The Supremes and introducing her music to new generations remained essential to her.

“I think that The Supremes had a lot to do with the awakening of the world in terms of what blackness was,” Wilson said in her 2020 NNPA interview. “The whole world was watching Black people in a way they’d never seen.” WI @StacyBrownMedia

FEBRUARY 11 - 17, 2021 29

BLACK HISTORY MONTH National Museum of African American Music Opens in Nashville Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer From the hymns of slaves in the 17th and 18th centuries to the powerful messages of hip-hop performers in the 20th and 21st centuries, African American artists have created and influenced generations of music lovers.

When Elvis Presley sang "Hound Dog," he knew he had

to pay homage to the African American blues legend Big Mama Thornton, who did it first – and better.

“A lot of people seem to think I started this business," Elvis famously remarked.

"But rock 'n' roll was here a long time before I came along. Nobody can sing that kind of music like colored people. Let's face it: I can't sing like Fats Domino can. I know

that."

From rock and roll to blues, jazz and hip-hop, music is as much the African American way of life as the afro was Black people's style in the 1970s.

Finally honoring that history, the National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM) has opened in Nashville, Tenn.

According to a news release, it's the only museum dedicated

to preserving and celebrating the many music genres created, influenced and inspired by African Americans.

The 56,000-square-foot institution contains more than 1,500 artifacts, objects, memorabilia and clothing from Black artists.

Complete with state-of-the-art technology, the museum contains seven galleries.

Each is designed to share a different narrative and a unique perspective on Black music and history.

"NMAAM is complete," NMAAM President and CEO H. Beecher Hicks III declared in a news release.

Located in a new mixed-use downtown development at Fifth and Broadway, the museum opened on Martin Luther King Day, Jan. 18.

"We have been preparing for this day for more than 20 years, but this museum has actually been more than 400 years in the making," Hicks remarked.

"We look forward to welcoming music lovers from around the world to this magnificent cultural experience."

Because of COVID-19, the number of visitors currently allowed inside the museum is lim-

ited.

Masks or face coverings are required for entrance, and guests are requested to remain socially distant, officials said.

Once the pandemic ends, tickets will be made available for purchase on the museum's website for designated timeslots that allow for new tours to start every 30 minutes, museum officials determined.

Displays at the museum include interactive exhibits and such iconic items as "Lucille," the guitar played by B.B. King and a kimono worn by Alicia Keys.

Captured in a film overview at the museum's "Roots Theater," are the traditions of West and Central African cultures before slavery.

The Rivers of Rhythm Pathways is the "central spine of the museum experience that features touch panel interactives and an animated timeline that links American history and American music history," officials described on the museum's website.

A "Wade in the Water" gallery explores African hymns and museum officials expect it to become popular among visitors.

The gallery connects African cultures' religious music and later

MUSIC Page 34

(Courtesy NMAAM)

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Throughout Black History Month and beyond, we celebrate Black Joy. Its beauty. Its brilliance. Its variety. Its tenacity. Its resilience.

Its ability to thrive despite everything.

The power of Black Joy truly knows no bounds... it’s a Joy Supreme.

Celebrate a Joy Supreme with us at aarp.org/blackcommunity WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

FEBRUARY 11 - 17, 2021 31

BLACK HISTORY MONTH

Cicely Tyson Gives Her All to Us The Autobiography Serves as a Parting Gift from a Phenomenal Woman Brenda C. Siler WI Contributing Writer Thursday, January 28, 2021: 6:00 p.m. Cicely Tyson was in a virtual conversation with talk show host Whoopi Goldberg. The topic was Tyson’s autobiography, “Just as I Am,” that had been released two days before. It was a greatly anticipated book and already predicted to be one of the best books that would be released in 2021.

The session before a remote audience of 500 people turned out to be the great performer’s last public appearance Whoopi Goldberg’s last question to one of America’s finest actresses was, “What are the possibilities for us in the future?”

Tyson thought back to childhood

conversations over dinner. Her mother talked about how hard it was for Blacks. Tyson was then very thoughtful about current race relations, the suffering caused by the pandemic, and the prospect of sending children back to school. Tyson’s perspective on hope was straightforward.

“Where is the hope? If we do not build it within ourselves, I don’t know how we will find it,” she said. And those were her final public words from that conversation with Goldberg.

CHILDHOOD PREDICTED WHAT WOULD BE

Tyson knows her career had been impactful. She did not fully see it coming. When it did, her mother was not supportive. Her parents were immigrants from the Caribbean island

As we celebrate Black History Month in February, we recognize and honor the accomplishments of so many who have helped shape the face and future of our nation.

Nevis. They were hard workers. One of three children, Tyson was petite, skinny, dark brown, with full lips.

People thought she was shy, but Tyson had a different perspective.

“Mostly, I was observant,” said Tyson. “I paid attention to details, allowing the passing world and its peculiarities to seep into my pores.”

Taking time to soak everything in prepared Tyson to seize opportunities that crossed her path. Home life was tumultuous. Tyson’s father flaunted his infidelity in front of everyone. The relationship between her parents was one of verbal and physical abuse. The couple split up when Tyson was nine years old.

THE CHURCH OPENED THE DOOR TO ACTING

Tyson came from a family of deep faith. They were members of both Episcopal and Baptist churches. Her

mother’s favorite hymn was “Blessed Assurance” which connects to Tyson’s 2013 Tony Award-winning performance in the Broadway production of “The Trip to Bountiful.”

The opening of the second act of the play had Tyson belting out the hymn “Blessed Assurance.” I remember seeing her in that production and the joy I felt when she sang that song.

“Church was the one place where my timidity fell away,” said Tyson.

In the book, she told how the deacon’s wives would put on plays.

“More than once I was cast in the leading role of Mary, mother of Jesus.”

UNEXPECTED MARRIAGES

It could be said the Tyson met her first husband through matchmaking. Kenneth, her minister’s son was somewhat pre-approved by her mother. Tyson was 17 and still in high school. Kenneth was 18, a high

5 “Just As I Am” by Cicely Tyson (3D photo cover provided by Harper Collins)

school graduate working as a security guard. He had his own apartment.

They dated, she became pregnant, they got married. After two years, Ty-

TYSON Page 52

HARRIET TUBMAN FREDERICK DOUGLASS

BLACK HISTORY MONTH DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR,

TEACHER Page 23

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Local Black World War I Veterans Remembered During Black History Month Four Black Prince George’s Residents Included on Peace Cross Memorial

Submitted by M-NCPPC, Department of Parks and Recreation, Prince George’s County A 40-foot-tall monument standing at the intersections of Bladensburg Road, Baltimore Avenue, and Annapolis Road in Bladensburg, Maryland, serves as a reminder of the 49 residents who died in World War I. This monument, commonly referred to as the Peace Cross, is owned by the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, Department of Parks and Recreation in Prince George’s County which has embarked on a mission to restore it.

In recognition of Black History Month, the Department is also paying homage to the four African Americans who were among the lives lost in World War I. Their names, etched like the others, are displayed on this structure that was dedicated in 1925 in the town of Bladensburg by Gold Star Mothers and The American Legion.

These four Black men fought in a war during a time when even in their own country, equality didn’t exist. They gave their lives in their call of duty to the United States and this historic monument stands in memory of their sacrifice as well as their fellow soldiers. The African Americans highlighted on the Peace Cross are: • Clarence Butler, (4/14/1890-10/6/1918), a farmer with his father in

Nottingham, Md. • James Cooper, (3/1/1897 – 10/5/1918), a farmer in Aquasco, Md. • John Seaburn, (10/27/1897 – 10/4/1918), grew up in what is now North Brentwood, Md. • Benjamin Thompson, (1/11/1894 – 10/13/1918), was born in Waldorf, Md.,

and worked for himself as a farmer.

The Peace Cross is now in need of extensive restoration and refurbishment.

Department Resource Development Officer, Tracy Wright, stated “Funds are needed to begin this vital endeavor.

To address the need, the Department of Parks and Recreation is fundraising to repair the Peace Cross.” She continued, “We encourage the community to join us and help support the restoration of this historical monument which honors our fallen Black heroes.”

Maryland State Senator Malcolm Augustine stated, "As we honor the African-Americans memorialized on the Bladensburg WWI Memorial, commonly known as the Peace Cross, during Black History month, we have the opportunity to demonstrate our thanks by contributing to the restoration of the Memorial. A worthy tribute to a worthy cause."

Renee Green, Executive Producer of the Save the Peace Cross documentary, stated “Now that we Saved the Peace Cross, we need to restore it and rededicate it as a tribute to the 49 fallen soldiers, including 4 African American men listed on the Peace Cross.

Gold Star mothers listed everyone on the Peace Cross alphabetically to promote unity, instead of separating the 4 African American men. Donate today to restore this beloved memorial.”

Commander Mike Moore of the Greenbelt American Legion Post 136 expressed strong support for restoring the Peace Cross. “The much-needed resources we are trying to raise will serve to keep alive the memory of those 49 Prince George’s County veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation. In 1919, Gold Star Mothers, in an act of inclusion and equality, chose to list the names on the memorial in alphabetical order without regard to race. As a result, there are four Black Men listed on the Peace Cross. Their service and sacrifice should be especially remembered during the celebration of Black History Month.”

The Peace Cross memorial was constructed in 1919 in honor of World War I servicemen who made

the ultimate sacrifice for our country.

On June 19, 2019, in a landmark decision, the U.S. Supreme Court voted 7-2 to allow a Veteran’s memorial cross to continue to stand on public land in Maryland. Over the years, the monument has fallen into disrepair and is in need of maintenance. Help restore this historic landmark and give to a noble cause by donating to the Peace Cross today. Every donation will go directly towards the memorial’s restoration.

To participate in the campaign, visit www.pgparks.com/4890/Friendsof-the-Parks.

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5 Pvt. John Seaburn (1897 – 1918) / Courtesy: Renee Green Productions

FEBRUARY 11 - 17, 2021 33

BLACK HISTORY MONTH MUSIC from Page 30

ANNOUNCING

DC LOTTERY’S 2021 BLACK HISTORY POSTER

African American spirituals, highlighting Mahalia Jackson, Shirley Caesar, Thomas Dorsey and others.

The "Love Supreme" gallery dives deep into the history of jazz and explores the careers of legends like Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington and John Coltrane.

The "One Nation Under a Grove" gallery tells the stories of Motown Records and Soul Train,

while "The Message" gallery explains the origins of hip-hop.

"We hope visitors will enjoy learning about the expansive roster of ground-breaking artists who have influenced some of today's biggest hit-makers," said Allen Schrott, senior director of Music Products for TiVo/Xperi, a museum partner.

For more details about the museum, visit www.nmaam.org. wi @StacyBrownMedia

(Courtesy NMAAM)

AVAILABLE FOR FREE Find out about the DC Lottery’s Black History poster at dclottery.com or call 202-645-8000.

Stay Informed!

(Courtesy NMAAM)

www.washingtoninformer.com

34 - FEBRUARY 11 - 17, 2021

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FREE!

