Vol. 55, No. 19 • February 20 - 26, 2020
Food Apartheid Still Threat to Health, Welfare of Nation’s Blacks, Poor
D.C. Councilmember Gray Takes Lead; Urges SE Residents to Demand Change
Black History Month Section Pages 32-38 NNPA SPECIAL REPORT
DCCC Employs Innovative Game Plan to Increase New Democratic Majority
Campaign Arm of House Dems Expanding Access to Ballot thru Legal Victories
By D. Kevin McNeir WI Editor @dkevinmcneir With several Democratic presidential hopefuls bowing
out of the race following lackluster results in Iowa and New Hampshire, those who remain have set their sights on scoring
DCCC Page 44
5 A voter takes advantage of the DCCC’s “Cycle of Engagement Initiative” which provides greater access to voting for people of color. / DCCC courtesy photo
5 Ward 7 Councilmember Vincent Gray at a grocery store in Southeast. (Courtesy photo/Councilmember Vincent Gray Office)
FIRST OF A TWO-PART SERIES By D. Kevin McNeir WI Editor @dkevinmcneir As the D.C. City Council and Mayor Muriel Bowser move toward the review, debate and eventual approval of the FY 2020 Budget, residents have been encouraged to attend hearings, contact the councilmember representing their ward and make sure they express their concerns, needs and desires. And while some of the issues bear similarities no matter where one may live in the District, some of the needs remain long-fulfilled with others continuing more like unfilled promises undergirded by that popular, sing-song slogan made famous by the Rev. Jesse Jackson, Jr.: “Keep Hope Alive.” For those living in Wards 7 and 8, the hope that has been a
dire need for the past several years, if not decades, has been increasing the number of full-service grocery stores to effectively accommodate their mostly-Black communities. One councilmember says it’s not just “putting City dollars where the mayor’s and other councilmembers’ mouths are,” but also ensuring that the food in those grocery stores are fresh and as varying in brands and offerings as are routinely available in the most affluent wards and communities in D.C. “With the budget hearings going into full swing in March, citizens have an opportunity to stand up and have their voices heard,” said Councilmember Vincent C. Gray (D-Ward 7). “I’ve already been speaking with ANCs from my ward. But if folks don’t speak up now, before the budget is approved, it’s easy to guess what will occur.” At the top of Gray’s list: moving forward with addressing
FOOD Page 24
Ward 8 Residents Dig in as School Budget Discussions Begin By Sam P.K. Collins WI Contributing Writer @SamPKCollins
socioemotional challenges. Even with the creation of a chancellor’s budget assistance fund that softens the blow of mid-year enrollment increases, some, like local teacher Michael Grier, wonder if Wards 7 and 8 schools will find themselves struggling to meet the needs of former charter school students seeking trauma and behavioral
As D.C. public schools [DCPS] budget proposals for FY 2021 start to make the rounds, teachers, parents and others who live east of the Anacostia River say they want to ensure that their neighborhood schools receive funding reflective of their student population’s unique academic and SCHOOL BUDGET Page
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By Tia Carol Jones
law enforcement. She said they threat,” sheon said. Maryland lawmakers continue to work legislation to ban flavored had tobacco come together bring a Among the programs productstothat include menthol cigarettes andMarlow flavors such as sensemint, of uniformity in the way wants to see implemented are advochocolate, an herb and spice. Dozens of business owners, When L.Y. Marlow's 23-year- domestic violence victims and stricter restraining order policies, cates, former tobacco smokers who use vaping products and retired law old daughter told her the father survivors are treated. more rights for victim's families enforcement personnel testified in support and against the bill Thursday, of her daughter threatened her “She's using her own personal to intervene on behalf of a vicFeb. 14 before the Senate Finance Committee. Supporters such as Attorlife, and the life of their child, story, her own personal pain to tim, a domestic violence assessGeneral Brian Frosh and the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland she knew something had to be pushneyforward,” Davis-Nickens ment unit coupled with further the products specifically harm and target Blacks. In addition, they done. Out of her frustration said say about Marlow. training for law enforcement say removing tobacco would improve a healthier. “If people believe that with law enforcement's handling Davis-Nickens said anyone agencies, a Child's Life Protecnicotine is addictive, then people aren’t really choosing to smoke. The of the situation, she decided to who reads Marlow's book will tion Act and mandatory counselnicotine is chosen them,” said Del. Dereck E. Davis (D-District 25) of start the Saving Promise cam- “get it.” She said she “puts the ing for batterers. Mitchellville, who sponsors the House version of the legislation. “Ninety paign. case in such a way, the average “If we are ever going to eradithousand see their violence, lives endwe prematurely be“It seems to be a vicious cycle person can get Marylanders it.” She said atare thegoing catetodomestic must of smoking.” challenge the book bill saywill it’s discriminatory thatcause won't turn myHowever, family some endwho of the day, the look at bothagainst sides ofthose the who coin.choose to purchase the products and a create Black market. clearlyWe tells us that passing a bill this nature loose,” Marlow said. Marlow helpa people begin to“History have a dianeed to address both theofvicwill her create a robust cigarette and illicit market mainly in tim Blackand communities,” saidMarlow Neill Franklin, shared story with the audi-smuggling logue about domestic violence. the batterer,” police officer and executive director Law Enforcement Action Partnership encea retired at theBaltimore District City Heights Also present at the event wasof the said. Domestic Symposium (LEAP).Violence “We know that our police officers will be the ones with going afteralso the like smugglers Mildred Muhammad, the charged exMarlow would to see and the on May at the District Heights street7corner sellers. We need to wife decrease negative citizen contact in our communities of John Allenpolice Muhammad, programs designed toof color raise and not Municipal increaseCenter. them.” The sympo- who was sentenced to six consec- awareness among children in sium was sponsored by the utive life terms without parole public and private schools. She Family and Youth Services by a Maryland jury for his role in feels children need to be educatCenter of the city of District the Beltway Sniper attacks in ed about domestic violence. Heights and the National Hook- 2002. Mildred Muhammad is “We have to stop being pasUp of Black Women. the founder of After the Trauma, sive-aggressive with poor chilMarlow has written a book, an organization that helps the dren about domestic violence,” “Color Me Butterfly,” which is a survivors of domestic violence Marlow said. storyAccording about four generations andControl their children. Marlow has worked to break to the Centers forof Disease and PreMichael Bloomberg, domestic The book is Survey, “I lived fear for six years. Six the cycle of abuse her family, former vention’s violence. annual National Tobacco 27.5inpercent thein billionaire inspired her students own experiences, in fear iswitha long time. It is and is confidentNew the policies she mayor of high by school reported usingyears an e-cigarette York City and those of her grandmother, not an easy thing to come out is pushing for will start that in the last 30 days, up from 20.8 percent in 2018. who has already spent her Originally mother and her daughter. said. cigprocess. designed to help peopleof,” quitshe smoking more on traditional adShe said every time she reads Mildred Muhammad said “I plan to takevertising these policies arettes, e-cigs have turned into a national infatuation for to his presiexcerpts from her book, she still people who want to help a Congress and implore them to among teens and young adults. While vaporized liquid dential campaign than can not believe the words came domestic violence victim must change our laws,” Marlow said. has been found by researchers to be less harmful to lungs anybody ever, has been from her. “Color Me Butterfly” be careful of how they go into “I will not stop until these polithan smoking traditional cigarettes, researchers and exwon the 2007 National “Best the victim's life, and understand cies are passed.”blasting up national polls perts have found that aside from the documented side over the last two weeks. Books” Award. that she may be in “survival Tia Carol Jones can be reached effects associated with vaping, the vape devices are comBut Wednesday was the “I was just 16-years-old when mode”. at tiacaroljones@sbcglobal.net patible with marijuana making substance abuse easier and first time this campaign my eye first blackened and my “Before you get to 'I'm going more discreet for teens Plus, due to the when he actually had to lips bled,” Marlow said.and young adults. to kill you,' it started as a verbal WI discreetness of many vapingpresidevices, teens are finding it appear somewhat like a Elaine Davis-Nickens, exceptionally easy to hide normal candidate – show dent of the National Hook-Up their vaping habits. up on a stage carefully of Black Women, said there is no What is most congroomed by a TV netconsistency in the way domestic cerning,issues however, is the work, in a traditional earviolence are dealt with by explosive popularity of ly campaign state, with the JUUL. Introduced other people who would by PAX Labs in 2015 as also like to be president a smoking alternative for but would prefer to be somewhere else at that paradults, JUUL is a brandticular moment. name e-cigarette that has The reason for opposing candidate enthusiasm is outpaced its competition obvious: Bloomberg’ll have to be one of them as he due to its sleek, highly discan’t just keep rising on the back of his infinite TV creet shape that closely reads and sprawling campaign. He’ll have to face the sembles a USB flash drive. traditional questions about health care policy and Small enough to fit into whatever else from moderators. He’ll have to stand the palm of your hand, there and face labored-over attacks from everyone each JUUL pod packs in as and he’ll have his facial expressions and hand gestures much nicotine as one pack and possible mouth errors broadcast, for memes. of cigarettes. Bloomberg, though, is not a total amateur. WI Staff Writer
E-cigarette Use Among High School Students, 27.5 Percent, Increasing
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Bloomberg Makes First Appearance During Dems’ Debate
We have to stop being passive-aggressive with poor children about domestic violence. I plan to take these policies to Congress and implore them to change our laws. I will not stop until these policies are passed.
“
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Women the Cycle of wi hotBreak topics Domestic Violence Maryland Menthol Ban Draws Support, Opposition
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AROUND THE REGION
Organizers Include Teenagers in Efforts to Increase Voter Turnout D.C. Youth Receive a Primer on Rubrics, Responsibilities of Citizenship By Sam P.K. Collins WI Contributing Writer @SamPKCollins With the 2020 D.C. primaries and General Election quickly approaching, the focus among community organizers has been on increasing voter turnout and how to best encourage the disillusioned to participate in electoral politics. For Lauren Grimes, a key strategy involves engaging teenagers at various high schools and community centers in conversations about the conditions of their neighborhoods, and letting them know that 16 and 17-year-old D.C. residents, while not yet of legal voting age, can pre-register and become more astute about the process and its significance. She said that as young people learn more about the role local politicians play in shaping their lives, they can make better informed choices at the ballot box. “We know that money talks in politics and there’s corruption. But being part of this process in voting and other ways is the foundation of our society,” said Grimes, founder of the Community Enrichment Project – an organization formed three years ago with the purpose of instilling a sense of civic engagement and awareness in underserved communities. “We want young people to be
aware but not discouraged from being part of the process,” Grimes continued. “Voting and taking part in this process is a choice. I encourage them to take part in it [because] it’s one of the strongest tools we have.” In late 2018, the D.C. Council voted to stall legislation that would have granted 16 and 17-year-old District residents the right to vote in local elections. The bill, introduced by D.C. Councilmember Charles (D-Ward 6), would’ve positioned D.C. alongside neighboring Hyattsville and Takoma Park as a jurisdiction which extends voting rights to teenagers. During that election year, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) and other incumbents won reelection with citywide voter turnout hovering around 46 percent. Although voter turnout fell between 45 and 55 percent in Wards 1 through 6, less than 40 percent of registered voters cast their ballots in Wards 7 and 8 – areas with the highest concentration of Black residents facing socioeconomic disparities. Since the District has a mostly-Democratic voter population, the upcoming Democratic primary (June 2) will essentially determine the de-facto winners for the November 3rd electoral contests for D.C. Council At-large seats and for Wards 2, 4, 7 and 8. Beyond the U.S. presidency,
other local and national positions up for grabs include local and national party committee members and the delegate for the U.S. House of Representatives – a position which Eleanor Holmes Norton has held for nearly 30 years. During the current election season, the D.C. Board of Elections [DCBOE] has cultivated relationships with community organizations and implemented a media strategy to increase voter registration. The cam-
paign has taken DCBOE’s comprehensive voter outreach and education division to local high schools, homeless shelters and the D.C. Department of Corrections. During high school registration drives, eligible students begin their pre-voter registration and explore opportunities to become student election workers. “Our high school students are excited and some of them aren’t eligible to vote yet. However, students born
in 2002 are especially excited about participating and expressing their voice in the democratic process for the first time,” said LaDawne White, DCBOE’s media relations representative. “They fully understand the importance of voting and the power of the vote. Their worldview kind of impacts this energy and attitude. They want to know when, how and what they need to do to get registered and ready for Election Day.” WI
5 Lauren Grimes, Founder of the Community Enrichment Project (Courtesy photo/Facebook grab)
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FEBRUARY 20 - 26, 2020 5
AROUND THE REGION
black facts
FEB 20 - 26, 2020 SOURCE: BLACK AMERICA WEB
FEB 20
1895 – Famed social activist and abolitionist Frederick Douglass dies of a heart attack in Washington, D.C., at 70. 1900 – John Frederick Pickering receives patent for the airship. 1927 – Sidney Poitier, the first African American to win an Academy Award for Best Actor, is born in Miami. 1937 – Grammy-winning singer Nancy Wilson is born in Chillicothe, Ohio.
FEB. 21
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1933 – Singer/songwriter and civil rights activist Nina Simone is born in Tryon, North Carolina. 1936 – Civil rights leader Barbara Jordan, the first Southern African American woman elected to the United States House of Representatives, is born in Houston. 1940 – John Lewis, longtime U.S. congressman and and renowned civil rights leader, is born in Troy, Alabama. 1965 – Civil rights activist Malcolm X is assassinated in the Audubon Ballroom in Manhattan at 39.
ogist and civil rights activist, is born in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. 1942 – Haki Madhubuti, author, activist, and founder of the Third World Press, is born in Little Rock, Arkansas.
FEB. 22
FEB. 24
1950 – Basketball icon Julius “Dr. J” Erving is born in East Meadow, New York. 1989 – DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince win the first-ever Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance for their hit, “Parents Just Don’t Understand.”
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1864 – Rebecca Lee Crumpler becomes the first African American woman to earn a medical degree. 1999 – Rapper and singer Lauryn Hill wins five Grammys including Album of the Year, setting a one-night record for a female artist.
FEB. 25
1948 – Civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr. is ordained as a minister at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, where his father was a pastor. 1964 – Muhammad Ali, then known as Cassius Clay, defeats Sonny Liston by a 7th-round TKO in Miami Beach, Florida, to win the heavyweight boxing championship for the first time.
FEB. 26
1926 – Boxing great Theodore “Tiger” Flowers becomes the first Black middleweight champion. 1928 – R&B legend Fats Domino is born in New Orleans. 1965 – Civil rights activist Jimmie Lee Jackson dies eight days after being shot by police during a peaceful voting rights march in Marion, Alabama. WI
LAURYN HILL
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AROUND THE REGION
BY SARAFINA WRIGHT
After a dismal showing in the Iowa caucus and New Hampshire primary, 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden is looking to bounce back in South Carolina with the strong support of Black voters in the state, particularly Black women. What are your thoughts?
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DEBORAH SMALL /
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I disagree that Black people or women are the keys to winning the 2020 presidential election. People of all colors are still in the minority. The key to winning 270 electoral votes is winning the swing states. All Democratic candidates need to focus on those undecided voters in the swing states.
LESLIE GUEYE / WASHINGTON, D.C.
I think Biden can unite the U.S. and I hope Andrew Yang will come aboard the Biden train. We are proud of Joe. He’s fighting two fights and Trump is one of them.
17
NY SG /
NEW YORK CITY
Uncle Joe is the only Democratic candidate that can unite both parties and that is needed to win.
SONYA HOPE /
GADSEN, ALABAMA
Joe Biden should keep going! What I am dealing with now concerning my disability I have had since 2002 under this administration lets me know it will take prayer and someone who Trump is scared of, like Joe, to defeat him. I cannot put my hand on it, but something about Bernie does not feel right and he may be a good person but just not good for the country. Trump will eat him alive as a socialist and we need to take back the Senate and keep the house. Joe has a sincere heart and loves this country.
TON TAMIA / ORLANDO, FLORIDA
It’s a fact [that] Black men are between Republican and Democrat — those numbers go up and down every year — but the majority of Black women are Democrats. They both play major roles in voting but speaking on Democrats terms you can always guarantee Black women are voting for them.
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The World According to Dominic BY D. KEVIN MCNEIR / WI EDITOR / @DKEVINMCNEIR
[Eight] Years Since Trayvon’s Murder, Little Has Changed for Blacks (originally published Feb. 17, 2017, The Washington Informer) Trayvon Martin
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It’s hard to believe but it’s been [eight] years since Trayvon Martin, a young Black teenager minding his own business in Sanford, Florida, found himself at the end of a gun held by so-called neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman. As the lead reporter and editor of The Miami Times at that time, I covered protests, rallies, community meetings and spent many hours with Trayvon’s parents, Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin. As a father of two children, I often found it agonizing to listen to their words, to witness their pain and to eventually hear the “not guilty” verdict rendered by a jury of Zimmerman’s peers while he claimed throughout his trial that he was merely “standing his ground.” Tragically, or perhaps more accurately predictably, very little has changed in America for Blacks — no matter what our ages. We still walk the streets with invisible bullseyes on our backs. We still walk the streets fearing that we will be detained, questioned, frisked, ar-
dent, we had finally ushered in a post-racial world, it soon became evident that powerful whites were not going to allow Obama to succeed. Neither were they willing to see racial progress be achieved. Instead, they pushed for the renewal of progressive racism. Our new president seems to be in support of that drive, promising to “make America great again.” During this month of February, as we reflect on the legacy of Black Americans, we would be wise to remember that Blacks will not see an end to racism, prejudice or poverty until we tell our elected officials that we’re “sick and tired of being sick and tired.” Sybrina Fulton once told me that she never thought much about the dangers that Black boys faced every day upon leaving the safety of their homes, until it happened rested or shot by law enforcement to her. Will you wait for tragedy to officials — more because of our strike home, or will you join the skin color than because we were movement? doing something wrong. Originally published Feb. 1, We have seen the development 2017, The Washington Informer wi of youth-led organizations like Black Lives Matter, calling truth Let us continue to demand justo power while shining a light on tice for Trayvon Benjamin Martin America’s greatest illness — rac- (Feb. 5 1995 – Feb. 26, 2012) ism. But their efforts alone are not and the thousands of Black, men, enough. women, boys and girls, who have And while some believed that since suffered similar, unwarranted with the election of Barack Obama deaths. We shall overcome – someas our nation’s first Black presi- day.
As a father of two children, I often found it agonizing to listen to their words, to witness their pain and to eventually hear the “not guilty” verdict rendered by a jury of Zimmerman’s peers while he claimed throughout his trial that he was merely “standing his ground.”
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AROUND THE REGION
District Election Roundup By James Wright WI Staff Writer @jamesdcwrighter
WASHINGTON TEACHERS’ UNION ENDORSES PRIMARY CANDIDATES
On Feb. 14, The Washington Teachers’ Union (WTU) endorsed their candidates for the June 2 Democratic primary, including D.C. Council member Trayon White (D-Ward 8), Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) for president, Jordan Grossman for the Ward 2 council seat and challengers Janeese Lewis George and Anthony Lorenzo Green for the Wards 4 and 7 council positions. Elizabeth A. Davis, president of the WTU, said her organization supports liberal candidates “who will work with educators to improve education and address the barriers that our students face across our great city.” “The WTU is also excited to join other educators from across the nation in endorsing Bernie Sanders in the Democratic primary for president,” Davis said. “Senator Sanders’ education platform focuses on the challenges teachers face each day in their classrooms and promises to dramatically boost funding for public schools, as well as change the federal government’s role in education.” The WTU’s Committee on Political Education (COPE) facilitated the endorsement process by issuing questionnaires to candidates, conducting candidate surveys, polling union members and presenting its recommendations to the executive committee. The executive committee then presented on Feb. 10 its recommendations to the WTU Representative Assembly for approval. COPE Chair Laura Fuchs said her group supported candidates who “will work for all of our students.” “The WTU believes this progressive group of candidates is willing to challenge the status quo and take a strong stand on behalf of our public school community,” she said. Later this year, the WTU will
endorse for the city’s at-large council and D.C. State Board of Education seats prior to the Nov. 3 general election. Green said he embraces WTU’s support. “Apart from our parents and grandparents, teachers are probably the most influential adults we come into contact as children,” he said. “The WTU endorsement is a clear sign that my campaign understands the needs of teachers and students in Ward 7. I am excited and ready to do right by them and bring the change we want to see in our schools.”
