WINNER OF FIVE SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISTS D.C. AWARDS Cicely Tyson, Film and Stage Legend, Dies at 96 Page 42 Vol. 56, No. 16 • February 4 - 10, 2021
Federal Government Looks at Curbing White Domestic Terror Groups after Coup Attempt
WINTER WONDERLAND
Barrington M. Salmon Special to The Informer
5 The Washington DC Snowball Fight Association held its first snowball fight in over two years on Sunday, Jan. 31, near the Smithsonian Castle in Southwest after several inches of snow fell over the weekend. (Anthony Tilghman/The Washington Informer)
The Jan.6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol came as no surprise to domestic terror experts and others who have been tracking the activities and the alarming growth of white nationalist, extremist organizations and individuals for more than a decade. In the days and weeks since the coup attempt, what’s becoming clearer are the links between the far-right insurrectionists and former President Donald Trump, his inner circle and administration agencies; the involvement of Republican Congressional
lawmakers and their aides; and the money that flowed from dark money sources, conservative groups and individuals. What we’re seeing, said domestic terrorism expert Michael German, is a culmination of years of America generally – and law enforcement and the federal government specifically – ignoring or sidestepping what is widely regarded as the greatest domestic threat to the United States. “For 10 years, law enforcement has underplayed the violence from domestic terrorists even though the level of violence we’ve seen is much high-
TERRORISTS Page 46
Post-COVID-19 Recovery Can be a Long and Winding Road
Scheduled Return to In-Person Learning Shrouded in Doubt
Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer
Sam P.K. Collins WI Contributing Writer
Safety Issues Pit Many Teachers and Officials at Opposite Ends of the Spectrum
Long Virus COVID Sufferers Face Unexpected and Often Fatal Challenges Chavez Adams, an otherwise healthy, 29-year-old lawyer, overcame a mild bout of COVID-19. Or so he thought. After a two-week quarantine, Chavez thought he was in the clear, but the battle was far from over. A newlywed, Chavez began experiencing fever and chills – symptoms that sent him scurrying to an urgent care facility. Once there, doctors told Chavez
about distinctive hazy patches on his lungs, presumably a result of his battle with COVID-19. An elevated heart rate, along with the alarming discovery on his lungs, landed Chavez back in the hospital, where he went into cardiogenic shock, a rare but often fatal condition in which the heart can’t pump enough blood. After implanting an Impella CP heart pump into Chavez, his heart eventually returned to normal func-
POST COVID Page 20
5 DCPS Chancellor Lewis Ferebee in a classroom at Bell Multicultural High School in Northwest on Tuesday, Feb.2. (Shevry Lassiter/The Washington Informer)
For months, D.C. Public Schools [DCPS] and the Washington Teachers’ Union [WTU] have clashed over whether thousands of students would return to in-person learning in the midst of the pandemic. The battle continued on Tuesday, Feb. 2 upon the reopening of the District’s public schools for Term 3 and the filing of an injunction by the D.C. government to prevent teachers from engaging in a strike and other activities
that would complicate DCPS’ plans. “The well-being of all school staff and students is of the utmost importance,” WTU President Elizabeth Davis said in a statement confirming that she urged every teacher to return to in-person learning. “That said, if the District of Columbia Public Schools continues to refuse to work with us to ensure the safety of our school facilities, we must continue to discuss ways to protect our health and that of our students. That would
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Women the Cycle of wi hotBreak topics Domestic Violence Trayon White Calls for State DC and Maryland Theater
of Emergency on law Crime andShe saidGroups enforcement. they threat,” Receive she said. Grant Funding had come together to bring a Among the programs Marlow Violence sense of uniformity in the way see implemented are Six areawants theatertogroups in
By Tia Carol Jones WI Staff Writer
When L.Y. Marlow's 23-year- domestic violence victimstheand stricter District andrestraining Maryland order policies, old daughter told her the father survivors are treated. more rights forThe victim's families will receive grants from of her daughter threatened her “She's using her own personal to Fund, intervene on fibehalf of a vicBlack Seed giving life, and the life of their child, story, her own personal pain to assistance tim, a domestic nancial to nearlyviolence assessshe knew something had to be push forward,” Davis-Nickens ment unit coupled with further 100 arts organizations nadone. Out of her frustration said about Marlow. forgrants law enforcement tionwide.training Receiving with law enforcement's handling Davis-Nickens said anyone agencies, a Child's the District are DC Life Protecof the situation, she decided to who reads Marlow's bookinwill tion Act and mandatory counselTheatre Arts Collaborative start the Saving Promise cam- “get it.” She said she “puts the ing for batterers. operating under the monpaign. case in such a way, the average “If we are ever going to eradiAnacostia Playhouse, “It seems to be a vicious cycle person can get it.” She said iker at the cate domestic violence, we must August Wilson Society, Essential Theater and that won't turn my family end of the day, the bookthewill look at both sides of the coin. Theater In Maryland, two theater loose,” Marlow said. Marlow help people begin to have a dia- Alliance We needoftoDC. address both the viccompanies receiving grants are Dynamite shared her story with the audi- logue about domestic violence. tim and the batterer,” Marlow Productions in College Park and ArtsCentric in Reisence at the District Heights the event was said. 5 Trayon White represents Ward 8 on theAlso D.C.present Council.at(WI terstown near Baltimore. Grants Domestic Violence Symposium Mildred Muhammad, the exMarlow would also like range to see between File Photo) $10,000 to $150,000. on May 7 at the District Heights wife of John Allen Muhammad, programs designed to raise Launched in October 2020, The Black Municipal The sympo- Trayon Ward 8Center. D.C. Councilmember has requestwhoWhite was sentenced to six consecawareness among children in Seed is out of the Billie Holiday Theatre in Brooklyn, N.Y. sium wasMayor sponsored by thedeclare ed D.C. Muriel Bowser a state of emergency utive life terms without parole public and private schools. She Three Family and due Youth in the District to theServices escalating homicide rate, especially by a Maryland jury for his role in other feelsBlack-led childrentheatre need toinstitutions be educat-are a part of The Seed,domestic includingviolence. the CRAFT Institute Center of the city of District the Beltway Sniper attacks in Black in his jurisdiction. ed about Heights Hookin Massachusetts, Plowshares Company in 2002. Mildred is “We have to stopTheatre being pas“Weand havethetoNational declare an emergency when it comesMuhammad to Upcrime of Black Women. White said on the Detroit and WACO Theater in Los AngeAfter the Trauma, sive-aggressive with Center poor chiland violence,” Jan.founder 29 at theofR.I.S.E. Marlow has written a Ward book, 8 before an organization Demonstration Center in a gathering ofthat 30 helpsles.the dren about domestic violence,” “Color Me Butterfly,” which is a survivors of domestic "We areMarlow excitedsaid. to announce we are recipients of people. “We are burying our children. Something has to be violence story generations and theirand children. Marlow worked breakArts ColThe Black Seed Granthas under DC to Theatre doneabout aboutfour the record numberofof shootings homicide domestic violence. The book is “I lived in fear for six years. Six the of abuse her family, laborative alsocycle known as thein Anacostia Playhouse,” in the District.” inspired by her owncomes experiences, years have in fear is aplace long time.said It isStephaw and isP. confident policies she director Stephens the (above), artistic White’s request as 17 homicides taken and those of her grandmother, an easy thingthis to comeat out is pushing for “Thank will start Anacostia Playhouse. you that so much to in the District as of Feb. 3, the samenot number reported hertime mother and her daughter. of,” she said. process. The Black Seed for this opportunity." last year. The councilmember wants the mayor to set She every time she reads Mildred said “I plan to take these to strategy "This is the first iteration in apolicies long-term up said a commission to address the gun violence in theMuhammad city. excerpts from her book, she still people who want to help a company." Congress and implore them to for the The commission would consist of representatives from can not believe the words came domestic violence victim must change laws,” said. cohort, The Black Seedour Fund is a Marlow philanthropic various sectors of the District and would have no more than from her. “Color Me Butterfly” be careful of how they gowith into “I will not stop until these polia lead gift of $5 million from the Andrew W. 30 days to “develop a set of recommendations which can won the 2007 National “Best the victim's life, and understand cies are passed.” Mellon Foundation. Other funding partners are quickly be acted upon.” Books” Award. that she may be in “survival Tia Carol Jones can beDuke reached Bloomberg Philanthropies, Doris Charitable White said the solution to the homicide problem lies not “I was just 16-years-old when mode”. at tiacaroljones@sbcglobal.net Foundation, the Ford Foundation, Howard Gilthe mayor department but mywith eye“politicians, first blackened and or mythe police “Before you get to 'I'm man goingFoundation, and the New York Community the community.” lipswith bled,” Marlow said. to kill you,' it started as a verbal Trust. The WI Black Seed has a three-year initiative “Too often, what has become Elaine Davis-Nickens, presi- normal has been desensiwith a $10 million fundraising goal from private, tized,” he said. “Bad things happen when good people do dent of the National Hook-Up public, and individual donors. nothing.” of Black Women, said there is no consistency in the way domestic violence issues are dealt with by
“
We have to stop being
Union for U.S. Capitol Police Officers passive-aggressive with poor Schedules No-confidence Vote
The union for U.S. Capitol police officers [USCP] children about domestic will hold a ‘no-confidence’ vote for three top leaders in charge during the Capitol riots. violence. ITheplan take these vote will to be open for 24 hours starting Thursday, Feb. 4. The vote Acting Chief Yoganada policies to targets Congress and Pittman, Assistant Chief Chad B. Thomas and Acting AssisChief Sean Gallagher. implore tant them change our In a memoto to members, the union said the vote is not a decision taken lightly, but systemic failures be addressed leadership. Officers laws. can’t I will notwithout stopnewuntil have said that they felt abandoned and betrayed by department’s leadership. thesethepolicies are passed.
“
SOMETHING NEW EVERYDAY
COMPILED BY D. KEVIN MCNEIR, WI EDITOR, WILLIAM J. FORD AND JAMES WRIGHT, WI STAFF WRITERS
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L.Y. Marlow
Ex-Legislators Reflect on D.C. Council Tenure By James Wright WI Staff Writer
Former D.C. councilmembers may no longer sit on the dais grappling with the issues plaguing the city but they have strong views on the District government’s impact and how the legislative body should be changed. On Jan. 2, David Grosso, an independent and Democrat Brandon Todd officially left their jobs as members of the District’s legislative body, replaced by D.C. Councilmembers Christina Henderson (IAt Large) and Janeese Lewis George (D-Ward 4). Todd shortly joined Washington Gas as its director of corporate policy. In a final message to Ward 4 residents, Todd thanked them for the chance to serve from 2015-2021. “These last five and a half years, we have accomplished so much together,” he said in his Jan. 1 e-newsletter. “We have invested over $800 million to modernize Ward 4 schools, delivered over 1,000 new units of affordable housing with another 1,000 in the pipeline, paved over 50 miles of new roadway, and have streamlined government services for residents across all 20 neighborhoods. But I know none of this would have been possible without your tireless work, support and advocacy—and I am deeply grateful for it.” Grosso works as a partner with the D.C. office of Arent Fox, a national law firm, advising clients in the real estate, hospitality, education, health care, arts and cannabis industries. Arent Fox even sponsored a “Previewing the 2021 Council Session with Partner David P. Grosso” on Jan. 14, in which Grosso spoke about the issues facing the legislature and how residents can make their concerns known to his former colleagues. However, while Grosso said he had no problem talking about the council, he stressed his transition to the private sector as the next step in his life. “Working in the private sector is a different world,” Grosso said. “Before I was elected to the council in 2012, I worked for Councilmember Sharon Ambrose and D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton. I had the chance to really see how legislating works. Now, I am happy working
for a law firm that has deep roots in city issues. My firm is committed to making Washington a greater city. I am getting to use to private life.” Grosso and Todd have joined an informal club of former D.C. councilmembers. Their ranks include Democrat Arrington Dixon, who became the first Ward 4 D.C. councilmember, serving from 1975 to 1979, was the second chairman of the council from 1979-1983 and had a short stint in 1997 as a Democratic at-large member. Other noted contemporary former councilmembers include Linda Cropp, a 1991-1997 Democrat atlarge member and chairman from 1997 to 2007; Carol Schwartz, a Republican at-large member from 1985 to 1989 and 1997 to 2009; Vincent Orange, Ward 5 Democrat from 1999 to 2007 and 2011 to 2016; Democrat Kwame Brown, at-large member 2005-2010 and 2011-2012 chairman and David Catania, at-large Republican and independent 1997-2015. Democrat Sekou Biddle served the shortest term on the council as an at-large member in 2011 from January to May. Jack Evans has logged the most years as a councilmember, representing Ward 2 from 1991 to 2020 as a Democrat. Grosso said during his tenure his achievements included securing more school funding, working to ban dubious suspensions and disciplinary measures he said hurt Black students more than whites, promoting ethics and public financing of campaigns and supporting universal paid leave for District workers. Grosso also expressed satisfaction in obtaining more funding for the arts and humanities. Like Grosso, former D.C. Councilmember Sandy Allen-- who served as a Democrat representing Ward 8 from 1996-2005—said she has benefitted from her council tenure. “As a former member of the council, I understand the real legislative process and I am able to help others with the knowledge I have,” Allen said. Grosso and Allen say some changes should be made to the council to reflect the growth of the city and the people who reside in it. Grosso said he authored a bill changing the council’s structure from unicameral to a bicameral legislature while Al-
AROUND THE REGION
len suggests personal relationships among present lawmakers could improve. “We need to have a bigger body with more representation for residents,” Grosso said. “With a bicameral body, we can have one chamber focusing on the budget and the other on oversight of the government. Plus, I would like to see the council committees professionalized and not so dependent on politics.” Allen said she thinks the council should pay more attention to poorer residents in its legislating. In addition, civility should be practiced among councilmembers, she said.
“When I was on the council, we were all friends,” she said. “We argued and disagreed on issues and policies but we had a better camaraderie from what I see now.” Some political observers speculate that Grosso may run for chairman of the council in 2022. However, he dismisses the notion. “I will not seek public office in the future,” he said. “I leave that to Christina Henderson. She is smart and talented and I look forward to her being Mayor Henderson someday.” WI @JamesDCWrighter 4 David Grosso (WI File Photo/Roy Lewis)
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black facts
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1794 – The first Black Methodist Episcopal church in America is founded in Philadelphia. 1913 – Rosa Parks, the "first lady of civil rights," is born in Tuskegee, Alabama. 2006 – NFL great Warren Moon becomes the first Black quarterback inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. 2007 – Tony Dungy becomes the first African-American head coach to win the Super Bowl when his Indianapolis Colts defeat the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XLI.
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1934 – Baseball legend Hank Aaron is born in Mobile, Alabama. 1972 – Bob Douglas, "the father of Black professional basketball," becomes the first African-American elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame. 1990 – Barack Obama becomes the first Black elected to Head Harvard's Law Review. 1994 – Avowed white supremacist Byron de la Beckwith is convicted of murdering civil rights activist Medgar Evers in 1963.
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1933 – Walter E. Fauntroy, longtime former delegate to the U.S. Congress and former pastor of the New Bethel Baptist Church in the District, is born in D.C. 1945 – Reggae music icon Bob Marley (right), is born in Jamaica's Saint Ann Parish. 1993 – Tennis great Arthur Ashe dies in New York City from AIDS-related pneumonia at age 49.
FEB. 7
1965 – Comedian and actor Chris Rock is born in Andrews, South Carolina. 1991 – Jean-Bertrand Aristide takes the oath of office as Haiti's first democratically elected president.
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1944 – Harry S. McAlpin becomes the first African-American journalist admitted to a White House press conference. 1986 – Oprah Winfrey becomes the first African-American woman to host a nationally syndicated talk show.
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1944 – Writer Alice Walker (top), author of "The Color Purple," is born in Putnam County, Georgia. 1965 – Martin Luther King Jr. meets with President Lyndon Johnson to discuss black voting rights. 1971 – Pitcher Leroy "Satchel" Paige becomes the first Negro League veteran to be nominated for the Baseball Hall of Fame. 1995 – Bernard Harris becomes the first black astronaut to walk in space.
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1927 – World renowned opera singer Leontyne Price is born in Laurel, Mississippi. 1939 – Singer Roberta Flack is born in Black Mountain, North Carolina. 1992 – Author Alex Haley of "Roots" dies in Seattle of a heart attack at 70. WI
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What a ride we had with Cicely Tyson. Oh, how I loved her as an actress. May she rest with the Lord.
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As a proud, card-carrying member of the Black Press for more than 25 years, I have grown to both love and abhor the arrival of February when America, perhaps in an act of penance, holds its annual “lovefest” known as Black History Month. As much as I long to review the annals of African-American contributions, sacrifices and the achievement of “firsts” secured despite overwhelming odds, I still lament the fact that the Black community, for the most part, knows but a small portion of our actual, true, collective history. We are the progeny of a people whose origins and story began on the other side of the world in a place called Africa before our ancestors and therefore our saga, would be forced to reconfigure ourselves and itself in a strange and often frightening new land. Yet, we tend to view the Motherland much like the ancestors of the white “businessmen” who first kidnapped us, destroyed our families, treated us like animals and forced us to work in the industry of chattel slavery. Many of us have willingly embraced tales of Tarzan which only reinforced the so-called superiority of the whiteskinned, all-knowing savior – much to our detriment. False narratives written by those with pale skin, peaked noses, eyes of blue and green and heads adorned
with waves of blond became the norm, serving as the predominant, if not sole foundation of our reconstructed history. These stories asserted that we were “less than,” backwards, inferior, without education, without governments, without positive family structures, lacking any semblance of religion, architecture, philosophy, theology or medical prowess – strangers to both agriculturally- or economically-based ingenuity. All of this, however, has been nothing more than a carefully-constructed lie. Even more, while whites knew and continue to know that they have been ingeniously forcing us to ingest, digest and regurgitate ugly, distorted images that caused Blacks to eventually believe in our own inferiority, four centuries later, many African Americans have yet to awaken from this nightmare. So, while we can rattle off the names of a few “acceptable” Blacks – Martin, Malcolm, Sojourner, Harriet and Thurgood, for example – we do not know the fuller story – the real deal. Even more, I fear that we have little interest in discovering the truth – a path toward knowledge that will be painful, arduous and which will require us to give up “histories” with which many of our people seem to have grown “comfortable.” This is the reality that we continue to swallow hook, line and sinker. In other words, Black history remains an epic saga whose truth remains untold, unknown – and therefore impossible to pass down to subsequent generations. The story that we know, at least many of us, is no more than a lie, conceived and constructed with Rich In Vitamin C
ulterior motives, holding an entire race in chains even when the actual chains have long been removed. And so, we have evolved with a narrative that still defines a once-mighty race, stripped of its lineage – beautiful and distinguished by our many “shades of Black” that adorn our skin – hues of Black which grow with intensity in the sunlight bearing colors reminiscent of God’s complete garden of caramel, cocoa, copper, bronze and midnight-blue. I have been a writer for the Black press for more than 25 years and I continue to serve because I know that the work is still incomplete – that the story, our history, has huge empty spaces and places that must be filled in so that we can regain the pride that was once commonplace. Once upon a time, people who did not look like us, who did not live like us, who did not dream like us or believe in the world like us, realized that we were a superior people – a learned community – and they envied us and all that we had accomplished. I would like to think that we would have shared what we knew with “them” and that the world would be a better place today – a kinder world, a safer world, a cleaner world. But in the pursuit of dominance and privilege, humanity has taken giant steps backwards. And we have suffered. It’s Black History Month. Read, listen, reflect, question, surmise and reach a new and different history – then share that truth with others whose only “sin” has been, for hundreds if not thousands of years, that we were a people of a different color. WI
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Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
Superstars Stephanie Mills, Doug E. Fresh, Cupid and Miki Howard put an exclamation mark on a successful, inspiring, and informative National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) Midwinter Training Conference. The virtual event concluded Friday evening, Jan. 29, with NNPA Chair Karen Carter Richards, and NNPA President and CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., honoring San Diego Voice & Viewpoint Publisher, Dr. John Warren, with the NNPA’s Lifetime Achievement Award. “I am deeply humbled with this award and what it represents coming from those I have grown to love and respect over these decades,” Dr. Warren stated. “I see the Black Press as a sacred trust, and I am glad to be both a part of its 194-year history and future now being made.” For more than five decades, The San Diego Voice & Viewpoint has faithfully reported on news from an African American perspective and the Black communities of San Diego County, from small church gatherings to major political campaigns. As San Diego’s largest African American publication, the Voice & Viewpoint contains features that have highlighted people and events more comprehensively. With the theme: “Black Press of America: Challenges, Responsibilities, and Opportunities Amidst COVID-19 Pandemic,” the conference was backed by NNPA partners that included General Motors, Pfizer Rare Disease, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Reynolds American (RAI). Conference sponsors included AARP, Wells Fargo, American Petroleum Institute (API), Facebook, Zillow, Nissan, UAW, and Zenger News. Open to the public at no charge, the two-day virtual event kicked off on Thursday, Jan. 28, with greetings from NNPA Chair and Houston Forward Times Publisher Karen Carter Richards. Terry Jones, the publisher of Data News Weekly in New Orleans and the NNPA Convention Planning
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Committee Chair, followed Carter Richards with remarks. Pluria Marshall Jr., the NNPA Fund Chair and Publisher of The Wave Community Newspapers in California, and Dr. Chavis also provided opening comments. Wells Fargo presented a dynamic and informative session on “How to Adapt and Rebuild Your Small Business During COVID-19.” With Covid-19 still raging, conference attendees heard a vital message from Dr. Leandris Liburd, the associated director of the Office of Minority Health and Health Equity for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). “The CDC is working hard to address increasing Covid-19 health disparities,” Dr. Liburd proclaimed. “The population health impact of Covid-19 has exposed decades, if not centuries, of inequities that have undermined the physical, social, material and emotional health of the racial minority population.” To accelerate progress toward reducing Covid-19 disparities, the CDC has established a unit whose sole focus is to identify and address health disparities, Dr. Liburd remarked. She added that long-standing systemic health and social inequities had put many from racial and ethnic minority groups at risk of dying from the coronavirus. “Comprehensive interventions are needed that are tailored to address the unique circumstances of those at high risk,” Dr. Liburd stated during a session titled “COVID-19 Pandemic and Black America.” Michael R. Grant, the founder
of “Get Current Studio,” an African American owned digital design and strategic technology development business in Menlo Park, Calif., implored Black newspaper publishers to follow more smartly the trend toward digital advertising. “I love the Black Press, and I know you can do better,” Grant proposed during a segment titled “Overview of 2021 and the National Advertising Market Demands in the United States: The Trends Toward Digital Advertising.” Grant currently is a teacher and training “Fellow” for the Google News Lab. The conference also featured a workshop titled “Digital Transformation Revenue Generation: The Washington Post Case Study,” and Pfizer Rare Disease’s presentation on “Heart Disease and Black America.” During that presentation, NBA legend and former Houston Rockets and New York Knicks Coach Don Chaney stated. Chaney is currently battling transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM), a rare form of heart disease that primarily affects Black people. Pfizer Rare Disease has prioritized educating the African American community-at-large about ATTR-CM, a rare form of heart disease that primarily affects Black people. The pharmaceutical giant has enjoyed a long-standing partnership with the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA). Together, the organizations have worked to address and raise awareness about ATTR-CM and other rare diseases.
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“This is a rare disease that mimics heart failure and, if it goes unattended or undiagnosed, it can be fatal,” Chaney remarked. “It can affect the heart, nerves, and different tissues in the body. You have to get treatment and medication as soon as possible, and I speak with my cardiologist all of the time.” The conference featured dynamic performances, including Doug E. Fresh, who performed an array of hits including “The Show,” and Cupid, who rocked
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out to “The Cupid Shuffle.” Hitmaker and songstress Stephanie Mills performed “Never Knew Love Like This Before,” “The Power of Love,” and “I Feel Good (All Over),” while Miki Howard closed out the entertainment with hits like “Love Under New Management,” and “Come Share My Love.” View the conference at www.virtualnnpa2021.com. WI @StacyBrownMedia
FEBRUARY 4 - 10, 2021 9
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WORDS TO LIVE BY “Our mothers and grandmothers have, more often than not anonymously, handed on the creative spark, the seed of the flower they themselves never hoped to see; or like a sealed letter they could not plainly read.”