VISIT alfredstreet.org/hbcu-fest/ TO REGISTER

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FEBRUARY 11 - 17, 2021 35

New Black History Experiences in Alexandria Submitted by VisitAlexandriaVA African American changemakers have shaped the history of Alexandria and the United States. Alexandria offers new tours, markers and more to lead you through (largely outdoor) sites and stories both harrowing and hopeful. Grab your face mask and start exploring Alexandria’s history for a better understanding of today.

1. EXPLORE 8 KEY SITES ON A SELF-GUIDED DRIVING TOUR

Take the newly updated eight-site “Courageous Journey” driving tour described at VisitAlexandriaVA.com/BlackHistory to see the city’s top African American history highlights at your own pace. The stops range from D.C.’s onetime southern cornerstone laid by Benjamin Banneker to the site of one of the nation’s earliest sitins and more.

2. STOP BY AN INTEGRAL SITE FOR LEGALIZING INTERRACIAL MARRIAGE

Head to the corner of King and N. Pitt St. in the heart of Old Town Alexandria to find a new mini kiosk commemorating the 1967 Loving v.

Virginia Supreme Court decision, which legalized interracial marriage throughout the United States.

The law firm Cohen, Cohen and Hirschkop represented Mildred and Richard Loving from their former 110 N. Royal St. office, around the corner from the marker.

3. WALK THE DUKE STREET BLACK HISTORY TRAIL

Begin your “Great Walk” (see the route at https://www.VisitAlexandriaVA.com/GreatWalks) at Erik Blome’s Edmonson Sisters sculpture, a tribute to two teenage sisters who attempted escape from slavery, were captured and held in Alexandria’s Bruin Slave Jail, and later becoming vocal abolitionists alongside the likes of Frederick Douglass. End at the African American Heritage Park, whose centerpiece is a bronze tree sculpture onto which artist Jerome Meadows carved the names of African American citizens and sites.

4. EMBARK ON MANUMISSION TOUR COMPANY’S NEW UNDERGROUND RAILROAD ROUTE

people—including several from Alexandria—who used the Underground Railroad to escape to freedom through his Philadelphia safe house and on to Canada.

The Office of Historic Alexandria is a newly accepted member of the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience, which connects past struggles to today’s movements for human rights— the city’s latest step to remember the past and pursue a more equitable future. Find additional sites to explore (including a self-guided waterfront heritage trail, and

a statue honoring the NBA’s first Black basketball player) at Visit Alexandria’s new Black History & Culture web hub: VisitAlexandriaVA.com/BlackHistory.

PLUS: Check out VisitALX.com/ Black-Owned-Businesses for an updated list of Black-owned small

African American changemakers have shaped the history of Alexandria and the United States.

Celebrate Alexandria’s Black History and Culture Year-Round.

Manumission Tour Company

Book a spot on Manumission Tour Company’s newest route which tells the story of enslaved Alexandrians who fled to freedom.

The tour is based upon the writings of abolitionist William Still and his 1872 book, The Underground Railroad, which describes the enslaved

Contrabands and Freedmen Cemetery

Learn more at Visit Alexandria’s new Black History and Culture web hub for more info on:

Loving V. Virginia Marker in Old Town Alexandria. Photo credit: Misha Enriquez for Visit Alexandria

36 - FEBRUARY 11 - 17, 2021

businesses in Alexandria to support, from restaurants and retail to beauty and wellness.

This article has been adapted from Caroline Secrest’s “8 New and Must-Do Black History Experiences in Alexandria” from the visitALX blog at VisitALX.com.

“Wrought, Knit, Labors, Legacies” public art • Black History Month events • 8-site “Courageous Journey” driving tour • New Black history experiences • Guided cultural heritage tours • Self-guided walking trails • Black-owned businesses in Alexandria

VisitAlexandriaVA.com/BlackHistory THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

BLACK HISTORY MONTH Dr. Ralph J. Bunche: A Hero of U.S. Diplomacy Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer Dr. Ralph J. Bunche earned the moniker “a hero of U.S. Diplomacy” in part for efforts that led to his becoming the first African American to win the Noble Peace Prize.

The scientist and diplomat earned the award for his role as United Nations mediator in the 1949 peace settlement between Palestinians, Arabs and Jews.

“The objective of any who sincerely believe in peace clearly must be to exhaust every honorable recourse in the effort to save the peace,” Dr. Bunche said after winning the prestigious honor on Dec. 10, 1950.

Born Aug. 7, 1904 in Detroit, Dr. Bunche’s father worked as a barber while his mother was a musician. Dr. Bunche spent parts of his childhood in New Mexico and in Los Angeles.

His aunt, Lucy Taylor Johnson, raised him.

With parents of different races, Dr. Bunche credited his grandmother with teaching him how to respond and deal with racism.

“I recall most vividly high school graduation exercises. After the exercises were completed, the principal of the school came up to me, thinking to be kind,” Dr. Bunche remarked in a 1955 address to the NAACP. “He congratulated me on my graduation. Then he said to me in a most friendly way: ‘We’re sorry to lose you, Ralph. You know we have never thought of you as a Negro here.’ This struck me immediately, but I, at that time, did not know just what to reply,” Dr. Bunche continued.

“I would today but one of the reasons I would know what to reply today was because I was reared by a grandmother who always knew what to reply in such situations. She happened to be standing beside me when Mr. Fulton, the principal, said this to me.”

“She gave Mr. Fulton an education in racial pride and pride of

5 Dr. Ralph J. Bunche (Photo courtesy diplomacy.state.gov/)

origin which I am sure he never forgot. She did it in the most polite, but in a very firm and pointed way, and when it was over, we both got a very profound apology from him.”

A valedictorian at UCLA in 1927, Dr. Bunche earned a master’s in political science in 1928 and a Ph.D. in government and international relations in 1934 from Harvard University.

He founded and taught classes in the Political Science Department at Howard University in Northwest, Washington, D.C. Dr. Bunche became the first African-American desk officer at the State Department during World War II. He helped form the United Nations in 1945 and, in 1948, he mediated the hostile Arab-Israeli conflict that led to his Nobel Prize. Later, Dr. Bunche served as Undersecretary-General for Special Political Affairs at the United Nations.

After winning the Nobel Prize, Dr. Bunche remained active stateside in the fight for civil rights.

He also reflected on the plight of Black people in America.

“Like every Negro in America, I’ve suffered many disillusioning experiences. Inevitably, I’ve be-

Black History is Our Story to tell and Create

Aimee D. Griffin, Esq

As I was beginning to write this article on Black History month, because, of course, it is February, it felt as if I just wrote this article. Time continues to fly by, even though it seems stagnant. Irrespective of all that has happened in the past year, learning, knowing and understanding what has happened historically remains critical to our existence. We must learn from the experiences and build as we move forward.

Black History month was created as a way to shine the light on the great depth, and breath of Black Americans’ roots, triumphs and accomplishments that have been consistently excluded in the telling of the history of the United States. America has relied on authors of history books to tell our story; however, the perspective has not been one without bias. Typically, the power is in the hands of the author to present themselves in the best light, but the perspective does not usually include insight from Black Americans. Historical events related to or involving Black Americans has often been misconstrued and written in a way that discounts our unique experiences. Limited historical perspective has also trivialized the impact of Black American intelligence, innovation, leadership and culture. It may be strategic or it may just be the perception. Just as the Civil War has been presented as the “War of Northern Aggression,” there are striking examples of how the history of institutional racism and oppression is glossed over due to perspective.

This last year, or last four years, we have seen how misrepresentation of the facts creates a movement that confuses and misguides. This kind of misinformation allows for the continued justification, oppression and degradation of disenfranchised people.

The continued murdering of unarmed Black people by law enforcement professionals, such as George Floyd, who was suspected of passing a counterfeit $20 bill, compared to the safe capture of white people who murder others, such as Dylann Roof who shot nine Black Bible study attendants in cold blood, perpetuates the reality that Black people are scary and should be shot on sight while white people can be reasoned with and should be preserved.

As Black people, we cannot leave our history to others to tell or to create. We have an opportunity and responsibility to not only educate the future generations about our history as well as create our stories that we want told for generations to follow.

One of the stories that we continue to hear is the racial wealth gap was created because Black Americans are extreme consumers, lazy and unwilling to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps. I am excited about the movement of economic empowerment for Black people.

I no longer am comfortable being passive about telling our story. As such, I am building a network of professionals who are committed to shaping our story as one of power. That was the motivation in the creation of the Association of Black Estate Planning Professionals. This nonprofit organization was developed to collaborate with Black professionals committed to economic empowerment. Black people cannot allow others to tell our story. Together we need to educate and serve our community with the intent to strengthen and build with a strength-based vantage point.

I am excited that the Association of Black Estate Planning Professionals is presenting “The Racial Wealth Gap Virtual Conversations,” which will discuss the creation, perpetuation and resolutions on February 26, 2021. For more information, visit abepp.org.

As always, Black people are indeed amazing! We are so much greater together!

The Griffin Firm, PLLC www.yourestateplanningattorney.com (202)379-4738 5335 Wisconsin Ave NW Suite 440 Washington DC 20015 1401 Mercantile Lane Suite 383 Upper Marlboro MD 20774 100 International Drive 23rd Floor Baltimore MD 21202 1100 Peachtree ST NE Suite 200 Atlanta GA 30309 2530 Meridian Parkway Suite 300 Durham NC 27713

come allergic to prejudice,” Dr. Bunche said in 1950.

“On the other hand, from my earliest years, I was taught the virtue of tolerance; militancy in fighting for rights – but not bitterness.

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And as a social scientist, I’ve always cultivated a coolness of temper, an attitude of objectivity when dealing with human sensitivities and irrationalities…”

President Lyndon B. Johnson

awarded Dr. Bunche the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1963.

Dr. Bunche died in 1971 at the age of 68.

WI @StacyBrownMedia

FEBRUARY 11 - 17, 2021 37

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BLACK HISTORY MONTH Making ‘More Black History’ in the Classical Music Genre Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

In observing Black History Month, National Newspaper Publishers Association President and CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., has always maintained a poetic-like theory.

“The best way to observe Black History Month is to make more Black history,” Dr. Chavis, one of America's prominent civil rights icons, stated.

A recent New York Times article noted another place where Black history can – and should – be made.

The newspaper noted that orchestras are among the least racially diverse cultural institutions in the U.S., and Black musicians accounted for 1.8 percent of the country's orchestra players in 2014.

There is not much data since then.

Jim Kelly, the president and CEO of the National Philharmonic told NNPA Newswire that while the orchestra has always strived to embrace racial and gender diversity, this year’s call from the Black Lives Matter movement has led the organization to take further steps, including a full season of music largely influenced by both composers of color and women composers.

“In early 2020, the National Philharmonic committed to an equity transformation to center racial justice as the foundation of their vision, mission and work. This work began with learning cohorts led by the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County and Maryland States Arts Council’s efforts to advance racial equity,” Kelly noted. “[2020’s] tragedies – both COVID and the instances of violence against people of color by police and others – was a real call to action for NatPhil.

We completely revamped our season of music as a first step in meeting this moment in history – and we recognize that the work has just begun, and we have a lot more work to do as an organization. Understanding the histories of our BIPOC communities is an essential and important first step.”