BATCHELOR’S SINGLE FOCUS: SUPPORT IN ALL EIGHT WARDS
Markus Batchelor, who represents Ward 8 on the D.C. State Board of Education, has received endorsements from a wide range of leaders throughout the District in his race for the independent atlarge seat on the D.C. Council. Batchelor’s supporters include Ward 8 advisory neighborhood commissioners Salim Adofo, Betty Scippio, Darrell Gaston and Regina Pixley. Ward 7 advisory neighborhood commissioner Tyrell Holcomb also supports Batchelor as well as Ward 1 D.C. Democratic State Committeewoman E. Gail Anderson Holness and Ward 3 political activist Matthew Frumin. Ruth Wattenberg (Ward 3) and Frazier O’Leary (Ward 4), Batchelor’s colleagues on the council, have also endorsed his candidacy. Batchelor said the endorsements reflect his citywide campaign strategy. “This group represents a broad array of activists, advocates, organizers and elected leaders with deep connections to our communities, already doing the critical work needed to tackle our city’s toughest issues,” he said. Batchelor will compete with a number of candidates for the independent at-large council seat that will be vacated by Council member David Grosso (I-At Large) early next year. The independent at-large city council election will
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5 Markus Batchelor represents Ward 8 on the D.C. State Board of Education. (WI file photo)
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take place on November 3. Batchelor said that as he travels throughout the District, he stresses his credentials and citywide vision. “I have the longest record of being an elected official of any of my announced opponents,” he said. “I also have the longest record of continuous community service with stints as a youth mayor of the Marion Barry Youth Leadership Institute, president of the Ward 8 Democrats, a member of the D.C. Democratic State Committee, an advisory neighborhood commissioner and now as the vice president of the State Board of Education. I am the candidate who has a perspective for the city for the next four to 10 years and how to make that vision work for all District residents.” wi
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AROUND THE REGION CAPTURE THE MOMENT (Standing) Lakisha Davis-Small, Harriet Tubman Learning Center, Inc. Advisory Board member and Dr. Susie C. Owens, Co-Pastor of Greater Mt. Calvary Holy Church, (seated) Geraldine Copes Daniels 87, the Great Grand Niece of Harriet Tubman along with her daughter Rita Copes Daniels, 65. Harriet Tubman’s nieces visited the church on the Sunday set aside to honor the birthday of Dr. Owens, a trailblazer leaving her mark in the history of Black ministry. (Courtesy photo/GMCHC Photography Ministry)
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“We who are free to eat and sleep at will, to write, to speak, to travel as we please, we who are free to make or break a revolution, let us use our comparative freedom, not to perpetuate the misery of those who suffer, not to give indirect aid to the enemy they fight by withholding our own contributions.” [1971]
– Oliver (O.R.) Tambo
(1917-1993) The South African anti-apartheid politician and revolutionary served as president of the African National Congress [ANC] from 1967 to 1991. He, along with Mandela and Walter Sisulu advocated tactics such as boycotts, civil disobedience, strikes and non-collaboration – even organizing active guerilla units, in decades of civilian attacks against the apartheid state. Longtime friend Mandela took over as ANC president in 1991 after Tambo suffered a stroke. He died at the age of 75.
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AROUND THE REGION
Pepco Celebrates Infrastructure Academy Graduates and Achievements By Sam P.K. Collins WI Contributing Writer @SamPKCollins Throughout the month of February, Pepco’s Edison Place Gallery in Northwest will showcase a multimedia exhibit that celebrates and highlights the stories of the nearly two dozen people who graduated last spring from Pepco’s newly launched utility training program. Many of these honorees, including Jabriel Ingram of Northeast, have since gone on to work for Pepco. In his role as an apprentice line mechanic secondary, Ingram installs and maintains electrical lines throughout the District. For him, the potential for growth within his industry counts as the most enticing part of this experience. “[We didn’t] let the fear of failure be more than the excitement of winning,” said Ingram, 25, a graduate of the D.C. Infrastructure Academy Pepco Utility Training program. After failing an entrance exam in 2018, Ingram successfully entered the program last year and, after taking coursework and a couple of exams, rose to the status of a lineman within a matter of months. “[I would like to] become a journeyman and prolong my [time] here at Pepco,” said Ingram, a former college football defensive end. “The biggest thing is learning. You have to learn each and every day. I’m in a trade that’s like a four-year college degree. I’ll be debt-free, and I have a job.” During a private gathering at Pepco Edison Place Gallery on Thursday, Ingram introduced Reginald Cunningham II, the artist behind what’s known as “Life Beyond the Line,” the first of several art installations at 702 8th Street NW featuring everyday Washingtonians. Throughout the gallery, life-sized portraits plastered on the walls show nine of the infrastructure academy graduates at their happiest and most comfortable. On accompanying audio clips, the people featured describe the significance of their career milestone. Cunningham, a photographer from St. Louis who lives in the District, explained a strategy that involved engaging his subjects in conversation as he snapped their photos. He said his goal
with this project involved bridging the gap between what he described as separate societies within the District, and highlighting the longtime closure of technical and vocational schools. “It was about being able to expose corporate D.C. to the stories of people who live in D.C., to amplify these stories and celebrate these wonderful people doing amazing things,” Cunningham, creator of the Pure Black brand, told The Informer. “It was about] filling a gap that technical schools are leaving, and showing these men in an affirming way that they’re proud and happy with what brings them joy. I’m excited and thankful for being able to celebrate.” As the national student loan debt amount enters the trillions of dollars, and American society becomes more technological, more young people are embracing trades and certifications as a means of living a financially stable life. After a decline in vocational studies throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the trades have seen an enrollment surge of nearly 30 percent, according to data compiled by the National Center for Education Statistics. To launch the D.C. Infrastructure Academy Pepco Utility Training program, Pepco and its parent company Exelon partnered with the Executive Office of the Mayor, the D.C. Department of Employment Services, and private sector entities. The goal of this collaborative effort, as explained by Pepco leadership on the night of February 13, centers equipping D.C. residents with high-paying, sustainable job skills while developing a workforce that can maintain the city’s energy infrastructure. Pepco graduated its first class in May; 22 graduates received jobs at Pepco or a Pepco contractor of choice. The second cohort, which started earlier in the month, has participants — whose ages range from 20 to 50 — hailing from Wards 6, 7 and 8, which include neighborhoods reeling from high unemployment. Such was the case for Dervon Kyle, a Northeast resident and former construction worker who entered the infrastructure academy after suffering joblessness. In the year since he’s enrolled in the program, Kyle has been promoted to
the status of a Level C electrician. In his role, he often tends to power lines sprawling several feet underneath the D.C. streets. “I see myself going to the top of my profession. By the end of this year, I would be a B-class,” said Kyle, 29. “I feel great about myself. This shows that I’m not a quitter and I hold myself to a higher standard so I wouldn’t let myself down. Everything has been going well. I’m making sure I’m making these sacrifices in my life.” WI
5 An exhibit entitled, Life Beyond the Line on display at the Pepco Edison Place Gallery featuring local DC artists highlighting the first graduates from DC Infrastructure Academy (DCIA) in larger than life portraits captured y Reginald Cunningham. (Robert R. Roberts/The Washington Informer) 4 Jabriel Ingram, a line mechanic-overhead apprentice attends the opening held February 13 at the gallery in Northwest. (Robert R. Roberts/The Washington Informer)
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Music technology Workshop Monday through Friday, from 9:00am - 4:00pm July 6-10, 2020, 7th – 9th grade students July 13-17, 2020, 10th – 12th grade students
Vocal Music Workshop Monday through Friday, from 9:00am - 4:00pm July 6-10, 2020, 7th – 9th grade students July 13-17, 2020, 10th – 12th grade students
FaMe Jazz Band program intensive Monday through Friday, 9:00am - 4:00pm July 13-17, 2020, FAME Jazz Band students only
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Explore cutting-edge recording software Experiment with music composition Learn about music production Produce finished MP3 files to share digitally and publish online • Learn about and prepare for education and career opportunities in music • Meet and Collaborate with new music friends • Receive a one-year subscription to MusicFirst Software and more!
Vocal Music Participants will: • • • •
Learn many vocal techniques Strengthen and build vocal capacity Perform sight-reading/sight-singing exercises Collaborate with program participants to create an archival recording of an original composition • Learn to be intentional in their interpretation of lyrics and musical phrasing, • Improve execution of performance repertoire in the areas of classical arias/Italian art songs, jazz standards, pop, and theatre and more!
All workshops culminate with a public showcase of students creative projects; and students receive a certificate of completion.
this program is also made possible in part by funding and support from: Prince George’s County Council Chair, Todd M. Turner (District 4) Prince George’s County Council Member, Derrick Leon Davis (District 6) United Parcel Service (UPS) PEPCO, an Exelon Company
FA c u lt y: William Evans, Program Director Mike Maddox, Music Technology Workshop Director • Alphonso Jiles, Music Technology & Instrumental Instructor Blossom Ojukwu, Vocal Workshop Director • Langston Hughes, II, Program Assistant
R e g i s t R at i o n a n D i n F o www.FAMEMusic.org/summer-music-program • Email: Dr. Melissa Morales, mmorales@famemusic.org • 301.805.5358
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FEBRUARY 20 - 26, 2020 11
PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY LGBTQ Training Proposed in Prince George’s Schools By William J. Ford WI Staff Writer @jabariwill Krystal Oriadha grew up in Harris County, Texas, where she was subjected to verbal abuse, people spitting and throwing rocks at her, and watching people laugh as her family’s house was set afire — all because she was gay. Oriadha maintained not only her self-esteem, but moved to Maryland several years ago and helped to establish the LGTBQ Dignity Project, which seeks to helps adults and teens who are
part of that community. The group formed about three months ago wants to produce change in the Prince George’s County Public Schools system. The school board could vote Feb. 20 to incorporate $80,000 in the proposed fiscal 2021 school budget to hire facilitators to train school staff on addressing the needs of LGBTQ students. “We are still human, we’re not different,” Oridaha said Feb. 11 after heart-wrenching testimony about hate crime legislation before the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee. “The need in tearing
down that stereotype that people who are gay are deviants and don’t have families and don’t have morals. Also, elevating the Black voice in the LGBTQ movement because it has been a white dominant movement. It’s time that people of color push back to the center of the movement.” School board member Raaheela Ahmed expressed her support on Facebook. “With hundreds of Prince George’s County public schools students and staff that identify as members of the LGBTQ+ community, many of whom face bullying and discrimination on a regular basis, this kind of training is so needed,” Ahmed wrote. “We can’t be passive anymore. It’s time to act.” Fear grew in the community last year after two transgender women were fatally shot in Fairmount Heights between March and June. According to the Human Rights Commission, at least 26 transgender or gender non-conforming people died by a gun or other violent means. The commission calculated about 91 percent of those individuals were Black women, 81 percent were 30 or younger, and 68 percent resided in the South. The commission, which tracks
5 Krystal Oriadha stands outside the Sasscer Administration Building, the headquarters of Prince George’s County Public Schools. Her organization, LGBTQ Dignity Project, wants the school system to train staff to help address the needs of LGBTQ students. (Anthony Tilghman/The Washington Informer)
transgender deaths, say there could be more because of incomplete data collection by law enforcement, media and even advocates to identify a person’s gender. Although the Prince George’s school system has anti-bullying measures and middle and high schools house student activity clubs, advocates have said there aren’t many outside resources for those in the LGBTQ community. There are fewer means for adults, especially with Casa Ruby serving
Legislation Presses for Gender Equality in Maryland By William J. Ford WI Staff Writer @jabariwill The state of Maryland seeks to become a more inclusive society for women in terms of economic stability, leadership and other forms of equality. Gov. Larry Hogan, who has declared 2020 as the “Year of the Women,” announced Friday, Feb. 14 that half of his 168 “Green Bag” appointments for the year are women. One of those appointments, Lori Morrow of Prince George’s County, will become the first parent ever to serve on the state board of education. Even with all the successes, lawmakers and advocates said more work must be done. “As we celebrate Black History Month, there are still a lot of things that happen in this country that is still disproportionately [unequal],” said Del. Diana Fennell (D-District 47A) of Colmar Manor. “We are going to keep doing things to make sure there is equality in the state.”
12 - FEBRUARY 20 - 26, 2020
NARAL Pro-Choice Maryland organized a women’s rally Monday, Feb. 20 in Annapolis in support of a statewide legislative agenda during the General Assembly’s 90-day session. Public hearings have already occurred regarding some legislation, such as a bill prohibiting employers for using a person’s salary history as a factor when applying for a job. The National Women’s Law Center supports the measure because such tactics have a negative effect on women of color. For instance, the organization estimates Black women in Maryland earn 68 cents to every dollar paid to a white man. Latino women in Maryland have the fourth-largest gap in the nation at 46 cents for every dollar paid to a white man. “Maryland lawmakers have an urgent obligation to Maryland women, families and the state economy to pass this legislation,” the center said in a statement. Fennell signed on as a co-sponsor for the Time to Care Act, which would establish a program for em-
ployees to receive paid leave to care for a spouse, child, parent, sibling or family members for whom the employee is a legal guardian. Advocates have said the bill, scheduled for a public hearing Monday, Feb. 24 before the House of Delegates Economic Matters Committee, would be especially helpful for mothers after childbirth. “Instead of being rushed back to work, we need to have more time and stay with our children,” Fennell said. The other “pro-women” legislation listed calls for: • Establishing a task force to analyze building regional centers for women veterans. • Employers allowing a worker up to two hours of paid-time absence from work to vote during an election. • Increasing the penalty for suffocation or strangulation for the first offense. If convicted, that person could serve up to 25 years in prison. • Requiring the commissioner of the state Department of Corrections operate a prerelease unit for incarcerated women who present the “least risk
of violence, escape and record of satisfaction.” To ensure small, women- and minority-owned businesses are part of the procurement process, Sen. Melony Griffith (D-District 25) of Upper Marlboro wants the state to create a commission to analyze whether those groups receive fair access to projects. According to the legislation, the group comprising more than two dozen people would review state practices, analyze whether any provisions negatively affected women- and minority-owned businesses from being chosen on contracts and recommend any necessary changes. The 25-member commission would include two representatives from a small, women-owned minority business not awarded a state contract in the past year, the president of Morgan State University or a designee, and a representative from a small minority-owned business that served as a subcontractor on a state contract within the past three years. A hearing on the bill is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 27. WI
as the only LGBTQ organization in the D.C. area. Headquartered in Northwest, it provides an outlet for about 6,000 youth and adults annually in need of health care, job placement and other needs. With the help of Casa Ruby, Oriadha’s organization seeks a brick-and-mortar location in Prince George’s. “We’re working on bringing a pride event in Prince George’s,” she said. “We need resources in the county that specifically target the needs of the LGBTQ community. We all need each other.” Meanwhile, state legislation pushed by Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy would ensure a hate crime would be motived “either in whole or in part” based on a person’s race, color, religious beliefs, or sexual orientation. The current law permits prosecutors to prove a hate crime stood as the only factor, which a judge concluded in the stabbing death of 2nd Lt. Richard Collins III by a white man at the University of Maryland in College Park. Sen. Mary Washington (D-Baltimore City) said the legislation named after Collins and other proposals protect residents from harm, especially at public schools and universities. “We have the responsibility for the safety of our children in our schools. That’s a public institution,” said Washington, who is running for mayor of Baltimore and became the first openly gay Black elected official in Maryland in 2010. “We are the ones to set the rules about what is allowable and that’s why state legislation is necessary.” WI
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Md. Lawmaker ‘Not Giving Up’ on Financial Literacy Requirement By William J. Ford WI Staff Writer @jabariwill ANNAPOLIS — Del. Jay Walker walked to the table, placed down his folders filled with documents and testified on the importance of financial literacy in all Maryland high schools. The Fort Washington Democrat has attempted to implement such as policy in seven of the past eight legislative sessions since 2012. “I’m not giving up. We’ve been working on this for a while. The time is right to do what’s right,” he said Friday, Feb. 14 before the House of
PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY
Delegates Ways and Means Committee. According to the bill, all school boards would be required to create content for a half-semester course in financial literacy for every public high school. More succinctly, “a student shall complete a course in financial literacy in order to graduate.” The Council for Economic Education of New York City recently released a “Survey of the States” report, which shows that while all school systems include some form of financial education in kindergarten through 12th grade, Maryland, along with
FINANCIAL Page 51
What a Good Economy Really Means News outlets and other reports are gleeful on economic growth. Toted are numbers that brag about 3 % unemployment, wage increases especially in the Black community and overall corporate growth. Confidence is high and expectations for growth are even higher. Despite the so-called news, there remains an affordability crisis. This crisis is seen in exorbitant housing prices, rising medical costs & out of control debt- including student and credit debts. Wages have gone up, but these are not keeping pace with these costs. In fact, most Americans have little or no savings and those who do, if hit with a financial crisis can only survive for one month. For millennials burdened with lifetime student debt, buying a home is out of the question leaving many living at home. With small studio apartments starting at $2,000 per month, many are finding it challenging to make ends meet. Given the affordability crisis, a different wage conversation is required: that is moving from minimum wage to wealth creation. Wealth is the accumulation of sustainable, transferable growth centered assets that build equity. Equity links to net worth that allows leverage and negotiation in this economy. However, even when moving from a wage to a wealth equation, there is a need to address income disparities and discriminatory policies that hinder capital access and lending. The next conversation on policy engagement must dismantle policies that drive gentrification, redlining & income inequity and replace these with- inclusionary housing affordability, capital access & business development. Changing the conversation and intention to these and other equity strategies will go a long way in building an inclusive affordable economy. Not a member? Please visit our website, www.pgcoc.org or drop by for a visit 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 WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER
FEBRUARY 20 - 26, 2020 13
BUSINESS Horace & Dickie’s Set to Close on March 1
Owner Said He’s Retiring; Customers Believe It’s Tantamount to Gentrification
By James Wright WI Staff Writer @jamesdcwrighter The shuttering of the popular Horace & Dickie’s carryout on March 1 has generated discussion about the plight of Black businesses in a gentrifying District. Horace & Dickie’s, located near the H Street Corridor in Northeast, will cease operations after 30 years. Its owner, Richard Shannon, the “Dickie” in the carryout’s name, told The Informer on Feb.
14 that he wants to retire. “It’s time to move on,” Shannon said. “I am 82 years old.” Shannon said he will still manage his restaurant by the same name in Camp Springs, Md., and his daughter will have her eatery with the similarly named Horace & Dickies in the Takoma neighborhood of the District. He made it clear that he chose to shut down his 12th Street location as a business decision and not outside pressures. “This is not the result of gentri-
fication,” Shannon said. “I am not being pushed away.” Since 1990, Horace & Dickie’s has become known for its signature dish, fried whiting. The carryout also serves catfish, croaker, fried chicken and other side items such as potato salad, coleslaw, french fries, macaroni and cheese, hush puppies and collard greens. Old newspaper articles on the wall show celebrities such as boxing promoter Don King and the late “60 Minutes” journalist Ed Bradley patronizing the establishment. The demographic and commercial changes taking place in the H Street NE corridor have some Horace & Dickie’s customers speculating that gentrification has taken its toll on the carryout. “I really will miss this place,” said Kiara Ramos. “But I knew this would happen. Look at what is happening in this area. It is hard to park here and when you go to buy some food, you will find a $100 ticket on your car. Don’t get me wrong, the fish is good but I can’t pay for food and a parking ticket, too.” Ramos said she will also miss coming to Horace & Dickie’s “because they are like family to me.”