– Alice Walker
“In Search of Our Mothers’ Gardens” [1974]. Alice Malsenior Tallulah-Kate Walker, born Feb. 9, 1944 in Eatonton, Ga., is an American novelist, short story writer, poet and social activist. In 1982, she published the novel “The Color Purple,” for which she won the National Book Award for hardcover fiction and the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.
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New CORE Office to Fight Racial Disparities in the District James Wright WI Staff Writer The District’s new office of racial equity, CORE (Council on Racial Equity) is being set up as a change maker to level the playing field between whites and people of color in the city in public policy and daily life and residents. “Our main responsibility is to normalize, operationalize and organize around racial equity,” Dr. Brian McClure, the director of CORE, said. “The outcome is to achieve racial equity in the District.” CORE serves as a product of D.C. Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie’s (D-Ward 5), Racial Equity Achieves Results Act of 2020. The office started operating on Jan. 18, the day of observance of Dr. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who advocated and preached for equity. McClure and his staff of four are to make sure the goal of racial equity is pursued. Under the law, the office is to be the advocate for equity among racial groups in the city. “There needs to be a tool to explain the racial disparities in the District,” McClure said. “The government plays a role in creating and perpetuating those racial disparities and it should be the entity to dismantle them.” The District’s population stands at 46 percent Black and about 38 percent white, according to 2019 census data. However, according to the 2015-2019 American Community Survey focusing on the District: • The Black homeownership rate stands at 35 percent compared to 50 percent for whites; • The poverty rate for Blacks comes out to 26 percent in contrast to six percent for whites; • The dimensions of poverty for Black children hover around 37 percent but for whites, only one percent; • The percent of adults age 25 and older without a high school diploma or GED lingers at 14 percent but whites, the rate comes out to one percent. Before becoming the director, McClure worked on the McDuffie staff, playing a key organizational role in the racial equity working group that grew into CORE. McClure said he understands
the history of Black progress in the District as far as education and economics throughout the years. Nevertheless, he says a problem of racial equity has long existed. “Even though D.C. use to be known as ‘Chocolate City’ and Blacks were doing very well in the years after the Civil Rights Movement, the disparities have grown since that time,” he said. He said presently about 26 percent of all District government contracts are allocated to Black-owned businesses and “the rest go to large companies.” “This is what we are working for in this office,” McClure said. “We want to see businesses owned by people of color to get a fair shot at government contracts.” Alfred Swailes, the owner of A &A Premium Paint Distribution, LLC and a leader in the D.C. Black Business Task Force which advocates for more government contracts for African American businesses, expressed support for the office. “That office will show and verify to government officials that there is a problem with Black businesses getting government contracts,” Swailes said. “I am also happy the office will chart the racial progress in government contracting. I hope it gets around to deal with remedies soon.” Jacque Patterson, a newly swornin at-large member of the D.C. State Board of Education, is the chief community engagement officer for KIPP DC, a group of charter schools in the city. Like Swailes, Patterson supports CORE.
CORE serves as a product of D.C. Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie’s (D-Ward 5), Racial Equity Achieves
“I feel like this office is long overdue,” Patterson said. “You have companies that do business with the city but don’t make an effort to hire District residents, especially those who are people of color.” Patterson said he got a sense of the passion that McDuffie had when the councilmember peppered him with questions about the redevelopment of KIPP DC’s of the Ferebee-Hope campus. “He asked us tough questions regarding KIPP DC’s hiring and contracting practices for our $90 million project,” he said. “McDuffie had every right to do that. Any businesses who want city contracts should have to answer those questions. CORE should definitely play a role in seeing racial equity happens in D.C.” WI @JamesDCWrighter 4 Dr. Brian McClure is the director of the Council Office on Racial Equity. (Courtesy Photo/Brian McClure)
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FEBRUARY 4 - 10, 2021 11
PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout in Schools Underway William J. Ford WI Staff Writer Amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Donna Thomas continues traveling to work daily from her home in Southeast D.C. to prepare student meals at Capitol Heights Elementary in Maryland. Although the cook of 28 years at Capitol Heights isn’t fond of taking many medications, she wants to take the COVID-19 vaccine.
“I love the kids. I want to do what’s right,” Thomas, 58, said. “I don’t want to catch COVID. It’s killing a whole bunch of people.” Thomas plans to make an appointment as part of Prince George’s County public school employees vaccine rollout plan to administer the required two doses to its 22,000 employees. PG Schools CEO Monica Goldson joined the 1,400 scheduled for inoculations Jan. 30-31
at the Wayne K. Curry Sports and Learning Center in Landover. Although a pending snowstorm hit the D.C. region Sunday, Jan. 31, the center opened for employees who pre-registered to still receive a vaccine. School system support staff can set up appointments to receive the vaccine this week at the Kaiser Permanente Lanham Rehabilitation Center. Other public school systems in the region hosted vaccination clinics during the weekend. In Virginia, Gov. Ralph Northam visited the clinic in Prince William County Saturday where 2,400 staff members planned to receive a shot. International chef Jose Andres and his World Central Kitchen organization provided meals in the District for teachers where nearly 3,000 were vaccinated. Back in Prince George’s County, the goal is to complete the vaccine rollout no later than March 27. Goldson said the school system would have a better assessment on its plan to resume in-person learning in the middle of February. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan announced Jan. 21 for all school
5 Prince George’s County Public Schools CEO Monica Goldson, left, receives a COVID-19 vaccine Jan. 30 at the Wayne K. Curry Sports and Learning Center in Landover. (Photo courtesy of PGCPS)
systems to resume some form of in-person instruction March 1. “The governor does not have the right to do that,” said Theresa Mitchell Dudley, president of the county’s Educators’ Association who also received a shot Saturday. “He’s wrong and I think Dr. Goldson is doing the right job and we’re going to stand behind her
Maryland Medical Experts Provide COVID-19 Advice By William J. Ford WI Staff Writer Del. Joseline Peña-Melnyk has become known as a healthcare advocate and expert in Annapolis but the ongoing coronavirus pandemic has affected her personally with the death of her father, cousin and four close
(Courtesy photo)
12 - FEBRUARY 4 - 10, 2021
friends. Peña-Melnyk, who received the COVID-19 vaccine last week, moderated a virtual townhall Monday, Feb. 1 to reinforce the important in battling a virus that has killed about 7,000 Marylanders that include more than 1,200 in Prince George’s County. “This is not just for us [but] our
families as well,” said Peña-Melnyk (D-District 21) of College Park. “We know we have a lot of health care disparities in our Black and brown communities. We need to provide this information so that people can make the decision whether to get a vaccine or not.” Three doctors associated with the University of Maryland discussed the COVID-19 vaccine, its effect on underserved communities and how data collected won’t require a person’s immigration status. Being in the healthcare field, all three also received two doses of the vaccine developed by Pfizer and Moderna. “I felt grateful and relieved because I have my 80-year-old mother who lives with me,” said Milagritos Tapia, a pediatric professor and a pediatric disease infectious specialist. “Working on these vaccine trials these last [several] months I’ve interacted with many more people than I would’ve otherwise had if I had not been in-
volved in that work.” Racial disparities have become apparent in the distribution of the vaccine. Prior to the town hall, Peña-Melnyk said only 15 percent of Blacks and 3 percent of Latinos have been vaccinated so far. The state of Maryland’s Black population currently sits at 31 percent and the Latino population at 15 percent. The majority Black jurisdiction of Prince George’s continues to record the highest number of confirmed coronavirus cases with more than 68,000. It also houses the highest number of cases based on zip cope at 20783, which include immigrants in Langley Park, Hyattsville and Chillum. “Why is it that Black and brown people have taken the brunt of this disease?” Peña-Melnyk said. There’s more than one answer, said Stacy Garrett-Ray, a certified family physician who also serves as
ADVICE Page 42
and work with her to open our schools, but only when it’s safe.” According to state law, public schools can assess its school calendars and when to reopen schools. Although some smaller school systems in Maryland have conducted a mixture of in-person and virtual learning, some of the bigger systems in the D.C. and Baltimore areas haven’t opened their buildings for students since the pandemic affected the state last March. The state could increase its daily dosage beyond 20,000 thanks to the Federal Emergency Management Agency providing $219 million toward COVID-19 relief efforts. Money will go toward operating six mass vaccination sites that include Six Flags America in Upper Marlboro. Kristina Westin, a music teacher at Templeton Elementary in Riverdale, said schools can reopen for in-person instruction if the majority of teachers are vaccinated. In addition, she said a plan must be implemented to assess when students leave their classrooms and walk in the hallway, when to eat lunch and bus dismissal. “I think the plan would be better [to reopen the buildings next school year], but there would have to be a lot of hard thinking to get back in the building…by the end of this year,” Westin, of Silver Spring, said after receiving a vaccine. “I would love to be back in the building with our students, but my school has 1,000 students and we are bursting at the seams.” WI
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PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY
Police Reform Still Pushed in Maryland
William J. Ford WI Staff Writer
Although the ongoing coronavirus pandemic remains the most pressing battle to fight in the country, police reform still a major topic in Maryland. Two bills proposed by Del. Gabriel Acevero (D-Montgomery County) are scheduled for public hearings Tuesday, Feb. 9 focused on restructuring the state’s public information act and repealing the Law Enforcement Officers’ Bill of Rights (LEOBR). “If we fail to pass meaningful police transparency and accountability legislation, the blame falls squarely at the feet of Democrats who hold a super-majority in both the House and the Senate,” he said. “My party often acknowledges the importance of Black women and Black voters. I am here to say that Black people’s love language is policy. We have to be committed to the policies that are rooted in our communities.”
Acevero will reintroduce “Anton’s Law,” named after Anton Black, a 19-year-old Black man from the Eastern Shore who died in 2018 in police custody. The bill would ensure the state’s public information act allows public access to related to a police investigation and previous complaints made against an officer. The most controversial bill in Annapolis remains the LEOBR, which grants officers due process during investigations and allows them up to five days to receive counsel and be interrogated for an alleged offense. Supporters say the statute, enacted in 1974, was the first in the nation to give police broad protections. Opponents say it strips police of accountability while supporters insist complete repeal would undo a uniform, statewide system and create individual regulations for the 148 law enforcement agencies in Maryland. Then-Del. Michael Jackson, who got sworn-in last month as a
state senator, said during a House work session in August an officer’s role has constantly changed. However, he said collaboration with all parties must happen. “To say that we to totally repeal any existing policy in any entity might be met with some resistance, said Jackson, a former Prince George’s County sheriff. “I’m certain we can work together toward some things down and necessary for the betterment of all Marylanders.” Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City) said during a virtual press briefing Friday, Jan. 29 the right people are in place this session to ensure police reform gets done. “I suspect we’re going to see a repeal of the Law Enforcement [Officers’] Bill of Rights, but that can’t be all that we do,” he said. “It has to be a robust package that is truly focused on civilian oversight, trust and transparency.” Ferguson and House Speaker Adrienne Jones made police re-
Prince George's Countyu Library System Showcasing Black History Month Programs By William J. Ford WI Staff Writer The 19 Prince George’s County libraries have been closed since
the coronavirus pandemic hit the jurisdiction last March, but programs and activities have still been going on. The county’s library system has
5 Largo-Kettering Branch remains one of the nearly two dozen libraries closed to the public in Prince George’s County, but virtual programs and activities and programs still go on. (William J. Ford/The Washington Informer)
produced and conducted more than 1,000 virtual programs and organized 37,000 curbside appointments for residents to pick up books. “It is a struggle, but we are having a good time,” said Roberta Phillips, CEO of the library system. “Our team at PGCMLS has really risen to this occasion.” This year marks the first-time libraries will exclusively host virtual programs for Black History Month that can be viewed at https://ww1. pgcmls.info/black-heritage. Three major events for adults in February will feature the following: • 7 p.m. Feb. 9: Jemar Tisby, an award-winning author of the book “The Color of Compromise,” will discuss how to fight racism. • 7 p.m. Feb. 11: Leonard Pitts Jr., a Pulitzer Prize winning columnist and author to discuss Black voter engagement. • 7 p.m. Feb. 17: Anna Malai-
LIBRARY Page 17
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5 Del. Gabriel Acevero (D-Montgomery County) (Courtesy photo)
form one of the legislature’s top priorities with more than a dozen recommendations proposed for the 90-day session. Discussion of the matter got underway after the Memorial Day police-involved killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. His death sparked international protests against police brutality and racism. Some state and local officials passed and continue to review changes in law enforcement policies. Maryland lawmakers held lengthy public hearings and work sessions last year on proposed police reform legislation, including limiting law enforcement agencies to purchase military-style equipment, eliminating no-knock warrants and establishing an obligation for police to intervene when witnessing wrongdoing or other misconduct.
‘COPS IN SCHOOLS’
Anothr police reform item deals with school resource officers (SROs), which some education and criminal justice advocates pushed under the mantra of “No Cops in Schools.” Prince George’s County public schools CEO Monica Goldson released her recommendations last month on SROs. The suggestions, coinciding with a county police task force report, include: • Invest in mental health programs and restorative practices to
reduce student discipline. • Annually publish safety data on the school system’s website. • Continue working on crisis prevention strategies with the county department of social services and state’s attorney office. About 13,000 people participated in a survey conducted between Dec. 8 and Jan. 8 that showed the majority support SROs in the schools. Of those surveyed, 94 percent support additional training for SROs to help de-escalate incidents; 92 percent said an interaction with SROs “was positive” ; and 70 percent agree they “build positive relationships with the school community. About 45 percent of the respondents noted support for the role of sworn peace officers in the school community as a teacher or schoolbased staff member. Another 39 percent either a parent or guardian and 13 percent as students. The state passed a school safety act that requires public high schools to have either a school resource officer or “adequate law enforcement coverage” and specialized instruction through the Maryland Police Training and Standards. Prince George’s County government entered contract agreements with the county police department and three municipal departments in Bowie, Greenbelt and Hyatts-
REFORM Page 52 FEBRUARY 4 - 10, 2021 13
BUSINESS New District Funding Source for Non-Profits Opens First Grant Proposal Process
Diverse Women’s Group Looks to Make a Positive Impact Brenda C. Siler WI Contributing Writer A new grant proposal process was launched on Jan. 26, by IMPACT100 DC, the local chapter of a nationwide coalition that desires to leave its mark on communities by providing funding to nonprofit organizations in the District of Columbia. “This is such an exciting moment for IMPACT100 DC. We are ready
to roll up our sleeves and be about the essential work of this association,” said president Ann Vaughn who explained the organization began its work in August 2019 throughout the metro area. “We are proud to build an organization that reflects the diversity of the greater DC area and can help build bridges across the divides in our community.” At a “Big Reveal” event on Jan. 26, IMPACT100 DC announced
5 Board members and members-at-large at the Big Reveal of their 2021 grant for $103,000. From left: Carole Mumin, member; Sharon Dennis, chair - Grants Committee; Katy Gathright, co-chair - Membership); Ellen Sivon, co-chair - Membership); Dorothy Durden, board secretary; Susan O’Neill, member; Dorothy Hsiao, member; and Jane Lyder, member. (Photo supplied by IMPACT100 DC)
that $103,000 will be distributed to a single 501c3 organization. The grant application is now open. Impact100 DC will consider grant applications from nonprofits in the District of Columbia, plus Montgomery, Prince Georges, Fairfax, and Arlington Counties, and the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, and Falls Church. Grants will be considered in five focus areas including arts & culture, education, environment, family, or health & wellness. The grant proposal deadline is March 8. An award of $103,000 will be giv-
en to an organization voted upon by the IMPACT100 DC membership, with priority consideration given to transformational projects that address disparate outcomes resulting from structural racism. The grant recipient will be announced in September 2021. Impact100 DC is an all-volunteer women’s philanthropic community with a mission of improving lives in the Greater Washington, D.C. area by collectively funding transformational grants to local nonprofit organizations. The Impact100 model was
created by Wendy Steele in 2001. Impact100 DC is part of a network of more than 60 chapters in the U.S. which have donated nearly $80 million to local causes. “We look forward to making a grant to an organization working to address unmet needs in our community, particularly those arising from systemic racism and structural inequity,” said Vaughn. To learn more about the grant application process with a proposal deadline of March 8, visit IMPACT100DC.org. WI
Pepco, Washington Interfaith Network Team Up for Jobs Initiative Hamil Harris WI Contributing Writer Pepco and the Washington Interfaith Network (WIN) have partnered to expand training, jobs and higher wages for District of Columbia residents. Pepco Holdings President and CEO Dave Velazquez, who joined WIN leaders and members of the D.C. Council to announce the partnership Thursday afternoon during a virtual press conference, said the program is most critical at this time. “Many families across our service area continue to struggle because of the effects of this pandemic,” Velazquez said. “I want everyone to know that our focus remains on keeping our customers connected. We want to work with every customer to establish payment arrangements if they need it, to provide energy assistance; as a company, we have donated millions of dollars to relief funds. … This partnership agreement we announced with WIN will help us even more.”
14 - FEBRUARY 4 - 10, 2021
According to the initiative, any work in the District requires a “street opening permit” to be set at $20 per hour, increasing to $22 per hour within one to two years. This includes underground work such as electric, natural gas, water, telecommunications, or other utility infrastructure. “This enhanced partnership with WIN is a tremendous achievement, and supports efforts in building a resilient and equitable economy that provides all residents with more opportunity and continues to position the District as a leader in driving an innovative, inclusive and sustainable energy future,” said Donna Cooper, Pepco region president. The plan also calls for the Department of Employment Services to expand its support of the DC Infrastructure Academy to increase enrollment from 100 to 120 students per year in the Pepco Utility Training School at the academy. Every graduate will be offered a job with Pepco or one of its contractors. “We are so grateful that in this sea-
son of two major pandemics of both having serious social and economic reverberations throughout our city and our country, we are grateful that Pepco has stepped to the forefront to be a strong partner for justice, fairness, and opportunity,” said Rev. Joseph Daniels, lead pastor of Emory Fellowship in Washington and WIN co-founder. Rev. Lionel Edmonds, fellow WIN co-founder, concurred. “We are proud to partner with Pepco to increase access to good job opportunities in some of the wards with the highest unemployment rates in the District by increasing its local hiring through the DC Infrastructure Academy,” Edmonds said. “This agreement serves as a nationwide and even global example for what corporate accountability looks like when communities organize to put their interests in racial equity and economic justice on the table.” Council members Kenyan McDuffie (D-Ward 5) and Vincent Gray (D-Ward 7) said the program is welcomed as many District resi-
(Courtesy photo)
dents continue to struggle financially amid the coronavirus pandemic. “This is an example of a partnership where the private sector can step up in a meaningful way,” McDuffie said.
Gray agreed. “This is going to open some doors,” he said. “This is groundbreaking to see something like this happen.” WI
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BUSINESS
Next Generations Event Studio Set to Lead Future Generations Curtis Knowles WI Contributing Writer From birthday parties to baby showers to business meetings, Next Generations Event Studio is the space to hold events that people hold dear. The business is dedicated to allowing people a space to explore their visions, whether they business seminars or creative sessions or just a celebration. The party space is located in Temple Hills, Md. James Peteet, 27, and his partner Pria Carter, 27, said they believed this would be a great moment to turn empty office space in a Temple Hills, Md. office park into a meeting venue. “She is more into the art stuff; she does arts and crafts and had the idea for the business,” Peteet told the Washington Informer. The venue space is 1,700 square feet. It features a main area, kitch-
enette, yoga studio and smaller common area. There’s parking for 20 vehicless and the space can serve a maximum of 25 people, due to COVID restrictions. “I want clients to be able to teach and spread their craft,” says Peteet. “I like the idea of a blank space and watching someone create and project their visons onto it.” The blank space also provides easy clean up. Floors can be swept and mopped. The only counters are the podium in the main room and the kitchenette area. The light switches are also an area a cinch to clean. “We only provide the space. Everything else the client brings,” said Peteet, who recently graduated from Delaware State University and is currently teaching elementary school. The idea for the business came from his business partner and girlfriend Pria Carter. “We got the keys on Dec.1. We did some renovations. Our first event was a surprise 30th birthday
party on New Year’s,” Peteet said. Since the maiden event, the Next Gen, as they have dubbed the business, has been booked with a variety of events including birthday parties, speed dating, sip and paints and visions board parties. “Every weekend in February is booked, as well as a couple dates in March.” says Peteet. Peteet has received inquiry from clients for events featuring up to 100 people. Although the response has generated optimism, the pandemic poses a challenge to a business that is built on the gatherings of people. “My biggest concerns was if people would even want to be around others.” says Peteet. But so far, he said, the business has generated “enough clients to pay rent.” While the business host events of all kinds, Peteet has a fondness for financial literacy seminars. The venue host financial literacy classes often and to all groups of people. “I believe financial literacy is a
5 James Peteet, left, stands next to John Bailey IV, president of the Camp Springs Civic Association, inside Peteet's Next Generation Event Studio which held a grand opening Jan. 23. (Anthony Tilghman/The Washington Informer)
skill everybody should have, especially black people.” The name of the business is inspired by Peteet’s desire to help the next generation and grows out of his desire to extend his teaching career beyond the classroom.
The “youngest I teach is in the sixth grade,” he said. When you make learning fun, students are easily engaged, he said, noting, “if you make it fun, they can see what awaits them if they use their money effectively.” WI
DC MAP (Mortgage Assistance Program) COVID-19
is available to provide emergency mortgage support to District homeowners experiencing unanticipated financial hardship due to sudden decrease or loss of income. Take the survey to see if you qualify for mortgage Call the hotline at 1-833-429-0537 assistance through DC MAP COVID-19 at or email DCMAP@dchfa.org www.dchfa.org/homeownership/
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FEBRUARY 4 - 10, 2021 15
NATIONAL Pivotal 2020 Census Count Delayed to April Biden Reverses Trump Order Excluding Some from Count Sarafina Wright WI Contributing Writer The Census Bureau, embroiled in controversy and disruptions over the past year due to the coronavirus pandemic and pushback from the Trump administration says it will not be able to release its official census count until April 30. That’s four months after the Dec. 31 deadline established by Congress
in 1976 – a deadline the bureau has never missed until 2020 – an unprecedented year. Democrats and Republicans alike are awaiting the results of apportionment counts, or state population counts as it will determine each state's share of votes in the house of representatives and the electoral college for the next 10 years. “I think the worst thing that we could do would be to deliver data
that had question marks with it. We need to give you the best data that we can,” said Kathleen Styles, the bureau's chief of 2020 census communications and stakeholder relations, NPR reports. Groups like the United States Hispanic Leadership Institute [USHLI] are also awaiting the census count, something they believe will positively impact their community. “The 2020 Census was conducted to serve two primary purposes. They are to determine the allocation of federal funds to cities and states and to determine the allocation of political power,” USHLI said in a statement. “Now that President Biden has revoked former President Trump’s order to exclude noncitizens from the numbers, the process for the allocation of power through redistricting will begin this spring. Nothing will impact the Latino community more, over this decade, than redistricting.” On inauguration day, President Joe Biden issued an Executive Order on Ensuring a Lawful and Accurate Enumeration and Apportionment Pursuant to the Decennial Census allowing for all citizens of each state to be counted regardless of their lawful immigration status. The White House said during the
(Photo courtesy of Pexels.)