With a sustained effort of changing the orchestra culture with respect to diversity, equity and inclusion, the National Philharmonic is proud to join organizations that promote inclusion, offered Piotr Gajewski, the music conductor and director of

the National Philharmonic.

“Indeed, by way of example, the last concert that the Philharmonic performed before discontinuing live concerts due to the pandemic (February, 2020) consisted of works exclusively composed by African American composers William Grant Still, Florence Price and George Walker, and featured the award winning African American violinist Melissa White,” Gajewski reminded.

The National Philharmonic has articulated specific goals with respect to the diversity of its soloists and the diversity of living composers performed, committing to 40 percent of these to be people of color. “And presently NatPhil exceeds even these ambitious goals,” Gajewski announced.

Up north from NatPhil, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO) also has worked to change the situation.

“The BSO has presented composers and performers of color over the years, and with her 2007 appointment as the first woman music director of a major American orchestra, Music Director Marin Alsop has been a leading advocate for equity in and through the arts, BSO President and CEO Peter Kjome wrote in an email to NNPA Newswire.

“In particular [for] women and BIPOC composers and conductors – including founding the BSO's OrchKids program in Baltimore more than a decade ago.

“These commitments and programs serve as a good foundation upon which to build. However, vital work lies ahead, and we remain committed to listening, learning, and acting,” Kjome offered.

He added that the BSO is actively engaged in meaningful work to help build its capacity to foster increased diversity, equity, and inclusion, focusing on racial justice.

“We cannot do this alone and have begun to engage leaders who can help us pursue this critical work authentically and thoughtfully. We have held facilitated DEI-focused sessions for BSO stakeholders, including Board of Directors, musicians, and management, with more strategic facilitation to come,” Kjome continued.

“We have also begun to increase the percentage of people of color serving on the BSO Board of Directors, among other consider-

ations of fostering diversity.”

According to the New York Times, a crucial component is expanding the pool of musicians of color by nurturing young artists.

For example, in Detroit, the Sphinx Organization mentors emerging artists and runs networking programs, the newspaper reported.

Sphinx's president recommends organizations dedicate 15 percent of their budget to diversity initiatives for at least ten years.

Another issue is diversifying the ranks of composers.

“If you don't capture these things in real-time to promote them, they will just happen and go away,” an executive at the Chicago Sinfonietta told the New York Times.

Then there is the audience, which has also skewed white.

“To attract new fans, events need to become more accessible,” Toyin Spellman-Diaz, a member of the wind quintet Imani Winds, told The Times.

“Is there easy transportation to the hall? Is there child care? Is there food that everyone can afford?” she said.

“You have to design events as opposed to concerts.”

The BSO said it had taken the challenge to completely reprogram the 2020-21 season in response to the pandemic with greater intentionality regarding voice and representation.

“We have developed and released BSO Sessions, bringing the stories of musicians, conductors, and collaborators to life through a documentary-style narrative paired with robust and inclusive programming – including the music and stories of Black and women composers,” Kjome stated.

Seventy-five percent of the first 12 Sessions episodes feature BIPOC or women composers' representation, with two episodes devoted exclusively to BIPOC composers.

Each Sessions episode is available on-demand through June.

“Recognizing a need for greater diversity within our own orchestra complement, we will build on the new framework made possible in the fiveyear agreement with our musicians to provide greater access, positions, and increased participation of musicians of color in the orchestra,” Kjome continued.

“We have also renewed our collaboration with The Sphinx Organization

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5 The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO) presented the New Orleans-based Preservation Hall Jazz Band as part of its SuperPops series at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall in Baltimore. (BSO)

and have joined the National Alliance for Audition Support – a national initiative to increase diversity in American orchestras with an emphasis on Black and Latinx musicians,” Kjome remarked.

“Important next steps include working with our musicians to eval-

uate orchestral hiring procedures and collaborating to establish a new fellowship program, grounded in cohorts and with hiring tracks, to help ensure that we fill critical vacancies outlined in our agreement but also be intentional in this recruitment.” WI @StacyBrownMedia

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FEBRUARY 11 - 17, 2021 39

LIFESTYLE NYC’S ‘The Rev’ Joins Pantheon of Hilarious Reality TV Sitcoms Iconic Choir Director, Singer and Preacher Takes Us Inside His Castle

D. Kevin McNeir WI Editor Since first hitting the scene in

the 1990s and their rapid rise to prominence with shows like “Survivor,” “The Bachelor” and “Keeping Up with the Kardashians,”

Americans have become addicted to the distinct genre known as “reality television.”

Now with the recent debut of “The Rev,” there’s a new family on the block: the world of largerthan-life Pastor Richard Hartley.

After years of traveling the globe to work with incredible choirs and A-list musicians – from Aretha Franklin to Michael Jackson and Diana Ross – The Rev says he’s grown tired of the road and wants to put greater focus on his hometown (Queens, NY) choir.

And with the help of his wife Stacey, he’s looking for ways to move his millennial children, Judea and Jordan, out of the house as they continue going over their dreams.

“I want our audience to see that we’re just a normal, American family – a successful family where spirituality and Christianity aren’t just a gimmick but our foundation,” Hartley said. “I hope to help people shed some of their fears and prejudice about Black people and the Black family.”

“We’re like so many others – a Black family led by a Black man who has a positive relationship with his wife and children. We believe in having good-hearted fun.

You could call us a cross between ‘227’ and ‘Good Times’ and I’m a lot like George Jefferson,” he said.

In several teasers for the show, Hartley shared two of his family’s favorite rooms in their home: ‘The Red Room’ and The Rev’s ‘Closet.’

“We took care of my mother for the last 15 years of her life who was on dialysis,” he said.

“Her room was red and instead of turning it into a tomb, I wanted it to be a place where we could have fun. So, we transformed it into a place for social gatherings, for eating and drinking and watching soap operas. In her memory, we’ve

5 The Hartley family is featured in the reality TV sitcom, ‘The Rev,” which debuted on Jan. 21 on the USANetwork. (Photo courtesy USANetwork)

turned it into a room of joy.”

“As for the ‘Closet,’ that’s where it all happens for me. I turned one of the extra bedrooms into a private space in which only I enter or my assistant. I don’t drink and I don’t do drugs but I do have one problem: shopping. I’ve been fortunate to go all over the world and along the way, I’ve picked up quite a few collectibles. And they’re all safely organized in my closet,” Hartley shared with a laugh.

He said that while he’s never considered himself a comedian, many say he’s extremely funny.

And he hopes to capitalize on his innate humor as the show progresses.

“There won’t be any scripts that we’ll be following,” he said. “The lines you’ll hear will be our own words and thoughts. The network is simply turning on the camera after giving us a situation. It’s on me and my family to develop what happens after that.”

“Still, it’s not business as usual.

My wife and the kids have been with me on tours worldwide, in front of the church and on all

Hartley said another new experience has been leading his church in the midst of a pandemic. But he’s found way to keep things going and engaging his congregation.

40 - FEBRUARY 11 - 17, 2021

kinds of awards shows so they’re used to be in the spotlight. And my kids are both adults. But having 20 to 30 people in your house all the time – that’s a new experience,” he said.

Hartley said another new experience has been leading his church in the midst of a pandemic. But he’s found way to keep things going and engaging his congregation.

“After the shutdown, we began to live stream services from the house,” he said. “We brought the band in and were careful to observe social distancing. Then we’d rehearse, clown around, play charades and karaoke – all that stuff.”

“My church is full of life, it’s loud and our people are exuberant, so not being physically together took a lot of adjustment. But we tried to keep things as familiar as possible. Still, there’s a power in coming together as a people in worship. We’re doing the best we can. And our church in Rockaway Beach in Queens is now open at 25 percent.”

“I just want people to see that my personal achievements have come because I perfected my teaching – my craft – and it gained traction. If you work yourself and your own corner, your territory will be enlarged. And don’t despite small things because it’s a seed for bigger things. Most important, do what you’re doing for the love of God. I hope our show will help people become more confident about their own lives.”

“Normal people can do great things. We’re simply ordinary people doing extraordinary things,” he said.

You can see “The Rev: on the USANetwork at 10:30 EST. WI

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LIFESTYLE

in review Lindiwe Vilakazi WI Contributing Writer WIN-TV kicked off its Black History Month series on Feb. 5 as Washington Informer [WI] Publisher Denise Rolark Barnes shared the top headlines before speaking with some of the District’s leading voices in business, education, health and entertainment. Each week, Rolark Barnes showcases the newest edition of The Washington Informer, pointing out news and features which she thinks will be of great interest to the newspaper’s diverse readers.

In honor of the American Heart Association’s “Go Red For Women” celebration, Rolark

Barnes adorned herself in fire-engine red.

Following the weekly headline news video segment from WI Contributing Writer Curtis Knowles, Rolark Barnes engaged the first guest, Delegate Nick Charles (D-District 25) (pictured), in an informative conversation about Prince George’s vaccine rollout plans. They would later be joined

by WI Staff Writer William Ford who covers the Prince George’s County beat for the newspaper.

They also discussed a potential schedule for a return to in-person learning.

“I know schools are opening around other jurisdictions or they’re planning to,” he said. “But right now after speaking with the

superintendent and after speaking with folks from the Maryland Department of Health, it's just not safe yet. We want to make sure that the children are safe before we open the doors to the schools,.

“I’m in agreement with holding off right now until we figure out the best plan of action so we can keep the children, the teachers and all the staff of the schools safe.”

Additional guests included Malandela Zulu and Zsudayka Nzinga Terrell – two D.C. art educators – who discussed their roles as part of the recent D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities exhibit which continues to showcase selected artwork from 21 D.C. area teachers. The themes of their works include: isolation,

mental health, social unrest and the COVID-19 health pandemic.

As the program concluded, Rolark Barnes spoke with Diana Veiga, civil engagement coordinator for D.C. Public Libraries and local author Camille Acker, who have joined forces to present a new program featuring authors and literature themed around Washington, D.C. culture. This year’s focus: the Black family representation, identity and diversity.

“It is my first book,” Acker said.

“I was in my grad school program in creative writing and I hadn’t written about D.C. But I realized how important and vital the stories were that I had [heard growing up] in the District and just the experience of being in D.C. that I wanted to put on a page. And I wanted to write stories that were

about Black girls, Black women and about the Black female experience.” WI

Anna Julia Cooper: Advocate for Adult Education and Black Women’s Rights Sam P.K. Collins WI Contributing Writer Throughout her more than a century of life, Anna Julia Cooper served as an educator, scholar, activist, multi-linguist, Pan-Africanist and Black feminist.

In the nation’s capital, where she spent a significant portion of her professional journey, Cooper also provided a means by which poor and working-class adults could attain a formal education.

“When we think about education and look back on what Anna Julia Cooper did, we are forced to think more broadly about what constitutes Black education,” said Marya McQuirter, a Washingtonian who featured Cooper in the city’s first official African-American Heritage Trail Guide in 2003.

In McQuirter’s dissertation about D.C.’s social history in the first half of the 20th century, she highlighted Cooper’s role in developing and running Frelinghuysen University, a District-based collection of night schools

that provided academic, vocational and religious education to poor and working-class adults for 50 years.