5 Horace & Dickie’s has served seafood and soul food to its customers since 1990. (Anthony Tilghman/The Washington Informer)
Glenn Casey, a Philadelphian who frequently visits the District, makes it a point to stop by Horace & Dickie’s to eat and lamented its closing. “I don’t want them to close, it will be a loss,” Casey said. “Horace & Dickie’s is a part of D.C.’s Black culture and the food is great. However, changing Black neighborhoods just isn’t happening in D.C. but Philly also.” Anwar Saleem, executive director of the H Street Main Street Inc., also expressed concern at the
closing of Horace & Dickie’s. “It is a legacy business,” Saleem said. “I would like to see it continue. I am in the process of talking with Mr. Shannon and George Murray, Horace & Dickie’s property owner. I want to see if there is another location that it could move to, particularly in the area of Benning Road NE and Bladensburg Road NE. It is my understanding that the parking was the problem at Horace & Dickie’s. It’s hard to go buy your food and have to pay for a ticket also.” WI
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BUSINESS
5 The D.C. Council wants to codify net neutrality protections. (Courtesy of ACLU)
Council Mulls Legislation to Codify Net Neutrality Protections By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer @StacyBrownMedia When the GOP-controlled Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted in 2018 to end net neutrality, then-Commissioner Mignon Clyburn expressed her disappointment. Clyburn argued that the move would give too much power to internet service providers who would mostly have a license to slow speeds for some websites and services while ramping it up for others who paid more. “We are supposed to be here protecting the consumer’s experience and interests when it comes to communications and other services,” Clyburn said. “We are supposed to be enablers of opportunities, both for businesses and individuals.” Two years later, D.C. Council members are hoping to protect residents with a proposed Consumer Net Neutrality Protection Act. If enacted, the bill would codify net neutrality protections and prohibit internet service providers from engaging in discriminatory practices such as blocking content and impairing consumer internet usage. “A free and open internet is critical to our society. Consumers rely on broadband connectivity to drive growth, personal and community development, but also to facilitate public debate and government accountability,” said Council member David Grosso, who along with council colleagues Anita Bonds, Elissa Silverman,
and Mary Cheh, co-introduced the measure. “Net neutrality is also crucial for small business owners, startups and entrepreneurs, who rely on the open internet to launch their enterprises, create markets, advertise their products and services, and reach consumers,” Grosso said in a news release. In 2015, the FCC under the Obama administration established net neutrality protections for telecommunications services, only to have those protections repealed in 2017 under the President Trump-appointed FCC chairman. With the repeal of these net neutrality protections, internet service providers are permitted to block or slow down internet access, demand pay-to-play from websites or applications, or otherwise interfere with end-users’ access to the internet, Grosso said. Since then, federal courts have upheld the FCC’s repeal of net neutrality but left it up to states to write their own regulations. Under Grosso’s bill, internet service providers will be prohibited from discriminating against information and lawful internet traffic by blocking, slowing down, or engaging in paid prioritization. “This will benefit all internet users in the District of Columbia by establishing our own net neutrality protections that prohibit discriminatory, anti-consumer, and anti-competitive conduct by broadband providers,” Grosso. Presently, nine states have enacted their own versions of net neutrality legislation, while 34 states have introduced legislation attempting to reestablish net neu-
trality protections. If passed, the District of Columbia would join jurisdictions, such as California and New York, that have committed to ensuring
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an open and free internet for all, that allows room for transparent and consumer-oriented conduct by internet service providers. “Every D.C. resident has the
right to equal access to all lawful content using any lawful device in the District, and we as elected leaders must stand up for that right,” Grosso said. WI
FEBRUARY 20 - 26, 2020 15
NATIONAL Black Clergy Mobilizing Members as Primaries Move to Nation’s South By Hamil R. Harris WI Contributing Writer
As the 2020 Democratic presidential contenders head South for the next round of primaries, African American voters stand to play a prominent role in the outcomes, and pastors of color are challenging their members to look beyond political speeches and prom-
16 - FEBRUARY 20 - 26, 2020
ises when deciding on who they will vote for this political season. Over the next week and a half, voters in South Carolina and Nevada will cast their ballots and on March 3, better known as Super Tuesday, residents in 14 states and the American Samoa and Americans living abroad will cast votes in Democratic primaries and caucuses. For the eight remain-
ing presidential hopefuls, the stakes couldn’t be higher. But from a range of pastors across the Washington area to the bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church for the state of Alabama, faith leaders say they and their members are taking a second look at the various candidates after decades of being taken for granted by Democrats and ignored by Republicans. “As I vote, I am not just voting for someone to represent me for the next four years but the next 40 years,” said Bishop Joel Peebles, pastor of City of Praise Ministries in Landover, Maryland. “Our ability to vote was fought for by our forefathers and, as a pastor, I am interested in a person who has a track record and not just themselves.” Peebles, whose church is one of the largest in the Washington area, said his congregation will conduct a major getout-the-vote campaign and host election-related forums before Maryland’s primary, in addition to providing material to voters to clearly show where candidates stand on the issues. In the D.C. region, voters go to the polls in Virginia on March 3, in Maryland on April 28 and in the District of Columbia on June 2. The Democratic Convention is July 13 in Milwaukee and the Republican Convention is Aug. 24 in Charlotte, N.C. The general election is Tuesday Nov. 3. Harry Seawright, a bishop in the African Methodist Episcopal Church in Birmingham, Alabama, and onetime pastor of Union Bethel AME in Brandywine, Maryland, has long been heavily involved in community issues from policing to fair housing. He said this year, people of color must choose from a number of candidates who have similar themes. “Every election is critical,” said Seawright, who on March 1 will take part in the commemoration of “Bloody Sunday,” when on March 7, 1965, demonstrators marching for equal
5 Bishop Harry Seawright (Courtesy photo/African Methodist Episcopal Church)
voting rights were beaten and blooded by state police officers in Selma, Alabama, as they crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge. Seawright said to highlight the importance of voting, they will honor Rep. John Lewis, one of the leaders of the “Bloody Sunday” march who himself was severely beaten that day, and Stacey Abrams, who narrowly lost her 2018 gubernatorial bid in Georgia and has been floated as a possible running mate for the eventual Democratic nominee. Seawright said the church is taking part in many get-out-the-vote efforts but that it ultimately is about people going to the polls and unifying for the best results. “We are hoping that we can gain a consensus behind a candidate,” Seawright said. “The Democratic field is so fragmented, we can’t miss this opportunity.” Rev. Ianther Mills, pastor of the Ashbury United Methodist Church in D.C., stressed the influence women hold in the election noting that three of the remaining major Democratic
contenders are female. “Women have the opportunity to make a critical difference in this election,” said Mills, adding that female Methodist parishioners have spent months organizing in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of women gaining the right to vote and the women’s suffrage movement. Rev. Willie Wilson, pastor emeritus of the Union Temple Baptist Church in D.C., said that the candidates can’t do what they have been doing for decades. “The Democrats get all of the Black support and do absolutely nothing” he said. “Now we have Bloomberg but he made his name by creating Stop and Frisk in New York. It is not enough just to say, ‘vote for somebody.’ “Every four years about this time, they come for the Black vote and we just give up that vote,” Wilson said, adding that he wants to know what each candidate has done to address the incarceration rate, lack of economic opportunities, homelessness and the loss of property because of gentrification in many cities. Rev. Graylan Hagler, pastor of Plymouth Congregational United Church of Christ in D.C., said in terms of selecting a Democrat, he is undecided. “I am keeping my powder dry and I am watching,” Hagler said. “It is the same old politics. Whoever comes out of the Democratic side, we have to be very determined.” Rev. Barbara Williams-Skinner, who served on President Obama’s Faith Council, said that in the weeks to come, more national get-out-thevote campaigns will be rolled out and it will be critical for voters to look beyond race, color and personalities. WI
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FEBRUARY 20 - 26, 2020 17
NATIONAL Frances ‘Fannie’ Barrier Williams Champion for Women’s Suffrage, Blacks By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer @StacyBrownMedia
This is part of an ongoing Washington Informer series about the Women’s Suffrage Movement and an initiative that includes Informer Publisher Denise Rolark Barnes that will use the lens of history, the fabric of art and culture and the venue of the public square to shine a light into dark places, equipping all with a compass to chart the way forward. The initiative lives in the institutional home of the Washington Informer Charities. France “Fannie” Barrier Williams possessed such oratory skills that even her white peers of the women’s suffrage movement could not ignore. Neither could a nation which deemed the call for voting and other rights for African Americans as heresy. “Social evils are dangerously contagious,” Williams said once after her family moved from Brockport, New York, to Washington, D.C., where she found difficulty adjusting to more overt forms of racism.
“The fixed policy of persecution and injustice against a class of women who are weak and defenseless will be necessarily hurtful to the cause of all women,” Williams said. Born Feb. 12, 1855, Williams was a noted educator and advocate for women’s rights. She worked for both social and educational reforms intending to improve the lives of African American women, despite her and her family’s status in Brockport, where they had garnered the respect of white people in a community where Blacks were scarce. At just 15 years old, Williams was the first African American to graduate from the Brockport State Normal School (now SUNY Brockport) in 1870, according to her biography posted on blackpast.org. Williams also studied music at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston but was forced to leave because white students were jealous of her skills and believed she overshadowed them. She then returned to Washington, where she married Samuel Laing Wil-
liams, a lawyer and longtime friend of Booker T. Washington. The couple moved to Chicago, where Barrier Williams became the first woman – Blackor white – to serve on the Board of the Chicago Public Library. Still, some of Williams’ most significant accomplishments – and most poignant speeches about women’s and African American rights – lie ahead. In 1893, at the World’s Columbian Exposition, Williams addressed the World’s Congress of Representative Women in a speech titled, “The Intellectual Progress of the Colored Women of the United States Since the Emancipation Proclamation.” “That the discussion of progressive womanhood in this great assemblage of the representative women of the world is considered incomplete without some account of the colored women’s status is most noteworthy evidence that we have not failed to impress ourselves on the higher side of American life,” Williams said during the speech. “Less is known of our women than of any other class of Americans. No organiza-
tion of far-reaching influence for their special advancement, no conventions of women to take note of their progress, and no special literature reciting the incidents, the events, and all things interesting and instructive concerning them are to be found among the agencies directing their career. “There has been no special interest in their peculiar condition as native-born American women,” she said. “Their power to affect the social life of America, either for good or for ill, has excited not even a speculative interest. As American women generally are fighting against the 19th-century narrowness that still keeps women out of the higher institutions of learning, so our women are eagerly demanding the best education open to their race.” Later, Williams helped found the National League of Colored Women and, in 1896, she was involved in the creation of the National Association of Colored Women. Williams, who also assisted W.E.B. Du Bois in founding the NAACP and helped establish Provident Hospital in Chicago in
5 Frances “Fannie” Barrier Williams
1891, would earn recognition for her contribution to the women’s suffrage movement when, in 1907, she was the only African American selected to eulogize Susan B. Anthony at the National American Women Suffrage Association convention. “The hearts of Afro-American women are too warm and too large for race hatred,” Williams said. “Long-suffering has so chastened them that they are developing a special sense of sympathy for all who suffer and fail of justice.” Williams died in Brockport, New York, on March 4, 1944. WI
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From the desk of
MIKE BLOOMBERG Dear Reader, Thank you for taking the time to learn about The Greenwood Initiative. As someone who has been very lucky in life, I often say my story would only have been possible in America — and that’s true. But I also know that because of the artificial barriers of discrimination, my story likely would have turned out very differently if I had been Black, and that more Black Americans of my generation would have ended up with far more wealth, had they been white. Building Generational Wealth for Black Families is Critical. That’s why I launched The Greenwood Initiative in Tulsa last month. I visited the site of the Black Wall Street Massacre, where a white mob decimated the prosperous community of Greenwood. It is to the memory of the lost lives and promise of Greenwood that we’ve dedicated The Greenwood Initiative: a plan to address the systematic bias that has kept Black Americans from building wealth.
THE GREENWOOD PLAN WILL: • Create 1 million new Black homeowners • Double the number of new Black-owned businesses • Invest $70 billion in the country’s 100 most disadvantaged neighborhoods
Fixing the System for Black Families. When I was mayor of New York, I was proud to take on the systematic inequality that held back too many New Yorkers. We increased education funding, built 650 new schools and raised Black graduation rates to record highs. We led an ambitious effort to reduce poverty and managed the largest amount of affordable housing in the nation. And as President, I will work even more aggressively to combat inequality nationwide. I understand that undoing generations of systematic discrimination won’t happen overnight, but we can make progress with a clear vision and a comprehensive plan. I’ve included a pamphlet along with this letter that lays out my plan. When I’m President, implementing The Greenwood Initiative: will be a top priority. Join me in ending the systemic inequality that has held Black Americans back for too long! Sincerely, Mike Bloomberg
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ANC Condemns Foundation for Denying Apartheid Was Crime Against Humanity The African National Congress (ANC) has condemned the statement by the FW de Klerk Foundation “denying that apartheid was a crime against humanity as a blatant whitewash.” “Mr. FW De Klerk’s assertion in the interview, 25 years into our democracy, which denies that apartheid was a crime against humanity, flies in the face of our commitments to reconciliation and nation-building,” ANC spokesman Pule Mabe said in a statement on Sunday, Feb. 16. “The ANC calls on Mr. De Klerk and his foundation not to undermine the compact that forms the foundation of our democracy, which is that we deal with the past through institutional mechanisms and the rule of law,” he said. The decision and the motivation by first the Organisation for African Unity (OAU) and then “the whole world through the United Nations” to declare apartheid a crime against humanity had been well-documented. The foundation, instead of “continuing to plead blind ignorance,” would do well to research this history. The ANC would not abandon the project of nation-building. Despite these statements by the foundation, Mabe said the ANC would not be derailed from the project of continuing to rebuild the nation from the ashes of apartheid and its legacies of poverty, unemployment and inequality. “We shall continue to work together to ensure the human dignity of all our people, and the tasks set in the Constitution of our land to ‘recognize the injustices of the past ... heal the divisions of the past, and establish a society based on democratic values, social justice, and fundamental human rights,’” Mabe said. “In the interests of advancing reconciliation and nation-building, the ANC calls on the FW de Klerk Foundation to unconditionally retract its irresponsible statement and start showing commitment to the building of a South Africa we all want,” Mabe said. The FW de Klerk Foundation statement claimed that the United Nations’ classification of apartheid as a crime against humanity formed part of an agenda by the Soviet Union and the ANC along with its allies to stigmatize white South Africans. The statement also sought to justify and reason as to why apartheid was not a crime against humanity. It was released on Feb. 14, after the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) “bullied” the former president at the State of the Nation address (SONA) Thursday, calling for him to leave the House of Parliament. WI
caribbean now Trinidadian Elected President of CSHAE Trinidadian Brian Frontin was elected president of the Caribbean Society of Hotel Association Executives (CSHAE) during a meeting in Nassau, Bahamas, on Saturday, Feb. 15, the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) announced in a press release. For his 2020-2022 tenure, Frontin is supported by an executive committee comprising Stacy Cox (immediate past president/chairman), who serves as chief executive officer of the Turks & Caicos Hotel & Tourism Association; Noorani Azeez (vice president/president-elect), who is executive vice president of the St. Lucia Hospitality & Tourism Association; Miles B.M. Mercera (treasurer), chief executive officer of the Curaçao Hospitality & Tourism Association; and Véronique Legris (secretary), executive director of the St. Martin Hotel Association. CSHAE is an independent organization established by CHTA to support the professional development of national hotel and tourism association executives from the 33 CHTA-member national hotel and tourism associations. The organization serves as a network for the region’s associations by supporting the professional development of the staff and voluntary leadership, facilitating the gathering and flow of information, advancing programs in support of regional advocacy and product improvement efforts, and serving as a two-way conduit with CHTA in achieving mutual goals. Frontin, the group chief executive officer of the Trinidad Hotels Restaurants & Tourism Association and the Trinidad and Tobago Hospitality and Tourism Institute, disclosed that human capital development, governance and sustainability are the priorities he will tackle as he takes the reins from Cox. Over his two-year term, Frontin said “considerable emphasis will be placed on enhancing the profiles of CSHAE and all of its association executive members.” WI
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FEBRUARY 20 - 26, 2020 21
HEALTH The Debate over Water
Bottled vs. Tap, Dirty Water in Cities, Are Topics By James Wright WI Staff Writer @jamesdcwrighter Water is as the liquid people drink to sustain life but its commercial viability and quality in some American cities has become an issue of concern to experts of the substance. The adult human body consists of 60 percent water and, according to
H.H. Mitchell, a writer for the Journal of Biological Chemistry 158, humans must consume a certain amount of water to survive on a daily basis. How much a human being drinks depends on the age, gender and location, Mitchell said. The selling of bottled water as opposed tap water has become a topic of discussion among water professionals.
WATER: BOTTLED VS. TAP
Kate Taylor, in a Feb. 7 article “9 Frightening Reasons to Stop Drinking Bottled Water Today” published on the website Little Things, said drinking bottled water “is something we all are guilty of, but many of us don’t even know that it’s something to feel guilty about in the first place.” “In fact, drinking bottled water has almost become a way of life for many Americans.” Taylor said. “People are skeptical of tap water and think it’s not as safe as drinking water. Some people refuse to drink tap water simply because they don’t like the taste.” Taylor said the distaste for tap water doesn’t have a lot of basis in fact, noting that the Safe Water Drinking Act mandates that all public tap water be drinkable and taste well. She notes that bottled water doesn’t face the same type of governmental scrutiny and its reputation of being pure exists as an illusion. “In reality, you have no idea how
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well the water was treated,” she said. Municipal water goes through a lot of tests before coming out of our taps, Taylor said. “Some cities even require that water be tested up to 100 times a month,” she said. Amid this discourse, stories about cities with dirty, unhealthy water have emerged, with particular cities as Flint, Mich., and Newark, N.J., at the forefront on why such conditions either took place or prevail.
DIRTY WATER CITIES
Aria Bendix, an environmental writer for the Business Insider website, wrote an article “11 Cities with the Worst Tap Water in the U.S.” in its March 19, 2019, edition. Bendix cited the instant of Flint as an egregious example of polluted water available for public consumption. “That was the reality for residents of Flint, Mich., in 2014, when lead from aging pipes seeped into their water system, effectively poisoning an entire community,” Bendix said. Saying that Flint “wasn’t an isolated occurrence,” she said “between nine million and 45 million Americans got their drinking water from a source that violated the standards of the Environmental Protection Agency.” “While rural areas are the most contaminated, a few major cities have struggled to renovate their aging pipes and enforce safe standards among
local jurisdictions,” she said. Among the cities Bendix cites for high levels of lead contamination are Pittsburgh, Milwaukee, Detroit and Newark. Pittsburgh also had low levels of chlorine in its water supply, while Baltimore grapples with toxic particles in its Druid Lake Reservoir, in addition to elevated lead in some of its public schools, she said. Bendix said “D.C.’s legacy of contamination dates back to the early 2000s, when Marc Edwards — the same man who sounded the alarm on the Flint water crisis — warned residents of elevated levels of lead in their drinking water.” “By 2016, around 12,000 D.C. buildings were still getting their water from lead pipes,” she said. “Many of the homes at risk of contamination are located in older, less affluent neighborhoods. On average, homeowners will have to pay around $2,500 to have their lead pipes removed.” The dirty water in these cities and others have drawn the attention of advocates such as Jon Devine, director of the federal water policy, water division, nature program of the Natural Resource Defense Council, an environmental advocacy organization. Devine has criticized the Trump administration’s efforts to weaken the Clean Water Act through curtailing its regulation of bodies of water. “With this rollback, the Trump administration has made it easier for these waters to be polluted or destroyed,” Devine said in a Jan. 28 blog. “That’s important because the rule targets streams, wetlands, lakes and other water that filter pollution, serves as nurseries for fish, act as natural flood barriers, and feeds tens of millions of people drinking water supplies.” WI
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Four Md. Cities Among Most Diverse in Nation, Study Finds By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer @StacyBrownMedia
Four Maryland cities, each close to the District, are among the top 10 most ethnically diverse cities in America, according to a new study by D.C.-based personal finance website WalletHub. Gaithersburg, Germantown, Silver Spring and Rockville ranked second, third, fifth and seventh, respectively, among the top 10. Jersey City, New Jersey came in first while Spring Valley, Nevada (4), New York City (6), Oakland, Calif. (8), San Jose, Calif. (9), and Kent, Washington (10) rounded out the top 10. The District finished 105 out of 500 cities ranked in the survey, where to identify the most ethnically diverse places in America. To identify the most ethnically diverse places in America, WalletHub compared more than 500 of the largest U.S. cities across three key metrics — ethno-racial diversity, linguistic diversity and birthplace diversity. The study also found that Oakland, Calif., has the highest racial and ethnic diversity, which is four times higher than in Hialeah, Fla., the city with the lowest. Hialeah had the highest concentration of Hispanics or Latinos, at 96.05 percent, while Rutland, Vermont, contained the highest level of whites, at 94.95 percent. Jackson, Miss., has the highest concentration of Blacks, at 81.80 percent. “An ethnically diverse city has many benefits. You learn about different cultures, experience various foods, get a wide range of opinions, and become open to the beautiful textures of humanity,” said WalletHub expert Daniel E. Goldberg, an assistant professor of Instruction and academic director of the Business Management BBA Program at the Fox School of Business at Temple University. “The challenges some may face is the ability to maintain an open mind to learn and suspend, or at the very least minimize, judgment,” Goldberg said. “When a city’s composition changes rapidly, some people may, because of their past comfort zone, become uncomfortable. That can be averted by practicing open communication between ‘old’ and ‘new’ residents.”