2020 Census, Trump announced a policy that “broke from this long tradition.” “At no point since our nation’s founding has a person’s immigration status alone served as a basis for excluding that person from the total population count used in apportionment,” Biden said in the executive order. The order added that before the civil war and the abolition of slavery, the constitution did not give equal weight to every person counted under the census. However, every apportionment since ratification of
the 14th Amendment has calculated each state’s share of representatives based on “the whole number of persons in each state.” Biden says the former administration’s policy required the Census Bureau to “inappropriately rely on records related to immigration status that were likely to be incomplete and inaccurate.” He added that Trump’s policy conflicted with the principle of equal representation enshrined in the U.S. Constitution, census statutes and historical tradition. WI
STIs Cost U.S. Healthcare System Billions of Dollars Annually CDC Says 1-in-5 in the U.S. Have a Sexually Transmitted Disease Sarafina Wright WI Contributing Writer The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] says one-in-five people have a sexually transmitted infection according to new data. Published in the journal “Sexually Transmitted Diseases,” the CDC
(Courtesy photo/Pexels)
16 - FEBRUARY 4 - 10, 2021
estimates that on any given day in 2018 there were nearly 68 million people infected with STIs [sexually transmitted infections] – revealing the burden of medical costs from diagnosed and undiagnosed STIs in the U.S. The analysis found that there were 26 million newly-acquired STIs in 2018; one-in-two STIs
were diagnosed in people 15 to 24 years old and the direct lifetime medical costs resulting from STIs acquired in 2018 amounted to $16 billion. “The burden of STIs is staggering,” said Jonathan Mermin, M.D., M.P.H., director of the CDC’s National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention. “At a time when STIs are at an all-time high, they have fallen out of the national conversation. Yet, STIs are a preventable and treatable national health threat with substantial personal and economic impact. There is an urgent need to reverse the trend of increasing STIs, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has affected many STI prevention services,” he said. According to the new CDC analysis, HIV and HPV infections acquired in 2018 were the costliest STIs as these infections include lifetime treatment. Other reportable STIs, including chlamydia, gonor-
rhea and syphilis, have substantial medical costs as well. Of the estimated $16 billion in lifetime medical costs from STIs acquired in 2018, most of the cost, $13.7 billion, was attributed to sexually acquired HIV infections; $755 million was attributed to HPV infections and more than $1 billion was attributed to chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis combined. Nearly 75 percent of the $2.2 billion in non-HIV-related STI medical costs were among women. The total cost of STIs far exceeds the medical cost burden estimated in this study says the CDC, which doesn’t include lost productivity, other non-medical costs and STI prevention. The agency says COVID-19 has underscored the underlying effects of systemic health and social inequities that put racial and ethnic minority groups and other populations at increased risk of infection, adding that there’s an ongoing disproportionate burden of STIs
among certain racial and ethnic groups, young people between 15 and 24 years old and among women, who account for a disproportionate burden of severe STI outcomes and medical costs. To address the issue, the CDC has implemented STI prevention strategies: STI express clinics and partnerships with pharmacies to help reverse what they are calling an epidemic. “Proven STI prevention – at all levels – is a cornerstone of protecting America’s health, economic security and wellness,” said Raul Romaguera, acting director for CDC’s Division of STD Prevention. “There are significant human and financial costs associated with these infections and we know from other studies that cuts in STI prevention efforts result in higher costs down the road, he said. “Preventing STIs could save billions in medical costs, but more importantly, prevention would improve the health and lives of millions of people.” WI
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LIBRARY from Page 13 ka Tubbs, a scholar will talk about her first book entitled “The Three Mothers: How the Mothers of Martin Luther King J., Malcolm X and James Baldwin Shaped a Nation.” Virtual programming will also be available for children this month such as story time every Saturday for those ages 5 to 8 from 10:30-11 a.m. and ages 9 to 12 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. This will be in partnership with school board member Belinda Queen. “Even though the buildings are closed, the library continues to do a lot of things,” Queen said. “So many partnerships are being done for kids.” One of those collaborations involve a winter reading challenge through March 31 with the Washington Wizards. The team selects a book of the month for students in three grade groups: kindergarten through second, third through fifth and sixth through eighth. When students are done, they enter a raffle with a chance to win a Wizards jersey, junior camp voucher, a bobblehead and other prizes. In the meantime, Phillips said library staff continue answering phones, oversee virtual programs
and help find thousands of books for customers at each branch from Laurel to Oxon Hill. Residents can request a book to pick up at www.pgcmls.info/curbside, or call 240-455-5451. It remains unclear when the library doors would reopen, especially with Prince George’s continuing to record the most confirmed coronavirus cases in Maryland. The county remains in phase one of the vaccination roll out that includes adults 65 and older, health care workers, educators, grocery store and postal service workers. Phillips said the library system will work with the county’s health department to assess when library staff could receive a COVID-19 vaccine. When doors reopen, Phillips said one goal would be to boost computer access for students and adults. “We know that digital divide is really out there The quicker we can get vaccinated, the quicker we can help the public in a more robust way,” she said. “We just want to move forward when we know that people will be safe.” For more information about the library system and what it offers, go to www.pgcmls.info. WI @jabariwill
Virtual programming will also be available for children this month such as story time every Saturday for those ages 5 to 8 from 10:30-11 a.m. and ages 9 to 12 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. This will be in partnership with school board member Belinda Queen.
NATIONAL
Girls’ nights IN are gonna take COVID-19 OUT. We don’t get enough laughs these days. But, wherever they are, our friends are as close as a click. Vaccines are coming. But until enough of us are vaccinated, we still need to slow the spread. We can watch our distance, and not let COVID-19 keep us apart. Learn more about vaccines and slowing the spread at cdc.gov/coronavirus
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Summit Embraces Ending Political Violence in Central African Republic The end of the arms embargo on the government of the Central African Republic (CAR) may be one of the keys to resolving the conflict in the country – a conclusion drawn at the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region, which met Friday, Jan. 29, in Luanda. Angolan President João Lourenço presided over the summit, which reiterated the regional support by neighboring countries for President Faustin-Archange Touadé, re-elected on Dec. 27, a vote contested by armed rebel groups. Lourenço, the president of the International Conference of the Great Lakes, pushed for a peaceful transition of power. "We cannot passively watch the unacceptable situation in that country, whose legitimate government is inexplicably and unjustly conditioned by UN Security Council Resolution 2536 of 2020 with regard to its essential function of ensuring the security and
protection of populations," Lourenço said. According to Euronews correspondent in Angola, Neusa Silva, the heads of state at the conference called on all parties involved to resolve their differences peacefully and to express their opposition without violence. The government officials also called on the rebel groups to observe a unilateral ceasefire, retreat from their positions and put an end to the siege of the capital, Bangui as they condemned the violence. The resounding call for justice was echoed throughout the international conference. The presidents of member states of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region will meet again Feb. 8 to review developments and consider solutions for ending conflicts in the CAR. Meanwhile, to prevent the spread of COVID-19, UN Peacekeeping personnel are required to adhere to government-mandated safety measures and guidelines. WI
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The Cuban government is ready for dialogue and discussion with the new United States administration led by President Joe Biden, the Spanish-speaking island's senior envoy in Jamaica has said, the Jamaica Observer reported on January 31. “We are talking about our sovereignty, and our independence, but if the new U.S. administration is ready to talk, we are ready,” stated Cuba's Ambassador to Jamaica Ines Fors Fernandez, in an interview with the Jamaica Observer. “A fluent relationship between Cuba and the United States favors not only Cuba, but also the US. During the Obama Administration we signed more than 20 agreements or memorandum of understanding in several areas including health, agriculture, environment, so it gives you an idea of cooperation. A dialogue with Cuba and the United States is possible, but there should be no interference with Cuban principles,” the ambassador suggested. Cuba and the U.S. have been at odds since the Cuban Revolution led by Fidel Castro and the overthrow of fascist dictator Fulgencio Batista, then-president of Cuba. WI
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Heart Disease in the Black Community – and How You can Take Steps Toward Heart Health By: Dr. Ruth Tamrat, a cardiologist at Kaiser Permanente and subject matter expert for the American Heart Association
Heart disease kills nearly 50,000 Black women annually, yet only 1 in 5 Black women believes she is personally at risk. The statistics on diabetes are also startling: 1 in 4 Black women 55 years and older have diabetes. The harsh reality is that biological, socioeconomic, and psychosocial risk factors account for much of this disparity. In fact, an American Heart Association study showed an association between experiencing discrimination over a lifetime and developing high blood pressure, a leading risk factor for heart disease and stroke. Additionally, high blood pressure and heart disease place many Black Americans at a higher risk of death or serious illness from COVID-19. While there are many factors outside of your control, there is reason to be hopeful when it comes to protecting your heart. Most heart attacks and strokes are preventable. For Heart Month this February, I urge you to take these steps toward a healthier heart.
WATCH FOR SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
While we usually think of chest tightness, shortness of breath, left arm pain, and jaw or neck pain as the symptoms of a heart attack, some women having a heart attack will not have these typical symptoms. Instead, women may experience pain in their abdomen or upper back, or symptoms like indigestion, fainting, nausea or cold sweats. Listen to your body and seek medical attention if you experience any of these symptoms.
EAT A HEART HEALTHY DON’T SMOKE If you do smoke, consider reaching DIET We all know that what we eat affects our health, particularly our heart health. Consistently eating nutrient-rich foods such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean poultry and fish will go a long way toward protecting your heart. Limit foods high in saturated fats, sodium, and sugar, like processed snacks, fast food, soda and sports drinks. Being aware and keeping track of what you eat daily is a great first step toward modifying your diet. If you’re thinking about trying to lose weight, talk to your doctor about establishing a sensible plan that will work for you.
out to health care provider to help you quit. Smoking is a major risk factor for both heart attack and stroke. There are some very useful programs, tools, and medications that can help you quit smoking. Talk to a medical professional about what resources might be available to help you get started on the cessation journey. Even if you have been a smoker for many years, it’s never too late to start reversing the damage and getting healthy.
FINAL THOUGHTS
With the right support network, we
can all lead healthier lives and reduce our risk of heart attack and stroke. Making a few small changes in what we eat or how much we move can have a dramatic impact on our overall health. Let’s use what we know to strengthen ourselves and our communities so that we can enjoy long, happy, healthy lives with our loved ones. The American Heart Association wants to empower women to protect their heart health by knowing your heart disease risk factors and making healthy lifestyle choices. To get involved in Go Red for Women and learn more about women’s heart health, visit DCGoRed.Heart.Org.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ GreaterWashingtonAHA Twitter: https://twitter.com/HeartOfGWR Insta: https://www.instagram.com/ heartofgwr/
GET MOVING
Regular aerobic activity is vital to your cardiovascular health. The American Heart Association recommends 150 minutes per week – or about 30 minutes, five days per week. Not sure where to start? Try taking a brisk walk with a friend, dancing around your living room, or even cleaning your home to get your heart pumping and make a significant difference in reducing your risk of heart disease. Think about how much sitting you do throughout the day and try to remind yourself to take a movement break and do what you can to get a little bit of exercise. Even small chunks, broken up throughout the day, will have an impact.
VISIT YOUR PHYSICIAN REGULARLY AND KNOW YOUR NUMBERS
Ask your primary care doctor to help you track your blood pressure, sugar levels, and cholesterol. These are some of the best indicators to determine whether you may be at risk for a heart attack or stroke. If you have been prescribed medication to control these factors, make sure that you are taking it regularly. Even if you’re healthy now, let your doctor know if you have a family history of heart disease. Your doctor is your partner in preventing and managing heart disease. Don’t delay routine care during the pandemic. If you don’t feel comfortable visiting the doctor’s office, consider a virtual appointment.
GO RED FOR WOMEN CAMPAIGN GREATER WASHINGTON DCGoRed.heart.org
The American Heart Association, the world’s leading nonprofit organization focused on heart and brain health for all, is excited to announce its first DC Go Red for Women campaign chair.
Ruth Williams-Brinkley Regional President Kaiser Permanente
Williams-Brinkley will lead the 2021 efforts for Go Red, which encourages women to take charge of their heart health and combat the No. 1 and No. 5 killers of American women, heart disease and stroke. To get involved and for more information, please contact Heidi.Arnold@heart.org or visit DCGoRed.heart.org.
Go Red for Women is nationally sponsored by
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Lead Local Sponsor
FEBRUARY 4 - 10, 2021 19
HEALTH COVID-19 UPDATE
BWHI Tackles Uterine Fibroids, Rare Disease, Vaccine Distribution
Women’s’ Health Advocates Voice Optimism About Biden Administration Sarafina Wright WI Contributing Writer For almost 40 years the Black Women’s Health Imperative (BWHI) has advocated through programs and policies for the health of Black women and girls, but their cause takes on new meaning under the Biden administration. Tammy Boyd, BWHI chief policy officer and counsel, said recently the nonprofit met with members
POST COVID from Page 1 tion, and four days later, sans the pump, he returned home to his wife, Ashlea. “Today, I’m back to work and I have an active lifestyle,” a relieved Chavez stated. Chavez is among many suffering from post-COVID syndrome – or “Long COVID,” according to Dr. Anthony Fauci, the chief medical advisor to President Joe Biden. “This is a phenomenon that is re-
(Courtesy photo)
20 - FEBRUARY 4 - 10, 2021
of the Biden administration before the inauguration to underscore what they consider one of the new administration’s most important tasks: Women’s’ health. “We pulled together a group of about 30 Black women or Blackled organizations that work on Black women’s health issues to speak with the Health and Human Services [HHS] transition team,” Boyd said. “It was really an opportunity ally quite real and quite extensive,” Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, stated in a recently published interview. More than 25 million Americans have been diagnosed with the coronavirus, and more than 437,000 have died. Some who have recovered face the possibility of battling “Long COVID,” while others may never fully recover. “There’s still so much we don’t know about COVID-19’s negative impact
to say, ‘Hey, these are the issues that are impacting Black women’s health,’” she said of the group’s talking points that highlighted the need for attention to cardiovascular and general reproductive health, breast cancer and uterine fibroids. The topic takes on more significance with Kamala Harris so close to the top. As senator she advocated the Uterine Fibroid Research and Education Act of 2020, 15 years after it was introduced by the late Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones (D-Ohio). BWHI says they plan to make sure the issue of uterine fibroids, which disproportionately affects Black women, isn’t pushed aside by Congress. “We are going to be reintroducing the bill this Black History Month and we plan to engage the administration in increasing research around uterine fibroids, which includes a study to look at the different treatment options,” Boyd said. “Hysterectomies are commonly suggested, but we want to say hey let's look at the whole range of treatment options.” BWHI also focused on the impact of breast cancer on Black women during the meeting with the HHS transition team. “Although Black women don’t get breast cancer at the rate of
white women, Black women have a higher mortality rate,” Boyd said. “A, because the breast cancer we get tends to be more aggressive and B, there is also the issue of access.” The nonprofit recently launched a campaign with singer Mary J. Blige to encourage mammograms at 40, to counteract messages that say women don’t have to get mammograms until 50. Boyd asserts BWHI is optimistic
that the health of Black women will fare better under this administration. “We are definitely hopeful, but at the same time we do know we have to make sure we hold folks accountable, and continue to echo and reach forth about Black women’s health issues.” BWHI is also working with the
on heart health, and there are many studies underway to understand the long-term consequences on the heart better,” Chavez noted in an email. Reports indicate that a growing number of studies have suggested many COVID-19 survivors experience some heart damage, even if they didn’t have underlying heart disease and weren’t sick enough to be hospitalized. Nearly one-fourth of those hospitalized with COVID-19 have been diagnosed with cardiovascular complications. This has been shown to contribute to roughly 40 percent of all COVID-19-related deaths. “My life has definitely changed since having COVID, being that it has so many unknowns about it, and it’s dependent upon the person,” offered Tamron Little, a COVID survivor and cancer survivor advocate at The Mesothelioma Center at Asbestos.com. “It’s very scary. I believe that’s where the anxiety comes into play,” Little added. “It’s been almost six months since
I had COVID, and I’m still trying to get back to feeling normal. It really makes you grateful to be alive, given the people who didn’t make it. I’ve noticed that I am even more careful when I’m out in public. “I wash my hands constantly. I wash them so much until they peel. I also took advantage of the opportunity and got the vaccine. I will be going for my second dose next week.” The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said it is actively working on learning more about the whole range of short- and long-term health effects associated with COVID-19. “As the pandemic unfolds, we are learning that many organs besides the lungs are affected by COVID-19, and there are many ways the infection can affect someone’s health,” CDC officials noted on its website. While most persons with COVID-19 recover and return to normal health, some patients can have symptoms that can last for weeks or even months after recovery from acute illness, CDC
officials continued. Even people who are not hospitalized and who have a mild illness can experience persistent or late symptoms. Multi-year studies are underway to investigate further. The CDC said it continues to work to identify how common these symptoms are, who is most likely to get them, and whether these symptoms eventually resolve. “I have been to my primary care physician due to increased anxiety and panic attacks. I’ve been to a cardiologist and gotten numerous tests done, and I’ve been to my pulmonologist as well to check my lung capacity,” Little said. “COVID has so many post-recovery symptoms that people really don’t discuss, such as high anxiety, brain fog, extreme fatigue, and shortness of breath. I experienced all those symptoms post COVID. I’m currently working through anxiety.” WI @StacyBrownMedia
(Photo courtesy of BWHI.)
HEALTH Page 52
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MONTH
PBS Documentary Ties Together the Teachings About the Black Church Eye-Opening History on Faith Brenda C. Siler WI Contributing Writer To learn about African American history and culture, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Ph.D. is the go-to researcher and educator to expand our knowledge. For his latest PBS series “The Black Church: This Is Our Story, This Is Our Song” he opens with an admission. “I’ve spent my career exploring stories about Black life, but there is one I’ve never told, and it might be the most important one of all,” said Gates. “It is the remarkable history of the Black church.” Gates, the Alphonse Fletcher Uni-
versity Professor at Harvard University and director of the Hutchins Center for African and African American Research, makes this admission in front of Waldon United Methodist Church in Piedmont, WV, the church where he grew up. “The Black Church” is a two-part series that premieres on PBS Feb. 16. (Check local listings.) The series is beautifully produced to explain how faith traditions from Africa blossomed into multiple African American denominations. Viewers will learn how White evangelicals feared that African faith practices among new slaves would turn into an uprising. So, the evangelical preachers
5 President Barack Obama gives the eulogy on June 26, 2015 at the funeral of Clementa Carlos Pinckney, senior pastor at Mother Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal church in Charleston, SC. (Photo supplied by PBS)
5 The Black Church praise image. (Photo supplied by PBS)
worked to convert as many Africans as possible to Christianity. That set the foundation for White supremacy. Once slaves figured out the real deal, it was all about suppression. America’s struggle with suppression today are the same simple truths as 400 years ago, but Black people persevered. “African Americans adopted Christianity, but also adapted Christianity. They made it their own,” said Yolanda Pierce, Ph.D., dean of the Howard School of Divinity. “They created it so that it could provide for them something that was nurturing, something that made it catharsis, something that provided hope.” Throughout this history of the Black church the documentary does not shy away from topics that still plague faith followers. What about the role of women in the church? How do we embrace sexual differences? Why don’t we talk about abuse? Where does Black Lives Matter and environmental justice fit into our worship? Questions on how to deliver “The Word” have always been and will always continue for the Black church. From the film, we learn early on that Black preachers from the Methodist and Baptist denominations were leaders in the community. They made sure that churches were set up to educate their congregations. “The Black church was more than just a spiritual home. It was the epicenter of Black life,” said Rev. Al Sharpton, president and CEO of the National Action Network. “Out of it came our Black businesses and
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our Black educational institutions.” Those Black pastors were also key negotiators with Whites. After the civil war Union Army Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman met with Baptist and Methodist clergy in Savannah to work out ensuring 400,000 acres of abandoned rebel lands from Charleston, S.C.to St. Johns River, Fla. would be distributed to former slaves in parcels of 40 acres. It was the Black church that gave birth to the concept of “40 acres and a mule.” Baptist minister Rev. Garrison Frazier was the spokesperson for those ministers. The chaos following the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln in 1865 saw President Andrew Johnson, renege on Sherman’s land distribution order. There is an important message in this historical fact that is a sign for today. “Just like that, the ‘promise land’ was restored to those who had declared war on the United States of American,” said Gates. The documentary looks at the music of the Black church and the influence on jazz and R&B. Singers and musicians who started in the church and who still sing faith music are interviewed including Pastor Shirley Caesar, Yolanda Adams, BeBe Winans, Jennifer Hudson and John Legend. Legend, a co-producer of “The Black Church” documentary, grew up in the Pentecostal Church. He shared in the film how he spoke “in tongues” as did everyone in his church. “I would not be an artist today if I had not been raised in the Pentecostal tradition,” said Legend.
Gates also explored the impact of Howard Thurman’s teachings on generations of ministers and led to the emergence of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. King was someone who effectively merged religion and peaceful activism. “Many critics had been calling for an educated clergy who brings the power of intellect, of having studied, learned, and critiqued the scriptures, someone who is humble and is politically committed to the community rather than to themselves. King is exactly the embodiment of that,” said Barbara D. Savage, historian in the Department of Africana Studies of the University of Pennsylvania. “The Black Church” documentary connects the dots on the role the church continues to play in seeking political and economic equality. This film is made for all faith groups to watch and discuss. It is a mega-Bible study where you learn from well-known clergy and theologians like Rev. Dr. Otis Moss, Jr., Rev. Dr. Otis Moss, III, Bishop Michael Curry, Rev. Dr. Jeremiah Wright, Bishop Yvette Flunder, Bishop T.D. Jakes, Cornel West, Ph.D., Bishop William Barber II, Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie, Rev. Dr. Dwight Andrews, Rev. Dr. Calvin Butts, III and Michael Eric Dyson, Ph.D. Gates sums up this documentary perfectly, “No social institution in the Black community is more central and important than the Black church.” View the trailer for “The Black Church” https://youtu.be/hoVDLqd66lY WI
FEBRUARY 4 - 10, 2021 21
BLACK HISTORY MONTH Smithsonian’s Anacostia Community Museum Responds to CV-19 with Outdoor Exhibition on Revolutionary African American Men If you can’t beat ‘em, work around ‘em. That is the Smithsonian’s Anacostia Community Museum’s innovative approach to hosting its new exhibition, “Men of Change: Taking it to the Streets” outside Feb 1-May 31 during the COVID-19 pandemic. The museum has creatively re-imagined the exhibition for outdoor presentation on the campus of Ron Brown High School and the Deanwood Community Center in northeast Washington, D.C. The exhibition presents the narrative of a nation through the profiles of two dozen significant African American men who are powerful icons in the country’s historical and cultural landscape. The presentation of “Men of Change: Taking it to the Streets” is organized in cooperation with the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibitions Service (SITES). It is an adaptation of the SITES traveling exhibition “Men of Change: Power. Triumph. Truth.” which was made possible through the generous support of the Ford Motor Company and Community Service. Available outside for socially distanced viewing 24 hours a day, the “Taking it to the Streets” installation features multiple standalone and fence displays on the six streets which include the campus of Ron Brown High School at 4800 Meade Street NE in Ward 7. The site is conveniently near the Metro Deanwood station. The exhibition’s impact is augmented by pop-up building projections of content in Ward 8 and at Union Market and the opportunity for deeper engagement with the school and local Deanwood community through a series of targeted programs. A section added to the original seven-part show will allow the students and community to designate and honor local men of change.