Since its founding in 1906, Frelinghuysen offered a variety of high school and junior college-level courses, including bookkeeping, typing, business mathematics, and elementary banking procedures. Between 1930 and 1941, with Cooper at the helm, the institution averted financial ruin when it moved from 601 M Street NW to Cooper’s LeDroit Park home.

Racist policies by the Washington Board of Education often complicated Cooper’s attempts to keep the university afloat and help it gain accreditation. In her 70s, she even went as far as applying to work at the Education Division of the Public Works Administration.

By the time Frelinghuysen closed in the 1950s, it was known as the Frelinghuysen Group of Schools for Colored Working People with Cooper serving as its registrar.

“It’s fair to say that Anna Julia Coo-

COOPER Page 43

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FEBRUARY 11 - 17, 2021 41

LIFESTYLE

3 MEN OF CHANGE exhibit featured by the Smithsonian for #BlackHistoryMonth.

The Anacostia Community Museum showcases the #MenOfChange exhibit at the Ron Brown High School to showcase Black male legends of the past, the inspiration for today and the hope for the future.

5 MEN OF CHANGE exhibit dynamically showcases Lebron James and “Harlem Muscle Boy” displayed alongside the Ron Brown High School tennis courts.

The Anacostia Community Museum's 'Men of Change' Exhibit

3 Collage of images against the fenced exhibit at the Anacostia Community Museum

5 MEN OF CHANGE exhibit features powerful men inclusive of the great Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rev. Dr. William J. Barber, II. 3 “A Father Is An Opening”

42 - FEBRUARY 11 - 17, 2021

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

COOPER from Page 41 per was a member of the educational elite,” McQuirter told The Informer.

“At the same time, she and other organizers of Frelinghuysen University were committed to offering truly affordable education to working-class and poor adults who didn’t have other options for formal education in the city.”

When she died in 1964 at the age of 105, Cooper was eulogized on the campus of then-named St. Augustine’s College in Raleigh, North Carolina where she began her academic career.

In the decades following, Louise Daniel Hutchinson, Brittney Cooper, and Treva Lindsey, among others, would document Cooper’s contributions to the field of education.

At the age of nine, Cooper studied at what was then called the St. Augustine Normal School and Collegiate Institute, often fighting her way into the language and liberal arts courses reserved for her male colleagues. After showing academic prowess, she served as a tutor and eventually an instructor at the university, teaching English,

science, math and foreign languages.

After her husband’s death, Cooper continued her education at Oberlin College, where she met Mary Church Terrell; they would both go on to acquire their master’s degrees.

By the early 1890s, she moved to the District, where she served as a teacher and principal at the M Street School, one of the nation’s first high schools for African Americans. That’s where she, in following the philosophy of W.E.B. Dubois, advocated for classical education. She also wrote her first book, “A Voice from the South: By a Black Woman of the South.”

In 1900, at the first Pan-African Conference in London, Cooper delivered a speech about race issues in the U.S. Decades later, as a doctoral student at the University of Paris-Sorbonne, she extensively studied France’s attitude toward slavery. Her research culminated in a dissertation, at the age of 66, about the French Revolution in the context of chattel slavery in Haiti.

However, Cooper’s professional life wasn’t without interruptions.

She started her doctoral courses at Columbia University in 1914 before

the death of her late brother’s wife compelled her to pause that journey and return to North Carolina and take care of their five children. A similar situation occurred earlier in her career, during which she had to return to St. Augustine’s as a teacher.

For Kathy English Holt, a native Washingtonian who learned about Cooper 15 years ago while studying her contemporary Nannie Helen Burroughs, Cooper serves as an example to women of her generation and younger who have often struggled to balance their obligations to home and career.

“Anna Julia Cooper had to interrupt her education and career more than once,” said Holt, a healing practitioner.

“She had a keen sense of family.

She had her eye on the prize. She was called to be a teacher at nine years old [so] she stayed the course.

She pushed against the powers that be and kept cracking open that door.

By putting her foot in the door, she pushed it open for someone else,” Holt said.

WI @SamPKCollins

LIFESTYLE

5 Anna Julia Cooper (Courtesy photo)

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FEBRUARY 11 - 17, 2021 43

LIFESTYLE

wi book review "Just As I Am"

By Cicely Tyson with Michelle Burford c.2021, Harper Collins $28.99 / $35.99 Canada 416 pages

By Terri Schlichenmeyer WI Contributing Writer Man, you're picky.

That's not always a bad thing, either. You know what you want so you choose deliberately, carefully, with plenty of thought behind it. What's right for you is right for you and you won't take anything less. As in the new memoir "Just As I Am" by Cicely Tyson (with Michelle Burford), folks'll just have to deal with it.

Born in New York City a few days before Christmas 1924, Cicely Tyson's first real memory was of a place, one where her parents fought, physically and verbally, over her father's infidelities. She was sensitive to everything she heard in the next room as she and her brother and sister slept on a pull-out couch, and she recalled times when she tried to stop the brawling.

She was a good church-going girl then, and while her mother had ideas for Tyson's future, young Cicely knew she wanted a life that was different than that of her mother. Though she loved "the arts." she decided to become a hairdresser but before she could graduate from high school, Tyson became pregnant and was made to marry the baby's father.

Later divorced, she was working downtown when someone approached her on her lunchtime, asking her if she was a model. When she said, "no," he told her that she should be one. Almost like in the movies, that led Tyson to a friend of a friend who signed her to an agency and there, she was spotted by someone else who knew of a movie director who hired her for her first role.

He instructed Tyson to shave ten years off her age.

"Six decades would go by," she said, "before I let the public in on what was frankly never any of their business."

And that line should give you most of the encouragement you need to want to read "Just As I Am." Nobody could ever accuse the late actor Cicely Tyson of being shy.

Even so, she wrote (with Michelle Burford) that she was initially a quiet child, and this, framed by a childhood tainted by Jim Crow racism and a stormy relationship with her mother, make up the bulk of the first half of the book. Tyson also wrote of a dangerous innocence that led to early motherhood; on that, she declines to call her daughter by name, which is an interesting aspect that differs from the usual Hollywood memoir.

One other way that "Just As I Am" stands out from the usual: while Tyson name-drops here, it comes across less showy and more familiar, which is refreshing. Her lengthy – and carefully-managed--award-winning career makes up the latter half of this book, as do tales of her loves, including the red-hot, on-again/off-again, frustrating romance with musician Miles Davis.

For fans of Cicely Tyson's work on stage and screen, this is a thorough look at more than just that career. Biography lovers will also want to know that if you're ready for your next book, "Just As I Am" is the one to pick. WI

44 - FEBRUARY 11 - 17, 2021

horoscopes

FEB 11 - 17, 2021

ARIES You can get a point across to a friend even if they haven't listened in the past. Aries native, people are listening to you. Social media posts can get more likes and loves. But if you don't put out a communication today, people will think you have disappeared. Lucky Numbers: 13, 16, 26 TAURUS This is a good day to collect all the things you have to return to different companies.

You may have a lot of stuff to go back to Amazon or a single item to go back to Home Depot, but it's time to get the tasks done. This will both help your wallet and get you out into the world. Lucky Numbers: 25, 38, 41 GEMINI Today, you are feeling more than usually adamant about what you believe and why you believe it. And in your mind, you may have the perfect argument crafted. But in this combust aspect, Mercury is obliterated by the sun, and so people just aren't listening to you today. Lucky Numbers: 6, 9, 13 CANCER You might have lots of thoughts about money and ways to generate more income.

Passive income sources and people who could give you a helping hand are revealed. The challenge with this aspect is the desire to do it all alone. Don't be a lone wolf today. Lucky Numbers: 17, 51, 59 LEO Your ability to multitask is very strong today. You may be working at your regular job and talking to a friend about a side business. You may be studying while watching YouTube videos on how to bake bread. Your curiosity is taking you in a lot of different directions today.

Lucky Numbers: 20, 22, 54 VIRGO Uncooperative people could irritate you a great deal today. This includes the driver of the car in front of you, the cashier, or the teenager on the sofa who is supposed to be taking out the trash. You may feel argumentative with everyone you encounter. It's better to burn off excess energy through exercise. Consider hiking or biking or turn up the heat in the house and do some hot yoga. Lucky Numbers: 3, 27, 33 LIBRA Today, a banking error or problem with a credit card can leave you fuming. If something can wait to be cleared up on another day, give yourself a break, so you don't lose your temper waiting on hold for help. A better use for this energy is to focus on moneymaking activities like putting unneeded furniture up for sale on Facebook marketplace. Lucky Numbers: 21, 22, 37 SCORPIO Today, someone is calling for a family meeting. There could be a discussion of both plans and grievances. And while planning is good today, especially around subjects like welcoming in a new roommate, you can be absent for the complaint session. Lucky Numbers: 9, 23, 24 SAGITTARIUS You can make an important connection today with someone who could become a close friend or mentor. Like yesterday, communication is key. Reach out to this person and see if you can have a Zoom meeting or coffee date. And while you're at it, reach out to friends you haven't spoken to in some time. Even short text messages are good with this energy. Lucky Numbers: 3, 4, 40 CAPRICORN The Lunar New Year begins on Friday, Feb. 12. Also, Mercury, still retrograde in Aquarius, forms a conjunction with Venus in your house of money. This is a good day to have a talk with friends or trusted advisers about how to multiply your money. You might listen to YouTube videos of gurus giving advice. The best use of today's energy is to get creative and think of new ways that money can flow to you. Lucky Numbers: 6, 35, 41 AQUARIUS Today, your mind is clear, and you're ready for the rapid exchange of ideas. Visit with someone who really gets you thinking and will let you bounce ideas off of them. Today's for brainstorming. Lucky Numbers: 3, 4, 35 PISCES Today, you could receive an agreement you've been waiting for. You might feel impatient to get it signed, but this is not the best energy for clearly assessing the details of a contract. Give yourself a day or two to review details before you commit. Lucky Numbers: 7, 13, 32

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

SPORTS Washington Wizards Support and Honor District's Black-Owned Businesses Daniel Kucin, Jr. WI Sports Writer Kicking off Black History Month, the Washington Wizards launched Black-Owned DMV, a campaign designed to highlight local Black-owned businesses during February home games.

The pandemic has hurt small businesses as a whole during these turbulent times, but the Wizards will integrate six local Black-owned businesses into their home game presentations through a digital content initiative to promote what makes them great and essential to the city.

"When you support a local small business, you are helping a neighbor realize their dream," Jim Van Stone, Monumental Sports & Entertainment President of Business Operations and Chief Commercial Officer, said.

The video series will feature pregame announcements and exclusive interviews dedicated to sharing each establishment's unique story.

The six Black-owned businesses are comprised of a range of trades and were hand-picked directly on recommendations from Wizards players and team staff.

Those businesses are Henry's Soul Café, The Spice Suite, The Museum DC, Boombox Boxing, The Southwest Soda Pop Shop and the iconic Ben's Chili Bowl.

Henry's Soul Café has two DMV locations, serving diners in this region for more than 50 years.

"People come back to the soul cafe

for great food, fried chicken, and good southern cuisine," said Jermaine Smith, son of the late owner Henry E. Smith.