Lu Wendy Yan, another WalletHub expert and an assistant professor of the Ethnic Studies Department at the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences at Minnesota State University-Mankato, said there are many benefits for ethnically diverse cities. “First, people would have more opportunities to debunk racial and ethnic stereotypes and myths. Through interpersonal relations with their neighbors and fellow residents, they would understand that our society can’t be simply divided as ‘us’ versus ‘others.’” Mankato said. “Residents would realize that their neighbors and fellow residents are not some abstractions that existed outside our society. Rather, we are all connected in word and work within this society.” Mankato added further that an ethnically diverse community or city would nurture more open-minded and empathetic citizens who are also managers, workers, friends, and neighbors in the city. “Through interacting with different perspectives, cultures, and values, people will start to unlearn some of their
internalized prejudice, and contribute more to our democratic society as critical thinkers,” Mankato said. She also acknowledges some of the potential challenges of living in an ethnically diverse city. “Without implementing accessible and appropriate multicultural education for the public, it can be challenging for some to live coherently in an ethnically diverse community or city,” Mankato said. “Some persistent prejudice may lead to discrimination and even hate crimes. Misunderstandings and miscommunications may also reinforce some racial and ethnic stereotypes and myths.” Goldberg noted that states and local governments should work to imple5 Photo illustration courtesy of L.A. Sentinel ment programs that foster inclusion. “Remember, the root of the word diversity is divide. That can be a dangerous thing,” Goldberg said. “I believe that, while we should celebrate different cultures and ethnicities, we should strive for inclusiveness in all that we do. “Training programs, workshops, and other events should highlight our sameness with stories and situations that we can all identify with so that our ‘oneness’ is highlighted, and our differences are minimized,” he said. To view the full report, go to wallethub. com. WI
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“food deserts” that have long-existed in Wards 7 and 8, particularly, if not exclusively in historically-Black communities. Decades ago, these neighborhoods had horse-drawn wagons that delivered meat, fish and vegetables to residents’ doorsteps. Many also had a milkman, while growing vegetables in backyard gardens and making wine from the fruit of their peach trees remained commonplace. Neighbors shared food across fence lines like tomatoes, squash and eggs. But those days and ways have long gone. Gray reiterates the glaring differences between the City’s eight wards when it comes to full-service grocery stores. “There are about 160,000 people in the two wards (7 and 8),” he said. “But just look at the numbers. Ward 1 has eight full-service grocery stores. The rest: Ward 2, seven; Ward 3, nine; Ward 4, five; Ward 5, seven; and Ward 6, 10. But in Wards East of the River, Ward 7 has two and Ward 8 has one.” “There’s no question that there’s a paucity of the kinds of amenities in Wards 7 and 8 that people should have a right to expect. Increasing the number of full-service grocery stores in the two wards would allow our residents to be able to shop in their own neighborhoods at stores offering food as high in quality and accessibility (in terms of distance) as one can find anywhere in the District.” Gray suggests using City surplus funds to help end food deserts in his ward. In a recently memo, Gray, the former mayor who among his current duties on the city council, serves as the chairman for the Committee on Health, shared his suggestion – one which comes after his review of the District’s Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for Fiscal Year 2019. “. . . I am particularly excited to see our cash-on-hand has increased to a full 60 days and is now at the goal the Council set in the spring of 2010, plus an additional $323.6 million,” he writes. Pointing to legislation he sponsored close to a decade ago and which has since become law, the “Sustainable Capital Investment and Fund Balance Restoration Act of 2010,” approved in the Fiscal Year 2011 Budget Support Act of 2010, he explains, “this law created two locally-mandated reserve accounts, a Fiscal Stabilization Reserve and Cash Flow Reserve, and mandat-
ed that all unassigned local surplus funds be deposited into those two accounts until the District of Columbia achieved 60 days cash on hand.” “[An] exciting development of reaching 60 days of operating cash is that legislation I championed as Mayor, now kicks in, and dedicates 50 percent of additional surpluses to the Housing Production Trust and 50 percent to pay-as-you-go capital funding. The OCFO [Office of the Chief Financial Officer] has certified that there’s currently $323.6 million of additional surpluses, so that equates to $161.8 million available for each purpose. This means $161.8 million can now be appropriated to ending food deserts in Wards 7 and 8 . . .” he writes. “There’s no reason that we cannot do this,” Gray told the Informer. “It’s right and vital to invest in those who live in the east end of the City which as I shared earlier, totals around 160,000 residents. We can do this now. Nine sites have already been identified in the legislation I proposed.” But how does one ring the bell and move the City from talking about solutions to putting words into actions – immediately?
5 Vincent Gray (Courtesy photo)
Gray says, it needs to be put into the budget by the Mayor and then sent to the Council. “I fear if these dollars are allocated somewhere else, and with someone from the Council more than likely sponsoring the use of this money (surplus) for other items, it will be much harder to move dollars around later. If people believe that food deserts are a critical issue and a critical need, they need to communicate that message during the budget process,” he said. “That time is now.” Look for part two of this series next week. WI
Understanding the D.C. Budget Process
Every spring, the Mayor’s proposed budget and financial plan is submitted to the Council. Council committees then review the request for each of the agencies under their purview before holding public hearings on each agency. After the hearing period concludes, each Council committee chair prepares a budget report of recommendations that is then marked up and approved by the full committee. Each committee report includes recommendations for funding and personnel levels for each agency, policy proposals, legislation necessary to implement the recommendations and any other budget-related analysis that the committee deems appropriate. After all committees approve their reports, the Council’s Office of the Budget Director, under the chairman’s direction, incorporates the committees’ recommendations and additional Council-wide recommendations into a single unified budget.
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FEBRUARY 20 - 26, 2020 25
EDUCATION Excel Academy Students Surprised with All-ExpensesPaid Trip to Atlanta
Girls Awarded for High PARCC Scores By Sam P.K. Collins WI Contributing Writer @SamPKCollins With the Partnership for Assessment for Readiness for College and Career — also known as the PARCC exam — a little over a month away, schools in the D.C. public and public charter school systems have shifted into high gear to ensure that
students score exceptionally on the test that, in part, determines their school’s standing on STAR rating system. This has especially been the case at At Excel Academy — DCPS’ only all-girls school where students made significant gains on the PARCC within the past two years. In the spirit of encouraging future success,
school leaders recently awarded the young ladies who made high marks on last year’s PARCC with an all-expense paid trip to Atlanta. For awardee Kimberly Wade, such an opportunity confirmed the validity of her efforts in the classroom. “I studied a lot and showed precision in my work. I was trying my hardest and didn’t want to doubt myself [when] I was nervous,” said Kimberly, a fifth grader and dance team member at Excel Academy who aspires to study her craft at the collegiate level. During group visits to Spelman College and CNN headquarters in Atlanta, she hopes to explore various academic programs and meet elder professionals. “I kept trying and used everything I learned in class to prepare for the PARCC,” added Kimberly, who’s attended Excel since PK-3. “My goal is to exceed what I did last year, and take all of my knowledge and put it into PARCC. In Atlanta, I want to see Spelman College, and how they teach in their programs.” Earlier in the afternoon, hundreds of young ladies walked into the auditorium, where they would later cheer on their peers who made high marks on the PARCC last year. The surprise followed performances by
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5 Excel Academy students who received high marks on last year’s PARCC pose with the school principal after being awarded an all-expense paid trip to Spelman College and CNN in Atlanta. (Roy Lewis/The Washington Informer)
Excel’s marching band, dance team and cheerleaders. Excel Principal Tenia Pritchard, staff members and students later took to the podium to explain the importance of PARCC and how best to prepare for the assessment. The PARCC exam — which covers subject areas of English and language arts, math and science — measures students’ needs and progress on a scale of 1 to 5, with a score of 4 showing academic proficiency. Students take the PARCC between the third and eighth grades, and again in the ninth and 10th grades. In 2010, D.C. joined 24 states in administering the PARCC. Since then, nearly 20 of those states — including Florida, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island — have dropped out of the consortium out of concern about Common Core standards and what had been described as federal overreach. At the beginning of the 20192020 academic year, Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) announced a fourth consecutive year of a steady increase in PARCC scores and a cumulative increase of 15 percent since 2015. In English and language arts, the proportion of students citywide who scored a 4 or 5 increased by nearly 5 percent while that for math hovered around 2 percent. According to testing data, 26 percent of Excel students
who took the PARCC exam scored 4 or 5. Excel Academy, formerly a low-performing charter school, reopened during the 2018-2019 academic year as a D.C. public school serving girls between grades PK3 and 8. On the first day of school that August, women from Alpha Kappa Alpha and Delta Sigma Theta sororities, along with affiliates of other organizations gathered on the front lawn of the school as a show of their commitment to breaking institutional barriers that hinder the success of young women of color. In her 2018 remarks, Pritchard extolled the value of educational equity for her students. During Friday’s assembly, she echoed those sentiments, reminding them what’s at stake when they’re in the testing environment. “I know we all hate taking tests but it’s important to know that we live in a culture driven by test-taking,” she said. “A test will determine the high school [courses] you take, the college you get admitted to, [and when] you graduate from college. “Failing these culturally biased assessments can hurt us as [nonwhite] women and girls,” Pritchard continued. “The numbers tell us there’s an achievement gap between Black and white students in the District and across the nation.” WI
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OPINIONS/EDITORIALS
EDITORIAL
UDC: The Pride of D.C.
The University of the District of Columbia (UDC) is facing yet another critical period in its 23-year long history. Ever since three former colleges – D.C. Teachers College, Federal City College and Washington Technical Institute – merged in 1977 to form UDC, it remains the nation’s only exclusively-urban land-grant public Historically Black University (HBCU). Yet, UDC has consistently struggled through many years of inadequate funding and political neglect. Despite its challenges, thousands of UDC graduates demonstrate pride and appreciation for the relevant and affordable education UDC provided them that led to meaningful and successful careers. Under the leadership of President Ronald Mason, UDC is launching a public awareness campaign to promote the need for more significant investment. In a press release distributed by the university, the campaign is described as a citywide effort that includes community town hall sessions and one-on-one meetings with business and political leaders. Named “Pathways to Possible: Investing in the Future,” the campaign “focuses on informing District residents of the current status of the Equity Imperative strategic plan for growth and to achieve its potential as the major driver of the District’s economic growth and development.” The goal, according to the administration, is to secure “proper investment in public higher education [that] will create jobs and spur more economic activity throughout the region, while providing students with much-needed improvements to campus buildings, classrooms and new technology.” We agree that the goal cannot be accomplished while “UDC still lags-behind when compared to national and neighboring state funding levels.” “Today, UDC is more stable, with clean audits, accreditation reaffirmations and a permanent footprint in key locations,” Mason said. “Now is the time to build in earnest the university that the District requires –a public institution of higher learning in and for the nation’s capital.” We support President Mason’s campaign, and we urge every elected official, as well as those seeking political office, to do more than give lip service to making support for UDC a priority. The business community is not exempt either, as it begins to realize UDC as a source for the recruitment of highly qualified personnel. UDC’s legacy must not be defined by struggle and hardship but instead as a highly competitive institution of higher learning in which every District of Columbia resident will feel proud. WI
To Motivate Black Youth to Vote, Avoid Guilt Factor – Just Use Facts During a teleconference sponsored by the Black Women’s Roundtable [BWR] earlier this week, an observation shared by many of the organization’s millennial-aged partners brought home one of the primary reasons they believe that their friends, other Black youth, often fail to vote. One might summarize their recommendation in rectifying our failed attempts to encourage greater voter participation among this crucial demographic of eligible U.S. voters in the following manner: At all costs, do not attempt to get youth to register and vote by employing guilt. Their suggestion makes a lot of sense. We are now several generations away from the days when Blacks marched, faced police dogs and batons, and were beaten, jailed or worse in order to secure legislation, protection of the government and the right to vote without risking the “unrighteous” response of white Americans. For today’s youth, telling them that they have to vote because their grandparents and great-grandparents risked life and limb, often feels like a threat – perhaps a means of making them feel guilty for not exercising their right as citizens who can legally exercise that right. They have grown weary, we’re told, of being force-fed Black history vignettes. A more effective way of getting today’s youth to vote – one their peers share as how they speak with their colleagues – is to simply state the facts. People tend to vote when they have, as the saying goes, “skin in the game.” So, while the candidates may be older, even all-white and therefore on the surface uninterested in what happens to young Black men and women, voting can influence candidates to incorporate specific needs and de-
TO THE EDITOR A Seat at the Table Best Month Wow! Bloomberg spends $3.5 million of the Year with the Black Press! That’s great, he has my attention now. Too many of these candidates now and in the past don’t want to spread the butter around to Black communities and that means Black businesses too. They think things like food stamps and Section 8 is them “helping us.” No. Grease our pockets like you do everyone else.
Happy Black History Month! The shortest but the best month of the year. It’s not December for me, I don’t celebrate Christmas! Leonard Marshall Washington, D.C.
Danny Fields Laurel, Md. mands into their platforms and eventual legislative decisions and proposals – particularly if they value either winning or maintaining their seats. Guilt is not the way but maybe by sharing the facts about how our vote matters and influences politicians, more youth will become more involved in the political process. Instead of preaching, let’s start teaching. By the way, if you want to access the
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Black Women’s Roundtable’s (BWR) Non-Partisan Voter Guide featuring responses from the current Democratic and Republican presidential candidates, visit https:// bwrvoterguide2020.info. It’s been released as part of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation’s launch of its “Unity 2020 Black Vote and Be Counted” national campaign. WI
FEBRUARY 20 - 26, 2020 29
OPINIONS/EDITORIALS Guest Columnist
By Julianne Malveaux
Trump’s 2021 Budget Reflects His Values If you tell me how you spend your money, I can tell you what your values are. You say you are a Christian but neither tithe nor have a church home. You say support civil rights but have no connection to a civil rights organization. You love your alma mater never contribute to the place. Put your money where your mouth is. Budgets are reflections of
values. Thus, I was unsurprised with the budget our 45th president (also known as “45”) proposed to Congress on Feb. 10. His budget cuts domestic programs, maintains defense spending and targets poor people. It cuts education, housing, and environmental protection. It would eliminate our art and cultural agencies, including the National Institute for the Arts, the National Institutes for Humanities, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Forty-five’s hostility to poor people
Guest Columnist
is reflected in reductions in Medicaid, food stamps, and the CHIP program, which provides health care for poor children. And while he is starving poor people, he insists on preserving the 2017 tax cuts that mostly benefitted the wealthy. I’m not surprised that 45 maintains his hostility to the poor. We’ve seen this in the previous budgets that he’s presented to Congress. He favors cuts in domestic spending, increases in military spending, a wall (which he has directed the Pentagon to fund), and indifference to the environment.
The budget shows contempt for the planet and its survival. 45 would cut the Environmental Protection Agency’s budget by more than a quarter, and even more with environmental initiatives that are embedded in other budgets. For example, with our crumbling infrastructure, the 45 budget cuts the Transportation Department by 13 percent, cutting highway infrastructure programs and transit grants. The Department of Interior is proposed to shoulder a 13 percent cut, reducing land acquisition, conservation,
and assistance for Native American tribes. This administration’s hostility toward environmental protection is evidenced by the fact that Mandy Gunasekara, who spearheaded the rollback on President Obama’s Clean Power Plan, is returning to the EPA as chief of staff this spring. She has advocated scaling back rules on greenhouse emissions and is credited with urging the president to leave the Paris Accord.
MALVEAUX Page 53
By Marc H. Morial
Barber’s Poor People’s Assembly, March Will Be ‘Generationally Transformative’ In the richest country in the world, 140 million people struggle with poverty and low wealth. Over the past 50 years, the U.S. economy has grown 18-fold. Yet wealth inequality has exploded. The top 1 percent’s share of the economy has nearly doubled, to more than 20 percent of our national income. In 2017, the 400 wealthiest Americans owned more wealth than more than two-thirds of the entire U.S.
population, and three individuals possessed a combined wealth equal to the wealth of 50 percent of the country. The Poor People’s Campaign, led by the Rev. Dr. William Barber II, is a national call for a moral revival. It is a continuation of the work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who was just beginning to build the campaign when he was assassinated in 1968. On June 20, the campaign will lead the Mass Poor People’s Assembly and Moral March on Washington, a “generationally transformative” gathering to demand that both major political parties address the “interlocking injus-
Guest Columnist
tices of systemic racism, poverty, ecological devastation, militarism and the distorted moral narrative of religious nationalism.” At the National Urban League’s 2017 Conference in St. Louis, Rev. Barber delivered a powerful and inspirational message of justice, drawing parallels between Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and modern political figures. “They were former slaves, and he was oppressing them in this historical moment because they were growing in power and influence and he saw this as the last chance to stop a growing diver-
sity,” Barber said of the Hebrew people. “He wanted to control their influence. He wanted to control their wealth. He wanted to control their faith. He even wanted to control their health.” He suggested that the nation is in a third reconstruction. “The first reconstruction was from 1868-1880. The second reconstruction was from 1954-1968, when Black and brown and white people came together — particularly in the South,” he said. “And when we broke through the Southern Strategy and elected President Obama, that represented the possibility of a third reconstruction. What
we see happening is a Nebuchadnezzar spirit that is trying to block the transformation of America. Nebuchadnezzar might be dead, but the spirit — that narcissistic stuff still lives.” That “Nebuchadnezzar spirit,” he said, is evident in the massive voter suppression effort that has swept the nation since the gutting of the Voting Rights Act in 2013. In addition to the Poor People’s Campaign, Rev. Barber is president of the faith-based social justice organization Repairers of the Breach, bishop
MORIAL Page 53
By Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Sr.
Kerner Report Set Standard for Serious Presidential Candidates
As the Democratic presidential primaries move onto Nevada, South Carolina and the many Super Tuesday states, candidates turn their attention to people of color, and particularly African Americans. Donald Trump now seeks to woo Black voters by taking credit for the economy, by touting the first steps in reducing mass incarceration, and by
hyping so-called “opportunity zones.” His history — rising to prominence with the vile racist campaign about whether Barack Obama is American, embracing the Nazis at Charlottesville, dedicating his administration to erasing all things Obama, framing his political appeal on racebait politics — gives lie to his histrionics. The same occurs on the Democratic side. Pete Buttigieg always sounds good, but African American leaders in his
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town excoriate his record as mayor on race and policing. Amy Klobuchar runs as a moderate, but her brutal record as a prosecutor limits her appeal. Mike Bloomberg has the resources to flood the zone, but he too struggles to explain his harsh, racially biased stop-and-frisk policies as mayor of New York or his laughable embrace of right-wing nutcase theories that somehow anti-redlining policies triggered the financial crisis. Bloomberg is joined by Joe Biden
on what seems like an endless apology tour. African American voters are not easily fooled. They have a clear agenda. They suffer structural inequality — more unemployment than whites, lower wages, worse jobs, worse schools, inadequate health care, unaffordable housing, unsafe neighborhoods befouled by pollution and poisons, inadequate child care, lack of recreational facilities, and the outrages of a criminal justice system that is structurally biased against them.
