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