"The sweet potato pie, we make it with love, and it's the best pie on the planet."

The Southwest Soda Pop Shop is a female-owned Black business that was in jeopardy of losing their business due to the pandemic's effects, prompting them to ask for support on Twitter.

The community rallied behind their efforts with an online post that went viral, and now they can keep their doors open.

"The community, it's been amazing how they have poured so much support for us," so much love," said Andrea Jones (one of the four sisters running the operation) on The Kelly Clarkson Show. "We could have never of imagined a response like this."

The Black-Owned DMV segments will be available on the Wizards social media channels and NBC Sports Washington. Fans can also tune into Wizards Virtual Gameday to watch live on game days.

"These Black-owned small businesses were hand-picked by our Wizards players and staff not only because of their excellence in their trade, but more importantly, they build the same sense of community that our team strives to build across this region," Van Stone said.

"We are so proud to support and highlight the dreams of these pillars across our neighborhoods who showcase what it means to put DC Above All." WI danielkucin88

(Courtesy photo/ DC United)

5 From left to right: Jermaine Smith, Henrietta Smith and Bernard Brooks, Jr. stand in front of Henry's Soul Café, one of the six Black-Owned businesses highlighted by the Washington Wizards Black-Owned DMV initiative. (Photo/Washington Wizards)

SPORTS HEADLINES

Hot off the Press

COMPILED BY DANIEL KUCIN, JR. WI SPORTS WRITER

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers completed the goal of being the first team in NFL history to play and win the Super Bowl in their home stadium after blowing out the Kansas City Chiefs 31-9 on Feb. 7.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady had a masterful performance, missing only eight throws (21-for-29) while throwing for 201 yards and three touchdowns in the dominant win.

The victory marks Brady's seventh championship title, giving him more Super Bowl wins than any other team in league history. Brady also won the Pete Rozelle Trophy as the Super Bowl MVP being the only player to win it for the fifth time in his career.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was under duress the entire game against a defense that forced him to throw two interceptions and was sacked three times.

It was the first time that Mahomes has lost a game by more than one possession since Nov. 19, 2016, while playing collegiately at Texas Tech University.

Tampa Bay's defense limited the Chiefs to only three Harrison Butker field goals. Alternatively, Tampa Bay feasted offensively, with running back Leonard Fournette rushing for 89 yards and a touchdown and tight end Rob Gronkowski hauled in six receptions for 67 yards and two touchdowns.

Everything came together for Tampa Bay, but there is optimism in keeping this team together for another run.

“Hell no, I’m not going anywhere,” said Tampa Bay Buccaneers Head Coach Bruce Arians about his future with the team after the win. “I’m coming back trying to get two and see after that. This football team, I love these guys.”

5 Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady made history yet again after defeating the Kansas City Chiefs 31-9 on Feb. 7 winning the most Super Bowl titles by any player in league history. (Photo by Daniel Kucin, Jr./The Washington Informer)

Thornton Makes History for Howard Women's Basketball Squad

Howard University senior guard Jayla Thornton made history on Feb. 7, breaking the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) all-time 3-point record against Morgan State University.

"I'm extremely proud of JT. She deserves all the accolades," said Howard University Women's Head Coach Ty Grace on the record-breaking performance. "This is a great accomplishment, she's worked hard these four years, and she is reaping the reward. She has more to do."

Howard also won its fourth consecutive game in that contest against Morgan State University, finishing off their conference foes by two points, 70-68. Thornton led the way with 21 points, and freshman forward Anzhane' Hutton notched her second double-double of the season.

The Bison didn't fare well in the next game, though, falling to the Bears 65-61.

Howard will play their final home game against Delaware State University on Feb. 12 and hit the road Feb. 20-21 versus Coppin State University.

CIAA Cancels Spring Sports Season The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) announced on Feb. 5 that they voted to cancel all conference scheduling and championship events for spring sponsored sports.

Each school that sponsors the affected sports will have the freedom to schedule competition throughout the season and have the ability to allow teams and student-athletes to compete (if possible) and qualify for NCAA Division II postseason participation should they meet minimum requirements.

“These decisions are never easy, but the mental and physical health as well as the safety of our student-athletes, coaches, staff, and communities continues to be our top priority,” said CIAA Commissioner Jacqie McWilliams.

“While there won’t be a traditional conference schedule or championship this spring, the Board agreed that it was important each institution have the option to compete, if they so choose, to ensure balance that supports their student-athletes’ mental health and overall wellness. Additionally, we remain committed to developing opportunities that engage all our student-athletes and celebrate their resilience and success.”

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FEBRUARY 11 - 17, 2021 45

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46 - FEBRUARY 11 - 17, 2021

VACCINE from Page 1 30 percent of the state’s population but represent 35 percent of COVID-19 deaths and only 16 percent have received a vaccine, according to CDC and state health department data.

“Among the Black and brown communities, there is skepticism [and] outright fear about the medical community,” said Rep. Anthony Brown (D-Maryland), who toured Six Flags on Monday, Feb. 8.

“We need celebrities and household figures. We need pastors. We need community leaders who can speak to the need to get vaccinated and the safety to doing that,” he said.

Optimism persists with the Biden administration’s vaccine rollout plan to provide 100 million doses in 100 days and the hopeful passage of a nearly $2 trillion COVID-19 relief package that includes $20 billion for state, local and tribal governments.

As of Monday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] estimated nearly 59 million doses have been delivered nationwide with 42 million administered.

The Virginia Health Department shows about 1.1 million, or 11 percent of the population, vaccinated through Tuesday, Feb. 9.

According to the Commonwealth’s health department website, its rollout plan features a three-tiered first phase similar to Maryland’s.

The first two phases labeled 1A and 1B include residents of longterm care facilities, health care workers, adults 65 and older, those ages 16 and older with underlying health conditions and those incarcerated and residing in homeless shelters.

Virginia’s 1C group are essential workers but vaccines haven’t been distributed, according to the health department.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser provided an update Monday that 67,688 doses have been administered with another 11,475 available this week.

The mayor’s office announced that on Mondays at 12 and 7 p.m., vaccination appointments will be available for child care workers and teachers and staff at independent and charter schools. The sites have not been released.

The Pennsylvania Avenue Baptist Church in Southeast will host

5 A member of the Maryland National Guard checks in a resident to receive a COVID-19 vaccine at a mass vaccination site at Six Flags America in Upper Marlboro.

(Anthony Tilghman/The Washington Informer)

two vaccination clinics for residents 65 and older this week from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday and Saturday. Appointments have already been filled but a back-up list will be provided at www.fivemedicine.com.

In neighboring Maryland, about 85 percent of the 727,828 doses received from the federal government had been administered through Tuesday.

But some people say the state still needs to do a better job.

LACK OF INTERNET SERVICE LEAVES MANY ON THE OUTSIDE

Nancy Carr said members with the AARP of Maryland continue to remain confused about the state’s COVID-19 vaccination rollout plan.

Carr, a spokesperson for the organization, said people called the state’s Maryland Access Point to receive answers but find themselves placed on hold while or lament that websites routinely crash as residents attempt to register for appointments. Some, she says, continue to attempt to register online at various locations in efforts to grab he first available appointment.

Another major problem, she said: some members don’t have internet access.

“It shouldn’t have to be that way.

We want Marylanders 50-plus to have a reliant, coherent system to get the vaccines,” she said. “There has to be a central, one-stop location for all Marylanders to have access to this vaccine.”

Five days before Brown stopped at Six Flags, he wrote a joint letter with his Democratic colleagues in the Maryland Congressional delegation to Republican Gov. Larry Hogan asking for a “course correction.”

“The lack of state-wide coordination and communication in Maryland’s vaccine program has yielded rampant confusion and a disjointed, inequitable roll out,” according to the delegation letter.

“It is imperative we stop issuing sweeping directives without giving county health departments, local jurisdictions and educators the tools they need to implement an effective vaccination program.”

The same day Hogan toured vaccination sites in Baltimore City and Baltimore County, he responded with a letter Monday in which he mentioned the state has increased its daily doses from 2,000 to 20,000.

Hogan reiterated that the state’s three-tiered, first phase follows guidelines from the CDC and Prevention and President Biden.

It also mentioned how private partnerships with local pharmacies at Giant Foods, Walmart, Safeway and Rite Aid are facilitated through the CDCs “Pharmacy Transfer Program” and not the state.

“It is surprising that you are unaware of this federal program,” Hogan wrote in the letter. “We will not rest until every Marylander who wants a vaccine can get a vaccine.

You can be a part of this incredible undertaking, or you can criticize it from the cloakroom.”

WI @jabariwill

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

RELIGION the religion corner WITH LYNDIA GRANT

Harriet Tubman: A Black History Tribute About seven years ago, my church was preparing for Watch Night, and they were inviting members to reenact various roles from the days leading up to the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. Intuitively, I volunteered to play the role of Harriet Tubman.

During my study of her characteristics, it felt almost as if I had been overcome with her spirit.

After finding the proper outfit to portray Harriet in the best light, I used a broom handle to create a shotgun. For those who don't know the story of Harriet Tubman, she never lost a passenger and she would sometimes prod those who hesitated by threatening them with her gun to save their lives.

Though Harriet suffered after a major head injury when she was about 10 years old, she was able to function, and used her fainting spells to her advantage. Harriet had an inner knowing that someday she would be free. She learned about the Underground Railroad, a name given to a "safe path" that helped hide anyone who decided to travel to freedom. Harriet learned who were friends who would provide safe hiding places — whether they were inside, underneath the floor

or in a barn, hidden in the midst of hay, she knew where to go.

Who were those who would help? They were abolitionists and Quaker allies who believed in freedom and helped out Harriet and others. These safe hiding places were always unnoticed. They dug holes in the ground that nobody could detect, and could hide in the belly of a carriage among corn, cotton or whatever was being sold. Abolitionist knew they had very sound plans and were always successful!

Harriet made it to freedom for herself. She could have created a new life and never have looked back. But that was not our Harriet Tubman. She said, "I looked at my hands to see if I was the same person now that I was free, there was such glory over everything, the sun came up like gold through the trees, and over the fields, and I felt like I was in heaven." She knew that she had to go back to Maryland to rescue other family members.

The enslaved would sing "Swing Low Sweet Chariot" — as a signal that Harriet was here for them.

Slaves stayed together as they traveled the Underground Railroad, hiding along the way until they reached the North or Canada where they would be free.

The Quakers, especially Thomas Garrett, a well-known abolitionist, helped at least 3,000 slaves to escape to freedom. Moses became the

Mt. Zion Baptist Church

name people called Harriet. Singing "Go Down Moses," they knew Harriet was coming and going.

Over 15 years, Harriet conducted her Underground Railroad, and about 300 people became free.

Thousands of others followed her instructions on their own road to freedom! The stories told, reveal her highly spiritual nature, as well as a grim determination to protect her assignment and those who aided them. She knew God would help her, that was faith.

In the late 1890s, due to her childhood head injury, she had a successful brain surgery. Harriet spent her last years in a home called the Harriet Tubman Home for Aged and Indigent Negros, which she established up in Auburn, New York. She died on March 10, 1913, after suffering from pneumonia and was buried in Fort Hill Cemetery with military honors near her New York home.