Notably absent from the debate is a leader prepared to be as bold and as serious about the challenges facing African Americans as the Kerner Commission was 22 years ago. The commission, chaired by Illinois Gov. Otto Kerner, was created by President Lyndon Johnson in the wake of the devastating urban riots of the late ‘60s. It included leaders from both major parties, as well as representatives of labor, the police, business and
JACKSON Page 53
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OPINIONS/EDITORIALS Guest Columnist
By Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr.
Black Life Journeys Matter The U.S. Census Bureau is now preparing to count all who live in the United States of America. For the more than 50 million Black Americans in the U.S., the 2020 U.S. census is vital. Our numbers do matter and must be properly and accurately counted. Our birth rates count. Our socioeconomic
rates count. Our death rates count. The overall quality of life in Black America will be impacted for the next ten years as a result of the 2020 U.S. census. The full life journeys of all Black Americans are important. Today, we are observing and celebrating 2020 Black History Month. This is the time for understanding and learning from the past to change the present and to ensure a better future for Black America. While there has been a lot of appro-
Guest Columnist
priate national attention and focus on the beginning of life’s journey, there has not been enough attention on the inevitable transition and conclusions of one’s life journey, particularly from the African American perspective. This year is the 193rd year of the Black Press of America, represented today by the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) across the nation. I am proud of the expansion and progress of the Black Press even
amid trying and challenging economic times for Black-owned businesses. The NNPA corporate partners and sponsors, such as Compassion & Choices, immeasurably help to sustain the Black Press. The NNPA member publishers and newspapers, complimented by their digital distribution of content, including a wide array of social media channels, cover the news that oftentimes gets left out of mainstream news me-
dia. One of the reasons why the Black Press continues to be the trusted voice of Black America is because we report on the entire journey of Black America from life to death from generation to generation. The NNPA began a unique and important partnership with Compassion & Choices to acquire a more in-depth awareness and knowledge about how
CHAVIS Page 54
By Charlene Crowell
White House Budget Proposal Cuts $8.6B from HUD
Once again, the White House’s budget proposal slashes funding and programs that many low- and moderate-income consumers rely upon. From higher education to a repeated attack to deny the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau its full funding and financial independence from the annual congressional appropriations process, efforts to increase support to businesses continue while retreats from programs that citizens have come to rely upon is the crux of the proposal’s fiscal priorities.
And among federal agencies, one of the most severe budget cuts would occur at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). A proposed 15% reduction from current funding levels will mean $8.6 billion would either eliminate or severely cut programs serving many of the nation’s most vulnerable citizens and communities. “This budget advances our key priorities, including empowering HUD-assisted families to achieve self-sufficiency,” said HUD Secretary Ben Carson. “For generations, the idea of the federal government providing housing assistance meant only one thing — helping to pay the rent so families can have a roof over their heads.”
Askia-At-Large
Housing experts have a different perspective. “With this proposal, President Trump and Secretary Carson make clear their willingness to increase evictions and homelessness — through rent hikes for some of the lowest income people in subsidized housing, and slashing or eliminating funding for programs that keep the poorest people in our country affordably and safely housed,” said Diane Yentel, president and CEO of the National Low Income Housing Coalition. For example, Public Housing’s Capital Improvement Fund that provides revenues for major repairs, would end, while the Public Housing Operating
Fund would be slashed 21%. Together, these two cuts would worsen housing conditions for the estimated 1.2 million households living in public housing units, managed by some 3,300 local Housing Authorities across the country. The biggest portion of the HUD cuts would end the $3.3 billion Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program that uses a formula to support over 1,200 metropolitan city, county and state governments. An additional 214 counties receive direct CDBG grants. Begun in 1974, CDBG has earned longstanding bipartisan praise for its ability to lure much-needed private investment. According to the National
Association of Counties, every CDBG dollar leverages $4.09 in non-CDBG revenues. Further, it is one of the few federal programs that enable local communities to design community development services that respond to local priorities and needs. Other HUD programs proposed to end include: Choice Neighborhoods Initiatives, Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing Vouchers, Self-Help Homeownership Opportunity, and Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA). Although HUD would not shutter its Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity efforts, its capacity to pursue equal
CROWELL Page 54
By Askia Muhammad
Bernie Could Win With All Hands on Deck
Now that billionaire Mike Bloomberg (sounds like the TV announcer describing “billionaire Bruce Wayne” on the “Batman” show… billionaire is part of his name) has gotten knee deep in the Democratic presidential race, the waters are sufficiently muddied. Mike has got the best advertising team in the business. They are superior to the suits on Madison Ave.
They have transformed this three-term Republican mayor of New York City into an attractive Democratic presidential candidate, despite a terrible history of racial insensitivity and multiple accusations of sexual misconduct. That’s good. In the meantime, former Vice President Joe Biden has faded from serious contention because of a series of poor debate performances, and two poor showings in voting in Iowa and New Hampshire. So, Bloomberg steps in as the moderate, elderly, white father fig-
ure to challenge front-running radical socialist, elderly, white father figure Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). Modern Democrats like to elect moderate, white males to be president — Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton (Hillary Clinton was a moderate but was not elected) — but never really radical or progressive types. Barack Obama? An anomaly, to be sure. So, with Democrats having become the default party for African American aspirations, the big problem is that moderate solutions cannot solve the
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problems confronting Black folks, and folks are scared to death of the ugly truth. That’s a big problem. Not even liberal solutions are sufficient in this climate, but the toxic effect of Donald J. Trump’s ruling the country has made folks so desperate to get rid of him, nothing else seems to matter nowadays except “electability.” Electability was to have been Biden’s strong suit until he started stammering and forgetting points in the debates, and before he insulted a young student who asked him a tough question,
calling her a “lying, dog-faced, pony soldier.” That response, indicative of a meltdown and mental fatigue, was way too much firepower for the occasion. So now we have Bloomberg, the moderate. Meanwhile, despite the debacle of defeat suffered by Republicans, and especially rabid, right-wing Republicans who supported (and lost miserably) with Arizona Sen. Barry Goldwater as their nominee in 1964, the hardcore
ASKIA Page 54 FEBRUARY 20 - 26, 2020 31
BLACK HISTORY month
’68 Civil Rights Protest Slogan, Theme of Concert Selections ‘I Am a Man’ Speaks to Social Injustice in Kennedy Center Showcase
WI Staff Report Washington Performing Arts [WPA] prepares for the first of two major programs focusing on of-the-moment issues of social injustice, calling out specific instances of injustice in modern American society while offering more just, community-building
responses to these tragedies. “I Am a Man: Reclaiming Brilliance in the Midst of Brokenness” takes place Sunday, March 1 at 7 p.m. on the stage of the Kennedy Center Concert Hall. The performance will feature a combined male chorus and include members of the Washington Performing Arts Men of the
Gospel Choir, the Alfred Street Baptist Church Choirs and other DMV-area choruses, supported by a full orchestra and under the direction of Theodore Thorpe III. Co-presented with Alfred Street Baptist Church, the program also features a number of special guests: D.C.-born composer Darin Atwater (who guest-conducts some of his own works), piano virtuoso Joseph Joubert, hip-hop artist Konshens the MC and operatic tenor Issachah Savage. Drawing its title from a famous 1968 civil rights protest slogan, “I Am a Man” bears witness to the violence against African-American men and celebrates the ongoing achievements of African-American men that enrich our community. At the heart of the program – an intense and moving oratorio by Atlanta-based composer Joel Thompson, “The Seven Last Words of the Unarmed,” inspired by the last words of seven African-American men who died tragically and violently, all but one while interacting with police: Michael Brown, Kenneth Chamberlain, John Craw-
5 City choruses continue to salute Black History Month through song.
(Courtesy photos) ford, Amadou Diallo, Eric Garner, Oscar Grant and Trayvon Martin. The composer, Thompson, will attend the concert. The program also includes an excerpt from Darin Atwater’s “Evolution of a People” and songs of uplift including “Glory” from the film “Selma” and “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing,” often referred to as the “Black National Anthem.”
WPA President/CEO Jenny Bilfield says their ongoing mission remains providing artists with a platform to speak with their full voice and creatively express their perspective. “This is ultimately social justice: making space for shared experiences, which leads to awareness and, eventually, healing,” she said. WI
“I never dreamed this career was possible. My experience at UDC changed my life.” Shaun F. Garrison Director of Congressional Affairs Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA)
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SINCE THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT PASSED IN 1965, WE’VE NEEDED 5 AMENDMENTS TO PROTECT IT Voting was and still is our super power. It keeps people and neighborhoods from being ignored. We celebrate the people who not only got knocked down, but who kept getting up. Join AARP as we continue the journey to protect and empower all races and ages in all communities.
CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY Learn more at aarp.org/blackcommunity
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aarp.org/dc aarpdc AARPDC
FEBRUARY 20 - 26, 2020 33
BLACK HISTORY MONTH
Entrepreneur Works to Connect DMV’s Black Business Community By Lindiwe Vilakazi WI Contributing Writer Ms. Tee, owner of Tastefully Tee’s Catering, is determined to create bigger platforms for Black business owners, as she encourages entrepreneurship and a recreation of Black Wall Street in the D.C. metropolitan region. The Black Excellence Vendors Bazaar, hosted Saturday by Ms. Tee at the Hilton Garden Inn in Northeast, welcomed 23 Black businesses from the region. Vendors in attendance sold and promoted locally made products ranging from apparel and art paintings to Black anime and skin products. “I really wanted to do something where I could showcase entrepreneurs, and I can network and put people together, because even [though] the people here might not have known each other, they know each other now, so they
can connect and have each other’s contacts,” Ms. Tee said. Ms. Tee birthed her business while in transition from the downturn of her previous corporate career. Finding a mentor with a similar working experience, Tee was able to garner the resources and faith to invest in herself — a major catalyst behind her pop-up initiative. “I literally transitioned from working a government job of 10 years to doing what I wanted to do,” Ms. Tee said. Raised property rents, change in neighborhood demographics, and lack of support within the Black community are just a few of the financial perils affecting many local Black businesses. Ms. Tee recalled watching an the Netflix docuseries “Trigger Warning with Killer Mike,” which spurred her to build a network of functioning business and wealth within the Black community, similar to the
historic Black Wall Street. “Watching [“Trigger Warning”] was a big eye-opener for me, not knowing about Black Wall Street,” she said. “That motivated me to do this, regardless of how it turns out the first time.” Ms. Tee, having researched for various funding opportunities, submitted her business as an applicant for the Dream Grant, funded by the D.C. Department of Small and Local Business Development. She found out this month that her business was chosen as one of the grantees — a major feat for her entrepreneurial endeavors, and added fuel behind her Black Excellence Bazaar initiative. Ms. Tee encourages Black business owners to be well-researched, stressing that there are numerous business resources available in the District, although they are not openly advertised. For her event, marketed heavily via Instagram and Eventbrite,
Ms. Tee found numerous businesses interested in participating, and she hopes to hold several other bazaars before the year ends. She is donating a percentage of money collected from the event to Santa’s Cause, a D.C. organization founded to provide gifts to D.C.-based youth in the foster system. The inaugural bazaar’s vendors included Undefined Drip, owned by Takiyah Roberts; Kaycee Love, a business and music consultant; Waisted By Kee, a beaded jewelry designer; and EdAnime Productions, co-founded by Isaiah Lewis. Ms. Tee and attending vendors look forward to her continued journey in helping Black businesses connect and thrive. “I think it’s just a matter of educating yourself, having followers, and having a brand where people are going to support you no matter what,” she said. WI
5 Ms. Tee hosts the first annual
Black Excellence Vendors, showcasing metropolitan-area businesses.
As we celebrate Black History Month in February, we recognize and honor the accomplishments of so many African Americans who have helped shape the face and future of our nation. HARRIET TUBMAN
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History is in the makers Patrick Jeune built 30 homes before the age of 30. As we celebrate Black History Month, Wells Fargo proudly recognizes those who are making history.
Learn more at: wellsfargo.com/empowerful © 2020 Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. All rights reserved. IHA-25748
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FEBRUARY 20 - 26, 2020 35
BLACK HISTORY MONTH
Remembering El Hajj Malik EL Shabazz
VIP Invitation
Journalist A. Peter Bailey to Lead Talk on Life of Malcolm X
to attend the 2020
By D. Kevin McNeir WI Editor @dkevinmcneir
A Celebration of Human Resilience and Greatness! EVERYONE IS WELCOME! FREE ADMISSION
April 11th & 12th, 2020 • 11am - 6pm Pennsylvania Convention Center 12th & Arch Street, Philadelphia
For more info: www.blackhistoryshowcase.org An initiative of:
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A. Peter Bailey, an acclaimed journalist, author, lecturer and former editor of Ebony magazine, will lead a discussion on the life and legacy of Malcolm X (born Malcolm Little, May 19, 1925 in Omaha, Nebraska), Friday, Feb. 20 – the 55th anniversary of Malcolm X’s assassination at the age of 39. The tribute, hailed as an event of “positive Blacks folks in action,” takes place at the Watha T. Daniel/Shaw Library Auditorium, 1630 7th Street, NW, 5:30 – 8:30 p.m. Bailey, a founding member of The Organization of Afro-American Unity, organized in 1964 by Malcolm X., remains one of the last people to speak with Malcolm X on the day of his murder, Feb. 21, 1965 and served as one of the pallbearers at his funeral. Bailey’s insights can be seen in the new Netflix Six Part Series, “Who Killed Malcolm X.” Due in part to the series’ powerful revelations, the Manhattan District Attorney has reopened an investigation into the assassination of Malcolm X. Fifteen hundred people attended Malcolm X’s funeral in Harlem on February 27, 1965 at the Faith Temple Church of God in Christ (now Child’s Memorial Temple Church of God in
“Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.” – (Malcolm X)
36 - FEBRUARY 20 - 26, 2020
5 A. Peter Bailey (Courtesy photo)
Christ). After the ceremony, friends took the shovels away from the waiting gravediggers to bury Malcolm X themselves. In the eulogy for Malcolm X’s funeral, delivered by Ossie Davis, the actor offered his reasons why African Americans should forever honor his legacy and sacrifice to humanity. “Here – at this final hour, in this quiet place – Harlem has come to bid farewell to one of its brightest hopes – extinguished now, and gone from us forever . . . There are those who will consider it their duty, as friends of the Negro people, to tell us to revile him, to flee, even from the presence of his memory, to save ourselves by writing him out of the history of our turbulent times. Many will ask what Harlem finds to honor in this stormy, controversial and bold young captain – and we will smile . . . They will say that he is of hate – a fanatic, a racist – who can only bring evil to the cause for which you struggle. And we will answer and say to them: ‘Did you ever talk to Brother Malcolm? Did you ever touch him, or have him smile at you? Did you ever really listen to him? Did he ever do a mean thing? Was he ever himself associated with violence or any public disturbance? For if you did you would know him. And if you knew him you would know why we must honor him.’ Malcolm was our manhood, our living, Black manhood. This was his meaning to his people. And, in honoring him, we honor the best in ourselves . . . And we will know him then for what he was and is – a Prince – our own Black shining Prince – who didn’t hesitate to die, because he loved us so.” WI
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BLACK HISTORY MONTH
‘Black Woman’ Book Fetes Extraordinary Female Achievements By Brenda C. Siler WI Contributing Writer When opening my copy of “A Black Woman Did That” by Malaika Adero, I wanted to see if there were names of famous Black women I had not heard about before. Out of the 42 featured women, there were six names that were new to me: Patricia Bath, an ophthalmologist who researched new laser eye procedures; Bethann Hardison, a fashion model and advocate for Black female models; Jesmyn Ward, an author who received two National Book Awards in 2017; Hadiyah-Nicole Green, a pioneering cancer researcher; Mary Fields, a mail carrier in the late 1800s; and Glory Edim, founder of the “Well-Read Black Girl Book Club,” which had 350,000 followers by the end of 2019. For Adero to take on the journey of writing “A Back Woman Did That” makes sense, since she has enjoyed a successful career as a literary agent, book editor and curator of writers. Her first literary acquisition was “Miles: The Autobiography,” one
of her biggest career successes. Adero has worked within the corporate publishing environment at Simon and Schuster, Atria, and Amistad Press. Since 2014, she has been an independent literary agent, editor, and author with her company Adero’s Literary Tribe. Throughout her career, she has worked on books with many noted authors including Spike Lee, T.D. Jakes, George Clinton, Walter Mosely, Zane, Pearl Cleage and Blair Underwood. After years of wearing hats as an agent, editor and co-author, what prompted Adero to step to the front with “A Back Woman Did That”? “The publisher Julie Merberg came to me with the title and it took me about two minutes to say, ‘Yeah,’” Adero said. “I had to write a proposal to flesh out the concept which was accepted in 2017.” A collection of short stories is how to best describe “A Back Woman Did That.” At first glance, because of the colorful illustrations, one may think this is a book for children, but it is clearly written for readers of any age. Each woman is profiled in two to three pages. The women spotlighted include
some well-known history-makers such as Harriet Tubman, Bessie Coleman, Shirley Chisholm and Ida B. Wells. Stacey Abrams, Whoopi Goldberg, Simone Biles, and Serena Williams are a few of the contemporary “sheroes” readers can rediscover through new insights. Some of the cultural artists that are profiled are Nina Simone, Abbey Lincoln, Alice Walker, Zora Neale Hurston, Amy Sherald, Alice Coltrane and Faith Ringgold. Illustrator Chanté Timothy created drawings that allow each biography to pop with a fresh perspective on each woman. Timothy was chosen after Adero reviewed portfolios presented by the publishing team headed by Merberg at Downtown Bookworks. The book’s designer created sidebar bubbles with interesting details about each woman’s life. “What I like about Chanté’s work is that it is a little edgy, it’s not classical,” Adero said of the illustrator. Of the women featured, how did Adero decide to cap the number at 42? “I started making a list of women I knew who did amazing, barrier-break-
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ing things,” she said. “I love biographies. I keep an eye out for Black people doing things we don’t know about.” Adero was intentional in assembling an inspirational, multigenerational group of African American women representing a range of careers. She also did not want a group of women who are “firsts” in their achievements. “I wanted women who were unexpected doing unexpected things,” she said. Adero also has been thinking up a wish list of additional women who should be considered for their accomplishments, including Toni Morrison, Rihanna, Maxine Waters, Winnie Mandela, and former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. Family, whether by blood or otherwise, was a common thread throughout all the stories in “A Back Woman Did That.”
5 “A Black Woman Did That” by
Malaika Adero features short stories on 42 prominent Black women and their accomplishments (Courtesy of Downtown Bookworks) “I did notice that in my research,” Adero said. “Nobody had an easy time, but everyone had the love of good people.” “A Black Woman Did That” is now available in stores and online. For more information, go to dtbwpub.com. WI
FEBRUARY 20 - 26, 2020 37
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LIFESTYLE ‘Veils’ – a Musical Masterpiece that Must Be Experienced D.C.’s Restoration Stage Powerfully Salutes Women of the Movement By D. Kevin McNeir WI Editor @dkevinmcneir Seeing “Veils: The Musical” on stage at TheARC West Blackbox in Southeast, brought this writer to tears – also motivating me to ramp up my own efforts as a journalist of the Black Press where we share
the best about a people whose history, sacrifices and contributions to America more often remain maligned. The production, presented by the District-based, Black-led and founded Restoration Stage, Inc., has been brought back by popular demand – just in for Black Histo-
5 Scenes from “Veils: The Musical” (Photos courtesy of Restoration Stage, Inc.)
ry Month – and continues through Feb. 23. Fueled by stellar acting and scintillating vocal prowess, “Veils,” written by Steven A. Butler, Jr. and directed by Courtney Baker-Oliver – the duo responsible for the company’s well-earned reputation as one of the best theatrical enterprises in the Greater Washington Area – serves as a testament to the women
of the Civil Rights Movement. Baker-Oliver and Butler also wrote the original songs for the musical. The backdrop of the show takes us to the inner room of Sybrina Fulton, (played to perfection by Roz White and who later in the play portrays Myrlie Evers, wife of Medgar Evers), the mother of Trayvon Martin.