Wizards Launch Black-owned DMV Series Campaign
Focus: Local Black-owned Businesses
WI Staff Report The Washington Wizards have launched Black-Owned DMV, a campaign to highlight local Black-owned businesses during February home games in celebration of Black History Month that debuted on Feb. 2 as the Wizards took on the Trail Blazers. The Wizards will integrate six local Black-owned businesses into their home game presentations through a digital content initiative. The video series will feature pregame announcements and exclusive interviews dedicated to sharing each business’ unique story. The six Black-owned businesses include a range of trades and were handpicked directly on recommendations from Wizards players and team staff. The Wizards will highlight the following businesses in conjunction with their home game schedule: Henry’s Soul Café on Feb. 2; The Spice Suite on Feb. 10; The Museum DC on Feb. 12; Boombox Boxing on Feb. 15; The Southwest Soda Pop Shop on Feb. 17; and Ben’s Chili Bowl on Feb. 27. “When you support a local small business, you are helping a neighbor realize their dream,” Jim Van Stone, Monumental Sports & Entertainment President of Business Operations and Chief Commercial Officer said. “These Black-owned small businesses were hand-picked by our Wizards players and staff not only because of their excellence in their trade, but more importantly, they build the same sense of community that our team strives to build across this region. We are so proud to support and highlight the dreams of these pillars across our neighborhoods who showcase what it means to put DC Above All,” he said. Black-Owned DMV will be available on the Wizards social media channels and NBC Sports Washington. Fans can also tune into Wizards Virtual Gameday to watch live on game days. WI
D.C. Art Teachers Tap Pandemic Experience
Display of Responses to 2020 Tumult, Distance Leaning
WI Staff Isolation and the toll of a tumultuous year are on display in a virtual exhibition of how 21 D.C. art teachers coped with racial violence amid a pandemic. A D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities grant is funding the exhibit of the works Zsudayka Nzinga Terrell in “Distance Learning; Featuring Established and Upcoming Art Teachers in the Nation’s Capital Who
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Painted Their Experiences and Responses to the 2020 Pandemic and Social Unrest. A virtual platform is being used as an alternative to the brick-andmortar gallery spaces as a response to the social and logistical limitations resulting from COVID-19. The artists examine themes of isolation and mental health during the 2020 pandemic and social unrest – from the closure of schools
TEACHER Page 23
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BLACK HISTORY MONTH TEACHER from Page 22 in March to the killing of George Floyd through the presidential election. Using the genres of portraiture, sculpture, print, digital and abstract art, and spoken word, the artists convey their observations of culture, how they managed the time in quarantine after schools closed in person learning, their continued connection to the youth and communities they teach, and the importance of having this opportunity to focus on creating their art. “The makings of this show have been on my brain early into the pandemic,” says Terrell. “Living with a partner who is a fine artist and teacher allowed me to see first-hand the toll that this year’s past racial and pandemic events have had on our educators. Suddenly my husband James had extra time to paint because he teaches from home and can work
between classes. It made me wonder what other artist teachers were going through.” Terrell said that in lieu of conducting their yearly youth art competition, she decided to work on a grant for adults that focused on these teachers. Friendship School contacted James and expressed interest in having an adult show. Terrell included not only the artist teachers from that campus, but art teachers around the District as well as independent contractors who offer arts programming. These pieces are the result of what was submitted to her. For some of the teachers, this is their first time showing their art in a gallery, while others are seasoned professionals. All their stories were amplified as communities the Coronavirus hit hardest and for whom the social issues were deeply personal. Featured artists include Drew Anderson, Bomani Armah, Adia
Harris, Danielle Hawkins, Randall C. Holloway, Janai Johnson, Flonora Merritt, Joy Nutt, Asma Page, Zalika Perkins, Reshada Pullen, Tiffany Raquel, Rhonda Silver, Patricia Smith, Carol Solinger, Eliza-
As we celebrate Black History Month in February, we recognize and honor the accomplishments of so many who have helped shape the face and future of our nation.
beth Stewart, James Terrell, Randall Waters, Jimise Winston, Judy Williams and Malandela Zulu. James S. Terrell, “We the People” February 8 – March 19, 2021 Made possible by an Art Exhibi-
tion (Curatorial) Grant from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities. Virtual Gallery: www.DCTeacherArtShow.com WI
HARRIET TUBMAN FREDERICK DOUGLASS
BLACK HISTORY MONTH DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR,
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FEBRUARY 4 - 10, 2021 23
BLACK HISTORY MONTH Black Lives Matter Nominated for Nobel Peace Prize Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer More than at any other time since its inception, The Black Lives Matter Movement in 2020 changed the way the world viewed police brutality and other injustices against African Americans. On Feb. 1, the first day of Black History Month, Black Lives Matter has earned a Nobel Peace Prize nomination. In the country’s parliament, Petter Eide, a Norwegian lawmaker, issued the nomination for Black Lives Matter based on the movement’s “struggle against racism and racially motivated violence.” “Black Lives Matter’s call for systemic change has spread around the world, forcing other countries to grapple with racism within their own societies,” Eide proclaimed. He supported his nomination by
noting that the Nobel committee had twice awarded the coveted peace prize to antiracist South Africans — Albert Luthuli in 1960 and Nelson Mandela in 1993. “Awarding the Peace Prize to Black Lives Matter, as the global strongest force against racial injustice, will send a powerful message that peace is founded on equality, solidarity, and human rights, and that all countries must respect those basic principles,” Eide said, accord- 5 Black Lives Matter (Courtesyphoto/wikimedia commons) ing to NBC News. — created the Black Lives Matter chapters. Later, he told USA Today that to Movement. “Our members organize and carry forward a movement of racial The women announced that build local power to intervene in vijustice and “to spread that to other they created the organization as “a olence inflicted on Black commucountries is very, very important. Black-centered political will and nities by the state and vigilantes,” Black Lives Matter is the strongest movement building project, in re- the organizers wrote on the website. force today doing this, not only in sponse to the acquittal of Trayvon Black Lives Matter activists the U.S. but also in Europe and Martin’s murderer, George Zimmer- called the movement an ideologAsia.” man.” ical and political intervention in a In 2013, three self-described radiAccording to its official website, world where Black lives are systemcal Black organizers — Alicia Garza, the project is T:9.66" now a member-led atically and intentionally targeted Patrisse Cullors and Opal Tometi global network of more than 40 for demise.
“It is an affirmation of Black folks’ humanity, our contributions to this society, and our resilience in the face of deadly oppression,” they wrote. For the Nobel Prize Committee, “this is not unusual to link a fight for (racial) justice, to link that with peace,” Eide said. “There will be no peace without justice.” WI @StacyBrownMedia
Learn the history you may not have been taught.
— T:4.75"
The first female self-made millionaire in America was Madam C. J. Walker, a Black woman.
Let’s build a better future by knowing more about our past. In partnership with the DuSable Museum of African American History, we’re working together to shed light on untold stories of our country’s past. Learn more at pnc.com/blackhistorymonth ©2021 The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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BLACK HISTORY MONTH August Wilson is Honored in Issue of a USPS Forever Stamp Curtis Knowles WI Contributing Writer The creation of a U.S. Postal “Forever Stamp” for August Wilson, the Black playwright best-known for telling the story of the common Black man, raises the prospect, his daughter said recently, that whenever mail is delivered, the common Black man will be recognized. “I get a piece of mail and my dad’s there,” said Ansari Wilson, daughter of the playwright, as the stamp issue was dedicated Jan. 28 on the USPS Facebook and Twitter pages. “I can see though he’s not here, he will always be with me,” she said. Wilson, who died in 2005, is best-known as the author of 10 plays, known as the American Century Cycle, that define and explain Black life in the U.S. during the 20th century, each work focusing on a decade of the century. "The Postal Service is honored to issue the August Wilson Forever stamp," said Joshua Colin, vice president, Delivery Operations, U.S. Postal Service, in a statement. "Wilson is hailed as a trailblazer who brought fresh perspectives and previously unheard voices to the stage." Wilson was born in the Hill District of Pittsburgh, Pa., where many of the plays he wrote took place. Wilson won two Pulitzer Prizes. He has been hailed as the Black Shakespeare and The Theaters Poet of Black America. “He understood the inherent power of rhythm in language—The cadence of words and what they can invoke.” said Phylicia Rashad, awardwinning actress who played in the Wilson play "The Ground on Which I Stand." Wilson’s works also earned him two Tonys for Best play and he was inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame. “Im tryna write the best play that’s ever been written. If you’re not trying to do that, then do something else.” said Wilson in an interview. WI
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Wilson’s works also earned him two Tonys for Best play and he was inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame. WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER
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FEBRUARY 4 - 10, 2021 25
BLACK HISTORY MONTH Black History in Science: Remembering Dr. George Carruthers Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer He built his first telescope at the age of 10, and by age 25, George Carruthers earned a Ph.D. in aeronautical and astronautical engineering. Upon graduating from the University of Illinois, Carruthers started work at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory. His telescope and image converter identified molecular hydrogen in space, and his ultraviolet spectrograph was used by the Apollo 16 crew in their flight to the moon. “In March 1610, Galileo Galilei reported the first use of a telescope to view mountains and maria on the moon,” Carruthers wrote in 1972. Many reported that his project collaborator, Thornton Page, gave way to Carruthers’ brilliance.
After all, just three years earlier, Carruthers was awarded a patent for his groundbreaking “Image Converter for Detecting Electromagnetic Radiation Especially in Short Wave Lengths.” Following that, the scientist’s UV telescope and image converter provided the first proof of molecular hydrogen in interstellar space. His invention was used on Apr. 21, 1972, during the first lunar walk of the Apollo 16 mission. It marked the first time scientists examined the Earth’s atmosphere for concentrations of pollutants and see UV images of more than 550 stars, nebulae, and galaxies. Carruthers earned NASA’s Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal for his work on the project. “On Apr. 21, 1972, the Apollo 16 commander positioned a somewhat more complex optical instru-
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ment at the Earth from the moon and obtained several remarkable photographs showing atmospheric rather than surface features,” Dr. Carruthers wrote. One of the first and few Black scientists of his time, Carruthers died on Dec. 26, 2020, in Washington. He was 81. Born Oct. 1, 1939, in Cincinnati, Ohio, Carruthers had three siblings. His father, George Sr., was a civil engineer with the U.S. Army Air Corps. and reportedly encouraged his son’s interest in science. According to his biography, the elder Carruthers died when Carruthers was just 12. After his death, the family moved to Chicago, where Carruthers’ mother, Sophia, went to work for the U.S. Postal Service. But Carruthers continued pursu-
CARRUTHERS Page 27
5 Dr. George Carruthers (Courtesy photo)
DAYS WAYS TO CELEBRATE AFRICAN AMERICAN LITERACY
The Washington Informer Charities commemorates Black History Month 2021 with a celebration of Black literacy: 28 Days / 28 Ways. #BlackLiteracyMatters Join us daily at @WICharities on Facebook and Twitter for highlights of Black progress through reading, writing, and sharing our own stories!
Book giveaways, trivia, fun activities, and historical notes for children, youth, adults and seniors! For more information, visit www.wicharities.org 26 - FEBRUARY 4 - 10, 2021
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BLACK HISTORY MONTH How a NC Farm Girl Became an Integral Force in the Fight for Black Equality Verda Freeman Welcome Chose Maryland as Her Venue for Political Activism Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer She took her first breath in 1907, one of 15 children, on a farm in North Carolina but before her death in 1990 she would blaze trails and reach unprecedented heights in Maryland. Verda Freeman Welcome counted among the foremost political, civil rights and community activists of her time. After moving to Baltimore at age 23, Welcome graduated from Coppin State Teachers College and Morgan State College and later received a master's degree in history at New York University. She earned honorary degrees from Howard University and the University of Maryland. Welcome, a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., taught for nearly a dozen years in the Baltimore Public Schools before setting her sights on the political arena where she ultimately made history. Married to Dr. Henry C. Welcome, she won election to the
CARRUTHERS from Page 26 ing his interest in science. “As one of only a handful of African-Americans competing in Chicago’s high school science fairs, he won three awards, including first prize for a telescope that he designed and built,” his biographers wrote. In 1957, Carruthers graduated from Chicago’s Englewood High School and entered the engineering program at the University of Illinois’ Champaign-Urbana campus. While an undergraduate, Carruthers focused on aerospace engineering and astronomy. After earning a bachelor’s degree in physics in 1961, Carruthers remained at the University of Illinois, where he earned a master’s in nuclear engineering in 1962. In 1964, he earned a Ph.D. in aeronautical and astronautical engineering. In a 1992 interview with the American Institute of Physics, Car-
Maryland House of Delegates representing Baltimore City's fourth district, following Cora Mae Brown (Michigan, 1952) to become the second Black woman elected to a state senate in the U.S. and the first in the Maryland State House. “She was very impactful with the legislation that she helped pass in regards to marriage equity, even smoking bans and other kinds of things we now take for granted,” Ida E. Jones, an author and archivist at Morgan State University, remarked in a televised 2019 interview. However, it was Welcome's 1975 legislation that transformed Morgan State College into Morgan State University. “Verda Welcome is largely ignored by history, Edwin T. Johnson, assistant university archivist at Morgan State University, said in the same interview with Jones. Johnson said he remains hopeful that Welcome's legacy will become better known. Her legislative accomplishments were historic. She spearheaded
bills to attack discrimination in public housing and other public accommodations and she sponsored legislation that helped to fund the construction of Provident Hospital. Legislation put forth by Welcome also addressed equal pay, harassment of welfare recipients and illegal employment practices. Her legislation also led to the creation of the Maryland Commission on Afro-American History and Culture. “She brought the entire community of those on the margins to the center of the conversation with dignity and grace,” Jones told WBAL-TV. “The Welcome Bridge” at Morgan State University was constructed in Welcome's honor and officials said it provides a safe path over a busy road at the campus. “She bridged the gap between the races,” Johnson said. “She bridged the gap in terms of inequities between men and women in so many facets and aspects of our world.” WI @StacyBrownMedia
5 Verda Freeman Welcome. (Photo courtesy Morgan State University)
ruthers was asked whether it takes anything different to get an African American student interested in science instead of a white child. “One of the things that most people agree on is just giving them lectures is not really very effective. In other words, if you say that you are going to give a lecture on space science, that is too much like what they already get in school, so it is not going to make a lasting impression on them or necessarily attract them to the field,” Carruthers stated. “So, what we have been trying to do is give them hands-on activities, use videos and demonstrations that get across information in a way that’s more like entertainment, because certainly students are interested in seeing science fiction movies on television, they like to see ‘Star Trek’ and ‘Star Wars’ and ‘Battlestar Galactica.’ So, what we’re trying to do is cast real science in a way that’s as attractive to them as science fiction is.” WI @StacyBrownMedia
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FEBRUARY 4 - 10, 2021 27
Taking care of teammates
In a year unlike any other, our company and teammates were called upon to address unprecedented challenges and headwinds in the broader environment, working in support of each other, our clients and the communities where we work and live. In appreciation of these outstanding efforts, we are recognizing eligible employees with Delivering Together compensation awards. A cash bonus of $750 or additional stock award is the latest step our company has taken to invest in our employees during the health crisis. We’ve also significantly invested in industry-leading solutions and resources. To help many of our teammates balancing family and work, we provided an enhanced benefit of up to $100 per day for in-home childcare — funding nearly 3 million days of support. And in 2020, we accelerated the move of our U.S. minimum hourly rate of pay to $20, more than a year earlier than originally planned. Here in the DMV, my teammates and I are here to help. We’re proud of this community and remain committed to making it a better place for us all.
For the fourth time since 2017, Bank of America is recognizing teammates with a special award in cash or restricted stock. This year, approximately 97% of teammates will receive a Delivering Together award.
These awards are in addition to any regular annual incentives that eligible employees may receive.
Lawrence Di Rita Greater Washington, D.C. Market President
To learn more, please visit bankofamerica.com/community Bank of America, N.A. Member FDIC. Equal Credit Opportunity Lender. © 2021 Bank of America Corporation. All rights reserved.
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OPINIONS/EDITORIALS
EDITORIAL
Hidden Figures in Plain Sight
It’s February - Black History Month – the month of the year when this nation pauses to take note of the past achievements and contributions to society made by African Americans. It took the vision and tenacity of Dr. Carter G. Woodson, a Black man, born the son of former slaves in 1875, and who later became a Harvard University scholar, to establish a Black History Week. He observed that African Americans’ contributions “were overlooked, ignored, and even suppressed by the writers of history textbooks and the teachers who use them, to the effect that the Negro has never contributed anything to the progress of mankind.” Woodson denounced this historical flaw and gave birth to an occasion to set the record books straight about African American achievements past and present. But the dilemma still exists. Ignorance and lack of interest in Black people and the value they give to our society are pervasive. Black history is still absent from school curriculums. Very few teachers can teach Black children – or any children – Black history or the contributions of Black people. It took a Hollywood producer filmmaker to unveil the story of a team of Black women who worked at NASA and the critical contributions they made to the NASA’s Manned Space Program. And, these women were still present among us, living history but hidden in plain view. The contribution of a Black woman, Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett, a leading scientist involved in developing the COVID-19 vaccine that may contribute to the end of a world pandemic, remains a little-known Black History fact. And, retired Gen. Lloyd J. Austin, III, the first Black vice chief of staff of the U.S. Army and the first Black commander of U.S. Central Command, who was recently confirmed as the first Black U.S. Secretary of the Department of Defense, is not considered worthy deserving of recognition by some Black Americans. They ask, “What has he achieved worth recognizing?” We need Black History Month, and the nation owes Dr. Woodson an expression of gratitude for making sure the contributions of Black people are not ignored or forgotten. But the work of remembering belongs to those among us who should not take these contributions for granted. There are heroes and sheroes among us, living in our home or our next-door neighbor. They are hidden figures in plain view, whose contributions are worth celebrating while still with us, in February and all year long. WI
It took the vision and tenacity of Dr. Carter G. Woodson, a Black man, born the son of former slaves in 1875, and who later became a Harvard University scholar, to establish a Black History Week.
TO THE EDITOR The Natural State of Things
Both Sides of the Aisle
I loved the story "Equestrian Program Helps Young People Battle Depression During Pandemic" by Sam P.K. Collins. I've always been an advocate of the healing powers of the outdoors from yoga, hiking, swimming, bike riding and everything else in between. I'm glad that children are able to get out and be in nature to get through this trying time.
The Black Republicans story really opened my eyes to a lot of things involving identity politics. I think that Black people should be Republicans if they so choose. I don’t understand why they get so much flack when both parties are questionable if you ask me. Maybe if there are more Black Republicans, Black people could really gain some political leverage. Just a thought.
Marlana Lamberg Washington, D.C.
Stephen Kirkland Hyattsville, Md.
Readers' Mailbox
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The Washington Informer welcomes letters to the editor about articles we publish or issues affecting the community. Write to: lsaxton@washingtoninformer. com or send to: 3117 Martin Luther King Jr Ave., SE, Washington, D.C. 20032. Please note that we are unable to publish letters that do not include a full name, address and phone number. We look forward to hearing from you. FEBRUARY 4 - 10, 2021 29
OPINIONS/EDITORIALS Guest Columnist
Julianne Malveaux
Back to Normal? What's Normal?
I got my first COVID-19 vaccination last week. No big deal, an achy arm, but otherwise, just like a flu shot. The young lady who administered the shot smiled and said, “after you get your second shot, you can get back to normal." I wanted to ask her what was normal, but the man in line behind me seemed impatient, so I smiled and made my way out of the store. I thought about it all the way home, though. What's normal?
I don't think crowding 30 or 40 young people into a classroom is normal. I don't believe that food lines snaking for blocks is normal. I don't think that high Black unemployment rates are normal. I don't think the wealth gap is normal. I don't think that more than 400,000 people dead is normal. The inability to formally mourn our departed loved ones isn't normal. Crazy white people storming the Capitol surely isn't normal. And conspiracy theorist Marjorie Taylor Greene is so far away from normal that she is on the insanity
Guest Columnist
spectrum. In the ten months since the pandemic hit, we have seen changes in our communications, our employment, our economy, and more. Many of us, reasonably, yearn for the "normal" days when we could sit at a restaurant and have a meal, go to a play or a concert, invite a bunch of folks over to gather. But we should ask ourselves what was normal about our normal. In other words, were we so comfortable in our world that we didn't look outside our world? We can't miss the food lines now, but there were food lines, too, a year ago. We are
focused on disparities now, but those disparities aren't new. Does back to normal mean accepting the inequities and absurdities of life as it was? Somebody tweeted that "Rona was a disruption, and she is an opportunity." I embrace that sentiment (though I had to do a double-take at "Rona" and pray that nobody chooses to name their child after this virus). This virus is an opportunity for us to scrutinize what we consider normal and how we need to change it. Let's start with education and the achievement gap. Students
who come from low-income families don't have the same academic support that others do. They often don't have the technology to do virtual learning or the support to work through their assignments. Too often, their parents are essential workers — nurses, bus drivers, grocery store workers. Do we ever take a look at the people who serve us and notice that they are disproportionately Black and brown? When we see them do we wonder about their facts of life, about their challenges, or do we know
MALVEAUX Page 53
Benjamin F. Chavis Jr.
Time is Now for NFL to Diversify Team Ownership
As we approach the 55th Super Bowl next Sunday in Tampa, Florida, amid the continued national spread of COVID-19, I believe that the time has come for the close-knit group of team owners in the NFL to take the necessary steps to open the door to African American business leaders who hope to join that exclusive club of
owners. Given the large number of outstanding African American players today on NFL teams and the growing racial and ethnic diversity of NFL fans and supporters in all the cities where NFL teams are located, the ownership of NFL teams should begin to become as diverse as its fan and support base. Today, nearly 70% of NFL players are African American but there are no African American NFL owners. I see this as an opportunity for the
Guest Columnist
leadership and owners of the NFL. I speak not only as a fan of professional football but also as someone who has a direct interest in helping the NFL fulfill its laudable and historic commitment to building a diverse and equitable league for players, coaches, owners and the thousands of others who make professional football one of the most popular sports in the world. Indeed, the NFL recently became a trusted partner and spon-
sor of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), which represents 230 African American-owned newspapers that deliver news to our communities across various platforms, including print, digital and social media formats. Our member publications cover the news, sports, entertainment, and culture pertaining to our excellence of performance in all aspects of human endeavor in the United States and throughout the
world. And the NFL's sponsorship will help enable our media properties to continue serving our communities at a tumultuous and confusing time when there is a great need for honest and accurate reporting. For that support, we at NNPA are profoundly grateful.a But there is more that could be done to advance the cause of social justice, particularly on the ques-
Muslims are sponsoring another giant outdoor rally at 116th Street and Lenox Avenue. There will be no debating, arguing criticizing or condemning. … This rally is designed not only to reflect the spirit of unity but it also gives you a chance to present your views to the largest and most explosive elements in metropolitan New York." Brother Martin was equally forceful about the need for Black unity. This is clear in the follow-
ing excerpt from his 1967 book "Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community?": "Too many Negro organizations are warring against each other with a claim to absolute truth....This plea for unity is not a call for uniformity. There must always be healthy debate. There will be inevitable differences of opinion....This form of group unity can do definitely
CHAVIS Page 53
A. Peter Bailey
A Reality Check
As we enter Black History Month 2021, it's time to call out those who consider themselves Malcolmites and those who consider themselves Martinites who have too often talked the talk but not walked the walk when honoring the legacies of the two great warriors in the war against white supremacy.
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Fifty-six years after the assassination of Brother Malcolm and 53 years after the assassination of Brother Martin, we have done little, if anything, to follow their guidance about the crucial need for Black unity. In a 1963 letter to eight civil rights leaders, including Brother Martin, Brother Malcolm wrote the following: "A united front involving all Negro factions, elements and their leaders is ab-
solutely necessary. … If capitalistic Kennedy and communistic Khrushchev can find something in common on which to form a united front despite their tremendous ideological differences, it is a disgrace for Negro leaders not to be able to submerge our ‘minor' differences in order to seek a common solution to a common problem posed by a Common Enemy (emphasis his). On Saturday, August 10th from 1-7 p.m., the
BAILEY Page 53
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OPINIONS/EDITORIALS Guest Columnist
E. Faye Williams
Let's Dance
The hallmark of mother wit or many of the "old folk's sayings" is simplicity. "The elders" had the talent of using the simplest statements to express depth and importance in their communication. I can't recall the number of times I've heard "don't let a hard head make a soft behind," or "what happens in the dark always come to light." Easily blown off as insignificant, these sayings were usually valuable as cautionary admo-
nitions. I often weigh situations against the catalog of the old folk's sayings I have accumulated during my lifetime. I use this practice as I assess the possibilities of the Biden-Harris administration. Contrary to some assumptions, I don't give carte blanche acceptance to political entities, even those with whom I agree. Instead, I hold them more accountable for competent and responsible conduct. I have had few reservations with President Biden's Cabinet choices or his numerous executive actions. Not surprisingly, I'm pleased that his initial actions hold true, or attempt
to hold true, to campaign promises. My greater concern is the unlikely, but possible, onset of forgetfulness. To that possibility, I echo the admonitions of The Elders saying, "Don't forget to dance with the one who brung you!" It is true that in the past, Black people have given our full support to politicians who forget the importance of our votes. There are innumerable candidates who, during campaigns, have fought for pulpit space in Black churches on Sundays, but, after successful elections, pretend unfamiliarity with our interests or issues.