Playing the role of Harriet Tubman was truly a memorable experience for me. Today, there is a pull on my life as well. All we need to do as Christians is to listen when we hear the voice of the Holy Spirit.

We came to this earth with a mission. Get your work done.

Scripture says: "I must work the works of him who sent me, while it is day. The night is coming, when no one can work." John 9:4 KJV. 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

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Mount Olivet Lutheran Church

Reverend John W. Davis Pastor

Service and Times Sunday Worship Service - 8:00 a.m. & 11:00 a.m.

Children’s Church - 11:00 a.m. (1st & 3rd Sundays) Communion - 10 a.m. 4th Sunday Sunday School - 9:15 a.m. (4th Sunday 8:15 a.m.)

Prayer Meeting & Bible Study - Wednesday 7:00 p.m.

(301) 864-6070

Service and Times Divine Worship, Sunday 10:00 a.m.

Communion 1st and 3rd Sunday “Friendliest Church in the City” Website: mountolivetdc.org Email: mtolivedc@gmail.com

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FEBRUARY 11 - 17, 2021 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 Pastor

Bishop Lanier C. Twyman, Sr. Senior Pastor

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

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

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

5757 Temple Hill Road, Temple Hills, MD 20748 Office 301-899-8885 – fax 301-899-2555 Services and Times Sunday Early Morning Worship: 7:45 AM Church School: 9:30 AM Sunday Morning Worship: 10:45 AM Tuesday: 7:00pm/Kingdom Building Bible Institute Wednesday , 12:30 PM Mid-Day Bible Study Wednesday: Prayer/Praise/Bible Study-7:30 PM Baptism & Communion Service: 4th Sunday – 10:30 AM

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

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

Services and Times Sundays: 10:00am Worship Services Bible Study: Wonderful Wednesdays in Worship and the Word Bible Study Wednesdays 12:00 Noon; 6:30 PM (dinner @ 5:30 PM) Sunday School: 9:00 AM – Hour of Power “An inclusive ministry where all are welcomed and affirmed.” www.covenantdc.org

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

Campbell AME Church

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

“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 2562 MLK Jr. Ave., SE - Washington, DC 20020 Adm. Office 202-678-2263 Email: Campbell@mycame.org

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

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

Crusader Baptist Church

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

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 - FEBRUARY 11 - 17, 2021

Mount Carmel Baptist Church Reverend Dr. Paris L Smith, Sr. Senior Pastor 901 Third Street N.W. Washington, DC. 20001 Phone (202) 842-3411 Fax (202) 682-9423 Service and Times Sunday Church School : 9:00 AM Sunday Morning Worship: 10:10 AM Bible Study Tuesday: 6: 00 PM Prayer Service Tuesday: 7:00 PM Holy Communion: 3rd Sunday 10:10 AM themcbc.org

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RELIGION Shabbath Commandment Church Bishop Adrian A. Taylor, Sr. Pastor 7801 Livingston Road Oxon Hill, MD 20745 301-534-5471 Service and Times Sabbath School 9:30 a.m. – 10:30 AM Service 11:00 AM Praise & Worship Preaching 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM Motto: “A Church Keeping It Real for Real.”

Website: Shabbathcommandmentchruch.org Email: Praisebetoyhwh@gmail.com

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

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

All Nations Baptist Church Rev. Dr. James Coleman Pastor 2001 North Capitol St, N.E. - Washington, DC 20002 Phone (202) 832-9591 Service and Times Sunday Church School – 9:30 AM Sunday Worship Service – 11:00 AM Holy Communion – 1st Sunday at 11:00 AM Prayer – Wednesdays, 6:00 PM Bible Study – Wednesdays, 7:00 PM Christian Education / School of Biblical Knowledge Saturdays, 9:30 AM – 11:00 AM, Call for Registration Website: www.allnationsbaptistchurch.com All Nations Baptist Church – A Church of Standards

Israel Baptist Church

Rev. Daryl F. Bell Pastor 2324 Ontario Road, NW Washington, DC 20009 (202) 232-1730 Service and Times Sunday School: 9:30 AM Sunday Worship Service: 11:00 AM Baptismal Service: 1st Sunday – 9:30 AM Holy Communion: 1st Sunday – 11:00 AM Prayer Meeting & Bible Study: Wednesday -7:30 PM “Where Jesus is the King”

Dr. Earl D. Trent Senior Pastor

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

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

Service and Times Sunday Worship: 8:00 AM & 10:45 AM Baptism/Holy Communion: 3rd Sunday Family Bible Study Tuesdays – 6:30 PM Prayer Service: Tuesdays – 8:00 PM www.emmanuelbaptistchurchdc.org

Sermon On The Mount Temple Of Joy Apostolic Faith

Lincoln Park United Methodist Church Rev. Richard B. Black Pastor

Elder Herman L. Simms Pastor

1251 Saratoga Ave., NE Washington, DC 20018 (202) 269-0288

1301 North Carolina Ave. N E Washington, D C 20002 202 543 1318 - lincolnpark@lpumcdc.org www.lpumcdc.org

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

Service and Times Sunday Worship Service: 10:45 AM Sunday School: 9:15 AM Holy Communion1st Sunday: 10:45 AM Prayer Service: Wednesday at 6:30 PM Bible Study: Wednesday at 7:00 PM Bible Study: Tuesday at 10:30 AM

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

Service and Times Sunday Worship: 10:00 AM Holy Communion: First Sunday 10:00 AM Sunday School: 9:00 AM Bible Study: Wednesday @ 12 noon and 6:30 PM Motto: "Faith On The Hill"

Service and Times Sunday Apostolic Worship Services 11:00 A.M and 5:00 PM Communion and Feet Wash 4th Sunday at 5:00 PM Prayer/Seeking: Wednesday at 8:00 PM Apostolic in Doctrine, Pentecostal in Experience, Holiness in Living, Uncompromised and Unchanged.

The Apostolic Faith is still alive –Acts 2:42

New Commandment Baptist Church

Eastern Community Baptist Church Damion M. Briggs Pastor

Rev. Stephen E. Tucker Senior Pastor

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rehoboth Baptist Church

Reverend Peter R. Blue Sr. Pastor

Rev. Curtis l. Staley Pastor

2001 Brooks Drive District Heights MD. 20744 240.838.7074

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

Service and Times Sunday Worship Experience: 10:15am Sunday School: 9:00am Holy Communion: 3rd Sunday Morning Noontime Bible Study: Tuesday @ 12:00pm Prayer Meeting/Bible Study: Tuesday @7:00pm Theme: "Building On A Firm Foundation"

Service and Times Sunday Service: 10:00 AM Sunday School for all ages: 8:30 AM 1st Sunday Baptism: 10:00 AM 2nd Sunday Holy Communion:10:00 AM Tuesday: Bible Study: 6:30 PM Prayer Meeting: 7:45 PM

Email: revprbstmbc@gmail.com Website: www.stmatthewsbaptist.org

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

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

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

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

Shiloh Baptist Church

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

Matthews Memorial Baptist Church

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

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

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”

“Empowered to love and Challenged to Lead a Multitude of Souls to Christ”

Peace Baptist Church

www.Christembassydc.org Christ.embassy.dc@hotmail.com

Pennsylvania Ave. 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 “

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

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.

FEBRUARY 11 - 17, 2021 49

LEGAL NOTICES In God We Trust Notice of White Flag Surrender Notice of Special Appearance : I am that I am: “ Eliezer Ali© ”, nom deguerre: “ Maria, Eliezer© ”, in full life, in propria persona, sui juris, in solo proprio, Haqdar by natural issue, the beneficiary and heir of: ‘‘ MARIA, ELIEZER© ’’, corp.sole Dba.: ‘‘ ELIEZER MARIA© ’’. I being Trustee of ‘‘ MARIA, ELIEZER© having reached the age of majority, being aboriginal to the northwestern and southwestern shores of Africa, the Atlantic

LEGAL NOTICES

de combat”, pursuant to The Geneva Conventions, Article III, and Lieber Code, as Taino moorish Americans, and ministers of The Moorish Empire, and Internationally Protected Persons.

Notice of LAWS AND CUSTOMS OF WAR ON LAND (HAGUE, IV), ARTICLE: 45, 46, & 47. Notice of Claim pursuant to Public Law 87-846, TITLE II, SEC. 203. Notice of Bailment 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: [1] THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH REGISTRY OF VITAL RECORDS AND STATISTICS, REGISTERED NUMBER: 134, ‘‘ ELIEZER MARIA© ’’, is as a special deposit order conveyed to “ Eliezer Ali Trust ”. Individual Trust being an Unincorporated Divine Grantor Inter Vivos Trust. Inter alia. 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.

LEGAL NOTICES

LEGAL NOTICES

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

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

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

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

2020 ADM 828

2020 ADM 896

2020 ADM 000907

2020 ADM 850

Juanita L. Myers aka Juanita Littlejohn Decedent

Patricia Daniel-Cummings aka Patricia Angela Daniel-Cummings Decedent

Robert Lee Wilder Decedent

Mark A. Stover Decedent

Ronald Dixon Bynum & Jenkins 1010 Cameron Street Alexandria, VA 22314 Attorney

Aimee D. Griffin, Esq. The Griffin Firm, PLLC 5335 Wisconsin Ave., NW, Suite 440 Washington, DC 20015 Attorney

James Larry Frazier, Esq. 918 Maryland Ave., NE Washington, DC 20002 Attorney

Edward G. Varrone, Esq. 1825 K Street, NW Suite 1150 Washington, DC 20006 Attorney

Islands, the continental Americas, being duly certified, hereby affirms the following: Notice of White Flag Surrender: as “hors

LEGAL NOTICES

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

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

Edna L. Hurley, whose address is 408 Kelleytown Woods Parkway, McDonough, Georgia, 30252, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Juanita L. Myers aka Juanita Littlejohn who died on September 19, 2020 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 7/28/2021. 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 7/28/2021, 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.

Gregory C. Daniel, whose address is 10416 Mountain Quail Rd., Silver Spring, MD 20901, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Patricia Daniel-Cummings aka Patricia Angela Daniel-Cummings who died on July 5, 2020 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 7/28/2021. 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 7/28/2021, 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: 1/28/2021

Date of first publication: 1/28/2021

Edna L. Hurley Personal Representative

Gregory C. Daniel Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Herman Lee Wilder, whose address is 152 Tywyn Drive, Middletown, DE 19709, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Robert Lee Wilder who died on February 12, 2017 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 8/4/2021. 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 8/4/2021, 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: 2/4/2021 Herman Lee Wilder Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Tiffany H. McRae, whose address is 5121 Fitch Street, SE, Apartment 203, Washington, DC 20019, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Mark A. Stover who died on December 1, 2018 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 7/28/2021. 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 7/28/2021, 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: January 28, 2021 Tiffany H. McRae Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

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

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

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

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

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

2020 ADM 000722

2020 ADM 922

2020 ADM 000914

2020 ADM 904

2020 ADM 584

James C. “JC” Saulsberry, Jr. Decedent

Ewan A. Brown aka Ewan Alexander Brown Decedent

Anthony W. Thomas Decedent

Muhammad Ayyaz Rashid Decedent

Emma E. McEntyre Decedent

Gilda Sherrod-Ali, Esq. 611 Pennsylvania Ave., SE #328 Washington, DC 20003 Attorney

Kerri M. Castellini, Esq. Price Benowitz LLP 409 Seventh Street, NW, Suite 200 Washington, DC 20004 Attorney

James Larry Frazier, Esq. 918 Maryland Avenue, NE Washington, DC 20002 Attorney

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Shanice McClelland, whose address is 10009 Birdie Lane, Upper Marlboro, MD 20774, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of James C. “JC” Saulsberry, Jr. who died on January 10, 2020 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 7/28/2021. 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 7/28/2021, 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.