“People treat me like I’m a character in it, but this is a story I just stepped into unwittingly.”
She’s lost in thought and overcome with grief as she prepares for her son’s funeral. After a painful discussion with her son’s father and her former husband, Tracy Martin, she’s visited by an African spirit who comes in the form of a woman named Yemaya (Desire’
VEILS Page 41
2019/20 SEASON MATTHEW WHITAKER
Special guests: WPA Children of the Gospel Choir
SAT, FEB 29, 8pm • SIXTH & I
NOW PLAYING THRU MAR 8
BY ANNE WASHBURN DIRECTED BY SAHEEM ALI ONLY AT WOOLLY MAMMOTH THEATRE COMPANY
WOOLLYMAMMOTH.NET // 202.393.3939
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Teenage jazz organ sensation Whitaker plays “like the second coming of Ray Charles” (CBS Sunday Morning). Special thanks: Lydia Micheaux Marshall, Jacqueline Badger Mars and Mars, Incorporated, Galena-Yorktown Foundation
Members of WPA and Alfred Street Baptist Church Choirs Theodore Thorpe III, artistic director Plus special guests: Darin Atwater, Joseph Joubert, Issachah Savage, Konshens the MC, and Joel Thompson
SUN, MAR 1, 7pm • KENNEDY CENTER CONCERT HALL 100+ male voices bear witness to the struggles and celebrate the achievements of African American men. Co-presented with Alfred Street Baptist Church. Special thanks: Encompass Supply/Rudy Burwell and Mona Mohib; Pepco, An Exelon Company; Trista L.P. Colbert and Theodore Colbert; and the friends and family of Jenny Bilfield.
TICKETS: (202) 785-9727 WashingtonPerformingArts.org FEBRUARY 20 - 26, 2020 39
LIFESTYLE
‘For Life:’ True Story of Wrongly-convicted Man Who Overcomes the Odds
5 Nicholas Pinnock as Aaron Wallace in “For Life” (Photo courtesy
Giovanni Rufino/ABC)
By Ronda Racha Penrice Urban News Service A Division of Zenger News Billboards in urban areas and a robust ad blitz for a new Tuesday-night ABC drama promise something grittier than broadcast networks typically deliver. “For Life” adapts the real-life story of Isaac Wright Jr., a falsely convicted man who studied law in prison and won his own freedom. Produced by Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, “For Life” follows Aaron Wallace—the fictionalized Wright Jr.—while he navigates prison as an attorney representing fellow in-
A KNOCK-YOURSOCKS-OFF DRAMA. “
BREATHE SLOWLY AND KEEP YOUR HEARTBEAT STEADY.” –MARILYN STASIO, VARIETY
“DAVID ALAN GRIER
“BLAIR UNDERWOOD
–ROMA TORRE, NY1
–TIM BALK, DAILY NEWS
IS PHENOMENAL.”
“A
IS ELECTRIFYING.”
MASTERPIECE.” –GREG EVANS, DEADLINE
TICKETS FROM $49 WITH CODE ASPWI1
FINAL WEEKS!
THROUGH MARCH 15 ONLY SM
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40 - FEBRUARY 20 - 26, 2020
mates as he plots his own freedom. Wallace also must deal with the emotional anguish of being separated from his wife and daughter. Jackson, whose juggernaut “Power” just wrapped its series finale Sunday on Starz, is high on “For Life” because of its grounding in Wright Jr.’s real-life journey. “What attracted me to the story is, I almost didn’t believe it when he was explaining to me what his journey was like,” Jackson told Urban News Service in a phone interview. “It’s like a unicorn. It’s not like one in a million; it’s like there’s only one.” “He’s the first person convicted in the state of New Jersey under the [drug] kingpin act back then and sentenced to 70 years plus life. That’s only 30 years more than El Chapo. It’s extreme.” “It’s a completely different perspective,” he said. “Because he couldn’t find a lawyer who could see his case from a positive perspective, he ended up representing himself. He spent seven years in prison studying law.” Wright Jr. waited nine years after his release to be recognized as an attorney. But before he became a free man, he won cases for more than 20 other inmates: reduced sentences for some, freedom for others. To bring the series to life Jackson tapped Hank Steinberg, who created the Emmy Award-winning CBS hit “Without A Trace.” Eager to capture the story’s essence, Jackson asked Steinberg to sit down with Wright Jr. “When you’re using your imagination to develop the character you’re not identifying with the circumstances, feelings, everything that connect to why, how the person’s temperament would be,” Jackson said. “And when you actually talk to the person across from you, you can kind of see how these sorts of things developed. It helps give you a more intense perspective of the person’s character and how an experience went.” Steinberg found the meetings helpful. “I sat with Isaac for long periods of time and just heard all the stories and really learned,” he said. “I mean I’ve never been to
prison before. I’ve never even visited a prison before this. So, he really explained to me the subcultures and how it works, and this really fascinating relationship with the warden.” Wright Jr., an executive producer on “For Life,” said Nicholas Pinnock’s portrayal got to him. “It’s not only been an exciting time for me, but also a rollercoaster in sense that they’re been great times and there’s been times when his performance has churned up certain emotions that have never been stirred up in me before. So, he’s done an incredible job,” Pinnock said. The British actor connected with Wright Jr’s story and believes many others will too. “I think anyone from anywhere can identify with certain aspects of what a lot of the characters are going through,’ he said, ‘because it’s not just about prison reform. It’s about loss. It’s about hope, it’s about struggle. It’s about fighting for something you believe in. There’s so many different things that people will identify with.” Joy Bryant plays Wallace’s wife Marie. She worked with Jackson on “Get Rich or Die Tryin’,” the rapper’s biopic in which he made his film acting debut playing himself. “I think one of the reasons why I connected with her is that I have loved ones who are formerly incarcerated. I have two great girlfriends who have partners who were formerly incarcerated,” she said. “I remember what it was like for them doing that bid with their partner, so I had an understanding of what someone like Marie would go through because of those personal connections.” Steinberg believes “For Life” will resonate with audiences and score big because it’s a broadcast series that carries the magic and energy of a cable TV hit. “We wanted this show to be as gritty as it could be for network TV,” he said, “and I think it feels that way. It feels like a cable show on network TV. And the deeper into it goes, you’ll feel it even more and more.” WI
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VEILS from Page 39 DuBose) who takes her on a journey during which she’s allowed to overhear the travails of women who have become integral to the story of America’s Civil Rights Movement. If I had to be visited by a spirit, Desire’ would be my choice – not only because of her beauty but more due to the way she embodied the aura of one who, after suffering her own personal tragedy as a mother whose children would be stolen away from their homeland of Africa and sold into slavery, now serves as an erstwhile agent of the “eternal Spirit.” These women, some more known in the annals of history than others and from among a list too long for this report, include heroines from Evers, Fannie Lou Hamer and Viola Liuzzo, to Angela Davis, Mamie Till and Betty Shabazz. Veteran actress Suli Myrie dons a role far different from any I’ve seen in her previous Restoration Stage performances as Josephine Baker, adding color and a few moments of laughter – something sorely needed given the overarching nature of the
show’s darker and more emotional theme. As mentioned earlier, the songs – some originally-penned while come from the canon of Civil Rights Movement classics – require voices that can handle their piercing lyrics and soaring arpeggios. Again, the cast handles the task with ease, particularly Corisa Myers who serves as an ensemble soloist as well as portraying Mamie Till, the mother of Emmett Till. As four mothers of the quartet of little girls killed after a bomb exploded as they prepared for Sunday School at their Birmingham-based 16th Street Baptist Church find themselves choosing the last dresses their daughters will wear for their funerals, each says, “It has to be special,” many in the audience could be heard weeping aloud. I was among those who could not applaud the performance of the actors as I, too, found myself, paralyzed by sorrow. Finally, the gradual transformation of Sybrina Fulton, as imagined and artfully penned by Butler, cannot be overstated. As the senior editor for The Mi-
ami Times, I was the lead reporter and one of the first writers on the scene after Trayvon’s murder. I would walk with Sybrina, Tracy and their remaining son, as well as Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-FL) and hundreds of mourners, ministers, activists and friends all of whom struggled to understand what had happened, why it could so easily occur and how the law could allow such vigilante tactics to allow a teenager to be hunted and killed with a jury finding the murderer
“
LIFESTYLE
“not guilty” of the crime. Today, Sybrina has emerged as a new voice in the long legacy of women of the Civil Rights Movement. But in those first days, she was simply another Black mother whose child’s life had been suddenly snuffed out due to racial profiling, prejudice and ignorance. DCMetroTheatreArts.com had this to say about the musical: “The surprise is that with ‘Veils,” two such multitalented African-American young men have
undertaken this profoundly womanist theme with such deep empathy and authentic respect. This, to my knowledge, is a first in theatre history.” The reviewer’s summation could not be said any better nor more truthfully. Go see, experience and witness “Veils: The Musical.” You’ll never be the same again. For tickets, visit www.restorationstage.com or call (202) 7140646. WI
A THEATRE HIGHLIGHT FOR D.C.” –The Washington Post
The Amen Corner – SUPERB!
THE
AMEN CORNER
BY JAMES BALDWIN DIRECTED BY WHITNEY WHITE NOW PLAYING Tickets start at $35 5 Deidre LaWan Starnes as Sister Boxer and Mia Ellis as Margaret Alexander.
(Photo courtesy Shakespeare Theatre Company)
Look for interviews and our review online.
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FEBRUARY 20 - 26, 2020 41
LIFESTYLE
African American Opera Star Snags Lead in ‘Samson & Delilah’ at Kennedy Center By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer @StacyBrownMedia
From the basketball court to the opera stage, J’Nai Bridges is bringing her vibrant voice to the Kennedy Center. Bridges, a rising star whose parents and family live in Baltimore, will have a lead role in the seduction-and-deceit tangle that is Saint-Saëns’s sensual grand opera
“Samson & Delilah,” which debuts on March 1 at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. The rising star, who once appeared destined for a career in pro basketball, counts among the few African Americans who have excelled in the opera. She previously sang the titular role in “Carmen” at the San Francisco Opera and has earned features in The New York Times Style magazine, Flaunt magazine and several others.
Bridges also once performed for Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in Washington. “I grew up playing basketball because I have a great passion for sports,” Bridges said. “But I also grew up singing in the church choir, and I’ve played piano since I was about 5. Music was always in my bones, but so was basketball.” While in high school in Lakewood, Washington, Bridges appeared in her first opera. One of
her rehearsals for the opera coincided with a basketball tournament Bridges’ high school team played. “I asked my coaches if I could go to the rehearsal and then have my mother drive me to the game rather than me attending the team meeting beforehand,” Bridges said. “The coach agreed, but then when I got the game after rehearsal, he didn’t allow me to warm up and kept me on the bench. He said I let my team down and that I didn’t show great sportsmanship because I choose the opera over my team. He told me that I had to make a choice finally. That was the last day that I played.” That shrewd decision couldn’t have turned out any better for the rising star. According to her biography, Bridges’ operatic engagements in the U.S. this season include her debut at The Metropolitan Opera. It also includes singing the role of Nefertiti in Philip Glass’ opera “Akhnaten” and her house and role debut at Washington National Opera performing as Dalila in “Samson et Dalila.” Additionally, Bridges will sing the titular role of “Carmen” for the first time in Europe at the Dutch
National Opera and will make her debut with the Festival d’Aix-enProvence singing Margret in a new production of Wozzeck, conducted by Sir Simon Rattle. Her season also includes a performance of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, a concert repertoire with the San Antonio Symphony in Mahler’s Symphony No. 2, and debuting with the New Jersey Symphony in Handel’s “Messiah.” For an opera singer, it’s a fantastic schedule. For an African American, it’s more operatic history. “The opera definitely has been changing, and it continues to change, which is really necessary and refreshing,” Bridges said. “The National Opera has done an excellent job of inclusivity, and they continue to work diligently at it. I’ve spoken to people on staff, and they make it a point not only to hire Black people but to ask how we feel and to ask what might need improvement. So, not only are we on the stage, but we are behind the scenes, too.” Sampson & Delilah opens March 1 and runs through March 21 at the Kennedy Center. For tickets and information, go to kennedy-center.org. WI
TICKETS FROM $39 WITH CODE 72MWI
FEBRUARY 13—MAY 3 Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre/Laura Pels Theatre 111 West 46th Street 212.719.1300 • roundabouttheatre.org Major support for 72 Miles to Go… is provided by the Laura Pels International Foundation for Theater and the Edgerton Foundation New Play Award. This production is supported, in part, by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts and by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.
5 J’Nai Bridges (Courtesy of Nadav CJ Photography)
42 - FEBRUARY 20 - 26, 2020
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LIFESTYLE
wi book review “Driving While Black: African American Travel and the Road to Civil Rights” By Gretchen Sorin c.2020, Liveright $28.95 352 pages
By Terri Schlichenmeyer WI Contributing Writer Seat belt’s on. Keys in the ignition, rear view mirror’s been adjusted, steering wheel is set for maximum comfort. You’re ready to go, ready for this trip to get started. In “Driving While Black” by Gretchen Sorin, you’re heading back in history. Few things in America have altered the cultural scene more than the automobile. Not only has it changed the way we move, it affected the way we dress, talk, and eat. But, says Sorin, for Black folks, the automobile has “meant something different” — mainly, “the automobile made it more difficult … to enforce racial apartheid while cruising along the highways at forty-five miles per hour.” Once was a time that Black people couldn’t travel far, if at all. Moving about from plantation to plantation allowed opportunities for slaves to escape or, at the very least, to learn the lay of the land, neither of which was desirable for a slave’s owner. Even free Blacks were restricted from too much movement then. After the Civil War ended, former slaves began to head north for work and to escape Jim Crow laws, a Great Migration that didn’t preclude the occasional trip back South by rail or by bus to visit friends and relatives. There was still segregation in travel but the bigger fact was that travel itself was no longer restricted. Starting around the 1920s, automobile ownership began to be a possibility for mobile (and upwardly mobile) African Americans. This meant even more freedom — a road could lead almost anywhere — but it could also mean danger, if you accidentally went where you weren’t welcome. On the other hand, you could sleep in the car, depending on the kind you bought; some vehicles were faster, and could outrun violence; others meant fewer fill-ups. Restroom stops, if you were Black, were still an issue. By the 1970s, Sorin says, this was all mostly a moot point. The civil rights movement had changed the country, and segregation at hotels and gas stations was a thing of the past. And yet today, once again, DWB comes with a whole different set of dangers … Here it’s not even spring, and you already know where you’re going on vacation this year. If you haven’t packed a book yet, “Driving While Black” is the right one to take. You won’t be sorry if you travel with this travel-history book. Author Gretchen Sorin’s all-encompassing in her information, beginning with slavery and moving at a good clip into the 20th century with, like any decent road trip, a few side stops along the way. If this seems like old news, it’s not: Sorin also shows us things we don’t often consider, including tales of Black musicians’ reliance on freer travel, how sports were changed by fewer restrictions, and how Black drivers accidentally taught white business owners a lesson or two. Sorin even adds personal anecdotes to the openings of her chapters, making “Driving While Black” a great vacation (or anytime) read. If you’re needing a smart, comprehensive look at the history of travel, grab it and buckle up. WI
horoscopes
FEB 20 - 26, 2020
ARIES While you may have practical matters to deal with related to your job, career, or ambitions, it’s also wise to make time for reflection. This can be a powerful opportunity to process through emotional issues and find closure. It might be easier to connect with and express your feelings, and this could make all the difference in resolving things. Lucky Numbers: 2, 7, 14 TAURUS Socially, you may be busier than usual as the sun moves into Pisces this week. And it wouldn’t be surprising if you planned a reunion, because convivial Mercury, currently retrograde, can connect you to people from the past. You may also be drawn to a life coach, teacher, or philosophy that can help you get a fresh perspective on life. Lucky Numbers: 17, 23, 41 GEMINI It’s your time to shine as the focus on your sector of goals and ambitions ramps up a notch. The sun moves in on Tuesday for its annual four-week stay, bringing opportunities to showcase your abilities. It’s also a chance to ask yourself whether you’re pursuing the best path for you. What do you really want out of life? The answer could be very revealing. Lucky Numbers: 6, 15, 34 CANCER Are you ready to discover new places and faces? The sun’s move into your sector of travel and adventure on Tuesday could inspire you to explore new terrain. And yet with chatty Mercury retrograde in this sector, you might also be drawn to visit places that have sentimental value or evoke powerful memories. Lucky Numbers: 7, 28, 37 LEO The focus on finance and business increases on Tuesday, so you’ll have an opportunity to tackle issues that may have been holding you back. With the sun moving into Pisces for a four-week stay, its presence here can light up this sector and enable you to get your priorities in order. Lucky Numbers: 4, 9, 34 VIRGO Your sector of relating lights up as the radiant sun moves into Pisces on Tuesday to encourage cooperation and teamwork. And with articulate Mercury retrograde in this same zone, it’s a perfect opportunity to resolve any ongoing issues. At the same time, you might be drawn to connect with people from the past, so a reunion is very possible. Lucky Numbers: 8, 36, 44 LIBRA Lifestyle matters are well starred as the sun moves into Pisces on Tuesday for a four-week stay. This is an opportunity to look at your routines and decide what to jettison and what to keep. With dealmaker Mercury retrograde in this zone, it pays to be careful at work and back up important files and documents. If there are delays, they could work in your favor, so try not to fret. Lucky Numbers: 14, 15, 26 SCORPIO Feisty Mars continues to move through your sector of communication, stirring up this zone and encouraging you to reach out to others to market your goods and services. Do you need to create a new brand? Do your research and you’ll have a better chance of getting it right. Lucky Numbers: 13, 20, 35 SAGITTARIUS The sun’s move into your home zone on Tuesday ushers in a four-week period in which you may relish the chance to step back from life. Use this opportunity to enjoy some pampering and self-care, but also spend time with those you’re closest to. It’s a chance to recharge, nurture yourself, and get ready for a new phase of activity. Lucky Numbers: 6, 24, 32 CAPRICORN Dynamic Mars is now in your sign for a six-week stay, so you may find that your passion and energy for life return. This planet can bestow courage and inspire you to overcome obstacles to live your brightest dreams. And with the sun moving into your sector of communication on Tuesday for around four weeks, this is the ideal time to reach out to others who are on your wavelength. However, with chatty Mercury retrograde in this same sector, it would be just as well to take your time. Lucky Numbers: 9, 12, 43 AQUARIUS With thoughtful Mercury retrograde here combined with the sun’s radiant energies, you might be able to make wise decisions after looking at your financial situation in some depth. It might be easier to gloss over it, but if you can take the time to get things back under control, it could leave you feeling more peaceful all around. Lucky Numbers: 20, 26, 31 PISCES The sun enters your sign on Tuesday, bringing extra vitality and confidence your way. The coming four weeks can be an opportunity to focus on those plans, ideas, and relationships that have personal resonance for you. Indulge in those activities that give you pleasure, because they can recharge you and leave you feeling good. Lucky Numbers: 8, 11, 38
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FEBRUARY 20 - 26, 2020 43
CAPTURE
SCHOOL BUDGET from Page 1
the moment
For more photos, visit www.washingtoninformer.com
The BEYA STEM Conference held at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Northwest brought together students, professionals, and corporations to share experiences and career information. (1) Patricia Burgess with Advancing Minorities Interest in Engineering, (2) ROTC Cadets from Duval High School in Prince George’s County, (3) Northrop Grumman recruiters speak with Washington Informer Publisher Denise Rolark Barnes, (4) Dr. Tomeka Carroll and Carla Davis recruit for the University of Virginia engineering department, (5) Lt. Gen. Bruce T. Crawford, U.S. Army Chief Information Officer named Black Engineer of the Year, and (6) a student experiences Lockheed Martin’s virtual reality exhibit (Robert R. Roberts/The Washington Informer)
DCCC from Page 1 big in primary elections or caucuses in Nevada, South Carolina and the delegate-rich “Super Tuesday” showdowns (March 3) in their bid to challenge the Republican incumbent, Donald Trump, for control of the White House and Congress. But their ultimate success, both in the primaries and General Election, may rest on the ability of the Democratic
Congressional Campaign Committee [DCCC] – the official campaign arm of the Dems in the House – to rack up enough victories in pending or future voting rights litigation awaiting rulings in courtroom throughout the U.S. so that voters backing the Democratic agenda can cast their ballot free of recent voter suppression tactics fueled by Republican legislators in Congress. Cheri Bustos, who in her role as DCCC chairwoman, heads what serves
44 - FEBRUARY 20 - 26, 2020
as the sole official campaign arm of the Democrats in the House of Representatives, says their mission remains clear: to support Democratic candidates every step of the way, up and down the ballot, in their efforts to both fortify and expand the newly-forged Democratic Majority. “[We] know that voting is an essential right and that expanding access to ballot is good for our democracy,” she said. “This legal strategy is only more ur-
gent as Republicans have been emboldened by President Trump’s baseless and disproven claims of voter fraud. We are working to remove barriers to the ballot box and throughout the cycle we are going to keep pushing this work forward. That means devoting serious resources to engaging voters, inspiring them and then making sure they turn out to vote in November.”