Guest Columnist
The Biden-Harris administration has identified "four converging crises — economic crisis, climate change, racial inequity, and COVID-19." Not only is there convergence in these crises, there're also significant overlaps. President Biden has promised swift action to combat these challenges. In doing so, he MUST NOT forget his promised support to the Black community. My readers understand the economic disparities/hardships in communities of color. According to Forbes Magazine, in May 2020 the jobless rate for Blacks was 16.8% while for whites 12.4%. The median
worth of Black households in 2016 was $17,150 while for white households was $171,000. Other statistics are reported, but the bottom line for Blacks is there are barriers that deny the accumulation of wealth. President Biden acknowledges these barriers and has pledged to address them. He also acknowledges the critical impact of climate change and pledges direct and immediate action. Hurricane Katrina is an example of a dramatic environmental disaster affecting a centralized community
incite his supporters to violence by denying the legitimacy of Black people's votes. The rage among Trump's followers was stoked by endless repetitions of the lie that so-called real Americans had reelected him in a landslide, and that the election was stolen from them by corrupt big-city machines — read Black officials and voters — and their communist allies. Black History Month is a good time to remember that Martin Luther King Jr. and the movement he led were also smeared as commu-
nists out to destroy America. And you don't have to be a historian to have noticed the Confederate flags and the lynching noose brought to the Capitol on Jan. 6 by the mob that claimed they were taking back the election and the country. In 2013, conservatives on the U.S. Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act, which has long been considered the crown jewel of the civil rights movement.
pack of Confederacy-loving senators and congress members who call themselves the Freedom Caucus, and who also carry arms on their person, literally in the halls of Congress. Just who do they think they are "protecting" themselves from on the House or Senate floor? These scoundrels berate and harass their fellow Congress members, and threaten to physically fight them without fear of any consequences. One such gun-toting member —freshman Marjorie
Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) — "liked" a comment on her Facebook page which said that the quickest way to get rid of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was with a "bullet in her head." No consequences! No consequences! The wicked, armed right-wing bullies and would-be assassins are not only anti-Black to the Nth Degree, they are virulently anti-Semitic. Greene for exam-
WILLIAMS Page 54
Ben Jealous
'There's a Lot Left to Be Done'
February is Black History Month — and Black people just made a whole lot of history. Joe Biden is our president and Donald Trump is not because Black organizers and voters decided that they would not be denied their right as American citizens to be heard at the ballot box. Kamala Harris is our history-making vice president, a Black
and Southeast Asian woman and the daughter of immigrants, thanks to the millions of Black people who encouraged family, friends and neighbors to vote. Rev. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff are senators because Black people and their allies in Georgia turned out in November, and again in January, to signal a new day in the heart of the Old South. All this makes me grateful that Black History Month comes in February. It encourages us to think about those who made these
Askia-At-Large
historic moments possible. I'm thinking about the freedom fighters and voting rights activists — and the courageous ordinary people whose names don't show up in history books, but who showed up to fight against injustice. They often faced violence and brutality that was fueled by the racist power structure's desire to maintain power at all costs. Does that sound familiar? Just a few weeks ago, we saw our democracy challenged by that same kind of poison. We watched a president
JEALOUS Page 54
Askia Muhammad
Liberal Hypocrisy Fuels Trumpism
Funny thing about neoliberal orthodoxy in 21st-century American politics, its white-biased fecklessness has permitted an armed mob to infiltrate every rung of political power in this country and threaten the very fiber of the U.S. government, while it bludgeons innocent Black victims into corners of shame.
The inveterate liar who is this country's Twice Impeached Private Citizen (TWIMPRIC) now living in Florida is the leader of a frenzied and growing throng, whose sheer rumored presence has turned Washington, D.C., into a ghostly slum. The U.S. Capitol is a fortress surrounded by nine-foothigh fences topped with razor wire. D.C.'s fancy downtown banks and law offices are now trampy facades covered with cheesy plywood. And 16th Street, the 77th global Prime
Meridian, with its "Black Lives Matter Plaza," approaching the now fortified White House presidential "mansion," has become a grimy back alley. These lawless — the Oath Keepers, 3 Percenters, Proud Boys and Boogaloo Boys — are able to reign supreme on the streets of Washington because they openly boast of being armed. The established law enforcement agencies can't (or won't) control them. And they are defended by an equally treasonous
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ASKIA Page 54 FEBRUARY 4 - 10, 2021 31
EDUCATION REOPENING from Page 1 include a strike authorization vote later this week,” Davis added. The tenuous situation came on the heels of a weekend marked by both a snowstorm which postponed the reopening of schools by one day and the completion of arbitration proceedings which found DCPS in violation of at least one aspect of the Memorandum of Agreement [MOA] signed by Da-
vis and DCPS Chancellor Lewis D. Ferebee. While WTU representatives made nearly a dozen allegations, an arbitrator only found reason to penalize DCPS for failing to honor the portion of the MOA specifying that no school should reopen without the completion of a walk-through and school readiness checklist by school officials, an on-campus WTU representative, a parent and other stakeholders.
WTU acknowledged that walkthroughs took place but raised questions about whether all required parties had been involved or if each school had been thoroughly checked. Documents secured by The Informer cited situations at Coolidge High School and Capitol Hill Montessori, both located in Northwest, and Watkins Elementary School, located in Northeast, as evidence that DCPS needed to tighten its adherence to protocol. Per the arbitrator’s ruling, Coolidge and Watkins would not reopen until after another walk-through and the completion of a checklist. DCPS would also be required to provide, within five days, school-by-school family demand data including survey data and information concerning enrollment.
SOME PARENTS STILL APPREHENSIVE ABOUT RETURNING
Even with the one day delay due to the weather, some parents, concerned about the possible spread of COVID-19 in school buildings, have long expressed a commitment to keeping their youngsters at home. Jamila Hogan said her decision followed recent reports of a COVID-19 case at Langdon Education Campus where her son had been attending a CARE classroom since November. For her, a subsequent exchange, or lack thereof, on social media with Ferebee sealed the deal. “I’m not sending my son back but I could have if the chancellor had something reassuring to say,” said Hogan, a Northeast resident and parent of a second grader. Hogan said while she received an email and phone call from school administrators about the COVID-19 case on January 22, administrators didn’t specify which staff member contracted the virus or whether that person had been quarantined. She later recounted learning about another positive case on January 29. Last Friday, after Ferebee allegedly blocked Hogan on Twitter, she posted screenshots to Instagram showing the notification that her access to the chancellor’s public account had been restricted. Other screenshots showed the letter Langdon parents received earlier in the week and highlighted the questions she asked Ferebee on Twitter about DCPS’ reopening plans. When Hogan took to Twitter, she asked Ferebee why schools were reopening for Term 3 despite positive COVID-19 cases at Langdon and other CARE classrooms and city officials’ apprehensions about hosting in-person meetings. “Many other parents at other sites have voiced these concerns but they haven’t been addressed,” she said. “They’ve been blocked [on social media] or ignored. They’ve used the same social media. I expected a better public relations response to explain how they caught [the COVID-19 case at Langdon] and protected everyone,” she added.
TEACHERS ALLEGE A RUSHED PROCESS
As outlined in the MOA, the dozen members of the on-site safety walkthrough team would either sign a school readiness checklist, or notify the school community about the need for a readjustment plan. Less than a week before the start of Term 3, Ferebee told
32 - FEBRUARY 4 - 10, 2021
reporters that some schools were still in the midst of walk-throughs. As of Tuesday, DCPS hasn’t responded to The Informer’s two inquiries about how many of the 117 public school campuses had successfully completed the process. A showcase of safety measures taken at Columbia Heights Education Campus scheduled for that day had also been pushed back to Tuesday morning because of the snow. Inclement weather notwithstanding, instructor Samantha Brown expressed an unwillingness to return to in-person learning, especially because of what she recounted as a contentious walk-through at Coolidge toward the latter part of January. The WTU/DCPS arbitration document named Brown as an aggrieved party in the conflict that arose during the walk-through at Coolidge. The document included an allegation that DCPS officials attempted to schedule a second walk-through with her but she experienced an illness. Brown denied that version of events, citing a January 27 email she sent to make her request. During the nearly two hours that she walked through the Northwest campus on January 25, Brown, an English/special education teacher and WTU executive board member, said DCPS overwhelmingly represented a portion of the group scheduled to tour Coolidge. She later told The Informer that her principal closed parts of the building off to the group and failed to provide a cleaning schedule or documentation of infrastructural upgrades. Brown said that her field representative wasn’t allowed to attend a closed meeting that took place the following day, during which she brought forth more than two dozen concerns about what she witnessed at the walkthrough. Despite her principal’s assurance that the violations outlined in a letter to the school community would be addressed, Brown said she didn’t receive any concrete timeline as to when they would be completed. “It was pretty obvious that [DCPS officials and our principal] were hiding things. They wouldn’t give us any work order or proof of any inspection,” Brown said. “We couldn't go into the rest of the building. There weren’t social distancing notifications. It’s like they weren’t taking it seriously that we had to notify people about the pandemic and check all areas. They restricted us, even though I brought a copy of the Memorandum of Agreement.” WI @SamPKCollins
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Childcare Providers Face Financial Collapse Due to Low Enrollment Current D.C. Policy Allows for Subsidies Based on Attendance Only Sam P.K. Collins WI Contributing Writer When D.C. began to roll back COVID-19-related restrictions late last year, childcare providers served as a vital resource for essential workers and others who needed adult supervision for their youngsters during the workday. Nonetheless, according to many early childhood education advocates, many of the District’s more than 400 childcare providers face financial ruin due to a policy that awards subsidies based on attendance rather than enrollment. And with a growing number of parents still opting to keep their children home due to the ongoing pandemic, the future appears daunting for childcare providers
who supply essential early lessons in education whether youth receive instruction virtually or in the classroom. “If this was like World War II where you could see bombs dropping, then you wouldn’t have little babies going out to a daycare, ” said Dr. Bernida Thompson, founder and principal of Roots Public Charter School, a Northwest-based institution that includes pre-school and elementary grade levels. Since last March when the District declared a public health emergency, Roots PCS launched its virtual learning component with all of per-pupil funding allocated to the institution for the 2019-2020 academic year remaining intact. However, upon Roots PCS’ mandatory shift to a hybrid-learning
model in November, the amount distributed by the Office of the State Superintendent of Education [OSSE] was reduced by 50 percent of the amount Roots received during the previous year. Thompson told The Informer that the reduction represents the decision of a parent population in which only one-half have sent their children back to in-class instruction. “The mayor is not exposing her baby to a daycare/school environment so why are childcare centers penalized for parents preferring to keep their babies home and using remote education?” Thompson asked. “This is not something where people should have to take their babies out into the deadly world of a pandemic. We should keep our babies inside with their parents.” “In 2021, school is not just brick and mortar. The young people have been using technology. Even before 2021, we saw that ‘Sesame Street’ taught a lot of pre-school children,” she said. A report compiled by DC Action for Children in November identified OSSE subsidies as a significant source of funding for childcare cen-
EDUCATION
(Courtesy photo)
ters. The report showed that out of the two-thirds of the District’s early childcare centers planning to open, less than 33 percent expected enrollment to reach pre-COVID-19 levels. This rang true for centers serving more than 50 children. Prior to the pandemic, 258 of the District’s 469 early childcare centers received reimbursements for student subsidies based on attendance. Though OSSE started doling out subsidies based on enrollment, not attendance, at the start of the pan-
demic, the office reverted to the original arrangement in November on the condition that the amount given would increase by more than 30 percent, starting in January, to make up for a lower student population. That rate, set by a formula, would change every three months in alignment with other policies to increase early childcare subsidies, an OSSE official told The Informer.
CHILDCARE Page 35
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LIFESTYLE New Documentary ‘What About Me’ Features Unheard Voices of Black Men
Landmark Production Now Available on Amazon Prime Video During February
ar;” actor Roshon Fegan of OWN’s “Greenleaf;” attorney Todd Belcore of Social Change; and civil rights Attorney J. Wyndal Gordon – “The Warrior Lawyer.” “Amazon Prime Video provides us with a platform that will dramatically expand our audience reach across the nation,” said D. John Jackson of 5J Entertainment. “Our goal is to change the national conversation about the plight of African Americans by shining a light on Black men and
D. Kevin McNeir WI Editor A new documentary, “What About Me,” shares the rarely heard and insightful reflections of Black men in America. Available on Amazon Prime Video, the hour-long will run throughout Black History Month and features the following men: actor Marcus Scribner of ABC’s “Black-ish;” actor Timon Kyle Durrett of OWN’s “Queen Sug-
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5 D. John Johnson (Courtresy Landmark Productions)
5 Darryl Pitts (Courtresy Landmark Productions)
5 Taroue Brooks (Courtresy Landmark Productions)
their individual stories. Many of the stories have gone unnoticed by the mainstream media for generations.” “During the course of the film, viewers will be taken on an unexpected journey into the daily lives, struggles, and achievements of Black men who want to make difference in their careers, families, and communities,” said Taroue Brooks, executive producer. “We believe important film segments will inspire a national conversation about criminal justice reform, economic development, political power, and modern-day racism. These dialogs are particularly important as the country has entered into an historic period of civil unrest and transformation,” Brooks said. “From the violent insurrection on U.S. Congress fueled by the White Nationalist movement, to the health of Black Americans endangered by COVID-19, to millions of like-minded individuals taking to the streets to protest deadly force by law enforcement – this documentary is more important now than ever,” said Darryl Pitts, executive producer. “Despite our significant contributions to society, Black men are still in the fight for our lives. We must be engaged in the national conservation or the United States will never be successful in taking the necessary steps towards achieving unity and equality,” Pitts said. Megan T. Ebor, Ph.D., director and writer of the 2012 award-winning documentary “Even Me,” said “What About Me” provides a refreshing and long overdue depiction of positive Black men in America. She added the film
defies societal myths perpetuated through various media outlets of the absentee Black father and offers a more balanced narrative insisting that parental absenteeism is a human problem that occurs across groups. “An overarching theme that is reiterated throughout the film drives home the point that Black men are not a monolith and are so much more than the limited representations propagated in American culture,” Ebor said. “The film thoughtfully demonstrates the vulnerabilities of Black men as they recount incidents of discrimination, micro-aggressions and racially-motivated violence regardless of class/societal positionality. As a racial scholar, researcher and mother of three Black sons, I can attest, that this film is a primary example of the importance and necessity of diverse filmmakers.” “Here, the three executive pro-
ducers thought it critically important to expand upon the Black narrative – telling the untold stories of what it is to be successful, proud, educated, talented and community-driven Black men in America. The brotherhood and mentorship shown in the latter portion of the film (through the stories of Thompson McLeod, Tyson Dowdell, Nate Tinbite and Trey Causey) are heartwarming visuals that raise the visibility of the good work being done in our communities—for which the heroes often go unsung,” Ebor said. Ebor concluded that the documentary gives hope and perspective of Black narratives that are often overlooked, rarely celebrated, and considered not to be newsworthy. For more information about the film, please visit the producers on Facebook and Instagram at @whataboutmedocumentary. WI
“During the course of the film, viewers will be taken on an unexpected journey into the daily lives, struggles, and achievements of Black men who want to make difference in their careers, families, and communities,” said Taroue Brooks, executive producer.
THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM
LIFESTYLE
Legendary Temple Coach John Chaney Dies at 89 Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer Hall of Fame basketball coach John Chaney, best known for making Temple University a mainstay on the national scene over his 24-year tenure, died Friday. He was 89. Cheney died after a short illness, the school said in a statement. Along with his contemporary John Thompson, the late Georgetown University coaching legend, Chaney was part of a small but successful fraternity of African American head coaches throughout much of their storied careers. Considered one of the most respected coaches in all sports, the feisty, gravelly-voiced Chaney had a reputation for driving his student players to greatness on the court and in the classroom. “John Chaney was a great coach, but he was so much more,” Temple President Richard M. Englert, who knew Chaney since he arrived at Temple in 1982, said in a statement on the school’s website. “For generations of Temple University students, he was a wise counselor, a dedicated teacher, an icon of success, and a passionate leader who always led by example. With conviction. I am also honored to say he was a dear friend.” Born Jan. 21, 1932, in Jacksonville, Florida, Chaney spent his entire coaching career in Pennsylvania, starting at Philadelphia’s Sayre Junior High, where his teams won 59 of 68 games. He later coached at Simon Gratz High School in Philadelphia “and quickly turned a struggling 1-17 club into a perennial winner,”
CHILDCARE from Page 33 Other conditions put forth by OSSE last November involve increases of allowable monthly excused absences from five to 10 and the classification of COVID-19-related absences as excused. While the District’s public schools currently operate virtually, early childcare centers that facilitate virtual learning would also be compensated for a full day’s rate. However, not even those overtures have sufficed for some early childcare providers, like Bridget
Your local marketing experts with UNLIMITED REACH. 5 John Chaney (Courtesy of temple.edu)
the school reported. Before coming to Temple, Chaney also coached for 10 years at Cheyney State University, where he compiled a 225-59 record and guided the team to the NCAA Division II title in 1978. Upon taking the helm at Temple, Chaney quickly turned the Philadelphia school into a powerhouse, leading the team to the NCAA tournament 17 times in his first 19 seasons, including five Elite Eight appearances. He retired in 2006 with a record of 516–253 at the school and a career record of 741-312. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2001. “Coach Chaney was like a father to me,” current Temple coach Aaron McKie, who played for Chaney for four seasons beginning in 1991, said in a statement. “He taught not just me, but all of his players more than just how to succeed in basketball.
He taught us life lessons to make us better individuals off the court. I owe so much to him. He made me the man I am today.” Chaney also earned a reputation as a complete player. He starred at Benjamin Franklin High School in Philadelphia, where he won Most Valuable Player honors. Later, at Bethune-Cookman College in Daytona Beach, Florida, Chaney earned NAIA All-American and Most Valuable Player honors during the 1953 NAIA Championships. As a professional player in the Eastern Basketball League, Chaney was named all-pro six times and earned the league’s MVP award in 1959 and 1960. He even doubled as a coach for two seasons. In 1955, he graduated from Bethune-Cookman College and later received a master’s degree from Antioch College. WI @StacyBrownMedia
Hall of Big Mama’s Children Center – a business located in Southwest on Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue that’s been in operation for nearly 40 years. Since November, Big Mama’s Children Center has been at nearly one-third of its capacity, a situation that Hall said caused her to seek grants, furlough her staff and divert funds often used to purchase food and toiletries for families for the purchase of personal protective equipment. Meanwhile, Hall continues to engage parents who remain ambiv-
alent about sending their children back, all to no avail. “At first, the D.C. government gave us a monthly reimbursement check for 74 children but as of November they cut that [amount] to the number of children that are [in the classroom],” Hall said. That’s 24 children and not enough.” “I’m faced with parents who are still uncomfortable with bringing in their children. I don’t blame them. My heart goes out to them.” WI @SamPKCollins
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LIFESTYLE
Radio Ads Urge Md. Lawmakers to Override Hogan Veto on Prescription Drug Board William J. Ford WI Staff Writer Two years ago, the Maryland General Assembly created a prescription drug affordability board to lower the cost of expensive drugs. Those words are from Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks as part of six radio ads to encourage state lawmakers in the House of Delegates to override Gov. Larry Hogan’s veto to not permanently fund a prescription drug affordability board. “This is something that cannot wait for COVID-19 to be over.,” Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said during a virtual press conference Tuesday in support of the override. “We’ve had prescription
36 - FEBRUARY 4 - 10, 2021
[drug] issues in our state long before COVID-19 showed up on our doorstep.” Because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and social distancing, the 141 members of the House aren’t scheduled until next week to make floor votes. Half of the delegates will be in the House chamber and the rest in an annex in the House of Delegates building. The Senate overrode Hogan’s veto 30-15 on Jan. 15, the first week lawmakers began the 90-day annual session in Annapolis. The legislature established the board in 2019 as the nation’s first to assess and cap the costs of certain brand name or generic prescription drug prices bought by state and local governments.
The board’s main goal highlighted in the legislation approved two years ago: “To protect…stakeholders within the healthcare system from the high costs of prescription drug products.” Lawmakers passed a measure last year to fund the board annually at $2 million. To show bipartisanship, Harford County Executive Barry Glassman, a Republican, supports the board. “When you go to the drug store to pick up your prescription, the pharmacist doesn’t ask you for your voter ID card to see if you’re a Democrat, Republican, or Independent,” he said. “He’s interested in your co-pay and your insurance. The board’s work… will have a tremendous benefit
5 County leaders, the mayor of Baltimore City and healthcare advocates during a virtual press conference Feb. 2. (Screen grab: Maryland Citizens’ Health Initiative)
not only to local governments, but eventually to our seniors and our citizens that have to pay these costs…”
To hear the ad with Alsobrooks and other jurisdiction leaders, go to https://bit.ly/3cA2TEH. WI
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Eight Ways to Embrace Self-Care Submitted by AmeriHealth Caritas District of Columbia
Care has been foremost in the minds of many this year. How can we best take care of ourselves and those we love when our health may be at greater risk? To care for our loved ones, we first need to take care of ourselves. Self-care is when we pay attention to the needs of our own body and emotions. It means we take care of our own physical and emotional health. Self-care can help us adapt to changes and recover from setbacks. It can help us weather the stormy times and enjoy the brighter ones.1 Self-care often falls to the bottom of the list for caregivers. Yet the better we feel and function, the better we can care for others. Ways to care for your physical health1 1. Keep active every day. All activity counts. Even dancing around the kitchen to the radio, taking the stairs, and jogging in place may help our bodies stay healthy. Daily exercise naturally helps our bodies relieve stress. Schedule some time
to move as a routine part of your day. Remember to talk to a health care provider before starting an exercise program. 2. Eat well. Get plenty of whole grains and fresh veggies and fruit in your diet. This may help lower your risk for chronic diseases. Eating right can also help improve your mood and energy level. 3. Get the sleep you need. Many adults need seven to nine hours a night. To make the most of your rest times, stay away from computers, TVs, and smartphones before bed. 4. Try some techniques to reduce stress. If you need a timeout, try five minutes of deep breathing, muscle relaxation, or meditation. These may help relieve hard feelings and help you stay more relaxed day to day. 5. Avoid alcohol and drugs. Ultimately, these may worsen your stress. Ways to care for your emotional health1 1. Focus on the good. Let yourself notice any positive moments during the day. Even the small ones count, like a kind word or a sunny day. Try to pause each day or week to jot down one good thing you saw.