Aimee D. Griffin 5335 Wisconsin Ave., NW, Ste 440 Washington, DC 20015 Attorney

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

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

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

Shanice McClelland Personal Representative

David A. Mitchell, whose address is 1612 Golf Course Rd., Mitchellville, MD 20721, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Ewan A. Brown aka Ewan Alexander Brown who died on May 31, 2020 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 7/28/2021. 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 7/28/2021, 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.

Tori Kenner and Malik Thomas, whose addresses are 3014 Thayer Street, SE, Washington, DC 20018 & 1518 Fort Davis Street, SE, Washington, DC 20020, was appointed Personal Representatives of the estate of Anthony W. Thomas who died on October 22, 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 8/4/2021. 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 8/4/2021, 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.

TRUE TEST COPY

Date of first publication: 1/28/2021

Date of first publication: 4/4/2021

Date of first publication: 2/4/2021

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

David A. Mitchell Personal Representative

Torri Kenner Malik Thomas Personal Representative

Tayyaba Khan Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

TRUE TEST COPY

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

Washington Informer

Washington Informer

Date of first publication: 1/28/2021

Washington Informer

50 - FEBRUARY 11 - 17, 2021

Tayyaba Khan, whose address is 11351 Beringer Ct., Waldorf, MD 20601, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Muhammad Ayyaz Rashid who died on April 3, 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 8/4/2021. 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 8/4/2021, 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 Carol B. Mercer, whose address is 3927 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave. SW, Washington, DC 20032, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Emma E. McEntyre who died on June 30, 2020 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding.

Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 8/11/2021. 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 8/11/2021, 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: 2/11/2021 Carol B. Mercer Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

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REFORM from Page 12 Part of the crisis response also deals with enhancing mobile crisis teams.

Tyrone Powers, a former Maryland state trooper and FBI agent who now runs a consulting firm in Baltimore, presented that recommendation in September after the police-involved shooting death of Leonard Shand in September 2019.

Although Powers reviewed the video footage and concluded “the officers were justified in deploying deadly force,” he said only one or two voices were needed to communicate with Shand to help calm him down.

Four of the recommendations omitted include traffic enforcement to the county’s Revenue Authority, not create similar programs already established through the Circuit Court’s diversion programs and removal of racial biases from gang and criminal registry that’s operated and controlled by the federal government.

A fourth proposal to review funding for specialty units will be incorporated when reviewing the entire police budget.

In the meantime, Hutchinson-Harris, co-founder of Community Justice, said the county needs to make substantial changes such as firing police officers who’ve been accused of wrongdoing.

“These officers have been there for some 20 years,” she said. “Training after training after training and we still have the same problem.”

To view the approved recommendations, go to https://bit.ly/3cMgxED. WI @jabariwill

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FEBRUARY 11 - 17, 2021 51

COSBY from Page 1 Cosby and the iconic “The Cosby Show” remained front and center.

It has also come full circle. And Cosby has taken notice.

“I would like to personally thank these great men and teachers of God’s scriptures for standing by and supporting me with the truth and the facts,” the comedian tweeted about the Brothers of Sh’ma, particularly singling out Na Hasi and Prince Nat. “Please watch these brothers …

Shabbat Shalom to my brothers and sisters Dina, and her mother, Verita, and her sister. Thank you very much and I can feel your prayers,” Cosby wrote.

In a separate statement, Cosby thanked Rev. Jackson.

“Mr. & Mrs. Cosby are forever grateful to Rev. Jackson and his family because he has been working feverishly to get the state of Pennsylvania to release Mr. Cosby since the height of the COVID-19 pandemic began back in April,” Cosby said through his spokesman, Andrew Wyatt.

At SCI-Phoenix, Sutton echoed appreciation.

“The old man has had a huge impact on us men here inside and a lot of people didn’t think that he would have the influence that he’s had,” Sutton, who respectfully refers to Cosby as “The old man,” remarked in a phone call from SCI-Phoenix, the sprawling 128acre prison complex just outside of Philadelphia.

“The way he’s enlightened us, the way he’s encouraged us to stand up and be men in the community . . . and he shouldn’t even be in here,” added Sutton, who also has a son incarcerated at SCI-Phoenix.

Sutton helps lead Mann Up, a prison program designed to help change African-American men’s lives with long sentences. The program empowers and encourages Black males to be better fathers, husbands and community members.

Cosby, while not a member, has provided a significant boost to the program, Sutton told NNPA Newswire.

“The old man got us together and told us that a man is judged by how he treats his mother and how he treats his wife and family. He has instilled in us that a man cannot be considered a man if he doesn’t provide,” Sutton continued.

“He comes in here, and he

52 - FEBRUARY 11 - 17, 2021

doesn’t act like he’s better than anyone. He keeps it simple. Look, he is a political prisoner. He is in here not for a crime, but adultery.

But he does not look for favors and with all his money and resources, he has nothing more than what we have, no extras when he could easily have extras.”

Sutton has endeared himself to Cosby who directed his team outside to assist Sutton in preparing the inmate’s appeals.

LEST WE FORGET COSBY’S POSITIVE CONTRIBUTIONS

Since Cosby’s 2018 conviction, the debate has raged on whether the star’s legacy and his hit 1980s sitcom, “The Cosby Show,” remains worth preserving.

But a May 11, 1992, Los Angeles Times article noted, that Cosby is personally responsible for the employment, encouragement and artistic support of more Black writers than anyone in television history.

Cosby confirmed that we could genuinely raise and educate our kids to be racially proud and socially responsible human beings, the article continued.

“Cosby showed Blacks could be well-to-do and possess commensurate class. He showed that a Black man could not only get a job but also that he and his wife can have thriving professional careers,” the Los Angeles Times published.

In Virginia, Dr. Wesley recalled living in Chicago during the 1980s when he said gangs were abundant.

“What was amazing was that statistics proved by data that Thursday nights were the most peaceful nights in Chicago, with fewer murders on Thursday night than any other night,” Wesley told his congregation.

“Phone calls to 911 reduced and gang violence was not rampant on Thursday evenings which were the most peaceful times in Black communities all around the country.

Because Thursday night, ‘The Cosby Show’ came on, and even hardened criminals and wanna-be gangstas sat down on Thursday night to watch ‘The Cosby Show.’”

“It was responsible for opening doors for all Black casting shows like the ‘Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” “Martin” and others. ‘The Cosby Show’ gave us Black family at its best.”

In his appeal to Gov. Wolf, Rev. Jackson also cited the impact Cos-

by has had in the Black community and beyond.

“He’s 84 and blind. Who’s he going to hurt?” the noted civil rights leader told the Philadelphia Tribune. “He should be home and free and away from all of those germs.”

“The government needs to do something,” Jackson said emphatically. “He shouldn’t still be in prison.”

The activist said he has known Cosby since 1968 and has seen his humanitarian side.

“He’s helped so many, many people,” Jackson said, referring to the many donations Cosby and his wife, Camille, have made to HBCUs and other organizations over the years.

“I’m coming forward to speak out because I believe in justice too.”

Back at SCI-Phoenix, Sutton recalled meeting Cosby behind bars for the first time.

“I said to him that I wanted to ask a favor. I said I need you to give me your word that you would come over on a Saturday and sit in on the Mann Up organization. And he told me, ‘Benny-Do, if God lets me live, I’ll be there,’” Sutton recollected.

“I told him we were putting an organization together where we

5 Bill Cosby (Courtesy photo)

could change the narrative, that we could go home and be decent people, decent citizens and decent neighbors and change our way of thinking in our way of living. So, Mr. Cosby came over and he heard me MC the program.”

“I introduced him and there were 420 people there, and we all gave him a standing ovation. He is

a man who went through the Jim Crow Era and the marches for civil rights of the 1960s. He mentioned that he is blind and said he could not see us but he created such an atmosphere for us to enlighten us with his wisdom. He had everyone’s attention. He’s had a hell of an impact,” Sutton said. WI @StacyBrownMedia

TYSON from Page 32 son left Kenneth. She never wanted to be married but stayed to do right by her daughter.

“I did not tell Kenneth I was leaving the marriage,” said Tyson, “Yet it was a choice I felt I needed to make.”

Fast forward to the 1980s, when Tyson married Miles Davis. She was introduced to him by Diahann Carroll. The union has been covered widely as an abusive relationship with infidelities by Miles. In my reading, it felt a lot like the marriage between Tyson’s parents. Nuff said.

BECOMING A PIONEER

Tyson grew up fast. Those early experiences shaped her to become a clear-eyed risk-taker. She was a dark complexion woman who became a model and a leading actress. Tyson shaved her head then wore her hair natural for a role, kept it that way, then wore braided styles. She took on important acting roles of women with dignity. Those roles match up with her activism in civil rights. Then in 1995, Tyson made a commitment to educating youth by opening the

Tyson grew up fast.

Those early experiences shaped her to become a clear-eyed risk-taker.

Cicely L. Tyson Community School of Performing and Fine Arts in East Orange, NJ.

TO BE REMEMBERED

Tyson reflected on how fortunate she was to be chosen for those iconic award-winning acting roles. She has deep affection for the many famous people who became her friends. People like Coretta Scott King, Maya Angelou, Diahann Carroll, Ruby Dee, James Earl Jones, Harry Belafonte, and Sidney Poitier. She was amazed every day she lived. What she wants people to remember is what Tyson

said in another final interview for her book. It is quite simple.

“I’ve done my best,” she said.

How stunned was I that 45 minutes after I got off the virtual event, the bulletin came across my television screen that Cicely Tyson had passed. It was one of those surreal moments when I did not understand what I just heard.

Did I not just see her on my computer?

And we are the beneficiaries of her very best.

“Just As I Am” by Cicely Tyson with Michelle Burford is published by Harper Collins. It is available in hardcover, e-books, and audio versions. WI

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MALVEAUX from Page 26 or simply myopic, too many men, regardless of race, have shown resistance to Black women's uplift. It becomes all too clear during Black History Month when too much is viewed through a patriarchal lens. For example, on Feb. 1, folks commemorated the role four young Black men from North Carolina A&T State University played in desegregation by sitting at a segregated Woolworth's lunch counter.

How many know that the protest was planned at nearby Bennett College,

STRICKLAND from Page 26 told me they could focus more just being in the same room as their teacher.

Of course, we must make in-person learning stronger, help ensure that attendance increases and see that every student is learning every day, whether in school or at home.