DCCC Page 46
interventions in the District’s public school system. “Does the D.C. Council understand the impact of school closures – such as Washington Metropolitan and public charter schools – on neighborhood DCPS communities? The percentage of students struggling with attendance, truancy, trauma and educational needs are increasing in neighborhood public schools,” Grier, chair of the Ward 8 Education Council, said while lamenting over the need for computers and technology that DCPS’ central office announced earlier this year. “While concerns of mid-year transfers from charter and private schools to a neighborhood public school are increasing, schools are being impacted by the needs of some students,” Grier continued. “Local schools are concerned whether the D.C. Council plans to closely look into the impact this is causing local schools and the demand of resources needed.” Earlier this month, DCPS’ central office released its Pocket Budget Guide, a platform in which parents and other concerned parties can navigate the school budget planning process and see the amount allocated to each D.C. public school. The release of the Pocket Budget Guide counted as part of a yearround budget process. It accompanied a Family and Community Guide to the DCPS Budget and followed public budget hearings and forums at Maury Elementary School and Brookland Middle School in Northeast, Coolidge High School in Northwest and Ballou High School and Kimball Elementary School in Southeast. DCPS officials say budget proposals reached Local School Advisory Teams months earlier than in previous years to give principals more flexibility in petitioning for additional funds. Notable investments in the FY 2021 budget include $2.1 million for the Connected Schools Model that provides wraparound services for students and their families while also increasing technology and bolstering literacy at the elementary school level. As in previous years, D.C. public schools receive an initial budget allocation based on a comprehensive staffing model which factors in enrollment projections for the upcom-
SCHOOL BUDGET Page 53
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SPORTS For more photos, visit www.washingtoninformer.com
Defenders Shut Out Guardians
5 D.C. Defenders running back Jhurell Pressley is tackled by New York Guardians safety A.J. Hendy during the Defenders’ 27-0 win at Audi Field in Southwest on Saturday, Feb. 15. (John E. De Freitas/The Washington Informer)
5 D.C. Defenders wide receiver Eli Rogers is tackled during the Defenders’ 27-0 win over the New York Guardians at Audi Field in Southwest on Saturday, Feb. 15. (John E. De Freitas/The Washington Informer)
Dunbar Sails Past Banneker for DCIAA Title 5 Dunbar players, coaches and staff poses with the 2020 DCIAA championship trophy after the team’s 63-35 win over Banneker in the title game at the Entertainment and Sports Arena in Southeast on Sunday, Feb. 16. (John E. De Freitas/ The Washington Informer)
5 Banneker guard Aniyah Redd and Dunbar guard Cameron Wilkins hit the floor for a loose ball during Dunbar’s 63-35 win in the 2020 DCIAA championship game at the Entertainment and Sports Arena in Southeast on Sunday, Feb. 16. (John E. De Freitas/The Washington Informer)
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FEBRUARY 20 - 26, 2020 45
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Bustos notes that when it comes to the litigation, winning ballot access and similarly-related lawsuits which protect early voting days yield positive consequences well beyond the current election cycle of 2020, particularly for Blacks – still disproportionately disenfranchised despite both record-breaking numbers of Blacks elected to Congress and the landmark, two-term victory of Barack Obama as the nation’s first African-American president. Thus, their efforts serve as critical civil rights work with the Democratic party leading the way.
INITIATIVES LAUNCHED TO FOSTER DEMS’ SUCCESS IN 2020
Last Spring, the DCCC unfolded a multi-million dollar program, “March Forward,” which began with 60-plus field organizers in battleground states across the U.S. ahead of November 2020 – the earliest they’ve ever begun to engage Democratic coalitions as they attempt to take grassroots organizing to the next level. Following on the program’s positive results in 2018, field managers receive training in communications, digital, research and field tactics – all aimed toward executing more modern campaign strategies. Since its inception, March Forward looks bring more Americans, in cities
big and small, into the Democratic Party while continuing the DCCC’s heralded “Cycle of Engagement” – a program designed to foster greater voter registration drives within communities of color. Bustos says March Forward continues to be an important step in the path to solidify and increase the Democratic Majority. “As Democrats, we’ve always drawn our strength from the people we fight for each and every day . . . and our first major investment of the 2020 cycle [March Forward] puts boots on the ground in dozens of communities across America,” she said. “Whether it’s tackling the high cost of health care or fighting for fair wages, we believe in an America where everyone has the opportunity to succeed.” As an example of their hard work, the DCCC recently celebrated a legislative victory in South Carolina, just ahead of the upcoming State primary, which opens access to the ballot for nearly one million unregistered voters, 400,000 of whom they estimate to be people of color. A spokesperson for the DCCC said the next several weeks should be viewed as crucial in the organization’s year-long efforts to both solidify and increase the Democratic Party’s base of voters of color. Late last month, Bustos, along with House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn
5 DCCC Chairwoman Cheri Bustos. (Courtesy photo)
(D-SC) and DCCC General Counsel Marc Elias, held a press conference during which they highlighted a legislative victory that should be celebrated by all Americans. A collaborative effort initiated by the South Carolina Democratic Party and the DCCC recently led to the elimination of South Carolina’s requirement – one which they deemed as unconstitutional – that potential voters provide their full nine-digit Social Security number when registering to vote. The lawsuit served as part of an eight-figure investment from the DCCC and DSCC in their collective battle to fight voter suppression laws across the country. WI
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46 - FEBRUARY 20 - 26, 2020
WI Editor @dkevinmcneir
Ja’net Dubois, a popular entertainer and fixture in the 70s as more African-American actors received and took full advantage of growing opportunities to appear on or star in family-based television programs, has died at 74 in her Glendale, CA home. Family members say she died in her sleep of natural causes. The actress starred on the CBS sitcom “Good Times” for five years from 1974 to 1979 as Willona Woods, the gossipy divorcee and next-door neighbor of the Evans family – often reminding Blacks of someone they knew quite well which perhaps, besides her irrefutable talent, contributed to her success. She also co-wrote and sang the “Jeffersons” theme song, “Movin’ on Up” – a catchy tune that many Black youth and adults could rattle off with ease during the show’s heyday. On “Good Times,” DuBois’ Willona served as the single, sexy neighbor
5 Ja’net Dubois (Courtesy photo)
and best friend to star Esther Rolle’s Florida Evans. Though the comedy had plenty of one-liners, many delivered by star Jimmie Walker in the role of J.J., DuBois’ appearances provided a well-received extra dose of comedic relief. Still, she revealed her dramatic skills when a young Janet Jackson joined the show as the abused child Penny. The storyline, which included the adoption of Penny by Willona, secured a long and close relationship between the two as seen when Jack-
cast DuBois as her mother in her 1986 “Control” video. Dubois went on to appear in a number of film and TV projects, including voicing one of the main characters on the animated series “The PJs” for which she earned two Emmys for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance in 1999 and 2001. She also earned a NAACP Image Award nomination in 1998 for a guest appearance on “Touched by an Angel.” Other credits included: “I’m Gonna Git You Sucka,” “Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle,” “Moesha,” “Sanford and Son,” “The Facts of Life,” “The Steve Harvey Show,” “A Different World” and “Everybody Loves Raymond.” DuBois’ career began in theater where she appeared in Broadway productions of “Golden Boy” and “A Raisin in the Sun.” After seeing her performance in “The Hotel Baltimore” in Los Angeles, Norman Lear, who developed “Good Times” and “The Jeffersons,” brought her on board, establishing her career. WI
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RELIGION the religion corner WITH LYNDIA GRANT
Being More Enlightened About Your Self-Interest
Each of us must work while its day, for Scripture reminds us that when night cometh, no man can work. It does not mean night as when you lay down to sleep. This “night” that Scripture is speaking of means when you have come to the end of this journey. We must work in this early life, to survive. Unfortunately, if you don’t work to care for yourself and your family, you could end up homeless. Therefore, we all work in order to survive. There are those of you out there who are working to survive, but you wonder if you can be successful doing what you really love. You are not satisfied to work only to survive. We want to succeed and survive — and yes, that can be done! It’s done by millions of people around the world, every day, and you can be one of them. Life was not designed to give us what we need. It gives it to us because we deserve it. It’s called sowing and reaping. Reaping is reserved only for the planters. Can you expect corn to grow in your
field if you didn’t plant any? No, only weeds will show up! Scripture tells us to knock and the door shall be opened. If you keep knocking, you’ll find opportunity. This is a biblical principle. Scripture says seek and you shall find. If you search, you will surely find what you’re looking for. You’ve got to go out looking to find whatever you wish. If you search you will find, ask, someone has the answer you’re seeking. Begin the process of deserving. Ask yourself, “what must I do to deserve it?” When you do that, expect a new life to emerge. Ways to bring your dream to fruition will appear, it will be spoken into your spirit. Ways will come to you about how to earn $20. You will begin to say to yourself, what I can do to earn $20 is clear. Figure out how to open this unbelievable flow of wisdom, which comes from our Heavenly Father, by sending his Holy Spirit. You will be able to take your seed to the marketplace, not your need. Your seed will begin small, but if you care for seeds properly, what do they do? They grow! Of course, you’ve got to bring your interest, your enthusiasm and your vitality, too. Scripture says, “If you wish to receive, you must give.” We deserve the receiving,
Mt. Zion Baptist Church
but Scripture says, it is better to give than to receive. Why? Giving starts the receiving process. But it is called the Law of Deserving. Find a way to serve many. Just know that when you provide service to many, it is the beginning of greatness. Help solve other people’s problems. A personal example is my health workshops. So far, hundreds of people have completed my type 2 diabetes training classes. Giving free knowledge, by sharing in this column and sharing on my radio show turned out to be seeds that I had planted. The principle worked for me too. Now I’m reaping my harvest. Be faithful when your opportunity comes along with only a few. That gets you ready to rule over many. If you want a fortune, you must know where it all goes, even when it’s small. Scripture says, “Be faithful over a few things, and I will make you ruler over many.” Be disciplined even when the amounts are small. You never know who’s in the audience. Even when it is a few, tell your best stories. Give yourself time to change. Refine your thinking, your beliefs. Become extremely clear on your own philosophy. That way, you will not be easily influenced to change your mind and do something different. WI
John F. Johnson Reverend Dr.
5101 14th Street, NW / Washington, DC 20011 Phone: 202-726-2220 Fax: 202-726-9089
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“A Church with a past to remember – and a future to mold” www.mtzbcdc.org
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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 20 - 26, 2020 47
RELIGION The Miracle Center of Faith Missionary Baptist Church
Pilgrim Baptist Church
Bishop Michael C. Turner, Sr. Senior Pastor
Rev. Louis B. Jones II Pastor
9161 Hampton Overlook Capitol Heights, MD 20743 Phone: 301-350-2200 / Fax: 301-499-8724
700 I Street, N.E. Washington, D.C. 20002 (202) 547-8849
Service and Times Sunday Worship Times : 7:30 AM 7 10:00 AM Communion: 1st Sunday Sunday School: 9:00 AM Bible Study: Wednesday, 12 Noon Bible Study in homes: Tuesday 7:00 PM Website: www.themiraclecenterFMBC.com Email: Miraclecenterfmbs@gmail.com Motto: “We Walk by Faith, Not by Sight”
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 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
Rev. Dr. Alice Greene Interim Pastor
Bishop Lanier C. Twyman, Sr. Senior Pastor
Rev. Cheryl J. Sanders, Th.D. Senior Pastor
4001 14th Street, NW Washington, DC 20011 (202) 265-6147 Office 1-800 576-1047 Voicemail/Fax
3845 South Capitol Street Washington, DC 20032 (202) 562-5576 (Office) / (202) 562-4219 (Fax)
5757 Temple Hill Road, Temple Hills, MD 20748 Office 301-899-8885 – fax 301-899-2555 Services and Times Sunday Early Morning Worship: 7:45 AM Church School: 9:30 AM Sunday Morning Worship: 10:45 AM Tuesday: 7:00pm/Kingdom Building Bible Institute Wednesday , 12:30 PM Mid-Day Bible Study Wednesday: Prayer/Praise/Bible Study-7:30 PM Baptism & Communion Service: 4th Sunday – 10:30 AM
1204 Third Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 202-347-5889 office / 202-638-1803 fax
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 www.blessedwordoflifechurch.org E-mail: church@blessedwordoflifechurch.org
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
Campbell AME Church Rev. Dr. Henry Y. White 2562 MLK Jr. Ave., SE - Washington, DC 20020 Adm. Office 202-678-2263 Email: Campbell@mycame.org 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
www.thirdstreet.org Live Stream Sunday Worship Service begins @ 12:00 noon www.thirdstreet.org
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
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
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
Mount Carmel Baptist Church
Virgil K. Thomas, Sr. Senior Pastor/ Teacher
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
“Ambassadors for Christ to the Nation’s Capital”
Rev. Dr. Alton W. Jordan Pastor
Isle of Patmos Baptist Church
Twelfth Street Christian Church
Turning Hearts Church
421 Alabama Ave. SE Washington, DC 20032 Phone: 202-746-0113 Fax: 301-843-2445
“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
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
48 - FEBRUARY 20 - 26, 2020
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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 Dr. Joseph D. Turner / Senior Pastor 2616 MLK Ave., SE - Washington, DC 20020 Office 202-889-3709 - Fax 202-678-3304 Service and Times Early Worship Service: 8:00 AM Worship Service: 11:00 AM New Member’s Class: 9:45 AM Holy Communion: 1st Sunday, 11:00 AM Church School: 9:45 AM Wednesday 12:00pm Bible Study Prayer, Praise and Bible Study: 7:00 PM Saturday Bible Study: 11:00 AM Baptism 4th Sunday: 11:00 AM “Empowered to love and Challenged to Lead a Multitude of Souls to Christ”
Peace Baptist Church
4504 Gault Place, N.E. / Washington, D.C 20019 202-397-7775 – 7184 Service and Times Sunday Church School: 9:30 AM Sunday Worship Service : 11:00 AM The Lord’s Supper 1st Sunday Prayer & Praise Services: Wednesday 7:00 PM Bible Study: 7:30 PM Saturday before 4th Sunday Men, Women, Youth Discipleship Ministries: 10:30 AM A Christ Centered Church htubc@comcast.net
Christ Embassy DC
Kelechi Ajieren Coordinator 6839 Eastern Avenue, R1 Takoma Park, MD 20912 (202) 556-7065 Service and Times Sunday Worship Service: 10:00 AM Wednesday Bible Study: 7:00 PM Friday Evening Service: 7:00 PM ; Last Friday “…Giving Your Life a Meaning” www.Christembassydc.org Christ.embassy.dc@hotmail.com
Pennsylvania Ave. Baptist Church
Rev. Dr. 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. Reginald M. Green Interim Pastor
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 20 - 26, 2020 49
LEGAL NOTICES SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 2020 ADM 000012 Douglas E. Moore aka Douglas Elane Moore Decedent Howard Haley, Esq. 7600 Georgia Ave., NW Suite 405 Washington, DC 20012 Attorney
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Doris E. Hughes-Moore, whose address is 7114 Alaska Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20012, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Douglas E. Moore aka Douglas Elane Moore who died on August 22, 2019 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 8/6/2020. 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 8/6/2020, 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: 2/6/2020 Doris E. Hughes-Moore Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Acting Register of Wills
LEGAL NOTICES
LEGAL NOTICES
LEGAL NOTICES
LEGAL NOTICES
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
Superior Court of the District of Columbia
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
2019 ADM 000814
2020 ADM 00008
Case No. 2019 DRB 003191
2020 ADM 000010
Helen Greene aka Helen P. Greene aka Helen Pillmon Greene Decedent
Maurice Leatherman Decedent
NATASHA RUCKER, Plaintiff
Odelle S. Thomas Decedent
Age: 92
Versus
Howard Haley, Esq. The Haley Firm, PC 7600 Georgia Ave., NW #405 Washington, DC 20012 Attorney
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Earlease Jackson and Tangent Askew, whose address is 8216 Harvest Bend Lane, Laurel, MD 20707, were appointed Personal Representatives of the estate of Helen Greene aka Helen P. Greene aka Helen Pillmon Greene who died on February 1, 2018 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 8/6/2020. 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 8/6/2020, 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: 2/6/2020 Earlease Jackson Tangent Askew Personal Representative
Marquita Moye, Esq. 504 Brummel Court, NW Washington, DC 20012 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Lynn Leatherman Lybrand, whose address is 3617 Licata Court, Punta Gorda, Florida 33950, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Maurice Leatherman who died on July 7, 2019 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 8/6/2020. 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 8/6/2020, 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: 2/6/2020 Lynn Leatherman Lybrand Personal Representative
TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Acting Register of Wills Washington Informer
TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Acting Register of Wills
JASON CONRAD POOLE, Defendant
Next Event: Initial Hearing on March 10, 2020 at 11:30 a.m. in Courtroom 104 (500 Indiana Ave NW, Washington, DC 20001)
NOTICE TO DEFENDANT JASON CONRAD POOLE The object of this action is Plaintiff Natasha Rucker’s Complaint for Absolute Divorce from Defendant Jason Conrad Poole, filed
September 9, 2019. Upon the Court’s Order Granting Plaintiff’s Motion to Authorize Service by Publication, filed January 3, 2020, it is this 8th day of January 2020, hereby ORDERED,
that Defendant Jason Conrad Poole cause his appearance to be entered on or before March 10, 2020; that the Court will
hold a further initial hearing on March 10, 2020 at 11:30 a.m.
Stephanie D. Bell, whose address is 2312 Hawks Landing Ct., Waldorf, MD 20601, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Odelle S. Thomas who died on October 8, 2019 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 8/6/2020. 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 8/6/2020, 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.
in Courtroom 104 at 500 Indiana Avenue, NW, Washington,
DC 20001 regarding Plaintiff’s request for divorce; and that if
Date of first publication: 2/6/2020
Defendant Jason Conrad Poole does not appear at the hearing or otherwise respond to Plaintiff’s complaint, the Court may
Stephanie D. Bell Personal Representative
issue a judgement by default on Plaintiff’s complaint on that
date without further proceedings. SO ORDERED. Elizabeth C. Wingo, D.C. Superior Court Judge.
TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Acting Register of Wills Washington Informer
Washington Informer
Washington Informer
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS
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 000045
2020 ADM 000032
2020 ADM 000063
2020 ADM 000032
2019 ADM 000772
Dorothy M. Woodland aka Dorothy Marie Woodland Decedent
Grady Lee Barton Decedent
Melvin Douglas Burwell Decedent
Renee Yvette Hunter Decedent
Bradley A. Thomas, Esq. 1629 K Street, NW Suite 300 Washington, DC 20006-1631 Attorney
Steve Larson-Jackson 1629 K. Street, NW Suite 300 Washington, DC 20006 Attorney
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS
Date of first publication: 2/13/2020
LilliAnn Williams, whose address is 509 T Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Melvin Douglas Burwell who died on November 7, 2019 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 8/13/2020. 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 8/13/2020, 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.
Angelique C. Carroll, whose address is 5520 Walker Mill Road, Capital Heights, Maryland 20743, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Renee Yvette Hunter who died on July 9, 2019 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 8/13/2020. 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 8/13/2020, 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.