2. Accept your feelings. It’s OK to feel some frustration or sadness. You may find yourself thinking that you shouldn’t feel these things. Instead, try to just notice and respect your feelings. You can help reduce your stress by not labeling them as good or bad. 3. Look for support. If you’re a caregiver, this is key. We may think that we can or should be able to do it all ourselves, but this is untrue. Knowing you’re not alone is also a powerful boost. Support can come from community resources, family, friends, and professionals. Many resources are available online. Join a support group or talk to a counselor or friend. If you or your loved one is an AmeriHealth Caritas District of Columbia (DC) enrollee, we can help. Please call Enrollee Services at 1-800-408-7511 (TTY 1-800-570-1190).
ers/Taking-Care-of-Yourself. 2. “Stress and Coping,” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/ managing-stress-anxiety.html?CDC_ AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2F-
Sources: 1. “Taking Care of Yourself,” National Alliance on Mental Illness, https://www.nami.org/Your-Journey/Family-Members-and-Caregiv-
w w w. c d c . g o v % 2 F c o r o n a v i r u s % 2 F 2 0 1 9 - n c ov % 2 F p re pare%2Fmanaging-stress-anxiety.html. All images are used under license for illustrative purposes only. Any individual depicted is a model
Managing Health Stress For some people, managing feelings of fear or anxiety may be the hardest part of challenging times. It’s normal to feel uneasy about uncertainty. However, we may help ourselves and others by adopting ways of coping. You may notice one or more of these signs of stress:2 • Worrying about your health or the health of those you love • Changes in how you sleep or eat • Difficulty sleeping or focusing • Worsening of chronic or mental health conditions • Using more alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs If you notice any of these signs, try some of these ways to cope:2 • Give yourself a break. Limit how often you watch, read, or listen to the news. This includes news on social media. Hearing about troubling events too often can add to our stress.
#BestMe
• Give yourself time to relax. Try to do something you like each day. • Connect with others, even online. Talk with people you trust about how you feel. • Eat healthy, well-balanced meals • Take deep breaths, stretch, or meditate • Get the sleep you need • Keep your body active • Avoid alcohol and drugs
If you or someone you love is overwhelmed with feelings of sadness, depression, or anxiety, there are resources available to help: Helpline at 1-800-985-5990 • If you are an AmeriHealth Caritas DC enrollee, call Enrollee Services at 1-800-408-7511 (TTY 1-800570-1190)
Find us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/amerihealthdc. / Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/amerihealthcaritasdc. / Find us on Instagram at www.instagram.com/amerihealthcaritasdc.
#BestMe
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I got a gift card for getting my annual physical. You can too. You can get a $25 gift card if you: • Are an AmeriHealth Caritas District of Columbia enrollee • Are 12 – 21 years old • Get an annual physical exam
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All images are used under license for illustrative purposes only. Any individual depicted is a model.
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FEBRUARY 4 - 10, 2021 37
LIFESTYLE Emmy Award-Winning Producer Beverly Lindsay-Johnson Named AAMA Executive Director Emmy Award winning producer/director and entertainment consultant Beverly Lindsay-Johnson has been named executive director of the DC-based, nonprofit African American Music Association organization. Lindsay-Johnson, who assumed her new post in January, previously served eight years as president of the National Hand Dance Association of Washington, D.C., where her proven commitment to the arts in D.C. and beyond, makes her the ideal person to lead the organization, according to a Kendallproductions.com-issued press release. “I am pleased to join the African American Music Association in its mission to preserve, protect, promote and to foster the continued development of African-American music and the legacy of those who compose, record and perform the music,” Lindsay-Johnson said in the press release. “It’s important for me to develop programming and public outreach projects which acknowledge African American cultural music traditions in all genres to include gospel, blues, jazz, rhythm and blues, hip-hop and go-go, on both a local and national level.” Earlier in her career, Lindsay-Johnson produced the “Evening Exchange,” a public affairs television program on WHUT-TV Howard University Television, hosted by Kojo Nnamdi. Overall, she has received 24 television industry awards for her productions at WHUT-TV, the nation’s first African American owned and operated PBS station. WI
IN MEMORIAM
Rest in Peace
Rest in Peace Nathan Bossard Nathan Bossard (USAF-Retired) age 94, died peacefully on January 15, 2021 at Walter Reed from natural causes. Born April 6, 1926 in Cincinnati, Ohio, the youngest of four siblings, he served in the U.S. Army during World War II before joining the Air Force in 1948. His military career brought him to Andrews AFB in Maryland, where he was introduced by friends to Mary A. Williams whom he married on October 7, 1950. Nathan received the high honor of Airman of the Year at Bolling AFB in 1969. After retiring from the military in 1970, Mr. Bossard began his second career with the D.C. Government Office of Personnel Management, retiring after 20 years. He was very active in civic and local government and formed a Cincinnati Club for transplants in the Washington area. He was a member of the Washington Masonic Pythagoras Lodge and was an avid golfer. Mr. Bossard was preceded in death by his eldest son, Nathan Michael. He is survived by his wife of 70 years Mary, sons, Geoffrey (Kimberly-deceased), and Kenneth (Jeanne), daughters, Denise (Noble- deceased), and Jacqueline (Aaron), daughter in law, Marilyn (Michael), along with 17 grandchildren, 20 great grandchildren, 3 great-greatgrandsons, and many nieces, nephews, in-laws and friends. Viewing will be Saturday February 6, 2021 from 10:30-11:30 a.m. at Berean Baptist Church, 924 Madison Street, N.W., D.C. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the memorial service and burial will be private. The family has asked for donations in lieu of flowers to go the Disabled American Veterans!!! https://fisherhouse.org/
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5 Beverly Lindsay-Johnson (Courtesy photo)
Reverend Linda Marie Brown Reverend Linda Marie Brown was born on May 19, 1953 and entered heavenly eternity on January 24, 2021. She was raised in Washington, DC and was a graduate of Anna Burdick Vocational High School. Upon graduation, she entered the healthcare field and later became a dedicated Rehabilitation Assistant of Sibley Hospital until her retirement in 1997. Reverend Brown became a faithful member of the Allen Chapel AME Church in Washington DC on April 19, 1979 and was ordained as a Reverend on November 22, 2002. She relocated to Lexington, KY and became a faithful member of Historic St. Paul A.M.E Church. She is survived by her daughters Latasha Austin-Williams (Adrian) and Marquitta McKinney-Nelson, her grandchildren Juwan Avans, Sir Samuel Zion McKinney, Joi McKinney, and Jamari Nelson; her sisters Patricia Brown, Jacqueline Greene, and Sarah Brown along with a host of relatives and friends. Reverend Brown was preceded in death by her parents Cleve and Annie Darby, sisters Edith Hogan, Ann Hall, Stephanie Pinckney as well as her husband Milton H. Brown Sr.
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Men’s Virility Restored in Clinical Trial; 275% More Blood Flow in 5 Minutes PAID ADVERTISEMENT
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FREE BONUS TESTOSTERONE BOOSTER Every order also gets Dr. Sears testosterone boosting formula Primal Max Black for free. “If you want passionate ‘rip your clothes off’ sex you had in your younger days, you need nitric oxide to get your erection going. And testosterone for energy and drive,” says Dr. Sears. “You get both with Primal Max Red and Primal Max Black.”
HOW TO GET PRIMAL MAX To secure free bottles of Primal Max Black and get the hot, new Primal Max Red formula, buyers should contact the Sears Health Hotline at 1-800-631-1845 within the next 48 hours. “It’s not available in drug stores yet,” says Dr. Sears. “The Hotline allows us to ship directly to the customer.” Dr. Sears feels so strongly about Primal Max, all orders are backed by a 100% money-back guarantee. “Just send me back the bottle and any unused product within 90 days from purchase date, and I’ll send you all your money back,” he says. The Hotline will be open for the next 48 hours. After that, the phone number will be shut down to allow them to restock. Call 1-800-631-1845 to secure your limited supply of Primal Max Red and free bottles of Primal Max Black. You don’t need a prescription, and those who call in the rst 24 hours qualify for a signicant discount. Use Promo Code NP0121PMAX586 when you call in. Lines are frequently busy, but all calls will be answered.
THESE STATEMENTS HAVE NOT BEEN EVALUATED BY THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION. THIS PRODUCT IS NOT INTENDED TO DIAGNOSE, TREAT, CURE OR PREVENT ANY DISEASE. RESULTS MAY VARY 327892_10_x_11.indd 1
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LIFESTYLE
PR Veteran’s Book Offers Strategic Advice to Black Women Barrington M. Salmon Black Press USA/NNPA Newswire Contributor
5 Jennifer R. Farmer (Courtesy photo)
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The selection and subsequent election of Sen. Kamala Harris to Vice President-Elect serves, for Jennifer R. Farmer, as a beacon of hope and a validation of what Black women can achieve with hard work, tenacity and support from their village and the alignment of the stars. Farmer, a veteran activist, public relations expert and practitioner, recently published “First and Only: A Black Woman's Guide to Thriving at Work and in Life,” which addresses the challenges Black women face when they are the both the first and only in professional spaces and provides a roadmap to success. “The book speaks to the unrealistic expectations, racism, sexism and barely disguised hostility associated with being the first or only, said Farmer, founder of Spotlight PR LLC, a boutique firm specializing in communications strategy and training for leaders and groups committed to social and racial justice. “While a Black woman's appointment, selection or ascension to a massive role is exciting, there is an underbelly associated with career progression.” “I’ve been doing this for 17, 18 years,” said Farmer, a Columbus, Ohio native, whose mother is from Barbados and whose father has Southern roots. “My mother was very strict. We lived in poverty in subsidized housing where there was a high incidence of violence. Fortunately, my mother shielded us. I wanted to escape the city I was in. What drew me to PR was wanting to participate in racial justice – doing advocacy and helping people tell their stories.” Farmer, an author and lecturer, dubbed “the PR Whisperer,” said she looked for a labor union whose members wanted or needed publicity and sought to tell their stories. She appreciated how unions benefit the wider society and was eventually hired by the Service Employees International Union. In 2016, she founded Spotlight PR, a boutique firm that specializes in public relations and training for leaders and groups committed to social
and racial justice. She works with a host of high-profile clients including: activist, rapper and businessman Michael Render, aka Killer Mike – host of the Netflix show, “Trigger Warning with Killer Mike” and one half of the rap duo Run the Jewels, Art, Beats & Lyrics; the Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II; author Edgar Villanueva (Decolonizing Wealth); Bankhead Seafood; and various social justice organizations such as the Funders’ Collaborative for Youth Organizing, Repairers of the Breach, United Methodist Women and the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice. The mother of two said her motivation for writing the book was to address and focus on the experiences of Black women professionals who've been told they’re re too loud, aggressive, assertive, not nice enough, not enough, or too much. “I made an intentional decision not to speak to women of color because the experiences of Black women should be called out singularly,” said Farmer, a graduate of the University of Rochester. “I also feel that often, people use women of color or people of color without distinguishing the unique experiences of various groups. I wanted to be clear that it is okay to speak directly to Black women without expecting us to once again have our uniqueness glossed over.” “I couldn’t manage the way my white male bosses did and expect to hear the compliments they received. When I began hearing things like, ‘you need to be nicer,’ I internalized it and believed something was fundamentally wrong with me as a human being.” “It wasn’t until I started being vulnerable and speaking to other Black
women that I learned that we were all hearing feedback that made us the problem versus the workspaces around us. I am hopeful Black women will find gems [in my book] to add to their toolbox to help them shut out the noise, steel themselves and survive and thrive as the first or only Black woman in professional spaces or unique life experiences.” Farmer looks at the ascension of women like Harris, Marilyn Mosby, Kim Foxx and Aramis Ayala who all broke barriers to become the first Black women elected as states attorneys in their respective cities and regions. The quartet represent pioneers at a time when African-American women have shattered glass ceilings and barriers in public spaces including politics, commerce, media, medicine and law enforcement. Farmer said she was elated when President Joe Biden chose Harris as his running mate but notes that from the time Harris announced her intention to vie for the presidency, she faced stiff headwinds of sexism, racism and gender bias. “People expected Harris to put on a brave face, smile and operate superbly despite what she may have faced as the first and only,” Farmer said months before Harris was chosen. “People will hold her accountable for things for which she has no control. The attacks will come from all sides, even from people you would think would be in her corner. The hurdles she will need to clear will be massive, and that is notwithstanding her partnership with a prominent Democrat.” “She is still Black, a person of color and a woman and with that, she will face challenges,” she said “These are not insurmountable, as her entire career has demonstrated. But it is important that her village support her, that she has spaces where she can be authentic and vulnerable and that she march to the beat of whatever drum is comfortable and realistic for her.” Farmer has taken her own advice and said she has always marched to be beat of her own drum. “This book is both a self-help guide and business tome focused exclusively on the unique challenges that Black women face in work and life,” she said. WI
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1/4/21 7:36 PM
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LIFESTYLE
Cicely Tyson, Film and Stage Legend, Dies at 96 Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer From her first significant role as Jane Foster in the TV drama “East Side/West Side” to her recurring role as Ophelia Harkness in “How to Get Away with Murder,” Cicely Tyson’s nuanced portrayals of proud Black women were a powerful counterbalance to the more prevalent negative stereotypes presented in film and on television. The legendary film, television and stage actress who earned an Academy Honorary Award, three Emmys and a Tony died Thursday at the age of 96. “Often at great personal cost, she demanded truth and dignity in the roles she accepted. Few actors have done more to advance the cause of racial justice than the incomparable Cicely Tyson,” National Urban League President and CEO Marc Morial said late Thursday. “The National Urban League was proud to present her with one of our highest honors, the Arts Award, at our 2013 Conference. The entire Urban League Movement mourns her passing and honors her memory.” A cause of death was not immediately released. “With heavy heart, the family of Miss Cicely Tyson announces her peaceful transition this afternoon,” her manager, Larry Thompson, said in a statement. “At this time, please allow the family their privacy.” Born in New York on December 19, 1924, Tyson grew up in Harlem’s famed but hardscrabble streets. As a teenager, she worked as a typ-
ist but decided she wanted to go into show business. She began modeling at the age of 18 but her love of the stage quickly took over. In 1963, Tyson made history with “East Side/West Side,”becoming the first Black lead in a television drama series. Her star power soared after an Academy Award-nominated performance for the 1972 film, “Sounder.” She had previously appeared in an episode of the popular TV western “Gunsmoke,” also making a name for herself in “The FBI,” “A Man Called Adam” and “I-Spy” which featured Bill Cosby. The multi-talented Tyson would earn Emmy Awards for her portrayal of Kunta Kinte’s mother in Alex Haley’s “Roots” and as the lead character in “The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman.” In 1994, Tyson earned her third Emmy in a supporting role as housemaid Castalia in the CBS miniseries “The Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All.” Among her more memorable stage performances were 1968’s “Carry Me Back to Morningside Heights,” 1969’s “To Be Young, Gifted and Black” and 1983’s “The Corn is Green.” “So many great stories about Cicely Tyson,” tweeted Soledad O’Brien. “Whew, that lady was amazing. While shooting a doc on her in Spanish Harlem, people kept stopping their cars. In the street. To hop out and say hi. Old people. Teenagers. Middle-aged fans. “Ciss-el-lee” they’d chant as she’d walk by.”
The Hollywood Reporter received statements from some of Hollywood’s biggest stars. Viola Davis, who worked with Tyson on “How to Get Away With Murder” and wrote the foreword of Tyson’s memoir, wrote: “I’m devastated. My heart is just broken. I loved you so much!! You were everything to me! You made me feel loved and seen and valued in a world where there is still a cloak of invisibility for us dark chocolate girls. You gave me permission to dream . . . because it was only in my dreams that I could see the possibilities in myself. I’m not ready for you to be my angel yet. But . . . I also understand that it’s only when the last person who has a memory of you dies that you’ll truly be dead. “In that case, you will be immortal. Thank you for shifting my life. Thank you for the long talks. Thank you for loving me. Rest well.” In a tribute, Tyler Perry emotionally shared that the news “brought me to my knees,” according to The Hollywood Reporter. “She was the grandmother I never had and the wisdom tree that I could always sit under to fill my cup. My heart breaks in one beat, while celebrating her life in the next,” he wrote. “She called me son. Well, today your son grieves your loss and will miss our long talks, your laughter from your belly and your very presence.” Whoopi Goldberg also paid tribute by describing Tyson as “a tower of power, a pillar of strength, CLEAR about who she was and how she was to be treated.” LeVar Burton paid tribute to his “first screen Mom.” “Elegance, warmth, beauty, wisdom, style and abundant grace. She was as regal as they come. An artist of
Destination DC/ Events DC Bid Opportunity Destination DC/ Events DC is soliciting proposals from qualified vendors for the “Destination DC/ Events DC CREATIVE AGENCY RFP”. Interested parties can view a copy of the Request for Proposal (RFP) by accessing the Event DC’s E-procurement website at www.wcsapex.com and opening APEX BID #21-S-005-677. Key Dates Proposal Due Date: 05:00 PM EST, Friday, February 19, 2020
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5 Cicely Tyson (Courtesy of NCNW)
the highest order, I will love her forever,” he wrote. Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) released the statement below upon learning of the death of Cicely Tyson, the actress known for her portrayals of strong Black women. “I was fortunate to know Cicely Tyson. We didn’t spend much time
together, but we clicked. I admired her for refusing stereotyped roles in Hollywood and insisting on roles that reflected her dignity and the dignity of Black people. Cicely Tyson paved the way for the Black stars America admires – Denzel Washington, Halle Berry, and all the rest.” WI @StacyBrownMedia
ADVICE from Page 12
moderate to severe COVID-19; it increased to 85 percent preventing severe disease. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have higher efficacies at 94 percent and 95 percent, respectively. They require two doses at three and four weeks apart, but stringent storage requirements. The assessment of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine make it easier to store and transport. “If [Johnson and Johnson] were approved on a Friday, then I would expect the following Monday it would be available and start shipping out to the states and local jurisdictions,” said Chen, who’s also an adult infectious disease physician. “To deliver one dose of vaccine instead of trying to deliver those two doses of vaccine at a set time of 21 or 28 days apart makes it so much easier to vaccinate the population.” To watch the full town hall hosted by the Maryland legislative Black, Latino and Asian-American/Pacific Islander caucuses, go to https://bit.ly/3cvPn4O. WI @jabariwill
the University of Maryland Medical System’s COVID-19 response community provider liaison. She said those communities have higher risks of heart and chronic diseases. Some people are essential workers who must also take public transportation and lack of access to the appropriate masks and even hand sanitizer. “During this time, we have to take care of our health…so it reduces the complications we are seeing,” she said. One of the main questions during the town hall dealt with where to register to receive a vaccine and the supply. Wilbur Chen, a science professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, said a third vaccine developed by Johnson and Johnson could be approved in the next several weeks by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The company announced Friday a single-shot dose from a clinical phase 3 trial showed 66 percent effectiveness at preventing
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LIFESTYLE
wi book review Black History Books for Kids ages 3 to 18 various authors and illustrators, prices ranging from $14.95 to $27.00
horoscopes
FEB 4 - 10, 2021
ARIES An extra payday is possible today. This could be a payout from some affiliate marketing you have been doing or another social media/technology project you have been working on. Right now, you have energy to burn and so take your project list and start checking things off, especially things that directly lead to financial gain. Lucky Numbers: 11, 20, 39 TAURUS Today, luck is with you, like ordering a coffee and finding out that it's free. You may receive a note from someone you admire, telling you what a good job you're doing. At home, your family and your partner are throwing their support behind you. You could have so many people championing you. You might consider running for office. This is to remind you that you do have support in your life when it counts. So, consider taking bigger risks in your career. Lucky Numbers: 15, 23, 24 GEMINI It's time to think bigger. Whether you want to go back to school or you want to backpack through India, this is a good day to write out the actions necessary to move forward on your goal. Today you have strength of will, quick perception, and probably irritable impatience. Don't accept that what you want is out of your reach. Put on your hiking shoes and start climbing the mountain. Lucky Numbers: 10, 17, 21
By Terri Schlichenmeyer WI Contributing Writer When you're a kid, there are so many things to learn. Someone has to teach you your A-B-Cs, and to count to a hundred. You have to learn to tie a knot and set the table and stay safe. And this month, you should learn more about Black History, and that can be fun with these great books... For the littlest reader ages 3 to 5, "The ABCs of Black History" by Rio Cortez, illustrated by Lauren Semmer is a great way to start the lesson. This most fundamental book includes holidays, cities, people, and music that forms the base of Black History, in colorful drawings and a format that's fun. Slightly older kids ages 4 to about 7 – those who still love picture books – will want "Stompin' at the Savoy" by Moira Rose Donohue, illustrated by Laura Freeman, which is a book about the life of famed drummer Chick Webb; or "Life As You Climb: The Story of Ella Baker" by Patricia Hruby Powell and R. Gregory Christie, the tale of activist Baker and her inspirational work. Also look for "The Teacher's March! How Selma's Teachers Changed History" by Sandra Neil Wallace and Rich Wallace, illustrated by Charly Palmer. It's the story of Rev. F. D. Reese and his co-workers in Selma, Ala., in 1965. For middle graders, "This is Your Time" by Ruby Bridges is a quick but impactful book, perfect for Black History Month. Bridges, of course, is a Civil Rights worker and this is the story of her life, and the day she was six years old and was escorted by federal marshals, a little Black girl heading to a white school. Her tale will inspire young readers to help create justice in their classrooms and neighborhoods. Also for older kids ages 12 and up, "Ida B. The Queen" by Michelle Duster looks like it might be a storybook. The truth is that it is a story – it's a bunch of stories, in fact – first, of Ida B. Wells, crusader, writer and suffragist, but not just her. The book is also about the people she inspired, the singers, lawmakers, inventors, thinkers and others. Keep in mind that this is a big book, with lots of side-bars in a skinny cover; having a bookmark and notebook nearby might be handy. And finally, for high school readers, "Separate No More: The Long Road to Brown v. Board of Education" by Lawrence Goldstone begins more than 100 years ago with a landmark ruling on education for Black citizens and ends with another one that turned the first one upside down. Not just a story of an event, though, this book also looks at the people involved: judges, parents, teachers, politicians, citizens and students who merely wanted to go to school. If these books don't quite fit your child's interests, ask your librarian or bookseller for ideas. There's sure to be a book that you and your child will love to read and share because, when it comes to Black History, there's really so much to learn. WI
CANCER Today, it's good to take stock of all of your resources. You may know enough people to start a business. You might enlist your little nephew to build your website, your sister-in-law to help you with package design, your aunt for her connections to media, and her surprisingly large TikTok following. By taking stock of your resources, you open up options. Lucky Numbers: 9, 14, 54 LEO You are on fire, quick on the draw, ready with answers, able to impress the boss so much so that you are in charge today. You are exuding confidence from every pore. And as you survey your kingdom, the question on your lips might be, "Is it big enough?" You might need to think bigger and see if manifest destiny can expand your world. Lucky Numbers: 7, 15, 26 VIRGO Today, you could streamline everything. You can figure out what tasks could be automated or delegated and save yourself hours every day. You start with the question, "How can I do this in half the time?" Or the even better question coined by real estate mogul Gary Keller, "What's the one thing I can do that renders all of the rest of this unnecessary?" Lucky Numbers: 1, 8, 29 LIBRA Today you recognize your love relationship includes dirty dishes and crying kids. There's still potential for joy and moments of ecstasy, but they are sandwiched between responsibilities and obligations. And this is what makes a happy and fulfilled life. If everything is just a fantasy, there's no sense of fulfillment, no sense of achievement. It is when you can find joy while folding laundry with your sweetheart that true happiness is found. Lucky Numbers: 36, 45, 58 SCORPIO Today, you have the excitement of starting a new project and lots of energy to make it happen. You could be decluttering or doing a top-to-bottom cleaning. But it's also possible that you and your sweetheart are getting together to make a new home. This is a great aspect for taking the winning shot. The pressure is on, but you are confident you can make the right move. Lucky Numbers: 15, 26, 27 SAGITTARIUS Your focus is on the most accurate communication possible. This could indicate you have an agreement needing to be signed. With this aspect, you'll want to go through the fine print line by line. Focus on clarity when communicating with others. Consider updating your website with your company mission statement. Update your resume to get the job you want and create a cover letter explaining how you are the perfect candidate. Lucky Numbers: 30, 42, 46 CAPRICORN Today, the focus is on finances and what you can do to substantially increase your income. This is about looking for new revenue streams, grabbing a shovel, and cutting an aqueduct so money can flow into your accounts. While this is an action-oriented day, you can also use it for researching ideas. Consider Googling "moneymaking ideas you can do from home." Lucky Numbers: 8, 9, 39 AQUARIUS Today, while you have energy to burn, you can get quite irritated with family members who might be less enthusiastic about cleaning out the garage or getting together for a family meeting. Arguments are possible today, but it's a waste of this good energy. Look for constructive things you can do by yourself if necessary. Consider playing sports today to use up some energy. Lucky Numbers: 2, 25, 33 PISCES Part of your life path right now revolves around creating a home. It's good to define what home means to you. And with contrarian Uranus involved, it's good to look at something different than you might have had when you were growing up. Today, think about all the different ways people live and the many, many options that are open to you. Lucky Numbers: 10, 12, 28
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CAPTURE the moment
For more photos, visit www.washingtoninformer.com
Washington Teacher's Union members demonstrate outside of Mayor Bowser's home on Jan. 30 to express their objections to returning to in-person learning. (Robert R. Roberts/The Washington Informer)
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SPORTS Washington Gets That Winning Feeling Back, Prepares for Road Trip Daniel Kucin Jr. WI Sports Writer
Washington Wizards guard Russell Westbrook came to the District via trade this offseason to fill in for John Wall, a player recognized by many as arguably one of the best point guards the organization has ever fielded. The Wizards (4-12) came away with a 149-146 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Jan. 31 after suffering a four-game losing streak, but the real story was how effective Westbrook was leading the show as the Wizards are fighting from the bottom of the Eastern Conference. Westbrook led the team in scoring (41), rebounds (10), and assists (8), while guard Bradley Beal poured in 37 points, but the man of many nicknames, including "Beastbrook," equated his success to the leadership role he has embraced as a team player by letting the game come to him. "Leadership shows out when you win," Westbrook said about his role on this team. "Guys feel better about themselves and are confident about their game, and that's what I look for ... I feel like I'm put into this position for a reason. Tonight we played at a high level and now we gotta get ready for the next one." Being undermanned and recovering from a five-game postponement, Washington is showing resiliency and a mutual bond that is translating to the floor. Six players scored in double figures against Brooklyn, and the team collectively cleaned the glass by corralling a game-high 11 offensive rebounds while scoring 72 points in the paint. Wizards head coach Scott Brooks bellowed out a sigh of relief after the win. "It was the first game all year I had a White Claw," Brooks jokingly said after the game. "I wanted to enjoy it
[the win]; this was a good feeling. We fought hard and had nothing right going for us in that first quarter other than us competing. We've done it all year, but the basketball gods gave us a break tonight." Though Beal is routinely questioned if he wants to stay in Washington, the former University of Florida product has focused on making the Wizards better down the stretch. This season, Beal has scored the most points per game (34.9) and boasts a career-high in rebounds per game (5.1). However, not all that glitters is gold. Washington forward Davis Bertans signed a five-year, $80 million deal only to average under 11 points per game and is experiencing career lows in 3-point percentage (32.7), field goal percentage (34.4), free throw percentage (77.4) and blocks per game (0.2). With that massive deal, Washington is still waiting for more production out of their wing, and it has been a rough stretch for the Latvian star. In contrast, Westbrook and Beal rank in the top three in NBA scoring. Still, many Wizards woes have currently resided in the defensive department as they sit last in opponent shooting percentage at more than 64 percent. Despite that, Washington will embark on a gruesome four-game road trip, including taking on the Miami heat in a two-game slate, then the Charolette Hornets and finally ending with the Chicago Bulls on Feb. 8. Washington will come back home to take on the Toronto Raptors on Feb. 10, hoping to keep their winning ways going behind a healthy and rejuvenated Westbrook and solid bench play, which accounted for 50 points against the Nets. WI @danielkucin88
SPORTS HEADLINES
Hot off the Press
COMPILED BY DANIEL KUCIN, JR. WI SPORTS WRITER
Washington Football Team NFL Coach of the Year is not a unique award for Washington Football Team Head Coach Ron Rivera, who will be handed the plaque for the third time March 6. But few of his predecessors can say they achieved that title while battling cancer. Rivera turned around a team that won only 17 games during the last three seasons to an NFC East Division title in 2020 and did so while battling cancer. “Thank you, everyone, for your prayers, letters, texts & notes of encouragement & support,” Rivera said on Twitter after officially announcing that he is cancer-free on Jan. 28. “It truly made a difference in my treatment & recovery!” After each NFL season, the civic organization called “The Committee of 101” hosts the 101 awards. Each year, 101 members of the national media select the Offensive Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and Coach of the Year in the American Football Conference and National Football Conference. 5 Washington Football Head Rivera is the third Washington coach to win the award, joining two Bur- Coach Ron Rivera wins NFC gundy and Gold legends, George Allen (1971 and 1976) and Joe Gibbs Coach of the Year Award. (1983). WI
Howard Women Keep It Going
Howard University’s Women’s Basketball team is riding high on a three-game win streak after blowing past Delaware State University, 71-60 on Jan. 30. Howard guard Jayla Thornton knocked down a season-high seven 3-pointers while guard Iyanna Warren distributed eight assists, a career-high, to come out on top. The next game was postponed in anticipation of bad weather, but the Bison will resume play against Morgan State University (7-2) at home on Feb. 6-7 in a two-game slate. Howard has split the series 1-1 this season. WI
D.C. United Announces 2021 Season/Retains Talent
Major League Soccer (MLS) announced on Jan. 25 that the 2021 regular season is slated to begin on April 3, featuring 34 matches from 27 clubs, and the preseason will start on Feb. 22. D.C.United will represent the Eastern Conference in the league’s 26th season. COVID-19 testing protocols will again play an essential role in the MLS competition structure. MLS noted that they continue to work closely with the league and MLSPA’s infectious disease advisors on health and safety protocols, including testing. Players will be required to quarantine and have individual training when reporting back to their respective clubs during the season. In other news, United has resigned defender Chris OdoiAtsem through 2022 and midfielder Felipe Martins through 2021. Odoi-Atsem appeared in 15 games last season, totaled 769 minutes, and scored his first goal on a 78th-minute game-winner in the 2-1 victory against FC Cincinnati on Oct. 18, 2020. “Chris has really grown as a player since he joined the club, and he had his best season last year, consistently performing well for us at outside back,” said Dave Kasper, general manager and vice president of soccer operations for D.C. United. Martins played in 16 games for United last season and recorded three assists. “We know Felipe will return stronger than ever next season, and we look forward to him continuing to play a leadership role for us,” Kasper said of Martins. WI (Courtesy photo/DC United)
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46 - FEBRUARY 4 - 10, 2021
TERRORISTS from Page 1 er than any other group. Domestic terrorism is much more a part of our society. With their presence in the military and law enforcement, white supremacist groups have badges of law. That has been true for decades.”
