WINNER OF THREE SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISTS D.C. AWARDS Will NFL Address Lack of Black Head Coaches? Page 17 Vol. 57, No. 18 • February 17 - 23, 2022
Grand Opening Celebrated at BlackOwned Dealership in Prince George’s William J. Ford WI Staff Writer
5 Dozens of youth, all members of the Washington Performing Arts Children of the Gospel Choir led by Artistic Director Michelle Fowlin, come from around the DMV. They remain committed to a mission of celebrating diversity, securing justice for all and spreading love and hope through their music. (Photo courtesy Washington Performing Arts)
Even through a mask, David Harrington beamed with pride Friday celebrating the grand opening of a Black-owned dealership in Prince George’s County. Banister Ford of Marlow Heights represents two dealerships owned by Black men not only in the county but also located in the state of Maryland. “To have this dealership is another indication of the value we have in Prince George’s County for businesses of color,” said Harrington, president and CEO of the county’s Chamber of Commerce. “We celebrate this as another means of creating generational wealth. To celebrate this during Black History Month is even
Children’s Gospel Choir Fueled by Diversity and Creativity Michelle Fowlin, a native of Queens in New York City and the daughter of Jamaican parents, has always had an unquenchable passion for music. And while it’s been her bread and butter for the last 29 years as an instructor and choir director in the D.C. Public Schools, she said her greatest joy has come because of the work she does with a determined group of youth who have committed themselves to singing songs of praise and worship. In her role as the conductor and vocal coach, officially as the artistic director of the Washington
Performing Arts Children of the Gospel Choir, a position she’s held for 15 years, she has the opportunity to pass on her love of music to the next generation. But perhaps more important, she said it provides her with the awesome responsibility of helping to shape the minds, hearts and souls of children who live in the D.C. area as they prepare themselves to tackle the most pressing challenges faced by society – both now and in the future. And make no mistake, these children have a message that they intend to share in ways that illustrate their creativity, their dedication and their refusal to be denied their seat at the table.
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DEALERSHIP Page 13
Several Dozen Youth Move on to Citywide Spelling Bee
For Washington Performing Arts, Young Singers Take the Lead D. Kevin McNeir WI Senior Editor
more celebratory. It’s tremendous,” he said. Harrington joined at least six dozen people who attended a one-hour ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Ford dealership owned by Dan Banister, who acquired the former Sheehy Ford in April from the family which owned the dealership seen along Branch Avenue for 52 years. Banister, joined by his wife, Beverly, and their two children, received valuable assistance while seeking to obtain the dealership in Prince George’s. He said Dr. Mike Freeman, pastor of Spirit of Faith Christian Center based in Temple Hills, offered not only spiritual guidance but also facilitated connections with people in Prince George’s.
Washington Informer Marks 40 Years as Competition’s Sponsor Sam P.K. Collins WI Staff Writer After two days of intense competition, the pool of contestants for the citywide spelling bee has been whittled down to 33 young people. Each student successfully exhibited finesse in spelling multisyllabic and often 5 Nathaniel Ezra of St. Augustine Catholic phonetically deceiving words during a clusSchool was among dozens of D.C. students that ter bee held at THEARC in Southeast. competed in the D.C. City-Wide Cluster Bees The cluster bee, held Feb 9 and 10, preon Wednesday, February 9. The winners will cedes the annual citywide spelling bee. This go on to the city-wide bee in March. (Roy Lewis/The Washington Informer)
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SPELLING BEE Page 12 Celebrating 57 Years of Service / Serving More Than 50,000 Readers Throughout The Metropolitan Area