But we are also a school that believes in doing what is best for students, so we had to make in-person learning work and to do it in the safest way possible.

Here is how we did it.

First, our staff planned together to make in-person learning work so that all staff members were comfortable returning in-person. As outlined in our school specific plan, we were provided ample personal protective equipment – “PPE” – as well as any special PPE for staff positions that required it. We also created a learning model where every

CHAVIS from Page 26 ing in record profits by raising costs on consumers. The Work Number is a user-paid verification of employment database that was acquired and now owned by Equifax. This database allows credentialed verifiers to receive instantaneous electronic confirmation of an individual's employment data and income for verification purposes.

Today Equifax’s Work Number is charging $49.95 for the cost of an Income and Employment Report that is nearly three times what the cost of the report was six years ago at ($18).

The U.S. credit reporting industry generated over $12 billion in revenue last year, according to research from IBISWorld, and the market size is expected to grow another 3.7% next year. The three largest agencies— Equifax ($EFX), Experian ($EXPGY) and TransUnion ($TRU) —accounted for more than 50% of the total revenue.

which also played a role in that sit-in?

Black women's voices, women's presence and women's history need to be more visible.

Our legacy civil rights organizations — the NAACP, Urban League, Rainbow PUSH, and the National Action Network — must offer an example of shared leadership by emphasizing women's voices in their organizations.

I'm not suggesting that men "move over" for women, young people, or anyone else. I'm saying that if the CEO is the president and CEO, perhaps the board chair should be a woman.

Women, after all, are more likely to be dues-paying members of these organizations. Do we talk too much? Perhaps our voices are entirely proportionate to our contribution.

In any case, Olympic leader and former Japanese Prime Minister said what many men worldwide, and certainly in these United States, are thinking. Women talk too much in meetings. Really, dude? From my perspective, women don't talk enough, and embracing women's voices will improve our world.

What if women didn't talk? Our world would be much worse off. WI

staff member has the opportunity to come in-person at some point during the school year.

Our staff made a commitment to one another and to our community to follow all health and safety measures recommended by public health experts, so we can make our environment as safe as possible. As public school educators, I and my team had the opportunity to receive the COVID-19 vaccine but we still must protect our families and our community.

For our families, we provided the support and answers on how in-person learning looks. We call and send reminders on requirements for returning in-person. We also use these opportunities to check-in on how all of our students are doing — regardless of from where they are learning.

While our North Star remains expanding in-person opportunities safely

and responsibly, every family and student situation is different. Some families are choosing in-person learning; some are not yet ready to make that choice. As I remind myself and my team, we must have compassion and grace as we all try to best navigate these unprecedented challenges.

I hope, by the end of the school year, every student has the opportunity to come into our building for in-person learning. Even in these times, I want our families and students to feel like they have been taken care of.

We know families experienced tragedy and trauma over this past year.

Through this tragedy, Hart Middle School continued to meet their children’s educational and social emotional needs, including love, when needed.

No matter the challenge, in-person or remote, Hart Middle School brings the heart to our work every day. WI

The industry’s growth is driven by a unique business model, which provides a dual revenue stream from consumer data. Businesses pay credit bureaus to collect employee information and manage verification requests, like those generated when an individual seeks to obtain a loan from a bank.

Agencies then charge requesting parties for the personal information, generally on a per-request basis, which is frequently passed onto the consumer.

Equifax, despite its 2017 data breach that impacted 147 million people, continues to be the largest player in the space. The company claims to have records on over 222 million U.S. consumers and receives weekly payroll data on a third of the U.S. population.

Equifax’s Work Number has benefited from the spike in unemployment caused by the coronavirus pandemic. With millions of Americans out of work, demand for verification services has surged as creditors seek

to determine employment status of loan holders and potential loan candidates.

We all know that African Americans have the largest increase in un unemployment before and even more since the beginning of the pandemic.

African American owned businesses have had the greatest financial losses amidst COVID-19. The more unemployment in Black America, the more Equifax’s Work Number data is purchased by a wide range of financial status verifiers. But who is monitoring or challenging the accuracy of the Equifax Work Number data especially when it about African Americans?

According to Equifax’s quarterly financial reports, The Work Number generated nearly $377 million in revenue during the third quarter of last year, a 57 percent increase year-overyear and the second consecutive quarter of more than 50 percent growth.

Between 2012 and 2020, The Work Numbers’ verification services revenue jumped nearly 400 percent. WI

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54 - FEBRUARY 11 - 17, 2021

MORIAL from Page 27 tail or end early voting, including eliminating the list of voters who are automatically sent mailin ballots, and requiring signatures on early ballots to be notarized. Other proposals would dramatically shrink the number of polling locations. The state's largest county, Maricopa, would have only 15 instead of the 100 it had in November.

But the most breathtakingly anti-democratic bill introduced in Arizona — and possibly anywhere in the country — can hardly be called voter suppression as it seeks to bypass voters entirely. Rep. Shawnna Bolick

JEALOUS from Page 27 the tie-breaker. But McConnell refused for days to relinquish control, and it took weeks before he stopped holding up the vote to recognize the shift in power and put Democrats in charge of Senate committees.

McConnell operates in bad faith.

Senate Democrats need to act quickly to do away with the filibuster rules that let him get away with it. Our country's needs are too urgent to let McConnell and his unprincipled power plays stop us from taking action.

Don't forget that McConnell and

ASKIA from Page 27 and for Omar.

But when it comes to the absence of Muslim representation in Congress, the 800-pound gorilla in the room (or absent from it) is the Nation of Islam, the sure-enough, Black Muslims. When he was among us the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad did not permit his followers to even vote, let alone hold office in what he described as “the devil’s politics,” although he expressed great admiration for Rep. Adam Clayton Powell (D-N.Y.), the pastor of Harlem’s Abyssinia Baptist Church.

After Mr. Muhammad’s National Assistant, Minister Louis Farrakhan, led his followers to register and to vote to support the Democratic primary presidential campaign of the Rev. Jesse Jackson in 1984, the doors were opened, but few Nation of Islam members rushed in to the halls of elected office.

But there was a cruel and unjust restriction placed on Minister Farrakhan, and on Muslims in general

has introduced legislation that would allow the legislature to disregard the results of a presidential election and appoint electors of its own choosing to the Electoral College. Arizona Republic columnist Laurie Roberts called the bill "the most arrogant power grab I have ever witnessed.

Fortunately, there is a way to put an end to racially-motivated voter suppression at the state level. The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act would require any state with a history of voting discrimination within the past 25 years to seek federal approval before making any changes to its voting procedures. Further, it

would mandate that any state, regardless of its history, receive clearance from the Justice Department or a federal court in Washington, D.C., before making any changes that would disproportionately burden voters of color, such as strict voter ID laws or closing polling places in areas with large numbers of voters of color.

As President Lyndon Johnson said when he signed the Voting Rights Act in 1965, "Men cannot live with a lie and not be stained by it." The Big Lie of voter fraud has stained the nation. Passing the Voting Rights Advancement Act can redeem it.

WI

his Republican colleagues are also trying to sabotage the impeachment trial that would hold Trump accountable for the deadly insurrection he incited with his lies about Black voters. They don't want us to learn more about what happened and who energized the anti-democratic forces that tried to overturn the election.

So they tell us to forget about it and move on.

We know better. The history of lynching and other racial violence is clear. Active participation or complicity by law enforcement and politicians protected those who carried out the violence. And when no one

was held accountable, the violence continued.

We know that the far-right forces energized by Trump's lies about a stolen election are planning more violence. And we know that right-wing politicians are using those same lies to justify attacks on our voting rights.

Don't believe people who say that holding Trump accountable will prevent us from focusing on the other work that needs to be done.

We can and must do both. We must hold Trump responsible for his attacks on democracy. And we must move forward with all the urgency our situation demands. WI

when it comes to holding elected office, especially Congress. The bias caused Ellison, who was filmed selling the Nation’s Final Call newspaper, to deny ever having done such, and to renounce Minister Farrakhan when he was considered for the position of director of the Democratic National Convention. Sad! The unjust bias against Minister Farrakhan might also explain why Carson and Omar and Tlaib have kept their distance from the Nation of Islam leader. When Carson’s grandmother learned that I was affiliated with the NOI, she told me: “My grandson is a member of the F.O.I.,” the Fruit of Islam, the training for men in the Nation.

Their distance is understandable, I suppose. Former Congress members Earl Hilliard (D-Ala.), and Cynthia McKinney (D-Ga.) were both targeted and defeated in primary challenges because they embraced Minister Farrakhan’s support.

It is easy to figure out. If prominent, NFL Hall of Fame sports analyst Shannon Sharpe is to be believed,

no famous celebrity can hardly even mention the name Farrakhan—who brought two million Black men to the U.S. Capitol for the Million Man March in 1995 and left the Mall cleaner than it was when they arrived—without rebuke.

Sharpe cites as an example of the hypocrisy, 10-time Super Bowl quarterback Tom Brady’s affection for the twice impeached, inveterate liar and accused serial sexual abuser Donald J. Trump on the one hand, and the arm’s length which the whole celebrity world keeps from the Minister.

Quoting Sharpe: “For argument’s sake, let’s just say LeBron James says ‘My friend Minister Farrakhan.’ How would America react? You see, blacks have always had to be very, very quiet about who their friends are. A prominent black athlete can never say ‘Minister Farrakhan is my friend.’ They’ll try to cancel anybody with just the mere mention of Minister Farrakhan’s name,” Sharpe said.

It’s blatant hypocrisy.

It's also part of the explanation why there have been so few Muslims in Congress. WI

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FEBRUARY 11 - 17, 2021 55

DC PUBLIC SCHOOLS TEACHERS, STAFF, ADMINISTRATORS, STUDENTS, AND FAMILIES -

THANK YOU!

All schools are open and thousands of students are back in the classroom.

To our teachers and classroom aides, custodial foremen and security officers, principals and administrative staff, and all who played a role in reopening schools this week: thank you. Thank you for helping us welcome students back to every single DC Public School.

Thank you to our labor partners: AFSCME, the American Federation of Government Employees, the Council of School Officers, the Service Employees International Union, Teamsters, and the Washington Teachers’ Union.

After all the dark days we have experienced this past year, seeing our young people filled with joy to be back in the classroom was a true bright spot. And the masked smiles we saw at pick-ups and drop-offs across all eight wards were a reminder of how important this reopening was for our young people.

Of course, months of planning and preparation went into making this week possible, and we are proud of the plans that, together, we put in place: vaccines for teachers; PPE for students and staff; symptomatic and asymptomatic testing protocols; HVAC upgrades and building enhancements; and school readiness plans that are posted online for anyone to look up. The science tells us that with these types of protocols in place, in-person learning is safe. And, now, by bringing students back into their classrooms, we can better address the academic and social-emotional needs caused by this pandemic.

And this is only the beginning. As we continue through the school year, look ahead to the summer, and prepare for the future, we look forward to eventually welcoming back all students.

So, once again, thank you. We are in this together, and we will get through it together.

With hope and appreciation, Mayor Muriel Bowser and Chancellor Lewis Ferebee

dcpsreopenstrong.com 56 - FEBRUARY 11 - 17, 2021

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