DOMESTIC TERRORISM IGNORED
Retired Redondo Beach, Calif. police Lt. Diane Goldstein agrees with German that America continues to ignore domestic terrorism on American soil at its peril. “Our biggest threat is domestic terrorism and white nationalism. We as Americans are not taking seriously the threat of white nationalism seriously,” said Goldstein, executive board chair of the Law Enforcement Action Partnership (LEAP). “In the 1990s, the Aryan Brotherhood and the Order were fomenting a lot of violence. Law enforcement took a real signature stand and pushed these people back. That’s not occurring right now. “It’s stunning. It’s always felt that our ideal of democracy was inviolate. Now we are no different than any other Third World country.” German, a fellow with the Brennan Center for Justice's Liberty & National Security Program, said there is a direct link between the origins of American law enforcement as slave patrols and what it has become. “It’s not an accident that white supremacy is inimical to these institutions,” said German, a former agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. “One of things we have to understand is that white supremacy isn’t some fringe. It is foundational to all our institutions. Politicians have gone out of their way to appeal to racism as a way to achieve power in the ‘70s, ‘80s and beyond. They were openly racist in the ‘40s and ‘50s when dog whistles were used to message these groups. They never suffered the ramifications of being openly racist.” German, who spent 15 years infiltrating and disrupting Neo-Nazi, white supremacist and domestic terror groups as an FBI agent, said right wing militias and white nationalist groups have been allowed to operate with very little response from law enforcement and with the sympathy of the White House.
IMPEACHMENT TRIAL TO START FEB. 8
In the Jan. 6 coup attempt, the U.S. Capitol was stormed after a ral-
(Courtesy photo)
ly attended by Trump where he said the November presidential election was stolen by Democratic President nominee Joe Biden, aided by millions of fraudulent votes in Georgia, Wisconsin, Detroit and other Black urban strongholds. Rioters went to stop the certification of the election and are believed to have been intent on killing lawmakers. The mob vandalized offices, fought with, beat and pepper sprayed police officers, erected a noose and gallows and hunted for lawmakers. So far six people have died. Enraged House Democrats – and a handful of Republicans – voted to impeach Trump for a second time for inciting the coup attempt. The Senate is scheduled to begin the trial on the one article of impeachment during the week of Feb. 8. Far right elements are considered to be the most lethal domestic terror threat because the numbers bear that out, German said. White supremacists and far-right militants have committed considerably more attacks and killed more people in the U.S. over the last 10 years than any foreign terrorist movement. According to the FBI, hate crimes have been on the rise in recent years. Retired Seattle, Wash. police chief Norm Stamper said he’s always been aware that far-right individuals have infiltrated deeply into police departments and the military but expressed surprise at the extent of that infiltration. “With regard to the Proud Boys, Oathkeepers and others in law enforcement and the military, I know that the figure is much, much greater than I thought 20 years ago,” he said. German and experts who monitor White nationalist extremist groups have watched with increasing alarm violent clashes, shootings and brawls between extremist militia groups and Black Lives Matter (BLM), other so-
cial justice groups and ANTIFA. Yet, to the consternation of many, Trump and former Attorney General William Barr, pressured Homeland Security, the Department of Justice and the FBI to target BLM activists.
RIOT IS START OF LONG PROTRACTED STRUGGLE
Late last year, Brian Murphy, a whistleblower at the Department of Homeland Security, complained to the DHS inspector general that two top officials tried to coerce him into toning down the threat posed by White supremacists. Murphy refused to alter the intelligence assessment and said in the formal complaint that he was demoted from his position of undersecretary for the Office of Intelligence and Analysis. Stamper said Americans should be prepared for a long and protracted struggle to weed out right-wing forces. “This [Jan 6 riot] is not an aberration or anomaly. This is the first of others that we will see,” said Stamper. “I do believe it was deliberate on the part of many ... we’re not just talking about a handful of bad apples – this is a significant thread [of far-right supporters] in law enforcement. They should be prohibited from strapping on a gun.” Stamper described what happened on Jan. 6 as a monumental failure of law enforcement. “Where the hell were the police? They had all this intelligence,” he said. Goldstein said, “We as a society including the police have to be very careful, especially the police,” she said. “We’re the only people, along with the military with the authority to kill people. We have got to hire the best people who will support the ideals of our community.” WI @bsalmondc
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RELIGION the religion corner WITH LYNDIA GRANT
12 Things That Make Men Rich (Conclusion) Let's begin this week's conclusion to my "12 Things That Make Men Rich" columns by saying, "You wanna be what you see!" The ninth principle is about the importance of having an Open Mind on All Subjects. A closed-minded person could never see himself or herself doing something that may very well be needed in their dream field. We all know somebody we would say has a closed mind. You see traits in these people such as bias, bigotry, misogyny, xenophobia and homophobia. When a person's mind is made up, you can pretty much forget about it. Another example is religion, which can also be a form of closed-mindedness. Fundamentally, what closed-mindedness does is shut out the possibility of original thinking. The 10th principle is having Self-Discipline. We have control over what we do. If all we do every day is sit around watching television, relaxing, not thinking, not studying ways to improve ourselves, how can we expect to get to the next level? Take your daily eating habits, for example. That one, my friend, requires self-discipline in every sense of the word. If you have Type 2 diabetes like millions of other people, then you must con-
trol yourself by adjusting to smaller servings. You must get yourself up to exercise. It requires you to get something done. Either you walk, jog, go to the gym, or you have a home routine. It's your choice, but only you can make it happen. The 11th principle is having the Capacity to Understand People. There was a class that I took at my church, All Nations Baptist Church, called "Temperament." Who am I? What makes me do the things I do? You've asked these timeless questions as have philosophers and theologians for thousands of years. "Spirit-Controlled Temperament," written by Tim LaHaye, was our textbook. This class provided answers to these questions, patterned after ancient models of human behavior and grounded in the Word of God. Temperament is defined as something each of us are born with. We're all born with distinct strengths, but we also have weaknesses that can hold us back. God wants to transform our natural weaknesses to make us a dynamic, effective Christian who lives above anger, fear, depression and selfishness; but there are steps we must take. Most of us never take these steps, because we believe we are who we are. In that class, it helped me to understand that when someone behaves in a particular manner, it is based on those traits you
Mt. Zion Baptist Church
were born with. The class reminded us that each of us gets some of our ways from our two parents and four grandparents. Therefore, each of us will be different, based on traits we inherited from our parents or grandparents. When we understand how someone behaves, and become aware that their behavior is simply that, and we're not angry with them for lashing out at you. It has nothing at all to do with you or me, this behavior comes out often and with others. In our class, we learned how to control our temperament. We were required to look at our negative temperament traits, and to learn to recognize them as they arise. Then we had to come up with ways to change those negative traits. The key was the Holy Spirit. We have to pray to ask for guidance. The bottom line is that class taught us how we can exercise self-control, which would help us to understand the most difficult people in our lives. Finally, the 12th and final principle is Economic Security. Once we incorporate all of these principles into our daily lives, we will learn to deal with the valleys, the hills will take care of themselves! We will begin to do everything to the best of our abilities or not at all! We will know that not one drop of our self-worth is based on what others think of us. WI
John F. Johnson Reverend Dr.
5101 14th Street, NW / Washington, DC 20011 Phone: 202-726-2220 Fax: 202-726-9089
1306 Vermont Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20005
“A Church with a past to remember – and a future to mold” www.mtzbcdc.org
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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 4 - 10, 2021 47
RELIGION The Miracle Center of Faith Missionary Baptist Church
Pilgrim Baptist Church
Bishop Michael C. Turner, Sr. Senior Pastor
Rev. Louis B. Jones II Pastor
9161 Hampton Overlook Capitol Heights, MD 20743 Phone: 301-350-2200 / Fax: 301-499-8724
700 I Street, N.E. Washington, D.C. 20002 (202) 547-8849
Service and Times Sunday Worship Times : 7:30 AM 7 10:00 AM Communion: 1st Sunday Sunday School: 9:00 AM Bible Study: Wednesday, 12 Noon Bible Study in homes: Tuesday 7:00 PM
Service and Times Worship Sundays: 7:30 & 11:00 AM 5th Sundays: 9:30 AM 3rd Sundays: Baptism & Holy Communion Prayer & Praise: Wednesdays @ Noon & 6:30 PM
Website: www.themiraclecenterFMBC.com Email: Miraclecenterfmbs@gmail.com Motto: “We Walk by Faith, Not by Sight”
www.pilgrimbaptistdc.org
Covenant Baptist United Church of Christ
Blessed Word of Life Church
Church of Living Waters
Allen Chapel A.M.E. Church
Rev. Paul Carrette Senior Pastor Harold Andrew Assistant Pastor 4915 Wheeler Road Oxon Hill, MD 20745 301-894-6464 Service and Times Sunday Service: 8:30am& 11:00 AM Bible Study: Wednesday 7:30 PM Communion Service: First Sunday www.livingwatersmd.org
St. Stephen Baptist Church
Rev. Dr. Michael E. Bell, Sr., / Pastor 2498 Alabama Ave., SE - Washington D.C. 20020 Office: (202) 889-7296 / Fax: (202) 889-2198 - www.acamec.org Service and Times Sunday Worship Services: 8:00am and 11:00 AM Sunday Church School - 9:15am & Sunday Adult Forum Bible Study - 10:30 AM 2nd & 4th Monday Women’s Bible Study: 6:30 PM Tuesday Jr./Sr. Bible Study: 10:00 AM Tuesday Topical Bible Study: 6:30 PM Tuesday New Beginnings Bible Study: 6:30 PM Wednesday Pastoral Bible Study: 6:30 PM Wednesday Children’s Bible Study: 6:30 PM Thursday Men’s Bible Study: 6:30 PM Friday before 1st Sunday Praise & Worship Service: 6:30 PM Saturday Adult Bible Study: 10:00 AM “The Amazing, Awesome, Audacious Allen Chapel A.M.E. Church”
Third Street Church of God
Dr. Dekontee L. & Dr. Ayele A. Johnson Pastors
Reverend William Young IV Pastor
Bishop Lanier C. Twyman, Sr. Senior Pastor
Rev. Cheryl J. Sanders, Th.D. Senior Pastor
4001 14th Street, NW Washington, DC 20011 (202) 265-6147 Office 1-800 576-1047 Voicemail/Fax
3845 South Capitol Street Washington, DC 20032 (202) 562-5576 (Office) / (202) 562-4219 (Fax)
5757 Temple Hill Road, Temple Hills, MD 20748 Office 301-899-8885 – fax 301-899-2555 Services and Times Sunday Early Morning Worship: 7:45 AM Church School: 9:30 AM Sunday Morning Worship: 10:45 AM Tuesday: 7:00pm/Kingdom Building Bible Institute Wednesday , 12:30 PM Mid-Day Bible Study Wednesday: Prayer/Praise/Bible Study-7:30 PM Baptism & Communion Service: 4th Sunday – 10:30 AM
1204 Third Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 202-347-5889 office / 202-638-1803 fax
Service and Times Sunday School: 9:30 AM Sunday Morning Worship Service: 11:00 AM Communion Service: First Sunday Prayer Service/Bible Study: Tuesday, 6:30 PM
Services and Times Sundays: 10:00am Worship Services Bible Study: Wonderful Wednesdays in Worship and the Word Bible Study Wednesdays 12:00 Noon; 6:30 PM (dinner @ 5:30 PM) Sunday School: 9:00 AM – Hour of Power “An inclusive ministry where all are welcomed and affirmed.” www.covenantdc.org
www.blessedwordoflifechurch.org E-mail: church@blessedwordoflifechurch.org
Campbell AME Church
Service and Times Sunday Worship Service: 10:00 AM Sunday Church School: 8:45 AM Bible Study Wednesday: 12:00 Noon Wednesday: 7:00 PM Thursday: 7:00 PM “Reaching Up To Reach Out” Mailing Address : Campbell AME Church 2502 Stanton Road SE - Washington, DC 20020
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
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
(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 Reverend Dr. Paris L Smith, Sr. Senior Pastor
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
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
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
Reverend Dr. Paul H. Saddler Senior Pastor
Turning Hearts Church
421 Alabama Ave. SE Washington, DC 20032 Phone: 202-746-0113 Fax: 301-843-2445
“Ambassadors for Christ to the Nation’s Capital”
Rev. Dr. Alton W. Jordan Pastor
Isle of Patmos Baptist Church
Twelfth Street Christian Church
Rev. Dr. Henry Y. White 2562 MLK Jr. Ave., SE - Washington, DC 20020 Adm. Office 202-678-2263 Email: Campbell@mycame.org
“We are one in the Spirit” www.ssbc5757.org / E-mail: ssbc5757@verizon.net
Services and Times Sunday School: 9:30 AM Sunday Worship: 11:00 AM Sunday Community Worship Service: 8:30 AM
Crusader Baptist Church
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 4 - 10, 2021
themcbc.org
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RELIGION Shabbath Commandment Church Bishop Adrian A. Taylor, Sr. Pastor 7801 Livingston Road Oxon Hill, MD 20745 301-534-5471 Service and Times Sabbath School 9:30 a.m. – 10:30 AM Service 11:00 AM Praise & Worship Preaching 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM Motto: “A Church Keeping It Real for Real.” Website: Shabbathcommandmentchruch.org Email: Praisebetoyhwh@gmail.com
Zion Baptist Church Rev. Keith W. Byrd, Sr. Pastor 4850 Blagdon Ave, NW - Washington D.C 20011 Phone (202) 722-4940 - Fax (202) 291-3773 Service and Times 9:00 a.m. – Sunday School 10:15 a.m. – Worship Service Wed. Noon: Dea. Robert Owens Bible Study 7 PM Pastor’s Bible Study Ordinance of Baptism 2nd Sunday, Holy Communion 4th Sunday Mission: Zion shall: Enlist Sinners, Educate Students, Empower the Suffering, Encourage the Saints, And Exalt our Savior. (Acts 2: 41-47) www.zionbaptistchurchdc.org
St. Luke Baptist Church Rev. Aubrey C. Lewis Pastor 1415 Gallatin Street, NW Washington, DC 20011-3851 P: (202) 726-5940 Service and Times Sunday Worship: 11:00 AM Sunday School: 9:15 AM Holy Communion: 11:00 a.m., 3rd Sun. Bible Institute: Wednesday - 1:30 PM Prayer Meeting: Wednesday - 12:00 Noon
All Nations Baptist Church Rev. Dr. James Coleman Pastor 2001 North Capitol St, N.E. - Washington, DC 20002 Phone (202) 832-9591 Service and Times Sunday Church School – 9:30 AM Sunday Worship Service – 11:00 AM Holy Communion – 1st Sunday at 11:00 AM Prayer – Wednesdays, 6:00 PM Bible Study – Wednesdays, 7:00 PM Christian Education / School of Biblical Knowledge Saturdays, 9:30 AM – 11:00 AM, Call for Registration Website: www.allnationsbaptistchurch.com All Nations Baptist Church – A Church of Standards
Israel Baptist Church
Rev. Daryl F. Bell Pastor 2324 Ontario Road, NW Washington, DC 20009 (202) 232-1730 Service and Times Sunday School: 9:30 AM Sunday Worship Service: 11:00 AM Baptismal Service: 1st Sunday – 9:30 AM Holy Communion: 1st Sunday – 11:00 AM Prayer Meeting & Bible Study: Wednesday -7:30 PM “Where Jesus is the King”
Dr. Earl D. Trent Senior Pastor
2409 Ainger Pl.,SE – WDC 20020 (202) 678-0884 – Office / (202) 678-0885 – Fax “Moving Faith Forward” 0% Perfect . . . 100% Forgiven!