Ophelia Barton Personal Representative
Date of first publication: 2/13/2020
Date of first publication: 2/13/2020
TRUE TEST COPY
LilliAnn Williams Personal Representative
Angelique C. Carroll Personal Representative
TRUE TEST COPY
TRUE TEST COPY
Nicole Stevens Acting Register of Wills
Nicole Stevens Acting Register of Wills
Washington Informer
Washington Informer
Nathaniel O. Jackson Decedent Howard Haley, Esq. The Haley Firm, PC 7600 Georgia Ave, NW #405 Washington, DC 20012 Attorney
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Brian C. Jenkins, whose address is 2213 Gaylord Dr., Suitland, MD 20746, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Nathaniel O. Jackson who died on May 18, 1997 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 8/6/2020. 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 8/6/2020, 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: 2/6/2020 Brian C. Jenkins Personal Representative
Caren M. Webb, Esq. 1308 Ninth Street, NW Suite 250 Washington, DC 20001 Attorney
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Robert R. Woodland, whose address is 920 Peabody St., NW, Apt #12, Washington, DC 20011, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Dorothy M. Woodland aka Dorothy Marie Woodland who died on November 10, 2019 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 8/13/2020. 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 8/13/2020, 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: 2/13/2020
Nakia V. Gray, Esq. 800 Maine Avenue, SW Suite 200 Washington, DC 20024 Attorney
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Ophelia Barton, whose address is 4223 Wheeler Road, SE, Washington, DC 20032, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Grady Lee Barton who died on January 4, 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 8/13/2020. 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 8/13/2020, 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
Robert R. Woodland Personal Representative
Nicole Stevens Acting Register of Wills
TRUE TEST COPY
Nicole Stevens Acting Register of Wills
Nicole Stevens Acting Register of Wills
Washington Informer
Washington Informer
Washington Informer
50 - FEBRUARY 20 - 26, 2020
THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM
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
2020 ADM 000033
2020 ADM 000114
Willie B. Hackett Decedent
Valton Reeves Decedent
Nakia V. Gray, Esq. 800 Maine Ave., Suite 200 Washington, DC 20024 Attorney
James Larry Frazier, Esq. 918 Maryland Avenue, NE Washington, DC 20002 Attorney
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Rena Wilson, whose address is 855 Venable Place, NW, Washington, DC 20012, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Willie B. Hackett who died on October 3, 2017 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 8/13/2020. 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 8/13/2020, 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 Cherie A. Jackson, whose address is 1116 Hamilton Street, NE, Washington, DC 20011, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Valton Reeves who died on November 18, 2019 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 8/20/2020. 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 8/20/2020, 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: 2/20/2020
Date of first publication: 2/13/2020 Rena Wilson Personal Representative
Cherie A. Jackson Personal Representative
TRUE TEST COPY
TRUE TEST COPY
Nicole Stevens Acting Register of Wills
Nicole Stevens Acting Register of Wills
Washington Informer
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
2020 ADM 000115
2019 ADM 001380
Rhoda J. Shorter Decedent
Inez L. Turner Decedent Steve Larson-Jackson, Esq. 1629 K Street, NW, Suite 300 Washington, DC 20006 Attorney
Edward G. Varrone, Esq. 1825 K Street, NW, Suite 1150 Washington, DC 20006 Attorney
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Christine J. Spruill, whose address is 17 Stonegate Drive, Silver Spring, MD 20905, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Rhoda J. Shorter who died on November 11, 2019 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 August 20, 2020. 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 August 20, 2020, 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 Gerald Turner and Reginald Turner, whose addresses are 4404 7th St., NE, Washington, DC 20017 and 10314 Marlboro Woods Dr., Cheltenham, MD 20623, was appointed Personal Representatives of the estate of Inez L. Turner who died on October 4, 2019 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 8/20/2020. 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 8/20/2020, 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.
LEGAL NOTICES “Notice is hereby given that the following named company at the address listed herewith has made application to engage in the business of loaning money for the license year ending December 31, 2020 as provided by the Act of Congress, approved February 14, 1913. Anyone desiring to protest against the issuance of this license should do so in writing to the Commissioner of the Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking, 810 First Street, NE, Suite 701, Washington, DC 20002, in the manner prescribed by said Act: See DC Code Title 26, Chapter 9 and 16 DCMR 2.” Company: Genesis Block, LLC Address: 2701 N Thanksgiving Way Ste 100, Lehi, UT 84043
October 14, 2016 Date of Death Thomas Jackson Name of Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF FOREIGN PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS
Rhoda J. Shorter Name of Deceased Settlor
Date of first publication: 2/20/2020
NOTICE OF EXISTENCE OF REVOCABLE TRUST
Clara L. Jackson Personal Representative
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION
Rhoda J. Shorter whose address was 1600 Trinidad Avenue, NE, Washington, DC 20002, created a revocable trust on July 18, 2018, which remained in existence on the date of her death on November 11, 2019, and Christine J. Spruill, whose address is 17 Stonegate Drive, Silver Spring MD 20905, is the currently acting trustee, hereinafter the Trustee. Communications to the Trust should be mailed or directed to the following: Christine J. Spruill at 17 Stonegate Drive, Silver Spring, MD 20905. The Trust is subject to claims of the deceased settlor’s creditors, costs of administration of the settlor’s estate, the expense of the deceased settlor’s funeral and disposal of remains, and statutory allowances to a surviving spouse and children to the extent the deceased settlor’s residuary probate estate is inadequate to satisfy those claims, costs, expenses, and allowances. Claims of the deceased settlor’s creditors are barred as against the Trustee and the trust property unless presented to the Trustee at the address provided herein on or before 8/20/2020 (6 month after the date of the first publication of this notice.) An action to contest the validity of this trust must be commenced by the earliest of (1) November 11, 2020, (One year from date of death of deceased settlor) (2) 8/20/2020, (6 months from the date of first publication of this notice) or (3) Ninety days after the Trustee sends the person a copy of the trust instrument and a notice informing the person of the trust’s existence, of the Trustee’s name and address, and of the time allowed for commencing a proceeding. The Trustee may proceed to distribute the trust property in accordance with the terms of the trust before the expiration of the time within which an action must be commenced unless the Trustee knows of a pending judicial proceeding contesting the validity of the trust or the Trustee has received notice from a potential contestant who thereafter commences a judicial proceeding within sixty days after notification.
Gerald Turner Reginald Turner Personal Representative
Date of First Publication: 2/20/2020
Christine J. Spruill Personal Representative
TRUE TEST COPY
Christine J. Spruill Signature of Trustee
TRUE TEST COPY
Nicole Stevens Acting Register of Wills
TRUE TEST COPY
Washington Informer
Nicole Stevens Acting Register of Wills
Washington Informer
2020 FEP 000011
2020 NRT 000005
FDOP 02/20/2020
Date of first publication: 2/20/2020
Nicole Stevens Acting Register of Wills
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
Clara L. Jackson whose address is 9917 Elm Street, Lanham, Maryland 20706-4711 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Thomas Jackson, deceased, by the Orphans Court for Prince Georges County, State of Maryland, on November 21, 2016. Service of process may be made upon Caren M. Webb, Esq. 1308 Ninth Street, NW, Suite 250, Washington, DC 20001 whose designation as District of Columbia agent has been filed with the Register of Wills, D.C. The decedent owned the following District of Columbia real estate. 1841 M Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002. Claims against the decedent may be presented to the undersigned and filed with the Register of Wills of the District of Columbia, 515 5th Street, NW, Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001 within 6 months from the date of first publication of this notice.
This Notice must be mailed postmarked within 15 days of its first publication to each heir and qualified beneficiary of the trust and any other person who would be an interested person within the meaning of D.C. Code 20-101(d).
Date of first publication: February 20, 2020
LEGAL NOTICES
Washington Informer
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Nicole Stevens Acting Register of Wills Washington Informer
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 2020 FEP 000010 May 5, 2019 Date of Death Francis Bernard Beckwith, Jr. Name of Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF FOREIGN PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS Michael Bernard Beckwith whose address is 8549 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 1413, Beverly Hills, California 90211 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Francis Bernard Beckwith, Jr., deceased, by the Superior Court for Los Angeles County, State of California, on September 5, 2019. Service of process may be made upon Deborah D. Boddie, Esq., Probate Law DC, 1308 Ninth Street, NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20001 whose designation as District of Columbia agent has been filed with the Register of Wills, D.C. The decedent owned the following District of Columbia real estate. 1030 Quebec Place, NW. Claims against the decedent may be presented to the undersigned and filed with the Register of Wills of the District of Columbia, 515 5th Street, NW, Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001 within 6 months from the date of first publication of this notice. Date of first publication: 2/20/2020 Michael Bernard Beckwith Personal Representative Nicole Stevens Acting Register of Wills Washington Informer
LEGAL NOTICES SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 2019 ADM 741 Rodney Eugene Gill Decedent Nakia V. Gray, Esq. 9701 Apollo Drive, Suite 100 Largo, MD 20774 Attorney
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Kimberly Fahrenholz, whose address is 1707 N Street, NW, Suite 2, Washington, DC 20036, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Rodney Eugene Gill who died on January 9, 2019 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 8/20/2020. 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 8/20/2020, 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: 2/20/2020 Kimberly Fahrenholz Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Acting Register of Wills Washington Informer
FINANCIAL from Page 13 and 25 other states and D.C., doesn’t require high school students to take an economics course. In Prince George’s County, middle school students can receive an interactive, hands-on experience at the Junior Achievement Finance Park in Landover. After completing coursework and modules, they take a field trip to the building and stop at makeshift storefronts to balance a budget and choose whether to purchase a home, a vehicle and even health insurance. When entering high school, economic courses are offered as an elective. Jean-Paul Cadet, director of career and technical education for the school system, said clubs such as Future Business Leaders of America provide additional learning opportunities for students. “There are a number of things we want our children to learn and we only have a set amount of time with them,” he said. “We make sure we present the best catalog of options for them to pick. We try to push the things that we believe that will be most impactful to them and make sure those things are in the forefront.” WI
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MALVEAUX from Page 30
SCHOOL BUDGETS from Page 46 ing academic year and demands for special needs accommodations. The FY 2021 budget reflects an average increase of 8 percent in budget allocations for local public schools. Additionally, nearly two dozen public schools – more than half of which are located east of the Anacostia River – will have access to the chancellor’s initial budget assistance. This coffer of $3.4 million has been set aside in anticipation of mid-year enrollment increases. Last April, a report by the D.C. Fiscal Policy Institute found that public schools in Wards 7 and 8 count among 17 out of the 20 insti-
would cost, suggesting that the cost of not acting would be far greater. The Kerner Report — and Johnson’s War on Poverty — was lost in the jungles of Vietnam. The costs of that misbegotten war — in money, in lives and agony, and in political upheaval — torpedoed any serious effort to address our problems at home. What the Kerner Report did leave was a marker: a measure of what it means to be serious in addressing the problems of our society. WI
tutions that experienced a decrease in funding in the FY 2020 budget, due mostly to projected enrollment decreases. Ballou and Anacostia High School, for instance, had been expected to lose nearly a quarter of their student body. Overall, Ward 8 saw a decrease of more than $10 million in funding which sparked Washington Teachers’ Union-led protests on the steps of the Wilson Building. Ward 8 parent LaJoy Law, an advocate for children with disabilities, said last year’s per-pupil budget allocations for Ward 8 schools deeply disturbed her, conjuring thoughts about students being denied accommodations outlined in their 504
plans and individualized education programs. She commends DCPS’ central office for its efforts in improving transparency within the budget process. “If leadership is trying to move forward with transparency, that’s a step in the right direction. The problem won’t be solved tomorrow. It will take stakeholders to rectify all of the challenges happening at the same time,” said Law, a Ward 8 resident of nearly nine years. “It’s about equity – not giving all the schools the same amount of money but making sure every school has what they need to serve students, so that students, principals and staff can thrive.” WI
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civil rights groups. It became famous for its stark warning: “Our nation is moving toward two societies, one Black, one white — separate and unequal.” Dr. Martin Luther King pronounced the report a “physician’s warning of approaching death, with a prescription for life.” It told harsh truths: “What white Americans have never fully understood but what the Negro can never
forget — is that white society is deeply implicated in the ghetto. White institutions created it, white institutions maintain it, and white society condones it.” It offered not nostrums and pablum but a serious agenda to redress the maladies: new jobs, new housing, an end to de facto segregation, integration of schools, day care for children, higher wages or income supplementation, greater services, and more diverse and sensitive police forces. It did not blink at the billions that this
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himself, that I behaved so well in the face of such evil? “As people of faith, we understand that we have been called to be the voice of the voiceless and the shepherd of God’s beloved community,” he said. “What we do here today is only what any responsible shepherd does to alert God’s flock to the presence of the predators of democracy.” The Urban League Movement is proud to support the Poor People’s Campaign and count ourselves as allies of Rev. Barber. WI
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with the College of Affirming Bishops and Faith Leaders, visiting professor at Union Theological Seminary and pastor of Greenleaf Christian Church, Disciples of Christ in Goldsboro, North Carolina. He came to national attention in 2015 when, as president of the North Carolina NAACP, he organized weekly protests at the State Legislative Building that were known as “Moral Mondays.”
“Some ask the question, why don’t they be quiet?” Barber wrote of the Moral Mondays protests. “Well, I must remind you, that it has been our collective silence that has quietly opened the city gates to these undemocratic violators of our rights. If we must pray forgiveness for anything today, it will be the silence with which we have allowed this to happen in the dark. Thoreau said in his famous essay, ‘Civil Disobedience,’ that if he had to repent of anything, it would be his good behavior. What possessed me, he asked
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store the $1.3 billion cut to the Labor Department (“savings” will be realized by cutting unemployment insurance, and payment to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, among other programs/ That $70 billion could also restore the $1.9 billion cut from the Agriculture Department. This budget illustrates what this administration is all about. It is hostile to poor folks, to culture, to education, and to farmers. It is unwilling to spend money on international relations. It is willing to continue to reward the wealthy for just being wealthy. It reflects 45’s values. WI
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Until 2017, the world has looked toward the United States for global leadership, but this most recent budget would reduce our involvement in world affairs. The State Department and USAID would be cut by $12 billion, more than a fifth less than last year. Virtually everything in the USAID and State budgets is reduced, including humanitarian aid, contributions to international organizations, and cultural exchanges; only Ivanka Trump’s Women’s Global Development fund seems to have been protected, with its allocation doubling! The Department of Veterans Af-
fairs is the only Cabinet agency that will experience a double-digit budget increase of 12 percent. After a series of scandals involving the delivery of health service to the nation’s veterans, few would dispute the need for a stronger agency. But wonders if the $12 billion increase in this agency’s budget will improve efficiency, or if it is merely pandering to veterans, a core part of the president’s base. What if just a tenth of the “defense” (I consider it an offense) budget were devoted to human needs? That would be $70 billion to, perhaps, restore the $9.5 billion Health and Human Services cut, restore the $5.6 billion Department of Education cuts, to re-
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CHAVIS from Page 25 Black Americans and others are enabled to have a planned, dignified and well thought out, peaceful transition without the sudden unpreparedness that happens too often in many Black American families. Compassion & Choices is committed to empowering people to get the care they need during a serious illness or at the end of life. One way to do that is by helping people plan well and become good advocates for themselves and their loved ones. In other words, the entirety of one’s life journey is precious and should be prepared for the end of the journey with dignity and respect. It is really about taking responsibility to ensure that your transition will be handled in a manner that you have predetermined with the interest of all those you love
CROWELL from Page 31 housing would be cut 7% in fiscal 2020. Tenant-based Rental Assistance would also have 21% fewer renewed contracts. Even before the Feb. 10 budget proposal’s release, Lisa Rice, president and CEO of the National Fair Housing Alliance, sounded an alarm on the heels of HUD’s announcement to abandon its rule promulgated during the Obama Administration, Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH). “Access to fair housing determines where we live, which in turn determines the quality of education and health services our children have access to, among other resources. That’s why HUD’s proposed AFFH rule is
ASKIA from Page 31 GOP right wing never gave up, and struggled, and struggled, finally electing conservatives, each more radical than the last — Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush and now Trump. What I’d like to see is a real ideological debate this election year, resolving the country’s identity and direction. Is it the xenophobic, Trump- and Koch brothers-esque conservative world of punishment, denial and sanctions against those not white enough for the Anglo-American white guys club? Or is it the inclusive, multi-culti, Michele and Barack Obama “kumbaya” world of plenty — the American dream? Let the Democrats nominate Sanders — he’s 100 percent the “anti-Trump” in 2020 — and then decide: should the country provide Medicare for all, or should the social safety net be plundered in order to give tax breaks
and who love you. This is a subject that is often avoided until the finality of death confronts the loved ones of the departed. Our newspapers cover and publish the obituaries of people in the communities in which we serve as a matter of tradition and respect for the untold positive contributions of those who make their final transition at the end of their remarkable life journeys. We know that we have to show respect to each other in our families, communities, and careers. Black love is about Black self-respect. Too often Black lives are ended in some type of hardship, tragedy, brutality, prolonged sickness, or some unexpected unavoidable circumstance. But all of our final transitions should be observed with the utmost respect and dignity. Planning for one’s transition does not mean you are ready to die before your
time is up or that you are attempting to hurry or rush your departure from this world. On the contrary, planning the final transition of your life is like having a sustainable life insurance policy that removes the burden of your transition from your love ones. Talking about and planning your transition will not kill you, but it will save your loved ones the awful sorrow and agony of unpreparedness. We are grateful to Compassion & Choices for helping us to transfer our reluctance and fear of discussing the ultimate transition of our life journeys into a responsible and respectful plan of love and dignity. Yes, Black life journeys matter at the beginning and at the end. We all have the opportunity and the responsibility to respond to this issue in a timely manner. WI
so troubling,” Rice said. “By seeking to dismantle the 2015 requirements put in place specifically to address discrimination and segregation, HUD’s plan could negatively impact the lives of millions of children.” Nikitra Bailey, an executive vice president with the Center for Responsible Lending, also spoke out about HUD’s troubling actions against fair housing. “The 2015 AFFH rule was designed to address the impact of residential segregation and the harmful inequities that result from the discrimination behind it. Discrimination in housing is not a thing of the past, it is ongoing and real,” Bailey noted. “[L]ow-income communities and communities of color now more than ever need the government to provide them with critical tools to
combat discrimination in housing and the insidious harms that result. Instead, we’ve seen HUD, under the current Administration, do the opposite.” Hannah Matthews, deputy executive director for policy with the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), a national, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization advancing policy solutions for low-income people pointedly summarized the budget proposal. “The roadmap laid out in the administration’s budget proposal is not a viable path forward,” Matthews said. “Instead, we need a federal budget that invests in America’s future. We need investments that reduce poverty, promote economic opportunity, and reduce racial and ethnic disparities.” WI
to the billionaires and the corporations? The problem with the moderate, “electable” guys is that their solutions only offer a return to the unsatisfactory, pre-Trump, status quo. The energized, white-right is clearly invested, all-in on Trumpism, and that’s OK with the average squares, as long as their 401(k) accounts are performing well, and the guys on Wall Street are happy. Whether they know it or not, Black folks are central in this conversation. If Bernie is the nominee and there’s a chance that problems might be solved in radically different ways than before. The other candidates will simply vie with The Donald (probably unsuccessfully) in order to restore things back the way they were. There is no reason for Black folks to engage, if the best outcome from a Democratic electoral victory would be a sigh of relief so we could get back to the school-to-prison pipeline, get back to job discrimina-
tion, get back to redlining/and/or/gentrification, get back to business as usual. If that’s the best-case scenario, versus more-of-the-same Trumpism, then I don’t see what interest Black voters have in getting involved on either side, wasting our hopes and expectations on more of the same, at best. Bernie is electable if all the Democratic also-rans worked half as hard to help him defeat Trump (if that’s their agenda) as they would have worked if they had been the nominee! In order to defeat the already-cheating Republicans, Democrats will need massive, massive everything in 2020. They’ll need get-out-the-vote efforts, as well as campaigns to fight GOP voter suppression, intimidation and everything else you can think of. But remember: Half the eligible don’t register. Half the registered don’t vote. All hands on deck — if there’s something worth voting for. WI
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