623 Florida Ave.. NW - WDC. 20001 Church (202) 667-3409 / Study (202) 265-0836 Home Study (301) 464-8211 / Fax (202) 483-4009
Service and Times Sunday Worship: 8:00 AM & 10:45 AM Baptism/Holy Communion: 3rd Sunday Family Bible Study Tuesdays – 6:30 PM Prayer Service: Tuesdays – 8:00 PM www.emmanuelbaptistchurchdc.org
Sermon On The Mount Temple Of Joy Apostolic Faith
Lincoln Park United Methodist Church Rev. Richard B. Black Pastor
Elder Herman L. Simms Pastor
1251 Saratoga Ave., NE Washington, DC 20018 (202) 269-0288
1301 North Carolina Ave. N E Washington, D C 20002 202 543 1318 - lincolnpark@lpumcdc.org www.lpumcdc.org
5606 Marlboro Pike District Heights, MD 20747 301-735-6005
Service and Times Sunday Worship Service: 10:45 AM Sunday School: 9:15 AM Holy Communion1st Sunday: 10:45 AM Prayer Service: Wednesday at 6:30 PM Bible Study: Wednesday at 7:00 PM Bible Study: Tuesday at 10:30 AM
Mount Moriah Baptist Church Dr. Lucius M. Dalton Senior Pastor
Service and Times Sunday Worship: 10:00 AM Holy Communion: First Sunday 10:00 AM Sunday School: 9:00 AM Bible Study: Wednesday @ 12 noon and 6:30 PM Motto: "Faith On The Hill"
Service and Times Sunday Apostolic Worship Services 11:00 A.M and 5:00 PM Communion and Feet Wash 4th Sunday at 5:00 PM Prayer/Seeking: Wednesday at 8:00 PM Apostolic in Doctrine, Pentecostal in Experience, Holiness in Living, Uncompromised and Unchanged. The Apostolic Faith is still alive –Acts 2:42
New Commandment Baptist Church
Eastern Community Baptist Church Damion M. Briggs Pastor
Rev. Stephen E. Tucker Senior Pastor
1636 East Capitol Street, NE Washington, DC 20003 Telephone: 202-544-5588 - Fax: 202-544-2964
8213 Manson Street Landover, MD 20785 Tel: (301) 322-9787 Fax: (301) 322-9240
13701 Old Jericho Park Road Bowie, MD. 20720 (301) 262-0560
Service and Times Sunday Worship Services: 7:45 AM and 10:45 AM Holy Communion: 1st Sundays at 7:45 AM & 10:45 AM Sunday School: 9:30 AM Prayer & Praise Service: Tuesdays at 12 noon & 6:30 PM Bible Study: Tuesdays at 1 pm and 7 PM Youth Bible Study: Fridays at 7 PM
Service and Times Early Morning Message: 7:30 AM Sunday Morning Worship Service: 10:00 AM Sunday Church School: 9:00 AM Holy Communion: 1st Sunday 7:30 AM & 10:00 AM Prayer, Praise and Testimony: Wednesday 7:00 PM Bible Study: Wednesday 7:30 PM
Service and Times Sunday Worship: 11 AM Sunday School: 10 AM Wednesday Mid-Week Worship, Prayer & Bible Study: Wed. 7 PM
Rehoboth Baptist Church
Reverend Peter R. Blue Sr. Pastor
Rev. Curtis l. Staley Pastor
2001 Brooks Drive District Heights MD. 20744 240.838.7074
621 Alabama Ave., S.E.- Washington, D.C. 20032 P: (202) 561-1111 - F: (202) 561-1112
Service and Times Sunday Worship Experience: 10:15am Sunday School: 9:00am Holy Communion: 3rd Sunday Morning Noontime Bible Study: Tuesday @ 12:00pm Prayer Meeting/Bible Study: Tuesday @7:00pm Theme: "Building On A Firm Foundation"
Service and Times Sunday Service: 10:00 AM Sunday School for all ages: 8:30 AM 1st Sunday Baptism: 10:00 AM 2nd Sunday Holy Communion:10:00 AM Tuesday: Bible Study: 6:30 PM Prayer Meeting: 7:45 PM
Email: revprbstmbc@gmail.com Website: www.stmatthewsbaptist.org
Motto: “Where God is First and Where Friendly People Worship”
“Real Worship for Real People” Website: www.easterncommunity.org Email: ecc@easterncommunity.org
“A Church Where Love Is Essential and Praise is Intentional”
Foggy Bottom - Founded in 1867 728 23rd Street, NW - Washington, DC 20037 Church office: 202-333-3985 - Fax : 202-338-4958
Shiloh Baptist Church
Service and Times Sunday Worship Services: 10:00 AM Sunday Church School: 8:45 – 9:45 AM Holy Communion: Every First Sunday Intercessory Prayer: Monday – 7:00-8:00 PM Pastor’s Bible Study: Wednesday –7:45 PM Midweek Prayer: Wednesday – 7:00 PM Noonday Prayer Every Thursday
Matthews Memorial Baptist Church
4504 Gault Place, N.E. / Washington, D.C 20019 202-397-7775 – 7184 Service and Times Sunday Church School: 9:30 AM Sunday Worship Service : 11:00 AM The Lord’s Supper 1st Sunday Prayer & Praise Services: Wednesday 7:00 PM Bible Study: 7:30 PM Saturday before 4th Sunday Men, Women, Youth Discipleship Ministries: 10:30 AM A Christ Centered Church htubc@comcast.net
Christ Embassy DC
Dr. Joseph D. Turner / Senior Pastor 2616 MLK Ave., SE - Washington, DC 20020 Office 202-889-3709 - Fax 202-678-3304 Service and Times Early Worship Service: 8:00 AM Worship Service: 11:00 AM New Member’s Class: 9:45 AM Holy Communion: 1st Sunday, 11:00 AM Church School: 9:45 AM Wednesday 12:00pm Bible Study Prayer, Praise and Bible Study: 7:00 PM Saturday Bible Study: 11:00 AM Baptism 4th Sunday: 11:00 AM “Empowered to love and Challenged to Lead a Multitude of Souls to Christ”
Peace Baptist Church
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. Dr. Jerryl V. Moody Pastor-Elect
Web: www.mountmoriahchurch.org Email: mtmoriah@mountmoriahchurch.org
St. Matthews Baptist Church
Emmanuel Baptist Church
King Emmanuel Baptist Church
WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER
Service and Times Sunday School for All Ages: 8:00 AM Sunday Worship Services: 9:30 AM Midday Prayer & Bible Study: Wednesday 11:30AM Evening Prayer & Bible Study: Wednesday 7:00 PM Laymen's League: Thursday 7:00 PM Email: Froffice@firstrising.org Website: www.firstrising.org “Changing Lives On Purpose “
Email:mthoreb@mthoreb.org Website:www.mthoreb.org For further information, please contact me at (202) 529-3180.
FEBRUARY 4 - 10, 2021 49
LEGAL NOTICES In God We Trust Notice of White Flag Surrender
LEGAL NOTICES SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
LEGAL NOTICES
LEGAL NOTICES
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
2020 ADM 896
2020 ADM 828
2020 ADM 850 Mark A. Stover Decedent
Notice of Special Appearance : I am that I am: “ yashua bey©
2020 ADM 000403
”, nom deguerre: “ duarte, yashua© ”, in full life, in propria
Lycean Brookings Decedent
Patricia Daniel-Cummings aka Patricia Angela Daniel-Cummings Decedent
Juanita L. Myers aka Juanita Littlejohn Decedent
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS
Aimee D. Griffin, Esq. The Griffin Firm, PLLC 5335 Wisconsin Ave., NW, Suite 440 Washington, DC 20015 Attorney
Ronald Dixon Bynum & Jenkins 1010 Cameron Street Alexandria, VA 22314 Attorney
persona, sui juris, in solo proprio, Haqdar by natural issue, the beneficiary and heir of: ‘‘ DUARTE, YASHUA© ’’, corp.sole Dba.: ‘‘ YASHUA DUARTE© ’’. having reached the age of majority, being aboriginal to the northwestern and southwestern shores of Africa, the Atlantic Islands, the continental Americas, being duly certified, hereby affirms the following: Notice of White Flag Surrender: as “hors de combat”, pursuant to The Geneva Conventions, Article III, and Lieber Code, as Taino moorish Americans, and ministers of The Moorish Empire, and Internationally Protected Persons. Notice of LAWS AND CUSTOMS OF WAR ON LAND (HAGUE, IV), ARTICLE: 45, 46, & 47. Notice of Claim pursuant to Public Law 87-846, TITLE II, SEC. 203. Notice of Bailment Merging of Legal Title with Equitable Title : This order is to preserve legal and equitable title , and to reserve all rights, title, and interest, in the property, Re: [1] THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH REGISTRY OF VITAL RECORDS AND STATISTICS, REGISTERED NUMBER: 2175, ‘‘ YASHUA DUARTE© ’’, is as a special deposit order conveyed to “ Yashua Bey Trust ”. Individual Trust being an Unincorporated Divine Grantor Inter Vivos Trust. Inter alia. This deposit is not to be commingled with general assets
Wanda Robinson, whose address is 849 Stonebridge Park Circle, Lithonia, GA 30058, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Lycean Brookings who died on July 13, 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 7/21/2021. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 7/21/2021, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship. Date of first publication: 1/21/2021 Wanda Robinson Personal Representative
of any bank, nor depositary/ trustee/ agent/ bailee/ donee/
TRUE TEST COPY
debtor. This deposit is not limited to, but including: discharge
Nicole Stevens Register of Wills
and set off, of any and all outstanding liabilities as accord and satisfaction. All Rights Reserved.
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 2020 ADM 000722 James C. “JC” Saulsberry, Jr. Decedent
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Shanice McClelland, whose address is 10009 Birdie Lane, Upper Marlboro, MD 20774, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of James C. “JC” Saulsberry, Jr. who died on January 10, 2020 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 7/28/2021. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 7/28/2021, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship. Date of first publication: 1/28/2021 Shanice McClelland Personal Representative
Washington Informer
Washington Informer
50 - FEBRUARY 4 - 10, 2021
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Gregory C. Daniel, whose address is 10416 Mountain Quail Rd., Silver Spring, MD 20901, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Patricia Daniel-Cummings aka Patricia Angela Daniel-Cummings who died on July 5, 2020 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 7/28/2021. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 7/28/2021, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Edna L. Hurley, whose address is 408 Kelleytown Woods Parkway, McDonough, Georgia, 30252, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Juanita L. Myers aka Juanita Littlejohn who died on September 19, 2020 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 7/28/2021. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 7/28/2021, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.
Date of first publication: 1/28/2021
Date of first publication: 1/28/2021
Gregory C. Daniel Personal Representative
Edna L. Hurley Personal Representative
TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer
TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer
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 Tiffany H. McRae, whose address is 5121 Fitch Street, SE, Apartment 203, Washington, DC 20019, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Mark A. Stover who died on December 1, 2018 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 7/28/2021. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 7/28/2021, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship. Date of first publication: January 28, 2021 Tiffany H. McRae Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
In God We Trust Notice of White Flag Surrender
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 922
Notice of Special Appearance : I am that I am: “ Eliezer Ali©
2020 ADM 904
2020 ADM 000914
Muhammad Ayyaz Rashid Decedent
Anthony W. Thomas Decedent
Kerri M. Castellini, Esq. Price Benowitz LLP 409 Seventh Street, NW, Suite 200 Washington, DC 20004 Attorney
Gilda Sherrod-Ali, Esq. 611 Pennsylvania Ave., SE #328 Washington, DC 20003 Attorney
Ewan A. Brown aka Ewan Alexander Brown Decedent Aimee D. Griffin 5335 Wisconsin Ave., NW, Ste 440 Washington, DC 20015 Attorney
”, nom deguerre: “ Maria, Eliezer© ”, in full life, in propria persona, sui juris, in solo proprio, Haqdar by natural issue, the beneficiary and heir of: ‘‘ MARIA, ELIEZER© ’’, corp.sole Dba.: ‘‘ ELIEZER MARIA© ’’. I being Trustee of ‘‘ MARIA, ELIEZER© having reached the age of majority, being aboriginal to the northwestern and southwestern shores of Africa, the Atlantic Islands, the continental Americas, being duly certified, hereby affirms the following: Notice of White Flag Surrender: as “hors
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS David A. Mitchell, whose address is 1612 Golf Course Rd., Mitchellville, MD 20721, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Ewan A. Brown aka Ewan Alexander Brown who died on May 31, 2020 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 7/28/2021. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 7/28/2021, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship. Date of first publication: 1/28/2021 David A. Mitchell Personal Representative
TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills
LEGAL NOTICES
TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer
de combat”, pursuant to The Geneva Conventions, Article III, and Lieber Code, as Taino moorish Americans, and ministers of The Moorish Empire, and Internationally Protected Persons. Notice of LAWS AND CUSTOMS OF WAR ON LAND (HAGUE, IV), ARTICLE: 45, 46, & 47. Notice of Claim pursuant to Public Law 87-846, TITLE II, SEC. 203. Notice of Bailment Merging of Legal Title with Equitable Title : This order is to preserve legal and equitable title , and to reserve all rights, title, and interest, in the property, Re: [1] THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH REGISTRY OF VITAL RECORDS AND STATISTICS, REGISTERED NUMBER: 134, ‘‘ ELIEZER MARIA© ’’, is as a special deposit order conveyed to “ Eliezer Ali Trust ”. Individual Trust being an Unincorporated Divine Grantor Inter Vivos Trust. Inter alia. This deposit is not to be commingled with general assets of any bank, nor depositary/ trustee/ agent/ bailee/ donee/ debtor. This deposit is not limited to, but including: discharge and set off, of any and all outstanding liabilities as accord and satisfaction. All Rights Reserved. Let it Be Known that, Freshun Flowers Bey is a member of the League of Indian Nations of North America, LINNA Tribal ID#: 000101717 and Is subject of the National Indian Government; one that owes allegiance to the sovereign and is governed by her laws. Extraterritorial USA/CANADA Proclamation Form 42820- A100
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Tayyaba Khan, whose address is 11351 Beringer Ct., Waldorf, MD 20601, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Muhammad Ayyaz Rashid who died on April 3, 2020 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 8/4/2021. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 8/4/2021, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Tori Kenner and Malik Thomas, whose addresses are 3014 Thayer Street, SE, Washington, DC 20018 & 1518 Fort Davis Street, SE, Washington, DC 20020, was appointed Personal Representatives of the estate of Anthony W. Thomas who died on October 22, 2020 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 8/4/2021. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 8/4/2021, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.
Date of first publication: 2/4/2021
Date of first publication: 4/4/2021
Tayyaba Khan Personal Representative
Torri Kenner Malik Thomas Personal Representative
TRUE TEST COPY
TRUE TEST COPY
Nicole Stevens Register of Wills
Nicole Stevens Register of Wills
Washington Informer
Washington Informer
THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM
LEGAL NOTICES SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 2020 ADM 000907 Robert Lee Wilder Decedent James Larry Frazier, Esq. 918 Maryland Ave., NE Washington, DC 20002 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Herman Lee Wilder, whose address is 152 Tywyn Drive, Middletown, DE 19709, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Robert Lee Wilder who died on February 12, 2017 without a Will, and will serve with Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 8/4/2021. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 8/4/2021, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship. Date of first publication: 2/4/2021 Herman Lee Wilder Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer
CL ASSIFIEDS
CL ASSIFIEDS
CL ASSIFIEDS
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REFORM from Page 13 ville to help with coverage at the schools. Some jurisdictions such as St. Mary’s County work with the county sheriff department. “I think this will be a place where each jurisdiction has its own process, so long as state criteria is in place with real training and real accountability,” Ferguson said. Del. Jheanelle Wilkins (D-Montgomery County) says she has a better idea: use the $10 million in state money used to pay for
SROs and provide counseling and other mental health services. Her legislation would be a companion bill with a bill Acevero will sponsor to prohibit jurisdictions or local governments from contracting with law enforcement agencies to station police in schools. “They’re critical to what activists and the movement for Black lives have been pushing for around reimaging school safety,” Acevero said. “Black lives matter at school as well.” WI @jabariwill
HEALTH from Page 20 White House’s COVID-19 team to improve vaccine confidence in the Black community, work on mistrust and ensure that vaccine distribution is equitable. “The question is how do we get it to wards 7 and 8 and make sure they have just as much access to the vaccine as white residents in the District?” Boyd says the issue of fair vaccine distribution is very important to the health of Black women who are often the head of household and a major share of frontline essential workers. “What we found out during the pandemic is Black women weren’t able to stay at home or work from home. If they are impacted by COVID-19, it’s even worse as far as job loss and job stability.” Although the pandemic remains at the forefront, BWHI is also advocating for a cause that again impacts minorities significantly: rare disease.
Last May, the group launched the Rare Disease Diversity Coalition to bring awareness to these diseases and improve health outcomes for patients of color. BWHI President and CEO Linda Goler Blount said there are significant barriers with developing effective therapeutics for minorities. “Lack of researchers of color and lack of participants of color in clinical trials mean evidence-based medicine is applied to people who had nothing to do with the creation of the evidence.” “However, the number one reason patients of color are not included in clinical trials is because they are not asked by their physicians.” Blount said their campaign RISE for Rare, which launched in November is a powerful first step to ensuring patients of color are included in research and that physicians and researchers understand the importance of that inclusion. On Feb. 28, Rare Disease Day, BWHI will host a Virtual Town Hall to provide information and
resources on rare diseases such as sickle cell and lupus with healthcare leaders from various organizations such as Children’s National, American Medical Association and the National Hispanic Medical Association. The virtual event will also discuss how the coronavirus vaccine will impact those living with rare disease and some of the obstacles they may face. Boyd says the work BWHI is doing is applicable to all, but the focus remains on Black women who are essential pillars in the Black community. “It’s important to have Black women pushing for our own selfcare, wellness and health,” she said. “We know the role that Black women play from mobilizing and empowering people and being on the front lines, but also the role in the African American community and within the family.” “Making sure Black women are healthy is very key for the overall sustainability of the African American community.” WI
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MALVEAUX from Page 30 the status quo as "normal"? Is it normal for teacher's unions and mayors to be so far apart? If we want students back in their classrooms, why can't we vaccinate every teacher and school worker? But the conflict between teachers and elected officials, especially in Chicago, calls for a national conversation with educators, students and parents. We've heard from everyone but students in this conversation. What are they thinking and
CHAVIS from Page 30 tion of opening the NFL's Owners Club to African Americans. We have a unique opportunity to address this matter, given that America is focused on the inequalities in our culture — from economy to the delivery of health care — that the pandemic has laid bare for all Americans to see. In this context, the NFL, a sports business giant, should begin taking steps toward diversifying the ranks of NFL team owners. More than that, the league should leverage the current debate about social justice to ensure greater diversity and inclusion in all aspects of American corporate life. It does appear that the NFL is slowly making some progress on the hiring of African Americans and other persons of color in the top
BAILEY from Page30 more to liberate the Negro than any action of individuals (emphasis his). We have been oppressed as a group and we must overcome that oppression as a group."
feeling? Is any of this normal? We never saw mask-wearing as standard, and even now, with more than 400,000 dead, some fools refuse to wear them. But here's the real deal — vaccine or not, I'll likely be wearing double masks until the end of the year, and so should you. People who have had the vaccine have still tested positive. They still need to wear masks and wash their hands frequently. But too many have made mask wearing a political statement. Our non-mask-wearing former presi-
dent contracted COVID-19 and got priority treatment and had access to the drug Regeneron, which is not available to the general public. And he still won't wear a mask, emboldening his sycophants. I really don't know what is normal anymore, but I am sure that if 2019 was normal, we must embrace the abnormal. Or, we need to define the new normal as safe, fair, and equitable. As my anonymous tweeter said, "Rona" is an opportunity for us to check ourselves and maybe get it right. WI
executive positions of NFL general managers and head coaches. I know, for example, that Rod Graves, former general manager of the Arizona Cardinals and current executive director of the Fritz Pollard Alliance, is working hard on this issue of inclusive executive hiring. Brother Graves is to be saluted for his consequential work. I am also aware that overall, Troy Vincent, the NFL's executive vice president, and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell have stated their resolve and commitment to social and racial justice, and as well to leading the NFL forward on the issues of diversity and inclusion. We wish them well. Yet, if I have learned anything during my long, 60-year career in civil rights and in the freedom struggle in America, it is that the issue of equity requires ownership
and investment in order to sustain social transformation. I also know that if given the genuine opportunity from the NFL fraternity of owners, there are African Americans who are financially endowed and desirous to become NFL team owners. One such person who comes to mind is Robert F. Smith, the chairman and CEO of Vista Equity Partners, who in 2019 pledged to donate $34 million to pay off loan debt for 400 students who graduated Morehouse College that year. But there are plenty of other capable African Americans whom the NFL can tap for those positions. The point is that if the league makes this a priority, the opportunity is here to open the doors of this elite club to people from historically underrepresented groups. WI
The strong appeal for Black Unity by Bro. Malcolm and Bro. Martin were ignored (except by the FBI) at the time. They are still basically being ignored, by most of us, as of February 2021. If we continue to do so, especial-
ly those who consider ourselves Macolmites or Martinites, we will continue to be unworthy of the supreme sacrifice made by the two great warriors and other 20th century ancestors who fought in the war against white supremacy. WI
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of color. These communities are disproportionately located in proximity to industrial areas where exposure to biotoxins is the norm or, in the case of Katrina, where they're located in environmentally unstable areas. I hope the president's cancellation of the Keystone Pipeline permit is indicative of his recognition of the disproportionate impact of climate change/environmental issues on people of color. Racial inequity is a problem older than the nation. Naysayers believe
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Immediately, state legislators, especially in the old Confederate states, took advantage of the federal government's forced retreat from justice. They passed all kinds of new restrictions on voting. People in the civil rights and voting rights movements did not give up in despair after that devastating setback. They knew that every bit of progress is met with resistance. And the greater the progress, the greater the backlash. Right-wing politicians are already responding to Black voters' turnout and the victories they made possible by preparing new
ASKIA from Page 31 ple claims that school massacres are fake, yet was rewarded by the right-wing GOP leadership with a position on the House Education Committee. She says without censure, that Jews "in space" caused California's wildfires. In a Facebook post, Greene postulates that the "Vice Chairman of Rothschild Inc, international investment banking firm" may have used "space solar generators … beaming the sun's energy back to Earth" to fire a "laser beam or light beam coming down to Earth" to "cause" the 2018 camp fire in California in order to manipulate the stock market and line the pockets of Rothschild Inc, Solaren and Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein's husband, Richard Blum. No problema, congresswoman — you just go about your merry way, make sure you're locked and loaded. On the other hand, if Hall of Fame football player and sports analyst Shannon Sharpe is to be
it will never be resolved. President Biden has established credibility in communities of color and pledged practices which will have a positive impact on law enforcement/judicial process, economics and education. Although we've seen nothing major, we will observe and hope. COVID-19 has been a matter of grave concern in communities of color, especially ours, and is made more difficult by histories of unprincipled medical treatment. I have long felt that baseless assumptions are the greatest fault in cross-cultural medical treatment. Rather than
exasperation, medical professionals must learn the nuances of cross-cultural competence and communication. Tackling these converging crises individually is a tremendous task. Tackling them simultaneously is nearly impossible, with many potential missteps. We will closely monitor the Biden administration with hope, but will firmly hold him to promises made. We will enthusiastically work to achieve President Biden's agenda, but will not accept his benign or unintentional neglect. Let's dance! WI
plans to restrict voting. Some Pennsylvania Republicans who were supporters of voting by mail just a couple years ago are now trying to end it. We must defeat these efforts. As we welcome the Biden-Harris administration and encourage them to govern boldly to advance equality, justice, and opportunity, I think back to 2009, when Barack Obama made history as our first Black president. That year, I participated in a Story Corps conversation with my mother and grandmother about their own histories of civil rights activism. My grandmother — who is still with us today at age 104 — sent me off with
a message that is just as true today: "There's a lot left to be done." There are many ways to think about the stubborn resistance to the full inclusion of Black people in this country. Right now, I want to focus on this: The civil rights movement's victories were especially amazing given the intensity of the opposition. Our recent election wins are even more impressive when you consider that they were won in the face of powerful political forces working to make it harder for people to vote. Our optimism and hope are grounded in our history of overcoming. WI
believed, a famous celebrity can hardly even mention the name of Nation of Islam leader, Minister Louis Farrakhan —who, unlike the Jan. 6, 2021, melee, brought 2 million Black men to the U.S. Capitol for the Million Man March and left the Mall cleaner than it was when they arrived — without rebuke. Sharpe cites, as an example of the hypocrisy, 10-time Super Bowl quarterback Tom Brady's affection for the TWIMPRIC, and the arm's length which the whole celebrity world keeps from the Minister. Quoting Sharpe: "For argument's sake, let's just say LeBron James says. 'My friend Minister Farrakhan.' How would America react? You see, Blacks have always had to be very, very quiet about who their friends are. A prominent Black athlete can never say, 'Minister Farrakhan is my friend.' They'll try to cancel anybody with just the mere mention of Minister Farrakhan's name." It's blatant hypocrisy. The right-wing, white national-
ists behave like a pack of thugs at a middle school, pushing around the student body, taking their lunch money every day, and threatening the teachers to look the other way. These Repugnikkkan bullies dominate the news media as they urinate on the shoes of the neoliberals, while they tell the world it's just raining. The new president, Joe Biden —elected with an unprecedented outpouring of support from Black voters, who endured and overcame much to elect him and then delivered him two crucial Georgia Senate seats in post-election runoffs — is making nice with the GOP leadership who hate everything he stands for, while he puts Black aspirations on the back burner. Today's chief liberal captains, Biden and his "ace," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, call their failed technique "bipartisanship." Naw, they can't get away from their attachment to white superiority. It's the hypocrisy Trump's wildest dreams are made of. WI
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